#WATCH FIRST SOLDIER PROVE ME EXTRA RIGHT TOO

[rosy-crow]

Every time I watch this bit.

[lovelynim]

TickleTober2024/Day 04 - Upside down

Genshin Impact - Gorou x Itto

With his legs hooked around a thick tree branch, Gorou slowly lifted his torso, getting his head up to his waist’s height.  “Thirty-two… t-thirty-three…” Gorou grunted, clenching his hands behind his head while he pulled his body up again and again. 

Itto, on the other hand, leaned comfortably against a nearby tree. He simply continued to enjoy his extra sweet lollipop and to casually watch the general’s workout session. 

Regular soldiers would do something like running laps around the camp and do push ups. Gorou, however, wasn’t a regular soldier. He was the general. And this meant that a regular workout session wouldn’t do it for him.

Still, did he really need to hang himself upside down?

“Are you done? We are going to be late for the festival, pup,” Itto whined, his words slightly muffled by the candy in his mouth. 

His words made Gorou frown - but since he was upside down, could it be called a smile? Itto chuckled at the thought, only noticed Gorou said something and he ended up totally ignoring it. Oop. “H-how many again?”

“I said- ugh, thirty-nine- hahh, t-that I will do one- forty!” Gorou gasped, relaxing his body and letting it hang as he tried to catch up his breath, “...I will do one hundred. I’m almost halfway, you can go first if you want.”

“What?!” Itto stomped like a child throwing a tantrum, “it will take too long! Can’t you finish it later?”

“You know that’s not how it works- I mean, I hope you do,” Gorou scoffed a giggle, swaying a little in his place, “and it’s not like it’s my fault, you’re the one-”

Crack.

Gorou widened his eyes, his ears twitching in response to the slight creaking sound. To his surprise, it wasn’t the branch giving to his weight, but his boyfriend losing his patience. “H-hey, Itto, what are you d- AH!”

A giggle, or rather a scream, bursted out of Gorou’s lips when Itto reached out to waist, squeezing it with both hands while trying to pry him off the tree. “I-ITTOHohoh!” The general laughed in panic, his muscles far too sore to properly fight back. 

“I’m gohohoing to fall!! Stahahap!” Gorou pleaded, his legs being the only thing keeping him from his clingy, needy boyfriend. Still, Itto didn’t seem to really worry about such a scenario.

The oni continued to play with the Gorou’s stomach, sides, hips, waist and even some of his ribs - all conveniently hung right at his face’s height. “That’s the goal, pup,” Itto grinned, tickling Gorou’s lower sides with his long, sharp nails, “but don’t worry, I’ll catch ya before you do!”

“WAHahahait!! I’m nohohot done yehehet!”

“Yes, you are,” Itto mumbled, tugging a little harder at Gorou’s body and groaning at how surprisingly hard taking him down was proving to be. Well, desperate situations call for desperate measures. 

The last thing Gorou heard was Itto gasping, taking a huge amount of air into his huge lungs. Then, that awful noise followed by an unbearable tickling.

“PFFFFFT!! ~”

“Y-YOHOHOU JEHEHERK!!!” Gorou cackled, squirming like a worm in the hook while Itto buried his face into the general’s warm tummy, nuzzling and blowing one raspberry after the other.

All Gorou’s brain could process was the electric-like feeling running a thousand miles per second throughout his body, shutting off any defenses and taking away any control he had over his own limbs. 

When he was back to his senses - a couple seconds later, for the record -, Itto was already carrying him around, his body hanging over the oni’s shoulder.

“U-ugh,” Gorou groaned, trying to look up to his partner’s face, “couldn’t you at least let me shower?”

“No can do, pup, you waste too much time playing on that tree,” Itto giggled, ruffling Gorou’s hair with his free hand, “now, to the festival we go!”

A/N: It's been a reaaaaaally long while since I wrote anything for Gorou, so I apologize if he is a little ooc here. Itto too, ofc, but I feel like it's harder to mess him up while writing.

Anyway, thanks for sticking by for another day! See you tomorrow!

[imaginethezeldaverse]

Hello! I hope this ask fond you well!! I'm not exactly new to your blog, but this is my first time hoping to request? Though before that I was just hoping to ask of you'd write for Master Kohga?

i am so whipped for that guy ngl- *cough*

Of course! Master Kohga, as I'm finding out, has charmed his way into the hearts of a lot of people! And I honestly love that for him, he's such a goofball.

I wasn't sure what kind of request you wanted, but I had a little something in mind! Sorry this took so long. Final season is upon me so I've been swamped but I'm almost done!

---

"C'mon! C'MON! You said you were gonna be done soon with my surprise!" came the impatient prattling of your superior. His foot tapped away just outside of the kitchen door, a few foot soldiers watching from afar their boss's restlessness. You rolled your eyes as your mittens retrieved the warm delight from the oven before you.

Grateful were you to have such a thing at the Yiga hideout, it seemed as though cooking things was not a strong suit amongst the clan. Not that you felt it was your responsibility...but admittedly you did grow tired of eating banana-centric things all the time - so teaching some of your more eager Yiga clanmates how to cook actual meals proved to be useful. As you set down the baked good on the nearby table, you let the irony of banana being your focus slide off of you, pride settling in instead.

In all of its saccharine glory was the most appetizing banana upside down cake you've ever made: with a layer of browned sugar and sweet caramel glaze over a dense, but rich cake that was sure to have the clan fighting for slices. You were in thought about how long you should wait to let the cake cool before piping on the vanilla whipped cream you'd made, but a pair of hands clapped over your shoulders and immediately moved you to jump.

"YUMMY!" exclaimed Master Kohga, his masked head leaning over your shoulder, "Was this what you had me waiting for?! Ooooh can we cut it now? Please? Please?!"

The Yiga clan leader bounced on his heels with childlike delight, nearly drooling at the mouth beneath his mask at the aroma of the confection wafting through every crevice it could creep through. Allowing your heart to calm down a bit from the sudden fright Master Kohga gave you, you willed your self to let out an exasperated laugh,

"We should probably let it cool first, Master Kohga, sir."

"Oh, what, is it too hot? Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it."

His hands quickly removed themselves from your shoulders, the sound of swift hand movements just behind your ears before a subtle chilly mist blew over your shoulders, the heat of the cake cooling down immediately as soon as a few puffs of the frosty air hit it. Blinking, you quietly took a knife and carved out a piece for your boss, plating it in astonishment at the fact that he thought to so quickly use magic to bring your piping hot dessert to a comfortable, edible temperature.

Clapping, Master Kohga grabbed the plate with excitement, lifting his mask an inconsequential amount, allowing him to shovel the cake into his mouth at a whirlwind pace. Before you even had the opportunity to ask how it was, the plate was shoved into your face,

"Another!" he chirped, still chewing through his last bite.

A new wave of pride soared through you; clearly Master Kohga found your creation delicious, and it filled you with joy to hear his smacks and small, thrilled noises as he ate his second piece.

"Ahhh" he exhaled, adjusting his mask back into place after inhaling his second piece. Master Kohga took occupancy in a nearby seat, leaning back and balancing on the chairs legs, "You know you're my favorite, right?"

The thrum in your chest almost blew your cover of the blush that threatened to creep up on your face. Swiftly you turned to grab some extra plates from your cabinet for your clanmates. Now was not the time for your tiny, miniscule, insignificant crush on your boss to surface. So, with some quick thinking you decided to instead scoff playfully, "How many Yiga soldiers have you said that to, sir?"

But your teasing question wasn't met with the answer you expected. Instead of Master Kohga's jovial laughter of 'being caught' or a defensive 'Hey!'...you were met instead with silence.

"Just you."

You fingers gripped the plates in white-knuckled anxiety, and you turned to your boss who sat upright now. Though it was difficult to often gauge where his eyes were from behind that mask, you were deadly sure they were burning into you right at this moment. The air in your lungs held stagnant, that blush you tried to hold back now wisping across your cheeks and neck.

"I mean it," he continues, "You're my favorite."

Suddenly he's before you, and you realize how much smaller you are compared to his stature when he's not slouching. His hand drapes over yours for a brief moment,

"Wouldn't have any reason to lie about that neither"

Your heart is beating wildly in your chest, blood pumping in your ears as your bewildered expression looked up at the never-changing painted eye of his Yiga mask. Next you knew, Master Kohga had one of the plates in your hands between his fingers, hurling the disc effortlessly toward the kitchen door. It was caught with ease by a footsoldier, who meekly shrunk into himself once he realized he willingly came out of hiding.

"It's rude to eavesdrop you know!" Master Kohga shouted, stomping his foot.

Four other Yiga clansmen appeared next to the first, straightening up at attention for their superior.

"Sir!" one of them spoke, "We're sorry sir, we just...the smell of bananas and sugar was so strong we couldn't help it..."

The sigh Master Kohga let out was akin to a father who had just caught his children stealing cookies from the jar, "Well hurry up then before I decide you don't get any."

A raucous cheer sounded in the kitchen, the soldiers lining up for slices and taking plates carefully from your hands.

You, on the other hand, were still trying to process Master Kohga's words against the sounds of pleased chewing and eager appreciation. When you finally came to your senses you scanned the room to see your Yiga brethren still enjoying their cake and chattering amongst themselves about their day so far.

Master Kohga was nowhere to be seen.

[kayhi808]

Neighbors - First Date

Bucky's Masterlist

You did some stalking on your new handsome neighbor. He's none other than Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Not exactly who you were expecting. You've watched the news; you know about the Winter Soldier. Maybe you shouldn't have been so flirty with him. He was an assassin after all. But...he must be good now, because he's an Avenger, right?

You shake your head to stop your daydreaming. You're at the Flatiron Room & just completed your set. The changing room in the back is little more than a closet, but you'll make do. You took extra care in getting ready for tonight, in hopes that Bucky will show up. You're all 1940's glamour. There's a knock on the door jamb & in the mirror's reflection you see Bucky there & you let out a gasp, "Bucky."

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he frowns at the floor.

You quickly turn in your chair, "I wasn't scared. Just surprised."

"You told me I should come down to see you."

You laugh, "I did, but I didn't see you in the audience, so I thought you couldn't make it. I'm happy you're here."

He nods as a small smile plays on his lips. "You were really great up there. Do you have another set? Or are you done for the evening?"

"I'm done."

"I got a table out by the fireplace if you'd like to join me for dinner."

Catching your bottom lip with your teeth to try & prevent your smile from being too big. "Sure, I'd like that. Um..." nervous laughter. "Let me change & I'll meet you outside?"

"Yea! Sorry, of course," as Bucky backs away from the doorway. "I'll meet you outside," and awkwardly leaves.

*****

You change out of your dress and back into your clothes from work, slacks and a sweater. You don't want to keep Bucky waiting. You sing at the Flatiron, once a week, but you've never visited here as a patron. You're quite excited.

Bucky is seated by the fireplace, but once he sees you, he jumps up to pull out your chair for you. It's small things like this that reminds you he's from another era. "Thank you. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Not a problem at all. It was worth the wait." You hide behind your menu, giddy from the compliment. "So, what's good here? What do you suggest?"

"I haven't actually eaten here. I only come in to do my set & I go home." Bucky gives you a disbelieving look. "But from what I hear, everything is pretty delicious. Oh! I take that back. I did have their 28 layer chocolate cake."

"28??"

"Decadence at its finest!" Bucky shakes his head. "If we don't have one tonight, I can always bring one home for you to try some other night." Bucky's eye muscle ticks at how casually you used the word home. He hasn't had a place to call home in such a long time. Let alone share it with anyone. "Are you ok?"

"Yea. Fine." Embarrassed, he turns back to his menu. You didn't mean anything forward or presumptuous by it. The building is your home & now that Bucky is your neighbor, it's his home too.

Once your orders are placed, and the waiter leaves, and Bucky makes another attempt at conversation. "What made you want to sing this type of music?"

"I adore 30's & 40's music! When I was little, my great-grandpa loved...it..." You trail off & look wide eye at Bucky. "Um...if you don't mind me asking. How old are you?"

"106." That proved to him that you know who he is. Part of him appreciates that you treated him like some regular guy.

Bucky has on his grumpy face & you bite your lip and nod. "You don't look a day over 35." He frowns more. "You're like the handsomest great-grandpa I've ever met." Nodding, "You're hot. Like sexy..."

"Stop," Bucky bites out.

You stop but can't help but give him a huge smile. You raise 3 fingers and swear, "I swear it."

"That's a boy scout salute."

"Girls can join the Boy Scouts now. They are just called Scouts."

"What?"

"Since 2019." Bucky squeezes his eyes shut & leans back in his chair. "Sorry," you whisper. Bucky sits back up and takes a long pull on his scotch. "I'm sorry I was teasing you. I can't image how difficult it has been for you to navigate everything." He huffs & gives you a smirk. "Anyways, my great grandfather was a musician, so when I'd visited, he'd aways have his music playing. We'd sing and dance together. I fell in love with it too. It brings back happy memories for me."

Bucky runs his tumbler across the table & admits with a sad smile, "Same. A life before the war. Before things got...crazy."

You stare at each other, silently for a moment. "Excuse me for a minute." You stand and Bucky stands as well. Another old mannerism from the past. You brush the lapel of his jacket. "You really do look nice this evening."

You walk away leaving Bucky to think if you're going to ditch him. He beats himself up about coming out at all. He moved out of Avenger's Tower to get away from people. Bucky likes his solitude and it got to be too much living in the Tower, so he thought he'd find a place to call his own. And he met you and you immediately got under his skin. He suddenly feels melancholy. Maybe the supper club reminds him too much of the past.

You made a request from your friend, Calvin, at the piano and make your way back to Bucky. He sees you approaching & he quickly stands to get your chair for you.

You place your hand on his arm to stop him, not realizing it was his Vibranium arm. The metal hard & cold under his jacket comes as a surprise, but you hope you masked it well. "Sargeant Barnes? Will you do me the honor?" You hold your arms out to him & he just stares at you with his now familiar frown. "Uh...will you dance with me?" You keep your arms open.

"Doll, I haven't danced in decades."

"Then it's the perfect time to start up again." He still hasn't moved to take you into his arms. "Bucky, people are staring at me. You're seriously just going to leave me hanging like this?" Your smile starts to waver, when you swear Bucky growls & pulls you up against him. "Thank you."

He's a very good dancer. He's a little stiff to start off with, either from being mad at you, or out of practice. He quickly warms up & you catch him smiling. He tries to spin you in a twirl, and you barely succeed in pulling it off. That starts him laughing and you're amazed at how laughter transforms him. He's even more handsome & boyish. You like brooding and sexy, but something about his laughter, fills a void in your chest.

It's still the same old story A fight for love and glory A case of do-or-die The world will always welcome lovers As time goes by

The rest of the evening goes by in a blur. The meal was excellent. Bucky relaxed more after the dance. You avoided talk of Avengers or the past. You kept conversation to "getting to know you" questions. Figuring out each other's "favorites". The Winter Soldier is really one big nerd and no one will convince you otherwise.

You make it back to your building, "I'm so glad you came tonight. Thank you for dinner, Bucky."

"Thanks for inviting me down to begin with."

You stand on tip-toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. You try to think of 1940s etiquette...you probably shouldnt be kissing him. He's going to call you a floozy. You smile against his lips.

Bucky grasps your face in his hands and angles your head to deepen the kiss. He tastes of chocolate cake and scotch. You sigh as he pulls away. "It's late. I gotta be heading home."

You look down the hallway at the door next to yours. "Yea. Get home safely. Don't get lost."

Laughing, he kisses your cheek. "G'nite doll."

"Night, Bucky."

Next

[scarlet-sky4]

Phoenix - Chapter 4

Pairing: Soldier!Baekhyun x Doctor!OC AU: Zombies Genres: Romance, Thriller, Action Warnings: Violence Chapter word count: 5.7k

Baekhyun and Seri are an unlikely pair, united by their struggle for survival amid a global crisis. Faced with a deadly disease that turns people into ruthless monsters, can the soldier and the doctor make it out alive?

Read on AFF |  Masterlist

Chapter 1 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

Baekhyun stopped the car in the middle of a large forest. He was convinced it was safe to spend the night in this spot. The car was hidden from view since he had parked it on a deserted hiking trail. Bushes and trees separated it from the nearby street.

“You want to stop here?” Seri asked, staring into the darkness with worry swimming in her eyes.

“Yes. Our supplies will last until tomorrow and then we’ll arrive in Sokcho anyway.”

He appeared tired and not in the mood for discussions, so Seri bit her lip and kept her concerns to herself. Baekhyun had proved his capability and experience while they had fought themselves through Seoul. If he thought it was better to continue their journey tomorrow, then so be it. She no longer had any reasons not to trust him. Baekhyun was on her side, considering her safety. He wasn’t like the people in her former group. Not in the slightest.

They shared a small dinner in the car and then Baekhyun fetched two blankets from his backpack. He handed one to her, and after locking the car doors, they transformed the backseat into a makeshift bed, reclining it. They awkwardly lay next to each other without touching, struggling to find a comfortable position. Their legs were too long to fit on the reclined seats, but they had to make this work somehow—it was only for one night. Seri rolled on her side and watched Baekhyun’s outline in the darkness. The sounds of the nightly forest were unnerving. Constant rustling, the howling of the wind, and noises she couldn’t identify reached her ears. What if zombies roamed this forest? They hadn’t seen any so far, and the next town was far away, but…

Maybe she shouldn’t think about this.

Seri pulled the blanket up to her ears, still wearing her jacket. A shiver shook her body. “It’s so cold,” she whispered and blew hot air on her freezing fingers to warm them up. “Do we have an extra blanket in the trunk?” she asked hopefully.

“No, unfortunately not,” he answered and watched her as he contemplated something. “Come closer. It’ll help.” He raised his blanket a little and motioned for her to lie right next to him, but she hesitated because it was hard to shake off her old habits.

“Is this appropriate?” she blurted out.

“Who cares? Don’t tell me you would rather freeze. This isn’t the time to act proper, doctor.”

He was right. Moreover, they had slept in one bed before, maybe not as close as now, but still. She avoided his gaze as she crawled under his blanket and put hers on top of it. His body heat surrounded her once they were huddled up to one another under the blankets. He draped his arm around her back, hugging her. It was awkward at first for both of them. Baekhyun wasn’t sure how to hold her and ended up putting his hand on her shoulder blade while her face was pressed to his collarbones, head tucked under his chin. She breathed in his scent and felt the firmness of his well-trained body. He was tense like her, and for a while, neither of them spoke a word.

Until she broke the silence because she sure as hell couldn’t sleep while surrounded by this heavy and thick tension that had manifested.

“It feels better like this,” she told him.

“You stopped shivering. Do you think you can sleep now?”

“Yes, I’m exhausted after the long walk today. Goodnight, Baekhyun. Get some rest, we’ll need it tomorrow,” she smiled and let her eyes fall shut. Once he relaxed, she became more comfortable and gave in to the sinking tiredness that weighed on her limbs.

“Sleep well,” she heard him say moments before sleep claimed her.

 .

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.

.

.

Seri felt warm when she awoke the following morning. Her eyes remained closed for another while as she basked in this delightful feeling of belonging and safety that had become a rare treat in this cruel world. Her nose was pressed against the collar of Baekhyun’s jacket, hands resting on his chest. Their legs were linked as well. Seri couldn’t remember the last time she had allowed someone to get so close to her. He had earned and deserved her trust. Moving away never crossed her mind—if it weren’t for their plan to head to Sokcho, she would have no qualms about staying like this all day.

Her lashes fluttered. The first rays of the sun broke through the treetops and reached through the car windows, tickling her skin. It seemed like the rain had ceased—hopefully, the weather would stay warm for another while before winter arrived… Seri shifted and propped herself up on her elbow, gazing at Baekhyun’s sleeping face. His arm lay on her waist and prevented her from getting up. It didn’t matter; she was just fine where she was and used the opportunity to take a closer look at her new companion. The soldier looked oddly vulnerable. While asleep, the harsh lines of his features softened. The dark shadows underlining his eyes had disappeared. For a moment, she considered touching his silky black hair but discarded the idea. It was better not to overstep any boundaries. He probably wouldn’t appreciate being touched like that while asleep. She wouldn’t either.

