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saccmaass-reads · 8 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 1

What happens when Steve is forced to marry you? Marriage was supposed to be his choice but being the dutiful son, Steve marries you to save his father's reputation and legacy.

Steve Rogers studied his father in disbelief. ‘You’re not serious. You can’t be fucking serious.

‘We own one of the biggest companies in the tri-state area!’

Joseph’s complexion was grey and heavy lines of exhaustion marked his features.

‘I took a risk..., it was a disaster. The company is over strained and the banks are getting very nervous.

‘I mortgaged all of the assets. If the banks do not get the returns they were promised, we’ll lose everything!’

Steve said nothing. Everything? Even their family home? Steve was livid, he did not trust himself to speak. His grandfather, Oliver, had taught him that a man should put the honor and security of his family first. Oliver had created an empire and while he was alive, the family fortune had been safe. But Joseph Rogers didn’t operate that way. Even though he was in his early sixties, he was still desperate to prove that he could outdo his father and he had lost millions chasing high-risk deals.

‘If it’s any consolation,’ Joseph muttered heavily, ‘you were right about the Hammer development being too good to be true.’

Steve turned around, pissed off by that admission.

‘You bought in even after the Wilson brothers warned you to stay clear?’

Joseph Rogers winced and gave his son a remorseful look.

‘I thought they were trying to clear the competition.’

Steve ground his perfect teeth together in silence. He could not bear to look in his father’s direction. Steve was ashamed of the disrespect he felt towards his own father.

Joseph was a good man, a good father, and a good husband. He was a well-respected man but his entrepreneurial skills were subpar at best. Steve, on the other hand, had devoted his spare time trading in highly profitable stocks and shares that had made him a millionaire before he even left the business school. He felt powerless and watching his naïve father stumble and create blunders, for Steve, it was a punishment.

‘This may be our darkest hour yet but we do have an offer that can get us out of this pickle..,’

The older man revealed rigidly.

‘It came from an unlikely ally. I was surprised…However, I denied it. I couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be right.’

Steve asked Joseph patiently. ‘What won’t be right?’

His father seemed reluctant to meet his son’s eyes.

‘I can’t ask you to make such a sacrifice at your age. You’re only twenty-nine’

‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ Steve asked angrily.

Joseph Rogers expelled his breath in a hiss. ‘Arthur Vincent approached me and offered to bail us out.’

Steve vented a startled laugh of incredulity. ‘Arthur Vincent?? Are you fucking kidding me? Since when did you befriend Arthur?’

‘He could be a friend if we wanted to,’ Joseph murmured carefully.

Steve was unimpressed. ‘Vincent is as cold as they come. If you get into business with him you’ll wake up with nothing to your name.’

‘In other circumstances, that might have been my attitude as well.

But Arthur is offering a family connection rather than just a business transaction.’

Upon hearing those words, Steve fell very still. ‘You can’t mean what I think you mean…’

The older man flushed a mottled pink. ‘I can see where Vincent is coming from’

‘I don’t think you are thinking clearly’ Steve responded.

Refusing to be discouraged, Joseph pressed on. ‘Arthur’s only son has been dead twelve years now, he’s on his fifth wife and he still doesn’t have another child. He only has his estranged granddaughter. He wants Y/N to marry a boy from a good background and that’s not surprising. Vincent is an old-fashioned man and he’s offering an old-fashioned deal.’

Steve was unable to give any reaction to such nonsense.

‘If you married her and had a kid…, that money will also become yours ’ Joseph breathed tightly. ‘And it would save us, too, this deal can be the saving grace. I know this arrangement is cold and callous, but there are very obvious benefits as well.’

Steve closed his eyes, his long lashes hitting his high cheekbones. He was disgusted by his father’s willingness to consider such an arrangement. Y/N, whom his friends had christened Cherry for her love of cherry pie, was going to be his wife?

He was outraged by the mere suggestion. He hardly knew her, although he had on several occasions intervened when he saw her being ignored and insulted at social events.

Her lack of shrewdness and her trusting nature had made her an easy target, whatever rude crap was said or done to her she would assume it was pleasant and she would smile.

Her inability to defend herself had enraged Steve. He hated bullies. Were his trivial displays of good manners, those minor acts of compassion on his part, led to the horrific offer of Y/N’s hand in marriage?

He had suspicions…. He noticed whenever he walked into a room, she lit up like a Christmas tree. Had Y/N decided to tell her enormously wealthy grandfather just how much she liked Steve Rogers?

‘Dad…’ Steve’s sister Cara’s distraught voice came from the window that opened out onto the terrace.

‘I know I shouldn’t have been listening, and I am sorry, we can survive being poor, but you can’t ask Steve to marry Arthur Vincent’s granddaughter. She’s plain and dumb!’

‘Why were you eavesdropping on a private conversation?’ Joseph Rogers replied wrathfully. ‘Leave us’

‘But it’s true,’ Cara wept, standing her ground.

‘She’s ugly and he’s so handsome.’

‘Get out,’ Steve told his baby sister.

‘Of course, I’ve never seen the girl. If she’s that bad, Cara would have a point. I couldn’t ask you to marry her.’ Joseph sighed.

Steve bit back a sarcastic laugh.

Steve asked himself how he could stand back and allow that to happen to his parents and his sibling.

Yet at twenty-nine years old, he felt that his own life had barely been on track. Sure he worked hard and he played even harder. He didn’t do long-term and he didn’t do faithful. He had yet to meet a girl who would not accept those conditions. But he still could not begin to consider the prospect of becoming a husband or, worse still, a father. The thought of being forced into commitment had him bubbling with anger and bitterness. But he also knew that his grandfather, Oliver, would have laid down his own life to protect his family.

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saccmaass-reads · 10 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 6

After a month of methodically searching and diligently interviewing for jobs, you found yourself at Beyond Technologies, they hired you as a senior data engineer, your pay was decent, working hours were good and you didn’t need to go to the office on a daily basis. You couldn’t have asked for more. You were faring well at the professional level.

Meanwhile, on the marital front things weren’t so good. Steve had talked to you, maybe once or twice, and one of those times was to ask you for your number, which he used to text you every night since then that he would be working late.

You gave up trying to make this sham of a marriage work when you saw that every single attempt from your side was failing, and you decided that it would be better if you both lived like roommates.

Steve didn’t care enough to even have a single meal with you ever since the ceremony, he didn’t even want to interact with you or get to know you, you know he avoids you, and whenever he talks to you, he looks pissed, like you ruined his life somehow. You tried to make things work, you tried initiating conversations, you tried to learn about him, but at every turn, he shut you out…

You told Okoye, she suggested you take a step back, concentrate on yourself and let him do whatever he wants, and that is what you exactly did, you were not going to be the doormat and let a rich snob walk all over you.

You signed a contract with your grandfather Arthur, stating that upon your marriage with Steven Grant Rogers, your mother’s debt would be paid off and she would be sent to a rehab facility till she recovers from her addiction, and Arthur will bear all of those expenses. Nowhere in that contract was written that you had to make this marriage work or even have children. So you were going to use that loophole, Arthur may have blackmailed you into marrying Steve Rogers, but you refused to let your life be controlled by another man he pawned you off to.

Steve had thrown himself into work to pay back Arthur Vincent every penny with interest that Arthur paid to rescue his father. He didn’t want to give you any idea that he was in any way shape or form interested in making this marriage work. Though credit where credit is due, you made(definitely ordered) him dinner every night for a month, he would rather eat poison than eating anything from Vincent’s.

His hard work had paid off and his company had gathered substantial clients to make a huge turnover on their investments. Tony Stark had offered them a multi-million dollar deal for a twenty-five percent share in the SSJ Private Limited.

Steve could not believe it had been 3 months into the marriage and Y/N hadn’t even tried to make a move on him or pressurized him to make the relationship work… Sometimes he feels that he misjudged Y/N but then the sensation of a wedding ring on his ring finger breaks his haze of her innocence, Arthur had bought him to please Y/N, this was something he could never forget.

