Probably sleepy

I'm So, genderfluent, 20 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇦🇷 I love all things paranormal, detective-adjacent or medicine stuff: Nancy Drew, Lockwood and Co, Bones, Dr House, The X files. Also i absolutely love A Kind of Spark. AuDHD, painter and majoring in biology!

[autisticbiologistmess]

For anyone who's interested, I have a self insert fanfic account, @hurtcomfortficstilltheend I write mainly platonic/romantic angst, fluff or hurt/comfort ficlets and oneshots for Lockwood and Co, Marvel, Nancy Drew, I have some from Wednesday, and I will keep writing from any of my current favourite fandoms!

I also have a Ao3 account, somesophie

Go check them out!

;D

[piinkdahliia]

Bedtime Habits

Natasha x Fem!Reader  

Summary: It’s only once you’re away that Natasha finds your unnecessary bedtime habits essential for a peaceful night of sleep.  

Warnings/Tags: Cheeky Natasha, Nat in the doghouse, Fluff, Knife mention, Liho appearance 

Word Count: 1.65k

Masterlist

Natasha doesn’t know how long ago you’d formed this routine, but she wasn’t a fan. A month apart and you’d somehow come up with the perfect way to annoy her right before bed. She doesn’t know why you still do it. She’s been back a week now, and you’re still hooked on it.  

“Milaya, please turn it off.” Her head was shoved into the crook of your neck, eyes squinting from exhaustion, and a hand already stretched out towards your phone.  

“It helps me sleep ‘Tasha. Could you just wait until I’m knocked out before you turn it off?” You hold the device further away from your body, effectively keeping it out of reach.  

“You say that every night. Then the minute I grab your phone you wake up and choose some other weird video to watch. It’s stupid.” Natasha stops trying and dramatically rolls onto her back. Her arms spread wide with one smacking against your abdomen, along with a hand and foot hanging off the side of the bed. 

“It’s not stupid. It lowers my cortisol.” You pout. 

Natasha deadpans. “Yeah, because a cranial nerve exam with a glitter wand is the perfect lullaby. Give it to me.”  

The redhead pops up and wrestles you for the phone. Her legs bracket your hips, and her hands lock around your arms. 

“Hey! No. Natasha, I swear if you don’t give me my phone back, I’ll—” You watch as she holds the phone above her head and powers it off. She places it on the nightstand near her side of the bed and flops onto you. Her body scoots down just enough for her temple to meet your clavicle. 

“You'll what? Can’t you just wear headphones?” She mumbles against your skin. 

“You know I can’t wear them to sleep. They’re uncomfortable. We’ve been over this.” Your hands come up to scratch lightly at her shoulders, and you feel her shudder against you. You didn’t have to see her face to know she’d rolled her eyes at your words.  

“And under. You know what else is uncomfortable? Hearing some random lady suck on wooden spoons just so you can sleep.” She snorts.  

“Unfair.” You pinch her.  

“Unfair? You couldn’t have at least chose hair brushing last night?”  

“I could tonight if you just give me my phone back.” You offer her.  

“No.” It’s quiet for a second as you thought of a good enough threat for the assassin.  

“Natalia, I’ll make you sleep on the couch with Liho.” The use of her formal name let her know that you were serious about this.  

“At least Liho doesn’t watch Avengers ASMR Role-play videos at midnight.” She retorts sulkily. She really couldn’t help but get another jab in.  

“But she does chew on your hair.”  

“Fine.” Natasha reaches back for the device. A picture of the two of you lit up the screen as she powers it back on.  

“Fine.” You mocked. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.” The phone is snatched out of her hands the second she moves off you.  

You turn back on your side. Natasha’s arm falls around your waist as a peck, then a sigh, meets the nape of your neck. Then she had to ruin it.  

“Oh, yes malyshka. I love the spit painting with your snoring as adlibs.”  

You do not snore.  

“Couch.” There was silence for a moment.  

“You can’t be serious.”  

“Dead.”  

