#sam how dare you forget who your parent is

[imtryingbuck]

Eighteen

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Bucky comes from a well respected family, he falls in love with a girl who prefers the simple things in life. Follow their journey through the years.

Word count: 5,786

Warnings: fluff, angst, heavy use of pet names. eating humans (doesn’t happen obviously and it’s only said as a joke) mentions of cheating, mentions of past suicide attempt

A/N: No description of reader other than she has curly hair.

Masterlist   Series Masterlist

It had been three years since she was last at home, three years at private school and it was amazing for her. 

She made friends with two of the girls there Natasha and Wanda, they had introduced themselves to her first and Wanda shyly had asked if Y/n would like to be their friend, she hesitated at first but eventually said yes which brought a huge smile to Wanda’s face and a shy smile to Nat’s.

They accepted her with open arms and Nat even enjoyed playing in the mud and climbing trees with Y/n. When that fateful day came where they saw her scars she panicked and knew that they wouldn’t want to be her friends anymore but instead of judgemental or looks of horror Wanda burst out crying and pulled her in to a bone crushing hug whilst Nat stood there cursing in Russian. For the first time since James she opened up to what had happened to her.

Not even Steve knew the whole story, especially not Sam. Sam had heard things but chose not to listen; he chose to wait until she had said something herself.

Once she had finished telling them everything she was comforting the two red heads reminding them that she was okay now.

It had felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and for the first time she felt like she could breathe.

If you saw one of the girls the other two was close behind.

Throughout the three years that had passed she had heard about Bucky, Sam and Steve from her parents. The boys had showed up a few days after she had left so James could apologise and when they found out she had gone James started to cry, Steve and Sam too. When she heard about that she wanted to go back home to make up with her boys fighting with herself on whether or not she should but ultimately she decided that she wasn’t going anywhere. James had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t her friend and that he never wanted to be in the first place.

It was a hard decision for her to make but luckily she had Nat and Wanda by her side supporting her.

Now that school was over she was heading back home, she had decided she didn’t want to go to college and after a bit of back and forth with her parents - especially her mom - they agreed to let her do what she wanted to do.

“We’ll see each other in a month Wands don’t cry” she says hugging Wanda who was in fact balling her eyes out.

“A month is so long away an-and what will I do if I’ve forgotten your face or-or your voice?” Ever so dramatically Wanda cried.

“Really? Really Wands it’s four weeks you’re not going to forget anything about me and if you do I’ll have to punch you in the arm”

“Please don’t, but you’re right. I’ll just have to go on living without you my friend, go go leave and don’t look back, I don’t think my heart could take it” Wanda says bringing one hand across her face and the other clutching her chest.

Y/n looks at Nat who stands there with one eyebrow raised “this…this is our best friend”

“I know. Wand why do you have to be so dramatic all the time?”

“Hey I’m not dramatic I’m traumatised!”

Nat and Y/n burst out laughing, shaking their heads at the red head. “Traumatised? Wanda I love you but you my friend are so dramatic”

“I’m trying to be…emotional and romantic well not romantic because even though I love you Y/n I have to admit baby girl you’re not my type”

“Don’t say that-“ Nat says quickly but gets cut off.

“I-I’m not y-your type? H-how dare you!”

“Great just great, look everyone these two weirdo’s are my best friends!” Nat shouts pointing at her friends.

“I have to be honest with myself Y/n/n okay, I can’t keep lying to you it-it’s not fair, I’m sorry” Wanda says in a wobbly voice.

“No, no I understand. I’m just not good enough for you and that’s the truth! Don’t keep lying to yourself Wanda!”

“Guys please stop…” Nat butts in.

“Great you’ve upset our daughter!” Wanda shouts throwing her hands in the air.

“Me? Me? Well guess Wanda she might not even be yours! That’s right I cheated on you with your father!”

“W-what? H-how could you? I loved you”

“But you don’t love me anymore now the truth can be out there!”

“To be fair Wanda could possibly be my dad because we both have red hair…”

“She gets her attitude from you Y/n, how could you do this to us?”

“Us? You’re the one that literally just said I wasn’t your type!”

“Guys please, I don’t want to come from a broken home”

“Oh Natty come here sweetie me and your maybe father was just playing” Y/n says opening her arms for Nat to shuffle into. Wanda then wraps her arms around the pair.

“Well ladies that was a very moving performance if I do say so myself but it’s time for you to break it up and leave” Mr Walters says from the steps leading up to the school.

“Right, sorry sir. Emotional day” Y/n speaks first.

“A lot of truth came out sir, we needed it” Wanda then says.

“Wanda might not be my father sir, I’m so depressed” Nat shrugs.

“I’m…I’m actually traumatised because of you three. Thanks for that.”

“Rude. Well goodbye sir, thanks for being the best teacher ever!” Y/n waves.

“Bye ladies, good luck with everything” he says walking back in to the school, he had to admit that he was going to miss seeing the trio and miss their antics.

“You’re such a teacher’s pet” Nat laughed.

“It’s called respect madam, something you clearly don’t have for your mother!”

“Y/n, baby it’s time to go” Maria interrupts whatever Nat was going to say.

“Coming. Well ladies I guess this is it, it’s been a pleasure knowing you but this is where the curtains close, I bid you adieu.” Y/n bows.

“And I’m called dramatic” rolling her eyes Wanda bows too.

“Alright guess I’ve got to do the same” Nat follows along.

“But no in all seriousness I’m so glad I met you and I’m forever grateful to the pair of you”

“Always Y/n you know this, we’ll always be friends no matter what and we’ll see each other next month” Nat said as she pulls Y/n into a hug.

“I love you both” Wanda says wrapping her arms around her friends.

Pulling away they all smile at each other.

“Last one to their parents cars are a rotten egg in 3…2…1” 

They take off running to their parents; Y/n first, Nat second and Wanda third.

“No fair! You guys know I’m terrible at running!” Wanda shouts from her parents’ car.

The drive home was filled with conversations, laughter and catching up. It had been six months since they had seen her in that six months she looked more grown up, more sure of herself, happier.

Maria couldn’t help but smile as her daughter rambled on about what her and her friends had been getting up to. Amazed by how she looked so much like her mama, Maria made it her sole mission to make sure Y/n got a few photographs of her and her mama from the hell hole of a house she grew up in. Maria had kept one for herself it was a photo of Y/n who was roughly three or four years old with her arms wrapped around her mamas neck who had a baby Y/n in her arms as they stood outside a cabin, both smiling widely as the camera captured a beautiful moment between mother and daughter.

It was only after seeing that photograph that Maria understood where Y/n had gotten her crazy unruly hair from, Maria knew that Y/n was blessed to have taken her looks and traits from such a beautiful woman.

Y/n didn’t know that her momma would go to her mamas grave and put fresh flowers down every weekend or how she would sit on the hard ground and speak to the woman she never met before and talk for hours telling her how their daughter was growing, how she was cheeky and caring, how smart she was. Or how just before she would leave the grave where her birth mom laid Maria would place a kiss to her fingers and place them on the headstone and say “thank you my friend” because yes even though she had never met the woman and that she was no longer alive she had become Maria’s friend, and every time she thanked the woman it was for giving her a wonderful gift, Y/n.

“-mom? Momma are you even listening?” Y/n says.

“Oh, sorry darling yes I’m listening”

“No you weren’t but it’s okay I was just saying that Nat had found a rat in her bag and she screamed so loudly it nearly burst my eardrums”

“To be truthful I would have done the same thing” Maria chuckles.

“I know! I had to calm it down because it had gotten scared, I mean well so would I if I had Nat screaming and trying to hit me with a bag” Y/n giggles.

Shaking her head she was so happy that Y/n had Nat and Wanda as friends, they treat her good and were really amazing friends to her daughter. When she met the two red heads she was taken back by watching their dynamic and how well Y/n fit in so perfectly.

“Natasha’s reaction was perfectly justifiable” she points out.

“That’s true but she could have calmed down, I was there and we all know I’m great at talking to animals and calming them down” she smirks.

“Very true angel, listen…please don’t be mad-“

“No…dad you both promised!”

“It wasn’t our idea angel but George’s and Winnie’s, darling they’ve missed you-“

“A party dad? I suck at those things”

“It’s not a party but more like a get together-“

“So a party. Uncle George and Aunt Winnie don’t do “get togethers” dad and you know that”

“Well it’s happening and you’re going to enjoy it, you’re going to smile and have a good time and you’ll thank George and Winnie afterwards” Howard speaks.

“Yes Master”

“Good boy”

“Treat?”

“Not yet”

“Do you want me to give you my paw?”

“Mar our dog talks way too much, I told you we should have gone with a German shepherd and not a Chihuahua”

“Oi I’m not a Chihuahua! If I had to be a dog I probably would be basset hound…”

“Why?”

“They’re so cute and lazy and small”

Howard lets out a booming laugh as he nods, Y/n joins in whilst Maria looks at the driver who’s trying not to laugh “would you be a dear and crash the car for me please?”

“No don’t, I can’t get a treat if I’m dead” Y/n laughs out causing Howard to laugh even louder.

“‘A get together’ yeah alright dad! It’s like the whole world is here” she scoffs.

“Don’t be so dramatic, come on and don’t forget to smile”

Half of the people who had showed up she didn’t even know and the ones she did were either nice to her or people who helped to torment her but doing as her father said she smiled at everyone, saying her thanks when people congratulated her for graduating school.

“My sweetie!” Winnie’s loud voice came from across the garden, Y/n watched at the woman who she’s missed dearly nearly runs over to her.

“Miss Winnie, I’ve missed you!” She wraps her arms around her third mother figure.

“I’ve missed you too my sweet baby, oh look at you! All so grown up and so bloody beautiful, where’s that’s little girl who broke my heart all them years ago gone?”

“I killed her and buried her in the backyard but don’t tell my momma or dada that” she giggled.

“I won’t don’t worry your secrets safe with me” Winnie winked.

“Is-is that…no I don’t believe my eyes. It’s my darling girl!” George shouts ignoring all the looks that get thrown his way as he makes his way over to Y/n and Winnie.

“Hi Mr George”

“Oh my, you’re as beautiful as ever!” He picks her up and spins her around just as he did when she was little “oof and your heavier”

“George!” Winnie scolds.

“What have they been feeding you at that school hey missy?” He asks completely ignoring his wife.

“Humans from all over the world” she winks with a shoulder shrug.

“Are they nice? I’ve been thinking of getting into eating humans” 

“Honestly? I recommend that you should, tasty” she laughs, George and Winnie joining in.

“On a serious note though, I’ve missed you darling and I’m so proud of you. And please remember I love you, you’ve always been our daughter too. Oh God I’m so fucking proud of you” George says with tears in his eyes as he remembers the first day he met her, how small and scruffy she was, how scared she look. After what that monster did to her he was scared that she wasn’t going to survive. It’s true though, he and Winnie saw her as their daughter before Howard and Maria adopted her.

“I love you both too and I will forever be indebted to you both”

“Nonsense silly girl” Winnie says.

“Are you trying to steal my daughter away?” Howard laughs as he walks over.

“Obviously, the plan is to knock you and Maria out and I’m going to kidnap this one” George says.

Howard laughs which has George turning to Y/n “he thinks I’m joking, but I’m not”

“Don’t wind him up” she laughs.

She’s oblivious to the conversation that’s happening on the other side of the garden as she laughs with her parents and surrogate parents.

“My sweetie!” He hears his mother call out and he knows instantly that Y/n has arrived as he looks in the direction his mother is making her way over to his breath gets caught in his throat.

His Bunny.

His Bunny all grown up.

His Bunny all grown up and looking just as beautiful as she looked the last time he saw her.

There hasn’t been a single day that’s gone by where he hadn’t regretted this shit that spewed out of his mouth that day. When he found out that she had left it felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on a million times.

Of course he was never friends with her out of pity, she was easy to talk to, she made him laugh, she was his best friend, his person.

His soulmate as Winnie would say.

But every day he reminded himself that he only had himself to blame.

“I-is that…” Steve questioned with his eyes trained on his best friend who he hasn’t seen in three years.

“Bunny” Bucky nods.

“Holy shit she’s gorgeous” Sam says.

“Yeah she is” Bucky agrees.

“When are you going to talk to her?” Steve asks.

“I’m not. She’s not going to want to talk to me, not after what I said the last time we saw each other”

“That was three years ago Buck, it’s Y/n she’s no doubt forgiven you”

“I doubt it. Steve you have no idea how sad she looked man”

“Bro just go and talk to her” Sam says taking a sip of his beer.

“I-I can’t, are you two going to talk to her?”

“Yeah…well I was going to wait for her reaction with you first before making my way over to her” Steve admits.

“Same if she hits you then I’m staying away but if she doesn’t then yeah of course I’ll talk to her”

“Cheers” Bucky grumbles his eyes refusing to move away from her.

They all watch as she laughs with her parents and Bucky’s, they don’t stop the smile from forming onto their lips as they watch their best friend.

They all carried their own guilt from three years ago and all silently hope that she forgives them for what happened.

“Buck go and talk to her” Steve tries to encourage his friend mainly so he could then talk to her.

“Yeah…yeah I’m going to do it” he puts his drink down on the table before straightening his shirt out.

Just as he was about to take that first step closer to his Bunny he stutters when he sees a tall bulky guy with blonde hair walk up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, watching as she squeals turning around in the guys hold.

He watches as she places her hands on either side of his face and places her lips to his.

He’s pretty certain that he hears his heart breaking.

“Buck…”

“Huh? Yeah?”

“A-are you alright?”

“I’m fine, so she’s got a boyfriend that’s cool” he turns to pick his drink back up and downs it in one gulp. “Do-do you think she’s happy?”

Steve and Sam share a look before answering. “We’re not sure pal”

“I hope she is, t-that’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.”

They continue to watch as Y/n introduces the guy to Bucky’s parents and they can tell instantly that Winnie’s smile is fake, she’s always been the one rooting for Y/n and James to get together. The smile on Y/n’s face is as big as it ever was as she stares up at the guy.

“How do you think they met?” Bucky asks.

“God knows, but as long as he treats her right that’s all that matters really.” Sam says eyeing Bucky cautiously.

“I hope so”

As the party winds down the boys not barely moving apart from Sam as he raids the table with all the food on it. They watch as the blonde guy leaves, not without having a make out session with Y/n.

As the guests start leaving Bucky’s quick to notice that Y/n is no longer around and when George stumbles over to the boys he finds out that Y/n’s disappeared and wonders if they had seen her, they all shake their heads.

“I think I might know where she is, hold on”

He makes his way down to the bottom of the garden and climbs over the fence, really hoping he was right.

“Bunny” he whispers when he sees her sitting on the ground in the spot they claimed as theirs, the same spot he first laid eyes on her when he was just seven years old.

“Hi James” she whispers back keeping her back to him.

“C-can I sit next to you?”

“Sure”

For the first time since the two have known each other they sit side by side in uncomfortable silence. It pains the both of them that this is how it’s come down to this.

But unfortunately it had.

“So-um-how are you?” Bucky asked as he stumbled over his words.

“I’m good, what about you?”

“Good, that’s good. I-I’ve missed you Bunny” he admits, his heart squeezing when he sees her flinching.

“Oh”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I just don’t know why you would have missed me when you didn’t want me to be your friend anymore or ever”

“I didn’t mean it Bun I swear. I was angry an-and I took it out on you, I’ve regretted it ever since”

“Why was you angry? I’m the one that had my back exposed to the whole school and the three people who were my only friends, the only people I trusted more than anything didn’t try and stop it or-or even try and help me. You had no right in being angry James” he hates how she doesn’t raise her voice and hates that she calls him James.

“I know and I’m sorry Y/n I really am”

“It’s okay I guess.”

“No it’s not! None of the shit I said or didn’t do was okay, you’re my best friend Bun and I should have stuck up for you. I shouldn’t have said I chose Dot over you because you always came first no matter what”

“It’s okay because it doesn’t matter anymore, I got over it”

“Over it or over me?”

“Honestly? Both”

Bucky released a choking sob at her admission, she had gotten over him and he didn’t know what to do. “Bun-“

“You shouldn’t call me that James, don’t want to upset your girlfriend”

“I-I don’t have a girlfriend”

“What happened with Dot?”

“She-I walked in on her having sex with Brock”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she said it was a one time thing but he said they’d been at it for months so…”

“I’m sorry, I never liked her”

“Did you even know her?”

“No…what kind of name is Dot anyway?”

“It’s short for Dolores” he laughed.

“Stupid name for a stupid girl. How long were you two dating for?”

“A year, actually walked in on them the day after our one year anniversary”

“That’s cold”

“Yeah. What about you? Lover boy back there” he watches as her cheeks start to turn red and a shy smile on her lips, his heart pounds loudly in his chest at the sight.

“His names Pietro, w-we’ve been dating for five months now”

“How did you two meet?”

“He’s actually my best friends twin brother, we met when her family came up to see Wanda and she introduced us and yeah, he asked me out on a date and then another and another then he asked me out”

“Does he make you happy?”

“He does, well when he’s not talking with his mouth full” she giggled, and for the first time in over three years she looks up at him. Breath gets caught in her throat as he’s looking just as beautiful as he looked the last time she saw him.

“I’m glad, not about the food in mouth when he talks thing but I’m glad he makes you happy”

Not knowing how to reply they fell back into silence but this time it was comfortable.

Y/n was the first one to break the silence “do you know if anyone lives in my old house?”

“No one wanted to move in after…you know”

“Oh. Have you ever been there?”

“Once, I didn’t go in or anything I just stood outside”

“When?”

“A few months after you left. I’m not sure why I did it but” Y/n stood up and held her hand out for James to take and helped him stand, pulling her hand away from his once he was stood up she started to walk in the direction of her old home.

“Come on slow pokes” she called over her shoulder.

“Y/n are you sure about this?”

“My therapist said that it might help me to be able to finally move on”

“You’re in therapy?”

“Yeah, mom said it might help after what I did”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I tried to kill myself” she shrugged.

As she carried on walking she hadn’t realised that Bucky had stopped. She had tried to end her life and no one told him. Bucky had lost her as his friend and nearly lost her in this world completely and no one told him.

“Ducky?”

His heart stopped at that name.

“Duck? Come on we’re not that far now”

“Y-you called me Ducky”

“Well yeah that’s your name isn’t it?” She smirked.

“Bunny please don’t joke about this. You called me Ducky even though we’re not friends anymore”

“You’ll always be Ducky to me James. And who said we’re not friends anymore?”

“We-we aren’t?”

“Nope, we said we’d be friends forever and forever hasn’t ended yet so therefore our friendship is still intact, come”

“B-but what I said”

“It’s in the past”

“Can we go back to being Bunny and Ducky again?”

“Well of course, that’s if you actually did want to be my friend and not just doing it out of pit-“

A loud squeal echoed through the woods as Bucky charged at her picking her up as if she weighed nothing and spun her around. “I never meant what I said Bun never not for one second, please forgive me and I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you”

“Buy me an ice cream and all is forgiven”

Laughing he puts her down slowly and nods “I can do that. Bun”

“Yeah”

“Yo-you tried to kill yourself?”

“Yeah, it was about a year ago”

“Why did you try and do it? Why wasn’t I told?”

“I was in a dark place Duck, remember my special place?-“ she taps the side of her head and watches as he nods “-well it wasn’t special anymore and-well I don’t want to get in to it but it got bad so I wanted to end it”

Rolling her sleeves up she showed Bucky the two angry long scars on her arms, he slowly reached out and gently glided a finger down the scars. “Nat found me in the bathroom and screamed out for Wanda who went and got a teacher, Mr Walters came running and picked me up rushed me to the schools nurse and I was taken to the hospital when an ambulance arrived. My parents were called and I begged them not to tell anyone that included your parents Ducky, they don’t know.”

“Bunny…”

“I’m okay now though, yeah I have bad days still but it’s not as bad as it had been and Dr Cho is incredible, she’s so sweet and she’s never once judged me about anything and she makes me laugh, oh and she always has sweets!”

“I should have been with you Bun, I’m so sorry I let you down”

“Hey none of that! It’s not your fault at all, mental health is a bitch-shit-fuck-please don’t tell momma I swore!”

“You still don’t swear?” Bucky laughs.

“No momma says it’s unladylike”

“You? A lady?” He has to stop walking and bends over with laughter.

“Oh shut up! I could be a lady”

“Never!”

Y/n knows it’s true herself but that was beside the point.

“Shut up. Come on I need your support to get this over and done with”

“I’m coming Bun, are you sure you want me here with you?”

“Always”

The rest of the walk was done in silence and before she realises she’s standing in front on the wired fence surrounding her old home. Looking at Bucky she musters a smile that he knows is fake and presses down on the fence and climbs over.

Waiting for Bucky to do the same she stares at the slowly decaying building that’s haunted her nightmares since she was seven years old. The ivy wraps itself around the house, windows are smashed from either Mother Nature, kids playing in the woods or animals. For some reason the building looks just like it’s supposed to - a building. She feels quite silly for letting it terrorise her dreams now that she’s standing in front of it, it doesn’t seem so scary now.

