#hiding this ramble in the tags hopefully its amusing to anyone who sees it

[evieismol]

Chapter 4 of the gt park ranger story

Back from an unintentional hiatus as I got really busy with classes and work and then ~my life fell apart~...my sincere apologies I'm going to finish this now lol. Also desperately needs a name, if anyone has any suggests please feel free to lemme know lol

warnings: n/a

word count: 1525

Previous Chapter

Dave was already awake when his alarm went off. He’d slept restlessly all night, tossing and turning for hours before resigning himself to staring up at the ceiling as the sun rose. Today was the day that he was supposed to go work with John and Easton. When the shrill screech of his alarm went off, it felt more like a bad omen than a wake up call. He reluctantly slid out of bed. His concerns over the upcoming shift didn’t fade as he got ready, and at one point he found himself seriously considering calling in. He shook his head, hoping to clear the thoughts from his mind. That was dramatic, he told himself. He’d agreed to work with Easton. And all calling in sick would do was delay the inevitable anyways.

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected this much of an emotional reaction upon finally seeing another Aphirial. He’d spent so long trying to push memories of his past away that he’d tricked himself into thinking it worked. That the past was some cold, dead series of events. Not something apparently warm enough to still burn. 

Dave finished buttoning his shirt, took a deep breath, and headed outside. John was leaning against the employee housing wall when he stepped outside. 

“Morning. Sleep well?” John asked. 

“Well enough,” Dave said. “So, what exactly are we up to today?”

“A tour of the park,” John replied. “I’ve only been here once, actually.”

“And I would guess it’s safe to assume Easton hasn’t ever,” Dave said. John nodded. Dave continued. “Well, I’m not sure how good of a tour guide I’ll be.”

John shrugged. “I think the goal is more team-bonding.”

“Right,” Dave replied. 

“Speaking of the team, we’re going to meet Easton, go over basics, and then head out,” John said. He gestured down the path before taking off in the same direction. Dave followed him, giving the employee housing building a quick glance back as anxiety built in his chest. Is it too late to fake being sick?

To say Easton’s place was huge would be an understatement. It wasn’t a surprise given his own size, but Dave still found himself staring up at the trailer in awe. If it was human-sized, it wouldn’t have been anything notable. Probably small camper sized. Big enough for a bed, maybe a modified kitchen and a half bath. It had a distinctly angular, somehow foreign feel to it, and Dave guessed that the trailer had come from Easton’s own realm as opposed to being built here. Though, that would have been a good guess even without the odd architecture, as Dave guessed building something of this scale would be a struggle for a human construction crew. John led him to the base of the structure, where a human-sized door sat to the side of some much larger steps. 

John typed something into the keypad outside the door, and it slid open to reveal a modern looking elevator. 

“Rangers first,” John said jokingly. Dave stepped into the elevator, the IMA agent close behind him. 

“I don’t know why this,” Dave gestured to the elevator. “Is a surprise to me. I mean, makes more sense to have a human-sized elevator than try to scale those steps. I guess I hadn’t really given it any thought.”

John gave a short chuckle. “It’s our best attempt at accomodating both sizes. There’s a series of pathways - human-sized pathways, that is - around the inside, so we can get around fairly easily. And this elevator takes us to the various levels on the pathways.”

“Like hamster tunnels,” Dave mused. John gave him an odd look but didn’t say anything. Instead, he pushed one of the buttons in the elevator, and they began to go up. The ride didn’t feel like it took too long, despite Dave guessing they’d gone up at least a few hundred feet. There was a ding, and the doors behind them rolled open. Dave found himself frozen as he took in what was before them. 

As he’d guessed, the interior of the trailer wouldn’t have been notable if it had been human-sized. It had the same sleekly modern feel the outside did, from the polished white table directly in front of them to the circular, metal-framed windows across the room. What stopped Dave in his tracks, though, was the scale. It felt like staring up at a mountain, or into the sea on a dark night. The feeling of being incredibly, wholly, insignificant. Easton’s presence only further exemplified that. In a room to his scale, it no longer seemed like he was the odd one out - Dave found himself feeling more like he was abnormally small instead of Easton being huge. 

Easton broke into a soft, close-lipped smile when he saw them. 

“Good morning!” John greeted him. “So, you both feeling ready?” 

Dave nodded. 

“Yeah,” Easton seconded. 

“Alright. Now, I’m sure Gus and Dan will go over actual, y’know, ranger stuff. I only oversee the whole Aphiria-Earth liasion bit, and I won’t be meaning to step on any toes this summer. Just wanted to get that out of the way,” John said. “We were going to head over to the eastern part of the park, look around, and then I believe you’ll be meeting Dan later this afternoon. Basically, we’re just trying to get to know each other this morning.” 

