#mcu fanfic

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A/N:This is the second part of an MCU story I’m working on. The first part can be foundhere if you want to catch up.

Synopsis:Steve learns more about you, but you have your eyes on someone else.

Word Count: 3.2k

Mentions:Alcohol, sexual tension, adult themes in conversation, slight fluff & smut

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Part Two - Just Like Starting Over

The following morning you make your way to the kitchen again. You’d rather avoid it but considering you haven’t eaten anything for almost 24 hours you have no choice but to go. You smile softly as you hear the familiar sound of a voice you’ve missed. Turning into the room, you see Tony poking Bruce in the ribs and regarding him playfully, Natasha rolling her eyes a the pair and laughing. Thor shovling a spoonful of eggs in his mouth, but it’s Steve who notices you first and  looks at you with slight concern in his eyes.

Wanda’s face lights up at the site of you “Y/N…Hey.” You smile warmly at the woman, one of the few people who understands what it’s like, to an extent, to share powers similar to yours. Tony and the others look up at you then, Steve standing up and Thor following suit.

Natasha smirks and Wanda raises her eyebrows at the same time as Tony, looking between the two men. You feel your cheeks flush with colour. 

“Uh…Hi.” You walk further into the room, and make your way to the coffee pot. It’s Tony who speaks next as you pour yourself a drink.

“Y/N…Have you met Capsicle yet?” Thor’s laugh rolls across the room as you turn and see Steve scowling at Tony. You rest your butt against the counter, thankful that you’re at least covered up today. The feeling and memory of Steve’s eyes as they moved over your body, causing to you blush more.

“Yes, actually…We met last night.” You take your coffee and move over to the table, sitting in between Wanda and Thor. Thor sits down as you do, Steve following a second later. Tony’s tone is playful his eyebrow raised.

“Uh huh…And?” Your midway to bringing your cup to your mouth and frown.

“And what? I met him last night, that’s it. That’s the story.” Wanda stands then and puts a hand on your arm.

“Let me get you some eggs.” You smile at Wanda and Thor leans forward in his chair, crossing his arms and bringing his elbows to rest on the table in front of him.

“It is nice to see you Y/N.” You smirk and take a sip of your coffee.

“You saw me yesterday.” Something flashes over Thor’s face but his smile quickly replaces it.

“I know, but it is still nice to see you.” You smile at him as Wanda brings over your eggs and sits down next to you. 


“Thank you, I didn’t know I could be this hungry.” The woman tilts her head.

“You’re not eating?” Before you can answer Steve leans forward.

“She didn’t eat her sandwich last night. And I offered to make her new one.” Nat settles back in her chair, crossing her arms and smiling playfully.

“Ok, I need to hear this.” Even Tony and Bruce stop and look over.

“Great, everyone’s staring at me. Thanks Steve!” You sigh and reach for your fork, Steve opening his mouth in protest but he stops when your eyes meet his. “I came to make some food and had my music on. Steve walked in, made me jump and I lost my sandwich.” 

“I did offer to make you another one.” You ignore the man and take a bite of food, turning to Wanda who wraps her fingers around her own mug of coffee. 

“So what are your plans for today?” Smiling at Wanda, you tilt your head.

“Actually I was going to ask if you’d do some more meditation training with me. I’ve found things a little hard to control recently.” Wanda nods her head and puts her hand on your arm. 

“Of course. I’d be happy to help.” You offer her a friendly smile before turning to Nat.

“Oh also, I’m down for some sparring too.” Nat smiles at you.

“Fine by me. Thor? Steve? Want to join us?” You bristle slightly, you were kind of hoping it would just be you and Nat. You still felt uncomfortable after the emotions you felt from Steve last night, and whilst you liked Thor, you were finding yourself thinking about him more recently, and can’t be 100% sure the feelings are returned. You watch as the two men nod their head in agreement, Wanda stifling a laugh as she hears you whisper.

“Put me to sleep Wanda!” 
-
You’re pleased when you get the gym and see Nat already there, the two of you talk and spend some time sparring. By the time Thor and Steve walk in, the pair of you are already flushed with thin layers of sweat on your body. You feel a rush of warmth ripple through your cheeks, as you eye the two men wearing grey joggers and tight tshirts. You’d be both blind and stupid, if you didn’t admit that they were both very attractive. Nat nudges you with her elbow and raises her eyebrow.

“Close your mouth!” You smile softly and shake your head. As she walks to the men.

“Started without us?” Steve’s voice is light and he smiles at Nat. It makes his face look different, you’ve only ever seen him looking stoic or concerned. Or like last night, overcome with emotion. You can’t help but smile along, Thor catching your eyes and smiling at you.

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“Maybe you’re getting old Cap!” Nat teases back as Steve laughs, you lower your eyes to the floor blushing at the look in Thor’s eyes.

“Actually, we could do with mixing up partners. What do you say?” Nat turns to you, looking for your acceptance and you nod your head.

“I choose Y/N!” Thor’s voice booms out and Nat smirks and nods her head. “Looks like you’re with me Cap!” There’s a moment where you and Steve look over at each other and he looks as though he want’s to say something, but you turn on your heel and walk to the opposite side of the room.

“Is she going to be okay with him? She looks pretty small.” Nat looks at Steve for a second, before bringing her arm forward, he blocks it easily.

“Are you judging someone on their appearances Steve? Really?” Nat spins and connects her hand with Steve’s neck, he bounces on the balls of his feet and moves forward, ducking out of the way of one of Nat’s other punches. He smiles at her, the pair of them light on their feet, fists raised.

“No, but Thor is a God.” Nat raises her eyebrows and smirks, ducking as Steve swings for her. 

“She’s stronger than she looks…Watch.” The pair lower their arms and perch on the side of the boxing ring that stands in the centre of the room. Steve has to admit it, Y/N is light on her feet, she moves gracefully and is blocking every move Thor is coming at her with.

“You’re not going easy on me are you big guy?” You ask Thor as you duck another swing, moving behind him and kneeing the back of his legs causing him to fold and lose balance.

“I would never insult you by going easy on you tiny lady.” He moves quick and grips his arm around your neck, your back flush against his body. You move your hands up and wrap your fingers over his forehams, his breath warm against your neck. You feel him hesitate slightly and you bite your lower lip in an attempt to ignore the need that is washing through you. You grip harder on his arm and bend your body sharply, flipping the demi-god on the floor in front of you knocking the wind out of him. 

Across the room Steve stands up straighter, his mouth open slightly and Nat grins at him “Told you.” He watches as Y/N looks down at Thor, slight concern on her face.“Are you ok? Do you need a hand standing up?” 

Steve can hear the smile in Thor’s voice as he reaches up to grab Y/N’s hand, but instead of using it to pull himself up, he pulls Y/N down on top of him. “Give me a hug, I am proud of you!” You place your hands on either side of Thor’s head, arms straight. Stray pieces of hair caging  your face, your eyes on Thor’s as he smiles at you and wraps his arms around your waist. 

“You know this isn’t how people usually hug right?” Thor’s thumb brushes against your lower back and you bite down a smile at the look on his face. He nods his head and you stand up, your hand outstretched. This time Thor takes it and allows you to help him up, despite not really needing it. 

Steve feels something wash through him, as he watches you and Thor breathing deeply and keeping your eyes on each other, your hand still in his.

“Shall we swap?” Nats question snaps you from your reverie and you pull your hand from Thor’s. The two of you looking away from each other shyly. You cross the room and grab your towel.

“Actually…I’m doing some meditation training with Wanda, so I better shower and change.” You head to the door and glance back once. Nat smiling at you, Thor watching you admiringly and Steve frowning slightly.

“See you guys later.” And you walk out of the room, your mind rushing with a million questions.

-

You always feel better after your sessions with Wanda. So when you enter the main room of the compound that night, you feel lighter and even a little excited. As it was the last Saturday of the month, all of you got together and dressed up a bit, sharing food and drinks. All of you spaced out doing your own thing but still together like a family. It’s one of the things that made all the bad stuff bearable, having these people around you. 

You’ve opted for fitted jeans, heeled boots and a backless top. Your hair in loose curls over one shoulder and a simple red lip. Your eyes scan the room and you see Wanda and Nat but before you cross over to them, Steve stands in your way. He looks really good in brown boots, jeans and a plaid shirt. Once again his eyes scan your body, lingering momentarily on your breasts, before he snaps his eyes up to yours. His cheeks turning pink.

“Hi Y/N. I was hoping to talk to you before but didn’t get round to it. Mind if I bend your ear for five minutes?” He smiles at you warmly as you place your hands in the back pocket of your jeans.

“Okay, sure.” He looks relieved and takes a step closer. When his eyes meet yours they look sincere.

“Last night, I wanted to apologise. I came across as rude and old fashioned. If I upset you, it certainly wasn’t my intention.” You smile softly at his words, the phrasing all very formal and  kind of sweet. 

“Actually, I should apologise too. I shouldn’t have rushed out of there like that.” Steve smiles and the effect when aimed directly at you, is slightly mesmerising. “I can’t recall what I said, but I remember saying something and your face falling and then I felt all these things.” Steve frowns slightly.

“What do you mean?” You take a moment to think of how to word it and tilt your head.

“Well, part of my thing, like you with the super strength and the muscles.” Steve’s smiles amusingly here. “Is that I can pick up on peoples emotions, which can be quite useful as hard as it is…In fact if it’s strong enough, I can even pick up on feelings from something that may have happened years before. Whatever I said brought back a feeling of great sadness in you and it was kind of overwhelming for me after all that had happened that day.” You go quiet for a moment, Steve’s eyes watching you, his face empathetic. 

“I’m sorry, for whatever I said that may have brought those memories back and for whatever caused those memories in the first place too.” He holds your gaze for a second before giving you a smile.

“ I appreciate your sweet words and no need to apologise. I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable.” You laugh easing the tension slightly and shake your head.

“It’s fine…It’s just something we’ll both have to get used to if we’re going to work together.” Steve smiles and straightens up, hooking his thumb on to the belt of his jeans. Your eyes snap down quickly but soon come back to meet his.

“I’m sure we will. So? Anything else I should know about you?” You purse you lips and look like you’re thinking and close the distance between the two of you. There’s only an inch between you and you see Steve’s cheeks flush with colour as you bat your eyelashes and whisper.

“I’m not as sweet as I look.” You flash him a smile and walk away. You hear the man let out a breath, his eyes watching you, they widen slightly as he takes in the tiny symbols tattooed down your spine.

A few hours later, you’re sat around one of the tables laughing with Wanda, Nat, Sam and Thor. Thor sat beside, he knee resting against yours. Sam’s eye brows are raised as he shakes his head.

“I had no idea you were so wild Nat.” The woman smirks and playfully replies.

“Oh trust me, I have alot more stories. But it’s not my turn…” She turns to you then.

“Ok Y/N, three truths and a lie.” You’re thinking of what to stay  when Steve walks over and takes a seat.

“What are we playing?” Nat smiles at him and looks back to you

“Three truths and a lie, it’s Y/N’s turn.” Steve smiles and shuffles closer to the table.

“I know this one.” Thor leans back and rests his arm behind you, his fingertips brushing your shoulder. You give Nat a mischievous look.

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“Okay….I can speak fluent French. I can play the guitar. I’ve had a sex dream about someone in this room and I have pierced nipples.” Steve chokes on his beer at the same time Thor sits forward. Wanda laughs and Nat takes a pull of her beer.

“I already know so I’m staying out of this.” Sam laughs.

“Ok, more stories I need to hear.” You laugh and shake your head and take a sip of your drink. Steve looks at you, his face red.

“Uh nipples?” You nod your head. Steve’s mouth opens and he glances at your breasts again before looking at the ceiling awkwardly.

“That’s one of the truths, well done Cap.” Thor shifts next to you and when you glance at him, he catches your eye and smiles at you. You hold his gaze for a moment before Wanda speaks.

“You can play the guitar…Very beautifully too.” You smile at your friend, a thank you in your eyes.

“Another truth.” Sam smiles at you.

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“I had no idea, how long have you been playing?” You tilt your head in thought.

“Uh about five years.” You go to take another pull of your beer but realise your bottle is empty. You stand to grab another one, Steve looking up at you, eyes wide and shining, his lower lip pink.

“What about your other truth?” You smirk over at Nat before brushing your hand through your hair.

“I don’t speak French…I’m awful at it actually…Terrible!” You walk over to the bar and lean forward to grab another beer, you twist the cap off and take a sip. Nat and Sam breaking out into laughter.

Turning back around, you see Thor’s eyes on you and you hold his gaze, a small smile playing on your lips, your smile gets bigger as you see him stand and cross the room. Leaning his elbow on the bar next to you. The others don’t seem phased and are talking amongst themselves, but Steve can’t take his eyes off the two of them. His shackles raising slightly as he watches you lean in close and whisper something in Thor’s ear.

The golden god nods his head at your words and Steve feels the breath catch in his throat as Thor places his hand on the small of your back for a moment before you stand. 

You smile at Thor as you get off the stool and walk from the room. Steve watches you, his brow furrowed slightly. A few moments later Thor stands and yawns theatrically.

“I am going to bed. Goodnight.” He strides from the room, oblivious to the look exchanged between Nat and Sam. Steve leans forward.

“Does anyone else find it strange that Thor clearly isn’t tired and has left the room moments after Y/N?” Wanda smiles and leans forward her chin resting on her hand.

“Interesting.” Steve frowns and sits back slightly.

“Are you…Are you in my mind?” Wanda looks innocent and shakes her head.

“I would never.” Nat smirks at him, eyebrow raised.

“Why does it matter Steve?” He wipes his hand against the leg of his jeans and stutters slightly.

“Well…I don’t think they’re courting and put it this way, I don’t think they’re just talking..” His cheeks flush here but he looks pleased with himself, straightening up slightly. Sam shakes his head looking over.

“You really need to get out Cap!”

-

When you get back to your room you kick off your boots and tug your jeans off, turning the lights down so it gives the room a more relaxing vibe. As you press play on your playlist you hear two sharp knocks on your door. Taking a deep breath you open the door and see Thor standing there, a smile on his face.

“Come in.” You reach forward and grip the front of his tshirt, pulling him through the door. Your eyes holding each others gaze. He kicks the door shut with his foot and reaches his hand behind him, to turn the lock in place. You jump into his arms and your lips crash against each other, Thor holding you as though you weigh nothing. You pull away from the kiss and rest your forehead against his.

“The bed.” Your lips meet his again then as Thor carries you to your bed. He places you down gently on the edge and steps back, pulling his tshirt over his head and unbuckling the belt of his jeans. You bite your lip and watch him as he kicks off his boots and pulls his jeans down his legs. You stand up and Thor brings his hands to your hips, gripping them slightly. You place your palms against his chest, the feeling of his firm body pressed against yours, sending a heat somewhere low and intimate.

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“You are very beautiful midgardian…I am very fond of you.” You feel your cheeks flush, a flicker of a smile running across your mouth.

“Well…The feeling is mutual.” Thor moves his hands over the curve of your butt, before gripping the hem of your top and pulling it over your head. His eyes darken as they scan over your face and body and your lips find one another once more. You brush your fingers against the nape of his neck, as he lifts you and positions you both on the bed. Your hands wandering over every inch of his body, you moan into the kiss as he eases your panties down your leg. The feeling of his pleasure combining with yours.

A/N:Hey guys. This is the first part of a new Steve Rogers/Captain America fic I’m writing. The idea was sparked by a conversation with a friend.

Synopsis:You’re a new member of the Avengers but part of your powers is clairsentience which can make being around people a little hard. After a particularly difficult mission, you finally meet Steve who has been on a hiatus.

Word Count: 2k

Mentions:Death of a child, swearing/cursing, strong emotions, heartbreak

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Steve sat in silence for a few moments, Tony eye’s on him. The man throws a raisin into his mouth and gestures with at him with his hand, a wry smile on his face.

“It’s good to have you back old man.” Steve sits up straighter in his chair, his mouth open mid protest, when Jarvis’ voice interrupts him, letting Tony know the team are back from a mission.

“Thanks Jarvis!” He turns on his heel and perches on the edge of a table.

“Got a new member, wanna meet them?”
-

You walk down the ramp and pull your phone out, placing the headphones in your ear, you’re about press play on the playlist you’ve pulled up, when you feel a hand gentle hand on your elbow, a light squeeze. You turn and see Nat looking at you, here’s eyes looking at you concerned.

“You okay?” You realise again just how well Nat can read you. You force a small fake smile on your face and nod your head.

“Fine and dandy!” Nat regards you for a moment, before moving closer her voice low.

“Y/N, what happened back there…There wasn’t anything we could have done.” You feel your face with flush with warmth, and heat build behind your eyes, an icy cold fist, twisting your stomach. You lower your eyes for a second before bringing them back to Nat’s.

“Like I said, I’m fine and dandy.” You stalk away before she can say anything and head straight to your room in the compound. Tony’s face etching with concern as he see’s Peter’s face distressed, Thor’s angry expression and Nat’s look of mild pain.

“Where’s Y/N?” Thor’s voice fills the room.

“She is fine.” Nat sits down on the edge of the sofa in the main room, shrugging her shoulder’s and glancing over at Steve, a slight smile and nod.

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“She’s not fine.” Tony frowns.

“Who’s Y/N?” Steve asks. Tony raises his eyebrow at him.

“I told you…New member. No one listens to me.” He turns from Steve again then, his eyes scanning throughout the room at Peter, Thor and Nat. “What happened?” 

“The mission was going well, but as we were leaving Peter and Y/N thought they heard someone screaming, Y/N ran and found a little boy.” Tony takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose and whispers a profanity. Nat nods and carries on.

“She got him out, but he’d inhaled too much smoke.” The room is silent for a moment but is soon punctuated by a bang and a smash. Thor bringing his Mjölnir down on a vase, Peter punching his fist into the wall. Tony bristles.

“C’mon guys, really? I just had the place re-decorated…That’s not on her.” Nat nods her head and sits back, agreeing with his words but it’s Thor who speaks.

“But Y/N can’t help but feel responsible.” Tony wipes his hand across his mouth and nods his head.

“I know.” Peter steps forward, his eyes on the floor.

“It’s my fault too Mr Stark, I should have realised sooner, but there was so much going on.” Tony closes the distance between himself and Peter and claps him on the shoulder.

“We’ve talked about this kid…Remember what I said?” Steve watches as Tony looks in the young man’s eyes and see his shoulders relax as he nods his head. Steve notices Thor stand up a little straighter, his face looking concerned.

“Y/N? I’m glad you have joined us.” Steve stands up as you walk in the room. You’ve changed out of  your gear and thrown on some shorts and tshirt, your feet bare. 

“Uh actually, Peter, could I talk to  you for a second?” Steve glances over and sees his cheeks flush with colour, he brings his eyes back to you and can see why, but frowns at the inappropriate thought.

“Uhh, sure.” You walk out of the room, trying to ignore the eyes of the stranger across the room. When you get outside the room, you cross your arms over your chest.

“I just wanted to say, I hope you don’t blame yourself for what happened back there. It was my fault, I was too slow.” Peter regards you with big brown eyes and licks his lips shaking his head.

“No…You did everything you could. Don’t blame yourself, Mr Stark’s right.” You quirk your eyebrow here in interest, whilst Tony had always been nice with you, he’d never really confided in you. But then again, you weren’t sure if he really confided in anyone other than Pepper. But Peter had been part of the crew for longer so maybe he’d opened up to him a little?

Peter smiles at you softly “He once told me that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, or how hard we want it, we can’t save everybody…I know today was…is..hard but I honestly don’t think there’s anything we could have done.” You take a moment to let his words wash over you, before nodding your head and looking at the floor.

“I guess he’s right.” You lean over and kiss Peter on the cheek, his eyes widening.

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“What was that for?” You smirk at the young boy and raise your eyebrows.

“Because you’re a good kid and much more handsome than you give yourself credit for.” Peter’s face lights up with a smile.

“You think I’m handsome? Really? You?” You chuckle and nod your head frowning slightly. You turn on your heel but you stop and turn back.

“And Peter?” He looks at you, the ghost of a smile on his face.

“What?” You tilt your head playfully.

“Ask MJ out…I think you’d be surprised by her answer.” You turn again then, Peter stuttering behind you. Eventually he manages to choke out some words.

“Aren’t you coming for dinner?” You shake your head and make your way back to your room.

“No…I just want some alone time. Tell the other guys I’m sorry.” And with that, you turn into your room and close the door.

-

Later that night after you were sure everyone had left after dinner, or made their way to their rooms to do their own thing. You come out of your room on the hunt for snacks. You’d spent the rest of the day  listening to music, having a cry and trying to calm yourself. Part of your ability was clairsentience and sometimes, especially after feeling emotionally drained from something yourself, it was overwhelming being around other peoples emotions too. It’s one of the reasons she’d spoken to Peter earlier, she could sense his anger, his frustration and his pain. Thor and Nat had it too, but Peter’s felt like screaming in her soul.

You make your way into the kitchen, your headphones in and music on loud, just how you liked it. Music was part of your escape and you used it to calm your mind. The choral opening of the Rolling Stones song starts as you enter the kitchen, curling your toes at the coldness of the floor. Another reason you like eating late, besides not feeling like it, was the freedom of wearing nothing but your panties, and oversized tee and of course, the freedom to dance around free of judgement.

You’ve gathered items to make a sandwich and reach for the whisk in the utensil holder singing into it.

“In her glass was a bleeding man”

Steve frowns and looks up from the book he’s reading in the dim light of the living room area. He stands up, head tilted, his brows frowning.

“She was practiced in the art of deception.”  You’re putting the bread on the top now and pouting like Mick Jagger.

“Well, I could tell by her bloodstained hands.”Steve’s frown turns to an amused smile as he gets toward the source of the noise, pleased he will be able to finally have something to tease Nat about. He turns into the kitchen.

“YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT”  You sing loudly and it feels good to say it loud. An affirmation to soothe your soul, Tony’s words being spoken to you by Peter floating back to your mind. You take a bite of the sandwich and turn around.

“OH FUCKING HELL!” Your eyes follow your sandwich as it flies through the air and comes crashing into pieces on the counter opposite. You pull the headphones from your ear and throw your phone on the sideboard. Your hand comes to your chest as you try to calm your nerves, the man stepping closer. The stranger from earlier blushing as he looks from your feet to the top of your head. 

“I’m so sorry…You’re british?” Your mouth opens in shock and you pull at the hem of your oversized tee wishing it would miraculously drown you.

“Actually, I’m Y/N.” He quirks his brow, his head snapping back slightly a look of brief confusion on his face, before realising what’s he’s said.

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“No…I meant.” He closes his eyes and sighs before opening them, his big blues looking at you, a soft smile on his face. “I didn’t realise you were British.” You tilt your head and keep your tone playful.

“Is that a problem? Me being British?” He looks uncomfortable again and despite the fact you’re having fun, teasing him, you feel a pang of guilt jolt through you and take a step forward, hand outstretched.

“Sorry, I’m Y/N and yes, I’m British. I moved to the States a couple of years ago.” He takes your hand and you feel a spark. But it’s hard to tell if you’re picking up on an emotion or if you’re reacting to the touch of an attractive man for the first time in years. The mans cheeks flush with colour and you wonder if he felt it too.

“I’m Steve Rogers.” Your eyes widen here, and you feel stupid that you didn’t realise it sooner. Though you’d heard his name, seen photos and heard stories, you hadn’t acknowledged or put the pieces together that the stranger was…

“Captain America! Of course.” You’re still shaking his hand and Steve smiles at you as you realise how long you’ve been shaking his hand. You pull your hand away and take a step back but he steps forward leaving the distance the same. A playful smile on his face.

“Actually, I prefer to go by Steve.” You nod your head and turn away, trying to calm the colour that’s rushing to your cheeks.

“So uh…Steve. Can I make you a sandwich? I’m going to have to make a new one anyway.” You don’t see him but he shakes his head, his voice sincere.

“Actually, I should make you one, it’s my fault you dropped the first one.” He moves next to you and starts grabbing some kitchen towel to clean up the mess, you let out a chuckle.

“No, don’t be silly Steve. You’re not my servant. I can make my own sandwich.” He stands and puts one hand to his hip.

“Have I said something wrong? I didn’t intend to come across as your servant. Of course, you’re capable.” Your eyebrows raise and you tilt your head at him curiously.

“You have no idea how to talk to a woman do you?” Steve’s face turns white and suddenly you’re insides feeling like they’re twisting, anguish squeezing at your heart. A feeling like panic washing over you. It eases as Steve stands up, whatever shock he had, passing him by. His face etched with concern.

“Are you ok?” He takes a step forward and moves to put a hand on you and you step around him keeping your distance and shake your head.

“I’m fine. I’m just not hungry.” You grab your phone and run from the room, leaving Steve with a confused and slightly hurt expression on his face. Before the door has even closed, tears are falling down your face, a remnant of Steve’s feelings of someone he loves and has lost.

Tenebrous - Loki (AU) - Chapter Nine

Pairings: Vampire! Professor Loki x Fem!Reader

Characters: Loki, Thor, Fem OC, Reader, Bucky Barnes, Stephen Strange

Warnings:angst, oral fem receiving, witch coven dynamics, vampire coven dynamics, soul bonds, hurt/comfort, canon level violence, blood drinking (consensual), mind exploration, fluff, slow burn, sexual content, making out, MINORS DNI

Word Count: 17.3k

A.N.:soooooooo this chapter is pretty long but we are gonna know who somebody is (sooooo i hope i’m forgiven for the 17k)

Dividers:@firefly-graphics

ChapterEight||Chapter Ten (22nd May)

Main Masterlist||Fic Masterlist||My AO3

Chapter Nine -Come Back To Me

Present. 

Loki runs his fingers through Y/N’s hair as she lays on his bed, sleeping off the remainder of the intoxication. Stephen assessed her moments ago, though the altered scent alone indicative of the drugs that are still in her system. 

The letter written in her blood sits heavy in his pocket. The scent unfamiliar, but the vampire had watched them. Watched Y/N. 

Loki needed to know what made her get into the allure of narcotics. She could have wanted temporary distraction? How had she become an addict?

Guilt breaks through him. If he would not have left he could have protected her earlier. Kept her safe, and not have broken the heart that she trusted him to keep. 

Thor enters the room, a hesitance laced in his movements, “Brother, please do not react without thinking.” 

The younger sibling’s eyebrows furrow in confusion then in anger. 

“You brought them here?” It takes everything in him not to pull away from Y/N to lunge at Thor for bringing the three witch coven members into the house. 

“They may have a theory.” Thor attempts to explain. 

“So based on a whim of theirs you bring them into my home? Seriously brother what goes on in that buffoonery fuelled head of yours!” His voice rises in crescendo, red rims surround his green irises. 

“Brother.” Thor warns glancing at Y/N. 

“Do not test me.” Loki counters, covering Y/N with more of himself. 

“I do understand that you are feeling overly protective. The coven has been invited by Nia who holds an extension of my own will, we do not have to agree with them but they may know what is happening.” Thor attempts once again. 

“I will only when she wakes.” The red dissolves back to bring forth the green. Thor’s heterochromia gaze moves between the two mates. 

“We need to act fast Loki you have done enough of your whims.” Thor knows he’s taunting and provoking his brother. 

My whims? Let me remind you you’re the one who proposed killing off our dear father first. You’re the one who got your mate. You are the one who agreed with Zemo’s plan. Y/N is a witch, we knew but her belonging to the celestial coven complicates things.”

“YetI had to put forth the plan of having the bond weakened by another coven’s magick. No matter how horrible it was for the both of us. So that she would stay protected lest Alexander found her because you are incapable of taking care of anyone but your mate. Because Thor, you thought it was best to keep her as a pawn in this little chess game you have been playing.” Loki seethes. 

“I was not alone in agreement of the plan.” Thor yells back his blue and brown irises surrounded by red rims as his fangs descend. 

“But you initiated it, signed off upon it.” Loki spits out. 

“You did what to our bond?” Y/N’s hauntingly cold voice breaks the angered stupor that grips at Loki. 

“Y/N…” He pinches the bridge of his nose, “This it’s—, it is very much a complicated set of occurrences.” 

“I believe she has a right to know.” Thor interjects. 

“You, you, is this, some kind of grand game?” Y/N sits up moving away from her mate. 

“Alexander is a dangerous man further, a dangerous vampire.” Loki begins to make her understand. 

“Was there another way without you leaving?” There is a sway in her movements as she creates distance between herself and the vampire brothers. 

Loki looks towards Thor, the elder brother sighs and then nods. 

“You didn’t leave Nia.” Y/N accuses, bearing no ill towards her best friend. 

“Our bond was fully established.” Thor says simply. 

“So what, your brother is skeptical about soulmates and you just thought to run with it by putting the two involved souls through hell? I felt like dying each moment he was apart from me. I confided in you each moment and you knew.” Y/N’s voice interlaced with betrayal. 

“Y/N, look in the grander scheme of things, this,” Thor ponders for the right words. 

“You were too selfish to give up your own bond.” Y/N suggests, a venomous undertone to them. 

“Yes and no.” Thor answers then looks toward Loki. 

“Zemo, the vampire who attacked you the night of the party…” Loki prompts his mate. 

“The party you erased, there was another vampire as well.” Y/N completes with a distaste in her mouth. 

“We spoke in detail about a plan that exists to take down Alexander Pierce. It had several road blocks, he has an ability to know what could be the potential gifts a human can bring across their vampire change. Certain witches were spared for their talent, others because they were mates of the vampires in the coven.”

“However one witch coven is hated by Alexander because they have survived erasure time and time again. Yours.” Loki takes an unnecessary breath. 

Nia opens the door, her eyes first on Thor who gives her a look of reassurance. 

“If our bond was complete I would have to turn you.” Loki informs her realising she may have not heard everything he said during her astral form minutes. 

“How has Nia not been turned?” Y/N looks at the two mates. 

“Blood exchanges need to happen everyday from a full moon to a new moon. Basically second half of the lunar cycle.” Nia explains, “I’ve been having his blood for the first half.” 

“Did you know about this?” Y/N looks at her best friend. 

“He told me in the car, what the plan was, why Loki did what he did. Why he left you.” Nia looks sombre. 

“It seems Thor has left out some details.” Loki mutters quietly. 

“So you agree with me being used as a pawn?” Y/N bellows at her best friend from her place. 

“Damn thats some fucked up shit.” Sierra comments from the first floor the conversation clear as day to be heard. Doctor Strange looks at her. 

“What, you need to be honest.” She shrugs. 

“I believe that lesson needs to be learned by your own coven as well.” Doctor Strange sneers. 

“I do not agree to that, but it keeps you safe from a conversion and it aids in the process.” Nia hesitates, “The last witch to be granted immortality from your coven was Luna, because of her gift of prophecy.” 

“Nia.” Y/N tries to understand. 

“If you aren’t deemed worthy, bonded or not, he would end you.” Loki tells her point blank. 

“Why could you not have been honest?” Her eyes brim with tears, why was he always so closed off? Why could he never just share his burdens with her?

“You’re supposed to be my mate. I, we could have navigated this better.” Y/N accuses him. 

Loki closes his eyes at the heartache that laces her words, “I know. I did not want to burden you.”

“While you held my burdens?” She sniffles, the ache for more substances scratches at her chest. 

Loki stays quiet. 

“I, I need to go home— I—, this is, all, is too much.” Y/N turns to move past Nia as she descends the stairs. 

“We pushed for your bond to weaken to awaken your witch side.” Miles tells her as she comes into view. 

“The bond suppressed it, if it would have been established chances are we would not have had to put you under that much duress.” He continues much to her dismay. 

Y/N turns her teary eyed face to them. 

“Am I just some kind of fucking pawn? Vampire ruins the bond to protect, my coven uses to have strength, random vampire makes me his drugged up blood bag?” Her voice is hoarse, “Can’t any of you be honest? Upfront? I would understand better help better, but no you,” She turns to Clark, “You’d rather my bond shatter.” 

She faces Loki and Thor who stand upon the steps, “You two would rather play with the bond, toy with my heart. Pretend to be my confidant and then just break my trust over and over.” 

She turns to Stephen, he raises an eyebrow. 

“I just gave you homework.” He raises both hands in defence. 

“He’s at least honest.” Y/N gestures to Stephen. 

The baby witch makes her way to the door but it does not budge.

“You’ve been exposed to drugs.” Miles does not lower his raised arm. 

“And?” Y/N crosses her arms. 

“Those weaken your witch sense as well.” Clark concluded. 

“Thor was right.” Nia exclaims, “We were right.” Thor intertwines their hands.

Loki’s eyes widen, he appears in a blur near Y/N. 

“The vampire left a note again.” Loki presents the note out of his pocket. 

“Is that…” Sierra looks at Y/N. 

“It is in my blood.” She affirms to the more practiced witch. 

A possessiveness pulses across the bond, as everyone reads the contents of the note. 

The young witch goes over her scarce memories of her highs, most would be muddled and one she left untouched— the forest. 

She never noticed any puncture wounds before and they only started upon Loki’s return. 

These notes the message left on the wall and the note both had an undertone of a deeper rivalry or mocking of Loki and his inability to keep her safe. Or rather mocking his way of keeping her safe. 

What if this rogue vampire wasn’t a rogue at all? 

Y/N’s eyes widen, they search for Loki’s comforting green. 

“I, I have a theory.” She states and the collective group looks at her curiously. Hunger sears her stomach. 

“I need something to eat though.” A light dust of red coats her cheeks. 

Loki returns with a paper-bag housing her favourite order from the local diner. The human and vampire pair enjoy the brief appearance of the stars across their bond.

Thor and Nia settle on the loveseat the latter upon Thor’s lap more than the seat. 

Miles, Clark and Sierra sit on the couch and Stephen sits on the lone leather chair. 

Loki and Y/N sit in their designated spot on the L portion of the worn down couch side by side. 

“How long have you been practicing?” Stephen questions the coven, in a bid to offer some time to Y/N to eat. 

There is a tremor in her hands and Loki takes over holding the takeout box. 

“We do not divulge coven dynamics.” Miles smoothly replies before his husband is irked. 

“Alright, when was the awakening?” Strange counters. 

“Mine began at fourteen,” Sierra smiles, Clark groans, Miles places a comforting hand on his thigh. 

“Always was into the whole mystic aspects of things, also I knew something was up when I started being able to see the spirits my dogs would bark at back home.” She completes. 

“Ooh which kind of puppers did you have?” Nia grins, always ready to speak about the sweet little creatures.

“One was a mutt adopted him off of the mall parking lot named him Mustard, there is a whole story he would not leave without this unopened bottle of mustard; and the other was a doberman— Boba both passed away a few years ago, sadly.” Sierra presses her lips into a thin line but then smiles fondly at the memories of the sweet creatures who stood by her family and her. 

“I’m sorry.” Nia frowns, Thor rubs a comforting hand over her back. 

“No, no, talking about them makes me happy.” Sierra smiles at the pair, “When did you two bond?” 

“We met at the local gym, I was doing cardio and Thor is a personal trainer there.” Nia grins looking up at her mate. 

“And this one here lost her footing, and I helped her up.” Thor brushes his nose against Nia’s own. 

Both have love struck smiles on their faces. 

“When is the change due?” Sierra concentrates and can see tiny golden suns orbiting around them, “Oh you have tiny suns!” 

“You can see them?” All the vampires look bewildered. 

“We can even see bond lines, Sierra here has a particular interest in bonds, vampiric or non vampiric.” Miles gives her a proud look. 

“I do, I used to well still do online tarot readings for the collective from time to time. Most part I’m a paediatric nurse.” Sierra proudly beams. 

“That is amazing.” Y/N praises, her food portion half eaten, slowly the air turns serious as they wait for her to find the words to put forth the theory. 

Y/N stares at the pattern on the coffee table, she would laugh if she could since this was the third replacement that was brought in by Thor and Nia. 

“I believe that these two incidents of me being forced to consume narcotics aren’t isolated. Maybe the fact that I do not remember a lot of the highs isn’t to do with well, just the drugs.” She takes a deep breath and Loki takes her freehand into his own, steadying the newfound tremor. 

“I, I think this vampire whoever they are, might be working for Alexander Pierce. Or they know I’m a witch or they know I’m Loki’s mate and they have a plot of revenge. Or they just want tainted blood.” Y/N completes. 

Loki’s own mind races to think of people whom he has wronged but the list of the ones left alive in Alexander’s name is short. 

Thor purses his lips, “It is a plausible theory.” He agrees. 

“However deranged rouges, they do prey upon half abandoned mates. This could even be a one off taunt.” Stephen adds. 

“The marks are staying visible for me to see, so the vampire is keeping tabs on my whereabouts.” Loki gazes apologetically at his mate. 

“It is a messed up situation.” Y/N attempts at comfort rubbing circles over his palm with her thumb.  

“Which concludes he is not working alone.” Stephen adds. 

“They also have a witch or warlock.” Clark speaks for once contributing to the discussion, “The Vampire Weave is not an easy feat to achieve.” 

“This is a seasoned witch or warlock.” Miles agrees. 

“But who would help a vampire?” Clark makes his patented dissatisfied expression. 

“Compliance.” Nia sits up straighter adding onto the fact, “Y/N knew Loki altered her memory, he’s keeping a warlock or witch between them. So she can’t remember. Cause the witchy side would block the vampire compliance.” She adds. 

“This adds proof this is not some baby witch or warlock.” Sierra ponders, 

“If we teach you before the next attack, the witch or warlock will have to come into physical contact with you for the spell to work, you could counter it and break the hold the vampire has on them.” 

“She is not going to be left alone to be subjected to non-consensual narcotics usage.” Loki’s free hand balls into a fist adding to his adamance. 

“You still need to be trained. In the event he is locked into a weave.” Miles adds for Loki to see the logic. 

“You know the laws of our kind Loki, you cannot hold back a witch or warlock from training in their craft. It must be their decision.” Clark reminds Loki of an old rule. 

Y/N watches the High Priest and her mate have a stare down competition. 

“I want to train. I need to be able to protect the ones I care about and myself.” Y/N speaks voicing her thoughts. 

Loki presses his lips into a thin line, displeased. 

“Fine then.” Clark stands, “Bring your grandmother’s grimoire tomorrow, also search for Samana’s grimoire and we need to begin your own first. Bring in a notebook then Sierra will teach you how to make your grimoire. I presume your mate will stand guard?”

“You presume correct.” Loki sneers. 

“You must stay outside the perimeter.” Clark warns. 

“Your coven isn’t strong enough.” Loki taunts then falls to his knees as do Thor and Stephen. Their faces blank, forms unmoving. 

“What are you doing to them? Stop it!” Nia screams in panic, trying to shake Thor out of the forced upon trance. 

Y/N grabs onto Loki’s hunched over form. Then gazes worriedly at Stephen. 

“This is just my skill level, I have Miles and Sierra.”  Clark smiles, “You can hear everything, the panicked voice of your mate and friends, the dread, while all other senses remain deprived.” 

“Clark.” Y/N turns to him, “Please, enough.” She pleads. 

The High Priest lowers his raised palm. 

Loki glares up at him, the stars move through Y/N’s side of the bond to his, Loki places his hand upon hers which rests on his chest. 

“That was something.” Stephen stands cleaning his clothing of any stray lint. 

“Indeed.” Thor breathes in deeply, pulling Nia close to quell her worries placing a soft kiss against her lips.  

Miles and Sierra stand, both move to hug Y/N goodbye. 

Sierra requests Y/N to meet her in the event she does resume duty at the hospital, provided Stephen clears her for the same due to the narcotics in her system. 

The coven clears out. Clark gives them a final glance before turning away. 

“I must commend Thor, blood sharing having to just have synchronous with the lunar cycle.” Stephen observes, though his tone feels akin to a jab at Thor. 

“Stephen.” Loki says in warning. 

“Its true though, why did you have to sacrifice your bond into smithereens? Just because you were skeptical?” Stephen raises his hands as if in question. 

In a blur Thor has Stephen against the wall. 

“I did not make him do it. It was the best option given the circumstances.” Thor spits out at Stephen. 

“It was the way most convenient to you. Where did that leave Y/N? In Narcotics Anonymous.” Stephen yells back. 

“When her mate had no issues I think you should stay in your place.” Thor seethes. 

“Loki will you open your mouth or should I continue?” Stephen’s ablaze red rimmed blue eyes turn to Loki, Y/N looks up at her mate questioningly.

“You did not even care for her. You both did not,” Loki speaks after a breath of silence. 

“We cleaned up after each mess of hers, if she weaselled her way out each time that is not upon us. Because you were gone.” Thor glares as he turns toward his younger brother. 

Loki takes a step back as though wounded, “You forced me to leave.”

“Cleaned up after me?” Y/N knows her face betrays her hurt, she tries masking it, Thor had been an elder brother of comfort through the mess as he put it, he turns to look at Nia. 

“It was hard upon us as well to watch you in that manner.” Is all Nia says, fiddling with her ring clad fingers. 

“Caregivers often bear the brunt, however she was under compulsion. You could have protected her better.” Stephen interjects. 

“As could you.” Thor speaks with retaliation. 

“And I did on each placement of her under my care, I did.” Stephen presses the back of his right hand into his left palm the sound of skin against skin adding emphasis. 

“Can we actually believe that theory or is that just an excuse?” Nia meant to mumble it under her breath, the chill that took over the room sent a shiver up Y/N’s spine. 

Loki looked at his mate’s best-friend. 

“It is true, Thor could have protected her better, yes maybe we took the easy way out as vampires, I was skeptical about the bond but I was skeptical about the plan as well. Have it in your heart and mind to speak the truth or should I extract it myself? Did you give even fifty percent of effort of protection to my mate?” The younger brother looks at his elder brother. 

Thor looks to Nia, then at his brother, then at Y/N. 

“You could have told him to return if you couldn’t handle the responsibility.” Y/N murmurs, there still was so much to unpack from the conversation and if anything that was given to her only brought forth a craving to just consume more for the numbness. 

“He did not want me to return.” Loki says as though something dawned upon him, “Is that why you never alerted me about the OD, about the forest attack?” His voice raised, in demand, venom pricks at the corners of his eyes. 

Thor stays silent. Y/N gazes at Nia questioningly. 

“You told me he did not care enough to return.” Nia accuses Thor. 

“He was supposed to stay away for another month. In the end you craved your mate did you not? After all those talks about disregarding your chance at love and eternal affection.” Thor sneers. 

“You’re behaving just like Odin. I say one thing and you hold that against me, expecting me not to learn or be educated and change my opinion or stance.” Loki looks down at the hand that Y/N wraps around his arm to provide comfort. The stars pass between them. 

“I am nothing like Odin.” Thor presses, red rims appearing to further his anger. 

“I think it is best we dismiss this conversation.” Stephen interjects, knowing the topic of their human father was one that still brought about bitter memories. 

“Oh thats rich first gaslight then dissipate.” Nia narrows her eyes at the doctor. 

“At least I don’t disregard my best friend’s trouble with being forced to consume drugs!” Stephen wants to leave the air here getting too much to warrant peaceful responses anymore. 

Y/N tilts her head, seeing an iridescent tinge of orange in the air surrounding them. It stays present for a flash then disappears appearing near Thor.

“He has nothing better to do, he was tossed away. Left for dead by townspeople. Only supports the vampire who took him in from the streets.” Thor seethes as he adds agreement with Nia. 

The orange gleam shifts edging towards Loki and herself, she pushes Loki’s chest and they duck.

“The fuck are you doing?” Nia raises an eyebrow, “Is this some new response to some drug? Or is it a witch thing?” 

“Can someone contact Sierra?” Y/N questions, her eyes focus upon the dancing gleam, her wonders if it can be slowed down to a stop. 

She keeps her vision steady, imagining a thick sludge surrounding the gleam to slow it down before it reaches Stephen. 

The doctor dials the number of the nurse, she answers after a few rings.

“Whats wrong?” The curly haired witch questions over the call. 

“Y/N is staring at thin air…” Stephen tries to explain. 

“Put her on speaker.” 

Stephen appears next to her, holding the phone as it remains on speaker. 

“What are you seeing?” Is her immediate question, “describe it don’t lose focus.” 

“Iridescent but orange, bouncing around.” The baby witch explains. 

“Are you all having an argument or heated discussion suddenly?” The vampires and Nia look at each other in surprise. 

“Yes.” Y/N answers for them. 

“Well that is another little gift Clark left, you all need to leave the room, that is a self sabotage spell, since its iridescent the effect will wear off if the room clears. Listen Y/N I know how difficult this all is but you will have to prove yourself to Clark. What you did today with the astral meeting that showcases your skill but refining your craft will only be the way to stay in control.” Sierra offers advice hoping it encourages the new witch. 

“I understand, I am ready to put in my share of hard work. Also, um. Is it possible to slow it down? The orange thingy?” Her eyes remain on the said object. 

“While it is possible to stop it from going further I’d suggest not wasting energy, get it out of the way but everyone leave the room for the next one to two hours just to be safe.” Sierra suggests, receiving a collective reply of affirmative responses the call is brought to a close. 

Thor and Nia move to leave to the upstairs rooms. 

Stephen waits near his car outside. 

Loki wraps his arm around Y/N’s waist, she doesn’t break focus on the orb, as her mate uses his speed to move them backward and out of the house. 

“I will see you tomorrow, OPD paperwork only.” Stephen ruefully tells her, she sighs then accepts. 

“I know you were benched long enough but this…” Stephen lets the sentence hang in the air between the three of them. He bids the two goodbye, getting into the driver’s seat. 

Loki presses his lips to her temple, “Home?” 

Y/N nods, intertwining their hands as her leads her, to the familiar Mercedes. 

The vampire opens the door for his mate then speeds into the driver’s seat. 

“We have much to talk about.” Loki addresses the unspoken thought as the car is turned into ignition. 

“We do, but at home… right now I just want to be with you.” Y/N requests and Loki meets her eyes, they still remain bloodshot but in lesser intensity. 

“As you please.” Loki reaches for her hand out of habit, across the console, resting over her thigh, their fingers intertwined 

——/- div

Fourteen Months Ago. 

“Where are you taking me?” Y/N has a smile on her face as she adjusts the phone to reach up to the top shelf for the Nutella jar. 

“Somewhere.” Loki smiles sitting outside the dean’s office for the upcoming literature symposium the university would be hosting. 

Y/N huffs, partly at the jar and partly at Loki. 

“I thought you would be happy.” Loki teases.

“I am, but I can’t seem to grab this jar.” Y/N stares at the Nutella, wishing it would levitate. 

“Nutella?” He enquires, a fondness grows within his chest. Y/N smiles at the sudden warmth. She hums in agreement, wishing he was there to reach up for it. 

“Kinda wish you were here with me.” She sighs, it had been two weeks since their moment in the bookstore’s cafe.  

“Why?” Loki knows she probably wants him to reach up for the jar. 

“So you could get me this jar.” Y/N still gazes longingly before moving to the next aisle. 

“Darling, here I thought you were dating me for me.” His voice is light and full of mirth. 

“Nope, I just need your very tall limbs to get me things from the top shelves.” Y/N goes along with the humour. 

