#fluff and stuff

[the-inspector-jones]

"Eddie's crying about pigeons again," Robin sighed as she left the frigid wind outside the studio.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Where is he?"

"He won't get out of the van."

"I'll go talk to him. He was crying about them this morning too but it turned out he was just hungry.”

Robin smirked. "This morning?"

Which like. Fuck. That slip was going to be…tricky.

"I—there's—" he tried. He sighed. It was pointless. He was caught. So. He chose boldness and his arms defiantly. "Yeah. This morning."

"Well," she smirked, gesturing to the parking lot. "Get out there, white knight. But for the record? Good job."

He rolled his eyes again, secretly pleased.

In the van, Eddie had his head in his hands, clearly trying to master himself. He looked up when the door opened.

"Oh god," he groaned. "She sent you out here?"

"Well. I mean. Again, Eddie?"

"I was just educating her about how we fucking abandoned them!"

"I know,” Steve said soothingly.

"Forgotten fucking heros. We sent them to war, and now? We call them sky rats. They don't know how to even care for themselves! They come to us for help, Steve!"

"I know Eds. Pizza or burrito?" he asked, ignoring Eddie's scowl and opening his bag. "I have leftovers of both.”

Eddie took the pizza he was offered and shoved way too much into his mouth.

“Unrelated,” Steve said, breathless, “I think I might have accidentally told Robin we’re together.”

Eddie froze.

“She already knew,” Steve rushed. “I think, anyway. It's Robin. And. We’re not subtle.”

Eddie rubbed his face with both hands as he finished chewing, but he was smirking now and the pigeon panic seemed to have subsided.

"I didn't mean to," Steve continued, unable to wait Eddie out. "It just came out. I mentioned this morning and then she looked at me, and I panicked. I could see it in her face. She knew we're a thing. Which—wait...shit. Are we a thing? I mean, I think we are, but."

"Stevie," Eddie said gently. "Baby. Breathe."

Steve stopped, jaw slack, and watched Eddie pick at the pizza again, silent. But he smiled wide as he tilted his head toward Steve.

"You're not upset?" Steve asked, baffled. "Because we should have talked about it, and if this is too fast, and if I just completely screwed this up, I can—"

"Okay," Eddie interrupted. "First of all, I'm flattered you panic-announced me. Very romantic. Very you."

Steve huffed a laugh that died halfway through.

"Second," Eddie went on, "sorry I'm not reacting to this news with the appropriate excitement. I'm really hungry."

Steve stared at him. "You're not freaking out at all?"

"Oh, I'm freaking out internally," Eddie teased. "But my stomach has control of the emotions right now."

He took a second bite of cold pizza, chewed, then softened when he saw Steve still frozen, one hand on the door handle like he might bolt.

"Hey," Eddie said around the mouthful, quieter now. "I like you. I like that you told someone. It's all good."

Steve exhaled, long and shaky, like he'd been holding his breath since the word ‘together’ had left his mouth.

"Okay," he said. "Okay. That's...yeah. Okay."

Eddie smiled. "Steve. We're good. But, you have to listen to me talk about pigeons for five more minutes in exchange for outing me."

He didn't even protest, just laughed and stole Eddie's crust.

"They delivered love letters in wars, Steven. They saved lives. And now people kick them. I just...god..."

"I really should not have let you go to the science center with Dustin."

"They remember faces and they mate for life. And we just...stole their jobs and threw them away."

"Alright, let's get you inside. I don't think this is gonna be a cold pizza in the van sort of problem."

Eddie reached out and grabbed Steve by the back of the neck, resting their foreheads together.

"Thanks for never treating anyone like they're disposable. Even when you were an asshole. Never that."

And Steve's heart stopped beating for a moment, finally understanding the place this particular Munson softness originated. It was always sudden, and Steve was never ready, these moments of clarity. He wanted to wrap Eddie into a small ball that he could tuck inside his chest, just to keep him safe there. Forever.

