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ioveskye · 1 year

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Wonder| Leo Fitz x reader chapter 2

A/N: Heyy! finally the first chapter! let me know what you think <3

The ride to the S.H.I.E.L.D airbase was long and exhausting but for Y/n it was nothing but nerve-wracking. The last time she had a mission with S.H.I.E.L.D. it went horribly wrong, so she really hoped a repeat of last time would never happen again.

When she stepped out of the car she was immediately met with one of the biggest planes she's ever seen. Flying in smaller planes all her life probably changed her views on the plane even more now that she was in front of the big aircraft. After a few more moments of looking up, she saw another car approaching that stopped right beside hers. A tall man with raven black hair and a black suit walked out and she immediately recognized him as Agent Grant Ward. Coulson sent some background information that could be necessary about all the agents that would be on this team to the detective so she at least knew who she was working with.

"You must be Agent Ward," Y/n said as she approached the tall man.

Ward looked over at her and gave her what she thinks was a smile but she didn't quite catch it. It even looked like it annoyed him a little. "That's right, and you must be Y/n L/n? "

"That's me."

After the brief introduction, they both headed towards the plane that would become their home for the next few months.

As soon as she entered the plane voices of two arguing agents were heard. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, watch it! That's the Night-Night Gun." The curly headed man said, a Scottish accent filling Y/n’s ears.

The two new equated teammates looked at the pair of scientists that had been unloading when they arrived. Y/n observed the two for a bit, already knowing these were the two top-scientists of S.H.I.E.L.D in the past few years, agent Fitz and Simmons. Y/n may not have been an official agent but she knew enough from her past visits and cases.

Y/n crossed her arms in amusement and watched the pair, silently observing them before making herself known. To her surprise, Ward seemed to be doing the same thing.

"Well, it's on my stuff, and it doesn't work, and there's no way we're calling it the night-night gun." The brunette scientist replied, who Y/n knew to be Jemma Simmons.

The curly headed man, Leopold Fitz scoffed at her reply, not taking her comment lightly. "The bullets work. Nonlethal, heavy stopping power, Break up under the subcutaneous tissue–"

"Oh, with a dose of only .1 micro liters of dendrotoxin. I'm not Hermione, I can't create instant paralysis with that." Y/n laughed at her comment a little bit, the nerd in her coming up. Simmons grabbed a few bags and walked into the lab on the plane. "You should have run the specs by me before building the molds."

"The bullets are hollow! It's a marvel I can keep them from breaking apart in the chamber!" Fitz was getting agitated with his friend now, although Y/n wasn't sure if they were based on the bickering she was witnessing.

The pair seemed to not have noticed the two other people present with them in the cargo-hold. They kept up their bickering until Y/n saw Ward walk up to the two in the corner of her eyes, annoyance clear on his face. Right in front of the lab entrance, Ward dropped his large duffel bag on the ground- loud enough for Fitz-Simmons to hear them. The bag landed with a loud thud, and the two heads turned to him, the pair then quickly noticing Y/n behind him with a smirk on her face. Simmons seemed to be surprised while Fitz just carried an embarrassed look.

"Fitz-Simmons?" Ward questioned the two, the annoyance in his voice was just as present as in his facial expressions.

Y/n came to stand next to Ward again and pointed at the Scottish man in front of her, "That there is Doctor Fitz," Fitz gave the two a lopsided smile, putting up one hand to send them a small wave. Y/n smiled at him and then turned to the woman opposite him and then pointed at her, making sure Ward saw. "And this is Doctor Simmons."

"Hi, yea uhm." Fitz trailed off, his confidence dissipated a little when he looked from Y/n to Ward, the look he had was not welcoming. "I'm engineering and Simmons is Bio-chem."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Y/n L/n, you can just call me Y/n though. Did Agent Coulson tell you I'd be joining you?" the woman walked into the lab, shaking the hands of the two scientists, hoping to make a good impression.

"Oh yes! Fitz and I have been reading a lot about your cases, it's an honour, truly." Simmons shook her hand cheerfully. "And call me Jemma!"

"Thank you so much Jemma, I've read a lot about the two of you when Coulson send me it. You guys are incredible. Although I think I'm the only one who did the reading." Y/n cheekily looked up at Ward who was silently judging the pair.

"Coulson said I'd need my comm receiver encoded." Ward handed Fitz the receiver which he grabbed swiftly. "Don't know if you've worked with that model before. It's.." Ward was interrupted when a loud noise filled the room. Both Jemma and Y/n looked at where the noise came from and met Fitz's gaze who had apparently just smashed Ward's receiver. "Brand new.." The agent trailed off and Y/n’s eyes widened, finding the situation kind of hilarious.

"Right, I need to find Coulson. It was good to meet you all." Y/n walked out of the lab, catching Fitz's look who gave her a small smile. Jemma had already ran off to do some scientific stuff, much to Ward's dismay. She still heard the three bicker a little bit when she walked up the stairs of the Bus.

***

After a brief introduction with agent Coulson, who had explained her role on the team- that being the private detective for their missions- she received her bunk on the Bus. It was a little small but it was really cozy which she enjoyed a lot. The brunette had found a place for the handful of books she brought along, making the place feel a little more like home after. Now all she needed were some pictures and it'd be perfect, but being the chaotic woman she was, she forgot them.

Coulson had gathered the new-found team to a briefing after they all had the time to settle in. He explained that there had been a sighting of a new enhanced person, right in the middle of the streets in Los Angeles. The hacker group- The Rising Tide- had shown up again after this ordeal and Coulson's plan was to use them to get to him. The plan itself was simple but they had to get one of them on board to interrogate, and Y/n had to admit she was a bit skeptical but since she was just a consultant she had no place to speak. While Coulson and Ward would get the Rising Tide lead they found the rest of the team would inspect the site of the incident, the part where Y/n came in.

Agent Melinda May was behind the wheel, driving the four to the broken apartment building in LA. Jemma had been sitting next to the Asian female, chatting away while May did her best ignoring her. Y/n smiled at the interaction between the two, finding the contrast quite funny. Fitz caught her look and smiled a bit, nudging her. The detective looked at the man beside her and smiled.

"So, I know we only met for a moment today, but I just wanted to say I'm glad Coulson got you on the team."

"Thank you, Fitz. I appreciate it." Her smile got a bit wider when he had complimented her, not many people showed appreciation to her besides her work so she appreciated it a lot.

"Have you ever worked with Shield before?" Fitz asked, hoping to continue the conversation before they arrived.

Y/n’s smile dropped for a moment and she avoided the mans eyes next to her, fumbling with a lose thread on her shirt for a bit.

"Yeah, once or twice." She said and finally looked back into his eyes. When she saw him already looking at her with a soft smile she couldn't help but smile back. "Coulson and I worked together before so since he was in charge of this team he asked for me."

"That is so cool. Going in the field and all." Y/n noticed how his left leg had started moving up and down out of nervousness. "I mean, the field is not always dangerous of course.." He trailed off as he finished his sentence.

Y/n put a hand on his leg, stopping it from bouncing up and down. Fitz looked at her in shock because of the sudden touch which caused her to let out a small giggle.

"Calm down, Fitz. Agent May is there with us, we'll be fine-." May's eyes looked directly at the woman in the rear view mirror after she had mentioned the agent. The look in her eyes caused her heart to sank. She forgot that Fitz-Simmons didn't know about her situation and quickly shut up.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh look! We're here!" Jemma exclaimed.

May drove straight into the street where the accident had happened. Y/n was secretly glad they had arrived before she had to talk about what she almost spilled. And if she had to tell them how she knew- that would be even a longer story to tell. And she wasn’t ready for that.

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strawwritesfic · 1 year

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Phil Coulson x Female!Inhuman!SHIELD Agent!Reader: Guard

Summary: Phil doesn’t know where the path you’re on will lead, but he’ll be damned if he lets you walk it alone.

Rating/Tags: T (Post-Season 2 (or maybe during? I can’t remember when half this stuff happened); Phil & May; established Phil/Reader; Reader’s powers are not described; angst; fluff; manslaughter)

Challenge: “160 Collective Drabbles” challenge by BobaPop on Lunaescence Archives.

Tag List: @imaginesfire

Notes: Please keep in mind that I didn’t watch Agents of SHIELD very far into season four (I think...Ghost Rider was there), so it is not likely to be anywhere close to canon compliant.

Guard

Phil Coulson had seen S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters under innumerable moments of distress over his years working there. Certainly sometimes distress could bring out the best in agents, sometimes even the best in humanity. This time, not so much. Although the stressful event itself had concluded hours ago, the entire Hub still rang with the odd silence that had started things off. No one moved except for him, and no one spoke but May beside him:

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

She said this because she believed it. That Phil knew. Normally, he would have listened. He respected May a good deal; she was intelligent, strong, and unafraid of saying what needed to be said. If anyone had a handle on the situation, it was her.

This, unfortunately, was the one time he had no choice but to ignore her advice.

“You don’t have to stay,” he answered mildly.

May snorted. “Like hell I don’t have to. You think I’m going to trust Bobbi to watch your back on this one?”

“My back is going to be fine.”

“You say that,” said May, “but I’ll only believe it when I see it.”

“She won’t hurt me.”

May’s eyebrows rose, and for good reason. Two good agents had died that day. Mack would make a full recovery, but only because he was tough. Phil hadn’t been out in the field much before making the decision to go toe to toe with the person who had killed and hurt his team.

His companion did not bring any of this up, however. She was well aware that Phil already knew. Instead, she simply allowed him to move forward.

“I’ve got the door,” she said, and added, “be careful in there.”

“You know me. Careful is my middle name.”

He watched just long enough to see her roll her eyes, then turned his attention to the task at hand. Said task was opening a door–a solid, latched door keeping danger away from the rest of the team. Phil knew what lay behind it: a shaking, sobbing, unsettled young woman. He knew because there were about two dozen security cameras trained on her at every minute, as well as agents whose only task was to watch the video feeds and make an immediate report if anything inside the room changed.

He also knew because he knew [F Name] [L Name], perhaps better than he knew anyone else in the entire galaxy.

Already he had put things off too long. With a last steady breath, he pressed his hand to the flat expanse in front of him, approximately where a knob should have been. A line of blue light slid up his palm, then the whole door flashed and dissolved.

Phil stepped through the space left behind just before the door rematerialized behind him. He was sealed inside with a woman most people were now calling a monster.

You didn’t look like a monster just then. In fact, you didn’t seem as though you noticed Phil was there at all. Your eyes stared unblinkingly at the feet you had pulled up onto the cot. Every few seconds, an agonizingly tremulous breath would shudder out from your lips. Your hair was a mess, your fingernails bloodied, and your cheeks streaked with tears.

Phil cleared his throat.

You jumped about a foot in the air. When you had composed yourself enough to look over at him, said composure did not last long. Your face crumpled immediately. Despite how quickly you hid it in your knees, he saw your miserable expression.

“[Name],” he said carefully.

A pause. A tremendous sniff. You lifted your head. “D…Director.”

“How are you doing?”

Slowly, your eyes drifted away to stare blankly at your toes. “Does it matter?” you asked hoarsely. “How I am?”

Phil glanced behind himself, as though making sure that May really couldn’t hear him. He knew how she felt about the way things were, and Mack, and Bobbi, and Hunter, and most of the rest. But that wasn’t how he felt. Not even close.

“It matters. Why wouldn’t your feelings matter?” he said

You didn’t reply, at least not right away. With one arm still wrapped around your knees, you pushed fiddled with your tangled mess of hair. “What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t the answer he expected. It wasn’t even an answer, really. Still he would accept it. You could refuse to look at him all you wanted; you could pretend you were angry and that you didn’t want to see him if you wished. Phil didn’t care, so long as you kept talking. Ideally, he would have called Dr. Garner in to get you to talk. Unfortunately, Dr. Garner really wasn’t an option anymore, was he?

“I thought it would be good to have a little chat.”

Your silence was not exactly an invitation to make himself at home in your cell. All the same, he shrugged and leaned against the wall opposite you.

“Besides, it’s not the same out there without you,” he said.

Much to Phil’s surprise, you looked surprised. “Don’t say that.”

“Don’t say w–”

“You’re Director. You can’t say things like that about a…about a…”

“About the woman I love?” he suggested.

“About a murderer. I killed those men, Phil. Me. I killed them.”

Your voice grew quieter and quieter as you went on; your chin sank to your knees. To Phil, the distance between you and him felt endless. All he wanted was to cross that distance, sit down next to you, and make everything okay again. He was S.H.I.E.L.D. director now. Wasn’t he supposed to have that sort of power?

“You were right to leave me in here,” you whispered.

Phil looked sharply over at you. “Leave you in here?”

“When are they going to kill me?”

“Kill you?”

Apparently, you cared nothing for Phil’s obvious distress. You shook your head dazedly and still refused to look at him. “I killed three people today. I killed Mack.”

