imawreck

[imawreck]

Heaven Scent

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Returning to a Coven was the last thing Bucky wanted to do. Especially a young one. But when duty calls, and he’s sent out to help eradicate it, he has no choice but to power through the sent of blood and desire to consume even when the sweetest temptation appears to be just within his reach…

Warnings: Mentions of blood, kidnapping, canonic MCU violence, gory detailing, hostages

Word Count: 2,948

“Any luck?” Steve entered the compound, his uniform freshly pressed and boots shined.

Doctor Banner shook his head with a sigh, “None, like always. And I think with the way he’s been acting, Barnes isn’t going to be able to rely on the blood substitutes for much longer. Maybe a month or two.”

Steve blew out a frustrated breath. “Great… we'll have to figure something out soon then. SHIELD won’t keep him around if he becomes more of a danger than an advantage.”

SHIELD was a secret underground government agency sworn to protect the world from supernatural forces and outstanding threats. Steve and his best pal Bucky Barnes, being two of the oldest and most elite agents, had been used as experimental super soldiers during the 40s. He and his best friend, had been on a mission to eradicate a coven of vampires when Sergeant Barnes had been severely injured and turned. Steve had somehow managed to escape only to crash land while flying through fighter jet territory. He’d been lost in the war, having frozen in the ocean for years, only to have been recovered and more than willing to continue his service to the agency.

A few years after his return to the Agency, Steve had discovered that his best pal was still alive and wreaking havoc on a small town just outside of Brooklyn, New York. He set out to hunt him down, but instead of killing Bucky, he managed to break through his bloodlust and convince him to come back to the agency so that Steve could sort something out.

Steve wouldn’t kill him, he couldn’t do such a thing.

So, after months of negotiations and tests to even see if it was possible to control Bucky’s vampiric nature, they had come to the conclusion that Steve would become Bucky’s handler. He would be in charge of execution if Bucky was to go AWOL. He would also be in charge of managing Bucky’s dietary needs and escorting him on missions and lab tests.

Basically, he was Bucky’s designated babysitter and coworker in one.

It had been several years since their return and Bucky’s recovery. He’d lost an arm the night he was turned, and SHIELD had given him an advanced prosthetic and a fresh start. Bucky had trained endlessly to control his thirst for blood. Exposing himself to it, fasting to ensure he could handle the extended periods with no food if needed. Banner had even created a substitute so he wouldn’t have to feel the guilt of carrying around blood bags. He’d been doing well for years, but Doctor Banner had discovered his treatments with blood substitutes were a temporary fix.

Which meant that eventually, Bucky would either relapse or he’d need a Donor. And those weren’t exactly easy to find, or tolerated under SHIELD law.

And SHIELD would much rather kill him than give him any options.

Steve pressed his fingers into his brows, taking another deep breath of frustration. “He’s not going to like this.”

Banner shook his head, “No, he’s really not.”

“Not going to like what?” Bucky’s voice reached them as the glass door opened and shut behind him.

Steve straightened, plastering on a smile. “That we’ve got a mission tonight. 20:00, vampire coven.”

Bucky’s dark brows dropped into a frown, his lips pursing. “Yeah, definitely not a fan.”

“It’s a newer nest, so it shouldn’t have any older or even mature vampires yet.

Shouldn’t be an issue.” Steve knew that Bucky always got a little anxious when they took on vampire covens because of his turning.

That, and they always had blood around. Bucky was significantly more controlled in his actions when it came to blood. Not like when Steve had found him in Brooklyn covered in his latest victims’ blood with wild hungry eyes.

Now, when blood was near, he managed to keep his reaction minimized down to just the black veins under his eyes. It had taken years of practice and effort, but he had managed it. That alone was the only reason keeping him alive under SHIELD’s watchful eyes.

Banner cleared his throat, “Your provisions for dinner are in the fridge, Sergeant.”

Bucky gave Dr. Banner a flat smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He really did, it was just that Bucky despised being what he was. Needing what he did. He missed being human.

Now, he was viewed as a bloodthirsty monster. He supposed he once was, and those memories burned him every time he thought of that time.

Bucky went over to the fridge and discreetly stuffed the blood substitutes into one of the various pockets on his utility belt and gave Steve a nod, “Gonna stock the weapons and check the jet inventory for the mission.”

Steve nodded, “Alright, Buck. See you soon.”

With that, Bucky quickly exited the lab.

Steve signed, turning back to Banner. “Increase the substitute stock. If what you say is true, he’ll need more than normal until we come up with another option. Get another order on those scent blockers too.”

“Sure thing, Cap.” Banner went back to his computer and Steve headed out the doors.

