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justinewt · 2 years

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Power Broker - MARVEL REWRITE Chapter Sixteen

[MARVEL REWRITE-MASTERLIST] - [THE MULTIVERSE SAGA]

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Summary: Things were speeding up in their search for Karli Morgenthau. The trio was off to Germany to see an old enemy of the Avengers in a high-security prison... allegedly high-security. But as always, the reunion wasn’t going to go as expected, especially by Sam.

Words: 11.3k

Warnings: Falcon & The Winter Soldier episode 3 “Power Broker” spoiler, Mcu phase 4 spoilers, angst, some violence, shootings, nostalgia, flashbacks (kind of) explosion, fights, stabbing, one slit throat and that’s about it I think

Berlin, Germany

Frainn walked down the hall of a prison facility along her two partners, Sam and Bucky, who made the three of them come here to see one of their inmates. The guard led them up to a certain point in the hallway and indicated a door a few feet away, leading on a smaller corridor.

“He’s just through that corridor.” He told them with a thick german accent, pointing ahead of them. Bucky nodded and as they stopped in their tracks, glanced at Frainn and Sam.

“All right, give us a sec.” The guard replied with a brief nod and walked away, leaving the three of them alone for a moment, as requested by the super soldier. “I’m gonna go in alone.”

“Oh, right.” Frainn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn’t going to let him go in there on his own. She was coming along, just in case. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her lover, but she indeed didn’t trust Zemo very much and she had never seen his face before, so it was the occasion.

“Why?” Sam inquired; his hands stuffed into his jacket’s pocket.

“Cause you’re Avengers. You know how he feels about that.”

“It’s not like you two were known for frolickin’ in the sun together.” Sam argued.

“He was obsessed with HYDRA.” He retorted. “We have a history together. Trust me. I got it.”

“I’d like to meet this terrorist whom you share a “history” with, if you don’t mind.” She declared as he turned around, about to go through the corridor leading to his confined cell. He glanced at the stubborn goddess and as he rolled his eyes, she shot a smirk at Sam and followe him while the guard led them to the door of Zemo’s cell. He passed his badge and the door buzzed and opened to a narrower and quite darker corridor, plunged in a dim kind of dull light. Coming to the cell’s door, he made a call and spoke in german to the director of the facility for him to open the door of their prime inmate. The door buzzed and he opened it for them, closing it right after Frainn stepped in the room. She walked right behind Bucky as they walked in so Zemo was going to have a little surprise when she would step aside and reveal herself from the shadow, as he would as he sat on his bed on the other side of a thick glass in the miffle of the room, isolating him in his tiny cell. When Bucky stood near the glass, Zemo started reciting the russian words to activate the winter soldier. Frainn stood in the back and he if he did notice her, he didn’t acknowledge his presence for now as he tested the reactivity of Bucky to the words.

“Those days are over.” Bucky stated as Zemo stood up, emerging from the dark.

“I know.” He said softly, nodding, pursing his lips. He then slowly approached the glass to look at Bucky from upclose. “I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words. Something is still in there. At least you were not conscious for most of your imprisonment.”

“That time wasn’t exactly a picnic.” He retorted bitterly, keeping on a straight face in front of the criminal. Frainn bit her lips, looking around. She thought about commenting on this, saying that she had went through centuries of emprisonment, far away from her people, her family, in a cold place, in an ice cell with her tyrannic grand father who abandoned her father, leaving him to die until he was found by Odin after the battle against Jotunheim. As much as she resented Odin for how he treated Loki, she was glad he lived, because he had Frainn to live through from now on.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. It was never personal.” He walked around his half of a cell and looked at Bucky. Frainn was fighting herself to stay silent and let them have this moment to talk, whatever Bucky wanted to talk to him about. It wasn’t her place to intervene unless one of the two addressed her. Right now, it wasn’t about her, as much as she wanted to say sarcastic things out loud. “You were simply a means to a necessary end. I also am sorry for not introducing myself properly to my other, very special guest of the day.”

“Oh, there’s no need. I know who you are, and I assume you know who I am as well.” She took a few steps and stood beside Bucky. The latter glanced at her as she came nearby.

“I indeed know who you are, Frainn. Norse Goddess of Ice and the Winter, daughter of Loki.”

“You want my résumé and complete family tree too?” She retorted, staring him down. He chuckled, glancing down for a second, his hand joined in his back.

“That would definitely be an interesting reading.” He answered and she shook her head, not stopping to look at him and he smirked, nodding as if he was observing her and trying to decipher the shades of very soft and cold green in her icey eyes. Bucky eventually spoke up again, getting on why they even came here in the first place.

“Someone recreated the super-soldier serum.” Zemo instantly looked at Bucky. “I need to find out who.”

“You are assuming HYDRA has something to do with this, which why you came to me, which means you are desperate. Even though you have a powerful and smart goddess under your arm. I do not doubt that she could get rid of this threat easily, but you know that just killing off the super-soldiers isn’t enough.” He declared as if he had everything figure out already. “Luckily for you, I know where to begin.”

“What are you talking about? You wanna break Zemo outta jail?” Sam asked, already expecting the worst of his dear partner in crimes. “Where the hell are we, Buck? Have you lost your mind?”

“Look we have no leads, no moves, nothing.”

“What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind the bars.”

“And we also have eight Super Soldier that are loose.” Bucky argued. Frainn walked with the two guys, looking around with the flashlight in her hand. The place they had stepped in was completely dark, but it looked like some sort of old hangar with stuff all over the place, which they couldn’t see because of the lack of light. Frainn suddenly bumped into something and looked down. She had accidentally kicked a chair’s leg and now it was lying on the floor, so she just pushed it aside carelessly, listening to the two.

“Zemo’s gonna mess with our minds. Especially yours. No offense.” Bucky stayed silent for a second as he turned on the light in the room and he glanced at Sam, turning his flashlight off.

“He can’t mess with mine.” Frainn mumbled to herself.

“Offense.” They looked around them. What Frainn thought was a sort of hangar or shed or whatever, was actually a messy garage, storage along the walls and a car sitting in the center of it all, its trunk opened. “Super Soldiers go against everything he believes in. He is crazy but he still has a code.”

“If we follow his logic, my kind is as much against what he allegedly believes in.” Frainn swinged her flashlight in her hand and caught it back as it fell, shoting up her eyebrows, following the motion of the object she played with for an instant. “May I remind you that he wanted to wipe out super-heroes, targeting the Avengers, a team I was and still is a part of, and any powerful non-human whatever being, which defines… me.”

“Yes. Exactly.” Sam pointed at the Goddess with his hand after he supported his point. Bucky gave a sidelong glance at Frainn and looked back at Sam. “And not to remind you that, I’ve been on the wrong side of that code and so have you. He blew up the UN, he killed king T’Chaka and framed you for it. Did you forget that? You think the Wakandans forgot about it? It’s a rhetorical question. They didn’t. I know why it matters to you, but it’s pushing you off the deep end.”

“We don’t know how they’re getting’ the serum.” Bucky kept arguing. “We don’t even know how many of them there are. Look, let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I?”

“What’d you do?” Sam asked softly and Frainn frowned, staring at her lover, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, right.” Frainn chuckled, nodding, crossing her arms over her chest. He definitely did something, no matter how hard he tried to convince the both of them otherwise. She eventually shook her head and waved her hand around and he started.

“The weakest point in any system isn’t the software, the hardware, it’s the meatware. The human element. Now, in this lockup, it’s nine to one, prisoners to guards. And if two prisoners start fighting, then the protocol says four guards have to respond.”

“So why would prisoners randomly start fighting at that moment?” Sam inquired, shaking his head.

“Who knows? There could be any reasons… But the point is, these things escalate. Lockdown procedures would have to be initiated, and with all those bodies flying around left and right, wouldn’t be hard to slip down a hallway or two. And if the fire alarm got tripped while the prisoners were being separated… someone could use the chaos to their advantage.”

“I don’t like how casual you’re bein’ about this.” Sam smirked, feeling something was up. “That is unnatural. Are you— And where are we, man?” He then looked beyond the car as a door opened and a figure walked toward them, and there he was. Zemo pushed the plastic stripes hanging in the door frame, in a german guard’s uniform. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hye, what are you—”

“No, listen.” Bucky stepped in front of Sam and blocked him.

“What are you doin’ here?” He yelled anyway.

“I didn’t tell ‘cause I knew you wouldn’t let this happen.” Bucky rose his voice.

“What did you do?” Sam insisted on asking. He turned his face to Frainn as she was being quiet, standing nearby, looking at Zemo with a slight hint of contempt in her stormy blue eyes. “Did you know? You’re a deceiver, that was all an act back there?”

“Sam.” He rose his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head upon realizing that she helped Bucky in his little “breaking Zemo out of prison” plan.

“We need him.” Bucky said.

“You’re going back to prison!” Sam pointed his index finger at the former terrorist.

“If I may…”

“No!” All three of them turned their heads to him, frowning and yelled simultaneously at him.

“When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia Accords, you backed him. You broke the law, and you stuck your neck out for me.” Bucky went on to tell him. “I’m asking you to do it again.”

“I really think I’m invaluable…”

“Shut up.” Sam cut him off in a low voice. He glanced at Bucky, let his head fall over and slowly shook it before raising his face to the centenary standing in front of him. “Okay.” He turned his head to Zemo. “If we do this, you don’t make a move without our permission, or we let Frainn confirm why you think superheroes are dangerous, and it’ll go beyond what you ever thought.”

“Fair.” He nodded, glancing at the Goddess, staring at him, dead in the eyes.

“Okay, Zemo.” Sam paused. “Where do we start?”

“So our first move is Grand Theft Auto?” Frainn glanced at Sam, confused as to what he was referencing saying this. She had no idea what this Grand Theft Auto thing was.

“These are mine.” Zemo replied casually. “Collected by family over generations.”

“Yeah, to me it’s just a bunch of junk on wheels. I don’t see whatever beauty you see in it.”

“To ordinary mortals devoid of the power of teleportation, they are very precious.” Zemo explained in a drawling tone like he was some philosopher before he went back to his explanation to the three of them while Sam and Bucky checked out the cars here and there and Frainn just stood in the middle, waiting as she had no intered in those things. “I spent years hunting people HYDRA recruited to recreate the serum. Because once it’s out there, someone can create an army people… like the Avengers.”

“Not all of us have serum running through our veins in order to grant us strength and powers, Zemo.” Frainn spat, pacing her finger against her arm in boredom.

“That was just a pure factual metaphor.” He smiled before benting over and grabbing some things in the backseat of one of the cars. “I ended the Winter Soldier program once before. I have no intention to leave my work unfinished. To do this, we’ll have to scale a ladder of lowlives.”

“Well, join the party. We’ve already started.” Sam retorted.

“First stop is a woman named Shelby.” He spoke as he walked away, holding his bag and coat. “Mid-level fence I still have a line on. From there, we climb.”

“So all this time, you’ve been rich?” Sam wondered as they walked along a private jet parked on the tarmac, the engines roaring in the back.

“I’m a Baron, Sam. My family was royalty until your friends destroyed my country.”

“I’m royalty too.” Frainn chimed in, looking around. “I was an Asgardian princess until my world was destroyed by a, uh, let’s say, a “end of the world” kind of prophecy and I should be queen of a realm of ice, but I can’t go back and it most likely went to ruins by now sooo....”

“Hearing these things coming to life when you spoke of it, is… fascinating.” He admitted. “Tell me more about it, any time.”

He then greeted the old butler standing by the stairs leading into the plane in russian and they exchanged a few words and kisses, and he then invited the three others to follow him inside. Frainn brought up the rear and she gave a smile to the man, greeting him in Russian as she spoke any Midgardian language. The old man was at first surprised, but he just smiled and climbed the steps after her as they all entered the jet. They sat down on four fancy beige leather seats in the aisle, facing each other. Sitting on the armchairs with his back to the cockpit, Bucky was seated facing Sam and Frainn facing Zemo. Arms and legs crossed, she was dangling her foot in boredom and looking out the porthole. She turned her head when she felt someone benting near her. It was the old man handing out a glass of champagne to Zemo.

“Apologies if that’s a little warm, the fridge is out. But I will see if there is some good food in the galley.”

“If it doesn’t pass the smell test… give it to them.” Zemo answered in Sokovian. Frainn stared him down while the butler chuckled at the comment and left.

“You’re decaying body won’t pass the smell test either, but I’ll be sure to feed it to the All-Father’s crows.” Frainn said in Sokovian, with a smirk on her face. He glanced at her and nodded as he took a sip of his drink like he understood why she would say this to him. Sam and Bucky were silently gazing at the both of them as the goddess death stared the Sokovian Baron.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be locked in a cell.” He then said, turning his head to Sam and Frainn frowned while Bucky looked away. “Oh. That’s right. You do.”

“Easy mistake.” Frainn retorted, giving him a fake reassuring smile. All four of them in this plane had known what it was like to be in a cell, some longer than others, in harsher conditions, but it all came down to the same memory of being in these four walls with no way to escape, except that they all did escape.

“Why don’t you tell us about where we’re going?” Sam inquired, annoyed.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to call it, but this part seems to be important. Who is Nakajima?.” His eyes down on a book he held in his hands, and he then revealed a smaller one he had hidden in the pages. When he pronounced the man’s name which Frainn recognized, Bucky jumped out of his seat and brought his gloved hand to Zemo’s throat and the latter let out a light gasp.

“You touch that again, I’ll kill you.” He threatened, grabbing the book and sitting back in his seat under Frainn gaze.

“I’m sorry. I understand that list of names. People you’ve wronged as the Winter Soldier.”

“Don’t push it.” He warned in a low voice, calm. He glanced over at Frainn when her spear’s blade suddenly came beneath Zemo’s chin. She knew about this little book of his. She knew it was important and what was important to Bucky would be protected with her life by Frainn.

“Next time, this spear won’t stop at your chin.” She spat, implying that the next time he tried to push Bucky around, she would let the spear pierce his throat and the blood would flow down his mortal body.

“I’ve seen that book.” Sam added as Frainn made her spear shrink back to the side of a mere pencil. No one would ever suspect this seemingly harmless object people saw everyday would hide a much more lethal weapon. He looked at Bucky as he spoke. “It was Steve’s when he came out of ice with Frainn. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book. Did you hear it? What’d you think?”

“I like 40’s music, so…”

“You didn’t like it?” Sam was almost offended.

“I liked it.” Bucky replied.

“Before you come for me, Sam, I just want to say I haven’t had much time on Midgard since 2012.” The Goddess raised her hands, palms turned to Sam, in defense.

“Well, you should listen to it now that you live on our planet.” He chuckled.

“It is a masterpiece. Complete. Comprehensive. It captures the African-American experience.” Zemo explained.

“He’s out of line, but he’s right.” Sam then declared. “It’s great. Everybody loves Marvin Gaye.”

“I like Marvin Gaye.” Bucky argued calmly.

“Steve adored Marvin Gaye.” Sam insisted.

“You must have really looked up to Steve. But I realized something when I met him. The danger with people like him,” He glanced at Frainn as he spoke before his eyes went on Bucky. “America’s Super Soldiers, is that we put them on pedestals.”

“Watch your step, Zemo.” Sam whispered but Zemo kept going, staring at Bucky.

“They become symbols. Icons. And then we start to forget their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought. You remember that, right?” Bucky was quick to look away after he glanced at the man with the glass of champagne. “As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?” He shook his head. “That is why we’re going to Madripoor.”

“What’s up with Madripoor? You talk about it like it’s Skull Island.” Sam wondered, looking at Zemo. Frainn was kind of confused. She didn’t know where was Madripoor or what was the deal about it and she didn’t know what was this Skull island thing Sam brought up but she hid her confusion behind a mask of ice.

“It’s an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago.” Bucky mumble an answer. “It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s.”

“It’s kept its lawless ways.” Zemo added. “But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.”

Madripoor, Indonesian Archipelago

“We have to do something about this.” Sam complained, glancing at his red and gold suit. “I’m the only one who looks like a pimp.”

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp.” Zemo countered as they walked down an impressive bridge toward the city they landed for. “You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing. The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger.”

“He even has a bad nickname.” Sam argued after taking a phone Zemo handed to him with a picture on it. He then looked down on the screen and rose his eyebrows. “Hell, he does look like me, though.” He glanced at Frainn, walking next to Bucky. “Why are you not dressed up too?”