You were walking around New York City when you saw a familiar face in the restaurant, Steve Rogers, he was having lunch with some woman, when she turned her head, it was none other than Peggy Carter, the infamous ex-girlfriend, your heart dropped, you felt numb, you didn’t know what to do, your feet had turned into stone, sure you didn’t love the man, but a part of you believed he would not make a fool of you, at least he would carry out his affairs privately.

Your eyes met with Steve’s piercing blue eyes, you saw an alarming expression take over Steve’s handsome face, you took a deep breath and moved on without giving him any reaction. You would not cry for that man, he doesn’t deserve your attention, time, and least of all sympathy, he wasn’t the only one bound in this marriage.

After mindlessly wandering around in NYC for seven hours you returned to Steve’s penthouse, only to find him waiting, sitting on the couch, in the living room. You didn’t want to hear anything, you were in no mood to hear his justification.

‘Hi,’ Steve prompted.

‘Hey.’ you replied.

‘I want to explain….’ Steve added.

‘You don’t have to Steve, I don’t care about who or what you do’ you supplied.

‘Okay…’ Steve said suspiciously, ‘What were you doing in that part of town?’ he asked.

‘Nothing, I was wandering around in NYC, going to various tourist spots and what not’ you replied casually.

‘Oh..okay…Peggy and I were….’ Steve started.

You interrupted him in the middle, ‘Steve, I don’t care nor I am interested in you or your life, sure it was a shock, but we are not in a real marriage, and we both are free to do whatever we want.’ you replied and left him alone simmering in your words.

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saccmaass-reads · 10 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 5

Your marriage got off to a weird and awkward start, at least that’s what you thought, you didn’t want to impose on Steve any more than you already had, so you decided to give him space. Steve drove you to his penthouse in Brooklyn, and to say it was a painfully difficult car ride would be an understatement, Steve’s jaw was locked the whole ride and there was so much tension in the air.

‘I can take the guest bedroom, you can stay in your bedroom, I don’t want to interfere with your life’ you commented quietly. Steve observed you, you were a really good actress, you almost made him forget he was the toy your grandfather bought, your so-called love. He didn’t say anything, just nodded and left, shutting his bedroom door loudly. You were rattled, I didn’t say anything to offend him did I? you thought to yourself.

Thankfully your one and only baggage that had been shipped to Steve’s penthouse was in the drawing-room. You really didn’t own much stuff, and you really didn’t need much to live. You looked for the other bedroom in his giant penthouse, there were three other bedrooms and you took the one farthest from Steve.

You changed into your PJs and powered on your old withering laptop, you had already resigned from your old job, you had to start looking for a new job, now that your mother was in rehab and all her debt had been taken care of, you were finally tension free and you could make your career your top-most priority, you didn’t want to be a housewife, not now, not ever, you loved your independence.

You stayed up all night to search for jobs, you mailed several companies your résumé. You slept shortly after that, for the first time in your life you were didn’t have to worry about the loan sharks or your mother’s addiction.

You woke up at 11 a.m., after showering you decided to make breakfast, praying that you don’t bump into Steve, and thankfully he was not there, must have left for his office. You went to the kitchen, but that was empty, you sighed, why would Steve have anything, that man really didn’t spend that much time at this place, so you went shopping for snacks, chocolates, produce and spices, anything that you saw was needed, was in your cart.

Meanwhile, at SSJ Private Limited, Bucky was shocked to see Steve in the office at 7 a.m., Bucky and Sam had been called in the night before, because of the acquisition attempts on their company by Hydra Holdings. The three best friends had constructed a profitable company, fresh out of business school and full of ideas, the three musketeers had brought their business plan to life and turned it into a sizable company.

Steve came into the conference room where both Sam and Bucky were discussing the next step. ‘Why are you here so early?’ Bucky asked Steve cautiously.

‘I could not sleep’ Steve replied, ‘Anyway I saw the mails, so I decided to check if you guys needed any help’ he added.

‘You know as well as I do, Sam and I have handled far worse situations like these, you don’t need to make an excuse on our account’ Bucky replied and Sam nodded.

‘You can talk to us Steve about anything, you know that right?’ Sam asked.

Steve nodded, ‘I just had to get out, it felt so real when I was standing in the penthouse with Y/N, I am married and I had no say in it, you ever feel walls closing in? So I decided to come to the office, I needed an escape’

Sam and Bucky looked at him with empathy.

‘Well, at least you left her a note’ Sam asked.

‘No, I just left, I will message her that I am at the office’ Steve mused. ‘Do you even have her number?’ Buck asked genuinely.

‘Shit!’ Steve exclaimed.

‘Did you at least fill the pantry, or ordered her some food?’ Sam asked.

Steve looked dumbfounded.

‘Your place has no food man, just fancy dishes.’ Bucky reminded him.

‘I forgot, you know I usually eat out or in the office, I forgot about that part’ Steve replied.

‘Yeah, I am not saying you need to try to make this marriage work, but seriously man, you need to make a few changes.’ Sam concurred. ‘Start by getting her phone number’ Bucky added.

At Steve’s penthouse -

You stocked the kitchen, made the breakfast, did the dishes, cleaned your room, and started applying for the jobs wherever possible. You didn’t give yourself any time to think about the fact that Steve abandoned you on the first chance he could get. You started preparing dinner, you were not sure whether Steve would come back during dinner time or even want to have dinner considering the previous state of the kitchen, but you prepared a portion for him anyway.

You may have waited for him till 11 p.m. but he didn’t come, so you decided to turn in, you were sleepy and you didn’t want to face another disappointment in the forced marriage.

Steve came home at 1 a.m, he wandered in to the kitchen and saw shelves stocked with cereals, chips and what not along with fully stocked pantry, he was a little surprised, but you were Arthur’s granddaughter, he didn’t have to worry about you. You could get anything, you probably just called your grandfather and he bought the store and sent it to you. Steve felt a deep resentment growing within, he walked out of the kitchen and saw something on the dining table, there was a note attached to a covered plate of food – [I made dinner – Y/N].

She really is committed to this marriage, Steve thought to himself.

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saccmaass-reads · 11 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 4

You told your best friend Okoye about everything that had happened since you came to New York, she was a little apprehensive about you marrying a stranger on your grandfather’s condition. But you told her about your mother’s ever-increasing debt piled on top of your student debt.

‘I thought you went to visit your grandfather, this is so screwed up, he shouldn’t be blackmailing you… for God’s sake, he is your grandfather…I can help you out Y/N, you know it, you don’t have to marry that guy, you don’t know anything about him except that he needs your grandfather’s money.’ Okoye deduced with concern.

‘I know, I know that we can manage Oko, but I can not burden you with my mother’s debt too, she owes money to several loan sharks, and they are not known for their patience, I am worried that something might happen to her, I am worried they will hurt my mother… And on top of that, she started drinking again after promising me for the billionth time that she won’t touch another drop of alcohol, the only hope to overcome this situation is to settle her debt and send her to rehab…’ you explained patiently.

You knew Oko will always be there for you, you met in 5th grade and had been best friends since. She was the one who encouraged you to get a degree in engineering, she was your biggest supporter. She was the only other family you had…

‘Fine..fine…if you want to handle the situation on your own, I respect that, but I need you to know, I will always be there for you come heaven or hell… you know that right?’ Oko reminded you.

Your eyes teared up, you knew that obviously, you knew that, she had been there with you when your boyfriend Chad dumped you, you were not in love, but getting rejected still hurt, she came to you as soon as she heard you crying… She was there for you during the times when you wanted to simply give up, she was by your side. She was your sister…

You sniffled trying to overcome all the emotions you had been repressing ever since you came to New York... ‘Don’t cry Y/N, you know I hate it when you cry because then I cry, and seeing me crying you start wailing, it is a vicious cycle.’ Oko scolded you...

You laughed at her attempt to cajole you. You took a deep breath.

‘Will you come to my wedding? I don’t have anyone here..’ you asked knowing she was gonna come whether you had asked or not.

‘Bitch, I am your maid of honor and I am coming to your wedding, this marriage may have not been your choice but the Bachelorette party is gonna be all your choice..got it?’ she informed you enthusiastically.