“Okay, first things first,” he started, “you didn’t kill Mack. Mack will survive because he’s always prepared. That’s the great thing about Mack. That’s why I sent him with you today. Secondly, why on earth would you think we were about to kill you? Third of all, I did not leave you in here.”

Maybe it wasn’t really fair of him to get so frustrated. You were clearly going through a terrible time. He was well aware that it could not have been easy, coming back to base to turn yourself in after what had happened. Knowing that most, if not all, of your friends were frightened and out for blood couldn’t have helped. Yet to find that you lumped him in with the rest hurt. Perhaps that was obvious enough, because you didn’t answer him this time either. All you did was press yourself into a smaller ball.

Sighing, Phil straightened up. “I should have come sooner,” he confessed. “Daisy thought that, considering the circumstances, you might want a bit of space.”

You made a noise at that, but what the noise meant, Phil had no idea. A few moments of absolute silence followed, then you made the noise again. It went on and on and on, a dejected, bubbling cry that you couldn’t seem to smother this time around.

He took a hesitant step forward, paused, then decided. Staying on the other side of the room wouldn’t do. Not anymore.

The cot creaked as he settled onto it. Most people who wound up in a S.H.I.E.L.D. holding cell weren’t offered comfortable amenities like real beds or real food or real visitors. If Phil could have offered you any of these, he would have. For the time being, all he could do was offer himself, sitting there and listening to you weep.

You did not react to his closeness like he had thought you would, not even to shift further away. He did not reach for you, much as he wanted to. He simply waited.

“I-I-I didn’t want this,” you moaned, and whether or not you intended him to, Phil heard. “I didn’t want to be Inhuman. I didn’t mean to be.”

“Everyone knows you didn’t mean to, [Name].”

“I don’t even kn-know how it happened. I just–got infected”

“The Terrigan Crystals are everywhere now. You could easily have eaten some when no one else was around to notice the change. It’s not your fault.”

You hiccupped, and closed your eyes as though the thought caused you great pain. It probably did. “I never wanted–even if I did, I wouldn’t want this…”

“[Name],” said Phil, “I know.”

Finally, you wrenched your head up so that you could face him. Your eyes appeared scarlet in the dim light–from crying so much, he assumed, not your powers–and snot glistened on your upper lip. Never in his entire life had Phil ever seen anyone look so hopeless. Somehow, he managed to refrain from touching you still.

“I’d be better off dead,” you said brokenly.

Phil’s heart burned inside him. “Daisy had trouble at first, too. It’ll take practice, but we’ll figure something out for you. We’ll have Fitz and Simmons rig up a whole training facility. You’ll get used to it. No one will hurt you before then. I won’t let them.”

For a long while, you just stared at him. Quiet tears continued to course down your cheeks, but your gaze was steady. He had a good idea of what you were thinking about while you stared at him: That Daisy’s powers were never like yours, that there was no Afterlife to learn from anymore, that no one on the team or in the entire world would ever look at you as a human being again. But the last was a lie. You were still human, and Phil could see that. Human blood ran through your veins, red as his own, even now.

You did not remark upon any of that, though. Instead, you reached your arms out toward him, and your face crumpled once again. “Hold me,” you murmured.

So Phil did, closing the gap to put his arms around you. You pressed your head to his shoulder, quickly soaking his suit through with tears. He didn’t mind. If that was what it would take, he would hold on to you for the rest of the night and into the morning.

No one else would lay a finger on you–not while he was there, and he didn’t plan to leave until he saw a real smile light up your face once more. It might be weeks before that happened; it might be years. But he wouldn’t leave your side until it did. Never again.

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lesbian-deadpool · 2 years

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At Worlds End

Thor

(Not my pics)

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This Drink... I Like It! Another!

Summary: After receiving a medal for your involvement fighting against Whiplash, you were off to New Mexico as your new position as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (in training). Suspicions arise at your apparent favouritism, along with a God from outer space. What a way to make new friends.

There will be specific warnings for every part.

Total Words: 10,903

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Part One: Coulson’s Roundup

Part Two: Heavy Lifting

Part Three: Thor’s Devastation

Part Four: Bonding With Co-Workers

Part Five: Fighting Alongside God’s

Part Six: Glowy Cube

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my-head-is-an-animal · 1 year

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Request from Erin:

Hey! Would you be okay with writing a story about Phil Coulson having nightmares and the reader comforting him? I'm genderfluid so the gender of the reader doesn't matter to me. I just believe that after everything A.C. had to go through he deserves a bit more comfort/fluff

Nightmares

Phil Coulson x Reader

Word count: 358

You wake suddenly in the night, it’s not immediately obvious why, but one side of the bed is cold. Your eyes fly open, the sound of someone whimpering and panting can be heard close by. The bedroom is dark and you have to feel your way over to where your husband was sitting on the floor with his hands clasped around his head, almost rocking as the images he once told you about began to overwhelm him.

‘Phil?’

You try to be careful, not wanting to scare him any further, you gently run your hand over his upper arm that’s just in reach. He flinches, but doesn’t move away. You slowly manoeuvre yourself so that you’re just behind him, your hand never leaves him.

‘It’s okay, just try to breathe for me.’ You say quietly, soothingly.

His body is covered in sweat, it must have been a bad one. You encourage him to breathe a little steadier until he’s ready to lift his head and his heart isn’t pounding so hard. You put your legs either side of him, run your hands over his shoulders, down his arms, over his chest, you soothe his scar and eventually his head liked back into your lap.

‘Thank you.’ His broken voice whispers.

‘Of course.’ You say, as if you had nothing better in the world to do but help him through his nightmares. ‘Why don’t we take a shower?’

You’d learnt pretty quickly that Phil was not to be lured back into bed so easily after a bad night, but he could be reasoned with. You learnt that a shower usually relaxed him enough that he would be more willing to go back to sleep, at least he would be more willing to lay next to you while you slept.

This was a night where Phil was more than happy to let you take the reigns, more than happy for you to take care of him and more than happy to get back into bed with you and sink into your warm embrace.

There would always be nights like these and a part of you both enjoyed how they ended.

If you liked this, please consider supporting me ☕ thanks for reading!

#phil coulson #phil coulson x reader #genderfluid reader #fic request #requests are open

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janeykath318 · 7 months

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Phil Coulson x Reader

Fall words: leaves, witches

“I see you’ve been decorating, Y/N,” Phil sighed, glancing around his now colorful office.

“Yep. You need a little fall in your life, honey,” you told him, placing a little paper garland of witches on the bookshelf.

Fake fall leaves were strewn about randomly and some mini pumpkins acted as paperweights. It wasn’t anything close to your own seasonal office decor, but it was a huge improvement from the usual monotony.

“I suspect it will grow on me,” he admitted, twirling one of the fake leaves by its stem and eyeing as though he was about to interrogate it. “Just don’t go giving Daisy any ideas. If she had her way, there would be fake spiderwebs all over the place and bats hanging from the ceiling.”

You chuckled.

“No worries,” you told him. “She’s too busy helping Daniel learn to carve pumpkins. Apparently, he never got to when he was a kid.”

“Those two are priceless,” Phil admitted, smiling his proud dad smile. “Dinner tonight? My treat?”

“If it’s that awesome Thai place, I’m in!” you declared, leaning up for a quick kiss before you returned to work.

#phil coulson x reader #janey writes drabbles #fall vibes

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kining-the-evil · 1 year

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Agents Of Shield

Masterlists

Request

Phil Coulson-

none yet

Daisy Johnson-

none yet

Leo Fitz-

none yet

Melinda May-

Headcanons

Yandere Headcanons

NSFW alphabet

Oneshot

Pity Party- After a mistake on a mission that led to another member of the team getting hurt May is there to help bring you back to earth(mentor!may x reader, not romantic)

Jemma Simmons-

none yet

Grant Ward-

Headcanons

Yandere alphabet

Al MacKenzie-

none yet

#agents of shield #phil coulson #phil coulson x reader #daisy johnson #daisy johnson x reader #leo fitz #leo fitz x reader #melinda may #melinda may x reader #jemma simmons #jemma simmons x reader #grant ward #grant ward x reader #al macKenzie #al macKenzie x reader

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foxgloveprincess · 1 year

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Favorite Films in Bed

Word Count: 600

Warnings: Barely Any Editing, Mildly Suggestive Themes, So Much Fluff (you might barf). Minors do not interact (18+).

Divider by @firefly-graphics.

I love feedback, so go ahead and reblog if you want. No permission given to copy, translate, rewrite or post my work, at all. I cross-post to my AO3 account (FoxglovePrincess). Seeing this anywhere else means it’s been stolen/plagiarized.

Please DO NOT click ‘Keep Reading’ if you are not 18+ years of age. Thank you.

Keys click in the lock. Your book drops from your hands as you pop up and scurry toward the entryway. The door swings open just when you round the corner, his smile greeting you—weary and indulgent and so fucking affectionate your knees quiver.

“You’re home,” you sigh, steps not slowing before you nearly tackle him in your haste to wrap your arms around him. “It’s been far too long.”

The only response you get is the slow leak of tension that leaves his shoulders, his warmth pressed to your front as you embrace. One hand finds the back of your head, cradling you. The other wraps around your waist, dragging you that fraction closer until breathing has never felt harder or easier at the same time.

His scent fills your nose. His cologne, familiar and subtle. Not overpowering or nauseating for your sensitive nose. Just right, just him.

He rocks you both side to side, a lazy dance that pushes you further into your home, one hand releasing you to drag his luggage inside behind him before you hear the soft click of the door latching and locking.

“How long are you staying?” you ask, dreading the answer, knowing to savor every millisecond he spends with you. Before he leaves again to keep the world safe.

“Not long enough,” he replies with a kiss to your temple. You swallow the sadness that itches at the back of your throat and nod.

He releases you completely from his hold, reaching instead to grab your hand and guide you back to your bedroom and the bed too large for just one. Blankets and an excess of pillows make up the extra room when he’s away, brushed aside by his hand before he has you sit back against the headboard.

He loosens his tie first before discarding his jacket and undressing the rest of the way. You remember the first time you saw him in a pair of sweatpants and a plain white tee, so comfortable around you, warming your heart. He changes into the same outfit now with no rush. Both of you entranced and reveling in the sight of each other in person.

“I missed you,” you confess, cradling a sleeve-covered fist before your lips.

He continues to stare, gaze soft. He climbs into bed beside you, his opened suitcase left by the wayside. The way he stares at you, so constant and intent—your cheeks heat and you fight the urge to hide yourself beneath the covers.

“I never stop missing you,” he says in return, holding you close again.

You sit in silence for a while—whether seconds or hours pass, you couldn’t say. But you fight sleep, the feeling creeping upon you with him so close again.

“Let’s watch one of your old movies,” you suggest, snuggling closer and pressing your cheek against his shoulder.

“I’d have to set up the projector,” he hedges, tilting his head to catch a peek of you, “and you always fall asleep on me before the end.”

You hum and nod with a quiet, “Uh-huh.”

He chuckles under his breath and gets up despite your mewl of protest. It takes him no time to pull out the film projector and set it up.

Before coming back to bed, he turns off the lights, leaving the soft glow of the string lights above your bed to add the littlest bit of illumination. And then he’s there, back beside you. The first strains of an old Captain America film begin and you already feel yourself drifting. But it’s alright—everything alright now.

#phil coulson x reader #fluff #so much fluff #that’s all this is #phil coulson #phil coulson fanfic #an exploration of comfort

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selfindulgentfandomstuff · 1 year

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WHERE ARE ALL THE DAD!PHIL COULSON X ADOPTED!READERS?? HUH?? WHERE ARE THEY???/hj

#star frost #self insert: Elsie Anders #familial f/o: Phil Coulson #familial f/o #familial self ship #phil coulson x reader #i jsut want some good ol dad!Coulson being supportive of his adopted (adult) child LOL #Friendship ended with my bio dad! now Phil Coulson is my REAL dad!!#can you tell I hate my father?/lh

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anotherfuckingmarvelfanaccount · 2 years

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Phil’s Birthday

Imagine?? Two fics in one day????? Wow, the things that can happen when there’s something called motivation.

Pairing(s): Phil Coulson x Reader

Warnings: baker!reader, reader owns a bakery with her best friend. Y/B/F/N is “Your Best Friend’s Name”. fluffy reader and phil. reader essentially bribes steve into letting phil off work early by promising to make him and bucky cake. it’s shorter than a lot of what i write, but it’s cool. holy shit, this is so fucking fluffy. i actually don’t even know if i did swear in this, but it’s a standing warning.

Word Count: 1347

Summary: For Phil’s birthday, you decide you want to spend some time with your husband, so you make a phone call, and voila, dinner and dessert for two at home.

