LostinØrnes

The midnight patrol, Peter’s favourite time of day. After 10 hours stuck inside a stuffy lab, with barely enough windows and broken aircon. Peter relished the fact he had the opportunity to just spend hours outside, in an attempt to unwind. All be it, his way of relaxing was far different to that of the average person. Yet Peter enjoyed the stillness of the night, the quiet city slept beneath him, as he tried to process all the thoughts he had throughout the day. It was the one time he truly felt like he could be himself, with no one around to ask anything of him. The cold air of December nipped at his skin through his Spidey suit. The chill felt like small needles which continued to prick against his body, while he swung through the air. Peter enjoyed the sensation, it kept him awake at a time he knew he should have been asleep. His wrist flicked and caused a new string to fly from his palm, his left hand gripped it tightly, his body swinging at speed around the next building. But as he felt his feet settle against the glass, he could feel a rush of adrenaline shoot up his veins. That all-familiar spider tingle had started to work its way through him, which caused his hairs to stand on edge. His body tensed at speed, in an attempt to prepare for whatever was to come next. His eyes squinted against the night, his pupils darting in all directions as he endeavoured to find the cause of his tingle. That was when he observed the reason. Near the docks he spotted a woman standing in the middle of the street, her body bounced from side to side as she seemed to prepare herself for something. Intrigue drove Peter to silently swing closer, and take a moment to assess the situation.

With a quick “thwip” Peter found himself attached to the side of a warehouse. His fingers spread wide as they clung to the bricks and his toes pressed against the cement. Her body continued to bounce, and her neck craned from side to side allowing her limbs to release a satisfying cracking sound. He could feel her heart rate continue to increase as the seconds drew on. Her hair was a pale colour, almost see-through. The street lamps light seemed to bounce off of her, emitting a soft glow. Her body was covered by a black and white outfit. Her arms and legs were coated by a white spandex type fabric and her body was framed by a black bodysuit, which sat at top of the white. It almost looked like a layer of amour. Her eyes were protected by a black mask and the neck of her suit stretched and settled over her mouth and nose like a makeshift mask. “I can do this, I’ve got this” She repeated the words to herself like a mantra, in an attempt to convince herself. Peter crawled slightly closer, but his attention was soon stolen by the sound of screeching tyres. His head spun and watched the unmarked truck speeding in her direction. Two men stood on the outside, the sound of sirens soon followed behind them. His body moved into overdrive, his wrist stretched out wide, and his hand shooting a web in her direction. Yet when he went to aim, she was gone. Her spot is now empty. Peter turned his attention back to the truck and heard its tyre’s screeching to a halt. The two men on the outside screaming in some foreign language, like the one inside panicked and slapped his hand against the wall.

“Hey, uber for Spiderman?” Peter joked dropping to the floor. His body landed in front of the vehicle which caused all three men to swear. The man on the left side of the truck lifted his gun from his side and began to pepper shots in Peter’s direction. His body flipped and dipped as he dodged the bullets until his clip was empty. “Carry on and I will only rate you four stars” Peter shot out a web and grabbed the weapon from the man’s hand and threw it across the floor. While the man defeatedly watched, Peter shot again and glued his body to the vehicle. His attention then turned toward the other man on the outside, his fingers ready to do the same as he raised his weapon. But Peter notice a flash of light hit against the gun, his eyes squinting as he tried to reassure himself he was not seeing things. As the man attempted to shoot in Peter’s direction the gun fell apart in his fingers. His trigger finger left pulling on empty air. Peter webbed up the bewildered man, leaving him even more confused. The cop cars finally made their appearance around the corner and with no route for escape, the driver of the vehicle had already admitted defeat. His hands lifted above his head, while he waited to be taken away.

