*𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭*
BOTH BUCKY AND MARTINA WERE EXHAUSTED when they walked into the penthouse of Stark Tower the following morning.
Steve, Wanda, and Tony were lounging in the living room, all pretending to be extremely nonchalant, and breaking that facade as they all shot out of their seats at the arrival of the two misfits.
"Hey!" Steve said, walking over to them and hugging Bucky. "We didn't know when you'd two would be back!"
"Yeah," Wanda said, making her way to Martina, reaching out for her hands as she gave her a disappointed smile. "When you two left you were being very cryptic."
"What?" Tony snorted. "Frozone didn't like the sun?"
"No, no," Martina said, shaking her head and letting go of Wanda's hands. "Nothing like that..." she looked up at Bucky. "We actually got some pretty huge news."
"About what?" Steve asked.
"About her powers," Bucky said.
"Well?" Tony said, tapping his foot impatiently. "Are we going to play hangman or are you going to tell us?"
Martina sucked in a deep breath as she held her hands up in the air. There was no use beating around the bush- she knew Tony would just find a way to make it explode regardless- so she just came out with it. "I wasn't experimented on by HYDRA. I was actually born with them."
The room was eerily silent as every person, minus her and Bucky, became frozen like creepy statues.
For a second, Martina considered that they hadn't heard her at all until Stark threw his glasses off and clapped his hands together.
"I knew it!" he yelled, reaching for his phone. "I have to tell Lionel! It makes so much sense considering your lab results! There's still more I have him pouring over back at the lab but it's so similar to the Super Soldier Serum but with differences that-"
"Silence, Stark!" Wanda demanded, snapping her fingers so that Stark's voice was muted by a bubble of red that floated around his head.
"Martina..." Steve began, shaking his head with an incredulous smile on his face. "How do you feel about this?"
She let out a dry laugh as she pushed her hair back from her face. "I honestly don't know."
Stark was waving his hands frantically in front of his face and with an eye roll and a snap of her fingers, Wanda popped the bubble.
"This is amazing!" he shouted, a little too loudly causing Wanda to flinch.
"Don't make me put that bubble back!"
"So, the very first enhanced-born," Steve said with a smile, mulling the thought over in his head. "It seems too weird to be true."
"No," Stark snapped, pushing him out of the way so he could examine Martina. "That's a terrible name."
"Then what do you suggest?" Bucky asked with a bored tone as he slapped Stark's hands away from his girl.
Tony was frowning at Bucky until a thought popped in his head.
"She's a mutant!"
"Like that's any better." Martina scoffed, thinking that term made her feel like even more of a science experiment. "Tony! Stop touching me! I promise you can get all the samples you want later!"
"You seem...calm," Wanda said, noticing the way Martina's breaths were even and her hands were steady. "Are you okay? You really want to give Stark unlimited access to your DNA?"
Martina hadn't known what exactly she was feeling- what she told Steve was true- but there was more to it, more than she was willing to admit in a room full of people.
"If I don't accept this, it'll kill me and the people I care about. This is a part of me and if Tony's tests can help me figure out exactly what and how I do it, I'm all for it."
Tony grinned in a nature that reminded Martina eerily of Loki as he held out his hand to her.
"Care for a test drive then?"
━
When Martina walked back into the Avengers compound, she was happy to see that whatever damage she had done was fixed. Not having the reminder of how spectacularly destructive her powers could be was nice, especially since she was still trying to come to terms with it.
"Everyone got new digs," Tony explained as they all walked into the living room. "Of course, there wasn't even a scratch on yours."
"I'll take your luggage up to your room," Bucky said, coming up behind Martina and kissing the crown of her head.
When he walked away, there was a pregnant silence in the room until Tony popped his mouth.
"So..." he began, rocking back and forth on his heels. "You and Snow Patrol?"
Martina stifled her blush. "Um, yeah." She reeled back when Tony stomped his foot and angrily pulled out his phone.
"Damn it!" he screamed, typing furiously. "God, Artemis always calls it! You owe me twenty bucks, kid!"
Martina rolled her eyes at Tony's comment, not needing any further elaboration, and began walking toward the training room.
When she entered, she could see that there were several people waiting for her. Wanda, Steve, Lionel, and Bucky were all standing around the training room, and all their eyes wandered over to Martina as she entered with Tony.
