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#tfaws fic
petertingle-yipyip · 4 months
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SIN MIEDO - BUCKY BARNES
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episode five - truth
tags: n/a // four // SM masterlist // what, it’s back? yeah, i’ve been thinking about it alot so i figured it’s time to come finish it
Pairing: stark!reader x bucky
Word Count: 7,209
Summary: After a near death battle with John Walker, Y/N decides to take a step back. But the desire to live up to her father’s legacy both weighs her down and purges her forward.
“We have to take her to a hospital.” Sam insisted.
“I know.” Barnes agreed, his hold on you tightening just to ensure you wouldn’t slip.
“What was she thinking?” Sam said worriedly. He couldn’t understand why you would take on John by yourself. He knew you were a smart fighter, skilled and powerful. But John had lost it. He took the serum and was off his rocker seeing Lemar killed.
“She wasn’t.” Barnes said simply. Barnes’ brain was running a million miles an hour. He wondered why you would be so stupid, but he also understood you weren’t one to play it safe. “We need to take care of her first, then we find Walker.”
“God, you’re unbelievable.” Sam scoffed. “How can you still be worried about that?”
“We need to get that shield. You saw what he’s capable of.”
“She needs to be the top priority!”
Without you knowing, or at least assuming you didn’t know, you’d been his priority the whole time.
“I don’t care about the shield right now!”
“You think she’d want to forget about the shield?” Barnes countered, watching his volume as if you were simply asleep in his arms. “That's what got her like this. Because she wanted to take that shield from him. We can’t let this go.”
“Is that what you think is right or is it because you have a crush on her?” Sam challenged.
You stirred in Barnes’ grip, slowly coming back. You felt the cool stream of water still working to heal you, the damp feeling of your suit’s material paired with the wet spot in your hair at the back of your head. You felt the cold vibranium arm under your knees, the warmth of Barnes’ chest against your cheek. Your eyes slowly opened to a completely different part of the city than you remember.
“Put me down.” You said hoarsely, pulling your hand and the water out of your suit and zipping it back up. You rubbed your eyes and the bridge of your nose to quickly heal that swelling and tenderness before flicking away the excess water from your hand and pulling the absorbed water out of your suit’s fabric.
You weren’t fully healed, but it was good enough. Your chest didn’t ache with every breath and your spine didn’t sting with every movement. You felt considerably stronger than before with clearer vision and the absence of pounding in your head.
The only thing in your head now were your dad’s words. You didn’t know if it was a dream or if you had really crossed the threshold between living and the dead. You didn’t care. All you knew was that he was right. You weren’t done yet.
“No.” Barnes answered. You turned and saw he wasn’t looking at you. Instead, he kept his eyes focused ahead. “You need a hospital.”
“I’m fine.” You struggled in his grip. “Put me down, Barnes.”
“No.”
“Fine.” You replied simply. Using your arms for momentum, you flipped backwards out of Barnes’ arms and landed wobbly on your feet. After quickly regaining your balance, you stood tall. “Where’s Walker?”
“Y/N..” Sam tried gently. “You took a hell of a beating, alright? Just take it easy and we’ll find him later. We’ll get the shield back.”
“You guys don’t get it…I have to do everything myself.” You muttered, turning your hand to see the inside of your wrist. You tapped the screen connected to FRIDAY and had her take the tracking information from Sam’s suit. “Thanks for the tracker.” You saluted Sam before quickly making an air ball and riding it to find Walker.
You had to stop him. You had to get the shield back. If not for Sam, then for your grandfather. He made that shield for Steve, and it should be with the man Steve gave it to. It was Steve’s legacy but it was also Howard’s favorite accomplishment. You couldn’t let it stay in the wrong hands and continue to cause people pain. To take lives. 
You heard the footfalls of the boys behind you, but you weren’t stopping. You figured they knew that. All they could do now was follow and fight beside you. All they could do was help you so you didn’t die. You had a feeling that if you went down this time, you weren’t getting back up.
You all found Walker off some old train tracks. He was distraught, likely over losing Lemar. You didn’t blame him for flying off the handle, but you couldn’t excuse taking a man’s life. A man who wasn’t responsible. And to do it so publicly made you sick.
“Are you insane?” Barnes asked you quietly as the three of you approached Walker.
“I’ve been called worse.” You shrugged.
“Walker.” Sam began, as if in warning.
“You guys should see a medic. You don’t look so good.” Walker replied. “And I’m surprised you’re still standing.” He nodded to you.
“I’ll admit, you got a mean swing… If you wanted me to stay down, you should’ve put me down.” You said simply, weaving a flame between your fingers on either hand. You felt the wind dancing around your ankles at the same time, maybe even small tremors in the ground. “This ends now.”
“You saw what happened.” He defended loudly. “You know what I had to do! I killed him because he killed Lemar!”
“He didn’t kill Lemar, John.” Barnes countered.
“Regardless, we don’t trade lives.” You added tensely. Every word between you four wound your muscles tighter. The flames at your hands grew hotter. The air at your feet moved in faster, tighter circles. 
“You go down that road, it won’t end well.” Barnes continued. 
“I’m not like you.” Walker countered angrily. There was an accusation in his tone, that that's who Barnes still was. He insinuated that he was better than Barnes, but that just showed he didn’t really know who Barnes was outside of his Winter Soldier stories.
You instantly turned your attention to Barnes. His eyes were down, as if he was processing what Walker had said. He looked like someone kicked his puppy and you didn’t know why that expression hurt you as well.
Without really thinking, your hand had reached for his, flame extinguished. You gave his hand a gentle squeeze, as if to say that everything was okay. He looked up at you and offered a tight smile before gently squeezing your hand in return. You didn’t know it but that gesture meant a lot in that moment. You hoped your eyes conveyed the sincerity you intended.
“It was the heat of battle, alright?” Sam tried reasoning with him. But the look in his eyes, the way he eyed you all like you were dinner, showed you he was well past reasoning with. You slowly pulled your hand back and the flame danced through your digits again. “If you explain what happened, maybe they’ll consider your record. We don’t want anyone else to get hurt…”
“You have to give us the shield.” You tried calmly. Even though every muscle in your body was wound tight and every nerve was alive with adrenaline, you followed Sam’s lead. You tried to talk to him, same way you tried with Karli. 
“So that’s what this is?” He answered darkly. “You almost had me..”
“You made a mistake. A very public one.” You said simply.
“You don’t want to do this.” He threatened.
“Yeah, we do.” Barnes answered with a nod. He glanced at you, who met his eyes and added a quick nod in return.
Barnes moved in first and Sam was quick to follow. You hesitated just a moment, letting Sam and Barnes make the first move. You had to be smarter and more calculated than the last time, otherwise you’d likely be returning to the States in a body bag. At the first opening you got, you stomped to raise a slab of rock and you kicked it at Walker.i
Walker kicked Sam away and tried to take on Barnes. You quickly took Sam’s place and created a fire blade in your hand. While Barnes had Walker by the shield, you slashed the flame across his back, burning through his suit and his flesh. You choked on the smell momentarily before dropping the flame and creating a rock gauntlet. You slammed your stone covered fist into the burning wound and forced him to the ground.
Walker elbowed you in the jaw and spun to land a solid right hook on Barnes. The contact sent both of you reeling back and gave Walker time to capitalize. He moved to swipe the shield in a direction that could take you both but Sam came through just in time.
The two went hand to hand while Barnes came around to get you. You could feel the bruise forming already as you moved your mouth around, trying to break up the pain.
“Come on.” He said when he got to your side, hauling you to your feet. “Fight’s not over yet.”
“After you, Sarge.” You gestured for him to go.
“Ladies first.” He shrugged.
You chuckled slightly before moving back into the fight. You moved quickly, throwing flame after flame at him. He ducked behind the shield and Barnes came from behind you. Walker countered most of your attacks but you saw a perfect opening. He pulled back to slam the shield against Sam so you yanked up a rock column to connect with his chin. The impact sent him wobbling back and gave Barnes a chance to apply more pressure. After ducking a heavy blow from Barnes, he threw the shield and sent Barnes flying across the room.
Walker was running after the shield as soon as it left his hand, you and Sam moving in right behind him. Walker had Barnes pinned against an old crate, the two fighting for the disk.
“Why are you making me do this?” Walker screamed, a desperate rage in his voice. He launched Barnes again once the sentence left his mouth.
“Bucky.” You muttered when you realized he didn’t get up right away. While Sam took on Walker again, you ran to Barnes’ side.
“You gotta get up.” You told him, kneeling at his side. You watched the electricity crackling around his arm. He winced as he tried to lift his Vibranium arm. “Here, let me just...” You said gently, focusing on redirecting the extra voltage away from his arm.
What you didn’t see was the way Barnes was looking at you. He watched the intent focus your eyes held, the precise movements of your hands, the careful direction of your fingers. The lightning travelled the path of your arms like a road, seeming soaking into your spine and exiting out the other hand. He was in awe.
He was partly surprised you had focused on helping him. You didn’t have to. It would’ve gone away within a minute, but you took the time to help him. He realized that you actually were his friend. And more than that, he liked that you stopped to help him.
The electricity crackled up one arm and to your spine. You turned and focused on Walker, carefully handling the power in your body. Electricity was a tricky thing. One slip of control and you could hurt yourself. You learned that the hard way. You shot it at Walker, your aim slightly off so you hit right near his feet, and caught him just before he tried to land a devastating blow on Sam.
“Come on, James.” You sighed as you pulled him off the ground to sit up. He groaned and leaned against a nearby pillar. You realized you used his first name and you tensed slightly. It felt too intimate to use in those moments.
“We gotta finish this.” Barnes muttered, to which you could only nod. You relaxed slightly when it didn’t seem like he noticed. But he did. 
“Did you have a plan or should we just try and tire him out?” You tried to joke.
“You want to be the bait?” He offered and you couldn’t fully tell if he was joking or not.
“Make him go after me?” You asked with raised brows. “Promise you won’t let him kill me.”
“Cross my heart.” He nodded.
“Worth a shot.” You shrugged, jumping back into the fight.
Walker had just yanked Sam out of the air and lost hold of the shield. You threw a blast of air to push the shield further for everyone and slammed a fist to the ground. You used the rock to snag Walker’s ankles and cause him to fall on his face. By the time you caught up to him, he was top of Sam and was ripping his wings apart.
You called a flame to cover the entirety of both hands and ran. You tackled Walker off Sam, your hands moving to his neck as you two rolled and you tried to bury your fingers into the soft tissue. The smell of burnt flesh invaded your lungs and you felt the smoke burning your eyes.
He screamed out from the burns and once your momentum stopped, he had you pinned with a knee on your chest. You coughed from the burnt smell and the increasing pressure. He pulled your hands away easily and squeezed. You cried out as you heard the bone break in your left arm. 
“We could’ve been a team.” He sneered ferally.
“I don’t play nice with others.” You commented, trying to buy yourself and Barnes some time. Turning your head to come up with something, you realized you had landed right next to the shield. But so did Walker.
“I am Captain. America.” He practically snarled.
“Yeah?” You asked as an idea came to mind. “You look like a cheap knock off to me.”
He quickly reached for the shield and raised it above his head. As he screamed, you lifted your right hand and flicked a quick bolt of lightning at his chest. He winced inwardly but didn’t budge. In a last ditch effort, you did your best to take control of his blood.
With one hand and the pressure on your sternum, it was impossible to gain complete control. He was fighting you the whole time, pushing the shield with all his strength. You knew once your control slipped, that disk was headed straight for your chest. You groaned as you tried adding your other hand, but the pain was too much. You stomped a foot instead, sending deep vibrations through the concrete foundation. Walker faltered but wouldn’t move.
You thought that was it. Your time was truly up this time. But maybe that would be enough to get that shield back to Sam, back to the man it was supposed to be with. You were about to accept your fate and let him kill you when Barnes made good on his promise. He tackled Walker off of you and handled the fight himself.
You turned on your side and coughed violently, trying to open your airways enough to breathe properly. They traded blows for a minute until Walker managed the upper hand. Sam moved in for the rescue, so he and Barnes were able to get control of the situation. Him and Barnes were turning Walker’s arm outward and you saw an opening.
You pushed yourself to stand and slammed your foot to break loose a piece of the concrete floor. You kicked it forward and heard the sickly pop of his bone dislocating. The pop turned Sam’s pressure into action and he went flying in a separate direction. You almost felt bad for dislocating his arm in such a violent manner, but the shooting pain in your own arm quickly erased that thought. 
“It’s mine.” Walker growled as Sam stood with the shield in his hands and Barnes came to stand with you.
“It’s over, Walker.” You answered through heavy breaths, clutching your arm to your chest.
“It’s mine!” He repeated, pulling back to swing on you.
You ducked his arm and the punch was blocked by Barnes. He landed a hard shot against Walker’s jaw and you swiped your leg to knock him over. Barnes lifted Walker and swung him like a baseball bat into Sam, who was moving in hard with the shield. The impact sent the three of them in different directions, the shield landing between them all.
You quickly moved to grab it while the boys groaned and tried to get up. You held the shield in your hands, staring at the dried blood on it. The sight disgusted you. You moved and shoved it into Sam’s chest once he stood.
“You give this away again, I’m keeping it.” You said plainly before pushing off and walking away with Barnes.
“You’re going to the hospital.” Barnes said simply once you caught up with him.
“I can fix myself.” You defended, picking up a stream of water from a nearby puddle and focused on the returning pain in your chest.
“It wasn’t a request.”
“You can’t order me around.”
“I’m pulling rank. I’m a Sergeant, you’re not.”
“Alright, you got me there.” You answered, too tired to really argue with him. “Can we get something to eat first?”
The next day, you three waited in the same room you had talked to Karli in. You did basic healing on your arm so the hospital left it in a sling rather than a hard cast. They said they may have to put pins in your sternum if it didn’t right itself, but that would take a bit of time before they knew.
Sam caught you up on the Karli situation and his buddy, who you learned to be called Torres, came in. You followed Barnes out after he ignored Sam asking about Zemo.
Later or maybe even the next day - things had really blurred together - you and Barnes found Zemo at the Sokovia memorial, exactly where you expected to.
“Thought you’d come sooner.” Zemo said when you two approached.
“Had something else to take care of first.” You shrugged.
“And don’t worry. I’ve decided I’m not going to kill you.”
