#Second Chance At Life | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sjsmith56 · 1 year ago

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Summary - Part 2 of 2 part story. Bucky leaves the Tower after finding out his former girlfriend is dying and she had his child. She and Steve track him to a biker bar. After a heart to heart talk he agrees to stay with her to the end.

Length - 5.64K

Characters - Bucky Barnes, named female character, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Helen Cho, Wanda Maximoff, named female bartender

Warnings - anger, angst, cancer, Bucky dealing with being accused of cheating, Bucky realizing he messed up, swearing, medical drama.

Author notes - First part takes place in a biker bar that isn’t quite what it seems. Second part takes place five months later at the compound where Bucky’s girlfriend undergoes an experimental treatment with the serum. There is a twist ending. It is what it is.

<<Part 1

〰️〰️〰️〰️

Part 2

When Bucky roared out of the parking garage at Stark Tower he didn’t know where he was going or what he was going to do. All he knew was that he had to get out of there before he began destroying something. As he weaved his motorcycle in and out of traffic on the expressway out of New York City, all he could think about was the last four years that had been taken from him. Four years without the woman he loved and a son he had never seen. If he wasn’t so angry, he would have pulled over and wept instead. After some time driving aimlessly, he saw it, a small motel with a roadside bar, on a side road next to the expressway. Turning off at the next exit he doubled back towards the place where a line of motorcycles sat outside the bar. Pulling into the parking lot he stopped a short distance away from the other vehicles and turned it off, sitting there for a moment before entering the bar with his bag.

As soon as he strode in all conversations ceased. It was dark inside and it took a moment before his eyes adjusted then he shook his head at his own preconceptions. The people inside, drinking and playing pool, weren’t exactly what he was expecting, as the hair colour leaned towards grey and white.

“What can I get you?” asked the bartender, a woman with a ready smile.

“A beer and a bourbon,” said Bucky, sitting on the stool in front of her, dropping his bag to the floor, then looking to either side of where he sat. “Older crowd.”

“Yeah, they’re the Silver Wolves Motorcycle Club,” she answered as she poured him a bourbon then started filling a beer glass from the tap. “All of them have been riding for charity for about 40 years give or take. My dad was a founding member.”

Bucky downed the bourbon then took a drink of the beer. “So, they just come around and hang out?”

“Pretty much,” she replied, then she stuck her hand out. “Nancy Martin. I own the motel and the bar.”

Bucky took his right glove off and shook her hand. “Bucky Barnes.”

If she recognized his name, she didn’t say but she did smile and looked at the other riders. “They go on toy runs, and give rides to the kids getting cancer treatment, that sort of thing. They’re all retired from all types of jobs and walks of life but they all love riding their motorcycles. What brings you in today, Bucky?”

“I was looking for a fight,” he admitted, “but I guess now I need a sympathetic ear.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “That happens when people see the bikes out front. What do you want to talk about?”

“The woman who left me four years ago showed up today to say I was a father and that she was dying,” he said, taking another drink of his beer. “At the time I didn’t know why she left me but apparently she thought I cheated on her.”

“Did you?” asked Nancy.

“Nope.”

“Awkward.”

“Yup.” She poured him another bourbon and he downed it. “I didn’t handle it very well. I took off, drove until I saw the motorcycles and figured I could punch through my anger. Now I don’t even get that.”

“I have just the song for that,” she said, then looked over to one of the riders. “Hey Bobby, put the Rolling Stones on the jukebox. You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

As Mick Jagger’s voice began to fill up the dim interior Bucky kept drinking his beer. Nancy served some more drinks then came back and appraised the dark-haired man.

“Why would she think you cheated on her?” she asked. “I mean, you told her you loved her right?”

He hesitated. “Sort of. Maybe not in words. We were together constantly, and the sex was amazing. I thought she knew that she was it for me.” He sighed and took another drink of his beer. “Maybe I should have said and done more things to show her. Like propose.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He chewed on his lower lip for several moments. “She was too good for me. I had issues and a past that I wasn’t proud of. Kept waiting for her to say she was moving on.”

“This woman you supposedly cheated with … did you flirt with her?”

Bucky scowled. “I didn’t even like her. She was always coming on to me but I never saw her that way.”

“Did you look for your girlfriend after she left you?”

“Jesus, you ask a lot of questions,” he sputtered. Then slowly, he nodded his head. “She was very good at covering her tracks and that just confirmed what I felt all along, that I wasn’t good enough.”

“You were wrong.”

Bucky whirled around to see Lane and Steve standing at the end of the bar. Some super soldier he was that he didn’t even hear them come in. Nancy smiled and poured out two more beers, placing them on the empty spots on either side of Bucky. Sitting beside him Steve and Lane sipped their beer.

“Sharon confessed to setting you up,” said Steve. “Tony has kicked her out of the Avengers, permanently.”

“Yeah, well …,” muttered Bucky, lifting his beer to his mouth. “Not sure I’m coming back.”

“That would be a mistake,” said Lane. “Danny knows his dad is an Avenger. He wants to be just like you.”

Bucky put his beer glass down. “He knows who I am?”

“Yeah, I haven’t kept that a secret from him,” she replied. “It wasn’t my intention to stay away that long. I was waiting for you to find me. You were the Winter Soldier, finding me should have been a piece of cake. Guess I put you off your game.”

“Then why didn’t you come back?” His voice was full of anguish. “Why didn’t you contact me?”

“Because all this time I thought you were with Sharon,” cried Lane. She turned to him with glistening eyes. “You weren’t the only one who thought you weren’t good enough. All we had between us was sex, or so I thought. We didn’t exactly talk a lot except on missions.”

The Rolling Stones song had ended several minutes before, and Nancy went over to the jukebox, looking over the selection for a moment before picking out a few more songs. The first one was an Eagles tune, The Heart of the Matter. When she returned to the bar Steve looked at her with questioning eyes. She shrugged her shoulders in reply then jerked her head over towards the end of the bar in the universal language of “let them talk.”

“I’m going to give you two some privacy,” said Steve, picking his drink up and following Nancy to the end of the bar.

It was as if the couple didn’t even hear him as they kept their eyes only on each other without saying anything verbally. Bucky ran his hand through his hair then looked at Lane as if searching for the right words to begin this long overdue conversation.

“What’s he like?”

“Danny?” She smiled with fondness. “He’s amazing. Sweet, curious, adventurous. He has your eyes and hair.”

“Is he enhanced?”

She nodded. “He eats more than I do, can hear people talking in whispers, runs faster than a teenager. He’s so strong, likes to lift up the couch for me when I vacuum.”

“Who’s looking after him while you’re here?”

“I have a nanny,” said Lane. “Her name’s Carol and she’s become my best friend. She’s offered to adopt him, but I want her to have her own life, not one that’s been forced on her.”

Swallowing noticeably, Bucky nodded, becoming mute for several long moments. “Your cancer, you’ve tried everything?”

“Yeah, although Bruce is willing to try one more thing,” she replied. “It’s a long shot. He’s going to try to replicate the serum out of Steve’s blood. I might not have enough time left for him to be successful.”

