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aurorawest · 3 years

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can you also do a director's commentary on "Fool for You"? 🐠 this is one of my favs 🥰

Yeah! Thank you for asking about this one! Since it’s over 6k words I’ll just grab the interesting parts, I hope that’s okay! Link on AO3.

First of all, I will just say, I was shocked by the response to this fic. I wrote it for Froststrange Week earlier this year, and it was by far the fluffiest fic I wrote for that event. It’s one of the fluffiest things I’ve written ever. I was actually nervous to post it...and I’ve written some very dark stuff that didn’t even give me pause before hitting the post button on AO3, haha. But this one? I distinctly remember my palms getting sweaty (gross) and having to walk away from my computer after I posted it, because I was so freaked out. But people liked it! It was probably my most popular Froststrange Week fic.

Onto the fic...

Loki craned his head, staring upwards as the massive shark moved smoothly and silently through the water overhead. He’d never seen anything like it, despite his one thousand and sixty years in the universe. It moved off, disappearing over rocks dappled with slow, turquoise sunlight.

“It’s a whale shark,” Stephen informed him, staring down at an informational plaque posted along the walkway. Loki had read all of them so far, but he’d stopped dead in his tracks in the glass tunnel when he’d seen the shark, too awed by it to move. Ahead of them and behind them, the screams and excited voices of school groups echoed, but the two of them were in a lull between throngs.

The prompts for the day that I used were ‘firsts’ and ‘aquarium date.’ The aquarium part was a no brainer for me, because I head canon that Loki is a big nature lover, and that he particularly loves the ocean.

Rays sailed through the water alongside the shark. Those, Loki was more familiar with. They’d had them on Asgard. Extinct now, of course. All of Asgard’s species, all its plants, animals, insects, all of it, were extinct. It was a depressing thought.

Okay, well, this is a fluffy fic, but obviously I’m incapable of writing pure fluff. It’s Loki, so there has to be some angst.

Always prone to depressing thoughts, Loki was. He looked at the whale shark again, then at Stephen, leaning over the plaque and reading it—mostly for Loki’s benefit, so the two of them could talk about it. That made Loki’s heart swell. His sadness would always be with him, but his happiness sat next to it, bright and blinding. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, Guardian of the New York Sanctum, human sorcerer and ridiculously, heart-poundingly beautiful man, was responsible for much of it.

Loki is really, really in love. And he can finally be free about admitting it.

Turning around, Stephen met Loki’s eyes and said, “So, the Georgia Aquarium was a good choice?”

In preparation to write this fic, I googled what the world’s best aquariums were. I knew the Georgia Aquarium was a big deal (both from living in north Florida for a time and just...being a person who likes zoos and aquariums), but I wanted to see if there were others. Obviously, Stephen can go anywhere, so for their first date, he would take Loki to the best of the best. The Georgia Aquarium does consistently appear at the very top of aquarium lists (others were Monterey Bay and one in...Dubai, I think?).

I spent a lot of time on the Georgia Aquarium’s website. It’s a huge place and has lots of different aquariums, so I had to choose the one they would spend most of their time at. The website has webcams on a lot of the aquariums, so I actually watched them while I was writing.

[...] This place made one want to learn about Earth’s oceans, which might make them less prone to destroying them. Since he’d taken up permanent residence on Earth, Loki had learned to love it—and he’d grown increasingly aware that humanity was rather short-sighted about the planet they lived on.

Loki the environmentalist.

Then again, somehow he doubted that if Hela had been better educated about Asgard’s mollusk population, she would have decided not to take over and kill everyone.

This line always makes me laugh.

[...] “Good,” Stephen said. “I figured you’d like it. But, you know. First date and everything. I wanted to get it right.”

The squirming in Loki’s stomach turned to a full explosion of butterflies. First date. Could two people have a first date when they’d already exchanged avowals of love? Hadn’t that been the first date? Or perhaps their first date had been years ago, without either of them quite knowing it?

It’s always a balance for me to write these fics that take place in the ‘future,’ as compared to where I am in the chronological writing of this verse. I just finished fic #6 in my series, which takes place in 2027. This fic takes place in 2030. The avowals of love Loki refers to hear is from the end of the last fic in the series, ‘The General Mess and Imprecision of Feeling,’ and is when the two of the officially get together. They unknowingly going on their first date years ago is a reference to the fact that the two of them have been doing date-like activities with each other for years, just with neither of them admitting it. One of my other fics for Froststrange Week is actually one of these instances (‘far away from here and closer to somewhere else,’ where they run into each other in Hong Kong and get drunk together). In fic #8 (which I’m working on now), they end up spending the day together in London. In fic #9, they spend a lot of Thor and Jane’s wedding together.

He craned his head up to stare at the top of the glass tunnel,

They’re in the Ocean Voyager aquarium.

suddenly not knowing what to say, feeling as though he might make a fool of himself. A sea turtle swam by slowly, the underside of its shell gleaming like the moon. The truth was that he’d probably made a fool of himself in front of Stephen so many times that it no longer even registered to him.

Or maybe… Loki looked over at him. Stephen was watching him, a look in his eyes that made warmth spread through Loki. Maybe Stephen didn’t actually find Loki foolish. Maybe he never had.

The idea of Loki being a sentimental fool is something that pops up pretty constantly in my fics. Here, Loki is thinking of times he’s actually looked stupid in front of Stephen, real and imagined. He has the wherewithal to recognize that maybe a lot of them are imagined, and that even the real humiliations don’t make Stephen view Loki as a fool.

“How did you know I would like this?” Loki asked.

[...] “Remember the time we went to the Museum of Natural History?”

“Yes.” Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “You really played tour guide quite often, didn’t you?”

Giving Loki an amused look, Stephen said, “It seemed like the decent thing to do. I had royalty living at my house.”

[...] “Silly me,” Loki said. “I thought it might be because you had a bit of a thing for me back then.” Stephen shot him a crooked smile. It wasn’t agreement. But it certainly wasn’t denial, either.

Stephen definitely did have a thing for Loki back then. Loki had a thing for him, too. By the time Loki leaves the Sanctum, they’re in love with each other, though neither of them has quite realized it yet. Stephen realizes much sooner then Loki (surprise).

[...] If Loki was being honest, he’d been mildly terrified that he would arrive at the Sanctum and Stephen would do something—look at him in some way, speak to him in a way that was just a bit false—that Loki would know that Stephen had thought about it and decided that they’d made a terrible mistake and he was looking for a way to extricate himself from their new…relationship. Romance. Whatever it was.

This is Loki’s constant fear. It takes him a long, long time to stop worrying about it. It’s his fear with everyone, though. Boil Loki down to his bare essentials, and you get a giant heart and massive abandonment issues.

Loki snorted with laughter and then grinned at Stephen. “Your expression, honestly, Strange. I’ve seen you face far greater foes with much less fear.”

[...] Shrugging, Stephen said, “Kids. Not really my thing.”

“It’s not as though you need to bring them home.”

[...] “I enjoy the chaos that children cause.”

“You might be the only person here who’s enjoying the decibel level of that pack of kids,” Stephen said.

Loki actually really likes kids! And Stephen doesn’t at all.

Loki flashed a grin at him, thought about making a joke about having children, and then dismissed it. It would be a joke, because the last thing Loki wanted right now, possibly ever, was a child that he could pass all his hang-ups to. His own upbringing had been…a challenge. He doubted his ability to overcome it.

My main interest in the two of them ever having a child lies in exploring Loki’s issues with his own father.

[Stephen reveals his big surprise...is that he booked an aquarium sleepover] It was more than Loki didn’t know what to think. What was an aquarium sleepover? Sleeping here? They allowed people to do that? Had this cost extra money? Stephen didn’t have any money, so why would he spend extra on something like this?

You really can do aquarium sleepovers at the Georgia Aquarium! It’s actually not that expensive, but Loki knows that Stephen’s only income is a stipend from Kamar-Taj. Stephen has nothing at all left over from his pre-wizard days and he depends entirely on that stipend.

[...] The two of them continued through the aquarium, visiting each gallery in turn. Even though Loki was quite sure Stephen’s interest in all of this was limited, he never gave any indication that he was bored. He seemed, actually, entirely taken by Loki’s enthusiasm, and that was a feeling that Loki had certainly never experienced.

I really tapped into that brand-new relationship feeling for this fic, haha.

The number of healthy romantic relationships that Loki had experienced was…pretty close to zero, so there had never been someone who had been interested both in sleeping with him and in seeing him enjoying his interests.

It actually is zero. Loki has never had a healthy romantic relationship. He’s hedging here because the romantic encounters he’s had that approach healthy count to him as relationships.

They ate dinner at the aquarium café, which was serviceable but nothing special. At least, the food was nothing special. It was the first time Loki and Stephen had eaten dinner together as a couple. Gods. Loki felt like an adolescent. He was eating a veggie burger and Stephen was eating chicken tenders, with drinks they’d filled themselves out of a fountain machine, and somehow it was the most romantic dinner he’d ever had. Stephen’s knee pressed against Loki’s under the table and he leaned forward like he couldn’t stand that the table top had put a couple feet of space between them.

In other words, Loki could have been eating just the ketchup packets that had been provided to him on his tray, and he would have been happier than he’d ever been in his life.

This is one of my favorite parts of the whole fic. Anyone who’s ever been crazy about a new romantic partner has had this experience, I think.

[Stephen conjures butterflies for the kids they encountered earlier] Suddenly, thousands of blue butterflies burst from within the half-spheres, swirling in a bright blue stream across the ceiling and amongst the children, whose delighted shrieks made their teachers wilt. The butterflies flitted, azure and lapis, iridescent, bobbing on air currents, until they turned to wisps of light and disappeared.

I rarely make use of the whole butterfly thing with Stephen, primarily because I tend to associate it with another Stephen ship (which is one of my NOTPs), but...it’s nice, right? I wanted to use it. A butterfly also appears in Doctor Strange, so it’s imagery that seems to be sort of associated with him.

[left alone in the gallery for their sleepover...] Loki looked around. “Shouldn’t there be other people here?” he asked.

Stephen looked immensely satisfied with himself. “Nope. We get the whole gallery to ourselves.”

Furrowing his brow, Loki asked, “How? Did you buy all the tickets?” This seemed as though it would have been exorbitantly expensive.

Still looking enormously pleased, Stephen said, “I might have played the Sorcerer Supreme card.”

“No one knows what the Sorcerer Supreme does.”

“Okay, fine. I said I was an Avenger.”

My head canon is that Stephen is pretty disdainful of the Avengers. He definitely doesn’t want to be part of the ‘team.’ He’s a loner by nature. Definitely the guy who hated group projects, because he was the one that got stuck doing all the work. This loner quality is something that Loki and Stephen have in common.

[...] Loki buried his nose in Stephen’s hair and breathed in his scent, his shampoo that smelled like sandalwood, the cologne he had definitely put on today, cedar and faintly citrusy. Norns, he smelled good.

Loki first associates the smell of sandalwood with Stephen in Sleight of Hand (it’s right at the end of chapter 12). His cologne makes an appearance in my fic ‘Afterimage,’ which is the fifth fic in my series.

[...] Loki took the sleeping bags from Stephen and undid the ties on them, which were knotted far too tightly for Stephen to loosen.

Stephen actually being affected by his disability is always important for me to include.

[...] Loki laughed. Maybe none of the other Masters thought Stephen was funny, but Loki had always found his sense of humor addictive, sly and surprising, and perfectly suited to Loki’s own.

This is a callback to Stephen’s and Wong’s exchange in Doctor Strange:

“People used to think I was funny.” “Did they work for you?”

[...] There were other things in the bag—a change of clothes for tomorrow, toothbrushes, toothpaste, some over-the-counter medications. When Stephen went to the bathroom to change, Loki snooped more thoroughly. Razor blade, shaving cream, nail clippers, a little bottle of mouthwash, a bottle of cologne. Loki decided to pop the cap open and smell that, then tried to tell himself that the feeling that washed over him could be described in some other way than ‘a swoon.’ There was nothing in the bag that implied Stephen thought they’d be doing anything tonight but sleeping.

I really love this because it’s really not particularly above board for Loki to snoop through Stephen’s bag...but it is a very Loki thing to do. And pretty human. Especially because he’s looking for condoms and lube. Of course he is! They’re spending the night together...are they Spending The Night Together?

[...] Stephen looked at the foot of empty space separating the two sleeping bags, then glanced up at Loki. “Are you comfortable with…” he began, then trailed off, before trying again, “I mean, do you want to be…further away…?”

“Do you?” Loki asked. When Stephen hesitated, Loki took a guess about what the honest answer was, then reached out and tugged Stephen’s sleeping bag until it was right next to his.

Stephen is big on enthusiastic consent. Loki is far more willing to take his chances and guess based on body language.

Eventually, they drew apart, and Loki couldn’t help suspecting it had something to do with the way Stephen seemed to be keeping his hips pulled back just a little. Temptation. If Loki reached down…

But no. Instead, he very deliberately folded an arm under his head, resting his head on his bicep. Stephen did something that looked like it was probably a clothing or anatomy adjustment to accommodate a situation, but Loki didn’t comment. Quite honesty, he had his own situation down there, and it just felt like good manners not to say anything.

I honestly have no idea what guys would do in this situation. Just guessing based on both of their personalities. Is a first date too soon to admit, ‘Hey, you just gave me a boner?’ It feels like it is?

Neither of them spoke for a minute or two. They simply stared at each other. Then, Stephen said gently, “I know you’re worried.”

“Worried?” Loki raised an eyebrow. “What do you think I’m worried about?”

Stephen’s gaze didn’t waver. “This.” When Loki pressed his lips together, Stephen added, “You think I’m going to change my mind. Right?”

No one has ever gotten Loki the way Stephen gets him. And Stephen is very patient, very gentle, and very like...you know when you pspspspsps and hold your hand out to a cat? That’s Stephen with Loki, haha.

[...] “The reasons are myriad, of course [for Loki’s insecurity]. I’ve made poor choices. But yes. In part, it’s because I’m…challenging. And people change their minds.”

Oh hey look, it’s the author projecting.

[...] But Loki was greedy. He didn’t want to say in a few months, or a few years, This was great while it lasted.

There’s something kind of sad to me about the idea that Loki can’t even view his love for Stephen as an entirely good thing. He’s a sentimental fool, he’s overly romantic, he’s greedy. And if I wanted to go this route, I could easily make Loki very co-dependent in this relationship; it would be easy to turn it really unhealthy. But I don’t want to, haha. It makes sense that Loki would feel like he has to gorge himself on Stephen’s adoration of him, because he’s never really had this before, not from someone he wants to be with (other people have loved him, but he hasn’t loved them back).

He would already have to give it up too soon, because he would outlive Stephen by such a long time. And he already knew there would never be anyone else.

There isn’t. Stephen will die, and Loki won’t ever be with anyone else. Luckily for him, he gets Stephen back eventually.

Stephen leaned forward and kissed Loki softly; the most tender, most heartfelt kiss Loki had ever experienced. “Don’t worry,” he murmured, his lips warm against Loki’s.

It was difficult not to deepen the kiss, difficult not to kiss Stephen harder. He’d never needed anything to be true as much as he needed this to be true, or at least it felt like it. Don’t worry. But Loki always worried. All the good things in his life still felt so fragile, as though they could implode at any moment.

Though—he supposed he was getting better at not actively sabotaging them himself.

This is part of Loki’s arc in my fic. Stephen and he aren’t together until Loki heals in a lot of other ways. One of them is not trying to blow things up so he can control their destruction.

Thank you so much for asking!! Sorry for the delay in responding.

Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut

#froststrange #strangefrost #loki #stephen strange #Anonymous

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flowercrown-bucky · 4 years

Text

That Old Black Magic

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Modern!Loki x Reader, Modern!Thor x Reader, Loki x Wanda

Series Warnings: Cheating, affairs, swearing, legal alcohol consumption, smut later on, mention of smoking

Summary: What do you do when you fall in love? Embark on a clandestine affair with their brother, of course.

Authors’ Note: This is very dialogue heavy towards the end. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. Oh, and hold tight, it’s a long one.

I was supposed to post this yesterday but forgot oops

Start At The Beginning | Series Masterlist

Chapter Five - Regarding long dismissed feelings that must, as ever, be addressed.

TAG LIST: OPEN (PLEASE COMMENT OR MESSAGE ME IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE ADDED!)

“Y/N?” He muttered into your hair.

You murmured in response.

"I love you."

"What?" A spluttered, incredulous laugh left your lips. "Sorry, Loki, for a moment, I thought you said you loved me."

This was it, Loki thought. This was his do or die moment.

"I did." He mumbled. "I do."

Your whole body froze. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. His words echoed in your ears.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I. Love. You.

It wasn't possible. Loki didn't love you. Loki couldn't love you.

You'd played this game since the very first time you'd met. Dancing around each other, skirting around your feelings. Secret, exciting, harmless. You were drawn to him and he you, there was no denying that. Since you'd first met, you'd been drawn together, as if dictated by the will of some cosmic force.

But it was never anything serious. Never anything real. You'd had your moments, quiet and tender and clandestine, hidden away from prying eyes. Moments where you'd wondered how things would pan out if circumstances were different. If - and it was a big if - you weren't engaged to his brother.

As you closed your eyes, hundreds of Lokis' filled your mind.

Loki at the garden party. Loki half-smiling at a joke you'd told. Loki laughing so hard he spat beer out his nose. Loki sleeping on his brother. Loki in the sea under the moonlight. Loki gently embracing Wanda. Loki gently embracing you. Loki that night on the roof, mere steps away from pouring his heart out to you. You looked at the Loki before you. His bottom lip trembled slightly, his eyes glassy.

"Wanda..." Your voice trembled as you spoke. "Thor."

He stepped closer to you, wrapping his arms around you, cradling your body.

"It doesn't matter about them." He murmured, his voice low and soothing. "It doesn't matter about anyone. All that matters is me and you. So long as I love you and you love me, everything will be ok."

You said nothing, trying very hard to disguise how every muscle in your body was tensing under his touch. You weren't fooling anyone.

"You do love me, don't you?" He stepped away, trying to meet your gaze. "You love me too, right? Y/N?"

You turned your head as shame filled your body. Tears filled your eyes, and you worried that if you looked at him you might start bawling uncontrollably.

"Y/N." His voice was low. "Do you love me?"

Your silence said it all.