“Bun, we don’t have to go in if you don’t want to” Bucky’s gentle voice came from next to her.

“No I’ve got to, I’ve got to put the monster to bed once and for all. It’s-it-can we just wait out here for a few minutes, please?”

“Of course Bun. I’m right here”

A few minutes go by and she finally puts one foot out in front of the other, taking slow steps towards the place she once called home a very long time ago now. Her chest starts to feel tighter as she got closer to her nightmare.

Pushing the door open Bucky stepped up first knocking the cobwebs out of the way before moving back to where he was before.

“Thanks” she whispered.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. She chanted softly to herself as she forced her feet to move forward.

It was weird. As she walked further into the cabin she saw the small dinning table laying on its side, the two chairs broken and the small dingy couch still in the same spot as they were that night her father nearly killed her.

The floorboards creaked under their feet as they moved around the place.

“Th-this is where it happened” she whispers to Bucky as they stand in the middle of the room.

“Bun-“

“That’s my blood Duck” she points to the faded blood stains on the floor.

“Bun-“

“It’s creepy isn’t it? I laid right there and was on my way to play with angels before the cops showed up and now my blood is stained into the wood”

“Bun look at me, come on Bun look at me. Good, it’s okay. It’s all okay”

“I-I know it’s just creepy isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah it is”

“Can I show you my room?”

“Okay”

Walking down the hallway she comes to a stop in front of the first door on the right and she starts to push the wooden door open, both wincing as the hinges squeak.

“Nothings changed in here ah” Y/n moves over to the tiny desk her mama had gotten her she smiles “look…”

“It’s a stick Bun”

“Ah nope it’s not any old stick Ducky, it’s the stick you picked up the second time we met”

“What? Really, you kept it?”

“Of course aha. Hey can you help me move this?”

“Sure”

They move the desk - well Bucky did whilst Y/n stands there and watches - Y/n thanks him before kneeling down on the floor and started to lift up the floorboard smiling in victory when she sees the metal tin her mama had put there when she was five.

“What is it?”

“This, this has my toys that my mama hid so that he wouldn’t break them” she sits with her legs crossed and smiles up at Bucky as he sits across from her.

“Toys?”

“Yeah, but not any old toys Duck, no these are animal toys-look” she groans as she pulls the lid open “this is a giraffe, this is a sheep? no a goat, and an elephant-“ she lists off all the animals in the box as she blindly hands them over to Bucky who’s sitting there with his eyes fixed on her, the way her smile lights up makes his heart tingle, the way she sounds so happy brings a smile to his face. It had been so long since her saw her shine so brightly.

“And here’s a photo of me and mama”

Taking the photo his eyes bounce from the photo to her, it was the first time since he was either eight or nine that he’d seen a photo of his Bunnies mom “you look just like her”

“No, she’s beautiful”

“Exactly.” He smiles when her cheeks start to go red. “Hey do you have anything of your mamas?”

“Just photos” she shrugs.

“Come” he helps her put all the toy animals back in the tin and stands, helping her raise too he takes her hand and asks “is this her room?”

“Yeah why?”

“Let’s see if there’s anything of hers still here so you can have them”

“Duck…”

“It’s okay Bunny” he opens the door instantly shutting it before placing his body in front of the door.

“James?”

“I-I-we can’t go in there Bun”

“I know. Is there still blood?”

“You know?”

“Yeah, that’s the reason why he nearly killed me that night. I tried to find my mama and went into her room and well, yeah”

“Oh Bun”

“It’s okay, I want to go in it might help me feel closer to my mama if I have something of hers”

“Just don’t look at the bed okay baby”

Baby. Her heart shouldn’t stutter the way it did.

“Okay”

Bucky opens the door making his way over to the bed to flip the quilt over so she doesn’t have to see the stains, again.

“She always wore this jumper, I put it on once and tripped over when I tried to walk” she giggles.

“Take it, what about this?” Bucky hold up a long skirt that had patterns on it.

“In the summer she would pull up over her chest so it was like a dress and look it has pockets!”

“Take?”

“Absolutely”

Over the course of twenty minutes Bucky had found a small suitcase and they filled it with all the clothes she wanted to take.

“Bun is this box your mamas?”

“Yeah it’s where her jewels lived.” Laughing when Bucky cocks his eyebrow up “I couldn’t say jewellery so mama said jewels and told me that the box was their home”

“Fair enough, would you like to take it?”

“Okay”

By the time they had finished it was close to being pitch black in the cabin. “Come on Duck its getting too dark to see anything now”

“Okay” as they moved their way through the cabin laughing at each other when the other had bumped into something, getting to the door Bucky stopped “wait a second Bun”

“Duck-“

“Gimme a second Bun”

He goes back inside and she giggles when she hears him say “ow” a few minutes he comes back out smiling whilst holding up the metal tin that housed her toy animals.

“Couldn’t forget this now could we?”

“Y/n? Where the hell have you been?”

“My old house…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah Ducky helped me get things that was my mamas”

“Ducky?” Both sets of parents say in unison.

“Yeah, we’re friends again”

Their dads, Bucky and Y/n all flinch when Maria and Winnie start screaming in joy, hugging each other whilst they jump around in a circle.

“Don’t even think about it George” Howard warns his longest friend as George slinks over to him.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about Howie”

“Don’t call me that!”

Bucky takes Y/n’s hand in his and slowly backs up whilst their dads argue.

“That was embarrassing” he laughs.

“It’s cute. Maybe we’ll be like that with our kids one day”

“W-what?” Bucky splutters, cheeks going bright red.

“N-no I mean me and my husband and you with your wife…you know?”

Before Bucky could reply they heard Sam’s voice from the doorway.

“Y/n…”

“Hi Sammy, hi Stevie”

Bucky watches as his three best friends reunite with each other, he has to admit that her comment about kids made his stomach flutter then drop when she mentions about her imaginary husband and his imaginary wife.

For the first time in three years Bucky felt whole once again.

<Previous   Next>

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#marvel #marvel fanfiction #bucky barnes #bucky barns x y/n #Through The Years #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #marvel fic #Bucky Barnes series #Bucky Barnes angst #bucky barnes x y/n #Bucky Barnes fluff #James Barnes #james barnes x you #Bucky series #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes friends to lovers

[cobaltperun]

Lost (6) - Snap out of it

Tara Carpenter x female Reader

Summary: To anyone on the outside, and to Tara’s friends, you were Tara’s fierce protector, the MMA fighter who’d take anyone on for Tara. The Guard Dog, as Amber called you. You had no idea you’d have to protect her from people who claimed they loved her. It didn’t matter. As long as you and Tara had one another there was nothing you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Story warnings: Scream violence, family issues, trauma, angst, certain sensitive topics

Word count: 6.1k

Story Masterlist / First part / Previous part / Next part

-Under a spell you're hypnotized (ooh) Darlin', how could you be so blind?-

Furious didn't even come close to how she was feeling now that she was standing in the empty apartment in Modesto. No one she asked had seen Sam, the apartment she shared with Richie was exactly the way they left it before they came to Woodsboro, the two plates that neither Sam or Richie got the chance to wash, as they came to Woodsboro in a rush, the hastily made bed, all the other tiny signs of Sam being in a rush to get to Tara and only grabbing the bare necessities before leaving. "You let them get out of town?!"

"I let them?! I did?!" Richie snapped with anger Amber had never seen before. "If you didn't say we needed to fight Y/N together I could have stayed by Sam's side and prevented this!" and what good did that do? You still survived, all things considered Amber was almost willing to say you came out on top.

"Don't you dare put that on me! If I didn't shoot her you'd be beaten to a pulp like some pussy. You had a knife and Tara's fucking guard dog still had the upper hand!" everything was going wrong. She didn't get to kill you, you broke two of her teeth and cracked her mask and everything hurt. Her wrist her, every breath she took hurt, her jaw hurt, her pride and ego hurt and now Richie was whining when he should have stopped Samantha from leaving.

Richie threw his arms up in the air and groaned, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying. "And you fucked up by not killing her. No, instead you had to mindfuck your," he made air quotes, "girlfriend, and now my movie is going to be ruined because all we did is kill Dewey, a couple of characters no one is going to care about, and some sidenote character related to Stu!"

Killing Dewey felt so, so good, it was a much-needed relief after failing to kill you. "Our movie, you hear me? OUR movie!"

He huffed at that. "Well, none of that matters now, does it? We got Sidney and Gale, but Sam got away and as you can see, she is nowhere to be found! They didn't come here!" Richie was waving his hands around the empty apartment.

That got Amber to think. Samantha took Tara with her, but not to Modesto. You were with them. You took them somewhere. You were ruining her plans, her fun, yet again, but none of those realizations mattered. She had no idea where to look. If anyone would be able to find you right now, Amber figured it would be Tara, but Tara was with you. Were there other people that could take a guess? Maybe the couple that employed you? Your parents? Your coach? All of those would take too long and none of those were certain to be true.

"We need to get Sam to come back," Richie sounded desperate. "You'll have to forget about keeping Tara for yourself. Guess you already did, since you tried to shoot her."

Amber scoffed at that. She'd get Tara in the end. By the time all of this was over she'd permanently take Samantha out of Tara's life, and she'd make sure you were dead as well. Pointing the gun at Tara was an impulsive decision born from righteous fury. Tara pleaded for your life despite having an asthma attack. The old envy reawakened at that moment and the good old 'If I can't have her no one can.' kicked in. Since Tara survived Amber could now convince her that Amber was all Tara would ever have and they'd be together. It would be easy to do it, to convince Tara of that. "I'll handle that part. Let's just figure out the way to get Samantha back to Woodsboro."

This would have been so much easier if you were never there in the first place. If you never got close to Tara, if Tara never fell in love with you, if she didn’t love you more than she could ever love anyone else. But Amber would break that, she’d have the upper hand the next time, after all, you were stabbed and shot multiple times, you’d be easy to take out. And then the image Tara had of you, that image of an invincible fighter that could protect her from anything, you being the source of stability and safety in her life would be shattered. After that, Tara would be easy to mold into what she should have been in the first place. Completely devoted and obedient, regardless of Amber did, after all, if Amber could get Tara to get over your death, there truly wouldn’t be any limit.

~X~

If anyone asked you three days ago you'd say you would never be able to go back to Sacramento. You loved the city, you really did, but ever since Zack died you kinda didn't feel like going there. Funny how things turn out sometimes.

Susan lived in a suburban part of the city, in a two-story home that, while not as big as the other houses in the area, still had plenty of space. Memories threatened to consume you as you stepped out of the car and saw the woman. She looked much older than she did ten years ago. You guessed losing her only son like that would have such effects. She looked frailer than ever. The image of a tall, proud woman that just turned forty-three years old was replaced by this decade-older woman with gray hair broken down by time. There was no bounce to her steps, and now that she approached you just as Sam was stepping out of the car you could see that she barely had any spark of life in her eyes.

"You didn't mention you were hurt as well," she touched the bandage on the right side of your face, where Ghostface sliced your jawline.

Somehow you didn't find yourself leaning away from her touch. You accepted it and just nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. It didn't seem important," you brushed it off, doing your best to ignore the disapproval in Susan's eyes. Instead, you took in the surrounding area and your eyes fell on a cherry tree in the middle of the empty front yard. "The tree's grown," you mumbled awkwardly, finally getting the woman to smile.

"Of course, I'm making sure of that," the spark of life seemed a bit stronger now.

"I'm glad. This is Sam, by the way," you suddenly realized you failed to introduce them to one another. Sam already took the wheelchair, crutches, and bags out.

"Thank you for letting us stay," Sam expressed her gratitude as she and Susan exchanged a handshake.

"Of course, dear. I'm sorry you went through so much," Susan was still the same person you remembered as a kid, that much you could see.

"Sam, I'll get Tara," you said and went to the other side of the car where Tara was already opening the doors. "I got you," you assured the sleepy girl. She was so exhausted she adorably fell asleep in your arms while you were on the road.

"Mhm," she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stretched a bit. "Maybe I could use the crutches?" she suggested but then realized the tiled path to the house wasn't exactly even and that she'd have to deal with more than a couple of stairs. "On second thought," she sheepishly reached out for you.

You smiled, she really was adorable. "I swear you'll get used to this and demand to be carried even after you recover," you teased lightly as you picked her up.

Tara hummed at that and then just leaned up to give you the lightest kiss on the cheek possible. Payback for earlier or not, you couldn't stop the heat warming your cheeks.

A fake cough from the side interrupted whatever Tara was about to say.

"Right. Tara, this is Susan," you awkwardly introduced them to one another.

"I'm sorry I'm meeting you like this, and thank you," Tara twisted her body as well as she could so she could shake Susan's hand.

"Considering how Y/N is, I doubt we could have met in better circumstances," Susan laughed lightly.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at that. "Awesome introductions ladies, how about we get inside now?" just a suggestion, since you were still injured and as much as you hated to admit it, carrying Tara wasn't the easiest at the moment.

~X~

The entire house felt as if it was stuck in the past. As if Susan was trying to preserve the memories of Zack as much as she possibly could. Everything was the same, to the minute details such as the MMA gloves hanging on the wall. Your eyes landed on the only photo you and Zack had together.

Zack was thirteen years older than you and there were remarkably few similarities between the two of you. The opposite hair color, a somewhat shorter build, and the only trait you physically shared was the color of your eyes. That was probably why Susan was so adamant about looking into your eyes since you sat down in the living room.

Susan and Sam took armchairs and you and Tara were on the large sofa. All of you opted for just a glass of water, not exactly feeling like drinking anything else. The tea cakes were on the table, but they remained forgotten as Sam seemed a bit on edge, which in turn put Tara on edge as well. Not to mention Tara was trying not to sit too close to you, she was just near enough to feel your presence.

You felt how tense Tara was, how much she wanted to lean on you, at least a bit, at least to press her side against you. “Say, do you still have the tea Zack used to drink? Was it nettle tea?”

Susan smiled at that. “Of course, and you know, you could use one right now, I’ll go an make you one,” well she either understood what you were trying to do or she just wanted to make it for you. You didn’t pay much attention back when Zack was telling you about it, maybe it was for muscle ache, or something.

“Cool! Thanks!” you’d take the opportunity though. It was what you were trying to do anyway.

“You want some honey?” she asked as she opened the door to her kitchen.

“Sure,” there was no way you’d drink a tea you never tried before without some honey, just to make sure it wasn’t too bitter.

With Susan in the kitchen, you closed the distance between you and Tara and hugged her from the side. “What’s wrong?”

Tara visibly relaxed, leaning into your touch. “Sorry, I’m just thinking,” she looked away, refusing to meet your eyes.

You followed her line of sight and saw that Tara was looking at the photo of you and Zack. You were nine and leaning your weight on Zack as you held a shovel. The freshly planted cherry tree was to your left. You were sure you hadn't grinned that widely ever since he died. She must have noticed Zack’s gloves, and was now piecing it all together. Your reason for fighting, why you kept choosing MMA no matter how much she disliked it.

Susan came back with the cup of tea, she didn’t make the comment about you hugging Tara, or the way Tara leaned against you. She just smiled, handing you the cup and sitting back down.

“Careful, it’s still hot,” she warned.

You chuckled at that and set the cup down. “Yeah, let’s skip burns.”

Susan nodded and then got serious. "Okay, I know you went through a lot and that this might not be comfortable for you all, but I'd like to know what exactly happened to the three of you," Susan's demand was fair as far as you were concerned. While you were sure no one would be able to find you, you probably were putting her in some danger with this.

So, the three of you went and recounted what happened, you didn't go into detail, but Susan got the gist of it. You thought she might be able to provide the three of you with an outside perspective.

"I don't like the timing," Susan seemed lost in her thoughts as she leaned her chin on her hands. "It had to be the 23rd and not a day later, so someone very close to at least one of you two," Susan motioned toward you and Tara. "had to be involved."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, so far you thought the main target was Sam, and while that was still likely the true neither of you thought of at least one Ghostface’s relationship with you or Tara, aside from, well, knowing you.

Susan motioned toward you. "Think of her lifestyle several weeks before fights and roughly a week after the fight," and then it made sense to you.

"I'm at my weakest the first couple of days after the fight," you groaned, removing your arm from Tara and leaning the back of your head against the sofa. There was no way you could have seen this coming, but it was clear whoever attacked Tara chose 23rd for a reason. "I have to lose between ten and twenty pounds before each fight, training is longer and more intense than usual, I get beaten up, then my body cools down and I can't just go back to eating like I normally do right away. I have no energy and I'm in pain. Why not 22nd though? I'd be even weaker than I was today," it was almost surreal to think that it was still the 25th, even if there were only two hours left.

It looked like Tara had an answer to that. "I think I would have invited you in if you took me to my place," ah, there it was. There was a chance she wouldn't be alone. "I didn't plan to do it, but I hadn't seen you in some time and I missed you, so there's a chance I would have done that," she clarified, blushing slightly at the implications of her inviting you that late at night.

"And if you weren't alone," Sam began and then turned to look at you.

You abruptly got up. "I need a moment," you stepped outside the living room before anyone could say anything to you. It was irrational. There was no way you could know. Even if you acted on that bad feeling, maybe that would just delay the killers until your next match and maybe Tara wouldn't be lucky enough to survive and all the what-ifs and maybes swarmed your head as you got out of the house and just took several deep breaths.

But you did have one thing that could have stopped all of this altogether. You could have taken Tara away from that damn house. The moment she turned eighteen you could have tried to convince her to come live with you. A tiny rational voice in your head told you there would still be times when she would be alone in your apartment, like several days you spent away from Woodsboro before each fight. Then there was the fact that you did, in the end choose fighting over Tara, you knew Tara didn’t like that you were an MMA fighter, that it was a big part of the reason as to why you weren’t together, but as you watched the cherry tree you remembered exactly why you couldn’t choose Tara back then.

Now it was different. Now you nearly lost Tara and, suddenly, that bond with Zack felt less important. Still, even if you weren’t an MMA fighter, you couldn’t be home or with Tara all the time. Maybe with it being a building with apartments, someone else would have been capable of getting between her and her attacker.

Who were you kidding? Like that could have ever happened. The security didn’t come after they heard gunshots and someone must have heard them, yet it took Sam and Dewey coming to the hospital for someone to come and help you. So, if someone whose job it was to keep the hospital secure didn’t budge, a random neighbor definitely wouldn’t. Even if you knew, even if you had some vision of the future, you'd never be able to keep Tara completely safe. There would always be some window of time during which she'd have to protect herself.

You can't control everything.

There's only so much you can do.

There's only so far you can push with overprotectiveness before Tara herself gets sick of it.

~X~

Watching you leave like that, while understandable, still stung. Sam didn't mean to make you feel guilty, Tara was sure of that. Tara was also certain you felt guilty on some level regardless of how ridiculously unreasonable that guilt was.

If someone wanted to hurt her, they would have gotten her sooner or later. Instead of considering how you kept her alive, how you made her feel safe and cared for, and how you wouldn't leave her side unless you were forced to, you laser-focused on one moment you weren't with her.

Coming to this place also indirectly revealed something important to her. Guilt gnawed at her when she caught herself thinking that maybe, now that she nearly got killed, you would consider leaving MMA. She pushed that selfish part of her as far away as she could, but looking at the gloves hanging from the wall she felt that guilt come back tenfold.

"Could I ask a question about Zack?" she tried to phrase it as politely as she could and be as clear as possible that she would take no for an answer.

There was a hint of sorrow in Susan's eyes as she nodded. "You can."

"Was he an MMA fighter?" she figured he was, she just wanted to see how far it went.

Susan looked at the gloves somberly. "He was. He managed to fight three times, lost his first fight, won the second, and lost the third, but then his sickness got worse, and he had to quit."

That was the last piece of the puzzle she needed. Tara always had more influence over you than anyone else she knew, but not even she could get you to stop with MMA. Now she understood why you couldn't let it go. She nodded her thanks to the still-grieving mother.

Would her mother be like this if she died? Somehow, she doubted that. "I should probably go to bed," she looked to the side.

"Of course," Susan was more accepting and understanding than her own mother and that hurt. She couldn't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling. Not only because of your own bad relationship with your parents but also... Well... She noticed how your brother had the same eyes as you, she noticed how Susan looked at your eyes. How did that make you feel? Did you notice? She was sure you did.

At times Tara thought the woman wasn't seeing you, but her dead son, and that hurt Tara. You lost your brother, and you grieved too.

Not wanting to interrupt you or force you to come back to her side pretty much the moment you stepped away she took her crutches and with Sam's help went to the bedroom Susan prepared for the three of you. It was a guest bedroom with two beds, but seeing as she was sleeping with you it worked out just fine.

Sam helped her get ready. She missed that. She missed having Sam in her life. She missed Sam being caring and gentle with her. She missed Sam always being there.

"I didn't think I'd come back to find you this attached to Y/N, or maybe I should have seen it coming," Sam teased as she helped Tara out of her pants. The cast was making everything difficult. "I mean, it's not bad, I just thought, with how physically intimate the two of you are that you'd be together. How come you chose Amber?" Tara figured Sam was trying to catch up on the five years she missed.