Steve breathed out, let the words tumble even though they felt too real, too vulnerable. “You are precious and kind, and I will never let anyone take your job and throw you away. Even if you steal French fries."

Eddie pushed away and laughed, kissing Steve sure and quick as he leapt from the van. Steve was pretty sure he's never going to be able to recover from the journey that is loving this man.

Which was pretty great, all pigeons considered.

[littlesugarbug]

Okay, sweet bug, my queen of fluff, I have something I need your take on:

How each of the guys would react to you saying "hey, can you hold this for me for a minute?" and then just putting your hand in theirs 🥰

Sorry it took me so long to get to this, Sydni!!!

Here ya go!

Corbeau

“Can you hold this for me a minute?”

Corbeau barely looked up as he reached out, already expecting something tangible—keys, documents, anything that made sense.

Instead, you slid your hand into his.

He stopped.

His fingers remained half-curled, tension flickering through his hand before it closed around yours. He looked down at the point of contact, then up at you, brow furrowing in unmistakable irritation.

“…This isn’t an object,” he said flatly.

You smiled at him.

There was a beat—long enough that you wondered if he was going to pull away out of principle alone.

Then he sighed, sharp and quiet, the sound of a man resigning himself to something he absolutely did not plan for.

“Fine,” Corbeau muttered.

He adjusted his grip, deliberate and firm, as if humoring you on his own terms. His thumb settled against the side of your hand, unmoving at first, his expression carefully neutral as he looked forward again.

“Next time,” he added dryly, “try asking directly.”

Despite the words, his hand didn’t loosen.

Gradually—so subtly you might have missed it—his posture eased. The tension in his shoulders lessened. His thumb brushed your knuckles once, almost absentmindedly.

After a moment, he glanced down again, lips quirking just slightly.

“…Is this long enough for your ‘minute’?” he asked.

When you didn’t answer right away, he huffed quietly.

“I thought so.”

And when you finally tried to pull your hand back, he tightened his grip just enough to stop you.

“Careful,” Corbeau murmured, tone lighter now. “You did ask me to hold it.”

You got the distinct impression that he would be very precise about when he considered the task complete.

==========

Grisham

The lunch rush at Café Nouveau Truck No. 1 had settled into a steady rhythm—steam curling into the air, cups clinking, Griselle calling orders with sharp efficiency while Grisham handled the counter with practiced calm.

“Thank you—have a good afternoon,” he said warmly, passing over a drink with a small nod.

You lingered nearby, waiting while he finished up. When there was a brief lull, you stepped closer.

“Hey,” you said softly, “can you hold this for me for a minute?”

Grisham glanced over and smiled faintly, already reaching out. “Sure.” He expected… something. A cup. A receipt. Maybe your bag.

Instead, you slipped your hand into his.

He blinked.

His fingers curled around yours automatically before his brain quite caught up. He looked down at your joined hands, then back up at you, surprise flickering across his face.

“Oh,” he said quietly.

There was a brief pause—more thoughtful than awkward—before his grip adjusted, gentle but secure. His thumb rested lightly against the side of your hand, warm from the coffee cups.

“…Alright,” Grisham murmured, as if accepting a small, unexpected responsibility. “I’ve got it.”

Griselle noticed immediately.

She leaned against the counter, eyes narrowing with interest. “Is this a thing now?”

Grisham’s ears tinted just a little pink.

“She asked me to hold it,” he said simply.

Griselle snorted. “That’s not a thing. That’s a hand.”

Grisham shot her a look—not sharp, just warning. “Griselle.”

“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just saying, you’re smiling.”

He wasn’t—at least, not obviously. But the tension in his shoulders had eased, and he’d shifted closer to you without realizing it, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

When you gently tugged your hand back after a moment, Grisham hesitated.

“…Oh,” he said again, a little sheepish this time, loosening his grip. “Sorry. I thought you meant longer.”

Griselle grinned. “Sure you did.”

Grisham cleared his throat, still smiling faintly. “Anytime you need me to hold something,” he added, glancing at you, “just let me know.”