“I’m wounded.” Loki feigns sadness but can’t help the laughter that rumbles in his chest. 

Y/N giggles, switching the side of the phone.

“Do you need anything?” She asks mindlessly pushing the cart. 

“Just you.” Loki breathes, allowing himself to relish and enjoy the fact that he has a mate, consciously throwing the meddling thoughts away instead of harbouring them. 

“Professor I believe I’m quite the priciest item here.” Y/N brings in the playfulness again, his words stirring something deep within her at being wanted. 

“I’m sure I could come up with a sum worthy of you alas, these numbers cease at the feat of your beauty and intellect.” He admits, and she feels a cacophony of stars trickle towards her, the sudden sound of metal clanging worries him. 

“I’m okay just crashed into the yogurt fridge.” She grumbles lightly before righting the fallen items. 

Loki bites back his smile picturing her reddened cheeks and expression. He adjusts the papers he holds with the files, fidgeting every few minutes to keep up his human façade. 

As Y/N arranges the items a softer happiness makes itself present within her at the openness he displayed the past week. 

It was not a vast ocean of being open with her but he tried. For her sake. That was enough for her to know he could and would try for her. 

“Hey, I’m back, reporting live from the averted accident in aisle 20, yogurt and soy milk.” Y/N laughs, Loki chuckles. 

“Any casualties?” The professor looks up at the dean’s assistant who gestures for him to head inside. 

“Well does my bruised ego count? Or the indented pack of pudding cups Thor seems to love.” Y/N reports back, reading the labels of the hot sauces for Nia’s preference. 

“Well for the bruising I’d recommend waiting till I pick you up. I believe my lips will know what to do.” Loki gathers his laptop bag, the bond willing him not to say goodbye as it glows happily between them. 

“Youstill won’t tell me? Also no kisses for Lokis who withhold information.” Y/N will stomp her foot as does a tantrum throwing child, she will. 

“Would it be a surprise if I did?” Loki chides. 

“At least tell me the dress code.” Y/N pleads. 

“I believe comfortable should do.” Loki whiles away the time, the dean could wait. 

“What are you wearing?” She enquires that would give her a better hint. 

“An oxford button down and slacks.” He answers recalling the light blue shirt he picked out for their date that hangs in his office. 

“So it is okay if I don’t wear a dress right?” Y/N hesitates, dresses though nice weren’t always her first choice of clothing.

“Darling, I believe what you wore when you accompanied your friend to meet my brother should work.” Loki admits, 

“Oh the cream sweater?” She recalls, Loki hums in agreement, the assistant returns once more hands on his hips giving Loki a pointed and impatient look. 

“Yes, also I have my appointment with the Dean, I’m sorry to cut the conversation short. I will speak with you soon.” Loki apologises. 

“Oh no its, alrig—,” The line cuts and Y/N sighs, “its alright.” She repeats more for herself. 

She does a once over for all the items in the cart, matching them with her list proceeding to the check out. 

“So how is Romania treating the great history buff?” The woman in front of Y/N speaks a little loudly. 

“Really? Wow, didn’t think anything surprised the intuitive Mr. Bucky Barnes.” The woman laughs in response and Y/N feels the air leave her lungs. 

How many Bucky Barnes-es could exist in this universe?

The checkout aisle next to her opens up Y/N recedes to that one. Trying not to focus on the conversation. 

But the short-haired woman’s laughter keeps following through and the number of jokes just keep flowing. 

Y/N grits her teeth, so Bucky blocked her out. Did not bother contacting her but kept in touch with someone else. So maybe she wasn’t the only one who didn’t have feelings. 

“Cash or Credit?” The cashier enquires palm raised to take whichever mode of payment chosen.

Y/N hands her the credit card, loading up the groceries as the transaction is completed. 

“Oh Bucky, come on, just do it. What is holding you back?” The woman encourages, she’s on the same stage of shopping as herself. 

Y/N grabs the card swiftly not wanting to hear more about Bucky. He could do whatever he wanted. Talk to anyone. Why does she care?

As she’s loading the groceries in her car, the same short-haired woman approaches her, “Hey are you, Y/N?” 

“Um, yes…” Y/N trails off hesitantly. 

“Oh great I caught you, here you left this on the counter the cashier recalled your name from the system. I’m Maria Hill.” Maria smiles as she hands the hastily forgotten bag to Y/N. 

“Oh um, thank you.” She says, placing it with the others.

“Um, I don’t mean to pry…” Y/N regrets the words as she says them, “Were you speaking to James Barnes?” She fiddles with the zipper on her jacket. 

Yep Y/N thinks, Maria must be creeped out. 

“Oh um yeah, he is a PhD candidate as I am, left for some personal work so I like to keep him updated so he can keep up and not turn into a slow poke.” Maria grins, “Though I’m going to beat him to it but it’s no fun without healthy competition, do you know him?” The brunette waits for a response. 

“He was in creative writing with me, he left quite suddenly, just haven’t had the chance to talk. Maybe he switched numbers, but I’m happy to know he’s okay.” Y/N offers a smile, 

“I have to rush, it was nice meeting you Maria.” Y/N gives her a wave before quickly sitting in her vehicle and leaving Maria eyes wide as she connects the dots. 

She brings back attention to her ongoing call with Bucky, he had heard everything due to the headphones Maria wore. 

“You did not give her your number?!” Maria yells at him. 

“It, it was better that way.” Bucky winces as he explains. 

“Come on dude so what if the date thing didn’t work, at least you will have a friend, she will have a friend!” She groans. 

“Maria can we discuss something or someone else?” Bucky pleads stirring the conversation away from Y/N. 

— — — — 

Loki smoothens his coat’s lapels, as he stood waiting outside Y/N’s home. His occupied hand holds a bouquet of daffodils. He smiles at the flowers, knowing they would be appreciated. 

Y/N opens the door, with one hand trying to fix her earring with the other smiling brightly at Loki.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

They both smile sheepish and then laugh. 

“You can come inside, I just need to fix this—,” Y/N huffs again as the earring still does not stay in place. 

“May I help?” Loki offers, she looks at him then nods.

Her eyes fall onto the flowers, 

“These are for you, darling.” Loki hands her the bouquet, promptly taking the earring from her. 

“Thank you.” Y/N smiles at the flowers. 

“I know I don’t know your favourite flower yet. But I believe these,” Loki pauses, as Y/N sniffles. 

“I, Did I do something to upset you?” Loki worriedly gazes at her.  

“I just remembered what you said, about these, what the daffodils signify. Now, we’re about to go on our first date… Just you putting in the thought. I know its stupid to get emotional over this—,”

“Hey, no, no, you are not stupid for getting emotional, I myself teared up when I saw the florist put them together.” Loki knows how the venom feels when it pools over his eyes. 

“Thank you.” Y/N hugs him, Loki rests his cheek upon her head, arms wrapping around her frame. The warmth of her skin seeping through his clothing onto his own. 

“You’re welcome.” Loki softly inhales her scent, letting it wash over him. Her blood did have an allure to him, but only because mates were to share blood in order to prepare for the inevitable conversion. 

The way her scent called to him right now, he was glad he had fed from blood-bags before arriving. 

Loki relaxes his hold when Y/N initiates pulling away from the hug. Still holding the flowers tenderly in her arms and smiling at them. Loki adores her, tucking this moment away for himself. 

“May I?” Loki requests, holding the earring up; she shifts so he can place the earring. 

Goosebumps break out across her skin as his knuckles ghost over her as he places the earring, his breath softly fans across her cheek. 

Loki places the earring his knuckles trace along her jaw, resting under her chin. 

Y/N tilts her head back at Loki’s prompting meeting his gaze. She feels the stars bloom around them, twinkling brightly. 

“May I?” Loki questions once again, his lips inching closer to her own. 

“Yes.” Y/N breathes out, softly. 

His lips find her warm ones, they mould together. Eyes closed, the stars cascade merrily. 

Loki pulls her closer, Y/N places her hands upon his shoulders as the kiss deepens. 

Y/N’s right hand inches upward along the side of his neck towards his hair. Loki hums in the kiss, his hand moving along her spine pressing her closer. Their chests touch, Loki knows he’s pushing his luck, there is only so much control he can keep when they are like this, she tugs on his hair while she lightly nips at his bottom lip. 

Loki knows his primal instincts are taking over, he pushes her against the wall, wrapping her legs around his waist and supporting all of her weight. 

His tongue moves across her kiss bitten bottom lip as she parts her lips for him, her scent fills his senses. Heady, addicting and absolutely ethereal. 

Loki knows his eyes are red rimmed, the bond glows brightly. Y/N’s fingers tangle in his hair and legs tighten around his hips. 

His hands roam over her sides, his fangs begin to descend as she tugs on his hair wanton sounds of need spilling from her lips unto his. 

Their lips part and Loki lays kisses over her exposed neck, he holds her up with one hand and something about his strength sets a heat ablaze within Y/N. 

Loki, pulls down the sweater, small nips and kisses over her collar bones, he keeps his eyes closed. 

“Loki, Loki, Loki.” His name spills from her as a fervent prayer. 

The bond speaking through her begging Loki to establish it completely. 

When he reaches her sternum, Loki freezes. 

Y/N opens her eyes, heat blooming all over skin, the stars surrounding their bodies. 

“Loki?” She cups his cheek, worry takes over her.  

“I’m okay.” He takes an inhale, eyes closed, he places his forehead against hers.

“Why did you stop?” Her hand nervously fiddles with the collar of his oxford shirt. 

“I, I want to do right by you. This, I enjoyed, there is not doubt in that, if I could, I’d have my lips on your skin till the world ended, but I don’t want you to think that I only want your body.” He opens his eyes, sincere green greets Y/N. 

“I’d—, Loki, you never gave me that impression.” Y/N assures, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, “I though, maybe I did something wrong or something you did not enjoy.” She admits, a blush taking over her face. 

Loki’s eyes widen, “Love, you did nothing wrong I quite enjoyed those sinfully addictive sounds you made for me. Also, if you do not enjoy something I am doing you need to tell me, we have to communicate our likes and dislikes always; just not at one point. This doesn’t just stop at the physical aspects of our courtship.” He places another kiss against her lips. 

Y/N smiles, “Sometimes you sound as though from another era.” 

A momentary panic surges through the vampire. 

“I guess that would be because of all the Shakespeare and poetry you’ve read and immersed into.” She adds with a small laugh, her fingers run through his hair trying to tame the tresses she caused to mess up. 

“Are you making fun of me, Ms. Y/L/N?” Loki playfully narrows his eyes, his tone stern. 

“Why no, Sir, I would never dare.” Y/N feigns innocence, “Just maybe a little.” Her giggle is caught in her throat as Loki’s fingers begin to tickle her sides and she breaks into laughter. 

“Loki!” 

“Y/N!”

Their laughters intertwine, echoing in the room. 

Once they make themselves presentable again for the outside world, Loki and Y/N are divided by the S-Class’ console. Elbows nearly touching. 

An excitement cascades from Y/N to Loki through the now stronger bond. 

Loki smiles, “I hope you enjoy what I have planned.” 

“If you tell me, I promise to be more excited than I already am, pinky promise.” Y/N bargains. 

Loki taps his index finger over his lips, as though in deep thought. 

He looks at her while switching the lanes, “Nope.” 

Her annoyance amuses him, he laughs much to her chagrin. Y/N rolls her eyes looking out the window, annoyed. 

“Darling,” Loki says, she doesn’t look at him. 

“Love.” He attempts again, with failure. 

He huffs, reaching over and grabbing her hand, intertwining their fingers over the console. Y/N pulls his hand back towards her, the back of his hand rests on her thigh. 

“Is that a smile I see?” He teases. 

“Give me a hint, I’ll give you a kiss.” Y/N pouts. 

“Oh come on now that is extortion.” Loki accuses. Y/N just shrugs. 

“We’re almost there.” Loki points out. 

“We drove an hour into London.”

“Are you trying to deduce where we are going?” Loki smiles at her focused expression, the furrow in her brow reminds him of her in class. 

“Wait, did—, what if we’re seen?” She panics, Loki meets her with a calming gaze. 

“It is a weekday, the place will probably only have tourists. Although I’ve booked a private thirty minutes.” He assures, smiling only when she calms down. 

Loki pulls into the parking building near Tate Modern, London. Y/N curiously follows Loki’s lead as he navigates through the floors to get to their destination. 

He doesn’t let her even see what installations are being presented, showing the tickets discreetly to the security as they wait in a corridor. A gentle older woman comes out a corner door greeting Loki. 

“You can go in, it’s just been cleared.” She informs him, greeting Y/N with a smile as well. 

“Thank you.” Loki offers the woman a smile. 

“Oh one more thing.” Loki turns to Y/N, “I want you to keep your eyes closed till we are inside.”

“Loki… Fine.” Y/N only agrees when he pouts and it is too adorable to say no to him. 

The vampire beams brightly, covering her eyes with a blindfold. Y/N holds onto his hands and hears the quiet hinges of the door opening and Loki leads her for about fifteen steps. 

His footsteps echo in the quiet room, as he stands behind her. She takes a deep breath as he undoes the blindfold. Taking a few steps back to admire her reaction. 

Y/N opens her eyes, blinking a few times, her jaw then drops. She is surrounded by an infinity of small lights that are mirrored all around herself and Loki. 

Tiny blue, yellowish and green lights seemingly akin to stars, she turns attempting to find Loki to hold him close to take in this moment with him. 

Loki smiles at her elation that he sees and feels within himself. 

Y/N moves to him, closing the gap he put between them. 

“Loki this, it is, beautiful, ethereal even, as, as though we’re surrounded by our stars.” Her throat feels heavy, emotion overcoming her. 

(https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/yayoi-kusama-infinity-mirror-rooms)

“Well we once admitted we feel stars for each other. Now we can finally see them. Surrounding us.” He tucks her hair back, they both grin at each other. 

“Loki, this, I don’t have words, thank you.” Y/N admits, tears pooling in her eyes. 

Loki softly brushes the tears, “I’ve made you emotional again. I know these are tears of happiness. I want to admit something, if I could, I’d bring down all of the stars that surround the moon and bring them to you. For you are my moonlight. The stars would be merely a fraction of what I’d do for you, now that I’ve found you.” 

Y/N’s breath is caught at his admission, her heart soars. She reaches upward, placing a soft kiss against his lips. Loki returns the affection, with as much of emotion he can pour into the gesture. 

When they pull away, slightly breathless. 

“I’d do the same if not more for you.” Y/N admits to him, in a soft whisper, a promise just between them. 

“I’d do the same if not more for you.” Loki repeats, sealing the promise between them with Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror room lights as their witness.

—————div

Present. 

—————

Saturday. 

—————

Y/N groans, feeling the after effects of the grilling at Miles is putting her through. 

“Come on, up you go.” He prompts again. 

She sits crossed leg again from the sprawled out defeat on the soft carpet in their living room. 

“Now come on, protective enchantments on the ink bottle again. Block my hex without actively holding the enchantment.” Miles instructs again. 

Y/N raises her hand, drawing the symbols for protection, adding intent and visualisation. Then she looks up at Miles, nodding for him to hex the bottle. 

Miles raises a finger of his left hand drawing the hex over the bottle. For ten seconds nothing happens. Then Miles is launched two feet away from the bottle. 

He grins at her, “Well done, now we’ll move onto plants, don’t worry I can reverse the hexes so the plants won’t be harmed. But you have to protect them well enough.” 

Y/N nods, she begins to place the enchantments upon the small succulent cactus.  

Miles prepares the hex and the spikes fly out towards Y/N, her eyes widen and she holds up her hands, the spikes stop mere centimetres away from her face. Dropping down onto the floor. 

“Did you alter the wording for living things?” Miles enquires, Y/N groans. 

“Fuck, I’m so stupid.” She facepalms. 

“Hey no bad words said to yourself. You’re trying hard.” Miles pats her back. 

“If she was trying hard, silly mistakes would not happen.” Clark adds dryly, upon entering the room. 

Y/N bites the inside of her cheek, Clark reminded her of her father, never pleased. At least he was not a verbally abusive like her dad, just showed his disdain for her inability to perform well. 

Basically Clark and Miles were good cop, bad cop. 

Clark waves a hand and the spikes split into two groups heading for Miles and herself. Y/N stops them this time farther away from their bodies. 

“Add the protection.” Miles prompts. 

“The spikes…” Y/N reasons. 

“Add it.” Clark says as he begins with the hex, Y/N scrambles with one hand to maintain the shield then adds the enchantment with the living thing wording, the spikes turn towards Clark with full throttle.

He turns them into petals of flowers falling to the ground. 

Clark only hums, that means he is mildly pleased by her work. 

“You kept the spikes connected as well.” Miles praises, “good work.”

Y/N only smiles, the clock hits seven-thirty and now it was time for Clark and his mind bending tricks. 

It was only day five of training but it felt as if eternity had passed between the days. 

Clark settles on the chair near the fireplace, Y/N joins him on the free chair, “Now, you have to block out the compliance. We can try that with the guard dog vampire outside.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes, but nods out of respect. 

“For the vampire kind of compliance once you harness the warlock and witch kind. We’re trying to make it so that you have to be touched to be compelled. Once that occurs we need you to break the compliance upon the warlock or witch.” Clark continues, cracking his knuckles to prepare. 

“Okay.” Y/N nods, focusing herself. 

Clark focuses upon her, bringing forth his visualisation of her own protective enchantments brought forth by her own witch status. 

“Tap your right foot.” Clark attempts, as her ankle twitches to move.

Y/N focuses her mental shields. Her ankle stops twitching. 

“Snap your fingers in the rhythm of ‘we will rock you.’” Clark compels once again, focusing upon the one weak area through her shield. Y/N resists, visualising his compulsion trying to break through her guard. 

Clark huffs, he has to go with something that will pick at her emotions. It was cruel and Miles would tell him off but it needs to be done. 

“Tell me about what Loki said to break your heart.” Clark demands, Y/N’s eyes widen her focus wavers.

“He said I am a distraction, he only wanted to know if the bond held any weight in his eyes that—,” Y/N pauses, bringing her mental shields back up to focus. Gritting her teeth. 

“Tell me about the heartbreak a parent caused you. Your father specifically.” Clark feels remorseful but this needs to be done. 

“You will need to be specific.” Y/N jokes, trying to not let her father ruin yet another thing for her. 

“A moment he abandoned you when he should not have,” Clark drills through, the minute Y/N lets that moment flash by her mind. 

“I was eleven, we were on our first international trip,” Y/N feels the tears brimming, she tries not to let the story spill but fails, “We were trying to find the tour buffet room, for dinner. The place was new and women over there not that safe but okayish, he got angry that he couldn’t find my mother or the remainder of the family, so we returned to the room. He knocked hard and fast on the door.” 

Internally she tries to stop, begs herself to learn quickly. 

“When they did not open the door, because they were gone, he left my hand pushed it away with force, it hit the wall behind me. He then says they left us, so I’m leaving you, let them find you alone. Don’t bother searching for me. I stood there for thirty minutes, men, women passed by staring. I pretended to knock each time someone passed by, so they’d know I had family inside. When my mom and remaining family came back cause we never reached they found me sitting in front of the door crying. All alone.” Y/N felt the wetness of the tears, on her cheeks and on her shirt. 

“They took me in, I didn’t eat that night, just cried and then fell asleep. He came home late night, when I woke up I saw that I was facing him from my bed, I turned around and slept again. He pretended he never did anything. He never apologised or tried to make it better, he kept abandoning me, he left all the time for others, he never wanted to be there for me unless it was convenient to his motives to have me there to seem like a doting father—,”

“Clark.” Miles’ voice cuts through, Clark pulls away the compulsion. 

Y/N glances at the clock, blinking away her tears, the clock said eight. She picks up her bag, checking for her notebook and grimoire. 

“Y/N,” Miles begins, Y/N wipes her tears quickly. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow earlier its Sunday.  I’ve finished my coursework. Thanks for today.” She rushes out before the fresh wave of tears start, she crosses the perimeter where Loki stands against his car, he quickly walks over to her, wrapping her up in his arms as she falls apart in front of him. 

He softly runs his hand over her hair trying to provide comfort. She clings harder and her shoulders shake harder as the sobs turn more deep rooted. 

Loki presses a soft kiss to her temple. His hard gaze moves towards the house as Clark and Miles gaze at them, only one holds worry the other’s cheek grits. Their lips moving in conversation

“Miles what kind of second rate man is her father?” 

“I told you not to push further.”

“She was eleven who leaves their child in an unknown place?!” 

“Clark, please just, these are sensitive topics I hope you learn to build a better relationship with her. As High Priest you’re also an elder who the coven should be able to speak with ease.” 

“Miles you know I can’t be vulnerable on demand, I don’t understand why the Priestess was insisting upon me being the successor.” 

“Clark…”

“Love,” Loki attempts to have her take a few breaths and drink the water he had kept in the car. 

Y/N nods, Loki takes all of her weight and she lets him settle her into the car, she takes a few sips of water. Sniffling as her chest still heaves. 

Loki runs his hands over her head, cheeks and arms. When she finally meets his eyes, he worriedly notes the redness in her tear stained ones. 

“Thank you.” Y/N whispers, Loki nods, placing a kiss to her temple again. 

“I’m sorry he made you share that against your will, I think your father on the other hand deserves quite a few harsh words.” Loki mutters angrily. Maybe more than words he thinks. 

“He isn’t worth it, honestly I don’t know why I keep crying over him and what he did to us as a family, what he put me through out of his selfishness.” Y/N admits. 

“Darling, he was given a role he doesn’t deserve, you do not do that to your child.” Loki tells her, wiping her escaping tears with the back of his index finger and then thumb. 

“I know I never shared that with you, I just,” Y/N loses her words. 

“It was a difficult moment, I only wished I could have heard it out of your own volition.” Loki confesses. 

They stay quiet, Loki looks back at the house Clark still stands watching, Miles had retreated back into the house. 

“Are you hungry?” Loki enquires, Sierra had provided him a list of ways to replenish her energy stores, the top one being rest the remaining being food and stress free moments. 

Y/N nods, “We can get take out? I don’t know what to cook with what is left at home; groceries is not something I want to run an errand for today, maybe tomorrow before practice.” 

“Of course.” Loki agrees, he checks her again, then walks around the car to the driver’s side. 

Their hands lay intertwined upon her thigh as always since their first public date’s drive. 

Loki drives to her home, after the conversation that brought out everyone’s worse sides, their little entourage walked on eggshells and Stephen and Loki altered watching over Y/N giving Thor and Nia the Manor and some time to themselves without any responsibilities other than their own. 

Nia tried apologising and protesting against the division but understood that maybe this could have them heal from wounds that they never knew existed. 

Thor on the other hand said nothing to Y/N nor Loki. Stephen never really spoke unless they had anything to discuss. All in all it was sort of an impasse upon which they had arrived. 

Loki walks in through the threshold of the door of the home as Y/N leads the way holding his hand. 

There is something lighter in the air maybe the breakdown she had did her some good. Midnight circles around their feet, greeting their return, she had only slightly warmed up to Loki upon his return. Only marking him with her scent when Y/N’s own was present upon him. 

Other times Loki swears he could see the cat glaring at him with disdain and anger at leaving them distraught. 

As Loki empties the take out boxes into designated plates, his phone chimes. The water still running upstairs indicated Y/N is still in the shower. 

Email: Tate Modern 

Subject: Return of the Infinity Mirror Room for One Weekend Only. Members Exclusive. 

—open to read further—

———————————————————

Email: Rayesa - Tate Modern 

Subject: Private Viewing of the Infinity Mirror Room. 

Dear Mr. Loki,

I realise that this must be short notice but I could have you and a guest come in for a thirty minute private viewing as before for the return of the same exhibit. 

Please let me know as soon as possible so I may save the slot for you if required. 

Warmest Regards,

Rayesa Addams-Ahmed 

Curator 

Tate Modern

Loki finds himself in a blur outside Y/N’s door, he knocks before entering. The shower shuts off and Y/N exits at the same time as he sets foot in, Loki finds his eyes trailing up her frame as Y/N momentarily freezes. 

“Loki!” Y/N chides. 

“I’m sorry I, I got excited because of an email.” He snaps out turning and covering his eyes with one hand. 

She quickly grabs her night shirt throwing it on and only mildly struggles with her pyjama pants, “What email?”

“Tate Modern, the exhibit it is back, it is open for one weekend exclusively for members. Rayesa offered us a private viewing whenever we want.” He explains. 

“Tonight we, its late how will we even—,”

“We could eat dinner now, I can drive, or we could even run.”

“No, not after eating.” Y/N shudders at the thought. 

“Right you get queasy.” Loki purses his lips, “The train?” 

“Faster than the car…” Y/N trails off, Loki turns as he hears her pad towards him. 

“I’ll call her.” Loki beams at the prospect of reliving their first date again. 

“Yes please.” Y/N grins equally happy at the prospect to have their bond visualised once again. 

Loki finds Rayesa’s contact, pressing call. 

“Ah, Mr. Loki, I think you found my email I was just sending you an updated one, the private viewings are only open for the next weekend.” Rayesa informs, 

“I apologise for the inconvenience, I remember how much your guest and you enjoyed the experience.” 

“Oh, just a moment Rayesa,” Loki conveys the change to Y/N they agree to have it next week they’d leave after practice so a ten o’clock night viewing was penciled in under their names. 

“Thank you so much. I look forward to catching up with you two.” Rayesa bids farewell. 

Loki settles in next to Y/N on the couch as they hold their plates of food. 

He’s picked out rewatching modern family knowing it is a comfort show for his mate. 

Y/N smiles as they settle into the familiarity of the show. 

Plates slowly become empty and bellies are full of future date plans and food. Hearts still stay wounded around the edges but moving towards healing. 

Their soft laughter only adds to the comfort Y/N feels. Her head rests on Loki’s chest as they shift into a more laying down position, Loki’s arms encircle her, the throw blanket laid over them, his fingertips trace over her back as they lay still watching. 

Y/N finds sleep creeping upon her easier. Her eyelids slowly droop. Y/N sighs snuggling closer to Loki, his body slightly colder than her own but there was a comfort he brought to her by just being there. 

“I missed this,” She admits, Loki looks down at her sleepy face, smiling. 

“Missed what?” He enquires, he shares the sentiment of this quiet moments that were as much as theirs to keep as were their moments out and about. 

“This, laying with you, hearing your breathing, having you near me.” She confesses. 

“I have missed having you in my arms.” Loki confesses as well. 

They yet hadn’t spoken alone about what transpired when he quote unquote broke things off. 

Y/N and Loki both silently agree that moments of comfort and finding their way back to each other took priority. 

It was futile to move forward with that hanging above their heads, but they just wanted to escape till when they could, till their hearts and minds wanted to hide away from the harsh words. 

Three words still dance on the tip of her tongue. Even in her sleep addled moment. She wanted to whisper them. 

Loki feels the bond shift back to silver, he feels his breath knocked out of his lungs at the force with which Y/N’s love cascades across their bond towards him at full throttle, venom pools at the corners of his eyes. 

She still held love for him. 

Maybe he had hope, hope that he could have her forgiveness her love to cherish again and never let go. 

“I love you.” Loki whispers against her temple. Keeping her in dreamland with his soft caresses and soothing words of affection. 

————

Sunday.

—————

Grocery shopping turned out to be an impromptu reunion between the two best-friends and brothers. They first hesitated and awkwardly hugged. 

Then Nia dropped the canned soup display when she picked one up from the middle. Y/N saw the whole thing from the other end. 

Loki and Thor were off broodingly staring at each-other in the corner. 

Y/N wheeled her cart quickly to Nia, grabbing her and pretending they were never near the display to begin with, only when they reached the aisle for detergents did they begin to laugh. 

“That was exactly like the cartoon.”

Nia wipes a tear that strays due to the laughter. 

Y/N only giggles nodding, the mental imagery on repeat. 

“Ma’am do you know who touched the soup display?” The store manager approached them. They straighten up. Shaking their heads. 

“It looks fine to me.” Nia says gesturing to the display. 

The man turns around and the display is perfectly in place. 

Thor and Loki round out from the next aisle holding various decoy items with smiles of achievements on their innocent faces. 

“I swear I saw the mess just a second ago.” The manager turns back to their ground then scratching the back of their head they go to inspect it up close. 

Y/N grins spying the Nutella jar Loki holds, “This is incentive to kick ass today.” He insists. 

“Whats today?” Nia questions, Thor silently watches the exchange. 

“Witch training.” Y/N informs making space for the items in Loki’s hands in the cart. 

“Oh, how is it going?” 

“Kicking ass some days and getting my ass kicked most days.” The young witch admits. 

“You’re going to do great. I believe in you.” Nia pulls Y/N in for a hug. 

Y/N hugs back, her heart feeling elated at the happiness of having her best friend back, not that she was lost to her. Just the fact that they weren’t speaking. 

Thor clears his throat drawing the friends apart. 

“Thor.” Nia huffs, “I just got my bestie back.” 

“I’m not keeping you apart I just wanted to say that, I’m sorry.” Thor looks down at Y/N apologetic. 

“Oh,” Is all Y/N is able to muster. 

“I realise things could have been handled keeping everyone’s emotions safe and not jeopardise your bond with my brother.” Thor admits, “I’m also sorry that I didn’t protect you better when you were vulnerable.”

“I’m sorry too for implying that taking care of you was a burden.” Nia adds.

Tenebrous - Loki (AU) - Chapter Eight

Pairings: Vampire! Professor Loki x Fem!Reader

Characters: Loki, Thor, Fem OC, Reader, Bucky Barnes, Stephen Strange

Warnings:angst, mentions of depression, discussion about depression, non consensual drug usage, fluff, Bucky just wants his PhD done man, non con blood drinking, Binder over usage by a character, discussion of removing the binder, body dysmorphia, angst between reader and loki, loki fluff, angst between reader and bucky. MINORS DNI

Word Count: 11.2k

A.N.:sorry for going awol there was alot going on irl and i lost all drive to write but i’m back and motivated, i have more work lined up so please do check out my masterlist!

Dividers:@firefly-graphics

Chapter Seven||Chapter Nine

Main Masterlist||Fic Masterlist||My AO3

Chapter Eight - We’re Fighting For The Same Thing

Present. 

Sierra looked between Miles and Clark, a grim expression upon their faces. 

“Can the two of you tell me what happened that caused baby witch to pass out? For four days?” 

“Well, we went pretty hard with the history lesson.” Clark scratches the back of his neck. 

“What did you do to the bond?” Sierra wonders. 

“Well apparently the vampire had already caused interference, it was frayed intensely.” Miles responds covering his eyes with the palms of his hands. 

Exhaustion riddled the two men. 

“Did he not want her? I’ve never heard of vampires wanting to break a bond…” Sierra furrows her eyebrows, none of the books about vampires suggest willingness to wreak a bond so sacred given once in a lifetime. 

“I believe there was something afoot prior to our intervention.” Clark muses, as he sifts through the box of grimores once again. 

“Do you think we can keep her prepared?” Miles wonders aloud, marking the bottles of herbs. 

“Either she is or we use the same technique as we did these, past few days.” Clark suggests, astral projection demands energy out of them but is a viable option to remain uninterrupted. 

Sierra gasps, “Eight decayed bodies were found in the northern region of Romania. Bodies of campers, mangled and burnt they suspect an animal attack and then the tents caught fire.” 

She then scoffs at the reasoning, “This screams vampire.” 

“He’s closing in on covens much more rapidly.” Clark purses his lips, looking at Miles. 

“You want to reach out to her again?” His husband vocalises the thought. 

“She’s woken up an hour ago.” Sierra reads the update from her nursing shift partner. 

“Then she’s had an hour to rest.” Clark deems, setting up the candles for the circle. 

Miles grabs the dried lavender sprigs, arranging them in a crescent within the circle, smaller candles to denote the stars akin to their shared necklaces. 

Sierra lights the candle residing at the centre of the crescent, she then takes her place at Clark’s left and Miles stands across her. 

Clark begins welcoming the element governing each direction, 

“From the North we call upon Fire, from the East we call upon Air, from the South we call upon Earth, from the West we call upon Water, Spirit we call upon you and we call upon the protection given by our moon.” 

Crackling of the candle flames, 

Cool breeze of a summer afternoon,

The scent of earth after rain,

The bubbling of a stream,

The iridescent line of spirit traces the circle, and each sprig of lavender intertwining the three witch coven members.

“Allow our fourth member to connect with us in the realm of astral, guide us, moonlight to the one we seek, 

allow us elements the chance with her to speak.” Clark seeks permission, soon they are led to the realm as they wait for Y/N to join them. 

— — — —

“Well, this is not how I expected to find you.” Nia looks between Loki and Y/N, the latter still between the vampire and the wall. 

Y/N places a palm against Loki’s chest. He shifts. 

Nia walks over, “What the fuck were you thinking?” She looks at her best friend. 

“I left you a letter!” Y/N defends.

“A letter? Gee thanks. Where was the part about a four-day sorcery or witchy bender?” The shorter woman demands. 

“I’m surrounded by a bunch of idiots.” Nia rubs her temples moving to the couch. 

Thor knocks as he enters, giving Y/N a smile and a pat on the shoulder. 

“Welcome to the supernatural club.” 

Y/N laughs, “Yeah officially in it I suppose.”

Nia glares at Thor. 

Thor in turn pales, slightly. 

Her irritation takes prominence he looks at her apologetic. 

Loki gazes between the two then back at his mate. 

“You should get back into the bed.” He murmurs. 

“I’m good thanks—,” “Get on the bed.” Nia gives her a glare and for once Y/N is afraid of Nia. 

Loki moves forward to help Y/N. 

“I can handle it.” She spits out. 

“Be my guest.” He gestures for her to move ahead. 

Y/N leaves the support of the wall, lowering the guard rail and sits on the bed. Everyone stares at her expectantly, “What?”

“Go on, tell us what happened.” Thor requests. 

“Coven customs won’t permit her to say anything.” Loki pipes up. 

Y/N bites the inside of her cheek, Loki feels her irk through the bond distantly. 

“Sorry.” He adds. 

“Right the customs don’t allow me to divulge too much information, the sensitive kind, the awakening did undo what Loki did the night I was attacked by Zemo in the forest.”

“You remember?” Nia’s eyes widened and her voice raised an octave, “How?” 

“I think the awakening did something to undo it…” Y/N looked down at her hands, the memory was fresh in her mind not distant. She wondered for a moment, if Loki did not have to erase that dance, those touches. 

How would have things between them shifted? Would they have confessed earlier? Would Loki be able to confess at her doorstep? 

Or would it just be brushed away as a moment of weakness?

“Well, that is something to know.” Nia glances at Thor, he offers her a small smile. She looks back at her best friend on the bed. 

“They showed me the history of the coven, these two were under Alexander and had to well partake in the extinction, but the high priestess at that time, Samana,” Loki looks to the floor as Y/N continues, 

“Loki was involved with her and they allowed a portion of the coven to live on and pass down the magick.” 

“I had to do what I did.” Loki defends. 

“I thought vampires were to wait for their mates?” Nia interjects. 

“Not all follow the norm, at least not in Alexander’s coven, he pushed everyone to, ‘have their unregulated fun’.” Thor explains, a wince on his features. 

“So basically, you all were told to sleep around?” Nia looks between the brothers. 

“It was not just sleeping around… Blood sharing, usage of our gifts to gain insight, lead witches astray or humans, lure them. Our kind has done questionable things. Things that, that have haunted me in my sleepless nights.” Loki gazes at Y/N, her eyes trace over his features. 

They had this conversation before, being forced to do these unspeakable things, preying upon innocents, killing covens. 

“You aren’t that person anymore.” 

Loki closes his eyes tightly at the words his mate repeats to him she’s utter against his lips before. 

Thor watches Nia, her eyes glaze over with unshed tears, “Is, was anything done to you if you did not comply?” 

Thor pulls her into his lap as he sits on the couch. 

“There was Brock.”

“He’s horrible.” Nia states from the events that were shared by Thor. 

Loki laughs humourlessly, “His death does not bring the closure, I wished it brought forth.” 

“Brother.” Thor sighs, he runs his fingertips over Nia’s forearm, the gesture brings more comfort to him than her.

Loki seats himself on the stool near Y/N’s bed. 

“I need to tell you why I left.” Loki takes her hand. 

“I don’t want to know—,”

“It is why the bond is scrambled,” Loki hears her heart stutter, her lips part as her jaw drops. 

“What did you do, Loki?” Y/N finds her voice, the tone rising as anger ebbs through her and interlaces the broken fragments of their bond. 

“I did it to protect you, your coven should not have survived earlier, Alexander would know, and it would not matter if you are my mate, so,”

Y/N felt Loki’s voice turn into a haunting echo. Her eyes shifted to Thor and Nia; they began to stretch farther away as the room began to expand. 

“What?” Her own voice an echo, her hands blur in and out, reminding her of how the drugs would take over. 

“Y/N?” Loki’s worried voice silently reaches her, she looks up at him, multiple Lokis are cupping her cheek. 

The scent of lavender fills her senses.

“Lavender?” She breaks the syllables as she vocalises. 

“What is going on?” Nia stands up as does Thor. 

The hospital room disappears.

Candles burning, lavender, crescent moon. 

Candles burning, lavender, crescent moon. 

A circle with candles. 

“North by the Fire, by the Air from the East, Earth of the South, West brings the Water, Spirit surrounds you, young witch and the protection of the moon, meet your coven in the astral realm we have much to do.” Clark’s voice greets her ears as their image of standing around a circle becomes clearer. 

In the physical realm, Loki lands on his knees. The stool makes a clang. 

“Brother!” Thor, pulls Loki upright. 

Loki wheezes, “She—,” he chokes on his words, the bond clutches at him as panic sears.

His side of the bond is burning painfully with worry. 

Bring her back, 

bring her back, 

bring her back

where is her soul? 

where is her soul? 

where is her soul?

“She’s unconscious.” Nia deems, gently letting go of her hand. 

“She is in the astral realm.” Thor explains, “If she stays there too long the bond may break. The soul bond is heavily weakened. I fear they may not get a chance again.” 

“Fuck. Could we astral and prevent it?” Nia hopes, her resolve breaks as her mate shakes his head. 

“We need to find the coven and stop them.” Thor hurriedly states. 

“The patients, Miles and Clark.” Loki lowers the guard rail, grabbing onto Y/N’s hand, momentarily relaxing at the contact. 

“Find Stephen he will have the patient records and addresses.” Loki contemplates shifting closer to Y/N. 

In the astral realm, Y/N finds dread seeping in, why does it feel as though something is being snatched away?

“What is going on? Is everything okay?” Y/N gazes at the three members. 

“Alexander Pierce is going on a rapid witch-hunt.” Miles informs her, she moves closer to the circle. 

“Is he here nearby?” Y/N looks between the three, there is a tug in her chest, as though a deep-rooted plant is being tugged from the soil. 

“Last known location was Romania, he usually converts those he deems useful, his gift is knowing if abilities get transferred to the vampire form of an individual.” Clark explains. 

“So, we need to prepare to take him down.” Y/N verbalises the unspoken sentiment. 

“Precisely.” Miles nods. 

“However, you need to train harder than before for harnessing your abilities.” Clark adds, a look of worry passes over his features. 

“Could we do that in the more physical realm? This drained me down four days… I can only imagine how much the astral realm impacts your energies.” The baby-witch suggests, a wince gracing her features at the sensation that is manifesting tenfold within her. 

“It is true, we need to practice in the physical realm.” Sierra agrees, “There is far too much risk remaining in this realm.”

“Also, you need to start your own grimoire.” 

“My own book or spells?” Y/N raises an eyebrow. 

“Basically, a guide, not all spells work for you, there are different banishments, hexes, protection spells that work and don’t work. Sort of like your techniques as a physio? You need to find the correct ones and practice.” Sierra smiles encouragingly. 

“I suggest starting with finding your grandmother’s Grimoire, and if you cannot find it start with protection spells.” Miles offers. 

“Okay.” 

“We need you to focus on this, so I suggest you divide time between your degree and your coven.” Clark’s words have an authoritative undertone. 

“Yes, getting Alexander off of our backs will be helpful to everyone.” Y/N agrees. 

“It will be, do not get distracted.” Clark sighs. 

“Your mate how is he?” Miles curiously wonders much to Clark’s displeasure. 

“The bond is messed up, I he was saying something right when, well…” Y/N gestures to the circle with her hands, her chest constricts again.

Sierra looks at Y/N pointedly, “Is something bothering you?” 

“I have this gnawing sensation in my chest as if something is getting uprooted.” She rubs over her sternum it does little to soothe her. 

“That is the bond being ripped.” Clark explains, Y/N widens her eyes. 

“No. What, no send me back.” Y/N pleads. 

“Why? Did he not leave you? Did he not mess with the bond?” Clark’s features have disapproval written all over them. 

“He is my mate.” 

“He left you.”

“That is between him and I to sort through.”

Miles’ eyes widen, “Clark you knew.” He says accusingly. 

“Oh, hell no, if her bond breaks, she is going to be in no position to be of any help.” Sierra yells almost. 

Y/N grips her head, the sensation increases in intensity, she can feel the beginning of the uprooting of the threads of the bond. 

“Send me back please.” She falls to her knees at a harsh tug, “Loki.” 

“Clark, close the circle.” Miles glares at him. 

“I will not.”

“Clark, close the circle, now. She could have long term trauma.” Sierra presses on, the readings she did deeply into the bonds have given her intensive knowledge. 

“Sierra.” Clark warns. 

Y/N hunches over, clutching her chest. 

Loki’s eyes prick with venom as Y/N’s unconscious body moves to clutch onto her chest. He knows she can feel it too. 

Everything he’s done to cause damage mocks him, he never wanted to lose her. 

The thread tugs harshly, the silver glow that formed goes towards bronze again, splotches of black appear. 

“Why is it turning black?” Y/N looks at the bronze thread that surrounds her with spots of shapeless black. 

“It’s breaking.” Sierra has tears in her eyes. 

“I’ll lose him, please, I’ll prioritise the coven, just please don’t let me lose him.” Y/N feels the warm tears cascade down her face. She finds herself crying on behalf of her mate, taking the share of his unshed tears. 

Loki pulls her body closer, wiping the tears that fall. If he could cry their tears would mix. 

“I’m so sorry, I did this to you, to us.” Loki presses his lips to her forehead. 

“If the bond is strong enough, I would have to turn you. I, I could not take that choice away, I fell for you, I love you so deeply from the bottom of my un-beating heart.” Loki wonders if she can hear. 

“I thought if I kept the bond hanging Alexander would spare you, I reached out to a witch. When i left, she kept scrambling the bond ever so slightly. But then, then you over dosed. 

“I felt my world shatter. Y/N I ran, ran back to you for holding you once more.

“Zemo said, the scramble was enough to know that you were mine, I made sure that my mark was upon you.”

Y/N hears Loki’s voice. 

Miles looks at Clark, Clark keeps his gaze on the fallen witch. 

Sierra glares openly at the high priest. 

“I wonder if you will forgive my actions, even if you find it in that heart of yours that encompasses all the kindness, I have ever been worthy of in my entire life. The affection that you gave me.” Loki pauses as pain tears through deeper between them, he shudders as does Y/N in the astral realm. 

“Clark please.” She heaves out a sob. 

“Even if you do forgive me, I will not forgive myself. I, I could have stayed and protected you. I could have told you the truth but when I saw the necklace, I knew I had to use the way decided before. He despises your coven, hates it with a vengeance. I could have protected you better, I could love you better.” Loki presses his lips over her cheeks and temple. 

“I could love you better, I could have given you the love you deserved to receive. Not what I gave to you instead.” Loki’s voice ceases. 

Y/N sobs brokenly, the flames upon the candles burn brighter and intensely. She needs to get back, the spells rhyme and have intent. She needs to get back to Loki. Y/N would deal with the insubordination to Clark later. 

She looks at Sierra, who nods understandingly. 

“Fire by the North guided to by stars, 

Wind by the East caressing my scars,”

“Stop it.” Clark warns. 

“Earth by the South our bodies you guard,

Water by the West you wash away foes who intend facade,”

“As your high priest, I—,”

“Spirit, guide me back to where I lay,

Moonlight, protect me on my returning way.”

Y/N visualises returning back to the hospital room, a valiant effort in ignoring the crumbling bond. 

Sierra pushes energy towards Y/N, letting her words echo. 

Miles’ jaw drops when the side Y/N is on begins turning back into the hospital room. 

Y/N keeps the visualisation on, a small moon guides her back to where her body lays in Loki’s arms. Her astral form strokes his cheek, Loki opens his eyes at the contact.

Y/N returns to her body, wrapping her arms around him with an urgency. Loki buries his head in the crook of her neck. 

“I’m sorry.” He sounds broken. 

Y/N strokes his cheek, her hand moving to his scalp, Loki’s eyes close at the familiar sensation. Sleep never came to him, but this? His Y/N’s fingertips softly moving through his hair, providing quiet comfort and love to him? This replaced his want for slumber. 

“We’ll talk about it all later. Okay? I hope I wasn’t too late…” Y/N presses a kiss to his head. 

“Its still weakened, not broken.” Loki pulls her closer, his lips brush over her neck.

Y/N feels relief when the stars slowly climb across her chest. They seem distant but they make their presence known. 

“Do you need to feed?” She continues her slow movement across his scalp. 

“No, not yet.” Loki breathes in her scent, the vanilla grounding him. 

They lay that way, months since they shared the intimacy of each other’s company. 

There is a knock on the door. 

“Strange.” Loki shifts the two of them into an upright position, Y/N stays close tucked into his side. 

“It is Doctor Strange.” The man corrects as he enters, her chart in hand, “How are you fairing?” He does a once over on Y/N. 

“A bit better now, earlier… I was traversing the astral plane with our bond almost breaking.” She summarises. 

“Hmm, yes, your best-friend and brother informed me. They are on the way to the given address. I suppose you haven’t contacted them yet in favour of being close.” The doctor gives them a pointed look. 

Y/N feels her cheeks warm in embarrassment. 

“Well, I advise that you both stay close, even if you put distance the bond will force you to seek the other out. Having undergone too much duress. You need to rest as well, two astral projections for this stage of your awakening, speak to your coven later.” Doctor Strange turns to Loki, “here.” He places down two blood bags. 

“Thank you.” Loki nods in appreciation. 

“Could you,” Y/N wonders if its the right thing to do but it just hit her how horrible of a friend she is, “Doctor Strange, could you please check on Emery?” 

“Are they not well? They are in the intensive care unit today for rounds.” His eyebrows furrow, worry lacing his features. 

“No, um, they wear a binder and well they might over use it usually I keep tabs I just saw the clock and well…” Y/N looks up at Loki when he squeezes her hand in assurance. 

“I will speak to them.” The Doctor nods, “I still expect the presentation of the case with the juniors taking the history.” He reminds as he exits. 

Loki eyes the bags, looking at Y/N. 

“You can do it… I’ll just close my eyes if that is comfortable for you. Kind of like a juice bag you know.” She giggles at the absurdity of the statement. 