It was almost your husband, Phil Coulson’s birthday, and he had been so busy at SHIELD, that you had barely seen him in a week. You knew how he got at this time of year, always having hated his birthday, but having paid attention to Captain Rogers’ every year. Especially after he was found in the ice, the two of them were actually quite close.

Knowing that you may not even see Phil on his birthday, you decided not to make dinner reservations, but you did make a call to Captain Rogers, or Steve (as he insisted you call him), to tell him that it was Phil’s birthday, and that you would really appreciate it if you could see him today.

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

“Hello?” Steve asked, answering the phone. “Who is this?”

“Hi, Captain Rogers. I’m Y/N Coulson, Phil’s wife-” You started.

“Phil has a wife?” He asked incredulously.

“Yes, he does. I know he doesn’t talk about me for good reason, he doesn’t want me to be a target if anything were to happen. What he’s also not going to tell you is that today is his birthday. Please don’t make a big deal over it, but it would be really nice if he could be home tonight, at least just so I can see him?” You requested, hoping Phil wasn’t just avoiding his birthday like usual.

“Of course, Mrs. Coulson, the Captain's orders will be to go home and spend some quality time with his wife.”

“Thank you, Captain. And please, call me Y/N.”

“I will call you Y/N only if you call me Steve. And I promise that Phil will be home tonight. If he won’t leave, I’ll put him on a week’s suspension so that he’ll finally go home and rest.”

You laughed, knowing how much of a workaholic Phil was, even if he never wanted to tell you what was really happening other than what you saw on the news. “Thank you, Steve. Really, and happy belated birthday, by the way. I made the cake that Phil brought in for you.”

“Sounds like I should be the one thanking you, Y/N, that cake was delicious, Bucky and I are still trying to save it.”

“No, please, enjoy it. I’ll hand deliver more cake anytime you want. I own the bakery just down the street from SHIELD headquarters, but don’t tell Phil I told you that.”

Steve chuckled, not wanting to take you up on your offer, always the gentleman. “Have you ever made a cake with plums in it?”

“I have.”

“Would you mind dropping one off next week? Plums are Bucky’s favourite.”

“Anything for Captain America and the former Winter Soldier, or Steve and Bucky.”

“Thank you, Y/N. I’ll speak to Phil.”

“Thank you Steve.” You said, hanging up.

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

You had gotten a text later from Steve saying that Phil had agreed to leave early so that the two of you would actually get to spend some time together. So, naturally, you decided to leave your bakery in the capable hands of your second-in-command and best friend, to go home early and make a lovely birthday dinner for your husband. Of course, planning to make his favourite dinner with his favourite wine, followed by his favourite flavour of cake with his favourite icing, and to top the night off, it will probably be more wine, followed by a sloppy makeout session, and cuddles in bed while the two of you talk until you fall asleep. If you’re lucky, you’ll wake up in the morning and he won’t have left for work yet, but you haven’t had one of those mornings in a very long time.

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

“Honey, I’m home- Did you make my favourite?” Phil asked, walking in on you icing his cake while you were keeping dinner warm in the oven.

“Favourite dinner is in the oven, favourite wine is chilling in the fridge, favourite cake with favourite icing on top, and your favourite person in your favourite dress. Happy birthday, honey.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. And I’m sorry I haven’t been here much over the past couple of weeks. You know how work gets this time of year.”

“I do. And I know how you feel about your birthday. That’s why there’s no fancy dinner reservations, just you and me, and we don’t even have to sit at the kitchen table if you don’t want to. We can sit on the couch with our dinner and wine, I can serve the cake up after, and then I can get you all soapy in the shower because I know how much you love it when I wash your hair for you.”

Phil looked at you like the embodiment of the heart-eyed emoji, visibly softening after his day. “I’m sorry I’m not here, honey. I am. Thank you for doing all of this for me.”

“It’s okay, Phil. I told you when I married you that I was okay with you working long hours because I do too.”

Phil pulled the wine out of the fridge, poured you each a glass, and sat down at the set table, waiting for you to sit with him, knowing that if he tried to pull dinner out of the oven, you’d smack him upside the head with your oven mitts. “So did you close up early today then?”

You placed dinner on the table between the two of you, motioning for Phil to grab a serving. “Left it with Y/B/F/N, she’s perfectly capable without me supervising. Also, if I were to drop something off for Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, where would I go for that?”

“You’d take it up to their floor of Stark Tower, since that’s where SHIELD is operating from. Why do you ask?”

“Steve and I now have a standing deal that I’ll make him and Bucky cake whenever they want so they won’t have to ration it out like they currently are with Steve’s birthday cake from earlier this week. Bucky likes plums, so Steve would like a plum cake next week as a surprise.”

“And what do you get in exchange for this?”

You chuckled, taking a sip of your wine. “I’m sure, the two of them being 40s gentlemen, will insist on paying me. I won’t charge them full-price though, and my only request will be that I get to spend some time with my lovely husband occasionally.”

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

After dinner, you were right. You and Phil had cake, where you insisted on singing Happy Birthday to him before he blew out the candles and told him to make a wish. The two of you started watching a shitty romcom on the TV before deciding to have a slightly tipsy sloppy makeout session. Then, you washed his hair for him in the shower, and the two of you talked in bed until you eventually fell asleep curled up to his side.

In the morning, you woke up to find yourself still curled up to Phil, despite the fact that it was later in the morning and his alarm surely should’ve gone off by now. Looking around dazed, you vaguely wondered if he had died in his sleep and that was why he hadn’t gone to work. But he was still warm, you could still hear his heart beating, and his chest was still rising and falling under your head.

“I called in sick today and texted Y/B/F/N that you weren’t coming in either. You’re right, honey. We do need to spend time together instead of always working. We got married because we love each other, not because we wanted the benefits of being married in New York.” Phil told you, planting a kiss on the top of your head.

“Can we stay in bed a little longer?” You mumbled. “I’m tired.”

“We were up late last night talking, you can go back to sleep, honey. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He told you, softly stroking your cheek until your breath evened out listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

#reader insert #baker!reader #reader owns a bakery with her best friend #phil coulson x reader #phil coulson x baker!reader #reader calls steve to get phil off of work early #then she cooks and bakes for him #then they're just really fluffy #big time fluff in this one #also wow look at me go #two posts in one day #when was the last time that happened #okay #enough tags now?#i'm really bad at this whole 'tagging' business #but i think i got everything

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justafanficwriterhere54321 · 2 years

Text

Out of my league (phil coulson x fem!reader)

Requested; no

Relationship; Phil Coulson x fem!reader (she is Confident with a capital C)

Type of fanfic; fluff/romance

Warnings; I believe there are none but tell me if I missed anything

Wordcount; 969

Timesetting; somewhere around the beginning of season 1, but I kinda didn’t pay any mind to what’s canon and what is not.

Summary; You have been flirting with Coulson for a long time, but even though he completely simps over you he cannot wrap his head around the idea that you are not mocking him. - because he believes you are out of his league

A/N; This is my first story ever and I kind of wrote it out of spite, since there are WAY to little stories about my man Coulson. English is not my first or second language so I’m sorry if there are any mistakes. My requests are open btw, so feel free to send them. Happy reading!

Coulsons POV:

I walked into the main room of the bus and saw her face; “Hey there Coulson, looking good as always wearing your suit!” she said, I kept my smile but the fact that she mocked me day in day out was starting to get the best of me. “Hello agent, here’s the file for your next mission” I answered shortly. “Someone isn’t a morning person” she said, smiling in my direction.

I am the boss; I am the one that chooses whether she can say that to me. Do something about it Phil!

No, she will hate me for it, and it is not professional to get feelings into my job!

This is not feelings it is basic respect! And besides, she doesn’t care about my feelings either!

That was just a joke, I’m being cranky.

“Uhm, yes. I forgot my morning coffee today” to be fair that was not a lie. She looked at me for a few seconds and then said, “Oh, should I get your coffee for you? I know you always switch it up a little, so what do you want today?”

How does she know that? Has she been watching me? Does she care about me?

No, I’m being dramatic. She is probably just finding a way to tease me. She’s trying to tease me for not being able to do it myself.

“I am fully capable of caring for myself, thanks.” I said curtly. Her face fell, and she looked… hurt?

She does care about me! See! She wasn’t kidding!

Or she just likes it more when I am acting dumb in front of her like I always do. She’s probably disappointed that she cannot laugh in my face.

She would never laugh in my face.

“I didn’t mean it that way Coulson. I am sorry if it looked like that. I’m acting stupid anyway… I am going to go training. Bye.” She answered somberly. She walked out and I heard her entering the training room.

Dammit. She did mean it. But why does she even care?

Maybe I should go tell her that I’m sorry for talking that way?

Those are my feelings for her talking. She has the file for her next mission, my job is done for now.

I walked up to the coffee machine and pondered about what coffee to get, but I just could not get her of my mind; did she really mean what she said or was she kidding? I may have stood there for minutes, until I heard Skye entering the main room and she said, “You better tell her why you feel like you are so much better than her because I swear you, I’m going to punch you in the face if you hurt her feelings like that again.” “What? What are you talking about?” I answered.

She likes me?

“She had been flirting with you for months Coulson. Tell her you don’t like her like that already and give her a chance to move on.” Skye near-yelled at me.

She likes me.

“But- I-I don’t get it? She has been teasing me about liking her, she’s the one who should apologize!” I yelled back. “Teasing you?! You have been so oblivious to her flirting because you think she is teasing you? What kind of a shitty spy are you!?”

SHE LIKES ME!!!

“I’ve got to tell her” I said, still confused.

THE MOST PERFECT WOMAN IN THE UNIVERSE LIKES ME BACK!!!!

I ran out before Skye could answer, running into the training room. I heard… crying?

I ran towards the noise and saw her crying on the floor. She must not have noticed me, either that or she did not mind me seeing her crying. I walked closer to her and kneeled next to her. I opened my arms and pulled her towards me softly. She flinched away from me, looking up with red, puffy eyes. “Coulson? What are you doing here?” She asked, her voice sounded like she was ill. “Shh, I am not here to make fun of you. Just come here” said and opened my arms again, and she just accepted the embrace.

“Why are you giving me so much mixed signals Coulson? You ignore my flirting but always stare at me and blush when you think I am not looking. And now this? I just don’t understand you…” She said, sounding confused and hurt .

I slowly moved my hand to her hair and answered; “I thought you were making fun of me with your ‘flirting’. I just think you are way out of my league.” “So… you don’t like me?” “I do like you, I just thought you would never like me. If you are able to get anyone you want at your feet, why choose me?”

She pulled away from the hug and an angry expression was put instead of the sad one. Did I say something wrong? “That is it? That kept you from flirting back these months? You thinking I’m out of your league?!” She yelled. – what is it with women yelling at me today? –

“I’m sorry I-” and then she kissed me.

She’s kissing me she’s kissing me she’s kissing me she’s kissing me she’s kissing me

Her usual level of confidence was back when she asked me; “So, how about we go out sometime, huh?” I just looked at her, dumbfounded. “Hellooo, earth to Phil Coulson, do you read?” She said, laughing as she waved her hand in front of my face. I snapped out of my trance and quickly answered; “Yes. Please go out with me. Please.” She smiles and softly grabs the side of my face, “You look good when you are begging darling” she said, before giving me a soft kiss.

She’s confident;

She’s perfect;

She’s mine.

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ioveskye · 1 year

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Wonder | Leo Fitz x reader Prologue

A/N: Hey everyone, after more than a year I am finally going through with this series that I had planned. Since there is a lack of aos fics out there i wanted to make one myself. On my AO3 there is a version of this fanfic with my OC as well (in case you don’t want to read an x reader, its @ioveskye as well) Please let me know if you like the series and let me know if you want to be on the taglist.

"These are all the files the department could find about the experiments you requested." Lucia, the newly hired intern said to Y/n as she was handed the files she asked for. She smiled at the young girl and thanked her. Lucia made her way back to her own desk and Y/n immediately began to do her research.

Y/n L/n, a well-known detective all around the world. She has solved numerous mysteries and was even the first person to be right about the 'Thor theory'. A recent turn of events has caught the attention of the young detective lately which led her to read all the files that the department could find. Numerous hospitals in the area around Los Angeles all had encounters with patients that died of similar causes. The biggest pattern between these deaths was that the cause of death was never discovered. After some more digging Y/n found out that all the patients had all undergone special treatments at the same medical clinic.

Sadly that was as far as she got. An address. It wasn't a well-known clinic and they only specialized in physiotherapy (that's what the website said at least). So she decided to check it out to just 'ask some questions'. The moment she grabbed her gear however she was stopped by the ringing of her phone. It wasn't her work phone so she was very confused about why an anonymous caller was calling her. When she pressed accept she never would've believed to hear the voice of an old friend.

"Y/n L/N, it has been a while since we last spoke hasn't it?" The voice of Phil Coulson said at the other end of the line.