“I could, but I don’t need to.”

“What do you mean?” He questioned, as if he wasn’t aware of the extent of her powers by now.

“You said it yourself, I’m a deceiver. No one will see me but you three. They won’t even be able to know unless I show myself.” She then explained.

“It is truly an art. An unpredictable and dangerous one.” Zemo philosophized before frowning slightly. “You smell this?”

“Yeah, what is that? Acid?” Sam wondered.

“Madripoor.” The Baron simply stated. “No matter what happens, we have to stay in character. Our lives depend on it. There's no more margin for error than Frainn can cover us for with her illusions.”

“You won’t even see or feel it when I do so.” They approached a black car stationed in the middle of the empty road, waiting for them.

“High Town’s that way. Not a bad place if you wanna visit, but Low Town’s the other way.” Frainn stood by Bucky as he opened the door and she slipped in between him and Sam on the back seat, already hidden from anyone’s sight but her three partners in crime, that included the driver on that fancy car they got in. The latter drove off and after a couple minutes tops, rain started pouring outside and thunder rumbled. Frainn looked at the sky when she heard it, thinking of her uncle, wondering how and what he was doing while she was in this mess, hunting Super Soldiers. As if they knew who was in this car, a bunch of armed men riding bikes came around the vehicle and escored them. They got out of the car and walked down a bunch of stairs, surrounded by artificial light and LED paneld hanging on the building, plunging them in a blueish atmosphere with some hints of pink and yellow, the night sky over their heads. The streets were crowded. Shady people holding guns over thei shoulders all over the place. It wasn’t so high class like back on Asgard. She wasn’t scared but it wasn’t somewhere she wanted to stay for long. It kind of made her miss the cosyness of their small not so furnished apartment in New York.

“Here we are.” Zemo then led them into a bar, a crow thronging the room. Frainn glanced around and winced at the sight of a wall filled with monkeys’ skulls painted in gold, just hanging there in decoration. She didn’t like this place very much and couldn’t wait to be out of here, but she could feel it was only the beginning of a long night. They made their way through the crowd and as seconds passed, people noticed them and in no time, all the eyes were on Bucky, walking behind Zemo as he spoke in Russian to the Super Soldier. “Ready to comply… Winter Soldier?”

“Hello, gentlemen.” The barman greeted the three. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

“His plans changed. We have business to do with Shelby.” Zemo declared.

“The usual?” The man frowned behind his glasses and looked at Sam. The latter nodded, and he watched him grab a snake into a jar and cut it open on a black cutting board below the counter.

“Ah. Smiling Tiger, your favorite.” Zemo smiled, as the barman made the drink, plunging something from the snake into ther liquor. Frainn saw the look on Sam’s face, so she took care of it, like she discussed with Zemo. To the man behind the bar, Sam was looking pretty confident and eager to drink whatever this was.

“I love these.” He said, calmly, grabbing the glass and looking at Zemo.

“Cheers, Conrad.” Their glasses clinked as they cheered, and he drank. Only them could see the wince of disgust on his face. A man then walked up to the Baron from behind and the latter turned around.

“I get word from on high. You ain’t welcome here.”

“I have no business with the Power Broker,” Frainn frowned, wondering who this person Zemo mentioned was, but what she got from the way he said it, was that whoever this was they were kind of the big deal here in Madripoor. “but if he insists he can either come and talk to me…” He showed Bucky beside him, keeping on a straight face, silent. “Or bring Selby for a chat.”

“A power broker? Really?” Bucky inquired once the man walked away.

“It’s a pretty lame nickname.” Frainn added.

“Every kingdom needs its king.”

“Stop Zemo, I’m this close to find you funny.” She taunted, making a small space between her fingers. He glanced at her without moving his head to not make it suspicious. She wasn’t there to anyone else in the bar, he couldn’t act like he was talking to a ghost.

“Let’s just pray we stay under his radar.”

“Do you know him?” Sam wondered, leaning his back against the counter.

“Only by reputation.” He turned to Sam. “In Madripoor he is judge, jury, and executioner.”

“Seems like a lot of power for just a man if you ask me.” Frainn appeared beside Sam and crossed her fingers on her chest. He nodded at her comment. They looked at Zemo when he turned around and started speaking Russian to Bcuky when a man walked up to him.

“Winter Soldier, attack.” The second the man put his hand on Zemo’s shoulder, Bucky grabbed him with his metal arm and twisted his wrist, pushing him away forcefully. He punched him in the stomach and made him fall over on the floor while everyone stepped away, watching, their phones out to film the scene. Another man rushed at Bucky, but he threw a punch and a couple of kicks at him and threw him away, dragging someone else in his fall. But really, this fight scene was much more complex than people could see. Bucky fighting as the Winter Soldier in the middle of a crowded bar was just the work of Frainn’s power. The persons he fought of were very much getting hurt and kicked and punched around and that was the whole thing about her illusions. She could make them so real you would actually mistake them for the reality. She could conceal herself from the sight of others and project illusions that would go to such a realistic level that no one could see through it. No mere mortals could notice the trick. The real Bucky was still standing near the bar and Frainn was squeezing his shoulder lightly.

“I didn’t want to let you do this.” She whispered, watching the fake but real-looking fight taking place in the bar. The damages in the room were real as they were cause by Bucky’s opponents upon falling around.

“This is very impressive, Frainn.” Zemo remarked, knowing that her illusion would make it look like he didn’t even talk at all, and he nodded, watching as well. Illusion Bucky then stood right where Bucky was, pinning a man down onto the bar and in a fraction of second, Bucky found himself actually holding him down. When Sam put his hand on Bucky’s metal arm, Frainn made it look like he didn’t move so they wouldn’t be suspicious. “Stay in character, or the whole bar turns on us. You are lucky Frainn is covering us.” He then switched to Russian. “Well done, Soldier.”

“Selby will see you now.” The barman exclaimed as Bucky let the man slip down the bar, groaning in pain. They were then led through a back door. Cells along the walls, tables covered in bundles of cash. They eventually reached a private lounge. They walked to a woman casually sitting on a couch.

“You should know Baron.” She started, tapping her fingers on the top of the back of the sofa. “People don’t just come into my bar and make demands.”

“Not a demand. An offer.” He replied, sitting on the other sofa.

“A lot has changed since you were here last.” She went on to say, following Bucky with her eyes. Frainn stood beside him and stared at the one named Selby as he positioned himself near the wall. The white-haired woman turned her head back to Zemo, frowning slightly. “By the way, I though you were rotting away in q German prison. How did you escape?”

“People like us always find a way, don’t we?” He shrugged, sketching a smirk. “I’m sure you’ve already figured out what I’m here for.”

“You’re taller than I’d heard, Smiling Tiger.” She stated, still looking at Zemo and pointing at Sam with her index finger and slowly turned her head to him. He simply looked down at her and nodded silently, with a straight face. She then purred softly, moving her fingers in the air and glanced at Zemo with a thrilled smile. “What’s the offer?”

“Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum.” He stood up and walked over to Bucky, passing behind him like he was a prize and Frainn didn’t like that very much. She knew it was all part of the plan to get the information but knowing that Bucky must have been so uncomfortable in this position, she was upset. “And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want.”

“Now that’s the Zemo I remember. I’m glad I decided not to kill you immediately.” Her smile faded to a more serious facial expression, but one could see that she liked the idea of having the Winter Soldier under her thumb. As she continued, Zemo went back to the sofa. “Arrogant, but right. The Super-soldier serum is here in Madripoor. Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the man you wanna thank. Or… condemn, depending on what sied of this you’re on. The Power Broker had him working on the serum, but… things didn’t go as planned.”

“Is Nagel still in Madripoor?” Zemo asked. She slightly leaned forward, shaking her head.

“The bread crumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you, Baron.” She stood up. “And before you get all cute, don’t think you can find Nagel without me.” Suddenly Sam’s phone started to vibrate in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Frainn clenched her fist. Doing anything wouldn’t do them a favor because Selby had heard it and if there was magically no sound, it would be strange. He looked at the screen of his cellphone and glanced back at Selby who now stood right in front of him. “Answer it. On speaker.”

“Hello?” He eventually said, taking a deeper voice than usual, trying to keep it together for the act. A female voice rose.

“Hey, um, we need to talk about this situation. It’s been drivin” me nuts.”

“What situation exactly are you talking about?”

“Are you high?” The woman wondered, sensing something wasn’t right about the way Sam was talking to her over the phone which made Frainn think it was someone close to him, who would know his behavior was off. Whilst he was on the phone, Selby walked around the room. “You know what situation, it’s the only situation me and you have.”

“What situation, Sarah? Say it.” He sounded fakely bothered.

“The damn boat. And watch your tone. Okay? I let you slide at the bank.” Sam scoffed before replying.

“The bank. Yeah. Laundered so much…” He chuckled, shaking his head with a proud smile, trying to play this off. “Yeah, they’ll come around.”

“If that was the case, then why’d they dog you out, Big Time?”

“Yeah, you damn right I’m Big Time. You’ll see when I have that banker killed.”

“Cass! What’d I tell you about the Cheerios? I don’t have time for this!” She seemed to be addressing a kid, maybe hers even. Frainn grabbed the golden pen in her pocket and slowly extended it to its full size, her hand tightly holding onto the spear, feeling that it was about to go down rather quickly in the next seconds, and she sensed right, it did, the moment the woman articulated his real name for everyone to hear and the Goddess didn’t expect this so it wasn’t Conrad that Selby and her men heard. “Sam, I’m sorry. I’ll call you back.”

“Sam? Who’s Sam? Kill them!” Right after she gave the order, a bullet pierced her throat and her body fell heavily on the floor. Frainn revealed herself and helped to get rid of Selby’s men. Bucky and Sam took the guns of the guards they knocked out and Zemo and Frainn followed them to a door in the lounge.

“They’re gonna pin this on us.” Sam looked at Zemo and the Baron sighed.

“We have a real problem now, so leave your weapons and follow my lead.” He instructed the Bucky and Sam. The two men let go of the guns and they all walked out of the bar through the back of the building and out onto the crowded streets. They heard cell phones chimed and people chattering as they walked briskly to get away before anyone identified them and, in any case, before Frainn could even hide them, people had seen them. Some guy suddenly fired at them and Frainn deflected the bullets with a violent gust of wind, and they went right back at the shooter but it was only the first of many who wanted the bounty on their heads for the murder of Selby. They all sped up and started running and Frainn took care of the guys after them all while running along them.

“I can’t run in these heels!” Sam complained.

“Just fucking run, Sam!” Frainn groaned and she looked behind when she heard bikes coming after them. “Where the fuck is Zemo?”

“What?” Sam looked back as she threw discs of ice under the motorcicles’ wheels, and it froze the whole machine along with the people driving them and they fell with a crash and broke into pieces, as if they were only made of ice. She turned around and looked up. Seeing a window half opened and a sniper posted right there, she didn’t think twice and the moment the person was closing the window after shooting someone on the street, she gathered the wind around her hands and thew a gust of it, shattering the glass towards the inside, and right at the sniper, whoever that was. Zemo then reappeared, shooting another.

“You seem to have a guardian angel.” Bucky and Sam looked at Frainn at Zemo’s comment and all she was thinking of after hearing him say this was how Bucky called her Steve’s guardian angel the day they met in this back alley, and he saw it in her eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking in this instant.

“Well, this is too perfect.” A woman’s voice rose from the shadows behind Zemo, and he turned around as she approached. Frainn frowned when she recognized Sharon beneath that hood, holding the Baron at gun point. “Drop it, Zemo.”

“Sharon?” Bucky was as surprise to see her.

“You cost me everything.” She ignored the super soldier, walking toward Zemo and he stepped back between Bucky and Sam. The latter stretched his hand out, palm to Sharon.

“Sharon, wait.” Frainn walked around, observing the woman’s face. She noticed cuts on her face. “Someone recreated the super-soldier serum and Zemo had a lead.”

“That explains why you guys are here. And Selby’s dead.”

“So what are you doing here?” Bucky wondered.

‘I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass, so that you could save him from him.” She pointed Sam, Bucky and Zemo in order with her gun. “I didn’t have the Avengers to back me up. So, I’m off the grid in Madripoor.

“Had a little accident, Sharon?” Frainn asked in a softly threatening way, almost like hiss of a snake to the blond’s ear. She glanced at her but gave no response, shrugging it off.

“Don’t blow smoke. I was on the run, too.” Sam retorted.

“Was. Is. Big difference. I don’t speak to my family anymore. I can’t. My father doesn’t know where I am.”

“How sad, Sharon. I feel you.” Frainn overplayed being sad and nodded, then cracked a fake sympathetic smile. Her sarcasm was probably misplaced and a childish reaction in this moment, but she was bitter upon hearing her play the victim. Sure, she was. Unfair things happened to her, but the goddess could compete on who had it worse. “Mine doesn’t know where I am and I can’t talk to him or anyone of my family either,” She pressed heavily each of the words that followed, and it threw a cold. “because they’re all dead.”

“Hey. Listen…” Looking at Sharon, Bucky was the one to speak up, stepping beside the goddess, a hand on her shoulder. She swallowed harshly, maybe she needed to vent on someone, and she didn’t feel bad for it. Sharon wasn’t anyone to her. “Sharon, we need your help.” The blonde chuckled. “Please.”

“This isn’t over. I have a place in High Town. You’ll be safe there.” She then walked away, and Bucky motioned at the two others to follow as he placed his arm in Frainn’s back, leading her along with him. Sharon brought them to a car and they crossed Madripoor to the gate of a fancy building.

“Looks like breaking all those laws is treating you well.” Sam stated as they entered. It was a quite luxious indeed. Even with an Asgardian interpretation of the word luxury, she could see it was rather nice, but she preferred the gold and greatness of her homeworld’s architecture, which she could ever only see again in memories.

“I thought if I had to hustle, might as well enjoy the life of a real hustler. You know how much I’ll get for a real Monet?” Frainn frowned, not knowing who this Monet was and just listened to Sharon talking with Sam as they climbed a bunch of stairs.

“Deactivate your hustle mode. You sell fake Monets.”

“No.” Zemo spoke up and Sam turned to him. “She means real. This gallery is specialized in stolen artwork. Monet. Van Gogh. Classics.”

“It’s true.” Frainn nodded at Bucky’s affirmation, but she had no idea what and who they were talking about. She had only knowledge of the Nordic artworks, she wasn’t so informed about Midgardian’s art in general and those names meant nothing to her as she didn’t know the people. “You know, half the artwork in museums like the Louvre is fake. Real stuff sits in places like this.”

“I must admit, I’m lost.” Frainn whispered to Bucky as she looked at the painting of a lady in a white dress, holding an umbrella. He glanced at her and chuckled.

“Okay, guys, I see what you’re doing. You’re more wordly than good olf Sam.”

“Yeah. What’s Google say?” Bucky inquired as he and Frainn walked past Sam.

“Come on, you guys need to change.” Sharon called out to them. “I’m hosting clients in an hour.” She opened a double door and led them into a sitting room with a bar, a couple sofas and a rack full of nice clothing for the guys. She left them for a moment and came back after Bucky changed into a suit and Sam was going through the clothes on display, topless as she walked in, Zemo drinking at the bar. Frainn was sitting next to Bucky on the sofa, in a fancy green backless dress with a slit along her leg and a plunging neckline. She had her spear turned into a gold arm ring with Nodic runes associated with Loki engraved on it and her necklace with the wolf's head pendant that she had been given by Frigga centuries ago, and that her mother wanted to give her. Her dark hair were slicked back on her head, brought into a high ponytail, hair cascading down on her neck.

“What’s going on, Sharon? You don’t ever wanna come back home?” Sam wondered.

“They’ll lock me up if I step foot back in the States. Madripoor doesn’t allow extradition.”

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t call, but after The Blip and the chaos, I just…”

“Look, you know the whole hero thing is a joke, right?” They listened the two in silence, Frainn let her head fall on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, fidgeting with the pendant of her necklace. “The way you gave up that shield, deep down, you must know that it’s all hypocrisy.”

“He knows. And not so deep down.” Zemo chimed in, a glass in his hand.

“By the way, how is the new Cap?” Frainn clenched her jaw and sighed at Sharon’s question. All the Goddess wanted was to see that jackass drop dead on the ground.