Loki chuckles, “Very rich in iron this juice.” He plays along, shifting off of the bed to grab the bags. 

Y/N feels the stars receding, he is not even more than ten feet away. 

In a blur Loki is back next to her. 

“Was that as awful for you?” He cups her jaw, she nods. 

“It, it was as though missing you but it ached.” She informs, the stars slowly return to their place as they did whenever Loki was nearby. 

“The stars back yet?” Loki smiles as she nods, he makes a small tear on the bag, looking at her. 

“You know I’ve had you feed from me.” She reminds him. 

“That was an emergency.” 

“Still, it doesn’t put me off, you need this for your optimal strength.” 

Loki nods, bringing the bag close, the liquid coating his tongue, he hums as his fangs descend puncturing the bag further. 

He is aware of her warm hand intertwined with his left one. Rubbing light circles. Her free hand preoccupied with texting Nia and Thor to fall back. He moves onto the second bag, the discards both in the red hazard bin. 

Loki shifts their position again, Y/N faces Loki, his arm now around her waist. 

“You need rest, witchling—darling—Y/N.” He tells her, annoyed that he muddled over the affectionate terms. After her declaration he isn’t sure of what to say to her. 

Y/N strokes her thumb across his cheek. 

“You can use the nicknames.” She shifts closer towards him, her head tucked under his chin. 

Y/N relishes in his scent, no longer having to traverse through the memory to pretend he is close. 

“I missed you.” She confesses.

“I missed you as well.” He exhales, turning to place a kiss upon her wrist. 

The stars cascade between them, floating across their chests. 

— — — —

“They can’t let the human ever go on a mission can they?” Nia angrily mutters. 

“Well, it is for your safety.” Thor adds lightly. 

Safety-schmafety, the day I decided to be with a vampire I think that went out the window.” Nia crosses her arms. 

Thor shakes his head as he makes the U-turn to head back to the hospital. 

“I’d protect you with my dying breath.”

“You aren’t allowed to say stuff like that.” Nia swats his arm. 

“It is true though. I mean right for the moment you dropped all the weights at the gym.” Thor teases, fondness blooms like a thousand tiny suns across their bond. 

“We were not going to speak of that.” Nia groans but smiles, “I was surprised at your strength.” 

“I was doing push ups.” Thor defends. 

“One handed.” Nia recalls the day as easily as breathing.

Seeing Thor, just made her feel as though she was harbouring a mini solar system within her entirely made up of bright burning suns.

Thor smiles to himself, his own personal sunshine next to him.

He reaches over, grabbing her hand over the console bringing it up to his lips.

“I’d protect you too.” Nia confesses, “Till the sun burned out from within me.”

“Nia…” Thor gazes at her intently, his senses taking care of the drive, “I’d protect you till the suns I harbour cease to exist.” Nia affirms.

Fourteen Months Ago.

Loki’s classroom is unusually quiet. He sprung on a test for them to annotate a poem they were to discuss. 

His green eyes trail over the students, thinking hard and long for formulating the correct answers. 

Bucky sits next to Y/N, a bold move to invade the space that Loki shares with her. 

Y/N sits in the second row towards the left corner, the first row is only occupied on the right corner. 

As though he called out to her, Y/N’s eyes move from the paper to Loki. He raises an eyebrow, questioningly. 

Y/N shakes her head looking back down, a frustrated sigh escaping past her lips. Bucky check up on her when he hears the sigh. Loki rolls his eyes, a grimace gracing his features. 

“Mr. Barnes, eyes on your own paper please.” Loki chides. 

Bucky returns his gaze to his own paper, Y/N looks towards him then toward Loki. 

The words Loki spoken on Saturday repeat themselves within her. 

Her heart lurches, bits and pieces that Loki had given her cloud her mind. 

Loki watches as she grows lost in thought. 

Is it not baffling? 

He was so unwilling to have someone forced to love him and now that she might be taken away by someone else, he can’t lose her? 

Loki breathes in deeply. 

She saw him in a light he had not bothered to see himself with, the assignment he traced the pages she changed it, never sent him the original, the one he had begun to read. 

Loki felt a small tickle of anxiety loom through the still forming bond. He focused upon Y/N. She was frantically writing away on the paper checking her watch for the time. 

“Shit, shit, shit.” Y/N knew the poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. The question Loki prepared was of two parts, the first to annotate the poem briefly and the second to write a minimum two hundred words for the appeal about the road less travelled upon, albeit it seemed she wouldn’t complete this test because the two hundred words never presented them to her and she only had ten minutes left. 

“Is anyone done?” Loki questions his class, a chorus of panicked ‘no’s returns to him, “Will increasing the time help?” He asks and Y/N’s head snaps up her eyes convey her need for time. 

“You have twenty minutes added so that gives you roughly a half hour, so I hope you all may try to cross two hundred words.” Loki takes a walk around the class as relieved sighs escape the frantic students. 

“Thank you.” Y/N lowly whispers as he passes by and Loki offers her a smile. 

Bucky Barnes’ hands shake, he blinks a few times. Gaze unfocused and this feeling of there being something dangerous near him takes his dread to tenfold. 

He moves his eyes around the room, the dread increases when he find Loki looking at his own watch. 

To be nervous of a professor is one thing but this weird feeling of dread was another thing entirely. 

He remembers his grandmother telling him she used to get these feelings of dread whenever supernatural creatures were around, he has half the mind to scoff. Yeah, the professor gave a weird old timely vibe but not enough to warrant him being a creature. 

Bucky sneaks a glance towards Y/N again. She’s gliding her pen across the paper and he makes sure to tell her a joke about lighting it on fire with the pace of friction against the paper. 

The test concludes and Loki begins to gather the papers from each row, when he reaches Y/N’s end he gives her warm smile. 

“I thought your paper would catch fire at the pace.” Loki chuckles as she blushes. Bucky frowns. 

“I um,” Y/N shrugs, giving a small giggle. 

Loki moves towards Bucky, when their hands meet as the paper is exchange Loki widens his eyes but quickly masks his discomfort where-as Bucky feels as though he has been burned. 

What the fuck?

“Dismissed.” Loki announces quickly returning to his desk on the podium, the students begin shuffling out. 

Y/N gathers her stationary slowly, wondering if she should speak to Loki now or take another day or two to give him a chance. 

While she raises her eyes to meet green, blue ones meet hers. 

“Bucky, hey!” She smiles brightly. 

“Hey there, you could qualify for frantic writing as an Olympic sport.” He teases lightly. She rolls her eyes but laughs. 

“I panicked.” Y/N explains. 

“I did too.” Bucky agrees, he hands her the pencil-case she was to place back into the bag. 

As their hands brush nothing occurs, Bucky deems maybe it was static that cause the reaction with the professor. 

“Listen Poetess, I was hoping,” Bucky pauses as Y/N intently gazes at him. 

Loki pretends to be busy organising the papers. His hearing focused on their conversation. 

“That um, the date I described? The bookstore one?” Bucky prompts as she nods. 

“The great intuitive insight of yours.” Y/N scrunches her nose as she teases and Bucky finds himself wanting to kiss her. 

“Yes, that very insight.” Suddenly his mouth dries and he wondered, if asking her out this way is right or wrong. 

Loki bites the inside of his cheek. 

Please say no. He silently pleads through their bond. 

“What about it?” Y/N smiles encouragingly, Bucky takes a deep breath. 

“Today? Would you like to meet there? In the evening?” He bites his lip; her eyes linger on them for a moment it is all quiet.

Loki holds his breath unknowingly, Y/N then breaks out into a grin nodding. 

“Is five-thirty, okay?” She wonders, Bucky nods enthusiastically. 

Loki groans lowly, had his confession had no impact? 

Or was she merely trying to not get attached to the vampire? 

Or was the bond really not forcing her at all?

The two walk in step towards the door to the classroom. 

“I have to run some errands so I’ll meet you there directly?” Y/N informs Bucky, his hand finds the small of her back as he lets her step out first. 

“Of course, though I would love to pick you up but we can keep that for next time.”

“Already making plans for a third date Mr. Barnes?”

“What can I say, I believe we will.” Bucky winks at her. 

“Oh, is that the intuition speaking?” Y/N raises an eyebrow, Bucky shrugs. 

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” Bucky gestures zipping his mouth shut and throwing the key. 

Y/N laughs, the mirth cascades over her, though she doesn’t feel the stars. 

They walk to the diverging hallway their destinations on opposite ends. 

Loki watches them, having stepped out for returning to his office. 

Bucky waves goodbye before leaving, Loki nears feeling the tendrils of remaining mirth from Y/N. 

She feels stars begin to glow over her, she turns around to find Loki walking in her direction. 

“Professor?” She says when he is nearer, Loki slows down to a stop in front of her. 

“Miss Y/L/N.” He greets noting the scarce students gracing the hallways. 

“I wanted to discuss the assignment, is now a good time?” Y/N deems speaking to him sooner than later is better for the two of them. 

Loki is taken aback at her sudden interest to speak to him. 

“Yes, I have an hour till lunch free I believe we can discuss your concerns.” Loki gestures towards the path of his office. 

They walk in step, Loki notices her lingering gaze upon him. 

He opens the door for her allowing her to step inside before him. 

Y/N steps to the side allowing him way to enter. 

Her eyes fall on his desk, a small blush coating her features about a certain train of thought. 

Loki feels a warmth bloom, he follows her gaze to the box of chocolates on his desk. 

“You kept the box?” Y/N wonders if he can sense the surprise in her voice. 

“You brought them for me.” He simply answers. “I kept a souvenir.” 

“Also, you need to sit I believe taking too much weight still is not advised?” He shifts the chair back and Y/N settles down. 

Loki takes his designated seat opposite to her. 

“So, what about the assignment?” He waits for her response. 

“Well, that was a ruse I actually wanted to um, discuss what happened… what you said…” Y/N begins hesitantly. 

“Oh, what about it?” Loki hopes to ground himself, suddenly nervous. 

“I, whenever you’re near I feel these stars? Its so strange like they wait for you?” Y/N chuckles at the absurdity. 

“Would it ease your nerves that I feel them too?” Loki softly smiles, she nods. 

“The weeks you came over and we spoke, I felt as though the silly crush I had may have some substance.” Y/N picks at the lint from her tights. 

“And then the night before you disappeared… we well kissed. When you went onto zero contact I thought, things were ruined.” She confesses. 

“I truly apologise for how I handled my communication; you deserve better.” Loki exhales, pursing his lips. 

“Thank you for saying that, I, I understand there are things you may have not wanted to share given your perception to how things are, or maybe your experiences,” 

“But I, I cannot um, I cannot accept being closed out or shunned from someone to whom I would give my heart.” She grips the handle of the chair then dares to look up at Loki. 

“Are you telling me you do not want to pursue us?” It takes everything in him to not want to confront these feelings to avoid them to bury them deep. 

Keep them there till he goes numb. 

Y/N’s eyes widen in panic, 

“Loki no I, I’m telling you that if we want to pursue this potential relationship, I need you to not be closed off but I understand that certain things will take time, and that I’m,” She takes an inhale. 

“I was once with someone, he never defined the relationship, whenever I asked for something more he would close off, then talk sweet nothings and try to manipulate it. If he needed anything? I’d be there but if and when the tables turned my effort wasn’t reciprocated. I cannot go through that.” 

“Well, I’m not going to do what that fool did to lose you.” Loki assures. 

Y/N smiles, Loki clears his throat. 

“Are you and Mister Barnes in the middle of a potential courtship?” Loki wonders curiously. 

“I will be letting him know that I’m not interested to pursue anything other than friendship.” Y/N informs, Loki nods. 

“I believe this means I have to take you on a date?” Loki gives her a warm smile, the one he always reserved for her. 

“If you want to, I’m not pushing you for anything that may be uncomfortable. Also, there is the case of you being my professor.” She says, returning to pick at the lint. 

“The course will end soon; we can go public here then I will inform the board two weeks after the course ends. Does that seem alright?” Loki wants to make her look into his eyes. 

Y/N nods, still not meeting his gaze. 

Loki stands, making his way towards her, he unbuttons his blazer before he kneels before Y/N. Gently taking her hands in between his own. 

“I know it may seem as though I do not want to be seen in public with you but, I do not want to put your future at this university at stake. I can’t ask that from you.” Loki intently looks at her as she raises her gaze to meet his own. 

“I don’t want your future here at stake either.” She reiterates, “We can wait to go public.” 

Loki kisses the back of her hand. 

“Do you have plans for lunch?” He enquires. 

Y/N nods, “Have to meet up with Nia, she wants a new dresser for the room.” 

“At this point the two of them need to buy two pieces of each furniture item.” Loki deadpanned. 

Y/N laughs, “How did they even manage to break a dresser?” 

“They even broke my rosewood writing desk.” Loki shakes his head. 

“That is bad.” 

“At least they did not venture into my room.”

Y/N watches Loki consider the thought and she does the same for her own room, both of them shudder and then break into a fit of laughter. 

— —- —- —-

James Buchanan Barnes was having an awful day. He went from a happy morning to a stupid test where his professor made him feel like his hand was burned. 

Then when he touched Y/N he felt a tingling buzz through him. 

But this right now takes the cake, he knows he left his history draft on his desk this morning, he purposely did because it was a shit draft. He was going to grovel in front of the professor for an extension but then he thought if he has the shit draft, he can make his case about it being a shit draft. 

After all Professor Ahmed though a strict and meticulous person taught them enough to recognise their own potential. 

So now he wonders holding the aforesaid shit draft in his hand, exactly how to grovel?

He really, really implores the depths of his mind as to how the fuck is it in his bag and not shit anymore. 

There is even a paragraph he wanted to type but never did get too because that idea struck him five seconds before he found the draft. 

‘I really wish I had a green pen right now.’ 

“Oh, I have a green pen, here you go.” Bucky offers the pen to the wide-eyed classmate. 

“Uh? Are you a psychic?” The student takes the said pen. 

“No, um why?” If this day gets any weirder Bucky promises he’s going to call his grandmother. 

“Well, I wished I had this very colour and you well, magically procured it.” 

“I’ve been told I’m intuitive…” Bucky shrugs. 

The conversation ends as Professor Ahmed enters the room, carrying her laptop and a few papers. 

Half an hour later, Bucky stands nervously as Professor Ahmed’s eyes scan over the shit but not shit draft, her hand fidgets with the treasured fountain pen with which she grades all their submitted assignments. 

‘If he could just re-arrange the paragraphs, he will have something solid.’ 

“I know the paragraphs are oddly placed, I wanted to ask for an extension I feel if I have just a few more hours. I know it is a strong paper.” Bucky scratches the back of his head. 

“You read my mind; I was just thinking to correct the flow.” She writes the comment in the margin. Then a praise for the paragraph that he wanted to write but hadn’t but it was still ever present. 

Professor Ahmed hands him back the paper with a proud look. 

“You keep doing this Mr. Barnes and I think we can discuss that academic position.”

Yup he will continue magically producing great drafts. Bucky smiles and nods. 

“Thank you, I’m sorry for cutting off your comment about the paragraph flow…”

“Mr. Barnes I never said anything, you initiated the conversation about what I was thinking.” Professor Ahmed smiles and dismisses him, Bucky blinks a few times then returns to his seat head in his hands. 

‘Should I just leave the pen there or ask him what is wrong?’

“You can just leave it there.” Bucky answers without looking up. 

The pen is returned and the classmate scurries off. 

Bucky realises he did not actually hear a verbal thought. 

He turns to face Maria Hill, another person in running for either the PhD position and the academic position. 

“Hey.” He greets, she takes off her glasses and smiles in response. 

“Hey, I heard the academic comment so if you’re outta the race for the PhD that is mine.” She warns teasingly. 

He chuckles dryly, “Can I ask you something and you won’t be weirded out?” 

“I’ve seen you scarf down 500ml of iced coffee during our TA phase I think it is tough to weird me out.” She looks over him warily, “Is it about the girl from your creative writing class?” 

She pokes his shoulder when he blushes. 

“Oh, someone is a smitten kitten.” Maria teases. 

“Well, I do have a date so let’s see how that goes.” Bucky answers nonchalantly. 

“So, what did you want to ask? Make out tips? Date tips?” 

“Oh, I have the perfect date down to the dot.” Bucky smugly grins, brushing lint off of his shoulder in confidence. 

“The confidence in here is at Everest.” Maria grins. 

“Okay, okay, so um chose one of the following and I’ll guess, red, blue, lavender, pink.” 

She looks at him pointedly. 

“Humour me please?” He requests. 

Maria goes over the options,

Lavender.’

“Lavender.” Bucky answers in synchronous with her thought

“Woah okay.” Maria is bewildered. 

“Okay next, think of a number between one and five thousand.” Bucky knows he might sound insane. 

‘Three-thousand eight hundred and fifty-six no fifty-one’

“Three-thousand eight hundred and fifty-six no, fifty one” Bucky says. 

“How the hell are you doing that!” Maria covers her mouth. 

“I really don’t know lucky guess?” 

“Even the switch of a number?” She raises an eyebrow. 

Yeah, he’s definitely calling Grandma Barnes. 

Bucky only shrugs in response, when his phone buzzes he is sure he replicates the shock Maria had upon her face when his grandmother’s picture flashes across the screen as she calls him. 

Most of the classroom is doing their own thing and Professor Ahmed is still going through papers. 

“Hey Gramma.” Bucky greets as a calm washed over him. 

“How is my little Bucky?” He can hear the smile in her voice. 

“I was thinking about you.” He says honestly. 

“I had a feeling, hence the call. Have you been guessing thoughts?” Her gentle voice questions. 

Bucky feels his shoulders sag, “I don’t know how am I being able to do so…” 

“Can you come down for a visit? Its better if we converse in person. You will get time to return back by five thirty.” 

“How do you—, never mind.” Bucky shakes his head knowing her uncanny ability. 

“I’ll see you in an hour Bucky.” Gramma says as they bid each other good bye. 

Present. 

Doctor Strange makes his way through the crowd. His chest feeling constricted, briefly wondering if the theory put forth by Loki holds water. 

The doors to the department, he uses his heightened hearing to locate the sole heartbeat in the empty department. Accompanied by ragged breathing. 

“Emery?” Stephen calls out. 

The screech of velcro and a groan originate from the back room. Stephen knocks on the door. 

“Emery? Are you okay?” Stephen calls out. 

“I—,” Emery sniffles, chest still feeling raw as they struggle to breathe. 

“Y/N’s awake, she asked me to check up on you. I know about the binder; do you need anything?” Stephen struggles to not rip the door off, their breathing pattern sounding off. 

“I—, I went over the limit, I want to take it off but I don’t, I don’t have anything oversized.” Emery’s broken voice comes through.

“Emery, I want you to please try to breathe in the limit of the binder. I will be back in 5 breaths.” Stephen assures.

“You will?” Emery wonders lightly tugging that the binder digging into their skin. 

“I promise.” 

Something about Stephen Strange’s presence calmed Emery. 

“Okay, I, I’ll start…” 

“Five breaths and I’ll be back, Inhale, please.” 

The small breath reaches his ears and Stephen rushes towards his office, with Emery’s second exhale. 

On the fourth exhale his blue shirt is in his hands, as Emery sighs between breaths Stephen knocks on the door. 

“I’ve got a shirt; it is in my size so I believe it should meet your over-sized criteria.” The doctor informs. 

“Okay… are you sure you’re okay with me, having it?” They ask, one hand on the door knob. 

Stephen places his hand on the doorknob as well. 

“Completely. You can keep it for however long it provides comfort. If you I could keep a set here in the event you require something oversized but do not have one.” The professor explains hoping his voice carried comfort. 

“I don’t mean to make it a habit.” They dryly chuckle. 

“Please don’t wear the binder outside of stipulated hours, I, I can understand your friendship with Y/N warrants further comfort but please do not hesitate to reach out in-case you need to speak to someone in her absence.” 

The lock clicks, Emery opens the door enough so that the shirt can be given into their hand.

Emery takes a breath, “Holy shit this is an expensive brand.” Their fingertips trace the label. 

“It will be very comfortable. I assure you. I will be in my office so you can change with ease,”

“Will you stay outside?” Emery requests. 

“Of course.” Stephen assures, stepping back near the door. 

The sound of fabric then Velcro reach his ears. 

Emery sighs with relief as the restrictive material finally parts with their skin. They try not to stare at the jagged lines indented onto their skin but the mirror in the far corner does pique curiosity. 

They clamber over with Doctor Strange’s shirt in hand. Staring at their own reflection and how the colour of the shirt brings out their skin in a way they never knew could. 

“How are you fairing, Emery?” Strange’s baritone of concern pushes an edge of comfort onto them. 

“I’m, I’m not okay but, I think I will be, thank you for the shirt,” they say as their hands move through the sleeves as they button it up. 

A laugh bubbles over from their belly. Strange smiles at the closed door. 

“Do not laugh.” Emery warns, as the knob turns. 

“I would never.” Strange promises as the door reveals Emery’s bright eyes and flushed face the shirt several sizes too big upon their frame. 

Stephen smiles endearingly, “The colour looks lovely upon you. Brings out the brightness in your eyes.” His breath hitches when Emery looks into his eyes with their own. 

A blush coats their cheeks, and they smile shyly. They tug at the sleeve of the shirt. 

“Have you eaten yet?” Stephen breaks out of the stupor. 

“Oh um, not, not yet. I’ve got some pasta I made; would you like to share?” Emery offers, “It’s, pesto so unless you’re allergic…”

“It is one of my favourites.” Stephen tells them truthfully, only limited human food brought him joy, “I have this spot I usually eat at, unless you want to stay inside?”

Emery stares at the taller man, his tone hopeful, “Is it on campus?” They look down at their own hands. 

“It is a park nearby.”

“Lead the way, I feel like fresh air would do me some good.” 

Stephen smiles, as does Emery. 

They use the communal kitchenette to head up their respective food, Stephen grabs his car keys to retrieve the blanket he carried to the park. 

Emery stays quiet for part of the walk, sneaking glances at Stephen ever so often. 

“Is something on your mind?” Stephen questions as they enter the park’s shrubbery covered archway. 

“Just, um, momentarily felt you’re taking pity on me.” Their hesitance at the admittance apparent. 

“Emery, I can understand why it would appear seemingly so, but please, know that I only offered because I would like to get your mind away from what happened. I understand those thoughts may return but, please I would never approach out of pity.” 

They’ve stopped walking, Stephen’s spot in mere feet away. 

Emery gazes into his blue eyes which hold an emotion they can’t fathom. Tears brim at the corner of their own eyes. 

“T-thank you. I, you’ve always been so inclusive and I never felt like an outsider in your department. Thank you.” Emery wipes the stray tears away, Stephen’s hand twitches by his side. 

“I believe everyone should have a safe space to be their truest self, not all are lucky enough to have that at home.” Stephen looks towards the lake that begins from his spot.

“Did, did your family not support something?” Emery blurts out as the pair begin walking in tandem again. 

“They did not support my desire for a career in medicine. My father was a miserly businessman and I could not find it in myself to fleece people.” Stephen explains, Emery grabs two corners of the blanket helping to set it down then the two lay the water bottles and food boxes. 

“I’m sorry, I can understand that must have been a tough fight.” Emery sighs, reaching out to provide a comforting touch to Stephen’s palm. They hover above as they wait for Stephen’s permission. 

The doctor nods, Emery places their hand upon his, eyes widening when they feel an electric pulse coursing between their palms. 

Fourteen Months Ago. 

Y/N stands near the display window of the bookstore. Eyeing the current top-rated books but nothing calls out to her. 

Bucky watches her from across the street where he stands in the shadows a truth about himself revealed. 

Bucky lifts his phone to his ear, watching as Y/N furrows her brows looking around before answering the call. 

“Hey,” She still looks around. 

“I’m not yet at the bookstore.” Bucky informs her, watching her shoulders sag in disappointment. 

“Will you be a while? I don’t mind waiting.” Her fingertips trace over the poetry book he had kept in mind for her. 

“No, I won’t be coming in, I’m taking a few months off.” He closes his eyes, at her sharp inhale. 

“Why? Is, is everything okay?” Y/N steps out of the bookshop, leaning against the wall her eyes on her boots. 

“I—, I wish I could explain better, but I can’t, it is a family thing in a nutshell.” 

“Oh, um it is not anyone who has fallen sick is it? Is it Gramma? Is she okay?” 

“No, no, nothing like that just, some work has come up and the entire family has to be there.” 

Y/N looks up to the evening sky. 

“Any idea when will you be back?” 

“No, it…is… indefinite.” Bucky takes a steadying breath.

“What about the course? And your academic or PhD position?” Y/N bites her lip with worry, he had been working so hard. 

“On hold. They promise to reward my hard-work if I return.”

“If?” Y/N wonders what could possibly cause this much of an uprooting in his life. 

“You always catch onto the finer things.” Bucky smiles knowingly. 

“Bucky, are you, are you not returning?”

“I will, I do not know when.” He assures. 

“Then,fuck. Why does this seem like a permanent goodbye?” Y/N runs her hands through her hair. 

“I know you have stronger feelings for someone else.” 

Bucky exhales as the shock on her face wears off. 

“Just, just please stay away from Loki after the course, I, he gives me a bad feeling.” 

“James, you’re throwing me off.” Y/N lets out a frustrated groan. 

“Are you leaving because of me not having strong enough feelings for you or are you leaving because there is something unavoidable? I, I never wanted to hurt you.” Y/N bites her lip, her throat closing up. 

“Please don’t cry.” Bucky requests, Y/N looks to the side and shakes her head, trying to shake the tears away. 

“Bucky,” she says his name as if it could be a reason. 

“I’m not leaving because of you. I can assure you that much. Although I hope I can come back to find you for the date to complete, Poetess.” 

Y/N closes her eyes, why did this hurt so much?

“Bucky please, I, can’t I see you? Before you leave?” She begs, there was always a blossoming friendship between them, it was as though they were at a crux in time with each other. 

“Y/N.” Bucky sighs, “It will be harder to leave.”

Y/N shakes her head, a bitter taste at how this evening was playing out and then her eyes meet his blue ones across the road. 

Bucky doesn’t speak, nor does Y/N, they can hear their breaths and watch the condensation of exhales as the air grows colder. 

Bucky feels his phone buzz, he pulls it away to see his uber is pulling up in a minute. 

Y/N’s eyes fall to the suitcase near his feet. 

“Why couldn’t you say goodbye to my face?” She finally finds her voice. 

The silver vehicle parks in front of him, the window lowered. 

“Uber for James Barnes?” The man calls out loud enough. 

Bucky looks back at Y/N, he knows his eyes are getting glassy. He knew this could have bloomed into something great, maybe not a relationship but a cherished friendship. 

Bucky nods at the driver the trunk popped open, mechanically he goes through the motions of placing his case in as Y/N watches her feet ache to run across and offer comfort but they stay planted into the ground. 

Bucky knows he could run to her and seek comfort but he knows that what awaits needs to be done on a priority. 

The brunette gets into the car, his hair slips out of the bun slightly when he lowers the window, the car slowly pushes into drive. 

Bucky’s voice breaks as he says his parting words, “Because I never wanted to say goodbye.” 

“Bucky, please.” The hold on her limbs breaks when he stops looking at her, Y/N steps forward but is pulled back by a pair of familiar arms as a few cars rush past her. 

“Y/N what do you think you were doing?! Going out into the street like that!” Thor exclaims, doing a once over, her eyes remain on the path that the silver car took, she looks at her phone and the call is cut, when she tries dialling Bucky’s number again a message of the phone being unavailable greets her. 

“He left.” 

“Who?”

“Bucky.” 

“The warlock—war thesis creative classmate?” Thor corrects himself quickly, he is relieved when he concludes Y/N is too distracted to catch on to his slip.

Y/N looks down, at her hands, “Are, are you heading home?” She questions. 

“Yes, Nia asked for a few things I just finished picking them up. Do you want to carpool?” Thor looks at her worried. 

“No, I um, I don’t want to intrude date night, I’m just going to be here for an hour or so, I’ll be back home later.” 

“You know we wouldn’t mind if you were at home. Are you feeling alright?” Thor places his hand on her arm, Y/N looks up at him, feigning a smile and nodding. 

“Yeah, just, just feeling a bit low. I’ll

Be fine around the books.”  She bids him goodbye and scurries into the bookstore. 

— — — 

Loki feels a rush of sadness surge through the bond. He pauses mid sip of his scotch and reading of the email sent by James Barnes. 

It coincided with their date time so what was going on? 

He grabs his jacket, ditching the need for his car in favour of his own bodily speed. 

He enters the bookstore as the intensity of the sadness heightens, Y/N sits tucked away in a corner a pile of books untouched. Intermittently sniffling. 

A small lone star presents itself in her chest and Y/N looks up to find Loki gazing at her with worry. 

“Did he hurt you?” Loki feels venom coat his tongue at the prospect of the warlock causing harm to her. 

“No. He left; I–, he knew I didn’t have deeper feelings but the way he just left without explaining anything. It is just, he stood there on the opposite side he never came over to speak.” A fresh batch of tears stain her cheeks and Loki leans in front of her, his thumb and index finger wiping them away. 

“I understand how the loss of a friendship feels, that to one that held prospects of being a long friendship.” Loki continues wiping away the tears that still spill, “It will hurt, till how long you choose that, a week, a month, a year. I know it will be hard today and tomorrow but maybe with time you may understand why he left. Even accept the way he left.” His assurance washes over her, the vampire knows when he comes clean about himself, she may be open to understanding the remaining supernatural entities that walk the earth. Then when the time came her own self.

Y/N nods, allowing Loki to comfort her. 

“Would you like me to read to you? We haven’t in a while.” Loki traces over the spines of the books she’s picked out. 

He pauses over the book of love by Rumi, 

“I hear nothing in my ear but your voice.

Heart has plundered mind of its eloquence.

Love writes a transparent calligraphy, so on

the empty page my soul can read and recollect.”

“You’ve read it?” Y/N smiles as Loki smiles at her. 

“I have.” 

“Do you have any other quotes from the book you find favourable?” Y/N watches as he sits next to her on the small couch. 

“Another which is taken from between a larger piece.” Loki admits, after a moment of thought. 

“Will you recite it?” She requests, he smiles. 

“Maybe another moment in time I will, first though, I need to know if you have eaten?” Loki gives her a pointed look when she attempts to lie. 

“No…” Y/N admits, playing with the zipper of her bag.

“I’ll get two coffees and some cake for you; I believe they have a new Nutella cake.” Loki laughs endearingly as her face breaks out into a beaming smile. 

He excuses himself to place the order.

Present.

Y/N sighs relieved as Doctor Strange texts Loki that Emery is alright and that he is even making sure they eat before going back home. 

Her head rests once again on his chest and the small glimmer of stars fix their places in the constellation that is the bond the vampire and human share. 

Loki presses his lips to her temple, Y/N feels a tug within her at the gesture she missed so dearly. 

“When I was apart from you,

this world did not exist, nor any other.” Loki declares, Y/N shifts her head to look up at him. Hazily the brain recalls their conversation about Rumi’s pieces and Loki’s promise to recite a piece he favoured. 

“Where there is ruin there is hope for a treasure.” Loki brushes his nose over her jaw. 

“Do you still think of yourself as lesser than you are?” Y/N questions once more. 

“I find that I am not worthy of several blessings that I have had the fortune to hold in my arms, you are one of them.” Loki admits. 

Y/N shifts, sitting up and facing Loki. 

“You are worthy.” She whispers, “Why can you not fathom that?”

“I have done things, I hurt you. Y/N, please—,” Loki pauses, the lingering scent of an unwanted presence descends into the room. 

“We need to leave, the vampire who attacked you is here.” 

In a blur Loki has her at the door, the patient scrubs are still what she wears, Loki hands her bag to her. 

Grabbing her close to him again he blurs outward, when he is at the edge of the forest, Loki finds his lower half pulled backward. 

Y/N whimpers as she’s ripped harshly away from her mate. 

“Loki!” Y/N screams, her back pressed against the chest of the vampire. 

Loki is quick to stand back up, “Leave her be.” He warns venom pooling in his mouth. 

“I just enjoy her taste, pretty boy.” The cloaked vampire shrugs, dragging Y/N away. 

Loki launches himself to grab the vampire only to find that an he has been entrapped in a vampire weave. 

“Fuck, fuck,” Loki punches relentlessly, the witch or warlock causing this needs to let him go for him to find her. 

Loki retrieves his phone texting both Stephen and Thor about what has occurred. 

He brings down his fists against the wall of the trap, the luminous wall shakes but does not relent. 

Loki feels his knuckles bruise and heal as he keeps trying to get out of the weave. 

Panic floods the bond and Loki cries out in pain at being helpless for his mate. 

—- —- — 

Y/N knows her spell should work. She’s constantly pressing her palms trying to get the shockwaves out to run but the depletion of her newly acquired energy is still lowered. 

Someone was watching them. 

“You know, I’ve tasted your blood before.” The wind whips around her, something in her mind reminds her of the impending danger the man’s voice brings. <

Tenebrous - Loki (AU) - Chapter Seven

Pairings: Vampire! Professor Loki x Fem!Reader

Characters: Loki, Thor, Fem OC, Reader

Warnings:angst, mentions of depression, discussion about depression, allusions to previous self harm (not graphic), allusions to non consensual occurrences by secondary character, fluff, a bit of steamy things between reader and loki, angst between thor and oc, a new good character, steamy stuff between thor and oc, Minors DNI

Word Count: 8011 (i have no words cause all of them went in this chapter)

(posted with the old editor)

Dividers:@firefly-graphics

<Chapter Six ||Chapter Eight>

Main Masterlist||Fic Masterlist||My AO3

Chapter Seven - Are You Mine Anymore?

Thirteen Months Ago.  

“Thor Odinson. You absolute information withholding shit head!” 

Thor feels Nia’s wrath across their bond before he hears her. Her heels echo and the scent of her hairspray lingering amongst the silage of her natural sweet scent gives him knowledge today was a mock trial she participated in; Thor feels scared. 

“Oh you should be afraid!” Nia narrows her eyes, throwing her bag onto the couch, Thor stands holding the box of nuggets. 

“Exactly what is it you are mad about, babydoll? I—,”

“Don’t you dare use nicknames.” She pushes her index against his chest, jabbing it for effect. 

Nia finds her gaze move to the box of nuggets, her anger dulling only minutely, she grabs the box, eating one, her glare still affixed upon him.

Thor thickly swallows, following her actions. 

“Nia—,” Thor shuts up at her intensifying glare. She shoves the box back into his hands. 

Thor looks down at the empty box; how did she eat them this quickly? Always?

“You did not bother telling me, me, your girlfriend, magically chosen forever soulmate that my best friend and your brother are soulmates? I have to find out from her!” Nia raises both hands upward, hair moving with her.

“I thought it would be best if you didn’t know—,” He tries defending. 

“Best?” Nia shakes her head. 

“You would only try to make it happen, you know Loki’s stance on—,” He runs a hand through his hair. 

“That buffoon,” Nia pinches the bridge of her nose, then looks at her soulmate. 

Thor wants to laugh, the corner of his lip twitches. 

“Don’t you dare laugh, you’re equally a buffoon.” Nia can’t help but ignore the mirth flowing from Thor towards her own heart. 

Sometimes she hated the bond. 

“Babydoll, you know his stance, I know you want what is best for Y/N but Loki needed to realise and act upon his feelings on his own accord.” 

“So he confessed now at the ending of the creatives course?” Nia confirms. 

“He did tell me, landing her into trouble is not what he wanted. Faculty student relationships are frowned upon.” Thor’s blue and brown irises soften, Nia sighs, cupping his cheek.

“He better not hurt her.” Nia warns, “I will stake him.” 

Thor snorts, “I’d enjoy seeing that.” The mental image of Nia running behind Loki with a dagger too hilarious. 

“He won’t tell her about our truth for a few months.” Thor lets her in on the plan. 

“Ugh, it is frustrating keeping this a secret. I’m literally living my teenage fantasy.” Nia giggles, kissing Thor’s cheek. 

“Wait,” Thor pauses, doing a double take over the conversation. 

Nia grins sheepish as her slight coercion comes into light. 

“You extorted information.” Thor now narrows his eyes at her. 

“I wanted to know if he is serious, I don’t want my best friend hurt because suddenly Loki found his actual soulmate.” Nia shrugs. 

He sets the box down, picking her up with ease, her legs wrap around him. 

“And what fantasy is that?” Thor raises an eyebrow, Nia bites her lip. 

“Oh just, having a vampire boyfriend who keeps me up at night.” She brushes her lips against his, the temperature difference urges something primal within her. 

Their wanton gazes meet, the bond hums electrified, beckoning them closer. 

Nia moans as Thor’s hands grab her ass, moving up her back and his lips meet hers with need. 

They don’t make it past the hallway. 

They also manage to also break the coffee table. 

Loki and Y/N enter the house to find small splinters of oakwood everywhere accompanying loud moans from the second floor. 

“We can just go to the coffee shop or….” Y/N suggests horrified.

“Yes, I um—,” Loki pauses as another loud bang resounds, his palm rests at the small of her back, guiding her back to his car.

Present. 

“Thor Odinson.” Nia’s voice is calm. Their bond however, is screaming at him. 

“Nia, I was going to—,” He tries speaking only to be cut off,

“When in these past eleven months, were you going to choose to share vital information?” Nia crosses her arms. 

“Nia there was a lot going on…” Thor sighs, reaching out to grab her hand.

Nia moves away from him. 

He feels his heart ache. 

“No, I cannot believe you. We are supposed to be a fucking team. Telling each other everything. Sticking together.” Nia’s voice grows louder with each sentence. 

“Nia, please let me explain, I cannot tell you, it has to be the choice of the witch.” Thor steps closer towards her. 

She moves backward. 

“Nia.” Thor finds himself wanting to beg her not to move away. It ached and hurt keeping things from her but he had to, withholding for protecting was counterproductive but what he needed to hold back he did. 

“And what about this?” Nia holds up the polaroid of the wall with the message in blood. 

“Where did you find this?” Thor grabs it away from her. 

“When were you going to bother telling me?” Nia presses on, 

“Nia, this is not the time nor place.” Thor clenches his jaw. 

He can pick up the argument ensuing between Y/N and Loki. 

“She’s awake.” Thor adds. 

“Are you avoiding answering me?” Nia raises an eyebrow. 

“I thought you would be worried about your best friend.” He runs a hand through his hair yet again. A frustrated sigh escaping him.

“You promised you would tell me. What else are you withholding? Did you know why Loki left? Is that why guilt surges through our bond when we have to pick Y/N up from those dumps?” Nia’s eye brim with tears.

Thor contemplates, eyes widening when he hears Y/N knows about the memory obscuring done all those months ago. 

“Answer me.” Nia draws him back to present.

“Nia,” Thor closes his eyes.

“You let him go? Knowing the consequences?”

“It, I didn’t understand how it got this way, they did not even form the bond fully…” Thor opens his eyes, Nia shakes her head.

“You could have stopped him.”

“Nia, he had to leave, Alexander, is a bigger threat to—,”

“She could have died Thor. Does he realise he could have lost her? Do you realise you could have lost your friend? I could have lost my best fiend?” Nia’s voice breaks, sobbing fully.

The bond overcome with sadness and pain.

Thor wraps his arms around her.

Nia tries pushing him away, he only wraps his arms tighter. His eyes prick with venom.

“Why?” Nia questions after a few minutes of being in his embrace.

“Our father,” Thor feels sick at the word, “Eliminates covens, and the coven she belongs to have been kind to vampires apart from the ones of Alexander’s vampire lineage.” 

“He would have killed her?” Nia looks up at Thor, he nods somber, wiping her fresh tears.

“Was there any other way?” Nia wonders.

“He could have turned her.” Thor whispers.

“Why didn’t he? Oh come on, he doesn’t want to be with her?” Nia scoffs.

“Nia, he, look the bond being messed with would prevent—,” Thor stops eye widening in realisation.

“What?” Nia grabs his forearm.

“We need to head home, I need to speak with everyone, Zemo included.” Thor retrieves his phone shooting a text to everyone to meet up.

“What,” Nia begins and Thor looks at her intensely.

“I believe I know what has been occurring because of her drug use.” He completes.

“You think it was blocking her witch instincts as well as the bond?” Nia mirrors his theory.

“Yes, but knowing Loki was gone this information only a few of us knew. Even her witch status.” 

Thor and Nia’s gazes meet as they try and process who could be the leak.

Fifteen Months Ago.

“Ah, I trust all is well with your mate, Loki?” Zemo smiles warmly despite the current predicament he finds himself in with the brothers. 

Thor rolls his eyes, crossing his arms leaning against the opposite wall. 

Don’t hit him, don’t hit him, don’t hit him. He chants. 

Loki looks between the two, he sits in the chair placed in front of Zemo, the dagger still in place. 

“How are your ankles and wrists?” Loki looks over, the injuries are healing albeit slower. 

“I’ve been in better health.” Zemo licks his dry lips, humming as the gesture irks Loki. 

“Why must you imagine, I’m preying upon your unclaimed mate?” He teases the green eyed vampire. 

“As I remember you were trying to do the said action.” Loki feels his vampire side ebb to the forefront. 

How dare he try to touch her?

“Unclaimed are free reign as I remember.” The bound man raises a defiant eyebrow. 

“There are levels to it are they not?” Loki reminds the rule. 

“You and I know when a witch is an unclaimed mate rules are foregone.” Zemo reiterates. 

“Not when the witch is a coven member’s mate.” Loki glares, red rims surrounding his irises. 

Zemo laughs, the red dies down. 

Thor gazes at Loki. 

He knows something more. 

Should I enter his mind?

His powers are weakened, go forth. 

They brothers look at their guest once more. 

“Go on, read my mind.” Zemo taunts. 

Loki rises, towering over Zemo. Locking his eyes with him, Loki begins to navigate through the crevices of Zemo’s mind. 

“Ah, look at that.” Zemo tuts, “Such a profound moment in the bonding and you made her forget.” 

“Shut up.” Loki mutters, continuing onward, flashes of his humanity. 

Loki feels his shoulder being tapped, he turns a woman stands there, 

“Are you here to find us?” She questions. 

“Who are you?” He questions. 

The woman opens her mouth to answer, but pauses then hurriedly scurries away when she looks past Loki. 

“I suggest your not uncover that path.” Zemo walks up to him. 

“Your mind is much more organised from what I previously recall.” Loki muses. 

A small table with tea and pastries manifests in the centre of the room. 

Zemo walks gesturing for Loki to follow. 

They sit, Zemo pours the tea, “Milk, sugar?” 

“One cube.” Loki watches intently. 

“What will I put in? A mental attack of herbs?” He smirks, shaking his head, “You wound me.” 

Loki waits for Zemo to sip his tea before he does the same. 

“Do you know the extent of my ability, Loki?” Zemo sets his cup down, wiping the corners of his lips with a napkin. 

“You capture the essence of people. You know intimately their fears, strengths, what do not speak.” Loki takes a breath, jaw set. 

“Correct, much as your ability to enter the mind, I am more akin to the soul. You could say we make a dynamic duo.” The Baron sets the napkin down. 

“We did, once upon a time.” Loki agrees. 

“Then you will know, I know your fears and wants intimately.” Zemo muses. 

“And you will know I know your mind likewise.” 

Zemo smiles wickedly, Loki mirrors the feature. 

“Then you will be finding about what I plan for Alexander.” 

“Luna shall know.” Loki warns.

“Luna is aware of what I plan. I only wish to know if your brother shall join in upon the fun.” Zemo’s eyes hold an angered intensity. 

“He shall not be opposed.” Loki finds himself grinning. 

“We first need to discuss your witch-mate Loki. If the young vampire returns to Alexander, then you know it is all over.” Zemo warns. 

Loki retreats from his mind. 

Thor is eating a burrito when Zemo and Loki return to the physical space. 

“What I got hungry.” Thor shrugs, “So when are we letting him go?” 

“Ah, ever the just.” Zemo chuckles as the dagger is removed and he’s handed a bottle of rose salve. 

“I know when deals are in my favour.” Thor affirms. 

“Either claim her, or you must leave her out for Alexander to deem worthy or not,” Zemo slowly stands, moving his injured joints. 

“Zemo.” Thor warns. 

“It is true, he needs to decide. If not her fate rests as Luna’s was or the way Mir suffered, the consequences of Alexander’s actions induce only harm.” He completes. 

“Mir claimed her mate.” 

“She did not turn her soon enough.” 

Loki thinks over, would it be so hard to accept Y/N as his mate? Apart from a few shared interests he doesn’t understand what would place her for him. 

“Loki, mates aren’t forged just for the interests.”

“Get out of my soul.” Loki grumbles. 

“She’s your mate because you were forged for her too.” He pats his back. 

Thor wonders if this conversation would be of any help. 

“I must catch hold of the rogue.” Zemo announces walking to the staircase. 

“If I find a semblance, an iota of betrayal,” Thor’s voice is deep, laced with warning. 

“You will feed me to the wolves.” Zemo completes. 

“After taking my share.” Thor gives a menacing grin. 

The shorter man looks at Loki, who shrugs, “Fair warning.” 

Zemo nods then blurs out of view. 

Loki feels pain across the bond.

Thor notices the wince, “Nia says Y/N is in a lot of pain.” 

“I think we should check up on her.” Loki asserts. 

“Brother, I think you need to go alone to see her.” Thor prompts. 

The raven haired vampire contemplates, he knows no matter what the outcome he does not want her hurt, bonded or not. 

Nor does he want Alexander to grasp at her. 

He cannot have her be damned to eternity by a selfish man. 

He cannot let her go, either; today having Y/N in his arms, the way she fit with him. 

Could the bond take her will into account? 

Could they fall in love despite the bond?

“Have you decided, brother?” Thor places a hand upon his shoulder. 

Loki nods, looking up at Thor, he smiles at his younger brother. 

— — —- —-

Y/N stifles the hiss that wants to makes its presence known, she finds it weird how she can feel those stars dancing across he chest as if something good is nearing her. 

“Hey.” Nia knocks on the doorframe. 

“Hey.” Y/N replies, sitting up slightly.

“You have a visitor.” Nia tries hiding her smile. 

Y/N furrows her brows, “Who?” 

“It is Professor Loki.” Nia giggles when her best friend blushes. 

“What? Did you invite him in? Is he sitting?” Y/N sits up then winces when the pressure comes on her wrist. 

“Nope.”

“Why is he outside?” Y/N stresses. 

“Look at you blushing!” Nia teases. 

“Nia.” Y/N exasperates. 

“He wanted to know if you’re awake, he had to leave the hospital earlier so he was still worried about you. Said he would only come in if you were comfortable.” 

“Oh, thats, that is sweet of him, yeah, let him in. He can come inside.” Y/N looks over her room, nothing too messy, just the little kibble midnight dropped outside her bowl. 

Y/N hears muffled conversation occurring on the staircase. 

“How is she doing?” Loki enquires as Nia leads him to the room. 

“Quite a bit of pain, honestly the first two hours back home were fine. Now it is starting but the pain medication is still two hours away.” She explains, then curiously ponders, “Was everything alright at home? Thor said he’d come by but hasn’t.” 

