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imaginesfordifferentfandoms · 2 months

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Prompt List

Hey! I am so sorry for not uploading for like five months! I really want to start uploading again but I think doing so many Taylor Swift inspired prompts burnt me out - if you sent a request or do send one I will get to it just give me time.

Here is a prompt list I'll be using from now on, like always if you have your own idea(s), send them in!

These's prompts include: "dialogue", 'anything in quotations is what the whole fic will be based around', 5 times plus 1, AU's and more!

Send in just one or merge some ideas together!

Click here to add yourself to my tag list! 🤍

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1 - “You’re in love with her, you know that right?”

2 - “I didn’t know where else to go.”

3 - “I’m replaceable, you’re not.”

4 - “You kept it?”

5 - Leaning their head on their shoulder

6 - “Because that’s what you and I do, we protect each other.”

7 - “I swear on us.” “Why us?” “Because there is nothing I have ever believed in more.”

8 - Person A getting hurt protect Person B

9 - “Hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

10 - “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

11 - “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”

12 - 5 times Person A and B correct people about their relationship status and the 1 time they just accept it

13 - Everything is black and white until you meet your soulmate. The world goes back to black and white when they die.

14 - “For what it’s worth, I never gave up on you.”

15 - Accidental love confession

16 - “You’re staring at him/her again.”

17 - “Give me one good reason why I should trust you?” “Because no matter how much you hate me, you know I have never lied to you.”

18 - “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”

19 - “If there was ever anybody meant for me, it’s you.”

20 - “You had your chance with her. You had your chance and you blew it, and this is my chance and I am not going to blow it because we are made for each other.”

21 - ‘I still hope there is more to our story. Maybe we just had to fall apart to find each other again one day.’

22 - “You weren’t there…why weren’t you there? I needed you! I needed you and you weren’t there!”

23 - “It’s my job to keep you safe, yes, but you could work with me a little to make it easier.”

24 - “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you and you haven’t stopped thinking about me.”

25 - ‘I am usually an optimist but I have never hoped for a sad ending like I do for you and her.’

26 - “I can’t say if the day I met you was the best or worst day of my life.”

27 - “Don’t look at me like that.”

28 - ‘Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together? Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.’

29 - “She’s my best friend, that’s never changed.” “Yeah, the only thing that changed was your feelings for her.”

30 - “How many fingers am I holding up?”

31 - “You’d die for her?”

32 - ‘He had that awkward tenderness of someone who had never been in love and was forced to improvise.’

33 - “I did it for you, you idiot.”

34 - “If I never see you again just know that I love you so, so much.”

35 - ‘He kissed her. Without warning, without permission. Without even deciding to do it, but simply because he couldn’t have done anything else.’

36 - “I thought you were dead!”

37 - Squeezing their hand reassuringly

38 - “Whatever you do, do not make a sound.”

39 - “I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

40 - “I can’t do this without you. I won’t do this without you.”

41 - “See? I told ya they’d get together.”

42 - ‘There is some good left in this world and it is worth fighting for.’

43 - Born with your soulmates first name tattooed on your body

44 - ‘There are some people that you meet and you just know from the get go that they are important, that you have to do anything to keep them in your life. He was that person.’

45 - “You came to me, begging me for help!”

46 - “Tell me about your life before all of this.”

47 - ‘S/he would always be my biggest what if.’

48 - “It turns out I’m absolutely terrible at staying away from you.”

49 - One being forced to hurt the other but refusing, getting themselves hurt instead

50 - “Why is it always the people you can’t trust saying “trust me”?”

51 - ‘If you were going to die, I was going to die with you.’

52 - “You can’t sleep yet kid, I need you to stay awake.”

53 - ‘We met at the wrong time. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. Maybe one day, years from now, we’ll meet in a coffee shop, in a faraway city somewhere and we could give it another shot.’

54 - Five times they wanted to say ‘I love you’ and the 1 time they finally did

55 - “I always thought you were the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

56 - “I’ve never had a family before.”

57 - “I’m not leaving without her.”

58 - ‘Sometimes we do everything right and it’s still not enough.'

59 - “Hey, you’re bleeding.”

60 - ‘We’re in love, we just want to be together. What’s wrong with that?’

61 - “Take me instead. Leave her/him and take me.”

62 - Sitting together on a rooftop

63 - “I think…I’m in love with (Name.)” “Congrats on being the last one to find out.”

64 - Needing somebody else to point out the fact you have feelings for character

65 - “I know we’re not…friends or anything, but…I’m here for you, if you need someone to talk to.”

66 - Drunken kiss

67 - “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

68 - ‘Home is not where you are from. It’s where you belong. Some of us travel the whole world to find it. Others find it in a person.’

69 - “If I had it my way, we’d never leave this bed.”

70 - ‘Everything that needs saying, truly saying, begins with a lump in the throat.’

71 - When mysterious injuries appear on your body, it’s because your soulmate got them.

72 - ‘For old times sake.’

73 - “I’m never gonna be good enough for you, am I?”

74 - “Don’t hurt him! Just stop hurting him, please!”

75 - ‘Sometimes there are no words that can help. Sometimes you just need to sit together in silence and try to come to terms with how the world works.’

76 - “When I let a day go by without talking to you, that’s just not a good day.”

77 – “Do you have a plan?” “I have a gun.”

78 - “How long did you think you could hide that?”

79 - “Leave with me.”

80 - ‘She was good and he needed a little good in his life because without it there was an awful lot of darkness.’

81 - 5 places Person A and B have kissed plus the 1 place where they did more than that

82 - “Honestly I wasn’t listening but I always disagree with whatever you say.”

83 - “There’s no way I’m sharing a bed with you.” “You’re more than welcome to sleep on the floor.”

84 - Person B is frowning all the time but Person A can always see when they are happy (Grumpy x Sunshine)

85 - ‘I want you to always remember me. Will you remember that I existed and that I stood next to you here like this?”

86 - “I’ll do it, but only because you asked me to.”

87 - 5 times Person A treated Person B’s injuries, plus 1 time Person B treated Person A’s injury.

88 - ‘Maybe one day we’ll meet again and I’ll be right for you and you’ll be right for me.’

89 - "Dying in the middle of nowhere doesn't seem so bad if you're here."

90 - “Oh no, you’re a morning person.”

91 - “I hate you.” “I love you too.”

92 - “No, don't stop, keep talking. I like hearing you talk.”

93 - “Are you cold?”

94 - “What do you want from me?”

95 - “Look, I know you hate me but I don’t know what to do and I really need some help.”

96 - “I’m not leaving you. Not this time.”

97 - “I wish things had been different.”

98 - “I can’t leave you alone for a second without you getting into trouble, can I?”

99 - “You’re not sleeping?” “Nope.” “Why not?” “Don’t want you to stab me the second I close my eyes.” “I won’t.”

100 - “This isn’t just an (object), it’s a promise.”

141 notes · View notes

lilstephenlover · 1 year

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y/n: wanna fu*k?

stephen: why do you have to say it like that? it's supposed to be a magical moment.

y/n: hocus pocus lemme strokus

764 notes · View notes

thestarlithideout · 1 month

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lowkey got sad when someone called my fic a blurb, then went back a read it and now I’m like. . . That short ass thing took me a month and a half to write?

tldr: fuck writers block

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geeky-politics-46 · 1 year

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Sacrifices - Part 1

Pairing: Doctor Stephen Strange x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Stephen gave up the time stone to save you & your son, but how can you possibly go on without him?

Warnings: Heavy angst & some smut (NSFW) - 18+ ONLY - language, reference to injuries, death, mental illness, complicated feelings about cheating, general sadness, vaginal sex, unprotected sex

This piece may go through some small edits over time as I work on part 2. Some slight canon divergence. Based on a request from @magnificentfurybluebird. Not necessarily my best work, but I'm happy with it.

GIF by wetiredofthis

When the spacecraft landed at the compound, thanks to Carol, you all scrambled to see who or what it was. You prayed to every God you knew that Stephen was somehow, someway, on board. That he had come back to you. Knowing that Tony and Peter had been with him when that creature, that thing took him.

Your heart shattered even further when you saw Tony near death stumble out. No one else followed except for Nebula. You knew deep down Stephen wouldn't be there. You already knew he was gone.

Nat and Steve were the ones who stayed outside with you as you sobbed and wailed. One hand on your pregnant belly, the other over your chest clutching at the cassum where your heart had once been. Nat rocking you back and forth, trying to calm you down and slow your breathing. Steve simply trying to keep you upright and holding your hair when your sobbing inevitably turned to dry heaving.