And somehow, despite the noise and bustle of the truck, it felt like the simplest promise in the world.

==========

Ivor

The dojo was unusually quiet.

Not empty—just calm. Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, dust motes drifting lazily as Ivor finished setting equipment back in place. Gwynn stood nearby with her arms crossed, watching him with that familiar look of mild skepticism.

You stepped closer, waiting for a pause.

“Hey, Ivor,” you said casually. “Can you hold this for me for a minute?”

“Sure!” he replied instantly, already reaching out. “What is it—wait, is this another balance thing? Like that drill you showed me last week?”

Before he could finish the thought, you slipped your hand into his.

Ivor blinked.

He stared down at your joined hands, then back up at you, brow furrowing in intense concentration.

“…Am I supposed to be doing something?” he asked cautiously. “Because if this is a grip-strength exercise, I should probably—”

“Ivor,” Gwynn cut in flatly.

He looked at her. “What?”

“That’s not training.”

He looked back at your hand.

Then at yours.

Then back at Gwynn.

“Oh.”

There was a very brief moment where you could see the gears turning—slowly, valiantly—before understanding finally dawned.

“Oh!” he said again, louder this time.

His face broke into a grin so wide it was almost blinding.

“Oh—wait—this is just—” he laughed, squeezing your hand without thinking. “You just wanted to—wow, okay, yeah, that makes way more sense.”

Gwynn sighed. “Incredible.”

Ivor didn’t let go.

In fact, he stepped closer, fingers lacing with yours like it was the most natural thing in the world. His thumb brushed over your knuckles, warm and absentminded, like he’d discovered something precious and was afraid to drop it.

“This is nice,” he said earnestly. “You should’ve said so earlier.”

“I did,” you pointed out. “I asked you to hold it.”

He gasped softly. “You did?”

Gwynn shook her head. “I’m leaving.”

“Okay!” Ivor said cheerfully, not taking his eyes off you.

Once you were alone—or at least not being actively judged—Ivor squeezed your hand again, beaming.

“Anytime,” he said happily. “Seriously. You ever need me to hold something—like, anything—I’m your guy.”

You laughed, and he laughed with you, shoulders relaxing as if something had settled into place.

And if he kept holding your hand long after your “minute” was up?

Well.

That just felt right.

==========

Urbain

Running errands with Urbain was never a quick affair.

Somehow, a simple list turned into three stops, two detours, and at least one enthusiastic conversation with a stranger who definitely did not need to know as much as Urbain was telling them.

You trailed along beside him as he walked, Rotom Phone in one hand, already mid-scroll.

“Alright,” Urbain said absently, “we’ll stop by the market first, then—ah, yes—this should only take a moment.”

You smiled to yourself. “Hey,” you said lightly, stepping closer. “Can you hold this for me for a second?”

“Of course,” Urbain replied immediately, barely glancing up as he reached out.

You slipped your hand into his.

He didn’t notice. At least—not right away.

He kept walking, fingers closing around yours automatically as he continued talking, already tugging you along with him as if this had always been the arrangement. His grip was warm, secure—confident in the way of someone who assumed you’d keep up.

You did.

For the next several minutes, Urbain dragged you gently through the street, weaving between people, stopping abruptly, then starting again without warning—all while holding your hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Oh—wait, we actually need this,” he said, pivoting sharply and pulling you with him. “And I should check—no, never mind, I already did that.”

You caught his hand tightening just slightly whenever the crowd thickened, thumb brushing over your knuckles like a reflex. Still distracted. Still oblivious.

It wasn’t until he finally stopped—really stopped—that he looked down.

His gaze flicked to your joined hands. Then up to you.

There was a pause.

“…Huh,” Urbain said thoughtfully.

You raised a brow.

He smiled slowly, amusement blooming across his face as realization settled in.

“So this is what you wanted me to hold,” he said, clearly pleased with himself. “You could have just said you wanted my hand.”

