janet van dyne

[fashionfly]

lordofliars:

“Typically, yes,” he responded, his tone of voice rising on the last word. “So, as it turns out, most thing aren’t my problem.” Loki offhandedly wondered what Stark would think of Jan talking to him - in any way. In fact, he wondered what Stark would think of him being anywhere near the building itself. 

But, that wasn’t his problem, really.

He half-smiled at her accent. “You know, we learnt English through the plays of Shakespeare. Truly, you're not too far from the truth.” He slowly moved closer to her as she counted his “allies” off her hand. He smiled and looked at her before responding. “'Tis more people on my side than I’ve ever had at one time, truth be told.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter she was sitting at. “’That wife of mine’ is currently indisposed, so I will not be able to use her powers to my advantage. And she might be indisposed for quite some time.”

Jan let out a characteristic giggle at Loki’s words. She knew - perhaps better than most, though she didn’t pretend to actually know - he was bluffing, if only a little; he seemed to care a whole lot more than he let on. The man - or god, or whatever he was - had a family, he had a wife and kids and a brother he’d die for. Jan had met people who didn’t care - plenty of them - and Loki wasn’t one of them. 

“That must be a pretty good life,” she said through a sigh, playing along. “I wish I could sail through life without a care. It’d make thing a lot simpler.” Jan didn’t consider herself a big worrier as it was, but the concern she felt when her fellow team members disappeared in a battle or when Hank wouldn’t come out of the lab for days on end was nearly all-consuming.

Another giggle, this one a little louder. “Oh, my god! I can just imagine you guys as, like, teenagers - wait, were you guys ever teenagers? Anyway, you guys just… sitting in the Globe theatre, taking notes on a stone or something,” she said laughingly, knowing good and well that Asgardians didn’t use stones - in fact, the only reason the Aesir seemed to be confused on Earth was because the tech was so outdated.

Jan’s smile disappeared when Loki said his wife was indisposed, and she leaned forward to match his stance. “Huh?” She asked vaguely, her tone one of worry - so much for not being a worrier. “Is she okay? I mean, can we help somehow?”

[fashionfly]

lordofliars:

The newly arrived Loki gave her a classic, sly smile at her words. “Ah, I’m disappointed in you, Jan. I do so love scaring people.”

He shrugged. “I harbor no fear of him,” he stated simply in response to her. He knew the man disliked him, even though he knew nothing of the real story of the Battle of New York, as the humans liked to call it. “Regardless of his tragic hate for me.”

Jan rolled her eyes. “Something tells me it’d take a little bit more to disappoint you. ‘Cause, I mean, don’t you have to care to be disappointed?” She tried to hide her smirk but failed. She really hoped Tony didn’t see her “fraternizing” with the “enemy” like he always warned the team against. That’d be dramatic.

“Tragic indeed,” Jan replied, in her best Shakespearean accent. She gave the accent up as she continued, thinking it was probably offensive in some way. “Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t be scared either. You’ve got, what, all but two Avengers on your side? Or at least not against you. I mean, you’ve got your brother, obviously,” she said, ticking her fingers off as she counted. “You’ve got me, and Hank - probably by extension, but still. Bruce is hella fascinated by you and kinda defends you sometimes, so. Clint… Clint needs to work on a few things, but he’ll come ‘round - and then Nat will too, probs. Honestly though, if you keep bringin’ that wife of yours around, everyone’ll be on your side soon.”

[drhankpym]

call it what you want

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

The feeling of Jan’s fingers intertwining with his made him realize that this was right. It just felt natural, like nothing he’d ever felt before. He sat down across from her; it was easier to see her beauty from across the table than it would be sitting beside her. A huge grin graced his features at the sound of her laugh. God, it was beautiful. “No, that makes perfect sense,” Hank said, still smiling from her words. “I… I mean, I completely agree.”

Suddenly, Hank started to feel uneasy for some reason. Was he making a mistake? What if this didn’t work out? He’d lose the only friend who’d actually stuck with him for over six months, for the first time in his life.