Y/n couldn't help but smirk. Of course, Phil Coulson would call her randomly after three years like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Well well, Phil Coulson. In what do I owe the pleasure? Does S.H.I.E.L.D. need my help again with something?"

"You could say that. But it isn't just S.H.I.E.L.D. it's also a friend asking for a favor."

She turned to the two co-workers that were waiting for her at the side of her desk. She held her phone to her shoulder so she could talk to the two men. "Guys go back to your other assignments I don't think we'll be heading out for a while."They nodded at her and walked back to their own desks once again while Y/n turned her attention back to her phone.

"So, what kind of favor is this and how do I benefit from it." She asked the man with a smirk knowing damn well it didn't actually matter since she'd always help out.

"I've been setting up a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that are focused on missions with potential 0-8-4's. I think you're familiar with those right?" The line went quiet for a while, Coulson waiting for an affirmation that the young detective still remembered what he meant. When the girl hummed in familiarity the man continued. "Well, I hoped that you would be a part of that team. I know your last team up with S.H.I.E.L.D a few years ago didn't go as planned and that you've decided that working on your own was better but I hoped you could give us another chance. I think you'd be a great asset. If not for S.H.I.E.L.D then just as a consultant. I'd like to hear about your decision soon."

The girl sighed when Coulson didn't say anything else. Of course, she wanted to help Coulson with his team but teamwork wasn't something she was specialized in. The last time she went on a mission with S.H.I.E.L.D it went horribly wrong and she told herself she wouldn't make that mistake again. But now that Coulson asked for her help she couldn't refuse.

"All right, ill do it. But they better pay me for this."

"Don't worry, I've already made sure of that."

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strawwritesfic · 2 years

Text

Phil Coulson x SHIELD Worker!Reader: Hyperlink

Summary: Office romances are awkward, even when your office is the headquarters of a bunch of secret government agents.

Rating/Warnings/Tags: All (Pre-Avengers (2012); Desk Agent!Reader; IT!Reader)

Challenge: “120 Bits of Random” challenge by SugarLandBabyGirl on Lunaescence Archives.

Tag List: @imaginesfire

Hyperlink

When you told people that you worked for a secret government agency, their flights of fantasy usually took care of the problem of making you explain what exactly that involved. What came to mind (high speed chases, martinis, gunfights, and beautiful women) were much more interesting than your actual job with SHIELD entailed. Some of the agents might have got caught up in those sorts of things, but you were not one of them. You spent most of your time on the clock in the basement working with the computer system.

It was an absolute mess from the get go, which probably explained your easy hiring. A student fresh out of college didn’t normally get offered such a high profile job so quickly. In the years since, you had tried your absolute best to clean things up. Though the system those days weren’t perfect, they were better that the state you'd found them in, and better enough that you were bored most of the time. Cleaning viruses off the field agents’ computers wasn’t exactly exciting–but at least it kept you in contact with people outside your staff.

“Hello? Is anyone home?” You looked up from your laptop to see a familiar face smiling at you from the entrance to your office. Phil Coulson, upon catching your eye, nodded and stepped inside. “I need some help and they sent me here.”

“Again?” You spun your chair in his direction.

“Well, you are the boss.”

“But you need help again? Last time you didn’t even have a malware problem,” you said. Looking closely at Phil, his eyes appeared to widen a bit at your words, but perhaps you were just imagining things. Best not to get your hopes up after all. You pointed at the chair opposite your desk and waited for Phil to settle in.

“It’s not malware this time,” he assured you, sliding his laptop to you. “I haven’t had a problem with that since you installed that one program.”

“And you’re not clicking the links of every single e-mail sent to you?”

He hesitated just a moment too long before shaking his head. “No.”

Smiling knowingly, you hummed and popped open the screen. “So if it isn’t a virus, what seems to be the problem this time?”

“It’s not a problem, per say,” Phil said. “I just hit a bit of a roadblock writing an email.”

You chuckled, clicking open Phil’s email program. There was a new e-mail, but you didn’t open it. Privacy policy and all that. As you tucked your pen behind your ear, you turned your attention back to your office guest.

“You field agents send so few emails you get stuck doing so?” you asked.

“This one is special,” Phil said with that same blithe smile. “And I haven’t tried sending any links before.”

“Links.” You blinked. “You realize you can just copy and paste those, right?”

“They’re not those kinds of links. What are they called again?” He tapped a finger against the surface of the desk.

You watched with a tiny smile. Really, Phil wasn’t all that old in comparison to the rest of the agents in his department. Everyone that was his age knew enough about computers to explain to you what they wanted.

After a moment of squeezing his eyes shut, he snapped his fingers and opened his eyes again. “Hyperlinks! They’re called hyperlinks.”

“Oh. Yeah, those are a little different. I can show you how to set those up, if you’ve already got the document ready.”

He gestured at the computer. “By all means.”

You maximized the email without further ado. There was a PowerPoint presentation attached to it. As this was the focus of your conversation, you did not bother to look at the body of the email, or even who the slideshow was being sent to.

“It should already be on the right slide,” Phil said.

You nodded absently as the program pulled up, revealing a simple white slide with black text. A bullet-point list took up all the space. Your eyes danced over several of the points, which spelled out things such as I am very neat and organized, I will respect your personal space, and I’m good at writing letters.

“Which one did you need hyperlinked?” you asked slowly.

“The last one,” he answered.

Your eyes fell upon the final point on the list: I will let you touch whatever you want in my Captain America collection.

“And to where?”

“There’s a picture on the last slide.”

You scrolled down to find a photograph of what could only be Phil’s incredibly extensive collection. After that, it was a simple enough matter to set up a hyperlink.

“So what are you making this for anyway?” you asked. “Some sort of Captain American fan contest?”

“No,” said Phil. “Nothing like that.”

“Then what…”

But you didn’t finish that sentence, because the question was soon answered for you. Due to force of habit, you had scrolled back to the first slide before hitting the save button. The title of the slideshow had nothing to do with Captain America at all. It read: Why You Should Agree to Go Out With me.

"Oh, did you see that?” Phil said, just as mildly as he’d said everything before. “I suppose I won’t need to email it to you, then.”

You gaped first at the slideshow, then at Phil. It took you nearly an entire minute to recover enough to say, “You’re asking me out via PowerPoint presentation?”

“Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Phil shrugged, leaning backward in his chair. “I know I’m old fashioned, but I thought if I could prove to you that I could use a computer, you might give me a shot.”

Words! You needed to speak words! But your heart drummed too hard in your chest for you think properly. All you could manage was continuing to look between the computer screen and Phil’s face.

To his credit, he waited a very long time for a response, and patiently, too. When the silence continued, however, he gently snapped the laptop shut, picked it up, and began to walk from the room.

“But I guess,” he said, looking not the slightest bit perturbed by your implied rejection, “now that I’ve revealed I can’t even hyperlink things, you probably wouldn’t be intereste–”

“Wait!”

Phil paused in the doorway.

You left your chair and rushed up to him. “I–I didn’t mean I wouldn’t. I was just surprised, is all.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that I would love to go out with you, Phil.” And you would. You just hadn’t been expecting your little crush to ever pan out.

His smile grew. “So should I email you the details?”

“Maybe just give me them in person for now. One step at a time.”

Pick you up at seven Friday?”

“Seven sounds great,” you answered. “See you then.”

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loopsisloops · 6 months

Text

The Green Light

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 302

A thought popped into my head…not quite sure where it came from but let’s just call it a horny blurb for now lol

Loki does not ask for permission.

He waits for it.

His body language exudes patience but his eyes betray him. Nothing but hunger in them as they trail up and down your legs. The butterflies in your stomach fluttered with excitement.

You looked down at the beautiful god on his knees with nothing but love and adoration.

He was your everything and you knew he felt the same way about you.

You uncrossed your legs and leaned forward, the smell of his cologne was intoxicating. His eyes fluttered shut, a small groan escaped his lips as you ran a hand through his dark curls.

After tucking a few loose curls behind his ear you brought your hand down to his jaw, slowly running the pad of your thumb over his soft lips. A smile formed on your own as you tilted his head back. Imprints of your red lips on his soft skin scattered down his neck. Arousal pooled between your legs. You were proud of your work yet you weren’t even close to being done.

You leaned back on the bed resting on your elbows. You were wearing nothing but the black lingerie set he had so eagerly picked out for you just last week. You knew you were playing with fire when it came to what you were about to do next but it was worth the risk. With the tip of your heel you lightly pressed down on his bulge.

The groan that escaped his lips was heavenly.

His hands formed into fists but remained in front of him, the sleeves of his white button down shirt rolled up to his elbows exposing those gorgeous forearms.

He tilted his head up, lovely ocean green eyes meeting yours.

You were done for.

With one look you gave him the green light.

#no beta we die like Phil Coulson #loki laufeyson #loki #loki x reader #loki x y/n #loki fanfic #mcu loki #mcu #loki smut #18+

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messedupfan · 9 months

Text

Chapter 5

Summary: Reader and Wanda hang out together with some of their friends and get to know each other a bit better.

A/N: So sorry for the late chapter but this thing is almost 7k words and it was very difficult to find a stopping point. Chapter 6 is most likely going to be late as well, hopefully I can get back to my schedule. Thank you all for your patience and for reading. I truly appreciate all of you! Enjoy!

Masterlist | All Chapters | All Stories Taglist

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

Spending a week in the woods, camping with Rachel, has been a tradition since she could walk. Jean only participated in the first two. After the divorce you weren't sure you wanted to keep the tradition but Jean made a few good points on why you should continue it. Now, years later, it's the best way that you get to bond with Rachel beyond the distracting devices and all of her shows and music. You do your best to keep up with all of it but she is constantly changing. You encourage it, of course. But it's hard to feel connected with your daughter. Except on these trips.

You rent the same spot every year. The two of you build the tent together and make it cozy inside. Then you set up the fire pit and she finds the best spots for the chairs. The two of you make food together over the fire. Tell jokes and scary stories. Remain completely unplugged for the entire trip. At night she snuggles close and you cherish the way she holds you tight because you know there will be a day a few years from now when she won't. She'll be upset with you because you'll be upset with her. Things will get tough, as they do with growing up, and you won't get as many hugs as you do now. And she'll continue to grow up and find her own way in life and her snuggles and these camping trips will be nothing but a distant memory.

Between meals the two of you make up games, talk to each other, and you teach her what you can think of at the moment. The two of you swim in the lake nearby and have fun splashing each other. A dog runs up to her when she’s eating her food and you already know that she's going to start asking for a dog. Luckily, you're able to convince her that she's still too young for one.

All too soon, it's Friday morning and the two of you are packing up the campsite. It's sad putting away the fun week but it's what has to be done. Once your truck is packed up, you hit the road and she's finally able to use her phone again. The entire drive home she is blasting her favorite songs and singing at the top of her lungs. Once you're back in town you're reminded of your plans and at a stop light you message Wanda to see if she's still up for drinks. You don't get a reply until you're pulling up to your apartment building.

Too nervous to check, you unload the car and get Rachel comfortable before you check your messages. I’ll see you at seven? Your shoulders drop from the relief. You call your sister, Kate, and ask if she can babysit for a couple of hours.

“Oh… does someone finally have a date?” She inquires and it makes you roll your eyes.

“No, I'm just grabbing drinks with some friends,” you clarify.

“You’re so boring,” she groans. “Alright, I'll babysit. I don't mind spending some one on one with my favorite niece!”

“She’s your only niece,” you laugh at her enthusiasm.

“Exactly,” she says. “I’d have other favorite nieces, maybe even nephews, but no. You refuse to make anymore.”

“Gross, you do realize that you're upset with me for not getting laid, right?” The line goes quiet and you wonder if she's even there anymore. “Hello? Kate?”

“I’m here, I just had to go scrub my brain with bleach to remove the last few minutes from my memory.” She says nonchalant, as if that was the most normal thing to do. “Anyway, I'll be there in a few. You better leave me some money for food.”

“Of course, I'll see you in a bit. Thank you so much,” you say your goodbyes and hang up. You walk to Rachel’s room and knock on her door and enter once she says you can. “Hey kiddo, aunt Kate is coming over to watch you for a bit. I have something… I mean I will be… uh, I have to do something.” You cringe at how you’re fumbling telling her that you’re going out. Normally, to avoid this, you would plan to do something on a night you don’t have her. But you only have yourself to blame for this.

“Okay, have fun,” she says as she scrolls through her phone.

“Okay,” you almost want to laugh at how easy that was. “Okay,” you repeat yourself. “I’m going to shower so can you let your aunt in if she gets her before I’m out?”

Rachel nods, “Yeah no prob, now go! You don’t want to smell gross for your date.”

“It’s not a date,” you clarify and Rachel mutters something to herself that you can’t decipher but decide you don’t want to know anyway. “Please don't ever grow up,” you say with a smile and she looks up at you with big eyes like her mother.