“Don’t get me started.” Bucky said in a low voice, hands joined on his laps. Sharon scoffed.

“Please. You buy into all that stars and stripes bullshit. Before you were his pet psychopath,” She walked around the sofa and sat down on Frainn’s right ands the latter straightened up her head and stared at her. “you were Mr. America! Cap’s best friend, and you, Frainn, you were Eagle, his sidekick.”

“I’m no one sidekick. I was his friend.” She spat, bitter.

“Wow. She’s kind of awful now.” Bucky stated and exchanged a glance with Frainn.

“Karli Morgenthau and at least seven others have taken the serum.” Sam approached, adjusting the high collar of his top.

“You guys really should steer clear of all this for your own safety.”

“We know it’s a risk, but we’re not gonna leave until we find the one who cracked the code.” Sam insisted and Sharon frowned, worried.

“We got a name. Wilfred Nagel.” Bucky added. Sharon then stood up and took a few steps away towards a plate with alcool bottles near which Zemo was seating.

“Nagel works for the Power Broker.”

“We need your help, Sharon. I can get your name cleared.” Sam tried to convince her.

“You haggling with my life?”

“Not like that.”

“I don’t buy that.” She retorted, a glass in her hand and sat down. “You pretending like you can clear my name.”

“Okay, maybe it is hypocrisy. Maybe you’re right. What happened to you.” He stood up and walked toward her. “But I’m willing to try if you are.” He motioned to Bucky and Frainn with his hand. “They cleared the bionic machine, and he killed almost everybody he’s met.”

“I heard that.” Bucky declared, staring at the floor.

“They even gave US and Norwegian citizenship to his alien— Goddess of a girlfriend, and she killed almost everybody she’s met too.”

“I heard that too.” Frainn sighed.

“I don’t trust charity.” Sharon shook her head.

“All right, a deal then. You help us out, and I get your name cleared.” Sam crossed his arms and then held out a hand to her, which she took before taking a sip of her drink with a sigh and stood up.

“Well, I sell to some pretty connected people. Lay low, blend in, enjoy the party.” She walked away towards some stairs. “Try to stay outta trouble. I’ll see what I can find.”

“Trouble.” Zemo looked at the three others in the room and shrugged, his glass in between his hand.

“I don’t like Midgardian parties.” Frainn stood up and walked toward one of the French windows opening onto the balcony, her heels making her even taller than she was already, slamming on the floor with every step she took. She went to the balustrade and looked down on the city, plunged in the dark of the night with blue LED panels all over the place, giving to the place that was Madripoor a peculiar aura. “I’d rather have an Asgardian feast.”

“What’s it like?” She turned her head upon hearing Bucky’s voice behind her as he came next to her to the balustrade. She turned her head to him before looking back down at the streets.

“I went to a few of them before I was cast out. It was always so cheerful. People were eating and drinking, seated at the longest table I had ever seen or chatting here and there, laughing. Oh, and the food. The food was divine.” She chuckled at the use of this word as she was herself pretty much a Goddess, and it felt a bit funny to use it. But in any case, her smile faded rather quickly as nostalgia got the upper hand and the joy that the memory brought her turned into sadness of never being able to relive this moment.

“It sounds fun. Care to show me, honey?” He put his hand over hers and she raised her eyes to him. Frainn knew he meant showing him by using her illusions casting power and she grabbed his other hand, turning to him and in the blink of an eye, their surroundings changed, and she saw wonders in Bucky’s eyes. The golden palace of Asgard, candles hanging on the walls, their flames dancing to the breeze, laughs and people eating and drinking everywhere. At first, he must have thought it was just some projection to show him but when they looked around, they saw her younger self, sitting next to Loki in a corner, swinging her leg in the air. “Is that you?”

“Yes. My father didn’t like these feasts much, but I managed to get him to come sometimes.” He held on to her hands as she walked to her and Loki and stood a couple feet away from them. They could hear the conversation the two were having.

“You’re so not fun, Loki.”

“Those celebrations are a waste of my time.”

“No, they’re not.” Young Frainn argued.

“Did you know he was your dad, at that time?” Bucky wondered, watching her and the God of Mischief chatting. Frainn glanced at the floor for a second.

“No. The moment I found out, I went berserk and caused a massacre.” The settings switched. They were in the mountains on the other side of the realm, far from the palace, their feet were sinking in the snow and there she was. She saw herself sitting in the snow, her skin blue and eyes red just staring ahead with this downcast look. There was also anger in her eyes. Bucky was probably silent because he didn’t know what to say upon seeing this. She was showing him things she never really talked about that much. She thought that he must have wondered if she told Steve or anyone else the whole story about her banishement. But even if she did talk about it, it wasn’t the same as letting people dive into her own memories. As the guards came and dragged her back to the palace, she shut down the illusion and they were back on the balcony, facing the balustrade, holding their hands.

“Hey,” They turned around and saw Sam holdig the French doors opened ajar. “What’s taking you so long to talk about?”

“We’re coming.” Bucky simply replied and Sam nodded and went back inside with Zemo. The latter was looking right at Frainn with this strange fascination he had when she spoke of her past, which were stories coming right from mythology books. He eventually got up and stopped looking so she turned to Bucky.

“Let’s go to that party.” Frainn declared but her words were met by Bucky’s lips softly connecting with hers. She kissed him back. His lips tasted sweet and the comforting kiss, as good as it was, ended when they went on their way to the party going on downstairs. A loud upbeat music was playing in the now crowded show room, arms up in the air, drinks in hands, everyone was dancing in rhythm to the music, cheering. Frainn found a party like this quite grotesque. The music and vibe of the party wasn’t to her liking, and she just followed, Zemo, Sam and Bucky to the bar with a straight face. A moment ago, she was opening her heart to Bucky, sharing a sweet moment with him and now she was here, already bored. As Zemo and Sam went their separate ways, Bucky brought his hand to Frainn’s waist, standing next to her.

“I know you don’t like it. Just stay at the bar and get yourself some drinks.”

“That sounds like a plan. I hold alcohol very well.” She joked, still stone-faced as she watched the people partying all around the room.

“Not everyone knows that.” He retorted with a smirk as he let his hand slip down her back and walked away, making his way through the crowd of people dancing, jumping on the spot. The Goddess sketched a slight smile and went to sit at one of the barstools along the bar, her side to it to keep an eye on the party going on, not turning her back to anyone. She ordered the strongest drink the barman had and casually drank it like there was no alcohol in it. She felt it, but it didn’t have effect on her body. It would take a lot more than whatever she was served to get drunk. After a moment that seemed awfully long and she was already at her fourth drink, she noticed Bucky motioning for her to come to him and Sam with his hand, so she just got up and walked over to them. “You’ll be happy.”

“Why is that?”

“Sharon found Nagel.” Sam told her.

It was very early in the morning when all four of them left the party and went with Sharon to the docks of Madripoor where were stacked hundreds of huge containers. It was apparently in the area that this Wilfred Nagel they were looking for, was hiding, working on the serum.

“Madripoor could give New York a run for its money.” Sam said as they walked after Sharon as she led them around the place.

“They know how to party.” Zemo retorted.

“I beg to differ.” Frainn argued, glancing at Zemo behind her. She always felt that her royal titles were just that, titles but the more she experienced new things, she saw that there was a gap between her and her upbringing and everyone else. That kid of party or gathering would never have had its place on Asgard, or Jotunheim for that matter. There wasn’t any party in that ice kingdom anyway but on Asgard, the parties were like she showed Bucky through her memories. Gold, drinks, good food, fruits, meat, laughs and chatter with a breath-taking view from the palace’s balcony. It was something else.

“With that bounty on your head, Zemo, the longer you’re in Madripoor, the less likely you’re ever leaving.” Sharon spoke up, glancing up and down at her phone. She then stopped in front of a containers’ double doors. “All right. He’s in there. Container four-two-six-one. I’ll keep an eye out while you guys talk to Nagel. But hurry. We’re on borrowed time.”

She handed them earpieces for each of them, before leaving them on their own. They walked to the container and Sam opened the door which creaked briefly. They glanced inside but it was empty.

“Hey, Sharon. You sure this is the right one?” He inquired. “It’s latelytely empty.”

“Positive. It has to be.” She replied and they stepped inside. Frainn looked around and went to the back of the container. Zemo came along with his flashlight, and he passed his gloved fingers on the sheet metal and they glanced at each other, thinking there was a door right there. She pushed the panel with both hand and it moved under the pressure so he and Frainn looked at Sam and Bucky. There was a flight of stairs with music coming from above. Bucky and Sam pulled out their guns and walked up the stairs first, Zemo bringing up the rear. Silently, they walked into a lab with music blasting from a record player. And there he was, Wilfred Nagel, oblivious to their intrusion, his back to them as they approached, focused on whatever he was doing. Frainn, Sam and Bucky exchanged a look and she pulled out her spear, concealing the noise Sam stopped the music. The scientist turned around, already on the defensive and stared at Sam.

“Dr Nagel?”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“We know you created the super-soldier serum.” Sam insisted.

“Get out my lab.” He walked past him and was met by two rather threatening people, Frainn and who he knew as the Winter Soldier. His confidence dropped very quickly when he saw the two and when he noticed the sharp blade of the spear she held in her hand.

“You know who he is, right?” Sam grabbed the scientist’s arm and showed him Frainn and Zemo in turn. “This is Frainn Lokadottir, the Avenger and this is Baron Zemo, I know you’ve heard of them too, right?” He pushed him toward Bucky, still holding his arm and cornered him. “You seem like a pretty smart guy. So you better become conversational real quick.

“How about a counter proposal? Make me a better offer and I’ll talk.”

“People on this planet have such an audacity.” She casually walked to him and put her hand to his neck. She wasn’t squeezing. She didn’t need to choke him to hurt him. Her hand slowly turned blue, and he started to wince, trying to repress and conceal the pain that he began to feel.

“Guys, we have company.” Sharon said over the coms. Frainn glanced at the others and brought the coldness to another level and the scientist breathed in and out rather loudly still trying to contain himself. She dragged him to a chair and forcefully sat him down as he started to groan in pain

“Here’s this “better offer” that you want.” She was crouched in front of him, her hand still holding onto his neck, looking at him dead in the eyes. “If you don’t want to die, you talk. If speak, I take off my hand and your neck will heal from this just fine but the longer you take to decide… you either get your throat slit or he shoots you in the head. Simple.” On that note, Bucky fired a warning shot behind him and brought the barrel of the gun to his temple.

“Okay. Okay.” He eventually gave in, and she nodded, letting go off him and standing back up. He took a deep breath in, bringing his hands up to his neck but not daring touching the burn she caused on his skin. Bucky then lowered his gun. “I was brought into HYDRA’s Winter Soldier program to pick up their work after the five failed test subjects in Siberia. When HYDRA fell, I was recruited by the CIA. They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god.” Frainn’s jaw clenched. “I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different. No clunky machines or jacked up bodies. Mine was going to be subtle, optimized, perfect.”

“How have we never heard about this?” Sam was in disbelief in front of how insane the man sounded.

“Because… Before I was able to complete my work, I turned to dust. Then when I returned, it was five years later, program had been abandoned, so I came here. The Power Broker was more than happy to fund the recreation of my work.”

“How many vials did you make?” Wilson asked.

“Twenty.” He looked away for a second. “Karli Morgenthay stole those, so… I can only imagine what the Power Broker has planned for that poor girl.”

“Where’s Karli now?” Sam went on with the questions.

“I don’t know where she is but a couple days ago, she called and asked if I could help someone named Donya Madani. Poor woman has tuberculosis. Typical of overpopulation in displacement camps like that.”

“Well, what happened to her?” The scientist shrugged.

“Not my pig. Not my farm.”

“Is there any serum in this lab?” Bucky inquired and as Nagel kept quiet, he brought his gun to his head once again.

“No.” He finally said.

“Now what?” Bucky turned his head to his peers and suddenly, Sharon bursted in the lab.

“Guys, we’re seriously outta time here.” Out of nowhere, Zemo pulled out a gun and shot Nagel in the chest. The latter fell over on the floor, dead, in a pool of his own blood. Sharon and Sam jumped at Zemo and blocked him against a wall, but they had no time doing anything, an explosion occured in the lab and they all were projected to the floor. Frainn was lying there, having a hard time breathing after the heat of the blast of fire that entered the lab upon the explosion. She gasped for air and winced as an alarm blared fluriously in the room, ringing her ears. The ringing was bearable. What was much harder to deal with for her was the heat that filled the whole room all of a sudden. She turned her head when she heard a muffled voice coming from her right and before she could understand what was happening, she felt Bucky’s hands grab her sides and help her on her feet, passing her arm around his shoulders.

“Frainn—” Bucky said her name but as they climbed down the stairs, another explosion sounded loud, causing the container above them collapse in front of the one they were in. Bucky ducked over Frainn to shield her just in case. Sam and Sharon were the first one to step outside while Bucky brought the palm of his hand to Frainn's forehead and he immidietaly took his hand off of her skin. “You’re burning up.”

“I gathered that.” She articulated, swallowing harshly. With the outside breeze entering the container, she regained her senses, but she still felt very weakened. “Leave me just a sec, join the others… I just need a minute.”

“All right, Frainn.” He was a little worried to leave her there but he reluctantly obliged, helping her to sit against a wall and he stepped outside. She breathed out and tensed her fingers. Her sking turned blue and she had some kind of relief. She didn’t know what skin-color she was born, she only ever saw herself with her white skin until she found out about her ancestry but then, she mostly kept this white skin and it felt effortless all the time until she got herself into situations like this one, which didn’t happen very often, and then she would feel a difference. It actually required some magic to keep her skin-color white but so little that it wasn’t a bother, she was more used to this one anyway. Less than a minute later, she stood up and walked outside. Shots rang out here and there, hitting the sheet metal containers around them. She stepped in the middle of the shooting, out in the open, her skin blue and her eyes red. It was definitely something to see given she was still in her dress because she had been too lazy to change into something else, and it wasn’t harder to move in it as it wasn’t really tight.

“Frainn.” She heard Bucky call out her name, but she didn’t look at him as bullets started hitting her in bursts and yet, she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t moving an inch as if the bullets weren’t doing anything to her, which was actually the case. As funny as it sounded, her skin was so thick due to her being Asgardian and Jotun. One shooter got confused and it gave an opening for Bucky to shoot him down. She generated an ice pick along her hand and threw it at another that was standing above the containers. He had no time to dodge it and it pierced through him, and he fell heavily on his back. A second later, a pipe exploded, and another fire briefly sprung from it. Frainn crouched and put her arms and hands in front of her face, swirling a wind around her which she then sent on the black smoke that succeeded the fire and cleared the area. She slowly stood up and watched a figure jumped off a container, figure that she recognized to be Zemo given the coat he wore was the exact same and she watched him take down the last opponents standing, and she shook her head, sighing.

“Great fucking show.” She groaned. Bucky came by her when he, Sam and Sharon took the opportunity to run, and she followed the three of them without a word. Sam suddenly opened a container’s door as someone shot at them and he snatched a bar from it and knocked down another coming from behind him and Frainn. He then threw it at the woman that fired at them, pining her against a container. Frainn stared at her as she groaned and winced in pain and threw a thin disc of glass to slit the side of her throat. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it and less than a second later, there was no life left in her eyes. Frainn was pulled into the container Sam opened by the man himself and the door locked itself behind her. Frainn was a little disturbed to see how easy it still was for her to take the life of others but what was she to do if they were attacking her? For once, she had a legitimate reason of attacking back and killing. The deaths she caused back on Asgard because of Odin’s lies was the only thing she had ever done that couldn’t be excused, even though the blood of these Asgardians was on Odin’s as well. Would he not have lied to her, this would have certainly not happened. They walked across the container and Bucky punched the double door to the other side with his metal arm and they stepped out to the sound of tires creeching on the ground and here was Zemo, in a vintage car, pulling up to them.

“Supercharged.” The Sokovian stated. Frainn stared at him as her skin turned back to her Asgardian light complexion and she sighed silently.

“You’re going back to jail.” Sam reminded him.

“Do you want to find Karli or not?”

“He’s right. We need him.” Bucky added before getting in the passenger seat beside Zemo, leaving the backseat to Sam and Frainn. As her lover spoke, the Goddess walked around the car to get to the other side and get in. “And there’s three of us, and at least 20 of them. Come on.”