“I didn’t realise this was an Uber Pool” The voice caused Peter to jump. His body instinctively shot a web in the direction of the noise, but he watched as the fluid passed straight through her. “Hey, less of the webbing, please” She joked letting her body settle back into a solid form. “I’m all for being tied up, but not in public jeez” Peter let out a nervous laugh, his mind confused as to what had just happened. How did his web, just shoot right through her and where had she been the whole fight? The sound of shouting cops filled their ears, as Peter continued to stare at her confused. Although he could not see it through her mask, her tone made it clear she was smiling underneath it. Her eyes continued to watch him with intrigue. “Anyway, I best be going. The last time I did this, they threatened to arrest me. See you around Webs” Her knees bent ever so slightly, as she pressed her toes against the hard ground. The earth soon left behind her, as she took off into the night’s air. Peter had less than a few seconds to comprehend what he had seen before the Chief of police ran to his side and questioned what had happened.

The next day, all Peter could think about was her. His normally logical mind was unable to understand what had happened. She looked like a perfectly normal person, so what had caused her to be able to alter her form so his web could pass through her. He could barely concentrate on the data he was working on, so when the clock finally hit five, he rushed out of his office quicker than he ever had before. For the first time, he felt himself wishing for some crime, in the hopes he could see her again and gain some answers.

Peter laid against his sheets, his hands held across his chest and his feet swinging off the end of the bed while he listened to the police scanner. Only minor incidents seemed to be occurring, nothing that would need the attention of Spiderman. He could feel himself growing frustrated at the situation and he needed to escape. He rummaged around in his beaten old backpack until he found the friendly suit and slipped it over his limbs. His face was soon coated by the familiar fabric and his eyes adjusted to the slightly obstructed view. He leant against his desk chair and twisted his back, in the hopes to loosen a few knots which had made themselves a home in his lower spine. His arms swung in front of his body, and his legs stretched into a deep lunge. Once he felt the bones click into the place, he knew he was ready. His body dived over the fire escape and his instincts took over as he swung through the night.

“Anything interesting going on in there?” Peter’s body jolted and moved into battle position when he felt a finger press against his head. His Spidey sense had not even perceived anyone joining him at his favourite spot. After hours of aimlessly swinging around, Peter decided to take a moment and rest his body on the empire state building. His favourite place to just come and observe the views of the city below. No one else in the world could reach him there and if they could he would have known about it. However, his eyes were soon met by her's. Her mask scrunched around her neck, like a turtle neck shirt and a bright smile on her lips. “You're so jumpy” She laughed, settling her body next to his. His heart took a few moments to adjust itself back to a normal speed. “I was just doing a once over of the city, you know to make sure everything was clear” She waved her arm toward the empty streets below. “And then I spotted this mysterious figure perched on the side of one of New York’s highest buildings, and you know I had to come and investigate” She let out a sad sigh, and settled back on her arms. Her head flat against the building, her eyes glued on the stars above. “Hopefully one day you won’t try and attack me just for saying hello”

“Can you blame me, you’re a walking… well-flying jump scare” He joked trying to ease the atmosphere. After Gwen, Peter had become guarded. His walls were built so high, in an attempt to keep the emotions out. He had worked through the seven stages of grief, with anger being the hardest to control. But even after all this time, he still thought, well knew he would be better only having to worry about himself. Her sarcastic tut scolded him without any words, his body settling into a comfier position as he crossed his legs. “So, do I get to know your name today, or am I going to have to just refer to you as jump scare?” Her finger tapped along her chin, and her smile turned into more of a smirk.

“Ah Ah Ah, you think you can get my government name out of me so easily. What if this is all part of your plan, and once you know my identity, you turn me into the cops and get me arrested because you are jealous there are now two heroes in town?” Her hands moved animatedly in front of her face, her eyes bright while she spun this elaborate tale. “Jumpscare will do just fine Webs”

“That’s such a shit nickname” He joked, which caused her body to bolt up in shock. Her hand held to her chest and a disappointed look was painted on her face.

“I worked hard on that” She whispered, but all Peter could do was laugh. His body leant forward and his hand rested on her shoulder with a supportive squeeze.

“It’s okay, not all of us can be good at everything. Sadly, I don’t know how that feels, but I do feel sorry for you” With a laugh she let her eyes meet his, he felt as if she could see him through the mask. But as his vision glued to hers, his body started to lean forward. Her fame disappeared from in front of him and left him to fall and land against the glass with a thud. Her laughter from behind ringing in his ears, as he rolled over with a grunt. “That was rude”

“Oh, I am sorry, manners are just another thing I am not good at” She mocked, her body floating ever so slightly in the air. A devious grin painted onto her lips, as Peter rubbed the sore spot on his head.