“I have to someday,” she says seriously and it crushes something in you. As a parent, that is possibly the best and worst response to ever hear. “Now go, please,” she says with a small wave of her hand.

You finally leave her room, closing the door to the point that it's left to a crack. Just to mess with her a little. Then you head to the shower because you haven't had a proper one in several days. Your daughter is right, you do smell pretty gross. When you step out you hear your sister and Rachel laughing at something playing on the television. You finish getting dressed and when you walk out with a smile to greet the two girls they look up at you with horror.

“What?” You ask as you look at your t-shirt and jeans. Your usual attire.

“Is that what you're wearing?” Kate asks as she slowly eats the popcorn from the bowl between her and Rachel.

“Yeah, why? What's wrong with it?” You laugh at their judgmental eyes.

“Nothing, it's just so… you,” Kate replies with disgust.

“That’s a bad thing?”

“No,” she pauses as she continues to look you up and down. “It’s just not a good thing.”

You shake your head with a laugh, “Gee thanks, little sis. But it's nothing to get bent out of shape over. It's just drinks with some friends. I highly doubt Steve or Phil are going to have anything to say about my outfit.” You grab your jacket and put it on despite Kate's commentary about not wearing it. “What? I checked the weather. It might rain tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Rach. You’re not going to get another step-mom anytime soon,” Kate says.

Rachel is hardly paying attention to the conversation anymore so when her aunt speaks to her it takes a moment for her to respond. She shrugs, “It’s okay, Ms. Wanda likes their work uniform. She won’t mind this, I guess. I just thought she deserved better from them.”

“Oh, she has a name? And she knows Rachel?” Kate says in surprise, happy to be getting the good details now. “This must be serious.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose as you shake your head. “No, it’s not. I’m not dating anyone, Kate. Stop encouraging this kind of behavior.” You say, frustrated from having to repeat yourself constantly. You never liked this kind of teasing. It makes you uncomfortable and feel like you have something to prove. Besides, it's not fair to the other person who can't defend themselves. You grab your wallet, phone, and keys. “I don't have cash on me so I’ll send you the money for dinner. Thank you for watching her.” You say as you get a text from Wanda that she's already at the bar and sends you her location to double check that it's the right one. You send her a thumbs up. “I’ll be right around the corner so if there's any kind of emergency do not hesitate to call. Okay?”

“Of course,” Kate says. She hands Rachel the bowl of popcorn and gets off the couch. She stands in front of you and pulls you in for a hug. “I’m sorry, I know I tease you a lot but… I just want you to be happy.”

You hold your sister for a second and pull away and smile at her. “I am happy, kiddo. You don't need to be in a relationship to find happiness.”

She pats your check with a fake expression of pity. “Oh, you are so single. It's sad.”

You shake your head with a hearty laugh. “Whatever, weirdo.” You step away from her and go to join Rachel on the couch to give your daughter a hug. “I love you, nugget. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Morning? You’re going to be out all night?” She asks in surprise.

“No, sweetheart. You’ll be in bed by the time I come home.” You tell her with a soft laugh. “I’ll be back here tonight and will be making your favorite breakfast in the morning. Don’t worry.” You tap your finger to her nose and she scrunches her face with a giggle.

“Okay, have fun!” She gives you one last side hug, careful to not spill the bowl of popcorn.

Finally, you leave the apartment building and walk a few blocks down to your favorite bar. You used to work there when you turned twenty-one and learned many skills that you don’t use anymore unless it’s to try and impress someone you’re interested in. Especially since the owner has a soft spot for some of his former employees and will let you behind the bar to let you do a trick or two.

Walking inside The Hub you grow nervous because this will be the first time you and Wanda intentionally hang out together. You weren’t sure what you were supposed to talk about. What if there is nothing to talk about? How are you supposed to continue to go to her house and eat her food if she hates you after this? Steve is sitting at the bar talking with Phil. You met Steve when working here, he was the one who trained you in mixology.

Steve served in the military before you met him here. His usual story is that he only enlisted because he didn’t have a direction at eighteen and needed something to help him make good money early in life. The real story is that he spent the majority of his life training to be in the military. His entire family is in the military, it was all he knew. But once he was actually in battle he realized that life wasn’t for him. When he finished his six year commitment to the Marines, he didn’t renew his contract and hasn’t spoken to his family because of it. To say they didn’t approve would be an understatement.

“Rogers!” You greet him happily. You do a quick handshake and pull each other into a half hug. “It’s been a while, I’m glad you could make it out.” You sit next to him.

“I’ve been good, Peggy and I just got a place together,” he says with a grin as he takes a sip from his beer.

“That’s awesome man,” you congratulate him.

“Wow, it’s like I don’t exist,” Phil says as he sets a glass down in front of you and pours your favorite drink for you.

“I was going to get to you,” you laugh at his impatience. “How’s it been, Coulson? The place looks busy. I can’t even find the person I invited out.” You look around to find Wanda and her friend but have no luck from where you’re sitting.

“Yeah, business has been good,” he says with a frown as he throws his rag over his shoulder.

“Why does that sound like it's a bad thing for you?” Steve picks up on the bar owner's mood.

Phil leans on the bar and sighs. “My daughter is home for the summer and she needed a job but no one was willing to hire her so I thought what’s the worst that could happen? Turns out, it’s this.” He points to the crowd of guys that keep looking over at the bar to catch a glimpse of Phil’s daughter and you laugh as you realize that the ratio of males to females is not what you’re used to at this place.

“Where is she?” Steve asks and you nudge him as you shake your head. “What? I just want to see her. It’s been a while. Geez, I’m in a committed relationship, Y/n.”

Phil looks at Steve, “No one is seeing my daughter tonight. She isn’t scheduled to come in. I’ve made sure to give her all Friday’s to Sunday’s off.” He says proudly. You point out the room full of customers that don’t know and he laughs. “I’m not going to tell them that. I still need to keep this business afloat.” You nod with a smile as someone comes up from behind him and you recognize her from the photos that Phil has in his office. She is much more mature now than she is in those photos and you can see why she draws in a crowd. You clear your throat to get Phil’s attention and point her out to him. He spins around. “Daisy! I gave you the day off! Why are you here?”

“Calm down, Grant asked me to cover his shift. Besides, these are the busiest nights and I can make great tips,” she explains as she ties her apron on. Her and Phil have a quiet argument and you and Steve watch in amusement.

As guys come to crowd the bar you and Steve step away and you are reminded why you’re there in the first place. She is across the room, sitting in a booth in the corner chatting with her friend. Wanda looks up and the two of you make eye contact and you smile as you grab Steve’s attention. A soft blush warms her cheeks and she looks away from you. “There she is,” you tell him. Steve isn’t sure who you’re looking at so he lets you lead the way. You join her and her friend in the round booth. “I’m sorry it took so long to find you. This place isn’t usually this busy. Believe me, I used to make the worst tips here.”

Wanda laughs, “Okay, I’ll just have to take your word for it.” The two of you stare at each other for a moment. Not sure how to act around each other in this setting. She takes a drink from her cup and points to her friend. “This is my best friend, Carol Danvers. She’s in the Air Force.” You reach your hand across the table to introduce yourself, mentioning that it was an honor to meet her.

“An honor?” Steve scoffs in offense. “I served six years and you never said it was an honor to meet me.”

“That’s because you’re a nightmare,” you retort.

“I will have you know, I am a delight,” Steve defends himself. “I’m Steve Rogers by the way.” He offers his hand to Wanda first then Carol. “I know, it's an honor to meet me.” The girls laugh at his joke and you shake your head.

You turn to Wanda, “I’m sorry about him. Now you can see why I'm in search of some new friends.”

Wanda nods with her eyebrows raised, “I won't lie, I half expected you to bring Rachel's mom or my brother.” She admits in a laugh. “So, how'd the two of you meet?”

“Here,” you state as you sip your beverage. “We used to work together here.” You tip your glass to her friend who is engrossed in a conversation with Steve about basic training and sharing war stories. “How did the two of you meet?”

Wanda looks at Carol and then looks back at you. “We met at a party in high school,” she shrugs. “We didn't go to the same school, we just knew a few of the same people and became friends that way.”

“Oh that's cool. Which high school did you attend?” Wanda tells you about the high school she attended in another state. Then she goes into how she made her way out here. That she got into the university here and that's where she met Vision. How she got into architecture. She talks about how her parents weren’t ever married and that her father moved out here when she was in middle school. Which is part of what influenced her choice in university. Explains how Pietro followed along shortly after and worked under their father to prepare to take over the construction business for him.

Before she can continue on with her life story, Daisy comes over to the table with a notepad and a few menus. “So my dad is having a bitch fit and now I'm your personal server tonight. Here,” she tosses the menus onto the middle of the table. “I will be back every five minutes. Go.” She walks away and you laugh.

“The service is wonderful here,” Carol says sarcastically.

“Oh yeah, definitely employee of the month,” Wanda chimes in and the two women share a look before laughing at each other. Steve makes a funny face to you and you shrug because you have no clue what their inside joke is. Wanda grabs a menu and turns to you. “What would you recommend?”

“The loaded nachos and that’s it,” Steve cuts into the conversation.

You nod, “Yeah, that’s the only thing that doesn’t go in the toaster oven.”

“A toaster oven?” Wanda scoffs at the idea that an establishment would be allowed to get away with such a thing. But you nod, not showing any sign of the information being a joke. “Wow, okay. Loaded nachos then.”

“My goodness! There you two are!” A woman says as she gets close to the booth. “I have been to three bars looking for you guys. What are we doing here?” She slides in next to you on the booth and she gives you a flirty smile. “Oh, hello,” she winks at you then she leans on the table to talk directly to Wanda. “Now I know why you were ignoring my texts.” She returns her attention to you, “Tell me cutie, are you single?”

Wanda bursts out laughing at your uncomfortable expression as the strange woman strokes your arm. “Agatha, pump the brakes. This is the friend I told you about.”

Agatha stops trying to flirt with you and her eyes widen. “Oh! You’re them! Oh, honey why didn’t you say anything,” She swats your shoulder as she lets out a boisterous laugh. Agatha holds her hand out to you, “Agatha Harkness, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

You accept her hand and shake it quickly before dropping it. “Nice to meet you as well, I’m Y/n.”

“Oh honey, I know who you are.” She directs her next words to Wanda. “You told me they were cute but you didn’t say they were hot!”

You look at Wanda with raised eyebrows and a teasing smirk. “Yeah, explain yourself, Wanda.”

Wanda opens and closes her mouth as she blushes. She knew she shouldn’t have used any sort of compliment as a descriptor. “I never said Y/n is cute.” She says as she points her finger at Agatha.

“Right, you didn’t say cute,” Agatha gives her a big wink.

“If it evens the score, Y/n told me that Wanda is very pretty,” Phil chimes in as he comes over with a tray of drinks. You had told him the kind of drink you wanted Wanda to try when you texted him earlier about being here. He said that he’d have them ready once you lasted more than ten minutes at the table with her. “If you ask me, Y/n is a little smitten.”

You shake your head, “It’s a good thing no one asked you then.” Steve makes an ooh sound, Carol laughs and Wanda appears a little impressed. “Thank you, Phil. I appreciate everything you do.” You rush out with an apologetic smile.

“You’re lucky I know you,” he says after he clears the tray. “Otherwise I’d pay Steve here to throw you out of here.”

“Oh please, you wouldn’t have to pay me.” Steve says as he grabs his glass, “I’d gladly do it for free.”

You nod your head, “Yup, these are the people I call my friends.”

The two men laugh and Daisy returns to the table. “Know what you want yet?” She asks with her notepad and pen ready.

“Two orders of loaded nachos please,” Steve says. “And a side order of your number,” he winks. Phil smacks the back of Steve’s head. “Ow! I was joking!”

“Behave, I won’t tell you twice,” Phil says unamused while the rest of you try to not laugh.

Steve salutes him, and then looks at Daisy. “I’m sorry, we’ll just have the nachos, please.”

The night continues like that, with humorous bits and teasing. Daisy returns every few minutes to check on the table and you order a couple rounds of shots that you want Wanda to try. You watch her to see if she likes them and when she makes a comment about how you know good drinks Steve points out that you have a home court advantage. To which Carol suggests a change in venue for an even playing field. You pay for the nachos and some of the drinks as Wanda refuses to let you cover the entire bill.

As you’re leaving The Hub, Daisy pulls you aside while everyone else walks out. You look at her confused and she writes her phone number on a paper in the notepad. She rips it out and slips it in your pocket with a sultry, “Call me.” You find the gesture to be a little funny but you don’t reject her right there. You figure that you’ll probably never use the number. Out of respect to her father and to her. You thank her and walk out the door to catch up with your group.

