#marvel hcs

[thenewavengersblog]

[aquaticmercy]

Thunderbolts* headcanons.

Spoilers below the cut!

New Avengers tower headcanons!

Bucky ends up as the leader of the squad, mostly because he was a congressman, and everyone just assumes that makes him qualified.

No one else actually wants to lead. Ava ghosts meetings (literally), John keeps suggesting push-up contests as conflict resolution, Alexei wants to be the mascot, Yelena cannot control the herd, and Bob just wants everyone to like him. So Bucky’s stuck with the job like a dad who didn’t mean to adopt five adult children.

Bucky pretends he hates the leadership role, but deep down he likes having purpose again. It's definitely a better purpose than his weird pretending-to-like-working-in-Capitol-Hill phase. 

The team starts buying Bucky mugs. Each one has some weird phrase like “#1 Cat Mom” or “World’s Okayest Boss.” One says “Don’t talk to me until I’ve punched a Nazi.” He drinks out of that one the most.

Bucky keeps a running list of everyone’s trauma triggers, dietary needs, and weird habits in a leather notebook he hides under his bed. He updates it meticulously. 

Bucky goes searching for Steve’s old room, not really knowing why. He finds it eventually by following faint pencil sketches along the baseboards—figures, landscapes, messy little self-portraits. No one ever talks about how good of an artist Steve was.

Bucky has a habit of cleaning and maintaining everyone’s weapons. No one asked him to. It’s just something he does. “Keeps my hands busy,” he says. John’s Taco shield has never looked shinier.

Bucky trains Bob in hand-to-hand combat because relying on the Sentry is a dangerous crutch, especially with the Void. “You gotta learn to throw a punch without leveling the city,” Bucky says. 

Bob asks for a gun. Bucky laughs until he realises Bob’s serious. “Okay… maybe a little gun.”

Bob’s sobriety is the center of his life. He counts days in his journal and scribbles tally marks. 

Bob goes to meetings anonymously. Sometimes online. Most times, he doesn’t say a word, just listens.

Bob asks for permission constantly. “Can I sit here?” “Can I help?” “Do you mind if I talk?” It’s not insecurity—it’s fear of taking up space, even though no one thinks so.

Bob sleeps with the lights on.

Bob has a habit of sitting outside people’s doors when they’re having a hard time. He doesn’t knock or say anything. He just lets them know he’s there.

Once, he sits outside Ava’s door even though the two were not that close to begin with. He said he wanted to make more connections. 

Valentina definitely tries to monetize the lower floors of Avengers Tower. She installs cheesy tourist attractions and even vending machines. Ava keeps stealing from said vending machines. Instead of going to the store, she just phases through the fridge door and snatches a Coke. “Why pay two bucks when I can just become intangible?”

Ava hoards those soda cans like a dragon. She has coke bottles hidden in the walls. Mini fridges stashed in ventilation shafts.

Ava keeps little things. Trinkets from missions, receipts from stores. A cinema stub when the team all went to see a movie together. It all goes into a shoebox labeled “Proof I Exist.”

Ava has mild motion sickness. Phasing feels fine—but when they get the jet, it was instant nausea. Yelena now carries ginger chews and hands them over.

Ava also disappears into the vents. Not intentionally at first—she phases away from one of John and Alexei’s overly intense arguments about European football vs American football and ends up inside the duct system. But then she discovers she likes it. 

In one of the vents, Ava finds a hidden alcove. It’s a makeshift hangout spot where Clint and Nat used to go. She finds old books, photos, arrowheads, and one of Nat’s worn leather bracelets. It’s all dust and forgotten. Ava collects it and brings it to Yelena and Alexei.

Yelena wears the leather bracelet now. Alexei frames one of her old books, insisting it’s “Soviet literature.” It’s Crime and Punishment.

Yelena keeps photos of Nat in weird places. Inside her wallet, taped to her mirror, tucked into her knife case.

Yelena drinks pickle juice straight from the jar, eats hot sauce with a spoon, and once tried to convince Ava that mayonnaise was a “traditional Russian face mask.”