Steve had this gut feeling that life was going to get way more complicated soon.

—————

The stealth jet touched down just outside of the mission red zone, and Bucky and Steve finalized their plans for infiltration.

“Alright, so you’ll go in the west entrance and take out the guards. They won’t put up much of a fight, coven’s not that big.” Steve pointed to the blueprints of the old warehouse as he spoke, popping a scent neutralizer into his mouth.

Bucky nodded, strapping the muzzle cover he was required to wear outside the compound onto his face as he listened. They would more than likely have victims in the building. Being a young coven, they were more bloodthirsty and less likely to keep hostages because of their lack of control. That meant it would be a bloodbath, and it put Bucky on edge. He could smell the faint scent of blood in the air even from inside the jet.

The familiar telltale feeling of the veins crawling under his eyes washed over him. The black veins rushed under the skin and reddened his vision just the slightest. There was lots of blood outside.

“Gonna be good, Buck?”

Steve’s question drew his gaze, and Bucky nodded silently. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Alright,” a few clips and zips later, and Steve was geared up and ready to go. “Let’s get this taken care of.”

Bucky followed him out and onto the dampened grass. Fog hovered just over the ground and plumed up into the air, clouding their vision a good six feet in front of them. With his heightened senses, Bucky could see further and more clearly than Steve, but the fog was thick enough that even he had issues.

“Keep right,” Bucky mumbled, voice muffled slightly from his mask, “The warehouse is that way. I can smell it.”

And God was it horrid.

The scent of blood assaulted his senses, bombarding him with its intensity and making his fangs ache. It was everywhere. He couldn’t see it, but its stench lingered heavily on the grass where it had seeped into the dirt.

He had to clench his jaw to keep the rumble of hunger from clawing up his throat. Bucky hated that his body craved blood, hated that he needed it to live. He detested everything that he was, but he couldn’t deny the effects the sweet scent had on him.

“It’s everywhere, Steve.” Bucky swallowed hard, his vision deepening in its burgundy haze. “It’s all around us, all over the place. The amount of it… there has to be multiple bodies.”

Steve, who’d been carefully creeping forward through the fog, stopped to observe his partner. “Can you tell if any of the victims are alive?”

With furrowed brows, Bucky tried to push his mind past the scent of blood and find something— anything— that would indicate that someone had survived this. His eyes fell closed as he willed his senses to extend, searching…

A heartbeat pounded from somewhere beyond the metal walls. Strong, hard, and panicked.

Alive.

Bucky’s eyes snapped open, black veins crawling further towards his eyes. “One. There's one still in there.”

Steve’s expression hardened and he nodded curtly. “Rescuing is the priority now. We get them out, and then we wipe these guys out.”

With a nod, Bucky turned his attention back to the warehouse. The scent of blood drew him like a moth to a flame, and he followed it willingly. The stronger it got, the more his mouth watered and the harder it got to contain himself.

But he would. He always did.

With every step, the aroma of it all grew stronger and the thundering heart inside grew more erratic. Fear seeped into the air, twisting itself with the sweetness of blood. But fear was prominent, and the bitterness of it turned Bucky’s stomach.

The soldier rounded the corner, his gun loaded with UV rounds and aimed at the only exit on his side of the building. Blood was painted on the side of the building in spatters, some of it dry while some of it still remained wet and glossy in the dim light of the moon. The door was cracked, and his ears picking up the faintest sounds of fast footsteps and growls of hunger. The disgusting sounds of blood being consumed.

Sounds of impending death.

With a shallow breath, he swallowed thickly and breached the door. With his heightened senses, he guided himself through the dark halls devoid of light. Every turn he took strengthened the scent of blood, nearly enough to make his knees weak.

God did it make him hungry.

Bucky could feel the veins under his eyes writhing, his vision growing more and more shrouded in red. Still, he moved forward, intent on completing the mission at hand. He wouldn’t break, he wouldn’t give in, he wouldn’t—

His body stilled, muscles locking in place. Bucky’s jaw slackened as his eyes widened, pupils blowing wide to better see as they scoured the darkness.

For whatever possessed that scent.

For whomever smelled so painstakingly delicious that it nearly brought him to his knees.

Hunger reared its ugly head inside of him as it perfumed the air, at each breath he dragged deep into his lungs like a man drowning and they were the last breaths of air he’d ever get. Steve radioed in his ear, but Bucky couldn’t hear it through the ringing that drowned him out. Ringing that silenced everything but that thumping heartbeat on the other side of the wall.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Like a beast on a warpath, Bucky clawed at the locked door with his metal hand. His fingers dragging deep scores into the frail wood as he reached for the lock. With a jerk of his hand, the lock crumbled in his grasp, and his boot dislodged the hinges from the force of his kick.

