#a group of sorcerers is a conference?

[use-your-telescope]

Together by this Christmas Tree

Summary: The Avengers have an annual tradition of a Secret Santa Gift Exchange, and Theo’s life becomes a real life Hallmark Movie when she draws Loki’s name and has to get him five days of gifts. Because shopping for a god and a prince, especially one that you have a massive crush on, is easy, right?!

Author's Notes: HELLO AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! This is a one-shot set in the WEMTBB world with our favorite sorcerers, however you do not need to be caught up on (or even have started) WEMTBB in order to enjoy this story! For those of you who are reading WEMTBB, this takes place in the future, when these two are in their “mutual pining idiots” stage; you will absolutely spot some easter eggs, but there are no major spoilers here.

This is for @sarahscribbles Christmas Collection, because I’m strolling in five minutes late with Starbucks for Christmas by posting this the day after Christmas. If you're a regular reader of WEMTBB, I am still planning to update it on Sunday (12/31).

Content: Absolute tooth-rotting fluff, Secret Santa, LOADS of mutual pining, Wanda being a very supportive friend, some pranks along the way, Loki in multiple sweaters, and lots of Loki getting the love, kindness, and attention he deserves.

Word Count: 8,104

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

—

When Steve first made the announcement, at the end of a mission debrief, Theo swore he was joking.

The idea of the Avengers making a point to celebrate Christmas seemed a bit strange - beyond the fact that there were two Norse Gods on the team, it seemed presumptuous to assume everyone else was Christian. 

Theo’s feelings about the winter holidays were, at best, ambivalent. Sure, she liked the holiday lights, and she was a sucker for a good holiday song. She enjoyed showering her niece, Katie, with presents - after all, what kind of auntie would Theo be if she didn’t absolutely spoil her niece? And any time Theo could visit Mémère for longer than an hour or two was a blessing in its own right.

But the holidays also reminded her of the family she lost, and being the single friend at every holiday party got tiring (especially when her well-intended friends kept trying to set Theo up with people that Theo had absolutely no interest in). It had reached a point that Theo often volunteered to work the holiday shifts, as chaotic as they were, just so she had the excuse to avoid awkward gatherings.

However, when the other Avengers lit up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree at the announcement of the Secret Santa gift exchange, Theo kept her mouth shut. She was still relatively new to the team, and it wasn’t the first time she had been subjected to workplace celebrations for holidays she didn’t celebrate. 

But of course, this was a group of superheroes celebrating, so it wasn’t a basic Secret Santa; no, of course not, because nothing about them was basic. It was five days of secret Santa. 

At least the rules were simple: each person drew the name of another Avenger. Then, you had to give the person whose name you drew a series of gifts with clues about your identity leading up to the final day, when you would give them a gift and a final clue. Then, each person would try to guess who their Secret Santa was. Regardless of whether or not they figured it out, each person would receive one final gift, something a bit more special.

Steve closed the announcement by informing the group they would draw names the following Monday, and would have approximately a month to pick out gifts before they completed the exchange. A certain buzz filled the air as everyone left the conference room, with some reminiscing about funny moments from past exchanges, while others pondered over who they might end up with.

It wasn’t until after the meeting that Theo had the foresight to ask if the Secret Santa exchange was meant to replace getting everyone their own gifts, or if it was in addition to getting everyone their own gifts. Wanda, ever the MVP when it came to explaining unwritten Avengers’ rules to Theo, explained that it was in addition to getting everyone else gifts. 

Theo spent the next two days praying she would get someone easy to shop for - after all, she already had to get gifts for a dozen Avengers, plus her hospital colleagues, and her family. She wasn’t sure that she had enough mental capacity to figure out gifts for someone she wasn’t as familiar with.

Of course, some deity had it out for her, because she drew Loki’s name.

Loki, the prince and ‘most powerful sorcerer in the nine realms,’ who could buy or conjure pretty much anything he wanted in the snap of his fingers.

Loki, who, besides being Theo’s best friend among the Avengers, happened to be the person Theo had a massive fucking crush on.

It wasn’t like anything would ever come of the crush - Loki had a firm rule that he did not date. He had no interest in relationships whatsoever. It was a tidbit of information Theo learned early on in her tenure as an Avenger, amidst a conversation about the love lives of the Avengers as a whole. Loki would spend one night with someone, but never allow it to become an ongoing thing - in his words, “everyone has certain needs to satiate, but courting someone is no interest of mine.” 

So, despite Theo’s unbidden thoughts of channeling her inner hallmark movie to reveal her feelings to Loki, she needed to figure out how the hell to navigate getting him Secret Santa gifts, a normal gift… oh yeah, and his birthday gift, because that was a week before Christmas.

Inevitably, once they finished drawing names, Theo immediately dragged Wanda down the hall by the sleeve of her red hoodie and into Wanda’s suite, since it was closer than Theo’s.

“What’s going on?” Wanda half-laughed as she closed the door and glanced, worriedly, at Theo, who had started to pace the room. “Are you okay?”

“I need your help with Secret Santa — What the hell do you get someone who could have anything they want for Christmas?” Theo flopped on Wanda’s bed with a dramatic sigh, her mind reeling with how to handle her predicament.

“That depends –” Wanda answered slowly, eyes narrowed as she approached Theo. “Why do you think they have everything?” 

“Because he’s a prince and a God who can conjure anything he damn well pleases with the snap of his fingers!” Theo tossed her arms up in the air, gesturing exasperatingly at nothing. 

Nothing - just like the ideas she had for Loki’s gifts. 

Nothing.

“So you have Loki for your Secret Santa?” Wanda sat down beside Theo, smirking at her.

“Yes!” Theo buried her face with her hands. “I had a hard enough time figuring out a birthday present, and I still haven’t figured out what to get him for a normal Christmas gift! But now I also have to give him a Secret Santa gift?!”

“Gifts, plural.” Wanda reminded her, smirk widening into a rather evil-looking grin. “Remember, it’s a week of lead-up to the final gift, because the goal is to try and have them guess who it is.”

“FUCK.” Theo let her arms drop to her sides. “This isn’t fair—“ she whined, earning a poorly stifled laugh from Wanda. 

“Oh come on, it’s not like he’s the only one who is hard to shop for,” Wanda attempted to sympathize, but the giggles that slipped out as she replied did little to help. “Can you imagine having to buy gifts for Tony?”

“Simple, get him booze.” Theo scoffed, propping herself up on her elbows. 

Wanda rolled her eyes and adjusted her ponytail, one auburn lock falling aside to frame her face.

“Look, half the fun is writing the little cards that go with each gift to give the person clues about who the gifts are from, and then trying to figure out the identity of your Secret Santa,” Wanda pointed out. “Besides, other than Thor, I’m willing to bet that no one knows Loki as well as you do!”

“That only makes it worse,” Theo complained and flopped back a second time, rolling over to bury her face in Wanda’s burgundy comforter. “Because I know he’s a picky bitch and nothing will be good enough for him.”

The snort that came out of Wanda did nothing to ease Theo’s concern, but it sounded ridiculous enough that even Theo laughed. 

“I think that he’d like any gift you give him, simply because it’s from you.” 

“That’s cliché as hell.” Theo pressed herself up enough to look over at Wanda, who, despite Theo’s whining and dramatics, still wore a small, knowing smile.

“And true.” Wanda shrugged. “You are, without a doubt, his favorite person on the team, and probably on this planet.”

“Yeah, for all the good that does me.” Theo grumbled to herself, but sat up all the way. “It’s not like I can tell him on day one that I’m his Secret Santa, so the gifts have to be good. No, they have to be perfect.”

“You’re overthinking this.” Wanda chuckled softly, then rose to her feet and held out a hand for Theo to grab onto. “How about we go shopping and see what is out there? Maybe you’ll get some inspiration that way.”

The petulant child within Theo wanted to complain for a bit longer about her predicament, but deep down, Wanda had a good point. If nothing else, it would give her a chance to get out and clear her head before the inevitable descent into holiday madness.

“Right. That’s probably a good idea.” Theo accepted Wanda’s hand and allowed her to pull Theo onto her feet. “I need to get gifts for my family anyways, so maybe i’ll knock it all out at once.” 

“Only if I can help you pick out gifts for Katie,” Wanda winked at Theo as she opened the door. 

“Deal.” Theo didn’t have to think twice before answering. “Do you have plans for this afternoon? I’m not working, so we could go today…”

Wanda held up her purse and grinned. “Let’s go!”

—

Shopping with Wanda, unsurprisingly, proved to be a fruitful venture. 

Sure, the pair went absolutely wild with gifts for Theo’s niece. Would Max kill Theo when he saw just how much stuff Theo got? Absolutely. Did she care? Not a bit; after all, she had to maintain her reputation as the coolest aunt.

More importantly, Theo managed to put together a list of ideas for gifts that referenced inside jokes from the time that Theo and Loki had known each other. Even better - the conversation between Theo and Wanda as they shopped, though wide-ranging and lively, gave Theo the inspiration for her final gift.

In the end, the gifts required some careful planning, calling in some favors, and a lot of sneaking to make it happen - not to mention a few sleepless nights as Theo put the finishing touches on certain details - but she managed to pull everything together, just in time for the first day of gift-giving.

Pepper had really outdone herself with the holiday decorations. On a normal day, the common areas within the tower could be described as minimalist: clean lines, lots of metal and glass, neutral tones everywhere, no knick knacks or soft touches to be found. Not even a throw pillow or blanket could be found in the common areas - whenever Theo wanted a pillow or a blanket, she had to bring it from her suite.

Yet, when everyone filtered into the living room after going out for dinner, they may as well have walked into a luxury ski chalet at Tahoe. In one corner sat a massive, lush evergreen tree trimmed with glistening tinsel, soft white lights, and a collection of beautifully coordinated ornaments in burgundy, cream, gold, navy, emerald, and eggplant. 

The fireplace had a beautiful garland of eucalyptus, cypress, and cedar draped across the mantle; tucked among the greenery sat pillar candles of varying heights in burgundy, navy, emerald, eggplant, and gold. Elegant, cream-colored stockings with each Avenger’s name embroidered at the top hung in front of the crackling fire (plus stockings for Pepper and Happy, since they were pretty much unofficial Avengers). 

Blankets and accent pillows, some in plaids that incorporated the colors of the ornaments and candles, others in solid colors, all made of luxuriously plush fabrics, found homes on the various seating throughout the living room. 

Even the coffee tables had coordinating centerpieces.

Theo quickly found her usual seat, but continued to gawk at the living room’s transformation. When the hell did Pepper (or, Theo supposed, whoever Pepper hired) have the time to decorate the living room? Just that morning, when Theo left for work, the living room had been its usual, minimalist styling. Maybe if she had stopped back in her suite before meeting the others at the restaurant she would have seen the living room decoration in progress.

Hardly a moment later, Loki sat down beside her. Dressed in a forest-green crewneck sweater that perfectly framed the planes of his chest and black dress pants that highlighted his long legs, Loki somehow managed to look holiday appropriate without even trying. His raven curls, just slightly disheveled from the wind and snow outside, framed his elegant features so perfectly; combined with the warm glow of the fire and the soft light of the christmas tree he appeared downright radiant, particularly as he grinned at something Thor said. 

“Quite magnificent, is it not?” Loki leaned over and nudged Theo with his elbow, interrupting her train of thought. Theo had to stop for a moment and consider whether he was referring to the himself, or the living room.

“Yeah,” Theo agreed, her cheeks growing hot as she realized Loki caught her staring. “Compared to when I left this morning, it is a night and day difference.“

“I suspect Miss Potts takes great pleasure in decorating for the winter holidays.” Loki offered Theo a soft smile. His soft eyes caught the flicker of the candles atop the coffee table as he studied Theo, and for the second time in less than a couple minutes, she found herself speechless.

Luckily, Dum-E saved the day when he dropped a present on Theo’s lap, and in doing so brought both sorcerers’ attention to the larger group. As it turned out, Dum-E distributed everyone’s gifts - all wrapped in the same paper, to make sure that the gift wrap didn’t give anything away - and as soon as he finished, it was time to open the first day’s gift.

They started with Bruce, then worked their way through a randomly generated list that Steve put together. The soft lights of the Christmas tree, glow of the fire crackling in the hearth, and joyous laughter as each person read their clue and opened their gifts filled the room with such warmth. It was the kind of holiday scene you’d see on a postcard, especially since snowflakes drifted past the tall windows and into the city below.

As they drew closer to Loki’s turn, Theo’s hands began to sweat. What if he didn’t like her gift? Sure, it was kind of corny, but it was a fun reference to how they spent much of their time. He didn’t seem overly thrilled by the idea of Secret Santa in the first place; what if her silly little gifts only made him hate the game?

Well, she didn’t have to wait any longer to find out, because it finally reached Loki’s turn.

Loki picked up the small box, turning it over and inspecting it. He tossed it into the air and caught it in one hand, lithe fingers curling perfectly around the container. 

“It is quite light, and rather small,” he observed. “Whatever is in this box does not jostle when moved, so it either fills the box or it is carefully packed in place. Let us see what is inside.”

Loki methodically removed the ribbons, then carefully tore away the gift wrap. He removed the lid in a graceful motion and set it aside, all the while peering into the box. He hummed.

Seeing the fabric folded and coiled inside, he reached in and tugged on the cloth, pulling it from the box. The fabric unfolded as he lifted the gift into the air, revealing the first gift: a pair of crew-length socks - black, with an emerald green heel and toe. On one side of each sock, placed so it would be visible while wearing shoes, was the design of an apple car driven by a worm, as well as text which read: “I’m on my way to the bookstore!”

“Aw, those are cute!” Wanda winked at Theo as she said the words, to which Theo casually agreed. 

Loki maintained a relatively neutral expression, though he let out a rather amused hum. He set the socks in his lap, then opened the card. As his eyes scanned over the text, one side of his lips curled up, then the other, until he wore a sheepish smile. He read aloud: 

“I know you love the bookstore,

We’ve been there a time or two,

But since I can’t buy the whole store,

I got you a pair of Crew… socks!

Sorry, I know you like poetry, but your Secret Santa isn’t a poet.” Loki chuckled, shaking his head, then continued: “These socks are from Out of Print, which has donated over 5 million books to communities in need and supports a variety of literacy initiatives.” 

He looked up from the card and glanced around at the group. “Well, thank you to my mysterious Secret Santa. I quite enjoy a whimsical piece of attire, and I am certain these will be put to good use.”

Next to Loki, Theo let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. 

First day was not a failure.

Only… four more to go.

—

The second day of gift-giving arrived, and with it came another day of second-guessing whether or not Loki would like his gift.  

This time, the idea came from a conversation early in their friendship. After falling asleep in Theo’s suite, Loki joined her for coffee on her balcony, at which point Theo explained a sudoku to Loki. At the time, he commented that there were “some puzzles he was still learning to solve.”

From that morning on, Theo couldn’t help but notice the way Loki approached briefings and missions as puzzles to solve. So when Theo found a pair of rather clever puzzle books (many of which provided a formidable challenge, even for her), she knew that it would be a perfect gift.

Yet, as the day crept on and the gift exchange grew near, Theo felt the seeds of doubt taking root once again. What if he thought the puzzles were stupid? He was a god, after all, and insanely intelligent. The puzzles might have been a challenge for Theo, but they were probably child’s play for Loki. 

Still, it was too late to turn back, so by the time Theo sat down with the others and the gifts were distributed, she simply hid her sweaty palms in her sweater sleeves and acted like it was any other night in the tower.

Loki, for what it was worth, seemed perfectly relaxed when he took his usual seat beside Theo; this time, he opted for a plain gray t-shirt and a black cardigan, paired with what were (secretly) Theo’s favorite pair of dark, slim-fit jeans. When Loki crossed one ankle over his knee, Theo noticed his emerald green and black socks and her heart skipped a beat - he wore the socks she gave him.

That was a good sign, right?

Once again, Dum-E distributed the gifts, then each person took their turn opening their gift and reading the card; this time they started with Yelena, but otherwise the order was the same. After what felt like ages, Steve finally gave Loki the go-ahead to open his gift.

Like the first day, Loki went through the same routine of examining the box, then peeled away the wrapping paper. 

For the sake of maintaining a bit of mystery (and making it slightly less obvious that the gift was a pair of books), Theo put the set into a clothing box and padded the sides. It wasn’t that sneaky, since the box was heavier than it would have been with apparel inside, but at least Loki wouldn’t know until he opened the box.

He opened the box and removed the first book. 

“The Master Theorem - Book of Puzzles, Intrigue, and Wit,” he read the title, then held it up for all to see, then held up the second book and read off the title. “The Master Theorem: Elite - Book of Puzzles, Intrigue, and Wit.”

He returned the books to his lap, pausing for a moment to flip through the pages and glance at the contents. 

“You gonna open the card?” Tony nodded towards the card that came with the box, which barely poked out from beneath the pair of books.

“Ah, yes, apologies.” Loki offered a half-smile, then retrieved the card and read aloud:

“While the identity of your Secret Santa is, well, a secret, it’s no secret that you, Loki, are pretty smart - like, ridiculously smart. And you’re a quick learner… Plus you’ve got a knack for problem solving. With that in mind, you seem to be a master when it comes to puzzles; even though you once told me there are still some puzzles you are learning to solve, the way you light up when you encounter a good logic puzzle or mystery makes me think there are few things you enjoy more than a good challenge.

“This series of puzzle books is notorious for its difficult logic puzzles - the New York Times called the first Master Theorem book “Mensa’s evil twin,” and the Elite edition is supposed to be exponentially harder. But with your sharp wit and attention to detail, I’m sure you’ll have it figured out in no time… And by the time you finish, maybe you’ll figure out the identity of your Secret Santa as well!”

Loki grinned as he folded the card and set it aside. “Thank you, my mysterious benefactor - I imagine I will be entertained for quite some time.”

For the rest of the evening, whenever Theo snuck a glance at Loki, she caught him flipping through his new books with a subtle smile and a twinkle in his eye, only half-paying attention to the others as they opened their gifts.

Day two: rousing success. Only three more days to go.

—

For the third day of gift-giving, Theo took a bigger risk.

At one point in Theo and Wanda’s shopping adventure, they stopped at a bakery to grab a snack and some coffee. While they waited for their drinks, they got on the topic of how, earlier that morning, Thor offered Loki a frosted pop-tart. In response, Loki nearly disintegrated the thing on sight, calling it an abomination to pastries everywhere.

And that was from Loki, the guy who was notorious for his sweet tooth. 

The conversation gave Theo an idea.

Ever since Loki roped Theo into his pranks, Theo had wanted to find a way to turn the tables and prank him. And what better way to prank him than to bait-and switch some sweet treats?

With a call to Theo’s favorite Bodega cashier, Carlos (who still hadn’t gotten up the courage to ask out that girl, but had at least he learned her name was Liza), Theo managed to get her hands on one of the big cardboard boxes that they shipped pop-tarts in. Importantly, it said pop-tarts all along the outside, so when Loki saw the box he would initially think it was a whole case of pop-tarts.

Instead of filling it with pop-tarts, Theo convinced Mémère to bake up all sorts of traditional Aneterran holiday treats to fill the box. Given Mémère already planned to make the treats, it was easy for the family matriarch to accommodate the request. However, when Theo explained her plan, a knowing, almost devilish grin spread across Mémère’s face; the next thing Theo knew, there were treats that Theo hadn’t seen since she was a child. 

Packing the treats into the box required quite a bit of attention to detail - it had to have the weight and heft of a case of pop-tarts, and it had to be packed tightly enough to not move around, but she also didn’t want to crush the treats. 

There may have been some enchantments involved to make it work, but hopefully Loki wouldn’t notice.  

Not wanting to make the prank too convincing, Theo made sure to leave clues that the box had been altered somehow; knowing Loki, realizing the box had been tampered with would make him curious enough to look inside.

When everyone gathered for the third night of gift-giving, the laughter and merriment from the first two nights returned almost immediately. But when it came to Loki’s turn to open his gift, Theo’s confidence from the day prior collided with her nerves, to the point that she clutched her mug of spiked hot chocolate so her hands wouldn’t shake. 

Just like the first two nights, Loki inspected the wrapped gift, lifting it up and giving it a gentle shake. “Much larger, and rather heavy,” he noted. “Yet, there’s a card that indicates I ought to open it before the gift. I suppose I ought to follow my Secret Santa’s request.”

He set the gift back in his lap, and quickly opened the card. 

“Heard you have a sweet tooth…” Loki read aloud, then glanced down at the gift and hummed. “Well, let us see what is inside.”

Loki started to tear away the wrapping paper, but paused part-way through; his face twisted into something unreadable when he saw the writing on the box. 

Theo bit her lip to not give herself away.

“Pop-tarts?” Thor exclaimed, cocking his head to the side with curiosity. “Brother, I did not think you to be a fan of the Midgardian pastry.”

“I…” Loki trailed off, face falling as he unwrapped the rest of the box. “Interesting.”

Theo’s heart stuttered in her chest - what if he didn’t think to open the box? Would she give herself away if she said something? Oh god, he looked like a kicked puppy — she should have realized that he might take it wrong because Thor likes pop-tarts and he’s the popular brother, shitshitshit—

“Loki, maybe you should open the box,” Bruce suggested, “There’s a weird wrinkle by the cardboard seam that makes me think it was opened, then closed again.”

If it wouldn’t have given her away, Theo would have leapt to her feet and hugged the man for his suggestion.

“Yeah, that box looks like it has been messed with,” Sam agreed, “and I think everyone knows you hate pop-tarts.”

The kicked-puppy expression softened as Loki took a second look at the box and noticed the obvious tampering that Bruce and Sam pointed out. A hint of pink rose on Loki’s cheeks - if Theo didn’t know better, Loki looked almost embarrassed at the realization - but he went ahead and opened the box. 

Theo held her breath, all of her attention trained on Loki as she waited for his reaction. 

Peering into the box, Loki’s shoulders suddenly dropped and relief flooded his features; he reached in and retrieved a treat similar to a chocolate scone, as well as a second card.

“Pleased to report that I was mistaken; it appears the box is filled with a variety of homemade treats, as well as a second card.” He let out a soft, almost hesitant chuckle as he opened the note and read aloud: 

“HA! Nearly got you, didn’t I?!” Loki laughed a second time, this time a little louder, and nodded his head. “You’ve pulled off some of the best pranks, but your Secret Santa is known for a good prank or two. 