“Sounds good,” Dave said. He found his gaze drifting over to Easton again, and wondered what exactly he could even do in the park. Probably plenty, actually, he realized after a moment. Easton was gigantic compared to humans, but not ridiculously so compared to natural features. Dave would bet the Rio Grande river alone was wider in parts than Easton was tall. He’d probably be able to help with upkeep, trail maintenance, and so on. And then, of course, the angle Dave suspected the Park Service (and by extension U.S. Government) was most interested in, which was income from tourists. Several public facing nonhumans had been hugely well-received in recent years. People tended to flock to the strange, unusual, and even scary. 

He recalled hearing about both a giant (of the smaller variety) and a vampire on Broadway recently. Both were met with wide praise and rocketing attendance numbers of their respective shows. There was even a whole niche of non-human micro influencers, something he’s discovered on one of his endless TikTok scrolls. The park service may not be as flashy as either of those examples, but justifying budgets did at least in some part depend on getting people to visit. 

“Well, we should probably get going, then,” John finished. Dave realized he’d zoned out, entirely missing part of what John had said. He hoped it wasn’t anything important. 

“So, we have a car outside. Two options, we could meet Easton there, or he could carry us,” John said to Dave. 

“We can meet him there,” Dave said quickly. If Easton was offended at the speed of his rejection, he didn’t show it, instead simply nodding. He and John headed back to the elevator, exiting in the same way they’d came. John led him to a truck parked nearby, motioning for him to climb in. He handed him an earpiece.

“So we can communicate with Easton easily, without having to yell out the window or something,” John explained. Dave nodded. 

Easton appeared a few moments later, and Dave felt his stomach turn again as he looked out the truck window up at the giant. He’d at least been eye-level with Easton during previous meetings. Now, though, the truck barely came up to Easton’s ankles, and Dave couldn’t help but think how easily Easton could step on them without so much as a second thought. Easton crouched down, his attempt to be closer to them doing little to close the gap in their size difference. Dave noticed he was also wearing an earpiece. 

“Does following us work?” John asked. Easton nodded. 

“Great. Just make sure to stay a few car lengths away when you’re walking okay?” 

“Of course,” Easton said. He was true to his word the entire trip, as the buildings faded away into the distance before finally being obscured around a bend. He also didn’t take his eyes off the ground the entire time, gaze carefully checking each step. That put Dave at ease a little. 

The truck pulled into a parking spot in a dirt parking lot. Dave wasn’t sure exactly where there were, beyond one of the more remote parts of the park. Sensible, if John didn’t want to draw a group with Easton just yet. Speaking of Easton, Dave noticed him hang back on the outside of the parking lot. John climbed out of the car. Dave was close behind, and he looked around at there surroundings. The Chisos mountains painted the backdrop in the distance, and trees cast shade over the parking lot. 

“Beautiful day out!” John said. “We’re going to head to the canyon down there. We have an approximate idea of where Easton can fit easily, but consider this our official mapping.” This was going to be a long day, Dave thought.

Next Chapter

#gt story #sfw gt #g/t #sfw g/t #gt #gt writing #g/t writing #giant/tiny #u would not believe the spring ive had #hiding this ramble in the tags hopefully its amusing to anyone who sees it #i was supposed to be at a certain park but it is UNDER WATER #i stg if the sierras flood or something in august im gonna lose it pls i just want to stare at rocks

[navegandoaciegas]

Sunshine Girl

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: fluff, soft!Bucky, mentions of injury (no graphic descriptions), 3.6k words

Summary: You are the sun and he’s simply basking in your light. And he’s so selfish, he thinks as he holds the velvet box with the diamond ring inside of it, he’s so damn selfish he wants to keep the light all to himself for the rest of his life.

Two years ago you were supposed to enjoy a solo road trip after years of Avenging, but Bucky invited himself along. Now you’re forced back to New York, and your boyfriend is ready to surprise you once again.

A/N: Bucky’s POV. Sequel to I love my baby to death, but I suppose you could read it on its own. As always forgive any mistakes, English is my third language.

Had to repost this cause it didn’t show up in the tags, hopefully this time it will

“I swear Buck, if I see one more damn corn plant I’m losing it. I am this close” you say pinching your thumb and pointer finger real close “to a mental breakdown. I’m never eating corn again, mark my words. No corn flakes, no corn on the cobble, no nothing. I’m done.”

“We’re in Iowa, in the middle of the corn belt, I don’t know what you were expecting.” he replies, slightly amused by your little outburst and sour mood.