You don't remember how you got back inside. The next thing you remember was Tony having a little breakdown of his own. Understandably. You were swaddled in blankets staring blankly at the table. They had hooked both you and Tony up to IV drips. His anger didn't even phase you. Perhaps because it felt like an outlet for your own.

You vaguely remember Tony saying that Stephen gave up the time stone when Thanos threatened your life and the life of your unborn child. Stephen's son. You had only found out you were having a little boy a few days before Bruce crashed through the Sanctum's ceiling. It went from being the best week of your life to being the worst week of your life.

He said that Thanos threatened to find and torture you in front of him if Stephen didn't surrender the stone. That for the first time during the fight, he saw fear on Stephen's face. He knew Thanos would keep his word. So he did what he had to to save you and your son. Not knowing or not caring that Thanos' snap may as well have blipped you, too. Tony said that the last words Stephen said were, "There was no other way."

You were sure part of your soul turned to ash at the same time Stephen did. Even though you were safely ensconced in the Wakandan palace, you still felt it as if you had seen it with your own eyes. It was like someone had reached into your chest and pulled out your heart. You had stayed near catatonic on the trip back to regroup at the compound with all of the heroes who remained.

Since then, Nat had not let you out of her sight. Bruce and Steve were never far behind. Rhodey constantly brought you food and water, even though you refused to touch most of it. Pepper did what she could, but since Tony was in such bad shape, you couldn't blame her for focusing on him. Even Nebula and Rocket took turns sitting with you in those first few weeks.

You felt like a mental patient under constant observation for fear you would hurt yourself. Maybe that's what you were. Maybe that's why they didn't want to leave Tony and Thor alone for long either. Tony still had a long recovery ahead, and Thor already appeared to be spiraling into deep depression.

For a long time, you refused to speak to Wong directly. It hurt too much. The first words you spoke to him were to tell him that you couldn't go back to the Sanctum. He understood what you couldn't say out loud, so he let you keep your distance. Telling you that all you had to evet so was call and he would be there. Guarding over the Sanctum and the home you and Stephen had been building together. Promising to leave everything untouched unless you said otherwise.

For the next few months, the world around you felt like it was on fast forward. Perhaps it was just that you were moving in slow motion. You ate only when someone forced you to. Walked around the outside of the compound, but you had no interest in leaving the grounds. Preferring to spend most of your time curled up in bed, in the generic blank walled bedroom they gave you at the compound. You took care of yourself just enough to make sure your son would be born healthy, and he was.

A thick head of dark brown hair and bright blue eyes that matched Stephen's. You nearly gave him up for adoption because how could you care for and love this perfect little being when it hurt so badly to even just look at him? You couldn't though. You could never give up your one remaining tether to your husband. To Stephen. Instead, you sunk every ounce of energy you had into caring for him.

Your perfect little Vincent. The only silver lining you could find in a world without the man you loved. The reason you made yourself keep going. His sweet little smile was what kept you alive.

One by one, the remaining Avengers and Guardians started to leave. Rhodey had to help keep the US government and military functioning. Ayo literally had a whole country to run. Carol, Nebula, and Rocket were busy trying to keep other planets from falling apart. Pepper and Tony pretty much dropped off the grid during Tony's recovery. Val took over the responsibilities of New Asgard as Thor continued his own struggles, taking his solace in food and alcohol. Bruce left to try and find a way to peacefully coexist with the big green guy. Wong fell into the role of Sorcerer Supreme, putting the Kamar-Taj and the rest of the mystical arts power structure back into a working order.

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Eventually it was basically just Nat, Steve, you, and little Vincent. Nat was absolutely smitten with your little man. Stealing him away any chance she got, and encouraging you to focus on yourself. That it would be better for both you and Vincent, who she had taken to calling Vinny, if you found ways to take care of yourself too. Both mentally and physically.

To pacify her, you agreed. Starting small with things you always used to love. Taking nice long baths or showers. Indulging in body care and fragrances that didn't smell like a mix of baby powder and lavender. You started reading books again that didn't have pictures or a rhyme scheme to them. Quickly working through everything in the compound.

Soon your favorite thing to do was to have Steve take you into the city to visit your favorite little used bookstore, which was luckily still there. You went with Nat a couple times too, but going with Steve always felt better. Something about the white noise of his bike mixed with the wind whipping past you or the soothing sounds of 40's music in his car. Showing him you favorite books and ones that you thought he needed to read. He was content to just quietly wander through the shelves with you,

Nat was always trying to get you further out of your shell. Like you were her own little pet project. Trying to get you to go to lunch after or go shopping for clothes. She even pitched going lingerie shopping one day. You practically ran back to the compound on foot after that. You were nowhere near ready for that. To be or be seen as a sexual or sensual being again. To move on. Your heart still belonged to and longed for Stephen. Even after it had been years. You still wore your wedding rings for Christ sake.

At night, you still even dreamed of him. Almost every night, Stephen would find you. You didn't know where you were, but the landscape was barren and cold until Stephen would use his magic to cast an image of one of your favorite places. The park near the Sanctum or even the rooftop of the old building. The two of you reminiscing about the times you snuck up there to get away from everything, listening to the sounds of the city. A moment of fleeting happiness in those dreams only to wake up to the cold reality that he was gone and that you had to go on without him. You hated your own mind for torturing you with such vivid dreams.

That was another reason you liked being with Steve on your outings. He didn't treat you like just a mom, but he never pressured you to try to move on. He certainly hadn't either, despite what he told everyone else. You could see it in his eyes. You both simply chose to exist in that moment. No talk of the future or the past. Eventually, you two did start staying out together longer. Expanding your adventures to include things like walks in the park, museums, an occasional movie, and meals.

It was even with Steve that you decided it was time to pick up some of your stuff from the Sanctum. You didn't get much. Some of the things you had bought for Vincent before he was born, some of your clothes and toiletries, and a few photos of you and Stephen that you wanted Vincent to have. You wanted him to know his father, even if you weren't ready to talk about him much. Other than say how much Stephen would have adored him.

By the time you left, you were shaking like a leaf, even though you ran out of tears to cry a long time ago. After piling everything into the trunk of his car, Steve assumed you would want to go right home. Instead, you wanted to get drunk, telling him to go to the little Mexican restaurant you two frequented. Taking your normal table in the corner of the patio. It was a great spot for people watching.

Luckily, Steve talked you into stopping after two margaritas and a shot of tequila. Also making sure you ate plenty to absorb the alcohol. You were actually feeling better by the time you went to leave. Still telling Steve to take the long way back to the compound.

"Can I take you somewhere I really like to go? When I just want quiet or want to think?"

"Sure, Steve. Quiet sounds nice. I love Vincent so much, but he reminds me so much of Stephen. I don't know that I'm quite ready for that. I'll just shoot Nat a text saying she's in charge of bedtime."

You ended up parked out in the most beautiful field at the edge of an apple orchard. As soon as you got out of the car, the sweet scent of the ripening fruit enveloped you. Paired with the remaining heat from the sun sitting low on the horizon and the cool breeze slowly moving in, it felt perfect. It was breathtaking.

Your breath hitched a little when Steve's hands found his way to your hips as he helped you climb up on the hood of the sports car. Finding yourself extra self-concious when you turned to get comfy and inevitably ended up with your ass in his face. Noticing the blush you both wore when he went around to the other side and effortlessly pulled himself up next to you.

He quickly folded up his leather jacket to place under your head. Holding it in place until you were laid back and settled before following you and laying down beside you. His strong arm pressed against you, the warmth of his body radiating off of him. The scent from his jacket, the leather mixed with his cologne, filling your nostrils. Suddenly, you felt drunker on Steve than even the tequila had made you feel.

He noticed you shiver and the goosebumps forming on your arms. Without even thinking, he put one arm around you and pulled you so your head was resting on his shoulder. Moving his jacket so it draped over the two of you like a blanket. You fought the urge to bury your nose into his neck.

Had he always smelled so intoxicating?

Suddenly, you were feeling things you hadn't felt in literal years. Your body felt nearly electric. Even on those nights when you couldn't sleep and tried to sate an itch that you wanted to deny still existed, or when you dreamed of the passion filled nights you spent with Stephen, it didn't feel like this. It didn't feel like hunger. Like you were starving only to be plopped down in front of a big juicy Thanksgiving feast. It was too much and nowhere near enough.

You felt Steve's heart start to race as his enhanced sense of smell began to pick up what was surely the scent of your growing arousal. As the sun sank lower in the sky and the sound of crickets grew louder, the tension between you continued to grow thicker. In a moment of bravery, you let your hand come to rest on Steve's abdomen. He let his hand that was wrapped around you start drawing shapes on your hip.

