#10 lines

2. Breaking Regs - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

A few steps later, he kissed her when no one was looking. It felt like hell to tear himself away from her and continue walking. They walked and talked in a shared daydream, detached from the reality around them, and a need broiled between them that was left unspoken.

They’d almost forgotten the purpose of their stroll, and suddenly it hit Kaidan.

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3. Hanar Hats for the Birthday at the End of the World - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

“Uh oh,” Wrex shouted playfully from the other side of the table. “Here she comes!”

He gestured to Shepard, who was doing something with her hips and hands. The way she moved about had absolutely nothing to do with the beat of the currently-playing song.

“It’s not a birthday party without some grooves,” she danced, inviting everyone else to do the same.

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4. Weekend, Chapter 2 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

“May I join you?” [Kaidan] asked, dangling [Shepard] so effortlessly she felt weightless.

He felt her hair brush between his thighs in response.

“Are you nodding your head?” he asked, trying to see past her bottom.

*     *     *     *      *    

5. Weekend, Chapter 3 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

“So,” [Kaidan] said, “How are you going to save the world this time?”

“If I told you the details, you’d never let me leave this room.”

“That’s not true, I’d let you use the bathroom.”

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6. Weekend, Chapter 4 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

She took his hand, bit her lip, and looked into his adoring eyes.

“I kind of want to show you though,” she said, pulse racing.

The tenderness in Kaidan’s eyes sharpened into want.

“Are you sure, Shepard?”

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7. Weekend, Chapter 5 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

“Uuuhhh? I don’t know. It’s been two years for you and only a few months for me.” [Shepard]

“Sleeping Beauty,” [Kaidan] agreed, grinning and moving some hair out of her face.

“Yeah," she laughed, "Pretty much.”

*     *     *     *      *    

8. Weekend, Chapter 6 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

“Wow,” [Shepard] said, water dripping down her face.

“I know,” [Kaidan] responded confidently.

“That’s new.”

“I’ve improved since I last saw you, Shepard.”

“Apparently!”

*     *     *     *      *    

9. Weekend, Chapter 7 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

Garrus, the largest of them, was curled up and leaning against Tali, who was the smallest and in the middle. Liara was snug in the bench's corner up against the wall, taking up more space than the other two with her legs spread out.

Shepard patted Kasumi on the shoulder, “Mind if I go join them?”

“Of course! I’ll be good up here alone.” She looked up at Shepard and winked, “I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

*     *     *     *      *    

10. Weekend, Chapter 8 - Mass Effect - Shepard x Kaidan

Kaidan clutched his datapad, holding it in front of him. Shepard put her fingers on her keyboard.

Maybe it was just a message away.

They each took a deep sigh. The same few seconds in the universe passed.

*     *     *     *      *    

 (Not yet titled Scott Summers/Steve Rogers fic that is a follow up to my other Scott/Steve piece I did that also ties into the Winteriron fic Yearning) “It’s early,” Steve mouthed kissing the messy crop of dark hair spilled over his shoulder inviting temptation into his life at the idea of spending the next few days doing nothing, but exploring each other without thought or reason, just indulging in hedonism until neither could take it any longer, “You should rest.” “I have a meeting at noon,” his lover sighed running his fingers over the planes of Steve’s chest, reaching out to slide his palm down over Steve’s abdomen to touch his skin as if his lover was also questioning if this was really still happening between them, “I can’t be late.” “Not even if you tell them you’re working on public relations?” Steve teased circling his index finger over the dip in the man’s spine catching the goosebumps that formed on his flesh in Steve’s caress, “When we’re working out the future of team unity here?”

Gone Forever (Scott/Logan) “Always only with me,” Logan teased curling his arm tighter around Scott’s body to pull Scott in over his chest more completely, “Although Nate’s probably going to wake up feeling insatiable himself when he starts talking about finding the leftover wedding cake.” “He’s going to want you to take him out sledding like you promised when we drove in and he saw that hill,” Scott reminded Logan with a sweep over fingers over Logan’s chest, “He’s not going to take no for an answer after your promised to take him.” “I’ll take him,” Logan kissed the top of Scott’s head, “I’m a man of my word Slim.” “I know you are,” Scott angled his head up to take another look at Logan, “That’s why I knew that I was destined to fall hopelessly in love with you the moment you tried to drown yourself in my lake.”

