#budding relationship

So, he meditated. And truth be told, he did not expect the magic coursing through him to take him on a journey as it did. He was cast through worlds unlike his own - but you were there - always the center of his visions. He flicked through realities like a novel. Watching you smile and laugh - cry and scream - some showed you safe within a home and others showcased you hard at work in various ways.

What was more curious was that these visions had you see him. At least not your version of Stephen, but he was forced to watch through the eyes of another version of himself.

These versions of you smiled at him with such warmth that he felt his breath catch in his chest. When his other selves lunged to protect you, Stephen flinched as if he also wished to cast a wall between you and the threat. His heart began to beat rapidly. Roiling emotions burned in his chest until he saw enough and dropped the spell. He landed in the center of the protective runes and his eyes fell on you in an instant.

You didn't see his flustered state. You were too busy scribbling notes into a book you brought with you - intensely locked on your research.

So many realities and in almost all of them he had some deep connection to you…and it was the same here. Stephen knew that. But he didn't realize the extent of his feelings until he watched tragedy befall you in a vision. He didn't want that to happen here. The sudden surge of emotion in him was startling but not altogether surprising to him.

When you were finished with your research, Stephen presented you with a small trinket. It pulsed with magic - protective magic. And when you looked at him with a quizzical gaze, he merely smiled and said, "To one curious mind from another. So your research doesn't get you into trouble."

Oblivious to his turmoil, you thanked him and hurried home. Leaving the poor Sorcerer Supreme to ponder over what he saw today.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕤 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕:

Stephen knew that any relationship with him would be difficult. He was Sorcerer Supreme - Doctor Strange - a man who walked between realities as easily as stepping out of his home. Not only was his job rather dangerous, but he was dangerous. And so, Stephen buried his feelings under books, magic and multi-dimensional travel. Perhaps if he made enough distance between you, he could forget the affections that had rooted itself in his mind. He told himself he didn't have time for romance. That you were a colleague, nothing more.

Later, when nothing worked to rid of you in his mind, Stephen would reason that he couldn't give you the dedication you deserved. His title demanded every ounce of him- he couldn't share his life with someone like he wanted with you.

But you waited for him.

Every excuse he made, you took with understanding and patience. You came to him asking if he was busy, unknowing that he'd bend time for you. Sometimes Stephen forgot that he was trying to keep some sort of distance from you.

When you called, Stephen answered. Sometimes you wouldn't need too. The trinket he gave you was imbued with power that began to flourish in your presence. It protected you, yes, but the intention within the trinket wasn't just to keep you safe but to keep you connected to Stephen. He'd be the first to admit that magic was sometimes an unruly and mysterious force. To say he knew that the magic would grow like it was would be a lie - but he didn't remove the charm or change it. Just kept an eye on it.

The Sanctum started to welcome you as warmly as he did. The spirits within the halls were friendly and helpful, the magic started to serve you almost as closely as it did Stephen. Then there was the Cloak of Levitation. Every time you were near, it tugged you towards Stephen and crushed your bodies together in a tight, warm embrace. Like an eager pet seeing the longing glances and lingering touches - the Cloak took it upon itself to breach the distance Stephen made. You always laughed when you were tangled up. And Stephen would never admit that he melted from the inside out when you looked at him with that smile of yours.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℙ𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥:

A world was ending. Not your world, but another reality being plagued by a force that Stephen needed to vanquish before it bled into your reality. He was running on fumes, desperate for a solution and wrecked from a fight he didn't foresee. He returned to the Sanctum at the same time you were there. And when you offered to help, he couldn't say no. As much as he wanted to keep you as far away from danger as possible - he needed your mind. You were smart and he could trust you.

He explained the problem while pulling books and tomes and relics from shelves. Filling you in on the important details while searching for something - anything - to help him.

Stephen didn't realize you had hurried away, too focused on his rambling and exhaustion - until you came back with a trinket. "You mentioned something and it reminded me of this. Would this help?" You asked so unsure of yourself as you presented Stephen with the very thing he needed. Stephen would tell you to never doubt yourself ever again.

Relief washed through him. Pure, euphoric relief and before he could comprehend what he was doing - The Cloak tugged you forward, wrapping around you waist and Stephen opened his arms to embrace you. Your lips clashed together - a little unceremoniously and hard given the jolt your bodies were pulled in with - but the kiss was nothing but sweet and tender.

"You're brilliant. Thank you." Stephen gasped as he pulled away. The Cloak released you, allowing Stephen to open a portal and launched himself through it without dragging you behind him.

Leaving you standing stunned in a messy, silent archive. Flustered, lips tingling, you cleared your throat and decided to ignore what just happened… until Stephen returns some hours later. Looking beat up, exhausted but sheepish. His voice however, was strong - sincere - when he sought you out. "I owe you everything for what you just did." He said, looking around the cleaned library. Noticing your work without you needing to point it out. "I cannot offer you much. But if you ever need my assistance-"

"What about dinner?" You asked, cutting him off. And for the first time ever, you caught Stephen unawares. Stunning him into silence. You smiled and placed down a pile of books you were sorting, stepping towards him. "I think saving another world should equal a simple dinner with you, right?"

Doctor Strange nodded, a nervous laugh breaking his still expression. "Yes. Yes, I think I can arrange that."

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

You were happier now that Yelena’s permanent home seemed to have become New York, because it meant way more chances to actually hang out. But she loved to leech off of your apartment’s proximity to a really nice bakery with high quality bakes. Even worse, she’d brought a box of brownies back to the Tower once and the one leech had turned into six.