Jan’s hands once again felt natural intertwining with his own, and he felt a strange sense of calm at her words. He took a deep breath, giving her a soft smile. “We’re good,” he repeated, nodding just slightly. “I know. I know we’ll be okay. This is right. This feels right.”

Even though Jan knew he’d agree, the sound of him confirming that this was right, that it was real and good and quite possibly forever… it made her appetite disappear, and suddenly she wished they weren’t in a public place anymore. She wanted to be alone with him, she wanted… she wanted to talk about everything for hours in front of the fireplace in her apartment, she wanted to fall asleep in his lap, drunk on hot cocoa and pizza. She wanted to wake up and have coffee and toast and hear about his science stuff, she wanted -

Jan wanted to spend her whole life as happy as she was in this moment, sitting across from Hank Pym in a dusty pizza place and wondering why she’d wasted so much time not staring into his eyes.

“Because it is,” she said confidently, never doubting herself for an instant - like usual. When a waiter came over, Jan quickly sent him off with a simple order of a pepperoni pizza and two cokes. “The pizzas are huge here, like, gigantic, so we could easily share one,” she assured Hank, realizing she hadn’t even given him a chance to order for himself. She knew him well enough to know he’d like what she ordered, but she worried (just this once) about if she was too straightforward.

She tilted her head a little, never once looking away from his eyes. “Can you believe we had our heads so far up our asses that it only took half a date for us to realize this is right?” She laughed, a high-pitched and boisterous giggle. It faded, however, when she realized something. “I mean, I guess my head and my ass, because… well, I mean, you’re the one who asked, so I guess…” Her eyebrows furrowed curiously. “Wait - how long have you been wanting to ask me out?”

[drhankpym]

call it what you want

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

Hank arrived at the pizza place within ten minutes. He was so excited about their date that when he’d gotten into his cab, he forgot to give the driver an address. Then, he almost forgot to pay. So far, so good.

He may have been staring at the huge menu that was mounted on the wall, but he wasn’t seeing a thing on it; he was getting nervous now. What if she didn’t show? What if she’d changed her mind? He looked at the time on his phone again. It had only been two minutes and forty-three seconds since he last checked. It’ll be alright. Calm down.

He jumped when he heard his name - the name, the one Jan had given him so long ago - and he turned towards the door. He opened his arms immediately upon seeing her, anticipating what was probably going to be the best hug of his life.

He wasn’t wrong.

He held her for just a few moments, wishing it never had to end. But, like all things do, it did. Hank let her fall back to the ground, putting his hands into his pockets out of nerves. “We are, we are,” he said, repeating it to himself as if that would make it more true. “I know!” He said it quietly, a direct contrast to her boisterous tones. “I know, it’s kinda crazy, isn’t it?”

Jan hugged people a lot. Old friends, new friends, people she met while at shows or galas - she thought it was an excellent ice-breaker, and let people know that she was unthreatening and willing to continue a friendship of some sort.

But this hug with Hank in a shabby pizza place behind a back alley made Jan’s mind explode in fireworks in her skull. Sure, they’d hugged before; loads of times! They’d known each other for practically ever. But this… oh, this was different. It was like opening a window in a dusty room and letting sunlight bathe all the parts that had stayed hidden from the world for far too long.

With the reluctance of only any person in love (the hug had proved that the L word was definitely needed, and it came as no surprise) could muster, Jan slid to the ground, beaming. Hank’s hands, delving into his pockets in his usual nervous tick, caught her eye and she immediately pulled on his arms to get to his hands, intertwining their fingers and pulling him towards an empty table.

“I mean…” Jan started, once they had sat down. She broke out into a small laughing fit after a minute, eyes twinkling in the dimly lit restaurant. “Not really, right? It’s kinda… it feels kinda normal, like it’s not the first time its happened or something? But it also feels really new and exciting and I really, really like it, and - god, I’m not making any sense, am I?”

But she didn’t stop smiling for the few moments that she stayed quiet; when she spoke again, she was quieter and calmer, but still somehow managing to sound chirpy. “This is good,” she said, reaching across the table for Hank’s hand in a sudden - but hidden - fear that perhaps he’d start freaking out a little, since he’d been the one to start all of this. “This is good, Hank. We’re good. Thanks for breaking us out of… I dunno. Let’s call it our… stalemate.”