“So, from what I have seen you can fly and disappear… is there anything else I should know about you?” He questioned. Half of him knew she had something to do with the gun falling apart yesterday, but until he had heard it from her mouth, he thought best not to assume.

“I can possess things as well. Hence why that truck came to a sudden stop yesterday” She said the words so effortlessly, as if it was a completely normal thing to be able to do. Her body bent toward him in a bow. “You’re welcome”

“You’re are a ghost, fantastic” He mocked. For years he had felt haunted by the thoughts of Gwen and his Uncle Ben. The two people who had always believed in him, let down in an instant by his decisions. So, to now actually be faced with practically a physical spirit, Peter felt like it was some cruel joke from the universe. “Can I ask how you got these powers?” Her body floated closer to his, her face just centimetres away.

“My mom told me to not fuck about with a Ouija board, I fucked about with a Ouija board and accidentally invited a not so nice spirit into my home. I tried to close the gate, he was having none of that and somehow, we got into this fight and then I died for like ten minutes” Her hand beckoned Peter closer to her, while she whispered into his ear. “Which can I say is not fun, it’s just boring” Peter shook his head, a man of science was being told that the other side was boring… he didn’t quite know what to make of it. “Anyway, I woke up, my mom had a cross in my face and was screaming prayers at me and then from then I could do all of this” Her hands moved up and down her body, indicating to herself.

“How comes I have never seen you around before?” From the way she was talking it sounded as if she had been living with her powers for a while, and yet yesterday was the first time he knew of her existence. However, having learnt more about her, it was clear that potentially her powers helped to block her from his senses.

“I moved here like a week ago, I was living in a little town where nothing ever happened. It didn’t really give me a chance to work on my skills, so I packed up and moved here. Although I didn’t realise New York’s very own superhero was too good at stopping crime. So If you could let me have a chance to save everyone, I would appreciate it” Peter sometimes wished he had a suit with technology built-in, that allowed his suits eyes to move with his own. Because currently, he sat in a state of shock.

“I am afraid, that isn’t possible. It’s not really in my nature to just, not stop crime” Her body moved away from him, but he leant forward to close the gap again.

“Fine…” She bit on her lip ever so softly, as he watched the gears in her mind turning. “How about a challenge?” Peter’s head titled with curiosity, his heart racing with excitement at the chance to do something fun for once. “Over the next few days whoever stops the most crimes gets to be the hero and the loser their sidekick” This was a challenge Peter could get behind. It would be easy, the newbie in town vs the boy who had grown up there. There was no way he wouldn’t win.

“How do we keep score? Because I don’t know you well enough, to know you won’t cheat?” She shoved her hand deep into her pocket and rummaged around until she pulled out a sharpie marker. Her body drifted towards the edge of the building and found a bit of metal. Peter crawled along to her and watched her scribble their names above a tally chart. Her hand held the pen next to the drawing, which Peter webbed to keep it stuck in place.

“Every morning, 8 am, we meet here and mark our scores from the evening. I would say later but I have work at 9, so it will have to be 8” Peter shook his head with a small chuckle, he was thankful as he too had worked at 9 so it fitted in with his schedule as well. “Do we have a deal?” She held her hand out toward him, which Peter took gingerly into his. Her hand wrapped around his palm and they both shook firmly. “I will see you at 8 am” She pressed her body back from Peter’s and let her limbs float just over the edge of the building, but Peter could not pass the opportunity. His wrist leant forward and shot a web around her ankle and anchored her body to the ledge of the building. Her figure tugged and pulled as she attempted to get out of his hold.

“Sorry, we didn’t set any rules” With that Peter dove over the edge of the building and took off swinging, the word Webs echoed behind him in her screaming tone. But Peter had a bet to win.

“There is no way you stopped three guys last night! I only heard about two on the scanner” She moaned as Peter added an extra tally under his name. His body just turned to her with a shrug, his fingers digging in his pocket until he found his phone.