"Do you want to change first?" Lionel asked, pointing to her tube top and jeans. "Those don't look like the clothes Tony made for you."
"What?" Wanda snorted, smirking at him. "Afraid you'll see her naked?"
Next to Steve, Bucky grumbled under his breath and Captain America laughed as he patted his shoulder.
Lionel's cheeks flushed- out of embarrassment or fear Martina did not know- and headed toward the firepit.
There was something going on in Martina's head, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
There was a slight pulsing in her veins and a feeling of quiet determination. It had been the quietest her mind had been since everything started.
"Don't," she said, noticing that Stark was already preparing to light the fire for her and signaling for him to put down the lighter fluid. "I don't need it."
With a snap of her fingers and a huff of her breath, the fire lit.
Tony's jaw fell slack. "How did you..."
"I was terrified of it," Martina whispered, staring intently at the fire and willing it to move toward her so she could hold it in the palm of her hand. "But I'm not scared anymore. This power wasn't given to me. It's my birthright."
She tested the weight of the fire and tossed it to her other hand with a giggle. "I am reclaiming my body and I will no longer let it control me. I'm the one in charge now. I think that's really all I needed to accept, the fact that they're not going anywhere."
She smiled brightly as she brought her hands together and pulled them apart slowly, creating a thin line of glowing embers which she whipped into the air.
"Why don't I ever get any cool monologues?"
Martina turned to see Artemis and Loki walking into the training room hand in hand, with light snow still covering their shoulders.
"Are you hot?" Loki said, staring at his fiancee with the utmost concern.
Martina snorted.
"What?" Artemis asked with her eyebrows furrowed, shaking her head at him. "No, I meant-nevermind."
Martina smirked at her as she wiggled her fingers and made a small line of fire encircle Loki's ankle and crawl up his frame. "It's awesome, isn't it?"
Artemis' eyes were wide with amazement as Martina decorated Loki with gentle flames, and even he was impressed as he pressed his fingers delicately against it.
"The most awesome," Artemis gasped, going to touch the flame until Loki slapped her hand away. She turned back to Martina. "I don't mean to be a downer but where exactly did this come from?"
"I learned some things," Martina said coyly, tipping her head so that the fire returned to her.
Artemis frowned. "One night in Iceland and I miss this!"
"Don't worry, love," Loki cooed, wrapping his arm around her and pecking the crown of her head. "We won't leave again."
While Loki and Artemis shared a brief moment of quiet admiration, Martina's eyes locked onto Bucky from across the room.
When she looked at him, he had his large arms crossed over his broad chest and was smiling with the utmost satisfaction.
He was so proud of her. When they first met, she was like he used to be; a prisoner of her own mind. Now, she had taken back her independence. She proved that even the deadliest power could be beautiful.
Martina's thoughts were solely on Bucky. He had truly helped her. He didn't really do anything, but he had listened, he was patient, he comforted her, and he made sure she didn't have to do any of it alone.
She just hoped that maybe by helping her harness herself, she had helped him discover the person he wanted to be- the person he was now.
While they were locked in a heated and longing stare, Artemis walked up to Stark with an annoyingly smug look on her face.
"That's another twenty," she stated, holding her hand out in front of him as she watched Bucky and Martina.
Stark groaned under his breath and made no move to reach for his wallet.
It wasn't until Loki snapped his fingers that it appeared in Artemis' hands.
Artemis shot Loki a wink as she rifled through the contents. "For not being a good sport, I'm taking two."
Tony plucked the wallet out of her hand after she had removed the bills. "You don't play fair."
She rolled her eyes and turned back to her fiance. "Do you want to go out for lunch?"
"Can we get some of that raw fish we had in Japan?" he questioned, rubbing his hand against her back.
"You mean sushi?" She smiled when he nodded his head sheepishly and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Yeah, definitely."
Tony curled his lip in disgust as he stepped in front of the two and gingerly parted them. "Look there's a great shawarma place downtown, but just hurry back quick because I have a plan for us."
"A plan?" Martina asked, breaking her eye contact with Bucky as she cast away the flame.
"Yup," Stark said with an amused smirk. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. call up the oldies."
Steve sighed and shook his head. "Funny, Stark. Buck and I are old, we get it."
Tony didn't reply as he tapped a few buttons on his bracelet and projected a video call with Natasha and Clint on the other end.
"Come on, Cap," he said, wagging his finger at him with disappointment. "You need to have more confidence than that."