The ‘New Avengers’, as they were now known, had even added you to some new group chat with a primary function to beg you for more desserts from the bakery. At this point, you felt like you should be getting paid at least a little something for delivery of goods to a bunch of superhumans.

The group chat had lit up with messages at around noon today with Alexei, Yelena and John asking for yet another box of chocolate chip cookies. Ava had followed by sending a prayer emoji, and Bucky had sent a thumbs up, which was his way of signalling that he agreed with the request. You’d decided to take pity on them, because they’d been on a rough mission a mere few days ago and you hadn’t seen them since their return. 

When the elevator finally opened on the right floor, you were surprised by the serene silence that greeted you. Maybe they’d all finally managed to broker some sort of ‘silent time’ deal, which you were sure Bucky in particular would enjoy. You looked around as you walked further into the open room.

“… Hello?”

A head popped out from behind a wall.

“Hey!” Bob replies, shooting you a sort of hesitant and confused smile.

“Oh, Bob! Hi… are the others.. here…? I got the cookies they begged for.”

He frowns slightly.

“Did you not check your phone…? I texted in the group chat a while ago. They sort of left on an urgent mission two hours ago.”

Your face falls.

“Oh. I didn’t check… I just went right after work.” You groan slightly, throwing your head back to look up at the ceiling in annoyance.

“Hey, hey… it’s fine, you know. They should be back tomorrow, anyways. The cookies will still be fresh.” He reassures you with a bashful smile, standing up from the armchair he’d grown fond of reading in.

You nod in response, moving over to the kitchen to set the box of cookies on the marble counter right as Bob approaches.

“You could stay.” He offers furtively.

You chance a glance at him.

“No. I mean, I wouldn’t want to impose. I’m sure it’s peaceful here without them-”

“It’s actually pretty lonely… Quiet has always made me antsy. I don’t know how you live alone and stuff.” He admits.

“Yeah… I get you. Sometimes I freak out by how quiet my place is, too. Makes it real easy for thoughts to spiral.”

Your gazes meet and you share a small smile.

“… How are you feeling? Not… joining them yet?” You ask cautiously.

He shakes his head.

“I’ve been doing better lately…” He spares a glance to you. “But… yeah, some days are harder. Just… don’t wanna risk…” He clears his throat as he trails off.

You nod and move to gently pat his shoulder, but stop short, catching yourself. You knew Bob could be a bit hesitant with physical touch with people he didn’t really know. You didn’t want to assume the amount of space you took up in his life, and so you retracted your hand slowly, acting as if you’d gone to pick some lint off his clothing.

He smiles as he sees what you were wanting to do, his cheeks warming just slightly.

He clears his throat.

“Really. Please stay for dinner. Or a movie, or something. I was dreading having another dinner alone anyway. I can cook for us.”

You smile at his generous offer.

Out of all of them, you found that besides Yelena, Bob had been the easiest for you to befriend. He didn’t open up very easily. Well, none of them did, really, but he was more particular about how he went about it. And obviously, he’d have bad days where no one could really get as much of a word out of him, so the friendship between the two of you took patience more than anything else. However, it was evident that you both wanted it to work, and when it worked, it was great.

“Yeah? You’re becoming the Tower’s very own housewife, huh?” You tease, looking over to the empty sink and the loaded drying rack.

“Hey, superheroes never talk about their house cleaner, but their asses would be toast without one.” He boasts, opening the fridge to look at the ingredients.

He tilts his head, his shaggy brown hair bouncing slightly with the motion.

“Uhh…” He pauses, assessing his options. “Do you feel like chicken?”

You snort.

“Is that all you guys have in that massive fridge?”

He shuffles some things around in the fridge, checking for more dinner possibilities.

“…Um, okay, yeah. There’s also a box of takeout from Ava that is slowly going bad. Might’ve grown legs by now.” He says, popping his head out from behind the fridge door to shoot you a playful grin.

You make a face.

“Chicken, please.”

He gives you that sort of endearing side smirk he tends to do as he pulls the chicken out of the fridge. You, on the other hand, move to dispose of Ava’s takeout. From the smell of it, it really could have grown legs. And ran a marathon with them, too.

You chat amicably as he cooks, making amicable small talk.

“Did you learn to make this dish from your time as a sign slinging chicken?” You ask as you set the table for the two of you.

He groans and throws his head back while stirring the chicken as it cooks in a pan.

“Why did I ever let Yelena spread that part of my CV around?”

“Spread it around? It’s only me, Bob.” You laugh.

He raises a brow. “Dangerous enough, if you ask me.”

“I’m not a secret agent or something. So don’t worry, I won’t spread that sensitive information around.”

He huffs.

“Not why it worries me that you know about that.”

“Why then?” You tilt your head. “Oh, is it because you’re scared I’ll want to see pictures? Wait. Do you still have the costume? Because if that’s the case-”

“Oh, nah. The original one had to be burned because I threw up while wearing it. Meth. And stuff.”

You burst into laughter, and he turns his head to look at you as you do, a smile making it onto his face, too.

“Okay, just the pics, then.”

“Uh huh. I’ll try to scrounge some footage up for you. But only if you swear a blood oath not to spread it around to the fellow sign slingers here. They can’t learn my technique, y’know.”

The banter flows easily, and it all feels comfortable. It’s like the minimalistic décor of this floor of the Tower turns colourful and bright and grows wings and the whole room gets warmer. Being here, with Bob, feels like getting hugged by the very air you two breathe in.

Just as you’ve started to dig in, you ask something that’s come to mind while sitting at the dinner table.

“How does your dynamic even work? All of you, I mean. Is it more… family like now? Awkward family dinner? What are we talking?”

He snorts, his fork halfway to his mouth.

