#a la aging has paused as well idk if this was a clear joke to anyone else outside of my own head

[wreckedhoney]

"That's," Forrest broaches, "quite the outfit you have on."

"Thanks," Cecil replies. "You, too. I wanted to try matching with what other people in town have on. Blinding colors. Ghastly, even."

"Ha, yeah. Well, it is the trend now, I guess."

"What year is it?" Cecil asks.

"Hm?" Forrest starts to smirk.

"What year is this?" Cecil asks.

"Only '87. What year is it where you're from?"

"There isn't one right now," Cecil answers.

"Ohhh," Forrest hums. "I see. That sounds like it'd be great for someone's complexion."

"It is! Except when it isn't. Depending on the time of day, people can turn to ash in an instant."

"Well, no wonder you're visiting here, if you're into people turning to ash in an instant."

[the-canary]

Old Haunts - B.B

Summary: You could agree that your life was a series of regrets, then how was this weekend going to be any different? (Modern AU!Reader/Bucky Barnes) 

Prompt:  If I could, I’d do it all over again.

Word Count: +3K

Masterlist

A/N: This is for @cumonbucky ‘s 6k writing challenge. idk if it helps but i was listening to laughing with a mouth full of blood by st. vincent while writing this, so consider it mood music. 

Please enjoy and feedback is always welcomed.

‘If you could pinpoint what lead you to all the mistakes you made this weekend, you could probably attribute it to being friends with one Pietro Maximoff. After running away and hiding on the other side of the country for so many years, the bastard had given you the bright idea of heading back to your old running ground of New York City to show that you weren’t scared anymore, that you could stand on your own two feet unlike back in high school and could celebrate with others the fine marriage of your close friend Margaret “Peggy” Carter and one Steven Grant Rogers, high school sweethearts. He would by your side, so you could laugh at the assholes that you knew hadn’t done anything with their lives.

No, you’re weren’t bitter, but you were petty and maybe that was your second problem.

Sorry! He’s in the emergency room right now. I’ll make sure he makes it up to you.  --W.

The third is that a certain platinum blond surfer had to “hang ten” for a pretty girl instead of getting ready for his flight (like he had promised) and ended up in the hospital with a herniated back, and a heavy promise that you’ll send him back once you return from this disaster. This leads you to your forth problem -- a wedding with a bunch of people from high school that you know will make you miserable, but you love that woman too damn much to miss this.

There’s no problem with the flight and the 2 hour commute into Brooklyn in afternoon traffic seems like a breeze compared to the LA traffic you deal with every morning. Finding the hotel is easy, everything is perfect for now.

The next problem comes in the form of a couple, arguing or making out you aren’t quite so sure, in the middle of your floor as you try to make it to your room. The woman pushes him further into the wall, as if trying to hide him from you, as you try your hardest to not look up and see their faces.

“Babe, it was just one time. I promise,” the woman’s sugary voice causes you to pause for a moment at its familiarity, but you push it aside due to nerves and jet lag as you rummage for the little plastic card the hotel gave you to open your room.  

“And I said no,” the man answers back as he pushes her back  and you can’t help but root for him, as the woman tries to catch her lips with his, “It’s over.”

“Wow, pathetic ,” you whisper to yourself loudly, catching the attention of the couple, but  you have already unlocked the door and entered the large room you which you will hopefully have a lot of extra time with this weekend, completely unaware of wide blue eyes you left mesmerized in the hall.

The next problem is agreeing to this brunch with all the important guests that Peggy and Steve are having at their wedding, which means a lot of people you might know, but there is one that is definitely going to be there and which you dread the most -- James Buchanan Barnes. The man had been your ideal back in high school, he had also been the shining beacon of the school since he was both the smartest kid around but also the most athletic, bringing in trophies in anything that he tried throughout your four years of high school. You ran in some of the same circles, especially when Peggy started dating Steve, but you were better at standing off in the sidelines than trying to talk to him. The last time you had heard about the man was that he had a pretty girlfriend and had signed up for the Army midway through college.

But, you do your best with what the world has given you and dress up in a nice summer dress, cardigan, and flats to take a cab and head to quaint brunch set up in downtown. You state your name and are welcomed to the sight of some twenty chairs and a smiling dark-haired woman. Peggy and you hug, quickly chatting up on everything you have missed due to being away, however one thought lingers in your brain as more people, though fewer than you expected come into the room.  

“What happened to the whole big she-bang ?” you question, remembering not that long ago how Peggy would describe her wedding as the event of the year, but it seems that time and Steve had eased certain thoughts.

“We compromised, close friends and family,” Peggy explains with eyes full of love and adoration before asking, “What happened to your plus one?”

“Flirted with a pretty girl, hurt his back,” you explain, since Peggy knows who Pietro really is and knowing there are less people than you thought there was  going to be puts you in a happier mode.