You shrugged. “You were busy.”

He laughed, soft and warm, and instead of letting go, he adjusted his grip—fingers lacing properly now, deliberate.

“Fair,” Urbain said. “But I don’t mind being distracted for this.”

He leaned in slightly as you resumed walking, his thumb tracing an idle circle against your hand.

“Next time,” he added lightly, “I’ll even pretend not to notice again.”

When you reached your destination and slowed, Urbain finally turned toward you, expression fond and open.

He didn’t say anything this time.

He just leaned down and kissed you—gentle, unhurried, like he’d decided this was the best part of the errand after all.

And when he pulled back, still smiling, he didn’t let go.

“Ready?” Urbain asked cheerfully. “I think we’ve got one more stop.”

You had a feeling you’d be holding hands the entire way.

[demaparbat-hp]

Mutual damage (a WIP)

[fireflyeyes]

Valentine's Cheese Tag

Ty to my darling @optimisticgrey and @saylofwaterdeep for the tags- I feel like this is the perfect tag for me (an expert on sickeningly sweet fluff) Share the most cheesily romantic line you've ever written, or the most over-the-top VP you've done, or anything that suits your fancy (as long as it's earnestly and unabashedly cornball). Light tags for @gortashsrighthand @riddlerosehearts @dr4gonwriter @toomanyfamiliars @asorceresswrites & a free tag for anyone who sees this and wants to play along!

I could not fucking pick one so you're getting like. Two. Maybe three. I am not sober enough to know yet. I went through my ao3 comments and pulled whatever people were crying over lmao.

"Proof," Gale said. "That this life I'm building with you is real. That happiness can be found in simple moments, not just grand achievements. That love—real love, the kind that lasts—is built in winter markets and shared cocoa and standing in the snow together."

from The Wizard & The Winter Market (for Cozy December 2025)

He pressed her hand to his chest, over his heart. “This part of me has known since the day I met you. It’s my head that gets confused, that gets tangled up in guilt and obligation. But my heart?” He held her hand there. “My heart has always been yours, from the moment I fell through that portal, and it always will be.”

Chapter Nine: The Fate of Ophelia from State of Grace

[riswippiesx]

Toji with a reader who basically is Megumi friend. Like Megumi realized how much you two like each other so started to set stuff up for you two to get together. Reader is like a mother to Megumi (since I hc that his bio mom died when he was 2 or 3) and Toji is just loving reader for helping with Megumi. Headcanons please

Love & Care | Toji Fushiguro X Fem! Reader

Theme: Fluff

TW: a lil bit of cursing, ooc toji(????) maybe..as I didn't want to make him a brat here, age gap, reader is in her early 20s and Toji is in his 40s, not proof read[because I'm lazy asf]

Summary: headcanons for Toji X reader where reader is a friend of Megumi with motherly vibes.

Note: I am not really a Toji stan..okay?😭 I NEVER read any Toji fic in my life. Never. This was all so new for me. I tried to stick to the character as much as I could in the given scenario. Please don't mind :(💗

•You missed a very important class at your university and you needed a notes, immediately. Thus you ended up visiting your friend, Megumi, at his place, for the notes. Thus you met his dad, Toji Fushiguro. And what a sight! What a man! You couldn't look away.

•Toji just came back and you were leaving after taking your notes and BANG! You bumped into a person who felt like rock because of his well physic. You looked up, only to find your friends dad. You saw him on Megumi's phone but never in real life. "Kid, watch where you are going!", Toji groaned and looked down at you "also who are you?". "I-", you started to utter but Megumi finished it for you "My friend, dad, her name is Y/n." Toji did a little hum and gave you place to leave. You gave a nod with a little smile and left.

•You came back home, freshened up and decided to go through the notes but your mind refused to focus. All you could think how handsome that older man was. Your breath hitched and a weird feeling strated to grow in you.

•And all that grew harder with each passing day. You longed to see that man in person, once again. And your wish came true when your friend fell sick and took a few days off. You, being the responsible one, decided to help him with the notes.