“Fine. But if you try that shit again…” He threateningly pointed his finger at Zemo before getting in in turn.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Well, that was one hell of a reunion.” Sharon sighed in relief, shutting the door of Bucky and Sam’s side of the car.

“Come back to the States with us.” Sam insisted.

“I told you I can’t. Just get me that pardon you promised me.”

“Thanks for everything.” Sam told her as she walked away. He slipped in his seat and looked at Bucky with annoyance. “You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?”

“No.” The former soldier simply replied and Frainn chuckled. It was the same setting as back in 2016 when all three of them were waiting for Steve as he talked with Sharon outside of the car. Their places were reversed this time around and it was to Sam to struggle with little space for his legs.

“Donya Madani. She’s a refugee, yeah.” Sitting on a couch behind the four chairs facing each other on which all four sat on the outward journey to Madripoor, Frainn watched Sam step around while on the phone with Torres. Next to her was Bucky, cleaning his metal hand with a small towel. “Okay. Call me if you get a hit. Thanks, Torres.”

“You okay?” Bucky asked him after he let himself fall in one seat with a sigh.

“Yeah.” He replied in a deep voice. “Just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through. And Nagel referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn’t even a real person.” He straightened up and turned the seat to face Bucky. “Just makes me wonder how many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

“Well, it depends on who you ask.” Bucky replied, looking down at his hand before switching his focus to Sam. Frainn had let her head fall on the back of the sofa and, her arms folded across her chest, she was staring into space listening to them. “That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.”

“Yeah, I get that. All right. Maybe I made a mistake.”

“You did.”

“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in a museum. I should have destroyed it.” Frainn suddenly lifted her head and stared at Sam.

“Look, that shield represents a lotta things to a lotta people, including me, and Frainn.” He leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. “The world is upside down, and we need a new Cap, and it ain’t gonna be Walker. So before you go and destroy it, I’ll take it from him myself.”

“Yeah.” Sam’s phone vibrated and he picked it up. Zemo arrived at the same time, small dishes in his hands and handed it over to Bucky, Sam and Frainn so they could eat, and he then sat down on the seat with its back to Bucky on the sofa. “They found Madani… dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.”

“I have a place we can go.” Zemo spoke up. “I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we’re changing the course.”

Riga, Latvia

“I heard what become of Sokovia.” Zemo said as they walked down the street towards the place Zemo owned in the city. “Cannibalized by its neighbors before the land was cleared of rubble, erased from the map. I don’t suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial?” As his question was met by silence, he pursued. “Of course not. Why would you? We are here.”

“I’m gonna go on a walk.” Bucky then randomly declared, and everyone stopped in their tracks in front of the building and turned to him.

“You good?” Sam inquired.

“Yeah. See you guys in a bit.” He replied as he turned around and walked away. Frainn watched him going the other way, wondering what was going on but she didn’t say anything and followed Sam and Zemo inside. She needed some rest after all that happened in just the past couple days.

[To be continued…]

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Published (05/25/2022) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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bi-disaster-yn · 2 years

Text

Endorsement

Kinktober 2022 | Praise

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Bucky likes to be praised for doing a good job.

Contains: Praise kink, blindfolding, p in v sex. 18+, minors DNI!

A/N: idk about you guys but I would make Bucky a blushy mess with all the praise I’d give him.

Bucky Barnes was a Sunday morning kind of lover.

Never in a rush, he’d indulge you completely and invest time into giving you all the pleasure you deserved.

He was talented at it too, having observed exactly what your body responded to and using that whilst also exploring new things. That was the thing: he only focussed on your pleasure and didn’t take the time to navigate his own.

That morning, he had you blindfolded and lying on your side while he spooned you. His vibranium arm stretched out where you rested your head on top of it and held your wrists clasped together so he could hold you in place.

His flesh hand was on your hip, pinning you to the bed as he took deep, explorative strokes inside you.

At this angle, he could see your face contort in pleasure. He could feel your heartbeat in your neck as he scratched it with his stubble. Best of all, he could whisper all the praise in the world for his girl in your ear.

“So beautiful like this, doll. Does it feel good? Blindfolded you so you could feel it all. Want my girl to feel as much pleasure as possible.” He mumbled against your skin as he nipped at your neck. His movements were soft, which contrasted with how tightly he was holding your wrists together.

“You feel incredible. Did you know that, sweetheart? Such a beautiful girl. And so good for me.” He groaned from deep in his chest at this point which elicited a soft whimper from you. “I could keep you here like this all day. I’d never get tired of fucking you.”

Your resolve failed you completely when Bucky moved his hand from your hip to between your legs to rub your sensitive bud softly. His grin was almost audible in your ear as you let out a surprised raspy moan.

“Bucky-“ you took a minute to bite your lip and stifle the moans that threatened to escape your hoarse throat to little avail. “Fuck… you fuck me so good! Too good, I need you all the time.”

Bucky almost paused his movements in surprise of your praise. Here you were, completely at his mercy and receiving his domineering praise, yet, you had just enchanted him with your sweet compliments. He swore his cock got that little bit harder, if that was even possible.

“What did you say, baby?” He whispered, low in your ear which sent a shiver down your spine. He continued circling your clit and slipping his cock in and out of you but almost in a trancelike state.

The loss of momentum frustrated you.

“I said you fuck me so good! Please fuck me harder! I need to feel you and how thick you are!” You retaliated, hoping this would gain more traction. You succeeded and managed to ignite something in Bucky.

“Praise me.” He commanded, picking up the pace. The instruction startled you a little and you remained in stunned silence.

“Praise me.” He repeated, this time with a rough snap of his hips that made you squeal.

“You fill me up so good, sweetheart. When you’re not fucking me, I miss you. I wish you were inside me at all times.” You managed to get out in sharp breaths as Bucky increased his efforts with both his cock and his fingers on your clit.

Then, all of a sudden, he pulled out of you drawing out a desperate whine from you. Still blinded, you could feel him manhandling you on to your stomach. Your cheek rested on the soft pillow beneath you; your wrists once held together were now pulled apart and pinned down at either side of your head.

Bucky slowly pushed into you again, making your mouth form an ‘O�� shape. The way he had you pinned down made it impossible to move so all you could do was take him.

“More.” He gruffly whispered in your ear before biting your earlobe and dragging it with his teeth. Who were you to deny your boyfriend the only thing he asked of you?

“Such a good man, Buck. So good, take care of me so well. I’ve never had anyone as good as you! Nothing as good as this! I’ll be thinking about this for days.” Your voice was gravelly by the end of your little speech but you didn’t care. Bucky was pounding into you frantically, hardly pulling out as his hips consistently hit your ass cheeks. His grunts and groans were loud and audible, as well as the sound of his dog tags jingling against his chest with the speed he was moving at. Fresh slick slid down your thighs and against his lower tummy as he hit your g-spot perfectly each time.

His hands moved from your wrists. The vibranium one held your hip while the flesh one pressed into your lower back so that your stomach was pushed into the mattress, further stimulating your g-spot and building up that beautifully overwhelming tension.

You screamed as your climax washed over you. Your full body was jolted forward and your face brushed against the pillow over and over while the blindfold heightened everything just that little bit further.

“Did I make you cum, baby?” Bucky asked breathlessly, still rutting into you.

“You did, sweetheart. I came so hard, all because of you.” You whimpered back to inspire his own orgasm.

With a soft and beautiful moan, Bucky came too. He collapsed against your back, pulling your blindfold off and peppering multiple sweet kisses to your cheek to calm you down as you panted.

“I think you have a praise kink, Buck.” You smiled tiredly after a while, content to have him lying on top of you and worshipping your fatigued body with kisses. He blushed slightly, giving you a squeeze and resting his cheek against your shoulder.

“Yeah, I think I do too.”

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x yn #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes x fem!reader #bucky barnes x female reader #Bucky Barnes drabble #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fic #mcu bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfic #kinktober #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan #fatws bucky x reader

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s0urw00lf · 2 months

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All the time

Bucky Barnes x reader

The three times you called his name. The one time he answered.

1940’s era: James Barnes

Y/n l/n had regrettably found herself on a date with a something shed be called unladylike for saying asshole. To be fair her mother wouldn’t let her turn the man down, ready to get her married off before the war. She was currently at the movies sitting beside him as his arm draped sloppily over her shoulder and much to close to her breast for her liking all the while he continuously yelled for the movie to start. People all over the theater were ‘shhh’ing him but he didn’t care as he continued on, making y/n want to melt into her seat with embarrassment. You heard from behind you “hey, wanna show some respect?” Someone whispered. You turned around to see a small frail man, you mouthed ‘I’m sorry” and he just nodded back. Again “who cared, Just start the cartoon” he said. Y/n sighed about to get up and leave until the small man spoke up again “hey you wanna shut up?” At that point Tommy heard him and turned towards him.

Somehow you found yourself in the alleyway trying to pull Tommy off of the guy. “Tommy that’s enough” you said pulling his arm, he pushed you down hard making you hit your head on a rock and you felt the blood immediately pool down your face not fully aware of what was going on anymore, until you were pulled up softly “you okay ma’am” you were asked. “Yes, yes I’m fine he needs More help than me” you said pointing to the fight, not even looking at the man that helped you up, more focused on the blood running down your face. You soon saw Tommy walk past you and grabbed your wrist firmly “come on y/n” he said angrily. You struggled against his grip “let me go you pig” you said as you clawed at his hand trying to separate it from your wrist. He didn’t budge “let go of me you disgusting pig” you cried putting as much resistance as you could.

Tommy finally turned and gave you the worst bitch face and forcefully pushed you back as he let go. You fell to the muddy ground, and tears formed in your eyes when you looked down and seen how dirty yourself and your dress was. The two men had seen the whole interaction and rushed to help you up. “Thanks” you said not making eye contact with either as you tried to make yourself a bit more presentable even though those stains weren’t gonna come out without some stern washing. You finally looked up when the shorter man spoke “no thank you for trying to help me. I’m Steve by the way. Steve rogers” he said. You nodded “y/n l/n, wish we could’ve met on better terms” you said with a small laugh. “Steve seems to find trouble everywhere he goes. James Barnes” the other man spoke. You finally took a good look at him and you let out a gasp when you made eye contact with the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen.

He towered over you and his brunet hair only heightened his handsome features. “Oh, uh yeah I mean it happens right?” You replied trying to cover up how shocked you were at his handsome face. He smiled and nodded, making you melt a little. Suddenly you’d felt a little more self conscious. “Hey Steve, how about you go get cleaned up and I’ll walk miss y/n here home.” James says. Steve looked up at him in confusion “why, we goin somewhere?” He asked. James nodded “the future” he said smiling and handed Steve a pamphlet. Steve studied the pamphlet before nodding and making his way home with a nod to you and a pat on James’s back. James led you back to the sidewalk and you began to get dirty looks from people passing by, making you even more uncomfortable and self conscious .

James luckily noticed and started up conversation in hopes to distract you, “So, what where you doing here with, and excuse my language, an asshole like that” he asked. She sighed “my mom, she wants me married or at least in the process of getting married. She’s getting old and my pa passed some time ago, she doesn’t think I can make it on my own.” You said bitterly. You looked at him taking in his attire for the first time “you getting shipped out?” You asked. He nodded “Sargent James Barnes, shipped out to England first thing tomorrow morning” he said standing proud. You nodded lowering your head to watch your shoes as you walk feeling a bit disappointed because he and his friend were the first decent men you’d come across in all of Brooklyn.

“James Barnes”

—————

Winter soldier era

after being let out of cyro for the first time in decades the soldier was led to a morally grey room, by the same man with round glasses shed seen before she went into the cyro. Aside from the table and two medal chairs, the room was empty much like the rest of the facility.

The only difference from the rest is there was a lingering presence in the darkest corner of the room. All she could see was the shining of something silver. She made no face, showed no sign of weakness, because she couldn’t, she’d been erased of everything. Fear included. But she stayed on high alert, ready to defend herself and her boss. “Sit” zolo demanded.

She took a stealthy seat, not making any noise as she did so, not even as her boot made contact with the ground on the other side of the chair. She stared at the man who had also taken a seat in front of her. “You have been assigned a new partner, it he has been made to match your every move as if it was your own. You fit together like a puzzle.” The man stated.

She nodded letting the man know she understood. “Step out soldat” the man demanded. At the corner of her eye she’d seen it, the smoothest movement as the figure slipped out of the darkness and into the light. “Meet the winter soldier” said zolo. She slowly turned her head meeting the steel blue eyes. ‘Barnes’ the name had echoed in her head but she was careful not to let her expression shift. She looked back to zolo only to see him eyeing the herself and the soldier carefully. She chose not to make it known. “Do we have a mission?” She asked, voice hoarse from not being used in so long.

“You do” he said and smiled his sickening smile. A file was placed in front of her, the soldier came to stand behind her so he could see, she almost felt at ease. She opened the file only to be met with a photo of a blonde haired blue eyed man. Captain ‘Steve rogers’ America. “What do you want us to do?” The man finally spoke behind her. His voice deep and hoarse as well. “Find him. Bring him alive. Beat him to the brink of death if you have to. But. Bring. Him. Alive.” He demanded. The pair nodded in understanding, before bing dismissed.

as they made their way to the jet and got stocked up on weapons and ammo the name ‘Barnes’ kept running through her head. So much so that it slipped out of her mouth.

“Barnes”

—————-

Fatws era

The last time you’d come face to face with james it was after the thanos war, you’d lived with nat while you were figuring things out before then you’d been snapped and now you’re living close toSam’s sister Sarah, helping her out with the boys. On this particular day you had walked into Sarah’s house in search of some flour, as you had ran out some days ago, “hey sara-“ you called but stopped yourself as your eyes landed on an all to familiar shield in the hands of Sarah’s boys. “Hey where’d you-“ she began to question but the oldest shushed her and pointed to the couch. Y/ns brows furrowed as she looked only to see that all too familiar face, obviously just now waking up. She ushered the boys away, but was quick to take the shield before they slipped too far out of her reach. “Hey, I uh- i didn’t know that you were here” she said awkwardly. “I just got here yesterday. I didn’t know you lived here” he said as he sat up from his laying position. “Oh no no. I don’t live here. Like here as in this house, I’m neighbors with Sarah.” You said shaking your head.

All he did was smile at you in amusement, making your cheeks heat up. “Uh well i only came to get something, I’ll be out of here soon” you said slowly backing away into the kitchen. Helping yourself to the flower you’d initially came to get. As you passed him again, he looked lost in thought so you cleared your throat, once again catching his attention. “Uh i live next door, if you uh- ever wanna come by and talk things over” you said nervously picking at your fingers. He smiled that charming smile that had you swooning since day one and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind” he said. You nodded and backed away from the room and out of the door you used to enter the house.

a while had gone by since your interaction with James and if you’re being honest, you are really disappointed because you were looking forward to seeing him again. You are about to pack up for bed when a knock on your door broke you out of your daydream. You went to cautious because old habits die hard, you open the door to come face-to-face with James Buchanan Barnes. “Oh, hey I wasn’t expecting you” you’d said stupidly before you could think. You were totally expecting him, hoping and praying for him to knock on your door. “If im gonna be honest i want going to. Last time we’d seen each other we left off on a kiss and a barely confessed ‘I love you’. Sam told me not to let that go again.” He said sincerely. “ Well, Sam was right. Ever the wingman, no pun intended” you said letting out a laugh, as did he. Before either of you could make another remark, Bucky rushed forward and pressed a kiss to your lips. The kiss was soft and full of longing and warmth, happiness flooded you like you just took your first drink of hot chocolate on a chilly winter morning. The two of you separated breathing heavily

“my Bucky Barnes.”

“My Y/n L/n”

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klecrone · 6 months

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Last week, days after getting my flu and Covid boosters, I managed to catch Covid for the first time, and ended up spending my first hours... painting some Barnes and Alpine Angst/Comfort art, as one does. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out for a two-sitting painting, all things considered! In my head, I was channeling Barnes from Winter of the White Wolf, but not any particular existing scene. Just a general flashback to those rough post-Hydra years. Have no fear! I'm still working on writing and editing the next chapter of the story, and hope to have it out once my fever breaks and I'm feeling better.

