#also I was surprised to see how well this portrayal of Bucky lines up with Ed Brubaker’s Bucky characterization

[daydreamerdrew]

The Adventures of Captain America (1991) #1

[sagesolsticewrites]

Kiss It Better (pt 2) 💋

That lipstick mark leads to a surprising turn of events 👀

a/n: Y’all didn’t think I was gonna leave it like that, did you? Ask and you shall receive: Kiss It Better pt 2! (Also! I’m having sooo much fun with these MOTA requests 🥹 feel free to send more in, or request other characters y’all think I should write for!)

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based off the portrayal by the actors in the Apple TV+ series. I hold nothing but respect for the real life individuals referenced within.

Read pt 1 here!

Masterlist

You stopped into sickbay early the next morning, to catch up on paperwork.

The fact that you’d be able to see Buck was just a bonus; at least, that’s what you told yourself.

But when you stepped inside, there was already someone sitting at Buck’s bedside.

“Bucky,” you sighed with relief once your surprise had faded, “Should’ve known you’d stop by sooner or later.”

“He’s gonna be okay, right?” Bucky asked, and you could just make out worry lining his face as you approached.

“He’ll be fine,” you assured him, “The scrapes will heal up in no time, and after a week or so of rest he should be cleared to fly again.”

“Good,” Bucky nodded, shoulders visibly relaxing, “That’s good. Now, uh…”

A smirk appeared on his face. “Wanna tell me what this is all about?”

He tapped his forehead, and after a moment of confusion glancing between him and Buck, your eyes finally landed on the bright red outline of your lips somehow still visible on Gale’s forehead.

You felt heat flood your face, and you were suddenly hyperaware of the same red lipstick that you had painstakingly applied only an hour earlier.

“Oh. Oh! That. Well, um…” You tried to look anywhere but at Bucky and his sleeping friend as you explained, “Buck was a little out of it when he was brought in yesterday, and when I was explaining the protocol for his head wound he asked me to, uh… kiss it better.”

You silently prayed for the ground to open up and swallow you as Bucky just barely held back a snicker.

Noticing how uncomfortable you were, however, he quickly said, “No, sweetheart, it’s not you, it’s just…”

Bucky shook his head, seemingly in exasperation, “Of course it took a head wound to get this guy to ask you for a kiss.”

Your mind seemed to have trouble processing this, and for a moment all you heard was ask you for a kiss before you were able to reply with a confused, “I’m sorry, I— what?”

Bucky let out a soft laugh.

“I was really hopin’ I could get him to tell you himself, but at this rate we’ll be well into old age before that happens, so…” He took a deep breath.

Sensing that you should probably be sitting down for whatever he was about to say, you perched on the edge of Buck’s cot, trying very hard not to think about the mere inches between the two of you.

“I don’t know how you haven’t seen it, but Buck’s been head over heels for you since the first day he saw you, sweetheart.”

“I— But he’s never—”

“He was always goin’ on about being worried what telling you might do to your friendship,” Bucky explained with a shrug, “That’s just how he is. Tends to keep things bottled up inside. But seein’ you two just dance around each other for the past three months has been absolute torture, so this is me puttin’ an end to my misery once and for all.”

Bucky stood, giving you a friendly pat on your knee, “Tell him how you feel, sweetheart. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

He left with a wink, a smile, and a quip about not getting too handsy — “This is a hospital! People are trying to heal!” — that left you blushing.

And just like that, you were left alone with a sleeping Gale Cleven.

Unsure what to do, you simply stared at him for a moment, taking him in. He was so… unguarded in his sleep, despite the scrapes and bruises, and your heart went soft at the lack of worry lines that seemed to be ever-present when he was awake. You resisted the urge to run your fingers through his dirty blond hair, still mussed from the battle and from sleep, instead choosing to run your fingertips over the slightly faded lipstick mark on his temple.

You just barely managed to stifle a gasp when he stirred, but it was too late.

“Y/N?” Your name slipped drowsily from his lips, and a small thrill ran through you at the sound— until he seemed to wake more and corrected himself hurriedly. “I mean, Nurse L/N, um. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Major,” you replied, once again falling back into the safety of professionalism.

There was a bit of an awkward silence, neither of you wanting to disrupt the rare quiet of an early morning on base.

Buck eventually cleared his throat, looking determinedly at his blanket and nowhere else as he spoke.

