the fight needed to be fought

James Rhodes fc: charles michael davis Jane Rhodes fc: gabrielle union fc: vanessa morgan indie roleplay | 21+ written by grim

[rhodestoruin]

≛ main ≛ bio ≛ face ≛ muse ≛ starters ≛ wishlist ≛

about:

This is a sideblog, and I follow back from my main @grimmusings. Please direct IMs there, since it's easier for me to keep all my messages on one blog. It's also easier to start interactions with me there, where I regularly post open starters and meme prompts. For a full list of rules, see my main. Honesty hour questions will largely be answered IC and treated as anonymous unless signed by a muse.

Rhodey is a mix of Earth-616, MCU, and headcanons, all of them meshed them together for Earth-3490. All details vary based on verse, and I'm happy to write him into AUs and fandom crossovers. His characterization is heavily inspired by The Components of Construction. All post-CW threads in an MCU timeline are written with the faceclaim Gabrielle Union. I do not acknowledge any of the D+ shows in my verses.

wanted connections:

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I can roll with most muses as far as basic interactions. I'm happy to ship Rhodey with other Marvel characters and OCs/fandom crossovers based on chemistry, but unless they're on my OTP list, they need plotting and interaction first. There is never any pressure to ship with me, even if they're on my list.

OTPs: Carol Danvers, Clint Barton, Tony/Natasha Stark Possible Ships: most Avengers NOTPs: n/a Family: Safe to say he'd love to be the Cool Uncle to all of Tony's various canon and AU children, but given the age difference, this is probably not the Rhodey they grew up with. Other: TONY TONY TONY. Whether it's bros, romance, or platonic soulmates, I'd love all the Tony connections.

default verses:

616: A mix of comics and headcanons where Rhodey and Clint Barton were dating pre-Civil War and chose opposite sides, ending the relationship. As this is not an MCU verse and Vision was not involved, Rhodey wasn't seriously injured.

3490: A blip universe in the comics where Steve Rogers and Natasha Stark are married, and the Avengers' Civil War never happens. I'm most comfortable writing this version of him, so feel free to have your muse playing tourist in his dimension or vice versa, especially if the age is off.

multiverse!madness: Various comics universes collide, whether Marvel/DC/etc. have always existed on the same Earth, or other-dimension shenanigans are at work. Duplicate friendly!

verses by request only:

I'm happy to write these, but since they're more specific AUs, I don't default on them for asks/memes. Please feel free to request them.

alt!3490: A blip universe in the comics where Stephanie Rogers and Natasha Stark are married, and the Avengers' Civil War never happens. (fem!rhodey / fc: vanessa morgan)

alt!postblip: An MCU timeline where Steve Rogers stays in the present timeline, Tony Stark doesn't die, and the snap brings back Natasha Romanoff. Jane Rhodes was paralyzed from the waist down in the Avengers' Civil War and uses Stark tech leg braces to walk. She identifies as homosexual and only ships with female muses. (fem!rhodey / fc: Gabrielle Union)

college!verse: A modern/realistic AU where Rhodey is an engineering and ROTC student at MIT.

[rhodestoruin]

[ mirror ] our muses have sex in front of a mirror

@mxrvelouscreations

He had Tony on his lap, legs spread so they could both watch his cock pumping in and out of him in the standing mirror. It was hot as hell and taking all his restraint to keep that smooth, steady pace going, to draw this out as long as they both could stand it. A hand snaked around his chest to grip his jaw, turning his gaze back to the mirror and the two of them together, voice like silk in his ear. It wasn't Colonel Rhodes barking orders, but there was still authority in it. "Keep your eyes open, gorgeous. I want you to see how good you are for me." He hummed in approval, teeth nipping lightly at the corner of his jaw. "Look at you. Take me so well."

[rhodestoruin]

[ REUNITE ]: sender returns to the receiver's house after having been away for a while, intending to reunite with them.