“Jokes aside, did you really think your Secret Santa would do that to you? Of course not - I know you have a discerning taste when it comes to sweet treats (far more discerning than your brother, of course)! These are some of my favorite holiday snacks from growing up; I think you’d like them too. If nothing else, I promise they taste better than pop-tarts.”  

Loki returned the note to the box, then unwrapped the treat in his other hand. He took a bite, and his face almost immediately lit up. He chewed for a moment, then swallowed, and cleared his throat to speak. 

“Well, mysterious Secret Santa,” he said, “I will confirm that this treat is quite divine. However, you best watch yourself– “ Looking around at their teammates, a dark, sinister grin curled over Loki’s face. “– I am known as the Trickster god for a reason, and you may very well have started a war.”

When Loki briefly locked eyes with Theo, her heart skipped a few beats; in just a few moments he went from beautiful to downright devilishly handsome, and his threat should not have been nearly as hot as it was. 

Sweet baby Jesus, she needed to get her shit together. 

“Any guesses on who it is?” Bucky asked, tapping his vibranium fingers along the side of his still-wrapped present. 

“I’ve a few contenders,” Loki smoothly answered, the earlier signs of discomfort completely gone, “but I will wait to put forth any claims.”

“Who cares! The real question is are you gonna share!?” Shuri pointed at the pastry in Loki’s hand, then held out her own hand. “That looks amazing!”

“Maybe once the Secret Santa is revealed, they can bring us all some treats.” Wanda replied, though she gave Theo a pointed glance, to which Theo glared back - after all, she didn’t want Wanda to give her away. “But for now, I think Loki should get to enjoy all of his gifts.”

Loki, who was busy searching through the rest of the box, didn’t seem to notice Wanda staring at Theo. 

Shuri glanced at Wanda, then at Theo, then grinned as she made the connection. 

“Fine, but they better bring me some extras,” Shuri relented. “That thing looks amazing.” 

Theo smiled and rolled her eyes, just in time for Steve to inform Wanda that it was her turn to open her gift.

Day three, though nearly a bust, worked out. 

Only two more to go. 

—

After the scare of the third day, Theo went into the fourth day feeling more comfortable about her gift. Sure, Loki may shrug at it, and there was a chance he wouldn’t use it. But at least she wouldn’t run the risk of upsetting him by making him believe his preferences were the same as his brother’s.

In some ways, the gift seemed particularly timely: a winter storm raged outside the tower, with howling winter winds and heavy snow that made sitting in the living room feel like they were inside a snowglobe. Even with the heat on and the fire roaring in the hearth, everyone bundled up in sweaters and plush blankets, sipping on mugs of cocoa and tea in between opening gifts. 

On the fourth night, Loki’s turn to open his gift came even earlier. Similar to the first three nights, he inspected the box - small, slender, almost like a fancy box for a fountain pen. 

After making quick work of the wrapping paper, he glanced at the lid of the box:

“Museum of Modern Art Design Store,” he read, then shrugged and removed the lid of the box.

Nestled among chic black packing material sat a stainless steel tea infuser. Its design was what drew Theo to the gift - long, slender, with a hook on the top for easy removal, it looked downright elegant. And with the amount of tea Loki drank, an upgrade to his usual steeping methods seemed like the perfect sort of gift - thoughtful and useful.

Loki hummed, carefully slipping the tea infuser out of its packaging and inspecting it. The stainless steel glowed beneath the Christmas lights and reflected the smile curling over Loki’s face. He twisted the cap off, then closed it again, nodding to himself as he set it aside and opened the card. Like the first three days, he read the message to the group:

“A tea infuser that combines form and function?! It’s almost as stylish as you are (almost)! As the resident tea expert on the team, it seemed only appropriate to give you something for making your favorite (non-alcoholic) drink - after all, you’ve brought me, your Secret Santa, more than a few drinks over the course of knowing each other!”

The hint, in Theo’s opinion, was almost painfully obvious; Loki brought Theo drinks all the time. Coffee at the hospital when he knew she had a long day. Whiskey or wine when she needed to unwind. Tea when it was late and neither of them could fall asleep. Water when Theo just used her inhaler and needed to rinse out her mouth. Throughout the entire time she had been an Avenger, Theo never saw Loki bring anyone else drinks quite so often - not Thor, not Wanda, not anyone. However, the clue made so much sense, and there was only one more day, so it wasn’t like she had to keep the secret for much longer. 

What Theo didn’t account for, however, was almost every other person in the room making the connection between the clue and the identity of Loki’s Secret Santa. Over a dozen pairs of eyes all trained in on Theo as Loki glanced down to set the card and gift aside; the heat of their stares nearly made Theo lose her composure.

When Steve asked if Loki knew who his Secret Santa was, he simply smirked and replied “I’ve my suspicions, but I find I rather enjoy the suspense and anticipation of the grand reveal.”

Somehow, she held it together, but just barely. Sure, Theo was grateful that Loki seemed to enjoy the gifts up to that point, but “suspense and anticipation of the grand reveal?” If Theo was under pressure before, now she was on the verge of being crushed under the weight of expectation, and the whole damn team knew it.

Theo shot a terrified look at Wanda, who only sent back an impish grin.

Shit.

One more day to go.

—

The final day of Secret Santa arrived, and with it, the grand reveal. Apprehension loomed over Theo’s head like a storm-cloud; after all, the pressure was on - not only to give the perfect gifts, but to set up the perfect reveal as Loki’s secret Santa.

Despite the overall success of the first four days, by the time the last exchange began, Theo was too nervous to sit down. Instead, she leaned against the kitchen island with her mug of hot chocolate and whiskey clutched in both hands, offering little more than one-word answers whenever someone tried to ask her something. The only time she even considered sitting down was when Loki asked if she would join him on the couch, but then all the potential ways she might make a fool of herself flooded her thoughts and she politely declined, claiming that she needed to stretch her legs a bit.

If Theo didn’t know better, Loki seemed disappointed that she didn’t want to sit by him, but it was probably her mind playing tricks on her; after all, Theo was the one with the crush, not Loki.

At least from across the room, Theo could easily admire Loki in his thick, fair isle sweater - seasonally appropriate, of course, but like all of his attire, it fit him perfectly and highlighted his long, lithe form in all the right ways. Between her nerves about the gift and how distractingly handsome Loki was, she barely noticed when the first two Avengers opened their gifts and found out who was assigned as their Secret Santa.

For the final night of the exchange, Loki was the third person to open his gifts.

While Loki focused on the large box in front of him, everyone else stared at Theo. If she could have, she would have melted into the floor; instead, she stood by the kitchen island with her mug of hot chocolate and whiskey in both hands, shooting dirty looks at the rest of the group so they wouldn’t give her away.

… Not like Loki hadn’t already figured out that Theo was his Secret Santa, because he likely knew. If he didn’t know, he was about to figure it out, but that was beside the point. 

Of all the gifts Theo chose, today’s were the most nerve-wracking because they were the most personal: the pre-reveal gift referenced something Loki gave her when she ended up in the hospital with an asthma exacerbation and pneumonia a few months prior. The post-reveal gift referenced the time all the Avengers visited New Asgard, and Loki took her on a late-night walking tour of the community.  

The note on the card was, well, maybe a bit too sentimental - in hindsight, maybe she should have saved the message for a later card that she could have given him in private. But by that point the card was taped to the box in Loki’s lap, and Theo couldn’t do a damn thing about it, other than brace herself for the inevitable fallout. 

At least she had the sense to write a disclaimer at the top of the note: “You might want to read this to yourself first, then decide if you want to read it out loud.”

After four days, Loki’s examination of the gift box had become a routine: turn it all around, lift it up in the air, give it a shake - and once he seemed satisfied, he peeled away the wrapping paper. 

“Well, I do not have any guesses as to what is inside this box, so I suppose I ought to open it.” Loki remarked, tugging away the last bit of wrapping paper. He conjured a dagger to cut the tape sealing the flaps at the top of the box, though he was careful not to cut deeply and risk damaging the contents inside (which was good, because that dagger would have sliced through the gift like hot butter). 

Unlike the previous days, where he immediately looked inside the container, this time he made a show of looking at the others as he reached inside. Theo watched Loki’s arm muscles tense through the wool of his sweater as he grabbed the gift, while his brows furrowed with confusion.

As he turned back toward the box, he slowly pulled out the present: a snake squishmallow, in green, of course - after all, green was his color.

“That’s cute!” Natasha commented, though Loki didn’t seem to notice. He held the plush toy in both hands, turning it side to side as he gave it a once-over. Theo swore she could spot the gears turning in Loki’s head as he tried to make the connection between the toy and his Secret Santa. 

“Yeah, but why? I don’t see the connection.” Yelena added, pointing at the card. “Open the card. I want to know what it says.”

Loki slowly set aside the snake, as if still thinking about the gift, and pulled out the note. 

Theo watched as Loki methodically scanned the note. At first, he read with heavy brows drawn tightly together; after a few moments, the light from the christmas tree reflected off his sea glass eyes, glittery and shining amidst the soft glow. A shaky, small smile grew as he made his way through the message until it practically took over his face.

“Well, what does it say?” Natasha asked, craning her neck to try and read what was written on the card.

Loki, however, ignored her. Without warning, he closed the card and rose to his feet. In a couple of long strides, he stood before Theo, who could no longer bite back her nervous smile as he drew near. 

Theo barely had a chance to set down her mug before Loki scooped her into his arms and crushed her in an embrace, the strength of which forced a small “oof!” out of Theo from the impact. She didn’t waste a moment before returning the embrace, selfishly nuzzling into his chest and drinking in the scent of cologne on his sweater - cedar, bergamot, and smoke - as they stood, arms wrapped around each other and swaying gently from side to side. 

Loki leaned down, his nose brushing gently along Theo’s hair, then drew a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. “Truly. Thank you.”

Theo’s heart damn near exploded. 

“Elsa, I really hope that Rapunzel’s your Secret Santa,” Tony, ever the troll, interrupted, “or this is going to get awkward.”

“Yeah, Tony, it’s me.” Theo laughed, her mind reeling as Loki shifted -  if Theo’s mind didn’t deceive her, his lips brushed against the crown of her hair. Still, he hadn’t let go, and as long as Loki held on, Theo had no plans of going anywhere.

“Now I wanna know what she wrote on that damn note,” Sam complained between shoving handfuls of caramel corn in his mouth. “Because damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Loki react like that.”

“Can we let him open the other gift first?” Theo asked, still hugging Loki as she looked over at Sam. “After all, there is a part of the message that won’t make sense without seeing the final gift.

“Fine, but afterwards I wanna read the damn note.” Sam grumbled and leaned back in his seat while Bucky leaned over and snatched some caramel corn from him. 

Theo begrudgingly pulled away from Loki, silently lamenting the lack of warmth that came with his touch. She rounded the Christmas tree and crouched down to where she hid the final box - a thin, rectangular box that was a bit larger than a poster - and brought it over to Loki, who had returned to his original seat. Theo sat down beside him, nervous but excited to see how he reacted to the last gift.

This time, Loki didn’t spend a moment examining the package - he went straight to tearing off the wrapping paper. With paper crumpled up and tossed aside, he carefully slid the lid off the box.

Centered on a bed of white tissue paper, was a painting - a canvas covered in thousands of small dashes of paint, the result of more than a few sleepless nights as Theo raced to finish the painting on a tight deadline. During the day, Theo hid it beneath a stack of other canvases so if Loki stopped by her suite, he wouldn’t notice; the moment night fell, Theo was elbows deep in oil paint as she added layer after layer of color.

“It’s New Asgard!” Thor exclaimed as he peered over Loki’s shoulder.

“Those are the gardens…” Loki breathed, one hand hovering over the canvas as if he wanted to touch it and prove to himself that it was real. 

“The gardens that you created, and that your people and countless tourists adore.” Theo added, her cheeks slightly pink. 

Loki’s focus went to the bottom corner, where Theo scrawled her name. It was tiny and borderline illegible because of the paint, but if someone had ever seen her handwriting, they would know instantly who it was. Loki traced his fingers over the letters almost meditatively.

“You made this?” When Loki looked up at Theo, she caught the slightest shine in the corners of his eyes, though his expression was nothing but pure awe. “Was this from memory?”

“God, my memory isn’t that good - I mean, yeah I painted it, but it wasn’t from memory,” Theo rubbed the back of her next, heat rising on her cheeks as Loki continued to gape at her. “I got Val to send me some pictures for reference, and then I worked on it every night after everyone was asleep. I wasn’t sure it would be done in time, if I’m honest, because oil paint takes forever to dry, but it dried just in time. The paint is still going to need some time to fully cure, so I’d be gentle with it.”

For the second time in minutes, Loki pulled Theo into another heartfelt embrace. 

“I am… I am speechless. I’ve no words, truly.” He laughed, a rumbling sound that Theo felt as much as she heard it. “Thank you.”

“Okay now we need to know what the hell was on that card.” This time it was Shuri, who looked like she was one step away from snatching the card and reading it out loud herself.

Loki unfurled his arms from around Theo so he could set the painting on the table in front of them, then retrieved the card.

“I think you ought to read it,” Loki held the card out to Theo, his cheeks now flushed with crimson. “I imagine it will sound better in your voice, since you wrote the message.”

Theo rolled her eyes, but accepted the card. She got the sense that Loki felt a bit sentimental himself, and was probably a bit out of his comfort zone; re-reading the message aloud might be more than he thought he could handle. So, despite her heart still fluttering like a goddamn school girl, Theo tried her best to steady her breathing, then cleared her throat and began:

One of Thor’s favorite stories to tell is when you were children and turned into a snake to trick him. One of my favorite things is watching the little smile you get every time he tells the story, like you know you shouldn’t think it’s funny and it makes the story even funnier. I bet you’re making that same smile right now as you think about the story!

This clue will probably give me away, but you once gave me a gift much like this - a plush toy of an unexpected creature, because you realized that the creature shared a connection to my sister. You didn’t make a big deal out of it - telling me you “happened to pass by a shop window and it just seemed like something I would like,” but it meant the world to me; to this day, it is easily the best gift I’ve ever received. 

In many ways, that gift is such a great example of why I am so lucky to have you as a friend - you are so incredibly thoughtful and kind, and when you sense that someone is having a tough time you go above and beyond to help, all without making a big deal about it… God knows you did that for me constantly when I first got here! There are, obviously, other reasons that you’re an amazing friend (your sense of humor, intelligence, and patience in putting up with me are also high on the list). 

I know none of my Secret Santa gifts have been big or flashy so far, and your final gift isn’t exactly big or flashy either. If I’m honest, I panicked when I drew your name because, well, what do you get someone who could have any gift they wanted? But the more I thought about it, the more I came back to just how lucky I was to have the gift of your friendship (yeah, corny as fuck, sorry - you’re the silvertongue, not me!). I can’t ever give you a gift that would compare, but I can at least make sure you know just how grateful I am for you and how much of a difference you make. Without a doubt, my life is better because you’re in it, as are the lives of many others. 

So, for your final gift, I made you something that I hope will remind you of not just the impact you’ve made on me, but the impact you’ve made on countless others, every time you see it. 

Merry Christmas Loki. 

Yours,

Secret Santa. 

P.S. I hope you can forgive my sentiment. Not all of us can be as cool as you.”

By the time Theo finished reading the message aloud, her entire body felt like it was on fire from the combination of her nerves and the others’ burning stares. With trembling hands, Theo slowly closed the card and set it on her lap, eyes focused downward the entire time.

“I didn’t realize it was possible to win at Secret Santa… ” Peter finally broke the silence, beaming as he looked at the pair. “... But I think Theo just won Secret Santa.”  

“I think everyone’s going to want you as their Secret Santa next year,” Steve chuckled, nodding along. “Still, we aren’t done with this year’s Secret Santa - I believe Wanda, you’re up next?”

With that, the attention shifted away from the two sorcerers sitting side-by-side on the couch, and onto the rest of the festivities. While Wanda made a scene trying to deduce clues about her gift, Loki casually slipped his hand over to Theo, interlacing his fingers with hers. In turn, Theo leaned her head on Loki’s shoulder and settled into his side.

By that point, she was only-half watching as Wanda opened one last gift. Frankly, Theo hadn’t heard who Wanda’s Secret Santa was, but she wasn’t that interested. 

“Merry Christmas, Loki,” Theo whispered, giving Loki’s hand a squeeze.

“Merry Christmas, Theo,” he murmured, turning so his lips brushed Theo’s temple. “I think this might be the first year that I’ve understood why one might enjoy Midgardians’ holiday festivities.”

Cozily tucked into Loki’s side, amidst the golden glow of the holiday lights and the spirited laughter of friends, Theo had to agree: maybe the holidays weren’t so bad after all.

#Loki #loki fanfiction #loki fluff #tooth-rotting fluff #tooth rotting fluff #holiday fic #christmas fic #christmas fluff #loki x ofc #mutually pining idiots

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mk-writes-stuff!

OC Interview

Let's get funky, let's answer for Azhur! (For context, Azhur is Twenari’s father. He's been... alone for a very long time.)

Are you named after anyone?

"No, no, no one else. There's only one me, fortunately. Unless you're counting my family name. Then there's a lot of us. A whole pack of Devarises. Did you know the scientific term for a group of sorcerers is a conference? A conference of Devarises. Gods, I hated those."

When was the last time you cried?

"I couldn't say. Wasting moisture is a travesty in my hell, for rain is rare. Sometimes, when I do give in, I pretend I'm visiting the sea."

Do you have kids?

"Two, though one is gone, taken, dead. I haven't been around Twenari for long, but I see much potential in her. Dreams swim behind her eyes, as much as hands rein in reality. I cannot know her, yet I would like to learn to love her one day. As for Akani.... The soul is a funny thing, made of magic and miracle. It presents on a scale of Tamm units, visible through a sorcerer’s arcane awareness, which draws upon the Veil at a rate, a rage, a relay of 8.5×10^5 ODR volts per second, equivalent to 1 standard Blösten unit, from which can be derived both magi-potential and spell friction by way of the Klaston-Daphon equation and-"

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Huh? Do I? I think I do. I make myself laugh all the time!"

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"How loudly he shouts around them."

What’s your eye colour?

"A pale brown, lighter than my skin. Very distinctive."

Scary movies or happy endings?

"Uh, happy? Happy is good. Fear is evil."

Any special talents?

"My magic, obviously, but saying a Devaris is talented at magic is like saying a fish is talented at swimming. I've gotten quite good at survival here in my hell too. But my best talent, I think.... Ah fuck, I forgot already. Damm, anyways, my second best talent is making soup."

Where were you born?

"The Devaris island, which hovers approximately 200 meters above the city of Unity."

Do you have any pets?

"If I had, I'd have eaten the poor thing already. Spiders and tree sap get quite tiresome after a while."

What sort of sports do you play?

"I'm a dab hand at solitaire, though I think if I play one more round, I'll smash my head into a rock. I did track when I was young, I suppose. Ma always wanted me to go out for wrestling because of how big I was, but I couldn't stand fighting."

How tall are you?

"6'8". Yes, the weather's nice."

What was your favourite subject in school?

"It should've been magic. I love magic. It's my blood, my purpose, my curse and my blessing. But, I always found my mind craving literature, even so. I wanted stories, as frivolous as they are. Were? Are. They were real then."

What is your dream job?

"I don't care what I spend my days with, I want to get out. I want to be free, absolved, forgiven. I want to leave my hell. I want him to stop screaming. I know he's not real - right? - but that doesn't stop the noise. But to do that, I need a bridge. By use of the bottle method, it's theorized that a mage could shift the frequency of one strain of magic to match another. Harmonic magi-radial frequencies can initiate a Naldervon cascade, similar to the effect of a teleportarion ritual. If gravitational drift is factored in, then by taking the derivative of the Naldervon cascade number, found by way of a Tamm reading and plugging the value into Fendessi's equation-"

Anyways, love that guy. He's like if Castaway was way more fucked up. I'll tag @finickyfelix @ettawritesnstudies @elsie-writes @inky-duchess and anyone else who wants in :)

Blanks below

Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye colour? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? What sort of sports do you play? How tall are you? What was your favourite subject in school? What is your dream job?

#writing #writerscommunity #writblr #my ocs #oc interview

[linkspooky]

I’m curious on how close you think the Kyoto students are to each other , since you mentioned before how they are more closely knitted than the Tokyo students.

I can definitely see Miwa, Momo, and Mai having a close relationship. Definitely more closer than the main trio in Tokyo (Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara), heck Megumi and Nobara forgot which type of girl he like lol.

But as for all the Kyoto students being closer to each other? Hmm. I suppose they do tend to work as a team (for the most part, *looks at Todo*). And they do all adore Utahime, according to Gege.

I’m just curious on other hints/reasons you think the Kyoto students are more closer to each other than the Tokyo students.

The Kyoto Bond, as you might call it is all based around this idea that in the Jujutsu Sorcerer world that even if you try to be friendly with your classmates or coworkers there’s always a distance because if you become too close to someone it will hurt all the more when they die. However, every single Kyoto Student expresses the desire to be closer to their classmates throughout the manga. All of them have arcs revolving around how they want to be closer to the people around them, they value their personal relationships over becoming strong as sorcerers. If you listen to the Tokyo Students in comparison, they can be friendly too, but at the same time, their motto is always “Be strong, Be Strong, Be Strong.” 

The ending of the Origin of Obedience arc does a good job of illustrating one of the primary flaws of the Tokyo Kids when they try to work in groups. Despite the fact that Nobara and Yuji succesfully took down an enemy together, and the whole arc is about the freshman trio working together, at the end they both decide to keep secrets from each other instead of being honest. 

They all tend to try to fight on their own rather than showing weakness in front of their friends, or even asking for help. Megumi wants to keep a secret from Yuji in order to protect him, Yuji wants to keep a secret from Megumi in order to protect him, they can’t just talk things out between the two of them like friends would and because of that they keep secrets. The Tokyo Students still care of course, but it’s that individualism that gets in the way of forming deeper friendship. 

The Kyoto students are all making much more of an effort to grow closer to each other and the people around them, there’s evidence if you analyze all of their individual mini-arcs. 

