#whatever! nat is a good person who is consistently not kissed enough & that's what's important | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 4 years

Text

Just Crash, It’s Our Time Now

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Notes: I’m here for all the au’s, y’all. Warnings: there’s a little handjob action, but not much else. Word Count: ~12k Summary:

Peter Parker is a med school student with very little time on his hands. He’s set up on a blind date by Nat and it’s fucking awful. Good thing he caught eyes with the cute bartender who’s quick on his feet and steps in when Peter need s it the most.

Doctor!Peter, Bartender&Teacher!Tony

There is lots of cuteness & some dodgeball action - hope you enjoy!

Read it on AO3 here -

“Hey dude, get the fuck out of the way!”

Peter took a step to the right just in time – the bike rushing by barely missing him. Pulling his AirPod from his ear, he blinked a few times to reorient himself. It was his own fault; he knew listening to his textbook on the way back to his apartment wasn’t the safest option. Especially in a place like New York. Despite being there for almost four years, Peter wasn’t anywhere close to being used to how fast everything moved.

His little hometown in Colorado didn’t have near the amount of people running by him, let alone the pace of the never sleeping city.

The reading expectations in his Clinical Oncology class didn’t seem to be possible – there were 5 chapters to cover before the next cohort meeting in a couple of days. Between his last ever class of medical school and the rotation that went with it, there wasn’t too much time for anything else.

Luckily, Peter’s plan for the rest of the night consisted of sitting on his couch, eating way too much food, and finishing his readings – the time truly bound to be incredibly magical. Regardless – this was the life Peter chose for himself. It was way too late in the game to find himself too bored with it all to actually get to the finish line. He’d put a lot of his life on hold to make sure he succeeded in the goals he set out for himself all that time ago.

There were people his age settling down and having families, enjoying the best time of their lives. Peter tried not to feel jealous, he really did. He loved where his life was headed and couldn’t imagine doing anything else – yet, he wanted other things, too. Simple things like warmth, a person to call his own, hell – a man to share his bed with on a consistent occasion.

Maybe one day.

The rest of the walk went quickly – Peter now on his toes, keeping himself completely in the moment. He escaped tragedy once – the probability of missing it again not nearly as high. His rotation in the ER proved that random accidents and pedestrian collisions were some of the main issues in the city – he treated enough road rash to know. Brushing the thought aside, Peter felt a breath of relief leave his lungs – his apartment finally in sight.

Stopping at the door, Peter keyed in the code to get into his building, grabbed his mail, and trudged up to his fifth-floor apartment. The key sliding into the lock brought a smile to his face and kicking off his shoes when he finally got the door open – that was the best feeling of the day.

Luxury did not last long – less than a minute later, there was a knock on the door. There were only four people in the world who knew the entry code to get into his building – and he wondered briefly which one of them it could be. Sighing, Peter dropped his backpack and shrugged out of his hoodie before even thinking about answering the door. Truthfully, he wanted to retreat into his room to strip out of the scrubs he’d been in for more hours than he cared to admit – but he couldn’t, not when one of his friends was out there waiting for him. Peter pulled the door open and smiled – the flash of Nat’s red hair making his heart feel a little warmer. Suddenly, the knock didn’t seem like such a bad thing after all.

“Nat – how the hell are you?” Peter questioned, his arms opening to pull her into a hug. He gave her a tight squeeze, a sigh leaving his lips. Maybe it had been too long since he last saw people outside the norm – having Nat so close made that pretty easy to see.

“Peter Parker – you’ve been holed up here too long,” Nat exclaimed, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. “I’m fine by the way, thanks for asking.” Her fingers dug in when she pressed forward to place a kiss to his cheek. “I’m here to force you to be social. Don’t try and argue.”

With wide eyes, Peter watched her brush by him, a mischievous grin on her face. Peter loved the fuck out of Nat – they’d been friends since undergrad at Colorado State. Growing up with someone sealed a sort of bond, he figured. What he didn’t love was her inability to stop fucking around with his personal life. Her many attempts to set him up were always terrible and always ended very badly – especially for him. Regardless, Peter already knew he’d go along with her plans. He always did. Though her taste was goddamn awful, he liked knowing that Nat had his best interest at heart – that she cared about him enough to want to see him happy.

Closing the door, Peter turned and pressed his back against it, a curious look in his eye. “Well, who is it this time? And, honestly, where do you keep getting these guys? Sure, I like older guys – but that doesn’t mean everyone qualifies,” Peter gestured with his hands the entire time he spoke, the habit one he’d never been able to break.

He laughed out right at the slightest hint of red on Nat’s cheeks, her eyes peeking out from under her long dark lashes – chagrin written into her facial expression.

“I swear – every time I think it’s going to be perfect. I think you’re just picky,” Nat answered back, her shoulders shrugging. “I think you’ll actually like this one, though. I met him when I pretended to be a secretary in a law office. When I served the guy I was actually there for, Eli and I got to talking – and he seems right up your alley. Smart, cute – older.” She slapped a hand to his cheek softly – “give it a chance, maybe? For me?”

Peter shook his head, a hand coming to press against his forehead in mock frustration. There were so many unaccounted-for variables in his life – it was difficult to explain that he wasn’t really looking for just anyone. There needed to be a connection and a certain level of understanding right off the bat – he didn’t have time to waste.

May always told him to go with his gut and most of the time, his gut didn’t want anything to do with the dating scene at all. His priorities were so different than most people’s – Peter needed someone to match that with their own uniqueness. How to get that across, though – he hadn’t figured that out. So, he smiled at her, surrender evident in his expression. “I always give it a chance. I’ll do that this time, too.”

The hug he got from her almost made up for the disaster he would eventually find out she was sending him into.

Instead of stepping into the Adidas joggers that were calling his name from the edge of the bed, Peter pulled a pair of jeans on – his body not used to the rigidity of the fabric after camping in scrubs for most of his life lately. He did a couple squats to get them stretched out, then slipped on a blue t-shirt and a jean jacket over that. The little bar she told him to head to looked pretty casual when he Googled the place – so he tried to take in what little comfort he could from the clothes on his body. He took one last look in the mirror before backing out of his room. If he didn’t get his ass in gear, he’d never leave the house. The couch called to him, the pull almost enough to keep him there. The look of disappointment he’d see in Nat’s eyes kept him walking, though – the date couldn’t be that bad.

Life always had a way of proving him wrong, though.

The bar wasn’t too far from his apartment, so he stepped out on foot. The night was really nice – it was closing in on May in New York City, so the temperature was perfect. There weren’t many clouds in the sky, either – the view absolutely stunning. Sucking in a deep breath, Peter told himself to focus on just enjoying the evening and whatever came from it. No use being nervous when there was nothing at stake. That thought brought a grin to his face – there weren’t a lot of things in his life that didn’t come with costly consequences. A little break in that monotony would probably help with the run-down feeling – at least, he hoped that was the case.

Walking into the bar, Peter was surprised to instantly feel comfortable. There were a good number of tables scattered around the space – each one thankfully within a decent distance of the other and not crowded together. The bar was wood, stained a dark brown, the accent of it matching all of the tables and chairs. He smiled at the high-backed chairs butted up to the bar top – he hated the places that didn’t provide proper back support. Peter climbed into one of them at the corner of the bar and knew he might make this a regular place. Comfort was of the utmost importance when the idea of being drunk came to pass – he couldn’t count the amount of times he’d fallen off of chairs in under grad. Being conscious of his terrible drinking habits brought down the embarrassing encounters – he at least looked like he could handle his liquor.

A coaster was placed down in front of him – the fingers he just barely managed to catch a glance at long and covered in ink, the knuckles dusted with the slightest bit of hair. Intrigued, Peter glanced up and instantly felt a blush overtake his cheeks. The bartender was striking – his angular jaw and well-kept facial hair demanded his eyes attention at first glance. Letting his eyes roam, Peter noticed the man’s heterochromia – the brown flecks in whiskey smooth eyes making his breath catch a bit. The man’s dark hair was a little on the longer side, the style of it seemingly unkempt – yet, probably done so on purpose. Peter felt his tongue slip out against his lower lip – the skin there suddenly dry as the desert. Even the elegant brow he quirked in Peter’s direction made him feel a little crazy.

“What can I get you?” Peter heard – his gaze finally trailing away, eyes focusing on the liquor on the shelf behind the gorgeous man. The last time he drank alcohol, it came from a red solo cup that was dipped into a cooler filled with fruit and various high-proof alcohols – he couldn’t remember a single drink to save his life. The man must’ve caught on to that because he spoke again – “do you like Sprite?” Peter couldn’t help but smile at that, his head nodding.

“I do. Anything lime,” Peter finally uttered, his brain slowly but surely starting to catch up to the here and now.

The older man nodded, a determined look on his face. “I’ve got just the thing, then,” he mumbled, a bit of his tongue sticking out as he grabbed a couple of bottles, his hands pouring like it was second nature. The man was slipping a drink before him a couple of minutes later, a fresh lime pressed against the rim of the glass and a couple actually in the drink. “Vodka-Sprite with lime – lots of it,” the words accompanied by a wink. He leaned forward on his arms, the smell of whiskey and cedarwood invading Peter’s senses.

As subtly as he could, Peter drew in a deep breath – the smell even better the more he pulled it in. He wrapped his fingers around the glass and brought it to his lips, Peter’s eyes catching the bartender’s over the rim of the glass. The kick of lime right off the bat made the drink more than tolerable – the nail polish remover taste of the vodka delightfully masked. He took a couple more sips before even thinking to acknowledge the unspoken question. It felt nice to have those eyes on him – so he took in a little bit longer.

“You’re pretty good. You can’t taste the booze in there at all. Thank you, handsome stranger,” Peter said, a saucy grin on his face. It didn’t make a lot of sense, this ruthless flirting – he didn’t partake in it often, if ever at all. Yet, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face or the blush from invading his cheeks – and there wasn’t even the ability to blame the booze. His fingers played with the little stir stick in the drink in hopes of calming himself down, the smile on his face was way too big.

In the way he ducked his head, Peter missed the big grin spread across the man’s face, his eyes twinkling in the low overhead light. “That’s usually the objective. Glad to have been of service, equally gorgeous customer.” The smile on his face that time was hard to miss, and Peter found himself leaning on the bar – desperate to get a little bit closer.

Peter would have been happy to continue flirting with the bartender – his hopes of being stood up increasing by the second. It seemed like he was destined to be thwarted all day long, though – a man about twenty years older than him was looking in his direction. Nat must have shown the guy his picture. Taking one last peek at the gorgeous human behind the bar, Peter collected himself and turned in his seat, a painted-on smile sliding across his cheeks.

“Are you Peter?” his date for the night asked, a hand coming between them. “I’m Eli.”

Peter took the hand offered to him, the palm against his a little sweaty in his grasp. “I am, yeah. Nice to meet you, Eli,” he gave him a brief smile and settled back into his chair. Whiskey barrel eyes caught his, the bartender smirking at him. Rolling his own, Peter stuck out his tongue and tried to focus.

----

It’d been a pretty average day for Tony – the weekend was finally upon them, he’d finished all of his grading for the week, and his shifts at the bar were the best for tips. He assumed the rest of the day would remain as such, too. There weren’t a lot of interesting things happening in his life at the moment – though, he didn’t really mind. Tony was a self-proclaimed opportunist – there wasn’t a lot of seeking out, but he wasn’t opposed to whatever came his way. So far, his robotic adventures and never-ending entertainment at the bar felt like more than enough.

Then, he walked in. For whatever reason, Tony looked up when the door opened – he’d been pretty idle at the bar, anyway. A quick glance was the intention, but what he found there stopped him in his tracks. The guy was young – right in the age range where he could be anywhere between 20 and 30. The jean jacket sitting on his shoulders made his mouth water, the tone of it meshing so well with tawny looks and pale skin. And boy – that skin. Tony figured it went on for miles, never ending amounts of it covering those long limbs. Blinking, Tony got his bearings – the last thing he needed was to be caught out staring at someone.

He felt a little more himself when the guy sat down at the bar, his hands were moving over the counter, the wash rag dragging back and forth over the surface. The key was to never go idle – an idle mind was never good for anyone. When the man spoke, his attractiveness quotient went up a couple of notches, Tony enamored by the pitch of his voice, the way he looked around and took everything in. When the opportunity to show off a little showed itself, Tony snatched it up and set about making one of his personal favorite drinks. He was more of a whiskey straight kind of guy, but where mixed drinks were involved, vodka soda was always a hit.

The roll of satisfaction washing over him brought a smile to his face – Tony couldn’t keep his eyes away while the other took tentative sips, the look on his face never straying from curious. Then, that very voice was calling him a handsome stranger – oh how he wanted to combust right on the spot. Instead, he kept the smile on his face and hoped the look in his eye was unreadable. Not for the first time, Tony felt grateful that direct access into his brain was unavailable. The guy leaning in his direction pushed the thoughts he was trying to hold back into overdrive – his neck flushing just slightly.

The universe always had a way of making things right, though – a man around Tony’s own age walked in and took the seat next to the cutie he hoped to find out more about. Shrugging, he clenched the glass he pulled from further down the bar in his hand. Their eyes met for a brief second; uncertainty evident in the younger man’s eyes. Despite knowing the guy was on a date, Tony felt obligated to keep an eye on him. Everyone needed a wing man, every now and again.

Tony got swept in a wave of people at the other end of the bar, so he only caught small glances of the cute brunette and his date – and the tension he felt from the get-go didn’t seem to be going anywhere. While the older man was leaning closer, the other was pressing into the back of his chair, a grimace on his face. Tilting his head, he caught the man’s eye again – a roll of them evident a second later. A soft chuckle escaped his chest, he got to witness lots of dates gone wrong, but this one seemed to take the cake. Softening his features, Tony tried to display as much empathy as he could – he felt bad for the guy. Though, there was also a part of him that felt a little excited by the failure of it. That greedy, greedy part of him.

There was a pretty decent ebb and flow of people for the next thirty minutes or so – Tony always kept count of the people sitting around his area. He learned early on that keeping ahead of the tide made his job a little easier – anticipation of people’s needs was like a game to him. One he’d gotten pretty good at, he liked to think, anyway. The shatter of a glass pulled him from his thoughts – the guy he’d been catching eyes with all night was off his chair, a sour look on his face. Tony watched closely as the guy mouthed ‘help me’ at him, a pleading look in his eye. Whatever the fuck caused that glass to be dropped, it seemed the guy didn’t want any part of it, anymore.

Thinking on his feet, Tony pulled his phone out, keeping it on the counter out of sight. He quickly typed in the number of the bar, watching with satisfaction as the phone on the other side of the room started to ring. Attempting to stroll that direction casually, Tony shot a look over to the other man, his right eye closing in a quick wink. More than anything, he hoped he could go along with whatever Tony came up with on the spot. Grabbing it, he answered the phone with the typical spiel – “Lefty’s, this is Tony.” He nodded a bit, let it seem like someone was talking – then took the portable over to the brunette.

“I believe this is for you,” Tony said boldly, his hand thrusting the phone at him. There was a curious head tilt in his direction, then the man was taking the phone and pressing it to his ear. Tony held his breath, the thought that maybe he was being a little crazy rushing through him at the last minute. Thankfully, the guy was nodding his head – those gorgeous doe eyes opening wide, the look one Tony thought he might enjoy seeing from above him and below him – all the ways, really. Biting down on the side of his tongue, Tony let the pain force him back to the reality where he currently stood, watching the scene playout.

“Okay, MJ – I’ll be right there.” The guy finally spoke into the phone, a determined look crossing his face. Tony wanted to run his thumb across the little lines that appeared on the brunette’s forehead. His mind rushed with so many thoughts – the anxiety of what he did and what would happen next closing in on him a little. In the many times he’d worked in this bar, Tony never did anything like this. He pretended to be someone’s boyfriend once, but that was for someone he actually knew. This person was a random stranger – a hot one, he had to admit – yet, still a stranger.

He watched him slam down a few bills and make a halfhearted excuse to the guy who was looking at him with a mixture of irritation and empathy – it made Tony want to laugh in his face. Moving around the bar, Tony went to work on getting the glass picked up and by the time he looked up again, the spot the men were sitting was empty. It smarted a little, not getting to flirt a little more, maybe see where it could have gone. Yet, he felt good about it, too. He obviously helped someone out of a tight spot. What more could a person ask for? Laughing at himself, Tony finished his clean up and took his spot back behind the bar.