"Uncle!" Artemis shouted, pushing Loki away as she walked closer to the screen. "Long time no see. Nat, did you just pick him up?"
"Where has he been?" Martiana whispered to Tony, noticing that Clint and Natasha were standing against a forest backdrop.
Tony waved his hand dismissively at her. "Secret family, no big deal."
Martina snorted. "I'm really afraid to find out what you guys consider a big deal."
"You were gone for quite a while, Aunt Nat," Artemis said. "Did Berlin give you any trouble?"
Natasha rolled her eyes as she nudged Clint with her shoulder. "No, none at all. If your uncle would have caved and come with, it would have been done sooner."
Clint grunted with furrowed brows. "We're two hours out. What couldn't possibly wait until we got there?"
"Well, we need to take a vote," Tony stated, grabbing Martina's arm and pulling her in front of the screen.
"On what?" she chuckled nervously, looking back to see that Bucky was smirking wildly at her.
"You joining the Avengers of course!"
Clint and Nat looked between each other with a smile. "We're game. She's been here long enough."
Martina looked back at Artemis and Loki who were nodding their heads in agreement when Artemis turned to him, she snorted. "Babe, I'm pretty sure you don't get a vote."
"You wanted me to be a part of the team, didn't you?" he grumbled. "Well, this is what it looks like."
"I for one think you'll make a great addition," Steve said, patting Martina's shoulder. "I don't think we have to ask Bucky what his vote is."
Martina looked back at Bucky who was looking at her with the utmost admiration, his soul swelling with pride at seeing everyone gather around and accept her.
"Yes," he said, nodding his head and walking over to her.
"I say yes!" Wanda said, shooting her hand in the air. "If anyone cares, that is?"
"It's official then!" Tony said, hugging Martina. "Welcome to the Avengers."
Martina could feel tears prickling her eyelids as she realized that she was in a place where she could finally be understood and accepted.
"What should her codename be?" Steve asked.
Tony grinned. "Oh, I have a wide array of ideas. Personally, I'm partial to Hot Tamale."
"You and I are going to have a serious chat, Stark because I don't even want to get into how racists that is," Martina said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Maybe something cooler?"
"Like Artemis'?" Wanda said with a wag of her eyebrows.
Martina turned to her. "What's your codename?"
"It is not my codename!" Artemis shrieked, her face burning. "It never was and I resent the fact that none of you feel the need to acknowledge my chosen one. I'm Olympus!"
"Come now, darling," Loki teased, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Tell her your codename."
Artemis threw him a look as she crossed her arms and mumbled. "Stipsebas."
"I'm sorry. Come again!"
"Stripped Sea Bass, god damn it!" she yelled, stomping her foot. "That stupid computer!"
"How about the Red Storm?" Bucky proposed quietly, drawing everyone's eyes to him as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Red Storm?" Tony mumbled, rolling the code name around his tongue. "We have time to come up with a better one."
"I like it," Martina whispered, smiling at Bucky. She took a deep breath as the reality of her situation finally dawned on her. "The Red Storm."
"I think we should call it a night," Tony said, already calling up his car. "Tomorrow you start training."
"Haven't we already been doing that?" Martina asked, wrinkling her nose at him.
"No, doll," Bucky laughed, grabbing her shoulders. "Physical training."
"That's right. Magic tricks aren't enough. We've got to show you have to fight," Tony said.
Wanda shook her head at him. "You wouldn't call it a magic trick if she had hit you with it."
Martina laughed silently as Bucky took her hand and led them out of the training room and away from the bickering Avengers.
He escorted her down into the sleeping quarters where she was happy to see that there was no evidence left on the horrors she had inflicted only two days prior.
When they stopped in front of the door, Bucky lingered for a moment and raised his hand to cup her cheek. "Good night kiss?"
Martina laughed as she dangled her arms around his neck and pulled him down. "You don't even have to ask."
Their lips met in a sweet embrace, and although Bucky had grown comfortable around her and the physical contact, he was still hesitant as if fearing that any moment she would realize who she was kissing and yank herself away.
Martina hummed against his lips as she ran her hands down his chest, a sigh escaping her mouth and entering his as his metal hand became tangled in her hair.
She had assumed that he had meant for a chaste good night kiss, something for them both to hold onto until the next day, but that was the last thing on her mind.