“Yesterday… After the battle’s a bit of a blur, but unless I’m misremembering I might’ve asked you to, uh…”

His hand drifted almost automatically up to his forehead, and you couldn’t help a small laugh as you tracked the movement.

“Kiss it better?” You asked teasingly, hoping to get ahead of the inevitable embarrassment, “You did.”

You couldn’t help your eyes flicking to the imprint of your lips on his forehead, and Buck, observant pilot that he was, noted it instantly.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

And here you were once again wishing the ground would open up and swallow you as you wordlessly handed Buck a small mirror from your pocket.

“Oh, you actually…” His face turned beet-red, and he scrambled to apologize; “I’m sorry, you didn’t have to— you know I would never—”

“Hey,” you lowered the mirror, gently removing it from his grasp so his focus was on you, “I know. You were a little out of it, it’s alright. And you never know, it might’ve helped.” You couldn’t help but add with a teasing grin before asking with genuine concern, “How are you feeling now?”

He seemed to take stock of his condition internally before answering “A bit better, all things considered. I’ve got a friend who’s one of the best nurses on base, y’know.”

“Please, Major, I’m just doing my job,” you replied, avoiding his gaze as you waved away the compliment.

“No, really. I honestly—” He seemed to steel himself for something, his expression as he took a deep breath not unlike when they were called for a mission — pure determination.

“It got… pretty bad up there yesterday. And at first I was thinkin’… as long as we get the mission done, and the other boys get home safe, I don’t particularly care what happens to me. And then…” His fingertips edged towards yours, just as they had yesterday, “I got to thinking about you. About wanting to make it back to you, to tell you I—”

His voice faltered as his soft blue gaze met your own, and there was a beat of silence. Your own eyes were welling up with tears, but you blinked them back as best you could.

“Buck…”

You couldn’t quite form the words, so you decided to show him that you knew exactly what he was trying to say.

Taking his face in your hands, mindful of his head wound, you pressed your lips to his as gently as you could.

He froze, and for a moment you thought you’d made a horrible mistake. Was Bucky wrong? Was this his idea of a joke?

But then Gale was sitting up, leaning into you, pressing his lips to yours with a fierce tenderness. One scarred, callused hand came up to cup your cheek while the other — Gale Cleven, ever the gentleman — rested just above your waist, pulling you closer.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed there in that small bubble of bliss. It felt like an eternity that ended all too soon as the two of you parted for air.

“I never thought—” Buck let out a soft laugh, almost in disbelief, his nose brushing against yours, “I mean, I loved being your friend, but…”

“This is probably a good time to tell you that I’ve been absolutely head over heels for you since the moment we met,” you said, fighting back a blush.

“Finally!” A familiar voice came from the entrance to the hospital, “Only took you three months, but I’m happy for you two—”

You buried your face in Buck’s neck as he tossed a pillow at Bucky.

“Get outta here, Bucky, I’m trying to have a moment with my girl!” He called good-naturedly.

“I want all the details later!” He called back as he retreated to the safety of the hallway, “Congrats, sweetheart!”

You assumed that last part was aimed at you, but you were preoccupied with a different pair of words.

“Your girl, huh?” You said, meeting Gale’s gaze with a shy smile.

“Yeah,” he grins down at you, the scars doing nothing to diminish the joy on his face, “That is, uh… if you want.”

You briefly pressed your lips to his once again, the smile on your face all the answer he needed.

Pulling back to take in his smiling face, an idea came to you.

You leaned up to press a kiss right where the stain of your lipstick was still visible on his forehead.

Then again to the scar just between his eyebrows.

And again to the bruise just below his right eye.

You scattered kisses across all the scrapes, scratches, and bruises on his face. Buck spoke up as you pressed kisses to a series of shallow scrapes along his jaw.

“Not that I don’t, uh…” he began in a slightly strangled voice, “really like this, doll, but what are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” You said, pulling away to meet his gaze for a moment before you pressed your lips to a scratch on the bridge of his nose, “I’m kissing it better.”

Buck let out the loudest, fondest laugh you’d ever heard from him, and your heart felt like it filled with pure sunshine at the sound.

“I knew there was a reason you were my favorite nurse,” he grinned, pulling you in for yet another tender kiss.