Not even twenty minutes later, the brunette was back, a soft smile on his face. He took the same place against the bar, his elbows pressing into it. “Hey,” he began, his fingers tapping against those gorgeously rosy cheeks. “Thanks for that. I don’t think I could have made it another minute without busting a glass over his head. You’re too kind. I’m Peter, by the way,” the man – Peter – concluded. He didn’t stick out a hand to shake, or anything like that, he simply leaned against his hands and looked Tony up and down. It would have been unsettling, if he didn’t appreciate the human doing the looking. Try as he might, he couldn’t find it in him to be too goddamn upset about it.

“You’re very welcome. Bartender code, or whatever,” Tony replied, his tone just shy of being smooth. Long fingers ran through his hair, the gentle tug of it somewhat grounding. “Peter. That’s fitting for you. Cute but smart and classy. I’m Tony – rugged and roguish, right?” His mouth started to spread into a smile on its own accord, the stretch of his lips tensile before he even finished speaking.

As if the guy couldn’t get any more attractive, Tony heard him laugh fully for the first time. The sound was elegant, from the pit of Peter’s stomach. His head tilted back a little, the length of his neck on display – the pale skin there begging to be touched, kissed, caressed with barely there pressure. Brown eyes were quickly overtaken by a dilating pupil. He crushed the side of his tongue with his teeth again, Tony struggling to keep his composure. To keep his hands busy, he went about making Peter the same drink as before, his fingers idly brushing lime to the lip of the glass.

“Right – absolutely right. I would also add handsome, but I’m pretty sure I brought that to the table earlier. I also love your hair, the salt and pepper at the temples – A+.” Tony sucked in a breath, his fingers moving to slip into the hair by his ears. A quick tug and he was smirking in the other’s direction, Peter’s eyes still firmly on him.

“It’s natural, too,” Tony avowed, one of his eyebrows quirking to match the grin on his face. “Thanks, though. Your curls aren’t half bad, either.” As he said it, Tony used every ounce of control within him not to reach out and touch – the length would be so easy to run his fingers through. He didn’t have any clue where all these thoughts were coming from – he was usually pretty good at keeping himself and the job separate. Being a teacher, he knew how important it was to keep perspective in the proper position – yet, he liked the guys smile and how his mouth looked making words. What could he do?

Besides, it seemed to be mutual – Peter’s cheeks were a beet red, eyes now squinty from the force of the muscular contraction of his face muscles to continue the beaming smile. Peter took the drink when Tony passed it to him, his lips wrapping around the lip without a second thought. “I usually keep it a little shorter, it’s easier to just roll out of bed and get going. I just – haven’t had time to get it cut. I just might agree with you, though. They do make me look nice.” Peter let his pointer finger trace the lip of the glass while he spoke, the motion just as distracting as the words slipping from beautiful lips.

Taking a look over his shoulder, Tony noticed the bar was on the emptier side. Lucky for him. He pressed both of his hands flat on the counter below him and let some of his weight shift forward – the space between himself and Peter narrowing down ever so slightly. From this angle, Tony could see a few freckles littering the other’s cheeks – the youthfulness of the beauty marks making him look so very young for a second. There seemed to be a direct map of the constellation clusters across the skin – the intrigue of it adding to the attraction.

“What keeps you so busy? Not that I’m not all for roll out of bed and get going. That’s my usual most of the time. I think you would look nice regardless of what you did with your hair,” Tony offered, a hand motioning in the direction of Peter’s face. “You’ve got all of that going on.”

It felt natural – the conversation they were having. Tony wasn’t the most sociable person. He didn’t shy away from it, or anything like that, there were just personal limits. Effort was applied long enough to engage and respond – then, he’d inconspicuously retreat. As the man slinging the drinks, it felt pretty easy to fit into the woodwork when he wanted to. The back and forth Tony felt compelled to have with this guy was already way more than usual – a thing of interest in and of itself.

“I’m in med school. In the process of getting my MD so I can get into oncological research. It’s my last semester, so its been a little hectic.” Just the thought of the man’s commitment made him look stressed, the small black circles under his eyes making a lot more sense now. “And thanks – that’s quite the compliment coming from you.” Peter stopped for a second, his bottom lip between his teeth. “Do you get off soon? I’ve got to buy you a drink or food or something for being an absolute life saver.”

The sound of the door opening had Tony looking over his shoulder, a slight frown forming on his brow when people sat down at the far side of the bar. Glancing down, he noticed there were only 20 minutes until 8 – his whole face lighting up. Things were turning out a lot better than he originally expected. “I’m off in twenty, actually. Let me get those guys over there started on a tab and then I’m all yours,” Tony responded, jittery excitement zapping along his skin – the feeling of it so very foreign and so exquisitely nice.

Tony didn’t move until he saw Peter nod, a matching smile on those delicately pale cheeks. Turning, the older man suddenly desperate to be done with his work, Tony finished up without another thought. When Clint came in to cover the next shift, Tony greeted him briefly and escaped before he could get roped into anything else.

Joining Peter on the other side of the bar, he rested a hand against the man’s chair – catching his attention without scaring the piss out of him.

“Ready whenever you are.”

----

Sitting in the same seat from before, Peter couldn’t believe the events of the last half an hour. Peter knew the date was doomed about a minute into it when Eli described Nat as his “hot friend”. There wasn’t a chance in hell – they hadn’t even started talking and Peter could already tell more misogynistic comments like that would come from the man’s mouth. There wasn’t any predicting how much worse it got, though. It’d been a long time since he was propositioned so quickly – and frankly, so out of the blue. They went from discussing Peter’s job to Eli wanting to take him home and get into his pants. What type of people was Nat surrounding herself with? And more importantly – why did she think this guy would be good for him?

The dam broke when the man tried to lay his hands on him. Their chairs were pushed close together, so he did the only thing he could think of – he dropped the drink from his fingers and stood up, the resounding smash of the glass breaking reassuring, hopefully a way out. Thankfully, he got the attention of the cute bartender and within a minute, he was back in front of them, a phone in his hand.

For a moment, Peter didn’t understand – his eyebrow quirking. The person he now knew as Tony looked at him, seemingly willing him to just go with the flow. He couldn’t even remember what came out of his mouth, but all of the sudden, he was free – Peter making his excuses and getting the fuck out of there as quickly as he could.

He almost continued his walk home, the adrenaline in his body telling him to keep listening to the flight reflex – the urge to go right there. Yet – it’d be pretty shitty of him if he didn’t at least thank the gorgeous man behind the bar for coming in clutch, so he walked across the street and lounged in the little café there – the view of the bar perfect.

Thankfully, Eli wasn’t stupid enough to wait around and he left about ten minutes later. Despite not being anywhere near him, Peter let out a caught-up breath – his entire chest felt tight since he made his narrow escape. Giving it another couple minutes to make sure the man didn’t return, Peter pulled out his phone and dialed Nat’s number, many not nice things sitting on the tip of his tongue.

When she did pick up, Peter didn’t give her a chance to reply to his nonexistent greeting – he simply barreled ahead and started talking. “You’re officially banned from setting me up. That guy was an absolute douche, Nat! He didn’t even make it a whole hour before he tried to start feeling me up. No more, okay? No more.” Peter stopped then, his chest heaving a little bit. “That shit was awful. If you’re my friend, you won’t do it again.”

“Shit, Pete – I’m so sorry! I didn’t know. He seemed okay. Older the way you enjoy them. I just – well, I’m not very good at this setting up thing.” Nat broke off, a chuckle in the back of her throat sounding across the line. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

He kept her on the line for a couple more minutes, the conversation gentling before they hung up. She was only trying to help, he understood that. Nat had been trying to help since they first met all that time ago. At least he got her to admit that she was bad at it. And maybe, she’d actually listen to his plea and ease up the meddling. For all it was worth, Peter didn’t feel dissatisfied – a part of him couldn’t understand why she felt so adamant about it to begin with. Either way, he put his foot down and wouldn’t budge. Sparing her feelings wasn’t worth having to deal with shitty people, no matter how much he hated thinking about hurting her in any way at all.

Shaking his head, Peter pocketed his phone and left the café, his feet carrying him back across the street. The bar didn’t look any different, although the place next to his seat from before was blessedly empty. He walked back over to that same spot and leaned against the bar – the bartender’s attention already on him. Hell – most people’s attention was probably on him. The dramatic exit didn’t go unnoticed, Peter felt pretty sure about that. Crowd watching was one of the best parts of being in a bar and he provided some of the night’s entertainment.

Throughout the exchange with Tony, Peter felt more and more glad that he didn’t just skip out. Not only was the older man extremely good-looking, he came with a biting wit and interesting conversational style. It felt like the ultimate tease, waiting to hear what the guy was going to say next. The flirting came naturally, too. For whatever reason, there was an innate feeling of trust alive and well in Peter’s chest – the man’s actions speaking so loudly to the part of him that was so selective and choosy. It took a particular type of person to simply help a stranger – to provide aid for no other reason other than the fact that someone was in need.

Peter recognized that trait within himself, too – that similarity between them probably the most important one he could think of. Which is why he let himself invite Tony out and why he felt comfortable enough to actually see where the night could lead him. He watched with an unfamiliar feeling in his chest and a soft smile on his face – Tony worked diligently and efficiently. The man was good with the customers, too. He had a natural charm that Peter wanted to learn more about – wanted to see how it felt to be used in his direction.

So lost in his thoughts, the older man’s words had him jumping, a sharp blush hitting his cheeks almost instantly. Looking sheepish, Peter slid a hand through his hair, a small smile slipping across his lips. “I’m ready right now. I hope you don’t mind walking – the place I’m thinking is right around the corner,” Peter got himself back together quickly, his composure something he’d been working on since being around patients. People needed a poker face from someone delivering shitty news to them – someone had to give them hope.

Shaking the thought away, Peter felt his smile grow wider – Tony was leading them out of the bar without another word.

A little more relaxed, Peter took a second to notice the air outside, the temperature moderate, less stuffy than the enclosure of the bar packed full of people. He took a deep breath, his eyes slipping shut for a second. The sound of Tony’s voice wasn’t surprising this time, the warm tone of it slipping over him pleasant, comforting. “I’m glad to be out of there, the late Friday night gig is too crazy,” Tony spoke softly but clear, like he was used to talking in front of people – the confidence in his presentation present, out in the open.

He smiled in response and started walking, Tony moving to join him, keeping up effortlessly.

Boldly, Peter grabbed Tony’s elbow at the end of the sidewalk, the man trying to continue walking straight when they needed to turn. “I’m taking you somewhere, remember?” Peter questioned, his voice on the right side of teasing.

Tony didn’t answer, he simply nodded and followed his lead, absolutely no resistance in the arm still settled in Peter’s grip. It took more effort than it should have to drop Tony’s arm – but he kept up the contact in their closeness, each step caused the older man’s shoulder to brush against his own.

“So, is bartending your full-time gig? You’ve got excellent taste in your drink suggestions – but something tells me there’s more to you.” They’d been walking for a minute or two in silence, the lack of conversation surprisingly comfortable despite not really knowing one another. The start of the conversation wasn’t forced, Peter was just curious – interested in finding out more about his handsome hero.

The longer they walked, the more it seemed like Tony was leaning into him, so Peter let it happen – his fingers brushed against Tony’s whenever he could reach them. Neither gave into the temptation to hold hands – the tease of not knowing, of the journey of finding out more – that was the game at the moment. Peter bit his bottom lip, his head turning ever so slightly. It wouldn’t do to give away just how enamored he was, not yet, anyway.

“It’s not. I actually teach high school physics. Over at Midtown Science and Tech. I’ve got a Master’s in Mechatronics Engineering, so I use it building robots with my students and talking about gas laws and thermodynamics. It’s great,” Tony didn’t sound like he was joking, either – his eyes were vivid, the brightness in them genuine.

Peter would have never pegged the guy as a teacher, but now that he knew – it made sense. The immediate way he rushed in to help, to provide support – that’s what teachers did, every day, for all the students they came into contact with. If it weren’t for the eyes watching his every move and the rather hungry look Tony couldn’t seem to hide – he might have questioned the man’s interest. He couldn’t, though – coffee-colored eyes trailed over him like they wanted to undress him one article of clothing by the next. The gaze was intense and sent little shocks of excitement all around.

“My initial thought did not stray anywhere near teacher. I can see it, though. I bet you’re the teacher that everyone likes, too. You’re teaching thermodynamics, so you’re dealing with smart kids. I’d go so far as to say that you’re the nerdy hot teacher everyone’s lusting after.” Peter blushed at that, the thought of his younger self walking into his own AP Physics class to see Tony standing there – he would have crushed on him for sure. He could honestly say he might be there already, anyway. Tony’s snort in response had him blushing harder, his face so warm from the flush of blood pressing against his cheeks.

“I try not to think about it, Pete. Makes the job a little easier, you know?”

And he did know – perfectly well. There’d been just as many legal and ethics classes throughout his med school journey to understand that concept intimately. Better for him, anyway. He wanted Tony’s attention on him. With each second that past, the want for it only increased – that thought substantial in and of itself.

It took a couple more minutes to end up outside Del Mar’s – his favorite bodega in the city. Rotations at the hospital didn’t pay well, and for a few months during his first year navigating the inability to carry more than one job, Peter had to be very, very smart about his money. It didn’t take a genius to understand that good food at a cheap price couldn’t be beat – so he kept Del Mar’s on his always list and went there as often as his wallet allowed him. By that point, the owner knew who he was, how he liked his sandwich, and would usually slip him a discount. Besides – it was one of the best meals in this part of Queen’s.

Tony spoke up when he saw the sign, a look of recognition on his face. “I love Del Mar’s. The number four with extra pickles got me through finals week last semester.” His face was pulled into a light grin, the man’s arm already extending to open the door, holding it for Peter. “Nice choice. I’ll gladly take this as a thank you meal,” Tony shot him a wink, the look making Peter’s head swim slightly. How the hell did someone make that look so good?

----

The coincidence of being led to one of his favorite bodegas wasn’t missed – Tony didn’t really know what to do with it, but he noticed. He also noticed how much they touched throughout the walk from the bar. Tony wasn’t very good about being inconspicuous unless he was trying to, and he certainly wasn’t trying to in this instance. The fact that Peter reciprocated, pushed himself into Tony’s space – that spoke volumes, too. Watching him walk through the door, Tony also knew how much he wanted to get to know Peter – in all the ways that were possible.

It didn’t take them long to get situated with their sandwiches, Mr. Del Mar recognized them both and set his son to making their food. Peter’s added “can you squish down the bread?” made Tony turn his head, a laugh leaving his lips.

“Squish down the bread? Only you,” Tony mumbled, the words probably not even loud enough for the other man to hear him. It felt good, though – the easy camaraderie between them just as nice as the sight of the beautiful man before him. He felt an elbow in his side and a head leaning in close, like he was trying to whisper in Tony’s ear.

“Don’t knock it before you try it.” Peter hummed, the gust of his breath sending an army of gooseflesh rushing along his skin.

Tony worked hard to hold the groan that threatened to escape him down – Del Mar surely didn’t need to hear anything like that coming from his mouth. When their sandwiches were ready, Tony made a hasty retreat – Peter thankfully following behind him. The night air broke up the last of the noise and the ability to breath made his head a little clearer. What a fucking rush.

“Do you trust me?” Peter asked, his head tilted in question. His grip on the sandwich bag made Tony happy that they were dangling from his hand, not clenched in the other’s fist. Without thought, Tony knew the answer.

“Yeah, I do, actually. What did you have in mind?” Tony asked, his senses on alert and running on overdrive from all the conflicting things coursing through him.

Peter didn’t verbally answer, instead, he turned around and started to walk down the sidewalk again. The unpredictability of the arresting man only increased his interest and he followed along – no worries or cares in the world. They didn’t walk for very long, Peter stopped them in front of a building fire escape, a roguish grin on his face. Tony’s eyes were glued to the flash of skin that appeared when Peter jumped to grab the folded-up ladder – the movement smooth, like Peter was an athlete in another life.