Seri caught movement from the corner of her eye and stiffened. Her blood froze in her veins as she slowly raised her head and gazed through the rear window. They were not alone. Absolute terror overcame her. Standing right there, on the other side of the glass, was a person. He stared at her with an odd glimmer in his eyes—how long had he been waiting there, watching them? Had they locked the doors? The trunk? Where did he come from? They were in the middle of nowhere!

She gasped. The stranger’s jacket was torn and on his shoulder, he sported teeth marks covered with dried blood. The area surrounding the bite was blackened… The disease was festering. To her horror, he still seemed sane enough to understand what was happening to him. His hand touched the window, leaving a bloody smear. Opening his mouth, he rasped a quiet, “Help me.”

Her eyes watered in sheer horror. The disease took over rapidly. It ate away at his sanity and stole the last pieces of his humanity. She couldn’t stop it, she couldn’t help him. Never had she felt so utterly useless. Her panic rose when a terrifying hungry sneer stretched over his lips. Finally, she broke out of her frozen state and grabbed Baekhyun’s arm, waking him up.

“Baekhyun, we have to leave! Hurry, please!” she spluttered, causing him to shoot up. He flinched away from the window, automatically reaching for the baseball bat they had stashed behind the seat.

“Fuck, where did he come from?!”

“I don’t know!”

He muttered another curse when the monster violently banged its fists against the window. Unfortunately, the ensuing noise lured in five more zombies who emerged from the forest. Their teeth clacked when they found their prey, and they started to run. Adrenaline rushed through Baekhyun’s veins as he processed the situation. He acted fast. Jumping over the gear shift, he sat in the driver’s seat and turned on the engine.

Meanwhile, Seri couldn’t move at all—she was petrified in fear. The zombies reached the car, pounding against the windows, trying to break them. They were strong enough to accomplish it. Cracks formed on the rear window. Soon, it would give in.

The car lurched, and she fell on her side. Baekhyun accelerated without warning. They shot over the hiking trail, the zombies wailing as they followed the car. Their faces appeared like those of rabid animals, void of reason and identity.

Baekhyun steered the car back on the tarred road where he accelerated further, leaving the terrifying scene behind. When they rounded a corner and trees obscured the view, Seri tore her gaze away from the window, collapsing on the backseat. The loud roaring of the engine drowned out any other sound. She gazed at the blankets under her hand and tried not to think about the moment that had scared her half to death. The blue fibers blurred. A salty drop rolled down her cheek.

She didn’t know why she cried now of all times. Maybe it was reasonable after what she had been through. She had held the tears in for weeks, and now she burst like a water balloon. The outbreak drove her to the edge of what she could take, and her pent-up frustration was set free. She had become a stranger in a world she was supposed to know. Every morning, she woke up to a new terrifying predicament, but this one had outdone everything… They weren’t safe anywhere, and letting down their guard could be fatal. This wasn’t how she wanted to live. This wasn’t how she could live.

She rubbed her eyes. Her lower lip didn’t stop quaking, and her face flushed. After a few minutes, the blurry outline of Baekhyun’s face came into focus. The car had stopped and they had left the forest and their pursuers behind.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked. Hidden somewhere under his expressionless façade were insecurity and hesitancy. He sat next to her slouched form, reaching out his hand and touching her shoulder. The unexpected gesture spurred her to move. She sat up and scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around his mid. Her face was squished against his chest, tears wetting the fabric of his jacket. The initial stiffness of his body remained unnoticed by her as she sniffled quietly. After a second of hesitation, he reciprocated her embrace and placed his hands on her back and head.

This was the kind of human connection she needed to stay sane. She was so grateful she didn’t have to be alone anymore. How rare was it to find someone like him in this world? She closed her eye. One last tear slid down her cheek. Then, she lay in his arms and just breathed.

“You’re safe. They’re nowhere near us,” he murmured. She nodded but did not budge. Her head stayed on his chest. It moved with every breath he took, and she found it easier to relax by adapting to his breathing pattern.

“When I woke up, this guy stood behind the car and stared at us through the window. He asked for help,” she explained. “But the transformation happened so fast... I’ve never seen it myself.”

“I have, and it’s disturbing. RABV-12 is insanely aggressive, it turns people into monsters from one second to the next,” he scowled. Bitterness and regret dyed his voice as his eyes stared into the far distance. A memory of the past resurfaced. His lips curled in response.

“We shouldn’t have stayed the night here. I misjudged the situation, and for that, I’m sorry. I should have known better,” he added after a long pause.

“It’s not your fault. I didn’t expect anything to happen either. It’s not like we’re close to a town,” she answered softly. Her voice was muffled by his jacket.

“I hope things will look brighter when we reach Sokcho.”

“Me too. We should move on now,” she said and untangled himself from him. Her hand brushed her messy hair in an attempt to make herself look more presentable.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

She cracked a smile. “Actually, no. But talking to you always makes me feel better, so thank you for listening.”

“Anytime, Seri.”

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.

.

.

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It was late afternoon when the tall buildings of Sokcho appeared on the horizon. The sky was gray and cloudy, giving the city an ominous appearance. The closer they got to it, the harder it was to dodge obstacles on the street. Cars had been left behind, large trucks raided and some vehicles seemed to have burned out after accidents. Baekhyun needed to avoid them which slowed them down. They saw zombies too, and Seri freaked out a little every time one managed to reach the car.

She gazed out the windows and took in the scenery, looking out for threats. While this town wasn’t as large as Seoul, it was still big enough to get lost if you didn’t know your way around. Thankfully, Baekhyun had a good idea of where his friends might be, so he followed the street signs as they drove through Sokcho.

They passed apartment buildings, companies, and stores. The latter had been ransacked, windows destroyed and doors kicked in. It reminded her of Seoul. She’d hoped that this place wasn’t as affected by the outbreak, but she had been wrong. It was just the same. Chances were high all cities in South Korea looked like this…

When they passed the city center, the sound of the engine drew zombies out of their hiding spots. They chased after the car, forcing Baekhyun to accelerate.

“Fuck. If I still had my gun, this would be so much easier,” he cursed, eyes narrowing at a zombie who jumped out of an alley right in front of them. Baekhyun tried to dodge, but the car was too fast and collided with it. The zombie hit the windshield and was flung over the car. The vehicle swerved dangerously. Seri didn’t turn to look at what had happened to the zombie. She just clutched the car door and prayed they would lose their pursuers.

“Do you know where we are?” she asked, clenching her teeth.

“Yes. Our destination is only one street away,” Baekhyun said and glanced in the rearview mirror. “But these fuckers just don’t give up.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“Grab your weapon. As soon as I stop the car, you’ll get out and follow me.”

She blanched. That didn’t sound like a great plan, but what other choice did they have? “Okay,” she sighed and grabbed her baseball bat, mentally preparing herself for the inevitable. The car took a sudden turn and they briefly left the sight of their pursuers. It swerved into a smaller street where Baekhyun stopped the engine.

“Get out now!” he barked and left the car. They ran down the street. She had no clue where they were going, but since he had a plan, she followed him blindly. Baekhyun’s eyes were set on a particular building—it had gray walls and looked like a regular condo building.

Seri glanced over her shoulder and saw the zombies swarming the abandoned car. They weren’t following Baekhyun and her yet. Since the duo needed to get out of sight quickly, Seri and Baekhyun ran faster and made it to the front door of the building at record speed. It was open, the lock broken. The pair slipped inside and let the door close behind them. Only then did they allow themselves a little break to catch their breaths.

“I think we lost them,” she panted. “Is this the place you wanted to check?”

“Yeah. Now we just need to find Sehun’s and Chanyeol’s apartment.”

“If we check the nameplates, it should be easy.”

He nodded. It wasn’t hard to determine on which floor the soldiers lived, so they took the staircase and climbed up the steps. The tiles were smeared with blood and dirt, but at least no zombie was within sight. They didn’t hear any sounds at all—the building seemed to be deserted. Seri wasn’t sure if this was a good sign…

On the third floor, they followed a long hallway lined with doors. One of them was broken down and the apartment empty but all others were locked. Baekhyun stopped in front of one particular door labeled with his friends’ names, knocking and calling out to them. When he received no answer, his hope waned. What if they were dead? What if they had left? He gritted his teeth and swiftly decided to kick in the door.

“Get back,” he told Seri before he delivered a powerful kick that forced the door open. The loud bang it created made her flinch. She looked up and down the hallway, but they were alone. No zombies or survivors were within sight.

“I’ll go in first. Wait here,” he said and cautiously entered. At this point, Seri wasn’t surprised to be ordered around again. It was a habit he couldn’t shake off.

Seri leaned against the wall next to the door and waited for his return. However, the house wasn’t as deserted as they had thought it to be, and the noise had drawn the attention of someone. A lone shadow approached her, his steps silent like those of a feline predator.

By the time she saw him, it was almost too late. She ducked and narrowly evaded his hands as they tried to grab her. Her experience once again saved her—she switched into survival mode and went on the offensive. Seri’s fist shot towards his stomach, but he stopped it, holding it in a bruising grip. He was strong.

The stranger’s eyes glared at her while she tried to free her hand. It didn’t work, so Seri did what she had been taught by her former hapkido teacher. She twisted her lower body and raised her leg so fast that her opponent had no chance to dodge. Her boot collided with his ribs. He gasped and his grip loosened enough for her to pull her hand away.

Seri held her fists in front of herself, finally getting a better look at him. He was wearing a military uniform that looked just like Baekhyun’s. The name stitched on its fabric was Park Chanyeol—one of the people they were searching for.

“Wait, stop! I’m on your side!” Seri yelled and dodged his next jab. He slowed down, giving her the chance to explain a bit more. “I’m with Baekhyun!”

Hearing that name from a stranger’s mouth caught him off guard. He stopped mid-swing. Seri jumped out of reach, just in case, and didn’t let him out of her sight. Alarmed by the noise, Baekhyun returned from the apartment, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“Park Chanyeol! Why the fuck are you fighting my doctor? What kind of rude greeting is that?”

Chanyeol’s eyes went wide and his head snapped around. His jaw dropped. He looked like he saw a ghost. “H-Huh? Your doctor? Wh—BAEKHYUN?” he spluttered, struggling to swallow his surprise. “What are you doing here?!”

Baekhyun crossed his arms, his expression gradually darkening like the sky before a storm. Seri was not the only one who noticed this. Chanyeol cleared his throat and panicked.

"Why don’t you apologize first?” Baekhyun added after a short silence, and Chanyeol’s eyes widened even further if this was even possible. Realization flickered over his face.

“Of course, how rude of me,” he said and straightened his back. “I’m sorry about this. I thought you were an intruder and wanted to steal our belongings.”

“It’s okay, I understand. It was just a misunderstanding,” she smiled. The soldier’s awkwardness dissipated when he saw genuine forgiveness in her expression. He heaved a sigh and nodded.

“My name is Park Chanyeol… as you heard just now.”

“I’m Gwan Seri, a surgeon from Seoul. Nice to meet you. Is it okay if I call you Chanyeol?”

“Um… sure?” He scratched his neck, no longer used to meeting people with actual manners. “I’ve never seen a surgeon who kicks ass like you.”

“Did she kick your ass? Really? Damn, why did I miss it?” An unfamiliar voice sounded from behind Chanyeol, and Seri spotted a tall man with black hair that was parted in the middle. He must have arrived moments ago since she hadn’t noticed him earlier. The letters stitched on his uniform read Oh Sehun.

“Shut up! I complimented her,” Chanyeol shot back and stiffened after he heard something unsettling from the staircase. “Come on, let’s go inside. It’s not safe here. Sometimes, zombies find their way up to this floor,” he said and ushered them inside the apartment, taking a long look at the door. “Damn it, Baekhyun, you didn’t have to be so rough with that door.”

“Oops.” A sarcastic smirk stretched over his friend’s face, prompting Chanyeol to roll his eyes. The taller soldier did his best to close the door and used the locks to keep it in place. After he inspected it for a while, he deduced that it would hold.

“This should do it,” he grumbled, but a grin settled on his lips when he turned to face Baekhyun. “I can’t believe you’re here! We thought you were dead, it’s a miracle to see you!”

“Same to you,” Baekhyun answered, mirroring his grin.

“What a day, man. I didn’t expect any visitors. Sorry about the mess,” Chanyeol remarked sheepishly to which Sehun laughed.

“Don’t act like we would have cleaned up.”

Seri curiously gazed around—it looked like a typical household run by men. Everything was messy, and yet the chaos seemed to have some kind of order to it. The flat had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. All of them were cluttered with various items. On the kitchen table, she found an assortment of guns and ammunition. She furrowed her brows, wondering why they would put their weapons there.

“Let’s go to the living room,” Sehun suggested. “You’re lucky we went scavenging this morning. We got water and food in case you want anything.”

They entered the living room, and Seri plopped down on the sofa like a sack of potatoes. She was exhausted and glad she could finally let her guard down. There was no reason to doubt Baekhyun’s friends, so she got comfortable without second thoughts. Baekhyun sat next to her and thanked Chanyeol for the water bottles and snacks he brought for them. He put everything on the coffee table and sat on the other sofa with Sehun. The two soldiers had countless questions for their friend and his new companion. Their expressions showed a mix of relief and curiosity.

“How did you find us here?” Sehun burst out. “I remember you were deployed in Incheon. Why didn’t you stay in the military base?”

“Because it got infested by these monsters,” Baekhyun curled his lips in distaste, casting his eyes at the windows, “And there was nothing I could do. I lost my squad to the disease and was forced to run in order not to get infected as well.”

Seri’s ears perked up. She gazed at him with shock written all over her face. This was the first time she heard of this tragedy, and though he was good at hiding his emotions, she found a flicker of guilt in his gaze. Did he hold himself responsible for the fate of his fellow soldiers?

“I decided to search for my family in Seoul, but they were already dead when I arrived... I lingered in the city center for a while because I didn’t know where to go next, and that’s where I met Seri. She patched me up after I got injured and ever since then, we’ve worked together.”

“I’m glad you made it out alive,” Chanyeol said. He gave a crooked smile but failed to hide the pain in his eyes. Baekhyun’s story saddened him, and being his best friend, he could tell that Baekhyun hadn’t come to terms with his loss yet.

“Have you heard from the others?” Baekhyun asked.

Sehun shook his head, shattering Baekhyun’s hope. “No, we don’t know where they are now. If the mobile network or internet servers were still working, it would be so easy to contact them, but we don’t even have electricity.”

“Um, excuse me, but who are they?” Seri asked, having followed their conversation with a blend of confusion and curiosity.

“The other six members of EX9,” Sehun explained. “We were selected to join a special forces team a few years ago and used to work together, but shortly before the outbreak began, we were sent to different military bases. Everyone ended up somewhere else. Take Yixing for example, he’s a medical army surgeon and had to help out in a hospital somewhere in the South of the country.”

“A hospital…” she mumbled, paling. Not exactly a safe place to be during an outbreak. She didn’t share her concerns on the matter, but they must have been visible on her face. “I hope your team members are okay.”

“I hope so too. Sadly, locating them is impossible without any clues,” Baekhyun answered.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Sehun agreed. His eyes lingered on Seri, gleaming with curiosity. “May I ask why you teamed up with our captain?”

Her eyes softened as they darted from Sehun to Baekhyun and back. “He’s the first survivor I met who was kind to me. He shared his food with me so I wouldn’t starve. People like him are hard to find, so I decided to stay with him when he asked me to.”

“He asked you to?” Chanyeol repeated. “Wow, that’s unusual.”

Before Seri could tell him to elaborate, Baekhyun changed the topic, leaving her wondering what Chanyeol had meant. “Where are the other soldiers? Are you the only ones left in Sokcho?”

“Yes. We opted to stay here. The others either were infected or decided to move on since they wanted to look for friends and family.”

“I see, that’s reasonable. I was hoping we could gather a bigger group of people, but maybe it’s better this way.”

“What do you think happened to the rest of the world? I wonder if there’s a country somewhere on the globe that managed to protect itself against the disease,” Chanyeol said and his gaze came to rest on Seri. “You’re a doctor, aren’t you? How much do you know about the virus?”

“I’m a surgeon. Virology and epidemiology aren’t my specialties, so I can’t tell you more than you already know,” she explained hollowly. “What makes RABV-12 so scary is its mortality rate of 100 percent. It’s even deadlier than the bubonic plague. Humanity has never faced such a threat before. As far as I heard, not a single person ever recovered from it. It’s very aggressive, and we have yet to discover its origin… All we know is that it started in South Korea.”

“Right, this has been bothering me,” Baekhyun scowled. “It’s suspicious. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be a bioweapon.”

“I hope that’s not the case,” she whispered and looked down at her lap. The level of cruelty needed to use such a thing was unfathomable. Nothing could ever excuse such an act since it cost the lives of countless innocent people. Especially the older generations had been affected by the virus, as well as people with conditions that require medical care in hospitals. Even a simple illness or infection could now lead to death since antibiotics were hard to find.

“We shouldn’t overthink it. What matters is that we’re safe here,” Sehun said in an attempt to cheer them up. His effort was rewarded with a little smile from Seri. “Our flat might not be an ideal home, but so far, we made it work.”

“Is there even enough space for all of us?” Baekhyun asked doubtfully.

“It should be fine for a few nights. You can sleep in my room if you want, Seri,” Sehun offered, earning a surprised look from the young woman.

“But where will you sleep? I can take the sofa, it’s no big deal.”

“No, no. You’re a guest and a woman, so you’ll get your own room.”

“If you insist. Thank you, Sehun,” she smiled, inwardly looking forward to a comfortable bed. Her back hurt from that horrible night in the car.

The group spent the rest of the day chatting and catching up with each other. Seri learned that Chanyeol and Sehun were both squad leaders. Sehun was her age, and Chanyeol was two years older just like Baekhyun. Their light-hearted jokes and casual banter were the kind of distraction she needed. She found herself laughing and conversing with them like they hadn’t only met a few hours ago. The soldiers inquired about her as well, and she told them about her job, the years she had spent in university and her favorite hobby which was hapkido. To her surprise, Baekhyun had practiced hapkido too before he had joined the military—the additional experience would explain why he fought so well.

As the evening progressed, she grew tired, drowsily listening to the conversation until she nodded off. Her body leaned against the backrest of the sofa in an uncomfortable position. Baekhyun noticed and wrapped his arm around the small of her back, tugging her into his side. Her head slowly fell on his shoulder. She stirred a little, then let out a sigh and relaxed.

Baekhyun watched her fondly, lips quirking up. During their trip, she had grown closer to him in more than one way. Baekhyun’s loyalty needed to be earned since he didn’t give it away on a whim. Normally, it took a long time to gain his respect, but she had impressed him when she had saved his life while risking her own. The moment he had been running and hiding from his pursuers, he had been convinced this was how he would die. He wasn’t one to sugarcoat things; with his injury, he wouldn’t have made it out alive, so he had prepared himself for the inevitable. But then he had heard her voice, and from that moment on, everything had changed for the better. Only a scar would remain of his injury thanks to her.

“Hey, Baek,” Chanyeol said. Baekhyun tore his gaze away from her and glanced at his friend instead. He and Sehun wore suspicious grins. They were up to something.

“What?”

“How did you manage to find a girlfriend in the middle of a zombie pandemic?” Chanyeol joked. “You’re not some celebrity who has everyone running after them. I’m surprised your glares didn’t scare her off.”

Baekhyun deadpanned, giving him exactly the glare he was talking about. “She’s not my girlfriend. We’re friends.”

“With benefits,” Sehun laughed but fell quiet at the warning glower he received.

“No. We don’t have time for distractions.”

“Oh, come on! You can’t tell me you’ve been with her for a week and nothing happened!” Chanyeol’s disappointed sigh was somewhat amusing, at least enough to make Sehun smile. “I’m surprised because you look close.”

His voice was too loud, prompting her to mumble something in her sleep. She changed her position, grabbing Baekhyun’s waist for support and snuggling up to the welcome source of warmth. Chanyeol’s brow raised.