“Well, clearly not ending up on the set of Children of the corn.” you groan, getting back to sulking in the passenger’s seat, seething at the fields that are only a scapegoat to the real problem.

You’d been merrily skiing in Montana when his skis got somehow tangled with yours and he tumbled down on you, dragging you down the slope. Hadn’t you injured yourself, rolling in the snow like it only ever happens in cartoons would have been pretty comical.

“What?” you screech, almost jumping off the stretcher and grimacing in pain when your left foot hits the metal poles at the side. “No. It’s just pain, I’m sure it will go away, right? I mean I was an Avenger, I’ve suffered worse than a fall.”

“I’m sorry, miss, but knee surgery will be necessary, the MRI here shows you’ve torn your ACL and from the looks of it, your left knee was already damaged badly, numerous times at that, probably a result of your time on the field.”

“I can’t, I can’t just get surgery, we’re miles away from home and I-”

You’re almost sobbing and Bucky feels like shit because he’s the reason for all this and all he can do now is pat your back reassuringly.

“Given the extent of the damage, I’m afraid there’s no other option.”

“How long is the recovery time?” he asks, voice unsure.

“Well, it’s my knowledge she’s not an enhanced individual, so like any average human it will take anywhere from 6 to 9 months to recover fully. In the meantime, no more hikes or sports.”

Bucky inhales a sharp breath. Six to nine months. No more hikes. Surely you’ll have to go back to New York.

God, you are so going to break up with him.

Turns out you didn’t dump him in Montana, you didn’t abandon him in one of those auto stops along Interstate 90 in South Dakota, and you don’t seem to want to break up with him amidst the green fields of Iowa, but still, he knows he will drive through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It almost seems like a cruel twist of fate, driving the same route you did as friends two years ago, along Interstate 80 headed East instead of West, only this time he’s not hoping to be more than the annoying old man who invited himself on your trip; he’s your boyfriend now, but maybe not for long.

“You know, you really are dramatic.” you say in a teasing tone, “I’m not going to break up with you, stop thinking about that, it was an accident, ‘s not like you beat me.”

“I know, I’m just sorry because you’re in pain and it’s my fault and now we have to get back home but I know you wanted to stay more and I did too and if I didn’t-” he’s rambling, and your place your hand on his thigh and squeeze reassuringly, offering him one of those sweet smiles he dies for.

“Buck, it’s okay” you interrupt his word vomit “like I said a million times before, it was an accident, it’s going to be fine I promise. I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise with my mood, I swear I’m just pissed at all this damn corn. We’re never going to a maze again, by the way.” That gets a laugh out of him, and he loves you even more because you’re always there to lift his spirits. “I’m dreading these next months, the surgery, physiotherapy and all, but I know you’re there for me, yes?”

He nods, teary eyed, and you continue, “And I can’t lie, it’s been a while, I’m kind of excited to see everyone again, I mean except for Sam of course,” you say, as if he didn’t “live rent free in your head”, like Sam himself put it, “Jesus that man, how many of our trips has he invited himself on? I’ve lost count. ‘Member when we found him waiting for us in Phoenix? Fuckin’ weirdo.”

You both chuckle at the memory of Sam in your motel room, waiting on your bed with crossed arms like a disappointed parent, pissed off because you hadn’t called in a week and he was worried sick that something may have happened to you, a deadly sniper, and him, the Winter fuckin’ Soldier. Truth is, Bucky was so excited about your new relationship that he rarely let you leave the bed when you were in your room, and when you did you were in no condition to Facetime anyone, with your smudged mascara and swollen lips.

“I’ve heard Clint will come visit us with Laura and the kids. Nathaniel must be so big now.” you add, your eyes glazed over as you think of the little boy who was named after your Natasha.

“God, Morgan is probably all grown up.” he muses, a tinge of sadness in his voice. You squeeze his thigh again. “And the spider kid too, he’s a grown man now.”

“That he is.” you chuckle, “But to me he’ll always be the boy in the red spanx who knocked us on our asses in Berlin.”

He smiles and shakes his head at the memory, and you both fall in a comfortable silence. Now that he’s not consumed by fear anymore, Bucky kind of agrees with you that all this green is, in fact, nauseating.

“You know what, no more popcorn either.”

“Deal.”

-

A year and something ago

Arizona

“Can you believe there’s a city in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences? We should totally go and visit just for the hell of it, sounds like the type of place Steve Rogers should have been born into.” you state with all the seriousness in the world, and he snorts because after all this time you still haven’t found it in yourself to stop mocking Steve’s righteousness.