They climbed the stairs quickly, the stability of them surprisingly sturdy. Peter kept their sandwiches out to the side the entire time, the care he was taking with them so, so endearing. Tony could picture that same care being applied to Peter’s patients and immediately knew the man would be a good doctor – no other details needed. When they eventually settled on the roof – Tony let out a low whistle, the view of the night’s sky a little weakening. He couldn’t remember the last time he looked up and saw such clarity. “Pete, this view is ridiculous,” Tony gasped out, the awe evident in his voice.

Peter nodded, his eyes alight – mile long legs carried him until the younger man plopped down against the raised edge, his back pressing against it. “I know – it’s probably my favorite in the city. A couple of years ago, I was still living with a roommate. One that liked to have loud sex pretty much all the time. I don’t think he ever went to class. Anyway – I was studying for an Immunology final and couldn’t focus, so I came for a sandwich. On my wanderings while eating, I noticed the stairs were down on the fire escape, so I sort of just – climbed them. When I got up here, I felt the first sense of peace since coming to the city. I come up here all the time now,” Peter finished with a shrug, his hands already fumbling with the bag.

Tony plopped himself down next to the other and relaxed back, the view even better from this angle. He took the sandwich when Peter handed it to him, his soft smile growing a little bit. Their fingers brushed in the hand off, the delicate brush of skin to skin so fucking powerful. Sucking in a breath, he fiddled with the paper covering his sandwich to distract himself for a second. “It’s nice – being so close to the sky. The clarity up here makes the world look a little different. Thanks for sharing it,” Tony finally murmured, his shoulder shifting until it pressed against Peter’s side briefly.

The man’s blush was the only answer he got.

They made idle chatter while they ate, Tony talking about his latest robotics project – the group of kids on the team some of his best yet. Peter listened so adamantly, his head nodding every now and again while he chomped down on his flattened sandwich. In turn, Peter told Tony more about med school, about how he hoped to find a lab that would let him get lost in groundbreaking research. It was fascinating, to watch someone so empowered talk about their desires. Tony found himself hanging on every word, his sandwich long gone by the time they resurfaced from the conversation.

There weren’t a lot of times when Tony felt like he was standing near someone who could keep up with him. It wasn’t cocky, either – he understood how his brain worked and knew there were few people like him roaming the world. And without trying, he walked into someone exactly like him. Peter wanted to use his brain for good – he wanted to help people. There was something to be said for a person like that. Regardless of the man’s bad luck with his date earlier in the evening, Tony couldn’t deny how happy it made him – the way everything worked out.

They chatted for a little while longer, neither man in any hurry to be anywhere or part from the other. It was Peter’s “I should probably head home,” that brought Tony out of the daze he’d been in since sitting down next to the younger man. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was approaching midnight. The last few hours flew by – it didn’t seem nearly as late as it actually was. It took him a minute to nod, Tony wanting to soak up this moment just a little longer. Tony got up and dusted his hands and jeans off before holding a hand down for Peter to grab.

Long arms wrapped around his shoulders, the tug of Tony’s grip pulling Peter from the ground and up onto his feet. He thought for a second that he made Peter lose his balance – but then the arms around him tightened and the other’s face was pressing into the length of his neck. Tony let his own arms embrace Peter around the waist, his grip tightening to bring their bodies closer together. A soft nose brushed against his collar bone and under his chin – the touch innocent and tender. His arms squeezed on their own accord, the hold on Peter getting a little cozier.

The next thing Tony knew, lips were caressing his cheek, the barely there kiss fleeting and absolutely perfect. “Thanks for tonight, Tony.”

Tony pressed the side of his head against Peter’s and kept him there, the clutch of his arms the only thing he could think of to response with. There wasn’t anything to say. He helped because he could – there weren’t any other motives. The end result, well – that was just a happy accident. Turning his head, Tony slipped his nose into Peter’s hair, lips glancing against his head.

They parted ways at the bottom of the stairs, Peter grabbing Tony’s phone from his hand before he could even think to ask for his number. Later, when he finally let himself look, he grinned at the new name in his contacts – ‘Peter Parker’. It had a nice ring to it and totally fit the man attached to it. He sent off a quick text to make sure the younger man had his number and went about his way – the walk home one of the most peaceful ones he’d experienced in a long time.

Things stayed pretty casual between them for a while after that. It felt easy to simply chat about things that happened throughout the day – Peter did a good job describing the nicer parts of his job and strayed away from the heavier stuff. There were sometimes descriptions of co-worker drama, or the stupidity of professors waiting for him when Tony got a chance to take a look at his phone.

The rest of the day always went a little quicker when he got to have a couple exchanges with the man, his own stories about failing students and the many times one of his student’s grandmother passed away in attempts to get out of assignments. The uncomplicated way Tony could just be with Peter kept him from being bored and feeling an iota of loneliness.

They occasional met for low key dates, Peter’s schedule was so hectic, they usually ended up in one of their apartments eating take out and watching whatever they found interesting on Hulu. Tony helped Peter study on the night’s when the other was too exhausted to do much of anything – and they necked on the couch like teenagers when the doctor in training had more energy to spare or had the next day off.

It felt good to be restrained – getting to know Peter made the anticipation for the physical shit to come thrum with life, each little detail like a small secret to add to the growing list Tony kept in the back of his mind. In forty years of life, Tony hadn’t ever had a relationship like this – one that took the time to grow and evolve, to actually be nurtured before shit became too complicated.

So, it made sense – how uncomplicated their first encounter turned out to be. A little while into things, Peter introduced him to one of his hobbies. There weren’t many things Peter devoted his time to, so Tony was excited to hear all about the dodgeball team the younger man put together with a few of his coworkers. The invite to his game later that weekend was immediately accepted – Tony couldn’t wait to see Peter in action. In their time together, Tony wasn’t any closer to understanding the mystery of one Peter Parker – and he liked it that way.

The most surprising thing about it ended up being just how much Tony liked the sight of Peter in a cut off blue shirt with a Rambo style headband tied around his head. The muscles of his arms were trim, a little on the thin side, though the definition of each muscle was absolutely there. The black-out under his eyes brought a new dimension to the look – Tony suddenly so very taken by the whole situation. A twitch in his pants told him just how taken he really was, the jeans he was excited to wear suddenly a lot tighter – a lot more uncomfortable.

The feeling didn’t ease, either. Peter played dodgeball the same way he did everything – knowledgably, intensely, and with his tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth. Every time he threw the ball, the muscles in Pete’s arms tensed, the definition becoming even more refined. The celebratory high fives and fist pumps took home the gold, though – Tony never wanted to lose the image of pure excitement on Peter’s face. He hoped that it might come in handy a little later on.

Tony forgot about the heat for a little while – the man so into the game, he didn’t know how loud he was cheering until the person next to him shot a look. Smirking, Tony shot out of his seat the next time Peter got someone out, his hands clapping together loudly. “Way to go, Petey!” Tony exclaimed, his eyes trained on the lady next to him.

It got a little better when Peter’s eyes caught his from across the court, a small smile on his face. In the end, Peter’s team ended up winning and Tony pissed that lady off a whole lot more than he initially set out to – which he wasn’t all that mad about.

The energized Peter that slammed into his arms a little while later was something new. There was sweat still clinging to his brow and a little bit of the black-out still smudged under his eyes – that much was recognizable. The simmering look that sat right at the surface, that was something Tony didn’t recognize. It became rather clear what it was, though – Peter’s lips caressing his in the next moment directive enough. Tony thrust his hands into the other’s sweaty locks and pulled him closer, his head tilting ever so slightly to fix the angle, to deepen the kiss.

A round of cheers was the only thing that brought them out of the passionate embrace. Tony looked over Peter’s shoulder to see the rest of the team approaching them. Peter rested his head on Tony’s chest, the huff of a sigh evidenced in the warm gust of air leaking through his shirt to grace his skin. Peter turned and introduced him to everyone, the collective welcoming him with open arms. They’d been keeping things on the low, just to have some time enjoying the thing between them while it was still just that – between them. It felt good, though – to be acknowledge by Peter as someone important to him.

All bets were off the second they walked into Tony’s apartment, however. Peter ripped off his shirt without a second thought – his arms pulling Tony in until their lips were on each other, the other’s tongue insistent, searching – yearning for Tony. Overwhelmed for a second, Tony focused on the lips on his first. He returned the kiss with equal measure. His hands joined the party next, desperate palms finally getting to press against smooth skin, the feel of it so goddamn soft. A moan ripped from Tony’s throat, effectively breaking the kiss. Peter didn’t miss a beat, he tugged at the hem of Tony’s shirt until the offensive article of clothing was on the floor, joining his own.

Tony couldn’t stand the distance between them and closed it, his being eager to be sealed at the lips with Peter again. He let his hands wrap around the man’s lower back, hands slipping under the damp waistband of Peter’s shorts – fingertips brushing against the round globes of flesh there. Tony pushed his hands as far as they could go, eager palms filling with the fullness of Peter’s cheeks. Their lips stayed busy, the hum of approval on his lips enough to know the other didn’t mind his wandering hands.

They made it as far as the couch before Tony got impatient and pushed Peter down onto it. His hands worked to take off shoes, socks, and shorts – the man on the couch cushions now encased in only his spandex boxer briefs, the black a solid contrast to the pale flesh underneath. Tony made quick work of his own get up until he was as equally undressed as Peter.

A palm pressed down on the bulge in his underwear, the damp spot causing his eyes to slam shut – the bite of his teeth in his bottom lip stopping a moan from shooting from his lips. Looking up, Tony had to catch his breath – Peter followed suit, his hand gripped himself over top of the fabric keeping him clothed. This time, the moan fell straight from his lips – their eyes connecting as the sound radiated around the otherwise quiet room.

Taking that leap, Tony kicked out of his underwear before joining Peter on the couch, his eager fingers already working to pull the sexy black fabric from the younger man’s skin. As he pulled them down, Tony pressed his fingertips into muscled thigs, across ticklish knees, and down over hairy shins – the soft fur on top of Peter’s feet brushing his skin tantalizingly. Now naked, Tony took his time to stare down at the beautiful body spread out before him – the lengthy limbs covered in unmarred skin, his cock nestled in the v of his thighs, the flesh thick and the head already glistening with want.

“Fucking finally,” Peter gasped out when Tony pressed in and gave them the first taste of fully naked flesh on flesh. Tony tucked his head into the gap of Peter’s neck – his chuckle quickly turning into a moan vibrated into the skin. Peter’s impatience reared its head, the younger man’s hips pressing against him – the fluid he so steadily leaked smearing on Tony’s cock, his pubes, even the skin of his stomach.

Tony pressed a swift kiss to Peter’s neck, his hips dropping and finally pressing their lengths together. “Fuck,” Tony babbled, his head moving until he could see Peter, their eyes catching, gaze hot. “I’m not going to last long,” he admitted, the feeling of heat creeping from his toes, up his legs, and into the middle of his core was persistent – it’d been a long time since someone this beautiful graced his bed. And it felt like forever since he’d been wanting Peter. The touch of his skin made him feel crazy – absolutely out of his head.

Desperate to distract himself, Tony sealed his lips over Peter’s, the kiss hard and oh so sloppy.

“Touch me, please. I want your hands on me – on us. Please, baby. Please – “ Peter panted out, his head turning to the side to catch some air. The usually pale skin was covered in a flush – the blood rushing in all different directions making his skin a rosy color and completely covered in sweat. It was beautiful – Peter was beautiful, in all the ways – all the personifications of it, too.

Unwilling to anything other than comply, Tony wiggled his hand down between their chests, fingers wrapping around the both of them – their lengths clenched in his grip in the most perfect of ways. The slippery nature of Peter’s slick made the pass of his hand over the sensitive skin of both their cocks deliciously sweet – the glide smooth, hypnotic. The combined keens and whimpers leaving both men’s lips played as the soundtrack of their coupling – Peter’s repeated ‘yes, yes, yes’ just about enough to push Tony over the edge right then and there.

The shooting wave of heat increased when Peter added his pumping hips to the mix. Tony’s hand was already stroking them with quick wrist movements, his wrist turning a little bit the closer he got to the tip – the drips of glorious precum from both their cocks a steady lubricant and delectably succulent. “I’m close, I’m close,” Peter babbled, his hand slipping between them to join Tony’s in the tight squeeze around their cocks.

The tangling of their fingers increased the pressure and the subtle lift of Peter’s hips was too much – too fucking delectable to hang onto any longer.

“Oh, god – Tony!” Peter shouted first – his cum striping both their stomachs, each pulse of it warm – succulent.

Tony bit into his lip, the pain mixing perfectly with the pleasure – the combination enough to barrel the orgasm right out of him. “Pete, baby… fuck – “ Tony added to the mess lingering between them, the stickiness on his hands and chest pulling a shudder from him. The lingering aftereffects of his orgasm blanked out everything but the rise and fall of Pete’s chest against his own.

----

The very next morning, Peter woke to the press of lips against the side of his head and a hand tangling in his curls, the touch light. “I’ve got to get to work, Pete. There’s a key on the counter by the coffee machine. Lock up when you leave – and keep it. See you later,” Tony’s voice was light, the man’s obvious attempt at not waking Peter up for good. He was thankful – the pull of his heavy eyes was already trying to tug him back under.

Reaching up, Peter grabbed Tony’s cheeks and pulled him down until they were kissing. His lips felt a little raw from the night before, the burn from Tony’s mustache and goatee luscious – the right side of painfully delectable. When he pulled back, Peter let their noses brush for a second, the gesture intimate. He felt a little more tied to the other man now – the physicality between them enough to cement a lot of things. It felt odd, to have waited so long. Yet, the outcome felt better than any other sexual experience he ever shared with someone. And they hadn’t even fucked yet.

“I’ll see you later. Have a good day at work, Mr. Stark.” Peter chuckled at the look of surprise on Tony’s face. Then, he smirked, Tony’s hand coming up to brush against the hair on his chin. Peter saw that gesture enough to know that was Tony’s thinking pose. Grinning, Peter used a sleepy hand to gesture him out the door. “Go, go. Don’t be late for class.”

Peter felt another kiss pressed to his head, then the smell of Tony’s cologne retreated – the thought dissatisfying for about a second. Snuggling back into the pillow, he quickly forgot about any sort of disappointment he might have felt trying to bubble up.

A couple hours later, Peter woke up to his phone buzzing on the nightstand. He grabbed it, his sleepy eyes checking out the screen. Seeing Tony’s name had him waking up a little more thoroughly, the sleepiness drifting away as he swiped his thumb across the screen to answer the call. “Tony – everything okay? Free period isn’t until after lunch, right?” Peter spoke worriedly, his body now completely upright – the cobwebs of sleep now completely gone.

“Hey, Pete. Sorry to wake you up, baby. I left my file folder on the kitchen table and I have a test next period – which the copies of are in that folder. Would it be possible for you to bring it to me? I wouldn’t ask, but if I postpone this test, we’ll be a whole week behind – we’re too close to AP exams for that.” Tony’s tone of voice didn’t broker any arguments – Peter knew he wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Grinning at the thought, he started to climb out of bed.

“It would be possible. How much time do I have? I can just leave for my rounds when I’m finished,” Peter replied, his feet hitting the cold floor for the first time that day – a sigh leaving his lips at the feeling.

He could hear some rustling, then a door opening and shutting. “My next class is in an hour. I’ve got robotics doing a write up today. I’ll owe you, Pete.” Tony’s voice dropped an octave with that last bit – Peter imagining that the man’s eyebrows rose and fell with the words, too.

Knowing he could be showered and ready in less than half an hour, Peter stood up and made his way to the front room. If he was going to take the damn thing, he needed to make sure he knew what it was. The folder was easy to spot – the bulkiness of it a Tonyism, the lack of organization stupidly endearing. “Blue folder, right?”

“Blue folder. Pete, you’re the best. Thank you.” Tony sounded sincere, like Peter was really doing him a solid. He had to admit, being appreciated for the little things wasn’t the worst. The whole being in a relationship wasn’t the worst, either, if he were being honest with himself.

He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth before answering, the need to damper his smile there – despite the fact that it was quickly becoming difficult to do so. “It’s the least I can do. I’ll shoot you a text and let you know when I get to Midtown. Go back and keep your kids in order.” Tony chuckled on the other side of the phone and Peter joined him, the action making him feel light – floaty.