"Promise you won't laugh," honestly, Tara regretted that moment, her accepting Amber’s feelings, every time she wanted to kiss you.

"I'd never laugh at you Tara," Sam reassured her softly.

"I wanted to get Y/N jealous," she mumbled.

"Huh?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I lied and said I was dating Amber almost a month before I actually started dating Amber. I thought she'd get jealous and confess," Tara explained, but she lightly bit her lip, knowing full well that she wasn’t telling the whole story. Although, making you jealous really was a part of the reason why she chose Amber.

Sam sighed. "I’m guessing that’s not the entire reason."

Tara looked away at that and, with Sam’s help, moved to lie down. “Y/N chose fighting, I guess. Back then I thought she didn’t love me back,” she paused, annoyed at the incredulous look on Sam’s face. “Sorry, there wasn’t a life or death situation before this,” she grumbled, blushing and unintentionally guilting Sam into dropping the ‘are you serious?’ expression. “I just… I was immature, I didn’t have the whole picture, I just thought Y/N chose fighting instead of me, despite how often I made it clear I didn’t like seeing her get hurt.”

Sam nodded. “You thought it was just about fighting and didn’t understand why she’d keep doing it if she loved you back,” Sam understood and Tara felt relief at that.

“God, I feel so bad now,” she whispered, angry at herself for making you choose. She had no idea she was making you choose between her and your memory of your brother, but now that she knew… that must have been so painful to you. “I know Y/N wouldn’t say a word, but I still wish I asked more, tried to understand more.”

Sam placed a hand on Tara’s shoulder, and it brought her so much comfort, it eased her worries because Sam was finally back in her life. “You said it yourself, Y/N wouldn’t say a word. Tara, you were a child, you are still just a teenager, you will be immature at times. Trust me, I know all about it,” Sam smiled gently, her eyes were filled with love and understanding and Tara had to reach up and place her hand on top of Sam’s in gratitude.

“Then there was Amber. She… kept saying Y/N would abandon me, that it was only a matter of time, and she just kept repeating that. I don’t know how, but I started believing her when Y/N just let me get together with Amber,” that was her greatest shame, and she was being stupid, she knew that, but Amber was so convincing, so adamant that she was right, that Tara accepted it. So, she told Sam everything.

It was a slow process. Before her and Amber got together Amber would complain about you, and Tara would argue back. So, Amber would keep her mouth shut, but that was when they were kids. After you turned eighteen Amber would complain again, and this time, when Tara argued back, Amber would go for silent treatment.

It hurt Tara, because Amber was her close friend back then, only second to you. Add in that you let your parents back then, and that Tara had no idea why, and her insecurities were almost unbearable. So, afraid she’d lose both of you, Tara began arguing less and less, just to avoid Amber’s silence. It was fine, right? She wanted to be loved, and Tara quickly learned that the price of Amber’s love back then was letting her complain about you.

Tara felt awful, she felt awful every time she hugged you, she felt so awful she ended up telling you about it. And you, in a way only you could, told her it was fine. You didn’t care what Amber thought, and you knew Tara needed someone other than you in her life, you didn’t want Tara to get hurt, so, you gave Tara permission to stay silent. To let Amber vent. And it became easier after that.

She should have known it would escalate, but by the time she realized that, she was with Amber and she was going along with Amber’s demands. She agreed to distance herself from you, she agreed to pay the price for Amber’s love yet again.

All the while Sam clenched her fists, shaking in barely controlled anger. “Tara, she manipulated you, she took advantage of your trauma, she conditioned you,” Sam seethed, and Tara was surprised she wasn’t yelling at this point. “This is all my fault. If dad never left then I likely wouldn’t either, and you’d never fear being abandoned so much. I’m so sorry Tara, it’s all my fault,” angry, frustrated tears fell from Sam’s eyes.

Tara sat up, though it was a bit difficult to do so, and hugged Sam. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t make Amber act like that,” she tried to comfort her sister.

“No, but I gave her something she could use,” Sam argued back, pulling away slightly to look Tara in the eyes, and then her eyes widened in something Tara could only describe as horror. "Never trust the love interest, that's what Dewey said."

Tara felt panic setting in. Amber's anger and jealousy toward you. Her insistence on keeping Tara away from you. No, there was no way it was Amber. And then it came back to her. The numerous times Ghostface called her baby, just like Amber did. The conversation with Susan came back, with the way Amber insisted on Tara coming to her place the night of your fight suddenly making even more sense.

The realization hurt more than all the physical pain she went through over the past few days. "It's Amber," her voice cracked as she said that. Everything just faded into the background until Sam reached her and pulled her in.

Sam was a frantic cuddler, as Tara liked to describe people's ways to cuddle. Sam's hands were moving up and down her arms, then she moved so that one hand rubbed circles across Tara's back while the other smoothed her hair. It did little to soothe her this time, but it was nice. It felt nice. It felt warm as opposed to the chilling cold gripping her heart.

Amber did this to her. Amber turned her life upside down. Amber made her distance herself from you, so you wouldn’t be there to protect her. Amber made her shoot you.

So, Tara cried, she sobbed and wailed as she clung to Sam as hard as she could. She cried herself to sleep with Sam doing everything she could to comfort her.

For how long did Amber plan to do this? Was she ever jealous in the first place? Tara’s feeling for Amber weren’t as strong as her feelings for you, she’d never love anyone the way she loved you. But Tara still liked Amber, she tried her best to love Amber back, and she was betrayed and forced to hurt you.

~X~

When you came back inside you heard Tara and Sam were upstairs and figured you could stick around for a bit longer. Just to give the sisters a bit of time together until fatigue caught up with you and you'd have no choice but to go upstairs and sleep. So, you sat down, picked up the cup of tea you left behind and took a sip.

It was okay, a bit different than what you were used to, but you could drink it.

"Y/N, how is college going?" Susan's question made you freeze for a moment.

"Uh, I'm not going to college," you looked away, subconsciously glancing upstairs to where Tara and Sam were.

Susan seemed taken aback by that. "How come. You were a smart kid, I doubt that changed."

"I haven't saved up enough money to give it a try yet, and I'm not eager to get into debt unless I absolutely have no other choice," you explained.

Susan frowned and you felt your palms sweat a bit at the way she was studying you. "What about your parents?"

It would make her angry, but you'd still be honest with her. "I cut contact with them when I turned eighteen. It was a mutual agreement, even if it wasn't, it's my life. I'll figure it out on my own."

As you expected there was fury in her eyes. "And Zack's request?"

It was your turn to frown. "Come on. Surely you didn't expect them to honor it," how naive did she have to be to think your parents would listen to Zack, regardless of the nature of his request.

"I'll pay," there was a definitiveness in her tone.

"No, you won't," yet you didn't leave any space for arguments.

"Y/N," there was a warning in her tone, but you were almost conditioned by your parents to never back away from such tones.

"I'm not Zack, Susan," that went too far, it was a low blow, but it sent a clear message. "I get it, you miss him, but giving me what you didn't have a chance to give to him won't happen. I can't let you."

She looked away and you could see she was holding back tears. You could see her shoulders slumping even more. "I know, but it was his final request," she tried.

"He didn't ask you to do it, though. He asked my parents to take good care of me," you argued back as softly as you could. This was why you didn't let Susan know about the extent of your injuries or the heart attack. She'd worry, she'd try to take care of you and, as much as it hurt to admit it, you didn't have it in you to let someone other than Tara get that close to you. It just became a habit you couldn't get rid of, and Tara remained the exception.

~X~

When you went upstairs you found Tara wide awake, even though Sam was sleeping. “Hey, how come this happened?” you teased her a bit, sitting on her left side and poking her shoulder lightly. The look in Tara’s eyes made your smile drop. “Tara?”

“It’s nothing, just lie down,” she pleaded, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Now that your eyes adjusted to the dim light you saw her eyes were red, she was crying.

You slipped beneath the covers, and hugged her. “You’ll get through this,” you felt her closing the distance between your bodies as much as your injuries allowed, you felt the desperate grip she had on the back of your shirt, her right fist clenching around it.

“Call me Love again, please, Y/N,” she whispered as you reached up, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

You hesitated a bit, not sure what that meant for her right now, but if she needed to hear you say it, you would. “I’ll call you however you want me to, Love.”

“Say it again,” the request was timid, and you could see the tips of her ears going red.

“Love,” you repeated, you wanted to ask her why she was crying before you came back, you wanted to be sure she was fine, but it didn’t look like you’d get anything out of her right now, so you just tried to relax her, to make her feel safe.

Eventually, she did fall asleep, her head resting on your chest, the soft, even sound of her breathing lulled you to sleep as well. You were safe here, you could relax.

~X~

Later that night, sometime after midnight, Sam struggled to fall asleep, even if she pretended to be asleep before you came in. Tara needed you to comfort her, and she feared staying awake might make Tara hold back. Still, anger was burning through her veins. Amber hurt Tara. Amber nearly killed her little sister. Amber downright psychologically tortured Tara. Amber forced Tara to shoot you. Amber betrayed Tara's love.

Amber was going to pay.

With that thought in mind Sam jumped sat up, careful not to wake you or Tara up.

"That's it, Sam, let's go make the bitch pay! Cut her throat and carve her up!" she saw him in the mirror, she knew she should fight it, she knew she shouldn't give in. That she shouldn't be bloodthirsty.

This time was different.

The enemy was no longer a masked, faceless killer who tried to kill her sister. It was an actual person. She had one of the targets. She wouldn't let anyone else hurt Tara.

"That's it! That's my daughter," the monster she was trying to get out of her head cheered as she grabbed your car keys.

~X~

The annoying sound of your phone ringing pulled you out of your peaceful slumber. Tara groaned, pulling the blanket above her head in an attempt to get back to sleep. By some miracle, you managed to reach your phone without making Tara move from her spot in your arms and rejected the call.

Almost immediately it began ringing again. "Who dares call at this hour?! What time is it anyway?" you hissed and finally answered your phone. "What?" you couldn't care who it was.

"Why are you coming back to Woodsboro?" that didn't make any sense.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Who even are you?" you were beyond confused.

"Listen, kid, your car is on the way back to Woodsboro, I put a tracker on it when you left, so don't try to fool me," the woman spoke and you were wide awake. You sat up, pulling Tara with you.

"Sam took it," those three words accomplished plenty of things, they woke Tara up, they made the woman talking to you curse loudly, and made you hope Susan's car was good to go. "How much of a head start does Sam have?" it was only at that moment that you truly realized what the tracker meant. What if Ghostface placed a tracker on your car as well?

"Considering where she is, I'd say an hour."

Shit, even if you rushed there was a high possibility she'd still get to wherever she was going way before you. "Thanks for calling. I'm going after her," you'd think about who was on the phone with you later.

You hung up and began getting dressed.

"Sam left?" Tara was sitting up, looking almost catatonic for a moment.

"She’s going back to Woodsboro," you wanted to help her, but the best thing you could do for Tara right now was make sure Sam was safe.

Tara grabbed your wrist and you saw the fear in her eyes. Was she afraid Sam was leaving her again?

"She went after Amber, Amber is one of the Ghostfaces," Tara revealed, her voice filled with anguish, and you saw red at the new information.

'God damn it, Sam, you better not kill Amber before I get there,' you thought.

~X~

Just for a moment Amber thought that maybe there really was something wrong with her. She watched her friends, Chad, Mindy, and Liv, drugged, unconscious, ready to be cut up to lure Sam back to Woodsboro. She’s known them for years, ever since she was a child. She knew Wes as well, she knew Tara. She loved Tara.

But she didn’t feel any regret, just a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the power she had. Maybe there really was something wrong with her, but she felt good, she felt like she had a purpose, something bigger than her, something grander than just one person. She was a fan that was turned into a star of her favorite fandom. Stu to Richie’s Billy.

So, what if she was a bit unhinged, if she lost it a bit as she stabbed Liv. Liv wasn’t screaming, so maybe she really did go too far with her. Maybe she hit a vital organ in her excitement. It was so easy, much easier than when she went after Tara, much less painful than trying to kill you. It wasn’t as thrilling though.

She should wait until Chad and Mindy regained consciousness.

#tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x female reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter #scream #jenna ortega x reader

[msfbgraves]

your posting about the disparity in portrayals of cobra kai and miyagi do reminds of the vibes of how redditors and those even here say that anybody who LIKES sam must be privileged rich women, or even posts preaching daniel was the true bigot even as a kid who provoked everyone and fought hate with hate and DESERVED to be beat for spraying johnny. the goalposts for the good kind of poor kid/rich kids move a lot with the show and the fan reactions.

The Karate Kid is about a hotheaded boy who, through respect for his elders and hard work, wins the respect of his peers and causes them to choose a less aggressive path for themselves as well -

And this bothers people!

It tells you a lot about what we value as a society, hm? And apparently it's violence in boys, and yes, always looking away from the consequences. Miyagi interfered because these boys were very close to beating Daniel to death. Something they may have been too young to recognise (though Bobby didn't let himself get blinded), but he would have recognised from his time at war. And in Cobra Kai, I had such mad respect for them showing the natural consequences of that No Mercy attitude - Miguel getting seriously, almost irreversibly hurt.

Except, no - we don't want to face that. The Cobras do not deserve to be called out on nearly killing another boy, because he, well, he deserved it 😒 We can't accept that this is bad behaviour! Because we don't want it to be! And violence ultimately does not have consequences for Miguel because we don't want it to! Miracle spinal injury cure it is!

As for Sam, who has no redeeming qualities in the narrative because she doesn't face any hardship, well, of course the default opinion is dislike. She's a white teenage girl. What good can she possibly do? And what is clever about Cobra Kai is that Sam knows this in-universe. She can't do any good, but she can do plenty wrong: she's not supposed to be too smart, so she ditches Aisha, who is her best friend but not white and not girly pretty. She can't be as hard as Yasmine or as soft as Moon, or she will be deemed a bitch or laughing stock. She's a rich white girl so she has to date a jock, cue Parker. She can't do karate, who does karate? She can't be sexually available, she'll be punished, but she also can't not be, she'll be punished. And then Miguel defends her honor, so she has to be with him, he's earned her.

She knows she'll be basic if she follows the rules but she's terrified of not doing that. And well,with reason, cue Reddit. She picks out the girliest, pinkest Prom dress that looks absolutely hideous, but at least showcases how she is still a good girl, and not a psycho karate bitch -

And then there's Tory, who so unapologetically is a psycho karate bitch it makes her blood boil. She's so angry that Tory gets away with it that yes, it turns her into a catty bitch - the only aggression she's allowed - until Tory gives her permission to let it all out. But for Chrissakes, she's punished for being a catty bitch by nearly getting murdered twice. But that too is justified to us. Daniel wasn't allowed to be a whimp and she's not allowed to be a bitch, or anything but what she is and even if she's just a basic white girl, following the script to the letter, it'll never be enough.

Makes you appreciate how insanely brave Ali Mills is. She goes for the poor whimp. She's unapologetically into soccer. She defies her parents in rejecting Johnny. She drives Daniel's car, and anyone who dares comment can kiss her ass. Sam wishes she was as brave! But as we can see, Sam is so perceptive to what other people demand from her that she doesn't know who she is anymore. Yes, karate gives her an outlet - but she still hasn't figured out she isn't into Miguel, or Robby, or perhaps any guy. Because forget getting hate for being basic... imagine the hate for being gay!

But who cares, right? She's just a basic teenage white girl, even though that's all she's allowed to be...

And who else would care to think about what that's like for two seconds, but indeed other basic white girls?

#daniel larusso #samantha larusso #samtory #expectations #misogyny #toxic masculinity #cultural values #tkk #cobra kai #ali mills

[igotanidea]

Secret : Bucky Barnes x f!reader

A/N:I guess the October weather and autumn mood calls for fluff and angst :P

***

„What do you think you’re doing?”

“Me?” I raise my head abruptly and bang it against the edge of the desk “Auch!”

“It serves you right! Maybe this will knock some common sense into you. I’m serious – what are you doing?”

“Nothing” my innocent face could not deceive the one and only Bucky Barnes

“Doll, be serious here”

“Stop looking at me like that!”

“And why would I?”

“This conversation is stupid.”

“Raynor would beg to differ.”

“Oh, right, Raynor. Speak of the Devil. How was your soul gazing exercise with Sam?” I mock

“Don’t. You. Dare.“

“Lots of love between you two?”

“Stop it!”

“And why would I?”

“Because you are the one acting like a lunatic, now.”

“Both of you! Inside! Now!” said doctor appeared at the end of the hallway ready to take action and separate us if needed.

“No need, doctor! We are best friends and this is just teasing, isn’t it Buck?”

“Sure.” He smiles sourly

“Mhm. You are not fooling anyone. Inside!” she pushed us both on the couch in the office. Since it was two small of both of us we were jammed next to each other. In some other circumstances it would be nice, but not with psychologist judging our every move and face expression.

“So….” Raynor clicks her pen in this annoyingly ambiguous matter

“So…..?” Bucky mocks her

“Are you two together?”

“Yes” he confirmed

“No!” I yelled at the same time. Idiot.

“Well, that’s a new one” he eyes me in confusion “I heard something different last night.”

“Buck!” I hide face in hands in terror.

“Seems like you have some relationship trouble”

“You bet we do! He’s delusional!”

“Do you have problems with attachment?”

“What? No? How is this about me, now?”

“James, what is your uptake on relationship with her?”

“Complicated”

“You’re uptake is complicated?”

He just shrugged his arms with smirk and said nothing more.

“I think it’s time for …..” Raynor starts

“No!” I interrupt her

“I agree with her on this one” surprisingly Bucky took my side.

“You don’t even know….”

“Soul gazing exercise” we said in unison

“Actually, no.”

“No? Oh, great, I can smell another psychology trick coming.”

“Remind me, why are we even here?” Bucky asked annoyed

“You are both agents….”

“I’m no agent. I wish for nothing more than to leave that part of me behind. I;m so tired of constants fight.  I had some peace in ….”

“Wakanda, I know. However, given your line of work….” I opened my mouth to interrupt her but she didn’t budge “ which both focused on missions and saving the world….”

“was that irony?”

“you two should clear some things between you. So,…..”

“I’m sorry, doctor. Do you have any problem with me, Buck?” I shifted towards the man

“Not even one. How ‘bout you?”

“Nope. Not at all. See, doctor, we are good to go. So, I’m out. See you next time.”

“Sit!” her commanding voice leaves no room for discussion so defeated I settled back on the couch pouting.

“This is torture. Isn’t it against the professional ethics?”

“I need you two to forget I’m here” at those words Bucky let out a chuckle “anything funny, James?”

“Yeah.  Plenty funny. But continue, this is getting interesting.”

“Forget I’m here. Just tell each other what causes trouble in this relationship?”

“Just that? Easy, peasy” I mocked

“This is your last warning.”

“Fine. What should I do be thrown out of this cabinet? Scream? Throw a temper tantrum? Offend you? Just let me out of here!” I shouted

“ You are holding a lot of tension, aren’t you?”

“I’m out. For good. I don’t care anymore. See you next time. Or not.” I grab my bag and marched out of the room.

“James?” Raynor focused her gaze on the man “Anything…. ?”

“No. I’m out too.”

***

An hour later I was home trying my best to forget about the stress and upcoming anxiety. Do you know this saying “if you want to make God laugh tell him about your plans?” Well, seemed like my life reminded of something like that and the fate was just loving playing tricks on me. Instead of relaxing I had to take a call from my parents, who were more than eager to find out everything about my life and mock it and destroy my mood.

“How’s work, honey?” the last word made me feel like vomiting

“It’s good. I mean it’s going. “ of course they had no idea what was my real line of work.

“you know, your cousin Robert just got promoted. So we were wondering if you were up for one?”

“I don’t know mum. I;m just trying to do my best.”

“Perhaps it’s not enough. You should try harder.” I just stayed silent because what can you possibly say to that. “And did you finally get a boyfriend? You know, you are not getting younger and more beautiful”

“I did.” I mutter

“Oh, really?” she tried her best to mark surprise. “When will we meet him than?”

“I don’t know” I mumbled. Preferably never. “Anyway, I have to go now, I’ll call you soon” liar. “bye mum”

“Don’t you dare hanging up on me……” click.

Why is it so hard to communicate with my own parents? Every time I do I feel utterly drained and worse than before. Can everyone just leave me the f*** alone? Apparently not, since there is a knock on the door.

“What?!”I opened them with less than friendly attitude.

“Woah! Hold the fire! I surrender” Bucky took a step back and raised his hands.

“The winter soldier surrenders? That’s a new one.” I hissed “Sorry. Come in” I motioned him inside.

“What happened, doll?” he tried to hug me but I wriggled myself out.

“Nothing.”

 “You are a terrible liar. Please” he grabbed my hand in his and search my eyes.  “you know you can tell me everything.”

“Not everything, not this time.”

“Why?”

“Cause it hurts!”

“Let me make it better than!”

“Words can’t make it better!”

“Then what can?”