She felt the familiar fire grow in her gut that she had felt when they were locked passionately with each other on the beach. She couldn't help herself and tried to pull him closer until her back was pressed against the door and his hands had nowhere to go but her waist.
Bucky could feel her warmth radiating through him between all the layers that separated them. She was hungry against him, her body pleading with him to meld into hers.
She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she found her hand reaching behind her to open her bedroom door. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled him into her room and turned him so that she could shove him onto the bed.
Bucky watched with fascination- and a bit of fear- as Martina's eyes glowed a bright red as she crawled over him.
"What's gotten into you?" he asked with a husky whisper, his hands landing on her hips as she climbed up to straddle his waist.
"Everything!" she gushed, rubbing his neck before dipping down to pepper it with kisses. "It's overwhelming! It's like everything is just magnified!"
"You're fired up," he smirked, brushing his thumbs against her hips.
"Not you too."
"Go on."
She sucked in a deep breath as she pulled him into a sitting position. "All my life I've been numb. I had this hiding inside of me all this time. The more control I have over it, the better I feel. I feel free, Bucky."
Bucky's body was trembling in anticipation as she ran her finger up and down his metal arm. "And what do you want to do with that freedom?"
Martina shook her head at him and let out a deep sigh as she bent down at forced her lips on his. She licked her way into his mouth as she tried to get just an ounce of his spicy taste and he responded with equal passion by allowing his mouth to open for her.
She was breathing heavily as she brought herself back up and slipped off her shirt. She was about to dip back down until she saw the look in Bucky's eyes. His eyes were wide with shock and she could not see past the look of disbelief to see the lust hidden underneath.
His hands that had been so confidently clutching her were shaking against her bare skin and she quickly threw her arms over her chest.
"Aye, Dios mío," she gasped, trying to maneuver her way off of him. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I-"
Bucky's hands suddenly latched onto her thighs and prevented her from escape. He sat up and encircled his hands around her back, pulling her back to him for another searing kiss.
He brought his metal hand up and gently tugged at her hair to better angle her neck so he could ravage it with open-mouth kisses. She was so lost in the sensations and so blinded by the heat burning within her that she didn't realize that Bucky was absolutely terrified.
She angled herself away so she could go for his lips again, but she stopped when she saw his eyes were cast down and his chest was rising up and down in a worrisome way.
"Something's wrong," she whispered with the highest insecurity, running her finger over his bottom lip. "Bucky."
Bucky looked up at her and she could see that blush was spreading from his neck and that he was giving her a weak smile. "Um. It's been decades since..."
"I figured," was all that Martina could say as she noticed the way he seemed to be retreating into his memories. "We don't have to-"
"No! It's not that!" Bucky said almost desperately, holding her in place by her shoulders. "I just...from what I remembered I used to be pretty amazing."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "And humble from the sound of it."
"I'm just trying to remember how," he admitted, his fingers playing with the strap of her bra.
"You don't need to try, Bucky," Martina whispered, a smile growing on her face. "Don't recreate someone who isn't here anymore. I don't want him. I want you."
Bucky licked his lips as he slowly pressed his them against hers. He was so tentative as he brushed her lips languidly, reverting back to their first kiss when he was all nerves and no confidence.
His hands were still shaky as he ran them down her shoulder and over her chest, resting gently on her breasts as he toyed with the fabric that obscured it.
As his hands explored her body and as his mouth investigated hers, it seemed that he was trying to figure out what he liked, trying to forget all his past dalliances in order to experience this intimate act as if it was the first time.
He found that he liked it when Martina moaned against his lips. He liked it when her hands tickled the back of his neck and played with his hair. He liked the feeling of brushing his thumbs against the underside of her breasts, and he liked how electric all her little pecks and hums were to him.
He pulled back with a renewed sense of confidence. He looked deep into her red eyes and tugged the corner of his mouth up.
"You're my girl, Martina," he said, bringing her hand up to rest against his cheek. "I'm sorry it's taken me this long to realize it."
Both Martina and Bucky began to laugh as he repositioned them so he was hovering over her and brushing her wild hair away from her face.
He pressed his forehead against hers as he buried his nose in her hair, loving the way she always smelled faintly of pine and oak, smells that were usually associated with men but so beautiful on her.
She hesitantly played with the hem of his shirt and looked at him through her lashes as if asking for permission. He nodded and sat up so he could remove his shirt in one fluid motion.