•You went to your friends house. You finally met his dad again. You greeted him formally and he greeted you back. Your heart danced in joy. Then you went to Megumi's room and saw him laying down on his bed with an ice bag on top of his forehead. He looked really sick. You kept the notes on his desk and walked near him and sat on the chair beside the bed.

•Megumi was coughing and breathing heavily. The high fever was making him feel dizzy but he recognised you.

"You shouldn't... Have come..you will catch cold too..idiot..", he breathed out.

"Shh, don't talk much. Relax."

"Tsk"

Your friend was like that, refused to take help but you always loved to help him, you loved taking care of him.

You took the ice bag off as the ice was melted already. You saw a bowl of water and a piece of cloth in it on the bed side table. You kept the ice bag on the and damped the cloth and rinsed out the excess water. Then you put it on his forehead and ran your hand through his hairs, soothing him down. And it actually relaxed him. Your offered him some water when he coughed a lot. You were busy in taking care of your friend when Toji came and stood by the door, which you didn't notice. He observed how you took care of his son.

"You take care of him like a mother." His sudden voice made you startled and you looked back to find him standing there. He had a smile on his face and you felt like you could die then happily. "Oh..yeah..haha", an awkward and nervous laugh came out of your throat with a faint tint of red on your cheeks.

•And that whole thing made you and Toji interact more. Slowly a bond was forming between you two. Both of your scolded Megumi when he was going extra harsh on himself for studies and didn't take care of him. Megumi often rolled eyes at the strict scolding but he could feel something in the air. He was smart. He was quick to catch the real scenario when he found you chatting with your dad and laughing. He also noticed how conscious you got around his dad or by the mention of his name. The faint blush, little chuckles, small glances— he noticed it all.

•You were in love with his dad —Megumi easily understood that. If it was anyone else other than you, maybe he would be against it but you were different. You were calm and collected, a soft person, who didn't date many guys. Megumi trusted you, he knew you. Your happiness was also important to him. So he accepted it in his mind. He also noticed how his dad was finally interacting with a woman after his mom died. Megumi's life's biggest tragedy was that he lost his mother when he was barely two years old. He never felt the motherly care while growing up until he met you. His dad supported him a lot but you, you took care of his mood, well being and feelings. Though you were his friend but he found the comfort of a mother in your embrace. So he was all over pleased and wanted your relation to form properly with his dad.

•For you, it felt so wrong yet so right. You didn't plan to fall for your friends dad but some matters would always stay out of human control. So you had finally accepted it but didn't want to make a move from your side. On the other hand, Toji liked spending time with you. You were calm but not boring. He liked that. Also, he adored how you mothered his son. It made him chuckle with happiness. But the muted feelings in his heart was forcibly put down by himself. He refused to acknowledge any such weird feelings about his son's friend. So he just stayed in his limit as well. Megumi was honestly tired of seeing the lack of confronting ability. He wanted any of you two make a move. The way you both appreciated each other while talking with Megumi, he was surely confused why weren't you two making any move yet.

•The frustration was major. Megumi couldn't take it anymore decided to make move on you two's behalf. One day he called you to come over to his place while he went to Itadori's place, who was a mutual friend of you and Megumi. You agreed without knowing and came over to his place with some cookies you made, only to find his dad alone. You were confused, so was Toji. Both of you tried to contact megumi but he didn't pick up any call. You wanted to leave but Toji stopped you.

"You can stay untill he comes back, you know. I got no issues", he said with a chuckle. You hesitated but accepted soon. You sat with Toji and ate a few of the cookies you made.

"You made this?"

"Yeah.."

"Tastes good"

"Thank you, Fushiguro san"

"Hey you know, that fushiguro and all...so fucking formal. Call me Toji"

"But you're way older than me"

"Do I look like I care?", he laughed.

"Okay..Toji ...san?"