You both knew you had reached the point of no return when his movements caused the shirt you were wearing to rise, and his fingers finally made contact with your bare skin. Your head tilted upward against his jaw as a needy moan feel from your lips as they pressed gently against his neck. Your teasing breath illiciting a hungry growl from the captain.

Time seemed to slow as he tilted his head down and gazed into your eyes. Seeming to seek confirmation that this wasn't in his head or that you weren't just drunk beyond all reason. The haze of lust in your eyes pushed him to place his lips softly over yours. It was comforting and sweet, and oh so different from the way Stephen used to kiss you.

That was the reason why you deepened the kiss. Letting your tongue lick across Steve's lips until he reflexively thrust his tongue into your mouth. For the first time since Stephen left, you weren't thinking about how his touch or his kiss used to feel. How much you missed everything about him. You were relishing in the unfamiliar. You stopped thinking and let yourself be taken.

Pulling Steve's large form on top of yours and spreading your legs so he could slot his hips between them. Arching your body up into his at the way his weight felt on top of you. It felt so good. You couldn't stop yourself from wrapping your legs around his legs and dragging your fingernails down his back until you got to his ass. Digging your fingers into his flesh and pulling his pelvis to grind against you.

The feel of his bulge grinding against you making you hungrier for him. You quickly reached up and moved to pull your shirt off. Finally getting your first good look at Steve's face after throwing your shirt to the side. Strands of his dark blonde hair falling forward into his now clouded blue eyes. His cheeks were flushed, and his lips swollen.

"God, you look so beautiful. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about this. I like being with you. Are you sure you want this? I don't want to pressure you."

It was sweet, and you were very happy that Steve cared about your feelings and your wants. You liked being with him, too. Right now, though, you didn't want to think. You just wanted to feel. You desperately wanted to feel something good. If that good feeling was having Captain America pound you stupid on the hood of his car, then so be it. You would deal with the consequences afterward.

You quickly began unbuttoning his shirt as you spoke. Looking into his pretty blue eyes only for a moment before focusing again in the expanse of his bare chest coming into view. All smooth skin and a few freckles against thick muscle.

"Just don't talk, Steve, just touch me, please. I just need you to touch me and kiss me. Okay? Right now, I just need you to take off your pants. Talk later."

He hesitated for a minute, then gave in. Nodding quickly and whispering, "Okay. Okay." Moving to unbutton and unzip his own jeans before moving over to yours as you pushed his shirt back off of his strong shoulders. Dragging your nails back down his newly bare chest before reaching back and bracing yourself on the cool metal of the car hood to help him lift your hips so he could shimmy your own pants down.

The heat of Steve's gaze ratcheting up even more now that you were down to just your bra and panties. You didn't feel self-conscious or focus on the flaws you always saw in the mirror. For the first time since Stephen, you felt beautiful in someone else's eyes. Steve was seeing you bor just as a mother. Not just as a friend, but as a woman.

Steve descended back on you with the same hunger you showed him. Quickly tearing apart the rest of your clothing and exposing your most intimate places. His eyes darkened and a deep groan came from his chest. Before either of you could speak you wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him down to kiss you. Both of you letting yourself succumb to your desires.

Your hands slowly moved to his hips, catching both his jeans and his boxer briefs and pushing them down in one go. Finally feeling Steve completely bare against you. Skin on skin. The weight of his big thick cock sliding against your wet cunt making you needy.

You needed to feel him inside you. Needed to feel that delicious stretch. His fingers toying with your nipples already had you starting to tingle. It had been so long, and you didn't realize how much you missed being touched and kissed. How much you missed the feeling of being well fucked.

That's exactly what Steve Rogers made sure you were that night. Not stopping until he had made you cum at least 3 times before you went home to the compound. Of course you were so sensitive that he had you cumming with his first full thrust into you.

By the time the sun was starting to rise, you and Steve had been at it for hours before finally succumbing to a few hours of sleep in each other's arms. Your alarm, thankfully, making sure you still woke up before Vincent. Until you figured out whether this was a one-time thing you didn't want to get him involved. As far as he needed to know, Uncle Steve was still just Uncle Steve.

However, by the time the next evening rolled around, after showing Vincent all the photos and things you had picked up from the Sanctum, you hated yourself for what you had done. Even if he was gone, you still felt like you betrayed Stephen. So why did you want to do it again if you felt so terrible? Why was it all you could think of that night when you tried to sleep? Or what you found yourself daydreaming about it the shower?

You still loved Stephen with all of your heart and would give anything to have him back, but Steve had reawakened a part of you thought had died with Stephen. Up until that day, you had never even fantasized about anyone else. Just Stephen. It had been years since the blip. You had been pregnant when you lost Stephen. Now you had a dark-haired little toddler running around. He adored his Auntie Nat and Uncle Steve. He was happy even if he didn't have his real father.

You wanted him to have a fully rounded life, and now that he was almost 5, it wouldn't hurt for him to have a father figure. To see his mother happy and loved. There would never be another Stephen, but maybe you could be happy with Steve. Stephen would want you to be happy, right? Maybe you could be a little family unit together. Even though your whole heart could never belong to Steve, you could give him part of it. Maybe that was all you could ask for.

You found yourself confiding in Nat. Needing to share the guilt you felt and hear everything you were thinking said out loud. Of course, you would take into account whatever advice she had to offer, but it was more that you desperately needed to share the thoughts that were eating at you.

After spilling everything, you noticed her face was unchanged. Your brows furrowed as you saw the mischievous glint in her eyes and her biting at her bottom lip to keep from smiling. As you figured out exactly why she was holding back a grin, you buried your face in your hands.

"Ugh… Steve already told you we slept together, didn't he?"

A snort came from the redhead, well half redhead half blonde. Already confirming your suspicions.

"I caught him sneaking out of your bedroom the other day, and you know how terrible he is at lying. It wasn't exactly hard to connect the dots."

Her smile faded when she saw the tears forming in your eyes. She came over to where you were sitting and pulled you into a tight hug. Starting to rock you back and forth when she heard your soft cries.

"I know how much you still love Stephen, and so does Steve. He's not expecting you to just forget about him. He knows how important he was to you. Stephen knew how much you loved him, and he would want you to feel love even without him. For yourself just as much as for Vincent. He wouldn't have sacrificed himself if he didn't. We all lost people, and we are all still hurting, but you deserve good things in your life. You deserve to feel happy and even find love again. Whether or not that is with Steve is between the two of you. You can't keep punishing yourself for what happened. None of us can. Maybe we all just need to finally move on. "

You both sat in silence, holding each other close. Thanking the powers that be that even after losing the love of your life, you had found a best friend to help keep you sane. Both of you slowly sinking to the edge of sleep, drifting between the present world and the dreamworld where Stephen still visited you. Only for you to be snapped awake by the sound of knocking and a vaguely familiar voice.

You cracked one eye open and found the security camera for the front door to be the cause of the disturbance. What you saw made your heart jump into your throat. Sticking his face right up into the camera was a man you knew only from his picture, the one that was displayed on the same board as Stephen's after the snap. It was the face of Scott Lang, who had supposedly been blipped 5 years ago along with the others.

Without looking away from the screen you shook Nat awake. Sure that if you looked away from the screen he would disappear, either as a figment of your own imagination or a hallucination. You couldn't even form words to communicate properly until Nat realized what you were seeing.

"Oh my god! Is that… Scott?"

"Nat, is that live? That's not video, right? How is that real?"

She bolted up from the couch and over to the monitors. Double checking the feed to make sure it was, in fact, live and that everything checked out. Making sure she followed all safety protocols before opening the door.

"I have no idea, but go get Steve, and you may want to put some coffee on. If this is real, it's gonna be a long night."

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Vincent loved having Scott there, and Scott was great with him. Showing him all sorts of card tricks and close-up magic. He was almost more goofy, big brother than anything. Even as the rest of the group started to trickle back into the compound, brought back together by Scott's time heist plan, Scott was still the cool one. With the exception of Rocket, because even close-up magic can't beat talking raccoon.

You listened from the dining area at your son and his new friends gathered in the living room. All eyes on the toddler as he colored. Various coloring books and crayons scattered on the table being used by Scott, Rocket, Bruce, and Nebula. You and Steve were busy setting out plates and silverware while Nat and Clint had begun retrieving enough take out food to feed an army. Thor was asleep on the couch.

"Mommy says my daddy could do magic. He's not here to show me though, he disappeared with lots of other people. Maybe you and my uncle Wong could teach me how to do magic, and I can bring them all back? Then mommy won't be sad anymore."