As they’re walking Wanda thinks of something to ask you and turns around only to find you missing from the group. She looks around and sees the interaction between you and Daisy through the window. Her eyes widen when she sees the girl stick her fingers in your front pocket. She feels a pang of jealousy but she isn’t sure that’s exactly what she is feeling. Maybe she was feeling off from all of the alcohol they were mixing. Why would she be jealous of you getting some girl's number? You seemed close with her father, so you could be receiving that number for any reason. And yet, she couldn’t shake the fact that seeing that intimate interaction bothered her. When you appear in front of her asking where the five of you are headed off to next, she has to snap herself out of her head. She shrugs because she was so focused on herself that she wasn’t paying attention to the rest of them.

Steve points to a place a few buildings down that the group of five make agree to and their way over. This place was more of a nightclub and there is a crazy long line to get inside which you were completely fine with. It gave you some time to talk with Wanda while waiting. She asked you a lot of questions this time, to get to learn more about you. All you talk about is how you’re from this city and go into the details of your family. How you didn’t like being a child of a bitter divorce and that you wanted better for your daughter. Then you talk about the different types of jobs you’ve had since you were fifteen. And you reveal how you’re working towards a business degree at the community college because you’ve always wanted to start your own handmade furniture business. Steve hypes up your work when he overhears that part of the conversation. You awkwardly thank him and next thing you know, the five of you are inside the club.

Once inside, you hate it immediately. The music is loud making it difficult to hear. It’s hot and the air is thin. It was hard to breathe in anything other than the aroma of alcohol and the smell of other people’s sweat. The place is full and cramped with sweaty bodies knocking into or grinding on each other which makes it hard to stick together. The flashing and rapidly moving lights are unpleasant and difficult to see through. Wanda grabs the collar of your shirt and roughly pulls you close so that you can hear her, “Can we leave?”

You nod without hesitation and turn around to tell the rest of them that it’s time to go but Carol, Agatha, and Steve have disappeared in the crowd. Wanda grabs onto your jacket with a tight grip so she doesn’t lose you while you search for the other three. You spot Agatha first, she is grinning as she dances provocatively with some random man. Next you spot Carol smiling at a woman as she leans against the bar. Lastly, you find Steve getting excited about spotting a group of guys he recognizes. It’s as if those three were in this place for longer than a few minutes and made themselves very comfortable in the environment.

You wrap your arm around Wanda’s waist to pull her close to talk, “I think we’re just going to have to wait outside for them.” Wanda nods and agrees telling you that she just wants to get out. You guide her through the many bodies that are colliding together as they dance to the booming music until the two of you are finally outside. “Oh my goodness I never thought I was going to breathe fresh air again!” You exaggerate once you’re free.

Wanda laughs, “Oh man I had no idea that’s what those were like! I don’t really see the appeal of a place like that!”

“We’re not drunk enough to enjoy it,” you shrug.

“I guess not,” Wanda looks at you. “Were you a person that could handle a club like that?”

You look back at the building and know that there are photos of you in that place somewhere online so there was no point in lying, it was a part of your life that you’re not proud of but a part no less. You nod, “Before my divorce, no way. I was a full-time parent and spouse. After my divorce however…” you drag out as you’re not sure how else to put it. Wanda nods in understanding but you feel like you still have to explain yourself. “Those first few weeks with no family to come home to were so lonely. I’m sure you know how it is. That quiet and isolation is so suffocating. So, yeah, I lost myself in a place like this.” You think back on that time and your reaction to going into that place back then is very different from how you reacted just now. “It’s been a while though and honestly, I cannot tell you how I did it. I don’t know how they’re doing it now!”

Wanda laughs in agreement, “I guess it’s fun for some people. A nightmare for others. And an escape for those who need it.”

“That’s an interesting observation,” you say. “Did you ever do stuff like this before having the boys?”

Wanda makes a face and looks back at the building then back to you, “No,” she drags the word out.“It always seemed like my worst nightmare and well… I was right.”

You nod, “Yeah, it doesn't seem like your kind of thing. Sorry about that, I probably should have shut this idea down.”

“Don't be, I could have said something, I mean we were waiting in line for like an hour. I was curious and now I'm not.” She says with a shrug. Wanda looks around the street and spots another bar with a calmer setting that also has an outdoor option. “Want to go there?” She points it out and you look it over a bit. If you get a spot close to the railing, Steve and the girls will be able to see the two of you from the club when they exit.

“Sure,” you offer your elbow for her to take. Wanda accepts it and makes a comment about chivalry and you laugh. The two of you cross the street and enter the establishment. It’s the type of place where you have to wait to be seated. So you tell the hostess two for outside and she grabs a couple menus and leads you to the empty corner table you had spotted from the club. You thank her and pull the chair out for Wanda, she looks at you funny. “What? You’re the one who said chivalry wasn’t dead. I have to continue to keep it alive.”

“That’s too bad,” she pulls the other chair out, “because now it’s my turn.” She pats the back of the chair, “Have a seat, Y/n.” You look at the gesture and happily accept it. Wanda walks around to claim her seat, “There, now we’re even.”

“Are we? I wasn’t keeping score,” you open the menu and start to look it over. You have only been here a couple of times and are still relatively unfamiliar with what they carry.

Wanda sits there and stares at you for a moment as read the menu. Not knowing the impact your words had on her. Most of her life has been an ongoing score board. If someone did something nice for her she made certain to do something even nicer, expecting them to do something in return. That’s just how relationships and friendships seemed to happen in her life. It wasn’t until halfway through her marriage with Vision that she realized that behavior wasn’t exclusive to good deeds. The amount of bad things they did to each other until the end of it when Vision won and continues to win… Cracks are starting to break through the rose colored lenses.

“Can I get you two anything to drink to start?” A handsome waiter with a winning smile asks, breaking Wanda out of her thoughts. You tell him that you’re going to have a glass of water and one of the local IPA’s. “And for the pretty lady?” The man doesn’t hide that he is checking her out and though Wanda is flattered by the attention, she wasn’t comfortable with it being from him.

“I’ll just have water,” she says shyly.

“Actually, cancel the IPA, I’ll just have the water,” you change your order. You don’t want to be drinking anymore alcohol if Wanda is stopping. “And I’ll add an order of the grilled bread and good olive oil.” You notice that the waiter isn’t taking his eyes off of Wanda and you notice how she seems to shrink under his gaze. “Would you like another appetizer, honey?” you clear your throat as you ask. Not comfortable with using the term of endearment. Wanda sits up as it sounds foreign from you but she notices that the waiter has finally stopped looking at her.

“Oh um, yeah, babe, you know what I like,” she tries her best to play along as she looks over the appetizers. “You’re so silly, you know that I like the-the… oh! White truffle garlic bread. That’s what I’ll have. For us,” she reaches across the table for your hand, “to share.” You bite your lips to keep from laughing as you nod and throw in a wink.

“Will that be all for now?” The man’s flirty demeanor has changed to a more professional one and you know that although the both of you are horrible at pretending, you’ve been able to pull it off.

“Yes, that’s all for now, thank you,” you say politely. He walks away and once he’s gone, you can’t help but laugh a little. “Oh I think we hurt his feelings.”

Wanda smiles and hums, “That’s what he gets for being creepy.” She removes her hand from yours. “Thank you for that, by the way.”

You wave her gratitude off, “It’s nothing. He should be focused on his job and not making his customers uncomfortable.”

Wanda crosses her arms and leans on the table, “Did you ever pick anyone up when you were a bartender?”

You laugh and shake your head, “No, I was still married when I started the job and then I was enjoying being out of a relationship when the divorce happened. I got to learn a lot about myself in that time.”

“Have you dated since your divorce?”

“I have been on a few dates. But I haven’t committed to a relationship since Jean,” you admit. “And it’s not because I still have feelings for her. Things between us ended for a reason and we’re still friends. That’s what we were always meant to be. But I haven’t met someone that I could introduce to her.”

Wanda makes a face, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, when she started dating, she kind of made up a system to weed out the people she wasn’t sure if they would work out or not. If she didn’t think she could introduce them to me without a doubt that I would be comfortable with them being around Rachel, then she wouldn’t pursue it. Now she’s happily married to the woman of her dreams,” you elaborate.

“Huh,” Wanda says. The waiter returns with a pitcher of water to fill two glasses and the two plates of appetizers. When he disappears she continues the conversation. “I’ll probably be single forever then,” she says before she drinks her water.

You laugh as you chew on the bread, “Oh yeah, that system is not designed for people like Vision.”

Wanda shakes her head, “Nope. I’m sure he already has a file of every bad thing you’ve ever done prepared for drop off on Sunday.”

“Oh gosh, so you’re saying I shouldn’t have accepted that follow request from hotgurl69?” You say with a smirk.

Wanda stops chewing and stares at you with uncertainty, “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not,” you grin as you pull out your phone to show her the obviously fake account that followed you during the week. It had a couple of posts of an objectively attractive woman but not someone that is your type. You hand it to Wanda and she shakes her head in disbelief as she looks it over. “I didn’t actually allow the account to follow me but oh that was something to see when I got back.”

“He is a nutjob,” Wanda says under her breath. She blocks the account just for her sanity. “I am so sorry about that,” she returns your phone to you. “That’s ridiculous, he is such a child.”

“There you guys are!” Carol says with a girl under her arm. “These are my friends. That’s Wanda and that’s… Wait. What’s your name again?” She points to you and you smile as you introduce yourself to the girl.

“Hi, I’m Maria Rambeau,” she says with a grin. “It’s nice to meet you guys!”

“Likewise,” Wanda smiles.

“We’re about to head out, I just thought I’d tell you so you didn’t assume the worst. Also, Agatha went home with some Ralph guy. I don’t know. But have fun,” Carol waves as she walks away fast so that Wanda can’t convince her to stay. You and Wanda laugh as the group has gone their separate ways for the night.

You look at your phone to send a message, “I should probably check on Steve and oh! His girlfriend had an emergency and he went home.” You close the phone and put it in your pocket. “I guess it’s just you and me, that is unless you’re ready to go home.”

Wanda looks at the half eaten bread on the table, then to the busy street full of people walking by and businesses that are alive, and then at you. Smiling at her with kind eyes that make her feel special. Eyes that make her nervous in the best possible ways. “No, I’m okay to stay a little longer,” is what she wants to say. But she isn’t sure what would happen if she did stay. How would the night end with just the two of you past this point? Would the two of you go on a stroll and continue to talk? Will there be a moment where the two of you get swept up by some romantic setting and she does something stupid like kiss you? She doesn’t want to risk this growing friendship for something so silly. Besides, you and her brother will be at her house tomorrow fixing her wall. She has already looked foolish in front of you plenty of times in the few weeks that you’ve known each other. She doesn’t need to add to that list tonight.

“Actually, I am a bit tired. Knowing Pietro, I’ll be waking up at six in the morning to let him in,” Wanda explains. “This was really nice, thank you for inviting me out. I haven’t had the courage to do something like this in a while. We should do it again sometime.”

“Yeah, and hopefully something that keeps everyone interested and engaged,” you reply. “I’ll cover the bill, we don’t want to give prince charming over there any reason to make some move on you because I can’t pay for your meal,” you say as you pull out your card.

“Ah well, it’s only appetizers,” she remarks. “If I were him, I’d probably say something about the lack of a three course meal.”

“Oh, no worries,” you say as you wave the waiter over. “I’m two steps ahead of you.” The waiter approaches and you ask for the bill. He makes a face stating that you’ve only ordered appetizers. “Yeah, we got a call from the sitter,” you start and glance at Wanda to see her start to smile. “Six kids is a lot to handle for one person. We rarely ever get to have an uninterrupted evening like this,” you lie easily and Wanda tries to hide her amusement.

“Yeah,” she adds with a disappointed sigh, “And can you believe we’re expecting seven and eight?” She reaches across the table again for your hand and squeezes it with excitement.

The waiter's eyes widen, “Wow uh, congratulations! You could never tell. Since this was a celebration, you know what, the meal is on the house.” You are surprised and insist on paying but he clears the table and allows you and Wanda to leave without paying.

The two of you walk to the end of the street where you’re headed in opposite directions. “My apartment is that way,” you point to the building you’ve called home for the past year and a half. Wanda nods as she makes a comment about the building looking nice. Then she turns and points to the parking garage where she parked her car. “I will see you tomorrow then,” you say awkwardly, not really sure how to end the night.

“Tomorrow,” she repeats, “Goodnight, Y/n.” Wanda walks away and you head home after bidding her a goodnight as well.

When you walk in, the place is quiet other than the soft volume of the television that Kate is watching. “So? How’d it go?” she asks in a whisper.

You shrug as you remove your jacket, “It was fun. Her friends ended up finding people to go home with and Steve had to head back to Peggy. Wanda and I got to spend some time alone and it was nice. Plus, do you remember Daisy? Phil’s daughter?” You are sitting next to your sister on the couch now. Kate nods as the name rings a bell. “Well she’s home from school and she gave me her number.”

