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lokis-army-77 · 3 years

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If You Please

Chapter Fifteen

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 3060

This is technically a reader insert but without the (y/n) and all that. She also has no name mentioned so feel free to imagine as you please.

Follow the reader through the events of the Captain America movies and experience her love for Bucky Barnes.

Warnings: Bucky has a nightmare and one thing blows up, that's it.

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Masterlist

We had been flying for a while now and the sun had finally gone down. I had cleaned up the bullet graze on my side earlier with the onboard first aid kit, it had now started to heal itself seamlessly back into my skin like it was never there to begin with.

Bucky had never once taken his eyes off the sky since we took off. I had asked him a few more questions right after we started flying steady, but he just pressed his lips into a firm line. He was like an impenetrable wall and it was throwing me off. What had they done to the Bucky I grew up with, where was the bright, smiling love of my life? I sat there staring at the parts of his face that peaked through the mop of messy brown hair he had.

“Stop staring at me.” The sudden sound of his voice startled me enough that my elbow slipped from the place where it was perched on my knee. I quickly turned away from him in my chair and started to look out of the window into the dark.

“Sorry, it’s just,” I stopped short to think of what to say next. “It’s just that I thought you were gone. Steve watched you fall from the train. I mourned you, I was still mourning you. Now you’ve shown up and I barely recognize the man in front of me.”

He took his hands off the yoke and pressed some buttons to presumably turn autopilot on. “I have no memory of any of that. Flashes, yes, but never anything substantial.”

“I know and that’s okay, it’s to be expected. I followed you for a reason and help you remember is part of that.” I told him softly. I had no clue what he had been thinking for the last seventy years, but I knew it wasn’t something that could be fixed in just a couple of hours. The fact that he was talking to me with less hostility than before gave me the hope that I needed to know that I could help him.

Turning his head away he lets out a gruff sigh. “We’ll be landing in a couple of hours, get some sleep.” He gave me a soft look through the curtain of hair before going back into that stone-cold guise.

I nodded in acceptance and slowly stood and made my way to the bench that lined the side of the cabin. I laid down on the cold metal and let the sounds of the jet lull me to sleep.

When I woke up the cabin lights had been turned off and it was almost completely pitch black, save for the few flashing buttons on the control panels. I sat up and noticed that the jet was quiet. The noise from flying was long gone but the sounds of the night could be heard throughout. I looked around the cabin groggily to see that the back ramp was lowered to the ground. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stood up. Squinting in the dark I could faintly see something standing a few feet out from the ramp in the grassy field.

I made my way down into the tall grass and stood next to Bucky's statue-like form. He was silently looking up at the sky. We stood there like that for a few minutes before he slowly bent down to reach into the duffel bag we had packed earlier. It was sitting on the ground with a few other bags from the jet. Standing back up he reached out his hand toward me and I brought my hand out to meet him, he gently placed one of the grenades into my palm.

“What’s this for?” I asked while examining the device.

“Were destroying the jet.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Uh, why?”

“Unless you want HYDRA to come to find us, I suggest you pull that pin and throw.” At that, he unpinned his and tossed it into the jet cabin. It took me a second to comprehend what was happening. I was still half asleep as he snatched the grenade away from me and tossed it in as well. Just seconds later I was thrown off balance from the large explosion.

“You’re lucky none of my things were on there,” I spoke up while watching the flames encompass the dismantled jet.

“Quit talking and grab a bag, we have a long walk ahead,” he said in a scolding tone. I turned to watch him grab the large duffel bag, leaving me to carry the smaller backpack. I grabbed the strap and hoisted it up onto my back and slid my other arm through the second strap then started after him.

“Where are we exactly? I questioned as we maneuvered around a giant hole in the field.

“Maybe a three-hour walkout of Bucharest.” He stated. I groaned after hearing that. I just woke up, walking for three hours to get to the Romanian capital in the middle of the night wasn’t entirely my idea of fun. But I put up with it, barely entertaining myself by picking flowers growing along our path and then plucking off their petals like I used to do as a child. That only lasted for so long before I started to get bored, the next thing I tried was to kick a rock I had found when we had made it to a paved road. I had to stop kicking it after I had accidentally hit Bucky in the back of the legs. His sharp glare stopped me in my tracks.

The sun was coming up now, as we topped a hill that looked out into the capital city. I slowed my walk to take in the awakening city, there were severely cars driving the roads, probably going off to work. I sped up my steps as soon as I realized that Bucky had just kept going and didn’t stop to take in the morning splendor with me.

I spoke as I came back up to his side, “So what do we do now?” He let out a frustrated puff of air and I could tell that he was getting annoyed at all of my questions. He never answered me, just kept walking down the street and into the heart of the city.

It must have been past lunchtime when we finally found a shabby almost decrepit-looking apartment building. I could feel and hear my stomach rumbling as we ascended the long spiraling set of stairs to one of the topmost apartments. We had no key to get in so Bucky kicked the door in and shuffled inside. I doubted that anyone would even realize that we were here, the whole thing looked almost completely vacant. I walked through the threshold and into the tiny living space. It was just one small room, just big enough for one or two people to live comfortably, and a singular closed-off bathroom right after you came through the front door.

Looking around some more, the more I realized this apartment building truly was abandoned. The sheetrock walls were chipping along with the paint. In the kitchen, the backsplash was cracked and missing in some spots, the fridge looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in thirty years, the same as everything else in the almost empty room. The only thing in the place that wasn't attached to anything was a small square dining table and two chairs with several years of dust caked onto them. The windows and the door to the back balcony had been covered up with various newspaper pages, adding to the dark and dingy aspect.

Bucky sat the duffel bag onto the table, I placed the backpack down as well. Walking over to the kitchen and flipped the light switch, amazingly the bright strip light above the sink on the far wall came buzzing to life. I gave a silent prayer in thanks for that. I was startled a bit when I heard a loud splintering noise beside me. Turning quickly I spotted Bucky ripping up the wooden floorboards in the kitchen.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Hiding the weapons, what does it look like I’m doing,” He quipped back sharply as he reached for the bags on the table just a few inches away. He shoved them into the hole he had made and then placed the broken planks back where they had been. He stood up slowly after that and began walking for the front door. “Stay here,” he gave a stern look then stepped out into the stairwell, slamming the broken door shut.

I just stared wide-eyed at the door. ‘Did he really just leave me here?’ I asked myself. I went over to the door he had left from and opened it, his footsteps were long gone. I raced to the first window in what was presumably the living room and tore a piece of newspaper from it to look and see if I could spot him but the wall of the balcony was in my way. I gave a long and exasperated huff before turning around and giving the room another once over. ‘Well, it can't hurt to clean a bit. There had to be at least something in here that I can clean with.’ And I was right, I found a stack of four washcloths along with a couple of bath towels under the bathroom sink and a very old broom sitting just outside the back door.

It took almost two hours to scrub the grime from the floors after I had swept the thick layer of dirt and dust-up, and it took even longer to scrub down the kitchen appliances. It had been nearly five hours and Bucky still wasn’t back yet, I had cleaned everything I could until it was almost spotless. It had helped me keep my mind off of where he was and what he was doing, it also helped to keep me from remembering how hungry I was. But now that everything was almost sparkling clean I had nothing to stop my mind from wandering. ‘He wouldn’t just leave, would he? No, not after hiding all the guns. What the hell is he even doing out there? I swear to God he better bring back something to eat, five hours is ridiculous, it's already dark outside.’

I reached my hand up to fiddle with my locket and ring absentmindedly. Fear started to creep into my thoughts. I paced up and down from the front door to the back over and over again until the door suddenly flew open. Swiveling around from my spot just past the bathroom I watched as a mattress made its way through the door. I hurried over to help maneuver it into the tiny hallway, it smelled horrendous like it had been outside for a while. After struggling to pull it into the living room and throwing it to the ground I looked up at Bucky who had been the one to bring it in. He was standing awkwardly at the edge of the room with a few plastic bags around his wrists. Shaking his head a little he made his way to the dining table and placed the bags down. Whatever was inside made a soft clicking sound before falling out of the top to reveal a jar of chicken soup.

I practically ran to the table and snatched the can up. “I forgive you for being gone so long since you brought back food,” I said as I made my way into the kitchen to turn the stove on. We had no pots at the moment so I cracked open the can and placed it in the middle of the eye to heat it up. As I waited I went back over to the bags he laid out and rummaged through them, taking all the cans, bagged food, and the few pieces of silverware out and placing them on the table. The last bag, closest to the wall, had a couple of items of clothes that looked to be in both of our sizes and a few toiletries. “Where did you get all of this?” I asked as he sat in one of the chairs.

“Soup kitchens and shelters,” he said pointing to the food, clothes, and toiletries, then he pointed to the mattress, “and the side of the road.” My face scrunched up at that. There was no telling what was all over that filthy thing. From where I was standing I looked like it had been dropped in the dirt a couple of times. I was going to have to find something to get that smell out of it before I even considered sleeping anywhere near it.

“Do you want some of this soup?” I turned back to the stove to check on the can.

“No,” he responded gruffly before standing to his feet, grabbing his pair of fresh clothes and the soap from the table before heading into the bathroom. I watched after him until the door completely shut behind him, by then the soup was at a nice simmer. I took it off the eye, using one of the washcloths as a potholder before it began to boil over. Grabbing one of the spoons Bucky had brought back I settled down at one of the chairs and began to eat my nice warm dinner. Halfway through scarfing down the soup, I decided to put some on for him even though he said no.

After I finished eating Bucky emerged from the bathroom with sopping wet hair in a pair of loose grey sweatpants and a red long sleeve henley. I eyed him before getting up to throw my can away and set the used spoon in the sink. I grabbed the now warmed Chicken soup from the stovetop and walked to place it in front of him without saying a word. Then I moved to grab the extra pair of clothes he had brought back and headed for the shower.

Finally being able to take off the suit was a big relief. Yes, it was made to be comfortable, but it wasn’t made to spend two days in. Turning the water on and stepping into the warm stream felt even more wonderful, the sweat and grime of the fight the day before began to rinse from my hair and off my body. I stood there, unmoving for what felt like hours before grabbing the three in one body wash from the side of the tub. I shook my head, if we were going to be living here for a while, and I had a feeling we were, I was going to have to find some real shampoo and conditioner, but hey, beggars can't be choosers when you’re on the run and in hiding.

When I felt as though I was completely and thoroughly clean, I stopped the water, rung out my hair, and grabbed one of the bath towels I spotted under the sink earlier to dry off. Then I got myself dressed in the fresh pair of underwear, which I was surprised to see, a long sleeve black t-shirt and an identical pair of gray sweatpants to Buckys, only smaller. Making my way out of the steaming bathroom I noticed Bucky wasn’t at the table anymore. I glanced around, finally landing on him lying on his back beside the mattress, looking like he was sleeping, which he most likely wasn’t. I smiled fondly, he must have wanted me to take the mattress for myself. Although I didn’t want to be rude by not sleeping on it, I chose to find a spot on the floor until the thing could be as thoroughly cleaned as I could get it.

Laying down on my side facing Bucky, I watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath he took. It was hypnotic, that with the quiet faint sound of his heartbeat, I began to fall asleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later to the sounds of small shouts and heavy, labored breathing. I snapped up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Turning my head to Bucky I took in the sight of him thrashing in his sleep before slowly crawling over to him. I tenderly placed my hand on his shoulder in hopes that maybe it would help calm him.

“Bucky,” I whispered close to his ear, “Bucky woke up. It’s just a dream.” Gently moving my right hand up to remove the sweat-dampened hair out of his face. As my hand came to rest on his clenched jaw, his metal arm came up to seize my wrist. I gasped at the force but didn’t try to snatch my hand back. His eyes were still closed, he was still asleep. He was mumbling something incoherent, I leaned in closer to see if I could hear him better but it was still unintelligible. “It’s okay Buck, I’m here, I’ll always be here. Shh.” I tried to quiet him, and it worked for a few seconds before he started to thrash his head from side to side and his grip on my wrist became stiff and unyielding. All I could do was sit there and whisper into his ear as he gripped onto me for what seemed like dear life.

Several minutes of on and off thrashing about I heard him say something that made my heart stop. He called out my name. I hadn't told him my name at any point in the past two days. The sound of it coming off of his lips sent a spark through me, my heart fluttered and my stomach tightened. He remembered, even if it was subconsciously, he still remembered. I smiled at that before going back to trying to calm his sleeping figure.

At some point, he calmed down to the point where I no longer had to kneel next to him and calm him. He never let go of my wrist throughout the whole ordeal, even now he was still gripping it like a vice. I just left it there as I laid back down on my side and let sleep consume me once more.

The next morning, he was nowhere to be found.

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#james buchanan barnes #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x rogers!reader #winter solider x reader #marvel fic #marvel fanfiction

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ofheroesandvillains · 5 years

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I Needed You (5/5) - Bucky Barnes

Bucky Barnes/Fem!Reader Words: 7.2k…my bad Warnings: HYDRA violence - the chair Summary: The End.

Finally finished this little fic off, and I want to give a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read and leave such sweet comments on it. You’re all awesome!

Also, currently 2am so please let me know if you see any mistakes! :D

(Gif not mine!)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

“Look, I’m not saying this is a stupid idea…but it is.”

“No one is forcing you to come, Tony.” You pointed out, not sparing him a glance as you strapped a holster to each thigh.

“And let you go at it alone? Yeah, I don’t think so.” He crossed his arms stubbornly and you had to suppress a smile. To hell with society’s opinion of Tony Stark, he had the biggest heart of gold you had ever encountered, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“I won’t be going alone, Steve should be here any minute now.”

“Because he was so much help the first time…” Tony muttered under his breath, but the sharp glare you shot him told him just how you felt about his commentary.

Okay, so maybe there was still some tension left between them, but he didn’t need to use this situation as an excuse to drag it all back up. You had bigger things on your mind, things you didn’t want to think about for fear of what outcomes your haunted mind might come up with. But also things that required your full attention to ensure those outcomes remained in the realm of possibility and not reality. Gosh, it was all so confusing.

“If you have a better idea, feel free to share.”