You could see Scott glance at you over Vincent's shoulder. Trying not to draw attention to the fact that he knew you were listening. The tears quickly blurred your vision before you moved to wipe them away. Scott didn't want to overstep his boundaries, not having known you or Vincent very long, but he knew he needed to say something to comfort the boy. He continued before Scott could say anything.

"I know mommy has me and Auntie Nat and Uncle Steve. She says her and Uncle Steve are special friends now, and sometimes he stays with her at night, but I know she still misses Daddy. Sometimes at night I hear her crying and it makes me sad that she's sad. I want to help make her feel better. Plus, I wanna meet Daddy. He sounds really cool."

Well now that your son had outed you and Steve to all of the other Avengers in the room. You felt very much on display, like an exposed raw nerve. No one wanting to make eye contact with you except Steve and Nat. All feeling a little guilty at having left you knowing now that you still cried yourself to sleep most nights, at least the ones you weren't taking solace in Captain America's arms.

From the living room once more, you catch Scott trying to communicate silently with you. After some eyebrow wiggles and hand gestures, you figured out he wants to tell Vincent about the time heist plan. You assume not everything as Vincent is only 4, but just the fact that they have a plan to try. You figure what the hell, he's bound to notice all the commotion starting around the compoundanyways.

Maybe it would be best to tell him, especially since it had already been decided the two of you would go to the Sanctum while the heist and ensuing fight was happening. It would be the safest place physically for you to be. Even if mentally, you weren't so sure. If it worked and Stephen did come back, you would have a lot less to explain. If it didn't work though, would your son's heart be broken just like yours? You weren't sure you could handle that.

After a few more seconds of thinking, you give Scott a little nod. Giving him the go-ahead to share the plan with Vincent. Who is he gonna tell anyway?

"Can you keep a secret? It's an Avengers only secret. So if I tell you it means you're an official Avenger, okay? We have a plan to try and bring everyone back, but we need someone to make sure your mom stays safe while we do. So maybe we can put you in charge of protecting your mom for us? Nat says she's always getting into trouble, and we have to make sure to keep her safe for your dad. Plus, I wanna meet your dad too. He does sound cool. If he's anything like you, then he'll be really cool."

"I've met him. Not that cool. Right Banner? Now, what's this you were saying about your mom and uncle Steve?"

Tony Stark was always one to make an entrance, Rhodey not far behind him, and ultimately you were happy to have his sarcasm change the energy in the room back to a more playful one. Tony tilted his sunglasses down and gave your son a little 6 show him he was teasing. The same look he always gave Steve when he was giving him shit, which he had managed to do oh so quickly. Your son's giggle breaking the tense air around you as Tony clutched his chest and exaggeratedly gasped at the scandalous reveal.

You had to laugh at the way Steve rolled his eyes. You knew he wasn't one to kiss and tell, let alone when you were still another man's wife. Even if that other man had been blipped years ago by a mad titan. You weren't officially a thing, but you weren't not a thing either. Truthfully, you both had yet to figure out exactly what you were for each other.

You were surprised when you felt a hand on your shoulder and looked ovet to see Clint. A shell of who he had been. Deep black circles under his eyes, a mohawk, and a plethora of new tattoos. Having lost his wife and his kids you knew he had struggled to make it this far. He offered you a tight lipped half smile. A smile that said I know your pain, and in the case you knew that he really did know.

"I know it's not exactly the same, but speaking as someone who also lost a spouse you still seem to handling it much better than me. I know everyone lost people, but you really got a raw deal. You're doing a great job, mom."

You hadn't realized Nebula had left the living room until she chimed in as well. Her monotone voice doing nothing to hide her feelings as she spoke.

"He is right. You are a good mother. Even if his father is dead. He is happy and loved. That's all I ever wanted… to be loved."

You knew she meant it nicer than it sounded. She was just very blunt. You wanted to say something back to her. To tell her that she is loved. You wanted to hug her, but knew that probably wasn't the best thing. Instead settling for reaching out to put your hand on hers as she went to grab a plate. Her breath hitching and her body jumping lightly at even that friendly gesture.

You squeezed her hand in yours and gave her a little smile and a nod whispering a silent thank you. Letting go before she had the chance to return the nod, not wanting to pressure her into responding further. Your smile growing when a soft "You are welcome" fell from her lips. Excusing yourself so you could go get Vincent as well as wake up Thor, and she could start plating her food.

After everyone got their food and the plotting of how and where to find all the infinity stones began, you and Vincent began planning for your own adventure. Packing all that you would need for an extended stay at the Sanctum. Making sure you had everything important accounted for. The time heist and potential following battle could go any number of ways, you and Vincent had to be prepared for anything. No matter what happened.

So you packed your belongings and started the process of moving yourselves back to the place that for years had been your home. The Sanctum Sanctorum. Now, it just felt haunted and empty. Moving yourself and Vincent into new bedrooms and not daring to even open the door to the master bedroom you and Stephen once shared.

Vincent was enjoying helping build the time machine however he could. Even just carrying tools or supervising. The time passed quicker than you would have hoped, and before long, the big day was staring down at you. Wong had made sure you were all settled in by then.

You and Steve had spent what, if all went according to plan, would be your final night together. He promised you that they would succeed, whatever it took. They would set the world right. That they would do it for you and for Vincent.

It would be your job to throw the switches and start the time machine that would scatter the Avengers throughout time and across all corners of the universe. Then Wong would take you and Vincent to the Sanctum before leaving to gather the forces of the Kamar-Taj and the other Sanctums.

One by one all of them gave Vincent a high five, a fist bump, or a hug as they climbed up onto the platform. Nat was the last one up, other than Bruce who checked all the settings one last time.

You noticed an odd look in her eyes as she hugged you so tight you could hardly breathe. From the corner of your eye, you saw her slip two sealed envelopes into Vincent's Captain America backpack. Kneeling down at eye level and making him promise to keep you safe. Telling him how proud she was of him before kissing the top of his head and joining the others.

After Steve finished his signature Captain America speech, you told Vincent to go stand back on the other side of the room with Wong. To make sure if anything went wrong, he would be protected. Starting your countdown once he was at a safe distance.

"Three… two… one… God speed."

As soon as the shockwave had cleared and all of them had disappeared, you checked the machine's settings against the paper Bruce and Scott had given you. Making sure everything looked stable and the platform was ready for their return. Starting the countdown clock ticking. It should only be five minutes in your time before they all returned.

Wong had already opened the portal to the Sanctum and sent Vincent through as you looked around at the Avengers compound one more time. On some level you knew that it was the last time you would see it. You didn't know what was coming next, but you knew there was no turning back now.

And so you stepped through the gold glimmering portal into the grand foyer of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Once again your home. For better or for worse. Giving Wong a hug and a thank you before sending him off to ready the other sorcerers for battle.

For now, your job was just to take care of your son. The only job you had really cared about for the last five years. Taking his small hand in yours and leading him into the dining room. While the others searched for the stones that could bring your husband back, dinner was the top priority on your list. For Vincent, you had to keep up a semblance of normalcy, even if every fiber in your body felt like it wanted to go hide under the bed.

All you could do was wait and hope…

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

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imarvelatthestars · 8 months

Text

Wild, Uncharted Waters

Pairings: 99 x ex-Jedi f!Reader, ft. the Domino twins & Rex

Warnings: description of battle scenes and character deaths, bittersweet ending; I didn't rewatch the episode, so I'm sure the scenes from the Battle are a little off.

Notes: title taken from the song of the same name on 'The Little Mermaid' soundtrack

Beautiful things are not allowed on Kamino. The food is dull and bland and taste more like paste than anything remotely edible. The weather is gloomy and aggressive more often than it is pleasant. The bounty hunters and various Mandalorians that have come to train the other clones are stern and stony faced, few of them care for the lives beneath them and even the ones that do care care very little. 99 does not expect beauty in his life, but that doesn't keep him from searching for it.

He sees it in his brothers every day - they never stop fighting, never give up. They're strong in heart and mind, as well as body, stronger than he's ever been. They're brave and brilliant and deadly. He wonders what it would be like to be that beautiful.

He sees it in the Jedi that come to visit, especially in Shaak Ti. She is a magnificent woman. 99 sees a wisdom in her that goes beyond anything he's ever experienced, he sees compassion and grace and power that could outmatch even the best bounty hunter, even the best clone. He wonders if anything could ever be as beautiful as she is.

And then he sees you. It's completely by chance. Civilians aren't usually allowed on Kamino, but you are and that fascinates him. He wants to know why and no one ever notices him anyway, not even the other brothers, so it's not hard to follow after you and your party and, well, snoop.

The Jedi are concerned about morale, they worry about the mental health of their troops in the face of so much violence and death. The Kaminoans aren't keen on outsiders interfering with their projects, but you and the Jedi both refuse to budge - the men need support and you're here to give it to them.