“He’s wrapping up a few loose ends should be here soon.” Loki gives her a smile. 

Nia knocks on Y/N’s door, giving her a teasing look before Loki enters into view, and the stars cascade over her chest as though celebrating Loki’s presence and distracting her from the pain. 

Loki smiles at Y/N, his earlier hesitation diminishing into a dull bygone when he feels the joy across the bond. 

“Well I have a mock case to prepare let me know if anything is required.” Nia looks between the two before leaving for her own room. 

“Gave me quite the fright, Y/N.” Loki takes in her room, a few pictures lining the walls, pet food bowls in the corner. 

Her jewellery hangs in a display case on the dresser. 

“I honestly don’t remember much of what happened, it is this mushed up blur.” Y/N shakes her head as if to clear the block. 

“You did hurt your head as well. The preliminary report said that…” Loki pretends to recall as she nods. He feels relieved the memory is obscured.

“Oh shit um, sorry, uh you can um sit on the chair you will just have to move the book, I can’t—,” 

“You hold onto these,” Loki holds out a bouquet of flowers, daffodils. 

“Th-Thank you, Professor Lo—,” 

“Please, just Loki.” He corrects. 

“Thank you, Loki.” Y/N smiles bringing the flowers closer to softly trace the petals. 

Loki picks up the book kept on her chair, 

“Van Gogh?” He enquires sitting down still holding the book. 

Y/N nods, resting the flowers upon her lap, “I’ve found his paintings to be very intriguing.” 

“Most people find his story intriguing.” Loki comments, tracing the spine of the book. 

“It is but they tend to think that, he painted during his depression episodes, while it is said he actually painted during his recovery phase.” Y/N looks up at Loki, his gaze softens.

“They say he had tried consuming yellow paint and other chemicals for finding happiness.” Loki adds. 

“Another reason why him painting during those periods would not have been viable. I can understand his need for wanting something to make him feel happier.” Y/N shrugs.

“Have you experienced depression?” Loki wonders, his heart saddens at the thought that she would have to suffer. 

“I never received a formal diagnosis, but after my parents were having several issues, I realised I was in a downward spiral, I took towards my own, ‘yellow paint’ of sorts to feel something, anything.” 

Loki watches her tug the sleeve of her jumper.  

The bond holds a reminiscence of the hurt and numbness as Y/N remembers the past few years. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, please know you have me to listen, if at anytime you need me to do so, for you.” Loki gently places a hand upon hers which rests upon the bouquet. 

They sit quietly, Loki observes her biting her lip. While deep in thought. 

“Do you know daffodils signify new beginnings?” He questions, coaxing her out from the ravine of thoughts that never did her any good. 

Y/N smiles down at the flowers again. 

Then at their hands.

“What new beginning have you brought them for?” She looks up at him, Loki wonders how could her eyes hold so much hope?

A beginning that could end in tragedy. 

“I’m holding out hope, for a beginning with someone actually.” He says instead, giving her a soft smile that she had only seen grace his features when they had chance run ins at different places. 

“I hope it works out.” Y/N says, giving him a warm smile of her own. Her hand turns and their fingers intertwine, some how it feels as though deja vu holding his hand.

“I have an inkling it will.” Loki strokes the back of her hand with his thumb.

——- —— ——

It had been a week, Loki visited Y/N nightly bringing in her coursework on the days he held class. He’d take centre stage in her room, Midnight would watch from her spot on the top shelf when he recited poems and dictated annotations.

Often giving Y/N a wink, a smile as her cheeks would tinge pink and he’d hear her heart rate increase. 

On the days when coursework was not involved they would talk, Loki seemed to always ask the questions. Deflecting giving answers for certain questions which she would ask, especially about his family. 

Y/N stopped asking too personal questions she’d never stray from lighter surface topics of conversation. The wall Loki had left up between them did set her off to feel an uneasiness that maybe these moments were just that, moments

Not a memento for keepsake of a blooming relationship. 

That this was not a start of something that Y/N found to be tugging upon her chest each time her eyes met with his green ones. 

Or that somehow she would know when he was at the door or that she would send him a text just as his thoughts were upon her. 

Loki knew the consequences of either choice. He wanted to stop himself, pull away before things got too complicated. 

Y/N was showing him facets of herself akin to a gemstone. 

All he gave her in return were two dimensional responses. 

Maybe she would choose to leave.

“Are your parents planning to visit?” Loki asked once as they finished watching Insidious. Nia and Thor had excused themselves to her room earlier. 

“No, um since the divorce they sort of well…” Y/N gestures with her hand trying to indicate fading away. 

“Do they know you’re hurt?” His eyes fall to her leg resting on the coffee table with a pillow, the two of them sat on the couch with the popcorn bowl next to each other. 

The doctor (and Doctor Strange at the request of Loki) both had cleared her for limited weight bearing movements and Nia wanted to celebrate with a movie night. 

Y/N nods, Loki’s hand twitches wanting to rest upon hers. 

“I’m sorry.” He says, making a fist of his hand. 

“Not a big deal, they said they will come in for graduation.” Y/N looks back at the credits rolling,

“Oh um, I’m cleared for coming back to class as long as I wear the pneumatic boot to offset the weight.” 

“That is good news. Will I see you in class tomorrow?” Loki studies her form, her eyes stay absentmindedly upon the names gliding across the screen. 

“Yes.” 

Loki frowns, the stars floating across his chest die down. 

“Are you upset, love?” His hand reaches for hers and she looks at the limbs, how his skin looks against hers and how incredibly right it feels having him next to her. 

“No, just, tired.” Y/N bites her lip, she could cry later at night, the past ten days filled with his visits could be a memory she allowed herself to cherish. 

Loki realises she is lying, what could be this upsetting? 

“Are you sure?” The worry in his voice makes her look at him.

She nods, “I um, I did the assignment.” 

“You finished it in a day?” Loki quirks an eyebrow but has a proud smile soon taking over his face. 

“Well I didn’t have anything better to do so um,” Y/N shrugs. 

“Six thousand words of a short story isn’t a small feat, that too in two days.” He commends, “When can I read it?” 

Y/N’s eye widen, “Oh um on submission day.” 

“You’re done with it, yes?” He gazes at her. 

A nervousness takes over the bond. 

“Yes…”

“Then I can read it.” 

“My laptop is out of charge.” 

“Did you use names you do not want me to see?” 

Loki smirks when his suspicions are confirmed with her silence. 

“Did you use my name?” 

“No…” Y/N groans internally knowing her voice gives it away. 

“Now you must show me.” He presses, voice light. 

“You can read it when I submit it.” She presses. 

Loki pouts, Y/N looks at him in disbelief. 

“I’ve used Thor and Nia.” She backtracks. 

“Oh.” His shoulders slump in the slightest. 

“It gets sort of intense so I well, I don’t want you to read the characters as them.” She concludes. 

For moment it is silent, Loki leans into the bond to know what her feelings are, he isn’t surprised to know that she is keeping up a charade. 

“Could I use your laptop to check my email?” Loki looks at her.

Y/N nods, “It’s upstairs.” 

“I’ll be right back.” He paces through the hall and is near the middle of the staircase, 

“I thought it had no charge?” Loki smirks and bounds upwards when realisation dawns across Y/N’s face. 

“Loki!” She bellows, getting up to follow him half limping, “Don’t you dare!” 

“Your date of birth is the password, I’d hoped for better security.” Loki calls out mirth lacing his voice.

“Loki please.” Y/N tries again, before entering the room, he can’t read the story. 

‘His green eyes captivated her own, every time they met. As though invisible strings pushing them towards each other.’ ” Loki reads out, admiring the warm pink tinge taking over his Y/N’s cheeks.

“Loki—,”

‘Opposite sides of the coffee shop, a black coffee for him a hazelnut latte for her. Sometimes her eyes would trace his frame, she would make up stories about him as he would read through the papers in his hands, the red ink pen moving rhythmically to his thoughts as he reads the words unknown to her. She smiles to herself as she observes his eyes aglow, he scribbles something across the page, something positive. The negative scribbling was harsher and his green eyes harboured a look of disdain accompanied by the furrow of his brow.’ ” Loki pauses, she noticed this about him?

“Just it is not done—,” Y/N reaches for the laptop, Loki shifts it away, she loses her balance. 

Loki’s arm wraps around her waist, he knows the movement should knock a human down so he strategises. 

They fall with a small thud onto her bed, her  laptop safe as well. 

Y/N looks at him, they lay sideways. Her eyes flicker to his lips, he licks them, her scent begins a crescendo into his senses. 

He’d held off feeding for tomorrow, her heartbeats loudly, demanding his attention. 

Y/N finds Loki tightening his grip upon her ever so slightly and pulling her closer. 

She leans in, her eyes meeting his, asking is this okay?

Loki swallows, she’d seen him beyond moments spent together, beyond the times he kept his wall up. 

The memory of their almost first kiss enters his mind. 

Loki leans in as well, when their lips brush a shiver run up Y/N’s spine, Loki’s palm follows the direction the shiver. Warmth blooms over her skin at the movement.

Their lips meet, eyes closed, the stars shine bright around them. 

Y/N cups Loki’s cheek as he deepens the kiss. The warmth from her palm etching itself upon his skin. 

The taste of honey, mint intermingle with a sweetness so pure. 

Y/N shivers again when his tongue sweeps along her bottom lip. Her lips part, a soft sound making past as his body moulds against hers. 

The sound reverberates through Loki, he nips at her bottom lip, drawing out the sound again, a low growl rumbles from his chest, his grip tightens upon her. 

Mine, mine, mine. The bond chants for him. 

Y/N’s fingers tangle in his hair, the stars seem so pleased at the closeness. She’s wanted to be able to do this since so long. She whimpers audibly as his lips kiss along her jaw, trace over her neck, his nose brushes over her skin. 

Why does he feel slightly colder than her but the heat that is searing by his actions has her wanton. 

“Loki.” A breathless whisper, prayer even. 

He hums against the sweet-spot found upon her neck, her grip on him tightens in response. 

“You’ve bewitched me.” He admits, meeting her gaze, “I wish, I did not have to leave.” 

The mirage breaks, of course, Y/N thinks. 

How could this be any more than a fickle fantasy?

“Stay?” She pleads. 

Loki closes his eyes, “Y/N.” 

“Loki.” The plea with his name etches itself onto his un-beating heart. 

Before he opens his eyes her lips meet with his again. 

She would take any memento he would leave in her name. 

Fourteen Months Ago. 

The class next day of their kiss was cancelled. So was the next one. Culminating to a week of radio silence from Loki. 

‘Hey, I hope you’re okay.’

‘Loki could we meet?’ 

‘Loki, please respond as soon as you have a moment.’

‘Thor says you’ve gone on a personal leave… Is everything alright?’ 

‘Is this because of what happened?’ 

Y/N stares at the phone, locking it with a huff. None of her messages answered. Did she cause a boundary issue? 

Resting her head on her palms. It was stupid, stupid to have thought that anything could happen between her professor and her.

Nia spots her glum best friend in the corner booth. 

“Heard you got the day off again.” Nia slides in, Y/N raises her head slightly then just rests it back down in defeat. 

“Come on there will be other professors to admire, that Doctor Strange guy from the hospital seemed handsome.” 

“He’s the director of the Physiotherapy Department aka my masters course director.” 

“Well you do like authoritative figures.” Nia teases. 

“Nia.” Y/N groans. 

“Look, you kissed he chickened out no big deal. If he cannot respect you he shouldn’t attempt to be with you.” Nia shrugs nonchalantly, if they weren’t soulmates the heartbreak is more tolerable for Y/N. 

“Its just so, frustrating? One minute he gets all close and caring and affectionate and then he just closes off. Never speaks of his family, I understand its difficult but, and then the whole coming home to teach? Then the kiss?” Y/N takes a sip of the abandoned coffee grimacing at the taste. 

Nia’s phone chimes,

‘Hey, Loki is back therefore I will not be able to join you for dinner. I’m so sorry, I’ll visit later tonight.’ Thor’s text reads. 

‘I will be asleep.’ She types back. 

‘I know how to wake you up. ;)’

She blushes looking back up at Y/N, who is still in despair. 

“Okay how about a girls night? Bowling and then arcade games?” Nia offers. 

“That does sound good.”

“Settled then. Tonight at six.” Nia declares grinning and shooting a text to Thor about their plans. 

Nia knew they were plotting against Alexander Pierce. If it were upto her she would just stake the man, vampire, monster. The stories Thor told her about what he went through played on her mind for days after. 

Their conversion was horrific the abuse that a vampire named Brock Rumlow inflicted upon them had Nia wishing death upon the vampire.

Thor’s voice echoes in her mind, “There are all kinds of deviants that are created when the conversion happens, Rumlow is the worst kind, he has no extra powers but his actions and abuse…” 

Despite his strength Thor had shivered at the memory, Brock’s hands everywhere, unyielding, bruises that would be healed by the conversion but his unsolicited non-consented touch. It had been torture to have those carry forwarded into immortality.

Nia sighs, lips pursed.

She feels bad for Y/N but if Loki is just messing around before finding his soulmate, she does not want her best friend to be a pass time for a vampire.

— — — —

The day is off for Y/N, she’s losing at bowling against Nia, she never loses. 

Nia is winning despite throwing five gutter balls.

“You’re really off of your game today.” A voice comments from behind them as the two women wait for the pins to reset.

Y/N turns at the familiarity, “Bucky!” 

“Y/N!” James Barnes greets happily, “How is the leg of the poetess?” He walks closer smiling widely. 

“Eh, getting better, this boot is annoying though.” Y/N and James look down at the said item. 

“Is it as bad as the boot makes it look?” His eyebrows furrow with worry. 

Nia looks between them a grin spreading on her face. 

“Oh no, the boot’s the worse aspect of it.” She brushes it off, Nia’s shift catches her eye.

“Oh um, Nia this is Bucky—James, and Bucky this is my best friend Nia.” Y/N introduces, James puts his hand forward Nia takes it. 

“Why the two names?” Nia looks up at him and James feels he is being analysed. 

“I prefer my friends calling me Bucky.” He answers, “You’re the to be kick ass lawyer?” He places a knowing guess. 

“Yes. I am.” Nia grins at him. 

“Y/N here, sings praises of you.” James chuckles, as they let their hands fall back to the side. 

“Oh I’m hardly that great. Yet.” She brushes off. 

“I heard you made the mock judge and jury cry. That is hardly not great.” James looks at Y/N.

“Haven’t seen you in two weeks, poetess.” 

“Yeah I was,” she points to her boot. 

“Still offended you didn’t let me come over.” He pouts. 

“Bucky—,” She exasperates. 

He raises his hands in defence, “I know, I know.”

Nia raises an eyebrow. 

“He does extra classes and teaches at night school.” Y/N explains, smiling with adoration at Bucky. 

“Just try to help out and stay on top of things.” He shrugs, a pink tinge on his cheeks. 

“That is really amazing.” An idea pops up into Nia’s head, “James are you here alone?” 

“Oh un yeah, my friends kind of gave me the last minute boot I was leaving then I spotted Y/N sitting, thought I’d say hi.” He explains. 

“Would you like to join us? We were heading for dinner anyways…” Nia prompts and Y/N raises an eyebrow.

‘What are you doing?’ She mouths to Nia. 

Nia ignores her waiting for James’ reply. 

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.” he looks from

Nia to Y/N. 

“You won’t be intruding.” Y/N shakes her head, he smiles. 

“Then okay, alright. Where are we headed?” James offers his arm to Y/N. 

She takes it frowning to herself when it feels as though the stars that were familiar to her slide away into a dullness as though blurred. 

The trio find themselves outside the nearby diner, Nia up to no good decides it is as a good time as any to execute her plan. 

“Oh shoot.” Nia groans, “I completely forgot about this,” She scrolls across her phone as James and Y/N stop to turn. 

“Is everything alright?” She looks over Nia’s nervous form. 

“No I, theres this assignment I was supposed to meet my group for, it slipped my mind.” Nia looks apologetic. 

“Oh no thats too bad… We can do this another time if you need to leave.” Bucky says sullen. 

“Oh no no, you guys carry on without me.” Nia pushes. 

“You sure?” Y/N looks at her worried. 

“Yes definitely.” Nia smiles brightly. 

Y/N’s eyebrows furrow. 

“I’ll have her back home safe.” James promises, Nia turns to smile at him. 

“I’m positive you will, well have the blueberry cheesecake for me.” Nia saunters off to her car. Quickly shooting a text off to Thor about her playing cupid. 

Bucky looks down at Y/N, she meets his azure gaze. 

“She set us up didn’t she?” He questions, a half smile on his face. 

“I think she did.” Y/N lets out a chuckle. 

“Are you okay with the set up?” His eyes hold hopefulness. 

“I am, I also have Nia’s card so dinner is on her.” Y/N giggles and Bucky joins in with his laugh.

“Well I will be sure to get her a thank you card.” Bucky tells her as they settle into the booth. 

“She would like that.” Y/N smiles at him. 

The waitress approaches them with menus and begins to recount the specials. 

— —- —- 

On the other side of town, Thor stares at his phone at Nia’s latest act as cupid. 

“Oh brother.” His tone sullen. 

 “What?” Loki pipes up from the hall, tucking away the plan sheets into a folder. 

Zemo having left about half an hour ago. He could go to meet Y/N now. 

“No-nothing.” Thor tucks his phone into his pocket. 

“Brother you have that expression, akin to when you watched Marley and Me with your mate.” 

“That was a saddening film.” Thor stands by his defence. 

“It was but what has gotten you seemingly akin to that?” Loki is in front of his brother in a flash. 

“You will just pry it out of me,” The elder sibling unlocks his phone handing it to Loki.

Loki stares at the picture of his student James Barnes standing too close to Y/N, their arms linked and gazing at each other. 

Underneath read the message Nia left for Thor. 

‘Your brother really doesn’t know what he has lost but in a way it is good, because if she isn’t his soulmate then I don’t want her heart to break when he does find his actual mate.’

Loki finds his chest constrict, he tries searching for the bond which is now seemingly a dull hum in the background. 

“I—, why?”

“Nia says she was distraught that you weren’t in contact.” Thor explains. 

“I was gone for work, I made sure the class was informed.” Loki can’t get the image of their hands linked out of his vision. 

“Yes but, given what transpired between the two of you… I believe a personal approach would have faired in your favour.” He offers. 

“I need to seek her.” Loki vocalises his determination. 

“I’ll ask Nia where they are…” Thor raises his phone to call his mate. 

Therefore, Loki finds himself in the diner in a booth away from them but his hearing picking up the conversation. 

It is easy to slip in and out of sight amongst humans. Part of being designed to be amongst them to hunt them was to blend in with the being that he was once. 

James and Y/N are halfway done with their meals, her laughter draws a smile upon Loki’s own lips, he knows James is grinning widely. 

“So wait, wait, wait, you changed your date of birth and they let you into the theatre?” James says in awe. 

“Yes well I turned the number around so my birth-year remained the same but month changed. Effectively turning me eighteen.” Y/N laughs. 

“Did the guard question you?” James takes a bite of the cheesecake they were sharing.

“Okay so don’t laugh alright?” Y/N closes her eyes as the embarrassment takes over.

James begins to laugh at the notion.

“Bucky!” She shoves at his arm playfully.

“Okay, okay, poetess, no laughing.” Bucky runs a hand in front of his face as his joyful expression turns serious.

Loki moves his palm from the edge to the wooden table, not caring for the indents. 

“Alright it so happened that the date and month I switched to were the very same date Nia and I were there so the guard goes Happy Birthday!” Y/N covers her eyes, “And I go um what?” 

Bucky lets a laugh slip, “Sorry.” He shoves a piece of cake in his mouth to keep quiet, she laughs before continuing.

Loki watches her demeanour so carefree, free-spirited.

“So then the guard says, ‘it is your birthday… is it not?’ Then Nia responds that, ‘why yes indeed we are celebrating that only.’ Then she looks at us for a solid minute, both of us are scared because we aren’t eighteen and trying to sneak into an R rated movie.” She pauses, Bucky has his eyes wide.

“You’re taking a dramatic pause now? Oh god, Y/N come on!” Bucky demands expectantly.

Loki knows this story, he heard it but not with this much enthusiasm from her. Though he was not as open and responsive as James currently.

“Okay, okay, so then she hands my ID card back and says ‘enjoy your birthday!’ And we never shuffled away faster than that day to the confectionery stand.” Y/N completes taking the last bite of the cheesecake.

Bucky laughs with mirth, “That really makes me feel as though I thought wrong about you.” He admits with a sheepish grin.

“Care to elaborate Mr. Barnes?” She rests her head on her palm looking up at him curiously.

“Well we met in creative writing correct? The way you write, so effortlessly layered and your pieces honestly blow me away. I always thought you’ve grasped at love and it ended heartbreakingly. Pegged you for an introvert. Not that it is a bad thing at all.” He bites his bottom lip.

“I, I don’t know what to say… Your work is phenomenal.” She admits.

Loki wants to snort, it is mediocre at best. Her work far surpasses the class.

“Thank you.” She says, her throat tightening with emotion.

“Have you?” Bucky questions, the air around them turns heavier.

“No, um it mostly stems from my parents… Not the best marriage.” 

“I’m sorry.” He places a hand upon hers. 

The stars dull a little more for Loki as he entertains the possibility of losing her.

“I um.” Bucky reaches over to her, his thumb brushing at the corner of her lips, “Bit of cheesecake.” He brings the remnant to his own lips. The gesture reddens her cheeks as she is unable to take her eyes away.

“I hope you know this is not counted as our first date.” He says, lightening the air not wanting to seem to forward.

“Why not?” Curiosity laces her voice. 

Bucky smiles, “First off all, I didn’t get you flowers, secondly I’d take you to a bookstore. We would give each other a genre each, find a book for one another and then go on a coffee date, meet up for our second date to discuss the books.” He grins.

“I—How do you know that would be something I’d enjoy?” Y/N’s jaw dropped, that had been an intimate thought as she had trailed her hands over the spines of books when the entire class was at the local bookstore purchasing or borrowing the books entailed Loki’s syllabus.

Her heart beats faster at the thought of her Professor, Bucky is excellent company but this past week she had missed Loki deeply.

“Call it intuition.” Bucky answers smug.

“Spot on, honestly.” Y/N lets out a long exhale.

Bucky only smiles at her.

Loki wonders if she would fall for James rather than him. He decides then to run into them in passing.

Bucky gets up first after they pay with Nia’s card all the while laughing. He keeps a strong grip on Y/N not letting her take too much weight on her foot.

“Do you have to take any meds?” He asks as they reach his car. He opens the passenger side for her.

Y/N spots a familiar Mercedes, the one that stayed parked outside her home.

“Y/N?” Bucky follows her transfixed gaze, then Loki walks past them a take away bag in hand.

“Oh look he’s back in town, class probably will happen next week.” Bucky comments and Loki turns, her breath catches, as though drinking water after traversing the hottest of deserts.

Loki’s green eyes move over her. The world begins to blur out of view again. It feels as though he can breath again. Feel again.

James’ palm against her cheek breaks the mirage.

“Hey you okay?” He inquires.

“Yeah um my pain meds are due, I think I feel an ache.” For Loki she wants to say, but reserves her words.

Loki tries prying into James’ mind,

“Hey Professor!” James waves thwarting the attempt.

“Hello Mister Barnes, Miss Y/L/N. I see you’re up and about.” He walks towards them, the stars step forward.

“Yes um, received clearance.” Y/N answers, clearing her throat.

Bucky’s hold on her waist tightens, Loki’s eyes catch the movement.

Equal defiance ridden green eyes meet blue.

Y/N notes the change in the air, shivering as it drops several degrees.

Loki tilts his head, as though observing an event unfold.

“I believe Mister Barnes you should get Y/N home, I’ve emailed an assignment for next week. I believe getting a head start is beneficial.” The professor turns leaving the two students getting into the vehicle.

Loki watches them exit the parking lot.

“Don’t you think he’s a little weird?” Bucky wonders as they drive toward Y/N’s home.

“He’s something.” She mutters.

Bucky walks her to her door, he stands with his hands in his pockets as she turns in her doorway.

Y/N leans on the door for support.

“I had fun today, thank you.” She smiles at him.

“I did too, but I’m holding out for our actual first date.” He gives her a smug grin making her smile.

“We’ll see about that.” 

“Oh that means definitely.” He teases.

“Maybe.” Y/N blushes, as his eye gleam with happiness.

“i’ll see you in class, Poetess.” Bucky waves goodbye, she watches him back out of the driveway, then closes the door.

She’s at the halfway mark on the steps when the doorbell rings incessantly.

“Did I forget something in your car—,” Y/N’s words catch once more.

Loki stands gaze intensely trained upon her features.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N manages to speak, finding her voice.

“I’ve come to speak with you. I seemed to have left without regard.” He says with purpose, watching her reaction.

“So you want to talk after you see me on a date with someone else?” Y/N raises an eyebrow.

“No, I, I happened to be there, I was out of town.” Loki sighs, knowing this is going to be a difficult conversation.

“Without your phone?” 

“I was busy.”

“Kept in touch with your brother though.”

“The matter concerned him, I didn’t have time for other things I don’t mean to call you a—,”

“I’m not someone, who you play with then toss away when you’re bored, Professor.” Y/N seethes half a mind to shut the door in his face.

“Y/N, I did not mean to imply—,”

“Your ego was bruised seeing me with Bucky. You were, I don’t know looking for something to while away your time. I can understand that maybe it was curiosity that prompted you to kiss me but, fuck, ignoring me then implying that I’m not important—,” 

Loki steps inside, cutting off Y/N’s rant.

“I know I haven’t been the best at conveying my emotions, be it opening up about my family or wholeheartedly laughing at your humour at tales, or articulate how your wit, writing, how you take my breath away.”

Y/N stares at him.

“I am closed off for reasons I cannot express, but I’m at your doorstep well in your house, promising that I can and will communicate better. Just, allow me, the chance, Y/N, please.” His heart breaks at how small he might sound, he willed never to be vulnerable, half of him wanted to dive into her mind to know but the other half of him willingly held back.

Y/N’s eyes usually gave everything away, today Loki could not read a minuscule of them.

“I, I need, time.” She flounders for the answer a more definitive time but comes up short.

Loki wonders if this is how she felt, unknown of what hangs above them for them as a pair. Did a week truly make this vast difference? 

He nods, mouth setting into a thin line.

“Take as much of time as you may need.” He murmurs, walking to the ajar door.

“Loki?” 

He turns, she sounds hurt, his chest feels hollow blaming himself.

He doesn’t say anything allowing her to continue standing at the threshold of the home.

“Did, was I on your mind at all?” Y/N knows it is a silly question but she wanted to know if he even thought of her.

The sincerity in Loki’s next words brought the stars crashing down upon her, the bond glowed brightly in promise, Loki could feel as though a bright molten silver could run through his veins. As though the brightest moonlit night descended upon the two of them,

“The entire week the thought of coming back to you got me through.”

-x-x-x-x-

A.N.: let me know what you think pleaseeee, literally finished writing and proof reading before posting!

taglist open! just comment below to be added!

tagging:@anemois-hiraeth@stevesmewmew

Let Me In [2] ✾

Natasha Romanoff x Reader. 3rd POV. Word Count: 5.6k.

Part One || Part Three Complete Chatroom Masterlist

Summary:Y/n has dinner at Natasha’s place.

Content:mentions of a past toxic relationship, angsts, mentions of death.

A/N: Wanted to post this last week but I got caught up with some personal stuff so I ran a bit behind on all my fics. But, I hope you enjoy!

MINORS, AGELESS BLOGS, AND BLANK BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED.

Y/n wanted to look pretty.

She felt like a girl getting ready for prom, obsessing over how she looked in the mirror and if she accomplished her goal of looking pretty enough. Later that night at the hotel after running into Natasha, she realized she had nothing appropriate to wear to dinner. She was not expecting this to happen to her as it all occurred on her firstday back in this city. She didn’t want to show up in something shoddy, so she grabbed Kennedy from the daycare center and the two went downtown for Y/n to find something. The price tag on the dress she settled on is going to be felt next month when she’s budgeting, but she doesn’t pay it any mind. She feels like it’s worth it and maybe in the future she will feel like she was stupid for buying that dress and going through with the dinner, but not right now. She had been thinking about how tonight will play out for the past 4 days. This is either her revenge or the funeral for her 20 year old self.

“You look pretty,” Kennedy praises as she turns away from her stuffed giraffe for one second.

“Thank you,” Y/n huffs as she straightens her dress out. She was so nervous that even the little girl could feel it, but she interrupted much differently.

“Why do you have to get so dressed up? Where are we going?”

“We’re going to see my friend.”

“Is it that lady from the frog store? She was kind of weird, she kept looking at me funny.”

“She’s not weird. She’s just an old friend of mine and was surprised to see you with me.”

“But, if she’s your friend why would she be surprised to see me with you?”

“Because she’s an oldfriend, Kennedy. I haven’t seen her in years,” Y/n finally stops looking at herself in the mirror so she can turn to face the five year old, “go put your shoes on and then we’ll be ready to go. And don’t forget your socks; it’s warm now but it’s going to get much cooler tonight.”

Kennedy sighed in annoyance which made Y/n laugh in disbelief. Sometimes she feels like she’s raising a teenager. Kennedy is a smart and normally a good kid, but she is the opposite of Y/n as a young girl. She’s not timid or overtly obedient, she’s one of those kids who doesn’t have a filter and it doesn’t help that she’s too young to read the room. Y/n purposely didn’t tell her much about Natasha because she knows the little girl will snitch on her somehow. But, she did feel a bit guilty about not telling Kennedy more while they’re in a big city together for the first time. Although Y/n has her personalproblems with Natasha, she knows that her ex-girlfriend would never everdo anything that would lead Kennedy to harm. Y/n trusts Natasha with a small child, just not her heart.

Y/n takes one last glance at herself in the mirror, admiring the gold earrings she found in the discounted section of one of the stores and how the black dress she found just fits her perfectly. She was dressed more for going out to one of those nice restaurants like Agwi or that one with the statue outside that scared Kennedy. She was dressed up as if she was going out on a date, but she can’t admit that to herself, at least not right now.

“You ready?”

Kennedy gives her a nod, her little backpack hanging off of her shoulder, and Y/n takes her hand and holds onto it tight.

She’s so damn nervous that she feels like she’s going to throw up. Kennedy talked the entire drive over to the new address Natasha gave Y/n. Y/n tried to engage with her to take her mind off of the butterflies bumping intensely in her stomach but it was hard for her to find anything to say besides “oh” and “hmm.”

Y/n noticed that her GPS was taking her to the area of the city with the more expensive apartments. She felt like an imposter just driving through the streets of this district. Natasha’s last apartment was probably pricey simply due to location but there was nothing super fancy about. Stark Industries has to pay someone with a position like Natasha well, but it was just so surprising for Y/n to be coming around these parts to visit Natasha. Just because Natasha had a nice job and rubbed elbows with upper-class entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley tech workers doesn’t mean she was like them. Or at least that’s what Y/n thought. She doesn’t really know anymore (and she isn’t sure if she everknew), but she isn’t going to judge her. Y/n’s sure that once she moves up the ranks in her job she’s going to buy something better than the small 2 bedroom apartment she has back at home.

‘You have arrived at your destination’

The robotic voice sounds out throughout the car and it makes Y/n’s stomach churn. She’s so damn nervous that she almost misses the entrance to the apartment’s parking garage. There was a limited parking area for guests just like Natasha said. All the spots were nearly filled but Y/n managed to find one.

Natasha lived on the 5th floor. It was a pretty tall building but it had many floors because the apartments on each floor were huge (that’s what she discovered when she went snooping online when she was deathly curious about where Natasha lived now).

“You have to be on your bestbehavior, okay?” Y/n bent down to be at Kennedy’s level, balanced on the slight elevation from the boots she decided to wear. “You’re normally very good for me, but I just want to remind you to keep your hands to yourself and not touch everything that interests you, okay?”

“Okay,” Kennedy nods her head as her voice is filled with annoyance. Y/n always gives her this lecture when they go somewhere important and she’s tired of hearing it. As long as she has her entertainment in the form of her giraffe and her child-proof tablet then she’ll be fine.

“Okay, let’s go.”

It was intimidating walking through the garage and seeing all the nice cars parked in their assigned spots; not even the staff parking lot at the college was filled with this many newer car models. The building itself was secured and Y/n had to walk through a long hallway that only led to the lobby. She wasn’t surprised to see a receptionist at the desk separating him from visitors. She felt like she was in a hotel again, but this is just one of the amenities the stupidly rich have.

“Hi, I’m here to see someone on floor five,” her voice slightly shakes. The man doesn’t even look at her which makes her feel a bit small, like she’s not relevant at all.

“Apartment number?”

“Uhh, I’m not sure. I’m here to see Natasha Romanoff?”

“Sorry, I need an apartment number.”

Y/n furrowed her brow in confusion. This is one of those buildings that don’t want to confirmany of their residents that live there for the sake of anonymity but Y/n felt like the whole process was ridiculous. She had to dig her phone out of her purse and text Natasha to give her the apartment number. It took her a little bit to receive a text back with 'E53’.

“The apartment number is E53.” The man seems slightly annoyed at Y/n’s interjection but she doesn’t care. She just wants to be at Natasha’s door already because at least she’ll feel a smudge more comfortable around someone she knows.

“Okay, you have access to the elevator.”

It was such a weird process for something so simple, but Y/n didn’t protest and soon enough her and Kennedy were riding up the elevator to Natasha’s floor. Kennedy held onto her hand tight at the quick ascension. Y/n looked down at her to make sure she was okay. It may not be the most correct thing to do, but Y/n knows if she somehow needs to make an escape from an awkward conversation or Natasha tonight then she can use Kennedy being “tired” as an excuse to get out of there.

The elevator dinged and Y/n’s heart dropped. She was realizing that this is veryreal and she’s stupidly agreed to this. Just because she’s older now doesn’t mean she wasn’t going to fold at the mere sight of her ex-girlfriend’s face. She’s desperate for this to go her way so she doesn’t leave her with egg on her face.

She stops right at apartment E53, but she hesitates to knock. She lets go of Kennedy’s hand and adjusts her hair to make sure it looks good. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh which makes the five-year-old look up at her like she’s crazy. Finally she knocks on the door and she’s never been so nervous in her life; Y/n wishes she was in Kennedy’s position, just oblivious to everything that’s going on.

“Just a minute!” A muffled voice calls from the other side of the door. Y/n nods her head as if Natasha can see her. She hears the shuffling of feet getting closer to the door until it opens up. The second that door cracks open Y/n feels like she’s too dressed up. She can’t ignore how Natasha’s eyes travel up and down her body with an expression she can’t read. “Wow, you look great,” the redhead croons.

“Thank you. So do you.”

Natasha looked like she was still wearing her work clothes which made Y/n feel young again for being the only person to put so much into something. It was fitting for the occasion, something she would laugh about because of the irony if she wasn’t the person in the situation.

“You two can come on in,” Natasha steps out of the way to make room for Y/n and her…not-daughter to step into her apartment. She wanted to catch up with Y/n in general but she had so many questions about the little girl holding her hand. She doesn’t resemble Y/n at all so they’re not sisters, besides Y/n would’ve just said that on the phone. She fully understands if Y/n is hesitant to tell her why she’s taking care of a whole human, but she might die if she doesn’t find out somehow.

“It’s really…spacious here.”

Y/n remembers Natasha’s old apartment as if the last time she stepped inside was yesterday. If Natasha still stayed at that apartment she thinks it would’ve made her more hesitant to accept this invite. It wasn’t a bad apartment, quite the opposite. It was way smaller than her new apartment but that’s what gave it that quaint, cozy feeling. There were books haphazardly stacked and placed on a bookshelf while papers were always somewhere on the floor. Natasha’s old apartment was the apartment of someone who was too busy to get their life together, and that should’ve been a sign for Y/n. Still, she was very fond of that apartment although the thought of it was too painful at times. Even after the years began to grow longer and longer, she remembered the instant warmth she felt the first time she went there, that first day she met Natasha in person. It was a stupid pipe dream to think that that would be theirapartment someday, but she used to fantasize about it a lot when they were dating.

“Dinners’ almost done. You two can sit in the living room and wait while I set up the dining table, okay?’” Natasha’s voice snapped Y/n out of her daze.

“Okay.”

They awkwardly parted and Y/n guided Kennedy to the couch. It looked very expensive just like everything else in here. The walls were decorated with paintings and there were vases placed on end tables. Y/n never took Natasha to be the one who decorated her home in such a nice and neat fashion. Sure there were posters on the wall of her old apartment, but that doesn’t compare to paintings.

Natasha was mentally berating herself the entire time while in the kitchen. She worried about not making Y/n feel comfortable enough or not really acknowledging Kennedy enough. She didn’t regret asking Y/n to come over for dinner, but she wishes she would’ve sorted her thoughts out first before ever making an offer like this. It would be a lie to say she hasn’t thought about Y/n in these last seven years, but she knows what type of girl Y/n is (or at least what type of girl she was), and she can bet that Y/n thought about everything ten times more than Natasha did. She felt a bit guilty thinking about Y/n losing sleep over their failed relationship, but Natasha has mastered the art of distracting herself from her personal life using work. So many things have happened in her career that it would be impossible to sit down and tell Y/n everything within these next two hours. She doesn’t want to anyway, she wants to focus on Y/n.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Y/n grabs Kennedy’s ipad and stuffs it back into her little book bag.

“Can I bring Raffie?”

Y/n looked at the look on her face and then to how tight she was holding the stuffed animal. She seemed a bit stressed due to the new location, but it was also because she didn’t see Y/n react warmly to the redheaded woman so she doesn’t know if she can trust her either.

“Sure,” Y/n says, sympathy painting her voice and her eyes. She felt bad for dragging Kennedy along but the university’s daycare closes around this time, so she had no other options.

Natasha is just finishing adding the dishes to the table when Y/n and Kennedy walk in. Her eyes light up when she sees them and she urges them to take a seat. It’s not a big dining table so there aren’t many options, but Y/n did notwant to sit next to Natasha. Instead she sat across from her with Kennedy taking the seat to her right, her stuffed giraffe sitting on the extra space of her chair.

“I didn’t know if the table would be too tall for her, so I bought a booster seat if she needed one.”

“Natasha, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to do that. It’s the least I can do.”

“I think she’s fine,” Y/n turns her attention from Natasha to the girl, “you okay, Kennedy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Natasha wasn’t super fond of kids as she hadn’t really been around them, but Kennedy was adorable. She knows she’s not Y/n’s daughter or anything like that, but it’s still very surreal to see them together. Natasha can tell by the way Y/n’s eyes linger on her that she’s very protective of her and they must have some sort of bond that mimics a mother-daughter relationship, or at least the relationship of two sisters.

“I made spaghetti. I made other stuff, but I figured spaghetti would be a good option because I heard young kids can be picky — I was at that age.”

“Spaghetti is perfect. Kennedy likes it a lot.” Kennedy nods her head in agreement with Y/n’s words. She was nervous about this stranger, but that began to dissipate when she learned she would be eating spaghetti.

Watching Y/n fix her plate and remind Kennedy not to make a mess was interesting to say the least. She sounded like such a mother Natasha was still unable to grasp the entire situation, including that Y/n is here in her apartment, right in front of her, right now. Y/n’s slight nagging reminded Natasha of her mother, but a much nicer, softer version. She only wanted the best for Kennedy and wasn’t going to make her feel dumb when talking to her.

“So,” Natasha interjects while fixing her own plate, “is the city like you remembered?

"Pretty much…I mean nothing has really changed, but I also hadn’t explored the city much in the first place.”

“That’s true. We didn’t go thatmany places. Which hotel are you at?”

“The Echo, it’s more towards the outside of the city.”

“I’ve heard of it before. Very fancy.”

“Yeah I’m surprised my job put up the money for me honestly.”

“Mmm,” Natasha hums.

This dinner is more awkward than she wanted it to be. She suspects it’s because there is an elephant in the form of a five year old in the room that severely limits Natasha.

“So, are you in preschool, Kennedy?” Natasha’s voice is stiff as she asks the child a question. She has had conversations with very powerful people but no one makes her quite as nervous as children. She just doesn’t know what to say to them or how to talk to them because she’s not a child.

“I’m in kindergarten,” she answers, mouth full of spaghetti.

“Chew and swallow your food before speaking, okay? It’s rude to talk with a mouth full of food.”

“Okay, Y/n.”

It was surreal to see Y/n in this motherly role, but from how Kennedy talked to her it was obvious that they didn’t have an explicit mother and daughter relationship. They acted more like sisters which made Natasha nearly desperate to know what the full backstory of this is. Y/n tries to speak to Kennedy in a stern voice but it always comes off as soft and gentle. Her words sounded more like suggestions than concrete rules for life.

“Sorry,” Kennedy apologized to Natasha who really did not mind that a kid was being a kid, “I’m in kindergarten!”

If this was any other child Natasha would probably not be too fond of them, but this little girl seems to mean a lot to Y/n. She can see it in the way she looks at her. She can also see the insecurity in Y/n’s eyes which she guesses is in regards to being a parental figure.

“What’s kindergarten like?”

“I don’t know…it’s easy. I like coloring and playing with my friend,” she explains to which Natasha nods.

Kennedy is very different from both Natasha and Y/n as children. She has that sense of freedom the two of them never felt at that age. Y/n was notgoing to raise this girl like her mother did her; it wouldn’t be fair to neuter a young girl’s potential before she even knows what that word means.

Kennedy had finished dinner faster than the two adults which resulted in a tummy ache.

“I told you about eating too quickly, Ken,” Y/n softly chides her as Kennedy starts to cry crocodile tears.

“I’m sorry…can I lay down?”

Y/n suspected that she was tired and that’s why she’s making a bit of a fuss. She had a long day playing at the daycare and now she’s worn out. Y/n looks to Natasha before she can answer the question.

“She can go lay down on the couch. I’ll grab a blanket for her.”

Y/n nods before pushing herself out of the seat and picking Kennedy up. She carries her to the living room where Natasha is there grabbing a blanket for one of the closets’. She lays Kennedy on the couch and grabs the blanket from Natasha who stands closer to her. It’s one of the softest blankets Y/n has ever felt as she unfolds it and lays it over Kennedy.

“If you need me just call my name, okay?” She reminds her as she tucks her in like they do at home.

“Alright,” Kennedy says through a yawn. From the look of it, she’ll be out in a minute or two.

Y/n stands up and watches over her for a few seconds. She stares at her to make sure she doesn’t magically disappear before she’s comfortable enough to leave the girl alone to fall asleep.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt dinner,” she apologizes after turning to Natasha.

“It’s okay. We can finish up.”

Now they were alone; the adults in the room. Natasha could finally talk candidly without worrying about her language around a child.

“Is it easy?”

“Is what easy?”

“Being a…parent? I don’t know what to call you,” she admits truthfully, “but you’re clearly her guardian and she’s very fond of you.”

“You should see her when I’m trying to make her turn off PJ Masks so she can go to bed,” Y/n quips.

“But she definitely listens to you and respects you. She seems like a good kid.”

“She is. No child is "easy” to raise per say, but I am glad that Kennedy makes things a little bit easier.“

Natasha was beating around the bush, trying her best to avoid the real question that has been plaguing her mind. But she wants Y/n to feel comfortable enough to tell her. Prying it out of her would be too scummy in her opinion.

"Have you been seeing anyone?” Natasha pivots the conversation with the other bold question she wanted to ask.

“I don’t have time. Between work and Kennedy, I barely get enough time to myself, yet alone time to date. There is this guy at my work who flirts with me but he reminds me of my father — huge turn off.”

It’s true that Y/n is too busy to date, but she could make time if she really wanted to. She’s just too jaded right now to date. She’s always had the fear that anyone she dated would move on from her because she didn’t fit into their lives. Even when it was someone who lived a similar life to her, she just felt like she was a bit too odd to fit into someone’s life. Then Kennedy came along and she was afraid of the stigma of dating as a single “mother.” She’s not going to talk about the circumstances surrounding her and Kennedy all willy-nilly so many of potential suitors have written her off when they found out about the little girl.

“I haven’t gotten out much either. The con of being a career woman.”

Y/n wasn’t sure if that was supposed to reassure her or not. She doesn’t care to know about Natasha’s dating history after their relationship because she knows it will set off some jealousy inside of her. But she can’t help but compare herself to the hypothetical partners in her head.

“I’m sure we’ll both find the time to date someone someday.”

“Maybe…it might take a little longer for me since my career quite isn’t where I want it like yours is. I have a ways to go. And I rather focus my extra energy on raising Kennedy. She needs me.”

“I have to ask,” Natasha couldn’t hold it in any longer, “what is Kennedy to you? Is she your sister?”

“Oh, hell no. My parents stopped touching each other when I was like 12. I don’t even think they like each other anymore. Kennedy isn’t mine and I’m not related to her by blood. It’s just…do you ever have a story that is too complicated to tell? One that has too many side stories and footnotes that tie all together to make the story make complete sense?”

“That’s it every story I have from college,” Natasha jokes.

“Well this is mine.”

“If you don’t mind, you can indulge me. I don’t mean to offend, but you were never really one to have a lot of friends so I worry you may have not had anyone to talk about all of…that.”

“It doesn’t offend me because you’re right. It was never easy for me to make friends and that hasn’t changed. I do talk to a few coworkers so I’m not alone. Sometimes it’s better to just keep things to myself.”

“But, you don’t have to with me.”

Y/n knows that, but what’s the point? She’s only here for a week-and-a-half, and she isn’t even sure what she wants from Natasha. She accepted this dinner for a reason but now she’s backing out.

“If you don’t trust me, I understand. You have the right not to-”

“It’s not about trust. I trust you with the story. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to shoulder the burden of it.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

'The least I can do’

That was becoming the tone of this trip. Y/n noticed Natasha say that to her more than once. It was her way of atoning, hoping that all those small gestures could make up for what she had done. Neither of them are naïve enough to think forgiveness works that way. One dinner and one talk isn’t going to give Y/n what she wants, and neither is it going to make Natasha feel less guilty. Both of them are scarred from this and it’s time to either patch up the wound or rip it open again.

“Amy and I became really close,” Y/n begins, “it was random and came out of nowhere. Cindy kind of…she kind of faded out of the picture but it wasn’t by any of our choices. Amy and I moved in together after graduating and Cindy went to grad school across the country. Amy got in a relationship with this really awful guy. Long story short he knocked her up and left her. We were practically raising Kennedy together,” she pauses for what feels like a minute but is only a few seconds, “then she got in a really bad car crash. I don’t want to go into the details of it. I had to fight really hard to get custody of Kennedy — I was so lost and clueless while doing it, but she had no one else but me. Amy’s grandmother died a year after she was born and she really has no other family besides an estranged older brother. They wanted to put Kennedy in foster care, but she knew me and loved me, I couldn’t let her go.”