Buck our beloved 🥰 This was so much fun to write, I hope y’all enjoyed! 😊 Tagging a couple friends just for fun 🤍: @sassy-ahsoka-tano @mpmarypoppins @austinbutlermischief @austin-butlers-gf @dontbesussis

[brkfstgrrrls]

@2187s LEFT A NIGHTMARE AFTER THE TONE: 🥝🥝🥝🥝🥝 !!!

@rapturcd - Where to start to describe a friend? Nox is a close online friend whom I’ve had the pleasure of following for the last few years now. We’ve been able to keep up with each other from blog to blog, and continued to do so when she revived this blog right here, a Bioshock oc. I’ll admit that when I saw her move here, I had no clue what the hell Bioshock was other than some video game. I’ve been graced with so many exciting details, passion has been poured into every message and post she makes upon the dash, it instantly made me a fan of this little franchise. Though the Bioshock rpc is small, Nox has found a way to make it her own. Her blog is filled with so much helpful information, and one look at her extremely well thought out, and detailed OC page will tell you all you need to know about this vast universe. With every OC she makes, it’s done with love and care, but something about Nicholas is truly special. Aside from being from one of the most interesting and unique fandoms, Nicholas was crafted with more detail than the gods could give any living being. Nox is also a plot driven writer, I know I am too so if that’s your thing, you’ll be glad to know not only is she a peach but she’s very fun to bounce ideas with! She helped me learn so much about Bioshock, it made plotting feel effortless and an overall thrill. If you don’t follow her, not only are you missing out, but I’ll personally be offended on her behalf.

@segadore - It’s been a few years now, and I have not been able to get Fawn off of my tail, damn you— I’M KIDDING, no but really, Fawn and I have been buddies for the last few years, and I started following her on her Steve Harrington blog. I’ve already gushed in the past about how much I love her Steve, so in the same way she’s so kindly embraced my OCs, I’d like to do the same with hers. Let’s start off with this: Fawn is the one person I see constantly and without a second thought embracing all writers, you could write an oc, canon muse from a different fandom, female oc, doesn’t matter– she will love them like her own. You speak with Fawn ooc, and you’ll feel at home, you’re never a bore nor bother. They’re one of the few people in this RPC I feel so genuinely safe around, and they make me feel like a valued writer even when I’m being ignored by others on the dash, I feel important, and it’s thanks to them. Fawn writes a very amazing muse named Mykah, from what can only be described as a non-existent fandom. I learned about Dead Like Me through her, and I’ve since been completely hooked on this concept and universe. Mykah is a very special, and well-thought out muse. He’s a soul collecting reaper from California, and he’s got so much wit, charm, and attitude, how could you not love the guy? He’s got a tough exterior, but he’s so funny as well, you can tell when you’re reading something Fawn wrote, they have such a unique tone, your eyes will be glued to the screen instantly as soon as you see a reply in your inbox. From the bottom of my heart, I hope we continue to write for years to come. If you want some fresh content you’ve never seen before, and perhaps one of the kindest friends, with the most goddamn creative mindset, please, go look at Fawn’s content. For the love of GOD go look.

@wyntered​ - You know how when your favorite musician or celebrity makes a post on Instagram or twitter, you go “Ah! There’s _____ again, classic ol’ _____, love them.” and you get all giddy in your seat, overwhelmed just by their presence even if it isn’t for you? That’s how I feel everytime I read each and everyone of Chantelle’s posts. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get to read all of my rp partners replies to other folks, sometimes I’m too busy, or honestly? I don’t feel like it. But the amount of effort and research they’ve put into this, how could I not? I love reading both her replies to myself and other people, I love reading her meta posts and headcanons, because I know it’ll not only be helpful but just wonderful. It’s also so nice to see how much care she’s put into writing such a complicated man like Bucky Barnes, her portrayal is uniquely her own, and she’s truly made sure to set a realistic example for others. I’ve learned so much, and it’s thanks to her. They’ve also been so gracious in writing with my own Marvel OC, Alice, and never act annoyed or bothered. That’s not something you often find with people who write popular canon muses, but it’s something I’ve been lucky enough to find with Chantelle. Do yourself a favor, buckle up, and get excited. Go and give her a follow, because I just know in my heart she’ll be more than happy to embrace you with open arms. Thanks for giving me the most iconic and kickass friendship for my daughter! It’s probably obvious to y’all by now that I love Chantelle’s work, so you know this message is genuine.