Before you pressed play on the next video, a curious meow reached your ears accompanied by a sleepy groan. You could easily imagine her tired form gripping a single pillow, and some random throw from your hall closet, under one arm as she glared at the cat swerving between her calves.  

“If I find pieces of my hair on the floor in the morning, I’m taking you to the groomers first thing tomorrow.” Her drowsy voice made you feel the tiniest bit of guilt. That was until your favorite creator made an appearance on the screen. 

 This was peace.  

A giggle of contentment escaped you as you turned over in bed, comfortable with the night’s sleeping arrangements and Natasha’s lack of complaints in your ear.  

—

It’s not like you were currently keeping eyes on HYDRA agents at some decrepit warehouse in a foreign country. It’s not like that at all. Not to Natasha. Natasha, who hadn’t slept for three nights. Not to Natasha who’d invited a black fur-ball of chaos into your shared bed that night, hoping to find some kind of natural melatonin between Liho’s breath that smelled like her last meal and the scent of you that’s started to wear off the sheets. And definitely not to Natasha, who’d picked out a burner phone to call you in the middle of surveillance.  

“So, let me get this straight.” You started, exasperated by your girlfriend’s actions. “You drove—what—probably halfway across the city to call me on a burner while I’m in the middle of a mission—in Santiago—about which ASMR channels I watch?” You were speechless.  

The anxiety you had as you picked up the phone, only to hear the faltering voice of the Russian, was immense. Now you knew the hesitation was a result of her embarrassment and you couldn’t be any more amused.  

“Don’t start gloating. Just give me a name.”  

“You call me, begging, at three am and expect me not to rub it in your face? Do you know who I am Miss Romanoff?”  

“Jane Doe if I don’t get a name. I wouldn’t even care if it’s the lady with the crappy mic, just need something before our window closes malysh, I’m tired.”  

You knew it was only a matter of time before your line was open for tracing, so you relented. The teasing could wait until you stepped back into the compound. It would be all you’d think about until the next time you see her.  

“Love you Nat. Rest—” The line went dead before you could wish her a good night of sleep.  

A light smile graced your face as you removed the SD card from the device and cracked the butt of your tactical knife against it. You swept the shards off and watched as they scattered on the ground below your station. After days of unrest yourself, the interaction had filled you with enough energy to get through the rest of the mission.  

—

You returned successfully seventy-four hours later. It was early morning when you stepped into your shared space. The scalding shower after touchdown soothed the aches in your body until your muscles were nearly mush under the heat. As you passed Liho, the cat resting over the arm of your couch, a small scratch over the back of her head was all you could muster.  

Natasha was sprawled out on your side of the bed, mouth parted ever so slightly as a limp hand propped up the phone in front of her. The comforter was pushed down around her waist as she slept on her stomach. Her head was turned into an awful position, and you knew she’d be concealing the crick in her neck within a few hours' time. The last few minutes of a fake makeup ASMR video played on the screen, soft whispering, taps, and brushing sounded out along with her small puffs of breath.  

Your actions were careless as you stripped down to hop in bed with your hypocrite of a lover. It’s a wonder how she hadn’t shot up the second your keys hit the kitchen island. But any questions she would’ve had for you could wait.   

“You’re so in for it later on.” You whisper sleepily, hands pulling the comforter over your body now. You fix the material up and around her shoulders and reach for the phone propped against her hand. There was no need for it when you were seconds away from drifting off.  

“No.” A tired, drawn-out, whine left your girlfriend's mouth. A surprised gasp of a laugh escaped your own. 

“There’s no way Natasha.” You giggled out.  

“If you don’t turn it back on, I’m telling Friday to lock the air conditioner on eighty-six and watch as you slow roast in your sleep.” The redhead stretched out a bit before groggy, and threatening, eyes met yours.  

“You can’t be serious.”  

“Dead.”  

“I hope you know you’re getting a mouthful later on, Miss Black Widow.”  