Yelena always wins at Mario Kart. No one knows how. She plays with one hand and eats chips with the other.

Yelena bakes surprisingly well. It is now one of her healthier coping mechanisms. If there are lemon bars on the counter, someone pissed her off. If there are croissants, she’s feeling nostalgic.

Yelena absolutely makes fun of John Walker 24/7. Calls him “Captain America Lite” or “Diet Steve.” John is mostly unbothered by it now.

John is so competitive. Dodgeball? He will throw a tantrum. Chess? He flips a table if he loses. 

He takes tower fitness very seriously, insisting on morning drills at 6 AM. Only Bucky shows up. Sometimes. Alexei pretends he’s sick. Yelena flips him off from the rooftop.

John has questionable taste in music. Like Creed, Nickelback, and early 2000s workout playlists. He blares it in the gym. Bucky came in and broke the speaker once. “Oops,” he said.

John made a group chat called "Avengers 2: Electric Boogaloo” and got flamed by Yelena and Ava instantly.

John and Alexei have an aggressive friendship. After their first on-field mission together, the two supersoldiers tried chest bumping. They broke a stair railing doing this. Bucky banned them from jumping indoors.

Alexei introduces himself as "Russia’s Greatest Hero" to literally everyone— especially delivery drivers.

Alexei keeps a team scrapbook. It’s full of blurry photos, Polaroids, and captions written in Russian. He’s glued bottle caps and mission debris to the pages. It’s surprisingly sweet.

Alexei and Yelena bicker a lot, mostly because Yelena insists “my dad is embarrassing me.” She acts annoyed, but when he tells people she’s “more dangerous than 20 trained assassins, and very smart.” She pretends not to smile.

Alexei writes letters to “Mother Russia.” Like actual, physical letters. He reads them out loud on the roof sometimes. 

Alexei once saved the entire team on a mission by charging in on Bucky’s motorcycle yelling, “FOR MOTHERLAND!” It was completely off-script, but it worked. 

Alexei keeps Nat’s old locket in his drawer. It has a picture of the two of them from Ohio. He doesn’t show it to anyone. 

In the tower, movie nights are mandatory. John has a spreadsheet. Ava cheats and phases into the media server to override votes.

One time they all cried during Paddington 2. Even Bucky. No one talks about it.

They have a “Panic Button.” Literally a big red button in the common room. Press it, and everyone drops what they’re doing and comes running. Sometimes it’s a real emergency. Sometimes Bob just wants to show them a weird bird outside the window.

Someone (John) keeps starting a fire in the kitchen. Bob bought a fire extinguisher

They keep finding forgotten things. Steve’s old sketch pads. Bruce Banner’s old research paper in a drawer. A dusty pair of glasses labeled “Jarvis Specs: Do Not Touch.” 

The gym still has Thor’s old weights. No one can move them. 

The elevator still announces “Welcome, Mr. Stark” when it glitches. Bob once answered “Hi” out of reflex.

They found an old Avengers mug that says “EARTH’S MIGHTIEST INTERN.” Nobody knows who it belonged to. Bucky insists it was Clint’s. John thinks it was Darcy’s.

Nobody really talks about it, but they know they live in the ruins of legends. The Tower still has scorch marks from Ultron and the tesseract remnants from the portal they opened in the Battle of New York.

At night, they all gravitate toward the common room. There's always someone reading or cooking or watching TV. At night, together, they all feel like they belong there. 

-end.

[redbull-gave-me-iridescent-wings]

Spending the Summer with Kurt...

❥ He insists on planning your guyses Outings

From checking upcoming Festival Venues, happily socializing with mutual Friends and kind Strangers alike - and, most notably - his heightened charismatic and upbeat Mood into prompting you to dance! with him throughout the Day: yep, Summer has arrived.

Already knowing the kind of Romantic Kurt himself prides to be, there is just something in the Air when Summer arrives that makes him swoon, makes his senses come to Life.

Well, whatever it might be that's in the Air and You. His greatest Treasure.