Natasha inhaled sharply at the story. She didn’t think it would have taken a turn like that. She feels awful for Y/n; awful that she was probably alone in the process too, it makes her guilt grow even larger.

“I wish I would’ve reached out.”

“It’s okay, Nat. You didn’t know and no one expected this to happen. Neither of them can change the past, but I’m just glad that everything is okay now. Kennedy doesn’t really remember much about her mother, but I like to remind her everyday. Amy really loved her and it’s unfair they were separated like that. I could never replace the spot of a mother, but I will try my best.”

“I can tell you’re doing a great job, Y/n.”

“Now it’s my turn to ask a personal question…Natasha, why did you invite me here? Are you trying to say sorry without saying it? I don’t want to dwell on the past…” It was such a lie because that’s all Y/n has been doing for these last few years, but she doesn’t want to admit that in fear of looking pathetic. Natasha may not have been in any long-term, serious relationships since the two of them broke-up, but she’s sure Natasha has had someone in her life since.

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I do feel bad. What I did wasn’t right. I don’t want you to think I regret our relationship, but I do hold most of the blame because I don’t think I should’ve progressed it any further. You were young and only in college while I was reaching some of the heights of my career.”

“But, it was my choice,” Y/n says hastily, “I made the choice to be in the relationship too, not just you.”

“I’m aware, your consent was always important to me, but did I ever make you feel like you were pushed to be with me?” Natasha asked that for the sake of herself. She can be domineering at work but sometimes it spills into her personal life. The last thing she wants to be is the person who forces relationships (romantic, platonic, professional, whatever) onto people.

“No. I wanted to be with you and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t always easy but I just figured that it was because of my first relationship. Plus relationships are not easy in general and heartbreak is inevitable.”

It is, but Natasha certainly could’ve gone about the break-up in a better way since she was the older party. But, she doesn’t admit that out loud.

“Do you think we were a good match?” Y/n asks.

“You want my honest answer?”

“Of course,” no matter how painful it might be, Y/n needed to hear the truth so she could maybe start the process of getting over this.

“It was just the right person, wrong time.”

Y/n never noticed the small things like the hesitation and vague answers before, but now it’s glaringly obvious and it’s almost upsetting.

“Ugh, don’t say that. I don’t like stuff like that. It was either we were a good match or not.”

“Things are more complicated than that, Y/n.”

“Oh, spare me that,” she responds with a bit of anger. She didn’t mean to let her emotions get the best of her but she has wanted to say something for years and now she’s sitting directly across from the person she needed to get these things off of her chest to. “I know things are complicated, but sometimes there are clear distinctions of right and wrong. I’m not a little girl anymore, and I know that some of the stuff you did to me back then was fucked up.” Y/n’s anger begins to bubble but she keeps her voice low so Kennedy doesn’t wake up to her saying “no-no” words.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I told you I regret a lot of things, including even starting the relationship. When I realized that maybe a relationship wasn’t what you needed, I should’ve been more careful.”

It was hard for Y/n to getwhat Natasha was saying. Just because time has passed doesn’t mean she has grown all that wiser. She just felt like Natasha was being cruel with her power because she simply could. Y/n couldn’t bring herself to regret their relationship (even the arguments they had), but she did mull over what maybe she could’ve done differently to change the outcome.

“I guess,” Y/n says defiantly. She wasn’t going to see eye to eye with Natasha tonight, and maybe not ever.

“Regardless, I don’t think you should give up on love because of what happened between us. I’m sure you can easily find somebody.”

“Well, the same goes to you.”

“I’m pushing 40 Y/n, I’m old,” Natasha jokes. She always had this air around her that she was too bothered to be in a relationship and now that she’s older she wonders if it’s even worth it.

“40 isn’t old, Nat.

"Maybe old isn’t the right word, but I’m definitely…definitely settled into my ways.”

Y/n hums; she couldn’t disagree with that.

It was later than Y/n expected. She was grateful for having to go in later for work tomorrow since it’s a Friday.“

"We should be heading out. I don’t want to keep Kennedy out too late.”

Natasha almost forgot about the little girl since she was so quiet in the living room. “Of course,” she responds before standing up from the table. Their dinners were partially eaten, a sign that their conversation swept them up more than the food.

Kennedy was sound asleep on the couch and Y/n was hesitant to wake her up, but she had no choice. “C'mon Ken, we gotta go.” Y/n was met with groans from the fussy five-year-old. She knew she was going to have to carry her all the way back to the car.

“Do you need any help? I can walk you both to the car.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she answers as she throws Kennedy’s book bag on the same shoulder as her purse. “She looks heavy but you develop a super strength when you have to carry a sleeping child,” Y/n jokes.

With a half-sleep Kennedy in tow, Y/n lets Natasha open the front door for her.

“Thank you for dinner. It was nice to eat something other than fast food and college cafeteria food.”

“No problem. I hope you enjoyed it — and I hope our talk wasn’t too much.”

“It was fine.”

The two kind of linger for a bit, the air around them becomes stiffly awkward again. Was this goodbye-goodbye or just a 'see you later’?

“Have a good night, Nat.”

Y/n begins to walk down the hall before Natasha can respond. She pokes her head out the door to watch the two and make sure they make it to the elevator. Natasha wanted Y/n to look back at her, maybe give her a little wave or something, but Y/n kept looking forward.

Let Me In [1] ✾

Natasha Romanoff x Reader. 3rd POV. Word Count: 3.6k.

- || Part TwoComplete Chatroom Masterlist

Summary:Y/n is back in the city, a place she never thought she would be. A heavy cloud hangs over her until it produces a heavy storm.

Content:mentions of a past toxic relationship, slight angst.

A/N: I hate to call this a starter chapter because it makes it seem like it’s not important, but this chapter is just to get us started. I hope you all enjoy the sequel! It won’t be as long but it will tie up all the loose ends!

MINORS, AGELESS BLOGS, AND BLANK BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED.

“If you keep dragging your feet we’re going to miss the shuttle!”

“I don’t like it here, it smells,” the five year old groans, tugging hard on Y/n’s hand. The plane ride was fairly easy but the young girl had gotten so restless and has been complaining ever since they landed. Y/n did her best to keep her at bay, but it’s hard to explain to a child why they have to keep walking when they’re so tired. Y/n had to carry both of their carry-on bags while rolling her suitcase in her free hand so couldn’t pick her up even though that’s what she wanted.

“I know Kennedy, but we have to keep going, c'mon.”

She held onto her hand tightly as their suitcases rolled against the pavement. She feels a little bit bad about dragging the little girl along as they exit the airport, but it’s either that or having to wait another 30 minutes for a shuttle to the rental car pick-up building. Y/n had developed the skill of tuning Kennedy out when she really needed to; she can deal with feeling guilty just for a little bit.

She’s only able to feel relief when they make it to the shuttle at the right time. The small bus is fairly crowded already but there is one open seat on the left. Y/n helps Kennedy up the stairs and ushers her to the seat. A few eyes gloss over the two before reverting back to wherever they were looking before. Y/n feels so awkward and out of place even though she has no reason to be. It’s been years since she’s had to deal with the busy process of the airport and it’s her first time with Kennedy. She stands close to her, worried that somehow if she takes her eyes off of her for even a second that the girl would disappear. Y/n’s mother offered to come with them, but Y/n politely declined her offer. It was hard enough to answer her phone call in the first place; she just isn’t ready to talk to her yet let alone be around her.

The cracked windows of the bus allow a breeze of tepid air to flow in and out. Y/n is grateful that she got to come to the city now when it’s Spring, almost Summer, time. It’s lovely in the winter, but she doesn’t think she would be able to handle the snow and the cold while alone with a five-year-old Kennedy. She hasn’t seen snow yet, but maybe when she’s older they’ll come back together so she can see just how pretty a city looks when it’s covered in a light dust of snow.

“I’m hungry.”

“Shh, I know you are. I promise when we get the car and then we’ll stop and get some food, okay?”

The plan seemed to placate the little girl who was playing with the straps of her little book bag. They had run out of snacks half-way through the plane ride and Y/n was worried about a meltdown happening but Kennedy just sat with a pout on her face and her arms crossed instead of making a big fuss. Y/n took her silent anger as a win as long as she wasn’t crying on the plane.

They come to a stop and a few people file out before Y/n and Kennedy can leave. Some man grabs Y/n’s suitcase for her to give her a helping hand. He gives her a sympathetic look, one that she is used to and has learned to stop taking the wrong way. She’s just glad to have made it this far even though their journey isn’t necessarily complete. And with Kennedy’s hand in hers, they walk inside the car rental center.

What was a hectic 7 hours of her life felt worth it once they were secure in the car and driving into the city. Y/n feels a sense of relief when she drives into the city and passes a few buildings that are painfully familiar to her. She can hear Kennedy constantly going ‘wow’ in the backseat as they move deeper in the city. Y/n had the same feeling when she first stepped foot into this city. The buildings are so high up that it can make anyone feel small and it’s a city that’s always buzzing.

“Are those buildings touching the sky?”

“Kind of. If we have enough time we can take a tour of the tallest building in the city and look at the clouds!”

Kennedy let out a satisfied giggle that made Y/n smile. It is bittersweet. Completely bittersweet. She was coming back to the city, mixing her old life with the new.

Y/n hopes that everything goes smoothly with her job, Kennedy, and herself. She is older, but she is not necessarily better with handling her emotions. She pushes them down, and it’s easy to push down smaller feelings of sadness and disappointment related to the newer aspects of her life, but the feelings from her 19 year-old are proving to be a fighter. She fought back veryhard to keep those feelings deep down from bubbling up. But the dissonance in her head had her feeling completely out of whack the moment she accepted the offer from her job. In the last few weeks she pretended like she didn’t care about the particular location. Yet the years of imagining and secretly rehearsing the scenarios she imagined in her head where she comes out on top serve as evidence that she does stillcare no matter how hard she tries to convince herself she’s not. There is a slim chance of running into anyone, she believes, but even just being here makes her wonder.

-

“It’s two weeks long. I know you’ve got Kennedy to take care of but the university provides a daycare service. Dr. Bennett specifically requested you— she said something about an old teacher of yours? Anyway, this would be great for your resume, and it’s paid for. I hope you don’t let this opportunity pass you.”

Y/n found it tedious to travel for her job. Location aside, she didn’t like having to make a decision about something so major so quickly. There were many, manypros to this little two week work trip, and virtually no cons honestly. But it felt like a ripping off the band-aid off of a wound too early — except she suffered that wound 7 years ago. Now she is sitting in the place that is the very genesis of where many of her problems began.

Kennedy was buzzing to go into the place with the giant frog outside. It looked just the same as it did when Y/n first came here, not even a single poster on the wall had been switched out for something newer. She hesitated to step inside but she had no choice when the five-year-old developed some mysterious strength and dragged her to the door as she walked on her little feet.

“Look at my frog!” Kennedy croons. Y/n quickly shushes her so she doesn’t disturb anyone around them. Y/n noticed a few annoyed glances when she walked in with a small child in tow. She knows what it’s like to be bothered by the presence of a kid in a place that’s normally chill and meant for concentration. But, she also found herself being angry at the people who even looked at Kennedy with an ounce of contempt. Other people’s reactions to Kennedy is still something Y/n is not used to, especially since their town back home is small and they don’t interact with that many people.

“We can’t stay here long, okay?”

“But why?”

“Because we have to go back to the hotel and unpack or else we’ll never get to it.”

The girl said nothing, she just ignored Y/n and went back to playing with the toy frog that came with her meal. She has so much energy yet Y/n feels swamped. It’s partially her fault for obsessing over whether or not Kennedy was going to behave. She was on edge thinking about someone yelling at them on the airplane because Kennedy was too loud. Y/n is a big girl now, but confrontation still scares her. She also wouldn’t want Kennedy to be upset for any reason.

But, she doesn’t have to worry about that now. It’s easy to become inundated with the what-ifs and scenarios where everything goes wrong that it’s hard to remember that everything is fine. Y/n’s worries are a part of a larger fear she’s playing the game of pretending it’s not there. She may have to confront that some time while she’s here, but right now everything is fine. Kennedy is preoccupied and making a soft noises that she thinksa frog makes, a song Y/n remembers from years ago is playing through the speakers, and they made it to the city safely. Y/n reminds herself of those three very real facts to bring herself back down to Earth. She’s been so in her head, and always has been, but it can no longer be her coping mechanism when she has very real things in the real world to deal with.

She lets Kennedy enjoy a few extra minutes snacking on her food and playing with her toy before Y/n realizes that they spent a little too long in the café. The familiarity makes it so comforting that the time flew by.

“Alright Kennedy, it’s time for us to go.”

Kennedy didn’t make any complaints, much to Y/n’s relief. She could always entice Kennedy with a trip to the hotel’s pool if she ever acts up, but that’s her last resort.

“When we go back, can we watch TV?” Kennedy reaches up with her small hand and Y/n grabs a hold of it, both of them holding onto each other tightly in what feels like a strange new world for the younger one.

“Sure, but after we put all of our clothes away, okay?”

“Fine.”

Y/n has this habit of looking down at Kennedy as she’s talking to her even if she’s walking. She’s walked into strangers before so when it happens to her right in this moment it doesn’t feel like such a big deal to her.

“Oh god! I’m so sorry…sorry!” Y/n scrambles so much that she doesn’t even open her eyes or look up at the person who she bumped into.

“I thought that was you.”

Movies and TV shows have told her that a familiar smell, sound, or voice can transport a person back to a poignant time in their life; today was not the day Y/n wanted to learn that that was true. She looks up and feels like she’s got the wind knocked out of her. Not even the collusion was as jarring as registering Natasha’s face in her head. Suddenly it felt like the Earth had shifted underneath her feet and she felt uneasy. Of course the thing to pull her back was Kennedy’s little voice.

“Sorry for running into you!” She says as if she was the one being so careless and clumsy. She’s completely oblivious to what is going on.

Watching Natasha laugh and bend over to reassure Kennedy that she hadn’t done anything wrong made Y/n’s blood run cold. She found herself warring with her needs and her wants. She needsto keep walking and leave as quickly as possible, but what her subconscious wants is to stay here and imagine Natasha being present for every single moment of the past seven years, including the day Kennedy entered Y/n’s life.

“I…I’m sorry,” Y/n repeats, this time her voice hoarse due to her dry mouth. She’s sure that Natasha is still able to read her like a book and knows how deathly nervous she is.

Natasha stands tall again and looks at her. She’s looking at her as if they’re old classmates or something like that; not people who once dated each other. It’s partially because Natasha doesn’t really know how to act around Y/n, but that’s not how Y/n takes it.

“It’s okay, Y/n.”

Kennedy looks between the two adults as they stand there silent. She’s so confused but her five year old brain would not be able to comprehend this moment even if someone tried to explain it to her. She doesn’t know why Y/n is frozen in the spot, not saying anything, and just staring at this stranger. She also doesn’t know why Y/n would be so scared of this random woman.

“Why are you here — I mean — why are you in the city? I never thought I’d see you here again,” Natasha laughs nervously.

“Work. I’m here for work,” Y/n responds curtly.

Natasha nods her head which makes Y/n nod her head too. It’s so awkward that Y/n wants the floor to open up and swallow her whole. She forgets all about the task at hand of going back to the hotel and unpacking all of their clothes for the next two weeks. She feels many emotions at once, some she doesn’t even have the words to describe, and that’s why she’s paralyzed. She’s wondering if she’s going to wake up any moment now and will still be on the plane.

“Excuse me!”

Without thinking, all three of them step to the side. Neither Natasha or Y/n realized they were blocking the exit to the cafe. Natasha can’t be mad at the guy who yelled at them because they were being a nuisance, but this is an important moment that Natasha doesn’t want to be ruined by outside influences.

Natasha never thought this would happen more so than Y/n. She didn’t think Y/n would want to step foot into this city ever again; she already wasn’t too fond of it, plus Natasha had given her a reason to hate it. She can’t decide which is more shocking, seeing Y/n here at this cafe where they met for the first time or that she has a child holding onto her hand for dear life right now. She can’t help but keep glancing down at the little girl because she’s desperately trying to see if she can recognize the traces of Y/n’s face in hers. Natasha had not checked up on Y/n after deleting her Myspace page, and she felt too guilty to find her on Facebook (if Y/n even used it).

She wonders if Y/n is still mad at her even after all of these years. She wouldn’t be able to blame her if she was mad. The more time Natasha had to sit with her thoughts she came to the conclusion that what she had done was shitty to say the least. Not just the break-up itself, but the entire relationship as a whole was a bad move on her part. She knew that in the moment when it was happening, but those few months after she felt worse and worse about it. What Natasha wasn’t expecting was to feel sobad about it right now. Y/n is not a young girl anymore, she’s 27 now, but in her face Natasha can still see some of that innocence she had in college. It’s good that a part of the light in her eyes hadn’t been completely dulled, but she’s so curious if it’s because she’s matured or not.

“How long are you staying in the city?”

Y/n is hesitant to even give her an answer. She knows what that question will lead to and she knows she won’t be able to decline any offers from Natasha. And that’s exactly why she answers, “two weeks.”

“Two weeks is a long time! What are you going to be doing.”

“Oh, I’m a research assistant. I’m going to be working in the university downtown. I didn’t want to do it, but you know how jobs give you better opportunities if you clear your whole life schedule and travel for them.”

What was a little joke to clear up some of that awkward air was a reminder of why it’s so awkward to be around Natasha in the first place. Y/n sees a change in Natasha’s face, a flash of guilt, but the redhead quickly washes it away. Y/n didn’t mean it in that way even though deep down she still has that resentment towards her ex-girlfriend.

“That sounds great,” Natasha’s eyes flash down to the little girl who is anxiously buzzing before looking back at Y/n, “well I won’t hold you two up any longer. But, I do want to extend an invite to have dinner. It’s the least I can do.” Through the formalities and faux friendly behavior is a show of humility from Natasha. The look in her eye is almost sympathetic, like a nice good meal is the best she can do to offer Y/n some comfort for a pain she caused seven years ago. “You two will probably be eating out a lot, so I can cook so you can have a homemade meal,” she continues.

Before she can’t process anything Y/n’s lips are moving and she’s agreeing to this plan.

“Great. I have a new place that’s nice and big, and I could use some guests to help me break in the place. We can exchange numbers and go from there.”

“It’s still (630) 555-3825, right?”

“Yeah,” Natasha is shocked that Y/n still remembers her number. She also can’t gloss over the fact that Y/n figured she wouldn’t change her number. “That’s exactly it.”

“I’ll call. Okay?” Natasha nods her head. Y/n looks down at Kennedy to check in with her; the little girl was growing restless just standing there and listening to the adults talk and they’re going to have to go soon. “I’ll see you later.”

Y/n gives her a small smile, the first one of the trip, and the first one Natasha has seen in years. It’s refreshing to see even if she can tell that it’s forced when she sees Y/n’s true emotions are right in her eyes.

Y/n walks past her and leaves the café with Kennedy in tow. Natasha is still a bit stunned that that actuallyhappened. It was like a movie moment in real life but without the glamor and a more painful feeling. She didn’t expect a happy reunion, but she at least thought the tension between the two would have lessened. It’s been 7 years, many career changes, and possibly many relationships later, that shouldrequire someone to move on to an extent. She hopes that the dinner will be more lighthearted and less awkward. She can’t believe Y/n accepted her offer, but if she’s anything like she remembers then Y/n still struggles to say no.

Natasha leaves the café and heads home in the opposite direction of Y/n’s hotel. What was once a decent, sunny morning turned into a bitter afternoon. It was the opposite of what Natasha felt inside. She felt an optimism that was almost uneasy. For years after that break-up she was desperate to make it up to Y/n for her ego’s sake. She wanted to prove to Y/n and herself that the break-up wasn’t just a power move. But, it is also easy for Natasha to delude herself when she wants to justify her actions that cause emotional harm. She’ll have to reevaluate what she gains from this and what she wants out of it, if she wants anything, but right now she revels in the happenstance.

That is until her phone begins to buzz and takes her out of the moment. An unfamiliar number pops up on her screen. She rarely answers calls from numbers she doesn’t know, but she does this time.

“Hello?”

“I’m just making sure you have my number.”

Natasha was not expecting Y/n to callher just five minutes later. Y/n didn’t expect to call her either but she wanted to hear that voice again and how it has changed so much yet still tugs on her heart all the same. She’s too stubborn to admit any of that to herself though.

“Oh okay. I have your number now.”

“Okay. My work schedule isn’t exactly always accurate so I’ll be the one calling you,” Y/n says matter of factly.

“That’s fine. I’m off of work every day at 4.”

“Okay I’ll call you when I can to set dinner up. Bye-“

Natasha quickly interrupts her before she can hang up, “Y/n?”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask you something? I don’t want to be rude or pry, but I’m just very curious.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Is that your daughter?”

Y/n is surprised Natasha hadn’t asked her sooner. She kept looking at Kennedy with a mix of fear and confusion when they were at the shop; Natasha tried to hide it in her eyes but it was so obvious to Y/n. There is no way that a person wouldn’t have many questions when seeing their ex with a small child. Maybe Natasha didn’t ask earlier because she wanted to be polite and not ask in front of Kennedy. Y/n is grateful for that.

“No. She’s not mine, but she is mine…if that makes sense.”

“It does.” It absolutely doesn’t make sense to Natasha, but now is not the time to try to get any more information out of Y/n. Despite there still being some confusion, Natasha feels a sense of relief wash over her at the answer.

“Okay, well I gotta go.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye bye.”

Natasha’s plans when leaving the house today to run some errands was to go home afterwards and continue her productive day. Now she feels like kicking her shoes off and taking a bottle straight from her wine cellar. Bucky is going to be in for a story tonight.

Chatroom [10] ◇

Natasha Romanoff x Reader. 3rd POV. Word Count: 5.7k.

Part Nine || Fin

Chatroom Masterlist

Summary:This time, it is Natasha who has her mind completely made up about this relationship.

A/N:Here’s the end of Chatroom. This story was originally supposed to only be a one-shot but the support for more chapters turned this into a complete series! Thank you for all the support on this story. There will be a sequel, Let Me In, which will begin in February. This is also the last fic of the year and it’s been a long one. Thank you all for sticking with me this year and if you’re a new follower then welcome! Let’s hope 2022 is better

The sun is so high in the sky today.

Winter’s consistent cold has finally broke. Everyone is enjoying the sun beaming onto their skin and the approaching end of the semester. Some people will be graduating, like Amy’s sort-of-kind-of boyfriend, but Y/n has two more years left.

When she was first applying to college, the prospect of staying in one place for four years felt like so much. She’s heard the horror stories about college and how stressful it can be. Her first year was not good for the most part. Her sophomore year was better, but still not the best. However, Y/n is feeling much more optimistic about these next two years because for the first time in her life she knows what she wants for herself

“Everyone is going to be going down to the pier, and the pizza place is going to be packed.”

“So where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know? Maybe we can hangout at the lounge? It’s always empty during the last week of school.”

Y/n is going to miss her friends more than usual this time around. She still feels little pangs of guilt for not telling them the full story of her relationship. There are still many things they don’t know about, but it didn’t seem necessary to get into the details of everything. They know the basic story and that’s fine for them. Y/n realizes how lucky she is that her friends didn’t just discard her after learning she kept something big from them.

“I can’t believe youof all people will be studying abroad,” Cindy pokes at Amy. It came as a surprise to both Cindy and Y/n. The girl who raved about being in a sorority and on the cheerleading team was leaving both behind to go study in Europe for an entire year.

“Why is it so shocking? I feel like I’m cultured! Maybe I’ll find myself a French boyfriend,” Amy jokes and Cindy laughs along. She wasn’t the only one who had studying abroad on her mind though, “how about you Y/n? Have you made your decision yet?”

The pamphlet sits in her backpack, waiting for her to read it again. The edges are curled over and slightly ripped from being stuffed inside with all those books and notebooks. Y/n has probably ready the pamphlet about ten times already; she’s had it for two weeks now. She was just so indecisive despite the encouragement from both of her friends. Even her parents weren’t turned off by the idea. The only person she didn’t run it by is Natasha. She isn’t sure how her girlfriend would react to her being gone for that long. Summer break is already long enough, but tack on an additional six months and it’s nearly a year along.

“I don’t know. My advisor said it’s still not too late, but I’m running out of time. It’s just…hard.”

She could always just wait until the second semester of her junior year. Maybe by then she’ll have the courage to talk to Natasha about it. But, she really wants to go as soon as she can. She spent hours on her laptop looking at Myspace pages and the blogs of people studying abroad. They looked so carefree, yet they were achieving so much and meeting new people. She remembers how much Natasha talked about traveling and how amazing it was for her.

“Yeah, you’re not like me; you actually have a relationship to think about. You should still do it. You don’t have to join me in France, but based off of the fact that your parents, of all people are agreeing to this then you should seize the opportunity.”

Her friends were pushing her to take the opportunity. Cindy was going to be without her best friends for a year, but she thinks this is a necessary step for them, especially for Y/n.

“I don’t know — it’s a lot to consider.” It is obvious to her friend that there is something holding her back, and that something is her relationship.

“Did you tell Natasha about it?”

“No. She’s been busy with work and I didn’t want to bother her. Our conversations have been fairly short since our trip. Both of us are just busy.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but Y/n had plenty of chances to tell Natasha about this, but she caves every time. Y/n doesn’t like to acknowledge whyshe’s nervous to tell Natasha about this. It’s a positive thing yet she’s afraid. She fears that her girlfriend might dump her due to the distance, or worse, tell her to go and then forget about her while she’s gone. Her mind visuals herself logging onto Myspace and seeing photos of Natasha with someone else. But, considering that both of them have been using Myspace less and less, maybe she’ll just never hear from Natasha again. She could block Y/n’s number or change her own number.

Y/n finds her thoughts to be irrational, but they plague her mind. She shakes them away every chance she gets, but they come creeping in. She spent a whole week with Natasha just a mere two weeks ago, there isn’t a good reason why she thinks thisof all things would blow her relationship up. There have been more fumbles throughout their relationship, and this just can’t be one. Natasha has encouraged her to open up and this would be a pretty extreme way of opening up.

“But, I’ll try to tell her tonight — if I can reach her. If not tonight, then tomorrow night.”

“Good.”

Y/n takes a deep breath as Cindy and Amy go back to planning a get together. She shouldn’t be so nervous. She left the trip feeling happy and fulfilled. She didn’t hear the “I love you” that she expected, but it’s fine. She read in an online article that everyone says I love you at different times. She let it slip a few times but she tried to act like nothing happened. Some people have a hard time expressing themselves, and maybe Natasha is one of them. Y/n was fine with that, especially since she left the trip with something special. Around her wrist is an emerald green bracelet Natasha gifted to her. Coincidentally it was a bracelet that Natasha had gotten when she was in England, the country Y/n was considering studying abroad in. Everything felt like it was meant to be, which is why she doesn’t want to be so nervous about asking Natasha.

This is her taking the leap. This is her taking initiative in her life.

Her efforts are appreciated by her friends, even her parents, and most importantly herself. There is only one last important person in her life to tell, but Natasha is the person who will be the most proud of her.

-

Natasha was shutting off her desktop later than usual. Thanks to it officially being Spring, there was still some sunlight peeking over the horizon. It’s currently 7:02, two hours and two minutes after the usual time she leaves.

Everyone in the office could see the cloud hanging over her head, but no one asked her how she was. Hell, no one even approached her — she’s not the nicest co-worker in the building when she’s upset.

Time is her current scapegoat. Before it was bad luck, before it was otherpeople — but now it is time.

Natasha came to the realization that this relationship with Y/n has been the most inconsistent thing in her life. Even hooking-up with people was a more consistent thing. But, with Y/n it’s either a good time or a bad time, and it seems to teeter-totter between good and bad. Everything was perfect after she came home from the trip. Work was going good, her social life was going good, and her relationship was solid again. But of course there was another wrench thrown into her life. If only this had come before she met Y/n.

She thought that leaving late from work would be the solution to all of her problems, that way she could avoid her boss at all cost. She told Y/n she was working late hours at work (which isn’t a complete lie, but she didn’t feel like explaining how Myspace is banned on her job’s server after an incident where someone posted a photo of one of the bosses drunk at the annual holiday party). She was at her cubicle for hours, feeling closed in by the walls.

She sighs and shakes it off for another night. However, just as she begins to stand up, her boss is blocking her path.

“Why haven’t you answered my emails?”

Natasha felt like a kid getting caught stealing candy. Tony was going to catch her eventually, so it was naive of her to think she could avoid him at all cost.

“Sorry…sorry,” she shakes her head and smiles trying to appear as if the conversation between her and Tony genuinely slipped her mind, “I’ve been busy. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.”

Tony doesn’t believe her, but he isn’t going to argue with her. Natasha isn’t in trouble, but she’s avoiding him like she is. He’s not understand why his best employee is acting like this.

“Have you thought about the offer?”

“I have.”

“And?”

“I’m still thinking about it.”

Tony sighs in a mix of frustration and defeat. He can’t forceNatasha to say yes, but he won’t just accept a ‘no’ from her.

“You know I need you to answer soon, Natasha. The office in London is waiting for an answer, and you know I’m a man of punctuality!”

Tony’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard. She didn’t want to hear another word about the offer or the word ‘London’ – she could go an entire lifetime not hearing it ever again.

She looks away from her boss, and he’s no idiot. Natasha would never turn down an opportunity like this. In fact, she thought this offer was going to come to her a little over a year ago. She had been working hardto get that temporary office transfer to London, but was crushed when a former co-worker, Melina, got it. Natasha thought that shedeserved that spot. She was less than kind when complaining to Bucky about Melina who she claimed would be “gallivanting around the city with her legs wide open” in the city that she had dreamed about living in.

It was unfair then, and it’s unfair now. She didn’t have a relationship to consider when the rumors of her name being attached to the offer floated around the office nearly two years ago.

“If something is holding you back then get rid of it now,” Tony says suddenly.

Natasha holds back at gasp. It was like Tony was reading her mind and it was making everything so much worse.

“You shouldn’t let anything get in front of an opportunity like this — especially since you would have said yes in a heartbeatif this was two years ago. You’re not in your 20s anymore Natasha. You’re a big girl.”

Tony was basically telling her ‘take the offer or your career will suffer’. One thing that Natasha has mastered is reading between the lines. Even when she’s nervous or distracted, she knows that most people’s words have a double meaning. Working in business is not easy and she prepared herself to make hard decisions, but the last thing she expected to stand in her way is a relationship.

Natasha is not saying no to the offer. She was never going to say no to the offer. But, what she needed was time, the one thing she has been blaming over and over again. She needs time to think about what she’s going to do. Would it be fair to force a 20 year old girl into a long distance relationship? It’s already tough being an hour away from each other, how could they survive a 6 hour time difference with an entire ocean between them? Natasha knows that if she brings it up to Y/n that Y/n will be willing to accept it. She wonders if she should accept it too.

By the time she lands back in the states, Y/n will be a fresh college graduate and preparing herself for grad school; it would be perfect.

So, why does it seem like such a hard decision to make?

A long distance relationship just sounds so dreadful. Natasha enjoyed the trip with Y/n so much that she realized that she needs the closeness if this relationship is going to work. An hour is a barrier, but not as big of a barrier as her being away in another country. But, throwing an opportunity like this away for a relationship sounds very unlike her. That’s why she’s been trying to avoid Tony as much as possible — her thoughts are conflicting and change every single second.

Tony had left her alone to fester in the silence. He hoped that the little “pep talk” he gave her would push her into making the right decision. He specifically told the company that Natasha would be the perfect fit. Not only should she feel an ego boost from that, but it would be a pay raise, and when she comes back she’ll have an elevated position in the company. This is something she struggledto achieve. Taking on hard jobs with stupid long hours to get into grad school and finally getting her masters. She deservesthis after all that hard work.

Natasha figures her problems out herself, but she felt something nagging at her to ask someone for guidance about this. She leaves the office, pulling on her light jacket, and heads in the direction of the restaurant she was supposed to be at an hour ago.

Wanda called everyone to get together to celebrate. What is she celebrating? Quitting her job. Everyone found it so funny that she was gathering everyone to celebrate her being new unemployed, but Wanda hated her boss and hated that job so leaving called for celebration.

Everyone was already warmed-up, slightly tipsy, and full off of appetizers. No one noticed Natasha walk up to the table and take the spot designated for her over the gregarious air of the room. No one, except for Bucky who was seated right next to her.

“Where were you?”

“Work,” she says plainly as she takes her jacket off. Bucky was suspicious, but once he saw her outfit underneath her jacket he knew she was telling the truth. His eyes trail up to Natasha’s face and she looks an absolute mess.

“You look like shit. Do you want wine?”

Natasha gives him a harsh stare but nods her head in acceptance. She ran out of Merlot last week and hasn’t had the time to get more from the store. She just felt so tired and worn thin, the decision weighing heavy on her. The stress is written all over her face, it’s one of the first things Bucky noticed when she plopped down next to him. He struggled to find something to say. Usually Natasha has a better poker face, but now her guard is completely down. He runs through a list of things that could be the problem and at the top of the list is her relationship. Bucky hates to pry, but at the same time he doesn’t.

“Trouble in paradise? Oh, and how was your trip?” He pushes a plate of bread towards Natasha’s direction so she can have something to eat while she drinks. The last thing Natasha needs is to get shit-faced drunk when she has work in the morning.

“It was great. Too great.”

“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”

Natasha looks around the table and no one is looking at her and Bucky. She leans into him as if they could even be heard over the different conversations going on at the table.

“I got an offer from Tony.”

“What? What is it?” Bucky was intrigued. He doesn’t know much about thee great Tony Stark aside from his reputation in the city and what Natasha tells him. From what he knows, Tony doesn’t just give out offers for fun.

“London. Two years. I’d be working with one of the sister companies, and I’d be making bank. Not only that, but I’d come back home to a senior position which is salaried.”

“Isn’t that the offer you wanted like a year ago? That would be amazingfor your career? Why is this a dilemma for you?”

Just as he’s finishing his question, Bucky quickly realizes whythis is a dilemma for her. It’s that relationship of hers that makes her hesitate. Bucky is surprised her relationship has lasted this long despite Y/n’s young age. Of course there are things he doesn’t know, but Natasha was buzzing after her trip. She even changed her relationship status on Facebook to ‘in a relationship.’ For other people that’s just a given, but for Natasha it is a big deal. Bucky gave Y/n a bit of a hard time, but she seemed like a good girl. Of all the things that might end the relationship, Bucky didn’t see this coming. Neither did Natasha which is why she’s so anxious right now.

“Does she know about it?”

“No.”

“Well you have to tell her.”

“I know, I know. I’m not stupid.”

Natasha was being incredibly short with Bucky. He sighs in frustration, but he doesn’t expect anything else from his friend. She’s not going to just spill her guts at the dinner table, he’s going to have to pry it out of her though.

“You should tell her soon. You’ve been seeing her for over a year now, right? This is a very big deal, Nat.”

“I know. I’ve been meaning to tell her, but whenever we talk on the phone the conversations are short. I also wanted to tell her in person, but she can’t find the time to come to the city. This isn’tsomething I want to discuss on the phone, it just seems unfair to do that to her. But, it seems like it’s going to happen that way.”

“Well, what are you thinking? What are you considering?”

“I’m not turning that offer down. I’d be the dumbest bitch on the planet if I did that. But, if I break-up with Y/n then I’ll feel like the biggest bitch on the planet — either way I feel like a bitch but there has to be a less painful option.”

“So you’re considering long distance?”

“Yes. But, why does that feel like a cop out? It just sounds sounfair to do that to Y/n. She’s 20…why would she want to be in a relationship like this? I can’t be there for her like she wants me to, and if I’m that far away I won’t be there at all. She could date anyone at her college-“

“Someone more age appropriate?”

Bucky knew that was a point of contention in their relationship, at least on Natasha’s side. He wonders if Y/n knows more about her now that it’s been a year. It’s easier for Natasha to hide parts of herself and her life when her girlfriend is 50 miles away and in college.

“I ruined her birthday,” Natasha says with a sigh. Her stomach growls in hunger, but she can’t bring herself to eat right now. She only came because she didn’t want to be alone, “she said everything was fine because I took her on the trip, but when is she going to stand up for herself? I would’ve ended my relationship if my older girlfriend did what I did to her. I don’t want to throw a pity party for myself, but I haven’t been a good girlfriend at all, yet she still sees potential in this? I can’t help but wonder if it’s just because she’s never experienced this before or if it’s because it’s me.”

“From what you tell me, it seems like she reallylikes you. She was shy and kept clinging to you at your birthday party. She seems like a nice girl too.”

“What would you do if you were me?”

“C’mon, Nat, that’s not fair to ask,” Bucky says abruptly. Bucky has had his fair share of messy relationships, but nothing like this. He’s never had a glaringly obvious age gap in his relationship. “My opinion can only mean so much because I don’t know all that has happened between you two.”

“I still want your opinion. You’re one of my closest friends, Bucky.” She wasn’t going to lay off him until he was telling her exactly what she wanted to hear.

“I think you should stay with her if you reallywant to. It seems like she makes you happy. I don’t think there has ever been a time where I saw you smiling at your phone because you got a text. Maybe the space is something you both need. You’ll both grow in two years time. And who knows, maybe Y/n will break it off.”

Natasha hadn’t thought about that being a possibility. Maybe it will be Y/n who is turned off by the distance and wants to end things. That relieves Natasha for some reason. She just doesn’t want to hurt Y/n. She could temper her own heartbreak if Y/n wants to end things.

“Okay…okay…I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

“Good. Whatever happens, don’t blame me,” he jokes.

Natasha gives him a half-hearted smile. Talking did help, but this is something that shehas to figure out herself. She knew from the beginning what her decision would be, but she had to put herself through the wringer before facing the hard part. Her mind is completely made up, and it has been for some time.

-

Two essays down with two more to go.

Y/n was ahead of her personal schedule and she felt on top of the world. It was a warm day today, and the rain didn’t come like the forecast said it would. And, her roommate was not being as strict as she was last semester. She herself was up working on a paper. Their backs are to each other as they work at their desks, the light over their desks hurting both of their eyes.

Y/n felt her phone buzz which gave her the perfect excuse to pull her eyes away from her laptop. She had a break scheduled in about 30 minutes from now, but she needed it now. Her eyes light up when she sees that it’s Natasha calling. She pulls out of her desk and leaves the room before answering the phone.

“Hold on, let me go to the lounge,” she says before Natasha could get a word out.

She walks down the hallway, the hallway with awful reception. The call drops without her realizing it. She was lucky that the lounge was empty so she could call Natasha back.

“Hey.”

“Hi, sorry about that. The reception in the dorms sucks. But, I’m here now.”

“You’re here now.”

Now that she’s settled into the call, Y/n reminds herself that she has something to tell Natasha. She’s worried about her reaction, but it’s now or never since tomorrow is the last day to notify her advisor whether she is going to do it or not.

“I have something really, reallyimportant to tell you.”

“I do too.”

“O-Okay,” Y/n says shyly, “you go first!”

“I wanted to tell you this in person because it’s an important thing and not something we should be discussing over the phone, I respect you more than that, but I know neither of us will be able to find the time and I’m on a time crunch so we have to do it this way. I got a job offer out of the country and I’m taking it. I already told Tony yesterday that I’m going.”

Natasha’s voice is dry. She had to down a full glass of wine before calling Y/n. She was slightly dizzy, but her words came out smoothly. She felt like she was out of her body and her lips were moving without her being mindful of it.

“Oh…that’s great!” Y/n wondered if Natasha could hear the fakeness of her voice. It’s not like she’s not happy for her girlfriend, it’s just that she doesn’t know what this means for them. This also makes it harder for her to tell Natasha her important news. More time and more distance between the two sounds like something that would end a relationship.

“I’ll be going at the end of the Summer, so we only have a little bit of time left. I’ll be gone for two years…I know that’s such a long time, but in college the time flies. I’m sure you’ll be preoccupied with all the college stuff you do and whatever your friends get you into. I understand if this doesn’t sound ideal though. I’ll be off in London and you’ll be in the states.”

“You’re going to London?”

“Yeah?” Natasha was confused. Not because of the question, but because of the tone of Y/n’s voice. The upturn of her voice couldn’t be anything other than happiness?

“Well that’s great because my big news is that I’m thinking about studying abroad and I wanted to go to England! I don’t have enough time to learn another language so that was one of my only options. The school Brecker is partnered with has a great biology program. I don’t know if it’s in London but we would still be in the same country! Oh god I was so nervous to tell you about it because I didn’t want to be so far away from you, but we can still be close!”

Y/n felt over the moon. It was too perfect to be a coincidence that Natasha was going to London and she has the opportunity to study in England for a full school year if she wants to. Her excitement is boiling over, but Natasha doesn’t share the same excitement. It’s perfect, right?

“Don’t you think this is great? That way we would only be apart for a year. I know I have the freedom here at college, but can you imagine how things will be in another country with just the two of us?” Y/n was met with silence from the other side of the phone, and it was beginning to get to her. “Isn’t it great? I was so nervous to tell you, but everything worked out.”

The desperation in her voice was becoming palpable. Natasha’s voice was caught in her throat. She was completely blindsided and not prepared for this. One of the many things she wanted in life was to travel the world with someone she loves. But, that person isn’t supposed to be a college student; a girl who just entered her 20s.

“It sounds great Y/n,” she says with a sigh, “but I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t upend your life for me.”

“But I’m not. I-I wanted to go but was afraid that the news would upset you, but now we still have a chance to be together! You should be happy about this.”

“Y/n. You’re a 20 year old girl. If you want to study abroad then that’s great, but you shouldn’t be concerned about me or following me around.”

“How am I following you around? It’s just a coincidence but it’s a good one. Why are you not happy?”

Natasha groans in frustration. Y/n was having trouble reading between the lines. This was not how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to tell Y/n about the job transfer. She had no plans to end the relationship because in reality she expected Y/n to dump her.

“At 20, you shouldn’t be so concerned about a serious relationship.”

“So why did you get into a relationship with me then!? You knew how old I was…and I still don’t even know how old youare! You don’t tell me anything! It’s like you don’t even want to be in a relationship with me and now you’re coming up with some bullshit excuse.”

Her voice fills the lounge on her floor and bellows down the hallways. A few of the girls on her floor can hear her voice — it’s just another break-up happening in the sophomore lounge.

"You need to let this go Y/n.”

“I can’t! I can’t! It’s not fair! You’re giving up! Why are you giving up!?”

“Because you’re too fucking stupid to realize that I’m doing what’s best for you! Even if you study abroad in England, what if it’s not in London? What if we’re separated even more than we are now? And who’s to say that you won’t be too busy to see me or vice versa? You shouldn’t…you shouldn’t have to hesitate on life decisions just because of me. You’re at a time in your life that is greatly unique. This is the only time in your life where you will feel like you have no real responsibilities in life. There is a lot of ugly shit in this world and it’s not easy-“

“You’re not making any sense. What does any of that have to do with us!? You knew I was in college, you knew I was 19 when we began dating, but you decided to continue a relationship with me. Youdid that, not just me. I didn’t get into this relationship alone so I don’t know why you’re just talking about random stuff. We can be together, so why are you doing this? Are you doing this just to hurt me?”

Natasha can’t give her a clear answer. Hell, she doesn’t even have one herself. When she left the office today, she told herself that she was going to let Y/n make the call about their relationship. But, she didn’t think Y/n would just have the “perfect” solution to the distance. Natasha can’t put her finger on why it’s imperative to end things right now, but she knows it’s the right thing to do. The right thing to do was back off Y/n when she learned her age and her upbringing. There are so many similarities between the two of them except that when Natasha got to college she threw allcaution to the wind and get burned. She doesn’t want the same for Y/n. What would be worse? Both being in the same foreign country and slowly beginning to drift apart because of being busy and self-discovery, or ending things now? This is not a fairy tale. Just because Y/n thinks things are fine doesn’t mean they are. She just keeps ignoringeverything. There was shit she shouldn’t have ignored. Natasha found herself slightly turned off by her passive behavior. As painful and awful as it is, Natasha believes that this is what Y/n needs to learn to stand up for herself. If Natasha had learned this lesson at 20 like Y/n then she wouldn’t have wasted her 20s in such shitty relationships.

“You need to form an identity of your own. When you grow up the way you did it’s easy to latch onto someone. Are you going to trail me the rest of my life?”

“We are in a relationship. Why are you acting so annoyed that I want us to be together!?”

“I want you to be your own person,” Natasha continues. She was tuning Y/n’s voice out so she could get through this without breaking down. She finds it hard to believe that Y/n would take her back if she suddenly changed her mind and puts on a happy voice and says that this will be great, but she knows that Y/n will let her put her through all that heartache just to hear what she wants to hear. “You don’t understand. You’re not going to understand for a very long time, but this is necessary.

“B-But I love you,” her voice wavered as tears slipped down her face. She felt stupid for crying, stupid for being so vulnerable. How could she not see this coming? They just spent a week together not too long ago and it was the best time of her life. Y/n had come to the conclusion that she lovesNatasha on that trip. She’s never been in love so she doesn’t know if that’s how she currently feels but she felt like she could get to that point. Why was Natasha stopping her dead in her tracks before she could come to that point? Why doesn’t Natasha understand her?

“You need to let this go. Let mego. I’m just one person, you’ll meet a thousand more people in your life that will mean much more to you than I do. Everything feels so big and life-changing right now but that’s because you’re 20. You have so much ahead of you and I don’t want to give you a complex because I’m selfish-”

“But you’re being selfish right now! You’re not listening to me at all!”

Natasha sighs. For the last time she opens her mouth to speak to Y/n.

“Please take care of yourself.”

The phone plays it’s call-ended sound, and it sounded out so loudly in Y/n’s ears. She stares at her phone, almost wanting to throw it across the room and let it break into pieces as if it was the person who hurts her. Her vision is slightly blurred as she bites back her rage. It simmers inside of her and makes her head hurt. She gets broken up with and all she gets is a ‘please take care of yourself’. Natasha’s words repeat in her head like a mantra that makes her sick to her stomach.

She has no answer and no clear understanding of what just happened. Just herself and the useless sentence: please take care of yourself.

Y/n has never felt so alone in her life.

Natasha Romanoff x Reader. 3rd POV. Word Count: 4.1k.

Part Eight||Part Ten

Chatroom Masterlist

Summary:Y/n and Natasha continue their trip and enjoy each other’s company alone.

Content:age gap, some angst, fluff, smut (18+ only, MINORS DNI), semi-public sex, fingering, tribing.

A/N: One more chapter left of Chatroom! This one is pretty lighthearted to prepare for the calm before the storm

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Natasha told her that burnt toast is the best way to eat. Y/n thought they were too charred to even eat but her girlfriend convinced her otherwise. She giggled while she explained how browner the perfect toast is with such conviction. It felt silly but Natasha talked so passionately about it as if someone had told her all her life she was wrong about her opinion on bread.