@mxrvelouscreations

It was all over the news that Tony Stark had been found. Rhodey had spoken to him on the phone, even offered to come to him, but Tony would always do things Tony's way, and Rhodey had always been good at picking his battles when it came to them. Besides, there would be way less press around Rhodey's modest New York apartment than at Tony's place.

Nervous energy had him pacing around the place. It wasn’t a mess, but it wasn’t as tidy as it usually was, a product of how worried he’d been and how much that worry had thrown him off his game. He threw the door open at the camera alert, gaze raking over him. He looked like hell, and also like the best thing he'd ever seen. "Asshole. Don't ever do that to me again." His hands were more gentle than usual when he hauled him closer, worried about Tony's thinness and any injuries he couldn’t see, but he still kissed him fiercely.

[mcufam]

IRON MAN 3 2013, dir. Shane Black

[rhodestoruin]

That… was a benefit of James's gift that Rhodey had, admittedly, never considered, but perhaps that wasn't surprising. As a general rule, he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about sleeping with his coworkers. He wasn't thinking about his power at the moment either, his finer thinking having pleasantly turned off when they started kissing. There was no reason to make it complicated.

He pulled his shirt over his head, his hands stalling at his belt while he got distracted watching James strip. He was always beautiful, but it hit devastating levels without his clothes on, all those lines of carved muscle on display. He chuckled quietly when he came to help him, quickly stripping out of the rest of his clothes. "Sorry. Enjoying the view," he murmured, pulling him close again, mouth meeting his in another searing kiss, hands sliding over bared skin.

[rhodestoruin]

"Glad to know it's appreciated." Teeth flashed white with his smile. Rhodey didn't work that hard on his body purely for the sake of aesthetics. He worked because his jobs--with the military and with the Avengers--required him to be in peak physical condition. That extra set at the gym might literally be the difference between life and death for him, and when he was competing against gods and super soldiers, he couldn't afford to slack off. But the aesthetics were a nice perk at times like this.

He met those kisses with equal passion, glad for a place to channel that pent up energy. This was what he'd needed, a more pleasant focus for the next few hours than the piles of paperwork waiting for them. He groaned at the friction of James's body against his, head tipping back as his mouth wandered lower. A hand slid into his hair, grip tight but not controlling, and he walked him backward toward the bed.

[rhodestoruin]

"It's honorary. Your rank doesn't disappear. But Barnes it is." His smile was swift and understanding. If she preferred not to be reminded of her time in the military, that was her prerogative. Rhodey's family had a long history in the armed forces. He was always going to join the Air Force. His life wouldn't even make sense with it. But he understood it wasn't the same for her, or for anyone who'd been drafted. He couldn't fix that, but at the very least, he could call her by her preferred name.

He pulled some of last night's leftovers out of the fridge for a breakfast scramble and flicked the coffee pot on out of habit. Clint and Toni could each drink an entire pot by themselves (in Clint's case, straight from the carafe if no one was there to remind him he wasn't an animal), and it was Rhodey's default setting to look after both of them. He only made it back home to Philadelphia around once a year these days; for the other fifty-one weeks of the year, the Avengers were his family.

"I got an early start with Clint testing out some equipment. His new exploding arrows pack a punch, even with the suit on." His smile shifted into the easy fondness it got when he spoke about him. When the aroma of eggs and cheese filled the air, his breakfast sizzling cheerfully while it cooked, he turned and leaned against the counter next to the stove, facing her. "You good?" There was nothing overtly concerned in his expression, and he sensed she wouldn't welcome that for him--or perhaps he was simply used to dealing with Toni's moods, which had to be snuck upon like a skittish horse or else they bolted for the hills. He wouldn't press her if she dismissed it, but at the least, he had to ask.

[murder-popsicle]

"Barnes is fine," Bucky said. "Or Bucky, if you want. Whichever's easier for you." She'd been called both for long enough that she no longer had a preference either way. In fact, the only name of hers that she had strong feelings about was her given name, Jane, which these days was mostly reserved for Natasha.