Okoye landed in New York the very next day, you both went out on a tour of the city with her cousins Shuri and Nakia. Your schedule was jam-packed with activities Okoye and Shuri planned, Shuri was awesome and it didn’t take you long to open up with her... Nakia was so amazing… You had some friends in this unknown cold concrete jungle. Maybe, just maybe things will be alright.

Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri planned your Bachelorette party, you went to a local pub to get hammered and then to a classy strip club where they made you sit through all personal lap dances they ordered from some very handsome strippers. They even got you some sex toys as presents, but that happened later at your grandfather’s estate...

Three days later, you both got married in the courthouse in presence of Okoye, your grandfather, Steve’s parents, and his best friends- Sam and Bucky you wore a simple purple dress with a deep V neck, and Steve was dressed in a blue suit complimenting his eyes… You were optimistic about your relationship, sure it began with some friction mainly the blackmailing on your grandfather’s part, blackmailing both the parties of this marriage, but Steve’s first step was enough to convince you to put ten-fold effort into this marriage, you were nothing if not a hard-worker.

Your grandfather, the old grumpy and mean man had thrown a party, he invited everyone who was someone in the tri-state area… You invited Shuri and Nakia but they had already been invited to the party by Arthur. You were with your friends but you had to play your part as the granddaughter of the host and mingle.

Currently, you were busy talking to Natasha Romanoff, a District Attorney and her husband Bruce a tenured professor at NYU, your husband was not by your side…he was busy talking to Tony Stark and James Rhodes, and your friends were talking to Bucky and Sam… Okoye would look in your direction asking inaudibly if you wanted or needed something, you simply nodded no, knowing that her being there on your big day was the only thing you wanted. When you looked in Steve’s direction you saw him looking agitated, but then again you didn’t know the guy that well.

Your grandfather was positively glowing after the courthouse ceremony, maybe he should have married Steve, you thought to yourself.

After avoiding you like plague the whole night, your husband joined you in your conversation with your friends and telling that you both should leave rudely. You smiled and bid adieu to your friends. He took your hand and started guiding you to the door when you heard a shout.

Arthur shouted from across the room when he saw you and Steve leave, ‘Make me a great-grandfather’ People in the party cheered, you were embarrassed to your core…Steve’s grab on your hand became tighter and almost painful. He drove you to his place in Brooklyn.

You just realized this marriage thing may not be as easy as you thought.

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saccmaass-reads · 11 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 3

You stuck out like a sore thumb at those exclusive lavish and painfully boring gatherings. Sharon belonged to an elite set of rich and spoiled people who dressed in luxurious knick-knacks and trendy clothes, and generally assholes to anyone not as rich as them. You found them shallow and the people of this high society had been bitchy to you. Your skin crawled, you smiled, never reacting, knowing you can not risk offending anyone who might complain about you to your grandfather. You needed to be in your grandfather’s good books, your mother’s health was your topmost priority and if you had to drink this humiliation poison, you would do it, without any question.

Your mother had been a simpleton…a beautiful simpleton, she was working for the Vincent trading company when she met Nick Vincent and fell in love with him. Your father had showered her with expensive gifts and asked her to marry him.

For over a year your parents were involved..., living life to its fullest. Trusting that her fiancé would soon be her husband, your mother had put her career on hold. But when she got pregnant, Nick Vincent had come under pressure from his father and called off his engagement. When your mother refused to agree to an abortion, he had left her. But not before he reminded the mother of his unborn child that she had a bad reputation.

Your mother had endured those final insults. The father you had never met…. had been a hypocrite, a liar, and an unreliable partner. Your mother had to go to court to prove her baby’s paternity and after a lengthy battle had been granted a pitiful amount in child support which was never paid. As a result, your mother had started drinking too much to forget her sadness. At the age of five, you had had to go into foster care for a while. A newspaper had run a sad story about how you and your mother were thrown out in the streets because of unpaid rent and how you were scouring for the food from a dumpster near a restaurant, Nick Vincent had seen the story and had felt ashamed, he had taken steps to ensure that his ex-girlfriend and his daughter did not end up homeless and living apart again. An old ranch away from the hustle and bustle of New York had been assigned to your mother, to provide a permanent roof over your head. Your mother despised being away from the city life but you loved it and you had often had cause to be grateful for the security of a roof over their heads that could neither be sold nor taken away. Having lived through your mother’s many relationships, you did not have any illusions about men. If you glowed while thinking about Steve Rogers it was the result of your awkwardness, he was among few people who did not demean you. You may have had a crush on the tall blonde but you were also aware of how he saw you, you were pretty sure he does not even know your name. After all, you were painfully aware that there was no place for any fairy tales in real life. It is often said power begets power, similarly rich marry rich. If a rich person ever married a poor person or anyone beneath their stature it was only when the other person was extremely beautiful and intelligent. But then again even in your unlucky mother’s case, beauty hadn’t worked a miracle. The women and some men looked at him as if he hung the moon, flirted with him continuously, worshipped him, and wanted to fuck him. Steve was aware of his pull among the ladies. He had been spoilt by the admiration, appreciation, and attention he got... He was smart, narcissistic, and proud. You had been impressed by him as well. What had added feelings for him was his thoughtfulness. On several occasions, Steve had come to your rescue when his friends decided to make you the butt of their cruel jokes. Your so-called friend, Sharon, thoroughly resented having to take you everywhere she went. Sharon showed her animosity by making nasty jokes and comments that targeted your lack of attractiveness, your weight, your cheap clothing, and your apparent stupidity. Sharon’s friends soon jumped on the same bandwagon. Steve Rogers always managed to create a distraction to deflect hostile attention from you. It was surprising though, after all, he had acted that you were invisible. But he still had that gentlemanly thing going on, the protectiveness had touched you deeply. Steve might be arrogant, annoying, and overbearing at times, but he was also bold, tough, and unapologetic. You could not believe that he would accept the demeaning proposal from Arthur Vincent. Within twenty-four hours, you learned that you were very much mistaken about that part. ‘Come with me.’ Arthur said triumphantly. ‘Steve Rogers is waiting for you in the main hall. I met with his father and the lawyers this morning. All the essentials have been agreed upon. Your mother’s debts will be settled and I will send her to the rehabilitation center as soon as possible. You and Steve will be husband and wife within a week.’ ‘What???’ Shock ripped through you. Your grandfather had been right and you were wrong; Steve was willing to marry you to save his family from financial trouble. Did he feel that he had as little choice as you did? Given the option, You knew you could not turn your back on your mother, you knew she would not cope without the financial support and the treatment. It finally dawned on you that both of you were trapped by duty and loyalty. You were quite sure that he did not want to

marry you, just like you didn’t want to marry him and become an unwanted and most definitely unwelcomed wife. ‘Don’t keep him waiting. He is your prize, don’t let him slip away..’ Smirking with amusement, Arthur Vincent urged his unenthusiastic granddaughter across the hallway towards the main hall. The instant you entered the large, lavishly furnished room, your eyes met with shimmering blue eyes and you knew that Steve had heard your grandfather’s jibe. Steve was wearing a black suit a white shirt that made him look daunting like a scary bodyguard. You had never seen him in a three-piece suit, he looked like he was attending a funeral. And obviously, because of the nervous energy pent up in you, you stumbled on your own feet and accidentally crashed into the table present nearby. You felt like a baby deer. ‘I am so sorry,’ you muttered steadying the stationary table frantically. Steve had noticed that before; you said sorry even when you didn’t do anything wrong. He was studying you. In true Vincent style, you had not grown up but out and you barely reached the top of his chest, you were small and chubby. You wore plain clothing like an old lady, a black trouser that was obviously too long for you.., a loose greyish t-shirt. It was impossible to tell what was beneath the layers of drab fabric. Vincent was an old vicious bastard, he had spelled out the grim reality that his granddaughter was in love and eager to marry Steve. ‘Why are you staring?’ You asked tautly. ‘I never took the time to look at you before.’ Steve continued to observe you with creepy concentration. You were going to be his wife. He continued to mentally score your attributes. Shiny blackish brown. Dewy skin another plus in his book. Eyes that were soft and full of sadness. Steve saw the tears shining in your strained gaze. He had seen more than he wanted to see and he was angry with you for having so little confidence.