"I'm sorry, Loki." A tear escaped your eyes, rolling down your cheek.

"You do, Y/N." His voice was almost pleading, his hands catching your biceps. "You do love me, I know you do. Everything that's happened, everything between us, I know you do. Say you love me."

You had been right. The sight of him had, in fact, caused you to sob uncontrollably, your body trembling under his firm grasp.

"Say it, please." He begged you, tears rolling down his face. "Please, tell me you love me. Tell me the truth. Please."

"I'm sorry, Loki." You repeated.

"You do, you do." It seemed like he was trying to convince himself as much as you. "I know you do."

"Loki, stop." You pushed him away from you. "I'm sorry, Loki, but I don't love you."

Loki felt like he'd been stabbed, your words like a knife driving straight through his heart. His breaths escaped him, as if he'd taken a heavy fall, his lungs suddenly feeling as if they'd been shattered. He'd never felt this way before, he felt almost as if his heart was about to quite literally break into two pieces, taking out most of his vital organs in the process. How had he been so wrong? Could he have really misjudged everything that had happened so badly? He thought back to the first time he'd met you, the way you'd looked at him then.

He thought about the way you were looking at him now.

"You don't.... Love me?" He whispered, his eyes brimming with tears.

You wiped the teardrops from your eyes uncomfortably. You weren't sure what to say.

"I should.. I should probably go." He rubbed at his eyes, turning and all but running for the door. "Just, don't tell my brother, okay?"

Your heart lurched in your chest. Could you let him go that easily?

"Loki!" You called after him. "Loki, wait!"

You were met with nothing but the slamming of the door.

Loki slammed the door of his flat with force it had never known before. Was he angry? Was he sad? He wasn't entirely sure.

He'd headed for the Kraken when he entered his kitchen, his fingers unscrewing the bottle as if it was of their own accord, pouring himself a more than healthy portion of rum. He sat himself down on the balcony, his fingers trembling as he attempted to light his cigarette. It took five tries but eventually, the zippo gave in and his Marlboro Lite was smoking .

After three drags of his cigarette and two sips of his rum did he eventually allow himself to cry. Tears rolled down his face, his nose filling with snot. Every contraction of his throat and chest felt like it might be his last. It felt as if every single sob might shatter his rib cage. How could he have been so wrong?

Thor had found you curled in a ball, crying, and more than slightly tipsy.

"I'm sorry, my love." Was all he'd said, wrapping you tightly in his arms. You'd been scooped up gently, and placed in your bed, the duvet tucked around you.

"Loki didn't come round, did he?" He asked, climbing into the bed next to you. "I forgot I'd invited him."

You shook your head violently.

"Look, I'm really sorry." He reached over to you, wrapping you into his chest. "I shouldn't have stormed out like that. I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too." Your voice came out in a whisper, unable to look him in the eyes.

How could something so right feel so wrong?

Meanwhile, Loki had been living the endlessly grey shades of life. It wasn't as if anything had changed. Anything but, really. His life had remained exactly the same.

He woke up every day at 6:05 and went for his daily jog. Monday through Friday, his breakfast would be a largely uninspiring bowl of porridge, following a shower that had, for a week, been cold due to his boiler's diverter valve sticking. He'd arrive at his office between 8:35 and 8:50 AM (Traffic-dependent), which gave him precisely enough time to make himself a large coffee - black, with one sugar - and read through his case notes before his first client meeting of the day. His working day would often overrun by an hour or so, which he didn't mind on days he was on his own (The exceptions to this being Thursdays and Fridays, Fridays being date night). Honestly? He happily stayed at the office until 7PM, giving him just enough time after he'd cooked and eaten to wallow in misery and self-pity, followed by an hour of half-hearted chatter with Wanda on the phone before he decided bed was the wisest option.

On Thursdays, he stayed at Wanda's. This typically meant he had to leave the office before 5:30, else she'd worry. They'd have a perfectly pleasant meal and a few glasses of wine before settling on the sofa to stream Netflix shows, before retreating to her room to fuck before going to sleep. The sex, as the chatter, had also become half-hearted, and this, he could tell, was something Wanda was becoming increasingly suspicious of.

It was a Thursday such as this that Loki had bailed on. He wasn't feeling well, he'd told his girlfriend. It wasn't entirely untrue.

You had hurt him unbearably, and that, was not a well feeling.

Not to mention that the pretence was killing him. Pretending you were in love with one woman when you were truly in love with another was no easy feat (Not to mention you'd soon be his sister in law, which would make his feelings a little too Game of Thrones for his liking), nor was pretending to be insanely busy so as to avoid both aforementioned women and the latter's fiancee.

Not to mention how you'd crushed his heart under your proverbial heel, leaving the proverbial shatters in the proverbial dust.

He'd wondered briefly on his drive home if he'd ever catch a break.

So, he lay sprawled on his sofa, a large wine in his hand, trying to ignore the phone lying next to him that was constantly notifying him of his girlfriend's concern for his welfare, and trying not to dwell on the fact that he could not dispel the image of your face from his mind every time he fucked said girlfriend.

So, naturally, the knocking on the door had really pissed him off.

He stormed over to the door, internally condemning whoever it was who'd decided to come visit him. What was so important they couldn't have just texted? If it was a door-to-door salesman or an evangelical believer, he would have to utilise extreme restraint in order to not knock them out. He flung the door open, ready to snap at whoever it was.

He was not expecting it to be you.

"Hey, can we talk?" You turned to face him. The smile on your face was small, shy, reassuring, but it still dazzled him.

He wasn't sure what to say. In all truth, he was completely dumbfounded.

"No." Was all his mouth could conjure up.

He'd been dreaming of this for weeks, of you rushing into his arms and declaring your undying love for him, but now that you were here, all he felt was anger. Anger for how you'd humiliated him, anger for how you'd hurt him. As if his body knew better what was good for him than his brain did, his arms reached out by themselves and slammed the door.

If Loki thought you'd leave him alone at that, he was very much mistaken. You clenched your hands into little fists, banging on the door with each alternately. You'd come to talk, and you were not someone who would leave things lying down. You were a fighter, and you'd be damned if one man thought he was going to change that.

His confession had deeply unsettled you. Panicked you, even.

You knew he felt for you. After all, he’d made no real attempt to hide it. Regardless of your own feelings, pushing him away, you knew, was the best thing to do for everyone. You loved Thor, and Loki would get over it. In time, he would come to see that you’d made the right choice.

You did not like the little voice in the back of your mind that constantly reminded you that it was him clouding your thoughts as you drifted off to sleep in his brother’s arms.

"Loki!" You yelled. "I know you can hear me."

Your banging on the door continued for another minute until you heard shuffling from the other side.

"Will you shut up?" He grumbled. "I have neighbours, you know."

"Then let me in." You argued.

The sigh that came from the other side of the door came from a man who sounded like he was really, really done. The door swung open, revealing a man who looked as exhausted as he sounded.

"You have five minutes." He told you, his arms crossed over his chest.

Loki was not sure why exactly he had let you into his flat, but there you were, sat on his sofa opposite him.

"I'm sorry, Loki." You said, looking up at him.

"So you've said before." He but his lip, staring down at his shoes.

"I humiliated you." You said.

"Yeah, you did." A bitter laugh left his mouth.

"I hurt you." You continued.

"That too." He brought his hand up to his throat, undoing his top bottom.

"Can you just stop, and listen, just for a second?" You asked. "Yes, I hurt you, yes, I humiliated you, and a whole lot more, too, I would imagine. But I want to move on from this! I want us to be the way we were! Is that too much to ask?"

"Y/N, you didn't just hurt me." His voice was low, quiet. Calm, even. "I held my heart out to you, and you trod it into the dirt. I told you I love you, and you didn't love me back. That, I can live with. But now, you say you want back in on my life? To what, to laugh at me? Why the fuck are you even here, Y/N?"

You bit your lip, trying very hard not to cry. It wasn't working.

"Say something." Loki rose to his feet, standing roughly half a foot from you. "Fucking say something! Why the fuck are you here, Y/N? To throw it in my fucking face?"

"Because I do." You whispered, covering your face with your hands.

"What?" He asked, stopping in his tracks.

"I fucking love you, Loki!" You shouted, suddenly finding your voice, and in the more literal sense, your feet. "I fucking love you and I'm engaged to your fucking brother, and that's so many kinds of fucked up I don't even know where to begin."

To say Loki was stunned did not even scratch the surface.

He stared at you, his mouth opening as if he were about to speak, but no words came out. For so long, he’d ached to hear those words, but now you’d actually said them, he wished you hadn’t. He almost wished there was some way he could push them back into your mouth, make them unsaid.

“You do?” Was all his brain could think to say.

You nodded, suddenly bashful, unable to look into his eyes. You stood, awkwardly facing each other. Your heavy breathing was the only noise in the room, sneaking glances at each other when you thought the other wasn’t looking, to see if they were looking at you. Who would be the one to break the silence? He reached for you, tugging you into his arms. Your head fell against his shoulder, your body contained in his arms as they wrapped around you. In spite of yourself, you let out a heavy sigh.

‘Push him away, it’s for the best of everyone’, the voice in the back of your mind chided. Bang goes that theory.

You opted to ignore it.

“Hey now, stop with those tears.” His tone had become soft, a world apart from the anger from just moments ago. “You’re much too beautiful to cry.” His hand came down to cradle your face, wiping the tears from under your eyes with his thumb.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” You whispered.

“I know.” He replied.

“It’s wrong.” You continued.

“I know.” He repeated.

You nuzzled your head into his chest, relaxing under his touch as your arms wound around his neck.

“Loki.” You whispered, your voice hoarse. “Loki, I want you to kiss me. Please.”

He blinked at you in disbelief. He’d waited a year and a half to kiss you, and now you were actually asking, his body seemed to be betraying him.

You looked up at him, one eyebrow slightly quirked.

All he could think was how pretty your eyes were.

“Well?” You asked.

Chapter Six - I Put A Spell On You

—

[Also, little known fact about me - I’m a professional copywriter. I wrote this in between some other pieces and I can hear my professional voice coming through in this where I’m usually able to separate the two, but I sort of roll with it here. So you know, like, soz. I guess. #sorrynotsorry. Also, while I’m here, don’t cheat on your partners kids.]

—

SERIES TAGS:

@jessiejunebug @sherlockfan4life @soapbox-moments @amour-delicate @milea @writingforthelonelysoul @justyourneighbourhoodretard @chxrryycola @erinlaufeyson @marvelousell @rogerrhqpsody

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areiton · 4 years

Text

End of Year Recs - 2019

It’s the end of year fic round up time--and this year I’m doing things a little different. I’m gonna do my favorite two fic for each ship or gen pairing I really enjoyed this year, and then (up to) five honorable mentions.

So here--without particular order, my faves from the year!! Also this is long as hell so hit read more for...more...

Irondad

we’re gonna have to do this together by edibna (Irondad | MCU)

Being a superhero sometimes means you forget about the small dangers in the world, like disease. For Peter, this means he loses May to natural causes, not something he could ever save her from.

Unknown to him, May left custody of Peter in the hands of Tony Stark, who, even though he wants kids, has no idea how to actually raise one. With a grieving superhero teenager on his hands, Tony is going to have to figure it out quick, if he wants Peter to ever be able to move on and be happy.

Webcams and Webshooters by losingmymindtonight (Irondad | MCU)

Once Peter's relationship with Tony gets out, the public can't get enough of their new favorite father-son duo.

So, naturally, they monopolize.

(Or: Tony and Peter's relationship, as seen through videos.)

Honorable Mentions:

Put out every star

Holdfasts

i'm the satellite (And you're the sky)

stars, hide your fires

miscommunications

~*~*~

Winteriron

fractures (filled) with liquid gold by itsallAvengers (Winteriron | MCU)

Ultron happened. The Avengers left.

Tony is fine with being alone again. He always worked better as a Lone Wolf than a team player anyway. He's not sleeping or eating or resting or... living, but it's fine. It's good. It's okay.

And then there's James.

illuminate me by Half_SubmergedinPurgatory (Winteriron | MCU)

Tony isn't a healthy man. He's fine with that, really. It makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, he has a job to do that kind of has his health as a major requirement. So he unmakes himself, remakes the Accords, protects every single child super that enters his field of view, and hopes ferociously that the Avengers never come back to the US. He doesn't spend any time at all rebuilding Bucky Barnes' life. Not a single second. Anything he does that contributes to him is simply an accident.

Bucky is a patient man. It's ok if Tony wants to ignore him for now. He won't be able to forever.

(Somewhere in the world, a sense of dread crawls up the back of Tony's spine)

Honorable Mentions:

a street corner in Cambridge

does it hurt

the road less traveled at the end of the line

scars

looking at you

~*~*~

Sambucky

winter, sweetheart by wilsonsnest (Sambucky | MCU)

To know the Falcon’s identity feels surreal to Bucky. It means nothing. As far as Hydra was concerned, Sam Wilson was erased. He has only ever been The Falcon and to Bucky he’s always been Sweetheart.

we could jump state lines (we only get the one life) by notcaycepollard (Sambucky | MCU)

It starts in Paris.

“You can’t steal things just because you like them,” Sam tells Bucky, feeling innately that this is a losing battle, and Bucky cocks his head to the side, considers Sam very thoughtfully.

“Really,” he says. “I’m stealing you, aren’t I?”

Honorable Mentions:

seek out hidden places

not an end, but (the start of all things)

cancel all your reservations (no more hesitations)

they gave you a heart, they gave you a name

you touch me within and so I (i know I could be human once again)

~*~*~

Starker

Stipulations by anonymous (Starker | MCU )

Peter Parker’s longterm dream recently went from ‘get into MIT’ to ‘afford going to MIT’. As the time approaches, it’s dawning on him that he won’t be able to pay his tuition and afford the move to Cambridge all at once: he’s out of money, his secrets are beginning to pile up, and desperation has started creeping in...

And then one night, he saves Tony Stark’s life.

mr. hurricane by spqr (Starker | MCU)

Peter makes it to the ripe old age of 26 without anyone finding out he’s Spider-Man. And then he falls asleep during a B&E at Stark Tower, and the rest is—well, the rest is this.

Honorable Mentions:

Both Ways

breaking point

velvet elvis

the leash

left hand free

~*~*~

Thorki

along a deserted highway by trieduntrue (Thorki | MCU)

The events of Thor (2011) take a different turn when both Thor and Loki are sent to Midgard without their powers as punishment for their misdeeds. With nothing except each other, they go on a journey to reclaim Mjolnir together.

soft shocks by stereobone (Thorki | MCU)

"And why," says Thor, "would I need to come with you to Jötunheim?"

"Ah, well," Loki says. "They may be under the impression that we're married."

Honorable Mentions:

How Long We Were Fooled

we spent our darkest days howling at the moon

~*~*~

Ironhusbands

touch the sky by scrollgirl (Ironhusbands | MCU)

Jamie Rhodes wouldn't be who she is today without her friendship with Tony Stark. The flip side of that is Tony Stark wouldn't be Iron Man without the twenty-five years he's been in love with her.

twenty five years by Not Applicable (Ironhusbands | MCU)

Nobody knows how long this has actually been going on. (Tony Stark has pretty much been in a monogamous relationship since he was 18 years old.)

Honorable Mentions:

a date on the moon

home for the non-holidays

reconstruction

pretend we're in love (the heartache still hurts)

i place your hands around my neck

~*~*~

Winterhawk

silhouette by mariana_oconnor (Winterhawk | MCU)

After a mission in Mexico goes wrong, SHIELD Agents Barnes and Rogers are given the job of hunting down the notorious Hawkeye and the Black Widow, the only problem being: no one even knows what they look like.

On the other side of the law, Clint's enjoying messing with their new SHIELD shadows, especially seeing how close he can get to Agent Barnes without him realising, but he makes the mistake of getting attached, and that makes everything more complicated.

nameless by AvaKelly (Winterhawk | MCU)

A gun is pointed at him before he can even move from his position, the Soldier's metal arm steady in its aim. Clint sighs.

"Nemo," Clint says. "It's tattooed on your wrist, right here," he lifts his right hand and taps his left index finger where his palm ends.

The Soldier's eyes widen. "How do you know this?"

"I put it there."

Honorable Mentions:

What do you mean we left Clint on Mars

clint barton's super secret snipers' club

lucky in love

i'll keep you safe here with me

complications

~*~*~

RPF

the end of the missing by eadunne2 (Evanstan | MCU RPF)

Sebastian remembers this from before, Chris’s physicality, remembers shoving and tripping one another, and hugs that lingered. It had been silly, friendly, until some vague, unspoken moment towards the end of filming when their relationship had changed again - Chris circling Sebastian’s wrist with his hand, or a palm to his lower back, only on rough days, only when Chris noticed him tensing up against unpleasantness in his own mind. At first Seb wanted to apologize, brokenness is a tiresome trait, but the actions seem to calm Chris too, ease his busy brain. When they lost touch Seb pretended not to miss it; he wouldn’t have had a chance to anyway, right? - with two dozen excellent fuck buddies all over the globe. Weird how they all had blue eyes though.

I would lose my decadence (for your love) by deadhearts (Stackie | MCU RPF)

The thing of it was that Mackie had just been trying to make a point. He'd just been trying to shut him up, or to make something clear, and he'd done what he'd set out to do. Sebastian had been well and properly put in his place. He'd been put in his place so well that Mackie had never touched him again, not in that way, because he'd never had the need: whatever question he'd been asking had been so thoroughly and roundly answered that there wasn't any need to ask it twice.

Honorable Mentions:

Like O, Like H

when you kiss me i just gotta say (baby i love you)

cross the line

fine until you're not

~*~*~

Stucky

ain’t no grave (can keep my body down) by spitandvinegar (Stucky | MCU)

It's six in the morning, and Steve is heading out on a run when he nearly trips over a bouquet of sunflowers on the front steps of his brownstone.

For a second paranoia takes over, and he kicks the flowers a little, waiting for them to explode. They don't. They also came with a card, which he picks up. The front of the card has a tasteful picture of the Brooklyn bridge at sunset. It's very nice and sedate, like the kind of card you would buy to give to your boss. On the inside someone has written a short message in big, shaky block letters.

I AM SORRY FOR SHOOTING YOU.

Steve sits down hard on the steps.

there should be stars by childhoodinfamy (Stucky | MCU)

“All memories to tell you the truth aren’t good.

But sometimes there were good times.

