TFA Writings

A collection of drabbles, writings, and various fics by TFA. Certain Completed writings are available as downloadable PDF files by request.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; Comic Trips Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Jenny and Gordon go Christmas shopping and encounter a unique problem.

Most people had simple Christmas traditions they kept, from baking cookies with the family to watching certain movies, or participating in certain wintertime activities to truly and fully embrace the Christmas spirit. And while it was true that the Jones family did have their own traditions similar to most folks, there was one specific one that was a Jenny Jones special: dragging her best friend out to do all her Christmas shopping in one trip, usually a day far too close for comfort for most holiday shoppers. Gordon never really seemed to mind–or if he did, he had never told her–and so their little spree became a yearly tradition, with the duo bouncing from store to store until their arms were sore from carrying everything, ending with a treat of hot chocolate and cookies at their favorite bakery. It truly had become an activity Jenny looked forward to every year. What had started off as a frantic, chaotic mess of a shopping trip had slowly developed into a fun, relaxing experience over the years. And she needed that this year. God, did she need it. 

The past two months hadn’t exactly been the easiest for her. Between ending her relationship and stepping away from SHIELD, she had unintentionally thrown herself off into the deep end, not really knowing where she would land. She hadn’t entirely been a fool; she had saved up enough of her earnings to survive on for a decent time while she looked for other work, but she hadn’t expected the loneliness to hit her as bad as it had over the past few days. She knew why she felt that way. The holidays were supposed to be spent with the people you loved, and although she had never felt that in her relationship, the companionship had been good enough to cover up that hole for her. Now it was just this big, gaping spot, mocking her for putting herself first for a change. She needed a little cheer to distract her from that, and no one was better at bringing the cheer than Gordon.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. Jenny thanked the cashier as she handed her the bag, and with a small skip in her step, she left the department store with a brightly cheery mood. “That’s Ollie taken care of,” she said as she fell in line with Gordon, who graciously took the bag from her. “And I’m telling you, you should have bought that sweater.”

Gordon shrugged as best he could under the load of bags. “It was pricey.”

He wasn’t wrong, but Jenny still felt he should have bought it. An unintentional plus of shopping with Gordon for clothes was that he had a similar build to Oliver, so she could make him dress up in the clothes she considered getting for her brother. Most of the time, she’d just picture the younger man in Gordon’s place and pick the best suiting one, which is why the boy was getting a rather nice cable-knit sweater this year to replace his ratty old one. Unfortunately for her, one of the other options–a cashmere sweater with a tiny v-neck–had hugged Gordon’s features in all the right places, and it had been impossible for her to see anyone other than him wearing it. She pointed out that it made him look good, which had led to some slight blushing on both their parts, but hadn’t been able to convince him to make a purchase for himself. She’d half considered just buying it for him as an extra present, but the price tag had been just out of her budget range. Admitting defeat, she let it go and shelved the thought for another year. Besides, she had no right picking out clothes for him, especially ones that brought out just how attractive he was in her opinion.

“Where to next?” Gordon asked, bringing her out of her little trip down memory lane. 

Jenny pulled out her list, running a finger down each item until she found the next stop. “Mom’s present,” she said, directing them both down the street. “It’s been a while since we got her a new charm for her bracelet, so I’m gonna get one from all three of us.”

“She’s going to love that.”

“Right?!” Jenny beamed up at him, the look only increasing when she saw how happy he looked too. She needed this. He always managed to be a bright sun on a cloudy day, or a warm hug after a rough night. It was impossible for her to be down in the dumps when he looked like that.

Stepping into the jewelry store always felt like entering a new world to her. The place was normally well out of her realm and since she wasn’t truly a jewelry person, she never really had any reason to be here. But a special present called for her spectacular mother, so she entered the glass doors with surprising grace to get the job done. The place was far too high-end for her, leading her to giggle awkwardly a little when the man at the door offered to store their bags and coats for them. She knew it was most likely a security reason, but that didn’t stop her from feeling a little bit like a princess. Motioning for Gordon to follow, the duo made their way down a small line of glass cases, each pair of eyes peeled for the charm that would scream Emma Jones.

“I’m thinking something simple,” she whispered to her friend, not wanting to admit openly that the idea mostly came from her not having a disposable income this year. She leaned over him a bit, looking down at the case he had settled in front of. “Maybe something like–”

“Oh my goodness!” A woman’s voice behind her made Jenny jump a bit, but she paid her no mind. That was up until she heard, “Jennifer Jones?”

Jenny turned, an awkward smile plastered to her face as she looked at the mystery woman. She had a dark pixie cut, wide blue eyes, and a smile that seemed so oddly familiar. But Jenny had no clue who this was. “Yes?” she said, hoping the woman would elaborate.

Thankfully, she did. Her perfectly manicured nails patted her chest as she squealed, “It’s Addy Rawlins!”

A light switch went off in Jenny’s head and she squealed the woman’s name as well, pulling her in for a quick, slightly awkward hug before she remembered the woman was working. Other than Gordon, Addy had been the only person who hadn’t treated Jenny any differently in high school after her so-called glow-up. The girl had been her lab partner all throughout school, and her bubbly attitude towards the sciences had always helped Jenny from falling into a pit of despair over not understanding it at all. Despite their closeness in class, Addy and her ran in different circles and didn’t really hang out much outside the lab, leading to them drifting apart after graduation. It was so strange to see the woman here, giggling up a storm as if nothing had changed. A stern look from someone in a suit helped die down that bubbling joy the woman had and she quickly waved them over to her section.

“It’s so good to see you,” Addy said, sliding behind the counter with a wide grin. “You too, Gordon.”

“Yeah,” he said, chuckling a bit as he and Jenny stood in front of her. “It’s been ages.”

“We were out doing some Christmas shopping,” Jenny said, still hopped up on her happy energy. It was so nice being around people who just seemed to be having a good time. “Actually, maybe you could help us? We’re looking for something.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you need.” The woman giggled again, turning away to grab something.

Gordon leaned down, whispering, “Is it weird that she remembers your charm tradition?”

Jenny laughed, shrugging as she looked up at him. “I guess? But hey, weirder things have happened.”

As if the universe heard her statement as a call, the weirdest thing did happen.

The tray that Addy put in front of the duo was not filled with various charms or bracelets. Instead, she had gone off to grab a tray of white gold wedding bands, each matching pair delicately displayed in an obvious attempt to get engaged couples to pick the set. While Addy beamed at the two of them, Jenny and Gordon just blankly blinked at the display. “I’m so happy for you both,” Addy said, practically bouncing in place. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll even throw in a little family and friends discount on this today. Oh! Let me grab the gold bands real quick. Get you some better options.”

The woman trotted off again, leaving the two of them alone with their thoughts. After a second or two, Jenny heard Gordon start to say something along the lines of “Um…” but she quickly silenced him with the back of her hand to his chest. This…was an opportunity. One that she quite literally could not afford to let pass. Turning towards him, she looked up at him with an utter seriousness in her eyes.

“Play along,” she whispered. “I am not made of money and we can use this to get a discount on that charm.”

“I–”

But Gordon stopped his thought when Addy reappeared with a new tray.  “I found the gold ones as well as some titanium,” Addy said as she carefully placed the tray down, distracted for a moment by her work. “I don’t think it’s really your style, but hey, you never know.”

Jenny knew she had to act fast. With her usual plastered smile, she stepped into Gordon, intended to take his arm in a gentle squeeze to show her admiration. But his arm had moved and instead she found herself leaning against him, her left hand resting on his chest as his cautiously wrapped around her waist. It felt…oddly comforting. “I think she’s right,” Jenny said, looking up to bat her eyelashes at her faux fiancee. “Simple would be best.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Gordon swooned and Jenny had to work overtime not to giggle at him.

Addy took the bait, hook, line and sinker. She was practically radiating joy as she asked. “Have you two decided a timeframe yet?”

“Spring.” They both answered simultaneously, looking at each other with mild shock. 

“She loves when the flowers are in bloom,” Gordon said, trying to get back on track.

“And he likes that it won’t be too hot,” Jenny laughed, patting his chest playfully. “Tuxes can get so stuffy sometimes.”

Addy agreed as she set out the rings. “I have to say, I’m so genuinely happy for you both. I was rooting so hard for you two in high school.”

“You were?” Again, the duo was in sync, though this time they didn’t try to hide the shock they felt.

“Of course!” The woman smiled widely at the couple. “You guys just seemed so perfect for one another. I had always hoped you two would just turn around, see each other, and start kissing instead of messing around.” All three laughed, though the couple felt far more awkward than her. Addy looked like she was about to say something else when she noticed an oddity. “Jenny,” she said, pointing towards her hand. “Do you not wear your ring out in public?”

Immediate panic began to set in. Jenny opened her mouth to come up with some sort of excuse, like she had dropped it in the shower or a pigeon took off with it, but luckily Gordon came to her rescue.

“It’s my fault,” he said sheepishly, his free hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. “Our engagement wasn’t exactly…normal. We were just in the kitchen one day having some fun and I realized I didn’t want to spend another day in my life without the world knowing how much I loved her. So I sort of asked her without an actual ring in hand…”

“That’s adorable,” Addy swooned, though she quickly wagged a finger at him. “But you have to fix that little error.”

“It’s alright,” Jenny said, feeling an odd need to come to his defense. She leaned into him a bit more, gently squeezing him closer to her as she spoke. “He’s all I ever wanted. I don’t need an engagement ring to show that.”

“Sure, but there’s no harm in taking a look, is there?”

“We could take a peek,” Gordon said, glancing down at her with a familiar playfulness. “No harm, no foul, right?”

Sighing, Jenny caved in. She walked with him over to the next display, which held enough diamonds to fill a chandelier in her mind. Addy made some sort of comment about the Miller money and gestured towards some rather gaudy looking rings, which nearly made Jenny scowl. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the rather surprising response she heard from Gordon.

“She wouldn’t really like these designs,” he said calmly, looking over all the overly expensive rings. “Jenny’s always been about simple and clean jewelry. Equally pretty cuts, just on smaller stones and with less fillings.”

She watched with amusement and adoration as he described her jewelry tastes impeccably, moving them further away from the types of things she hated and more towards the things she liked. Addy had pulled a few random diamond rings to show him, so she thought she’d be safe to mosey on down to look for her charm. She barely made it two steps away before something in the display next to her caught her eye. Like a sailor called to a siren’s song, she found herself lured to the case, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the treasure.

Sitting just off center of the display on a simple box was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The decently sized emerald sat in a dazzling manner on top of a white gold ring, two small diamonds sitting on either side of the jewel to give it an elegant balance. The simplicity of it drew her in and she hadn’t even realized how much she had been staring at it until it suddenly disappeared from view. Startled, she looked up to see a grinning Addy pulling it out, holding out the small box so she could take a better look.

“Somehow, I knew you’d go for this one,” Addy smiled, holding out her hand. “Here, try it on.”

Jenny shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t–”

But her protests fell on deaf ears. Before she knew it, the ring was sliding onto her finger, settling on there like it was always meant to be. She was surprised by the weight of it, subconsciously moving her finger a bit to counteract it, but she was even more stunned by its beauty. She knew full well the jeweler’s lights were meant to catch every good angle and that it wouldn’t be recreated outside the store, but she could help but stare at how the tiny diamonds sparkled, or how each edge of the emerald seemed to almost shine. In a very rare occasion, Jenny found herself completely overwhelmed by it all, words completely escaping her as she silently admired the ring.

“It’s a great choice,” Addy mused, an obviously overjoyed smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “It looks perfect on you. Plus, it really brings out his eyes.”

That got Jenny’s attention. Her head snapped up, brows furrowing a bit as she asked, “Does it?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she just turned towards Gordon, holding her hand up towards his face. The woman was right. The sparkling in her ring only seemed to highlight the sparkling in his eyes. Every curve seemed to glow, every light bounced off to make him look even more breathtaking. She didn’t know when her hand had moved to cup his face, mostly because she had stopped looking at the ring and had started looking in his eyes, but it only brought out how happy his eyes looked even more. “Yeah,” she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. “It really does.”

As if the forming blush on both his face and hers were quite literal flames, Jenny’s hand quickly retracted, holding it back out towards Addy as she awkwardly laughed. “Per usual, you have great tastes,” Jenny rambled, hoping she didn’t seem as flabbergasted as she felt at the moment. “But I think we’re going to keep things on the down-low for now.”

The look of disappointment on Addy’s face jabbed a knife right into her heart. “Are you sure?” the woman asked, taking her hand. “It really feels like this is the one for you…”

“I’m sure,” Jenny replied, silently wondering why the whole ordeal was making her feel so sad. It wasn’t like it was actually her ring. Hell, it wasn’t even her engagement. The whole charade had been to shave a few bucks off her mother’s present. It was never a legitimate option to begin with. Still, that didn’t stop the slight yearning she felt when the ring slid off her finger, leaving her feeling almost naked without it. Her thumb subconsciously traced the outline where it had been before she pulled back, plastering her usual smile on her face to hide how bothered she was by the whole thing. She was about to pivot towards her actual goal when she heard a quiet voice next to her.

“...You should get it.”

While Addy beamed, Jenny’s head whipped around to look at the sheepish man beside her. “What?” she asked. Surely, she hadn’t heard him correctly.

Gordon shrugged, glancing back over at the ring in Addy’s hand. “I think you should get it.”

A long silence stood between them before Jenny responded. “...No?”

Oddly, Gordon stood his ground. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“You clearly like it. So get it.”

Jenny was half-tempted to stick her hands into her pockets and pull them inside out in a show of how completely and utterly broke she was at the moment, then thought against that. After all, she did still need to buy something here. Unfortunately for her, Gordon could practically read her mind and before she knew it, she watched him reach into his coat pocket, the edge of his wallet peeking out as realization dawned on her.

“Gordon, no,” she said in a hushed tone.

“It’s fine.”

“Gordon,” she repeated, both of her hands swiftly going to his forearm to keep him from pulling his wallet out any further. She locked eyes with him as a serious tone took over. “No.”

“Why?”

“It’s too much.”

“It makes you happy,” he said matter-of-factly. “So it’s worth it.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said, her resolve faltering and her eyes drifting down as she tried to ignore how his words made her heart thump. He worsened it by placing his free hand over one of hers.

“You’re not asking me to do anything.” His hand gently squeezed. “I want to.”

She looked back up at him, the kind softness in his eyes threatening to whittle away what remained of her defense. “It’s too expensive…”

“I can afford it.”

For some unknown reason, that snapped something in her. With a huff, Jenny released one of her hands on him, the hand going straight to her hips in a scolding manner as her eyes narrowed at him. “Hold the phone,” she said, a slight irritation in her voice. “So the sweater I wanted you to get was too pricey, but this is fine?”

“That was different,” Gordon said awkwardly, his eyes averting her gaze in favor of something on the wall behind the counter. 

“Why? Because that was for you and this is for me?” The awkward silence answered that question. She half-scoffed, her foot tapping in mild annoyance as she spoke. “The sweater would have been for me too! I get the eye candy and the possibility of swiping it for a few days. Plus that one wouldn’t have cost thousands of dollars.” She spoke the last sentence through gritted teeth, trying to get him to understand why she was uncomfortable with this.

Gordon finally looked back at her, an eyebrow ever-so-slightly raised. “This could be gone by the next time you come around here.”

“So could that sweater.”

“The sweater was mass produced.”

Jenny opened her mouth to argue again, but was interrupted by the sound of a quiet giggle to her side. Both her and Gordon looked over towards the source, catching Addy having to cover her mouth to stifle her giggling at them. “I’m sorry,” the woman said, clearly having to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “I just really enjoy seeing people in love.”

That brought both of them back to the moment. Their beet red faces both avoided looking at one another as they turned back to the counter. Clearing her throat, Jenny leaned in. “Addy, I won’t lie. That ring is…everything I’ve ever imagined.” She decided that complete honesty couldn’t hurt for a couple of seconds, so she said exactly what was on her mind. “But…it’d be too much of a temptation for me. I’d want to wear it everywhere. And if I did that, people would see it and ask questions and I just…” Sighing, she instinctively reached over for Gordon’s hand, her slender fingers linking with his as she leaned into him. “I want to enjoy this–just the two of us–for a little while longer. Before it becomes everyone else’s thing.”

Addy nodded, a small smile tugging her lips. “I understand completely.” She took the ring’s display and slipped it back into its spot, then leaned over towards Gordon and in a poorly attempted hushed voice said, “I can put it on hold for you to pick up later. You gotta propose to her the right way this time.”

“Thank you and I plan to,” Gordon replied with a warm smile. Jenny didn’t have time to process what that meant before he started speaking again. “There’s something else you might be able to help us with though. Her father had this old tradition of buying her mother a charm for her bracelet every time they had some huge life event. I was thinking of doing something similar for her, that way she has something subtle she could wear while still feeling like she could show it off. You wouldn’t happen to have any charms around, would you?”

The adoration at the idea practically oozed off Addy as she swooned over how adorable the idea was. In a swift motion, all the rings were cast back to their hiding places before she led them around the room, gesturing towards the small case of charms they had tucked away in the corner. Jenny knew she should have been paying attention to the various things the woman was rattling on about, but she was distracted by the warmth of Gordon’s hand. His hand in hers had always felt natural, but there was something about how he used it to keep her close, then how he moved it to her back to help guide her towards the display that felt…right. Like that’s what he was always meant to do. Even as she stood in front of him, both their bodies leaning ever so slightly over the display, she felt like they were always supposed to end up like this.

“What are you thinking?” Gordon asked.

Blinking, she looked up at him. “Huh?”

“About the charms?”

“Oh.” She looked back at the display, hoping he didn’t catch that she had been spacing out. Her eyes drifted across the limited selection before settling on the perfect option. She carefully pointed at her target. “That rose is lovely.”

“A great choice,” Addy agreed as she carefully removed it. Explanations were given on the charm, questions were asked about how to style it, and soon the tiny box was in Jenny’s possession, the last box on her list checked off for the holidays. Unfortunately, she knew it would have been suspicious for her to buy the charm herself, so Gordon had to pay for it instead.

“I’ll pay you back,” Jenny said once they were a safe enough distance away from the jewelry shop, her bags back in Gordon’s arms as they walked. 

“You don’t have to,” he said, cautiously trying to avoid the crowd.

“I know, but you know I’m going to. Here, be careful.” She reached over and wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him closer to her as she took one set of bags from him to balance the load. They walked slowly side by side, the individuals hustling around them to reach their own holiday destinations. Jenny sighed, unknowingly leaning into him a bit as they went on. “That was exhausting, right?”

“Oh yeah. I feel like I ran a marathon.”

“Is that how it normally is for engaged couples? If so, I’m never getting married.”

“Okay. I’m going to jot this down and work it into my speech for when you actually do get married to remind you that you said that.”

“Hey, ditto to you too, buddy.”

Their playful banter continued for the rest of the walk, a warm comfort in the cool city air as they drew closer and closer together. By the time they reached the door to her apartment building, the two were practically inseparable, with Jenny even asking him to fish out her keys from her pocket. Gordon did so easily, but when he stepped over to go unlock the door, she quickly halted him.

“Not today, my friend,” she said quickly, stopping him to take her keys and remaining bags. 

A look of sad confusion crossed his face. “I’m not allowed up anymore?”

She giggled at him, half because of the look and the other half because she noticed the faint specks of snow stuck in his hair. Gesturing for him to bend down, she reached up to brush the snow off as she spoke. “Your present is sort of all over my living room right now and I don’t fully feel like cleaning it up.” Taking advantage of his forehead being close, she leaned in to press a chaste kiss against him. “Thank you for today. I really needed it.”

“Of course,” Gordon said, smiling as he stood back up straight. “I had fun.”

“Me too.” Jenny looked up at the darkening sky, a slight frown threatening to tug at her lips. “Are you sure you’re okay to walk home though? It’s getting dark.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay…but you’ll call me once you make it home?”

“I will.”

“Call.” She stressed. “Not text. You’ll get distracted and forget and I’ll be upset all night because of it.”

“I’ll call.” Gordon reached over and brushed something off the top of her head. “And you won’t answer, because you’ll go straight to your bed and pass out.”

“Yeah but I’ll see the missed call and know you listened, so it’s a win for me.”

Gordon laughed and Jenny tried not to focus on how it made her heart skip. “Get inside,” he said, motioning for her to go to the door. “It’s getting cold and we don’t want you to get sick.”

“Alright, alright,” she moaned, exaggerating the act by rolling her eyes in a dramatic fashion. She took a few steps to her building’s door, unlocking it and slipping in. She caught the door with her foot though and poked her head out before Gordon left. “Gordon?”

“Yeah?”

“...Would you be willing to do one more favor for me?”

“Sure.”

A mischievous smirk caught the corner of her mouth. “Buy the damn sweater.” 

She let the door shut then, blowing him a kiss through the glass before miming a reminder to call her. She watched as he simply shook his head at her, then disappeared into the night. Entering her dark apartment significantly dropped her mood though and soon she found herself face first into her mattress, snoring through the sound of her phone softly buzzing. When she woke up a few hours later, she found two notifications. The first informed her that he had kept his word on calling her, despite knowing she’d be asleep. The second left her quietly giggling in satisfaction as she opened her messages to see a picture of him wearing the sweater she wanted, a mixture of mild annoyance and amusement on his face as he awkwardly posed.

Luckily for him, in her half-awake state, she didn’t notice the small box perched on the counter barely in frame, a familiar jewelry store’s logo wrapped in a ribbon around it…

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; Comic Trips Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Jenny and Gordon enjoy a moment of domesticated bliss.

Jenny wouldn't lie: the decision to take things slow had been an odd one for her to accept. Not that she hadn't wanted to; in fact, quite the opposite was true. She was tired of jumping into things too quickly, of diving headfirst into relationships without bothering to check how deep her waters were, only to discover that her heart was still standing back at the edge of the pool. She wouldn't do that to Gordon. And deep down, she desperately needed him not to do the same to her.