“Well I knew after yesterday’s argument you wouldn’t believe me, so here is my proof” Peter held his phone in her face, his body holding it just out of reach as she attempted to grab it. “No touching” He warned, his finger swiping along with the photos. The first was a selfie of Peter in front of two guys on his web. The next was him pulling a thumbs up, next to a woman in the back of a cop car and then an action shot of him pulling a gun away from a mobster. They had been at this game for three days now, and the scores were close. There had been a few incidents where they had been at the same place at the same time and therefore they settled on half a point each. Yet she constantly argued with Peter on his wins, so he decided to start providing evidence. He was used to a camera, so thought why not use it to his advantage. “As you can see, I’ve won” Peter tapped his foot against the tally marks, her arms folding in frustration as he did so.

“No way, we still have tonight” She rebutted, which caused Peter to laugh. He could tell she was not going to give in so easily.

“You're making up the rules as we go along!” He shouted, but she pressed a finger to his covered lips attempting to silence him.

“My game, my rules. Just one more night” Peter rolled his eyes under his mask but nodded. Secretly he was having fun, the most fun he had enjoyed in a while. She was pushing him to a new level which he had never gone to before and for once it felt rewarding being Spiderman. Part of him didn’t want their games to end. “I will see you at 8 am tomorrow, and don’t worry I have your costume sorted already. I hope you like booty shorts” Her body took off into the early morning sky, leaving Peter to release a laugh as he watched on. It was December, there was no way he was going to be swinging around New York in booty shorts.

“Hey medieval times, the natural history museum called they said it’s past your bedtime” Peter shouted across the street, toward the guy dressed in full knight's amour. A large joust in one hand, and sacks full of money in the other. He had blown his way through the back wall of the bank and was attempting to run off with multiple bags at once. Peter took a few cautious steps across the street, however, his eyes grew as he watched his joust illuminate with that familiar glow. The wooden object snapped in half in the man’s hand and fell to the floor. While he was distracted Peter took the opportunity to stick his feet together, sending his body rolling down the steps of the bank. Peter’s foot soon rested on the man’s chest, as he waited for her to appear.

“This is my point, I am claiming it right now” She shouted appearing at Peter’s side. However, Peter’s fingers just pointed to the webs around his ankles and his foot on the man’s body. “No, but I stopped him first, I broke his joust”

“Excuse me, sir, sorry to bother you” Peter shuffled his foot up the man’s body, and kicked the faceguard up. “Hi, nice to meet you. I am Spiderman, and this is my sidekick” Her knuckles made direct contact with his arm, as she sent a firm punch in his direction. “Quick question, whom would you say stopped you?” The man grumbled and groaned, attempting to free his body but he shortly accepted his efforts were useless.

“You” He coughed out, which caused Peter to smile with delight.

“Can you say that a bit louder please?”

“You” He groaned again, which caused her to grab the sides of her head in defeat. Her mouth released a frustrated groan, while her body turned to walk away. Peter allowed her to take a few steps at first, but then shot a web at her wrist and tugged her back toward him.

“Where do you think you’re going? Can’t handle defeat?” He teased lowering his head to her height. Her mask covered her nose and mouth, but her eyes showed enough emotion for Peter to tell she was annoyed.

“I have a costume to return” She grumbled, folding her arms like an annoyed child. Peter’s web was still attached to her, which caused his wrist to jolt due to her movement. “Best two out of three?” She questioned with a glint of hope in her eyes. But Peter just shook his head.

“The rules, no matter how loose they were, were clear. I have won and now you have to be my sidekick” He leant in closer to her, his nose practically brushing against hers. “Don’t worry I have lots of fun things planned for you. Like collecting my dry cleaning, making a scrapbook of all my wins, you know sidekick things”

“And what if I say no?” She was taunting him, a smirk on her lips as she did so.

“Then you aren’t playing by the rules and therefore there will have to be some form of punishment” Her eyes squinted toward him, as her lips released a small hum as a response.