She took him in and could fully appreciate just how beautiful he was. He had a broad chest and rippled muscles whose indents she traced like a mesmerizing pattern. For a man who had seen so much violence, his skin was unusually smooth, that is until her fingers reached the junction of his shoulder and his metal arm.
"Do they ever hurt?" she whispered, tracing his jagged scars with fascination.
He shook his head and smiled at the way she seemed to be wiping away all tainted thoughts. "Never."
When he dove back down, her lips immediately latched on to that scarred skin, giving it a tenderness she was sure it had never experienced. He sucked in a breath at her contact with the sensitive skin and brushed the hair away from her neck so he could give her as equal to intimate contact.
She could feel his tongue lapping against her neck and she arched her back when his hands traveled over her stomach. She felt the need to hold onto him and when she reached for his metal arm, Bucky could feel a familiar warmth.
He looked down to see that her hand had lit up into gentle flames that were dancing around his arm.
"You're hot?" he asked, smirking at her as her eyes shot open in horror when she looked down at her hand. "Should I be concerned?"
Martina closed her eyes and forced the flames to come down to as manageable of size as she could manage in her lust induced state.
"Fireproof room, remember?" she laughed, pushing herself up and capturing his bottom lip once it came into reach.
She began to grind helplessly under him as her hand worked its way down to his stomach, brushing against the hem of his pants and palming the skin. He let out a moan when her other hand scratched his back.
But then, the hand on his stomach lit up.
"Doll..." Bucky said, admiring her lust-filled eyes and impatient expression. "Obviously I trust you, but just because my arm is metal doesn't mean the rest of me is."
Martina huffed and looked down to see that his pants were slowly catching fire and that Bucky was trying his hardest to pretend that it didn't even sting.
"He's a little out of practice, I'll admit it, but-uh- I kinda want to keep him."
Martina laughed as she reeled back her powers and began to take off his belt. "We can just not if you prefer."
"Absolutely not," Bucky said, his blue eyes gleaming as he helped her remove his pants.
Martina managed to keep her powers in check as articles of clothing were thrown across the room. When his metal hand wandered past her stomach, tickled the inside of her thighs, and settled on the one spot that seemed to be bursting with anticipation, she found it entirely difficult to keep herself in check. His cool metal finger against her heated center was undeniably and simply erotic. The way he touched her and the way he kissed his way down her body sent an electric jolt through her.
She was happy that he was super-human as she realized that she would never be able to have sex against without some threat of flames, but the danger that she had feared before only excited her anymore. It was the acceptance of it- of her- and the fact that any moment she could unleash all of herself, but Bucky didn't care. He took that danger like the soldier he was and showed no fear as his mouth connected with her.
His stubbly cheeks brushing against her thighs caused her to let out combination of something resembling a groan and a giggle. It was over too soon though because Bucky seemed too impatient to be with her fully, but she knew with certainty that he would spend many nights buried in between her thighs if it meant that he could make her happy.
After another round of vicious kisses and wandering hands, he finally aligned himself with her and gently pushed inside of her.
Both of them let out a gasp, entirely consumed by the foreign feeling of it all, even though it was very clear that neither of them was virgins. Maybe it was the fact that Bucky hadn't had intimate contact since he'd become the Winter Soldier, and maybe it was because Martina had never been her true self with her past partners, but both of them relished it.
They were both different people than they had been before, and they experiencing this rebirth with each other, both holding on to the fact that no one would ever come close to that honest and earnest moment when he began his slow and torturous thrusts.
Time seemed to cease, there was no concept of it. They barely registered that the room darkened with the setting sun, an indicator that they were wrapped together through the afternoon and into the night. It was more than just searching and clawing for a climax, but relishing in the sensations and the connection that only comes with wet kisses and the feeling of being filled by each other.
At one point, Martina found their position switched as she climbed on top of him, and she smiled. She stilled her movements for a minute and just admired Bucky for all he was. His eyes were closed, there was a thin sheen of sweat on his face and on his chest, and all his worry lines had faded. It took him a few seconds to realize that her eyes were on him, and when he did, he tangled his hands into her hair and pulled her head down to rest on his chest.
"Martina," he whispered with quite a bit of strain in his voice as their naked chests touched with every breath he took. She could hear the pounding of his heart and knew that he was still terrified. "I-I..."