“You’d never get the chance.” You said easily as Barnes said “Imagine my relief.”
“The girl… She’s radicalized beyond salvation.” He began as if he was just waiting for a chance to give his speech. “I warned Sam, but he didn’t listen to me. As stubborn as Steve Rogers before him. But you- Both of you, can do what needs to be done. Karli has people everywhere and there’s only one way to ensure she cannot carry out her mission.”
“I appreciate the advice.” Barnes answered flatly. “But we’re gonna do it our own way.”
“I was afraid you would say that.” Zemo chuckled.
You stood beside Barnes as he lifted the gun to Zemo. You watched what seemed like relief come across Zemo’s features. You weren’t necessarily surprised to see that expression, given that he had lost everyone. He was willing to take his own life in Siberia all those years ago, so of course he wasn’t afraid to die now. But part of it may have been relief to see Barnes being the one to hold the gun. Part of him likely wanted Barnes to be the killer HYDRA made him.
When Barnes pulled the trigger and the gun was empty, Zemo’s relief shifted to disappointment. You opened your palm and moved the bullets in a circle above your hand. You held your hand up with a small smirk as Zemo stared at the bullets in disbelief. You smiled as the Dora approached.
You let the bullets fall to the ground and tucked your hands behind your back, rocking on your heels. “Told you I’d deliver him myself.” You nodded in greeting.
“I took the liberty of crossing off my name in your book.” Zemo added. “I hold no grudges for what you thought you had to do.. Goodbye, James. Goodbye, Y/N.”
Ayo talked to Barnes for a minute while you looked at the memorial again. So many lives lost.. It still blew your mind how quickly that situation had gotten out of control.
You left before Barnes did. He was still talking to Ayo when you slipped away. Part of you knew you should’ve stayed and explained where you were going. But the bigger part of you just wanted to go. You headed to the airport where the Stark jet was waiting for you.
First, you went to your shared apartment. You quickly packed all your things and left no trace of yourself in the apartment. You thought about leaving a note, something simple that said ‘Heading back to my family. Thanks for the place to crash.’ but even that didn’t feel right. You decided it was best to say nothing so left about two months worth of rent in cash and walked out. You hailed a cab and headed to the lake house.
You spent the last couple days getting to know your half-sister, and she was such a sweet kid. You saw a lot of resemblance to your dad so the first day with her was rough. But you gave her a chance and you were glad you did.
The two of you spent most of the time near the lake. You showed her different tricks you could do with the water. You used the air to blow her hair around and make the leaves fly. You made little Avenger figures from the rocks below. You used your powers for parlor tricks instead of fighting, and the calm felt nice.
When you got the call from Sam, you ignored it. You assumed it was a lead on Karli and at the moment, you wanted nothing to do with it. You did your part and got the shield away from Walker. You couldn’t save that Flag Smasher but you saved Sam and Barnes. You put Zemo back in prison. All your boxes were checked. You could rest… So why didn’t you feel at peace?
It was another couple days before you were contacted by Sam and Barnes again.
You were with Morgan at the shoreline when the car pulled up. You assumed it was someone for Pepper, probably Happy. You were making a crown from the water for Morgan, freezing it above her head before placing it in its place. You spun the air around you two for dramatic effect.
“I now crown thee, Princess Morgan!” You announced theatrically, pushing a wave across the lake that made her giggle. “Sovereign ruler of this great body of water! What is your first decree, your Highness?” You bowed dramatically.
“Trespassers!” She announced, pointing behind you. “Defend our shores!”
“I shall give my life to serve!” You laughed before turning to see who was coming. You saw Sam and Barnes stepping out of the car and you froze momentarily. “Alas, fair Princess, it’s only visitors from another kingdom.”
“Trespassers!” She yelled again with a wide smile. “Get them!”
“I live to serve thee.” You chuckled and shook your head before heading to the boys.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding?” Barnes asked simply.
“Better than fighting.” You shrugged. “Besides, I never rescheduled my apartment walkthroughs… You guys could’ve just called, yknow.”
“It’s not really the kind of thing you say over the phone.” Sam reasoned. “And last time I called, you didn’t answer.”
“Yeah, cause I thought you were gonna ask what I’m guessing you’re gonna ask me now.” You sighed and turned to check on Morgan. She was playing with the rock Avengers you made her, creating a fight scene of her own. You watched as she held the figure of yourself in one hand and threw a rock at one of the other Avengers. 
“I’ll set the table for two more.. You don’t talk shop in front of the kid, you can stay for lunch.” You sighed, walking backwards and motioning for them to follow. “Pepper usually makes too much food anyways.”
“Morgan!” You called, heading towards the house with the boys following behind. “Chow time! Come get some lunch!” You waited at the porch for her to catch up. 
“What is it?” She asked when she met up with you. “Who are these guys?” She whispered.
“Just some friends..” You dismissed her concerns with a smile as you took her hand while she jumped up the stairs. “Let’s go wash up.”
“Everyone washes their hands before we eat.” You said over your shoulder. “Morgan will show you to the bathroom.” She shot you an accusing look. “I’ll wash my hands in the kitchen so I can reset the table.” You put your hands up in surrender before heading to the kitchen.
“You invited people over?” Pepper asked as you pulled two more plates from the cabinet.
“More like they invited themselves..” You shrugged. “I figured there’d be enough anyway.”
“What do they want?” She eyed you carefully.
“Hopefully just to check in.”
“I didn’t know you were friends with those two.” Her tone betrayed something of disapproval.
“With all the family I’ve lost, I could use a few friends.” You answered sharply. “Oh, and I told them not to talk about anything in front of her so lunch should be pleasant. You’re welcome.”
“Y/N!” Morgan came running into the kitchen while laughing. “You are relieved of your knighthood.”
“I- Huh?” You laughed in disbelief while you pulled her chair out for her and your own chair from beside her. Pepper hid her giggle while bringing the food from the kitchen. “And who will take my place? Who can defend this great land better than me? The prodigy of Earth’s greatest defender, himself?”
“Him!” She pointed to Barnes -who offered a look of confusion- as he and Sam sat on the opposite side of the table. She grabbed your arm and pulled you close so she could whisper her next sentence. “He has a metal arm!” Her jaw dropped to mimic her earlier shock.
“Unfortunately, he won’t be staying long enough to protect your waters.” You said, feigning disappointment. “Sadly, Sir James is only visiting… Besides, I’m stronger than him anyway.”
You felt Barnes’ eyes on you but you ignored them. You didn’t call him James often. Really, that only came to mind as the third time. In Madripoor, taking the shield from Walker, and now. You weren’t sure why you said it but it felt better than calling him ‘Barnes’ when talking to Morgan. But maybe ‘Bucky’ would’ve been better.
“It’s true. I’ve seen it.” Sam added with a chuckle. Barnes simply rolled his eyes with an amused smile. You were relieved that he stepped in and dissipated the tension.
Lunch was surprisingly pleasant. The boys talked to Pepper about how the company was doing and the plans - if any - for rebuilding the Avengers compound. She asked about Zemo and if they knew anything about his escape. You all made jokes and told stories, which made the reunion rather fun.
Once the table was cleared, you took the boys outside while Pepper kept Morgan in the kitchen. You all stood around by the lake. You skipped rocks while Sam and Barnes started their proposition.
“We’re pretty sure Karli is going to attack the GRC vote.” Sam explained.
“Pretty sure isn’t enough to be here, Wilson.” You shook your head. “You’ll need to do something better than that.”
“There’s no guarantee but I bet we’re right.”
“Right… You really think she’s going to be able to travel to New York without someone snatching her up first?” You scoffed. “That move would make sense, I guess. If you can’t change the vote, you stop the vote. Probably kill the Council as a whole and get someone else in there.”
“So you’re in?”
“Am I in?” You laughed. “I did my due diligence. Walker doesn’t have the shield and Zemo is locked up. My hands are clean.”
“So you’re comfortable with quitting on this?” Barnes challenged.
“Why do you care?” You turned on him. “Why do you really care? Let me ask you something, Barnes. Why did you let me stay with you when you didn’t know me?”
“What are you getting at?” He avoided your question. The accusations in your tone hit him deep. It sounded like you were accusing him of ulterior motives, but he just wanted to do the right thing. He was glad for it, being that he quickly got used to having you around. To the point where he even liked having you around.
“I’ve seen my name in your book.” You said simply. “You think you have to make amends because you killed my grandparents. That’s all it’s been about, right? Cause I’m the only Stark left that can forgive you?”
“No.” He shook his head and tried to continue, but you interrupted. He had to admit that it might’ve started like that, a chance to right a wrong from so long ago. A wrong that was the final nail in the coffin of Tony and Steve’s friendship. But the fire in your eyes made it hard for him to admit that to you.
“You didn’t actually care that I was on my own, and that’s fine. I don’t need you to. But you don’t get to stand here and pretend that I was more than just a personal assignment.”
“It wasn’t like that!” He shouted. Barnes was wondering why he couldn’t tell you the full story. Maybe since he couldn’t even admit it to himself.
“What was it like then?” You snapped in return. 
“Let’s just take a step back.” Sam tried carefully. You noticed the way he looked at Barnes, as if he was trying to help him.
“Do you see Howard when you look at me?” You pushed Barnes. A vicious heat was sprouting in your chest, inching up your throat and creeping down your arms. “Howard in his youth, believing that you and Steve were some- some unstoppable duo that HYDRA didn’t have a chance against. Or when I had blood on my face, did you see Howard before you killed him?”
“That’s enough!” Sam announced. The firmness of his tone cleared the red from your vision. You realized you had stepped closer to Barnes, almost in challenge. You chuckled in disbelief, stepping back with your hands up in surrender as you chewed the inside of your cheek.
“Y/N, we could really use your help.” Sam’s tone was gentler, bordering pleading.
“Please.” Barnes murmured, so quietly that you weren’t sure you had actually heard it.
“I think you’ve overstayed your welcome, boys.” You replied simply, taking a couple steps backwards. “You’ll get an email when the Compound’s up and running again.”
“Y/N.” Sam tried again but you ignored him.
“This isn’t the kid Steve thought you were.” Barnes called out. “Doesn’t seem like the kid your dad thought you were either!”
“Bucky.” Sam scolded. He knew that wouldn’t convince you to help. If anything, it would push you further away.
You turned on your heel and pulled water up from the lake. In a swift movement, you threw it at Barnes and froze him against a nearby tree.
“You don’t get to tell me who my dad thought I was.” You warned as you stepped closer. “You barely knew him. Both of you barely knew him… And you barely know me.”
“I know you’re not a quitter.” Barnes continued.
“I’m not quitting.” You shrugged, dropping the ice. “Like I said, I did my part. You want a fighter? See if Walker will answer your calls. Maybe call on Sharon for another favor. I’m done. My part in this fight is over, Soldier.”
“We’re a team.” Sam offered. “We can’t do it without you.”
“I think you’ll manage.”
“Did you bring it?” Sam asked Barnes as you walked away.
“You think it’ll make a difference?” Barnes scoffed.
“Just give it to her, dumbass.” Sam rolled his eyes.
“Stark!” Barnes called.
Your hand was on the stair railing but you froze. You turned but didn’t leave your position from the steps. You sighed and leaned against the house as Barnes came up to you with a case in hand.
“What is that?” You asked with a brow quirked in interest.
“I called in a favor.” He said causally as he held the case out to you.
“Again, what is it?”
“Will you stop being so stubborn for one minute?”
“No.”
“Consider it a gift.”
Cautiously, you took the case from his hands. You ignored the brushing of your fingers, though it made your heart stutter.
“Am I going to regret taking this?” You tried to lighten the air around you. There was still a tension lingering from your interaction only a few minutes earlier.
“Do you regret any of it?” He countered sincerely.
“Yeah.” You looked over at the lake. “We’ve lost good people doing this type of work… Can you really blame me for wanting to keep my peace?”
“We really need your help here, Y/N.” He stepped closer, placing a hand near yours on the railing.
“Tell me the truth then.”
“It doesn’t change anything..” He sighed. “You-“
“I want to hear you say it.” You said with a nod, more to convince yourself you were sure. “Is my name in your book?”
“Yeah… It was.” He confessed. “That’s what it was at first but..”
“But what? You saved my life so it balances out?”
“Wha- No. You know, you’re insufferable sometimes.” He groaned.
“Well, I guess that’s settled.” You sighed. “Thanks for this. I’ll send a ‘thank-you’ basket to Sam’s place for you.” You turned and went inside, dismissing your mom and Morgan while you went straight to your room.
You dropped the case on your bed and sat on the ground, back against the wall and knees to your chest while you stared at the so-called gift. It was light but there was weight to it. You had purposefully knocked it against the railing on your way in and felt a different reverberation from it, something you’d felt before but not often.
If you had to guess, you would’ve said Vibranium.
You folded your arms over your raised knees and dropped your chin on top. The case was taunting you and you let it. Your fingers itched to flip the latches, your brain creating possibilities for the contents. With a sudden movement, an all at once action that didn’t allow you to reconsider, you moved to it and pressed your thumb against the scanner.
There was a slight hiss of air as the seal between the two halves broke. There was almost a light coming from the contents and it only tempted you more. You drummed your fingers over the top, closing your eyes to register the reverb. It was Vibranium, but not completely. Not a solid piece, more flexible and bending. Fibers, maybe, or woven between.
You opened your eyes and held your breath while you lifted the top. The case sat open for a few more seconds, just until your chest was burning for air. Then you let out the breath and opened your eyes, seeing a flooded bunch of dark fabric sitting before you. Your fingers grazed the material, tracing the overlapping red and gold lines.
The colors matched your dad’s first suit perfectly. So perfectly it brought tears to your eyes.
“Dad…” You said softly. “I wish you were here right now, give me some advice.”
You gave a broken smile before shutting the case and shifting it out the way so you could sit. Hunched over, elbows on your knees and hands clasped while the tears welled to a point you had to close your eyes.
“You’d know the right thing to do, always did… Me on the other hand, I’m flailing. I don’t know who I’m supposed to be or where I’m supposed to be. I just wanted to be like you, Dad…”
A light knock at your door stole your attention. After a second of silence, Pepper walked in with a small smile on her face. She looked between you and the case before she settled on the bed next to you.
“You already are a lot like Tony.” She said softly and you sniffled. “He hit this kind of point too, where he thought he needed to stop because too many people were hurting.”
