Description: You have been allowed to stay in the Avengers Tower, but your trials aren’t quite over yet. You still have one major hurdle you’re going to have to get over if you want to make this thing permanent.
To@sweetpeaflower01 and to anyone else who wanted to be tagged in this, I’m sorry I don’t have your usernames! It’s been a while since I’ve been on here!
A few weeks later, I woke up to the sun shining on my face through a nearby window.
“Good morning to you, too, kid.” I turned to see Tony, still lying in the bed beside me with his hand placed gently over mine. He had spent every night since I’d arrived in there with me except for one, which had immediately resulted in a nightmare, with my screams waking up the entire tower. “You think you’re ok to get up? We’ve got someone who wants to meet you.”
Immediately, my entire body tensed, and I could feel myself pale. My vision went blurry, my heart hammering frantically in my chest. “Hey, hey, it’s ok, kid, I’ve got you. Nothing’s gonna happen to you, I promise,” Tony spoke gently, his tone even as though he was attempting to sooth a wild animal. I nodded slowly, doing my best to calm my heart. He had promised me. He promised they wouldn’t send me back. I’m not sure why, but I trusted Tony.
Tony helped me to my feet, but my knees were shaking too much. Slowly, he scooped me up into his arms, careful not to move to quickly and frighten me, and wrapped his arms around my back. His arms were still so warm.
“Ah, miss (Y/N), I presume.” I lifted my head from Tony’s shoulder to see the rest of the Avengers surrounding a large African American man in a black trench coat with a patch over his eye that was grinning back at me. My heart almost stopped as I stared back at him, fear clawing mercilessly at my chest. He reminded me of Nat in how he regarded me with nothing more than cold, merciless calculations; except, unlike Nat, he didn’t have that small spark of empathy. Instead, there was excitement – greed almost. I made my decision then and there. I didn’t like this man.
“I’ve got a question for you, kid. How exactly did someone like you manage to steal from four of Earth’s mightiest heroes?” he asked, glancing me up and down.
I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t want anything to do with this man.
“It’s ok, just answer the question,” Tony nodded reassuringly. I could feel his worried eyes on me, trying to grab my attention, but I refused to take my eyes off of the newcomer for a single second. Still, I didn’t want to go against Tony.
“I have small hands,” I said slowly. “And I know how to read people.”
“What do you mean read people?” Steve asked. “What does any of that have to do with stealing a wallet?”
“It has everything to do with stealing a wallet,” I responded monotonously, still stubbornly refusing to drop my gaze from the man. “Reading people helps you pick a mark – someone with their guard down who isn’t expecting to actually be targeted. More than that, though, reading people is what actually lets me get away. With Steve, I was sweet and innocent, but with Tony, I was sarcastic but pitiable. If I had been the opposite, Steve would have been more annoyed and therefore more aware of what I was doing, and Tony would have been less distracted.”
“You figured all of that out by talking to them for a few seconds?” Nat asked, taking a small step forward as she surveyed my curiously. I nodded silently.
“Show me,” the man said. Finally, I tore my eyes away from him to glance at Tony for confirmation. He nodded back, gently setting me down. I grabbed his hand instead.
“Who do you want me to mark?” I asked softly.
“Try Natasha,” he smirked, crossing his arms. I glanced over at the redheaded woman and frowned. “Something wrong?” he asked.
“I would never mark her,” I responded, glaring up in annoyance at the confidence in his tone. “She is guarded and always in a stance to protect her vital points. Someone like that is too aware of their surroundings not to notice a pickpocket.”
“Do your best anyways,” he smirked.
I grit my teeth in frustration and turned to Nat. As I looked over at her, an idea slowly began to form. I smirked inwardly. It was perfect for dealing with this man. Sunglasses, a phone, a watch, a ring, a swiss army knife, and a custom pen. If I did everything perfectly, not to mention getting a bit lucky, I might be able to grab everything.
I squeezed Tony’s hand to draw his attention to it as I pressed my body into his slightly so that I could grab his sunglasses, which were hooked onto his pocket. “Fine,” I growled. “But don’t blame me when it doesn’t work. Now move out of the way.” I grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him backwards, using that split second to simultaneously put Tony’s glasses on my head and slip my hand into the man’s opposite pocket and pull out his phone, flicking it upwards into the overly-large sleeve. I took a deep breath and approached Nat, tucking my hands, and the phone with them, into my pockets. I flicked my eyes carefully over her, looking for any loose item that I could grab. Finally, I noticed that I could just barely see the edge of a few dollar bills in her back pocket. It wouldn’t be easy, and I would have to stay in front of her the entire time to avoid her suspicion, but it wasn’t impossible.
“Excuse me, miss?” I asked softly, glancing up at her with wide eyes.
“Yeah?” She responded, lifting a brow.
“I-I was wondering if you had any food,” I croaked, allowing my body to shrink in on itself so it would look even smaller.
“Sorry, kid, I don’t have any on me,” she shook her head slightly, furrowing her brows.
“Ok, I understand, thank you,” I muttered softly. “I’m sorry to bother you. My mommy says bothering grown-ups is bad. I-I don’t have the belt with me. But I’m sure I can find a stick,” I offered quickly, as if to try and placate her. I stumbled to the side a bit, pretending to look for a stick. I forced my toes to catch on my other shoe, falling right in front of Steve’s feet. “I-I’m so sorry, sir,” I winced, making sure not to meet his eyes. I took his outstretched hand and pulled myself up, wrapping one hand around his wrist, where I slipped off his watch. “T-thank you so m-much,” I gushed, my voice shaking ever so slightly as I brushed the nonexistent dirt from his shirt. Quickly, I put his watch onto my own wrist while his attention was focused on his shirt.
Nat frowned slightly at this. “Your mommy, did she hurt you?” she brought my attention back to her, studying my face carefully.
I glanced back at her, before quickly looking back down to avoid eye contact. I knew what I had to do – that I had to tell the truth if I had any hope of doing this. So, I forced myself to remember the face of my old caretaker. “O-only if I’ve been really bad,” I shook my head slightly. “A-and only if she’s at home.” My voice had gone hoarse, tears building up in the backs of my eyes. It was easy to cry when I thought about that terrible woman.
“How often is she not at home?” Nat asked.
“N-not that o-often,” I shook my head again. “I-I think she just f-forgets sometimes. She’ll come home soon, though. She’s almost never gone for more than two weeks,” I smiled up at her softly, wrapping my arms around my torso to accentuate how small my waist was as well as provide a sense of insecurity and fear.
Nat frowned slightly, falling silent for a moment. Finally, she looked up at the man and said, “Alright, I believe her. I’d probably go take her to get some food then call the cops. I’d imagine you’d be long gone before they arrive?” She added with a slight chuckle.
“Really?” I asked, my face lighting up in a wide smile. “Thank you!” I gasped, wrapping my arms around her torso. She immediately tensed, and I took the opportunity to grab the few bills, tucking them into my opposite sleeve. “U-um, sorry,” I stuttered and quickly released her, my face growing red. I stumbled backwards and straight into the arms of Thor. I grabbed his hand in my own as though in an effort to keep my balance as he righted me gently. I thanked him softly and slipped my hand out of his grip, taking the beautiful golden ring from his finger in the process.
“How would you escape, though?” Nat asked. “I wouldn’t think you’d want to go to the police.”
“O-oh, well, it’s not too hard,” I smiled slightly. “I just need to lose you in the crowd. I would probably do something like this.” I walked forward, and slipped between Clint and Bruce, using both hands to grab the swiss army knife from Clint’s pocket and a gorgeous custom pen that was clipped to Bruce’s. “Then, once I’m out of your sight, I’d start running-”
“It was a good scam, kid,” the man cut in. “But I thought I asked you to pickpocket her.”
I whipped back around to face him, suddenly feeling vulnerable again with all of the adults surrounding me. “You’re right, I’m sorry; you asked me to pickpocket only her,” I hissed, my teeth grinding together. “But I thought you wanted me to show you what I could do.”
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” he frowned, narrowing his eyes.
“As long as I’m not seen as a threat, I can steal from anyone,” I said, walking up to Tony and handing back his sunglasses. “And I would do anything to keep myself from being seen as a threat.” I took the watch off my wrist and handed it back to Steve. “Everyone has something that brings their guard down.” I pulled the ring from my finger and handed it back to Thor. “And whether they acknowledge it or not, they all want to see the good in people,” I pulled the swiss army knife and custom pen from my pockets, handing them back to Clint and Bruce. “They all want to see me as some innocent little kid,” I returned Nat’s money to her. “Even you,” I held out the man’s phone, staring up at him in defiance.
Every one of them stared at me in pure, unadulterated shock. All of them, that is, except for Tony, who grinned and welcomed me back into his side, wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders. Finally, the man chuckled a bit and snatched his phone back from me. “Not bad, miss (Y/N), not bad at all. Natasha, from now on, you’re training her to be a new agent.”
My eyes widened, and I frowned, subconsciously shrinking further into Tony’s side. He squeezed my shoulder gently.
“Hey, Thor, why don’t you take (Y/N) for some poptarts. She hasn’t had breakfast yet,” Tony said with a small smile.
“I’m not hungry,” I frowned.
“Just go with him for now, ok, kid? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.” I blinked up at Tony and frowned before nodding slowly, allowing the large blonde god to take my hand and lead me out of the room, away from the rest of the adults.
As soon as the door closed, I turned to the god with wide, pleading eyes. “Mr. Thor, could you pretty please toast the poptarts for me?” I asked sweetly, gazing up at him.
“Of course, young lady (Y/N),” Thor grinned and ruffled my hair, moving towards the cabinets. As soon as his back was turned, I pressed my ear to the door, concentrating on trying to hear what was going on in there.
“Did you really think I’d let you make her an agent?” I heard Tony snap.
“I didn’t think you had a choice,” the man from earlier responded casually. “The girl’s got a gift, Stark. She could help us.”
“She’s just a kid! I brought you here to give you a heads up that she’d be staying with us, not to give you a potential recruit.”
“Look, it’s very simple, Stark. Either you allow her to start training, or I deem her a threat to the team. I will inform the police of the location of a criminal and unsupervised child.”
“So what?! I’ll just adopt her!”
“Adoption takes a long time, Tony, especially for someone with a criminal record and a history of alcohol abuse. Do you really want to send her back to an orphanage while you go through all of that, if you’re even granted custody at all?”
Oh, god. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t be going back. He promised me I wouldn’t go back! I stumbled backwards, barely making it a few steps before my knees gave out and I was sent crashing to the ground.
“Lady (Y/N)!” Thor shouted, rushing over, but I could barely hear him over the deafening sound of my heartbeat and the blood rushing through my ears. I could feel the tears streaming down my face and the burning in my chest from my hyperventilating breaths. I curled up tightly, my muscles shaking from how tense they were. I couldn’t go back there – I wouldn’t! Tony promised me I would never go back again!
“(Y/N)?” The familiar voice cut through the haze. Immediately, I reached out and clawed at the air, trying to find him, but with blur of tears in my eyes, I couldn’t see him anywhere. Suddenly, my head was resting against a chest, a pair of arms holding me tight and close. “It’s ok, just breath with me. Focus on me, ok? In and out.” I forced myself to breath in with him, struggling to slow it down like he said. Slowly but surely, my breathing evened out, until finally, it had returned to normal.
As the panic slowly faded away, I could feel the energy drain from my body, and I nestled further into Tony’s embrace. He stroked my back gently, murmuring comforting words into my ear.
“Tony?” I didn’t even open my eyes as I whispered softly, my voice still thick and shaking. My hands gripped his shirt tightly, afraid that if I let go for more than a second, he would disappear. “Do I have to go back?”
“Never,” Tony answered immediately, his voice firm. “I’m not letting you go anywhere.”
“Ok,” I whispered back, relaxing slightly. Tony pulled me even closer, and I let out a soft sigh, my muscles slowly relaxing. My hands released the shirt’s material, falling numbly into my lap.
Just before my exhausted body quickly slipped back into unconsciousness, I was barely able to make out a few words from Tony. “Fine. You win.”
“She’ll start training tomorrow.”
- - -
That was about four years ago. Since that day, Natasha had been training me constantly in different fighting techniques, target practice, the works. Of course, the lying and deception I’d already had down pat. Originally the plan was for me to be homeschooled, but Tony had thrown an absolute fit when he’d heard that, and considering I wasn’t exactly lacking in the mental department, we settled on just a bit of extra tutoring from Bruce every day after school.
Fury’s interest in me never went away. Because I had been so malnourished as a kid, I ended up being way too small for my age. To Fury’s absolute delight, this meant that I was more than capable of squeezing through the smallest of spaces. In other words, thanks to my size, training, and natural intelligence I was absolutely perfect for covert missions focusing on gathering information.
Tony had been absolutely furious when I’d been called on for my first mission. He’d screamed at Fury nonstop for three days until, finally, he was assured both that Nat would be with me the entire time and that he would be allowed to have a direct connection to my earpiece. He couldn’t decide whether he was thankful or disappointed that my first mission went perfectly. Of course he was happy I came back completely unharmed, but his fear that I would be forced into more and more missions due to my overwhelming success was only proven right at every turn. Still, he was always in my ear, talking me through the every single mission I ever went on.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I wasn’t exactly a normal teenager. Still, that being said, I don’t think I would want it any other way.
Except maybe for the Fury part. Nothing would make me happier than seeing that man get what’s coming to him. But I could worry about that later. For now, I’d just spend my time grateful that I was blessed with the best dad in the world.
Description: After Clint takes you back to Avengers tower, the rest of the Avengers realize who you are, and most of them are not very happy with you. It’s certainly an interesting conversation when you wake up, but slowly, they start to warm up to you.
Tell me if you want a third part, guys! Part onehere
The living room went completely silent at the arrival of the two master assassins, everyone staring at the little bundle in their resident archer’s arms.
“Lady Natasha, Brother Clint, you have returned!” Thor, who had just returned to Earth from Asgard, shouted gleefully as he walked towards them, completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere that had appeared in the room and asking the question that was on everybody’s minds but which they weren’t quite sure how to go about asking. “Who is the young maiden in your arms?”
“She tried to rob Clint and then fainted, so we brought her back here,” Natasha stated bluntly. Clint glared at her in frustration before turning back to the others, who were already on guard.
“The kid was starving,” he attempted to explain. “I think she passed out from hunger.” The others in the room glanced at the bundle of coats, still obviously wary, and Clint rolled his eyes. “For God’s sake, the poor thing weighs next to nothing, and she’s freezing to the touch. I’m pretty sure the coat is heavier than she is.”
“Lay her down on the coach. I’ll grab some blankets,” Steve finally piped up. Clint sighed in relief and brought her over to the very long couch where he gently set her down, resting her head on one of the throw pillows. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, frowning when she still felt colder than a block of ice.
“Let me take a look at her,” Bruce offered. Clint nodded in thanks and stepped back. Bruce paused, his eyes wide.
“What’s wrong?” Clint asked, his stomach turning in worry. Was he too late? Was she already gone?
“That’s the girl from the library.” Everyone froze at the words that fell out of Bruce’s mouth.
“No frickin’ way, let me see,” Tony rushed forward, peering over the back of the couch. “Oh my god, she’s the kid who took my watch! It really was the same girl!”
“And the one who stole my money,” Steve added, setting the pile of blankets down next to her before moving to start a fire in the nearby fireplace.
“Well, I guess that solves that mystery,” Tony crossed his arms. “She couldn’t have been actually starving. There’s no way that watch sells for anything under 2,000. She lied to you so you wouldn’t turn her in.”
Clint shook his head. “No, that doesn’t make any sense. She’d already gotten away when she fainted.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Alright, so then she stashed it to sell later so she wouldn’t be caught.”
“If you had a 2,000 dollar watch lying around, why would you ever wear a ratty old coat that obviously doesn’t even keep the cold out?” Natasha commented thoughtfully, gesturing at the flimsy piece of clothing.
That seemed to knock Bruce from his thoughts. “She’s soaking wet, we need to get her out of these clothes. Nat, do you have anything she could wear?” Natasha nodded and silently left the room to fetch the clothing as Bruce started to peel off the soaked-through layers one by one until she was left in just a t-shirt and sweatpants, both littered with holes and tears and both obviously far too short for her but still loose against her skeletal frame. Natasha took the job from there, exchanging the old clothing for a pair sweats, which despite being a size small, seemed to drown the girl in fabric before covering her in the blankets and moving her closer to the fire.
After that, everyone settle down around the living room, each of them seeming to understand the unspoken agreement that they would wait to decide what on what they would do next until after she woke up. So, that’s how they stayed for the next 2 hours.
– Your POV –
I slowly cracked my eyes open, the light flooding in and immediately giving me a headache. Huh, I guess I didn’t die. That’s a good thing, right?
I brought a hand to my forehead as I slowly sat up, my eyes shut tight as I did my best not to throw up. God, I was so hungry. At least I wasn’t cold anymore, though. Maybe it’s just that I’ve gone completely numb… or crazy, because instead of just not being cold, I actually feel pretty warm.