The only other humans he's seen are his brothers, not even the human Mandalorians show him their faces. But you - you're different. Your stature, your voice, your clothes, everything is so unlike the things that have shaped his reality. The only thing he finds even remotely similar is your eyes because they burn as brilliantly and impassionedly as every other clone's does.

99 wonders if anything could ever be as beautiful as you.

It's a blessing and a curse that the clones like you.

They don’t trust easily, you’d been told. They don’t like outsiders. They’re not like us. Be careful.

The commandos are the ones that fit that mold more than the rest, although there are a few that offer glimpses of something soft and gentle beneath their helmets. Like Darman and Scorch. Even with Niner and Fixer, you pick up on moments where you see how brilliantly they’d shine if they were anywhere else, if they could find themselves beyond the confines of being a killing machine.

But the other clones are relatively friendly and eager to talk with your staff. Some open up right away – Waxer comes to mind, Tup, Fives, and Echo, too, as well as many of the cadets. Others are more difficult, like Commander Wolffe and the men that make up his higher ranking officers. They’d apparently been through hell early in the war and lost too many brothers to count. They would need time. But they also had Master Plo on their side, so in a way they were better off than many other troopers.

The blessings come in knowing that you’re helping these men through their trauma. The curse comes in the pain their trauma comes drenched in. It rolls off of them in waves, pulsates through the Force until it hits you so strongly that it threatens to knock your feet out from under you. Their pain becomes yours – the blaster bolts whizzing past their heads, the gut-wrenching loss of every brother on the battlefield, the cruel words their trainers spit at them and the careless manner in which the Kaminoans regard them. And the pain burns. It fills your lungs like molten lava, lights your every nerve on fire until you can no longer see anything but the spotting edges of your blackened vision and you’re forced to confine yourself to your quarters and meditate the rage away.

This is why you left the Order in the first place. This is why you never received a Master. Your anger has always terrified you, your natural rage in the light of injustice has always threatened to overwhelm you. Seeing the injustice on Kamino is no different. You feel as if you’ll drown in your emotions. And it triggers every other negative emotion you’ve ever felt.

Her emotions control her, she does not control them. You can still hear Master Windu’s voice. You’d always admired him, always wondered if you could be good enough to be his Padawan one day. Impassioned, she is. Dangerous, these feelings. The Dark Side, I sense in her. It still stings, even half a decade later, to remember Master Yoda’s decision. We can’t. It goes against the Code. The fellow youngling you’d fallen in love with all those years ago. The guilt and betrayal you’d felt in your gut after being turned down. The disgust you’d felt with yourself for wanting to give in to your basest desires, your most human desires. Difficult, it will be. Easy, your path is not. The last piece of advice the Jedi had ever given you before you left for the Service Corps.

It all added up to one awful conclusion: you are not good enough and you will never measure up.

Your mind threatens to drag you to a dark place, you can sense the oncoming panic attack through the Force. And you’re too tired to fight it. You open yourself up to it when a sudden clattering of sharp, metallic sounds pierces through your withdrawal and you come blinking back into the present moment.

Your room is unlit, but there’s someone else in there with you. Not a danger, that much you can tell. Whoever it is, they seem panicked and… embarrassed?

“-rry. I’m so sorry, ma’am.” The distinct voice of a clone comes from the general direction of the pile of cleaning equipment on the floor. Strewn about in the open doorway. “My apologies.”

You’re quick to offer the clone a hand and pull him out of the rubbish, although you can’t make out any distinguishing features with how dark it still is. The light from the hall shows you that he’s shaved his head, but nothing else.

“Are you alright?”

He nods and starts picking up his things almost immediately. “Y-Yes, ma’am. I’m so sorry t’ disturb you. You and your friends are usually gone this time of day and-“

“It’s alright, trooper. I’m not upset.” You swipe away the remainder of your tears under the guise of itching your undereye. “Just taking a bit of a break. I think I overworked myself today.”

You half expect him to laugh at you. Compared to his job, yours looks like a piece of cake. Sitting around and listening to other people’s problems? Try getting shot at, civvie. But he doesn’t. In fact, he smiles so intensely that you can feel it in the Force.

“I’ll get goin’, then,” he rumbles with a quick pat on your hand. “Leave you to it.”

“You don’t have to,” you say before you can even think better about it. You’re not sure where the sudden desire for company comes from, but this clone’s presence is soothing. He feels kind. “You can stay. If you have work you need to do? I won’t get in your way.”

He considers this for a moment and you can sense his apprehension, but whatever it is giving him pause must be trivial because then he nods and agrees to stay. He moves awkwardly to the light panel on the wall, like he's limping, and it strikes you that his silhouette is distorted in the dark. Almost as if-

It takes you by surprise at first and you know it's plain on your face, but once you get over your shock, you offer the clone a full smile. He's nearly half a head shorter than the rest of his brothers, his skin unusually pale and blotchy, and his shoulders and back are severely misshapen. But the kindness you had sensed in him shines through in its fullness on his face, in his eyes. It nearly bows you over, like all the pain and trauma you pick up on from the other clones, but this time it's bright and carefree like a wave on a summer shore.

You stick your hand out and give your name. It's an offering and an apology.

His palm is clammy in yours, but his hands are large and broad. "I'm 99."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, 99."

And just like that, a small part of the darkness lurking in the depths of your mind dispels in his light. He's not like any man you've ever met.

Things come easy with 99. He makes you smile until your cheeks hurt and laugh until you're lightheaded. He shares his thoughts on all kind of things, the war, the Jedi, his brothers, the destiny he feels he missed out on by being born different. And you open up easily with him, as if he were the one sent to Kamino to ease your despair and not the other way around. You tell him about your early years in the Temple, the trials you failed and the Knight you longed to become, the anger and the love that overflowed from within you, holding you back. You find a kindred spirit. You hope he has too.

He works hard. Too hard. The Kaminoans don't treat him as well as they should, but then again, they don't treat any of the clones how they should. He's an outcast even among his brothers and there are few who pay him any attention. It would normally send you into a rage and a lot of the times it does, but there are moments where it doesn't. Like now. When he steals you away from your very serious job and your very serious co-workers to a secret spot in Tipoca City. He's only able to do this because he's so overlooked, but he doesn't let either of you dwell on it.

"Nobody else knows about this," he explains as he coaxes you down the rusted old tunnel leading from the inner city to the exterior. "I found it while I was cleaning one day."

"What... is it?"

"It's an old service hatch, mostly for external repairs, but no one uses it anymore."

You squeeze his hand. "Except you?"

He grins, and it makes your heart feel fuzzy. "Well, only sometimes. It's just up here, c'mon."

The hatch opens up to a small platform near the top of one of the highest levels in the city, no bigger than the space needed for a couple of workers. The air is cool and crisp and salty, but it's drier than the planet's been since you arrived due to Kamino experiencing its one sunny day of the year. Normally you'd consider an excursion like this too dangerous with the rain pouring down on the durasteel. Today, though, it's warm and only a little damp in the corners.

"What do you think? It's beautiful, isn't it?"

You can see everything in all directions up here. Not that there's much to see, it's all water, but he's right. With the sunshine filtering through the cloud cover and the wind whipping the sea into waves of sea foam, and with 99's face turned toward the sky, his eyes alight and sparkling, it is beautiful.

"How many of your brothers know about this? I'm surprised they haven't left any graffiti behind."

99 looks confused. "I've never told them. You're the first." And you choose not to read into the sudden flush in his cheeks.

"That's..." That's incredibly sweet of him, to trust you enough to share his best kept secret. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," he shrugs.

"No." Your hand finds his. "Thank you, 99. For sharing this with me. I'm honored."

"Oh, no. No, I should be the one who's honored. I don't deserve a friend like you."

Is he crazy? Of course he does! He deserves more than you could ever give him. "Don't say that," you urge as you turn so you're facing him properly. "You're the best person I know. I love-." The sentence sticks in your throat for some reason, though you're not entirely sure why. Like the thing you want to say isn't what your heart wants to say. But that's silly. "I love being your friend. And I love this. It's beautiful."

You're beautiful, you think when the sun hits his eyes just right. But that's not usually a thing that friends say, so you hold it in your heart instead. You wonder if anyone else could ever be as beautiful as him.

Unfortunately for you, you hear 501st trooper Fives before you see him. "Hey, there's my favorite civvie!" His mess kit goes clattering on the table with a raucous, metallic sound that hurts your ears, and then he's dropping heavy into the seat beside you. "You haven't been trying t' avoid me, have you?"

"Can you blame her?" Echo sits across from his brother with a sigh and a sympathetic glance turned your way.