Mechamaru is the most obvious about this, he genuinely values everyone in the class so much, he both makes a deal with Mahito because he believes he has to gain a non-disabled body to actually be close to them, and he also prepares a lot of backup plans in order to keep the Kyoto students away from Shibuya. 

He also makes his entire goal to protect not only his comrades around him, but specifically Miwa. His desire isn’t to get stronger, in fact he admits himself that he is weak, his only desire was to be by her side and everything he fought for was for that reason. In fact, Mechamaru was an incredibly powerful sorcerer with an extreme amount of cursed energy, his weakness comes from the fact that he was unable to trust and confer in the others around him, he attempted to do everything on his own. 

For Mai it’s a little more complicated because she was essentially fridged for Maki’s arc, but once again Mai reflects Mechamaru’s desire to grow closer to the people around her. Mai’s entire resentment of Maki revolves around the fact that they used to be close, and Maki pulled away when they were younger. 

For Mai, staying together is more important than personal pride. 

Mai also presents herself as the more selfish and hateful sibling, but if you analyze Mai’s actions, she actually puts Maki above herself. First she doesn’t hate Maki, she admires her to the point of putting herself down in comparison to Maki. She is probably the only person in the Zenin Clan who actually sees Maki for who she really is, strong and determined. 

Mai also knew that she could get harmed or possibly killed if she returned to the Zenins sake, and she went anyway. 

As dumb as the whole “Twins are the same person and have the same cursed energy” thing is, (No I will never stop complaining about it) it also shows that Maki was going about things the wrong way by trying to become strong all on her own instead of working with Mai. Mai had the right of it when she said they should have stayed together, and if they had they could have averted Mai’s tragic end. Mai valuing her sister over herself, sacrifices herself to help unlock Maki’s potential. Maki would never have unlocked her true strength without Mai. Mai does everything once again, out of her desire to grow closer and protect her sister that’s her strength, whereas Maki’s weakness was pushing her sister away and trying to do everything on her own because she wanted to avoid that vulnerability, mirroring Mechamaru’s mistake. 

Momo gets the least amount of screentime, but Momo is someone who devotes herself to being a good senpai to Miwa and Mai. It’s mentioned in a side story that Mai, Momo, and Miwa are unusually close for their differences in ages. 

Mai, Miwa and Momo are in a crepe shop near the Hachijou exit of Kyoto station. “What a mess of an event. I wonder if we could have stayed in Tokyo for longer,” says Mai. “Can’t be helped, what with the Curse users and the Curses attacking and there being casualties,” Miwa says as she takes a photo of the heart-shaped latte art on her coffee. She always takes photos but they have no idea where she uploads them. “But that was too fast. I wanted to at least go shopping.” “Yeah, I also wanted to see Marche...” Compared to the Tokyo school where the students usually hang out by grade, the Kyoto girls hang out a lot. If it were a normal school, the separation of second and third years would be greater but since there are so few students at the Jujutsu schools and even fewer women, it matters less. That this is a more conservative environment than the Tokyo school has also compounded the situation.

Momo is overprotective of Mai, moreso than her own sister. She tries to explain to Nobara the pressures that women face in the Jujutsu World. She is the one who discouraged Mai from going back to the Zenin, and it’s also Momo who buries body or at least is left with it while Maki goes off to do something else I guess... It’s also implied that Momo is someone Mai confides in considering Momo knows a lot about the pressures that Mai faces in the clan. 

Miwa is also someone who does things mainly for the sake of other people rather than herself, in the first place she is only a Jujutsu Sorcerer in the first place to support her younger brothers. 

“Useless Miwa” is also the only student with the strength to actually be honest about her feelings for Mechamaru and is the one who tried the hardest to connect with him. Wheras Mechamaru’s weakness comes from the fact he believed he couldn’t connect or protect her without fixing his body first and then went off on his own to try to protect her from a distance. His weakness comes from pushing other people away not embracing the group.

For the Kyoto kids, their strength is when they are able to be emotionally vulnerable in front of each other and desire to get close despite how hard it is in the Jujutsu World, whereas their weakness is when they try to go off on their own and fight to protect others, to keep secrets from their own friend, when they can’t rely on the group because they don’t want to show that vulnerability.

Miwa may call herself useless but she’s clearly the first person to ever reach Mechamaru, considering he fell in love with her. Mai and Momo are attached to her. Miwa also has no cursed technique whatsoever she’s only a simple domain user, and yet she puts everything she has into fighting despite being one of the weaker students. 

Of course, Miwa’s sword always breaks repeatedly when she is facing much stronger foes, but Miwa has the bravery to fight with her all despite knowing how weak she is. Emotionally, she is very strong because she shows vulnerability while at the same time still trying to be strong in his own way. 

Kamo is also someone who appears like a staunchy traditionalist at first, but he also puts the whole group and his connections with other people over himself. For instance, Kamo attmempts to connect with and show sympathy for Megumi’s position in regards to the Zenin clan, when Megumi doesn’t really care. Kamo early on expresses worry for the fact that the Zenin clan puts a lot of expectations on Mai. Kamo makes his goal primiarly about someone else, helping his mother find a place in the clan after she was abused by them and then thrown out. 

This is pretty selfless of him too, especially since his mother after giving him up just moved on and made a new family and didn’t really bother to make contact with him or tell him it was okay for him to come home and she wanted him to be a part of her life. Apparently Kamo’s just supposed to... figure that out on his own even though she’s the adult and he’s the child. 

Kamo also coordinates with the group and helps them, putting their needs above his own. When the students might become the enemies of Jujutsu Society for trying to remove the seal around Gojo’s prison, Kamo went to beg to the Kamo clan to change their mind for the sake of everyone else. 

When he couldn’t help them that way, he still joined the fight himself and gave everything to try to help the group. When they’re cornered by Naoya,  Kamo makes the decision that would be best for the group, because Maki is stronger than him she needs to live to the end of this fight. 

Kamo is once again like a lot of the Kyoto kids, extremely honest about his desire to be needed by people and be a part of the group. His greatst goal is to be a help to his comrades. He prioritizes the group too much, to the point where it’s almost self sacrificial but at the same time he liked all the other Kyoto kids puts a priority on being together rather than acting seperately. In fact they all come close to dying when they try to act seperately, Mechamaru, Mai, Kamo all give their lives away a little bit too easily because they undervalue themselves. 

Finally Todo, is the best team fighter of the entire group. I have discussed Todo in other metas, but to summarize here, everything Yuji does is team oriented. Todo’s cursed technique literally sounds simple and yet he uses it so effectively in a team fight it’s what allows him and Yuji to take on a special grade cursed spirit together. Todo’s at the top of his game when he’s not fighting alone. 

Todo’s also extremely perceptive when it comes to other people, he ferrets out all the flaws in Yuji’s technique, he even can udnerstand when Yuji’s trauma towards Mahito is interrupting the flow of his cursed energy. At two points when Yuji stalls first because of Mahito making him too angry, and second because of trauma from Shibuya, Nanami, and Nobara’s successive deaths Todo is the only one who can get him going again both times. 

Simply put, Yuji did not win the fight against Mahito, Yuji and Todo did. It’s Todo who calls for Yuji to think about everyone together, all of his allies as Jujutsu Sorcerers and think of what’s best for the group as a way to keep going. 

Todo’s speech to Yuji also mirrors what Miwa said to Mechamaru in a way. No matter what, you are going to lose people, and the more you care about someone the more it’s going to hurt when you lose them. Yet, Todo answers a potential solution to that problem. 

You can’t let the fear of loss, or even your grief when you do lose them defile their memories. The people who you have lost however, wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up, or spend forever mourning them because the same way you loved them, they loved you. Todo provides an answer as to why Jujutsu Sorcerers grow closer to each other and fight together even in a world fraught by constant loss and death and it’s because it’s those feelings are what give people the motivation to fight. 

Yuji is able to keep going when all he wants to do is give up, because of his desire to carry on the feelings of both Nanami and Nobara with him in his memory. It hurts to lose people, but also we are capable of moving on when we lose people, because of the memories we made in life and the feelings we shared with them remain with us. And that is why the Kyoto Students and their bond with each other is important to the story. 

#metasks #mechamaru #miwa kasumi #kokichi muta #momo nishimiya #noritoshi kamo #mai zenin #todo aoi

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this Week #139 (Year 3/Week 35):

2 more back-to-back re-watches of Ron Fricke’s sublime non-narrative Head trip Samsara (“Impermanence”). Spiritual poetry, gorgeous visuals, breathtaking scope. A perfect film to watch while mushrooming. 10/10. (Photo Above).

🍿

First watch (no idea why I waited all these years) of William Friedkin’s Sorcerer, his ill-fated adaptation of Clouzot's 'The wages of fear'. Roy Scheider is a desperado transporting nitroglycerin in the Dominican jungle, together with 3 other unfortunate misfits.

🍿

A enchanting, classic 1974 French drama, Vincent, François, Paul and the Others, my second by Claude Sautet (after ‘The heart at winter’). A group of middle class 40-something friends, lovers, husbands and wives face a series of midlife crises. Among them Yves Montand, Michel Piccoli, Gérard Depardieu and Stéphane Audran. The camaraderie reminded me of the friendship in ‘Goodfellas’ (without the crimes, violence, and immorality). 7/10.

🍿

The big clock, my first Corporate Noir by John Farrow (father to Mia, husband to Maureen O'Sullivan). Ray Millard acts and sounds exactly like Cary Grant-Lite in this less-known thriller.

A curious visual: There's a very stylish shot at an empty executive boardroom with a giant conference table, and the only items on it are oversized personal ashtrays next to each chair.

🍿

Val Lawton X 2:

🍿 The best movie of the week, the documentary Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows. Produced and narrated by Martin Scorsese. A terrific biography and assessment of this melancholic producer who had the potential to become one of the biggest auteurs, but who is now barely-remembered for a series of 1940's low-budget, B-movies from RKO studio. I previously only saw his 'I walked with a Zombie', but I'm going to watch as many of the others as I can.

🍿 "...My Goodness, ain't nobody likes chicken Gumbo?..."

Lewton's first project, after he was installed as head of RKO low-budget horror department, was Cat People. "A disturbed woman", a Serbian fashion illustrator [Not too many of those] turns into a ferocious panther, after she's shown at her very first scene, littering repeatedly by throwing her discarded drawings in the streets.

🍿

Our friend, my second film by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (After ‘Blackfish’). A sad, non-linear tearjerker, based on a real story. Dakota Johnson is dying of cancer, with her husband, two daughters, and their best friend, who selflessly stays by their side. The first film when I liked the role Casey Affleck plays. 7/10.

/ female /

🍿

The new gonzo documentary Telemarketers reminded me of a chapter from my own life that I'm not proud of. For about 3 years in the mid-90's I sold bogus investments, gold futures, and fake ostrich options (!) over the phones in exactly the same way as the conmen in this sleazy, seedy, funny, cynical story. Except that over in Jersey they sold $35 donations and got paid $10 an hour, while we in Costa Mesa, CA got a $3,500 commission for every time we fleeced $40,000 from someone, which happened very often. So much money, and so many regrets later!

🍿

4 more I can watch over and over again:

🍿 My 10th-15th rewatch of Edgar Wright’s brilliant Hot Fuzz.

1. If you know nothing about it beforehand, and watch it for the first time while stoned, it’s impossible to know what it’s really about until the end; the story changes style, intention, musical cue and genre from scene to scene.

2. Is the violent shoot-them-up climax, cartoonishly exaggerated, (where still, nobody dies) the most cliché-filled action scene ever?

3. The subtle musical score underlining every scene is sublime; I am going to listen/watch it again - without the pictures, just the sound!

4. Actually, the whole editing, visuals, sound editing, borrowing from dozens of prior movies, is extraordinary.

5. Every part of the dialogue - every single line - is highly quotable!

10/10.

And as always, How to do visual comedy, from ‘Every frame a picture’.

🍿 I just saw the trailer for The big Lebowski for the first time; It really ties the movie together pretty well. So I "had to" watch the movie itself again. A masterpiece on every level. Even the IMDb synopsis encapsulates it correctly: "Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it."

I also like Wikipedia's chapter on its 'Use as social and political analysis'. With a magnificent score (which includes Dylan's 'The man in me', Gypsy Kings cover of 'Hotel California', Yma Sumac's Ataypura) and with Asia Carrera as Sherry, the porn actress.

The last sentence in it is 'Say, friend, you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?' Always 10/10.

🍿 Once again, Ali Wong’s first stand-up Baby Cobra. Funny, filthy, hardcore vulgar, very sexy; "Best pregnant comic".

🍿 Top banana, S1E2 episode from ‘Arrested Development’. From Vanity Fair’s ‘List of 25 perfect TV episodes’.

🍿

The source, another banal documentary about a spectacular human being, ultramarathoner Courtney Dauwalter, who just cemented her status as the greatest ultrarunner of all time by the unprecedented triple crown wins of the ‘Western States 100’, the ‘Hardrock 100’, and UTMB in the same summer. Emotionally inspirational.

🍿

The midnight gospel, an adult animated series, my first by Pendleton Ward. I saw the first episode yesterday, and I already can’t remember a single goddam thing from it.

🍿

From Dane Sitagi’s The ballerina project: Basia Rhoden dances in the city of Chicago.

🍿

Throw-back to the "Art project”:  

Ballerina Adora.

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here)

#movies

[mctreeleth]

Today the Hot Messes went to Lily’s house to roll characters for a few-shot D&D campaign I said I would run for us. I was 20 minutes late, but I did bring food, and the books, and a whole lot of big plush dice that we rolled. Maddy was 40 minutes late, but anything under an hour is considered on time.

I explained all the classes and the races and we have ended up with a Dragonborn Ranger, a Tiefling Sorcerer, and a Gnome Bard. Weird party composition, but I prefer mysteries and shenanigans to too much combat anyway.

Our ranger is going for a classic dead parents trope: after her town was razed she hit the road and became a one-woman roaming security force up and down the region, grinding at heroism by beating up small-town bad guys till she gets good enough to find out what happened and wreak some vengence.

Our tiefling sorcerer had the kind of ideas you’d expect from someone who immediately picked tiefling sorcerer: a rich famous party girl whose family had lost everything, except they had become famous for running an exotic brothel, where clients could sleep with all sorts of unusual creatures, but the creatures were prisoners, and her character had known all about this, but been fine with it because its nice to be rich. The other players and I managed to divert that last bit at least, because having a PC that is complicit in sex trafficking is... maybe not the vibe I wanted for my fun little game, so instead she thought mummy and daddy were just old money from the dragon ancestor, and when she found out about the other stuff she decided to start a fire to try to help everyone escape, but it all went wrong in undefined ways, so now she is in a shitty little roadside tavern on the outskirts of town flirting with travelers for a meal and a drink and maybe to steal from them while they sleep.

And our Gnome Bard, who inexplicably rolled no stat lower than a 14. To justify it narratively we decided she’s in her 60s - not that old for a gnome, really, but old enough that she can be a leathery old lady at the tavern fleecing people at card games because hey, it’s just a little old lady, except this little old lady has AT LEAST +2 to everything. At level 3. We think we will probably avoid complicating it with children and grandchildren, but she is definitely someone’s cool aunt, and confers bardic inspiration with affirmations and vicious mockery by asking if their mother knows what they are doing.

And I have my PC as an NPC working behind the bar, a halfling druid who makes an amazing goodberry daiquiri, who is backpacking on her gap year.

The fact that our real-life group has a party name already makes me especially inteerst to find out if the PCs also become the Hot Messes. But we won’t be free to finish making the PCs till next month, so who knows?

#also we are the ''four gays going to brunch'' meme when it comes to fashion #which is the problem when 3/4ths went to fashion school and the 4th sews as much as the other 3 put together #(I am the 4th it is kind of awkward) #anyway this will I am sure end in disaster #unless because it started in disaster maybe we have got the silly out of our system #or maybe she was just channeling the out-of-touch cluelessness she wanted for her character #but thanks to Maddy for being like ''my PC will murder yours when she finds out'' for having my back #interesting does not mean appropriate or good

[picsinhead-blog]

Tim’s Favorite Movie Project: Willow

Willow (1987)

Directed by Ron Howard

Starring Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, and Warwick Davis

Released May 20, 1987

Plot: When farmer and wannabe sorcerer Willow (Warwick Davis) finds a mysterious baby tucked in a makeshift raft in a river near his home, it sets him on a quest to return the baby to whoever it belongs to. Little does he know the child is Elora Danan, prophesied as some sort of savior of the world, and he is her chosen guardian. As he navigates the outside world, Willow attracts a ragtag group of fellow adventurers, including swordsman Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and Princess Sorsha (Joanne Whalley). Together, they must overcome an evil sorceress and her armies, hell bent on world domination and the destruction of Elora Danan.

One of my favorites because: The pitch for Willow may as well be “Lord of the Rings” meets Star Wars, and it more than lives up to the high bar set by those epics – especially by the standard of 1988, a mere five years after Return of the Jedi and more than a decade before The Phantom Menace or Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The characters begin as archetypes, but through smart writing and great performances, they quickly become distinct and unforgettable heroes and villains. The production is richly designed, from the sets and costumes to the visual effects. The action is big and exciting, but also brutal and dirty – it’s an epic adventure that exists in a world smeared with mud and splashed with blood. And it’s the hard edge of the film that makes it especially important as a gateway movie for older kids and pre-teens. It never feels as though the film is pulling any punches, as characters die, sometimes shockingly, and the villains threats to kill an infant feel very real. Like Lucasfilm’s own Indiana Jones series or Amblin’s Gremlins, Willow lets younger viewers dip their toes in more mature, scarier material without leaving behind the safety net of the fantasy and humor they’re more used to. I also can’t write about Willow without mentioning James Horner’s fantastic score, which immediately brings tears to my eyes.

My relationship to this movie: Willow was released on VHS on November 22, 1988, so it was probably in late 1989 or sometime in 1990 that I first saw it. I don't know where or why they bought it, but the VHS was one of a small handful of movies mom and dad owned (or bought for us). I watched it over, and over, and over again. The death of the nurse maid at the beginning of the movie so thoroughly disturbed me that I would leave the room during that part and listen for when it was safe to come back. We would play Willow outside - it was awesome to find a stick that looked just right to be Cherlindrea's wand! - and I collected the "action figures." (The Willow toy line sucked, in hindsight. It consisted of unarticulated, plastic molded statues fastened to die cast bases. There were deluxe figures that were on horseback - all the horses were the same, just different colors. The scale was all off - Willow was as tall as Madmartigan, and the death dog was almost as big as the horses. It was like playing with chess pieces.)  When Willow was released on DVD in November of 2001, I bought it as soon as I could get to a Best Buy. That happened to be in Indianapolis, IN the first week in December, when I was there for a National Catholic Youth Conference. I was thrilled to finally see the film in Widescreen, to experience what I considered to be the apex of fantasy filmmaking - until The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released a couple weeks later. I don't believe that Willow could have existed without Tolkien's work, and even though the films were released 13 years apart,I'm sure its success paved the way for Peter Jackson's trilogy - even if, by comparison, the armies and sieges in Willow look a tad silly.

My favorite _________: Willow is my favorite sword and sorcery fantasy film.

List Position at Debut: Willow is the second entry in this project and starts out at number two. 

#favorite movies #Willow #movie #willow 2022 #disney + #val kilmer #warwick davis #vhs tapes

[rinwellisathing]

Get To Know My OCs

content warnings: Violence, Chronic Illness

Name: Jaina Thalassia

Age: 19

Hair: Pale blonde Eyes: Bright blue

Mother: Bel Stormbringer

Father: Jonah Thalassia

Twin: Gauntlet Tiburon 'Tibbs' Thalassia

Height: 5'2" Skin: Pale blue-grey, tough like a shark's

Notable scars: One at her midriff where her twin brother accidentally ran her through with a cutlass while they played as children.

Character inspirations: Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Cytherea The First (The Locked Tomb) Dulcinea Septimus (The Locked Tomb) Jaina Proudmoore (World of Warcraft) Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notredame) Yaone (Gensoumaden Saiyuki) Reimi Sugimoto (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher) Sypha Belnades (Castlevania)

Relationships: Lover: Wyll, eventually Shadowheart, Karlach, Kroger(OC), and Halsin(post game events) Friends: Sentry (OC), Octavia (OC), Lae'zel, Gale, Bex, Lakrissa, Alfira, Rolan, Zevlor Extended family: Miguel Thalassia(Uncle, OC, a wealthy merchant in Waterdeep), Lucrezia Thalassia (Niece, OC), Keira Thalassia (Sister in law, OC)

Favorite Color: Blue, any shade. Also love sea green. Class: Storm Sorcerer Faith: Umberlee Occupation: Teacher of young magic users age groups Toddler and onward, was supposed to be a shrine maiden to Umberlee previously. Favorite food: Tuna, preferably raw with lemon and ginger Favorite drink: Rum Pronouns: She/her, They/them Biography: Jaina was born to a prominent and well liked pirate captain who made a home on an island far off the Sword Coast. She and her twin brother were raised to be wise and just leaders, viewing the crew that inhabited the island and family and being cautious and wary of outsiders. Jaina and her brother, however, were fascinated by the mainland. Every trip to fence goods or worship at Umberlee's shrine that landed them in Baldur's Gate, Jaina was astounded by Sorcerous Sundries and all the other fonts of magic, and her brother was inspired and in awe of The Flaming Fist.

Ultimately, when the twins were twelve, Jaina was sent to study in Baldur's Gate and her brother was given over to train with The Fist much to their parents' dismay. The two grew up in the city, making it their home and while Jaina's brother married and rose through the ranks of the fist, starting a family, Jaina focused on her scholarly pursuits and passing on her knowledge and abilities. She was abducted by the Nautiloid on her way home from a rather disappointing parent-teacher conference. Before the tadpole, Jaina and her twin brother were suffering from a strange illness that tends to affect their specific sub-species of sea-faring Tiefling, causing fatigue, constant pain, and breathing trouble, but the tadpole seems to have halted its effects on Jaina.