Bucky tore into the room with his gun already trained on the closest target. A squeeze later, and the vampire is writhing on the floor. Blue rivulets of light drip from its mouth as it screams, the poison from the bullet doing the dirty work as it burns through its system. It would be dead in minutes. The next two bullets find their homes in two more, and they join the corpse on the floor.

His teeth ached from the force of clenching his jaw, grounding him in the haze of barely contained bloodlust. The aroma in the air was driving him closer and closer to madness, tempting him in ways he hadn’t felt in many, many years.

Perhaps he had yet to feel such intensity ever.

Something inside of himself was drawn by it. Pushed to seek it out in the bloodied room like a hound on a trail. Killing the targets had quickly become just a means to finding it.

Steve was still droning in his ear, his voice a thousand miles away behind the ringing and screams of the felled bloodsuckers. Bucky couldn’t find it in himself to be concerned he couldn’t hear his friend, too caught up in the moment as a vampire gouged a hole in his vest. He made quick work of it, metal hand reaching back and clamping down on its throat before squeezing until he felt the crunch between his fingers. Another bullet sunk into its heart to ensure it didn't come back.

A few more rounds to those of the coven that tried to flea, and the room was empty save for himself and the thundering sound of that beating heart.

The rhythm sang to him, a siren in the darkness that he drudged towards. Bucky’s hands shook with adrenaline and he was sure he looked every bit of the beast he felt himself to be in that moment. He could feel his carefully crafted restraint snapping with each step, each inhalation of that ambrosial scent.

He'd never wanted something so badly in all the years he’d been alive.

Turningthe corner, wide shoulders filling the too-small door frame, he heard a soft whimper. It bounced off the metal walls as did the scuffling of limbs shoving across the dirt floor.

He’d found it.

And it was a her.

She was pale, and Bucky couldn't tell if it was from blood loss or lack of light. Her hair was dark and caked in mud and debris, too dirty to see what truly lay beneath it all.

She was beautiful nonetheless. Absolutely captivating. And afraid.

Her fear bored down on him with each breath, putrid to his sensitive nose even woven in with the sweetness of her. Bucky was sure that it was the only thing keeping that final thread of control within his grasp. He didn’t want to harm her. It was his job to help her, to rescue her.

“Hey, you’re—“ He swallowed thickly, breathing shakily as a wave of hunger washed through him. “It’s alright now.”

Bucky felt the veins under his eyes surge only seconds before she screamed.

He winced, the volume of it enhanced by the walls and confined space. With his hands raised he knelt in front of her, placating. “I’m here to help. Please, just—“

“Get away from me!” She kicked out, dirt spraying his shins as she pressed more into the corner.

He had to get her out. For her own safety, and to get some goddamned distance from her intoxicating scent before it drove him any closer to losing it.

“Just stay still, I’m going to get you out of the building.” Bucky tried to reach for her again, doing his best to ensure his body language remained as unthreatening as possible.

She wasn’t having it.

As soon as he got close enough, she kicked him in the chest, smearing mud on his Kevlar vest. Her arms flew out to shove at his shoulders, uselessly clawing at the material in an attempt to deter him. He hardly moved a centimeter, and her desperation only increased.

She grabbed at the walls, trying to press herself further from him. Her hand must’ve gotten cut on a loose nail or a rough edge, because the next time it flew up to bombard him with shoves and scratching fingers, Bucky was overwhelmed by the potent scent of blood.

And then he felt it smear his face as her shove glanced off his shoulder pad. Felt it warm his cold skin, blanketing his senses entirely. All he could smell was her, all he could feel was that smear of delicate warmth. All he could hear was the pounding of her heart in his ears as it pumped lifeblood through her body. He could only see her within the red haze clouding his peripheral vision, the sole source of his every desire.

Then he tasted it.

For a moment, time slowed. He could feel his body lock up, his mind numbing as the flavor of her passed over his tongue.

Never in his long life had he ever tasted something so divine.

He groaned, unable to resist the urge to lick the drop that had managed to slip past his mask. Lapping it up like a starved dog.

Bucky’s chest heaved, eyes locked on the poor girl in front of him as the hunger swept through him like a hurricane. His fingers clawed at the mask in an attempt to dislodge it as he stumbled towards her with a growl.

In the back of his mind, Bucky was screaming at himself to stop. He didn’t want this. He’d never wanted to end up like this again; utterly trapped in the bloodlust. But his body betrayed him, drowning in the need for her.

“Buck!” He hardly heard Steve’s bellow over the thundering of the girl's heart before the cuffs of his uniform magnetized. They slammed his wrists together and forced them against his chest as a bolt of electricity was sent skittering over his body.