“Look! There you have it!” he whisper-yelled and pointed at her arm. “That’s so cute! She’s girlfriend material.”

Baekhyun’s face darkened. “Don’t get any ideas.”

Sehun grinned and elbowed Chanyeol. “I think the captain’s jealous already.”

“I’m not jealous, Sehun,” he retorted in a tone of voice that could be described as threatening. “Why would I be? As I said, we’re friends.”

“So I can flirt with her from now on?” Chanyeol prodded, wearing the biggest knowing smile.

“No.”

“Oh, okay… We’ll see how long you can stay friends with her, Baek.”

“I’m betting one week,” Sehun said.

“That’s fast. Hmm… you think he’s such a big simp for her?”

“Sure. Look at how tightly he’s holding her, and she’s so clingy too. I have no clue how she can sleep next to him, though. Imagine how annoying a relationship with someone like him would be,” Sehun whispered back. “He’s too commanding. Always orders everyone around.”

“Don’t act like I can’t hear you.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “If we were on duty right now I would make you run twenty laps.”

“You just proved my point!” Sehun laughed and Chanyeol cracked up at Baekhyun’s sour grimace.

Their conversation got too loud again. Seri stirred, grumbling in her sleep. Nobody could make any sense of her mumbling, but Baekhyun deduced this wasn’t a suitable place to sleep. It was too loud and she also would have a sore neck in the morning if she kept this up. So he moved his arm under her legs and secured his hold around her back, picking her up.

“What are you up to now, captain?” Sehun smirked.  

“Putting her to bed of course, since you’ll wake her up with your nonsensical conversations.”

“Putting her to bed,” Sehun repeated, hardly containing himself. He ended up wheezing and hitting Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“What an honor to be tucked in by the captain himself.” Chanyeol muffled his laughter with his hand. “He’s getting soft.”

Smoldering brown eyes burned holes in their heads while Baekhyun passed them, clicking his tongue in annoyance. If they thought they could mock him, they had another thing coming. He didn’t see any issue with taking care of a friend—because that’s what he considered her to be. Why they reacted so childishly was beyond him.

Her head lay on his shoulder and her breath tickled his neck. Holding her in his arms felt comforting. She was still very light although they had done their best to find an adequate amount of food. Baekhyun made a mental note to pay attention to her eating habits. She should eat enough to stay healthy.

He pushed the door open with his foot and carried her inside the bedroom where he put her down on the sheets of the bed. A blanket was draped over her to keep her warm. He shut the curtains and left her alone so that she could rest undisturbed.

.

.

Author’s Note: Baekhyun telling himself they're just friends is hilarious to me. 😂 Did he convince you or not? At least Sehun and Chanyeol seem skeptical. 😌

Please leave a comment before you go. I would love to hear what you think about BaekRi's developing relationship. 🥺🥰 See you next time! Jess

PS. My Spellbound readers can look forward to a spicy update this weekend. 😏

[helaintoloki]

Everybody Loves Somebody

pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

warnings: slight language, themes of insecurity, angst, pining, slow burn (kinda?), eventual fluff, over 5k words in length

notes: it’s finally finished! this took forever but I swear I put my entire soul into making this as perfect as it could be. I’ve never used this format before in my writing and it was challenging but also super fun so hopefully you guys like it :) (also yes the title and the fic somewhat is inspired by the Dean Martin song)

summary: Thrown into a blind date against his will, Bucky does his best to prepare in the days leading up to Saturday night, a feat that proves to be much more difficult than expected thanks to his neighbor across the hall.

Sunday

Three quick raps on the apartment door force Bucky to kick back the covers and sluggishly rise from his spot on the floor. He’s exhausted, but his recognition of the evenly spaced knocks on the wooden frame has him feeling compelled to answer, and so he does. Too tired to notice the television is still droning on in the background, Bucky idly wraps his discarded blanket around his form to shield his vibranium arm before opening the door to greet the old man standing on the other side.

“Rough night, huh?” Yori greets with a knowing smile.

“Something like that,” he replies with a tired, lopsided grin. “What are you doing here so early?”

“I set you up on a date,” the man says casually, as if setting Bucky up on dates without his knowledge and against his will is a common every day occurrence, and it is. “Saturday evening at six.”

“What— A date? Yori—“

“She’s a nice girl, very pretty. I think you’ll like her.”

“Now hang on a minute,” Bucky tries to interject, but Yori is already halfway down the hall before the super soldier can get another word in.

“You’re meeting her at the Italian place down the street!” Yori calls behind him. “She likes sunflowers!”

The old man’s shouts are sure to have woken up the entire fourth floor by now, but Bucky is too busy trying to process the jumble of information that has been thrust upon him so suddenly and so early in the morning to care. The last date Yori had sent him on had ended in disaster; Bucky wasn’t ready to get back out on the field, a stable relationship wasn’t in the cards for him. Surely no one in their right mind would stick around once they found out the truth about the man, and if they did it would only be a matter of time before the constant nightmares and extra baggage that came with dating the ex-Hydra assassin sent them running for the hills. But Yori meant well, Bucky knew that, and he also knew he owed the man more than he could ever give him in return, so if sitting through another painfully uncomfortable date would make him happy, then Bucky would just have to suck it up, put on the nicest shirt he owned, and charm his way through another awkward dinner.

“Sunflowers,” he grumbles to himself, quietly shutting the door before returning to his spot on the cold hardwood floor.

Monday

Monday mornings are gym mornings, early workouts that start at five and end at seven. He promptly returns to the apartment building at seven thirty, eight if he stops for breakfast, then goes to check the mail before heading back to the comfort of his sheltered apartment. He doesn’t receive much other than grocery coupons and an odd letter from the government every now and then, but he’s been told that a routine is good, it’s healthy, so on Monday mornings at seven thirty—or eight— Bucky pulls out his keys and opens his assigned metal box with a sense of indifference.

It’s eight o’clock on this particular morning, and with a half finished cup of coffee in hand the soldier opens the little metal compartment to find nothing other than stray specks of dust and the tiniest of spiderwebs in the top right corner of the box. It’s a familiar sight, but Bucky has learned not to let it bother him by now. Remember James, it has nothing to do with you, his therapist always said. You have to learn not to take things personally.

“It has nothing to do with me,” Bucky murmurs quietly before finally shutting his mailbox with a sigh. Coffee cup discarded in the nearby trash can, Bucky turns to make his trek towards the elevator only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of a beautifully familiar face.

Your name is y/n, you live on the fourth floor, and for someone reason you’re always covered in glitter. You’re on your way out the door, art supplies held clumsily in your grasp just begging to jump free from your hold, and despite the rush you seem to be in you still greet the man with a polite smile.

“Good morning,” you chime, honey coated voice filled with warmth and kindness for the stranger. Bucky simply gives you a halfhearted smile in return, watching you walk out the door and wishing he could just muster up the courage to speak to you.

You won the soldier’s heart the day you knocked on his door to drop off a “welcome to the neighborhood” casserole. It had only been his second day in his new apartment, and while he knew some of the other tenants were weary of the mysterious man with the thousand yard stare who had decided to call the building a home, you never once seemed to bat an eye at Bucky or his closed off nature. He had been a little short with you upon your first meeting, his anxiety coming off as annoyance, but still you wore that same kind smile of yours and assured him that if he ever needed anything you’d be happy to help. You were a kind person with a big heart, and Bucky didn’t want to chance snuffing out one of the few lights left in the world, so he let you be. Admiring you from afar was all he let himself have of you, and that was it.

Though, Bucky would be lying if he said you didn’t come across his mind every once in a while. He wondered what you were like, what music you listened to, how you liked your eggs in the morning, if you were an old soul or young at heart, if you’d ever let yourself fall into in the arms of a broken man and help pick up the pieces. It was a pipe dream, but sometimes a friendly smile from you in the morning was enough to get Bucky through an entire day. He hadn’t been with anyone in years, and while he didn’t think he was ready to get back out on the dating scene just yet he knew that if you asked him to he’d take the plunge in a heartbeat. You were an angel, and Bucky would never be able to bring himself to taint you with his touch.

Monday mornings are workout mornings, but they’re also mornings with you.

Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoons Bucky often finds himself in the company of Yori, ensuring the old man stays out of trouble and going out of his way to make sure his newest friend has a nice day out on the town. It isn’t much, and it never will be, but it’s enough for now, at least until Bucky can find the courage to tell the father just what exactly happened to his son on that fateful night. But until then, sushi for lunch will have to do.

He makes his usual trek to the man’s apartment, stomach already beginning to rumble at the prospect of a nice crunch roll, but Bucky’s hunger is soon replaced with nerves at the sight of the woman standing in Yori’s doorway.

You look pretty today, hair haphazardly styled in your rush out the door this morning, colorful stains of dry paint adoring your hands that clutch a bundle of books close to your chest, and a dangly pair of earrings that glint underneath the sunlight pouring through the hallway windows. There’s a smile on your face as you nod along to something Yori says that doesn’t quite register in the soldier’s jumbled thoughts, and the two of you are both too engrossed to notice his lingering presence standing just a few feet away.

“Thank you so much for lending me these. The kids keep me on my toes and I haven’t had any time to settle down with a good book so these were perfect,” you utter gratefully, handing off the pile of poetry books to Yori’s awaiting hands. Names of authors that Bucky doesn’t recognize catch his eye, just as his friend finally catches his presence.

“Of course. I have more if you’re ever interested,” he says before finally addressing the elephant in the hallway. “James, there you are. I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it.”

Bucky stiffens at the sound of his name, heat immediately crawling up his neck as you turn to him with a friendly smile. Clearing his throat, he steps forward and musters up a meager grin in return.

“Like I’d ever miss Tuesday lunch,” he jokes, a nervous chuckle falling past his lips.

“I guess I better get going. Thank you again, Yori,” you chime with a grateful smile. Then, with your attention turned to Bucky, “Have a nice lunch, James.”

“Thank you...” he trails quietly, mentally kicking himself for his stiff demeanor and wishing he could be less pathetic in your presence just once. Just once and he’d die a happy man.

You leave with a polite smile, turning down the hallway and out of Bucky’s grasp once again. Yori elbows his side.

“She’s single, you know.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Bucky replies with a wry chuckle. “You have me set up with one girl already.”

“Right,” Yori notes thoughtfully with a knowing smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes that Bucky can’t quite decipher. “I think you’re going to have a nice time on your date.”

“We’ll see,” is all he says in reply, your smile the only thing on his mind as the two men head out for the day.

Wednesday

Bucky has grown to love rainy days, days in which he can remain tucked away in the warmth and comfort of his own home with a relaxing mug of hot chocolate in one hand and some piece of pop culture media he has yet to catch up with in the other. Today’s pick is a book titled The Outsiders, and Bucky chooses to sit upon the windowsill to read the novel.

Gentle drops of rain trail down the glass window, pattering soothingly in a way that makes Bucky fear he may fall asleep. He sets the book aside with a tired sigh and glances out the window with his warm cheek pressed against the cool surface; the city is quiet and the streets nearly empty, and this makes it easier to spot you.

It’s almost as if you’ve been popping up out of nowhere lately, but Bucky never seems to mind. Watch from afar, that was the deal he made with himself, so who was he to complain if you made the task easier for him? He could never have you the way he wanted to because he doubted you’d ever want an unstable old man like him, and even if you did he’d be no good for you. He knew girls like you back in his day, girls with stars in their eyes and hearts on their sleeves, girls who’d melt in his arms whenever he so much as smiled at them. And yet you weren’t like any girl he’d ever seen; you were an enigma and he wanted nothing more than to spend all of eternity deciphering the mystery of you. But he couldn’t, because he shouldn’t, so he didn’t.

Despite the gloomy gray skies hanging above you there’s a serene smile on your face as you stop to admire the pots of sunflowers outside the building, reminding Bucky he has to buy some for his date on Saturday. God, he was dreading it. Bucky was sure whatever girl Yori picked for him would be nice enough, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t sometimes wish it were you he’d be taking out for a night on the town. A guy can dream, right?

You retreat into a nearby coffee shop when the rain begins to fall harder, and as Bucky turns to his own warm drink he finds that the mug is now cold. Book discarded, he rises from his spot on the windowsill and drowsily drags himself into the kitchen for another cup.

For a moment he thinks sunflowers might surely bring about his demise, and the passing thought brings the smallest of smiles to his face. Only time will tell.

Thursday

“How are you feeling about your date on Saturday?”

The woman stares at him expectantly, pristine notepad resting casually in her lap, pen in hand as a warning, eyebrows raised at the man as he stares down contemplatively at the stitching of his leather gloves. What should be a comforting environment instead only seems to put him on edge, and as the seconds tick by on the clock hung crookedly above the doorway her pen only seems to get closer to the blank page below her. Shoulders sagging, Bucky can only offer a small sigh in response.

“I can’t say I feel too great about it,” he finally says, the tension in his shoulders alleviating slightly as she finally puts the pen down.

“And why’s that?” Doctor Raynor prods curiously.

“I just don’t really think I’m all that ready for a relationship. What person wants to be with someone as screwed up as me?”

“The right person will,” Christina comforts. Your smiling face flashes briefly in his mind in response and he shifts in discomfort— the doctor notices. “But I don’t think you’re telling me the full story here, James. I suspect there’s something else that’s holding you back. Or maybe someone.”

“That obvious, huh?” Bucky retorts with a wry smile.

“Who’s the lucky person?”

“Her name’s y/n,” he says, your name falling past his lips in the softest tone Dr. Raynor has ever heard from him before. “I don’t know her all that well, but she lives in my apartment building so I see her around a lot. She’s... she’s really pretty.”

“Well, what is it about y/n that you like?”

Geez, where do I even begin?

“I don’t know,” Bucky shrugs, picking absently at a loose seam on the end of his shirt, “I guess I like how friendly she is. Every time I see her she’s always smiling, she always says good morning to everyone and lends a hand wherever she can. It’s like she goes out of her way to be nice to me, and I’m not really used to that but it’s a nice feeling. The first time I met her she never even flinched, she wasn’t scared like other people usually are, and even when I blew her off she still made it clear that I was welcome and if I needed a friend she’d be there. That’s the kind of person she is.”

“Did you take her up on that offer?” The woman asks, but by the look on her face Bucky is sure she already knows the answer.

“No...”

“James, we’ve talked about this,” Christina says firmly, “you have to stop closing yourself off from the people around you. Making a friend could really help you, especially if this girl is truly as nice as you say she is.”

“She is,” he reiterates firmly, “and that’s why I can’t be her friend.”

The doctor’s brows furrow with piqued interest at his admission, legs shifting underneath her as she gets comfortable in preparation for what will most likely be a heavy confession. “Can you elaborate for me?” She says. Bucky sighs.

“After everything that’s happened, and everything the world has been through, it just gets harder and harder to find some sort of light in the dark. So when you finally do find it, it’s like you have to do everything in your power to make sure it never goes out.”

“So y/n is a light?” Raynor reaffirms.

“For so many people,” Bucky nods, “and if I try to put myself in the picture I’ll only bring her down. There’s no future with me, and she deserves better than that.”

“How do you know that if you never put yourself out there?” The doctor asks softly, silently stunned by the heavy confession Bucky has entrusted her with; it’s the most he’s ever opened up before.

Pieces of the past dart through his mind, and in the midst of all the heartache and the chaos he sees Yori, the one friendship he’s been able to successfully maintain since his period of healing. The memory of the man is pleasant for a moment, until Bucky is reminded of the basis of their friendship and how one single confession will tear down everything they’ve built together. It doesn’t matter what kind of man he is now or how much control he has over his own life, the Winter Soldier will always have the final say, and nothing will ever change that. Finally, he speaks.

“I just do.”

Friday

“Crap.”

The softly uttered curse sounds from across the hallway and alerts Bucky of his struggling neighbor’s presence. Purse slipping off your shoulder and heavy groceries spilling from your arms, you struggle to maneuver your key into the lock of your front door all while the heat of embarrassment engulfs your body in a suffocating hold. You’re not as put together as you usually are, your belongings in disarray and eyes full of exhaustion rivaling that of his own, your usually meticulously picked clothing replaced by joggers and an old college sweatshirt that’s three sizes too big on you, and yet Bucky still finds himself frozen in your presence.

Don’t just stand there, help her you idiot, his mind screams at him, the soldier harshly swallowing down his nerves before taking shaky steps towards you. An orange slips out of the brown paper bag and rolls towards his feet, and Bucky takes it as his in into a conversation.

“Need some help?” He asks with a crooked smile, one that softens at the look of distress clear in your eyes as you meet his gaze.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” you breathe out before offering a meager smile of your own. “Some help would be great, thank you.”

Bucky takes the heavier bags of groceries from your aching arms and returns the orange to its rightful place, allowing you the chance to take your keys and unlock the door. You don’t spare him another glance as you walk in, leaving it open as a silent invitation for him to let himself in. Bucky swallows nervously but wordlessly follows behind; he’s never been in a woman’s apartment before, and the fact that it’s yours makes the experience all the more nerve wracking.

Your apartment is small but personalized, decorated with little knickknacks and houseplants and old family portraits that Bucky does his best not to stare at in fear of being rude, and the vanilla scented candle that burns on the coffee table makes him feel all the more welcome. You drop your purse by the couch with a tired sigh before directing your attention to the man who stands awkwardly in your living room. His hulking figure makes your apartment seem tiny, oddly comforting in a way, but you hold back your giggles and merely guide him to your kitchen.

“You can set them on the counter,” you say with a passive wave before reaching into one of the cabinets for a glass cup. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No, thank you,” the man says politely as he settles the heavy bags down on the marble surface; as much as he’d like to sit and spend the evening with you, he can’t stay long, or more like he won’t allow himself to stay long. Your movements are clumsy as you down your glass of water, and Bucky looks away flustered as little droplets begin to escape the corners of your lips and dribble down your neck. “I hope I’m not overstepping by asking this, but are you alright? You seem a bit... flustered.”

“Is it that obvious?” You joke quietly, your smile barely reaching your eyes as you fidget with the sleeves of your sweater.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky begins to say in fear of overstepping, but you merely shake your head in response.

“I’m just a little stressed out. The kids always keep me on my toes, especially now that there’s more of them, and it’s been hard trying to get some of them to readjust.”

“Kids?” He repeats with furrowed brows. He can’t recall ever seeing you with any children, and there’s no sign of any living with you in your apartment. A genuine laugh leaves your lips this time at his response and Bucky tenses uncomfortably. Did he say something wrong?

“I’m a kindergarten teacher,” you explain with a smile, and everything clicks in Bucky’s mind then. That would explain the constant paint stains and trails of glitter left in your wake, the arts and crafts supplies and stacks of drawings you seem to carry with you everywhere. And here he thought your heart couldn’t get any bigger than it already was— were you even real?

“The effects of the blip have been really difficult for them. It’s hard having to come back to school and see that all your old friends are now five grades ahead of you. I know everyone has been impacted in some way by what happened, but it’s harder for the younger ones to understand. I’m doing my best to make the transition back to normalcy easier for them, but some days are harder than others, you know?”

“Sounds rough,” is all Bucky can manage to say, swallowing his emotions back harshly.

“Yeah,” you sigh quietly, rubbing away the clear exhaustion in your eyes, “but I’m trying my best.”

“Sometimes that’s all you can do.”

You smile then, a genuine smile, one that makes Bucky weak in the knees, and suddenly it’s as if all the weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.

“I really needed to hear that,” you utter softly, “thank you.”

“What are neighbors for?” Bucky jokes lamely, but you must like his sense of humor for you let out the quietest of giggles.

“You’re sweet. I like talking with you, but I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you’re a busy guy.”

“Not really,” he shrugs with a crooked smile, “I just had some errands to run before tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow?” You ask curiously, brows raising with interest as Bucky awkwardly looks down at your hardwood floor.

“I’ve got a date.”

“Huh, no kidding. Me too,” you smile, and in response Bucky’s heart slowly begins to sink to his stomach. Yori had said you were single, but only an idiot would believe that someone like you could stay that way for long. Maybe if he had taken the doctor’s advice sooner he could be the one you’re seeing instead of the lucky guy that beat him to it.