The Saying 'It never get's old' pretty much sums up your two's Love for eachother. For Kurt, it never mattered how long you two've been together as his Objective always remained the same: Courting you like the Prize you are and have always deserved to feel.

Yes, on one Hand, he'd obviously listen and take any suggestions you'd offer. On the other, it's just waaay more fun surprising you with his planned Outings!

No matter how cheesy you'd say it was to being brought to an actually Disco-inspired Dance floor: The twinkle in your Eyes you'd get? that beautiful smile, that infectious laughter you'd fall in all because of him?Makes his Heart soar like no other.

All the Effort he puts in, especially with the romantic Season he finds Summer to be. It's worth it every, single, time because of how happy you get every time.

❥ Won't stop showering you in Compliments

Admittedly, that's your Goal haha.

Your Summer Wardrobe has become carefully picked-out by whichever clothing, colour, fabric, you name it, you'd deducted Kurt liked on you.

He does the same, by the way. Those low-buttoned Shirts and certain athletic Tanks weren't picked out by him for no Reason afterall.

You would try to play it cool when he'd walk up to you. Admiring and in-awe over apparently just how gorgeous you looked, with the way his tail would mindlessly whip and caress either your Calves or in general hover behind you and close.

While He, on the other Hand, would try to keep his Body language under control from not leaning too much into you. With how you'd all sweetly held onto his upper Arm and pressing him close to you, definitely making his objective hard to maintaine - but, alas - he's better in keeping his Composure than you seem to be.

Tounge in cheek comment over the Perks of being an X-men, i guess.

From the little Battle and challenge which had seemed to be broken out, by whoever could make the other loose with their bashfulness, i hope you can swallow your pride by getting bested from the very smooth talker he's known to be.

❥ Loves showing off to you

You should slowly understand by now that this Man lives to love and loves to live, and especially by showing off to you the way a male Bird would court his Partner.

Acrobatics, Baseball, swimming! Oh god. Always, always flashing you his all-knowing smirk from knowing you saw him in his Speedo. Knowing, just how bashful you must've become from the Sight.

Also, with the Fact: he couldn't imagine many scenarios in-which he'd say no to helping you out with something.

When you'd ask him for help, the simplest Tasks really. From something being heavier than you'd anticipated, a quick grocery run upon the Request from others around the Mansion and you two being available to do it, who would he be to say no to you?

If chivalry is so apparently Dead, than Kurt is setting course into reviving it!

[sentrysoldier]

"...where OXE stored its assets"

"call in the asset"

[caitlinsnicket]

bob reynolds relationship headcanons

warnings: none, the filthy stuff is going to be in the other set of headcanons. maybe some angst

a/n: aaa i cant see him anywhere because my body immediatly reacts. its so stupid

masterlist | 🍉 | ko-fi | part. 2 | part. 3 | part. 4

he doesn't mean to be a creep, and he hopes you don't think he is one, but he can't help but gravitate toward you at all times. he waits anxiously for you in the mornings before the two of you get together, and when you walk into the kitchen for breakfast, he lights up and sticks to your side. the only time he leaves you alone is when you go to the bathroom or go to sleep.

after the two of you become an item, it's difficult to get out of bed since he's a cuddle bug and loves your warmth. he helps you with your chores and activities, joins you in your hobbies, and suggests new things to do together. he knows you also need your alone time, as does he, but being with you feels so nice!

holding hands with him is probably one of the nicest parts of your day. they get clammy sometimes, and he might squeeze too tight, but they're warm and softer than one might think, and because of how happy he looks, it's worth it. the best part is when you feel him brush his thumb over your knuckles, which means he's at ease, and your heart stammers in your chest.

and every now and then, when it's quiet and it's just the two of you and he hasn't let go just yet, you bring your intertwined hands to your mouth and kiss his skin, ignoring bob's breath hitching beside you. you only stop once you've covered every inch of skin you can cover, and when you look at him again, his eyes are glazed and his breath is ragged.