Bucky swallowed hard, as he clamped his jaw shut, trying to tamp down the emotions that were trying to erupt from within.

“We really messed things up, didn’t we? I’m so sorry I stopped trying to find you.”

“I should have trusted you, but I couldn’t believe that you really loved me,” said Lane. “You were so handsome, and I’d see you flirting with all the women. I imagined that once you found someone more interesting that would be it for me.”

“It was always you,” answered Bucky, his voice breaking. “You made me feel things I never expected to feel again. Making love to you was like a religious experience.”

Lane touched his right hand and he enclosed her hand in his, looking at her tear filled eyes. “Stay with me until the end,” she whispered. “Be with me. Help me.”

Pulling her into his arms Bucky kissed her fiercely, as they both began to cry. At that moment the Beatles song We Can Work It Out began playing and Bucky stopped crying then smirked, as he looked at where Nancy was at the end of the bar.

“Were you a therapist in a previous life?” he asked. “These songs … I mean, really?”

She smiled. “Nope, just a bartender. You’re not the first person to have a heart to heart talk with a loved one in here. After a while I kinda get an idea of what they need to resolve things. You have resolved your issues, right? You’re getting back together and you’re going to accept the mantle of fatherhood?”

“Yeah, I am on both counts,” he said, holding Lane’s hands and gazing at her. “I’ll even retire from the Avengers just to be with you.”

“No, don’t do that,” smiled Lane. “I’ll come back to the Tower. Tony offered me a place to stay while …. He’s sorry for doubting you. Sharon had almost everyone fooled, except you, Steve, and Peter. On the way here Steve said you didn’t trust her at all.”

“I didn’t,” he said. “She was always leaning in too close, flipping her hair at me, touching my arm … it put me off. I never thought she would stoop even lower by planting her underwear in the bed. No wonder you left without a word. You must have thought I was the worst type of man to cheat on you while you went to be with your mother.”

“I should have talked to you about it,” answered Lane, “but I just lost it and wanted to get out of there before you returned. Wanda guessed and tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen. Promise me that we don’t do anything stupid like that again.”

“I promise,” he replied, then he stood up and drained the rest of his glass, before looking over at Steve. “You didn’t happen to bring a truck, did you?”

“The big SUV,” replied Steve. “There’s room in the back for your motorcycle.”

Putting money on the counter for the drinks and picking his bag off the floor, Bucky smiled at Nancy. “Thanks for the drinks, the music, and the sympathetic ear.”

“You’re welcome,” she answered, “and if the Avengers ever want to join any of the runs the Silver Wolves do for charity, you’re more than welcome. The more the merrier and maybe having you guys involved will increase participation.”

To the sounds of Let’s Stay Together by Al Green, the three of them raised their hands in farewell, and headed out to the SUV, parked next to the motorcycle. The two super soldiers had it loaded inside the SUV within minutes and Bucky took his leathers off so he would be more comfortable in the vehicle. When they got back inside the city Lane asked Friday to direct Steve to a certain address.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“My place,” said Lane, looking back at Bucky, sitting in the back seat. “Someone has to meet his father for the first time. I’d rather do it in a quiet environment.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Bucky sat back and began to prepare to meet his son. No matter what, he was going to make it work. He owed that to Lane and Danny, owed them for four years of separation. In the time Lane had left, Bucky planned to make their life all about her and their son.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Five months later

“Are you sure you want Bucky here when we start the treatment?” asked Bruce. “I honestly don’t know what your reaction will be to it. We’ve tested it against your blood samples and Shuri ran the virtual simulations but until we actually start to infuse you with the serum ….”

Tiredly, Lane smiled at the gentle doctor. He, along with Dr. Cho and Shuri, had done so much to try to get a working serum ready for her. Even though she was weak she grasped his hand with all the strength she could muster in her left hand, the wedding band loose on her ring finger, her thin and wispy hair barely grown back.

“He’ll be okay,” she said, in her almost whispery voice. “I know he doesn’t like hospitals and doctors, but he trusts you three and if it gets to be too much, he’ll deal with it.”

“Alright, I’ll call him up,” said Bruce.

Down in the lounge Bucky sat with Danny on his lap, watching a Disney movie with the others. Although he found it hard to concentrate on the movie, as he waited for the announcement, he was glad to be there with everyone. In the months since he and Lane reconciled they had been through so much; being with her as her cancer got worse, getting married, then officially adopting Danny as his son. Although he was listed as the father on his birth certificate, Tony’s lawyer said the adoption would remove any doubt about him being the boy’s legal guardian. Combined with treatments to keep Lane comfortable as the cancer wreaked havoc with her body while Bruce and the others worked non-stop on a serum for her, it had been a whirlwind time for the couple. Without everyone’s support he wasn’t sure he could have handled it as well as he did.

“Sergeant Barnes?” said Friday. “They’re ready to begin the infusion. Mrs. Barnes would like you to be there.”

“Thank you, I’ll be right up,” he said, then looked at his son. “I’m going up to be with Momma now. You stay with Uncle Steve, okay?”

Smiling, Danny changed laps, plopping himself down on Steve’s legs and getting a quick cuddle in response. Bucky stood up and gently mussed Danny’s hair before walking to the elevator. There were several murmured “good luck” wishes and he smiled slightly at everyone before stepping through the opening doors. When the doors opened on the medical floor, he was greeted outside the medical lab door by a nurse, who directed him to wash his hands, put on the gown, gloves, and mask before smiling at him to go on in. Nodding his thanks he entered the isolated treatment room, and sat on the chair beside Lane, grasping her hand in his. Bruce and Dr. Cho, also gowned up, had the infusion all set up. It’s bright blue colour seemed to look the same as what Bucky remembered his serum looked like. Steve had seen it on the internal camera system, as only Bucky was allowed to visit, and had said the same.

“Now, we expect that just like your serum and Steve’s, that it will have a burning sensation as it flows through Lane’s veins,” stated Bruce. “We don’t want to interfere with the process so there won’t be any pain relief. I’m sorry in advance if it hurts. By Shuri’s extrapolations the healing effects of the serum should be evident within half an hour but in reality it could be faster or it could take longer. We just don’t know for sure.”

“Bruce,” whispered Lane. “Just do it. Please.”

Nodding self-consciously he started the infusion pump and both doctors watched the readouts on the virtual imaging system that watched the infusion entering Lane’s circulatory system. Within a minute it was obvious she was in discomfort as her breathing became laboured. Her heart rate increased, as did her blood pressure and respiration rate. She squeezed Bucky’s hand and began to gasp as the pain became harder to take.

“It’s okay, you can yell,” said Bucky. “I did. So did Steve. Do what you have to.”

Giving in to the burning sensation that filled her body Lane began to whimper, which built into cries, then screams. She was already restrained but her body pulled against the padded straps that held her down. Bucky tried not to show any fear, but he buried his forehead onto her hand that he was holding, trying to will his body to take some of the pain she was feeling.

Dr. Cho looked at the monitor. “She’s approaching the red line for heart rate and BP,” she said to Bruce, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Infusion is at 65%,” he replied. “Lane, hang in there for just another minute.”