You stifle a snort. "Hello to you too, Fives. Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Yeah, yeah, hello, all that nice crap. I saw you."

You and Echo exchange a look. "I see you too. Glad we have that covered."

But he shakes his hands as he frowns. "No no no. Yesterday. With 99," he adds with a sly little grin and a wink. "You've been holding out on me. I didn't know you liked the quiet ones."

It's a wonder he can't hear your kriffing heartbeat with how flustered you suddenly feel. Just what is he implying? How could he even think that you and 99...?

"We're just friends."

"Right, and my name's General Skywalker."

Fives is an idiot. He's always stirring up trouble, getting into things he shouldn't, cracking jokes and playing pranks. It stands to reason that this is just another one of his pranks. He's just trying to get a rise out of you since you're usually so professional, just teasing you because he can. But then why would he pick on 99, of all his brothers? How could he know how you really feel?

And that's the thought that terrifies you the moment you think it. Because you hadn't realized you felt any way about 99, let alone in the sort of way Fives is implying. It had just never occurred to you. He never showed any interest and you just wanted a friend, and it's not like you were looking for romance- not that you're feeling romance of any kind! Because you're not. 99 is your friend. He makes you laugh. He shines his light into your darkest shadows. He's strong and kind and so, so gentle. And... and...

You shove your elbow into the trooper's ribcage, knowing it won't do any damage but hoping he'll get the point. "Shut up, Fives."

He's grinning like a loth cat that got the cream. "I'm right, aren't I?" he hums with wiggling eyebrows.

"I'm feeding you to a bantha first chance I get."

He kicks Echo under the table. "Yeah. I'm always right when it comes to these things, eh vod?"

Echo hides his grin behind his fork. "Oh, shut up, Fives."

Kamino is the same as it always is the day of the attack. You're looking through your schedule to double check the list of troopers on your roster (and perhaps to ensure that you can still sneak away to visit 99 around lunch) when the entire city shakes. Earthquake is your first thought - that is, until you look out your window and see the waves crashing into the base of the city and you remember where you are. Then come the ripples in the Force.

Something is coming, something dark.

The rest is a blur. You're aware of more ripples, Jedi this time and the clones under their command, but you're also aware of all the death. It's everywhere. It's in the skies above and in the entire city, rocking the very foundations until you're half convinced it's going to fall into the ocean.

For a moment, you forget yourself and reach for your lightsaber, only to remember that it lies in the Jedi vaults. No matter. You can still help. You grab a blaster and a med pack, even though you're only marginally trained to use both, and you run where your gut tells you to go.

It's chaos. Droids and blaster fire and rain in your eyes, men screaming as they die with holes in their chests, every now and then the flash of a saber. It's war. You've sensed it in the words and whispers of memories drifting to you in the Force, but now you're living it and it's awful. You're paralyzed by the horror. A trooper shouts something in your direction just before an explosion knocks you off your feet.

Everything is both muted and strikingly louder than before. There's a ringing in your ears and your teeth hurt. The ocean is above you and the sky is below, there is nothing but the wind on your face and shrapnel in your legs. And then there is everything. The war comes rushing back. You land on hard duracrete, air pushed from your lungs and head spinning, and you can feel the lives around you flickering in and out as they're shot down.

This isn't right. None of this is right. You should be in your office with one of the troopers, maybe the one right in front of you, the one with the smoking blaster hole in his visor. You should be looking at your chrono double, triple checking how many hours you have until 99 takes you to another secret place he's carved out of Tipoca City's unforgiving walls.

99. Your stomach drops. Where's 99?

They say that a human can do incredible things under the influence of an adrenaline rush. A mother can lift an entire speeder to save her child, a soldier can endure endless kliks of physical labor and exhaustion to reach his target. A never-was Jedi can pull herself to her feet, bleeding and bruised, and cover the length of a city in half the usual time without feeling any of the durasteel embedded in her shins.

The Force, on the other hand, can do things just as incredible. It can overwhelm and overload, it can bring peace and healing, it can trigger anger and fear. It can zero in on a single heartbeat, a single signature, and it can track that heartbeat through a battlefield. It can give strength to the one who wields it, however unknowingly, a clarity so often chased after but never achieved.

You find that clarity in 99. In his smile, his voice, the terrible jokes he cracks and the way he hums to himself when he thinks he's alone. In the hideaways and the secret moments, the trading of sweets in the janitorial closet and the latest news reports from Coruscant in the mess hall. In the way he says your name. In the way that he's so beautiful and he doesn't even realize it. His heart. His heart is so...

It's choking. The heartbeat you're tracking, it's wrong. Something's wrong.

No. No no no no no, not 99.

The clarity of finding your purpose is replaced with the fog of rage. You can hardly see. Battle droids shoot at you, only to be crushed into distorted balls of metal. The city rumbles under your feet, you push yourself to run even faster. Clones are dying all around you. You only care about one.

The room you find yourself in is full of blaster smoke and lit solely in shades of red. A handful of cadets are scattered throughout, shadowed by their older brothers in their full armor, defeated droids at their feet. All you see is the body on the floor. The gangly limbs, the twisted spine, the man you...

Someone is calling your name, but you don't hear it. You can only hear your heartbeat and the blood thundering through your veins. You're on the ground, ripping bacta patches out of your pack and tearing them open with your teeth.

"Stay with me, 99. Stay with me."

Maker, his back is all singed. Droids can't feel pain, but in this moment you wish more than anything that they could. You'd bring them back to life and kill them all over again. You see red, and you're not sure if it's the emergency lighting or your hatred.

His shirt rips apart under your fingers as you poke and prod at his skin. The bacta's on but it's not working, you can feel it not working. Why isn't it working? You reach out through the Force, desperate, blind, crying, hoping.

His body is still warm. That's a good sign, right? But there's no life inside it. It's just an empty shell. Like the thing that's been living within it went out for a walk, it'll be back soon. Just a quick walk to enjoy the sunshine. That's all.

His spinal cord is severed. The Force doesn't tell you in words so much as it transfers this information into understanding. He can hear you, but he can't speak and he can't move. His lungs aren't working right. He's already got one foot in his grave. He's almost gone.

"I'm here," you say, but the voice doesn't sound like you. "Hold on, 99. Please. Just hold on, I..."

I can't lose you.

He's fading.

I just got to know you.

He's gone already.

I don't want to live this life without you.

You bow your head so your forehead touches his ear and your tears drip onto his face. "I love you."

It can't end like this. How can it end like this? How could the gentlest man in the universe deserve a death like this?

He died with honor, says the nothingness in your head. He died how he lived - in service of his brothers. Let him go.

You shake your head. "No."

"Hey." This voice is real, as real as the hand that settles on your shoulder. "He's gone, civvie."

"We lost a true soldier," says another voice. "He really was one of us," says another, but it's all so wrong. They speak with his voice and yet they're not him. His lungs draw no breath. His body remains still. "I can't believe he's dead."

There is no death, there is the Force.

You can't remember the last time you recited the Code. It's been years by now, years of agonizing over mistakes made and could-have-beens, years of wishing for things you will never have and things you have lost. Years of mourning and bitterness and fond recollection.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

He calmed the storm that raged inside your head the first night you met. He saved you from yourself without even knowing it.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

You remember the day on the top of the city, the day the sun shone and 99 smiled and you thought he was beautiful.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

You love him. You've always loved him. And you were always meant to come here. This was the way all along.

Something stirs in your fingertips.

There is no death, there is the Force.

You aren't letting him go, not so easily, not like this.

There is no death, there is the Force.

What soul you have is broken and weary, but it is determined. It reaches out into the space beyond space, into the void between atoms, between you and 99, between you and the universe. It tangles its tendrils around the fragile body in your arms, binds you together, binds you to the Force.

There is no death, there is only the Force.

Come back to me, you plead. Come back, 99.

It's quiet in the Force. Peaceful.

There is no death.

You can almost feel him. Drifting in the ether, content, asleep. He's so close.

There is only the Force.

"99." There are no words in the Force, but the idea is the same. You speak and he hears you. "Take my hand."

There aren't hands in the Force, either. Same general idea.

"Where are we going?" he asks, but his 'eyes' are closed. He's 'smiling'. You sense it.

"Home."

"I like it here," he says after a minute. "It's quiet. Can we stay for a while?"

You're crying. "You'll die."

"That's alright. I did my duty, didn't I? The boys. How are the boys? Did they make it out alive?"

"They're alive, 99," you sob, "but you're dead. Please. Please, just come back with me. I love you!"