And that was something that bothered Tony. He didn’t really have a better idea. You were good at your job, you knew what to do and how to do it well enough to get in and out alive. But after the last time, he was hesitant to watch you throw yourself back into the line of fire. For months he had watched you venture further into your own mind, slipping back into who you used to be almost seamlessly, and that terrified him. Barnes meant something to you, Tony knew you cared about him the way he cared about Pepper…and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to ensure Pepper’s safety.

Tony Stark was a relatively logical man, and he liked to think he thought of the bigger picture when thrown into morally challenging situations. You did not share this quality. You were trained to complete your mission by any means necessary. If Tony would do anything to keep Pepper safe, what would you do for Barnes? How far would you be willing to go?

He didn’t want to think about the answer to that question. Not when you had those moments where you slipped so far into your past that he could barely recognise you. It used to be relatively simple, back when they were trying to teach you how to exist as more than a weapon, as more than a tool. You had burned your past to craft a new life from its ashes, but the events in Boston had flipped a switch.

The first month had been the hardest. He watched you revert back to your old mentality when you fought, fuelled by mistrust and anger…so much anger. Tony had only seen such rage in one other person, and that was no natural anger.

But one thing you had eventually learnt to do was compartmentalise. While you were downright scary in a fight, Dr Sullivan had also been working on helping you move on and accept things for what they were outside of combat. It was a strange thing to witness, but the logic behind it was that you didn’t have to bury your past, just know when to use it and when to hide it.

It was a band-aid on a gunshot wound, but it was the only thing working.

Now, you were in a relatively stable state of mind, and Tony was not keen to send you into a HYDRA hellhole and start all over again.

“I just don’t think a ‘go in all guns blazing’ approach is the best option here.”

“Oh, that’s a first.” You shot back.

“Well, I never!” Tony put a hand to his chest in faux offence. “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”

“There’s a scary thought.”

Both you and Tony turned to face the doorway, and you took in Natasha’s appearance for the first time in months. She had always been difficult to read, never outwardly showing emotion - much like yourself. But as her eyes darted from Tony to you, you noticed the way the tension in her brow eased away and her lips quirked up slightly. You sent her a nod of greeting, and were secretly grateful to get one in return. It’d been a while, and despite everything, you had missed her presence. Almost as much as you had missed Ste-

“Y/N...”

Steve squeezed his way past Natasha, offering you a wholehearted smile despite the exhaustion you could see painted across his handsome face. He hadn’t slept well since Bucky had disappeared days ago, and the phone call he received from you had done nothing but add to the stress he already felt.

Regardless, he was relieved to see you. You never socialised much around the Tower, always preferring to keep to yourself or stick by him or Bucky, but Steve felt the resounding loss of your presence. It wasn’t the same. He’d seen what it had done to Bucky (he knew they weren’t the same circumstances, but it was a loss, nonetheless) and he wouldn’t deny that he missed having you around. You were always his responsibility, and having you snatched away from him so abruptly had left him floundering until he realised that you no longer were - you were Tony’s responsibility now.

“It’s good to see you.”

Tony’s eyes darted between the two of you, curious as to how you would respond. You’d try not to make it obvious, but he knew you missed the super-soldier. Steve was your first real friend, after all, and though you tried not to, you always asked about him whenever he called Tony to check up on you. So Tony wasn’t all that surprised when a small smile broke out over your face.

“You too, Steve.”

And it really was, you thought. You didn’t realise how much you’d missed him until his reassuring presence was hovering beside you, always there to offer a silent strength.

“Alright, well, we got work to do.” Tony sighed wearily, not at all looking forward to what they were about to walk into.

Just like that, the moment came to an end, and both you and Steve felt that same old determination wash over you. Bucky Barnes was the most important person in both your lives, and Tony almost pitied the morons who crossed you.

Bucky finally came to with a quiet groan. His eyes fluttered open only to clamp shut once more when they were met with blaring white lights. His mind finally caught up to the world around him and he realised that the pressure around his arms was due to the fact that he was being dragged. His head had lolled back in his unconsciousness and even though he was awake, he couldn’t muster up the strength to do much more than lift it.

Whatever they hit him with, it was potent.

“He’s awake.” A hazy voice broke the silence from above.

“Ah, shit. Strong son of a bitch…” And another.

He didn’t recognise the voices but he did remember where he was. Looks like it wasn’t a just a nightmare. No, he was back there, back with the monsters who had already taken so much from him. Despite his anger and desperation to get away, he told himself that it was okay considering the alternative. HYDRA didn’t like loose ends, and If him being there meant that you weren’t, then it was okay. They’d taken everything from him, he wouldn’t let them take you too.

The men dragging him across the floor threw a door open and he could hear the whirring of technology long before he could see it. Then there was the feel of metal. He knew this feeling, this chair was familiar to him, as were the straps holding him in place, and he tensed the moment he realised what was happening.

“Now, now, Sergeant Barnes…don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.”

Bucky’s blurry eyes darted toward the voice and he recognised the familiar face even through the haze. One of Pierce’s little doctors, the same type as Zola - ones that cared little for ethics and morality, and instead enjoyed poking and prodding at anyone and anything presented to them. Like sadistic children pulling insects apart.

“Ah, you remember me.” Bucky could hear the smile in his voice. “Good, that’s good. We’ll see if that’s the case when we’re done here.”

He was panting, he knew he was, but he couldn’t help it. He’d remembered so much, learnt so much, and (now that it was about to all be taken away from him) he realised just how far he had come since Steve found him a year ago. He didn’t want to forget, he didn’t want to have to start all over again…if he was ever found again in the first place.

“Now, bite down on this and we’ll begin.”

The mouth guard was forced into his mouth, and Bucky understood that this was really happening. They were going to wipe him again. Everything would be gone: Steve, the team, years of memories that had found their way back to him…you. Oh god. He never even got the chance to tell you. Would he still love you when it was over? The thought of not doing so made him feel sick to his stomach. And what if they sent him after you? What if they forced him to kill you? HYDRA hated loose ends. He’d kill himself before he’d ever think of hurting you, but he wouldn’t have that choice.

The familiar cackle of electricity sounded through the room and despite the weakness in his limbs, he thrashed in his seat with a desperate yell.

“Start on low and work your way up, it’s been a while and we don’t want to damage him any more than necessary.”

The doctor was talking to someone, an assistant, and Bucky’s muscles ached with how much he had tensed.

“Now! Hurry up!”

A scream tore its way from Bucky throat. They may have ’started low’ but pain was pain, and there was no getting used to this kind of pain. His muffled screams bounced off the walls so loudly that even if it were possible for him to focus on what was in front of him, he still wouldn’t have heard the two gunshots ring out from the doorway.

It all happened so quickly, a matter of seconds really, but it felt like an hour before the feeling of fire in his veins dissipated and he could breathe again. His body twitched long after the currents left him, and he barely felt his restraints fall away.

“-ucky? Bucky?! Can you hear me?”

There were hands on his face, gentle, but insistent. That voice…it was familiar, it almost sounded like yours. Maybe they had accidentally killed him and this was the afterlife.

“Y/N…” He mumbled.

“Yes! Yeah, it’s me! Can you- can you open your eyes for me? Please, just…please?”

There was a desperation in your voice, one he hadn’t heard before, and he didn’t like it. You sounded scared, panicked even, and he hated the thought of you experiencing either of those feelings - especially because of him.

His eyes fluttered open slowly, and even in this state, he couldn’t suppress his soft smile.

For a moment, all you felt was pain.

You’d heard of mutants, some were empaths who could feel another person’s pain from a mile away. But this here, watching and hearing the man you loved experience such agony had hurt you more than anything you had previously experienced.

Perhaps now you could understand it. This really was love. Why else would his pain hurt you more than his betrayal?

You felt nothing as you killed both the doctor and his assistant. Tony had managed to locate them, and after he single-handedly brought down the facility in Boston, there weren’t many more facilities left in the States.

Unlike last time, there was never a doubt in your mind. There was no freezing, no panic, and no hesitation to do what needed to be done. Steve was startled at the ruthlessness, the change he hadn’t expected, you could see it in his worried gaze as you both fought your way through the hallways. Natasha was begrudgingly sitting this one out, manning the quinjet instead, and Tony was doing what he did best - figuring out a way to save your asses if it all went south.

You split up soon after and the moment you heard the screams, you were both relieved to hear that you were so close, and in anguish at the very sound.

Now here you stood, right in front of him after months of trying to convince yourself that you never wanted to see him again. You were wrong, you were so wrong. The moment his pale eyes had locked onto your own, you knew that your self-imposed exile had done nothing to rid you of the feelings you had for him. Nothing would ever be enough.

He was stunned, and so surprised to see you, but the smile he sent you, that stupid smile that you couldn’t resist, it always reassured you that everything was alright.

“God, I missed this…”

You looked at him like he had grown another head. “Being electrocuted?”

He huffed a laugh, grimacing when his head throbbed. “Seeing you.”

“I gotta tell you somethin’…” he heaved a sigh, never breaking eye contact.

You recognised that knowing look in his eye. It was the same one he wore whenever he was going to hit you with a truth you wouldn’t like. But Bucky was an honest man, and if he had something to say he was hardly ever afraid to say it.

“I-“

His eyes flickered over your shoulder quickly and you barely had time to process the panic on his face before he was hurling his weak body at you. You lost your footing, crashing down to the ground as he twisted you both around. The gunshot echoed in the silent room, forcing you into action. In a split second your own gun was out of its holster, and in the next, the shooter was falling to the floor with a bullet in his head.

You were panting, gun still pointed at the door, and sprawled out on the floor with Bucky protectively pinning you down.

His groan snapped you out of your daze, and he forced himself to collapse onto his side to relieve you of his weight. As if that was your biggest concern at the moment.

“Bucky!”

You quickly scrambled up onto your knees, frantically searching for the bullet wound. Idiot! What was he thinking? He could have gotten himself killed!

Your fingers applied pressure to his left shoulder blade, where the bullet was still buried. It had, unfortunately, just managed to avoid his protected shoulder. Bucky listened as you scolded him, the words ‘insane’ and ‘stupid’ coming up more than once. Yet all he could do was smile, glad to hear your voice (and recognise it) even if it meant earning even more of your anger.

“What is wrong with you?!” Is he…smiling? “W-Why the hell would you do that?”

His right hand gently wrapped around your wrist, in what you recognised was his way of silently reassuring you.

“I told you…there’s nothin’- nothin’ I wouldn’t do.” His voice soft and slightly slurred as his exhaustion caught up with him, but the determination in his eyes, the promise…you didn’t know what to say. It would be all too easy to blame his words on delirium, he wasn’t thinking straight. But those eyes told you another story.

Footsteps thundered down the hallway outside and Bucky’s hand slipped away to allow you to raise your gun once more.

“Y/N?”

Steve’s voice rang out, and your shoulders slumped in relief.

“In here!”

Steve burst into the room, eyes wide and panicked when he saw his friends wrapped up together on the floor.

“Buck…”

He jumped into action as soon as he noticed the blood staining the both of you.

“He was shot. Shoulder blade, but I’m pretty sure he’d got a broken collarbone too.”

“Alright. We gotta get out of here.” Steve’s brows furrowed, an exit route already forming in his mind.

“Wait, wait…” Your attention turned to Bucky, who was quickly losing focus, “down the hall, last room on the right…”

“What? Bucky? Hey, no sleeping!” You patted his cheek lightly but he was already out cold, the day’s events finally catching up to him.

Steve sighed, mentally preparing for the argument he knew was about to happen.

“I’m going to need you to check the hallway.”

“I’m staying with hi-“

“I know you want to but-“

“I’m not leaving him, Steve!”

Steve flinched at the anger radiating off of you, but strengthened his resolve. “Well, you can’t carry him out of here either. So unless you want him to bleed out, someone’s going to have to check that room.”

You knew Steve was right. There was no way Bucky was getting out of there without him. The reality hit you and you knew you could have lost him entirely had that bullet been an inch or two lower. He risked his life for you. You, of all people - the one who had been ignoring him for months. He hadn’t even thought twice about it, and you were hesitant to leave him. But if you wanted him safe, you’d have to listen to Steve. He was the only one with a clear head at the moment.

“Yeah, okay.”

Steve’s features softened. “Hey? He’s going to be fine, alright?”

You shot him a weak smile.

“Alright.”

You didn’t know what you expected to find in the room down the hall, but it certainly wasn’t the woman huddled in a terrified bundle in the corner. Your teeth clenched as you gave her a once over, fingers ghosting over the trigger of your gun, even if it lay limp at your side. Of course she was here, they needed leverage, didn’t they? And who better to have around than his stupid girlfriend?

Stop.

You tried to rein you emotions in, knowing that nothing good could come of them. It wasn’t her fault that he was here…or was it? It doesn’t matter. You shook your head. You’d entirely forgotten about her in all the chaos, and seeing her now was just a reminder that you were once again hoping for the impossible.

“Can you stand?”

She nodded.

“Good. Get up.”

With out another word, you were turning on your heel and she was scrambling up to follow you. You could hear her shoes scuffling behind you as she tried to keep up with your determined stride, but you wanted to be as far away from her as possible - lest you did or said something you’d regret.

You’d never been so grateful to see the quinjet than you were in that moment, but she apparently wasn’t letting you out of her sight so easily.

“Wait!”

With an irritated sigh you turned back around to face her. “What?”

She was panting lightly, but there was a genuine look of gratitude on her face. “I- thank you. For saving me, I don’t know what they wou-“

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

She frowned as you walked away from her once more and up the rampart of the quinjet. But if there was one thing she was, it was persistent. As Natasha prepared for take-off, and you strapped yourself into a seat, she was glued to your side.

“Could you just listen to me?” She huffed, tired of being blown off.

“Look, I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now, okay? In case you haven’t noticed, your boyfriend is bleeding out. So do me a favour, and-“

“Woah, wait, what?”

You tensed the moment she latched onto your arm to force your attention, but to her credit, her hand shot away immediately when she remembered the last time she tried such a thing.

“Bucky and I, we’re not- I mean, we haven’t been together for months.” She shook her head in confusion.

You told her Bucky was bleeding out and that’s what caught her attention? Either way, for the first time that day, you actually wanted to hear what she had to say.