I opened my eyes again and stared down at the blanket covering me and the couch I was sitting on. Oh geez that can’t be good. I looked back up and around, doing my best to stay completely silent as my eyes flickered from one person to the next.
The man I had robbed only just a few hours ago sat in a chair right in front of the couch, snoring softly with his head lolled back. At a table nearby, typing away on a computer, was the man from the library who only had 4 dollars in his wallet. Sitting at the same table was a very big, very muscular man with long blonde hair who I’d never seen before, but judging by the massive hammer that was placed beside him, I doubted he was good news. Standing at the kitchen sink was the man who’d stopped me from falling when I was taking his wallet. Sitting behind a bar, nursing a glass of what looked to be scotch, was Tony freaking Stark, who I had only just stolen a very, very expensive watch from. Finally, standing by the doorway and leaning against the wall was the red-headed woman who found me out and chased me down with her boyfriend. And she was making direct eye-contact with me.
“She’s up,” she called, shocking everyone in the room – especially the man in the chair, who must have jumped about a foot in the air as he was startled awake. I clenched my jaw and frowned. What is it with this chick and always ratting me out?
Before you could say the word ‘Assemble,’ all six people in the room had gathered around me. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared from one person to the next. Why were all the people I robbed together in one place? Did Tony Stark bring them all together so they could get revenge on me? How did they even find me? Is that blonde one a bounty hunter or something? He certainly had the build for it.
“How are you feeling?” The man from earlier asked me gently. I frowned and stared back at him. No way was I going to talk to these people. I have the right to remain silent, right? Or is that not a thing with elaborate revenge plots?
The library man stepped forward and placed a hand on my forehead. Immediately, I flinched away. “Her fever’s gone down,” he said, stepping back into place, the slight anger he still held towards me clear in his voice.
I glanced around the room, weighing my options. I had no idea where I was, no idea how to get out of here, and I don’t think I could outrun the redhead and her boyfriend again on solid ground, especially when I can still barely move without another wave of dizziness hitting me. So, in other words, I’d have to somehow convince them to let me go.
Ok, yeah, I’m definitely gonna die.
“Do you have a name?” Reflexes guy asked, and my frown deepened. Maybe I could pretend to have lost my memory. Library guy said something about a fever, right? If it was bad enough, it could’ve messed with my brain. Plus, they have no way of knowing how long I had it. Alright, that’s my game plan for now. A pitiful, helpless amnesiac.
Slowly, I shook my head, bringing my knees to my chest as I stared at him with wide eyes.
“How about an age? Do you know how old you are?” This time, it was the boyfriend who spoke. I liked him way better. He had a kind voice, and he didn’t really seem to be holding too big a grudge against me. He was probably dragged to this weird revenge party by the redhead.
I shook my head again, allowing my body to shake ever so slightly, tears gathering in my eyes.
“Alright, cut the crap, kid. Tell me where my watch is,” Stark took a few steps forward. My eyes went wide, and I scrambled backwards in an attempt to get away from him, my heart going a mile a minute as my breathing got faster and faster.
“Quit it, Stark, you’re scaring her,” the boyfriend snapped. Stark huffed and rolled his eyes, moving back to his place in the semi-circle with his arms crossed. Yeah, I definitely like the boyfriend best.
“Do you remember nothing, child?” Blondie boomed. I flinched at the volume, hiding my face in my arms and sobbing quietly.
It was quiet for a little bit, and I smiled. They must’ve felt guilty, which meant they believed me. Maybe I could pull this off after all.
“Alright, kid, that’s enough. Stop messing with them.”
“What? Nat, what are you–”
“Seriously, you’ve had your fun, now stop it with the crocodile tears and tell us your name.” I slowly peaked up to find the redhead – Nat, apparently – smirking back down at me, her right hip jutted out as she rested her weight on it and her arms crossed. She merely lifted an eyebrow at me, her smirk widening ever so slightly.
I sighed and lifted my head. “How did you know?” I asked softly. The men in the room gaped at me in surprise, while she only chuckled a bit.
“I lie all the time, kid, it’s part of my job. I know another good liar when I see one,” she answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Now are you gonna tell us your name or not?”
I frowned and hugged my knees tighter. “It wasn’t all a lie. I really was scared,” I muttered, staring down at my lap. “It’s not exactly fun to wake up in a place you don’t know and immediately have people coming at you or yelling really, really loud.”
Stark glanced away guiltily while Blondie just sent me a wide, toothy grin. “My apologies, child. I have yet to truly understand this ‘indoor voice’ that you mortals are so fascinated by!” I flinched slightly at the still very loud voice, but at least it wasn’t quite as loud as before.
“Name, kid,” Nat stated simply, immediately seeing through my attempt at changing the subject to try and make them feel guilty again.
I sighed. “My name is (Y/N),” I finally muttered.
“Have you got a last name, (Y/N)?” Reflexes asked again.
“Not any that concerns you,” I immediately snapped back defensively.
Reflexes frowned and rubbed his face a bit. “Fine, we’ll go back to that later. How old are you?”
“18,” the lie came quickly and easily. I had said it so many times that by that point, it was starting to feel more natural than the truth.
“Try again,” Nat said.
I grit my teeth and glared at her. “You really need to stop ratting me out.” She just smirked and shrugged again. “Fine. I’m 12.”
Silence as five pairs of shocked eyes turned to Nat for confirmation. Slowly, she nodded, almost seeming a little shocked herself. My words took a minute to settle in, and I frowned, staring back down at my lap. At least now they probably couldn’t kill me. Although, I’d probably prefer that to going back to that hellhole of a foster home.
“Nope, sorry, I call bs,” Stark was the one to break the silence. “No chance a twelve-year-old reads nuclear physics, and more importantly, there’s not a single chance a twelve-year-old outsmarts me.”
“Yeah, that’s what every grown-up says,” I rolled my eyes. “The fact is, you got completely fooled by a twelve-year-old kid, and you need to learn how to deal with it.”
“Alright, so where’s my watch?” Stark grit his teeth, fuming in annoyance at my attitude.
I rolled my eyes again. “I sold it,” I answered simply.
“Ok, so why did you lie to Clint? That watch was expensive. There’s no way you would be starving only a month after you sold it,” Stark smirked triumphantly, as though he had just unearthed some massive conspiracy.
“I didn’t keep the money.”
“…I’m sorry, what?” Stark asked.
“I said, I didn’t keep the money,” I repeated.
“Then where the hell did it go?” he frowned. He obviously didn’t believe me.
“Language, Stark,” Reflexes cut in. “She’s just a kid.”
“Please, I’ve heard the word ‘hell’ before. What street did you think I was living on, Candycane Lane?” I scoffed before suddenly realizing my mistake.
“You live on the streets?” Library guy asked softly, looking more and more guilty with every passing minute.
“Of course not,” I responded quickly, trying to backpedal on what I’d accidentally let slip. “I just hate my parents so much it feels like it. I only steal so that I can rebel against them.”
“That lie was just bad,” Nat shook her head almost in disappointment.
“(Y/N), what happened to the money from Stark’s watch?” the boyfriend – What did Stark say his name was? Clint? – spoke calmly and gently.
“I used it to buy toys and canned foods,” I answered rather quickly. He was nice. I felt comfortable around him.
“You were starving, and you bought toys?” Stark scoffed.
“Not for me, dipshit,” I rolled my eyes again. I feel like I do that every time Stark opens his mouth.
“Language!” Reflexes gasped.
“Why did you buy toys?” Clint continued to speak gently, taking my attention away from my annoyance at Stark.
I frowned. “I bought them for the kids at the orphanage.” Clint just nodded, encouraging me to continue. “Every year I scrape together what money I don’t use on food to buy them toys, but they usually end up being really crummy ones that they all have to share. This year, I was finally able to buy them all really good ones.” I paused for a moment before adding, “Christmas can be really sad there, and there never used to be any toys. I don’t want the other kids to have a sad Christmas anymore.”
“You used to live in an orphanage?” Clint asked. I winced at the question, digging my nails into my palms. I didn’t mean to tell them that. I sighed in defeat and nodded slightly, avoiding their eyes.
“My mommy died when I was one, and my daddy didn’t want me anymore,” I paused a moment, trying and failing to swallow the lump in my throat. Quickly, I moved myself as far away from the topic as possible. “I used the money I didn’t spend on toys to buy groceries for the homeless shelter. They need it more than I do anyways.”
There was another heavy pause before Clint spoke again. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten anything?”
“Counting today?” They all nodded. “About five days.”
Reflexes immediately walked away, and I ducked my head further. He was probably going to call the cops or maybe the orphanage. Either way I’d have to go back.
“(Y/N)?” Library guy’s voice brought me back to reality.
My cheeks were wet. I was crying. I didn’t mean to do that – it doesn’t work on Nat, so why even bother? Still, I couldn’t stop. “A-are you g-gonna send m-me b-back n-now?” I whispered, my voice thick as I gasped between every other word. I squeezed my knees tight to my chest and let out a sob that I was trying desperately to hold back. “P-please… I don’t… I don’t wanna go back!” I broke down sobbing, my face buried in my arms and my breaths coming shorter and shorter as my heart pounded frantically against my ribs.
I couldn’t breathe.
I felt like I was under water, each breath coming in harsher and more labored than the last, the air growing thicker by the second as I struggled to take it in. I could hardly feel the tears on my cheeks as my brain begged me to take a solid breath, screaming at me that I was dying – that I needed to stop this right now, or I would die, which of course only made me panic even more.
I felt a pair of arms gently wrap around me and slowly looked up, hiccupping softly, my entire body shaking like a leaf. I stared at Tony Stark from where he sat beside me. “Calm down, purse snatcher, no one’s sending you anywhere,” he said, rubbing my back comfortingly. “I need you to focus on me. Try and match my breaths, ok?”
“P-promise me you’re not lying,” I mumbled from my still mostly curled up position. “Promise I won’t have to go back.”
“I promise I will never lie to you,” he responded immediately. I sniffled, my bottom lip trembling as I stared at him, searching for any signs of a lie. When I found none, I launched forward into his lap and buried my face in his chest, sobbing pathetically. “Easy, kid. You’re ok. In and out, just like me, ok? In… and out,” Tony soothed, gently patting my back as I cried. His arms were warm. It was surprising, but still, it was really, really nice. Slowly, I came back down to reality, each breath shaking violently but still managing to keep time with his. Finally, after a few minutes, I’d managed to calm myself down.
A very large hand landed on my shoulder, and I looked over, my body still shaking a bit as I clung to Tony like a lifeline. Reflexes was standing there, holding a plate full of steaming hot pizza.
“You need to eat,” he said, moving the plate closer to me. I nodded and took it, my hands still shaking slightly.
“Thank you, Reflexes,” I said softly.
“Reflexes?” he tilted his head a bit.
“O-oh, um… When I met you, you managed to catch me after I bumped into you, even though I was trying to fall, so I’ve kind of been calling you Reflexes in my head ever since…” I muttered, my face getting red.
Reflexes stared at me for a moment. I could feel Tony laughing behind me as the others struggled not to laugh out loud. “You can just call me Steve,” he sighed.
“That’s right, you don’t know our names yet, do you?” Tony grinned. I turned to look at him, only just then realizing that I was still sitting on his lap.
I blushed harder and scooted off his lap, muttering a quick, “Sorry.”
Tony smiled back in reassurance, although he looked a little… disappointed? No, wait, that’s stupid. Of course he wasn’t disappointed; he’s Tony Stark. That look was probably just the leftover annoyance at having some dumb kid crying in his lap. “Don’t mention it, kid, but you gotta tell me what you’ve been calling the rest of us in that little head of yours.”
“U-um… well, I called Steve ‘Reflexes,’ and, um, Nat was ‘Redhead’. Clint was ‘Boyfriend’…” Clint choked on thin air, and Tony bursted out laughing again, not even making an attempt to hide it this time.
“W-why ‘Boyfriend’?!” Clint yelped.
“Because you were on a date with your girlfriend, um, Nat, when we met?” I said it almost like a question. Was there something wrong with that?
“She’s not my girlfriend, kid,” Clint sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t seem quite as bothered anymore, though. Was there really something wrong with me calling him ‘Boyfriend’?
“Ok, now tell me the rest,” Tony said excitedly, leaning forward.
I leaned back a bit but nodded. “Ok, well the guy with the glasses–”
“Call me Bruce,” he interrupted.
“Um, Bruce then. He was ‘Library Guy.’”
“Oh, that’s right, you recommended he read his own paper,” Tony grinned.
“Yeah exactly,” I smiled softly before, slowly, my smile dropped and my eyes grew about 3 sizes. “Wait, you don’t mean…” I turned to face Bruce in disbelief. “You aren’t that Bruce. As in, Bruce Banner? The nuclear physicist?”
Bruce chuckled a bit and rubbed the nape of his neck. “Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you.”
I gaped, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. “I’m such a big fan,” I whispered softly.
“Wait, so you mean you actually understood those papers? That wasn’t just another lie?” Bruce frowned slightly.
“I would never lie about that,” I shook my head frantically. “Your work is absolutely incredible. I used to get lashed all the time cause I’d stay up all night reading your papers.”
A flash of pity crossed his face. I frowned and cleared my throat. “I, um, I always really like learning new things,” I muttered awkwardly. “When I was little, I would spend hours in that library every day. My caretaker didn’t believe I actually understood it, either. She even got me tested to prove I was lying.”
“And?” Tony prompted.
“Turns out I have an IQ of about 278,” I shrugged. Tony’s jaw dropped, staring at me with eyes wide as saucers.
“Isn’t yours 273?” Bruce asked, trying to hide the chuckle threatening to seep through his voice.
“I-I… Well… Just tell us the rest of the nicknames, would ya, kid?” Tony stuttered, avoiding Bruce’s eyes.
“Oh, um, sure,” I smiled a bit. It felt like my chest filled up a bit, a soft warmth spreading through my heart. They looked like a family. It must be so nice. “The super buff blonde guy–”
“Thor,” Tony provided.
I blinked in shock at that. “Wow, your parents must’ve been real confident to name you after one of the Norse gods,” I muttered. “Well, Thor’s name was just ‘Blondie.’”
Tony snickered at my comment, and I frowned. Were these nicknames really funny? I didn’t think they were.
“Child, I was not named after anyone. I am Thor of Asgard. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he smiled, taking a knee before me. I lifted an eyebrow and leaned over to Tony.
“Is he crazy..?” I asked softly.
Tony chuckled. “No, he’s not. Haven’t you ever heard of the Avengers?” I shook my head. “Woah, seriously? Ok, well, long story short, he is the actual Norse god, Thor, and he lives on the planet Asgard.”
I looked at him curiously before nodding. “Alright.”
“Seriously? You believe me just like that?” Tony asked, a small, if slightly confused, smile on his face.
“You promised me you’d never lie to me,” I answered simply. “Of course I believe you.”
Tony opened his mouth and closed it again, a look I’d never seen decorating his features. I shook my head just a bit to clear it and grabbed the piece of pizza on top before immediately shoving it in my face, managing to scarf it down in under 10 seconds before moving onto the next. The six adults stared at me as I finished piece after piece until the plate was empty only 2 minutes later. I glanced up and smiled slightly. “Thank you for the food,” I mumbled through the last mouthful of pizza.
“Wow, ok, I’m not gonna lie, kid, that was pretty impressive,” Tony chuckled. “I don’t even think bird brain over here could eat that fast.”
“How do you keep people from stealing your food, then?” I asked, tilting my head slightly to the side. The room fell silent again, the adults sending me worried glances. I frowned and ducked my head again, trying to avoid their searing gazes. I must’ve said something wrong again.
“Honestly, we don’t. How do you think Thor got so big?” Tony grinned, clearly just trying to diffuse the tension. I smiled up at him gratefully.
“Alright, I think that’s enough excitement for today,” Tony said, standing up. “Sorry, kid, but it’s way past your bedtime.” I tensed up a bit at the sudden movement, and he sent me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m just taking you to a guest room.”
I nodded and took his hand, standing up slowly. I held the loose clothing tightly so that it didn’t drop, trying to ignore the many worried eyes that looked over my still ever so slightly shaking, thin figure that couldn’t even hold up the small pair of sweatpants. I followed him down one of the many hallways of the tower, gripping his hand as tightly as I could.
Finally, we reached a large room, a neatly made bed stationed in the middle of it. I tried to climb into the bed, but Tony ended up having to boost me up, his hands lifting me gently by my underarms so that I could get on top of the unreasonably tall mattress before tucking me in under the thick blankets.
He took a step back, and my heart immediately leapt into my throat, my hand darting out to grab his wrist. “It’s ok, I’m just turning out the lights,” he answered the question without me even having to ask. As soon as he had flicked the switch off, he came back and sat down in a large chair by the bed. It was silent for a moment, and I stared up at the dark ceiling, thinking over everything that happened in the past few hours. It didn’t make any sense. Why would he do all of this? What did he have to gain from giving me food and a place to sleep?
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I heard my own voice rise up through the darkness. I’m not quite sure why I asked that. Still, I wanted nothing more than to hear the answer.