The alarms on the monitoring equipment were all going off as Lane’s heart rate approached 200 beats per minute and her blood pressure reached a dangerous level. Bruce watched the virtual imaging system as her entire circulatory system changed colour while the serum was infused throughout. When the readout indicated that she had received 100% of the serum he shut the pump off and watched the readouts of her vital processes. Unconscious, her body started sweating profusely and Dr. Cho grabbed some heated blankets out of the warmer, layering them over Lane, to prevent her from going into shock. Bucky looked anxiously at his wife, kissing her hand and stroking it.

As her heart rate stabilized so did her blood pressure and Bruce leaned over to check her eye response. When he shone his penlight into her eyes there was a response from her pupils, but she was still unconscious.

“Lane?” he said, loudly, as he touched her cheek. “Can you hear me?”

There was no response and he looked at the readouts of her brain activity, not entirely happy with what he saw. Then Dr. Cho touched his arm, pointing to the virtual display. The blue colour of her circulatory system had spread to her entire body, including her internal organs.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Bucky. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” replied Bruce. “The serum seems to be spreading into her muscle and organ tissue. Everything is blue.”

Pulling back the heated blanket from one of her legs all three of them gasped to see Lane’s leg increase in musculature, almost as if it was replacing what she had lost in the last few months. Uncovering her completely they were surprised to see it replicated on all of her limbs then Bucky let go of her left hand and they noticed her wedding ring was no longer loose.

“Does this mean it’s working?” asked Bucky.

“I think it’s making her into a super soldier,” said Bruce. “All of the blood testing and virtual simulations just showed the serum destroying the cancer but it seems to be fixing her body in the process. Both you and Steve experienced the same thing, just not as fast in your case.”

“It is made from Steve’s blood,” said Dr. Cho. “Could explain the rapid response.”

All three of them were looking up at the readouts and the virtual images, seeing the blue colour stay in her system. Her readings approached normal, at least normal by Bucky and Steve’s standards, including a body temperature that was two degrees higher than a normal human. Although Lane was still unconscious her breathing eased, and her body relaxed.

“I think we can undo the restraints,” said Bruce. “We should take a blood sample.”

As Bucky undid the restraints, Dr. Cho fastened a tourniquet around Lane’s left arm, and Bruce began listening to her heart and breath sounds with his stethoscope. After successfully taking a vial of blood from Lane’s arm Helen withdrew the needle and called Bruce to see the insertion site heal as they watched it. Both doctors smiled at each other, amazed that it actually worked. Taking a small amount of the blood in a syringe the vial was sent to the lab for the full work up. The small amount they took was smeared on a slide and both doctors inserted it under the microscope, looking at the sample before transferring the image to a split screen, comparing it to a sample taken before the infusion.

“It’s definitely changed,” said Dr. Cho. She looked up at the elapsed time. “It took only 22 minutes.”

They looked back at Bucky and Lane. He was holding her hand to his lips and murmuring to her. After several more minutes he looked up Bruce.

“Why isn’t she waking up?” he asked. “Her body has healed, right?”

“It looks like it, but we won’t know for sure until the blood work comes back, and we do another full body scan.” Bruce pulled Dr. Cho to the hallway so Bucky wouldn’t hear them. “We should do a brain scan, just to rule out a stroke. Her blood pressure was very high.”

Nodding in agreement they both went in and reset the imaging to do a detailed scan of her brain. While it was being done Bruce asked Bucky to stay in the hallway so his vibranium arm wouldn’t interfere with the process. It was a lie, but he didn’t want Bucky there if the scan showed brain damage. As the imaging confirmed there was no brain injury, he allowed the super soldier back. The blood work results also came back showing no trace of any cancer. Elapsed time since the beginning of the infusion was at 54 minutes.

“Bucky, talk to her,” said Bruce. “Maybe she’s in there and isn’t sure how to get back to you.”

“Can I get in bed with her?” he asked, receiving the okay.

Removing his shoes, mask and gown, Bucky laid beside her, putting his arm around her and cradling her close to his body. Gently, he kissed her on the forehead.

“It’s been almost an hour since they started giving you the serum,” he said softly. “We watched as your muscles came back and your breathing got better. Bruce said all the tests show you’re cured but you’re still unconscious, lost in there maybe. I never really told you that I loved you when we were together before. It wasn’t because I didn’t, it was because I was afraid to open myself up to you, afraid you would see I wasn’t good enough for you. You gave me so much, your friendship first, your love next, a son … still can’t believe I’m a father and that he likes me. Most of all you gave me what I needed, a place to call home. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that from the beginning. We wouldn’t have lost out on four years together. So, I’m telling you now. I need you Lane, my heart yearns for you, my eyes need to see you every morning, my body needs your soft warmth to make love to, every part of me is addicted to you. I’m a better man with you, a lost man without you. Please come back to me.”

His tears streamed down his cheeks as he pressed his lips onto her forehead, asking her over and over to come back. As Bruce and Dr. Cho kept monitoring her readouts, they both began to wonder if they had failed. Everything indicated she should be awake, as her body was functioning as it should, but it was like nothing was there, the spark that was Lane was gone. Bucky slowly realized that she wasn’t going to wake up and began to weep for his wife. Clutching her to his chest, he whispered about what he loved the most about her. Then he kissed her gently on the lips and prepared to get off the bed, sadly accepting that she was lost to him.

“Bucky,” she whispered, so softly that even he almost missed it. “Don’t go.”

“Lane?” He stopped moving and studied her face. “Baby, are you there?”

Her head moved slightly, and she opened her mouth. “Stay.”

Bruce came over and leaned over the couple. “Lane, can you open your eyes?”

His voice was desperate as he repeated his request. Then her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Bucky, bringing a beautiful smile to her face.

“There you are,” she said quietly. “I found you.”

Gathering her into his arms Bucky wept tears of joy at the return of his wife and mother of his son. When he kissed her on the lips her hands grasped his arms, holding on as if she was afraid of drowning. It took several requests from Bruce before Bucky let go of Lane long enough for her to be examined. As far as they could tell the cancer was completely gone and she had been transformed into a super soldier. She still seemed to be a little fuzzy but Bruce attributed that to her brain adjusting to the serum after fighting the cancer for so long.

Advising Friday to pass on the good news resulted in everyone coming up to see the couple, starting with Steve and Danny. Squirming out of Steve’s arms when he got off the elevator Danny came running into the room and threw himself on the bed, to Lane’s laughter. She looked at her son as if she had never seen him before, lovingly caressing his hair and kissing him.

“Uncle Steve says you’re strong now,” the boy said breathlessly. “Does that mean you can jump up high?”

“I don’t know,” replied Lane. “I haven’t got out bed yet. It might be a while before I feel brave enough to try. If it’s true it means you won’t be able to run away from me anymore, as I’ll be able to catch you, and tickle you until you let me kiss you.”

“Aw,” he grinned. “Momma, what about your hair?”

Lane looked at Bruce. “Well, based on how fast Steve and Bucky’s hair grows after being cut I would say you’ll probably start regrowing it in a couple of days. According to the bed monitoring system you also gained 25 lbs in muscle. I’m guessing you’ll start feeling hungry very soon.”