“But he didn’t.” You finished her thought and sat up, letting out a heavy sigh. “Pepper, I’m not my dad. I know that. I’ve always known that, but I just thought I could be like him.”
“You are.” She insisted gently. “I see him in everything you do. The way you are with Morgan. The way you talk. The way you carry yourself. Even the way you lose.”
“He’d want me to see this through.” You said quietly. Your voice felt far away, like it wasn’t coming from your body but from someplace else. From the lake maybe, where you and Pepper floated your dad’s first Arc Reactor. “I know that, but I don’t know if I can.”
“Your dad was wrong about a lot of things, Y/N.” She nodded before nudging you slightly. “But he was never, never wrong about you… You’re Tony Stark’s daughter. I don’t think your dad ever found a fight too big. Neither should you.”
“Karli’s threatened you and Morgan already. Sam’s nephews. If we can’t stop her, everyone we care about is in trouble.” You rambled, desperate for some sort of assurance that backing down was the right thing to do.
“Loki threatened you when he came to New York.” She shrugged. “Didn’t stop Tony.”
“Morgan is all the family you have, Pep. I can’t let that get taken away. You said it yourself. I don’t know how to do this. I can’t clean up my own mess. ”
“I’m gonna say this once, kiddo. Your dad didn’t know how to clean up his mess until he was standing in the middle of it.” She chuckled sadly. “But he found a way. And you are Y/N Stark, just as smart and capable as your father. Morgan thinks so, too.”
“You really think it’ll all be okay?”
“I do. After this is done, if you’re still done with it, then you can rest.”
You offered a small smile and she gave the same in return. You threw your arms around her and she laughed in surprise before returning the embrace. You weren’t sure where the path to Karli would leave, but you knew Pepper and your dad’s ghost was right.
You had to finish what you had started.
You packed a bag, separate from the suit Barnes gave you, and called up your family’s pilot. The jet was ready within the hour and you gave Morgan one last hug on the way out. She clung to your leg for a few minutes and you felt the little tear puddles on your pants. She muttered that you had to promise to come back, to protect Stark Waters, and you did just that.
Your flight was relatively quick and you hailed a cab to take you the rest of the way. The driver was chatty, especially when you told him where you were headed. Sam’s family was well-loved in his community and you liked to hear it. You kept your head down and signature Stark glasses on your face as you walked the few blocks to Sam’s sister’s place.
You hesitated to knock, worried you wouldn’t be welcomed. Or maybe you were worried you’d be too welcomed. Either way, you turned away from the door. You called another cab and had them take you to the pier, this driver also knew Sam’s family and directed you to the right boat.
You stepped aboard and left your suitcases up top before you headed down to the engine room. You remembered hearing from the drivers that Sam was trying to fix it up and you decided to help with the hard parts. You activated your glasses and the AI showed you where there were issues.
You were working quietly on your own, ordering parts as you went, when someone else showed up. Sam first, then Barnes soon after. You were startled and looked at them with wide eyes, but when they gave you knowing smiles - the type that said they knew you would show up - you turned back to your work.
Later that morning, you three had the water pump pulled apart. Sam and Barnes were talking about whether or not a certain bolt existed in a big gear and you ignored them, examining the gear itself. You rolled your eyes in amusement as they went back and forth until Sam’s sister Sarah came up.
“The water pump is not the problem.” She instead. “I don’t come up into the sky and tell you how to barrel roll or whatever so don’t come down here and start messing with things you clearly don’t understand.”
“It’s not the problem but it will be soon.” You said, lifting the propeller shaped gear. “The corrosion’s gonna lead to this thing not bringing in enough water and it’s gonna overheat. And the impeller is cracking. Don’t worry though. I ordered new ones and they should be here by end of day. Easy fix.”
“Stark.” She nodded.
“I thought about a whole new pump but…” You shrugged. “She’s still got some kick in her. Just needed a few add-ons.”
“Alright, off.” She shooed you three away. “Off, bye. Thank you so much.”
You stayed around the boat for a while longer while Sam and Barnes went off to do something you didn’t care to join in on. Instead, you waited around for your parts to arrive and you put them in place. By the time Sam got back, you had finished your portion of the rebuild. You were tightening a few last bolts while Sam and Sarah talked, though you caught the end of their conversation.
“What would be the point of all the pain and sacrifice if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting?” Sam said simply, as if he truly understood his place in the fight.
And at the same time, you seemed to understand yours.
After hanging around and training for a few days with Sam, he got a call. His friend Torres caught a cell ping that matched the same pings from across Europe, just before the Flag Smashers went through. The ping was set in New York.
You were quick to set up travel plans to New York. Sam said he would get in touch with Barnes while you did your end. After the calls were made and a time table was set, you found Sam opening his case.
“Looks good.” You said as you went in, peering over to see it. “It’ll suit you.”
“How’d yours look?” He asked.
“Stylish, easy to move in, and a little homage to my dad… Pretty much perfect.”
“Pretty much?”
“Depends if it’s fireproof.”
At that, Sam laughed.
“You ready for this, Captain?” You gave him a small nudge with your elbow.
“Are you, Stark?”
“Yeah.” You nodded with a small smile. “I think I am.”
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queers-gambit · 21 days
Text
Alpine
prompt: in an effort to help your boyfriend with his trauma, you rescue a furry feline together - a white cat named, Alpine - who rescues you both in return.
pairing: Bucky Barnes x female!Widow!reader
fandom masterlist: Marvel
word count: 6.9k+
note: been seeing a lot of Alpine recently and got inspired.
second note: no, it's not comic / canon compliant so just have fun. author did some research but there's not a LOT written / known about Alpine, so, again, just have fun!
warnings: post Endgame, pre tfaws; cursing, Lord's name in vain, small angst, mostly hurt and comfort, Nick Fury calling reader a bitch playfully, Bucky's trauma responses, small spoilers, Dr. Raynor / therapy.
other works with Widow!reader and Bucky NOT necessary to read
read here: Damage Done
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"Are you angry with me?"
"No."
"Disappointed? Annoyed? Frustrated?"
"No, doll."
"Then why won't you talk to me!?"
"Nothing to say."
You wiped a hand down your face, lifting it only to pinch the bridge of your nose. Your head shook to shake away your thoughts, sniffling emotion, sighing when you dropped your hand to slap against your thigh. "I'm really trying here, Bucky, I swear to you, I am. But I can't help if you don't talk to me," you softened your voice, beginning to understand this was a losing battle.
"I never said I needed help."
"You never have to ask me for help, Bucky, I just give it because I want to! Because I love you! That's part of being in a relationship!"
"Maybe I don't want it!" Your boyfriend snapped, rounding on you with unfiltered emotion in his eyes. The horrors swam in his baby blues, vivid memories he was unable to escape haunting him, terrorizing him; creating a shell of a man who could no longer hide his avid pain. "Did you ever think about that? Ever consider that I don't want your help because I don't need it?"
"Everyone needs help sometimes, Buck."
"No, not everyone - I'm not one of your pet projects, you don't get to treat me like a broken thing that needs fixed! I certainly don't need your pity - not yours."
"I don't pity you! Fuck's sake, Bucky, I love you and want to see you heal. I know you better than anyone - "
"You don't," he sneered, cutting you off. "You don't know me, not really, not as well as Steve - "
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Steve isn't here! He's not coming back!" You snapped, instantly regretting it when Bucky's eyes coated with glassy emotion he fought vehemently to keep down. "I-I'm sorry, that was - that was really mean of me and totally out of line," you apologized, both sighing deeply. "All right, look, let's just talk this out, please."
"There's nothing to say."
Your hip cocked, arms crossing, "She called me, you know."
"Who?"
"Dr. Raynor."
"Fuck's sake," he growled. "Why would she do that?"
"Maybe because today's session was, apparently, supposed to be a couples session. She thought I was refusing, called to say I was impeding on your progress and if I want to help you, I'd have to show up to your appointments. Which is really funny because you never told me about today, so I had no idea what the hell she was talking about - but that didn't stop her from tearing me a new asshole!"
He frowned, avoiding your eyes. "I didn't need a couples session. Not today, I just - I wanted today to focus on other shit."
"And I can respect that, but you're not doing yourself any favors by hiding shit from me. To get the best results from therapy, you have to actually do the work, and not just do what Dr. Raynor says, but actually listen to her advice - "
"I don't need you on my back about this, Raynor does that enough for you both," Bucky growled. "I do the fucking work - I'm the one in that room, I'm the one applying silly little rules to my life - "
"Obviously not if you didn't even tell me Raynor requested my attendance! You should've told me, and then you should've said you weren't ready! I would've respected that, but I can't do a Goddamn thing if you don't talk to me!"
His jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth, skin twitching and distinct muscles tightening. "Like I said, there's nothing to talk about," he practically spat, shaking his head at you before grabbing his sneakers from the closet.
You didn't mean to sound harsh, but demanded, "Where are you going? We're in the middle of a conversation."
"No, we're not, 'cause I'm ending it," he scoffed, sitting on the corner of your shared mattress, exchanged his shoes. "And I'm going for a run, need to clear my head."
You shook your head before leaving the bedroom, "Absolutely unbelievable."
Bucky left your shared apartment a few minutes later, somewhere you've only lived five months - the time it's been since Tony Stark, Iron Man, snapped the other half of living beings back into existence. He lost his life in return, the ultimate sacrifice, but he managed to reverse the damage Thanos created five years prior. Five months of living in this apartment without a lick of warmth, personal touch, or real sentiment; it being dreary, dark, and mostly empty. Hell, Bucky didn't even feel comfortable in bed, so he camped in the barren living room, giving visual to the way your relationship was beginning to fray, unravel, crack.
He didn't want anything personal in your apartment - thinking it was ridiculous to settle down after all you two have endured, witnessed, and fought for. You agreed to keep things at the bare minimum, only stocking what was necessary, knowing this was part of his healing process and didn't want to drum-up further anxiety. It made everything impersonal, boring, bland, and down right depressing - but it was a small accommodation you could provide your lover.
You hated the distance. Hated how alone Bucky felt after Steve. Hated how reclusive he became, the anger he projected. Hated how no matter what you did, you weren't enough - not this time. For years, you've loved him despite his flaws, his brainwashing, his trauma responses, but whatever he was enduring now was something you weren't equipped to handle. Didn't mean you weren't willing to try, but Bucky was the one pushing you away; thinking his demons were his sole responsibility, never letting you be the pillar that helped support him. God, you hated the distance.
You left the apartment, too. Nick Fury had employed you for creative, solo, high profile missions; wanting to utilize your Widow training, especially now that Natasha Romanoff was deceased. And you wanna know what? Bucky hadn't even asked about her, never tried to offer comfort, only quietly attending the funeral service you hosted with the remaining Avengers to give her a proper sendoff - despite there being no body. Bucky knew you and Nat were as thick as thieves, family without blood, two lost souls who leaned on each other in trying times; bonded by trauma, encouraged by resounding bravery, disciplined by strength. The fact that your boyfriend never even checked in with you after Nat's passing obviously hurt your feelings but you remained silent.
Again, to avoid generating more anxiety for Bucky.
You met the one-eyed man at a local, bustling coffee shop, finding the sight of the hardened, burly man eating a scone amusing. "Got you one of these," he nudged a dessert plate to your side of the table when you sat down with your desired coffee, "know you like 'em."
"Blueberries are my favorite," you half-smirked, regarding the moist muffin and sighing sadly. "All right, sir, what's on the docket?"
He stared at you for a moment, chewing thoughtfully before leaning back in his chair. "The fuck's going on with you?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You look different today."
"Mh," you nodded, joking, "got a hair cut."
"No, it's your aura. Something bothering you, kid?"
"You do realize I'm a fully grown adult, right?"
Nick shrugged, "I don't see age."
"You don't - nobody sees age, Nick, Jesus."
He took a sip of his green tea. "There's still something bothering you. Not sure if you should go on this mission if you're wound tight."
"I'm just dealing with shit at home."
"Oh, right, the cyborg. How is the hundred year old psycho?"
"You you want me to stab out your other eye? 'Cause I fucking will," you threatened with a fork clenched in your grasp, perking your brows up your forehead. "Say that shit again, see what the fuck I do, Nick, I absolutely dare you."
He chuckled, hands held in defense, "Sorry, sorry, that was uncalled for. What's wrong with Sergeant Barnes?"
You shrugged, "It's complicated."
"Bitch, aliens opening a wormhole in space and time to invade Earth is complicated - relationships aren't. Try me."
After an amused chuckle, you told him, "He's struggling right now. You know? After everything, it's been a lot for him and now that things are relatively back to normal, he's having a hard time trying to assimilate himself back into the populace. You know, learning to live in this day and age - a man out of time, outside his comfort zone, forced to adjust himself after living as a weapon of mass destruction for so long. Add in the fact that his best friend passed, marking another forceful adjustment he's unprepared for..."
"Hm," Nick nodded, "heard he's got a full pardon."
"He does."
"Which has a contingency he's gotta go to therapy, right? Part of rejoining society?"
You nodded, "Right, again."
"So he's in therapy and still struggling?"
"It's not like there's an on-off switch, Nick, therapy takes time and dedication. I just don't think he feels at peace, calm, in control - like he deserves any of this; the pardon especially. Think the stress, fear, and confusion is eating at him."
"Well, he's got you."
"I'm not his mother."
"No, you're his girlfriend, and it's a girlfriend's responsibility to support him, ain't it? Help him through this?"
"I can only do so much, Nick," you scoffed, "I'm just one person and he's a stubborn jackass - he just pushes me away. I'm sure I don't help the situation by accepting your contracts."
Fury considered your words for a long moment, then asked, "You said he's lonely?"
"Wouldn't you? Given his situation? He won't say, but I know losing Steve caused a part of him die."
Nick shrugged, "So get him a dog."
You never wouldn't guessed those words could ever pass Nick Fury's lips, head cocking, eyes narrowing, arms crossed over your chest. "I'm sorry, do what now?"
"It's obvious, ain't it? Dude needs company when you're gone, a sense of purpose, to feel like there was something - or someone - depending on him. Might help whatever limbo he's lingering in."
"A dog?"
"A dog. He can take it for walks or whatever."
You considered his recommendation, asking again, "A dog?"
"Do we need to get your hearing checked again? You lose the last functionality of your ears? Yes, a dog."
"I don't know..."