So when she finally found the courage to ask him out--in more than just a friendly manner--she told herself she needed to take baby steps. Ironically, her heart seemed to be the one thing that wanted to jump in, consequences be damned, but she still forced herself to move at a pace that a reasonable human being would follow. And thankfully, Gordon took every baby step with her, never missing a beat as they moved forward. They cautiously moved from friendly banter to playful flirting, from playful flirting to something deeper. The nervous touches and caresses grew bolder until they became an intimacy she had never allowed herself to believe she would have with him. It was new and exciting, but it also brought her a sense of comfort she had never felt before. There was no pressure or expectation to jump straight into bed, no need to be the cool, sexy rebel her previous boyfriends had wanted. He cared for her in ways she hadn't expected. In fact, after their first night together, when she had rolled over half-asleep and discovered that he was still there with an arm draped around her, she had nearly burst into happy tears. He stayed. And it mattered more than anything to her. For the first time, she felt safe.

That safety only grew the longer their relationship went on. She could talk about how she was feeling without worrying that he wouldn't listen. He could express his frustrations and fears without feeling like she would judge him for them. Each little step they took only made them both bolder, progressing along with an odd sense of confidence until they reached their first big milestone. Moving in together was a conversation that spanned months, each of them coming up with pros and cons until they both spotted the same townhouse up for grabs and decided the universe was making a decision for them. Hand-in-hand, they took the plunge, diving into the next chapter of their lives knowing the other was holding on just as tightly. And for the first time in her life, Jenny didn't regret diving in.

"I've done the impossible," Gordon said, snapping Jenny out of the nostalgic trip she had unknowingly taken herself on. Smiling, she looked over her shoulder, watching him brush his hands off on his shorts.

"And what's that?" she asked, returning her attention to the skillet in front of her. While she would normally take the opportunity to ogle at her boyfriend, the bacon sizzling on the stove needed her full attention. The last thing either of them needed was a grease fire.

"As of this morning, I have unpacked the last box of stuff. There are no more boxes, bins, or weirdly packed square shaped objects to be found."

"Hey, you know what that means?"

"What?"

Jenny grinned, offering a quick glance over her shoulder. "We're officially living together now."

She heard him chuckle and, after a second, felt his arms wrap around her waist. "And what exactly have we been doing for the past three months then?"

"Oh, that's easy," she replied, allowing herself to lean back into him. "Living in sin."

That earned a laugh from the both of them. She felt Gordon press a kiss against her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder, both actions earning separate giggles from her. "I should have known," he bemoaned, the teasing tone oozing from his voice. "What will the neighbors think?"

"We're truly rapscallions," Jenny replied. She cautiously flipped the bacon in the pan, then moved to rest her cheek against him. "But don't worry, I'll protect you from their narrowed eyes and wagging fingers."

"My hero," he laughed.

The moment of quiet peace that followed had become one of Jenny's favorite parts of their relationship. There was no awkward silence or weird tension in the air. She found that no matter what they were doing, whether they were simply holding each other like now or doing their own separate things in the same room, the silence between them still managed to be full of tenderness. It always managed to create a warm feeling in her chest, one that always made her want to reach out and take his hand, just so she could see that handsome smile of his when he looked at her. Even now, as she swayed slightly in his arms as he held her from behind, she felt like she was the most precious thing on the planet, something she never felt with anyone before.

Another soft kiss was placed on her neck, and Jenny decided she couldn't let that go unanswered. She slowly turned, setting her spatula down on the plate so she could wrap her arms around his neck, gazing softly into his eyes as he held her. She caught a quick glimpse of that warm smile of his before she closed the gap between them, her lips catching his in a slow, tender kiss. The need to lean into him, to let his hands roam further down as she deepened the kiss was high, and she suspected he knew that when he carefully pulled away.

"...I have to get to work," he breathed, his forehead resting against hers as they swayed again.

"Mmhmm." Jenny hummed in response. She made herself count to five, to let her heartbeat slow back down to a normal beat, before giving him one more quick peck. "Do you have time for breakfast?"

Gordon glanced at the clock, frowning at the time. "Doesn't look like it," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. She smiled at the look on his face, wondering if he was regretting unpacking instead of being with her earlier.

"I can make you some toast? You can be like one of those anime girls running to school with the bread hanging out your mouth."

"I don't know, I'd probably drop it. Or fall flat on my face."

"Yeah...plus, I'd probably burn it."

Gordon laughed, leaning in to give her one more quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight?"

Jenny groaned. "It'll be late. There are two parties booked for the arcade tonight and I doubt they'll be done on time."

"I can swing by after I close up shop. I mean, if you want?"

"I'd love that."

He smiled, stepping into one more kiss. "Okay," he said after yet another peck. "I'll see you then, alright? I love you."

"I love you too," Jenny said, giving his hand a squeeze. She watched as he went to grab his things, offering up a playful whistle when he patted himself down. That wonderous laugh of his made her heart skip a beat again, and she showed her appreciation by blowing him one last kiss as he walked out, giggling to herself when he "caught" it and stuffed it in his pocket.

It never ceased to amaze her how much love she found herself capable of when it came to him. Her heart was entirely his, and she felt no doubts that his was hers. The ease at which they could love each other, the peace of their everyday lives, and the comfort of their new domestic bliss all pointed her to the decision that there had never been another choice for her. She loved him, always had and always will. And the only thing that managed to wipe that wide grin from her face and loving thoughts of her man was the smell of her bacon burning. And even then, she found herself laughing at her failure--something she never used to do--and sending out an 'I told you so' text to her lover to share her mistake.

She didn't know what their future held, nor would she allow herself to overthink what it could be, but there was one thing she knew for certain: she wanted to be by his side, through thick and thin, and she would love him until the day she died.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: N/A ; Ted and Joon / Implied Comic Trips Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Joon discovers the dangers of having family marry into the Joneses.

Joon wasn’t normally one for big parties, but she did have to admit, this one was a good one. Maybe it was the open bar. Or the food that didn’t suck. Or the fact that people had finally learned not to bother her with simple small talk and went to the Joneses or Mason instead. Hell, it might have even been a combination of all three. Taking a sip from her glass, she glanced around the large group and silently agreed with herself. Yes, this wasn’t a bad party at all. Not like she would have been able to get out of it. Not showing up to your own son’s wedding probably would have been a bad thing. No, not probably. Definitely.

She had lucked out that the other three parents had taken over most of the schmoozing of guests. Mason had been short, but polite with his answers. Emma went between gushing about the whole thing to happy tears so many times that Joon was secretly wondering if she was being hormonal or not. And Ted…well, truthfully, she hadn’t seen much of Ted. Sure at the wedding he had been right there, front and center with the clumsy leading the clumsy down the aisle, but ever since then he had seemed scarce. She frowned. That couldn’t be right. He was the schmuck who was all about fairytale romances. How the hell could he sneak out of all the “rainbows and unicorn” feelings happening now?

After a quick pit stop to pick up an appetizer–thank God the bride and groom were food people–she made her way across the floor to try and track down the missing gentle giant. He was pretty easy to find. Not only because he seemed to tower over every other person, but he was also on Kadi duty, and she was determined to talk everyone’s ear off. Luckily for Joon, Kadi had decided to ramble on to some poor fellow that had made the mistake of standing nearby, so she was able to quickly sneak into the seat next to Ted.

“Hey,” she announced, butting him with her shoulder. Ted smiled back at her, but gave no answer. Weird. “Why aren’t you out there with all the other terrible dancers?”

This time Ted chuckled and pointed at his youngest. “Someone decided she’s only going out there if they play the cha cha slide, so I’m in a holding position.”

“Fair enough.” But Joon wasn’t going to let that slide. “Still, you should be out being a happy, proud dad and all that jazz. Telling embarrassing stories and making everyone question how much sparkling cider you’ve had.”

“No offense, but I’m not seeing you do that either.”

“Easy answer, I’m the mom, not the dad. My job is to swoon.” Joon said it with an absolute straight face, causing Ted to laugh again. “Seriously though. You are happy, right?”

“Of course!” Ted looked a little shocked by the question, but seemed to see that she wasn’t coming from a malicious place. “I am happy. Really. For both of them. And…” A thumb jutted out towards Emma, who was bursting at the seams with joy again. “A little bit for her too.”

“Then why do you seem so down?”

Sighing, Ted glanced over to make sure Kadi was still distracted before leaning closer to Joon. “Promise not to tell anyone?”

“No, but I want to hear it anyway.”

Ted shook his head, closing his eyes for a second before speaking. “...I’m trying to figure out which is the better name.”

Joon blinked a few times. “What?”

“I can’t decide which is better and it’s driving me bananas.”

She wanted to smack him. “You mean to tell me…you’ve been over here looking down in the dumps…because you can’t think of a good name?”

“Oh no, I have a good name. Jennifer Jones is a solid name.”

Joon rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe she had actually been concerned about him just a few minutes ago. She thought he was having some emotional struggle about his daughter being grown up now or some bullshit and instead this is what he was doing. She could throttle him if it wasn’t for the fact that he was completely wrong.

“Jennifer Miller would be a solid one too,” she countered.

“Yes, but think about…Gordon Jones.” He half shrugged. “He’s already an honorary one. Would fit right in. Plus, it would continue the streak of being the Joneses.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You mean we’re ridiculous.”

“What?”

“You’re one of us now, Joon.”

For the first time in decades, fear struck the heart of Joon. “No.”

“Oh yeah. One of us. One of us.” Ted began the chant, softly tapping his fists on the table in beat with his words. Soon Kadi joined in and the duo chanted in sync.

“You can’t make me.”

“Too late, Joon Jones.” Ted shook his head at that. “That’ll take some getting used to.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Nope. It’s happening. You are a Jones now.”

“They can still choose Miller.”

“Yeah, but I’m not being Ted Miller. Give me a break.” Ted scoffed, as if it was the most insulting thing he had heard.

Joon had to think fast. “Jennifer Cellist!”

Ted stopped the tapping and looked at Kadi. She seemed to think it over before giving a small nod. “It does have a certain appeal,” Ted agreed, looking over at Joon. “But! It would also require Gordon to go by it too.”

“Oh, I can make him.” Anything to get out of being a Jones.

“Hmm…” Ted seemed to think about it for a moment. “Ted Cellist wouldn’t be terrible. It does have a nice ring to it.”

“What has a nice ring?” Emma asked, scooping Kadi up as she sat down in the seat.

“Our new last name. We’re Cellists now. I have to fight Mason for Joon’s hand and claim our true family title.”

“Well, good luck with that, honey. What would you like your tombstone to say?”

“‘He went out as he came in, crying and afraid of bald men.’” The Joneses shared a laugh as Mason came over to take a seat next to Joon.

“What are they on about?” he asked

“Trust me when I say you don’t want to know.”

“Mason Jones!” Ted said, looking over at the couple before shaking his head. “No, that sounds too medieval.”

Mason looked back at Joon who just shook her head. “Don’t acknowledge him. It only makes him stronger.”

The discussion went out between the Joneses–and unfortunately for Joon, between the Joneses and Mason–for the next three minutes before she was cursed by the presence of the happy couple themselves. The blushing bride excitedly hugged everyone at the table before taking a seat next to her sister, snagging a two carrots off her plate, silently handing one up towards her glowing groom. "What are we talking about?" she asked, glancing between her family.

"Your last name," Emma said, getting straight to the point.

Jenny simply blinked while her father elaborated. "We're trying to figure out which is the best last name. I voted Jones--I'm biased--Mason likes Miller, and Joon likes Cellist." He held his hands out. "Discuss."

"Huh." Was all Jenny said at first. She smiled up at Gordon, the couple sharing a quiet laugh with one another. "I guess we didn't really think about that."

"We could always combine names," Gordon suggested. Jenny scooped Kadi up into her lap so he could take a seat, his fingers drumming against the table as he thought. "Let's see. We'd have...Mones."

"Absolutely not," nearly everyone at the table replied. The couple laughed. Jenny tilted her head, chewing on her lip as she said, "I don't think Jiller works either."

Jenny and Gordon continued laughing at each other's suggestions, which ranged from Celler to Jollist to Conller, each one earning a new laugh from each other and an exhausted head shake from Joon. "You know," Gordon said, offering the Jones girls another vegetable from Kadi's plate as he popped on in his own mouth. "We could always just pick a new name. Break tradition and start our own."

"And what would you choose?" his new wife asked, leaning into him now that Kadi had hopped down to get her father's attention.

"Oh, easy. Gordon Skywalker."

"Jennifer Skywalker wouldn't be too bad. I think they might question the legal documents though." Jenny laughed along with him. Joon watched as they seemed to get lost in each other, Jenny's nose scrunching up as she giggled while Gordon's fingers mindlessly fiddled with the new band on her left hand. She felt a small smile of her own start to tug at the corners of her mouth, until Jenny sat up straight, smacking Gordon in the chest as she exclaimed, "Oh! What about Razzmatazz? It's weird enough for people to ask question, but not potentially licensed by a production company!" She looked around the table. "Is it too late for us to be re-announced as Mr. and Mrs. Razzmatazz?" The cute moment was over.

“Excuse me,” Joon snapped, reaching over to a passing waiter. “Could you bring another bottle of champagne. And just…keep them coming.”

“Um…for how long?” The waiter nervously asked.

Joon looked around the table, stealing glances at each new and old member of the family she had chosen to be a part of. “...Let’s say the next forty years?”

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: N/A ; Jones Family Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Ted's little white lie soon swoops the Joneses and Millers into cahoots.

The panic began to set in as soon as the elevator door shut in front of Ted. What had he done? Forget about the possibility of his kid and honorary kid being upset with him over this; what was he going to do when the news of his lie reached the rest of SHIELD? All of the parents who would have been involved with this worked in the building. If someone brought it up to one of them, his lie would immediately be discovered. Or worse. He would have to face the wrath of whoever got to him first. And between Emma, Joon, and Mason, he knew exactly who would be the worst to face.

Which was why he was suddenly throwing open the door of his wife’s office. Her pleasant smile was a welcoming sight until it suddenly dropped from her face. Oh no. He must have had a crazed look on his. Now she knew he fucked up.

“I fucked up,” Ted blurted out. Better to admit it than try to hide. Emma quickly closed the file in front of her and stood.

“What happened?” Concern filled her voice and Ted silently savored that calm emotion. He knew it was about to change drastically.

“So you know how SHIELD medical only allows family to visit?”

“Yeah?”

“And how Jen’s in medical right now?”

“Yes.”

“And how the one person she’d probably want to see most is Gordon?”

“Yes?”

“And how he’s not technically family?”

“Teddy, I’m trying to follow here but you’re losing me in the weeds.”

Ted swallowed hard before rambling, “I sort of told security that Jenny and Gordon got married two years ago so I could sneak him into medical.”

There was a long silence before the windows—and possibly the entire building—shook with Emma’s yell. “YOU DID WHAT?!”

“I know, I know!” Ted’s panicked voice squeaked out as he waved his hands to calm them both down. Emma’s hands were in her hair, pushing the loose bits back in an almost aggressive manner as she began pacing the floor.

“No one is going to believe that!”

“I know!”

“There would have been a parade through these halls if that had happened—“

“I think that’s a little excessive—“

“And they don’t even live together!” Emma whirled around to face him, her panic starting to match his. Double oh no. He had really been counting on her being the calm one in this scenario. “No one is going to buy that they’re married and not living together!”

“Well,” Ted quickly tried to come up with anything to explain that little hiccup. “Maybe there’s trouble in paradise and they’re keeping separate spaces to work things out?”

Emma’s eyebrow twitched up. “Jenny? Gordon? Have you seen the way the two of them look at one another? Saying there’s trouble between them is a worse lie than saying they’re married.”

Ted didn’t have time to unpack any of that; Emma’s deep sigh and hand on his arm focused him into the importance of the moment. “Okay,” she said calmly. “They’ve been married for two years. They kept Gordon’s apartment because it was too small for them to live in together but it was necessary so he could have somewhere to sleep and wake up early for deliveries without waking her up too. They asked us to keep it a secret because they wanted something small for just the two of them, but Jenny’s current situation made it impossible for us to keep that promise. Does that work?”

“Yes…but…” Ted swallowed yet again as he looked down at his wife. “We need to tell Joon about this plan.”

“…You didn’t tell Joon about all this first?” The mom tone in her voice almost made him feel guilty about it. But there was no way in hell he was going to admit he was afraid of invoking Emma’s wrath over Joon’s at the moment. Time to deflect.

“We need to get her on board with all of this.”

“You want to involve her in the lie that you started?”

“No, we NEED to involve her. No one will question it if it’s coming from her.”

“…You make a good point.”

Six minutes and a donut stop later, the Joneses were coming to a skidding halt in front of Joon’s desk. The couple both offered up the best smile they could manage, but it was obvious that there was something else hiding behind that fake happy look. The redhead barely glanced up before sighing.

“Oh great. Who died?” She asked in a deadpan voice.

“Our children’s single lives?” Ted joked, but neither woman in the room seemed amused.

“What the hell is he talking about?” Joon asked Emma, not even bothering to look in Ted’s direction.

Emma rocked on her feet and shrugged slightly. “He may have told security outside of medical that Jenny and Gordon got married two years ago so he could sneak your son in to visit her.”

“No one is going to believe that actually happened.”

“Well…” Emma trailed off, looking over at her husband for support.

“They will if you say it did.” Ted said quickly, finally earning a look from Joon. She did not seem particularly happy about that idea.

“And why would I tell people that happened?”

“Because we’re like family and family looks out for each other?” Ted offered that up with a smile but was simply met with a stare. “Because your son will get kicked out of the building if you don’t back us up?” That one was met with the drumming of her pen on the desk. “…Because I’ll finally fix that leaky faucet in your kitchen that drives you crazy?”

“And?” Joon asked.

“And?”  Ted practically snapped. “What is this, a bribe?”

Joon simply stared for a little bit longer before returning to her paperwork, earning panicked looks from the couple. Ted was beginning to think that everything was about to come crumbling down when a suspicious smirk began to cross his wife’s lips. That put him even more on edge. He watched with shallow breaths as Emma leaned forward, placing her hands on the desk in front of her.

“I’ll give you the video.”

The pen in the redhead’s hand came to a halt. “Which video?”

“The video.”

The women locked eyes. There seemed to be some sort of secret deal being made between the two of them that Ted didn’t entirely understand. He couldn’t even recall any movie that Joon would have been interested in that they had. And even if they did have something, it wasn’t like it would be difficult to find a different copy somewhere else for less effort than—oh. Oh no. The blood drained from his face as he suddenly realized what video she was talking about. The year he had to have oral surgery. The drugs had messed him up pretty bad and since Emma was in Germany for work, he had called Joon to pick him up. According to her, he had behaved in the most embarrassing manner to the point she had to start filming him as blackmail or just for laughs. Luckily for him, she had accidentally sent the video to Emma instead of Chen before deleting it, so the only copy was safe in Jones hands. But now…

“Emma, you can’t,” he pleaded.

“We’re desperate, Teddy.”

The smirk on Joon’s face made him extremely uncomfortable. But before any pact with the devil could be made, they were interrupted by the sound of heavy boots and a sharp knock on the door. Emma and Ted both bolted to hiding spots behind a filing cabinet as they heard the sound of Agent Parker’s voice. Shit. They had already sent security to check on his story.

“Heard there’s some congratulations to send your way.” The agent’s smooth voice clearly held a tone of sarcasm that Ted didn’t entirely approve, but he held his breath nonetheless.

“And why would I be congratulated?” Joon responded in a sharp tone.

“Oh, I figured you’d want a little acknowledgment about your boy tying the knot.”

Joon scoffed, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. “You’re two years late on that front. Way to pay attention. Nothing says top tier security like a guy congratulating you on something that happened forever ago.”

“So he really married that Sally girl?”

“Wow, with fact checking like that, you’re sure to hit Head of Security in seventy years. My daughter-in-law’s name is Jennifer. You know, the same Jennifer Jones that works in this damn building? The same kid whose parents never shut up about her?”

“Just surprised they went small time for the wedding of their little girl.”

“Gordon and Jen wanted something small. It was a beautiful service. Tears were shed.”

“You cried?”

Everyone in the room could feel the sudden drop in temperature, meaning only one thing: Joon was dropping her patented death stare at the man. “Are you questioning my love for my only son, Parker?”

“No, no!” Ted could hear the sound of his boots quickly retreating. “I just meant that…I mean…thank you!”

A few moments passed before the Joneses popped their heads up. Joon was gathering up her things, snapping the cap on her pen with a confident pop. “I expect my reward by the end of the day,” she said before turning towards the door.

“Wait!” They both called out. Emma gestured for Ted to speak. “Where are you going?”

“It’s lunchtime.” The couple looked at the clock as Joon trotted out. Weird. They were normally so good about remembering when food was. Though, in their defense, it was a strange day.

“Why do I have this sinking feeling like we forgot something?” Emma asked.

“I dunno.” Ted shrugged. “We can’t tell Jen because she’s resting. Gordon was already there, so he knows. I told you, we told Joon. That covers it, right?”

The long pause between them was suddenly snapped as they both turned to each other and yelled, “WE FORGOT MASON!”

The lunchroom was bustling with agents going to and fro, causing it to be very difficult for either of them to locate the bald man. Ted was looking over heads and Emma glanced from table to table, both of them feeling a sick sensation settling in their stomachs at the thought of letting him slip through the cracks. So the quiet jingle of Buck’s tag was as good as an angel ringing a bell to them. The duo quickly squeezed their way through to find the man staring intently at various globs of food.