And Y/n realizes what she likes most about Natasha. It was silly to see the admirable trait of being passionate come through when she’s talking about bread, but Y/n is certain that she could talk about paint drying on a wall and she’d look at her with stars in her eyes. She has a passion that Y/n has never witnessed herself — a lust for life if you will. The people around her are exploring life, but there is just something so attractive about a person who has it together while not being solely tied down to their career every waking moment. It seems more meaningful than the trap of college life where you’re trying to party hard yet come out of college unscathed. Natasha has direction in her life, something that feels hard to grasp in the throes of college and preparing yourself for life beyond while in a totally new environment.

Y/n would like to feel like she has her life together someday. She never worried or thought about that until she met Natasha. Her main concern prior to this relationship was finding herself and being able to open — she feels like she has been able to do that with this relationship. However, she’s still in college where her life feels a little bit jumbled.

She is aware that right now she fits into Natasha’s life as much as a square peg fits into a round hole, but she hopes that doesn’t deter her from wanting to be with her. Aspects of their lives and personality make them incompatible, but there are so many great things that keep them bonded together. If both of them can just hold on for a little longer then things will fall into place.

“What do you want to do today?”

Natasha’s voice cuts through her thoughts and Y/n had no clue she was just staring at her as she sat across from her. She tries to play it off, hoping that she hadn’t been caught. She just looks so good in her morning attire with the scratchy voice to match.

“I don’t know…what do you have planned for us?”

“Well we could go down to the river nearby. It’s not warm enough for a swim,  but it’s still beautiful down there. Or we could go hiking. Either one sounds fine to me.”

“I wanna go hiking! I’ve never been to the dunes but Amy told me that they’re so beautiful and I gotta see it.”

“Then we’ll do that,” she tilts her head to see the clock on the stove that reads ‘11:23’, “we can head out at 1. That’ll give us plenty of time to get ready.”

Natasha gets up and walks over to Y/n’s side of the table and kisses the top of her head. In front of her was a plate of the simple breakfast she made for them. There wasn’t much to work with in the house. Natasha appreciated the effort. It was a new experience for her to wake up to noises coming from the kitchen and the smell of food in the air. It felt oddly domestic which was both comforting and frightening for her.

After last night, Natasha decided that she wasn’t going to bring up her feelings or acknowledge them for the entire trip. Y/n deserves the peace of knowing that her girlfriend does indeed like her. She feels guilty about the birthday fiasco, but Y/n acts like everything is fine so she decides it’s not worth bringing up on the trip. Y/n only acts like there isn’t an obvious problem because she’s clueless about how relationships work. Sometimes Natasha wants to be blunt with her. Y/n should be mad at her, she should want to stick up for herself and call her out. Every second that passes where she doesn’t do that Natasha feels like pushing her to do so, but she feels like that would do more harm than good. There is just no gentle way to confront reality and it sucks. She wishes she would have never been selfish in the beginning.

Natasha has to force herself to quit from thinking about exactly what she told herself to avoid. She doesn’t want to ruin this trip because of pessimism. Instead she turns her focus to packing for their hike. It’s not a hot day, but she wants to be prepared. It’s Y/n’s first time visiting the dunes and she doesn’t want it to be a bad experience. She contemplates packing one of the toys her eyes gloss over. She has a few that she hasn’t used on Y/n just yet and she’s excited to explore during this trip. However she decides not to pack one of their toys for now. She can’t promise herself  that the outing will be completely innocuous, but she’s already equipped with what she needs to get her girlfriend off. The dunes are nearby and she can’t wait for Y/n to see them. She’s sure that she’ll love it and she hopes it can give them the much needed peace deserved after the last two weeks.

-

“How close are we?”

“Less than a mile baby.”

Y/n wanted to groan but she feels like she’s complained enough already.

The forecast had lied to them and it was warmer than expected. Y/n was wearing a sweater, the one with Natasha’s alma mater on it, when they first began their journey on one of the dune trails. Now it’s tired around her waist and she’s in a sports bra. It’s a little bit too small for her and it’s very noticeable. She only wore it because she didn’t think she’d have to take her sweater off. Natasha felt childish for ogling her tits, but Y/n is her girlfriend after all and she just can’t help but to stare at what’s hers.

They’ve been walking for a good 30 minutes. Y/n was growing exhausted, but Natasha wanted to show her something. She promised her that the work it takes to make it to their destination will pay off and Y/n hopes it’s true. They pass by multiple mile markers and Y/n counts down until they finally reach the next full mile. The trail breaks off into two separate ones. Y/n is about to walk down the one on the left before Natasha stops her.

“Here.”

Natasha grabs Y/n’s hand and leads her to the trail on the right. Y/n is a bit worried that a lot more walking is ahead of them, but she sees that the trail has reached a dead end. It’s not really a scenic area so Y/n is sort of confused as to why Natasha really wanted them to come to this spot.

“We can take some time to rest here. I doubt anyone will stumble upon us — plus we get this view.”

Natasha points to the vast opening where they can see the Earth stretch out for miles and miles. They can see the other trails and so much more. Y/n has never considered herself an outdoorsy person but Natasha didn’t lie when she said this would be perfect.

After just staring at the landscape beyond her for a few minutes, she turns to Natasha and sees that she has set up a blanket on the ground for them to sit on.

“Come sit with me,” she pats the space beside her.

Y/n happily walks over and sits down. She’s grateful for Natasha packing all the stuff she did or else this would be a much more miserable time. There is even more water than she has in her water bottle and a few snacks. Y/n’s hand is reaching for the grapes and she quickly opens up the baggy before popping a few in her mouth.

“So…how do you like the view?”

“It’s perfect,” Y/n says after swallowing what was left in her mouth, “how many times have you been here?”

“Countless times. I would always come with friends, or by myself, but never with someone I’ve dated.”

The revelation makes Y/n feel special. She doesn’t make a big deal of the comment but she keeps it stored away in her mind.

“I love the city, don’t get me wrong, but this is perfect. When I get old and retire someday I want to leave the city. I don’t know if I’ll necessarily move close out here or out of state, but I want to spend the last of my days out by nature.”

“Really? I guess I haven’t thought about that far out in my life.”

“If you live more than five years in the city, then you’d get what I’m saying.”

Y/n lived in the suburbs all of her life so city life was a foreign thing to her. All of her treks to see Natasha and going into the city made her feel oddly mature. Her parents told her cities are so dangerous and filled with rude people, but she’s never encountered any of that. The city was colorful and filled with so many different people. She found Natasha to be so lucky that she could step outside her apartment and have countless options for things to do on a day off. Y/n has been looking up schools in the city for that very reason. She almost considered transferring in the middle of her undergraduate years, but it’s just easier to wait until she graduates. She hasn’t said anything to Natasha about it because she’s unsure of how she’ll react. Would her close presence be unwanted? It’s hard to find the answer, especially after the last two weeks.

“I can tell when you’re thinking,” Natasha teases her. She leans back and props herself up on her elbows, “it’s written all over your face whenever you’re thinking too much.”

“Is it that obvious?” Y/n giggles as she lays down next to Natasha.

An arm wraps around her shoulder and draws her in closer. Everything feels perfect — almost like it did in the beginning. Y/n forgets about the problems of the last two week, in fact she thinks about any and all of the problems they’ve had. It all feels so small and asinine now. Y/n loves Natasha so much that she’s willing to look past the petty stuff. It’s finally set in that she’s in love with her girlfriend and now it’s time to move through life together. Y/n wants to know so much more about Natasha. She feels like she’s always talking about her life and her past, but barely knows about Natasha besides the small tidbits from casual conversation.

“Did you like doing this kind of stuff when you were a kid?” Y/n asks, breaking the silence.

“Sometimes. My parents would take me camping. It was one of the few times I felt like I was able to be a kid. I used to get made fun of by my classmates that I didn’t know how to skip rocks, but I learned how to on my very first camping trip. It’s so stupid, but stuff like that really makes you feel alienated when you’re a kid who doesn’t know better.”

Y/n could relate so much to Natasha’s upbringing so she wonders why she doesn’t open up about it much. It could be hard for her to do, but Y/n understands what she went through.

“That was me but with crayons. My parents wouldn’t give me the big 48 pack of crayons while everyone else had them. They thought it would make me ‘spoiled’ and turn into a brat. In hindsight it’s was such a small thing to be upset about but I was in 1st grade and it felt like the end of the world for me.”

“Most of it was small silly stuff, but that denial of small things snowballs into bigger things,” Natasha inhales deeply, “let’s change the subject. We’re out here and it’s so beautiful, let’s not ruin that.”

Y/n nods her head. She doesn’t believe that opening up is going to “ruin” their time out here, in fact she thinks it’ll bring them closer, but she doesn’t protest. Besides, she has no choice but to not talk about it when Natasha kisses her.

It was mostly to placate her. She doesn’t want Y/n to think she’s trying to shut her down, but now is just not the time to talk about those things. She feels Y/n melting underneath her and she feels like her mission has been accomplished.

“You’re so pretty,” Natasha says between kisses. Y/n hums into the kiss and arches her back to press her body closer to Natasha. Y/n hoped that this spot is as secluded as Natasha said because it would be embarrassing to be caught like this.

Natasha’s hands rested idly on her sides before she began to tug at her leggings. The action was making Y/n wet because she knows exactly what Natasha wants. She wants her too and the thrill of doing something so private out here makes her feel delirious with lust. Natasha places her head in her neck and begins to suck on her skin. Y/n sighs and whimpers when Natasha nips at the most sensitive parts of her skin.

A hand snakes between them and Natasha applies pressure to Y/n’s clit through her leggings. Those little gasps and sighs of pleasure are heavenly to her. She’s obsessed with getting Y/n off so much that it makes her impatient. She’s eagerly tugging at her leggings while still kissing her neck.

“Natasha,” Y/n whimpers. Everything was happening so fast and she couldn’t stop it. But she didn’t want it to stop. This is Natasha’s way of showing her love. It becomes increasingly obvious that it’s not easy for Natasha to open up, but she shows it physically and that’s enough for Y/n.

Natasha pulls away from her neck and sits up on her knees. She removes her own t-shirt to reveal her sports bra. She grabs Y/n’s bra before Y/n is taking it off herself. The warm air hits her tits and instantly hardens her nipples. Y/n groans as she feels them pebbling. Natasha grabs the sweater around her waist and Y/n assumes she’s going to discard it somewhere but she instead places it over her head.

“I want you to wear it,” Natasha declares. Seeing Y/n in her clothes turns her on so much. It’s a little too warm to be wearing it, and their activities are going to heat her up even more, but Natasha is too selfish right now.

Y/n puts it on and it covers her up but it doesn’t deter Natasha from reaching underneath her shirt and squeezing her tits. Y/n’s sighs get a little bit louder, especially when Natasha’s fingers swipe across her hard nipples.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Y/n nods her head while biting down on her bottom lip.

Natasha gets Y/n’s leggings off leaving her in just her underwear. Natasha is still partially clothed, but Y/n begins to tug at her sweat pants.

“You’re just so eager,” Natasha teases her for being hasty just like she is. It’s all lighthearted because once Natasha gets Y/n’s panties off she’s not going to be able to control herself.

“I don’t want to be the only one naked,” Y/n says with a pout.

Natasha gives her what she wants and takes her sweatpants off, but she quickly turns the attention back to Y/n. She hooks her fingers in the elastic and pulls her underwear off. Now she’s left in nothing but Natasha’s college sweater. Her hair is a bit disheveled from their fumbling on the blanket. She looks so hot like this, but Natasha wants to make her look even more of a mess. She’s possessive and likes to be reminded that she’s the only one who does this to Y/n.

Y/n felt slightly vulnerable being exposed like this, but she feels safe with Natasha. Natasha grabs her hips and pulls her across the blanket. Y/n gasps at the sudden movement and those gasps turn to whimpers of pleasure when Natasha dips two fingers into her pussy.

“Oh my god,” she whines.

She’s reminded of what they did just the day before when Natasha pushes her fingers in deeper. Y/n is so wet, soaking every inch of her digits as she slowly pulls them in and out. Y/n is too embarrassed to look at herself getting finger fucked, but Natasha can’t pull her eyes away. Her pussy is so deliciously warm and wet. Her slow pace is damn near tortuous but Natasha is having so much fun hearing Y/n whine and whimper like a bitch in heat.

“Your pussy is so tight. No matter how many times I stretch you out, your pussy is always wrapped so snugly around my fingers.”

Y/n’s body is heating up and it’s not just because of the outside temperature. Natasha’s fingers are somehow too much and not enough at the same time. She is constantly on a rollercoaster of emotions with Natasha’s but the highs are so high.

“Natasha,” Y/n whines again. It’s like that’s the only thing she can say because that is the only thing that matters.

The call of her name makes Natasha move her fingers in and out of her faster. She watches and hears the lewd sound of her fingers splashing in her wetness. Y/n’s pussy is already creaming around her fingers and it really hasn’t been that long. She just loves how responsive and needy Y/n gets.

As much as it’s fun to turn her into an impatient mess, Natasha is becoming one herself. She pulls her finger out of Y/n’s pussy and they’re covered in her slick. She sits back so she can take her own pants off and her panties follow suit.

“W-What are you doing?”

This was something new for Y/n. Natasha straddled her and placed her legs around her legs to make them fit like a puzzle piece. She was rendered speechless when Natasha placed her pussy on top of hers. She was wet and sticky. Their arousals mix together as Natasha begins to swirl her hips so their clits can roll over each other. She grabs onto Y/n’s leg tightly for leverage. Y/n has no clue what they’re doing but it feels so good.

“Nothing feels better than your pussy on mine,” Natasha confesses as her voice cracks. She feels like she’s in heaven now. “So fucking wet for me.”

Y/n was just laying there while Natasha did most of the work. She was so overwhelmed but Natasha was so much more composed than her. Y/n felt herself getting closer and closer every time Natasha moved her hips. She ground herself harder against Y/n’s pussy, chasing her high as much as she was concerned with making Y/n cum.

“Pussy is so sweet baby,” Natasha’s voice is now whiny which matches Y/n’s.

Her fast thrust makes Y/n’s tits juggle underneath the sweater. Natasha nearly cums at the sight of those pretty tits jiggling under hersweater, her alma mater sewed proudly into the soft fabric. She’s never felt so much pride in claiming someone as ‘hers’. It’s been a long time since she could say that. Flashes of regret hit her as she wishes she would have showed Y/n off at her birthday party. There are many things she could have done better, but Natasha can’t fix it now. Sometimes it feels futile to do so.

“I’m gonna cum Natasha!”

Y/n’s voice pulls her out of the daze. It was easy to get lost in contemplation when her hips were moving absentmindedly for her. But Y/n always somehow pulls Natasha into the reality where everything is fine. That clashes with the only reality that exists, but she can pretend until it becomes her reality because that’s all she wants.

“Cum for me baby,” Natasha leans down so her face was inches away from Y/n’s face, but her pussy is still on Y/n’s, grinding feverishly. “I want to feel you cum against me baby. You’re so goddamn wet.”

Y/n kisses Natasha with all the energy she has left in her. It’s going to be so hard to trek back down that trail, but that’s the bridge she’ll cross when she gets to it. She’s lost in the moment and the sweetness of her girlfriend’s lips against hers. Their kiss is so soft and delicate compared to the rough and fast movements of their hips. Y/n cums first, moaning against Natasha’s lips which sends a vibration throughout her body.

The feeling of Y/n’s pussy gushing against hers triggers Natasha orgasms. She’s the one who pulls away from the kiss so she can let out a strangled moan. She still grinds even as she grows sensitive. It’s Y/n who is the one who stops them, her hands gripping Natasha’s hips to bring her to a halt.

Natasha stops moving, but she rolls Y/n around so she’s on top. Her lips are back on hers and she never wants them to part. She kisses her feverishly, her tongue sliding into her mouth. It’s so lascivious that it makes the shy girl in Y/n all bashful. But the person on the outside is kissing back with so much passion. She’s come such a long way and her being able to be comfortable with her sexuality is a big step for her.

They could go forever, and it almost seems like they’re going to until a rock falls and makes both of them jump. Y/n yelps and Natasha looks in the direction of the fallen rock. When they realized it was just a rock and not a person, they relaxed. Y/n laughs at herself for getting all scared and yelping like that. Natasha joins her before she kisses her exposed collar bone.

“Was that good?” She asks against her skin.

“So good. It’s always so good with you.”

Hearing that makes Natasha’s heart pump faster and she feels up with warmth. She’s a grown woman but she feels like a teenager in love. It’s scary that someone so young is able to make her feel like this.

That mere thought makes her become hesitant again. She pulls her lips away from Y/n’s collarbone but she does it in a way that isn’t sudden and won’t worry Y/n. Her girlfriend has a big, satisfied smile on her face.

“I love being out here with you. I love this trip so far.”

Y/n was fawning over the trip, and what they just did, but what she really wanted to say was that she loved Natasha. She just feels like it’s too soon when considering their relationship. If they lived nearby and were able to function like a regular couple then she would have no problem saying it. It’s been a little over a year of them being together, how could Y/n not love Natasha?

Natasha has strong feelings for Y/n too, but it takes her much more to say 'I love you’. She’s only said it to one girlfriend and she truly meant it then. She still has love for that girlfriend, but she’s not inlove with her. She isn’t in love with anyone, but Y/n brings her good feelings that she hasn’t felt in a long time.

Her growing love for Y/n makes her believe that what Y/n wants is the opposite that she needs.

But, that is a problem for another day.

They’re on a trip together, enjoying the beautiful view of the dunes and the surrounding nature. Nothing else matters. Whatever problems arise in the future will be addressed then. For now they just have each other and the silence that falls between them. That’s all they needed — a moment of stillness in the quiet chaos of their relationship.

Natasha Romanoff x Reader. 3rd POV. Word Count: 6.6k.

Part Seven ||Part Nine

Chatroom Masterlist

Summary: The aftermath of Y/n’s birthday doesn’t go how she or her friends expected.

Content:age gap, some angst (mostly in the beginning), fluff, smut (18+ only, MINORS DNI), sex toys, edging, oral, overstimulation.

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It’s been two weeks since Y/n’s birthday and life has been a complete mess since. She’s not sure when her friend decided to live a double life or when she got a girlfriend because Y/n still didn’t tell her more than that she has been seeing this “Natasha” person for nearly a year. Cindy had to go snooping on Y/n’s Myspace page only to find Natasha on her friend’s list. There were a few innocuous comments from Y/n on her profile too. She combed through her entire page, growing more confused as she looked deeper. This person was clearly older than the three of them and lived in the city. The more she discovered, the more confused she became.

Amy didn’t know how to navigate the situation either. She was the most clueless one out of the two. At least Cindy knew that Y/n liked someone. Amy just thought her friend was going through her life as usual. But there were small things about Y/n that had changed that neither of them were able to notice until now. She did dress slightly differently and seemed to have more confidence in herself. They just thought that she was finally letting loose and was beginning to enjoy her college years, never in a million years did they think it was because Y/n was in a relationship.

Y/n slept at Cindy’s dorm that night, but she was gone first thing in the morning before Cindy could see her. She had gone ghost all weekend. It felt appropriate to give her some space, but when they didn’t see her Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, it was time for them to check in on her.

Cindy knew that at 2pm on Thursday Y/n was leaving her English Literature class. They waited outside until people began filing out of the room. Y/n didn’t notice them at first but jumped when it registered to her that her friends were outside of her classroom waiting for her. Her plan of avoiding them until Spring Break wasn’t going to work because they wanted answers.

“We need to talk.”

The three of them ended up at Cindy’s dorm since it was the only place that would be private enough for them to sort things out.

With her friends standing in front of her, arms crossed, while she sits on the couch, Y/n felt like she was a child again. In hindsight, of all the people she hid her relationship from, it shouldn’t have been her friends. She was just scared about what they would think and if they would judge Natasha for being older. That had come to bite her in the ass.

“When were you going to tell us you have a girlfriend? One that is like ten years older than us at that!?”

“She’s not ten years older than us.”

“Are you sure? Because she definitely isn’t 20 or 21. She works in a goddamn office!”

Y/n couldn’t be mad at her friends for finding Natasha’s Myspace page and dissecting it. If she had just been open about this from the beginning then they could be avoiding all of this.

“She’solder, but she’s not old. I’m not the only one who has been with someone older!” Y/n points at Amy, “Ben was 25 when you were just 19!” She was only accusatory because she couldn’t take the heat from her friends.

“He was 23 and we weren’t dating. We didn’t even hang out! All we did was send a couple flirty messages on Myspace. That’s different from being in a secret relationship for a whole year!”

“Okay, then how old is she?” Cindy says quickly after Amy is done.

Y/n feels attacked from both sides and Cindy of all people did not seem to be on her side.

“I…I don’t know.”

Cindy sighed, her head falling forward while Amy laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. These two were acting like parents, but if they had been Y/n’s parents they would have been calling up some young adult Christian camp and sending her off within a week. This is bad, but Y/n holds onto the fact that it could be much worse. Once the shock and annoyance subsides, Y/n will be able to explain everything to them without them being mad at them. But, she has quite a bit to tell them and she isn’t sure how they’ll take it.

“How do you not know your own girlfriend’s age? I mean – she knows how old you are, right?”

“Yes, but-”

“Okay, but how do you not know? That just sounds fucking bizarre to me, Y/n.”

“Please just let me explain!”

“Yes, please do!”

Her friends are all ears to hear how this whole thing came about. Still, even as Y/n told them everything, every single detail, and how they got to this point, they were so confused. Amy was stuck on the fact that she just happened to meet someone who lives an hour away on Chatzy of all places. It seems like pure luck, but it almost sounds too good to be true. Cindy was shocked that Y/n was actually taking trips to the city by herself and without anyone knowing. The campus bus does take people to the train station that takes them to the city, but Y/n was always too shy and timid to do something that major. Hell, she was even scared to eat in the cafeteria by herself their first year of college!

“I just don’t understand whywould you want to date someone who lives so far away and is older than you. She lives a completely different lifestyle than you and I don’t see how it could work! She clearly doesn’t respect you because you don’t even know her age! Even her friend was unsure of you. So, why deal with that?”

“You don’t get it. Natasha grew up just like me! She had strict parents and didn’t have her freedom until college. I admire her so much-”

“Okay and I admired Nicole Richie for like three years but I didn’t act on that! You could admire someone without getting into a relationship with them Y/n.”

“I know, I know, but you don’t get it! This is the first time I feel like a normal person! My parents never let me do anything growing up and it’s so nice to have someone who can empathize with me about that. You two get to have so much fun and date people, and even though I tried to force myself by going to those frat parties, I just couldn’t enjoy it. I had to do something on my own terms to grow up and feel normal. My relationship with Natasha makes me feel like it’s my turn to be a normal girl.”

It was hard to respond because what could her friends really say? They know how Y/n’s parents are and always felt bad for her. But they just didn’t think a secret relationship was the way to have her rebellious phase. Y/n was being extremely naive, but at the same time, her friends don’t have much room to talk, especially Amy. They all just reached their 20s and have made many mistakes in dating, however none seem as outrageous as what their friend is doing.

“Are you even happy in the relationship? Because it seems like you two just honestly aren’t compatible.”

“I’m very happy! She’s so kind and sweet to me and she does amazing things for me.”

Cindy doesn’t doubt that Natasha is a good person. She just doesn’t think her and Y/n are a good match. It’s a case of right person, wrong time. If she’s annoyed with the high schoolers that live in her neighborhood back at home, then Cindy can’t imagine Natasha being too excited to hangout with someone in college. She’s done all of that before it seems, which makes it hard for Cindy to fathom why she would want to hang around someone still in college. She doesn’t want Y/n to feel like she isn’t special, but what about her really attracts an older person besides her youth and naïveté?

“Okay, so what is your plan going forward with the relationship? Do you want this to be a long-term thing?

"DoesNatashawant this to be a long-term thing?”

“And how does she feel about you still being in college?”

“What would your parents think about you dating someone much older than you?”

The questions they lobbied at her made Y/n’s head-spin. She can’t accept the harshness of them being right. If she listens to them any longer then she’s going to ruin her Spring break.

“I-I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Her friends sigh in defeat once more. Her hesitancy to answer any of their questions means that they’re right, but she’s going to be too stubborn to tell them that.

“Our relationship is good and Natasha is taking me on a trip for Spring break to show me that. Okay? We’re good.

Not being able to handle anymore bombshells, Amy laughed and plopped down onto Cindy’s bed. Cindy is sure her face looks crazy as she stares at Y/n in disbelief. It’s like she doesn’t even know who her friend is. The petty side of her wants to be pissed and disown Y/n for being so secretive and acting so stupid once she was found out, but the other side knows that that wouldn’t solve anything. She cares for her friend and wants her to be happy, but this relationship just does not sound like one Y/n should be in.

"I love her, okay? I promise I’ll be fine.”

It was hard for them to believe her, but the conversation was going nowhere. Everyone was dizzy from going in circles and circles.

“How do you plan to manage taking a trip with her? What are you going to tell your parents?”

“Don’t worry. I have that all figured out.”

-

Red Fox Cabins was only two hours away from the city, and one hour away from Brecker University. It was that time of year where college kids were traveling to the beaches and party hotspots to blow off the steam of the school year so far and throw caution to the wind.

There was no way Natasha was going to be caught dead at a Spring Break beach bash, but she knows Y/n wouldn’t even be interested in one of those things either.

Patching things up with gifts and a trip does not heal the wound yet Y/n has been acting like never ever happened after Natasha propositioned her with this trip. Sometimes she’s so stunned by how simple Y/n is. They argue and all Natasha has to do is do something for her and everything is just fine again. There’s no pushback with Y/n wanting to talk about her frustrations in person or even on the phone. She was almost turned off by it too, however her hands are not entirely clean when it comes to how Y/n responds to their arguments. Her knee-jerk reaction is to placate Y/n after upsetting her. She cannot fathom the idea of Y/n breaking up with her.

“Are you ready to go?”

Natasha’s car was parked outside of Y/n’s dorm. She helped her load her suitcase and everything Y/n brought down from her dorm with her. Y/n didn’t expect this trip to happen so she didn’t have many supplies she would need for a trip to the cabin in the woods, but Natasha reassured her that everything would be fine. The two get into Natasha’s car and they’re leaving campus.

Y/n found it so easy to lie to her parents when Natasha talked about wanting to take her on a trip. She lied about being in her college’s bible study group and told them about the Spring Break trip they were taking. Her parents had no way to verify whether she was telling the truth or not which made it easier for her to lie about. She found a sense of freedom in lying to them. It’s not like she’s doing anything dangerous or illegal. 

Natasha played a CD of songs Y/n has never heard before. She was enjoying every second of their time in the car together and she just can’t help but wonder why her friends tried to sow doubt into their relationship. Y/n has never felt more alive or happy in her life. 

“So, what made you decide to take me on a trip?” Y/n has her ideas, but she’s desperate to hear it from Natasha. She wants to hear her girlfriend fawn over her and list off all the reasons why she likes doing these kind of things for her.

“We could use some time away from our lives,” Natasha took the entire week off of work because she needs a break from the city, “plus we could use some time together. Alone, just the two of us.”

Y/n sighs in content. She really needs reassurance after the events of her birthday that happened only two weeks ago. She was glad that Natasha thought about her instead of Y/n having to go home for a boring Spring Break. 

“I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t done any sort of camping since I was in middle school.”

“Christian camps?”

“Yep. They were sort of fun, but the camp counselors were so uptight. A lot of the people I went to camp with liked sneaking out of the cabins at night, but it was hard not to get caught. The one time I joined them was a successful attempt though. It was completely harmless — people were just gossiping and this guy had a guitar…I don’t know why everyone acted like if we weren’t so heavily monitored that we would start going wild. Only being able to have that little bit of freedom is what made us rebel the most.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about being monitored. It’s just us out there.”

Y/n’s realizations sound a lot like the ones Natasha had when she was that age. It just sucks that her empathy is beginning to wane. She’s had these conversations before over and over again in her youth, and she just has lost interest in the topic. If she was just a few years younger then she wouldn’t mind listening, but at 30, it shows the glaringly obvious differences between the two of them.

At some point Y/n falls asleep, and Natasha just listens to the lull of her wheels driving over the road and the music softly playing. She can’t deny that she feels unsure about this relationship, but she’s still looking forward to this week. She seriously needed a break from the fast city life and maybe if she takes Y/n into a new setting then they can find some way to be on the same page. More than anything she wants Y/n to understand where she’s coming from. She can’t involve herself in Y/n’s college life, but she doesn’t want that to stop Y/n from doing things she should be doing for her social development.

"We’re here.”

Y/n opens her eyes slowly and they’re parked in front of a log cabin. Apparently this was owned by Natasha’s friend and they were letting her use it for the weekend. It’s going to be a whole week with just the two of them. They haven’t been together for that for the entire duration of their relationship. Staying the night at Natasha’s place was great, but knowing she doesn’t have to get up in the morning and make her way back to campus is even better.

Even the first few hours being here were perfect. They didn’t do much either, they just unpacked their things and got settled into the cabin. It was really nice of Natasha’s friends to let them stay here. She wonders if she met them at her birthday or if they’re complete strangers to her. There is a lot that Y/n doesn’t know about Natasha and it should be alarming to her. She knows about her job, and has met some of her friends, the very basics. But, for a one year relationship, there are some large gaps in what she knows about her girlfriend. If she were to fill out a questionnaire about her girlfriend she isn’t sure she’d be able to do it successfully. She wouldn’t be able to learn everything about Natasha, or any person, in a year, but she should know more. This trip was perfect for that. It’s come at perfect timing too because Y/n is sure her and Natasha will grow closer and the two will be able to get to know each other much more.

“What do you have planned for us while we’re here?”

“Nothing really. That’s the point of this trip,” Natasha wraps her arm around Y/n’s shoulder and pulls her closer as they cuddle on the couch, “it’s just for us to get a break from the real world. Just me and you.”

Y/n was excited to just be able to relax for the entire week without any interruptions. The events of her birthday were on her mind though, but she didn’t want to sour the mood by bringing it up.

“And, you can consider this week your birthday gift.”

An apology was left out of what Natasha says. Natasha, if she’s being honest, doesn’t feel like she did anything wrong. If anything she feels bad for how she handled it, but she wasn’t going to show up to that party with all those college kids no matter what.

“Well, are you at least going to bake me a cake?” Y/n jokes

“Unless you want me to burn down this cabin then yeah no, that is not happening.”

Y/n couldn’t stop staring at Natasha. She’s enamored by her, the twinkle in her eyes as she laughs and the slight wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. How could she walk away from this? Her feelings are almost unimaginable, something she thought she’d never experience.

Natasha doesn’t notice her staring until a good two minutes have passed.

“What?” She asks with a playful smirk on her face.

“Nothing,” she meets her with the same amount of playfulness.

Just a simple touch, their simple embrace, fills Y/n up with so much desire. The dull ache in the pit of her stomach is hard to ignore and it feels something like hunger. She’s craving the connection that can only be satiated by her lover. This budding lust drives her to reach up and kiss Natasha. They were supposed to just be relaxing for a few hours. Natasha wanted to wait a few hours before they had their fun, but the way Y/n kisses her lets her know that she can’t wait.

She hugs her tighter like she doesn’t want to let go. Y/n’s lips move against hers with a forcefulness. This was a side of her that was unabashedly horny and Natasha likes it. It’s much different from the bright-eyed, shy, and somewhat naïve nature that surrounds her. Natasha wonders how long that is going to follow her until she decides to shed it completely. This feels like a start, the way she takes action and begins to play with the buttons of her shirt while kissing her harder.

“What’s gotten into you?” Natasha asks breathlessly between kisses. She hopes the question doesn’t deter Y/n or slow her down because she’s enjoying this.

“I’ve missed you,” Y/n kisses her, “and I want you.”

Natasha is so turned on that she feels her skin heating up. Y/n eyes are filled with adoration mixed with lust.

“I’ve got something for you. Stay right here for me, okay?”

Y/n nods her head diligently. Natasha kisses her forehead which makes her briefly close her eyes. She gets up off the couch and leaves Y/n sitting there patiently. She’s eager to know what she has for her and she runs down the list of things that she may bring back with her.

Natasha is only gone for no more than two minutes before she comes back into the living room. Y/n’s eyes go straight to her hand and the dildo that she holds. She holds her breath looking at, observing the size and length of it. She was becoming so nervous about taking it, but her pussy only became wetter as the ache inside of her grew stronger.

“Get those panties off.”

Y/n scrambles to obey her. She’s grateful she wore a dress for logistical reasons, but she takes that off too. Natasha didn’t ask for her to take everything off, but she’s not complaining about her going a step further and fully undressing herself. Her nipples are so hard from getting all worked up. The sight of her peering up back at her makes Natasha weak.

“Lean your back against me pretty,” she says as she sits on the couch.

Y/n puts her feet onto the couch and lays back when she feels Natasha’s presence behind her. She rests her head against her shoulder and turns her head to see her. Natasha instantly kisses her once they’re in position. Y/n finds it slightly awkward but is not going to complain about being in her embrace.

Natasha’s strong hand parts her legs and in the process her hand slips against her thigh. She groans when she feels her slicking clinging to her skin. She peers over to look at Y/n’s pussy.

“You’re so wet,” she coos, “I’m gonna take care of you, don’t worry.”

Y/n gasps when she feels the cool rubber toy bump against her skin. Natasha puts it right up to her open but she doesn’t push in. She teases her by rubbing the head against her slippery fold before pressing it against her clit. Y/n squirms from a pleasure she wants to feel more of. Her thighs are nearly trembling at this point.

“Natasha please,” her voice trails off into a whimper. It makes Natasha smirk seeing how needy she is for her to make her feel good.

“Shh, I got you,” Natasha whispers into her ear while pushing inside of Y/n.

She moans loudly at the intrusion of the toy. It’s been quite some time since she’s had anything inside of her and the stretch causes a delicious burn. She sinks deeper into Natasha’s embrace as she works up a steady pace of pumping the toy in and out of her. It feels so good as her walls wrap around it. The length has a curve to it and Y/n feels like it’s made just for her because it hits all the right spots inside of her. She whimpers each time the head pushes deep into her and hits her sweet spot.

Natasha sighs heavily at the sight of her legs split open. She looks so beautiful like this. She litters kisses against Y/n’s neck and jawline. Each kiss seems to make her melt and fill her with. She begins to fuck the toy faster into her after going a little bit too slow for her liking. Y/n looked as if she was trying her best to handle all of the cock inside of her but she was failing greatly. It begins to feel too good and she doesn’t know how to act. She grabs onto Natasha’s thigh and squeezes it hard.

“Oh Natasha! Oh god!” She repeats over and over between broken sobs. She can’t believe how good she feels and that she’s here right now. She’s never felt such euphoria in life until she met her. The intimacy only heightens the please she feels. Natasha’s fingers caress her breast and tease her nipples. Y/n’s skin feels so soft against her touch and she doesn’t want to stop touching her. All that paired with Natasha fucking her overwhelms Y/n.

“That’s it baby. You’re my pretty girl.”

Y/n’s pussy squelches around the cock inside of her. She’s almost embarrassed to hear how wet she sounds. If Natasha wasn’t fucking her closer and closer to her climax then she would be self-conscious. She’s so wet that her slick covers her hand. It makes Natasha delirious feeling that wetness against her skin. The sound of her pussy getting fucked hard and fast fills the room.

“Cum for me. I know you’re close baby. Let go and let daddy take care of you.”

She would be too shy to call her that, daddy, but the name fills her with naughty thoughts. It feels so taboo to hear Natasha call herself that, but she likes it so much that she lets herself moan louder.

All Y/n wants to do is obey her. She thinks about that more than her own pleasure and she wants to make Natasha proud by cumming for her. She really works to make her cum too, moving her hand at a punishing pace.

“I-It’s too much,” she managed to get out, but she’s nearly a blubbering mess.

Her legs get for Natasha as  she takes everything her girlfriend gives her. The powerful thrust of the dildo inside can’t distract Y/n from the deep growls she lets out in her ear when Natasha smells her slick. She almost goes feral and it shows in the way she pounds the toy into Y/n’s poor pussy.

Y/n lokos down between her legs for the first time today and lets out a whimper when she sees herself getting fucked. The toy disappears past her folds before sliding out, covered with her arousal. She’s neber been fucked this hard. She’s going to be sore tomorrow morning, but she doesn’t care, it’ll be worth it.

“‘Tasha, I’m gonna cum,” her weak voice gives it away that she’s so, so close/

Natasha feels herself having a mean streak that comes out of nowhere. She quickly pulls the toy out of her before Y/n could cum. She watches in amusement as Y/n throws a temper tantrum and flails her legs. She was on the verge of cumming, how could her girlfriend be so cruel?

“Aw, what’s wrong baby?” She taunts her as she begins to rub the head against her slick folds.

“Please…please,” she repeats desperately. She sounds so pathetic and needy.

“What? You need that pussy filled again?”

Tears slip from her eyes as she nods her head. Her eyes slowly close and she doesn’t watch Natasha push the dildo back inside of her, but the feeling of being stretched out again makes her gasp. Y/n grabs onto her forearm this time, her nails digging into Natasha’s skin in the process. Natasha doesn’t mind the slight sting of her nails, in fact she welcomes the pain. Reducing Y/n to a puddle of nothing but pleasure makes Natasha feel powerful. It’s one of the biggest reasons why she stays. She loves being wanted, it makes her feel all warm inside. And, when Y/n looks at her with that look of admiration, it makes her never want to leave.

“Please! I need it so bad!” She begs again and Natasha doesn’t deprive her for much longer.

She continues with that fast pace before Y/n’s walls are tightening and spasming around the dildo and cumming. All the tension in her body releases itself in just a matter of seconds and nothing else in the world mattes to her.

Her body relaxes against Natasha’s. She nearly forgets where she is until she feels Natasha sliding the dildo out of her. She groans at the empty feeling inside of her but she’s so satisfied that it sits deep into her bones.

“Are you going to let me up?” Natasha asks playfully. Y/n looks like she can stay in this spot for the entire today.

Y/n groans and moves so Natasha can get up.

“I’m gonna run us a bath, okay?”

Natasha draws them a warm bath, filling it with epsom salt and a few bath bubbles. It’s ready in just a few minutes and the two are sitting in the tub together.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve had a bath like this. Especially with bubbles,” Y/n lightly runs her hands through the water in a playful motion. “This is so much better than showering in a dorm.”

“Ugh…the community bathrooms are the worst thing about college and should be a health code violation or something.”

“Yeah, it sucks. But, I’m hoping to live in an apartment next year.”

“On your own?”

“Maybe. It just depends on what my parents say. I could get one of the on-campus apartments because my gpa is good and I’ll have more seniority, but I’d have to have a roommate or two, and I kind of want to live alone. It’d be fun to live with my friends, but I kind of want to live alone y’know? I’ve never lived alone before and I just want to have some independence for one. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I have to do it someday, so why not do it now?”

Natasha didn’t want to say it out loud, but she’d feel much better about their relationship if Y/n lived in an apartment. She wouldn’t feel weird about coming to see her or like her girlfriend was a little girl. Living in a dorm just makes it just a glaring reminder that Y/n is still so young. She could visit Y/n and stay the night without any problems. The apartment sounds like some good for not only her, but their relationship.

“I had an apartment my senior year with a roommate. If you do live with someone, live with your friends. Yea you guys may argue, but living with a stranger is awful. At least with your friends you can tolerate them more and you wouldn’t be nervous about telling them to clean up and stuff like that. It can be hard at first, especially since it’ll be your first time in a situation like that, but I think you’d adjust well. What about a car?”

“I have my license, I just never had a car. My parents said I really only needed my license for now just in case there was an emergency at home, but it seems like they’re coming around to letting me grow up. I honestly think it’s because of my good grades and I don’t have much of a social life in college. It’s not true, but I guess it’s a good thing if it means they’ll let me have these things. If I have a car then maybe I could get a part-time job.”

These things are major additions to one’s life, but it still feels like baby steps for Y/n. She can’t tell her parents about her relationship yet because she isn’t allowed to date yet. Her parents want her to finish her undergraduate studies before she dates. Of course she didn’t obey that rule, or many other rules. But, not only is she dating someone, she’s dating someone older and takes a trip to the city to go see them. Her mother would have a heart attack on the spot if she found out about it.

“I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do after college a lot lately…”

“Are you planning to go to grad school?”

“Definitely. I’ve met somany people at that convention that continue studying for years. I’ve been looking at some graduate schools closer to the city too. There were some nice people who seemed interested in my research topics. I wish I could just fast forward to that future.”

Natasha felt the same way. She wishes Y/n has at least already a junior going into her senior year or a senior. It would just make her feel a little bit better about this relationship. She doesn’t want to feel like she’s taking advantage of an inexperienced girl anymore.

“It’ll go by faster than you think. My college years flew by, hell even my graduate years feel like they happened ten years ago. So much happens in such a little amount of time, that you’ll miss the simplistic days of doing dumb shit with your friends.”

“Yea, but the freedom you must feel being on your own must be amazing.”

It was true. Being an adult is tough, but there are so many rewarding things that come from the freedom to do whatever she wants. She can hear the envy of her freedom in Y/n’s voice. Natasha knows it’s not from a malicious standpoint, but just from her longing for it.

“You’ll be in the same spot one day, I’m sure of it.”

“I hope it’s the two of us together.”

Natasha lets the silence fall between them as they soak in the water. It soon begins to cool off and Natasha suggests they get out. The cabin is heated well enough that Y/n decides to forgo wrapping the towel around her body after drying off in the bathroom. Never would she have thought she’d be comfortable with someone like this in her life and she loves the feeling.

“What do you want to do now?” Natasha asks as she trails behind her from the bathroom. She has the towel wrapped around her, but Y/n wishes she didn’t.

“I was thinking…” Y/n’s voice was soft and almost too quiet to hear.

“What were you thinking?”

“Maybe…maybe we could do something?”

A smirk forms on Natasha’s face. Y/n is too shy to say what she really wants to say. Natasha finds her shyness so cute, but she wants her to spit it out.

“What? What do you want to do?”

She lets the towel drop to the floor and she walks over to Y/n who is sitting on the couch. She’s towered over Y/n before, but never completely naked. Y/n’s heart races at the sight of her nude body and she can’t pull her eyes away. She can’t believe that thiswoman is her girlfriend.

“I-I wanna…I wanna go down on you,” Y/n finds the confidence to spit her words out. Natasha is sort of shocked, but she’s not going to complain.

“You sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

Natasha simply nods her head before kissing Y/n’s forehead. She lays on the bed while Y/n gets up. She looks so nervous standing there, but her body moves without thinking. Natasha makes her feel so good and more all the time, and Y/n think it’s only the right thing to return the favor. She’s glad Natasha didn’t protest and is allowing her to do this. She crawls between her legs and places herself between them.

Y/n goes over everything she’s learned from Natasha (and some of the videos she sheepishly watched online). She shouldn’t be so nervous, she knows Natasha is going to be supportive of her, but she just wants to do a good job and make her girlfriend feel good. Natasha gives her a nod to go ahead. Y/n knows what feels good for her, so she leads with that.

The moan Natasha lets out when she gives her the first lick makes Y/n feel a little bit bolder. She looks up at Natasha who closes her eyes and rests her head against the pillow. Y/n licks her again so she could get the same reaction. She becomes addicted to the sounds of her moans, she could listen to them forever and that would be enough to satisfy her. 

“Just like that princess, you’re doing such a good job,” Natasha coos between a moan. She doesn’t have to guide Y/n or tell her what to do because she’s doing such a good job already. 

Her tongue slides over every inch of her sex in exploration before she settles on the spots that elicit the most reaction. Natasha’s hand comes to the back of her head and buries her face deeper into her sex. She lightly grinds her mouth against Y/n’s mouth. She wants so much more, to be a little bit rougher with her, but she doesn’t want to make her nervous so she tempers herself. However, Y/n was the one who was beginning to lose control over her actions. Her tongue moved with a mind of it’s own as she dived between Natasha’s folds and the tip of her tongue teased her slit. She collected Natasha’s arousal on her tongue and hummed at the taste. Her moan sends a vibration throughout Natasha’s body which makes her grab onto Y/n’s hair.

“That’s it…you’re such a good girl,” Natasha can barely get her words out as she pants.

Y/n works harder every time Natasha gives her a compliment. She moves her tongue from her slit and opts for wrapping her lips around Natasha’s clit and sucking on it. She receives the loudest reaction thus far and it makes Y/n feel so proud of herself. Natasha’s hips buck against Y/n’s face and her thighs tremble. The spread wider and wider for her girlfriend and she feels Y/n’s greedy hands grab at her thighs. Her fingers dig into her soft skin a little bit, but she doesn’t care. It just feels so damn good and she’s on cloud nine.

She cums within a matter of seconds, her arousal gushing against Y/n’s mouth and making a mess of her. Y/n grinds her clit against the edge of the bed as she licks Natasha to the point of overstimulation. Her girlfriend mewls helplessly just like she does when Natasha does the same to her. Y/n just feels so insatiable that she could never tease her girlfriend. She doesn’t want to pull away, but she doesn’t have much of a choice when Natasha uses all of her strength to pull herself up. Y/n looks up at her with a glistening face and Natasha crashes her lips against her. The first thing she tastes is the burst of herself all over Y/n’s mouth. The mix of her cum and Y/n’s saliva makes her feel intoxicated. She feels so in love that she can’t think of anything else. She feels so lucky.

“Fuck,” she says between their kiss. It seems like Y/n doesn’t want the moment to end or to stop kissing Natasha. She needs her so bad, she’s hungry for her even as the tiredness sets into her body. “You’re so perfect,” Natasha continues.

It takes a good few minutes before the energy dies down again. The sun had set probably 30 minutes ago, but the two were too tired and wrapped up in each other to care.

Soft snores let Y/n know Natasha is already asleep. The blanket is thrown haphazardly over them, but Y/n is too sleepy to do anything about. 

Sleep is about to capture her within a few minutes. She spends these few minutes going over the memory of today like it’s a video tape. She is glad Natasha’s asleep because she doesn’t have the courage yet to fully verbalize her feelings for her girlfriend to her face.

“I love you.”

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff/Reader/Wanda Maximoff

Summary: Y/n gets caught in a lie and leaves her caught between her former lover and current one.

Content: smut (18+ only, MINORS DNI),slight dubcon, rough sex, degradation, slight humiliation, pet names (’princess’, ‘baby’), name calling (’slut’, ‘bitch’), pet play (use of the word ‘puppy’ and ‘puppycunt’), fingering, oral, strap-on sex, use of a cumming strap-on.

Masterlist||Saturday Sleepover Masterlist

Natasha is quick to deny that she was ever a jealous person. Y/n liked to tease her about, not letting up on her until her girlfriend was shutting her up.

She would describe herself more as a “possessive” person because she doesn’t get upset when people flirt with Y/n. She knows how her girlfriend looks — she knows there will be lingering eyes and people attempting to get with her. Y/n is quick to let them know she is taken which makes Natasha feel proud. Although Y/n is usually diligent about telling people off, she wasn’t telling one particular person to leave her alone.