“Oh, she has had a crush on you forever,” Kate admits.

You make a face, “Really?” You don’t want to believe your sister, especially not since she is constantly making comments on your lack of a love life. But it does explain why she made the move on you when you hadn’t shown any interest in her all night. “Oh well, I’m not going to call her anyway.”

“Why not? Things go well with Wanda?” She tries to see if you’ll admit that there is anything more than friendship between you and Wanda and you roll your eyes at her attempt.

“You’re insufferable, you know?” Kate shrugs and asks again why you’re not going to use Daisy’s number. “One, it’s none of your business and two she’s Phil’s daughter. That’s weird, I consider him a friend. I can’t just date his little girl without him knowing. Then I can’t end things with her if he does. It’s way too complicated.”

“Is it? Or are you making it complicated?” Kate challenges and not having the energy to even try to argue with her, you get off the couch.

“I’m going to bed. You know how to use the pull out,” you walk to your room. “Goodnight,” you call out to her behind you.

Chapter 6

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#wanda maximoff #fanfiction #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda x you #wanda fanfic #wanda x reader #wanda x y/n #wanda maximoff au #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x gender neutral reader #carol danvers #steve rogers #daisy johnson #phil coulson #maria rambeau #kate bishop

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arlana-likes-to-write · 10 months

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Trust is Earned

Part 2 of Face to Face - I’m dedicating this story to @alicenter because her comment on the first part made me think of this story.

Summary: You weren’t used these types of comfort as you lay in a soft bed with to many pillows and blankets. Instead of sleeping, you walk around their house and see the memories they’ve built. But Melina accuses you of snooping and her distrust of you.

Warning: jealousy, fighting, bullet wound, distrust, family drama, mention of killing, mention of past abuse

Word count: 5.2 k

You stared up at the ceiling fan, watching it spin around and around. It was therapeutic in a way but you wished it would help you fall asleep. No matter how hard you tried, sleep wasn’t coming to you and you knew it. The bed was too soft, the room was too cold, and your mind wouldn’t shut up. With a heavy sigh, you swung your feet to the ground and walked out of the room. You weren’t sure what your plan was. But your feet walked you around their home. You saw pictures from Christmas, birthday parties, and trips to the capital. A tight feeling began to form in the middle of your chest. You picked up the old photo album from Ohio and flipped through the fake memories. It was a day you remembered so clearly, you shot Christmas, Easter, and summer vacation in one day. But Christmas was your favorite. All the brightly wrapped boxes that you knew were empty but you wanted to open every single one of them. Just for one moment, it would be real. “What are you doing?” You spun around to see Melina standing behind you. It was weird seeing her in a robe with slippers on but you didn’t miss the pistol in her hand.

“I was -”

“Snooping,” she grabbed the album from your hand. “Finding out all our secrets to report back to the Red Room.” Your eyes grew wide at the accusation. “So it’s true.” You snapped out of it.

“What are you talking about?” You questioned. “I’m helping SHIELD take down the Red Room,” she pointed the gun at you. You raised your hands, showing her you had no weapon on you. Now you were trained to be a weapon, similar to the train she’s gone through, but you were wearing Natasha’s extra sleeping clothes and you were extremely sleep deprived. Your brain was struggling to make sense of what was going on. “You don’t trust me.” You whispered.

“I want to,” she said. There was a slight shake of her hand. “I want to trust you so bad but I can’t,” your heart skipped and your stomach dropped. “But I know what they are capable of and I can’t risk the safety of my girls.” My girls. My girls. My girls. It was a mantra that echoed inside your head. All of a sudden, the room became too small and you could hear your heart pounding in your ears. My girls. My girls. You weren’t part of that. To Melina, you were disposable. You weren’t sure what hurt more her saying that or you believe her.

“What the hell is going on?” Natasha asked, appearing out of nowhere with Yelena behind her. It seemed like they were a packaged duo, one wasn’t far without the other. You weren’t a part of that. My girls. My girls.

“So,” your voice stopped the arguing between Melina and Natasha. “What’s the play, Melina? Are you going to kill me and I’ll become another red mark on your ledger or are you going to bring me back to Dreykov and let him do it?”

“No,” Natasha said, standing between you and Melina. “She’s not going anywhere. She is staying here where she’s safe and we can be a family again.”

“Natalia, we can’t trust her,” Melina said. “She’s been with them for years. This could be a trap to get the three of us back.” Three not four but three. Once again she didn’t add you, creating a division between you and them. My girls. My girls. Natasha, Yelena, and Melina. You weren’t a part of it.

“She was with them because she gave herself up to save us or did you forget about that night?” You didn’t want to be the driving wedge between them. You’ve been alone for years, what’s one more night?

“Maybe Melina’s right,” Natasha whipped around to stare at you. “I could be a target and staying here endangers your family. I wasn’t thinking and I was being selfish. I’ll get my stuff and head out, find a hotel, or stay with the team.” You pushed past Natasha and headed to the room that gave you. Not your room. A room. My girls. Three not four. You started throwing your stuff into the duffle bag, not worrying about how it looked. You turned to leave, almost running into Natasha.

“You don’t have to go,” she said. “I’ll convince Melina. I’ll..”

“It’s okay,” you said, cutting her off. “I don’t want to get in the way between you and her. I’ll be okay.”

“I called Maria. She’s expecting you. I’ll text you the address.”

“Thank you,” you shifted your weight from side to side. “I should get going. I didn’t mean to wake you and Yelena.” You had to get out. So you did, leaving her in the room that was supposed to be yours.

Maria opened the door before you could even knock. “Saw you on the camera,” she said as you raised your eyebrow in question. “You look like you could use a drink.” You laughed, bitterly as she stepped out of the way. You entered the house. Phil was at the dining room table, papers covering it and you saw Clint in the kitchen making a pot of coffee.

“Do you guys sleep?” You questioned as Maria closed the door.

“Not when we have more questions than answers,” Phil said, waxing at you as his greeting. You sat down at the small kitchen island, dropping your bag to the floor.

“So we have vodka, tequila, or beer,” Clint said, pouring coffee into a mug.

“Is it good vodka or American vodka?” You asked with a tilt of your head. Clint glared at you.

“I’ve known Nat for a long time,” he said, pulling the vodka bottle out of the fridge. “Do you know I’d offer you American vodka?” It pulled a small smile to your lips.

“I’m glad she had you,” Maria sat down next to you as Clint poured you a shot. “All of you,” you clarified, staring into the clear liquid. “You were there when I wasn’t. Cheers.” The liquid burned as it went down. “So, what can I do to help?”

You were sitting on the couch going over all the information SHIELD had on the Red Room. It wasn't much but mixed with what Melina had the answer to the 101 questions had to be in here somewhere. You were twirling a pen in your hand as you read over Peggy Carter’s notes. Phil and Clint called it a night but Maria stayed up and she was doing a bad job of being subtle. “You're staring again.” You said, closing the file you were reading. You switched to beer after your third shoot.

“Just putting a face to fall the stories I’ve heard about,” you raised an eyebrow at her.

“They told you about me?” You questioned. The agent nodded her head. That was hard to believe.

“You don’t believe me?” You smirked. “It was mostly Natasha. She told me about Ohio and that night at the airstrip. The few times I was at their house I’ve caught Melina staring at your door. I mistook it as a guest room and almost got shot.”

“Why are you telling me this?” You asked, turning to face her.

“Do you regret that night?” She asked instead. You leaned back, resting your back on the arm of the couch and your legs crossed in front of you. “Do you regret giving yourself to him?”

“No,” you whispered. “And I’d do it again. In any lifetime, I’d do anything to protect my sisters,” you took a sip of the beer. “I’d sell my soul a thousand times to the devil to keep them safe. I think that’s why it hurts so much that Melina doesn’t trust me,” you rubbed your hand across your face. “But once he’s gone for good, they’ll be safe and be a family again.” You turned to get back to work, ignoring the frown on Maria’s face.

“They’re your family too,” you closed your eyes, taking in a slow shaky breath and letting it out.

“Maybe,” you shrugged. “Once upon a time, they were. They’ve made a life here and I don’t know if I fit into it. I’m disposable.”

“Can you please talk to me?” Melina asked, pouring two cups of coffee for her and Natasha and orange juice for Yelena. Natasha was cutting up a pepper to throw in an omelet that asked for. She was cutting the vegetable a little too aggressively but it was the best way to give her anger an outlet.

“There is nothing to say,” Natasha mumbled, putting the peppers into the pan.

“You have to see it from my perspective,” the older Black Widow said. “My priority is to keep you girls safe.”

“Who is watching out for her?” Natasha hissed. She cleaned the knife before putting it away in the correct place. “We should have gone back for her.” She had so much guilt eating up inside her from that night. The gunshots that hit the plane kept her up at night.

“How?” Melina questioned, starting on Yelena’s lunch. “Please tell me how we could have saved her,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Your sister knew the consequences when she locked us out of that plane.”

“Now we have a chance to be a family again,” she placed the omelet on the plate. “But you don’t trust her. What's it going to take?” Before Melina could answer, Yelena entered the kitchen. She sat down in front of the omelet and orange juice.

“Do you think I’ll still be able to play tomorrow?” Yelena asked, cutting into the food. “Will it be safe?” Natasha grabbed the mug that Melina poured for her.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “After I drop you off at school, I’ll regroup with the team. There will be an agent stationed outside the house and at your school.”

“What about you?” Yelena frowned.

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured her sister with a smile. “I’ll be with Maria or Clint at all times.” She nodded, pushing her food around her plate. Something else was bothering her, it wasn’t hard for Natasha to notice the change in her sister’s behavior. “What else is wrong?”

“What about Y/n?” She questioned. Now that was a great question. From what Maria told her, you refused a protection detail and were sounding self-destructive.

“She’ll be with me,” she said, ignoring the look on Melina’s face. “Once this is over, we’ll all be safe.”

You were standing in the kitchen, buttering a bagel. “Are you okay?” Clint asked. You didn’t look at the SHIELD agent.

“Yes,” you said. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

“Because it looks like you are going to murder someone with that butter,” you smirked, rolling your eyes. “I think you could.” Oh 100% but it would be a messy way to kill someone and not a cool way to die. The front door opened and Natasha walked in. Her green eyes immediately found you. They screamed ‘Are you okay?’ and ‘Please talk to me.’ You smiled, nodding your head. You hoped it conveyed everything you were feeling. “Ready to meet the boss man?” Clint asked, following you to the couch.

“Yeah,” you said, standing behind the couch while Clint sat down to join the others.

“Just don’t say anything stupid,” Natasha teased. You gasped in mock offense.

“I would never,” you smiled as Maria accepted the video call. The screen changed to a man with an eye patch wearing a trench coat. An odd outfit you thought.

“So,” he said. “This is the infamous Black Widow,” you took a bite of your bagel. “I’m guessing you know who I am.” You nodded.

“Nick Fury, the director of SHIELD.

“Also the reason you aren’t in custody or buried 6 feet under.” A smirk formed on your lips.

“Are you expecting a thank you, sir?” You questioned. You heard Natasha let out a small groan. He folded his hands and leaned back in his chair.

“What I’m expecting is for you to help take down the Red Room and follow every order my agents give,” he said. “Or I will pick one of the numerous countries that you're wanted in and drop you off.” Fair enough. You shrugged.

“Sounds like a fair exchange,” you said. “And after the Red Room is gone and Dreyokv is dead, what is going to happen to me?” Natasha offered you a spot at SHIELD but she wasn’t the boss. The man in front of you was. Similarly, another man held your fate.

“Well, that’s up to you,” he said. You raised an eyebrow, not expecting to have a choice in the matter. “Depending on the outcome of the mission, I’ll be offering you a position at SHIELD.”

“If I were to turn down your generous offer?” There was an intense stare-off between you and the Director. But to your surprise, the man smiled. Or it was something close to a smile.

“I like you, Widow,” he said. “I think we’ll get along well.”

It was lunchtime. Yelena was sitting outside with a few of her friends. She was stressed, on edge, that much you could tell. She was glancing over her shoulder, barely eating her food or engaging in the conversation around her. You made out the SHIELD agent assigned to your sister. Taking a sip of your coffee, you made note of the surrounding area. The school was across the street from a neighborhood, an odd place to put a school you thought. A wooded area surrounded the small sports complex and there was a parking lot in front. You opened your laptop and pulled up a satellite image of the school. It was clear and you looked back at Yelena. She was talking to a girl, and whatever she said made the girl’s cheek blush. You smiled, shaking your head with a laugh. This is why you locked them out of the plane so they could have a normal life - go to football games, flirt with people, and smile. You were being honest with Maria, no matter what you’d keep them safe. So when the same two girls walked past the car for the 3rd time something wasn’t right. You were a trained spy, able to sneak into government buildings and take down countries. Your gut instinct kept you alive. Carefully, you opened the glove compartment and pulled out a pistol, your widow bites, and a hat. You put the hat on and attached the gun to your hip, covering it with your sweatshirt. As you listened to your phone ring, you got out of the car. “Where did you go?” Natasha asked.