"It's just a suggestion, might promote his peace, help him process grief and guilt. Telling you, a dog would do him good. Now," he took another sip of tea, "onto business."
"You give me whiplash," you chuckled. "What's this job?"
"Simple and easy," he pulled up a tablet from the chair beside him, tapping it three times and handing it to you.
"None of your jobs are simple or easy, Nicky-Nick."
"I told you, don't call me that. Look, I just need you in London to investigate a string of potential terrorist activity. Just some recon, you won't be gone more than a few days - if you behave and stay on task."
You scanned the document, "When do I ever do that?" He chuckled briefly, you wondering, "Flagsmashers? Jesus, what a name. C'mon, you can't be serious. These guys are just radicals - you know, trying to vouch for those displaced after the Blip. It's actually kinda endearing, I mean, they're trying to give a microphone to those without a voice."
"They're escalating - too quickly," Fury informed. "They haven't raised any international flags yet, but something ain't right about them. I just need you as eyes and ears, maybe report if you think they're worth the worry."
Little did you know, in only about a month, you would join forces with Bucky and Sam Wilson - The Falcon - to dismantle the organization.
"When do I leave?"
"Tuesday would be ideal. But I can push it to Friday if you wanna go get that dog."
Your laughter was endearing, handing the tablet back over.
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Bucky liked holding hands, though, he often wouldn't ever voice it. It made him feel tethered, anchored to reality; instilling a sense of pride to have such a gorgeous lady - such as yourself - at his side. However, the part he liked most, was being reminded he wasn't alone; even when on crowded, overpopulated streets, he didn't have to be afraid because with his hand in yours, he looked just like everyone else. You protected him even without intending to or without even knowing what you were doing.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," he sighed, people on the street sidestepping and avoiding running into you two. "I was upset, stressed out, you know how I get after seeing Raynor."
"It's okay, baby," you assured, ever the patient, loyal, and supportive girlfriend he needed. "I'm not holding it against you, but just promise me, when you're ready, you'll tell me."
He nodded, "I will - I mean, I promise." You hummed and pet his bicep with your other hand, giving his arm a hug. "Now are you gonna tell me where we're going?"
"I told you, it's a surprise."
He was ready to reply when a small commotion echoed from the alley you were passing, Bucky coming to a jarring halt that yanked on your arm, swinging you around. You were ready to ask what was happening when you clocked one of Bucky's "friends", an older man named Yori Nakajima, arguing with one of his neighbors.
"Hey, hey, Yori," Bucky intervened, you watching from the mouth of the alley, "woah, hey, what's going on?"
You couldn't hear whatever Yori was saying, but Bucky turned to the other man and growled something at him that made the neighbor scurry off. He glared at you, lip curled in a sneer, disappearing amongst patrons of the crowded sidewalk. You frowned and approached Yori and Bucky, your boyfriend still trying to calm his friend - well, 'friend' was a very generous term. See, Yori was the father of a young man that died by the hand of the Winter Soldier, being a name on Bucky's list he needed to make amends with.
However, when you took your place beside Bucky, Yori was waving you both off and shuffling down the alley, towards one of his apartment building's doors. "What was that all about?" You asked softly, taking note of the disgruntled expression your boyfriend usually wore these days.
"Just," he sighed, shaking his head, "Yori's upset with some of his neighbors - thinks they're encroaching on being disrespectful."
"When doesn't he?" Bucky sighed, you wondering softly, "You think you're ever gonna feel ready to tell him?"
"I'm working on it," he sighed sadly. "All right, c'mon - "
You both paused with furrowed brows when there came a series of shrill meows from under a couple of soggy, cardboard boxes beside a dumpster. "Did you hear that?" You asked.
"Uh-huh."
Another elongated meow was heard, Bucky curiously approach the discarded trash coated in sewage sludge. He slowly squatted, you approaching his shoulder when another meow cried out. Now, normally, you'd never investigate animal noises out of fear they were feral and carrying disease, but something just felt sad about what you heard - apparently, to Bucky, too. Gingerly, he reached out and lifted a piece of dripping cardboard, seeing a bundle moving under the next piece. He moved that one, too.
"Oh, my God!" You cooed when a tiny kitten was revealed. White fur was stained with dirt, sludge, and other nasty juices; nose pink, eyes a piercing, clear blue with brownish tear stains rimming them. The kitten mewed in greeting, pacing a tight circle before trying to back up in the brick wall; hunching its back and hissing slightly when you lowered yourself into a squat beside Bucky. "Baby, it's all alone, should we help?" You pouted.
"I don't think it wants our help, doll," he sighed. "It looks scared of us. Bet the mother's around somewhere, be a shame to move it if she's coming back."
"It looks too skinny, maybe it's alone?"
"Or maybe it's not," Buck countered. "C'mon, sugar, we can't take it."
After a bit of back and forth, you finally relented and had to walk away. You frowned for at least two blocks, but upon your halt at a crosswalk, you were greeted by another shrieking meow. Whipping around, you and Buck both looked down to discover the wee little kitten had followed you and was practically yelling for your attention. You grinned.
"Well, now we really have to help it," you told Bucky.
"How?"
"We take it to a shelter," you answered, shrugging, "good thing I know where one is."
"What's it doing?" Bucky asked nervously, the kitten dancing around your legs; brushing up against you both, meowing the whole time.
"I think she wants you to pick her up," you smirked.
He sighed and stooped to scoop the little creature in hand, regarding it carefully; weighing it, checking paws and other vulnerable spots. Bucky muttered, "All right, yeah, fine, let's take him to a shelter. Little beast needs some food it feels like, definitely a flea bath and some fresh water."
"You big softie."
"Lead the way to the shelter, princess, c'mon," he ignored your jab, tucking the kitten into his chest protectively. "He feels fragile," Bucky worried, "maybe you should carry him, I might crush him."
"You've got the little babe, Buck," you assured, "you're not gonna hurt him - I mean, if it's even a him."
"By the attitude, could be a girl," he joked, making your heart lighten. He'd been in such a funk that you missed his teasing, soft words; the little jokes he cracked, his smile - God, you missed seeing his smile. During your time on the run after DC, while seeking refuge in Bucharest for a couple years, you grew accustomed to seeing his radiant smile; remembering how easily he offered it when just the two of you. For a moment, you considered how your relationship was no longer just you and Bucky - but his trauma, too.
Arriving at the shelter, it was like an assault on the senses. Dogs were heard barking from the kennels, the pungent smell of urine and wood chips smacking you in the face, and a sort of humidity lingering in the air - a sharp contrast to the crisp outside.
"Hi," you greeted the receptionist, offering a kind smile.
"Hi, there. How can I help you two?" The man with long hair asked.
"Well, uh, two things," you explained, "one: we'd like to tour your kennels, we're interested in adopting a dog - "
"We are?" Bucky gaped.
" - and two: we found this little fella in an alley," you pointed to the kitten curled protectively against Bucky's warmth. "We wanted to make sure he was okay, maybe leave him here for adoption?"
"Oh," Man Bun blinked, regarding both Bucky and the kitten, "wow, uh, yeah, that's really nice of you guys, rescuing the little guy. You know, since everyone came back few months ago, there's be an influx of strays. A lot of people gave up their animals when their loved ones came back."
"Well, that's super fucked up," your eyes rolled.
"Tell me about it," he sighed. "Look, I'd love to help you guys out, so, tell you what. I can let you back in the kennels - no problem! Help match you to your new companion, but, uh... I don't think I can help you with the cat. You see, we, uh, we've had to start euthanizing the overflow animals or the ones who don't get adopted in a timeframe. We're at our max capacity, so... If you wanna leave him here, uh, I can't promise he'll have a place."
"You'd put him down?" Bucky growled.
"It's not what we want to do," Man Bun swiftly explained, "but it's just necessary - we don't have the room or resources to take him."
"Do you know of any no-kill shelters? Maybe one that has room?" You asked, feeling Bucky's disgust rolling off him in waves.
"Not in the area," Man Bun frowned. "Honestly? I think the closest no-kill shelter's in Maryland. Maybe Virginia?"
"Jesus," you frowned, looking at Bucky.
"Look, my best advice?" Man Bun offered, "Take the little tike home, clean him up, and call around to other shelters to see if they have space. But if you intend to adopt a dog, maybe bringing back a kitten isn't the best timing. If you give him up to us, he'll probably be sent directly to overflow..."
"We'll take him home," Bucky instantly decided, shocking you.
"We will?" You asked softly, lips curling in a small smile.
"Why not?" He sighed.
"I would've thought you'd be more of a dog person..."
"I'm not an animal person, but we're not leaving this little guy here just for him to be euthanized. We can handle him for a few days, you know, until we find a shelter with room."
"I think that's a great idea," you grinned.
"But was this your plan? For us to adopt a dog?"
"Well, yeah..."
"Why?"
You shrugged, "Just thought a dog would be nice company when I'm outta town for work. You know, could go on walks or runs together, you'd have someone looking out for you, maybe a dog would help with your stress levels?"
He eyed you for a moment, sighing, "I appreciate that, doll. Maybe another time, though? At least let us find somewhere or someone to take this guy."
The kitten gave a prolonged squeak - seemingly agreeing. "All right, noisy, we hear you," you chuckled, giving the kitten's head a scratch. You asked Man Bun, "Do you guys have the means to check him over, you know, before we go home? Make sure he's not injured or something?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "let me go get one of the technicians."
After the tech's exam, you were given the paperwork from that day's visit, the name, number, and address of a recommended vet, and before you knew it, found yourselves at the local pet store. You would've been ashamed by the absurd amount of money you spent, but Bucky rationalized the need because you weren't sure how long your new companion would stay with you. So, you ransacked the store, buying a sizable litter box, 50 pounds of actual litter, a bag of kibble, case of wet food, several different treats, a balm for the baby's feet, too many toys and stimulation activities, a carrying case in the event of transporting the kitten, and a tiny collar - if you decided to keep the little noise machine.
The sight of Bucky with the little fuzz ball warmed your heart. He still seemed hesitant and stiff, as if afraid to hurt the kitten, but he wasn't so tense anymore. However, he handed the pet over for you to hold while he carried the supplies back home; biceps bulging to support the weight. In that moment, walking familiar streets with his arms full of cat supplies, he questioned how he got here - to feel all domestic and out-of-place. He was Bucky Barnes - a Sargent in the Army, prolific hitman, something of an Avenger now. He didn't adopt cats and buy toys!
However, watching you talk to the kitten softly, he smiled - something small at first that grew like a germinating seed to split his face. You seemed so... Bright, excited, rejuvenated, even. He knew the past five months since the Blip had been rough on you, what with losing Natasha, fighting Thanos and his army of aliens, then ricocheting into 'normal life' only to deal with his emotional baggage. Watching you walk down the street with a fuzzy white ball of energy, pointing out different things, cooing and narrating the city to the kitten as if he could understand was refreshing after seemingly seeing nothing but a frown on your lips recently.
To Bucky, as long as you were happy, he was happy - and it seemed you were very content with your new little buddy. So, he was happy with your new little buddy and figured a dose of domestic life wasn't the end of the world. In fact, he actually felt... Intrigued by the newest addition to your little family.
When you returned home, it was to an empty apartment. Bucky dropped the supplies in the living room, hands to his hips, looking around, "Well, uh... At least there's room to run around, right?"
You nodded, "And no risk of ruined furniture."
"Yeah," he sighed, watching you set the kitten down. "All right, pip squeak. C'mon, lemme give you the tour - pay attention. So, in here," he moved around the wall, kitten following and listening intently, labeling, "this is the kitchen, this is where you'll get your meals - and no, you're not allowed on the counters." He pointed a warning finger, "Don't let me catch you up there or there's gonna be hell to pay. I don't wanna find your hair in my morning bagel."
"Buck, you don't eat breakfast."
"Fine, then I don't wanna hear my girl found hair in her bagel."
The kitten mewed loudly, trotting to keep up as Bucky walked around the barren apartment - giving a literal tour. You unpacked the supplies, setting up a raised food bowl beside a full water bowl. You left the treats in an empty cupboard, the litter box ready to use in the bathroom, and tossed some toys around the open, empty living room floor. You meandered, stashing other supplies, hearing the scampering thuds of excited little feet.
When your head popped out of the kitchen, you grinned at what you saw. Bucky was sat on the floor, flicking a feathered stick over the hardwood floors for the kitten to race around and try to catch. The longer you watched, the more defenseless Bucky seemed, and dare you say it, he looked calm - maybe even happy. His eyes were locked on the animal's antics as if he didn't want to miss a single movement he made; small smile making him look younger and brighter.
You made a mental note to thank Nick Fury for his suggestion. Sure, he actually said to get a dog, but this kitten seemed to have the same effect.
"Hey, baby?" You called, hanging up your phone after calling the recommended vet. "So, uh... Listen, you know how I have to go outta town on Friday?"
"Yeah?" He glanced up, letting the kitten wrestle his booted foot.
"So, I managed to get a vet appointment but it's for Friday. Is that okay? Or do you want me to reschedule for when I'm back so we can go together?"
"Oh, uh, no, that's all right, sugar, keep the Friday slot. I can take him, it's not a big deal."
"You sure? I hate having to saddle you with this responsibility."
"I'm sure," he nodded, "I can take him, it's okay."
For the rest of the week, you had a front row viewing of an incredible bond being formed. The kitten liked you, you two had many moments together, but it was obvious the little guy adored Bucky. He was stuck to your boyfriend like Velcro, following him everywhere, shrieking for attention when Bucky was preoccupied, liked being held when he cooked, even tried to get in the shower with Bucky. They played together, Bucky's laugh warming the entire apartment; positively obsessed with one another, the little guy even sleeping between you and Bucky.
It was as if you both forgot to look for the kitten a permanent home, the lack of furniture providing wide space for play and entertainment. Bucky even got one of those cat trees, couple individual scratching posts, and a laser pointer that drove your furry friend up the wall. There was some unspoken rule about naming animals - where if you named them, they were yours officially. So, one evening over dinner, you proposed a few names, Bucky giving his opinion; but then you began to consider "theme" names. Because your little buddy was white, you mused over names like Noelle or Snow, but finally settled on Alpine after narrowly beating out Aspen.
The day you flew to London, you warned both Bucky and kitten to behave themselves. Later that night, while you were sat in a tinted SUV for surveillance, your phone rang with Bucky's contact. "Hey, baby, how's it going?" You answered, refocusing through your advanced camera lens to snap necessary photos.