“I should get going... I’ll see you around.”

“Thank you again for the help, and good luck on your date,” you say with an encouraging smile. Bucky swallows harshly in response, a look of longing in his eyes that he hides well with a meager quirk of his lips.

“You too,” he murmurs in response, casting you once last glance before showing himself out. The lock clicks behind him, and Bucky trudges back to his own empty apartment.

Saturday

The dining patio of the Italian restaurant is pleasantly empty, but the quiet stillness does little to help soothe Bucky’s nerves as he waits for the arrival of his date. He probably should have asked Yori what she looked like, what her name was and what she’d be wearing so he’d know what to expect, but the old man had been adamant on keeping the identity of his date a surprise.

“It’ll be better that way,” he had said, “trust me.”

The bouquet of sunflowers sits before him on the table almost tauntingly, their bright colors and sweet scent sending his senses into overdrive. He almost resented them, but then he thought of your smiling face through the window and the tension from his shoulders began to dissipate— if you could be strong and put on a brave face despite all the bad things that had happened in the world, then so could he.

“James?” A meek voice calls quietly, pulling the man from his thoughts. His blue eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the woman standing before him and he swallows anxiously.

“Y/n?” Bucky replies, quickly rising from his seat and cringing at the way in which the legs of the chair scrape harshly across the floor with his sudden movements. Here he thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful, and here you were proving him wrong with your cute little outfit and styled hair and charming smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for my date,” you explain with a sheepish smile. Bucky deflates— not only would he have to suffer through his own painfully awkward date, but he’d also have to sit and watch you get swept off your feet by someone else all in the same night.

“Oh... well, who’s the lucky guy?”

“That’s the thing,” you say with a nervous laugh, “I think you are.”

“Me?” Bucky repeats flabbergasted. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Yori was the one who said I should try dating again. He thought it would be good for me to spend some time with other adults since I’m always with my students, and when I said I didn’t really know anyone he told me he’d take care of it for me. All he told me was to come to this restaurant Saturday at six and look for the man with sunflowers,” you summarize before gesturing to the bouquet on the table, “and you’re the only one here with sunflowers so...”

A disbelieving laugh leaves Bucky then at the realization, and he isn’t sure whether he should jump for joy or wait for the ground below to swallow him whole. Finally he had a chance to spend time with the girl who had taken over his thoughts and occupied every available space in his heart, and yet he couldn’t help but feel terrified. A date was a big step up from neighborly conversation in your apartment, and all of Bucky’s hopes of developing something more with you were riding on this one date. Yori knew exactly what he was doing by setting the two of you up, and Bucky had no choice but to be grateful for the man who had bestowed upon him the chance to finally win you over.

“If this is too awkward for you we can just skip this whole date—“

“No, it’s not awkward at all,” Bucky is quick to interject. “I mean, this whole thing is certainly a surprise but it’s a good one. It’s an honor to be your blind date.”

He flashes a charming smile that makes you weak in the knees, and he knows then that he’s back in the game— who would have guessed he’d be able to dust off his old moves with such ease? He had to if he wanted any kind of chance at winning you over.

“In that case, why don’t we get out of here? This restaurant is a little stuffy,” you note with a small chuckle, your nerves slowly beginning to dwindle.

“Alright, what do you have in mind?”

The nightlife atmosphere of the plaza square is surprisingly much more comfortable compared to the dining patio, and Bucky considers himself the luckiest man alive to be able to witness firsthand the way your eyes seem to sparkle with the light of the starry sky. A nighttime stroll is right up Bucky’s alley, and you both fall into a comfortable step as you talk about whatever topic seems to come to mind. You speak of your students, about how much their smiling little faces have helped you get through the toughest times, how there’s a stray cat who calls the dumpsters behind your apartment building a home and waits for your arrival on trash days because you always bring the feline a special treat. Alpine, you had named it, and Bucky adored that greatly.

The details are vague but you enjoy the stories he tells you of his childhood and the way his whole face seems to light up at the mere mention of his mother and sister; that look dwindles slightly when he speaks of his old best friend, but you pretend not to notice. As a younger man Bucky worked at the docks before serving time in the army, though he fails to mention where he’d been stationed, and now he works for the government. You feel almost giddy to be learning so much about the man you once believed would rather prefer solitude over your company, and as the night drags on and the conversation begins to dwindle you almost wish you could reverse the clock and do it all over again.

“Thank you,” Bucky says after a moment of silence, prompting you to halt your steps and raise a brow curiously at your counterpart.

"What for?"

“Taking a chance on a guy like me,” he smiles faintly while offering you a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “I haven’t really done anything like this in a while, and the idea of putting myself back out there scared me shitless, but you just make things so much easier. I guess what I’m trying to say is when I’m with you everything comes naturally, and I really appreciate that.”

“Oh,” you utter softly, a sheepish smile of your own gracing your lips as you turn away to admire the scenery around you. It isn’t until now that you notice you’ve stopped before the fountain, the arches of water flowing overhead illuminated by the fluorescent lights below them. A nervous fluttering occupies your stomach and when you finally meet Bucky’s gaze you feel as if nothing else in the entire world mattress other than the two of you in this moment. “Well, if it makes you feel any better I’m kind of in the same boat, so that just means we can figure this out as we go. Together.”

“I like that,” Bucky affirms with a nod, a look that can only be described as lovestruck taking over his features. Nerves overcome you then as you clutch your bouquet of flowers to your chest, heart thrumming rapidly in your rib cage as Bucky steps closer. The glove that had once shielded his right hand from the cold is now missing as he gently cups your cheek and encompasses you with his warmth. His palm is calloused and rough but comforting all the same, and it takes everything in your power not to melt like putty in his grasp.

“Is this okay?” He murmurs quietly as if raising his voice any higher will ruin the moment.

“Yeah,” you breathe shakily, swallowing back your nerves, “it’s okay.”

Your softly uttered words of confirmation are all Bucky needs to hear before dipping down and gently brushing his lips against your own. His movements are hesitant for only a moment, and it is only once he’s sure you are comfortable and secure that he moves in for more. Your lips are soft against his own, plush and warm and so sweet, and as your eyes begin to flutter shut and the forgotten sunflowers slip out of your grasp you drape your arms securely across his shoulders at the same moment in which his left hand joins his right in cupping your face as if you were a precious jewel in need of the upmost care.

Nothing exists when you are in each other’s arms, you are safe and sound in your own little world, and as you part to take a breath Bucky realizes then that one kiss is all he needs to know that you are the one he’s been waiting for all his life.

And by god, if you aren’t more than worth the wait.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 7 - After Midnight [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s an extra chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: Missions require stealth.

Series Masterlist

For a spy, working at unusual hours was nothing new. During your training at the academy they would wake you up at ungodly hours to drag you to exercise just so that you would get used to being ready to fight anytime.

So technically you weren’t supposed to be this tired, but you hadn’t gotten any sleep last night. To your surprise, at around 5 in the morning you were assigned to a new mission to capture and bring another member of HYDRA in. It was unexpected because your superiors had told you earlier that earning Bucky’s trust and getting information from him was the priority, and they hadn’t sent you after any target for days up until this morning. You weren’t exactly complaining anyway, other missions weren’t your priority.

Even if you kept telling yourself what you were doing was just business, somehow talking to him didn’t feel like it.

“God damn it,” you muttered to yourself when the sight of your reflection in the elevator mirror caught your eye, making you heave a sigh and push the button to your apartment. Your shirt was stained with so much blood that you could hardly see the white and you licked your thumb before trying to scrub off the dried blood on your cheekbone. The elevator made a small noise before the door opened and you stepped outside, dragging your weary self to your door.

“What’s up neighbor?”

You jumped out of your skin and turned to Keith who was watching you with a grin on his face, holding a cup of coffee.

“What the fuck?”

“Likewise. Why are you covered in blood, you normal civilian you?”

You opened your door and stepped inside with him following you suit.

“Mission.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Young lady, look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t kill the Winter Soldier.”

“What? No!” you made a face, “I could never- it was another kind of a mission.”

“You already have a mission, didn’t you tell them you’re supposed to focus on that one?”

“The target was heavily protected and it needed my expertise.”

“Nobody likes a brag.”

You rolled your eyes, “Keith, General literally told me that before sending me there.”

“You’re not supposed to get close to targets anymore,” he reminded you and you shifted your weight from one foot to other, biting inside your cheek.

“It got out of control,” you murmured, making him sigh.

“Y/N.”

“It’s not like I wanted to!” you defended yourself, “It was just necessary, that’s all.”

“If you get in close combat with a target you might end up with visible injuries, and that would compromise your cover as a civilian and tip Barnes off.”

“I know, I know…” you murmured as you walked to the sink to wash your hands, then switched the coffee maker on.  

“Do you?” he insisted, “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re looking for trouble.”

You grabbed a cup from the shelf and turned to him.

“I just wanted to get it over with,” you said, “Okay? I have other things in mind.”

He pulled his brows together, “Like what?”

“Like…” you waved your hands, trying to find the words, “Like other stuff. Like my main mission— by the way I couldn’t ask the other night, why did they locate you here?”

“General said your relationship with Barnes is progressing well. It’s better to have another agent close by, just in case he decides to make a late night visit.”

The innuendo wasn’t lost on you and you raised your brows, “I feel like I’m working in a dark alternate version of a matchmaking system where they hook you up with a date you can’t trust.”

“So every dating app out there?” he asked, making you laugh as you sipped your coffee.

“Speaking of dates,” you started, but was cut off your phone beeped and you checked the time, then cursed under your breath.

“What?”

“I can’t believe I’m working at a stupid milkshake shop,” you grumbled, “I need to take a shower and get to work, see yourself out.”

“You know, you could bring some milkshake home,” he said as you walked to the bathroom, “That’s what a good neighbor would do.”

“Goodbye Keith!” you called out and closed the bathroom door.

                                    ***

You really, really needed something to snap you out of this sleeplessness. Preferably coffee, preferably in an I.V. or something because you had a feeling drinking it wouldn’t be enough at this point.

“Thank you and bon appetite!” you smiled brightly at the customer after serving them their milkshake, then dropped the smile and pulled the small apron off your uniform.

“I’m going to take a break and get some coffee,” you told your coworker “You want anything?”

“No thank you,” she said and you fixed your hair before walking outside to make your way to the coffee shop.

Keith had a point. It was stupid to get in close combat with a target, especially now. General had sent you there with clear orders of you keeping your distance and using your sniper rifle, not your dagger and in the heat of the moment, you had decided to go after him when you couldn’t get a clear shot.

“Hi, can I get a hot red eye please?” you asked the barista, “Actually no- make it a black eye, largest cup you have.”

She smiled slightly, “Long night?”

“You have no idea.”

She swiped your card before giving it to you and you walked to the waiting counter to lean against it, nibbling on your lip.

You really, really wanted to believe that your sour mood was a result of you not getting enough sleep, but deep down you knew it wasn’t like you to take unnecessary risks.

It was the fact that you had been too distracted to take the shot at the right time because you were looking down at your phone when the target had walked out of his building.

But after all, it was your main mission, wasn’t it? You had to make sure to get Bucky’s attention to get closer to him. Maybe two missions at the same time had these kind of disadvantages, but it wasn’t as if you could walk there and tell them not to give you side missions.

If you wanted to be a handler, you had to prove yourself.

You took the lid off the cup, the scent of hot liquid filling your nostrils and you grabbed the sugar packets before tearing the top off to pour sugar into it. You dipped the thin stir stick into the beverage to stir it, then put the stick between your lips but as soon as you turned around and saw who had just gotten his coffee, you held your breath.

“Hi!” you said breathlessly, pulling the thin stick off your mouth, “Um- Captain—Captain America sir.”

“Oh God no, please call me Sam.” He offered you his hand and you shook it.

“Hi Sam.”

“It’s Y/N, right?”

“Yes!” you said, “Yes, it’s wonderful to see you again. Under much better conditions where I haven’t been shot at.”  

“Bucky just went to that uh….” He paused, “Milkshake shop right? He just went there to see you.”

You scrunched up your nose, “Oh no, I literally just went on my break.”

“That’s alright,” he said, “He’ll be back here. Would you like to sit down?”

Nope.

Nope, you did not want to sit down.

You had planned a whole strategy to pull the wool over Bucky’s eyes, but Sam’s file told you that he was an excellent judge of character, much better at reading people than Bucky. Everything that you had told Bucky to manipulate him had worked so far but persuading Sam wouldn’t be that easy.

Seeing that any small sign could tip him off, you had to put even more of an effort into the illusion.  

“I’d love to!” you said and followed him to the nearest table. You sat down and pushed your hair behind you ear, smiling up at him.

“I never got to say thank you,” you said, “For saving me back there.”

“Don’t mention it, really,” he said, “How’s your arm?”

“It got better,” you said, “I thought I was dying but as it turns out, it was just a graze. Only thing that’s hurting right now is my ego.”

“Oh it happens.”

“Even you have to admit, that was a bad first impression.”

He grinned, “For what exactly?”

“For—um… for a first—first impression. In general,” you stammered and sipped your coffee while he sat back.

“So how do you find New York?” he asked, “Bucky mentioned you just moved here.”

“It’s been a month, yes,” you said, clearing your throat, “I like it so far. I mean, aside from getting mugged, I enjoy it. It’s very different than where I grew up in but like— it’s very new.”

“Yeah, especially if you’re from a small town…” he mused, “Where did you say you moved from by the way?”

“Cannon Beach, Oregon.”

“I love small towns,” he said, “Very peaceful.”

“They are!” you said, “I mean sometimes a little too peaceful with nothing to do but…”

“You know, visiting Oregon has been in my list for a while now,” he said, “Any advice on where to go if I end up visiting there?”

Oh he is good.

If you weren’t a trained spy, you wouldn’t have even noticed that he was trying to see whether you could be trusted or not. Bucky, being secretive himself hadn’t even asked anything about your so called hometown but Sam knew exactly what to ask to see if you were hiding something.

You thanked Chloe for making you read everything about your file the other day in your mind before you pursed your lips, deep in thought.

“Well my hometown doesn’t have much to offer but— do you like hiking?”

“Sure, why not?”

“We have a state park,” you said, “I think you’d enjoy it. Natural view, all green and peaceful. Back in high school, every semester break my friends dragged me there and the there was this one time we were all there, I got stung by this huge wasp and it was just before the school dance and I ended up not getting asked out by my crush—anyway, it’s a long way of saying I don’t hike anymore.”

That made him chuckle and he seemed to be convinced that you were sincere, thankfully.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as his eyes went over your shoulder, making you look up and gasp.

Jesus, as it turned out you weren’t the only one with a mission who required you to get in close combat.

“Oh my God.” You covered your mouth with your hands, staring up at his bruised face half hidden by his hat. Sam pushed his chair back, clearing his throat.

“I should probably step outside,” he said as he stood up, “Gotta make a call, I’ll see you later.”

“Thanks man.”

“What happened?” you asked as Sam walked out of the coffee shop and Bucky sat down across from you to the seat Sam had just left. He tried to offer you a small smile.

“It’s nothing.”

“Bucky it doesn’t look like nothing…” you mumbled, your brows pulled together “Does it hurt?”

What?

“Does it hurt?”

You weren’t supposed to ask that, you were supposed to gather info on where he went and what he was doing on missions of his own.

“Not at all,” he assured you and you took a shaky breath.

“What happened?”

“There’s this thing me and Sam are working on,” he said, “Don’t worry about it. I went to the milkshake shop to see you but…”

You wanted to ask for more details but something told you it could create a problem to insist this early so you decided against it.

“Just tell me you’re safe?”

A soft light crossed his eyes, “I am,” he said, “I promise.”

You paused for a moment before you pushed your hair behind your ear. “I gather you’re kind of used to getting hurt then?”

“A little,” he admitted, “That’s why I couldn’t call you or anything. I got caught up in something.”  

Ah. He wasn’t giving you any details even if he thought you were a civilian.

He could like you, but he still couldn’t trust you. Maybe it was a precaution, maybe he wanted to keep you away from his mess, but either way, it was very clear that he had trust issues.

You took a mental note to put it on your report for General and shook your head.

“Of course,” you said, “You don’t need to explain anything, I’m just glad that you’re well and safe. Bruises aside.”

“Looks that bad huh?”

“No!” you said quickly, “No I wouldn’t say bad. Not by a long shot, you’re still pret—uh…dashing. Cute as a bug’s ear I’d say. Looking—looking aces. Dynamite even!”

He pulled his brows together, keeping his eyes on you.

“I may or may not have checked some early to mid 20th century slang just in case,” you admitted, making him tilt his head in confusion.

“Just in case of what?”

“Just in case you said something and I didn’t understand on the second date,” you said, “And let me tell you something, you guys spoke a completely different language back then.”

“You’re joking,” he said with a small smile and you crossed your arms.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Say one more term and I will.”

You thought for a moment, “Fine. Are you ready for this?”

“Absolutely, bring it on.”

“I will….” You trailed off, searching your mind for the right words you had checked online the other night, “I will snap my cap if you spook me showing up looking like you were about the buy the farm last night.”

A clear laugh escaped from his lips as it lit up his whole face and that was when you realized how rare it was to hear him laugh out loud. A warmth filled your stomach and you raised your brows, your nose in the air.

“See? Told you,” you pointed out and stole a look at him, “Was it—was it good?”

“It was great,” he said when he could pull himself together, “Absolutely perfect.”

“Why thank you,” you sipped your coffee as he cleared his throat.

“Speaking of the second date…” he said, making you bite down a smile, “Any chance you’re free tonight?”

“I am,” you said, “But you’re not.”

He pulled his brows together, “Hm?”

“Have you seen yourself?” you insisted, “You look like you—you almost died or something!”

“It wasn’t a big deal, really.”

“Well, those bruises say otherwise,” you said, “You need some rest. How much sleep did you get last night?”

He averted his eyes and waved a hand, “Some. Enough.”

“Bucky,” you said, leaning in slightly, “How much?”

Everything the government and your division had gathered on Bucky suggested the same thing; The Winter Soldier was basically created for war. He was the perfect soldier, and there was no way anyone could get any information from him. There was a reason why they had sent you into this mission, trying to get intel from him by force was absolutely impossible.

Even the government knew that.

But the same unstoppable soldier who would probably die before saying anything to the enemy caved in when you batted your lashes.

“Two hours.”

Your jaw dropped and you shook your head, “Nuh uh.”

“It’s enough, it’s more than—“

“Nope,” you cut him off, “You’re going to rest at home and—eat soup and watch garbage TV, mister. No dates for you on two hours of sleep.”

A soft smile pulled at his lips, “I can function with two hours of sleep darling.”

Your heart did not skip a beat at that, it was just you being very focused on your own cover and that was it.

“Well I don’t want you to just function,” you mumbled, “You need to take care of yourself too.”

Judging by his expression you could see that he wasn’t used to hearing that and you put your coffee on the table, then reached out to gently put your hand over his vibranium one. His hand twitched like a gun recoiling in your hand, even if you knew it was involuntary and a look of disbelief crossed his features, as if he hadn’t expected you –or anyone to touch that, as if he was afraid that you would be scared.

But of course, that was the spy in you speaking. Your cover wasn’t supposed to notice anything of the sort.

“How about…” you trailed off, “We have a date tomorrow? You go and get some rest tonight, and I’ll pick what I’m gonna wear for tomorrow and spam my friends with outfit ideas.”

“You sure?”

“Of course,” you said, “We have all the time in the world for dates. And I happen to live here, you know? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

He smiled and turned his hand to entwine his fingers with yours, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles.

“Good,” he rasped out, “I like the sound of that.”

                                         ***

You should’ve known your superiors wouldn’t make it easy for you. This time, you were allowed to take your team with you because as it turned out, the right hand of the target you had brought in last night had gotten away, so now you had to take him down for your superiors to cut a deal with the target.

The first part of the mission had gone splendidly. He was alone and in hiding, so setting your gear up on the rooftop and pulling the trigger hadn’t been difficult whatsoever. You watched as a couple of agents burst through his door so that they could retrieve his body and fixed your ski mask before starting to dissemble your rifle to carry it easier.