“Awkward family dinner…” He mulls it over. “Yeah, I guess. I mean… we try. There’s usually at least someone missing from the table, but I think… yeah, I think we all try in our own way to make something of this place, to make it more ours. Not just like… for each individual, y’know? Think we’ve all been alone for too long to keep that up.”

You don’t even know why you asked him that, but it relieves you to hear that they all try for each other. That they, that Bob, isn’t alone anymore. You nod your head, smiling softly.

“… Is it ever lonely for you to live alone? I mean… I dunno if you have friends coming over often or something…” He says, taking a bite of food right as he finishes speaking, as if to keep himself busy.

“I mean, I have some friends coming over, sure. ‘Lena when she’s feeling particularly annoyed by you guys. No offense. Or other friends, yeah. But it’s not constant or too often. So yeah, I guess it gets lonely sometimes. Winter is worst, I find. The shadows feel longer somehow. Creepy.”

He nods, seeming perturbed by something.

“So… like no… no… permanent visitors to your apartment lately?” He asks casually, though he doesn’t seem quite as nonchalant as he might be trying to be.

You purse your lips.

“Well, nah… I’ve been busy with work, so I haven’t really had time for any sort of hangouts or anything. Is that what you meant?”

He nods quickly, quickly eating another forkful. His shoulders seemed lighter all of a sudden.

“Cool. Cool, yeah. Not the work adding up, I mean. But just the… yeah.” He shuts up after that.

You smirk down at your plate in confused amusement, and you two finish off your dinner in pleasant, if not somewhat awkward, silence.

You settle in on the couch after washing up post-dinner. You sit in the middle of the couch, with lots of space to spare on either side, but Bob seems content to sit pretty close to you. You find that you don’t mind. You let Bob pick the movie, and he ends up settling on some sort of slasher film from the 90s.

As the movie starts building up the scares, you feel him shuffle closer to you just slightly.

“… S’okay if you’re scared.” He says softly, moving his hand over the back of the couch in a slightly laggy move, as if pushing through resistance.

You look over at him.

“I’m okay for now.” You reassure him with a small smile. “Is this you saying you’re scared?”

“Wha- No. Nah.” He says with a little huff. “I mean… I’ve seen this before, so it’s fine.” He admits sheepishly, the bravado dropping slightly.

Your laughter makes the back of your head hit his arm softly. You pause, and look over at him, only to find him watching you with a small smile on his face, making his smile lines show.

You feel warm all over again and move to pull away.

“No… stay. Please.” He whispers, not moving at all.

“Are you sure?”

He nods.

“Yeah. Yeah, I want you to. I want- yeah.”

“Is it true captains have someone in every port? You know a special someone. For l’amor. Or s-,”

“You don’t have to answer that!”

“Oh, I think the captain absolutely has to answer this question.” Sam chimed in. The grin was evident in his voice, making the captain flush. “This is going to be good.” Apparently he’d also been listening to the previous questions where they’d given the most noncommittal answers possible to what could only be described as the most bullshit romanticized versions of space travel ever asked. Captain mentally face-palmed, horrified at who else might be on comms right now, too.

Suddenly desperate to stop before anyone could dig further, a quick “It’s been nice to meet you all!” was sent out.

The tour guide for the Faraday Budget Tours hurried to cut off intercoms and send over some credits. Captain was just as glad to never see the Tour ship again. In fact, she had the idea to start keeping the grav drive powered on just enough that they could jump within two seconds if she ever saw them again. Hell, maybe a new reactor so she could designate enough to jump in a second flat.

“Who’s driving next?” It was close enough to shift change…and honestly whatever was left (even if it had been hours) would have been covered, no matter who had been in the pilots seat as long if they’d put up with that. Even Vasco. Actually Vasco might have handled all that the best. Maybe he should be put on comms screening in this sector of space…

When Barrett accepted his position in the pilots seat (his chuckling earning him a glare), the Captain checked in with everyone still awake before heading to the newly installed Captains quarters. It was still new, and still being unpacked and made into a simple home, but it had been obviously needed.

At first even Sam had thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to squeeze into the same bunk some nights, but the reality had quickly set in between Sam’s abundant body heat, one or both rolling off the side at the slightest direction changes, even the feeling of others being too close for the new couple to really have any kind of intimate moment.

Now Sam was sitting on the edge of the full-sized bed, leaning back on wide arms with an all-too-pleased look on his face.

“So, Captain,” he drawled. “Should we have a talk about the many, many ports we end up in? Or maybe a special someone?” He was leaning back on his arms, the picture of Freestar cockiness. It only got worse when he heard the exaggerated sigh and wry smirk that graced his captain’s face.

“You know perfectly well no one is waiting for me at any port, Coe.” Not much had happened, but somehow the words sounded tired. “The one’s who matter are usually on this ship with me. One’s got her face in any book she can get her hands on. The other is looking damn good on my bed, right now.”

Sometimes it was hard to really see any color change on his face. He’d done a good job of getting his beard high enough to hide anything, but now it was too easy. His cheeks had turned a ruddy red and he had to take a second to look all around the room before finally looking at the one before him again.

“Have I told you today just how lucky I am to have you? I know this just started, but damn does it feel like the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.” He’d said different versions of the same thing before. It seemed like after the confession in front of Solomon Coe, Sam had gotten the courage to say everything he seemed to have been piling up for who knows how long. He never seemed to lack anything encouraging, sweet, and almost sickeningly poetic anytime the Captain asked.

It still made his partner blush every time, and there was no hiding that from anyone, much to the rest of the crews delight. They had been trying to keep their budding relationship quiet, but it had become obvious lately that everyone knew.