"Good, yeah. Uh, how's London?"
"Pretty dreary, it's been raining all day. Hey, how was the vet appointment?"
'Oh, yeah, no, it was, uh, yeah, it was good. Gave Alpine a buncha shots, microchipped her, started her on antibiotics - "
"Did you say, 'her'?"
"Yeah, that was the other thing - turns out, Alpine's a girl."
You chuckled, "Well, I'll be damned. How're you feelin', Buck?"
"I'm... Okay."
"I'm sorry I'm not there," you sighed. "Nightmares again?"
"Yeah."
"Sleeping in the living room?"
"You know it."
"TV on?"
"Reminds me I'm not where I dreamt I am."
"Well, I'll be home in a few days."
"What's this mission?"
"Just a little recon, I'm only to observe. Nicky told me to keep an eye on some suspicious activity."
"Don't tell me you're sitting in a white van?"
"No, sir, it's a Rolls Royce this time," you chuckled.
True to your word, you were home by Tuesday night. The transatlantic flight was long and tedious; a storm creating steady turbulence, making it absolutely impossible to get any shut eye. When you landed, you made a beeline to the Starbucks and got the largest coffee possible with an added 2 shots of espresso before exiting the bustling airport. Outside, waiting at the curb, Nick Fury himself stood before a sleek and shiny car that probably cost more than a 4-year education at an American university.
He smirked, "Welcome back, kid."
"Nice of you to pick me up, Nicky-Nick."
"Don't call me that."
"Don't call me 'kid'."
"Get in the Goddamn car, I'm not having this argument again."
After storing your luggage, Nick drove you back home while listening to your mission report. You didn't think the Flagsmashers were extreme enough to warrant intervention, but all Nick heard was that now was the time to strike before there came the need, before a chance for escalation could occur. You left the tablet full of notes, observations, photos, and data with the one-eyed man, and before you fully departed the car, paused to lean in the open window.
"Hey, uh, I've been meaning to thank you."
"What for?" Nick asked, face hardened in a permanent look of disagreement. You never took it personally - Nick Fury having professional Resting Bitch Face (RBF).
"Your advice about getting Bucky a dog."
"No shit," he chuckled, "you actually got him a dog?"
"Uh, well, no..."
"What'd you get?" Nick asked in suspicion, watching your lips roll between your teeth to restrain your smile. "Ah, hell no! You didn't! A cat? A fucking cat?"
"I know you don't like them - "
"Bitch! One scratched out my eye!"
"But our cat didn't."
"Doesn't matter - fuck all them felines."
You laughed and slapped the metal door, "Well, thank you anyway for the idea of a companion animal. Bucky's a lot calmer it seems."
Nick Fury sighed, waving you off like a pesky insect. "I'll call you when I got another job. Have fun with the little demon."
"You talkin' about Bucky or Alpine?"
"The cat - wait, Alpine? The fuck kinda name is that?"
"You know, Alpine... Like the Alps?"
His head shook, "I know what fuckin' alpine is."
"Why don't you head off - looks like you're gonna give yourself a stroke. Didn't realize getting a kitten would stress you out this bad."
"Get out my Goddamn window and I can leave."
You grinned and dropped a wink, again, patting the car and stepping back onto the sidewalk. Nick peeled off, leaving you alone to shoulder your duffel bag and head inside your apartment building. When you got to your desired location, the door opened without the usual creak, Bucky obviously WD-40'ing the hinges. "Hello?" You called softly, hanging your keys on the little peg in the foyer, toeing out of your shoes, glancing around the empty apartment.
Ready to call out again, you actually almost choked on air when you inhaled but stopped abruptly. You pouted your bottom lip at the sight of Bucky sound asleep in his nest on the floor, TV's lighting flashing and creating shadows, giving clear sight of Alpine curled in a tight ball on Buck's chest. His flesh hand was raised to rest on his chest, keeping Alpine cuddled to his warmth.
Quickly, you pulled your phone from your back pocket, snapping an adorable picture of your boyfriend before silently tiptoeing away to dispose of your duffel and purse. You sent the photo to Bucky's phone, positive you were keeping the kitten. After a long, hot shower that washed the travel from your body, you changed into loungewear, pulled your hair back, then reentered the living room where you knelt at Bucky's side. In-sync, your presence made both Alpine and Bucky flinch awake - your boyfriend jerking away from your warmth as the kitten hopped off his chest.
You winced, "Oh, shit, I'm so sorry, baby, I didn't mean to wake you."
His head shook, "No, it's all right, doll, I wasn't sleeping."
"You were, don't deny it," you grinned, settling on the mound of blankets.
Bucky chuckled gently, "I tried to stay up for you. C'mere," his arm opened in invitation, smirking gently. You settled down and turned into his side, his arm now coiled around your form, constricting to pull you closer so his lips could plant on your forehead. "How was London? Your mission?"
"Easy peasy," you sighed, "nothing too strenuous or stressful. The most 'complicated' part of the whole thing was using a different car each day to avoid suspicion."
"Hmm... Who was the target?"
"Some radical group," you sighed, head resting on his pectoral. "How was it? Just you and Alpine?"
"It was pretty good, nothing to complain about. She's nice company."
As if understanding she was the topic of conversation, Alpine mewed several times in a row as she walked up the seam of your body pressed to Bucky's. She turned in two circles before settling down between you; your grin authentic as a manicured fingernail extended to scratch her head.
"Actually, sweetheart, I've been thinking..."
"Hmm? About what?" You mumbled, eyes drooping with each passing second.
"About how we should keep her - Alpine, we should keep Alpine."
"You're just figuring that out now?" You teased, sluggishly lifting your head to smirk at him. "I knew she was ours the moment you picked her up. It'll be nice having her around, don't you think? I know she's not a dog you can take on walks but with Alpine, you don't have to be alone."
He nodded, "I like that idea. She's a good cat."
"Check your phone in the morning."
"Why?"
"Mmmh, I sent you a picture, you'll see - but it's just confirmation that Alpines part of us now, part of our crew."
"Our family," Bucky agreed softly. He watched you resettle on his chest, spending the following couple hours in the glow of the TV, watching you and Alpine. Bucky's heart warmed to a degree he's never known, making the comparison of himself to Jim Carrey's, the Grinch - a movie you made him watch. Eventually, exhaustion outweighed his domestic thoughts; falling asleep with you safe in his arms and Alpine curled up between you.
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"Well, this certainly is a surprise... I was beginning to think James made you up."
"Oh, please, nobody could make me up - I'm too complex, nobody's got that kinda imagination," you smirked, legs crossed, seated beside Bucky on a sofa; both facing his therapist.
"I'm glad you could finally join us - I've been asking James to bring you for a while now," Dr. Raynor's eyes darted between you and Bucky, making you feel as if she was seeing right into your soul. However, her tone was accusatory, as if scolding Bucky.
So, you swiftly defended, "Well, I'm happy to be here. Bucky's one of my top priorities, I'd do anything for him - including attending any of these silly mandated sessions. Which are bullshit, by the way, because he's not the Winter Soldier anymore so why is Bucky being crucified? Why is this being pinned on him when he technically didn't do anything? The Winter Soldier did."
"Well, healing often takes time and dedication, and must be done in a series of steps. That's how you see real progress. These sessions are a condition of his pardon - "
"I can't believe your government would even enforce these silly little rules considering Bucky's assistance. He fought against Thanos, he fought on our side, and by all means, helped restore what was lost. I just find it pretty dehumanizing to force him to jump through hoops. I mean, for Christ's sake, half the universe was snapped away, you'd think after that, there wouldn't be need for pardons or contingencies - or for holding onto grudges."
"This is simply how we keep order in a post-Blip society. Everything changed in those five years, it's necessary to keep balance amongst all worldly citizens."
You scoffed lightly, "Ever consider these sessions might be doing more harm than good?"
Raynor frowned, "Despite the Winter Soldier being decommissioned, James still has trauma to process and skeletons to clear out of the closet. Yes, the Winter Soldier is gone, but the man remains - and James needs to focus on healing that part of himself. Whatever he did as the Winter Soldier wasn't Bucky's doing, but he still remembers all he did, which creates a heavy toll on the mind. That's part of the reason these sessions are mandated - because the assassin might be gone, but the residual effects still linger."
You hummed, "Well, let's get into it, Doc."
"You know... I've heard a lot about you. James paints you in a very bright light, says your bark and bite are equally as vicious."
"Hm," you nodded, brows perked, "yet I don't know shit about you."
"Perfectly natural. Typically, most people don't gossip about their therapists. It's nice that you could join us for this session."
"Nice to be invited."
She clicked her pen and settled her pad securely on her lap, just staring at you and Bucky for a long moment. You were ready to snap at her when she opened her mouth, "So, I hear you adopted a cat?"
"We did," you confirmed.
"Alpine," Bucky supplied, body rigid with tension and nerves.
"Right... Alpine," Raynor nodded, leaning her elbow to an arm of her padded chair. "How did this cat come into your possession?"
"We rescued her from a dumpster," Bucky answered stiffly.
"Really?" Raynor perked both brows.
"She was under some pieces of cardboard, screamin' her li'l head off," You chuckled. "Though, I think it's safe to say she chose us, adopted us as caregivers."
"How's that?"
"She wouldn't let us pick her up and we were afraid to take her in case her mama was lingering around. Turns out, she followed us. We were at a crosswalk when she caught up, demanding we pick her up and take her home."
"Is that so?"
"I'd like to think so," you nodded. "We were already on our way to the shelter, so, we took her with us, got her checked out."
"Why were you heading to the shelter to begin with?"
"Oh, uh, to adopt a dog. I had a colleague recommend an emotional support animal - or a companionship animal - to help Bucky feel less alone."
Raynor made a note of something. "You work often?" She asked.
"Often enough that I feel guilty for leaving. Figured getting a dog would instill a sense of dependence, you know, help Bucky feel like there was someone depending on him. Help usher in comfort and stability, help keep him calm, focused, distracted. But Alpine does the same thing - no dog necessary, apparently."
Raynor nodded, her wrinkles dimpling as she frowned and wrote down another note. When her eyes lifted, so did her lips; a smirk on display as she praised, "I actually think that's a wonderful idea. You know, there's been a lot of research about soldiers with PTSD benefitting from an emotional support animal. You're right, they promote peace, stability, distraction - gives patrons a tangible purpose, taking care of another life not their own."
"For sure, again, anything to help," you agreed, holding Bucky's gloved hand he kept covered by leather - only worn in public.
"Although, I wonder, why get a pet? I ask because James speaks highly of you, credits you for keeping him stable and on-track. Do you feel as if she's not enough, James? Is that why you kept Alpine?"
"No," he answered instantly, "she's my best girl and will always be enough. Watch your mouth, Doc."
"But sometimes extra help is nice," you tacked on, tightening your hand in Bucky's. "But for what it's worth, Dr. Raynor, Bucky keeps me sane. I keep him balanced. We keep each other safe. Alpine's just an added bonus, a quiet menace to help quell the business of our brains."
Raynor smirked, "I must say, you surprise me, Miss."
"I'm no stranger to mental health. But as I said before, I just want to help." You looked up at Bucky, finsihing softly, "He deserves peace in this lifetime - and if a little ball of fur can help, sign me up..."
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requesting rules and masterlist
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froggibus · 1 year
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Blind Date - Bucky Barnes
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Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader
Genre: fluff!
Word Count: 1.6k
Summary: your friend Natasha is tired of your tragic dating life, so she sets you up on a blind date that you’ll never forget
CW: mentions of the KGB, first date, blind date, you work at a retail store, Natasha is pushy, references to my own bad dating life, Christmas time,
definitely did not post this just so I could have some Marvel on my masterlist anyway here is some Bucky with a first date around Christmas time because now Halloween is over and it’s totally socially acceptable for me to only write about Christmas now lol
I just did a part 2 to this which you can read here
————
“I don’t know, Nat,” you scan another sweater and fold it into the bag. “A blind date? 
She narrows her eyes. “You’ve had a revolving door of losers and idiots, not to mention a surprising amount of super villains. Are you really so against the idea?”
You glance up at her between scans. It wasn’t uncommon for Nat to bug you at your retail job, and now with Christmas fast approaching, she was there almost every day buying some obscure gift. That’s how you ended up bagging seven matching Christmas sweaters.
“Is this everything, Nat? Or do you want a partridge in a pear tree on the side?”
She snickers at that. “What I want,” she grabs the bag from your hand, “is for you to stop avoiding the question.”
“I’m not—”
“Don’t even try to lie about it. I was literally trained by the KGB to get the truth out of people.”
Your boss scoffs somewhere off to the side, clearly sick of your antics with the Avenger. 
You sigh. “Do you promise he’s not a weirdo?”
“I promise.”
“Then fine. Text me the details after work.”
“Will do,” she gives a two-fingered salute, “good luck with the rest of your shift.”
You nod and watch  her walk out of the store, her red hair swaying across her back as she moves. Your boss shuffles in a bit closer, her apple perfume clouding your nostrils.
“Was that an Avenger?”
You shrug.
--
5pm. December 24th. 
You find yourself thinking: Who goes on a date on Christmas Eve? Yet here you are, smoothing the cream knit sweater over your pants and examining yourself in the mirror. Nat hadn’t said where you were going, she had just said to dress casual and that he would be there to pick you up around 5.
Perfectly on time, there’s a knock on your apartment door. You slip your feet into a pair of fuzzy boots and pull the door open. Standing in front of you, in a gray long sleeve, blue jeans and a black jacket, is your date.
He has dark brown hair, gelled down to look somewhat neat. He’s clean shaven and his cheeks were reddened from the cold outside. Blue eyes meet yours and a small smile comes to his lips.
“Y/N?”
“Hi,” you smile, feeling the blood rush to your face. He’s stunning.
He offers a gloved hand. “I’m James.”
“Nice to meet you.”
You can’t help but wonder why he looks so familiar. You’ve definitely seen his face before, but at the same time, you’re certain you’d remember someone as beautiful as him.
“Should we get going?” He gestures to the door.
You nod and grab your purse and keys off the table. “After you,” you smile.
James walks next to you, clearly walking a little slower than his normal pace to make up for your smaller strides. One of his hands sits in his pocket while the other one swings at his side. You try not to swing your hand so that you don't accidentally touch his.