[fashionfly]

The strange sounding poof resonated behind her, somewhere in the kitchen, but Jan didn’t budge. The coffee in her hand swirled a little from the disturbance in the atmosphere, but other than that - nothing really changed.

“You really gotta stop doing that, you know,” she said, turning to face the God of Mischief with a small smile curving around her mug. “Someone might actually get scared one day. Besides, Tony already wants to kill you - and he has anxiety. Not really the best concoction.”

[drhankpym]

call it what you want

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

She actually said yes! He wanted to pinch himself from the sheer joy of it all. How could a guy like him get a girl like her? He had no idea, but he wasn’t complaining, that’s for certain. “Pizza sounds good to me,” Hank said, hardly even giving it a second thought. Anywhere would have been fine with him in that moment; right now, all he could care about was the sound of Jan’s beaming smile on the other end of the line. “Yeah, deep dish. Sounds delicious!”

His heart fluttered when he heard her - what was she doing, getting into a taxi? Oh my god, was she leaving preparations for the show early for him? He held the phone tighter then, as if that would bring her closer. “I can’t wait to see you, either, Janet.” There would be no more hiding, no more secrets. They could finally be together, once and for all. And he prayed it would never end. “I’ll head straight over there now!”

“Okay, cool! I’m so excited!” Jan was all but squealing, and it led the designer to wonder why they hadn’t done this long before now. The man on the other end of the line was the most amazing man she’d ever known (and her father wouldn’t be offended because he would agree with her), and she loved him fiercely - and apparently, maybe, hopefully she wasn't the only one feeling that way.

But of course she wasn’t! Hank had asked her, not the other way around - and that hadn’t happened because Jan had been too terrified to lose the only true, meaningful relationship she’d ever had, platonic or not. Hank was her best friend, her favorite person, her... her soulmate. Oh my god, he was her soulmate! Oh, the cab definitely wasn’t going fast enough.

Even the dreaded full name, Janet, didn’t throw her off of her happy high horse. Oh, no - she wasn’t getting off that ride for a while. “I’ll text you the address and meet you there! Bye!”

Reluctantly, Jan hung up the phone and decided to tell the taxi to take as many risks and shortcuts as he could, and that she would be all too willing to pay for his troubles. And even though he laughed it off at first, Jan noticed a distinct rise in MPH after the driver caught a glance at her LV bag.

It wasn’t ten minutes later that Jan was at the pizza place, clad in tailored skinny jeans and a tight white crop top. Red-bottomed black heels clicked on the dirty sidewalk as she entered the little place, and she nearly screamed when she saw him.

“Hank!” She let her bag handles fall into the bend of her elbow so that she could more easily throw her arms around him, despite the drastic height difference. Her stilettos left the ground as she jumped on him gleefully. “Oh, my god. Oh my god! Are we actually doing this? We’re actually doing this!”

[drhankpym]

call it what you want

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

Relief clouded his thoughts. He finally let out the breath he was holding, a smile spreading across his features. “Great,” he started, his voice light-hearted. “That’s great.” Her excitement surprised Hank; he certainly hadn’t expected her to be so enthusiastic. Not that he was complaining, of course. She was an amazing woman - she always had been - and he really had expected a friendship-shattering rejection.

But that’s not what happened, and he was ecstatic.

“Yeah!” He said quickly, barely even letting her get the words out. “Yeah, that sounds good! So, where did you want to go? There’s that new place down by Steve’s apartment, or -Oh! There’s that other…” he trailed off, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to stop rambling. He smiled again, calmer, gentler this time. “Wherever you want, I’d be thrilled with.”

Jan was all but bouncing, all stresses about the show completely gone. Everything would be alright, because she was going on a date with Hank! It was as if her teenage (and adult) dream had come true, and a few people around her who were working on the show were starting to eye how that was affecting her.

But Jan didn’t care. Let them look! Let them wonder why she was al but skipping outside to catch a cab, or why she was beaming ear-to-ear.