“Anyone wants to grab some dinner?” Keith’s voice reached your earpiece and you yawned.

“Nah,” you said, “I’m going to go home and sleep for a year or something.”

“Deleting the security cam footage of the building right now,” Chloe let you know, “And I want dinner, I’ve been running on multiple cups of coffee.”

“You got it.”

“Are you buying?” one of the agents in your team asked, “If you are, we’re coming too.”

“Yeah man, I’m buying. Tacos?”

“Sounds good, just let me check—“ Chloe started but then gasped, “Shrike, get out of there right now!”

It was almost instinctual. You grabbed the small pistol out of your boots and turned around to point it at the person behind you but as soon as you recognized who he was, your heart started pacing.

Bucky had decided not to rest at home after all.

“Hi soldier,” you managed to say, “We have to stop meeting like this.”

Chapter 8

[marvel-fanfic-writer-8675]

Alpine

Pairing: Bucky x fiancée!Reader

Warnings: fluff, Alpine being adorable, cursing

Summary: your fiancée brings home a new friend to your shared apartment near the avengers tower after a mission

“Doll! I’m home!” Bucky had been away on a two week undercover mission in Romania, you had only been able to talk to him once for like 5 minutes for the whole 2 weeks. “Love!! You’re back! I missed you so much!” You say as you ran to him and gave him a giant hug. Meow “Umm…love? Why did your jacket just meow?” You ask him accusingly even though you already know the answer. He then pulled out a fluffy white cat, who you had to admit was adorable. “His name is Alpine, I found him in the rubble on the mission and he was lonely. Can we keep him?” Oh no, he was giving you the puppy dog eyes you couldn’t resist, “pleaaaasssseee. I’ll take care of him and I’ll do the dishes for the next week!” He knew your weak spot, you hated doing the dishes… He was now batting his eye lashes. It was at this point you wondered how anyone in their right mind could see this man as a scary, huge, violent winter soldier when he was obviously just a cute, sweet gentle giant. “Remind me why I agreed to marry you” you say shaking your head, “Mmm…. ‘Cause you love me. And if you really do love me you’ll let me keep Alpine!” “I suppose we can keep the cat love” you give in. “Yay!” Bucky spins around Alpine still in hand, till the cat gets annoyed at this motion and jumps out of Bucky’s hands. Alpine then runs over to you and rubs against your legs. “My two boys.” You say giving Bucky a kiss and Alpine some head scratches.

“Have you bought him anything yet?” You question your fiancé, you had cats growing up so you know what they need. “Not yet, I figured we could go together.” With that you both headed to the nearest pet store, Bucky wanted to take his bike but you reminded him that everything wouldn’t fit in there, so you settled on your car. You guys picked up the necessities like food and a litter box, but also some other stuff that Bucky claimed was necessary. This included one of those cat backpacks, a tiny cat biker helmet, since he apparently found out they made side compartments for cats, and he was totally getting one. You headed back to your shared apartment and got everything set up. The cat tower, that was more like a cat palace, took a little while but you two figured it out.

Surprisingly Alpine didn’t run and hide like most cats do, but he was super friendly. Bucky took lots of photos of Alpine and even more of you with Alpine, claiming they were perfect since they had his favorite and 2nd favorite things in the world. You of course teased him by saying, “wow, didn’t know the cat outranked me” but Bucky then said he ‘had’ to prove you wrong and he proceeded to kiss and tickle you to death.

Two weeks later, Bucky’s cat side car for his bike came in the mail and he was super excited. He installed it that day and got Alpine used to sitting in it first. Over the course of the next month he was able to get Alpine to comfortably sit and stay in there.

Bucky then had a mission, it was a really long one too, a whole month, luckily he would be able to video call you almost everyday. Usually on nights without Bucky the bed felt cold, and foreign and you ended up sleeping on the couch, but with Alpine it felt better, and you could sleep in the bed. You both still missed Bucky terribly and when he came home you and Alpine rushed to him. Alpine rubbed his legs and meowed a welcome home while you gave him a kiss and checked him for injury. He promised you he wasn’t injured and just wanted to get a shower and watch a movie. As he requested, you, Bucky and Alpine all curled up on the couch and watched a movie, eventually falling asleep accidentally. You were glad Bucky had found the little white cat in the rubble.

AN: I’m almost done with The Jungle unknown part 4, it will be posted tomorrow along with Giving thanks part 2, and possibly a surprise extra short Drabble! I know I posted 2 Bucky x reader today, I was in a Bucky mood! Hope you guys enjoyed!!

[biggest-stupidhead]

Hello! This is the first time I'm ever requesting something 😂

What do you think of Captain Levi taking the weak cadet reader under his ~very~ protective wing?

Thanks!

Aw thanks for sending this in! 🥺 Personally I think that at first he’d be reluctant to get close but eventually he’d feel  responsible for their safety. 

Here’s a little something sweet for the kids. 

Summary: Levi can’t bear to watch another kid die under his care.

Word Count: 1.8K

Warnings: mentions of past abuse and malnourishment 

__

When the group of teens wandered into the courtyard, Levi knew that they were no different from the previous bunch. Wide eyed, heads in the clouds, loud boisterous laughter. All the innocent traits that they should’ve possessed, being only fifteen years old. So as he leaned against the stables with Hange at his side he began to wonder which of the young soldiers would come out on top. 

There was a sturdy boy with bright blonde hair and a dazzling smile. He seemed strong, and just from looking at him Levi could tell that he was well versed in social cues. If he could prove himself strong enough to make it through the expeditions, he stood a chance at rising in the ranks. A girl with red hair and sharp brown eyes was looking around her new environment with a certain cagey manor that Levi recognized all too well. He figured that at least she was unlike most of her peers, more focused on the here and now, something that was vital outside of the walls. A brunette boy walked in along with the throng of kids, but his shoulders were pulled back and chin cocked upwards. It was clear that he was confident in his skills, more so than most of his peers. He noted the cuts on his knuckles and how his fellow soldiers granted him a wide berth, Levi figured that he must have been strong enough to demand the respect of his comrades. 

It was only Levi’s second year with the scouts, yet he could recognize these traits with ease. Cadets were chewed up in training, spat into action and then digested by titans, well of course not literally since titans don’t digest. He hated that he could recognize those who would not make it apart from those who would. 

And when he saw you, he knew that you would not be one of them. Frail and silent, almost an apparition, barely standing apart from the crowd. Levi was thrown right back into the darkest parts of his memory when he took in your malnourished state, the bones that jutted from your wrists, the way that the clothes looked too big on you. It was all too familiar, hunger had been a pain he had endured for the worse half of his life. 

He couldn’t fathom why of all the regiments, you had come crawling into the corps. Your eyes were glazed over and your face held no emotion. You jumped when the blonde boy clapped you on the back, his hands rubbing your shoulders almost mockingly. If Levi strained his ears, he could just make out the boy’s words. “-I’m still surprised you came here (Y/n)! Thought for sure you’d drop out and work in the fields.” He teased as he steered you towards the red head who was glaring daggers back at the blonde and you. 

“I’ve told you....I’m no quitter.” Your words were strained and clearly you had dealt with this tormenting perviously as well. 

“Ah but you see I’m proud of you! Our own little runt rising in the ranks.” He clapped your back once more, causing you to stumble forward and smack into the red head who whipped around and glared at the blonde. 

“Knock it off Jake, I’ll break your damn ankles if you keep messin with the lass.” Her accent surprised Levi. 

“Oh come on Red, you know I’m right.” Jake pressed as he kept a domineering hand on your shoulder, guiding you forward. Levi couldn’t tell if the banter between the three, or well two of them was friendly or hostile as they marched past the stables. 

“Interesting batch this one...” Hange commented as she angled her head down to speak to Levi in a somewhat hushed tone. 

“Hmph, I suppose.” Levi agreed, eyes still locked on the retreating cadets. 

“Since I’m a squad leader now, I think that I’ll take the blonde, he looks like he possesses a good mind.” Hange brought her knuckle to her lips to nibble the skin as her cheeks flushed with excitement. Levi rolled his eyes, he was still working directly under Erwin as a regular soldier, but he hoped to have his own team as well soon. 

“You do that.” Levi grunted, pushing off of the wall to tail the cadets into the dining hall for dinner. Hange huffed in disappointment but still followed after Levi, easily catching up to him and matching his stride. 

“And what about you? Erwin mentioned giving you some kids to watch, which would you like to have under your care?” Hange asked as she smirked down at Levi. 

“The ones that know how to properly clean their asses.” Levi grunted as he pulled the doors open and marched straight towards the veteran’s table in the back of the room, where Nanaba, Gelgar, Mike, and Ness were already gathered. He grabbed a tray of food before dropping into an open seat next to Mike, Hange falling into the seat to his right. 

“-She’s to thin I can’t believe she can even function-” Gelgar was in the middle of a rant when Nanaba smacked him in the back of the head. 

“That’s no way to speak about her! God knows what she’s been through.” Nanaba’s voice was hushed and carried an edge of scolding on it as she spoke. Levi followed their gaze back to you, sitting between Jake and the red head, their shoulders brushing against yours as the three or you scarfed down the food. Directly across was the brunette, his eyes were dull and constantly roaming across the room, almost as if he was on look out duty. 

“Come on Nan, look at the poor runt! I’m only speaking the truth.” Gelgar argued, your back was to them, jacket strewn across your lap, meaning that your spine could be seen, even from nearly across the room. 

“Who’s going to want that responsibility? It’s like sending a lamb off to slaughter!” Gelgar continued and Mike gave a grunt in agreement. 

“I’ll take her.” Levi’s voice surprised himself, the table fell quiet as they all stared at him in awe. 

“What? Clearly she has some talent if she’s made it this far.” Levi grunted, lifting his tea to his lips in hopes of deterring more questions. 

“How bold of you.” Hange said with a wide smile. 

“Shut up shitty glasses.” He scoffed and stood, eager to find Erwin and request for the mangey runt to be in his mini squad. 

__

Your feet kicked out in front of you, tapping harmlessly against Casper’s shins. You were eating slower than usual, feeling pressured by Jake and Carina on either side of you. Casper was dutifully keeping watch, something that he had done since you were children, the threat of loosing dinner to rabid street dogs or other children. The inner walls were only kind to those of status, you were examples of that. Casper and yourself had met on the streets and been inseparable ever since, picking up Jake and Carina in the cadet corps. Now you had a happy little family. 

“What squad are you assigned to?” Jake prodded your boney ribs, spitting crumbs on you as he spoke. 

“Erwin’s.” You answered, taking a chunk out of your own bread as well. 

“Ahh for real? I’m with squad leader Hange.” Jake’s chest puffed out proudly and Casper rolled his eyes. 

“I’m under Erwin as well.” He said, looking to Carina expectantly. 

“I’m under Mike.” Carina said with her mug pressed to her lips. 

“So we’ll be splitting up...” You said with a dark look on your face. 

“Seems so.” Jake agreed in a light hearted manner. 

“We’ll be okay.” Casper said to the group, but his eyes were locked on your own. 

__

As it turned out, you weren’t exactly under Erwin Smith’s care. Instead you were standing in front of his prickly subordinate, shivering in the cool morning air. 

“You lot will be working alongside me, when I say to do something I mean it. I don’t like repeating myself.” Levi paced up and down the row of cadets, only about five kids in total. 

“You want to live, train hard and trust in your comrades.” He continued, pausing in front of a girl with blonde hair. 

“Study the formations, keep your gear pristine, and care for your horse as if it was your own child.” Levi’s boots crunched on the gravel as he stopped in front of you. You were tense and your eyes were more alert than he remembered. 

“Got it?” He growled and all the cadets nodded eagerly and gave him a flurry of ‘yes sirs’ . 

“Yes sir.” He noticed how your jaw was locked and your shoulders were pulled back. Already he was seeing improvements. 

“Good, let’s get started then.” 

__

In the few months that you had to prepare for the expedition, you made slow progress. Putting on weight and muscle alike, all thanks to Levi. He often requested you to help him with his paper work and re shelving the books in the scout’s library. As a reward he would often gift you extra rations, you were grateful of course. But as the expedition neared it became obvious that he was not going to sign you off. 

“-Captain I have to go, it wouldn’t be fair to my comrades! They need me!” You begged, hands splayed out on his desktop as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Quit whining, I’m trying to spare your pathetic life.” Levi scoffed as he glared up at you. 

“But sir, it’s not fair. It’s like you said, my life isn’t worth more than my comrades’.” You argued, surprised by your own stubbornness as you glowered at your superior. 

“You’re right....but every human life is special in its own right. If you were to perish under my care....I’d never-” 

“It’s part of the job. I signed up knowing the risks, I’m sure you did too. So....let me do what I signed up for.” Your voice mellowed out and you averted your eyes, embarrassed by the outburst. 

“I won’t let you die out there. Sit this one out, work harder, gain some strength and then you can join us on the mission. If there’s one thing in this world that I hate more then filth, it would be a pointless death.” Levi rose to his feet and met your gaze once more. You couldn’t deny that you were weak, he was right, if you were to go out there now, you would surely perish. 

“Fine, just this once.” Levi felt his heart float with relief, even if it was just one mission, it was still more time that he could spend on training you. 

“Thank you, now get the fuck out of here.” He pointed at the door and you saluted him one last time before leaving him alone in his dimly lit office. He promised himself that he would do his best to prepare you, keep you safe, keep you alive. That was all he wanted, he knew that this was a dangerous wish, but he was determined to see it through, no matter what. 

[stanurines1mp]

Birthday Celebration

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Fem!Reader (she/her)

type: slight angst + comfort + fluff

an: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEVI!!! He's my first anime crush so extra appreciation for him :) Decided to be nice and write sweet shit instead of the usual heartbreak. I love Levi sm omg and i miss him :( Merry Christmas to those celebrating! personally, i think this oneshot is super sweet. also, slightly inspired by the song 30/90 from Tick Tick Boom. so yeah... any requests, let me know! Again, happy birthday, Levi :)

