#Sam wilson one shot | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thesugarclubs-blog · 8 months ago

Text

Put A Little Love on Me - Sam Wilson x OC

warnings: hurt/comfort, friends to lovers, air force friends, soft smut, 18+

word count: 8.4k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/1437355323-put-a-little-love-on-me-lane

vibe: "That's not fair, Sam," she whispered, hugging her arms around her middle, her fingers gripping into the fabric of her dress.

Sam shook his head and stepped closer to her, chewing on the inside of his cheek, "No it's not, but it's all I had. We promised we'd always have each other no matter what happened. After everything you helped me through when Riley -" his words cut off and her let out a breath, keeping his dark eyes on hers, "I just wanted to be able to help you the way you helped me," he finished

Masterlist

A few raps sounded at his bedroom door as he changed his tie once more.

“Mr. Wilson, sir?” Sam smiled at Peter’s voice coming from the other side. “I don’t mean to rush you but Barnes-”

“Completely means to!”

Bucky’s exasperated voice boomed through the first floor of the compound interrupting him causing Sam to snort out a laugh as he tightened his tie and looked over himself quickly in the mirror. The soft pink tie he had finally landed on looked great against the crisp navy suit he had chosen for tonight.

They had been invited to a spring gala in honor of the Armed Forces tonight and they’d asked him, as Captain America and former Air Force, to say a few words.

“Looking good Wilson, looking good.” He winked at himself before pocketing his phone and wallet to head out the door.

Sam made his way over to where Bucky was sitting alongside Peter in the common room, looking like he was going to burst into flames as the youngest showed him something on his phone excitedly.

“Don’t scare him off Parker, he might bail on us.”

His partner rolled his eyes and cleared his throat before standing and running a hand through his hair.

Sam whistled, “You know for a person who didn’t wanna go you clean up real nice Buckaroo.”

“Don’t push your luck Sam,” he replied pointedly.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Sam grinned as he grabbed his coat and headed for the door. “Are you guys coming?” He asked innocently, just catching the way Bucky glowered, unimpressed, as he followed with a heavy trudge.

The car waited outside, tinted windows and a security detail that felt entirely unnecessary and did little to ease Sam’s nerves. It’s not that he hated public speaking, it was a given now, but the cause for tonight was important. It sat close to his heart, in both pride and heartbreak, and he just hoped the small speech he had prepared did it justice.

As the cavalcade approached the Plaza, Bucky looked through the tinted glass and whistled. "Very fancy Sammy boy." The car pulled up in front of the huge double doors, the red carpet lined with press and reporters. "And they're all here for you." As the door opened Bucky held his arm out, "After you, I insist," he smirked to Sam, "Me and the boy will just hang here until the heat dies down."

"So much for moral support, " Sam complained, over his shoulder as he stepped out of the car. The camera flashes and the cacophony of voices that greeted him confirmed that Bucky had the right idea.

He took a breath and transformed his face into the friendly, all-American grin that he knew the public loved and stepped forward. He held his arms out slightly, as if he were about to give the crowd a hug, and then waved. Here, there, up to the right, wherever he heard his name called as he slowly but resolutely made his way towards the doors of the building.

His right hand went to the watch on his left wrist and he surreptitiously fingered the tiny control panel. Gasps of delight came from the crowd as Redwing swooped down and performed some aerial acrobatics, guiding Sam the rest of the way to the doors through a chorus of cheers and applause.

Once inside, he took a moment to steel himself with a breath as everyone in attendance bustled around the room; taking pictures, grabbing glasses of champagne from trays. He took his phone out quickly typing out a text to Bucky and Peter letting them know he’d find their table. As soon as Bucky responded, he pocketed his phone and made sure his speech paper was still safely tucked inside his jacket pocket before making his way through the crowd of attendees.

He scanned the room until he found the seating chart by the bar — open, he hoped — and found their names under table number one, right front and centre.

The table was still empty when he arrived, eight exquisitely laid places and a beautifully crafted centrepiece. Sam wandered around the table, searching out his name and slid into his seat, just taking a moment of calm before he would inevitably be thrown into the fray.

Bucky and Peter’s voices mingled with the music as they bustled over behind him.

“I was waiting for a text so we could sneak in, Wilson. Do you know how many hands I had to shake tryin’ to find you?” Bucky grumbled, slumping into the chair beside him.

Sam cocked an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips, "Poor little super soldier, having to mingle and get appreciated"

The small stifled laugh from Peter caused a chuckle to bubble from his lips as Bucky rolled his eyes. Sam knew the spotlight was something Bucky was still getting used to and for the most part he always supported his friend's decision to hide in the shadows but with their recent successes and their new team growing, he'd have to accept the supportive attention, even if it was just for one night.

"To be fair Bucky, you were the one who insisted every man for himself," Peter started to explain, before seeing the look Bucky was sending him and pulling himself short. "I know, shut up kid, " he finished, pushing his chair backwards, he stood and suggested, "should I to go see if they have any Asgardian Mead?"

"Good idea, kid," Bucky replied, "I've a feeling I'm going to need it."

"You need to go easy tonight Buck," Sam advised.

"I know how to behave in polite society," Bucky shook his head at Sam, "I was brought up by a lady and know how to treat the dames."

“Rule number one,” Sam countered, “don’t call ‘em dames. They don’t like that anymore.”

“Aw, shucks! That’s why I can’t get a date.”

Sam rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the rest of the room. It was probably time to get this show on the road, be the man of the people and shake some hands.

“I’m gonna go mingle, hold down the fort and don’t let Parker drink.” He pointed a finger at Bucky as he stood. Brushing his hands down his suit, he took a deep breath and headed towards Rhodey, the first face he’d recognised since he walked in.

Clapping his friend on the back, Sam grinned his signature grin and extended his hand to the two council members that Rhodey was talking too, "Gentleman, I hope my friend here isn't boring you with his tank story, again,"

"That story is a classic and always kills," Rhodey defended as the men with him laughed, shaking their heads.

"Only to people who haven't heard it ten times," one of them retorted with a booming laugh.

Sam nudged his shoulder into his friends with a smirk as the conversation moved on to the recent PR that was needed for their growing team and how it was going to be handled. They wanted Kate and Yelena to make appearance's at schools and Peter needed to do tech presentations, stepping into the shoes that Tony had left for him. But something caught Sam's attention, and the councilman's words drifted out to a dull whisper.

A girl with soft brunette waves stood by the bar in a navy blue satin gown, her deep chocolate brown eyes trained on his with a soft smile playing on her lips as she took a sip from her wine glass. Sam's chest squeezed as his mind jolted to the last time he'd laid eyes on the girl in front of him. The soft goodbye she'd whispered into his ear, and the press of her lips to his cheek before she'd walked out for her last mission. The day she'd walked out the door, taking his heart with her.

"Yeah, yeah that sounds good, we'll talk about it Monday," Sam mumbled, squeezing Rhodey's shoulder, "Will you excuse me?" He didn't wait for an answer before he walked away, his tunnel vision setting in as the rest of the room faded.

His heart rate picked up with each step he took towards her. Sam slowed to a stop in front of her, those eyes he'd fallen into time and time again trail up and down the navy suit he wore. "Lanie?" Sam breathed out her name like an unanswered prayer and her smile only grew.

"I'm a little disappointed you didn't wear the wings." She quipped, taking a sip of her drink.

He was too busy admiring just how much more beautiful she had gotten since the last time he saw her for her words to register and when they did he couldn't help but chuckle. "Shoot, I left them in the car."

Lane laughed and the sound hit deep in his core. The feelings he had bottled up and tucked away started to bubble in his chest as her laughter slowed and it was just the two of them.

"You look good, Sam," Lane said softly.

"This old thing," he gulped, trying to get his racing heart under control.

Lane had always had this effect on him, even before the feeling was mutual. Just a look from her in his direction or a parting of her lips sent his pulse through the roof. Lane had been so weary of the guys in their squadron, conscious that they were a bunch of entitled A-holes, who made a female pilot work twice as hard for the privilege of wearing the wings.

She'd finished in the top 5% of their class, proving herself and nabbing a commission most of the other flyers could only dream of. When Sam had transferred to Dulles Air Force base a year after graduating he'd been delighted to discover not only was Lane still there but had blossomed into a confident, pack up your shit and take a hike, no-nonsense lady. Well-liked and respected by her squad, she had remembered Sam fondly and had been happy to show him the ropes and eventually allowed him to take her out for a drink.

“You, uh… you look good too, Lanie,” Sam murmured softly, taking her in properly. She’d always been beautiful, even with her hair in the regulation bun, slicked back and shining with gel and a fresh face. Now though, he wasn’t sure he could be in her vicinity much longer without a drink in his hand.

“Thanks, big shot,” she smiled, that heart-stopping, flirty thing that always sent his heart a flutter. “How is that going? Being Cap?”

Sam sucked in a breath. “Big shoes to fill,” he chuckled as Lane caught his elbow gently, leading him towards the bar.

“And yet they fit you so well, Sam,” she replied, “I certainly had no doubt they would.”

A familiar fluttering filled his chest as Sam felt a blush creeping up his neck, “Thanks Lanie, that uh, means a lot coming from you”

She smiled again, that smile that was seared into his brain from the first moment they met at training camp. A smile that brightened the room and dulled away all the worries that plagued his heart since taking up the mantle.

“And you,” Sam cleared his throat, as his tongue darted out to wet his suddenly dry lips, “I hear you’re basically running the program now, but not flying anymore what’s that about?”

A flash of a pained expression crossed her face, before she covered it with a soft smirk and shook her head, “you keeping tabs on me, Wilson?” She questioned, teasingly.

His heart flipped at the question. He had been keeping tabs on her, a small obsession and mainly just to make sure she was still kicking. "You know how airmen and women are."

Lane raised a brow, "and what about you? Any new aliens I should know about."

Sam chuckled and shook his head thankful for the change of subject. If she knew just how much he had been following her career on his own it would open that can of worms they decided to close a long time ago. "Androids maybe, aliens..." he shook his head, "not as of late."

"Good to know the world's in safe hands." She turned to the bartender. "Can I get an Old Fashioned and...?"

"Just a beer for me," Sam ordered. The area around the bar was getting crazy busy, with other attendees pressing against them trying to get served.

Lane passed him his beer and stepped away from the bar, taking a gulp of her drink, she then motioned her glass towards the balcony doors. "I need to get some air, it's a little warm in here." She turned away from him and took another couple of steps. "It really is lovely to see you Sam," she smiled, a shy smile which reminded him so much of their first time together. "Maybe we don't leave it so long next time."

He wanted to say something else, to follow after her. To continue the conversation that he craved so desperately but he could see she needed out. She had never quite fit in events like these. She was beautiful and good at pretending she was social but Sam could see the obligatory scowl flicker to her face when the important people weren't looking. Same old Lane. Wanted to be anywhere else than where she had to be.

Sam spent the night fielding questions from politicians, and making sure his overgrown, chaotic dates, Bucky and Peter, stayed out of the mead. It wasn't until he was sitting alone with his third beer in the wind and the band started to play the after dinner music that he realized his mind had been on Lane all night. She floated around the room, avoiding the big crowds and speaking directly to a few important people but it never lasted long and she disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

"Why don't you ask her to dance?" Peter slumped down into the chair beside Sam. "I've been watching you, watching her all night."

"I haven't been watching no-one, Squirt." Sam brushed him off but his eyes found her again, slender curves and bright, fake smile as she awkwardly shook hands with another man.

"She looks like she needs saving," Peter shrugged.

But Lane had never needed saving, not really.

"Chicken," Peter resorted to name calling and as soon as he turned on him the squawking stopped.

“I will put you on mission laundry duty,” Sam threatened, “and I know for a fact Barnes leaves his go-bag far longer than he should between washes. Every. Single. Time.”

Peter shuddered and Sam cackled as the younger man scurried away to the bar.

“No mead!” Sam called after him before his gaze fell back to Lane. She was holding her own against the man, a Sergeant in full dress who was pushing his luck with how close he was standing. It wasn’t until his hand skimmed across the small of Lane’s back and she stepped out of his reach that Sam chugged back the rest of his beer and heaved himself up.

“Not saving her, just deterring the creep,” he muttered to himself as he headed in their direction.

"Sergeant, I think it's important to remember we are in the company of many of our superiors." Lane reminded the man with that sickly sweet smile that to others seemed just polite, but Sam knew the venom around it.

The man was just about to part his lips to counter when Sam stepped to her side, "Sir I believe Rhodey was looking for you."

He frowned and shook his head walking away from them.

"I didn't need saving Cap." Lane said after a moment when the man was out of earshot.

"No you didn't, but he did. I remember when you almost roundhoused a guy who thought touching you was a god given right." Sam responded, "And as you say, we're surrounded by superiors."

"That was a lifetime ago Sam, the new me doesn't get violent, I just get even. Unfinished business and all that." She bit her lower lip and looked like she wanted to say more, but took another sip of her drink instead.

Sam watched as another uniform approached her from behind and instead of leaving her to the dogs like she so clearly wanted to be Sam extended his hand.

"How about a dance?" He asked.

Lane eyed his hand, thoughts swirled around behind those pretty eyes and then she downed her drink and set it aside and slid her hand into his.

"You still step on toes?" She teased and Sam huffed. "I'll take that as a yes."

“Hasn’t stopped you before,” Sam quipped, leading her onto the dance floor and Lane laughed lightly.

“I’m a risk taker, Wilson. It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

The music grew louder the closer they got to the band, big brass swelling around the crooning of the singer they’d hired. Sam pulled Lane closer, holding her slender frame against his body as they began to sway gently.

“Now, I don’t know about that, Lanie. You’ve never hidden yourself from me.”

"That you know of." Lane smirked up at him, her long hair cascading down her back as her chin lifted to look up at him. Those dark eyes finding his, "I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

Sam raised a brow, "you can't keep a secret for the life of you."

She grinned up at him again, a mischievous look behind her eyes, "that you know of."

Sam led Lane around the dance floor, the two of them in comfortable silence, but he was sure she could see the words brewing in his eyes, something he had been dying to offload ever since they parted ways.

He cleared his throat, pulling her closer to him so that their cheeks met, entwining their fingers so that there was no escaping his nearness. "Before, when you mentioned unfinished business, did you mean us? Is that what we are?"

"What do you think, Sam?" she asked softly, "Are we unfinished or was this over a long time ago?"

Sam felt his breath catch in his throat before speaking, "You tell me, Lane. I wasn't the one who took a mission and didn't come home."

"That's unfair Sam," She said, "you know what it's like on those missions..." She trailed off. Her hands tight in Sam's as they spun in a lazy circle.

"Out there, sure," Sam answered, "but you came home, all I expected was a phone call."

"Phone calls can still be hard when you don't know what to say," She hummed and let him spin her out and away from him, before gently bringing her back against his chest. Her back molded to his front as their cheeks pressed together as they silently worked through all those hard unspoken emotions.

"We were never very good at talking anyways, Lanie."

Sam felt the reverberation of her hum through his chest and he turned his head, letting his lips graze lightly over her jaw.

“Sam,” she said softly, her breath hitching.

“Tell me you didn’t want it to be over,” he whispered lowly, “because I know I didn’t.”

Lane tensed in his arms and Sam sighed. He should have known.

“Sam, you have a speech to make soon. Let’s not do this now, please? Just dance with me a little longer.”

"Give me something, Lane," he was battling to keep his voice neutral. He was sure that once he left her to make his speech, she'd take off again.

"I can't do this here, tonight Sam. Just for now let's pretend that we're a couple," she rested her head against his shoulder and Sam tightened his hold on her slightly as she turned her face and rubbed her nose up and down his neck. If Sam closed her eyes, he could imagine that he was her wingman, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear, making her shudder with want.

When she spun away this time, her fingers slipped from his and just like before she slipped into the crowd and away from him.

He made to go after her when the crowd parted and the mic screeched over the heads of everyone, "everyone please welcome to the stage our very own Captain America, Sam Wilson!"

Sam nodded, turning on his heal and painting a smile on his face and raised his hand in the air making his way to the stage to do his speech but his mind wandered to his Lanie, where she would have run off to and how far he'd have to go to chase her down this time.

Jogging up the steps to the microphone, Sam squinted against the lights and gathered his wit, feeling a little out of sorts now.

Under the attention of literally everyone in the room, he cleared his throat and patted down his pocket for his speech as his eyes settled on Bucky and Peter, the two of them lounging at their table with tumblers that were definitely filled with the Agardian mead he told them to steer clear of. Bucky grinned up at him and flashed two over-enthusiastic thumbs up and Peter cupped his hands around his mouth, whooping and cheering far too loudly for such a dignified gala.

Still, it settled something within him and he dragged his eyes across the room, telling himself he wasn’t searching for her as he unfolded the piece of paper in his hand.

His entire speech felt distant, like he was on autopilot as he said the words and the crowd laughed from time to time. When the applause started and he folded the paper back up his heart raced with one last scan of the crowd. It wasn't until he caught a glimpse of navy satin disappearing out onto one of the balconies that he finally took a breath and followed her outside.

As he tried to make his way through the crowd, people clapped him on the back and stepped in front of him to comment on his speech. His eyes stayed trained on the balcony door, politely and professionally stepping around everyone who got in his way. He'd fight his way through an alien battlefield if it meant Lane was waiting for him on the other side. The glimmer of hope that clung to his chest drew him forward, through everything.

Stepping out into the fresh spring breeze, Sam felt his breath catch in his throat once more as the moonlight shimmered on across her gown and illuminated her eyes, "Leaving me again so soon, Lanie?" he commented.

"That's not fair, Sam," she whispered, hugging her arms around her middle, her fingers gripping into the fabric of her dress.

She stood there, throat bobbing.

"Listen, I don't want to spend anymore time here and I don't think you do either. I did my speech, I paid my dues," Sam stepped forward, "why don't we go home?"

Sam watched as her whole body tensed at his use of the word. He knew what he was doing, they had never lived together but home was less of a place for the two of them, more of a feeling. "You can talk," Sam said quietly but firmly as he reached out to her, "I can listen."

He watched the tears pool in her eyes as they darted softly across his face, almost like she was looking for the man he was all those years ago. Trying so hard to ground herself before putting her hand in his. Lane never did like showing her feelings, she always felt like she couldn’t and he could only hope to make her feel as safe as she did for him.

"Damn you, Sam Wilson," she muttered, but there was a soft, tentative smile on her face as she threaded her fingers with his. "If we're gonna do this, I need the greasiest, cheesiest burger you can get around here."

"I'll do you one better. You come back to the compound with me and I'll cook you up somethin' special, maybe somethin' from my Mama's secret recipe stash."

"You mean Sarah finally shared them with you?" Lane chuckled, her eyes still glistening. "God, I used to love going home with you for that cooking."

"Just for the cooking?" Sam replied, flashing her his best smile as Lane rolled her eyes. "What do you say, Lanie? We're both here, now, and if this is the only chance we get..."

"Take me home, bird boy," Lane smirked playfully, squeezing his hand gently.

Another swarm of butterflies fluttered against Sam's rib cage at the familiar nickname he'd earned from his friends back on base. He let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back, "Oh that's what we're doing now?"

Smiling brightly, Lane hummed and nodded once, bumping her shoulder into his as she dragged him back towards the door. Sam shook his head once more as he followed, tucking the two of them close to the wall as they snuck through the crowded room. Only a few people tried to catch his attention but there was nothing that was going to take him away from escaping with his girl.

The car was waiting out front and when he finally had her in the back seat it was like a tidal wave of relief had washed over him. He always knew how much he missed her, but seeing her here, ready and finally willing to just talk to him. It was different. He couldn't explain how real it all felt. So he kept his hand tucked in hers, craving the sensation of her skin until he could get her alone.

Lane was nervous, he could feel it in her touch when she squeezed his hand with worry. He couldn't even remember the last time she had gone home with him.

God he had missed her. "We're almost there," he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

Lane smiled, small and tight, when the car pulled in through the security gate and she peered out the window at the sprawling compound. Once parked up, Sam helped her out, tucking her under his arm as they headed through the front door and through to the common room.

The place was in relative darkness, the soft lighting usually set for night time, and Sam caught the way Lane’s shoulders fell, tension physically oozing out of her.

“Take a seat,” he murmured softly, “I’ll open a bottle of red.”

He wandered over to the small wine storage, searching for the bottle of Lane’s favourite he knew he kept for memory’s sake, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Sliding it out, he was met with a selfie of Bucky the idiot took when Sam wasn’t looking — Peter’s doing really, he’s sure — and he brushed his thumb across the screen to quickly take the call.

“Are you allowed to bail on your own gala?”Bucky asked immediately, “at least tell me you’re alive.”

Sam breathed out a short laugh, "Alive and well, Buck. Just something I need to take care of," he smiled softly, grabbing the wine bottle off the shelf and turning it over in his hands.

"Something or someone?" Bucky pressed, the hint of a joke in his grumpy voice, "If I have to stay here, I don't think it's fair that you got to leave, even the kid is leaving with Kate and Yelena, something about playing Kings" he grumbled, "but there's no royalty visiting the city,"

With a shake of his head, Sam couldn't help the roll of his eyes, "It's just a game Buck and you can leave too, just give the kitchen and common floor some space, I'll talk to you later"

Letting out another laugh as he hung up his phone, Sam sauntered back into the living room presenting the wine bottle to Lane, with a proud smile, "Rippon Pinot Noir, just the way you like it,"

"Almost like you kept that sitting around in case I showed up," Lane teased but her voice was tight.

"Better to be prepared than empty handed," Sam uncorked the wine.

"Don't," Lane covered her glass with her hand, "straight out of the bottle or not at all," she smiled.

"Just like the good old days?" Sam nodded.

"I wouldn't call them good, but they were days, and there was wine." Lane added, "and you."

"Then we got all we need," Sam replied softly as he took a seat beside her on the couch. Lane had kicked off her heels and made herself comfortable, and something about that made him smile. That she could be so comfortable in his space again after so long apart.

"So," she started, making grabby hands for the bottle and sipping it delicately. "Are you ready to listen?"

"I'm all ears, sweetheart," he breathed, pressing his body against hers as offered him both the bottle of wine and her hand. He squeezed her fingers gently as Lane took a deep breath.

Lane turned her eyes down to their intertwined hands and swiped her tongue over her lips. Using two of his fingers, Sam lifted her gaze back up to meet his with a soft nod of his head, ensuring she knew that he was right there, whatever happened, he was with her. With a gentle smile ghosting her lips as her dark eyes skated over his face, Lane cleared her throat and began the story of her last mission. The amount of people they'd lost, and how she did everything to save as many as she could, but even the ones who came home didn't really. The emotion in her voice as she talked about her troops, the soft voice cracks and the small tear that escaped down her cheek made Sam's whole body ache. It was supposed to be a track and report mission, but it turned into a search and rescue. He'd been on difficult missions himself but this was something else all together.

Sam wanted to gather her up in his arms and never let her go. To remind her that she was home and safe back in his arms. To tell her that he was never going to let anything bad happen to her again.

"... I was shot out of the sky, just like Riley," she whispered, taking a small sip from the wine bottle in front of her, "My wings wrapped the wrong way and I just... fell. Shrapnel from the shot was lodged in my back with bits from my pack, if I hadn't been over water, I would've -" her voice broke again and Sam traced his thumb over her cheek, catching another tear.

"There's a reason I didn't wear an open back dress tonight," Lane tried to joke, "The scars from surgery after surgery, it's not pretty Sam... and the - mental scars that I carry, it was too much to put on you. You were working with Steve Rogers when I got back, I wasn't about to swoop in and take that away just because I'm broken."

The words caught in Sam's throat, broken. He'd never once thought of Lane as anything but strong and fierce. Like a tidal wave. To hear her talk about herself in a way that was anything less than that, it broke down a wall inside of him.

"Show me, Lanie," He urged, knowing the chances of her saying no were high but he also knew that telling her that she was beautiful, unmarked and flawless. Those words would mean nothing to her, he needed to show her. "I'll show you mine," he added with a soft smile.

"I've seen all your scars, Sam." She whispered, her fingers tighter around the bottle now.

"I have some new ones," he returned the tease, trying to make her comfortable enough to give in and trust him just one more time.

"I don't know, Sam." Her voice was hushed, a quiet murmur in their little corner of the common room.

"How about I go first?" He responded, and with the slight nod of Lane's head, Sam hopped to his feet and shrugged off his jacket, chucking it across the arm of the couch. She looked up then, her sad eyes fixed on his fingers as he worked quickly to undo his tie. Sam flashed her a grin, wiggling his eyebrows as if he were undressing for any other reason but to show off the jagged lines and mottled skin he carried with him now. And he'd do it a million times over if it meant Lane could see the beauty in the scars she carried herself.

Once he reached the last button of his shirt, he let it hang open before he moved onto his belt, ridding himself of his clothes until he stood in nothing but his boxers and his socks and he began to point out his most recent scar, a long, freshly pink line that was a deep slit in his thigh just a few months ago.

"Sam," Lane breathed, her breath hitching.

"One for one?" Sam replied as he held his hand out, waiting patiently for her to take it, to trust him with her hurt like he had with her all those years ago.

Hesitantly, Lane placed her hand in his and stood, leaving a few inches between them as she spun slowly and paused with her back to him, looking over her shoulder, "could you help me?" She whispered.

Sam trailed his fingers softly up her back until he reached the zipper of her dress, pulling it down agonizingly slowly. A long line of raised, discolored flesh ran along her spine, growing the lower he got. He stopped his fingers when he reached the end and Sam swallowed thickly, tracing his thumb over the scar that ran the entire length between her shoulder blades.

"Surgery number one," Lane breathed, leaning into his touch and meeting his gaze once more.

His breath caught in his throat as she let the dress slip from her hips and stepped out of it, turning around to face him. Her face was tight and every agonizing motion she felt was on display as she arched her neck and closed her eyes. "Number two," she whispered, showing him a fleshy twisted scar that spiraled over her bicep and cut into her shoulder. Sam couldn't believe the pain she must have endured from the fall. Not knowing if she was going to survive it, even worse the agony she must have felt waking up alone, completely transformed by the accident.

The strength she must have held, still held, to get through that. Sam would never know what it was like to come out the other side of something as intense as what Lane had been through, but he knew a little something about grief, about the loss of something and the heaviness you live with after as you rebuild your life.

"I think you might be the strongest woman I know," he murmured, taking a small step closer. "but then, you always have been."

Lane's mouth curved into a soft smile, not quite meeting her eyes as she reached for Sam's hand and brought his fingers to her stomach and around to the side of her waist.

"Scar number three," she murmured, as she pressed the pads of Sam's fingers along the thick, raised line that stretched around to her back. "This one's from a piece of my pack that decided to embed itself in my side on impact."

"Lanie," her name came out as a breath as his fingers traced over her skin.

Scar after scar, each and every little one a small reminder of everything she'd been through. Every moment he wasn't by her side to remind her how amazing she was to him. He didn't see the ugliness that she did, all Sam saw was a strong, incredible woman who had been through hell and stood taller because of it. He saw her.