Confined, he snarled towards the girl. Steve’s heavy arms locked around his head and a vibranium needle was plunged into his neck.

Sedation. That’s what the protocol was. It was either that, or death for him.

The sedative slugged through him, clearing his vision of the red haze and loosening his muscles. Bucky’s vision grew muddled as his body numbed, the hunger dulled to the ache in his fangs.

His eyes found the girl once more, regret washing over him at the fear on her lovely face. He’d never forget that look. Utterly terrified.

And it was the last thing he saw before he succumbed to sleep.

Tags<3

@savannahrilee-blog

[imawreck]

Life of Lies Masterlist

Pairing: Jacob Black x Original Character

Author’s Note: Recently watched the first two movies with my roommate and I forgot how dumb Bella was for not choosing Jacob. This is for her and for me. Jacob is also 18 in this.

Summary: Haunted by the memory of her parents strange death at a young age, Olivia Weathers is thrown into the foster care system. She moved from Forks at the age of 8, and hadn’t looked back since. But when her therapist recommends going back to her hometown for her senior year of high school, Livy is thrown into a whole new set of problems she wasn’t expecting. Suspicions are confirmed and even more mysteries come to light.

Warnings: This story contains angst, it does NOT contain any mentions of that ugly ass CGI baby, and there will be lots of drama and violence accurate to the movies.

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Inhuman (In Progress)

[imawreck]

Bucky x Max (OC) Masterlist

Author’s Note: Hey! Thanks for visiting this page! I’m elated to know you like my character enough to come looking at my blurbs and one-shots. 🫶🏻

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Essence

Summary: An undercover OP forces Bucky and Max into an interesting predicament. Wills are tested, and tension runs hot. Could this be what forces Bucky to face his feelings, or only serve to fuel the flames of their never ending feud?

❤️‍🔥(Tiny bit, mostly steamy, In Progress)

Tags<3

@savannahrilee-blog

[imawreck]

Brooklyn Devil Masterlist

Author’s Note: This is just something I thought up and wanted to see where it could go. I love supernatural things and marvel so why not combine them? I used a lot of different perceptions of vampires within this fic, such as those depicted in Underworld, Blade, Vampire Diaries, etc., and they are not my original ideas. The art is not mine either, but the storyline itself is.

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: A modern supernatural twist on the Marvel Universe where Bucky and Steve are still super soldiers, but their enemy isn’t Hydra. It’s every supernatural lurking on earth. SHIELD is now the organization created to maintain peace and balance between humans and supernaturals, and the Avengers are the elite force of agents sent to take down the most terrible of monsters. What happens when one of their own is turned?

Warnings: Graphic violence, biting, mentions of blood, eventual pnv, probably plot holes multiple P.O.V.’s

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Heaven Scent

Fever Dream (In Progress)

Thirst (In Progress)

Playlist

Tags <3

@savannahrilee-blog

[imawreck]

Hi! Saw your prompt lists. Two of my fav characters are on it so might request another later. First though...daryl dixon x f!reader. Age gap. Was thinking of a kind of love triangle with Leah. With prompts 33 and 2. Lots of angst but happy ending

Please request as many as you’d like! It might take me a bit to get them out, but I promise I will! Love this idea though, some good angst is just what I need rn! 🫶🏻

[imawreck]

Nightshade Masterlist

Author’s Note: Hello! Welcome to the Nightshade Masterlist, my Daryl Dixon x Original Character fic! All parts will be listed here as the story is updated. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Original Character

Summary: “Who knew a herbalist in her mid twenties would survive the downfall of the world? I sure didn’t.”

The story of September, a herbalist before the fall, that begins in Season 4 of The Walking Dead. She takes a liking to our beloved group of survivors, especially a certain hunter…

Warnings: This fic contains cannon violence and gore, so if you don’t like reading in depth depictions of violence or graphic wounds, read at your own risk!

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Girl in the Woods (In Progress)

[imawreck]

I’ve been reading a ton of Daryl Dixon fics recently (due to rewatching TWD) and I fucking love when writers include his southern accent. You’re doing the lords work, homie. My pea brain can hear it in my head 😩👌

Gonna do my best to replicate my interpretation of his speech in my own upcoming fics. Just hope I can do it justice! 😬

[imawreck]

Hello lovely! May i request bucky barnes x reader with hurt comfort trope. Along with #2 #18 and maybe #33?! Only if you want to!

Have a great day! ☕️🍪

Hello!!! Absolutely you can! I’ll add it to the list!!!