It started as a typical day, not unlike any other day before it. Axe woke up that morning and shuffled his way downstairs, following the rapturous scent of bacon and eggs that Buck was cooking.

Buck smiled at him, his toothy grin causing Axe’s battered soul to pulse a little harder. Axe smiled back as best he could, tried to make it look normal instead of scary or maniacal. He might have succeeded, he wasn’t sure. Either way, Buck seemed content to accept it as he turned and continued cooking.

Axe didn’t ask what he could do to help. They’d waltzed that waltz a few too many times now, and while Axe couldn’t really remember all that had come of it, he did know he couldn’t do much to help until it came time for cleanup.

Breakfast was delicious, as always. Their brothers both came in from whatever chores they’d been working on to wash up and eat with them. Seeing Sugar getting a full meal never failed to send a sense of peace and fulfillment through Axe’s being.

As soon as they were done, Sugar and Cornfluff thanked Buck for the meal and headed back out to work on the fields. This was where Axe came in. He gathered the dishes and began washing up. As always, Buck insisted on drying the dishes and Axe insisted he didn’t have to.

As ordinary and typical and routine this morning felt, something different started eating at Axe after the dishes were put away and he’d made his way back to his bedroom to get ready for the day.

Something was missing. What it was, he didn’t know; he just knew that something important was not here when it should be.

It wasn’t his brother; he’d just seen Sugar less than a half an hour ago!

He checked under the loose floorboard at the foot of the bed just to the side of the wardrobe. His emergency stash of canned goods and non-perishables was still there. He and Buck still had what he hoped were lighthearted arguments about that, but Axe couldn’t let himself go without it. Any number of things could happen to destroy the plentiful life they lived here, and Axe would be damned again if he wasn’t at least a little bit prepared for it.

Securing the floorboard again, he grunted as got back to his feet and tried to think of what could be missing. Everything he held dear to his very battered soul was here, or at least nearby. Even now, all he had to do was look out the window to see Buck going about his duties.

He was probably wondering what was taking Axe so long to get to work. Chores didn’t wait for mysteries to be solved, no matter how important they seemed.

------------------------------------------

“heya, axe, found this in your laundry th’smornin,” Buck drawled that evening as Axe was putting said laundry away.

He turned to see Buck holding out a folded piece of paper. Huh. It was probably a receipt or something that Sugar or Cornfluff had asked him to hold onto for some reason. He took the paper and opened it up to reveal instead a full size sheet of paper with odd markings on it.

He tilted his head and tried to figure out what it was and why he’d have it in his pocket. Turning the paper this way and that, he all but gave up and looked at Buck. He just stood there with his perma-smirk, hands in his pockets, and rocking slightly back on his heels.

He found himself reaching up to tug on his dead socket, nervous to tell Buck he didn’t know what this paper was or why he had it. Was Buck waiting for an explanation? Was it something bad? Did it have something to do with the fight they’d had last week?

Axe didn’t remember what had started it or even what it was actually about, but he did remember how it had scared him, made him wonder if he and Sugar were going to get kicked off the farm. Was this paper part of why they had fought?

Buck reached out and stopped him before he could reach his socket. “it ain’t a big deal, axe; i just thought you might want it back. people don’t usually make treasure maps for trivial things.”

Treasure maps?

He met Buck’s pale green eye lights and spoke his thoughts. “treasure maps?” he asked. “is that what this is?”

Buck smiled for real and took the paper to turn it upside down. “yeah. see, this here is the porch,” he pointed at a box at the bottom of the paper, then moved his finger along a dotted line, “this is the path you’d take, the corn field, a few trees out past, and you’ve got ‘x marks the spot.’”

Axe tried to visualize the path, but he just couldn’t. The corn fields were easy enough to see in his head; he spent enough time lounging in the long grass just next to those fields and staring up at the vibrant blue sky, corn stalks gently swaying in the breeze. Out past those fields, however, was nothing but blank.

“what d’you think the treasure is?” he asked.

Buck chuckled. “ain’t got a clue, but it would be fun to find out, huh?” He stepped a little closer to Axe and squeezed his fingers gently. “you up for an adventure?”

He didn’t bother reminding Buck that every day with him was an adventure. Instead, he just nodded.

------------------------------------------

Out past the cornfields didn’t seem to exist. Axe knew the fields were big, but how long should it realistically take to get through them? Buck had insisted they go through because that was how the map showed, but it would probably have been faster to go around.

But then, Buck knew these fields better than anyone, better even than Cornfluff who could almost see over the tops of the full-grown ears on corn.

He chose not to say anything, didn’t whine or complain. Instead, he trudged alongside Buck and listened as he theorized about what treasure could be hidden at the end of the trail.

“maybe we’ll find some good stew,” he said with a hearty groan of approval. “with any luck it’ll be canned; otherwise we’re lookin’ at a mess to clean up.” He chuckled, and Axe couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

“what do you think we’ll find, axe?” Buck turned to him just as he pushed aside another cornstalk.

Axe wasn’t sure what to answer. He didn’t really have any thoughts on what might be hidden. There were scant few things he’d want to keep safe, and most of them would die if he buried them. Either die or dig themselves right back up. Not worth the trouble.

He shrugged. “probably some stew,” he finally said.

Buck snickered and nodded, pushing past the next few stalks before talking about how well the crops were doing this year. Axe listened on, his soul pulsing happily at the sound of his voice and the drawl that was so distinctively Buck.

Once they finally reached the end of the cornfield, Axe took a second to look at the vast expanse of land. There were miles between farmhouses, and even from here he couldn’t see over the last hill to where he thought he remembered a red barn sat for the neighbor’s horses. Trees were not nearly as abundant as the map made it seem, but there was a small cluster of four growing together about a half a mile out to the right.