She groaned. “Don’t care. Give it.” Her hand was laid out in front of you, waiting.  

“It’s just one night ‘Tasha.” She pretended to think it over for a second before speaking.  

“Friday—”  

“Fine! Fine. Go back to sleep.”  

The look on her face was entirely too smug once you conceded. But any bit of irritation you might’ve had slipped away as she shuffled her way towards you, forced to rest on her side of the bed, and completely draped her body over your own with her phone in hand.  

A content hum filled the space between you two as you rubbed her back. The two of you were now staring intently at her screen through narrowed eyes. Natasha hit the refresh button on the app and lethargically scrolled through tens of videos with attention grabbing titles and quirky thumbnails.  

“Play the alien abduction one”—She swiped back up for you—“that one right there.” 

“You’re such a nerd.” Hands pulled at the loose hair near her nape in a teasing manner.  

You rolled your eyes as you watched the corners of her lips curl up. “Says the James Bond fanatic.”  

Her chin pressed into your skin as she turned to look at you, and mumbled. “You’re lucky I’m already comfortable.”  

“Mhm. Press play.”  

She clicks onto the video without further argument and hands you the phone to set against the lamp on her nightstand. You scratched across her shoulders and felt her body melt similar to the way Liho would when you massaged the back of her ears. The video started without the blaring of some obnoxious advertisement. Seconds passed by before you realized what had just happened.  

“Natasha, you bought premium?”  

[hollcwboy]

holly munro x text posts

[tumblerculosis]

I’ve been obsessed with this tiktok for days now

[coffeedcait]

Person: "Hello sir." he pets the frog with one finger.

Person: "Have a good day. Actually wait a minute. You missed a bug, but I got you home boy. Hold on." he picks a bug up and throws it next to the frog.

Frog: turns around and eats the bug.

Person: "OHHHHH-" sings high pitched and angelic like he witnessed a miracle.

[autisticbiologistmess]

@rory-bug

[dedicatedfollowerofrock]

Está final lo único que sirvió es de radar de boludos, ya van dos que deje de seguir

Todo bien con que no banques deportivamente a mí país, pero decir que somos diabólicos, corruptos o que las Malvinas son españolas? (Si, tuve que leer eso (???) Simplemente gente que come mierda como las moscas, gente susceptible a la mala propaganda que bajan desde arriba

Lo escribo en mi idioma porque el que quiera entender hará el esfuerzo que hice yo por años por hablar y leer más de un idioma.

[thepoggersdilemma]

I tend to talk about this with my friends but not so much on this blog, but i want to raise awareness to the people who enjoy my posts and want to know more about me. I prefer not talking much about personal things online. But I think the world cup is a good oportunity to raise awareness of this in case you dont live in south america and/or dont know much about geopolitics. I'm not an expert so i also encourage people to help me out with this if there's something im wording wrongly.

Like many countries in south america, Argentina is being governed by an alt-right president who openly denies the militar coups that happened in the country, has said tons of anti-human rights, anti LGBT and racist things, and among many other things doesn't defend the people of malvinas.

Because of geopolitical interests, the country is being marketed as "white and zionist" by many paid hacker/bot accounts and wide spread misinformation campaigns. (I want to link better sources here later)

I ask you to please consider before spreading this misinformation that when saying this, people are repeating a racist and xenophobic message that only helps and benefits a narrative which Milei and extreme alt-right people wish was true.

Defending Malvinas has been historically tied with anti-colonialism here. People who defend Malvinas, also empathize greatly with Palestinians reclaiming their territory from Israeli occupation. Argentina has historically support their rights to their land in UN votes. This is why Milei was so uncomfortable with the country showing Malvinas flags during the world cup. I'm short, his support for Israel also means he doesn't align with this historical UN positioning that both defended Malvinas and supported Palestine. ( X )

(Something that's also not being talked about much is that in Buenos Aires the government has been constantly deploying militarised cops to stop the celebrations of the world cup and repressing the people's celebrations. There's a deeply anti-patriotic* colonialist feeling tied to Milei's government.)