#baldurs gate 3 #oc #tiefling #tav

[marveloustimestwo]

Peter Parker Masterlist

All of my works for Spiderman/Peter Parker

Updated: May 27th, 2024

Avengers

Peter Parker

(MCU Peter)

Fics:

Sick - Part One

Headcanons:

General Headcanons

With a reader who pushes themselves

Peter finds your diary

Reader with a multi-dimensional book

Reader is a famous author

Reader who looks insensitive, but is actually afraid of being weak

Earthbender reader

Reader with an Oracle bracelet

Peter gets to marry reader if he moves an iron pillar

Reader with a flirty bandmate

Reader with a flirty writing pal

Reader goes on a special trip for their birthday

Reader who writes smutty stuff about Peter

Reader goes to a wild party

Escape artist Reader

"If you actually loved me you'd let me go"

Reader's friend has a crush

Afterparty with Peter

Reader with a massive following on Wattpad

Daredevil reader

Reader goes to an environmental conference

Reader gets into a sabotaged car crash

Cold Reader who eventually falls for Peter

Oblivious Reader

Reader with a rival who has feelings for them

Reader who has a friend like Peter Pan

Comfort Headcanons

Reader notices Peter's unhealthy traits

Reader who says they'll die from happiness if they meet their favorite author

Reader who won't love him escapes

Popular!Reader

Reader who has depressive thoughts because of stress

Peter finds out Reader has a crush on him

Reader has a mirror that's like Snow White's

Reader gets kidnapped and put through a hunger games-like scenario

Peter with an insecure chubby!Reader who's afraid to sit in his lap

Reader with a friend who constantly pursues them

Reader who likes to hug Peter

Reader who locks him in a room to escape

Afab!Reader who's on her period

Reader who just got broken up with by their boyfriend

Reader who calls Peter by his full name when irritated with him

Reader who's in a band/dance group preforms out of state and Peter can't come along

Peter tries to kiss an inexperienced reader

Peter leaves the door unlocked out of trust. Reader leaves but brings back flowers.

Reader tells him pick-up lines

Reader asks Peter to lay off the affection even though they're touch starved

Reader with a habit of rolling off of the bed

Reader who has a sword like Percy Jackson's

How Peter deals with Reader's overprotective pet

Reader fakes their death

With a Reader who likes to sing

Reader's cold to Peter after being kidnapped, but warms up to him after he comes home injured

Reader is like Sabrina the Teenage Witch w/ Andrew's version

Peter falls for a Sorcerer!Reader

Reader has tics

Reader has toxic parents

Peter with a Reader who does classical dancing

Peter with a Reader who's afraid he'll kill them

Reader and their nephew are superfans of Spiderman

How he is with a plus-size reader

With a Reader who's never been to prom

Reader drops ice down his neck when they see him being jealous

Peter with a single dad s/o

What Peter does when Reader gets mail

TASM! Peter flirts with Reader, while Reader thinks MCU! Peter is in love with MJ

How Peter reacts when Reader remembers him after NWH

Peter when Reader is jealous

TASM! Peter tries to kidnap the Reader during NWH, but Reader is dating MCU! Peter

How Peter reacts to Reader using him as an escape because of a bad home life

Reader tries to break up with Peter

Peter proposing to the Reader soon after high school

Peter with a Reader who doesn't date people who drink

Peter tries to make Reader jealous but hurts their feelings instead

How he reacts to a darling who rarely goes outside

Peter and his co-dependency issues

Peter believes that his childhood friend is his soulmate

How Peter reacts to chubby!reader being too embarrassed to ask him to lift them up

What Peter would do if Aunt May found out about his obsession

Prince Peter with a maid!Reader

Peter with a Regina George! type reader who sticks up for outcasts

Peter fake dates Reader to make MJ jealous, but then ends up obsessing over Reader instead

Reader is MJ's sister

Peter chooses to save Reader instead of other civilians

How Peter would act with a darling who's like Maddy Perez

What would happen when Reader's crush dates another person whose personality is very similar but looks like a model

(TASM! Peter)

Reader used to date Peter and finds out he's stalking them

Reader is like Sabrina the Teenage Witch w/ Tom's version

Kidnapping after you are threatened by a villain

Peter recognizes MCU! Reader as his dead s/o

Peter tries to kidnap the Reader during NWH, but Reader is dating MCU! Peter

#masterlist #yandere #yandere peter parker

[gizltheduck]

When In 1945

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31442600/chapters/77768405

(on AO3 there is also a version without (y/n) besides this one, I used a name instead)

Relationships: Bucky x Reader

Rating: Teen

Words: 15k

Warnings: swearing i guess?

Summary:  What would you do if you had a chance to prevent the darkest days of your loved one? Would you just sit by, or would you do everything in your power to protect them? And if so, for what price? (Y/n) will have to ask herself these questions sooner or later when the hunt after the missing time-stone catapults her into the 1940s, where she meets her not-quite-yet-fiancé, a certain Sargent James Barnes.

It all started with an incredulous question.

"What do you mean, he lost the time-stone?"

" I didn't lose it. It was stolen."

Doctor Stephen Strange glared at (Y/n) indignantly. She stared back, unimpressed.

Strange ran a hand through his slightly greying hair, frustration clearly visible in his face. And was there a little bit of embarrassment?

"Usually, I keep it on my person or in a safe location at all times, but just this once, I might have, err, placed it on my nightstand before I took a shower."

Tony snickered, Natasha raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, Wanda tilted her head, and Steve tried to stay professional, as always. The group was sitting around a big table in one of the conference rooms at the Avengers Tower. It had been a pretty calm morning until suddenly orange sparks had appeared in the lounge room, startling Tony and Steve. Strange had stepped out of the portal with a slightly frantic expression, stating he needed their help. Frowning, Steve had ordered everyone to the briefing room, much to (Y/n)'s displeasure. She had enjoyed one of the rare calm days, with no upcoming missions immensely.

Well, as immensely as she could without her fiancé by her side. She sighed internally. Bucky was on a mission with Clint, Sam and Vision for almost two weeks now. She missed him. She craved his smiles, his warm hugs and kisses. And god, she missed snuggling up to him in bed. It felt much colder without her six-foot, build like a brick shit house, wonderfully smelling, personal furnace. Her hand fiddled with her engagement ring he had presented her a month ago, with the most heartfelt and sweet proposals she has ever heard. A small, dreamy smile stretched on her lips.

"-sure it was them?"

Steve's voice pulled (Y/n) out of her thoughts. Right. Focus on the new potential mission. A lost infinity-stone should be taken seriously, after all. Plus, it might distract her a bit from longing thoughts.

"Pretty sure," Strange nodded. "They see themselves as the legacy of HYDRA of sorts. I've been keeping an eye on them, just as you have, I am sure, but I really didn't think they would be so bold. Breaking into my damn house."

(Y/n) didn't need to ask who 'they' were. A small group of terrorists, trying to rebuild HYDRA. They were well organised though, for such a small group. Tracking them has been a bitch. Every new trail going cold in a matter of days or weeks. That is until they finally slipped up, just last month. That was, in fact, the mission Bucky and the rest of the boys were on.

"You seem quite calm, though, for someone that just got the time-stone stolen," (Y/n) observed.

"Oh, I'm furious. But I'm positive they won't manage to get it out of the Eye. That spell might be simple, but it's quite unbreakable."

His smug attitude irked (Y/n) somewhat, but she also knew that he was a highly skilled sorcerer.

"So, if I just got my hands on an incredibly powerful artefact, what would I do?" Natasha wondered out loud.

"Well, I'd try to crack that baby and try harness the power, obviously.", (Y/n) piped up, "But where in God's name would they go?"

"Where indeed," Tony mused, stroking his chin. With that, a discussion started about possible locations and plans, and (Y/n) got the distraction she needed.

Okay, maybe she got more distraction than she had wanted. Ugh. (Y/n) crouched lower behind her cover, a bright purple energy beam zinging close over her head, striking a tree behind her with a loud crack. At least they finally found their lair, hidden deep in the vast forest of Russia. These idiots really had thought it would be a smart idea to lay low at former HYDRA locations.

"Damn it," she growled, "so much for in-and-out."

She heard Tony chuckling through the comms, "That'd be too easy, kid."

"It'd be nice to have it easy, for once," Wanda groused, slamming three guards against the tall pine trees, her red magic swirling around her.

"Guys, I'm closing in. Tony, see if you can knock down their defence system. (Y/n) and Wanda, I need you to cover my back."

"Roger that, Cap.", (Y/n) said, smirking a little at her pun. She practically could feel Steve rolling his eyes, having heard that joke at least a dozen times from her.

Steve didn't call her out on it, though. "Nat-"

"On it," Natasha interrupted him.

(Y/n) fought her way to her assigned position, Wanda close on her heels. The team gained more and more ground, finally getting into the facilities after Tony took down the energy field with a triumphant shout.

(Y/n) was creeping around the hallways of the vast old castle that functioned as the base of operations.

"Now, where would I hide a time-stone? Hmm...where?"

She took a flight of stairs down to the basement, her dark tactical gear allowing her to melt into the shadows. Not long, after wandering around in the dim lighting, from dingy lanterns placed on the walls, (Y/n) found a set of thick metal doors.

"Oh, hello." She eyed the hand-print detector next to the door. "Well, that won't do."

She cracked her knuckles and pressed her hands onto the cool steel near the door hinges. Taking a deep breath, she felt her powers creeping up from her core, through her chest and arms, and out through her hands. They glowed with golden-white energy, steadily melting the metal. As soon as she felt no resistance anymore, she stepped back and ripped the door out of its hinges with a swift kick. The metal clanged loudly against the walls and the stone floor as it fell. (Y/n) smirked, satisfied.

"Guys, I think I've cracked the jackpot. Basement, at the west-side."

"On our way, don't you dare to go in alone," Steve warned.

But (Y/n) had already stepped inside what seemed a laboratory of sorts. Four long steel tables littered with various test tubes and machines were placed around a small clearing in the middle.

"Uh, a bit too late for that, sorry Steve. Wow, this place looks insane. Like mad-scientist-insane."

(Y/n) methodically searched the tables, working her way to the clearing. The ground on the clearing had scorch-marks. It almost seemed like someone repeatedly blasted it with a flame thrower or some sort of energy-based weapon. She frowned, crouching and gliding her fingers over the blackened spots.

"Don't move!"

The frantic voice made (Y/n) freeze in her tracks. Well, shit. Slowly, she stood up, raising her hands cautiously.

"I said, don't move!"

A middle-aged man stepped out of the shadows, the harsh lighting of the halogen lights hitting his round face. Sweat glistened on his bushy, greying brows. The gun in his right hand was pointing at (Y/n), while in his left hand there was a faint green glow of-

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

The Eye of Agamotto was clutched in his left hand, the time-stone glowing softly inside.

"Hey now, easy."

"You're here for this, aren't you?" the man asked, gesturing to the Eye with his gun, before pointing it at (Y/n) again. Ugh. Unstable, mad scientist. Not good.

"Uh, yeah. You have no idea what you got there, mate. Really, that stuff is dangerous, so let the actual sorcerer handle magical artefacts, okay?"

The man let out a snort. "That Strange Doctor is the one with no idea! Instead of changing this dark world into something better, he wears the most powerful artefact in the world, like a stupid necklace! What a waste."

As he was rambling, (Y/n) crept closer. Right. Keep him talking. "Yeah? And what are you going to do with it? You can't even get it out of that thing."

"I can, though! See?" he unclenched his left hand so that (Y/n) could get a better look. To her slight shock, the delicate metal pieces at the front of the Eye were bent. The compartment of the necklace, wherein the stone rested, was pried open a bit. "I almost opened it; until you and your stupid friends came!"

"How did you even-"

Just at that moment, Steve and Nat rushed into the room.

"Stay back!" the man yelled, waving his gun frantically and backing away.

Nat stormed after him, seemingly uncaring about his weapon, gunshots ringed, ricochetting against the walls. Seeing the terror that was The Black Widow, the man dropped the Eye in a bout of panic, trying to get away from her. Without thinking, (Y/n) dove after the precious artefact.

"No!" the man shouted, held back by Nat. In a last-ditch effort, he grabbed a heavy-looking glass from the table he was pressed against and threw it in (Y/n)'s direction with a surprisingly good aim.

(Y/n) was quicker, thanks to her enhanced reflexes. She raised her free hand and shot an energy blast, which made the glass shatter in midair. And for one moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't as hard as..."

(Y/n)'s sentence hung in the air, unfinished. The Eye began to warm unnaturally in her palm, and the gentle glow became almost blinding. Steve and Nat stared, frozen. Green light engulfed (Y/n).

"What the-"

She was gone in a swirl of green and gold before she could even finish her surprised shout, the Eye with the time-stone clattering to the ground.

"-hell!"

Pain was the next thing (Y/n) felt. One moment ago, she had been fine, and the next, pain bloomed across her shoulders, back and head. She groaned.

"Ow, son of a bitch, that hurt!"

What just happened? And why was it so cold all of a sudden?

(Y/n) blinked her eyes open. Instead of the ceiling of the lab, she was looking at a white and clouded sky. Oh no. This couldn't be good. She sat up, looking around. Well, at least she still seemed to be in the forest. Although, with one glaring difference: Snow. Everything was covered in snow. What kind of Alice in Wonderland shit was this?

(Y/n) stood up, brushing the snow and dirt from her gear. She tapped the comm in her ear.

"Steve? Can you hear me? Tony?" No answer.

"Nat? Wanda? If this is a joke, guys, it's not very funny." Nothing.

"Come on, guys! I get it; I shouldn't have gone in alone. Look, let's just get to this new Indian place, and I'll pay."

The comm just buzzed with static. (Y/n) took it out of her ear, pocketing it with a sigh. Great. Just great.

An idea struck her, and she fumbled with her gear, finally finding her phone. It was a long shot but still worth a try. She powered it on, but of course, she had no service. God damn it.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" she growled, pocketing her phone.

The slight wind picked up, sending a shiver down her spine. Well, best to get moving before freezing to death.

As she started walking where she thought the quinjet was, (Y/n) knew that whatever just happened had been caused by the time-stone. So, she was transported somewhere. But where? Everything looked the same in this damn forest. She walked and walked, and damn, she should've been by the jet by now! So, where was it? She huffed, frustrated, her breath coming out in puffs. Somehow, it had even gotten colder.

And then, for one absurd moment, a thought crossed her head. What if she- What if she had not only been transported somewhere else? What if she was somewhen?

She snorted. No. Absolutely not. Even if her current predicament had to do with the time-stone, she possibly couldn't have travelled in time. Nope. What an insane idea. That came from watching too many episodes of Doctor Who.

Time travel or not, she had a far bigger problem right now. She was lost in a forest somewhere in Russia, it was freezing cold and starting to get dark. (Y/n) stopped and turned slowly in a circle, trying to find some sense of orientation. She was about to give up when something caught her eye.

Were those lights? Oh, moving lights. A car? Hope bloomed in her chest, and she started walking towards the light. Relief flooded her when she heard the rumbling of a car engine. Other people! At least they could help her out of the forest.

"Hey, you okay there?"

A military type of truck held beside her, the man who had spoken up, gazed at her cautiously.

"Oh, thank god you speak English," (Y/n) replied, "I'm, uh, kinda lost. It would be terribly nice of you guys if you could at least help me get out of this forest."

The burly man with a ginger moustache shared a look with his companions; two other men, one dark-skinned, the other Asian-looking. They all wore what seemed to be military uniforms of sorts.

"Don't know if we can take you out of the forest, but you can come with us and warm up. Our camp isn't far away. No dame should be alone at night, especially not here," moustache-guy replied.

Dame? (Y/n) cleared her throat. "Umm, yeah, that'd be great." She climbed into the truck. "Thank you."

"What's your name?" the dark-skinned man asked.

"(Y/n). And yours?"

"I'm Gabe. This chap here", he placed a hand on the shoulder of the Asian man sitting beside him, "is Jim."

"I'm Timothy, but everyone calls me Dum Dum," moustache-guy piped up while driving. (Y/n) didn't know why, but there was something familiar about these guys. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"So, what were you doing alone in the forest?" Gabe asked.

"And what are you wearing?" Jim followed up, eying her tactical gear curiously.

"Umm, it's a bit complicated," (Y/n) started slowly, not sure how much she should say, "Let's just say I was retrieving something with a bunch of colleagues, then I got separated from them." She sighed.

"Don't worry, when we are at camp, we'll see what we can do," Dum Dum replied cheerfully. (Y/n) noticed the slightly suspicious looks they shared, though.

Camp. That struck (Y/n) as odd. "What kind of camp?"

"Well, our base camp," Gabe replied, "Good thing we found you when we did; we just moved to a more secure location. This forest isn't safe, especially with HYDRA-scum running around."

HYDRA? What the hell? Something was seriously wrong. A sense of dread filled (Y/n). She chose not to say anything.

A short while later, they arrived at said camp. (Y/n) could make out various tents and vehicles in the fading daylight. She just climbed out of the truck when she heard the click of a gun behind her.

"You mind telling us who exactly you are?"

(Y/n) raised her hands and turned slowly, slightly annoyed. Being held at gunpoint once a day was quite enough, thank you very much. Dum Dum's hand gripped the gun steadily, not shaking one bit.

"Look, I don't mean harm to anybody. I just want to find my friends."

Dum Dum scoffed. "What, you mean your HYDRA friends? Gotta say I didn't think they would try a trick as old as my 90-year-old grandpa. The damsel in distress, how predictable."

(Y/n) bristled at the comment. "First of all, how dare you? I'm no damsel in distress. Secondly, you honestly think I'm HYDRA? I mean, really? If anything, I hunt those bastards."

"I don't think she is lying, Dum Dum," Jim piped up.

"What on earth is going on here?" a smooth British voice called out before anyone could reply.

"Hello, Peg," Gabe spoke, "Just a misunderstanding."

(Y/n) turned her head, and her jaw dropped. No fucking way. That couldn't be. Impossible.

Agent Peggy Carter, the founder of SHIELD, one of the most badass women on the planet, was striding towards them. And she was young. Wearing a green military uniform. Hair perfectly styled, signature red lipstick. Oh fuck. (Y/n) almost couldn't comprehend the implications of this rather spectacular revelation.

Suddenly, she wanted to slap herself. Dum Dum, aka Timothy Dum Dum Dougan, Jim Morita, Gabe Jones. The infamous Howling Commandos. So, time-travel, huh? Neat. (Y/n)'s brain buzzed.

"You are Peggy Carter," she stupidly whispered.

"Indeed I am. And you are?"

"A fan," (Y/n) replied at the same time as Dougan said: "HYDRA."

(Y/n) groaned. "No, I'm not a HYDRA agent. I thought we've established that."

"So, you know what HYDRA is?" Peggy asked. (Y/n) nodded.

"That's the point. Civilians, like she claims to be, wouldn't know that," Dougan argued, gun still pointed at (Y/n).

"Just because I know of HYDRA doesn't mean I am one of them!" (Y/n) insisted, "And who said I'm a civilian? I'm an agent, actually." Kind of, she added in her head.

That seemed to pique Peggy's interest. "How about you put the gun away, Dougan, and we have this conversation somewhere a bit more pleasant?"

"Fine," he grumbled, lowering the gun. (Y/n) relaxed slightly.

(Y/n) still couldn't believe it; she was sitting around a fire with the Howling Commandos. She had travelled in time. She was in the middle of World War Two, oh shit. Was she breaking time just by being here? What if she changed something that would harm the future? Oh god, she was way over her head with all of this.

At least they trusted her somewhat now. Peggy had sat them down in one of the tents and started her disguised-as-a-friendly-chat interrogation. (Y/n) had tried to answer all of her questions as truthful and believable as possible. Even in this surreal situation, she knew better than straight-up telling them she was from the future. They wouldn't have believed her anyway.

Ironically, the thing that got them to finally trust her was Bucky. Sort of. Peggy had noticed her fiddling with her engagement ring and asked about it.

"Did he propose before he was drafted?"

"Umm, not really. It's pretty recent. We work together for the same organisation. He's on a mission right now."

Peggy had tilted her head. "You still don't want to tell us what kind of organisation?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. But, I swear, I am not the enemy," (Y/n) sighed, "If anything, I have all the reason in this world to hate HYDRA." She had looked down on her silver engagement ring, a sad frown stealing on her face.

"They captured him at one point. Not only that, but they tortured him, made him do horrible things. And don't get me started on the nightmares and all of the guilt and shame he still carries around." To her slight embarrassment, she'd felt tears sliding down her face. She'd wiped them away angrily. Not that it had helped. Every time she thought about what they did to this amazing, kind man, to her love, she felt such helplessness and anger she could barely contain herself, lest her emotions.

Peggy and the others had shot her sympathetic looks. Dougan had even placed a hand on her shoulder and apologised for pointing a gun at her.

Speaking of Bucky, though, he had to be around here somewhere. And so had to be Steve. (Y/n) didn't know how to feel about that. Fuck, what if they recognised her in the future when they met (would meet?) for the first time? And she didn't know if she could deal with the fact that she had to pretend to not know them, especially Bucky. Ugh, she really was way over her head.

"What's got your gears turnin' so hard, New Stuff?"

(Y/n) raised her head at Dougan's question. Right. She had been staring into the fire for at least half an hour, probably.

"Just thinking about my friends." Sort of.

"Well, there isn't much we can do except for providing shelter for you."

(Y/n) mustered a half-hearted grin at Peggy's apologetic words. "Don't worry, they will find me sooner or later. I'm just glad you guys haven't kicked me out."

"Speaking of friends," Morita said, "Captain Who Needs A Plan, and his side-kick should be back from patroling any minute now." Laughter erupted from the group. Even (Y/n) chuckled.

"You ready to meet the infamous Captain America, (Y/n)?" Gabe asked, grinning.

"I should warn you, though. He ain't as charming as it seems from afar," Dougan interjected, smirking, "And he is kinda spoken for." Here, he waggled his eyebrows at Peggy, which earned him a not so subtle whack on his arm.

(Y/n)'s eyes widened a fraction, a wave of panic coursing through her. She couldn't just meet Steve and Bucky. Not now. Not ever. Fuck. What was she supposed to do? Oh god, this was bad. She feigned a yawn, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm sorry, but I'm so tired. Peggy, could you show me a place to sleep? I'm sure I can meet them tomorrow."

Peggy blinked but stood up. "Let's see what we can arrange for you, come on."