"Sounds better", both of you chuckled and chatted. It wad getting late but Megumi wasn't home till then. Toji suggested you to go back and he would talk to his son for his carelessness. You nodded and headed back. Though you didn't meet your friend that day, you felt somewhat happy. Spending all those time with Toji made you giggle in your mind.

•Such shits continued, as Megumi kept on setting you two up. Someday he sent his dad at your place to give you some important assignment files, giving the excuse of being "busy", someday he asked for your help to come over and stay a few hours at his place as he needed to go to the library, stating that his dad wasn't home. You agreed again and went to his place. He left, you were alone, using your phone, when the door knob moved. You thought he came back but it was Toji. Both of you were surprised at first but that day ended with chats and laughs as well. But Megumi heard a few words from his dad but his weird behavior later, and from you as well. But he didn't mind.

• Things continued. You two might confronted Megumi but all those 'accidental meet ups' were too good for both of you. So you two didn't care much and the bond grew stronger and you two came closer than before. Megumi was happy by the progress so far.

•One day, you hanged out with Megumi and his dad, as you were free that day(also his dad was there). Megumi excused himself for using the washroom near the park and you two waited for him. Then Megumi messaged you that he had a parcel coming by that day, so he had to go back to recive it but he would join you two soon after. You sighed and told Toji about that.

"My son is getting sneaky", he sighed and you two sat on the bench.

"Sure he is.", you chuckled and Toji looked at you.

"I would be concerned about it if he didn't have a friend like you. You take care of him like a mother.", he gave you a sounded laugh, making you blush a little. "Thanks a lot for being such a great friend to my son. I trust you enough that I know he won't do anything wrong as long as you stay with him.", he smiled.

"My pleasure. He is a good guy. He just..doesn't know how to talk about his needs. I somehow manage to read his face. And thus I try my best to take care of him. After all, he is my most important friend."

"You like my son?"

"As a friend, yes"

"Of course", he laughed "do you like his dad?"

His one question made you nervous. Did he find out? No way. You didn't know what to reply. Panic was clear on your face. Toji quickly fixed his words.

"I mean..do you think I am a good dad? Am I good enough?" You sighed and smiled in relaxation.

"Of course. You're doing great as a dad. Maybe you don't know but he once said that he feels grateful to have you around. He also acknowledge your hard work as a single father. You're more than just good."

"Really? Wow", he smiled to himself, feeling good about himself after so many days, or years.

•Things didn't actually go to that level where you could admit your feelings for Toji but you loved him, loved being around him. Megumi's set ups made you two more than just friends. Both of you knew that very well but didn't have the courage to tell each other.

•Megumi stopped setting you two up after a few months as he was tired. Also he wanted you two long for each other.

After a few weeks, when you were longing for Toji, trying hard to find a reason to meet up, you asked Megumi if you two should hang out and proposed to bring his dad too, Megumi decided to confront you.

"Y/n"

"Yes?"

"Do you like my dad?"

Your lips were sealed, not a single sound came out of your throat. How the hell did Megumi find out and how was he so exact? Was your facial expressions were so certain and prominent? Yoy had to lie. You coughed and gave him a dry laugh.

"Are you crazy Gumi? That's your dad..how can i-"

"Stop lying. You think I am a kid?"

"No but-"

"Why do you think all those accidental meet ups happen so frequently? Because I tried to set you two up"

"Wha-"

"But again you two couldn't even say a word about your feelings. If you like each other why don't you confess?"

"I don't like your da-"

"You do."

You stayed quiet, feeling exposed. Then you gradually asked:

"Are you..mad at me for falling for ...your dad? I'm so sorry please.."

"Are you really that dumb Y/n? I told you I set you two up. You think I would do all that if I was mad?"

"..."

"You are going to confess. I'll go out today with my dad. We will hang out, i'll bring my dad. I'll excuse myself. You will talk your heart out today!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

"Your dad won't like me back. The hell are you saying?!"

"He does. I am telling you."

"Wait really?"

"Confess and see for yourself."