Kicking himself into gear, Peter stripped off the sleep pants he borrowed from Tony and stepped into the shower – this stall much bigger than the one in his tiny apartment. He indulged a little, washing his skin and hair with Tony’s body wash and shampoo – smelling like him for the rest of the day sounded pretty nice. Especially during rotations, one sniff and the soothing reminder of Tony and the comfort he brought would make it all better.

It felt nice to luxuriate in the first sleep over moment, too. Every breath that picked up the distinct Tony Stark scent would be a reminder of their time together, of the way Tony pulled pleasure from him like it was what he’d been made to do.

A little bit of forethought meant Peter had an extra pair of scrubs in the backpack he brought with him to the game the day before – so he slipped them on, the light blue pair one of his favorite sets. Letting his hair dry a little, Peter put a piece of bread in Tony’s high-tech toaster and ate it sitting on the counter – the fancy strawberry jelly in the fridge some of the best he’d ever had. Licking his fingers, Peter cleaned up after himself and finished getting ready.

His heart pounded double time for the first couple seconds after picking up the house key. It was solid black and matched with Tony’s sleek aesthetic – and it fit perfectly on his carabiner, the sight of it making his breath hitch. No matter how sleepy Peter was that morning, he understood the immensity of the gesture. Tony was letting him into his life in a more permanent manner. Though they’d been inseparable for a few months now, they never talked about it. He should have known Tony would find a subtle way to get his point across.

After forcing himself to pocket the key, Peter grabbed the file folder, pressing it into his backpack with the rest of his study material. He took another look around the room, a warm feeling washing over him – though he’d been here more than a few times, it felt a little different now. He’d probably never be able to look at the couch without thinking about the way Tony stroked him off, the way he came so hard because of the man. Wetting his lips, Peter backed out of the room and exited the house, his shiny key fitting into the lock easily.

Midtown was only a ten-minute walk from Tony’s house – the very adult decision to live close was beneficial and cut down on the amount of effort Peter needed to put forth to get there. Lots of time, he told himself – lots of time. There weren’t too many people out at this time of the morning, so he got to be a little leisurely about it. His entire body felt buoyant, lighter than air – and he knew it was because of Tony and the way things were slowly starting to knit together for them. He was about to walk into the man’s school for fucks sake!

Pulling out his phone, Peter sent off a quick text.

Peter Parker [10:40AM]: I’m here – what’s next?

Tony Stark [10:42AM]: You need to check in at the office. Stacy at the front desk knows to look out for you. She’ll direct you back to my classroom. Tony Stark [10:42AM]: Thanks again, Pete.

Smiling, Peter walking in through the front doors and right into the office, the place thankfully not a complicated maze. Stacy was a nice older woman who wore bright red lipstick and smiled widely. She looked at him for a couple extra seconds when he handed over his ID – a knowing sort of glimmer in her eyes. For the first time, Peter thought that maybe Tony did not have anyone bring him things like this – especially a younger person like himself. He just smiled and let her give him directions to the science hall – she told him that Tony’s door would be recognizable.

And it was – it so was. There was a 2D robot plastered to the door, the cutout surrounded by science quotes and a cute handmade Stark Industries sign – the man telling Peter that his robotics team deemed themselves that during one of their competitions a few years ago. He knocked on the door lightly, his head peeking through the window for a second – his eyes widening when he noticed a whole lot of eyes looking over at him. Tony caught his eye and smiled – the look grateful and excited and happy all at once.

Peter took a step back when Tony opened the door and stepped out – the anti-slam mechanism on the door making it shut slowly. Tony’s arm wrapped around him and tugged him into a one arm hug – his lips pressing against Peter’s cheek. “Thanks for coming. I was so wrapped up in you and us and how fucking happy I am that I totally forgot. You’re a lifesaver.” Tony’s smile was soft, his eyes a bit gooey – his happiness radiating.

He slipped one of the straps off his shoulders and brought the backpack around, his fingers working the zippers easily. “I’m liking the sound of that. And I’m happy to help. I like being able to see where you work. Mr. Stark has a new meaning for me now,” Peter replied coyly. Handing over the folder, Tony let his fingers linger on Peter’s skin for a moment, the two sharing a look – the soft smile on Pete’s lips reflected right back at him.

A noise had Peter looking up – his eyes widening when he saw a couple of the students from the front row pressed up against the door, watching their interaction. “I think we’ve got an audience,” Peter whispered, his hand coming to the side of his mouth to make it look a little sneakier. He felt Tony’s snort against his cheek, the gust of air warm.

“Sneaky shits can’t mind their own business.” Tony murmured back, his free hand reaching up to rest on the soft skin of Peter’s cheek. “You and I will be the gossip of the school for the next few weeks, so we might as well give them something to talk about.” Peter got what he meant about a second before Tony’s lips touched his own – his eyes slipping shut at the touch, regardless. The kiss was soft and chaste, barely there – yet one of the best they’d shared yet.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Tony asked pulling back, his hands once again in his own space – the toasty warmth on Peter’s skin the only reminder of the touch being there.

Peter nodded, his hand reaching out to brush along Tony’s lip – the slightest bit of shiny spit lingering there. “I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be done with my shift around 8.” He shouldered his backpack, preparing himself to leave. “Text me when you’re done for the day.” Peter shot him a wink and took another step back – the distance between them just enough for Tony to break from the haze of their connection and step back into the classroom.

He was about to walk away when he heard a voice through the wall – “Mr. Stark, was that your boyfriend?”

His stomach clenched; ears peeled to hear the response.

“Yeah, it was. Now stop gawking over how cute he is and let’s get back to thermodynamic equilibrium.”

Grinning, Peter hoped this floaty feeling of being so in love would never leave.

#starker #peter parker/tony stark #tony stark/peter parker #peter parker x tony stark #tony stark x peter parker #doctor peter parker #au #bartender tony stark #teacher tony stark #alternate universe #marvel fanfiction #fan fics #ao3 fan fiction #ao3 #bobbie writes #ironspider

24 notes · View notes

littlesliceofmarvel · 5 years

Text

Faded Memories

Request/Synopsis: Reader is dating Steve Rogers, and one day something goes wrong on a mission and Steve believes she died, but she was taken in by Hydra, wiped and experimented on. Eventually, Thor saves her and the two become close as he helps her remember her life, and Steve finds out she’s alive.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood and torture-ish

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader

A/N: This is reallllyyyy long! If there are mistakes going from third person to first person, I apologize! Also, I used google translate for the Russian so I apologize if there are mistakes there too. As always, gif isn’t mine (he’s so beautiful i want to cry), and my inbox is always open for requests! xx

The day before the team heads out on a mission usually consists of meetings, briefings, weapon stocking and no sleep. Nothing was different this time around - the team sat around the conference table at the compound listening to Fury give them every last detail and coordinate about their task.

The only thing is, no one could shake off the bad feelings they had that something was going to go wrong. Everyone felt it, but not because anyone doubted their abilities or because this mission was different than others, they just had a gut feeling.

“So, I’m going to need you guys to do this quicker than you are all expecting. Rogers, Wilson, Stark and Barnes are going to go in through the back and take down whoever is inside, Romanoff, Barton, and Y/L/N, you guys are going in through the roof, you’ll grab the hostages and set off the bomb. You guys have fifteen minutes maximum, alright?” Fury finishes, bringing up a hologram of the building they were about to break in to.

Everyone nodded, understanding their individual responsibilities. Y/N leaned back in her chair, not being able to shake away the horrible feelings she was harbouring about tomorrow night’s mission. Something wasn’t sitting right with her, and by the look Steve gave her, he was feeling the same.

Fury dismissed everyone and told them they were wheels up at 3pm tomorrow, so rest was important. Y/N sat back as everyone shuffled out of the room, waiting for Steve to approach her so she could walk out with him.

“You’re feeling it too, huh?” She asked him, “Something isn’t sitting right.”

Steve nodded, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the room with her, “I don’t know what it is, maybe Wanda’s messing with us.”

Y/N shook her head, laughing, “She can play tricks on us but I don’t think she’d do this.”

Overhearing them, Tony turned around and walked alongside Y/N, “You gotta shake past it. Go in tomorrow with confidence, guys, that’s the key to life.” Y/N and Steve rolled their eyes at Tony’s statement, making the billionaire shrug.

“I’m not letting it get to me,” Y/N kept her eyes ahead of her as she walked down the hallway to where the living quarters were, “Besides, I’ve had this feeling many times before and nothing has gone wrong.”

The two waved goodnight to Tony and made their way into their room, Y/N throwing herself down on the bed and kicking off her shoes as Steve laid down next to her. She shook off the feeling she had and turned to face him, smiling.

“I’m really digging the long hair, you know,” she smirked, running a hand through his hair, making him sigh in content, “I think you should keep it like this.”

Steve chuckled, looking up at her as if she was his source of life, “Is that so? What, my shorter hair wasn’t good enough for you?” He lifted his upper body slightly, facing her as she continued to gently run her fingers through his soft hair, sending shivers down his spine at her delicate touch. On the battlefield, Y/N was an absolute force, her strength outweighed most beings around her, but in moments like this, she was delicate, gentle, and Steve adored it. He adored her. And she adored him right back.

“I liked the short hair,” she grinned, “But the long hair look with the beard is really something else, Stevie.”

Steve grinned at the nickname - he loved all the little names she came up with for him. He came up with a bunch for her as well, and every time a new one would come up, she’d blush and her heart would soar at how happy she was with him. Sure, dating within the Avengers was something Fury didn’t totally recommend, because being constantly thrown into the line of fire is just what every couple wants, right? But they did it. They pushed past those insecurities and doubts and fell head over heels for each other, and nothing could come in the way of that.

“We should go to bed, darling,” Steve mumbled, sitting up and placing a light kiss on her forehead as he got up off the bed, “We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

Y/N groaned, realizing he was right, and threw her body off the bed to prepare herself for another restless sleep, mentally preparing for tomorrow’s mission.

The take-off couldn’t have come any slower. The day dragged on for what felt like years before the team geared up and hopped on the quinjet, Maria Hill taking up the pilot’s seat. The jet was usually filled with bubbly conversations, the team chatting away before they were thrown into battle, but something was different today.

Y/N sat on the far end of the jet with Steve and Bucky, who talked about how insane technology had gotten since the forties. She tuned them out, focusing on the clouds zooming past them as they took off into the sky, turbulence not having an effect on the jet in any way.

She wanted to join their talk, but something told her this was really not going to go well. Natasha noticed her discomfort and walked over to her, sitting down on her right.

“I don’t think you should let that feeling get the best of you,” she said quietly, a hint of understanding in her voice, “In my experience, bad feelings tend to get the best of you when they shouldn’t.”

Y/N looked over to her, nodding, “I know, I’m sure it’ll go away once we get there. Maybe it’s just nerves.”

Natasha smirked, crossing her arms as she leaned back in the set, “Maybe you’re pregnant,” she whispered, making Y/N’s eyes widen as she looked over to Steve, making sure he didn’t hear.

“Nat, fuck, I’m not pregnant,” Y/N whispered back, causing the redhead to laugh, shaking her head.

“I’m kidding, but that was priceless,” she continued laughing, not catching the attention of Steve who was too interested in his own conversation to notice the commotion. And Y/N was too invested in her conversation with Nat to notice that the jet was lowering, preparing for landing.

The red light turned on, signalling the back door was about to open, so the team threw on their weapons and gadgets, ready to run into whatever this mission was going to throw their way. Y/N discussed with Natasha how they were going to evacuate the building before Clint launched the bomb with 15 minutes until detonation.

With a swift kiss on the lips from Steve and a quick ‘I love you’ Y/N jumped out of the jet with Nat and Clint, landing on the roof as quietly as they could, watching the jet leave to let the others out on the ground. Y/N made her way towards the fire escape, preparing to jump in through a window. The hostages were on the fourth floor of a six floor building, so the three of them were going to have to rush their way down. Clint dropped the bomb down one of the pipes on the roof leading down to the basement, knowing that the bomb would tear this whole building down from there.

Y/N opened a window as quietly as she could, checking her surroundings before jumping in, landing as quietly as a cat, and pulled her gun out, preparing to shoot at whatever moved. Nat jumped in behind her, Clint following afterwards. Y/N motioned for Nat to go down the right hallway and Clint down the left, and they followed her orders.

Y/N walked down the hallway in the center of the room, looking around through all the open doorways and openings to see signs of the hostages. She made her way down to the very end of the hallway and walked into the final room, and she realized why she had a bad feeling about this.

In the center of the room, three people were strapped down to chairs, blood covering their bodies, but no signs of anyone else. ‘If they had hostages, why didn’t they cover them?’ Her mind was running with endless possibilities as she scanned her surroundings.

“I got them, but stay where you are,” Y/N spoke through the comms, looking around the room as suspicion started to bubble inside of her, the realization that this was a trap hitting her like a brick. Written on the wall in what appeared to be blood, the words HAIL HYDRA made Y/N freeze in her step.

She turned around and ran towards the hostages, almost dropping in defeat when she noticed none of them had their eyes open - they were already dead.

“Get out! Get out now!” Y/N shouted, turning around to run out the door when she noticed it was closed, a bomb plastered on the back of it counting down from 40 seconds.

“Shit, fuck, guys, get out!” She shouted again as panic washed over her body.

“Y/N, tell us what’s going on!” Steve shouted, his breathing heavy as she could hear hear the voices clouding her mind, telling her she wasn’t going to make it out of this one. There were no windows, and the only way out would trigger an explosion big enough to take down everyone in the building, including her team.

“Steve, I’m serious, it’s a trap, you guys have thirty seconds to get the fuck out!” She shouted again, running a hand through her hair as she faced the inevitable. She was going to die alone at the hands of Hydra.

“I’m not leaving you,” Steve’s voice cracked and Y/N felt her heart break.

“I’m not asking, please, you guys need to leave-”

She was cut off by the sound of Natasha, “I’m sorry, Y/N. Steve, we really need to leave. The jet’s out front.”

Y/N didn’t take Natasha’s comment personally, she was trained to not show emotion and to stay focused, and right now, she wanted the least amount of casualties possible. Steve fought to stay, but Natasha dragged him onto the jet, tears already forming in his eyes as he was about to lose the love of his life. Y/N was pissed at herself for letting this happen, for leaving Steve, but she couldn’t think straight, fear and regret taking over her body as she curled up in the corner of the cement room - alone.

Y/N couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye to him as the bomb ticked down from ten seconds, “I love you, Steve. Thank you for everything, all of you.”

No one had time to answer before they were cut off by static, watching below as the building exploded, the flames flying high into the sky, and they couldn’t take their eyes off of the crumpling building below. She was gone, Y/N was really gone. Natasha wrapped her arms around Steve who poured his heart out, crying into her shoulder. Clint closed his eyes, letting the tears fall as he sat down, Bucky sitting next to him, not saying a word.

“Fury... Agent Y/L/N is down,” Tony’s voice cracked as he leaned against the wall, turning off his communications to avoid Fury’s answer as he shut his eyes, not understanding how they didn’t see this was going to be a trap.

They felt defeated, as if they had failed her. Her death was on them, even if it wasn’t really on them. The jet was silent apart from the sniffles and the low rumble of the engine as they took off back to the compound, completely and utterly lost.

F O U R M O N T H S L A T E R

To say that time had been moving slowly would be an understatement. Time had never gone slower than the past couple of months. If it were any slower, the world would be going back in time. Y/N had never experienced a more brutal, painful four months. She didn’t know how she was feeling, all emotions wiped from her body, but she knew she wasn’t feeling good.

“Солдат, каков твой статус? (Soldier, what’s your status?)” A voice broke through Y/N’s daze, snapping her attention to the voice that spoke. She sat upright, eyes dark.

“Нет статуса, директор. (No status, director.)” She replied, swallowing sharply when she knew what was to come. She was ordered to take down five men, but only managed to get to three of them, leaving two witnesses to run off and warn whoever they were working with. She knew that this was going to piss off her director, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t feel anything.

“Итак, ты провалился? Это ты мне говоришь? (So, you failed? Is that what you’re telling me?” The man snapped at her, approaching her face as she turned away from him, looking straight ahead.

“Я не подвел. Трое мужчин все еще мертвы. (I didn’t fail. Three men are still dead.)” She replied, voice harsh. She was constantly being given tasks that ended with multiple people dying, and although she didn’t always get to everyone, she had over a dozen kills on her resume already.