he has a tendency not to look into people's eyes when they're talking to him, which is fine and no one is really bothered by it, but you try to get him more used to it. that's why, whenever the two of you are having a conversation and he's not looking directly at you, you gently pull his face up with your fingers, trying not to linger so the moment doesn't turn awkward (you can still hear him swallowing).

it becomes something like a routine, like saying hello to him in the morning: you push his hair a bit out of his face and brush your hand lightly, just to see him better. he's always elated and starts to purposefully avoid your gaze so you'll hold him more. with time, he learns to just ask for it, closing his eyes and almost purring from your soft touch.

there was one time when he almost stumbled to the ground after you finished touching him. you kept your laugh to yourself but couldn't help a smirk.

he's trying to get used to touch, and hugs between the two of you become a common occurrence. he's still a little rusty, feeling that his limbs are too sharp and long, not soft enough for anything. but you still pull him close, even when he squeezes too tight to the point of pain, or when it gets too hot but he's not ready to let go. you don't mind though, because he always smells like clothes softener and that pear shampoo you bought him.

sometimes you'll be working on something, reading a book, or just scrolling through your phone, and he'll rest his forehead on your shoulder or your arm—really anywhere he can reach. he won't linger for long (again, he doesn't want to bother you), just enough to ground himself and feel your warmth. sometimes you'll hold him to you a second longer, your hand threading softly through his hair.

once the whole asking for permission to touch you every five seconds is resolved, he seeks you out more often for it. he still hesitates a lot and sometimes will give up on whole conversations because he feels like he fumbled it, but with enough reassurance, not only does he get more comfortable with being affectionate, but he also starts to feel better with everything else. touch soothes him.

and like a laser pointer to a cat, if he's starting to spiral or finds that he can't focus, touching him anywhere his skin is exposed makes his brain shut down for a second, and then he starts to come back to himself. it works for everyone, but he only blushes if it was you who had to calm him.

when the two of you start sleeping in the same bed, you try to get up before him (it's not that hard. he either falls asleep right away and can only be woken up by shaking, or can't sleep at all). you take that moment of quiet, where he can't get too much into his head, to trace his features with your fingers. your touch feather-light, following the line of his nose and eyebrows, down to his cheeks and lips. by the time you get there, he's stirring awake and unconsciously kisses the pads of your fingers while mumbling good morning. sleepy bob is your favorite bob.

after the first few times you touch his hair, it becomes your favorite thing to do, not just because of his reactions (from mewls and whimpers to full-body shivers and giggles), but also because it was unbelievably soft and curly, and you just started doing it out of nowhere for your own enjoyment. you do it if he's crying, which either makes him cry even harder or stop after a while. and when he's calm and content, it puts a blush on his face, but he manages to keep looking into your eyes.

he starts kissing your cheek one day, testing the waters. of course, he was extremely awkward and managed to bump heads with you the first few times, but once you saw him coming, you put your face out in his direction so there are no more accidents. imagine his face when you start kissing him back, before leaving for a mission or thanking him for bringing you a cup of water. it's the highlight of his day.

when the two of you go to sleep in your room, he likes to hold your hand and face you, or for you to spoon him. it keeps him grounded, in the moment, and also because he just likes to be held (especially by you). in the morning, when the two of you start to stir awake, he rolls in your direction until his head is tucked in your neck and his arms are circling your waist. if he could stay like this forever, he would.

the getting-to-bed routine also includes kissing his shoulders before he lies down, and he loves it so much. sometimes he stands perfectly still while you brush your teeth, waiting for you to get into bed and kiss his shoulder before he finally rests. he does the same to you in the mornings, pulling you back to him to kiss your shoulder blade and wish you a good morning. he's a sucker for casual affection.

his hair was already soft when you met him, but after you started taking care of it (washing it thoroughly at least once a week, massaging it gently), it felt like silk. he sometimes asks you to wash it but apologizes profusely for inconveniencing you. the whole process is relaxing for both of you, and the gift of touching his hair makes it all worth it for both of you.