At this point we were yelling at each other beyond control and this could go two ways – either we would get into fight and stop talking to each other for days or resolve the matters here and now.

“ I’m sorry, Buck” I looked down “I’m out of line.”

“Been there, done that. I know that anger inside.”

“It’s no justification.”

“Can you tell me?”

I took a deep breath.

“I don’t want you to meet my parents”

“What?” he asked confused

“I….”

“Yeah, I heard you, doll. I just don’t understand.”

“Never mind” I tried to walk away but he was quick to catch me and held me close to his chest stroking my hair in gentle, loving moves which made me fall apart.  

“Tell me” he hummed softly into my ear.

“I’ve just talked to my parents. They asked about you. But I don’t want you to get together.”

“Why?” he looked at me hurt and confused “I mean, it’s obvious I’m not really a boyfriend to be proud of. All I did for Hydra.”

“Buck, no, it’s not about that. Come, sit” I lead him into a couch where he sat still holding my hand and rubbing circles on my palm in this calming manner.

“We don’t need to talk about it” he muttered

“No, we do. I don’t want to leave it like this. It’s just… “I sighed and hesitated “my parents are very, very specific people. I would not exactly call them nice. Being around them, even as a child was always challenging”

“How so?”

“You know I’ve always had this feeling like I had to work to gain their acceptance, let alone love. Truth is, most of the time they made me feel like I was not worth being loved “ my voice broke and I was forced to stop to prevent myself from crying in front of Bucky

“Doll….” He moved closer and wrapped his arms around me doing his best to make me feel better/

“That’s not everything.” I pulled back and look into his eyes “Their comments and words made me feel unlovable so every time I got into relationship and talked about it they were like why does he even like you, look at yourself, you must be crazy to think this could work and other stuff like that. And it made me feel like I was worthless. Like I could never get into relationship. So all the previous ones ended before they could even get a chance to start” unwanted tear slipped down my cheek and I rubbed it off quickly.” I was hiding all that inside but it always found a way out. So when I met you I decided to keep you my secret, not in a bad meaning, but someone just for me.”

“That’s why you told Raynor we are not together?”

“Yes. Look, Buck, I’m so in love with you I don’t want to risk anyone breaking us. And if anyone has the power to saw doubt in myself it’s my parents. Do I even make sense with that?”

“You do” he pulled me in again “And believe me, there’s no one who gets it better than me.  I felt all the same when I met you. Just… cut the parents part. But I feared someone will call back on what I did in the past and this will make me leave you.”

“But you were always open about us being together…. Despite all my denial.”

“Just a different way to deal with trauma I suppose.” He shrugged and grabbed my chin making me look at him “I love you. You hear me? This is not going to change”

“Good. Now that we settled it can you kiss me?”

“Don’t need to ask twice”.

With the touch of his lips on mine, soft and gentle everything seemed better. At least for this moment where there were only two of us against the world. A little secret to keep and protect.

@pinksirensong

#bucky barnes #winter soldier #the winter soldier #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fluff #winter soldier x reader

[aestheticsuwu]

Sweet like Marshmallows (Baby Project part 2)

@sassycobra I know it’s late but I finally got around to tweak it up and finish writing it. I hope you enjoy it like the first part.

@shortkingkeene thank you for always patiently waiting for me to upload.

Robby Keene x Doug Rickenberger

Demetri Alexopolous x Eli Moszkowitz

Sam LaRusso x Tory Nichols ( If you squint)

Miguel Diaz x Kyler ( kinda i guess but not really)

Yasmine x Moon mentioned ( @demetriandelibinaryboyfriends got me hooked on these two. .)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Previous Summary : Robby and Doug get paired together for a project to look after a fake baby .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almost everyone had passed the probation week , Today being the last day to carry around their filled rice baby. Suprisingly his friends managed to maintain the 'baby' intact . Even one time the two besties ,being Hawk and Miguel ,had argued over the fact Diaz had knocked over Hawk’s baby .

Which, Robby thought it was hilarious witnessing that whole scene.

"Hey! what the fudge, man . Do you want me to kick your ass for dropping my kid."

" Calm down , it was an accident . Its just a bag of rice."

" How dare you insinuate that about Phoenix, Your just jealous my baby is badass unlike yours . "

" Oh , you wanna go there because i will end your career in this moment hoe. Samantha hold my child." Miguel took the baby and handed it over to start to throw hands.

"I think its my time to step in." Demetri says and drags Hawk by his shirt before they cause a scene.

Both teenagers didn’t talk in between periods until after school , it was weird watching them fight over something stupid and he didn’t want to mention the blanket Hawk made Demetri carry the baby in . It was tiny birds all over and it was yellow.

Tory and Sam was a different story , the girls just wanted to pass this project but sometimes they forget their grades and end up arguing about simple things like who spent less time with rice or who was being a whiny short princess. That was mainly coming from Tory side.

Robby decided to name it if it was a girl, Luna, and Doug got to chose a boys name which he still didn’t know . The students  needed to have two options because once they were handed a baby stimulator and Birth Certificate  they would know the gender .

Mr.Rodriguez gave them a pep talk and started to call out the parents to pick up the baby and the certificate  .

When Mr. Rodriguez had called out his last name and Doug had went up and recieved the box for the two of them, Everyone had started to open the cardboard box and examine the doll .

He watched Doug unboxed the baby and pull it out , in which was covered in simple white and blue blanket and had an instuction manual .

" i need to tell you something...," Scratching his temple, indecisive in how to tell Robby , he kinda fucked up . Robby raised his eyebrow in Dougs direction,

" Remember when i was joking about naming the baby Swayze ? "

"Doug please tell me you didn’t." Robby closed his eyes not ready for whatever next comes out of the boys mouth.

"I didn’t but you’re going to prefer it once you see the name i choosed ." Doug chuckled nervously.

Robby snatched the certificate out of his hand and read the font letters that clearly spelled out, Marshmallow Keene .

"Why would you name our kid marshmallow!." Robby yelled getting looks from the class and a disapproving look from the teacher . His shoulders shrunk.

"I forgot to pick a name because i had soccer practice and stayed up late playing video games online with Mikey and Hawk till midnight and when Mr.Rodriguez asked for the form i freaked out and all my mind could come up was you eating marshmallows in booty shorts ." He explained, panic written all over his face.

" Why would i eat marshmallows in booty shorts ?" Even saying it out loud sounded ridiculous to Robby.

"Why wouldn’t you ?" Doug ask making Robby actually pause to think about it for a second like it wasn’t crazy thought. I mean he could totally pull it off if he wanted to , Lately he’s been having a confidence boost. He does have a pair—

"Lets focus on the real problem Rickenberger." Robby shakes his head to snap out it and focus.The boy tries to hide his smile when he realize the short boy was actually thinking about it . Doug actually lied, there was a bag of marshmallows on the teachers desk.

“I mean I think marshmallow is a cute name. Kind of reminds me of you.” Doug cheerfully said with a cute grin . Cuteness never stopped Robby from wanting to commit murder.

“ I can’t believe I’m stuck with a baby that’s named after a sweet.”Robby grumps dropping his head into the desk.The desk makes a sound when his forehead touches the surface.

“ You should be happy I didn’t name it with something worse. ” Doug winces when the brunette kicks his leg. “At least I didn’t put something like Doug.”

“I think your name is cute.” Robby eyes widen at the words that slipped out without his consent. Doug looked surprised and tries to fight off the smile .

Robby looked a few tables ahead to not get distracted by the boy who is making him say things he is not ready to say.

He can see Tory and Sam discussing but it was more of Sam talking than the blonde since she was just staring with a unreadable look in her eyes.

That was different. He had to go back to that later.

The teacher warns Eli to calm down , the Mohawk boy seemed ecstatic like if the plastic dolls were really real . Which is creepy. Demetri didn’t look bothered or embarrass like last week , what was obvious was the heart eyes he was throwing at Eli.

He looks back at his partner who was intently reading the manual .His long fingers flipping the page over , He really has nice hands . He compared his hands with his . He wondered how can this big guy can seem so angry but in reality was like a … marshmallow ?

“And this is why we’re divorced !” Miguel shouts at Kyler making the whole class stare at their direction . Kyler tried to hide in his chair, slipping down to hide but it wasn’t working.

Reason like these , School should be shut down. They bring out the worst in them.

…

It didn’t take long for Rickenberger to notice Robby was upset with him. The pout more prominent, the constant eye rolling that sent to his directon, the tense jaw and the vigor steps that his short legs let him make.

So maybe he wasn’t putting his effort in this like he promised he would , it wasn’t like he was trying to ruin this for Robby, it was just hard to be serious when he has to carry a bag of rice meanwhile people around him act like it was truely a human baby.

It was only yesterday that he watched Miguel and Kyler argue in a way he never thought he would. It was like watching ping pong. Following the ball to one direction to the other.

“If I have to raise this baby by myself , I will !, Honey, I was raised by a strong single mother and I can be one too. I don’t need to depend on a guy to raise Marisol Guadalupe Diaz.” Miguel yelled making Kyler stunned. He finish by simply snatching the baby and walked away. Kyler looked lost and maybe in the brink of tears but still chased after Miguel .

He should probably talk with Tory.

……

“ That explains a lot . The guy been in a grumpy mood.” Says Tory after Doug finished. She was trying to make ‘Artemis’ burp. Sam was really proud in choosing the name which Tory found it really stupid and not at all endearing.

“My question is .” Pausing to adjust the baby,She continued ”When did you become so stupid. “

He would’ve felt offended but lately he’s been asking the same thing to himself.

“ What do you think i should do.” He avoids answering Tory .

“ You can ask the teacher if you could change the birth certificate. LaRusso convinced him when she had the dumb idea to name our baby “Theodora” . “

“ Well she probably was able to do it since everyone likes her Dad.”

“ Sam actually did it on her own and not by dropping the LaRusso card.” Tory was quick to Sam’s defense which made the boy raise his brow at that.

“ Oh it’s Sam not LaRusso “ Doug teased the girl and maybe for the first time Tory was blushing.

“ Oh shut up . Who names their kid Marshmallow.”

“ Who names their only child Theodora.”Doug shoots back.

“You got me there , I can’t defend her.”Tory shrugs .

“You admit you were defending her— OW!” He shouts when Tory throws the bottle at his head. She really has good aim.

———————————————————————————————

Robby was over Doug naming the baby Marshmallow. As long the guy didn’t drop it or do any harm to it. The next day he was walking through the hallway looking for him .

He stops when he steps on a plushie. A phoenix plushie, to be exact. A pale hand reaches for it and yanks it from under his foot.

“ Dammit Robby!. I have to wash it now. Do you know how many germs it has now.” Hawk cried out. Demetri gave him a sorry look .

“Do you know how stupid you look.” Robby retorts. The guy had a baby wrap making him look ridiculous. Hawk mocked Robbys laugh and gave him a menacing glare which didn’t look terrifying , Hawk turn to whisper to Demetri. “Do I look dumb” — “Of course not, Honey.” Demetri whispered back without a beat.

“ Robby is right .Some us don’t need to try hard.” Miguel speaks up with a toothy grin and not to far behind Kyler had an expression like he wish the ground would swallow him up to disappear. He was carrying a pink baby car seat where the baby was placed and a bright pink diaper bag .

Robby was 3 seconds away in from bursting out of laughter.

“ You know Miguel , Maybe you should put all that energy in your co-parenting.” Hawk sneered back. Motioning with his fingers bunched up.This had been going on lately and it felt like everyone is on crack to Robby.

“ Maybe you should check in with your boy. It’s not all transparency ,Demetri hates the name Phoenix . “Miguel reveals, Demetri winces and made Eli gasp .

“Sorry Demetri “ Miguel apologize not even looking apologetic with that proud evil smirk.

“ I can’t believe this is happening .” Robby really can’t but maybe he can ,his friends are weird. Kyler looks like he feels the same.

“ Your right . Peoples true colors are coming out.” Hawk say dramatically. Miguel squints at him like he was a traitor.

“ To think I was going to ask you to be Marisol godfather.” Miguel confess with a dramatic tone of voice.

“ Really ?” Hawk ask surprised .

“ Of course dude . I couldn’t think of anyone else.” Miguel says truthfully making them both get emotional.The change of emotions almost gave Robby whiplash.

“ Dude your my first choice too.” Hawk lets out a smile and rushes to Miguel. Making the rest feel they were intruding.

They hug , Miguel being careful with Phoenix . Their grinning at each other when Demetri speaks up and sigh “I’m right here.”

……………………………………………………………………

Robby: need to talk. Where are you?

Doug: Learning how to clean with a tiny brush.

Robby: What?

Doug : Nothing. Meet me at my locker . I have a surprise .

…………………………………………………………..

Robby was glad he didn’t have to wait . The second he arrived in less than a minute Doug arrived with messy hair and a boyish smile . Wearing one of the baby backpacks and Robby is not willing to admit out loud but it kinda made his stomach flip at the sight.

Is not like Robby doesn’t want to accept he has feeling for the boy but he is trying to be single this year, no relationship that will just make him crumble down. He was focusing on fixing himself.

So that’s why he will keep these feelings in a box until further notice.

“ I fucked up. No surprise there. I gave you my word so here I am trying to make this up to you because I … ,” Doug cut himself off before he looks pathetic in saying he likes Robby . He can get a hint. Robby wasn’t into him. That’s fine.

This isn’t the time to have a mental breakdown.

“ I want to actually commit and do what I say. That’s why I asked Mr.Rodriguez for a redo.” Doug eyes are shining in hope wanting Robby to be less disappointed.

Handing over the sheet to Robby. Who reads it with disbelief ,his eyes widening in surprise and maybe a hint of happiness.

“ I thought we weren’t allowed to change . “

“ We are not but I pulled a few strings .” When he says a few, he’s lying. Mr.Rodriguez made him sign a slip in agreeing to clean the bleachers, the gym and the classroom after school. But hey ,what’s a little scraping gum under every desk when Robby is smiling up at him making him do crazy shit for this tiny guy.

“ Thank You. “ Robby say sincerely, grabbing his hand and giving a squeeze. They held hands a bit longer until the bell rang for the next period .

“ I’ll take the baby for today . “Doug offered.

“Okay , be careful . Did you read the instructions I sent you.”

“Not really . I have a baby brother I think I can manage with Baby Keene.”

Robby watched as the boy walked away carefully with the fake baby and a smile crept up on him . He reads the certificate one last time. Robby bites his lips to refrain himself from grinning like lovesick fool when he sees his name right next to Doug’s .

……….. Keene

Parent : Robby Keene

Parent : Doug Rickenberger

Gender: Boy

He just has to pick a name now .

……………………….

He chooses to name the baby Nariyoshi in honor of Mr.Miyagi. When Daniel found out he got a look in his eye that made Robby feel he did the right choice. Doug liked the name and gave the baby a nickname , Yoshi.

Everyone had been calling the baby by Yoshi. The teacher thought it was from the Mario brothers character and Robby never in his life gave a full long speech on anything just to correct someone. And he does not regret a single second of those 30 minutes of his life.

Today Doug was coming over . Robby made sure to clean the whole apartment which thankfully wasn’t that big of a mess. His room wasn’t much since he recently moved in, the walls were bare , the bed was a twin size and a nightstand and a counter where he placed all his clothes . And a brand new desk made from scratch that his Dad made for him since he learned he liked to draw.

Everything was going well . Robby was coming back from a quick trip to the store to buy some drinks and snacks when baby Yoshi was wailing.It had been an hour and nothing seem to make the baby stop crying . He changed the diaper , fed him, burped, and swaddled but nothing seem to work .

Robby ears felt like they were going to pop. He tugged on his hair in frustration . “Why don’t you stop crying !!!” His lip wobble making him more frustrated. Robby wasn’t one to have a breakdown feeling pressured or frustrated so he tries taking deep breaths . But having a semi-new born was taking a toll on him. He felt drain.Robby hasn’t had a good 8 hours of sleep. He was not going to cry. He was not going to cry . He was not going to cry. He is a bad bitc- Fuck it ! ,he’s-going to cry.

Yoshi cried louder . And then there was knock at the door. Getting up from the floor , he rushes to open the door managing to trip over on his way with the remote control on the carpet. Swinging the door open , Doug winces at sound of Yoshi crying .

Robby lets out long exhale and flings himself to the boy making Doug stumble backwards. His hand were awkwardly hovering the short boy back who was burying their face in his chest and hands were gripping his shirt .

“He bjdjjdjdk crbhdjdkdk and I doljdhdj Knowggs what to do and now am dbbdjjdjdndnn.” Robby mumbles through the shirt not making any sense to Doug.

“ I didn’t catch a word you just said.” He said confused but it only made Robby stomp his feet and made a sad sound.

“How about we go inside and figure why both of my babies are crying.” He strokes Robby’s hair while the rubs soothing circles at his back.

Once inside , Robby wipes away the traitor tears and pulls Doug from his shirt to his room where the baby was. He told explain everything he did but still failed to make the baby to stop crying.

“ Have you tried a pacifier ?” The question made him dumbstruck as to why didn’t he think of that. Finding the pacifier and giving it to the baby and suddenly the cries were gone.

Robby sits down at the corner of the bed feeling quite stupid . He can’t believe he cried and in front of Doug. He flushed now thinking how childish he acted . He even stomp like a toddler. Get a grip of yourself , pretend that never happen. He called you baby.Climb that boy like you were starving koala wanting some eucalypt leaves. His mind said in a creepy way, sounding a bit like Miguel and Hawk.And being honest he is not taking any advice from those two.

Can you believe this dude?, Let’s go somewhere were they will appreciate are generous advice.

“ I think we might’ve lost a few points but we can make up the points with the days we have left.”

“ I just can’t believe i didn’t think of a pacifier.”

“I wouldn’t have either if Yasmine wouldn’t have told me about how she lost hers today and had borrow someone’s boring one for the baby”

Yasmine? This was the first he mention her around him. And he was not jealous. Why would he . Doug can talk or like anyone he wants to.He’s going to keep it cool.

“ I didn’t know you were friends.”Robby cringed at how accusatory it sounded.

“I wouldn’t say we’re friends.” Doug had that smile Robby knew too well. It was the same one he used to give him when he would flirt with him. Thinking now , the tall boy stopped his usual flirting and calling him pretty boy.

“Whatever I don’t care. Lets go fill in our report.” Scoffing at the boy who was still smiling . He moves off from the bed and heads to living room . He brings his stuff to the kitchen table , Doug behind him follows his lead. Robby takes a chair and sits.

He side eyes Doug who takes a seat way to far and starts writing on the sheet of paper. He can’t help but notice the huge gap between them , a few weeks ago the guy would take the opportunity to be as close as possible.

His leg started to bounce and his hand shook his pencil back and forth while his eyes tried to stay glued on the sheet. Doug kept glancing at his phone every time it pinged alerting him he got a text.

“If it’s important you can answer.”

“ Nah it’s just Yasmine.”

Robby rolled his eyes and pushed out his lips in a pout in annoyance. Whatever he doesn’t care. What he does care is finishing this report and getting a good grade at this project.

After finally sharing their information and progress over the almost two weeks of having Yoshi , they placed their information on their report. He helped Doug pack and handed the baby over and everything he needed .

“I guess that’s it . Guess you can finally answer Yasmine now that your free even though you could of answered when I told you.”

“ I guess I prefer doing homework.Even if you cried all over me the second I arrived. Just know your an exception , Robby.”

“Robby?.”

“Don’t tell me you miss being called pretty boy ?” Doug chuckles at the boys eye roll .Amused at the silence from the short boy , he decides to go for it . Hoping Robby wouldn’t kick his ass after.Lunging forward and plants a chaste kiss on Robby check .

“See ya!” Walking backwards with that stupid smirk of his , Robby waits until he can’t see him to get back inside.

Robby only brings a hand to his face when he closes the door . It felt warm and tingly. Yeah he might have to revaluate his plan for this year.

………………………………………………….

Robby was fucked. And not in the way he imagined—He is spending way too much time with Hawk, he is getting sidetracked . The point is that his heart has betrayed him . He wasn’t dumb he knew the tall boy had snuck his way under his skin but it wasn’t to his knowledge that he manage to sneak his way to his blood pumping heart.

And it was all because of this damned project, because he spent 2 weeks with the guy he’s been pushing away and now it seems like he has to now fight Yasmine to have him. Ever since the day Doug had came over , Wherever he turned to look, Yasmine was hanging off of him .

Robby could’ve easily confronted both Doug and Yasmine but that was too easy so he did what he did best . He wallowed . For a one day. Ehh that’s a lie . Well the whole week when he realized Doug had been trying to cheer him up. So yes. He manipulated the guy to spend more time with him and just by pulling the saddest puppy eyes.

The guy took over his duties as parent and kept stealing flowers from the school office to cheer him up. And even brought him a rose that he bought when Robby subtlety mentioned no one has ever given him flowers. He showed it off to everyone-And when he says everyone he means Yasmine.

Whenever he catch the blondie coming his way he would pull Doug closer , throw the guy arm over his shoulder , he even hold his hand making the latter stumble over his words. And Robby would just smirk at Yasmine.