“You remind me of myself,” Tony said slowly, the careful thoughtfulness clear in his voice. “You’re a good kid. You deserve a little bit of help.”
It was silent for another few minutes.
“Would you… would you please hold me hand?” I asked softly. I’d barely even finished speaking before my right hand was engulfed my another, much larger one. I could feel myself smile just a bit, my eyes fluttering closed. I squeezed it slightly, and before long, I had fallen asleep to the sound of Tony’s breathing.
Description: You have been living on the streets for years, and over these years, you have become incredibly good at pickpocketing. Unfortunately for you, though, you picked the wrong target one too many times.
Part 2 if you guys want it, just let me know!
Chin up, shoulders back, even steps. My heart is calm, my breaths slow and measured, and every muscle in my body is relaxed. In other words, every last inch of me screams that I am a confident, kind young lady without a care in the world.
No matter what anybody says, looks really are everything. Every time you meet someone new or even just pass by them on the street, your mind makes a snap judgement about them. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that everyone you meet is prejudiced or anything of the sort. Those snap judgements can easily be changed with an open-minded person, sometimes without even needing a whole conversation. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that when you see a well-groomed person in a suit, your mind automatically thinks they are successful, and when you see someone coming at you with a hoodie covering their face and their hands in their pockets, you automatically tense up. None of that is your fault, and actually it’s probably a good thing that you would be wary of people who are acting rather suspicious. Really, the only issue with these immediate ideas of every person you see is the fact that it makes people like me – people who understand how these momentary impressions work – able to take advantage of them.
It didn’t take long to realize I had a talent for it. I already looked the part, – a helpless, adorable little girl – I had a surprising knack for staying calm under pressure, and as much as I hated the old bitch, my caretaker had given me all the tools I needed. She was a stickler for proper manners, so I learned how to speak, sit, and walk like a “proper young lady.” Plus, her insane rules about tiny meal portions and too-early curfews taught me to be light on my feet as I often sneaked downstairs to grab a roll of bread at night. Yes, I had everything I needed. The only real hurdle was actually deciding to do it. I never really wanted to be a bad person. But the world is a heartless place, the city even more so, and by the end of my first week, I knew what I had to do if I was ever going to survive.
So, I started working – oh, and by the way, no matter what you think, it is still a job. I put my time and effort into a certain task, and I obtain money because of it. I don’t know about you, but that certainly sounds like a job to me. And it was easier than I thought it would be. Within about a day, I realized that people saw me as sweet, innocent, and harmless – no, more than that, they wanted to see me as harmless. Because if I wasn’t harmless, then that meant their world was even more screwed up than they thought. I learned quick, and by the end of the year, I had perfected my technique. It was simple: avoid all conversation if possible, and if absolutely necessary, smile and point out the farthest adult man within reason as my dad before weaving through the small gaps in the crowd, preferably around taller people, so they couldn’t see or follow me. I only got caught once or twice, but I’m grateful that I did. It forced me to learn perspective, that I needed to know more than just how to talk well. So, I learned how to run through a city. And now, I’m practically unstoppable.
As I take my even, not-too-fast-but-not-too-slow stroll down the sidewalk, a small, ambiguous smile decorating my lips, I can see it in each person’s eyes as they walk past that I have completely embodied my character. My arms swung with a practiced nonchalance as my eyes flickered from one person to the next, each time going through a mental list as I weighed the chances I had of succeeding on them versus how likely they were to catch on and calculated the amount of time that both of these events would likely take to happen. Finally, after a few minutes of this practice, one of them caught my eye.
He was larger, more muscular. Guys like him were a gamble. Often, a man of his appearance simply cared a bit too much about his appearance. Still, every now and then, they look like that because they been trained, and while past training usually meant they had no practice running in a city, it also meant that he would be much more jumpy and alert to his surroundings. However, his deep, loose pockets with the corner of his wallet just barely sticking out and the thoughtful gaze as he surveyed the buildings tipped the scales further and further in my favor. The wonder in his eyes just screamed tourist.
I gazed forward with an absentminded look in my eye that I’d spent months perfecting in the mirror while keeping him clearly in my periphery before bumping into him. As I hit him, two of my fingers simultaneously dipped into his pocket, where my knee bumped against his leg to jolt his wallet up and out. The moment the warm leather was in my grasp, I forced myself to fall backwards. Before I could hit the ground, though, I felt one of those strong, muscular arms had wrapped itself around my waist and was helping me back up.
My jaw clenched for half a second. This wasn’t good. His reflexes were too quick to have just worked out at some random gym, which meant my hunch was right: he had been trained. And that meant that I needed to get out of there fast. I wouldn’t be able to slip the wallet back in his pocket without bumping into him again, and that would only make me look even more suspicious, so I quickly emptied it of all of the cash behind his back and slipped the bills into my sleeve before tossing the piece of leather on the ground a few feet away.
“Are you alright?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes, and immediately I decided on my personality for the day – bright and bubbly but proper. Gently, he released his arm from its position on my waist once he knew I had regained my footing.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” I quickly apologized, my left hand shooting up to cover my mouth in fake shock while my right hand carefully dropped the money in one of my own pockets, all the while watching every last one of his movements for any sign of suspicion. “It was all my fault. I wasn’t paying attention where I was going.”
“It’s ok, really.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I wasn’t really looking where I was going either, so it was partially my fault, too.”
“Well, thank you for catching me, sir, but I really have to go,” I smiled at him apologetically. “I’m supposed to meet back up with my dad in about five minutes.”
“Oh, no worries,” he responded kindly before sneaking a glance at my old, slightly ripped clothes, the concern still dancing in his eyes. “You’re sure you’re alright, though?”
“Absolutely!” I dismissed. “Thank you again!”
“Um, yeah, no problem.” We both started to walk away.
I waited patiently as I listened to his retreating steps. 1… 2… 3… 4… and then– “Hey, mister!” I called, bending down and grabbing the piece of leather from where I had tossed it earlier. “I think you might’ve dropped your wallet!”
The man turned back, shocked, before jogging back towards me. “I didn’t even notice,” he mumbled to himself. “Hey, thanks, kid.”
“My pleasure!” I chirped. “Now, sorry, but I really have to get going. See you around, sir!” I quickly jogged off, allowing myself to get lost in the crowd before he could even have a minute to fully understand what happened.
– 3rd Person POV –
“I told you guys the world wasn’t such a bad place!” Steve called as he entered the living room of Stark Tower. The rest of the Avengers looked up in surprise. They had been having this argument for the past three days, with Steve insisting that there were still people who put others first living in New York while the entire rest of the team tried to convince him otherwise.
“Alright, show your work,” Tony leaned back against the wall, watching the captain with curiosity.
“I met a kid today who couldn’t have been older than 16. I was trying to remember what the city looked like before I went in the ice, and I accidentally bumped into her. She then spent the next few minutes constantly apologizing and saying it was all her fault. And the best part is, after we’d already walked away, she found and returned my wallet. I hadn’t even realized I had dropped it!” The 96-year-old man finished with a triumphant grin, leaving the rest of the team silent for a moment. That is, until Tony busted out laughing. Steve frowned. “…What?”
“Steve, honey, check inside of your wallet,” Natasha sighed as she turned back to the tv to watch whatever was on.
Steve frowned, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. “I don’t understand; why do you want me to….” He trailed off as he stared at the now empty pocket that only just earlier that day held around 65 dollars in cash. “She… but how did she…”
Tony slapped a heavy hand on Steve’s shoulder, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye. “She scammed you, bro. And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker,” he grinned before walking back to his room, still chuckling softly to himself at his friend’s misfortune.
——- Time Skip ——-
About two weeks had passed since that godsend of a man and I crossed paths. I can’t remember the last time I had managed to lift 65 dollars off anyone. That kind of cash can last someone like me a really long time. But sadly, all good things must come to an end, and after buying myself the first decent meal I’d had in weeks plus a ton of canned foods and non-perishables that I dropped off at the nearest homeless shelter, that good thing ended ended all too quickly. Which meant it was time I went back to work.
I stepped into the public library, that same ambiguous smile painted ever so gently across my face. There weren’t a whole lot of people here and there were almost never any big scores, but working here was a lot less guess-work, and more often than not, the target was too engrossed in their book to even notice what I was doing, so there was also much less risk of being caught.
After a quick scan of the quiet room, my eyes landed on the man sitting at one of the long tables, his bag haphazardly laying next to him on the table. It should be easy enough to grab something from in there, and he seemed invested enough to have his guard down. He should make for a good target.
I walked into the science section and grabbed a few scientific papers, most of which were generally about to nuclear physics, before walking back to his table and sitting down right across from him. Scientific papers are the best way to make sure no one has the confidence to talk to you. I opened the paper that I had read a hundred times and started pretending to read it once more, my left hand resting on my cheek as my right hand slowly made its way towards the bag.
“Excuse me.” I glanced up, pausing my movement towards his back but still being careful not to react too quickly and retract my hand. I didn’t want to draw his attention to what I was doing, and if at all possible, I would still like to come out of this with something to show for it. As I met the glasses-clad, clearly intelligent eyes of the man in front of me, it was easy to figure out what my personality should be – shy, smart, and above all else, kind. “Is that Schippers’s work?”
I blinked in surprise and allowed a soft smile to spread across my lips. “You know Stefan Schippers?”
“Yeah, his work in antimatter is amazing,” he grinned fully now, his eyes lighting up and making him almost look like a completely different person. “Particularly regarding his research in collisions.”
I grinned back, taking note of how his eyes were now trained on mine, instead of glancing around like before. Maybe I should’ve started a conversation before – clearly it was a good distraction for him. Well, either way, it’s going to be easier to lift something off of him now, so I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. “I completely agree. His work is amazing,” I giggled softly, glancing down at the table before looking back up at him, a slight red hue now painting the apples of my cheeks as my hand slipped inside of his bag.
“I was honestly surprised to see you reading that paper, actually,” he chuckled nervously. “I’ve read it at least 20 times, but I figured I was the only one.” I laughed lightly, slipping what felt like a wallet out of the bag and tucking it under my arm.
“Trust me, I’ve read this so many times, I’m afraid the library is going to have to replace it because I’ve worn it out so much. You know, if you’re interested in Schippers, you should read some of Dr. Banner’s papers,” I laid my left hand on his arm gently while my right arm swung back over to me, pushing the wallet into my lap. “As much as I love Schippers, Dr. Banner’s work is unparalleled.”
The man chuckled nervously again, ducking his head a bit. “You really think so, huh? How old are you anyways? I don’t see a whole lot of kids brushing up on nuclear physics.”
“I’m older than I look,” I casually brushed off the question. I was not about to give up any personal information, fellow science geek or not. “Oh, by the way, do you have the time?”
The man glanced at his watch. “About 6:00.”
My eyes widened in shock. “You’re kidding, it got that late?! My dad’s gonna kill me!” I gasped and quickly stood up, catching the wallet in my left hand and slipping it into my pocket. “It was really nice meeting you, sir, but I have to go home. I really liked talking to you, though! I hope we can meet again!” I hurriedly gathered the papers and rushed off, waving with a broad smile.
“Oh, uh nice meeting you… too…” he tried to respond, but she was already well out of sight.
– 3rd Person POV –
“What the hell?” Bruce mumbled, digging through his bag. The pizza had just arrived, and he needed to pay his share.
“What’s wrong?” Natasha glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.
“I could’ve sworn I put my wallet in here, but now I can’t find it,” he frowned, continuing to search every last nook and cranny of the old bag.
“Don’t worry about it, buddy, I can cover you if you’re short,” Tony shrugged.
“That’s not the issue,” Bruce frowned, finally giving up and tossing his bag to the side in frustration. “That had my credit card, my driver’s license, and my ID for Stark Tower. If it’s lost somewhere, it could be a real problem.”
“When was the last time you remember having it?” Clint mumbled through a full mouth of the piece of pizza that he’d already shoved in his face. Natasha rolled her eyes and wiped off the bit of spit he’d gotten on her in disgust.
“I was at the library. I used my library card to check out some books,” he responded confidently.
“Again?” Clint asked, once again through a mouthful of cheese and marinara sauce. “What, do you live there or something?”
“Ok, now walk us through exactly what happened after you checked out those books,” Natasha suggested, doing her best to ignore her best friend.
Bruce sighed and nodded, sitting down. “I checked out my books, then walked over to one of the tables to start reading. Then I talked to that teenager for a little while about some of Schippers’s theories before she ran off–”
“You talked to a teenager about Schippers? And she actually understood?” Tony asked, lifting a brow in surprise.
“Yeah, she even recommended I read Dr. Banner’s work in the same field,” Bruce chuckled. “I thought it better not to tell her who I was, but according to her, Banner’s work is ‘unparalleled’.”
“Damn, the kid knows her stuff,” Tony nodded, impressed. “Did she say anything about–”
“Boys,” Natasha cut in. “The wallet.”
“Ah, right,” Bruce mumbled apologetically. “Anyways, after she ran off, I kept reading for a few minutes before leaving, too. Then I came back to the tower and got up here just in time to decide on ordering pizza with you guys.”
“Did you use the subway?” Natasha asked.
Bruce shook his head. “No. I figured since it was such a nice day out, I would just walk home.”
“How did you enter the building?”
“I ran into Steve downstairs, and we came in together.”
Steve, who had been silent up until this point, finally spoke up. “This teenager… Was she about 16? With (H/C) hair?”
“What, you think it’s the same girl who totally scammed you the other–” Tony started, getting ready to take part in his favorite pastime of making fun of Steve.
“Actually, yeah, she was,” Bruce answered, his eyes wide in realization.
Before anyone could say anything, Tony’s incredibly loud laughter filled the room. “Holy shit, you guys both got scammed by the same teenager! How does that even happen?!” He wheezed, laughing so hard he could hardly breath.
“Hey she seemed like a nice girl!” Bruce defended. “How was I supposed to know she was robbing me?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a genius or something?” Tony asked, tears streaming down his face now. Bruce opened his mouth, trying to come up with something but came up blank. A heavy hand landing on his shoulder knocked him out of his stupor.
“Just let it happen,” Steve sighed, his eyes cast down as he shook his head in sympathy.
——- Time Skip ——-
It had been a week since I had spoken to that science nerd in the library, and I was still pissed. Seriously, what kind of grown man only carries around 4 dollars and 36 cents? Well, apparently, that weirdo did. I had thrown out all the cards and IDs to at least sell the what looked to be leather wallet to a pawn shop, but apparently the thing wasn’t even leather! All of that time, wasted for a measly 12 bucks. I’ll say it again: I was pissed.
So, now I was back out working again, because the money I’d made was barely enough to buy a few snacks that I had to portion out over the course of the past week.
As I walked down the sidewalk, still grumbling softly to myself about what had happened, I saw him.
Tony freaking Stark.
I grinned. Maybe my luck was getting better after all. I mean, a billionaire who’s famous for having, shall we say, questionable morals? After all, it’s not exactly nice to sleep with as many women as humanly possible before tossing them away like they’re nothing. I mean, sure there’s the whole iron man thing, but he’s still kind of a dick, let’s be honest. And while I usually tried to refrain from taking anything major in case my target doesn’t have a whole lot of money or the object is sentimental, billionaire jerks are fair game. And the best part was, I didn’t even have to read him to know the part I was going to play. Tony Stark would only ever fall for one personality: sarcastic, quick-witted, and strong.
His head was down, buried in his phone, so I casually walked towards him, picking up an old cup of coffee from one of a nearby cafe’s outdoor tables, before smacking into him head-first, spilling the coffee everywhere.
“What the hell?!”
“Oh my god!” We both yelled at the same time.
“Oh c’mon, kid, this is silk!” Tony continued to shout, staring down at the coffee covering his chest.
“Hey, I’m not the one with my head buried in my phone while walking through one of the busiest cities in the world,” I snapped back. “And you’re not the only one whose clothes got ruined. This is cashmere!” I lied through my teeth. It was a ratty old sweater that I’d bought for about 3 dollars at a thrift store.
Stark scoffed. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Yeah, you’re Tony Stark. That doesn’t change the fact that my parents are gonna be pissed about me ruining a hundred dollar sweater,” I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms defiantly.
That was when he finally glanced at me and my coffee-stained outfit. Stark sighed and put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “Alright, I’m sorry.” Wait, what? Since when does the great Tony Stark ever apologize for anything? “I’ll pay for the dry-cleaning, ok? Just give me your parents’ numbers.”
Shit, that’s not how this is supposed to go. Ok, new strategy. A sassy front but a kind interior.
I sighed and shook my head. “No, it’s not entirely your fault. I guess I could’ve tried to avoid you better. Anyways, you got a pen and paper?”
Stark nodded slightly and reached into his inner pocket, pulling out a tiny pad and a fancy looking pen. I quickly jotted down the phone number and handed it back to him. Shoot, he looked like he was about to walk away. I had to act quick or lose my chance. Time to add one more very important characteristic to my identity: pitiable. “Hey, I really am sorry. I kind of overreacted. It wasn’t cool. I guess I just got a little nervous. My dad likes things to be clean, and he can get pretty mad when I don’t follow that rule…” I trailed off a bit, glancing down at my feet. I shook my head quickly and met the billionaire’s gaze, now filled with concern, again. “Sorry, didn’t mean to dump that on you. I just wanted to say thanks.” I held out my right hand, praying that I’d guessed which hand to use correctly. As Stark grabbed my hand, I had to hold back a sigh of relief when I saw the watch casually placed on his wrist.
