#and now this weekend's Actual Real Life Race gave me the perfect opportunity to make the worst joke i could

[raitrolling]

"Oh, my god."

=> You cannot believe you forgot that telling someone you 'got on pole at Vegas' means something wildly different if they don't follow professional racing and know the lingo.

[cloudybarnes]

the reveal

Pairing: peter parker x bestfriend!reader

Summary: after years of being friends, y/n wants to tell peter just how she feels. the night she decides to tell him, she walks in on him in his spider-man suit and suddenly second guesses if it’s the right time

Word Count: 2.7k+

Warnings: one curse word 

A/N: added in some platonic interactions with ned and y/n cause why not :)

Masterlist

✰  ✰  ✰ 

“I think I just failed our math test.” You huffed as you dropped your lunch tray onto the table. 

Peter and Ned left an open spot between them for you to squeeze into. 

“Honestly, I don’t see how you could have failed this test, (Y/N).” Peter chuckled.

“Yeah,” Ned agreed, “if you think you failed this test, then I don’t even want to know what I got.”

That made you laugh. “Okay, maybe not failed, but definitely not my best. I feel like I know what we’re learning, but it’s hard to do on paper, you know?”

Peter nodded his head. 

“Whatever,” you chuckled, “let’s talk about something else. What are we doing after school?”

Peter whipped his head to you, “we had after school plans?”

“Well not exactly, but it’s Friday so I thought we could do something fun.”

Ned agreed, “Yeah, plus we haven’t all hung out in a while.”

Peter sighed, “Guys, I have that Stark thing tonight remember? I can’t just abandon my internship.”

You pout and poke Peter’s arm, “but all you ever do now is go to your internship. It’s like Ned and I don’t even see you anymore, Pete.”

“She’s right. You were so busy last weekend, (Y/N) and I had to go to the opening of her sister’s dance recital all by ourselves.”

“I mean, I understand why he didn’t want to go to that one. It was a nightmare.” You chuckled. 

Peter sighed, “Listen, I’m really sorry I’ve missed a lot. I’ll make it up to you guys, I promise.”

“So... tonight?” You asked hopefully. “I swear, we will make it worth the time of the all mighty Peter Parker.” You teased as you bumped your shoulder with Peter’s.

He nervously chuckled, “Y-yeah! Okay, um, yeah, tonight.”

You giggled, noticing a new warmth to his cheeks. “So, what time do you get done?”

“Get done?” He repeated.

“You know, your internship.” Ned reminded him.

Peter gasped, “Oh, right! Right, my internship. Um, actually it might be late, are you sure you want to do it tonight?”

You shrugged, “It’s the weekend, I’m sure my parents won’t mind. Please Peter, we haven’t hung out in forever! The internship is eating up your social life!” You chuckled.

Ned gasped, “oh my god, we should totally have a sleepover at Peter’s tonight! I can bring some comics and movies for us.”

You cheered, “Yes! That would be so fun!” You noticed Peter looked a little awkward from the conversation. “Unless, you just don’t want to hang out, which is totally okay! Ned and I could always ju-”

“No!” Peter yelled.

He looked around the cafeteria, embarrassed. He cleared his throat. “I-I mean, no, I do want to hang out with you guys tonight. I think I should be getting back around ten, so you guys can come to my place.”

Ned gasped, “Peter, you work that late and you’re not even getting paid?”

He chuckled nervously, “well, yeah. I just really like working for Mr. Stark, so I don’t mind it.” Peter wiggled around awkwardly, almost like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Peter’s hand rested on his leg, and you placed yours on top of his. He looked up at you, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. 

You gave his hand a squeeze. “Peter, you’re my best friend. I can see how you’re acting right now. If you don’t want to hang out tonight, that’s totally understandable. We get how important this is to you, and we wouldn’t want to get in the way of your opportunity.”

Peter’s face softened into one with a smile. He squeezed your hand back, “thanks (Y/N), that means a lot. I do want to hang out with you guys, though. We’re going to have a sleepover at my place tonight, and it’ll be fun. I promise.”

Peter cleared his throat, and stood up. “I’ll be right back, I’m just going to use the bathroom real quick.”

Once Peter left, Ned started to chuckle. 

You turned to him and smiled, “what’s so funny?”

“What’s funny is how obvious it is that you have a thing for Peter.”

You giggled, “come on Ned, no I don’t.”

Ned shook his head and grinned at you, “I know you do; I just know these things. The way the two of you look at each other is like you’re in some rom com.”

You groan, “okay fine, I do like Peter. And I’m only telling you this because your my best friend, not because I want you to tell him!”

Ned scoffed, “please, of course I’m not going to tell Peter. You should be the one to do it.”

You smiled and lightly pushed his shoulder with your own. “Thanks, Ned. Also, don’t make anything awkward now that you know, okay? Peter will definitely know something is up.”

Ned made an ‘x’ over his chest. “Cross my heart!”

You look away from Ned just in time to see Peter walking back into the cafeteria. He takes his seat next to you and gives you a smile.