Love was good. I loved your crooked sleep

beside me and never dreamed afraid.

There should be stars for great wars

like ours. There ought to be awards

and plenty of champagne for the survivors.”

- Sandra Cisneros

Or, it takes them decades.

Honorable Mentions:

This, you protect

little animal lives

the long game

a long winter

the art of cooking for two

~*~*~

Stony

never too late for love by Sineala (Stony | MCU)

Steve has always believed that a soulbond is a blessing -- a rare and beautiful miracle, joining the thoughts and feelings of two people forever, from the first time they touch. Steve knows he's not going to be one of the lucky ones. He knows Gail isn't his soulmate. But he loves her, even if they're not soulmates, and he's going to do right by her. After the war's over, he's going to marry her, and they're going to settle down. They'll buy a house. They'll have children. He'll see his family again. Maybe Bucky will live next door. It's going to be a good life. He doesn't need a soulbond. He'll be fine without one.

Then Steve wakes up sixty years in the future to find that his wonderful life has moved on without him. His family is long dead. His fiancée married his best friend. And the only purpose he has left is leading the Ultimates, a misbegotten team of superheroes with flaws too numerous to count. Steve hates everything about the future -- but most of all he detests Tony, flashy and flirtatious, who embodies everything Steve hates about a world he never wanted to live in.

And, oh, yeah, Steve has a soulmate after all: Tony fucking Stark.

wait and sea by lenalena (Stony | MCU)

In which Tony and Steve get sent on an undercover mission aboard a cruise ship to make contact with Hydra. In this AU the military has kept the discovery and defrosting of Captain America a secret, so Steve and Tony have never met before. Yet they are to pose as newlyweds....

Honorable Mentions:

celestial navigation

the song without words

dear mr fantasy

slipping off the page into your hands

the twice-told tale

~*~*~

Stuckony

hide a heart of war by Hummingbird_52 (Stuckony | MCU)

“You’ve got war in your heart boy,” Howard sneers, “don’t ever try and pretend to be anything but what you are.”

Tony feels the familiar burn of a flower mark being etched into his skin but he doesn’t look, doesn’t try and check to see what it is. Instead he keeps his eyes on Howard and his hands cupped around his bleeding mouth and nose.

the stories we write by NotEvenCloseToStraight (Stuckony | MCU)

A question at an interview leads to Steve and Bucky discovering fan fiction, and after piles of coffeeshop au's and fake dating tropes (and screaming over ABO fics) they find an author that writes some of the best fics they've ever read-- reader inserts starring a dark haired, dark eyed male reader as their shared love interest.

The platonic fics are heartfelt and sweet, the smutty fics have them tearing their clothes off to act out scenes, the soulmate fics have them crying over the true love that so often ends with the Reader passing away and Stucky being left behind.

Then one day, a fic posts with a scene taken right out of their lives, one that happened right there in the Tower, entirely the same right up until they take the Reader to bed.

Bucky is the one to realize the writer is Tony.

Steve is the one to suggest writing fics of their own to show Tony they return his feelings.

Writing fics to show an author you're in love? What could possibly go wrong?

Honorable Mentions:

eagles

branded

imagine you and you (and you) and me

#arei reads fic #stony #stucky #sambucky #irondad #starker #winterhawk #winteriron #MCU RPF #stuckony #ironhusbands #thorki

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thorne93 · 4 years

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Unforeseen Chasm (Part 41)

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.

Word Count:1516

Warnings: Language, mentions of being choked, fluff and mentions of smut song for this part: Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my novels). It’s a collaboration with the amazing @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo. It started as a funny “What if…?” and it evolved and got huge. This took two years to write. We are both proud and happy and we hope you enjoy it. It follows from Thor 1 to Endgame in the MCU. Some of the timelines may be off in order to fit certain people, and some characters may show up earlier or in different ways than they have in the movie. But for the most part, it follows the MCU. It also has a bit of crossover with some other Marvel characters throughout the story.

Masterlist for Unforeseen Chasm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a moment, it seemed like no time had passed, and yet it felt that you’d been out for hours. When you finally woke, Shannon was still out and so was Loki. Before panic could overtake you again, Bruce saw you were awake. Clearly, it’d been long enough for Tony and Steve to clear the room.

“Woah, hey, are you good?” Bruce asked as he walked over and put a hand on your shoulder, helping steady you.

“Yeah.. yeah.. Are they okay?” you asked, nodding towards them.

“They’re going to be… Long story short, Shannon’s powers were activated while she was at Strange’s with Loki. They used him to antagonize her and she sort of… hurt him…”

Your eyes bulged. Your mind was just about to snap at this news.

Shannon...hurt...Loki? Why?

Your blood boiled, your mind raced. You tried to fight yourself from going over there and completely going nuts on Shannon, but with each ticking second of seeing Loki lying on the bed next to you, it got harder to hold the beast back.

“She...what?” you demanded in almost a hiss.

Bruce suddenly saw the change in your nature. “Y/N/N, now… it’s okay. He was supposed to--”

“Supposed to wind up in a hospital bed?!” you screamed, your fingers electrifying with purple sparks. Unless Bruce wanted to Hulk out, he couldn’t contain you. Right now, everyone in this room was at your mercy.

You jumped off the table, ready to tear into Shannon. Ready to make her pay for what she'd done. As soon as your feet hit the floor, purple sparks washed over your entire body, your hair beginning to fly around you.

But before you could go any farther, Loki woke up, unbeknownst to you. Your focus was solely on the woman one bed over from him. Immediately, Loki saw you and he scrambled up.

“Y/N, Y/N,” he eased, seeing your state. He wanted to touch you, but your powers were creating a surface effect. If he put his hands on you, he could get shocked to the other side of the room. “Darling,” he coaxed, standing in front of you. “Look at me, focus on me. What’s wrong?”

“She hurt you,” you stated, your eyes not leaving her form.

“No, no… Well, she did, but she didn’t mean to. I did it on purpose. I had to,” he informed, trying to get you to look at him.

Finally, his words registered in you and you snapped back to reality, your powers subsiding. “What? Why?”

“They said they needed my help. They wanted one end of my emotions… then they wanted me to trigger her to get a response so they could help her… Her powers overtook her and she began choking me…”

You nodded slowly. “And her?”

“Her powers drained her,” Bruce piped up from behind you. You turned to him.

“So… what does this mean?”

“It means both of them need rest. You wanna take Loki down to his bed?” he suggested.

“Actually… I have some place better,” you realized. “Loki, do you mind waiting for me outside?” you asked.

“Certainly, darling,” he assured. He stepped over to you and kissed your forehead before letting you go. You walked up beside Shannon and peered down at her.

“I hope you feel better… You don’t deserve any of this,” you said, your voice sad before you leaned down and kissed her forehead. A gentle smile touched your lips as you gripped her hand. Your face shot towards Bruce. “You keep her safe, and healthy, do you understand?”

“Aye, aye,” Bruce said with a small wave of his hand and a faint smile.

With a final nod, you met with Loki, grasping his hand, as the two of you walked out of the tower together -- finally free.

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

“Where are we going?” Loki questioned, curiosity in his voice.

“You’ll see,” you stated with an air of mystery.

“Being rather mischievous, aren’t you?” he inquired.

“That’s your job,” you teased.

This feeling of ease was… new, and fantastic. Walking the streets of your home city with the man you loved… How perfect could things get for you?

You were tense, though, awaiting the second someone recognized one of you, and the shitstorm began. But so far, no one even knew you two existed.

Finally, you arrived where you needed.

“Why are we here?” Loki asked, starting to wonder seriously about why he wasn’t back in his cell.

“I want to show you something here,” you told him once you stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor. You walked down nearly ten doors, and found the one you were looking for. You took a deep breath, and stuck the key in the door, turning it to unlock it.

The door swung open thanks to the push you gave it, and you leaned in and flicked on the lights.

“Ta-da!” you feebly announced, gesturing towards the spacious apartment.

Loki peered inside, his eyes going over different surfaces before he finally asked, “What is this?”

You bit your lip before walking inside. “This is our home,” you informed.

His eyes flashed to you. “Our...Our home?” he asked, almost as if he were in disbelief.

Nodding, you said, “Yeah. Um, see Shannon and I picked out this apartment right before you and I met. She kept it, since she thought I would come home. When I got let out on parole, she told me I could stay here, but I didn’t want to leave you. She helped me redecorate the place these last few months. If I wasn’t at work, or with you, I was here. Shannon moved most of her stuff out, to make room for things you might want. But… this is all ours,” you explained with nervous hope.

His eyes went back to scanning the place while you spoke, but then he wasn’t responding.

“Say something?” you requested. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” he asked, making you even more anxious. He walked towards you and put his hands on your shoulders. “My beloved… I… I’ve wanted nothing more than to be with you, have a home with you. Since we’ve been together, we’ve been caged, forbidden from leaving confines. To have a space that is ours? A private dwelling? This is perfect. It’s the best gift you could’ve given me.”

Grinning like a fool, you hugged him tightly. “Oh, I’m so glad you like it! We’ve spent so much time making everything perfect. Let me show you around.”

Taking his hand, you lead him to the kitchen, showing him all the brand new appliances. The living room with the new television. You then walked down the hall to the bathroom with fresh decor. You showed him the almost empty extra room, explaining you would probably turn it into an office. Finally, your bedroom.

“This is ours?” he asked, stepping in.

“Yeah,” you meekly informed, putting your hands behind your back as you followed him in. “Yeah, this was actually my bedroom before I went to Asgard. We didn’t close on the deal until after I left. But all my stuff is in here. I haven’t really changed any of this stuff. It’s mostly pictures, work documents, and some posters of movies I like,” you explained as Loki walked around the room.

“This… this is a glimpse into the life you had before me,” he commented.

“What… do you think?” you wondered, watching his face as he went around, looking at pictures.

“I think it’s amazing. This is you and Shannon, right?” he asked, pointing to a picture that had been framed - one of many.

You walked over and laughed. “Oh yeah. This was Halloween. I went as a Victorian Vampire and she went as a zombie nurse. We won the costume contest at the party we went to,” you explained, smiling at the memory.

Loki shook his head. “I… this has made me happier than I could ever imagine. I’ve always wanted to know your life better. Know your parents, know the life you led before you and I met… To know where your heart lied, to know where your passions led you.”

You shrugged. “Well, this is it. These are all my things. All my clothing, pictures, life’s work. It’s all here. Just, feel free to rummage. After you get some rest of course.”

“Rest is the last thing on my mind,” he quickly stated in a low voice, snaking his arms around your waist in a flash before picking you up.

“Loki,” you chastised. As much as fooling around sounded fun, you knew he needed to be resting.

“Darling, please? This is our first night, in our new home. Let me christen it? Then I will sleep all day tomorrow if you wish.”

Well, either Loki was extremely persuasive, or you were extremely easy.

“It’s very, very, very hard to say no to you,” you informed with a coy smile.

He gave a low laugh. “That’s what I like to hear.” Within an instant, his mouth was working wonders on your body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List: @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno @rda1989 @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaelingoat-blog @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo @damalseer @heyitscam99 @yknott81 @sorryimacrapwriter @glitterquadricorn @xxqueenofisolationxx @little-dis-kaalista-pythonissama @bittersweetunicorm @alyssaj23 @sea040561 @princess76179 @thisismysecrethappyplace @sarahp879 @malfoysqueen14 @ellallheart @breezy1415 @marvelmayo @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @cocosierra94 @hardcollectionworldtrash @capsmuscles @marvelloushamilton @paintballkid711

Loki: @lostinspace33 @ultrarebelheart @lenawiinchester @esoltis280 @tngrayson @wangdeasang @harrymewmew @jayfantasyatyourservice

UC: @lokis-high-priestess

#unforeseen chasm #Loki Laufeyson #loki x reader #loki fic #tony stark #tony stark fic #tony stark x ofc #bruce banner

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swiftkick404 · 5 years

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Does anyone else think Bruce and Natasha in AOU actually only served to show how poor they are together? Like, the complete lack of understanding between them, how they are on completely different wave lengths and open up to the other at the wrong time so that neither gets what they need at the right time? Natasha opens up to Bruce about her history in the Red Room and he just stares blankly back at her with nothing supportive to say - nothing to say at all! Bruce opens up to Nat about wanting to leave the fight in Sokovia and run away and she manipulates him into the Hulk instead, because she’s actually not one to run away from the fight when shit goes down.

Their scenes together seem to only bring out the worst traits in each other. Natasha doesn’t manipulate Clint, Steve, or Tony when they are struggling, she only seeks to reassure them and their choices (especially so with Steve) or call them out on why she disagrees, but she doesn’t manipulate them to her own ends. Bruce is reduced to a bumbling, girl-shy fool in AOU, as opposed to his cockier suavity in Avengers (which, I don’t like per se, but he’s different between the two films and only in one does he get a gag with a woman’s chest in his face like some 90s comedy virgin high school student who’s never touched a woman before...). The Hulk is a brute who needs (eugh) a beauty to calm him away - as opposed to his relationship with Valkyrie or Thor in Ragnarok, where he’s allowed to have a worthwhile existence and friendships!

Anyhow. I hate that these two are still presented as some sort of admirable relationship. They barely have a relationship at all! Most of its development happened off screen and we needed other characters to tell us directly that it was ‘actually for real a thing totally.’ And before anyone chimes in that they had development in Avengers -- they had scenes together, but she had scenes with other characters that illustrate much healthier dynamics. Bruce was pretty rude to Nat the whole damn film, while she was just doing her damn job. Steve and Clint respected her for her job and Bruce was very much like Tony in IMii and just mocked her for being a good spy.

I’m so glad the Russo brothers and Markus and McFeely have not given this “relationship” the time of day. It’s so terrible all around. Just. Awful. And I’m saying this as someone who likes ships that are not necessarily “healthy” and “un-problematic” - but I think a ship needs to have mutual respect and understanding for something between the characters (even if the relationship is unhealthy in other ways) - and Bruce and Natasha never seem to have that! Never at the same time or in a way that the other appreciates.

If J*ss Whed*n intended to write a relationship that was shallowly developed, forcefully excused, and poorly executed, then he succeeded - otherwise??? Man. These two really don’t do any favors of character elevation for each other. Only derailment.

Compare Natasha’s relationship with Steve, which is unflinchingly devoted and understanding and soft between them - man! No competition. Her relationship with Clint? Same. And Steve and Clint at least understand her - and we even get to see Steve learn about Natasha: he unquestioningly respects her in Avengers, but in CATWS he really works to understand her, and we see how they as a pair come to care for each other. So good! Now that is a relationship and romance I can get behind. It’s nice that they have been together ever since :) even in AOU! Twice! Once when Natasha expects to die next to Steve, and then when they welcome their new team together. Man. If that doesn’t tell us something....

#marvel #mcu #natasha romanoff #anti brutasha #romanogers #mcu nerds #OTP tho (of anything ever)#I'm so hung up on Steve and Natasha it is not even funny #I just really love them #and really dislike any time Nat and Bruce are anywhere near each other #blegh

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bilgesnipebitch · 5 years

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1.5K Writing Challenge

Well, here’s my submission for @myattemptatfanfic‘s 1.5k writing challenge! Hope you enjoy!

Title: The Eyes of a God

Author: @bilgesnipebitch

Pairing: Loki x reader

Word Count: 3177 (whoops)

Warnings: angst-ish, swearing, tiny bits of fluff I guess?

Prompt will be in Bold

And huuuuge thanks to my two idiot friends who helped me edit! (jk, love you guys <3)

“Do you want to hear the story or not?” his soothing laughter bounced its way through your apartment.

You could hardly control your own laughter, holding your stomach and nearly in tears. “Yes yes. I’m sorry, Loki. Please continue.”

“Anyways, there we were—staring down this disgusting, 3,000 pound creature,”

“Was it Thor?” you cracked, knowing just how much Loki disliked his brother.

He let out something between a cackle and a howl, “You wouldn’t be too far off there, Love.”

You grinned like an idiot, your eyes sparkling with joy, “So come on, what happened next?”

“Well, we just ran as fast as our legs could carry us and returned to the party like nothing had happened at all. Mind you, we absolutely reeked of manure, but I suspect nobody had the nerve to tell us.”

You both doubled over, rolling around the couch hysterically. You could feel your eyes begin to tear up and your cheeks ache, but, for just that small moment, you were at peace. You let the rush of endorphins wash over you as your laughter died down, and you wiped your dewy eyes.

“How do you come up with such great stories, Loki?” you turned to face the raven-haired man, taking slight notice that his greasy mop was beginning to get pretty long.

“I keep telling you, Love; these things really happened to me.”

“Mmmhmm,” you gave a playful eye roll, to which Loki snickered.

“Ok, fine, maybe I just have the loveliest muse in the nine realms to inspire me,” he reached out to delicately stroke your soft cheek with his thumb.

“Damn, you’re smooth,” you laughed and looked into his familiar eyes, morning-blue with just a dash of grey, and you never wanted the moment to end.

But of course, the fates are a cruel bunch of crones, and all good things must eventually come to an end. You savored every single day you could spend with Loki, but as much as you tried to make those small moments with him last for the rest of eternity, the tiny little moments just kept marching on, virtually whizzing past, turning into hours, days, weeks, months, and soon enough, those little moments of peace became a scarce commodity, few and far between. You began to notice a change in the man you loved so dearly; he started to become more… calloused, cynical, closed-off. It confused you, and honestly hurt you, to see him so obviously struggling with something beyond his own strength, but he would just never open up to you. He would never let you share some of his burden, so you could do nothing but watch it fester and boil inside him.

You looked out the window and sighed, the steely grey sky that had loomed over you the past few days had finally begun to let down a gentle drizzle: not enough to soak any unfortunate soul who happened to be caught in the storm, but just enough to make them uncomfortably damp. You chewed on your lip in habit and walked up next to the sofa carefully.

“All I’m saying is, well, I’d like a little more... respect? I’m not your maid after all, Loki.” He inclined his head toward you from his spot on the couch. “I know, Love. And I respect you.” You fiddled with the hem of your shirt, keeping your eyes fixed on the carpet. “I... I know. I guess I would just like you to... show it a bit more.” He set down the remote with a sigh and turned to face you fully. “What’s this about? The Christmas party? You’re the one who turned it into a scene.” You furrowed your brows and looked up to meet his capturing blue gaze. Those eyes that you’d seen hold such joy and sorrow and love now sent a shiver of fear down your spine, but you didn’t dare look away. “Loki, you showed up an hour late, immediately asked me to go get you coffee from a shop across town, and refused to socialize until I did.” “I don’t know my way around this place, Love; we’ve been over this. And I offered to go with you.” “Yes, but I wanted to stay at the party. I was having fun. Why should I have to drop everything I’m doing to fulfill your every whim?” “Oh, well excuse me for asking for a bloody cup of coffee,” his voice dripped with contempt. “But would it kill you to pick up a map sometime and actually learn how to get around town?” “I don’t have time for that, Y/N. I have much more important matters to attend to.”