“It seems like forever since I last ate,” she replied. “Everything looks wonderful. All of you ….”

She began to get emotional and both Bucky and Danny hugged her. Wanda watched carefully from the end of the bed, making eye contact with Lane, who smiled and nodded at her, then hesitated when Wanda didn’t smile back.

“Well, right now you need to rest up,” said Dr. Cho then she turned to everyone else. “I want Lane in here for the night for observation. You can have a big party welcoming her back tomorrow. This is a momentous occasion.”

Everyone else left, except for Bucky and Danny, who stayed until the little boy began asking for food. Kissing Lane tenderly, Bucky picked up his son, allowing him to kiss his mother, then he took the boy down for dinner, some play time and bed. Some food was brought to Lane and she savoured every bite, telling anyone within earshot that the food was incredible. As it got dark, she asked for her bed to be pushed close to the window so she could look outside, wanting to see the moon come up in the night sky. Everything felt new again and Lane wanted to feel it all. 🌕

Several hours later Wanda entered the medical lab, nodding at the nurse who was on duty.

“I’m just here to see Lane,” she said softly.

“Go ahead, she’s awake,” replied the nurse who had just checked on her, finding her looking out the window again.

Entering the room, Wanda pulled a chair up as Lane watched her from the bed. The young witch frowned as she tried to word the question she wanted to ask, but Lane put her hand on Wanda’s arm.

“I’m not here to hurt him,” she said. “Lane died during the procedure when she suffered a stroke and had already accepted that. The serum fixed it immediately but she was already leaving when it fixed her body.”

“How did you end up in her body?” asked Wanda. “How do you have her memories?”

“Everything is different there,” said the young woman. “I wasn’t ready to cross over as I never had a great love, never knew what it was like to be with someone who worshipped her as much he did. It felt like I spent an eternity in the between place, waiting for a chance to experience the life that had been denied to me.” She wiped at the tears that came from her eyes. “She always wanted to make things right with Bucky before she moved on as she didn’t expect to survive it. She was so tired of it all and just wanted to be released from it. Lane gave it all to me, his love for her, her love for him and Danny. I love them, as much as she did.”

“But you’re not her,” said Wanda. “You don’t think he’ll realize that?”

“Even now, my original memories are fading so that only hers will be left and I’m great with that,” said the person who was becoming Lane. “My previous life wasn’t good. It was filled with sadness, violence, and pain. I never got what I wanted or needed to feel loved and cared for. Now, I have a chance for that but you’re the only one who knows the truth, the only one who can rip us apart.”

She let Wanda enter her mind and see what her life had been like before she died, before she encountered Lane in the between place that exists after life but before a person’s essence moves on. Her life had been full of abuse and violence that ultimately killed her. Yet even for all that she suffered the person who was in Lane’s body always had hope, for someone beautiful in mind and spirit to become her life partner. She had cast away the negative energy that surrounded her previous life and allowed herself to be filled with the calming energies of love, patience, and kindness.

“Alright,” smiled Wanda. “Both Bucky and Danny accept that you’re Lane. If you truthfully become her then it’s not on me to say otherwise. Promise that you won’t hurt them or leave them.”

“They’re exactly what I need to be happy,” said the other woman. “To love and to be loved is what I always wanted but never had a chance at until now.” The young witch stood up, satisfied that this new incarnation of Lane would keep her promise. “Wanda? Pietro wanted you to know that he still misses you. He said whenever you catch a flicker of light in the corner of your eye, that it’s him. He’ll wait for you, in the between place.”

“Was … was Vision there?” asked Wanda, her eyes glistening.

“No, I’m sorry, there was no one there by that name,” said Lane. “By the sound of your voice you must have loved him very much.”

“I did,” smiled Wanda, sadly. “Thank you for telling me about my brother.”

“You’re welcome,” said Lane. Then she looked out at the moon again. “It’s just as beautiful as I remember it.” 🌅

In the morning, Lane was released and walked out of the medical lab with Bucky’s arm wrapped around her waist and holding Danny’s hand in hers. Before they went to their quarters they stopped in the common area where a large paper banner was hung with the messily painted words Welcome Home Momma! There were handprints from everyone on the paper, welcoming Lane back from her brush with death. After being presented with a large cake Lane thanked everyone for supporting her and Bucky through the last 5 months. As the others went to cut it into pieces for everyone Wanda sat next to Lane and took her hand.

“I’m glad we had that talk last night,” she said quietly. “It’s obvious that you love Bucky and Danny.

“What talk?” asked Lane, puzzled. “You came to see me? I don’t remember that. I do remember that it was a beautiful full moon.”

Wanda turned her head slightly, almost as if she was listening to something faint. Then she smiled.

“I must have dreamt it,” she said. “It seemed so real. How does it feel to be a super soldier?”

“Strange,” replied Lane. “I can hear things out in the hallway but it sounds like it’s right beside me. They gave me a double serving of breakfast and I was still hungry after. Once I’m used to my strength Bucky and Steve are going to train me so I can go on missions. I can’t wait.”

Wanda’s answer was interrupted by Bucky bringing cake to Lane. As Wanda excused herself she stood a short distance away and observed the former cancer patient, realizing that whatever entity had assumed Lane’s identity was now fully integrated with the other woman’s memories. She was truly Lane Barnes now, beloved wife, doting mother, and soon-to-be super soldier for the Avengers. Everything she would ever want or need was here, friends, family, and a higher purpose with the Avengers. Maybe this was the way it was always supposed to be.

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madneedshelp · 2 years ago

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Redemption - Josh Kiszka x FReader

Summary: After an accident leaves you on the brink of death, the images of your life flash by while you’re in this limbo state. All the moments with the best friend you never got the courage to confess to consume you at the end. Now, all you can do is beg and plead for one last chance with him. Words: 3.3k

Warnings: Description of accident, language, mentions of death, alcohol use

Note: Ok so I know this fic is just super out of pocket, the idea came to me at like 2 am during finals week when my brain was fried, but I wrote it anyway. Also, I tried to not insinuate any religious afterlife specifications just because obviously not everyone has the same beliefs, so I promise I don’t want to offend anyone. I hope you all enjoy my weird fic!

There was no way to describe the way you were feeling except as saying you felt nothing. It was almost as if you were nothing. You were in an abyss of nothingness, but in a warm and bright way. It was comforting, not terrifying.

Still, you were vaguely conscious of the fact that this was…odd. Time didn’t seem to affect you, so you weren’t sure how long it took you to remember what happened to you.

There was an accident. It had poured so heavily the day before, but you and your two friends were on a hiking trip and determined to do a trail anyway. There was a small break in the rain and both you and Josh decided you should seize your opportunity. Jake had tried to be the voice of reason, but the two of you pulled him along anyway.

You were about halfway done when it was like the skies opened up and rain swamped you all. There weren't any good options for shelter, so you pushed ahead as fast as you could. By the time you made it to the final stretch, the downpour was thick enough that you couldn’t really see and mud kept trying to take hold of your shoes, but all you had to do was make it uphill and you’d be at the parking lot.