[imawreck]

Hey, can I ask for a fic? 🥺 Daryl dixon x reader, with the enemies to lovers trope? Prompts either 1, 7, 14 - any of those is good 🙈 please thankyou sorry

Of course you can! I love Daryl, and I’m actually rewatching TWD right now, so this is perfect! Don’t apologize, I’d be thrilled to!

[imawreck]

Hello There!! I would kindly like to request a Grumpy/Sunshine with prompts 20 (“Shh. Stop fussing, I’m braiding your hair.”) & 48 (“I love you.” “That’s a bad life decision.”) starring the one and only Loki Laufeyson!

Please and Thank you!

Hellooo!!! I’ve never written for Loki before and I’m genuinely thrilled to try this out! Thank you so much for your request!!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[imawreck]

Hi!! I would like to request Kai Parker x fem!reader with prompts 18 & 42 and with tropes “in love with the enemy” & “bodyguard”

Love your writing so much by the way🫶

OMG I love Kai so much thank you for requesting this!! 🥹 I’ll get it started!!!

[imawreck]

OH BTW FORGOT TO MENTION! EXCITED TO READ IF YOU WRITE IT AND IF NOT THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO SUGGEST!!

I have searched everywhere on my blog for your request and I cannot find it 🥲 would you send it again? I’m very excited to see it and come up with a fic for you!!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[imawreck]

✨Prompt List✨

Hello my darling readers! I’ve decided to do a prompt list/writing challenge for myself with your help! Choose any of these 50 prompts (or leave one of your own), mix and match, and comment or leave an ask in my ask box! It can be any of these listed characters below. I will write NSFW 18+, but it depends on the content requested. I tend to write Fem!reader, but I can always substitute! Please don’t be afraid to reach out with your requests!

Disclaimer: I literally compiled this from many different Pinterest lists that I liked so most of them are from other lists that I went “ohhh that’s nice, I like that” and added to this one. Credit to those out there on the internet and their genius ideas.

💕Characters💕

The walking Dead

- Daryl Dixon

Teen Wolf

- Scott McCall

- Liam Dunbar

- Theo Raeken

- Stiles Stilinski

Marvel

- Bucky Barnes

- Loki Laufeyson

- Thor Odinson

- Steve Rogers

- Peter Parker (Tom or Andrew)

Vampire Diaries

- Elijah Mikaelson

- Damon Salvatore

- Kai Parker

Supernatural

- Dean Winchester

- Sam Winchester

- Castiel

👀 Tropes👀

Dads best friend

Enemies to lovers

Hurt/comfort

One bed

Fake dating

Bodyguard

Grumpy/sunshine

Secret dating

In love with the enemy

Forced proximity

Near death/injured

Soulmates

Age gap

Second chance

Love triangle

Stalker

Serial killer

Blackmail

One night stand

Marriage pact

Pen pals

🫶🏻Prompts 🫶🏻

“You think I’m going to leave you here?”

“You don’t deserve this… me.”

“You look pretty like this.”

“That’s my fucking Wife!”

“You really don’t know how much I love you?”

“ I like her. Like, really like her. But… she scares me a little.”

“Who made you the leader?”

“Im not pissed, this is just my face.”

“This thing we’ve got going on, it’s so much more than it ever used to be.”

“Why am I always your second option?”

“Get away! You’re hurting them!”

“Why wouldn’t I save you?”

“Stop biting that fucking lip!”

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Do you ever mean the things you say?”

“What are we?” “I… I’m not sure.”

“I’ll feel so much better if you let me walk you home.”

“It is my duty to take care of you, so stop forcing me away.”

“Why can’t you see what’s right in front of you?”

“Shh. Stop fussing, I’m braiding your hair.”

“Don’t be silly. I want to stay up with you.”

“Your bedhead is really cute.”

“Stop acting like you’re in love with me. I might actually start believing it.”

“You feel it too, don’t you?”

“Your parents/friends hate me. You do know that right?”

“My Ex won’t leave me alone, okay? I’m in desperate need of a diversion.”

“You’re bleeding all over my carpet.”

“I just want to be yours.”

“Nothing will take me from you.”

“When you love something, you protect it.”

“Can’t you go just five minutes without messing something up?”

“Dance with me?”

“Don’t… Don’t leave. Please.”

“I don’t know you anymore.”

“Can you keep holding my hand?”

“I think you’d look cuter with me.”

“I see the way you look at them.”

“I can be good, just give me another chance.”

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Me? As in…me?”

“You chose her.”

“How is it fair that when you protect people, you’re the hero, but when I protect people, I’m the monster?"

“I paid the price no one else was willing to pay.”

“Of all the people I had to be stuck in an elevator with, it had to be you.”