The Assignment (Bucky/Tony) “What do you think?” Tony decided moving in to reach for Bucky’s pants and open them as anticipated. “I think…that you need to have someone make love to you for once in your life,” Bucky answered pulling Tony up off the floor and into his lap, “To show you that you mean more than just a means of getting off.” “Getting off is easy for me,” Tony’s face grew hot in the admission, “It feels good, and I don’t have to think about… ”“What it means to mean something more to someone else who cares about you,” Bucky challenged touching Tony’s cheek and urging Tony to meet his eyes again, “To feel something about the person you’re sharing yourself with knowing that it means more than just pleasure.” “Pleasure feels good,” Tony challenged brazenly as Bucky’s firm grip returned to his bottom to squeeze him tighter than before. “Falling in love feels better.”

Better Together (Scott/Tony) “Can’t rush perfection, right?” Scott sighed lowering his head onto Tony’s shoulder and savoring the warmth of the man who held him. He felt Tony’s fingers sliding down over his spine, spreading warmth on the path that they were on as it appeared that once again obligation had set limitations on their time spent together. “Making love to you isn’t something I plan on taking lightly,” Tony’s sultry words caused butterflies to dance in Scott’s stomach as his body was filled with anticipation and longing for the one thing that they were yet to share with one another. As Tony’s lips found their way to Scott’s again, Tony’s right hand settled over Scott’s sharp jawline, tracing over his all-too-eager skin while Tony’s thumb skimmed against Scott’s chiseled cheekbone, “I want it to be perfect for us when it finally happens.”

Firestorm (Bucky/Tony) “Stevie’s gonna kill you when he learns what your stupid ass did. We both know that,” Bucky counseled the man in the mirror knowing that running off and marrying Tony Stark without warning or reason beyond what Bucky suspected was a whim was going to raise the door to suspicions and create a wave of problems back home. Still not wanting to dwell on it, Bucky combed his hair back one last time before taking in a breath and making his way out into the suite to face the morning.

Home Again (Bucky/Tony) “Jen,” Bruce spoke up behind an uneasy expression as his face was filled with a crimson color in everyone listening to his cousin’s excitement in her new position with the team. “Can we get this one to lay off the caffeine here?” another feminine sarcastic voice questioned and groaned when Luke returned to the conversation once again. “She’s excited Jessica and who can blame her? It’s not every day we get called up on an Avenger’s mission on short notice. Makes you feel like part of the A-squad right about now,” Luke reminded his wife when Jennifer’s conversation transitioned to Morgan again, who was now discussing what sounded a lot like a selection of mission themed snacks with another unknown male voice in the background. “Cheese puffs, cinnamon pops, sour cream and onion chips, chocolate chip cookies…” Morgan’s muffled words continued to ramble on as Jen piped in on the conversation. “Oh. Oh. Save me some of those cheese puffs,” Jen shouted over the com causing Bruce to cringe again with embarrassment. He threw out another apologetic look in Rhodey’s direction before struggling to keep things neutral in the conversation taking place. “Yeah, well if she gets any more excited and I’m probably going to knock her ass out,” Jessica groaned outwardly when there was another sound of rumbling on the other side of the communication followed by a loud crashing boom, “No offense.”

End of the Line (Bucky/Tony from the middle of the story in the middle of that chapter) “I don’t regret being there especially not now that she’s here,” Pepper noted with a shake of her head, “She has your temper especially when she’s hangry.” “Hangry?” Tony repeated with a wrinkled expression on his face, “I don’t get hangry.” “The hell you don’t,” Pepper groaned outwardly and rolled her eyes at him, “You have the worst case of hangry I’ve ever experienced not counting when Bruce’s other half is out or maybe Thor, but…” “So essentially you’re saying that our daughter likes to eat,” Tony teased poking at her side when the words rolled from his tongue feeling more foreign than anything when he allowed them to sink in.