Jake and Josh were ahead of you, just far enough to be out of reach when you slipped. The path was narrow and slick. There weren’t any trees of substantial size along the edges. The combination of all those things ended with you sliding right off the edge of the cliffside.

The last vague memory you had is the sounds of screaming and the flash of fear as you plummeted toward a boulder below.

Despite the warm place you seemed to be in, cold panic started to seep into your veins. Were you dead? You must’ve hit your head on the way down, and now you were…no, no, no, you couldn’t be. You were a year away from finishing your undergrad, you had future trips planned with friends, and you hadn’t even told your best friend that you loved him yet.

Josh. What about Josh? You couldn’t die before you got to tell him how you felt. You had so many opportunities, but you never took any of them because you didn’t want to lose him if he didn’t feel the same. Hundreds of chances, but you always banked on there being a next time. Now you might've run out.

—--8 Years Ago—--

“Josh, I swear if you don’t put that back where it belongs, I will shave your eyebrows while you sleep!” You shouted, taking a good ten steps back from the curly-haired boy.

You should’ve known better than to agree to go to the creek with Josh. He and Jake had been begging you to come down here with you for weeks, but the weather hadn’t been very warm so far. Now that it was summer break, the three of you had ventured out here.

Not that you minded the extra time with Josh. Yeah, he was your best friend, but something was different lately. Though you had never talked about the feelings with anyone before, you knew it was a crush. You really liked this boy, even if he was kind of annoying and a bit of a weirdo.

He looked between you and the newt in his hands with false innocence. “What’s wrong? It’s not gonna hurt you. Don’t you like lizards?”

You held out an arm to signal for him to stay back. “I don’t love them, and also that’s not a lizard. Now please, just put him down.”

“It’s not? Here, why don’t you take a closer look just to check.” A mischievous grin spread across his face as he lunged toward you with the small creature.

You let out a small shriek and took off down the creek. He followed after you instantly while laughing maniacally.

At some point, he either dropped or let the newt go, but it turned into him just chasing you. With the threat of the best gone, your competitive streak started to come alive and you would be damned if you let him beat you. Your legs were just a bit longer than his and you were fast. However, Josh was a ball of energy and he was rapidly gaining on you in the rocky terrain.

Just as his hand closed around your arm you tripped on a slippery rock and the both of you went down with a splash. The two of you kept laughing for a minute until if faded as a silent realization fell upon both of you.

Josh had fallen to where he was on his hands and knees hovering over where you lie on your back. His face was only inches from yours.

Neither of you were sure why the other didn’t move. Whether it was due to actual feelings or simply the curiosity of 13 year old kids starting to wonder about what it would be like to kiss someone, you couldn’t tell. You were stuck with your eyes locked on each other.

Unfortunately, you never got to find out what would’ve happened. You both hesitated a moment too long and Jake’s shouting grabbed your attention. He must’ve returned from his trip back to grab some water.

“Josh! Y/N! Dad said lunch is ready!”

“Coming!” Josh shouted back, scrambling up from his position.

He offered you a hand, which you took shyly, and started to brush yourself off. Neither of you said a word as you made your way back to the grassy lawn where you left your stuff. Jake was already gone by the time you two climbed up the bank.

“Hey, uh, do you want my shirt?” Josh held up the article of clothing.

He was smart enough to have shed it before you played in the creek. Still, his question took you aback.

“What?” You felt your face warm slightly.

He seemed to get a bit more embarrassed as he explained. “Well your shirt got soaked when we fell, so I just wondered if you wanted to borrow it.”

“Oh, um, yeah thanks.” You grabbed the shirt from him with a small smile.

As soon as it was in your hand, it hit you that you’d have to take off your shirt to change. And you were pretty far from the house. And there were very few trees along the creek.

Even at 13 Josh was a good guy. His manners kicked in when it mattered. Without you asking, he swiveled to face the field away from you so you could change and made a playful remark about keeping watch, even though it was highly unlikely that anyone would turn up.

You quickly swapped out your wet t-shirt for his dry one and poked him on the shoulder. “I’m done now.”

“Great, let’s go.” He smiled at you.

He was still quiet on the walk back. Normally, you could handle a comfortable silence with Josh, but this afternoon things were different. The two of you nearly kissed in the creek, you were wearing his shirt, and now you were noticing that he smelt oddly good for a teenage boy.

You would never tell anyone how much you regretted not kissing Josh. He would’ve been your first kiss. You ended up wasting it on some boy at a school dance the following school year, and you didn’t even really like him. But how could you have kissed Josh back at the creek when you didn’t think he wanted the same thing?

—--3 Years Ago—--

“Babe, you look absolutely stunning!” Jake’s girlfriend beamed at you after she finished doing your hair.

You flushed and blew a playful kiss at her. “Stop it, you look gorgeous! I can’t wait to see the look on Jake’s face!”

You and her had become good friends in the time she’d been dating Jake. She’d offered to do your hair for prom if you would do her makeup, and the two of you even went dress shopping together. It was kind of refreshing considering most of the time you hung out with the twins.

“I’m more excited to see Josh’s face. Seriously, there’s no way he’s just gonna sit there all night and keep calling you his best friend. He’s got it bad for you and this is gonna break him.” She smirked at you.

You rolled your eyes at her. “Not true.” It was, though. She had figured out your crush on him a while ago, but you would never admit it.

You and Josh were going to prom together, yes, but just as friends. You broke up with your boyfriend a few weeks ago, and Josh and his girlfriend had ended things around the same time too. That left both of you single and in need of prom dates. It felt only natural to go with your best friend, especially when you’d planned on going with Jake and his girlfriend as a group anyways.

“You know I don’t believe you, but I’d rather go see the proof now, so let’s go.” She winked and pulled you out of her room and downstairs.

As expected, Jake found his girlfriend to be extremely pretty and told her so at least four times. If you hadn’t been paying attention to their goofball romance, you might’ve noticed that Josh was looking at you like you were a shooting star, bright and rare, like if he blinked he would miss you entirely.

Once you stepped over to him, he blinked and cleared his throat nervously. “You look really nice.”

“Thank you, you do too.” You smile at him, trying to keep your voice even. He really did look good. He’d done his best to tame his wild hair and he even got a vest for his suit that matched your dress.

He offered you his arm and the two of you followed behind Jake and his girlfriend to the front yard to take pictures. Everyone’s parents were present, and millions of pictures of everyone and every combination of each were taken. For the next few years you kept a picture of you and Josh from prom in your room, along with your other favorites.

After pictures and dinner, the four of you finally made it to prom and everyone scattered periodically to mingle. Jake and Josh went to talk to some of their other friends, and you and Jake’s girlfriend did the same. Eventually, you all snuck out the back and drank a bit from the flasks you snuck in and returned to repeat the cycle of talking and dancing.

Of course it wouldn’t have been prom without the cheesy slow song thrown randomly in the mix. The four of you happened to have already been on the dance floor dancing to the upbeat song previously played, so Jake and his girlfriend almost immediately switched into slow-dance-mode. That left you and Josh. You were just thinking it would be the perfect time for a drink break when Josh held out his hand.