After the explosion, Hydra had found her bloody body sitting in the room, still alive. Without thinking, they took her to their Siberian base, wiping her mind completely and turning her into an assassin and having her follow every order they gave her. They made sure to keep her out of Shield’s watchful eye, not wanting the Avengers busting down their doors to save the damsel in distress. If Y/N still had her memory, she’d realize this was exactly what they did to Bucky, and she’d be pissed, so pissed. But she didn’t know anything outside of this. For all she knew, she had been here all her life, following the dark commands of the voices of Hydra without question, slaughtering people without so much as a second thought. The bodies piled up, and her mind became darker and darker with each passing day.

Back at the Avengers compound, they had no idea what was going on with her. They had mourned, they even hosted a funeral (which Tony paid for, wanting her to have an extravagant send off, of course), but they continued doing their duties as heroes to save the world. They didn’t bring her up that often, except to ask Steve if he was okay. He was the only one who wasn’t fine, the one who laid in bed every night alone, missing her warm body next to his, missing her smiling face in the mornings, but Y/N knew none of this.

She didn’t even remember Steve.

“Ну, ты знаешь, что происходит сейчас, солдат. (Well, you know what happens now, soldier.)” The man looked to Y/N with an evil smirk, and she understood what he meant. She stood up, walking over to the large chair in the center of the room surrounded by machines. She sat down as the machines approached her, preparing for what was to come.

Before the machines could touch her, she heard shouting from the room next door. Not paying much attention, she turned her eyes to the machines next to her, which started sparking. That usually wasn’t a good sign.

“Что происходит с машинами?” One man shouted, trying to turn it off so that it didn’t cause too much damage. Y/N sat there, unfazed by what was happening as the men ran around, unplugging everything they could, but the white sparks started making their way around the room, lights flickering as the shouting grew louder, closer.

Y/N stood up, picking up the machine gun that sat on the table and pointed it towards the front door, glowing coming from behind it. She stood in front of the Hydra men, protecting them from whatever was about to break in.

The sound of the door breaking down made the men behind her jump back, Y/N resting her finger on the trigger, the light from the doorway almost blinding as she could see a figure approaching them. A really large figure, at that.

Shouting came from behind her as the men shouted at her to shoot, but curiosity had the best of her and she waited to see what this figure was going to be. As the light died down, a man stood in the doorway, short hair, detailed silver armour, and a large hammer in hand.

“Стреляй, солдат! (Shoot, soldier!)” Y/N was snapped out of her thoughts as she re-aimed her gun, pointing it at the man’s head. If there was anything she knew about herself now, it was that she had impeccable aim. The man in the doorway noticed the gun aimed towards his head and he lifted his arm, swinging his hammer in circles and launched it at her, sending her flying across the room with a painful groan. She looked behind her, noticing the large indent left on the wall behind her in the shape of her body and looked back towards the intruder, whose eyes were wider than anyone else’s she had ever seen.

“Y/N?” The man asked, a deep accented voice making her stop in her tracks.

She raised an eyebrow, picking her gun off the floor, “Who?” She pulled the trigger, hitting him in the shoulder as he let out a groan of pain, falling back to the floor.

“Y/N, it’s me, Thor.” The man groaned, “ We were friends.”

Y/N approached him, pointing the gun towards his face, “I don’t have friends. I don’t know you.”

Thor groaned, clutching his shoulder as confusion washed over his body. He had heard of her death, he even went to her funeral, so he had never expected to stumble upon her here. And now, he had no idea what to do. He knew what Hydra did to people, what they had done to her, and he felt it his responsibility to save her. So, he lifted his hand, summoning his hammer back to him, Y/N’s body being the only thing in the way as she held her aim on his face.

The only thing she felt was an immense force hitting her from the back as her vision went dark, her body collapsing on the ground.

“You’re awake,” a booming voice brought Y/N back to reality as she sat up, head pounding as the pain coming from her back started acting up again, preventing her from getting up.

“Oh, god,” she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut, “Where am I?”

“London,” the same voice said, and Y/N’s eyes snapped open, looking over to the man in the doorway. The same one that broke in - he had kidnapped her. She took a second to realize what was going on and jumped out of bed, slowly walking over to the guy and launched a punch to his face, making him stumble back as he gripped his now bloody nose.

“Oh, what the-” he was cut off by her legs wrapping around his neck from the back, her knees digging into his throat as she shifted her balance backwards, causing the two of them to collapse on the ground. Thor seemed to shocked to move, so Y/N lifted herself off the ground and kneed him in the stomach, picking a lamp off of the table and threatening to knock him over the head with it.

“Why did you kidnap me?” She asked, holding the lamp steadily. Thor groaned, rolling over slightly, using the table to help him sit up.

“My god, calm down, Y/N,” he pulled his hand away from his face to hold grab the lamp out of her grasp, “They really messed you up, huh?”

Y/N’s eyebrow raised in confusion, “Who? Why do you keep calling me ‘Y/N’?”

Thor sat up, sighing, “We have a lot to go over.” Y/N felt at ease around him, she didn’t know who he was, but something about him made her feel safer, and she didn’t know why.

T W O W E E K S L A T E R

“So, that’s me?” Y/N asked, looking over footage of the 2012 New York attack, her eyes settling on herself, running around with a group of other people in spandex suits, fighting robotic centipedes. Her eyes fell on the blond man in the star-spangled onesie, something about him made her heart clutch, and she had no idea why.

“Yeah, and that’s me,” Thor grinned, pointing a finger to himself confronting Loki, “And that’s my stupid brother.”

Y/N smiled, for what seemed like the first time ever, “He’s the ‘adopted’ one?” Thor nodded, making Y/N sigh. She was trying so damn hard to remember her life, but nothing seemed to click. Thor had shown her countless videos and images, telling her every detail about her life before Hydra. But to her, she had no life before Hydra. She didn’t know how to feel about all of this, still not trusting Thor fully. She knew that Hydra was going to look for her, and she wasn’t safe anywhere she went. But slowly, she started to feel herself relax, although still aiming a weapon at any noise, a gun placed under her pillow at night.

“You should eat something,” Thor mumbled, looking over at the broken girl next to him, “Something that’s not bread.”

Y/N nodded slowly, walking over to the cupboard and looking through, trying to find something to eat. For months, Hydra had fed her nothing but bread and sometimes a mixture of lentils and rice, but nothing that was in the least bit appetizing. To her, it was fine, it was all she knew, so now that she had the restricted freedom to pick something to eat, she didn’t feel right. Everything in her screamed to run back to Siberia, to burry herself in that Hydra chamber and let them torture her, rip her apart, she felt like that was her duty, but she stayed put, the smarter half of her brain taking over.

“Where do you keep the bread?” She mumbled, looking to Thor who shook his head with a small smile.

“I’m not telling you, you need to eat something that’s actually good for you,” He stood up, walking over to her, his body being much larger than hers. He knew that forcing her to adjust to this new life wasn’t exactly right, she needed time, but he was trying to help her. He hadn’t told the Avengers, he hadn’t told anyone that she was alive, he couldn’t throw her into that just yet.

She didn’t ask about them either - she still had no idea about their existence apart from the brief videos Thor showed her, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She was in a new life now, and she was slowly starting to come to terms with that.

O N E M O N T H L A T E R

“C’mon, sunshine, picking up a gun needs to be less of a necessity,” Thor chuckled, walking back into the small apartment with a bag of groceries as Y/N sat on the couch, catching up on pop culture that had been wiped from her mind.

“Sorry,” she chuckled, putting the gun back down on the table, giving Thor a small pout, “It’s a hard habit to break.”

He placed the back on the floor and sat next to her, placing his hand on hers lightly, making sure she didn’t pull away, “I know, it’s okay, but I’m the only one coming through that door, so you don’t need to shoot at me.”

Y/N chuckled, looking over to him, “Or do I?”

Thor smiled down at her, happy with how she was becoming more confident in herself. She still didn’t remember much about her past life, but small glimpses were coming back to her in her sleep, and she was glad that her past was no longer this vision that she couldn’t reach, she felt more connected to herself. It was a lot to take in, everything that had happened to her, but Thor’s patience was the most helpful thing she could have.

“So, um, I think it’s time I stop lying to the team, I think you need to meet them again,” Thor said softly, his thumb grazing over the back of her hand as she let out a sigh. She knew this was going to happen, and she knew she had to face them eventually, but something told her that this was a lot more than just a re-meeting.

“I think so too,” Y/N sighed, looking at Thor who gave her a soft smile, “I think I need to be more in touch with my past to remember who I was, you know?”

He nodded, “Of course, I’m not forcing you, but I was thinking the same thing.”

Y/N closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath, her stomach already doing flips inside of her, the fear of facing her old team being slightly overwhelming. She didn’t know how they would react. She was alive, yes, but she was nowhere near the same person that she was the last time she saw them.

For two days, she didn’t sleep, the thought of what was to come overbearing her thoughts, but she didn’t step away from it. She was ready. A gun lodged in her waistband, she followed Thor through the Avengers compound. The beating of her heart overpowered everything else in her body, and she couldn’t stop her legs from shaking, her steps slower than usual. Thor had announced to Fury they would be coming by and told him not to tell anyone, to keep Y/N a secret until she was in front of them.

Y/N was terrified. Hydra had changed her, and the thought of the team not liking the new her was a huge possibility. She had seen flashbacks of them in her sleep, and Thor had told her their names so she wasn’t totally clueless. As he opened the doors, he told her to stay behind.

She did as he said, and he stepped into the room, being greeted by the Avengers as he shut the door behind him, hiding Y/N. They had a brief catch-up session before he cut them off, telling them he needed to say something important.

“I’m actually here for a reason,” he said, everyone falling silent to hear what he was going to say as he looked over to Steve, sadness in his eyes, “Um, about five.. six months ago.. Y/N um.. got stuck in that building...”

The team shared a look, not really sure where he was going, but he was visibly nervous, rubbing his hands together. Y/N on the other side of the door was leaning up to it, listening to what he was saying.

“She... um... man, there’s no easy way to say this,” Thor rubbed the back of his neck, “She survived.”

Natasha dropped her mug on the floor, coughing. Bucky nearly spat out his food, looking over to his best friend who sat there in silence. Steve’s eyes were wide and red-rimmed, his fingers shaking slightly at Thor’s words.

“What?” he asked, voice cracking as he stood up, leaning on to the table for support. His heart broke, the thought that she had survived and not come to see them tore him apart. But the thought that she was alive... there was no way.

“I, uh, I know this is hard to believe-”

“Damn right, why should we believe you?” Tony asked, jaw clenched at the thought that Thor was lying.

Thor raised his hands, “Look, she was taken in by Hydra, her, uh, memory was wiped, the same thing that happened to Barnes,” Thor continued, the silence in the room almost being too much for him to handle. Steve sucked in a deep breath, not knowing how to feel as he looked to Bucky, who held his head low at the thought of what they did to him happening to Y/N too.

Steve was in shock, he couldn’t wrap his head around Thor’s words. For six months, he mourned, he cried, he felt his heart mould itself apart and back together over and over, and now, she might be back.

“So, what, she doesn’t remember us?” Natasha asked, eyes watery as Clint placed his hand on hers, “How do you know this?”

Thor lifted his hands once again, “I found her. She’s been with me for about two months, maybe less, I needed to help her get her memory back-”

“You had her for two months and didn’t tell us?” Tony snapped, dropping a piece of his suit as he approached Thor, “What the fuck?”

The god stuttered, “She was terrified, please - guys, please, be calm - she needs you guys to be calm. She has been through hell and back, she’s done a lot of stuff, just, please - for her.”

Tony took a deep breath, leaning on the back of the couch as he looked to Steve, who had slow tears making their way down his face.

“Where is she?” He asked, dreading the answer, yet wanting it more than anything.

“Right on the other side of this door,” Thor mumbled, looking to the ground as Steve let out a small whimper, shaking his head as he looked up.

“Can we see her?” He asked softly, wanting nothing more than to hold her in his arms and kiss her, protect her, and love her.

Thor nodded and slowly opened the door, poking his head out to the other side to motion to Y/N to come in. She took a deep breath and nodded, making her way slowly into the room. When her eyes locked on Steve’s, she almost ran out and never wanted to come back. Something inside of her connected to him, but she didn’t understand why, wanting to push it aside. His eyes were red, she knew he had been crying. Next to him, a shorter man with brown hair next to a woman with red hair, Clint and Natasha. Y/N gave them a small smile, not seeing another person approach her from the side.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and panic set in, she gripped the gun from her waistband and aimed it at the man she recognized as Tony Stark.

“God damn it, Y/N, put the gun away,” Thor groaned, placing a hand on her shoulder, making her instantly relax. Steve noticed how she reacted to him, and his heart broke even more realizing that he wasn’t the one to help her out of a broken place.

He was.

And she didn’t even remember him.

#steve rogers #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers imagines #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers one shot #steve rogers one shots #thor imagine #thor imagines #thor one shot #thor one shots #marvel imagine #marvel imagines #avengers imagine #avengers #avengers imagines #avengers preferences

490 notes · View notes

wordywarriorwrites · 4 years

Text

Chapter 17: Deliverance

Masterlist: The Boss of Brooklyn A03 Story Link Author: @wordywarriorwrites Summary: When it comes to being The Boss, James Buchanan “JB” Barnes rules with an iron fist. For him, there’s no room for sentiment, and certainly no time for distraction, even if it is in the form of an old flame. Steve Rogers had bowed out of the life a long time ago, but a twist of fate brings him right back into the fold, and face-to-face with a man he once loved. When a game of cat and mouse turns into a matter of life and death, both will be forced to decide whether they’ll be loyal to the business, or faithful to each other. A/N: Bucky Barnes Mob Boss AU. Stucky. For: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan Star’s Multi-Fandom Follower Celebration with the prompt, “Why did you do it?” & @sherrybaby14 Sherry’s Fall Into You Challenge with the prompt, “Show me. Prove that you can handle me.” Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, alcohol, smoking, explicit sexual content, illegal activities. *Re-blogs are welcome. Plagiarism isn’t. *

Twelve Weeks Later…

Grand Bahama Island was nothing short of paradise.

Clear-blue waters and sandy shores. All-inclusive resorts, fantastic cuisine, and a population that consisted of friendly locals, old money, and the nouveau rich. Privacy, exclusivity, and luxury, all wrapped up in an idyllic package.

And now, Bucky owned a piece of it.

The deed was discovered inside an understated, navy-blue letter storage box. It had been found crushed at the very bottom of the heap of customary tributes and gifts Bucky received on his birthday. Banner, Sam, and Natasha had been helping him sort through everything and write thank-you notes for weeks, and they were finally in the home stretch.

Those lower on the totem pole gave cash or a nice bottle of booze. Others higher up on the food chain arranged to foot the bill for more extravagant things, like a tailor-made suit or a custom watch. People at the very top spared no expense, and usually gifted items like a trip to a destination of his choice or an imported car, but in this instance, someone had decided to give him a multi-million-dollar mansion just off the coast of Florida.

“It’s from Fury,” Banner declared. “Paperwork’s legit and the place is legally yours.”

Sam let out a low whistle, “That’s one hell of a birthday present.”

Natasha opened the final envelope from the pile and pulled out a stack of papers, “And here’s another.”

Bucky quickly scrawled a personalized message to Fury before he set his pen aside and accepted the file. The pages had little sticky-note flags that drew attention to each place that required a signature, and all corresponding lines had been properly dated, initialed, stamped, and notarized.

It had taken awhile, but Steve finally signed the documents, and had formally stepped aside.

“I hope you’re happy now,” Natasha muttered.

Bucky sighed and turned to Bruce, “Take this directly to Wanda, and tell her to transfer the money as discussed. Sam, go with him. I want you both back here and ready to leave in thirty minutes.”

Both men nodded and hopped to it, and once they were gone, Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the stink-eye. He pointedly ignored her huffiness, left the office, and went to double-check his luggage. He, Sam, and Bruce were due to fly out to Bermuda in three hours to set up shop, and after Bucky made sure he had everything he needed, he left his bedroom, and dropped the bag by the door.

“He’s gone,” Natasha snapped as she entered the living room. “Are you satisfied?”