“Oh Peter!” Ned said, “I forgot that I have plans tonight already. My mom wanted me to try out this new yoga video with her. She thinks it’ll be a nice way to relax and release tension.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Peter nodded, “we can always hang out some other time.”

“Oh!” Ned gasped, “Well, (Y/N)’s still free tonight. The two of you can have that sleepover still. I’ll lend you my comics.”

“Yeah! That-that sounds cool.” Peter looked at you and smiled, “I’m down if you are.”

You grinned, “Totally! I’ll never turn down the chance to hang out with you.”

Peter blushed at that. 

You smiled at Ned, “Sorry you can’t come! We’ll miss you tonight.” You winked.

Ned chuckled a little, “It’s okay, there’s always next time.”

The bell that signaled lunch was over rang. The three of you stood up.

“Okay, well I’ll talk to you guys later!” You smiled. “See you tonight, Peter.”

He shyly smiled, “yeah, see you tonight.”

✰  ✰  ✰

“I think I’m going to do it tonight.”

School had finished without any excitement other than yours for tonight. You had already eaten dinner, and as the time drew closer to ten, you grew anxious.

You were dramatically sprawled out on your bed, with your phone on FaceTime with Ned. 

His eyes got wide, “Oh. My. God. You’re crazy.”

You quickly sat up, worried now. “Is that actually crazy? Cause I don’t have to; I mean, it might make things weird.”

Ned chuckled. “No, I meant like, crazy as in you’re a bad-ass. I think tonight is the perfect opportunity to tell Peter you like him; and I’m not just saying that because I gave up spending time with you guys so this could happen.”

You rolled your eyes and stood up, walking over to your closet. “I think I’m just going to wear some sweatpants and a comfy top since it’s supposed to be a sleepover. Or do you think I should wear something nicer since I’m going to be telling him I like him?”

Ned shakes his head. “Definitely the sweatpants. If he doesn’t like you in your comfy look, he doesn’t deserve you in your dazzling look.”

You giggled, “you’re right, thanks Ned.”

“I’m here to help. Let me know how things go between you two. I think things will work out like you want.”

You smiled, “I’ll call you tomorrow! Bye, Ned.”

“See ya.”

You hung up the phone, and put your comfortable clothes on. Your bag was already packed with your overnight gear all ready to go.

You picked it up, and slung the bag over your shoulder.

“Mom, dad! I’m headed out to Peter’s now, love you!”

You parents said their goodbye’s, and you were on your way to Peter’s.

The trip was very short; Peter and you lived only a short distance from one another.

Once you were at his front door, you knocked and were greeted by his Aunt May.

“(Y/N)! Oh my gosh, it’s been too long since you’ve been over!” She grinned, pulling you into a tight hug.

Since you and Peter were always so close, May thought of you as a daughter.

“Hi May! It’s great to see you again. Is Peter back from his internship yet? I know I’m a few minutes early.”

She ushered you inside and shut the door. “No, I don’t think Peter’s back yet. I just got out of the shower so he may have snuck in while I was in there. You can wait in his room if you’d like, Peter won’t mind.”

You smiled, “Okay, thank you May.”

You started to walk down the hall into Peter’s room before May stopped you.”Oh, and (Y/N)?”

You turned around, “yeah?”

May softly smiled at you, “don’t be nervous, dear. I’m sure things will work out.”

You lightly laughed, “how did you know?”

She just shrugged with a playful smile.

You grinned, “I’ll try my best, May. Wish me luck!”

You turned back, and headed for Peter’s room.

In your mind, you were trying to plan out exactly what you were going to say to him, and when. You were thinking about waiting a little bit before dumping all of your emotions onto him. Or you’d do it as soon as you saw him just to get it off your chest once and for all.

As you pushed Peter’s bedroom door open, you saw something you never thought you’d witness. Peter was standing, back towards you in the Spider-Man suit. 

When he heard his door creak open, Peter rapidly spun around. His eyes were wide, and his mouth agape. He looked scared and extremely caught off guard that you had just seen him in his outfit.

“Oh, my god.” Is all you could manage.

You stared at Peter with the widest eyes he’d ever seen. Your mouth gobbled open and shut like a fish out of water; you couldn’t find any words to say to him.

He rushed over and pulled you into his room, frantically shutting the door behind you.

“(Y/N)! I didn’t expect you to be here so early.” Peter’s heart was racing. “It’s not what it looks like, I promise.”

You lightly shook your head, “I think it’s exactly what it looks like.” 

You walked around him in a circle like a vulture stalking its prey. “You’re Spider-Man, aren’t you?”

Peter’s mouth opened, then shut as soon as it did, trying to come up with a response to you. When he couldn’t think of anything, he sighed. “Yeah, I’m Spider-Man.”

You gasped. Peter honestly could have told you he was just playing dress up as Spider-Man and you would have believed him, but here he is admitting to being the superhero that had been around the city.

“That is so crazy, Peter!” You grinned. “Oh, my god, I’m friends with Spider-Man!” 

Your face fell, “oh, my god, I’m friends with Spider-Man.” Oh, no. Why did Peter have to reveal himself as Spider-Man tonight of all nights! 