“Dance with me?” He asked with a grin.

You returned it and nodded. “Of course.”

As the steady ballad crooned from the speakers, you and Josh drifted together. His hand on your waist, your arms around his neck, you looked like every other couple on the dancefloor.

“Crazy to think we’re already here and graduating in like a month.” He chuckled.

“Oh, don’t go getting all sappy on me now, Joshy.”

“Can’t help it, I guess this music is just getting to me. Can I be honest with you?”

You narrowed your eyes at him and nodded. “Yeah?”

He chuckled under his breath for a moment before he sobered up a little. “Relax, it’s nothing bad. I’m just glad that I’m here with you.”

You felt the seriousness creep back into you then. “Me too. There’s no one I’d rather be here with.”

The thoughts you had been trying to push away for the past few months were threatening to surface. Graduation in May. Summer break in June and July. Then you’d leave for college in August. After that you’d be states away from your best friends and family.

Just tell him. Say it now while you have the courage. The small voice inside you was screaming, but there was enough of you too terrified to act. You couldn’t ruin prom and the whole summer together if things went south.

Instead, you settled for laying your head on his shoulder and mumbling “I’m going to miss you.”

—--Your 21st Birthday—--

Nashville was a fun place to celebrate your 21st birthday. Since you didn’t get to see your friends often, the three of you splurged on the event and decided to take a trip. While you had all been drinking way before it was legal, being able to go bar hopping was still exciting.

Needless to say, you were all drunk and having a blast. You’d spent the earlier part of the day sightseeing and exploring the city, but tonight was the real reason for the trip.

At the last minute, you invited your college roommate out of nerves. You had gotten lucky to have been matched with Katie, she was now a close friend of yours. That’s why you asked her to come. You hadn’t seen Josh since your last break from school and you were more than a little nervous. You kept in touch over the phone, but in person was different. You were still in love with him, despite the fact that you’d tried to fall for other people, so you brought Katie in case you freaked.

Unfortunately, you forgot about Katie’s weakness for long-haired men and Jake’s tendency to be a bit of a hoe (which you meant completely lovingly). The moment Jake started tipsy-flirting with her, her buzzed self folded. They had been talking for a good part of the night.

However, things between you and Josh were good. You two were cool. You were friendly for the whole day, and now that you were on the drinking portion of the trip, your crush was scaring you less and less. It was definitely the liquid courage in your veins.

It was the dancing at a club that took you all out. The alcohol finally developed its depressant effect and tiredness was beginning to seep over all of you. Thankfully, the Air BnB you rented wasn’t far and you all were able to walk back home safely.

Katie and Jake were dangerously close to making out on the couch once you’d returned, so you and Josh escaped to the balcony. The night air was chilly and the two of you snuggled close to keep warm.

“This is nice.” You murmured, a dreamy smile on your face.

“What is?” Josh mumbled.

“You being here. With me.”

“Hmm I like being with you too, baby.” He hummed happily.

You snuggled into his side. “I love you, Joshy. I wish you were with me all the time.”

He wrapped his arm tighter around you. “I love you too. You’re my best friend, just don’t tell Jake.”

Even in your inebriated state, his words hit you. Best friend. Nothing more. You suddenly felt less buzzed and giggly. You were starting to remember that you were just a girl who had loved her best friend since she was 13 and he didn’t see you as anything else.

Except that he did. You didn’t know it, but he loved you so much. He wanted to tell you that too, but you looked so sad when he said it back that he got too scared to say more.

The trip ended two days later and you all went your separate ways, no closer to the closure that you so desperately wanted from him.

—--Now—--

You wanted to kick yourself as your life flashed past you. So many chances with Josh. Now he would never know that you loved him and you would never know if he loved you.

This couldn’t be it. It couldn’t end like this.

Please.

Anything.

I’ll do anything for one more shot.

I’ll be brave this time.

I’ll make it count.

Please.

“Y/N?”

It was fuzzy, like you were underwater, but you definitely could hear it.

“Can you hear me?”

You couldn’t quite form the words, but you could hear more clearly now. There was a woman speaking.

“Can you hear us?” Another woman spoke.

This time you formed a hum that you hoped was audible enough to be taken as a ‘yes’.

“Do you think you can open your eyes for me?” The woman asked.

Everything was so heavy, but you tried so so hard. You felt someone brush your arm lightly, and realized you could feel it. You could hear and feel and holy shit that meant you weren’t dead. That was the little push you needed to open your eyes.

You were in what was definitely a hospital room and two women in scrubs were watching you carefully.

“Glad to have you with us, Y/N.” The older one smiled. “I’m Dr. Jones and we heard you stirring a couple minutes ago. You’ve had a lot of people pretty worried.”

“Where…” Your voice was thick and raspy, but after a moment it came back enough. “Where are they?”

The nurse answered as she was checking your vitals. “One of the two boys that brought you in went to the cafeteria a few minutes ago. They said your family was on their way. You’ve been out for almost two days.”

That thought made you nauseous, but then your mind went back to her first words. “Josh?”

The nurse smiled at you. “Yes, I believe that’s him.”

“Y/N?”

You looked over at the doorway to be met with the sight of Josh. He looked exhausted. His eyes were rimmed in dark circles and he just looked…sad. But he was your Josh and it was the best sight you’d ever seen for that reason.

“Looks like you’re stable and doing well, so we’ll give you two a moment. Just take it easy.” Dr. Jones said before stepping out of the room with your nurse.

Josh was at your side in an instant, tears in his eyes. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. We should never have went out there. They didn’t know if you were going to make it. We were so scared. I was so scared. I’m so fucking sorry.”

You placed your hand gently on his arm and shook your head. “It’s not your fault. I made the choice to go. It was just an accident.”

“An accident on the trip I planned. On the hike I suggested. Baby, I’m so sorry.” The tears were falling down his face now.

You slowly lifted a hand to his face. “You didn’t do this, Josh. You actually saved me.”

“No I didn’t. Jake’s the one that carried you in. I…I was too hysterical, I couldn’t calm down.”

“No, not that. I kept seeing you. I had to get back to you. I think that’s what brought me back.” You smiled.

“What?” He wiped at his eyes.

“I couldn’t go, Josh. Not without telling you that I love you. I’ve been in love with you for so many years, and I know this isn’t a great time to say it, but I’m too scared to wait for something else to happen.”

“You mean that?” He croaked.

“I mean it. I love you.”

A fresh wave of tears slid down his cheeks. “God, I should’ve told you sooner. I love you too. I love you so much, and I never want to lose you. I need you.”

This time you took your chance. You pressed a light kiss to his lips and he leaned into it. Sure, you wished the circumstances were different and you could really kiss him, but you would absolutely take this moment over the alternative.

You would spend the rest of your life making the most of your second chance.