“Don’t start,” he warned.

“Given enough time, you two could’ve taken the whole of New York. You could’ve been an unstoppable, untouchable powerhouse, and your influence at home and abroad would’ve been limitless.”

“He wanted his freedom,” Bucky bit out lowly. “And I granted it.”

She laughed and threw up her hands, “Well, if you won’t have him, others will. I know some guys here who’ve been chomping at the bit for years, and they just can’t wait to get their hands on him.”

Somewhere on the fringes of his brain, he heard Natasha point out that Steve was smoking hot, filthy fucking rich, and had that whole “wounded, bad-boy” thing going on – all of which his future bedmates would find exceedingly attractive. She also surmised Steve was bound to fall in love again eventually, and might even get married someday. Natasha then went on to say she hoped to be invited to the wedding, and that if Steve and his future husband ever adopted children, she would be the best auntie.

Bucky wasn’t entirely too sure how it happened. One minute, Natasha was prattling about baby clothes, in-home nannies, private schools, and how expensive college tuition was; the next, he had her by the throat, and slammed up against the wall. How the gun got in his hand was a mystery, and he didn’t know how the barrel ended up pressed to the center of her forehead, either.

All it took was one look into her triumph-filled eyes for Bucky to know she’d keyed him up on purpose. Natasha was the only person in his life he truly trusted and cared for, and Bucky had never raised a hand to her before, but his violent overreaction was proof he’d let his emotions overrule his reason yet again.

Bucky immediately released her and lowered the gun, “Nat… Shit, I didn’t…”

“An unacknowledged weakness is a dangerous thing,” she wheezed.

He cleared his throat and took a step back, “I just… I need you to leave it alone, alright?”

Natasha closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, “What you need to do is nut up, go to Steve, and beg for his forgiveness. You know he belongs here with you, so, stop fighting it.”

The long stretch of heavily-weighted silence was broken by the return of Sam and Bruce. Both men had been laughing and chatting excitedly about the upcoming trip, but when they saw the cannon in Bucky’s hand and the abrasions around Natasha’s throat, they fell silent.

“Everything cool?” Sam wondered.

Natasha coughed and waved him off, but it wasn’t until Bucky holstered his weapon that the tension dissipated. While Banner examined Natasha, Sam approached him, and asked if he was all good.

Bucky nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, “Just a misunderstanding. Won’t happen again.”

A few moments later, a text announced the arrival of their car, and as it was Sam’s job to ensure it was actually their ride and not some sort of ambush, he shouldered his rucksack, and headed down first. After Bucky received the all clear, Bruce picked up his duffel, mumbled that travelling with the Boss was a pain in the ass, and followed suit.

Bucky gathered his bag and told Natasha he’d text when they landed. He’d been waiting in the hallway for the elevator for some time before the door to his penthouse opened, and she came out to join him.

“Can you forgive me?” he requested solemnly.

“Bring me back something pretty and I’ll consider it.”

“Just let me know what kind of jewels you want.”

Natasha said, “diamonds and rubies,” and on the heels of her quip, the elevator door parted. As they descended, she linked arms with him, placed her head on his shoulder, and confessed she didn’t want him to be alone. When he pithily told her that she’d end up with wrinkles if she didn’t stop worrying, she pinched his bicep hard, and called him an asshole.

Bucky grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Stop busting my balls, alright? I’ll be fine.”

Whatever she may have said by way of response was cut off when the elevator signaled that they’d reached the ground floor. The driver was quick to stow his bags and open the door for him, but before he could get in the back seat, Natasha tugged his arm, and halted him.

“Just promise me,” she insisted. “Promise me you’ll think about what I said.”

Bucky was saved from having to lie to her when Sam leaned out and yelled that they needed to get a move on. The last thing he heard before Natasha slammed the door in his face was, “Steve’s in Île Saint-Louis,” and her blurted declaration caught not only his attention, but Bruce’s as well.

“That’s not good,” Banner spluttered. “If Steve’s in Paris… Oh, that’s bad. Very bad…”

Sam glanced at him and made a motion with his hand for him to continue, “You want to fill me in?”

Bruce launched into what could only be described as an impassioned tirade that lasted for the entire drive to the airport and all the way through take off.

He informed that Mason Dubois, the only child and beloved son of multi-billionaire and former mob Boss, Luc Dubois, lived in Paris. They were direct descendants of Jules Bonnot, who founded the Bonnot Gang in France in the 1900’s. Luc had followed in his ancestor’s footsteps, but unlike Jules, he hadn’t been an anarchist, and he’d never been caught. Before his untimely death, Luc ran the biggest game in the country; when the father passed away, the son stepped in, and his political ties, fortune, and Bonnot lineage meant he had more money, status, and power than God himself.

It was common knowledge that the Hornec gang was the most active and notorious crew in Paris, and though Dubois received a cut of the profits, racketeering, drugs, and illegal slot machines weren’t his stock and trade. He and his associates were definitely upper-crust, white-collar criminals, and they were extremely well-funded and very well-connected.

Sam still couldn’t see what the problem was, which prompted Bruce to reveal that Mason Dubois was Wanda’s cousin by marriage. He’d been in town the night of Bucky’s party and Wanda had introduced him to Steve. They were both in the business, knew some of the same players, and had common interests. Mason was also considered one of the most eligible bachelors in France, and for all intents and purposes, Steve was single as well.

The not-so-subtle implications of Banner’s long-winded diatribe made Bucky close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. As soon as the plane landed and they got checked in to the resort, he retreated to his suite, and poured himself a more than liberal drink.

Bucky had done the impossible. He’d reclaimed Brooklyn; restored his people’s confidence in full; asserted complete control over the West Indies; and had come back from what could’ve been a very costly and fatal mistake. He should’ve been glad his long-term plan had succeeded, but he wasn’t, and the more he examined the reasons for his uneasiness, the more uncomfortable he became.

Steve’s acquiesce to the terms and subsequent departure to Paris meant he’d decided to free himself from the last vestiges of their strained, complicated relationship. He was no longer under any obligation to Bucky or the Families, which meant all bets were off. Wanda could play match-maker all she liked, and as a free-agent, Steve could conduct business -- and climb into bed -- with whomever he wished to.

And there was nothing Bucky could do about it.

His former best-friend, past partner-in-crime, and soon-to-be-lost love of his life was in danger of being taken off the market in more ways than one, and Bucky knew Natasha’s parting words had been a last-ditch effort to make him come to terms with it. She wanted him to not only admit his feelings, but also face the consequences of his actions, and repair the damage.

If Bucky had been honest – if he’d, just once, put Steve first – maybe things could’ve been different. If he hadn’t pulled him back in; hadn’t lifted him up just to screw him over; hadn’t betrayed him and rejected him and broken his heart so many fucking times…

The sound of his phone going off prodded him out of his thoughts; he’d forgotten to text Natasha, which explained why she’d reached out first, but before he could type a reply, another message came through.

The words, “Let me handle Bermuda,” appeared, along with a URL that redirected Bucky the website of his preferred airline. According to the departure schedule, if he booked the ticket immediately, and hauled ass to the airport, he could be in France just after sunrise. Natasha followed up again mere seconds later with, “You go get him and bring him home.”

Bucky scraped a hand over his face, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. With his heart somewhere in the vicinity of his fucking throat, he penciled himself into first class, checked in before he could change his mind, and called down to the lobby for a car.

Though the prospect of an uncertain outcome terrified him, Bucky was going to Paris, and in twelve hours, he’d know for sure whether or not his change of heart was just in time, or far too little, and much too late.

Chapter 18: On Va Voir

Everything: @jennmurawski13 @nerdy-bookworm-1998

Steve Rogers: @patzammit @hearttoearth The Boss of Brooklyn: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety @captain-rogers-beard @lilliannaansalla

25 notes · View notes

ohmcrvel · 6 years

Text

she’s a lady pt 1

masterlist

Summary: you can't run from the past, especially when it catches up to your future and changes the way your loved ones look at you forever. Happiness, Sadness, Anger and Heartbreak, that is the cycle of discovering, no matter what it is you find.

Note: This is shit, I’m tired, full of writer’s block and crying over the fact tom holland is 22, Sebastian stan is nearly 36 and I'm a lonely fish.

BTW THIS WILL BE A MULI PART SERIESSSSS

Pairings: Bucky x English!Reader, Avengers x Reader

Warnings: 1st chpt is hella angst, swearing, slight steamy shit❤️

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

the sound of your bedroom door being slammed open early on a Monday morning is not the way anyone would want to be woken up.

your hand quickly scrambled under your pillow hastily grabbing your Ruger LCR as you rushed up out of bed only to be greeted by Steve looking like a deer caught in headlights, not an intruder.

"Oh god sorry (y/n) ! You didn't answer my knocks and I got worried...could you please put the gun away?" his flustered face smiled at your alert features, now covered in messy hair from the abrupt awakening.

"Sure, sure, I'll put the gun away, as long as you promise not to break my door down again unless you're sure I'm dying or if Bucky falls asleep so I can draw on him, as this is the 4th time you've done this in a month! Just let a woman sleep steve, it's 6:30 am and I hardly got any sleep in the first place." You grumbled placing the gun back under your pillow before flunking back into bed covering yourself with your duvet slightly feeling the mattress shift as a sorry looking steve sat beside you.

"He's an asshole." He whispered angrily while lowering the duvet from your face

"Language!" You snapped back as you grabbed the duvet from his hands where he sat annoyed

"Not you too." He groaned while rolling his eyes at the sight of you wrapped in your duvet like E.T .

"No but seriously (y/n), he's a highly trained assassin but can't seem to see that he's consistently flirting with a girl who's head of heels in love with him and hen goes on to 'have fun' with other women right opposite your room while your sleeping, it's ridiculous." He sighed while running his hands through his blonde locks.

"Who said anything about love." Your face filled up with a rosy pink blush as you sunk further into the mattress.

"Sure (y/n/n), sure, but you need to get up we have a meeting, see you in a bit." He laughed and kissed your forehead, meanwhile you just groaned when just walked out of your room stealing the duvet as he went down the corridor.

Roughly pulling up your shorts before putting what you believe was Steve's hoodie on, you made your way downstairs and into the conference room. Stepping through the glass door your eyes scanned the table as a half-asleep Natasha sat next to an empty seat between her and hyperactive Peter, Bucky perked up at the sight of you walking in before mumbling something under his breath as he noticed Steve's jumper loosely wrapped around your tired frame.

"Couldn't find your own clothes in time doll?" He sassed while looking you up and down, you simply gave him the finger, not having the physical or emotional energy to deal with him.

Making your way to the black leather seat Nat mumbled a 'Good morning' to you while passing a to-go cup of (y/f/d), putting a smile on your sad face. While getting comfy your chair you happily sipped the liquid as Tony and Steve finally entered the room.

"Morning children." He heckled while slamming some files and a 'Captain America sucks' mug on the table causing Steve to roll his eyes and sit in the chair next to him.

"Kid, you got any homework?" Tony questioned peter while sipping on his coffee,

"Uh-um no Mr stark why ?" The boy stuttered as his eyes flickered up at his idol.

"Because ladies and gents we are going travelling !" Tony shouted while spinning in his chair.

"Were you dragging us to now Stark." Sam groaned at him.

"England." Tony stopped spinning in his chair, his face slightly fell when he looked at your shocked face, your drink suddenly escaped your mouth and splattered all over the table.

"What!" You yelled at a very apologetic looking Tony.

"Sweet, where in England we going !" Clint questioned while Sam and Bucky put their hands on his shoulder to stop him bouncing due to the coffee.

"bloody hell! Oh god please tell me it's somewhere like Manchester? Sheffield? Oh, I know Cheshire is lovely this time of year." Your eyes pleaded into his hoping he wouldn't say what you thought he would.

"London..." As soon as those to words left his mouth your face looked like a kid on Christmas who got no gifts.

" Fuck me " you mumbled while crashing back into your chair, head in hands on the table.

" When ?" Bucky cheeked

" Oh come on tea and crumpets! I'm sure there's "part of London you've not seen? Time to live." Bucky commented only to greeted by your head slowly raising out of your hands, eyes glaring straight into his.

"Well considering the fact I lived there for 21 years I've seen plenty enough Barnes." You spat back at him with shock still on his face. To say that everyone but Tony knew basically nothing about your past was an understatement, when Tony brought you into the tower he just said: "She's a Badass, British, Bombshell" and that was it.

"Now, why are we going Tony." You asked the man, voice not as witchy as before.

Tony began explaining why the hell you were going to London and you tried to focus but all the time your mind was freaking the hell out so you only picked up certain pieces of his rambling. In the end, all you knew was that the London branch of Stark industries received a message for help from someone important, Tony said he couldn't remember who, and it required the 'special skills' of the Avengers, so that meant in a couple of days you'll be killing some people.

After the meeting everyone went back to there daily routine, Nat and Clint went out to get lunch for the team, Sam and Steve ran like crazy men, Vision and Wanda did weird Vision and Wanda stuff and Bruce and Tony did whatever the hell they do in that lab, while you simply wanted to go down to the gym and beat the shit out of interns and boxing bags.

You hands slammed into the nearly broken body bag that loosely hanged on its chain. Rage filled the air as sounds grunts and bangs echoed across the empty gym. England was your country, London was where you were raised most of your life but America, most specifically the Avengers base, was your home. Of course, the idea of being back there scared you, knowing that people over there know you not just for your work with the team but your previous life but the idea of maybe seeing your father again and being back in home turf made you somewhat happy

"You know you shouldn't take your anger put on innocent boxing bags" the rough voice of the infamous Bucky Barnes silenced the slams of your fist.

"You shouldn't be telling me how to control my anger" trying to brush off his comment you began regaining your stance as he walked closer towards you.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice here. You seemed really upset early today " His voice was less sassy now, his frame filled your peripheral vision as he stood next to you.

" Barnes I appreciate you trying to be a better person but don't try it with me because I know you honestly don't give a fuck about me" anger filled your veins once again as the memories of your first time meeting him race oast in your mind.

"You think I'd on care about one of my teammates?" A mix of shock and anger in his voice caught you off guard as he now turned to try and look at you straight in the eye.

"Yeah of course you do but that's all we are, teammates, you made that clear when I first got on the team and even though I might not have had the horrible experience of being hydras weapon for half of my life I've been and seen enough shit to know I shouldn't chase after people who hurt me." you spat back as you began punching again, the sound of his body mving made your hert rest hping he was eaving, but the feeling of a presnce right behind you and firm hands gripping you shoulders made you freeze in shock

" Your knees should always be bent. This gives you more power, more balance, and more mobility." Buckys rough voice spoke in your ears, your breath slightly hitched as he pushed you down making your knees bend more.

"Your hips should always be relaxed and heavy which gives you even more balance and more power. Fighters that tighten up their upper body will usually carry their hips which makes them fall off balance easily and also burns energy faster." His head slightly tilted down to your collarbone causing his warm breath to brush over it as his hands slowly slipped down to your hips guiding his hands along them making them looser, you would have normally kicked a guy in the balls by now but this, this was interesting.

"Well, this is new." Finally, you spoke, but the sarcastic comment came out like more of a breathless whisper.

" You see (Y/L/N) I hate a lot of people but don't hate you. I'll let you figure the rest of us out" and suddenly he was gone, his firm chest that pressed into your back was walking out of the gym.

"Bloody sexy American twat." you sighed as he left while you slid back down the bag on to the floor, heart still racing after that interaction, everyone on the team always told you Bucky was only a dick to you because the man was horrible with people and emotions, but you never believed it was that simple, and you thought that even more now.

96 notes · View notes

buckygirl-fanfiction · 7 years

Text

Sparks Chapter 8

Pairing: Bucky(POV) X Reader(POV) ft. other characters from avengers team

Word Count: 3.6K

Summary: Bucky and y/n have a almost moment at the Tower’s Halloween party. But, they are interrupted with news of a potential bio-attack in Time Square. It’s up to y/n to disable the bomb and save the city.

A/N: This is a story about two people building a great friendship and then slowly falling in love. y/n is a strong, independent, and smart scientist. She meets Bucky when she wakes him up from cryo sleep and they become friends. This is going to have all the angst / best friends falling in love / fluff / drama / & eventual smut ;) that I can possibly fit in it. This fic is going to be looong! So far my document is like 66 pages. So editing is hard If you catch any grammatical or formatting errors let me know.