Milei has been governing through "DNU"s (an "urgency risk" type of decree that lets him skip steps to constitutionally abid laws) and doing tons of sketchy things that not only work agaisnt the country's insterests but straight up oppose them. He has even been seen reblogging posts about bombing the country via twitter. This group of politicians is extremely sketchy and it only makes sense they are where they are today because of external economic incentives. I really recommend people look up operation condor if you aren't familiar with south american coups.

I'm more familiar with my own country's issues, but I know Chile is experiencing this same fear where billionares (within them, Israeli and USA enterprises) want huge extensions of land in Patagonia to keep these resources. These alt-right governments only facilitate the process of "legalising" the extraction of the land via forcefully breaking previously settled constitutional laws against it.

By repeating the idea that the people of Argentina are only white and zionists, other countries are only isolating the local population who has been fighting against this and whom are dealing with nonstop violence and starvation policies this government has been slowly implementing since it began. (Think of this as saying a country with no LGBT laws = there's no LGBT people in that place.) That is only what the power wants you to see.

They wish everyone forgets about the Indigenous and Black population living in Argentina so no one looks for them when the government does things like letting native land burn illegally (to give it for pennies to these big enterprises), or incentivize violence against the population (Milei has been calling any dissidence terrorists and tons of degrading violent terminology, he has been targeting environmentalist and minorities a lot too.)

I hope this can help at least a little bit to give people a different point of view than the one being spread which is honestly scary for us. I'm trying to be brief so I'm sorry if I'm not addressing all of the problems but I think it's really important for people to look out for this. If not for my country for the future of Latin America.

I also invite other Argentinian people to talk about these issues in the comments with the intention of spreading information. I'll try linking to more information as time passes but I wanted to publish this while the cup was still going.

*nationalism in Argentina is not tied to a race in the same way European countries may be. Here you are invited to join the country, we want to be open and receive anyone who steps on Argentina ground. (I may be wording this oddly but I think it's important to mention this because we tend to be really patriotic, but it's usually in reference to this "we are independent!" feeling rather than a "race". Thus, anti-patriotic messages may read as colonial endorsing.)

[boquitaspintadas]

Let it be known that even if the world cup is over I will never forget the horrid, xenphobic and racist shit some of you so-called "liberal" "woke" "leftists" said about my country.

If you're from a first world country you should reserve the vitriol you treat the very people you oppress for yourselves.

[writing-and-rebloging]

Wow. Thx for rendering an entire tag unusable.

Just so you know, shitting on a Latin American country for false, tergiversated or innacurate shit you've been fed the past few weeks through social media and possibly the news is not the progressive take you think it is.

I thought Tumblr wasn't going to do the stupid asshole thing, but in hindsight, it's the exact environment where dogpiling without sense or critical thinking in the name of "fairness" and "social justice" thrives.

La verdad, vayanse todos bien a la recalcada concha de su re puta madre, sarta de sortes.

[apatheticfluorescence]

some hyper famous artists like Van Gogh transcend overratedness and become underrated because they're so normalized. Like I'll look at a van Gogh and I'm like wait this really is amazing you guys don't get it

[headspace-hotel]

Shakespeare is like this

[insufferablepirate]

Every time I see a Van Gogh that’s not one of his better known pieces it absolutely blows me away

Have you seen this shit my liege? smh unreal

[copperbadge]

THE ORANGES

[teashoesandhair]

Time for my biannual freakout about Two Crabs

[memewhore]

[bananahomo]

I reblogged this last month, tagged it, and said “might as well see if it works.” I used this video as a reference to find all the forms that i needed (which is A LOT, especially if you’re a dependent) and sent them through the mail, not really allowing myself to hope.

dude.

$2,714 of medical debt from my top surgery - gone. im shaking this was such a weight on me for 2 years and it fucking worked. what the fuck.

[minakittengaming]

This is huge. Sharing for my US friendos.