You’re walking ahead of him and he’s so distracted by your tiny denim shorts that he, the master of stealth, almost trips over a boulder. You’re always pretty but tonight, illuminated by the orange sky of Arizona, you look like a dream. And you’re so happy, snapping photos at everything you see, that even if Bucky hates the desert and the heat makes him uncomfortable, he won’t tell you, because the look on your face makes it all worth it.

“Baby, look at this big boy here, he’s like 20 feet tall. Oh my god, he’s so cute and beefy, just like you.” you gush at one of the giant cactuses of Saguaro National Park.

He raises his eyebrows skeptically.

All he sees are green spiky motherfuckers that he’s accidentally hurt himself with more times that he’d like to admit in all those damn ‘hikes’ you like so much, but to you cactuses are the most beautiful sight in the word. He genuinely does not see the appeal, but he understands now how you feel when he talks about all his ‘nerd shit’, as you call it.

“I’m cuter.” he says frowning.

“Of course you are.”

For some reason you don’t sound convincing at all.

-

It’s only spring but here in Tucson the temperature is 85 degrees today and he’s sweating buckets underneath the long sleeved t-shirt he’s wearing to conceal his vibranium arm. He’s long past the time when he was forced to hide from authorities or the general public’s judgement, but still he doesn’t want to be recognized and attract attention. He doesn’t do well with crowds, and he doesn’t understand how you can be so calm and collected when people stare at you and ask for photographs while you’re minding your own business.

As soon as you get back to the motel you’re staying at he takes off his soaked shirt, not caring that the air conditioning is probably going to end his old ass.

“What the hell happened to you?” you ask, scowling as you analyze the skin around his prosthetic.

He shrugs. “It happens sometimes.”

“Why?”

“No idea.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ lie to me James.”

You only call him that when he’s in big trouble. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose: why do you have to be so damn stubborn all the damn time? “It’s nothing sweetheart, just sometimes the skin becomes flared when it’s too hot.”

“Nothing?” you shrill, throwing your hands around animatedly, “Nothing? Bucky your whole shoulder is super red and irritated, don’t act like it’s normal. We’ve been in the sun for hours, for days really, why didn’t you tell me anything? I would have driven us back here immediately. Does it hurt?”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you, I didn’t want to ruin your fun, you liked it so much there. And no, it only itches a little.”

Your eyes soften and you move to cup his face in your hands, looking at him with so much love that he feels himself melt away into a puddle, “Baby you don’t need to do that, you know I care more about you than anything else.”

“Even more than the cactuses?”

“Well, now you’re asking too much of me.”

He snorts and playfully hits your arm, then he falls back on the bed and drags you down with him. You stay cuddled like that for a while before you pull back to look into his eyes.

��I appreciate you doing this for me Buck, but you don’t ever need to sacrifice your own comfort for me, okay?”

“I know, I’m sorry. But you looked so happy.”

“Don’t be, and I’m always happy with you, I promise.”

“I’m always happy too.”

“We’re such saps. Gross. Anyways, guess where we’re going next?” you ask him cheerfully, scratching his scalp the way that makes him purr like a cat.

“The plan was New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana, right?” he frowns. You’d made plans together ages ago and you were so excited about visiting Texas of all places for God knows what reason. He’s predicted already that he won’t stand the suffocating, humid heat of that whole area. At least Arizona was dry as hell.

You on the other hand, everyday he’s become more aware of how much of a lizard you are, seeking the sun and walking around in the scorching heat not even breaking a sweat.

“Guess again baby boy, we’re going straight to Oregon. I mean, it's not Alaska but it’s not as hot as the desert here, right?

“Wait, what? Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to overheat?” you state like it’s obvious, rolling your eyes, “We’ll do New Mexico and the rest next fall, and now Oregon and Washington because it’s a little cooler there. So what do you say?” You ask with a hopeful look in your eyes.

“Princess I appreciate you doing this for me, but I promise I’ll be fine. You don’t have to change plans for me, this is your road trip.”

“No you won’t Buck, you’re not doing good and I don’t ever want to see you suffer, you understand? By the time we get to Texas it will be summer and you won’t stand it, it’s better if we visit when it’s colder.”

He smiles softly. He knows he’d do the same for you. “Then Oregon it is.”

You get up from the bed and head to the bathroom to shower, “Oh, and baby?” you call out,  peeking your head from behind the door, “This is your road trip too, never forget that.”

-

Oregon

“Why does Thor get to have places named after him and we don’t? We were Avengers too.”

“But are we norse gods?”

“I mean, not yet, but I definitely deserve some nature’s wonder, or at least a star, to be named after me.”

“I’ll call WMO and get them to name a hurricane after you, princess. It seems more fitting.”

“Asshole.”