“Please just send me to jail, watching you two is worse than any punishment I could ask for” Peter flicked his wrist and shot a web to stop the man’s mouth from moving anymore. His eyes did not leave hers as he did so. Her face leant in ever closer, her lips settling next to his ear.

“Wow” You stated back flatly. You pushed your body finally away from the support behind you. Now standing face to face with the woman in front of you. You saw confusion in her eyes now, as you steadily began to close the gap between yourselves. Slowly you leant in, your mouth now inches from her ear. “Wow, as in how could someone be so incredibly stupid to transform outside of the bathroom and not expect me to notice” You pulled away again, a grin planted on your face. This was the mood booster you needed. With that you pushed past her and made your way out to the hall. “Bye Loki” As you left, all you could hear was a loud “Shit” from behind the wooden door.

You quickly found your way back to Thor, he had returned to his original post high above the crowd. His hands frantically waving up to you, as you returned to the grand hall. After handling the royal prick, you couldn’t think of anything better than going back to the easy conversation you had with Thor.

“My lady” You felt your cheeks blush as he leant down and offered you his hand, helping you climb up the last few steps.

“Where have you been?”

“Your brother decided to follow me into the washroom” Confusion twisted its way into Thor’s brow, his eyes saying “Should I even ask you about this” as he nudged you in the side. “Nothing like that!” The words rushed out of your mouth quickly, at a speed almost hard to catch. But why would you ever want Thor to assume you had quickly run off to have a secret moment with his brother. As Thor nudged your side again, the halls doors opened again.

The golden horns glinting as they entered the room. “I have a theory” Thor mused aloud, tapping his finger slightly along his rough jaw. “Do you trust me?”

“Father did say tonight was about creating relations” You joked back light heartily. This was the man you would have to spend years working with to keep your kingdoms alive. You had no choice but to trust him.

“Perfect” His voice drenched in excitement, as his arms quickly made his next movement. Within seconds you found his arm resting lightly on your hip, as his hand gently pulled you closer to his body. “I am going to count to five” His breath was hot on your shoulder, as the numbers started to fall from his lips.

“What are you doing?” Before he could even answer, you felt another presence join you both.

“Brother” Thor cheered, pulling him into his arms as well. “Isn’t it nice for the three of us to be reunited again”

“You two seem to truly be relishing in it” Loki spat back, shoving his brother off of him with all of his might.

“You followed me into the washroom?” You questioned, now moving from under Thor’s arm.

“You can’t prove that”

The other’s face was more twisted in confusion. His brow pulled together tightly, as he questioned his vision. His golden helmet was covering his now longer black hair, while also settling nicely on his pronounced cheek bones. His eyes blue and intense, as if he could make your whole body run cold with a single look. But the face still clearly read Loki.

“I should hope so” You finally managed to choke out. “I did used to run this place” You could feel the confidence growing within you.

“Excuse me” Loki addressed you for the first time. “It is our palace, I doubt you could ever run something so grand” A smirk danced across his lips, as he waited for your response. Your eyes trailed over to Thor, throwing him a look you used to reserve for him, before turning your vision back to Loki.

“Interesting, if my memory serves me correctly, it’s your fathers” You could see his eyes roll slightly, as his head cocked to the side.

“What’s his, shall be ours” He almost spat the words out, any sense of humour in the conversation quickly stamped out. Your attention turned back to Thor, as he nervously watched from the side.

“Please tell me you did not grow up to be so boring as well” A smile quickly painted itself across his face, as his hand looped its way around your arm.

“Of course, not” His grin continued to grow, as his body started to move the pair of you towards the crowds. “Let us get drinks and continue to catch up” With that Thor turned you on your heels and dragged you across the room. Leaving a snarling Loki in his wake.

“So, then I won the fight, and father was so proud” Thor had returned with you to your seat, taking the one meant for your father. Both of you drinking in the moment, as you recalled memories from the years you had spent apart. It truly felt like old times again, as if a breath of fresh air had blown through your life. If only the same statement could be said for the mountain goat looking God, who returned to his seat above the crowd. His body pressed back deeply into his throne, as his hand twirled a small dagger around.