[zillyblog]

Hospitals like to hide these policies under a lot of successive links in obscure places, so if you don't see anything right away, keep looking! Get friends to help! Make it a scavenger hunt. A game where you're assassins sent to slit capitalism's throat

[lionspeakz]

As someone who just git top surgery!!!! if you look up "[hospital name] finacial assicistance percentage chart" ususally you will find a PDF in which you WILL find their discount rates! All hospitals { save for like maybe super specialised hospitals maybe} offer dicounts because they get tax breaks and more funding!! { usually for medically " necessary services" which for adults gender afirming care still is!} and EVEN IF YOU NOT UNDER POVERTY LIMIT YOU WILL GET A DISCOUNT hospital stuff does not actually cost that much the hospitals just wanna get paid for the work they do and by boosting the cost makes ot more likely they get this covered atleast to a break even margin before taxes. ALWAYS apply for finiacial aid!

literal example form my hospital!!

[katebeckets]

how to say "I love you" in x-files [505/?] ⤷ 4.01 — “Herrenvolk”

[medusas-daughter]

Of course they don’t like Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. She’s a grown ass woman with zero love interests who spends the movie saving her dog, casually dismantling a sex trafficking ring while she’s at it, and preaching the importance of being good, not nice or smiley or cheerful but good. I for one adored the movie and I really hope I’ll get to see more of Alcock’s Supergirl she’s now my favorite iteration of her and I love her so dearly.

[maryannecrimsworth]

What Have You Done to Our Leader?

Pairing: Kara Zor-El x Teen Titan! Gn! Reader!

Summary: Kara starts hanging out at the Tower to spend more time with you. This includes participating in training sessions and ruining your reputation with your team. To your demise, they all love her.

Warnings: arguments, swearing, references to sex

Requested by @primeofprimes115;

You can read more of this pairing here

I tried to ignore her at first. I really did. As long as I didn't see her smirk while I was speaking, I would be fine. But Kori had a hundred questions about Krypto and Argo, and they interrupted my briefing over and over again.

I sighed after Kori started laughing and interrupted me—again.

"Kori. Kara." I called them out in a cold voice. "I just explained a very important strategy that we need to practice. How about you give it a try first?"

"How about no?" Kara shot back.

I smiled, tense and fake, as I felt everyone's eyes on me. Beast Boy nearly choked on his water after hearing Kara's response.

"I wasn't asking."

I activated the simulation in our training chamber and stepped aside, leaving Kara and Kori standing in the center. The rest of the team followed me and watched in complete silence.

They didn't last two minutes and failed to apply the strategy I had just explained. After that, they both remained quiet while I finished the briefing and organized the simulations.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Kara approached me after the team started the first round of training. "I could beat you up right here and crush your spirit in front of them."

"Go ahead and try." I replied, my eyes still fixed on the team. "Apparently, you can be beaten by a Level 3 simulation. That's a pretty low level for a Kryptonian."

I wouldn't have been surprised if Kara had blasted me with her heat vision right then—her eyes were already burning holes through my face.

"Yeah? And what's your level, hotshot?" she challenged.

"Thirty-seven."

"Bullshit."

I snorted and showed her my record score on the tablet.

She walked away cursing under her breath, determined to beat the simulation.

In the center of the training chamber, Beast Boy and Cyborg looked away from the simulated threat to stare at me instead. The sound of my snort drew their attention as if it were a natural disaster.

"Did they just laugh...?" Cyborg asked, stunned.

"During training?" Beast Boy finished.

Their disbelief was interrupted by a punch from the simulation robot.

Before I realized it, the entire team had started watching every interaction I had with Kara. They would fall silent whenever we started arguing over something stupid, unable to believe how animated I became around her. I was usually calm, steady, reliable—but Kara was a menace, and she couldn't have cared less about my reputation with the team. She insulted me and provoked me the way she always did. After all, I wasn't her leader.

The team caught on quickly.

Cyborg was unbearable.