He maybe gotten on her nerves since she was now standing in front of him and pulled him away from his group of friends , Eli was fighting with Tory about who’s baby is the best and no one was trying to get in the middle of it. Miguel and Sam were slowing trying to slip away together. And Demetri was ready to call the principal on them.

“We need to talk.”

“Do we? Because I can’t think of anything that has to do with me and you . ”

“ I’m going to be nice, since your Demetri’s friend and Moon thinks I shouldn’t let bad vibes ruin my aura so… Tone down the attitude a bit. I’m not into Rickenberger , Athough last year me would’ve jumped at the shot but Moi is in a thriving passionate relationship with Moon.”

That kinda left him dumbstruck like a fish.

“What ?”

“Yeah, get on the news , peep squeak.”She says flickering her perfect hair away. Robby had to think for a second, to make sure he heard right.

“ I’m not short and I’m taller than you.”

“Aww that’s cute no wonder Rickie calls you Pretty boy. Your beauty truly outshines your shortness .Oh got to go My gorgeous girl needs me , And please do us all a favor and just date the guy .” She flashes her shiny white teeth and rushes to Moon who is carrying their baby . The couple hold hands and kiss each other as they walk down the hallway .

Huh. That wasn’t what he was expecting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robby didn’t make any move . It was frustrating but he wanted to see if he let things flow all on its own. So that’s what he’d did. Their Co-parenting was going amazing even to the point Miguel was now throwing attitude towards him instead of Eli. And he kind of threw some back and as silly it seemed , it was funny to banter with his friends even it was about a fake baby.

The day before the last day of their project , He invited Doug over since they should spend their last day with the doll. Crazy as it seemed , he got a bit attached to it . He wondered briefly if Miguel or Eli would burst out crying tomorrow in class.

His Dad was on the couch with Daniel watching the tv , Top Gun was playing . His Dad was making snide commentary and Daniel nodded along pretending to listen when in reality he was paying more attention to Val Kilmer.

“I invited a friend to go over some minor details about the project.” Robby interrupts his dad, making Daniel send a smile at his way.

“No funny business alright . “Johnny faces Robby with a stern look.

“No promises.” Making Johnny do a double take.”I’m kidding.”He enjoys teasing his Dad .

He steps out and shuts the door behind him. And sits down on the stair step. Less than 5 minutes Doug arrives with the baby. He looks good. Even if he’s just wearing sweats and simple tee.

They don’t get to go inside. Doug starts telling him how Yoshi kept him and his family up all night. Robby notice the dark circles. And teases the guy about how it wasn’t as easy as it looked.

Doug talks about his baby brother who just turned 2 , and Robby is trying hard not to let it show by how he is smiling, that he might’ve fallen for him. The topic changes about their friends and how chaotic they have been the past 2 weeks.

“Miguel and Eli has been on my mind for way too long.”Robby grins as he controls himself to not burst out into laughter again.

“Don’t say that, It will make me jealous.”

“Trust me , I find myself thinking about you more times than I can count.” Robby smiles falter a smidge, knowing he went there.

Doug sheepishly smiles, “Oh really” And leans a bit forward. Robby wonders when did they got too close.

This would’ve been the moment for his first kiss with Doug. He just had to lean an inch closer and both of their lips would’ve been touching .Except Robby opened his mouth and words tumbled out .

“Why do you like me ?”

Doug brows furrowed and lips were parted but now cause of confusion. His shuts his jaw tight and fumble with the keys in his palm that slipped out. “Is there supposed to be a reason . Can’t I just like you.”

“ I guess it just means your just interested in my looks . As soon you will get bored , this silly crush will be over.” Robby insecurity gets the best of him. If the guy can’t tell him why he’s interested then it will just end up having his heart broken.

“You’re kidding right.” Doug is stunned. His eyes are wide like he’s been struck.

“No . Does it look like I’m laughing .” Robby says bothered.

“I don’t get you. You show no interest in me only when someone else does. You say that I’m not serious yet you play with my feelings and I allow it because I’m stupid enough to think that you will notice I’m sincere.” Hurt is written all over Doug’s face making feel Robby bad.

“That’s not my intention . It’s just hard to believe— “

Scoffing he interrupts him , “ Your compassion ,Robby.” Doug looks intensely at him,“Tory was failing history class , she was stressed for a week ,since the exam was near and it was her last hope . You helped her study and memorize dates, events and names , Even babysat her brother. “Robby shoulders fall already regretting what he said.

He continues, “You have a day solely for Demetri, you learn and read about his favorite comics and hang out with him so he won’t feel left out when his boyfriend hangs out with Miguel.” Doug looks down at his hands feeling shy making Robby stunned, “Your put your all to fix your relationship with your dad. To make up the lost time. You gives so much to everyone and I foolishly thought I could give it to you .” Doug voice turns into disappointment , like he was foolish to think that. Robby watches him spring up from the ground and leave.

“Doug!” Yelling his name doesn’t make him stop or turn around but it makes Yoshi cry. Making him sigh in defeat.He walks back in ignoring his dad questions.

……………………

Today was the day to turn in the babies in. The teacher would call out their names and the student would have to turn the baby in , along with the reports and essay of how if felt to be a parent . The day felt slow for Robby . It could’ve been the school hours , since time went by slow, or maybe , it was the fact the 6ft tall boy has been ignoring him like he was not there.

Robby wouldn’t have minded the peace and quiet if the events of yesterday didn’t occur . But no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on pretending to act like he was doing his work and actually doodling in his paper.

He actually paid attention on the other details he never focus on. Like how in sync Demetri and Hawk are, one does not make a move unless the other does. Tory and Sam are the opposite yet they made a better team than any one ever thought could be possible. Weirdly, Yasmine is more easier to be around when she is not trying to put up a front, He guess they can thank Moon for that .

Miguel and Kyler. That’s another situation. Miguel proved that Kyler isn’t the leader or this tough guy he is , since he was forced to do everything Diaz told him to do. It was quite funny.

Robby also notice he doesn’t have a pencil or a pen. Thinking clearly now, he never had one because he’d end up chewing it down to keep him from biting his nails. Doug always slipped him a pencil or those high priced pens that wrote smoothly and the ink didn’t smudge .

Or how when his antic of his leg bouncing stopped for a while. The taller boy would notice and tap his foot against his making him feel grounded.

Or maybe he was just thinking too much. Robby should focus on finding the equivalent of x and y or whatever your supposed to in math. Fuck , how did you do that again. What happen to the math problems where Pablo or Timmy had way too many watermelons.

Next period was it. It , being Mr. Rodríguez class. The teacher was giving the lesson, and Robby was sort of paying attention. Tory and him started playing tic tac toe and he is about to win for the third time.

He tries not too jump out of his seat when he wins and Tory does her best to muffle her giggles with her hand at his dance of victory in his seat.it more wiggles than dancing.

The whole class start talking when the teacher is pulled out of the class by another teacher. Robby wanted to keep playing tic tac toe but Tory had other plans.

“What’s going on with you and grumpy.” Her eyes flicker for a second to a few tables ahead.She knew the gist but she wanted Robby to tell her.

“We had an argument. He basically said he likes me and I told him , that what he felt was a fleeting crush that will go away.”Robby explains .

“You know, Swayze, If you don’t like the guy just tell him . You want me to do it for you.”Tory offers like the best person she is .

“It’s not that.” Robby sighed .

“You like him too.”

“Ehhh.”

“Do you or do you not? Your giving me mixed signals .”Tory felt confused , she was now understanding the tall guy. Her friend was a confused mess.

“It’s not that easy.” Robby leg started to bounce and brought his fingers to his lips.

“It’s not that easy or your scared to admit you like a guy that you promised yourself not to like.”Tory slaps his hand away.

“When did I allow you to get in my brain.”Robby smiles at her which she quickly returns one.

“It was part of the contract when we agree to be friends.” They laugh as quiet as they could . They tend to laugh way to loud like hyenas.

“So can we talk about the thing you have for Sam or…”Robby teases making Tory punch his shoulder.

“What thing ? There is no thing. I just learned she isn’t what I used think about her and vice versa.” Tory said calmly , but she started biting her pen .

“If you say so.” Robby decided it was better left alone.

“Okay class , quiet down . Lets get back into your seats with your project partners.”Mr.Rodríguez clapped his hands and went behind his desk. Robby decided to go to the taller boy instead of the other way. Grabbing his papers , his bag and the project.

He waits for Mikey to get up , he smiles at the shorter male and tilts his head at the wave of the guy.Making himself comfortable as he can get with the plastic chair and the stuffy air that lingered with awkwardness .

“I-uh-, I want to apologize.”

“Don’t. It’s fine. It won’t be the first or the last time someone won’t reciprocate how I feel. I get it, you don’t like me in that way. “ Doug says dryly .

“Doug, That’s not-“

“Robby.” Cutting him off , Doug turns to him“It’s okay. Lets leave at that and not make into a big thing than it needs to.” He says it kindly this time.

Doug acted like everything was fined. They traded any last minute information , read each others reports and discussed about the project. No joke was said nor silly banter was thrown. When it was time to give back the baby, Robby felt upset. He had gotten attached to the fake baby like the rest of his classmates.

He was going to miss the sleepless nights, the constant crying, and the dumb excuses he used to have Doug around.

“Bye Yoshi. We’re going to miss you baby.” Robby voice cracked and handed the finished project over to the teacher who offered his a sympathetic smile. They went back to the table and maybe Doug saw him really upset because he places his arm at the back of his chair that he leaned into. It made him feel better.

The bell rang making everyone sprung out their desk and leave to lunch. Robby tried again to talk to boy , but he fled like a man on fire.

…………………………………………………….

“So what was this fight about?” Eli ask, everyone head turn to look at Robby, who has been quite all lunch period.

“What do you mean? What fight?” Robby asked confused.

“You and Rickenberger “ Miguel chimed, a fry hanging out of his mouth and ketchup on his cheek that Sam was wiping away with a napkin. Tory stole a handful of fry’s from his tray.

“We’re not fighting.” Robby crossed his arms.

“Yeah right. The whole school even knows.” Sam scoffs , the rest nodded along .

“I think you all are way to invested in my life.” Robby said in concern . He thinks they need to put some space in their friendship , he even knows way too much that goes on with Demetri and Hawk. And Sam with Miguel. Or Tory and Sam.

“Oh please, is not like you are the most interesting person in the friend group to keep tabs. We just know because you and Tory can’t whisper for shit. “ Eli says making Miguel snort and Demetri chuckle.

“Shouldn’t you be crying over Phoenix .” Robby snarks making Eli dramatically gasp.

“Low blow Keene, that’s still fresh for everyone.” Miguel said shaking his head in disappointment . “I miss my baby Marisol “ he mutters sadly.

“We’re going off track , let’s go back to Robby and Rickenberger.” Tory stirs the conversation back.

“Not you too Tory.” Robby throws his head back.

“I think we all collectively want you to stop being mopey and all …” Demetri trails off and points at him being slumped over his seat.

“We got a plan.”Miguel slams both hands on the table and clear his throat “It includes ; Seduction, Flowers, leather jacket and a skirt.”

“No !” They all screamed in protest except Robby and Miguel who are confused .

“That plan was executed remember .” Sam reminds him with wide eyes , communicating with their eyes .

“Ohhhhhh.”Miguel stretched out the world “Okay minus the skirt , you ready ?”

“ I’m legit scared to hear it.”

“Just listen to him, if you really want to be with him , Swayze .”Tory holds him hand in comfort.

Robby sat there and listened with an open mind knowing his friends they probably created something wild.

——————————————————

The next day he walked into school with slight puffy eyes since last night he stayed up all night with those dorks that he called friends.

Miguel and Eli actually spent the whole time reminiscing about the ‘babies’, worse thing Sam, Tory and Demetri slowly joined in too. And Robby actually confessed he really missed Yoshi.

But aside from that , Tory and Sam picked out an outfit . Miguel and Eli gave him a few pointers on what to say . Demetri told him not to take anything serious that came from their mouths.

Robby was nervous as hell. Is was like 90 degrees today, he was wearing all black including the leather jacket , he forgot the words to the speech he had plan to tell Doug, and he was running on 5 hours of sleep.

Luck was not in his side today, since he hadn’t been able to find Doug. He either skipped classes he shared with Robby or he didn’t come to school .

After walking around campus and not one trace of the latter , he was giving up. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Just because now that Robby wanted to be with Doug , doesn’t mean Doug wants to be with him now.

With a frustrated sigh, he whips out his phone. Sending a text to the group chat that he was backing out.

Patrick Swayze: I’m out. I can’t find him . This was a waste of time.

Toryminator: Wdym? He must be here.

Demi-Lovato : ^

Demi-Lovato: I saw him near the bleachers for PE.

Demi-Lovato: Who changed my name!!!

Samwich: You can’t give up now. We can’t take anymore of this . So be a big boy now because your getting with Rickenberger.

Samwich: Dont be a pussy!

El Serpiente : ^^

Toryminatior : ^^^

Hawkeye: ^^^^

Demi-Lovato:^^^^^

Patrick Swayze : Wow . Miguel and Hawk were all busy until now 🖕

Patrick Swayze : He is probably avoiding me.

Torymimator: I got a plan. After school , I’ll will check the east wing.

Toryminator: Demetri and Sam will check the west wing.

Toryminator: Eli and Miguel will go to the bleachers .

Toryminator: Got it ??

Samwich: 🫡

El Serpiente : 🫡

Hawkeye : 🫡

Demi-Lovato: 🫡

Patrick Swayze: what do I do ??

Patrick Swayze: Hello ?

Patrick Swayze : fuck my life 🙃🙃

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robby waited. And waited. The school bell rang and the hallways flooded with tennagers trying desperately to flee fast as possible .

Robby stayed back until it cleared. He wasn’t in the mood to be pushed to the ground or having his shoulders knocked over.

Robby waited 5 minutes to collect his bag and notebooks and left the class. He saw no signs of blonde locks, a Mohawk, curly brown or ebony hair .He told them it was a lost cause.

Squinting his eyes when the sun hits directly at him , he covers his face with his notebook . And there he was. There was no mistaking him.

His almost 6 feet self, wearing his signature red hoodie, his backpack had a sticker in pink letters ‘babygirl’ that Hawk sticked at the right bottom . Robby tried moving his legs but they seem stuck .

Doug was not alone . He was with another boy. He looked familiar but Robby couldn’t remember where he seen him. The boy had blonde hair that was pulled into two braids and was wearing a lace top that was see through.

Robby knows the school rules of clothing and that boy was breaking them. He was also short , the boy probably thought he looked cute having to look up at Doug.

Robby unglued his shoes when he sees the blondie placing a hand on Doug’s forearm .

“Hey. Can we talk” Robby cuts in.

“I’m kind of busy but you can call me later. You still have my number right?” Doug turns to look at him but with a closed off expression . Which pissed him off since he was being all smiley with that blonde.

“My phone is broken. And is urgent.” Robby didn’t exactly lie. His phone was semi working but not broken.

“I can go.”The blonde guy offers kindly and Doug tries to stop him but that was not happening on his watch. The guy could look for another 5’11 guy.

“No-“

“You read my mine! That would be best, Thank you !” Robby gave him a fake ass smile and waved him goodbye. He had manners.

“I will see you around.” Doug says making the guy smile way too hard making Robby roll his eyes.

“Or not.”Robby is still smiling but the blonde guy gets the hint and leaves finally.

Doug shoots him a glare. He waits until the guy is out of earshot .

“What’s up.”

“We need to talk about us.” Robby stutters but he manages to let the words out.Damn. Where’s the bitch attitude when he needs it. Oh well , here it goes.

“Keene, really , like I said yesterday—“

“That’s the thing. I don’t want things to stay the same or try to act like this awkwardness is not between us anymore.”

“I can change classes and then we don’t have to avoid each other in the same room.”Doug pathetically offers , it seem like he really didn’t want to be here.

“Thats not what I’m saying. I don’t want that you idiot.”Robby huffs .

“Well I can’t change schools , you short stack of pancakes !”Doug voice raises making few heads turn to them.

“Lower you voice , giraffe. I don’t want the whole school to hear us!”Robby fights the urge to scream back and stomp his foot. But he was in public he had control himself.

“I don’t have time for this.” Doug shakes his head and laughs dryly .

“Oh but you had time for that guy that you were letting touch you all over.” Robby voice dripped in jealousy.

“You seriously can’t be jealous right now .”Doug said incredulously .

“I can if I want to .”Robby was determined and he was not giving up without a fight. He knows the last time Doug told him Robby only tries to show his feelings when he was jealous but this time he is going to confess. But his tall guy didn’t know which drove him crazy.

Doug screams in frustration and turns around to leave but he comes to a halt seeing Miguel, Hawk, Sam, Demetri and Tory blocking his way.

“Can you guys move”

“No can do , amigo .”Hawk says unapologetic but still offered him a thumbs up for good luck.

“You have to deal with this this today we are tired of seeing you guys do a terrible job of being in love “ Miguel sighs wanting this to be over . He was starving .

“Just listen , Rickenberger. Your not going to get hurt , trust me.” Tory try to reassure him. Maybe the guy was avoiding Robby because he was tired of getting his heart broken from Robby’s multiple rejections. Understandable but he is not this time.

“I’m here. Go on.”Doug deeply sighs like it hurt him . He stood looking at him patiently. There was a couple of seconds of awkward silence. Doug raised his brow in question.

“I had this speech prepared—“ Hawk coughs , Robby rolls his eyes ,” We had this speech prepared. And I don’t know if you would love it or hate it. I can’t tell you it because the moment I saw you with that guy it immediately erased from my brain.”

“Robby , I know that I told you no matter how many times you reject me I wouldn’t give up but I think I can’t take another.”Doug frowns and fidgets .

“Just wait here” Robby pleaded.

Robby waited for Doug to nod so he could run off inside the school. He couldn’t understand why the words couldn’t come out. Why he couldn’t blurt out the words that screamed out , ‘I like you!’ . So he did what he did. He ran back in .

He dodged a couple that he almost toppled over and he accidentally hit his shoulder on the locker when he took a turn. Robby was panting like a dog when he was in front of the office. Walking in he smiled seeing everyone was occupied , sneaking to the front desk where the flower vase stood, beautiful fresh sunflowers waiting for him to be picked. Stolen, borrowed , or whatever you want to call it.

Having the flower in hand , Mrs. Gomez made eye contact with him and flashing her his best smile Robby ran the fuck out of there. Walking out the exit , he wasn’t as graceful and missteps a stair and went tumbling down.

That was embarrassing. He makes a whining noise when he notice he kind of crushed the sunflower. Fuck.

“Shit! Robby are you okay?Is something hurt?” Doug shouted , running up to help him while his friend laughs but stopped to glare whoever were laughing that weren’t them . At least they got his back on that.

“My pride .” Robby wince feeling his back scream at him for moving since he landed on his back .

“Here. Do the thing.” Robby shoves the flower in Doug’s hand . And waited with a pained expression.

“What thing?”

“The thing. Your thing.” Robby huffs impatiently he did not almost break his back for the guy can’t remember about their moment.

“Robby ….” Doug look so confused , he looked behind his shoulder to get help from them but they were useless .This was not part of the plan.

“Tell me what you told me when we first assigned as partners .”Robby nervously reminds him making the latter snort.

“Here ,” Doug breaks the long stem and places the flower behind his right ear, he gives him a wobbly smile feeling embarrass ,” A pretty flower for my pretty boy .”

This time Robby doesn’t blush nor pushes down his feelings. Okaaaaaaay, maybe a little, but he will blame it in the sun.He’s the one to take a step closer “You better shut your mouth, Doug.” Robby tried to fight off the smile but seeing Doug flush and smile bashfully just is driving him crazy.

“How about use those damn lips to keep me quiet ." Doug finally pulls out his cocky smirk from that day. No trace of shyness from second ago .

“Okay. If that’s what you want.” Robby shrugs nonchalant and leans up to kiss him . Doug froze but kiss backed , thank God because it could’ve been weird just him doing the kissing.

He thought of slipping his tongue and all but Robby thinks it better like this , especially if people were still watching them. Maybe recording them. He wraps his arms around Doug’s neck and feels being pulled in closer and hands on his waist to host him up . Wrapping his legs around Doug hips he hears his friends cheer.

“Omg my seduction plan worked! Told you that leather jacket is the shit!!”That sounded like Miguel.

“You climb that boy, Robby, like your a starving koala wanting some eucalypt leaves.” Hawk yells , Miguel laughter sounds way too close with how loud he sounds.

Robby pulls away in bewilderment and ask Doug,” You heard that too , right ?”

“The seduction or the koala part.” Doug laughs and his pink lips distract him , Doug puts him down and hugs him close.

“I think I need some time apart from them.”

“From who?” Hawk comes up from behind scaring Robby. Tory slaps the back of Hawks head .

“From you and Miguel.” Robby chuckles watching the two boys reaction.

“Fine we’ll find someone who appreciates us , let’s go , dude.” Miguel sasses . Demetri and Sam pull them aside to give him and Doug a minute. Robby looks at them , they really are in his head.