Turns out, she had plenty to say. From being forced to try and get closer to Bucky, to actually developing feelings for him - once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. You had to suppress the urge to snap at her for even having the audacity to be willing to hurt him like that. To play with his head and heart after the beating each had taken in the past…it was cruel. How could she call it love? How could she honestly say she cared about him if she was willing to break his heart in the end? Maybe you just didn’t understand it…love was confusing.

“I know what you’re thinking, and I know it was wrong.” She sighed, a look in her eyes that was almost begging you to understand. Lives had been at stake, but she wasn’t sure if you could understand that. Everything was so logical in your mind, Bucky had told her as much. You knew what you wanted and you didn’t hesitate to get it, no matter the cost.

“Did you hurt him?” Your jaw clenched.

“N-No, I don’t think so, at least. He ended things the night he sped off to the hospital.” She shot you a knowing look, and you could understand what she was implying. You almost scoffed.

“I’m sure you’d do the same if one of your friends was in danger.”

“You’re right, I would.” She nodded, before softly adding: “But I wouldn’t confess to loving them before I left.”

You looked away, beating down that sliver of hope with the confusion you genuinely felt. You didn’t understand why she was telling you all of this. Was this another one of her schemes? To convince you that Bucky had some sort of feelings for you, and then shatter your hopes in the end?

“I mean, I always knew, but he finally admitted it before he left. I hadn’t seen him since.”

It may have been too much too soon, she had no idea of knowing, but she felt like she owed it to Bucky to set things straight with you. She’d wronged him before, perhaps ruined his chances of having something with you a lot earlier, but she wouldn’t make that mistake again. If this was what it took to make him happy, then it was the least she could do.

“Look, I know he hurt you, but please…please don’t throw this all away because he made a mistake. I loved seeing him happy, with that smile on his face…but he only ever smiled like that when you were around.”

With that said, she offered you a soft smile, before finally leaving you alone to your thoughts.

Not entirely alone, apparently.

“You okay?”

You didn’t bother answering.

“How is he?”

Steve sighed, knowing not to push you for answers. Not while you were in this mood.

“He’ll be fine.”

He took a seat beside you, finally taking a moment to just breathe. It had been one hell of a day, and despite his relief at having found Bucky, he was eager to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.

“Did you know?”

“How he felt? Yeah, I knew.” Steve sighed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Steve’s shoulders slumped when he recognised the hurt in your voice. You had no idea how many times he wanted to just blurt it out and save both of you the trouble. Having to watch you both hurting for the same reason had almost driven him insane. But neither of you thought you were worthy of the other, and no matter how much he reassured each of you that the feelings were mutual, you were equally as stubborn in claiming otherwise.

“I wanted to, but he wouldn’t let me - said you deserved better,” he shook his head, “I knew it wasn’t my place.”

You didn’t comment for the rest of the flight, but that didn’t stop the thoughts from racing through your mind. You didn’t understand, why would he think you deserved better? You were a former HYDRA agent, if anyone deserved better it was the man tormented by them for decades. Not to mention the fact that you had seen how happy he seemed with his ex, so why would he even care about you?

Perhaps it was for the same uncontrollable reason you cared about him. One thing was for certain: everyone else was convinced that the feelings were mutual, and you couldn’t deny that they knew more about love than you did.

When he finally woke up, Bucky’s head felt like it was full of lead. There was a pain in his shoulder and his busted eyebrow had been tended to, but his body was thoroughly exhausted. He would have been perfectly content to remain nestled in blankets and the comfortable bed for a while longer, but he couldn’t do that knowing that he was obviously no longer at the facility. HYDRA would never have accommodated him like this, and that was the only reason that the humming of machines hadn’t set him on edge when he woke.

His memory came rushing back to him, and for a moment he had to wonder if he had dreamt it all up. Why else would you have been there? He knew you wanted nothing to do with him, not after what he’d done. You didn’t trust him and he didn’t blame you. He always ended up hurting the people he cared about, and though he would have preferred sparing you the pain, in a masochistic way he was glad you kept your distance - it meant you could stay safe.

Despite all this, he knew he could no longer keep his distance. That brief moment of panic, where he finally realised how quick the very memory of you could be snatched away from him, it offered him perspective.

He didn’t want to live his life knowing he'd never told you how much you meant to him. He knew he’d lost his chance at having anything more with you, but even if you ended up hating him, he wanted you to know that there was always going to be someone out there who loved you.

With a quiet groan, Bucky’s eyes fluttered open. The orange hues streaking the walls indicated that it was either sunrise or sunset, but that was the last thing on his mind when he noted movement in the corner of his eye.

“Am I dreaming?” His hoarse voice cut through the silence.

There was surely no other explanation for your presence there at his bedside.

“No.”

Your eyes finally looked away from his own, growing nervous under his unrelenting stare.

“I…I didn’t think you’d stay.” He whispered, more to himself than anything else.

You felt a tinge of regret that you had destroyed his faith in you to that extent, that he honestly thought you would abandon him while he was injured - because of you, no less. And yes, it was your fault. It was a brief distraction, just a single moment, but it had been enough. You never could think straight in his presence, even when you were back there, the one place you felt most vulnerable, you’d still only see him.

Bucky’s eyes never left you as you rose to pour him some water. It’d been 9 hours since his surgery was completed, but he didn’t have to know that you’d been sitting there that long.

He accepted the cup with a quiet ‘thanks’, only just realising how thirsty he was.

“Did,“ he cleared his throat, “did you get-“

“She’s safe. With her family.”

You anticipated the question. It turned out that HYDRA had originally been using her to try and figure out how much the Avengers knew about the remaining facilities by getting close to one of them - something she had never been able to find out in normal conversation anyway. Luring Bucky out had just been a bonus. You had Dennis Smith to thank for that bit of information.

“Good, that’s…that’s good.” He gave a slow nod, but his mind was already elsewhere.

Sighing inwardly, you decided to address what had been gnawing at your mind all night.

“What you did,” You shook your head with a small frown, “don’t ever do that again, okay?”

You finally met his eyes again and god, if his heart wasn’t going to beat right out of his chest. He didn’t even care when your concerned gaze darted to the screen monitoring his heart rate. He knew what his answer would be every time, there was no other option, not for him.

“No.”

“No?”

His lips stretched into a lazy smile at your confusion.

“I can’t do that. I love you too much,” his eyes drifted shut for a moment and he looked so at peace, as if he hadn’t just changed everything between you. “God, do I love you...”

He whispered to himself so quietly, you wondered if he realised he was talking aloud.

Not for the first time that day, you had no words, none at all to describe what you were feeling - which wasn’t exactly unusual, but you’d liked to think you had a slightly better grasp of your emotions nowadays. Both his best friend and his ex had told you that Bucky had feelings for you, and while it was just their speculation you could brush it all off (or at least try). But now, now that he had directly confessed to your face? How were you supposed to ignore that? How were you supposed to tell yourself that there was no hope for it?

All your life you were told that you would never have anything but the next mission. Love wasn’t for killers, it was for normal people who knew how to put someone else’s needs before their own. People like you didn’t deserve it, especially not from someone like Bucky, no matter how much you wanted it.

Despite the conflicting thoughts and feelings flooding your mind, you wouldn’t get the chance to reply either way - something you were grateful for, considering you had no idea how to respond in the first place.

“Ah, it’s good to see you awake, Sergeant.” The doctor beamed, and you took his entrance as a chance for your escape.

You needed…something. Air? Space? Time? Maybe all of those. You just knew that you had an undeniable urge to run. But you couldn’t slip by so easily, not when he was so in tune with you.

“We have a lot to talk about, doll,” Bucky completely ignored the doctor, glacial eyes glued to your retreating back instead. “You can run for now. I’ll find you.”

It almost sounded like a warning but you could hear the amusement in his voice, as if he knew exactly how you’d react and was more than prepared for the challenge.

You were on the roof, watching the busy streets of Manhattan below as the sun started its descent for the day. It had been a few hours since you made your way up there, book in hand. Lord of the Rings, Tony said it was ‘a rite of passage’ to read it, but not before warning you to ‘stay away from that Twilight crap’. You enjoyed the books, and immersing yourself in different worlds, it was fascinating. And it also helped you finally understand why Tony sometimes called Clint ‘Legolas’.

But you hadn’t managed to read a single page so far. The real world had given you enough to think about, and after your video session with Dr Sullivan that morning, you needed the time to make sense of your thoughts. You told her about Bucky, about everything that had happened and what he had confessed to you. She seemed happy about it, but emphasised that it was your thoughts that mattered and it was not a decision she could make on your behalf. Her words played on a loop in your mind…

If you don’t think you deserve love because of your past, then by that logic, Mr Barnes doesn’t either. He was also forced to do things he’d never dream of doing in the present, so why does he deserve it more than you do?

Everyday you would come up there to the roof to think about it, and each time you’d watch him take that bullet for you again and again. He weighed up your life in that moment and found it to be worth more than his own, and you knew, you knew you’d do the exact same thing for him.

So the question remained, how did you feel about it all?

You’d considered all the outcomes, every way this whole situation could go. Bucky would find you eventually, you knew that he had been released from the hospital a week ago and would be returning to New York in a matter of days.

If he wanted to corner you, he definitely had ample opportunity, but you knew he was only giving you time to process what he’d told you. At first you hadn’t known what to do, but the more you thought about it the clearer it became.

Only one thing was certain: in every scenario your mind had conjured, there was only one thing that ensured your happiness - finally admitting what you’d tried so hard to hide from him. The ‘what then?’ was scary, but if you didn’t tell him, you couldn’t go the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself when he inevitably found someone new. He needed to know, and as hard as it would be to offer him a part of yourself you had never offered anyone else, you were ready to try forgiveness.

That was new.

You almost faltered at the sudden feeling of being watched. Your instincts screamed as the intruder came closer, urging you to face the possible threat, but you ignored them. There was only one person it could be, and it seemed like your time was finally up.

“Hey…”

“Hi.” You offered him the slightest of smiles when you noticed how cautious he seemed. Almost like he didn’t want to scare you off.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure.” You nodded, eyes briefly darting over to him before returning to the horizon.

He came to lean on the railing beside you, taking in the impressive view with a deep breath. He’d been both dreading and anticipating this moment for a week now, not knowing what to expect.

Now or never, Barnes.

“Y’know what the first thing I thought about was when I woke up in that facility?”

Your brows furrowed. “What?”

“You.” He huffed a laugh, but it didn’t hold any humour. “At first I thought you were in there, that they were going to kill you.” He shook his head with a frown. “Then they were going to wipe me, and I realised something - that I was more scared of losing you than I was of losing myself.”

You felt something in your chest constrict at his words. The very thought of losing him…

“I owe you an apology.” His words made you look over with a frown. “I tried so hard to push you away thinking you’d be safer without me, that I put you in danger.”

“You don-“

“Let me finish…please.” He cracked a small smile, eyes softening as soon as they met your own. “I spent too much time rehearsing this to not get through it.”

You tried to suppress the quirk of your own lips, but you obviously failed if his cocked brow was anything to go by.

“I saw that. I know that was a smile.”

His teasing grin did nothing to help you, and even with the smile on your face you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

Bucky took the moment to admire you. With the setting setting sun bathing you in gold and a smile he hadn’t seen in months…he wondered how he survived so long without you.

“I put you at risk, because I was too scared to admit how I felt about you.”

Sounds familiar. The smile slowly slipped from your face, but Bucky continued anyway.

“I wasn’t out of my mind, or hopped up on medication. I know what I told you,” his brows shot up pointedly, “and I meant it.”

He waited for a beat, but his impatience eventually won out.

“Say something. Please?” He gnawed at his bottom lip nervously.

“I missed you, Bucky. But I needed you…” You all but whispered, mind drifting back to that night and the hole in your chest you’d been unable to fill ever since.

“I know.” He stepped closer, an anguished look on his face that showed he was thinking about the exact same thing. “I know you did, and I promise you,” he gently took each of your hands into his own, “I will never let you down again. Never again.” He shook his head resolutely. “I just want a chance to prove that to you.”

You tried to keep a clear mind with his hands wrapped around your own, and his words pounding at your defences.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

“I wanted to be angry with you, it made it easier, you know?” He squeezed your hands when you shot him a sad smile. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I-I…” You sighed.

“I’m no good at talking about this - these feelings, I guess.” You shifted, suddenly self-conscious with his eyes on you. It was bad enough that you were trying to put what you were feeling into words, but to have those words directed at him for the first time…it was hard.

“But I, uh, I’m trying to figure it out…for you. If that’s what you want.” You bit your lip, eyes darting to the floor and unable to hold his gentle gaze. Why did he have to look at you like that?

“More than anything,” he huffed a quiet laugh, “and sweetheart, I’m honestly no good at it either.” You shared a smile. “So, how ‘bout we leave the talking for another time, and I show you instead?”

He held his breath.

You eyes betrayed your vulnerability as they darted between his own, and he patiently waited for you to decide. Wasn’t this what you had always wanted? Him - all to yourself, yours and no one else’s? At the time, you hadn’t quite realised that it would mean having to break out of this shell. That was something you weren’t too sure how to do, but if you weren’t willing to learn for him, then you never would be.

“O-Okay.”

“Yeah?” His brows inched higher, gaze never leaving your own. He wanted you to be sure, only a few months ago you couldn’t even look at him.

“Yeah.” You nodded, a little more certain.

Bucky had that soft look in his eyes again as he gently tugged your hands toward him. “C’mere.”

Two steps forward and you were in his arms.

One hand held your head to the crook of his neck, and the other was slowly running up and down the length of your back. He’d only ever held you like this in his dreams before, and they didn’t do it justice. Your own hands were splayed across his chest, arms held tight between your bodies. You’d never been so close to him before - or anyone, for that matter. You were used to sleeper holds and close combat in training, but no one had ever just held you like this.

Even with the cool wind hitting you both, it felt safe and warm, and like he’d shield you from anything and everything you feared.

Then you remembered that he had already done that once before.

Bucky felt the slight shift almost immediately in the way your left arm wrapped around him to clutch him tighter. It was only when the fingers of your right hand trailed over his collarbone that he realised what troubled you. A shiver went down his spine as your fingers gently slipped under the collar of his shirt, meeting his bare skin for the first time. He wondered if you could heart his heart thundering, and the moment you drew your head back to look him in the eye, Bucky knew yours was likely racing too.