“Why is there a magic portal in the bathroom?”

“I dare you to kiss them.”

“Oh, you’re still alive?”

“I love you.” “That’s a bad life decision.”

“Please be quiet. I can’t even hear myself losing the will to live.”

“Interrupt my reading one more time, and this book will become a lethal weapon.”

[imawreck]

Update

Good afternoon, my dear followers. I have been recently rewatching The Walking Dead with my boyfriend, and it’s rekindled my Daryl Dixon obsession (it never really left). Although I’ve obviously got some promised parts and series I’m still working on for Bucky, I’ll be throwing in some more works for Daryl as well for my own entertainment 🤷‍♀️ As always, I hope whatever I get out onto the platform is well liked amongst you all! Have a fabulous day!

-Ayden

[imawreck]

Ally

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Original Character

Summary: Max follows Steve to meet with the other Avengers despite her concerns about a certain Red Witch.

Author's Note: This Chapter is mostly made of my Boyfriends genius ideas, so thank him for helping me actually keep my word and get a chapter out on the last day of this month.

Warnings: Cursing and MCU cannon violence, mentions of panic attacks.

Word Count: 2,600

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Max-

Steve was being very un-Steve-like.

At least in comparison to the memories I have from time at the tower. What I remembered of him was a stark contrast to the oddly understanding and awfully affectionate man seated beside me.

After a bit more talking in Carlos’s living room to make sure I was up to date in the events of the last four years I’d been gone, Steve had said that we needed to leave and get the others as soon as possible.

Now, we sat next to each other on a train headed from London to Scotland where we’d find Vision and a very unhappy— probably homicidal—Wanda. We’d flown from Madripoor to London twelve hours ago, leaving both of us sleep deprived and hungry. 

Snacks didn’t exactly satisfy the super-soldier metabolism. 

Still, Steve had managed to keep his good mood through the ride so far. He would check in on me occasionally, his eyes glancing up from a newspaper he read to ask if I needed anything. I always said no.

Twenty minutes after his last check in, he’d put down the paper. “What have you been up to all these years?”

The question startled me a bit. 

“I… Not a lot more than what I did back then, really.” I shrugged. “I took care of some things in the first couple of years and then I took up jobs as a Merc. That’s really it.”

Steve’s brow furrowed, “That's a little vague. Come on, you left straight out of a coma the last time I saw you. I was— what I saw—.”

I snapped my head towards him, a lick of horror and shame stirring in me. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

His mouth closed, but he turned himself in his seat to face me. “Max,” his head tilted and there was a softness about his face I felt unsure of. “I think that a little explanation is deserved.”

I twisted my lips at him, knowing he was probably right. I didn’t have to like it, though. “What do you want me to say? I woke up from a coma. I didn’t know I was even asleep, actually. I thought I was still stuck in that cell that whole time, and when you said it was two weeks—.” 

My heart was thundering in my ears, and a skittering jolt passed through my body as my adrenaline kicked in. I tried to breathe, tried to suck in air, but it was like I was being choked by some invisible enemy.

Steve’s steady hand snagged my arm and squeezed. “Hey, woah there. Are you alright?”

His blue eyes were in my face a moment later. They weren’t the same blue as Bucky’s, but they were close enough to pull the memory of a certain silver-armed soldier to the forefront of my mind. 

The guilt that flooded me at the thought of him fueled the oncoming attack I knew was on the horizon. My eyes screwed shut as I fought to take in a shuttering few breaths. Steve still remained kneeled in front of me. His large frame was thankfully angled enough to keep my breakdown hidden from the eyes of the other passengers. 

I felt his other hand come up to rest on my other arm, sending quick squeezes every so often as he talked quietly to me. “Max, I need you to talk to me. Tell me what you need me to do.”

It was strange to hear him talk so gently to me, but having him there soothed me just the slightest bit. Kept me anchored enough so that I could pull in a breath or two into my aching lungs. 

“Just give me a minute,” I breathed, subconsciously reaching for his arm to steady myself. 

Panic attacks were part of the ‘New Me.’ Not the best part, but it came with the package. After realizing how easily it was for me to lose chunks of time due to the nature of my new power, and how real everything seemed when I was trapped in it, I began to wonder if I would ever escape them at all. If the next time I saw the familiar four walls of my shabby apartment would be reality, or just another trick of my own mind.

It really screwed with my head.

Once I’d gotten my breathing even again, and my head cleared a bit, I shot Steve the best smile I could at the moment. “Sorry. I, uh… I have trouble knowing what’s real and what’s made up in here sometimes.” I tapped my head, “It happens less now than it did in the beginning but… sometimes my mind is something I can’t control. Not anymore.”