“Miller!” Ted slid up to the man as Emma boxed him in. They both heard the quiet groan of Joon approaching, but she still stood beside them in front of the pudding options.  Mason glanced between the couple, clearly confused as to why both of them would need him at the same time before returning his gaze to the food options in front of him.

“If anyone asks, our kids have been married for two years,” Ted quickly rattled off.

“No one would believe that,” he said as he scowled at the lunch options.

“Just play along,” Joon responded.

Mason picked up one of the plates, eyeing it suspiciously. “I thought the gardenias in the centerpieces were a nice touch. Much better than the candles they originally wanted. Although the music choice left something to be desired. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful celebration of their love. Hardly a dry eye in the house.” He spoke with such confidence that for a moment Ted wondered if he had actually forgotten about their kids’ wedding.

“How long have you been thinking about this fake wedding?” He asked suspiciously, but was waved off by his wife.

“No, no. I want to hear him finish.” Emma said, leaning in like she was hearing the best secret anyone had told her.

Much to Ted’s delight and Emma’s disappointment, the fake planning of the fake wedding was interrupted by Joon holding out a bowl of Jell-O towards Mason. He eyed it with a look that clearly stated ‘I am not going to eat that’ to which Joon scowled. 

“It’s for your daughter-in-law,” she scoffed, grabbing another bowl. “It’d be weird if our son was sitting there by her side and we didn’t at least pop our heads in.”

The remaining trio all mumbled their agreements and how they had forgotten about that. Once everyone had gathered up enough food—or in Mason’s case, dismissed every food option until he was left with only a bowl of Jell-O that wasn’t his—the little group shuffled their way down to the elevators. Small talk was made to help pass the time but they all grew rather quiet once Agent Parker joined them a few floors up. The awkward tension between them all was only being cut by Joon’s dagger of a glare towards the man. Ted had to hand it to her; she was great at even holding a fake grudge towards someone who technically didn’t actually do anything wrong. He’d be impressed if he didn’t feel so guilty over being the accidental cause of that grudge.

Agent Parker appeared to also feel guilty about it because he cleared his throat and turned to face the group. “I, uh…” He shifted awkwardly on his feet as he tried to avoid Joon’s stare. “I wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to insult you…” That admission earned a new glare from Mason, causing even Emma and Ted to stand on edge despite the fact that they had nothing to do with it. “I mean, it was just hard to believe!” Parker yelped, waving his hands a bit wildly in a poor attempt to diffuse the situation.

“That I would cry at my only son’s wedding?” Joon asked coldly.

“No, not that part!”

“That they got married in the first place?” Emma piped in, much to Parker’s obvious relief.

“Well….yeah. I mean, I didn’t think you’d be able to keep that a secret if it had happened.”

“We’re all professionals here. We’re capable of keeping secrets.” Emma’s calming presence and voice was a nice touch in this stressful elevator ride, but it wasn’t long lasting as Parker put his foot in his mouth again.

“No, I meant you specifically. I believe the other three could keep it, but you would have had a banner hanging outside your office for weeks celebrating it.” Now Emma’s glare joined the angry couple, which made the security agent act even more foolish. “I’m not wrong in that assumption, right?!”

His eyes darted between Mason, Joon, and Ted, who were now all awkwardly trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone else. Mason coughed to hide his, Joon simply looked at her nails, and Ted tried his hardest to not look down to meet his wife’s annoyed look.

“Teddy?”

“I mean…” He finally glanced down, regretting it immediately when he saw just how irritated she was. “It was a pretty impressive feat that you didn’t let it slip.”

“Traitors.” The small woman turned and pointed at each individual. “All of you are traitors. I can keep it a secret.”

Great. Now his wife was annoyed at him for everyone not believing she could keep the fake secret about the fake marriage. He was really digging himself a nice hole here. Luckily for him, the elevator doors opened and announced the medical wing, allowing them all to quickly escape the beyond weird situation they had found themselves in. Although Emma’s stomping proved she was still annoyed at them, they all managed to put together a somewhat cohesive family look as they approached the room Jenny was assigned to. The nurse outside the door held up a hand to acknowledge them and the group slowed to a stop.

“How is she?” Ted asked, trying to peek over the nurse’s shoulder.

“Better,” the older woman replied. “Her little visitor certainly lifted her spirits. Though, while he’s still here, I don’t think I can let all of you in to see her.”

“We’re not staying.” Joon piped up, grabbing Mason’s arm to hold up the Jell-O. “Just wanted to drop some food off for her since we all know her stomach is a never-ending pit.”

“Even so, you might want to come back later. Now’s not a good time.” The nurse stepped to the side and each member of the group poked their heads in so they could see what she was talking about.

Jenny and Gordon were fast asleep, fingers loosely interlocked. Gordon had dozed off leaning forward onto the bed, his head nearly buried in Jenny’s hair as her cheek rested against the top of his head. Neither set of parents could remember the last time that either kid had looked so peaceful. Placing a finger against his lips as a cue to be quiet, Ted tip-toed into the room, silently followed by the rest of the group. Joon went to place the bowl on the table, quietly removing the old water glasses so they wouldn’t spill. Emma pulled out an extra blanket from storage and handed it to Ted, who carefully draped it over the sleeping boy. Buck picked Gordon’s phone off of the floor and held it up to Mason, who plugged it in and stacked all of the loose comics on the side table into a neat pile. With one last glance at the two of them, the group quietly slipped back out to the waiting nurse.

“They are a rather cute couple,” the nurse said with a smile.

“That they are,” Ted whispered under his breath. He felt his hand being squeezed and looked down to see an almost teary-eyed Emma looking back at him. He leaned forward, placing a small kiss on the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle. “Come on,” he said, pulling her close to his side so he could wrap an arm around her. “If we hurry, we might be able to snag the last of the pudding before lunch is over.”

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; Ted and Joon Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Ted and Joon enjoy an afternoon together, bantering and sharing secrets.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Ted slid out from under the ramp, looking up at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “How many times have you asked me to fix something around here?”

“Numerous.” Joon replied, staring down back at him. “That doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. Means I’m cheap and don’t want to pay a qualified person.”

“I’m perfectly qualified,” he muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said they’d just overcharge you anyways.”

“Uh huh.” Joon leaned over the handrail just enough so she could see what he was doing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite see anything other than the shadow of his arms moving every now and then. “What are you doing?”

“I’m re-securing the braces,” Ted called out. “They’re still pretty stable, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“So if I jumped on it now it wouldn’t come crashing down on you?”

“No, although I do have a number of reasons why I would prefer you not to do that.” Ted slid out from his spot again, wiping his hands on his pants as he went to sit up. “Number one being that I enjoy all my bits and pieces not being crushed. Second, I think that would upset Emma and I would like to not do that as well.”

“Eh,” Joon said, shrugging as she leaned against the handrail. “I think I need something better than that.”

“Uh…” Ted groaned as he stood up, hands on his hips as he tried to think. “Because then you’d have to pay a handyman?”

“Fair enough.” The two shared a smile–Ted’s much more jovial while Joon’s was more contained–before the latter stood up straight. “I appreciate it.”

“You’re more than welcome,” he laughed. “And hey–” He held up his left hand, showing a small red spot on his palm. “I got a splinter and everything. I’m living the true handy lifestyle.”

“You couldn’t have hit yourself with a hammer or something? I was really looking forward to getting to use my ‘that’s the closest you’re getting to getting nailed tonight’ joke.”

“Well, you still managed to get it out anyways.”

“True.”

“Come on,” he said, walking up the ramp and motioning towards the door. “I put some bottles of Coke in the fridge.”

“Gee whiz, mister, that’s real swell of you.”

“Ha ha.”

Despite the teasing, both of them ended up with a glass bottle in their hands, standing out over the newly revamped ramp. Ted was cautiously bouncing on it, making sure that everything was in place and that no one was going to fall through it. “Seems secure to me,” he said, offering up a small shrug as his stamp of approval.

“You’re not very good at making me feel confident in your work.”

“Hey, that’s what you get for a less-than-qualified person,” he joked. 

Joon scowled. “I can’t believe you don’t have anything better to do on a Friday night.”

Ted shrugged again. “Like I said, Em’s out of town. She’s ninety percent of my social life.”

“That’s sad.”

“You’re another five.”

“And the other five percent?” There was a long pause. “That’s what I thought. I’m the other ten.”

Ted laughed, deciding it was better not to admit that she was right. 

“So where is the marshmallow anyways?”

“Visiting her gran.” Ted paused long enough to take a sip. “She wanted to see her in person and since I had that fever yesterday, we decided she should go alone.”

“So you were afraid of getting beat up by an old lady?”

Ted scowled, but again couldn’t entirely disagree. Gammy had a mean right hook. He’d been smacked over the head enough times to know that. “Why aren’t you doing anything? It’s Friday night for you too, you know.”

“Can’t. Had other plans.”

“What other plans? You’ve just been mocking me all night.”

“That could have been my plan.”

“You do that every Friday. And every other day.”

“I like my daily rituals.”

“Uh huh.”

Joon paused for a moment before saying, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Since I know you’ll tear me into pieces if I don’t, of course I can. For you.”

She nodded in approval, letting the comfortable silence sit between them for a minute as she thought of how to phrase it. “I have to take it easy. Doctor’s orders. Said it’s what’s best for the new spawn.”

There was a long silence again and Joon glanced over at Ted. He was just standing there, the slow hamster wheel in his brain squeaking along. She was about to ask if he understood what she was saying when he just responded with “...Huh.”

“Huh?” She repeated him. “That’s the first thing that came to your mind?”

“No, it’s just…” He laughed. She was about to be extremely annoyed when he looked over at her with a big smile. “Em’s got the same problem.”

Now it was Joon’s turn to be silent, her eyes blinking a few times as she took in his words. And just like him, the first thing she could say was “...Huh.”

The two of them began laughing at each other and the ridiculousness of the situation. “I’m so proud of you,” she joked, nudging him in the arm. “You finally did it. You finally got laid.”

He shrugged before clinking his bottle with hers. “Congrats though, Joon. Seriously. It’s gotta be exciting.”

“I’m just glad the girls will have someone else to bother.”

“Sure,” Ted said, shaking his head.

“...You’re going to be a great dad.”

“You are a great mom.”

The comfortable silence found them again before Joon decided she needed to let him know one more thing.

“I’m not helping you put together any fucking baby furniture.”

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M ; Charton - Future F/M/M ; Chawkling Status: Ongoing

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Chapter 2 of Seducing Sterling. Chen takes her first attempt at Sterling and learns a valuable lesson. She also teaches Barton one of his own.

Chen was not the type to admit defeat, especially so early in the game. However, the challenge she had put forth towards the two of them had become far more difficult than she had originally assumed. She had thought that figuring out what got Sterling’s gears turning would be a simple task and yet she soon learned that she had a major disadvantage in that area. She was still trying to figure him out. Barton seemed to know him all too well…and was taking pleasure in telling her that. 

It had started on day one of their little game. She had chosen to start simple, following the belief that the easiest way to a man’s bed was through his stomach. It took most of her morning to figure out what kind of food a normal man would enjoy and ended up feeling fairly proud of her spread: chicken salad sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and a small array of fresh veggies. To her, the whole meal screamed domesticated meal plan, but part of her had a feeling he’d be the type to enjoy that. After her alarm sounded telling her it was close to Sterling’s usual lunch break, she slipped away to retrieve her offering and made her way towards his office. She was almost at his hallway when Barton appeared, a small smirk crossing his features.

“What do you have there?” he asked in an almost smug voice.

“Nothing for you,” Chen replied, tilting her chin up ever so slightly as she continued on her way. Unfortunately, Barton decided to follow her.

“Did you really make him a homemade lunch?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It looks delicious.” His hand reached for a sandwich but Chen swatted it away. He laughed, holding up the pinky that had managed to swipe a little of the chicken salad before sticking it in his mouth. “It’s too bad he won’t eat it though.”

“You seem real confident of yourself.”

“I guess I shouldn’t have said won’t eat it. It’s more like…can’t eat it.”

Chen pivoted to look at the man, glaring as he chuckled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Before Barton could provide an answer, the sound of Sterling’s door opening interrupted their conversation. Barton offered the other man a wave—to which Sterling replied with one of his own—before gesturing for the suited man to join them. “Hey, Sterling! We were just coming to find you.” He slapped a hand on Chen’s shoulder. “Chen here made lunch!”

“Really?” Sterling replied, seeming slightly happy about that discovery. Chen took that as a point towards her. “What all did you make?”

She held the plate up as she spoke. “Everything you need for a long day. Fresh veggies to keep you healthy, homemade chips to negate that healthiness, and chicken salad sandwiches for some protein.”

Sterling was about to take a sandwich when he suddenly stopped and asked, “Is the chicken salad yogurt based?”

“No,” Chen said, slightly confused. “It’s mayo based.”

“Oh…” The disappointment on Sterling’s face almost offended Chen until she heard him say, “I have an egg allergy.”

Chen could practically feel the smugness oozing off of Barton beside her. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to chuck a sandwich at the archer, she kept her cool and offered a sympathetic smile towards Sterling. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay. I never told you. And hey!” He took a paper bag of chips. “These I can have.”

“Aw bud, I feel bad for you not being able to enjoy this with us,” Barton piped up, stepping between the two of them. “I know, let’s take these chips and go get ourselves some non-deadly sandwiches at Lou’s. Chen—“ He turned so his back was to Sterling, allowing him to flash that shit-eating grin he had been holding in. “I’d say you should come too, but I don’t think you’d want to waste all that food you made.”

“No,” she said with venom dripping from her voice. “No I would not.”

“That’s too bad.” Just like that, he turned back around to face Sterling, completely hiding the look he had just given Chen. “Looks like it’s just me and you, Sterling. We should get going though. Lou’s is a madhouse around now.”

“Thank you again, Agent Chen. For the chips.” Sterling gave her a small wave as he and Barton made their way to the elevator. She just held onto her tense smile until the doors shut, then went back to her usual bitchy face. Great. Not only did she lose valuable alone time with her target, but now she had a bunch of sandwiches she had to share.

Her next few attempts weren’t any better. It seemed like every time she came up with a way to get Sterling alone, Barton would find a way to point out the flaws in her plan. He loved telling her just how much she didn’t know about him and comparing it to how much he did. When she was going to invite Sterling to join her for a few laps in the pool, Barton was there to tell her about how he has a fear of water. When she was going to ask him to join her for drinks over the weekend, Barton was there to point out he had karaoke night that weekend, which was extra annoying to Chen as she couldn’t exactly turn down an offer to join when she had just revealed she had no plans. When she brought old CDs of her mother’s to compare music tastes, Barton was there to pluck out the Bill Withers one and scold her for not knowing how much Sterling disliked a song on there.

Every step she took towards getting to know him felt like a marathon. No matter how many minutes she stole between crossings in the hallway or when he’d drop off the files for the day, it never seemed to compare to the weird amount of knowledge that Barton had seemed to learn in a short period of time. It made no sense to her. There was no possible way for him to have learned so much when they had both started at the same time. He had to have been cheating somehow.

And then she learned the truth.

“Barton and Sterling? They’re basically best friends.”

It was a simple line said by Joon, and yet she couldn’t pay attention to whatever crude joke came after from her friend. All this time she had let herself believe that they were playing fairly, when in reality Barton had withheld the fact that he arguably knew Sterling better than anyone in SHIELD. She thought they had both taken off at the starting line when in reality, he was doing victory laps before she even started running. 

That bastard.

“Shit,” she said, coming out of her zoned out hatred thanks to knocking her soda into her lap. This was just the cherry on top of everything today. Sighing, she stood up and excused herself, making her way over to the private bathroom in her office. She stripped off her pants and began furiously rinsing them out in the sink, using some of that pent up frustration to ring them out. Probably not the best way to “save” her designer pants but she at least felt good about it at the time. She tossed them over the edge of the sink to try and dry them a little before having to go back out there.

She couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t tell her that he already knew Sterling. Sure, maybe she could have figured it out by paying more attention to his life outside their bedrooms, but she doubted he paid that much attention to her either. Twenty bucks said he didn’t even know Joon was her best friend. The difference of course was that they weren’t trying to seduce the redhead. It was feeling less like an “oops I forgot to mention it” thing and more of a “I’m willingly withholding information so I’ll win” thing. And that’s what pissed her off the most. He was playing dirty.

Sighing again, she went to grab her damp pants when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She gave herself a nod of approval when a thought suddenly struck her. Wait. If he was playing dirty…that meant she could too. There were no rules to follow between them and clearly if there had been neither of them had bothered to learn them. If he was allowed to play his little tricks, why shouldn’t she throw in some of her own? And she knew exactly what to do. Because no matter how much personal information Barton had access to, there was one thing that he had no claim on—not while Chen had the better pair.

She had managed to get her timing perfectly, which was rather impressive to her as it was completely unintentional. She had stopped to grab a few coffees and was pulling into her parking spot in the SHIELD parking garage when she spotted a familiar man walking through. Rolling down the window, she called out his name and gave him a wave, which he interpreted as her inviting him over. Even better.

“You’re running late,” she commented as she turned off the engine, flashing him a smile.

Sterling returned one of his own. “Yeah, it’s been a morning.”

“Well, if you get the door—“ She held up the coffee cup in her hand. “I’ve got a spare.”

“Are you trying to bribe me, Agent Chen?” he joked.

“Maybe. But I think we both know if I was serious about bribing you, I’d just bring really good cookies on Monday.”

Cookie Monday. Another thing Barton had shoved in her face…literally.

Sterling had begun a new joke as he opened her door, but she didn’t hear it. She was far too busy focusing on making sure all he saw was legs as she stepped out. The skirt she had decided to wear was technically within SHIELD dress code limits, but it was on the very edge. It revealed the perfect amount of leg while still pretending to be somewhat office friendly. She turned around and reached over to grab her coffee cups and files—needing to rest a knee on the seat in order to reach them—and was pretty certain he had forgotten whatever joke he was saying based on the look on his face. It was exactly what she was hoping for. He had managed to maintain a somewhat professional look, but she could still see the slightly wider eyes and slacker jaw. She gave him the most innocent smile she could manage at the moment and held out his coffee for him.

“Your reward.”

“Uh…” He stared at her for a few more seconds before clearing his throat, regaining his composure as he took the coffee. “Thank you.”

“You are more than welcome.” She took a few steps before turning to look at him over her shoulder. She was glad she had decided to keep her hair down today; she managed to toss it perfectly as she looked. “You coming?”

“What?” he asked, sounding surprised. He then cleared his throat again. “Yes. I’m right behind you, Agent Chen.”

“Right where I like you,” she said as she turned back. Before he could make a comment on how that line was borderline inappropriate, she added, “If you were in front of me, people wouldn’t be able to see me coming and they wouldn’t clear the way. This will be faster.”

“…Uh huh.” Was all she heard behind her. 

The elevator came quickly, which was a bit of a disappointment, but they both managed to pick the same floor to go to—Sterling for his office, Chen so she could shove this in Barton’s face—which gave her more time with the man. His eyes seemed intently transfixed on the elevator door and he was gripping his coffee cup like it would float away if he let go. It was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She casually took a sip of her own coffee, shifted the files she had in her arms, and looked over at Sterling.

“You okay? You seem a little tense this morning.”

“Huh?” He looked over for a second, snapped his line of sight back to the door, appeared to realize that was suspicious, and then looked back at her, a tense smile on his face. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t need to worry about being late,” she said, playing dumb to see how he’d react. She watched him slightly relax, as if he was relieved that she thought that was why he was tense. She shrugged. “I’m sure Barton couldn’t have made too much of a mess in your office while you were gone.”

Sterling sighed. “I’m going to have so many paper airplanes…”

“You could always kick him out.”

“No, I couldn’t. Even if he wasn’t my friend, he’d still find a way in.” He reached up to push back some of his hair, an action that caused Chen’s heart to skip a beat. “Normally, I don’t mind it, but lately…lately he’s been in there every morning. I’m so far behind on work now.”

“Well, is there anything I can do to help? I’ve got a light load today.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to impose.”

“You aren’t. I’d like to help you.” She used her hand holding the coffee to point at him. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” he chuckled. She watched as he seemed to have some doubts about this cross his features and she was about to admit defeat when he said, “Okay. But only for a little bit. I don’t want to hold you back from your work.”

She eagerly followed him out of the elevator and towards his office, practically skipping with joy as she walked. Not because she had to help him with paperwork (though she really didn’t mind that), but because her little plan was not only getting him to eat her up like she was a breakfast buffet, it was also letting her get some valuable alone time. There was no way Sterling was going to let both her and Barton bother him at the same time. And her excuse related back to work. Take that, bird boy.

Barton was already lounging on Sterling’s couch as they both walked in. “Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to—“ His comment was cut short as he caught a look at Chen. He also went a little wide eyed and slacked jawed, but his was quickly replaced by a narrowing of his eyes. It seemed that he had caught onto what she was doing, earning an extremely smug look from Chen.

“I know, I know. I’m late. It’s been a morning,” Sterling huffed as he put down his coffee cup and shrugged his suit jacket off, gently laying it over the back of his office chair. Barton looked at the matching coffee cups.

“Where’s mine?” he asked, looking up at Chen.

She raised an eyebrow. “You got twelve bucks?”

“No.”

“Then I think you know where yours is.”

“This coffee is twelve dollars?” Sterling unintentionally interrupted their banter, looking at the cup in disbelief.

“It’s her fee.” “It’s my fee.”

The duo spoke at the same time, narrowing eyes at one another as if the other had been so rude to answer. Their target looked at the two of them, confused for a moment, before shrugging and taking a sip. Barton turned towards his friend, waving a hand to make sure he had his attention, then began making gestures with his hands. She had…no idea what he was saying. Apparently, it was funny though, as Sterling chuckled and began doing the same thing. That back and forth continued for a little bit as she awkwardly stood there. Eventually, Sterling caught sight of her again, clearing his throat as he turned in his chair towards her.