“aha!” Buck called out and pointed to those four trees. “look, i think that’s where we go.” He pointed to the map and sure enough, Axe had jotted down four diseased-looking trees just above a red ‘X’. In reality, the trees were large and healthy, leaves vividly colorful with reds and yellows, oranges and even purples. Colors Axe never would have imagined a leaf could turn, but it was right there in front of him and it was magnificent.

Buck gently took his hand and squeezed.

“sure is pretty, ain’t it?”

Axe smiled; he never could hide his reactions to pretty things, but then, he didn’t want to. Not from Buck. “it is.”

“c’mon, let’s go see what this treasure is.” He tugged lightly on Axe’s hand, and they were off.

The four trees were formed in something of a half circle, and in the center of that circle was an obviously recently-disturbed section of dirt. Buck grinned at Axe and walked over to it, gently prodding it with his right foot.

“well, here we are!” He folded the map and put it in the front pocket of his overalls. “you wanna do the honors?” He gestured down at the pile before producing a small shovel.

Axe took the shovel and they both knelt down. He’d had plenty of experience working with various farm tools over the time he and Sugar had been here, but it was still a bit awkward sometimes. The small shovel felt strange in his hands and he didn’t like it. He set it aside and scowled at it before going at the pile with his hands.

He could feel Buck staring at him, but it didn’t feel like judging. He could almost feel the amused affection pouring off of him. Instead of focusing on that, he put all of his attention on the pile of dirt and uncovering whatever treasure he had decided to hide. He really did hope it wasn’t something like a bowl of soup.

It didn’t take long to uncover a small wooden box. It looked familiar, but Axe couldn’t place it. When had he gotten it? Was it even his? Had he stolen this?

“huh,” Buck muttered, reaching out to gently touch the box. “what’s inside?”

Swallowing, Axe unclasped the little lock and opened the box. Inside were pictures and small trinkets. He picked up one of the pictures and realized it was of him and Buck, one that Sugar had taken not long ago. It was perhaps the first time Axe had realized he was in love with Buck.

“hey, i remember that day,” Buck said, gently touching the picture. “that was a good day.”

It sure was. Axe just nodded and put it back to pick up another one. It was of Buck, one of Axe’s favorites.

Each item was a reminder of how much Buck meant to him. A tiny charm of a bird in flight, the damaged pit of a peach, extra buttons for one of the first shirts Buck had given him, and many more pictures showing Buck’s charming smile and soothing, pale green magic.

Axe remembered now why he had buried this box.

He sucked in a breath and looked at Buck who was smiling gently at him.

“anything comin’ back to you yet?” he asked, scooting an inch closer to Axe.

Axe nodded and tried to ignore the urge to tug at his socket. He was safe here, and everything was going to be okay.

“i didn’t want you to take them back,” he said softly, secretly hoping Buck wouldn’t be able to hear him.

Buck once again scooted a little closer. “take what back? your little talismans?”

Axe nodded again.

“why would i do that?”

Shrugging, Axe shifted a little bit and felt his hand rising up to his socket. Buck reached out and took it calmly, brushing their fingers together reassuringly.

“i brought it out here after our fight last week,” Axe said quietly, staring at their hands. “i thought…” He really didn’t want to say this, but he did want to trust Buck. He knew he could trust him. “i don’t remember why, but i was afraid you didn’t want us here anymore.”

“oh, axe…” Buck squeezed his fingers so softly, lifted them up to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to his damaged knuckles. “i want you listen to me now, okay?”

Axe swallowed and nodded, looking up to meet Buck’s eye lights.

“no matter what mistakes are made or how angry i seem, i will never take away things i’ve already given to you. these are yours, no matter what.” He gestured to the box and scooted a little bit closer. “and i won’t ever ask you to leave.”

Axe sighed. “you can’t promise that,” he said sadly. Things changed, sometimes quickly and drastically.

Buck nodded. “okay, you’re right. but i can promise that i won’t make you leave without making sure you have somewhere else to go first.”

That sounded more like a reasonable promise. Axe nodded again and leaned slightly into Buck’s side. He tensed only a little when Buck wrapped an arm around him, holding him tightly. He was grateful that Buck had ended up on his good side; he could rest the undamaged side of his skull against Buck’s shoulder.

“i’ve really loved having you and your brother here,” Buck said against his skull. “i mean that. i can’t see any reason i could ever want you gone, especially seeing as how i’ve grown pretty darn fond of you.”

Axe closed his eyes and sucked in a slow, peaceful breath. “i’m pretty fond of you, too,” he said, wishing he could say just how fond of Buck he truly was.

“yeah?” Buck asked, pulling back just a little bit. “not sure i would’a guessed that.” He glanced at the box with a teasing grin and a wink. “but honestly, axe, i’m not close to perfect but i can understand pretty good if you talk to me. i know it ain’t always easy for you to remember these things, but i’m willin’ to say it as many times as you need. all i need you to remember is to talk to me, okay?”

Axe nodded. “i’ll do my best.”

Buck smiled then and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his cheekbone. “that’s all i ask.”

Axe stared at Buck for a second, his free hand floating up to gently touch his cheekbone. Buck’s minty green eye lights sparkled with intensity as he stared back, mouth set in a calming smile.

“i think i love you,” Axe heard himself blurt. Before he could even try to pull back or be embarrassed, Buck laughed his soft, comforting laugh and brought their hands up to once again kiss his knuckles.

“i think i love you, too,” he said against his fingers. “in fact, i think it a lot.”