[mochazai]

𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙤𝙠𝙞 𝙊𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣 : 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨

Summary: What’s it like dating the god of mischief? Here’s what I think it’s like :3

Pairing: Loki x Gender Neutral! Reader

A/N: suddenly got the motivation to write this so im comin’ outta the woodworks, hope y’all like it and I’d love any thoughts y’all would have! Likes, comments and reblogs are all very much appreciated :3

Masterlist (Menu)

Loki’s not the easiest person to get along with, but if you manage to steal his heart, you’re sure to be in for an experience.

He’s a charmer and he has a silver tongue, that’s something every version of him has in common, but this loki will use his power with words to woo you and make you feel like the most special person in all the nine worlds.

He’s a prince and he’s got prince money, so expect him to spoil you with things he knows you’ll like. Loki’s the silent watchful type so expect him to notice little things about you.

When you yap, he remembers, most of the time, and you’re re honestly shocked at how good his memory is.

But when he gets into icy moods, your good intentions get lost in translation and your attempts at trying to figure out whats wrong might trigger him to lash out. Give him space and he’ll apologize when he calms down.

Oh! Youre one of the few people he willingly apologizes to, without pride (okay maybe a little pride) he accepts his mistakes and wants to show you he isnt the monster they all say he is.

When he does need comfort, youre the first person he seeks out. He comes into your room silently and when not even a tiny witty remark leaves his lips, you know he just needs an anchor to ground him. He’ll curl upto you and let you card your fingers through his raven black hair and on rare occasions when he actually does want to vent, he’ll talk in the softest voice youve heard him use. He’s secretly terrified youll think he’s weak and be disgusted by him, but the way you reassure him and kiss him on his forehead reminds him otherwise.

When he told you he was a frost giant, he expected you to be repulsed but when you say his species doesn’t affect how much you love him, his mind freezes. He’d been anticipating a negative reaction, and he’d rehearsed how to handle them but this immediate acceptance left him so shocked and relieved he cried as he hugged you tight, whispering a small yet meaningful ‘Thank You’.

He has a lot of trust issues you’ll have to work through together. He knows it’s unfair to you, but he’s trying. For you he’s trying to be better.

I feel like he’s someone who usually lets people leave if they want, he’s used to being the dispensable one or the one who gets left behind so he’s learned to not attach himself to even those he cares most about, handling the loss of companions and friends with a cold and logical view. But if you manage to show him you’re not leaving, that you aren’t going to abandon him, then he’ll love you with all he has, itll take him a while to learn to though.

His magic is hella strong and he loves that you’re fascinated with it. He’ll do little tricks to cheer you up when you’re down and if you have magic in you, he’ll teach you himself.

The dates he takes you on can be both luxurious and even cozy. He used to look down on simple cafe dates and library hang-outs, but once he learned to see the subtle charm in them, he began to love them as much as the fancy restaurants. He’s a classy guy and you cant blame him for living like he did in asgard.

Believes that hi partner must be respected, protected and treated like royalty,regardless of their gender. His mama raised him well and he sure as hell knows how to treat his partner. If anyone disrespects you? HEXED. If a man cat calls you while you’re out on a walk, he turns them into pigs or curses their tongues to shrivel up and fall out. No one gets to disrespect his Love, No one.

He’s got a keen eye for fashion, and if you arent a particularly fashion-savvy person he’ll help you style outfits and would love to coordinate outfits, not in the traditional matchy-matchy way, but in a way where you both look distinct in your own way while also complimenting each other perfectly.

He also likes seeing you in gold, but if you’re more a silver person he wont force you, but he mightt get something with both gold and silver as a compromise.

I think that Loki would love his partner regardless of their height , weight, size or gender. He loves you for who you are, not what you look like.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 @𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐢 ; 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲,𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[what-the-cap-dude]

I'm pretty grumpy with the fact that Marvel took Tony from us before we could see him using "I have young children at home." 'Dad voice' on his teammates.

"No, but you see, that makes me make this face ☹️. This is not a good face."

"Hey, hey. We are using gentle hands. If you can't do that, you will keep them at your sides or in your lap. Capiche?"