“Next to Steve... oh, the tai place? It’s supposed to be really good, but I’m kinda in the mood for... pizza? I know a guy who owns a place down on 32nd and he does the best deep dish in town.” She climbed into the taxi, telling the cab driver where to go and tipping ahead of time. “Sound good?” She paused, letting the fact that she was going on a date with her best friend, the love of her life, sink in. “Oh my god, Hank, I... I can’t wait to see you.”

[drhankpym]

call it what you want

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

Hank put down the phone for the nineteenth time. You have to do it, he told himself, over and over, for the past hour and a half. If you don’t do it, someone else will. 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “What’s the worse that could happen, really?” He whispered, asking himself the question aloud. Lots and lots of bad stuff could happen, that’s what. 

Shut up.

He picked up the phone, deleting the text message he’d written - and rewritten - over and over since he sat down. He decided; he was going to call her and get it over with. He clicked her name, and waited until he heard her pick up on the other end. He knew she was busy; she was getting her designs ready for a fashion show that, thankfully, he wasn’t modeling in this time.

“Hey, Janet… I, um, I have a quick question to ask you and, I mean, I’m sorry, I know you’re busy and all, but I have to know if… If you ever…” he took a deep breath, letting the rest of the sentence come out as one big, jumbled word: “If you ever wanted to go on a date with me sometime? Like an actual… like a real, actual date.”

Jan thought of ignoring the call that kept ringing off the hook in her bag. Designers and bookers begging to be a part of her show, probably --- they always wanted in last minute, thinking she didn’t have enough models or designers to fill the show up. In reality, she nearly had too many.

Apparently, everyone wanted to be in an heiress’ fashion show, where who knows how many talent agencies would pay to be in the front row. Models were the fun part, in Jan’s opinion; they were her canvas, after all, and seeing her designs on them made her feel like more than just a murdered scientists’ daughter for once.

But the picture on her phone --- a rather graceful image of her face mixed with Hank’s, thanks to snapchat --- had her fumbling for her phone (which had no protector, naturally) and answering as fast as she could.

“Hank!”

her voice was high-pitched and squeaky, her joy evident in her tone. She was about to start talking --- as was her custom, and he was such a good listener --- but his words made her freeze. Normally when she was asked out by someone she... liked, she would hang up and go to them, in order to properly portray her... well, whatever she felt about it.

But she couldn’t do that.

The tone of his voice told her as much, as clear as day. Hanging up would definitely be seen as a rejection to something Hank had obviously been thinking about for quite some time --- that was clear as day, too. And so she stayed quiet for a minute, but he could probably audibly hear her smile through the phone.

“Yes,” she said, with a confident oomph. “Yes, of course! When and where? Oh! We could go to lunch before the show and then go to the show together!”

[fashionfly]

drhankpym:

Hank walked into the fancy, roomy elevator, following what appeared to be a small group of people who clearly made more money than he did at his (I’m-just-trying-to-survive-college) job. He waited for them to press the buttons – no, not buttons. Touch screens. Elevator touch screens that took rich people to their floors, because, apparently, there were people who could afford to live in this building, a fact he hadn’t been sure about since the receptionist referred to the lobby as a “parlor.” He pressed the screen that read “Penthouse,” hoping his new elevator friends didn’t notice just how out of place he really was.

He wasn’t really there of his own volition, of course; he didn’t often go places he had no business being in just for the hell of it. Vernon van Dyne had asked him to pick up some research papers that he’d left at his home, and since he’d been called to an unexpected meeting, he couldn’t go back and get them himself. Hank had jumped excitedly at the opportunity to do anything - literally, anything - and practically flew out from behind the counter at Abercrombie. Naturally, he didn’t tell his manager he was leaving. How could he be expected to warn people about things when he himself didn’t even know they were going to happen?

Vernon had promised his daughter would be there to let him in, and that she’d know where the papers were. Walking down the hallway, it was somewhat comforting to him to know that he had, in fact, met her once before – if he was lucky, she’d recognize him and actually be able to help him.

Hank stopped at the door, raising his fist to knock, when he froze, suddenly growing suspicious. An unexpected thought had come to him: What if he was at the wrong door? Or even the wrong building? What if -

No, he told himself; no, it can’t be. This is what he said on the phone. Don’t do this. It’s the right place. It’s literally the right place.