I hated the look of pity that crawled over his features. It made my insides writhe with shame and bitterness, and I pushed his hands from my arms. “You should get back in your seat. I can hear the engineer talking over the radio. We’re pulling into the station soon.”

Steve nodded slowly, looking like he wanted to say something but decided against it. He didn’t take his eyes off me for the rest of the ride.

-----

Steve-

We’d arrived at night. The streets were dark, and most of the people had vacated the streets. It would be easier to stay low and make finding Wanda and Vision less complicated.

Max followed closely behind me. Her steps were silent on the cobblestone streets, and I’d catch her eyes darting around the darkness as we went. 

She hadn’t spoken for the rest of the train ride here, but the bit she’d shared shed light on how she’d been living for the last four years. I wondered how many nights that first year she’d spent trying to figure out if she was really awake or not and how many years after she’d suffered. 

I wondered how often her mind played tricks on her even now.

Rounding the corner, I opened a storage room door and ushered her in. Max slipped around me and into the room, snagging the duffle in my hands on her way in. It carried a Kevlar vest, some combat boots and a few pairs of clothes she’d insisted on getting from the place she’d been staying before we made it here. 

I watched as she sifted through the bag and pulled out her belongings. I grabbed my suit when she was finished and retreated around a crowded case of cleaning chemicals and brooms to ensure I couldn’t see her.

There was a distinct clicking that echoed throughout the small space. It broke the silence in odd intervals, and I tried to figure out if it was a camera or an electrical issue somewhere in the vicinity. “Do you hear that?”

There was a shift, more clicking, and a sigh. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

I paused, confused as I finished suiting up. “It could be a camera. Not sure why they’d have it in here, but—.”

“It’s not a camera. There’s nothing to worry about.” Max rounded the corner as she said it, her fingers clicking the strap of knives into place across her chest. “Trust me.”

She looked like her old self, though the red suit was long gone. Instead, she’d suited herself in black leather and Kevlar. The design on her suit was strange, like it was Frankenstein stitched back together somehow. The hems were oddly placed, and the gadgets she carried were clearly either homemade or bought from a rather sketchy place. 

The strangest part about it though, was the diamond pattern of holes trailing down her spine. Metal glinted from under the suit, the silver catching in the dim lights as she turned to inspect the rest of her gear. 

I shoved my set of clothes into the bag and held my hand out for hers, shoving them in as well and zipping it shut. The atmosphere of the room was tense, like I’d said something wrong, but Max was quick to turn around and pin me with her blank eyes.

“So, what exactly is the plan?” Her fingers came up to undo her braid, tugging out the knots.

I shook my head and pulled out a device from the bag. “I have a tracking device on them. Should take us straight to their location.”

“Peachy, makes things much simpler. I’m still very concerned about our witchy friend.” 

I winced, “Yeah, you might have to wait outside while I handle that first.”

“Works for me.” Max swiftly tied her hair up in a braided knot near the base of her head, her features schooled into a face of indifference. “”Though I think she’ll be handling you.”

I shook my head, a ripple of anger slipping into my gut before I let it go. “It’ll be fine, let’s just get a move on. They’re downtown.”

She didn’t say much else as we made our way back out onto the quiet streets. I followed the beacon, leading us towards the pair of Avengers, while Max scanned the streets for any particular signs of trouble. 

And it wasn’t long before trouble showed face.

Max gripped the collar of my uniform and yanked me back with enough force to have me stumbling to catch myself. “What–”

“Shh!” She smacked a hand over my mouth, her ears trained on something even I couldn’t pick up on. Her eyes stared into mine, devoid of light and unnervingly still, “I hear fighting.”

I swallowed, tugging her hand back. “How far?”

“Couple streets,” She mumbled, her eyes snapping east, “that way.”

I take off in a jog, and Max leaps onto the nearest fire escape and disappears over the side of the building heading towards the noise. A few roads later, and I begin hearing the distinct clash of weaponry and pained voices calling to each other.

I took a breath, rounded the corner, and prepared for the worst.

-----

Max- 

Whatever those things were in the street, they were ugly as hell.

They were tall, dull skinned, and obviously not from around here. I crouched on the rooftop to stay out of sight, heeding Steve’s warning that I might need to sit this little reunion out. Instead, I watched the fight closely, taking in their movements and strange fluidity despite their larger stature. It wouldn’t be a fair fight, even with Steve rounding the corner below. 

I readied to intervene, but to my surprise, the familiar whir of a jet pack echoed overhead, and a blonde dropped into the fight with a killer right hook.

The worry I felt growing eased just slightly, but was quickly replaced by a simmering anger. 