warnings: slight angst, levi being a traumatized little shit ehehhe, uh mentions of death, that's all, i think. let me know if i missed any!

~~~

Being the strongest wasn't easy.

Levi Ackerman knew that better than anyone.

For years, all Levi could do was watch as the people that surrounded him die. One by one, his family died. One by one, his comrades died.

What was the point of being the strongest in battle if all Levi could do was live while everyone else died?

Because every single time, after each expedition outside the walls, half the members of the Survey Corps would fall victim to the horrors of the Titans that roamed the Earth. But after each expedition, after each failure, Levi Ackerman was surely the only one left standing.

Though he didn't show it, the responsibility of being the strongest left a huge burden on his shoulders. Waking up was a hard task for him to do because once he was up, he wasn't just himself. He was Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest.

Sometimes Levi was left wondering, did he deserve to stay alive while his comrades died?

He was a man of no regrets but it didn't mean that thoughts like that didn't venture their way into his mind. But he hid it from everyone, even you.

Only that proved to be useless because something about you always caused him to open up. Or rather, you always managed to see right through him.

You met Levi Ackerman when he first came to Trost District. It was only within the first month of his arrival on the surface.

Given, he was only there under the intention of receiving a certain document in addition to killing Squad Leader Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps. But when he, Isabel, and Furlan were walking through the market of Trost District, he found a shop that sold something he greatly appreciated; tea.

That was where he met you.

Just a normal civilian who happened to have an equal amount of passion for tea. It was your grandfather's shop before he passed away.

After his demise, you took over the store since it was you who shared his love for the beverage. Normally, you don't get to see many soldiers in town. Especially Scouts.

Unlike most of the citizens, you didn't care about the rankings of government servants. Whether they were part of the Military Police, Scout Regiment, Garrison regiment...

You didn't care.

On that specific day, you had been working, a genuine smile plastered across your face.

You greeted the trio, welcoming them into the shop. There weren't many customers during that time of day, much to Levi's relief. Having lived in the Underground his entire life, a crowd wasn't exactly his, well, crowd.

You were attentive to your customers, but not too much that Levi felt suffocated by your presence. Instead, he felt rather calm talking to you over the counter while you showed him the tea leaves that made the list of your favorites.

Over time, Levi found himself frequenting your shop.

Isabel and Furlan were always by his side every time he entered the building but once his eyes landed on you, his two friends might as well be invisible. You found yourself looking forward to the end of each week when Levi and his friends would make a comeback.

But one day, Levi came in alone. He usually had a stoic expression plastered across his face but that day was different. It wasn't just stoic.

It was distraught, traumatized, dark.

All caused by grief.

Grief from losing his best friends considered family.

He tried to hide it from you but even after the few weeks of knowing Levi, you understood somehow. You excused yourself from work, closing the shop early to bring Levi back to your house. Providing him the comfort he needed, Levi had no choice but to fall into your arms.

The second time his vulnerability showed through since he got on the surface.

Since then, Levi maintained his tough act with everyone else, leaving it in the drain when he reaches home.

Home to you.

So there he stood, face blank, as usual, small eyes watching you and Hange bring out a cake, the candles lighted. Three large candles to match the age of 30.

Everyone was there. You, Hange, Erwin, Miche, his squad members, and a few others. But everyone of importance to him was there.

But he didn't care about them. He didn't care to celebrate his birthday. It was for you.

You insisted.

You and Hange loudly teased him by singing Happy Birthday loudly, the cake in both your hands as you walked slowly to him. You placed the cake on the table in front of him, a wide smile on your face, awaiting his action to blow the candles.

"Make a wish!" You clapped excitedly.

Levi wished the world would be gone.

Levi wished Titans were no more.

Levi wished he could marry you.

Levi wished he could live with you, spend day and night, every second with you.

Levi wished everyone he had lost would be back.

Levi wished he didn't bear the responsibility of being the strongest.

Levi wished to have a family with you without having to worry about the world.

He looked at you, eyes thin like a glare but you knew he meant no harm in it. You just giggled, moving closer to his side while side-glancing the candles, a sign that you wanted him to blow it.

He rolled his eyes like he was bored but really, he was so fucking mesmerized by your beauty, by your light, by your kindness that you had managed to maintain even inside this hellish world.

He blew the candles, admiring the sweet squeals of your cheering, everyone else's voice disappearing into mere background noise. You knew Levi wasn't a huge fan of public display of affection which you respected.

So you were waiting until everyone else had gone back so you were alone with your boyfriend. During the whole night, you tried your best to stay with Levi but a few people had taken you away to converse.

Sometime in the night, you noticed Levi entering your shared bedroom, his demeanor rather sad, causing your worry to grow bigger. By that time, a few people had already gone home, and soon, Levi's 30th birthday celebration came to an end. You waved goodbye to Hange and Moblit before closing the door of your house.

Your eyes traveled to the living room seeing that a few things might need a cleanup. But that didn't matter.

Not right now.

Right now, all that mattered was Levi.

Slowly, you walked to the bedroom, knocking against the wood before turning the doorknob.

You saw Levi sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs spread. His elbows were pressed against each of his thighs, his face buried in both his palms.

You let out a sigh, heartbroken at the sight of your partner in distress. Levi was too lost in his tears that he hadn't noticed your arrival in the room.

He only realized your presence when you took slow steps towards him, the scent of your rose perfume lingering in the air, bringing a sense of serenity to his troubled mind. You stood in front of him before lowering yourself down on your knees.

Your hands met his, slowly taking them away from his face so you could see him. And he let you.

"What's wrong?" You whispered, eyes careful in the study of his flawless face.

The tears on his complexion glistened under the small light of the room. You had a small smile on your face in an attempt at comfort.

He just looked at you, loving you with each passing second. Even after everything, the love you had for each other never once faltered. Instead, it had only grown stronger.

You had always stayed by his side, no matter what.

Even though he had a hard time expressing himself at first.

Even though he was bad at communicating at first.

Even though he was not used to any of this at first.

Even though he was hardly home due to his work.

Even though he had a hard time consoling you at first.

You stayed by him, still.

Because of that, he felt guilty.

He felt guilty for not enjoying the night like you wanted him to.

He felt guilty for finding the whole night useless and a waste of time.

He felt guilty for troubling you on a night meant to be nice.

Because while you, Hange, and the others were singing Happy Birthday, he just wanted to lay down and cry.

"Levi," you softly called, cupping his jaw while your thumb caressed his teary cheek gently. "Please talk to me," you assured, keeping your smile intact.

"I just-" he sniffled, unsure of how to say it. "I just- Tonight, it's too much," he sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry," you exhaled, wiping away his tears. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you."

"No, it's just that I-" He sighed, not knowing the right words. "I don't know, I just- I don't think I deserve all this."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do I get to live until 30 while everyone else dies?"

You pulled away, your hand still connected to his face. You made sure his eyes were on you as you spoke, your tone sweet and assuring.

"Levi, please don't think that you don't deserve to live," you whispered. "It's not your fault-"

"But it is," he scoffed bitterly. "I'm the Strongest, aren't I? Shouldn't I be the one to save them? But look at me," he tried looking away but your grip on his jaw didn't allow him. "I'm still standing while they're all dead. Just why am I the strongest if I can't even help people?"

"You can't save everyone, Levi," you closed your eyes while you sighed.

You stood up to sit beside him on the bed. You turned so your body faced his. He did the same, letting you take both his hands in his. His gaze traveled to where your hands are connected with his.

"And no one blames you for the death of your comrades," you let out. "You tried your best to save them. And that's enough, Levi. Everything you do, it's enough," you assured, bringing his hands to your lips before giving his knuckles small kisses.

Levi couldn't help but smile at your ministrations. The smallest, most innocent actions you could ever do would always bring a smile to his face.

You let your thumbs run over his calloused fingers while you brought his hands to your chest, over your heart. His face was closer to yours, his eyes now back staring into yours.

You could tell that he was feeling better. And he was.

All thanks to you.

You always knew how to get him smiling again.

But he only ever smiled a lot when he was with you.

Because the one that keeps him sane was you.

The one that gave him motivation in making the world safer was you.

The one that gave him reason to wake up in the morning every day was you.

And his home was you.

"Happy birthday, my love," you whispered, eyes twinkling with admiration towards your partner.

"Thank you," he laughed softly, widening your smile.

You felt him lean in closer to you, letting his lips brush over yours. You felt his sweet warmth coating you in his fragrance.

He pressed his lips against yours before moving. You kissed back passionately, letting your love for him guide your movements.

You relished in the feeling of home that he provided just as he relished the comfort of your whole being. You smiled against his lips, loving every part of the man in front of you.

"My little elf," you giggled, booping the tip of his pretty nose after pulling away from the kiss.

"Elf?" He rose a brow, daring you.

"Uh-huh," you nodded, your bottom lip brought in between your teeth to suppress your laughter.

"And why am I an elf?" He tilted his head, lips toying in a challenging smirk with a teasing tone.

"Because," you paused to let out a little laugh. "Because, you know, you're quite sh-"

"Don't finish that sentence," his scowl appeared as he warned.

"You asked!" You laughed, knowing that you managed to tease him about his height.

Still laughing, you were distracted, oblivious to Levi's mischievous smirk. The next thing you knew was that you felt Levi's arm under your knees while his other arm was on your lower back.

With a swift movement, Levi lifted you up and pinned you down on the bed, your legs dangling off the edge of the bed while he hovered over you. His right hand was pressing your crossed wrists over your head into the mattress.

His left hand was resting on your waist by your right side. His eyes looked down at you with pride.

"Who's the elf now?"

You laughed harder, causing his smile to widen. You don't think you've ever seen him smile that wide the whole time you've been with him.

You felt his face inching closer to yous, his nose brushing softly against yours, causing your goosebumps to rise due to the jolting sensation. His lips once against found home against yours.

You let your lips dance against his, your hands still pinned over your head. The passion within your kiss was nowhere near hidden. You've never felt happier in your life than you did at that moment with Levi.

He truly was the love of your life.

He pulled away, letting you both catch your breath. His eyes still admired yours while you did the same. No matter how many hours you'd spend studying his features, Levi Ackerman would never tire you with his handsome complexion.

"Marry me."

You were taken aback by his words. Your eyes widened, breath stuck in your throat. You were shocked, it was too obvious. You just didn't expect it at all.

But Levi was scared, then. He was scared that maybe it was too early, or too wrong. Levi was scared you weren't ready. Levi was scared you didn't feel the same way. Levi was scared you didn't like the way it happened. Levi was scared you'd change your mind. Levi was scared-

"Yes," you smiled.

Now it was Levi's time to be shocked.

"Are- Are you sure?" He asked again, eyebrows furrowed.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," you laughed, feeling his hold on your wrists loosening, allowing you to cup his face in both your hands. "I wanna marry you, Levi," you whispered, kissing him softly on his cheek. "I wanna spend my whole life with you, Levi," you whispered, kissing his other cheek.

And soon, you were sweetly placing quick kisses over his complexion while affirmations rolled off your tongue, assuring Levi of your decision.

"I wanna have a family with you, Levi."

"I wanna love you forever, Levi."

"I wanna take care of you when we grow older, Levi."

"I want a pretty wedding with you, Levi."

"I wanna wake up to your pretty face every morning, Levi."

"I love you, Levi."

"I don't wanna love anyone else but you, Levi."

"I just couldn't."

When you finally stopped, you looked at him, admiring the red hue painting his skin. You realized you were wrong before. His smile now was much wider than before.

How could it not be?

The love of his life agreed to marry him.

He was happy.

Amidst the chaos the world had to offer, Levi was happy.

He was happy because of you.

And in the years to come, Levi decided that the best day of his life was the day he met you.

The second best day of his life was the day he got to marry you, officially changing your last name to his.

The third best day of his life was his 30th birthday celebration.

[halstudandruz]

Had Me By Halftime

*Not my gif*

Pairing: Kevin Atwater x Reader

Requested: Yes

Prompt: Based off the song Had Me By Halftime by Morgan Wallen

Warnings: Swearing

A/N: I know this game was on a Monday but we’re gonna pretend it wasn’t. Also I know there’s different rules to cornhole, but I did the 21 or bust version for sake of the story.

You were talkin' trash, we were tossin' bags

When I caught your name at a corn hole game

You and your friends had decided to tailgate at the Chicago Bears game. You were in your last semester of college and your group had collectively decided to forego buying tickets. Not wanting nosebleed seats, but knowing your broke college student bank account would not offer many other options. The parking lot was crowded with Bears fans; scattered Minnesota Vikings fans sticking out in the crowd. It was surprisingly warm for a Chicago October. You had just finished a game of flip cup and informed your friends you were going to get food from a nearby food truck, your best friend, Madison tagging along. You hadn’t made it far from your group when you made eye contact with a handsome man. Slowly walking you heard him talking to a man about the same age as him,

“Adam come on!” He exclaimed.

“I am not playing against him, he might as well be a pro.” The brown haired man shook his head.

“Don’t take it out on me cause I’m better than you.” Another good-looking brown-haired man from the group laughed shrugging and throwing an arm around a pretty blonde girl who wasn’t even paying attention to the men, already conversing with a group of girls. The handsome dark skinned man groaned seemingly pouting. Grabbing Madison’s arm you stopped her to pull her over to the group.

“You need a couple players?” You smiled gesturing to the corn hole boards.

“Actually yeah we do.” He nodded.

“Let’s roll.” You challenged taking your place by the board and picking up the orange bean bags. Madison sighed already reading your dirty thoughts about the man as she walked to the board opposite of you and the broad muscled man took his place next to you, gathering the navy blue bags. “Let me just get you a menu cause you’re about to get served.” You joked and luckily he let out an adorable laugh.

“That’s the best you got?” He sported a wide smile causing you to instantly blush.

“Yeah...sorry I’m not the best at trash talking. My game usually speaks for itself.” You shrugged, turning to throw the bean bag on the board Madison stood by. Watching it slide right through the center. Humming he looked at you impressed, gearing up when you threw him a seductive smirk.

“Let the games begin.” He grinned.

The game was close, full of playful banter, and maybe a little flirting from you and the man you now knew was named, Kevin. Luckily you and Madison came out on top thanks to Kevin’s partner’s accidental bust over 21 taking their score back down to 13.

“Ruz, you might want to take up a math class in your spare time.” Kevin teased, knowing he only aimed for the board because of his poor math skills.

“Shut up.” He attempted to throw a bag at him, but it fell short. “I’m never playing this game again.” Adam huffed, walking away.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” You shrugged, winking at him.

Said "Girl, where you sitti'g? I got an extra ticket

It's right on the 50"

“Sorry. He gets a little competitive.” Kevin smiled, “Thanks for playing though.” He leaned against the side of a truck crossing his arms. Madison stood awkwardly a couple feet away as you two flirted with each other.

“Thanks for letting us. It was nice to do something other than a drinking game for once.” You chuckled gesturing to where your group was now playing beer pong.

“Where are you guys sitting?” He asked gesturing to the stadium behind him.

“Oh we actually don’t have tickets. Just here to tailgate.” You explained and his smile got slightly bigger.

“Well I actually have an extra ticket. It’s right on the 50 if you want to join me?” He offered.

“Thanks, but I don’t want to just leave my group hanging..” You contemplated looking back at Madison who was nodding quickly mouthing the word “Go!” Sighing you turned back towards him with a smile, “you know what. What the hell why not?” You pushed the tingling of your body deeper down at his happy grin.

You had a 16 home team jersey on

Singin' every word to the fight song

Had your airplane bottles from your purse out

“Okay. I have to ask. Why are you wearing that jersey?” Kevin asked, sitting down beside you.

“Because we’re at...a Bears game?” You looked at him skeptically, causing him to laugh.

“Obviously.. I mean why O’Donnell? I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone actually wearing his jersey.” He explained.

“Well I do like to be an outlier,” you joked, “punters never get the credit they should. Same with kickers. They deserve more love.” You answered.

“Good to know you’re not a bandwagon fan.” He said.

“We won one super bowl 35 years ago and we just benched our newly signed QB for a rookie. I don’t think there’s any wagon for someone to hop on.” You retorted.

“You got me there.” He agreed watching you pull a few tiny bottles of alcohol out of your small bag you had strategically hidden to make it past security.

“You a fan of fireball? I hate it but it came with the pack.” You asked, turning to see an amused grin covering his face. “What?”

“How in the hell did you sneak those in here?” He inquired.

“Can’t give away all my secrets on the first date.” You shrugged, wiggling your eyebrows. He took it from your hand nudging Adam who sat on his other side. Adam took it graciously.

“Hell yeah. We’re keeping her!” He exclaimed, twisting the cap off to take the shot.

The first half of the game was rough. Only lucking out with a safety in the first quarter.

“I hope to god Trubisky starts to prove he has more than just a pretty face.” You shook your head preparing yourself for the second half. You and Kevin had talked throughout all of halftime, and you caught him staring with a wide smile more than once as you might’ve got a little too competitive throughout the first and second quarter.

“I could play better defense than his line is. Kev, get down there you know how to tackle people.”

“He does realize he’s supposed to be throwing it to his own team right?”

“Fucking 2 yards isn’t gonna get you anywhere!” Were just a few things you remember spouting off.

“This is ridiculous.” You threw up your hands when Rudolph took it into the Vikings endzone.

With 5:33 left in the 3rd quarter O’Donnell took the field for the punt, but instead to everyone’s surprise the punt is faked and #16 puts up a pass to Cunningham who runs it in for the touchdown. “Oh my god!” You jumped up and down, “No fucking way! That’s my man!” You yelled pulling Kevin in for a hug who was in utter disbelief.

“I cannot believe that just happened.” He laughed, cheering with the crowd. The fans were hyped watching Barth kick it between the posts.

“Believe it baby!

Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;

Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.

Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down.” You sang along loudly to the Bears’ fight song roaring throughout Soldier Field. The second half was much more heated than the first, but unfortunately thanks to a successful kick from Forbath in the last few seconds the Vikings took home the win.

You would've thought that post-game

Kiss would've made me wanna make you mine

But you had me by halftime

Everyone was starting to file out of the stadium, Kevin’s group included.

“You comin?” Adam turned to you both.

“You wanna wait till the crowds disperse a little?” Kevin asked and you smiled nodding.

“We’ll be waiting for you.” Adam winked, a knowing smirk covering his face as he grabbed tightly ahold of Kim’s hand to lead her through the crowd.

“You would’ve had to keep a tight hold on me. I’m small and can get lost easily.” You joked, body frame tiny compared to his broad muscular one.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I do regardless.” Kevin flirted, looping an arm around your shoulders to pull you closer to him.

“I told you. Punters and kickers, they don’t get enough credit.” You reiterated, “I mean how often does the game come down to a field goal? Too often in my opinion.”

“I can give you kicker I’m not sure about punters though.” He looked at you amused.

“Did you miss that play?” You scoffed.

“And how often does that happen? I’m sure you didn’t buy his jersey banking on that.” He replied.

“Yeah, alright. I just thought O’Donnell was better looking than Barth.” You admitted.

“You really know your football though.” He observed.

“I grew up with three brothers. It just came with the territory.” You explained.

“Three brothers?” He looked over at you, a faint look of fear appearing on his face.

“Yeah, I’m sure you could take any of them though.” You bit your lip squeezing his bicep to get your point across.

“Is that so?” He grinned face inches away from yours.

“Mhmm.” You hummed searching his eyes, begging him to make the move and he did. Closing the distant for a gentle, smooth kiss. His hand caressing your cheek to pull you closer. This is nowhere near what you expected your day to turn into when you got up this morning. You were just supposed to be tailgating with your friends too drunk for your own good. Instead you were seated inside the stadium making out with a guy you had just met this morning. Not that you were complaining, but what were the chances?

“Was that okay?” He asked lips still slightly brushing against yours and as an answer you gripped his face pulling him in for a deep bruising kiss that had him groaning low in his throat. Pulling away to get a breath you looked around to see very few people still seated, a warmth buzzing throughout your body despite the chilly fall air becoming more prominent.

“We better get out of here before we get in trouble.” You whispered. And he nodded tightly clasping your hand in his as you made your way out of the stadium back out into the parking lot.

Now every time the leaves start fallin' down

I get to thinkin' 'bout

5 years later

“Kev, can you check on the pizza while I get Carsyn dressed?” You asked after seeing your daughter stir from her nap on the monitor. Walking in her room you retrieved her from the crib. She was all smiles and giggles. “Well I take it you had a good nap.” You kissed her chubby cheek, attempting to flatten her bed head before laying her on the floor to get her dressed. “Daddy is just gonna be head over heels when he sees you. Not that he isn’t already.” You smiled trying to slide her tights on despite her wiggling legs. Succeedingly picking her up 10 minutes later. “Look who’s awake daddy.” You caught Kevin’s attention as he turned away from the stove to take her from your arms.

“You didn’t.” Kevin laughed, a smile wide on his face when he took his daughter into his arms admiring the outfit she was sporting. A blue tutu accompanied by an orange jersey that repped the #16, outfit topped off with a Chicago Bears bow. “Well don’t you just look adorable. Yes, you take after your mama.” Kevin laid kisses all over her face erupting numerous giggles from her. “Where’d you even find this at?” He asked and you knew what he was talking about without even turning around as you took the pizza out of the oven.

“I had to specially order it as one of those custom name jerseys. Seems they don’t make O’Donnell’s jersey for babies.” You laughed checking on the wings in the air fryer when a knock at the door interrupted. Adam and Kim strolling their way into the kitchen minutes later.