“It was really nice meeting you, Mr. Stark,” I smiled a bit, with my left hand closing over his wrist while three of my fingers on my right hand undid the clasp on his watch. Then I pressed down one the buttons on either side of the clasp with my middle finger on my right hand and my thumb on my left hand, making sure to hold the watch in place. “If you’d like, I’d be happy to buy you a coffee to make up for it. There’s a really nice café right over there.” I squeezed the watch tightly with my left hand and jerked my chin towards the store just behind him. He turned his head and looked, pulling his hand back slightly as he did so, which allowed me to slip the watch off his wrist. Immediately, I dropped it in my pocket before he had a chance to turn back around.
“Thanks, kid, but I’m good. I’ll give your parents a call when I get home, ok?” He said before awkwardly giving me a pat on the shoulder. “Now go run off and play with some dolls or whatever.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, but my collection can’t be nearly as big as yours,” I bit back with a slight, good-natured smirk. “Anyways, I gotta go home and get yelled at by my parents. Nice meeting you, Mr. Stark,” I called, waving to him as I was already leaving.
Stark shook his head with a small smile. “Yeah, you too, kid.”
– 3rd Person POV –
“What, no watch today?” Tony furrowed his brows at Bruce’s question.
“Of course I have a watch today. I have a watch for every day of the week,” he scoffed, lifting his wrist to show off the rather expensive Rolex.
“Umm dude…?” Clint started.
“Yeah, I know it’s awesome, and no, you cannot try it on,” Tony smirked. “I have a very strict look don’t touch policy. These bad boys cost quite the pretty penny, and I wouldn’t want any of you trying to take it from me.” Clint just shrugged in defeat and unpaused his video game – it wasn’t his fault his friend interrupted him trying to help.
“Tony, look at your wrist,” Steve rolled his eyes at the pompous man’s antics.
“What, just so I can admire it–” he cut himself off as his eyes landed on the bare skin of his wrist. “…Where the hell is my watch?”
“Maybe you forgot to put one on today?” Bruce shrugged, going back to his computer as he continued to work.
“No, I didn’t forget; I never forget,” Tony snapped. “It was there this morning, and now it’s gone.” He yanked up his sleeve to search in vain for the incredibly expensive missing item.
“Hey, maybe Tony was pick-pocketed, too,” Clint joked absentmindedly before cursing at some ‘dumbass little camping noob’ who kept killing him.
Tony’s eyes widened in realization. “Holy shit, it was the kid.”
“What?” Steve frowned.
“The kid! The kid who spilled coffee on me today!” He shouted. “I had my watch, then she shook my hand, and now the watch is gone. She totally took it!”
Clint paused the game again. “Wait, so basically some kid took your custom watch, which is worth thousands of dollars, right off your wrist, and you didn’t even notice?” Tony bobbed his head up and down frantically. “Hold on… You don’t think…” Clint glanced between the three other men in the room.
“(H/C) hair?” Steve asked.
“(E/C) eyes?” Bruce called, suddenly no longer able to focus on his work.
Tony nodded slowly with wide eyes. Reality crashed down on all three of them.
A wide smile slowly took over Clint’s face. “So you mean to tell me that three of the Avengers, the Earth’s greatest defenders, got scammed by the same teenage girl in less than a month?” The three men were silent, each of them staring at the ground as they started to question how smart they actually were.
About 30 seconds later, the silence was broken. “Nat, you’ll never believe what just happened. I can’t believe you weren’t home for this,” Clint talked excitedly into the phone while his teammates all slowly left the room to sulk alone.
——- Time Skip ——-
It had been a whole month since I had gotten the watch off Tony Stark. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the amount of zeros on the offer the pawn shop had given me. It was probably one of the best days of my life. Immediately, I had gone out and bought myself a meal at an actual restaurant, and let me tell you, they weren’t kidding when they said restaurant food is delicious. Every protein bar and bag of chips in the world couldn’t live up to the food I ate that day. And with that kind of money, I could be eating like that for maybe even a year! Still, I knew what I had to do.
It was almost Christmas. With the money I’d just gotten, I could afford to buy each and every kid at the orphanage actual brand new presents that year, instead of the crummy second-hand stuff that had to be shared between three or four kids that I usually brought. So, I went out and blew a good three quarters of my new budget on toys, and not the kind from thrift shops or even the ones from the big department stores. I could finally get them toys from one of the fancy stores that had display windows. And it was worth it, too, seeing the pure amazement that lit up those kids’ eyes when they saw there was enough for all of them. I then spent another quarter of the money on nonperishable foods that I donated to the homeless shelter plus one massive turkey for their Christmas feast.
After all of that, I was left with around 20 dollars for myself. Usually I can make money like that last with just a few extra marks, but as the month dragged on and less and less people were out on the streets at night, my budget ran thin. Eventually, I reached my breaking point. I’d gone I think four days now without any food. My stomach growled loudly, begging me to give it something, anything. I just sighed and receded further into the fabric of my thin, worn down coat that I’d found a few days back by a dumpster – the coat I used to wear long traded in for a couple spare dollars. Sure, the wind cut through it like a knife, but hell, it was better than nothing.
I glanced up as I heard the crunching of footsteps in the snow, my heard immediately leaping into my throat at the prospect of there being people out. I frowned when I saw who they were. A couple walking together, chatting away about something or another. Normally, I would never choose a couple to target – it was too easy for one of them to spot what I was doing to the other – but I had gotten desperate. I was freezing cold, and I needed food now.
So, I walked directly towards them and crashed my shoulder into the guy’s, my hand slipping into his pocket. I thanked whatever higher power was watching over me when my hand came into contact with a money clip.
“Sorry,” I mumbled and slipped my hand back out before continuing to walk at a casual pace away from the two, tucking the clip into my pocket.
– 3rd Person POV –
“Well that was rude,” Clint huffed, dusting himself off.
Natasha stared at the back of the young girl who continued to walk away like nothing had happened. “Hey, Clint,” she muttered.
“Yeah?”
“Where’s your wallet?”
“I put it back in my… pocket….” Clint froze when he realized he couldn’t feel the familiar clip in his jacket pocket. He whirled around to look at the girl, who was already a ways away. “Hey! Get back here!” He screamed, breaking into a run, Natasha quickly following suit.
– Your POV –
“Hey! Get back here!” I glanced back with wide eyes, my heart leaping into my throat before immediately sprinting.
I ran through the snow, turning right and left through back alleys and narrow shortcuts, thanking my past self for never eating well, as my skinny form was able to stay on top of the snow for the most part. Still, somehow I hadn’t lost the two adults chasing me yet. They had barely fallen a foot or two behind over the last eight blocks. My stamina was quickly running out, the malnourishment over the past week finally catching up to me. I felt dizzy, and my chest burned as I focused on continuing to put one foot in front of the other. I turned down an alleyway with a brick wall at the end.
“Ha! We’ve finally caught you!” The man behind me panted. I completely ignored him, not pausing a single step as I sprinted towards the wall.
“Uhh, hey, kid? Rock beats teenager…” He called warily. I continued to ignore him. I was only five feet away. “Stop, you’re gonna hurt yourself!” he shouted just before I jumped, pressing my feet into the bricks to launch my further and further up. I reached as high as I could and just barely caught the edge of the wall with my fingertips. I swung my other arm up and forced my arms to pull myself to the top.
I panted as I gazed down from the top of the wall, the couple staring back up at me. “Holy shit,” the man muttered, to which the woman immediately smacked him in the arm.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I was hungry.” I wasn’t really sure why I was apologizing. Granted, I knew what I was doing wasn’t very nice, but I don’t recall ever apologizing before. Maybe it’s because they reminded me of my parents – or, at least, what I imagined my parents to be like. Maybe it’s because I was so dizzy that I couldn’t really think straight. I nodded slightly to the two before turning around, preparing myself to jump down the other side.
Suddenly, a massive wave of dizziness and nausea smacked me in the face. I groaned slightly and put my hand to my forehead, trying to get a hold of myself. Evidently, that didn’t work, because the next thing I knew, I was falling.
Time seemed to slow as I fell through the air. I probably shouldn’t pass out right now, the surprisingly calm thought entered my mind. If I do, I’ll most likely just freeze to death. Then again, passing out would save me a lot of pain from falling. Alright, I guess that’s it then. I’ll pass out now and hope I wake up in time to not die. My eyes fluttered closed just before I hit the ground, the fog in my brain thickening as I finally allowed myself to just give in to it.
– 3rd Person POV –
Clint grunted as he caught the girl. He was expecting to fall to the ground with her, only really serving to break her fall, but was surprised to find that she wasn’t even heavy enough to knock him down. Natasha made her way over to his side, looking down at the little thief in her friend’s arms.
“She’s light as a feather,” Clint murmured with a frown on his face, “and freezing to the touch.”
“She said she was hungry,” Natasha muttered thoughtfully.
Clint grit his teeth and nodded, determined. “Alright, that settles it. We’re taking her back to the tower.”
Natasha glanced at him warily. “You sure? The others might not be so accepting.”
“They’re gonna have to be,” he stated, already walking back, holding the girl as close as he could in an attempt to warm her up.
– Tony Stark x Reader. You’re the head of a major company, and you’ve reached out to Tony for help on a major project. He says yes before he really knows what he’s getting himself into, and he ends up falling for you because of it.
– Clint Barton x Reader. You and Clint had been enemy assassins for years until one day he gets the jump on you, hitting you right in the stomach and leaving you barely able to move due to injury. When he sees the collar that branded you as a slave of the Agency, he decides to take it on himself to help you recover, rather than turning you over to SHIELD. Over the next few weeks, you start to bond.
– Peter Parker x Reader. For years you have been locked in a sniping war over eBay with the same account. Today, you finally meet the face behind the computer.
– Peter Parker x Reader. You were Peter’s girlfriend of about one year, and you were left alone when the great snap happened. Now, you’re celebrating the occasion just like you’d promised.
– Bucky Barnes x Reader. You’re a teacher in Romania. You meet Bucky after you get into some trouble and he helps you out. In the middle of the night, though, he has a nightmare.
– Tony Stark x Reader / slight Steve Rogers x Reader. Three songfics for “I Got the Boy” by Jana Kramer, “Molly” by Lil Dicky, and “You Had Me From Hello” by Kenny Chesney about Tony and Steve both looking back on their time with the Reader, one with joy and one with regret.
– A two part series about Tony and the reader, his daughter, as they both express how much they love each other through the song “You are my Sunshine.”
– A two part series where you are a child that has been living on the streets for years, and over these years, you have become incredibly good at pickpocketing. Unfortunately for you, though, you picked the wrong target one too many times.
– Tom Holland x Reader. A two part series where you’re Tom Holland’s costar in the Marvel movies. These interviews are both monumental stepping stones in your relationship.
– Jon Snow x Trueborn Baratheon!Reader. Reader was previously married to Robb, though she has always loved Jon. She quietly admits her feelings for him on his deathbed at the wall.
– Sansa x fem!reader. Reader is a wolf shape-shifter from a powerful royal house that has helped the Starks for centuries. They fell in love at first sight, but couldn’t be married. Now Sansa is to marry Ramsay Bolton. But one day, the reader comes back.
– Jon Snow x Reader. You’re the first daughter and second child of the royal family. When you visit Winterfell, you quickly find yourself making friends with the Starks and one Snow. Despite knowing you two could never be together, you’re quickly catching feelings for one another.
– Jaime Lannister x Reader. Lady (Y/N) (L/N) is feared by many. She is capable of using any form of weapon against her oponent, though she favors two short swords. She is cunning and will do anything to get ahead in life. Deception is second nature to her. She is easily one of the most dangerous women to have ever set foot in Westeros. Now she’s found a new toy.
– Sam Winchester x Reader. Sam has finally decided to make his move and ask you to marry him. The only problem? He has absolutely no idea how to do it. When Dean catches him practicing possible speeches, he decides to take matters into his own hands with the help of Jody and Donna.
– Teen!Dean Winchester x Teen!Reader. You are trying to do some research on a werewolf case when two idiots a table over start being unbelievably annoying as they play the “Penis” Game.
– Dean Winchester x Reader. Dean is trying to convince Sam and himself that he hates you. Unfortunately, you end up overhearing the conversation and have a few choice words for him, too.
Evil is Subjective Part 9 (Avengers x Villain!Reader)
Author’s Note: Hey guys! So as it turns out, I don’t do very well with quarantines! Sorry I haven’t posted in so long. I feel kinda bad I just let this story sit for so long. To those who asked to be on the tag list, first: thank you! Second: I’m not sure if it accurately tagged all of you. I tried my best but I’m not very good with technology so I might’ve made a mistake. Anyways, I hope you all like it.
Description: You wake up on the riverbank and have to decide what you’re going to do with a certain injured super soldier.
Everything felt fuzzy. You know, like when you’re channel surfing and there’s no connection, so the screen is just that fuzzy grey and black stuff while the speakers make that buzzing noise? Ugh, I hate that buzzing noise.
Slowly, I took a breath, just allowing myself a minute to let my lungs fill with air, and it felt simply amazing — like ecstasy but without the glow sticks. Unfortunately, though, it couldn’t last forever. I needed to actually do something, instead of just sitting there until the end of time. So, I very painfully forced my eyelids to open, taking in all of the blurry details around me. God, it’s like coming down from ecstasy, too.
Ok, so I was on the shore of some body of water, judging by the sound of water nearby, plus my drenched clothes and the pebbles digging into my back. Now just to figure out how the hell I got here. The last thing I remembered was the evil helicarrier going down. I shook my head and pushed away the memory, my stomach churning as I remembered James’s face.
I groaned and urged my aching muscles to work so I could sit up. The headache was absolutely splitting. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and glanced around to take in a better account of my surroundings, though there wasn’t much there.
Pebbles, river, trees, Steve…
I could feel a jolt spark through my chest as I saw him lying there, motionless. With shaky breaths, I crawled my way over to him, ignoring the sting in my knees and palms from all the pebbles.
“Hey, Rogers? C’mon, buddy, it’s time to wake up,” I said, my hands going to his shoulders to try and shake him awake. Oh god, this is all my fault. He must’ve been the one to pull me out. I’m the only reason he went into the water in the first place, and now I might’ve killed him. I almost threw up just at the thought. Quickly, my fingers ghosted over his neck, pressing down for a second just to make sure he still had a pulse. It was weak, but it was enough to send relief flowing through me the second I found it. “Come on, Rogers, wake up! Steve!” I was starting to get more desperate, my heart in my throat as I continued to shake him. I didn’t care how loud I was being, I just needed him to be ok. “C’mon, Steve, please just open those baby blues for me; say some stupid, righteous comment, anything! Just wake the hell up! Please!”
“Steve!” I froze. That wasn’t my voice.
I glanced at the line of trees, my entire body shaking. He was so close, he could easily find me. Instantly, every nerve in my body kicked into high gear, my instincts screaming that I had to run, quickly.
My eyes landed on Steve again. He needed help and fast. I gritted my teeth together and squeezed my eyes shut. I’d probably get arrested if I simply stayed there, let alone if I did something colossally stupid. Still, I just… I couldn’t bring myself to run. Well, I guess I always was pretty good at the insane and stupid side of things.
I knelt beside Steve’s sleeping form and reached my hand out towards him, but I paused as I caught sight of how badly my fingers were shaking. The idea of what I was about to do made me sick to my stomach. I hated this. I felt like I was about to betray everything I believed in. Why did I even care so much? What had this righteous jerk ever done for me? You know, besides help me at every turn.
I groaned and shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut for just a moment in an effort to collect myself. I had to do this. There was simply no other choice. Once again, I reached out and gently wrapped my fingers around Steve’s neck. “God dammit, won’t you just die already?!” I screamed loudly. Apparently it was loud enough, because I could hear footsteps immediately start running towards us, and I quickly braved myself for what was to come.
I gasped as the man from earlier – the one with the mechanical wings – came into view. His eyes sharpened as they met my own, and he immediately fell into a defensive stance. What was he doing here? Who even was he? I’d never seen him before, that’s for damn sure. He was exmilitary, that much was written all over his stance, and he clearly didn’t trust me. Maybe he’d seen the news recently. Of course, it could’ve just been the fact that it looked like I was choking his friend. Really, it’s a toss up if you ask me.
“Who the hell are you? Get away from him!” he snapped. His words shook me from my daze and sent my brain into overdrive. He wasn’t an avenger or a cop, so overall, this was a good thing. He’d be more hesitant to kill me if he was just a citizen. Of course, his obvious training wasn’t gonna help very much, but if I played my cards right, it wouldn’t have to come down to physical fighting.