Unrelated, hannahshattuck was inspired by my painting and wrote a drabble based on how she imagines the scene might've played out if Steve were around, which you can read here: You Pull Me Out of the Gray. She wove such a wonderful and heartfelt scene here, and you should totally check it out!

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emjayewrites · 10 months

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Pastry Passions (Luca x black!femoc) (1/?)

PAIRING: Luca x Symone (black!original character)

SUMMARY: When Symone secures a coveted position as the social media manager at Noma, the renowned Michelin-starred restaurant, she is thrilled to be part of a team that pushes boundaries and captures gastronomic excellence. As Symone immerses herself in the vibrant atmosphere of Noma, she catches the eye of Luca, a talented and career-focused pastry chef within the same establishment. Luca is captivated by her presence, however, with his desire to maintain a clear boundary between work and personal life, he resists the growing attraction he feels towards her. Despite their shared passion for the culinary world, Symone and Luca find themselves entangled in a delicate dance between friendship, ambition, and unspoken desires. As the duo collaborates on various projects, from showcasing exquisite pastries to capturing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the culinary artistry, they face numerous challenges that test their resolve. Amidst the intense pressures of Noma's demanding environment and the weight of their individual aspirations, Symone and Luca must navigate their relationship in a career-driven world, where the line between personal and professional blurs, and decisions made can shape not only one's heart but also their future in the industry.

WARNINGS: slow burn romance, drama, angst, grueling work conditions/not-so-glamorous life of the culinary world, cursing, slight age gap, sexual content. RATED M (18+)

TAGLIST: @cinewhore @stargirlfics @mauvecherie-writes @kdoxkeic @wakandamama @afro-hispwriter @nolita-fairytale @lovebittenbyevans @blowmymbackout @superhoeva @celestianstars

AUTHOR’S NOTE: So this is my first fic for FX’s The Bear. This contains spoilers from Season 2, so please don’t read if you haven’t watched. In “Honeydew”, Luca mentions that he’s been working as a pastry chef/chef for 14 years, so he has to be in his early/mid-30s (32-34-ish?) and there will be a small age gap between him and Symone. Also, Chapters 1-3 is set a month and a half before Marcus’ stage trip in January. Please send me a DM if you want to be added to the taglist. Enjoy reading! ;)

CHAPTER I: Emulsion

EMULSION: The process of combining two ingredients that are normally unmixable.

It’s not every day you have a beautiful woman squatting in between your legs while you emulsify a cream sauce, yet somehow this was Luca’s life.

Luca found himself in an unusual position, both literally and figuratively, as he stood in Noma’s kitchen. Symone was squatting in front of him, holding her Canon EOS M50 Mark II′s lens close as possible to the glass to capture every moment.

As Luca vigorously whisked ingredients in a clear bowl, he couldn't help but wonder about the unconventional setup. Symone had suggested this idea to capture an intriguing perspective for the pastry team’s social media campaign. While he didn't fully comprehend the concept of having her squat beneath a glass table while he worked, he understood the need to push boundaries and capture the attention of their audience.

The cream sauce emulsified under his skilled hand, the rhythmic motion of the whisk punctuating the air. Symone's focused gaze met his, her enthusiasm for the project evident in her eyes. Luca couldn't deny the chemistry that crackled between them, even in this peculiar situation.

He suppressed a smirk, realizing the lengths he was willing to go to support the campaign. Whatever it took to create captivating content and elevate Noma's online presence, he was prepared to play his part. If that meant having Symone in such close proximity, he would oblige, regardless of the strange dynamics it introduced.

“You better smirk,” she coaxed beneath him, earning her a lopsided grin that tugged at the corners of Luca’s mouth. “Yes...just like that.”

Luca’s mind swirled with lewd thoughts as Symone's words, dripping with praise and seductive vibrato, ignited a fire within him that he struggled to contain. The unspoken tension between them permeated the kitchen, electrifying the air with an intoxicating energy. A shiver ran down his spine at her tonality; it held so much sexual undertone and he wondered if she was like this all the time, especially in the bedroom. He couldn't help but envision Symone as a dominant force, dishing out instructions with confidence and prowess. The image of her taking charge, unapologetically owning her desires, entranced him.

The tantalizing notion of discovering if her dominant nature extended beyond the professional realm enticed him, igniting a curiosity that consumed his thoughts.

Symone's unwavering confidence and refusal to tolerate anyone's nonsense were qualities that both intimidated and intrigued Luca. Crazy as it seemed, Luca found himself drawn to the idea of unraveling the enigma that was Symone. He yearned to discover if the sexual undertones he sensed were more than mere imagination.

He abruptly cleared his throat, snapping out of his reverie and consciously ordering his dick to cease its stirring inside the secure restraints of his black jeans. As the whisking came to a halt and the sauce achieved the desired consistency, Luca slowed his pace and his eyes briefly connected with Symone’s.

"Nice," she said as she gracefully emerged from beneath the table, her movements deliberate and poised. “Good job.”

Fuck me sideways; her voice!

He liked it a bit too much for his liking, so much so that he wouldn’t — no, stop, don’t you dare go there. Not now, not ever.

He somehow willed himself to regain control, to push aside the fantasies that threatened to consume him. Luca forced himself to redirect his thoughts, to recommit to the boundaries he had set for himself.

With a nod of his head, Luca set the whisk aside, his gaze meeting Symone's once again. A comforting silence settled between them, the air thick with unspoken desires and lingering tension. As Luca meticulously cleaned his workstation, his eyes couldn't help but steal subtle glances at Symone, catching glimpses of her through his peripheral vision, as she watched the footage.

“It looks good, Luca,” she says from over her shoulder. “People are gonna become feral for that lil’ smirk of yours.”

A faint blush tinged Luca's cheeks as he absorbed her words, his ego momentarily stroked by her praise.

"Thanks, Symone," he replied, his voice laced with a mix of appreciation and a hint of restraint. "I'm glad you like it."

"I'll put this together and send you a copy once I'm finished," Symone declared.

"Sounds good to me," Luca replied quickly, his hands instinctively reaching for the towel hanging from his apron to wipe off his hands. However, the aggravated look that crossed Symone's face caught his attention, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Everything good?"

Symone's response was swift and direct, her arms crossing over her chest in a defensive stance. "I don't like your attitude," she proclaimed, her tone filled with frustration. "I mean, it's been two weeks since James told you about Japan and us working more closely together, but you've been an asshole more than usual."

Luca's eyes widened at her blunt honesty, and he took a moment to process her words. He had been aware of his change in demeanor, but he had hoped that he had managed to keep it under control. It seemed that Symone had seen through his facade, and the realization left him momentarily speechless. “Just trying to help as much as I can,” he says in a mock apologetic tone.

“Bullshit,” she adds sotto voce, moving closer to him. “You were supposed to talk to me about doing this behind-the-scenes series and I have yet to hear from you.”

“I’m busy, Symone,” he scoffs, rolling his blue eyes in annoyance as his anger heightened. “Besides, you can film me while I’m prepping and cooking. I don’t see why having another meeting for this series is necessary. I have a lot of shit to work on, Symone, and I don’t want to hear you complaining about some fuckin’ social media campaign.”

Symone's exasperated growl caused goosebumps to rise on Luca’s arms. For the second time that day, he found himself captivated by this newly revealed side of Symone, the fierce determination and raw authenticity that radiated from her.

"Fuck you. Hopefully, your attitude is better tomorrow," Symone retorted.

Luca's regret washed over him like a wave. He opened his mouth, ready to apologize and offer an explanation, but before he could utter a single word, Symone stormed out of the kitchen with a fiery intensity, leaving Luca standing there, momentarily stunned. Luca felt a pang of remorse for his part in their exchange. He had let his guard down, allowing his emotions and fears to cloud his judgment. He knew he needed to make amends, to set things right with Symone.

With a sigh, Luca gathered his thoughts and made a mental note to address the situation first thing in the morning. He vowed to himself that he would approach Symone with a genuine apology and a willingness to bridge the divide that had formed between them.

As he resumed his other work in the kitchen, Luca's mind remained fixed on Symone's departure. He couldn't deny the mix of emotions stirring within him — the regret for his words, the longing to find common ground, and the undeniable attraction that continued to pull him towards her. He was in a continuous battle within himself, constantly contradicting between being a professional and delving into his personal desires.

He had been harboring a crush on Symone for quite some time, however, he was acutely aware of the complications that could arise from mixing his personal desires with his professional life at Noma. He couldn't bear the thought of being an asshole to Symone, yet he feared that acknowledging his feelings would only complicate matters further.

Lost in his thoughts, Luca's concentration faltered, leading to a momentary lapse in focus. The knife in his hand slipped, resulting in an unintentional cut on his finger. A sharp pain jolted through him, causing his team members to notice his distress.

"Chef, are you okay?" Maria, ever attentive and caring, approached him with concern etched on her face.

Grimacing, Luca grunted out a curt, "Yes, I'm fine," though the pain lingered and matched the turmoil in his heart.

Maria, not one to be easily fooled, sensed his inner struggle and gently urged him toward the employee lounge. "Come on, Chef, let's get that cut cleaned and bandaged properly."

Reluctantly, Luca followed Maria's lead, allowing her to guide him away from the kitchen. In the privacy of the lounge, Maria attended to his wound, her touch both gentle and firm.

"Luca," Maria stated matter-of-factly, her voice tinged with concern, as she carefully tended to his wound. "You need to get your shit together."

The truth of her statement resonated within him, leaving him pondering just how transparent his internal struggle had become. Undeniably aware of his infatuation with Symone, Luca couldn't help but wonder if others had also noticed the subtle shifts in his demeanor. Had his attempts to keep his feelings hidden fallen short? Did his actions betray the turmoil he experienced within?

Maria's straightforwardness served as a wake-up call, forcing him to confront the reality he had been evading, yet despite this, ever the stubborn mule, Luca immediately dismissed it.

Luca let out a frustrated sigh, feeling the weight of Maria's words bearing down on him. "I'd rather cut myself again," he muttered under his breath, a mixture of self-pity and defiance in his voice.

Maria shook her head in disappointment and shrugged, understanding the complexity of his emotions. After wrapping the bandage, she left the lounge, leaving Luca alone to his own devices. As he sank into the couch, exhaustion and frustration intertwined within him.

His heart heavy with indecision, Luca knew he needed to confront his feelings and find a way to navigate this treacherous terrain.

With a deep breath, Luca closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of rest before he decided to do something foolish and jeopardize his entire career. The conflicting desires within him battled for dominance, leaving him weary and drained.

His phone suddenly buzzed, spurring him out of his contemplation. With a sigh, he reached for it and saw the name "Carmen Berzatto" flashing on the screen. Carmen, a former colleague and friend, was calling him.

"Hey, mate," Luca answered, wearingly. "What's up?"

Carmen's voice emanated from the other end of the line. "Hey, Luca! How's everything going over there at Noma? Listen, I wanted to ask if it's cool if I send my pastry chef, Marcus, to stage with you guys in Copenhagen in January. It'll be a great opportunity for him to learn from your team."

Luca's brow furrowed, his mind still preoccupied with his own personal dilemma. He exhaled deeply before muttering, "Sure, Carm. That's fine."

Sensing Luca's somber tone, Carmen asked, "Hey, man, is everything okay? You sound a bit off."

Luca let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Just the usual shit, you know. Work and personal stuff."

Carmen's voice took on a mischievous tone. "Ah, I see. Well, you know what they say — sometimes all that tension disappears if you get laid."

Luca couldn't help but roll his eyes, despite the flicker of amusement that danced within him. "Maybe you should take your own advice, Carmy."

Both men erupted into laughter, a shared understanding passing between them. They were well aware of their intense and hyperfocused nature when it came to their careers. The accumulation of pent-up energy often found its release in the realm of physical intimacy. However, Luca couldn't help but reflect on the last conversation he had with Carmen, where he was grappling with the heartbreaking aftermath of his brother's suicide. It was clear that Carmen had been preoccupied with more important matters at the time, leaving little room for such indulgences. As for Luca, he reluctantly acknowledged that he had been foolishly neglecting his own needs and desires, all in the name of upholding a veil of professionalism.

He needed to get a grip and figure this shit out.

_______________________________________________

In the crispness of the wintry morning, Luca took a momentary break from his prepping and other kitchen duties. Leaning against the outside wall of the kitchen door, he found solace in the stillness of the early hours, his fingers tapping on his phone as he attempted to compose an apology email. The tendrils of smoke from his cigarette swirled gracefully in the air, intertwining with the cool breeze that brushed against his face. The soft rays of the morning sun cast a gentle glow on his features, highlighting the contemplative expression in his eyes. Time was slipping away, and the beginning rush of lunch service would commence in a few hours, but for now, Luca sought the tranquility of the moment.

For the entire night, Luca tossed and turned in his bed; he couldn't escape the relentless thoughts of Symone that consumed his every waking moment. In the depths of his slumber, his dreams became a vivid tapestry of possibilities, where he replayed scenarios of their encounter from apology to rejection, and even to the forbidden intimacy they shared in the confines of the kitchen.

How could he navigate this attraction to her while maintaining their professional relationship? He knew that an apology was necessary, a first step toward rectifying the tension between them, but he needed a plan to ensure that his feelings wouldn't interfere with their work.

Suddenly, his gaze lifted from his phone and fixed on a figure emerging from the direction of the farm. It was Symone, camera in hand and tote perched on her shoulder, bundled up in a parka and heeled boots. The sight of her stirred a mix of emotions within him. He watched as she noticed his presence and muttered a curse under her breath, quickly changing her course to avoid him by taking a detour to a side entrance.

"Really, Symone? You have to go out of your way to avoid me?" Luca's voice sliced through the wintry air, causing her footsteps to falter. She pivoted on her heels, facing him with guarded eyes.

"Are you still being a dick?" Symone shot back, her tone tinged with resistance and a flicker of amusement dancing in her gaze.

Luca chuckled, unable to resist the subtle humor in her words. Symone tried to ignore the way his laughter sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, mentally cursing his attractiveness, tall stature, deep accented voice, muscular build, and the tattoos adorning his forearms. It took every ounce of her willpower to resist the temptation of jumping his bones right then and there.

With a genuine tone, Luca looked directly into Symone's eyes and offered his heartfelt apology. "Symone, I'm truly sorry for my behavior. I understand that I've made things difficult for both of us, but I want to make amends."

Symone's expression softened slightly, and she nodded in acknowledgment. "Apology accepted," she replied cautiously, her voice holding a trace of relief. "But, I need your commitment. If we're going to work closely together on this campaign, I need you fully invested. I need your active participation in the behind-the-scenes series, and I need you to provide everything I need."

Luca's response was immediate, his determination shining through. "You have my word, Symone."

A glimmer of satisfaction appeared in Symone's eyes as she nodded in approval. "Good," she replied, her voice more relaxed now. "Glad you found some sense.”

"Thank goodness," Luca replied a mischievous glint in his eyes, causing Symone to burst into laughter. The tension between them seemed to dissipate, replaced by a lighthearted banter that felt refreshing and familiar. With a final pull from his cigarette, he stubbed it out against the concrete ground with the sole of his work boot, dispersing the smoke into the wintry air.

"I'll try my best not to be a dick," he continued, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "But no promises. It seems to be ingrained in my nature, you know, being a chef and all."

Symone raised an eyebrow, a mock look of astonishment appearing on her face. "Oh, how wonderful. Using your choice of career as a built-in personality trait. Not toxic at all."

Luca chuckled, nudging her shoulder gently. "Hey, I can't help it if the heat of the kitchen rubs off on me. But don't worry, I've got layers. More than just spices and sauces, you know? Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"Fucker," Symone playfully retorted. "Alright, Chef Layers, let's get inside before I turn into a human popsicle. And to answer your question, no, I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Luca said, feigning concern. "I'll whip something up for you. Consider it my first step in the redemption process."

Symone smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Fine, but don't get too carried away. I know your idea of 'whipping something up' involves a dozen ingredients and three hours of preparation."

Luca grinned, his playful nature shining through. "You know me too well. But I'll keep it simple this time. Just for you."

Luca held the door open for Symone, his gaze momentarily fixated on her ass as she gracefully entered the warmth of the restaurant. He couldn't help but appreciate her curves and the silent reminder of the underlying desires that simmered between them.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to set this stuff down in my office.”