You sit down next to a familiar red haired woman, Natasha, and congratulate her on her own recent engagement to Sam, a college friend of Steve’s. Clint hugs you and tell you about the three kids him and Laura and makes you promise to meet them soon.  Angie is there too, hugging you the longest and making you promise that you’ll share some juicy celebrity gossip later. Everything is calm but classy, reminding you of the soon to-be wedded couple.

Your true problem for the rest of this event shows up 20 minutes late with Steve, who apologizes for being late due to the heavy traffic. Said problem sits across from you: long hair tied in a man bun wearing a dark blue button up, dark jeans, and a leather jacket. Blue eyes look up to meet yours as he gives you a bashful smile and you feel your face heat up at that moment.

Bucky Barnes had aged like a fine wine.    

Maybe, your problem had been one too many mimosas as you gushed about Pietro and Wanda like some doting mother, or maybe that you allowed yourself to be taken back to the hotel by one Bucky Barnes, since he was also staying there as well. That’s when you learn that Dr. Barnes spends his time between Los Angeles and New York in rented sublets due to his work with Stark Industries in regards to biomedical engineering, specializing in prosthetic development and war-based trauma and recovery, though he still humble as hell. At least the drinking made you forget about your quickly reemerging crush on the man.

“So, what do you do?” he questions as the two of you walk back in the crisp spring weather. You quirk an eyebrow because you clearly remember telling everyone what you did when you were all introduced to each other, but shrug guessing that Bucky must have forgotten something so minimal about a person he never talked to.

“I’m a literary editor,” you explain with a smile on your face, “On occasion, I’m a columnist for some online and local newspapers in regards to books.”    

“That’s amazing,” Bucky breathes out, as you turn to look at him because he must be joking but all you see is clear admiration on his face, which cause you to become tongue tied.

“Yeah, thanks,” you mumble, not really sure how to handle the sudden praise. It wasn’t like you saved lives on a daily basis like he did.

“I think it’s great that you still--” he goes onto explain a bit more, but his thought process is broken as another body crashes into his and doesn’t seem to let go. You’re confused for a moment, but the red hair and Bucky’s exasperated voice immediately remind you of the couple from the day before.

“Who’s she?” the clingy woman questions.

“Dot,” he uses that tone of voice and you know it’s them. Bucky looks at you with pleading eyes and in the middle of the street you aren’t sure quite to do. Leave him or help him? And in split second, you decide to just dog-pile more problems onto your shit list.

“ Excuse me,” you say in that fake angry tone that makes the Maximoffs head for the hills, “Could you let go of my date, please?”

“ WHAT!?” they both say at the same time, as she lets go of him to look at you. Her face sparks some type of recognition, but you can’t place from where and you can tell it’s same for her but before you can go any further with that train of thought, you grab Bucky’s hand.

“Run, Bucky, Run!”      

You try not to regret letting go of his hand and running towards your room without an excuse or so much as talking to him again when you know that you’re the only ones that know each other in the hotel. It’s easier to ignore your stupid heartbeat with a quick nap until you have to meet up with the ladies again to celebrate Peggy’s last night of freedom with a nice dinner.

It’s close to 7:30 pm when you’re done preparing and ready to go out when you hear a knock at your door. You pray that it isn’t the woman, if she even remembers you, ready to fight you over Bucky -- instead it is the man himself wearing a black on blue suit that make his eyes pop a little more than usual with his hair slicked back  to the base of his neck.

“I was…” his voice trails off as gets a good look at you, wearing a long wine-colored dress and your hair placed delicately over your right shoulder, “I-f you wanted to share a cab.”

“Sure,” you smile, a little proud that you made the Bucky Barnes stumble over his own words for abit. You grab your jacket and purse before leaving the room and follow the man to  where all the cabs stop in front of the hotel. It was quite until one pulls up, but you spent most of your time drinking up a sight you were likely never to see again.

“I’m sorry about Do-Dolores,” he finally speaks once the two of you are inside the cab, “We broke up awhile back, but she doesn’t give up.”

“ Oh shit , that was Dot,” you exclaim, remembering a more youthful version of her that was constantly around Bucky back in high school, though you don’t remember correctly they  dated back then. Maybe it happened during college, nevertheless you couldn’t help but add as an afterthought, “Anger does not do the face well.”

Bucky lets out a chuckle before suppressing it since you were still kind of making fun of his ex, but you couldn’t help but smile at the softer look suddenly on his face. Whatever that woman had done, if had hurt him deeply and while he was still handsome, his face wore a seriousness you found yourself waiting to get rid of. You move in a bit more, since the small cab seat could only accommodate the beefcake of a man so much. He looks out the window, and you can’t help but open your big mouth -- a daily problem in your life.    

“Why did you break up, if you don’t mind me asking?” you asks softly as he turns to look at you with a heartbroken expression.

“She was cheating, got tired of dating a…” he tightens his gloved hand, as he shakes his head unable to finish his sentence. You regret asking now.

“Wow, her fucking loss then,”you yell out, causing the driver to give you a weary stare, as you grasp his gloved hand tightly with the brightest smile you can muster, “I’m sure you’re gonna find a great woman, Bucky. She’s just waiting for you out there.”