Sipping at her can of Cel-Ray -- hard to find in grocery stores in this day and age, but still available at Katz's on East Houston Street, and thank God for that -- Bucky watched idly as Rhodey puttered back and forth between the fridge and the stove. When he mentioned Barton's exploding arrows, she couldn't suppress a smile; Barton seemed to have trick arrows coming out his ears, and according to Steve, all of them had come in useful in various fights. Even with his armor on, Rhodey had clearly sustained some bumps and bruises; Bucky could see a handful of minor burns on each arm.

His question was met with a noncommittal shrug. "Chuggin' along," she said. "Had the urge to cook somethin' and decided I'd make pirozhki. They’re these little Russian meat buns. I thought some comfort food might cheer Natasha up. She’s been kinda moody lately, and I wanna help her feel better. She’s always tryin’ to do so much at once, y'know?"

After all, Bucky loved Natasha, though she wasn't sure whether or not Rhodey was aware of that; she certainly hadn't mentioned it, but Natasha might have. She’d fallen for Natasha decades ago, during their time together in the Red Room, and when they’d met again after Bucky’s escape from HYDRA, those feelings had come flooding back for both of them. Having Natasha beside her again felt like a blessing from Heaven, one that Bucky wasn’t entirely certain she deserved.

“I’m makin’ enough for everybody to have a few,” she continued. “If you’re interested, I mean. They won’t be ready till dinner, but you’re welcome to try ‘em.”

[rhodestoruin]

"Bucky." He gave a single nod. He hadn't been sure they knew each other well enough for him to call her by her first name. They weren't really friends so much as they had mutual friends, but he thought with time that could change. He'd probably move back and forth between the two. Hands gripped the edge of the counter, and he pulled himself up to perch on the edge next to the stove, where he could keep an eye on his breakfast and stir it occasionally. "Rhodey works for me. Toni's had everyone calling me that from the beginning. But if you really want to be extra, I answer to James too."

He was hesitant to assign arbitrary gender roles, but if the team had mother and father figures, they were clearly Natasha and Steve, the latter their fearless leader and moral compass, but it was Natasha who was more likely to manage the details of a team of superheroes living and working together--and Pepper, god bless her. He sometimes thought the tower might literally crumble without Pepper's unflagging organization and attention to detail keeping it standing, and he was sure it was true of Stark Ind. He'd seen Toni try to function without her, and it wasn't pretty.

"She takes on a lot. I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Rhodey would have to be far less observant than he was not to notice that Bucky and Natasha loved each other. Some things didn't need to be said. Even without Clint's elbow digging into his ribs to make him look every time they did something even remotely soft in front of the others, he could see it on them. Maybe not at first, but over time it was undeniable, a lot like watching Steve and Toni pining for each other in the beginning but quicker, quieter, and not as ridiculous.

"Sounds nice. You learn to make those as a kid?" He leaned over the stove to stir his breakfast, noting it only needed another minute or two. He could make more elaborate meals but didn't often bother. Rhodey was a simple man at heart, and he was content to live on takeout and leftovers, especially in a place like New York City, where pretty much any food he could think of was only a subway ride away.

[ironman-tonystark]

A Valentine's Poem for Rhodey Roses are Red You are quite a fox But please change your password From WARMACINEROX

[havanasliu]

im screaming

[ironifiicd]

[ tie ] sender helps receiver with their tie, either by putting it on or adjusting it (Rhodey @rhodestoruin)

@rhodestoruin

Tony wasn't used to the fussing over his appearance, at least not from others. The last time someone had tried to fix how he looked was his mother before a piano recital, smoothing back is unruly locks and wiping the grease smudge from his face left over from the motor bike he'd been fixing.

Even as an adult it seems his look isn't up to code as Rhodey quickly strides over and stops the mechanic in front of the tall standing mirror and begins fixing his tie, tugging at the knot and readjusting it as the Iron Man shoves his hands in his pockets as he tries to stand still and failing miserably as Tony then starts to rock on the back of his heels. "Is it finally up to your incredibly high standards, Rhodes?" Though the inventor likes to tease him he understands that there is a comfort in having someone care enough to look out for him, he doesn't dare say it out loud but there is a warmth and familiarity in the gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by him.