Axe could hardly believe it. He never thought he could be this happy. Happiness was for other monsters, and yet here he was, his soul close to bursting with how much he loved the monster in front of him.

“how ‘bout we get back to the house? i can whip up some strawberry shortcake and we can sit on the couch together to eat it?”

Axe wasn’t sure what he loved more: Buck or his strawberry shortcake. At least he didn’t have to choose between the two, and he was definitely looking forward to spending some quality time with both.

“that sounds perfect.”

Before they stood up, Buck leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Axe’s teeth. “you’re perfect.”

That time Axe laughed out loud. “i’m not!”

Buck just winked. “maybe not; no one is. but you’re perfect for me.”

Three weeks before finals start, Kim’s new group of friends decides it’s very necessary to have one last “family dinner” to celebrate not only the end of the school year, but this new friendship they’ve all found in each other too. Kim recognizes it as the soft, special thing that it really is and is immensely grateful to be included in the small but infectious group that they have created for themselves. 

  When she met up with Bob in the library to study for English that very first time back in September, she never would’ve guessed it would turn into what it did. She is so glad that it did.  Her freshman year at college was… interesting for lack of a better word. The people that she did know and consider to be friends mostly referred to her as reclusive, even a shut-in on some occasions, so she feels she’s made massive progress from her freshman to sophomore years. She’s definitely proud of herself.

  Kim knows that has made friends forever here, she knows that in her heart. All of them are unique from each other and she genuinely believes that’s why the five of them get along so well. Just similar enough to get along and just different enough to keep things interesting, it’s a perfect balance that this small group has achieved.

  Bob is not only funny and extroverted, she’s also the “group mom” for lack of better phrasing. She organizes everything they do and always carries a million things in her handbags to take care of them all. As much as Bob likes to tease them and joke around about the little things, it’s clear she also takes pleasure in making sure everyone is safe and happy, which is something Kim really appreciates about Bob. Despite only having known each other for a short amount of time, Kim doesn’t know where she’d be now without her.

  Monet, on the other hand, is without a doubt the group’s wild child. She’s extroverted like Bob is, but always seems to find herself in one crazy situation or another, always hanging out with large and loud crowds of people. Kim sometimes has a hard time remembering all of the names of said people, but it doesn’t matter as long as Monet is having a good time. Kim knows how special freshman year is and she’s glad that Monet is at least taking advantage of it.  

  Tiana is the one person Kim has known for the longest, and even the reason Tiana is here at all. They were high school friends, and when Kim went off to college Tiana had vowed to follow her. Kim had laughed it off, thinking she was just being dramatic, but true to her word Tiana had FaceTimed Kim screaming and crying when she had been accepted into the same college a year later. Although she’s a freshman like Monet and Naomi, Tiana acts like she’s the most well known and well liked person on the whole campus. 

  And then there’s Naomi… Kim had it off with her like they had been friends since elementary school, like they were destined to be close to each other all along. Even though Naomi is quite personable and friendly, she’s much like Kim in that she’d rather lay in bed and chat while watching TV instead of going out to some random frat party. The few parties they had been to were hilariously bad, inspiring the two to spend more time just doing whatever they felt like instead of trying to fit in with other students. 

  Naomi understands Kim in a way she thought no one ever could or would ever try to, and she knows she’s lucky, which is why she refuses to take Naomi and her friendship for granted. Sure, they both enjoy making jokes at the other’s expense, but it works for them somehow and Kim wouldn’t want whatever it is they have any other way. She loves Naomi, more than she maybe should, and she never wants to lose her. 

  In short, Kim thinks this crazy group of people is very special, and she is in awe of them every day, though she would never say that to their faces, it would give them way too much ammo. With how much they all like reading each other Kim has a reputation to uphold as the sneakiest one in the group as far as jokes go. It’d be a shame for all of that to go to waste after almost two whole semesters of cementing her place. 

  “You’re thinking hard,” Naomi says, startling Kim out of her thoughts.

  Kim shrugs, a sneaky smile on her lips, “Yeah, but you wouldn’t have much experience with that so I’m surprised you picked that up.”

  “Oh my God,” Naomi giggles rolling her eyes, “You are so mean to me.”

  “You’ll live,” Kim says, patting her best friend on the shoulder comfortingly.

  Considering they really haven’t known each other for very long, Kim doesn’t know what she would be able to do without Naomi, truly. Currently, the two best friends are walking to Bob’s off-campus apartment that she got back in December. Bob had decided ot move there after the fire alarm in the dorm building she was living in had gone off three too many times at 2 in the fucking morning. She was understandably fed up with the conditions and moved out at her first opportunity. Luckily, Kim and Naomi hadn’t experienced that problem yet, but Monet and Tiana complain often about it, upset that they aren’t allowed to move off campus since they’re freshman. 

  Kim is just glad Bob moving to her own place strengthened the group’s friendship instead of weakening it, admittedly that was something she had been worried about but had refused to bring up at the time. She’s always preferred things just happen how they’re going to happen instead of trying to force everything all the time, unlike some other people that she knows. 

  Still, Kim is glad to have the friendships she does have. She’s never one to take those things for granted. Until she met Tiana, her junior of high school, friends were hard for her to make and manage. Tiana changed that in a way, even inspiring a confidence in Kim she had never felt before, which is one of several reasons she’s thrilled about tonight. Hanging out with Tiana is always fun, especially with these group dynamics Kim got so used to so quickly. 

  Tonight is also very special because they’re doing something Kim has wanted to for a few months now, a potluck. It’s a chance for her to show off her legendary cooking skills and judge everyone else’s. A win-win for her and a win-lose for everyone else, obviously. The late spring sun shining down on them is a promise for a good night and a fun time to be had by all of them. 