(Y/n) dutifully followed her. Peggy got her settled into a spare cot in her tent and gave her a simple shirt and pants for sleeping. (Y/n) accepted the clothing, grateful to get out of her gear. She quickly changed and not a minute too soon. After just a few moments of lying on her back and staring at the tent ceiling, she heard shouts and laughter. And wasn't that Steve's voice reprimanding someone jokingly? (Y/n) sighed and turned to her side, away from the entrance of the tent. Suddenly, she felt very alone. She was sure that her friends in the future are doing everything in their power to get her.

"I hope you guys will figure out how to get me out of here, rather sooner than later," she mumbled, eyes drooping with sudden exhaustion.

(Y/n) woke up to the first stirrings of the camp in the early morning. She wouldn't consider herself an early riser per se, but waking to Bucky's more intense nightmares and Steve's general insistence on early morning training sessions would do that to a girl. Plus, the messy situation she was currently in didn't really warrant a good nights rest. She sat up with a yawn and stretched.

"Good morning," Peggy greeted her, just finishing her hair.

"Morning." (Y/n)'s eyes fell onto a pile of clothes folded neatly at the foot of her cot.

"I've tried to find you some clothes. They should fit you just fine, I think."

She thanked her and changed into a white wool sweater, obviously one of Peggy's, and a pair of thick khaki trousers. Paired with her black combat boots, it wasn't half a bad look, she found. (Y/n) borrowed Peggy's comb and tried to smooth out her messy bedhead. Then, she braided her long locks into a simple french braid while Peggy watched her curiously as if she was trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle.

"It's good you woke up early. We might actually get something to eat before the boys go at it," Peggy joked.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, smiling. She threw on the warm dark green coat Peggy provided her and stepped out of the tent into the cool morning. The sky was white and cloudy, the sun just barely shining through. Soldiers were sitting in small groups throughout the camp, eating away at their rations. Some were just quietly sitting together, while other groups were joking or talking.

(Y/n) always imagined war as something serious and bleak, and she supposed it was. But seeing these soldiers essentially just hanging out made her feel like there wasn't any war going on. Well, that was probably one of the only times where they could forget too. That thought made her sad.

Peggy led her to a small tent at the north side of the clearing. It was busy inside. Two soldiers were giving out ration packs to the hungry rest. Peggy greeted one of them and grabbed two rations packs while (Y/n) waited patiently on the side.

The two just walked out of the tent when they heard their names being shouted across the camp.

"Peggy, (Y/n)! Over here!" Dougan was waving them over to the campfire where they'd been sitting yesterday. So much for staying inconspicuous, (Y/n) thought, sighing, internally, as they trudged over.

Jim was sitting between Dougan and Gabe on one of the logs around the fireplace. Two vaguely familiar men, the last two Commandos she supposed, were lounging on the opposite log, tucking into their meals. (Y/n)'s eyes wandered over to the final two people of the group, sitting directly in her line of sight.

Right there, mere feet in front of her was Steve. He was putting his hand on the shoulder of the handsome brunette man beside him while telling him something. It must've been something funny because the brunette let out a joyful laugh, his eyes crinkling, his nose scrunching up adorably.

(Y/n)'s breath got caught in her throat. She'd never seen Bucky at such ease. He just seemed so carefree it almost hurt to watch. He really was beautiful when he smiled.

Seeing him so happy made her heart twist painfully in her chest. Back in the future, this Bucky was just slowly emerging again, only glimpses of him shining through on good days. But here, he was on full display. Could someone's heart be brimming with love, yet at the same time break into pieces? Apparently, yes.

"Are you okay?" Peggy asked her, from a few steps ahead. (Y/n) hadn't even noticed she'd slowed down and stopped walking. And she had tears in her eyes. Damn it.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she blinked rapidly, determined to not let the sudden tears fall, "Just something stuck in my eye." What a lame excuse.

Peggy didn't seem to believe her but let it slide. "Well, come on then." (Y/n) took a deep breath and followed her. She could do this. Come on, woman, get a grip.

Just as they reached the group, Bucky looked up, his eyes meeting hers. (Y/n)'s breath hitched. Okay, she couldn't do this. Damn him and his irresistible blue eyes.

She tore her gaze away from him to the ground, forcing herself to breathe evenly. She had known she'd be conflicted with meeting Bucky here, but the intensity of her feelings raging inside her took her off guard. She should've known, though. She loved this man with all her heart, sometimes wondering how it was possible to feel this much for another person.

"Good morning, Peg," Dougan said, motioning for the others to make room for the new arrival.

"Good morning, boys." Peggy glanced at Steve, a sly look on her face. "Captain," she said before sitting down on the log next to Steve. (Y/n) herself plopped on the free space beside Dougan.

Steve straightened up a little, gazing back into her eyes. "Agent Carter," he replied, voice a little deeper than necessary.

(Y/n) watched the interaction with interest. Seeing Steve I'm-Too-Busy-For-Dates Rogers actually flirting was morbidly fascinating.

One of the unnamed men said something in French, which (Y/n) didn't understand, with only ten words of the language in her vocabulary. Gabe seemed to understand just fine, though, chuckling as he was. He turned to (Y/n). "Frenchie over there asks who this pretty lady is that graced our group with her lovely presence."

(Y/n) raised her brows, to which Gabe just shrugged as if saying 'not my words'.

"I'd like to know that too," Bucky's voice suddenly rasped. (Y/n) found his gaze fixed on her when she turned her head toward him. His eyes held a mischievous sparkle as he was grinning at her flirtatiously as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Right. It was natural, (Y/n) supposed. Everyone knew about the stories of the notorious charmer Bucky Barnes making ladies swoon in the forties like it was breathing. Oh god. This Bucky was a giant fucking flirt. How was she supposed to deal with this?

"First of all, this lady is engaged," she blurted out, showing her right hand and wiggling her fingers. The single diamond on the silver band was sparkling in the morning light.

The french guy deflated visibly, which earned him laughter from the group. Bucky seemed to be taken aback too, but he caught himself quickly. "Well, he's a lucky bastard," he said, "A man can hope, though." He winked at her cheekily.

(Y/n)'s heart pounded in her chest. She ducked her head but couldn't hide her smile at the irony of his words. Of course, Bucky caught on her smile, judging by his self-satisfied grin. That cheeky little shit. (Y/n) raised her head again, licking her lips.

"I'll let him know. Although I must warn you, my fiancé doesn't like to share."

She smirked at his flustered appearance. And was there a light blush over his cheeks? Two can play this game, Barnes, she thought, satisfied. Bucky was not one to give up that easily though, she shouldn't have expected him to just shut his mouth. Especially this more open version of him.

"Understandable, I wouldn't wanna share you either."

"You just met me."

"Guess you've made a big first impression, Doll."

The familiar pet name made her stomach twist pleasantly, and she actively had to suppress the shivers down her spine. She really, really missed her fiancé, and honestly, if she hadn't had a shred of common sense left in her, she'd have jumped his bones already.

Only then, she noticed the silence. Everyone was glancing between her and Bucky with a mix of curiosity and raised eyebrows. And only then (Y/n) realised that she, an engaged woman, was openly flirting with another man.

Well, technically, they were the same man, but the others didn't know that. But she just couldn't help herself. Bucky might be a lot more introverted in the future, but once he came out of his shell, there was no stopping the cheekiness, especially around people he was comfortable with. So, it was easy as breathing to fall into the flirtatious banter, like they were in the Avengers Tower and not in a military camp in fucking Russia. In the forties.

Peggy, bless her, broke the awkward silence by officially introducing her to the rest of the group. She had been right about the two men; they were the final members of the Commandos, Frenchie and Monty.

"Just Steve is fine, ma'am," Steve said as Peggy introduced him as Captain America. Ma'am. She was so going to tease him when she finally got back.

"Sorry, it was a bit rude of me not to introduce myself before. Sargent James Barnes. you can call me Bucky, though."

Bucky's bashful grin unbiddenly made her smile. "I'm (Y/n). It's nice to meet all of you," she said, knowing she should probably stop fucking staring but not being able to help herself. This shouldn't be so hard. She shouldn't feel like meeting him for the first time and falling hard, but she did. And damn if it didn't feel intoxicating.

The day went on with the routine of a military camp, namely training and strategising. The team had an upcoming mission, so they were pouring over plans and battle strategies. (Y/n) hadn't seen the Commandos all day long, which left her pretty much alone in the camp. The two dozen or so soldiers that didn't belong to the core team were training and leaving her alone, safe a few curious glances in her direction.

Naturally, (Y/n) wasn't allowed to the meetings. They trusted her not to murder them in their sleep, but not enough for having insight into their strategies because they weren't idiots. (Y/n) wasn't offended in any way; she would have done the same thing.

But that left her alone with her thoughts. From what she had gathered by snippets of overheard conversations and her own future knowledge, Steve and his team were slowly but surely decimating the base of operations HYDRA had across Europe, cornering the Red Skull and Arnim Zola. Apparently, a top-secret HYDRA facility in western Russia was the last great stronghold.

Arnim Zola. That name left a bitter taste in (Y/n)'s mouth. That bastard had experimented on Bucky the first time he had been captured with the 107th. And then again the second time around. It made her blood goddamn boil. If she could just get her hands on that slimy, five-foot, swiss weasel, she would-

"What's got you so worked up?"

(Y/n) looked up from where she was sitting to find Peggy's questioning glance. Her entire body felt hot. Confused, she looked down and saw that she'd clenched her hands into fists, tiny sparks of energy around them. She hadn't even noticed.

Quickly, she unclenched them, taking a deep breath. She really needed to get a grip. Letting the others know about her more unique abilities might not be the best idea at the moment.

"Just thinking about some HYDRA agents I'd like to smash into pieces," (Y/n) ground out. She sighed, standing up. "Sorry, it's just that this whole discussion about them brought up some really nasty memories."

She felt her powers surge again, making her nervous. Come on, girl, you need to calm down.

"I think you need to let out a bit of steam," Peggy remarked, "Come on. Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"The place where the Captain and his friends are usually pulling some punches."

That's how (Y/n) found herself at some sort of training pit, not far from camp. It was actually just a small valley between two hills.

The layer of snow which coated the entire forest, except for the camp, was also absent. Probably because of the regular action. (Y/n) shot a questioning glance at Peggy. "What now?"

Instead of answering, Peggy pushed her dark green coat off her shoulders. "Now we are letting out some steam," she said, rolling up the grey sleeves of her wool sweater.

"You want to fight me?" (Y/n)'s voice cracked with incredulity. Was this really happening?

"You did claim to be a highly trained agent, did you not? So, let's see what you got."

(Y/n) pulled off her own coat and put it on the ground beside Peggy's. "Fine," she relented, rolling up her own sleeves. The nervous energy came back full-force, making her shift on the balls of her feet.

The two of them started circling each other, trying to gauge the other. Suddenly, Peggy shot forward, feigning a kick with her left foot but actually kicking with her right. (Y/n) ducked under her swinging leg and blocked Peggy's left hook with her arm. Peggy sidestepped her right punch.

Kick, duck, punch, jump, repeat. They developed a rhythm, where it felt more like a dance than an actual fight. And it worked like a charm. The push and pull between her and Peggy slowly replaced the anger and nervous energy with a calm focus.

(Y/n) finally managed to land a blow, making Peggy stumble back a bit. She narrowed her eyes and retaliated with a series of quick punches and kicks, backing (Y/n) away towards the edge of the valley.

"Not bad," she commented.

"Thanks," (Y/n) grunted, sidestepping another punch, "You're not bad either." She crouched down low, trying to make Peggy fall with a low swiping kick, which she jumped over with ease. (Y/n) rolled over to avoid Peggy's foot swooping down, coming back up behind her.

Peggy whirled around, just blocking (Y/n)'s right punch. They exchanged a series of quick jabs and punches, neither of them quite willing to give in yet.

They finally called it a day when both of them were sweaty, panting and exhausted. Peggy grinned. "It was nice to train with somebody who isn't the Captain or his friends."

"Why?" (Y/n) asked curiously.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "He and especially his friends have a little bit too much respect when it comes to fighting me. Completely ridiculous, of course. The Captain seems to find it amusing, though."

Again with the Captain.

(Y/n) knew she should probably just shut up, but she couldn't help at least a little bit of teasing. It was in her nature. "So, Captain, huh?" She smirked at Peggy. "You always so formal? Or is it just when there are, uh, people around?"

Peggy raised a single eyebrow, unimpressed. "I call Steve Captain because that is his rank. And I seem to remember that you were rather star-struck at the sight of the Sargent. Aren't you engaged?"

(Y/n) felt her face heat up. She knew this would bite her ass. Yes, she was engaged. To that very man. And she couldn't even kiss her fiancé, let alone ravish him like she planned to do after she got home. This was frustration on another level, she found.

"Well, he is an attractive man. I may be engaged, but I'm not blind."

Peggy huffed, amused, as they picked up their coats and made their way back to camp. "Just out of curiosity; your fiancé wouldn't be jealous at all?"

"Well, no," (Y/n) answered. Although... she paused and tilted her head. Bucky always had had a jealous streak, but it never went so far as to cause an issue. She even rather liked it. It was downright adorable, the way he would try to stop himself from smiling when she showered him with affection after another man stole too much of her attention for his taste. But would he really be jealous of himself?

"On second thought, he probably would be jealous," (Y/n) giggled. The mental image of Bucky being all huffy and puffy and jealous because of himself of all people was peak entertainment. However, she knew it also had to do with his self-worth issues, so she always made sure he had no doubts about her love and loyalty towards him.

Peggy observed her being all giggly, with slight confusion painting her face. "What's so funny about it?"

"It's difficult to explain, but him being jealous of Sargent Barnes of all people," (Y/n) just shook her head, trying to stifle her giggles, "it's just, uh, funny," she finished lamely.

Just as Peggy's quizzical expression was starting to make her nervous, she changed the subject.

Only to come back to it a short while later, when they were almost at the camp entrance. "You know, you talk so much about your fiancé, but I never caught a name."

(Y/n) eyed her cautiously, debating in her head whether to lie or not. She chose truth in the end. Mostly. "Ironically, his name is James. James Miller."

"What a coincidence. Although, James isn't exactly an uncommon name."

(Y/n) just hummed in agreement as they walked into camp, hoping she would just drop it.

"Well, I hope you and James will be very happy after all of this is over."

Just then, as if summoned by their conversation, Bucky was stepping out of the main tent, rubbing his hand tiredly over the frown on his face.

The clouds had lightened somewhat, allowing the late afternoon sun to illuminate a few specks of the camp. Bucky seemed to notice it, too; he looked up at the sun, a smile slowly stretching over his lips. And it just struck (Y/n), just like it had in the morning.

Unbiddenly, her lips lifted as she watched. Warmth spread through her at the sight of him smiling at the little things, something he just started doing more often in the future.

"Yeah, me too," she replied quietly, the smile evident in her voice.

(Y/n) lifted her head groggily. She blinked the sleep away, trying to figure out what in God's name had startled her awake. A quick glance at the cot on the other side of the tent assured her that Peggy was still sound asleep, the blanket gently rising and falling with her breaths.

Just as she was about to dismiss it and go back to sleep, she heard it: a soft thud and quiet shuffling. A rat, perhaps?

(Y/n) narrowed her eyes, squinting into the darkness. There were no such things as cursing rats, though. Quietly, she peeled back her blanket and sat up. Finding her boots, she slipped them on and cautiously made her way out of the tent. Outside, the moon provided some light.

"Can I help you?"

Bucky let out a surprised shout, stumbling and barely catching himself from falling on his butt. She stifled a giggle. "You okay there, Sargent?"

It was virtually impossible to sneak up on Bucky in the future, so (Y/n) couldn't help a small surge of smugness.

Bucky turned towards her with a sheepish expression on his face. He had shed his uniform, standing in front of her only with a green army-issued shirt and dark pants. Hanging loosely from the fingers of his right hand was his jacket. His short hair, similar to how he wore it in the future, was deliciously dishevelled, and she really tried to not stare at the hint of chest hair peeking out of the gap of his shirt.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry if I woke you. I just needed some bandages."

That wiped the grin out of (Y/n)'s face. "Bandages, why? Are you alright?"

"Oh, no worries," he grinned half-heartedly, "I just had a small accident with a knife."

(Y/n) frowned, raising a brow. "At the middle of the night?"

Bucky just shrugged, looking away. Oh, she knew that look. It tugged on her heartstrings.

"Nightmares?" she asked softly, taking a step towards him. She finally noticed the awkward placement of his left arm, angled away from her.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, "How did you know?"

"My fiancé has them, too," she said simply, gently cradling his left arm in her hands and bringing it towards her, "Well, and I don't get away unscathed either with the work I'm doing."

She gasped when she saw blood slowly oozing from the deep gash on his forearm. "Come on, we need to stop the bleeding."

She ignored his weak protests while marching towards the small grey tent where they kept their medical supplies, his arm still in her hand. Much to her annoyance, he was still talking when she pulled aside the tent flap.

"Really, (Y/n), you don't need to do this. I can take care of it on my own."

She looked over her shoulder, staring him down. "With all due respect, Sargent, please shut up and let me help you." She pulled him inside, careful not to cause him any more pain.

After turning on the small lamp, she led him to a cot. He plopped onto it, and she let go of his arm to rummage through the cabinets.

She let out a small triumphant shout, lifting a glass of antiseptic and a roll of bandages in the air.

(Y/n) cut off a decent piece of the bandage roll with the scissors lying on the table beside the cabinets. She settled next to him on the cot. Then she dunked it into the antiseptic, carefully squeezing out the excess.

"Give me your arm."

"Bossy," Bucky mumbled but dutifully stretched his arm toward her. She rolled her eyes and gently grabbed the underside of his arm with her left hand, holding the antiseptic-laced gauze in her right. First, she wiped away all the blood around the cut.

"This might sting a bit," she warned before carefully cleaning the wound itself. Bucky only grimaced a little after letting out a soft grunt.

"This is really not necessary, (Y/n)," he sighed.

(Y/n) stopped her ministrations, staring at him through narrowed eyes. "And why not? Do you want this to get infected?"

He huffed, jaw clenching a little. "Not like it can get infected if it's gone by morning."

(Y/n) frowned. Gone by morning? What-Oh. Oh.

"Steve isn't the only super-soldier, you know?"

Stupid. You are so stupid, (Y/n). Of course, the experiments from that first imprisonment would have affected him in some way.

"I, umm, I've heard that your regiment had been captured by HYDRA at some point. Was that when it-when it happened?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah. Whatever stuff they gave me, it made me like Steve or at least close to it," he shot her another half-hearted grin, "Can't even get drunk properly, anymore."

He pulled his arm away from her loose grasp and held it up to her face like proof. The blood had already started clotting, the skin knitting itself together in record time.

(Y/n) trailed her fingers over the angry, red flesh, then looked back at his face. He looked so defeated; shoulders slumped, a distant look in his eyes. She wanted to comfort him. Ease his pain or at least distract him; something.

So she just wrapped her arms around him, laying her chin onto his shoulder. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, James. I wish I could make it better, somehow.", she whispered.

The tension in Bucky's shoulders eased. "Thank you," he mumbled, surprise colouring his voice. Slowly, his own arms came around her.

The angle was a bit awkward, but it didn't really bother (Y/n). He smelled a bit different than in the future, but the underlying scent was still just him. (Y/n) smiled and closed her eyes. She knew the hug was lasting a lot longer than necessary, but it just felt so good.

Apparently, the sentiment wasn't one-sided because she felt Bucky actually relaxing further into her arms. It made (Y/n) smile even more. Knowing she could comfort him at least a little gave her a rush.

Suddenly, Bucky pulled away. He cleared his throat and let out an embarrassed chuckle. (Y/n) felt her face heat, sobering up. Way to go, girl, almost cuddling with him.

"Yeah, well. It's what it is. I'm just glad Steve got me out."

Oh, yeah, that story of Steve ignoring orders and saving the entire 107th on his own. Classic Steve.

"I've heard of that," she said out loud.

"Yeah, guess most people have, at this point. I was so shocked when I saw him the first time."

(Y/n) chuckled. She had seen a photograph of pre-serum-Steve, once at the Smithsonian. "I can imagine."

Bucky then jumped into the tale of his imprisonment and eventual rescue. He told her about the less pretty things too. How HYDRA had forced them to work on their weapons in the facility, they were kept, or the beatings he had gotten. And that when he had been too weak for work, how they had taken him for testing. Most things she already knew, some she didn't.

Regardless, she placed a comforting hand on his arm every time he talked about the more difficult things, refraining from hugging, though. She didn't think he would mind, but that was the problem.

(Y/n), in turn, told him funny things that happened on her missions, heavily edited, of course. It still made him laugh, though, so it was worth it, even if she had to change the subject a few times since he got a bit too curious about her mysterious fiancé.

"It's so easy talking with you," Bucky remarked when there was a lull in their conversation. He tilted his head, regarding her with his blue eyes. "I just don't know why." He let out a small, confused chuckle. "But it's almost as if you just... get me, somehow."

(Y/n)'s stomach made a happy flip while her heart lurched painfully in her chest. She shook her head, smiling.

"I'm sure you tell all the ladies they're special, being the flirt you are, Sargent," she huffed teasingly, nudging his shoulder with her own.

Bucky chuckled, rubbing his neck. Uncharacteristically timid for someone who was used to charm the socks off any lady.

"First of all, Bucky is just fine. And believe it or not, Doll, I didn't tell any of this stuff nobody, except for Steve. Some of it even he doesn't know."

He gazed into her eyes with such earnestness, it made (Y/n) almost melt into a puddle. She really was a goner for this man, oh dear.

"Well," she shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, "guess I'm just a good listener."

They smiled at each other, and despite her better judgement, (Y/n) didn't want this to end. So they talked. And talked. About almost every topic under the sun. Bucky even told her about his sister Rebecca and his other siblings. Something he didn't speak much about in the future, if at all. He had draped his jacket over her shoulders, at some point after noticing her shivers, stating he didn't need it, anyways.

(Y/n) struggled to keep her eyes open, Bucky's low voice lulling her into sleep like it always did. Well, that, and at some point, they had shifted so that Bucky was stretched out on the cot. His back was leaning against the wall. Her head had slipped onto his shoulder, and her hands were resting between their bodies. Bucky's left arm was situated behind her back, making it even easier for her -and a lot more tempting- to curl into his warm chest.