What did she have to be unhappy about? The lack of romantic gesture? What more could she ask from him? Wasn’t she getting the husband she wanted? Hadn’t Arthur Vincent effectively bought her husband for her? Steve thought to himself. That humiliating thought pierced through his heart like a poisoned arrow.

You were trembling. His hard self-assurance took you aback, you had assumed that the situation would bring down the barriers between them. ‘I didn’t want this…if there was any other way…’ Your nervous rant ran out of steam.

Steve was irked…his dumb handsome face had a cryptic look, he was not impressed by your claim. ‘But there isn’t. We should talk about our upcoming wedding, terms...’

‘What terms?’ you asked, lifting your long lashes.

‘Well this is an arranged marriage and we’re practically strangers. It will work better if we are honest with each other.’

You breathed in deeply. ‘Can’t we be friends?’

Lawyers from both sides were trying to drum up an agreement, on top of that his distressed mother and his guilt-ridden father were trying to come to terms with this new relationship that was forced upon him, your question struck. He thought that you were stupid. ‘Friends don’t marry and have children. I want to..no scratch that I need to know what you expect from me as your husband.’

You felt awkward at the mention of children.

‘I know that I’m not the wife you wanted. We will learn to manage as we go along.’

‘That is gonna be chaotic Y/N’

He reached for your hand. ‘I have a ring…it is my grandmother’s. If you don’t like it, we can always get a ring of your choice.' Showing you the ring he brought with him. ‘It’s perfect...’ you replied and nodded giving him your permission to slide the ring onto your finger. He slid the diamond ring on your finger. His gesture surprised you.

‘I wasn’t expecting this…’ you mumbled

Steve smiled tightly. What you didn’t know was Steve did not want to get an engagement ring for the sham of the marriage he was forced to be a part of, his mother, Sarah, had persuaded him to bring her mother’s ring. Sarah was concerned about whether you will like the ring or not.

‘Thank you…’ you said sincerely, you were hopeful about your marriage seeing Steve’s effort in something that was forced on both of you.

Steve was uncomfortable by the level of your enthusiasm. But then again Steve thought that it was because you loved him.

‘Cherry…’ Steve breathed with uncharacteristic awkwardness. ‘Can I call you that?’

‘Yes..yes you can….’you replied with hesitance, you hated your nickname, you wanted him to call you by your name but he still took the first step so you can bear the nickname.

‘I will try to be the best wife…’ you replied while twisting the ring around your finger.

Steve almost groaned out loud. He knew you wanted to hear him say the same thing but he could not lie to you. He didn’t want to marry you. Nor did he want a baby in this marriage.

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saccmaass-reads · 11 hours ago

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 2

‘You remind me of my son, your father...’ Arthur Vincent studied his granddaughter with cold derision.

‘You have the same puppy-dog eyes, the same scared smile. You’ve no backbone, and your weakness disgusts me.’

‘If I was weak, I would have left this place the day after I arrived.’ You replied jutting your chin, your soft eyes staying steady but you could feel your heart beating fast with fear.

His unpleasantness appalled you. It was three weeks since you had come to stay on the older man’s estate, and every day had been a suffering reminder. You flew out to New York with hopes of getting to know and love the grandfather you had never met; instead, you were forced to accept that he was a cold, spiteful man with a vicious tongue and not an ounce of affection for you.

Arthur Vincent laughed at your attempt to stand up to him.

‘Do you think I am a fool? Why do you think I invited you to visit me? You’ve taken everything I’ve thrown at you because your mother’s bills have to be paid!’

Dismay peeling away the composure you struggled to maintain, You could no longer hold his mocking gaze. You dropped your head in shame-faced embarrassment, a curtain of your hair fell forward to screen your profile, and you felt very much like a teenager and not a twenty-six-year-old.

‘Am I right?’ the older man sneered.

‘Yes…’ you admitted, you would have loved to tell him that he was wrong and that your mother, had cleaned up her act and turned her life around.

Sadly, that wasn’t possible and your grandfather’s condescending look made the embarrassment of your mother’s addiction even more hurtful.

‘Nick picked a winner to have my only grandchild with! He had so many choices, so very many He could have brought anyone else,’ Arthur Vincent growled in disgust.

‘But my son wasn’t sharp, was he? He picked a woman who was extravagant, wasteful, and a whore’

Your face flamed with anger and you stood up.

‘I won’t sit here and listen to you talk about my mother like that!’

‘What choice do you have? You need my money to dig her out of trouble.’

The older man surveyed you with ironic amusement.

You lost your pride at that very moment. You lowered your head and swallowed your anger and pain. Slowly, heavily, you sank back down in her seat again. You learned from an early age, poverty and dignity rarely went hand in hand.

Anyway, Arthur Vincent was right and the truth was bitter: you needed his money. Your mother was deeply in debt, drinking heavily, and currently owed money to several loan sharks. You strongly believed that if she didn’t have the stress of the financial problems, she could go to rehab again to overcome her addiction.

It was a painful realization, Y/N knew that the Vincent money could well make the difference between her mother living or dying. Years of alcohol abuse had dangerously weakened her mother’s health.

Arthur gave his granddaughter a harsh look of impatience.

‘I brought you to New York only because I believe you can be of use to me. I can give you a break. Whether or not you have the brains to recognize it depends on you.’

You look at him dubiously...

‘What do you think of Steve Rogers?’ Arthur asked with an evil smile on his face that sent a shiver down your back.

The perplexing sound of Steve’s name shattered your calm composure. Steve Rogers was nothing if not polite, while many people in this dumb New York elite social circles and parties treated you like dirt, he was among few who were polite to you. He was a good-looking guy, but then again there were several good-looking men in those parties and clubs. You may have had a tinsy bit crush on the guy.

‘He’s…he’s kind,’ you replied finally, trying to keep yourself from getting too excited, you didn’t want your grandfather to discover your feeling of adoration towards Steve.

How could you possibly speak freely about Steve without revealing your feelings for him? You were in love with him but that was your secret and you had no intention of sharing it with anyone. After all, Steve was worldly and handsome as they come and you were plain and boring. It was a hopeless one-sided infatuation.

‘How do you think Steve will handle poverty? At this very moment, Roger’s family is facing financial ruin. They’ll lose their homes, their fancy cars, and that will just be the beginning of their sufferings.

After fifty years of wealth and luxury, his parents will find it very difficult to adapt to being poor.’ Arthur added, watching the surprise and immediate concern blossoming in your expressive shiny eyes.

‘And you have it within your power to save them all...’

‘How can I help them?’ You questioned.

‘ You can help me. If you agree to marry Rogers’ boy, I’ll help his family but more importantly, I will also take care of all your mother’s bills and those loans she took. I can be very generous considering I have been a ruthless businessman all my life.’

You stared back at him in wide-eyed shock. As he spoke, your mouth had parted several times, you were looking so puzzled and angry and disgusted at the same time… You wanted to yell at the cruel man but your impoverished state made you hold your tongue. ‘You want me to agree…agree.. to marry Steve Rogers? I don’t understand how that would be helping you,’ you questioned shakily.

‘There’s a method to my madness.’ The older man poured some of the expensive-looking scotch into a crystal glass.

‘I want an heir, but except your father, my efforts in that direction have been unsuccessful. I have you, who for a lack of a better term is naïve in the ruthless world of business, However, you’re young and healthy and so is the Rogers boy. If even half of the rumors about him are true, he’ll get you knocked up in no time.’Arthur replied harshly.

‘I can’t believe you’re talking to me like this,’ you protested. ‘For heaven’s sake, Steve won’t marry me…he does not want me…’

‘It’s not a matter of want for him, now is it? You’re no beauty we can agree on that..and as far as I know, you don’t have a boyfriend,’ your grandfather pointed out with brutal honesty.

‘Trust me, given the choice between marrying you and watching his precious family lose everything, Steve Rogers will definitely marry you’

‘No…’ you murmured, your hands tightly clenching your sides, you were mortified and embarrassed and hurt.

‘He will...He is not as stupid as his father. He’s strong and very loyal to his family. And you, you have Vincent blood in your veins and I’m giving you both a perfect opportunity.’