“I’m really happy.” Doug says bringing him back . He grins and leans up again to kiss him. Yeah, he’s not getting tired of kissing him.

“I hope so because I think Hawk has a video of me tripping so it better be worth it. And the school might call my dad today.”

“They caught you stealing . ”

“Shut up and just kiss your boyfriend .”

“Whatever my pretty boy wants.” Doug swoops in and making him breathless . Who needs air? Not Robby. But he can’t have his moment because Hawk interrupts him .

“Sorry to interrupt but we deserve some pizzas after getting you guys together.”

“That is the package deal of dating Robby Keene, you got to carry us around.” Tory winks , the rest make noises of agreement . He lets it pass, the nerves made him hungry so he led them lead the way as hold his boyfriend hand.

Doug has never seen his wallet emptier before but he guess he has to get a job after today.

~~~~~~||||~~~~~~~~~|||~~~~~~~~~|||~~~~~~||||~~~~

The moment Robby open his eye , he groans. The blaring alarm is already causing him a headache . He debates on throwing his phone against the wall but decides not since is kind of hanging by a thread. He really has to get a new phone.

His bed is telling him to stay in and sleep but he throws the blanket aside and goes to the bathroom to get rid of his cotton mouth.

Dressed and ready to go to school he grabs his bag and goes into the kitchen where he finds Daniel with a box of donuts . Yes!

“Where’s dad ?” Robby ask before he takes a huge ass bite of a donut . It’s bad manners but Daniel has gotten used to it. He shoves the other half in his mouth and steals Daniels coffee .

“Still acting like a child !” Daniel yells the last part for Johnny to hear. Johnny shouts something incoherent back.

“I can’t believe he is jealous over Iceman.” Robby gives back Daniel’s cup . He didn’t get his dads obsession on hating that movie. Robby actually liked the movie and the hot RIO ,Slider.

Daniel pushed the box towards him and Robby happily grabbed another donut. They were fucking good. He could probably eat half a dozen. Or maybe a dozen if he puts his mind to it.

“You want a ride to school , Johnny is taking Miguel , Hawk, Sam and Tory . Carpooling .”

“Not really big fan of being squished in but I rather do that than walk.”

Johnny drops them off and bid his goodbye . They dusted off and wiped their faces from any remains of donuts.He ditches them when he sees Doug waiting for him at the entrance.

His boyfriend pulls him in for a kiss and throws his arm over his shoulder and walks him to his locker. Robby was stupid trying to not admit his feelings for the guy. Having a boyfriend is the best, it’s actually kind of the same how Doug would treat him except now he lets the tall boy kiss him and sometimes,sometimes , grab his butt .

It feels like deja vu when he’s in 4th period . He’s hunched over his desk drawing in his notebook a cartoon version of him and Doug holding hands. Robby couldn’t pay attention to Ms.Casado, she was the drama teacher and was substituting Mr.Rodríguez class . Turns out his wife was expecting and had asked for two weeks leave and since he’s good friends with the principal , it was granted.

That’s what he gets for making them underage parents. He has to endure what he put them all.

Tory was snoring away not even bothering to be discreet . He doubts Ms.Casado will notice since she’s busy introducing herself—including her childhood.

Upfront he can see Demetri and Hawk deep in conversation and kissing in between. Hawk is still kicking the boy chair but Demetri is unbothered .

Miguel calls Demetri and Hawk with his phone out to take a selfie. When Miguel points the phone towards him , he makes a peace sign and sticks out his tongue .

Finishing his drawing , he shuts his notebook and starts whispering Sam’s name. When she didn’t turn around he rips a paper out Tory’s notebook and crumbles it and throws it at her head.

“What!?” She hisses and throws back the paper that lands on Tory disrupting her shut eye.

“Watch it.” Tory glares at them making them laugh.

“Switch with me.”

Sam rolls his eyes and gets up. The teacher had moved them around and Sam had gotten the seat he wanted. Next to his boyfriend .

“You’re really ditching me .”Tory grins .

“We had a baby , that doesn’t go away. Luv you !” Robby smirks and ruffles her hair and leaves .

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Robby says softly and kisses Doug . “I missed you , bunny.” He scrunches his nose which Doug plants a peck making him smile.

“Missed you too, Pretty boy .” Doug mumbles ,his face burried into the side of his neck making him ticklish.

Robby is showing him the drawing when Ms.Casado shouts “Project Time.” She ask Demetri to handout a big wad of sheets of paper that could easily break his arm.

“You’ll all audition for a play ! There’s a list of options you can choose !” She announced with too much excitement , when the class begins to mutter their displeasure , her smile turns sharp “It will be graded. Keep quiet now and read your lines.”

The class turns silent.

Great . Another project .

1. Grease

2. Romeo and Juliet

3. Dirty Dancing

4.

Robby stops reading . He is not doing this he rather he get handed back Yoshi and deal with the craziness that came with having his friends having a fake baby.

Sam sends a text to the group chat.

Sandwich: Memorize all the lines to Grease. We’re going to kill this.

Robby eye twitches and looks at Doug who is looking at him in horror when he opens his mouth , “Have you seen Dirty Dancing or Grease?”

“Baby, Pretty boy , the love of my life, I’d rather get a F than to act.” Doug looked deadly serious. He really didn’t want to do this. Nothing was going to get him on that stage wearing tights or nada. He’d rather jump off a bridge before bright caught dead on that stage.

Robby hums .

“By the law of my middle name I have to. So unless you want me be paired up with someone else and let someone kiss—“

“Are you trying to manipulate me?” Doug looked at him surprised.

“Is it working?” Robby asked.

“Yes.” Robby smiles proudly at his cute boyfriend . Well he has to get started on Grease. Having his mom play Dirty Dancing is really paying off.

TBC

Sidenote: it took me awhile to finish this. I left an open ending , since in school there’s always doing projects lol. I hope you guys like this . I kinda ship Sam and Tory but also Sam and Miguel, so I kind of left it open for you guys to interpret . If I ever pick this up again I might have to pick a ship unless I make it a poly. But idk. I also had to throw in some lawrusso and some Top Gun because I’m obsessed . Gotta throw in some love to Iceman and Slider lol.

I added Yasmine and Moon because I like that ship too. I had to have some parallels to the first part of Baby Project. And also because I was listening to Deja Vu by Olivia Rodrigo. Every time I write Miguel , I give Xolos personality lol.

#baby project au #baby project part 2 #robby keene #doug rickenberger #au moodboard #cobra kai #moodboard #roug #doug cobra kai #robby cobra kai #demetri cobra kai #otp moodboard #cobra kai ships #lawrusso #lanichols #samtory #elimetri #eli moskowitz #eli hawk moskowitz #demetri alexopoulos #sam larusso x miguel diaz #miguel diaz #kyler cobra kai #miguel x kyler #baby Au #sam larusso #tory nichols #yasmoon #yasmine cobra kai #moon cobra kai

[johnkrrasinski]

started from a call

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 3,610

Warning: angst with a happy ending! that's all.

Summary: written for @wkemeup's 9k writing challenge with the prompt "character a leaves an embarrassing, drunk message on character b’s voicemail and spends the rest of the night trying to discreetly delete it from [b]’s phone." inspired by a bit of ross and rachel from friends too. you found out from steve that bucky was in love with you in high school but after he returns home with a girl in his arm, you cancelled your plans to tell him how you feel. will you and bucky have your happy ending?

a/n: please like, reblog and leave a feedback. :) enjoy!

"Alright, I'll see you tonight. Bye." He leaned against the kitchen counter and hung up the phone with a grin on his face. "You hear that, Sam? We're going on our third date tonight." He threw his phone up into the air and caught it so casually without spilling a drop of his coffee sitting on his right hand. "Looks like I'm getting that 300 bucks soon."

"Hey, easy. You ain't going to that date yet, who knows? She could bail on you. It doesn't count if the date doesn't end well."

"Oh, but it will. I just gotta turn on my charm and next thing you know, we're already meeting the parents stage."

"Meeting the parents? That's a big step from you, Buck."

"Hey, I'm a man of my words. If I said that I'm going to change this year then I'm gonna stick to it."

"So Leah isn't just a one-time thing to get 300 bucks?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. We'll see how tonight goes. But one thing's for sure is that I'm getting that 300 bucks."

Sam and Bucky made a bet as their New Year's resolution that Bucky would never go on a second date with any girl or remember to call her in the morning after a wild night. His commitment issues had given him a reputation as the player in the gang. It wasn't a new thing anymore to anyone that when they visited Bucky's place in the morning, they would see a girl with a dopey smile and slightly ruffled hair walking out of his apartment, giddy that Bucky just made a promise to call her later.

You, Natasha, Wanda, Sam and Steve were hanging out at Nat's place. The six of you had been friends since college. You, Nat, Bucky and Steve had known each other since high school and the four of you kept in touch despite going to separate universities. You met Wanda when you went to NYU and Steve met Sam while he was in Harvard. Long story short, after the four of you graduated, you and Wanda lived together as roommates and even started your own bakery business. Steve and Bucky lived in the same building as you and Natasha and Sam lived nearly alone. They were too independent for roommates. Don't even start on Natasha and how much she valued her personal space. That's how the six of you ended up here, gathered at your place on a Saturday afternoon.

"Are you gonna pick her up tonight?"

"Of course. Gonna clean up well, bring her some flowers and knock on her door at 7 pm precisely. Which girl isn't gonna fall for that?" Bucky walked over to the couch you and Nat were sitting on and leaned on the headrest, his arms caging both you and Natasha.

You didn't say anything nor did Natasha because she knew about your feelings for Bucky. Despite never feeling that way about Bucky in high school, your feelings changed a week ago after learning that Bucky used to be in love with you but never had the courage to tell you. That's why he never had a girlfriend during his high school years and he wanted to take you to prom and confess his feelings to you but he was too late. Another guy had already snooped in first.

You were his first love but it wasn't reciprocated until now. That's why in college, he learned how to get over you and slept with as many women as possible because he felt like he lost four years of his life of finding the one. He never intended to be a player and feed girls empty promises, it just kind of became his way of dating. He was too afraid that no one could live up to you yet he enjoyed being with women. Hence, the bet.

The day you found out from Steve about Bucky's past feelings for you while playing truth or dare, you immediately wanted to call him up but Bucky was out of town for a few days and as soon as he was back home, he had Leah in his arm. Your heart was crushed. Wanda told you that it would probably last for a few days and that he'd eventually be single again but you totally did not expect this thing to turn into something serious. You loved Sam with every fibre of your being, he was like the big brother you never had, but you wanted to curse him for making that bet.

So you just rolled your eyes and stayed silent throughout this entire conversation, even though your heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again. "Alright, I gotta go. Got a big date tonight. I'll see you guys in a few hours." Just like that, Bucky walked out of the room without knowing the pain his words caused you.

The next day you were sitting in your bed watching The Notebook in your pyjamas because you were too heartbroken to do anything productive. It was Sunday so you could just have a whole day to yourself and do absolutely nothing but cry. Wanda knocked on your door bringing a plate of cookies and she had a pitiful look on her face. "y/n? Sweetie? I made you these cookies, they might make you feel better." Sometimes you thank the stars for bringing her into your life.

"Thank you, Wanda. You're so nice to me." You know you probably sound like a hormonal whiny kid but everything made you cry at the moment.

"Do you need anything else? I know how it feels to get your heartbroken, trust me. When me and Vision had a fight and we didn't talk for days all I wanted was to curl up and never leave my bed, so in case you need anything, I'm here." She offered you that warm smile of hers.

"No, all I want right now is to just eat these cookies and go back to my film, thanks Wan."

"Okay, I'll be outside." Your pity party was interrupted when Nat arrived in her leather jacket and burst into your room.

"Get up, you are taking a shower and you're getting that face beat."

"Natasha, what the hell? Leave me alone."

"Y/N, listen to me. I got a date for you. His name is Scott and he's a real nice guy, he's funny, he's a good friend of mine and he is really smart. He is so much better than Bucky, I promise you. Now c'mon, I already told him that you are meeting him tonight at Stark's restaurant at 7."

You whined, doing anything you can to get her to leave you alone with your tears and your cookies but you knew that once Natasha set her mind on something, there's no talking her way out of it. Damn that woman with her determination.

"Y/N, c'mon! Wallowing all day isn't you. I know you and what's good for you. That's why I found you a great guy who will charm you so good that you will forget Barnes even existed. You can't let him win, y/n. If he's going to be happy with someone else, then you better show him that you can be much happier with other people."

You stared at her, trying to absorb her words. There's some wisdom in that. You're not the type to cry over a guy, not even for even Bucky Barnes. So you let Natasha drag you to the shower and asked Wanda to do your hair when she does your makeup. She chose an outfit for you, a dress that was not too sexy but chic enough to leave a good first impression.

Scott was early to the restaurant and he looked elated to see you. He was wearing a grey suit with no tie and he had a really exuberant smile on his face, the type that drew people easily. You could see why Natasha called him a nice guy.

"Wow, sorry, I just- didn't expect you to be this beautiful."

"Ah, thank you, Scott. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, not at all. I just arrived here like five minutes ago."

The night went on and Scott did most of the asking and talking, you answered each question curtly with forced enthusiasm in your face and body language. You weren't even listening to half of the things he said because your mind kept playing images of Bucky with Leah and how you heard from Sam that the date went well so he lost 300 bucks. You kept thinking about Bucky and Leah and how they would probably get married and have kids and live in the suburbs with a golden retriever while you'd still be single and you'd compare every man you meet to Bucky. Maybe it was your karma for not reciprocating his feelings in high school.

Five glasses of wine and you spent more time nodding than talking. Honestly, all you wanted to do was to just go home and go back to The Notebook because their love story was much better than your love life. Scott woke you out of your daze, "Natasha told you that I was cuter than this, did she?" after you gulped your sixth glass of wine.

"Oh Scott, I'm so sorry. It's not you, it's me. I know it sounds cliche but it's just... I'm not in a place where I'm looking for a boyfriend. You are a really likeable guy and I swear, if we had met at another time, maybe I would be a better date but right now, I just- I have someone else in my mind." You sighed, it felt like a relief to get that off your chest.

"Is this guy... an ex-boyfriend?"

You chuckled, "no... He wishes."

Scott nodded, "look, I don't know what your situation is but I've been through a divorce and it's never easy. But eventually, you'll be fine. You can't see it now because you haven't had closure." Then it was as if the bulb above your head was turned on.

"That's it.  Closure, yeah. That's all I need. Okay, give me a minute. I'm gonna call him now and I'm going to get my closure."

Scott sat there watching you comically trying to find your phone in your purse and tapped on Bucky's contact number. The normal you would be sweating with every ring but intoxicated you had no worries in the world... For now.

"This is Bucky. Can't pick up right now, leave a message." Beep.

"Hello, yes, Bucky! Or James, should I call you James? I always thought Bucky was a weird name. Anyways, I'm just calling to tell you that I am fine and I am on a date with Scott. And speaking of dates, I just gotta tell you that I'm happy to hear that your date went well. And that, my friend, means that I am over you. That's right, I'm over you. Tell Leah I say hi." You said sarcastically.

You hung up the phone and threw your phone back into your purse. You felt like you just won a chess game.

The next morning you decided to sleep in because your heart was pounding and you could barely sit up without feeling like you might fall. You were supposed to be working at the bakery but since you owned the bakery, Wanda let you sleep it off until you recover. You couldn't remember anything from last night, how you got back to your apartment was a mystery. You tried to put the pictures together, from being forced to go on a date, meeting a guy named Sean? Simon? Sebastian? Scott! Yes, Scott. You ordered your meals and then... Nothing, it was all blurry. You weren't even sure if anything happened at all after eating your meals.

The apartment was empty because Wanda was working at the bakery and it was just you with your hangover pills. Bucky came to your apartment without knocking because Wanda told him on the phone that you were home. He greeted you with a smile and asked about your date.

"Uh, let's see. I think there was a restaurant, I know there was wine. And there's a guy, Scott and pretty much that's all I can recall."

Bucky made a yikes face. Seeing the state you were in, he could do the math (of the wine you had). You probably enjoyed the alcohol more than the guy. What a doofus, he thought. If he was the one going on a date with you, you'd definitely remember every detail from last night.

"Leah's downstairs and I'm taking her back to her place but I left my keys here last night. Have you seen it?"

"No, check the drawers. Maybe Wanda put 'em there."

"Ah, okay." He opened the drawers and found the keys to his bike.

"Did we... Speak on the phone last night?"

"Nope, my phone was dead and I didn't charge it all night so I haven't really checked it. Why?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just... Never mind. My memories are a bit hazy right now. You should go, say hi to Leah for me."

Bucky nodded as you walked back to your room to go lie down. Your question reminded him that he should probably check his phone now because there could be work-related messages but the first thing he heard was a voicemail from you. "Oh, y/n. I got your message!"

That instantly stopped you in your tracks. Your eyes went wide and you froze. You immediately turned around and ran to grab his phone away from him. Bucky had a confused look on his face, "who's Scott?"

"Oh my God, no, Bucky, give me the phone. Give me the phone!" But it was already too late, he was already halfway through your voicemail and by the time you successfully snatched his phone out of his grasp, he had already heard every word.

Bucky stood there dumbfounded, he needed time to process everything you just said to him. "What do you- what do you mean you're over me?"

"Oh, God... Alright, um- lately, I've um- sort of, have... Feelings for you." You never had to chase a guy or confess your crush first so this felt new and my God, it was nerve-racking.

"You have feelings for me..." He said it as if he was convincing himself that his ears got it right. Bucky couldn't believe the words that just escaped through your lips, for years he had dreamed of this moment. Though never did he ever want you to make the first move but adolescent him wanted to hear you say what he'd been wanting to say to you too.

He didn't say anything for what felt like minutes and you couldn't decipher his thoughts from the look on his face. "I need to sit down," he pulled one of the dining chairs and leaned on his side in a defeated posture.

"Bucky... Please say something." You alerted him in a hushed tone, not wanting to startle him than you already did. But he didn't. He was lost at words. What the hell was he supposed to tell her?

"Look Bucky, I'm sorry for telling you this way but I had to. I just- I've been wanting to talk to you about it since you came back to New York, well- actually, since Steve told me but-"

"Whoa, Steve told you?!" He interrupted.

"Yeah, it just accidentally slipped when we were playing truth or dare..."

"Okay well," he stood up from his seat, yet he still couldn't look you in the eye. "I can't do this right now, Leah's waiting for me downstairs and I gotta go." He basically ran out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving you alone.

Once your hangover had begun dissipating, you decided to help Wanda at the bakery and took the night shift. She must've been exhausted from managing the bakery alone while also helping the employees in the kitchen so you told her to go home and leave it to you. The bakery's usually slower at night.

When it was nearing closing time and your employees had gone home, you decided to clean up and turned off the lights and checked everything one last time before locking the door. The bell above the door dinged and you were slightly annoyed because who the hell comes to the bakery at this hour?

"I'm sorry we're clo...sed." It was Bucky. He stood there in a black coat, with an expression you still couldn't figure out. "Bucky, what are you-"

"You have no right to tell me that you've got feelings for me." His tone was harsh, he never spoke that way to you or anyone... Ever.

"What?"

He walked closer to you, maintaining his gaze, "You can not tell me that you've got feelings for me now when I'm doing well with my life and Leah..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I was in love with you for years! Years, y/n! And you never said and did anything and now when everything's going well you're ruining it!"

"I am ruining it?" You repeated the question because you couldn't believe what you just heard. How dare he said those hurtful things to you.

"Yes! I was doing fine with Leah and now I don't know what's going to happen with me and her anymore..."

"Yeah, well, I was doing fine before I found out that YOU were in love with me and never had the balls to tell me!" You did everything you could to not cry, you hated crying in the middle of an argument.

"Hey, it's not like I didn't try. There were your ex-boyfriends and your dates and I had to move on. I couldn't wait forever! And now, now you're too late."

"Oh, so what? You're just gonna walk away and pretend that this never happened?"

"Yes, I'm going to do exactly that and I'm going to go see Leah." He turned around like he did earlier in your apartment and left you alone once again with your heartbreak.

"Fine! Go ahead and see Leah because I don't give a fuck about cowards like you or whoever you sleep with." You slammed the door and tried everything you could to not have a breakdown here because you really hated letting an argument hurt you. You sat on one of the chairs where the customers would sit and you hid your face with your hands and cried.

Not because you just lost an argument but because of what Bucky said and it felt like you had lost Bucky before you even had him. Now there was no hope left for you and Bucky, things were too complicated.

You didn't know how long you had cried there, alone, in the dimmed lighting of your shop but after you felt like the tears had dried, you wiped the traces of your tears from your cheeks with the back of your thumb. You stood from your seat and was ready to go home. You couldn't wait to eat some leftover pizzas, take a warm shower and cry into your pillows until you fall asleep.