You could practically feel your anger bubbling up inside you at this point. He’d used this excuse one too many times to fool you anymore.

“Oh, but you have time to sit on your ass and watch tv?” “I happen to be listening for a crucial bit of information on the news. Not that you’d understand, of course; the Midgardian mind has its limits.” You clenched your jaw and balled your fists. That was it. You refused to stand there as he blatantly insulted you and your entire species. “You pompous asshole. I’m sick of you pulling this shit, thinking I’m too stupid to see through all your lies. I’m not an idiot!” He scoffed grimly and stood to his full height. He began to step toward you, towering a good foot over your head, but you stood steadfast. This also wasn’t the first time he’d pulled the height difference trick to intimidate you. You may well be a small, insignificant Midgardian, but you’d be damned if you didn’t finally stand your ground against this man. You were done being a doormat at his beck and call. “I think you seem to forget—Love—that I am a god. And you... well, not so much,” he reached down to pull your chin up so your eyes met his imposing stare again. Your heart beat out of your chest and legs threatened to give out beneath you. Gathering all your strength, you clenched your jaw, swallowed your fear as best you could, and stared directly into his steely eyes.

“God or not, you will treat me with respect,” you paused to keep your voice steady, “or you will leave my apartment right now.” Loki’s eyebrows raised and settled in a jeer that made you absolutely livid. “That’s cute, you think you can order me around.” “I can when I pay the rent, the electricity, the water, and the food you leech off every time you decide to grace me with your presence.” “Oh, is that what you think whenever I take the time out of my schedule to come visit you? Well, if I’m that much of a nuisance, maybe I should just never visit again!” “Sounds like a plan to me,” and you regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth. Loki gave a dry, sardonic laugh, “so that’s how it is, then?” He bent down, planted a small kiss on your cheek, and disappeared without another word.

And just like that, you were completely alone. You could only stand there in silence, the droning, deadpan voices of the television melding together and contorting themselves into unintelligible noise. What have I done? was the only thought that occupied your head.

You could hardly believe it. Sure, you and Loki had your little spats every now and again, but you always made up afterward. You always found a way to work through your differences (which there were certainly plenty of). But now you’d gone too far. With a mind of its own, a single tear traced over the spot Loki’s lips had rested only a second before. You felt... numb. You were hurt and relieved and worried and confused and all your emotions swirled together inside you to create an absolute mess and they came flooding out of your eyes as your jelly legs crumpled uselessly beneath you. You looked at your phone on the counter and reached up to contact the only person who knew the whole truth about just who exactly had been your lover the past year. “I-“ you took a deep breath to steady your trembling hands before typing out the rest of your message. “I think I just broke up with Loki.” Reliable as ever, hardly a minute passed before your best friend in the entire world responded “on my way.”

Mia was her name; you two had become friends in your grade school days and have been absolutely inseparable ever since. Oddly enough, you first met her when she stuck a piece of gum in your hair and felt so guilty afterward that she promised to do your homework for a week. From then on, she was with you every step of the way, even when things got pretty ugly, and you both did the best you could to support each other through it all. To be frank, she was one of the strongest people you’d ever met and you had no idea where you’d be without her.

Your heart threatened to stop entirely at the sound of the doorbell, but you slowly rose to your unsteady feet, finally remembering that you had a visitor on her way. You opened the door, eyes bloodshot and body visibly trembling. “Hey Mia,” your voice came out barely above a whisper. “Oh hon,” she pulled you into an embrace before entering and sitting you down on the couch with her. And you told her everything that had happened, that you felt, that you wished you’d done or said differently, and it was a strange sort of catharsis to just have somebody else who knew.

“You see? I told you he was no good. I knew from the way he would push you around like you were beneath him or something.”

You gave a dejected sigh, “but you don’t know him like I do... er, did. He never opened up to strangers very well, but when it was just the two of us, he was funny and charming and sweet and he would tell me the most intricate stories and he took me to the most beautiful places and—“ your voice began to waver again. Mia took your hand in her own, “but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with all his manipulative bullshit. That kind of relationship isn’t healthy for you, and you tried to talk to him about it like a rational adult. If he can’t respect you as an equal, then he doesn’t deserve you.” And for the next six months, you clung to those words for dear life. “He doesn’t deserve me,” you’d say in the mirror every morning. “He doesn’t deserve me,” you’d tell yourself every time your mind began to wander recklessly. “He doesn’t deserve me,” you’d remind yourself every five minutes on dates with people who could never even compare to the man you’d let go. And you almost believed it. Almost. It was the annual Stark gala, and you, being an employee of Stark Enterprises, were “strongly encouraged” to attend. You were dressed to the nines, all done up in a flowing, emerald green gown Loki had brought you from Asgard nearly a year ago. As much as you hated the idea of wearing it, you owned absolutely no other “fancy” clothing to speak of and could barely afford your own food at this point. Apparently, unbeknownst to you, Loki had been making regular deposits into your bank account and had stopped doing so ever since your breakup. God knows where he got that money anyways. He could’ve stolen it. Or maybe even killed for it. I don’t want his filthy murder money, you tried to reassure yourself. And then it all went to shit. There he was, in the goddamn flesh, laughing next to the cocktail bar. You really regretted not inviting a date with you now. You looked around the room for some coworker you might know or a bathroom or something, anything to avoid talking to Loki, but it was too late. Your heart skipped a beat as the man you recognized as Thor, whom you’d met only once before, pointed you out to his brother and motioned for you to join them.

You contemplated simply running out the nearest exit, but your feet seemed to have plans of their own as you found them carrying you closer and closer to the bane of your existence for the better half of a year now. You tried your best to put on a polite smile and greeted Thor warmly, as well as his date, not daring to even glance Loki’s way. “Hello, Y/N,” You heard the devil himself croon behind you.

As much as I don’t want to respond, I don’t things to be awkward the rest of the night. And I certainly don’t want to cause a scene.

You let out the smallest of sighs and turned around to face Loki. “Oh, Loki, I didn’t see you there,” and everybody present knew that was a big, fat lie. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” He wore that mischievous, shit-eating grin of his that made you just want to punch out every single one of his teeth. “Yeah, 6 months...” you lowered your gaze from the chiseled features of his deathly pale face to carefully examine the enthralling subject of your own shoes, the floor, or anything really—anything except that man. You just couldn’t stand to look into those crystal-blue eyes.

“Oh, Layla, have I introduced you to Stark?” Thor broke the tense silence, and your heart immediately sank into your stomach. You pleaded with any deity that might exist, but nevertheless, Thor politely excused himself and walked off into the bustling crowd with his date, leaving only Loki and yourself at the bar. Damn you, Thor.

You cleared your throat, sat down next to the man you thought you’d never see again in your short, insignificant, mortal life, and ordered a drink in hopes to make it even shorter. If you were lucky, maybe you’d drop dead right then and there and be able to avoid the awkward conversation you knew lurked just moments away.

“Lovely dress, Y/N. Where’s it from?” Loki quipped with a sideways glance.

“The dollar store, probably,” you didn’t dare even look at the man, keeping your gaze fixed directly in front of you.

He let out a light hiss of air and chuckled, shaking his head.

“Good to know you hold my birthday gift in such high esteem.”

Aaand now you felt like an ungrateful bitch. Boy, did he know how to play the guilt card.

“So, how have you been?” He straightened up to take another swig of his mead. Awful. It took nearly all your strength to keep the thought from tumbling right out of your mouth. “I’ve been good... how about you?” you managed to spit out. “Honestly Dove, not too well.” The bastard did that on purpose. He knows I loved that nickname. “Oh, well that’s too bad I suppose. At least you and Thor getting along now apparently?” “Yes, we’ve made our peace, settled old squabbles, the like.” “Good, good,” You took a sip of your drink, which had finally arrived, and nearly choked on it at the next words out of Loki’s mouth. "Do you miss me?" he asked, a hint of a devilish grin in his eyes. "No," you reply, stopping your real feelings from creeping up your throat and satisfying his cruel curiosity. But you never were able to lie to him. He chuckled and turned to face you, expression slowly melting from amusement to something more akin to gravity, perhaps even sincerity. “Listen, Y/N, I acknowledge that... perhaps I wasn’t treating you fairly.” You wanted to say something, anything, but words completely escaped you in the moment. Loki just glanced downward, took a deep breath, and continued. “And I’m aware that I can be a bit entitled sometimes. And I can be an oblivious idiot and sometimes... Sometimes, I end up hurting those I love the most,” his eyes flicked up to catch your gaze, and unlike the last time you’d seen them, they seemed full of a familiar, genuine warmth once again. “Loki, I-“ you sighed. “Look, Y/N, I know I have a lot to make up for, but all I’m asking for is a chance to do just that.” “I don’t know, Loki...” He reached out tentatively to take hold of your hand. He cupped it delicately, as if it were made of fine porcelain. “Just one more chance?”

You sighed again, entirely at a loss for words. You felt almost like a ship inside, violently whipped around in a storm of your own emotions and barely managing to hold yourself together. On the one hand, spending some time away from Loki had allowed you to realize that your relationship just wasn’t healthy. You let him take advantage of you. You rationalized his twisted motives. Honestly, you had just never felt like his equal the entire time you were together. But as much as you hated to admit it, you could never deny that your heart ached at the mere thought of him. You were still in love with Loki, there was no doubt, but your better judgement screamed at you that giving this man a second chance might just prove to be the biggest mistake of your life. You swallowed dryly.

Taking one final deep, grounding breath, you opened your mouth, but your words caught in your throat, refusing to come out. “I’ve changed so much since we last saw each other, Y/N. I’m getting along with my brother now, for heaven’s sake!” he added with a small chuckle. It was true, Loki did seem different. For one, Loki would have never pleaded with you like this for a second chance. No, the Loki you knew had far too much pride for that. So what in the world could have possibly happened to him in the last 6 months? “Loki... I think—“ you sighed. “I don’t think we should get back together.”

Loki’s features began to droop ever so slightly. “But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just stay... friends?” He perked back up somewhat and put on a smile to mask his disappointment, “I would like that, Y/N.” You gave a thin smile as well, and you both sipped your drinks in a moment of silence. “Sounds like you’ve got quite the story to catch me up on though.” “Oh, you have no idea,” he laughed.

And he told you all his wonderful tales of adventure, drama, love, and loss, and it felt like you were back in your apartment on some cold winter’s day with freshly brewed tea and everything was right with the world. It felt as if nothing at all had changed between you. And it gave you hope that perhaps... you two could make this work.

#Fanfic #Loki x reader #angst #loki fanfic #reader insert #loki angst #1.5k writing challenge

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spiderfoool · 5 years

Text

The Beginning of the End

(from writing.prompt.s on instagram: When you turn 18, you have to choose a life goal. When you complete that goal, your life ends, but until you complete that goal you can’t die.)

AO3 LINK

Save the world and get married to Bucky Save the world and get married to Steve

They had picked it as a joke, really. Steve had always been standing up for those who couldn’t, but it wasn’t like he anticipated that he would ever save the world. At least not single-handed.

Also, it was 1935 and queers were most certainly not allowed to get married.

But that was the point wasn’t it? Again, Steve had always been standing up for others, so why not stand up for himself. He and Bucky had always known that what they had was different, even if they didn’t always know what to call it. They were always together, whether it be Bucky sitting next to Steve’s bed while he was battling whatever infirmity he had at the time or Steve helping to take care of Bucky’s oh so many siblings. It only made sense that that was how it’d all end.

Steve was convinced they were gonna die in 1939. The war was beginning to favor the Allies, the world would be saved, and Steve and Bucky definitely had at least a small part in that. That and the missions they were tasked with were just that risky. The beginning of the end.

Realistically, Steve knew they couldn’t die until they got married but at this point what was the difference? Marriage in the US was but a piece of paper; and they didn’t need anybody else’s fucked up opinion of them to make a lifelong vow to each other anyways. Regardless, the war pushed on. After Bucky fell off that cliff, Steve was sure he was gonna live out the rest of eternity in sorrow. When he crashed the plane, he hoped that it was finally over; that he could finally see Bucky again and just let go.

But nothing was ever that simple.

Steve didn’t think there was a time in which he was more depressed than when he came out of the ice, which was understandable to say the least. Nobody really found it fun to be consistently lied to and forced back into waging wars, but Steve was always willing to do what needed to be done.

That didn’t mean he had to be happy about it though.

When the whispers about a ghost assassin found their way into Steve’s life, he was borderline apathetic about it. He had seen aliens and gods and men with helpful voices in their ceilings and at that point, it was hard to shock Steve anymore, contrary to popular belief. He was raised in an era in which the refrigerator was revolutionary, yes, but when you live to see your country just start to universalize electricity and join an international war involving nuclear weapons all in the same decade, it's hard to be shocked by something as unimportant to Steve as a woman wearing pants on television.

When the assassin attacked Steve on the highway, he fought hard like he always did. It didn’t matter how little Steve really cared about living out the rest of his life, there were lives at stake, and Steve would rather be skinned alive than be the reason why lives were needlessly lost. So Steve relied on the one thing he always knew how to do: he fought.

When he pulled the man’s mask off, Steve shut down. Never in his entire life had Steve shut down; he always knew a way out, always had some sort of plan to pull himself out of whatever shit he’d gotten into that time. But not then. Bucky had once again consumed his entire presence, taken over every waking thought. Bucky, his Bucky, had fought him nearly to the death. Shot up a highway. Blew up cars. Terrorized an entire city. And didn’t even know his own name.

When he brought down S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Helicarriers, Steve didn’t care if he died. That was nothing new. But he brought passively suicidal attitudes to a new level. He had thrown down his shield in battle before, but never when his opponent could actually match him. Never with so many other lives at stake. It was reckless, dangerous, beyond life threatening. But he didn’t care. He needed Bucky to know he’d always be there. ‘Till the end of the line. And for once, things didn’t go completely to shit.

When Steve came to consciousness in the hospital, he didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved. He eventually settled on relieved that Bucky was alive somewhere and didn’t kill him. But he did keep the anger of betrayal and being made into a fool buried deep inside him. Deep enough inside that it wouldn’t jump out when he was on active duty or in stupid meetings with the US Army. But not deep enough that it wouldn’t jeopardize one of the only true friendships he’d had in 70 years.

He knew Bucky wasn’t to blame for the attack in Germany, the man wasn’t even in Germany at the time of the attack. But he did know that he had to protect him, give him a heads up at the very least. That, of course, went to shit.

He wasn’t expecting his friendship with Tony to be intact at all when this shit was over with. He knew he shouldn't have lied. He knew he should’ve just sat and talked through the Accords at the very least, but his self control always seemed to just fly out the window wherever Bucky was concerned these days. Sam wouldn’t let him hear the end of it, especially about the stunt he pulled on the Helicarriers. But he would be goddamned if he’d let the government fuck him sideways again. Especially not when Bucky was involved.

When the Wakandans welcomed Steve and Bucky with open arms, he felt some of the most relief he’s ever felt. After all the stunts he’d pulled in the past few weeks, Steve was pretty sure the entire world was ready to turn him in. But not T’Challa and Shuri. And he would forever be grateful.

He stopped by sometimes, whenever he could. Talk to Bucky if he could, sit by his bedside whenever he couldn’t. Bucky was getting better. After a while the trigger words stopped working entirely. No meaning left over in his mind. And Steve thought it might be the beginning of the end. Get married to Bucky. They were so close.

They actually did get married. It turned out Wakanda didn’t have strict rules on marriage like all the smaller European countries Steve had been hiding out in. They had a small ceremony at a courthouse, dinner with T’Challa, Shuri, Ramonda, and the few Rogue Avengers. It was nice, it was quiet, it was everything they’d ever wanted it to be. The beginning of the end.

But Steve never expected to be fighting again so soon. And he definitely didn’t expect to lose Bucky again. When the other man turned to dust, he didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know how to be helpful. The memory would be forever etched into the back of his mind, him sitting in the dirt, the horrified looks on his teammates faces, those that were left.

The years after Thanos were absolutely desolate and Steve was pretty sure he was dissociated half the time. Truthfully all he did was live in agony, his love now gone, his friends gone, half the world gone. Never had Steve lived in such a time that he felt so empty. It was suffocating.

For the first time ever Steve started going to therapy. Natasha of all people had pushed him hard to even consider going, and after months and months of misery, he caved. The first few weeks were rough to say the least. Steve had never been in the habit of expressing his feelings truthfully if expressing them at all and it didn’t get any easier since he had made it into the 21st century. But that’s what it’s there for he could hear Natasha’s annoyed tone in his head on repeat any time he even thought about quitting simply because of embarrassment. And he did think about it. His idea of “healthy” didn’t exactly include dwelling on the trauma of the past seven decades, Natasha. Nonetheless, he went. If not for the lack of want to hear Natasha’s nagging about his health.

When the so-called Captain Marvel set foot on the Compound, Steve just about lost his mind. Where had she been all this time? Nobody had a clue. But if her glowing hands and obvious intelligence meant anything, they were gonna win this time. And it was just like before; the beginning of the end. The plan was to rewind time. Put precautions in place so that it couldn't happen again. It was apparently part of some magician’s plan, as Tony so eloquently put it once he found his way back from wherever the hell he had managed to get stranded.

So they did it. They wound back time. They did everything over again. And Thanos was dead. It was over.

The first time Steve saw Bucky after everything, he broke down completely. Bawling, nose running, wailing, a complete shock to any poor bystander close enough to witness one of the strongest men on Earth cry like a baby. But he couldn’t help it. He could feel it coming on, slowly but surely. He knew Bucky could feel it too. Oh but how time tended to wear so thin when one wants it most.

They tried to say their goodbyes to the team as gently as possible. They knew they’d be missed. But it truly was the end. They never told anyone their Life Goals. Just that it was their time.