He used his free hand to place two fingers under her chin and bring her eyes up to meet his, "You're beautiful, Lane. Every piece of you. Inside and out. And I will show you that as many times as you need me too and more, if you'll let me," he spoke quietly, drawing her closer, pressing their bodies together.

Sam felt her tremble when he dipped his head and his lips pressed to the scar on her shoulder. Her entire body giving into the soft, slow praises in the form of kisses. A tiny moan slipped from her tired lips as Sam began to show her just how beautiful each scar was.

"I missed you," he said, so quietly it might have been missed over the sound of their breathing but it was out there and it was true. "More than anything."

"I missed you too, Sam," she breathed, as she tilted her head back and to the side as Sam's lips trailed up her neck to her earlobe.

His fingertips dug gently into her skin as he moved up and pressed his forehead to hers. He needed her. He needed her to understand just how much he missed her. Just how beautiful she was in his eyes. Sam swooped down, and lifted Lane into his arms, pulling a giggled from her perfect lips as she pulled back a little to look at him.

Sam shook his head once, and rounded the couch, heading straight down the hallway to his bedroom. There was no way his first time with her was going to be on a couch or the floor of the living room. Those pesky butterflies tickled his chest once more the closer they got and he let the feeling of them wash over him just like her warm citrus scent.

"Sam," Lane practically whined as she dipped her head and kissed a small scar he had on his collarbone.

Electricity shot down from his head to his toes as her lips touched his skin. He’d been waiting, dreaming of her back in his arms for so long and here she was, finally. His Lanie.

He held her tighter reaching a hand out to open his door as quickly as possible, once inside he kicked the door shut and walked them over to his bed. Lane kissed a line up his neck as she ran her fingers delicately through his scalp. A shiver ran up his spine as she reached his jaw and pulled back to meet his eyes. He propped his knee on the mattress before softly laying Lanie against it. He stared at her, looking just like the angel she was to him with her hair spread out along the mattress. Her throat bobbed under his gaze, and her breaths picked up, Sam smiled at her soft and full of all the love he’d been holding onto for her.

He pushed her legs open a bit with his leg before he settled into a hover atop her body, holding onto his weight he dipped his head and touched his nose to hers eliciting a gasp from her lips.

“Can I kiss you Lanie, please?” He whispered, his heart pounding in his chest.

“If you don’t I’m definitely gonna kiss you,” she said with a soft chuckle.

Sam didn't hesitate, dipping into her soft laughter and consuming it whole. He wanted everything. Her lips felt like heaven dancing against his as he cupped her face and tangled his fingers into her hair. He missed her so much that nothing else mattered, he barely remembered to breathe. Her mouth parted and he swiped his tongue against hers, deepening their connection as her hands roamed his chest and back.

Her fingers dragged over his shoulder blades, tickling his skin and drawing a throaty laugh from him as he broke away.

"I'm glad we haven't forgotten everything," he winked at her as he pulled away and started to work down her throat with his teeth and lips.

Her soft laugh turned into a breathy moan as he moved over her skin, paying attention to the little scars that littered it like a story of everything she'd overcome. "My strong," he dragged his lips across her collarbone, "incredible," a soft kiss to the scar on her shoulder, "beautiful, girl" he moved down to press his lips to the large scar on her side.

Her breath picked up pace as her fingers trailed, "Baby please," Lane whispered, as her eyes followed him down her body, "Come back to me,"

Sam obeyed, stretching his body back up and capturing her lips with his with more passion than he knew what to do with. Everything he'd ever dreamed of was laying beneath him and it was his new mission to make her understand how much she meant to him.

Sam pulled his lips from hers with a soft tug of her bottom lip, pulling a whine from her with the action. He kissed along her jaw and down her neck the soft mewls coming from her pushing him forward. He reached the curve of her breasts and breathed in her scent, smiling against her skin.

“Sam please,” Lane whispered.

He pressed wet kisses along her clothed breasts, flicking his tongue lightly along her pebbled nipples. He pulled back, smiling at her and moved a hand under her lifting her gently, pressing her chest flush against his.

“I’m taking this off now, yes?”

Lane nodded and took his lips in his in a feverish kiss.

Sam smiled against her skin as his fingers worked deftly at her bra, unhooking it with ease and tossing it aside. He palmed her breast and brought her exposed nipple between his lips, sucking gently until her hips arched into his touch. Her hands raked over his scalp as he massaged her chest.

"What do you want?" He asked her, not knowing where to start himself. His touch was fuzzy against her warm skin and all he wanted to do was kiss her until she begged him to stop.

"You... just you," Lane breathed, moving her hips up into his, "touch me, baby, please"

Sam groaned into her skin at her words, kissing his way down her body and stopping at the edge of her panties, "Can I take these off, beautiful?" he hummed.

It still felt surreal to him that she was here, allowing him to explore her body and take in each and every sound she made for him. He wanted to savour the moment, remember every movement but his own body betrayed him. It ached to touch her and drink her in, to keep her skin pressed against his and make her whine his name over and over.

With a nod of her head, Sam hooked his fingers into the sides and pulled them down her legs, pressing soft kisses along the way until he flung her panties across his room, landing them over a picture of him and Steve, making Lane giggle softly.

He sat back and admired her taking his time to commit every single inch of her body to memory. He wrapped his fingers delicately around her ankle lifting her leg up and pressing his lips to her calf with a teasing smile as she writhed under his touch.

“Really, all this time and you wanna tease me now?”

Sam breathed a laugh against her skin, pressing more kisses along her leg, inching closer to her center painfully slow even for himself.

“I’m savoring you,” he hummed. “Two very different things, your cute little scowl is just a bonus.”

"This cute little scowl is impatient," Lane cooed at him but her words were swallowed by a sharp gasp.

Sam's tongue flickered out over Lane, already so wet and sweet. He couldn't stop himself as his hand roamed over her hip and pressed against her stomach. He peered up at her, drinking in how euphoric she had become under his touch. He worked in slow circles that drew the sweetest sounds from her lips as he quickened in pace, chasing the sounds of her pleasure.

Lane’s hands ground him in place, soft but firm as her hips moved in sync with his tongue. Her moans filling the room as she whispered his name over and over like a prayer as she chased her high. Sam felt her tense up beneath him before he fingers reached for his cheek, calling his attention to her.

“Sam please, I need to feel you,” She panted and he smiled pressing a kiss to her thigh, “Come here handsome.”

Despite wanting to please her, Sam took his time, kissing his way back up her body, paying specific attention to each scar that littered her torso. A soft whine escaped her lips and her soft hands found his cheeks as she gently tried to pull him back to her.

"So impatient," Sam whispered, ghosting his lips up her throat and capturing her with his before she could say anything, tangling their tongues together and letting her taste her sweetness.

He settled himself between her legs and teased her entrance with the head of his cock, ignoring his own throbbing to take in more of her beautiful pleading sounds. He hoped to any god listening that they would have many more moments like this, just the two of them enjoying each other, but he also knew that life could be reckless and unpredictable, their scars telling that exact story to one another. It just made this moment with his girl all that more important to him.

Lane's hand travelled down and cupped his ass, urging him forward, "Sammy," she breathed against his lips.

Nothing else mattered in that moment as he slipped into her entrance with a soft, silky thrust that melted their bodies together. She was so tight that it took him an moment to adjust, gently rocking his hips back and forth until she was a puddle of breathless moans and tiny huffs. His lips found hers again, needy and hungry for more. He wanted to be closer than ever before and he accomplished that mission with each thrust forward.

"You're so beautiful," he hummed when he parted, cupping her face with his hand and admiring the soft freckles that danced across the bridge of her nose. Her lips partially open and her eyes searching his as they rocked together at a delicious pace chasing their high in unison.

His fingers danced along her skin trailing from her cheek down her side. Her scarred skin was soft and smooth under his touch while he mapped a constellation of scars on her side. Lane wriggled beneath him, her moans bringing a smile to his face. There were so many times that he felt an incredible pang in his chest with every moment he ached for her and now having her so close feeling the way her body molds to his, Sam wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to let her go after this.

“Lanie,” he breathed, dipping his head and pressing soft chaste kisses along her collar bone to the spot on her neck that always makes her squirm. His hands traveled down her sides to the outside of her thighs, pulled her even closer and hiked her hips off of the bed in a new angle, one that dragged a delicious moan from her lips.

Lane's head lifted as she pressed a kiss to the scar on his collarbone, gasping into his skin as he thrust forward and hit her sensitive spot. A shiver of pleasure shot down his spine as she gripped his length tighter and fluttered around him, her orgasm growing within her. They're soft sounds echoed through his room as his pace became quick and needy, chasing their highs together.

"Sammy," she whined, moving her hips in tandem with his, craving the same closeness that he was as her head fell back into his pillow and pressed backwards.

The pressure grew deep within his stomach but Sam needed her to reach her climax first. He needed to give that to her, to feel her pleasure erupt around him.

Her nails dug into his skin as her breathing became ragged and her body tensed in his arms. He felt the cord snap within her as his name danced off her lips in a series of breathless moans that made him heavy dizzy with pride.

"That's my girl, keeping going," he praised both verbally and physically as he picked up the pace, his rhythm growing sloppy as he chased her orgasm in search of his own. Her lips on his skin was enough to drive him crazy as her cunt fluttered around him, dragging him inch for inch closer to the edge.

She felt like heaven around him, gripping his length and still fluttering. Warmth spread through his veins and pleasure curled around his lower back the further he pushed himself. Lane’s moans turned into soft whimpers as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, whispering soft praises as his hips snapped against hers, out of rhythm until it was too much. He felt her nails dig into his back, her legs hooked around his waist as he came.

His hips slowed, rocking lazily as he trailed kisses along the inside of her neck.

Her fingers trailed up his spine and scraped into his scalp as she did her best to catch her breath. The overwhelming sense of comfort drifted over Sam as he kept his lips pressing into her skin, relishing in the moment of their bodies together. The sound of a hitch in her breath made him sit up slightly, catching her soft brown eyes with his own as he furrowed his brow.

"Lanie, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He asked, his hand coming up to cup her cheek gently.

She shook her head with a ghost of a smile and placed her hand over his, "I just - I missed you so much, Sam"

With a small breath of relief, Sam returned the smile, leaning his forehead down against hers and brushing their noses together, "I missed you too, Lanie. More than you know"

#sam wilson #sam wilson au #captain america #captain america au #sam wilson oneshot #sam wilson one shot #sam wilson imagine #sam wilson smut #sam wilson x oc #marvel imagine #marvel oneshot #marvel one shot #marvel au #marvelous #fluff #hurt/comfort #friends to lovers #one shot

16 notes · View notes

whydoyouwantmyname · 2 years ago

Text

Imagine Life After the third snap (Part 13)

Masterlist

-When you awoke, you were in your room at the cabin, the blanket was pulled over you, and a heavy weight laid next to you. As you slowly opened your eyes, you expected to see Sam, however instead you were met with the familiar sight of Pookie, and a mess of wild brown waves, her soft snores filling the room as you forced a smile, and placed a hand on her hair. Her small frame stirring at the touch as she whispered your name, “Yeah Morgan?”

“Is this a dream?”

“I’m afraid not, but you know what? We are gonna get through this because we have each other, and mommy, and Peter, and all of our superhero family.”

-She curled more into you, and soon she had fallen back to sleep, of course a few tears were shed, but as you watched her drift back into dream land you couldn’t help but smile, as you thanked Tony for giving you the support system you needed to mourn him.

-Once she was asleep you pulled yourself from bed, and stumbled downstairs to see Pepper sitting in the lab, a cold cup of tea on the table as she stared at the wall. Your shoulder leaned against the doorway as you whispered, “Can’t sleep?”

“As soon as I told her, the first thing she did was run to you, because she wanted to make sure her older sister was okay.” Pepper whispered, “My daughter just found out her hero isn’t coming home, and yet she…”

“Acted just like you would.” You smiled, “Tony told me how you always made sure he was okay before yourself.”

“What can I say… the man was a train wreck.”

“Yeah, but he was our train wreck.” You chuckled, “Oh my gosh, do you remember the time we were both sick, gosh I think Morgan was two, and we were so scared to give it to her we ended up isolating ourselves in my room, and Tony had to take care of her all by himself.”

“Meanwhile we watched all of Sex in the City in a week, and ate our weight in chicken soup just so that we would get better before he accidentally lost her.” Pepper chuckled

“Wasn’t that the time he also did accidentally lose her in the house?”

“No, that was when she was just learning to run, and while his back was turned she raced out into the yard.”

“Just as you and Happy were pulling into the driveway.” You smiled, “Gosh, where was I?”

“In the Mirror Dimension, making sure that Steve was okay.”

“Come to think of it, where is everyone?”

“Sam and Peter wanted to stay, however Steve and Rhodey thought it might be best that they all go stay in the motel five miles away, said that we should have our time together to properly absorb all of this.”

“He would.” You chuckled, “How’s Happy?”

“He’s sitting on the back porch, said he wanted some alone time.” Pepper replied as you sat on the floor, looking at her, “Hey Pep, did you ever keep track of how many times Tony accidentally bought you Strawberries?”

“Before he was the man in the suit, 138 times. After, never.” She smiled

-That’s how you two spent the rest of the night, just reminiscing on a time where Tony Stark was there to brighten your lives.

-Before going to bed you stated, “Oh I almost forgot, Tony wanted you to see this.”

“What is it?” She asked as you produced his helmet, “It’s the helmet he was wearing with the suit when he was in space. He said he recorded two messages there, one was from five years ago… and the other… Well,the other he told me to play at his funeral.”

-You both went to bed finally at 5am, you were rummaging through your pajamas, looking for a comfy pair. However you stopped when your hand brushed over a grey tshirt, the fabric was soft, and stretched. Pulling it out you looked at it, and held it close to your chest.

“Damn it.” You shouted from the living room, Tony emerged from the lab as he looked at you holding an infant Morgan in your arms.

“What?”

“She just spit up on my only clean shirt.” You groaned as he started to chuckle, and lifted his shirt over his head, “of course she would do that on laundry day.”

“Here kid.” He replied, tossing the fabric at you, before coming around the couch to take the content child. It was then that you noticed he was shirtless before you, and realize what he did, “Tony, you don’t have to…”

“[Y/N], I have a hundred of them, I think I can spare letting you have one, besides when I die, you are going to be able to make millions off of that shirt.”

You just chuckled and shook your head, “Knowing you, you’ll figure out how to live forever without selling your soul to Dormammu.”

“Still don’t know who that is, but he sounds cool.” He joked as you took the shirt to the bathroom to change.

-You slipped the gray fabric over your head, and put on a pair of sleep shorts, before curling up in your bed, and staring at the ceiling as the morning sun started to peek through your window.

-That morning when Morgan woke up, you and Happy had made a huge breakfast, which none of you really ate, the four of you pushed the food around your plates.

-When you were done with the little food you ate, you excused yourself to the lab, and sat at the table, “Pull up the inter dimensional time travel blueprints.”

“Right away Miss Strange.” Your voice responded back to you, as the blueprints lit up in front of you, your eyes scanning over all the scribbles Tony had made as you smiled, “I still can’t believe we pulled it off.”

-While you were there Steve showed up with Sam and Bucky. Pepper smiled in her black dress as the three entered, her smile thin as she whispered, “Steve, Sam, Bucky, looks like you three are the first here.”

“Ma’am.” Bucky replied as Sam and Steve each hugged her

“She is in the lab if you guys want to talk to her, fair warning though, she is still in her pajamas.” Pepper smiled, before heading towards Morgan’s room to make sure she was ready, both Steve and Bucky looked at Sam, before finally Steve spoke, “If you want I can…”

“No, I got it.” Sam replied, before heading towards you, all the words he wanted to say over the past 9 years came flooding to his mind as he started to open the door. However when he did they all left his mind, as he looked at your watering eyes scan over the holograms, your natural beauty overtaking him as his breath hitched. His heart rate accelerated as your eyes shifted down at him, and a smile turned up on your lips, “Hi.”

“Hey.” He whispered as he shut the door, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle as you stated, “Ghost mode.” Causing everything to disappear, leaving just you and him in the empty space.

“You look nice.” You smiled, gesturing towards the suit, as he looked down, and chuckled, “Oh this old thing, I bought it ages ago when I was trying to impress a girl by taking her to hear some fancy doctor speak.”

“Did it work?” You asked

“Yeah… it did.” He smiled as he noticed you wipe your face, and exhaled, “Sorry, it’s just…”

“Hey, I get it.” He whispered, “Trust me, even with a tear stained face you are still gorgeous.”

“Well thank you Mister Wilson, however as much as I appreciate the flattery, I really must go get ready.” You stood up and started to pass him, his silence deafening as you brushed against his arm, and went to open the door. Peering out you saw no one was around and turned to his back, “However you are more than welcome to join me, if you like.”

-He didn’t, but that’s because he knew you needed a moment to yourself, which you took while looking at the only black dress you had at the cabin. With a pained smile though you looked and saw the tulle fabric of a maroon dress, and smiled. Taking it out of the closet you held it against your torso, and observed the reflection in the mirror, as you whispered, “You would have hated that everyone was in black anyway. I mean you always hated funerals.”

-When Pepper saw you she smiled, and whispered to Rhodey, “He would have loved that she wore that.”

“Why? Cause it is the same color as 75% of his suit?”

“No, because she is celebrating Tony the way he always wanted, like it is a party.”

-Bucky took one look at you and let out a long whistle, “Damn, the sheep would be so jealous right now.”

“Please, they would probably be in shock that their owner actually owns more than just the Wakanda garb.” You replied as he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close to his side, his lips meeting your temple as you joked, “Can we get sheep?”

“We? You act like…”

“I mean now that you all are back, I assume you will be living at the upstate compound with us, once we rebuild.”

“[Y/N].... I don’t….” He started, but Clint cut in, “Now killer, you can’t be hogging my favorite wizard all to yourself.”

-When your father arrived he walked over swiftly to hug you, as you did however you whispered, “You knew didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Why wouldn’t you have told me, I would have said….”

“He wouldn’t have let you say goodbye, he would have told you he wasn’t going anywhere. He would have made a promise and refused to have broken it because it was a promise to you. Despite everyone in his life, Tony Stark has six true weaknesses, Peter, Happy, Rhodey, Morgan, Pepper, and you, and if he made a promise to stay alive to anyone of those people, it wouldn’t have worked.”

“I know.” You exhaled, “But it still hurts.”

-You walked away after saying that.

-Pepper asked you to sit on the couch with her, at first you started to say no, but she cut you off, “You were as much family to Tony as I was, you deserve to sit there with me.”

-When the funeral started, Morgan wanted to sit on your lap, which you allowed, your arm looping around her waist as the hologram began to project in the living room.

-Sam was standing a bit back from where you sat, Happy and Rhodey standing right behind you, along with Wanda, whose hand was resting on your shoulder as the hologram moved about the living room.

-“I love you 3000.” Tony’s hologram smiled as he stopped in front of Morgan, the glimmer of his eye shining as you looked into the eyes of your best friend, the tears trailing down your face as his image faded. Your free hand went to Pepper’s thigh as she looked towards Morgan, who was still confused about the whole ordeal.

-At the funeral, you stood back from Pepper and Morgan, who was clinging to you when you all walked to the lake. However when you stopped and let go of her hand, you whispered, “Go with momma, I’ll be right here.”

-Sam walked up behind you and placed his hand in yours, as you leaned your head on his shoulder. Bucky took the spot to your left, and placed a hand on your shoulder as well. You stood there for what felt like hours, watching the five minutes scene before you in slow motion. As you watched, Sam gave your hand a slight squeeze, and leaned his head down to kiss your temple. As he did, you closed your eyes, and exhaled, before whispering, “I love you.”

“I know.” He said into your temple, before lifting his head, and watching Pepper place the Arc Reactor into the lake.

-When she was done you turned to your left and saw Peter for the first time that afternoon with May, your hand slipped from Sam’s as you sped walked towards the young lad and engulfed his frame, his hands clawing into your back as you pulled him as tight as you could. The tears slipping from both of your eyes, as you both relished in the fact Peter was back, and mourned the man who brought you together.

-After about an hour of mingling with May, Bucky came up behind you, “Doll, I hate to pull you away, but Steve wants you to join us.”

“Course. I’m so sorry May, but I will be right back.”

-She was very understanding, mostly because she saw the look in Bucky’s eyes. She had seen it staring back at her when she lost Ben, heartbreak.

-When you saw Steve he was standing in the woods alone, his body was leaning against a tree near the platform that Bruce was tinkering with. “So it’s all set, you guys are putting everything back in the right timelines.”

“Yeah, everything is going back to the years they belong in.” He forced a smile towards the ground, but you knew Steve well enough to know when he is faking a smile, “Steven Grant Rogers, why are you looking at me like you are never coming back?”

“Nothing gets past her, I told you that.” Bucky smiled as his eyes met yours, and you saw it all in those crystal blue eyes.

“I just lost Tony, don’t ask me to lose you too.” You stated, your voice cracking as Bucky stepped forward and clapped his shoulder, “I’ll give you two a minute.”

-You stood in silence waiting for him to say anything, but nothing came out. After what felt like hours he finally whispered, “This isn’t my time [Y/N].”

“I know, but we are your family, Bucky, Sam, Me, and You. This is our…”

“And she is the love of my life, and now I have a chance to go back to her and live the life I always wanted.”

“I know.” You snapped, tears welling in your eyes as you spoke, “And I know this is what you have always wanted, but do you blame me for wanting to act just a little selfish?”

“No.” He answered, before pulling you to his chest, and wrapped his arms around you hard, “I honestly expected a grander act from you.”

“I don’t have it in me today, because I am overwhelmed by the fact that one of my best friends finally is getting the chance to be happy.”

“Thank you.” He whispered before kissing your hair, “Sam doesn’t know yet, I would like to keep it…”

“I won’t tell him.” You whispered as fresh tears slipped into his suit

“Just promise me one thing, you will take care of those two. Don’t let them kill each other.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of them until the end of the line.” You answered, before hearing Bruce exclaim, “I got it!”

-While you all stood at the base, waiting for Steve to change, you took Sam’s hand and leaned against his arm. His head turning towards you as he whispered, “So what are you doing after this?”

“Probably eating cheeseburgers with Morgan, looking at photos with Pep, and making a dinner that will go untouched with Happy. How about you?”

“I’m just gonna try to cheer up my best girl.” He replied as you smiled, “You sound like Bucky.”

“He called you his best girl?” His eyebrow raised as he shot Bucky a death glare over your head at the super soldier, who threw his hands up in surrender.

“In his defense Shuri and I were his only girls, cause that would have been weird to call the sheep.” You replied, as you squeezed his hand, “Don’t worry, I was too hung up on my ex boyfriend to ever even think about falling in love with the White Wolf.”

“Sounds like he was quite a catch.”

“Who, my ex? Nah he was kinda an ass, obsessed with some stupid metal falcon.”

“That you built me.” He rebuttaled, his tone almost offended as Bucky groaned before walking several feet away, “God do you two always bicker like an old married couple.”

“What can we say, it just comes naturally.” You replied as Steve emerged, his piercing blue eyes meeting yours as your heart slightly broke at the sight. He first made his way over to Sam and you, “You’re a good man Sam, but please, don’t blow it this time.”

“Trust me, I don’t plan on it.” Sam grinned as you let go of his hand and walked over to Bucky, while Bruce explained the importance of returning the stones to the exact time they were taken.

“Deci asta este?” (So this is it?) You started.

“asta vrea Steve, este doar supărător că ne lasă pe toți în urmă.” (this is what Steve wants, it is just upsetting that he is leaving us all behind.)

“Am încercat să-l conving să renunțe la asta” (i tried talking him out of it)

“merită totuși asta și, în plus, cel puțin a lăsat Scutul în mâini capabile” (he deserves this though, and besides, at least he left the Shield in capable hands)

“You know Sam hates when you do that.” Steve interrupted as you both smiled at him

“We know, that’s partly why we do it.” Bucky answered as you replied, “da.” (yes)

Steve rolled his eyes at the both of you, “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Bucky replied as he embraced Bucky first, and then came to you, “Till the end of the line?”

“Always.” You smiled weakly before he engulfed you in a hug, a tear slipped from your eyes, as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

-“How long?” Sam asked, as Bruce answered, “For him, as long as he needs, for us, five seconds.”

Your arm was linked with Bucky’s as you whispered, “Well it looks like you are stuck with me now.”

“No one else I would rather be stuck with.” He smiled as you added, “You do realize Sam and I are a package deal right? To be stuck with one, means you're stuck with the other.”

“Don’t remind me.” Bucky grumbled as the quantum platform zapped Steve away, and five seconds later, he didn’t return, causing Sam and Bruce to panic, as you and Bucky turned towards the lake, and saw a frail man sitting on the bench Tony had built for you to read on, “Sam.”

As Sam turned towards Bucky’s voice he noticed what you both were looking at, as he approached you whispered, “He wanted to talk to you first.”

“You knew?” He whispered as you looked at him, and smiled, “Dumbass, I know everything.”

-“I wanna talk to her.” Steve whispered to Sam, who was still standing in shock with the shield, “I know she is probably furious with me, but I need to talk to her.”

“I don’t think she could ever be mad at you, especially seeing how we once blew up the kitchen when trying to make her brownies.” Sam smiled as Steve chuckled.

“That’s true.”

-When Sam looked at you, you looked at Bucky, “Think it’s for me, or for you?”

“Definitely you.”

-When you got to Steve and sat beside him, Sam looked at you both, “Now don’t go trying to steal my girl.”

“Your girl, last I knew I was a single woman.” You snapped as you looked towards Steve, “He’s just jealous because he knows I have a thing for older men.”

-When Sam walked away, Steve placed a hand on yours, “I know you are probably…”

“No Steve, you were right, this was never your time, I mean I always knew if the opportunity arrived you would go back to her. I just didn’t think….” You let out a sigh after your voice cracked, “I just didn’t think I would be losing you three all in the same week.”

“I know, but you have so many good people to take our places, like Wanda, and Bucky, and we both know Sam is head over heels for you.”

“Well he better be ready to put in the work, cause getting in my pants is going to be a thousand times harder now.”

“I wanna show you something.” He smiled, pulling his wallet from his pocket, and handing you an aging photo. His hands were holding the body of a small girl, her smile bright as you look at her giggling face, “She’s gorgeous.”

“That’s my oldest, you would have loved her, she had the brightest blue eyes, and blonde curls. Her laugh was intoxicating, and you wouldn’t believe how much of her mother’s sass she had, made me glad that I picked the perfect name for her.”

“What was…”

“Natasha [Y/N] Rogers.” He smiled, “Named after two women who mean the world to me.”

-Your eyes were watering at that point, as he leaned over and bumped your arm with his, “I want you to keep that.”

“Steve…”

“You don’t need to say a word kid, I just need you to know, you will always be my favorite. If anyone can take care of those two while I am gone, it’s you.”