‘This is not an opportunity, this is a blackmail…you’re talking about blackmailing Steve into marrying me!’

Arthur fixed his steely gaze on you. ‘There is no blackmail,’ he specified coldly. ‘I’m offering a helping hand in return for a favor. You can reject the offer if you want.’

‘I just want you to help Mom, just please help my mother,’ you begged him in desperation.

‘I don’t care Y/N whether your mother lives or drinks herself to death,’ Arthur Vincent returned drily. ‘Why would I care? What is she to me?’

‘Mom might not be such a mess as she is now if she hadn’t had to survive the harsh life she had when I was a kid!’ you shouted.

His contempt was evident, Arthur Vincent checked his watch. ‘You can leave if you want to, there is a cab waiting outside to take you to the airport…’

After a moment’s hesitation, you scrambled up to look out the window facing the main gate of your grandfather’s pristine estate. You noticed the cab waiting by the imposing front door.

‘That cab is waiting to take you to the airport...’

You were alarmed by that statement just like he wished.

‘Right Now? You want me to leave right now??’

‘Your luggage has already been packed. If your answer to marrying Steve is no, I will send you home immediately and you will never hear from me again. Make your mind up and do it quickly.’

A sense of panic gripped you. ‘It’s so unfair to spring this on me and..’

The older man laughed cutting you in the middle of a disagreement. ‘I think it unfair that you show no gratitude for the magnificent future I am prepared to buy for you. You have your choice. Run back to your mother and see how grateful she is when she learns that you could have made her financially secure for life!’

You flinched at that statement, you knew that your mother would consider such a reward due, after all the sacrifices she made as a single parent. In fact, she saw what your grandfather was doing and recognized the pressure he was bringing to bear on you. You considered yourself strong and resilient, but the certainty of his cold, unforgiving hatred frightened her and plunged her into despair. She knew that he meant what he said. He really didn’t care what happened to you and he would not give you any money you needed to support your mother unless you did as he asked.

‘This is crazy,’ she muttered frantically. ‘Steve would never agree to marry me in a million years! For goodness’ sake, he’s dating Peggy Carter…’

Arthur Vincent shrugged. ‘So he is with the Carter girl. What’s that got to do with anything?’

You blinked. ‘What if he loves her?’

‘So what if he does? That’s nothing to do with you. He can decide his options. Believe me, family honor and pragmatic deliberations will be of much greater importance to him than the woman in his bed currently.’

His cold-blooded indifference to your disclosure and his careless reference to Steve’s sex life shook you to the core.

‘Are you planning to take that cab ride to the airport?’ Arthur asked with impatience.

You went rigid, stress burning through your frame. Steve Rogers would never agree to marry you.. you thought feverishly. The very idea was ridiculous. Peggy Carter was a very beautiful girl: tall and slender as a reed, she had glorious brown hair and dainty, doll-like features. But why were you working yourself up over something that was most unlikely to ever happen? Why anger the very clearly riled-up grandfather. You had to keep your mother’s needs first; your mother should be your first concern. Surely you could safely leave it to Steve to refuse the dumb marriage scheme out of hand for both of them? Your grandfather can not blame you for Steve’s rejection.

‘Do you have an answer yet?’ Arthur Vincent urged flatly.

‘All right, fine, yes, I’ll marry him.’

‘Never doubted it. I saw the glow on your face when I mentioned the boy’s name.’

You felt embarrassed, the older man laughed and tossed back his drink. ‘Well, then I am cupid, the angel of love. It will save you from the humiliation of being lonely forever.’

That night, you laid sleepless in the lavish guest bedroom. The huge villa was silent. From the moment you arrived in New York to a world of luxury and privilege that was as unknown to you… You felt like you were living someone else’s life. Where everything.. even the way people behaved—was unfamiliar. You had done your best to please your grandfather. That had meant overcoming your inhibition and accepting the various social requests that Arthur had planned before your arrival. Sharon, daughter of one of Arthur’s friends, had acted as your partner for all of those painful excursions into the world of high society.

Tags-

@austynparksandpizza

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saccmaass-reads · 21 days ago

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Friends, for now

Pairings: Bucky x fem!reader (Quentin Beck x fem!reader to start)

Summary: Steve, your brother from another mother, is the captain of the college soccer team. His best friend Bucky and your boyfriend Quentin Beck are on the team too. Beck’s bullshit goes too far and Bucky and Steve have had enough, pushing you to your breaking point. Seeking comfort from Steve, you find Bucky instead.

The order:

Entrée (Appetizer): “Just let it go, alright” and “What the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

Plat Principal (Main): “Les étudiants” - College AU

Garniture (Side): Enemies to lovers (with a pinch of caretaking from the anon request)

Déssert (dessert): “Sucré/Piquante” - Hurt/Comfort

Word count: 3.6k (they just keep getting longer)

Warnings: verbally abusive boyfriend; misogyny; unhappy childhood with divorce and alcoholism referenced

A/n: *updated: this is now a three-part mini sesries!* This was the second to last “drabble” I wrote for my 400 follower celebration. The request came in from the ever sweet and supportive @blessedwedgie (sorry it took so long, bb!) and I combined it with a request from an anon (since it was so similar).

Part II // Part III // Masterlist

“No rush, but I’ll bring your bills around so I can cash out, alright boys?” the waitress said as she placed the last of the drinks down from the team’s last call order.

“Oh c’mon, babe, you’ve always got time for one more order from us,” Quentin persisted smoothly as he placed his hand on her hip.

She grabbed it as quick as he had placed it there with a firm grip, flinging it off of herself without so much as a blink before heading back to behind the bar.

“Someone’s touchy tonight,” Quentin scoffed.

“Yeah, it’s you,” Bucky muttered under his breath from across the table.

“What was that, Barnes?” Quentin growled.

“Guys, cool it. Both of you,” Steve spoke up, stretching his arms out with his hands open wide to stop his teammates from escalating.

“Bucky, leave it alone—”

“Yeah, Barnes, leave it—” Quentin was about to fully mimic his captain’s words before the blonde cut him off.

“—and you,” he turned to Quentin, lowering his voice so as not to single him out, “I know you’re high off of tonight’s win, but I don’t need to remind you that that kind of behaviour goes against team conduct. You owe the waitress, and Y/n, an apology.”

Steve had been like a brother to you, especially when your family situation became unstable and your parents were less than present. Him and his mother, Sarah, took you in whenever things got too tense at home. After school snacks and sitcoms would turn into dinner. You would sleep over more nights than not, especially when your mom started working evening shifts after your dad eventually left.

Steve was fiercely protective of you. Which is why he hated that you ended up with Quentin Beck. Deep down in your subconscious, you knew you didn’t really love him. But after your dad walked out of your life, you developed a habit of going after anyone that showed you tough love. It was as if you believed you deserved it somehow, the familiar hurt was the only thing that made sense. So you took everything Quentin gave you like a champ. The insults, the mocking, the jokes, the extra firm grips.

Steve watched it all, knowing there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He learned early on the only person that was going to change your mind was you. The harder someone pushed you, the harder you dug your heels in.

He stopped sharing his disapproval with you early on. Though that didn’t stop him from venting to his best friend. Which is exactly why Bucky not only continued his disdain for Quentin Beck, he developed an aversion to you as well. How could someone like you—intelligent, witty, drop-dead gorgeous—think so low of themselves to put up with a guy like Beck?

Steve never shared your family’s situation with Bucky. It wasn’t his story to tell. So Bucky had no idea what you had been through as a kid. He couldn’t understand that you had never felt loved enough to believe you deserved more. That you would accept any form of affection that anyone threw at you, just to make up for what you had lost. All Bucky knew was that his best friend’s heart broke watching you suffer next to their misogynistic dickhead of a teammate and he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stevie, thanks but that’s not necessary,” your voice trembled as you looked between your boyfriend and the man you had grown up with.

“Yeah, Stevie. Y/n here doesn’t mind when I flirt a little, do ya, hun?” Quentin said, wrapping his arm around you tighter, too drunk to notice you wince and tighten up. He always got a bit animated on victory nights, but tonight he was taking it to another level.