You’d been camping somewhere in Oregon’s wilderness when he came up with the idea of visiting all of the State’s so called seven wonders, starting from Thor’s Well on the Coast and ending in Mount Hood near Portland. You took a thousand photos of each attraction and sent a video of the water seemingly draining inside the famous well to the God himself, who enthusiastically expressed his appreciation.

Bucky’s cherished every minute of it, from the hot springs of Crater Lake to the chillier temperatures at night that force you to snuggle closer to him to warm up.

You’re in Portland now, and you’re thoroughly enjoying it, but what’s new about that? You’re always so full of life, so genuinely excited about everything the world has to offer that he’d be worried if you weren’t having the time of your life as you usually are.

He likes the city too, which is saying a lot.

“Blueberries are the superior berry and that’s the hill I’m willing to die on.”

You’ve been eating your way through Portland for weeks, and you’ve been discussing pies for a solid thirty minutes now. It’s raining outside and you’re cooped up in a small pie shop, eating more than an average human can and receiving weird looks from the waitress as you tell her to ‘keep ‘em coming’.

“I’m sorry but you’re wrong princess,” he states with a stuffed mouth just for the sake of aggravating you to no end, “blackberries are just so much better.”

It works as you grimace in disgust, both at his statement and his manners.

He’s found out you are weirdly opinionated when it comes to pies: pecan pies are an abomination, pumpkin doesn’t belong in dessert, lemon pie and key lime pie are only acceptable if someone’s grandma is kindly offering them to you, rhubarb pie without strawberries is a threat to mankind and cherry and blueberry pies are the absolute best. Apple pie is too bland to even take the time to discuss it, although the taste is likeable enough.

He on the other hand likes anything pie and anything sweet. And anything that gets a rise out of you.

“Please Buck, this isn’t even a blackberry pie, it’s some sort of inbred experiment that turned out kinda right.”

He shushes you, barely holding back a laugh when he sees the waiter side eyeing you as you disrespect one of Oregon’s most famous dishes, “First of all, it’s called marionberry and it’s a type of blackberry. And second, keep it down unless you want us to be kicked out, you’re offending a whole state.”

“Sorry.” you shrug, “But blueberry tartness level is where I draw the line, anything more than that is unacceptable.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re still a child and haven’t developed adult taste buds yet baby.” He does love his senior citizen card a bit too much.

This earns him a kick under the table and a scowl. “Stop it, grandpa.” you groan.

He grins and digs in your slice of marionberry pie. You resume to people watching.

God, he loves Oregon. And he loves you.

He really is a sap.

-

Wyoming

Washington was nice enough. You’ve taken him bar crawling most nights, and all of them have ended with him giving you a piggyback ride, per your request, back to the hotel room you were staying at.

It takes 13 hours to drive from Seattle to Yellowstone and you’ve driven all the way. You refused to disclose the destination of the trip and he’s fallen asleep the last 3 hours in the car. He’d mentioned he wanted to see the geysers somewhere in Pennsylvania two years ago and you remembered and took him.

Bucky couldn’t be happier.

He’s still describing the constellations above you when you fall asleep, and he’s so absorbed by the sky that he doesn’t notice until your head falls on his shoulder and he hears your soft snores.

He picks you up bridal style and takes you back to the fancy tent he bought on a whim in Ohio after you both slept in the SUV and woke up with major back and neck pain. He smiles as he removes your makeup with a wipe and does your skincare just the way you taught him, and admires your relaxed state.

He grazes your pretty face with his vibranium fingers, something so unimaginable to him before he met you, as he never thought his arm could bring anything other than pain.

Back when he was a semi stable 100 year old man thrust in another fight yet again, he hadn’t realized the extent of his feelings for you, believing he was only attracted to your beauty and youth. He hadn’t seen the way your smile lights up a whole room, nor the way you listen, truly listen, to anyone who may have anything to tell you, without ever judging them. He hadn’t witness your kindness and patience, let alone experienced them on his own skin. He hadn’t been lucky enough to watch you feed bird seed to the ducks of every pond of the country, or try to rescue a cat from a rooftop and almost falling off to save it.

Then Sam told him you were leaving and he felt like the word was collapsing on him. He’d found the sunlight and he never wanted to be without it.

Now he’s seen it all, all the little things that make you who you are, including your flaws, and he loves you not regardless of them, nor in spite of them, but because even your worst imperfections make you… you.

Bucky doesn’t know if meeting you was a way for the universe to fix all the wrongs that have been done to him, a sort of payback for all the shit he’s been put through, but in case it is, then he’s got no objections. And maybe he doesn’t deserve someone as good as you, but he’s a selfish man, and now that his sunshine girl is with him he never wants to plunge back into the the darkness ever again.