"But-"

"No buts!"

"Ugh-"

"You will confess or i'll set him up with another woman"

"What the hell bro?"

"I said what I said"

"Goddamn! Fine!"

"Good"

•You came back home. Your face was flushed. You were feeling nervous and excited at the same time. Megumi accepted you, even said his dad liked you back. You definitely needed to make a move the. Moreover, the way your buddy threatened you. You had to. You would definitely confess to Toji that evening! Yes! You could do it!!

Let's hope for the best, then :D

Part two with better details?👀

Thank you for reading. A big thanks to @//aliorailrow for requesting this<3 I hope it was okay as per your request?! Tried my best..hehe

Requests are open <3

♡Reblogs and comments are always appreciated♡

[ikemenomegas]

I'm sorry but I was suddenly bashed over the head with imagining how Itachi would respond to being subject to fan-favorite anime trope de-aging/regression/swapping places with his child self.

You go to get him from his favorite lounging spot only to find out he's not there. Instead, you find what is very obviously Itachi wandering around the house like he's never been there before, as a child.

He immediately whirls around and trots away, like a cat caught doing something wrong and pretending it hasn't, but your legs are about three times longer than his so it's not hard to catch up, and after so long together you know his chakra signature like the back of your hand, even when he muffles it so well you're pretty sure no one else but his immediate family might be able notice.

And little Itachi doesn't take super well to a strange alpha following them around, chasing him. His shinobi training tells him threat! and the part of him that knows in a very objective way that he is still small and vulnerable makes him hide his back and neck against a bookshelf that will also be quick to climb. But while he is on edge, it takes him a few moments to realize he doesn't necessarily feel unsafe. And you don't necessarily feel like a total stranger.

You catch obvious confusion in his scent. Pups are usually easy to read. It makes it easy for family to know what they need and for strangers to soften quickly to pups that are not their own. It's typically a natural survival mechanism, a gift of evolution, but not for shinobi who view truth and emotion as vulnerability.

Adult Itachi, your Itachi, grown as he is and also one of the most talented ninja of his generation hardly ever slips like this, even around you, but this youngster doesn't have that level of control, even though a shift in his pheromones might not be detectable to someone not intimately familiar with his moods.

One of the first things genin are taught, especially young genin, is how to control their scents, to lie with them, induce sympathy or confusion in enemies who might lose precious second in the face of someone telegraphing their youth. Chunin exams sometimes test scent control, and Jounin are all required to be able to mask nearly perfectly, although in your experience, this can make them louder with their displayed emotions, hiding by saying they are not hiding.

All the best lies contain just enough truth to be believable. Whatever's going on to make him like this may make him appear more innocent, but Itachi's balanced posture tells you he'll probably lash out at you if you attempt to touch him.

He seems mildly irritated at his own contemplative surprise being obvious when you sink down onto your heels and you can tell when he wretches his scent back to a blank neutral.

It shows his talent but is still both heart-wrenching and somehow cute. Lying to him about how he got into your home and what he is doing there is very difficult, mostly because you don't want to, but you're not sure if this is Itachi or something else, so your own training forces you to be careful. You also don't want to freak him out by showing him spaces he would understand as his own within a home he barely recognizes (and if this is an imposter, it's your job to protect Itachi's nest, to manage an infiltrator who has gotten into your den).

Equally difficult is remaining impartial in the face of how heart-wrenchingly obvious Itachi makes it that he wants to trust you and... just does, rather quickly. It takes some convincing but it's so unlike Adult Itachi that it makes you want to stab everyone who made Itachi have to be careful and suspicious all over again.

He seems so quietly pleased when you make him yamitsuki shio and umeboshi onigiri without a single comment about the unusual tastes of someone his age. Depressingly, he doesn't know how to play like normal children, but is thrilled to bits when he realizes that you're experienced enough to train with him, teaching him something new. And you do find ways to make it fun, like getting him to compete at skipping rocks with you on the pond near the house (he would be worried about disturbing the fish in the one in your own garden), eventually becoming similar to shuriken training. He looks uncomfortable but doesn't put much of a fuss up when you get him a snack and blanket while he reads some books of yours on chakra manipulation.