Leaning towards Steve, tugging you forward with him, he attempted to whisper, “A tip for ya, cap, a little jealousy makes them go crazy in bed. This one practically begs for it the second she thinks I might wander.”

Steve was about to unleash every word he had pushed down over the past year watching Quentin manipulate you when the crashing sound of one of the heavy wooden bar chairs hitting the floor made everyone turn around.

Bucky’s chest was heaving as he grabbed his stuff before making his way to the other side of the table where Quentin still had you in a near choke hold at this point.

“You’re fucking disgusting,” he seethed, pointed a finger at your boyfriend. Then turning to Steve, “I refuse to play with him. Either bench me or bench him, but I won’t go on the pitch if he’s on.” Then turning back he squinted at you, “I thought you were smarter.”

He whipped out a few bills from his pocket and threw them on the table for his share of the bill before exiting the bar.

You would have to unpack the reason later, but out of everything that had happened up to then, Bucky’s words cut the deepest.

“The fuck is his problem?” Quentin slurred out, taking another swig from his pint glass. His focus on his beer gave you the out to wriggle free from under his heavy arm.

“You are, you dick!” Steve slammed his hand down on the table. “I’m sorry, Y/n, I think you need to take him home. Let us know if you want some help.”

Steve motioned at the rest of the team, most of which were trying to act like they hadn’t been watching the entire incident. Though Peter looked away in embarrassment, Sam and Tony gave you sympathetic eyes, while Thor looked like he was ready to unleash the rage of the gods above on your obnoxious boyfriend.

“We don’t need any help, do we babe?” Quentin mumbled. “Let’s get going, daddy wants to fuck.”

He was always over the top, but even this was a new level.

“Quentin, please stop it,” you pleaded. Your stomach was in knots. If only PIM particles were a real thing, you would shrink away from this waking nightmare.

“C’mon, no kink shaming here, babe,” Quentin slurred after turning to you, an attempt to be sultry as he sloppily stroked your cheek. “Thought you loved that daddy shit. Satisfies those annoying daddy issues you’re always going on—”

You heard the crack the instant Steve’s fist connected with Quentin’s jaw.

A gasp escaped your lips as you blinked repeatedly, your mouth opening and closing, unable to find words. You looked towards Steve, his eyes lit with a fire you had never seen before.

“I swear to god, Beck, if you don’t stop right now I’m going to make you.” Steve ordered, shaking out his fist and looking over his shoulder at the approaching bouncer. “Again, Y/n, I’m so sorry. I’ll check in on you tomorrow.”The flame in his eyes had softened to embers as he continued his directives. “Thor, Sam, Tony, Peter: can you handle this asshat and make sure Y/n gets home safe? I need to sort this mess out.”

His teammates nodded, all standing up immediately. Thor called dibs on dragging Quentin home, something about wanting to pick up where Steve left off. Sam and Tony took either side of you, and Peter grabbed your things.

“Babe, why’ren’t you comin’ this way,” Quentin mumbled once you were all outside of the bar.

“Because it’s over, Quentin. I should have gone my own way a long time ago. Don’t you ever come near me again.”

Him using your past against you was the push you needed. You felt the snap inside you at the same instant you heard Steve’s fist make contact. You hadn’t wanted to be with him for a long time now. And you would never go back. It was that easy for you once your mind was made up.

“You fucking slut bitch, I wasted a whole fucking year on your whore mouth—,” Quentin was cut off again, this time by Thor.

“Alright, man, that is quite enough out of you for one day. It is time you and I had a little chat. And I will be the one talking…” Thor practically dragged Quentin away, gripping him far tighter than was needed.

“Are you ok?” Sam turned to you once they were gone, his eyebrows pinched together.

Tony went to put a comforting arm around you but you flinched and stepped back.

“Y-yeah, I’m... I just really want to go home. I can make it from here, thanks.”

“Y/n, we can’t let you do that,” Sam stated with warm concern.

“Captain’s orders,” Tony added.

“Fuuuuuck,” you breathed out, brining your palms to your face.

The teammates all exchanged glances trying to figure out their next move. Tony waved his hand in an I got this motion.

“You should hear about the shit I got into when I was a teenager. Makes this fiasco look like a Mr. Roger’s episode,” he said coolly.

The guys help their breath waiting for your reaction. A sudden laugh escaped your lungs, and you dropped your hands with a sigh.

“I guess a group escort across campus wouldn’t be the worst thing that happened to me tonight. Go on then,” you said to Tony with a smile, “tell me a story.”

—

Bucky was still on the couch, mind racing from the night’s events, when he heard the soft knocking on his and Steve’s shared dorm room’s door.

“I, uh, sorry I thought Stevie would still be up.” You fidgeted with the hem of the oversized hoodie you had thrown on when you decided to go to the one place you always went to when you couldn’t sleep.

“Nah, he crashed out an hour ago.”

“Oh, okay, uh, nevermind then.”

You turned to head back to the stairwell.

“Wait—”

Something in Bucky’s voice seemed softer. You stopped to hear what he had to say.

“I was about to make some tea. Want some?”

You thought about it. You and Bucky might not like each other, but you were both like family to Steve. He couldn’t be that bad. And at least he was always easy on the eyes.

You nodded your head and walked through the door Bucky was holding open without making eye contact. Bucky rolled his eyes at your antics as he locked the door.

“Chamomile or peppermint.”

“Peppermint. Please.” You added the nicety as an afterthought before you took your seat at the kitchen table.

A muted chuckle left Bucky’s lips at your attempt at being polite. He moved slowly but with calculation as he prepped your two mugs.

“I broke up with him,” you said quietly after a few minutes of silence.

“Finally.”

You scoffed at his tactless reply. “What’s your problem with me, James?”

“Nothin’. Forget I said anything.”

Another scoff. You couldn’t believe Bucky. Though of course all the hot ones had to be assholes.

“I heard your ex made quite the scene after I left,” Bucky continued following another beat of silence.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you muttered.

“He must’ve done somethin’ pretty over the top for Steve to lose his cool. His knuckles looked like shit when he got home.”

“Just let it go, alright?” you shot out firmly, looking him square in the eye for the first time since he opened the door to you. “I already know you think I’m an idiot, I don’t need your fucking I told you so speech right now.”

Bucky opened his mouth to respond and then closed it, followed by a sigh of relief: saved by the whistle of the stovetop kettle. He filled the two mugs then placed them on the kitchen table where you were still sitting.

You watched as the steam curled up then dissipated like the memories that were replaying over and over in your mind. Tendrils of mint pulled you back to the present as tears began to streak down your cheeks.

“Shit,” Bucky muttered under his breath. “Y/n, I’m sorry.”

“‘S fine,” you sniffed, wiping your eyes with your sleeve.

“Nah, it’s not fine, sweetheart. You’re clearly the victim here, and I’m just being a dick.”

“I’m not a victim,” you spat out, rage laced your tone.

“Right, totally wrong choice of words,” Bucky put his hands up in defence. “Fuck, I just hate Beck so much. Always have. He used to tease my sister in elementary school. He’s always been a fucking bully. So I just figured—”

“Figured what? That I’m some poor defenceless female? An idiot who doesn’t know any better? Another stupid woman who doesn’t know her worth?” Your words came out in a whispered fury so as not to wake Steve.

“No, doll, that’s not what I meant to—”

“Well what did you mean, James?”

“I… I don’t know,” he sighed in honesty.

More silence filled the small kitchen. What am I doing here? was simultaneously running through both of your minds.

“My dad left when I was eight years old.”

You weren’t sure why you were opening up, but the sudden urge to explain yourself took over any hesitancy you felt about sharing your life story with Bucky. He nodded for you to continue.

“My mom and him always fought leading up to it. He was too drunk to take care of me for years after that so we didn’t really start speaking again until I was nearly done high school. I met Quentin the year after my dad and I reconnected. I don’t know what happened after that…” you trailed off, lost in your own stream of consciousness for a minute.

Bucky just waited for you to find your way back.

“I guess I’m more fucked up than I thought,” you chuckled softly to yourself after rejoining the present.