"I understand you are having a big feeling, but you do not throw those papers at me."

Tony notices this change and gets embarrassed then quickly gets over it because it's working.

[marriedtomarvel]

⌗ OOO        ────         ⵓ     THUNDERBOLTS* HEADCANONS

╰⪼ what it feels like to be loved by a thunderbolt

(a partner headcanon, gn!reader)

— ❝characters;; bob reynolds, yelena belova, bucky barnes, tony masters (comic!taskmaster version), antonia dreykov (mcu!taskmaster version), john walker, ava starr, alexei shostakov❞

(you love a man who flinches at door creaks and forgets his own name some nights)

⋆｡°✩ 𝑩𝒐𝒃 𝑹𝒆𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 ✩°｡⋆

Loving Bob is learning to decipher the silences. He won't always tell you when the voices are too loud or when the walls breathe too close, but you'll know. You always do. You learn to read the way his fingers twitch, the way he pulls his sleeves over his hands like armor.

His humor is dry, weird, and mistimed—but it’s always for you. He cracks awkward one-liners in the middle of making the bed or while brushing his teeth, and they always make you laugh, not because they’re funny, but because they’re his.

He doesn’t believe he deserves you. He asks if you’re sure—so many times it becomes a lullaby between kisses. You kiss the question away each time. You say yes like it’s scripture.

On the days the meth memories pull him down into shaking, glass-eyed quiet, you sit beside him in stillness. No fixing. Just presence. He says your touch is the only thing that doesn't burn.

He says “thank you” too much, like love is a kindness extended rather than something he has the right to hold. You hold his face between your hands and say his name like a vow. You say it over and over. Until he believes he’s real.

⋆｡°✩ 𝒀𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒂 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒂 ✩°｡⋆

(she loves like a knife under a pillow: protective, hidden, and always close)

Being with Yelena is being constantly teased, constantly protected, constantly held at arm’s length—and yet, somehow, always in her heart. She calls you ridiculous names and makes fun of your walk, but she'll kill anyone who makes you cry.

She pretends not to like cuddling but always ends up tangled around you like ivy, legs and arms everywhere, face pressed to your back like it anchors her to the world.

She teaches you how to throw a knife "just in case." You never get it quite right, and she rolls her eyes dramatically before adjusting your fingers with a softness she thinks you don’t notice.

You patch her up after missions. She pretends she’s fine, but lets you wipe the blood anyway. She doesn’t flinch anymore when your fingers brush her ribs.

She tells you she loves you in moments where death feels close. In the silence before a breach. In the back of a moving car. She says it like a warning. You say it back like a promise.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑩𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔 ✩°｡⋆

(he calls you sunshine, even when the clouds live behind your teeth)

With Bucky, love is slow-burning, like the first thaw after a cruel winter. He doesn’t trust easily—but you are different. You are gentle. He forgets how to flinch when you're near.

He listens. Really listens. Like you're saying something holy. Like your words stitch something back together inside him.

When he sleeps, he clings. And you let him. The vibranium arm is colder than the rest of him, but it cradles you with such care you almost forget what it’s made for.

He doesn’t always have the words, so he brings you coffee just the way you like it. Fixes the broken hinge on your drawer. Learns your favorite song on an old guitar he won’t admit he can play.

Some nights, the nightmares are too much. He wakes up screaming. You wipe the sweat from his temples and remind him: he is not what they made. He is yours.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑻𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ✩°｡⋆

(you fell for the man who remembers everything but how to be loved)

Tony’s love is jagged-edged. He's not romantic, not traditionally gentle. But he watches. Learns. Adapts. He notices the smallest things—how you like your toast, how you furrow your brow when reading—and stores it like data worth killing for.

He hates sleeping. Memories swarm too fast. But with you? He sleeps. Not deeply, not always well—but you in his bed means fewer knives under the pillow.

He's protective in a feral kind of way. The minute someone wrongs you, he doesn’t threaten them—he studies them. Tracks them. They disappear from your life. He never confesses how or why.

