Why couldn't she have become beautiful, like Steve? He was broken but Howard had fixed him. The same serum that created Captain America, that fixed Steve and made him whole, made him what he wanted to be, gave the demons within her life and a corporeal form. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

"I love it," Sirius assured him, running a thumb across his cheek, watching the way the lights from their house reflected in Remus' eyes, knowing that everything he wanted was being reflected back. "I love you." (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

"I daresay I want it as badly as you," Holmes said softly as Watson grimaced, not wanting to be patronized. "But I am your friend, and I love you – and I wouldn't want you to regret it." (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

"Careful, P," Wade warned softly, unable to stop himself from tightening his arm around Peter's waist just a little more. "You're about to make me start feeling things, and you know how I feel about feeling feelings." (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

"You are beautiful, Will Graham," Hannibal murmured, lips sending a little shock of electricity through him, making him feel... good. Loved, even – though that was never what this was about. (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

"I told you if I came back it couldn't be like this!" he shouted, but not at Tony, yet still Tony's arms were trembling and he remembered how Bruce had looked at him, so calmly – "I think it's safer with you, in your... facility. Where I can't hurt anyone. But I want to make it clear – I am not an Avenger. Not any more." (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

And although he was still homesick and nothing short of actually being home was going to fix that, this felt good too. The stars, the universe, his home within that – Spock by his side. (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

He hated it – resented every day that Odin brought him to live here only to torture him in this way. The constant pained frustration he felt every time he looked at Thor looking away, smiling at someone or something else... Jealousy dug its nails into his insides every time. (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

Duo was tugging at his pocket, nosing his ear. Whispering. "Let's go inside. Let me warm you up." (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

Nat stood, stepping off the patio, snowflakes catching her hair, on her coat, smiling – genuinely smiling – as she took in the lights, the snow, the moon as it rose over the arched buildings that walled in the piazza... It was so, so beautiful. (12 Days of Christmas Challenge)

They always did it in the dark, which made sense because Wufei was dark – dark hair, dark eyes, dark countenance, mouth set in a frown. Wufei was like a shadow that stole over him, some succubus lurking in the deep, mutated parts of his dreams come forward to claim his soul.

"How long has it been?" Tony asked, chin on his shoulder, mouth at his ear so that it was asked quietly but the question seemed to roar in Bruce's ear.

There was something about high school sweethearts, wasn't there? Tony always thought so. It was like – he could never quite shake Bruce from his bones. And four years later, here he was. And he was gorgeous.

"Just go," Heero said, offering him the out Duo clearly needed. "Just go. Just go and don't come back." Duo's weight sagged dramatically against him as he fell fully into his frame, all of the fight leaving him at once, but he managed out a single word – "Where?"

At this point in his life, there were very few things Bruce Banner was scared of. General Ross? Sure. Losing control of the Hulk and flattening a city? Obviously. But he'd been living in Avengers tower for a little over six months now and it wasn't until he walked into his and Tony's penthouse room and saw Pepper standing there that he realized he was scared sh**less of her.

Levi visits Eren for the last time on the eve of his execution struggling with everything that it took him all of Eren's lifetime to say.

"Yeah – good thing you're a cheap date," Bruce finally managed though his throat was tight as he forced out each word and the smile he returned was lopsided and strange. "Come on." He flicked the cigarette butt away from the car to force himself to turn away. "You need some pancakes to soak up that liquor." (Little Wonders Arc)

While she couldn't see Duo's face or what he said she could see Heero's face gradually becoming more relaxed and that, at least, offered her some happiness as she started the car. Maybe she couldn't be with Heero, but she could at least protect him and keep his secret.

For five years Bruce and his alter-ego had lived in relative peace on the outskirts of society. But then paranormal investigator Tony Stark came to Bruce's home - and though Tony didn't know it, he was looking for Bruce.

They thought for a moment about faith and wondered if maybe like B he could just believe it would be true, that they would never have to be apart, and they wouldn't.

It had been twenty-eight days since Tony had last seen Bruce. Twenty-eight days and all he had was the ocean. He had finally given up looking.

Quickly he did an assessment of the others as he moved forward towards the blast, but then he caught that drag of lights, that weird pattern from Metal Man's thrusters, and then another sound, distinct, what he knew the rest of them called an RPG. There was a blast when it hit and for a minute Metal Man's lights disappeared. And then Hulk lost it.