His eyes flickered across your features, and you were so lost in the memory that you barely noticed his cybernetic hand come up to cover the one resting on his collarbone. He knew he probably shouldn’t, but it felt far too right to ignore the urge.

“May I?” His eyes darted down to your mouth and you were nodding before you’d even thought about it.

His lips slanted over your own, slowly and softly, and (even though you knew it was coming) a little unexpectedly. It was your first kiss, and you didn’t really know what to do, you hadn’t been trained for this situation. But he knew that, and he forced himself away before he overwhelmed you. There would be time for that later, you could explore as much or as little as you wanted and he wouldn’t complain. But now, now you needed reassurance, and he was more than happy to offer that too.

Your eyes were still closed, heart racing in a way you’d never experienced outside of a fight. Whether it was lust or embarrassment, you didn’t know. Probably both. He’d surely had better kisses in his lifetime, and that was a thought that made you nervous.

“Sorry,” Your breath ghosted across his lips, and he was quick to respond, as if he’d known exactly how you’d react.

“Don’t. Don’t apologise, that was perfect.”

“I-I’m sure you’ve had your fair share…”

“None from you, and that’s all that matters to me.”

There was a pressure building up behind your eyes and you buried your face back in the crook of his neck.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah?” His hand came up to gently rub circles across your back.

“What do we do now?”

“Whatever you want.”

You paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as you came to a sudden decision.

“I think…I need to pack my bags.”

His hand froze, and though you couldn't see it, he was beaming at the thought of you returning to New York with him.

“And Bucky?”

“Mmm?”

“I uh, I love you too.”

@roxytheimmortal @lovely-geek @diinofayce @imaginecrushes @mallyallyandra @amor67figment-love @katykyll @sawdustandsugar @lordemjay @alize-marilise @confused-and-alone sorry if I forgot anyone!

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction

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badchoosey · 5 years

Text

Perfect Match, Book One. Chapter 1: True Love, Guaranteed

You walk down a bustling Brooklyn street, the sounds of the city humming all around you.

Karma: (Hope I’m not late!)

Soft music plays as you step into the hip venue of an upscale art show.

Karma: Nadia! Hey!

You spot your cousin, Nadia, among the crowd. Her face lights up as she approaches with arms outstretched and wraps you in a tight hug!

Nadia: Karma! I’m so happy you made it!

Karma: Are you kidding? The opening of your new art collection? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Nadia: Honestly, I have no idea how it blew up. But who am I to argue with the review of an art critic?

Karma: You mean glowing reviews from dozens of art critics?

Nadia: Oh, shush! Anyway, that’s not what I was excited about.

Karma: Then what is it?

Nadia: I want you to meet my boyfriend!

Nadia waves over to a handsome man from across the room…

Nadia: Steve! Come say hi to my cousin!

Steve: Hey! You must be Karma! I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been dying to meet you for weeks, but I’ve been busy at the animal shelter.

Karma: Oh! Do you work there?

Nadia: Steve’s an investment banker. But he volunteers at an animal shelter. Amazing, right?

Steve: Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just a guy who likes to do some good in his free time. Nadia here is the amazing one. The way her art makes me feel… It’s indescribable.

Nadia: Aww, sweetie!

Steve: Now, if you’ll excuse me, Karma, I’ve got to replenish the hors d’oeuvres. We’ll talk later! My mini-quiches are going fast!

Steve gives Nadia a kiss on the cheek and hustles off. Nadia sighs, beaming.

Nadia: Did I mention he bakes? He bakes. So… What do you think?

Karma: No one is that perfect. I’m calling bull. How much are you paying him?

Nadia: Ha, ha. Don’t be mad that I’ve found the ultimate boyfriend!

Karma: Really though. Where did you find this guy?

Nadia: I met him through a matchmaking service. They asked me some questions, then found the perfect man for me! They’re very exclusive. Super selective with their clientele. But I’m sure they’d accept you in a heartbeat!

Nadia reaches into her purse and hands you a business card.

Nadia: You should try them out!

Karma: True love, guaranteed? I’ll believe it when I see it!

Nadia: That’s not a nooo…

Karma: I mean… What the hell? I’ll give it a shot. You’ve piqued my curiosity.

Just then, a voice calls to you from the crowd…

Damien: Don’t tell me Nadia has got you drinking this ‘matchmaking’ service Kool-Aid too, Karma. You of all people don’t need some fancy matchmaking service.

Your good friend Damien saunters over, seamlessly switching his empty champagne glass with a fresh one from a server’s tray.

Karma: I’ll take that as a compliment. But you can’t argue with the results. Steve seems like a catch.

Damien: Yeah, I talked to Mr. Perfect on the way in. Haven’t found any flaws or dark secrets yet. But give me time.

Nadia: Really, D? We’ve known you for like, four years. I thought you would’ve dropped the tough, cynical act by now.

Damien: I’m a private investigator. I catch liars and cheaters for a living. ‘Cynical’ is basically my job.

Nadia: Don’t listen to him, Karma. He’s like the Grinch when it comes to love. Eros is the best matchmaking service ever! I’ll schedule you an appointment for a consultation!

Damien: Yeah! A vague, secretive company providing little to no contact information… What could go wrong? Just keep your guard up, Karma… Maybe bring pepper spray, or hold your keys like claw.

Nadia: Ignore him. It’ll be amazing! I know you’re gonna find someone perfect for you!

Karma: Can’t wait!

Later that week, you arrive outside the address Nadia gave you. A sleek, unlabeled complex towers above you…

Karma: (Okay, this is a little weird. Not so much as a logo on the door. But the address looks right…)

You push through the glass doors to enter a warm, inviting lobby. A stunning woman strides gracefully across the room, the steps of her heels echoing through the halls.

Cecile: Karma Park? My name is Cecile Contreras. I’m the Head of Matchmaking here at Eros. Welcome! You got here on the J train, didn’t you? I hope getting to the new Quincy Station wasn’t too much of a hassle.

Karma: Uh, thank you… How did you know--

Cecile: We’ve done our homework. Eros has been expecting you, after all. Your cousin Nadia gave you a glowing referral. I’m excited to begin. Please, follow me.

You follow Cecile through the pristine halls of Eros Incorporated…

Karma: I’m still a little overwhelmed by this whole thing. How can you guarantee true love?

Cecile: A good question. Love is a complex thing. But here at Eros, we’ve used the latest in behavioural science and technology to devise the most sophisticated matchmaking system in the world.

Karma: So you think you’ve got people figure out… with some algorithm?

Cecile: Your personality, your wants, your needs… All of that makes you unique, like a puzzle piece. But somewhere out there is a piece that fits flawlessly with you. An exact complement. A perfect match. Our technology helps sort through the pieces to find yours. Simply put, the human heart is precisely out expertise.

Karma: Sounds like a sales pitch. I’m not so easily won over by the slogans and buzz words.

Cecile: Touche. But we stand by every claim. Give us a chance to convince you, and I promise you’ll be satisfied.

Karma: Well… I’m already here.

She leads you into a peaceful, softly lit room. A sweet, floral aroma and calming music fill the space around you.

Cecile: Welcome to our consultation room. This is where we’ll be conducting our Perfect Match questionnaire.

Karma: Is this the part where I tell you my middle name, my hobbies, and where I went to high school?

Cecile: Nadia sent us the personality profile you filled out, so we already have the basic information we need. Today will be all about finding out what you’re looking for in a match.

Karma: Oh… Okay… So why does this place look more like a day spa than a quiz room?

Cecile: Oh, I assure you, our questionnaire is more than just a quiz. It’s a comprehensive interview, monitoring not just your words, but your biorhythms, your excitement, your emotional engagement… As such, we want you to be perfectly at ease.

She invites you to sit on a reclining chair in the middle of the room, and instantly your mind drifts as you sink into the shockingly comfortable seat. Cecile sits on a chair beside you with a tablet in hand.

Cecile: Simply place your hand on the palm scanner, and we can begin.

You place your hand on the smooth surface of the chair’s arm. It hums and glows, and soon a soft chime sounds in sync with your own heartbeat. The lights in the room dim as your mind drifts, peacefully…

Cecile: Now, relax. Close your eyes… focus on the sound of my voice… and speak from your heart…

Cecile taps on her tablet. You hear her voice from a distance as your eyes close…

Cecile: I have twelve brief questions. Please answer as honestly as you can.

You’re on a first date. Which makes you want a second:

Talking for hours about everything?

Being intrigued and left wanting more?

Karma: Being intrigued and left wanting more.

Cecile: When traveling abroad, your perfect match would rather take you:

To explore ancient ruins, just the two of you

To a lively festival, bustling with locals

Karma: To explore ancient ruins, just the two of you

Cecile: You’re transported into a fantasy novel. Which character is more attractive?

A magnetic ruler, leading and inspiring the people

A silent, formidable warrior, fighting evil from the shadows

Karma: A silent, formidable warrior, fighting evil from the shadows.

Cecile: Your favorite childhood playground is being torn down. Your perfect match:

Takes you there for a farewell picnic

Steal you a piece of it to keep forever

Karma: Steals me a piece to keep forever.

Cecile: Who do you imagine your partner hung out with in high school?

A close-knit group of friends

A rowdy bunch of outcasts

Karma: A rowdy bunch of outcasts

Cecile: Your match appears in a dream with an animal companion. What kind is it?

A fierce, wild hawk

A loyal, noble golden retriever

Karma: A fierce, wild hawk.

Cecile: Complete the sentence. My perfect match can always:

Makes me laugh until I cry

Say the right thing to comfort me when I’m down

Karma: Say the right thing to comfort me when I’m down

Cecile: What would your ideal partner sing during a karaoke date?

A love song dedicated to you

A ridiculous theme song, just to tease you

Karma: A love song dedicated to me

Cecile: Your perfect match has just defeated a supervillain. What do they do next?:

Righteously condemn the villain’s actions

Spout a witty catchphrase

Karma: Righteously condemn the villain’s actions

Cecile: Your travel plans have fallen through. What does your partner do?

They point blindly to a map, and plan a new adventure on the fly

They have you covered no matter what, backup plan and all

Karma: They have me covered no matter what, backup plan and all.

Cecile: How would your partner clear out a building full of zombies?:

They devise a brilliant plan and execute it flawlessly

They charge in, guns blazing!

Karma: They devise a brilliant plan, and execute it flawlessly.

Cecile: You’re at a casino, and your partner is winning big. Why is that?

They take big risks, and it pays off

They’re savvy and calculating, and play the odds

Karma: They’re savvy and calculating, and play the odds.

Cecile: You’re doing wonderfully, Karma. We have enough to find you a suitable match, but first, I’d like to ask if there’s anything in particular you’re looking for… I’m going to list a few traits that your potential match may possess… Let me know if any of them resonate strongly with you. For those who prioritize physical intimacy, we have many candidates with massage skills. We can refine our search to animal lovers and pet owners, who are often compassionate and kind. If you’re drawn to creative, artistic souls, we can match you with musicians. Last but not least, many people seek the culture and intelligence of someone who speaks many languages. Which of these appeals to you?

Karma: I’m looking for someone with a magic touch.

Cecile: An excellent choice. Would you like to distinguish your preferences further? Remember, there’s no shame in being picky when it comes to love. You’re absolutely worth it.

Karma: I’m fine with my selection.

The lights in the room brighten, and you are suddenly aware of your surroundings again. Cecile looks up from her note-taking and smiles warmly at you.

Cecile: That concludes the questionnaire. Not so bad, was it? Based on your responses, we’ll determine which of our sixteen personality types best describes your Perfect Match. I’ll have your results in a moment…

Cecile taps on the tablet before turning it to show you the display…

“Your perfect match is an Activist… - mysterious, rebellious, sincere, logical - … Someone with passion, drive, and vision, an Activist fights to change the world… and will fight just as hard for you!”

Karma: Wow. Just like that? Are you sure this type is the match for me?

Cecile: Skepticism is completely understandable. But I encourage you to trust the system. I think you’ll find that our system may surprise you.

Karma: Well… I guess I could give it a shot. So… What next?

Cecile: Next? Simply leave the rest to us. We’ll find the most compatible partner for you in our database and arrange your first date. You’ll be hearing from us soon!

Karma: Sounds like a plan. And what happens after that?

Cecile flashes you a wink.

Cecile: Why, true love, of course.

You step out of the Eros building into the brisk night air, the New York City skyline towering above you.

Damien: Made it out of the Mystery Company in one piece, huh?

Karma: Damien? What are you doing here?

Damien leans against his old muscle car, pulling his jacket tight against the cold.

Damien: Check your phone, lovebird. I called you a couple times. Wanted to make sure you hadn’t joined a cult, or bought a timeshare or anything… And also offer you a ride home.

Karma: You just wanted the dirt on this Mystery Company, huh?

Damien smiles.

Damien: Wow… You know me too well, Karma. Come on.

Soon, you’re watching the city lights streak by through the passenger window of Damien’s car as you catch him up on your day.

Damien: So, really… this Eros thing. You’d think you’d just swipe left and right like other apps. No, you know, go to a day spa for a fancy interview.

Karma: Maybe it’s a little… unconventional, but it seemed legit to me.

Damien; Unconventional is an understatement. But hey, whatever makes you happy.

Damien pulls the car to a stop outside your apartment building.

Damien: … I actually mean that too. I want you to be happy.

Karma: Oh, really? No sarcasm this time? No snarky retort?

You catch Damien’s eye as a slight smirk spreads across his face…

Damien: Despite my unflappably cool facade… I do have the capacity to care about someone. Occasionally.

Karma: Don’t get sappy on me now, Damien.

Damien: Wouldn’t dream of it.

One afternoon that weekend, you’re lounging in your apartment when a knock sounds on the door. You open it to find…

Nadia: Karma! I’m guessing you haven’t left your apartment today.

Karma: What makes you say that?

Nadia: Because if you stepped outside, you would have noticed this on your doorstep!

Nadia hands you a pristine display of flowers with an envelope attached! You open the card inside…

Karma: It’s from Eros! ‘Dear Karma, True love awaits! We’ve found someone special for you, and have already arranged your first date. At the end of the night, we’ll survey you both separately. If you both feel a connection, you’ll be declared a Match! You need only come with an open heart… and leave the rest to destiny.’