He touches your face and warmth blossoms in your cheek, spreading quickly throughout your body until you've been warmed from head to toe. "Oh," he sighs so happily. "I love you, too. I'm glad I get to say it."

"You're saying goodbye. Don't say goodbye."

"You're beautiful, you know. I always thought so. As beautiful as the sunrise."

"So are you."

99 doesn't come back with you. His body is cold when you return to yourself. Fives is there to hold you, frozen though you are with shock, while Echo puts it upon himself to care for the body. The red lights have switched off and the room is a cool blue again. Everything hurts.

"We'll take whatever help we can get," says Rex, "but are you sure?"

You nod once. "I'm sure."

"You don't have to do this for him, you know."

"I'm not. This is what's right, you and I both know it." A flicker of icy blue-white catches your eye as you smile. "But honoring his memory is a nice bonus."

Rex nods in understanding. His eyes are heavier now, wearier and they crease easier. The war has not been kind to him, not even now that it's officially over.

"I'll go tell Echo. Thank you."

He clasps a hand on your shoulder before leaving. You turn to the figure shimmering into view on your right and smile. The figure smiles back, all lopsided and toothy. It's your favorite smile in the galaxy.

"I told you I'd find him. You owe me 10 credits."

99 just laughs as he settles on one of the nearby crates, his feet dangling over the floor. "I don't have any money."

You tsk. "What sort of date are you? You planning on paying me back?"

He pretends to think about it. "One day. A long time from now."

Your heart twinges. It always does with him. The pain of his death has lessened with time and with his memory, but it still stings when you recall just how far you still have to go to be with him again. It'll be alright, though. You're fighting for his brothers, just like he did, fighting injustice in the galaxy like you always wanted to.

"I look forward to it."

It's a long wait, but it's worth it.

prompt: "i love you" 💙✔️

@clonexreaderbingo

taglist: @dystopicjumpsuit @clonemedickix @freesia-writes @deewithani @wings-and-beskar @wolffegirlsunite

#clone trooper 99 #99 #cfb2023 #99 x reader #clone trooper 99 x reader #star wars #clone trooper x reader #i accidentally snagged a couple doctor who lines for dialogue but what else is new #so :) how we feeling

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celestialnxva · 2 years

Text

Unexpected

Stephen Strange x Reader

Summary: The Avengers never thought in a million years that anyone would put up with Stephen Strange, so naturally they’ll want answers as to why you happened to be his partner.

Warnings: typical-canon violence and some angst at the beginning, but don’t worry because it gets pretty lighthearted.

Timeline: post-endgame au where everyone lives.

WC: 3k+ words

A/n: the reader is a powerful witch btw. If you want information about the reader in MCU, read here.

dr. strange masterlist. | main masterlist.

Stephen was so incredibly tired. Anyone would feel like that if they spent five years fighting nonstop to defeat a giant purple alien threatening to destroy the universe. As much as he wanted to go to sleep, he still had to fight the endless amount of aliens that Thanos commanded.

When he looked around him, he watched in silent pride as many of his friends fought valiantly alongside him. Each person contributed to the battle in their own way, and from the way the battlefield looks, he could only assume that they were going to win this battle quite soon.

Yet, he was afraid, worried about Tony. Even though this is the only outcome in which they win this battle, Tony was going to have to sacrifice himself in order to defeat Thanos and his armies. His fears only doubled when he saw Captain Marvel fighting Thanos on her own. He could only watch helplessly as Tony slowly looked over towards where Stephen was preventing the ocean from flooding the battlefield. When they finally made eye contact, Stephen held up his finger, silently conveying to Tony that he was the key factor to winning this war. Understanding his message, the armored man quickly rushed over to where Thanos stood with his arm already inside Tony’s gauntlet. These events were all he had expected.

What he didn’t expect, however, was your sudden appearance beside him.

His heart dropped. You weren’t supposed to be here. He purposefully left you out of this battle so you could be safe, yet here you were, stubborn as ever to fight for the sake of the greater good. He watched as you worked with Tony in determination to take the stones away from Thanos. However, like the Time Stone prophesied, Tony was the one who ultimately wielded all five stones. And with just one snap, the world grew quiet.

While his eyes readjusted from the sudden blinding light that spread across the battlefield, he panicked. He could care less about the enemies around him dissolving into dust. He didn’t even care about the cheers of victory his comrades shouted towards him. No, he was frantically searching for you in the midst of the dead bodies around him because the last thing he saw before the bright light came was Thanos slamming you onto the ground repeatedly until you were unconscious.

His frantic eyes searched for you, his beloved, the only one who inspired him to push himself harder for five years straight, just so he could see you again. Now that it’s over, he might not even be able to hold you in his arms ever again. He tried not to distract himself from that depressing thought as he pushed his way through the crowd of Avengers. However, when he finally made it through, he wasn’t expecting you to not only be alive, but to also be strong enough to nurse Tony back to full health with your water magick. His eyes widened in shock. This was not something he foresaw in this outcome. Was this ending allowed?

Everyone talked amongst themselves while your watery hand hovered over Tony’s cheek and sealed the last of the cracks on his face. You smiled at him faintly, not wanting to show to anyone how absorbing the Infinity Stones’ powers inside Tony in order to heal him had almost killed you as well. But, magick always came with a price, and you of all people understood that. You lowered your hand and collapsed tiredly against the large, upturned rock while Tony stood up. A woman you assumed to be Tony’s wife ran up to him and cried onto his shoulder in relief as a wave of people made their way over to hug Tony in gratitude.

You didn’t blame them for not caring about your condition. They barely knew you, since Stephen refused to talk about you or even let you participate in this war, but you were just grateful that you were able to break Stephen’s protection spells and make it to the battlefield in time. You smiled at the thought of Stephen finally being back after five years without him. Though your thoughts were peaceful, your body was still struggling to process the foreign power coursing within you, so you needed to think quickly about where to transfer this power.

Stephen was too busy thinking inside his head about how on earth you ended up in an outcome that he did not foresee. From what he knew about the Mystic Arts, what you did was supposed to be impossible. But his thoughts dissipated away when he heard the sounds of your pained grunts on the ground. He looked down at you crawling over to where Tony’s fried gauntlet was while your hands radiated the bright colors of the Infinity Stones. He was too afraid to even touch or approach you because he still couldn’t believe the you were here, right in front of him.

After you took Tony’s gauntlet into your hand, you shakily slammed your hand onto the five stones, causing bright lightning to spark and the warbling sound of sheer power to resonate across the entire battlefield. Immediately, this got everyone’s attention, a mixture of curious and fearful eyes turning towards you with the hope that you would be able to survive too. When all the power was finally transferred back into the stones, everything stopped and you collapsed onto the ground with a series of terrible coughs of blood. Everyone around Stephen immediately rushed over to you, Steve already assigning tasks to the others on how to get you to the hospital as quickly as possible. This was Stephen’s last straw. Nobody was going to take you away from him any longer.

He impatiently shoved everyone out of his way, not caring anymore if he sounded too rude to everyone else. This was all about his partner and he was about to be the only one out of everyone who didn’t get his happy-ever-after. All he wanted to do was cry in frustration about your condition, but he had to stay strong for you.

When he finally shoved Steve out of the way, his breath hitched in the back of his throat when he saw you bloodied and weakened from what you just did. When your eyes finally made eye contact with your husband’s, you felt like your whole world fell apart and rebuilt itself back up all over again. You didn’t know if you wanted to cry or if you wanted to slap him for being dead for five years.

“Stephen…” you trailed off, your eyes filled with the unspoken and raw emotion he knew you only had for him. Oh, how he missed staring into your beautiful eyes. Both of you didn’t care that you now had a crowd that was watching you two interact. But before you could hear him say anything back, your eyes blurred as your world suddenly went dark.

———

When you woke up, you had been informed by Rhodey that you were unconscious for four days now. You weren’t surprised, as those Infinity Stones really did drain you, but you knew you were going to be fine. When you asked about how your husband was doing, Rhodey only gave you a tired sigh and offered for you to come see him yourself. His offer only worried you more, so you accepted. He carefully set you into a wheelchair and took you to the living room, where you could see some of your friends awkwardly observing Stephen. You reached out to grab Rhodey’s hand and silently requested him to stand behind the door so you both could listen in on what the others were saying. He chuckled at your request but did as he was told. You two leaned in to listen.

“I’m not gonna lie here, Strange. I’ve never seen you so stressed out. Since when did you started caring about people?” You heard Tony say sarcastically to your husband. You suppressed a giggle at his words. “It’s none of your business, Stark,” your husband growled out. From his shaky, hoarse voice, you could tell that he’s been up for days in complete distress. Poor Stephen. The others protested to his words at the same time.

- “Why won’t you tell us??”