October 31, 2015

y/n’s POV

“Well, what do you think?” I say as I walk out. It’s 7pm and Bucky is outside my office waiting for me to change into my costume for Tony’s annual Halloween party. Tony has an annual party for literally everything, I suspect it’s a coping mechanism because everything around us is literally going to shit. Hey, if a party makes him forget that there is an active Hydra mole still in the tower then i’m down. This year i’m going as the infamous catwoman, red lipstick, skin tight black leather, black stiletto boots and all.

“Wow,” Bucky stands there wide eyed and staring at me. I guess that’s a good reaction. I’ve been working nonstop these past two weeks since Bucky and Steve got back with their intel. I was in charge of decoding the scientific data they got off the drives in Chad. Tony briefed me partially and told me that some information had been “found” and that he wanted me to run through it. So far i’ve put together pieces that revealed some form of bioterrorism. But, Tony still didn’t trust me enough to keep me in the loop about the mole hunt. However, I was still in the loop thanks to Bucky. The only downside the loop didn’t consist of much, other than what we already knew. Somebody inside the tower was passing on information.

“What do you think boobs au natural or pushed up,” I ask Bucky. Now that’s a question you can only ask your best friend.

“Ummm, uhhh.” He stammers a little, “well it depends is it for, uh, dancing, or umm.” He’s cut of when Wanda walks down the hall towards us.

“Come on we’re going to miss out on all the fun!” she says, “everybody’s already up on the roof.”

“What do you think?” I turn to Wanda pushing my breasts up a little.

“Yeah definitely go with the push-up,” Wanda says and I walk back into my office to put on my bustier bra. “Oh, Bucky. Bahini is looking for you. She’s upstairs waiting. I’d go up there before she starts doing body shots off someone.”

“Oh. Right… Well umm, i’ll see you guys up there,” Bucky says before awkwardly walking down the hall towards the elevator. He’s wearing a ‘nerd costume’. When in reality, he just borrowed a white lab jacket from inventory and put white tape around the middle of a pair of old square black glasses. Props go to him for making the best last minute costume.

“You look uncharacteristically slutty today,” Wanda says.

I walk out my office and give her a spin, “I know. Dean said he is coming tonight,” I say. “So I thought I might you know get a little frisky.” I wink at her.

“Dean the cute weapons guy?” Wanda asks as I fix my hair.

“Yep,” after checking my reflection for the last time I grab my phone and say, “let’s go.” Upstairs everyone is dressed up, drinking, and dancing. Wanda herself is iconic Wonder Woman. I spot Cho sitting across on the other side of the roof dressed up as a bunny. It’s uncharacteristically warm for late October and everybody is enjoying the late afternoon breeze. Wanda and I make our way through the crowd of people socializing towards Cho who’s sitting next to Steve. “Wow,” I say sarcastically looking at him. “And I thought Bucky’s costume was last minute. Great effort,” I say to Steve who is basically wearing one of his old red, white, and blue tactical suits.

“Hey,” he says “I give the people what they want.”

I spot a streak of orange fly past behind them, beyond the roof. “Well I see Tony’s having fun.” Wanda says.

“He pulls that thing out for every occasion,” Steve says shaking his head in disapprovement. Tony is in his iron man suit flying around the roof gathering the attention of spectators all around.

Bucky walks towards our group with Bahni by his side and says, “Hey, you know Bahni.” She’s wearing the stereotypical slutty nurse outfit. How stereotypically Bahni I think to myself.

“Hello,” she says to everyone at our group. We break out into casual conversation and laugh and drink. She’s actually a cool person I think to myself. I’m glad to see Bucky is finally breaking out of his usually reserved shell with her. After about ten minutes I spot Dean and I excuse myself from the group and walk towards him.

Bucky’s POV

I watch y/n as she walks across the roof towards a tall man in a ridiculous Clark Kent Superman costume. I’m inclined to keep an eye on her for some unexplainable reason. The group is still talking to Bahni about office gossip or something along those lines. Bahni’s great I think to myself. What are you doing Bucky? Focus on the girl right in front of you I think to myself. But, I can’t help it. My eyes occasionally drift back to y/n and the man she was flirting with across the roof. I think his name is Dean. y/n told me they had coffee once. The rest of the night passes by an y/n brings Dean over to the group and introduces him to her friends. He is the stereotypical arrogant scientist type, way too smart for his own good. Around 10pm I make the mistake of drinking a little too much from Thor’s stash. The group has now dispersed. y/n and Dean are dancing and Bahni is somewhere I don’t know. Steve and I are sitting on the barstools watching the entire scene.

“So, Bahni is a nice girl,” Steve says.

“Yeah,” I say absentmindedly still looking off in the distance watching y/n and Dean dancing. What am I doing? I question to myself.

“So is y/n,” Steve says following my gaze.

“Stop.” I say cutting him off before he starts again.

“Alright. We just think you guys are good for each other.” Steve continues.

“We?” I say turning my attention towards Steve.

“Well yeah, Cho and I, were just talking about it,” he says looking guilty of partaking in gossip.

“So, WE are a topic of conversation now?” I ask curiously and a little annoyed.

“Uhh, no. I just mean.” Steve says trying to play it off.

“I’m gonna go find Bahni,” I say before walking towards the other end of the roof. It’s quieter on this side. Just the catering crew buzzing around. I lean on the guard rail and look down to the street which is just a faint grey line from so far up. What am I doing I think to myself. y/n is a great friend. I can’t just all of a sudden bring feelings into this. That’s unfair to her. Maybe if I take a breather for a second these misplaced feelings will disappear. Just like that, perfectly on cue y/n walks towards my corner of the roof and leans against the stone edging.

“Hey,” she says looking at me. “What are you doing over here all alone?”

“Just thinking,” I reply vaguely.

“So, what do you think about Dean?” she asks bumping her shoulder against mine. She’s almost as tall as I am when she’s wearing heels. Just a couple inches shorter.

“He’s alright, I guess,” I reply.

“Alright?” she repeats curiously.

“You could do better.” I say simply. Maybe it’s the alcohol talking.

“Well, he’s better then the coffee guy,” she says laughing playfully bumping my shoulder once again.

I turn around to face her. The alcohol making me a little bolder than usual I move my face closer to hers. I’ve never been this close to her. I smell her perfume, it’s sweet and floral and fills my lungs. I look down at her lips which are deep red, the color of blood. Then, I bring my eyes back up to meet hers. She looks at me quizzically, but doesn’t move away. For the first time in a long time I get a moment of clarity. Our faces are on the same level and i’m so tempted to lean down and kiss her.

y/n’s POV

Bucky’s face is so close to mine I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I don’t exactly know how much time we spend standing like this, but the next thing I hear is Steve’s voice from behind me. “Uhh, Buck. Sorry to interrupt but we have a situation.”

Bucky reluctantly pulls back away from my face to look up at Steve who is standing a couple feet away. “What?” he says in a semi-annoyed tone.

“There’s a bomb in Time Square.” Steve says. Now that broke whatever alcohol induced spell Bucky and I were under, like a bucket of cold water being poured on us.

“What?” I say shocked.

“We have to go now, Tony’s in the briefing room.” Steve says. Bucky takes another look at me sighs and says, “Stay safe.” He walks away leaving me at the corner of the roof alone. Once again left alone to worry. I think to myself is it worth it? To have my happiness so contingent upon another being? He flies away every five minutes to put himself in danger and save the world and i’m left here wondering if he’s going to come back.

I walk back towards the party and dancing people. I notice most of the agents are missing and sigh I worry about Nat and Wanda. I spot Bahni completely obvious to the situation taking shots and laughing with her friends. I envy her just a little. Dean is surrounded by a group of young eager looking interns. I see Cho sitting alone at the bar and walk towards her. I guess she’s been ditched too.

“Steve told me,” she says equally disoriented.

“I didn’t know,” I say. I always suspected something between them but I wasn’t sure until now. If he thought she was important enough to be honest with clearly there was something going on between them. “It’s been a couple months,” she says looking off into the distance. “We weren’t ready to tell anyone yet.”

“I see,” I say as she confirms my suspicions.

Bucky’s POV

Most of the main team members are in the briefing room along with some trusted tactical agents. Tony’s A.I. program intercepted the intelligence and had alerted him. Most of the staff still haven’t been notified since we are still in the process of a mole hunt. Nat and Clint look at each other worried. I don’t usually see Nat worried. Steve is already in his tactical suit ready to go and save the city. Tony is typing away at his keyboard. Sam is on site already providing some live video feed. Apparently it’s a explosive designed to disperse a neurotoxin. Tony is trying to hack into the wireless detonator along with a blond woman sitting next to him. Tony stands up from his screen after five minutes and sighs. “I can’t disable it, but I know what it is,” he says. He turns to Nat and Clint, “The wireless detonators signal is coming from a warehouse in Queens.” Almost on cue both of them nod their heads and exit the room going to check it out. Leaving Steve and I alone in the room with Tony and the blond woman, Sharon Carter. “Where’s Dr. y/l/n?” Tony asks.

“Upstairs,” I say. Then ask, “why?”

“She’s the one decoding the scientific intel we got from that base in Chad.” Tony answers. “I need her.”

“I’ll get her,” I say making my way back to the door. I don’t want to bring y/n into this. But lives are on the line. When I get upstairs I find her and Cho sitting, looking quite depressed, leaning against one of the bar setups. I tell her whats going on and lead her downstairs to the security floor. Cho follows despite my protests.

When we enter the room Tony sees Cho and before he can say anything Steve says, “They know.”

“They know how much?” Tony asks narrowing his eyes at us.

“Everything,” I answer in Steve’s place.

“Wonderful, does anyone know what the word classified means these days?” Tony yells. “It means don’t tell your girlfriends.”

y/n’s POV

I ignore Tony’s quip and proceed to say, “What’s going on? Why do you need me?”

“Remember those files I gave you to review. The prototype plans we found for the bio-bomb?” Tony says exasperated. “Well looks like it’s more than a prototype now.”

I walk over to the computer screen eyes wide open and look at the live video stream of the bomb. “I can’t do it from here,” I says looking at Tony. “I have to be there.”

“Alright.” Tony says looking down at me. He turns to Bucky and Steve, “get her there.”

“She’s not a field agent,” Bucky says looking at me. “I’ll go, just tell me what to do and i’ll disable it.”

“I can handle myself,” I say looking at him a little angry at his lack of trust in me. What the hell… does he think I can’t do my own fucking job? I thought he was more evolved than that… He walks back and forth for a second. Steve and Tony look at him waiting for a response. What am I an asset? I don’t need permission to do my own job and time is running out. “Are you serious right now? This is completely irrational.” I walk up to Steve and say, “Come on let’s go I don’t feel like dying tonight along with all of New York.”

Steve looks at Bucky for a second, sighs and says, “let’s go.” I follow him out of the room. Bucky doesn’t say a word instead he walks out behind us.

…

We’ve split up, I’m in a subway tunnel somewhere under Time Square with Bucky. Steve is following us through another parallel tunnel making sure no one is still lurking around. Bucky hasn’t said much, other than communicating out location with Steve. “What, do you think i’m incompetent?” I say finally breaking the silence.

“y/n it’s not that” he says still in his nerd costume carrying a large gun. It’s dark and the only light comes from a flashlight i’m carrying. Subway tunnels are disgusting. I hear the occasional rat running away and smell god knows what. My heels click on the cement, i’m careful to avoid the tracks.

“What is it then?” I ask still annoyed at Bucky for not supporting me earlier. I don’t need a man to control me or protect me for that matter. I can do both just fine myself, thank you.

“It’s irrational,” he says.

“What?” I ask narrowing my eyes at him.

“I didn’t want my best friend in danger alright. I know you can handle yourself, I know you’re strong, and I know you’re good at your job.” He says stilling looking straight ahead. “I just didn’t want to bring you into this.”

Alright, I have to admit that, that was sweet. But just because it’s sweet doesn’t mean he gets a say in what I can or cannot do, “That is irrational,” I say back simply, but in a less angry tone.

“You’re coming up onto the main chamber,” I hear over the com in my ear. “It detonates at midnight, You have 45 minutes. Make it count Dr. y/l/n.” Tony says over my earpiece. We walk into a lit underground corridor. Sam is inside along with two large construction lights illuminating the large device. It looks almost identical to the prototype blueprints I was studying. Minus a few minor changes. I kneel in front of it and Sam hands me a large metal box. I open the box filled with tools and begin to unscrew the device and take it apart slowly and carefully. I admit, I’m a little scared. But, I push the fear back and continue to do my job. There’s no time for fear when it comes to living life.

“y/n you’re cutting it pretty close here,” Sam says buzzing behind me. The timer counts down, 15 minutes left. I’ve taken apart the main structure all that’s left is removing the neurotoxins and explosives. I can’t disable it but if I take out the ammunition and dispersal agents then there would be nothing left to detonate.

“Shut up,” I say to Sam who won’t stop pacing behind me. “Hand me the orange box.” He passes me a large orange briefcase and I open it. I slowly remove each vial of neurotoxin from inside the device and place it inside the briefcase locking it. “Get this out of here,” I say to Sam.

“3 minutes y/n,” Bucky says impatiently behind me.

“I know, Shut up for a second,” I say before disconnecting some of the wires connected to the detonator. I get up when there’s about 30 seconds left on the clock. “There,” I say. The timer continues to count down. “Are you sure,” Bucky asks and I give him a look that says don’t question me. Just as I turn my back and walk towards the exit I hear a beeping noise and it startles Bucky.

Bucky’s POV

There’s a loud perpetual beeping being emitted from the now gutted device. y/n is walking towards the door. It’s going to blow, is my first though. Pure instinct kicks in and I throw myself over y/n shielding her. We both fall to the floor and my hands are on either side of her head, my body completely on top of hers. I close my eyes praying my body offers enough protection and y/n survives the blast. The beeping continues then stops. “I’m curious,” I hear y/n’s delicate voice say from under me. “How would closing your eyes help in a blast?” I open my eyes and look down at her, then up at the device’s timer which is now stopped at zero. I sigh and roll off of her. She did it. “I told you, I disabled it,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Never doubted your ability,” is all I can manage to say.

“Ahhh!” She screams and leaps up from the floor. I leap up right beside her with my weapon raised pointing it in the direction of her gaze.

“What?” I say pointing my gun at the floor at nothing other than a huge sewer cockroach.

“Gahhh!” she says shivering and running behind me for cover.

“Seriously?” I say. She’s not scared of murdering maniac super villains or weapons of mass destruction but she’s scared of bugs.

“Can we just go, I hate bugs.” She says shivering again. She pulls me by my metal biceps to the door. “Gahhhh so gross,” she says shaking herself off. I hear the click of her heels against the pavement as we walk through the empty subway tunnels back up to civilization. It’s so rhythmic and calming.

…

y/n’s POV

Back at the tower the party is still going on. Most of the team members are back up on the roof again blowing off some steam. Tony is the only one missing along with Agent Carter. They are probably shifting through the warehouse in Queens and the remnants of the bomb. I told Tony I’d take it apart first thing Monday to see what information I could get. Steve and Cho left already, but Nat and Wanda are still up there laughing and having drinks like we weren’t about to be blown up just hours ago. I guess they live in the moment, they have too with the lives they lead. Every moment could be their last. I wonder if Bucky lives in the moment. Is that what he’s doing with Bahni I think. I watch them across the roof talking. I’m a little tired and I decide to call it a night. I get up chug down the last of my drink and make my way to the elevator. I walk inside and down the stairs leading down to the top floor where the elevator is. Half way down the stairs, I hear Bucky’s voice call me. “y/n!” I look up and find him standing at the top of the winding staircase. “Leaving so soon?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m kind of worn out.”

“Oh,” he says I can almost hear disappointment in his tone. “Well i’ll see you tomorrow?” he asks, “for our run.”

“Yeah 11?” I say back.