I forced myself to stand, cursing softly under my breath at how badly my legs were shaking. The fight against James – no, against the Winter Soldier – had completely drained me. I had absolutely no energy left in my body. Silently, I thanked my lucky stars that my obvious fatigue could actually work in my favor this time.
I smirked and lowered my chin slightly, letting a shadow fall over my eyes. “Well, aren’t you a troublesome little pest?” I chuckled lowly. I turned to face the blonde man with a sigh. “It took forever and almost all my energy, but finally knocking you out meant I had a chance to kill the great Captain America. What a pity your friend had to come and ruin the fun,” I pouted before dropping into a low crouch and placing a hand over his heart to reassure myself one last time that he was still breathing. I sent him a quick, sincere smile before swinging my head back around to meet the now more than hostile glare of Robot Chicken, forcing my smile to drop into what I hoped was a sinister looking smirk. Of course, whenever I used to practice my evil face in the mirror I always just ended up looking constipated, so it probably wasn’t all too menacing. Still, it can’t hurt to try, right?
“Uncle Sam here-“ I paused a moment, my eyes immediately catching sight of how his muscles tensed just a fraction further. Was that his name, Sam? I’ll think about it later and just use a different nickname. “The Ultimate Frisbee Champ is still alive, but only just, so you may wanna get him to a hospital.” I stood and stretched, trying to ignore the searing pain in my muscles. “Whelp, I don’t wanna get arrested, so I think I’m gonna head out. I’ll kill you guys next time, though, ok?” I grinned and winked at him. The poor man was speechless, only able to stare as I skipped forward. Our shoulders just barely brushed against each other while I passed. “Fix him up for me, will you? It’s no fun killing someone who can’t put up a good fight.”
I slipped into the cover of the trees nearby and watched as Birdman picked Steve up and carried him towards the nearby search party. As soon as they were out of sight, I bowed my head.
I didn’t have any other choice. He would have questioned why Steve was with me. Steve would have been in danger of being caught helping America’s current public enemy number one.
That’s when I finally realized what I just did. I really just played the villain. Sure, I’m sarcastic and a bit of an ass, but I usually don’t lie, especially about hurting people. I don’t consciously make people believe that I’m evil or that I want to kill them, with the exception of murderers and other scumbags. I shook my head in shock. Since when did I care enough about him to worry about him being caught? And more importantly, why the hell did I care about him? He’s just some schmuck I tricked into working with me!
Wait, that must be it! If he was caught, I’d lose my connection inside the Avengers. Of course I didn’t care what happened to him. That would be insane. All I cared about was helping myself against his teammates. That’s why I helped him, and that’s why I’m following his ambulance on a stolen bike — to make sure my tool didn’t die before he stopped being useful to me. That’s why I sat outside of his second story hospital room window for hours, barely balanced on a branch as I waited for him to wake up. That’s why I felt so terrified right now.
“On your left.”
My head snapped up, and I almost fell straight off the branch at the sudden noise. I felt like a severely uncoordinated squirrel as I crawled forward, but I quickly forgot about how stupid I must have looked when the hospital room became visible through the leaves. I couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto my face at the cheesy line, despite desperately trying to keep it off.
It took a while, but thankfully, the overprotective mama hen eventually left the room with the excuse of finding some coffee, giving me the precious few minutes I was waiting for.
Carefully, I stood up on the branch. The whole thing shook, which didn’t do much to help my overactive imagination that was currently working on picturing the sound my body would make when it hit the ground — I couldn’t decide between the sickening heavy thump and the more cartoonish splat. Carefully, I focused my powers on the latch to the window, gently unlocking it and pushing it open, all the while trying to ignore the burning in my lungs from overusing my gift. Then I took one last deep breath and jumped.
“(Y/N)?!” I quickly shushed the super soldier, gesturing wildly at the many, many soldiers stationed outside his hospital door. Steve glanced at the door before returning to staring forward, trying to act completely natural as the wanted woman squirmed through his window. “What are you doing here?” He hissed, doing his best to keep his eyes forward.
“I’m the stripper-gram you ordered,” I rolled my eyes, savoring the bright pink that spread across his face for just a moment as I plopped down on the cold hospital floor, gently shutting the window behind me, and shimmied my way over to the wall. Will messing with him ever get old? I highly doubt it. “I’m here to make sure you survived, dumbass.”
“Since when did you care what happened to me?” Steve scoffed.
“Oh, I am begging you not to flatter yourself right now, Miss America,” I leaned my head back against the wall from my seat on the floor that was just barely not visible to the guard stationed outside his door, doing my best to control my labored breathing. “I’m just here to make sure I haven’t lost an asset.”
Steve glanced at where I was seated with furrowed brows. “Are you ok? You seem a little out of it.” His voice was layered in concern.
“Of course I’m fine,” I snapped, my nails digging into my palms. Why was I acting angry? I didn’t feel angry. Granted, I’m not quite sure what exactly this feeling was, but I’d felt anger more than enough times to know that this wasn’t it. “Why should you care anyway? Why drag me out of that river? I’m just the girl who’s blackmailing you.”
“I didn’t drag you out; I thought you dragged me out,—“ wait, what? “—and besides, aren’t I’m just the guy you tried to strangle to death? So why exactly are you here checking up on me?” Steve snapped back. It was silent for a moment.
I chucked dryly and let my head fall back. “I’m guessing Mother Goose told you?” He nodded slowly, and I let out a big sigh. “And you didn’t even question how you were still alive, why I would give up my position like and idiot by screaming, or why I would even try to kill you in the first place.” It was more of a statement than a question, but his silence still answered everything. “I’m such an idiot,” I muttered softly. For some reason, it actually hurt. Seriously, what the hell was up with my emotions today? I still have at least another 2 weeks before I was supposed to start having these stupid mood swings. “Have fun recovering. I’ll call you when I need you,” I muttered, barely even believing the half-hearted promise to contact him myself as I wormed my way back over to the window.
“You know him don’t you?” Steve called before I could reach it. Images of the Winter Soldier both now and from all those years ago flashed painfully behind my eyelids, and slowly, I nodded my head. “And he doesn’t know you?” I winced at the thought and let my fingers dance over my swollen, freshly bruised neck. My free hand clenched so tightly my fingernails almost drew blood from my palm. I couldn’t shake the image of him on top of me, his hand wrapped around my throat with his head turned away, refusing to meet my eyes. I nodded once more. I still remembered how Hydra worked — the process they put their most valuable weapon through. The taunt that soldier had jabbed at her long ago about ‘putting him back on ice.’ How many times have they wiped him? How many times have they stolen his memories?
I grit my teeth and opened the window. I didn’t want to think about this. About how my only friend in that horrible place — the one who had protected me from them and who I left behind to just save my own sorry ass — was suffering because of me. Didn’t even know who he was because of me. Was being forced to kill people he once loved because of me.
“You’re wrong.” I frowned and stopped, my fingertips grazing over the window ledge. “He recognized you; I saw it. He looked away and let go for a moment. It’s the only reason I was able to get him off you.” My head snapped up, and I stared at the Steve.
He recognized me?
So then the person who dragged us out of the water must have been…
“James…” My own voice broke the silence that had surrounded us like a heavy blanket.
“He’s still in there. We can still save him.” I stared at Steve fully now. Maybe he was right. Maybe we could do this.
I let out a short, clipped laugh and shook my head. “You really do get off on all that inspirational crap, huh, Rogers?” I smiled ever so slightly and let my eyes meet his once more. “Alright. Let’s bring him back.”
I’m Still Your Sunshine (Tony Stark x Daughter!Reader)
Description: A continuation of the songfic “Sunshine” which follows the events of endgame.
Author’s note: hi guys. So I worked really, really hard on this piece, and honestly, I think it turned out really nice. This is the second verse of “You are my Sunshine,” which is kind of a response to the first verse, so that’s how I treated it, with the entire thing in your POV. I really hope you all like it!
I’m still your sunshine
It came back slow, the feeling of being alive – almost like waking up from a deep sleep just as the sun began to rise, shining through the window of your bedroom. It’s the kind of sleep that leaves you feeling simply refreshed in the morning and ready to take on the day.
Unfortunately, that peace was rather short-lived; it left the moment I remembered what had happened – the moment I remembered leaving my dad.
Quickly, I shot upright, panic coursing through my veins as I whipped back and forth, searching for my father. Quick, shallow breaths got shorter and shorter by the second, my vision getting more and more blurry when I couldn’t find him right away.
He couldn’t have died, not him. He was way too stubborn to not figure out a way to survive. Right? Right?!
A hand rested on my shoulder, and immediately I jumped around, arms flailing to try and land a hit on the intruder.
“(Y/N), it’s just me!” the voice sounded like it was coming from far away, on the shore of the ocean where I was drowning. There was no air, no light. I couldn’t find my way out. I was scared. I just wanted to see my dad.
I had to find him. He’ll definitely save me, just like he always has – just like he promised he always would.
“(Y/N), it’s me, it’s Peter! Just calm down, ok?!”
Peter.
I knew Peter. He was the one that dad recruited. I hated him at first, when he’d stolen my spot in the Civil War, but it didn’t take long for him to weasel his way into becoming one of my best friends.
Little by little, my breathing started to slow down. Suddenly, I could feel Peter’s arms around me, keeping me as close as possible until I calmed down. And… my cheeks felt wet, too. I must’ve been crying.
“It’s ok, I’ve got you,” Peter murmured, refusing to loosen his grip on me for a second. I could only nod into his shoulder as I tried to focus simply on calming down.
Your only sunshine
I glanced over at everyone else, each of them alive and standing just like I was. But… how? And more importantly, how long were we all away?
“Five years.” He seemed to read my mind. Was that one of Dr. Strange’s powers? I didn’t think so, but then again, he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with a lot of information.
“My dad?” My voice was hoarse and sounded foreign as I asked about the only thing I really cared about.
“He needs our help,” he stated simply. Ugh, that was just like him, wasn’t it?
“Whatever he needs,” I answered confidently, straightening up and lifting my chin to stare at the man before me. I could see Peter nod out of the corner of my eye as well as all of the – what did they call themselves? The Guardians of the Galaxy? Oh well, it didn’t matter as long as they were willing to help my dad.
Dr. Strange opened one of those weird yellow circles that he loved so much, and before long, we were jumping through it and onto what looked like a massive battlefield, surrounded by every ally I could have ever imagined.
Still, I was focused on one thing and one thing only: Steve Rogers, the man who used to think of as an uncle until he decided to betray my father. The man who was standing alone.
I managed to catch his eye for a second, but before I could even say anything, he had turned away. It looked like I would have to find my dad on my own.
“AVENGERS!” Steve summoned Mjolnir… wait, WHAT? “…assemble.” Ok, I’ll figure it out later. Time to fight.
I’ll always love you
The fight was unbelievable. I almost couldn’t tell where one side began and the other side ended. Really, I was just focused on hitting anything that looked gross, which was actually working pretty well.
Suddenly, everything stopped.
It.. it was him. He was right there, hugging Peter, and he was ok!
“Dad!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, fresh tears stinging my eyes. Immediately, he looked up and our eyes met.
I started running so hard that I almost fell a few times as my feet struggled to keep up. My chest was tight, each breath fighting to get through the sobs trapped in my throat. But I didn’t care about all of that. All I cared about was seeing him again.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I was crashing into his arms. Together, the two of us sank to the ground. I could feel him sobbing just as hard as I was as he held me as tight as he could, almost as if he was afraid to let me go again. I wouldn’t even dream of complaining, though. I felt the exact same way.
“I-I thought you were gone,” I gasped shakily, my hands clutching onto anything they could hold to remind myself that he was still there, still with me.
“I would never leave you, sunshine. I’m right here, I promise,” he muttered, pressing a long kiss to the top of my head. “It’s ok. We’re ok.”
Though I’m away
I wanted to stay like that forever, but we both knew it couldn’t happen. Eventually we would have to keep fighting. No matter what, we had to win.
“Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?” My dad was the one who broke the fantasy. Quickly, I wiped my eyes, and together, we stood back up just in time to see a passing Dr. Strange.
“Hey!” I snapped, stopping the wizard in his tracks. “You said one out of 14 million, we win, yeah? Tell me this is it!”
He frowned and glanced at my dad before turning back to me. “If I tell you what happens, it won’t happen.” I searched deeper into his eyes, looking for the cryptic meaning behind his words. There was something there that I couldn’t figure out, but whatever it was, it made me sick to my stomach.
“You better be right,” my dad nodded, laying a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at him, worried.
Something didn’t feel right.
I’m still your sunshine
It was a mad dash for the gauntlet. The flying woman had it for a while, but she lost it when a rusty old van exploded, and now, it was lying on the ground.
Run. I had to run. I couldn’t let Thanos get there first.
My dad covered me and tackled the massive, wrinkly grape, but I wasn’t really paying attention. All I was focused on was the piece of metal lying just a few feet away. I finally reached it, but just before I could grab it, I was sent flying by a large purple hand.
I gritted my teeth together and forced myself back to my feet just in time to see Strange holding up one finger – a warning but also a reassurance. We could still win.
I screamed and raced forward, tackling Thanos while dad yanked on the gauntlet, but before I could even hope to rip it off his hand, he punched us both away.
I couldn’t believe it. We… we lost. “I am… inevitable.” I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for it to happen all over again. Waiting for that terrible cold feeling to come back.
“And I… am… Iron Man.” My eyes snapped back open to see my dad with a gauntlet of his own.
And he snapped.
And it was all over.
Just only yours dear
After a while of staring in wonder as Thanos’s entire army turned to dust around us, we all came to the same incredible realization.
We really did it.
We actually won.
I turned to my dad, a wide smile on my face, ready to hug him, congratulate him on winning the war for us and probably throw in a few jabs about how he always has to be the biggest hero. Then I saw him. And suddenly, my smile disappeared.
I dragged myself numbly back to my feet, staring at my father where he sat, burns covering the entire right half of his body. If felt like there was a bubble in my chest, pushing against my heart and lungs and stomach. I kept waiting it to fill with terror or anger or grief or something, but it merely sat there. Like it was just waiting to be popped.
Peter ran past me on my right, and I stumbled a bit. I think it was Bucky, or maybe it was Sam, who helped me back to my feet. I didn’t really care who it was. I just kept walking.
I heard FRIDAY say something along the lines of, “Life functions critical,” but it didn’t really register above the ringing sound that was banging against the inside of my skull.
I fell to my knees next to Pepper in front of him, my entire body shaking as I took in just how bad it really was – as I realized that my dad, my hero and my constant savior, wasn’t going to make it.
“Hey, sunshine,” he whispered.
I took a deep, shaky breath in, forcing back tears. I didn’t want his last moments to be spent seeing me cry. He hated it when I cried. Somehow, he always thought it was his fault when it never really was. “Hey, dad,” I smiled a bit, though we both knew it was fake. “Everyone’s fine now. We’re ok, thanks to you.” My voice broke as the lump in my throat grew overwhelming, keeping me from saying anything more.
Pepper nodded, her hand laid gently on top of my own. “We’re gonna be ok. You can rest now.”
There we sat, watching as the arc reactor in his chest flickered off. Watching as the life left my dad’s eyes. Pepper started crying on his shoulder, but I could only sit back and stare at the man who’d raised me, who had given everything to me, suddenly gone.
And I was alone.
And I’m coming home someday
It was a nice funeral — classy, of course, considering Pepper was the one who put it together. But it still didn’t change the fact that the greatest man I’d ever known — the greatest man this world had ever seen — was gone.
I felt a slight tug on my hand, and I glanced down to see my younger sister – part of me still couldn’t believe I actually had a little sister. She was staring up at me with wide eyes, curious eyes that looked frighteningly similar to dad’s. She probably didn’t even understand what was going on. Then again, she was her father’s daughter, so she’s probably a genius.
“What’s up, Morgan?” I struggled to smile at least a little bit, crouching down so I could be at her level.
“I’m hungry,” she said simply.
I chuckled a bit. “How ‘bout you and I go get some cheeseburgers?” She nodded back. “Dad always did love those things, huh?” I asked absentmindedly as I led her past the crowd, ducking to avoid the endless stares of pity that followed us, and back inside the little cabin. It was just like the one he used to always dream about taking me to when everything was over — when we wouldn’t have to be heroes anymore.
“We can get as many cheeseburgers as you want, okay?”
“Okay.”
We ate lunch together. She was a good kid. I could tell. And from the moment I first saw her, I made a promise to myself and to my dad that I would protect her since he couldn’t any more, and it seemed like she understood. In no time at all, we had become inseparable.
After lunch, she started yawning, so I took her to her room for a nap. I hesitated a moment after I had tucked her in. I didn’t want to leave just yet. “Hey, how about a lullaby?”
Morgan nodded, and I smiled, settling in next to her so she could lay her head on my lap.
The familiar lullaby left my lips like it was nothing. I was singing my dad’s part – the part that had gotten me through some of the worst times in my life. It had ended far too quickly. I wanted to stay longer, to be with her. But before I could even think of getting out of the bed, I heard it.
Morgan’s little voice drifting through the bedroom with the same response to the song my dad had taught me so long ago, stopping me in my tracks.
I felt something wet rolling down my cheeks.