“Steve….” you choked out, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He whispered, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close as you hugged him back and whispered, “Until the end of the line.”

-About two weeks later Sharon called you, “Hey, I know you know about Great Uncle Steve.”

“Yeah.”

“I was just calling cause Fury had you listed as family in his file.”

“He passed away, didn’t he?” You answered.

“I’m so sorry Miss Strange.”

“Thank you so much for the call.” You replied, before hanging up, and turning over in the bed, curling into Sam’s bare chest as he wrapped you in a hug.

-When you and the boys returned to the house Morgan went running over to you, her arms extended as you lifted her up into your arms and smiled at her, “Morgan, have I ever introduced you to my friends?”

“No.” She smiled as she looked at Sam, your voice soft as you stated, “Well this is Bucky, and this is Sam.”

“Is he the Sam?” She asked in a voice she thought was quiet, and as you smiled you couldn’t help but notice Sam smile as well, “Yeah baby, he is Falcon. And he is the Sheep Farmer.”

“Think he will let me play with his gun?” She asked as Bucky blushed and replied, “Maybe when you’re older.”

-You saw Wanda sitting in the grass by the lake, her eyes casted out over the water, looking to Sam you slowly approached her, and plopped down next to her. Her head immediately leaning to the left to rest on your shoulder as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For your loss, I know how much Stark meant to you.”

“Wanda, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me, I mean Vision was…”

“Did you bury him?” She whispered as you took her hand

“No, I never got the chance, after the snap, SWORD came and took his body from me, and took him to their headquarters.”

“Where?”

-You gave her the address of the office, along with Hayward’s name, as soon as you were finished relaying the information she exhaled slowly, “It is quite beautiful here.”

-You never noticed Wanda leave

-You did however notice the absence of your father, and upon scanning the crowd for him you withdrew your phone and went back to the bench by the lake. He answered on the first ring, “Hello?”

“So you just left without saying goodbye?”

“I figured…. I mean…”

“Dad, am I pissed about this? Not really, listen you and I went to the same sanctuary, studied the same mystic practices and had the same instructors. I already know that we were taught to not alter time, or the destined paths. I also know that you are no idiot, and that you know that I will do anything to say Tony, and vice versa. If you had told me, I would have done it, I would have taken the glove, and the stones without a second thought. I would have made him promise me to survive for Morgan, I would have stopped him, just like he would do if I was the one destined to take up the task. I understand why… but it doesn’t change the fact that right now, I am grieving someone who made me feel safe, who never judged me, who went above and beyond to protect me. Someone who welcomed me into his home multiple times, and who never judged me for leaving a lifestyle very similar to his own. He protected me, he loved me, and ultimately he was the greatest friend I ever had.”

“Even better than Wilson?”

“Wilson doesn’t count in this category, because Wilson will always be my Christina.”

“Guess neither one of us has much luck in that department huh?”

“No we do not. Now, when I get back, I assume I will be inviting you to dinner, how does breakfast food sound?”

-When you returned to the group You found your way back to Bucky, his arm immediately going over your shoulder as he whispered, “You know he is still crazy about you?”

“I know, however, he isn't going to get back with me that easily.” You joked as Bucky smiled, “Liar.”

-That night you all ended up sitting at the lake with a bonfire, a sleeping Morgan had somehow found her way onto Sam’s lap, as you sat across from them at the fire with Peter and Pepper.

“She really seems to like Sam.” Pepper piped up as she glanced over to see Sam moving a piece of hair out of Morgan’s face.

“I know, honestly I am really glad she does, I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t.”

“You know, Tony always was hopeful that you two would get back together.” Pepper whispered, “He almost kicked Sam out of the tower when he found out what happened.”

“He should have.” You replied as Peter leaned his head onto your shoulder, a gesture not missed by Bucky, who was looking at Sam, “So think she will be staying?”

“I don’t know, I mean for the past five years she has been living with them, and even before that, she was living with Strange.” Sam sighed, “Besides I doubt she wants to come live with…”

“She still loves you, trust me.” Bucky sighed as Sam raised an eyebrow, “When she came to Wakanda what do you think we would talk about?”

“I don’t know, the sheep?” Sam joked as Bucky rolled his eyes.

“You should ask her if she will come, I doubt she would say no, I mean you all lived together before.”

“And then we broke up, I became an Avenger and she became a wizard.”

“I want to share with you something she shared with me.” Bucky spoke in a stern whisper, “We are more than what we are labeled.”

-When Pepper took Morgan to bed, you ended up meeting Sam’s eyes, and tilted your head towards the lake house, to which he chuckled, and rose, “Guard my seat.”

“Never.” Bucky replied as you rose and looked at Peter, “You can sleep in my room Kid.”

-While you walked to the lake, your hand causally slipped into his, when he looked at you you went to pull it away, “Sorry force of…”

“I don’t mind.” Sam whispered, gripping it to keep you from pulling away, “Honestly if you didn’t do it, I probably would have.”

-Once you were under the roof, you turned towards Sam, and leaned against the post, “Hey.”

“You brought me all the way down here just to say hey?” He asked as you smiled

“Yup.”

“Hey then.” Sam smiled as he stepped closer

“What are we doing?” You asked, his hands somehow ending up on your waist as you looked into his brown eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Sam, I lost you for five years, I am not doing that again.”

“If I remember correctly I tried to make up for the past two years before that, and you said and I quote ‘Samuel Thomas Wilson, you have had almost two fucking years to tell me whatever it is you are about to say, I think you can wait a little bit longer for us to beat this asshole to tell me whatever it is you want to say.’”

“You remembered?”

“It is all I heard every minute after the snap, I wanted so badly to tell you I loved you, that I was sorry, that if we lost, I needed you to know it was always you, whether it be as Bardot, or Strange. I still remember the first time I saw you after the roof, and remember the feeling of home you gave me, and how I was an idiot for going back up to my room after that. Or how when you broke us out of prison with Cap, how I should have asked you to come with Steve and I, and I didn’t cause I knew you would always pick Tony over me, and that’s fine, he’s your best friend.”

“And you’re the love of my life.” You whispered, “And I have never stopped loving you.”

“Steve told me I was an idiot for ignoring you.” Sam whispered, as you chuckled, “Funny he told me the same thing.”

-It all happened so quick, as soon as the words left your mouth he leaned forward and kissed you, sending a wave of heat through both of you as he did. When he finally pulled away you chuckled, causing him to raise his eyebrow, “Listen I would be lying if I didn’t say my ego is now hurt because of that, I know I am out of practice but it’s been…”

“No I was just thinking about how thrilled Tony would have been that someone was making out at his funeral.” You smiled

-That night Pepper invited the team to stay at the cabin, since it was already late. Sam had started out going to share a room with Bucky, but you looked at him, “I mean if you want to sleep with your new lover boy, feel free, but if you get bored with the White Wolf, there is room in my bed.”

-He immediately went into your room, and chuckled when he saw Peter fast asleep on the futon in your room.

-He woke up to Morgan crawling into your bed at 4am, her little hands and knees moving across him as she crawled over him to get to you. Her soft, little hand finding your arm as she shook you awake, your eyes slowly opening as she whispered, “I had a nightmare.”

“Well you’re in luck, cause you have not just me to protect you, but Falcon too.” You replied as she settled herself between you both, your arm draping over her small torso. As she did she looked at Sam and whispered, “Mr. Falcon, can you please tell me the story of how you met Uncle Cap?”

“What did [Y/N] tell you?”

“That he lapped you every morning because he was way faster than you,” He looked at you with a glare as you whispered, “I only told her the truth.”

-Sam was the last one to fall asleep, you and Morgan had passed out shortly into his story, but he was just captivated by the natural beauty of you and the small brunette child, and found himself lost in thoughts of what your own children would look like.

-When you awoke in the morning the bed was empty, both Morgan and Sam had disappeared. However you heard all the bustle downstairs, and after stretching your arms above your head, and letting out a mighty yawn you made your way down to the commotion. Scattered across the cabin were the members of your misfit family, missing a few of course, but your smile grew when you saw them all walking about in an attempt to organize breakfast.

-Sam walked over to you once he saw you, and leaned down, his lips meeting yours as he muttered a good morning. Bucky was the next to wander over and whispered, “Nope not hopelessly in love with him.”

“Shut it Bucky, before I kiss you to make him beat your ancient ass.” You joked as Bucky smiled.

-Peter was insistent on sitting next to you, and while you ate your fruit bowl he asked if you would be going back to the city, however it was Sam who leaned forward and answered, “I mean I was thinking about getting a quiet little apartment in Brooklyn, is that close enough to you though kid?”

“Plenty.” Peter smiled as you looked at him and chuckled, “You just assume I’m gonna move back in with you?”

“Well I mean I was gonna ask, but seeing how you are wearing my mother’s ring, I just assumed it went without asking.”

-You had completely forgotten that you were still wearing it, once you had put it on you hadn’t taken it off. Your blush growing as he whispered, “I mean if you want I can still ask if you….”

“No, I’ll pack my stuff.” You smiled as you popped a grape in your mouth.

-Morgan helped you pack up all your stuff, and when Sam was ready to leave you noticed the teary eyes of the youngest Stark. You couldn’t help but feel your own tears welling up as you knelt, Sam loading the suitcase into your trunk as you whispered, “Hey.”

“Don’t go.” She whispered, before launching forward and wrapping you in a hug, your heart breaking as you hugged her back.

“Listen baby, I have to, but I promise Sam and I are gonna get a nice, big apartment okay? And we are going to have a room specifically for you when you visit.”

“I can visit?”

“Of course you can, and so can Peter, and Mommy, and Happy. And you know I am a wizard right?”

“Yeah.”

“Meaning I can come visit here too, I’m just a phone call away.”

“Okay,” her voice was still soft as you whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you to the moon and back.”

-While you drove away, she was in Pepper’s arms, her head buried in her shoulder crying as you watched the house you loved grow fainter. Your hand in Sam’s as your eyes teared.

“I want a three bedroom.” You finally whispered.

“Of course Babe.”

“And I want Bucky to know he can stay over.”

“Is he gonna be a…”

“And Peter.”

“Anyone else?”

“Wanda.”

-You both ended up getting a four bedroom, that way you had a room to use as an office, and you started working from home.

-You took Bucky with you when you went to pick out furniture, and even let him pick out the mattress for the guest bedroom.

-Sarah and the boys came over to help you and Sam set up the apartment, along with congratulating her brother on getting the girl back. You couldn’t help but smile as he blushed, and whispered, “Yeah I was pretty stupid.”

“You were more than stupid.” Sarah joked as the boys ran past

“Hey be careful you two, if that breaks my father will never let me hear the end of it!” You called after AJ and Cass

“If they do it’s more than just your magical father they have to worry about.” Sarah replied as you smiled, “Goodness I have missed you.”

“Well I was only a phone call away, if someone wasn’t alway so busy, saving the world and shit, maybe we could have gotten together.”

-That night while you were saying goodbye to Sarah and the boys, she hugged you and whispered, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making my older brother the happiest he has ever been. It’s nice to see him genuinely smile again.”

-Once you were all moved in, Sarah and the boys would come up at least once a month, on a day where you and Sam weren’t working. The first time they came over, you opened a gage way for them, and once all through Sarah smiled, “I guess dating a wizard has its perks.”

-AJ and Cass were always asking you to show them your magic, and with a smile you would create the smallest orbs, and spin them in a halo, in your hands. Once and a while you would also try to create small fireworks, as the boys eyes lit up in wonder, “My friend Thor once told me of how his mother would do this for him and his brother.”

-The first few nights after the third encounter with Thanos were the hardest, all you would see in your dreams was the moment Tony took his last breath. You would wake up in a cold sweat, and gasping loudly as you jetted right up. Looking to your left you would see Sam gently breathing, assuming he was fast asleep

-He woke up when you accidentally hit him while tossing and turning, he would lay there silently, cause he didn’t want you to feel like a burden.

-You would sneak off into the kitchen, and would make yourself a cup of tea, thinking over all the little moments with Tony. However not even that could make you go back to sleep.

-Finally on the fourth night, as you went to get out of the bed after your nightmare, Sam grabbed your wrist, “Don’t go.”

“What?”

“Want to tell me what you have been dreaming about these past few days?”

“It’s nothing baby.”

“Really, cause it is enough to make you leave bed every night, and not come back.”

“How did you know…” You started, however he quickly replied, “You have a killer slap Strange.”

-That night you and him stayed up all night talking, some of it was about your dream, some about Tony, but finally Sam whispered, “You know when these happen, you can wake me up non violently and talk about it right?”

“You are always so busy though, and you deserve to sleep.”

“And you do to.” He brushed his fingers against your face and pushed back a small piece of hair.

“I love you.” You whispered

“I love you more.”

-You were unpacking your stuff from the Sanctuary when Hayward called you about Westveiw, to which you stated you would be there as soon as possible, you were unaware he wanted to make a murder mission out of it.

-when you opened the gateway you walked out behind Darcy’s chair, her eyes glued to the screen as you smiled, “You must be Darcy.”

“And you are Wanda’s best friend.”

“So want to tell me why you called me here? If it’s to find Thor I don’t…”

“How did you know that I knew Thor?” She asked as you knelt beside her, Wanda’s face lighting up the screen as you reached forward and allowed your fingertips to touch it, and then you saw him.

“She brought him back.” You whispered, as Darcy looked at you, “Excuse me, how did you know…”

“He talked about you and Jane several times.” You answered, “This is live right?”

“As far as I can tell, yes. That’s why we brought you in. You know Wanda as well as Pietro, if not…”

“I need to know how to get in there, if you want my help then get me into the show.”

“How can I…”

“You said an agent of SWORD got in there, if she can I can. Besides, if anything, she will be more responsive to me than a random agent.”

“Does Sam know…”

“Thor said you were more witty than question driven.” You replied, before opening a gateway, and walking to the border of Westview, Woo was beside you in seconds, “Ever seen anything like this before?”

“No.” You whispered, your head looking up, as you whispered, “Wanda Maximoff is a woman of many talents, and a very troubled past, the only thing she ever wanted was her family back after a missile manufactured by Stark Industries killed her parents. Ultron killed her brother, and she was forced to kill Vision. Stark tried to lock her away, and the world feared her, she wanted nothing more than to be accepted, to live a happy life with a family she adopted as her own. She’s not acting out of revenge, or to be a terror…” you paused, your eyes watering, “ She just wants her family back.”

-Sam decided that moment to call you, your hand wiping under your eye, “Hey babe.”

“Why do you sound like you are crying?”

“No, just looking over an old book.” You replied as you took a step back, your back to the hex as you casually strolled over towards the bunkers.

“I miss you.” Sam replied as you smiled, “It’s been less than an hour.”

“I know but…” You turned quickly however to see Wanda standing in the field, “I need to call you back.”

“Babe.” He started before you hung up and stepped towards her, Woo lifting his arm to stop you, but you pushed it aside, her eyes meeting yours, as you looked to her, “Wanda.”

“[Y/N], tell them to leave me alone.” Her hands glowed as you looked at her, “I have what I want and no one will ever take it from me again.”

“Wanda, let me in.” You answered as she tilted her head, “No.”

“Wanda…” you whispered, but you heard her in your head loud and clear, “We both have what we want, I can’t take him from you.”

-When she walked away, and the guns pointed towards Hayward, you stood your ground and watched her disappear into the Hex, your eyes watering as the Hex turned red behind her, before your knees gave way. Darcy raced towards you as you softly whispered, “I can’t help you.”

-With that you opened a gateway beneath you, and closed it, your knees hitting the couch that you and Sam bought as he turned away from the fridge, the OJ container in hand as he poured it into his mouth, swallowing quickly he replied, “You’re home… are you okay?”

You stood quickly and hurried over to him, his torso knocked back slightly with your embrace as you buried your head into his shoulder, “I love you.”

“I love you too, but babe it’s legit been less than three hours.”

“I know,” you whispered, “But I missed you, I mean we have been together every moment for the last ten days.”

-He never questioned you about why you were crying, or where you had gone.

-Hayward called you again, “Why did you leave? You were given an assignment…”

“You have Vision still, his body is laying dismembered in your lab! Leave her alone Hayward, she isn’t hurting anyone.”

“She is controlling an entire town…”

“Yes, an entire town I own, she would never hurt anyone in that town. Now I am asking you nicely, leave Wanda and Vision be, and never call me again asking me to control someone who can take care of herself. Do I make myself clear?”

“We thank you for your services, I’ll never bother you or your family again.”

“I doubt that.” You replied, before hanging up the phone and letting out a deep sigh on the balcony of your apartment.

-When Sam started working again with the Air Force as Independent Contractor, you looked at him strangely, an eyebrow raised as he said, “I know, you probably think I am crazy, but look at it this way, now you and Bucky can have one on one time without your annoying lover interrupting your secret conversations.”

-When Redwing would get damaged on missions, he would always bring him to you and say, “I know I promised I said I would keep him out of harm's way, but they had pretty badass guns.”

“You are lucky I love you.” You would sigh before taking Redwing and opening a gateway to Happy’s New York apartment and used the mini lab he had for you there.

-Morgan was obsessed with Sam, sometimes after he put her to bed you would joke about it. He always swung an arm around you however and sighed, “What can I say baby, I am just that loveable.”

-Happy called you one evening while Bucky and Sam were over, both fighting over who got to use your color changing cup, as you rolled your eyes you answered, “Happy, thank god, someone has saved me from mediating this ridiculous fight.”

“Hey Sweetheart..”

“What did you do?”

“What makes you think I did something?”

“You only call me sweetheart when you do something you think I am not gonna like, like how you assumed that Chocolate is a good substitute for a strawberry shake.”

“I’m moving out of the cabin.” He exhaled, “I got an apartment in Hawaii.”

“You hate the beach?” You answered

“I know…. But I can’t keep looking at the places he used to be. At least not right now.”

“I understand. Honestly Hap, I feel the same way. I still find myself picking up my phone, just to call him.”

-That night you both discussed how you were coping without Tony. At the end of the call you walked out to look at the two full grown men who were still fighting over a cup, “Sam, we are going to Hawaii in a month.”

-That stopped the fight immediately

-Your father came over for dinner every night, at first Sam was kinda nervous, mostly because the first interaction they had had was when Sam questioned him for not telling you sooner that Tony was going to die.

-Your father eyeballed Sam as soon as he walked in, “So you are the man my daughter is settling for?”

“Oh don’t start Father, I already know you like him. Besides, I could have ended up with Thor.”

“That is very true.” He replied, as you opened the fridge and opened a small gateway above him, and dropped the bottle. Strange caught it.

“I will never be used to that.” Sam sighed as you chuckled, “You might like it though once you realize we never have to get on a plane again.”

-Wong came over a few times, and it always seemed to be on the days you would go to the cabin for the day, meaning he would get there when it was just Sam at home. He normally would just stare at Sam, his face serious as he occasionally engaged in Sam’s attempts at small talk. However as soon as you walked in, Wong would become a cheery version of himself, leaving Sam baffled.

“It’s just because I am his favorite Strange.” You smiled as he questioned you about it in bed one day, both of you sitting under the covers, against the headboard. Your nose buried in a book as Sam watched the basketball game.

“Well can his favorite Strange tell him that we are a package deal?”

“Nope. That’s you and Bucky now.” You smiled as he let out a groan.

-One night when your father and Wong came to dinner, Peter had the joy of being there. You and him both were moving about the kitchen cooking frozen pizzas, pizza rolls, pizza bagels, and a salad, while the other three men sat in the living room, in complete silence.

“So…..” Sam started, “Seen any good movies?”

“Ah yes, I have been trying to broaden Wong’s pop culture references since for the past five years all of our efforts were casted aside, and he started fighting in monster cage battles instead. So last night we actually watched I love Lucy.”

“Oh really, that’s actually one of Wanda’s favorites, she used to have me watch it with her after…”

“You broke my daughter’s heart?” Strange interrupted, as you called from the kitchen, “Heard that! Apologize!”

With a sigh Strange looked to Sam, and sarcastically stated, “I’m sorry.”

-At dinner Sam was chuckling at the variety of pizza options, and was brought back to the earlier conversation with Peter while shopping.

“Wow, she must be really worried about seeing her dad if she sent you to come pick me up.” Peter stated as Sam pushed the cart and put in a few groceries that you needed, like juice boxes, popcorn, chips, carrots, spinach, toilet paper, and whatever Peter wanted for dinner.

“I don’t think she is worried to see him, I think it’s more she is worried about how her father is going to treat me, since he doesn’t seem too fond of me.”

“I don’t think he is supposed to be, I mean you are dating his daughter, and he is used to her always being around.”

“I just wish he would like me man, just for her sake.”

“He does, I mean she always said her father had a strange way of showing his fondness.” Peter joked as he picked up Morgan’s favorite cereal, “For this weekend, since Pepper is dropping her off.”

“You know, sometimes I forget you are just a 16 year old kid.” Sam replied as Peter smiled, “What can I say, the superhero life matured me.”

-While you were all eating Sam looked at Strange, “By the way sir, I have been meaning to ask, what is it like being part of the big three?”

“The what?”

“The big three, you know Aliens, Androids and Wizards?”

“I’m not any of those?” Strange answered, while Wong shook his head in agreement, as you looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and stated, “Babe, why do you think we’re wizards?”

“Because you do magic.”

“Yes, we practice the mystic arts, we don’t play with sticks.” Wong stated as he leaned back in his chair, Pizza rolls forgotten as Sam looked at him, “But you are wizards.”

“Wizards wear hats and silly robes, we wear neither.” You replied as Sam looked at you all and muttered, “Your dad is wearing one right now.”

“This is not a robe, this is a cloak, they are quite different. Now apologize to the Cloak of Levitation, you have insulted him.” Your father barked as Sam muttered an apology and dropped the whole topic.

-Peter just sat there the whole time, wanting to expand on the alien part of the conversation

-“Are you sure you want to marry him?” Your father asked you while he was hugging you goodbye, “I mean he believes we are wizards.”

“Yes dad, I want to marry him. Even if he thinks we’re wizards.” You sighed with a smile

-Bucky was over almost everyday, and normally would end up crashing in the spare room. However if someone else was over, he slept on the couch.

-You took Bucky to every therapy session, however he was outraged when they told him you couldn’t be his therapist due to your personal connection, which you later explained to him what that meant.

-When Bucky would have a nightmare while he was at your house (Which was basically every time), you would just sense that something was wrong, and roll out of the bed to check on him. He jokingly called it your al șaselea simț or your sixth sense. You called it being a light sleeper.

-Sam never gets used to waking up alone on the few nights you fall asleep with Bucky after he has a nightmare.

-Bucky will never tell you that when you sleep with him, he feels safe, and doesn’t have nightmares the rest of the night…. But that’s just because he trusts you.

-You were trying to help him make amends with everyone on his list, but one day he looked at you and said, “I appreciate the help, but I think this is something I have to do alone.”

-You were also the person who he trusted to cut his hair, after you finished you took a step back and admired your work as he looked at himself in the mirror, “You like it?”

“I love it.” He whispered as you ruffled his hair in your fingers, “Not gonna lie, I’m going to miss braiding it while you are asleep.”

-You were the only one allowed to call him Buck

- Occasionally Sam would try, however he was always met with both you and him staring at him. Bucky would then look at him and say, “Don’t call me that.”

“But my fiancé…”

“Her and Steve are the only ones allowed.” He replied as you turned back to the lasagna noodles on the stove, Sam staring at Bucky baffled.

-No one touched Morgan’s room, except for her.

-Pepper and you would take turns dropping off and picking up Morgan on the weekends, and you would take her to all the different museums, or to Central Park.

-On the days you and her would go to Queens, Peter would normally meet up with you for lunch, and hang out with you.

-Bucky was also nervous around Morgan, but that was because he knew Tony wouldn’t be a fan.

“Tony nu este aici [Tony’s not here].” You whispered one day that you knew he was thinking it. Morgan had asked him to join the tea party, and raced with Sam to her room to collect the Princess accessories, leaving Bucky to nervously try to excuse himself, “Ce? [What?]”

“Tony nu este aici pentru a-ți spune că trebuie să pleci. Ești prietenul meu și știu ce fel de persoană ești și nu trebuie să pleci doar pentru că Tony Stark te-ar putea vedea doar ca soldatul de iarnă. Acum du-te să îmbraci tiara și du-te să bei puțină apă murdară dintr-o ceașcă de plastic. [Tony is not here to tell you that you need to leave. You are my friend and I know what kind of person you are, and you do not need to leave just because Tony Stark only could see you as the Winter Soldier. Now go put on the tiara, and go drink some dirt water out of a plastic cup.]” You instructed, as you pointed towards Morgan’s room, “Voi fi acolo într-o secundă cu oreos. [I’ll be there in a second with the Oreos.]”

-Sam hated it when you two would start speaking Romanian to each other, it didn’t help though that sometimes you guys would randomly throw his name into the conversations as a joke to make him think you were talking about him.

-Sam once asked Strange if he could teach him the art of the Gateway, he laughed.

-You would try to drive up to the cabin as often as possible, not only to see Morgan, but also to provide Pepper with some sanity.

-A lot of the time you and her would sit on the deck and overlook the lake, as the breeze lightly raced along your face. The crickets softly sang around you as you both sipped tea. However it was on one of these particular nights that she looked at you and whispered, “You know you really don’t have to do this?”

“Do what?”

“Come as often as you do, I think I can watch…”

“This isn’t about me thinking you are a bad mother, this is to make sure that the woman my best friend was in love with is okay. As much as you might not believe me, Tony talked about you constantly, and I know how much you adored him. I told him I would always look out for Morgan… but we both knew I was also always going to look out for you too, just like he looked out for Sam.”

“Is that what he meant when he would tell me he was running the RedWing Program?”

“Yeah, just like how I am currently on Mission Potts.”

-When you would stay at the cabin you always slept in your old room, which looked exactly the same as always.

-Morgan would always want to go home with you when you would pack up to leave, sometimes you would take her, other times you would tell her that Bucky was in need of silence, and that Sam would come pick her up the following weekend.

-One night when Bucky was sitting on your couch watching the news you proposed, “Break your lease on that broom closet you are renting 5 blocks over.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re moving into the guest room.”

“What!” Sam screamed from the bathroom as Bucky chuckled, “Doll I…”

“Tell me Bucky, in the past 4 months how many times have you stayed there?”

“4.” Bucky answered before sighing, “I’ll talk to the landlord in the morning.”

-Whenever Peter spent the night you guys would always end up watching at least three movies in a row. Sam would pop the popcorn, while Peter poured soda, and you filled Miscellaneous bowls with candy, chips, and cookies. Meanwhile Bucky was moving all the furniture around in the living room to make room for the giant blow up mattress you and Peter would lay on to watch the movies, leaving Sam and Bucky to share the couch.

-The first movie night you ever had Bucky looked at Sam, “How does it feel knowing you have to share your fiancé with a 16 year old?”

“The same way it feels having to share her with a 101 year old fossil.” He replied as Bucky sighed, “106.”