  She’s carrying the dish she had spent all afternoon painstakingly preparing in her favorite travel case, while Naomi is swinging her tote bag confidently, and Kim kind of wants to laugh at how accurate it is to their personalities. She isn’t sure where or how Naomi made her dish, considering Kim was in the only kitchen in the whole dorm building all afternoon and hadn’t seen Naomi until they agreed upon time to meet up and get ready together. 

  Kim is curious about what Naomi decided to bring to their end of the year potluck, and is excited to see everyone else’s contributions too, though she’s certain hers will be the best. There’s a reason everyone always asks her for restaurant recommendations and recipes, and she takes pride in her skills and knowledge, even if they may be a bit unconventional at times. 

  The walk to Bob’s apartment is always short, and when Naomi and her climb the stairs and knock on the door, Tiana is the one to throw it open with all the energy and happiness Kim expects from the girl. 

  “Yes! You’re here!” Tiana squeals, stepping back so her and Naomi can enter Bob’s apartment. 

  It was definitely a steal, although Bob does have to share with two other people to be able to afford it. Kim thinks that it’s worth it though, the apartment is fairly large and everyone living in it gets their own bathroom, even if they’re all tiny it’s better than sharing one bathroom between three people. 

  “Hi,” Naomi greets Tiana warmly, pulling the shorter girl in for a hug. 

  Kim watches with an amused grin, it will never cease to amaze her how short everyone looks when compared to Naomi. She quickly stops smiling when she realizes that she’s Tiana’s next victim, flinching when Tiana wraps her arms around Kim tightly and squeezes. 

  “Do you have to do that every time?” Kim asks, shrinking in on herself, secretly enjoying the casual affection from her close friend. 

  “As long as it always makes you uncomfortable,” Tiana grins widely, though she lets go.

  Bob pokes her head from around the corner where the small kitchen is located, “Tia! Stop torturing Kimberly!”

  “Awww, but it’s so fun,” Tiana whines, bouncing into the kitchen after Bob. 

  Naomi turns to Kim to share a soft smile that makes Kim’s heart flutter in ways she would rather ignore. They’re here tonight to have a good time with their closest friends, that’s it. At least that’s what Kim is going to keep telling herself.

  “Where’s Monet?” Naomi calls out, taking Kim’s bag from her in order to set their dishes down on the dining room table.

  Kim trails after Naomi, unsure of what else to do and just as curious as to Monet’s whereabouts. Normally, Monet is always at Bob’s apartment, unless she’s at classes or a party, so it’s strange she’s not here already. She glances around for Tiana too, but she seems to have disappeared somewhere else in the apartment. Kim finds it strange, while it’s not small it’s not big either so there’s not a lot of places to disappear to. Kim decides to chalk it up to classic Tiana behavior.

  “She said she had to make a stop on her way over,” Bob says from where she’s standing in front of the stove, stirring something that smells genuinely delicious.

  Ever the nosey guest, Kim walks over to Bob and peeks her head over Bob’s shoulder, curious to see what her friend is making. 

  “Oooh, that looks good!” She says, knowing that this annoys the shit out of Bob. 

  “Kim! No! It’s a surprise!” Bob shrieks, batting Kim back with her hands. 

  Kim giggles, “You probably would’ve been able to achieve that if you hadn’t waited until the last minute to cook.”

  “Wowww, Kim,” Bob drawls sarcastically, hugging her from behind to easily maneuver her away from the stove, “Absolutely no slack for the host, huh?”

  “Since you’re the host you should be the most prepared!” Kim insists through bouts of laughter as Bob practically walks her to the other side of the room to where Naomi is doubled over in laughter. 

  Kim can’t stop smiling and laughing herself, she loves it when Naomi has as much fun as she does. She wishes all of them could be like this all the time, happy and carefree. She knows it’ll never happen, but that won’t ever stop her from hoping. As a kid she was told to wish on a star, and for whatever reason she still believes that wish will come true. One day, maybe not anytime soon, but she can wait. She has more patience than Bob at least.

  “Oh my God my cheeks hurt!” Naomi gasps out, reaching out to pull Kim into her arms, effectively freeing Bob to go back to finishing her dish for the potluck. 

  Kim grins at Naomi, “Okay, but you can let go of me now.” 

  Naomi gasps, scandalized, “Never! I will never let you go!” 

  “And IIIIIIiiiIIIIII-” Tiana pipes up, appearing out of nowhere, purposefully singing ‘I Will Always Love You’ as shittily as she can manage.

  “Someone save me!” Kim groans dramatically, tossing her head back against Naomi’s shoulder. 

  “Oh no, the awful reality of having people who care about you,” Naomi bemoans along with her.

  “I just came here for the food and now I have to put up with all of this too,” Kim adds, pouting as pathetically as she can.

  “Physical affection? How evil,” Bob rolls her eyes, taking the pot off the stove with her back turned to her friends, making it impossible for the three of them to see what exactly she chose to make. Kim definitely has her suspicions.

  There’s a rapid knocking on the door, and Kim takes advantage of a startled Naomi. She worms out of her best friend’s arms and speeds over to the door, right on Tiana’s heels. Unfortunately, Tiana still beats her to it and is the one to open the door for Monet. 

  “The party can now begin,” Monet announces brightly, cocking her hand on her hip. 

  Monet looks incredible as always, but only has a heavy, black plastic bag in her hand, two glass bottles peaking out. The group exchanges greetings and light hugs all over again, and Kim is excited to finally get to the main event of the evening now that the last member of their little group is here. Monet roughly sets her bag down on the dining room table next to the plastic grocery store bag that Tiana brought.

