#rubberbandtheory

[moose-brains]

I just never realized I'd be the one loving you more. I guess I should have prepared.

evening thoughts

[hawkuponthewatchtower]

Its been three days and I still cant get that chopstick out of the wall.

Sue is gonna kill us.

[baxterqueen-blog]

#please fuck me while wearing this

[dr-betty-ross]

Follow the Footprints || Reed & Betty

Betty hummed quietly as she cleaned up from lunch, putting away the plates. It had been a few days since they had came back. Felix was- ah there he was, brushing against her bare legs as she moved around the kitchen. Ever since Sharon had picked him up he had been hanging closer. The attack probably scared him, though she still managed to get the singe fur cut and cleared away. She slid the last plate into the cabinet before reaching down to snag the cat trying to wrap himself around her legs, batting at them as if he was expecting something to occur.

“You must have played with Reed in my absence. He is special doll; most humans can’t do what he does. Actually I am willing to bet he is the only one who can do something like that.” She buried her face into his fur before pulling back with a sad smile. “Maybe after mamma is a bit better we can go visit again. Or if you grow to like Sharon she could take ya to go visit. But you cannot scratch her, that’s rude.” After all, the chances of her getting better were dodgy to say the least. Certainly not something that could be measured by any length of time.  She shifted Felix till he was comfortable draped across both her arms. For some reason the feline had picked up a love for the green hoodie. Apparently Emma had good taste for humans and cats. Maybe she would tell the other woman that whenever she visited next.

With a heavy sigh she collapsed down onto the couch, being careful not to jostle the creature resting in her arms. “Well we can watch TV or a movie, nap, or read a book. What do you think?” Her eyebrow raised when the other jumped to the window still and sat there for a moment before jumping down and prowling towards the door just to turn and give her an ‘are you coming’ look when he arrived. That was odd; he had never done that before. Heck waiting at the door for someone was typical dog behavior, certainly not Felix’s style.

“No dear, we can’t go out. Maybe later tonight.” This time at least I’ll be able to defend myself. Betty thought mockingly before shaking her head and snorting at the cat’s meow. “And no, no one is going to be visiting so you can relax.” 

[hawkuponthewatchtower]

Reunion | Clint & Reed

It'd been months.

Clint had spent the majority of it living in a hospital, recovering from broken bones and numerous other injuries that he'd long lost count of and frankly had found it hard to care about with his mentality, until he'd been given a clean enough bill of health to be released into a world still recovering from the attacks they'd all been targeted with. 

Of course, while life had more or less been turned on it's head and left stagnant for him, the rest of the world had moved at light speed. Which was why Clint found himself standing before a building that had been closed for the longest time since the Chitauri invasion. The whole time he'd been stuck in hospital he'd been visited by many people, a gesture both touching and a little odd for him because he was used to most people brushing him under the rug, but the one person who hadn't visited was Reed. 

Not that they didn't keep in touch regardless -- the scientist had sent him messages and even care packages, and given him updates on the status of things, but he'd been tied up with the sudden resurgence into the public spotlight with Susan and the rest of the Four, something that the re-opening of the Baxter Building had only fuelled. 

And man, Clint had seen the building before in passing and from internal files, but he'd never actually been to the place. So he'd decided that he'd take the time to head into the area, walk Lucky, and finally catch up with his friend and see how he was doing in the aftermath of everything.

He should've picked that Reed would've made sure everything was restored back to what it had been before a space whale had crashed into the top storeys and done massive structural damage. It was almost understated compared to the rest of the high-rises around the area, with a 1920's art deco visage on the exterior that wouldn't look out of place in some kind of movie like King Kong he reckoned for the layering on the upper storeys. There were even brass handles on the front entrance doors, adding more charm and character to the place.

It was a hell of a lot classier than a lot of the stuff Stark built that was for sure; a different kind of charm, prominent but understated all at once.

The archer tightened his grip on the cane that'd become his crutch since he'd started physio and steeled himself to actually go in, not entirely sure even if Reed would be there, and moved to push through the ornate double-glazed door when it was opened for him by a pleasant looking older gentleman. Clint blinked owlishly before his mask fell back into place again, uttering a quiet thank you before he limped inside and the door was closed behind him and the labrador.

"Can I help you at all son?" The concierge, who's name tag said Jimmy, asked him. "The building's not open to the public right now but you were standing out there an awfully long time, and Doctor Richard's HERBIE AI said you're an Avenger -- Hawkeye, right?" 

Clint grimaced at that and nodded. "Uh, yeah, yeah that's me. Name's Clint, I was wondering if Doctor Richards was in." 

He added quickly, "Reed, I mean. I'd be lovely to catch up with Sue too of course, but she'd be most likely to take my cane from me and make me do physio exercises." 

Jimmy laughed at that and beckoned toward the elevators, also decked out in art deco grandeur complete with a brass-gold finish, and pressed the call button. "Doctors, right?"

"Exactly, man." 