“Why is he, well like that?” You questioned, your head nodding slightly to signal the target of your question.

“Well as you know, there are those of us who are born to lead. You know my brother, power struggles are kind of his thing” Thor let out a hearty laugh, as he finished another drink. “He is either sulking because he isn’t the centre of attention or he’s planning a way to be” with that your laughter joined his. Images of childhood running through your mind, of Loki performing various magical acts to try and gain the rooms attention.

“Well at least you are glad to see me” You raise your cup to Thor’s as a toast, and took the last of your drink in. All while a pair of eyes burned into you from a far.

“If you will excuse me, I need to relieve myself” Thor used his body weight to heavily push his way out of his chair, slightly staggering as he took to his feet to stand.

“You are excused” you laughed, waving the man away. It seemed with his age, Thor had also learnt how to out drink that of an entire village. You let your body melt back slightly into your seat, using the moment of peace to regather your thoughts.

“Stop that” In what felt like less than a second of Thor being gone, a tower of leather and green stood before you.

“Pardon?”

“You know what” He snapped back again, dropping his body into the vacant seat.

“I’m sorry if I offended you, but I have been catching up with an old friend. You are more than welcome to join us?” You watched closely as a sigh left his lips, his body flopping back into the chair like a slouching teenager.

“Why would I want to do that?” He threw the question your way, but still gave you no attention.

“Well why have you come over here then?”

“Because….” You can see his brain scrambling to string a sentence together, his teeth chewing gently against his lip as the words waited to form. “Bored” He stated simply. “Jealous” you told yourself internally, as you rolled your eyes at the man child in front of you.

“This has been a lovely conversation, but if you will excuse me” As you went to push your chair out, his hand quickly found its way snaking around your wrist. His hand tugging you in slightly, but not with enough force for anyone else to notice.

“What happened to “you’ll always be my favourite Loki” he said the second half in a slightly higher pitched mocking tone.

“Are you crazy? Its 7am, only crazy people shout at 7am!” Bucky huffed, folding his arms across his body. You could tell he had only recently gone to sleep, his eyes heavy with bags. His lower half was covered in pyjama bottoms and his top in a loosely zipped up hoodie. “Who left hair removal cream, next to the toothpaste! They look the same” You held both of the bottles towards the two men. “I could have lost my teeth” You dramatically hissed towards them both. Their bodies recoiling at your words. “I don’t think it works like that?” Sam questioned with a laugh. He had clearly been up for a while. He was dressed in his training gear, and his water bottle half empty already. “I. Could. Have. Lost. My. Teeth” You stressed the point to the pair of them. Almost willing them to just confess now. “Sam said it helps him go faster” Bucky blurted out. Sam’s hand swiftly smashing itself against the others chest. “Shut up. That’s private” Sam snapped at him, smacking him again. “Plus, Bucky asked me to do his back yesterday. It’s his fault”

“Shut up” Bucky shoved his shoulder into Sam, causing Sam’s body to collide with the door frame. A heavy bang created against his landing. You threw the tube of cream towards the pair, snapping them out of their argument. “Well whoever it was, just clean up after yourselves. Now leave” You pointed your finger towards the door, your eyes watching as the pair shuffled away.

After your shower, you quickly threw together an outfit for the day. You didn’t really have any plans, since it was the weekend. But you liked routine, and wanted to feel like you had some form of structure for the day. You let your feet lead you towards the open plan kitchen living room. The apartment had a large sofa, which could comfortable seat around eight people. A coffee table sat in front, which was regularly used as a foot stool and across from that a TV Bucky had managed to get for free hung on the wall. Just behind the sofa and slightly to the left sat the kitchen. There was a large wooden island in the centre of the area, a few stools tucked neatly underneath it. A fridge stood in the corner by Bucky’s bedroom door. The name tag “Steve” thoughtfully written across the front of the metal object. You grabbed your cereal box from the top shelf and a bowl from the cupboard below. Balancing them both against your chest, as you moved to the island.