But when you were about to leave, you saw Bucky standing on the other side of the door, watching you through the windows with a softer expression on his face. You opened the door and Bucky instantly grabbed your waist and kissed you as if his life depended on it.

You gave in to his kiss, letting him pour every desire and yearning into your lips for as long as he wanted. You grabbed his face because you wanted him impossibly closer and you shut your eyes, letting your guard down. Because it was Bucky, and you'd known him for as long as you could remember and you both deserved this moment.

Bucky eventually pulled away until both of you were running out of air. You were breathless from his kiss, you never knew he was such a good kisser. (It's Bucky and he's had a lot of women on his bed, of course, he was excellent at it. Who were you kidding?) But now that you've had your own front-row experience, you felt a tad of possessiveness at the thought of sharing those lips or any part of him with anyone else.

"I couldn't go back to her knowing you are here alone and I had thrown away what I've wanted for as long as I could remember."

"I'm glad you came back." You pressed your foreheads and you rested your hands on his chest. You could get used to this.

"I hope it's not too late to say this but, y/n y/l/n, will you let me take you to dinner and see a movie after maybe?"

"I wasn't the one who said it's too late," you halfheartedly teased him.

"Shut up, so is that a yes or a no?"

You bit your lip and nodded, "yes. Definitely a yes." You stared into his ocean blue eyes, so deep and beautiful, you could easily get lost in it.

"y/n y/ln, I'm going to put all of your ex-boyfriends to shame."

"Hm, we'll see about that." You put your arms around his neck. Then a thought crossed your mind and your smile faded away, "what are you gonna do about Leah though?"

"I'll talk to her in the morning. Let's take you home now, yeah? It's getting late."

You bit your lip and nodded, "okay."

Ninth grade you dreamed of popular jocks and athletic seniors, but little did you know that, sometimes, the one who sincerely loved you was the book nerd who loved The Hobbit a little too much.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes drabble #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes modern au #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan smut #sebastian stan fluff #sebastian stan angst #sebastian stan fanfic #friends to lovers

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbr.com/mcu-winter-soldier-not-a-hero/amp/ wtf to like 90% of this.

Oh wow, what a load of bullshit! This is the worst article I've read in a long time, was that written by a Stark crazy fanboy because hoooooooooooooooly shit. Buckle up, folks.

9 times Bucky proved he's not a hero (yeah the title is promising)

As you can imagine most of the reasons the idiotic writer gives to portray Bucky as a villain were things he did as the Winter Soldier (he tried to kill Fury, he shot Natasha, he assassinated two dozen people in 50 years, he killed Yori's son bla bla), and he says this:

As The Falcon and the Winter Soldier reveals, Barnes is likely responsible for many more unaccounted ruthless casualties than the intelligence community acknowledges.

I don't think it was their intent but thank you for acknowledging that TFATWS victim blames Bucky.

But there's more:

Bucky Ran After He Was Framed For The UN Bombing

A devastating bombing in Vienna during a U.N. meeting set to see the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords for which Bucky is framed for puts the highly dangerous super-soldier at the top of everyone's hit list.

Highly dangerous? What was Bucky doing while he was being framed for the UN bombing? Oh right, buying plums. Such a dangerous guy. Hiding in an apartment, buying plums, writing in his diary... such a threat.

When Rogers and Sam Wilson finally track Barnes down in Romania with the help of Sharon Carter, the Winter Soldier is reluctant to turn himself in.

He refused to turn himself in for a crime he didn't commit, how dare he?!!

Another one:

Bucky Murdered Howard And Maria Stark

Among the many assassinations that the Winter Soldier completed over the years was the murder of Tony Stark's parents. A belligerent Stark proceeds to relentlessly attack Rogers and Barnes in blind rage (albeit justified).

JUSTIFIED????!!!!!!

while Bucky was brainwashed by HYDRA at the time, it doesn't lessen the atrocities of his actions

While Bucky had no agency and he had been brainwashed and didn't know who he was or what he was doing none of that lessens his responsibility for his actions. WTF dude.

Another:

Bucky Stole SHIELD'S Super-Soldier Serum For HYDRA

the 1991 mission the Winter Soldier undertook wasn't even about killing the Starks; rather, Barnes' HYDRA superiors sought S.H.I.E.L.D.'s super-soldier serum they happened to be carrying in their trunk.

Oh they happened to be carrying it in their trunk, it's one of those things that can happen to any of us, you head to your car, open the doors and all of a sudden bam! a bunch of vials fly into your trunk.

Not only do Barnes' actions lead to the death of someone he might've once considered an ally or even a friend, the super-soldier serum inadvertently leads to the deadly expansion of HYDRA's own program in Russia.

Barnes' actions, not Hydra's. How subtle. And Howard was a friend? The same guy who hired Zola, the man who had tortured Bucky, to work for Shield? That Howard? He was a friend?

Following the wild events of Endgame, Barnes finds himself shockingly pardoned by the U.S. government

Shockingly, I'm telling you! Why isn't this guy in jail already, let's bring Stark from the dead so he can murder him and JUSTIFIABLY so, huh?

Another:

Bucky Helps Sam Reclaim Captain America's Shield

Following the disaster that was John Walker's Captain America, Barnes and Wilson make a controversial choice in forcing the U.S. operative to give up the vibranium shield

Controversial?! Are you kidding me? Did you forget what Walker had done right before that scene happened? And I see we're conveniently leaving out that he stole a vial and injected himself with it.

Barnes and Wilson ultimately get the upper hand, but they're forced to literally break Walker's arm in order to detach the shield from him, leaving him screaming in pain. While Barnes' heart was in the right place, the unceremonious method he used to take back his old friend's shield was anything but heroic.

You know what wasn't heroic? Murdering an innocent, surrendering and unarmed man with the shield in front of everyone then not only refusing to take any responsibility for it but doubling down and going to Lemar's family to lie to them in their faces by claiming he had killed the man responsible for his death.

You know what's not heroic? That the only consequence for Walker is he's demoted and no longer Cap, nothing else. You know what would have happened if Sam had done what Walker did? Straight to the Raft.

Also, I love how this idiot says Sam and Bucky fought him and broke his arm, etc when the very first thing they did when they approached him was try and avoid a fight at all costs, Walker was the one who initiated it.

The only reason they give that's right is this one: "Bucky Frees Helmut Zemo To Help Find The Flag Smashers" because yeah, that's what he did. But everything else in this article? 100% victim blaming.

Go kiss Stark and Walker's ass and stop writing about Bucky, dude.

#pro bucky barnes #anti tfatws #anti tony stark #anti john walker

[cobrakaisb]

tik tok

summary: a collection of the different times that y/n referenced tik toks throughout their friendship with the characters in cobra kai. (i tried to keep this somewhat consistent with the plot of the show) 

word count: 1140 words

“you could take her to get tattoos,” hawk suggested, causing you, aisha, and miguel to look at him like he was crazy. “my boy rico hooked me up with this bad boy,” he continued. hawk proceeds to take off his gi and show the three of you his tattoo. “badass,” aisha commented, and you nodded in agreement. “fourteen hours in the chair, totally worth it though,” hawk explains, looking at himself in the mirror.  “do your parents know?” miguel asked him and he shook his head no. “they’re gonna know,” you commented. hawk just gave you a questioning look. “they’re gonna know,” you repeated. “how would they know?” he asked. “because it’s a giant fucking hawk tattoo on your back, and i’m gonna tell your mom,” you respond, smiling sweetly at him. “please don’t,” hawk begged, sitting back down to stretch.   

--

“so that’s why i broke up with hawk,” moon finished telling you why she broke up with hawk. “fair enough,” you said, nodding your head slightly. “that’s all you have to say?” moon asked, a hint of anger in her voice. “i’m a little lost but fair enough,” you answered her question by repeating your previous statement. “how are you a little lost? i literally just explained everything to you!” moon shouted. you rolled your eyes. “moon, you broke up with hawk for being a bully, when you used to stand by and let yasmine bully him,” you said gently. moon’s eyes widened at your statement. “besides he just got a tattoo for you. that would be enough to keep me from leaving,” you added as moon laughed at your words.    

--

“hey tory!” you shouted, waving to the blonde girl. “hey y/n what's up?” she asked as you jogged over to her. “who’s daisy?” you asked. tory’s eyebrows furrowed at your words. “daisy? i don’t know a daisy,” she mumbled, confusion plastered all over her face. you frowned at her words. “then who’s this girl that keeps texting me? she said that you hooked up?” you questioned tory. “what? i swear i don’t know a daisy!” tory defended. “you sure?” you asked, raising your eyebrow at her. “yes!” she shouted back. “daisy me rollin!” you replied, walking forward doing a dice roll. tory glared at you, while you just burst into a fit of laughter.  

--

hawk was currently beating up brucks, who had decided to join cobra kai, and make fun of his scar in the process. you were standing next to tory and doug watching the two of them fight. “you can do it! you can do it! you can do it! you can do this! you can do this! you can do this!” you cheered from your spot, looking at hawk. hawk looked over towards you rolling his eyes. “shut the fuck up!” he yelled, punching brucks in the nose. “i’m just encouraging you!” you shouted back, gesturing to the fight. “no!” he replied, continuing to beat the shit out of the boy. 

--

“you fuckers! you fuckers! you motherfuckers! i will rain hellfire upon you!” you shouted, walking towards sam, demetri, hawk, and miguel. the four of them just looked around, not knowing what you were talking about. you punched miguel’s shoulder. “how dare you not call me the second that fight broke out!” you shouted. “y/n-” sam started, but you pointed at hawk. “and you! why wouldn’t you tell me what tory was planning!! especially since you know how badly i’ve been dying to fight those assholes!” you continued. “y/n it’s fine. we took care of them. and you can’t fight them until the all valley next year,” demetri said calmly, walking you towards your first class of the day.  

--

“okay y/n name something that you might like to have two of on your bed,” demetri said, looking at the family feud card. you, demetri, hawk, sam, and miguel were all playing family feud. “karate boys demetri,” you answered confidently, and rather quickly. “what?” sam asked, a confused look on her face. “i mean look at them!” you said, pointing at miguel and hawk who were sitting on the other side of the table. “tell me you wouldn’t want to come home and find the two of them on your bed?” you continued, looking at sam. “no i would,” she whispered and you nodded, mumbling out an “exactly”. “okay well that’s not on the board. that’s also your third strike. miguel,” demetri said, continuing the game.  

--

“hey sam, how old is your dad?” you asked, opening the door to her bedroom, carrying a plate of food. “what?” she asked, appalled. “no, not like that! well it is, it is like that,” you explained. “how old is he?” you asked again. “why do you care?” sam asked. “because i came in the house and he was like ‘you want to eat?’ so i said, ‘eat what?’” you continued. sam scoffed. “first of all put my plate down, and stop hitting on my dad!” she yelled, grabbing the plate from your hands. “ugh fine!” you sighed, closing the door to her room behind you as you entered. “he is really hot though,” you mumbled, quickly dodging the pillow that sam threw at you.   

--

“i would never let a man spit in my mouth,” you said to tory. “i would,” tory answered confidently. you gagged at her words. “i don’t know why y’all keep saying, ‘oh spit in my mouth!’ that’s fucking nasty!” you shouted looking at tory. “alright y/n whatever you say,” tory replied, shrugging her shoulders. “hey guys!” robby greeted, walking up to you and tory. he was wearing a black denim jacket and his hair was looking on point. “hey robby!” tory greeted, but you were too busy standing there, looking at robby, with your mouth agape. “hey tory,” you whispered. “mhm,” she replied. “forget everything that i just said. i would totally let him spit in my mouth,” you whispered back, subtly gesturing to robby. 

--

you and tory pulled up to hawk’s house, and you beep your horn loudly. hawk came out of his house, and you rolled down tory’s window, shouting, “get in loser we’re going shopping!” tory laughed at your words as hawk flipped you off before climbing into the backseat. together the three of you drove to the mall where you were in fact going to do some shopping. 

--

“how is he so fucking hot!!” you scream, recording a video on your snapchat of you at the eagle fang karate dojo. you were holding your phone up, zooming in on bert as he kicked nathaniel, his partner, practicing the new skill you guys were learning. “and respectful!” you continued, when bert helped nathaniel get up from the ground. “you need to stop,” miguel mumbled from beside you. hawk, sam, and demetri all nodded their heads in agreement.

tags: @iwantahockeyhimbo @funprincess101 @the-anxious-youth @rottenstyx

#cobra kai #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai imagine #miguel diaz #miguel diaz cobra kai #sam larusso #hawk cobra kai #eli moskowitz #demetri #demetri cobra kai #tory nichols #robby keene #robby keene cobra kai #miguel diaz x reader #miguel diaz imagine #hawk cobra kai x reader #hawk imagine #tory nichols x reader #sam larusso x reader #demetri x reader #robby keene x reader #robby keene imagine #cobrakaisb writing

[gilbirda]

What could have been (2/3)

For the DP’s Phic Phight 2022

Prompt: Ghostking!Danny meets one of his parents in the afterlife. (PR181) by @going-dead

My AO3 series

Chapter 2: I hope you know we had everything

It shouldn't surprise him that she was angry enough to become a ghost. What surprised him was how, even after years commanding his troops and becoming the warrior King the Ghost Zone needed, he still wanted to cry when he saw his mother.

[Read on AO3][Read on FF.net]

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Phantom was having a moment to relax. Those were scarce, but since the activity of the GIW and their copycats have diminished, he could steal a moment or two to simply exist and stop trying to be a competent military leader.

(Fake it till you make it, Sam had commented.)

He never wanted this. He had dreams and desires, he once upon a time wanted to graduate from Casper High with honors and maybe study astrophysics and become part of NASA.

Never in his wildest dreams he thought he would end up being forever fourteen and the leader of a whole dimension. Or worse, lead them into battle. Strategizing with a military council, looking at the numbers of casualties in both factions, acting as if it didn’t break his heart to see people die.

It has been almost half a century and he stopped wishing he could go back to how things were before somewhere along the way. Was it before they lost the Science Tower to the GIW? Or after Valerie came to him crying because Plasmius decided to threaten her with killing her father if she didn’t obey him? Danny still remembers Vlad’s screams and sobs as they stripped him of his physical form and encapsulated his core in resin, to be displayed in the throne room.

In his defense, the man had tried to overthrow him one too many times. And he had the nerve of using Valerie the last attempt at it.

“My Liege?” A voice interrupted his rest. If he could call closing his eyes as he sat on the throne ‘resting’. “There’s been a development.”

Danny made a gesture so the General could continue talking.

“A new soul has been found roaming the Wastes. It’s… um…” It was weird seeing his ruthless general be at loss of words.

“Go on?” Danny tried to make his voice kind and welcoming. By the nervous look on the ghost he supposed he failed.

“We believe it is your biological human mother, sir. Madeline Fenton.”

He should be surprised, but instead he felt cold and empty. “You believe?”

“We didn’t dare approach, sir. Just in case…”

Madeline Fenton was infamous among his troops. The heartless woman had destroyed so many of his species during the years, via the GIW assaults or by her own hands, that it wasn’t recommendable to approach her without backup.

Tales of the captured ghosts they managed to bring back still send shivers down their ectoplasmic bodies. Especially when those tales had to be sealed away with the memories of their time in Madeline’s prison, to protect the ghost from breaking down and destabilizing.

“Bring her to me.”

***

He had seen her when he joined the troops for the battle, and with time, he had stopped getting caught in her aging features; but he was not prepared to see her in her blue spandex suit, young again, orange goggles in her no-longer-white hair.

She looked just like she did the day he abandoned the human realm.

(The day he managed to escape from the basement lab with Jazz’s help.)

She didn’t see him at first, kicking and biting and apparently not caring who saw her screaming ‘you criminal ghost scum’ at his subjects.

Did she forget she was one of them, now? He chuckled at the thought.

“Phantom.” She growled, finally seeing him there at the throne. “Where is he.” It was an order, not a question.

But he obeyed no one. He was above all in his Realm.

“Maddie,” his smile wasn't a happy one, "it's been a while."

The woman screamed and thrashed against the ghost soldiers holding her in place, but he stood there comfortable with the knowledge that she couldn't harm him. She was alone and she didn't have any of her toys here.

There was also the fact that he could compel her to obey, but that was a last resort kind of thing.

"WHERE IS MY SON!"

Danny had waited too long for this moment. He savored the way her youthful expression twisted with fury and confusion, how her eyes danced around the room, searching for exits, making an escape route. Or was she looking for this idealized version of her son she so desperately wanted?

Maybe once upon a time she actually was looking for her little boy, but with time it became less about motherly love and more about justifying her hatred. As if by eliminating all the ghosts somehow everything would be better, not really analyzing the flaws of that reasoning.

His mother was gone and only Commander Fenton was left, no matter how her ghost form looked like.

“He’s here.” The corner of his lip shifted a little bit higher. “But you don’t deserve to see him.”

“You MONSTER!” She fought against the soldiers, but gave up quickly. “What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything.” He slowly walked down the dais, one hand gesturing for everyone in the room to leave. Only the two guards holding Maddie remained. “You did.”

His words did the trick and the woman stopped fighting, shocked into silence.

“You weren’t there, you ignored him, you hurt him - your neglect and lack of interest in your son’s life cost him everything. And yet you claim to care about him.” He chuckled, bitter. “Funny.”

“Don’t you dare-!”

“Another funny thought,” he interrupted her, “your son Danny died and you never noticed. Yet you say his life is precious.”

“If you touched him, I swear-!”

“I was there, the day he died. It was tragic. It was an accident, you know? One of your inventions - quite ironic, I know - was what was finally offed him.”

“Danny, stop.”

“Jazz?” Maddie looked away from the King to the new figure that seemed to materialize from behind the throne. “You… You are working for him?”

The now adult woman twisted her lips, clearly not happy with the situation. “Yes. I know everything.”

Tears gathered in Madeline’s eyes. “How could you? Phantom killed your brother!”

“Ah ah. I just said I was there, woman. I never said I killed him.”

“And I’m supposed to believe you?”

“Do you really have any other options?” The Ghost King laughed harder when the woman frowned.

“Danny, stop doing this.” Jazz walked closed to put a comforting hand on her brother’s back. “She has to know.”

“She doesn’t deserve it.”

His sister squeezed his shoulder. “She doesn’t. But it doesn’t mean she deserves to suffer. Rip the bandaid, as we talked about.”

Danny didn’t agree with his sister, but she was always insisting on him being a better person than Maddie. He didn’t want to be the better person, he was tired of it. He was tired of playing the same old games with the humans.

“Honey, what are you talking about?” Maddie had given up her rage, at least for the moment. Confusion painted her expression as her eyes followed their every move. How hadn’t she made the connection already?

“I was there, the day he died… because he became me.” Danny let the transformation wash over him, his eyes not leaving Maddie’s face. Rip the bandaid. “Hello, Mom.”

The word tasted like ashes.

“...” Madeline’s eyes opened wide, her legs giving up under her. “No…”

Danny smiled, knowing how he looked in his human form. He knew he had been neglecting his human side a little bit - or more than a little bit; yes, Frostbite, he slept a few hours (in a week but the yeti didn’t need to know that), and yes, it was actual food what he ate yesterday -; but he hadn’t cared about being pretty in the last two decades or so. They were at war and the ghosts needed a King. Simple as that.

He didn’t have time for pleasantries or personal life anymore, either. If he thought it had been too much while he was in school, oh boy, he had a big storm coming the following years.

“Do you remember, Madeline?” His eyes glazed over, lost in the memory. “The portal didn’t work one day and the next it did. What changed?”

“Danny said he invited his friends… over…”

Danny smiled at her, but his eyes were still far away. “Everything was simpler before the accident. We had everything - it wasn’t perfect, but it was our little family. Then the ghosts came through the portal, and Phantom appeared, and it was like you and Dad didn’t have time for anything else.” He focused back on the woman, smirking when he saw the gears start turning in her head. “I realize now that everything we had broke down that day - that Danny Fenton died that day, and it was only a matter of time until I accepted it.”

He made a gesture, and the guards that helped Maddie’s arms let her go before also leaving the room. Jazz didn’t dare approach, knowing her brother needed this little moment, this little vengeance. It wasn’t justice - the life they once had was over and nothing could bring back the happy days in the Fenton household.

The woman looked at the King with wide eyes, mouth open but completely speechless.

“I didn’t want to be King.” His regal pose was out of place on his mangled human visage. “But you helped me decide. When you captured me, captured Phantom, and tortured me it was the last straw - it was what convinced me that any hope I held about having a normal life again was impossible. A mere dream.

“We couldn’t come back from the pain and the torture. I couldn’t see your face and not feel your hands ripping me apart piece by piece. I couldn’t hear your voice without remembering you complaining about how loud I was screaming, ignoring me when I said I was also human.”

He picked her face with a hand, ignoring the contrast of her glowing ghostly skin and his pale and dull human one.

“I see recognition in your eyes, Maddie. Do you remember that day?”

“Danny.” Jazz said again, and he let go. When stepped back, he let his form change back to what he was more comfortable with. “You promised.”

“I know.”

“Promised what?” Maddie whispered, jumping a little when it echoed. She forgot again she was undead now. How funny.

Danny took his time to walk back to the throne and sat down, feeling very tired.