“Hey, you know it wasn’t your fault.”

Your gaze shot up to meet Bucky’s, twilight blue with a twinkle at the edges like when the first stars come out.

“You don’t know anything about—”

“You’re right, I don’t know exactly what happened in your life. But I do know that your dad? Quentin? That wasn’t your fault.”

Your breath caught in your chest and you felt a lump forming in your throat.

“And I’m sorry for what I said tonight at the bar. I was so wrong. I just, I couldn’t fucking stand to see you with him anymore. You’re my best friend’s basically sister. And all I know is how much it killed him to see you with that dick. So I got a little protective of my pal. But I was protecting the wrong person—”

“I don’t need anyone’s protection,” you amended swiftly.

“Right, again, that’s not what I meant,” Bucky’s hands raised again as he corrected himself. “I just meant I was on the wrong side, is all.”

Then he lowered his hands to cover yours that was resting beside your tea as he said those last words. Your breath hitched at the sudden touch, though you found solace in it just as quickly. You uncupped your other hand from your mug and placed it over his.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” The lump was getting bigger.

“You don’t have to say nothin’. I’m just so, so sorry, Y/n. You didn’t deserve any of this.”

Your chin started quivering as your eyes brimmed with tears for a second time. Suddenly a sob broke free from your chest, and just as quick, Bucky was next to you, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Y/n,” he whispered again, rubbing your back as you let go of years of pent up emotions.

After nearly ten minutes, your breath had calmed. You pulled away from Bucky’s warmth, wincing at the wet marks you had left on his shirt.

“Ugh, I’m sorry about that,” you groaned, pointing at his shirt as you grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the table.

“‘S nothin,” Bucky chuckled.

“It’s gross is what it is,” you huffed, blowing your nose one last time. Then after letting out an enormous sigh, you leaned back into your chair.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do now?” You weren’t sure who you were asking.

“I don’t know, doll. All I know is you're one of the strongest women I’ve met. And my ma and sis are hard competition.”

You laughed at Bucky’s passion for his family. It was endearing and something warmed in your chest at this softer side he was showing you.

“Thanks, James.” You cleared your throat before continuing. “I mean it. Thanks for everything tonight. You losing your cool at the bar was the catalyst for the whole thing to come crashing down. I know it would’ve happened eventually. But you nudged it along. So thank you.”

With that you leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. You heard his sharp intake of breath that made you pull away.

“Sorry, was that—”

“No, no. I let you cry on me, I think we’re past that.” He offered you a half smile as he started rubbing his neck with his hand. You noticed a soft blush form on his cheeks. “Just caught me off guard,” he continued, looking down at the table.

“Fuck, sorry, I always do this. I’m a mess. I should go.”

“No, Y/n, wait,” he grabbed your wrist gently as you got up from your chair.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, sweetheart. You just surprised me, ‘s all.”

He was grinning fully now, beaming up at you and setting your cheeks ablaze. His Brooklyn drawl was pouring out like velvet, making you wonder how you wasted so long with an asshole like Quentin Beck when James Buchanan Barnes was in front of you all along.

“James, I… I’m all mixed up right now. I need time to sort through everything.” You’re heart felt like it might beat out of your chest.

“I know, and no one’s saying you gotta do anything. Just… don’t leave on my account. I invited you in because I wanted to. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But friends are allowed to comfort each other.”

“Is that what we are now? Friends?” you asked coyly, allowing yourself to sit back down beside him.

“I’d like to be, that is, if you’re up for it,” he said softly, cupping the side of your face as he rubbed his thumb across your cheek.

You leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering shut.

“I don’t understand it, but you’re doing things to me right now, James.”

“I know. I feel the same about you. It’s fucking weird,” he chuckled. “Is that a bad thing?” his voice continued, low and hesitant.

“I don’t know. I’m…” you took a deep breath before opening your eyes again. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt safe.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Bucky whispered as he pulled you into his arms again. “This is as far as we’re going to go right now, okay? I won’t press you or let anything happen.”

He felt your head nod against his chest as your shoulders released the tension they’d been holding for who knows how long.

“Can I, I mean, would you be ok if I stayed over?”

Your words came out soft, muffled by his shirt. It was the first time Bucky heard your voice sound so fragile and it made his heart ache.

“Of course… could… could I hold you if you do? I mean you don’t have to, I can sleep on the couch. Fuck, I’m sorry—”

You giggled at his sudden nervousness, pulling out of his warmth again so he could see you weren’t offended. “James, that’s kind of why I was asking. Friends can cuddle, you know,” you added with a smirk.

“Right, friends can cuddle,” he repeated, a smile forming across his lips. “C’mon then, sweetheart, let’s go to bed.”

After changing into a spare t-shirt and pair of shorts Bucky lent you, you climbed into bed where he was already laying on his back.

“Shirtless already, eh, Barnes?”

“Shit, sorry, I didn’t even think—”

“Just teasing,” you laughed. “Besides, it’s a nice distraction from my current rat's nest of a brain,” you admitted playfully.

Bucky’s eyebrows raised. “Oh, is it now?”

“It is,” you confirmed, nestling into his chest. “Mmmm you smell good,” you added.

“Jesus, Y/n, you sweet talk all your friends this way?”

“Only the hot ones,” you flirted.

“Doll,” Bucky groaned.

“Shit, I’m sorry. You’re right,” you sighed. You tried turning away from him, embarrassed at your sudden inability to control yourself around Bucky. His arms stopped you and tugged you back into him.

“‘S not that I don’t like it. It’s just…”

“I know… friends,” you emphasized, with a sigh. “For now.”

“For now,” he repeated, pressing his lips into the top of your head. He slowly began traipsing his fingers over your shoulder as he pulled you closer with his other arm.

“I’m not going anywhere, Y/n.” He whispered after a few moments had passed. “I’ll be here in whatever way you need. For as long as you need it.”

You hugged him tighter, hoping to convey your gratitude in the action. Simultaneously feeling the sincerity of his words in his hold around you.

“Sweet dreams, James,” you whispered, pressing a kiss into his chest.

“Sleep well, Y/n,” he whispered back.

—

Steve shook his head as he silently closed Bucky’s door the next morning.

“Took them long enough,” he chuckled.

Part II

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saccmaass-reads · 21 days ago

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home for the holidays | bucky barnes

summary: part 5 | always you | reader finally comes to terms with her feelings for her fake boyfriend, but is it too late?

warnings: 18 ONLY; fluff <3, cuss words, reader finally realizes!!, bucky is just the sweetest, mentions of playing football, kissing, happy happy happy ever after

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saccmaass-reads · 21 days ago

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home for the holidays | bucky barnes

summary: part 4 | too far | reader and Bucky continue their fake love-affair to impress the family… but perhaps it’s starting to go too far?

warnings: 18+ ONLY | ANGST BABY ANGST, mentions of kissing/18+ thoughts, family-gatherings, reader slow to realize some…things, bucky is sweet perhaps too sweet, cuss words, lil fluff

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saccmaass-reads · 21 days ago

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home for the holidays | bucky barnes

summary: part 2 | the act | you and bucky make it to your home for the holiday weekend and you were so worried about your family liking him / believing in your fake relationship…you forgot one little problem...there's only one bed for the weekend.

warnings: 18+ ONLY | build-up, mentions of fake dating, touching, meeting-the-family, fluff-y, alludes to some ~adult thinking~, sharing a bed...heheheh

eighteen plus only — by choosing to ‘keep reading’, you are agreeing that you are eighteen years old and over. do not interact with this story if you are a minor.

You bounce your leg up and down as the two of you Uber from the airport to your house. Your parents offered to pick you up but you wanted this time to practice the act with Bucky.

“The act? How old are you?” He lets out a laugh as he looks out the window.

“What!? We need to practice our little skit we are going to be putting on for the next few days.” You explain.

He turns to face you and smirks. He then reaches his hand out and places it on your thigh and for a second you stop breathing.

You instinctively try to pull away but he grips you harder. You let out a shaky breath and glance up to him to find him already chuckling at you.