Nadia: Well, I came here hoping to ask how your appointment went, but I guess I have my answer! I remember when I got my letter from Eros… I was so excited! This is gonna be amazeballs! Right?!

Karma: I think there better be a money-back guarantee.

Nadia: Ugh, you’ve been hanging around Damien too much. Let yourself be hopeful! This match they’ve found is going to be great for you!

Karma: Let’s hope so. The details on the card say that Eros has scheduled our first date… For tonight!

Nadia: Wait, what? We’ve got to get you ready!

Soon, Nadia is leading you on a last-minute shopping trip. She pores over the card from Eros as you browse through outfits.

Nadia: Tonight could be the start of your beautiful, perfect love story, Karma! You’ve got to make a good impression! Luckily, Eros has you covered!

Karma: What do you mean?

Nadia This card from Eros includes some style suggestions based on your Perfect Match’s taste! Perfectly tailored to impress him!

Karma: They can do that?

Your cousin pulls an outfit from the rack…

Nadia: This one! It fits the suggestion perfectly! Try it on!

Karma: I think I’m just going to go as I am…

Nadia: Well… if this person really is your perfect match, they should love you regardless! I trust in the system!

As the afternoon goes on and the sun starts to set, you finish prepping with Nadia… When a sudden knock at the front door sounds! You hurry over to the living room with Nadia in tow!

Nadia: Ohmygod, ohmygod… He’s here. Answer it, quick! Tonight will be the start of your beautiful storybook romance!

You try to calm your cousin as you open the door…

Karma: Relax, Karma. It doesn’t have to be a ‘storybook romance’. No one is expecting this night to be--

Hayden: Hi, I’m Hayden. You must be Karma….

Karma: I… um… wow.

#perfect match #choices pm #playchoices #choices #bad choices

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argylemikewheeler · 6 years

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omg, can i just first off say how much i love your account and writing???? it’s awesome my dude! prompt idea: steve protecting will and mike from bullies after they come out, and the kids and steve just having a lot of moments of love and cuteness

minor homophobic language. but major big brother!Steve. also ily anon

Somehow, Steve Harrington started driving Mike to school. He picked up the entire party, actually– except Will since his mother still insisted she see him off to school everyday. Steve switched seamlessly from driving Nancy to school to her brother and his two friends. Mike didn’t mind the excuse to avoid the bike ride in the cold weather. It was also nice to have a high schooler drop Mike off at middle school– he needed every perk he could get before hitting high school himself. Steve didn’t mind being seen with them and picking them up from AV club. Steve was a pretty alright big brother, if Mike had to put him to it.

Wednesday morning, Mrs. Byers was earlier than usual and Will was leaning up against the bike rack as Steve pulled up. Mike waved from the backseat, Lucas and Dustin behind him.

“Alright, last stop, gents. Everyone out!” Steve said, clapping his hands on the steering wheel. “I’ve got a hot date with first period history I cannot be late to again.”

“Thanks, Steve.” Dustin said, clapping his shoulder before sliding out the driver’s side, Lucas and Mike getting out on the passenger side.

Mike made a direct line from the car to Will, smiling and holding a hand out to take his, if only for a moment before going through the front doors; Lucas was already trying to find Max in the mass of moving students. It was only fair. Unfortunately, before Mike’s hand could even reach Will’s, a body intercepted his vision of Will, strong arms pushing him back and shouting down at him.

“Get that shit out of my school, fairy!” The boy looked familiar but Mike hadn’t learned his name yet. He knew the minute he learned it, he’d have the subconscious need to report him. He didn’t want to get involved. “You disgust me.”

“Thank you.” Mike grumbled, rolling onto his knees and pushing himself to his feet. Will stood against the bike rack, afraid to move any closer.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly, eyeing the people staring at him. The boy was still loitering, looking at Will with terrifying focus. Mike nodded, grinning at Will to try and avoid the tense frown trying to form as he felt blood spread through the knees of his new corduroys. Hopefully the mud would block some of the stain.

“What did I say?” The boy came back again, shouldering Mike back as he stepped up to Will. “Get that fag shit away from here, Wheeler. You have no place here!”

“Hey hey hey, what did you just say to him?” Mike whipped around to see Steve climbing out of his illegally parked car. His sleeves were rolled and Mike could see his forearm flex as he curled and uncurled his fingers into a tight, firm fist. Dustin and Lucas were walking back towards Mike and Will, noting the mud on his pants and the fearful stare on Will’s face.

“Oh, is your Mommy here, Wheeler?” The boy said, spitting a laugh at Steve.

“I asked you a question, dicknose.” Steve said, stopping by Mike and placing a hand on his shoulder. “What did you just say to Mike?”

“I called him a fag. Do you know what that word means?” He teased Steve, folding his arms and staring up at Steve like he was an eclipse, the shadow casting over his face but his eyes squinted in anger. “It’s what you call freaks that deserve it enough to be dead.”

“Wrong answer.” Steve laughed, grabbing the kid by the front of his shirt and lifting him off the ground. “Now, I know that your brain is far too puny to jostle around in your head, but I’m only going to say this once, understood? You leave Mike and Will alone. By themselves. Unbothered by you. Understand?”

“Oh, and you think I’m scared of you?” The boy’s words faltered but he acted like they were barbed enough to slice through Steve’s grip. It only made it stronger. “You’re just a pussy.”

“And you are one remark away to being a name on a gravestone, do you understand me?” Steve said, shaking the boy in his grasp. “They aren’t hurting you. And frankly, hating gay people isn’t cool, asshat. You shouldn’t be scared of them because they are different or whatever the fuck you think they’ll do to you. You should be scared because gay people can kick your ass just as much as any straight person.”

“Oh yeah?” The kid laughed, his feet kicking out towards Steve lamely.

Steve pulled the kid to his nose, staring into his eyes like he was trying to pierce his eyes with invisible pins. “Yeah. I’d know.” He dropped the boy, his knees buckling and collapsing at Steve’s feet. He scrambled back, sputtering and trying to snap back at Steve. Mike grabbed Will by the shoulder and pulled him out of the way of the boy’s clambering run. Steve put an arm on Mike’s shoulder, his hand resting on Will’s back.

“Why’d you say that?” Will asked, peering up at Steve. Steve was watching the boy scamper away with a stiff expression, not holding the expected prideful smirk. “You aren’t gay… Are you Steve?”

“No. But, I mean, why does he need to know that?” Steve shrugged. “I just bought you guys guaranteed fear for the next four years. As far as he’s concerned, you guys are going to become me. And I mean, come on, you should be so lucky.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” Mike muttered, squinting at Steve. “I don’t think he thinks that.”

“Well, then it looks like I have to start walking you to your first period.” Steve said, clapping them both on the back. “I can scare a few thirteen-year-olds. No problem. I’ll teach you how.”

“I want to know how to pick them up by their shirts!” Will said, laughing and leaning against Mike’s side. He flexed his arms jokingly, pretending the shirt was ripping around his arms.

“You’re gonna need the space girl for that, noodle-arms.” Steve said, winking at Will. “But maybe I can get Mike to do the heavy lifting for you. You can do all the insults.”

“Good cop, bad cop!” Will agreed, folding his arms and mulling the idea over. He nodded at Steve and he clicked his tongue at him, winking again.

“I just saw Kevin go in running. Is everything okay?” Dustin asked, partially laughing at the scared bully. He watched from a distance but hadn’t heard the exchange, hadn’t heard Steve’s tactic.

“Perfect.” Steve said, shrugging as if it was a simple question. “Just some people pushing my buddies around. We’re all good. You? Have anyone I need to push around?”

“No. No, we’re okay.” Lucas shook his head, looking to his friends for agreement.

“Yeah, us too. Thanks, Steve.” Mike said. He adjusted his bag on his back and reached down for Will’s hand. He reached back with a strong grip, neither of them scared with their friends slowly circling around them. Mike had never felt that happy at school before; maybe the rest of eighth grade wouldn’t be a horrible experience. He’d always have his friends– and Steve. “We better get going… Shouldn’t you too Steve?”

“Yeah, don’t you have a quiz or something?” Will spoke to Steve although he was staring at his and Mike’s hands.

“Nah. I’d rather be a part of changing history than just listening to some old guy teach it.” He said, still standing tall beside them. He scanned the entrance, his eyes dragging over to students that loitered for too long. “You guys are more important than any goddamn quiz.”

“Ew, you sound like our parents.” Lucas laughed, shaking his head with a scrunched up face.

“Fine. Let me rephrase.” Steve cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips looking at each boy directly. “You dipshits don’t deserve this garbage. Better?”

“Better.” Mike nodded. He and Will began walking towards the school, turning back to speak to Steve one last time. “See you at three?”

“I’ll be here.” Steve promised. “I’m always going to be here.”

ao3

#byeler #byler #will byers x mike wheeler #babysitter Steve harrington #in the best way #prompts #stranger things writing

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chooseywoozy · 6 years

Text

Perfect Match, Book One: Chapter 1 - True Love, Guaranteed

(NOW PLAYING AS KARMA)

You walk down a bustling Brooklyn street, the sounds of the city humming all around you.

Karma: (Hope I’m not late!)

Soft music plays as you step into the hip venue of an upscale art show.

Karma: Nadia! Hey!

You spot your cousin, Nadia, among the crowd. Her face lights up as she approaches with arms outstretched and wraps you in a tight hug!

Nadia: Karma! I’m so happy you made it!

Karma: Are you kidding? The opening of your new art collection? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Nadia: Honestly, I have no idea how it blew up. But who am I to argue with the review of an art critic?

Karma: You mean glowing reviews from dozens of art critics?

Nadia: Oh, shush! Anyway, that’s not what I was excited about.

Karma: Then what is it?

Nadia: I want you to meet my boyfriend!

Nadia waves over a handsome man from across the room…

Nadia: Steve! Come say hi to my cousin!

Steve: Hey! You must be Karma! I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been dying to meet you for weeks, but I’ve been busy at the animal shelter.

Karma: Oh! Do you work there?

Nadia: Steve’s an investment banker. But he volunteers at an animal shelter. Amazing, right?

Steve: Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just a guy who likes to do some good in his free time. Nadia here is the amazing one. The way her art makes me feel… It’s indescribable.

Nadia: Aww, sweetie!

Steve: Now, if you’ll excuse me, Karma, I’ve got to replenish the hors d’oeuvres. We’ll talk later! My mini-quiches are going fast!

Steve gives Nadia a kiss on the cheek and hustles off. Nadia sighs, beaming.

Nadia: Did I mention he bakes? He bakes. So… what do you think?

Karma: He’s too good to be true… what’s the catch? Comeon. Be honest. There’s gotta be something wrong with him. Secret criminal past? Crippling gambling debt?

Nadia: No! Nothing like that!

Karma: Then what’s your secret?

Nadia reaches into her purse and hands you a business card.

Nadia: You should try them out!

Karma: True love, guaranteed? Sounds amazing. Sign me up!

Nadia: Yes! I was hoping you’d think so!

Karma: Are you kidding? It sounds great!

Just then, a voice calls to you from the crowd.

Damien: Looking good, Karma. Next time warn me when you plan to show up dressed like a celebrity. I would’ve brought my good suit.

Karma: Not so bad yourself, Damien.

Your good friend Damien saunters over, seamlessly switching his empty champagne glass with a fresh one from a server’s tray.

Damien: And don’t tell me Nadia has got you drinking this ‘matchmaking service’ Kool-Aid too. You of all people don’t need some fancy matchmaking service.

Karma: I’ll take that as a compliment. But you can’t argue with the results. Steve seems like a catch.

Damien: Yeah, I talked to Mr. Perfect on the way in. Haven’t found any flaws or dark secrets yet. But give me time.

Nadia: Really, D? We’ve known you for like, four years. I thought you would’ve dropped the tough, cynical act by now.

Damien: I’m a private investigator. I catch liars and cheaters for a living. ‘Cynical’ is basically my job.

Nadia: Don’t listen to him, Karma. He’s like the Grinch when it comes to love. Eros is the best matchmaking service ever! I’ll schedule you an appointment for a consultation!

Damien: Yeah! A vague, secretive company providing little to no contact information… What could go wrong? Just keep your guard up, Karma… Maybe bring pepper spray, or hold your keys like a claw.

Nadia: Ignore him. It’ll be amazing! I know you’re gonna find someone perfect for you!

Karma: Can’t wait!

Later that week, you arrive outside the address Nadia gave you. A sleek, unlabeled complex towers above you…

Karma: (Okay, this is a little weird. Not so much as a logo on the door. But the address looks right…)

You push through the glass doors to enter a warm, inviting lobby. A stunning woman strides gracefully across the room, the steps of her heels echoing through the halls.

Karma: Uh, thank you… How did you know--

Cecile: We’ve done our homework. Eros has been expecting you, after all. Your cousin Nadia gave you a glowing referral. I’m excited to begin. Please, follow me.

You follow Cecile through the pristine halls of Eros Incorporated.

Karma: I’m still a little overwhelmed by this whole thing. How can you guarantee true love?

Cecile: A good question. Love is a complex thing. But here at Eros, we’ve used the latest in behavioural science and technology to devise the most sophisticated matchmaking system in the world.

Karma: So you think you’ve got people figured out… with some algorithm?

Karma: Really? Sounds like exactly what I need!

Cecile: So glad you feel that way! I can assure you, we’re just as excited as you are to help you find your match.

She leads you into a peaceful, softly lit room. A sweet, floral aroma and calming music fill the space around you.

Cecile: Welcome to our consultation room. This is where we’ll be conducting our Perfect Match questionnaire.

Karma: Is this the part where I tell you my middle name, my hobbies and where I went to high school?

Cecile: Nadia sent us the personality profile you filled out, so we already have the basic information we need. Today will be about finding out what you’re looking for in a match.

Karma: Oh… Okay… So why does this place look more like a day spa than a quiz room?

Cecile: Simply place your hand on the palm scanner, and we can begin.

You place your hand on the smooth surface of the chair’s arm. It hums and glows, and soon a soft chime sounds in sync with your own heartbeat. The lights in the room dims as your mind drifts, peacefully.