Under Your Spell (Scott/Logan) “I won’t hurt him,” Logan promised standing up taller as he found himself filled with a new sense of hope, “Whatever happens I swear to you that I won’t hurt him Hank. I’ll find a way to avoid bringing his world crashing down when…” “Don’t make promises you can’t keep Logan,” Hank warned, “Scott’s in a very vulnerable place right now.”

Damaged (Scott/Logan) “Logan stop,” Scott had foolishly pulled away, denying his heart when his guilt had consumed him. There were so many things he should’ve said, that he should’ve done, but instead he’d given into the weight of his guilt and had said the worst possible thing imaginable. He’d offered up the truth, “Last night happened because Charles wanted it to happen. I only let things get that far because…” “No,” Logan shook his head furiously, “I don’t believe that…” “He wanted team unity and I knew that the only way to keep you at bay was to give you what you wanted,” Scott kept his back turned away from Logan, “I gave in to temptation because it was what you desired—what you needed, but for me…it…it was just…” “Just what?” Logan had questioned when Scott had done the unthinkable. “Another successful mission meant to keep you in line,” Scott had replied dismissively, with an uncharacteristic coldness before everything else that followed had felt foreign to the man he’d become. Instead of revealing the things that he’d always kept deep inside of him, he’d denied his feelings, offered up his body to Logan on the stipulation that Logan would continue to fight for Charles Xavier’s team. He’d been cold and cruel, offering himself as a tool for Logan’s compliance should Logan demand it, but what he hadn’t been able to provide the man he’d loved was his heart.

Not Tonight (Tony/Bucky) “Are you listening to me? I said empty your pockets!” “And I said no,” Tony responded slapping the gun away as the man who threatened him looked back with bewilderment behind the blue eyes that were staring at Tony beneath the mask.

From: Just a drop of water in an endless sea: Part 05 Caught between the Scylla and Charybdis (Ironstrange, post-Endgame):

Placing one hand on Tony’s hip, he caressed the other along the underside of his left arm, gently raising it up.  His fingers stroked along the pulse point of his inner wrist and then turned Tony’s hand and pressed two fingers to his palm to nudge it upright, as he’d shown him over the course of these lessons.  Stephen kept his other hand to himself; it would be too easy to distract them both with too much touch. 

“Remember the gesture,” he directed, his mouth close to Tony’s ear. 

Tony nodded, and honed his attention at the open space of the dojo.  He took a deep breath and visualized a clear picture of his intention, and then slowly rotated his hand the way he’d been practicing for weeks now.  He felt the energy shift and wane and doubled down until he felt something both cold and hot pushing back at his hand.  The area in front of him rippled and pulsed and then...

...it shimmered.         

A gold and red swirl of energy spun clockwise, and then the two colors parted, like the tear-shaped, dualistic Taiji, and opened up like a door.  A gate. 

At last. 

A soft gasp eased into a whimper that wanted to be a cheer, but Tony was terrified to jinx it now that he’d finally gotten it right.  He wasn’t tumbling into a storage closet, and he wasn’t flinging himself backward into one of the many expensive artifacts around the Sanctum.  And so far, he wasn’t being sucked through the gate, but the wider it opened, the more he could recognize his workshop back at the compound. 

“Good afternoon, Boss,” FRIDAY’s voice greeted, and a shaky laugh barked in triumph from the mechanic. 

From: And it's a long way down (Bobby Drake/Christian Frost):

Christian blinked but before he could say anything else, Bobby led him across the sand to the tent Tony arranged for their comfort.  It wasn’t like a camping tent with zippers that retained the heat and stillness inside.  It was more like an events tent, though this was Tony Stark’s doing, so a tarp flooring had been set down, and inside three fans had been strategically set up, running on Stark tech so that no electricity or batteries were needed.  There were also chairs and two couches set inside, all apparently older furniture that Tony no longer used in the Malibu estate on the cliffs above them, so he left them in reserve for such occasions that required comfort. 