[rhodestoruin]

"I just don't want to hear you whining about your pictures later." Rhodey narrowly avoided rolling his eyes as he finished adjusting his tie and stepped back. Although his default setting was to take care of Tony Stark, he didn't usually make a fuss until things were critical. He could only chalk it up to nerves, which he tended to show with an uptick in that military precision. He found the structures soothing when he was anxious, and he'd been shouted at by enough drill sergeants about crooked ties or unbuffed shoes to notice when something was off.

Though he'd never suffered stage fright, it was maybe the largest event he'd ever attended, and he was going not just as a representative of the U.S. Air Force but as War Machine, a role he was far less accustomed to in public. He gave them both a final once-over in the mirror, raising an eyebrow as he met Tony's eyes. "Do I say 'knock 'em dead' or 'don't do anything stupid?'"

[rhodestoruin]

Rhodey had a habit of collecting chaos people, while being the opposite himself. He was reliable, steadfast, loyal, mostly predictable once you understood what he valued. But he wasn't rigid. He liked surprises, was good at rolling with the punches even when the punches kept coming. He couldn't be best friends with someone like Tony if a part of him didn't enjoy the discord he brought to his life or the adrenaline rush of War Machine. It just wasn't as obvious at a glance, nor a part of himself he was interested in sharing with everyone.

He didn't have James's gift for sensing energy, at least not literally, but it was obvious enough that they were both pent up and looking to let off steam. James was a good kisser, good enough it made him wonder what else he was good at. He threaded a finger through his belt loop and tugged him toward one of the bedrooms, moving backward toward the door without breaking the kiss. He wasn't incapable of flirting, but he wouldn't have appreciated games or had much tolerance for them for long. This was simpler.

[rhodestoruin]

That… was a benefit of James's gift that Rhodey had, admittedly, never considered, but perhaps that wasn't surprising. As a general rule, he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about sleeping with his coworkers. He wasn't thinking about his power at the moment either, his finer thinking having pleasantly turned off when they started kissing. There was no reason to make it complicated.

He pulled his shirt over his head, his hands stalling at his belt while he got distracted watching James strip. He was always beautiful, but it hit devastating levels without his clothes on, all those lines of carved muscle on display. He chuckled quietly when he came to help him, quickly stripping out of the rest of his clothes. "Sorry. Enjoying the view," he murmured, pulling him close again, mouth meeting his in another searing kiss, hands sliding over bared skin.

[rhodestoruin]

He was familiar with the signs of Tony downplaying his pain, a small furrow between his brows, but he wasn't ready to call him on it yet. It wasn't his style. He preferred to leave him room to come to that conclusion on his own. It was only at his most self-destructive that Rhodey would finally step in and try to bully him into taking care of himself. "So was Michael Jackson, but I don't think we should be modeling our behavior after him," he said dryly.

If anyone could stare right past the dizzying display of showmanship that was Tony Stark, it was Rhodey. He might have been fooled by it once--hard to remember that far back--but if so, that time had long passed. He was bullshit-resistant, but tolerant of it to a point. It was hard to imagine how they would have worked any other way.

"Had that thing written for years. I update it from time to time with your newest accomplishments." The corner of his mouth cracked into a smile, but it was worn around the edges. Deep down, Tony's death was nothing to joke about, and he'd frightened him. Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, whatever he said about retirement. He gave his hand a light squeeze, not pulling it away. "I can stay. You need anything? Water? Pain meds? Sexy nurse?"