“See? Not so bad.” He smiles and you roll your eyes. His hand remains on your thigh and you quickly stare out the window in a poor attempt of remaining calm.

“Jesus, doll, this is never going to work if you can’t relax.” He scoffs and begins to pull his hand away.

Your heart aches at the loss and before you know it you grab his hand and pull it back to your thigh. You rest your hand on top of it and glance back up at him and smirk.

“I’m fine, B. I’m a pro.” You say.

He begins to say something but bites down on his lip. He then turns back to look out his window. Hand still on your thigh with your hand resting on top.

As you two pull into your driveway, your heart begins to race.

This is a bad idea.

You should’ve never have agreed to come home.

You should’ve never lied about a boyfriend.

Bucky can clearly see that anxiety has washed over you and squeezes your thigh to get your attention.

“Hey, doll. It’s going to be okay. We got this.” He winks at you and steps out of the car.

You two get your bags and walk towards the front door.

You are immediately met by your mother who bypasses you and goes straight to Bucky.

They immediately hit it off and she turns to you to give you the “holy shit, where’d you find him and where can I get one,” look.

You let out a laugh because she’s not wrong.

Bucky is probably one of the hottest men you’ve ever seen. You remember the day he came to the apartment after seeing your ad in the paper seeking a roommate. You almost choked on your own spit when you opened the door and found him on the other side.

Since then you’ve kept your attraction to him on the down-low. All your friends said you were insane for having such a hot roommate and refusing to make a move. But you just rolled your eyes and ignored them. He was your roommate, a friend, nothing more,

But you did have to admit, having him as a fake boyfriend for the weekend was definitely an honor.

Your mom gives you a hug and you make your way inside. You are ambushed by your little nephews who tackle you with hugs and kisses.

“Auntie! Auntie!” they both scream as you squeeze them back.

You stand back up to introduce them to Bucky who is already bending down and shaking both of their little hands. You catch yourself smiling because you’ve never seen Bucky interact with kids.

Your mom nudges your elbow and breaks you out of your trance.

“So? Where did you find him and where can I get one.” She motions at Bucky and fans herself.

“Mom! Jesus.” You groan back and slap at her.

Bucky glances back at you and gives you a smile.

You step in and rescue him from the two little devils and you make your way into the kitchen.

There you two greet the rest of your family; your brother and his wife, your grandparents, your aunt, and last but not least... your dad.

“How much is she paying you,” your dad reaches out to shake Bucky’s hand and you are both thrown aback.

Your dad is quite the jokester. Sarcasm is his language. You begin to panic because Bucky isn’t always the best on the spot but to your surprise he rebuttals your dad,

“Not enough, sir. She said you would pay the rest.” Your dad immediately busts out laughing and you know Bucky is in.

He looks down at you and winks and for a second you forget this is pretend. You forget he isn’t really your boyfriend.

You stand around in the kitchen and socialize for some time until you and Bucky both begin to yawn.

“Alright you two, go get some rest. We have lots of cooking and baking to do tomorrow!” Your mom smiles and motions towards the door.

Bucky looks at you with a confused look and before you can speak your mom speaks.

"You two have been dating for months, you don't think I didn't think you'd share a room?" She laughs and you chuckle along with her, embarrassment immediately overcoming you.

You pull at Bucky's arm and make your way to your luggage and it's in that split second you realize... you and Bucky aren't only sharing a room...you're sharing a bed.

You make your way down the hallway and you open the door into what used to be your childhood bedroom. You let out a sigh of relief as it doesn’t seem to scream childhood bedroom too much.

You quickly shut the door and Bucky turns to me,

“Hi so um... obviously we are sharing a room. I’m sorry. I totally forgot my brother and his family would be staying.” You blurt out and Bucky just chuckles back.

“I mean I figured we would. I can sleep on the floor.” He turns around and begins to walk around the room. He stops at your desk and bends down to look at the pictures of high school you.

“Oh what a stud. You never told me you were an athlete?” He points at your many softball pictures and trophies and lifts an eyebrow at you.

“Oh shut up, Barnes.” You roll your eyes back and throw your bags down.

You jump onto the bed and continue watching Bucky walk around your room.

“Like what you see, B?” You pester him as he slowly investigates the rest of your room. He turns back around at you and a smirk forms on his face.

“You in your childhood bed? Oh, this is one of my many fantasies.” His charm mixed with his Brooklyn accent rolls of his tongue in a way you’ll never tire from.

You roll your eyes as you try to ignore the butterflies in your stomach.

“Shut up, pervert.” You fire back.

“What? A guy can’t dream about his fake girlfriend?” His smirk was almost devilish at this point.

You realize your heart is beginning to beat a little faster than you’d like to admit, so you force yourself out of the bed and begin walking towards the bathroom.

“Okay, I’m going to get ready for bed. You can sleep in the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.” You grab your PJs and head towards the bathroom.

“No no. I will sleep on the floor, as any good fake boyfriend would do.”

You turn around and scoff at him,

“Or we can both sleep in the bed like fucking adults.” You whisper because halfway through the sentence you realized what you were saying.

His eyes widen and that devilish smirk is back.

“Fine by me.” He says and you quickly make your way into the bathroom.

You change into your PJs and do your usual bedtime routine.

But for some reason decide to make yourself still look halfway presentable…for him. You silently berate yourself in the mirror as he’s your roommate, surely he’s seen you in the morning. Against your better judgment, you walk out of the bathroom and catch Bucky mid-change.

He is shirtless and is slipping into gray sweatpants. Your mouth waters at the sight of his perfect body. He turns around and catches you staring at him.

“Like what you see, doll?” He smiles and throws his jeans down on the ground.

He knows you pretend to hate when he calls you doll.

It’s what he calls any girl he’s trying to sleep with. Well, that’s what you thought anyway.

You roll your eyes at him and make your way towards the bed.

“You wish, Barnes.” You muster out and he chuckles to himself.

You’ve seen him shirtless many times. He would come back from his runs and take his shirt off the second he was in the apartment. Or that one time he came out from his room in only a towel because he thought you weren’t there. You’ve seen him shirtless before. So, why did it affect you so much as he stands in your childhood bedroom?

“Not gonna take your makeup off? That’s bad for your skin, you know.” He motions towards his face implying he knows a good skincare routine.

You feel kinda embarrassed that he can tell you left your makeup on and you try to play it off but he shoots you down.

“Take off your fucking makeup. I’ve seen you piss drunk in a Brooklyn bar, I’ve seen you at your worst, doll.” His voice was cold as ice.

Damn this man can read you like a book.

You bite down on your lip because he has totally called you out and you have no witty comeback.

You turn back towards the bathroom and wipe off your makeup and step back into the bedroom.

“There? Happy?” You place your hand under your chin to put your face on display.

Bucky looks at you and the softest smile appears on his face.

“Much better.” He quietly says and he makes his way towards the bed.

You go to turn the light off and Bucky climbs into the side of the bed you always sleep on.

“Woah Woah. Move it. That’s my side.” You state as you approach the bed.

He laughs at you and plops down.

“Bucky!” You whine and he continues laughing at you.

“Bucky, move.” You demand and he raises an eyebrow.

“Make me.” He says and it sends a shiver down your spine.

What the fuck is wrong with you.

“Besides, who has a bed against a wall?” Bucky says mocking the placement of your bed.

Something comes over you and all of a sudden, you’re straddling him

His body freezes underneath yours, and his eyes wide.

“Move.” You whisper in a demanding tone once more and with swift motion, Bucky flips you underneath him.

You gasp at how quickly things escalated and Bucky lets out a dark chuckle.

He is hovering over you, centimeters from your face.

You can feel your heartbeat in more than one place and Bucky’s devilish smirk appears once more.

“All you had to do was say please, doll,” Bucky whispers then falls beside you as you continue laying there facing up at the ceiling.

It takes you a minute to recover and when you do you glance over to see Bucky fast asleep.

You take a deep breath and try to recollect yourself. You turn so your back is towards Bucky as well as the thoughts of what could’ve happened just now.

Jesus. Why do you want to fuck your roommate?

a/n: oooooh oh ohhhhh!! things heating up!! where will this weekend go!?

part 1 // part 3

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