@capnsolo - I found out a few weeks ago that Kayla and I have been mutuals for years, and neither of us knew it. We’ll ignore that for now. I know Kayla as the most fantabulous Han Solo mun on the block, no really, she’s amazing. We found each other again because I writer princess Leia ( over on @/hopescorned ) and well… SCOUNDRESS! Together, we’ve managed to create our own little version of canon to their storyline, and we continue to develop it each time we speak. I’m not very good at articulating my thoughts, but my point is, Kayla is a very skilled, and creative woman. She’s smart, she knows how to use canon as a crutch, but doesn’t rely on it. She let’s her brain do the talking, and she knows how to collaborate well with others, and happens to be very open minded and flexible to other people’s muses. No matter how outlandish the idea might be for a story, Kayla will find a way to work with it. I’ve never seen someone capture Han’s tone so well, each time I read one of her replies, I can truly see and hear Harrison Ford acting each of the stories we create, out in my head. She has a way with her words, and she’s a true talent. Please, even if Star Wars isn’t your think, at least give her work a chance, it’ll be a pleasant surprise.

@nostlgic - Ash & I have been writing together since February, and the day we started speaking, they were one of the kindest souls I’ve been graced with speaking to. A passionate writer, you’ll be pleasured to see that their muse list is rather long, and diverse. Ash is the kind of writer that is always up for the challenge. You have an OC no one is interested? Cool, Ash is now interested in writing with them. You have a crazy rp idea you want to pursue? Ash is the first in line to give it a try. Whenever I write with Ash, I know it’s going to be a new and exciting adventure, each story is different from the next, and with each muse, they shift tones effortlessly; Stephen King would envy them. I made a post probably a month or two ago about how I wanted to write with an Edward Scissorhands, and within approximately 10 seconds, they volunteered to add him to her muse roster, and a mutual friend of ours even went to comment “I was going to tag Ash but it seems she’s already here” and why is that? That’s just the kind of person Ash is, and I truly love it. Go and peep her profile, because I can guarantee there’s at least one muse you’ll want to write with.

            ･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡♡  SEND A 🥝 FOR A BLOG RECCOMENDATION

[language-rxgers]

Grease Lightning (Bucky x Reader High School!AU)- Part 4

Summary: It’s intermission for the show, which means more Bucky/(Y/N) conversation!

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Reader, Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers (mentioned), Peggy Carter (mentioned), Bruce Banner (mentioned), Sharon Carter (mentioned), Thor Odinson (mentioned)

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2256

masterlist

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 5

When the show started, you and a few of the makeup crew stayed in the drama room to clean up and take inventory. You were just finishing the latter when Nat came up to the table you were seated at, setting down the backstage touch-up kit she had put together. “You gonna watch some of the show?” She inquired. You looked around the room. It seemed that everyone else had left to watch the show since you’d started inventory.

“Eh, maybe later. I should probably clean up some more and prep for intermission. Are you doing touch-ups tonight?” You asked, eyeing the makeup kit on the table. She nodded, tapping her fingertips on the table. It was silent for a moment save for the muffled performance outside in the theatre.

“So…” Nat grinned at you like the cat that ate the canary. “You and Bucky seem to get along.” You rolled your eyes.

“Oh, God, Nat. Not this again. Oh wow, I had a conversation with a guy, obviously we’re secretly in love and meant to be!” You waved your hands in the air and feigned excitement, then immediately dropped the act and shot Nat an unimpressed look. “Seriously, why do people always do that?”

Nat shrugged, smiling. “I’m just saying, you guys have a lot in common.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, we both like The Office. Guess I’m also soulmates with everyone else in this school by that logic.” Nat rolled her eyes. “Nat, seriously, you’re reading into this way too much. Why would he ever see me like that? We don’t hang out in the same friend group. We don’t have any classes together. We’d never even properly met until, like, two weeks ago. Plus, I heard he and Sharon Carter were a thing. Doesn’t that make more sense?”

Nat pursed her lips. “Well that must be awkward considering Sharon’s exclusive with that hot exchange student.” You opened and closed your mouth a couple of times. You really should spend less time holed up at home on weekends. You were really missing out on a lot.