You make him laugh. A real laugh. The kind that surprises both of you. You tease him for it and he grumbles, but the corners of his mouth twitch when he thinks you’re not looking.

He has trouble saying "I love you," but he’ll spar with you for hours just to feel your skin against his, just to hear your breath. It’s the closest thing to prayer he knows.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒚𝒌𝒐𝒗 ✩°｡⋆

(she speaks in silence; you learn her language in patience)

Loving Antonia is like tending a wild animal that’s forgotten what soft hands feel like. She watches you like a mirror she doesn’t trust. But over time, you see it: the way her shoulders drop when you enter a room. The way she breathes easier when your hand brushes hers.

She rarely speaks, but when she does—low and quiet and spare—it’s only to you. She says your name like it’s the only one she remembers from the wreckage of her life.

She touches like she’s still learning how. Gloved fingers brushing your cheek. A thumb smoothing your collarbone. She doesn’t know how to hold you like a lover, so she holds you like a mission—steady, thorough, unwavering.

You patch up her armor with duct tape and affection. She lets you. She sits between your knees on the floor as you adjust the plates on her back, and when your fingers linger too long, she leans into them.

She doesn’t dream. Or if she does, they’re not kind. But she’ll rest her head on your lap and listen to your voice—reading, humming, rambling. You speak her to sleep. She tells you it’s the only place her mind stays quiet.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒓 ✩°｡⋆

(loving him is like loving a storm that doesn’t know where to go)

Being with John is like being loved by a man still trying to prove he deserves breath. He says sorry more than necessary. He says "I’ve got this" when he absolutely does not.

He protects you with the desperation of a man who’s failed before. Even a paper cut on your finger makes him flinch. He’s not used to soft things surviving near him.

He tries too hard. Too many gifts, too many apologies. But it’s not performative—it’s panic. He’s never been someone’s favorite before. He doesn’t know what to do with the fact that he’s yours.

You hold his face when the guilt gets too loud. You press your forehead to his and remind him: he's not Captain America anymore. He’s just John. And that’s enough.

His laugh is rough and rare, but when you make him laugh, really laugh, it’s like the sun finally cracked through the storm. You chase that sound every day.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑨𝒗𝒂 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒓 ✩°｡⋆

(you don’t tame her, you just hold space for her to rest)

Ava loves in flashes. She doesn’t mean to disappear, but she does. Sometimes for hours. Sometimes for days. She always comes back, eyes glassy, hands shaking. You don’t ask questions. You just open your arms.

She doesn’t like to be touched when she’s vibrating out of her skin, but she’ll let you hover—fingers barely grazing hers, your breath a tether. She says it helps. You believe her.

She doesn’t do romance traditionally, but you once caught her fixing the hem of your coat when she thought you were asleep. She’d die before admitting it.

You once asked her if she loved you. She said, “I don’t know what that word means anymore. But I’d tear the world apart for you.” You take that as your answer.

She’s not good with soft. But she tries. She reads the books you leave out. Listens to your favorite song on repeat. Brings you stolen coffee because she can’t stand in line that long without phasing through the floor. It’s love. In her language.

⋆｡°✩ 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒆𝒊 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒗 ✩°｡⋆

(he’s loud, embarrassing, and you’ve never felt safer in your life)

Loving Alexei means enduring endless stories of glory days that may or may not have happened, while he flexes in the mirror and asks if you think he’s still got it (he does. you tell him. constantly. he preens).

He cooks badly but with great enthusiasm. He brings you meals that are half-burnt and proudly proclaims them as “just like motherland.” You pretend to gag. He kisses your forehead with a big greasy hand.

He’s a bear of a man with the emotional vulnerability of a drunk poet. He cries at dog commercials and once cried harder when you called him “home.”

He writes you letters. Actual pen-to-paper letters. The handwriting is atrocious and they always end with “your red guardian forever,” followed by increasingly dramatic signatures.

He is loyal in a way that is terrifying. Someone looks at you wrong? He’s already standing up. Someone hurts you? He’s planning a funeral. You’re the most precious thing he’s ever been trusted with—and he’s never letting go.