Tony arranged the funeral personally, made sure everything was the best it could possibly be. Steve and Bucky were placed in the same casket, their hands interlocked. Together as one, as they always dreamed of being. The service was beautiful, Sam delivering the eulogy. Tony, Sam, Natasha, Bruce, Clint, and Thor being pallbearers. Nobody left with dry eyes.

It was strange how they were both so dearly missed, yet not quite yearned for. Everyone knew they had lived enough, more than they wanted to really. But the feeling of emptiness after their deaths still carried on. Their legacies already speaking a thousand words. But everyone understood; understood that it was the end for them. And the ending they had was just what they wanted.

It didn’t make it hurt any less.

It wasn’t until months later that Tony found the crinkled up notebook page. Sorting through Steve and Bucky’s personal items, deciding what to display, what to donate, what to throw out. All he could do was smile at the mismatched handwriting on the page.

Save the world and get married to Bucky Save the world and get married to Steve

And that, they did.

#stucky #angst #stucky angst #writing prompt #life goal #major character death #my writing

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lokikingofasgardslover713 · 6 years

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Inktober Day: 10

Masterlist

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13

Thor Odinson x Plus!Size Reader Mermaid

Warnings: SMUT! ALL THE SMUT! And tender love & happy ending just for you @prettybubblesintheair! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!

Words: +3,000

The god of thunder was the one to take her purity, having followed the Viking ship he had stowed away on, posing as a mortal so that he could adventure with the Ostmen while on Midgard. Y/N staying close to watch the god, who hadn’t fooled her knowing who he & his four companions with him where before they left port to sail to Danelagh or England. The golden-haired god with the great hammer had captivated her, a young mermaid who had taken up residence in the port that they set sail from.

Though it seemed the god was just as young as her, no more than a few decades, but immortals, or gods as she so commonly was referred to aged slower. He had an innocence about him, full of life, cocky, Norns was he cocky, though so was she. The features that Y/N carried didn’t make her glimmer like an overpriced gold fish; silver shimmering iridescent scales on a tail that looked more like a strong sharks tail.

Another reason she chose to be alone, not able to stand the others who acted vain, but weak. But him, this Thor as she came to know him intrigued her. Keeping close eye on the ship, swimming close when it was just the god on deck, deciding on the voyage back to catch him alone on deck to speak with him.

Pulling up onto deck, briny water flowing off of thick mortal body in sheets but sure to keep quiet. Wobbly legs not accustom to walking taking quiet steps behind the young god, conjuring a while linen shift that followed a curvaceous body like water.

“I have kept my eye on you little shark,” the god began, turning to look over the large framed woman, unable to look away from the thin shift that accentuated thick hips & thighs, every bit of a healthy well-bred creature as he was.

“I was afraid I was going to have to jump into the water myself if you refused to come speak with me,” he smiled kindly, stepping closer but stopping to allow Y/N to decide how close she wanted him.

“A god posing as a mortal are you not,” Y/N spoke shyly to stop before him, looking over the furs & bits of armor he wore, daring to reach out to take the soft fur that draped over broad shoulders between soft fingers, wondering how it felt on bare flesh.

“I should say the same for you, but you pose as a shark,” he smiled down at her, blue orbs peering into Y/E/C ones sparkling with innocence.

The god reaching out to caress over soft cheek, surprised the woman leaned into it, but glad she did. Stepping back to pull the fur from his shoulders to lay it out for them, taking a seat & pulling her down to straddle his lap. He was dying for her to sit on his lap to just hold her, nothing more, thick female frame all he ever dreamed of, here it sat straddling his lap & looking down at him.

“What do they call you little shark,” he asked, hand reaching up to push Y/H/C hair behind her shoulder, smiling while Y/N reached out to let golden tresses fall through her own.

“Y/N,” she breathed, meeting his gaze.

“what do they call you, young warrior?”

“Thor,” he smiled, reaching up with free hand, placing both around the nape of soft neck to tug her down while her warms hands braced on a strong chest, allowing Thor to press their lips together, Y/N the one biting at the gods bottom lip to deepen the kiss, parting his lips so they could taste of each other.

“Eager little shark aren’t we,” Thor spoke breathlessly on her lips, allowing the mermaid to push him back onto the fur, perching on his chest to lock gazes with the god, soft hands moving to cup stubbled cheeks.

Once rough & calloused hands turning gentle as they ghosted down thin linen clothed side, stopping at thick hips to tug the long gown up to expose a willing cunt that was already teasing him through the deer skin pants. Both sharing a lovers smile, large hands going between them to tug the tightening pants open, but Y/N stopped him.

Soft yet strong hand leaving his face while the other stayed, reaching down into the offending clothing to pull him free, holding tightly around his girth, body shuttering with lust at the thoughts of the engorged cock inside of virgin hole.

The god looking up into lust blown eyes that he knew shared the same thoughts as him, what they both craved. Soft wet folds teasing the soft tip of willing manhood, twitching in her soft hand while calloused hands tugged at thick hips, but she was strong & didn’t budge. Thor was had, this little shark knew what she wanted & she would tease him to explosion till she was ready to have him as SHE sees fit.

“Please don’t tease dove,” he pleaded, raising slightly to capture her lips in a desperate kiss, tongues fighting for dominance before falling back to the fur, warm wet folds sinking slowly over him, bucking his own hips for more but she teased once again.

Though Y/N wasn’t teasing, it hurt, the burn of the stretch, still unsure why this felt right, but unclear as to why, no one explained this to her. Brow furrowed in confusion to why it hurt but was very pleasurable at the same time, bucking ample hips wanting to…to…

“Please dove, it's… you are…,” the gods voice pleaded, twitching in her hand, Y/E/C orbs meeting the ocean blue ones though blown with lust where filled with concentration at trying to hold it together, at that moment both knew.

“My first,” she finished for him, swallowing hard, leaning down for a kiss of tongue & teeth making the moment meaningful as she finally took him into her soft wet hole, whimpering into his mouth as he groaned into hers.

Falling on top of Thor, Y/N had to stop, had to wait, burning mixed with pleasure was to much, overstimulating her to the point she could barely breath. Cool arms snaking around a burning hot neck to hold still, though both gently rutting at each other, scorching arms wrapping slowly around thick torso to hold her flush, large hand finding it's way to the back of a Y/H/C haired head that rubbed a cheek into a chiseled chest.

Making the decision to set up, holding tight to Y/N so that he wouldn’t hurt her in anyway, he continued to hold her in his lap all his restraint focused on not spilling inside her till he felt her clutch at his over eager cock like he had herd of. Clothed breast rubbing against his own when she began to rut against him a little harder & making appoint to match her thrust.

Growing accustom to the burn, the aches, the overwhelming pleasure, Y/N sat up, keeping arms around the young warriors shoulders hot hands at the nape of his neck tugging at golden braids adorned with golden beads. Searing arms loosening moving to pull at the offending gown to shuck off, the mermaid ducking out of it. A moan of pleasure escaping her lips when a hand palmed one breast & the other went to pull her closer, lips enveloping the pert bud to suck it into his mouth making her buck harder, another loud whimpering moan escaping.

“Will you cum for me my little shark,” he spoke on her beast.

Lips tickling the soft flesh between them to place a gentle kiss before sucking at the flesh causing her to arch into him, rubbing swollen clit one last time, bowing over him, hands forcing their lips together to harshly. Both tasking blood but not caring as they fell from the rocky ledge into the precipice of oblivion, grunting, rutting & moaning.

Hot seed filing her womb, the mermaid swearing that she could get used to this, especially if it was the young warrior under her every time, rutting while she draped over his shoulders. Gently nuzzling into his neck as he pulled her with him to the soft fur to realize she was right, the fur really felt delectable on naked flesh.

Gently he laid the exhausted creature next to him, sliding out carefully, but the look of ecstasy hazed eyes told him that he was far from hurting her. Sure to tuck her close to keep both sweat drenched bodies warm in the cool night breeze. The tickle of it down his back making the god shiver with pleasure when he thought of how the sweat had gotten there.

It was, no not work, it was an act he would gladly repeat so long as his little shark was there to share it with him. Shaky calloused hand brushing away sweat matted hair to rub along soft cheek, thumb cherishing soft lips as he continued to look down at Y/N, her soft touch laying across his ribs to tug him closer.

“At first light you will reach port, then I will have to return to the water, but for now, Prince, lay with me,” Y/N breathed, welcoming the kiss he brought as he slid down close pulling her to his chest to lay her under his chin.

“You wouldn’t return with me to Asgard,” the god asked quietly, knowing the answer to the question the moment he spoke it.

“I have to stay here, but I promise you, as long as you say a prayer to me, I will return to you,” she reassured him, filling him shifting to dig into a pocket in his shirt, pulling out a beautiful chain on which danced a ruby pendant, the facets catching the star light.

“I was going to gift this to my mother, but,” he began gently, moving to place it around her neck, the young woman taking it in her fingers to marvel at it before gazing back at him with starry eyes that told him this was her first gift.

“She has plenty & I feel that it is more befitting of your beauty,” Thor smiled happily at her, tucking her back into his side, head falling to his arm, a strong leg wrapping around plump hips to tug her closer.

“Then, here,” Y/N spoke quietly, hand moving out to a golden bead that adorned one of the many strands if his shimmering locks.

Taking the bead gently between her fingers, on that glittered with red stones, Y/N rubbed a thumb over them, turning them to shimmering blue. The jewels taking on a life of their own looking as if they flowed & swirled with water. Holding it for him to see & smiling at the look of excitement he gave her, reaching out to her pendant, rubbing over the stone.

“Maybe I can do the same,” he smirked, the ruby taking on its own glow, a trick he had been practicing & wondering when it would come in handy.

“Pray to me when you want & I will respond, I promise dove,” he breathed, shifting closer to press their foreheads together eyes heavy, the rocking of the ship helping to lull them into a wakeful sleep, excited for what the centuries would provide them with.

It had been 2 years since he had prayed to her, the only reason for the god to come to Midgard before all the deviation was to visit her, like clockwork. The two spending the night to their selves, till morning came, when they would have to part ways. Centuries spent in each other’s arms that only lasted for a few hours at a time only to return within a year, always curious to which would pray first.

Y/N knew why the god had been absent those years, she understood, these mortals needed protecting, Norns knew they could barley do anything to help themselves that didn’t bring about the end of the world, having to deal with the same idiots herself, at Namor’ prompting.

Hearing the prayer at sunrise, Y/N stepped out of the salty water, stepping delicately on the rocky shore, this time her flowing gown was conjured in HIS colors, something that she felt he would enjoy. Taking her time to step closer to the god that sat on one of the rocks that dotted the shore, watching him look off at the sunrise, Y/N puzzling why he called to her now instead of this evening.

“It's quite early still lover,” her sweet voice drifted across the beach, stopping as he turned to notice the shorter hair, the mismatched eye & the scar that ran over the green one, heart stopping in her chest, but made her step forward quickly, the god standing to catch her in his arms & hold her close.

“Thor,” Y/N breathed, voice cracking.

Reaching up to touch the scared flesh, looking him over more closely for anything she may have missed, searching his face over noting the look of a battle weary warrior. The once joyous eyes looking her over to do the same, noting that the wars had done the same to her, a scar running from under her right ear to cross between her clavicle, the pale skin making him worry & guts to twist. The last gift he had given her gone.

“I'm OK Y/N, I'm sorry I was gone for so long,” he apologized, pulling her close to place a passionate kiss on her lips, pulling away to allow her to speak.

“Let us spend the entire day & evening together,” Y/N breathed across his lips, filling him shift & having an idea what he was doing,.

Pulling out a golden chain, Thor let the pendant dangle before her nose, the bead that once adoring his hair, the jewels dancing & flowing as she had charmed them. Moving forward to place it around soft neck, while Y/N pulled her hair out of the way to allow him to fasten it. Taking a step back, the two looking at the sparking bead before meeting each other’s gaze.

“The chain is made of vibranium, so this one shouldn’t break,” he smiled at her, hinting to how she explained to him decades ago the disappearance of the first one he had gifted her with, but puzzling at the sly smirk she now shot him.

“I believe that I have a confession to make,” Y/N began quietly, heart racing at the words she was about to speak, Y/E/C orbs sparkling as she looked up into the stormy gaze of the god.

“Tell me, I want be upset if there is another,” he breathed out in heart break, knowing that he had left her alone for too long this time.

“3 actually, would you like to meet them,” Y/N asked, catching him off guard at the statement, his gaze dropping but letting go so that Y/N could go fetch them, looking down at her excited face troubled but giving a pained smile.

“Sure dove,” he lamented, Y/N turning to the shore, but not leaving his side.

Following her gaze, the heart broken god looked out to the water to watch 3 figures emerge, hard to tell what they looked like due to the rising sun. One Y/N’ height, another looked to be taller & the third was being carried on the tallest’ hip, clothes resembling Y/N’ in color.

Wait, this wasn’t lovers, Thor realized, looking down at Y/N who was watching the three an excited smile on her face. The one that rested on the tallest hip reaching out to Y/N, a little blond hair boy that looked to be 2, blue eyes twinkling with the morning light. Instantly looking back to the others, a tall young man with Y/H/C hair that reached his shoulders, dazzling blue eyes that looked the god over closely. The other a young woman who sported long flowing golden hair that matched his with sparking Y/E/C eyes, all three a perfect mix of the two.

“These are,” Thor began, realizing that each child wore the necklace he had gifted her with, the ones that she claimed where lost.

The daughter with the ruby, the son with the golden axe pendant & the little boy reaching for him wearing the hammer pendant he had last gifted her with. Happily taking the boy in his arms at a loss for words as he looked them all over.

“Why did you… how long,” Thor asked, not sure whether to be mad or happy, thunder sounding in the distance.

“I'm sorry lover, please believe it was to protect us all, if it was found out….,” Y/N apologized, hinting to the girl to come forward.

“It's ok,” Thor breathed, pulling Y/N tightly to him & reaching out to the other two who came close to share in the moment.

“This is Tora, she is your first born, she is a century old,” Y/N introduced the young woman, who smiled happily at Thor.

“This is your middle son, Bjorn, he is 54” she spoke the young man coming to stand & look his father over.

“And this little sprite is Frey, he’s only 2 but a handful,” Y/N explained the little boy giggling as she tickled his side.

“They are yours, I knew that it would better…. Forgive me lover… I didn’t mean to upset you. I will return with you this time,” the mermaid lamented, pulling close to the young warrior she had fallen in love with all those centuries ago, it seemed so much so that she bore his brood.

“Thank the Norns,” he breathed out a sigh of relief, looking down into Y/E/C orbs that sparkled with stars from their first night together, leaning down for a gentle kiss, while still holding to their children.

A smooth hand reaching up into shot locks to tug him down into a passionate kiss, allowing Y/N to push her tongue in like their first night together, letting her dominate the kiss so that he could have the taste of her on his tongue, a craving he had kept the entire time he was away & not about to break the long awaited kiss.

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disruptedvice · 6 years

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Healing (thorkyrie fic)

Summary: “There’s more to healing than what’s just physically necessary,” Val replied calmly, choosing to focus on treating and bandaging hand injuries rather than the weight behind her words. It’s a process, she thought, but didn’t say. She had a feeling he already knew.

++If you've got any touch starved Thorkyrie headcannons or are a fan of hand whump, this fic is for you

AO3 link

________

Healing ________

She didn't know what to do. Between the two of them, Brunnhilde was the emotional wreck. Thor was always so… put together. He was the one who had healthy coping skills (basically anything other than alcohol and straight up denial).

She thought he was doing okay. But after that outburst from earlier… he very clearly was not.

He had always been the emotionally stable one, and she had been the one who stormed off when things got too touchy. She supposed it could have been worse. He could've caused an actual storm.

Something she’d been told had happened on numerous occasions when he was younger and had less control over his powers. Causing turbulent storms that reflected the inner turmoil he was in.

He always seemed so put together. But she could clearly see he was breaking right now.

She didn't know what to do. ________

She knew she needed to do something. And she hated that it was all left to her. But everyone else seemed too afraid to approach the god of thunder for fear of him lashing out when he was in crisis and mourning.

The whole hall leading to his bedroom door that had been slammed shut was cleared out, almost as if he really was attracting rain clouds that people had enough sense to move far away from. So they wouldn't get caught up in the storm.

Brunnhilde knew if she didn’t do it then no one else would. And she hated that it was all left to her. Didn’t they know that she had spent the last several centuries avoiding feelings of any kind? She wasn’t equipped to handle this kind of problem. He needed someone who was good at comforting, not someone who spent most of their life trying to numb the pain with alcohol and failing miserably at that. She was the worst person to talk to him right now. But apparently something about being a king and a god of thunder made him seem a little unapproachable to people better suited to talking than she (literally anyone was better suited). If she didn’t do it no one else would.

So yes, that was what found her pacing up and down the deserted hall outside his bedroom, still coming up with absolutely nothing for a plan- coming up empty. She couldn’t do this. She had to. She knew she had to.

Not out of some sense of duty as a valkyrie to the king of Asgard. But as… comrades, and- and friends. He had helped her get out of the lowest rut she’d been stuck in for so long- she was only out of that right now because of him. Don’t get her wrong, she was still plenty low. But not as low as she had been, as she used to be.

She was at the highest point she could remember being for far too long, all thanks to him. And he helped her stay at this point, even on days where she felt like sinking deeper than she’d ever been before.

Thor helped her stay afloat.

The least she could do was return the favor. Or at least try. However shitty it ended up being, she could at least try to repay him. ________

“Your majesty?” She called out, knocking on the door.

No answer.

She took a deep breath, pretty much just psyching herself out, and pushed it open. ________

Thor was sitting on the edge of his bed, hunched over and just hanging his head as he stared blankly at the floor.

She could see his shoulders move with every breath he took, and each one looked like it was a defeat.

Her eyes were drawn to a small pool of blood on the floor, collected right below his hand that was still covered in blood, the one that he cut when his grip broke the glass he was holding in front of everyone before storming off. All the blood had probably dried by now. She felt a tug of guilt, knowing that while she was outside pacing and panicking, he was in here, watching his blood drip to the floor.

Valkyrie eased the door shut behind her. He was aware of her presence, but he didn’t look up, or even acknowledge her. She knew why. She didn’t mind.

Without a word she went to the cabinet that she knew should hold several emergency supplies and pulled out the med kit.