"Sure thing," Luca replied, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "Take your time. I'll be right here."

Symone nodded appreciatively and made her way toward her office, located on the other side of the restaurant. As she disappeared from his sight, he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Moments later, she returned, her eyes drawn to Luca as he stood by the kitchen counter, sharpening his knives.

"Hey," Symone greeted, leaning against the counter. "I’m ready for that breakfast.”

Luca looked up, a smile playing on his lips as he laid his freshly sharpened knife down. His curiosity got the best of him and he couldn't resist learning more about Symone, about the little details that made her who she was. Leaning against the counter, he casually asked, "By the way, are you allergic to anything?"

Symone shook her head, a small smile forming. "No allergies here. I can eat pretty much anything."

"Good to know," Luca replied, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. He continued, "And what's your favorite breakfast meal?"

Without hesitation, Symone responded, "Chicken and waffles."

Luca nodded, taking in the information. "Chicken and waffles, huh? I can definitely whip up some waffles for you. As for the chicken, we might have to save that for another time, but I'll make sure the waffles are the best you've ever tasted."

Symone chuckled at his antics. "I'll hold you to that, Luca. Looking forward to it."

Luca skillfully mixed the batter for the blueberry bacon waffles and Symone stood by the counter, her gaze fixed on his every move. The aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of blueberries.

Symone couldn't help but be drawn to Luca's culinary prowess, and a playful smile danced on her lips. "Impressive, Chef. I didn't know you had waffle skills up your sleeve."

Luca flashed a grin, pouring the batter onto the hot waffle iron. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until you taste them."

Curiosity getting the better of her, Symone leaned in closer. "So, what made you decide on blueberry bacon waffles?"

Luca chuckled, flipping the sizzling bacon strips with precision. "Well, I thought, why not combine the sweet and the savory? Plus, blueberries and bacon are a match made in breakfast heaven and they’re my favorite."

As the waffles cooked to golden perfection, they continued their light banter, learning more about each other in the process. Luca couldn't help but be intrigued by Symone's family dynamics.

"So, you have a brother?" Luca asked, his attention briefly shifting from the sizzling bacon to Symone.

"I do. His name is Ishmael, and he's a military chef stationed in Germany."

"That's impressive. Must be quite the experience, working as a chef in the military,” Luca added as he took the bacon off the griddle to chop them into tiny pieces.

"It is, but it also means he's fiercely protective of me. He's been pushing me to find a job in Berlin so he can keep an eye on me."

Luca chuckled, understanding the sentiment all too well. "Ah, the overprotective older sibling. I can relate. But I'm sure he just wants the best for you."

Symone nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. "He does. I appreciate his concern, even if it can be a bit overwhelming at times."

As the aroma of the freshly cooked waffles filled the kitchen, Luca carefully arranged them on a plate, garnishing them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and bacon.

He handed the plate to Symone, their fingers briefly brushing. The fleeting touch sent a shiver down Luca's spine, igniting a warmth that spread through his entire being. It was a simple gesture, but it held a world of unspoken possibilities.

Symone's eyes met Luca's, a subtle spark of something more lingering between them. At that moment, they both felt the undeniable connection growing stronger, a magnetic pull that neither of them could ignore.

"Thank you, Luca," Symone said softly with a hint of something deeper than gratitude.

Luca nodded, his gaze fixed on her, their eyes locked into each other. "You're welcome, Symone. It's my pleasure."

As Symone took her first bite, her eyes widened in delight. "Oh wow, Luca, these are amazing!"

Luca's face lit up with satisfaction, his heart swelling with pride. "I'm glad you like them. I aim to please."

The restaurant manager, James, sighed in relief as he entered the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Luca. He patted his back with a grateful smile. "There you are, Luca. Thank goodness you're here."

Curiosity flickered in Luca's eyes as he turned to face James. "What's up, James?"

James took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I have an unexpected situation. My in-laws just informed me that they're coming over for dinner this weekend, and I won't be able to attend the opening of Rosio Sanchez's restaurant in Oslo. I was wondering if you could go in my place."

Luca’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He had plans to enjoy his weekend off, but a free getaway to his former boss’ restaurant sounded tempting. He shrugged, realizing it wouldn't hurt to change his plans. "Sure, why not? I can go in your place," Luca replied as he shrugged nonchalantly.

James's eyes shifted between Luca and Symone, lingering on the plate of waffles in front of her. "Oh, and bring Symone too. It'll be a great opportunity for her to take pictures for the Instagram and whatnot and to experience Rosio's culinary talents," James suggested.

Luca's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his gaze shifting to Symone, who stood there with a stunned expression, her half-eaten plate of waffles in hand.

James gave them a mischievous smile before making his exit. "Enjoy your breakfast, you two. And have a fantastic time in Oslo."

As James left them with puzzled expressions, Luca and Symone exchanged a bewildered glance.

What. The. Fuckin’. Hell.

#pastry passions #Hulu’s The Bear #the bear fx #luca x black!oc #luca x reader #luca the bear #marcus the bear #carmy berzatto #carmy x reader #carmy x syd #the bear fanfic #the bear fanfiction #luca the bear fanfic #fatws spoilers #the bear spoilers #the bear season 2 #emjayewrites

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buckysbabygorl · 2 years

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#marvel #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes smut #bucky #fatws #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #mcu #tfatws #sebastian stan #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers au #the winter soldier #avengers

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kitsune024 · 2 months

Text

Stucky Fics

WinterFrost Fics

WinterIron Fics

Operation Hindsight by @dcangstfiction I Chapters 24/24 I Completed Time Travel Fix-It, Bucky & Winter Soldier, Dehumanization, Captain America Sam, Alternate Timelines. BAMF Bucky Barnes

Bucky and Sam follow Jack Rollins through time from 2024 to 2014. Armed with knowledge of the future, Rollins wants to make sure Project Insight succeeds and Hydra rules the world. Bucky and Sam take on the challenge of stopping him and preserving their timeline. To do that, Bucky has to take on the Winter Soldier.

The Life, Death, and Resurrection of James Buchanan Barnes by @dcangstfiction I Chapters 35/35 I Completed Winter Soldier Bucky, Bucky Barnes, Recovering, Multiverse, Alternate Universe - Canon, BAMF Bucky, Time Travel, Amnesia, Epic Bromance, Whump

One day in 2012, Steve Rogers encounters a doppelgänger of himself who says three words that change everything: "Bucky is alive." This is a story about friendship that survives war, tragedy, and the devastation of time. It eases into things with a glimpse of two friends growing up together in the 20s and 30s. It then goes DARK (mind the tags). Darkness doesn't last forever, though. It yields to light. COMPLETE. Thanks to Fictitious for beta-reading!

Avalanche by MuzzledRavings I Chapters 19/19 I Completed Winter Soldier Bucky, Secret Identity, CEO Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Remembers

When an experiment to improve the effectiveness of the Winter Soldier’s supersoldier serum is a little too successful, James regains his mind and his memories. After breaking free from HYDRA’s grasp, he finds the world is infested with HYDRA. Desperate for purpose, he puts the muzzle of the Winter Soldier back on to fight against his old tormentors from the shadows. When New York is attacked by aliens, the masked Avengers assemble. Not knowing who this new superhero team truly works for, James tries to find out while still hunting HYDRA. When it becomes clear to him that the Avengers can’t be trusted, he decides the best way to protect the world is to do it himself. So, the Winter Soldier founds a terrorist organization. TL;DR: The Winter Soldier founds a terrorist* organization *Terrorism subject to interpretation

Avengers: Search for the Winter Soldier by Wolverine6Claws I Chapters 58/? I Winter Soldier Bucky, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Psychological Torture, Emotionally Repressed, Body Horror, Brainwashing, Aftermath of Violence, Rape Aftermath, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Borderline Personality Disorder, Hydra Bucky, Past Bucky Barnes/Natasha

Steve Rogers was adamant about finding his friend whom he thought had died decades earlier. Seeing Bucky behind the Winter Soldier's mask had stunned Steve. His mind had been reeling at the time, but now he was totally focused and committed to finding Barnes and helping him regain his identity. The Avengers team agrees to help him do just that.

paint me as the villain by TheCockyUndead I Chapters 21/21 I Completed Bucky & Clint Friendship, Manipulative Nick Fury, Blood and Torture, Past Torture, Steve & Tony

Out of everyone that could have captured the Winter Soldier, Fury hadn't expected to be the one to do so. But he didn't question it. After all, who was he to argue when a sharpened weapon was given to him?

Kill Strike Trigger by llethe I Chapters 17/17 I Completed Gen or Pre-Slash, Bucky/Natasha, Bucky & Sam, Bucky Remembers, Steve/Sharon implied, Hydra, World Travel, SHIELD

Rumlow actually smiles and crackles “our puppet, like you,” his voice so quiet and the words so distorted that Barnes just barely makes them out. He tells himself that they’re just words, and they’re just words designed to elicit an emotional response. It’s been just two months; there’s nothing HYDRA could have done by now, to make those words true. Right? A story of how far three people will go to bring Steve Rogers home -- and of how far HYDRA will go to bring home their Winter Soldier.

Oneshots

Falling and The Fallen by @iamshadow21 BAMF Bucky, Soul-Searching, SHIELD Agent Bucky, Post-World War II, 20th Century, Amnesia, AU- Different First Meeting, AU- Canon Divergence

You're in some kind of convalescent home in New York when you're visited by two men in uniform. Captain Steve Rogers, killed in action, they say, and that's how you learn his name. An AU where Bucky Barnes falls and is found by the Howling Commandos.

what departs at death by magdaliny World War II

Steve breathes a sigh of relief. Instead of giving in to his impulse to shout invective, to demand to know why Bucky broke camp without telling anyone, why he keeps doing that, Steve says: “Who you talking to, Buck?” Bucky pats something on the ground and shifts his leg.

Running Through My Veins (An American Masquerade) by @cheesethesecond Winter Soldier Foreshadowing, World War II, Implied/Referenced Torture, Hurt/Comfort

For all Steve’s bravado, his disregard and his blind determination, Bucky knows that neither of them thought they’d end up here—Bucky, with a body full of poison and secrets, a head full of landmines; Steve, with the weight of a nation on his newly-formed shoulders; both of them, with eyes for each other first. At least that part isn’t new. [Or, Bucky Barnes, from the rescue to the Commandos.]

Keep You Going Through the Show by Lauralot Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Pain, Implied/Referenced, Torture, Self-Harm, Blood, Gore, HYDRA Trash Party

The first time Bucky breaks his fingers, Steve thinks nothing of it.

Fulcrum by @laporcupina World War II, Military, keeping an eye on Steve is sometimes a thankless business, POV Bucky Barnes

Bucky really wishes that Steve understood all of the ways that this wasn't a back alley in Brooklyn, that this was war, and that he had a half-dozen men who would follow him to hell but he could try a little harder to keep those excursions to a minimum.

they came in by the dozens by orphan_account Captain America: The First Avenger, World War II, Canon-Typical Violence, War is hell and they're just trying to get through it, Team as Family

“Y’know,” Dugan gestures vaguely, “senators, war profiteers, generals. Big men don’t care if a few of us get blown up as long as we win the battle.” “Yeah,” Jones joins in, “we do the fightin’, they get the glory, and don’t care what else happens as long as they get their name on the front page.”

Bookmark Series

Blue-eyed matador by @flamingo-queen-writes I Part 1-2 I slow burn Bucky/Clint, Steve/Sam, Mute Bucky, Asset Bucky, Implied/Referenced HYDRA Trash Party, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers, Kinda dark to start out, Dehumanization The Claws That Catch by MuzzledRavings I Part 1-2 I Completed Amnesiac Bucky, BAMF Bucky, AU - Canon Divergence, BAMF Tony, Avenger Bucky The Hollows by ealcynn I Part 1-4 I Standard Winter Soldier Warnings, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, hydra All Life's Evils by @bridge-agent I Part 1-2 I Past Winter Soldier/Natasha, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha, Action/Adventure, Drama

Bucky || Winter Soldier with Fanart

I've Heard That Song Before by @pokimoko I Chapters: 10/10 I Completed World War II, Minor Peggy/Steve, Winter soldier Bucky meets the Howling Commandos, Time Travel Winter of the White Wolf by @klecrone I Chapters: 75/? I Winter Soldier Bucky, White Wolf Bucky, Captain America Sam, BAMF Dora Milaje, Post-Canon Fix-It, Wakanda, Friendship

Bookmark Series

Bucky and Sam in 1946 by @dcangstfiction I Part 1-2 I James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Time Travel, AU - Canon Divergence, 1940s, BAMF Bucky, Alternate Timelines, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism

#winter soldier #fic rec #fanfic rec #bucky barnes #bucky fanart #bucky fanfiction #winteriron #stucky #winterfrost #mcu bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #ao3 #must read fics #mcu bucky #i love bucky #captain america winter soldier #fatws bucky #ao3 fanfic #i ain't gonna put in all the tags in each fic so yall read the tags

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lives-in-midgard · 1 year

Text

A special gift

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: Reader celebrates Christmas with the Avengers.

Masterlist

Today is Christmas and you are really looking forward for the Secret Santa game and the dinner at the compound. You are very excited to see who got you and what Thor will think about his present and of course what Bucky will say.

“Hey Babe” you say while opening the door to Bucky´s room. You see him sitting at the desk trying to wrap Wanda´s gift.

“Hey Doll” he says with a smile on his face. Then looks at the gift again and then back at you.

“Do you need help Buck?” You ask your boyfriend with a chuckle and he nods. You go to him and sit on his lap and wrap the gift. He holds you from behind and gives you a kiss on the neck.

“Thanks doll, I wouldn’t know what to do without you.” You turn around and face him. You smile at each other, and he cups your face with his hands and gives you a passionate kiss on the lips.

“Do you want to cuddle until dinner?” Bucky asks you with a smile.

“Of course, I want, what question is that.” You say and he laughs. You go to his bed and snuggle up to each other.

“I love you so much Bucky” you whisper while lying on his chest.

“I love you too Y/n” You hear him say.

An hour later you say: “Buck I think we have to make us ready for dinner.”

“Doll, we have an hour left, there is enough time, let's wait for a while I don’t want to get up right now.

“Oh, Baby I also don’t want to get up, but I want to look good and wear something beautiful. It is my first Christmas here, it has to be something special.” You say to him. “Doll you are always beautiful, and it will be something special I promise.” Bucky says to you while looking at you. You start to smile.

“Thanks, babe but we still have to get up now, but I promise you that we have enough cuddle time afterwards.” He begins to smile and gives you a kiss, then starts to stand up and you go to your room to change your clothes.

“Are you ready doll” You hear Bucky say while knocking at your door.

“Yes, you can come in Buck.” You yell from the bathroom. He goes in your room, and you go to him. He immediately begins to smile when he sees you in that beautiful dress you wear.

“You look so beautiful."

“Thanks Buck, you look great too.” You say and give him a kiss on the cheek. Then you go to the living room with your presents and put them under the tree.

“The meal was so good, Wands!” You say with a smile to your best friend who sits at the other side of the table holding Vision's hand. “Thanks Y/n. Thank you all for this beautiful time this means so much to me.” She says with a smile on her face, everyone smiles, and they start conversations.

After a while the group goes to the tree to give each other the gifts. Steve has Nat. Nat has Bucky. Bucky has Wanda who is very excited about the cooking book she gets from him. Then Peter gives his gift to you, and you open it and find a beautiful snow globe in it. You thank him and give him a hug. After that you give Thor your present. He is very excited to open it.

“Guys look what I got from Y/n a cup which says strongest avenger on it!” He screams with full excitement. You and the others start to laugh.

“Thanks Lady Y/n, I really love it.”

“Of course, Thor, I am happy that you like it.“

After everyone got there presents Bucky came to you and says, “Close your eyes doll.” You do as he says. “Now open” When you open your eyes you see him holding his dogtags in his hands.

“I don’t understand baby?”

“I want to give them to you, so you always have a piece of me with you whenever I am away, so you know you are not alone.” He says and presses a soft kiss on your lips and whips with his thumb from your cheek a tear away.

“Thanks Bucky, I love it so much and I won’t take them off, they are safe with me. I love you so much. And now my gift for you” You give him a small gift.

“Wow doll, this is amazing. I love it we are going to have such a good time in Coney Island. It's been such a long time since I’ve been there.” You thought it would be a good idea to make a vacation just for the two of you.