-Some nights you and Peter would fall asleep while watching the movies, leaving the other two to carry you to bed. Bucky would groan as he carried the weightless teenager, “Why do I always have to carry insect boy?”

“First off spiders are arachnids, not insects. And secondly, because I don’t need you carrying my fiancé to bed.”

“God, maybe you two really are meant to be.” He would sigh before Sam and him exchanged quick good nights.

-The night before Peter went on the Europe field trip he went over to your apartment for a farewell movie night. Upon arriving he found that it was just you in the apartment, with all of the Alien movies, and a large variety of chips, and pizzas.

“Where is everyone else?” He asked as you let out a small chuckle, “Sam and Bucky went to the bar, he said something along the lines of he was giving the kid and I the space we needed to say goodbye. Also he said something about not wanting to see me cry.”

“He does realize I am coming back, right?” Peter asked as you smiled

-While you both watched the first movie, Peter looked at you, and smiled, “So I think I want to ask MJ out.”

“Really?” You asked, just proud that he was finally ready to make the first move

-After that all the movies were forgotten and you spent the rest of the time planning how Peter was going to woo MJ.

-When Sam and Bucky returned, the apartment was dark, and silent. This was not the state either was expecting, which caused them both to go on high alert. While sweeping the apartment however, Bucky found you, your body under the covers. He lowered the small pistol he carried and signaled for Sam to come towards your room. As he left the doorway of the empty guest room, and joined Bucky he whispered, “They must have ended movie night early.”

“Well, the kid isn’t in the guest room, so it’s all yours.” Sam smiled as he pushed past Bucky and shut the door in his face. Shrugging off his clothes he climbed into bed with you, as you slightly groaned, “Hey.”

“Hey sleeping beauty.” Sam smiled as you flung your arm over his torso, your head lazily finding his chest as you hummed, “How was the bar?”

“I swear, he hates me.”

“He does not, he is just…” you started before sighing, “He is just Bucky.”

“Well when you aren’t around, he is just silently glaring at me as though I am a plague.”

“Well you must remember, you did break his best friend’s heart.”

“And now I am fixing it, so he can stop being a judgmental asshole.”

“Language.” You yawned

-The next morning Sam was greeted by the smell of coffee brewing and pancakes cooking, while the bacon was baking in the oven. A smile on his face as he saw you twitch your hand, causing an egg to break into a bowl, while a whisk stirred it up, “I will never get over that.” He stated as you turned your head and smiled, “And I will never get over the fact that people really think the government faked Steve’s death and we flew him to a secret moon base.”

-One night, you and Sam were curled up together on the couch, Bucky had already called to say he wasn’t coming over, Peter and Morgan had homework, and your father was busy with Wong, leaving it to be just the two of you for the first time in a very long time. His hand was lazily draped over your shoulder, as the soft glow of Nova illuminated your face, your eyes barely open, as he traced his finger slowly up your arm to your shoulder, “I forgot what this was like?”

“Quiet?”

“No, living a normal life, life before Steve Rogers came into our lives and mixed it all up with the superhero life.”

“Then we should cherish to….” you started but your words were cut short by a knock on the door, both of you looking towards it confused, “We didn’t order the pizza yet, did we?”

“No.” Sam answered as you stood up and advanced towards the door, a orb of blue sitting in your hand delicately as you looked through the peephole, yet it vanished as soon as it appeared, the door opening quickly as you tackled the person behind it, “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Wanda whispered, “but I need your help.”

-That night you taught Wanda all about astral projection, and gave her several books you had been saving on the topic of witchcraft and the Scarlet Witch. As you were telling her about one of them however she cut you off with her calm tone, “You knew, didn’t you?”

“About?”

“The Scarlet Witch? I mean you must have if you acquired all these books just for me?”

“I had my suspicions.” You started, “I just always hoped I was wrong.”

“Is that why you fought on Tony’s side, to have me…”

“Never.” You stated, “And I never want you to think that. I fought on Tony’s side because I knew you couldn’t stop every problem that came up in the world, the Avengers were just a small unit of people expected to do too much. With the regulations in place the load of expectations would have significantly decreased, and we could have had AI handling the rest. But when it came to the treatment of Wanda Maxinoff, my best friend, I was adamant that I wanted you left alone, I wanted you trained properly, and allowed to live the life you chose. I was working with Tony to build you a safe house, where you could study and master your powers, all while living with Vision and enjoying a semi normal life.”

“What about now?”

“I still want that.” You replied, before opening a drawer and handing her a small map, “Here, it isn’t much, but I figured you guys would like the openness.”

-It was a map showing the location of the safe house you had demanded be built for her.

-The whole time Sam sat on the couch, tapping the back of it with his fingers. At one point he whispered, “So much for a normal night.”

-That night when you went to bed, you curled up next to him and whispered, “I promise next week I will tell everyone we are busy, and we can just lock the door, turn off the lights and pretend we aren’t home.”

“We don’t need that.” Sam whispered as he pulled you closer into his side, “It just comes with the job.”

-Sometimes, when Sam would come back from missions, you would kick everyone out of the apartment, except for Bucky, who was under strict orders to stay in the guest room. You two would just curl up on the couch in silence, and try to recreate that old sense of normalcy.

-Peter texted you every day he was in Europe, and called you as often as he could.

-Tony programmed Edith to have your voice, so when Peter activated her, he heard you say, “Stand by for retinal and biometric scan.” And once his whole face had been scanned, your voice said, “Retinal and biometric scan accepted.”

“[Y/N]?”

“No, Peter. I am E.D.I.T.H., Tony Stark's augmented-reality security and defense system.”

“So he designed you for me, and used his best friend’s voice to speak to me?”

“No, but you have access to all of Tony's protocols. As for my voice, Tony had her record everything before the birth of Morgan. He claimed a female voice would be more soothing.” Edith stated

-One day you looked at Sam, “I’m going to my father’s tonight.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I figured you would want to…”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“Excuse me?” You asked, your eyebrow raising.

“I mean we have spent every night together since…”

“Babe.” You whispered, stepping forward as you placed a hand on either cheek, “I love you, and I am not leaving you again. I promise I will be back sooner than you can fly a EW from here to Russia.”

“That’s pretty fast, even for a wizard.” He smiled as you leaned forward slightly and met his lips, “That’s how you know I will be back soon.”

-That night you and your father sat in the study and sipped tea while looking over a stack of literature Wong had brought you both, however it was interrupted by Bucky calling you, “Where are you?”

“Hogwarts, where are you?”

“At your house with your miserable boyfriend.”

“Well you know where your room is, and the fridge. So…”

“Are you coming home?”

“Bucky, I am staying here tonight, so I need you and Sam to get along, for 12 hours without my help. Do you think you can do that for me?”

-He sighed loudly, as you heard Sam call, “Told you she wasn’t coming home.”

“Please Buck.” You whispered, “I will buy you a new gun if you do.”

“Fine, but only because it is for you.” He groaned as you smiled, “Thank you Buck, now I will be home tomorrow, and we can go to the gun store after that.”

-When you hung up your father looked at you, “So your plan is working?”

“Not at all, but Operation Get those two to be civil has officially begun.” You smiled as you turned the page of your book.

-The next afternoon you drove to the gun store and bought Bucky a Case Hardened Desert Eagle.

-After that once a week you would leave the two unattended in hopes that they would start getting along. Meanwhile you would go sit with your father, or occasionally you would drive up to the cabin to see Pepper and Morgan.

-On one of the night you were forcing Bucky and Sam to interact, Strange asked you, “Do you think Wanda knows?”

“Knows what?”

“Who she is stronger than? I mean from what you said it is quite clear that Agatha told her she is stronger than the Sorceress Supreme. I just wonder…”

“Stop.” You replied, “I already know where you are going with this, and I am telling you I am not it. Now, can we just drop it?”

-“Well, you know, those poor techs can't keep up with a billion returning IP addresses - and your sick-ass Stark-level tech.” Torres replied as Sam chuckled in response, examining the damage done to Redwing by the LAF

-“It’s not even the fact that it’s Stark level tech, it’s Stark level tech designed by the brightest most beautiful woman I know, who just so happened to train under Tony Stark himself.”

“Better not tell your fiancé that.” Torres joked as Sam smiled, “It is my fiancé.”

“Wait a minute, the [Y/N] Strange is your fiancé?” Torres asked as Sam beamed, “The one and only.”

-Sam told you all about the LAF and the Flag Smashers, which triggered you to start researching more about them.

-One evening you opened the door to the apartment expecting the space to be filled with noise from all of your boys, a smile already on your face at the thought of Sam and Bucky bickering, and Peter scribbling on paper. However you were met by silence. As you turned you saw the soft glow of the television screen, the XBox Home Screen covered the screen as you smiled, “Looking to lose?”

“Don’t be mad.” He whispered, as you shrugged your coat off, and looked towards the back of his head confused, “why would I be mad? Unless you are cheating on me…”

“I am giving the Smithsonian the shield.” He whispered, as your body froze.

“You what?”

“I’m giving the shield to…”

“I heard that.” You answered, “Why?”

“I…”

“Sam, you know that I will support any decision you make, within reason, but this….” you exhaled, “Steve trusted you.”

Masterlist

18 notes · View notes

ldouble · 2 years ago

Text

Unsure | Sam Wilson x Reader

summary: fluff with a conflicted sam

“I find you extremely frustrating.”

Sam looked up at you from his spot on the couch. While your statement was off-putting your tone was even more so.

In an healthy as a relationship as the two of you had, rarely was there anything other than content and relaxed tones. Except when he was like this.

“Annoying.” You answered as he questioned what the cause of the frustration was. “You’re annoyingly prideful about figuring it all out on your own.” “Is this because I wouldn’t let you load the dishwasher, honey?”

“Shut up.” You whined, throwing the dish rag on the counter. “I’m talking about you sitting over there just mulling.”

“Mulling?”

“Yeah jus sitting there in your own blackhole of thoughts and not asking for help.”

A light chuckle escaped his lips and it took everything in you not to join him. No, he was not getting off this easy. One sexy laugh wasn’t deterring you from the conversation you’d been wanting to have for months.

“You’ve looked through your old files more in the last 30 days that you did when you were first handed them.”

Sam glanced at the stack of papers he’d been sorting through. An array of stamps labeled them - Stark Industries, SHEILD, Avengers, and even the old U.S. Air Force logo made an appearance.

You watched him sigh into the couch. Dressed in his grey sweats from his Para Rescue days he almost blended into the couch. He wasn’t escaping that easy.

You dropped the accusatory tone and asked thoughtfully across the room. “What’s on your mind?” As annoying as not knowing what was going on with him was...it was more painful to watch him stir.

“I don’t know,” He said more so to the stack of files than to you. “I just...I feel like I’m forgetting to do something.”

You found your way over to him. The files sat between you two on the couch and they dipped as you sat. The air was thick as we both thought quietly. He hadn’t been this uncertain in all the time you had known him. Back to the days before he got his wings for the second time.

“You didn’t leave the stove on when you left this morning.” You mused. “And I know you paid the electric bill.”

You were messing with him and he knew it. A small grin encapsulated his face for a moment before he sucked his bottom lip in. Always thinking. That was Sam.

But never before had you seen him this despondent.

“Something work related.” You suggested. A small nod on his part encouraged you to keep going. “Something you haven't finished. Hence the look through old files.”

You grazed one of the manilla folders, tracing the Avengers logo. It was etched in your head, as most people’s old business logos were. You’d worn your own uniform with it sewed it. It looked gray on the paper....historic.

“Yeah, but it’s not that.” Sam picked up the files and placed them on the coffee table. He sat closer, his hand finding going to tuck hair behind your ear.

He would never admit it but physical touch was his favorite love language. He insisted it was quality time or words of affirmation but it wasn’t. After such a long time flying solo...literally and figuratively...he longed to be anchored down. You were happy to be that person.

Except for now. And after you said your peace he’d probably agree.

“Is it because you gave up the shield?”

You had been holding the thought in ever he handed over the vibranium piece. And that was months ago.

The two of you didn’t keep secrets. And this was big. You stayed up at night, staring at who you knew was the next Captain America, wondering how he couldn’t see it.

The look of disappointment you had towards him was now directed towards you as Sam moved away.

“No.”

“Sam-”

“I’m not defined by some shield.”

“I’m not saying you are.” You quickly said, standing up with him. “I’m not.”

Sam took a deep breath. He hadn’t raised his voice but he was definitely furthering himself from the happy tone he always used. Gentle was how you would describe him. Even now you could see him choosing the right words and delivery.

“It was his.” He expressed finally after some silence. “It wasn’t right to keep.”

“Was it any more right to give it away?”

That caught him off guard and that’s when you knew this was the cruz of the problem. Still, it wasn’t a solution to the issue. The shield was gone and Sam was left without it.

While undefined by it, it still was a part of him. I knew it, Steve knew it. Sam did too. You were sure of it.

“You should go on a run.”

“Honey-”

“Ok, I’m going on a run.” You were already putting on your shoes and grabbing your keys. “Because watching you beat yourself up about this is of no value to me. And I know I think better after a run.”

“Just wait-”

“I’m done waiting.” You declare, your hand on the door knob. “And I think you are, too.”

Your breathes are the only thing sounding in the apartment. The fridge churns ice but you two are frozen as its creation.

“I can’t get it back.”

You shrugged as he made his way over to you. While his hands found your hips you pretend to busy yourself in thought. “You also said you would never get me out on a date.”

You let his chuckle pull you in this time, your hands finding his shoulders. “It wasn’t until a buddy of yours showed up at the VA office and had me swooning over you.”

“I did all the swooning, Steve just made an appearance.” Sam defended.

“Yeah, well Steve did that.” You fall silent as you mention him. It always shook Sam a bit. It was still fresh. “But you,”

You take his head in your hands to look at you. “Us,” You corrected yourself. “Can do this.”

His forehead leans against yours and all of the frustration and anger dissipates in a second. You seal off the content air with a kiss to his lips.

“First one to the Capital gets to call heads or tails to ask for the shield back.”

“That’s not-”

“Sorry, halfway down the mall!” You called down the hall. Looking over your should you saw Sam tripping to put on his shoes. For the first time in a while he seemed determined. Certain.

Whether it was about what he needed to do or the idea of beating you in a race...it didn’t matter. Sam was sure again. And that made you sure you two were going to be ok.

#sam wilson #sam wilson image #sam wilson x #sam wilson x reader #sam wilson imagine #sam wilson one shot #the falcon x reader

19 notes · View notes

playboystark · 2 years ago

Text

“And look at you now, sweetpea.” I just- my heart ❤️ I’m crying cause he’s just so sweet and loving 😭😭😭SAMMY MY HEART

lover

sam wilson x fem!reader

warnings: absolutely none. this is pure fluff, the perfect way to kick off my first sam wilson obsession

word count: 1.3k- basically a drabble

inspired by lover by taylor of course- y’all can peep the places i slid in a few lines hehehe

You were reading, but then again, you weren’t. There were moments where you could pull yourself together and look at the pages, but you knew that it was all in vain. Sam Wilson was right across from you, sitting at the table with you as he watched you the same way. You felt your cheeks warm up at his steady stare, and finally you put your book down. The soft music playing in the background filled the silence while you tried to string together a coherent sentence.

You could never remember to do anything around Sam but admire him. “Can I help you, Sam?” You asked, the playful tone of your voice not escaping his notice. You saw his lips quirk up into that small half smile that stole your heart months ago and propelled you forward into a life you never thought you’d live.

“Didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to look at my girl,” he drawled, and you rolled your eyes before picking your book up again, even though you both knew that you weren’t going to retain a word of what you pretended to read. ‘What, are you busy or something?”

“Trying to get in some light reading,” you murmured, your heart settling to a calming rate when his leg found yours under the table, locking with yours in the way that he almost always did. You couldn’t keep the smile from coming to your lips. It only took him a minute and a half to trail his hand across the table and take your left one, gently prying it from the book and holding it tenderly.

Keep reading

#sam wilson x reader #sam wilson fanfiction #just sam wilson #sam wilson fluf #sam wilson one shot #my fics #sam wilson x you #sam fluff #marvel fanfiction

185 notes · View notes

literaryavenger · 27 days ago

Text

A concept that breaks my heart: imagine Bucky that eats like he doesn’t know where his next meal will be coming from because, for the longest time, he didn’t.

But nobody on the team knows because he never eats with them.

All it took was some absentminded comment from Sam the first time Bucky ate with him and Steve about how Bucky ate his hamburger in like 5 seconds. Sam didn’t really mean anything by it, he was just joking around, but Bucky got incredibly self-conscious about the way he eats and stopped eating in front of everybody, Steve included.

Every time the team was eating together, he’d say he wasn’t hungry or make up some excuse to get out of it but even if he couldn’t, he’d eat the bare minimum only to then sneak into the kitchen later when it was empty, make more food and then eat it in his room.

You yourself only joined the Avengers recently, so you’ve never seen Bucky during meals with the whole team.

But you don’t think too much of it, he always says he doesn’t need to eat as much which is a little weird because Steve is also a supersoldier and eats three times as much food as everybody else because of his faster metabolism, but Bucky’s serum was made by Hydra so, like everybody else, you just assume it allows him to operate with less need for sustenance which would make him a more efficient soldier.

But, being a person that likes to observe more than you like to talk, you start noticing small things about Bucky that no one else seems to.

It all started when he let a compliment slip about some cookies that you made for the team, which was weird because after the lunch where you all ate them as dessert, which Bucky was once again absent from, the rest of them disappeared from the kitchen less than an hour later. You assumed it was Sam, Steve, Clint and Thor since all of them always finish the things you bake, but clearly it was Bucky.

So, he does eat. You start noticing more and more Bucky sneaking around the Compound here and there and one day you can’t help but give into the curiosity and follow him to the kitchen where you see him making himself food and then sneak back to his room.

You don’t tell anybody though, or even bring it up with the man himself, instead you start saving food from meals so Bucky won’t have to make it himself and leave it out for him with notes so he’ll know they’re for him and nobody else will eat them.

It takes Bucky a little bit to figure out who’s doing it, but when he finds out it’s not Steve like he suspected but you, the pretty newbie that he’s barely even talked to since you joined, to say he’s surprised is an understatement.

But he can’t bring himself to confront you about it because he knows it’ll open up a whole can of worms about his eating habits and he’s too self-conscious about that to bring it up, so instead he starts leaving notes back every time he takes the food, addressed to you.

Now imagine this goes on for weeks, maybe months even, until one day Bucky builds up the courage to show up at one of the team meals and acts as casually as he can manage as he sits down and starts to eat. Nobody says anything or even acknowledges his unusual presence because, unbeknownst to Bucky, you’ve scolded everybody that tried to bring up Bucky’s eating habits over the last few months.

When you join the table after Bucky, as soon as you notice him all you do is grin and sit down before you start eating your own food. This is the first time Bucky’s ever actually seen you eat and his eyes widen when he sees you eat like a prisoner sentenced to death, but nobody else seems surprised or even that bothered. The entire team is used to it by now and they couldn’t care less, much to Bucky’s surprise.

“You… Always eat like that?” Bucky asks quietly before he can stop himself, worried about offending you the second the words leave his mouth.

But, once again, much to his surprise, you look up at him with a smile and nod unapologetically. “Yeah, my dad always used to say ‘Whatever you do, do it a hundred percent.’ That means when you work, work. When you laugh, laugh. And when you eat… Eat like it’s your last meal.”

Bucky looks at you with a blank expression for all of five seconds before his face breaks into a goofy grin. Not only did he already find you pretty and adorable, but after hearing you say that he thinks you’re the most attractive woman he’s ever known, even if you’re currently stuffing your face like there’s no tomorrow.

Imagine little by little Bucky starts feeling more and more comfortable eating around others, until eventually he joins every meal the team has together. And, when they’re all doing their own thing, he still asks you to have lunch or dinner with him and the two of you crackle at the other eating like a pig, not one hint of shame in either of you.

Anyway, just a thought.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x female reader #sam wilson #steve rogers #winter soldier #the winter soldier #bucky barnes #avengers x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes oneshot #marvel fanfiction

726 notes · View notes

lives-in-midgard · 10 months ago

Text

Back To You

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: A few months after Bucky and you broke up you find out that it was all just a big misunderstanding.

Word Count: 1960

Request: Could you do a fic where reader and Bucky broke up because of an argument caused by a misunderstanding and then a few months later they find out what actually happened and get back together? [Full request here]

A/N: Thank you so much for requesting this! I hope you like how this turned out! 💞 Thank you @lokisbiiiitch1993 for helping me!

Masterlist

Bucky and you have been dating for almost a year now. You were so happy with each other but lately you noticed a change in Bucky. He was spending more time with Natasha. Texting her and when she called, he would immediately pick up. You actually wanted to ask Bucky if he would like to move in with you, but you weren’t sure anymore.

You were having breakfast with Bucky when someone called him. You couldn’t see who it was, but he picked up immediately.

“Hey Nat.” You heard him say as he left the room. After a few minutes he came back with a smile.

“I’m sorry doll, but I have to go soon. Natasha needs something important.”

“Oh, but you will be back, right? Because we wanted to go to the cinema, remember?” You asked him a little sad because you had been looking forward to this movie for a while and had already bought tickets.

“Of course, I’ll be back I don’t want to miss spending time with my girl.” Bucky reached for your hand and then kissed your cheek.

“How about we cuddle before I leave?”

After cuddling, Bucky left to meet up with Natasha. You looked through the mission report again, so you could bring it with you the next time you go to the compound. Then you watched your favorite show and made yourself ready for the cinema.

You waited and looked at your phone but there was no message from Bucky. It was almost time to leave, and you weren’t sure if you still want to watch the movie. But you didn’t want to stay home alone either. You started to feel sad and tears formed in your eyes. You thought about calling Bucky, your finger was already over his phone number, but you decided not to bother him and Natasha. So, you put the phone away and started crying even more.

No, you won’t let Bucky ruin your plans.

You wiped your tears away and then remembered that Sam wanted to watch this movie as well. He’s a good friend of yours, so you decided to call him. You dialed his number, and it didn’t take long for him to pick up.

“Hey, y/n.” He said happily.

“Hey, Sam.”

“I still have another ticket for the movie we talked about and thought you might want to go with me?”

“Of course, I would like to watch the movie with you.” He said and you started to smile.

“When does the movie start?”

“The movie starts in an hour.”

“Wow, that’s soon.” He chuckled.

“It’s okay if you don’t have time. I can go alone as well.”

“No, I’m coming with you. I’ll pick you up, okay?”

“Okay, see you and drive carefully.”

You went to the bathroom and got ready while Sam made his way to you. You checked your phone again for a message from Bucky, but there was nothing.

When Sam arrived, he greeted you with a hug and then drove to the cinema.

“Is everything okay?” Sam asked after a while.

“Yeah.” You mumbled and looked out of the window.

“What did Bucky do?” You had to chuckle and told Sam that Bucky was supposed to go with you and then you told him about Natasha. After Sam parked the car, he pulled you into a hug. He wanted to say something, but you interrupted him.

“Let’s just go and watch the movie, okay?”

“Sure, do you want popcorn?” Sam asked and you nodded. Sam got the snacks while you got some drinks. When you sat down in your seat, you looked at your phone one last time. But there wasn’t any message from Bucky. You put the phone away and then enjoyed the movie with Sam. You had a great time and even forgot that Bucky was with Natasha.

When the movie ended, Sam drove you back to your apartment. Before he left, he hugged you. He rubbed your back and then kissed your cheek softly.

What you didn’t notice was that Bucky was standing at the other side of the street and saw you and Sam together, but from his perspective it didn’t look like a kiss on the cheek. It looked like Sam kissed you on the lips and when Sam turned away, you were smiling.

Bucky didn’t want to see you anymore, so he turned around, walked back to his car and drove to the compound.

The next day didn’t go as you thought it would. You were still sad because of Bucky and when he sent you the following message you were even sadder.

“Hey, do you have time? We need to talk.”

A tear began to run down your cheek because you knew what this would mean. You ignored it for a few minutes but then texted him back.

“Hey, yeah I’m at home.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

You didn’t have to wait long until you heard Bucky knock on your door. You opened the door and Bucky walked in.

“Hey.” He mumbled.

“Hey, Bucky.”

“Y/n, we need to talk.” He said and you nodded. It was a bit weird for you to hear Bucky calling you by your name because he usually gives you petnames. Bucky started playing with his metal hand, looking at the ground for a second and then he looked back at you.

“Something has changed between you and me.” There it was, exactly what you thought he was going to say. At first you didn’t know what to say, so you just nodded.

“Yeah, that’s true. Especially since you don’t have much time for me anymore.” You decided to say.

“What, that’s not true.”

“Oh, really? And what about yesterday? When were we supposed to go to the cinema together?” You said in an angry tone.

“Oh, I bet you had great company there.” Bucky provoked and you shook your head.

“Actually, you’re right I had.”

“You know what? It really doesn’t make sense with us anymore. It’s over.” Bucky snapped and you took a step back.

“Okay, great.” You shouted.

“Yeah, great.” Bucky said and left your apartment without looking at you. When Bucky closed the door, you started to cry. You walked into your room and noticed one of Bucky’s shirts laying over your chair. You grabbed it and threw it out of the room. You laid down in your bed and cried all day long. Maybe it was for the best and Bucky and Natasha will be happy together.

Over the next few days and weeks, you tried to avoid Bucky as much as possible. You only met him when you really had no choice, like in a meeting or on missions. You found a few of his things in your apartment, packed them all into a box and placed them beside his room on the compound. Sam spent more time with you, trying to be there for you as best as he could.

It had been two months since your breakup with Bucky. It’s been sad and frustrating two months. You missed Bucky so much, just like he missed you.

When you arrived at the compound for a meeting that day, you never imagined that the day would end the way it did.

The meeting went well, and Fury has decided that you, Natasha and Steve will go on a mission tomorrow. At first you weren’t happy that Natasha will go on the mission with you, but there was nothing you could do about it, so you had to accept it.

When you saw Bucky in the living room with Steve and Sam, you decided to go training for a while before you leave. When you entered the training room you saw that Natasha was there as well. You decided to not pay much attention to her and just do your thing. You trained for a while and then took a short break. You sat down on a bench. After a few minutes Natasha joined you. You sat there in silence for a while until you decided to say something.

“I hope you and Bucky are happy together.” Natasha looked at you, had a confused expression on her face and then started laughing.

“You think me and Bucky are a couple? We’re definitely not, me and Barnes are just good friends.” She said after she stopped laughing. Now you were the one who was confused.

“But you were when we broke up, right?”

“No, we definitely weren’t.”

“I don’t understand…because I thought that was one of the reasons we broke up.”

“What?” Natasha asked confused.

“You and Bucky were hanging out a lot and I assumed there was something going on between you two. So I thought that was one of the reasons we broke up.” You said and went quiet again.

“Wait, we were just hanging out so much because...” She paused for a moment but then said more.

“Well, I guess I can say it now. I helped Bucky with something. He wanted to prepare something for your birthday.”