“Yelena’s school. Send back up,” you didn’t flinch as the gunshot rang out, hitting the SHIELD agent. “I’ll get her safe,” you told her. You began to run as the school erupted into chaos, pushing past students and school officials. “Hurry.” You put your phone in your pocket. Yelena stood up from the table, looking around in a panic. A scream left her lips as the girl next to her was shot. You got to her, pulled her to the ground, and flipped the picnic table on its side. It wasn’t the best cover but it was the only option. “Hey, hey,” she had blood splattered on her face and her green eyes were wide and frantic. “Eyes on me, okay?” With the sleeve of your shirt, you tried to clean up some of the blood on her face. She nodded. “I’m going to get you out of here and SHIELD is on their way.” Another shot and Yelena squeaked.

You grabbed a small makeup mirror and opened it, using it to see behind the picnic table. There was a sniper on top of the school and a small group of Widows swarming the parking lot. You pulled out your pistol. “On my mark, you are going to run towards the school.” You looked at the blueprints of the building, the cafeteria was through the closest door, and down the hall was the gym. That was your best option.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. You nodded.

“I know but you’ll be okay. Reader?” She nodded. “Go!” You popped up and aimed for the sniper. You weren’t aiming to kill just to disarm. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Yelena run towards the school. With the sniper taking cover, the Widows on the ground ran over to you. You fired some shots at them before following Yelena. They shot back.

Yelena was standing in the cafeteria waiting for you. “Where are we going?” She asked as you grabbed her arm and dragged her along.

“Gym,” you told her. “We can circle back to the front to get back to the car.” Glass shattering echoed the quiet hallway. You turned around and saw 2 Widows in the hallway. “Fucking hell,” you mumbled, running towards the gym. Like the hallway the gym was empty. “Hide behind the bleachers,” you said. “Don’t come out until I say so.” She ran behind the bleachers without hesitation. You had just enough time to reload your magazine as the two Widows walked in.

“Gde ona (Where is she?)” One of them asked. You didn’t recognize them so they must be a lower level than you.

“I have no idea who you are talking about,” you were accepting the hit to your stomach but the air was still knocked out of your lungs. You stayed on your feet as they circled you, mimicking a lion and its prey. But you knew the real roles here, they weren’t going to kill you or Yelena.

“We don’t want to hurt you, sister,” your heart skipped. They were your sisters brought together by blood and violence.

“Funny,” you said. “I was thinking the same thing.” You shot one of them with your widow bites and she went down easily. You dogged the attack, dropping to the ground and sticking out your leg. She fell but she grabbed onto your leg and threw you to the ground. You hit your head hard against the wooden gym floor. You both stood up slowly, facing each other. “I’m sorry,” you charged her, tackling her to the ground. She fought against you, hitting you but you were stronger. It was one quick punch and she was out cold. You fell back, your heart pounding in your rib cage as you stared at the unconscious Widow. “You can come out Yelena,” you said, standing up. The blonde walked out from behind the bleachers.

“Are you okay?” She asked. You nodded.

“Yeah,” you said, placing your hand on her back. “Let’s get out of here.” You ran out of the gym but there was a nagging feeling in the back of your head. They were too easy to take down. The girls were around Yelena’s age so they weren’t experienced. Why did he send them? “My car is over there,” you said, opening the door and pointing towards the direction of the car. The front of the school was still in chaos. “Let’s go,” you put the hood of Yelena’s jacket up to try to cover her face.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. The apology took you by surprise. It was something you weren’t expecting, especially from her. “I’m sorry you had to hurt them to protect me.”

“I’ll do anything to protect you and Natasha, okay?” She nodded but you could still feel the guilt radiating off of her. You saw the Widow across the street and you pushed Yelena to the ground as the gun went off. The pain wasn’t bad as the bullet hit your stomach. Without thinking you raised your pistol and shot the Widow. It was a quick and easy kill but it somehow hurt more than the bullet.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” you hissed as Yelena pushed her hands on the gunshot wound.

“I’m okay, not my first time getting shot,” you joked. “I need you to drive. Can you do that?” Her face was drained of color but she nodded. “Good,” you handed her the keys and got into the car.

“Where are we going?” Yelena asked, her hands stained red and shaking.

“The safe house,” you said. “Drive.” She did as sirens began to echo towards the school.

You squeezed your eyes shut as Phil dug to get the bullet out of your stomach. The door to the safe house opened, you had half the mind to grab your gun but you heard Melina’s voice asking if Yelena was alright. Natasha and Maria walked over to you. You were only wearing a sports bra and jeans, sitting in the dining room. “She's gonna pull through, doc?” Natasha teased but you didn’t miss the concern in her eyes.

“No exit wound,” Phil said, not looking up. “I have to get the bullet out before she heals.”

“Super soldier serum,” you hissed. “We are giving it before graduation. Fuck, have you ever done this before?” You asked him.

“Move out of the way before you do more damage,” Melina said, putting on gloves and taking the scalpel out of Phil’s hand. The agent moved out of the way, stealing a glance at Natasha.

“Phil, go check in with Clint and see if he’s found anything,” he nodded, taking off his gloves. “Go talk to Yelena and get her statement,” Natasha hesitated but you nodded. She went to join the blonde on the couch. “I’ll be back to get your statement when you're all patched up.

“Aye, aye, captain,” you gave her a salute. It was just you and Melina. You were surprised how gently her touch was when she tried to get the bullet out of your stomach. “I thought you didn't trust me,” you said. “Surprised you are allowing yourself in such a vulnerable position.” She got the bullet out and placed it on the paper towel. She cleaned the wound before stitching it up.

“If you wanted me dead you would have killed me the moment I opened that door,” you chuckled. She wasn’t wrong. “Thank you for saving her.” She placed a bandage over the stitches.

“No need to thank me,” you whispered. She took a step back and looked at you. Even with the serum rushing through your veins, it didn’t hide your scars. Each scar had a story, a name behind who gave it to you. These scars that littered your body were from other Widows during training, from Dreykov, and a few from your hand. You hated how small you felt under her eyes.

“Where did you get this one?” She asked, touching a scar on your shoulder.

“I got hit that night flying the plane,” you stood up, winching as you felt the stitches move. The serum would have healed soon. You helped her clean up the medical supplies. “Still managed to fly to Cuba much to Alexei’s disappointment.” You walked into the kitchen, throwing away the trash. Natasha and Yelena were on the couch and you found a new shirt resting on the back. You put it on. “Only thing that kept me going was your and their voice.” You continued. You rested your hand on Yelena’s shoulder, she looked up at you. “Are you okay, malen'koye solnyshko (little sun)?” She nodded.

“I am. Thanks to you,” you kissed the top of her head before heading back into the kitchen. Natasha and Yelena followed you. You were surprised by how hungry you were.

“The entire flight I thought Alexei was going to shoot me. I’ve never seen him so angry,” you continued unsure why you were telling them. The words kept following you. “Want a sandwich?” You asked them. Melina and Natasha shook their heads but Yelena let out a quiet, “Yes, please.” “When we landed in Cuba, I stood in front of Dreyokv, Alexei behind him, and guards circling us with their guns drawn. I stood there, unarmed, with a bullet hole in my shoulder.” You cut Yelena’s sandwich in half and placed it in front of her. You began to make your own. “Dreyokv asked where you guys were and I said I didn’t know. Alexei said he’d deal with me,” you felt a chill down your spine. “But Dreykov stopped him and said he knew how to handle me.” You turned your back to them so you wouldn’t have to see their expression.

“What did he do to you?” Melina asked. You closed the fridge, no longer feeling hungry.

“What didn’t he do to me is the better question,” you walked back over to them, eyes glued on your sandwich. You didn’t want to go into too much detail. Yelena was still so young and you didn’t want to taint her view of the world. “I was his malen'kiy pauk (little spider). He wanted to break me but I wouldn’t break.” You took a bite, it tasted bad but you knew you needed the energy. You glanced up at Melina. Her expression was hard to read, it was a strange mix of anger, sadness, and guilt. You shrugged. “But once he’s gone, everything will go back to normal.” You finished the sandwich and put your dish in the sink. “I’ll be in the room Maria gave me if you need anything.” You quickly left, closing the door behind you. Resting your head against the wooden door, you let out a shaky breath and closed your eyes. You could feel his hands on you as you knelt in front of him or one of his advisors. The blood that covered your hands was because of that man. But you weren’t the only one trapped and hurting because one man believed he was God.

“We found this,” Clint said, placing a piece of paper on the table.

“What does it say?” Fury asked. He was videoing in for this meeting.

“Come home, malen'kiy pauk (little spider),” Natasha said. Your sisters and Melina looked at you. You leaned back in the chair, hand on your chin. He wanted you back. Time and time again, he told you you were his most prized possession.

“Okay,” you finally said. “If he wants me then he can have me. We can use it as a trap.”

“There is no way it will be that easy,” Clint said. It won’t be. But you were done with this cat-and-mouse game you were playing.

“It won’t be,” you said, standing up. “He could have sent Widows much stronger than he did but he didn’t. Everything that man does has a purpose.”

“What was his reasoning?” Maria asked. You put your hands on your hips.

“To prove a point,” you whispered. “It said that no matter where we go or what we do he has the power to find us,” you faced Fury. “Dreyokv’s daughter is our way to him and we know she’s in Budapest. I’ll end it there.”

“No,” Melina said. Your head whipped to look at the older Black Widow. “You aren’t doing this alone.”

“She’s right,” Natasha added. “We’ll help you take him down.”

“Alright,” you looked back at Fury. “Pack your bags. You leave tomorrow.”

A plan was made and you were folding your clothes into your duffle bag. You found the photo strip and you picked it up, sitting on the bed. You remembered that day so clearly. Melina and Alexei brought you and your sisters to the mall to get school supplies. You pleaded for a few quarters to do the photo booth. In the end, it was Yelena’s puppy dog eyes that caught them breaking. “I’m sorry,” you looked up to see Melina. The apology sounded so strange coming from her. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back for you and wasn’t strong enough to save all three of you back then,” you stared at her, mouth open slightly as she walked in and sat down. “I cycled through the Red Room so many times before you were even born. For the longest time, those walls were all I knew and I was never given a choice. Until a 14-year-old girl gave me one,” you smiled, whipping away a tear that fell. “Natasha and Yelena were all I had for the longest time and I’d do anything to protect them.” You nodded.

“I get it,” you whispered. “I’m disposable.” Melina’s eyes grew wide.

“No, dorogoy (sweetheart), you are not,” she cupped your cheeks in her hands, pushing the tears away that fell. “You are…” she paused. “Everything. You are the reason I am here, the reason Yelena gets to graduate high school, and the reason Natasha won’t admit her feelings for Maria,” you laughed at Melina’s jab at your sister. “So, thank you. Even though it’s been a long time, you are still part of this family. Okay?”

“Okay,” you whispered, nodding your head. You whipped away your tears. “What happened to me wasn’t your fault.” She frowned, looking down at her hands.

“Why does a mouse born in a cage run on that little wheel?” You didn’t know the answer or if she wanted you to respond.

“But you aren’t a mouse, mama. You were just born in a cage but that’s not your fault.” Melina scoffed, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear.

“Tell me, how did you keep your heart?” It was your turn to think over what she said. You smiled.

“Pain only makes us stronger,” you quoted her. It was a common phrase thrown around in Ohio. But the strongest memory of it was the night you left. Yelena was chasing you and Natasha and she fell and hurt her knee. “Didn’t you tell us that? What you taught us kept me alive.”

You were up when you heard a soft knock on your door. Standing up, you opened the door and saw your two sisters. “Is everything okay?” Natasha looked nervous, shifting her weight. Yelena rolled her eyes.

“Can we sleep in here tonight?” Yelena asked. “With the shooting and everything that is going on, we're scared and worried.” You smiled, stepping out of the way so they could come in. After closing the door, you joined them. Yelena was in the middle, you, and Natasha on either side of her. It was how you would lay back in Ohio. “We’re gonna be okay, right?” You stole a glance at Natasha.

“Of course, we will be,” you said, running your fingers through her blonde hair. It was a dangerous promise.

“Because we’re together,” Natasha looked at you with a smile.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “Sometimes in our lives, we will have pain and sorrow but if we are wise we know that there’s a tomorrow.” Yelena smiled.

“Lean on me. When you're not strong.”

“I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on.” Natasha added. Like when Melina told you that pain only made you stronger, it was common for you to say a phrase or two when your sisters were struggling with nightmares or in school. You were surprised they remembered it.

“Exactly,” you said. “Now, we need to get some sleep. We have a busy few days ahead of us.”

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