"I think it's time for you to rest, (Y/n), come on," Bucky urged softly, his hand gently shaking her shoulder.

"Don't wanna," she quietly whined, sluggishly swatting his hand away, " 're too comfortable. 'nd warm." As if to prove her point, she snuggled even closer, craving the warmth he provided. Her head slipped from his shoulder onto his chest. It wasn't her fault that he was so damn comfortable.

Plus, she wasn't able to listen to her common sense, with sleep clouding her mind. Nope, no common sense. Just Bucky's warmth, and his addicting smell, and his smooth voice. She let out a dreamy sigh, which would've embarrassed her to death if she had been awake enough to care.

She felt his chest rumbling as he chuckled, amused. "Come on, Doll. You need proper rest."

At this moment, the lines between past and future blurred. Suddenly, (Y/n) wasn't in the cold Russian forest of the forties anymore. She was at home, in the Avengers Tower. She had almost fallen asleep reading on the sofa in the lounge room, and Bucky, the sweetheart he was, was trying to coax her into bed because otherwise, 'you'll get a crick in your neck, Doll.' She swore she even felt his hand gently brushing through her hair.

"Jus' five minutes, J'mes, please?"

"Only five more minutes," Bucky relented, his own voice sounding drowsy. The last thing (Y/n) heard was a soft yawn.

(Y/n) woke up with a start. Again. The blanket fell into her lap as she was sitting up, noting she was back in Peggy's tent. She frowned. Had she slipped back after tending to Bucky's wound? No, that didn't seem right. They had been talking-

She groaned when it hit her, falling back into the cot. She had honest-to-goodness cuddled up to him like the idiot she was. Great, (Y/n), so much for steering clear of Bucky. Oh god, he most probably carried me over here.

But could she really be blamed? She had been missing him even before the time-stone decided to hit her with a blast from the past. And last night, he had been right there.

"Good morning, sunshine."

Peggy's voice rose (Y/n) from her musings. She sat up with a jolt. Oh. Oh, no. Did Peggy know? (Y/n) peeked up through her lashes to Peggy's form standing in front of her, eyebrows raised, hands on her hips. "It seems like you had quite the night with the Sargent," she deadpanned.

God no, she knows! Damn it!

"It wasn't like that!" she defended herself, face heating up, "I just helped him with his wound after he woke me up, in the first place."

"It's never like that, at first." Peggy sat down at the foot of her cot. "What you do at night is not up to me, (Y/n), so long as it doesn't endanger my team. And I don't see myself in the position to lecture you about anything regarding personal relationships.

But don't you think that last night was going a bit far? You are engaged, after all."

(Y/n) frowned at her, sudden anger boiling in her. "Are you implying that I would cheat on my fiancé?"

Rationally, (Y/n) knew this was exactly how it looked like to Peggy, and she knew she shouldn't get so upset, but the thought alone of doing something so hurtful to anyone, let alone Bucky- made her furious.

"I would never do that. How could I? I love him way too much for that," she declared passionately, pinning Peggy down with her gaze.

Peggy only gazed back at her owlishly. "Good. It may be good to remind Bucky of that too. Judging by the way he was stupidly grinning this morning, he needs it."

(Y/n) felt like someone punched her in her gut as Peggy left the tent. Oh, that was bad. This could not be happening. (Y/n) ran her hands through her messy hair in frustration. What was she going to do now?

It looked like her plan was to avoid Bucky the whole day. Well, half of the day, since she had slept through till midday. And it went really well until it didn't, as always.

A commotion just outside of the camp disrupted the late afternoon peace. (Y/n) looked up from where she was helping some soldiers organising supplies. Grant and Owen were nice guys, cracking jokes with her and generally just keeping her company.

"What's going on over there?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but they sound merry," Grant replied, "Come on, let's take a look."

The trio made their way across the camp, meeting the returning soldiers, ten in total. As far as (Y/n) knew, the team, led by Peggy and Bucky, had been scouting the area, trying to find the exact location of the rumoured HYDRA base.

Peggy marched in front of the rowdy group, an exasperated look on her face. Following her were Monty and Frenchie, carrying something huge on their backs. Something huge, brown and...furry?

"What the hell is this?" she asked Monty.

"An Elk. Tonight, we're going to eat like kings!" he cheered, eyes sparkling. Frenchie just sighed, urging him to move faster while quietly muttering in French.

"Okay," (Y/n) raised her eyebrows, shooting a questioning look at Dougan, who had been trailing behind the two.

"One of the chaps, Johnson, managed to kill this beast somehow, don't ask me how." Dougan shook his head, chuckling. "Well, at least we'll have a nice dinner before things get serious."

So, they had found the base? (Y/n) could only assume, but Dougan's words seemed pretty clear. Suddenly, she couldn't help but feel anxious. She knew, logically, that at least the Commandos would come out of this alive since they would grow old. But the sudden knot in her stomach was insistent. She had a very bad feeling about this upcoming mission.

The camp was thrown in a flurry of activity. The rest of the soldiers were excited at the idea of eating something else than rations. It quickly snowballed into planning a full-blown dance night.

One group went into the forest to gather firewood for a great campfire, while others skinned and gutted the elk. The next group dug out whatever bottles of alcohol they could find. They even managed to get their hands on an old radio, though how they wanted to get any signals in the middle of nowhere was a mystery to (Y/n). Owen had cracked his knuckles and told her to leave that to him when she had asked.

The whole set-up was complete, just after sunset. The elk meat was cooking over the crackling flames of the campfire; Steve had added more logs so that everybody could fit; the radio was miraculously working, cheerful music floating through the air.

And (Y/n) hadn't spoken to Bucky once, all day long. All in all, a win-win situation.

Soon, the whole camp was gathered in around the warm campfire, munching happily on their serving of delicious elk meat and drinking cheap whiskey. (Y/n) had to admit; it wasn't half as bad. She'd never eaten elk before. And the company wasn't too bad, either. There were jokes and stories and lots of laughter. The joy and merriment of the group infected her and made her feel warm inside. These people knew how to have a good time.

Just as the loud chatter started to die down, Owen cranked up the volume of the radio. Jazz music filled the air, making (Y/n) tap her foot on the ground to the beat. She had developed a kind of appreciation for forties music since she met Bucky, even if she still preferred her own music.

Suddenly, a palm came into her view. (Y/n)'s eyes travelled up the muscular arm, the broad shoulders and strong jaw, finally resting on clear blue eyes.

"Care to dance?" Bucky asked with a charming grin, standing in front of her.

Well, avoiding him lasted much longer than she had thought, so there was that.

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, but I don't really know how to dance," she admitted a bit sheepishly. That much was true. She had never been much of a dancer, let alone versed in forties swing-dancing.

That didn't seem to deter Bucky, though. "Don't worry, Doll. All you need is the right partner," he replied with a hopeful grin and wiggling fingers.

(Y/n) swore he had turned up the charm a notch or two because she could feel herself melting. Had she already damned his puppy-dog eyes? Ugh, what the hell. One dance wouldn't do any harm, right?

She slipped her hand into his. "Fine, but don't complain when I step on your toes."

"I'd never," he promised, chuckling and pulling her up. He led them to the small impromptu dance floor, just to the side of the campfire.

(Y/n) didn't know what to do with her hands or feet or anything, really. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve leading Peggy onto the dance floor. Bucky patiently placed her hands in the correct positions, all the while smiling.

"Are you making fun of me, Sargent?" she asked, only half-joking.

"No, of course not," he replied while spinning her around, "I'm just wonderin' about that fiancé of yours. Doesn't he take you dancin' at least once in a while?"

Well, he is right now. (Y/n) grinned at the irony. "He used to be quite the dancer. But not anymore, so no."

"Well, that's a shame. Looks like you're a natural, Doll," he praised her, twirling her around and pulling her close again.

He was right. (Y/n) hadn't even noticed she was following all the steps correctly. Back and forth, and to the side, spinning and twirling at the right places. All the while almost without any toe-stepping. This was really more fun than she had thought. She smiled up at Bucky, eyes sparkling.

All of a sudden, Bucky's grin faded, his expression turning sober. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you."

The upbeat swing music faded into a slow jazz number. Bucky slowed them down.

"Did I, uh, do something wrong last night? You've been avoidin' me like crazy all day, so I'm really sorry if I did. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. I know you are engaged and all that, and I hope I didn't overstep."

His blue irises were searching her face for any sign of discomfort, and (Y/n)'s eyes softened. Her big, soft-hearted idiot. God, she really just wanted to reach up and kiss the living daylights off him.

Instead, she just shook her head. "No, you didn't overstep. It's just that I'm really," she cleared her throat, "embarrassed. I, uh, didn't mean to be so clingy. So, I should be the one apologising, really."

He shot her a dazzling smile, pulling her closer. "No need to apologise. I served happily as your human pillow," he teased, swaying them slowly to the soft tunes of Glenn Miller crackling out of the radio.

She smacked his shoulder playfully, face heating up like a furnace. "I thought you were not making fun of me, Sargent."

"I'm not," he promised. Then, a distinct look took over his face, "And I told you, just Bucky is fine," he continued, eyes boring into hers.

That particular look was also one (Y/n) was very familiar with. Pupils blown wide, a slight flush on his cheeks. He even bit his lips slightly, a thing that (Y/n) found out he did unconsciously.

He was aroused. Interesting. She smirked. "Why?" she asked, leaning up. Their noses almost touched, eyes locked. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Sargent?"

She heard his breath hitching. (Y/n) knew somewhere in the back of her head that she should stop this immediately. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Past Bucky or no past Bucky, this man was her fiancé, sue her. She licked her lips. Bucky's eyes zeroed down on her lips for a second before he tore them away.

"Not exactly how I'd put it, Doll." The way his voice just got all deep and raspy was downright sinful. She shuddered.

Just then, she caught Peggy's eyes over his shoulders, watching them closely. (Y/n) felt like a bucket of ice water was thrown over her head. They were so close, much closer than necessary. Right. Down, girl. She looked down at her boots, breaking the spell between her and Bucky. He blinked and cleared his throat. Both took a step back, re-establishing a respectful distance.

They danced the whole evening. (Y/n) even spared one with Owen and Dougan, none of them as enjoyable as with Bucky, but she might be biased. Just a bit. But she was getting tired. So she bid them all a good night and retreated to her cot.

As (Y/n) was lying down in her cot, the bad feeling from earlier came back full-force, making her stomach twist in knots. She couldn't go on like this for much longer. The longer she stayed, the more the likelihood of her doing or saying something wrong. And probably future-altering. Plus, she was getting way too attached to the people here, people who were long dead. Obvious exceptions excluded.

She tossed and turned on her narrow cot, not finding any rest, still awake when Peggy slipped into the tent later that night. After what seemed forever, she finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

Quiet shuffling woke (Y/n) from her light slumber. This seriously needed to stop. She cracked open one eye and just saw the dark green of Peggy's coat disappearing into the night. (Y/n) frowned, curiosity piqued. She sat up, slipped on her boots and made her way outside.

Cautiously, she stuck out her head from the tent entrance. The silvery light of the full moon hit her on the face, bathing the entire camp in a ghostly light. It was silent, save for the rustling of the trees in the breeze, and the only other light was coming from the main tent.

A meeting? At this hour? A sense of foreboding raised goosebumps on her arms.

(Y/n) sneaked up to the tent, careful to not let her shadow be seen. She crouched down low at the back. Thanks to the quiet of the night, she was able to listen in.

"-nd you're sure that's what they said?" asked Steve's voice, coloured with urgency.

"Yes, one hundred per cent sure." That was Owen's voice.

Sure about what?

"So it was just to throw us off," Bucky's voice scoffed, "Typical."

"We will not have much time. I can contact Howard, but even with him, it will take a while to get to the Alps from here," Peggy mused.

The Alps. Why the Alps? The pieces were all there. (Y/n) just couldn't connect them yet. Come on, girl, think.

"We'll have to move fast with only one week," Dougan's voice piped up, "That means-"

"-a small team," Gabe finished.

"Just us, then?" Monty asked.

"Just us," Frenchie replied with his thick French accent.

"It's decided, then," Steve spoke, "Peggy, go contact Howard, see how fast he can get here with a ride. Jim, I want you to contact the SSR, inform them of the change of plans. Dum Dum and Frenchie gather all the supplies we need."

"I'll help you two," Gabe remarked.

(Y/n) pressed herself closer to the ground as she heard shuffling and people exiting the tent.

"What should I do, Captain?" Owen asked.

"I want you to round up the rest. Arrange transport with Colonel Philipps; I'm sure he'll need any man he can get at the front. The Commandos and I will take over from here."

"Yes, Sir," Owen replied and presumably left the tent as well.

It was silent for a moment. Then, "Shoulda known it's a stupid trick," Bucky remarked, sighing.

"Yeah," Steve agreed, "But we will get them on that damn train, and this will be over soon."

Train. Train in the Alps. Bucky, on a train in the Alps in the forties. Oh. Oh, no.

Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces slotted together, making (Y/n)'s stomach drop. Her heart missed a beat before thudding against her ribcage, blood thundered in her ears, the voices of Bucky and Steve blurred and swam together. She needed to go. She scrambled from her crouched position, uncaring if they heard her or not and backed away.

(Y/n) found herself back in Peggy's tent, where she just collapsed onto her cot. Her brain was buzzing. A small part of her scoffed, wondering why she was reacting so strongly. She must've realised by now that this Bucky had some very dark days coming, right? Maybe, but it had always seemed so far away. She'd flirted and teased and danced, so wrapped up in everything that it didn't even cross her mind, not really.

Tomorrow or whenever Howard Stark would arrive, he would leave and become a prisoner. He'd be beaten and tortured. They'd break him again and again and again. For seventy long years.

(Y/n) shook her head, hot tears spilling onto her cheeks. She-she couldn't let that happen. She just couldn't. How could she just fucking stand by and do nothing while the love of her life walked into his doom? She couldn't. She'd never forgive herself for not doing something when she had the chance of protecting him from decades of misery and pain. Maybe that's why the time-stone had sent her into the forties of all places. She needed to prevent this somehow. Mind made up, she nodded to herself. She'd talk to them, prove to them she came from the future and warn them. Steve would never let Bucky go anywhere if he knew.

She got up, ready to march over to the main tent, when something else hit her, freezing her on the spot. If she succeeded, Bucky would never fall. He would never get captured; the war would end in a few months, he would settle down, find a nice girl and grow old with her. He'd be dead, long before (Y/n) would even be born.

Her gaze wandered to her right hand, the silver ring shimmering in the half-dark. Her heart panged, a pain she had never known spread in her chest. He'd never- She wouldn't- They'd never-

"There you are." (Y/n) registered Peggy's voice, but her entire body was frozen under some sort of spell. Her muscles wouldn't listen, even if she wanted them to move. Everything just hurt.

"What happened?" Peggy asked, slowly making her way to (Y/n)'s cot.

(Y/n) didn't know what to say. She didn't even know if she could say anything at all, the strange pain in her chest paralysing her.

"(Y/n), talk to me," Peggy urged gently, shaking her shoulder a little. That seemed to jolt (Y/n) out of her strange paralysis. She gasped softly, her breath shallow and shaky.

"I-," she gulped, trying to dislodge the knot in her throat, "I'll never see him again," she finally managed, voice breaking.

"Who?"

"My fiancé," (Y/n) said slowly, "I- we can't be together, not anymore." She took a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth, trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts and emotions.

Okay, so she could not be with Bucky anymore. And it hurt. A lot. But he would never have to live through the seventy years of hell HYDRA had put him through. They couldn't hurt him. She wouldn't allow it. He'd do the same thing for her, she was sure.

Well, if that was the price she had to pay...

"I don't know how but it's James, isn't it? Your mysterious fiancé is Bucky." Peggy watched her, eyes trained on her like a hawk. "It has to be him."

(Y/n) stayed silent, gaping at her, dumbfounded. The unexpected assumption snapped her out of her stupor.

"Well? It is him, is it not?"

"I- yes, but how did-"

"Explain," Peggy ordered, leaving no room for arguments.

(Y/n) wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves, thankfully accepting the handkerchief Peggy offered. She blew her nose and sighed.

"Look, this whole thing is complicated. But would you believe me if I told you I'm from the future?"

Peggy shook her head incredulously. "Well, since I don't believe Bucky had a secret fiancé he suddenly forgot about, I'll have to make do with your story."

"I met Bucky decades after the war, and as I said, we work for the same organisation."

"When you say decades..."

"I met him in 2014," (Y/n) sighed, "Well, I say him, but he was under HYDRA's control back then. The first time I spoke to him as Bucky was in 2016 when he had been on the run from several government agencies."

Peggy frowned. "How-"

"How he lived that long?" (Y/n) interrupted her, bitterness evident in her voice, "They put him into a cryogenic sleep and only woke him when they needed someone killed."

That seemed to shock Peggy into silence, and (Y/n) returned to her story.

"Three days ago, I was on a mission with my teammates to retrieve a stolen artefact, a powerful stone. We were successful, and just then, that stupid thing transported me back in time somehow.

So here I am, now, knowing what's going to happen to the man I love in just a week. He will be captured, tortured, turned into something barely human. He will be forced to do cruel and merciless things. They will mess with his brain so much, he won't even remember his own name."

Gulping, she looked up to Peggy, fresh tears making her vision blurry. Now that she had started, she couldn't stop the words from coming. "If you could prevent the darkest days of your love, even- even if it meant you would never meet them in the first place, would you do it?"

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"Because I won't get to be with him. And it hurts so much." Her voice broke at the end. She fiddled with her engagement ring. "Then again, the love I have for him outweighs any pain at the thought of never getting to see him again."

(Y/n) sniffled, straightening her shoulders, "I don't know how much time I have before my friends in the future figure out how to get me back." She placed both of her hands on Peggy's shoulders, eyes pleading. "And now you're already preparing to leave. Please help me to keep him from going on this mission. I know James is your friend too, and trust me, you don't want him to get on that damn train."

Peggy's eyes shone with sympathy. "I don't know what to say. If even half of this is true..." For the first time, she seemed unsure and confused.

"Just help me, Peggy," (Y/n) got up, "Come on, we have to stop him. I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"I don't think so," a very familiar voice broke in lowly, just as Peggy was about to reply.

(Y/n) turned around, startled. Bucky was standing in the shadows of the tent. He stepped closer, clad in dark jeans and a black leather jacket. The vibranium fingers of his left arm glinted in the dim orange light of the small lamp placed between her and Peggy's cots.

"Bucky?" (Y/n) sniffed.

"Hey, Doll."

He shot her a small smile, and although small, it didn't lack the warmth. (Y/n) crossed the few feet between them with quick steps. He engulfed her in his arms when she all but threw herself at him. She snaked her arms around his middle, burying her head into his chest. He put his cheek onto her head, and she felt him breathing her in.

"What did you get yourself into this time? You tryin' to give me a heart attack, love?"

(Y/n) closed her eyes, letting his voice wash over her. The rumbling of his chest was grounding her. She steeled herself for what she was about to do, squeezing her arms around him once more before slowly letting go and taking a step back.

"It's good you're here," she said, looking at a spot behind his shoulder. She knew her resolve would crumble to ashes if she looked into his tender blue irises. "Nobody knows how to convince you better than yourself, right?"

"(Y/n), what are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid, James. I know you heard what I said."

"Yes, I heard. Doesn't mean I understand. What, you grew tired of me already?" Hurt and bitterness turned his usual gentle voice harsh and cold.

"What, No! How could you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because right now, you are trying to do everything in your power to prevent us from meeting in the first place?"

"So, you conveniently didn't listen in to the part where I said that I love you too much to just let you walk into your doom?"

Bucky gritted his teeth. "Would you mind leaving us alone for a minute, Peggy?" He asked with a sigh, glancing over (Y/n)'s head.

Oh. She had seemingly just forgotten Peggy's presence in the small tent.

Peggy stood up from the cot and walked over to them, taking in Bucky's form. Her eyes came to rest on the vibranium fingers of his left hand before darting back to his face.

"I see the years have done nothing to your manners, James," she said evenly, though her eyes held a teasing spark.

Bucky sighed again, muttering under his breath. "Sorry, guess I should've said hello, first," he replied.

Peggy inclined her head, "I'll give you a few minutes," and left the tent.

The swish of the tent flap falling back into place faded into a tense silence. Neither Bucky nor (Y/n) seemed to know what to do next. Until Bucky let out yet another sigh and guided both of them to (Y/n)'s cot. They sat down, shoulders and thighs touching.

"I'm just trying to protect you. You can't blame me for that," (Y/n) started quietly. She turned her head to his face, "Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't do the same if our roles were reversed."

She watched his jaw clenching and unclenching before he turned his head. His striking blue eyes were boring into hers. "You're right; I'd do the same thing," he paused, "I want you to consider one thing, though. I'm here now. And I think I should have a say too before you run out and change my past."

"Okay, fine. Let's talk about this then." She grabbed both of his hands, one warm, the other cool, and pulled them into her lap. "Don't you see, James? This is a second chance. You could have a normal life here with your friends. Without all of the shit, HYDRA had you go through," she took a shaky breath, "Even- Even if it isn't with me. If the price for your happiness is that I'll never see you again, I'll pay it. Gladly."

Bucky intertwined his fingers tightly with hers. "But I am happy. With you."

(Y/n)'s throat tightened. "Be honest, wouldn't you be happier if seven decades worth of torture and killing had never happened? If you never had to carry the guilt around? The pain?"

"I won't lie to you. When you got up to leave, for a second, I was tempted to let you."

"Why didn't you?" (Y/n) asked softly.

"I realised it wasn't what I wanted." He paused, staring at the floor, a distant look entering his eyes. "I'm a survivor, always have been. I survived my parents, taking care of my siblings, the war. I survived HYDRA."

"For the longest time after, when I was myself again, I wasn't even sure if I could live. I knew I'd always survive somehow, but truly living seemed unreachable. Not after what I've done."

He lifted his head, his eyes finding hers again. "But then I met you, and you made me want to try. First, it was just so I could figure out what the hell the deal of that weird girl with the sparkly powers was." Here, he huffed out a small laugh. "Then it was to see you smile one more time. You-you made living a tiny bit more reachable for me the more time I spent with you."