“Really?” You asked and Natasha nodded.

“But I thought there was something between you and Sam?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Me and Sam? What?!”

“Bucky saw you and Sam kissing.”

“What, but we never-.” You wanted to say more, but then you remembered Sam kissing you on your cheek. What if Bucky saw you, but for Bucky it looked like Sam kissed your lips?

“I have to find Bucky.” You said, stood up and ran to the door. You run up the stairs and into the living room looking for Bucky.

When you were having this conversation with Natasha, Bucky was having an almost similar conversation with Sam. Sam told Bucky that nothing happened between the two of you and that he was just there for you.

“I have to find Y/n.” Bucky said and ran out of the room.

When you reached the living room, Bucky was no longer there, so you decided to check in his room. As you ran up the stairs you bumped into someone. When you looked up you saw that it was Bucky.

“Bucky.” You said his name at the same time as he said your name.

“Natasha told me there’s nothing going on between you and her.”

“And Sam told me there was nothing going on between you and him. And what I saw was just a kiss on the cheek.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Oh, doll. I’m so sorry I saw you and Sam and I thought …I really thought there was something going on. If we only had talked better with each other that day instead of just assuming things.” Bucky looked away and you reached for his hands.

“Then we would probably still be a couple.” You finished his sentence, Bucky nodded and looked at you.

“Do you think you can give me another chance?” Bucky asked with a sad look in his eyes.

“Yes, but we should talk better from now on.”

“Definitely.” Bucky started to smile, and you pulled him into a hug.

“Oh, doll. I missed you so much.” Bucky said as he hugged you tightly.

“I missed you too.”

“Natasha told me that she helped you prepare something for my birthday.” You confessed as you broke the hug.

“Yeah, that’s true. Did she tell you what it was?”

“No, she didn’t.”

“Okay, then I hope you’re excited for your birthday surprise.”

You’re happy to give Bucky another chance. Although it will certainly take some time for you to forget what happened, you and Bucky will try to communicate better in your relationship from now on. Because it wasn’t just his fault, it was yours too, but you’re so happy to have Bucky back.

Taglist:

742 notes · View notes

fluffyprettykitty · 2 years ago

Text

Haven

Pairing: Sam Wilson x shield agent female reader (no other specifications!)

Word Count: 1300 words

Outline: Former shield agent now working in secret for the nomad team so why is your heart flattering when you have to take care of your former flame?

Warnings: tiny angst, reunion sex, swearing, pet names, food mention, movie inaccuracies, breast worship, biting, male ejaculation. if I missed anything major please let me know!

Author’s Note: infinity war! sam au is here! Loved the angsty emotional angle very much. sam thots and especially about aus are always welcome :) next on the to be written list are 1st bf!, sugardaddy!, samnat & the alphabet.

PS: dividers & banners by @saradika

Main Masterlist ・❥・ Sam Wilson Masterlist

A year after the whole airport Avengers scene has left you scattered broken and unemployed. Working a few odd jobs here and there as a former shield agent and an expert skillful agent have you picking jobs from the black market and trying your best to help and protect the nomad team.

Your base right now is on a small island in the pacific ocean and when in the middle of the night you receive a red alert for immediate excavation you are more than ready to help. What you didn't expect was your former flame, Sam Wilson to be the recipient of the help. He looked injured & bloody as he was walking out of the quinjet, getting invincible behind him.

"Sam!" You exclaim running to him. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles softly. "Aliens." He stops you before you could even speak. "The rest of the team are elsewhere, safe. And I am hoping to be now. As long..." he gestures around. "You got a nice meal and a warm bed for me to lay on."

"Of course, Sam. I got everything." Your heart is warming up, you never expected to see him like this, on his own, looking charming as ever even though you could tell the impact was severe.

You bring him to your small house and allow him to shower as you put his suit in a basket letting it soak with soap hopefully, that will wash off the blue alien blood. Then you decide to cook something simple, rice and meatballs, by the time you're done and setting the table he's coming around with just a towel around his lower body.

"So...you don't do clothes in this house?" You laugh even if you try to avert your gaze from staring at his body too much. He looks uninjured, the only visible scars now were on his face. Looks like he needs better head protection.

"I forgot!" You shake your shoulders and head for the closet. "Oh really, did something distract you?"

"No, I was focused on cooking."

"Ah-huh. I believe that." He smiles and sniffs up the air. "Meatballs?"

"The only good thing I know how to make."

"Hmm, you did also make amazing boiled eggs."

You snort as you pick up a pillow and throw it at him. He doesn't catch it as he lets it fall on the floor.

"I know you wanna see me naked, baby."

You scoff in response and throw at him the clothes you picked for him. "Nu huh." You place your hands over your eyes and smile. "Not one bit."

"Ah sure. I see you peeking."

And that's how the rest of the night, now early morning went, Sam got dressed had some food, recited stories to you, described very vividly how alien-y the aliens were, and in the end fell asleep. The rest of the three days went on like this, with the flirtations and the teasing getting more and more psychical until you knew it was time for him to leave again and you almost felt your heart sinking in your chest.

You watch him as he sleeps, breathing slowly in and out, shirtless with just a blanket around his legs, looking more peaceful than ever.

"Ya know you can tell when someone stares at you."

You scoff and cross your arms rolling your eyes.

"I just wanted to see if you had fallen asleep."

"Sounds like something that takes no more than one second. You've been sitting there for more than five minutes." He finally opens his eyes and rolls over looking at you and crossing his arms. God his muscular arms looked delicious like that. You wanted nothing more than to curl up there with him. Safe and secure inside his embrace.

Second instincts kick in and you roll your eyes again before turning around to leave. You only make it a few steps before he grabs you by your arm and turns you around pushing you against the wall. He doesn't speak, just stares deeply into your eyes as you are breathing short and heavily, your body responding to him in an extreme way. You needed him, you loved him.

"Sam." You mumble trying to regain your composure. His arm stays tauntingly above your head his other hand still holding your wrist, checking your heart pulses.

"I like clear answers."

"Sam, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"I'm not doing anything. I was sleeping."

You scoff and close your eyes in frustration. What's the point of this? He has to leave, he has to help the world. You needed to stay here, act as a safe haven.

"I should pack your essentials." You say directly looking at him.

"No." He retorts and then crushes his lips against yours, leaving you both surprised and ridiculously drenched for him. He only kisses you once before pulling away to watch your reaction again.

"Sam." You repeat, his breath hot on your tongue, your chest finally filling with air. Your hand is on his chest caressing it, he seems to be getting calmer. "I...please, don't regret me."

"Never." He shakes his head. "Never. I've missed you, I could never regret you." His lips land on yours again, soft and velvety, with the utmost sweetness full of life and adoration.

You remember these lips, memories come alive in your head as his hands begin to wander on your body. He needs to touch you everywhere at once as your hands respond in the same way. He engulfs with his body, his kisses turning to bites on your jaw and further down your neck, as a moan escapes you, filling the air of the small room. Suddenly, you are sure of every little thing in the world and you allow him to take control.

And he wastes no time, tearing your clothes apart with his arms and teeth, biting your breasts, pulling your nipples, kissing your chest as your hand stays stroking his hard-on over his sweatpants until he cursed and pulled his pants down himself. And he almost hissed when you touched his cock, his teeth still playing with your nipples, one hand moving to your core, rubbing it slowly.

"Shit, baby, looks like a job for a plumber down here." You giggle at his line which quickly changed to a gasp as the cold air hit you when he undressed you followed by a moan as he pushed a curled finger inside.

"Oh looks like we need to do a lot of work down here." You let your head hit the wall. "Looks like we gonna need a tool." He nods his head and replaces his finger with his cockhead which has you dropping to a low sound.

"Oh, looks good." He pushes inside, stretching your walls, your hands wrapping around his neck. "Oh, such a tight hole, think that's the problem here, need some good fucking to get properly fixed." You giggled at his goofiness as he started doing what he was best at - screwing you silly.

A couple of minutes later and in many different sex positions he has you on the couch, laying under him as his hands cup your face, his thrusts slow and sensual and even though he has already drawn orgasm after orgasm of you, he still remains full. You know he has planned something. Something hella corny.

So when he finally orgasms, he does it looking deep inside your eyes, shooting his seed down your stomach as he repeats your name almost like a chant, resting his forehead against yours.

And when the morning comes, he doesn't leave your home.

Because you are his home.

His safe haven.

If you want to be notified about my future stories please follow my library blog @fluffyprettykittylibrary and turn on notifications!

#selenewrites #sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #sam wilson x y/n #sam wilson x you #sam wilson x fem!reader #sam wilson one shot #sam wilson smut #sam wilson fic #captain america #sam wilson fanfiction #sam wilson oneshot #infinity war

159 notes · View notes

marvellllllllllll · 2 years ago

Text

This is so good!

Only an Echo (Rockstar!Sam Wilson x F!Reader)

A/N: This has taken me a ridiculously long time to write. I’m trying to get out of my writing slump, especially when it comes to writing smut. I’m not sure what has made me feel so burnt out, but I loved writing this a lot. It has potential to be added to, but for now, it’s a standalone.

I gotta shoutout @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog for helping me brainstorm and sharing ideas we both had for a Rockstar Sam AU. I really wanted to write a Rockstar!Sam as a foil (not sure if that’s the write term?) to the Rockstar!Bucky AU that is pretty popular. Idk, let me know what you think y’all! And also just a big thank you to everyone who still follows and supports me even though I’ve been in such a dry writing spell. Love you all.

Reblogging with taglists soon. Also as usual, I did not edit this. 🤷‍♀️

18+ ONLY

Warnings: alcohol, drug use, cursing, smut (not explicit), me being annoying with too many mythology references, bad attempts at lyric writing, infatuation, parasocial relationship, Bucky being a misogynistic jerk and a narcissist… if I missed something please let me know.

Summary: Sam has long since given up trying to change Bucky, that was a lost cause. As was trying to convince the women in his rotation that they weren’t going to be the one to change him. Sam has lost count how many times he’s heard Bucky recycle the same lines, and he watches the way fans throw themselves at him. He can’t blame them. They don’t know what he knows or sees what he sees. All they see is the Bucky Barnes, the man whose poster is hung in their room, standing in front of them in the flesh after waiting all this time, and him telling them he’s never felt this way about anyone else before.

Sam was exhausted, and his head was pounding. He just wanted to go back to the bus, crawl into is much too small bunk and pass out. Maybe then he could get at least a few hours of good sleep before the bus got back on the road. The whole after show party, meet and greet situation, was great two years ago, but now it’s just another two hours of sitting back while everyone in the dressing room fawns over Bucky.

Its always the same, he’ll make himself comfortable on the shitty, mystery stain couch that’s always in these dressing rooms, and nurse a drink. After a while, he’s just learned it’s easier to just wait it out, than try to compete for any of the attention. Nothing is more embarrassing than selling out stadium shows, and then interjecting yourself into conversations to try to sound more interesting than your band mate.

It would be more tolerable if Bucky hadn’t become more and more big headed over the years. Fame has gotten to his head, but arrogance was always Bucky’s downfall. He was always the charismatic one. Even as kids, Sam always picked up on the signs of the narcissistic tendencies. Bucky thrives off attention, and he was always the super star.

Sam has long since given up trying to change Bucky, that was a lost cause. As was trying to convince the women in his rotation that they weren’t going to be the one to change him. Sam has lost count how many times he’s heard Bucky recycle the same lines, and he watches the way fans throw themselves at him. He can’t blame them. They don’t know what he knows or sees what he sees. All they see is the Bucky Barnes, the man whose poster is hung in their room, standing in front of them in the flesh after waiting all this time, and him telling them he’s never felt this way about anyone else before.

Tonight’s not much different as Sam looked out into the crowd. Fans with hopeful, pleading eyes looking up at Bucky like he’s the only one on stage. Like he, Natasha, and Steve aren’t right there. It doesn’t matter how loud the crowd screams when Sam finishes his bass solo, all Buck needs to do is twirl a drumstick in the air, and the girls pushed up against the barricade go crazy.

Natasha and Steve have been off and on, will they won’t they since before the band’s big break anyways- so neither of them really were ever on the radar to be the one people gravitated towards. The single one, the unmarried one… those are the front men that people can fantasize about and gravitate towards. So, that left him and Bucky, and Bucky has been waiting his whole life for this attention, his stardom, and the way it makes him look completely invincible. Bucky also was everything. He had the look, and the right tattoos, and the piercings, and the long hair. He was everything people seemed to want. And they would fill in the gap convincing themselves he’s the one for them, he’d change for them, and if they could just meet him they’d be the one to stand out. Sam always felt like he was the forgotten one.

A Buzzfeed article a year ago calling him the Kevin Jonas of the band really, really didn’t help his self esteem.

So tonight is nothing new when a handful of love struck girls that managed to make it backstage are all taking turns doting on Bucky for his attention. Of course, they talk to everyone. They take group polaroids, and sign autographs, but he can tell by the way their eyes linger, Bucky will most definitely be bringing one or two of them back to the bus, to only leave them behind when the band checks out of the next hotel.

Currently, Bucky is about six shots in, a cigarette perched behind his ear, his joint in his mouth being lit by one of the two girls who he is sitting between on the couch. Sam takes a hit, and sinks a little further back into the couch, just trying to put his mind anywhere but here. He has a one track mind for his pillow, and getting out of his show clothes. Someone, maybe Natasha, put on the radio and the music isn’t helping his splitting headache. She’s sitting perched on Steve’s lap. Looks like they aren’t fighting tonight. Their red, glassy eyes staring into each other's eyes while they share a blunt between them and Sam feels that twang of jealousy.

“I really wanted to ask you about Echo, Don’t Fall for Narcissus,” he hears you ask. Your question is directed towards Bucky, but you don’t know he has no part in the song writing. Sam perks up, because Echo, Don’t Fall for Narcissus is his song. The notebook of the original draft is on his bunk, that he suddenly didn’t feel so rushed to get back to.

Echo, Don’t Fall for Narcissus

His love is not what it seems

He’s not the man your wanting

He’s too wrapped in himself you see

I see how much you love him

And to you, he’s your everything

But trust me, sweet, dear Echo

When he looks at you

It’s just to see himself in your eyes

“I just- I don’t even know what I’m asking. It’s just my favorite song of yours- probably ever. I just love the way the myth connects to the girl it’s about. And the way her pain is expressed. It’s just so beautiful and I wanna just know more about the guy who’s singing to her,” she tries to explain, and Sam’s heart clenches. It’s his favorite too.

He watches as Bucky’s hand slides up your thigh, his thumb rubbing circles, and he observes how it flusters you. You’re beautiful, an absolute dime, and Sam can feel him holding back from screaming, ‘It’s me! I’m him and it’s about you! I’m here, and I want you to want me- to see me!’ You giggle nervously, Bucky exhaling his last puff as he stares at you the same way he has every other girl who has sat right there. He wraps his arm around you and tugs you into his lap, your hand resting now on his bare chest, the sound of his leather pants alerting the whole room of the action.

“It’s about love,” he smirks, pulling your bottom lip gently with his thumb. Sam can feel how unsatisfied you are with the answer you got. “And how the pleasure,” he teases, swiping his thumb across your lip, “mixes with pain.” Your brow furrows, and Sam sees the way you take pause. You question for a brief moment, what you thought you knew. But Bucky swoops in for a kiss, and your confusion melts away as you let your body relax into him.

You pull away a few seconds later, and he’s whispering something in your ear. Sam can’t hear, but the way your eyes widen tells him everything. You look a little embarrassed, but your face changes quickly into a smile. You force a chipper yes when Bucky asks you to go get him another drink. You slip out of the room, and no one else but Sam seems to notice your absence when Bucky sends you on an errand.

His head is a little less fucked up now, and he decides to follow you out. Make sure you get back safe. He doesn’t know why he feels compelled to watch you. He’s just worried, especially how your heart will break when you return and Bucky has slipped his tongue down the other girl’s throat in your absence. Maybe you wouldn’t care, some girls in the past haven’t, but he takes it that all of this is a little out of your normal realm of comfort.

He’s finds you in the kitchenette area down the hall. Kitchenette is generous. It’s more like an alcove with a mini fridge, a microwave and about two feet of countertop. You’re bent over digging through the minifridge when Sam approaches. He doesn’t know what to say, maybe he should wait for you to notice him, or maybe he should just play it off like it’s a coincidence he’s here.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you mutter, stepping back away to let him in. You cradle the glass bottles of liquor in your arms, and grip a water for yourself in your hand. He frowns, and helps your by taking some of the bottles out of your arms.

“Let me help you,” he offers. And you smile, and he feels like his heart might pound out of his chest.

“Thank you,” you reply. You’re suddenly shy, and he’s hoping he’s not making you uncomfortable. He doesn’t think so. But he takes a step back anyways, grabbing two of the vodka bottles by the stems.

“I know you probably get this all the time,” you say finally, “But I am such a fan, and honestly; I can’t express how much getting to be here means. Like it doesn’t feel real.”

He raises an eyebrow. Fetching drinks from a gross break room for a guy who doesn’t give two shits about you is this monumental. “I feel stupid saying that,” you admit to him, “I know these things must be all the same, and no matter how I try to put it into words, I’ll just be saying the same thing as every other fan you guys meet. But yeah… I guess what I’m trying to say is I can’t put into words how much your music means to me.”

You’re right. Everyone he’s met has said something similar. It’s always a variation of the same sentiment. It doesn’t make it any less important to him, though. He remembers what it’s like, he’s still like that with our musicians he looks up to. However, this time, he’s hoping he’s living up to whatever impression of him you had in your mind. He knows you came back here for Bucky, to take that risk to satisfy your own fantasy of him falling for you. The thoughts of ‘if he just met me.’

You straighten out your skirt, tugging it down as much as a mini skirt will go. Something to keep your hands busy as your nerves seem to be getting the better of you. You’re so wrapped up in this experience, you want to have a memorable time. You know they won’t remember you, just one of the millions you’re sure they’ve met and partied with. But still, a little piece does tug at you, reminding you that maybe, just maybe you’re different.

The realization that you're not slaps you in the face when you get back to the dressing room, to see a new girl in your place. You’re long forgotten as the other girl sits perched on his lap, and another he has his arm around pulling her flush to his side. Her hands wander his bare chest, tracing the tattoos you’ve memorized and he’s placing his thumb on her lip and she happily wraps her lips around it to suck and he groans.

You shouldn’t be surprised. Afterall, you’re not anyone special. Everything you admired about Bucky Barnes was a figment of your own imagination. You saw him from afar and filled in the blanks with what you wanted. He was nothing but rude. Gorgeous, talented, and extremely self-absorbed. It stings. It really fucking stings, the way your hopes are slashed through just like that. You knew it, and you know better. But there’s something that always kept you thinking, ‘if he only met me. If he only got to know me.’

You’ve got your signed CD in your jacket pocket, and the signed photo with the band safe inside the case. You should just grab it and go. Sell it on Ebay and move on from this incredibly shitty night. You don’t think you can listen to their music the same anyways after tonight. After the camping out for hours, waiting in lines, shoving your way through crowds, clearing out whatever was left in your savings, all of it, all the effort and time you wasted to be sitting on a gross couch and fetching drinks for some guy who won’t even remember you as soon as your out of his sight.

“Thank you,” you hear someone behind you say as you’re shrugging your coat over your shoulders. You turn around and see Sam Wilson, looking at you so genuinely, and his voice sounding so sincere. “For coming to the show, and just- I know these exclusive VIP things are a fucking pain in the ass to get, and it’s a lot of effort. And, I just- I wanted you to know we really appreciate it, and it was really nice to meet you.”

“Thanks, um,” you look at your boots nervously, shifting your weight, “That means a lot.” You shove your hands into the pockets of your jacket, and give him a small, defeated smile when you go to leave. You get halfway down the hall when he pokes his head out again to stop you.

“Hey,” he says, and you turn around. He takes a step out into the hallway. He rubs the back of his neck nervously as you wait for him to say something. “I just wanted to let you know… I thought what you said about the song was really cool. I’m the one that wrote it, and I don’t know. I’m just really happy to know someone out there heard me.”

“I’m sorry,” you say quickly, “I hadn’t known it was you. I just assumed-”

“I get it,” he shrugs. “It’s nothing. I just wanted you to know.” He smiles and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Well, uh, maybe I’ll see you around sometime?”

“I doubt it,” you say with a laugh, “I might be able to finally afford to come back in a few years maybe. Next time you tour.”

You disappear around the corner and he wipes his palms before heading back. He grabs his shit from where he was sitting and heads back to the bus. His mind is just entirely taken up by you, and when he might be able to see you again. It’s the last night here, and then they’re off to the next state. He collapses on his bunk, and looks through his notebook. He looks through the pages where he was originally writing that goddamn song, and he scribbles you in the margin- not like he would forget.

It’s a year later, you’re in line with your best friend outside your local record store. A new album is out, and you’ve been in line since four this morning to get your hands on a copy. You’re bundled up in as many layers as possible, the morning autumn breeze feeling like it’s moving through you regardless. You feel your fingers getting numb as you bring your hands up to your face to blow into them for some semblance of warmth. It’s almost time for the store to open, and you hope you’re not too far back in line to score a copy.

The owner comes out and unlocks the door, and people scurry in. Partly to get out of the cold, and partly to get their foot before the scalpers who are most definitely lurking among the fans.

There’s an elaborate display set up, CDs piled high in a pyramid, and it’s paired with a cutout of the band next to it. You notice how they are posed. Natasha- the singer, is front and center, then it is Bucky to her right tongue out, and holding up a middle finger. Behind everyone else is Steve, looking stoic and just giving the camera a smolder of indifference. Then to Natasha’s left is Sam- and he’s smiling. A half smile, with an eyebrow raised, and it’s lighthearted and genuine. You can feel the warmth he radiates, and you hate yourself for not seeing it before. Everyone looks so calculated, and yet, that’s Sam. You’ve only met him once, you know, but still, his presence lingers.

You grab yourself a CD from the pile and make your way over to the line at the register. You aimlessly strum your fingers along the ribbed spine of the case, and turn over to look at the track list. You’d already heard their new single from this album, but the rest of the titles were a mystery.

Escape the Fates

Golden Apples

To Close to the Sun

A Thousand Ships

Take Me to Delphi

The Arrow in my Heel

To Echo

My Muse

Hades and Persephone

Men are Pigs

Galatea

Run, Daphne, Run

Bonus Tracks:

Echo, Don’t Fall for Narcisus (live from Houston)

To Echo (unplugged)

You’re intrigued, and pleasantly surprised to see that they really leaned into the mythology references. And your mind can’t help but think that it was Sam’s idea. You can see how cool the music videos will be already- ancient ruins, and mythological creatures.

Your eyes zone in just on the track titled ‘To Echo,’ and you can’t shake the thought that it has something to do with you. It couldn’t. You had only met him once. And for the majority of the time you were there, you were following Bucky around like a lost puppy. Besides, Sam Wilson wouldn’t be interested. No way. You did nothing to leave any sort of long lasting impression besides embarrass yourself.

After you pay, you walk home, swinging the bag haphazardly as you go. Your mind keeps going back to Sam Wilson, and frankly, how stupid you were to be pining over Bucky when Sam had been right there the entire time. It was stupid, the way you fell into the fantasy of it all. The bad boy persona, and the way you had undoubtedly convinced yourself you’d be different. Something mystical about you would be enough to get Bucky Barnes to settle down. You can’t charge someone who doesn’t want change, especially someone who you actually don’t know, as much as your brain convinced you otherwise.

And now, you would just say your infatuation has just shifted over to Sam. But it doesn’t feel the same. The pang in your chest runs a lot deeper, and you aren’t inserting your own narrative of who he is. You found yourself attracted to Sam Wilson for who he is, and not for what he could be. He’s so handsome- in a way that makes you dizzy and flustered. And your whole chest tightens when you think about just his presence in the room. It’s the difference between infatuation and true attraction.

You’re driving in your car down by the water when you finally get the chance to listen to the album. It’s one of those moments that you try to lock in your memory forever because you can’t listen to your favorite song for the first time again. The heavy music contrasted with the eloquent lyrics is always what pulls you in. The lyrics always feel so delicate, and personal- while the music itself pulls you deep into the underground. It’s contradictory in the best way. You tap the steering wheel as you learn the beat, and stumble through singing the lyrics you anticipate coming up. When ‘To Echo’ starts, it shocks you to hear the piano fading in.

You know you need to see him again.

It’s only just starting to snow, flurries outside are not yet sticking to the pavement as they set up for their interview at the radio station. It was a standard press tour to promote the new album, and this was one of their first gigs. They’d be doing an interview and then the station would play some of the new tracks. They might also have fans call in to ask questions.

It’s always the same kind of questions, and Sam finds himself sort of on autopilot with his answers when the questions are directed at him. Most of the questions from the interviewer are directed toward Steve, his demeanor always made him like the default front man. Natasha was always too aloof, more of the mysterious one. And Bucky, well, was Bucky. More preoccupied with the so called spoils of war than any of the work it took to get there.

“So fans are dying to hear what’s the story behind ‘To Exho.’ The album has only been out for a few weeks and yet ‘To Echo’ is now easily your number 1 streamed song- topping any of your singles. It’s a sound that is not usually what you guys are known for- and people are dying to know if there actually is an ‘Echo,’ and if so- who is she?”

“It’s sort of a sister song to Echo, Don’t Fall for Narcissus- another one of our less well known songs, I supposed,” Sam answers, as the others look to him to answer as the main lyricist on all the tracks. “That first song was really more general- just a trend I would see happening. And ‘To Echo’ is a more individualized instance.”

“Can you tell us who she is?”

“Uh, it’s really not that simple. It’s more complex, really.”

“How so?”

“It’s someone- but, she isn’t consenting to be in this narrative, she’s not a public figure. I think if she hears the song- if she hears it, she’ll know- I’m hoping she knows. But, I’m not going to disclose anything that could disrupt her life. It’s not fair to her.”

“But you wrote a song, and put it on an album for the whole world to hear.”

“It’s addressed to her. So she can hear it. I don’t care who else listens. It was meant for her.”

“So why not just reach out to this person.”

“I didn’t know how else to.”

“Like a Cinderella?”

“More like an echo.”

The band is signing autographs at local record stores as they go through with their press tour. As they get closer to the city where he met you, Sam keeps hoping you’ll be there at one of the events, either a signing, or among the crowds that camp outside where they are getting interviewed. Maybe he’ll be able to see you, and somehow manage to talk to you again. He keeps getting his hopes up, but each time he walks out, he’s disappointed. All he could do is just hope by chance he’d get to see you again.

There’s an after party the band attends when he sees you again. A smaller band who’d opened for them before is performing at a hole in the wall place, and then the party after is in the basement of the venue. It’s not anything glamorous like the term after party would imply. It’s like a dingy frat party, and the whole place reeks of alcohol and smoke.