“Thanks,” he sighs out softly, and you aren’t quite sure that he believes you. So, this is where you make your next mistake as the cab pulls up to the French restaurant that is holding Peggy’s bachelorette party.  

“Have a good night, party animal,”you state, as  your hold on his hand tightens as you drag him to your side for a moment. You plant a small kiss on his cheek before letting you and getting out of the cab, leaving without seeing his reaction. However, your face is a bright red for the rest of the night, and even Peggy worries if you’re sick for a moment.

“So, you and Bucky?” the red haired woman question, as she walks up to you with a drink and smile. The both of you are off to the sidelines watching the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Rogers sharing their first dance together in the quaint reception hall.

“So, you and Sam?” you answer back, but it’s a poor deflect because its implications on you and the best man have her smiling and you can’t help but groan. You look around to see the dark-haired man dancing with a little girl, one of Peggy’s nieces, and your heart throbs with an all too familiar feeling.

“I’m just letting you to take care of yourself,” Natasha explains,”Dot’s always been kinda of crazy and I know how you’ve pinned for Bucky since high school.”

“Thank you, fairy godmother,” you remark before turning to look for the buffet table. She lets out a frustrated sigh though knowing that everything will be okay, because that just the type of thing she knows. Natasha smirks as she sees Bucky turn to looks your way.  

However, walking around things has always been a speciality of yours and you do great in avoiding Bucky for most of the night, that is until you’re standing behind the building trying to call Wanda or Pietro for moral support. Bucky is standing some ways away from you, talking to a familiar woman and you feel a chill running up your spine when you feel her eyes land on you -- and that becomes the biggest problem of the whole night.

“Poor, poor little girl,” Dot exclaims as she makes her way over to you,“Still in love with Bucky, huh?”

You flush red and turn away, not wanting to see Bucky’s reaction to what she had just said.  

“Well, I show you,” Dot launches at you, ready to do something but you put all your instincts in the one thing that that Pietro taught you well -- throwing a mean right hook. And maybe in her anger, Dot doesn’t see it but you hit straight in the right cheek and watch her fall to the ground without much thought. You take a deep breath and move as far as you can from her body.  

“Are you okay?” Bucky asks as the both of you lean on the cement wall of the building.

“Damn, I owe Piet $50 bucks now,” you breathe out raggedly as you fall onto the floor while the adrenaline slowly starts to leave your body. Bucky frowns again, but doesn’t stop him from holding your hand until after Sam and Natasha arrive.  

The last problem connected to this weekend is that in everything you have fucked up, you let yourself get dragged by one James Buchanan Barnes to the hotel’s downstairs bar on what’s supposed to be your last night in Brooklyn. He tells you that Dot won’t bother him anymore after you had promised not to fill charges, and it wasn’t like she could do anything either especially when Sam -- very good New York lawyer-- stepped up. All’s well that ends well, as the saying goes though it seems that drinking Bucky was also a reflective Bucky.  

“ If I could, I’d do it all over again ,” Bucky murmurs somberly, as you give him a questioning stare,  “Would you believe me if I said I liked you back in high school?”

“Bullshit,” you exclaim, shaking your head, “ The Bucky Barnes, debate champion and all-star athlete, like me? I’m sorry, but nope ,” you pop the ‘p’ at the end as he rolls his eyes at your inebriated change of attitude.

“You were cuter back in high school,” he remarks as you scoff ready to make another sarcastic remark, “But, now you’re just fucking gorgeous. I could…”

“Could what? Kiss me?” you remark casually, clearly thinking that wasn’t the first thing on his mind, but dark blue eyes looking straight into yours quickly make you question that notion.        

“Shit,” he groans out, as you give him a more devious smile while pulling your chair closer to his.

“Seriously, what’s stopping you?” you tilt your head and question.

“I ain’t a homewrecker, doll,” he explains before taking another chug of his beer. A dimmer look on his blue eyes than before, and then you remember you supposedly have a boyfriend. Who’s stupid idea was that?  

“ Oh, you mean Pietro. Nah, we’re like best friends,”you explain as you pull out of picture of him and his pretty nurse, “He was just gonna pretend, but he fucked his back over some chick.”

“You’re not pulling my leg?” he questions and gets closer to you. Bright blue eyes trapped yours for the moment, as his right hand grazes over your cheek.

“Why would I lie to get laid?” is the last thing you say before the Bucky Barnes pulls you in for the best kiss of your life. It’s slow and sweet, as if testing out the waters until you sigh softly and let his tongue enter your mouth and play with your slowly, as if savoring the moment.

“This isn’t a one-time thing, sweetheart,” he hums softly after letting you go, though it takes you a moment to realize what he is saying. He smirks at your current state and you can stop grinning at the idea, as you pull him into another kiss.

It seems that Bucky Barnes is planning on making himself a long term problem within your life, and for once the old haunts of high school don’t seem to bother you as much anymore.