Tears welled up in (Y/n)'s eyes, and just like that, she felt her resolve crumble into tiny pieces. "James..."

"For seventy years, I had no choice about anything. Everything I said, every muscle I moved, all of it was out of my control. But now I have a choice, a voice. And I choose this life, in the future, where everything makes a bit less sense to me. Where I have found friends, even if Sam's incessant talkin' drives me up the wall or Spider Kid annoys everyone with his meme-talk," he huffs. Then his voice turns gentle. "Where I've found you.

So, if you go out there and stop me from joining that mission, this me won't exist anymore. And I don't want that. I am who I am, for what it's worth. I don't want to lose that, not after just starting to make peace with it. And I know I'm a selfish bastard for not letting you go because, let's be honest, Doll, you deserve a lot better than me. But I won't leave your side so long as you'll have me."

He brushed his thumb over her engagement ring. "Just like I said that night, nothing would make me happier than growing old with you would," he ended quietly.

(Y/n) couldn't contain herself anymore. She threw herself at him, arms around his neck, chin resting on his shoulder. The force of the impact was enough to make him fall back onto the cot.

"I wouldn't wanna have anyone else to grow old with," she sniffled, closing her eyes.

She felt Bucky's arms snaking around her back with a relieved sigh, holding her tight. "I missed you," he mumbled into her hair.

"Missed you too," (Y/n) replied, playing with the short hairs on his nape. Her heart soared, filled with happiness. She smiled broadly, eyes still closed, his warmth and scent encompassing her.

"Err, Doll," Bucky broke the peaceful silence, "you are doing the glowy thing again."

Oh. She opened her eyes and pulled back reluctantly, gaze falling onto her arms. They, and the rest of her body, for that matter, were glowing softly. Whisps of gold were swirling silently around her. That happened, sometimes. Anger made her powers boil inside of her.

And the warmth people felt spreading when happy translated to her powers as well. Although, it wasn't quite so apparent, most of the time. In fact, almost every situation where it had happened had to do with Bucky.

(Y/n) sighed and closed her eyes, taking deep and measured breaths. She huffed, amused, while the gentle glow faded away. "Well, at least you can brag that you make your girl glow. Literally."

Bucky huffed out a laugh. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

(Y/n) first grabbed her tactical gear, neatly tucked away under her cot and then Bucky's hand. Just then, Peggy entered the tent. The timing of this woman was impeccable, (Y/n) mused.

She took in their shining eyes and entwined hands. "Well, looks like you've made up," she remarked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"You're taking this awfully well, you know," (Y/n) observed.

Peggy sighed, exasperated. "Be around Howard long enough, and only a few things will surprise you."

"It was nice to see you again, Peggy," Bucky interjected, "but we need to get going."

Now the pair were trudging through the moonlit, snow-covered forest. A comfortable silence stretched between them, Bucky's warm and reassuring hand in hers a contrast to the crisp night air.

"How did you get here, anyway?" (Y/n) broke the silence.

"When I came back, you were already gone for a week-"

"A week!" (Y/n) cried incredulously.

Bucky squeezed her hand. "Yeah. You can imagine how worried I was. Strange was trying to work out what the hell that stupid stone did. Well, he did, eventually, though he says he doesn't know why the stone reacted like that," he paused, "I don't think he appreciated everyone hoverin' over him."

"You mean you were hovering, weren't you?" (Y/n) chuckled.

"Yes," Bucky admitted with a sigh, "but can you blame me? I was out of my mind when Steve told me you'd been missing for a week."

(Y/n) hugged his arm, feeling bad for worrying him. He turned his head and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. They stopped in front of a particular group of pine trees leading to a cliff wall.

"That's the spot. Strange should open the portal," Bucky checked his wristwatch, "about now."

Just then, (Y/n) heard fizzling. Orange sparks appeared out of thin air, getting bigger and bigger, melting together and creating an opening. (Y/n) could make out the couch of the lounge room through the portal. Hand in hand, Bucky and (Y/n) stepped through.

The gentle silence of the forest faded into loud cheers and laughter.

"There you are, kid!"

"Welcome back!"

"We missed you, Sparkles!"

Tony, Nat, Sam, Clint; the whole team, really, were gathered in the lounge room to greet her. It warmed (Y/n)'s heart. She shot them a blinding grin. "It's good to be back, guys."

Strange who had closed the portal behind them opened a new one. "Well, now that you're back in one piece, I'll take my leave. Thank you for the stone." He left before (Y/n) could reply. Poor guy, they must've really worn him down.

"Now the party wizard has gone home," Tony said excitedly, "you can tell us all about your little adventure to the past."

Everybody's eyes turned to her, curious and expectant.

But all (Y/n) felt was bone-deep exhaustion. She was sweaty and itchy and tired.

"Sorry guys, but I haven't showered since the forties, so if you don't mind, I'll just go and do that," she let out a yawn, "And a nice nap after that."

"I'll tell you everything later, I promise," she added, seeing the disappointed faces of her teammates.

She and Bucky left the room to a chorus of goodnight.

After the emotional roller-coaster of the last few hours, the pair were content with just lying in each other's arms in their shared bed. Freshly showered, with their comfiest clothes, of course. (Y/n) let his warm presence and his familiar scent soothe her frayed nerves. She placed a kiss on his t-shirt clad shoulder before snuggling closer and nuzzling his neck. He tightened his arms around her and pressed his nose into her hair.

A sense of peace wrapped around her, like a soft blanket, making her close her eyes and sigh in contentment.

"You were right, you know?"

Bucky's quiet words pulled (Y/n) from her drowsiness. "About what?"

"Your fiancé really doesn't like to share," he said playfully, pressing a lingering kiss onto her head.

(Y/n) chuckled. "Of all the things, you only remembered that huh?"

"What can I say, Doll? Guess you've made a big first impression."

That made them laugh out loud. After their laughter died down, (Y/n) pulled away a bit, so she was able to look into Bucky's eyes. "I love you, you know? So much."

Bucky's gaze turned tender. He looked right back into her eyes with awe. "I love you too," he declared, smiling radiantly, "More than you could know."

Their foreheads touched as (Y/n) was leaning down, Bucky meeting her in the middle. (Y/n) brushed her nose against his playfully, her left hand coming up from his chest to his cheek, enjoying the feel of his light stubble against her fingers. At that moment, the world around them fell silent. The light, evening rain pittering against the windows, the clock on the wall, the occasional muffled shouts and raucous laughter from their teammates; all of that faded away, leaving only them in their tiny bubble of peace and warmth.

Bucky sighed when their lips touched. His right hand buried itself in her damp hair, cradling her head gently, while his left arm drifted down to her waist, pulling her closer. (Y/n) savoured the sweet taste of his warm lips, slightly chapped either from the weather or from chewing on them so much. Her free hand wandered down his chest when Bucky flipped them over, so he was hovering above her. Her head hit the soft pillows.

Suddenly, she heard a low chuckle. "Am I that boring, Doll?"

(Y/n) blinked her eyes open, exhaustion hitting her full force. "Hmm?" She rubbed the back of her hand over her face sluggishly.

Bucky just shook his head, smiling. He pulled away to sit up, on his knees. Hey, no. Where was he going? Too tired to articulate, she just let out a whine. Which just made him let out a quiet laugh. Why was he laughing? They were just in the middle of some long-overdue ravishing.

He pulled the blanket from under her. "No ravishing for you," he declared amused, tucking her in. Had she said that out loud?

"Yeah, you did," Bucky answered, making his way to his side of the bed and getting under the covers. Using her last strength, (Y/n) scooted over and immediately snuggled up to his warm chest. Bucky wrapped his arms around her.

"Lat'r. Pr'mise," she slurred.

"I'll hold you to that," Bucky teased, lovingly running a hand through her hair.

Hmmm, that felt nice. To think that she almost lost all of this...her arms tightened around him. She was glad that he'd been there. As always, he'd been there for her. She promised herself that she'd be there for him too. Always. Her silent vow still swirled in her head when she slipped into the land of dreams.

Bonus:

"Before we continue this, I really have to ask you something."

(Y/n) groaned against his neck. "Can't it wait?" She asked, placing kisses on the underside of his jaw, "I planned to have my wicked way with you since 1945, Sargent," she purred. She smirked, pleased when she felt him gulp, breath caught in his throat.

"Yeah, about that," he mumbled, tearing himself away from her so that he could look into her eyes, "I know it's stupid, especially with all the things I said earlier, but I just wanna make sure. I'm not that man anymore, (Y/n). Not really. But I remember the way you looked at him, at me. And now that you've seen how I was before...everything, I just-I don't know," he took a deep breath, "Suppose I'm just worried that I won't, uh, compare." His voice had gotten quieter and quieter until it was barely a whisper in the end. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he averted his gaze, jaw clenching.

(Y/n)'s eyes softened.

"Oh, James, no."

She cupped his face with both her hands and tilted his face upwards. Her fingers glided over his stubble in what she hoped was a soothing way.

"You wanna know the first time I realised what I feel for you?"

Bucky nodded.

"When you were recovering in Wakanda, remember that day where one of the baby goats got its leg stuck in a crack in a cliff wall? That poor thing had been crying out in pain for what felt like hours until we found out where the noise was coming from," (Y/n) paused, a smile stretching over her face at the memory, "I remember how gentle you were when you got it out, always careful not to cause any more harm. And I remember the way you smiled when the little guy snuggled up to you afterwards."

Bucky frowned. "I was just so surprised that he did that. It had been the first time in decades I saved a life with those hands, instead of ending it," he murmured. (Y/n)'s heart clenched in her chest. She put one hand on his chest, right above his heart.

"That first genuine smile was what did it to me. It lit up your whole face. And it showed me the man you are; kind, genuine, resilient, good. HYDRA did horrible things to you, and nobody can be expected to go through that kind of hell and come out the same way. And that's okay."

She gazed into his eyes. "I fell in love with that quiet, thoughtful and kind man who went through so much but still had a smile to spare for the kids running around and asking him questions. And not only for the kids but for my stupid jokes, as well."

That made him crack a smile. (Y/n) smiled back. "I was completely done for when I found out you had some brains as well," she confessed teasingly, "you giant nerd."

His smile widened.

"When I was in the past, I was drawn to these same qualities. Because that's who you are," (Y/n) pressed her palm against his heart, "at your core. When I looked into his eyes, I saw you. You may not be exactly the same as before, a little rough around the edges, but you are still that man. A good man."

She squeaked when he grabbed her arm, pulling her into his chest. He put his chin on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing soothing patterns on his back.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so glad," he croaked. One of (Y/n)'s hands came up to the back of his head, carding through the short hairs there when she felt a tear dropping onto her shoulder. "I love you."

(Y/n) smiled into his shoulder. "I love you too."

Her smile turned into a sly grin when she started placing languid kisses up his neck and jaw. Bucky hummed appreciatively. "Now, where were we, Sargent?" she asked huskily, nibbling his ear.

(Y/n) felt shivers go down Bucky's spine as he buried his nose on the junction between her neck and shoulder. She had to strain her ears to hear it, but he let out a tiny groan, almost a growl, against her skin.

Wait a minute. Then it dawned on her. She started giggling.

"Seventy-five years later, and it still turns you on when I call you by your rank?" she asked, amused. "And don't think I haven't noticed it the first time," she singsonged.

"You are impossible," Bucky grumbled, and (Y/n) knew without looking that a light blush had appeared on his cheeks. She let out a short laugh.

"Yeah, I'm impossibly cute and sexy, and apparently I'm impossibly good at making 100-year-old men blush, wouldn't you agree, Sargent?"

He pulled away from her, pouting.

"You callin' me old, Doll?"

"You are old, honey."

"Didn't seem to bother you a minute ago. Never thought that sweet girl I met in a military camp of all places had a thing for older men."

"Never said it bothered me," (Y/n) shoved him onto his back, lips stretched into a cheeky grin as she straddled his hips. His large hands felt hot on the side of her thighs, fingers idly stroking the soft skin under her sleep shorts.

"And just for the record, I only have a thing for one old man." Her eyes sparkled as she leaned down. He grinned into the kiss. (Y/n) wiped that grin off his face soon enough, though, making good on her promise of ravishing him.

#bucky x reader #MCU #marvel cinematic universe #bucky barnes #reader #bucky x you #avenger!reader #basically just bucky and reader simping for each other since 1945 #your daily dose of swearing #fuff #peggy carter #steve rogers #reader insert

[the-yandere-cryptid]

For the asks, could you answer 3, 11 and 12?

absolutely i can ♥

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

"It was as though he had a face made for fucking, the way lidded eyes and heavy breaths suited him."

- Conference, my Carlos Oliveria/Reader fic. Was down astronomically bad when I wrote this one LMFAO

11. fandom you enjoyed writing for the most this year

I would say the Doc Ock fandom but, I must be honest, the Sorcerer's Apprentice fandom was a delight just because there's so little content so throwing a bit in the pond is like watching an entire group of fish swarm a single piece of fish food. Very fun lol.

12. favorite character to write about this year

Definitely Otto LMFAO I thought my Heisenberg phase would last longer but Doc Ock swooped in and stole my heart

#💀.txt #i love getting these asks ngl

[kittiesluvyou]

Avenging Uncles

Summary: Tony and Steve are arguing about their latest failed mission. On top of that, it could be a cause to another civil war. Peter is distraught and overwhelmed so it’s up to Bucky, Loki, and Eddie to come to his aid.

Word Count: Unknown

Tw: No warnings

“We may have failed, Steve, but at least no one was killed nor seriously injured. Can we just be thankful that no one has ever tried to sue us since we’re working with S.H.I.E.L.D. I can also pay for any damages done easily?!” Tony was in this heated argument with Steve for what felt like 20 minutes now. “We know, Tony. You’re a rich playboy who loves to party, get drunk, and work on your many suits; HOWEVER, since we now have to watch over Peter, maybe you should take that responsibility more seriously!” Peter overheard the entire conversation from outside of the conference room. Whenever Tony and Steve argue like this, Steve loves putting Peter in the spotlight, and he absolutely hates that about him. He needs to escape and fast. That’s when a beam of light came bursting through the room and sure enough, a figure in a black suit and short dark curly hair emerged through the light. “Hello, Peter, I overheard that you wanted to escape while Steve and Tony are having their little ‘couples’ quarrel’.” “Mr. Loki! Even though we’ve never met before, I’m already happy to see you!” He hugged him in greeting and Loki, who couldn’t help but feel overjoyed, he hugged him back. A knocking noise was then heard and when Peter opened the door, he was greeted by Bucky Barnes and Eddie Brock. “Uncle Eddie? Mr. Barnes? What are you guys doing here?” Peter looked back-and-forth between the two men. “We came to see you, Peter, we heard about Tony and Steve’s argument,” Venom emerged from Eddie’s left shoulder making Loki flinch a little bit. “You need a break, kiddo, or you’re going to overwork yourself to death.” Eddie finished patting Peter’s head. Tears swelled from his eyes “th-thank you g-guys!” he hiccupped and pulled Eddie, Bucky, and Loki into a group hug. “So,” Loki clapped his hands together “what do you want to do before Midgard has another civil war on their hands?” “Well...I was thinking we could go to San Francisco and hang out in Eddie’s apartment. After that, I want to go meet Ms. Cheng because I heard that she’s a really sweet lady. Then, Loki if you want to, I want to visit Alcatraz.” Loki beamed at Eddie and Bucky “I love that plan! Now let’s be before-” “EVERYONE DOWN!” Peter screamed as he pushed Loki out of the way. Thanks to his spider-sense, Iron Man’s laser beam went through the conference room door instead of Loki’s stomach. “LET’S GO NOW!” He grabbed Peter’s arm and teleported leaving Eddie and Bucky behind. “I knew he was going to do that. Damn you, Loki.” Bucky rolled his eyes, raised his middle finger to the sky, and left to borrow a plane from Nick Fury. “I got us, Eddie,” Venom said and skydived off of the Helicarrier into the Hudson River.

***

Meanwhile in San Francisco, Loki was searching in every cabinet for something edible. “I can’t believe that Eddie has barely any good food in here,” his eyes scanned the endless stacks of chocolate bars and tater-tots “Odin’s eyepatch, how is this man still alive?! And why do Steve and Tony allow you to hang out with him?!” Peter turned away from his science project “tater-tots are actually really good, Loki! Same with chocolate too, however, make sure that there Hershey’s though. Those are the best!” “You would want tater-tots for lunch then, right?” Venom violently pushed open the door “IF YOU TOUCH OUR TATOR-TOTS AND CHOCOLATE, WE WILL KILL YOU OURSELVES!” He snarled. “Venom no! We do not eat gods!” Peter shouted stepping between him and Loki. “Listen to the kid, Vee!” Eddie begged. After a few seconds of thinking it over, Venom allowed Eddie to transform back “the only person who is allowed to eat our food is Peter Parker and Peter Parker alone.” Loki lifted his hands in the air “fair enough,” he turned to the mass collection of chocolate and tots “I don’t like this stuff anyway.” “I can order a pizza for me, Bucky, and Loki if that helps keep everyone sane so that we’re not killing each other out of starvation?” “Peter, while I may agree with you, it’s probably best if you allow me to order it. Besides, aren’t you saving that money for your Aunt May to help her move out of her apartment?” “You know, there’s always plan B,” Loki teleported into the kitchen with three boxes of pizzas. “Loki, what the f-” “THANK YOU MR. LOKI!” Peter interrupted Bucky’s sentence grabbing his pepperoni pizza and sat down at the small dining table. “How the hell did you get those?” Bucky glanced down at the two remaining boxes. “Let’s just say, if you’re the master of deception with a handsome disguise and clever threats, you can get away with a lot of possible illegal things.” Loki passed one of the pizza boxes to Bucky “you wanted cheese, correct?” “And for Eddie, you get tater-tots on yours,” Peter’s eyes widened “isn’t that against pizza laws to order tater-tots on pizza?” Eddie turned to him laughing “not unless you have a symbiote fused to your body who has non-stop cravings for tots and chocolate.”

***

After dinner, Peter was playing with Venom on the couch while Eddie was watching rom-coms. “Venom, do symbiotes age? For example, as your host gets older, do you age at the same time as him?” “We never age, Peter. We will always stay the same age and if our host ever does die, we will find a new one to bond with. That’s how we survive, Peter.” “Just like a god,” Loki walked into the room and sat down in front of the couch. “I thought gods could age,” Peter looked down at Loki from over Eddie’s shoulder. “We can; however, we keep our youth by eating golden apples that are hand-picked by Idunn, who is the goddess of spring or rejuvenation.” “What happens if a mortal eats the apple?” Bucky asked taking a seat next to Loki “I have no clue, but now I want to test that question.” “No one is testing magical items on mortals!” Eddie jumped in. “Loki, do you still want to explore Alcatraz or do you want to do something else that’s equally as cool and as fascinating?” Loki was about to answer when all of a sudden, he got a call from Tony. “Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter sighed as he rubbed his forehead. Why can’t he and Steve get along for once? He thought. “Where are you? Me, Steve, Clint, and Natasha went all around New York to find you!” Peter thought about lying but quickly dismissed it because Tony installed a tracking device inside of Karen so he can quickly find him. “I’m in San Francisco with Bucky, Eddie, and Loki. By the way, I’m not coming back until the next civil war is over! I don’t care if I look like a traitor to you Mr. Stark, you and Steve need to stop fighting and get along for once.” Tony eyed Steve who then gave him an ‘I told you so’ look. “Ok, kid, take the week off, but we need you back. Also, keep an eye on Loki I don’t trust him even after the events of Ragnarok.” “That’s fair, goodbye Mr. Stark.” Peter hung up the call. He then completely broke down “you did the right thing, Peter,” Bucky hugged him “it’s good to get a break from him and this weekend break would give us more time to do everything that you want to do,” Loki added on and hugged him too. Eddie nodded in agreement “if this ever happens again, call any of us ok.” Peter sniffled “I will, Uncle Eddie, Mr. Barnes, and Mr. Loki. That’s a promise I don’t have an intention on breaking.” He then remembered something else that he wanted to do “hey, I heard that Stephen is supposed to be here on an important sorcerer’s business and I want to give him the first Harry Potter book because he has never read any of the books before. I really think he would love it!” “Of course we can,” Loki replied and took Peter’s hand “I need to speak to him after the whole falling for thirty minutes thing.” Peter beamed “thank you, Mr. Loki! Let’s go now!” They then teleported to Stephen’s location. “He’s going to prank him, isn’t he?” Eddie asked as soon as they left. Bucky sat down next to Eddie and stroked Venom “judging by his title as being ‘the god of mischief’? Absolutely.”

#loki #peter parker #marvel #bucky barnes #tony stark #eddiebrock #venom #marvel fanfiction #steve rogers #stony

[welcometoels]

Session Sixteen - Ebeneezer’s Offer

The figure by the fire is offensive to the senses.  He looks like a pile of filthy rags has somehow grown a man’s face, sounds like a cautionary tale about the perils of overindulgence, and smells like an ash tray at the bottom of a midden.  Something about him doesn’t feel right, and the rest just doesn’t bear thinking about.

However, Ebeneezer Chaotic-Neutral gives all impressions of shooting straight with the group.  He welcomes them to the safety of his camp, but also makes it clear that there is more to the situation than may first be evident.

Snapping his fingers, he calls over a luxuriantly mutton-chopped Human called Harry.  With a beguiling shuffle, Harry passes out pieces of paper to the party.  Printed on these papers are artistic representations of each of the bipedal members of the party, with their names printed beneath.  According to the text, the four of them - “and also a Dog” - are wanted for the crime of grand theft at the Dragonhall Bank.

(At this point, the penny finally drops for Julius, who honestly had no idea what was going on.  Bless his sweet Otter soul.)

According to Ebeneezer, these sheets were intercepted on their way out of Monthend to the surrounding towns.  So far, they’ve been held within its walls, but who knows what would happen if word of rhe party's crimes spread further afield.

Fortunately, Ebeneezer has the power to put the record straight.  What he lacks, though, is the funds and the motivation.  Granted, he made a promise to a certain group - a group with whom Cailynn is very familiar - that he would keep them safe for the immediate future, but that period of time is finite.