“Yep,” he replies and then we part ways. I walk back down and towards the elevator. It’s getting colder outside and some of the party guests have wandered inside to the top floor. I think back to earlier in the night. When Bucky and I were alone in the corner of the roof. He leaned in, I swear he leaned in. Maybe he was just drunk I think to myself. Even if he weren’t what could that mean? Maybe it doesn’t mean anything; Maybe he was just living in the moment. Some part of me wonders what would have happened if Steve hadn’t interrupted us. Some part of me is too scared to ask the question. I shake the fear off and attribute the entire incident to a little too much drinking and the aura of the party. I get on the elevator and before the doors shut I see a arm stick in, a metal arm, and the doors open again.

“Hey,” Bucky says getting into the elevator with me. “I’m hungry wanna get something to eat?”

“Yeah,” I reply surprised that he came after me. “What about Bahni?”

“I told her it was getting late and I was tired,” he says. I raise an eyebrow at him, “Which is true we did just save an entire city.” He says.

“So where do you wanna go?” I ask.

“That Diner with the giant pancakes?” he asks.

“Diner it is,” I reply.

167 notes · View notes

there-willbeblood · 7 years

Text

Chapter 3: Purity

NATALIA'S POV

Finally, college is here!

I can leave the mundane world of high school behind. No more mean girls and busywork; onto the exciting world of college professors and twenty page papers that would dominate my weekends. The funny thing about all of this was that I was excited about the long nights in the library and exams that would make the Loch Ness monster cower.

I have always loved school and learning. I guess you could call me a geek since I don't do much else besides studying and maybe watching a movie or two when I get bored. My two main friends that I have in my hometown of Forks, Washington always make fun of me for being so brainy but I have the last laugh, getting into Northwestern and all.

I haven't had many experiences in my short existence but I guess that was to be expected from a girl who's lived in a town with less than five thousand people almost her whole life.

My parents separated when I was a baby and I had lived in Phoenix with my mother for a large chunk of time. Renee got remarried when I began middle school and I wanted to let her and her new husband Tony have some alone time. I decided to move in with my dad Nick.

Nick and I used to have a not-so-great relationship but now, I couldn't see growing up without him. He was a man of few words but always treated me like an adult and never belittled me like my mother did. It wasn't that I didn't love Renee, because I did, but even I had to admit that she could be a little annoying. She would never let me breathe without hovering.

I was going to miss everything about my little town in northern Washington and to be honest, I was a slightly nervous. Hell, I had never even been off of the west coast before, living in Phoenix and Forks my whole life.

I had never thought that Northwestern was an option for me since I'm not that smart and Nick barely had enough money to support us. I applied on a whim and got encouragement from my best friend Maria Hill who said I was too good to stay in Washington. I applied on the condition that she would stop hounding me every five seconds. When I got my acceptance letter, I nearly jumped off of the roof from excitement but I had to bring myself back to reality when I realized that I didn't have enough money to go to Chicago.

Community college, here I come!

I didn't have a problem staying local but my father wouldn't hear of it. I was in that damned section of the educational population where I was smart enough to get into a good college but not smart enough to get any scholarship money. I got a few thousand dollars here and there but not nearly enough to attend Northwestern.

At the beginning of the summer, suddenly Nick just said that he would take care of it. I didn't know how he did it until I saw the mail one day and there was a mortgage slip for the house. He fucking mortgaged his house so that I could go to a good school. I tried to make him reverse whatever stupid deed he had done but he wouldn't even entertain my thinking. He already had three Northwestern bumper stickers and a couple of shirts that he was handing out to some of the squad members at the police station.

I relented because there was no way that I was going to win an argument with Nick. He was just as, if not more stubborn than I was, causing our spats to be fairly heated. I could tell that he was struggling to keep the power on with his new financial woes but he wouldn't hear my protests. When I suggested that Renee put up half, he almost shot me with his gun. He said he could do it by himself and wouldn't have her doing something that he was more than capable of handling.

Thankfully, I had worked hard over the summer at a local movie theater so that I could pay for the small things like books and other necessities that I would purchase when I got to Chicago.

I was going to miss my best friend and even though she was staying here, Maria and I promised to keep in touch. I knew that we would naturally drift apart, me being on one side of the country and her, the other but I hoped that we could keep some sliver of the relationship we had.

My two small bags were packed, my tuition was paid, and I was ready to go. Nick would be okay by himself because he was fine before I came around and he would be fine without me.

To be honest, I really shouldn't be going to a big city like Chicago or Northwestern for that matter. Northwestern was the place where rich kids go who know what they want to do with their lives. I was a seventeen-year old girl, about to be eighteen, who didn't know what to do with her life. Was that normal? Fortunately, I could just check the 'undecided' box on my application but I knew that was going to have to change soon. I prayed that I found what I liked before it was too late.

Right now, I was leaning towards literature but where were the job prospects in that?

"Nat, we need to leave in a couple of hours." My father called from the family room as I finished my cereal at the kitchen table.

"Okay, let me just go say goodbye." I gobbled down what was left in my bowl and threw it in the sink, "I'll be back in half an hour." I called out of the door.

I ran into the constant downpour that was Forks weather and jumped into the faded red 1954 Chevy pickup that Nick bought me when I turned sixteen. It was complete junk but I loved it.

The engine thundered and I tried to memorize the noise because it would be a long time until I heard that sound again. With the tuition being so much, Nick didn't really have any extra money to buy me plane tickets every couple of months. I would most likely be back in Forks for Christmas but definitely not Thanksgiving or Spring Break.

I drove through the small neighborhoods of Forks until I stopped in front of the white house on the corner, a couple minutes from mine. If it wasn't raining, I would have walked.

I made sure to look at everything while I passed so I could remember what peace felt like. Chicago was in no way like Forks and even though I wasn't necessarily a country girl, I had never been into the concrete jungles of other cities besides Phoenix. Seattle was big I guess but from what I saw on the Internet, Chicago was ten times larger. I hope I can hang with the big fish.

I pulled in front of the white house with Clint Barton standing on the front porch in nothing more than sweatpants, leaving the muscles of his chest exposed.

Damn him!

I had always had some sort of attraction to Clint. It wasn't romantic but it was definitely hormonal. He was my other best friend in this town and had been my first everything. Dance, kiss... other things. He brought out emotions in me that I couldn't even imagine but we had never tried to have an actual relationship. It just wouldn't work.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I ran through the rain and shook off the water once I was under the covered porch.

"No problem." He smiled sadly, "You all packed up?"

"I guess so. All two bags." I replied sarcastically, "I don't own much else."

"Damn, I can't believe our little Nat is off to the big city." He picked me up and spun me around.

"Clint, put me down." I laughed furiously as he tickled my sweet spot.

He set me back on the ground but didn't relinquish his hold on me. I rested my head on his chest.

"Don't you own a shirt?" I joked, not that I cared.

"I just woke up. Deal with it." His tone changed, "We'll all miss you Nat."

"I'll miss you guys too, especially you." I kissed his lips lightly, only allowing us to stay connected for a short second.

"It's you I'm worried about." He responded, "Make sure to keep the boys off. I want my Nat back when you get here for Christmas."

"I bet you do." I hit him.

He shrugged, "I'm a guy, you're a girl. Things happen."

"What are you going to do here all alone?" I asked.

"Maria, Ben and I will hang out. We're all going to the same school anyway."

I felt kind left out of the group since I was going so far away.

"Be safe Nat. I mean it." Clint hugged me closer like he didn't want to let me go.

Ten minutes later, I was back in the truck, on my way to Nick who was waiting to take me to the Sea-Tac airport.

"Are you sure you have everything?" He asked as he looked around the house.

"Yes Dad, we can only do so many checks."

"I just have this feeling that you're leaving something." He spoke in his gruff voice and scratched his stubbled jaw, "What if you leave something important?"

"Then you can send it to me."

I only had two suitcases due to the fact that I barely had any personal items. I took some of my clothes, which mostly consisted of tee shirts and jeans and some books along with family pictures. That was it. Nothing else was worth bringing.

"Okay then, I guess it's time to say goodbye to the old house." Nick chuckled.

"Goodbye house!" I shouted.

He cringed, "Was that really necessary, Nat?"

"Come on old man." I pulled him out of the door and to his police cruiser.

The drive was silent except for the radio, which was providing some background music but it wasn't an awkward silence. Nick was one of those people who didn't need to say anything and you wouldn't feel uncomfortable around him. You just had to sit back and listen to silence. He would talk when he wanted.

We made it to Seattle in the perfect amount of time and I could tell that he was trying to prolong my departure by the way he was standing at the entrance to the airport. His shoulders were hunched, his hands stuffed in his pockets and eyes on the ground.

"So, you got everything you need?" He shifted his weight.

I nodded and we stayed quiet for another minute before I spoke.

"Look, I know you don't like to make big emotional scenes but I just wanted to thank you...for so much."

"You're my daughter and I haven't been much of a father for the first part of your life but I'm going to do what I can now." He said with conviction.

"But you didn't have to do that thing with the house..."

He interrupted me, "Are we going to start this again? I told you it was nothing. Stop worrying about it and go have fun in college but stay safe. Please be safe Nat." He wrapped his arms around me and I hugged him in return. We stayed that way for a long time before he pulled back.

"I'll call every other day." I said.

"That's a little much, kid. How about three times a week?" He laughed.

"Deal. Do you think I can get away with the same thing on Renee?"

"Absolutely not. I'm surprised she hasn't called you yet."

"It's coming. I can feel it."

"Well call me as soon as you get there. I mean it Nat."

"Will do Dad." I hugged him again.

I was on the plane an hour later and felt the weight of my new life bare down on me as we took off.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, the plane was beginning to descend and I didn't even get to wake up fully before the seat belt sign dinged. Everyone started to get off very quickly.

Nick wanted to come help me get set up in the big city but I begged him to stay home. He couldn't afford to take off a couple of days from work.

I made my way through O'Hare International Airport to the baggage claim and then out into the hustle of a September Chicago.

God, even the airport was a maze and for a barely one hundred pound girl with two suitcases, it was hard but I made it. I went to the line where the taxis were eagerly waiting to take people wherever they wanted to go and a happy driver helped me put my bags in the trunk.

"So, where to miss?" He said in an accent. I think it was Irish or something like that.

"Uh...Northwestern University." I said as firmly as possible.

He laughed, "This is your first time to Chicago isn't it?"

"Yeah, how could you tell?"

"I can just tell. You don't have that swagger about you. You'll learn though." He put the bags away quickly and I had to practically run into the cab before he took off.

I stayed silent and looked at my new home out of the window.

Since it was early September, the sky was a bright blue and the white clouds drifted at a leisurely pace. I forgot how beautiful the sun was since Forks only got a couple of good days a year. We made our way through the tall skyscrapers and shining glass edifices. I hated to think it but I was more of a country girl than I thought. Seattle was nothing like the pace of Chicago.

I actually gasped a small sound when we flew over the Chicago River, which was an odd shade of green that sparkled in the sunlight.

"You are too cute." The taxi driver exclaimed and looked into the rearview mirror.

"Sorry, I just haven't seen anything like this before."

"Well let me be the first to welcome you to Chi Town."

The rest of the ride was spent in my own personal tour of the city. He took me around and pointed out famous landmarks as we passed them. I didn't know where to look first and there was so much going on, I had to close my eyes a couple of times to stop the spinning.

We passed the gigantic Chicago Board of Trade building that looked like it reached up into the sky, The Chicago Theater was sitting proudly on my left as we stopped at a traffic light on North State Street and then the famed Sears Tower that had to be the tallest building in the world.

Finally, I gave him the address to Allison Hall and my heart beat steadily as we pulled up to my home for the next year. It surprised me how much greenery and vegetation there was on a city campus but I was happy to see that I could lie out on the grass if I wanted to.

"Here we are." The cabbie pressed a button on the dashboard, "The ride is free since it's your first one."

"Oh, I can't do that."

"No, I insist. Let me get your bags." He hopped out of the car and went to the back. I followed him quickly.

The whole campus was very modern with angular buildings and a strong sense of superiority. There were kids everywhere, moving in with parents, carrying boxes and picking up luggage to take to their rooms.

I gave the cab driver some kind of payment even though he fought me on it but he finally backed down. He drove off down the street and suddenly, I was alone on the sidewalk.

I let out a deep breath before dragging my suitcases behind me, into the lobby of the dorm. I carried my stuff with me until I came to a long table that you were supposed to register at. I went to the 'S' section.

"Nat Romanov." I said and got a stare down from a slightly older boy with a clipboard.

He flipped through some paper and his eyebrow rose into his blonde hair, "I have an Natalia Romanov."

"That's me, but I like Nat."

"Whatever." He checked my name off and then handed me a packet, "Orientation is over the next three days, classes start next week. You don't have a roommate because you fortunately lucked out. Your room is 913."

"Thanks." I took the packet and made sure I had my room key before rolling my stuff to the elevators.

I shoved everything inside and pressed the button to the ninth floor. On the way up, I stood next to a boy and his mom. He kept looking at me over the box he was carrying and was making me very uncomfortable. I stared back at him with hard eyes so he got the point that I was in no mood to speak to him.

He cowered back into the corner, shrinking behind his mother. He got off on the fifth floor and I had the elevator to myself the rest of the ride up.

The bell dinged and I pushed my stuff into the hallway, causing it to topple over. I laboriously pulled it all back up and was breathing pretty harshly by the time I was able to pull everything down the hall.

910

911

912

913...

I put the key in the lock and twisted it so that the door opened to my room.

It was pretty minimal but fairly nice as far as dorm rooms go. There was a nice sized bed up against the small window, a bedside table, dresser and like what's-his-name said downstairs, I didn't have a roommate so that was good I guess. I had a private bathroom and a closet that was just an indention in the wall, not that I had many clothes to put in there. The room was actually spacious and I was happy with it.

"Time to get to work." I threw my suitcases on the bed and began unpacking.

As soon as I unzipped my first bag, there was a rapid knock on the door and my mind raced to think about who it could be. I didn't know anyone.

I went to open the door and was attacked by a small, whirling dervish with flowing brown hair.

"Hi, you must be Natalia. I stole the room list for this floor." She held up a folded piece of paper, "I don't even live here but my friend does and I heard you come in. I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Wanda."

I didn't know what to say so just nodded in response.

She was dressed head to toe in labels and was actually shorter than me.

"Wow, you don't have a roommate? You're lucky." She pushed herself into my room without another thought and looked around, "Do you need help unpacking. I'm bored."

Within the next hour, I truly met Wanda Maximoff.

She never stopped talking and took it upon herself to unpack my things because she said that she needed to see if my clothes were acceptable. Needless to say, she was less than impressed. She almost threw everything out but I wouldn't let her. I had to have something to wear. She started to make a list of things we needed before school started.

"I can't afford to buy a whole new wardrobe, Wanda." I said as I put sheets on my bed.

"That's okay, my stupid butt cousin works at Macy's. She gets major discounts."

"Really?" I asked, trying to make the conversation about anything but clothes.

"Yes. Her name's Cynthia. I don't see her much since she lives in LA, but she still lets me use her employee card. That's where we're going shopping."

"But do I really need anything new?"

"Have you seen your shoe collection?"

I had to admit that my supply was pathetic but I liked my shoes. They were things I could walk in and comfortable. I just let her keep talking.

I learned that Wanda was twenty-one and a junior who had her own apartment somewhere on the other side of campus. Her dad was in business or something and was from California. She was 'single and ready to mingle'. She took me on as her social experiment because she said that I needed help. Wanda was happy, fun and genuinely nice so I took to her well although her personality kind of outshined me. Surprisingly, she made me laugh and I didn't get annoyed by her.

We got all my things unpacked for the rest of the day and I didn't have that much so we just talked mostly. We decided to take a break and ordered pizza for dinner, which I offered to pay half for but she waved me off.

We sat on the floor and discussed ourselves, trying to better know each other. I found that I really liked Wanda. She was smart and witty while still having a juvenile charm about her that was refreshing. She wasn't like the stuffy, rich kid I thought she would be. She actually made me feel welcome.

"So, why Northwestern?" She asked as we sat on the floor, eating our pizza.

"I could ask same to you." I grinned, avoiding the question.

"My mother used to be a professor here so I practically walked in. I love this city anyway. How old are you by the way."

"Uh...seventeen but I'll be eighteen soon."

"I could have sworn that you were older. You're so mature."

I shrugged, "I've always been kind of old."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I can tell that we're going to be great friends." She reached over to hug me tightly and I just held on.

Thus, my new life at Northwestern began.

#romanogers #twbb

0 notes