I… I was crying.
For the first time since the day of the battle, I was crying. But somehow, I wasn’t too sad. No, it felt more like a reassurance — like suddenly I knew that everything was going to be ok.
I snapped out of my trance long after the song had finished and glanced fondly down at my little sister, who was already half asleep by then.
“I love you,” she mumbled tiredly.
I smiled and laid a gentle hand on her head, smoothing her hair away from her face.
Request: “Can you do a fic based off the song ‘You’re in Love’ by Taylor Swift for Tony x the reader. It can be more of Tony’s POV if you’d like. It’s Tony realized that he’s in love with a much younger reader but it’s okay because he deserves ALL THE FLUFF”
Author’s Note: Hey I’m so sorry this took absolutely forever. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty difficult for me to get started on this one for the simple reason that I don’t listen to Taylor Swift all too much. Plus, things are super hectic in my life right now. Still, once I got going, it started to come together pretty quickly. So anyways, I really hope you like it – I actually ended up really having a good time with it in the end.
Important Note: (F/D) = Favorite Drink; (I/S) = Important Symbol to you (For instance, something that reminds you of your family)
One look, dark room
Women just for you
Time moved too fast
You played it back
Tony walked into the gala with an unimpressed look on his face. It was his fifth gala this month, and to be quite honest, it was getting old.
Every woman in the room turned their heads as he entered, and he had to choke back a sigh. He was just… so tired of this… this routine of woman after woman throwing themselves at him. Make no mistake, he loved his life, and he loved the good work that he knew he was doing, but to have people only see him as this undefinable object that they want nothing more than to possess? To only be wanted for his money, his fame? It can get pretty disheartening.
Tony made his way through the crowd slowly, doing his best to ignore the feeling of eyes burning into his back. All he had to do was make a quick donation and get out before anyone could ask him for a dance. He loathed the endless dancing that came with these kinds of events and the endless dance partners that were simply looking for a way to get close to him and his money.
Wait.
No, something was different here. Somewhere in this sea of vultures wrapped overly tightly in designer clothing was something better – something good.
Quickly, he did his best to retrace his steps in his mind, but everything had become such a blur of faces that he almost couldn’t remember seeing the one he was hoping for.
Buttons on a coat
Light hearted joke
No proof, one touch
But you saw enough
He’d seen her before, just a few times, but every single time, he could feel his entire chest restrict. This time was no exception, of course, and when he saw her all alone, holding her arms close to her chest, he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out what that tight feeling in his chest was, but he knew he had to talk to her.
“Fancy seeing you here.” Stupid. That was way too cliché, he should’ve come up with something better. The angry thoughts started racing through his mind at 100 miles per hour before they were stopped by one of the single most beautiful sounds he had ever had the privilege to hear.
Her giggle, like bells chiming on a cold Sunday morning, filled the air between them. “I thought you knew this was one of my favorite charities,” she questioned, turning that amazingly contagious smile his way.
Tony quickly made a mental note of her words. He’d had no idea of her favorite charity, but he certainly wouldn’t be forgetting it any time soon. She shivered, and before he even knew what was happening, he had slipped off his jacket.
“No, you don’t have to-”
“I want to,” Tony interrupted, gently laying the fabric over her shoulders. “Besides, it’s not even that cold in here. I have no idea how you’re shivering.”
The woman scoffed, playing with the golden buttons stitched into the black suit jacket. “Oh, please, you just don’t realize how cold it is ‘cause your heart is frozen solid.” And just like that, they had fallen back into that familiar routine of sarcastic comments and witty retorts. And yet, for some reason, Tony’s heart wasn’t really in the conversation, though he couldn’t figure out why.
No, that was a lie. He knew exactly why he couldn’t focus. His fingers had brushed her shoulders when he’d put his coat on her, and it was enough to send sparks flying up and down his arms. He simply couldn’t shake off that incredible feeling.
Small talk, he drives
Coffee at midnight,
The light reflects
The chain on your neck
“I think this party might be dying. You wanna get out of here?” Why did he say that? He knew how young she was; he knew he could never have her. So why in the world would he ever say that?
“Sure!” Thank God.
Tony led her to his car out back – sleek and black, perfectly matching his suit. He didn’t bother telling Happy. He would figure things out, he always did. Instead, he just got in and drove.
That’s how they found themselves alone in a quite little coffee shop in the middle of the night. He ordered a black coffee. It tasted different without his usual addition of scotch, but he made a promise to himself not to do that in front of her. She, of course, was happy with a cup of (F/D).
It took a while for him to notice, but eventually his gaze was drawn from that perfect face to the glint coming off from around her neck.
“You’re wearing it,” he murmured, not taking his eyes off of it for a second, half afraid and half hoping that the necklace she was wearing – the necklace that he gave to her – was a trick of the light.
She smiled, her hands unconsciously reaching up to hold the small pendant attached to the delicate piece of metal. “It’s my favorite.”
That drew his attention back up, confusion written in the furrow of his brows. “How? I know for a fact that you have far more expensive than that.” After all, the woman was incredibly successful, and he had seen her with more than one piece of jewelry worth thousands. Of course, she usually wore them as a sponsorship for the makers. Her main goal was always to donate as much as she could to charity – just another piece of what made her so incredible.
She sent him a soft smile, enough to reassure him with just a single look. “It’s my favorite because it was given to me by a friend who truly knows me. A friend who knows I’d much rather have a piece of jewelry that means something than a rock to hang on my neck.” She glanced down at the (I/S) resting ever so gracefully in her perfect hands. “It’s the best gift I could have ever asked for, and I never take it off.”
She says look up
And your shoulders brush
No proof, one touch
You felt enough
They soon had to leave the coffee shop, afraid that the owners would kick them out sooner or later, and started walking down the sidewalk back to his car. Tony stared at his feet, his stomach churning at the thought of the night being almost over, knowing he would soon have to leave her.
He couldn’t keep doing this. He couldn’t keep pining after a woman so much who was practically half his age. The amount of ridicule that she would face simply for being with him would be endless, and he couldn’t bring himself to do that to her, no matter how much it hurt him.
“Tony, look up!” She screamed. A hand wrapped around his arm, yanking him away from the street and the speeding car that would have run him down if not for her.
They stared at one another, panting, Tony barely registering the fact that they were shoulder-to-shoulder, and suddenly, it dawned on both of them: they felt the same way.
That’s when she closed the distance between them.
You can hear it in the silence, silence, you
You can feel it on the way home, way home, you
You can see it with the lights out, lights out
You are in love, true love
The memories were playing back in his mind over and over. He even turned the radio off just so that he could swim through the pleasant memories instead.
The kiss – she was the one who lead it, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining.
The confession – how she told him that she had liked him since the first time they met, and how it had only grown each time they talked, each of these words filling him with overwhelming happiness as he heard his own feelings being described back to him.
The way back to her apartment – it was the first time in a very long time that he was taking it slow, but it felt right, especially when she glanced over at him with a wide smile and rosy cheeks as they held hands over the center console.
Before he could blink, he was already in his driveway. Tony chuckled to himself at his mindlessness and quickly made his way to his room, still replaying the events over in his mind. He simply couldn’t help himself; it all seemed too wonderful to be true.
And so there he lay in his bed, smiling like an idiot as he stared at his phone.
One new contact: (Y/N) (L/N).
She was too young for him; he knew that, and he knew that a relationship would be unbelievably hard. Still, he couldn’t help feeling like it was all going to work out and that, as long as she was by his side, he could get through anything.
Tony set his phone down on the nightstand and looked up at the ceiling in the dark, focusing simply on that same tightened feeling in his chest.
He’d known.
From the very beginning, he’d known exactly what this feeling was, he just wouldn’t admit it to himself.
Now, though, he could hold his head high and accept it with pride and joy.
That was what she was. Curled up as tightly as she could get, her arms heavy as they gripped her knees and held them against her chest. Her little nose was bright red, and her skin was littered with goosebumps. She didn’t know where she was or why she was there. All she knew was that she didn’t like these metal walls very much, and she wanted nothing more than to have her favorite teddy bear with her, Lieutenant General Teddy.
Her breath caught as the metal door swung open, trying to hide her tear-stained cheeks from the rather scary newcomer. He loomed above her, his large frame taking up the majority of the space. The man crouched down, causing the little girl to let out a soft whimper.
“Come on. It’s time to get ready,” he spoke levelly. She frowned and curled further into herself, refusing to move. The man sighed and said, “Look, kid, if you don’t come with me, they’re gonna be mad, and it won’t be good for either of us.” The girl sniffled and glanced over at him. It was then that he noticed how badly she was shaking. “I’ll be right there with you.” He almost found himself wondering who said that, not quite believing that he was offering the young girl comfort.
“B-but I don’t even kn-know your n-name,” she fought out between strangled sobs. The man lifted a brow. At least she was cautious. That would help in here.
“You and me both, kid,” he wanted to laugh, but his face instead remained still, frozen in place after years of being punished for so much as a twinkle in the eyes. She retreated further into her little ball, letting out a stubborn little “hmmph.” The man fought back the urge to roll his eyes. “Fine. If it makes you feel any better, you can call me soldier.”
The girl frowned up at him and shook her head. “No, that’s stupid. How ‘bout instead you can be my new teddy, and I’ll call you… Sergeant Teddy. Since the Lieutenant General isn’t here, you can take over for him,” she finished triumphantly. The man’s brow twitched, torn between telling her not to use the annoying nickname and just wanting to get her to go with him before the guards got impatient. Quickly, he made up his mind.
“Alright, fine, now let’s go,” the man stood back up, offering the girl a hand.
Why did he do that? She should be able to get up on her own.
“Woah, Teddy, you have a really shiny arm,” she breathed. He glanced down at the metal and frowned slightly.
“If you don’t like it, you can get up yourself-”
“No, it’s pretty.” The words caught him offguard. Most people here couldn’t even stand to look at it. The girl grabbed his hand and stood up, drawing his thoughts away again.
The man shook his head and led her out of the cell and down the halls, his hand unconsciously tightening around hers as they neared their destination.
“Teddy?” she whispered.
“Hmm.”
“I’m scared.”
He couldn’t exactly be surprised. She was just a kid after all, and these people were monsters. Anyone in their right mind would be scared. He shouldn’t say anything. She needs to learn how to survive in here, and coddling her won’t do her any favors.
“It’s ok. I’ll protect you.” He almost kicked himself for doing something so stupid. He let his emotion get the better of him – something he hadn’t done since his first few weeks in this hell.
“Thank you, Teddy.” She seemed to relax slightly. The man nodded, his doubts gone when he saw her little smile.
–(short Time Skip)–
“I can’t,” she sniffled.
“Well try again,” a man in a white coat snapped, shoving the glass of water towards her. She scrunched up her face, staring at the glass as intensely as a child could.
“I can’t!” She frowned and slumped in her chair, giving up on trying to do what they asked. The soldier winced from where he watched behind the glass. They would be mad.
The man in the white coat clenched his jaw and nodded towards the door. Immediately, a few guards marched in.
“No, no, I’m sorry!” She screamed, tears quickly spilling over her cheeks. “Please, I’m sorry! I can try again!” One of the men grabbed her by the arm and yanked her roughly from her seat. “I’m sorry!-” he punched her in the gut.
The soldier turned away, unable to watch as they beat the poor girl mercilessly.
“Stop! Please!” Her cries rang in his ears. In fact, he was so focused on them that he didn’t notice his hands balling into fists or his muscles getting tense.
“Teddy!”
He was by her side before she could even finish the name, the guards immediately taking a hesitant step back. This was insane. He couldn’t do this. He would be punished. “Teddy,” the soft, broken whimper was all it took for him to steel himself back up.
“Touch her and die,” he growled, eyeing each of the guards in turn. When he was satisfied they wouldn’t advance, he turned to the girl. He knelt before her, running a gentle hand through her hair as she rushed towards him, burying her face in his chest. “It’s ok,” he soothed. “Teddy’s here.” He let her cry for a moment before grabbing her by the shoulders and making her look at him. “You need to try again.”
Tears quickly sprung into her eyes again. “I can’t do it.” Her voice was shaking.
“Yes you can,” he said firmly. “Now focus hard and do as he says. I’ll help you.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. The girl sucked in a harsh breath and gathered herself up, nodding determinedly back at him. She faced the table and took a deep breath before tucking her chin slightly to stare at the glass. Everything in the room faded away – the door slamming open, the man in the white coat screaming as loud as he could, the cocking of the man’s gun, which quickly silenced all of them, she didn’t hear any of it. She could only feel the metal hand that engulfed her own, offering a kind of reassurance that she would succeed.
Slowly, the water in the glass rose. It wavered and splashed at the minimal amount of control she had over it, but it was something. It was control, though little it may be.
The entire room stared at the girl as she held the writhing ball of water suspended in the air, almost entranced by the feat. The water came crashing back down into the cup, and she squealed, jumping and wrapping her small arms around the still kneeling man’s neck.
“Teddy, Teddy, did you see?! I did it! I really did it!” she continued to squeal, her previously thick voice and tear-filled eyes now morphed into what can only be described as the pure joy that a child experiences when she knows she did well.
“Yeah, I saw it,” the man chuckled a bit at her excitement. “Good job, kid.”
The girl pulled back a bit to show him the largest beaming smile she could muster. “Don’t be silly, Teddy! You can call me (Y/N)!”
The man lifted a brow, but she stuck out her bottom lip, glaring at him and making it very clear that she wouldn’t be taking no for an answer. The man sighed and stood. “Alright, fine. Let’s go, ok, (Y/N)?” He held a hand out for her, and she took it without hesitation. The crowd of guards parted for them, far too terrified of her Teddy to even think about getting in their way.
–(Time Skip)–
“No! I’m not going! Not without my Teddy!” They’d tried everything to get her out of the room, but what can they do when they can’t even get close enough to threaten her? The girl sat in the middle of her cell, a whirlpool of speeding water surrounding her. One of the guards who had been stupid enough to try to force his way through had gotten his shoulder dislocated by the incredibly strong currents.
“At least we know she’s powerful,” the supervisor commented. “Where did she even find enough water to create such a thing?”
“W-well, sir,” the man in the white coat started nervously. “We aren’t really sure. Although, some of us think she might have plucked it from the humidity in the air.”
The supervisor blinked in surprise before falling into a smirk. “From the air, eh? Very powerful indeed,” he chuckled softly to himself. One of the guards screamed, interrupting the conversation. It seemed that he had attempted to just touch the water, and his finger was now twisted beyond recognition. The supervisor frowned just a fraction, which was more than enough to terrify the man next to him. “Your men are useless,” he commented casually. “I will have to get her myself.”
The man in the white coat’s eyes widened in terror. After all, if the supervisory died, he would probably meet the same fate. “B-but sir-”
“Must I remind you of what happens to those who speak out of turn?” The supervisor snapped before he could protest.
“O-of course, sir. My sincerest apologies.” His voice was shaking.
“Remember your place, rat. Do not attempt to crawl from the gutter, or you will be exterminated.”
The supervisor walked into the cell, not even bothering to glance at the frozen man behind him. Slowly, he approached the whirlpool. “So I hear you miss your teddy bear,” he called out above the roaring of the waves. “Perhaps I can find you a new one.”
“No, you can’t! Teddy isn’t some stupid bear, he’s my friend!” She screamed. the waters seemed to speed up a bit, causing the man to take a cautious step back.
“Well then maybe I can find him for you,” he called again. “If you describe him, I’ll find him and bring him back to you.”
The water slowed with his words. It wasn’t enough to make them fall, but it was at least enough so that he could now catch a glimpse of her, rather than the endless stream of white foam. “R-really? Promise?” She said warily.
“Promise,” he nodded. “I just need you to tell me what your teddy bear looks like.”
The girl frowned. “What are you, stupid? I told you, he’s not a bear.” Oh, how he wanted to slap her for speaking to him like that. Of course, he stopped himself. He needed her trust if he hoped to control her. “A-also, he has really long hair. It’s brown and soft. And his eyes are blue. He’s super big and strong and brave, and he has this really pretty arm. It’s all shiny with a big star on it.” She finished. Just talking about her teddy had calmed her down enough to let the water fall, revealing her full frame.
The man frowned darkly. “Are you talking about the Winter Soldier?” he fought to keep his voice level.
The girl furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “Who?”
“The Winter Soldier, Sergeant James Barnes, is that who you speak of or not, you stupid child?!” he snapped.
The girl’s features hardened. “He isn’t Sergeant James, he’s Sergeant Teddy. And I’m not stupid, you’re just a big dumb meanie-head!” she screamed back.
The man opened his mouth, fully prepared to scream at her and punish her for her for her insolence when he saw the fallen drops of water gathering at her feet and forming what looked suspiciously like spikes. So instead, he counted silently to five and said, “Your Teddy is a very dangerous man. I don’t want him to hurt you-”
“He won’t hurt me, Meanie-head, he’s my Teddy!” She stomped her foot on the ground, the spikes at her feet growing more defined and threatening.