People are tightly packed in, and the music is blaringly loud in the way that shakes your skull. There’s clouds of smoke in the air from joints and cigarettes alike, and the floor is packed almost shoulder to shoulder. Everyone else seems to be in their element, Natasha and Steve ignoring everyone else around them, grinding against each other to the music. Bucky is in a similar situation with another girl Sam doesn’t recognize. It’s definitely not the date he arrived with. Sam’s vision is a little shaky from how much he’s drunk, and he doesn’t even know the name of the girl whose ass is currently pressed up against his crotch. It’s like he’s not even there. It feels like he’s floating up on the ceiling out of his body and he’s watching himself. It’s impossible for him to feel present. He can’t focus on anything, except that this girl isn’t you.

He doesn’t even realize you’re here, pressed against the back wall, yelling over the music to talk to the people around you. You don’t even know they’re here, and frankly, you’re not even sure how you managed to sneak your way in. You’re stumbling over to the keg on the other side of the room, when you need to scoot through the crowd of gyrating, sweaty bodies when you are finally back face to face with Sam Wilson.

“It’s y-you,” he says, shocked when you bump into him to pass by. He stands up straight, the sight of you sobering him up. He follows behind you as you walk, forgetting all about the girl that was in front of him.

“Yeah,” you giggle, “I can’t believe you remember me. I’m still so embarrassed. That wasn’t one of my shining moments.”

Remember you? How could he even forget you?

He looks around for his bandmates, and all three of them look like they’ll be here for a long time, probably until very early in the morning. He also hates looking away from you for more than a second because he’s worried you’ll disappear and his one chance of seeing you, talking to you is gone as quickly as you arrived. The universe is for some reason granting him a second chance and he is not going to fuck this up.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, just desperately needing to be able to hear himself think in order to talk to you. He can’t do this here, it’s not right. It’s all too much.

You nod, and he takes your hand, helping to guide you out toward the stairs to leave. He follows behind you up the stairs, and then out the doors. It’s dark, but humid out, stepping out into the summer night. He doesn’t know what to do next. He finally has you alone. To see you, talk to you, finally fulfill his unwavering desire to just be in your presence again, and now he’s paralyzed with where to take you.

“I could go for a coffee,” you shrug and tilt your head towards the one sign down the street that’s see on. Sam’s shoulder immediately relax when his eyes find the red neon sign you pointed out. It’s a short walk in comfortable silence as you go.

You’re sitting across from him in a booth in the far corner of the dinner when one of you speaks again. You run your hands over the torn sections of the pleather booth seats as you try to distract yourself from the nervousness you’re feeling. You two are the only souls here, except for the poor server working the night shift. Clearly disgruntled that you both came in.

“The new album was really, really great,” you comment, taking a sip of your coffee. He smiles, like your praise flustered him. You smirk slightly, a little proud of yourself.

“I’m glad you think so,” he replies, smiling down towards the counter, having trouble keeping eye contact. He’s thought about this, a lot. Imagining all the different ways he’d see you again, and now that’s it here, all the monologues he’d practice in his head are gone and his mind is just taken up by the presence of you.

The coffee has started to chill before either of you speaks again.

There’s so many things you want to ask him. And you want to tell him how you haven’t stopped listening to the album.

“Can I ask you something?” You ask, as he’s leaving money on the table to pay for the coffees and tip.

“Yeah,” he replies, looking up. You’d swear that he actually looked nervous.

“Why did you ask me to leave with you?” You ask. He sighs, and holds the door open for you as you both leave.

“I wanted to see you again,” he replies honestly. “I, uh, regretted not asking you to stay when you were leaving the first time.”

“I still feel so stupid about that whole thing,” you say with an embarrassed chuckle. “I made myself look so bad.”

“No, you didn’t,” he insists. “You’re perfect. Honestly. Blame us,” he says lightheartedly to make you feel better, “Bucky isn’t housebroken yet. That’s on us.”

“Can’t blame him, really,” you shrug, “I’m sure millions of guys in his position would just be the same way. That’s the dream, right?”

“It’s not about that,” he replies, agreeing with you, “it was never supposed to be about that. We didn’t get into music for the fame and the attention and all that bullshit.”

“So you don’t care about the fame?” You tease.

“It doesn’t suck,” he answers honestly, “some parts of it, yeah, for sure. But I’m not going to pretend like I’m still some starving artist and resent everyone who supports us. We do well, and I’m really proud of that- there’s nothing wrong with success- it’s just, if you aren’t careful it changes you. Or maybe it just exaggerates parts of you that were already there. I don’t know.”

“Fair enough,” you smile.

“Now, I have a question,” he jests and you nod, urging him to continue. “Why was Bucky your favorite?”

“I don’t even remember anymore,” you cringe, “Honestly? I suppose I had this idea in my head of what he was really like versus how he presents himself. Like I thought he would be different, or I don’t know- the stupid trope of the bad boy meeting someone worth changing for. It’s easier to justify when it’s all in your head.”

“I felt like that meeting some people too,” he admits, “you suddenly are meeting the musicians whose poster you had up on your wall and then you realize ‘wow, this guy is just a huge dick.’”

You laugh, and you both continue to walk. You don’t really know where you’re going, but it doesn’t matter. You just don’t want to have to part ways just yet. Who knows when you’d even see him again, if you would at all. You decide to just walk towards the direction of your apartment, just to have a destination in mind to not get lost. You’re about to invite him back, but then he speaks again.

“It’s about you,” he admits as you both are jaywalking across an empty intersection. “I mean, To Echo- the new one. I don’t know if you knew…”

“I suspected,” you reply, “I didn’t think it was, I thought the connection I was making was me just adding something to it that wasn’t a thing- you know?”

“I think,” he smiles. “Yeah, it was you. I don’t know. I didn’t know how to talk to you again- and I thought you’d hear the song until we met again- if I got to see you again.”

“Do you- um, do you want to come up?” you ask, gesturing to your apartment from the street where you both stand. He looks up, and then back to you smiling. You can see the way he finally lets himself relax. He chuckles to himself, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Please,” he smiles, his voice almost a whisper and you can hear the desperation and you feel your whole body shift.

He’s determined to show you what this means to him. It’s in the way his touches linger, and the way he carefully navigates everything in his mind- the urging desire to let you know he just wants to savor every moment of this. It’s not something he’s handling lightly, and he worries you won’t realize just how much he absolutely treasures the mere presence of you.

He’s not Bucky. He doesn’t do this. He doesn’t bring girls back to the hotel rooms or somehow work in a quickie in the bus bunk. He fully intends to take his time, and just make you understand you aren’t just another notch in his belt. He fully intends to show you just how he’s different in all the right ways. To make you finally understand, you aren’t one of the many. You’re not an echo he’s using to fuel his inflated ego. To him, you’re a mystery he’s desperate to unravel with each step up the narrow staircase to your apartment.

Part of you both know that this is in a way a buildup of long term infatuation. And that maybe he has most definitely built up an idea of who you are in his mind. But at this moment, it doesn’t matter. The only thing his mind will let him focus on is wondering how your lips could be so damn soft.

You feel your whole body warm as he trails closely behind you, kissing the back of your neck as you both maneuver your way through your apartment.

“I don’t usually do this,” you mumble against his lips, and you feel him smile back.

“Yeah,” he pants, “me neither.”

You chuckle, thinking he’s joking.

“Could only think about you,” he murmurs, hot breath tickling your neck as his hands just glide effortlessly over you. “Never thought I’d see you again.”

The movements to your bed are clumsy, but your entire body feels like an electric current is running through you the way the pads of his fingertips just touch any exposed skin he can. Sitting on the bed, he hovers over you and helps you out of your top. Then your bra, then he’s on his knees in front of you, pulling down the tights you wore ridiculously slow and kissing the sensitive skin of your thighs as he goes.

It’s almost painful how slow he’s going, the purposeful but lazy way he lets his hands and eyes wander. There’s a little glimmer in his eye, and a small smirk you’d miss if you weren’t looking. He’s enjoying it, the gradual unwrapping and the almost painful teasing. He’s paying attention to all the little details his senses will physically allow: the breeze from the slightly open window and the way the chilled air makes your nipples perk, the softness of your skin and your eyes on him, the sounds of sirens very far off in the distance and other noises of the city. He knows he might not get this again, but the lyrics almost write themselves as he holds on to the notion of preserving you just like this.

This. Touches like this are what songs describe. And it’s more than what anyone has been able to put into words. The precise feeling of the way your skin feels completely aflame and every single thing makes an electric spark. It’s hard to describe it in a way that doesn’t sound cliche. It’s rolling down the car window on the first nice day of the year, and it’s the moment in your mind when you realize you had a good day. It’s the feeling when your favorite song is playing in public and you need to control yourself as the joy bubbles up inside.

You get it now. The cynicism finally takes a back seat in your mind after months of self-deprecation. It’s freeing to let yourself feel wanted. To feel desirable, and sexy, and to let go. To just let yourself melt right into the mattress, and close your eyes to let your other senses take control to just focus on the sheer pleasure of it all. It’s a dance, and somehow you both know exactly how to follow one another in perfect unison.

Part of you knows that you won’t see him again. It’s okay, and it doesn’t make you feel empty. It’s a mutual understanding of how the world goes beyond just the two of you in this moment tucked away from it all. He doesn’t think the life he leads can let him have anyone for much longer than this. It’s too much to ask of anyone. The time apart would lead to the gradual, drawn out heart break. It would be cruel to fall in love this way. He’d only break you and you him. So, perhaps destined to see him again, you’ll see him smile from afar, and it’s the warm smile of a friend. No, not a friend. There’s much more to it than that. He’d look at you in the crowd and smile, but it won’t meet his eyes the same. You’re the one who he will always regret letting slip away, and the one who will clutter his mind of what-if’s and how every love song he writes after is always a little sad, because it’s nothing more than what could’ve been.

#sam wilson one shot #sam wilson x reader #rockstar!sam x reader

52 notes · View notes

imyourbratzdoll · 1 year ago

Text

Warnings and Reminders - Please do not plagiarise, copy, repost/republish, adapt, or translate any of my work on any social media platforms, apps, or third-party sites. The only platforms I post my work on are: Tumblr and Wattpad. I do not own any character of any franchise (Marvel etc.) All my works are fiction and may be dark or triggering content: READ ALL WARNINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING.

𝐒𝐀𝐌 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓:

♡ 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇 ➳ 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕 ❥ 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕 ❦ 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌

೫˚🖤❀ *ૢ🥀೫˚🌑

𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 ♡

summary - your partner comes home, and you two best relax by watching a movie together.

೫˚🖤❀ *ૢ🥀೫˚🌑

19 notes · View notes

thesugarclubs-blog · 2 years ago

Text

Take The Chance - Sam Wilson x OC

warnings: post-TFATWS Sam Wilson, strangers to lovers, first date vibes, pure fluff

word count: 8.8k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/1305965217-take-the-chance-talia

authors note: every month for 2023 we've decided to give ourselves a challenge; this month being Sam Wilson. For many of us, this is our first time writing him, so please be kind! We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it! 💙

Masterlist

“We’re home!” Sarah called into the house, as AJ ran around her through the door and straight up the stairs. “Clean your room! Do not go bug your brother!” She called after him, closing the door.

Sam laughed as he rounded the corner from the kitchen, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on the archway. He had come back to stay with Sarah and the boys for a while on his downtime to help her out where he could. It was his favorite place to be aside from up in the sky. Being home, surrounded by his community and the ones he loved always reminded him what exactly it was that he was fighting for.

“So, how much trouble is he in?” He quipped, smirking at his sister.

Sarah shook her head and sighed, “Surprisingly none, his teacher said he’s doing great this year. Even read me one of his creative writing assignments, which sounded suspiciously like a story about Captain America” She laughed.

Uncrossing his arms, Sam held his hands up in defense, “Whatever he told you, I didn’t help him write it - I just, you know, gave him some pointers! The rest was all him.”

“Whatever you did earned him a B minus, so I guess I owe you a thank you,” Sarah rolled her eyes as she pushed past her brother. “I ran into Talia on our way out of the school…”

“Don’t start this again, Sarah,” Sam warned.

She spun around and crossed her arms over her chest, “And don’t you use your Captain America voice on me! I’m just saying, I’ve known her for years and I think you two would get along”

Deep in his heart, Sam knew that his sister meant well, but after everything that had gone on with the flag smashers, he didn’t want to put someone else's life in danger just because they knew him. He wouldn’t risk it.

Sam shook his head and sucked in a deep breath, “And I’m just saying, I’m good. I’m happy. Can we drop it now?”

“You need a life outside of being Cap, Sam,” Sarah murmured softly as Sam wordlessly followed his sister back into the kitchen. They worked around each other, Sam prepping whatever Sarah passed him from the pantry ready for dinner as she made a grocery list, and he thought about how to respond.

“I have a life outside of that, here. With my family. And Bucky, when he’s up for being sociable.”

Sarah side-eyed him, leaning against the counter with a look that screamed ‘you just said the wrong thing, big brother.’

“Spending your days fixin’ up my porch and playin’ catch with your nephews is all well and good, Sammy, but don’t you get lonely?”

Sam sighed, trained his features not to give the truth away and instead turned to the fridge.

“You want me to check what needs stocking up in here?”

“Deflection only works so long,” Sarah hummed. “Don’t you want to find love like mom and dad had?”

“Sarah,” he leaned against the door of the fridge and dropped his gaze to the floor. Same conversation over and over, he’d rather be shot at than combat the emotional warfare Sarah waged on him. “I know you’re just trying to help and you know I want that, it’s just not the right time,” he turned to look at her, “you’re out of milk.”

“Insufferable,” she groaned, scribbling more to her list. “You act more like dad every day.”

“That’s not so bad. Qualifies me for one of those mid-afternoon snore naps he used to take in the living room,” Sam laughed.

Sarah let out one of the most ridiculous, almost condescending cackles that Sam had ever heard. It reminded him of their mother’s laugh and his sister emulated her almost perfectly when she chucked the keys to the truck at him with more sass than anyone in their family knew how to handle.

“The hell it does. Take your ass to the store or else nobody is eating tonight.” Sarah instructed, holding out the list she had written.

“So bossy, this is why you had no friends in school.” Sam joked, snatching the paper from her and grabbing the pen from where she dropped it on the counter to add milk to the list.

“Add a girlfriend to that list as well.” Sarah shot back with a smile and they both laughed in a mocking manner toward each other in a way that only siblings could.

There was a distant crash from upstairs, followed by a series of grunts and thuds. The boys were definitely up to something. Sarah groaned, hanging her head down- but Sam could see a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “AJ! Cass! You aren’t Avengers!”

The thuds stopped for a moment and were immediately followed by the pounding of footsteps. They echoed through the house and Sam couldn’t help but laugh. Memories of him and Sarah growing up in this house, doing the exact same thing, flooded his mind.

They heard the boys trip and tumble down the stairs, arguing over something to do with video games. Sam pocketed the grocery list and pen and snuck towards the stairs, staying out of view. Sarah laughed and shook her head. “I’m staying out of this,” Sam heard her mutter.

As soon as he could see the top of AJ’s head, Sam lifted him up and swung him over his shoulder. “Now you’ve done it,” Sam said, purposely lowering his voice. He faked the sternest look he could as Cass roared with laughter. “You’re making me use my Captain America voice!”

“Oh no! He got us!” AJ laughed hysterically, pretending to struggle in his uncle’s arms. Sam’s heart swelled as he continued to parade around the kitchen with AJ flung over his shoulder, a chorus of giggles and screams filling the room.

“Okay! Okay, boys, no roughhousing inside remember?” Sarah enunciated, including Sam in that. He rolled his eyes but set AJ down. “AJ, is your room clean?”

He wouldn’t look at his mom and Sam laughed. “Have fun with this, I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” Cass asked. “Can I come?”

Sam hummed, glancing down at his nephew. “Hmm, I don’t know.”

“Please!!” Cass whined, “I’ll help get the groceries!”

Sarah leaned against the archway and glanced up at Sam. “Take him. Maybe I’ll give AJ a chance to focus on his room.” She offered throwing her youngest a pointed look.

Sam chuckled and nodded clapping his hand on Cass’ shoulder. “Alright, kiddo let’s go,”

Cass’ smile widened along with his eyes, “Can we—“

“No Wings!” Both Sarah and Sam said in unison.

“But it’s so much faster!”

“And I’m not letting my child fly through the air like a bird,” Sarah shook her head and stepped towards Cass, her hands cupping his face, “not until you're fifty and gray and I’m long gone. Then you can be reckless with your Uncle.”

"Hey!" Sam quipped, trying to bite back a smirk.

He knew it was true realistically, but his sister didn't have to throw him completely under the bus. After taking Cass to school one time that way because he was late, suddenly it had become the only way he wanted to travel. One of the perks of having a superhero for an uncle.

Sarah just cocked her eyebrow at him and shook her head, as she spouted off a few other things they needed from the store.

"Cass, you listen to Uncle Sam, okay?" She said when she was finished, leaning her elbows on the counter and looking between the two of them.

"Yeah yeah!" He mocked, slumping toward the door dramatically.

Sam laughed, and went to follow his nephew, "If you think of anything else, just call"

Moving from behind the counter, Sarah placed her hand on Sam's chest, stopping him for a moment, "You wrote down girlfriend, right?" She poked, her facial expression turning serious for a moment, "Even Captain America needs someone to take care of him."

Sam didn’t give her the satisfaction of a real answer. Just sighed and waved his hand about half heartedly before flashing her a toothy grin as he ushered Cass out the door.

“You think you’re gonna find a girlfriend at the grocery store?” Cass asked as they climbed into the pickup, a skeptical eyebrow raised that was all Sarah Wilson.

“You can shut your pie hole too, or I won’t let you pick dessert,” Sam countered, firing the truck to life and turning the radio all the way up.

The grocery store wasn’t too busy for a Saturday and Sam was grateful the fewer people he had to shake hands with the better.

Not that it bothered him, the folks of the small town were so proud of him and they made sure he knew it.

“Get a cart,” Sam pointed to his right as the glass doors slid open. “No rusty wheel like last time,” he reminded him.

Nothing worse than trying to keep a low profile when the shopping cart sounds like a dying cat.

Cass darted off to find one with good wheels and Sam waited for him inside, staring at the flowers neatly bundled on display. He picked up a small bouquet mixed with pink and yellow flowers.

“Who are those for?” Cass slid up beside him, riding the cart like a scooter.

“Your mom,” he said setting them inside.

“Did we do something wrong?” Cass raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Sam patted him on the shoulder, “you should always bring your mom flowers. She deserves them more often.”

“For what?” The kid laughed.

“For putting up with the three of us all the time,” Sam shook his head.

“I don’t know about you but I’m fantastic.” Cass declared, his mother’s sass dripping from his mouth, and Sam couldn’t help but chuckle.

They strolled through the supermarket, going aisle by aisle starting in the produce section and saving the frozen goods and dairy for last. Cass stayed close, reading the list from behind Sam and running down the aisle to grab things he saw they needed, always being the helpful young man Sarah had raised him to be. It was times like these, the times when he was alone with his nephews that Sam felt just the slightest hints of heartache thinking about how much time he had missed with them and his sister in the five years he had been snapped out of existence.

Sure, it was just a food run but Sam wouldn’t have traded it for anything else. He was making up for lost time, trying his best to be the responsible male role model that they needed. Everything he did was for them and Sarah, of course, she always thought he was just trying to be a patriot and the perfect All-American man but it wasn’t a sense of honor or duty at all. Sam just wanted to make sure his nephews grew up in a world that valued the lives of people who looked like them, and that the world was safe for Sarah, AJ, and Cass.

He tried not to think like that too much though, always making sure that he checked himself and was grateful for the things he had in life. A great family and great friends and yeah, that did include the grumpy cyborg who once ripped a steering wheel from his hands. Sam laughed at the memory of Bucky as he grabbed a can of tomato sauce off the shelf, tossing it into his cart nonchalantly before looking up and not seeing Cass anywhere.

"Shit," he hissed, his heart rate spiking instantly. It wasn't a huge grocery store, but it was big enough for a kid to get lost in... or wander out the front door. "Hey, Cass! Where'd you go?!"

He tried not to panic as he pushed his cart down the aisle and got to the end, his head whipping right and then left. No sign of Cass. Until he heard what sounded like an impression of him.

"He's all, 'Cass, you can't do that! Cass, put that down! I'm Captain America and I make the rules!'"

It was terrible. He was trying to deepen his voice, but it was cracking. Honestly, it was worse than Bucky's impressions of him, and that was saying a lot. But it was definitely Cass's voice coming from the next aisle. Sam sighed and headed down the next aisle, spotting Cass talking to a woman with red hair and a soft, gorgeous smile. Her nose scrunched up when she laughed and Sam's stomach flipped.

"Hey!" He called. "For one, Cass, that's a terrible impression. Two, you can't just wander off like that!"

The woman laughed, a gentle hand reaching out to touch Cass’ shoulder - Sam noticed the way her eyes crinkled as she smiled, small dimples adorning her cheeks.

He felt something flutter in his stomach - Play it cool, Cap, he told himself. Probably because he skipped lunch today. Definitely not the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

He stuck his hand out, a warm smile plastered to his face. “I’m Sam. Sorry if my nephew is bothering you.”

She took his hand softly but fully, not shying away from him. Before she could introduce herself, Cass was huffing.

“She’s my teacher Uncle Sam, that’s Ms. Graham!”

Sam stared at his nephew for a moment, the name wracking through his brain. "Ms. Graham...as in.."

"Cass' teacher..." She finished with a sly grin, "and Sarah's friend, Talia."

His eyes went wide for a moment, another smile beaming across her face as the realization hit him. "Right! It's uh," He paused, realizing he was still holding her hand he glanced down at where they were linked, "you probably want this back..."

She breathed a laugh as he let go of her. The sound struck something within him. "It's nice to finally meet you in person Sam. Cass talks a lot about his uncle Captain America" Talia whispered the last two words, with a wink.

“Whatever he’s told you, I swear it wasn’t my fault!” Sam protested with a grin, folding his arms across his chest.

He might have flexed, just a little.

“So Cass telling me he flew to school the other week had nothing to do with you?” Talia smirked.

He threw a quick, playful glare to the boy. Hearing him muffle a giggle behind his palm and trying to give his best innocent face while his uncle sweated out an answer.

"In my defense; I didn't want him to be late more than he already was and we did not cross any speed limits," Sam said with the best straight face he could muster, her lips widened in a breathtaking laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling adorably and it only made his own smile grow at sight.

Talia's deep blue eyes flickered between Sam and Cass, as a sweet smile stayed on her plump pink lips, "Well, I guess getting him to school on time was top priority."

There was a strange fuzzy feeling deep in Sam's belly that he couldn't quite place. Maybe something he'd eaten that morning wasn't sitting right. But every time the girl in front of him flashed those eyes or her bright smile, it felt as if an eruption of fireworks was going off in his chest.

"Always," Sam softly smiled and ruffled Cass' head, gently nudging him to the side.

Cass pulled a face but went quiet beside him and Talia met Sam’s gaze with fond eyes.

“Well, I won’t keep you guys. Looks like you’ve got a long list there,” she said suddenly, hands already poised on her shopping cart.

Sam smiled, desperately trying to think of a way to keep the conversation going. There was usually a reason he didn’t listen to his sister but having now met Talia, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.

“We’re almost done, actually. Cass here just needs to choose a dessert but maybe we could—“

Before Sam could finish his sentence, Cass waved the shopping list in his face.

“Wait! There’s still one more thing on the list, Uncle Sam!” He interrupted, “riiiight at the bottom there. Maybe Miss Graham could help us find it?”

Sam narrowed his eyes at Cass, “I’m not above stuffing you in a garbage can,” he whisper warned. “I got friends in high places kid,” he reached for the grocery list.

“What is it?” She asked, looking between the two.

“Uncle Sam was complaining earlier that mom buys gross coffee,” Cass started in and Sam thought about pinching him to shut him up.

“I do not complain,” Sam defended himself but Cass waved the grocery list in the air. A silent threat. Sam instantly regretted teaching them the art of warfare.

Sam looked from the list in Cass’s hand to Talia and back. He had a feeling what he had written on there. He reached over and snatched it out of his hand.

“I put girlfriend on the list. Since mum said so too. Maybe you could ask Ms. Graham to help you out with that” Cass grinned.

Sam merely glared at the kid, heat rising in his face and through his ears. Talia’s eyes had gone wide and she let out the cutest laugh, covering her mouth quickly as if trying to take it back.

“That’s not on the list.” Sam insisted, shaking his head at the woman.

“Oh, it’s not?” She questioned, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“Definitely not,” Sam repeated nervously, crumpling the list in his fist when Cass began protesting, trying the pry the paper from his uncle's hand to show his teacher that he was not a liar.

"Cass, stop."

"You stop!" Cass protested. "Gimme the list! I wrote it down!"

"Cass..." Sam warned.

"You're making me look bad in front of Ms. Graham, dude!" Cass yelped as Sam held the paper high above his head, his nephew desperately jumping to grab it. He bumped up against Sam in an effort to knock him over. Sam felt his face heating up with each passing second. This kid had no tact. He definitely got that from his mom.

"Hey!" Sam barked as Talia's shoulders shook with laughter, her face red, and one hand covering her mouth. "You don't call your uncle dude."

"Then ask Ms. Talia to be your girlfriend!" He grunted jumping to reach Sam's hand that was still too high for him to reach.

Talia's brows knit together, her face still beet red and a grin to die for hiding behind her hand. Sam winced, glancing over at her as he stood firm against his nephew.

I'm sorry. He mouthed to her before glaring at Cass, "Listen Kiddo, there's more than just asking someone that. You have to..."

"Date," Talia interrupted earning a soft glance from Sam.

"That's right, you have to date someone first," He finished, "it takes time, so why don't you go pick out the dessert for tonight?"

With a frustrated huff, Cass stopped his assault on his uncle and stomped off towards the dessert aisle. Sam shook his head with a wry smile and turned his full attention to Talia,

“He’s a bit…much, but I guess you already know that,” he said.

“It’s fine, honestly. He’s a cute kid,” Talia smiled back.

"Yeah, when he's not being a little shit." He embarrassingly turned away from her to watch the kid.

Sam kept an eye on Cass as he stood far from them doing his job of choosing dessert, the woman's warm presence next to him was a little distracting. Maybe even welcomed.

She didn't leave immediately which only served to power the butterflies taking residence in his belly.

"I'm really sorry about him," he turned his eyes back on her and she was already smiling up at him, "I hope we didn't bother you."

He tried to subtly tuck the paper in his pocket but the crinkling noise it made had her letting out a soft chuckle.

"It's okay."

"Come on, Uncle Sam! Are you gonna ask her out or what?" Cass called down the aisle, as he waved a chocolate cake in the air. "Can't cross it off the list until you do" He snipped.

Sam sucked in a deep breath and sucked his teeth, as he rubbed his hand against his forehead, willing himself not to kill his nephew in public. The idea bounced around in his head for a moment, as he watched Talia's eyes flicker to their shoes and back up again. Man, this girl was pretty.