Now wasn’t the time - Do what you said you’d do. It’s fine. It’s fine.

He suddenly realized he still hadn’t knocked, jumping slightly at the jarring feeling of being thrown back into reality. “Janet,” he called loudly, noticing for the first time the music wafting out from the apartment. How had he not noticed the music? “It’s Henry. I work for your dad at the University. He sent me to get some papers.”

Even though she had an exuberant social life, Janet van Dyne had very few actual friends. Her father made sure that his 18-year-old daughter was well taken care of, but he also intended for her to be in the family business; so, training for it was one of his priorities for her, which left little time to make good, lasting friendships. She wasn’t bitter about it, though; she knew she’d find someone eventually, but she was not a very patient person.

Her father, ever the planner, had told her to stay home one morning, because he would be back soon and he could take her to lunch. Having already graduated, she couldn’t cure her boredom with the usual pile of homework, and she wasn’t in any college classes, either. And so she lounged around the house, blasting music her father wouldn’t approve of and wearing her ballerina leotard with a loose, cropped shirt over it as she stretched her cooped muscles.

Her dance-and-stretch routine was interrupted with someone at the door, and she quickly used the stereo’s remote to turn off the music and rushed to the door. She hadn’t heard any of what the person had said, so she opened the door completely blind to who it was.

Jan’s face lit up like fireworks when she saw Henry - or Hank, as she much preferred. Someone that cute couldn’t be a Henry. She bounced a little the sight of him, and with a beaming smile, she opened the door for him to enter. She didn’t even think about her revealing attire, or the fact that she was a little out of breath; all she cared about was getting him inside before he convinced himself to leave like he usually did when her father left them alone - which was a lot, considering her father had no idea about her feelings for Hank.

“Hank! C’mon,” she said, pulling him in by the wrist and walking backwards until they were both fully in the penthouse. “What were you saying? I couldn’t hear you. Something about... papers? I dunno. Hey, d’you want some lemonade or something?”

[hotpotts]

Pepper nodded at the answer, crossing her arms in both concern and thought. “This morning. We can work with that.” She checked her own phone when Jan did, just in case anyone had texted her about it – which they often did, when something was wrong. Disappointment covered her features at the sight of her lock screen, if only for just a second. She wanted to help her, to ease her fear somehow – but she didn’t even know where to start.

“If he was in danger he would’ve told someone,” Pepper said reassuringly, keeping her voice level and calm. “And he usually doesn’t go off on his own. His phone’s probably dead, or maybe he just can’t hear it.” She could hear how forced her words sounded, and how predictable the excuses were. She wanted to sound confident enough to put Jan at ease, but, in reality, Pepper had no idea where he could be. The one person who did was standing in front of her, verging on a panic attack. “What? Oh, no, you’re not going alone,” she responded in her best matter-of-fact tone, knowing how impulsive Jan could become when she was alone. “I’m coming with you.”

[fashionfly]

Jan was caught between two parts of her life that she usually kept very separate. On one side, Hank’s more personal battles that she helped him fight daily were on the line of being exposed to everyone, which was something Hank and herself had always tried to keep from happening -- if only to keep everyone from treating him like a piece of glass. His bipolar disorder had been diagnosed, but no one but the two of them officially knew about it, although Jan was fairly certain a few of the Avengers already had a clue. Hank had seemed to want to keep it a secret, knowing it would be blown from proportion. But a few weeks after he had started spiraling, and started to refuse any medication that the doctor had prescribed. Jan had thought it was temporary; his episodes always were. But now he was gone, and guilt wrapped around her throat like a strong hand.