Then you all watch a Christmas movie together and you fall asleep beside Bucky he puts a blanket over you and gives you a soft kiss on the forehead.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky comfort #bucky barnes x you fluff #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x y/n #bucky x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes comfort #marvel #bucky barnes one shot #bucky imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #mcu x reader #fatws bucky #marvel christmas #marvel christmas fic

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impala-dreamer · 6 months

Text

Another War

A Story From The MCU (Falcon and The Winter Soldier)

~Sam and Bucky are continuously bickering... even in the bedroom.~

Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, F!Reader

1,732 Words

Warnings: NSFW. Comedy and Smuts.

A/N: I didn't "pair them up" for a reason, but there's no Sam/Bucky action... don't worry. You'll see...

Impala-Dreamer’s Masterlist ~ Patreon ~ Published Works

It wasn’t an uncommon thing to bear witness to- the bickering. Sam and Bucky were constantly at each other’s throats arguing about just about everything. Not a moment would pass where one man wasn’t side-eyeing the other and or dramatically huffing. It was generally amusing, but at that moment, it was incredibly frustrating.

They stood, naked and quarreling at the foot of the bed, repeatedly gesturing towards you even as they paid you no regard.

With ankles and wrists tied to the bed with silken ropes, a white sash wrapped around your head and locked between your lips, you were at their mercy. Naked and whimpering, you had no choice but to wait and see what their plan was.

“All I’m sayin’ is that we can’t both be down there at the same time.”

Bucky scoffed at Sam’s words. “You kidding me? Of course we can. She has two holes.”

Sam pursed his lips. “I ain’t gonna be in a position where my dick touches your dick. Even by accident, even a little bit. Therefore, double time is out.”

The thought of both of them down south at once made you shiver and leak. You could feel a stream of wetness slick down your crack and into the sheets. It probably wasn’t possible to take both of them at once- your ass was untrained, your cunt too tight, but the idea was lovely. Eyes gliding down their firm bodies, you gazed at their cocks, only half hard but long and thick. Imagining them both at once, practically splitting you open was enough to make you moan.

Bucky shot a look at you and his lips curled in a tiny smirk. “Be right with you, doll,” he assured, adding a wink for good measure.

Arousal burned in your belly and you jerked your hips. Blue eyes widened slightly and Bucky licked his lips.

“She’s waiting,” he said, turning back to Sam.

“Yeah, well, so am I.” Sam rubbed a hand down his face and scratched at his jaw. “You know what? Screw this. I’m going in.”

Grabbing his cock, Sam turned to the bed and only managed to get one knee on the mattress before he was stopped by a metal grip that nearly knocked him back into the far wall.

“Not so fast!” Bucky warned, eyes narrowed and silver digits tensing on Sam’s upper arm. “We’re not finished here.”

Sam rolled his eyes and huffed. “And we never will be if you don’t step off and let me get in there.”

It was hard not to laugh at their ridiculous argument, but harder still not to whine with desperation. You gnawed at the sash in your mouth and pushed it with your tongue in a pathetic attempt to loosen it and speak.

Sam had tied it well.

Bucky growled and released his hold on Sam.

“Who put you in charge of positions anyway?”

Dark eyes stared on with annoyance. “I did. You can’t make a damned decision to save your life.”

Bucky balked. “Fuck you, I can decide things. I’ve been deciding things since before your grandfather was born!”

“Here we go again, the old man talk.” Sam tossed his hands up and sighed. “You always gotta bring up that shit like it matters.”

“It does matter.” Bucky took a step towards the bed, essentially blocking Sam from getting to you. “Now, respect your elders and back up. That pussy is mine.”

Every muscle in your body clenched and your sensitive flesh darkened with heightened arousal.

Sam skirted around him and set his knee on the bed once more. “Don’t think so, Grandpa. She wants a young, virile man, not some Baby Boomer.”

“Virile?”

“You heard me.”

Bucky sneered and pushed Sam back again. “And excuse me, I’m no Baby Boomer. We were called the Greatest Generation for a reason.”

Sam chuckled. “Were. As in past tense.” Fearlessly, he grabbed Bucky’s metal arm and shoved him back away from the bed. “Make room for the future.”

More than annoyed, Bucky whipped his arm away and sucked his teeth, his jaw clenching. “I’m gonna kick your ass later, just be prepared.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Sam set his eyes on your cunt and puckered his wet lips, honing in on his target. “You can try.”

“I will.”

“Sure.”

“I hate you so much.”

“Feeling’s mutual.”

Almost at the end of your patience, you tried to break up the fight, but your words came on in an unintelligible mumble. You strained against the ropes, twisted your hips, groaned as loud as you could.

The men got your point and relented. They both took a deep breath and stood back up, turning once more towards each other to end the debate and get over their bickering.

A wave of relief washed over you and you set your eyes upon their cocks once more. Your mouth watered around the sash and drool spilled down your chin. You needed them badly, no matter who went where.

Sam spoke first, his arms crossed over his smooth, puffed out chest, taking charge again. “How about we spit roast her? Will that make you happy?”

Confused, Bucky squinted down at him. “What?”

“Spit roast,” he repeated.

Bucky laughed. “That’s not a thing, you made that up.”

Sam exhaled hard through his nose. “That absolutely is a thing.”

“No it’s not. You’re just fucking with me.”

“While I do enjoy fucking with you, this time I’m not. It’s a thing.”

Bucky hummed and looked over at you, trying to imagine what Sam was talking about.

“It’s when we go at her from both ends,” Sam explained calmly. “Like… putting a chicken on a spit and… well, roasting it.”

“So… I go-” Bucky gestured to your pussy, then your face. “And you go-”

“Yeah. Technically. Except I’m going there-” Sam pointed at your cunt. “And you go up there.”

Bucky shook his head. “Why do you get to go there? Why can’t I go there?”

“Because someone’s gotta go there and the other has to go up there or the whole thing doesn’t work!”

Sensing the utter decline of your evening, you yelled again and thrashed about until they stopped and stared at you.

Bucky cocked a brow. “Why don’t we just ask Y/N what she wants?”

It was as if the idea had occurred to neither of them, and Sam made a little noise of interest.

“Huh. Good idea.”

Back on the mattress, he crawled up to the headboard and gently pulled the sash from your mouth. Finally free, you smacked your dry lips together and swallowed.

“Thank you!” Flipping your head to glare at them both in turn, you let them have it. “You two are the dumbest fuckers I’ve ever met. You’re literally fighting over the stupidest thing right now. Who goes where, who does what… You’re both gonna get some so who cares! And, you’ve both already been both places so you know they’re both good- so shut the fuck up and somebody fuck me before I dry up faster than Arizona in a drought!”

At your feet, Bucky struggled not to laugh, but Sam let it go, nearly bursting out at your frustration.

“Oh my god! Now you’re laughing at me?”

Sam covered his mouth, unable to stop. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Watching Sam lose it, Bucky broke as well. He turned his back but you could see his shoulders shaking with each laugh.

“You two suck,” you sighed. “So much.”

Sam softened and leaned close, his breath wisping over your collarbone. “Oh, don’t be like that. You know you love it.”

Your pulse quickened. “Nope. I hate you both.”

Bucky looked over his shoulder at you; blue eyes bright and mesmerizing. “Come on, sweetheart. No need to lie.”

The shiver was back and you squirmed, rolling your hips as Bucky flipped over onto his hands and knees. He was like a tiger and your lips were his prey.

With your eyes locked on Bucky, Sam snuck his hand down your side and scraped his blunt nails across your lower belly.

“Oh god…”

Bucky reached his goal and dropped down to lick deep into your mouth, spreading your lips with his forceful kiss. You moaned into his mouth, felt your eyes close tight as the heat spread quickly through your system.

When Sam’s fingers dipped between your open legs, you choked back a scream as the flood returned. He gathered up the slick and coated your clit with it before turning mind numbing circles right above it.

“Not dry now,” he teased.

Bucky pulled back and stared down into the very center of you. “She never is…”

Sam sat up a bit. “Well, sometimes she is. She don’t walk around soaking her panties all day.”

“She does when I’m around.”

“You know what- I’m gonna smack the hell out of you if you-”

“Enough!”

Your roar shut them both up and they looked down in awe and apology.

“I swear to god, this is the last time I let you two into my bed at the same time. I can’t take it anymore.” A deep breath calmed you slightly, but it was just too much. “Now, untie me and let’s get this thing over with. Bucky, you’re up here, Sam, you go downtown. OK? Good. Let’s go.”

In agreement and in tandem, they both set to releasing you from the ropes. Bucky gently untied your ankles while Sam leaned over you to let your arms free.

“See? Told you she wanted me down there,” Sam whispered under his breath while scooting down to the foot of the bed.

Bucky leered and shook his head. “You’re such an ass.”

Sam sat straight up and raised a finger, ready to lash out at Bucky again, reup the argument.

Before they could get back at it, you jumped up and slapped them both in the side of the head.

“Hey!”

Sam gulped audibly and Bucky rubbed at his head.

“Ouch.”

“That didn’t hurt,” Sam huffed.

Bucky gawked. “Yes it did!”

“No it didn’t, you pussy.”

“Who you calling a pussy, you fat head?”

“Fat head? The fuck does that even mean?”

On and on they went, not even noticing that you slipped away into the other room to take care of yourself on the sofa.

It wasn’t an uncommon thing to witness them fighting, but it certainly was frustrating.

2023 Forever Tags (Always Open! Send an Ask!)

@aditimukul @agirlwithdemonblood @akshi8278 @alwayskeepfightingsweetheart @babysimpala @beardburnsupersoldiers @charred-angelwings @chenshemesh1 @cosicas-cuquis @djs8891 @deans-baby-momma @deanwinchesterswitch @deansyahtzee @feelmyroarrrr @foxyjwls007 @hobby27 @iamsapphine @idreamofdeanie @ilsawasanacrobat @impalaspixie @iprobablyshipit91 @jackles010378 @justcallmeasmodeus @kazsrm67 @kittenofdoomage @k-slla @leigh70 @lyarr24 @mariekoukie6661 @maggiegirl17 @pandaxo79 @peachy-vans @pizzagirlxnsfwx @rachiem4-blog @roseblue373 @sacriceria @samwellwinchesterthebrave @sexyvixen7 @spideysimpossiblegirl @spnexploration @stevekempscocktails @the-wounded-healer05

#mcu fanfiction #fatws #bucky x reader #sam wilson x reader #comedy #one shot

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averagewriter-inthedark · 1 year

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My Wingman 💋| Joaquin Torres Marvel Headcanon

Link to my marvel Masterlist

Joaquin Torres crushing on an avenger would look like:

Just shortly before the Ultron drama, you were a young recruit to the avengers after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unbeknownst to the team—especially Natasha—you were a former Black Widow who escaped the red room during a mission and defected to the U.S. before Dreykov could track you. Because the Red Room was constantly moving, you were clueless to where it could have gone and for your protection Fury had your identity changed and record concealed from the rest of the organization. This of course had people wary and suspicious of you—considering you were exceptional in the field—but you kept a low profile and did whatever Fury asked of you. He promised to inform you if the Red Room every came on their radar and vowed to help you take it down when the time came.

Unfortunately that promise would not happen with the implementation of the Sokovia Accords. Fury was off the grid, and your teammates were at odds with one another. Though you verbally remained neutral and did not physically get involved when the fight in Germany occurred, behind the scenes you were supportive of Steve and became close with him and Sam. You finally went rogue at 17 when Natasha confronted you after she discovered your identity and the fact the Red Room was still active. “Fury knew didn’t he? This whole time—you both knew Dreykov was still out there!” “It’s more complicated than you think, Natasha. I was barely fourteen when I escaped and had no where else to go! Fury did what he had to protect me. We both have tried tracking the Red Room but have gotten no leads.” “Well I have one. So let’s go end this once and for all.”

Together you two took down Dreykov with the help of her adoptive family before ultimately meeting up with Steve to break the others out of the Raft. For two years you went on the run. Then in 2018 you all were called to battle against the Mad Titan, Thanos, where you lost half of the population when he succeeded in his mission. For five years you and Natasha remained at the compound, doing whatever you could to maintain the Avengers. And when the opportunity came to fix it all, you were left heartbroken at the loss of her and Tony.

Sam took you under his wing (pun intended) when you and the other former fugitives received pardons. Steve was gone, the Avengers were not so much an active organization anymore, and the Accords had been abolished. You pretty much became a government agent again—with your true identity now that Dreykov was long gone. Every agency wanted you; FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, OSI, the Secret Service, even the goddamn Marshals were calling you to be one of their operatives. “Have you decided whose badge you’ll wear yet?” “I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to either the CIA or OSI. Ross is with the CIA so that’s a plus, but with OSI I could work with you when you’re off with the Air Force. Honestly, Sam, I feel like just becoming a free lance so I can get a taste of everything.”

In the end, you did become a free lance agent under the code name ‘Red Widow,’ as not to be confused with Natasha since she was always known as THE Black Widow. You wore a similar suit she did, except yours was red and the hourglass on the belt was black. You enjoyed being a free lance agent where you got to be flexible with what you did. But boy was it fucking hell at times. One week you’re escorting the President, the next you’re investigating a potential threat to the country, and (like most times) you’re partnering with Sam when he finds himself in a pickle. It’s on one of those many adventures with Sam that you meet First Lieutenant Joaquin Torres.

After the threatening phone call from Karlie, Sam had called you and you immediately sent a team of agents to protect his sister & nephews before getting on a plane to Riga. It was not even a second after you landed that you received dozens of phone calls, emails, texts, and news notifications about what took place in the middle of a crowded area between John Walker and a member of the Flag Smashers. You pretty much hauled ass to the location when you finally got a hold of Sam—and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel satisfaction at being the one to cuff Walker and escort him to the SUV.

Finally you find your friends, running into Bucky on his way out where you two exchanged words on what he was about to do. “Need me to get in touch with Okoye for you?” “I’m already on it—don’t worry about me.” After saying goodbye you entered the doorway to see Sam and a young Air Force Officer chatting. “Hope I’m not interrupting.” “You’re right on time, Red.” Your voice had the officer, who had his back to you, spinning around to which he froze when y’all made eye contact. First thing you thought was, ‘Damn he’s a cutie.’

Joaquin was practically smitten upon first glance. There was a light blush to his cheeks when he unconsciously checked you as you strutted up to the pair in your eye catching Red Widow suit. When Sam introduced him, the man couldn’t even find his voice, “Uh-Uh hi. I-I’m Torres—Joa-Joaquin Torres.” Sam looked amused, as did you, “Nice to meet you, Joaquin. I’ve got many names, but you can call me Y/n or Red.” Your wink at the end pretty much sealed the deal, Joaquin thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I’m screwed.”

Anytime Sam called you after that Joaquin would silently looking forward to seeing you. He thought you were absolutely beautiful, funny, intelligent, and a complete badass. The first time he saw you in action the man was rendered speechless. Of course he knew who you were (after restoring the population, you and the remaining avengers were international heroes) so Joaquin was pretty much a fanboy (if you know you know 😉). Seeing you take down ten men twice your size in the flesh was something he literally bragged to his squadron about for days.

You were well aware of the little crush Joaquin had on you. And to be honest, you shared the feeling. The first time you saw him you thought he was adorable with his cute smile and blushing cheeks (not to mention he looked damn good in uniform). Anytime Sam called you up and Joaquin was there, you couldn’t pass on the opportunity to flirt with him. “Nice to see your pretty face again, Torres.” “I heard that Sam gave you his old wings…have you decided what to do with them? I could use a wingman now that Sam is off being Captain America and hardly needs me anymore.”

Something about you implying you’d want him as a wingman motivated Joaquin to finish fixing up the wings he had already started working on. It excited him to work with you from behind the scenes, but he was itching to get in the air/on the ground and be an asset alongside you. Sam could tell what his goal was, so the older man slowly took Joaquin under his wing like he did you to help prepare him for the superhero life.

When it finally came time for Joaquin to join in on the action, he became your eyes in the sky while you scouted the ground. The Air Force was pretty much your main employer (similar to Sam) but you still did work for other agencies. And since you and Joaquin worked so well together, it was no surprise you’d call him up for help. He was your wingman after all. Not too long after, you two were a team sought after by the many agencies you did free lance work for. “Damn that’s the third mission this month! Don’t you ever get tired of this sometimes?” “Everyday, but I gotta keep the bills paid, pretty boy.”