“Where’s my girl?” Adam asked, spotting her in Kevin’s arms. Carsyn immediately reached out for Adam. “There she is and aren’t you just the cutest Bears fan in the whole world?” He tickled her stomach taking in her outfit, “Gotta say [Y/L/N] it looks better on her.” He joked gesturing to your identical jersey.

“Joke all you want this jersey got me a husband.” You leaned up on your tippy toes to lay a kiss on Kevin’s cheek.

The rest of your crew arrived not too much later. Hailey and Jay bringing along their son who was a few months younger than Carsyn. This was now a football season tradition and you loved every minute of it.

All Tag List:

@corebore123 @scarletsoldierrr @hehurst23 @beautiful-bunny89 @ingie @halsteadsway @malrunaway @grettiwrites @inlovewith3 @wanniiieeee

[strawwritesfic]

Bucky Barnes x Female!Former Addict!Reader: Tastes a Little Like Freedom, a Little Like Fear [Ch. 16]

Summary: [Name] has finally got her life on track. She’s been clean a year, has a full time job, and recently moved into an apartment that is actually fit to live in. To prove something to herself, she visits the Smithsonian exhibit on Captain America…only to run into someone a little familiar. Adopting a fellow addict is one thing. Accidentally adopting a recovering brainwashed Nazi super soldier is another. [Name]’s life is about to run off track worse than ever before, but there could be a reward at the end if she can just hang on for the bumpy ride.

Challenge:  “100 Drabbles Adventure” challenge by SubtleQuirk on Lunaescence Archives.

Ratings/Warnings: M (foul language; sexual references; references to previous drug addiction and continued struggles with drug addiction; torture; mind control; dehumanization; threatening behavior of a man towards a woman; not canon compliant past Winter Soldier; set post-Winter Soldier and pre-Civil War)

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Tag List: @imaginesfire​; @ginger-swag-rapunzel​

Master List

Chapter 16: Honesty

“[Name], what’s the matter with you?”

Though you knew Georgianna and Karen were with you, though you knew you were safe in the local mall, and though you knew your houseguest had absolutely no reason to follow you here since it would endanger him more than it would endanger you, you jumped. The fingers that had been playing with the soft fabric of the men’s jacket in front of you lurched away. You looked up to see Georgianna watching you closely through her dark eyes–far too closely. Realizing it had been her asking the question, you swallowed before answering:

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that,” Georgianna said, and you wished all over again Karen was out there with you, rather than in a dressing room. Georgianna’s eyes were sharpest, and though Kat’s tongue was certainly sharper, Georgianna had a special way of making you want to crawl into bed and never come out. Sometimes this was helpful–other times, not so much. “You’ve been quiet this whole time.”

“I’m always quiet.”

“Not this quiet.”

Georgianna had always been the one you tried your hardest to avoid. Not Kat, who might have looked mean and had a tongue like shattered glass but usually backed away at the earliest sign of trouble, afraid to watch you self-destruct. Not Karen, who usually fluttered softly around you during any episodes but felt too bad to prevent them entirely. No, Georgeianna was the one that kicked your butt first and asked questions later. Admitting your mistake to her was the last thing you wanted to do. You’d sooner tell Kat who you’d invited into your home and let her punch your face in than endure Georgianna’s disappointment.

You returned to your fidgeting with a sigh. “I’m fine, George. Just a little tired.”

“That’s what you said last time. You sleeping all right?”

“Yes, George. I just have a lot to think about.”

“Because you went to the museum?”

You smiled, hoping this was explanation enough. In fact, your recent trip to the Commando’s exhibit had been the farthest thing from your mind. Since you’d given into your houseguest’s demands, all you had thought about was what you were going to do with him–but now you were out and about and you wondered if there was anything you needed to do. Sure, he was scary, but why did you believe him? Maybe it was just what Kat had said what felt like so long ago: This guy had gone through some tough stuff. And what had he promised you in return? Tough stuff. Maybe he wasn’t even who he said he was. Maybe you were just an enormous sucker.

“If that’s the case,” Georgianna interrupted your attempts to soothe yourself, “why’d you come along just to buy a bunch of men’s clothing? Did Ms. Walters give you a bonus or something?”

You did your best not to wince and simply smile your blandest smile again. “I got a little extra money. I thought it might be nice to donate it to someone else.”

Georgianna looked at you, long and hard. You gazed back, willing her not to read the lie in your every word. It wasn’t that you wanted to lie, especially not to the three women you loved more than anything else in the world, but he had said they were in danger, too. Whether it was from him or his–people didn’t really matter. You had to keep Georgianna safe, and Kat and Karen. That was worth lying more than to protect a murderer before you knew he was a murderer.

‘Please forgive me.’ The prayer asked for serenity to accept the things you could not change, and goodness did you need that now. You couldn’t change what you had already done. This man was in your house, in your life, and threatening all the aspects of it that you had come to love in the past year and a half. If nothing else, you needed to keep your head.

Just before Georgianna could demand a real explanation, Karen came bouncing out of her dressing room to model a sundress.

“Oo, that looks cute!” she squealed at the jacket you’d been fondling. “You getting all this stuff for that guy? The one crashing on your couch?”

“Guy?” Georgianna asked, eyes narrowing slightly in your direction. “You mean that same guy Karen mentioned last Friday?”

Karen cringed. “Oopsie.”

“I didn’t know he’d stayed this long.”

Maybe Georgianna was pretending to be casual, but you knew she was worried. Why wouldn’t she be? You kept yourself on a strict schedule, and you ran a tight ship. Guys weren’t part of either of those. You’d given up on dating, given up on romance, given up on sex in your attempt to keep yourself clean. Such activities were too tainted for you to remember pleasantly, or feel comfortable safely inserting yourself into again. During your chosen sober moments, you’d never had a man over–not in over a year now. No <i>did</i> have one over, and suddenly you had a lot of extra cash to burn. No wonder Georgianna was suspicious!

“Oh, I’m sure he’s safe, George!” Karen rushed to your rescue.

You shot her subtle appreciative look. She was better at lying than you were–or, well, since you’d decided to give up lying until the evening before, anyway.

“I met him, actually,“ she went on. "Didn’t do anything dangerous.”

You noticed that she neglected to mention that your guest had been asleep when she had met him, and that she’d also threatened to beat him over the head with her purse for scaring the heebie-jeebies out of you by following you home. Georgianna eyed her suspiciously for one second too long, though, and that had Karen ducking back into the dressing room quicker than you could blink. Georgianna grumbled wordlessly as she slumped against the wall.

“You gonna be done anytime soon?” she called.

“Probably not!” Karen sang back.

Judging by the amount of clothes she had taken inside with her, you privately agreed. Privately being the key word, though Georgianna wasn’t about to let you off the hook that easy.

She caught your eye and gestured for the store entrance. “Let’s grab a bite to eat.”

Not that you looked forward to being alone with her, but you gathered up your purchases and headed after her into the food court. One parfait and half an iced-tea later, and you were starting to feel a little cheerier. You could still look forward to your guest having changed his mind and run off while you were gone, and your friends weren’t prying nearly as badly as you had expected them to. Then Georgianna had to go and ruin things by signaling the beginning of a lecture.

“Look,” she said as you stiffened in anticipation, “I’m sorry about earlier. You’re a big girl. If you want to keep guys over, you can. I just want you to be safe. That’s all.”

Even after Georgianna changed the subject to something more comfortable, it took you a couple of minutes to feel up to responding. You slowly finished your drink and let your muscles loosen before you made any attempt at all.

“‘Course I’m going to be safe,” you answered finally. “Why wouldn’t I be safe? I’m still going to see my sponsor. I go to meetings every week. I don’t want to go back.”

She regarded you over her soda. “That’s not the only thing you have to worry about these days, you know?” Then she surprised you by smiling and shaking her head before combing her fingers through her short, dark bangs. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just a nervous wreck lately. We keep getting calls about that ghost assassin. Kinda wish they’d just call the Ghostbusters on his ass.”

She looked at you shyly, and you realized this was her way of making a joke. You chuckled to humor her, but inside your intestines were tying themselves into knots. They were looking for him. Maybe that was good, though? The news had had plenty photographs of the carnage left in this man’s wake. But if they found him with you, then there would be no way to explain that you hadn’t been a part of that carnage, too.

“No ghosts in my apartment, George. Promise,” you assured her, smiling.

Even that hurt. What on earth were you turning into?

[yandere-daydreams]

Id bet money that yandere!bakugou watches his darling sleep. He just HAS to. He cant help himself.

You bet your ass he does. And, if I’m any good at this whole writing thing, he does so with as much repressed paranoia as possible. It’d be the closest thing he has to an actual hobby, honestly, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys it. That’d just be out of character.

Title: Loving Observation.

TW: Unhealthy Relationships, Slight Codependence, and Mentions of Somnophilia. 

~

It wasn’t like Katsuki liked watching you sleep.

That was much was common sense. Of course he didn’t like it, of course he didn’t enjoy it, who would? He’d heard stories of guys getting off on the vulnerability, the helplessness, the secrecy, but vulnerability and helplessness and weakness weren’t the kinds of things Katsuki was interested in. Staying up all night was boring. He was always exhausted the next day, always irritated, and he always told himself he wouldn’t do it again the next night, that’d he’d sleep by your side and resist the urge to perch himself at the foot of your bed and stare you down with all the intensity of a bird of prey. But, it was the next night, and here he was, standing guard with all the loyalty of a well-trained pet.

Momentarily, he wondered if he’d start growing feathers, if he kept this up.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t sleep, either. He was sure he’d be able to, and if not, Katsuki was always the type to make the best of his insomnia, he’d never liked the idea of wasting so many precious, undisturbed hours on a staring contest with the ceiling. No, if he hadn’t been able to sleep, he’d be researching the villain he’d have to track down in the morning, or meal-planning, or doing anything besides fisting at the sheets and watching you - tired, beautiful, narcoleptic you - drool onto your pillow and kick your comforter into the space he should be occupying, a habit he knew you’d never fight off. He could sleep, it’d be easy to, but he couldn’t let himself sleep. He couldn’t take that risk. He couldn’t be so careless. He couldn’t do something that dangerous and wake up to a corpse, as his reward. He couldn’t let you down like that.

So, he dug his nails into his hand, letting soothing, awakening pain run from the heel of his palm into his wrist until it infected the tips of his fingers and made the rest of the world a little more vivid. Until it made him a little more aware.

You must’ve been used to falling asleep without him, by now. There was always an effort, an extra cup of coffee or a slurred declaration that you weren’t going to bed until he found the time to carry you there, but you’d worked late, tonight, and you’d been ready to collapse the moment you dragged yourself into his apartment. He’d blamed himself for that, too - if he was really as good of a boyfriend as you thought he was, he wouldn’t let you work yourself to the point of exhaustion. But, he’d been called out for an emergency, and by the time he got home, you were already out, undressed and unconscious under the assumption that he’d join you whenever he was ready to, and you’d be able to make it up to him in the morning with a kiss and an apology for wearing yourself out. 

He wanted that. You couldn’t imagine how badly he wanted that. It was the kind of domestic, private bliss he’d come to crave, since you two first moved in together, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to indulge in it. Holding you was just too tempting, too innocent. A million things could go wrong as soon as wrapped his arms around you. He could roll over and break your arm, he could hold you too tightly and suffocate you, he could do something wrong and hurt you, because punishing the people that loved him seemed to be the only thing he was good at doing. Because he would hurt you, if he let himself.

Because something else would hurt you, eventually, and he’d be the one to blame.

So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he almost didn’t notice when you rolled over, a small groan forcing itself through your parted lips as you settled onto your back, your hands drifting from your pillow to your sides, and then to your chest, another sound of discomfort drawing his attention to your current position. The air fled from his lungs only to hitch in his throat, and for a moment, he watched as you went still. Mentally, he went through your schedule, through the hours of the day, through every risk you’d taken and ever hazard he’d forced you into. Your job was draining, but it wasn’t dangerous, he’d made sure of that. You took the safest route home he’d been able to find, and he’d been slipping supplements into your food for weeks, a habit you wouldn’t approve of, but one he took to keep you healthy, to keep you safe. Still, there was too much that wasn’t accounted for. There was too much he didn’t know. There were too many things he hadn’t seen because you were so independent and because he was a failure of a guardian and because you must hate him--

Your expression contorted from neutrality to pained discomfort, and Katsuki stopped thinking.

In an instant, he was on top of you, straddling your stomach as he took you by the shoulders, wrenching you upward with all the frantic desperation of a soldier under fire. There was no blood, no injury, but an invisible threat was so, so much worse than a wound he could see and evaluate and fix on his own. Your eyes flew open, your hands finding his in less than a second, but your scream was swallowed down as your shock turned to confusion and that confusion faded into bleary, startled concern. You didn’t try to push him away, didn’t writhe or struggle out of his grip, only scanning over his wide-eyed, panicked expression as you collapsed back onto the mattress, adrenaline dissolving into little more than an unpleasant fatigue. That was good, that was great. You were fine, you were alright, you were perfect. He was just being paranoid, you were…

You were glaring at him.

Fuck, right. He probably deserved that.

“What is it?” You spoke slowly, your voice weighed down by sleep. Already, you were settling back down, and a second later, Katsuki followed your lead, falling to your side and keeping to himself until he felt a tap to his forearm, a signal that you weren’t that mad at him. Hesitantly, he uncurled himself, letting you burrow into his chest, your arm soon draped over his waist and your head resting on his bicep. You didn’t seem to care that he didn’t return the gesture. “Better think of something good, ‘suki. If the building’s not on fire, someone’s gonna sleep on the couch.”

He chuckled, dryly, more at the idea of him sleeping at all than to indulge your idle threat. “I thought... I mean, you looked like you were in pain,” He admitted, knowing you wouldn’t remember this conversation clearly enough to recognize the implications. “I was worried. You know how I get, about you.”

“I know how you get about everything.” There was a sigh, this time, a slight lean in his direction. Without a second thought, he plucked the comforter from where it draped over the side of the bed, laying it over your tense form despite your earlier attempts to free yourself from its plush entrapment. Immediately, you relaxed against him, thanking Katsuki with a small smile and a soft kiss to his collarbone. “This is the third time I’ve ‘been in pain’ this week. I know you’re just being protective, and I know you’re trying to help, but--” Despite the darkened bedroom, you averted your gaze. As you went on, your tone became a little more lucid, a little more genuine. His heart twisted in his chest, and Katsuki wondered if it’d be less painful to make you think he hadn’t cared at all. “The way you’ve been acting is really starting to bother me. You’re not getting any rest, and you’ve been so erratic, lately. It’s hard not to feel like this is....” You paused, biting the inside of your cheek. “Like this is bad for us.” 

It was futile to deny it. Assuring you was probably just as useless, but it felt like the right thing to do. “I know, baby. But I’m trying to--”

“Promise me.” You were clinging to him, now, your words muffled by his skin. “You have to promise me this is going to end. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to...”

You didn’t have to finish. Katsuki knew what you were going to say, and he knew it was as terrifying for you as it was for him. He didn’t want to leave you. He didn’t want you to leave him, even if he knew it was for his own good. He wanted things to be better, but he couldn’t stop, not if he wanted you to be protected, not if he wanted you to be safe. He wouldn’t be able to stop worrying, not unless he found a way to make sure he didn’t have anything to worry about.

It was an awful thought. An awful thing to even consider doing to another person. It was awful, and yet, he found himself pulling you closer, his body going slack as he finally let himself relax. It’d be awful, but it’d be safe, too. And it wasn’t like you were giving him much of a choice.

Giving you up wasn’t an option. You’d suffer, but you’d be secured and bound and safe, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t take care of you. He was a good boyfriend, or, he was really trying to be one, at least, and doing something so extreme, something so permant, would only prove he was more devoted, more capable, more loving. Even if he doubted you’d see it that way. 

From his experience, people usually didn’t react well to waking up in handcuffs. 

Not at first, at least. 

“I promise.”

[januaryisnotanartist]

So day 5 of KanSang week is Wang Clan! Liu Sang.

Which got me thinking about how would Liu Sang fit in with the Wang Clan (and Wang Can) and still be Liu Sang (and not secretly Wang Can), and how could I get KanSang from such a universe?

I derailed directly into Liu Sang & Li Cu are bros.

(warning, this (d)evolved into a kinda fic as I was rambling.)

-

We begin with “Wang Can is the younger half brother of Liu Sang”, top it off with a bit of “evil step mother who was willing to burn her step son alive in an attempt to frame him for attempted murder gone wrong clearly belongs to a crazy death cult and was secretly a Wang operative the whole time, so when she and her husband died the Wang Clan swooped in to pick up the free orphans freshly traumatised kids ripe for brainwashing indoctrination into their cult clan.”

So now we have Liu Wang Can, who was raised by a woman who was already preparing him to join the Wang Clan, and Liu Sang who, because I need him to have a reason to firmly resist the Wang's Anti-Zhang propaganda, is from the Worship False Idols universe. (Which is to say: Liu Sang was rescued from human traffickers by Zhang Qiling before he moved in with his estranged father and wicked stepmother.)

Wang Can dives headfirst into the clan and evil assassin training, while Liu Sang keeps his head down because: where else can he go? His brother is here, he has no one left to turn to, and this clan is out for his ouxiang. Liu Sang chooses to stay so he can learn everything about the man who saved him, and more? importantly: about the clan who plan to hurt the man who'd saved him.

Everyone assumes Wang Can is the more terrifying “twin”. They're wrong.

Liu Sang has to watch as his brother strips away his own humanity despite Liu Sang's best efforts.

And then comes Li Cu.

Liu Sang would laugh if his brother's poor reaction to having a crush wasn't so... horrifying. He's not even sure Wang Can has realised his increased brutality and douchebaggery are attempts to show off for Li Cu.

As a big brother, Liu Sang thinks it might be his responsibility to explain some things before Li Cu kills Wang Can in self-defense, so he tracks down the new comer at one of the out door firing ranges while Li Cu's taking a break.

(Liu Sang hates the firing ranges, they always give him sensory overload, then Wang Can has to go out on extra dangerous missions just to prove they're useful and Wang Liu Sang isn't a burden, because like hell is he ever going to tell them just how much he can hear. They, because they're always considered as a unit, because both of them cling a little too much to one another. There's a reason they can't shake the foul rumours about their relationship, they're both too possessive.)

He remembers to make noise loud enough for a normal person to hear before he gets within striking distance, finds a nice crunchy leaf and crushes it under foot to get Li Cu's attention. Li Cu's first reaction almost makes Liu Sang laugh out loud.

“The hell did you do to your hair?!”

Because Liu Sang's hair has always had more red than Wang Can's, and they wear it differently. He doesn't stop the smirk though, tosses Li Cu a candy bar (technically contraband while off mission) and waits to see how long it takes Li Cu to realise he's not Wang Can.

It takes a few less sentences than Liu Sang hoped for Li Cu to cotton on, but still long enough for it to be funny.

They don't become friends, but they certainly aren't enemies, and they aren't nothing to each other.

Almost something like friends maybe.

Liu Sang reminds Li Cu not to lose himself to the Wang Clan, because they're very good at acting nice, at choosing just the right person to send to get under your skin. Every person you trusted in the Wang Clan was another way they had to get you to do what they wanted.

Liu Sang getting close to Li Cu ends up riling Wang Can, who can't figure out which of them he's more jealous about, so the higher ups send Liu Sang off on a mission.

“Only a week or two.”

Liu Sang says goodbye to Li Cu on his way out.

“Do ever think about leaving the Wangs?” Li Cu wants to know. “Just, go missing in the middle of a mission on not look back?”

“My brother's here,” Liu Sang tells him. Because the Wangs know how to use connections, and if they'd ever sent both brothers out together, Liu Sang would have given in to the temptation to run away years ago. To drag his brother back to some semblance of humanity and not the murder puppet the Wangs had turned him into.

-

Liu Sang returns to a compound devoid of life, the secret regrouping call had gone out, he knows where he's supposed to go but there's a terrible weight sitting in his chest as he walks through the building. The poisonous gas no longer a threat, he can see where the infiltrators' bodies would have been.

They'd taken their own dead and left the Wangs to rot.

He'd have found it funny if his brother hadn't been one of the corpses.

Liu Sang can't hear himself screaming over the ringing in his ears, his world falling apart at the seams. He'd kept himself together through the hell of the Wangs by focusing on trying to take care of his brother.

Who is he if he's not Wang Can's gege?

His brother is dead, and he knows exactly whose fault it is.

There's a grenade pin by his brother's corpse, and explosive damage by on of the vents, and the Wangs had made his brother such a good little soldier.

Liu Sang thinks of the man with the tattoo who'd saved him from one hell only to leave him to another. The man the Wangs hated more than any other.

He has no path forward but one. Liu Sang takes the information he'd gathered painstakingly through the years in secret, always too afraid to use it, and heads to the meeting location.

When his is the only heartbeat left there, he goes to find every safe house and backup location left.

He tracks down every member of the Wangs he can find and ensures no one loyal lives.

And then he's left back where he was. Alone. No idea what to do next.

-

Li Cu thinks he's hallucinating the first time he sees Liu Sang across the street.

To be fair, he hadn't even been sure it was him, Liu Sang had vanished almost as Li Cu was noticing him.

He'd never mentioned Liu Sang to Wu Xie and the others, it hadn't felt right. Liu Sang wasn't a Wang, not really. He'd taken the name, the tattoo, but unlike his brother, Liu Sang had still hung on to his old name, a secret Liu Sang had only shared once when he'd been tired enough to be tipsy.

Now Liu Sang was here, and obviously wanted to talk to Li Cu judging by how often Li Cu caught him watching. Liu Sang had apologised more than once for Wang Can's poor social skills, but Liu Sang's weren't exactly up to par either, unless they were being directly compared to his brother's.

So Li Cu makes himself available, waits in the cold, dark night for Liu Sang to appear from nowhere. And by cold, dark night, Li Cu means he takes to haunting a quiet table at a street food vendor while he tries to study.

Liu Sang sits down across from him with food, and they just share the table for a while, eating, studying, waiting.

From up close Liu Sang looks terrible, and not for the first time since Wu Xie had raided the Wang base, Li Cu wonders what happened to Liu Sang.