[sioraiocht-deactivated20250417]

Tony's lips split into a smile, an expression that was more genuine that the one he put on for the rest of the masses. It was easier to be himself around Rhodey. Sometimes he took that for granted. "Oh yeah? Can I read it? I might have some pointers - I want to make sure you capture my essence just right." A faint laugh rose in his chest. It wasn't that Tony wanted to die. It was more that he was of the opinion that out of all of them, he'd be missed the least. The world would move on without him. But the rest of them - They had family, relationships. Tony felt that they had more reason to stay. So, it made him a bit reckless when it came to volunteering to put himself into dangerous situations. However, as he looked at Rhodey, he couldn't help but feel a gnaw of guilt in his gut at his expression. Being friends with Tony Stark wasn't easy and Tony didn't appreciate that enough.

It was hard for him to say anything meaningful so instead he just lay there, squeezing Rhodey's hand and hoping that it was enough to convey all the unspoken words that were rattling around his head. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he grinned. "And here I thought you were the sexy nurse." He teased with a smile. "I wouldn't say no to some pain meds, I can feel my chest starting to hurt again." For the first time, Tony didn't think he even wanted to look at his body. He could feel the pain, didn't even want to think about what the bruising and scarring would look like. "I suppose if I asked you to bring me some prototypes to work on, you'd probably say no? Because there was a watch on my workbench that I was in the middle of fixing up." It was, in fact, a watch for Rhodey. All kitted out with an off-shoot of FRIDAY to make his life easier. However, it still needed a little bit of work and his hands were itching to get at it. Maybe retirement wasn't the best idea.

[rhodestoruin]

If anyone could tell the difference between Tony's showman's smile and his real one, it was Rhodey, and he always valued the real one more. Not everyone got to see the truer version of him, and he treated it like the privilege that it was. "Dunno, might be better if it's a surprise. I was kinda counting on you to come back from the dead in an outrage to set the record straight." He smiled weakly, his heart aching. It was all well and good to joke about dying--gallows humor was a tried and true part of anyone who worked closely with death, and Rhodey was a career soldier; he'd long ago stared an early death in the face and accepted it--but it hit differently with Tony lying banged up in a hospital bed. He was dead wrong about not being missed. If one of the two of them was expendable, it was Rhodey, a terminal bachelor with no real plans of ever settling down. His life was the Air Force, War Machine, and Tony Stark.

"I am sexy, but I'm not taking off my shirt. You're not that hurt," he scoffed, a warm chuckle breaking through. Tony always had that effect on him. Even when the circumstances were dire and they both felt like shit, he could still make him laugh. "It's this one here." He leaned to point out the button that controlled his pain meds with his free hand, the other still linked with Tony's. It was on a timer so he couldn't overdose, but Rhodey guessed they were well past the time limit. "I'll see what I can smuggle in. I don't want to come back to find this place on fire. Just don't overdo it, man. You need to rest and heal." He only agreed because he knew how Tony's mind worked, how his own mind worked. It would eat itself alive without something to do, and a bored Tony was far more dangerous than the one who overworked. "What have you been working on?"

[rhodestoruin]

Managing a tower full of wildly different personalities was always going to be a challenge, with or without the former Winter Soldier joining their ranks. Though he'd never said as much, Rhodey preferred to have her there. Steve was better when she was around, and Toni was better when Steve was good, and his life was much easier when Toni was happy. It was an adjustment for everyone, but he thought it was a good one, and when it got to be too much, everyone had their own floors to retreat to.

He'd spent enough time around Natasha to recognize when something was up with her, but they weren't close enough for him to get involved without being asked. The only person in the tower he didn't trust to handle their own shit was Toni, and Rhodey still gave her a lot of room to work things out on her own before he barged into her lab and carried her out for a warm meal and a decent night's sleep. Sometimes Steve beat him to it these days.

He returned the nod, on his way to poke around the fridge for a late lunch. He typically spent the mornings in the gym or training, and it ran a little long today. He and Clint may have gotten distracted playing target practice with his new explosive arrows. Rhodey may have been the target. There were a couple of minor burns on his arms where an old suit had finally had enough of their shit. He always looked like the responsible one until he didn't. "Good to see you, Sarge. Not too shabby. How are you doing?"