She was quiet as she walked over to him, and silent as she laid the med kit on the bed beside him and popped it open. She just sat on the ground next to his knee (on the other side of the dried blood pool), knowing it would be more comfortable for her to be seated on the floor for this.

“I’m going to take care of your hand,” she informed him quietly, before touching him.

Thor didn’t respond or even acknowledge her statement.

But when she took hold of his wrist so very gently, and pulled his injured hand closer to her, he didn’t fight her on it. He didn’t seem to have any fight left in him.

If Brunnhilde was intent on dressing his wound, he’d let her. He didn’t have any will to do anything else but go along with it. More than anything, the expression on his face was numb.

She tore open one of the wet cloths, taking hold of his hand, and gently wiped away the dried blood on his skin. She was soft and thorough, careful not to press too hard as she cleaned the red stains from his hand with the utmost care. Almost like when she polished the dragonfang.

She was so concentrated.

He looked at her for the first time since she came in, watched as she diligently scrubbed the blood away, her eyes focused on her work.

Neither of them say anything. It was a heavy silence that spoke volumes.

Then Brunnhilde grabbed a bottle from the kit and poured liquid over his cut.

“Ah, damn, that stings,” Thor hissed, immediately trying to pull his hand away out of pure reflex, but she had a firmer hold on him than he expected. She kept his hand there.

“What is that?”

“Disinfectant,” Valkyrie answered noncommittally. And he was just dumbfounded.

“Oh come on! You know that wasn’t going to get infected!” He whined like a child, and she was secretly glad to see his expression more animated again. Because come on, they were Asgardian. He’d never so much as got an infection from a rusted sword covered in stranger’s blood, much less shards of glass from a half full flagon on ale. “This’ll be healed by tomorrow morning, and that was just completely physically unnecessary. Are you just trying to hurt me? You didn’t have to pour sting-y stuff all over my wounds,” he pouted and tried to glower at her, but he wasn’t very good at it.

“There’s more to healing than what’s just physically necessary,” Val replied calmly, and the weight behind her words shut him up.

It’s a process, she thought, but didn’t say. She had a feeling he already knew. ________

It was something he’d noticed before. That Brunnhilde seemed more capable giving touch, and more comfortable receiving touch, when it was to treat battle wounds. It’s not a reaction he’s unfamiliar with. Every touch being treated as a hostile threat.

Thor himself had been lucky enough to not have experiences that lead to that reaction becoming his own, but he had seen it in many others. In many friends.

The only time Brunnhilde didn’t react violently or at least threateningly to someone touching her was when her battle wounds were being treated, and she was most liberal with her touches when treating others injuries. He thought that maybe it was an instinct left over from her valkyrie days.

That battle then comrades touch equals safety, when daily routine then friend’s touch equals danger.

He’s pretty sure she’s keenly aware of it herself. That it’s the reason she barges in and disinfects and wraps minor cuts that will be completely healed in 24 hours.

He’s not enough to presume she’s touch starved, but he imagines the Brunnhilde who was used to people touching her without baring harm must seem to her like another person who lived lifetimes ago.

And, as she started to wrap his hand in clean cut cloth, he was secretly glad she was touching him too. He found himself savoring these moments every time they came. Brunnhilde was now more free with her smiles, and her laughter, but her touch was still something she reserved. And he found himself craving it more and more.

He wasn’t enough of an idiot to purposely get hurt in battle just so moments like these could happen more often, but he would be lying if he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind that maybe being a little more reckless wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Of course he would never do it. Like he said, he wasn’t that much of an idiot. But he was lovesick enough of a fool to consider it.

Clearly of the two, he seemed to be the touch starved one. Or really, more like Brunnhilde starved.

And he found himself savoring every moment of these interactions when they came to pass. ________

He thought there might be something there for her too. But even if there was, it’s obviously not something she’s ready to pursue.

She’d just started opening up to him (only when she was drunk) and was still in mourning of her partner whose death she had spent centuries trying to block out. Only for the wound to remain fresh now that it’s been reopened 2,000 or so years later.

Val said it was nice to talk about her, to say her name out loud again, even if she had to get sufficiently wasted before she could even begin to speak on such painful memories.

And Thor listened. He smiled at the bittersweet memories, he laughed at the funny stories she still had of her friends, and he was there to have a pain fill his chest and a thickness in his throat when she described all the misery that haunted her.

He always wanted to take her hand, tell her she was the strongest person he had ever met at those times. But he didn’t. He stayed in silence. And listened. Because it was her time to talk. ________

Brunnhilde took her time wrapping the cloth around his hand, often abandoning it like she had forgotten what she had been in the middle of doing before returning to the task, maybe making it stretch on forever.

“Damn it, I’m no good at this,” she cursed in what seemed to be frustration. Even though her wrapping skills were excellent, her fingers were still digging into the roll of cloth in her hand like she was angry at herself for failing something.

“You’re doing fine,” Thor reassured her, turning his hand slightly, looking over the job so far. “This is great.”

“No, not that,” she sighed, hanging her head in defeat. “I’m supposed to be… helping. I’m not good at this whole not selfish thing. Or talking. Or- or feelings, and emotions and all that crap. You’re supposed to be talking to someone who’s good at talking, so you can actually feel better, and instead you’re stuck with me, and I’m shit at this. I’m not helping. I don’t know how to do this right. I don’t know how to do this at all. I’m sorry.” The words spill strangled out of her throat, and she couldn’t do anything about it. If regret were an ocean, she’d be drowning in it right about now. Her stomach was twisted into knots, and she realized she’d give just about anything to know how to do this right. Instead of her stomach being filled with lead that’s threatening to pull her under, sink or swim.

“This has helped more than you know,” he told her gently, meaning every word of it.

“Really?” Val looked up at him, her eyes far more vulnerable and filled with emotion than he had expected.

Thor gave her a soft smile, nodding his head. She looked relieved for a moment, truly and utterly relieved, before she had the sense to feel embarrassed, suddenly dipping her head down and studying his hand in an attempt to hide her face.

“Good,” she said gruffly, sounding like she was trying to remain all professional.

And he couldn’t help himself. Thor laughed.

At first he was worried that maybe she was going to kill him, but then he saw some weight leave her shoulders, and noticed the spark in her eye betraying her amusement. Something lifted from her that had been so heavy before. Some weight left her after hearing him laugh. And that thought has butterflies storming in his stomach all over again. ________

He had a sneaking suspicion that the reason she’s left his hand half unwrapped is to give her an excuse to keep holding his hand. He wasn’t inclined to comment on it, fearing that she would finish her now forgotten job if mentioned.

“Is it- it’s the deaths of those you cared about weighing on you lately, isn’t it?” Valkyrie tried to ask the question with care, but ended up flinching at how crumbled and awkward it came out.

Thor sighed, closing his eyes, exhaling like it could all leave him in a single breath, giving up and giving in.

“I’m not handling it well,” he admitted, staring at his half bandaged hand that was cradled between hers.

“I spent centuries black out drunk and selling stragglers as slaves to the grandmaster for the contest, so surely you deserve some of the same latitude,” she offered with a self deprecating smile.

Thor chuckled at that, shaking his head. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he stopped himself before any words came out, biting his lip instead. She noticed his hesitation.

“What?” She prompted, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. He closed his eyes, lets the motion soothe him for a moment.

“I don’t… I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Any of this,” Thor chuckled weakly, an edge of desperation and hysteria creeping into his voice. It was ridiculous he ever thought he’d be able to do this. How could he? It really was laughable. Or pathetic. “I don’t know how to… how to keep going. You are the best survivor I know, and I have no clue how you do it. I don’t… I don’t know how to survive, how to keep going, make sure everyone else keeps going too. I don’t know how I’m supposed to lead when I’ve never been so lost myself,” he said, the words just pouring out of him. Everything that’s been keeping him up at night, the thoughts that he tried to convince himself were on lockdown, when really they were just building up inside his head.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep everything going some days,” he said with a forced huff of a laugh that sounded just as strained as his voice. “We’re just wandering now, no end in sight, and people keep looking to me for the next step to take, and I don’t know how to tell them that I have no clue what the hell I’m doing. We’re just a ship of wandering refugees, and I don’t know how to keep all these people alive. Keep them safe. How am I supposed to make sure these people survive when I am this close to falling off the edge myself?” He asked, holding up his fingers a centimeter apart, to show just how precariously close he is to falling.

“I just… don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I don’t know what to do. I’d give anything to just be able to stop and be still for a moment, but we keep going, because we have to, we have to keep going on to nowhere, and I don’t know how. And I always feel so lost.”

Brunnhilde didn’t have an immediate response for that- instead remaining silent since she had no clue what to say. The anguish written on his face was more than she could handle. She wished she knew what to say, and could give him words of comfort, but she didn’t exactly have a clue of what she’s doing either.

“You are not alone,” she finally settled on when she was brave enough to speak. Her voice was gravely serious, and Thor lifted his head to look at her, while her eyes fixated on his hand in hers. “You are not alone. That is the worst thing about surviving. Doing it alone. Instead of moving, you become stuck in one place. Until someone comes to drag you out of it, gives you a chance to move forward again,” her frown pulled, twisting at the words that she knew were far too accurate when it came to him and her.

“But you will never be stuck,” she told him with a renewed conviction. “Because you are surrounded by people, your people, who won’t let you face this alone. Even though you don’t know where you’re going, you’re at least moving forward. And that is… really something. It really is. Much more than you give yourself credit for. Maintaining that forward motion is not something most would be able to accomplish. I didn’t. And I didn’t have anyone behind me that I was pulling along too. All these people, they would be stopped and stuck if not for you carrying them forward. I can’t even imagine how hard a burden that must be to bear. I don’t know how you keep going, but every day I am amazed that you do. And that you keep smiling. I am sincerely grateful for that,” she confessed, because honestly, his goofy smiles after saying something ridiculous or tripping over himself were the best part of most of her days. “And I’d just like to remind you that while you may feel lost right now, you are not lost alone. We are lost with you. I am lost with you,” Brunnhilde said, swallowing the painful lump in her throat. “There are worse fates to suffer. Being stuck and alone is not something I would wish on anyone. So we keep walking. And if you stumble, and fall off the edge, someone will be there to catch you and drag you back up to your feet again. You are not alone, Thor. You’re not alone.”

When she finished speaking, she slowly started to wrap his hand again, or, at least finish what she had left unwrapped. It didn’t take long. She had dragged out the task of dressing the wounds on his hand to over half an hour. It took her less than a minute til she was done when she was truly trying to finish. She cut the cloth from the spool once his hand was sufficiently bandaged, slipping the end under part of the wrap and tucking it in to secure it.

“Brunnhilde,” he murmured, not sure what else to say other than that. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure he remembered anything other than her name in that moment.

She clenched her jaw as she stared at the floor, every inch of her tense, and eyes steely like she was warring with herself at something in her mind. Then the battle came to an end it seemed, a resolve in her expression that wasn’t there before.

Still staring at the ground a few feet away from them she took his hand, brought it to her lips, and placed a soft kiss over the dressing she’d just finished.

“Good night, your majesty,” she said before getting up and walking away, without ever looking back at him.

He watched her leave his room, watched the door shut behind her. He didn’t try to stop her. He wasn’t certain if he could even breathe after that.

Oh yeah, he’s definitely one lovesick fool.

#thorkyrie #thor ragnarok fanfiction #valkyrie/thor #thor x valkyrie #thorkyrie fic #valor fanfic #soft feelings #Brunnhilde #hurt/comfort #MCU fanfiction #Thor fic #my fic

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the-firebird69 · 2 years

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We need help with us we need people to donate their time and we need battle groups full battle groups here in Florida and we need you to dedicate some to hear I know there are people that hate this group here a lot and I want you to ask them to volunteer for full-time service and I want to see who's doing it and who's not there's a problem this guy is dangerous it's running around getting the world to be chaotic and me and my husband and Thor and Freya saved everybody with this crazy idea once the people takes crazy of taking over businesses which we had planned to do the entire time for thousands of years we have all sorts of ins and out and tricks and my husband has to do it all and hasn't done this type of work for a while and he doesn't have as much experience and he needs people to pull their weight and Bitol and Goddess Wife are but my husband says you feel guilty about it a little and that's great that's terrific we have a find and it wasn't getting done because I was saying it's an illusion we're playing a game it's probably my fault but I had to break it by yelling and screaming with these people for 10 years it's way too much but really you're feeling a little bit like you missed it a little guilty a little and mb like a lot in a certain area. So I'm pencil it down my Father says and Mother and what does it look like it looks like we messed up a little and that's what we're doing we're going to send it out and say I felt guilty when he said to pull your own weight here in Florida when he's well again everyone and they're not even here so I'm going to send it out like that give me the video of me sing the way I do because it hit me like a ton of bricks and you thought it was great so there it is this is this is how we get along and how we learn and how we do things with truths and helping each other it's a great night do you have some rest you too we're on it

Bitol and Goddess Wife

I did the study to several months ago in a year ago and it's healthy to do occasionally NFL guilty here and there and he said get over it you're doing so much work and tons of it is the best and you feel guilty but it's an area you know it we're in deficit and I have it recorded what he said and I can play it cuz it sounds just like what you said now but differently to you so I know what to do I'm going to have my people meet with me this is finally take me to just a brother just kidding but I know what it means I'm going through this together with fighting in the trench and just using the same ammo the same rifles you're not really leaving this is very important something to put some shops in in stores now ask

Bitol and Goddess Wife.

We saw a b j a hit shot right after he almost ran over our son and Ken he said does that feel good that you feel like you want to run anyone down he said this I can't stand it it was doing it I said you probably shouldn't threaten everyone to try and do stuff to them these people are also killers singles like this I've had enough of your stuff and enough of your stuff you say that to everyone and he got beat up goes outside and then I'll punch you in the store cuz it wouldn't leave me alone you threatening them I said not one of those people is going to listen to you in any way you just went in your get got beat up we can win who's so he comes back in and he started getting his ass handed to him and they knocked him out and said he was going to call the police cuz you won't leave so please go and I don't know what you're doing they came and they arrested him and he's still on the damn bus and intercepted his grandsons Louis put on trial for shooting him. So we don't know how he got out so fast we find out that he was learning how to use Venom no he's a fool this dies when he does it he can't even leave the fruit I heard and so some people can eat it and survive still looking his lips go numb but he's fine so he get out because his peeble came in. You firing from his post this week I can't stand him anymore you look beetles services scream out run stuff how to put a proof of theorem together cannibalism in policing testing some areas to totally free of him and it was different

Thor Freya

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forgottenghosty · 6 years

Text

The Loki is Hidden as Bruce/Hulk Theory Pros and Cons:

I read the theory: {x} and will cover points made there and maybe not mentioned or missed.

First how it could work and be true? Well here are some things that give me thought to why this theory has some ground:

During the whole time Loki is in play for the movie things are strange. Either no one touches him at all or he only touches or lets being touched by two people. Thor and Thanos.

During the opening scene NO ONE is touching him at all. Not even to secure him.

The first time anyone touches him is when he tackles Thor to save him from Thanos.

After that he disappears for a period of time to show up again only to be grabbed by Thanos when he tries to stab him.

We know too well the times that Loki has been a clone that if someone touches it, it will disappear, or if someone gets too close they figure out that something is off about him. We have seen in every movie Loki has been in how his Clones appear.

Thor: Loki tricks a Frost Giant with a Clone. Then at the end of the movie he surrounds Thor with Clones.

Avengers: He surrounds the people trying to escape in Germany with Clones. Though it is known during this his clones wavered. Most likely cause he was in a weaker state.

Later he tricks Thor using a Clone to get him into the Hulk Cage to drop it.

Thor 2: He uses a Clone and Illusion to hide the mess of himself and his room after his Mother’s death.

Thor 3: He appears to Thor as a Clone in the Arena waiting hold where Thor then proceeds to throw rocks at him. Twice later Thor throws something at Loki to make sure he is real. Once chained in Valkyrie’s Room and then again when Loki appears in his room with a Bottle Top.

What all the clones have in common so far is that fact that they all get disrupted or disappear upon on contact from object or person. This is a good reason why Loki wouldn’t want anyone touching him if he maybe using a clone. The only times anyone can touch him and not destroy anything is his Illusions. Loki has shown he is a master of Illusion starting with Thor 2 when he turned into Captain America and also turned Thor into Sif. He would then turn into Odin at the end of the movie and use it into Thor 3 where he only then removes the illusion when threatened by Thor. Other times he has used an illusion have been seen through all the movies as he is actually Blue due to being Jotun. This never changes unless he uses something like the Casket. We have yet to really see him do it by his own means.

He also has used his illusions to make his room look untouched after his tantrum, to look dead, to look like a soldier of Asgard and to fool Maliketh by making it look like he had cut Thor’s hand off. So it is not too far fetched that Loki could use a Clone to change his locations while facing off Thanos and the others. An illusion placed on an already dead body as well. But how could a dead body work? They can’t walk on their own. True, but we have seen how both Thor and Loki have a skill to call things. Thor can call his hammer, but Loki can do that with many things. He can move things as well. This is shown many times when he has called his knives as well as when he was upset over Frigga’s death and blasted his room with energy, moving everything in it. So with a bit of concentration he could use a dead body and move it where he wanted. Thor never touches him during the second time Loki appears, nor does anyone else until Thanos grabs him, which he is wearing the gauntlet and won’t be able to tell he is holding a dead body and when Loki is dead, that is when Thor touches him again. Which since he is dead, you can’t tell the body was already dead before hand.

If he is using the Tesseract and never gave Thanos the real one, then his power would be increased and he would be able to do what he needs to do.

Which brings up the Tesseract, Loki is holding it and offering it to Thanos before he mentions Hulk and Hulk attacks. When he dives to push Thor out of the way, he drops it. A man with a plan doesn’t just drop something like that unless he means for the other side to get it, which only makes me think all the more it is a fake.

Now Hulk never does attack until Loki says, “We have a Hulk.” I find that odd after when in Thor 3 he was all over trying to smash all the monsters and Thor had to yell at him to stop.

That brings up how is it that Hulk could lose so quickly to Thanos. He’s taken down larger and harder hitting creatures then him. He took down a flying whale in Avengers!

Even the mortals are kicking Thanos around better then he was. But seems rather close to how Loki would get thrown about if he was the one attacking Thanos instead.