The sudden rush of cool air blowing on him was bliss.  It allowed his mind to reboot, in a way, even though it really wasn’t the heat outside that had shorted his thoughts.  Christian allowed Bobby to lead him over to one of the couches and pushed him gently onto it until he bounced a little on the cushions. 

“I’m actually okay, Bobby.  I just...” 

Bobby once more trailed his tongue around the ice cream, catching where it had started to melt during their trek inside the tent.  He was about to sit beside his boyfriend when he realized Christian’s words cut off the moment he’d started in on his cone again.  Oh. 

From: Breaking Inside, Part 1 of Outside the dawn is breaking (But inside the dark I'm aching to be free); Scott/Logan, X-Men 3 Fix-it:

Carrying over everything he’d been asked to grab along with the salad, Scott placed them all on the island and lined them up as an assembly line to make it easier.  He picked up the quiet between Logan and Emma and when he glanced over, he could tell from experience that something was likely said telepathically.  He’d been mentored by a telepath for half his life and engaged to one for much of that time as well. 

“You know, Emma, I have to say that I’ve seen hunting cabins over the years, and this is far more luxurious than any of them.  And that includes that lean-to that Logan’s got sequestered away just the other side of the Canadian border that he sneaks away to when the kids get too loud for him,” Scott said as he stepped out of the way of the line-up of toppings and salad so that the other two could grab their plates first. 

Logan, however, shoved a plate with a thick piece of salmon and a potato into Scott’s hands.  He jerked his head toward the island. 

“Get your food, kid.  You’re the one who’s been starving himself for months, surviving on what...crackers and cheese at the school because that’s what you’ve been scrounging at two a.m. when everyone’s been asleep,” he lectured, gently, not wanting to start another fight with Scott.  Not before he’d gotten some food in him, some answers from Emma, and some more sleep. 

From: All lost in a wonderland (Strangers in Paradise); Emma Frost/Steve Rogers, pre-relationship:

She really needed to learn to not be attracted to men with complicated pasts, whether it was their exes or not.  Though in Steve’s case, it was less about his exes – as one was happily involved with another man and the other had aged as normal and passed on.  Quite frankly, if she had to be compared to someone’s ex, she would prefer it to be Peggy Carter because she was someone to admire; unlike Scott’s ex. 

But to remind him of his mother? 

“It’s an impressive view, isn’t it?” Steve’s voice broke through Emma’s thoughts and made her jump slightly. 

Emma chastised herself for being so distracted by her own inner bullshit that she hadn’t even picked up on someone joining her on the landing pad.  When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Steve halfway up the steps to where she stood. 

“It’s very impressive,” she answered and let her eyes linger on him long enough to infer something other than the New York skyline. 

Steve’s ascent paused just a second, and he blushed before continuing up the rest of the way to the smaller deck for the flyers.  He stood next to Emma and leaned on the rail. 

“It surprises me how quiet the city is from up here,” Emma remarked and shifted a little closer to Steve’s body heat without thinking about it. 

“I know.  I can actually hear myself think out here.  Not like down below where it’s noisy all the time,” he said and actually lowered his voice when he thought about it.  He didn’t have music and conversations to talk over out here.  Though the music was still on his mind.  It was why he came out here instead of leaving Emma to her moment of solitude. 

From: A little shy and sad of eye but very wise was he; Frostiron:

Loki typed back a quick That sounds wonderful actually.  Just don’t order everything on the menu this time.  You’re feeding us and the Avengers.  Not Thor.  Extra dumplings?  Crab rangoon? all while he checked over the packages, which he tucked into another dimensional pocket.  He floated the phone to the side while he stuck his feet into fleece-lined fox socks, complete with little ears up near his toes. 

From: Of everything that stands, the end; Winteriron, no powers AU:

James pretended not to listen in, but he couldn’t hear the person Tony talked to, so he just got his friend’s side.  His mouth quirked at the side when it was obvious Tony was talking about him, and he even caught the whispered part that he wasn’t supposed to hear.  He watched Tony tuck the phone away then pull out his card to hand to Cyndi when she came back with their supper. 