Clearing his throat, Sam swiped his tongue along his bottom lip, "Look, he's not going to stop bugging me if I let this pass by, so would you like to grab a coffee with me tomorrow?" He finally asked.

She giggled once more, and nodded her head once, "I'd love to..." She softly smiled, looking up and meeting his dark eyes. "You know, to save your sanity," Talia commented, shooting him a wink.

“Did she say yes?!” Cass’ voice carried through the store so loudly that several people stopped what they were doing, curious and then disappointed when they realized they hadn’t actually just happened across a proposal in the middle of the dessert aisle.

Sam wrangled Cass into a soft choke hold the moment he stopped beside them, “seriously, man. You gotta work on your inside voice.”

“I’ll add that to Monday’s lesson plan,” Talia giggled, “what did you choose, Cass?”

She gestured to the box in the boy’s hands and he held it up with a cheeky grin.

“Key lime pie,” he replied, wiggling out of Sam’s hold. And then in a stage whisper, he leaned in and added, “it’s his favourite.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she nodded.

“So tomorrow?” Sam looked from Cass to Talia with his eyebrow raised. “I promise to leave motor-mouth at home.”

“Hey!” Cass groaned.

“You have homework I’m sure isn’t done,” Taila turned her gaze to his nephew.

Sam’s breath hitched as the last of the afternoon sun peered through the front windows of the store and reflected through Talia’s icy blue eyes.

“I think getting you a boyfriend should earn me an A!” Cass laughed as both Talia and Sam groaned no simultaneously.

“Well… I guess that’s everything then. We better get going, otherwise, my sister will be mad that we’re late for dinner” Sam said as he began to push the cart to the checkout. Talia followed close behind.

As they were standing in line Sam turned around.

“Uhhh… did you want to give me your number? Or I could give you mine? So we could … you know, plan for tomorrow?” He asked nervously pulling out his phone and almost dropping it. Talia giggled as she pulled out her phone.

“Fire away Captain.” She teased, waiting for him to recite his number to her and he did, almost forgetting it in the process.

She seemed to sense his nervousness, contemplating something as she smiled, lips pressed tightly together as her fingers typed something out.

His phone dinged immediately, her number now locked securely in and he flashed her as confident a smile as he could muster, not bothering to glance at what she had sent him.

“I’ll uh… message you later then.” He huffed, trying to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest as he handed the cashier his card.

"Great," she replied as she loaded her stuff onto the conveyor belt while Sam paid and Cass made a big show of grabbing all of the bags at once. Talia laughed as Cass tried to hold them up over his head and nearly toppled over.

"You need to do some more push-ups," Sam teased as the cashier handed him his receipt. He turned to Talia and winked, some of that charm flooding back instinctually.

"See you later, Sam," she laughed. "Bye, Cass!"

"Bye, Ms. Graham!" Cass called as they headed out of the store, the boy struggling with the bags as he walked.

"Cass, give me some of those," Sam chuckled as he took two of the four bags and Cass heaved a sigh of relief. They loaded them into the car and Cass sprinted for the driver's side.

"I call shotgun!"

Sam chuckled.

"Not in a million years. How're you gonna drive with no keys?"

Cass rolled his eyes but reluctantly walked to the passenger side door and opened it as Sam got in. His phone buzzed, but he ignored it as he started up the car.

"Are you gonna get that?" Cass teased. "It might be your girlfriend."

Sam grinned and shook his head.

"It's probably your uncle Buck. I bet he broke the TV again."

Cass laughed, the sound filling the car. "Hopefully the remote isn't stuck in the tv screen like last time. Mom was so mad at him."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "You tell the cyborg once to boot up Netflix and its like he's trying to crack some sort of ancient code."

"Which should be easy for him since he is ancient," Cass giggled leaning against the car door.

"Careful, he's got super hearing, you don't know what happens if he hears you call him that," Sam teased as continued the drive home. Cass froze in the seat next to him, wide-eyed and looking terrified. "Just sayin'..." Sam laughed.

“Don’t tell him I said that Uncle Sam. Pleeease!” Cass begged dramatically, gripping his Uncle’s arm.

“How ‘bout you stop trying to set me up with your teacher and I won’t tell your Uncle Buck you called him ancient, hmmm?” Sam teased.

“Aww but…” Cass began but was interrupted.

“I see how it is,” Sam nodded, reaching for his phone. “I’m just gonna give him a quick call right now…”

"No! I'm sorry! I was just doing what mom told me!" Cass shouted, looking terrified. Sam howled and nudged his nephew's head.

Bucky was always a great threat to use against the boys. As much as they loved him, and Bucky had fun with them, both boys still seemed to be a little bit scared of him and Sam loved using that to his advantage. The super soldier had been a great addition to their little family and had slowly become another fun uncle to the boys.

Throughout the rest of the evening, a soft smile stayed plastered on Sam's face as thoughts of the redhead's icy blue eyes and sweet laughter echoed through his head.

Sam liked Sundays in Delacroix more than anything. When he was younger, it meant family trips to church and cookouts.

Today, however, he found himself rummaging through the one duffle bag he packed looking for something appropriate to wear for a coffee date.

Not that he was nervous, Sam liked to think of himself as a natural dater when he didn’t have his 11-year-old nephew as a wingman. But he wanted to look good for Talia like he had his shit together.

When he finally found something, he jogged downstairs to the smell of pancakes and bacon — and a double take from Sarah as he appeared in the kitchen.

“And who are you dressed up all nice for?”

Sam opened his mouth to come up with an excuse but Cass slid in to answer for him, “he’s going to meet Ms. Graham for coffee.”

Cass pointed his finger to his mouth and pretended to gag.

“Snitch,” Sam tossed a piece of bacon into his mouth, his hand short of being slapped by Sarah.

“Talia?” Sarah leaned over, flipping the pancakes. “I couldn’t have predicted that,” she laughed under her breath.

“I got cornered,” he shot a look at Cass.

“Well you look handsome,” she patted his chest with the palm of her hand as she turned to set the towering plate of pancakes on the table.

Sam took a seat and grabbed a plate and took some pancakes. Despite being nervous about the coffee date he was excited to see Talia again.

“So… where are you taking Talia?” Sarah asked handing Cass the orange juice.

"We're just going for coffee. Figured I'd do something simple."

"Oh, so I guess that means more of this for me," Sara replied as she grabbed his empty mug. Sam put his hand over hers and shook his head, laughing.

"Hey, whoa. Let's not get crazy, okay? Fill that up." Sarah arched an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. He knew better than to piss off his sister, so he plastered on a big smile before adding, "Please, Sarah?"

She frowned at him as she poured him a cup and he sighed as he picked up his fork. Cass looked up at him.

"Are you scared of Talia?"

"Why're you asking?" Sam laughed as the question caught him off guard.

"You're sweating," Cass observed. His brother nodded beside him.

"Big time."

Sam's throat clenched a little. This job was lonely, and it was hard. Grueling. What if things went really well and they started seeing each other regularly? He'd be away a lot, on missions and assignments. Since he got the job, he'd been reluctant to branch out and start dating again. Sam just accepted that it was a part of his life that he wouldn't be able to fully embrace; that he wouldn't be able to be there for another person because he was trying to save the whole damn world all the time. He smiled at Cass despite the ache in his chest. Sarah stared at him from across the table, her eyes a little misty as she watched him. She always knew what he was thinking. They'd been in sync since they were kids.

"Just a little," Sam replied as he cleared his throat.

“You shouldn’t be,” Cass replied easily, having no clue what his uncle was thinking. “Ms. Graham is the coolest. She’s kinda tough sometimes but she almost always lets me line up first for recess because I finish my work first.”

Sam smiled, nudging his nephew lightly. “Thanks, kid, I needed that.”

With a deep breath, he glanced back over at Sarah. She smiled softly at him, the one she always did when he needed a little more reassurance and courage.

“Just be you, don’t worry about five years from now, or even tomorrow Sam, just enjoy the day with her.” Sarah encouraged taking a sip of her coffee, “you can worry about the rest later.”

Sam nodded his head. He could do that, focus just on her. And those eyes. And the freckles that speckled her cheeks like constellations.

The drive to the coffee shop wasn’t long but Sam’s mind whirled, filled with the voices of his nephews, who’d shouted advice at him even as he was walking out of the door.

”Just be yourself.”

”Make sure you smile.”

”Yeah, but a normal smile, not your weird smile.”

He managed to find a space close to the entrance, parked up and then sat in his car for a moment, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Ok, we can do this... It's just a date," He mumbled to himself, as he sucked in a shaky breath, catching the glimpse of Talia's fiery red hair glinting in the sunlight as she came to a stop outside the coffee shop and shot him that gorgeous smile of hers.

Sam returned the smile, and hopped out of the truck, "Good timing," he commented, running his hand over the back of his neck. "You look... Wow, beautiful" He stammered as he came to stand in front of her.

Talia chuckled, and grinned up at him, "Looking pretty good yourself there, Sam"

The dark navy blue cardigan that hung around her shoulders made the blue in her eyes pop out even more, and Sam felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked at her. He cleared his throat, noticing that he'd been staring at her, and moved to open the coffee shop door, "Shall we?" he smirked.

“Such a gentleman,” Talia smiled, thanking him with a gentle touch to his arm as she passed by.

Sam’s heart was pounding, rushing in his ears. He took a deep breath and followed her into the coffee shop, eyeing up a table in the corner where it would be quiet enough for them to actually talk.

“Did you wanna go take a seat over there and I’ll order us some drinks?” He asked, flashing her a smile. His usual smile because it’s damn charming, thank you very much.

Talia beamed back at him, eyes bright and cheek dimpled adorably.

“I’ll have a mocha, white chocolate… with vanilla, please.” She said bashfully, “major sweet tooth.”

Sam wasted no time ordering their drinks, and as he went to collect them the young girl behind the counter met him with a smile, “on the house.” She said sliding a chocolate croissant toward him. “She orders one every morning.”

“Thank you,” he said picking up the plate as he juggled the coffees in his hands.

Talia watched him with a sweet smile as he made his way carefully toward her.

She was so pretty, his hands were starting to sweat. Be cool, he told himself. He was usually so much better at this, but being snapped, taking up the mantle, and throwing himself into this job-- no, this life-- meant that he felt like a fish out of water a lot of the time. He flashed her a warm smile and tucked himself into the chair, handing her her coffee.

And then the awkward silence found them. She sipped at her drink and he did the same, not knowing what to say to her. Panic started to set in and he took a deep breath.

"So, what does Sam Wilson do on his days off? Aside from taking a broke teacher out for coffee? Thank you, by the way."

She winked at him and took another sip of her drink. She was charming, he had to admit that. It almost felt like she sensed how nervous he was. He chuckled, relief flooding his body. She didn't ask what Captain America did, she asked about Sam. He could have cried. He didn't, but he could have.

"The pleasure's all mine. And, uh, aside from Sunday breakfast with my sister and my nephews--"

"I believe you called them little shits."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"Only sometimes. But I don't do much. Free time is a bit of a luxury I'm not often afforded. I'd say taking a pretty woman out for coffee has been a nice end to the week."

Talia looked up at him through her lashes, her chin tilted down and a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Home run, slugger,” she teased. Sam could feel a cold sweat immediately rise to the surface of his palms- she was good at banter and her eyes were entrancing. He was in trouble.

They continued to stare into each other’s eyes- Talia’s hand lightly traced the edge of her mug and Sam’s eyes were immediately drawn to the movement. He noticed how slender and delicate her hands were, adorned with a few rings. He found himself wondering what it would feel like to walk hand in hand with her-

“So,” he cleared his throat and immediately wiped his palms on his thighs under the table. God forbid they hold hands later and he’s as clammy as a teenager. “What do you do on your days off?”

“I spend it with my family and friends. My kids get my week, and everyone else gets my weekend. And sometimes, like now, I get to spend it on myself,” Talia winked at Sam, a warm smile on her face, and he felt a stirring in his chest, his heart beating faster than usual.

The conversation lulled a little as they sipped at their drinks and Talia shared the croissant and secret smiles with him across the table.

Sam couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this, all warm and fluttery just from eye contact. At least his nerves had settled, soothed by easy conversation and good coffee. It was nice to just be Sam Wilson for a little while, and that helped too.

“How long are you in town for?” Talia asked as they finish up the pastry. And just like that, Sam was reminded that his time back home was temporary, always would be for as long as he was Captain America.

His heart squeezed a little as the panic spread. It had been a long time since he felt that pang of fear and sadness. Almost a twist of regret, as he stared across the table at her, knowing she expected an answer.

Leaving Sarah and the boys had become natural. Sad, sure but something that had turned routine for the four of them. Talia was a new variable, one he hadn’t planned for but now sat stunned because the fear of leaving her crept up on him without warning.

“I'm never sure,” he nodded, “sometimes it’s weeks, months but someone always calls.”

“That must be difficult,” she reached across the table and linked her fingers to his, steadying the tremor in his palm. “Leaving them I mean,” she said.

“Leaving is easy, it’s coming home to overworked Sarah and confused Cass and AJ that my heart doesn’t agree with,” Sam admitted uncomfortably. “Always feels like I’m making excuses for saving the world.”

"You shouldn't have to," Talia said softly.

He chuckled. and smiled at her, their fingers still linked.

He wanted to unload the weight in his chest. He wanted to tell her to run, that what she wanted to dive into was bad for her. He was bad for her. She'd be alone a lot, missing him. They'd have to get by through texts and phone calls-- and that's if service was available and decent. He'd come home battered and bruised, and she'd want to take care of him. He couldn't burden another person with that.

Instead, he just whispered, "that's sweet of you to say."

"I meant it," she replied.

Talia kept her blue eyes focused on his. Sam could feel the familiar sting of tears and furiously blinked. He wasn’t ashamed to cry, but damn, he did not want to cry on their first date. It seemed too vulnerable- like he would push her away even if he didn’t verbally warn her about the mess that was being an Avenger. He started to tug his hand away to grab a napkin, but Talia’s fingers wrapped tighter around his.

“Hey,” she cooed, sitting up in her chair. “I can’t pretend to know what it’s like to be you, to have your job…” Talia continued looking at him, her eyes soft and filled with kindness. “But you’re here right now. And that means everything to Sarah and the boys.”

Sam felt his heart clench, a lump in his throat and he nodded, gently squeezing her slender fingers. He placed an elbow on the table, covering and rubbing his jaw with his free hand, trying to get himself back together.

Talia let him take his time, then quietly asked, “Would you like to take a walk? I always find that fresh air helps everything.”

Sam felt his heart trip again and nearly stuttered as he replied, “That sounds like a great idea.”

The two of them drank the last drops of their coffees and headed back out into the street, Sam once more opening the door and allowing Talia out first, like the gentleman he was raised to be. He moved around her, grazing his hand on her lower back as he passed and made sure she was walking on the inside away from the road. He wasn't sure anymore if it was his southern upbringing or his newly-formed hero self, but there was always that ting of protection mode in the back of his mind.

"Okay tell me, what got you into teaching?" He questioned, their hands brushing together, allowing him to link his pinky gently with hers.

Talia took a deep breath of fresh air, and looked up to the sky for a moment, "My younger sister..." She spoke softly. "She's quite a bit younger than me, and I was always helping her with homework, teaching her how to ride a bike, you know stuff like that... I guess teaching for me was just the natural next step"

“You’re good at it,” Sam murmured softly and Talia glanced up at him with an adorably confused smile.

“And how would you know that?”

“I get to see the evidence of it in Cass. He speaks so highly of you, not to mention how much Sarah gushes over you. You’re shaping young minds, takes special people to do that.”

Talia blushed and Sam tried to commit to memory the soft pink hue behind her freckles and the way her eyes creased at the corners as she grinned up at him.

“Well thank you, I try my best. And I love those kids, they’ve all got something to bring to the table, y’know? Compassionate, smart…”

“Always running their mouth,” Sam laughed, “or is that just my nephew?”

She nudged him with her body as they walked down the street, “I wouldn’t be much of a teacher if I talked badly about my students,” she laughed. “But Cass is too clever for his own good.”

“I won’t tell him if you don’t,” Sam encouraged.

“Our little secret,” Talia cooed.

"Thanks, I don't need that kid's ego getting bigger." He smirked. "It's almost the size of mine."

Talia snorted with laughter and shook her head. They walked in silence for a little while and she bumped her shoulder against him. Sam couldn't stop thinking about how pretty she was, and how every time he looked over at her, he felt something pull at his chest. Something inside of him was trying to keep that door shut, but here she was, kicking it down over and over again.

Talia sighed and he glanced over to see her looking around as people strolled past them.

"Are you going to ask me what made me want to be Captain America?" He asked.

She smirked and shook her head.

"Nope," she replied. "I already know the answer to that."

He couldn't stop smiling as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you do, do you?" His tone was teasing, but the look in her eyes told him that she was serious.

"Yup. You're a good man with a good heart, standing up for what's right." She turned to him. "Call me crazy, but I'm more interested in you, not the shield you pick up to save the world."

Boom. Talia’s words broke the hinges right off the damn door that was holding him back.

Sam stopped walking, feet planted firmly on the pavement. He could feel confidence coursing through his veins. As Talia went to take another step forward, he lightly tugged their linked pinkies back, twirling her around. The giggle that escaped her lips set a fire in the very center of his chest.

His other hand quickly found her waist and she stepped directly in front of him, their shoes almost touching. It was like a dance move. She linked all her fingers through his hand and giggled again, taking another step forward and pulling her body closer to his.

“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice steady. “I don’t mean to be this forward, you’re just so… I think you’re-” He couldn’t find the right word. Wonderful? Incredible? Impossibly amazing?

Talia smiled, looking up at him through her lashes. “Yeah, I think you are too,” she whispered.

She tilted her head up towards him, her eyes fixed on his lips. Sam couldn’t believe his luck. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers gently. She leaned into the kiss and Sam moved his hand from her waist to the small of her back. He pulled away, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him.

Talia looked up into his eyes, a twinkle in them that Sam immediately wanted to see again and again.

Sam cupped her face gently, thumbs stroking her cheekbones, leaning down again, pausing just before they touched. Talia closed the gap easily, already moving, and Sam smiled into the kiss before focusing on the feel of her lips against his, soft but not afraid.

Every nerve in Sam's body ignited and in that moment all he wanted to do was keep kissing her. The feeling of her lips, the way her fingers curled into the fabric of his sweater. For a moment, his fears and sadness disappeared with the world around them. All that there was, was the two of them.

Sam pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, brushing the tips of their noses together, "If I don't stop now, I'm just going to keep kissing you..." He whispered, pulling a giggle from her plump kiss bitten lips.

"And is that such a bad thing?" She teased, moving to look up at him and pressing her body into his.

There was no way Sam would admit to Sarah that she was right, or thank Cass for pushing him into this. But this girl really was great for him. Both of them different kinds of heroes; for once he was on a date where someone was interested in him and not just being on a date with Captain America.

He brushed a small lock of red hair back behind her ear and stole another small kiss from her soft lips.

“You up for a walk?” Sam asked his lips hovering above hers.

“Lead the way,” she smiled.

He moved back from her, turning toward the pier he started to walk. Not noticing that she had stopped to tie her shoe until her hand linked into the crook of her elbow.

“On your left,” she whispered as she slid into place, resting her head on his shoulder.

He looked down at her, heart pounding harder than it ever had before and for the first time in a long time he felt relaxed.

It was still warm, the sun lingering on them for a little while longer. As they got to the pier, she leaned up against him and Sam spotted a couple of benches that faced the water. He felt a lump in his throat, remembering his parents. Every single Saturday night, his dad took his mom out for a nice dinner, and then they walked along the pier and made sure to get there before sunset. They'd sit for hours, just talking. They had the kind of relationship that Sam always wanted.

"You okay?" Talia asked.

"Yeah," he managed to choke out. "Just, uh... my parents used to sit on that bench, watch the sunset together. My dad took her out here for their very first date. I always think about them when I come here. Makes me feel closer to them to be here."

Keeping their hands in a warm embrace, Talia snaked her other hand around his forearm. She traced over the fabric of his sweater and looked up at him. His heart almost burst at the sight of this gorgeous woman, wrapped around his arm. “Thank you for sharing that with me,” she whispered. “Let’s go sit for a bit.”

He nodded and they made their way to the closest bench, still walking closely together. He should have been tripping over his own feet but something about her kept him calm, steady. “This one okay?” she asked, breaking their half-embrace to plop down on a bench.

“That one’s perfect,” Sam said, smiling fondly. He sat down beside her, arm resting along the back of the bench, behind Talia. She leaned into him, slightly into his side, resting her hand on his knee, drumming a simple rhythm.

Taking in a deep breath, the two of the gazed out at the water in front of them. Sam took the moment to reflect on the other dates he'd had in the past few months. It dawned on him that none of them were actually interested in him. They hadn't even asked any real questions about himself, but Talia right off the bat just treated him as him. As Sam Wilson. His dark eyes turned and took in every piece of her. The small curls along her hairline, every freckle that adorned her cheeks, the way sunlight reflected in the sunbursts around her pupils.

"It really is beautiful isn't it?" Talia sighed, snuggling into him.

A soft smile crept back onto Sam's lips, unable to turn his eyes away from her, "Yeah, it really is" He whispered back.

Talia looked back up at him, and breathed out a small laugh when she realized he was looking at her, "You're just a big softy aren't you?" She asked, placing a kiss on his jawline.

Sam laughed, and squeezed her shoulder, "I have to admit something to you.."

"Oh no, you're not the real Sam Wilson, are you?" She teased.

"No," he laughed with her, "I know Cass was the reason you and I are out right now, but that's why I asked you out. Truth is, I actually wanted to, but I didn't know how. Cass just pushed me to get there."

“I’m glad he did,” she smiled rubbing her hands together.

“Are you cold?” He asked, unwrapping himself from her.

He turned slightly, taking her small hands between his and rubbing them as he brought his mouth closer and breathed warm air between them. She watched him carefully through her thick lashes as he warmed her hands.

“Thank you,” she leaned against his hold. “I see why your dad brought your mom out here,” she nodded toward the horizon.

Sam glanced at the water before returning his gaze to the blue sea in her eyes, sparkling in the sun.

“Yeah, I can see why too,” he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her fingers. Talia’s cheeks flushed and she grinned, freeing one hand to stroke just above his ear, leaning in and kissing him.

Sam felt her melt into the kiss when his hands went to the back of her neck, supporting her head as he gently traced her lower lip before pulling away.

Every little kiss they shared and small giggle that left her lips engrained itself in Sam's memory and suddenly it was all he thought about. Sam could have sat there for hours tracing every feature of her beautiful face and taking in every little thing that she had to say. All the nerves in his body were on fire when the realization hit that it had been a long time since he'd felt this way for anyone. Bringing back that thought of what was going to happen when his duty called him back away. It was going to be something they would have to deal with together if she was up for it.

"As much as I really don't want this day to end..." Talia sucked in a deep breath and peppered his jawline with kisses. "I really do have grading to get done for tomorrow, and I am sure your nephews are sitting at the window waiting for you to come home," she teased.

Sam groaned, and pulled her tightly into his side, "I know you're right..." he whispered, turning to press his lips gently to her forehead, "I didn't realize how late it'd gotten" He chuckled.

The two of them stood and made their way back to where their cars were parked. Sam hooked an arm around Talia's waist and pulled her flush into his body. "So, can I take you out again?" He smirked down at her.

"Of your own volition, or is this Cass speaking again?" She smirked, curling a finger into the collar of his sweater.

Sam laughed, and dipped his head to trace his lips along her neck, "Oh this is definitely me asking..."

Talia hummed, and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, "Then yes, I would absolutely love to see you again"

Bringing his face back up, and brushing their noses together, Sam smiled into her lips as his arms tightened around her. Finally, he let her go and the two of them said their goodbyes, with promises of another date. He watched her red hair swing over her shoulder as she walked away from him and rounded the corner to climb into her car.

Sam leaned against the hood of his truck, and sucked in a deep breath, grinning up at the clouds. He was never going to hear the end of this, but there was no way he couldn't not thank Sarah and Cass for pushing him into this. Sure, there was going to be some job stuff to figure out when he no doubt got pulled away for a case, but for some reason the way his heart swelled and the happiness he was finally feeling made it all worth it.

25 notes · View notes

darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 14 days ago

Text

Never Let You Go

Inspired by this post; in the same universe as this and this and this

Warnings: non/dubcon, power imbalance, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Sam Wilson

Summary: you run into an old face as you try to build a new life.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

“Richard, hi,” you approach the table on the cafe patio. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“Oh, don’t fret, I’m always impeccably early,” he stands to greet you and offers his hand, “so good to finally meet in person.”

“Yes, finally,” you smile. “I really appreciate you coming all the way down here.”

“I’m of a mind to try new things,” he says. “Especially local places. They put a touch more care into their food.”

“Have you ordered? They have a great curried egg salad.” You suggest as you claim the seat across from him. He sits as well.

“Just a coffee,” he says.

“Sounds great,” you reply. “Could use one as well but if you’d rather just get to business--”

“Go on, I can wait,” he assures as he checks his watch. “Our meeting is still ten minutes away, technically.”

“I’ll be quick,” you get up with the promise.

You head for the door and dip through to join the queue. You’ve been looking forward to the snickerdoodle latte all day and yet Richard spoiled that by being even earlier than you. It’s a good sign at least. It means you’ll probably get the commission.

You wait your turn patiently. You sway back and forth. You greedily ogle the desserts in the case, your restraint at battle with your sweet tooth. Your eyes are drawn to the paper taped to the glass. ‘Under New Management. Fun changes coming soon!’

You come here a couple times a week and you had no idea. You suppose you didn’t ask. You’re always in autopilot; you get in, get your coffee, and go.

Your turn comes and you step up to order your latte. The snickerdoodle is discontinued. Oh. You get the vanilla bean instead. No use being picky, much more important things to tend to.

As you pay, a familiar tone catches your ear. It can’t be. The timbre flows through the open door to the back. You take your coffee and go.

It’s all in your head. You’re not paranoid, just a little... cautious? It’s been months. You’re in a new neighbourhood, you cut all your former clients, well, the ones he didn’t chase away, and you have a new favourite coffee shop. Things are looking up.

You take your order and return to the table. Richard looks up, smiling over his cup.

“The coffee is great. I understand they have a new supplier,” he says. “I was chatting with the new owner, he said it’s hand-roasted.”

“Oh, wow,” you smile. “I didn’t even know it was sold,” you push your shoulders up and set your cup on the table. “Did you want to see my mock-ups?”

“I certainly would,” he says.

You bring your bag into your lap and slide out your tablet. You flip back the case and scroll through your folders. You open his file and turn the screen towards him.

“You can look through,” you say. “I used the pictures you sent me and I applied the changes digitally. I even have an invoice with an inventory of paints, flooring, fixtures. The furniture is separate for ease. And if there’s anything you want to switch out or change or keep, we can do that as well.”

“Ah,” he takes the tablet. He drags his thumb across. You watch him as he focuses on the screen. “A talented editor too.”