“I… was not aware of that.” The redhead quirked an eyebrow. “Okay, whatever, just… enough, ‘kay?” You watched her expectantly. She took in a defeated breath and exhaled an okay, retreating out of the room with her touch-up kit in hand.

Before you knew it, intermission came and with it, an onslaught of cast members swarming to their makeup artists for fixups. You had managed to catch the last ten or so minutes of the first half, and much to your dismay, Bucky’s performance outshone all your expectations by lightyears. He stole the show with his effortlessly charming portrayal of Danny, and though you knew he had to have a good voice to have gotten the part, you were shocked by just how gifted a singer he was. You would have never expected that he would have such an impressive range and tone, and it infuriated you. How dare he have not only silky chocolate locks, piercing blue-turned-grey-turned-green-depending-on-the-weather-humidity-mood-angle-at-which-eye-contact-is-made-and/or-moon-cycle, and a smile that could literally shoot your blood pressure through the roof in 0.32557038 seconds, but also be an incredibly gifted singer and actor to boot? Jesus, you didn’t even say that out loud and you were out of breath.

Just as you managed to settle your nerves, that dumb gravelly voice tossed a big-ass rock into the calm pond of your mind and sent your thoughts rippling away once again. “Hey, you. Mind fixin’ me up a little?” You took a steadying breath and turned to face the giddy-smiled heartthrob.

“Eh, I don’t know if there’s enough time to fix all that needs fixin’, Zuko…” Bucky let out an ironic laugh before settling down in his chair. You cleared your throat as you dabbed at some foundation with a sponge. “So I saw the last bit of the first act.” You swallowed around the nervous lump that had formed in your throat. “You were really good.” And the award for the lamest understatement of the year goes to…

“Thanks, I mean I kept forgetting my lines and my voice totally cracked halfway through the opening song, but that’s nice of you anyway.” Bucky bit his lip and cast his eyes to the floor in a foreign case of shyness. Curious.

“No, really. You were amazing, you have such a gifted voice. I mean, I sound like a seagull with a crushed larynx myself, so I can definitely appreciate talent when I see it. Or hear it, I guess. Well, both, really, your acting was really good too.” You mentally face palmed. Gee, Bucky, you’re so amazing and you’re such a good singer and I sound like a strangled seagull with a potato for a head and please kill me and bury me six feet underground when you get the chance before I lose the last drop of my dignity, thanks.

Bucky let out a peal of surprised laughter, clutching his chest as he sunk down in his chair. “I’ve never heard that comparison before; that was hilarious, but I’m sure it’s not true. And thanks.” He gave you a genuine smile, and it was all you could do to keep from bursting into flames at that moment. You began touching up where his foundation had worn off during his performance, then grabbed the eyeliner for a quick touch up.

“Mind?” You held up the pencil with an apologetic grin. Bucky shook his head before leaning back in the chair and titling his head up for you. You positioned the pencil along his lower lash line, quickly becoming aware that Bucky’s piercing blue eyes were boring right into your own. You could literally see the glowing hue of your burning cheeks and nose in your peripheral. You blinked rapidly, clearing your throat. “C-could you, uh, could you please look up for a mo-ment?” Your eyes squeezed shut at your voice crack, and you could feel your hands beginning to shake.

“Oh, right, yeah.” Bucky’s eyes fluttered up to the ceiling and you stiffly applied the liner as quickly and lightly as you could. You took a few steps back to scan his figure- purely to check for anything else that needed touching up, of course, no other reason.

“I think you’re done.” Bucky nodded, eyes flashing to the clock on the wall behind you. He stayed seated, fidgeting before running a hand through his hair.

“Uh, could you- maybe you should check my hair. You know, just in case.” He shrugged. You hesitated before nodding. “You know, for the dance scenes and stuff.”

“Sure. That’s probably a good idea.” You applied a bit more gel, fixed the style slightly and sprayed it with a finishing coat of hairspray. If you were being honest, his hair didn’t really need it; it was already so full of product that it would take a full-on hurricane before that sucker came out of its style. But, you supposed Bucky would know if the dancing in the next half would be too rigorous for his hair to stay.

You wiped the product from your hands and threw out the paper towel, turning to see Bucky still planted firmly in his seat. His leg was bouncing with nerves and he wiped his palms on the tops of his thighs. “Hey,” you pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up at you with wide eyes. “Don’t be nervous. You’re gonna do great. I know it. You know it.” You offered a reassuring smile, and he returned a grateful one.