Levi growled a little in the back of his throat and ran his hands through his hair. This was stupid. He was a man. He could face this dumb kid and get a couple lousy pens from him without making a total jerk of himself... Or so he hoped.

All his life Bruce had only wanted to be permanent, he had only wanted things to stay the same. Even if things were bad, as long as they were the same, they couldn't get any worse. But, as he stared up at the sky he figured – nothing beautiful in this life was ever permanent.

Two mausoleums were constructed after Anthony Edward Stark's death. One was public, placed in what was colloquially known as Avengers' Square, and the second was private and a different man sat buried in it. There were no flowers here, no homage, no acknowledgement, just the private death of another man, a man consumed completely by Tony's memory.

"Got yourself a boyfriend, Stark?" His grin was vicious, crooked teeth gleaming with incredible whiteness for how jacked up the rest of his face was. "Leave it," Tony replied, rolling his eyes and blowing it off as Bruce's anger mounted. (Little Wonders Arc)

With ease Bruce drew the cigarette from his lips and blew smoke in a thin, straight line outward, turning his eyes back towards the cigarette as he dangled it between two fingers. Bruce could practically hear the breath caught in Tony's chest, the weight of his anxiety. For a minute he considered letting it go, letting Tony out of the challenge, but – (Little Wonders Arc)

Wufei hated Mexico. Sweaty, hot, no air conditioning, luke-warm beer, their mission was clearly screwed and his partners had an unfortunate habit of getting too tipsy and exchanging heated looks across the tiny box that was their safe house hideout.

It was always like this between them when Duo was on Earth. The time away turned Heero into something fierce and when their eyes met across the dance floor he knew exactly what was going to happen.

There was one man who once claimed to love Bruce – monster and all. And he was currently standing on stage in the middle of Rockefeller Square, running a toy drive to impart some goodwill in the face of the wreckage the other guy had left in his wake. But no one deserved to be constantly responsible for cleaning up his messes – least of all Tony.

The Winter Solstice. The one time of year Levi and Eren were guaranteed to be in the same city. Although it was completely unnecessary because he knew Eren would be here, Levi still pulled the golden pendant from his pocket, flipping it open in his palm and staring at the two little dots, finally aligned on the miniature projection of this slice of earth.

Tony waited for him in that shitty bar in the shit side of town. A man of his stature waited for no one but then, he would do anything for Bruce. (Warning: Major Character Death. Please read note for full warnings at the beginning of fic.)

Eren surprises Levi by washing his sports car in tiny cut off shorts.

Based on the tumblr prompt by caswitch: 'I got caught staring at my adult neighbour raking up a bunch of leaves in their backyard and jumping into them and now have to awkwardly pretend I saw nothing' AU

Bruce was incredulous. It wasn't like he was somehow unaware of Tony's egomania but this – this was on a whole 'nother level. It was ridiculous – no. It was insane. Did he actually think that he was so great that the only thing that he could offer someone that was better than him was two of him?

"We could go to the ocean." There was a moment where it looked like Eren was going to bite his tongue on his words but then he dipped his head a little and boldly reestablished eye contact "Like we did, you know... before."

A cat appears waiting to be fed at Eren and Levi's new apartment. Levi thinks cats are disgusting and Eren can't help but feed it anyway.

An early morning moment between Levi and Eren.

It was in Vegas that I realized my mistake. Couldn't have been further away but sometimes maybe you have to get as far away as earthly possible before you can get any perspective. But there was something about being in the crappy little hotel room, laying on the bed, still fully dressed, watching a roach crawl up the cracked plaster to the ceiling and I realized I missed you.

Levi wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when he was torn from the endless darkness of his mind by a deep, disturbing groan. Eren's body jerked roughly, his nails digging painfully into Levi's upper arm. Levi was disoriented for a moment as he sat up, unsure of what was happening. Eren dug his fingers in harder, a sob caught in his throat as he begged – "Please don't go."

A series of intersecting vignettes back and forth through time documenting Heero and Duo's relationship before and after the apocalypse - including what lengths they'd go to in order to be together again. AU, 1x2x1, warnings at top.

If you weren't able to smile during Christmas, then when were you able to? Eren struggles with giving Levi an acceptable Christmas gift, hoping to cheer him up during this nostalgic holiday. Levi x Eren, Christmas fluff.

