#wing!verse

Continued from here.

@heir-apparently

“You’re a lifesaver…” Charlie whined, adjusting themselves in the seat only enough so they could comfortably drink the offered bubble tea while still being able to let the chair take most of the weight off their back. Most days weren’t this bad, but today the weight was almost unbearable. It’d be awhile yet before they had the upper body strength to compensate for the metal feathers.

“Thank you.” Clockwork always seemed to sympathize with their struggles and was usually quick to offer small comforts. Bubble tea, occasional help with preening, he was kind and Charlie really appreciated him.

“No problem.”  The bad days seem to come and go with Charlie’s maturing wings, and Clockwork figures that the least he can do is be supportive when they need someone.  Goodness knows that they don’t seem terribly willing to reach out and ask for help...

That Nori was sneaking wasn’t exactly a surprise, Dwalin had been a guard and knew Nori wasn’t exactly honest, but that was still sneaking in Rivendell was. Watching Nori’s shoulders tense as they continued to stare at each other interesting and Dwalin wouldn’t have looked away even if they hadn’t been caught in each other’s gazes. Surely he smaller dwarf didn’t think Dwalin would try to catch him for stealing from elves.

He lifted his bottle of wine, “Got anything to share?”

There were surely better places to hide in the last homely house but Dwalin was pleased with the one he found.  It almost felt properly underground and had the benefit of containing wine.  While the elves probably wouldn’t have missed a bottle, three may have been stretching the elves’ welcome.

At least he felt finished with sulking and Balin had never found him.  With just half of the third bottle left, Dwalin started back towards the company and he would gladly sink his knuckledusters into the face of anyone who implied he wasn’t quite walking straight.  

It wasn't fair.  Dwalin should be better than a childish tantrum but feeling like he was being laughed at was too much, especially since they were stuck among all these elves.  As much as it felt like both Nori and Dori had been laughing at him, the chances of that were pretty slim.  They had no reason not to believe the stories of the line of Durin; tales of brave warriors gifted with wings of golden eagles, an ancestor's reward passed down through generations. 

Now, he watch through his pipe smoke as his brother stood up in a huff and stormed away, feather bristling.  Beside him Thorin shifted, getting ready to stand; his eye were also on the big warrior.

1. Bucks doesn't let anyone near his wings. Not even Steve. He has learned to take care of them himself - even the grafted one - and it breaks the heart of whoever sees him drying them or preening, because there's no surer sign of social exclusion than that. Even Fury thinks it's just fucking sad. 

2. Steve's sparrow wings are short and not really able to lift him for long. Good for gliding, but not much else, and he's still ridiculously proud of them. Cause sparrows are awesome. They are also very social so moving into the Tower was actually a relief for him. 

3. No one really knows how Natasha is able to use her thin and delicate wings (house martin) in fight, but no one is brave enough to ask. 

4. Clint clips some of his feathers regularly - at first the team is horrified, but then he explains that it's a trick he's learned in the circus. He needs to make ridiculously sharp turns when necessary and that gives him more control over the flight.

5. Thor's wings are massive and warm, and impossible. At first they look like owl's wings due to the sheer freaking volume and fluff and speckles... but then Avengers realise that there's scale under the feathers and no one knows anymore. 

6. Thor's cover feathers gleam gold in light so whenever Tony finds one he screams "Fenix Down!" and Clint makes a show out of fighting him for it. 

7. Tony has a secret cupboard in his room in which he keeps his teammates' feathers in little glass cases. Which is not creepy and clingy at all. Nope. Never. 

8. Hulk has no wings. Hulk needs no wings. Hulk likes preening his little flying buddies. 

9. Steve, due to his freaking shoulders-to-everything ratio can barely get to the back of his wings so from day one the team helped him with it. When Bucks appeared they all suddenly became very busy and no go, sorry, Steve, science calls, no time, ask the others... and so Bucks was shamed into helping and socialising with his lifelong crush;)

10. Thor's wings seem bigger on the inside so whenever the team is in danger and he does that 

eight out of ten times enemies will take a moment to compose themselves. Clint still doesn't believe their resident god is actually real and not some very elaborate prank. 

I don't know if any of this is making sense yet.  I think it will eventually.

...maybe...

...I'll try.