[murder-popsicle]

"Not a sergeant anymore," Bucky said, her tone light. "I been discharged, me." And hadn't that been a relief; Bucky had had enough of being in the army a long time ago. These days she took orders from Steve and no one else, and as Steve only ever gave orders that were necessary, that suited Bucky just fine.

Would Rhodey have noticed Natasha's bad mood? Bucky didn’t know. She knew that Nat trusted everyone in the Tower, just like Steve trusted them, but she didn’t know how well Rhodey could read the Black Widow. Natasha was good at hiding her emotions, and Bucky had only seen it because she knew Natasha as well as she knew herself most days. They had a history together, and she could read Natasha’s moods the same way she could read the alphabet.

She kneaded the last of the flour into the dough and then covered the bowl with a towel before putting it aside. The dough needed to rise for at least an hour before she could actually start forming the dumplings. Then she walked over to the sink to wash the dough from her hands, taking advantage of the nail brush in the drawer to scrub the finger joints of her prosthesis, which had collected a buildup of flour and stray dough. That was one disadvantage to the thing. Sure, she could hold hot objects and punch through walls, but the joints of her flesh-and-blood hand never clogged up when she was cooking.

After drying her hands, she sat down at the kitchen counter and said, "Late lunch? I didn't see you at breakfast this morning."

[rhodestoruin]

"It's honorary. Your rank doesn't disappear. But Barnes it is." His smile was swift and understanding. If she preferred not to be reminded of her time in the military, that was her prerogative. Rhodey's family had a long history in the armed forces. He was always going to join the Air Force. His life wouldn't even make sense with it. But he understood it wasn't the same for her, or for anyone who'd been drafted. He couldn't fix that, but at the very least, he could call her by her preferred name.

He pulled some of last night's leftovers out of the fridge for a breakfast scramble and flicked the coffee pot on out of habit. Clint and Toni could each drink an entire pot by themselves (in Clint's case, straight from the carafe if no one was there to remind him he wasn't an animal), and it was Rhodey's default setting to look after both of them. He only made it back home to Philadelphia around once a year these days; for the other fifty-one weeks of the year, the Avengers were his family.

"I got an early start with Clint testing out some equipment. His new exploding arrows pack a punch, even with the suit on." His smile shifted into the easy fondness it got when he spoke about him. When the aroma of eggs and cheese filled the air, his breakfast sizzling cheerfully while it cooked, he turned and leaned against the counter next to the stove, facing her. "You good?" There was nothing overtly concerned in his expression, and he sensed she wouldn't welcome that for him--or perhaps he was simply used to dealing with Toni's moods, which had to be snuck upon like a skittish horse or else they bolted for the hills. He wouldn't press her if she dismissed it, but at the least, he had to ask.

[alwaysandforevergifs]

MARCEL GERARD in THE ORIGINALS 2X19 - WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

[rhodestoruin]

“You made me want to be a less terrible person.”

@what-the-stark

Rhodey was no stranger to Tony's parties, and the only thing surprising about this one was that they were both still standing at the end. He was pleasantly buzzed, leaning against the railing on the roof of Stark Tower and gazing out at the dazzling city lights, but he doubted he'd even be hungover in the morning. Though he'd been known to let loose occasionally, he hadn't been the type to drink to excess even in college.

They'd only been up there a few minutes, after the last guests had wandered off or passed out on various couches or in bedrooms. He couldn't get a read on how drunk Tony was, or if he was at all, and the oddly serious topic of conversation wasn't helping him figure it out. He could read his best friend better than most, but he couldn't always tell when he was being himself or putting on a show.

"You made me a superhero. I think we're about even." He nudged him gently with his elbow, his smile small but genuine. Rhodey was an MIT trained engineer. He could understand his suit, even run maintenance and basic repairs on it, but he didn't have Tony's mind. He could never have come up with something like the iron suits on his own. "You were never a terrible person, man."

[scottxlogan]

Tony Tries to lift Thor's Hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

[alwaysandforevergifs]

MARCEL GERARD

↳ The Originals 1x05 - Sinners and Saints

[fyeahcharlesmichaeldavis-blog]