She snapped her head up and rested her hands on his cheeks, smiling gently at him as she brushed her nose against his. She knew what he was going to say, but he didn't have to. "It's okay."
It wasn't what he was expecting her to say, but it caused him to smile nonetheless. He had been close- so close- to expressing how he truly felt about her, but he wasn't ready. They were naked, he was buried within her, they were both consumed by a lust-filled daze, but he still wasn't ready. He knew that Martina didn't care, not at that moment, so he did the only thing he could think of.
His hands wandered down to her hips and he began to help her up and down, relishing in the tight hiss she let out as she raised herself with him. Their breaths were heavy and the room seemed to be filled with heat as she picked up her pace, finally anxious and ready to experience what they had put off for so long.
Martina reeled her head back as her hips began to move on their own accord, grinding against him, pressing down as hard as she could, trying to stake her claim on the man she already knew was hers.
When Bucky's mouth came down to capture her breasts, she crumbled onto him and reached out for the bedframe to steady her shaking body.
When he bit down gently, smirking against her skin, her body couldn't help itself as the headboard behind them burst into flames.
However, neither Bucky nor Martina cared. They would more than likely not even notice if the whole building crumbled around them at that moment.
It only took a few more sways of her hips before he lifted her gently and began to buck into her. Just the sheer force of it, the contrast to how sweet and gentle he had been before, set her off. She tightened around him, she stopped breathing, she reached the limit and she finally crashed. It didn't take long for Bucky to follow suit behind her, still in disbelief that someone as innocent as her was willing to give this to him.
When it was over, they were both out of breath and still clinging to each other, neither of them eager to part. He gently flipped them over so they were both lying on their backs and their legs became tangled together. No words were exchanged for several minutes as they came to terms with what had happened and what it meant.
They were finally free.
"Um, doll..." Bucky laughed, brushing his thumb over her parted lips and loving the exhausted look in her face.
"Yeah," she mumbled, still clouded by lust and not entirely paying attention. "What?"
"Do you want to put out the headboard?"
━
"Mr. Stark, is that all for today?"
Tony looked back at Lionel who was packing his gear away and staring at him expectantly.
"Yeah," Tony said, sitting on the metal slab in the lab as he took a sip of his scotch. He eyed one file in particular that Lionel had tucked under his arm. "Are those the notes on today?"
Lionel nodded his head as he handed Tony the file. "Yeah, just some observations about the increase in Martina's powers. I also made sure to add the part about the origin of her abilities. I swear, it's incredible. I'm bringing it all back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Ross will more than likely want to see them."
When Lionel reached back for the file, Tony kept it just out of arm's length as he chewed over his bottom lip. "Maybe we should just keep this between us for now."
"But, you know that S.H.I.E.L.D. requires all this data from us. Ross isn't too happy with Martina being here so he wants detailed reports," Lionel said, confused when Stark still refused to hand over the file. "Sir?"
Tony took another swig of his drink as he pondered whether or not he should allow Lionel to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D with the new information.
He understood that the Avengers' relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D was more than rocky and after everything that had happened in Germany, they were still hesitant when granting the Avengers a certain amount of leeway.
However, there was a small part of him- more than likely his subdued conscious- that was urging him to keep their new discovery silent. The team had finally been brought together despite all the odds, and he knew that S.H.I.E.L.D was just looking for a reason to disband them.
Tony was smart enough to know that Martina might be one of those reasons, a reason to crack down on them again.
Although he initially sided with the Sokovia Accords, a part of him still regretted giving the government such a stronghold over him and his team members.
"Just leave it to me, boy-wonder," Stark said, finishing his drink as he waved Lionel out of the room. "I'll take care of it."
―A/N―
And we're back with a bang (sorry for being punny, I just couldn't help myself)!
I hope that the few readers I had before this hiatus are still here! I really needed it to focus on my other works and if you're interested, Loved and Lost is on its fourteenth chapter and growing strong!
So, what did we think of this chapter? Is it everything you hoped for? Is it too much? Is it not enough?
Unfortuately, I will no longer be able to follow my strict schedule of posting three times a week. This story is not completed (draft wise) and it's gonna take some time to figure out how to write the ending and fill some plot-holes I've found myself in (although the entire story has been outlined).
Again, I hope that you all enjoyed this and I will see you Monday!
Until then & faithfully yours,
Bella.