“Sorry,” he said, that sheepish smile on his face once more. “I was just telling Barton that my sister overslept and the mess of trying to get ready this morning. I apologize for not including you.”

Chen waved a hand in dismissal. “Banter on if you so choose. Just point me in the direction of what you need help with before you do.”

Barton perked up at that. “Help? What are you helping with?”

“See, this might be hard for you to believe,” Chen said, the sarcastic tone taking over her voice. “But people in this building actually fill out paperwork. And those pieces of paper have to be put into a file, which has to be filed away by yours truly.” She picked up a file and gestured to it like she was some The Price Is Right model. “This is what we call ‘work.’”

“Wow. Thank you for the elaborate demonstration,” Barton’s equally sarcastic voice responded. “I truly never would have figured that out without you.”

“Um…” Sterling interjected the slightly tense moment, pointing at the incoming box sitting on top of a filing cabinet. “That’s all I have right now.”

“Then let’s get to work.” She looked at Barton as if she was challenging him to stay along with them, but she could tell by the annoyed look on his face that he wasn’t going to. He might hate losing, but handling paperwork for hours on end seemed like a worse fate. He gave a gruff farewell, reminding Sterling they were meeting up for lunch, then shut the door on his way out. After making sure he was gone for good, Chen finally let herself glance around the place.

There was something surprisingly comforting about Sterling’s office. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. The room was far from personalized—in fact, there was barely anything that made it stand out from any of the emptier offices on the floor—but she felt…welcomed. Like this was a place she was supposed to be. She cautiously placed her coffee cup on a safe spot and snagged a few of the incoming files.

“Do you have a preference on where you start?”

Sterling nodded. “108A-356. It’s almost late.”

She dug around in the pile, finding the file and carefully handing it off to him. He gave her a few more directions and soon the incoming stack was neatly organized in order of due date. It also unfortunately took almost no time at all. That wouldn’t do. He hadn’t even glanced up from the first file since she gave it to him and now she was out of work. Think, girl. Her eyes caught the filing cabinet and an idea popped into her head.

“Agent Sterling,” she said, sauntering over towards the cabinet. Her nails drummed along the outgoing tray. “Would you mind if I take a peek?”

“Go ahead.” Sterling looked up for a brief moment before snapping his head back to his work. Chen frowned, turning away from him as she gently picked up the first file. It was neat and clean, which she normally liked, but not today. Luckily for her, she remembered a new process that had been implemented only a few days before, which meant he probably didn’t know about it yet.

“I don’t mean to be a nag.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she looked back at him, holding up the file. “But you didn’t put the identification code on this one.”

That got Sterling to pause and give her his full attention. “The…what?”

“Identification code.” She turned and leaned against the cabinet. “It’s an additional code to the basic seven digit serial number assigned to each file based on the information inside it—field reports, background information, all that jazz. It should auto populate once you finish the digital copy. You just need to transfer that code onto the actual file.” She watched him get lost in her ramblings. Just like she wanted. She let out a sigh and held out her hand. “Give me a pen. I’ll write the codes for you.”

“Oh, you don’t need to—“

“You’re already behind schedule and I’d be doing it anyways.” She beckoned with her fingers. “Pen.”

He stood up and walked over with a black pen, which she took with a nod of the head. She then turned back, crossing one leg over the other as she began jotting down the codes. Unfortunately, she was about twelve files deep when she remembered that her actual goal here was seduction, not paperwork. She was standing up from her crouched position—her need for organization made her start going through his file drawers from the bottom up—and was about to make some sort of comment to get his attention when she caught him from the side of her eye. His quick writing couldn’t hide the slight tint of red on his ears. He had totally been checking her out when he thought she couldn’t see her. A small satisfied smirk crossed her face for the briefest of moments before she remembered that the job wasn’t done. She could at least give him a better look.

She shifted on her foot, looking slightly uncomfortable as she bent her knee up ever so slightly. It was just enough for her to run her hand down her calf and toy with where her heel met skin. She could feel his eyes on her once again and tried to make her balance seem awkward, even though she could have stood on one foot in six inch heels in her sleep. Huffing, she brought her foot down and made it seem like she was trying to shimmy something out of her shoe.

“Are you okay?” Sterling’s voice was exactly what she needed. Now for part two.

“I think I got something in my shoe.” She chuckled nervously, turning to look at him before gesturing towards his desk. “Would you mind if I borrowed your corner for a second?”

“Not at all.” Sterling cleared away the paperwork from the edge of the desk, leaving the perfect perching spot for her. After offering a polite thanks for the effort, she wasted no time putting her little plan into place. She carefully leaned onto the desk and pretended like she was trying to fix her shoe problem. An exasperated sigh was the next step. Flashing a quick smile towards the man, she then jumped straight into the main event. She sat on the cleared edge, just enough so it looked like she hadn’t really intended to perch there, and leaned to the side to fish out the debris in her shoe. Her eyes might have been trained on her heels, but her attention was completely on how he would react to her skirt shimmying up ever so slightly as she moved.

He didn’t disappoint. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a quick glimpse of his eyes traveling up from her shoe situation to the moving hem of her skirt. It was very brief, but that was enough for her. Letting out a satisfied “Ha!”, she kicked out her leg—making sure to point her foot to accent her calves—and pushed herself up off the desk. The whole movement lasted only a few seconds, but he ate up every single one of them. He also seemed to be aware of that fact as he suddenly seemed intently interested in the report sitting in front of him.

Feeling accomplished today, Chen gathered up the outgoing files she had finished. “I’m going to run these down. Give me a holler if you need a hand with anything.” Sterling simply responded with a short nod and she took that as her exit.

There was a bit of a proud smirk on Chen’s face as she waited for the elevator. She was well aware of Sterling’s strict adhesion to protocol—hell, it was one of the things she found attractive about him—so knowing that she almost had him skirt that line brought her a strong sense of accomplishment. She wasn’t expecting him to suddenly toss all the rules to the wind over a skirt and some Louboutins, but knowing it was enough to catch his gaze was all she needed. That smug look stayed plastered to her face when the elevator doors opened to reveal a less-than-amused Clint Barton.

She stepped inside, pressing the button to the floor she needed and stood a reasonable distance from the man. The doors closed and she patiently waited for him to say something, knowing that he had to have some sort of comment about today’s events. She didn’t have to wait long.

“I’m amazed they let you wear that,” he said, his tone holding a mild annoyance to it. She could feel his eyes on her and she shifted slightly on her feet, cocking her head to the side as if she was confused.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re implying.”

“You’re really skirting the rules on work appropriate attire.”

“Oh, so now you care about what the rules say?” she asked, willingly ignoring the attempted pun. 

“I do when you’re breaking them.”

“And pray, what rule exactly am I breaking?”

He didn’t get a chance to answer the question as the elevator slowed and the doors reopened to a mass of agents needing to get on. Chen took a few steps back to make room for them, intentionally letting herself be directly in front of Barton. His hand steadied her hip as they moved closer together, her ass subtly brushing against the front of his pants. She was very pleased to feel that something was happening underneath them. Tossing her hair, she pretended to readjust the files in her arms in an attempt to move against him again. The quiet but sharp inhale from behind her proved that her little skirt trick wasn’t something that only Sterling had been into. Despite the crowded elevator, Barton leaned into her, his lips almost at her ear.

“When’s your lunch break?” he whispered.

“In an hour.”

“Meet me in the garage.” He barely mumbled the words out before he exited the elevator with another large group of agents. She smirked as she watched him leave, knowing full well that wasn’t the floor he needed. He just needed the cover.

Her heels hitting the concrete echoed throughout the empty garage. She wasn’t at all surprised to hear that she was the only one down here this late in the afternoon; most people had either already enjoyed their lunch breaks or went home for the day. Anyone else still at work would either be in their office or the hallways. It was the perfect time to sneak away for some privacy. The other plus of being the only one there was that it was easy to tell when someone was trying to sneak up on you, just like Chen could tell as she reached the darker part of the garage where her car was parked. Luckily for Barton, she had memorized the feeling of his hands on her, so when he gripped her waist, she didn’t try to flip him over. Instead, she allowed herself to be pulled against him, the fabric of her tight skirt brushing against the front of his pants.

“Well, well,” she murmured as she moved to grind against him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

His response was to kiss along her neck, catching her earlobe with his teeth as he carefully shuffled the two of them to her car. Chen’s hands braced on the trunk of her car as he pushed his groin harder against her. His hands began to wander up over her chest and a soft moan escaped her before she could stop it. Those same hands gave her breasts a hard squeeze before moving to her shoulders, gripping them tightly. He quickly flipped her over so she was facing him and used his knee to keep one of her legs open.

“What exactly are you hoping is going to happen with this?” he asked, his hand running up her thigh to push up the hem of her skirt.

“Right now?” Two of her fingers hooked into the front of his pants and pulled him closer to her. “Or in general?”

His other hand slid under her and he lifted her up until she was sitting on her trunk, the action causing her skirt to move up so much it was barely covering her ass. “You must be getting pretty desperate if you think a short skirt and some high heels are going to give you the upper hand.”

“I’m not the one who was begging for some alone time earlier.”

“You’re not going to win this way.” His hands gripped her thighs. “You’ve seen how straight-laced he is. He’d never buy into this office fantasy setting you seem to have walked out of.”

"And yet, I caught him staring three times today.” The look that appeared on Barton’s face caused her to chuckle dryly. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Jealous?” Barton laughed, his hands roaming up from her hips to the front of her shirt. “Now why would I be jealous?”

“Because I’m not doing it for you.” Chen stuck her chest out, pressing her breast against the palm of his hand as he cupped her over the fabric. “You’re used to getting all my attention and it drives you wild knowing you’re not getting it with this.”

“Oh, there are plenty of things that drive me wild,” he said, his nimble fingers making quick work of the buttons on her blouse. He undid just enough to reveal a large portion of her cleavage, the lacy black bra peeking out underneath it. “Besides, he might get to look, but so do I. And unlike him, I’m ready to act on it now.”

Her teeth caught her bottom lip as he leaned in to press his groin against her. She loved seeing that look in his eyes. “You’re looking awfully hungry there, Mr. Barton.”

“Starved.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t treat yourself to something earlier.”

“I wanted to eat out today.”

“Then you’re in luck. I know the perfect place to do just that.”

Gripping his shirt, she pulled him in for a hard kiss, her long legs wrapping around his waist as she scooted off the trunk of her car. One muscular arm held her up as the other reached for the back door handle, yanking it open at a force that Chen normally would have scolded him for. But she was far too busy to care now. As soon as her back hit the cushioned seat, her legs were spread wide, the thong she had been wearing easily disposed of on the car floor. His firm hands shoved her skirt up before gripping her thighs, holding them in place as his head dipped. His hot breath met her wet slit, sending a tremble through her body. Red nails snaked into his hair and pressed his head closer down. He slowly drew his tongue along her folds, dragging its way up until he could give her clit a slight flick. Her moan echoed in the confines of her car, her free hand reaching up to grip the door panel. 

While most people knew him for being above average when it came to archery, Chen knew Barton’s true skill: no one could eat her pussy like him. Previous lovers had always acted as if pleasuring her was a chore, something that needed to be done quickly and then forgotten. Not Clint. He savored every taste of her like the five course meal she was. Each movement was meticulously planned, from his tongue working her folds to the occasional suck of her clit. His fingers spread her more as his tongue dipped to tease her opening. Her eyes shut as he hit that sweet spot and her hand left his hair to cup her breast over her shirt, wanting that extra stimulation.

She’d be lying if she said her earlier antics in Sterling’s office hadn’t gotten her worked up. If those brown eyes eating her up hadn’t been enough, her imagining what it would be like to straddle him in that chair, grinding against him until he took her against that desk would have done the trick. She had already been aroused when Barton had suggested this rendezvous and he was doing a perfect job at helping her get to the finish line. Her panting and moans filled the hot air of her car and she could feel herself about to tip over the edge.

And then…he stopped.

At first she thought she had simply imagined it. There was no way he’d stop now when she was so close. But as she wiggled her hips, she felt no movement from him. Not even a breath. She pushed herself up to see him smirking. He had just pulled away and was sitting there, almost mocking her as she glared.

“What the hell are you doing?” She spat the words out like venom.

“Oh, nothing.” His smirk grew wider. “I figured we were just teasing each other today. I mean, that’s what your whole plan was today, right? I’m just following your lead.” He chuckled and stood up. “Well, I should be going. Got a bunch of stuff to—“

Her heel kicked out and pinned his hand to the door, earning a surprised look from the man. Chen’s glare grew intense and her voice was deathly serious. “You can stay here and finish what you started or you can say goodbye forever to the best pussy you’ll ever get.”

Another chuckle escaped Barton, but it quickly faded when he realized how serious she was. Swallowing hard, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

He made a move to join her in the car, but Chen was too quick. The heel pinning his hand moved to his groin, pressing against the obvious bulge there. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“I…” He cleared his throat. “I thought I’d join you in there.”

“Really?” Her heel pressed a little harder. “After the stunt you just pulled, you think I’m going to let you get away that easily? What were you expecting? That you’d just slide in here and I’d ride you until we both had our fill?” The look on his face was the only answer she needed. “No. No, you’re going to do a lot more work now. And it better be fucking good.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“So…” She relieved some of the pressure she was applying with her foot. “Tell me what you’re planning on doing and then I’ll let you know if it’s worth my time.”

His hand went to caress her ankle, sending a pleasured shiver down her leg. “Well, I was thinking of flipping you over, bending your over the seat here, and fucking you from behind. Does that work for you, ma’am?”

Catching her bottom lip with her teeth, she pretended to mull over the idea for a while. “I suppose…that could be good enough.”

She moved her foot aside as his fingers went to loosen his belt and pants. Her eyes followed his waistband as he undid enough to reveal his hardness. Despite the fact she was hungry for him, she kept the thought of him thinking he could leave her high and dry on the edge of her mind and put on an unamused face. “More” was all she said. He gave her a short nod before shimmying his pants and boxers all the way down to his ankles, leaving his bottom half completely exposed in the garage. The only thing concealing him from prying eyes was the car door, though there was no way for it to hide his pile of clothing on the ground. That seemed like fair enough payback. 

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to fuck me?”

That was the approval he was waiting for. Barton’s rough hands gripped the back of her knees and yanked her down towards the door, stopping her just as her ass left the seat. He leaned down to kiss her, his tongue parting her lips as she angled her hips so she could grind against him. Breaking away from her, she felt an arm slide around her and soon found herself flipped over, her heels digging into the asphalt as her chest was pressed into the seat. His muscular body over her brought that slight pressure that she enjoyed oh so much. Another moan escaped her as his lips traveled along her neck, his teeth catching her earlobe. She could feel his length pressing against her ass as he spoke.

“Do you want me to pull out, ma’am?” he asked breathlessly. “Or may I cum in you?”

She knew the responsible thing would be for him to pull out. Finish him off in her mouth or make him use one of the tissues in her glove box. But the thought of having him in her—of having to go back to work with traces of their little rendezvous hidden beneath her skirt—that was too much to resist. “Cum in me,” she practically growled as she turned her head towards him.

His hard cock easily slid into her as she cried out in pleasure, the sound echoing against the parking garage walls. She was certain if anyone was here, they would have heard her. And that thought only excited her more. His firm hands gripped her hips and he pulled back, slamming into her again roughly. His slow pace soon started to quicken, his thrusts causing her to feel weak in the knees and her nails having to dig into the seat to keep her grounded.

She loved the way he stretched her. Every thrust earned a moan louder than the last, until she didn’t bother muffling the sound anymore. “Fuck, Clint! Harder!”

He followed through. His pounding made her ache in all the best ways. She could tell his grip on her was going to leave a mark along with her forehead rubbing against the seat, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was how full she made him feel. How each thrust hit her in the best places. And how close she was to already going over that edge. Her knees buckled together and soon her lower half was solely being supported by Barton’s arms, her legs involuntarily trembling as she began to lose herself. She cried out his name once again as she came hard, not caring at all if anyone heard her. Any agent who might have caught it wouldn’t have dared approach her about it, and if there was one soul who would have, they definitely wouldn’t go toe to toe with an Avenger over a little afternoon delight.

She felt him continue to pound through her aftershocks, sending even more trembles through her limbs, before he came as well. It was a rarity that she let him actually cum in her raw, but it was a sensation she truly enjoyed. That sense of being filled by him let a small amount of arousal linger in her. As he pulled out, she felt a slight ooze from her followed by the rough pad of his finger brushing against her tender slit, earning a quiet gasp from her. It took a moment for her glazed eyes to focus on the finger in front of her face, offering up a taste of their work. She carefully took it into her mouth, the soft groan from her lover giving her the strength she needed to get back to normally.

Knowing her makeup was already far too gone, Chen adjusted so she was crouching in front of Barton, a hand gently taking his length as she began cleaning him up. Her lipstick was far from cock-proof and she was certain she was making a mess of it, but it didn’t matter to her. She slowly worked, removing all traces of their rendezvous from him, save for the new red lipstick marks along him. It was only fair that if she was going to be left a little residue from him that she provide him the same.

“You keep that up and I’ll be ready for round two.” Barton chuckled. Chen let him go with a pop, placing one last kiss against his cock before standing up, working his pants back up over him as she looked him in the eye.

“That’s what tonight’s for.” She gave him a long kiss, nipping his lip at the end. “Now go. Before someone comes looking for us both.”

He made his way back to the building as Chen opened the front passenger door. Tissues cleaned her up, a backup makeup bag helped her fix her nearly destroyed face, buttons were redone on her blouse, and she shimmied her skirt back down. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had to put her messy hair up into a ponytail now, no one would have been able to tell that she had looked any different than when she first came in. After one last look over, she began sauntering her way back to her office, a knowing smirk on her lips. If this was how the two of them would be over her simply wearing a piece of fabric, she had no doubt that it wouldn’t be long before she was filled up once again, this time with twice the satisfaction.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M ; Charton - Future F/M/M ; Chawkling Status: Ongoing

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Chapter 1 of Seducing Sterling. Chen and Barton realize they are both attracted to the same agent. They make a bet on which one of them can seduce him first.

Rebecca Chen and Clint Barton were not the usual couple. They didn’t go out on dates or share loving glances across the lunch room. Their relationship, in their opinion, could barely even be defined as one. “Friends with benefits” didn’t seem to quite capture the emotional support they provided one another, but “boyfriend and girlfriend” implied that their desires were more than physical, which simply wasn’t true. Neither one cared if the other looked at other partners or met up with someone other than them. They had never bothered putting a label on it because they simply didn’t care that much. That and because relationships had to be approved by SHIELD’s HR Department, something neither one of them was particularly interested in going through just to knock boots. The lack of definition had never been a problem for them, up until they both discovered a fascinating little tidbit about the other.

They had been enjoying their lunch break together, ignoring the not very well hidden stares from jealous agents. They would occasionally make small talk to pass the time, but both of their focuses were elsewhere at the moment. Chen was trying to be a bit more subtle about hers. Across the room, sitting at a table with a neat file folder spread open in front of him was the latest person to catch her eyes. Erikson Sterling seemed completely engulfed in his work, tie tucked into his shirt pocket to keep it clean from the crumbs of the half-forgotten sandwich in his hand. She’d steal a glance over at him every now and then, playing it off as her stretching out her neck or thinking really hard about the crossword puzzle in front of her. She wasn’t just looking because he was attractive though; the man seemed like he could use another person to talk to and despite her jagged attitude, she found herself wanting to be that person. And if things got a little physical down the road, she wouldn’t be disappointed with that development.

While she was being subtle, her partner was not. She very quickly caught on that he too was staring at someone and found it a perfect opportunity to openly mock him about something, one of her favorite past times. She followed his eyes, only to find he was staring at the same table. Weird. She hadn’t seen anyone else sitting there and after a second glance, she knew no one else was there. And she highly doubted that he was interested in the paperwork Sterling was reading, which meant he had to have been staring at the man as well. Only one way to find out.

“What the hell are you staring at?” she asked bluntly, turning her whole body to look at him.

“What are you staring at?” Was his response.

“Currently? You. Now answer mine.”

“Am I not allowed to look around?”

“I’m curious. What are you looking at?”

Barton vaguely gestured at some poster hanging behind the table. “I want to know what new lunch rules there are. I don’t want to get kicked out for doing something wrong. I’d lose my food.”

“Bullshit,” Chen said. All of that was bullshit, but she was mostly annoyed by the denial of what he was really doing. “Three feet in front of that is what you were looking at.”

“Sterling?” He scoffed but after a few seconds of Chen’s stare down, he broke. “OK, so what if I was? I’m allowed to look.”

“Back off.”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw him first. So fuck off.”

“First of all, you absolutely did not. And secondly, you can’t call dibs on a human being because if you could, I would have done it first. You back off.”

“No. You can’t do that. He’s not even interested in you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Have you ever seen him with a man?”

“Becca,” Barton replied, a smug grin on his face. “We both know I’m irresistible.”

“Yeah, that’s why I was checking out another guy with you sitting next to me.” That knocked the grin off his face. “I can’t believe you’re fighting me on this.”

“And I can’t believe you’d go for the most sexually repressed person in this entire building, yet here we are.”

“I could break him in.”

They both turned back to look at the man they had been speaking about. He had barely eaten any of the sandwich in his hand, but he had finally looked up from his paperwork. Seeing the two of them staring, he awkwardly waved at them. Plastering smiles to their faces, the duo did the same until he returned his attention to the file.

“Keep dreaming,” Barton muttered to Chen.

“Oh, I will.”

--

One of the things Chen liked about her situation with Barton was that neither one of them ever let a little bickering get in the way of what was really important. Even though both of them had been mildly annoyed with the other thanks to their lunch conversation, she had still been happily welcomed into his apartment—and more importantly, his bed.