You sat quietly chewing away, your finger scrolling down your phone as you shoved more food into your mouth. You let your eyes leave the phone, as you heard the bedroom door click open. “Since I can’t sleep because of you, I am having some of your cereal” Bucky huffed, grabbing the box from the counter and pouring some dry into his mouth. “Wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t spend so much time on your hair care and less time on cleaning up after yourself” You cocked your head towards the sink, piled high with mugs and cups from Bucky’s room. “I’m getting to it” He shrugged back, pouring another mouthful in. “What are your plans today?” “Nothing really. I’ve been asked to go out for drinks tonight, but I’m not too sure” You went back to your phone, your eyes rereading a message from someone on tinder. You didn’t really want anything serious right now, but also you were bored and just wanted some attention. If it came with free drinks surely it wouldn’t be too bad? “Wow, you have a date. Good job” Bucky’s hand slapped against your shoulder. Your lips forming a small “Ow”. Sometimes the man with a metal arm forgot just how strong he was. Bucky and Sam had seen you at your relationship highs and lows. Just like you had with them. When you got dumped Bucky sat and watched the whole of the twilight saga with you. He didn’t even moan about how ridiculous the wolves looked. Whereas Sam taught himself dance routines to try and cheer you up. When Sam got ghosted by the girl he had been talking to for 5 months, you and Bucky took him out and got him so drunk he forgot his own name. There was also the time Bucky decided it was time to date again, only to be catfished. So, you and Sam created a whole new drinking game based in the apartment. A mixture of the floor is lava and nominations. “It’s not a date as such…” You turned your phone to Bucky showing him the persons profile. “Just a couple of drinks” You watched as he snatched the phone from your hand, his finger scrolling through the photos. “Really” He asked, holding a group photo in your face. The photo was a group of six people dressed as farm animals, all downing their drinks. “You must be lonely”

“Jheez thanks Buck” You took the phone back off him, and picked up your bowl. You pushed passed him, dropping your bowl into the sink. “You can clean that as well now” You sung back towards him. His eyes glared towards you, keeping full eye contact as poured more cereal into his mouth.

You decided to go tonight. It was only the bar across the street, if anything too serious happened you could easily run away. Plus, if the worse came to worse, you could just shout out the door and Sam and Bucky would be over there in a second. You didn’t make too much of an effort with your outfit. A pair of jeans and a nice shirt hanging off of your shoulders. Your hair just fell naturally, and your face was lightly dusted in makeup. Just enough to give you that extra boost of confidence. A pair of boots sat on your feet, you had made sure they were comfortable enough for you to be able to run away if you had to. “Look at you” Sam whistled as you opened your bedroom door. His body rested against his door frame. “Who’s the lucky person?” “Just a random tinder date” You shrugged, pulling your door shut behind you. “Wait a second” Sam slipped into his room. The sound of fast movements coming from behind the door, before he returned to his previous position. “Be safe” You fumbled as you caught the object he threw in your direction. A small purple latex square glaring at your face, as Sam started to laugh. “Thanks, I’ll use your bed” You smiled back, shoving the condom into your purse. “I would say don’t wait up… but wait until I text please” He just nodded, firing a thumbs up towards you. The bar was nothing spectacular. It was dimly lit, with booth tables scattered around the floor. There was a large wooden bar which covered the centre of the room. The bathrooms sat on either side of the object. You let your eyes scan around the room for your date, a slight sigh of relief when you realised you were there first. Walking over to the bar, you let your body drop onto a stool. Ordering yourself a drink, as you constantly watched your phone. A slight twinge of excitement shooting up your spine, as you saw a message flash up.

Bionic Man 20:08 pm

Where is my jacket?

You rolled your eyes and ignored the message. Continuing to sip on your drink, as you carried on waiting.

Bionic Man 20:20pm

This date must be amazing if you are ignoring my serious issues.