It's difficult to be so in love with two completely different people. And maybe that's why I could never choose between them – because they are so different – I don't know. All I know is that Duo is... Duo is my partner, my friend – the first friend I ever had, in fact. But Relena... Relena is something completely different and I can't escape her.

"I let you catch me – didn't I?" Duo baited, tilting his face up a little, pouting out his lower lip a little, trying to play at being a 'good boy' even though he knew nothing of the term. But he knew how Trowa liked that – liked to think there could be something good there, hidden and shoved away under layers of danger and a lifetime of bad decisions.

Levi contemplates his relationship with Eren on the eve of the 57th Expedition Beyond the Walls. Levi x Eren, extended warnings at top.

How did we get to this place where I want you so badly it hurts and I can't even ask you for help because I can see in your eyes that you can't help me anymore because you don't want me at all?

Jack Kaufmann has no recollection of the braided man who claims they were once more than friends, but his quest to recover his memories leads him to discover a plot much larger than himself that is a threat to the peace he'd once fought to protect... 1x2x1, post EW, warnings at top.

Duo intends to make sure he never gets heckled by construction workers while leaving his office for lunch again.

They came all the way out here on one coded text – and even then, Duo phrased it as an ultimatum. 'You don't have to come, but I'm going.' What kind of option was that? What was Wufei really supposed to say? What was he really supposed to do? (Reverse Big Bang entry, established 2x5, past and present-ish 1x2.)

"Don't feel so worthless, Yuy." Duo grinned a little even though his lips hurt, cracked and likely bleeding because he tasted copper but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. "If I'm gonna die, I'm glad it could be with you." If Heero responded it was lost in a fit of dry, painful laughter. (Reverse Big Bang entry, rated M for language, violence.)

"She's really got ya domesticated, huh?" Duo's voice was light but his eyes studied Heero's intently, suddenly unsure if the reason Heero missed him so much wasn't because he missed him, exactly, but because he was caged and Duo reminded him of his freedom, the height of his prowess, piloting a mobile suit to defend the colonies, saving Earth from certain destruction.

Suffering from situational depression, Heero agrees to accompany his best friend and travel 900 miles to his hometown on their last spring break as undergrads. He didn't expect to meet a man who would make him question his very understanding of what it means to be happy. AU, 1x2, warnings at top.

I'm not sure exactly how it started. I mean, I know when it started, but I'm not exactly sure how the series of events morphed into what they are today. What they have been for the better part of a year.

"Hey 'Ro?" There was a strange gleam in Duo's eyes as he peered up at him from under his bangs. "How come our timing was so off?" Heero blinked in surprise. "Timing?" he mumbled out as his fingers twisted his glass nervously. "Well, yeah! I mean, I had the biggest crush on you during the war, yanno?" (Part of the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Arc - post EW, warnings at top.)

"Hey now, I am great with kids, you know that! And Heero, well, you know, not a single hair on her tiny baby head will be displaced and he'll guarantee you that." A wash of apprehension flooded Heero then. If he didn't know better he would've thought Duo was offering them up as babysitters. (Part of the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Arc - post EW, warnings at top.)

"I just never," Duo started, then stopped. Never... what? Never thought his first kiss would be with his partner in a tiny twin bed in a run-down safe house after breaking into and blowing up an OZ base? Yeah, what was normal again?, Duo wondered. Either one of them could die tomorrow, having never been kissed, and that was... that was terrible, really, when he thought about it.

For years now, Duo has been plagued with visions of a mysterious man he is forced to paint. Meanwhile, Heero is returning from undercover field work to a life of nothingness. But they will soon learn they are more entwined then they know... AU, 1x2, warnings at top.

After breaking up with his pop-sensation girlfriend Relena, rock musician Heero Yuy becomes infatuated with rapper Duo Maxwell and decides he must try to see the up-and-comer while he's in town. This story started as a smutty little distraction from my more serious works and kinda became a life of its own... AU, 1x2x1, warnings at top.

Duo drew in a deep breath, flipped on the lights, and smacked the biggest smile he had available across his face. He held up the bagged sushi in it's three clamshell containers and shook it a second, enticingly, noting that Heero went straight for the bottle this time, not even bothering with the little set of glasses Duo had purchased him a year or so ago.

The ceaseless whisper of Heero's fingers over the keys would eventually lull him to sleep, but for a moment he just wanted to listen. They rarely got a quiet moment together like this – just the two of them.