She worked him at a painfully slow pace that night, partially due to her still being a little bothered by their earlier conversation and partially because she had a thought lingering in her mind that she couldn’t quite get rid of. The more she thought about it, the more she seemed to enjoy the idea, the proof being her hips rocking at a faster pace as she rode him. She removed his hands from her waist and pinned his wrists above his head, angling herself both so he could thrust into her deeper and so she could look into his eyes. He looked right back into hers as a smile began to form.

“You’re thinking about something,” he said, bucking his hips forward sharply before slowly dragging his length back. 

“I am.”

Another hard thrust, followed by that same slow pull back. “Tell me.”

She let out a breathy laugh, her nails skimming the skin of his hands. “This is fun…but I think we both would benefit from adding a little something…more.”

“We left all the ropes at your place and I don’t really trust my belts to hold you.”

“Not that.” She put a hand on his chest and leaned back, letting herself take in all of him, moaning quietly as she did so. “While I do enjoy that too, I’m talking about taking things to a much higher level.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?” Barton asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.

A wicked smile crossed her painted lips. “We both share a mutual attraction to someone. Why not try and see if three’s really a crowd?”

She watched with utter desire in her eyes as the realization of what she was talking about settled on Barton’s face. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, hands gripping Chen’s hips to keep him inside her. She let herself lean back ever so slightly, making him hold all her weight as she rocked slowly against him.

“Let me see if I’m understanding you correctly,” he said, pausing to groan with delight at the way she was moving. “You’re telling me that you want to see if Sterling—Erikson Sterling, a man who I’m pretty sure needs to pencil in every outside aspect of his life—wants to join us in…whatever we’re calling this?”

“Why not?” she teased. She leaned forward again to grip his shoulders, lifting herself up just enough so only his tip was in her. “It’d be a winning scenario all around. You get to know what he’s like in bed, I get to know what it feels like to have two men in me at once—“ She took that time to slide herself back down onto him, letting out a much louder moan this time. “And he gets to have some clearly needed fun. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you the one saying we didn’t know if he was even interested in men?”

“And weren’t you the one saying you could win him over?” She leaned forward to nip at his neck as she cautiously began riding him in their sitting position. She was perfectly satisfied with continuing on with the night but Barton seemed to still have some lingering questions. 

“You don’t even know if he’d be into something like that.”

“There’s only one real way to find out.”

“What? You’re planning on strolling into his office and politely asking him if he’s down for a threesome?”

“No, you foolish boy.” Chen gave him a hard shove on the chest, sending him flat onto his back. She repositioned herself and began her usual quick pace, hips bucking as she rode him to her high. She somehow managed to find a way to put together her thoughts in the cloud of lust that was threatening to take hold of her. “He’d never want both of us at the start. But if one of us won him over? Well, then it would be far easier to introduce the other. And if he says no to that, we’ll at least know we tried.”

Before she could realize what he was doing, Barton had rolled them over, thrusting himself all the way into her. Chen cried out in pleasure, her sharp nails digging into the meat of his back as her body instinctively arched into his. She could barely hear him speaking between the sounds of their bodies colliding and her moaning.

“You’re not the type to stand by and watch someone else seduce what you want.”

“Who said anything about you being the one to seduce him?”

His rough hands dug into her skin as he plowed deeper and deeper into her. “I don’t think you’re his type of girl.”

“Are you willing to bet on that?” Her hand snatched up to grip his hair, tugging hard until his face was inches from hers. “Whoever gets him in bed first gets to do whatever they want to the other. Sound fair?”

He responded by pulling them back up into a sitting position, his mouth crashing against hers as he held her up. “It’s good for me.”

It only took a few more thrusts until she finally felt that sweet release come. She clenched around him as she felt his cock tremble, the feeling followed quickly by that wonderful sensation of him releasing inside her. They both looked at each other as their heavy panting evened out, eyes challenging one another as they stared.

“Then let the games begin.”

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M ; Comic Trips Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Jenny and Gordon take their relationship to the next step.

There really hadn’t been that much of a difference between “date night” and “friend night” since Jenny had asked Gordon to be her boyfriend. Maybe there was slightly more hand holding when they went to see movies and she’d give him a genuine kiss of good luck before his “fights” on a fictional battlefield, but a lot of their dates were just the same things they had always done. They’d dress up for midnight showings, gorge themselves on food in various cheap restaurants, and would still meet up once a week for Mario Kart. 

They were in the middle of their usual race when she started wondering if she should be doing something to be more “girlfriend” like. But she wasn’t entirely sure what that would mean. Should she offer to take him out for pizza after? Should she be trying to be more flirtatious during their games? It was hard to think about turning on the sex appeal when she was trying to focus on lapping his ass on Rainbow Road. Perhaps she could make some kind of cute wager instead.

“Hey,” she said, turning to face Gordon on the couch as he selected the new map. “How about for this next race, we make a small bet?”

“Okay…” he said, briefly glancing over at her. “What are we betting with?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Alright.” He selected the next cup and looked at Jenny as the character screen loaded. “If I win, I get the last scoop of ice cream that’s in your freezer.”

Her jaw locked for a second as she realized how dangerously high he was setting the bar. She had almost completely forgotten about her original plan until he spoke again. “And if you win, you get…?”

“A kiss.” A soft smile formed as she watched him turn a little pink at the request. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yup,” he responded, though she swore she heard him mumble something about how he didn’t realize kisses were an option when he made his pick. 

She smirked and turned her attention back to the game, more determined than ever to win. One of the very few things in life that she felt she excelled at was Mario Kart races, so it was no surprise to her that she took off with an early lead. She couldn’t help glancing over at Gordon every now and then, trying to see if he was throwing the race or not. The cute determined look on his face helped put her at ease that he wasn’t, but it only fueled her desire to win more. By the time she crossed the finish line, she had a wide grin on her face and a slight nervousness fluttering in her stomach. 

“Well, well, well.” She placed her controller on her coffee table, turning to smirk at her boyfriend. “Looks like I get to keep my crown.”

“That you do.” Gordon chuckled as he faced her.

“I also believe that means I’ve earned myself a prize.”

“That you have.”

Gordon leaned forward to press a kiss against her lips. It was a soft, sweet kiss, one she had learned to appreciate from him. They always made her heart skip a beat and tonight was no different. However, she was feeling a little bolder than usual tonight, so when he moved to pull back, she took a soft grip of his shirt and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. He seemed a bit surprised by the act for a moment, but soon his hands went to rest on her waist. Taking that as a good sign, Jenny cautiously moved to pull him down with her as she went to lie back on the couch cushion. She was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of him on top of her and let her hands glide over his chest, her body arching into his slightly when he suddenly pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, worrying settling in her voice. She had pushed him too far, hadn’t she? She always had been the worst at moving things faster than she should.

“Nothing,” he said, but she didn’t entirely believe him. She reached up to gently cup his face, silently urging him to tell her what was bothering him. He seemed to pick up on that thought and swallowed hard. “I just...since we’re together, I just think you should know that...that I’ve never...been with someone before.”

“That’s okay, Gordo.” She offered up a genuine smile. “I would hope that having a partner before this wouldn’t matter.”

“No, I mean--” The slight confusion that appeared on her face seemed to make him misinterpret. “No! I mean that doesn’t matter to me. I care about the us time, not whoever was before us. That’s all...whatever, I don’t care. I care about you and me and the two of us being....us. That’s all that matters. What I meant to say was...that…” He sighed. “If you and I were to...if we…” Another hard swallow only made her more confused. “What I’m trying to say is if you and I decided to...if we went that...next step? You...you would be my...first…”

It took a few minutes, but the realization started to slowly dawn on her face. “Oh,” she said quietly. So when he had said he had never been with someone, he meant he had never been with someone...intimately. She felt a little silly over being so eager to have him on top of her just a few moments ago and felt equally as guilty for never bothering to ask him, as his girlfriend or just as his friend. She realized her hands were still gripping at his chest and let go of his shirt, letting her hands rest there instead in case he had wanted to pull away from her. “Well, we don’t have to rush into anything. I’d never pressure you into doing something you don’t want to--”

“Oh, I want to.” He was so quick to cut her off that it took her by surprise for a second. He looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry. It’s just...I’ve wanted this--you and me--for a long time and I...I really never thought I had a chance. And now, we’re here and I...I just didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

Her face suddenly turned serious and she gave him a gentle push on the chest, moving them both up to a sitting position before she cupped his face with both hands. “Gordon. You could never disappoint me. In anything.” She gave him a quick kiss. “You never need to worry about anything like that with me.”

“I know,” he said, nuzzling her hand. “But I still thought you should know.”

“And I hope you know it doesn’t matter to me.” Her fingers went to take his hand. “But...if you did want to...take the next step.” She smiled at how silly the two of them were being about this. “We could move this into my bedroom. It’d be more comfortable there. But only if you want to.”

“I want to,” he said quietly. “But do you? Want to?”

She smiled softly and leaned in to kiss him again, letting her lips linger against his for a good long while. Still smiling, she stood up and offered him her hand. “I want to,” she said, her fingers interlocking with his. She gave him a soft squeeze and helped him up to his feet, keeping her hand in his as they started walking.

Despite the fact that this was something she had done a dozen times, Jenny could feel the nerves battering around in her stomach as she led Gordon to her room. It wasn't the first time he had been in there; hell, it wouldn't even be the first time he had seen her in her underwear. But this was a different first for her. Sex had always been a casual thing to her, something that existed more for a physical release than an emotional connection. She had never really engaged in intercourse with someone she had genuine feelings for. Someone she loved.

Slipping into the dark room, she made sure the door was shut before turning back to Gordon. She closed the distance with a kiss. Slow. Sweet. She could feel his skin trembling beneath her touch, but it was impossible to know if it was from nerves or desire. Her hands found the hem of his shirt and lifted it up over his head, letting the fabric fall to the floor. She cautiously raised her arms, inviting him to do the same to her. Nervous fingers brushed against her hips before gripping the bottom of her shirt, slowly working its way off. Once her shirt had joined the floor, she turned her attention to removing her jeans. Her fingers made quick work of the button and zipper; shimmying them off had been a bit more of a challenge, but eventually she managed to free herself from the denim.

Jenny was starting to wish she had picked out better undergarments this morning. She had half a drawer full of sexier clothes, yet she had picked a matching bra and boy short set covered in tiny vinyl records instead of any other option. She was starting to feel a little self conscious about that choice when she saw the look in Gordon's eyes. He was looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Feeling her cheeks redden, she stepped closer to him once more, a free hand snaking into his hair to pull him in for another kiss.

She carefully began leading him back towards the edge of the bed, her other hand working the button of his jeans as they moved. Once they were close to the mattress, she broke the kiss and helped work his pants down, yanking them completely off as he sat on the edge. Again, it wasn't the first time she had seen Gordon in his boxers, but this was so vastly different. Before, she had been perfectly content letting him stay like that. But now...now she was eager to see what lies beneath. The act of removing his pants had left her on her knees in front of him and she figured she might as well take advantage of that position. Scooting up so she was between his legs, she leaned forward to press a kiss against his stomach, leaving a small trail as she kissed her way down until her teeth met the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers hooked the elastic and she was about to add them to the growing pile of clothing on her floor when she felt his hands on hers.

"Wait," he whispered, so she did. She looked up at him to make sure everything was alright and was met with lust filled eyes. He leaned forward to kiss her--stronger this time, full of passion--and slowly moved their hands up to his shoulders, letting go so hers alone would rest there. As he started to pull back, Jenny realized he wanted her to follow him and did just that, repositioning herself until she was straddling his lap. His hands began to explore the expanse of her back, each touch sending pleasurable shivers down her spine. She felt his fingers struggle with the clasps of her bra and she chuckled against his lips. Breaking the kiss for just a moment, she gave him a loving smile before reaching behind her.

"Here," she whispered, making quick work of the clasps but leaving the material on her. If he wanted it off, he'd have to do it himself--a thought that he seemed to slowly realize. Moving at a cautious pace, he carefully slid the straps of her bra off her shoulders, fully exposing her chest. She had always been a little self conscious of her breasts; she had always thought they were too small to be seen as attractive or that her sexual appeal improved by having them covered. But the look he gave her as he drank her in--a look that seemed to imply that there was nothing more desirable in the world than her--washed all those previous feelings away. He always had the ability to make her feel better without even really trying. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was able to do that in intimate moments as well.  

His lips grazed the skin of her neck, causing her to gasp, eyes fluttering closed as she rolled her hips into him instinctively. He groaned against her and allowed his hand to cup her breast, his thumb brushing against her stiff nipple. She didn’t hold back the moan that action caused.

“Yes,” she whispered, guiding his fingers to tease her breast the way she liked it. “Just like that.”

She let her head fall back a bit to give him better access to her neck, which he immediately took advantage of. His hot kisses peppered her neck as his fingers rolled her nipple. Her own hand drifted between them and into her boy shorts, teasing her clit with the pad of her finger. Her hips rocked against his in a steady pace as they worked her up. However, a small thought began to pierce through the haze of lust she was feeling. She was starting to realize that, given his earlier admittance, he had probably never been given the opportunity to really pleasure a woman like this before. Leaning down to give him another soft kiss, Jenny took Gordon’s free hand and worked its way through her waistband, replacing the hand she had been teasing herself with his. She nodded as his finger brushed over his clit.

“Right there,” she murmured. Her quiet gasps of pleasure were suddenly replaced with a sharp wince as he pressed too hard against the sensitive numb, her eyes squeezing shut in a slightly pained look as she rested her forehead against his.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay,” she responded, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “Just...use a softer touch with me, okay?”

“Okay.” Gordon’s touch became feather light as the pad of his finger drew small circles around her clit. She kept her forehead against his, their breathing intertwining as she felt that familiar desire building inside her. She gently cupped his face and kissed him once more before providing the next step for him to take.

“Now...move your finger down.” He followed her instructions, moving his digit slightly down her wet slit. “Keep going. Further down.” She continued urging him on until the finger was pressed against her opening. Nervously biting her lip, she tried her best to hide her slight embarrassment at what she was about to say.

“You can...push it in, if you want.” She felt silly feeling this nervous over simple words. “It’s a, uh...a nice way to...test…” She let the rest of the sentence fade away, hoping he would catch her drift.

He didn’t.

“Test what?” he asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.

“You know,” she replied, shrugging ever so slightly. “To test and see if I’m...ready enough for…” She let her eyes drift down to his crotch area before looking back at him. The continued confusion on his face showed he didn’t get what she was implying, so she repeated the action, staring a bit longer down there before looking in his eyes once more with a slightly raised eyebrow.

The confusion started to wear off as he let out a soft “Oh.” She made a mental note to herself that she was really going to have to figure out how to handle talking dirty to Gordon. She’d get there, just...not tonight apparently. She was brought back into the moment by the sound of Gordon’s voice.

“Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded in approval, offering him another kiss to show she was genuine in that response. Their foreheads rested against each other once more as he cautiously pushed his finger into her.

“Mmm…” She quietly moaned as she let her eyes close. His movements inside her were a little awkward, but she didn’t mind at all. Just knowing that it was his hand fingering her, his finger opening her up for what came next, was all that she cared about in the moment. She could have stayed in that moment for a good, long while, but his quiet voice against her ear changed all of that.

“Jenny…” he murmured. “I want you.”

Want. It sounded so much better than the usual ‘need’ her former lovers had said. Need always gave this implication of something that had to be done, that she had created the situation her lover was in and that it was her responsibility to handle that. She hadn’t minded of course--usually she had been the cause of that desirable need--but want...want seemed to give the impression of choice. That there was no requirement of things going any further than where they were at now, but that it would be nice if they did take the next step. It felt surprisingly nice being wanted.

“I want you too,” she responded. She carefully removed his hand from her, giving his wrist a quick kiss before moving to stand up. Walking over to the nightstand, she quickly fished out a condom, checked the date to make sure everything would be A-OK, and turned back to see Gordon awkwardly standing at the edge of her bed. The two of them simply stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting into a small giggle fit over how ridiculous they both were.

Jenny held up the condom in her hand. “Do you want me to…?”

“Oh! Sure.” Gordon hesitated for a moment before hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. Jenny distracted herself for a second by turning her attention to tearing the foil pack in her hand, removing the condom before returning her gaze to the man in front of her. She took a minute to fully take him in, her eyes appreciating every inch she could see. He was everything she’d dreamed he’d be. Even in the dark, she could see his cheeks turning a familiar pink. It was almost sweet knowing he was nervous too. With those now familiar nerves battering around in her stomach, she closed the gap between them. She pressed up onto her tiptoes to give him a proper kiss as her hand carefully rolled the condom onto his exposed length. How she didn’t manage to knock both of them over in the process was a mystery to her, but she silently gave herself a mental high five for pulling it off. Speaking of pulling things off…

She slowly pulled her boy shorts down, kicking them off to join his boxers on the floor. Her hands rested on his waist as she went to kiss him again, taking a few cautious steps backwards to find the edge of the bed. Their usual clumsiness finally caught up to the couple tonight as she massively misjudged and she ended up tripping backwards into the mattress, bringing Gordon down on top of her in the process. The room was suddenly filled with their loud laughter as they awkwardly readjusted to a more comfortable position. She relaxed back into the mattress as Gordon held himself up over her, their smiles mirroring each other as they shared a look.

“Sorry,” Gordon said between a chuckle. “One day, I’ll learn how to catch you in time.”

“Hey, at least this time there was something soft to catch us.” Jenny smiled and kissed him again. After she pulled back though, she started to have something dawn on her and she tried her best to cover it up. Unfortunately for her, Gordon knew her all too well and could tell something was on her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she responded, shaking her head. It was true; nothing was wrong. But...she supposed there wouldn’t be any harm in sharing what she was feeling. “I’m just...really happy right now.” Her hands snaked up over his shoulders. “And I want to make you happy too.”

She had intended for that statement to be more seductive in manner, but Gordon looked back at her with genuine affection in his eyes. He somehow managed to keep his balance on one hand as he brought the other up to gently cup her cheek.

“You already do.”

She didn’t know it was possible for her heart to feel so full. They shared another soft chuckle together before closing the gap with a kiss. She kept one hand behind his neck and let the other drift down his body, slipping between the two of them to gently guide his length to her entrance, rubbing his tip against her wet slit in the process.

“Gordo…” she whispered against his lips. “I’m ready for this...whenever you are…”

Another kiss was placed before he slid his way into her, a pleasurable moan escaping her as her fingers dug into the flesh of his shoulders. She urged him on as he began rocking his hips, awkwardly pulling in and out of her. It didn’t take long for him to find a steady pace, those awkward movements turning into confident thrusts. Her hands slowly found their way down his body, coming to rest against his lower back as he drove into her.

“Fuck...Gordon…” She moaned again as he managed to find that sweet spot she adored so much. Without even realizing it, her fingers slid back to her clit, teasing the sensitive nub as his thrusts grew slightly harder. Her eyes fluttered closed, allowing herself to be lost in the pleasure of it all. Because of this, she didn’t see his own hand slip between them, gently moving her hand out of the way so he could tease her instead.

“Like this?” he asked, his finger drawing a soft yet rapid circle on her.

“Yes!” she cried out, back arching as he drove her wild. She was glad to know that he was a quick learner and she pulled him down into a passionate kiss to show just how much she appreciated it. Their bodies moved in perfect synchronization with each other; each adjustment brought them both pleasure, each gasp and groan urging the other closer and closer to the edge. It truly felt like they had been meant for one another, like both of their bodies had been designed to fit with the other. She could feel that familiar tremble begin to settle in her lower body and knew she wouldn’t be able to last much longer at this rate.

“Jen…” Gordon groaned as another thrust drove into her. “I’m--”

She cut him off with another kiss, hand holding his face gently as she looked in his eyes. “Come with me,” she said. “I’m so close too.”

That was more than enough for him. His thrusts became slow and deliberate as he added just the right amount of pressure to her clit. She found herself uncontrollably squirming beneath him, her chest heaving as the pleasure built up in her. His name was all she was able to whimper out before she felt her walls clench and that sweet release came. She felt him tremble inside her and somehow managed to hold him close as he came as well, their heavy panting slowly evening out to normal breathing. Their lips met one more time before he moved off her, excusing himself for a moment to clean himself up. 

Jenny was still basking in the afterglow when she felt the mattress dip beside her. She turned to snuggle up against Gordon, his arm holding her close as he pressed a kiss into her hair. It felt nice, being like this. She couldn’t remember a time when she had felt this happy before. Maybe that night at prom when she learned that the snacks were truly never ending. But even then, this blew that happiness out of the water. For the first time, everything felt...right.

“Thank you,” Gordon murmured into her hair. A puzzled look crossed her face as she looked up at him.

“For what?”

Gordon half shrugged. “Everything? For...for this.” His fingers softly grazed her bare shoulder. “For being you. For...choosing me. You...you make me feel...very happy. And I don’t think I say thank you enough for that.”

Jenny smiled, her heart completely full of admiration again. “I’m the one who should be thanking you. You’ve been there for me my entire life. Every time I’ve needed someone, you’ve been right there.” She nuzzled him. “I’m just really happy that you get to be here now too.”

“I have to say, I’m a fan of that too.” The couple shared another laugh before Jenny closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his skin on hers and the sound of his even breathing.

“Gordon?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you make one more promise for me?”

“Sure.”

She kept her eyes closed, feeling a little silly making the request. “Promise me you’ll still be here when I wake up in the morning?”

His arms pulled her closer to him, his lips gently placing another soft kiss on her forehead.

“Always.”

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M ; Paper Mates Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Chen finally gets tied up and blindfolded in bed.