“Sorry about your brother,” Li Cu doesn't realise he's going to say it out loud until it's already out of his mouth. It seems like the kind of thing he should be saying though.

Liu Sang freezes, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, a clump of rice drops back onto his plate.

“You don't have to lie about it,” Liu Sang says at last, “I think part of me always knew we weren't both leaving.” He puts his chopsticks down and looks a little lost. “Sometimes, I wonder I there was ever anything in him that I could have saved.”

“Not by the end,” Li Cu says, and there's a look of realisation on Liu Sang's face, and Li Cu gets the feeling Liu Sang knows now that Li Cu had been there when Wang Can had pulled the pin from the grenade.

They sit in silence so long, Li Cu wonders if he should go back to his food or his textbook, but then Liu Sang finally starts talking again.

“I actually, tracked you down to ask...” Liu Sang looks like he'd rather swallow razors, “for a favour. From you. I want to ask you to do me a favour.”

Of all the things Li Cu expects to follow, learning tattoo artistry is not one of them. It takes months before Liu Sang is happy with Li Cu's skills, by which time Li Cu has long stopped asking why Liu Sang doesn't just go to a proper tattoo artist.

He doesn't ask where Liu Sang got the equipment, or how he'd managed to get the studio for an entire day, he doesn't know if he wants an answer or not.

Li Cu knows that Liu Sang already has a tattoo, all the Wang Clan members had had one, a phoenix on the back of their right shoulders that only showed in the heat. Li Cu had been not far off having to get one as well, something that had repulsed him so deeply he'd been shaken by the depth of it.

His back had already been mutilated, like hell he'd let anyone else mark him against his will again.

(He hates that he suddenly understands why Liu Sang had gotten him to learn to tattoo.)

To his surprise, there's also an unfinished tattoo across Liu Sang's chest, and it looks vaguely familiar to Li Cu.

“Qilin?” He thinks he knows why.

Liu Sang nods, and turns his back so Li Cu can press a hot cloth against his shoulder. Once the phoenix is visible, Li Cu places the stencil carefully so it aligns just right then readies the tools while they wait for the phoenix to vanish from sight.

Li Cu has only been practicing for a few months, so he's not very fast, but he makes sure the lines are steady, that the shading is right.

It takes all day, and they won't be able to check the cover up has worked for another few days, but in the end Li Cu is confident no amount of heat will let the phoenix show through the multi-tailed fox he's inked onto Liu Sang's shoulder.

-

Before they part ways again, Li Cu pulls Liu Sang into what is probably the world's most awkward hug, and makes sure he has Li Cu's contact information.

“At least let me know you're alive every once in a while, yeah?” Because Li Cu already knows Liu Sang's leaving.

Liu Sang nods, but Li Cu isn't really expecting much.

Three days later he gets a picture of a town sign from an unfamiliar number, accompanied by the words: Not Dead Yet.

-

Liu Sang keeps in contact, more than Li Cu thought he would, not that he minds. Except that Liu Sang has a strange penchant for meerkat memes and keeps being weirdly funny at the worst possible times.

Like a few years later when Li Cu learned Liu Sang was on a job with Erbai's crew after Liu Sang sent him a text, which caused Li Cu to snort his drink through his nose and all over his freshly complete collage homework.

Help! He's a Himbo! My One True Weakness!

[fannishcodex]

2021 Entrapdak Positivity Month: #04

#04 Cleaning

*self-conscious because have seen cute sweet cleaning fanart, and instead i wanted to interpret this completely differently*

A/N: Role Swap AU and Gen Swap AU and Mirrorverse/Moral Swap AU...also just collectively Swap AU at the moment.

Some shortish notes on my Swap AU: Adora is one of many magitech androids (collectively called the She-Ra) that serve their creator, highly advanced and rogue A.I. Light Hope. Adora gets stranded on Etheria and ends up leading the Royal Alliance, a consolidation of royalty and nobles tightening control over the planet. The Alliance dethroned Bright Moon's original monarchy and took over. Hordak is a young soldier training to serve the Royal Alliance and trying to prove himself despite his physical “defect,” until he finds a mysterious magitech sword made by the First Ones. The sword contains a sentient A.I. that goes by Anillis. Since he was little, Hordak has been in the custody of C'yra, shadow sorcerer-general of the Royal Alliance. Since she was little, Princess Entrapta of Dryl has been in the custody of Princesses Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta. When taken on trips to Bright Moon Castle, Entrapta likes spending time with Hordak, something they have enjoyed since they first met as young children. Hordak and Entrapta are teenagers while Adora, C'yra, Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta, etc., are adults.

Before things get better, I've been brainstorming things are worse in this AU than they are in canon; like, for example, I’ve been imagining Swap!Royal Alliance worse than Etherian Horde partly because they're already explicitly more in control of Etheria and have a longer history of ruling the planet.

And now I experiment more with clues about events in the AU while writing a character and relationship study under different circumstances in a different world. The events of this may or may not be included in some form in my main swap fic on ao3, but it’s definitely been part of my brainstorming for it.

---

Hordak winced, and Entrapta flinched, shaking hands and the wet cloth they held jerking away from the deep claw marks on his back.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was small. "But I have to clean...this."

"'S'fine," Hordak mumbled, just tired and pained, and Entrapta ached all the more. But she resumed cleaning the bloody wounds that marred her partner, her hands steadying as she went. Entrapta wondered if he would walk away with more scars left behind by his adoptive mother, and her jaw clenched.

Something grazed her ear, and she recoiled without a thought, Hordak asked what's wrong—something was on her head—they were in the woods, and Perfuma could control plants, this was the worst place to be, it didn't matter that her adoptive guardians should've been back at the Alliance headquarters in Bright Moon Castle—

With one hand clutching Hordak's shoulder and the damp cloth pinned against his skin, Entrapta pulled out her shock baton and looked around, breathing harshly. She felt Hordak tense, but he waited, trusting her. Then Entrapta hesitantly calmed, put her baton away, and finally checked her head, finding two dry leaves—one on her shoulder and one with its stem loosely stuck through a little of her tightly shorn hair. She brushed off the foliage (free of magical control), apologized to Hordak and told him it was nothing, everything's okay, they were okay. 

Then she heard Evenstar start beeping in a rapid stream, and she and Hordak quickly glanced at the pale blue, circular robot. But she only stood over the First Ones sword that had been dropped to the ground, beeping at it in what she and likely Hordak realized was amiable, excited chatter. Eventually, the sword beeped back, at a slower, slightly deeper, somehow more elegant-sounding clip. Its green gem had a line of crackling white that moved up and down in jagged peaks as it made sounds, and it seemed to glow brighter.

"Oh, you know binary too—um, Anillis?" Entrapta tried, hoping she got the sword A.I.'s name right. She should focus—these wounds were awful—but she desperately wanted some distraction for her and Hordak. But she could multitask. After quickly scrubbing her freckled cheeks dry—a few panic-stricken tears had slipped out again—Entrapta resumed cleaning Hordak's wounds, and listened for the A.I.'s response.

"So far Evenstar is speaking a form of binary I'm familiar with," Anillis's voice emanated from the sword, switching back to her and Hordak's native tongue, and again Entrapta was fascinated. Anillis sounded very much like Hordak, just older—and of course, he was also an A.I. housed inside a magitech sword, an amazing example of First Ones tech! Of course, that was exciting too. But the specificity of the A.I. sounding like Hordak fascinated her even more. Had the A.I. imprinted on Hordak and developed an approximation of his voice? So many questions.  

"Evenstar," Hordak rasped out, and Entrapta took a breath and tried wringing out the cloth stained with blue blood and dipping it in the river again. 

Resources were scarce after their unplanned escape from the Royal Alliance. She had just ripped off a part of her coat for cleaning Hordak's wounds, and she just had the river to rely on. Fortunately, Anillis had encouraged Hordak to dip him—the sword—oh this could get confusing—to dip the sword in the river beforehand. Hordak's eyes had changed again, but this time they all turned green, no trace of red was left; the emergence of slit pupils turned a glowing white instead of a deep black; and extra eyes didn't split open on his face. And the sword had hummed with energy again, as if preparing to shoot off the energy blasts she'd just witnessed hours ago—but this time the energy made some of the river's water angrily bubble, boiling it, and Entrapta understood what Anillis had wanted to try. Entrapta had waited for the boiled portion of the river to cool, then dipped her makeshift cloth in the water and began cleaning Hordak's injuries. She hoped it had been enough to clear the water of potential contaminants.

"Evensta—Evie, could you keep watch, please?" Hordak sounded even weaker, and Entrapta checked his forehead with a quick graze of her hand—still slick with sweat. What if the wounds had already been infected during the fight or while they fled on Evie? Then again, Hordak's desperate fight with C'yra had been brutal. Of course it made him sweat. (But could it mean more now?)

The robot gave an affirmative beep for her injured creator. "I can assist Evenstar as well," Anillis added.

"Oh...you—you can?" Hordak said, and from his voice Entrapta could picture his eyes getting glazier. Finally she just tore off another piece of her coat, providing a new piece of cloth to try to clean Hordak's wounds with.

"If we need any mobility, that's all on Evenstar," Anillis dryly said, and Entrapta felt a small stab of guilt over just leaving him-inside-the-sword lying on the grass like that and not even propped up against a tree, but Hordak had just finally collapsed and Entrapta had only thought of helping him up—Entrapta took a breath. She needed to calm down. Anillis showed zero problem with this, he must've understood; only she was starting to fret over this. There was no time for that, Hordak needed her more.

"But I can help her with surveillance at least," the sword A.I. continued. "My sensors should be enough for that." 

After that, with two A.I. on guard, and Entrapta focused on Hordak's wounds, all went quiet in the Whispering Woods. Finally Entrapta shredded her whole jacket for cleaning wounds and then makeshift bandaging wrapped tight around Hordak's torso. She tended to his armor, particularly on his arms. Claw marks had been gouged through the metal there, but they seemed to have held up better than Hordak’s skin and clothes against a magicat sorcerer. Entrapta did what she could, and told herself she would do more once she scrounged up more resources.

Finally, she helped her partner lie down, and joined him, resting beside him. She wanted to curl close to him, but worried about aggravating his wounds. At least she was close enough for him to reach out to her, and for her to get flustered and tell him he shouldn't move, before quieting when his stiff, trembling hand found her cheek and finally relaxed when he touched her; and she relaxed just as much under his talons, gentle with her even while he clearly suffered and had been thoroughly made into a cruelly clawed up scratching post.

Entrapta closed her eyes as his talons threaded through her short hair.

"I wanna grow it out," Entrapta murmured. "Perfuma and the others wouldn't let me, but..."

Her throat thickened at the thought of her own adoptive guardians. Then her eyes burned. "Oh jeez, did I make you run away just so I can finally grow my hair out?"

"'Course not," Hordak simply said. "And I—I did want this too—I did want to leave—and leave with you—"

Her partner took a shuddering breath, and Entrapta shook her head. "Never mind, don't. Just save your strength. We can talk more when you're better."

"Just talk, please," Hordak said, closing his eyes, his hand growing a little more slack so that it slipped away from Entrapta's hair and just rested on her cheek now. She anticipated it sliding off when he finally fell asleep, and planned to catch it and place his hand gently on the ground instead when that time came. "I just...just wanna listen." Hordak's language was usually more precise than this, and the fact that it wasn't pointed to the severity of his pain and exhaustion.

Entrapta gulped down another breath. This was ridiculous, she hadn't suffered awful injuries like Hordak, why did she keep finding it hard to breathe?

"Sure, can do." She tried to smile, but it wobbled.

And then Entrapta struggled for words. This was the worst time for that. When it was just her and Hordak, words were easier, she didn't have to carefully navigate them like she had to with her guardians and other royals and nobles and Alliance members. Why were words failing her now, just when Hordak needed them the most?

"Thank you for coming with me when I asked you to," Entrapta finally murmured, her voice wet. She removed Hordak's hand, so that it would be easier to place her own hand on his bruised cheek. "I know we had talked about it before, sometimes, but we had never really...decided on anything, and..." Entrapta sobbed.

She scrubbed her freckled face dry again, then placed her hand back on Hordak. His eyes remained shut, and his breathing had leveled out somewhat; he seemed completely knocked out now. She would have to repeat this to him later. "You mean the world to me...so, thank you. Thank you for coming with me." 

There was a noise.

Entrapta reached for her baton and placed a quieting hand on Hordak, starting to wake up. Catching her eye, he stilled.

They heard Evenstar revving her laser, until Anillis’s voice broke through, saying, “Wait. Hold your fire, that’s—she’s not an enemy, I know her—”

“Ani dearie?” That sounded like an old woman, and Entrapta began to relax, even as her confusion mounted. She frowned when Hordak started getting up to his elbows, but she helped him rise.

“Anillis,” the sword A.I. corrected, sounding more quietly awed without a trace of irritation. “You’re still here.”

“Of course I am, now wh—” When she came into view of Entrapta and Hordak (now sitting up), the old woman paused, staring at them.

“Oh, Kadroh dearie!” The stranger said, rushing over remarkably fast and briefly reminding Entrapta of a cute little white hedgehog. But when she came a little too close for comfort to a startled Hordak, Entrapta stepped in between them.

But when the old woman ducked under her arm, Entrapta blankly thought, Touché. Boy, she was tired and ready to sleep for like a hundred days or something.

“Kadroh, where have you and Ani been—oh dear, you’re hurt—”

“Um, ma’am, I’m sorry, but you have me mistaken for—I’m Hordak, not...”

“He’s right, Razz,” Anillis said, voice low. “Look at his eyes, look at his crest—”

The old woman—Razz squinted behind her big round glasses. Then her voice softened. “Yes, I see now...so similar, though...you’re Kadroh’s younger brother, aren’t you?”

Entrapta gaped. For as long as she remembered, Hordak had been an orphan and in General C’yra’s custody. Hordak turned to Anillis-in-the-sword. “What’s going on, you still haven’t explained anything—!”

“I will when you’re bleeding out a little less,” the sword A.I. snapped back. Then more calmly, he said, “Razz, do you have a place where we could stay?”

“Of course, dear, same as last time.” Then Razz turned, offering Hordak a hand. “Here, let Madame Razz and your violet friend here help you up—”

Then Evenstar beeped and scuttled forward. “That’s okay, Evie can give Hordak a ride,” Entrapta said, taking her partner’s hand. Then she paused, looked from Razz to Hordak. “You’re okay with this, right? Razz seems nice, and real nonthreatening, Anillis apparently knows her—and sorry for talking about you even though you’re right here.” She shot Razz a somewhat embarrassed look.

“Don’t fret, dearie,” Razz said, giving a smile so calming Entrapta immediately felt a little more relaxed.

“It’s fine, I want—” Hordak winced, and Entrapta held him. “I want answers, and Razz and the sword seem to know—”

“Anillis,” Entrapta corrected him without thinking, and Hordak glared at the ground.

“You can trust Razz,” Anillis said, his voice breaking in again. He sounded detached, but Entrapta thought it was the sort of detached she tried to use with the princesses when she wanted to hide stuff. “She’s an old friend.”

Hordak’s only response was to place a hand on Evenstar, and Entrapta helped him up, settling him on top of his robot. Then she moved to grab the sword, but Razz had already picked him up.

“It’s all right, I’ve got Ani here.”

“Anillis,” the sword repeated, but more out of reflex with less intent on actually being heard. “We’re fine, Entrapta.”

Entrapta nodded, then climbed on top of Evenstar. She’d support Hordak if he started to slump down in exhaustion or actually fell asleep—either way, she’d be there holding him up and making sure he didn’t fall off his robot.

Holding Hordak close, Entrapta and him rode away on Evenstar, following Razz while she held the sword, its green gem glowing in the dark of the woods. 

---

A/N: There are some more direct swaps, and some more partial swaps. Like Hordak < — > Adora + Shadow Weaver < — > C'yra more directly, while Entrapta is partially swapped with Scorpia (cheerful Etherian princess raised in antagonist-aligned faction, though I imagine Swap!Entrapta's situation is pretty explicitly worse than Mainverse!Scorpia's) + just exploring Entrapta with a more explicitly traumatic background. (And been brainstorming that Swap!Scorpia more just Gen Swap and protagonist-aligned but still fighting the Royal Alliance, and there'll be no shifting down the line because she's more adamant about resisting the more corrupt Royal Alliance).

Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta are just generally swapped from protagonist-aligned to antagonist-aligned and not with any specific characters, except maybe also elements of Shadow Weaver actually; they're Gen Swap and Mirrorverse/Moral Swap and explorations of Perfuma+Mermista+Frosta being older and stronger in their magic and more corrupt with their power.

And swapping can also just be pretty fluid/more sorta experimental. For example, C'yra < — > Shadow Weaver directly enough, but C'yra also still just as obsessed with the transforming wielder of the magic sword that rebels and defects, but now framed as an abusive mother than an abusive companion. (There won’t be any reconciliation between Swap!Hordak and Swap!C’yra.) Another example: Swap!Anillis also swapping around Light Hope’s and Horde Prime’s demeanor with being less robotic/a little more visibly snarky, as well as more concerned and invested rather than cold and uncaring.

Like in the mainverse, Emily = Evenstar and created by Hordak, but they're closer in this AU—Hordak personally built her and she's the only one he's created so far, Evenstar hasn’t been mass produced. Her name and paintjob are different since Hordak drew more from the leftover Bright Moon culture/decor he grew up in while he was raised in Bright Moon Castle.

[fixitforever]

Old wounds and familiar faces (5)

Y/N’s eyes rapidly move around the room as she takes in her surroundings. It’s her first mission outside of the Hydra base where she’s being kept and her senses are overwhelmed at the number of people and the amount of noise. The world looks different then when she was last outside and it’s unsettling, but that’s not the main reason that everything is so overwhelming. It’s the first time that she has been out in the world with her new abilities and it’s proving to be far too much for her to handle. She tries to focus on the Soldier’s back as she walks behind him. It’s better to call him the Soldier when he’s out on a mission; it makes it easier for her to separate the violence he portrays now from who he really is.

He can sense her unease. He hears her breathing and her heart rate pick up and when he glances at her over his shoulder he sees her look around nervously, her eyes moving much faster than those of the average person. Y/N’s unease causes James to push to the surface and it takes everything in the Soldier to keep him at bay. He has a mission; he needs to focus. She’s just a tool he needs to finish his mission. It’s what he keeps telling himself, but James’ voice in the back of his mind is telling him to stop and make sure she feels safe.

Behind him Y/N is completely unaware of the internal battle the Soldier is having, so she’s surprised when he suddenly reaches back to grab her hand. “One thing at a time, Red.” His voice sounds gruff and he keeps looking forward to where they’re going, but it instantly soothes her. She tightly holds onto his hand and focuses on his broad shoulders as they keep moving forward.

“Y/N!” The sound of her name being called rather loudly by Sam manages to pull her from the memory she just sunk into and back to the present. “You okay?” Sam asks when he sees the daze disappear from her eyes. It reminds him of the veterans he worked with when they experienced flashbacks to traumatic events.

She nods and glances down where she finds hers and Bucky’s hands still intertwined. Y/N is quick to let go of the super soldier and she clears her throat before she focuses on Sam. “Yeah, sorry.” She says softly as she forces herself to focus on the task at hand instead of the man standing next to her.

Bucky can tell she’s still on edge and he feels the urge to reach out again but doesn’t think she wants him to, so he quickly shoves his metal hand into his pocket and focuses on Sam. “What is this?” Sam asks once again as he points at the picture Bucky is still holding.

“Right.” Y/N mutters as her eyes move to the picture for a moment before she looks back at Sam. “That is what they used to turn me into-“ She stops for a moment as she searches for a word to describe what she is, but she can’t come up with anything. “Well, into whatever it is that I am now.”

Sam and Bucky exchange a worried look at her words. If someone out there is giving more people the abilities Y/N has, they have a serious problem on their hands. “Are you sure?” Sam asks. “Because so far the lab hasn’t been able to get anything out of it and if what you’re saying is true it might be better to destroy it before they find out what it is.”

“I’m sure.” Y/N tells him as she turns back to the table they’re still standing by to see if she can find any clues of who is behind this. “I thought all the information on how to make it was deleted by Hydra when the Avengers attacked the base. At least that’s what Fury told me.” She says as she pulls off her gloves to reach for something on the table. “But from what Steve told me it wouldn’t be the first time Fury keeps something to himself.”

“No it definitely wouldn’t.” Sam mutters as he contemplates reaching out to Fury to find out what he knows and if he could help, but he decides that he needs to get to the lab first. “I should get to the lab to make sure that thing doesn’t get into the wrong hands.” He tells Bucky and Y/N, who nod in response.

“It’s a capsule with a liquid inside.” Y/N tells him as he’s about to walk away. “If they’ve opened it you have to make sure no one touches it.” She warns him. “It causes pretty bad burns when it comes into contact with your skin.”

Sam nods as he takes in he words before he walks out of the room, leaving Bucky and Y/N alone for the first time. Bucky stays silent for a while as he watches her go through the things on the table. She lets her fingers move over every object and it once again spikes his curiosity about her gloves. “Why do you wear gloves?” The question leaves his lips before he fully registers his words and he’s slightly embarrassed about his own bluntness, but it’s out there now. “I mean, I wear them to hide my arm but your hands look pretty normal to me.”

Y/N’s eyes move away from the table and find his. She studies him for a moment before she speaks up. “You don’t have all your memories back then.” She states, which causes him to frown. “Hydra basically enhanced all my senses. I see, hear, taste, smell and feel more than anyone else. On top of that my mind moves a lot faster than the average human so I can process all the extra information my senses give me.” She explains. “To stop myself from getting sensory overload I can wear gloves or sunglasses or earmuffs. I’m still working on controlling it, you know better than anyone that Hydra didn’t exactly focus on that part of our abilities. I’ve mastered sight, hearing and smell, but still struggle with touch and taste.” She goes on as her eyes move back to the table. “With taste it’s easy to limit the impulses, but with touch it’s a bit more difficult.”

Bucky nods as he listens to her. “Hence the gloves.” He mutters and she nods in return. “Since we met I’ve regained a lot of memories.” He says as he watches her lift up a piece of rubble. “Memories of our time together at Hydra. We seemed close.” His words come out more vulnerable than he wants them to and it causes Y/N to stop looking through the stuff on the table and face him again. The look in his eyes pulls at her heartstrings and she momentarily lets her own guard down.

“We were.” She says softly and Bucky is taken aback by the emotion in her eyes as she looks at him. “We looked out for each other and if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have survived in there.” She admits, her voice still soft and almost as vulnerable as Bucky’s was just a moment ago but after taking a deep breath she pulls her wall back up. “I hope I can still count on that if I help you and Sam with this.”

Bucky stares at her for a moment before he regains his composure as well. “Of course.”

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