“So, who’s this J?” he asked first. 

“J is Jarvis.  Actually Geoff Jarvis.  He’s my PA.  Uh.  Personal assistant.  He’s really awesome.  He manages everything for me.  Well, except my company.  That’s Pepper.  My life would be chaos if it weren’t for those two.  You’ll meet J soon,” Tony explained. 

“And he’s good with upending his schedule to come fetch us in a helicopter?”  James’ uplifted eyebrow served as the perfect punctuation. 

Tony nodded.

“He’ll show up with the bird, take my car back to the apartment, and you and I will head up to Ghent.  It’ll take about an hour to get there, and we can eat, and go for a sunset stroll.  The view will leave you breathless,” he said.  He laughed when James just shook his head.  “What?  Are you having doubts again, Aragorn?”

It was James’ turn to laugh, but it was stunted, more incredulous than deep.  Tony wanted to figure out how to make this guy really laugh hard from the belly. 

“Why do you do that?”

“What?” Tony questioned with a hand-shrug. 

“Give me weird nicknames,” James replied.

“Oh like you’re one to talk.  Calling me ‘Goatee Guy’ before you remembered my name,” Tony teased back. 

“Fair.  But...Aragorn?  Mad Hatter?  Where the hell do those come from?  You’ve got a goatee.  It fits."

Tony rolled his eyes, forgetting that not everyone got his connections between a person and a pop culture references. 

From: If it be your pleasure to cross the sleeping green between, Scott Summers/Steve Rogers:

The two of them lost themselves entirely in each other, tangled and suspended and surrounded by steam that they breathed into their lungs when the kisses needed pause for air.  They teased and stroked, their passions heightened but neither rushing for conclusion either.  Scott’s toes curled, his heels dug into the small of Steve’s back, and Steve held onto Scott one-armed and counting on the shower wall not to collapse so that his man wouldn’t fall.  They were both so ready to move to the next step that it wasn’t until Steve had a moment of clarity that he groaned and dropped his head to Scott’s shoulder, tensing out of frustration. 

“What...hey, Steve...what’s wrong?” Scott rasped out his concern.  He kissed the top of Steve’s head several times then leaned as close as he could to brush his lips to that naked shoulder. 

“Lube’s in the bedroom,” Steve muttered in the most mortified voice anyone had ever heard out of him.  “I don’t usually...in here...and when I’m by myself, I don’t need it in here because the water’s...Jesus...I’m sorry.” 

From: Roll the Bones, Pt 3 of Hemispheres; Loki/Tony (pre-relationship):

Tony whipped around and aimed daggers at him from his glare.  Bruce nearly fell back from the shock of it. 

“You almost Hulked on Loki?  Again?  What the hell did the Other Guy think Loki was gonna do, Bruce?”  He stalked toward Bruce until his science bro was tucked into the corner of the elevator.  Surprisingly enough, there was no tell-tale sign of green to Bruce’s eyes.  “That would’ve been an instant ‘not cool, game over, man’ moment, my friend.  I like you and I like your alter ego a lot, but I’m not gonna let him make a Loki-sized dent in my floors again.”

Bruce held up his hands and would’ve waved a white flag if he’d had one.

“Whoa.  Whoa, Tony.  Back the fuck up, okay?  I wasn’t going to attack Loki.  That is...the Other Guy wasn’t.  He...that is we were feeling pretty protective of him actually,” he explained in one breath.  Tony’s questioning head tilt gave him the permission to continue.  “Loki came to the lab looking a little like steak that had been dropped onto the floor and kicked a few times.  I immediately insisted on another x-ray to make sure that his previous damage hadn’t been...re-damaged.”  Bruce sucked in a deep breath and went on.  “Loki explained that he’d been down with one of Fury’s new training groups.  He had to...stand there and let them beat on him, and he couldn’t fight back with magic or anything else today.  I was pissed.  Hulk wanted out, but I got it under control, and it wasn’t aimed at Loki.  I don’t like the idea that Fury’s just using him as a goddamn target and not get to defend himself.” 