He had done an excellent job of setting the mood. A nice dinner out. A decadent dessert. Topped off by a small glass of wine and a slow dance in their candlelit bedroom. She had only asked for two things for their anniversary: a simple night and some new fun. He had delivered the first part. She had no doubt he’d do the same for the second. Her heart was practically racing as her hands helped ease his shirt off. His own hands made quick work of her dress, the fabric pooling at her feet as the cool air tingled her exposed chest. Chen was about to undo Sterling’s belt when his hands stopped her, taking hers in his and bringing them up to his lips to press a kiss against them.

“Not tonight.”

The sultry voice he used sent a shiver down to the spot between her legs. She let him gently ease her onto the bed, gasping softly as his lips left a trail of kisses along her neck. Her hands were carefully raised above her head, pinned against the mattress, and she would have been perfectly happy with that. But when he whispered his gift to her, it sent her to a whole new level of attraction. She agreed quickly and had to take a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. It wasn’t because of nerves. Excitement was the best excuse she could think of. It was a fantasy she had wanted to play out for years but had never thought she’d find someone she could trust enough to do it with. And now here she was, about to live it out with the person she loved most in this world. Nothing could be better.

The silk ties he had chosen were surprisingly high quality. The fabric was smooth against her skin, providing a strange feeling of comfort as he bound her to the headboard. “Is that okay?” he asked.

Chen tested the ties by tugging on them slightly. “A little tighter.” She tried again after the adjustment. “Perfect.” She let her eyes flutter closed as he tied the silk blindfold around her head. What had once been a beautiful view of dim light silhouetting the man she loved turned into darkness. Her teeth caught her bottom lip as she waited to feel what he would do to her.

He didn’t keep her waiting.

A louder, almost surprised gasp escaped her as she felt his lips on her neck again. He moved at a painfully slow pace, kissing and sucking his way down until his teeth grazed her collarbone. His mouth moved his way down to her chest, kissing her breasts everywhere except the one place she wanted him to. She knew he knew exactly what she wanted. He was teasing her. Her hands subconsciously went to guide his head to where she wanted him but were stopped by the ties. Somehow that just turned her on even more. Her moans filled the air and he rewarded her by finally capturing her taught nipple with his mouth. His tongue ran a lazy circle around one as his fingers teased the other one. Her body trembled beneath him, chest pressing up into him more as she silently begged him to give her more. He seemed to understand that as she felt his lips begin to travel further south.

She felt him kiss her hip and hook his fingers over the waistband of her underwear. They were quickly disposed of and her thighs were carefully pushed open. His hot breath teased her skin, hands massaging her thighs as his mouth traced along her pantyline. Again, her hands fought against the ties in the best way. “Sterling…” she moaned, but she didn’t get much more out. His tongue was suddenly on her slit, drawing a line up to her clit before his mouth took complete control of her. She cried out in pleasure as he ate her out, perfectly working her folds and sensitive nub in the way she loved. Her hands were dying to run her fingers through his hair, to push him deeper into her, and the silk ties dug into her skin as they tried to do just that and failed. It was everything she had ever wanted. It didn’t take long before she felt herself heading for that sweet release. And that was when he pulled back, earning a quiet whine from her.

“Are you wanting more?” he asked, an almost cocky tone in his voice. She was about to make a quick quip back but the next sound she heard took every thought from her mind. She suddenly understood exactly why he hadn’t let her remove his pants earlier. The sound of his belt unbuckling and the zipper of his slacks slowly being pulled down made her want him even more.

“Yes,” she whispered in response.

She heard his pants hit the floor. “What do you want?”

“I…” She swallowed hard. “I want you in me.”

Chen soon felt his length pressing against her, teasing her entrance as his voice raised her skin in the best way. “Which part of me do you want?”

She whimpered, writhing beneath him as she fought back the urge to beg. It was impossible for her to hold back. “Please, Erikson…” Her breathing was getting shallow. “I need you to fuck me.”

He pressed against her again, but didn’t give into her request. “With…?”

“I need your cock in me,” she breathed.

With that, he slid into her, another cry of pleasure coming from her. His thrusts were rougher, harder than usual and she was loving it. All of it was washing over her at once. His firm grip on her hips. His groans. The feeling of him moving inside her. The delightful pain coming from her wrists as the ties dug into her skin. The darkness. It was suddenly becoming too much for her to handle.

“Erikson…”

He could apparently tell something was off in the tone of her voice because she felt him slow to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

She felt a little bad making him stop, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She took a moment to catch her breath before speaking. “The blindfold. It’s a little too much right now.”

Her sight was soon returned to her and she found herself almost wishing she could have it gone again. Not because the sight she saw was terrible; it was the exact opposite in reality. His beautiful skin, flushed from exertion and his normally slicked back hair falling over his face was the greatest sight she had ever seen. But it made her want to push his hair back or run her hands over his skin, two things she couldn’t do at the moment. 

“Better?” His calming voice brought her back. She nodded and watched his hands go back to her hips.

“Erikson?” He looked up at her. “Keep the rough pace. Please?”

A smirk crossed his features and he did just that. Her hands gripped the loose parts of her bindings and she didn’t hold back vocally letting him know how much she was enjoying it. She was getting close to that release again and could tell he wasn’t far behind. His hand slid from her waist to her clit and a few soft rubs was all she needed. She cried out as she came hard, her head falling back against the soft pillow as her hands dug into the silk ties. His last few thrusts drew her further over the edge before she felt him come as well, filling her before he collapsed on top of her. Again, her hands struggled against their bindings as she wanted nothing more to hold him close to her. He apparently wanted that as well as he placed a soft kiss against her lips before bringing himself up to release her. He took her hands as he unwrapped her wrists, kissing the red spots where the ties had dug in. As soon as she was freed, her hands went to drape over his shoulders, pulling him close for a kiss as she pushed his disheveled hair back. 

“That was perfect,” she murmured, placing kisses along his jawline. “Thank you.”

She was definitely going to have to make him do this again.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M/M ; Chawkling Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Chen's bid to save Barton from a stranger's kiss unintentionally has explosive results.

“I'm not sure how to feel about my mouth being auctioned off.” Barton glared over at Chen, who waved him off dismissively. 

“Relax. I'm working on how to get you out of it.”  

Tonight was the big fundraiser for the home and she had bullied Barton into being the guest of honor. Having a real Avenger for the kids to idolize and women to swoon at usually meant large donations. They had hit a small snag though: tonight's fundraiser was a silent auction. And since Barton hadn't brought anything to auction off, the other women in charge of the event had decided to auction off a kiss. While Chen had actively tried to get them to stop it, she was met with silence and a rather large bet on the dumb man. 

Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to find some person who would donate for no reward. But she knew they didn’t exist here. Every single person wanted something in return. Her gaze landed on the only good, selfless person here: her husband. But Sterling couldn't afford to outbid any of these people. 

Wait. 

His wife could. 

“I've got it.” Chen grabbed the lapel of Barton’s jacket and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. She didn’t see Sterling watching them from afar, his fingers tapping the sides of his glass as he saw how close they were. At first, Barton seemed confused, but he then realized what she was getting at and nodded, agreeing to the plan. 

Chen quickly went to work, grabbing one of the silent auction sheets and filling out the information. She put a ludicrous amount as her bid, added an additional amount for the kiss to be done privately, then signed the bid as “E.S.” All she could do now was wait until the announcement. 

Chen was standing next to Sterling when they started announcing the winners of the night. She took his arm and offered a sympathetic look. “I'm sorry.” 

He smiled at her. “For what?” 

“And the grand winner tonight, going home with a kiss from Hawkeye himself--" Barton interrupted the announcer by blowing a kiss to the audience, causing several people to giggle. “The winner is…E.S?” 

While the audience looked about to see where the lucky lady was, Chen felt Sterling stiffen up beside her. “I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry.” 

“Um…” The announcer looked around awkwardly. “It looks like the winner requested to get their prize in private. So if E.S. could please claim their prize before the end of the night…” 

Barton simply shrugged as the women in the room gossiped. Chen glanced up at her husband, who appeared less than thrilled by the night's development. 

“Did I mention I'm sorry?” 

Feeling guilty over the entire situation of the night, Chen had decided to treat the two to dinner. Unfortunately, they chose pizza. She was watching them eat with an annoyed look. Men in suits eating pizza. It was just wrong. Their laughter brought her out of her tiny pity party. 

“Really, Sterling. You need to keep an eye on her.” Barton pointed a slice of pizza in Chen's direction, which seemed like a veiled insult to her. “You wouldn’t believe how much she spent to lock lips with me.” 

“I didn’t do it for you!” She snapped. “I did it for the kids. He's the one who technically won.” She jabbed a finger at her grinning husband, who had gotten up to grab another slice. 

“Don't fight it, Chen. We both know where your heart lies.” 

Chen glared at the laughing man. “Weren’t you supposed to kiss him or something?” 

“Hey, I haven’t forgotten.” Barton hopped up from the couch and strolled over to his friend, holding Sterling’s face with both hands. “Pucker up.” And then he kissed him. 

It was not an innocent kiss. Chen suspected that was on purpose, partially to annoy her and partially to annoy Sterling. She was certain that was the desire effect. Which is why she was a little...surprised...to see a different one happening. Yes, Sterling was turning a lovely shade of red, but there was something else there. Something that she was extremely familiar with seeing how she was normally the one causing it. He...liked it. 

For a moment, she allowed herself to think of the possibilities. It wasn’t the first time she had imagined being with both of them at the same time. She had just normally kept that in the ‘never going to happen’ category and brought it out for some solo play. But looking at them—at how easily Barton had kissed him and her husband’s reaction to it—maybe it wasn’t so farfetched of an idea.  

The sound of Barton’s laughing snapped her out of it. He had broken off the kiss and was losing it while Sterling stood there, awkwardly rubbing his mouth. “You should see the look on your face!” He wiped a tear from his eye. The laughter and Sterling’s retort were both cut short when the men heard a whispered request from the couch. 

“...What?” They both asked at the same time. 

Chen stood up slowly and walked over to the two of them. “I said…” Her normally strong voice was quiet as she spoke. Her fingers brushed against Sterling's chest, softly taking hold of the tie around his neck. She tugged it as she backed towards Barton, stepping out from between the two of them. “…Do it again.” 

Barton didn't have to be told again. His hand snaked into Sterling's hair as he kissed the man again, tilting his head to deepen it. Chen walked behind Sterling, her fingers tracing down his tie, then further down. Her hand grazed over the front of his slacks at the same time Barton bit his bottom lip. It was impossible to ignore the bulge forming under her touch. 

Sterling quickly stepped away, causing Chen and Barton to end up against each other. They both watched him pace the floor, trying to hide how flustered he was. Her hand had somehow ended up on Barton’s chest and she could feel his heart racing. So... maybe she wasn’t the only one a little invigorated by this development. Well, there was one way to find out. And only one way to break the awkward tension in the air. Taking a fistful of his shirt, Chen yanked Barton down to her, pressing her lips against his in a heated kiss. 

“Rebecca!” She broke the kiss after hearing her husband’s annoyance...and feeling his arm around her waist. There was something about that—the need to show that she was his—that drove her crazy. This time, in a good way. The way Sterling held her meant she could feel him pressing up against her backside and she knew she wasn’t the only one turned on by the recent developments. 

“This...” For once, she was a little scared to voice her desires. She turned to face her husband; hand splayed across his chest as she looked in his eyes. “This could happen.” 

“What?” 

She took ahold of his shirt and guided him as she walked backwards, stopping once she felt Barton against her. “This.” Her hand went to his tie again, her grip loose on it. Her other hand went to Barton's wrist and dragged it in between Sterling and her, making sure his palm was against Sterling's crotch as she pressed her groin against the back of it. “The three of us. Just one night.” She grinded against the back of Barton's hand, forcing it further into her husband's bulge. It didn't take long for Barton to take the hint and begin massaging the area.  

As Sterling let out a quiet groan, Chen leaned forward to kiss his neck, sucking softly on the spot below his ear. “Just one night,” she whispered, tugging the tie to bring him closer to her. She brought her hips back enough so she could maneuver one of Sterling's hands through the slit of her dress and up to her thong so he could feel how wet she was already. She knew there was no hiding the desire in her eyes when she looked at him. Not when she could feel his hands trying to push the fabric aside. Not when she could feel Barton's length pressing against her back through his pants.  

Her movements are slow, deliberate. She wants to give him plenty of opportunities to say no, to change his mind or decide it’s never going to happen. But he showed no sign of those things. She loosened and removed his tie, letting the strip of fabric fall to the floor as she began undoing the buttons of his dress shirt. Her hands slowly pushed the fabric off his shoulders so his upper body was bare and turned around to his friend. Chen was a little quicker with the removal of Barton's shirt—his was cheap and she didn’t particularly care if she ruined it—and let it join the growing pile on the floor. 

Her dress was next. Sterling slowly unzipped it, the kisses he placed along her spine causing her to shiver. She allowed the fabric to pool at her feet, stepping out of it to drop to her knees as the men removed what remained of their clothing. 

Their close proximity meant that both of her partners’ semi-erect lengths were close enough to be accessible to her mouth with only a turn of the head. And while she was eager to find out what they were both like, there was one more thing she needed. “I want this to happen,” she said, her voice clear as she removed her bra, letting it fall to the floor. She looked up at both men. “Do you?” 

“Yes.” Barton's breathy reply came quickly. 

Sterling's took a few seconds longer. “…Yes.” 

“Good.” Sensing the slight uneasiness in him, Chen turned towards her husband first, placing open mouth kisses along his length. She took just the tip into her mouth, her tongue drawing a lazy circle around it. Her hand went to Barton as she worked, stroking him in sync with the bob of her head.  

Chen repeated this process on both men a number of times, switching between sucking and stroking each of them until they were both hard. She wrapped her hands around both of their cocks and opened her mouth to try and fit both of their tips in, her eyes meeting with both of them as her tongue teased them. “I think it's time for a change of scenery.” 

“Bedroom.” Sterling ordered as he bent down to scoop his wife up. She giggled and wrapped her legs around him. 

“Where?” Barton asked. 

“Down the hall.” 

Barton led the way, pushing the door open for the couple as they were both too engaged in a passionate kiss to do anything else. The man scooted his way up the bed to give room for Sterling to deposit his wife. She allowed herself to fall back against the mattress, biting her bottom lip as she glanced at both men. Her position had left her with her head between Barton's thighs and Sterling at her other end. It was impossible for her to ignore the pounding of her heart…and the desire forming deep within her. 

Sterling’s hands parted her legs, spreading her out in front of him. Chen felt Barton take ahold of her arms and allowed him to move them, pinning them on the side of his thighs. His grip was loose enough that she could easily break free of it, but she chose not to. There was something about being displayed in front of her husband while his best friend held her in place that turned her on. That became painfully obvious as Sterling’s tongue pressed against her wet slit. 

“Mm…” His lips vibrated against her sensitive skin as she moaned. He slowly licked her while his fingers brushed against her sweet spots on her thighs. Barton's grip on her grew firmer as she began to squirm, trying to drive her hips down to get more from her husband and failing to do so.  

“Erikson…” She wasn't about to beg, but she needed him inside her. 

His fingers, still moving at a painfully slow pace, traveled upwards until they were at her hips. He chuckled as she wiggled again, his breath on her driving her mad.

“Erikson.” 

She finally got what she wanted. Two fingers easily slid into her wet cunt and she cried out, her back arching. Her moans and cries of pleasure grew louder as he began sucking on her sensitive nub while his fingers slid in and out. She so badly wanted to reach out and grab his hair. Chen turned her head to request it from the man holding her down, but instead discovered a different want. 

Barton's erect cock was so close to her face, twitching with desire. If she angled her head just right… 

A quick adjustment and tilt of her head allowed her to press her tongue against his length. Barton squeezed her arms, clearly surprised by the development, but not disappointed by it. She flicked her tongue a few times, beckoning him to come closer so she could have more of him. He seemed to want that as well. Still holding her arms, Barton adjusted so his hips were angled down towards her mouth. She teased his tip before opening her mouth the whole way, allowing him to slide in.

Barton groaned as her tongue flattened against him. His hips thrust slowly down, her mouth taking more and more of him in. She gasped suddenly as Sterling's fingers began driving into her harder, his mouth on her clit replaced by the pad of his thumb. Her moans were muffled by the cock in her mouth, the sound urging both men to quicken their pace. It was so much more than she had expected. The sensation of her face being fucked while her husband fucked her with his fingers—it was better than she could have ever imagined. 

She had to abandon her work on Barton when she felt Sterling's fingers curl inside her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. “Ah!” she cried out once her mouth was free, the hard dick resting against her cheek, a trail of saliva connecting it still to her lips. Barton continued to hold her arms as she squirmed, her hips bucking into Sterling's hand. “Oh, fuck! FUCK! Erikson!” She gasped again when he hit that sweet spot again. “I'm gonna--I'm gonna--" 

Chen didn’t get the chance to finish her thought. His fingers beckoned for her again and she came, her lower body lifting off the bed slightly as she did. Breathing heavily, she watched as Sterling cleaned his fingers with his mouth and stood up. Her attention was soon drawn elsewhere though as she felt Barton shift behind her. Still coming down from her high, Chen allowed herself to be pulled up until she was resting against the other man, her back against his chest and his length poking out between her slightly open legs. 

The archer turned her head towards him and kissed her, his tongue parting her lips as he did so. Chen couldn’t help but respond by grinding her pussy against his erect cock. She spread her legs wider and put her arms on either side of him to brace herself. He broke the kiss and reached down to position himself at her entrance, then roughly thrust himself up into her. 

“Oh…” She moaned and closed her eyes, letting her head fall back. She kept them shut as the man picked up his pace. Being fucked by Barton was something she had assumed would be mediocre, and for once, she was happy to be wrong about him. His firm grip on her hips, the sound of their slick skin meeting, the way he angled himself up into her—it was all perfection. The way he was fucking her also left her completely spread and exposed to her husband in front of her. There was no way to hide her bouncing breasts or the sight of his best friend's cock fucking her dripping cunt. She tried to look at the love of her life through lidded eyes, but she couldn’t fully see him. 

That meant she couldn’t see the look being shared between the two men. She could feel Barton's hands move from her hips to her arms, folding them behind her back so they were pinned between their bodies, but she just assumed it was so he could ravage her at a new angle. She felt the bed dip and knew it was Sterling coming to join them. Not knowing what he was going to do excited her. She could feel herself getting worked up again until she was suddenly denied that pleasure. 

Barton abruptly pulled out. A pathetic whimper escaped Chen as she shifted against him, still needing someone inside her. She felt hands against her thighs and looked over to see her husband spreading her legs, her knees resting against his forearms. He teased her slit with the tip of his length which made Chen whimper again. 

“I want it…” she said quietly. She was this close to begging. Thankfully, she didn’t have to as Sterling thrust forward, driving all of him into her. He leaned forward—bringing her legs up with him—and began fucking her roughly. Barton's wet cock was also pressed against her back and she felt him twitch underneath her. For a moment, she imagined what it would be like to have both of her holes filled. Her wet cunt being ravaged by her husband's cock while his best friend fucked her tight ass. To have both of them cumming in her at the same time. That thought was getting harder to push aside as Barton’s rough finger began teasing her clit. 

“Ah! Ah!” 

Barton's other arm held her firmly against him as she wiggled again. Sterling adjusted to have her ankles on his shoulders and fucked her even deeper, bringing all three of them even closer. She felt a warm, sticky substance against her back all of a sudden and realized the man underneath her came on her. She was being fucked by her husband with another man's cum on her. The moan that came out of her was the loudest yet.

Chen could feel the cock inside her throbbing. Sterling's thrusts grew rougher. He was close. “Come for me,” she moaned. Barton began sucking on her neck and she gasped with pleasure again. “Come in me, Erikson. Please.” 

And he did. A few more hard thrusts was all he needed. She felt his cum fill her cunt and she smiled as she watched him come undone. Barton released his grip on her and she reached up to pull Sterling down to her. She kissed him as she realized she was sandwiched between the two men. The archer began shifting his way out from under her, but she stopped him before he got off the bed. 

Adjusting carefully to keep Sterling inside her, Chen turned so she was on her hands and knees, her ass pressed back towards Sterling's groin. She moved her hips slowly as she milked him, wanting him to see the cum on her back. At the same time, she reached over to wrap her hand around Barton's length, stroking it before taking him in her mouth again. She worked them both again until they grew hard, then stopped and hopped off the bed, kneeling down on the floor. 

“I want to taste you both.” She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, hoping they took the hint. Chen heard them both get off the bed and could feel them standing in front of her. The sounds of them jerking off turned her on again and she took the opportunity to pleasure herself with her fingers. It didn’t take long for her to feel the short spurts hitting her, some making it to her mouth while some missed and hit her face instead. Someone's thumb wiped off the spots that missed and she sucked it off him, smirking as she heard both men groan. 

She bit her lip as she looked up at both of them. She knew tomorrow would be awkward. That there would always be this weird situation between them all now. But tonight…tonight she was going to savor every moment.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; Paper Mates Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Chen catches Sterling working late.

Chen had gotten used to waking up alone. It wasn't always a pleasant situation to have, but it was one that she understood. Long nights and early mornings came with the territory when you were married to an agent of SHIELD. It hadn't been something that concerned her a lot until recently. Not just because of the threats against Sterling; she also selfishly wanted him home at night to help with the little fits their tiny bundle of joy always seemed to have in the middle of the night. Getting kicked she could deal with. Getting kicked from the inside while she's trying to sleep was something she wasn't dealing with.

The little bastard started working right on cue, waking Chen up enough that she couldn't fall back asleep. She reached over to tap her husband and was a little surprised to find the bed empty. She turned over to look at the clock, verifying her concern. He had been home earlier and shouldn't have needed to go back into the office unless an emergency arose. After a brief debate on whether she should get out of bed or not--the deciding argument being that she needed to pee--she got up and went about her business. And since she was already up, there wouldn't be any harm in checking to see if he left a note or something in the kitchen.