“Thanks.” You nodded. His eyes flashed from your gaze to the floor to the wall before finding their way back to you. “Hey, uh, can I ask you something?” You nodded, taking a step forward to hear him amongst the chatter of the other artists and cast members. Bucky cleared his throat before exhaling and inhaling a short and nervous breath. “So a few of us were gonna go to the diner after the performance tonight. Doyouwannacome?” You’d never experienced whiplash before but you were sure it felt something like this.

“Wha-pardon?” Bucky’s eyes were wide in alarm. It was almost like he was shocked at the words that had tumbled from his lips. He blinked a couple times before taking in a steadying breath.

“A group of us from the cast are gonna go out for a burger after the show tonight. Would you wanna come with me- us?” Your mouth went dry in surprise as you tried to process what he was asking. It sounded like just an outing with friends, but you didn’t know any of Bucky’s friends in the cast. Why would he invite you? You were lame and kinda boring. Why was he willingly seeking out more time in your company? You wanted so desperately to go, but you were worried it would be awkward being in a group of people you didn’t know. You were terrified of making a fool of yourself, or of becoming the third or fourth or whatever wheel to this group of popular kids you didn’t fit in with. Bucky seemed discouraged by your hesitation, biting his lip in anticipation for your answer.

“Could Nat come along?” You wondered aloud. Bucky’s eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly.

“Sure, of course! So you’re coming?” You shrugged, smiling nervously.

“I guess so, yeah. I’m not really sure if I’ll know anyone so I might not be much of a fun invitee, but yeah, I’d like that.” Bucky grinned.

“Awesome! Cool. Neat. And it’s just like Thor, Bruce, Steve and Peggy. As long as Steve’s there, you definitely don’t have to worry about being the lamest one in the group.” You laughed, feeling a wave of relief crash over you that you wouldn’t have to worry about being an outsider. Well, you didn’t know Thor Odinson very well, but you’d only heard good things about him, and if he was also friends with Steve and Peggy then he couldn’t be that bad. Bucky rubbed his hands together, wringing his fingers subconsciously. Ms. Hill’s authoritative voice rang through the room as she called five minutes to the end of intermission. Bucky’s head whipped around to the clock, eyebrows raising. “Well, I should get backstage, uh- but I’ll see you after the show, yeah? We can like, carpool or somethin’.” You nodded, not having the heart to tell him you’d brought your own vehicle.

“Sure, I’ll be here.”

After cleaning everything up and taking inventory, you managed to catch the last twenty minutes of the show, and you had to say, it was just as good as the first part you’d seen, if not better. It was truly impressive, all the work and commitment the cast and crew had put into this show. And Bucky, well if there was a single thing he couldn’t do then you’d be well and truly shocked. He could act, he could sing, and now he could dance too? What was his deal?

You were grabbing your jacket when Nat entered the makeup room again with the touch up kit. You offered her a smile before remembering Bucky’s invitation at intermission. “Hey, um, Bucky asked if we wanted to join him and the gang- our gang- to get a bite after the show.”

Nat raised her eyebrows in delighted surprise. “Well, well, well, lookee what we have here…” she teased. You rolled your eyes.

“Note that I said ‘we’? You’re coming too.” Nat laughed.

“Was I included verbatim in his initial invitation or did you ask if I could come along?” Nat’s eyes poured into your own smugly as she awaited the answer she already knew.

You licked your lips. “Well, he didn’t name any names, but the invite was open…”

Nat grinned. “He totally asked you out! Why did you wanna drag me along?”

“Because he said it was with a group of friends and I was worried it would be the popular kids. I didn’t want to be alone and awkward. And he was totally fine with you coming along, by the way. It was just him being nice, it wasn’t a date.”

Nat pursed her lips. “That doesn’t mean he’s not interested. It just means he’s looking for ways to get to know you first before jumping out and saying he likes you. He just met you, he’s testing the waters to see if you like him too.”

You were about to retort that it was ridiculous she was even suggesting the idea, when Bucky appeared at the door, a lovely bouquet in hand. His eyes searched the room before landing on yours, and his shoulders seemingly relaxed. He waved at you before heading towards you and Nat.

“Hey, you stayed!” He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. You scoffed.