You turn your head. You don’t want to pressure him. It’s normal for clients to have feedback. You had your initial consultation online and you got his general ideas but it’s different when you can see it.

“Did you have any alternates? I think this dove grey is immaculate but I’m curious. If we could do around the fireplace in a different colour perhaps?”

“Oh, I could do something else. I did have another idea for that but it was entirely different. Rustic. The brick was red clay and the walls hardwood.”

“Interesting, you have that?” He wonders.

“Sure, it’s in my drafts.” you reach across.

You take it back and shuffle through to your drafts. You return it to him and he clucks. “I’m afraid I’ve made a terrible mistake,” he remarks. You wince. “I’ve now brought myself to stalemate. I’m not sure which on I prefer.”

“Oh,” you chuckle in relief, “well, it’s easier when you see swatches and materials. That could be the deciding factor.”

“Probably best,” he agrees.

He gives you back the tablet and you return it to the other file. You offer it again and he continues to browse. He hums and lowers it again.

“I know one thing for sure. You’re hired,” he grins. “When can we begin?”

“As soon as you like,” you try to repress your excitement. Admittedly it’s been difficult since your break-up. Relocating destroyed much of your existing client-base.

“Wonderful,” he says. “Not to rush out but it is such a nice day and I think we are agreed. If you don’t mind, could you forward those images? I could offer more specific notes?”

“Sounds good,” you take the tablet. “Thank you so much.”

“Not at all,” he stands and grabs his cup, draining what’s left in the porcelain before setting it back down. “Have a wonderful day.”

“You too,” you smile.

He leaves and you watch after him. You’re ecstatic. You don’t have to dig any further into your savings.

You sit back and grab your cup. You haven’t even tried the latte. It's not bad. Not the sort of vanilla that’s too sweet.

“Is it good?” The voice startles you. Not only because it’s unexpected, but because it’s familiar. The same one you were sure you didn’t hear inside. There’s no way... “I changed the recipe. Upgraded the machines...”

You look up and put the cup down. You gape at Sam as he steps closer and puts his fingertips on the wooden tabletop. “Lot of changes, huh, honey?”

You gulp. “What?”

“It’s a cute place but the management was a disaster. Tanking. But I made an investment--”

“Sam,” you croak, “how...”

“You blocked my number, yeah, I know.” He smirks.

You blink. You know better than to argue. Disengage. You put your tablet in your bag and stand, abandoning the latte you’d looked forward to all day.

He as quick as ever. He catches your wrist over the chair. You tug and look around, “Sam,” you hiss.

“Shh,” he hushes you. “You know what happens when you make a scene.”

He calmly sits and draws you closer. You try to resist but he’s too strong. You peer around. No one else seems to notice the tense encounter. If you cry out now, it will be just like that night you broke up with him. For the fourth time.

He forces you down, onto his lap. Now that might catch a few glances. You shift and lean away from him, your hip pressing into the table.

“Let me go,” you plead.

“So, you moved on quick.”

You wince. It’s been almost a year.

“New place, new coffee, new... man,” he grits the last word.

“He was a client.”

“Oh, I know how you are with your clients,” he sneers. “All bubbly. You were never like that with me, baby.”

“I tried. Sam, you know it’s over.”

“I never agreed to that,” he snarls.

“Sam,” you warn in a flat tone. “Let go or I will scream.”

“You changed a lot,” he ignores the threat. “Your mom didn’t though. She’s still in the brownstone.”

“Sam,” you repeat.

“I really did miss hearing you say my name.”

Your eyes wet with helplessness. How did it come to this? How did that charming, funny man you met all those years ago turn into this? You mourn what you thought he was more than the relationship.

“You should finish your coffee,” he leans forward, crushing you against the table as he grabs your cup. “Go on.”

You stiffen as he lifts the cup to your lips. You sip as you feel him watching. He snickers and pulls it away. He presses against you again to put it down.

He tuts as he sits back, “ah, you got something...” he wipes your lip with his thumb and purrs.

“Why are you doing this?” You whimper.

“Because you’re mine,” he growls and runs his hand up your back, gripping the back of your neck, “you better not forget that again.”

#sam wilson #dark sam wilson #dark!sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #drabble #au #one shot #mcu #marvel #falcon #captain america #avengers

99 notes · View notes

fluffysucker · 1 year ago

Text

Miss Americana & The heartbreak Prince

Bucky Barnes x Reader (AU)

In no world were you meant to be together, but in every universe, you were meant for each other.

A/N: I present you grumpy sunshine wrapped in enemies(ish) to lovers with Beefy Boxer/Biker Bucky.

Written in Third POV. No use of Y/N. However, the reader is referred to as a female. Likes, comments, reblogs are VERY VERY highly appreciated.

Also, I tried to be as inclusive as possible. But my delusion couldn't be controlled I'm sorry.

Ngl this is for me more than anything.

Also, I'm thinking about making this its own universe and maybe write more of it. Tell me what you think

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

You hated Bucky Barnes, and he hated you.

The two of you should have never crossed paths. Your worlds should have never met. But the wall separating you could only hold for so long.

The infamous boxer was a phenomenon in his field. Unbeatable and astute, Bucky Barnes held his reputation with pride. He was stronger than all and the smartest the game had. His jab was as numbing as the winter. His techniques were as calculated as a soldier's. Bucky Barnes was as hard as nails. A legend.

To keep up with the notoriety, it was rumoured that Barnes and his team were also a biker gang. It was never confirmed, but the black leather jacket he always had on, the long hair touching his shoulder or tidied in a low bun, the motorbike barked in front of the gym, and the intimidating sense lingering around him. It was never denied, either.

In the mornings, Bucky Barnes ran a successful gym with his two bestfriends, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Both played occasionally, but only Bucky was the professional, so they were more his trainers. They also trained other players and armatures. They tried to gain other normal customers, but it didn't always work. With a reputation like theirs, attracting customers wasn't easy.

It was usually the same for nights, unless they had matches. Most of their fights were held on Stark's property. He ran an empire, and boxing was the dominant centre, led by the biggest champion. And Stark lets Bucky have it his way, just like he likes. As long as Bucky keeps on bringing these huge numbers into their pockets, both are happy and content.

So it was out of the nature for Bucky to have zero interest in the new restaurant that opened up right next door to the gym. They had their regularly frequented places. The bar run by Romanoff and Belova, a couple of blocks away from Stark's property, was more than enough. He didn't even bother to throw a glance at it. Even after he knew that the owner had come by and given out menus and promised them discounts if they stopped by, there was still nothing.

Until one night. Bucky got carried away in training. He had an important match coming up. He knew his opponent barely stood a chance, but Bucky enjoyed the thriller of the game. The sweat and blood that go into it He didn't remember a time when he didn't want to do this. It was like it was programmed so deeply in his brain. He was made for this.

Everyone left, one by one. Until then, it was only him. After so many hours, he finally got tired. He threw his gloves aside and went to take a shower to remove the evidence of his hard work before going back home. As he was locking the gym's door, he heard his stomach growl, reminding him that he needed food. He was starving. Before deciding to wait and order food once he got home, the big sign caught his eye. They did indeed have a restaurant right next door. He admitted he was too tired to cook or wait for delivery. He needed food, then crashed into his bed. So maybe the closest restaurant would be useful.

Once he stepped in, he felt out of place immediately. His dark clothes and huge frame made him look like a stranger compared to the light-coloured painted walls. Some had flowers, and others had stars drawn on them. There were fairy lights in some corners. The aromatic scent was everywhere. Bucky almost winced at how bright and colourful everything felt. This was an alternative universe that he didn't belong in.

"Hi, how can I help you?" An even sweeter voice rang and caught Bucky's attention, breaking him from his trance of observing the place.

He turned around to find the prettiest girl he had ever seen standing behind the counter. Your beauty caught him off guard. He never believed someone could be so beautiful before. But here you were, standing. Taking his breath away.

He recovered very quickly and moved to stand in front of the counter. With the most loving smile, you handed him the menu. He took a look at the menu and wanted to laugh out loud. Dish names were just as cheerful as the atmosphere.

Out of habit, you started explaining and recommending stuff for him. He interrupted you, putting in his order. You didn't give it much thought but took his order happily.

You apologised for the lack of waiters, as it was almost closing time and it was only you. No answer. With his blank stare, you told him he could sit wherever he wanted. Only then did he notice the empty restaurant. It was just you and him. It was that late. So he took a seat at the nearest table.

Not taking much, you returned with his order. You placed it in front of him with a big smile on your face. You knew right away who that was the minute he walked in. James Barnes. The famous boxer who trains next door You have been praying after your small visit to them that they would be regular customers. The business was doing great. But the more, the merer. Always. Lots of people warned you about the men next door. But you didn't feel like they were as bad as people made them out to be. You were always so trusting, unless shown otherwise. So you were happy that, finally, one of them stopped by.

You moved away, letting him enjoy his food. Unable to fight your nature, you started talking to him as you continued cleaning the remaining parts of the place. No answer again. He didn't even bother to look at you. Okay. Maybe he had a rough day. Not all people are used to chatting.

Bucky was one of these people. His eyes widened as you started talking to him. People were never that friendly to him. People avoided him. Nobody tried to open up a conversation with him. He didn't know how to react. And he was too tired to try. So he practiced his other specialty. Silence. But even if he wouldn't admit it, Bucky found your voice calming. So he let you talk instead of just shutting you up.

You reduced your talking to a minimum. Only little remarks there and then to avoid complete silence. The second time, you heard his voice since he walked in and asked for the check. You brought the paper to the table he occupied, keeping your smile up and telling him that he got the 'neighbour discount' as you called it. You almost heard his scoff as you left him.

You had your back to the door, so you only turned around when you heard the door close. You didn't hear his footsteps, and most definitely, you didn't hear his goodbye, goodnight, or even thank you. Now that's rude.

You returned to the table to collect the check. But you found the review note you attached to every check empty. Not a single penmark. And that was more rude. You made sure that filling out the note only took seconds. You genuinely cared to hear people's opinions so you could be better and have the restaurant grow more.

So he didn't speak to you for more than two sentences. Didn't say thank you or goodbye. Didn't fill in the note. Okay, maybe you didn't want them as customers if they were all that rude.

It turns out they weren't that rude. However, Bucky was more rude than you thought.

A couple of days after Bucky's visit, you were surprised to see Bucky with another two men. You guessed they were Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. The trio was all well-known. You doubted if Bucky was the one to recommend the restaurant. You weren't sure if he even liked the food. And you were right. He would be caught dead if he brought up the fairy world you called a restaurant. Even when it served the tastiest food he had ever had,

It was a slow day. No intense training or excessive fight preparation The three men didn't have much to do that day. So when Steve suggested trying out the restaurant, Bucky neither objected nor showed excitement.

So when they walked in, you couldn't help the feeling of surprise along with the tiny bit of happiness, hoping it would be a nicer visit this time. After preparing their orders and sending them out, you waited for a bit before you left the kitchen to greet them. Not before making sure you looked presentable.

With the small space and their loud voices, it wasn't hard to locate them. You approached them with a big smile and positive attitude.

"I wanted to make sure you were having a good time." You followed up after introducing yourself.

"The food is amazing. This burger is to die for." Steve was the first to compliment you, with Sam nodding and agreeing.

"You have one good chef." Sam added as he took another french fry into his mouth. "Send my regards to them."

"Actually, I'm also the chef." The statement caused a shocked expression to fill in their faces. They asked for details, and you briefly told them how you were the core of the small business as the owner and main chef.

The two men were polite, and they didn't seem annoyed by your chatty personality. In fact, they interacted with you and asked questions to learn more. And all they had to say were nice compliments. Except one.

"So tell me, sweetheart, what was the inspiration for the place? Was it a fairy garden or Disney's latest cartoon?" None of you were ready for the sarcastic comment Bucky threw at you.

You didn't let your smile break in the face of his sarcasm. Nor did you give much thought to the pet name. You put on a bigger smile now, looking at him.

"A bit of both." That's one thing about you: you refused to let the world change about you. You never reciprocate rudeness with rudeness.

"I can tell." Bucky was taken back by your response. He expected you to get offended, but you didn't.

"Thank you. It was my vision all along." You replied, your smile never leaving your face.

And that started your hate relationship with Bucky Barnes.

After that day, the men became regular customers. And it wasn't just the three men. Little by little, it was most of the team. First, it was just to try the good food. Then it was because they wanted to. They wouldn't admit it, but your place was like a breath of fresh air. Something so different from what they are used to. From what they are known for. From what people expected from them. And you never judged them, treated them differently, or asked about the rumours that followed them. So it was a calm change, but much needed.

But their favourite thing was yours and Bucky's constant bickering. Or more Bucky's. Nobody understood why Bucky was doing this. You never partook in his constant attempts to make fun of you. You always had a sweet response to fire back. You truly were the living embodiment of killing them with kindness.

However, he never stopped. Every time he stepped foot in the place, you claimed it was your biggest achievement. He had something rude to say. Something to annoy you with. Something to bother you. Sarcasm and jokes spilling out of him with no end whatsoever.

The number of times you wanted to punch him or snap at him right back was increasing. But you refused to give in. To let him win. He wouldn't be the one to change you. So you kept engaging with him only with gracious things to say.

Besides, you chose to think that everyone had their own battles and demons. And for sure, Bucky looked like he had lots of them. He looked rougher than most. His job made him appear invincible, but he wasn't. Nobody was. So he may drive you mad, but he deserves the gentle treatment you offered all.

Bucky had no idea why he was doing it. Why every time he saw you, he felt the urge to tease you. It wasn't like him. But he didn't fight it back.

"How are you, Tinkerbell?"

"You should buy green carpets. It will finish off the garden aesthetic."

"Here is the princess who got lost."

"The pasta was great, Barbie."

Stuff like this flew from him all the time. And not once did you get back at him. You stayed nice and polite. Your sweet self never crumbling.

There was something in you that drove him insane. Your warm eyes. Your bright smile. Your cheerful voice. Your positive mindset. Your kind heart. Your friendly nature. Your hard work. Your delicious food. Your colourful wardrobe of dresses, skirts, tops, and cardigans. He couldn't pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was all of it.

The deepest part of him knew why he was doing this. He liked you. He liked you so much. From the moment he entered your restaurant alone, the first time And the more he knew you, the more he liked you. You were special. And you were everything he wasn't. He thought if he got closer, he would be tinting you. He would bring darkness to your shine. A moral thing preventing him from speaking his truth. even thinking about it.

So he acted like a teenager. He made fun of you. In hopes of making you hate him. He convinced himself and the others that he didn't like your sunshine personality.

Until one day

It started off like any normal day. Bucky had a match coming up. So they all had something to do. The day was going fine. Up before Peter Parker, who was usually on reception duties, ran in and said there was fire in your place,

For a second, blood ran cold in Bucky's body. He heard ringing in his ears. Were you okay? He collected himself quickly, wanting to check for himself.

He threw the gloves away, almost pushing everybody out of the way to get out. And he was the first to see the chaos in the street. A firetruck was parked, and firemen were going in and out of your restaurant along with some policemen. His eyes were searching for you frantically until he spotted you.

You had some dust on your face and your white clothes. You were checking that everyone was okay and out safely. But you couldn't hide the quivering of your lips or your shaking body.

He couldn't help himself as he ran towards you. You turned as you felt someone approaching you. Without your control, your face softened, and tears blurred your sight once you noticed who it was.

"Bucky." You whispered as a way to ground yourself from all the mess that happened and is still happening.

Following his first instincts, Bucky pulled you into his chest, wrapping your trembling form in his arms and holding you so close to him. And the dam broke.

Sobs fled from you. Tears mixed with his sweat. Your fists gripped his white tank top. Your face hidden away in his chest.

You didn't know how it happened. You had been holding up well enough during it all. You had been managing the situation the best you could. However, when Bucky got here, your mind stopped working. Your mind gave up on you, letting your emotions hit you with full force, breaking down your bastion with no guarantee you would be caught.

But you were. You were braced by strong amrs, rubbing your back, laying small kisses on your hair, and whispering words of comfort in your ears. "I'm here. I'm right here." "You're okay. You're fine."

Your sobs ceased, but your body still shook against Bucky's. Tears remained to fall freely on your face. Bucky's hold was still firm but secure around you.

You only moved away from him when a policeman approached you, informing you that you were needed at the police station.

"I'm coming with you." Bucky's stern voice left no room for negotiation. It wasn't up to debate. He wasn't leaving you.

"I'll grab my stuff in a second." He turned to the policeman standing in front of you, making sure it was okay that he joined. And he got a nod of approval in return.

He left your side, walking towards the gym. He paid no attention to his friends standing by, who were puzzled by the encounter. And true to his words, he came back in seconds, his black leather jacket on, phone in hand, and wallet in hand.

He got to you, letting his hand wrap around your shoulder. The gesture was welcomed by you as you rested your head on his chest. Something about having Bucky spread calmness in you

At the police station, Bucky found out what really happened. It wasn't just fire. It was a robbery. A bunch of armed men attacked your restaurant, demanding money from you and all the people inside. As you are trying to handle the situation without panicking more, it was discovered that one of the customers was a cop, which sent the robbers into an unexpected turn. So they took all they could from the cash register and your own things before setting the kitchen on fire to run away without being caught.

Between talking with the insurance company, the bank, and watching security footage from your restaurants and the street, you spent the rest of the day in the station.

And Bucky didn't leave your side for a second of it.

He didn't leave you until you both got out of the cap in front of your apartment. And he didn't leave until he made sure you got inside safely.

Something about you being hurt sent Bucky into a spiral. Who was heartless enough to hurt such a sweet soul as you? To look at you and not want to give you everything? Bucky would never know. All he knew was that he never wanted to see you so afraid and shaken like today. To not see your smile lighting up your face. So he would do whatever it took to make sure you were always fine.

Which was why you found him by your building the first thing in the morning.

"You have lots of places to go today. Said I would join you."

And up until you were handed the keys to your restaurant brand new after the insurance company had finished the repairs, Bucky didn't leave you. He was always there. Helping you finish papers, going to the police station to identify the robbers, and buying new stuff for the restaurants. Everything. He was there for everything.

And you had to admit. It was lovely to have him. A helping hand you needed. Physically and emotionally. Someone to share this unfortunate journey with. And Bucky didn't bother it for a bit. And you appreciated having him.

So, it only felt right for him to be your first order after the reopening.

The truth was, you never hated Bucky, no matter how much you tried. His huge form, his steel blue eyes, his signature stare, his playful smirk. They all made you feel something. He made you feel something you couldn't quite understand. But it was a pleasant something. He annoyed you so much, but you never took it too seriously. Maybe he hated you, but you didn't.

Now, you didn't need him. You were ready to carry on with your life. He didn't know how to get back to normal. He couldn't. He couldn't pretend you didn't make his heart beat faster. You made his days better. But he was so unworthy of you. And he knew you could never look at him. Maybe you hated him, but he didn't.

He tried to get back to his life. Only training and matches. Only visiting your place with the others who quickly figured out what was happening. He needed to get you out of his mind. That lasted for two days.

When Bucky was closing the gym, he heard something coming from your restaurant. With a frown, he moved to see you still inside. He looked at his watch to check the time again. It was indeed late.

"What are you doing?" He didn't bother with greetings as he entered.

"Hi, Bucky." Your cheerful voice rang through the empty place.

"What are you doing?" He repeated his question, looking at the paper in front of you.

"I'm sending out advertisements and deal offerings to different places." You answered him with a smile.

"Sweetheart, do you know what time it's?" Bucky signed as he looked at you, looking clueless.

"C'mon, let's get you home." He moved towards you, taking the papers out of your hand and putting them down without messing them.

"But I have a lot to do." You tried to protest as he gathered your stuff and helped you out.

"It will still be here in the morning." And he was having none of it.

"I need to get the business going." You added.

"You can do that in the morning, too." Bucky led you out of the restaurant in spite of your complaining.

He took the key from your hand and handed it back to you after he closed up. You expected him to move away, but he didn't.

"How are you going to get home?" He hoped you wouldn't give him the answer he had in mind.

"It's not very far. I was going to walk." And it was it.

Do you not care about your safety, or do you think you are James Bond?

Bucky had to bite his tongue and not scold you right on the spot. He knew you were stressed about the business, so he didn't want to add more.

"Great. I was going somewhere there, too. Let me walk."

"You were?" You questioned him, not believing him, but he nodded quickly.

As a matter of fact, Bucky didn't have anywhere to go other than collapsing on his bed. But over his dead body were you going to walk back home alone in this hour

"Lead the way, princess." The return of the name, but a smile on your face. He may mean it as an insult. You didn't care. It sounded good coming from him.

And the two of you walked.

And somehow, without planning, it became a routine.

Bucky would finish at the gym and come straight to the restaurant. It didn't matter whether it was late or not. He would get in and wait till you were done with the day. Then he would walk you home. Sometimes, he would help with stuff, but most times, you would make him sit down and bring him tonnes of food you prepared just for him.

"You train so hard. Don't want to burn these muscles. Eat and rest."

You weren't stupid. You knew he had nothing to do with where you were living. Yet he still chose to go out of his way, walk you home, and wait until you got in. He was taking care of you. So you wanted to take care of him too.

It felt strange to Bucky. Nobody made sure if he was eating well enough, drinking enough water, and resting enough. Nobody ever did. Everybody treated him like he was a machine. Like he He needed nothing.

Then there you were. Feeding him with delicious food. Letting him relax. Laughing at his jokes. Your hands grazing softly. It was all foreign to him, but very welcome. And he was getting attached. He knew it. How could he not?

He had the sweetest and most loving person on the planet, showing him attention and care.

Bucky counted the minutes until he could be with you. Until he could walk you home, it would be just the two of you. You did most of the talking, telling him about your day or an interesting story you heard. He would tell you briefly about his day.

He loved listening to you. Every detail you shared with him. You were the first in his life to be carefree around him other than his family. You didn't let his stiff demeanour affect your friendly one.

The extra time he spent back to his place from yours didn't bother him in the slightest. He found it reassuring that he knew for sure you were safe at home. It was all worth it.

Every single one of Bucky's friends knew what was happening from the moment he asked to postpone a match to go somewhere with you when you're repairing the restaurant. And it became so clear when he stopped hanging out at Natasha's bar after matches, claiming he was tired. But, in truth, he only wanted to be with you. And the days he knew he couldn't turn it down, especially after a grand victory, he would be glued to his phone until you texted him that you were home. Then he may start celebrating.

Bucky almost punched Steve in the face when he brought up inviting you to one of the matches, or at least to hang out with the whole team at Natasha's bar. Bucky wanted you nowhere near this world. He couldn't imagine you watching him while he was fighting. You would never look at him again. Yes, you were kind, but in the ring, he was a beast. You didn't deserve to see how bad he could be.

That's why he never acted on his feelings for you. He knew he was falling for you. He knew from the start. But you deserved better. So much better.

Your radiant nature had no place near him.

He even tried to stop seeing you, feeling guilty for ever getting close to you. But he failed miserably. You gave him something nobody did. A light in the darkness.

So he bottled it and felt grateful that you even let him be your friend. Or whatever you were.

Before a fact came crushing. You were single.

The days following matches were usually very slow. So he left earlier than usual just to come and wait for you. As long as you wanted. He had a bandage on his forehead and a compression bandage around his hand.

Sometimes you forget what his job was. Until he shows up bruised and bandaged like this. You knew he was strong enough to handle himself. He was the best in the game. But you couldn't help the twinge of your heart at the thought of him hurt.

So you prepared extra food and drinks for him. Once it was evening, you kept your best table for him. You even brought the air freshener with the scent; he commented once that he liked it. Everything to help him relax.

You kept telling yourself you were only doing this because he liked to help everyone. But you knew it was very different. He was very different.

So when he stepped in, your big smile got bigger.

You tried to come and talk with him whenever you could, but it was a busy day. He had no problem. He enjoyed watching you work. You were so dedicated and smart. He wanted you to be the most successful chef and owner in the world.

But maybe he shouldn't have been watching. He should have paid attention to anything else. So he wouldn't have seen the man who had been flirting with you since he walked in.

It was taking everything in Bucky to not get up and throw the guy away. But he heard it. Your answer to his question "Yes, I'm single." And he was reminded of the cruelty of the world. You weren't his. He shouldn't be jealous. He shouldn't have been biting the inside of his mouth when the guy tried to touch your hand as you handed him his bill.

And he most definitely shouldn't be feeling like crying and burning down the world when the guy asked you out and left his number.

Wasn't that what he wanted? For you to have better than him. To have someone who wasn't surrounded by blood and pain. Someone who wouldn't defile your glimmer That guy looked decent enough. Maybe that was your chance to find love.

However, he wanted to tear that paper to pieces. He wanted to punch the guy for asking his girl. But you weren't his girl.

Bucky was conflicted by his emotions. He didn't know what to feel or how to think. So he did the thing he was the best at. He stayed silent.

You noticed right away the change in his mood. He wasn't the most talkative person, but this silence was different. He looked like he was somewhere else. Somewhere, that wasn't so nice.

"Are you sure that you are fine?" You asked as you came to a stop in front of your building.

You only got a nod as an answer.

"You know you can tell me anything. I'm always going to be here."

Your words finally made him look at you after you left the restaurant.

"You are?" His hesitant tone made you frown.

"Of course." You answered very quickly.

"Are you going to go out with this guy?" It was quiet; you almost missed it, but you didn't.

Bucky didn't know what happened. He promised himself he wouldn't bring it up. It had nothing to do with him. But he couldn't. It fell from him.

"Do you want me to?" Your reply was something he didn't expect at all.

You couldn't say you weren't disappointed when Bucky did nothing when the guy started flirting with you. You didn't know what you wanted him to do. But you wanted him to do something.

Instinctively, Bucky moved closer to you, standing right in front of you.

"No, I don't want to."

"Tell me why I shouldn't go out with him."

The space between the two of you was almost nonexistent. You were so close to each other. His blue eyes piercing into yours. His eyes were filled with something so warm that you couldn't quite figure it out.

Bucky didn't know how to answer your question. Why didn't he want you to go out with the guy? Well, he didn't want you to go out with any guy. So he threw caution to the wind and followed his heart.

You almost tripped, but his hands on your waist steadied you. The feeling of his lips on yours was something out of the world. His lips were a bit bruised, but they were soft. It was all so good that your mind stopped working.

Bucky was about to pull away and apologise profoundly when you didn't kiss him back. As he was about to move, your hands wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him closer to you and kissing him.

The kiss was gentle, and it was filled with emotions. Loving ones. It sent electricity through your bodies. It spread warmth all over you.

Your need for oxygen made you break the kiss, hands still around each other, eyes only looking at each other.

"I thought you hated me."

"Never did. Not for a second, princess."

Bucky's lips smashed against yours once again. And it was like every piece was falling into its place. The puzzle was completed. The rainbow after the rain

You were the shining star in Bucky's dark sky. He may not deserve you, but he was going to do everything in his power to get you to shine more.

Because you were made for each other.

486 notes · View notes