okay but the University of Texas has a masters in astronomy and Neil deGrasse Tyson got his there so presumably it is a p good program right
a program in which perhaps Jane Foster might have participated, brilliant astrophysicist that she is
related: the training to be pararescue also takes place in Texas
I’m not saying Jane Foster and Sam Wilson definitely banged on some heady exams are over/I’m out of training weekend, buuuuuut
and then they run back into each other at some Avengers party and like oh you’re that Jane Foster, oh you’re that Sam Wilson, and they’re nervous because like, not that Thor would be jealous exactly, it’s just sort of awkward right, it was no big deal, it’s whatever, it was a long time ago
and Thor’s like but this is excellent news! I’ve been unsure of the polite way to broach the topic of a threesome on your planet, but I can only assume this is your way of suggesting one! your place or ours? 😀
Thor follows Jane and Sam into the bedroom like so:
pepper’s efficiency is, as always, welcomed by the avengers. it’s nice to have someone responsible in the tower again, since steve and bruce are both away on some kind of mission. it’s bucky’s first time being in the tower without steve and it’s a bit daunting, having all these people that actually like him and care about him (steve doesn’t count because he’s different, he’s always been different), so he mostly just keeps to himself and stays in his room. he forgets to eat sometimes, but he doesn’t really think much of it. he can survive for weeks on a pack of crackers so it’s not a big deal
it only takes about two days for someone to knock politely on his door and enter at his confused “come in.” it’s pepper, and she’s carrying a tray of what looks like homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes
“look, i’ve had to deal with tony and his inability to take care of himself for almost ten years now, so i would appreciate it if you made this easy on me. eat the food and then come into the living room – we’re having movie night”
bucky just nods his head and pepper smiles, eyes crinkling up at the corners. “good. maybe i’ll even braid your hair if i’m feeling generous”
later that night, after the movie (which took twice as long as it should have since tony kept pausing it and explaining why the science was wrong) bucky wakes up covered in sweat and breathing hard. he thinks about going to the kitchen, getting a cup of coffee and forcing himself to stay awake the rest of the night, but what he really wants is human contact, someone to tell him that everything’s alright. so he throws on a shirt and heads to tony and pepper’s room, knocks on the door quietly and sticks his head in at pepper’s quiet “come in”
“i, uh, i had a nightmare,” bucky says, shifting from foot to foot in the doorway
“come over here and join us, then. we’ve got plenty of room.” pepper motions to their admittedly huge bed, where tony is snoring on his back, limbs sprawled every which way. he lays down in the middle, curled in on himself until pepper touches his back gently. “you don’t have to sleep like that you know. c’mon, turn over on your side so we can spoon. tony kicks in his sleep so i never get anyone to cuddle with, but i think you’ll do just fine”
bucky wakes slowly the next morning, well rested and squished between tony (who apparently decided to cling to his back like a limpet at some point in the night) and pepper. it’s the best sleep he’s had for weeks
Kimchi and Justice 