#josh kiszka #greta van fleet #writing #x y/n #imagines #jake kiszka #danny wagner #sam kiskza #greta van fleet fan fiction #fanfic #josh kiszka x reader #josh kiszka one shot #josh kiszka angst #josh kiszka x y/n #second chance at life #josh kiszka x you #josh gvf

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jazzystudios82 · 3 months ago

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Webcomic Recommendation: The Abandoned Empress ♡

Summary: "Aristia la Monique was the child of prophecy, raised to be the companion of the future emperor-until she wasn’t. When the actual child of prophecy appears on the palace grounds, Aristia is immediately cast aside by both fiancé and country and forced to watch as Jieun is handed the love, future, and throne that was supposed to be hers. Her only reward for a lifetime of obedience is death…or rather, a second chance at life! When she unexpectedly wakes up in her ten-year-old body, Aristia resolves to escape the shackles of prophecy no matter the odds. This time, she’ll take fate into her own hands!"

Distributer: Yen Press

Source: Tappytoon

Creator: Yuna (Author) & INA (Illustrator)

Genre: Fantasy, romance, second chance at life, tragedy, drama

CW: Domestic abuse in past life, r*** in past life, and a miscarriage in past life (happens in the first chapter or two)

Status: Complete (145 chapters)

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️

Availability: Wherever books are sold

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crescentcitytorchwood · 9 days ago

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I was going to drip feed these chapters, but honestly, I was too excited to share it with you all. So, here is the complete story, now on A03! Please do check it out and let me know what you think!

Chapters: 21/21 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Harry Potter Additional Tags: Raising Harry Potter, Flashbacks, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Second Chances Summary:

When their best friends suddenly die in an accident, exes Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are forced back together to raise their godson, Harry Potter. Can they find a way of working together or are some things too broken to fix?

#wolfstar fanfiction #wolfstar raising harry #wolfstar #angst with a happy ending #angst #remus x sirius #sirius black #sirius loves remus #exes to lovers #second chance romance #second chance at love #second chance at life #ao3 author #ao3 fanfic #a03 fanfic #a03 link #a03 fic #a03 writer #ao3 writer

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latenightswaudiobooks · 14 days ago

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Current Read

10/28/2024

Current Book: Ghosted by J.M. Darhower

Reading or Listening: Listening

Where I’m at: Chapter 23 6 hours and 3 minutes

What it's about: A troubled young actor and a single assistant manager at a grocery store. You'd think they never would have anything in common. You'd be wrong the thing they have in common is a daughter. A daughter that the actor can't see because of his "trouble". He's cleaning up his act and hoping to make emends to his daughter and the woman he loves.

How invested am I: Very I can't go a day without listening

Trigger warnings? Yes

‼️ Beyond Here Contains Spoilers

Favorite Part so Far: When Jonathan got the picture from Maddie, but the hug after the duck scene was a close second.

Thoughts so Far: I love it! It may be my chronic need to fix everyone but, I love Jonathan and how hard he seems to be trying and I'm begging Kennedy to give him a chance. Maddie is the cutest and has my heart she is adorable and so witty. I love their childhood love story and just got to the part where they are running off together. The way Kennedy's mom supports them makes my heart swell. It's such a sweet story and and so far there has been a few great spice scenes so far as well! Overall my current rating it a 7/10 but that can change with over half the book left!

Favorite Character: Kennedy's Mom has to be I'm so sad she died and we don't get present POV with her. She is so understanding and want's her daughter to have her own experiences while making sure she stay's safe.

Least Favorite Character: Fucking Drew fucking Hastings fuck that guy. As Maddie is right when she says since he can't call Kennedy pretty he shouldn't get to see her. How he treats Jonathan, how he treats Kennedy, how he acts in general he's the absolute worst. I mean he didn;t let Kennedy talk about anything ontheir date it was only about him. Then he wanted to drive around drunk with her and felt entitled to fuck her. Yeah he's just a no for me.

What do I hope will happen next: I hope they get to be a family, but I'm sure it will get fucked up and I will be devastated and I am not prepared at all.

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jasmine-the-fox · 1 month ago

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A second chance

Here we go! another story idea i got and that i'm writing here!

Enjoy everyone!!

Jasmine cried in the bathroom once more. The faint screams and cries of the five pups she had with her horrible husband was giving her a headache. This was all Ochako’s fault though… this all happened because Ochako put her through an arranged marriage with an abusive alpha who she hid his past history from her and caused her to be in hell right now.

The worst part was that Ochako got with Katsuki when they were in UA… but now she was going through a divorce with him… well Katsuki filed for divorce and she’s trying to stall clearly. She hated her life, the life she was living was a mistake and she so badly wanted a better life than this one “If I could go back in time… I would make sure she didn’t know what I would do in the end so I can get my way” she whispered to herself as she slowly got up from the bathroom floor.

But her life got worst before it got better…

She snapped when she found that her eldest pup had broken there third coffee table and slapped him before screaming at him. He cried of course but she had enough and dragged him to his room to be punished for now. She then called a divorce lawyer to leave her husband and disown her kids… she didn’t want this life and planned to report Ochako for doing this to her… which she knew would help Katsuki with his divorce.

Of course, her eldest cried in his room but she didn’t care, the other four went to their rooms in fear of being punished like he was and she didn’t mind as it gave her peace and quiet for now. When her husband came home, dinner wasn’t ready and her bags were by the door “I’m leaving you and the kids. You abused me since we got married when I should have never been married to you… so I’m filing for divorce” she said before going to leave.

He had her on the floor with his hands on her neck within seconds…

“She said you would do what I say! She promised you were stupid and wouldn’t leave me! I won’t let you do what you want you bitch!!” he screamed, she was shocked by the fact he was trying to kill her… but was even more shocked when their pups ran over and were throwing stuff at him to make him let her go… he tried telling them she was leaving them but the eldest screamed “And it’s all your fault you monster!!” she didn’t know how much he knew… but it was clear he knew things that happened between them.

But in the end… there eldest pup had said too much and it caused her husband to snap… and not only did his hold on her get tighter… but the next thing she heard and saw was silence and darkness. He had ended her life. She didn’t know what happened after her death and she didn’t really care since she hoped her next life will be better than the one, she just went through to be honest.

And then she opened her eyes… and found herself back at UA… she had gone back in time to when she planned to confess to Katsuki…

Realizing she can change her horrible fate, Jasmine decided to change everything she did… she quickly got out of her bed and went through her things for an empty notebook to use so she could write down what she remembered happened in her old life all because of Ochako “Katsuki is off the table. Ochako knew I want to confess to him… I’ll need to lie about it so I can switch to someone else I can be with” she said to herself while looking through her memories on who she could be with instead of Katsuki.

That’s when she remembered that Izuku had been single no matter which omega he was paired to be with, during an interview about the seventh omega he had rejected to marry and mate he revealed there was an omega he liked but never confessed to her “Now she’s married and I never got over her” he said.

She was certain that she was the omega he liked…

With that in mind, she planned on being with Izuku… instead of an alpha Ochako selects for her and hides there past. But in order to get with Izuku without Ochako finding out… she needed to keep her away, she slowly got herself ready for school and decided that the only way to get Ochako out was to lie to her.