Taking a step back like he’d been punched in the gut, Tony clutched onto the rail attached to the wall.  He fist tightened around it, and it was a good thing he didn’t have one of his gauntlets on or else he’d have snapped it in half. 

“That’s what his comment was about.  The rough morning.  Fuck.”  Tony bared his teeth.  “FUCK!  I’m gonna kill Fury.  What the FUCK.  That was NOT in the treaty thing, and I don’t recall it being a condition of Loki getting to remain here.  Training with us and S.H.I.E.L.D.?  Yeah.  Helping us protect the fucking planet?  You betchya.  But standing there after only a month past nearly dying...to be hurt over and over and not get a chance to defend himself?  That’s bullshit.  That’s some serious bullshit right there,” Tony ranted. 

From: It's a question of lust, it's a question of trust; Pt. 2 Is this a dagger I see? series; Winterfrost:

“Does it bother you?” Loki asked as he met Bucky’s eyes.  He started to lift his fingers away from the prosthetic, but then Bucky shook his head.  “Does it hurt…or itch?”

“Used to.  I think most of the pain happened while I was…conditioned, so I really didn’t think about it.  Now it doesn’t really hurt so much.  I guess having something as long as I’ve had this thing, it just became a part of me.  The real me is this arm now…more so than the ‘real’ one that I lost since I’ve actually had this metal one longer.”  He laughed.  “Well, not this one specifically.  T’Challa’s people…made this.  It’s better than my last one,” he filled in.  Bucky caressed along the base of Loki’s spine, and he heard the quiet hitch and moan even while the prince kept up his examination of his shoulder with the lightest of touches.  “I like the way that feels,” he said, and that brought Loki’s attention to his face, as if to see if he was lying or not.  “I do.  No one’s ever really…bothered.  Most people have been freaked out by it.  And you’re not.” 

To answer Bucky’s question, Loki shifted around until he was resting on his knees now, and he dipped his head to trace the scarred flesh at the start of his prosthetic with his lips, feathering kisses as far over as he could.  Then he slithered around Bucky until his chest leaned into Bucky’s spine, and he finished the kisses on the other side. 

“I come from a culture of warriors, James.  Many may be scholars and academics and craftsmen and women, among many other noble pursuits, but above all else, many are warriors, and that means scars and missing limbs and eyes,” Loki whispered, as if he was now in a sacred space to show reverence and adoration.  He moved his mouth across the span of Bucky’s shoulders, brushing aside his chestnut locks to nuzzle and nip and kiss the back of his neck.  One hand slipped around to rest on Bucky’s stomach, which he felt trembling just as a quiet moan rumbled through his mortal lover.  “There is no reason I can fathom that would leave me feeling disturbed by your arm or the scars you bear.  They are a testament to your endurance…your survival.  The fortitude in you, the tenacity…you fill me with awe.” 

From: To get it right even a little / and that little grudging and awkward, Pt. 2 Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home; Loki/Steve Rogers:

By the time Steve stepped out of the elevator on the communal floor – once FRIDAY assured him that Loki was still playing the video game with Clint – he couldn’t tell if his heart had lodged itself in his throat or dropped all the way to his stomach where it now lay there heavily and made him feel ready to throw up.  Why the hell was he this nervous about asking someone out on a date?  Admitting that he really did like him and asking him to spend some time with him despite being a gigantic douchecanoe over the last…God, two months, essentially. 

He walked up the short hall and could immediately hear the familiar sounds of one of Bucky’s favorite games still going strong.

“Loks, aw c’mon, man!  You can’t just run ahead like that and leave me in the middle of all those zombies!” Clint exclaimed just as Steve made it past the wall. 

“Then hurry up and shoot the last of the zombies so we can make it to the exit.  You didn’t warn me that this level was actually timed or I would’ve done more to get us here faster,” Loki snarled.  “Why doesn’t this wretched game give one the ability to apparate around?  And if I were truly in this scenario, I would have far superior means to obliterate these creatures without having to rely on the incompetence of human-made weaponry!”