#''gifts

∞Because @multaingenium had a hard week and deserves to have an awesome mental-health day, and because I want to spoil them now for having to put up with my ass IRL next week, I made them a playlist for one of our muse ships I haven’t before - Thor & Stephen. I have others planned for our other ships but I mean like. I’m avoiding sleeping for my longest work day of the week to get this done so let’s be real my goals don’t always get realized. Still. I offer at least this for my babe, and hope that it makes their day to themselves better. Lots of love darling. And see you next week.∞

Where In Ancient Starlight We Lay - In Repose

Send in a 💏 and my muse will kiss yours... 29: as a promise.

Every once in a while, other Avengers would contract fleeting bouts of sudden and irrevocable guilt about realizing how much of his work he did alone, and how little they knew about when he was in or out of the dimension. Sometimes that would just mean them stopping in to keep tabs on him and medicate their consciences - Luke and Danny, sometimes Wade, Peter and Matt often. Other times he would get calls or voicemails from people who didn’t feel comfortable enough to drop by themselves, at least not unannounced, but who felt the need to at least be sure he was still out there - Steve, Carol, and even Xavier when the other man wanted to kibitz but couldn’t afford to leave the school. Then there were those who he would catch surreptitiously Googling him, or monitoring the satellite surveillance feed and checking on the Sanctum to see if it was still standing and settling on that as being good enough until otherwise needed - Natasha, Bruce.

Tony was both all of the above and something considerably more heart felt and at times annoying. Because regardless of how many times Stephen warned him, he would swan in on any given Tuesday afternoon, leaning against the bannisters or whatever big relic Stephen was trying to move, asking him about his diet, his Netflix queue, why he was currently saturated in various forms of magical radiation, if he liked the new bodega on the corner.

Or, less pleasantly, on days like today whether or not he was really sure he wanted to face his current suicide mission alone. If he had to actually face it alone, or if he weren’t just hiding behind his own mystery enough to keep everyone else safely away. Tony always had been eerily good at seeing through him, but today, it was the unfortunate truth that he was being pressured by the former rather than the latter.

“You can’t save me this time, Tony,” he’d said with a slant smile, though the bilious downturn of the inventor’s mouth told him what he thought of that gallows humor. The whole reason Tony was there was to save him from himself, and to be denied that opportunity out of necessity was for him a noxious concept. “It’s somewhere only I can go, and something only I can do.”

“How are we going to know, if one of these days you just never come back and the new Witch of Wall Street doesn’t follow social media like you do, and drags your merry band of monks back to the dark ages?” the billionaire asked archly.

“Okay first, Wong likes Snapchat way too much for that to happen, no matter who took up Mastership of the New York Sanctum or the title of Sorcerer Supreme. And second, our merry band of monks kind of owes the Avengers at least several million emergency favors, which they’d hold to even if they didn’t like it.”

Predictably, Stark didn’t seem even the slightest bit mollified.

“This isn’t going to be the end of the line for me, Tony,” he said, hoping that at least some of his calm optimism would rub off on the other man. But he knew this wasn’t just a question about this time. This was a question about next time, and the time after that, and every time after that he had to drop off the face of the earth to do his “lone wand-slinger” act. “This is just a simple diplomatic clean-up meeting. No assassination attempts, no recreational poleaxing known to be prominent in this area.”

“Give me a break, Strange,” Tony griped, his expression nonetheless softer as he stepped toward him. “Just. Give me some sort of promise I’m not going to lose the one guy I have on the front line none of the rest of us can easily get to.” And the earnest concern in his tone alone made Stephen sober up. 

“I promise. And if you don’t believe me.” Stephen stepped forward, giving Tony plenty of time to flinch back or push him away, cupping one cheek in one scar-lined palm, and planting a kiss to the other cheek. “Consider this a promise to follow that up with a proper conversation or Q&A session as soon as I get back. And I might be a slippery bastard, but even I’m not that much of a bastard,” he said as he drew back.

Tony chuckled, bright and disbelieving as he quirked a brow at Stephen. “I’m not so sure about that, doc. Because now you’re making me wait for that explanation, which might just be worse.”