Loki has so many times to do something it’s crazy. After Thor is tackled, Loki disappears for a fair amount of time and then only appears again after Thor is gagged. Only then does Loki appear again. Now something I noticed at the end of Thor 3 you can actually see Loki has parked the Grandmasters ship on top of ship full of Asgardians. I don’t see it again as the ship is attacked in Infinity War. It could be possible that it was used to evacuate as many people as possible be there other ships to use or not to escape as well is unknown. The real Hulk/Bruce could be on there with Valkyrie, Korg, and Mike.

What many also think is strange is that Heimdall sends Hulk to earth and not Thor. Why save the mortal and not Thor?

I can only think is that Heimdall “See’s All”. As in Thor 3, he tells Loki, “I saw you coming.” Which we know from the first Thor movie Loki is visible to Heimdall only when he wants to be. He can make himself hidden when he is healthy and able.

Now once Hulk/Bruce get’s to earth is when it’s weird for him. We know that Hulk and Bruce don’t share the same memories, unless they wish too or someone tells them it seems more often then not. All of Thor 3 Bruce has no idea what has been going on with him and Hulk. He still is two years in the past. So when he gets to earth and lands in Strange’s staircase, he’s not fully Hulk anymore, and awake. When he left the ship, he was knocked out and Hulk, but first words out of his mouth are “THANOS IS COMING.” Now it’s possible he over heard that name, but he was Hulk since Asgard, at least that is what we know of. Bruce wouldn’t know about Thanos or his name.

Once Strange gets involved I thought it looked a little awkward when Bruce and Tony hugged upon meeting. As for the stones he does learn about them from Strange, but accepts it all quickly and doesn’t question things like Tony starts too, nope he goes straight to let’s get the rest of the Avengers right this moment. Find all the stones and get a move on stopping Thanos. I found it a bit strange that when Tony mentions that the Avengers Broke Up Bruce says, “Like the Beatles?” Very too British comment for me to let go not to be a bit Lokish. Another big thing that had me going, wait what, was the fact Bruce knows that Thanos sent Loki as the one to attack New York years ago. No one has ever, ever pointed it out in the movies. Loki hasn’t even said a word about it on screen or to others about since Avengers. He could have saved his ass before Thor 2 if he had said something, but no. Suddenly Bruce knows this and he’s been Hulk until this point. HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS BRUCE?! HOW DO YOU KNOW!? At no point have we even seen Loki tell Thor, Odin, Frigga, anyone. It’s always been kept from the Avengers and the rest of the Realms. Only the Audience has had this knowledge since we say everything. But Bruce is many times more of a thinker and finding a more civil way then just fighting it seems in the past, but suddenly is gun hoe to attack, but doesn’t once actually jump in as Hulk or try to be until Tony looks to him to do so when New York is under attack.

This is when we start to see Bruce can’t turn into the Hulk and Hulk is refusing to come out. Now first thinking it over once seeing the movie I thought Hulk was butt hurt about being beat up by Thanos or actually scared for once in his life, this has been taken by the Russo Brother’s as odd as they didn’t write it like that. I take that as a hint something is up with Hulk that they can’t say until we see the next Avengers movie.

But as I was saying, Bruce is just standing around and watching the others interact and talk about fighting and not trying to Hulk out. He has to be spurred to try. Bruce isn’t a watcher, he would try to do something I’m very sure. He is also more sassy snarky in my opinion then usual. It made sense in Thor 3 being on a different planet and freaking out, but on earth he’s not stressing out, he’s just being sassy. He’s Bantering with Hulk, he’s putting up his fists like he’s going to fight, kicks at chopped off hand and sasses with an ew. He get’s surprised by Strange’s portal and almost crushed by half of a car and then has a tree land on him after he makes sure Tony is alright.

So in the end he is being baby sat by Wong and questioning how Tony has gotten a new suit that can do more super stuff. Wouldn’t he have picked up on it being nano since he has 7 PHDs and him and Tony are Science bros?

He doesn’t freak out over portals also. He seems oddly comfortable using them. As a scientist I would have thought he’d be saying something about that. Asking how it works, etc.

He is bent on just getting the Avengers together. Urging Tony to call Steven. Getting Tony and Strange back on track when they start fighting. When Tony is taken to space he calmly asks what Wong is up to and then says himself he’s going to make a call. Uses the flip phone Tony dropped and gets ahold of Steve. Warns them about Vision and Wanda before they get back together with Rhodey. When he meets the other Avengers again, he is off, understandable, but at the same time he doesn’t appear to make any effort to make up to Nat. Like he doesn’t even know there was a relationship there, which if it is Loki he wouldn’t. After that he is still the one keeping people on track and informing them about the stones and Thanos since Strange is now gone. He knows Vision is next and gets them moving. When they show up in Wakanda to work on Vision, he doesn’t seem so knowledgable on his science work on how Tony and himself put Vision together. When Shuri asks why he didn’t do things a certain way, he’s only answer is we didn’t think of. At times he appears very much into delaying the destruction of the Mind Gem, which could be either taken as Bruce caring Vision is alive, or that he is doing this so Thanos does get the stone and activates the gauntlet with the fake tesseract gem and breaks it once Thanos has them all. Which Strange could have seen and why he gave up the Time gem.

Since he can’t Hulk out he uses the Hulk Busting Suit, makes sense either way as one unable to Hulk out or keeping ones cover. Bruce is also is the first one to mention that the Hoards of enemies are going to get to Vision if they kept up and circled around. He isn’t the best at using the Hulk Busting suit and does get overwhelmed by the enemy until Thor appears and saves him. Which he then laughs happily and screams, “You’re So Screwed Now.” That again is something Hulk would know, but not Bruce. He doesn’t know about Thor’s lightening. Only Hulk did. Loki would have this sort of reaction though since he was all grins and very proud of his brothers new powers.

Bruce is the first one to see Thanos arrive, points him out to the team without ever seeing him as Bruce. Hulk had only seen Thanos in person.

Which when he tries to attack Thanos he gets phased into a rock wall, which some how at the end of the movie he gets out of in the suit and looks no worse for wear. How did he get free? Which the movie ends with everyone in mourning over the loss of those who have just disappeared. So there isn’t a moment before that that it can be proved or disproved Bruce is not Loki.

Now the ways that it couldn’t be Loki:

Hulk disappears and then Loki dies. How would he get to earth during that and do his trick back on the ship?

He very appears to actually care about Vision as a person, though when first mentioning Vision he calls him a Super Bot which is very Loki like, though later he calls him a person and offers the idea of separating the stone and vision. Either he did this meaning to do so, or he was trying to make something up or get them out of a high populated area.

He can’t even science alone. He needs help. Bruce is very smart and could have started something on his own.

Does mention Vision is part of him, Tony and Jarvis. Which is true that they all worked on Vision, but Tony and Jarvis were a bigger part of it, Bruce was reluctant and the mind gem was used by Loki.

The fact he knows Vision exists. Though this could be explained for Loki as he was pretending to be Odin and would know what is going on and can use Heimdall to know this stuff too. He even sent Sif to Earth to help out.

They both could figure out the Hulk Busting Suit over time, though knew the repulsers right off the bat.

Not really into flying around, but running and using hand to hand combat more.

Only flew when Vision needed help.

Tries hard to protect Vision, but at the same time gets distracted.

Though he is overwhelmed the second time, he does end up killing the enemy all on his own, even saying “It won’t be like New York. This Suit has already kicked the crap out of the Hulk.” This could be very Bruce, but also Loki at least for the fact of the New York Comment. He won’t be used this time and will help kick their asses.

Has a fairly long banter about Hulk and calling him an asshole and working things out, but this too could either way.

Another interesting thing was how he acted to the knowledge of T’Challa as a King. This could go either way with Bruce or Loki not sure of the custom if he should bow or not.

If Loki has been in on everything and did hint to Thor to go get his hammer, he knew it would be strong enough to take on the Gauntlet and the fake gem would destroy it upon him using it.

There is so many other ways it could go pro or con on the theory, but I’ve already typed so much and this took me more then a day to do lol. So I’m going to leave it at this and let you all decide if it’s possible until we all see how it ends.

#spoiler #spoilers #infinity war #avengers infinity war #avengers 3 #hulk #bruce #loki #fan theories #theory

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woozletania · 6 years

Text

There’s a raccoon in my tower, part 8 (end)

There were new rules. Rocket didn't like them much.

It was Thor who fetched the beer after the little group broke into Rocket's lab and talked him down. Nebula didn't drink, Tony was a teetotaler, and Pepper just sipped as the god and the raccoon got drunk together. They both had a lot of sorrow to drown.

Thor recovered first, and while Rocket was still woozy they hashed out the rules. They were as follows:

Rule One: Rocket had to drop the damping fields and let Friday into the lab. This was to enforce Rules Two Through Six.

Rule Two: No more planet killers. If he needed to build something that destructive he could wait until the new labs in the asteroid belt and Lagrangian points were operational. If he wanted that done faster he was welcome to help.

Rule Three. He would budget no less than six hours a day for sleep. He could split it up into naps or one long doze but six hours was a minimum.

Rule Four: No more recycled food. He would eat no less than two meals provided by the staff a day and at least one had to be outside the lab.

Rule Five: He had to shower no less often than once a week. Were he human it would be once a day, but he didn't sweat. He still got dirty and smelly, but a shower a week about covered that.

Rule Six: Not counting mealtimes, Rocket had to come out of the lab for at least one uninterrupted hour per day. He could do what he wanted, but it couldn't be in the lab. Joint work with others during this time was allowed.

Rocket griped about wasting time he could better spend working, but even he knew his current work habits weren't healthy and he soon knuckled under.

After much grumbling he agreed that his first venture outside the lab in three months would be to attend a lunch and meeting with Tony, Bruce, a few other tech savants and (via telepresence) Shuri to discuss improving Earth's space defenses.

It was a strange meeting. At first Rocket just ate like a famished animal and ignored everyone, but his ears pricked up as projections and diagrams displayed the work in progress. The very first thing he said was blunt and surprisingly helpful.

"No," he growled as the orbit plots for the yet-to-be-constructed orbital defense platforms were displayed. "Three in a rosette is not enough. You need two low orbit and three high orbit just in case anyone gets past the outer forts. Otherwise you may end up firing at your own planet." He snatched the remote from Tony and quickly sketched out an orbit plot for the two groups of satellites.

Shuri blinked curiously from her holo. "Oh! That is good. But isn't there still a moving window in the orbit where someone could sit in a blind spot?"

" 'Course there is," Rocket snapped. He mellowed as he spoke, though. "That's why you put mines there. Basic planetary defense."

He was clearly happy to be engaged by minds at his own level and bit by bit, over the next week, his reluctance to come out of his hole faded. They no longer had to roust him out of the lab for the lunch get-togethers and three days later, without being prodded, he started coming out for dinner too.

Over that week his appearance improved markedly. His thin fur filled out, the sunken circles around his eyes disappeared, and the tremor in his hands faded and was finally gone. He gained at least a couple of pounds and on his little frame that showed. He was sleeping, and eating. Friday made sure of the one, and his new eagerness for - or at least tolerance of - social contact saw to the other.

Under ironclad orders to treat their newly social mechanic well and aware that there was far too much work for their present workforce, the staff happily welcomed the furry little techie. Rocket seemed surprised and even a bit grateful to receive such respect and other than growling at most (but not all) attempts to pet him he soon settled in, for at least a few hours a day, as part of the team.

He also heard the arcade games in the rec room, and drawn in by the sound, started spending some time there. Rocket proved to be completely lethal with plastic guns, unbeatable as a pilot, and amazing at every game that wasn't DDR. Because Rocket couldn't dance worth a damn.

Tony found him there one day and introduced the little raccoon to chess. He beat Rocket easily the first game, won a long war of attrition the second and watched with astonishment as he was destroyed in the third.

"You've played this before," Tony said as Rocket's little clawed fingers plucked a knight off the board. One of Tony's knights, naturally. "Quill taught you, right?"

"Nope. It's basic tactics. And y'know, I was built for tactics." Rocket shrugged. "I just think eight, ten moves ahead."

Tony morosely moved a bishop. Rocket instantly moved a pawn one space forward. It didn't look like a threatening move but Tony wasn't fooled.

"I'll get your other Kymellian next," Rocket said, and touched Tony's remaining knight. "Six moves 'till I get your Supremor." He pointed a claw at Tony's king.

Tony considered the board position. He was pretty sure it was hopeless. He was only mildly interested in chess but that didn't mean he was bad at it and he'd never been dismantled by a beginner before. It just went to show what intellect lurked in that little raccoon skull. The prickly, socially awkward raccoon was brilliant...but not in all ways.

For example, he was a lousy liar.

"You did it on purpose," he said as he considered his next move.

"What, took your Kymellian?"

Tony looked up from his pieces. "You knew I'd see the suit and wonder about it. If you'd wanted to keep it secret you could have hidden it like you did when you wanted us to think you were asleep. Put a hologram over it."

"Dunno what you're talking about, Stark. Everybody makes mistakes." He pushed another pawn. Tony could see what he was doing now, leaving his remaining pieces fewer and fewer safe places to move. Another move or two and Tony's queen side defense would collapse.

Tony sat back, the game forgotten. "Rocket, I've spent months looking at your work. I respect it, and you. So please do me a favor and stop assuming I'm an idiot. You let Nebula and me see the suit. You knew I'd call Thor and what would happen when I did."

Rocket studied the board for a moment, then sighed and sat back as well. "All right, Stark. You're smart for a humie. Especially with this crap tech you have to work with." He sat and pondered for a moment before going on.

"I'm pretty sure I am right. Nothing's gonna work except maybe this warp overload. It may get Thanos. But I figure even that's got a ten, maybe fifteen percent chance of killing him."

He looked up. "So yeah. Maybe I do want you to talk me out of it. I'll give you a chance. You got a year. If we don't have my gang of idiots back by then, or a good shot at it, I'm still doing it. You don't have to go with if you don't want. I won't hold you to it. Or the pirate angel. Nebula is gonna come whether I want her to or not. But alone or in a group, I won't hesitate to die for just a chance to take out the guy who killed my friends."

And that was it, the grim center of it. Even when Rocket was smiling, thankfully not as rare an event as it once was, he still missed his family.

So Tony, and Shuri, and Banner, and Pym, and all the others they called in, sat around the table with Rocket and hashed it out. They worked on Earth's expanding space presence, on planetary defense, on infrastructure, on making a planet work with half the people it used to have. And they worked on ways to get to Thanos. They'd find a way.

"I'm pretty sure I'm right," Rocket had said. That only made Tony more determined to prove him wrong. He'd get Rocket's family back. He'd get everybody's family back, no matter what.

One hurt little raccoon locked in a lab had driven home the fact that Tony wasn't the only one who lost something when Thanos snapped his fingers. And now he'd work with the raccoon and everyone else to fix it.

Because if he didn't, Rocket was going to go off and die in an almost certainly futile effort to kill Thanos. He wasn't the only one. Now that he had access to galactic news he knew that every time an empire found Thanos's newest hidey hole they threw everything that had at the Titan and promptly took massive casualties.

He'd heard the argument that Thanos was right. And there were some civilizations that did benefit from their losses. But populations would continue to grow and sooner or later Thanos would do it again. More broken families. More lives lost on an incalculable scale.

It was accept an unseen, but very present universal despot or fight. Tony was going to fight. It only took one little raccoon holed up in his tower to convince him that it was not just the right, but the only thing to do.

#Rocket Raccoon #tony stark

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teacupdragon · 7 years

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youtube

This was a nice thing to see on a quick break from work. But something got my attention which interested me to look deeper. It made me go back a couple of times to see if I missed something, but no, it’s right there, visible and plain as day. The most curious thing is absent in this video.

One learns to become accustomed to the screaming that involves the fans in reception of Benedict Cumberbatch. If not and if you are like me, you learn to get accustomed to expect ear shattering screaming. The deft and swift maneuvering of fingers to lower volumes, plug ears or fling earphones are always at the ready. Miss and you are punished on the spot. You learn. It’s not even like it’s in the movies where the screaming and yelling is pleasurable and giddy. Instead a lot of the times they get it so wrong you think their bladders burst open onto the people next to them. You know, that kind of scream? No? Well, replace bladder with bowels. See? Feel free to use your imagination. There’s a reason he walks so fast.

Of course it is also an expression of joy and respect and giddiness and value and surprise and a number of descriptions. However, in this video, when Ben comes on, it is strangely silent.

.........

Why?

This can’t be a coincidence. Not with the kind of reception he gets at SDCC, D23, the convention circuit in general and at so many appearances he makes. And certainly not with the kind of respect he has drummed up over the years. Yes, yes the screaming is standard. But. There is a standard. Why is it silent here??

No whooping no cheers no vocals at all in appreciation?? Hmmmmmmm...

Let us tabulate! So we have 3 directors who did not receive much cheering - Bryan Singer, Peyton Reed and Taika Waititi (I love that name). Taika cracks a joke as the video proceeds and draws some laughter but then, humour is always a wonderful draw. See Mark Hamill! His little anecdote was perfectly executed! Point in case. That brings me to the actors.

We have 8 actors on this little appreciation vid for Stan Lee.

Mark Hamill is a legend so let’s take him out. Ian McKellan too.

The most cheer was earned by Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool, followed by Tom Hiddleston as, of course, Loki. Hmmmmmmmmm.

RDJ earned some of the more respectable whooping and cheering but we can all see why. Chris Hemsworth’s front was also silent. That’s surprising and interesting again. All of these stars have been around for a while with at least one, if not more than one movie out. The exception is young Tom Holland whose debut as Spiderman in Homecoming is still fresh in people’s minds and still collecting at the box office. Understandable. And he did a good job with the movie and in promoting it too. He’s a fresh face, young but trying to be all grown up; and one can tell he’s been absorbing cues from a few highly respected actors and peers in how he presents himself. Circles around to being very funny and natural... I see the draw.

Let’s break this down to its variables quickly :

Chris Hemsworth : Aussie. Hard working and talented, possesses a physique most men dream of. Married. Plays Thor and complements Tom’s Loki beautifully but hasn’t yet stretched out his acting abilities. To counter that Ragnarok looks very, very promising.

Tom Hiddleston : ............ - He validated and unleashed all our inner Lokis enough said.

Brit. Not married.

Ryan Reynolds : American. Personifies Deadpool completely and perfectly and remembered fondly for carrying it over onto Twitter too. Married.