They got invited to some birthday party, and the only reason why Natasha agreed to go was because so many of her and Y/n’s mutual friends were going to be there. They didn’t really know the guy whose birthday it was, but they showed up with gifts and were welcomed in. Natasha had left Y/n out of her sight for one moment to grab a beer. That one moment turned into ten minutes when she was stopped and distracted by Steve and Sam.

“No one thought you would come,” Steve was less shocked than his words let on. It’s a running joke in their friend group that Natasha doesn’t leave the house unless Y/n is dragging her out the door.

“I wasn’t, but Y/n convinced me.”

Steve’s eyes flashed to Sam’s before he looked back at his friend in front of him. Natasha narrowed her eyes at that. Steve doesn’t necessarily have the best poker face and he can never keep his mouth shut. So him being oddly silent is very noticeable. No matter how much Sam tries to fill the dead air with random babble, Natasha is still stuck on Steve looking…nervous? She can’t quite place her finger on what his face is trying to convey, but she knows it’s not good.

“Where is Y/n? Why isn’t she with you?”

“I was only meaning to grab a beer before you too stopped me…why?”

“Just wonderin’”

Now Natasha was really confused. Steve, nor Sam, didn’t follow up about wanting to see her and say hello after a few weeks of them not hanging out. There was no way Steve was just curious. Natasha didn’t like how out of character Steve was acting, but she decided to shake it off. She’s at some random guy’s birthday party and it would be pointless to try to get to the bottom of why Steve is acting like this. She shrugs it off and waves them goodbye, telling the two men that she’ll probably come talk to them again, this time with Y/n in tow.

There were quite a few people here. Some faces were familiar while others weren’t. Natasha is unsure how she never met the birthday boy before if they have this many mutual friends. It took a while for her to find Y/n, but when she did spot her, she was in the living room. However, she wasn’t alone. She was talking to someone Natasha has never seen before. And, they looked like they were morethan just talking; they were outright flirting with each other. Natasha was slightly ticked that Y/n seemed to be enjoying the situation, leaning in and giggling like a schoolgirl with someone who Natasha thinks is a stranger. She parses through the crowd, not caring if she was slightly bumping into other guests, to get to her girlfriend.

“Hey. Am I interrupting something?” Natasha’s stark voice ended the conversation between the two women. Y/n looks up and her face completely falls. She looks up at her girlfriend with a sheepish look as if she’s been caught.

She truly wasn’t doing anything wrong, but Y/n really didn’t want these two to meet. She just got caught up in conversation that she forgot what her initial plan was when they came. The look on Natasha’s face is intimidating, but only Y/n seems to be affected by it.

“Hi, I’m Wanda.” She sticks her hand out for Natasha to shake it, like any polite person would, but Natasha instead folds her arms. Wanda brings her hand back into her lap in defeat. ‘She must be a jealous one’ she thinks to herself as she looks over at Y/n. There is tension in the air but she maintains a smile on her face. Everything feels so electric yet they’re the only three people in the room who feel it.

Y/n clears her throat before saying, “this is my friend Wanda.”

Y/n has plenty of friends, and Natasha has met all of them. This is the first time she’s hearing about anyone named 'Wanda’. If they’re close enough for Y/n to practically all over her then Natasha should know about her. Natasha knows that Y/n is not telling her the full story because she read it all over her face that she’s been caught.

“Nice to meet you,” Natasha forces out. Her jealousy was palpable, making Y/n so uncomfortable that she feels like she’s drowning in it.

Someone had bumped into Natasha followed by profusely apologizing. It worked to snap her out of her annoyance at Y/n and this situation for a moment which gave Wanda a chance to escape.

“I should probably go catch up with one of my other friends. It was nice seeing you again, and it was so nice to meet you Natasha.”

Wanda ducked out before anything else could be said. Natasha watched her slink away from them before turning to look at Y/n. She wasn’t going to say anything about what happened just yet, but Y/n already knows Natasha has a million and one questions for her.

“Who was that?”

Y/n lets out a weak sigh before responding with, “an old friend.” There is no reason to be nervous if she’s telling the truth, right?

“How come I’ve never met her before?”

“She doesn’t live in the city. I don’t know — it’s just never crossed my mind for the two to meet. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

“Were you too close?”

“Sort of.”

That was a lie.

Y/n was lying straight to Natasha’s face just to save herself from having to explain a long story.

Wanda wasn’t just an old friend and they weren’t “sort of” close; they had dated for two years. Things between them were well, and Wanda would even say it was the best relationship she had at the time. Which is why she was blindsided when Y/n said she wanted to end things. She said that she hasn’t felt in love with her for some time, but Wanda couldn’t believe that. It wasn’t even necessarily true either. Y/n only broke things off because she felt herself having feelings for Natasha. She loved Wanda and as hard as it was to make her suffer through a break-up that came out of the blue, it would have been much more painful if Y/n had cheated on her.

By some miracle Natasha and Wanda never crossed paths until now despite having mutual friends. None of their closest friends brought her up. Now Natasha is recalling back to Steve being odd earlier and she wonders if it has to do with this Wanda person being here at the same party with them. She doesn’t know the full story, but she knows there is more than her girlfriend is letting on. She’s only scratched the surface.

Everyone around her was in such a jovial mood, even her girlfriend who was pretending like everything was alright, but Natasha’s mind was stuck on Wanda. Once the jealousy had subsided she became intrigued. She finds herself wanting to know more about this person her girlfriend is oh so comfortable with, but didn’t tell Natasha a thing about. She excused herself from Y/n who seemed to be relieved that Natasha didn’t seem so mad at her anymore.

Her eyes scanned over every single person as she roamed around the apartment until she spotted exactly who she was looking for outside on the balcony.

Wanda nearly jumped at the sound of the glass door sliding open. She had been out here for a good 30 minutes without interruption. She was shocked to see that it was Natasha, the woman she assumes is Y/n’s girlfriend. All the years and she didn’t think to lurk on Y/n’s social media accounts to see if she was seeing someone. A part of her was still hurt and confused by Y/n’s sudden change in feelings for her. She didn’t want to be reminded of what happened by being nosy and checking out her facebook.

“Hey,” Natasha says weakly. She’s not as fiery as she was earlier.

“Hey.”

They shared the same feeling of wanting to know more about each other. Wanda can tell Natasha isn’t the type of person to fold so easily so it was something that she had presumably come to look for her. But, she wasn’t going to be the one to initiate things. Wanda on the other hand had no shame in asking.

“Are you seeing Y/n?”

“We’re dating…have been for nearly three years now.”

Wanda thinks about the timeline in her head. She doesn’t have enough evidence to believe that Y/n cheated on her, but they broke up near the end of the year. Her and Natasha would have had to start dating in October or November for them to be reaching a three month anniversary. There was just no way Y/n broke up with her and then suddenly found someone new to date within a few weeks or a month of their relationship ending.

“She didn’t tell you about me, did she?”

“Nope.”

Natasha walks over to Wanda and joins her near the railing of the balcony. The apartment has a nice view of the city, it almost distracts her from what’s heavy on her mind.

“You two dated, I assume.”

“We did. For two years. We even lived together.

Natasha felt lied to. Y/n truly wasn’t obligated to talk about her past relationships, but she had kept so much from her and lied that she can’t help but feel some sort of resentment towards her girlfriend.

"That’s not what she told me.”

“What did she say?”

“That she hadn’t been in a relationship in a long time. She said she wasn’t seeing anyone at all when I asked her out. I don’t think she cheated on you with me, but I could be biased. However she was at my place an awful lot when we first began dating, so unless you never saw her at the end of your relationship…”

There is some overlap of Y/n being in her relationship with Wanda and meeting Natasha. She knew from the moment she saw her that she liked Natasha, but she didn’t act on her advances. Wanda feels a sense of relief knowing she wasn’t cheated on because the last days of their relationship was spent at their home together. She remembers those days so vividly; the two would barely talk to each other despite being in such a small apartment.

Wanda puts it all together and realizes she wasn’t cheated on, she was dumped for something new.

“You’re the person she left me for…”

Natasha tried not to feel guilty because she truly didn’t do anything wrong, however it seeps into her chest and it feels heavy. She felt like a bitch for being rude earlier for no real reason besides jealousy when it should be Wanda who feels some sort of way.

“I’m sorry,” Natasha says weakly. It’s hard for her to say sorry to anyone, but Wanda deserves it.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault,” her voice is sweet yet she sounds so defeated at the same time. “I’m not mad at Y/n either. She’s always been sort of a free spirit, I was surprised that she even wanted to be in a long term relationship with me.”

“Don’t give her any passes. She lied to the both of us,” Natasha was thinking about how selfish her girlfriend was. She couldn’t help but wonder if Y/n would do the same to her if she got bored with their relationship. Natasha is sure her and Wanda could have worked it out (although the incredibly selfish part is glad they didn’t. Y/n has been nothing but faithful and dedicated to her, so she didn’t want to believe Y/n could dump her just to enter a new relationship).

“No, Natasha, it’s fine. I’m not upset about it like I used to be. I just thought that she had cheated on me which she didn’t. I’m happy that she’s happy. Plus I’ve been dating so it’s not like I’m losing any sleep over my past relationship.”

Natasha thought Wanda was too nice. If this had happened to her, as petty as it sounds, she would be dead set on revenge.

“Do you still think about her sometimes? In a romantic way? I don’t mean to pry, but I’m just so curious.”

“It’s hard not to, especially since dating can be so tough. I think about when things were simpler and we were together. But, I wouldn’t do anything to intrude upon your relationship. Like I said, she’s happy. She’s veryhappy with you and I don’t want you to be mad at her over this. I don’t think Y/n is the type to make what she did to me a habit. She just knows what she wants in life and that’s fine.”

Wanda’s optimism was oddly reassuring for Natasha. Her anger at Y/n was beginning to subside, but she still didn’t want to let her off the hook. Even if she just shook her up for a little bit she would be satisfied with that. She was always a vengeful person, something her friends and girlfriend reminded her of often, but revenge can just be so sweet and fun.

-

Y/n couldn’t find Natasha when it was time to sing happy birthday to the guest of honor tonight. She gave up looking after the crowd began to sing the second line of 'happy birthday to you!’. She didn’t spot her until ten minutes later. Her cheeks were pink, something that happens when she’s outside in the cold for a while.

“Hey, where were you?”

“Oh, I was just talking with someone,” she wrapped her arm around Y/n’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple, “we got carried away talking about life. Did I miss the cake cutting?”

“You did, but there are still a lot of slices left.”

“That’s fine. I just feel bad that I missed singing happy birthday with all of you…guilty even.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Y/n says, as oblivious as ever.

“Let’s go home now.”

“You sure? It’s still pretty early,” she checks the time on her phone. “It’s only close to 8:30.”

“I’m sure. Someone’s coming with us.”

“Oh?”

She wondered who it was. It wasn’t uncommon for Steve or another one of their friends to come to their place after a party to wind down.

“They’ll meet us there.”

Y/n was confused, but she received no clear answer from Natasha; not even during the car ride back home. Natasha being so tight-lipped about it made her suspicious. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but Y/n can’t help but be a bit weirded out by her girlfriend’s behavior. Natasha is not the type to hold back or keep quiet, so it must be something she wants to keep from Y/n. Or, it just might now be a big deal. Y/n weighs the probability of her making this into something larger than what it really may be. She calms herself and just enjoys the rest of the ride.

She feels a bit of anticipation dancing inside of her the elevator ride up to their apartment. She didn’t know who to expect to be there waiting for the two, but the last person she would have ever thought to be standing outside of their apartment is there.

“Wanda? W-What are you doing here?”

Y/n visibly tenses up. Natasha almost laughs at her reaction and the stupid look on her face. She can’t believe Y/n is so shocked by this. She should have seen it coming, but maybe her girlfriend was just so concerned for herself that she didn’t consider this happening at all.

“She’s just here to have a chat. Let’s go on in,” Natasha gestures towards the front door. Y/n holds the key in her shaky hands. Natasha’s voice is smooth and soft, which should be reassuring, but it only makes Y/n feel more nervous. She struggles to get the front door open, but when she does, she’s being pushed into their dark apartment.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, Y/n,” Natasha coos in a taunting voice.

There is a little bit of light as the city lights peak through the sheer curtains. Y/n felt two hands on her shoulder, guiding her forward until she was walking down the dark hallway.

“Open the door,” Natasha commands.

Y/n feels for the door knob of their bedroom door before she accidentally bangs her hand against it. There is so much adrenaline pumping through her veins that the pain doesn’t even register. She opens the door in a hurry and feels herself being pushed towards the bed. She allows herself to fall onto, just to have a moment where she’s not in her body.

“W-What’s going on?”

“Don’t you think you’ve asked enough questions already? I don’t want to have to shut that precious mouth of yours up,” Natasha begins to caress Y/n’s face, “we want to hear you moan.”

Y/n was too shocked to speak. Her mouth was agape and left Natasha with the opportunity to slide two fingers into her mouth.

“Suck.”

Y/n obeys, too afraid to not do anything Natasha asks of her.

Wanda closes the door behind her and she comes to stand by Natasha. There is more light in their bedroom, but the light casts a menacing shadow over the two women towering over her.

“Submissive, just like I remember. Glad to see nothing has changed,” she begins to pet Y/n’s hair while she continues to suck on Natasha’s fingers.

Y/n’s eyes go from Natasha to Wanda and back and forth. She feels like she’s stepped into the twilight zone, but everything is so real as evidenced by their touch leaving a burning mark on her skin.

“She is. And she’s going to move higher up on the bed and spread her legs for us, isn’t that right?”

Y/n nods her head, lips wrapped snugly around Natasha’s fingers before they’re being pulled out with an audible pop. She doesn’t hesitate to follow the instructions Natasha gave her. She moves herself to the middle of their bed and spreads her legs. She curses herself for wearing that skirt to the party. Natasha told her it was too cold to be wearing it, but she didn’t listen to her. She hopes they can’t see her panties in the low light, that they can’t see the wet spot that formed on them in the last few minutes.

The bed dips as Wanda comes behind Y/n. She pulls her back into her embrace before her hands are flying to her tits to grope them. Y/n gasps at how rough her touch is. Wanda, although dominant over her, never was this rough with her when they were together. She’s reeling as everything moves so quickly and Natasha is pulling her panties off.

“She’s fucking dripping,” Natasha smirks. “Should’ve known my slut girlfriend was going to be turned on by this.”

Natasha’s fingers slide into Y/n’s pussy. She nearly groans at the feeling of her warm walls around her finger; so hot, sticky, and wet.

Y/n lets out a pathetic whimper. It feels so good even though she doesn’t want it to. Wanda’s hands are only making her feel better. She begins to unbutton her blouse so she can get to her tits without the barrier of fabric being in her way. She pulls the cups of Y/n’s bra down to expose her tits.

“Her nipples are so hard too. I’ve never felt them this hard.”

They were both laughing, laughing at her.

Their voices tangled together as they spoke at the same time; Y/n’s head was spinning. She had two fingers inside of her and two toying with her nipples. Her watery eyes made it hard for her to see Natasha between her legs.

Natasha moves her fingers in and out of Y/n’s pussy agonizingly slow. She doesn’t want to get her off just yet, she only wants to tease her and get her warmed up. The three of them can hear the sound of Y/n’s pussy squelching around Natasha’s fingers and she’s so embarrassed. There was no way she was going to be able to hide how wet she was once she got into a room with them. So many questions plague her mind, but they’re forced out every time Natasha pushes her fingers in deep. She hits a particular spot that makes Y/n moan loudly.

“You like that don’t you baby?” Wanda asks, her mouth dangerously close to her ear. Y/n was taken back by the pet name. She waited for a reaction from Natasha, any sign of jealousy that would lead to Y/n being out of this embarrassing situation, but she didn’t seem to care.

“I should make her cum for us already, shouldn’t I?”

“I think so.”

Y/n whines until her mouth is being covered by Wanda’s hand. Her muffled cries still fill the room as Natasha picks up the pace of her fingers in her pussy. Wanda attaches her lips to her neck and sucks at her ticklish skin. Y/n closes her eyes as she drowns in overwhelming pleasure. It doesn’t seem like the two are going to stop after this, but she’s already so tired and has yet to cum.

Natasha curls her fingers inside of Y/n and that’s what sends her girlfriend over the edge. She cries into Wanda’s hand as she cum around the fingers invading her. Natasha hums in approval at the feeling of Y/n’s slick coating her fingers. She pulls her fingers out and wipes the excess juices on Y/n’s inner thigh.

“Such a perfect pussy,” she fawns. She leans down to give a kiss to Y/n’s inner thigh which makes her shiver. “What did she use to call her, Wanda? Was it puppy?” Y/n’s eyes fly open and she meets Natasha’s heavy gaze. Her girlfriend has a smug smile on her face. She seems to know how much weight that little pet name holds and what it does to her. Y/n was already embarrassed, but it was even more mortifying that hearing that name that made her even wetter. The only way her girlfriend would know about what she did with her ex-girlfriend is if she and Wanda discussed it together. Her brain finally plays catch up and she realizes that Natasha was with Wanda the entire time she was missing at the party.

“Mhm. My cute little puppy,” Wanda kisses her cheek, “she was always so good for me too. Always whiny for me to play with her puppycunt and make her cum. She was so lucky that I was always gentle with her, even when I was mad at her.”

They talked about Y/n as if she wasn’t in the room. She flinched hearing Wanda refer to her pussy as a 'puppycunt’ just like she used to years ago. It was so degrading, yet she finds herself like the mix of Natasha and Wanda’s dominance. They’re so different yet she feels an equal amount of pressure coming from both of them.

“Show her how sloppy your puppycunt is.”

Natasha forces her legs wider apart and Wanda slides from behind her so she can join Natasha at her level.

“She still gets so wet when she gets spoiled. We didn’t even touch her poor clit and yet she’s still so damn wet.”

Just as she finishes speaking, Wanda brings her hand down on Y/n’s clit with a light tap. It’s not even that harsh, but it makes Y/n’s body jerk and a whine falls from her lips. She’s just so sensitive that anything they do to her makes her squirm.

“Wet enough to get her pussy filled.”

Natasha stands up and walks over their nightstand. The bottom drawer has all the toys Natasha needs whenever she wants to have her fun with Y/n in bed. Y/n thought it was silly to keep them so close, but Natasha likes to be prepared at all times.

Wanda undresses herself while Natasha is looking for whatever she’s looking for. Y/n is on the bed, still looking dumbfounded about everything happening. The last time Wanda saw her like this, they were deep in their relationship; years ago, but it feels just like yesterday. Wanda spots the strap-on in Natasha’s hand before Y/n does.

“Get on all fours,” she instructs.

Y/n knows what’s coming next, but she looks to Natasha for permission. Natasha gives her an approving look and Y/n gets on all four. Her skirt is bunched around her waist, but her blouse had been pulled off by Wanda who was greedy to touch her pretty tits.

With her face resting against the bed and her ass in the air, Y/n was completely exposed. She gave up trying to resist what was happening because every moment brought her nothing but pleasure. She doesn’t like to be humiliated but for some reason it was turning her.

“Good little puppy,” Natasha pats her ass as she stands behind her. The strap-on is fastened and ready for use. She holds the shaft and aims the head at Y/n’s slit. “Good pets get a nice, big treat.”

Natasha’s words are followed by her pushing into Y/n’s pussy. Y/n rocks forward and gasps at the feeling of the girth stretching her out. She cried as loud as needed to, as loud as her body would allow her. Natasha rests a reassuring palm on her lower back. She wants to have fun, but she also wants to make sure Y/n is good. The small motion of her hips moving back lets her know that Y/n is hungry for more.

Wanda watches them for just a little bit. She feels like she’s peeking in on an intimate moment, or a porn video, but she remembers whyshe’s here. She lays on the bed, sliding herself in front of Y/n. Natasha notices that she’s there and grabs a handful of Y/n’s hair to pull her head off the bed.

“C'mon…show me how you use to go down on her since you use to do it a lot.”

Y/n was obedient, diving into Wanda’s pussy after being commanded to do so. She wraps around Wanda’s thighs and eats her out like she’s starved, proving Natasha’s comment to be right. Wanda tastes just like she remembers. Y/n licked a wide trail from the bottom of Wanda’s pussy to her clit. Her ex-girlfriend throws her head back at the sensation of her sweet tongue on her pussy. It’s been a while since someone has gone down on her and she’s missed it so much. But, she believes, at least in the moment, that no one would be able to compare to Y/n. She knows her so well because she always paid so much attention to what made her tick. Y/n knows exactly what spots make Wanda cry and beg for more. Her moans would make it seem like Wanda was the submissive one in the situation.

As Natasha pumps into Y/n’s pretty pussy harder and faster, it makes her moan against Wanda’s sex. She can’t believe that Natasha is letting this happen. Her grip on her ass is so tight that Y/n knows that there is still some jealousy that bites at Natasha as she watches Y/n between another woman’s leg. Her anger at Y/n must run deep for her to let this go on.

“Is she doing a good job?”

“Yea…yea…so good,” Wanda moans dreamily. Her voice makes Y/n lick harder, work harder for her approval. Wanda pulls her head back up and looks at her ex-girlfriend between her legs, lapping at her like she’s missedher or something. Pleasure swims in Y/n’s eyes, but she keeps her mouth firmly planted on Wanda’s wet pussy. Her tongue slides over every inch before pushing against her slit. She pushes her tongue as deep in as it can go, but it doesn’t fill Wanda up like the way Natasha is filling her pussy up.

Y/n feels like she’s in heaven sandwiched in between two people that she really cares about. Natasha’s pace is brutal, she’s really taking her frustration out on Y/n’s poor pussy. She grabs her hair and pulls her head back once again, but this time she’s much harsher.

“Say your sorry,” her voice was so forceful, so mean that Y/n whines.

“I’m sorry!” Y/n cries out. Small moans slip between the cracks of her words as Natasha keeps her steady pace of fucking her nice and hard.

Natasha lets go of her and Y/n scrambles to get her mouth back on Wanda’s cunt.

“Needy little puppy. Such a sweet little mouth,” Wanda coos. She feels nostalgic for the time this was a common occurrence. She misses them being together, but she knows Y/n is happy with Natasha. She indulges in this feeling of being spoiled by Y/n and that pretty mouth off for what will probably be the last time. “You’re going to make me cum.”

Wanda pats Y/n’s head and lightly grinds her pussy against Y/n’s mouth. Tears well in both of their eyes as they together get closer to their highs. The cock inside of her hits Y/n’s sweet spot and she moans loudly into Wanda’s pussy. It feels so good that her mind is stuck on stupid. She’s enjoying being both Natasha and Wanda’s bitch even if it’s just for the night.

“Make her cum, or else I’ll pull out and not let you cum all night.”

Y/n starts to panic. It wasn’t like she didn’t plan on making Wanda cum, but the threat had made her become even more eager. Natasha pushes her face deeper into Wanda’s cunt as she gives Y/n long, hard strokes. The angle she’s in makes it easier for her to reach in deeper. Their skin slaps together loudly with every harsh stroke. She’s doing a number on Y/n’s poor pussy, but she deserves it.

Y/n wraps her lips around Wanda’s clit and sucks on it. Wanda doesn’t stand a chance against the mouth she loves so much and she starts gushing against her face. Y/n moans at the feeling of cum coating face. She’s drunk off the taste of Wanda’s pussy and doesn’t want to stop, but she has to once Wanda pushes her head away. There is a dazed look in her eyes when Wanda makes eye contact with her.

“Good girl, good puppy,” Natasha coos. She delivers three more thrust to Y/n’s pussy and the slut beneath her is cumming. Y/n grabs onto Wanda’s hands and squeezes them to relieve all the pressure built up in her body as she cums.

“That’s it baby, cum for us,” Wanda says as both her and Natasha begin to praise Y/n for being such a good girl. She feels all giddy inside yet lazy at the same time.

Natasha pulls out of her, leaving her feeling empty.

“C'mon princess.” She grabs Y/n’s arms and pulls her up. Y/n is easy to move around, like she’s a rag doll. Natasha grabs ahold of her face and Y/n comes to her senses for just a quick moment.

“You gonna let Wanda use your pretty pussy?” Y/n nods absentmindedly, a stupid smile on her face, “of course you are. Such a stupid little puppy for us,” Natasha presses a kiss to her forehead before letting her go.

Y/n whimpers as she falls onto the bed again. She’s staring up at the dark ceiling as she waits for whatever they want to give her. She feels her hips being grabbed and her lower-half being adjusted. She feels the head of the strap-on being pushed into her again. She looks up and sees that it’s Wanda’s pushing into her. Y/n’s pussy is so sensitive but it feels so good that she doesn’t complain.

“That pussy of yours can never be satisfied, can it? You always had a greedy little puppycunt.”

Wanda was thrusting into her with a steady pace. She was not as brutal as Natasha’s but to Y/n’s overstimulated pussy it made no difference. She was whining about how good it felt.

Natasha was comforting her while Wanda fucked her. She had taken her frustration out on her pussy, but now she was feeling slightly remorse. Although she shouldn’t feel so bad because it’s so rewarding seeing the stupid, fucked out look on Y/n’s face.

“She’s going to fill you up, okay?”

Y/n was lost in the throes, but Natasha’s words registered within seconds. She must’ve given Wanda the strap-on that cums. Y/n never knew they made such a thing until she got with Natasha.

“W-wait.”

“No waiting honey.”

There was a wicked smile on Natasha’s face. This was her and Wanda’s time for enjoyment. They let Y/n have her fun, but now it’s time to remind her that she needs to be put in her place.

“I’m gonna cum inside of you puppy,” Wanda’s tone is so sweet and comforting.

“She needs her pretty pussy filled up. She loves feeling it ooze out of her pussy.”

“I bet she does. Eager little slut.”

“Such a pretty puppy.”

“Cum for us sweetheart, cum puppy.”

Y/n is so overwhelmed by their words. They reduce her to nothing but a pussy for their enjoyment and it makes her cum. She lets out a pathetic whine as she cums for the third time tonight. The tears in her eyes finally slid down her cheek. She has no more energy left in her as her body becomes so lazy. 

“Awe, don’t give up on this now.” She nudged her girlfriend, but she didn’t budge. Natasha recognizes that they’ve pushed her to her limit. She was already overwhelmed and it would probably do more harm than good to push her even deeper into subspace. “It’s okay baby,” she coos over her as she wipes the sweat off of her forehead.

She’s been fucked into exhaustion a handful of times, and this is one of them. The last thing she remembers is hearing Natasha and Wanda talking about her while only a few feet away. She’ll deal with the consequences of having lied to her girlfriend about her ex-girlfriend and for how she ended her relationship with Wanda. That day may be tomorrow, or it may be one of the following days to come. But, for right now they decide to leave her alone.

“I hope we didn’t go too hard on her.” Wanda was always concerned about pushing Y/n which is why she was never too rough with her when they were together. However, she seemed to be used to and enjoy the treatment she received from Natasha.

“We didn’t. She’ll be fine. It’s not like she didn’t enjoy it either.”

The two were now fully dressed and Natasha was seeing Wanda out. There was a comfortable silence between them as they walked to the front door. It feels good to have no animosity towards each other. Natasha got all her frustration out when she was fucking Y/n. She still wants to talk about it, but it won’t be a conversation fueled by lust.

“See you around?” Wanda asks as she stands partially outside of Natasha and Y/n’s apartment.

“Yea, I’ll see you around.”

wayward-mikaelson:

image

About

Y/N is the baby sister to Tony Stark and she’s just as smart as him but she’s also very, very different from him. Thats why she joins Steve to help prove that Bucky Barnes is innocent. When things go South, she joins Steve and Bucky in Wakanda where she stays to avoid being found and arrested. Bucky and Y/N soon grow closer and fall in love. But that love is short lived when the fate of the entire world is at stake. 

Chapters

I.Civil War

II.Wakanda

III.Fresh Air (NSFW)

IV.The Snap 

V.The Losing Game

VI.Hello Sweet

VII.A Chance (NSFW)

VIII.Let Me Love You (NSFW)

IX.Sacrifice

X.Dusk Till Dawn (FINAL)

Epilogue-Steve

Series Warnings/Trigger Warnings

Language, Fighting, Blood, Injuries, Teasing, SMUT (Filthy as filthy can be), Loss, Depression, Angst, Death…Each chapter will have their own warnings and such 

Disclaimer

If for some reason you haven’t seen Civil War, Infinity War, andEndgame this contains some spoilers. Read at your own discretion. This work also contains content for the 18 and up crowd. Please don’t copy and paste my work anywhere, I work way to hard on all of my work and would hate to have it stolen. You may, of course, share the links to each chapter. This will work will be posted on WattPad, Archive Of Our Own, TikTok (Video Preview), and Instagram (Video Preview with a small excerpt). Links to those profiles are in the pinned post in my profile.

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I am loving the love I still get on this story! It’s my most popular one on here, wattpad and AO3.

Winter’s Dimming Light-Prologue

Word Count: 470

About:The soldier has located Bucky and Nadia.

Warnings/Trigger Warning: Nothing really (DM if you think there is one and I’ll fix it)

A/N:Again, I am using they/them pronouns for our mystery soldier.

*This piece of work contains work made for the 18 and up crowd. Please read at your own discretion. Please do not copy and paste my work anywhere, you can reblog and share the links of my post. This work is cross posted onto WattPad and AO3 under the same title. Links to all my other social media can be found in the pinned post on my profile. Feedback is welcomed!

Winter’s Saga Masterlist

Marvel Masterlist

Masterlist

Forever Tags: @hobby27@donnaintx@myinconnelly1@elansaidaris@magssteenkamp@440mxs-wife

Marvel Tags:@soccer-100000

Story Tags:@supernatural-love14@loudlylovingalpaca@kingkhibas

There they sat at the cafe, sipping on the coffee in front of them. They glanced out the window and saw them. The two that they’ve been after for quite some time. They leaned over into the bag next to them, everything they needed was in there to sedate them and bring them in. Closing the bag, they stood up and slung the bag over their shoulder. They dropped a large bill onto the table and left.

Following close behind, they recalled their plan on how to get them alone. First, they would take the man out. It would be a challenge given the metal arm. But they knew that once the man was out of play, it would be easy to get the woman.

Simple.

They reached into their bag to grab the syringe that held the sedative. As they brought it out of the bag, the woman turned around and they stopped dead in their tracks. They knew it took almost a year to finally locate them but what they saw, they didn’t expect.

The woman’s belly was round and swollen. She was maybe eight months pregnant. Her face looked tired and worn, but the glow in her eyes said it all. She muttered something to the man with the metal arm. He muttered something back and the woman squealed with joy and hugged him.

Then her eyes met with theirs.

Their heart stopped and they felt the blood drain from their face. They watched as the happiness left the woman’s face as she looked them over. They felt this constant pull on their heart as they slowly stepped back and out of sight. It wasn’t the fact that they were almost caught, it was the way that the woman looked at them.

Sadness? Disbelief? Recognition? Maybe all three?

“Nadia?” the man’s voice called out. “What is it?”

They watched from their small hiding spot as the woman pushed herself away from the man and walked around. Her head turned this way and that. “I thought I saw someone,” the woman, Nadia, replied.

“Who?” the man asked, taking hold of her shoulder.

“My brother,” Nadia said softly.

“But he’s dead,” the man said as he looked around with his bright blue eyes. “Are you sure it’s not the hormones making you see things, Doll?”

Nadia shook her head and smiled at the man. “I don’t know Bucky. We’ve been off the radar and hiding out for a few years, I guess I’m being too paranoid. I’m also hungry too.”

After Nadia and the man she called Bucky left, they made their way back to their small motel room and devised a better plan. They didn’t feel right having to sedate and kill a pregnant woman.

They’d have to wait until she had the baby to execute their plan.

Winter’s Dimming Light Masterlist

ABOUT

After getting the all clear, Nadia and Bucky come out of hiding. They semi retire to a normal life for the sake of their infant daughter on Nadia’s family ranch. Things are going so well for them until they are attacked by a masked assassin. Nadia and Buck then realizes that both of their pasts still haunts them and it could kill them if they’re not careful.

CHAPTERS

Prologue

One

WARNINGS/DISCLAIMERS

This story contains content geared toward the 18+ crowed. If you are not 18 and up, please keep moving/scrolling along. I work really hard on all of my work, so please do not copy and paste anything you see anywhere without my permission and without giving me the proper credit. You are, however, allowed to share the links of this story with others and on other sites. The picture above was created by me, so if you save it and want to share it, please give me the proper credit. This story will also be available on WattPad, and Archive of our Own. Those links are in the pinned post on my profile. or in the Linktree in my bio!

READ

Winter’s Doll

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Winter’s Saga Masterlist

Winter’s Doll

A new recruit, Nadia “Nadie” Alekiev, is added to the Avengers team and captures the eye of Sgt. James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes on the very first day. The two form a friendship where the two of them are oblivious to the fact that they are head over heels into each other. Until one of them get jealous about a one night stand and a very important mission almost goes sideways while trying to prove corruption in the government that Nadia used to hold to a high standard and the same government that she believed killed her brother.

Winter’s Dimming Light

After getting the all clear, Nadia and Bucky come out of hiding. They semi retire to a normal life for the sake of their infant daughter on Nadia’s family ranch. Things are going so well for them until they are attacked by a masked assassin. Nadia and Buck then realizes that both of their pasts still haunts them and it could kill them if they’re not careful.

Winter’s Dark Light

Winter’s Last Stand

Winter’s Legacy

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Chapter 11

Day by day, Harper got stronger. She and Bucky still spent time together every day, but it was less than before. There was a growing tension between them when they were together, but they did their best to ignore it. Of course, it didn’t help that they always ended up entangled when she sparred with him. Sometimes he would just grab her around the waist and pull her in close; other times, he would let her knock him down so that she would be on top of him.

They both knew they had feelings for each other, but Harper was adamant about not acting on those feelings. She would admit that she owed him her life, but she didn’t want him to know that. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t enjoy his company; she loved spending time with him. He was a fantastic sparring partner, and he made her laugh more often than she thought possible. But it didn’t matter how much she enjoyed his presence; she couldn’t allow herself to get attached to someone.

Harper sat alone on the sniper range. The wind blew softly against her face as she stared at the targets through the scope. Her heart beat rapidly as she took aim at one of the targets, allowing her finger to dance over the trigger. The bullet hit true each time.

“Damn. It’s like you never missed a beat,” a voice behind her said. She turned and saw Bucky approaching. His hair was slightly disheveled, which usually meant that he’d been running. There was a proud grin on his face as he got closer to where Harper stood. She couldn’t help but smile, especially when he looked at her like that. Like he actually cared what she was doing or thinking. She could have gotten used to that look every single day.

“You need something?” she asked. Bucky shook his head. “Then why’re you here?”

Bucky shrugged and moved to sit in the empty chair next to her, crossing his arms over his chest. They were quiet for a moment before he spoke. “I just thought I’d check on you.”

Harper smiled again, her heart skipping a beat. “You see me all the time, Barnes,” she reminded him.

He nodded. “That may be true. But I only see you when we train weapons or spar together.” Bucky paused, looking out toward the targets, “Besides, this is one of my favorite spots,” he chuckled, trying to ease the rising tension. Bucky turned his attention back to Harper, smiling gently.

She glanced up and met his gaze, returning the expression. “You want a shot?” she questioned, gesturing toward the weapon still propped on the ledge. He shook his head no, so she stood and picked the gun up, slinging it over her shoulder so she could head back to the compound.

The two of them continued to talk while they walked back to the building. As Harper and Bucky approached the doors, Clint stepped through to meet them. “Harley! There you are. I’ve been looking for you,” he said, walking toward her.

“Well, you found me,” she replied. “What do you need?”

“I found them,” he said flatly. “I think anyway.”

“Found who?” Bucky questioned, stepping up next to Harper.

“The men that attacked her,” Clint answered.

Harper rolled her eyes. She had figured Clint would find them, but a part of her hoped he would fail. “Are you sure it’s them?”

Clint nodded. “Positive.”

Harper sighed. “Okay, tell me what you found,” she gently demanded, leading them all inside the building.

Clint relayed everything he knew. From where they were living to where they were currently working jobs. All of which matched up perfectly with what Harper had already discovered from digging on her own.

“So, what’s our next move?” Bucky asked.

Harper stopped dead in her tracks, “Our? There is no ‘our next move’ soldier. This is something I need to do.”

“You’re not going alone, Harley,” Clint reminded her.

“The only reason you are allowed to tag along, Hawk, is because they pose a threat to you too. Trust me; I’m still not thrilled over the idea,” she pointed out.

“Harley-” Bucky began.

“No,” she interrupted, “You have done more than enough for me, Barnes. This… This is something Clint and I need to finish alone.” She watched as Bucky’s jaw clenched, obviously not pleased with her response but unwilling to argue further. She appreciated that. Harper turned to Clint, “When are you expecting to leave?” she asked.

“As soon as you feel ready, I guess,” he shrugged.

Harper nodded, “Then let’s get packed.”


The next evening, Clint and Harper arrived at a hotel outside Cedar Falls, Iowa. Harper had to chuckle to herself when she had found out where they were headed. How cliche for them to finally close this chapter in their lives, in the exact same place it all had started.

As the pair worked to unpack things for the task the following day, Harper looked to her brother who seemed just a little on edge. “You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked, propping their quivers and bows next to the dresser.

“It’s just another job, right?” Clint replied. “Taking out the bad guys to keep my family safe?”

Harper chuckled a bit, shaking her head. “These guys may be old, Hawk, but you saw what they can still do.”

Clint shrugged again. “If it was too easy, I’d start to question our own skills.”

Harper nodded, “Fair point.”

Clint closed up his suitcase, having only brought his bow, arrows, and a few articles of clothing. Harper, on the other hand, brought all of her favorite weapons. She pulled out two of her knives and her handgun, along with a few other items, before setting her suitcase on the floor. She took a seat at the small desk in the room and began wiping down her knives first.

Clint sat on the edge of his bed, watching his sister work. He couldn’t help but notice how calm she seemed in her movements. Clint realized that this was the first time, in their adult lives anyway, that he had ever truly seen his sister. They had been on opposing sides for so long that even when they did get along, there always seemed to be tension. But now, even though she was getting ready to kill someone, she wasn’t upset or scared, or even nervous. It was almost like she was going through the motions from pure muscle memory.

“Harley, can I ask you something?” Clint suddenly broke the silence between them.

Harper looked over at him, giving him a curious look. “Sure.”

Clint hesitated. His hands shook slightly from nerves as he spoke. “What… What happened to us? I mean, what really happened? We used to be so close. And then…” he trailed off.

“Is this really a conversation you want to have right now?”

“Yes, actually. I need to know, so I know I can trust you while we’re out there,” he told her. “I mean, it can’t honestly just be that stupid petty jealousy from when we were kids, right?”

“Petty jealousy?” Harper repeated, raising a brow in confusion.

“Yeah, Jacques overlooked you for me?” Clint questioned.

She blinked, “You honestly think that is why we had a fallout? Because some asshole with a sword and gambling issues chose you over me to be his little bitch?” she laughed.

“Then what? What happened between us, Harley? Why are we always fighting now?” Clint asked.

Harper shook her head, looking back down at her weapons as she set the first knife on the desk. “Look, I’ll admit, I was a little jealous when he chose you. I mean, let’s be honest, I’ve always been better than you with weapons. He knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it. So yeah, I was jealous. But I grew up, Hawk. I got my life together, got my G.E.D., even had a couple really good jobs.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Clint pressed.

Harper finally looked up and met his gaze. “You know, Clint, there was never a day that passed that I didn’t think about my little brother. The years I was gone, never a day went by that I didn’t wonder if I did the right thing by breaking my promise to mom. Always questioning if you were alive or if you were dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Wait…” Clint trailed off, “…Mom? What promise?”

“’You know how your father is, Harper Lee. You need to keep him safe… from everything,’” she began to recite. “’I’m trusting you to be his guardian angel. Promise me you’ll always keep him safe, Harley.’”

Clint stared at her in silence as he processed what she said. “Harley…” he trailed off, unsure if he wanted to continue.

“Then, on my first assignment as a rookie agent, not only does the house I’m working at get robbed… but it’s my brother who happens to be the one breaking in. At least I knew you were alive, though, right?” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Harper grabbed her other knife and began cleaning it as she continued her story. “After Buck left you behind that night, I got right back into that ‘big sister mode.’ He shot both of us that night… but I was older, stronger, I had to keep you safe. Nothing else mattered. But it was painstakingly clear that we couldn’t work together.”

“But… Why?”

“Hawk, you got hurt because you were more concerned about me than yourself.” She paused, glancing at Clint. He remained silent, waiting for the rest of her story. “So, once we were healed up, I left. I left my job; I left my life because I needed to make sure that my brother stayed alive.”

“That’s why you started using the symbol again. So no one actually saw us together,” Clint realized.

Harper nodded. “Yeah, pretty much,” she agreed. She put away her other knife, moving on to cleaning her gun. “I knew it wasn’t enough, though; staying away from you. So, I did the only logical thing I could think of. I called Fury. I told him I had a prospect for him to check out that would be a great addition to his team. Not to mention a perfect fit when he finally made his little Avengers club,” she chuckled.

“That still doesn’t explain why we fight every time we see each other. If you’ve been protecting me all this time, why is it always a fight?” Clint asked, confused. “You ruined my wedding… You…” he groaned, “I mean, for god’s sake, Harley, you shot me the last time we crossed paths. Why?”

Harper sighed, setting the gun back on the desk. “Because,” she began slowly, choosing her words carefully, “If I hadn’t kept you away, I was afraid something would happen to you. I’ve worked for some really bad people, Hawk. If they thought I cared for you, even a little, they’d use that as leverage.” She laughed a little, adding, “Except the wedding. That was personal. I knew Bird was no good for you.”

Clint rolled his eyes, “Wedding aside…” he started, “You’re saying, all these years, it’s just been an act?”

“Basically,” Harper shrugged. “When you started hating me for it, I was a bit hurt, but it made the act far more believable.”

“So, this whole time, I thought it was me. I thought it was my fault that you hated me. I thought I got the job on my own, and you were jealous again; I thought the reason my family was safe was because of the steps I took. And you just went along with that?”

“What would you have wanted me to do, Hawk? Tell you the truth? Put your kids’ lives in danger? Fuck that! I’d rather you hate me than have to go through the pain of losing a child,” she responded angrily.

“We could have kept them safe, Harley. We could have kept you safe,” Clint argued, his voice rising slightly in frustration.

“Iwas safe, Hawk,” she snapped back. “And you know, you’re right. If I had told you the truth, maybe you would have actually helped me when I came to you. But what’s done is done. So can we just focus on moving forward? Once these two are gone, I won’t need your help ever again, and your family will be safe. You can go back to hating me, and you’ll never have to see me again, I promise.”

Clint shook his head, looking at his feet, unable to respond. He sighed heavily.

“For what it’s worth… I am sorry, Hawk. For everything. But I did what I had to do. I made my choice, so you didn’t have to. I couldn’t live with myself if I caused anything to happen to you, the kids, or even Laura,” she explained.

He glanced up at her, his face softening slightly. “It’s okay, Harls,” he replied. “I’m sure if the roles were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing.” He paused, looking down as he continued, “The choice is yours, Harper Lee, but…” Clint took his time, searching for the right words. “Look, the kids seemed to really enjoy your visit. And…”

“Hawk, stop,” she interrupted him, causing him to lift his eyes from the ground. “I know what you’re trying to get at, and I appreciate it. But, I can’t be the sister I once was to you. I can’t stick around, and I can’t join your little team. I’m alone in this, and that’s how I need to stay. It’s for the best,” she explained, staring him in the eyes.

Clint looked back at her silently for a few moments before nodding, accepting the answer without arguing. “How about we agree to disagree? And we can talk about it after we’re done with this job?” he suggested.

“Sure, Hawk,” she smiled.

Harper left her weapons lying on a cloth on the desk. She bent down, dug out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from her suitcase, and made her way to the bathroom to change. Maybe working with Clint won’t be so bad. She mused as she pulled on her shorts, turning to look at her reflection in the mirror as she ran her fingers over the scars on her shoulder. Then again, I do my best work alone.

Chapter 13 –MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 10

It had been a month since Harper was brought back to the tower. She had been going to physical therapy every morning, despite the fact that she no longer required assistance with anything, and she was finally feeling back to her old self. It would still take some work for her to use her bow, or a gun, at least as she once had, but she was determined to get out of the care of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers as soon as she could.

Fury decided that the best option for her was to move to the compound. She would be able to heal in peace, mostly, and she would be able to work with weapons any time she wanted. Harper begrudgingly agreed, if for no other reason than knowing she owed her life to him. What harm could a few weeks in a guarded vacation home do anyway?

Four weeks at the compound passed quickly. Thanks to the serum, she was healing rapidly, felt stronger than ever before, and was finally able to use her right arm without much issue. She still wasn’t a hundred percent yet, but she was close enough.

Bucky had stuck by her side as much as she allowed, helping her to regain her strength and accuracy both in combat and with weaponry. She trusted him enough to let him take care of her, but it wasn’t always easy. Harper had never been one to allow anyone to get close to her. She was always guarded, cautious, and wary. But Bucky made her feel relaxed in a way that she’d only ever been able to relax around him. Harper now knew what it felt like, to be vulnerable, and it wasn’t a feeling she ever wanted to experience again. Bucky understood this and was very patient with her.

One afternoon, they were in the gym sparring with each other. He was careful with her right side, knowing her shoulder had taken the brunt of the damage and had yet to heal fully, or so he assumed.

“Come on, soldier, I know you can do better than that,” Harper taunted him.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Bucky protested.

“I’ve told you, soldier. I’ll be fine. After everything I went through, you’re nothing,” Harper retorted.

He scoffed, “And I’ve told you, call me Bucky. I’m not the Winter Soldier anymore, okay?”

“Fine… Bucky. Now show me what you got,” Harper challenged.

There was something going on with her. No one should be healing as quickly as Harper was. She was stronger too. Not wanting to press things though, Bucky just sighed as they both jumped into a fight stance, fists raised, ready to strike. They circled each other warily, sizing up their opponent and gauging if they could land any hit on them. Then Bucky threw a punch at Harper, who blocked it easily. She quickly retaliated with a kick to Bucky’s leg, causing him to stumble.

Harper followed that up by tackling him to the ground. She landed squarely on top of him, pinning his arms down underneath her. Bucky growled, trying to buck Harper off of him. She smirked and leaned in close to his ear. He froze instantly, his breathing labored.

She whispered, “Remember what happened last time we were like this? Remember how we nearly killed each other?” Bucky swallowed hard and nodded his head. A faint smile spread across her face, “Don’t worry, soldier… Bucky… This time is different,” she said softly.

Harper shifted her weight, so she was sitting astride Bucky’s hips, straddling his waist and allowing his arms to move freely once again. She saw something familiar in his eyes, something she had seen before when she was with the Winter Soldier. It was the same glimmer in his eye she remembered seeing each time he learned he would be working alongside her.

She knew it was wrong, but something in her heart pulled her forward. Something she had never felt before. That same pull grew stronger with every passing second until their lips met. Hard. Bucky responded by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, deepening the kiss.