He tucks you both under the sleeping bag and snuggles next to you.

“Buck?” you mumble in a haze, tugging at his t-shirt, “Love you.”

It’s almost imperceptible, but his supersoldier hearing allows him to pick it up. He kisses the crown of your hair as he caresses your back.

“I love you too sweetheart.”

He wants to spend the rest of his time on Earth proving you how much.

-

New York

6 months later

The doctor wasn’t lying when she warned you that recovery would take 6 to 9 months.

You said the aftermath of the operation hurt like a bitch and that physiotherapy hurt even more. Today’s your last session and Bucky is glad about it for many reasons, like how you’re not in pain anymore for starters, and maybe because of how annoyingly fun, smart and hot your therapist is. Not like he’d ever admit it to you.

“Jesus,” you groan, “he turned me inside out like a sock, I can’t feel my legs anymore.”

“Sounds fun.” he deadpans.

“Someone’s jealous of the doctor?” you ask with a mischievous smirk.

“‘M not. He’s not all that.” he mumbles, blushing like a school boy.

You snort and drawl a ‘sure’. He sends you his best death glare.

“Whatever. I hope you don’t mind if we take a stop before going home.” he announces, helping you into the car. His palms feel clammy and he’s sweating despite the chilly winds of New York’s fall.

“Sure, where are we going?”

“Actually, that’s kind of a surprise, you’ll see.”

You beam at his words; he knows you love surprises and he hopes you’re going to like this one.

----

You look radiant as you lie on the blanket he’s spread on the grass, surrounded by colorful foliage. You’re sipping some of your favorite wine and nibbling on crackers as you admire a flock of birds migrating south in the sky.

You are the sun and he’s simply basking in your light. And he’s so selfish, he thinks as he holds the velvet box with the diamond ring inside of it, he’s so damn selfish we wants to keep the light all to himself for the rest of his life.

He’s prepared a long, passionate speech to tell you how much he loves you, of all the ways you’ve changed his life for the better and of all the reasons why he’d be a good husband.

But when you look at him with those bright eyes and beaming smile, he can barely remember his own name. He drops on one knee and holds the box out with shaky hands.

“Marry me, please.”

----

Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please reblog and comment, don’t be shy, feedback is always appreciated 🥺🤲

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x you #bucky fanfic #james barnes x reader #james barnes x you #james barnes x y/n

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 59

 “You have no idea how infuriating not knowing your thoughts is at times.” stated Alaric as he stared down Aid, though we all knew his comment was actually meant for Four.

 “Probably horrible for you, since some of us can read yours.” replied Aid with a mirthless smile.  He probably caught something unwanted in Alaric’s thoughts again.

 “If you must know, Father and half the adults are meeting up at the Château de Flaugergues because Father wanted to meet with someone there.  If you were really that curious, we could have tagged along.” explained Four with a frown for Alaric.

 “No-no.  You’re right.  Sorry, Four.  Really.” insisted Alaric, holding up his hands defensively.  Though he loved messing with Aid, he never wanted to fight Four, probably being reminded too much of Father, possibly Mother due to Four’s eyes.  “What if we go to…” started Alaric, pausing to think or rifle through thoughts of nearby Slayer descendents.  “Montpellier’s Citadelle!” he exclaimed, pronouncing the word like the French while speaking English despite being in France.

 Doc shrugged and said, “Sure.  I didn’t get a chance to research any good places for today.  Sorry.”

 “The Citadelle will be great!  Plenty of history.  It’s a school now, so even the Boss should appreciate the educational aspect, right?” asked Alaric with forced enthusiasm.

 Four sighed and said, “Let’s go.  Father would appreciate the architecture, and Mother would probably be amused by us seeking out an educational institute on vacation.”

 “Exactly!” exclaimed Alaric, wrapping his arms roughly around my brothers.

 Shoving off Alaric’s arm and turning around, Aid questioned “Ella?  Where are you going?”

 “The Citadel was a military place.  I’d rather go.. that way.” she replied, pointing in the direction she had started to walk.

 “Why?” he asked with interest.

 “I…” she started before frowning.  “I don’t remember, but I might again if I go that way.”

 Seeing that Four and Messy seemed to be having a mental discussion that could alter the course in a way that would make Alaric whiney, I quickly said, “I’ll go with her.  We’ll be fine.”

 Four nodded, and the group continued on behind him.

 Messy would be going off to meet Auntie Aaliyah and Crazy soon.  They were supposed to get up to mischief today.  Messy always considered time with her mother to be mischief.