  Bob comes in from the kitchen carrying a red casserole dish covered in aluminum foil, the smell of whatever it is Bob has made making her mouth water. One glance at her friends confirms they’re all eager for this last ‘hoorah’ of sorts to begin too. Each of them takes a seat at the dining room table, all of them making a comment of some kind about their excitement, and Kim feels at home in a way she only does when she’s with them. 

  Bob stands up at the head of the table and clears her throat dramatically, and Kim knows they are all about to be in for a treat.

  “Friends, sisters, Monet,” Bob starts, ignoring Monet’s chuckle of protest, “We have come here today to rub shit in each other’s faces, celebrate the end of the school year, and eat way too much food. Without further ado, I present to you my dish, the world’s best motherfucking mac n’ cheese to ever grace the face of this  goddamn planet.” 

  She dramatically lifts the foil off of her casserole dish, revealing said mac n’ cheese. Kim definitely can admit that it does look good, but she’s still skeptical it will hold up against everything she brought. 

  “Girl, that is the most predictable thing of all time,” Monet says, rolling her eyes. 

  Bob crosses her arms over her chest, clearly unamused, “Says the bitch who only brought alcohol.”

  “Okay well someone had to bring drinks,” Monet argues.

  Kim glances at Naomi, and the two smile knowingly at each other. They’re both incredibly familiar with the fact that once those two get started it’s basically impossible to get them to stop. 

  “Well, what drinks did you bring?” Tiana asks, pulling the two girls out of what was most definitely going to be a ten minute long argument. 

  Monet stands up now, smiling proudly as she pulls the two bottles she brought out of the bag, “Today, I present for you all two timeless classics.”

  Kim glances at the bottles, then quirks an eyebrow at Monet, “Three dollar champagne and the driest red wine you could find?”

  Monet stares at Kim blankly. 

  “Drag her ass, Kim!” Bob cackles. 

  “I will let you know that it is five dollar champagne, and that this red wine is a college student classic!” Monet frowns.

  “How do you even get your hands on this stuff?” Kim asks, curious since none of them are the legal age to buy alcohol and yet they always seem to have it. 

  “Older friends,” Monet and Tiana say at the exact same time, causing the two to break into fits of laughter. 

  Naomi leans over to rest her head on Bob’s shoulder, “In just a couple months you’re going to be our older friend!” 

  “Oh, fuck you,” Bob laughs, pushing her away playfully.

  As Monet takes her seat, Tiana stands up eagerly with her bag.

  “I brought chips!” Tiana says cheerily and Kim can’t help giggling at her antics, “Barbeque, of course, and then extra spicy too.”

  She dumps the bag out on the table, and Bob sighs dramatically, “Did any of you take this seriously?”

“I went all the way to Walmart for this,” Tiana pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “So boujee,” Kim smirks at her.

  “Always,” she winks, playing along with Kim’s sarcasm. 

  Bob just groans and lays her head down on the table, “If all we have is sides and alcohol I’m not ordering pizza for y’all.”

  Naomi pats Bob’s shoulder comfortingly, “You’re definitely going to be happy with what I brought.” 

  “I better be,” Bob says grumpily, though she perks up some when Naomi begins unpacking her tote bag.

  Naomi first pulls out ice packs, and Kim is starting to get an idea of what Naomi has brought. Then she pulls out a plastic container with a label that Kim will always recognize, and even though it’s not homemade like Bob had wanted them to do, no one is going to be upset with this food choice. 

  “It’s sushi,” Naomi smiles brightly, and Kim melts from how precious she looks. 

  “At least it’s not another side dish,” Bob says, reaching out to grab the container from Naomi. 

  “Okay I’m really glad you brought that, we haven’t had it in forever,” Kim smiles at Naomi.

  Naomi rolls her eyes affectionately, “We just had this, like, two weeks ago.”

  “Forever!” Kim insists, unable to hold back her giggle.  

  “Alright, we get it, y’all have date night,” Monet says teasingly. 

  Kim and Naomi both whip their heads around to stare at her.

  “Uhh… That’s not…” Naomi stutters.

  “If we have date nights then you and Monique are married,” Kim immediately shoots back in a last ditch attempt to get the attention off of whatever it is she has with Naomi. 

  “Of course we are,” Monet says pleasantly, “She’s my best boo.”

  “What am I then? Chopped fucking liver, girl?” Bob asks, pretending to be wounded. 

  “Nah you’re just my annoying older sister.”

  “Okay if anyone is the annoying one in this relationship it’s you,” Bob says, crossing her arms over her chest. 

  Tiana pouts, “When do I get to be annoying?”

  “Oh, honey,” Kim murmurs sympathetically, reaching across the table to hold her hand, “You already are.”

  All of them start laughing, the playful nature of the group warm and familiar in a way that’s completely unique to their little group. It’s not something Kim has ever had before, she’s not even sure she’s had anything that’s ever come close to this. She doesn’t want it to ever end. 

  “Alright, Kim, your turn. And then we can finally have dinner,” Bob says, grabbing Kim’s travel bags and handing them to her.

  Kim stands up to easily maneuver the bags, “Well… I may have gone a little overboard.” 

  “This is why I love you,” Bob smiles, excitedly leaning forward to see what she pulls out. 

  “Okay so I made some Jeyu Bokkeum, and also some vegetarian Bibimbap, and then a really traditional Doenjang Jjigae,” Kim trails off, holding up each container of food as she says the names. 

  “I’m going to pretend to know what any of that means,” Monet grins, “I’m just ready to eat.”

  “I know what all of that is,” Tiana says proudly. 

  “She is smart after all,” Bob says teasingly.