“What, you thought I’d pass up the chance for food?” Who says that to the guy on whom they have a crush- no not crush, more like appropriate admiration-? Bucky chuckled sincerely.

“Well, you’re in for a treat, this is my favourite diner. They have the absolute best burgers and shakes.”

“Can’t wait,” you grinned. Bucky gestured towards the door and allowed you to go first, placing a hand over the small of your back as he led you out of the room and to the exit. You felt a shoe catch your heel and you lightly stumbled before falling back into step with Bucky. You glared over your shoulder at a smugly grinning Natasha, who merely followed you out of the school and to the parking lot.

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 5

Tags- message me if you wanna be added! 

Grease Lightning:

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Bucky:

@sawdustandsugar @sassy-and-classy-cowgirl @just-add-butter

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[moviemagistrate]

“Wonder Woman” review

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in being not-particularly-excited for “Wonder Woman”, the latest entry in the DC Extended Universe; after all, I did see the other films in the DCEU. There was the two-and-a-half-hour long trailer “Man of Steel”, the ambitious but notably flawed “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, and “Suicide Squad”, a film that if I were forced to choose between seeing again and taking my own life, I would spend far too long considering. With skepticism in hand, I saw “Wonder Woman”, and I cannot remember the last time I was so happy to be so wrong about a film. This isn’t to say that the movie doesn’t have its own fair share of flaws (it does), but in at least one significant area, which is to inspire hope for the DCEU, it works wonders.

After a brief framing-device setup, the movie tells the origin story of Diana, princess of an isolated island of muscular, Amazonian warrior-babes. In a slow-but-alright prologue, she grows from an eager young girl who is sheltered from combat by her Queen mother to a formidable fighter when suddenly, dashing American soldier Steve Trevor crash lands in their waters. From him, she discovers the ongoing conflict of World War I and sets out alongside him to Europe to help save humanity from what she believes to be the machinations of Ares, the wrathful god of war. Writing it now, this sounds like silly, comic book-y stuff (and it is), but it works within the context of the movie, and the plot isn’t really the reason the movie works as well as it does, anyway.

Let’s talk about Gal Gadot. I was among those who were skeptical when Zack Snyder first cast her as Wonder Woman in BvS, despite his usual excellent penchant for casting his films. A model with acting experience that mainly consisted of “Fast & Furious” movies (not exactly acting showcases) being put in the shoes of the most famous female hero in comic book history has a lot to live up to, and while her limited role in BvS was decent, it didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Such is not the case here in her solo film. Finally given a character with outward personality and depth, she is absolutely phenomenal in what is legitimately one of the best portrayals of a comic book character in any movie. Diana is an idealist, a good-hearted and eager young woman (despite being centuries-old) with no small amount of naiveté and innocence but also someone who is also fiercely strong-willed and independent, and Gadot nails every aspect of her character and every bit of her development throughout the course of the movie, as well as being surprisingly funny. Sure, you could argue that there are probably some actresses out there who could offer some better line-deliveries, but in terms of sheer charisma and how she carries herself and how she makes you believe that she is Wonder Woman, I’d say that Snyder’s mostly-superlative casting record continues. By the end of the film you’ll be convinced that Gal Gadot is a fucking megastar.

The main reason the movie works so well for me is Diana’s relationship with Trevor, played by Chris Pine. A likable, cynical rogue who isn’t too much of a stretch for Pine considering he plays Kirk similarly in the new “Star Trek” films, but a character who is still given enough dimension and gravitas to make him memorable, which the naturally charismatic Pine plays to a tee. Their lack of familiarity with each other’s worlds and their clashes in communication leads to some nice fish-out-of-water humor (see Trevor’s bemusement at the glowing water on the island or Diana’s reaction to her first ice cream), but it’s their chemistry that is the beating heart of this film. The characters’ opposing worldviews supplies the needed character drama, but also helps creates a bond that feels as natural and fresh as any pairing in recent history. Just try watching the boat scene about 30 minutes into the movie without smiling, laughing, or feeling the fireworks these two create. This leads to a bond atypical of most movies, where their deepening relationship is based not on superiority of one over the other, but one of equality and respect, where you actually feel these two grow both individually and together. I might be harping too much on this matter, but this is easily the best romance in any comic book movie (yes, even better than Cap and Bucky). Other film couples have chemistry; these two are cooking Heisenberg-quality meth together and making it look effortless.