 I quickly took hold of Ella’s hand, not trusting myself to find her again if she somehow slipped off.  Days like this, I was really envious of Aid’s power.  Messy’s would typically be even better, but the idea of accidentally obliterating someone with a thought wasn’t pleasant.  Not having her experience, I’d probably do something awful even without her current predicament.

 Ella was happily wandering off toward the river, which certainly didn’t bother me.  A large quantity of water nearby would ensure my ability to protect her and give me plenty of aquatic life to admire.  I blinked and accidentally jarred Ella to a stop as I sensed something unusual in the river.  Resisting the urge to call the others, or even Father, to come see this, I started walking again with Ella.

 There was no life on this planet that would surprise my parents, so bothering them would only have them humoring me at best.  Besides, Mila would tell them what we saw the instant we arrived if my parents didn’t already know.  My brothers and friends would certainly want to see these creatures, but Alaric’s reactions weren’t something I wanted to try predicting.  With a dragon-like, horned head and a scaled, serpentine body, I was certain this was a guivre, which I hadn’t believed actually existed.  I couldn’t even recall a story of them in rivers.  What were they doing here, and how did Ella know?  She was guiding us directly toward them.  I’d tell the others after I studied them for a bit.

 “Ella, are you sensing something again yet?” I asked, suspecting this was a fey thing.  Aid’s fey abilities were certainly enviable as well, with Four and I left out of that group.

 Small question marks formed around her head as she turned to look at me.  Just before our eyes met, the question marks changed from blue to yellow and lost form as if they were bursts of light.  “You’re right!  I do.” she replied excitedly.

 “Please, focus on that sensation.  Are they intelligent, perhaps a type of fey?” I questioned hopefully, though I doubted the latter could be true.

 Shaking her head and continued to walk, she said, “Not fey, but… I’d compare their thoughts to dolphins.”  She giggled and said, “They’re so playful!”

 Resisting the urge to pick up Ella and run was difficult, but I managed.  At first glance, I thought the creatures were black, but several quickly popped above the water’s surface when Ella knelt down there.  Their scales changed colors as the light hit them from different angles.  Remembering the stories, I prepared to protect Ella should the creatures attack, but they didn’t.  Animals never attacked the fey, and Ella’s fey abilities were strong.

 Laughing as they all three tried nuzzling her hand at once, she happily petted them, drawing the attention of even more.  There were eleven of the creatures here, none any longer than my leg.  Unable to resist the urge, I bent down to pet them as well, but they sadly pulled away, probably recognizing my scent as that of a predator.

 “Wait.  Stay still.” ordered Ella as I started to pull back.

 I grinned when one of the creatures cautiously came up to my hand, sniffing it.  Then the guivre glanced at Ella before nuzzling its head into my palm.  Unlike a fish, the guivre weren’t slimy.  The scales were solid and rough.

 “What are they thinking?” I asked, gently petting the cute creature.

 Ella rambled on about each one, speaking of how the different emotions she was getting from them.  The hungry one didn’t have to wait long, attacking a fish that came nearby.  Four of the others quickly latched onto the fish as well, tearing off chunks to eat around the first one’s coiled body.  Having visited with dragons many times, the display didn’t bother me at all, but I was a little surprised that Ella wasn’t repulsed, though she wasn’t watching either.  Maybe she couldn’t see through the water well enough to know?  I didn’t ask, hearing someone approaching from the upper sidewalk.

 “Wait.” stated a girl in Russian.  “I smell something odd.  I’m going to investigate, so I’ll catch you later, Father.”

 I barely had considered the idea of casting a spell to conceal our scent when I caught sight of the girl, crouching down to watch us.  She definitely wasn’t human, and she was downwind from us.  I couldn’t smell her to determine what she was.

 Realizing I was watching, she casually stood and started carefully walking down the steep concrete incline between us.  As she walked, she started casting spells to deter anyone else that might approach.  Mother’s spells were better.

 “Who are you, and what are you doing?  What’s down there?” she asked in perfect French.

 Ella must have told the guivre to hide, since they took off under the water to a hollow area in the riverbed.  Then she waved cheerily and said, “Hi!  I’m Ella.  Who are you?”

 The girl rushed toward us, attempting to grab Ella.  She was fast, nearly as fast as me, but I managed to catch her wrist, which shocked the girl.

 “Stop!” ordered Ella, staring at the girl.  Unfortunately, she either didn’t catch the girls eyes or the girl was warded, probably the latter.

 “You’re from the…” I started to say when the girl took a swing at me, obviously not worried about what fighting might do to her clothing.  I used a spell to lift Ella and move her away as I did my best not to hurt my attacker.

 The girl was well-trained and at least a few years older than me, so keeping up was a struggle, especially with her constantly trying to create spells to attack me.  Unlike her, I didn’t want to try hunting down Valeria, who was off somewhere with Cosette today, just to get a change of clothes.