The man grit his teeth together and growled softly under his breath. “Alright, fine, I will get you Teddy. And when I do, you will go with these men like a good girl or else you’ll never see Teddy again. Understand?” She nodded. “Good.”
It wasn’t long before the door opened again, revealing none other than her Teddy. She squealed and ran to him, where he received her without any hesitation. “Teddy, I was so lonely! They wouldn’t let me see you, and one man kept calling you Sergeant James, even though I told him your name was really Sergeant Teddy, and I was so scared they wouldn’t let you come and-and…”
“It’s ok, medvezhonok (little bear). I’m here now,” he shushed her gently. “I’m here.”
The next few years went by in a similar fashion. Whenever they needed the girl to train, she would refuse to move an inch until they brought her Teddy. He taught her how to fight, both with and without her powers; how to use any and every weapon she could ever need; and stayed with her while she was learning how to read coding and force her way through firewalls for information. They were not happy – no one could be happy in a place such as that – but they found comfort in one another. In a life of constant danger and fear, they felt safe when they were together. Until one day, when it all ended.
She was 12 now, but her skills already exceeded those of anyone they faced her against in training as well as all of her guards. “Where’s Teddy?” she asked, confused at why he wasn’t with them. Most of the guards had given up trying to move her on their own.
“Move,” one of the men snapped harshly.
Immediately her heart started pounding. It was never good when they didn’t answer. “Where is he?”
“This is ridiculous,” one of them scoffed. He looked new – he was still confident… and stupid. “Your ‘Teddy’ won’t be joining you again.” Her heart must have stopped, her breath caught in her throat. “The freak was put back on ice. If you’re lucky, though, you might get to see him in another ten years,” he snorted. “Now let’s go.”
The poor girl was feeling a lot of things – sadness for her lost Teddy, fear for what the men might do to her with him gone, but mostly it was anger. She hated these men more than anything, and now they had taken away the one thing she had left – her last bit of comfort.
And really, it wasn’t her fault when it happened. That stupid young guard had jabbed her with the end of his gun at a moment when she really shouldn’t have been jabbed, and the powers she had been struggling to control had simply taken over.
Most of what happened was a blur for the poor thing. It wasn’t until her powers had run out and she had finally regained control that she saw all of the blood. It painted every wall, every hallway from her cell to where she now stood, across the compound. There were no bodies, but she had a sinking feeling that they might be mixed in with all of the blood. Above her was a big, red sign lighting up in the word ‘EXIT.’ She didn’t really care about that, though. She had to find Teddy.
But he could be anywhere – he might not even be in the building anymore – and she was starting to hear footsteps heading her way.
So, she made a decision – one that made her sick to her stomach.
“I’m sorry, Teddy,” she whispered softly as she pushed open the door.
Summary:You hadn’t known what happened. One moment, you were running for your life. The next moment, you were falling from the sky and your only hope was calling the one number you had to save you. You were in a universe where the Avengers existed and you had no idea what to do. You fight between doing what’s right and what feels right. Do you return to your own universe or do you stay with the people you love?
[Set after AoU and canon divergence after.]
Warnings:18+. polyamorous relationships. F/M, F/F, F/F/F, F/M/M. Eventual smut. Explicit Sexual Content. Canon-level violence. sugaring relationship. Angst. Explore themes of domestic violence and family issues. Domestic fluff. Slow Burn.
Note:Yeah, I said reader gets with everyone. What about it? LOL This is my self-indulgent fic. Therefore, sporadic updates but we’re here for the fun! Chapters with sexual content will be marked with a *. There are no set amount of chapters, so I will add as I go :)
A/N: Fight scene is next! Not looking forward to that i suck at writing them so i’ll probably stick close to the script for that or just be very vague with it, not edited or proof read!
Sam stood on his front porch, his phone still clutched in his hand as he stared at the call log. He let out a breath, hitting your name bringing the phone to his ear, when he heard it go straight to voicemail he let out a groan, squeezed his phone so hard that if he had that serum running through his veins he definitely would have crushed his phone.
He was feeling a mixture of emotions, he was frustrated with how vague you were, he was mad at Bucky for clearly not telling him everything he seen the headlines about you, the video footage of you walking out on Bucky followed by lightning lighting up the sky he thought it was just a fight, an argument because he knew first hand how stubborn Bucky could be but you were always so reasonable, Steve use to tell him you were the glue that kept them together, he was hoping that would be the case with Bucky, you and him.
He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, everything changed but he gave you your space, gave you time but 6 months was such a long time. He was nervous every goddamn day he would check his phone from any sign that you were alive and well, he would check the news. When he heard in the news a single lightning strike cracked a 100 year old tree in half, he felt some sort of relief but it was clearly intentional, he tried to get Bucky to talk to him but he was like a broken record with the whole “None of your business”
But he was so fucking nervous right now, that sounded like a goodbye and not just a see you later one like you told him but a your never gonna see me again goodbye. His mind couldn’t stop playing one of the last conversations with Steve he ever had about you on repeat.
2023 - A little before Steve Rogers Passing
“Hey Sam?”
“Yeah Cap?”
A small smile played on his face “You know you can stop calling me that, the shields yours”
An eye roll played out on Sam’s face “You’re always gonna be my Captain”
Nostalgia was written all over Steve’s face before it fell flat “Y/N hasn’t came by since the stones, i haven’t heard from her, im worried Sam”
“I’ve stopped by multiple times, called texted shes just not answering, I dont know whats going on”
“Bucky won’t tell me anything” he paused, liar Steve thought before continuing “They must be fighting again” a small smile on his face thinking of all Bucky’s and yours stupid fights.
Sam snorted “Makes two of us, i think shes just not handling all this” He gestured to Steve laying in a hospital bed “Well”
Steve nodded, he opened and closed his mouth, debating if he should say what he was thinking before starting “I know this is asking a lot of you Sam, but you need to look after her”
“You know i will Cap, always, shes family to me too”
“I’m gonna tell you something that only Y/N, Tony, Fury and I knew, you can’t tell Bucky it’ll just make things worse”
“Yeah of course, my lips are sealed”
Steve nodded “Y/n, she didn’t just go for a walk, fall asleep and wake up here” he referred to the 2000’s “She died”
Sam’s mouth dropped “What? that wasn’t in any file?”
“I know because we decided it was best kept a secret but a little bit after she woke up she couldn’t remember much but it came back to her, she was hysterical, we had to sedate her. It was like everything she felt before hit her all at once…. but we got her to talk, it wasn’t uncommon after the war for people to commit suicide”
Sam’s eyes went wide not liking where this was headed.
“Y/n, she lost us, she didn’t have anyone left. She attended not one but two funerals where there was no body, I couldn’t imagine what she felt.” Steve brought his eyes to look at Sam’s because he didn’t want to say it and he knew with Sam he wouldn’t have to “She, did it Sam, she went to — and she did”
“Steve, that’s a lot” Sam got up, he started pacing near the foot of the bed “That changes everything, i gotta —“
Steve cut him off “I know its a lot as long as you know she’s in there and alive that’s all that matters Sam”
“Why didn’t you tell Bucky, that’s his girl”
“He went through a lot, he was healing, she was healing, she promised me everything was fine”
“He’d kick down that door if he knew”
Steve had a small smile “Yeah i know he would, he wouldn’t let her out of his site, she’s his everything”
“Any idea why they’d be fighting?”
Steve shrugged “Can’t say i do Sam” he knew of course he did, Bucky came to him 2 weeks ago asking for advice about you. How he didnt know he was anymore, didn’t know who you were anymore. That he didn’t want to drag you through the dark tunnel of finding out who he was now, Steve told him that was stupid.
That’d you’d be more hurt by him saying he needed space, that he needed time because the two of you were already on borrowed time. Steve promised he wouldn’t say anything no matter how badly he wanted to, because he hoped at the time the two of you would sort this out before it was time for him to go but by the looks of things that wasn’t the case. It was a secret that was coming with him to the grave, he knew Bucky would tell Sam when he was ready, when that trust was built he just hoped it wasn’t gonna be too late.
The front door swung open “What the hell Sam? Was that y/n?! Don’t even lie to me i heard you say her name” Bucky’s brows were creased, pointing his finger at Sam.
Sam didnt say anything quite yet, he could see the smoke coming out of Bucky’s ears, he knew he had to tell him. It was the only way he couldn’t think of any other excuse that he wouldn’t question “We should go inside”
Sam turned to walk inside but Bucky grabbed his arm to stop him. Sam stared in his eyes. He could tell how worried he was, he could see the panic, the heartache, the sacrifices but most importantly the love he had for you.Sam kept walking nodded for Bucky to follow him to the table, he could hear his heavy footsteps trailing behind him.
He pulled a chair out and plopped down, Bucky stood there with his arms crossed “Sit down Buck”
“No”
“Bucky sit down”
Bucky lingered a little longer before giving in, pulling out the chair across from Sam “You better start talking Sam”
“I will, under one condition you don’t interrupt me and know I only didn’t tell you because Steve made me promise”
Bucky nodded so Sam started “One of the last time’s i went to visit Steve, he told me something that only he, Fury, Stark and of course y/n knew. It wasn’t in any of her files for good reasons, it was only needed to know per situation information, that’s why he didn’t tell you. He knew you were recovering, you were bettering yourself and this would have held you back, he told me he knew y/n would tell you when she was ready” He paused “What do you know about the night she disappeared?”
Still a scowl on his face he responded “That Peggy told her about Steve, after the funeral she just disappeared. Steve told me she fell asleep by our spot, that she just woke up and it was 2012, the ground absorbed her or something, right?”
Sam shook his head “She didn’t fall asleep Buck”
“What do you mean she didn’t fall asleep? So Steve lied to me?”
“Bucky, she died”
Bucky stood up, his chair flying back “What do you mean she died? So she’s a ghost?! Stupidest thing i’ve ever heard!” He was pacing now. “Why’d they lie to me!” He slammed his fist down on the table making Sarah jump in the kitchen
“She committed suicide” Sam wanted to break eye contact with Bucky because now he knew what you meant when you told him how Bucky’s ocean eyes would suck you in like a whirl pool, and Sam was drowning trying to get out as they filled with water
Bucky shook his head “No, no, no why would she do that Sam? Did he say why she would do that, my girl wouldn’t do that, she, she — “
“She lost both of you Buck, she lost you then she lost Steve. You two were all she had, man. There were no bodies to bury, she never got closure. Can’t imagine what she was feeling”
Bucky walked over taking a seat on the couch, he had millions of questions that he was scared to ask since the answer to his last one was weighing him down he was sure this was one he’d never be able to get off his shoulders.
“Steve said they ran tests and they were never able to find out how she was resurrected but there assuming it had to do with her powers there was no other logical explanation”
Bucky nodded, as silence took over for a brief moment, the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Till Bucky jumped up off of the couch “She lost Steve”
“We all lost Steve”
“No you dont get it” Bucky ran his hands down his face “She lost Steve, and I - fuck, im so stupid. I wasn’t thinking, “I gotta call her Sam, this is bad, do you think she w-would do it again?”
“Woah Buck, slow down” Sam was standing now “What are you talking about?”
“I told her I needed time, Sam, she gave me the ring back, we broke up. She lost me then she lost Steve”
“Did Steve know?”
“Of course he knew, he told me i was stupid, i am stupid”
“He knew, that’s why he told me, he knew she was gonna lose both of you all over again” Sam’s eyes widened “That was her on the phone, she told me she was proud of me, she was saying goodbye Buck”
“Well, call her back!” Bucky shouted
“I tried it goes straight to voicemail”
“She called me” Bucky whispered “A day ago, she didn’t say anything but I could hear her, then she just hung up” he paused “What if she already…”
“Don’t say it Buck, she’s not, she can’t be”
“We gotta go now, we gotta go to her place and kick her door down!” Bucky was already walking to the door
“48 hours ago a single lightning strike hit a 100 year old tree in the park” Sam blurted out
Bucky froze he knew exactly what he meant, and he knew exactly what you were doing when you did that “She let me go” he whispered, wiping the tear that escaped before turning around “She was letting me — usgo” his voice cracked
“Do you know where else she could have gone?
“Hey guys?” Sarah spoke from the kitchen “I hate to interrupt but you might wanna see this”
Both men entered the kitchen staring at the TV as Spiderman was on a video call with a news reporter but with his mask off.
“Just the truth.” Spiderman spoke
“Oh sure.” Jameson rolled his eyes
“I thought he wore a mask for a reason?” Bucky questioned
Sarah’s eyes widened “You two missed a lot while you were fixing that damn boat, they revealed his identity just some kid named Peter Parker from queens” she shrugged
“The truth is, that this is all my fault. I accidentally brought those
dangerous people here”
“Well, he admits it!”
“And if those people are watching, just know that I really did try to help you. I mean, I could have killed you -“ Peter says before holding up some weird box, Bucky and Sam look at each other briefly before Peter starts talking again “At any given moment. But I
didn’t. Because my Aunt May taught me that everyone deserves a second chance. And that’s why I’m here”
“And where is “here” exactly?”
“A place that represents second chances” He turns the camera slightly and you can see him at the top of the statue of liberty, as the camera turns back around for a brief second Bucky and Sam could have sworn they saw you before the camera turned back fully on Peter.
“Did you see that?” Bucky asks
Sam nodded “She did promise Stark she’d watch out after Spiderman, and if Peter is Spiderman shes gonna watch out after him to”
“The Statue of Liberty?! Good God, folks, he’s about to destroy another national landmark”
“But world, if you’re watching–“
“Believe me, the world is watching–“
“Wish me luck. Your friendly neighborhood SpiderMan could really use some.”
Peter’s video ends, Bucky turns to Sam “Do you have his phone number?”
“When i became Captain America they auto synced phone numbers in my phone, i’m not sure” Sam reached in his pocket
“Well check!” Bucky groaned
“What the hell do you think i’m doing?!” He started scrolling through his contacts “At least we know she’s alive”
“Yeah but not safe, what bad guys, plural might I add, is he talking about?”
“I got it, i found it” He turned his phone around to show Bucky ‘Spiderman’
Bucky ripped the phone out of Sam’s hand and hit call puting it to his war
“No. I got no time for uh, Peter Parker stuff, you know? —
Do you?”
“Uh, that’s a little complicated”
“No, I understand. I guess it’s just not in the cards for guys like us”
“Well, I wouldn’t give up. It took a while, but we made it work”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, me and Mj, my Mj — It uh, it gets confusing here” Peter 2 smiled slightly before noticing the grim look of heartbreak on Peter 3s face, he continued “You don’t think you have one?”
He shook his head “Nah, those days are long behind me” he smiles looking out the window at you, the way the wind was blowing in your hair made you look like the most angelic human he’s ever seen, he watched the way the moonlight shined off the side of your face perfectly illuminating the swoop of your nose down to your lips setting his heart best into a frenzy. You looked slightly anxious and he wanted nothing more than to make sure you were okay.
Peter 2 followed his eyeline, when his eyes found you he couldn’t help but grin,looking back at the other Peter “All our universes might have a couple things in common but doesn’t mean all of them have to have everything in common”
“Whaddya mean?”
“I mean like you two have web shooters, I don't”
“Now you’re just bragging” Peter 3 tossed his head back laughing, he could feel your gaze on him.
He laughed, “No no, just wait, I’m getting there. And maybe our two share an MJ” he gestured to himself and the youngest peter who was still down stairs on the phone waiting for the last cure “but maybe there’s another universe out there where another Spiderman is like me” He paused briefly “Or one where Peter has ay/n instead of an MJ”
He looked down fiddling with his mask “I don’t think my universe has either”
“Maybe that’s because your y/n is here”
“Hey! Are you two ready?” The youngest Peter popped back up the stairs “Final cure is finished, Neds gonna portal us over there any second now, then ill take a video and send — Wheres y/n?” He stopped realizing you weren’t in the room.
“She’s still on the phone” Peter 2 gestured to the window
Peter 1 walked over to the window “She looks anxious” He placed the bag containing the cures on a small side table “I should go check on her” He started towards the door.
The eldest Peter gave Peter 3 a look, a knowing look as he raised his eyebrow, nudging his head towards the door. Peter 3’s eyes went wide in realisation.
He jumped up off the stool “Is it okay if I go instead?”
Peter 1 stopped, turning around he looked at Peter 2 who nodded then back to Peter 3 “Y-yeah of course but we have to go any second now, okay?”
Peter 3 noded fiercely “Yeah, of course i’ll be fast” he never felt like he was moving so slow but so fast in his life. His heartbeat was speeding up the closer he got to you.
“Y/n, holy shit, what are you up to? It’s been…” He paused you could see his demeanour changing when the realisation dawned on him exactly how long it had been “way too long”
You could hear Bucky and some girl talking in the background before Sam was shushing them. He mumbled “Dont worry about it” and then you could hear a chair being pushed back.