- “Is (y/n) really so horrible to the point where you can’t even tell us who they are to you?”

- “Why do you care about them so much?”

“Wait,” Steve cried out, immediately silencing the others. You heard him take a step forward. “Do you love (y/n), Strange?” he asked suspiciously. Everyone fell into a tense silence as they waited in anticipation for what Stephen had to say. You looked up at Rhodey and he knew it was your cue to go inside.

Before Stephen could say anything, you entered the silent room with Rhodey and it took everything within him not to cry out in relief. You looked as healthy as you could be. You saw how his eyes softened slightly towards you and you, in turn, smiled softly back at him. “Hi Stephen,” you said sweetly, causing the man to stutter in his arrogant stature. Just from one greeting from you, he was already melting like putty. He really missed you. He greeted you back, but he couldn’t hide from you the clear tension he had from holding back his feelings for you in front of the others. The other Avengers watched you interact with him suspiciously, Tony being the only one to be completely amused by this situation. He has waiting for a chance to make fun of Stephen and now was finally his chance.

“What were you all talking about?” you asked, feigning innocence. Rhodey snorted under his breath as he settled you next to where Stephen sat on the couch. Stephen’s hands twitched in his lap, desperately wishing to touch you. Steve coughed in embarrassment. “Uhh… nothing, (y/n). We were just talking about how we hoped that you would wake up soon and—“

“Wait, I thought we were talking about the wizard man having a crush on Mx. (Y/n)?” Thor asked innocently. (Was it innocent, though? Nobody would ever know). Everyone grew silent and felt the wrath of Stephen’s glare before they all looked at you sheepishly. You blinked a few times at Thor’s blunt words while Stephen tried to explain himself.

“W-well, uh. You see… (Y/n)—“

You leaned back in your wheelchair and chuckled at your husband.

“You have a crush on me, Stephen?” you gasped lightly, amusement sparkling in your eyes. He was about to utter more grumpy protests until your bandaged hand reached out to caress his cheek. All previous stress and anger melted away the moment he felt your skin against his and his eyes shone bright with unyielding love and adoration for you. He couldn’t hide his affection for you any longer. He turned his head slightly to kiss the palm of your hand with all the tenderness that he could muster up for you. “I should hope that our wedding vows would be enough for you to figure out that answer, Mx. Strange,” he shyly replied back. He was practically gushing from one sentence and a simple cheek caress from you. Though it was humorous to hide your marriage for so long from everyone else, you were relieved to finally be able to show your affections for him in public.

Meanwhile, everyone was shocked beyond belief.

“Okayyyy, pause on the romcom scene,” Tony stated while everyone was murmuring in confusion. You chuckled and looked at the others. You felt Strange tense up again, so you gestured for him to come to you. He smiled gratefully and simply wrapped his arms around you and buried his face into your neck. He could hear Tony’s disgusted groans and Peter and Thor’s ‘awww’s’ but he just couldn’t care anymore. You were finally in his arms again.

Tony crossed his arms. “So let me get this straight. Since the time I knew Strange and you, you guys have been hiding the fact that you two were married? Why?” You shrugged nonchalantly while you slowly rubbed your husband’s back. “Many people wanted him dead and many people wanted me dead. If word got out that we were each other’s weaknesses, all of our enemies would have a field day,” you mused. Your husband sat up properly and turned to glare at everyone. “Exactly. And if Thanos was your first rodeo with intergalactic, powerful beings that want to destroy the universe, think about how all of our enemies want do the exact same thing, or worse— destroy the multiverse,” he boasted grumpily. You hummed and pat his back lovingly. He wasn’t going to get away with being arrogant in front of you this time. “That, and this stubborn man here wants every one of you to think that he has no weaknesses because he wants to be superior to everyone! Isn’t that right, darling?” You cooed innocently while pinching his cheek.

Everyone just stood there stunned as they watched you exchange loving coos to a man who they thought was unreachable, and watched as said man grumbled and pouted when you doted on him. Witnessing this was a bit of a whiplash for them, they had to admit. They stayed silent for what felt like a very long time before one of them spoke up.

“Um, Mx. Strange?” Peter called out timidly. You stopped your attacks towards Stephen and looked back at the young Avenger. “Yes, Peter Parker?” He smiled back at you nervously before shuffling his feet. He was probably going to get in trouble for this question, but he really had to know. He looked at Tony before looking back at you. “Is Doctor Strange like really soft like a teddy bear or is he always really mean to everyone?” he blurted out quickly before mimicking gluing his mouth shout. Everyone burst into laughter, Tony’s laugh being particularly heard in the room. Peter started apologizing profusely to everyone in the room while Thor used this outburst as a cue for him to walk up to you. He knelt down in front of you and took your hand into his own. “I would only hope that your husband is treating you like you are royalty, for it is the duty of a husband to make sure that a beautiful creature such as yourself is treated as such,” he said smoothly to you before leaning down to kiss the back of your hand in reverence. You choked at his action and stuttered out a series of compliments back towards the god, as you weren’t exactly sure how to process the fact that an actual god is giving you such high compliments.

That, and with how jealous you could see Stephen getting from the corner of your eye, you couldn’t help but selfishly indulge a little in the compliments Thor gave you.

While you simply watched the god kiss your hand, you decided to answer Peter’s question. “Since my husband is in the room right now, I would rather not answer that question, as I would actually like to be able to sleep in the same bed as him tonight,” you joked lightheartedly. Looking down at the man before you, you slowly slipped your hand from his gasp and pat his cheek. Thor took the hint, stood up, and walked back to his place behind the couch. Stephen immediately grabbed onto the hand Thor was kissing earlier and started to rub it, as if he was actually trying to scrub off Thor’s kisses. You turned your head to stare at him in confusion, but he only leaned in to kiss your lips in a brief, but passionate kiss. Stephen pulled away and glared at everyone. “I’ll have you know that our marriage and relationship is none of your guys’ business. This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you guys about our relationship,” he growled out irritatedly. In response, you hushed him, patting his hand to calm him down. To everyone in the room, it was like you were the sun itself and Stephen was as icy and dark as the moon was. You two were opposites, through and through.

Rhodey walked back into the room and handed you a glass of water and you took it gratefully. He sat down next to Tony while you sipped your water. “So wizard,” Tony started, already receiving a frown from your husband. “How’s it like to be in a relationship with someone who is better at magic than you?” he challenged, wishing to relish Stephen’s embarrassment for just a while longer. Stephen grew furious when Tony spoke up, but when he finally processed his question, he calmed down. Instead of lashing out, he grew smug. “Actually, it’s amazing. (Y/n) is the most powerful witch I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and it’s almost unbelievable that I get to call them mine.” As if to emphasize his point, he leaned down to kiss your hand tenderly before he looked back up at you. “They are mine...”

He looked at you like you held his entire world in your hands. He trusted you with his life, just as much as you trusted your life with his. Despite how different you two were, you two were always a team. It had taken you too many years to get to the stable marriage you both now enjoyed, and all those years of hardship and heartbreak was worth enduring when you got to feel his lips against your skin and hands intertwined with yours. You were his and he was yours. No one and nothing else mattered, as long as you two were together.

You heard someone clear their throat and you both turned to where Steve sat, his own face red from the situation he had gotten himself into. “Well, I guess we should leave you both to it, then?” He declared. The rest of the Avengers grumbled and proceeded to leave the room after Steve indirectly told them to leave you both alone, for now.

When all of them left the room, Stephen finally let out a sigh of relief that he had been holding in since he saw you. He immediately pulled you into a loving embrace, clinging onto you as if you were about to flutter away from him at any moment. “Finally, alone time,” he grumbled against your skin. Lovingly, you pet his hair, making sure he felt all the love you had to give him in your embrace. You were content in staying like this for the rest of the night, but of course, your stubborn husband had other plans in mind.

When he thought you were surely about to fall asleep in his arms, he started kissing down your neck, causing you to groan out in protest. “Noooooo,” you whined out teasingly, trying to tug yourself away from him. He, of course, refused to let this go and excitedly stood up to grip onto your wheelchair handles. “Come on, darling. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he said cheekily before speeding down the hallway towards the golden portal at the end of the hall. You laughed happily and gripped onto the handle bars tightly, your wedding ring glinting brighter than before. Though he will always be an arrogant man to everyone he meets, he is your arrogant man, and you wouldn’t have it any other way; avengers or enemies be damned.

#stephen strange #stephen strange x reader #doctor stephen strange #dr strange #dr strange x reader #multiverse of madness #avengers endgame #avengers infinity war #doctor strange #marvel #doctor strange x reader #oneshot #fanfic #writing #avengers x reader

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