The rest of the cast is solid, as well. Of note are Steve’s three buddies who tag along with him and Diana on their mission. They initially seem like the typical diverse comic-relief sidekicks, but are surprisingly well-written and are even given their own moments that flesh out and humanize them more than you’d expect in this kind of film (and I’m always happy to see Scotsman Ewen Bremner onscreen). Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright are alright as Diana’s Amazon queen mother and warrior aunt, but they’re only in the opening third of the movie and spend much of it speaking in stilted “Game of Thrones” dialogue. While the actors who play the villains are good, their actual characters are one of the film’s main weaknesses, somewhat lacking in terms of depth and being interesting. We never really understand why Doctor Poison stoops to creating her devastating weapons of war, and [SPOILERS] the “surprise” late-reveal of Ares can be seen coming a mile away. [END SPOILERS] It’s somewhat ballsy to take a historical figure such as German general Erich Ludendorff and make him the cackling bad guy in your movie (with some unusually accurate attention to detail like his view of war and his pagan Norse worship), and while entertaining, he too suffers from a lack of depth and motivation beyond conquering the world (which again should be noted, is not entirely historically inaccurate).

Patty Jenkins is the first time a woman has directed a major superhero film (not counting Lexi Alexander’s low-budgeted but face-explodingly awesome “Punisher: War Zone”), and she brings a uniquely feminine perspective to Diana’s story, from her upbringing in an all-female society to her learning of the frustrating world of mankind to her loving and compassionate nature. Jenkins has only directed one movie 14 years ago and has only done a handful of TV stuff since then, so her ground as an action director is understandably a bit shaky. The action itself is pretty good, but between the slight over-reliance on Snyder-esque slo-mo and over-editing, you can kind of tell this is Jenkins’ first time doing this sort of thing (not helped by some shockingly crappy CGI). However, she makes up for this by spacing out the action well over the course of the movie, and giving each fight weight, story meaning, and character development for Diana. Along with Rupert Gregson-Williams’ pounding soundtrack, this comes together best in an outstanding mid-movie charge across no man’s land to liberate a Belgian village. 

Putting aside the action stuff, Jenkins’ strength lies in the character scenes. The boat scene and others like it feel so natural and well-done because Jenkins knows the importance of slowing a movie down to let us take in the characters and making us care for them. In these scenes, she shows moments of such humanity and personal growth that it really catches you off-guard how moving this film can be. Later in the film, there’s a scene where a character sacrifices themselves and the camera holds on their face for a while, and seeing this person come to terms with their death will both break your heart and take your breath away. Moments like this involve you in a story more than any giant CGI clusterfuck or ironic Marvelquip. Speaking of which, the film itself has a refreshingly good sense of humor, that in deference to modern superhero tradition never feels forced and feels like it’s coming naturally from the characters and their quirks instead of soulless hack writers making pop-culture references.

Despite all that the film does right, it’s not without its flaws. Along with the aforementioned dodgy special effects and the so-so villains, the film also tends to get bogged down in exposition. It has not only the early backstory narration (which at least has context since it’s a story being read to Diana by her mother) and the third-act “villain explains their motivations” monologue, but also fairly frequent occurrences of “newly-introduced character tells us who they are and what the situation is”. It’s still done relatively well, and I prefer it to a movie rushing through just to get to the next studio-mandated action beat, but they could have been more economic with these parts. Also, the third act is a bit of a letdown. Without spoiling much, it disappointingly becomes another huge CG-battle after the baddie monologue, the kind we’ve all seen dozens of times. Maybe some producer or studio exec is hoping that these types of climaxes will one day go full-circle and become exciting again. Finally, the very last shot of the movie is kind of silly; it has no real purpose and is only there because someone out there mistakenly thought it’d look cool.

Nevertheless, I’m writing this review a few days after seeing it, and I’m honestly still shocked at how much I was thrilled, entertained, and even moved by “Wonder Woman”. It’s just so rare for me to find a movie that actually clicks with me on an emotional level that I can easily recommend it despite its relatively-minor foibles. I’m not convinced the DCEU has its shit together as this film could just as likely be an anomaly, but “Wonder Woman” is miraculous solely by giving one the slightest bit of hope that “Justice League” will be good. As long as Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins make another one of these, I might just become optimistic about this franchise. You go, girls.