Cecile: Now, relax. Close your eyes… focus on the sound of my voice… and speak from your heart…

Cecile taps on her tablet. You hear her voice from a distance as your eyes close…

Cecile: First, some general questions. I’m going to show you six images. Tell me, which of these most closely resembles your preferred look in a match?

(Look 1)

Cecile: Wonderful. Next I have twelve brief questions. Please answer as honestly as you can…

One - When traveling abroad, your perfect match would rather take you… To a lively festival, bustling with locals.

Two - On a road trip with your partner, you’d prefer someone who… Trades anecdotes and engages in lively conversation.

Three - You’re transported into a fantasy novel. Which character is most attractive… A magnetic ruler, leading and inspiring the people.

Four - Who do you imagine your partner hung out with in high school… A close-knit group of friends.

Five - Your match appears in a dream with an animal companion. What kind is it… A fierce, wild hawk.

Six - Your partner is facing an unbeatable enemy. What strategy do they use… Fight dirty.

Seven - You have to be apart for a few months. Your perfect match… Sends you memes.

Eight - Your perfect match has just defeated a supervillain. What do they do next… Righteously condemn the villain’s action.

Nine - What would your perfect match give you for your birthday… Something they noticed you wanted but hadn’t asked for.

Ten - Your date orders cocktails for you at a bar. Which do they choose… A trendy new menu item that food critics are buzzing about.

Eleven - Your travel plans have fallen through. What does your partner do… They have you covered no matter what, backup plan and all.

Twelve - How would your partner clear out a building full of zombies… They devise a brilliant plan and execute it flawlessly.

Cecile: You’re doing wonderfully, Karma. We have enough to find you a suitable match, but first, I’d like to ask if there’s anything in particular you’re looking for… I’m going to list a few traits that your potential match may possess. Let me know if any of them resonate strongly with you. For those who prioritise physical intimacy, we have many candidates with massage skills. We can refine our search to animal lovers and pet owners, who are often compassionate and kind. If you’re drawn to creative, artistic souls, we can match you with musicians. Last but not least, many people seek the culture and intelligence of someone who speaks many languages. Which of these appeals to you?

Karma: The animal lover. My match must love animals.

Cecile: An excellent choice. Would you like to distinguish your preferences further? Remember, there’s no shame in being picky when it comes to love. You’re absolutely worth it.

Karma: I would like them to possess all of those qualities. Why settle for anything less?

The lights in the room brighten, and you are suddenly aware of your surroundings again. Cecile looks up from her note taking and smiles warmly at you.

Cecile taps on the tablet before turning it to show you the display…

Your perfect match is a… Leader - Outgoing, rebellious, sincere, loyal.

Brave, perceptive, and confident, the Leader is often turned to in times of crisis. As a romantic partner, this perfect match’s charisma can inspire in even the most challenging of times.

Karma: Wow. Just like that? This is just my type! I’d love to find someone like this.

Cecile: Glad to see that the system is working as intended!

Karma: So… What next?

Cecile: Next? Simply leave the rest to us. We’ll find the most compatible partner for you in our database and arrange your first date. You’ll be hearing from us soon!

Karma: Sounds like a plan. And what happens after that?

Cecile flashes you a wink.

Cecile: Why, true love, of course.

You step out of the Eros building into the brisk night air, the New York City skyline towering above you.

Damien: Made it out of the Mystery Company in one piece, huh?

Karma: Damien? What are you doing here?

Damien leans against his old muscle car, pulling his jacket tight against the cold.

Damien: Check your phone, lovebird. I called you a couple times. Wanted to make sure you hadn’t joined a cult, or bought a timeshare or anything… And also offer you a ride home.

Karma: Oh, really? You just wanted the dirt on this Mystery Company, huh?

Damien smiles.

Damien: Wow… You know me too well, Karma. Come on.

Soon, you’re watching the city lights streak by through the passenger window of Damien’s car as you catch him up on your day.

Damien: So, really… this Eros thing. You’d think you’d just swipe left and right like the other apps. Not, you know, go to a day spa for a fancy interview.

Karma: Maybe it’s a little… unconventional, but it seemed legit to me.

Damien: Unconventional is an understatement. But hey, whatever makes you happy.

Damien pulls the car to a stop outside your apartment building.

Damien: … I actually mean that too. I want you to be happy.

Karma: Oh really? No sarcasm this time? No snarky retort?

You catch Damien’s eye as a slight smirk spreads across his face…

Damien: Despite my unflappably cool facade… I do have the capacity to care about someone. Occasionally.

Karma: Don’t get sappy on my now, Damien.

Damien: Wouldn’t dream of it.

One afternoon that weekend, you’re lounging in your apartment when a knock sounds on the door. You open it to find…

Nadia: Karma! I’m guessing you haven’t left your apartment today.

Karma: What makes you say that?

Nadia: Because if you stepped outside, you would have noticed this on your doorstep!

Nadia hands you a pristine display of flowers with an envelope attached! You open the card inside…

Nadia: Well, I came here hoping to ask how your appointment went, but I guess I have my answer! I remember when I got my letter from Eros…. I was so excited. This is gonna be amazeballs! Right?!

Karma: I think it’s going to be great!

Nadia: You’re right! It is! Positive thoughts, Karma! Send that out into the universe! This match they’ve found for you is your destiny!

Karma: Let’s hope so. The details on the card say that Eros has scheduled our first date… For tonight!

Nadia: Wait, what? We’ve got to get you ready!

Soon, Nadia is leading you on a last minute shopping trip. She pores over the card from Eros as you browse through outfits.

Nadia: Tonight could be the start of your beautiful, perfect love story, Karma! You’ve got to make a good impression! Luckily, Eros has you covered!

Karma: What do you mean?

Nadia: This card from Eros includes some style suggestions based on your Perfect Match’s taste! Perfectly tailored to impress him!

Karma: They can do that?

Your cousin pulls an outfit from the rack…

Nadia: This one! It fits the suggestion perfectly! Try it on!

Karma: Alright, alright…

Nadia: Ugh, slay, Karma!

Karma: I’m guessing that’s a good thing?

Nadia: Good? No. That outfit is perfect!

As the afternoon goes on and the sun starts to set, you finish prepping with Nadia… when a sudden knock at the front door sounds! You hurry over to the living room with Nadia in tow!

Nadia: Ohmygod, ohmygod… He’s here! Answer it, quick! Tonight will be the start of your beautiful storybook romance!

You try to calm your cousin as you open the door..

Karma: Relax, Nadia. It doesn’t have to be a ‘storybook romance’. No one is expecting this night to be--

Hayden: Hi, I’m Hayden. You must be Karma…

Karma: I… Um… Wow.

Thoughts on the episode…

Okay well first of all… creepy and suspicious as hell. I can’t believe Damien was the only one who was like… ‘what on earth…’ Everything about this screams dodgy. How did Nadia even find Eros in the first place? I mean, for our MC, sure - we have Nadia’s results convincing us to do it (even though Steve is a freaky robot and we can tell straight away,) but what did Nadia have? She just went for it.

Speaking of Nadia, annoying. I would love to just cut her out of the story completely. She’s too BLLURGGHHH, you know? So enthusiastic about absolutely everything. I can’t imagine what her art looks like. Probably really cheesy, basic stuff like Thomas Kinkade. Nothing edgy or cool. You could definitely buy a snowglobe with Nadia’s artwork in it.

I know that Hayden is a robot, but defo gonna smash. Like. He’s our perfect match, wiring or not. I mean, I know that Damien is there too and as soon as we get the option to seduce I shall absolutely be doing that because he is a fine piece of cartoon ass, but… where’s the fun if I can’t doodly do with the robot?

Also, shoutout to Cecile who is the hottest character at first glance I have ever seen from Pixelberry. I mean, I know she’s probably an evil lunatic hell bent on destroying us once we uncover Eros’ secrets, but still. I’m shallow and she’s hot.

Fave Character of the Chapter: Damien

Least Fave Character of the Chapter: Nadia

#perfect match #choices pm #choices #playchoices #playthrough

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weforgotthatwearethestars · 4 years

Text

No Memory is Gonna Save You Now (part 5)

Starker, so don’t like don’t read.

Also here on Ao3

Tags: amnesia, temporary amnesia, team as family, canon-typical violence, fluff, angst, happy ending

Peter wakes from a dream of being crushed under something large and immoveable and suffocating to Karen saying, “Peter, Ms. May is at the door and is requesting entry. Should I let her in?”

Peter is busy panting and clutching at his chest for a few minutes, slowly coming back from the dream, so he doesn’t respond before he starts to hear the pounding on the door to the apartment.

“Why’s -” he starts then clears his throat so he doesn’t sound so hoarse. “Why’s there banging?”

“That would be Ms. May. would you like me to pull up the security video?” Karen asks and Peter agrees. There is a woman who looks thoroughly irate in scrubs and a jacket with her brown hair in a ponytail, flyaways in a fuzzy halo making her look even more distressed. Peter gestures and closes the feed before sitting there for a moment, trying to figure out why this person would be banging at his door. After another round of thuds start up Peter decided that no, no he doesn’t have anything left in him to really deal with this right now.

He debates, for just a moment, asking Karen or Friday if they could contact Tony to help with whatever the hell was going on but shook his head after a moment. He’d fucked that up and didn’t plan on touching that until he got his memories back and could understand exactly what he’d done wrong.

“Nope.” Peter mutters to himself as he makes his way into his bathroom, “Nopity, nope, nope, no.”

He asks Karen if he has a playlist and when she informs him he has loads he asks what they’re named. When he concludes his naming of playlists is nonsense, he just asks her to put all of the most played songs in a playlist and play that. He also decides a shower is both needed and a good way to create more noise to drown out the banging. The heat and pounding water helps to clear his head and bring the world into a bit more focus.

He determines two things while he’s under the spray.

One, he should really actually speak to the woman banging on his door. It’s probably the right thing to do even if he has no real idea about who she is or why she’s trying to break his entrance way. Second, he should apologize to Tony. He’s not sure what exactly he did to make the man so uncomfortable, but the responsible thing to do is to apologize, ask what he’d done so he can make sure not to do that again, and then give the man any space he may require. Avoiding Tony would only put off the inevitable and maybe even give the wrong impression.

With his to-do list effectively made, he gets out the shower.

He towels off, brushes his teeth, then tries to comb his hair. It...mostly works, even if the comb bends dangerously a couple of times. He digs around and finds some clothes that seem clean, a loose t-shirt and some work out shorts.

Leaving the bathroom, he heads for the living room and says, “Karen, is, um - May! Is Ms. May still outside the door?”

“No, she left.” Peter nods, mentally noting this so he doesn’t forget to apologize to her later, as well as Tony.

Really racking those up, huh, dumbass , he thinks as he starts to rummage around his kitchen for something to eat.

He finds eggs and cheese plus some seasoning he figures will go well together and eats dry cereal from a mug while he cooks. Once the eggs are done he dumps them in a mug, as well….

He’s not sure where all the plates and bowls are and he honestly can’t say he cares much, at this point.

Once done with breakfast he checks the time and finds that it's only seven in the morning and maybe he shouldn’t be expecting people to be awake at this hour. Even if Ms. May was banging on his door even earlier, it still seems somewhat rude.

So, instead, he decides he’ll clean. He rounds up all the dishes first, since he doesn’t seem to have anything clean except for mugs. By the time he’s done, he’s filled the dishwasher with a few things left to simply wash and dry by hand. After that he grabs all the clothes that smell even a little off and toss them in an empty laundry basket he finds shoved to the back of his closet. A little poking around finds the washer and dryer in a closet in the hall, loading half of the basket into the washer, throwing in some detergent, and putting the machine going. He’s debating what to clean next or maybe he’d like to explore the lab more and hang out with the little ‘bot there, when he hears the murmur of voices outside of his door.

“Mr. Barnes, Captain Rogers, and Ms. May are currently outside of your door. They request that you speak to them.” Karen says.

“Sure, let them in.” Peter says as he makes his way back to the living area. He hears steps but doesn’t process how fast or how close they are until there’s a blur of motion to his right and -

“ Peter! ” someone says, loudly, as they tackle him in a hug.

Or, rather, it feels like a tackle but he sticks himself to the floor and uses his strength to keep himself standing.

He opens his mouth so say something but is swiftly cut off as the person flings themselves back with their hands gripping his shoulders tightly.

There’s a moment for him to process that this is the Ms. May from earlier before she starts in, “You had me so worried ! You always text, you promised you would, and then you never replied when I texted you!” Her face crumples a bit then he’s being yanked back into her arms, too stund to do much more than hug her back, though not as roughly. “I know you’re all grown up and you’ve got super powers and whatever .” she practically whines into his neck, “But I still worry about you.”

Peter holds her a bit tighter, “I’m sorry I worried you so bad.” There’s a slight russell of clothes and movement and Peter looks up to see two very awkward super soldiers standing next to his coffee table. “Hello.” he says, somewhat reflexively, at a bit of a loss as to what else to say.

Cap waves, a little dazed while Bucky just grunts in acknowledgement.

“Crap! Right.” Ms. May says, letting Peter go and wiping at her face before she turns to the super soldiers and says, “I’m sorry for dragging you around. I really did think something was wrong.”

The two men look at each other then Bucky walks to the door with a mumbled, “Your problem.” before he’s through the door and gone. Cap looks back over at them, Ms. May specifically and smiles a little sheepishly.

“Well, uh, you see ma’am. There is something a little bit wrong.” Ms. May stiffens and both turn to look at Peter. Ms. May with pure worry while Cap looks encouraging.

“I, uh,” Peter starts, clears his throat, fidgets, then, “I l-lost all of my memories. And I don’t really know who you are. Well anyone really. Or who I am, exactly.” Ms. May just keeps staring at him, though the worry has morphed to shock.

“Are you, uh, are you like my mom or something?” Peter asks, very hesitant with a sinking feeling settling in his guts.

“Nope.” Ms. May mutters before she blinks, once, twice, then, “Nopity, nope, nope, no.” Ms. May mutters as she turns on her heel for the elevator. The elevator glides open seamlessly, as if waiting for her. “Nat, please.” she says a little faintly and Cap steps toward her, but the doors close before he can get a word out.