“So I was thinking we could get dinner at this little diner near the plaza and then go see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center?”
“That sounds nice! I used to go see the tree all the time as a kid, but it’s been a few years since I last saw it,” you admit.
He hums in agreement. “I haven’t seen it in,” he exhales sharply, “ages.”
You smile at him as the two of you reach the lobby door of your apartment and end up in the crisp winter air. The sky is white, threatening to snow down on the bare city.
You look up at the sky. “I really hope it snows tonight.” 
“Nothing better than a white Christmas.”
“Exactly, it doesn’t feel like Christmas without the snow.”
“It doesn’t feel like Christmas without friends or family either,” he mumbles, “I can’t remember how long it’s been since I spent Christmas with somebody.”
“Me too, if it wasn’t for Nat bugging me so much I’d probably be drinking eggnog alone in my apartment.”
He nudges you gently. “Well, hey, you’re stuck with me now.”
“You’re stuck with me now,” you smile at him.
The walk isn’t very far, and with James as your company, it goes by fast. By the time the two of you make it to the diner, your cheeks and hands are numb, but you also feel really connected to the man next to you.
The server sits you two at a booth by the window, and based on his friendliness with James, they know each other.
“Come here often?” You giggle.
“Just a little,” he cracks a smile.
You take off your scarf and fold it up next to you with your purse. James rests his hands on the table but makes no move to take off his gloves.
“Aren’t you getting warm?”
“A little, I guess.” He shrugs off his jacket, and looking nervous, slips off his gloves.
There’s a dog tag around his neck, tucked into his shirt. You hide your shock quite well when you notice that one of his hands was a shiny, dark metal. You don’t glance very long, but when you look up at his face, you can tell that he noticed you looking.
“It’s okay to look, y/n. I’m learning to not be ashamed of it.”
“Sorry,” you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear nervously, “I shouldn’t stare. You just look...so familiar.”
He nods, but as he opens his mouth to speak, the server returns.
“Can I take your drink orders?”
You order a coffee while James orders a tea, and once he’s certain everyone is out of earshot, leans in a little closer.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you, y/n. Nat’s told me about all of your nightmare dates and I really didn’t want to end up as another one…”
“Is everything alright?”
He takes a deep breath. “My full name is James Buchanen Barnes.”
You don’t hide your shock as well this time. Everything clicks into place, and though you had only ever seen pictures of him in museums when he was younger, and a few other pictures on the news a few years ago, you know that’s where you knew him from.
“So,” you nod slowly, noting how he refused to meet your eyes, “do I still call you James, or do you prefer Bucky?”
His eyes finally meet yours and you can see the stress melt away. “I prefer Bucky.”
“Then it’s nice to meet you, Bucky.”
The waiter brings your drinks and takes your food orders and once again, you wait until he leaves before you say anything.
“So does Captain America really sing in the shower?”
Bucky laughs at that, his laugh so happy that it makes your heart swell up with joy.“All the time! He has a good singing voice, too, so we can’t even tell him to shut up!”
You can’t help but giggle at the thought of Captain America belting it out in the shower The sound of Bucky’s laugh on top of yours only makes you giggle more.
“You have a nice laugh,” he says. 
Heat rises to your cheeks but luckily the waiter comes by with your food, and you’re saved by the bell. The two of you eat in silence, and when the bill comes, you and Bucky do the classic cheque dance. In the end, you paid for your respective meals, and made your way out of the restaurant.
“So,” he offers his hand, “Rockefeller?”
“Rockefeller!” You take his hand in yours, and based on the feel of it, it’s the metal one.
He holds your hand gently, as if he’s afraid to hurt you. Of course he is, you thought. If you knew anything about his past, it was that that same arm had been used to hurt people. You’re flattered that he would even put aside his insecurity with it for you.
After a few minutes of walking, Bucky finally speaks. “You know, if you’re not sick of me after Rockefeller, a friend of mine is having a Christmas party.”
“A friend? Like an Avengers friend?”
“A friend like Tony Stark,” he states plainly.
Your eyes shoot wide open. An Avengers Christmas party? Was that where Nat would be?
“I’d love to go with you.”
He gently squeezes your hand in acknowledgement, and in no time at all, the two of you are heading into Rockefeller center to see the looming Christmas tree. It’s bright and beautiful, and you can’t help but gawk at it. With a quick glance at Bucky, you can tell he’s doing the same.
“So, when was the last time you saw the tree?” You whisper to him.
“1937, I think.”
“That was so long ago!”
“I know,” he smiles sheepishly, “I just never felt comfortable enough in crowds before. It’s getting better, though.”
“I’m glad,” you turn to face him, your lips turning into a smile.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
“No. I just think you’re very handsome.”
His face flushes instantly. “So what are you going to do about it?”
You stand on your tippy toes, wrap your hands around his neck and whisper, “is this okay?”
He wraps his arms around your waist and leans in, answering your question in the form of a kiss.
You smile into it, enjoying his warmth against yours. 
He pulls away first. “So, Christmas party?”
“Christmas party.” You smile back at him.
For the first time in years, you weren’t going to spend Christmas alone.
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irontinystar · 2 years
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hi babes this is for those who are still part of the sambucky fandom: do you have some fic recommendations ? elements that would be highly appreciated include: sexytime; ‘you’re so insufferable ugh I hate that I have to see your face yet would fuck you into oblivion’ dynamic ; them being snarky assholes with each other but FURIOUS at whoever tries to even slightly criticize the other; a lot of banter ; very very in character pls; it doesn’t have to be canon compliant .
Ok thank you that’s all!!!
(if you want to recommend one of your own fics don’t be shy go ahead!!)
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ivybucky · 7 months
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First Time - b.b. x gn!reader
Summary: You have a habit of calling people by cute nicknames or monikers, and Bucky isn't sure why it made him feel so good.
a/n: I'm breaking my hiatus finally!!! this is just a cute lil fic somewhat based on first time by hozier without the thought-provoking underlying angst. 1.9k
Content/Warnings: tfaws!Bucky, fluff, pining, tfaws fight scenes, zemo mention, multiple Sam appearances, references to fights/violence, use of y/n, use of the nickname doll when referring to the reader, friends to lovers? (let me know if i'm forgetting anything)
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Believe it or not, Bucky Barnes tried to not think about his past. 
Though his efforts to make amends were a work-in-progress, and his name was brought up in the press more often than he preferred, Bucky Barnes tried to think about his past as little as possible. 
The first time you called him James was the first time he had liked the way it sounded. You had smiled at him, sweet and welcoming, as Sam introduced the two of you.
“It’s nice to meet you, James.” God, did it fall off your tongue in the nicest way. “Thank you for looking after birdbrain over here.” You giggled at Sam’s distant-sounding protest.
Bucky cracked a sideways smile, not being able to stop himself. “You can call me Bucky, doll.”
Your smile morphed into a sort of smirk, cheeks warming at the nickname he gave you. “Is that what you prefer?”
He hadn’t given it much thought anymore. He knew James as the person who enlisted in the military, the person who fell from the train following Captain America into the throws of war. James was the person who was Hydra’s plaything, the assassin, the monster he was so desperate to forget. Bucky was the charmer, the best friend of Steve Rogers, the swing dancer who had a habit of punching bullies(justified obviously). 
Now, he didn’t feel like either. Going by Bucky was the easiest option, since it was the part of him he was desperate to gain back. Talking to you however, he didn’t think he cared what he was called anymore. 
He gave you a soft grin, one that may have held a bit more meaning than flirtation. “I don’t mind either, you can call me whatever you want.”
The first time you called him by any kind of nickname was the day they went to Madripoor.
“Sammy! Buck!” You called their names as you waved big at them from the small airport hangar. 
Bucky tried to slow his heart as the pair walked closer to you. Sam let out a chuckle next to him, a teasing smile thrown his way. “Hope you don’t mind the extra company, Buck.”
With a frown and a grumble, Bucky widened his gait, the toe of his shoe catching on Sam’s, causing him to trip up momentarily. “Don’t call me that.”
He reached you first, allowing his smile wider further than before. “Hi Y/N, what’re you doin’ here?”
You placed a gentle hand on his left shoulder, rubbing back and forth. “It’s good to see you too,” you chuckled. “Sam told me what you guys are doing with Zemo. He thought I might be able to provide some kind of help, right Sam?”
Sam walked up with somehow both a smirk and scowl on his face and pulled you into a quick hug. “That’s right, though I might’ve invited you along so that I’m not the only one putting up with his old ass.”
Bucky scoffed, trying to ignore the lack of warmth from your otherwise occupied hands. “Are you sure about this, doll? This is probably gonna end with all of us on a watch list.”
You nudged his shoulder, your own smirk gracing your features. “As if I wasn’t on one already.”
The boys both chuckled, before Sam spoke up. “Speaking of watchlists, he’s here.”
Boarding the private jet that Zemo just happened to have, Bucky tried to keep his eyes on you the whole time, even as you sat in the leather seat between him and the window. 
“I’m sorry, I’m just fascinated by this - I don’t know what to call it,” your brows furrowed at the sentence, at the faint smirk that rested on Zemo’s face. “But this part seems important. Who is Nakajima?”
Bucky was out of his seat in an instant, metal fingers gripped tightly around his throat. Zemo’s face wiped itself of any amusement. Bucky spoke into his ear low and gruff, but it could easily be heard throughout the plane cabin. “You touch that again and I’ll kill you.” 
He snatched the notebook back into his and heavily sat back down into his seat, hand wound tight around the small journal
Your fingers reached across his lap and wrapped around his clenched metal fist, thumb rubbing soothingly over the back of his hand. “Just ignore him, sweetheart. You and I both know nothing that man says is worth anything.” 
Bucky looked down at your joined hands, then glanced up at you with a small smile. He gave your hand a couple of squeezes, and tried to focus back on the words being said throughout the rest of the plane ride. 
The first time you called him “baby” was during their fight with John Walker. 
Madripoor and Latvia had been filled with silent stares, small smiles, and soft words . Fleeting “friendly” touches ensued as well - Bucky’s hand on your back drawing small circles, your gentle grasp of his hand or arm when he clenched his fist.
Bucky talked to you about Yori, about his too soft mattress, about his too shitty of a therapist, his want to get a cat. You told him about meeting Sam, your agency background, your agreement that he should totally get a cat. And now, you just wished you could have that again.
Walker was too strong, landing solid hits on both Sam and Bucky that could easily start slowing them down. He had lifted the shield over their bodies too many times, clearly holding on to the same psychotic fury he had when he killed the Flagsmasher.
To this point, you stood frozen in watch. You weren’t there when the fight started, and between Sam and John’s current focus on Bucky, you weren’t sure which side needed the most aid.
John had flung Bucky into a nearby metal utility pole for Christ’s sake, and a cry wretched itself from your lips. You ran to his side as he laid on the ground unconscious, metal arm cackling with untamed electricity. 
“Bucky,” you murmured as you checked his spine for any breaks. You could hear his breath, as shuddered as it was after an impact like that. You moved him to lay on his back, palm pressed to his cheek. “Bucky, honey, come on, wake up.”
You tapped his cheek a couple of times in slight panic, other hand unconsciously combing his hair back. A couple of moments passed before he groaned and huffed out a cough. “Bucky,” you sighed a breath of relief, eyes near tearing up as the tension left your body. “Are you hurt, baby?”
He sat up with a grimace, another groan leaving his lips. “What the fuck?”
“He took the serum,” your hands had yet to leave his face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He looked up at you with a wincing smile, still bright enough to make your heart stutter. “I’m okay, sweetheart.” The red gracing your cheeks could be easily based on the intensity of the fight, but it was unsaid knowledge that wasn’t the case. He touched the hand holding his cheek as you swept a thumb back and forth. A grunt from the fight crashed them both back to reality. “He’s gonna kill Sam.”
You stood up, pulling him with you by his metal arm. Bucky swung his arm around to recalibrate before jogging forward. “We gotta get the shield. Be careful, don’t let him pin you.”
____
The first time you kissed him was in Louisiana. 
You giggled from the picnic table as you watched Bucky dodge Sam’s nephews, cake in hand, as they tried to tackle him for his arm, as well as when several of the children pleading to hang off of it.
He sat next to you on the bench of the table, shoulder pressing into yours as you basked in Sam and Sarah’s storytelling. Bucky shared some bittersweet stories about Steve, drawing smiles from everyone listening. Each laugh had you leaning into him a bit more, but a complaint could not be heard, especially when your hands brushed under the table.
The evening continued on like that into the early night. Bucky entertained the masses, looking a lot like the charmer he used to be. Sam reminisced with his community, taking many photos with his local family. 
You sat on the pier, leaning back against the wooden bench as the sun set over the water’s horizon. You could faintly hear laughter behind you on the dock mixed with the sound of the stereo’s music drifting over. A smile grew on your face as a presence made its way towards you, shoes scuffing against the wooden slats. A soft hand rested on your shoulder and sent warmth through your body. “Care for some company, doll?”
You flashed Bucky a smile that had him weak as you turned back to him and patted the space next to him. He sat down close, thigh pressed against yours, shoulder to shoulder yet again. 
“What’re you gonna do now, Buck? You think you’re gonna stick around?” 
He sighed, staring down at his metal hand in contempt. “I don’t know,” his hand clenched in his lap. “I’ve been following orders for a long time now. Might be good for me to work with someone, not for. Even if birdbrain has a habit of getting on my nerves.”
You reached across his lap and gently unfurled his fingers. He wished the pressure he felt against the metal was more tangible for once, more definitive. “You should do whatever makes you feel the most free, sweetheart.” You slipped both of your hands around his, rubbing small circles with your thumb. “Whether that be with Sam or doing something else. You deserve it.”
Bucky’s eyes drifted over your face and observed its features - the small smile that curled around your lips, the kindness in your eyes. “And what about you?” he spoke softly. “Will you stay?”
You looked up to him and searched his eyes with a hopeful grin. “Are you asking?” you chuckled, using one of your hands to comb his hair back behind his ear, thumb resting on his cheek. “If I’m needed, I’ll stay.”
Bucky puffed out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. “Well ya know,” he threw a bright smile in your direction. “Sam’s gonna need you here so he doesn’t lose his mind.”
You chuckled, leaning a little bit closer.  “And you? Do you need me?”