She didn't need to make it that far. The dim light in the living room revealed her missing husband, fast asleep in the recliner. She softened at the sight, taking in how peaceful he looked for a moment. Quietly, she made her way over to him, intending to gently wake him so he could get some proper rest in bed and so he wouldn't wrinkle the work sitting in his lap. His "work" turned out to be various highlighted pages on newborns. In fact, everything around him was about being a new parent. Books, printed websites, and highlighted notes were scattered across him and the surrounding surfaces. He had even somehow managed to fall asleep with the highlighter cap hanging out of his mouth. 

Chen took another moment to just look at him, practically melting at this point. She knew that if he had been awake she would have teased him for being such a nerd, but it was genuinely touching to her. When she was alone, it took a decent amount of work for her not to feel like a nervous wreck about the baby. Knowing that he was using his spare time to color code every little thing filled her with so much love she felt like she could burst. She shouldn't have been surprised; both of them had been meticulous when it came to details at work and it would make sense for that to continue on into their personal matters, but it didn't change anything. Seeing her passed out husband in a chair, surrounded by baby books and binders, reminded her of how truly lucky she was to have found him.

Chen cautiously reached over to remove the highlighter from his sleeping figure, snapping the cap back on before putting it on the end table. She then went about cleaning up the various pages and books, keeping his notes together and his pages bookmarked as she made neat piles on the coffee table. A small smile crossed her lips as she went to grab the blanket from the couch. She couldn't help but recall the first time she had done this, back when he had offered his place for her to spend the night. Just like tonight, she had picked up his work and tucked him in the chair. The difference this time though was that she was madly, head over heels in love with him. That earned him a soft kiss on the forehead and her fingers brushing back his hair.

She made one last stop, grabbing a sticky note from his office to write him a little love note, asking him to wake her up before he left in the morning so she could tell him she loved him. She signed her name with a heart and stuck the note on top of the books. One more peck on his cheek and she made her way back to bed, for the first time in a while feeling complete and utter bliss.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: N/A ; Jones Family Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Emma helps Jenny prepare for prom night.

An unexpected part of parenthood Emma had been surprised to learn about was how ready she was to handle the tears of her children. Ranging from full blown emotional sobs to simple misty eyes, she always managed to knock it out of the park and bring a smile back to her kids’ faces. She had also developed a bit of a sixth sense on when those tears were about to make an appearance. Today was no different. She had been sitting at the table, helping Oliver with his math when she heard the front door open and close quietly. The sounds of footsteps quickly making their way upstairs told her exactly who it was, and since she knew her daughter had been out for her prom hair appointment, she assumed she knew exactly what it was about too.

After making Oliver a quick sandwich, she brought an extra one upstairs, knocking softly on Jenny’s door. “Jennifer?” She spoke with a calming voice. “I brought you a snack.”

“That’s okay.” Jenny’s cracked voice responded from beyond the closed door. “I’ll eat it later.”

“Sweetheart, open the door. Please.”

There was silence for a few seconds before the sounds of shuffling feet could be heard. Emma tried her best to keep a motherly look on her face as the door swung open, but even she couldn’t hide the look of shock at what she saw. Someone had massacred her poor girl’s curls. The simple look Jenny had been gushing about for weeks now was nowhere to be seen. Instead, all of her curls seemed to have been blown up to the crown of her head, forming a weird half bun thing with a handful of loose strands cascading down from it. 

“It’s awful, isn’t it?” Jenny’s shaky voice asked. There was no point in lying.

“...Yes,” Emma responded, gently guiding her daughter back into the room so she could put the plate down somewhere. She reached into her hair and began plucking out the apparently infinite amount of bobby pins that were holding this monstrosity together. “Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to call your…friends...back and tell them you aren’t going to your makeup appointment.”

“But I already paid for it.”

“That’s okay.”

“It was expensive.”

“It’s. Okay.” Emma gave her daughter a small smile. “They clearly have no idea what they’re doing anyways. And since we’re the brains of the group here, we’re going to come up with something better. So what you’re going to do is hop into the shower and rinse out this whole thing,” she said, gesturing towards what remained of her hairdo. “You’re going to show me a picture of exactly what you want and we are going to make it work, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. Now. Let’s go.”

While Jenny was in the shower, Emma set about finding little things to help make tonight perfect. She dug around in her makeup bag, pulling out everything she needed to freshen up her daughter’s tear streaked face. She found the crystal hairpins Teddy had gifted to her years ago and decided they would help make that simple hairdo pop. And one last pit stop to grab a bag of M&Ms from her secret stash in the office because chocolate made everything better.

By the time Jenny was walking back into her room, hair wrapped up in a towel and a fluffy robe covering the rest of her, Emma had turned the teen’s bedroom into a one woman salon. She pulled the chair back for Jenny to take a seat and then stood between her daughter and the mirror. “First thing’s first,” Emma said, tucking away a few loose hairs. “Let’s get your makeup on.”

“Before my hair?”

“Mm-hmm. I want you to forget all about what it looked like just a little bit ago. And to help do that, I think we should showcase that beautiful face of yours first. Here’s what I’m thinking.” She walked over to the small pile of makeup she had brought with her and held it up for Jenny to see. “Start with a silvery smokey eye. Have this dark brown on the outside that sort of fades into this shimmery silver all over the lid. Tiny line of black eyeliner on top and a black mascara to help make your long lashes pop. Tiny touch of blush on your cheeks and top all that off with a glossy nude lip. What do you think?”

The girl thought about it for a moment before saying, “Can we change the nude for a light pink?”

“That we can,” Emma said with a smile. She swapped out the lip colors and then went to work, making small talk the entire time to help soothe Jenny’s shaken nerves. Despite the fact that it had been less than half an hour ago that she had been standing in her room in tears, Jenny was now cracking jokes about how terrible the whole hair appointment had been. The two of them chuckled quietly at the whole ordeal as Emma put the finishing touches on. “There. Take a look.”

She stepped aside so Jenny could see herself in the mirror and felt a slight swell of pride at the look of admiration on her daughter’s face. Those puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks from earlier had completely vanished, replaced instead by a sparkling diamond of a girl. She smiled softly at her reflection before turning to give her mom a big hug.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Emma replied, hugging her back before placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "But we're just getting started."

She took the towel off of Jenny's head, letting the slightly damp hair fall over her shoulders. Even with her natural curls just sitting there, she looked infinitely better than she had earlier. "Do you have a picture?"

Jenny reached over to grab her phone, snorting at something she saw before handing the phone over. The picture made the hairstyle look a little difficult, but Emma was sure she could manage. She pinned aside the curls that needed to stay loose before starting to braid the hair framing her face. Their small talk continued as Emma worked, the two of them swapping embarrassing stories involving people they both knew. The earlier feeling of dread that seemed to have been looming in the room was completely gone, replaced instead by a feeling of pure joy.

Their laughter was interrupted for a moment by the sight of Ted stalking the halls, broom in hand as his eyes scanned each room. A confused look crossed both of their faces as he stuck his head in the obviously empty bathroom across the hall.

“What. On earth. Are you doing?” Emma asked, pausing her braiding as they both just stared at the man.

Ted’s finger went to his lips, silently telling them to be quiet as his eyes darted around. “He’s in here. I know it. He’s somewhere in this house.”

“Dad,” Jenny said, eyebrow raised. “The dance isn’t for two more hours.”

“And the front door is locked,” Emma added, an equally annoyed look crossing her features.

“Plus all the windows.”

“And the door to the basement. Which can only be accessed from inside the house.”

“That means nothing to him.” Ted looked at them, almost challenging them to contradict him before he started walking again. However, he returned to pop his head into the room after a few seconds, his concerned look now a smile instead. “By the way, you’re looking like a princess tonight, Jenny.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” She gave him a huge smile, shaking her head slightly as he started ‘sweeping’ the halls again. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but he’s starting to lose it, Mom.”

“Oh, honey.” Emma laughed and continued the intricate braid. “He lost it about fifteen years ago. You’re just now seeing his full potential.” 

Their laughter filled the room once more as Emma finished her daughter’s hair, double checking to make sure all of the crystal hair pins were secured in place. Taking a step back, she took a look at her handiwork. She didn’t want to toot her own horn too much, but she had done a remarkable job. The braided crown sat on her daughter’s head perfectly, holding in all of the looser curls that flowed softly down her neck. The crystal pieces were braided into the crown and even in the weird lighting of Jenny’s room, it caused her hair to sparkle. That, in addition to the soft yet elegant makeup she had applied earlier, made her truly look like a princess. Emma could feel herself getting a little misty eyed at that and quickly wiped her eyes before her daughter could see her.

“Mom?” Jenny looked over her shoulder and Emma could see the happiness in her eyes. “Thank you. This is...I can’t even find the words.”

“You’re welcome.” Emma walked over to give her daughter a gentle hug from behind. “Now. You need to get into your dress. And I need to figure out where your father went with the camera.” She went to head towards the door, but paused before stepping into the hall. “Do you need any more help?”

“I’ve got it,” Jenny replied, standing up and looking at the dress hanging over her bed. “And if I don’t, I’ll be the one screaming ‘Mom help me’ at the top of my lungs.”

“And I’ll come running.” Emma smiled then left the room, shutting Jenny’s bedroom door behind her. It didn’t take her very long to find Ted. He appeared to have given up on his quest and was sitting at the kitchen table, playing with Oliver’s math flashcards as they waited. “Hey you,” she said, sneaking up to give him a kiss.

Ted smiled. “Is she ready for pictures? Because I’m going to take like a hundred thousand of them.”

“Almost. She’s getting into her dress now.” Emma went to raid the fridge, talking loudly as she dug around. “And I know that they’re not going together, but we should take a few pictures of her and Gordon too. We have pictures of them doing pretty much everything else together. It’d be wrong not to have this too.”

“Alright, I’ll grab some of the two of them too.” Ted sighed. “Hopefully he’ll be ready to go whenever he shows up.”

“Hey, Mr. J, could you help me with this tie?”

Ted yelped and fell out of the chair, earning a snort of laughter out of his young son. “Gordon!” he yelled from the floor, scrambling to stand back up. “How did you get in here?!”

Gordon pointed at the living room behind him. “The front door.”

“The front door’s locked.”

“Is it though?”

“...What does that even mean?!”

Chuckling softly, Emma walked up to her husband, placing a hand on his arm. “Teddy, why don’t you go help Jenny out with her shoes?”

Confusion crossed Ted’s features. “But I know nothing about shoes…”

“You also know nothing about ties.” She patted his arm before sending him on his way. Once she heard him start to head up the stairs, she turned and smiled at Gordon. “Here. Let me help with that.”

She was able to quickly tie the tie for him, adjusting it to lie flat and smoothing out the shoulders of his suit jacket. “There. You’re looking so dapper, people are going to think your name is Gordon Sterling.”

“I don’t think I can pull off the stern look enough for people to believe that.” Gordon made an attempt to do so and...was right. It was the least intimidating thing Emma had ever seen in her life and she once watched a teddy bear try to fistfight Tony Stark.

“Well...either way, you’ll be the real belle of the ball.” She gestured for Gordon to take a seat at the table and went back to the fridge, pulling out two cans of soda for the two of them. Knowing how clumsy the boy was, she slid a straw into his can before setting it down in front of him. “Jenny will be down in a minute. We had a bit of a hair fiasco that needed fixing, so she’s running a little behind.”

“Was it gum again?”

“No.”

“A bird?”

“Also no.”

“Did it get stuck in the door hinges again?”

“Does...that happen a lot?”

“...I’m not at liberty to say. Best friend confidentiality agreement.” Gordon took a sip of his soda to apparently keep himself from saying anything else.

“Either way,” Emma said, making a mental note to ask about the doors later. “The situation has been fixed and she will be ready to turn heads tonight.” There’s a look that crosses Gordon’s face that makes Emma feel like she’s said the wrong thing, but before she could ask what was wrong, Ted reappeared in the kitchen.

“She’s ready whenever you are,” he said, a permanent smile apparently stuck to his face. Peeling Oliver away from his silverware drumming, the small group went to move into the living room, each one with a smile on their faces as they saw Jenny.

If she didn't look like a princess earlier, her whole getup sealed the whole deal. The iridescent dress sparkled as she stood there, the light from the window catching both it and the crystals in her hair. A wide smile somehow managed to grow when she saw everyone. Emma took Ted's arm as they both stood there.

"Hey, Gordo!" Jenny said, going to give her best friend a bear hug. "Take a look at you! You look like you're trying to give Uncle Sterling a run for his money." Again, Gordon tried a serious look, but this time he was met with a small giggle. "Nailed it. Just like him."

Emma's attention was drawn away by a slight nudging from her husband. She looked up to see a weirdly smug face and silently wondered what he was up to. She didn't have to wonder long as he showed her the couple of candid shots he had managed to capture without the two teens noticing. He gave Emma a wink before loudly announcing, "Okay, you both now have to suffer through the unbearable part of prom that every kid despises: your parents taking a million pictures of you. Don't worry, Gordon, as far as I know your mother isn't hiding away somewhere in here, but she did ask for blackmail worthy pictures and I intend to deliver."

They spent the next forty five minutes taking a number of photographs, covering every base any of them could want. There were plenty of goofy ones for the teens, a couple with Oliver for the little boy, a handful of serious ones for the parents, and quite a few of Gordon awkwardly standing by himself for Joon. As Ted made the last call for his personal chauffeur service, Jenny shuffled up to her mom to give her one last hug for the night.

"Thanks again, Mom. You're my hero." She smiled widely before waving goodbye. "I'll tell you all about it tonight!"

As soon as the door shut, Emma reached up to wipe a tear from her eye. Her baby girl was growing up. And no matter how many times she said it, she'd never get tired of Jenny saying she was her hero. A soft tug on her shirt caused her to look down at her son.

"I don't have to do all that when I get old, do I?" He asked.

Emma chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Only if you want to."

"Good. I don't want to. They looked really fancy. Like…" He paused for a moment to find the word he was looking for. "Royally?"

"Royalty." Emma smiled. "And it makes sense for them. They do have a king and queen there tonight."

"They do?!"

"Yep. Someone from the school gets to be it for one night only."

Oliver thought for a moment before saying, "I think I could do that to be king."

"Well then, your majesty," Emma said with a deep curtsey. "How about we go make some mac and cheese and build a pillow fort to defend when your dad gets back."

"Deal."

Taking his hand, Emma grabbed the camera, taking one last look at the picture on the screen. Her daughter was sparkling like a diamond, her wide smile contagious even in picture form. It was hard to imagine that same girl had been crying mere hours ago. Scooping up her son, she made her way into the kitchen, happy she was able to help make all their dreams come true tonight.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; Comic Trips Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Jenny is determined to have a good prom night, and the only person who can make that happen is Gordon.

Growing up in her household meant hearing plenty of Disney princess jokes. But she didn’t feel like one right now. No, she felt like Anastasia, wandering aimlessly around in formal wear. Her heels clicked against the concrete as she looked down at another hiding spot. She had made only one plan for senior prom, and dammit she was going to make it happen even if it took all night. Well, not really. She only had about two song lengths left before the moment was over. Sighing, she put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as she thought. “Oh my god, I’m a moron.” she said to herself before taking off back towards the dance.

Just like she thought, she found the object of her search sitting outside, only a few feet away from the food table in the doorway. “Hey you.” She smiled, walking up to her best friend. “Where’d you run off to? I said I’d be right back.”

“I know.” Gordon finished the last bite of food on his plate. “But they were all trying to talk to you and I was hungry, so…you know. Figured I’d find the food.”

“You didn’t have to eat outside.”

“…I didn’t want anyone to see how many of those little chocolate things I took.”

She laughed, a small snort earning a smile from him. “Come on,” she said, holding her hands out to help him up. “We need to get back.”

“Uh…” Gordon shifted. “It’s fine! You should go. I can get more snacks.”

“Nope! Not without you.” She started making grabby hands. “I’ve got a song coming up.”

“Really, it’s okay! You can go back. Get your song.”

“Not happening. I wanna dance.”

Gordon smiled at her. “There are plenty of people there who would want to dance with you.”

“Tough shit. I don’t wanna dance with them. I wanna dance with you.” The grabby hands grew more intense. “Don’t make me start pouting. I have gotten really good at it.”

“Jen-” Before he could finish whatever clever nickname he had come up with, Jenny stuck her bottom lip out, giving it a small quiver as she batted her eyes. The grabby hands were still going hard. Sighing, Gordon took her hands and stood up. “You’re impossible.”

“I know!” She took a firm grip of his hand and pulled him along at an alarming pace. By some sort of miracle they both managed to get back to the dance in one piece, but instead of going in, Jenny turned the corner of the building.

“I thought we were going back to the dance?” Gordon gave her a confused look, which Jenny just laughed at.

“We are! Just…not in there.” She wanted something that couldn’t be tainted by cruel people. She was well aware of how differently people treated her after she straightened her curls and plucked her eyebrows than before she had. The jokes stopped and suddenly every boy seemed to have forgotten how they used to act. All but one. The one person she knew would always have her back. And she wanted to have a moment that couldn’t be spoiled by jokes at their sake.

She found the part of the wall behind the DJ booth, the music loud enough to hear but not so loud you couldn’t talk. She spun to look at Gordon. “I put in a song request because I want one last high school dance.”

Listening to the music, Gordon raised an eyebrow. “You wanted your last dance to be to ‘Hot in Here’?”

Jenny scowled, putting her hands on her hips. A familiar pose when she was annoyed. She was about to scold him when she saw the small smile on his face. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just…” Gordon rubbed the back of his neck, shifting in place. “It’s just hard to take that look seriously when you look…” He gestured at her formal getup.

“Oh.” She looked down at herself, feeling a little self conscious. “It is a bit much, huh?”

“No!” He cleared his throat before continuing. “No, it’s…it’s not.”

“Are you sure?” She did a half turn, still undecided.

“Yes. You’re…you look beautiful.”

Jenny could feel the blush start to form. “…thanks.”

And because the two of them couldn’t possibly have a moment without being awkward, they both then started talking over each other.

“Not to say you aren’t always!” / “I mean, it’s nice to hear!”

“Cause that’s not what I meant!” / “And you! I mean you’re…”

“You’re always beautiful!” / “You’re looking good yourself!”

“This whole thing just…adds to it!” / “SUITS SUIT YOUR FRAME!”

At that moment Jenny was praying to God that her makeup covered the beet red blush all over her face. No, she couldn’t have gotten her dad’s tall gene. She had to get the one that showed how awkward she was.

Thankfully, the awkward silence only lasted a minute longer before the DJ announced another requested song. As the guitar strums began, she perked up, practically bouncing in place. “Well, Mr. Coulson,” She did an overdramatic bow. “May I have this dance?”

Gordon pretended to think about it only for a second. “Alright. But since you asked me, you have to lead.”

“Fair.” Jenny giggled as she stepped out of her heels. There was no way she wasn’t going to step on his feet and would rather not add a puncture wound to her injury list.

“And I expect to be treated like a pretty princess.” He said as he took her hand.

“The prettiest. You can even put your head on my shoulder and look longingly up at me.” On cue, Gordon did exactly that, earning another snort laugh from Jenny.

Their dance was less of a dance and more of a shuffle between two uncoordinated people, but she didn’t care. All she had wanted was one happy high school memory that was entirely hers and she was getting it. As the music picked up, her head shot up, forgetting that Gordon’s was near.

“Sorry!” They both laughed as he rubbed the sore spot. She patted his chest. “Here, let me spin you, princess.” She did just that as the music loudly played.

Everything she does is beautiful Everything she does is right

They both laughed again as they collided after the spin, stumbling slightly before returning to their shuffle. Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking about how everything was going to change. They were growing up. Who knew what the future would hold. For all she knew they could both grow apart, becoming strangers to one another. The thought made her step closer to her best friend, seeking comfort in the fact that he was currently here. That’s what mattered. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and listened to the music, swaying along with him.

And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of  you and me and all of the people, with nothing to do.  Nothing to prove. And it’s you and me and all of the people And I don’t know why,  I can’t keep my eyes off of you

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: NSFW Pairing: F/M ; The Good Ship Lollipop Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Part 2 of the Pauper AU. Emma acts on her feelings.

The past few months had been heaven for Emma. Sure she got to learn how to play the piano, but she also got to learn more about her mysterious man. Ted tended to talk about little things as he taught her, mostly about the odd jobs he worked and the people he helped out. She also began to notice that the more he revealed about himself, the closer he sat to her during their lessons. He always managed to make her heart skip a beat when he’d slide his hand under hers, telling her to let his fingers guide hers to the right spot. He was doing it right at that moment, and Emma suddenly became aware of how close they were. She tilted her head up to look into his eyes. If she leaned a little closer, she might be able to…

“Miss Morris, you’re paying me.” Ted whispered, almost as if he had been able to read her mind. But neither one of them moved to pull away from the other. They stayed in that position, their lips barely apart before Ted suddenly sat straight up and turned his attention to the piano. Confused, Emma stared at him for a little while until she saw her father appear in the room.

“Dad!” she said, smiling at her father. “Look what I can do.” She turned back to the piano and started playing, only missing a few notes in ‘Little April Showers.’

“Very nice, Miss Morris.” Ted said, his eyes still on the piano.

“Yes, very nice, Emma.” Mr. Morris’ face didn’t seem as pleased as his statement had sounded, but that might have been due to the fact that he had been staring at Ted the entire time. She shrugged it off as her dad being overprotective and went back to playing, silently telling herself that tomorrow she would tell Ted the real reason why she wanted to learn from him.

-

Emma had dressed up for the occasion. A soft, flowing skirt that went down to her knees and a top that hugged her upper body with a low-but-not-too-low v-cut was what she had chosen. She managed to make her hair have a gentle curl and put on some lip gloss to finish the look. She was going to tell him. She was interested in him and wanted to get to know him. He needed to know that. Smiling at herself in the mirror,she nodded and headed downstairs, expecting to see Ted waiting at the piano like usual.