Peter stands there stunned before turning to find a concerned and confused Steve looking back.

“Too much?” Peter asks with a shrug and a shaky smile.

“Maybe.” Steve agrees.

***

After many awkward moments, Steve suggests some training and Peter, with no better ideas and with a desperate need to not be left to his own thoughts, agrees.

The training room is huge, spread out with high ceilings and plenty of padding on every surface. But that’s it, besides a few doors.

“This….isn’t what I was expecting.” Steve snorts, drawing Peter’s attention to find the man smiling and shaking his head.

“You said the exact same thing the first time Tony brought you here to train with us.” he explains and Peter tries for some sort of agreeable noise and amicable face but feels he probably falls short.

You’re always falling short , he thinks a little bitterly as they make their way to the bench he hadn’t noticed. Steve wraps his hand and feet then wraps Peter’s after he messes up a few times. Peter rolls his eyes as Steve reassures him that he’s always been awful at wraps. There’s stretching then a warm up of jogging and some punching at the air before they settle into figuring out just how much Peter remembers.

The first time Steve swings at him, it’s like his spine tries to twitch out of his body and he’s flipping away and landing in a crouch before he’s really thinking through the motions. The second he has a moment to think, he falls on his ass, so clearly thinking is what he needs to not be doing.

“Whoa.” he manages as he pats down his ribs, half checking on his spine half just trying to breath a bit.

Steve raises an eyebrow with a grin and asks, “Peter tingle?” like that’s supposed to mean something

“What?!” Peter squawks and Steve cackles.

“You call it your Spidey-sense.” Steve adds with a shrug as Peter gets back to his feet.

“That’s,” Peter breathes out a little as he flexes his fingers, “that’s better.”

It turns out that muscle memory and the Spider-sense ( christ it needs a better name) took care of a lot of his fighting ability. They switch between Steve beating him up and watching videos of past fights, both with the team and with villains.

Peter wants to use his web shooters but Steve says, “Maybe we should just figure out you fighting on the ground first.” Peter rolls his eyes and flops back dramatically and Steve tries for disapproving but doesn’t quite drown out all of his amusement.

They’ve been fighting for hours based off the ache in Peter’s lungs alone when Friday chimes in, “The door is about to open. Please refrain from throwing until the door is closed.”

Peter, who has collapsed on the ground for a break starts to weakly giggle as he imagines all the reasons why that message may have been programmed to play.

The weak giggles turn into a choked off squeak when he hears “Hey, Cap. Did you kill the spiderling?” Luckily Peter’s weird noises get covered up by Steve's snorting laugh.

“Nah, I think he’ll live.” Steve calls back as he gets up to presumably talk to Tony at a non-shouting distance. Peter stays, laying on his back in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do. He needed to apologize to Tony, he wasn’t giving up on that, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Steve. If Tony told Steve afterwards or even now, it was fine, he was entitled to speak to friends about his issues but Peter wanted him to have the option, not force the other man to have issues in his personal life spread around the team without his say so.

Peter is still laying there, agonizing over his life, when Tony’s face appears in front of him. He’s standing with a strained smile and a halo of golden-brown light ringing his gorgeous face. Stop that , he whines at himself inside of his head, you can’t think like that when he still hates you for last night .

“Hey, kid. Want to spare? Steve had somewhere to be.” Tony says as he holds a hand out for Peter to take. He grimaces slightly at the reappearance of this nickname for him. He can’t know for sure, but he’s thinking he must hate it just as much with his memories as without them.

But he takes Tony’s hand with a nod and replies, “Sure thing,” adding, because he just can’t help himself, “Mr. Stark.”

Tony doesn’t look happy with that name either.

He’s already warmed up so he just does some mild stretching while Tony gets warmed up and it’s not long before they’re facing each other, hands up to block and feet staggered for balance. A couple punches are thrown, a few grabs are made, one or two kicks, but it’s all testing the waters and trying to figure each other out again.

Then Tony starts to really try and take his head off.

Peter figures, on some level, that he deserves it, but he’s also not going to just lay down and take it. Besides, Tony is smirking and the spidey-sense isn’t lighting up in techni-color so he’s thinking they usually fight like this. Eventually they find a rhythm, an ebb and flow of movement and a balance between killing each other and going too soft to be useful.

“That all you got, underoos?” Tony goads Peter, lightly teasing but shocking all the same.

Tony falters, same as Peter, but he shakes it off with a smile and light jab, saying, “I got plenty more, old man.”

They get back into their rhythm, though this time trash talk and insults and laughter fly between them as well. It feels good, Peter thinks this must be what most of their training is like. Maybe even just hanging out with each other.

Will it ever feel this easy, outside of a fight, with how badly you messed up last night?

Peter is distracted by the thought for long enough that Tony gets the upper hand, sliding into Peter’s space to place his hands and hips in just such a way as to flip Peter over, slamming him into the ground with a grunt. Peter is stunned and doesn’t fight it as Tony seamlessly pins him to the ground, knocking the air from his chest for more reasons than one. He hits the ground hard, with a force he wasn’t sure the other man possessed with his age and non-enhanced humanity.

The other reason is that the halo is back and fluffier, too. This time, the smile is wide and carefree with a flushed face, panting while his eyes spark dangerously. Peter feels himself smile, though it’s sad, and Tony sees it almost immediately and looks like he’s either going to start talking fast or running faster because of it.

So Peter grabs him, sticking to him, breaking the unspoken agreement to fight like regular humans, and breaths out, “I’m sorry.” This seems to startle Tony so he Peter keeps going, talking fast to get everything out before the other man can leave. “I’m not sure exactly what I did wrong but I obviously made you uncomfortable last night. That was never my intention. I don’t know if it’s because of something I said or did but just tell me what it was and I won’t do it again.” Tony’s still pinning him even as Peter lets go of his stick but he just looks completely confused at what Peter had to say.

There’s no stopping the words from pouring out as he continues, “Was it that I brought you to the lab? Did you feel trapped? Or was it because we’re just friends and you don’t see me -?” This startles a huff out of the man and the tension in his shoulders ratchets down a little, though the pain on his face seems to counter that action.

“Don’t see you like - ?” another huff as he rolls himself back on to his haunches, still stradling Peter’s hips but no longer truly pinning him. A hand comes up to wipe down his own face as he mutters, “I should be apologizing to you, damn it.”

“What do you have to apologize for?” Peter retorts as he sits up, sounding sullen. “I’m the one that flirted with you and took you back to the lab and tried to kiss -”

“No!” Tony half shouts as he takes Peter’s shoulders and shoves him back to the mat, trying to get the younger man to listen to him. “I’m the adult here and I made you uncomfortable. None of this is your fault, do you understand?”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?”

Tony levels him with a dry look with a raised eyebrow and says, just as arid, “I’m about twice your age and we meant when you were in highschool.”

Peter snorts out a laugh, “Yeah, nice try, but you already told me we weren’t even friendly until I got to college.”

“I could be lying to you.”

“You’re not that stupid. I am getting my memories back eventually and you’ve been nothing but kind to me so far.” Tony still looks unsettled and determined to somehow make it all his fault and all Peter can do is roll his eyes and grin.

He tries to tap down on the happy fluttering in his chest but he can’t because this has confirmed some things for him. Tony wasn’t upset by last night, that’s not why he had run, he was only worried that Peter would be upset with him. And Peter was far from upset with this man. He also realizes that Tony has never said that he didn’t like Peter back or that Peter’s flirting was unwanted.

So he acts fast.

Peter flips Tony over using his hips and enhanced strength. Draping himself along Tony’s body as he scures both of the man’s hands above his head, mirroring their previous position. Then he drags himself slowly along Tony’s torso until they’re face to face, Peter’s face hovering over a shocked Tony with a smirk.

“Besides,” Peter says, voice dropping a little with the intimate situation, “maybe I like them older.” Tony gapes in utter surprise as Peter smiles, sweet and innocent, ticking an eyebrow up and humming, short and deep in his chest.

There’s a sputter, some blinking, then, “You can’t just - !”

Peter drops his face down a little as his smile turns to a sharp, heated grin and he whispers, “I just did.”

Then he’s off of Tony and standing and watching as the flustered man blushes and splutters and says, “ Kid that’s not -! You’re not allowed to just -!”

Peter chuckles a bit and cuts the older man off, saying, “Like I said I just did.” His face softens a little as he continues, “And you can tell me you don’t want me to keep flirting or calling you Tony or anything that makes you uncomfortable, just let me know, I'll stop.” Tony, looking called out for not telling Peter to stop, point blank, blushes more and huffs. “And really, I tried to kiss you first, so balls in your court, so to speak.” Peter says, the older man squawking as Peter feels the mischievous look slip onto his face with his words.

“But that doesn’t mean, I’m out of the game, Mr. Stark .”

He’s running and cackling, listening to Tony chase him as they sprint out the training room and through the halls.

Another thing for The List of Things I Know Now: , Peter thinks to himself as he turns a corner with a squeal, I’m maybe a little bit in love with Tony Stark.

Previous / Next

#amnesia #temporary amnesia #team as family #canon - typical violence #fluff #angst #happy ending #starker #tony x peter #peter x tony #ironspider

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itbethatwaysometime · 7 years

Text

Uncharted Chapter Six

Warnings：Some light swearing， fluff

Word Count： 2.4k

A/n: Hello! This is probably one of my favourite chapters to write. I really enjoyed it and hope you do too. Tear in my Heart is coming tomorrow!

Unknown Location

Hydra Operation 11:03 PM

“I have a simple way of tracking the Asset, ma’am.” A low grade Hydra agent stood on one knee, head bowed down in front of the ruler of the most dangerous worldwide subversive organization.

“Keep going.” She says.

“All we need is time,” she’s clearly about to dismiss him with the flick of her wrist,” Wait! Please… All we need is time because Captain America will find him soon enough. What we need to do is follow the Captain. Once they find each other, they won’t leave neither of each others sides.” He blurts out, hoping desperately that his idea was enough to prove him worthy of a future.

She pauses, then nods her head. She flicks her wrist, disposing of the agent, leaving her to her thoughts.

At last, the Asset in our grasps.

———————

2 months later

“Stevie, could you hand me the maple syrup?” You open up a portal for him to pass it through. “Thanks.”

“Hey guys.” Says Bruce, the last one to walk in.

Today was a day like any other. Except, since that fateful night in your apartment, every day has been a sort of unbelievable daydream. Mornings have been spent with the entire team in your kitchen. Tony, Thor and Steve had been permanent fixtures in your living area since the beginning. They seemed to enjoy spending time with you and became fond of your space. Sam just showed up with Steve one morning accompanying him through his daily routine. After hearing all the commotion, Wanda and Pietro wandered into your quarters.Then followed Clint, who you constantly scolded for entering through the vents, Tasha and Bruce, who mostly kept to themselves. And, lastly, Vision. You weren’t surprised, the guy didn’t actually need to eat.

You’ve only been here a short while but everyone’s already treating you like family. You were incredibly grateful and it showed through your kind words and especially your actions. The team couldn’t have chosen a better candidate. Plus, you’ve never been happier.

In the past two months, you’ve made more joyful memories than you had made in a year. This group of crazy, strong, super-serumed, nutty people appreciated your presence. It’s a wonderful feeling. Trust.

Like the first time Tony saw just how smart you were.

—— (Flashback)

“Look, all I’m saying is, Mach 78 or whatever wouldn’t be shutting down prematurely if you’d just use multiple power sources throughout the suit; each one would independently fuel different aspects of the suit, therefore, you’d use less power, have a longer lasting suit, and if ever one goes down, you’d be fine. Because you’d have the multiple other ones supporting. I’ve already done all the calculations and if the core is not even 5% vibranium it’ll withstand practically anything.” You state matter of factly,” And, theoretically, if you aren’t too reckless, place the power sources strategically laced through the mechanics, nothing’s going to get damaged enough to be powered down.”

Tony stares at you for a beat, then slowly gets up and takes a few steps around the table.”

“GOD, you’re great! Why don’t I pay you?”

“You wouldn’t be able to afford me.” You sass back with a big grin on your face.

——

Or the time you woke up because Steve was having a nightmare.

His scream made the hair on your neck rise and goosebumps appear on your arms. A wrecked shout pierced through the quiet night.

“God, please, PLEASE BUCK, no, NO!”

You immediately sprint towards Steve’s room, commanding F.R.I.D.A.Y to unlock the doors.

You arrive in his bedroom panting, your eyes softening sadly at the sight before you. Steve was twisted in the sheets, his fist gripping the white linen so tightly his knuckles were going white. He was pale and sweating, tears running down his face mumbling incoherently. Your heart clenched as you slowly approached a broken man right in the middle of the throws of a nightmare.

Knowing that touching a person who’s having a nightmare is a terrible idea, you start by asking the AI to up the lights to 30%. Once on, Steve seemed to flinch a little, but stayed unconscious.

You opted for your voice.

“Steve,” you gently sat down next to his tense form,” Steve, it’s ok” That’s when his hand lets go of the sheets and turns to grip your wrists painfully hard. You hiss, but settle for getting him to wake up first. That’s when he starts shaking. To the point where you knew that if you didn’t wake him up now, he’s going to get himself hurt.

You leap up, straddling him and get ahold of his shoulders shaking him gently.

“Steve, wake up, it’s just me, wake up Steve.”

He suddenly jumps up, eyes wide open and alert scanning the room for intruders. His muscles tense, then relax when he lays his eyes on you.

“Hey, hey, just breathe alright?,” He looked so, so broken. You move up the bed and kneel before him, delicately putting one hand on his shoulder and dragging him into a very well-deserved hug. Your hand snakes up into his hair and you let him cry over your shoulder. Explaining that he relived watching Buck die again and again and again. He gripped you tightly as you soothed him, gently caressing his back, whispering I’m here, breathe, you’re okay.

At some point he shifted and you wondered whether you should leave. But, he held onto you pleadingly and snuggled you tightly to his chest finally letting himself rest.

You listened to his even breathing and watched him sleep dreamlessly before drifting off yourself.

Since then, you’d been closer to him. He was like a brother to you. He felt the same way.