Your friendship was very flirtatious. People often thought you two were a thing and were surprised to find out they were wrong. You teased and bickered, gave little glances when the other wasn’t looking and complimented each other. His name in your phone was literally ‘pretty boy💋’ and yours was either ‘muñeca🧸’ (doll) or ‘hermosa🥰’ (beautiful). Each time y’all would call the other the pet names, you’d both blush. The crushes on each other definitely increased with each flirtatious remark.

“Damn girl, you know how to make an entrance.” “Wait don’t go yet, let me commit your face to memory in case I die out there.”

“Imma need you to focus, Torres. I know I’m exceptional to look at, but I don’t want that pretty face of yours getting hurt because you’re distracted.” “If you die out there, who’s gonna dance with me at next months officers ball?”

It would be a good time before Joaquin finally worked up the courage to ask you out. As much as he liked you, there was the fear it would ruin the friendship y’all had created. Joaquin admired you from afar and would brush aside his feelings when it came time to business, but at the end of the day there was no denying he wished for something more. At one point Sam even brought it up, wondering why he hadn’t made a move. “It’s complicated, Sam. She’s my wingman and I’d hate to lose her.” “Torres, I see the way she looks at you. Have you ever noticed she never flirts with anyone else when we go out. At banquets people hit on her, but her eyes are only on you. Trust me, she wants the same thing as you.”

Although Sam’s words made him confident, Joaquin was still anxious it wouldn’t work. So he continued to harbor his crush on you from behind the scenes. Finally you had enough and decided to take matters into your own hands after a mission. It had been nearly a year since y’all met and quite frankly your feelings for Joaquin were starting to become overwhelming. “Are we gonna dance around this forever, Torres? Or, am I gonna have to drag you to the bar to have a drink with me and kick this off once and for all?”

At his incredulous expression, you walked up with your hands coming to his collar to pulled him toward you. That finally had him snap out of his daze, face red by how flustered he was. But within his expression was joy and awe, “I-uh. Are you sure, y/n? I care about you so much a-and I know I’ve made my crush on you painfully obvious b-but I-I don’t wanna ruin what we have—.” “Joaquin, you’ll always be my wingman because I trust you more than anyone else on this planet. The fact you are blind to see I feel the same about is both shocking and adorable. I want you to be my wingman both on and off the field in a more personal manner. So what do you say?”

Let’s just say, the kiss you received was him a great answer.

#joaquin torres #Joaquin torres imagine #joaquin torres x reader #joaquin torres headcanon #danny ramirez #the falcon and the winter soldier #fatws #the falcon #avenger!reader #marvel imagine #marvel fanfiction #avengers #avengers imagine #marvel headcanon #avengers headcanon #fluff #marvel fluff

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angelmichelangelo · 1 year

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december 22nd: within range

rated g, 3k words

prompt: cold

sam and bucky grow closer after being stranded on a mountain during a mission gone wrong

part twenty-two of the december fic advent 2022 series

read on ao3

#sambucky #sam wilson #Bucky barnes #tfatws #fatws #tfatws fanfiction #fatws fanfiction #marvel #marvel fanfiction #fanfiction

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fleurdelouvemonth · 5 months

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2023 Fleur de Louve (SarahBucky) Ship Month Prompts

This is collaboration with the original announcement post.

Below you'll find a transcript of all the prompts for this year's ship month event! (For those who couldn't see it on the original image.) It's a mix of dialogue, subject, AU, and seasonal prompts. We tried to be versatile this year, so we hope you like them.

Don't be shy! Late comers are welcome, and late submissions are welcome as well. None of these have to be completed in order the day of/day before.

All that we ask is, if you like this ship and want to see more, then join us in the fun! No submission will be turned away.

Week 1: Food Prompts (Nov. 1 to 5)

Halloween Candy

Sweet Potato Pie

Pumpkin

Chai tea

Soup

Week 2: Dialogue Prompts (Nov. 6 to 12)

"There's no place like home."

"I think it looks nice."

"Tell me a story." "I don't know any stories."

"You've got leaves in your hair."

"I love you, but you have the worse poker face I've ever seen."

"Do that again."

"Would you like to dance?"

Week 3: AU Prompts (Nov. 13 to 19)

Celebrity/Bodyguard AU

Coffee Shop/Bakery AU

College Professors AU

Space AU

Tattoo Parlor/Flower Shop AU

Med School/Doctors AU

Mermaid/Pirates AU

Week 4: Seasonal Prompts (Nov. 20 to 26)

Falling leaves

Chilly mornings

Apple picking

Football game

Gratitude

Sweaters

Family dinner

Week 5: Tropes Prompts (Nov. 27 to 30)

They were roommates

Friends-to-lovers

Bed sharing

Found family

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bi-disaster-yn · 1 year

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Female Rage

Paring: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Bucky thinks it’s a success when the team manage to uncover a Hydra human trafficking operation targeting women and girls. Reader knows it’s only a drop in the ocean of patriarchal violence towards women.

A/N: This was very cathartic for me to write. I carry around all these feelings and fanfic allows me to outlet them. Thanks for being part of it <3

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ This fic discusses systematic issues around violence towards women and has mentions of trafficking, sexual violence, domestic abuse and murder.

The sirens, the flashing blue lights, and all of the people around you overwhelmed your senses. Your body became a mere vessel which moved without any control or instruction. A part of your soul had died but you had to keep going.

All around you were women and young girls who, just an hour prior, were being held in a lorry and were being trafficked to a covert Hydra base. The purpose of the operation was an early stage attempt to revive the Red Room but with a team of you, Bucky, Sam and Yelena you were able to put a stop to it.

Having managed to track the lorry down to the specific coordinates, you infiltrated the mission. They had been driving on a long and quiet country road, seemingly hidden by the cascades of giant trees in an extensive woodland. A nasty fight with the Hydra agents ensued when you and Yelena caught up with them in an Audi, while Bucky met them head on with a motorcycle and Sam flew in and took the roof. It concluded with them being hauled away in handcuffs but you wish you’d killed them.

Then came the aftermath.

The scene seemed to be carrying on around you without any of your input, as though you could disappear and nothing would have changed. Government officials, policemen and ambulances had arrived to assist in getting these women to safety. You were supposed to be directing them to safe points, instructing the paramedics and police officers on what to do next but the more you tried to focus, the harder it got.

Each time one of the victims thanked you, it sent an ugly shudder down your spine. An abnormally large shaped lump swelled in your throat, rendering a response impossible. All you could offer was a solemn nod, which somehow, they managed to receive your true meaning. An unspoken understanding that could only be shared between women endured throughout all of your exchanges.

Bucky and Sam were still capable of focus as they liaised with officers and helped women, offering more words of encouragement than you or Yelena ever could. Every now and then, Bucky flashed you an encouraging smile, clearly proud of what you were able to achieve today. It was something you couldn’t return.

Ringing in your ears persisted and you flinched as more sirens arrived. You moved without purpose, trying to point in different directions to aid the girls to paramedics if they needed medical attention, and to a police officer if not. Even then, a peculiar feeling churned in your stomach as you stared at the officers, who were all men and mentally cursed that no one in the police department had thought to send any women to this scene. Effectively, it felt like you were passing these girls from one evil, male-dominated organisation to another.

A strong sense of injustice built up tension in your body, harbouring an overpowering reaction, which you were unsure if you could suppress for much longer.

The match in the powder barrel, however, was witnessing a girl who couldn’t have been older than 14 sheltering and comforting two little girls who were terrified and crying for their mother. At first glance, it appeared as though the little ones had no relation to her whatsoever. Yet, this girl had adopted this maternal role which she was far too young to accept. As soon as you saw them safely situated in an ambulance, you decided you couldn’t take this anymore.

Passing by everyone and ignoring calls from Sam, you stormed into the woods, descending deeper and deeper into the trees and the natural beauty of Mother Nature.

You couldn’t remember when you started crying, you just knew that tears streamed down your cheeks. The combination of the tears and the intense headache they brought blurred your vision. You brought your hands to your head and wailed, knowing that no one would hear you.

You thought about how those girls had now secured this trauma and although the Hydra mission hadn’t been completed, this ordeal would alter the courses of their lives forever. This would manifest itself in different ways in all of their lives. They’d never be able to live without the memory of this ever again, tainting their experiences, putting them on their guard, making them cautious of the world and what monsters harboured amongst the humans among them. Honestly, you preferred your chances against Thanos than the men that walked this Earth.

That very concept made you angry. No, not angry. Incandescent.

The lump in your throat was surpassed by a bloodcurdling scream, the sound of which was so terrifying that the birds from the trees desperately flew away in a flock.

It was the only sound that could be heard for miles. All your rage was buried deep inside these woods like it had been in your body for years.

At this moment, this is all you were capable of. You continued to scream despite the scratch it created in your throat, or the fact it had worsened your headache. There was just so much rage contained in your body and you needed to get it out of you, no matter what it took. It was a fury so specific; so intertwined with womanhood and the female experience that no cisgender man could ever comprehend it.

It was female rage.

You were in so much pain. While yesterday you had been wrapped up with Bucky under a blanket, watching TV, eating food, having sex, doing all the normal things one does in a relationship; somewhere else at the same time, this operation was starting. It wouldn’t have been the only one. You were having a carefree day with your boyfriend while elsewhere in the world, men were committing atrocities against women – whether at a systematic level or a domestic one.

You squeezed your eyes shut in aid of your screams. Still without any control, your limbs moved on their own as you started to violently kick and punch one of the trees. Any injury sustained from this frantic display didn’t matter to you. The harsh bark of the tree broke the skin of your knuckles and soon it was decorated with your blood.

The screams and cries persisted as you channelled this anger into the assault of the tree. You were picturing those Hydra agents with the smug grin on their faces. You pictured the man that groped you in the club without your consent on your last girls’ night. You pictured the images of those incels you had curiously watched interviews with but had to turn your laptop off halfway through. You pictured the men who had refurbished the compound and had stared at you as you trained in the garden. You pictured every man who had ever questioned your ability to keep your emotions in check as a female Avenger.

You pictured them all and you desperately wanted them all to know how fucking helpless and infuriating this all felt. You wanted them to feel the weight of the world just as you had done from being a little girl.

Without warning, some force had pulled you back from the tree and had hauled you close into a smothering embrace. In spite of your blurred vision and your relentless howling, you recognised Bucky’s smell immediately as he held you close to his chest, grabbing your hands and holding them tightly together with his vibranium hand and using his flesh one to put your face in his neck. You struggled against him, feeling suffocated and not having abolished nearly as much fury as you needed to.

“Please, doll, please stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Bucky mumbled against your forehead, pressing several gentle kisses to it.

Nevertheless, you still fought against him. But Bucky was too strong for you and even in the arms of your beloved, you were still trapped by a man.

“Bucky. Let. Me. Go.” You shakily told him with gritted teeth.

“I’m scared to, sweetheart. Your hands… look at them.” He sobbed back, clearly in distress. A quick glimpse at your hands validated his concern. The skin round your knuckles had been torn open and in amongst the blood and mangled flesh lay splinters and chips from the tree.

It wasn’t sore, but the rest of your body was.

“I don’t understand, doll. Did something happen back there to upset you? You saved those girls. We wouldn’t have been able to do that mission without you.” Bucky said gently, loosening his grip only slightly to cradle you lovingly, rather than to protectively restrain you.

It triggered a scoff and even further anger from you.

“That’s not the point! The point is it keeps happening! We saved those girls today, sure. But somewhere out there, another one of those operations is starting and more girls will be hurt. Those operations are going on round the world, Bucky! They want us to be slaves to them in any way they can think of – whether that is to be used as a weapon or for sex or as working mules!

And these men, they’re so fucking clever! They’re making this untraceable! And we won’t be able to save them all. It’s never-ending, we’re trying to scoop up water from the ocean!”

Whether you intended it or not, the words came out as a yell and Bucky let you go. Clearly, none of this had ever occurred to him and your fury scared him. Meanwhile, your hand gestures went wild as you spoke, your facial expressions became more animated. This was only the beginning as your thoughts continued to spill out to the unassuming and gentle man you loved so much.

“And this? This is worst case scenario! Every single day women are subject to the violence of men! We’ve saved those girls, right? And we’re gonna do what? Give them normal homes so they can walk about with their keys in their hands?! We handed them over to fucking police officers who themselves have a history of being violent towards women. The cycle repeats itself!

That’s not the end of it though, these men are in our homes with us. They are beating us, raping us, killing us. We can’t escape them. The good ones aren’t signposted – we just have to trust you and it is the biggest and deadliest risk that we all take.”

Bucky nodded along with you, processing your words and affording you as much space to speak as possible. At first, he was just relieved that you hadn’t resumed your beating on the tree. Then, he began to really listen to you and consume your words and your fury. It horrified him.

In truth, he always appreciated that there was a disproportionate tendency in violence to women and that the world existed on a patriarchal system and that some men were just sexist pigs. Admittedly, this had gotten a lot better than things were in the 40s. However, he had never truly really given it much thought or considered how to change any of it. That was just the way things were. How does one go about revolutionising an entire system? Especially one that appeared to be changing over time as he had suspected.

He took a step forward, holding his arms out for you in case you needed some sanctuary. It was an offer you refused, standing awkwardly and wiping away your tears with the sleeve of your mission jacket. Attempts to comfort you at this point were futile.

“I’m sorry, doll. I have never thought about it like that. I guess it’s because I’ve never had to.” Bucky began with a sympathetic look. “But you can’t do this all by yourself. You did something so good today and you should be proud of yourself for it.”

You sank to your knees, planting your palms in the dirt below you to try and restore some strength to your frail frame. He was right, but he’d never truly understand.

“I just feel so helpless, Bucky. I feel like I’m drowning and every time I put my head above water, someone pulls me back down again.” You explained with fresh, stinging tears. “I’m a fucking Avenger and even I can’t stop this.”

Bucky knelt on the ground in front of you with a sigh, knowing that no matter what he did, he couldn’t make this better for you. It killed him to see his girl so heartbroken and defeated while he could do nothing about it.

“Those girls we saved are going to tell you their stories and you’re going to be upset and you’ll cry for them because you know what it’s like on a human level to be captured and forced to do something you don’t want to do. But you will never understand this pain and fear on a systematic level like I do! To know that you’re inherently in danger just because you were born a woman. I need to stop it. But I don’t know how.”

This time, when Bucky took you in his arms, you let him. The early exertions had exhausted your body and now you were ready to bury your face into his neck, inhaling his comforting scent and feeling safe. The venting had alleviated some of the pain but it still persisted, bubbling discreetly under the surface of your skin, ready to boil again when you were next pushed.

Bucky pressed a loving kiss to the top of your head. He appreciated that there was nothing he could say to make you feel better. Instead, he offered himself to you as comfort to take from him what you needed. The real effects of your headache and bloody knuckles came into fruition and you clenched your fists to deal with the physical pain while Bucky rocked you in a comforting motion.

“Promise me one thing, sweetheart?” Bucky asked and took your hum as permission to keep talking. “Promise me that no matter how tough this all gets; you don’t let it consume you. You are the best person I know and I will follow you into any mission, battle or war for this. But please don’t hurt yourself over it or try and deal with it on your own. I love you, please let me help. Tell me how I can be better.”

You held him so tightly that you might crush him, grateful for his support and his pledge of allegiance to your cause. Blinking away tears that threatened to fall you nodded against his neck so that he knew you had understood him.

“I promise. And, Bucky?”

“Yeah?”

“Just know that all this anger and hatred I have towards men and how they treat us never applies to you.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Bucky held you there in that spot in the woods for what felt like hours until he eventually carried you home. Fatigue had overpowered your body but your brain was still active, already plotting and planning what you were going to do next and how you were going to use your Avenger status as an advantage.

You wouldn’t change the system overnight but you were going to do everything in your power to rally up as much support as possible. The pain and anger that was deep rooted inside you was converted to raw energy and you had the appetite to make a difference.

Female rage is a powerful thing.

#bucky barnes #mcu bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x fem!reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes imagine #marvel fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes drabble #bucky barnes fic #fatws bucky x reader #james bucky barnes #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan #female rage #feminist reader

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