Benedict Cumberbatch : Cast perfectly as Dr. Strange and even broke Marvel’s internal box office records by grossing higher than RDJ’s Iron Man. Took an arguably minor character from the Marvel Universe and brought it enigmatically to life such that the bar is set significantly high for anyone who may follow in his footsteps to don the Cloak in the distant future. Married.

For an origin story as the breakout debut full feature length film for this character, he was put through the wringer. A testament to his not so insignificant talent and ability is that he makes it look quite easy. Next time stretch him out more.

Brit. Tom Holland too, but not married.

That leaves only Hiddleston and Holland with the kind of visibility where their marital/relationship status has not impacted them negatively.

Ben has everything going for him except one thing that impacts him badly. And you know it. You’ve got 3 years worth of data and figures and numbers to carve it deeply in stone. You lost a large part of his fan base not just because of the sham, but also because in that period you simply failed to attract people back at a similar rate. You simply could not undo the slide or the drop. Some fools might contend it was because he got married and ended his bachelorhood? Hell no. Sophie turns people off! She’s not Amal! She doesn’t command the kind of respect or interest or awe that someone like Amal does. The greater majority of people who lost interest did so because something very important put them off. They may be aware of something being off or they may have made bets about how long the ‘marriage’ will last. If that’s far fetched, well your numbers would reflect their presence and growth, would it not?

Roll out the split. Drop her already. You don’t have the time to keep this going. And you are losing money because you can’t draw people back nor can you devise anything interesting PR wise for him. For a man who’s natural joyfulness and adventurous spirit draws people to him like moths to a flame, what kind of a rubbish PR setup would allow just the opposite to continue unabated?? Set him free. The nannies and antis who stalk my blog will raise their hackles about me calling for two people to be divorced, but my dear hopeless idiots, this is a sham, and I have nothing more to say to them.

You, PR, have nothing to lose by rolling out the split. He looks healthy and glowing and joyful again. He’ll be more interesting as a single man doing his own thing and you can all carry on where you got hijacked left off. The formula before worked. Private life was indeed private. There wasn’t a very great deal on whom he dated and that’s just fine. It was all about work and it was prolific. You can tweak that and make it better. Way better! He’s got to have grown and learned so much from all this. Use it!

You’ve got 3 years of dwindling interest and revenues behind you and 5 months ahead to end it on a very high note. But, it has to start NOW. Not after 3 moths. You do not have the time you think you do.

Let me also bring up the fact that you have nothing going on in the fandom. Nothing of interest whatsoever. You have the nannies, the general populace who are not a very large number at present and you have the skeptics. And everybody’s eyes are on the skeptics. EVERYBODY’S. PR is watching us. PR trends and companies are watching us. Many parts of the industry are watching us as potential employers or just industry insiders. Neighbouring fandoms are watching us. Heck the Taylor Swift and Hiddleston fiasco didn’t survive because of the exposure we brought here. And the nannies simply cannot take their eyes off us! They create multiple side blogs where they can attack the skeptics pseudo secretly while pretending to be noble and aristocratic. And that’s the only drama here. So, as long as you continue to delay taking command of the stage, PR, far from allowing this fandom to become the critically engaging field it is poised to become, it remains shackled and stunted as the backyard of a talented actor that is dominated by group of militant nannies. You have seen twitter right? It takes just 3 days and not more to get a grip of the landscape that is governed by these nannies and how they behave is enough to give people permanent and detrimental eye rolling twitches. They are one of the biggest thwarts to your business. They have not taken your cues and continue to work against you. So please stop pandering to them. You have nothing going for you at present.

From a financial point of view I understand the requirement and inclusivity of nannies. They are a steady source of revenue who may never get turned off as long as there’s plenty of cutesy and every year they get to all come together at the cons and sell out most of the events that Ben is announced for. Many of them even plan multiple trips and photoshop themselves next to him. I could expand on that as well but let’s not digress too far.

And then there are also people who fly into London from all over the world for a chance to meet him and take in the big experience and see him perform and why the hell not. On a larger scale it undoubtedly brings in a lot of revenue in terms of tourism fees. Didn’t Britain name him a national treasure a few years ago?

Don’t you think he’s worth a lot more and deserves better?

Nannies by nature are a mainstay of civilisation as much as they are of fandoms. We can’t do without them and at some time in our lives and at different phases they have always been beneficial. Functionally, they will always be required, needed and even appreciated to their capacities in protecting their charges. However, everybody outgrows them.

#Disney #Marvel #Karon Maskill #Benedict Cumberbatch

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feelingwonderfultoday · 7 years

Text

Cats & Criminals

Chapter: 1/7 Rating Chapter: T Rating fic: Explicit Loki x Reader Set after the destruction of New York, Loki has escaped.

Quick fic based on a picture of a black cat with green eyes I saw on the internet.

“See you tomorrow!”

You waved at Lisa, your colleague and friend, as the glass doors opened with a 'swoosh' and allowed you to step outside. You moved your hand through your hair and let out a sigh. Another long day at work, but you had survived – although with slight difficulty. Jason had been a real arse again, and your boss wasn't much better, and every unpleasant interaction with either of them had sucked the energy right from your body. It felt as if your eyelids could fall shut any moment simply because you lacked the strength to keep your eyes open much longer. Home. You longed to be home. The prospect of the soft pillows on the couch and a warm cuppa in your hands set your weary legs in motion, and you forced your mind to focus. Just a fifteen minute walk and you'd be able to throw yourself on the sofa.

The cold breeze brought back some of your liveliness as you traversed the cobblestone streets, hitting you in the face to keep you awake. To your slight annoyance you were still easily distracted: the smell of fresh bread from the nearby bakery nearly lured you inside, and the shimmer of a pretty gemstone had you standing in front of the window for at least a minute, your mind drifting off. No, you needed to move on, to go home. Then you'd be able to make yourself some dinner, or possibly order some takeout, and you could be distracted all you wanted.

Your resolve seemed to stay intact for another few streets – until you noticed the cat.

It was beautiful, with deep black fur and a slim, elegant build, and the instant urge to pet it bubbled up from within. You were the kind of person who would pet every cat in sight, and so this one was no exception. It wasn't too far away, so you sank through your knees and extended your hand.

“Here, kitty kitty.”

The cat froze and glanced your way. It's eyes were a beautiful green, bright and yet deep, like the gemstone you had seen in the shopping window. What was its name again? Amethyst? No, emerald - eyes like polished emerald. You moved a bit closer, slowly, keeping your hand stretched out and a smile on your face hoping you wouldn't scare it away, but the cat didn't move as it kept its eyes fixed on you. It almost seemed... amused. You took it as a sign to keep going. Another step and the cat was within reach, so you softly brushed your fingers over its head. It tensed a bit, but it didn't run off, and you gently glided your fingers over its back. So soft, so incredibly soft. It must be a special breed of some kind, but then why didn't it have a collar? Maybe it had a chip? You gave it a few more strokes, smiling contently, before pushing yourself up on your legs again and giving it a short wave. You really should go home.

“Have a good day!”

And the next day you spotted it again. Everywhere.

On the stone wall outside the coffee shop – you gave it a soft brush over its head before entering and ordering a cappuccino to go – on the bench at the entrance to the park – you wondered how he got there so fast – outside your work – this was getting strange – and, finally, in your street when you reached the tiny house squashed between two larger ones. Your house.

You stopped in front of your still closed door. It's eyes were fixed on you, they had been every time you noticed it, and it made you wonder.

“Are you... Are you lost?”

You lowered through your knees again and extended a hand as an invitation to come closer. It seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then strode over in that elegant way that only cats seemed to posses. You let your hand glide over it's black coat. No collar, and it seemed a bit thin, but it couldn't possibly be a stray – not with the healthy shine to its soft fur and the liveliness of its bright eyes.

You nodded to yourself, your decision made. Before the cat had the chance to flee you gently picked it up and kept it against your chest. It seemed at a loss for what to do, struggled for a bit, slight panic and confusion in its eyes, but relaxed against you when you gave it a few strokes. It must be domesticated then, right? You took your keys from your back pocket, fumbled with it for a moment, but managed to find the right one and inserted it into the lock before twisting it and pushing open the door. You closed it with your bum and set the creature down.

“Hang on, let me get my camera. Your owner will definitely recognise such a pretty kitty.”

You shrugged off your coat, traversed the narrow hallway, past the stairs leading up, and searched the living room for the device after throwing the heavy garment over the chair by the window and slipping off your shoes. Within seconds you had found it, and one turn of the switch told you the batteries still had some power left. You could make posters to stick to street lanterns and walls and you could post the picture on Facebook - a cat like this would be missed soon and you were sure the owner would start searching to get it back. Or maybe it had escaped a pet shop?

“If you mean Odin; I doubt he would even recognise me in different clothing.”

A deep, silvery voice, British-sounding, like yours. You froze. Cats couldn't talk – were you going insane? Had you imagined it? Had that muesli bar at lunch been a mistake? Slowly, you turned around, but where the cat had stood were now two leather boots – connected to legs, hips, a torso -

You stumbled backwards a bit, eyes wide as you met the gaze of the man standing in the middle of your living room. He was smirking, mischief glinting in his eyes, and continued.

“Thor, however, might indeed recognise my likeness. That is why I would prefer it if you put away the device.”

An order, no doubt, going by the authority in his voice. His clothing style was more than questionable – it looked like he stepped right out of a fantasy action film – yet it seemed too well-made to be a costume. His eyes were the same piercing emerald as those of the cat, his gaze just as intense, and his slicked-back, shoulder-length hair the same raven black as its fur had been. No, no this couldn't be – cats didn't turn into men just like frogs didn't turn into princes. Those were bedtime stories for children, fables, fairy tales; not reality. And yet everything seemed to point at it.

“Who are you?” You thanked the Gods your voice didn't waver, and sounded more confident than you felt. You kept your fear on a tight leash.

He almost seemed offended by your question, yet then his glance shifted into satisfaction and a subdued delight and his smirk appeared again. “You haven't seen the news, I presume?”

There weren't many interesting series on the telly lately, and you hadn't turned it on in a while; actually, you didn't watch much tv at all. Not to mention that the news only ever had depressing stuff to report, so even if you did turn on the large, old-fashioned box on the dresser against the wall, the news wouldn't even be the channel you switched to. Was this... Was this some kind of pranking show? Were there hidden cameras? You didn't dare take your eyes of the man in front of you. This situation could be dangerous, everything about him seemed to scream danger, and one mistake might be the last one you would ever make. You were too young to be dismembered and raped, thank you very much.

He set a step forward. You hesitated whether you should step one back. He was still half the room away, but you had the feeling he could outrun you no matter the distance. Maybe it was best to show as little fear as possible.

“From now on I will stay here and you will not say a word to anyone about me, understood?”

He brought it so sweetly, yet his tone left no room for discussion: another order. Was he a criminal in hiding? Was he really a murderer, then? Not a prankster show host? Shit, keeping your hands from shaking was getting increasingly difficult. You needed to get yourself together again.

“Why here?”

For only a fraction of a second he seemed a bit taken aback by your question, but he hid it so quickly it left you wondering if you had really seen it in the first place, or if it had merely been your imagination. Then: “I have my reasons.”

Okay. Okay. Breathe in, breathe out. What was the thing you needed to do in these kinds of situations, apart from trying to stay calm? If you screamed, you would be dead and he would be gone before any help arrived, so that wasn't an option. Don't fight, be polite, and find the right moment to inform the police. Yes. That seemed like a solid plan.

“Okay. Well, uhm, will you stay like this, or?” He merely looked at you, gaze blank and unreadable, and it was starting to unnerve you. “I mean, that cat – it was you, right?” You braced yourself for his laugh, for the cameramen to come out and tell you that you had been utterly fooled; but when it didn't happen that hope was completely lost.

“Ah yes, the 'pretty kitty', in your words.” He grinned, a playful twinkle in his eyes. “But to answer your question: no, I will not take on that form again unless the situation calls for it.”

So he... He could really turn into a cat? Well with all the superhero things going on in America, it shouldn't surprise you. Wait, was he a villain, then? Were those American muscle-loafs coming here to search for him? What would the punishment be for hiding a villain? But what would the punishment be for disobeying one? Torture and death, no doubt. Gods, what had you gotten yourself into.

“All right... Because it costs less to feed a cat than a person, so I don't know for how long you'll be staying?”

“For no set amount of time. A few weeks, a couple of months, a decade, who knows.” His smirk only grew.

You froze again. Bloody hell – a decade? A decade housing a possibly-murderous-man in your tiny house? You didn't even have a guest room for fucks sake! Keep breathing, keep breathing. He could be gone in a week. You could probably find a moment in which you could call the cops and pray they caught him.

“And I assume I have no say in the matter?”

“None at all,” he seemed please to inform you. He set an elegant step forward. You held your ground. He set another one as he said: “Don't even think about telling anyone; I will know, and you will not like the consequences. If you serve me well, however,” another step, and he was only inches away, “you will be lavishly rewarded.”

You glanced up at him, trying to ignore how he stood incredibly close and was quite a bit taller than you, and tried with all your might to sound irritated. “The reward better cover the cost for your food and housing. And, seeing as you definitely need different clothing than this, you better pay me for that, too.”

He grinned. “Feisty; I like it. But there is no need to worry.” He stepped away and, with a flick of his wrist, his outfit changed into a fashionable one. Black pants with a green dress shirt, the upper two buttons left open.

After the initial shock you had to admit, he could have looked worse. Much worse.

No - no - you were not going full Stockholm-syndrome here. Sure, he was handsome, incredibly handsome, with his pronounced cheekbones and sharp jawline, but for all you knew he could have murdered dozens of people! You sighed and dragged a hand down your face.

“So you don't eat cat food, then?” That would be so much cheaper. He only shot you a look, and you sighed in disappointment. “You'll sleep on the couch.”

“I will not.”

“You don't have another option.”

“You must have a bedroom.”

“It's mine.” And besides, the bed probably wasn't even big enough for two people.

“We'll see,” was all he replied, a dark grin on his pale face, and you rolled your eyes.

You moved to the kitchen and felt how the adrenaline slowly started fading away, leaving only emptiness and a heavy exhaustion in its wake. Right. Dinner. You guessed he would want some, too. So, for the next thirty minutes, you prepared some pasta, a pan of sauce, and a salad for on the side. You managed to keep from burning yourself for once, or hitting something, or otherwise accidentally harming yourself, and you thanked the universe that it had spared you that shame. For now. Maybe black cats really brought misfortune, after all.

You set everything on the knee-high table and sat down on the couch with a huff, making sure there was enough distance between the two of you. You managed to scoop a bit of everything on your plate and began forking it into your mouth. Not great, not bad, either. Just pasta. Not that you cared how it tasted right now – all you could really think of was pushing all this bloody drama aside and falling asleep under the sheets. Still, a part of you was curious as to whether he would like it. You hadn't had many guests apart from the occasional Lisa-visit, but even she had come less and less often, and it wasn't every day that you had someone to test your cooking skills on. So you glanced at him from the corner of your eye as he took a bite. He seemed rather... surprised. Positively surprised, even, but he didn't speak or look at you. He merely continued eating with gusto, and you kept yourself from growing a content smile.

As you watched him, a few things came to your attention: One, he was ravenous. You must have been right when you noticed how his cat form had been a bit too thin. Two, there was a bit of red around his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for a while, or as if he was ill. Three, his glance was not only distant but troubled as well, maybe even pained. Four, a red blotch started growing on his arm.

You set down your plate, reached over, and grabbed his arm, too tired to think rationally. He dropped his fork at the sudden contact and shot you a glare, but you merely unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up to reveal the large cut. Without saying anything you stood, walked to a cabinet above the kitchen counter, took out the first aid kit, and returned, sitting down closer to him this time. He didn't take his eyes off you. No; he studied you, followed your every movement, as if he doubted your intent was of a good nature. And maybe it shouldn't be of good nature, maybe you shoulddump a whole lot of nasty chemicals into the wound, but you shook your head to shoo the thought away. Consequences, consequences.

After rummaging through the plastic box for a bit you pulled out a little bottle of pure alcohol and a rag. A bit of alcohol on the fabric, screwing the bottle cap back on, and you were ready to go.

You pulled his arm closer toward you and, hesitantly, he allowed it, resting it in your lap as you washed the blood away. He didn't do as much as flinch when the stinging liquid seeped into his open flesh. When that was cleaned up you inspected it and nodded to yourself – no stitches needed. You wrapped some linen bandaging around it and fixed it in place. Finally, you scooted away to the other side of the couch, and resumed eating. All without making a sound.

He studied you again. Eyes scanning your face, your hands, your eyes, before he turned back to the table and helped himself to a second serving. And, later, a third, until none was left in the pot. You had only finished half your own helping, but you were too tired to move your jaw anymore and so you didn't even think twice when you handed him your own plate as well. He seemed surprised again, his intense gaze softening a bit, but you didn't pay it any attention as you gathered the used things and set them into the sink. Tomorrow, you would clean them tomorrow. Now: sleep.

With your eyes half-lidded you shuffled through the living room, managed to huff a 'good night', moved down the hall and up the stairs, found your room, and let yourself fall face-first on top of it. Bad idea. Now all energy had left you, and you still had to put on your pj's and brush your teeth.

A few sighs, huffs, and groans of protest later you got yourself upright, to the bathroom, where you finished your last tasks and returned. Upon entering your room, again, you noticed the extra blanket at the foot of your bed. It might get cold tonight, but... It was best not to anger Mister Murder downstairs. And so, with another sigh of disagreement, you grabbed the blanked and dragged it down the stairs and into the living room.

That's when you noticed the clean dishes on the counter top in the adjoining room. All right, at least he had some kind of decency in him - and secretly you were glad that task had been taken off your hands – but it still didn't change the fact that you wanted him gone as soon as possible. You moved your gaze to your 'guest' and saw him splayed out on the couch, head on one armrest and ankles on the other as it was too small to accommodate him fully. Had he already drifted off? You shuffled closer and used the last bit of your energy to unfold the blanket and lay it over him, casting a last glance at his face -

To see him watching you. Intently.

You merely sighed, shook your head to show how you really didn't like the situation he had forced on you, but pushed a smile on your face nonetheless. Keep him on your good side, and you wouldn't get hurt. Self-preservation.

“G'night.”

And you left him to find your bed.

[Chapter 2] Link to this chapter on AO3 here.

#Loki #loki x reader #fanfiction #loki fanfiction #writing #my writing #cat!loki #seven chapters in total #teasing and flirting

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