So, when Ochako came up to her asking about Katsuki… she lied “Oh yeah… he actually has plans with his pack so were going to meet another day” she said, this made Ochako frown but nod in understanding before walking away to the others. Jasmine sighed in relief over the fact she did it… now she needed to meet Katsuki and talk to him, the day went the same as she remembered. The only difference was that Ochako went out with Tsuyu and Momo.

Giving her the chance to talk to Katsuki…

She waited for him by the training area like she had asked in her letter to him. It didn’t take long before he walked over “Alright, what do you want?” he asked making her smile and bow to him “Please help me confess to Izuku!” she requested. She didn’t really need help, but she couldn’t just ditch him like it was some prank… even though she would love to and claim it was all Ochako who made her do it, she waited a moment before looking at Katsuki who sighs “Alright fine. I’ll help you… but I’m not doing all of the work!” he said making her smile and nod in agreement.

They talked for a little while about what she could do to confess and after a while they came to an agreement. Jasmine returned to her room to work while Katsuki went out to buy a few things, she was so happy that things went well so far… but it was only a matter of time before Ochako finds out… which is why she needed to be fast with her confession.

Hence why she asked to train with Izuku once he was done reviewing for a test…

It was perfect! They train for a while and then as they take a break she can confess to him. She did some light reading while waiting for Izuku to arrive, when he got there, he was ready to start which made her smile while he faintly blushed. They got started with some light sparring.

It was nice training with Izuku even though this was her reliving her past but with her able to change things to keep herself safe. After a while they took a break that was well deserved for them before she spoke “Would you… like to go out with me? On a date?” she asked and the reaction she got from him startled her… he activated both Smokescreen and Float at the same time which startled her.

But he said yes after calming down…

They planned on a simple walk as their date. She was so happy that it all worked out in the end and couldn’t wait to see how things go between her and Izuku… meanwhile… Ochako was having a great time with Momo and Tsuyu, sure it sucked that she couldn’t steal Katsuki from Jasmine today but she still could.

She simply needed Jasmine to tell her when they were meeting and lie about Katsuki canceling so she could take Katsuki from her. Which is why she was enjoying herself right now so she could look perfect for Katsuki… all the while not knowing that Jasmine lied to her and met with Katsuki like planned but never confessed to him like she told Ochako she wanted to do.

On the day of the date. Izuku took her to a marketplace that was so cute and fun to walk around. So many amazing products were all around for her to look at and she enjoyed every moment she spent with Izuku at the moment. They bought some food, tried some stuff and bought items they liked or believed others would enjoy before walking back to UA together.

When they entered the dorm building, it was with smiles on there faces as they went to their respective room to rest inside of for a bit… but Jasmine was really happy with how things went in the end. She went to the notebook and marked down what she changed after scratching out what originally happened with a smile “I’m getting closer to my happy life” she said to herself before putting her new stuff away.

A month passes and Jasmine is now dating Izuku, she’s very happy with him and enjoys spending time with her alpha when she can. Of course, Ochako doesn’t know about it… she lied to the class that Ochako told her how she wanted to confess to someone and didn’t want to cause pressure to be put onto her to confess so everyone backed off on telling or talking about it around Ochako… but she did find out after a while.

It happened all of a sudden, Jasmine was cuddling with Izuku, Katsuki was trying to give his pack a cooking lesson while Mina was doing Jasmine’s nails when Ochako entered the dorm. She was frozen for a moment before storming towards Jasmine “What the hell Jasmine!? You said you wanted to confess to Katsuki and you’re cuddling with Deku!?” she demanded which made Jasmine freeze and cry while everyone was silent.

It was too easy… “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about Ochako” she cried out as Izuku pulled her closer, Ochako was about to say something… but got stopped by Katsuki “I don’t know what your fucking problem is Round Cheeks but leave her alone with your bullshit lies” he growled out before walking over to Jasmine’s side with the rest of his pack to comfort Jasmine.

Ochako was stunned to silence before she ran off to her room, Jasmine was happy inside because she took Ochako down just now… but she knew that there was more to come in the end but she was ready. A few days after that incident, she watches as Ochako confesses to Katsuki “Fuck off Round Cheeks! Why would I wanna be with a liar like you? Besides… I plan on inviting Jasmine to my pack” he said before walking away… leaving Ochako stunned. Jasmine grinned as she quickly told Mina who was their classes gossiper what she saw.

Of course… Mina spread it around the school… but forgot to say Jasmine told her what happened…

As a result… when Ochako tried to lie about what happened… everyone called her out on her lies while some laughed at her for trying to lie to them about what happened. She was humiliated and didn’t talk to anyone for a month until the whole incident calmed down for her, but Jasmine was very happy about what happened since it meant Ochako wouldn’t try to ruin her life and make her suffer when they were older.

She and Izuku kept strong through there relationship and were happy as they graduated together, she was sad when Izuku left for America like All Might had done… but he promised to come back to be with her as soon as he was done with his time there which she accepted. To her joy he came back two years later and didn’t travel back to America at all after that.

Two more years go by and Jasmine was at home. She had gone through a C-section to give birth to the twins they had and was recovering from it at the moment, Izuku was so proud of her and made sure she had everything she would need before leaving for hero work after his mom picked up the twins with there food she pumped for them.

Then one day, she received an email from the Hero commission requesting her assistance “Arranged marriage assignment?” she mumbled to herself before reading the email. From what she could understand, there were omegan pro hero’s that weren’t married yet and they were asking for her help to assign some of them to an alpha “Any omega that you are unable to assign to an alpha will be forwarded to another to assign them” she read before nodding and opening the file of omegas and potential alphas to pair them to and slowly got to work.

She actually enjoyed this little job…

Looking through details of the omega’s and then the alphas to find the right one for the omega was actually great. In fact, a few omegas she recognized as being victims of abuse through the program… it made her wonder if Ochako caused this in the end but she shakes her head before getting back to work.

Some omega’s she couldn’t pair because none of the alpha’s matched them and their desires weren’t good for them so she hoped the next omega who gets their file has a heart and pairs them with a good alpha. After a while, she took a break to eat and talk to Izuku during his lunch break before talking to Inko about the twins… it made her happy to hear them babble a bit before she went back to her laptop to work some more to help pair omegas to the right alpha for them.

and then… Jasmine stumbled upon… Ochako Uraraka’s file…

she was shocked that Ochako was there… but considering she had also been single since graduation in her previous life… it made sense that Ochako was living her life now too. She looked over the alpha options Ochako had and saw that a few had the same ideals she did… but then she found one she liked. There was an alpha who wanted his omega to quit hero work after having there first pup as he wants a stay-at-home mate since he was making a good amount of money.

And after she looked, she saw that the alpha was making way more then Ochako was… so with a wicked grin she matched him to Ochako “At least it’s better than being with an abusive alpha who makes you have five crazy pups and kills you when you go to leave and divorce him Ochako” she said to herself before finishing up the last omega she had and then sending off the files to the commission with notes on the ones she didn’t pair.

While she could have really made Ochako go through what she put her through… she still had a heart in her second life…

#salt fic #bnha #ochako salt #izuku x oc #tw death #tw abuse #second chance at life

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