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Clint and Lucky wandering in with Jimmy following them to take them up to the penthouse level of the building -- something that required a passcode from what the archer saw -- and before he knew it they were heading on up the huge building faster than he suspected would be normal.  Probably custom like everything else in the place was; maybe even built by Reed himself. In no time they'd reached the penthouse and the lift chimed again, opening to reveal a wide hall with a handful of doors that lead out into an open-plan area that was huge.

"He's around here somewhere," Jimmy brightly remarked. "HERBIE will let him know you're here. Feel free to make yourself at home. Mr. Storm and Mr. Grimm are still abroad so you won't have to worry about their antics." 

Those, Clint had heard, were legendary and rather destructive at times. That happened when a pyro tended to piss off a golem though. 

"Thanks Jimmy, and nice to meet you," Clint drawled, giving him a half wave with his free hand while hobbling out onto the marble floor.

The doors slid shut behind him and Clint was left alone with Lucky in the huge place. His friend had wildly different design tastes to Stark who tended to keep things very sleek and modern, and the archer lost himself taking in all the details as he hobbled into the broad open plan area which seemed to be part living area part lab. 

"Geeze Reed, you've outdone yourself here," he mumbled to himself, Lucky rumbling out a bark beside him.

Clint chuckled lightly and took Lucky's leash off of his collar, ruffling his neck fur. "Lucky, find!"

The dog ecstatically bounded into action at that command, skittering across the flooring and into the other parts of the huge level to find Reed, whom was likely coming but would enjoy the surprise of being greeted by a very happy dog who loved his stretchy friend.  

[drbanner-and-theotherguy-blog]

Tell Me: I’ll write a drabble about my character confessing something to yours

"Or. I mean. I didn’t - we don’t have to talk about this."

Reed laughed, and Bruce dropped his face into his hands.

"It’s fine, Bruce, really. We’ve known each other since college, and let’s face it - this isn’t the most embarrassing thing we’ve ever talked about."

"Isn’t it?" Bruce raised his head. "This would have made more sense in college, at least. We’re middle-aged, and I’m confessing to - to - " He waved his hands over his lap before returning them to his face and leaning back against the couch, his headed dropping back as he groaned.

"I didn’t know who else to talk to, though. Other than you, Betty, and Clint - "

"Bruce, please. It’s all right. To be fair, I don’t think Clint’s been with another man, either. You’re both quick studies. You’ll be fine."

"I don’t have to see you to know you’re trying not to laugh."

"Ah, well, then - " Reed trailed off into gentle laughter again, and Bruce dropped his hands to his sides as he joined in.

"Oh, god. Just don’t tell Clint."

[pizzauponthewatchtower]

Talk [Reed invents a talking dog collar]

"Pizza?" 

That was not his head voice. That was from the new collar Stretchy had put around his neck, complete with a special blinking... thingy on it with a speaker, that seemed to be able to make his voice like theirs. It was weird. But cool. Maybe more people would understand him now? 

"Pizza!"

"Fascinating. I wondered if it would work -- of course it would, I mean, I've created more complex designs before, but it makes one wonder why no one else had done it before," the scientist hummed out thoughtfully, gently adjusting the collar so it sat more neatly and comfortably. "And this is just the first design; I could make it even more compact and it would still receive the right transistor data." 

Lucky butted his head against Reed's arm, panting away happily. "Stretchy promised pizza," his collar proclaimed, voicing his thoughts above the low rumbling bark he gave. "I like Stretchy. You give me food and hugs and shiny things. Archer thinks you're good person too. Makes me like more if Archer likes!"

"Fascinating." 

"Stretchy food!"

Reed laughed then, rubbing under Lucky's ears which had his hind leg twitch and thump against the floor. "Oh! That feels good," he rumbled. "My favourite thing." 

"Yeah, well, I think I know all your favourite things without the collar, fuzzball," Reed laughed out, smooching the fine fur between Lucky's brow before standing. "C'mon, I did promise pizza, but I also recall saying something about--" 

"BALL!" 

[pizzauponthewatchtower]

Beach

Stick stick stick stick stick —- stick!!!

Stretchy threw great sticks, threw better than Archer (but never tell Archer that or he’ll get sad), so when the stick was lobbed over the sand Lucky was right after it at full speed, excitedly panting and loving the feeling of sand between his toes. Of course, the only downside to Stretchy throwing so well was that he threw really far, and Lucky only had one eye, so sometimes finding the stick was...

Difficult.

So Lucky decided that the huge hunk of driftwood he found was the perfect stick replacement. 

"Oh my -- Lucky that thing is huge!" Reed laughed out as the labrador proudly trotted up dragging the huge chunk of salt-tinged wood. "I swear I didn't throw that. Or did I?" 

Lucky gave him the equivalent of a shrug in dog, which involved tilting his head and grumbling out a bark, before dropping the chunk of wood at his feet with an excited yap, tail flicking up sand. Stretchy took the hint and stretched his arm around the piece of wood, wrapping around it a few times even, so he could heft it up to swing it --

Stick! 

Splash! Into the water it went, and Lucky followed eagerly, only to be assailed by Reed diving in with him laughing all the while. 

It was good to hear Stretchy laugh. That meant Stretchy was having fun too.