The pride Itachi has in his independence would be very obvious (and heartbreaking). It's not as though you need him to need to rely on you, but children his age usually only behave this way when they are praised for it, or the behavior is reinforced. And quiet children are, on the surface, easy for their parents to deal with, especially when it's the first child that otherwise upends the household dynamic.

He's so proud when he gets to show you how to use leftover ingredients from lunch to make okonomiyaki, although you mostly suggested this because it's festival food and you're really getting concerned Itachi had absolutely no fun as a kid. When you nearly burn a pancake while trying to watch him handle a grater, he nudges you aside and puts you on food prep and miso-making duty. The ultimate result is definitely the kind of meal a child would come up with, but everything is perfectly edible, and he seems oddly relieved (while also being a bit uncomfortable because this is Itachi) that dinner was a task you did together rather than leaving it up to him when he pushed you out of the way.

For it to be a complete trope, Itachi has to at least have one night where he is still his child self. And! he asks you if you have an omega. Although you still think it would be a bad idea to show him his own nest (smelling obviously of himself), there's something in him that is very impressed by how obvious it is that you love this omega when you say that he's not there right now but you're sure he'll be back soon (did I mention how hard it is to continually suspect the child version of Itach is some kind of imposter!!)

Finding little Itachi some clean, spare nesting supplies is simple enough, as is setting him up in a guest room. But while Itachi's desire is very little contact with the shinobi world after he takes leave of absence from active duty, it is still the world you live in, and it's easy to hear noise from the guest room that doesn't smell suspiciously like Sasuke.

Presuming this small version is the real Itachi, you guess something about the trauma of whatever caused this change triggers nightmares, which are simply impossible to ignore, from any pup, but especially from the pup version of Itachi. He doesn't ask you to stay, but he does seem subdued and asks you to scent around the door and windows when you bring him a glass of water as an excuse to check on him. Which is a huge gesture of trust, effectively asking for protection, and after that he sleeps through until moring.

Itachi may not remember a lot from the entire experience, some parts of it are just muddled, but one hopes that once he returns to normal, there's something healing about literally confronting his internal child, and realizing that his alpha took such care of him until their omega did indeed come back home.

It would be super interesting if Itachi ages back to his normal self in an accelerated fashion so you get to experience other life-stages of his but I'm too tired to write it now. Suffice it to say, allowing Itachi to be moody, broody, secretive, and slam doors and yell in your face for "hiding something" (you're still trying to make sure his head doesn't implode or this doesn't cause some awfully strange time paradox) without him having to apologize for a perfectly understandable emotional outburst could be just as healing as carefully tending his much younger self had been.

[smlmsworld]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel, Captain America - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel) Additional Tags: Vacation, Children, Avengers Team Members as Family (Marvel), Parenthood, Marvel 616/MCU Crossover

Summary:

Look, I just sent a lot of Avengers to the beach with their kids. And Bucky and Steve don’t have kids and they talk about it. It’s cuter than it sounds. It’s lighthearted. Idk.

Snippet:

“Are we getting old?” Sam asked. “Are the Avengers getting old?”

“I mean, maybe?”

Natasha replied. She sounded skeptical.

“I’m gonna stay out of this one. I am young and will be till I’m dead.”

“Which if you pull anymore stunts like you did on Jeju, you may be very soon.”

Bucky cut his eyes at Sam. “We agreed not to talk about it.”

“Noted,” Sam flicked water at the other man. “You’d be a bad example for kids anyway.”

“What’s your excuse, Wilson?”

“For what?”

“Where are your kids? Or your significant other for that matter? You flirt with everyone and take no one out to dinner even. Don’t you want a kids one day? The whole family thing?”

“How can I when I have to constantly take care of your and Steve’s reckless asses?”

♥♥♥