Romanoff.

I tossed my legs over the rooftop and settled in, observing the fight much like one would a basketball game… mildly disinterested. 

The fight was rather quick after that, and I remained an onlooker as they watched the aliens descend into their little ship afterwards. A ship I hadn’t even heard approach, which unsettled me some.

The group of ex-Avengers huddled together, and Steve glanced up at me briefly before clearing his throat. “It’s good to see you all.”

Natasha was next, “You missed the last check in.” Her tone was biting.

Steve sighed, “I was following a lead for an asset and it couldn’t wait.”

“What asset, exactly?” She asked, that bite growing more offensive as the seconds ticked on.

“That would be me,” I cut in, swinging my feet carelessly from the rooftop. “Apparently I’m needed for something very, very big coming our way.”

Immediately, Wanda’s head snapped up. Her eyes glowed that stark red and bitterness leaked into her features. “You!”

-----

Wanda-

The sight of her filled me with burning hatred. Max was an evil that deserved to be eradicated. Her entire life was a plight, a disease. 

I didn’t feel the tiniest bit of remorse when I launched an iron rod at her head. I knew it wouldn’t connect, but it would cause her pain even if she blocked it and that brought me an inkling of peace knowing she’d feel even an ounce of what I had been feeling since Pietro’s death.

So much pain. It ate away at me.

I could hear the others shouting below, all trying to talk me down, to reason with me. They were the ones that couldn’t see reason. They were the ones who couldn’t see the evil right in front of them. It didn’t matter if she was brainwashed, controlled like a puppet, or had her mind to herself…Everything she did caused death. Everyone that came close to her suffered.

The Avengers were supposed to eliminate things that tormented this planet, and she was top of the list.

“You murdered my brother!” My voice shook with the volume of my scream, “You made his death slow and painful. You made him suffer!”

I tore bricks from the platform, benches from the ground, even signs from their posts to launch at her. Anything I could use. I would bury her in rubble, crush her with the force of it, and be done.

I watched as she hunkered down and took every piece of debris that rained down on her as I shouted and screamed over the sounds of tearing metal and the shouts of my teammates below. “Do you even remember it? Do you remember cutting the back of his legs to the bone? Stabbing him in the stomach so he’d die slowly?” 

My eyes stung as I grit my teeth, “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Enjoyed it.”

Through the gap between her arms, she glared at me. Those silvery blue eyes glinting as her guard dropped away, the shrapnel flying in her direction disintegrating in mid air as the world around me warped before settling exactly as it had looked before I’d torn it apart.

Like… 

My eyes widened as the cold, sharp bite of a blade tilted my chin up. I found her face, cold and furious as she stared at me over the knife.

“I did not enjoy murdering your brother.” Max said calmly, “And I am truly sorry for what I have done to hurt you.” Her knife pressed harder against my skin, “But if you try and pull that again, I’ll put you down. I’m here to help because Rogers asked me to. I’ll do what I’m here for, and I’ll disappear when the job is done.”

The others, Steve, Sam, Vision, and Natasha all stood a few feet away with grim expressions. I was still reeling from what had happened. How it had happened.

But then I remembered that cobalt blue sludge that had attacked me all those years ago when I’d fought her. The way it had crawled across the floor towards me like a living thing, reaching and grabbing.

She’d used it on me again and I hadn’t even sensed it coming.

Max turned towards the others, that cold indifference making her expression unreadable. “If we’re done with the hugs and ‘how-are-you’s, I’d like to get a move on. I still need to be briefed on this whole thing.”

“Right,” Steve answered, his eyes flicking over me and back to her, “We need to board the Jet. Get back to the Tower.”

Sam frowned, “You serious? Stark Tower? With Stark?”

Steve gave him a look, “It’s time.”

There was a silence that settled over the group. I begrudgingly refrained from trying to kill Max. At least until whatever it was that was going on got handled. After that…

After that, I’d find a way to drag her to hell myself.

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[imawreck]

enemies to loversssss! make i happen! (dude i’ll read whatever you give me) ☕️🍪

You’re literally the reason I write/have the courage to post. Thank you for your comment! I’m working on several different works (trying desperately to broaden my audience with different character fics) so hopefully I’ll get something worked up soon!

[imawreck]

Update (sort of)

Hey 👀

I know I said I would be updating my New Beginnings fic, and that’s still on the table. But would there be any interest in a DBF!Bucky, or maybe an enemies to lovers? I need some short fics to keep me inspired. Currently working on a Thor x Reader soulmate AU, but I’m a little nervous it won’t get any attention 😅. Anyways, I hope you all are surviving and perhaps even thriving!

-Ayden