So, Ebeneezer puts forward a proposition.  It just so happens that, in a neighbouring town, there is a certain artefact: A certain artefact that a certain contact would pay a certain amount of money for.  A very, very large amount.

Being a businessman at heart, and one with a loose definition of property rights, Ebeneezer is keen to fulfil this contract.  All previous attempts, though, have been failures.

This is where our team comes in.  If they can retrieve the thornéd helm of Thornhelm, Ebeneezer promises to use all of the means available to him to clear their records and ensure that word of their supposed crimes spreads no further.

The team confers.  Some are less troubled than others - notably Oddsock, who barely even appears on the warrant.  In a panic, Julius momentarily transforms into a chocolate Labrador, but returns to Otter form after giving it a bit more thought.

Though it quite rightly tests their morals, the adventurers agree to acquire the artefact, and they head off north-northwest to Thornhelm.

Throughout all this, Kadis has been very quiet, and it is while they are journeying that he reveals why.  Before he entered the mysterious doorway and met his new friends, Kadis had spent a brief moment in Thornhelm.  While he was there, he helped fend off a group of bandits who were hell-bent on stealing the very item they were on their way to take.

Naturally, he is feeling very conflicted about this.  Though this plan is the simplest way to resolve their current situation, stealing the item he was previously charged with protecting just doesn’t sit right with him.

Fortunately, an unexpected distraction arrives as they reach town - a distraction in the form of a Half Orc in a utility kilt bedecked with various carpentry tools.  Though Kadis has never actually seen this person, he knows who they are as soon as they speak.

Khoth is a former sorcerer, now living a simple life in Thornhelm performing odd jobs.  Back when Kadis was living here, they knew each other well.  It was a fraught relationship at first - Kadis being very persistent with his questions about magic and how it might relate to the ruination of his home town - but Khoth grew to like the chatty blind monk.

Khoth greets Kadis warmly, and extends that warmth to the rest of the party, inviting them to the Harp & Spider - a welcoming boozer that serves a delightful foamy nut brown ale.

After fetching a round in for the group - and pouring Oddsock’s into his special dog bowl - Khoth quizzes them on what has been going on with them.

This is where Kadis makes a very bold move - and one which results in some pained noises from other members of the team: He opts to tell Khoth everything, up to and including their mission to steal the helm.

Khoth is quiet for a moment, then makes it very clear that, while he will not stand in their way, he will not assist them in stealing from his adopted home town - this is as far as he is willing to go for a friend caught in a difficult situation.

He also offers occasional pieces of advice as the team outlines a series of bizarre, nonsensical, and sometimes outright counterproductive plans:

Suggestions of giving money to Ebeneezer in place of the helm are quickly shot down, since they don’t know how valuable it is (probably very valuable) or how dangerous the intended recipient is (probably quite dangerous)

Finding an artefact of equal value is also mooted, but rejected since they don’t know of any other artefacts

A few vague suggestions of “using magic” are bandied about, though without much certainty of what kind of magic

Just packing it in and returning to Dogwood was also on the table, which would have been nice right up until the warrants for their arrest arrived

Talion does have one bright idea off the back of all this, and mentions that he can create a replica of an item magically, which lasts up to three hours (though it is sparkly and plays music when you touch it).

Somehow, this becomes a cornerstone of the plan, so they leave Khoth in the Harp to pursue... something?

One little piece of intel they did glean from Khoth was that the artefact is being held at the church, which is very easy to find.  The tallest building by several storeys, the church dominates the landscape with its tall, square tower.

The doors are open, and nobody is inside the spacious main area.  The crew takes a moment to admire the stained glass windows, the simple pews, the sturdy door at the far end, and the statues of a female Gnome holding an apple.

Julius becomes quite excited by the latter, and inspects the statue to confirm that this figure is indeed a Forest Gnome, just like his dear Pa.  Oddsock is also drawn to the statues, though mainly because the apple resembles a ball.  He has about as much success in extricating the apple as he had getting the ball from the statue in Mansion de Mortesque.

Kadis takes a moment to make sure that everyone understands the plan.  It is unclear whether or not they do.  What is clear is that empty churches are very echoey, and all the chat and apple-grabbing has attracted some attention on the other side of the closed doors.

The bearer of the attention turns out to be a Gnome by the name of Father Sassafrass - at least, that’s what they think his name is, but it is impossible to be certain thanks to his outrageous lisp.

Kadis approaches and asks if the priest remembers him.  One might more reasonably ask if Kadis remembers the priest - it’s not a voice one would easily forget - but the question has been asked the way it was asked, and the answer is “no”.

It transpires that the current Gnomish occupants of the church are recently new, with the previous priest having left due to stress cause by the constant threat of banditth.

Now, Kadis goes for the same bold gambit that he attempted on Khoth in the Harp.  Nobody else in the team is entirely sure why, but he begins to tell Father Sassafrass all about their recent troubles, the task they’ve been given, and the bandits they are working for.

It is at this point that Sassafrass begins to panic.  The mention of banditth has put him into a tailspin, and nothing the group can do will stop him worrying about banditth and the people in front of him who work for banditth.

[DM’s Note: It is also at this point that I learned that, no matter how well you plan a session, and how much effort you put into your presentation, your players may just collapse into incessant giggling over a Gnome who keeps saying banditth.  I learned a lot on this day.]

Talion tries turning on the charm to help disarm the situation, but Sassafrass resists.  Instead, it takes the soft brown eyes and luxuriant fur of a Golden Retriever to help calm down a manically lisping Gnome.

So delighted is he with the nice doggy, he calls his companion, Sister Rilliriwae, to share in the joy.  Rilliriwae does not have a lisp, but does have her own challenges, and tells the group they can call her Wiwwi.

[DM’s Note: I learned A LOT on this day.]

Once everyone calmed down a bit, a discussion followed wherein the group outlined what would eventually become their plan:  They would take the helm, hand it off to Ebeneezer, go along for the exchange with the purchaser, steal it back from them (leaving a replica behind), then return the artefact.

Though Sassafrass is unthertain, and Rilli thinks the plan is vewy convowuted, the team manages to get them onboard.  The helm is upstairs, at the top of the tower, magically locked behind a statue of the goddess worshipped herein.  All they have to do is go upstairs with the golden apple - handed to them by Rilli - and say the name of the goddess.

The goddess’ name is Salathawaras.  After a few repetitions from both Father and Sister, Rilli writes it down for the team, and they head straight to the top of the tower.

Well, most of them do.  Oddsock takes a scenic route, investigating two rooms on the way: one open, containing simple sleeping quarters and nothing interesting; the other locked, and smelling faintly of musty fabric and soap.  Oddsock drags his little canine arse across the latter door, and joins his friends.

After inserting the apple and speaking the special name, they gain access to a mostly empty room.  In the very middle sits the Thornhelm on a little pedestal.  Over in a far corner, an oversized suit of armour keeps watch.

Something about this setup makes the team feel somewhat paranoid.  Oddsock approaches the armour and investigates it thoroughly, both outside - using his own doggy senses - and inside - using a Mage Hand.  Finding it to be a normal - if unusually large - suit of armour, he demolishes it in disgust, leading to calls of concern Sassafrass downstairs.

Now that the armour has been disregarded as a threat, Talion approaches the pedestal and eyes up the helm, while Julius makes thorough annotated notes for the future replica.  In a departure from the plan, though, Talion makes the replica now, and takes the true helm in a manner best described as ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ style.

The switch is completed with panache, and nothing terrible happens.  Then, Talion decides to take the replica as well, for reasons.  Still nothing terrible happens.  Sometimes a pedestal is just a pedestal.

Back downstairs, Talion shows off his replica helm.  Rilliriwae is concerned about how sparkewwy it is, and Sassafrass isn’t certain if banditth would like that, but Oddsock’s charm gives them total confidence in the plan.  The party leaves, and Oddsock pisses on the door on the way out.  Another church successfully marked.

To celebrate a job well done, the team gathers at Cones Of Coldness, a nearby gelateria, for a round of ice creams.  Oddsock eats his while it is held by his Mage Hand, to the delight of some nearby urchins.

Suddenly, Talion remembers that his replica helm only lasts for three hours from the point of creation, so the group sets off back towards camp.  He then also remembers that he doesn’t actually need it yet, and launches it into the trees for a squirrel to find.

On the journey back, the group inspects the Thornhelm.  The helm itself is utterly mundane, but the “thorn” rising from it undoubtedly contains a lot of magic - specifically necrotic.  Oddsock tries it on, but is unable to channel the power.  He does look magnificent, though.

The team puts their heads together to try and understand what the thorn could be. After a lot of thought, and some consultation of Julius’ notes, they notice how similar it looks to the teeth of the undead beholder that they fought all those days ago.  Similar, but definitely larger.

Kadis’ face mask begins to twitch, and the tiny baby beholder wobbles forth through the air.  It runs its tiny tentacles along the tooth and coos softly.  Their suspicions as to the nature of this artefact are all but confirmed.

Arriving back at camp, they make the handover to Ebeneezer, who graciously receives the bounty.  Keeping his word, he immediately despatches two of his best boys to Monthend to begin the name-clearing process.

In the meantime, Ebeneezer makes the camp’s sparse facilities available to the group.  They are welcome to bed down, enjoy some freshly roasted two-faced pig, and otherwise make use of what is there.

Julius asks if there is any fish, and, though there isn’t, Ebeneezer points towards a nearby stream where the Otter can try his luck.  His luck is good, and he returns to camp with a fresh fish the full length of a helm’s thorn, plus a couple of pretty little stones.

Talion also has a productive moment, penning a new song about a certain someone.  It’s not as pretty as his previous compositions, but it is certainly passionate, in an embittered way.

His performance catches Ebeneezer’s attention.  The wizened pile of filth knows a thing or two about the woman currently known as Zanthia, as it happens.  He knew her many years and several names ago, back when she was Nora Stumbletoe.

According to Mr Chaotic-Neutral, she fell in with a band of thieves and tricksters known as Olidammara’s Revellers.  She made a reputation for herself quickly, for being very good at two things.  Nobody present sees fit to ask what those things might be.

After this little chat, Talion puts forward a suggestion - that he and his companions should take care of the handoff to the purchaser.  Ebeneezer rejects this immediately - his right hand man Harry will be on that duty - but, after some persuasion, he allows the group to accompany Harry and a few select bodyguards tomorrow morning.

Julius also has things to talk to Talion about.  For a while, he has had concerns about everything that has been going on.  His dear old Pa told him not to stray too far from the cottage, but since meeting with the group he has seen and experienced so many things, good and bad.

What is on the poor little Otter’s mind is - did his Pa lie?  Has he missed out on so much life?  Talion comforts his friend as best he can, as the group settles in for a night of fireside sleep.

Tomorrow will no doubt be another eventful day.

#dnd #5e #dnd homebrew

[aelaer]

WIP excerpt

I'm about 5,000 words of writing into my re-introduction to writing after my brief hiatus. It's not quite the volume I desired - I was hoping to be at 10k by now - but I have been steadily plucking away at my ask box prompts until my muses decide to return for my chaptered stories.

Here's an excerpt of one that was the last of the recent batch of ideas but, strangely enough, the easiest to write this last week despite the other ideas coming faster.

-----------

Pepper was genuinely enjoying herself until she saw Stephen Strange. It's not to say that she didn't enjoy the man's company; on the contrary, his intelligence and dry wit was refreshing and, in some ways, reminded her of Tony. In a superhero gathering she'd be thrilled to see him. However, everything about him in the few times they had met screamed workaholic. And as he didn't practice medicine anymore, she was worried as to his purpose here. 

She really hoped she was wrong. He wasn't dressed like a wizard, for one thing. It turned out Stephen cleaned up quite nicely with a dark, classy suit that wouldn't be out of place in Tony's wardrobe. He kept his appearance as nondescript as possible with a monochrome scheme, completing the ensemble with a dark grey tie and black gloves.

Her attempt to catch his eye failed as he turned away and began walking through the crowd. She couldn't stand not knowing.

"Excuse me," she muttered to the group she was barely half-listening to throughout the last minute, then she made her way through the crowd to find the elusive sorcerer before he could slip away completely.

She found him as he was making his way towards the staircase that led out of the ballroom and to the Main Galleria, a long, wide, golden-lit hall that served as the main thoroughfare of the hotel. "Stephen!"

He froze on the last step, then turned in surprise. "Mrs Potts-Stark," he said politely.

"I know I've told you at least once to please call me Pepper," she chided with a gentle smile, before her brow crinkled in question. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you with a former colleague?"

Stephen grimaced, then shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I'm rather here on business. It's just a coincidence this conference is filled with part of the local medical community." He glanced beyond her to the ongoing party.

She frowned. "How bad is it? Do I need to evacuate the building?" Over ten years in the superhero business had her ready for the worst.

He hesitated, then admitted, "I don't know yet. That's what I need to figure out. Excuse me." With that, he turned and stepped into the Main Galleria, effectively leaving the party and heading down the hall.

#pepper potts #stephen strange #my writing #wip #i think this might be about 4k by the time it's done

[squidspawn]

MDZS Fics that Make Me Laugh

I compiled this list a while back when I was feeling anxious and sad, and have shared it with a few friends but since it seems like a lot of people are stressed right now I thought I’d post it officially. Everything here, no matter how distressed or upset I am, can make me laugh, and I hope they do the same for y’all. Feel free to add the mxtx fics that always brighten your day! Swipe Right- Bow&Tie-  How not to use Chinese Tinder, Delightfully silly modern au, featuring social media shenanigans, baby relays, LXC just trying to be a good big bro, Wifi’s A+ childcare skillz, Yunmeng siblings being EPIC, & JZX getting his act together (its so, so fantastic I just can’t even go read it, it will make your heart light): https://archiveofourown.org/series/1202626 (S) 

The Nie Sect Conference That No One Will Ever Discuss Again- by @mondengel, contains quality Wangxian stupidity, LQR not handling shit well, and Tired!LXC: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18720910 When Fish Soar- @mondengel - Canon verse, Wifi is a merman, LWJ is a dragon, JC & LXC are long suffering: https://mondengel.tumblr.com/post/185120435088/when-fish-soar Reflections on Red Thread- Wifi&XXC descend from BSR’s mountain to find their soulmates and create chaos Part 1: https://mondengel.tumblr.com/post/185554981743/reflections-of-red-thread Part 2: https://mondengel.tumblr.com/post/185578105368/reflections-of-red-thread-followup  Dude sounds like a Laiyydayy- A rather clever solution to hiding your secret war meeting from the Wen’s in the next room over: https://mondengel.tumblr.com/post/186413031823/dude-sounds-like-a-laiyydayy a game of dares- t_why- In their defense the Junior Trio was left unsupervised: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16015541  Tame- @rikke-y - Pet Carnage Turtle au, fixes Lotus Pier massacre, in general hilarious, shenanigans in Yunmeng: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17481809 (S) The Several (Convenient) 

Kidnappings of the Chief Cultivator by the Yiling Patriarch by @misscamthenorwegian - CQL based, Silly, happy, smutty, post-season finale; LWJ is agreeable after getting laid, NHS continues to be too clever, Wifi does what he wants, and JC is long-suffering, check out her other works on ao3, many are also rib-burstingly hilarious:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/20256982

WEI WUXIAN, VAMPIRE HUNTER- @suspiciouspopsicle - Bunnicula AU, misunderstandings, LWJ’s gay panic & internal screaming, gratuitous vampire movie cliches (one of my go tos, no matter how many times I read this I still end up in stitches): https://archiveofourown.org/series/1362655 

method acting- astrobandit- fantasy au, LQR pov, LWJ takes one for the team by ‘seducing’ the EVIL sorcerer of Yiling, oh no how terrible whatever will he do:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/19437517  The Adventures of the Magic Path Group Masters (Or Why Wei Wuxian is No Longer Allowed to Name Things)- Quixiote- D&D fic, features NHS the most put-upon DM: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15762531  

Pass GO- numinae- Disaster Monopoly Modern AU, exactly as much fun as it sounds >:3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/17299598  A Ribbon beats a Red String of Fate- Titans_R_Us- Ribbon Marriage Proposal 1 (And by proposal i mean shotgun wedding) fix-it, 3rd fic is less full of laughs but very well written with excellent characterization: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1256075  A Very Romantic Proposal- Clarissa_23- Ribbon Marriage Proposal 2, or wifi you really need to learn time and place: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17928998  No Matter What I Do I Feel The Pain- Trickster_Angel- Goose Soulmate fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18602590  What do you mean this goes in that- nanthebread- Wifi teaches Sex Ed: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16118126/chapters/37652783  Mediator- astrobandit- JZX enlists LWJ's help in getting along with Wifi, a fix-it happens. I just really enjoy how baffled LWJ is at JZX’s befriending him: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589404  A Match Made in Heaven- Ariana- After getting fed up once and for all with Wei Wuxian getting into trouble, Madam Yu decides it’s time to call in the matchmaker, latest chapters gets more serious but its still lots of fun: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17927624/chapters/42332630 And here are a few Scum Villain fics in a similar vein: For the Honor of BaiZhan Peak- numinae- disciples talking shit and embarrassing their shizuns: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17298404  a song in strange tongue- jezebel_rising- SQQ&SQH get very, very drunk: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20142634  Isekai-ed - BowandTie - What happens when a transmigrator teaches a stallion novel protagonist English (Weird&Fun with on point characterization): https://archiveofourown.org/series/1203661 

#mo dao zu shi #fic recs #rec list #My favorite things #i don't really know how to tag this? #Please feel free to add on!

[dragonnan]

Fic Rec Sunday

I think every day of the week should be a day to rec fics but I’m gonna start with Sunday!

Here are some stories I find myself reading over and over again!

MCU

Identity Theft by KitCat992 It's been months since the events of Civil War, and the Avengers are doing their best to remain a team, having promised to forgive and forget. Unfortunately for them, Tony Stark's latest invention has been stolen and recovering it causes tension to reappear.  Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter Parker has two main priorities on his plate — complete his midterm finals, and track down a fishbowl wearing criminal that may or may not lead him right into the hands of the Avengers.  Somehow between all of this, Spider-man's identity is revealed to the Avengers, Steve and Tony's friendship may permanently be damaged due to continued hidden secrets, and Happy struggles to buy a youth-sized casket for Peter's funeral.  Things were a lot easier when they were fighting over Bucky Barnes. (Be sure to check out the in-progress sequel, Identity Crisis!)

Dawn of Red Skies by Aelaer The day started off as any other day for newly-minted Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange.  Then the flip switched and the next 48 hours were filled only with grief, anger, and pain.

Omertà by HanukoYoukai After chasing down the criminal that took Uncle Ben's life, Peter is found by James Wesley, the right-hand man of Wilson Fisk--a wealthy businessman trying to clean up Hell's Kitchen. Having left a strong impression on the man, soon Peter finds himself working for Fisk, doing an internship for his business projects by day, and catching bad guys at night. If Mr. Fisk wants a few specific criminals delivered to him personally, who is Peter to object? All his boss wants to do is talk, after all, and ever since this internship began, things were finally looking up for the Parkers.  Then Peter hears the whispers in the underworld about the elusive and terrifying Kingpin, and somehow there are rumors that Spider-Man is on the Crime Lord's payroll. When he decides to use his own judgement and go against Mr. Fisk's wishes, Peter suddenly finds himself neck deep in mob activity with no means to get himself out.  To make matters worse, now Iron Man has Peter in his sights.....

A Twisted Upheaval by silentsaebyeok (WIP) “I’m afraid, Harrison, you’ve awakened a sleeping giant.” Wilson said. “Tony Stark will do anything and everything to protect those he loves. And with your carelessness, it is inevitable that my criminal empire will be brought to its knees. This is your last opportunity, your last chance to get this right. He is on our radar now.” -- The Kingpin runs the criminal underworld. He is the mastermind and the puppeteer. Tony Stark has been trying to find the elusive gangster for years, but with no luck. But then Peter Parker is kidnapped by an agent of the Kingpin’s, revealing the cracks in an otherwise unshakeable organization. Unlikely alliances form and friendships are made as the criminal underworld begins to unravel.

Comrades by Nefhiriel Five times Thor defended his friends from people who should've been on their side, and one time his friends defended him.

9/11 by spockside Pepper Potts had only been working for Tony Stark six months when she found herself running away from the destruction of the World Trade Center.

Sherlock

The Least of All Possible Mistakes by rageprufrock (AU where the character of Greg is a woman named Lestrade. Utterly freaking brilliant!) If ever a people deserved tasering, it’s Holmeses. (Be sure to check out the sequel!)

A City on the Head of a Pin by Mad_Maudlin (Magical AU) Post-TGG fic. John, for once, sees something Sherlock doesn't.

Vendetta by avidbeader Sherlock must find out why Molly Hooper is one of a select group of people being targeted before the assassin can finish the job.  

Define Vulnerabilty by TheGracefulBlueCat Shortly after Sherlock's return John realises something is very wrong with his friend. He, Greg and Mycroft try to help Sherlock as he falls deeper and deeper into the abyss called PTSD. But Sherlock is not ready to allow anyone in, but then the events of the current case cause him to hit bottom hard.

A Sharp, Dressed Man 'verse by sgam76 A grand series of stories set in an AU version of Sherlock wherein the characters aren’t all, exactly... “human”.

The Precipice by takethesky87 “Sherlock,” he says, but his voice is smothered by the waves. “Sherlock!” He shouts it this time, straining his ears for a reply. Nothing. Twice more he calls, his stomach clenching as each goes unanswered.

Lost for Words by awanderingbard Sherlock is assaulted by an unknown assailant while John is away at a medical conference, leaving him with a severe brain injury. While his intellect and personality are intact, he's lost the use of his right-side limbs and his ability to speak freely. John suddenly finds himself as the main source of support, and possibly a caregiver, to a flatmate who is struggling to do the things he loves most. And Sherlock Holmes has never been the best of patients.

The Holiday by Scriblit (Warnings for rape) A month following an horrific, sadistic attack during a case, Sherlock is still physically incapacitated and emotionally damaged. A holiday is suggested, but even stuck out in the middle of nowhere, he and John happen upon a case that could make Sherlock begin to feel like his old self again - or could kill him.

#Mcu fic recs #Sherlock fic recs