Bucky took in the space between you, the way your breaths mingled, foreheads near touching. “Yeah, baby,” he allowed himself to fully lean in. “I need you.”
You kissing him was like coming up for air, or finding water in the middle of the desert. It was salvation, it was required for him to have in order to survive. Your lips were soft, tasting faintly of the beer you had earlier. His mouth moved against yours like a magnet following them wherever they went. His hand drifted to your waist, moving you somewhat into his lap as you both smiled into the kiss. When you finally broke apart, it was only for the need for oxygen to fill your lungs. 
You giggled from above him, heads pressed together. Your hands locked themselves around his shoulders in an embrace that forced him to stay where he could feel the pant of your breath across his skin, not that he was complaining. “I guess I’ll stay then.”
Please reblog and comment! It's my first fic in *two fucking years* and i need to know that this is still good lol
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rookthorne · 1 year
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depending on who leads, I’ll be uploading the fic tonight! 🥰
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ellerosie2332 · 2 years
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These are the fics that I recommend and Love for Sebastian Stan and his Characters. Minors DNI
Sebastian Stan:
Love, Theoretically by @mypoisonedvine - Sebastian Stan x Reader
You Love Me Not by @holylulusworld - Sebastian Stan x Reader, Chris Evans x Reader (Platonic)
The Best Thing I Never Had by @wintersoldier1989 - Sebastian Stan x Fem!Reader
Bucky Barnes:
Pierced through and through by @angrythingstarlight - TFAWS!Bucky Barnes x Reader
Sweeter Than Sugar by @angrythingstarlight - Chubby Baker!Bucky x Reader
It Never Ends by @chouettedubois - College!AU Bucky x Fem!Reader
Solace by @winterdrag0n - Bucky Barnes x Reader
5 Years Later by @annabellehoran - Bucky Barnes x Reader
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polizwrites · 7 months
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PoliZ's WIP Update - 4 Oct 2023
A roughly average week thanks to Fic/Flufftober inspiration (and last-minute Sam Wilson Bingo fills!)  I touched 5  fics (2 WIPs & 3 new works)  for a total of  2339 words.
On Ao3, I posted: 
Chapter Six of  Finding Something Fresh - wrapping up my omega!Dom!Steve &  beta!sub!Bucky fic.  
A Falcon Turned Phoenix -  Sam and Joaquin mentor/protege ficlet.
As Night Falls - Sam & Bucky TFaWS missing scene ficlet
I have  19 semi-active WIPs  😬 with my  current  deadlines being the Sam Wilson Bingo that wraps on Oct 15, the Halloween Horror Bingo and the  the Fictober/Flufftober/Whumptober prompt challenges that all wrap at the end of the month.
See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!
Seek & Destroy Collab
After reading @psychiccatpanda‘s amazing   Morguna and the Green Queen, I  got the itch to explore the Soldier’s POV and talked  Faustie into   collab’ing with me!  We’re working on a new part of the series, and I’ve  contributed about 900 words towards the  2500-ish we have so far.   Going to see if I can squeeze any of my BBB squares into this fic.
All Caps Bingo [ACB_R1]  (Ends 30 Sep)
29 squares filled, thanks to the  adoptables and Monthly Missions,  so I made my blackout and then some! I sent in my badge claims and  made my masterpost.
* Sept Adoptable: Dominant Omega - Posted the final chapter of  Finding Something Fresh last Friday.  Omega!Dom!Steve and beta!sub!Bucky complete their scene; it came in at 919 words.
Sam Wilson Bingo [SWB_R3]  (Ends 15 Oct 2023)
I have seven fills and two WIPs - targeting a bingo and perhaps one more fill before the bingo wraps up.  Might try to crossfill with the  Captain Bottom bingo? 
* B4 - Natasha Romanoff -  Maybe add on to my Card Sharks drabble, where  SamNat & Steve conspire to create a polycule with Bucky?  this idea crosses over nicely with my BBB KINK: Seduction mission square
* G2 - Teacher/Teacher AU - Wrote up a No Powers AU FalconHawk meet (mostly) cute ficlet as a crossover with Fictober Day 9. Lessons Learned is coming in at 409 words and will post on Monday.  
* G3 - Joaquin Torres - posted  A Falcon Turned Phoenix  yesterday as a crossfill with Day 3 of Fictober.  It’s an expansion of   A Rising Star  and came in at 600 words even.  
* G4 - Adopting a Pet - working on a moodboard for this where Joaquin brings a stray cat home and  Sam and Bucky (pretend to) disapprove.  Shout out to @hannahshattuck for the assist on the Joaquin pics!  
* G5 - Wilson Family Dynamics - filled this with As Night Falls, a TFaWS canon-compliant Sam & Bucky ficlet set in Delacroix. It came in at 368 words and will post to Ao3 before the bingo ends.  
Halloween Horror Bingo - [HHB_23] (Ends 31 Oct 2023)
Just signed up for this event, hosted by @halloweenhorrorbingo. After picking three horror films, you get a 3x3 card (with 3 alternates) with prompts based on those films.
* B1 - Dealing with Extreme Cold  - seems like a good match with my BBB Cold   and or SVB Last Resort  square along with Whumptober: Thermometer  & Fictober "It's not too late, let's go."
* ALT1 - There’s something under the bed - Working on  A Hairy Situation -   WinterHawk Werewolf AU  that’s up to 1140 words so far and may cross over with my BBB Accidental Villainy  or "This might as well happen"  square. Targeting to post on Friday the 13th. 😁
Fictober/Flufftober/Whumptober - [FFWtober_23] (Ends 31 Oct 2023)
I’m lumping these three prompt challenges together as I plan on mixing and matching with a goal of using at least one prompt from these three lists each week.   
* Whumptober Day 2: Thermometer  see  HHB Dealing with Extreme Cold 
* Fictober Day 3: "Okay, show me."   see SWB  Joaquin Torres above.  
* Flufftober Day 6. Corn Maze - wrote a fluffy IronStrange established relationship where Tony and Stephen get lost in a corn maze.  An A-maze-ing Afternoon  is coming in at 405 words and will post Friday. 
* Fictober Day 9: "I wouldn't do that if I were you."  See SWB Teacher/Teacher AU.  
* Fictober Day 12: "I'm not saying I didn't like it."  Contemplating a crossover with my TSB Pairing: Tony/Thor  as a continuation of/sequel to  Caught By the Rain and Blinded by the Lightning
* Fictober Day 24:  [melting emoji]  - combine with  TSB  "Get back in bed!"  Tony has a fever and won’t listen to his partner. Maybe throw in a little Whumptober too? 
* Fictober Day 27:   "I don't know if they will accept this."  - This could be a fun combo with TSB  T2 - KINK: Cock-blocking 'bots. 
WinterIron Bingo  - [WIB_R1]   (Ends 16 Dec 2023)
I have sixteen fills completed and two WIPs for this brand-new bingo event that I’m helping mod!  Along with crossfilling against my other bingos,  I’m going to try to combine my B column squares for the Iron Soldier badge (complete a bingo with a single work). – Alpha Tony Stark, “That was not my intention.”, James Rhodes, Alpine loves Tony and Blind date.   (Tony POV remix of A Sugar Coated Pill?)
* N1 - Bucharest –  I think I can fold this into a future chapter of My Love is Vengeance -  where a young!Tony and a recovering!Bucky have been kidnapped by Hydra, who still thinks Bucky is the Soldier.  
* G2 - Eye contact during sex - This will come into play in Chapter 6 of A Sugar-Coated Pill, where Bucky figures out what making love really means, with Tony’s help. It’s crossing over with BBB KINK: Gentle Sex and is up to 503 words.
* G4 - AU: College Students – looking to expand Beaten to the Punch with some backstory on Bucky and Tony as science camp counselors to fit with this square - will also cross over with my WFB  Volunteering Together square.  
* O5 - Gentle – use this poem  as inspiration?
Stucky’Verse Bingo Round 1 - [SVB_R1]   (Ends 22 Dec)
Eleven fills, two WIPs and a couple of ideas.
* A1 - Harem - crossover with CABB Secret/Forbidden Relationship - Bucky and shrimpy!Steve are both concubines - they love each other more than their lord. I poked at this a little last week and have 71 words.
* A4 - Fairy Tale Curse  - this seems custom-made for a continuation of Beyond the Beast😁  Nothing written yet, other than some Vague Ideas.  
* C3 - FREE - Need to find a good match for Chapter 2 of   Half of the Flesh and Blood That Makes Me Whole   - a Bucky POV remix of at least the first part of Take What Was Wrong (And Make it Right), which is current sitting at  52 words.  I’m expecting at least one more chapter, possibly two, depending on how far I want to take the remix.   
* C5 - Last Resort - see HHB Dealing with Extreme Cold 
Bucky Barnes Bingo  - [BBB_R5]   (Ends 10 Jan 2024)
I’ve got  eleven fills,  four WIPs,   and a couple more Vague ideas.
* B2 - KINK: Seduction Mission - might add a new chapter to Card Sharks - where Sam/Natasha and Steve finish what they started to get Bucky onboard for a poly partnership.
* B5 - Cold - see HHB  Dealing with Extreme Cold
*  U1 - Never the fall that kills you -  I’ve got a WinterIron hanahaki fic idea for this that I might play with or check against Whumptober prompts 
* U3 - Fireplace -  Working on a 1980′s No Powers WinterIron fic set at a ski lodge where Tony’s being wooed by poetry and love letters that Bucky wrote to someone else.   Started poking at this as a crossover with a Love Letters prompt and it’s sitting at 129 words.
* C2 - Yelena Belova–   The plan is to use this prompt in the next chapter of Peresmešnik,  (aka Three Avengers and a Baby), which is currently sitting at 1303 words (600-ish of which are mine).
* C5 - Marriage of Convenience/Pretend Couple -  next chapter of   Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion.    Got a spark of an idea the other day that might get me a bit further on this fic.  
* K3 - Magic -  Aro!Bucky healing with a kiss idea?
* Y1 - Gentle Sex – In-progress Chapter 6 of Sugar-Coated Pill- see WIB Eye Contact During Sex.
* Y3 - Alpine  - see WIB Iron Soldier combo.
* Y4 - Forgotten Things -   using this for Chapter 4 of   You Can’t Stop It With a Gun  - it’s sitting at  116 words at the moment.
* May Adopted - Insomnia - finally got this filled with The Dead of Night, which also filled a Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF211 An Old Friend] along with my JBB FREE square. It came in at 317 words and will post to Ao3 before this event ends.
* August Adopted: Take the Shot - sounds like a WinterHawk fic to me… maybe cross over with JBB Touch-starved?  Whumptober/Fictober possibilities as well. 
Tony Stark Bingo Round 7  - [TSB_R7]   (ends 15 Feb)
Ten fills and zero WIPs, with a couple of ideas in play.  
* S1 - Galaxy - possibly use in final chapter of   Never More to Go Astray ?  
* S2 - KINK: Multiple Orgasms  - thanks to a NSFW shitpost over in the WinterIron Discord server  (and @rebelmeg’s awesome commentary)  - I have A Sign of the (Sexy)Times ready to post next Wednesday.  425 words of a WinterPepperony not-quite-smutfic  (fade to black before actual sex, but there is Sexual Content)  
* S3 - Pairing: Tony/Thor - see Fictober Day 12 above. 
* T2 - KINK: Cock-blocking 'bots - see Fictober Day 27 above
* T3 - A pairing you've never done - @somesortofitalianroast and I are looking at collabing on a  Steve/Tony/Scott fic - possibly throw in a  Flufftober/Fictober prompt?  
* T5 - Shawarma - possible crossover with SAUB Canon Divergence – Battle of New York-related?
* A2 - KINK: Concubine - possible crossover with SAUB Gentle Dom
* A5 - Building your friends - used this for the Discord September Round Robin -  will share the link once it gets posted.  
* R1 - Animal Transformation - DemonPanda shared a fun prompt on the WIB server - Tony as a short-haired werewolf who needs to cuddle his pack members for warmth.
* R5 - Doppelganger/Evil Twins -   The Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF214 Broken Mirror] got me at least a good start on the idea I’ve been playing with for this square. I posted NamNori on Tumblr and have a general idea of how I want to build on it to also fill my SAUB AU: Crack square. It’s currently sitting at 360 words.
* K2 - "Get back in bed!"  -  see Fictober Day 24  above
* September Adopted:  Tony/Stephen - see  Flufftober Day 6 above
Stony AUniverse Bingo  [SAUB_R1] (ends 15 Feb)
Another brand-new bingo I’m helping co-mod!   Six fills, three WIPs and several  crossover ideas already!
* S1 - Edging - Filled this with Ringing in the New, where Tony makes a suggestion to improve/change up their love life. It’s a crossover with a Flash Fiction Friday prompt: How Do You Use ‘It’? and came in at 324 words - I will post it to Ao3 before the event is over.
* S2 - AU: Crack - see TSB   Doppelganger/Evil Twins
* S3 - AU: Wings - see SVB FREE square
* S5 - Accidental Baby Acquisition - see BBB Yelena Belova
* T1 - AU: Fantasy -  CoffeeOwl shared a really cool dragon!Steve/indebted!Tony prompt in the ACB Discord server that I may be playing with for this.
* T4 - AU: Canon Divergence - see TSB Shawarma above.
* N2 - Mutual Pining - crossover with CABB Royal Knight?
* N3 - Gentle Dom - see TSB KINK: Concubine above
* Y4 - AU: Soulmates  -  @chrissihr  posted a cool idea about Animated soulmarks, where  only your SM sees your mark move - may try to do something with this!  
Captain (America) Bottom Bingo - Round 2 [CABB] (ends 28 Feb 2024)
I signed up for a 3x3 card for this bingo and have four fills, one WIPs and a couple of crossover ideas.
* A2 - Secret/Forbidden Relationship - see SVB Harem
* B3 - Royal Knight - see SAUB Mutual Pining.
Post July Break Bingo  [JBB_23p] (Ends Apr 2024)
@julybreakbingo is running another event to tide participants over with a 2x3 non-fandom-specific card - I got mine earlier this week and am checking it over for potential crossovers.