So when she didn’t see him there, she became a little concerned. He had never been late for a lesson before. She sat down on the bench and pressed a few keys, patiently waiting for him to arrive.

“He’s not coming.” Her father’s voice had startled her, causing her to jump.

“What do you mean?” Emma asked, trying to hide her worry in the voice.

“I gave him a bonus for his lesson yesterday. It was enough to cover what he owed, so I let him go.”

Emma could feel her heart breaking as she watched her father sit down. “I…didn’t get to finish 'Little April Showers.’”

“We’ll find you a new teacher.” Mr. Morris said, opening the newspaper. “I didn’t like the way he looked at you.”

A part of her wondered if he really meant he didn’t like the way she was looking at him. Her heart dropped to her stomach. It was her fault. Her little crush got Ted fired from the one job he told her he was really enjoying. She had to fix this. An idea popped into her mind. “It’s fine, Daddy. I needed to go to the store today anyways.” she lied, going to grab her purse. “I’ll probably be gone for a while.” She waved goodbye to him as she headed out the door, then ran outside. She needed to find where Ted was. She had to make this right.

-

It had taken a while, but she finally found somebody that knew where Ted lived. After he told her, Emma made a mad dash to the building, hoping it wasn’t too late to catch him before he went to one of his odd jobs. She went all the way up to his floor, found his apartment (which wasn’t too hard since he was the only one on that floor), and knocked on the door, quietly hoping he was still there.

A halfway dressed Ted answered the door. Although she would have loved to stand there and admire his upper body, Emma couldn’t see very well through the tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.” she said, hoping she wouldn’t cry. “This is my fault. I had a crush on you and because of that Daddy fired you and I’m so–”

She was surprised when he pulled her in for a kiss, but she couldn’t say she was disappointed. Melting in his firm arms, she eagerly returned the kiss, her hands snaking their way up to rest around his neck. She was so far up on cloud nine that she almost didn’t notice that he picked her up and took her inside until she felt the wall against her back. Their kissing became fiercer and their hands began to wander, Emma’s up to his hair and Ted’s down to her thighs. He groaned against her lips as his hands moved up her skirt, causing Emma to moan and give him access to her mouth.His tongue slid inside at the same time that his hand lifted her skirt up. His fingers pushed aside her underwear, letting one finger tease her opening. Gasping, Emma broke the kiss and tilted her head back, giving Ted perfect access to her neck as his finger slid into her.

He continued kissing and nibbling her neck as he fingered her, moaning against her skin as she grew wetter, sliding another finger into her. Emma could feel herself approaching her tipping point and brought her head forward, biting his shoulder. He groaned and pulled his fingers out, which at first made her worry she had done something he didn’t like, but his mouth taking control of hers again told her otherwise.

She felt her back leave the wall and assumed they were heading somewhere even more private, but her suspicions weren’t confirmed until she heard him kick in his bedroom door. The sun spilled through his torn curtains, providing just the right amount of light. Whatever nerves she burned away during their heated moment in the hallway were returning as her bottom hit the mattress. She rolled her back down as he hovered over her, his lips gentler than they had been before. His fingers slid under her shirt, squeezing her breasts before making quick work of the bra she was wearing. A quick adjustment by the two of them left her upper body free from her clothes. She shivered a little, not sure whether it was from the slight chill in the air or Ted’s hungry eyes looking over her. He leaned towards her and kissed her breasts, teasing each nipple with his tongue before leaning back and standing up.

“Take off your skirt.” Even though it sounded like an order, his voice was gentle, clearly giving her the opportunity to change her mind and say no. But as she watched his fingers undo his belt, she knew she wanted nothing more than him. Still wanting to tease him, she shifted and pulled her skirt off, but left her underwear on. Ted smirked at that as he moved to unzip himself. Though she was eager to see all of him, Emma still felt butterflies bat against her stomach. “Do you have a…?”

“Yeah.” he said, nudging towards the plastic box next to his mattress. Emma was about to lean back to admire him, but once he removed his pants, she was frozen in place, even though the fire between her legs burned hotter. She should have expected his size based on the rest of him, but she was still a little surprised. She decided at that moment that she needed her hands on him and reached into the plastic box, pulling out one of the condoms. Carefully tearing the package, she looked up at him and leaned forward, rolling the condom over his length. Their eyes stuck together the entire time, both looking as nervous as the other one. Once she finished, Emma pulled him close to her, carefully lying back on the bed as he removed her underwear and took her.

Ted started out gentle with her, slowly entering her and giving her time to adjust to his size, placing soft kisses against her lips as he did. But soon her quiet whimpers turned to moans, and his slow pace built to a faster one. He lived up to everything she had imagined. The way his muscles felt under her touch, his length pounding into her, the sounds of their breath and moans mixing in the air; everything was playing perfectly. And when she came, her fingers digging into his back as he helped her ride her wave, she felt completely happy.

He didn’t last much longer than she did and as he clung to her, Emma wondered if he felt as wonderful as she did now. His soft kisses as he pulled out and his arms hugging her close after he disposed of his condom helped her assume that he was just as happy as she was. Her fingers lazily drew pictures on his chest, occasionally tangling with his hair. “You know, I knew you’d be good with your fingers…along with other parts.”

Ted chuckled and took a hold of her hand, locking his fingers with hers. “I knew you’d be pretty good too.” Emma blushed over the thought of him imagining being with her. His free thumb brushed over her cheek. “I love it when you blush.” Emma looked up into his eyes, slightly terrified and excited by what she saw in them. They were deeper than lust, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. She wanted nothing more than to look into his eyes forever, even if it meant talking to her father about–

“Shit!” she yelled, scrambling out of bed. A confused Ted watched her as she gathered her close. “My dad. He’ll be wondering where I am.” She quickly put her clothes back on, then reached over to take Ted’s face in her hands. “Promise me I’ll see you again?”

“You’ll see me again.” Ted replied, even though they both knew there was no guarantee that would happen. She gave him one last passionate kiss before running out, hoping her father wouldn’t notice how long she had been gone. But the one thing she feared more than her father lecturing her about being out too long was what her heart was telling her. And that was that she might be falling in love with Ted.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: F/M ; The Good Ship Lollipop Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: Part 1 of the Pauper AU. Emma develops a crush on a street performer, Ted. After deciding he's going to pay her father back for his medical bills, Emma gives them both an offer neither can refuse.

There was something sadly beautiful about the performers of New York. Their unspoken stories intrigued Emma, which was why she was constantly slipping away from her father’s bodyguards to watch them. Her favorite place to study them was the park. Maybe it was because she could take pictures of the autumn trees as she wandered. Or maybe it was because she got to see him.

She didn’t know his name. She didn’t really know anything about him. All she knew was that from noon to five, he’d stand by the bridge, playing songs requested by lovers passing by. When she first heard his guitar playing in the air, it felt like magic was calling her. Like Phillip drawn to Aurora’s singing, she needed to find the source. And ever since then, it almost pained her to leave. She always kept away, a little too frightened to speak to him. But today was different.

Normally, Emma walked the longer route with her father on their way to his company’s building, purposely avoiding the bridge. But her father was running late and insisted on taking the short way, leading the two of them directly to where the man was playing. She brought the collar of her coat up a little higher, hoping to hide her flushed cheeks, but her father mistook her shyness for something else. “Are you cold, Gumdrop?”

“They say a song is the easiest way to warm your soul.” The man plucked a few strings as he spoke. Emma’s father grunted and continued walking, but Emma slowed down to get a good look at the man. He was fairly attractive, his eyes full of happiness and his hair a slightly mangled mess. His clothes were worn and his guitar wasn’t in much better shape, but nonetheless, the man seemed happy. “Really?” she asked, intrigued by him.

He nodded and played a few notes. “And I’d be willing to play a song for you, fair lady, if it’ll help fight the chill in the air.” Emma smiled and reached into her coat pocket, but her smile faded when she realized her wallet wasn’t on her. “I have no change.”

The man just laughed. “I’ll play for another smile from you, for that’ll warm my soul.” She felt her cheeks turn red again, but she smiled anyway. Within seconds, the man started playing a familiar tune. It was funny, but Emma almost enjoyed hearing the man sing “Part of Your World” more than the original.

“Emma.” Her father’s voice sounded a little firm, clearly having been calling for her for a while. The song wasn’t finished yet, but she didn’t want to leave her father waiting any longer. “Thank you.” she said, smiling at the man once more. As she turned and walked away, she heard the man’s voice grow louder so she could hear the end of the song.

“Out of the sea…wish I could be…part of that…world…”

-

Emma hadn’t expected to speak to the man again that day, but it seemed fate had something else in store for her. She was supposed to meet her father for dinner, but a late project came up and he had to cancel. Sighing, she stuffed her phone back into her bag and turned to leave the outdoor restaurant, running right into a man carrying a bunch of bags. “Oh! I’m so sorry.” She was slightly impressed that the man had managed to keep hold of the bags. “Here, let me help you.”

“It’s alright, miss.” It took Emma a moment to place the voice, but once she did, the familiar blush returned to her cheeks. Sure enough, the mysterious guitar man’s face poked out from behind the bags. “I’m only going a few blocks. I think I can make it.”

“I insist.” She didn’t really have anywhere she needed to be, and a part of her was intrigued to learn more about the man. Before he could deny her again, she took one of the bags and started walking, only to remember she didn’t know where she was going. “Uh…lead the way?”

The man chuckled and told her to follow him, leading her down a few streets to an old building. The place looked terrible, but Emma didn’t want to judge, so she kept her eyes on the back of the man in front of her as she followed him up the steps. She had expected to go inside, but the man stopped and placed the bags on the step. “You can set them down here, miss.”

“Emma.” She didn’t know why she told him her name, but it was too late to take anything back. “Morris. Emma Morris.” She dropped the bags beside the ones he had been carrying. The man chuckled and held out his hand. “Ted. Ted Jones. Thanks for helping me out today.” Emma shook his hand and smiled. She was about to start in some small talk with him when Ted turned to walk down the steps. “Wait!” She bit her lip when she realized she called after him, and was slightly embarrassed when he turned around. “Don’t…don’t you live here?”

Ted smiled and shook his head. “Those are for the kids.” Emma turned around and saw a group of children that had taken the bags, digging around in them as their parents called out their thanks. The smiles on the children’s faces put a smile on her own, and Emma turned to speak to Ted, but he had already left. “Maybe next time…” she said to herself, heading down the steps and back to her home.

-

Next time turned out to be a few weeks. Emma had passed by the bridge multiple times on her way to visit her father, and each time was disappointed to see that Ted wasn’t there. At first she was afraid that she had done something to scare him off, but after two weeks and a visit to the building, where she learned that Ted hadn’t dropped anything off in a while, she began to worry that something had happened. As she stepped onto the subway, she scolded herself for worrying so much about a man she had only briefly spoken to, but she still continued to worry. A sigh escaped her when she heard someone coughing. Hopefully they were remembering to cover their mouths. But as the coughing continued, she started wondering if someone needed help. Easing her way through the crowd, she worked her way towards the source, startled by what she found.

Ted was curled up in the corner, coughing into the sleeve of an old, faded Army jacket. He was pale, and there was a sheet of sweat covering him. Emma quickly went to his side. “Mr. Jones? Mr. Jones, it’s Emma.” His eyes met hers, empty of all of the happiness she had seen in them in their previous encounters. The sight made her heart sink as she touched his forehead, a frown appearing when she felt how warm he was. “You’re burning up…” She went to try and help him up. “We need to get you to a hospital.” Ted shook his head and opened his mouth to disagree, but another coughing fit overtook him. His shaking caused Emma to lose her grip on him and the two went tumbling to the floor, a yelp coming from her as they fell.

Thinking the homeless man was attacking the woman, two men showed up to help get him off. But after Emma explained that she knew the man and he needed to get to a hospital, they agreed to help and dragged Ted off the subway, Emma shortly following behind.

-

A large part of Emma was worried about this upcoming meeting. She had visited Ted in the hospital the entire time he was there and insisted on paying for his medical bills. Her father had lectured her about it, but after hearing about all of the community work Ted did from Emma, he agreed that helping the man get back on his feet would be okay. But he had one clause: he had to meet the man first.

Which was why Emma was currently pacing in the living room, wringing her hands in nervousness. When the doorbell rang, she immediately went to the door and pulled it open, almost yanking it off its hinges. Ted was standing there, looking more like his old self. Or at least the old self that Emma had watched from the bridge. She welcomed him inside and offered him a seat, but Ted politely declined. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m planning on paying you back for the bills. Every cent. I promise.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Emma’s father had appeared out of nowhere, startling both Ted and Emma. “Do you have a steady job?”

“No, sir.” Ted’s eyes locked with Mr. Morris’ as he walked over to take a seat. “But I do have a few odd jobs and I have a few friends that owe me some favors. I thin—“

“What kind of favors?” Mr. Morris interrupted.

“Uh…moving, installing things. Those kinds of favors.” Ted shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like having to ask them for money, but—“

“And what kind of odd jobs?”

“Dishwashing. Bartending. I occasionally play the piano at one of the karaoke bars. And—“

“That’s how he can pay you back.” This time, it was Emma who interrupted, causing both men to look at her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before words finally came out. “The…piano. I’ve…I’ve always wanted to learn how to play.” She pointed towards a small piano in the other room. “And if he knows, then I assume he’s able to teach?”

Ted took a moment to process the information before slowly nodding his head. “Then he can teach me. We’ll give him a normal salary for a piano teacher and he can use that to pay you back. He’s working, I’m learning, and your daughter is learning a new skill she’s always wanted to learn.” Emma smiled at her father, hoping it would help convince him to let Ted teach her. Sure, maybe the idea came to her because she wanted to spend more time with the man, but she did really want to learn how to play. “And she’ll have something to do while you’re working late and can’t make dinner.” The last part is what helped seal the deal. Mr. Morris agreed and told Ted he’d hire him as a piano teacher, but that he’d also have to follow a set of rules set by Mr. Morris. Ted agreed, happy to be able to do what he loves most. After the agreement was reached, Mr. Morris left for work and Emma escorted Ted to the door.

“I will pay you and your father back.” Ted said as he stepped outside. “For real.”

“You are.” Emma smiled, pushing down a faint blush that appeared when he smiled in return. “8 ‘o'clock tomorrow. That should give you enough time, correct?”

Ted nodded and thanked her one more time before leaving. As Emma shut the door, she bit her bottom lip to attempt to hide her happiness. She was determined to learn as much as she could from Ted, whether it was about pianos or the man himself. She made her way upstairs to her bedroom and started googling the sheet music to her favorite songs, hoping that he’d be able to teach them to her someday.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: N/A ; Jones Family Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: The Jones Family enjoy a fun breakfast moment.

Over the years, it had gotten easier and easier to wake up happy. He had plenty of reasons to be. Four of them were already in the kitchen, making small chat as he walked in. It was impossible not to have the biggest grin on his face when he saw his picture perfect life. Jenny was helping Kadi eat Cheerios, Oliver was finishing the last of his homework, and Emma was putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Who couldn’t be happy when seeing that.

He strolled in, stopping only to ruffle Jenny’s hair before planting a kiss on his wife’s cheek. “Morning. Smells delicious.”

Emma smiled, giving him a little hip check to keep him from “sampling” it. “It’s not done, so don’t even think about it.”

“I don’t need food.” That earned an eyebrow quirk from pretty much everyone capable of providing one. “Really. I am unstoppable today.”

“Why?” Oliver asked. Ted pointed at his son. “I’m glad you asked. You know why?” The Jones kids all shared a look, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

“I can’t be stopped because,” he turned to Emma as he started singing. “I’m a shooting star, leaping through the sky like a tiger, defying the laws of gravity. I’m a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva. I’m gonna go, go, go. There’s no stopping me…”

The embarrassing dance moves then began. “I’m burnin’ through the sky, yeah! Two hundred degrees, that’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheit! I’m traveling at the speed of light. I wanna make a supersonic man out of you.” He pointed at his kids to help with the backup vocals.

“Don’t!” Jenny laughed.

“Stop!” Oliver continued.

“ME!” Kadi yelled, most likely since it was one of the few words she knew.

“Now!” Gordon said with a mouthful of Cheerios.

Ted didn’t even care enough to make a comment on how that man must be living in their walls. He continued serenading his wife, his kids laughing along with her. By the end, he swept her into a dip, placing another kiss on her lips.

Yes, there was no stopping him now. Not when he had everything he ever wanted.

[dimelofic]

Tags/Warnings: SFW Pairing: N/A ; Jones Family Status: Completed

Disclaimer:

I only own my own original characters. I also want to acknowledge that any other canon and/or original characters that appear in these drabbles are my interpretation of how they would behave, so they may not be accurate to the creator’s writings. Any original characters belong entirely to their creators.

Summary: A series of shenanigans involving Ted and Gordon

Ted crouched in front of the broken dishwasher, silently fiddling with parts as he tried to put it back together. He slowly pieced the thing back together and stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants. After admiring his work for a moment he turned around and just about jumped out of his skin.

“Jesus Chr–Gordon! How long have you been there?” The kid just stood there, staring up at him. “…Okay, let’s get you a snack.”

—

The number of times Ted has pulled gum out of his pre-teen’s hair had now exceeded the number of times he chewed gum as a child. He’d almost be impressed by that stat if he wasn’t the one always having to get it out. Yes, he always volunteered to do this, but still. “Jenny, you need to learn to not fall asleep with food in your mouth.”

“It’s not my fault! It just tastes good.”

“It’s b-b-bubba-licious.”

Ted yelped, accidentally taking a few strands of Jenny’s hair with him as he jumped. He looked over at his kitchen table to see Gordon sitting there with a sandwich. “Gordon! Have you been here the whole time?”

“…Yes.”

“How did you even get in here?” He then remembered Emma wasn’t home yet. “Who made you a sandwich?!”

—

There weren’t many times that Ted got to take Emma out on an actual romantic date night. Someone either had to be home to watch the kids or was at work, but not now. The kids were old enough to handle themselves and their days off finally aligned. So he went all out, sweeping her away to a high-end restaurant and nice seats to the latest Disney Broadway show. He also knew exactly what he wanted to do with her once they got home.

“You know…” he whispered as they walked into the house. “The kids should be asleep by now.” The look Emma gave him meant she knew exactly what he was getting at and that was all he needed. He swept her up to the bedroom, feeling like a younger him again before a familiar annoyance poked at the back of his mind. Breaking a kiss, he looked up back towards the door. “Do you hear that?”

“What?” Emma whined. She tried pulling him back to her, but it was too late. Ted had already hopped up, his eyes darting around the room.

“…He’s here.”

If looks could kill, Ted would be a dead man right now. “Teddy.” Emma’s voice was firm and annoyed. “There’s no one here.”

“Oh, he’s here.” He continued to walk slowly around. “I swear, he’s in the walls.”

“Ted.”

He was already out the door, stalking the halls of his own home. Once he reached Jenny’s door, he saw the light still on and knew he had found his target. “Jenny.” He knocked on the door, opening it once she responded. To his surprise, she was alone, her math homework spread out on the floor. As his daughter began rambling about how she knew she should be asleep, he softened. “It’s alright. Just wanted to say good night if you were still up.”

“Night, Daddy.”

“Night, Mr. J.” Gordon just about got punched by Ted swinging violently around, somehow still startled by this dude’s sudden appearance.

“Jesus Fu–Gordon!” This was becoming impossible. There was no way for him to be here now. “How did you get in here?!”

Gordon finished the bite of pizza in his mouth. “Well, I tried knocking but no one answered. Then I tried calling Jennington here but she didn’t answer, so I just went through the window.” He pointed at the cracked window next to Jenny’s bed.

“Jennifer.” Ted motioned for her to step outside with him. Once he thought they were out of earshot, he crossed his arms and looked sternly at her. “Your window–the window we’ve had to replace twice now–is not a doggy door.”

“Well yeah, it’s a window!” Jenny joked. The cheesy smile she had did nothing to ease the seriousness on her dad’s face. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be letting boys in like that, but I swear, Gordon is the only guy who does it.”

“Yes, Jennifer. That is the problem. I watched that kid fall flat on his face trying to walk up the yard once. I’m amazed he hasn’t fallen out of the window already.” The fact that Jenny suddenly didn’t want to look him in the eye raised a number of questions, none of which he wanted answered at the moment. “Look kiddo, I trust you. I know you’re a pretty responsible kid. But you don’t need someone trying to Spider-Man his way up the wall when we have a perfectly fine door.”

“Do you think Spider-Man uses doors?” Yet again, Ted jumped about two feet into the air before noticing that Gordon was standing directly next to Jenny.

“Gordon, god dammit, GO HOME!”

—

Ever since Jenny left for college, there was an strange silence in the house. It was odd not having her laughter echoing down the hall or hearing her scamper off as she tried to hold some new cut closed. Ted missed it. He knew that his kids growing up meant that they would eventually go their own ways, but it was weird not having his baby girl around.

Sighing, Ted slipped out of bed, trying not to wake his sleeping wife. He couldn’t fall asleep with all the quiet. Maybe a midnight snack would do. Feeling the chill in the air, he shrugged his robe on and made his way downstairs.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, he noticed the dim glow of something in the kitchen. Great. The fridge door was broken again. Ted stretched as he made his way over, making a mental note to buy the new part. His list making was interrupted by his own very un-manly screech as he learned that the door was in fact not broken.

There was an awkward stare down between a completely stunned Ted and Gordon, who somehow had half a block of cheese in his mouth. Without saying anything, the latter slowly shut the fridge door and scuttled back into the darkness, leaving Ted to wonder if he had even actually seen the kid.

About five minutes later, Emma was startled awake by the bedroom door being swung open and her husband yelling, “WE HAVE TO MOVE.”