He'd team up with Kara to drive me insane by complaining nonstop. A healthy dinner? No—we had to order pizza every time she was around. They'd argue over who was paying until I finally lost my patience and handed them my credit card. Then they'd immediately order two extra pizzas because they knew I was the one paying.

After a while, they started complaining about everything—old video games, outdated computers, even clothes. Within a month, I'd caved and bought Victor the newest games, consoles, and whatever clothes were trending. He knew Kara would never miss an opportunity to get under my skin, and he took full advantage of it.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, never complained.

To my surprise.

No, he was far too happy around Kara to even think about bothering me. Like an overexcited little brother, he followed her around with complete devotion, amazed that someone had finally figured out how to affect me. After years of trying to set me up with random people, Gar was thrilled to see me in a relationship—even if Kara's colorful vocabulary and razor-sharp comebacks occasionally scared the life out of him. Whenever she was around, he'd lean over and whisper into Raven's ear, eyes wide with equal parts admiration and fear.

Rachel barely spoke to Kara, to be honest.

But during training sessions and on missions?

They were lethal.

They worked together so well that I seriously considered making Kara an honorary Titan just so she and Raven could stay on the same team permanently.

It took me a few days to understand why they clicked so well.

Then I saw it.

Their shared silence.

Their shared anger.

In some ways, they both understood how grief and rage could steal your light—something not every Titan could relate to. Eventually, they started talking more.

They even started smiling around each other.

One day, Raven stopped by my office to ask about her.

"It's been a while since Kara worked with us," she said, her expression as blank as ever.

"She's busy. Luthor built a new batch of robots, and Superman's away on a space mission."

Silence.

Raven didn't say anything, but she didn't leave either.

"I can't read your mind, Rachel. Speak up."

"Maybe she could use our help."

I stood there for a moment, studying her face.

Rachel Roth missed Kara Zor-El.

That was a first.

I picked up my communicator.

"Everyone, get ready. We're heading to Metropolis in thirty."

I could've sworn Raven smiled.

Later, on the T-Jet, Kori started interrogating me.

"Are we going to help your girlfriend?"

I answered with a grunt.

"Don't call her that."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Is she your wife?"

Gar and Victor burst out laughing.

"Dick told me that human relationships are either called dating or marriage. Which one are you?"

I covered my face in exasperation.

"...I don't know."

"WHAT?" Dick suddenly exclaimed. "You took days off—days, Y/N!—to go to space with her, and you don't know what kind of relationship you're in?"

"We never felt the need to talk about it. Not everyone has fidelity issues, you know."

Dick pointed at me, his face turning bright red.

I'd hit a nerve.

"Fuck you."

"I think Kara will take care of that later," Gar joked.

God, I wanted to die.

"I hate all of you," I muttered under my breath, praying we'd get there soon.

Gar wasn't wrong, though.

Kara really was happy to see all of us—especially because we helped her destroy thousands of robots, and because we hadn't seen each other in weeks.

The reason Dick and Kori were so curious about our relationship was simple.

They were rooting for us.

Not just rooting for us.

They were shipping us like a damn fan club.

They actually giggled when Kara launched herself into my arms in the middle of the battle, completely ignoring the robot she'd been fighting the second she spotted me.

Dick later admitted he was relieved I'd found someone.

Someone who could stop me from turning into an overly rational, brooding, hardass leader like Bruce.

Those were his exact words.

Little did I know...

He was already planning to trick us into going on a double date with him and Kori.

mentions: @autisticbiologistmess, @sirenheiress

[libdibs]

If You Were a Fictional Character

I've seen a few moots doing this and it looked fun!

* Make this picrew of yourself

* Take this uquiz (How Fandom Would See You If You Were A Fictional Character)

...yeah that seems about right 😅🫠

Not sure who's done this already so tagging the besties @thetumblingmoron @redheadsramblings @woundedsoul12 @the-bear-and-his-sunbird @aurorabiggs @thepalehorsevictoria @kiir-do-faal-rahhe and anyone else who would like to play!