After several minutes, they pulled apart. Both were panting slightly. Bucky rested his forehead against hers. He gently ran his fingers through her hair before resting his hands on her lower back. They stayed like that for a few moments until Harper finally broke the silence, “I’m sorry…” she muttered.

Bucky shook his head, “For what?”

“I shouldn’t have kissed you…” she trailed off, sitting up on her knees still straddling Bucky’s hips.

Bucky smiled, “It’s alright.”

“No, Bucky,” she started. “I mean… we can’t…” she sighed softly, “It’s too dangerous.”

“What?” Bucky asked, confused.

Harper pushed herself off of him and stood up. “I’ve been walking this world alone for a long time, Bucky. It’s kept me safe all these years; I can’t risk doing something reckless like this.”

Bucky stood up, “I don’t understand, Harley.”

Harper turned to face him, “The last thing I need is someone getting hurt because I let my guard down,” she said firmly.

Bucky frowned, “Why don’t we just talk about this?” he suggested, brushing himself off.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Bucky. It just isn’t possible,” she insisted.

Bucky stepped forward, putting his hands lightly on her waist, “Look, Harley, I understand… I really do. But you’re not alone anymore.”

She backed away from him, pulling out of his grasp. “Listen, soldier. I’m not staying. Once I can use my bow again, I’m gone,” she stated firmly. Harper sighed, shaking her head when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. “It’s safer this way… for everyone,” she finished quietly. With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Bucky in the gym alone.


Standing at the line at the archery range, Harper pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. Taking aim, she released her hand, nailing the target perfectly in the center. Smiling, she placed another arrow to her string, lining up for another shot. The next arrow was much faster than the first and hit the target dead center again, just to the side of the first.

“Looks like someone’s back to themselves,” a voice said behind her.

Harper sighed and turned to face the man who had spoken. “Still not perfect, but I’ll get there.”

“How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, “Better than before. The shoulder still has some healing to do, but with as much damage as that arrow did, I guess that’s to be expected.”

“You going to tell me yet just how you managed to heal almost completely in just over two months?”

“I told you, Hawk, I don’t know.”

“That’s bullshit, Harley. Why won’t you just tell me the truth? What harm could it do?” he questioned.

Harper glared at him, “Why is it so important that you know?” she spat.

“Because you’re my sister, Harley,” Clint replied simply. “Here I am, trying to reach out to you, giving you a chance, and you just turn it into a fight.”

“You’re only bitching because you feel guilty, Hawk. I’m not stupid,” Harper retorted sharply.

Clint sighed, “Guilt or not; it doesn’t matter. I’m trying, Harley. Why can’t you?”

“Because I don’t need your pity, Clint. I needed my brother. I reached out to my brother. And you brushed me off like I was dust on your bow,” she hissed angrily.

Clint sighed, “I’m sorry, Harls. I should have listened… I shouldn’t have reacted so cold toward you when you first showed up. I’m sorry. Just -”

“Just stop, Hawk. Save your ‘sorry.’ I don’t need it. Not from you. Not from anyone,” Harper snapped harshly.

Clint flinched, “Alright,” he mumbled softly. “Then what do you want?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. I’m healthy enough. I think I’m just going to go,” Harper answered.

“Go where?” Clint questioned.

“Back to work. Back to what I do best,” Harper answered.

Clint looked shocked, “You want to leave? To do what? Find the two people that tried to kill you? That’s suicide, Harley!”

“I have an advantage this time. I’ll be fine,” Harper assured him.

Her brother stared at her intently, studying her facial expression. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully before taking a deep breath. “The serum,” he murmured.

Harper gave him a quizzical look, “Excuse me?”

“The serum you were searching for. Fury told you where to find it, and you took it. Didn’t you?” Clint guessed. “That’s why you survived the attack. The serum was already trying to heal your wounds before Barnes ever found you.”

Harper nodded slowly; there was no sense lying to him. “Yes,” she agreed. “I injected a small dose before they ever found me. When Barnes brought me here, Fury found the vials in my bag and had Banner give me a second dose.”

“That explains it,” Clint nodded. “Listen, Harley. Why don’t we make a deal? One where we can both get what we want?”

“Like what?”

“Before you leave, give me two weeks. I’ll find the men that attacked you, and you have more time to heal and practice; get yourself back where you know you need to be,” Clint negotiated.

“Why?” she questioned. “Why help me now?”

“They are as much a threat to me as they are you. Not to mention, if you go at it alone and fail, they become a threat to my kids. They made us into what we are… so what do you say we end it the same way we started? Together.”

Harper hesitated before saying, “Fine. I guess we’ll see what happens,” she replied. “But only two weeks, Hawk. That’s it.”

Clint nodded, “Good enough for me,” he said with a smirk before heading towards the exit.

Chapter 12 –MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 9

Two weeks had passed since Bucky found Harper clinging to life in Atlanta. One of the doctors helping to care for her in the tower felt that she was at the point that they could safely bring her out of the drug-induced coma. They began to lower the dose of the anesthetic she was being given in hopes of easing her awake slowly.

Though he had spent the better part of the last fourteen days by Harper’s side, Bucky was away on a short mission when they began the process of waking her. When he returned early the next morning, he rushed to the clinic and was thankful to see she was still asleep. Bruce was checking her vitals and I.V. medications when Bucky walked in. He froze for a moment when he saw Clint seated in a chair on the other side of Harper’s bed.

“Ah, Barnes, welcome back,” Bruce greeted. “She should be awake soon, so you’re just in time.”

Bucky looked over at Clint, who met his gaze. He could see the sadness in Clint’s eyes as if he was fighting with himself not to show it. Bucky swallowed thickly before walking over and taking a seat in an empty chair next to Harper. “Barton…” he began softly.

“I know,” Clint whispered before placing his hand gently on Harper’s. “She wouldn’t want to see me anyway. I just didn’t want her alone if she woke up before you got back.” He stood from his chair and began walking to the door.

“If you want to stay, then stay, Clint,” Bucky told him. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you when you first came to see her,” he said apologetically. “I know she is the only family you have left besides your kids, and-”

“Maybe by blood, Barnes, but Harley and I haven’t been family for a really long time,” Clint argued softly, opening the door of the room and walking out without another word.

Bruce watched him leave before turning back to Bucky, who was looking down at his hands before running them through his hair nervously. “He’ll come around. They both will,” Banner assured him. Bucky nodded but did not respond. Pulling out a book, he leaned back in his chair and began reading, trying to find some way to keep his mind off of everything that was going on.

Bucky was so lost in his book that he didn’t notice Harper had begun to stir ever so slightly. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light and surroundings. She gave a weak smile when she finally noticed who was in the room with her. “Well, hey there, soldier,” she said hoarsely.

Bucky looked up from his book, smiling slightly when he saw her awake. “Hey yourself, Angel,” he responded softly. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he closed his book and set it aside.

“I’ve been worse,” she joked, trying to laugh but instead wincing when pain flared through her body. “Where am I?” she questioned, confused.

“You’re at the Avengers’ Tower in New York,” he answered. “Try not to move too much yet. You’re banged up pretty good, and need to rest.”

“How’d I get here?” she questioned further. “The last thing I remember was being in a hotel room.”

“You were hurt pretty bad, Angel, and-”

“Please, soldier, call me Harley. Keep that Angel shit for work,” she cut him off.

Bucky hesitated slightly before nodding. “Alright… Harley,” he replied. “The short version, I guess, is that I found you in your hotel room in Atlanta. You were… in rough shape. You have a couple of gunshot wounds, some cuts, and scrapes, bruising, a couple of broken ribs, and an arrow wound to your right shoulder,” Bucky explained.

“Damn,” she muttered, trying to remember what happened. “How long have I been here?”

“About two weeks now.”

“Why’d you come looking for me?” Harley asked curiously.

“Honestly? I overheard Fury tell Clint that he was worried. He thought something had happened to you. Clint didn’t seem too concerned and said you could handle yourself. But you saved my life before, so, I don’t know, maybe I felt like I owed you one,” he shrugged.

“If Fury was involved, I can see how you knew what city to look at, but Atlanta isn’t exactly a small town. How’d you know where I was?”

Bucky chuckled a little, “I know you always stay in the most expensive hotel when you’re on a job. I also remembered the alias you used to use and took a shot. With a little white lie, I managed to get into your room. When I walked in, I saw you on the bed…” He hung his head as he finished his explanation.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For coming for me,” Harley added. “I know I’m not really worth saving, but thank you.”

“Youare worth it,” Bucky said firmly, meeting her gaze.

Harley smiled weakly, “You know that’s not true, soldier. You should know better than anyone.”

Bucky sighed deeply, knowing entirely too well why she felt the way she did. He also knew there was no winning the argument over the matter. “Do you know who did this to you?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I didn’t see their faces if that’s what you’re asking. But I know who sent them, and I have a pretty good idea of who the two men were that attacked me. And believe me, I am going to make them pay for this,” she swore, a fire burning behind her green eyes.

“Harley. We-”

“No, soldier,” she interrupted, causing him to fall silent. “This is my fight, mine, and I’m going to take care of it. They made the mistake of leaving me alive, and that mistake is going to cost them dearly,” she told him, determination burning behind her words.

“Harley, please. You don’t have to fight alone. You’re going to be out of action for a few months, at least. Let us help you,” he pleaded. “We can protect you.”

“No,” she shook her head adamantly. “I won’t allow you, or anyone, to put their life on the line for me. These people would give the Winter Soldier a run for his money alone, let alone as a team. I won’t let any of you risk yourselves for me,” she continued to argue.

The door to the room opened, pulling their attention away from the conversation. “Sorry to interrupt,” Bruce apologized sheepishly. “How are you feeling, Miss Barton?”

Harley offered a smile, “Been better. Been worse,” she joked.

Bruce smirked faintly, glad that she could still joke about all of this despite how badly she must feel. “There’s a couple of people who would like to see you, if you’re up for it, that is?”

She nodded, “Sure, why not.”

“I’ll go,” Bucky said quickly, standing from his chair. “I’ll come to check on you again later if you want?”

Despite the annoyance Harley was feeling at their argument moments ago, she found herself smiling at him as she spoke, “Yeah, alright.” He moved closer to the side of the bed and took her hand in his. Harley squeezed his hand lightly. “Thanks, soldier. For everything.”

“You’re welcome, Harley,” he answered quietly before grabbing his book off of the chair and leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Bruce turned to her. “Are you hungry?”

Harley nodded, “A little, yeah.”

“I’ll see what I can get for you,” Bruce said. “I’ll let Fury and Clint know that you’re awake, but to give you a little bit of time before they come to see you, okay?”

“That’s fine. Thank you,” Harper told Banner as he headed towards the door. As soon as he was gone, Harley laid back against her pillow. Her eyes drifted shut after a while as exhaustion started to weigh on her tired body.

Harley awoke again a few hours later to find her brother sitting next to her bed. “Hey,” she mumbled.

“Hey,” Clint said back softly. He reached out and brushed some of her hair away from her face. “How do you feel?”

“Like a semi-truck ran me over,” Harley replied with a slight chuckle that quickly turned to a groan.

“You look like it too.” Clint laughed.

“Thanks,” Harper said sarcastically. She sighed, trying to sit up but still unable to move much.

Clint watched as his sister struggled. He’d never seen her so helpless before. She was always the one taking care of him, always there to ensure he was safe. Now, when she had needed him most, he wasn’t there for her.

Harper could see in his eyes that he felt responsible. “I’ll be fine, Hawk. Really,” she tried to assure him. “I’ve been hurt before; this isn’t anything new.”

Clint looked at her sternly. “This is different, Harper Lee.”

“First, you know I hate when you use my full name. I’m not some kid in trouble, Hawk,” she scolded. “Second, how is this any different than any other time? I’ve been shot before, I’ve had bones broken before,” Harper tried to reason.

Clint just shook his head. “Not like this. This is different.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Clint paused. He took a deep breath. “Harley, you almost died. You needed blood transfusions and surgeries. You have so much morphine pumping through you that I’m surprised you feel any of the pain at all. For fuck sake, you were in a coma for two damn weeks. And now you’re trying to brush it off because your stupid, selfish ass can’t deal with being vulnerable.”

“You’re right,” she stated simply. “But you know what else? None of that is your fault, Clint. Not one thing that happened to me is anyone’s fault but my own. So why should I take the charity of you and your friends because of my own stupidity?”

“Harley-”

“No,” she cut him off. “I get it, Hawk. You’re my brother. You feel bad because it wasn’t you that jumped to my rescue. You blew me off, and now you feel responsible for what happened. But I am not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you, or your friends, to save me. I can take care of myself.” She glared at him. “I’m stronger than you think I am.”

“I know you’re strong, and I respect that. But damn it, Harley, you don’t have to be. If you had just told me you were in trouble instead of playing your bullshit games, I could have helped you.” He glared at her, willing her to understand what he was saying.

She stared at her brother. “It’s my fight, Hawk, not yours. This isn’t some back alley fight or a bunch of aliens from outer space. This is my life, and if I can’t handle it, then that’s my problem.”

“Do you even hear yourself? This isn’t about you or your bullshit jobs. This is about you getting hurt. This is about you almost dying for fuck sake!”

Harper rolled her eyes. “I’m. Fine. Hawk,” she snapped. Her tone was angry.

Before Clint could say anything, Director Fury walked into the room. “Barton, good to see you awake,” he greeted.

“I can only assume I owe you a thank you for saving my life?” Harper asked sarcastically.

Director Fury smirked slightly. “We’ll call it a personal courtesy,” he answered calmly. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Barton. I know you need to rest. But I have to ask…”

“I know what you want, Fury. I didn’t see their faces, but I have a pretty good idea who it was. I’m not as worried about them as I am who sent them. If they found me in Georgia, I can only assume they found Scorpio.”

Director Fury nodded. “Don’t worry about that. They are safe,” he assured her.

Harper nodded. “Thank god.”

“We need to know who attacked you, though, Barton. We need to make sure that they won’t try to come after you here at the tower. It could put all of us at risk,” Fury continued.

“They think I’m dead, Fury. They won’t try to show up here as long as I lay low until I’m healed enough to fight again,” Harper stated.

Clint frowned. “And what if you’re wrong?”

“I’m not,” she glared at her brother.

“We can’t take that risk, Barton,” Fury insisted. “We need to know who targeted you.”

Harper shook her head. “Fury, this is all a personal vendetta. Against me, and you. They aren’t stupid enough to try to hit a S.H.I.E.L.D. location. That would be suicidal.”

Fury raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

“I did my research while I was figuring out their identity. Think about it, Nick. Who else do you think would involve Scorpio?”

He paused for a moment, hoping he was wrong. “Leviathan?” Fury questioned.

Harper glared at him. “Yes, Leviathan.”

“What are you two talking about?” Clint asked curiously.

“It is - well, it was, a Russian-based organization. They were similar to Hydra, but when they failed, the organization’s leader turned his efforts to destroying the other members of the Zodiac. I’m the last surviving member,” Fury explained.

“Then, who’s Scorpio?” Clint questioned.

“My son,” Fury replied simply. “It’s part of the reason I know your sister so well,” he continued.

Clint looked between the two, trying to decipher what they meant. “I don’t understand.”

“Fury and I met while I was enlisted. When I got out, he got me a job with the CIA working under him. But when he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., I left the agency and went rogue,” Harper answered. “He tried to recruit me, but I was making better money on my own. It didn’t seem worth it to give that up. So, instead, he gave me a job. No one knew about his kid, and he wanted to keep it that way, but Fury also wanted to ensure his son was kept safe. I still took on jobs for the highest bidder, but between jobs, I was with Marcus and his mother.”

“So, this Marcus, is Fury’s kid, andScorpio?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what mess Marcus got himself into or why he took up the moniker. I just know, I was contacted by Orion to take out Scorpio. As soon as I learned who it really was, I canceled the contract. Orion didn’t like that, so he sent people after me. The only two people that could actually pose a threat to me when teamed together.” Harper looked to her brother, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

“I thought they quit the game when they couldn’t kill me?” Clint asked, confused.

“They couldn’t kill you because you had help, Hawk. I don’t.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “But, now that they think I’m dead, it needs to stay that way until I can take care of things. If they know they failed, they will do what they can to get me out of hiding. That includes making a little trip to Missouri if they need to.” Harper’s words hit hard, causing Clint to realize exactly what his sister was suggesting.

“You’re not taking care of shit, Harley. This is far beyond anything you can handle alone. Not to mention the risk involved if you fail again. Screw your pride for once. You’re out of commission for a few months at least, so we’re helping whether you like it or not. This is no longer a personal problem for you, Harper Lee. It’s now an Avenger problem,” Clint spoke firmly, not letting her protest.

Harper sighed, knowing that arguing wouldn’t change her brother’s mind, but she hated that he was right. She’d be risking her life if she tried to go on alone. Harper knew this, she understood it, but… she still hated the idea of accepting help. She still wanted to prove to herself that she was stronger than she had ever believed she could be. She just wanted to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could defend herself against those who would attack her.

Clint left the room quickly before Harper could even agree with him. As soon as the door shut behind him, Fury spoke up again. “Are you going to tell them about the serum?”

“Clint is pissed enough. I think it’s best if I wait before I tell him,” she answered honestly. “He’s not ready to hear about it.”

“I think he deserves to know,” Fury responded. “They will all know something once they realize just how quickly you are healing.”

“Banner injected me with a second dose, didn’t he? Or at least a proper dose?”

“Your injuries were -”

“That’s a yes,” she sighed, cutting him off. “I appreciate it, Fury. All of this. I’m sorry it got to this point.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Barton. We share the blame on this one.”

Harper smiled ruefully at him. “Thanks for everything.”

“Anytime.” He nodded to her before turning and walking out of the room.

Harper leaned back against the pillows, running a hand slowly through her hair. God, she felt exhausted. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping the meds would help calm her thoughts and calm her nerves.

Chapter 11 –MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 8

Bucky found himself in Atlanta the next afternoon. He knew enough about Harper that he hoped it wouldn’t take long to locate her. Opening the browser on his phone, he looked up the most expensive hotel in the area. Clicking on the number, he called the front desk.

“Hello, thank you for calling. How can we help you today?” a young female answered.

“I am looking for my wife, and I’m hoping you can tell me if she has checked out yet or not?” Bucky lied confidently.

“I would be happy to look for you, sir. Can I have the last name?”

“It should be under Samael,” he told the girl. It was the alias she had always used when working for Hydra, so it was worth trying now. “I’m not sure which first name she used, but it should be either Lilith or Freya.”

There was a pause, but he could hear the clicking of the keys as the girl typed on the computer. “It looks like she is still checked in and has the room booked for another couple of days, sir,” she informed him.

“Wonderful,” Bucky said, “Can you put me through to her room? She isn’t answering her cell phone, and I just want to make sure she is doing alright.”

“Of course, sir. Just one moment.”

After another brief pause, the phone began to ring. Bucky let the tone play through a few times and then hung up. Harper wasn’t answering, which could mean one of two things. Bucky could only hope that it meant she was out of the room, but he still had a bad feeling in his gut about this entire situation. Plugging the address into his phone’s GPS, Bucky made his way to the hotel.

He approached the front desk, where a young woman stood behind a large counter. “Hi, there,” he said, trying to appear friendly. “My wife is currently checked in here. I tried her cell phone and room phone, but there was no answer. Is there any way you can help me out?”

“Oh yes, you called for her not too long ago,” the clerk said. “Let me try calling her room since we don’t usually give out guest information. If she doesn’t answer, I will make an exception this once for you.”

“Ireally appreciate it,” Bucky smiled at her. He walked over to the seating area in the lobby and waited while she called up to the room.

The young clerk tried to call Harper’s room three times over twenty minutes before giving up and creating another key for the room. Placing it in the small sleeve with the room number, she walked around the counter to the lobby and approached Bucky. “I tried calling a few times, but there was no answer,” she explained, handing him the card. “Here is a key for the room. If you have any trouble, just let me know,” she smiled at him kindly.

“Thank you so much,” he told her.

She left the lobby and went back to work, leaving Bucky alone. He quickly made his way to the room, knocking on the door first, hoping that Harper might answer. When there was no response, he used the key and opened the door, thankful she didn’t lock it with the safety locks. Bucky stepped inside and quickly closed the door behind him, glancing around the room. He could tell immediately something was wrong.

Walking farther in, Bucky saw Harper laid out on the bed with blood staining the sheets. She was unmoving, and her breathing was shallow. Her skin was pale, and her usually bright blonde hair now had hints of a dull copper-red. She had been beaten pretty badly and was bleeding from multiple wounds all over her body.

Bucky’s heart ached. The Dark Angel was untouchable, just as he had been as the Winter Soldier. Seeing her so weak, so helpless, broke something in his heart that had never been touched before. He couldn’t help but kneel down beside the bed, tears pricking his eyes as he gently brushed a few strands of blonde hair away from her face. “Damn it, Angel,” he whispered with a sigh. “You’re going to be okay. I promise,” he murmured.

He stood back up, pulled out his phone, and took a seat in the chair at the small desk. Scrolling through the names in his contact list, he knew there was only one person he could call.

“What is it, Barnes?”

“It’s about the Dark Angel, Fury,” he replied.

“What about her?” the director asked.

“I found her, sir. And it’s not good.”

“Hang on a minute,” Fury responded. Bucky could hear shuffling on the other end for a few moments and then heard a door slam shut. “Where did you find her?” Fury finally spoke again.

“At a hotel in Atlanta,” he replied.

“Was she conscious when you found her?” the director questioned.

“No. She is unconscious, and her injuries are extensive.”

Fury groaned. “Is she breathing?”

“Yes, she’s alive, but barely. She is severely wounded, sir.”

“How serious are her injuries?”

“She was bleeding profusely, though it seems to have stopped for the time being, and has severe lacerations across her chest and abdomen. A wound straight through her shoulder, but I don’t know what from. She has bruises all over her as well. I don’t know what happened to her, but she’s in bad shape.”

Fury sighed. “Send me the location and room number. I’ll have someone come and collect her. Whatever you do, do not give them any information about who she is. Clean her up as best you can, and I’ll have a clean-up crew handle the room.”

“Understood, sir,” Bucky said, hanging up.

Setting his phone down, Bucky ran his hand over his face before standing and walking to the bathroom. He turned on the water at the sink, allowing it to warm up while he grabbed a couple of the small face towels. Wetting each and wringing them out, he shut off the water and walked back to the bed. Bucky gently began to wipe the dried blood off Harper’s exposed skin.

As he cleaned off her face, he heard a quiet groan escape her lips. Bucky froze. His heart was beating faster than usual as he looked at Harper. “Hey, Angel, stay with me, okay?” he whispered softly. Bucky placed his hand in hers, wrapping her fingers around his palm. “I know you’re weak, but if you can hear me, please, try to squeeze my hand. Or twitch your fingers. Something,” he begged her.

Harper tried her best to close her hand around his, only able to curl her fingers a little. Her eyes flitted open briefly, and he felt a pang of hope. “You’re okay, Angel. I need you to keep fighting for me. We’re going to get you out of here and fixed up. I promise, okay?” Harper moaned again in response, squeezing his hand as best she could.

Once Bucky had gotten her as cleaned up as he could, he set about packing up all of her things. He picked up the room and ensured everything was where it needed to be. There was a knock at the door that took his attention. Approaching it carefully, he looked out the peephole to see a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the other side. Bucky opened the door and ushered them inside.

“We’re going to take her out the back door and directly into our van. She’ll be transported to the hangar, where we will be getting her onto a quinjet to fly her back to New York. Fury said you could fly back with her, if you want,” one of the agents explained to Bucky.

“Yeah, okay. What about clean-up in here?” Bucky asked.

“We have a team coming in. Just give us your room keys, and one of the agents will check her out once the room is clean,” he replied.

Bucky nodded at him and handed the man the two room keys. The agents thanked him, carefully picked up Harper, and walked out of the room. The second they were gone, Bucky grabbed her bag and made his way to the front of the hotel. He avoided the front desk and quickly got into his car to follow the van to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hangar.

Within two hours of Bucky calling Fury, he and Harper were back at the Avenger’s Tower safe. Bruce was hard at work figuring out just how extensive Harper’s injuries were. While he worked on the scans and tests, Bucky stayed by Harper’s side, watching the monitors, waiting for any answers Banner could give him.

Clint walked into the room while a nurse was cleaning up a few more wounds on Harper. “What happened, Barnes?” he asked, concerned.

“Why do you care?” Bucky asked him sharply, looking at him coldly.

“She’s my sister. Why wouldn’t I care about her?” Clint replied simply.

“You didn’t seem overly concerned when Fury told you he was worried something happened,” Bucky snapped. “What if I hadn’t overheard? Huh? What if I hadn’t flown down there to find her? If it had been left to you, she’d be dead, Barton!”

Clint put his hands up defensively. “Okay. Yeah. You’ve got a point. But she’s still my sister. We may not like each other, but I still love her,” Clint admitted quietly. Bucky stared at him for a moment in silence before turning away. “Do you know what happened?” Clint inquired after several minutes.

“No,” Bucky said bluntly, shaking his head slowly. “I took a shot in the dark that she still used the same alias, and I knew she only ever stayed at the most expensive hotels. By the time I got to her, she was unconscious and barely breathing.” Bucky paused for a long moment before continuing. “I called Fury, got her cleaned up as best I could, and we came back here. The doctor has her in a medically induced coma, but there’s no telling how bad things are yet.”

“Shit,” Clint muttered, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the monitors and frowned. After a few minutes of silence, Barton turned to leave. “If anything changes, let me know,” he called over his shoulder. Clint looked back at Bucky with a somber expression as he stepped through the door. “Thanks, Barnes,” he added, closing the door as he left.

Chapter 10 –MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 7

Harper arrived in Atlanta and parked outside the house. It had been several years since she had last seen the mother and son that resided inside. The home was dark when she entered, but as soon as her footsteps fell upon the creaking floorboards, a form appeared in the hallway between the living room and where Harper needed to go.

“It’s been a while,” said the man who appeared before her.

“Marcus, now isn’t a good time,” she warned.

The man raised his left hand, aiming a gun at Harper’s heart. “Seems like that choice is up to me, not you.”

She sighed, shaking her head slightly. “I taught you everything you know, junior. But I didn’t teach you everything I know. Just let me do what I need to, and I’ll be gone.”

“Who sent you?” Marcus questioned.

“No one fucking sent me,” she scoffed. “I’m here to get something, that’s it.”

His finger slowly moved off the gun’s trigger, relaxing only slightly. “And just what would that be?”

“That’s my business, not yours.”

“So you’re not here for me? Or my mom?” he questioned.

“No. I’m not. You know damn well, if I was here for either of you, you’d both be dead already. I wouldn’t be standing here making small talk with you.”

He looked away from Harper, lowering the weapon and placing it back in its holster. “So why are you here?” he asked.

“The safe in the office. I just need to get something out of it. Then I’m going on my merry way,” she answered.

“How do you expect to get in? My mother has the key hidden, and neither of us knows the code.”

“I have the code, dumbass. Otherwise, I would have shown up when I knew your mother was here. Not when I thought the house was empty.” Harper took a few steps toward the hall where he stood. “Now, are you going to let me get what I came for? Or are you just going to cause a problem?”

Marcus stepped aside, allowing Harper to walk down the hallway to the office. “What’s in there that you need so badly?”

“Nothing you need to know about,” she stated. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to be quick. The longer I’m here, the greater the risk to you… and your mom.”

Marcus watched Harper until she disappeared around the corner and into the room. It wasn’t long before she reemerged, tucking something into the pocket of her jacket. She paused briefly at his side to pat his shoulder as she passed him. Once she reached the front door, Harper turned back to face the young man. “Listen, Marcus…” she started, locking eyes with him. “You’re like a brother to me, and you know full well I would never let harm come to you or your mother. I don’t know what kind of shit you got yourself caught up in. Hell, I don’t think I want to know. But promise me something, alright?”

“Sure.” He shrugged. “I guess?” he replied, not sure of the question.

“Promise me you will reach out if it gets too bad? Your mom knows people to call. They can help protect you both.”

Marcus nodded his head, “I promise,” he assured her. “But what about you?”

“Keeping you two safe is the reason I can’t stay now, nor can I have contact with either of you until I know this threat is squashed. I know damn well that whoever you pissed off has someone tracking me, even if they’re doing a shit job of it. That’s why I have to get back to New York before they can find me here.”

He studied Harper’s face for another moment, trying to read some sort of emotion that he couldn’t see. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her words. She had always been cryptic, and he never really knew how much she meant by anything she said, but he could tell she meant everything this time. He trusted her. That’s what mattered most in this situation. “I understand,” Marcus told her. “Be careful.”

“Always am,” she assured him with a smirk as she walked out of the house.


It had been five days since Fury had seen Harper. He wasn’t expecting her to reach out once she had acquired the serum, but he had thought someone would have mentioned her visit. While sitting in his office, he decided to call once again.

“Hello?” a man answered.

“I’m looking for Nia,” Fury replied.

“Sure, just a second.”

Fury could hear some shuffling before a woman spoke up. “Hello?”

“Nia, has the Angel arrived yet?”

“She was here two days ago. As far as I knew, she was heading back your way. Why?” Nia asked.

“I haven’t heard from her. Not that I expected to, but what she said before she left has me wondering.”

“Nick…” her voice trailed off. He could hear the worry in her tone, though.

“I’ll figure it out. Just stay alert. When I know more, I’ll fill you in,” Fury told her, hanging up the phone without another word.

Fury sat there for a moment with a troubled look on his face. Things like this didn’t typically phase him, but knowing the people involved made this situation different. This was a possible threat to people he cared deeply for, not just friends and colleagues.

Standing from his desk, Nick walked out of his office and down to the archery range. He found Clint working with some recruits and called him into the empty hallway to speak with him. “It’s about your sister, Barton,” Fury began.

“What about her?”

“How much do you know about her life?” Fury questioned. Barton looked at Fury in confusion. “Let me put it this way,” he tried, “Before a couple of weeks ago, when was the last time you saw her?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Close to fifteen years. Why?”

“She was in my office last week, wanting that serum. She said there was someone after her,” Fury said.

Clint rolled his eyes, “There’s no one that could be a threat to her.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Barton. Someone, or something, has her spooked enough to seek me out.”

“Look, Fury, with all due respect, Harley has made more than her fair share of enemies through the years. I’m sure she is fine and just said what she felt she needed to say to get what she wanted,” Clint insisted.

As Clint and Fury continued their conversation about Harper, Bucky approached from a side hallway. Before he could turn the corner, he heard the two men talking. Stopping in his tracks, Bucky stood with his back against the wall and listened.

“Barton, your sister was last seen in Atlanta two days ago, and there has been no sign of her since. I’ve got a bad feeling that something happened to her,” Fury explained.

“And that makes it my problem how exactly?” Clint responded. “Just because she is my sister doesn’t mean I would go on some wild goose chase to find her because of some ‘bad feeling.’”

Fury sighed heavily; he couldn’t argue with that. “Look, I just want to make sure she’s okay. If she isn’t, then we might need to think about how to protect ourselves,” Fury reasoned.

The two men stared each other down for a few seconds before Clint turned around and headed back towards the range. “I’m sorry, Fury, but I can’t help you,” he said as the door shut behind him.

Bucky let out a breath and walked down the hall, back the way he had come. He knew the Angel, and he knew Fury. If something had the two of them worried, it wasn’t anything good. Bucky knew Clint wouldn’t do anything, not until it was too late anyway. Still… he couldn’t shake the idea that something terrible was going to happen, if it hadn’t already…

Chapter 9 –MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 6

Fury opened the door to his office, flipping on the light as he stepped inside. He seemed unphased as the light revealed someone sitting in his chair at the desk. The stranger had their head tipped back and hands behind their head, eyes closed, and their feet kicked up on the desk with their ankles crossed.

“To what do I owe the visit?” Fury asked.

“I just have some questions… Director.”

“Those questions wouldn’t have anything to do with the files that you copied from S.H.I.E.L.D. servers, would they?” He stepped further into his office, closing the door behind him.

“They might.” The person lowered their feet to the floor and sat up in the chair.

Fury stood at the corner of his desk. “Then allow me to ask a question first,” he began. “Are we playing fair?”

“That entirely depends on you, Fury,” the visitor shrugged.

Nick took his weapon out of its holster and placed it in the center of his desk. The visitor stood, placed a knife on the desk and walked around to the other side, allowing Fury to take a seat in his chair. “What questions might you have, Barton?” he asked.

“I want to know where the vials from Project Gladiator are,” Harper answered.

Fury sat back in his chair. “You won’t find them,” he responded.

“You really believe that?” she challenged.

“I can assure you,” Fury answered, leaning forward onto his desk, “That no one can find those vials.”

“I think you underestimate me,” Harper stated flatly.

“What do you want them for?”

Harper smirked. “That’s my business.”

Fury sat up straight again. “It’s going to come out, either way, Barton.”

“Maybe,” she agreed, “But on my time, not yours.”

“So… you want it for yourself,” he reasoned.

“Never said anything to the contrary, did I?” She asked.

“No,” he confirmed. “But you know as well as I do that there are plenty of people who would love to get their hands on those vials.”

She took a seat opposite him, resting her arms on the desk with her hands clasped. “You’re right; there are. But none of them matter. I’m not doing this for the money. Now, we can either do this the simple way, and you just give me what I want. Or we can do this the fun way, for me anyway, and I take what I want. The choice is yours, Fury.”

Fury sighed, knowing that he couldn’t win an argument against her without giving something away. “Let’s be honest, Barton. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already have an idea of where the serum is. So you don’t actually need me to give you thatinformation.”

“Fair point,” she acknowledged.

“Why come then?”

The young woman smirked again, leaning back slightly. “Call it a professional courtesy,” Harper shrugged.

“I see,” Fury nodded. “Is that why no one has been hurt?”

“Yet…” she clarified. “No one has been hurt yet.”

Harper kept her eyes locked on Fury. She could tell he was trying to process all the information he had thus far. His eyebrows furrowed, thinking about how to proceed. Eventually, his shoulders relaxed, and his gaze became less serious. “Alright, Barton. Let’s make a deal.”

A smirk crept on her lips again. “What sort of deal?”

“Call it a personal courtesy,” he countered. “You get what you want, and no one gets hurt in the process.”

“What’s in it for you?” she asked.

“Answers, Barton. I want answers.”

Harper sat up in the chair, folding her arms over her chest. “How specific do these answers have to be?”

Fury looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. “Specific enough that I can justify what I’m agreeing to.”

She nodded in agreement. “Fine. But only out of respect.”

“Fair,” he replied. “Why do you want the serum?”

“Personal use,” Harper replied shortly.

“Personal for yourself?”

“Yes.”

Fury nodded, understanding. “What for?”

“Call it precautionary.”

“And why would you need any sort of safeguard?”

Harper sighed, “What are we doing, Fury? Playing twenty questions?”

“You could give me the short version if you’re in a hurry,” he offered.

Harper considered for a moment before responding. “Someone contacted me to take out a target. They wanted me to take down someone going by the name Scorpio. I took the job without question.” She watched Fury’s eyes widen slightly. He knew exactly who she had been sent after. “Once I found out this Scorpio’s real identity, I changed my mind. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize the reach the original contact had. Now… the hunter has become the hunted,” she explained.

Fury raised his eyebrows slightly. He had known Harper for many years and never knew her to be the one under attack.

Harper continued, “There’s not many that can do my job better than me, Nick. You know that better than most. I can’t take that risk this time around. Not without a safety net.”

Fury sat quietly for a moment. Then he nodded in agreement. “What happens next, Barton?”

Before she could answer, a knock on the office door interrupted them. A voice came through the door, “Director Fury?”

Fury looked towards the door. “Yes?”

Agent Hill opened the door, just enough to poke her head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but they’re back, sir.”

Fury nodded, and Hill closed the door. He turned back to Harper, “Unless you want to see your brother again, I’d suggest heading out the same way you arrived.” He wrote some information on a piece of paper and handed it to Harper. “I’ll let her know to expect you.”

Harper took the paper and offered a respectful nod before standing up and quickly leaving the office. Fury sat in the silence for a while, taking in all the new information. He didn’t like the thought of Harper, or anyone, having those vials, but he was sure that he chose the lesser of two evils this time around. Besides, he owed her one for turning the job down. The least he could do was help her survive the consequences.

Fury stood from his chair and left his office, locking the door behind him. As he walked the halls toward the briefing room, his mind was racing with the possibilities of who could have Harper concerned enough to seek out his help, even if it was just to confirm what she already knew. And who had tried to hire her in the first place?

Fury walked into the large meeting room, took a seat at the head of the long table, and looked around at each team member seated around him. “So,” he began, “What did you find out?”

“Well, sir, I know who has been breaking into the different S.H.I.E.L.D. locations,” Clint spoke up first.

“And it is?”

“My sister, sir,” Clint answered.

“Do we know what she is looking for?”

“Not entirely. We know she wants information on something Laura worked on when she was with S.H.I.E.L.D., but aside from the name of the project, we have no idea what it is,” Clint said.

“She wants information on something called Project Gladiator, sir,” Steve added.

“It was a project intended to try to replicate the Super Soldier Serum. After some setbacks, Laura succeeded in not only making the Super Soldier Serum but a combination serum as well. Laura and I were the only ones that knew about that accomplishment,” Fury explained.

“What could she possibly want with that?” Natasha asked. “She seems to be going through a lot of trouble if she just wants it to sell to the highest bidder.”

Fury looked between the three Avengers, not wanting to reveal more than they needed to know. “I couldn’t say. Did she mention if she is working for anyone?”

“No. Not directly anyway. She mentioned something about a client, but there’s no telling with her if it was just empty words or not,” Clint replied.

“This isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it Barton? Possibly having to take down your sister?”

“No sir,” he assured. “She and I haven’t been on the best of terms in a very long time.”

“Good,” Fury stated. “Let’s keep our guard up then until we figure out exactly what her intentions are,” Fury instructed.

“Yes, sir,” the trio answered in unison.


Once Fury was back in his office, he locked the door and sat at his desk. After several minutes of debate with himself, he picked up the landline and dialed a phone number.

“Hello?” a woman answered cautiously.

“I’m sorry to call you like this,” Fury replied.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’m calling to tell you that the Dark Angel will be stopping by. Whether or not she’ll stop when you are at the house, I don’t know, but she is picking up something.”

The silence on the line lasted for what seemed like an eternity. “Are we still safe with her?” the woman finally asked.

Fury hesitated before answering. “I trust her,” he said.

A small sigh could be heard from the other end of the line. “That doesn’t answer the question?” she pressed.

“The Angel won’t do anything to hurt you, you know that. I’m sure she will make it a point to show up while you’re both away. She is taking something from the safe, and that’s all,”  Fury told the woman.

“Okay,” she agreed. There was no arguing against him. The woman knew he would never lie to her. “Thank you.”

After hanging up, Fury stared down at the phone for a moment. I hope I’m not wrong.

Chapter 8MasterlistTaglist

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Chapter 4

Laura stood in the kitchen, quietly making dinner as she listened to the children play outside. She could see them from the small window above the sink as she washed a few dishes.

“Hello, Little Bird,” a voice spoke behind her.

She turned around quickly, coming face to face with a woman she hoped she would never see again. “What are you doing here?” Laura asked, feeling behind her for something to use as a weapon.

“No need to get hostile,” the woman said, putting her hands up in defense. “I just thought it would be nice to meet my niece and nephews, is all. Maybe see my sister-in-law again.”

“Harley… How did you find us?”

“I have my ways, Bird. You know that.” Harper took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. Her calm demeanor and honest eyes trying to ease the tension in the air.

Laura shook her head, turning back around to continue cooking though keeping her guard up just the same. “What do you want, Harley? I mean, what do you reallywant?”

Harper sighed heavily, looked down at the table, and then back up at Laura. “I told you, I just want to meet the kids,” she answered sincerely.

“That’s bullshit, and we both know it,” Laura stated calmly, turning her head to try to get a read on the woman sitting at her table.

“I promise,” Harper insisted. “Look, my niece and nephew are teenagers, not to mention your third kid is damn close to starting school, if not enrolled already, and I’ve never met any of them. I haven’t had any family in a long time. I want to change that,” she explained.

“I… I can never tell when you’re lying to me, Harley. But fine, you can stay for now. Just know, if you so much as look at one of my kids wrong, I will end you.”

“Of course, momma bear,” Harley agreed with a smirk. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Laura shot her a quick glare before opening the small window and calling for the kids to come inside. They entered moments later, each wearing a confused look on their faces as they spotted the stranger in their home. “Kids, I’d like you all to meet someone,” Laura began, motioning towards Harley. “This is Harper Lee. She is…” Laura paused, thinking of how to explain this.

“I’m your aunt,” Harley cut in.

“Why have we never heard of you before?” the oldest boy asked.

“It’s a long story,” Harley answered. “But, I’m here now, so what do you say we start off on the right foot, huh?”

“And how do you expect to do that?” he asked.

“Well, first, why don’t you tell me your names?”

He let out a sigh, “I’m Cooper.” He gestured to his sister, “This is Lila. And our brother is Nate,” he finished, gesturing to the last child in the room.

“You can call me Harley. It’s nice to meet all of you finally,” she smiled at the three children.

Laura watched as they interacted briefly, never taking her eyes off Harper. “Why don’t you guys go wash up for dinner?” Laura suggested softly. The children nodded happily, walking off to wash their hands.

Once the children were out of earshot, Laura turned to Harley, “I don’t know what game you’re playing. But don’t act like their friend, if you intend to abandon them, because-”

Harley held her hand up, “I’m not going to do anything to them. Believe it or not, Laura, I’m not the heartless monster you and my brother seem to think I am.”

The five of them all sat around the larger table in the dining room, quietly enjoying a meal together. The kids talked about school and sports, and Harper answered some innocent questions about herself.

Once dinner was over, Harper helped to clean up the dishes and even helped the older two kids with their homework. Laura was surprised, she had expected something terrible to happen, but Harley kept to her word so far.

After the kids did their homework and put everything away from dinner, Harper decided it was the right time for her to head out for the night. “I should be heading back to my hotel,” she said.

“Do you have to?” Lila asked.

“I’ve put enough stress on your mom today,” Harper replied. “But don’t worry, I’ll come back tomorrow to visit again.” She looked up at Laura, who was still cautiously watching her former sister-in-law interact with her kids. “As long as that’s okay?”

Laura looked at her kids, who were all waiting patiently to hear an answer. Finally, she nodded. “I guess that would be alright,” she finally answered.

Harper smiled at Laura and gave each of the kids a hug before leaving the house. This is easier than I thought it would be, Harper thought to herself as she got in her car, waving goodbye to the kids as she drove off.


Harper arrived at the farm a little before the kids were due home from school the next day. She knocked on the door, waiting until Laura answered it. “Hey,” she greeted, “I figured if I came by early, I could maybe help you with some things before they get home.”

Laura looked at her skeptically. “Help me? Why would I want your help?”

“I told you yesterday. I’m not the monster you think I am. I’ve changed, Bird,” Harper stated as she followed Laura into the house.

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe you, Harley.”

“Believe me or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me,” she shrugged.

The two women set to work in silence - picking things up around the house, sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, regular everyday tasks that Harley hadn’t done in a very long time. With the help, Laura got dinner going and finished before the kids ever arrived home.

They all ate dinner together later that evening, chatting idly. The kids took turns talking about their day, telling stories, and making jokes. As Harley watched the kids, a small smile formed on her face as she listened to them talk.

Once everyone had finished eating and had cleared the table, the kids went to work on their homework while Laura and Harley cleaned up the dishes. With everything finished early and the sun still out, Harley suggested they all spend some time outside. “I know I just kind of showed up yesterday, but I brought a gift for each of you kids today,” she said.

“A gift? Really, Harley, you… you didn’t need to bring anything,” Laura said hesitantly.

“Yes, I did,” she replied. “I wanted to. They’re in the car, come on,” Harper urged.

The kids hopped up and ran off outside, following Harley to her car. Laura trailed behind slowly, not wanting to ruin a moment for the four of them but always skeptical of Harley.

After opening the trunk of the car, Harper pulled out a large bow and a quiver, “This set is for you,” she said, handing it to Cooper. She pulled out another set with a slightly smaller bow, giving it to Lila. Nathaniel stepped forward, looking into the trunk next to his aunt. “Don’t worry, little man, I got one for you too,” she said, pulling out a small plastic toy bow with a small quiver holding plastic suction cup arrows. Harper couldn’t help but chuckle a little as the little boy squealed with excitement.

“Really, Harley, you shouldn’t have,” Laura said, trying to sound grateful but failing miserably.

Harper walked over to Laura, “The arrows all have plastic tips so that no one can get hurt. Clint and I started when we were barely older than Nate is now. Besides, this is the only thing I know. Might as well keep the skill in the family, right?” she joked gently.

Laura didn’t reply but instead smiled weakly. “Alright then, I suppose I’ll allow it.” She turned away from Harper and headed back to the house, leaving the kids with their aunt and new gifts. Once inside and out of earshot of Harper, Laura took out her cell phone and called Clint.

Clint answered by the second ring. “Hey, what’s up?” he asked.

“Hey, are you busy?” Laura asked.

“No. No. Just going over some files, but it’s fine. Is everything okay?”

“I think so,” she said. “You just didn’t tell me that your sister would be stopping by the farm.”

“What?” Clint questioned, worry filling his tone.

“Well, I assumed you told her where we were…” Laura began, suddenly even more concerned than she had been the last two days. “But from the sounds of it, you had no idea.”

“Did she say what she wants?” he asked.

Laura paused briefly, glancing out a nearby window to see Harper showing Nate how to hold his little bow. “She showed up yesterday and said she wanted to meet the kids.”

Clint’s heart dropped. “Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered quietly.

“What does she really want, Clint?” Laura asked softly.

Clint stayed silent for a moment. “I don’t know, Laura,” he admitted.

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Laura asked. “Do you think she’s safe around the kids? I mean, so far, she seems like an entirely different Harley, but I can never tell with her.”

Clint sighed heavily. “It’s not the kids I’m worried about. She won’t hurt them, that much I know. She wants something from you, Laura.”

“What do you mean?”

“Harley targeted S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities all down the east coast. She took any file that so much as mentioned your name. We don’t know what she is after or what she is doing. But you know my sister. If she’s going through all this trouble, it’s nothing good,” he explained.

“Has she hurt anyone?” Laura asked.

“No.”

“Then why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner?!” she yelled into the phone.

“I’m sorry. I thought we could handle it,” Clint tried to explain.

“Handle what? Your sister? Are you kidding me, Clint?!” she snapped.

“Look, we’ll be there tomorrow, and I’ll take care of it. Okay?” Clint pleaded.

Laura relented. “Okay. I trust you,” she said, sighing heavily as she ended the call.

She hung up her cell phone, throwing it onto the couch beside her. Laura sat on the sofa and rubbed her hands down her face in frustration. “Damn it,” she cursed, running her fingers through her hair. “I knew it was too good to be true…” she mumbled under her breath.

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