“I promised Jazz that if you were to become a ghost, which I knew you would, given your undying hatred for ghosts,” he smiled at his own pun, “I wouldn’t let you suffer alone. That I would be the better person and wouldn’t kill you again.”

He leaned in, forearms resting on his legs, hands clasped together.

“The thing is, I think I’m getting tired of being the better person, Maddie. Ever since I took the throne, you barely gave me a few weeks of rest before you started with your bullshit about finding Phantom and ‘getting your son back’.” He huffed at the words. “I watched you, Maddie. I watched you choose your own path, go on a downward spiral of your own making, always picking the route that brought violence. Violence against ghosts, against peace, against, well… me.”

Maddie tried to get back up, her mouth opening to form words, maybe to explain herself, maybe to once again go on a rant about her son or about ghosts being liars or maybe to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Danny didn’t care about either anymore.

He waved his hand and chains materialized around the woman’s wrists and feet, but he made sure they didn’t hurt her. He had made a promise, after all.

“I don’t hate you.” His eyes didn’t meet Madeline’s - instead he watched two pieces of metal clicking into place around her jaw, forcing it close. “This… treatment isn’t because I’m going to make you experience what you did to me, what you kept doing to my people the rest of your life. No,” he shook his head, “I’m going to be the better person this time, and I’m going to let you go unharmed.”

A portal opened at Maddie’s feet, her body sinking slowly to the stone floor. She panicked, not knowing that it simply led to the dungeons, where she would have time and peace to reflect on her actions.

And where his subjects wouldn’t find her. Just in case.

“This is the world you created, Maddie. Maybe it's time you actually get to live in it.” He looked at her eyes, reveling on the way they teared up as she realized what he was implying. “For the rest of your existence.”

She was completely enveloped by the portal, her screams muffled and ignored. It got brighter for a moment and then the throne room was back to normal.

Danny heard Jazz sigh as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. His sister hadn’t taken the lying really well since the beginning, when she found out about him being Phantom; and when he asked her to cover for him as he left for his coronation to never come back, he knew a part of her died that day. Like many other things did.

“It could have gone better.”

“It could have also gone worse.” He snorted at her, but didn‘t turn to see her expression. Jazz wouldn't agree with how he handled this. Lately she didn’t agree with how he handled many things.

“Do you think she would have believed you if you showed her early on?”

“She didn’t when she was cutting me open.”

“But maybe if we-”

“It doesn’t matter, Jazz!” He turned at last, stopping the flinch when he faced his very alive and very old sister. Jazz was not going to become a ghost, he was positive, and he hated arguing with her when it could be the last time he saw her. “This is our reality now, this is what we get to live in! Maybe it’s broken and fucked up, but we cannot get stuck with what could have been if Maddie and Dad had been better parents!”

“You could ask Clo-”

“We are not messing with Time, Jazz.” His cape started floating, the air charged with electricity. His sister lifted her hands in a placating manner.

“Okay. Okay, calm down.” There was fear in her eyes. She didn’t want him to see it, but it was there.

Sometimes, Tucker and Sam looked at him like that, too.

When did things get this bad? How did everything go so wrong? He always told his sister not to dwell on the possibilities - that it didn’t make sense to long for a reality that wouldn’t be theirs, no matter how much they complained about it.

His existence was painful. He was never going to grow older. He was going to be the Ghost King for all eternity. His human life was over before it even began. Blaming all of this on Maddie was unfair, he knew, but it was just…

He hated every second of it. The fighting, the deaths, the fear. He had become a leader and a bogeyman, a savior and a punisher, but he never wanted to be either. He had been just fourteen. He wanted to be an astronaut.

And his mother was now forever chained to the wall in the dungeons.

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#danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #danny phantom fics #phic phight 2022 #writeblr #gil writes #fanfic #fanfiction

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! A new month - so new fics for you to find and enjoy! I can’t say it enough: all the authors in this fandom are truly amazing! Thank you so much for continuously sharing your hard work with us ♥ Here are the 14 fics I read and enjoyed this month:

A Hungry Heart | jacaranda_bloom | Great British Bake Off AU - famous/not famous - cliches - pining - angst - smut - 27k Harry Styles, florist and Great British Bake Off contestant, loves many things. He loves his flower shop, he loves baking, and there’s also that little crush he has on pop star Louis Tomlinson. But when Louis arrives on set as the surprise guest judge, Harry’s worlds collide. Throw in a cup of cuteness, a teaspoon of teasing, and a pinch of pining, and there’s all the ingredients for an epic love story, or absolute chaos. Or the one where the Bake Off tent has never been so hot, and it’s got nothing to do with what’s in the ovens.

Teenage Rebellion Never Worked Out So Well | panda_bear21 | arranged marriage - friends to lovers - 55k “I’m an adult!” He glanced down at Harry, who seemed anything but at the moment, where he was definitely on the brink of a temper tantrum. “We’re both adults!” Jay glanced to Anne again, before breathing out a heavy sigh. “Yes, but you’re both adults that do not have jobs and who live off of our money… Which means, you have to do what we say… or you’ll have to find a new place to live.” “You wouldn’t do that.” Louis dared, hoping his glare was enough to guilt trip his mother into calling the whole thing off. Or to tell them that it had all just been a huge joke and they weren’t actually being forced into marrying a complete stranger. “Oh, but we would.” Or the super cliché arranged marriage fic where things escalate way too quickly.

Heartbreak Hotel | noellehenry | time travel - 1950s - historical - pining - 29k British popstar Harry Styles is thrown back in time after an unfortunate accident on stage. He wakes up in a small town in the US in the 1950's, where life is slightly different from 2015. With help from Niall and Liam he tries to adjust to his new life; without mobile phones and a world wide web to keep up with the world and where showing interest in nice cute boys with bright blue eyes is a no-no. Time travel and 1950's AU where Liam is an English teacher, Niall owns the Best Song Ever record shop, James runs Corden's Diner, Elvis fan Louis is the cute boy with the blue eyes and Harry..... just tries to survive really.

Playdate | Larry_you_know | getting together - misunderstandings - kid fic - fluff - 7k When Harry’s sister asked him to pick up her son at a kids' birthday party he sure didn’t expect to be stunned by the blue-eyed brother of the birthday twins. Using his nephew to see Louis again, he falls hard and fast. But how does one turn a playdate into a real date?

tread lightly on my ground | fairytalelights | a/b/o - mpreg - touch-starved - miscommunication - friends to lovers - touch deprivation - smut - 21k No, that's the tragic part of this, the part that makes Harry feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on him. The father of his baby is exactly right, exactly who he always imagined himself having kids with. He just imagined them married, bonded. Happy. He didn't imagine them barely talking, tip-toeing around each other because neither of them is brave enough to talk about what happened between them. He didn't imagine the father of his child not loving him back. or, the one where Harry is having Louis' baby, but Louis doesn't know it's his.

Not Ready for This | berzerkshires | kid fic - single parents - smut - 18k Prompt for HLSummerFest2021: Louis and Harry are both single fathers and their children decide to go out on a date. The dads insist on meeting one another before they agree to let their child go out on this date.

Secret's Safe With Me | alltheselights | boss/employee relationship - secret relationship - toxic relationship (not h/l) - slow burn - smut - 59k But here’s the thing about secrets that people tend to forget—they’re deeply personal things. Tiny pieces of information about someone that they keep locked inside and only let out at certain moments, or to certain people, or not at all. Secrets have value, you see, even if only to the person holding them inside. If those secrets were to be told, if those tiny jagged pieces of someone, the parts they hold most dear, the parts they hide out of shame or fear or regret—if those pieces were exposed to someone, it would have the potential to change everything. When bad turbulence and three glasses of wine have Louis spilling all of his secrets to the man sitting next to him on the plane, it's embarrassing, sure, but it's also easy enough to shrug off and block out of his memory forever. Or at least, it was until Louis went into work on Monday morning and realized that the man from the plane is the new CEO of his company.

Marks On My Baby | thinlines | a/b/o - college/university - friends to lovers - hurt/comfort - angst - fluff - smut - 32k “What’s that?” Harry hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so sharp and even he winced at his own outburst. It was more of a hiss than an actual question, but for now, he was too surprised to care. “What’s what?” The omega asked, eyebrows raised and lips pinched. Harry knew he was probably mad at him for interrupting his rant, but the alpha was too on edge to bother pleasing the boy. “On your neck… Your bondmark spot…” His voice had grown low and deep, almost a growl. Who knew a single love bite on his omega friend's neck would trigger Harry this much? Certainly not the alpha himself.

Rogue | Laventriloque | a/b/o - werewolves - minor character death - hurt/comfort - past abuse - past rape/non-con - soulmates - smut - 95k “No, Liam! How many times do I have to… before you finally… NO WAY … a rogue in our pack?… cannot trust him … don’t care to know him … have enough members to worry about.” He hears more indistinct shouts before he hears pretty clearly: “His own pack didn’t want him!” Sitting here, his precious bag between his feet and everyone in the room looking at him, some with pity, some with disdain, some with curiosity, Louis feels like someone squeezed his heart in their hands and isn’t letting it go. He wills his head to stay up high and his posture to stay confident. He will not flee the room. He will not let that stupid lump in his throat get the better of him. He will stay here until Liam returns. He will take the rejection in stride and move on. Like he’s been doing all his life." -- Louis is a rogue Omega who's suffered through rejection and abuse for the biggest part of his life. He stumbles onto the Styles pack, quite possibly the kindest one he's ever met.

indian summer | docklands | strangers to lovers - hurt/comfort - banter - smut - 30k Harry runs a smoothie shop, which also happens to be an ever-moving caravan. He spends one week in each location and drives straight to the next, always eager for adventure. It isn't until his van breaks down and he needs to call for a mechanic that he starts to ponder his life choices. Louis, the said mechanic, is an anchor in Harry's wild sea, but his hard metal might be too much for Harry's unpredictable antics.

A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) | FallingLikeThis | arranged marriage - royalty - a/b/o - mpreg - minor character death - murder - non-graphic violence - angst - hurt/comfort - 7k Omega Prince Harry had always known that he was going to have an arranged marriage. But after the death of his first fiancé, a man who turned out far worse than Harry thought possible, his subsequent marriage to the man's brother leaves Harry finding it difficult to trust that everything will work out. Especially considering the only responsibility he’s aware of is to give his husband, the future king, an heir.

A Twist of Fate | myfearlesslou | a/b/o - strangers to lovers - soulmates - angst - 35k Since the moment Harry presented as an omega, all he's ever wanted was to have a baby. Fate had another idea in mind for him. Giving up on trying to conceive, he decides to adopt a new born baby boy. After months of loving and caring for the boy, a strange man comes into his life, taking him by surprise. Not wanting to lose the child he's loved from the moment he laid eyes on him, Harry does whatever he can to keep the boy safe and in his arms. Even if that means following the handsome stranger to a part of the woods he's never seen before.

Trust Me Tonight | 28sunflowers | historical - royalty - regency - arranged marriage - first time - mpreg - pwp - 10k After Harry’s eighteenth birthday, his father calls him into a meeting to say that he is to be married to Prince Louis of France in just over a week. Harry is excited, of course. The arrangement is better than any he could’ve hoped for, with such a young, handsome and kind husband. There is just one issue: Harry doesn’t know what happens on his nuptials, or how to get pregnant to give Louis the heir that he needs.

i got a heart (but i don't got a soul) | tempolarriefics | mythical beings Á creatures - enemies to lovers - childhood friends - famous/not famous - soulmates - angel/demon relationship - demon/human relationship - 19k “We’re soulmates.” Louis’ eyes flick from the tattoo back to Harry’s face, where his eyes are shining with excitement. Louis wonders if he is supposed to feel excited, too. He’s supposed to feel something, surely, besides his usual bitterness for Harry. He thinks back to how Lottie had described meeting Sam, how she had known in her heart that he was meant for her even before he said his phrase. He can’t help but wonder if he would be feeling differently if he hadn’t gone and sold his soul. Or, the one where louis sells his soul before meeting his soulmate, harry is a popstar with a heart of gold, niall is inadvertently responsible for harry's boners, liam is a meddling angel, and zayn is a demon who made a mistake

#28th appreciation #fic rec #my fic rec #my reads #monthly fic rec #monthly reads #larry fics #completed fics

[datawyrms]

“Did you apologize to Tucker yet?”

“About what? Wait, are we talking again? I thought we weren’t talking.” The ghost circled back, blindly fumbling with the thermos lid, eyes busy squinting at the hunter’s mask as if it would let him see through it better. “You’re not gonna say it’s fine then shoot me, are you?”

“Why do you always remind me why I don’t like talking to you like this.”

“What’d you mean like ‘this’? Like I should pretend that isn’t a totally valid question?” 

Valerie groaned, gesturing at the ghost. “Like that sort of thing is normal!”

Phantom smirked, letting the edges of his boots hit the hoverboard. “Welcome to my life.”

“And how you just keep that stupid confident face up.”

“Uh huh. I thought you were lecturing me about Tucker, not my personality.”

She deeply considered having the board jar the ghost off, but that’d probably just amuse him more. “You seriously don’t remember why you should be apologizing?”

“Well according to you, I should basically apologize for existing. So sometimes I lose track on the particulars.” There was an edge there that the blithe tone couldn’t quite cover up, even as the ghost sat down. “Y’gonna enlighten me or what? I’m bad at twenty questions.”

“You broke your promise to him, remember?”

The blank stare she earned in response was absolutely infuriating. “Uhhh. Which one?” He had the sense to look embarrassed, hand glued to the back of his neck.

That wasn’t going to help him though. Shooting him was actually sounding like a fair idea if it was the only thing that would get him to actually learn and pay attention. “To stop possessing people. The big one? The really easy one that NONE of his other friends need to worry about doing ‘accidentally’?”

“Wow Val, if you just wanted to say you think I’m weird you didn’t need to drag Tuck into it.” The embarrassment slid into a scowl easily enough, arms crossed as if that would defend him. “I haven’t done that for months.”

“He’s been telling you he hates it for years.” Before she even figured out Danny’s dead man walking secret. Tucker was too good a friend to be ignored for literal years because a ghost conveniently forgot how fucked up it was to invade someone’s body and use them as an unwilling meat puppet if it was ‘helpful’.

“I try, okay? I’m not doing it to upset him!”

“Somehow everyone else can manage without doing it.”

The ghost tilted his head. “Well duh, you guys can’t.”

“Even if we could, we wouldn’t.” She snapped, the confusion and completely casual excusing of his actions just a little too much to deal with. “Heroes don’t control people.”

“Well excuse me for needing to protect myself. If what I am gets out to the wrong people, I’m dead. More dead.” He groaned face in hand “You know what I mean. Worse than dead. Dani too.”

“Do you really think Tucker’s dad would have ratted your whispy ass out? That he wouldn’t help you explain? Or was it just an excuse to let yourself do what you want?”

“Well you seem to have decided that it was! Which it wasn’t!” His eyes flared green with the defence, and Valarie had to work to not react to the impulsive want to get away from an angry ghost. “I just- reacted, okay? I told him that!”

“Well Tucker and Sam keep forgetting how much of a ghost you are, so of course they won’t buy that excuse.”

“Excuse? It’s not an excuse!” He was up, the offended squawk reminding her so much of how he was before. When they were all fourteen, and every uncomfortable problem could be chalked up to being ‘a moody teenager’ and ignored for a while longer. “And you could stop saying ghost like that, while you’re at it?” The glow dimmed, but he kept the distance. “Sound like my dad.”

“What, you want me to say it like you do when they keep coming here to threaten people? Deal with it.”

“There are plenty of ghosts who don’t do that.”

“Yeah. They don’t come here, and they aren’t my problem,” she shrugged, considering. “I’ll say it nice to them.”

“Oh, real funny.”

“You deserve it.”

She expected a scoff, at least. Probably a laugh, considering how often he’d joke about being the town’s public enemy for a time. Instead he averted his eyes. “Maybe we can finish this talk on the ground?”

It was easier to be ticked off at him when he was joking, or steamed himself. Phantom didn’t ‘do’ uneasy. Maybe it was a good sign that he was actually listening, if he wanted to continue ‘off the clock’. “Space cadet wants to land? Sure, if you want.”

“I wouldn’t go with ‘want’, but yeah.”

It wasn’t much trouble, in the middle of the day. A quick glance while hidden in at least one direction was enough. People who lived in Amity Park knew they should get out of the area of a ghost sighting at this point. Even if she and Phantom were trusted enough to deal with it, stray shots happened. Things fell. Not too many eyes to avoid, even if her identity felt like an open secret most of the time.

Danny had it even easier. He just had to think. It felt like a sick joke, that he could stop being dead on a whim and blend in fairly well. The gangly man leaning against the tree looked human. Black hair, blue eyes, needed a tan, unremarkable. Average. Unless you knew what to look for, anyway. How a casual slouch didn’t match up with how he was always looking for something, a tense energy that seemed desperate to crack free of that spine. That he could walk in winter with the thinnest of jackets and not shake from the cold even once. “Hey.”

Valerie rolled her eyes, sitting on the bench. “Hey yourself.”

Danny grimaced, looking up and away. “How much of a ghost I am, huh?” It wasn’t an angry question, exactly. He was still slouching, hands in pockets. Guarded and uneasy. How much of that fear and caution the person she thought she knew, and how much of it was just another part of his act?

“You’ve said you’re at least half of one.”

“Yeah. You just make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”

The whole crux of the issue, really. How no one really knew how to deal with Danny, his secret and how he’d changed. “It’s not a bad thing on it’s own.”

“So I’m the part you like to sneer at,” his brow furrowed, the creases and wrinkles more ominous as blue slid closer to green. “I thought we went over this. You know what actually happened. How I never really attacked people.”

She admired Tucker and Sam’s patience, she really did. “We have. It’s not about that stuff. That’s years ago, you know it. It’s the other stuff.”

The anger was gone in an instant. “What other stuff?”

He was a living migraine waiting to happen. “How you keep thinking things from seven years ago are more important than things happening right now?”

“Hey, you’re the one that held the grudge for two.”. 

“Months. Not years.”

He slouched more at the correction, apparently very interested in his own hands. “Oh. Right.”

“You haven’t been using the reminders like Jazz told you to, have you.”

“I can remember fine! I don’t need some box doing it for me. I’ve just been busy.”

Busy. That was his excuse this time? She crossed her arms and leaned back. “Okay, what year is it?”

“Uhm.” he paused to pick at a non existent loose thread “One starting in 2?”

“Danny.”

“What! Lots of people don’t care too much about the time.”

He didn’t even try to guess within ten years. There was living in the present, and there was this. “No, you know your ghost side makes you act in certain ways and keep denying it. So you still get the complete pain version of ghost. Get it?”

“I’m not that different.” He wouldn’t look at her, hand clenching. “I’m human too, you know.”

“Uhuh. The way your eyes flare up when you’re mad is super human.” She ignored his scowl, pushing forward. “I get it. You don’t like being reminded. Tuck and Sam try to ignore it for your sake.”

“Val, I’m not denying it okay? I know. It’s pretty obvious!”

“Then stop pretending you don’t know. They’re trying so hard to help you have a chance of getting a job that isn’t with your parents and you won’t even use the reminders to help you remember where in time you are!”

That got him to bristle, shaking off his slouch in a sudden reminder of how tall he really was. “Why does it matter? We’re all just kidding ourselves about me ever leaving here.”

“So you just won’t try? Just give up on finding anything else? For someone who keeps insisting he’s human, you sure seem eager to ditch that half of your life.”

“That isn’t what I’m doing.”

“Then what are you doing? Because all I’ve seen you do is get tetchy about ghosts and instinctively do ghost things. When you’re human.”

“I’m putting in the work.You know it’s hard to study or hold down a job.”

“So stop making it harder on yourself.They’ve found ways to help keep you grounded, so do it.” Sam should be saying this, of course. She’d heard it frustratedly repeated so many times, but she never dared to actually say it to the one who had to hear it. Because he was already prone to pulling away or vanishing when you pressed too hard, made things too uncomfortable. Ghosts didn’t do coping, and Danny was never great at facing personal issues head on before becoming a menace to her sanity either. “You think making things harder makes you more of a hero?”

“‘Course not.” He wasn’t looking at her anymore. He was looking for an escape, an out. “I shouldn’t need that stuff, alright?”

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. “Why shouldn’t you?”

A lopsided grin answered her question. “Who likes admitting they’re a freak?” The tree no longer had a human standing by it, but his voice was easy enough to hear. “ But I guess some people care about a freak like me anyway.”

(did Valerie use a tracker to smack him and say ‘you’re not a freak’ right after this? yes)

#Danny Phantom #valerie gray #dp side hoes week 2021 #i only did two prompts #because im bad #tbh should be fleshed out more #but them going into too much detail of what's the issue would be unnatural sounding #and already kinda is lol #but idk ghosts not really being 'down' with time was an interesting idea #to me anyway #my random thoughts are random #tbh so mucch good stuff around that im all 'lol why u adding' bu #content is content ye #i should stop musing in tags