You were now onto your second drink, still waiting for your date to arrive. You opened up tinder, releasing maybe it was time to message them. But when you opened the app you were greeted with something that caused confusion. The person you had arranged the date with was no longer there. The messages no longer existed and the profile was no longer visible to you. You heart sinking as you realised you had been stood up. You didn’t really want the date. Of course, you didn’t. But it still hurt to not be good enough for someone to want to meet up with. You downed your drink and locked your phone again. Holding the glass up, as you waited for another refill. “Right I am sorry to interrupt” Your head turned towards the man storming towards you. Your eyes meeting Bucky’s. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting dark t-shirt. His hair was slightly slighted and his facial shaped more than it had been recently. “Oh, where is your date? Are they in the bathroom?” “No, just me” You span around dramatically, your hands indicating towards the empty seats either side of you. “What are you so dressed up for?” “Oh well Sam has gone out. So, I decided to go out, you know give this whole meeting new people thing a chance” He stood behind you, looking down on you as you finished another drink. “Do you want a drink? Or do you have to go?”

“Are you buying?” His mouth twisted into a smile, as he moved to the seat next to you. “No, I thought you would buy a drink for the heart broken person” You squeezed your eyes together hoping to push out a few tears, resting your head against his shoulder. Quickly Bucky shoved you away, trying to gain the bartenders attention.

“I don’t buy drinks for sad people” He laughed ordering himself a beer. “This is why you don’t get dates” You huffed, squinting your eyes at him. His mouth releasing a laugh at your reaction. When the bartender returned, he passed your glass back over to him. “My point still stands” You teased back, taking the drink.

“No, I don’t get dates because I spend all my time looking after you” His finger poked into your side, as he took a drink from his beer. “Me” Your hand slapped against your chest in shock. “I think it’s the other way around” “Is that so?” His eyebrow raised, as he shuffled closer to you. His shoulder resting against yours. “Look since I moved in with you, my dating life is non-existent. I thought living with a literal wingman, I would be having a great time!”

“I have been frozen, an assassin and now I’m years older than everyone in this time …and you think you are having a bad time dating?”

“Yes” You replied back, shoving against him. “I do”

“Right, well if that’s how you feel. I am going to leave you to wallow in yourself pity” Bucky took one last long drink from his bottle. His hands rested against the bar, as he began to push himself away. “If you leave me now, you will have to deal with me crying tomorrow. Do you really want that? Do you?”

As the years passed, you had been forced into proper “Nobility Training”. Also know as  let’s sit around and bore out any form of personality you may have. It meant you got to spend less time with your friends and more time studying maps and strategy plans. It had been drilled into you, that from the age of 15 you would be groomed to be the next leader. Much to your father’s disappointment he could only seem to produce girls, therefore forcing you to the top of the rankings. You would often watch your sisters enjoy some form of freedom. Yearning to be able to be that carefree again.

“Remember, you need to create relations in order to thrive as a leader” Your eyes rolled heavily, as your father pulled on some loose threads of his cloak. These were the times you wished your mother could come with you both, to events such as this. It was your first Asgardian feast in over a decade, and you knew she would have been able to sooth your fathers worrying. It was almost as if he had forgotten you had grown up around here.

“I think I should be fine” With a slight head tilt and smile, you pushed his hand away. Your handmaids had spent hours pulling you into your dress, the corset so tight you could barely breath. The fabric draped delicately across your open back, as you had requested if your father was wearing a cape, then so would you. The dress exposed your shoulders but gathered at your wrist, providing the feeling of wings every time you moved your arms. If you had to dress nicely, you wanted to at least enjoy it.

“I promise to behave, but that means you can’t drink in return” your fathers head turned towards you, a deadpan expression lingered on his face.

“When we get home, remind me to have some negotiation lessons arranged for you” Your eyes rolled heavily as you grabbed his arm, laughing lightly between yourselves as the grand doors opened in front of you.

The room was already brimming with people. Laughter danced across the air, as freely as the drinks being poured from various jugs. Your father towed you along at his side, constantly reintroducing you to people as you brushed by. Many only knew you as a small child, so to see a woman standing in front of them was a large surprise. You sometimes wondered if gods just forgot how aging worked. It felt like you had been walking for ages before you finally reached your seats, rows and rows of tables stretched across the hall as you released your fathers’ arm. “I am just going to go and see some old friends” The smirk on your father’s face told you that he would soon be full of alcohol. “If you need anything, I will be over there” He sloppily flicked his wrist into a general direction, before darting off.