* A1 - “It’s you. It’s always been you.” - This might fit in with my TSB Doppelgangers/Evil Twins fill NamNori above :: ponders::
* B1 - Ask the neighbor if they know why your apartment is haunted  - I gotta do something with this for Spooky Month - maybe combine with TSB Old Ghosts or something off my HHB card  :: ponders:: 
* B2 - Character’s personality is split into two different beings – I’ve never played with Bucky & the Soldier being two different people, but this seems like the perfect opportunity! Will see what might be a good crossover on BBB or WIB (or even SVB)
*  C1 - Touch Starved – another good fit for a Bucky-centric fic. (Steve or Tony or Clint) possibly crossover with BBB Take the shot?
Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  - [WFB]   (no end date)
I got my card from  @warmandfluffybingocards back in February but really haven’t done much with it  - however, I’m picking it back up for some crossover possibilities!
 * O5 - Volunteering Together – see WIB AU: College Students
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On  other creative fronts:  I am working on a comics!Daredevil  Stuffed With Character figure in progress for an upcoming con and have signed up for the Marvel Trumps Hate event - so keep an eye out for my auctions! 
If  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 150!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!
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sambuckylibrary · 1 year
Note
love this blog! do you have any recs for fic where sam travels back in time to meet 1940s bucky?
Back to you by glittercake
G | 2.5k | nwa | post endgame
"I, uh, know you," Sam says, "In the future." Bucky looks at him intrigued. "In another life, no one saved you from that fall." 
Bucky laughs like he's not shocked at all, "I always knew I wouldn't make it home from this war."
OR
Sam goes on a rescue mission in 1944.
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double back by flowermasters
E | 12.5k | nwa | post endgame
Sam gets stuck in a time loop. In 1943.
Things could be worse, but they could certainly be better.
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Where the Sun Sails and the Moon Walks by Saddaughter16, velociraptorerin
E | 21.4k | nwa | post tfatws
One year post TFaWS, Sam and Bucky are finally hitting their stride as a team when Sam is pulled away on a solo mission.
The official mission: Find the Time Stone in 1930’s New York and return it to the sanctum.
The unofficial mission: Find the Time Stone in 1930’s New York, run into the younger version of your crush, fall helplessly more infatuated with your crush, try to keep your crush from finding out you’re from the future, and return the Time Stone to the sanctum.
Or, it takes Sam going to the past to get what he wants in the future.
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Pick a Star on the Dark Horizon by artist_artists
T | 38.4k | nwa | post tfatws
In 1945, a Hydra experiment gone wrong sends their prisoner Bucky Barnes to the year 2025, where he meets Sam Wilson for the first time.
In 2025, Bucky is stolen from his happy life living and working with Sam and sent back to his Hydra cell in 1945.
Both of them love Sam, and both of them are trying to get back to where they belong without destroying the universe
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pastafossa · 1 year
Note
Hey, Pasta! I have a sorta-dumb question, so feel free to ignore it. Soooo, I write fanfic-OC inserts a lot (Daredevil, TFAWS, Shadow and Bone, Daughter of Smoke and Bone), and I used to write the chapters - really more like oneshots - in a Gdoc and webshare it on Twitter because I hate plot and there was no need for any of that fancy fanfic page stuff. However, now that I'm on Tumblr, I have been told that the Gdoc method is insecure and troublesome (true) and that I should, if I may quote my sister, "Just post it in AO3 if you're gonna write so much."
I have the common writer's anxiety, so I've never been comfortable with sharing my work in such a public manner, but I decided that I may just make an AO3 account. But! I wanted the opinion of 1) a seasoned AO3er and 2) a writer I like and admire, so my question for you is: Is AO3 a site that you'd recommend/do you feel like there's a good community over there? Tysm!
This isn't a dumb question at all, and I totally get the anxiety to post in a more public way (and also thank you so much!)! So I've been on AO3 for about seven years now between my Pasta account and my old account. Before that I was a kid posting my first fics on ffn, I tried LiveJournal at one point, and I've obviously posted on tumblr, so I've tried a faaaairly wide variety of fic sites save for something like wattpad. And I have to say, even with its hiccups, AO3 is hands down my favorite fic site to write on, my favorite site to read on, and - imo - the best fic site out there for posting.
The tagging system is unmatched once you get the hang of it, and it makes it so, so gd easy for readers to find your fic based on whatever niche tropes or tags they might be looking for.
The way you can group fics together in a series is incredibly convenient.
They work hard to protect your fics and fic culture, defending it both from larger corporate entities and from puritans who believe fic shouldn’t exist - your content won’t every be swept away overnight like in the ffn purges of 2007 and 2012.
If your fic is plagiarized, they work fast. It took me less than 2 days to get a response from their team when dealing with the plagiarist last week.
No advertising, so not only are they not bound to rules by said advertisers, but your readers are free to read fic uninterrupted by ads (as always, consider donating if you can since they run on donations and are composed largely of volunteers!).
As the number 1 fic site, people will usually search for fics here first, so if you’re looking for readers or a community, this is the place to go.
As a writer, if you’re worried about troll comments, you can set each fic’s comment section to only registered users (so no guest comments). This weeds out the vast majority of trolls since most don’t want to go to the effort of making an account and waiting to get in. You will still sometimes get people willing to do that, or who’ll still go at you with their actual accounts, but I’ve found far less of an issue on AO3 than elsewhere - you can even set it, in that case, to ‘no comments’ or report the comments to AO3.
In my personal experience, the community is far friendlier on AO3 than on other fic posting sites. Probably 95% of my interactions and the reactions I see in other comment sections are positive, and the 5% is broken down 50/50 between either unintentional rudeness or actual trolls, which is manageable.
A few cons, in the interest of full disclosure, although ultimately I feel these are worth it for such a good site:
The site is mostly staffed by volunteers, and while they do their best, functionality updates can take considerable time. We only recently got a block button (preventing certain users from interacting on your fic), for example, and a mute button (so you no longer see fics from certain users) is still a ways off.
Comments are rare. I know there’s a ton of comments on TRT, and I am incredibly grateful for it and for the way it slides into comments on my other fics, but outside of big fics like that, interaction is a lot lower and it’s just something to know going in (although if you’re going from twitter into a fairly popular ship and/or large fandom, you might get way more interactions than from posting on twitter, so it’s all relative!). This is something I’ve found on most sites, and it’s the exact same way on AO3. Your hits will be highest, followed by kudos, and then comments. Generally speaking on oneshots, a 10% kudos to hits ratio early on (before repeat readers begin to push hits higher, since you can only kudos once but add a hit multiple times) is considered quite good. Lower that further for comments. After a bit, stop tracking the ratio because ultimately it’ll become meaningless, especially for chaptered fics where folks come back to read new chapters.
If you’re writing in google docs and try to copy+paste that into AO3′s form as is, you will learn very quickly that ao3 hates google doc formatting. You’ll get weird spaces where they don’t belong (especially if you use italics), the spacing will get fucked, all sorts of hiccups. I use the method from this tumblr post as a workaround. It’s a few extra steps but it’ll help you loads.
Speaking of: using their form to submit a fic definitely takes some getting used to. It’s a bit clunky I’m told, compared to other sites, but stick with it. My biggest advice here is, after pasting your fic in, do not post it yet. Use the preview function to see just how all the formatting is going to turn out. I’ve often found that it looks fine until I preview, and only then do formatting issues show up, which I can then fix. Again, extra work, but worth it for the pros listed above.
Honestly those are the only cons I can think of, and all of them are generally things you can either work around or adjust to as a writer posting there. They’re also absolutely worth it for such a good site, imo, and it’s the best I’ve found out of all of them. I have zero regrets posting on AO3 instead of another site. And I think you’ll come to love it, too, if you decide to join up!
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froggibus · 1 year
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Hi bestie do you plan on writing a part 2 for blind date? Maybe when they go to Tony's party together and Sam and Steve keep flirting with reader?
Christmas Party (Blind Date 2) - Bucky Barnes
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Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader
Genre: fluff!
Word Count: 600
Summary: after your blind date with Bucky, you go to avengers tower for a Christmas party
CW: pure fluff, alcohol, flirting, Bucky is a lil possessive but wholesome!!
hey bestie! i wasn’t really planning on it since I wrote it so long ago but here’s a little blurb I wrote! hope you enjoy <3
this is a part 2. you can read part 1 here
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Stepping into Avengers Tower, you can’t help but smooth down the wrinkles on your clothes. The snow is coming down harder now, and thick flakes of it are clinging to the fabric of your clothes and strands of your hair. 
“Are you sure I’m dressed up enough for this?” You ask. 
Bucky squeezes your hand in reassurance, “honestly, I’m not the best person to ask that. But you look great!”
You nod, watching him press the button for the elevator. You figure Nat will be there, so you won’t be completely alone. Still, you’re nervous. 
Even when you’re stepping off of the elevator onto the top floor, where waiters cart around platters of champagne and serve them to heroes of all kinds, your nerves only grow. You can see many familiar faces—people you’ve only seen on the news and dreamt about seeing. 
“Well, well, well,” a familiar redhead purses her lips at you, setting her empty champagne glass on a tray. “Look who showed up.”
She looks gorgeous—a black slip dress framing her athletic figure. She brings you in for an awkward hug, the scent of her perfume filling your nostrils. 
When she pulls back, she shoots a glance at the two men she was talking to before you showed up. 
“Where are my manners? Y/n, this is Steve and Sam,” she gestures to them. 
Even without the introduction, you know who they are. Steve Rogers: Captain America, and Sam Wilson: The Falcon. You’ve heard countless stories about them, including many tonight from Bucky himself. 
Speaking of Bucky, he drops your hand so that he can give his friend a pat on the back, giving the other man a begrudging handshake. You giggle slightly, before introducing yourself to the two men. 
“Hi,” you extend your hand to Steve’s, his engulfing yours. “I’m y/n.”
“Nice to meet you, y/n,” blue eyes stare into yours. Something about his gaze makes your stomach flip. 
You shake Sam’s hand next. He grins at you, “looks like our boy Bucky really scored. You look amazing, by the way.”
Your cheeks burn at that, and you’re so focused on his words that you don’t notice the way Bucky scoffs at Sam’s antics. Him and Nat have a side conversation while you talk to the other two. 
“Can I get you a drink?” Steve offers, eyes twinkling. 
“That would be great, thank you!”
Sam chats you up while you wait for Steve to return. You shoot the occasional glance at Bucky, whose eyes never leave you. Sam asks about where you’re from and how you ended up in New York, and Bucky takes that as opportunity to come next to you and wrap an arm around your shoulders. 
The contact makes butterflies erupt in your stomach, but you know it’s not completely innocent. Bucky is clearly annoyed that his friends have already stolen you away. Before anything can happen, though, Steve is retuning with your drink. 
“Aw, thank you!” You beam at the man, “you guys don’t mind if I steal Bucky away, do you?”
“Not at all!” Steve seems genuinely happy for his friend. 
Sam seems less happy, but accepts it regardless. 
You shrug his arm off your shoulders and snatch up his hand instead, dragging him to the snack table. “So,” you grab a chocolate covered pretzel, “they seem nice.”
“Steve is.”
You laugh, “but not Sam?”
“He’s a bit of a flirt,” he says, “he gets on my nerves, too.”
“Aw, were you jealous?” You poke at his ribs. 
“No—he’s just…annoying.”
You stand on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek, “well, there’s nothing to be annoyed about. You’re my date for the night, so how’s about introducing me to the man himself?”
His cheeks burn red at the contact. “Aye aye, Captain.”
masterlist
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cazimagines · 11 months
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hi!!! how are you lovely? I've been obsessed with fics for daniel bruhl and yours are so good!!!!!! thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into writing them and sharing with us 🌷💖🤗
I'm doing well, thank you for asking! Just moved back home and been unpacking everything, which is a lot 😅how are you?
Thank you for your kind words! It makes me so happy to hear that there are Bruhl fans still around and enjoying reading all the fics! It motivates me to try some writing again because I've missed it a lot. Crazy to think it's been two years since Zemo appeared in tfaws, and the Bruhl fandom blew up!
Have a lovely day 🥰
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mezmerwrites · 2 years
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MEZMERS WIP
Tumblr media Tumblr media
ALL MY WORK CONTAINS SMUT. MINORS DNI!
Eddie munson x roommate!reader
AUish set years after s4, Corroded Coffin needs a new drummer and reader needs a place to crash.
2 parts, it's already 9k words 💀
eddie munson x new girl!oc
Celeste is new to Hawkins, moving right into Forrest Hills Trailer Park. Starts before S4 but will follow s4, a fix it fic.
I haven't broken this into parts yet, but I'm thinking close to 30. Oops.
Bucky Barnes x oc (may make this reader insert)
Follows TFAWS
Multiple parts
Steve Harrington X Reader (if you're in, I'm in)
-im still writing this! I took a break to write some other things I was inspired to write.
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ao3feed-sambucky · 2 years
Text
Discovery
read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40972665
by cartersleia
Bucky grabs the last box. "I'll just put this one in the closet."
He doesn't want to look at his journals. He doesn't really want to be reminded of what his life used to be like before The Winter Soldier. He's not sure he can handle it.
"What is it?"
"Journals."
"Journals about what?"
"My life."
"And you just want to put those away?"
Bucky raises an eyebrow, confused. "Yes?"
~~~~~~~~~
OR: Bucky wrote journals about his life when he was a teenager and young adult. Nearly a decade later, he gets those journals back.
Words: 6884, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Series: Part 47 of Prompt Fills
Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: M/M
Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Additional Tags: Memory Loss, Memories, Bucky Barnes Recovering, post-tfaws, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40972665
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buckyismybicycle · 2 years
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It must be hard to write so many different ships!! do you have a favourite? Is one easier to write than another? Thank you for your works!!!
HI! Thank YOU for reading my works. I don't necessary have a "favourite" since I appear to go through phases. This blog started off as a winterfalcon blog because I was hooked on tfaws but then my ass fell back into a Stucky hole so I've been writing a lot of that lately. I also think that my Reader fics gain more traction/have more views, so those are always fun for me!! I love interacting with y'all. I also have two winterhawk fics lined up and am signed up for StarkBucks Bingo...
So the answer is: I am as indecisive about my ships as I am about what to order for dinner on a daily basis.
I just hope that you enjoy at least one (1) thing among all my stuff :3
As for writing, it's always trickier to try and capture a character that I don't write (*cough* that one Bucky/Zemo fic I wrote *cough*) but I think it just takes a little getting used to like anything else! They're fun because they challenge you to do a bit of character study, and allow you to possibly/hopefully write a new dynamic.
💗
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