Name: Clint Barton Age: 45 Do you like to cuddle?: with people I trust, yes that includes you Stephen  Can we make-out?: I’d be disappointed if we didn't  A night in or dinner out?: I’m up for either Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: ice cream all the way What makes you a good Valentine?: I’m great at cuddling, I’ll spoil the shit outta you, and I’m pretty good at giving head Would you cook for me?: I’ve always wanted to but considering your…‘special’ diet I’ll settle for providing your drink of choice Would you let me cook for you?: absolutely

Name: Napoleon Solo Age: 32 Do you like to cuddle?: With the right person, certainly, and you, handsome, look like the right person. Can we make-out?: I’d prefer it. A night in or dinner out?: Dinner out and then a night in? Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: Ice cream. Chocolate? What makes you a good Valentine?: I’ll bring an excellent bottle of wine, chocolates, and I’m willing to go down on you for as long as you want.  Would you cook for me?: I promise I can make you a better meal than almost any restaurant. Would you let me cook for you?: I would… be polite if you wanted to try.

HEARTH OF GOLD - AN AU PLAYLIST FOR ( @drcpalmer )

1. American Girl by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 2. Good Lovin by The Young Rascals 3. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson 4. Those Sweet Words by Norah Jones 5. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police 6. Foolish Love by The Moody Blues 7. Fooled Around And Fell In Love by Elvin Bishop 8. Make Me Yours by Bettye Swan 9. My Girl by The Temptations 10. Que Sera, Sera by Sly & The Family Stone 11. Next To You by Sting & The Last Bandoleros 12. Baby I Need Your Loving by The Four Tops 13. You & Me by Penny & The Quarters 14. Fields Of Gold by Sting

Above her the sun is shinning down, it’s warm for a winter day and she’d shed her heavy coat, laying down on the blanket beneath her. Legs crosses lotus style she takes a moment to collect her thoughts before addressing him. It’d been a while, she had’t been able to come the last two months between her work as Dean of Medicine and other obligations. For the first few months there had been memorabilia and flowers, the visits of mourners. But ten years later with her two month absence the headstone is starting to become dirty, the flowers she last left have long since dried out and only the scraggly twigs remain. No one else comes, not with any sort of frequency, but she’s here third Tuesday of every month.

“Sorry I missed our appointment Doc,” her back is leaned against the headstone, head tilted to catch some of the sun’s rays on her cheeks, “Been a little busy.”

Her entire existence seemed to revolve around one appointment or another, everything scheduled down to the last moment. It kept her busy, but she’d learned that scheduling in fun and self-care was the way to keep going. And she always scheduled him in, without fail and it was a rare occurrence she missed an Tuesday.

“Vincent had a recital last week, was tree number four and I gotta tell you Stephen, he was the most perfect little tree.” Soft smile on her lips she thinks of her peanut, a lanky boy of four, with his father’s dark hair and with her pert nose. “He did this ridiculous little dance, has no sense of rhythm, I had rather hoped he’d have inherited mine but, oh well. I’ve already got him convinced he wants to go to Columbia, Derek isn’t happy about that. Keeps talking about Brown.”

Snorting she shakes her head, “Like my son is going to go to a fru-fru school like Brown.” It was a constant tease between her and her husband, where their little boy would end up.

“Got another peanut on the way, this one is a girl. Derek wants to name her Tabitha, which just sounds like a cat’s name to me, but it’s growing on me. Besides, I got to name Vinny, so quid pro quo I suppose.” Allowing her head to thunk back against the unyielding stone she closes her eyes, feeling the breeze, allowing the tranquility of this place to settle over her. Hand caressing her rounding belly, not quite developed enough for her child to be kicking. 

“I miss you.” she tells the wind, the clumpy blades of grass beneath her, the tall branches to the trees nearby, something they’ve heard a thousand times over. “I think you’d love Vinny, he certainly loves you. Stories about how the Sorcerer Supreme saves the day. Billy’s doing well, too, told me to send you his regards.”

Checking her watch, the shattered face so familiar at this point she doesn’t even need more then a second to tell the time. Time’s up, she needed to get moving if she was going to pick up Vincent and still make it in time for dinner with the Roberts. Rising, collecting her blanket, she kisses her fingertips and rests them briefly against the headstone.

“See you next month Doc."