 Moments later, I stopped caring about my clothes or the fire launched at my back.  I hurled myself past Ella to punch a tall man coming at her from behind.  He caught me with a mighty grip, and I could easily guess this was the girl’s father.  No longer worrying about our magic being seen, especially with the girl’s protections in place, I summoned the river to fight on my behalf.  Seeing a mass of water rushing up at each of them, made my attackers flinch, but I knew I didn’t have long.

 “Mila, I need your daughter!” I shouted, knowing that Crazy would get here with truly insane speed if she didn’t hold back.

 “Mila?” questioned the man, quickly using spells to fight back the river for himself and his daughter.  “You… are you James’ girl?” he asked, looking worried.

 His shocked face would have been hilarious when Crazy barreled into him had she not broken his arm in the process.  I sent the waters back into the river, since even the daughter stopped attacking when she heard my father’s name.  Then again, maybe she was shocked because her father was encased in some sort of metal.  Messy and Auntie Aaliyah had showed up too.

 “Hello, Maksim!” called Auntie Aaliyah giddily as ever.

 “Aaliyah.” he stated, all fight gone out of him.  He looked very, very white.

 “Father, who are they?” questioned Maksim’s daughter, speaking Russian again.

 “Hi, Marisha!  You should have done your studies yesterday instead of playing my game.” replied Auntie Aaliyah, her smile widening when the girl realized who was speaking.

 “I’m a huge fan of your work!” insisted Marisha as she jogged over to Auntie Aaliyah.

 “And I’m not a fan of someone who would attack cute Ella and adorable Luce without provocation.” replied Auntie Aaliyah, her grin unceasing.

 “Mom!  There was obviously a misunderstanding.  Maksim wouldn’t think of attacking the Boss’ daughter after the Boss had been so merciful before.” stated Messy quite gloomily.  She released Maksim from whatever she had encased him in and even healed his arm, making the man stare in wonder.

 Crazy sighed and asked “Are you sure he’s not a criminal?  I could totally become a caped crusader here!”  She moved and was suddenly hugging a very startled Marsiha.  “I mean this one’s definitely up to trouble, don’t you think?”

 “No, I think she was just a bit aggressive.” I replied, doing my best to ignore Crazy’s frown.  I doubted Auntie Aaliyah would kill them over this, but taking their side wouldn’t hurt.

 “Will everyone please calm down?” questioned Ella worriedly.  She’d probably forget all of this happened before we were done speaking, but no one liked upsetting Ella.

 “Aww… of course, Ella.” replied Aaliyah, making a show of running over to Ella before embracing her.  Auntie Aaliyah was everywhere, so moving was always a show for her.  Turning to look at Maksim, she said, “Aren’t you going to be late?  I’ll make sure the girls play nice.”

 “Yes, Aaliyah.  Please, forgive our rash actions.  We will gladly make amends.” replied Maksim with a nod, rushing off without waiting for a reply.

 Marisha curtsied the moment Crazy released her, saying in English, “My humblest apologies.  I should have tried speaking with you first, but I got excited to see a kid near my age who could actually fight.  I didn’t expect my father to show up.  Had I known you were James’ daughter, I would not have considered attacking you or your friend.”

 I could easily understand why.  Father had shattered Maksim’s body when they fought, because Maksim wouldn’t back down.  He still wishes that hadn’t been necessary.

 “Apology accepted.” I told her.  “I’m sorry that my friends startled you, but I knew I couldn’t fight you and your father by myself.”

 “How are you there so fast!?” questioned Marisha eagerly as she looked between Auntie Aaliyah, Messy, and Crazy.

 “They’re the fast ones.” insisted Auntie Aaliyah.  “I’m just inventive.”

 Crazy laughed, shaking her head.

 Messy frowned at her mom before saying, “Care to join us for some food?”

 Speaking quickly before Marisha could answer, I said, “Actually, there’s something I think you want to see… just over there.  Ella will need a good hour here to remember them.”

 Messy’s eyes widened as she “caught sight” of the creatures in their burrow.  I was always thankful that she wasn’t as all-knowing as her mom, or I’d always feel even more behind her than normal.  With Auntie Aaliyah actively here instead of passively watching, I knew the guivre would be safe.  Despite her antics, Auntie Aaliyah would gladly protect creatures for her daughter.  At least, she would if they didn’t need to die for some outlandishly complicated reason.  Either way, this day was far more eventful than I had expected.

#Children of BFFH #Children #of #BFFH #Jovial Times #Jovial #Times #Fantasy #Fiction #Story