He moved on was all you could think about after hearing him laughing with a female voice, and of course Sam was leaving the room so you wouldn’t have to hear it. “Yeah” you let out an airy breath “It has been”
“I stopped by a few times”
“I know”
“I called, i texted, Buck he wouldn’t tell me anything y/n, you were – you are like family to me, I wanted us to stick together it’s what Steve wanted and, I-I didn’t even see you at the funeral”
“I’m sorry Sam, i just -“ you sniffled “It’s been hard since, everything” you paused “Im trying”
“Don’t apologise, you never have to apologise to me for anything. We were supposed to stick together as a team, a family. I’ll always be here for you, i’m just happy to hear your voice i was worried for awhile”
“I was at the funeral, I was just…”
“Hiding?” Sam finished for you
“Yeah”
“Why?”
“I just needed some time, We lost so many people, Steve left, Bucky left, i just needed to wallow, comprehend everything look for the light at the end of the tunnel”
“Did you find it? The light”
You looked through the window, into the dimly lit house, they must have moved upstairs while your Peter was on the phone. You watched him toss his head back, his hands clapping together at something the oldest Spider Man was saying to him.
“I think, i’m not sure but i’m going to find out” Moving your attention to the small pond of water just off to the side of the house “That’s why i called, I just want to thank you for being patient with me, always being there for me and i know you’re going to be the best Captain America Sam, I’m so proud of you”
“Why does this sound like a goodbye?” He was putting the pieces together, and he wasn’t liking the finished product that connected in his mind, a puzzle he wasn’t sure he wanted to see the end of.
Letting out a shaky breath, your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest, blood was flowing heavily to your ears, you spun around finding those golden brown eyes, meeting yours and you knew with the way he was looking at you he could tell you were getting anxious.
Your eyes gazed into his, even at the distance you were you couldn’t help but feel that metaphorical string pulling you to him, screaming at you that you were doing the right thing for once “Sam it’ll never be goodbye, our paths will always cross again, it’s just a see you later”
“Y/n” he was changing his tone from friendly to his newly discovered Captain America voice “What’s going on?”
“Thank you for everything Sammy” Before he could respond you hung up, smashing your phone in the process, Tony made sure you could never be tracked and where you were planning on going your sure your phone wouldn’t work anyway.
You sighed, allowing yourself to feel the breeze around you that wasn’t your doing, like the universe was telling you that you were doing the right thing.
“Are you alright?”
You spun around, your hair blowing behind you “You ask me that a lot”
“I’m a curious person by nature”
“And look where that got you, what was it bitten by a radioactive spider?” You scratched the top of your head pretending to think
He placed his hands on his hips. “God you’re witty, I gotta say I love it.“ He paused taking a deep breath “ I can’t complain, it led me here” He took a step closer “And i just can’t stop but feeling like all the paths i took, all the winding roads, the bumps were all leading me here” he point to the ground
You were trying your best to stay calm, to slow your heart rate back down because you were getting into an emotional territory you haven’t been to in a long time, so you took a gulp of air “To this spot of grass?”
He slowly reached out, his palms were sweating, he couldn’t even hear your heart beating even if he wanted to because his was beating just as loud. He tried to calm down so he could hear yours, he wanted to make sure you were feeling what he was and this wasnt all just in his head, because there was no way, in a logical sense that he could feel this way so soon about someone he just met not to long ago that existed in another universe, this surely couldn’t be a coincidence, maybe Peter the other Peter was right, maybe you were meant to be his Y/n.
The way he felt when he was close to you was like he was floating which was such an extraordinary feeling but scary as well because it made him think what if this was just a dream and he mostly likely was but on the small chance he wasn’t he had to take the leap.
He’d been wrong so many times he just wanted to be right this one last time, this pull he was feeling towards you was real it had to be, he stopped believing in fate after Gwen but this had to be fate there was no other explanation for the feeling in his heart. He licked his lips, shaking his head “No, to you”
You felt like the air was knocked out of you, your heart pounding in your throat. He was so close, you could feel his warm breath on your face, chills ran up your arm “Peter”
“Tell me to stop and I will” He placed his hand ever so gently on your cheek
It was nothing like the one that used to be placed there, the one that lit a match, setting a fire in you and then let it burn in suffocating you in your glass house; till nothing was left but the ashes.
It was something you weren’t used to but god you wanted to be selfish, you were so ready to take and so you did, you lifted your lips to meet him.
When they connected you couldn’t help but feel a shock, this was it, this was him it had to be, he had to feel this too. You cursed at the stars because they were aligning but in a different universe.
You both pulled away, he rested his forehead on yours, between heavy breathing he mumbled out “That was..”
“Yeah..”
“Did you feel…” He paused because he knew if you knew what he meant you did feel it.
You nodded “I did”
He placed a piece of hair behind your ear, his forehead still resting on yours, he could see your eyes getting glossy “I know” he said sadly “Maybe in another universe” his thumb caressing your cheek “Another lifetime”
“Why not this one?” You spoke softly before he had the chance to question you, a glowing circle appeared in the middle of the lawn, the two of you jumped apart.
Just in time as the last two Peter’s made their way out the front door of the safe house.
“You two ready to go?” Your Peter pointed towards the two of you, his eyes lingering on you to make sure you were okay.
A/N: Ive never had a story planned like the way this one is, so its just an absolute breeze to write. In case theres any confusion this is a flashback part of the reader briefly during the couple months after Endgame + after Bucky told the reader he needed space.
You sat in the same spot you’ve been in since you got home from what you thought was your first real date with Bucky since the 1940s but you were so wrong. Disgustingly wrong.
You werent mad at him you could never be mad at him but god was your hesrt fucking shattered. You have no idea why you even bothered to get your hopes up anymore, especially after everything you’ve been through. How the hell did you not learn by now?
You were a mess and even that was an understatement you were a shell of a shell of a person you once were. Steve would have tried to talk some sense into you, try to reason with you about how the world needed you, and you’d reluctantly give him a nod, swallowing any and all feelings to the pits of your mind, turning into what he wanted, a soldier ready for a war.
Or, Tony would come by and first try to coax you out with humour. If he would even see a sliver of what he thought was a smile or a groan that sounded like it could be a laugh he’d consider that a win, and even though he tried so hard to be cool and collected because he had to be, he would let a sliver of that giant heart out and how could you say no to pushing through this for someone who wanted the best for everyone and only saw the best in you.
And Nat, would sit and wallow with you until you were done. She’s there for you without doing too much but it was more than enough. She’d make sure you got off your ass and took care of yourself. She’d put you before the mission, before the avengers, before herself. And seeing her show you such love even if it was subtle and not in spoken words but actions, you’d be sure as hell to show her you accepted that love and got off your ass.
Your mind played out each scene. You felt the way Natasha would lean down in front of you, the way Tony would give you a shoulder squeeze pulling you in for a side hug, the way Steve’s voice would bounce off the walls. It’s like you could see them, feel them, hear them but they of course weren’t there.
None of them were here anymore. They were all gone, they all left. They’re all dead and not coming back.
Your eyes were focused on the TV playing in the background, well was playing in the background till you saw the ‘NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA’ flash across the screen and it most certainly wasn’t Sam.
You tried your best to get your ears to focus but you could only hear ringing, you pulled yourself back in just in time to hear the woman on TV talking about you and your family.
“Now that Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff are gone, who do we have left to save us if something happens again?”
The male news anchor weighed in “We have Spider Man”
“He’s got to be just a kid, the Falcon — Sam Wilson gave up the shield that Steve Rogers gave to him, how can he be reliable after that”
“Y/N Y/L/N”
She scoffed “How can we rely on someone who falls off the edge of the world after The Winter Soldier breaks up with her? The video of her aggressively walking out of that restaurant went viral for a reason and it wasn’t because of her being an Avenger but from the storm that followed, she should be locked up, someone with her capabilities she’s too unpredictable, unsteady”
“Now Sally, don’t you think you’re being a little too harsh on the girl? She lost her family while trying to help bring the rest of the worlds theres back”
“All I’m saying is when you’re a human with super abilities you have a certain responsibility to uphold and she’s just not doing that for me. I think the Avengers are over. I don’t feel safe with people like them hiding right under our noses”
“Y/N i know you’re in there, open up doll please” His voice was soft he was resting his forehead on the door. It had been almost a month since he last saw you. He walked by your apartment countless times. It was nowhere near his or near his therapist office but it was the only way he could feel close to you any more.
Especially when you wouldn’t answer his calls, you wouldn’t answer his texts and the only reason he figured out how to remotely do that was to reach out to you but he settled for listening to your voicemail the “Hi you’ve reached Y/N if you have this number odds are your probably in the compound with me and are too lazy to come find me” it would pause and you could hear Natasha in the background say “It was one time… okay maybe more than 10” then Steve and your laughter was heard before you continued “But if not i guess leave a message” then Tony shouted “She won’t get back to you bye!” before the beep was heard.
But 4 weeks was far too long he had to know you were alright. Sam told him he stopped by 2 weeks ago and could hear the TV on, and see your shadow under the door but you weren’t answering him either. So Bucky was hoping this wasn’t about him telling you he needed time. He felt so stupid doing that, he talked about it with Steve after you left, the night Steve told the two of you he was going to stay.
Steve told him he was being stupid, that it wasn’t by chance all three of you were alive just like it wasn’t by chance when he went to collect the infinity stones with Tony he just so happened to hide in Peggy’s office. It wasnt by chance, it was simply fate.
Bucky knew he was being stupid, he knew everything Steve and you had done for him, to get him back to save him. All the sacrifices you made but it was just so easy for Steve to toss him and you to the side he was scared that once you realized he wasn’t the same Bucky anymore you’d do the same. But you also weren’t the same Y/N he fell in love with anymore and nothing scared him more than falling out of love with you.
What was a little more time he thought?
You stood there staring at the door, you could see his shadow from under the door frame. You felt like you were on fire, it was quite literally possible for you to set yourself on fire too and you would set yourself on fire if it meant Bucky was here to beg for you back with ring in hand.
“Please, it’s about the shield about Steve. We need to get it back, back to where it belongs”
Burning.
“I’m done Buck” Your voice was hoarse, your throat scratchy, you’re positive he wouldn’t have even heard it if it wasn’t for the serum.
“What do you mean you’re done?” He banged a little harder “Open the door, let’s talk please”
“Go away, James. I don’t want you here”
He scoffed “You’re really going to do this? After everything Steve did for you?”
You winced, the glass cup in your hand shattering to the ground, water pooling around your feet. Putting out the fire that was burning in you momentarily.
It was silent for too long you didnt move, you stood there in the water, surrounded by glass shards.
“Y/N I didn’t — Im sorry” And he stood there a little longer, the floor creaked as he walked away.
“Bucky told me he came by” Sam paused hoping you’d say anything, he felt stupid talking to a door so he closed his eyes and pretended it was you “Y/N i know your hurting, i cant try to help you or to try and understand what your feeling unless you let me in. We dealt with loss and it hurts. I get that I do but we need to carry on for them, we need to pave the path for the future.”
You were laying on your couch watching your ceiling fan spinning around and around. It had been 12 weeks since Bucky stopped by, he didn’t call, he didn’t text. You were almost positive that this was Sam’s last effort in trying to coax you out but the truth was he wasn’t Natasha, he wasn’t Steve, he wasn’t Tony. And you weren’t even you.
You wanted to try so bad for Sam, he was so good, he was light, he was airy, and god was he so easy to talk to. Maybe that was why you couldn’t bring yourself to talk to him because then everything would come bubbling over, who knows what would happen then. Sally, the news lady was right, you were unpredictable, unsteady and not safe to be around. You didnt even wanna be around you anymore.
“I’m not sure how much of the news you’ve seen but a lot has happened” Pause “Bucky and I are going to work again, who knows we might even become friends, he’s going to help me with our family boat — We could use your help to, not just with the boat but to keep us from killing each other” He let out a small laugh “Ill text you where we’ll be, call me anytime y/n. Take care of yourself”
The floor started to creak, he was leaving. You tried to imagine what Sam looked like standing there, the truth was you forgot what he looked like, you forgot what they all looked like, they were burning memories fraying away. You’re sure you’d forget the sound of his voice in a couple weeks too, just like you did with all of them.
Masterlist|A/N: Will not follow NWH story line to a T, Ill try my best to stick to the MCU timeline but if I don’t, sorry!
“I love him, but I will always love you more”
Bucky was your everything, you fought teeth and nail till he was free from his own mind, so you could finally have your chance to be together, because surely the fact you were both alive in 2024 it had to be destiny.. right? But then he broke your heart and everything you thought you knew with it, will some boy from another universe be able to pick up the pieces you wanted sobadlytoburry
YALL IM SO EXCITED FOR PART 6 its gonna be a flash back of those 6 months when reader went AWOL and shit everyone out during when Bucky said he need ‘time’
A/N: I’m Pissed at myself, I had this all typed up in my drafts so I could edit it later and I can’t tell if Tumblr ate it or I accidently deleted it, FML. Anywho, this is the teaser for my new fic. I would love some feedback on it, I also have a Shiny new Twitter for fic updates and polls about upcoming fics. There is currently a poll up now about who the pairings for this fic should be please go follow and vote. Here it is! Also if you know a good FREE video to gif converter for Ipad please hit me up, I need one like bad lol
!!Series Warnings!!:THIS IS AN 18+ CONTENT FIC, PLEASE BE OF AGE NO MINORS!! Smoking( Tabacco and Weed), Drug usage,Drinking (All characters in this fic are 21 or above 21, No underage drinking peeps!)Club scenes,Partying,SMUT!!, Violence and/or fighting. More tags to be added as the series continues
!!Teaser warnings!!: Tabacco usage!
IF THESE TW BOTHER YOU, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS TEASER AND THE FIC THAT WILL GO ALONG WITH THIS. I DO NOT CONTROL WHAT YOU (THE READER) CHOOSES TO READ, READER/ VEIWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
DO NOT! AND I REPEAT DO NOT! POST MY FICS ANYWHERE WITH OUT MY DOCUMENTED CONSENT, THIS IS MY WORK AND IM VERY PROUD OF IT, DO NOT TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS POSTED ANYWHERE THAT DOES NOT DOCUMENT THAT I HAVE GIVEN CONSENT PLEASE TELL ME IMMEDIATELY THANK YOU!
Teaser below the cut
Everyone on the campus of NYU called one group of friends, The Avengers, because they were known for helping everyone, didn’t matter who or the reason. Need to get from point A to point B on campus? Call the Avenger’s landline from a payphone. Need directions to the best restaurants and places to hang? Find any one of the Avengers and just ask. Need a pencil? Find any of the female Avengers, they have you covered. The girls have an arsenal of school supplies and are always willing to give you what you need. Can’t afford the textbook you need? Find Tony Stark or his girlfriend Pepper Potts, they’ll spot you the money you need to get your book. Creepy guy from math class won’t take a hint that you will NOT go on a date with him next Tuesday? Say you’re going on a date with either Steve Rogers, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, or Sam Wilson, they really don’t mind. They’re just happy to help any way they can.
The Avengers sat in their usual spot under a large oak tree on the grassy part of the campus courtyard. The early fall breeze carried their laughter as they talked about their day.
“Oh! Guys this club we’re going to on Saturday?” Natasha said after she took a sip from her glass coke bottle. “The girls and I’s roommate is coming.”
Sam laughed, knowing who they were talking about. “Gemini?” He asked with a raised eyebrow at the girl.
Nat smiled and nodded. “Yup.” She said as she popped the 'p’ “She decided to finally come back to the scene.”
“Who’s Gemini?” Steve asked as he sat up from leaning against the tree trunk.
Nat lit up and took a long drag from the cigarette she bummed from Bucky before she spoke, exhaling the smoke from her nostrils. “She’s our, the girls, roommate. Gemini is her nickname. She prefers to keep her college career and her party life separated.” Nat said before shrugging, taking another long drag from her cig. “Hence the name 'Gemini’, a double-sided life if you will.” She said as she flipped her wrist in a what-not motion.
“Do we know her from any of our classes?” Bucky asked before he broke out in laughter with everyone else at the redhead’s surprised face.
“Natty, Baby…” Y/N whined as she flopped down on her back, tossing her head in Nat’s lap, throwing her bookbag off to the side of her. “Stop stealing my smokes, here, bought you a carton. Stay out of mine you russian thief.” Y/N joked as she handed said item to the girl in question.
Y/n lit up her own cigarette as she looked around at her friends and roommates. “Sorry I’m late Professor Fury was up my ass about my paper. What’s we talking about?” She asked as she slipped her pack of smokes and lighter into the pocket of her bookbag.
“Talkin’ about Gemini.” Wanda said nudging Y/N’s foot with her elbow.
Y/N nodded, taking a drag from her cig, sitting up beside Nat, and leaning her head on her shoulder. “What about her?” She asked as she exhaled smoke.
“Just wondering if we know her from any classes.” Bucky said taking a swig from his coke bottle after he exhaled his own smoke.
“Oh, I’m sure you do Bucky.” Nat said as she smirked at the girl leaning on her shoulder, who in turn was smirking behind the coke bottle Steve handed her, as she took a drink.
'You guys have classes with her alright,’ Y/n thought, ‘They’ll shit bricks if they knew I was Gemini.’
A/N 2.0: Hi you’ve reached the end of my Teaser, please go to the top and read the first authors note about my twitter if you would like to vote on who the ? X reader will be