“You don’t know him like I do,” Jan pleaded, trying not to sound too desperate. A few party goers had glanced in their direction as her voice raised, and she forced herself into a whisper. “Hank...” She paused, struggling to find the right words. And then, imagining him alone and maybe in trouble, Jan came to a conclusion: she had to tell Pepper everything. Which, she knew, Pepper had probably already assumed. “Pepper, listen to me,” she started quietly, gently taking Pepper’s elbow and pulling her to the empty balcony that overlooked the backyard, where she could distantly see Amy in the pool in a very small bikini, and Steve, sitting at the nearby juice bar, failing to pretend he wasn’t looking. “About a month ago Hank was diagnosed with BPD. He was taking meds and doing better, but then he stopped taking them and he started spiraling and I... I didn’t know what to do, so I thought I’d let him have some space but...” Her hand went to her forehead in panic, her voice getting higher with each word. “Now he’s gone and probably alone, and he probably isn’t thinking straight, and it’s all my fault, and I don’t even know where to start looking...”

[dailywatson]

Emma Watson speaks at the launch of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 University Parity Report at The United Nations on September 20, 2016 in New York City.

[hotpotts]

Pepper let out a sigh of relief as she looked around the elegantly decorated room, a small smile appearing on her features as her anxiety about the party finally subsided. She was thrilled when Jan asked her to plan the party; not only was she beyond experienced in gala-planning, but she actually enjoyed it. And, even though she’d been worried about the details - flower types, the theme of the food, even speaker placement - it seemed everything was going well. And, most importantly, Jan was happy, which is what had been eating at her the most out of everything. 

She was discussing one of Hank’s achievements with a guest when she felt someone - Jan - tug at her elbow, pulling her away from the conversation.

“I haven’t,” Pepper responded, her voice low with concern. It wasn’t usual for Jan to be nervous about, well, anything - especially considering her socialite upbringing - and Pepper’s feelings of anxiety returned with full fervor. She reached out to touch Jan’s elbow comfortingly. “If you really think you should, then you should,” she said, recalling the days of worrying about Tony whenever he went missing after a night of drinking. If there was one thing she learned from those ordeals, it was this: always follow your instincts. “When was the last time you talked to him?”

[fashionfly]

Jan bit her lip, racking her brain for the moment she lastspoke to Hank. The thing was, when you spend so much time with someone, all theconversations and things that you said run together, and she was struggling toremember correctly. But then it hit her. It had been that morning, when she gotup. He had been hunched over his desk in his study, scribbling madly on a usedpiece of paper that had obviously been crumpled and straightened back out. Hehad turned down any breakfast, and any attempt on her part to loosen hisshoulders or get him to smile had gone to the dust. Jan hadn’t thought a lotabout it, knowing his downward spirals usually turned back around in a fewhours, and the party didn’t start until that night. But now, with Hank nowherein sight, she couldn’t help but wonder if she should have done something more.

“This morning,” she finally answered, her voice betrayingher inward anxiety. “It was this morning. He was working, and he seemed… down.But he’s like that in the mornings a lot, and I didn’t think…” She trailed off,pulling her phone from her clutch and checking for any sign of Hank. When thescreen popped up blank, she looked back to Pepper.

“What if… he’s in danger? What if he’s gone and done something stupid by himself? I have to find him.”

[fashionfly]

The party - since Jan’s request to call it a ball had been shut down - was turning out to be spectacular. From the decorations to the finger foods being passed around by exquisitely dressed waiters, it was exactly what Jan had wanted it to be, and it was a perfect representation of Hank’s work - which was was it fundraising. The money wasn’t why she had asked Pepper to plan the event, though, and the main reason was what had her struggling to schmooze.

It was three days before Hank’s birthday, and the event was supposed to partly be a surprise party for him. But it had been almost two hours since the guests started arriving, and he still wasn’t there. She had already cancelled the birthday aspect of the party, thinking the big “Happy Birthday!” cake would be ill-fitting food for a fundraiser, but now she just wondered where he was. She didn’t know if she was worried about him, angry with him, or some stressful mixture of both.

She smiled her way through the thick, laughing crowds in her search for Pepper. When she found her, she smiled and said something witty to the man she was talking to and gently pulled her away by the elbow.

“Have you seen Hank?” She asked, knowing full well no one had. She glanced around, uncharacteristically worried. “I tried calling him, but it goes to voicemail. He wouldn’t just... not come, y’know?” She crossed her arms. “Should I go look for him? I mean, do you think it’s okay to leave the party?”

[watsonlove]