——

But you didn’t only hang around Steve and Tony. You loved talking to Wanda and Tasha. You thought Pietro was really funny.

He liked you even more after you fixed his favourite shirt that was ripped in half because Clint thought it would be funny to test how close his arrows could get to a target without actually harming anything.

In short, you were having lots of fun and you blended seamlessly into a family of super heroes.

——

After a chaotic breakfast, you went to train. Your skills were even more refined and the team work came easily for you.When you had free time you switched between hanging out in the common room and Tony’s lab.

“Hey, could you pass me the—“ You mindlessly hand him the fourth steel ring made to seal the right wrist propulsor.

“Ya, also the blue prints for—“ You swipe a manila folder across the desk as you scroll through your Instagram.

Ten minutes later, both of you are working in a comfortable silence.

“SHit, I forgot my —“ You shove a hand in your pocket giving him the phone he left in your apartment after breakfast. You miss the look of awe he throws at you, you also miss the amused smile on Bruce’s face as he watches the whole exchange.

You sigh, screwing in the final bolt to your little project and start decluttering your desk. You head downstairs quick quick to grab something to drink knowing that Tony would want another one any minute now. He doesn’t notice you leave, too engrossed in upgrading his beloved suit. You didn’t mind, you found it quite sweet, him being so completely occupied by something.

You come back to the lab hearing him say the exact words you predicted him to say the moment you get back.

“(Y/n), would you mind getting me a —“ You gently place his steaming cup of coffee into his already open hand.

“Am I that predictable?”

“Only to me Stark, only to me.” You smile at him smugly. He on the other hand couldn’t help but wonder how he got so lucky. To have a young smart, kind, woman keep him in check. He’d spent countless sleepless nights thinking about what you meant to him. He came to the conclusion that you seemed to fit right in in as a sort of daughter figure and an incredibly awesome assistant. He’d do anything for you, yet he couldn’t figure out whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

——— Later on in the day

Agent (Y/n), please meet Tony in Conference Room B.” F.R.I.D.A.Y says over the comms. You look around at the rest of the team, but they all shrug not knowing why he’d call for you, not even in his lab, in Conference Room B.

You knock on the frosted glass door waiting for a response, you hear a muted Come in, and enter.

He stood there in an overly expensive suit and sunglasses in front of a metal suitcase. It looks like a scene from every 50’s mobster movie.

“Uh, what’s in the box?” You heard him giggle at the movie reference.

“You do realize I’m way more attractive than Brad Pitt.” He sasses back.

“Alright alright, handsome. Seriously, what’s in the case?” This whole situation seems ominous, but Tony looks like an overexcited puppy.

“Have you spoken to Cap today? “ He crosses his arms.

“No, he’s busy, what does that have to do with anything?” You stare at him confused. That last time you saw him was yesterday night, but that happens all time. He takes midnight strolls that last two days. Or sometimes its a mission, personal or handed out by Fury.

“Ah, that makes sense.” He sighs walking around to the front of the metal box.

“Tony, what makes sense?” You’re starting to get really annoyed by his act.

“Why he wanted me to make you a suit.”

Silence

“What? Why would he want me to- Wait a second. He thinks I’m ready?” He nods excitedly.

“Yep,” he says popping the p,” there’s a pretty big extraction happening, but we’re going to be briefed by Fury in about,” he looks down at his watch, “give or take ten minutes.”

“Yes!” You squeal in delight. “Um, I mean this is great.” You clear your throat trying to remain professional.

He smiles at you knowingly before gesturing towards the case. “Go on.”

You walk unsteadily towards the edge of the table and run a shaky hand around the exterior. The outside of the case is a platinum silver with ridges all throughout, you run shaky hands around the edges bracing yourself for what was inside.

Your fingers find the two clips at either end of the box and open the latch. The lid pops open with an audible click and lifts up slowly .

You gasp.

“Tony it’s beautiful.”

The first part was a suit much like Natasha’s. A stretchy, but incredibly strong fabric that was probably a thinned out version of Kevlar that worked just as well. The sheen resembled leather and the texture was soft. The pants held numerous belt loops and straps for extra weapon ‘storage’. A large belt circled your waist with a sturdy steel clasp. The top was the same material as the leggings with a very sturdy zip that went down the middle.

That was awesome. But, what really caught your eye was the overcoat he had provided. It was truly, truly in honour just to be wearing it. It could’ve been mistaken for a long trench-coat except the inside was lined with the same Kevlar like material and pockets for gadgets. The lapels near your ears held incredibly lightweight Stark technology and the gloves that came with were slip-resistant. They were lightweight and protective.

Not to mention the colour. Now, if this was any other article of clothing you wouldn’t really have cared about something as trivial as the colour. Except, the coat was purple. Not any type of purple, but the exact shade of purple that surrounded your portals whenever you opened one. The type of purple that glowed iridescently in the moonlight and the type of purple you’ve grown accustomed too.Tony had payed attention to that specific detail and it made your heart burst.

“Thank you.” You say, at loss for words. You wrap your arms around his neck for a hug. At first he’s surprised, but quickly gets that message and relaxes into your embrace.

“Ok, kid?,” you nod,” because Fury’s going to call us in for a meeting in 3… 2… 1…”

Avengers, please present yourself to Conference Room A, Nick Fury is waiting, F.R.I.D.A.Y announces

You laugh out loud at his impeccable timing. You follow him out of the room and into the one adjacent.

Other than Fury and Steve, you two were the first to arrive.

“Hey Fury, Capsicle.” He nods semi-respectfully at both.

You smile politely at Fury, not exactly sure how to act around your superior. You turn to Cap and give him a warm smile, one that he returns immediately with a whispered Hey Sweetie.

You spend a couple of minutes in companionable silence before the rest of the group of grown-up children file into the room.

Once everyone was settled down around the table, the Director began to speak.

“We have found the location of the Winter Soldier, and numerous of his files are in the database of this particular Hydra base. We suspect that Barnes is in the vicinity of this base to recollect his files. We’re planning on an extraction of the Soldier and the files.”

The atmosphere in the room went from playful to tense real fast. From what you’ve heard, Barnes was Steve’s best friend and that Hydra messed with his head real good. You couldn’t blame him for wanting to run. Fury quickly explains the rundown of the operation, not dwelling on too many details.

“Cap, you’re obviously on Barnes duty and I want someone with you on back up,” Steve’s about to retort,”no but’s, he’s unstable, you’ll need it.”

“And for the rest of you, here’s the game plan,” He points at a stack of files to his right,” we leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn.”

The team starts crowding around the files trying to get their fill on the mission. But, before you get a hold on a manila file, a large hand grabs a hold of your forearm and pulls you out of the room.

“Steve— what are you— I didn’t get a-“ you stare at him confused, he has a determined look on his face with his brow furrowed in worry.

“You’re coming with me for back up on Buck.”

Tag List

@the-avengers-initiative99 @wantingtobekorra @ipaintmelodies @i-love-superhero @carefullyawake @bexboo616 @sophieallice @peteachu666 @sassycat15 @moonlightimagination @grey-stardancer @xxkweenjoxx @talim258

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getseriouser · 5 years

Text

20 THOUGHTS: I thought you’d stopped doing this...

AND we’re back. But we’ve been reflective during our off-season and changes had to be made.

We needed our own 6-6-6, our own AFLX. Sure, it was a quiet summer, didn’t get up to much, just popped over to Oktoberfest with Jack Watts which was immensely low key, but the column for 2019 needed to get shorter, sharper, crisper, needed a trim down. Absolutely a commercial partnership opportunity with Lite’n’Easy or Weight Watchers or the Australian Coal Industry should be happening and no doubt my phone will ring any moment now.

But we’re a Round down, we’re glad to have it back, and I’m glad I’m back, as well, yes.. let’s get on with it..

1. Ah Essendon. Talk of the town since Sunday afternoon. Let’s get a couple things straight though. Essendon actually started ok, the first quarter in isolation was reasonably even, Shiel got a number of early touches, even had a shot at goal, five scoring shots to four at quarter time but Essendon went inside 50 14 times to 12. But once the Giants kicked away, yes, then Essendon sorta switched off, ran 147kms for the game compared to the Giants 242kms and for that you discredit them but gee, don’t undersell how good the Giants look.

2. Last one on Essendon as I’m bored already – they got better last year when Woosha got nasty, cranky, menopausal, so less polite pharmacist and more strict headmaster for this group, clearly.

3. Amongst all the Dons doom and gloom, the Giants were missing arguably their two best mids, their second tall forward and a bunch of other first 22 players and looked like a Rolls Royce. They may have lost a star every summer the last few but their best 22 is capable of finishing top four and winning three finals – no question.

4. Steve Coniglio is elite, by the end of the year he will be discussed in the Fyfe, Martin, Dangerfield group. And at $21 for the Brownlow why not already move your kids from public to private school by just loading up on that tip, your wife will appreciate your smart economic decision making.

5. The other bone of contention is rule changes so let’s give you the real story – they don’t mean four fifths of shit. Hate to be so subtle with that but it’s true. 6-6-6 was great for centre clearances, but in between goals we still see 34 players around the ball for stoppages, so the congestion has gone nowhere, thanks Steve Hocking.

6. Quarters now go longer with the extra waiting before a centre bounce for players to get into the right position, so when your wife accuses you of post-game celebrations down King St as the reason you’re late, sure, you did pop in but genuinely games are going to go later by five minutes, close to ten if it’s a high scoring game….

7. …Which it won’t, scoring was the lowest since the 1960s apparently, sure, little bit of poor goal-kicking, don’t want to name names, but I will – Collingwood – but the idea of Steve Hocking unleashing the dam waters of high-offence leading to monster score lines, I think it was famous philosopher Aristotle who said “yeah nah”.

8. Weird game - in one way the Pies kick straight the first half, game over. But then the Cats after half time 15 shots to 7, so the Pies lucky to be close at the end. Cats have something to work with, 10 blokes 50 games or less, the Pies showed glimpses and came across rusty. Only 49 tackles.

9. Last year, Round One, the Swans banged up the Eagles in Perth, Hawthorn were even better

against Collingwood. Long season, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, firstly that’s a criminal offence and secondly, it’s all about momentum at the right time, the Pies started 0-2 last year, the Power started 3-0.

10. Left Hawthorn out of my 8 because they've lost 40 touches a week in Mitchell. But they haven't lost Clarkson who is Winx to the rest of these coaches. Hawks for the eight, challenge top four, why not.

11. Clarkson's assistants do well, Hardwick and Simpson the last two premiership coaches his former assistants. So let’s highlight two more this year, Cameron and Fagan, Giants flag chance, Lions sneaky 6th to 10th chance all going well. Mind you, yes, Neale a great get, but don’t think he was some amazingly free and expense-free acquisition, he is essentially directly replacing Beams, and in some way it was Beams and Pick 6 for Neale and pick 18. Beams didn’t want to stay, granted, but that deal looking like that is not value.

12. With some continuity of Bont, Macrae, Libba, Hunter and Wallis, Dogs will be just fine. Bont is a top five player in the league, don’t forget that, has a Charlie sort of season in him one of these years. But whilst 2016 rode good fortune, you don’t fluke flags, so something still to work with down at the Kennel – a watch.

13. Swans, Kennedy and Parker are elite but have no mates. Jake Lloyd is good but won’t win a final by himself, then its kids or flankers. Problems. Unless Heeney and Mills becomes midfield regulars, forward 50 supply going to be as reliable as Optus Sport during a World Cup.

14. To use a soccer term Melbourne 'dropped points'. Yeah great, Port, Jack Watts, the kids, the Power will be ok, but the Dees are a quality side who will still annoyingly drop a few because, they are the Dees, they're not Hawthorn of the last decade… you never see value in them at $1.60 put it that way.

15. This is the Freo I wanted 12 months ago. Tough bastards in the backline, Pearce, Ryan, Wilson, they've got high-end talent through the draft, Brayshaw, Cerra, Tucker, and now they have damaging talls. Will win at least 10 games, 10 kids under 50 games on the weekend too.

16. Ross Lyon might come across a little off sometimes, and cops heat for taking a GF side in 2013 to far too many crap years the last few, but when he signed a four-year extension he didn’t need to then win a flag by Easter, he had the time to do it properly. The last three premiership teams had to go near the bottom to win, North hasn’t bottomed out and how’s that gone? Lyon is playing the long game here, because he can, and it works, and off a one-game sample size he might actually have been right all along.

17. Speaking of long-game – I wouldn’t have recruited him for what it’s worth but why the hate on Dan Hannebery? Paying him 800k a year wasn’t getting in the way from getting anyone else, they’ve got him for four years so if he misses the first month of football, who cares, if he gets right and plays 75 good games for St Kilda when it’s all said and done, I don’t see anything wrong with that, Damian.

18. Tassie - got a team in the U18s next season, they then have a VFL team in a couple years, its actually the exact template used for the Suns and Giants - so its definitely a chance. The AFL is probably 50-50 on it but Gil I reckon does want it, and AFL CEO's have form at making captains calls for as long as we can remember. 6 games in Hobart, 5 in Launceston, the sponsors and money would seemingly be there, and has the profit margins and attraction akin to Geelong - if run well a profitable business and retains players – sure they won’t have the high revenues of West Coast or Collingwood but gee, it'd be solid.

19. 1:10 this Sunday, North and Fitzroy get under way at Marvel, half an hour later the AFLW Grand Final between Adelaide and Carlton starts at Adelaide Oval. Would love to bag the AFL on this stuff up, and the conferences problem too, but stopping short of sliding the AFLW to begin pretty much during the Aus Open which would be problematic, there’s no ideal or easy way to schedule everything seamlessly. I would love to give it to them but as a rule if I don’t envy your position then I’ll keep the firearm in the holster on this one.

20. And finally, keep an ear out on Channel Seven coverage, you might have heard “Docklands” more than “Marvel Stadium” from its on-air talent last Saturday night. Why? Theory is that because Marvel Studios have an agreement with Stan, the Channel Nine-affiliated streaming service, Seven doesn’t want to promote the ground’s new name in the long bow it potentially feathers Nine’s nest. Strange, but true, so unless the AFL has had stern words before the next Seven game I think April 14 you won’t hear Bruce or BT utter “Marvel” once.

(27th March, 2019)

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