[meester-skunk]

Eh that suits ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@r0adkill13 @heytheresbrutus @smilingartur @stella-sidra @demigodmagician

[bunnyprincessbecca]

Oh heavens to Betsy😓I guess it’s good I’m likeable though?!?!? When I retook it but switched one answer (I was torn between two options for the quotes section) I got lovable puppy which is very fitting but I decided it would be disingenuous to not put the first one!!!

@swallow-wind because I know you like doing these but no pressure at all!!!

[swallow-wind]

NONONO I'M TOO AROACE FOR THIS HELP— (on brand for how fandom treats aroace characters tho TBH 😭😭)

No pressure tags: @ninetimesbluedemo @nastasyafilippovna11 @tatsuyamss @theydoctor @libramooon @greensleeves2107 and anyone else who might want to!

[libramooon]

thank you for the tag @swallow-wind !! 🥰

welp.

no pressure tags: @punkgeekcryptid @dearscone @pleasedontlookatmeokay @eightysix-baby + anyone else who’d like to do this :)

[autisticbiologistmess]

I always ger identity crisis-es when doing these. Anyway your turn @rory-bug

[tiktoksthataregood-ish]

[bpwpbshika]

[shamebats]

[image ID: TikTok comment by Spedubopy: I once had a german bouncer look at my pre transition-ID and then back at me and just go "ja das ist an improvement" /end ID]

[abigailunderthemoon]

After I came out as an adult to my childhood best friend, he went back to his family and told them and then when we next spoke he said, ‘we’ve decided this is a good move for you.’

[moss-wizard]

[emilyelizabethfowl]

[sapphicandgraphic]

Flying Blind - Chapter 2

Summary: Reader heals from the mission, Natasha struggles with feelings

A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter in this slow-burn romance between Nat and medic!reader as they go on missions and live alongside one another at the Avengers Tower! Enjoy the angst 😈

Read the full chapter here 💖

You let her to guide you in the opposite direction, trying not to think about what it means that she’s being so gentle with you, so tender. You thought she hated you. Now…now you’re not so sure.

You ascend a stairwell with Natasha leading you, arriving at a roof access point that’s been propped open with a brick. She pushes the door all the way open and leads you into the fresh night air.

Immediately, the black shroud of the sky loosens the tight knot of persistent anxiety in your chest. It’s like someone clipped a wire of tension strung between your shoulder blades.

Natasha doesn’t miss much. She notices the way your breathing deepens, the pinched skin around your eyes relaxing.

“I come up here sometimes after missions,” she says, voice soft. “It’s quiet. Helps me decompress.”

She creeps across the roof, taking your hand again at some point in the dark, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It’s not until the destination comes into view that you realize how private this is for Natasha, how sacred. There’s a bivouac rigged near the edge. A sleeping bag, a foam palette, a small hiking tent.

“You sleep out here.” It’s not a question; in fact, your words are tinged with something like longing, envy. Compared to the tiny, cramped bunk in your windowless quarters, this seems positively luxurious.

Natasha nods. “I don’t do so great in small spaces.”

You glance at her, heart aching at the admission, at what it means. You know a bit about her origin story—just broad strokes—but the details, you imagine, are much more gruesome.

“Me neither,” you whisper, rolling your shoulders. “I actually hate them.”

Natasha lowers herself onto the blankets and gestures for you to join her. The second your body sinks down beside hers, a wave of fatigue slams into you. The cool breeze makes you shiver just a little. It’s a pleasant sensation after the stuffiness of the tower halls. Natasha draws the sleeping bag up over both your laps, scooting closer so that your legs are pressed together.

“Stars are bright tonight,” you say, eyes drifting over the vast expanse of cold, glittering lights.

“Mmm,” Natasha agrees. “Shall we count them?”

You laugh, weariness making you unguarded. Natasha finds she likes the warm, rough sound of your amusement, the rumble of it against her chest.

“Sure,” you say. “You take that side, I’ll take this side.”