You were freaking out, now. You didn’t want Peter to think you only liked him now that you knew he was Spider-Man! You wanted him to know you liked him for himself, as Peter.

“(Y/N)? Are you alright? I know this can be a lot to take in, but I need you to listen to me.” His eyes were desperate as he tried to talk to you.

You nodded your head and gave him your full attention. “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, this just caught me off guard is all.”

He nodded his head, and placed a hand on your shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to tell anyone, especially not like this.”

“So I’m the only one that knows?”

“Well, Mr. Stark knows cause he’s the one that gave me this upgraded suit, but yeah. You’re the only other one.”

“Oh, man. This is crazy.”

“You can’t tell anyone, (Y/N), please. If people find out, things will change for me, and I like my life how it is. I didn’t want to tell anyone because the more people that know, the more people there are that could be in danger.”

You nodded your head, and smiled at him, “Don’t worry, Pete, your secret is safe with me.”

Peter let out a relieved sigh, “I knew I could trust you. Sorry you had to find out this way, though.”

Peter presses a button on his chest that released his suit, leaving him in only his boxers.

You face heated up as you scanned you eyes over his toned chest. “Oh my god.” You quickly spun around to not face him once you realized what you were doing.”

Peter’s cheeks were hot as well. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking when I did that.”

You heard some shuffling around as Peter got changed. 

“You can turn around now.”

You do, and see that Peter is in sweatpants and a sweatshirt with his suit hung up in his closet.

He sat on his bed, and motioned you to sit as well.

You do so, and play with your fingers a little bit, now uncertain if it’s a good time to tell him how you feel. 

“Hey,” Peter said as he grabbed you hand, stopping your nervous fiddling, “talk to me. I don’t know what’s going on in your head, and it’s freaking me out a little.” He nervously chuckled.

You gently smiled and started to mess with his fingers. “I think it’s really cool what you’re doing for the city. I think you’re really brave for all of this.”

Peter smiled at you, “yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m just worried that you could get hurt from this. You know I care about you, right?” You nervously added.

Peter nodded his head with a smile, “I know you care. I promise, I’m being careful out there, don’t worry.”

You lightly smiled, and looked down at your interlocked fingers.

“So, Ned told me something earlier.”

Your head quickly perked up at that. “Oh, did he?”

Peter rubbed the back of his neck, “yeah, he told me to make sure you tell me the thing you were going to tell me.” He sounded confused. “I don’t really know what he means by that, but he wanted me to make sure you don’t chicken out of it.”

You sighed. “Well, I was going to tell you something, but I don’t know if it’s the right time because of your whole... reveal.” 

“Oh, well I’ll still care about what you have to say. Just because you know I’m Spider-Man, doesn’t mean I’m not still Peter.”

You looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, you’re still Peter.”

He chuckled, and you took in a breath, trying to calm yourself down.

“Well, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while now, and I didn’t really know when a good time would be since you’re always at your internship or we’re hanging out with Ned as well. Not that I don’t like hanging out with Ned! I do, it’s just-”

Peter cut off your rambling by grabbing your face and pressing his lips to yours. You were stunned, to say the least. Peter’s lips were soft and gentle against yours. He made no move to escalate things; it was like all he wanted to do was feel your lips against his.

You finally kissed him back, and brought one of your hands to the side of his face. You rubbed your thumb along his cheek as you kissed, loving the feeling of being so close to him.

When you couldn’t take anymore, you pulled back and took a breath of air. 

Looking at Peter like this was something you had only dreamed of. His lips were red and puffy from your kiss, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. You could only imagine how you looked.

“Was that what you were trying to tell me?” He cheekily remarked.

You giggled, “that was exactly what I was trying to tell you.” 

“Good,” he grinned, “because I really like you, (Y/N), I have for a while now.”

You let out a chuckle, “it’s a good thing I’ve liked you for some time as well.”

Peter bit his lip to try to stop himself from smiling so much. He grabbed your hand and laced your fingers together.

“So, does that mean you’d want to go out with me sometime?” Peter asked, hopefully.

You pretended to think for a minute, then giggled. “Yeah, I’d love to go out with you sometime, but right now I just want to spend our night together like we planned.”

You leaned in closer to Peter, gently pulling him in by the collar of his shirt. 

“I like the sound of that.” Peter gently said, right before you placed your lips on his. 

You have so much to tell Ned tomorrow.

[ghostnebula]

Okay please do a part 3 of the waterpolo au where Richie does walk Eddie to his dorm after practice one time OR maybe they have a swim meet out of town and have to stay the night and they end up rooming together and Eddie maybe did something to piss Richie off and he ends up getting the dick appointment of HIS LIFE (featuring lots of lovely aftercare, that part made me so happy when you included that)

God omg omg okay (I love this sm)

[part 1]  [part 2]

Okay so here’s how this goes: The swim team and the water polo team both have events out of town on the same weekend, in the same place. As such, they’re going to travel together, and both coaches are like “Yeah they practice in the same room all the time and a lot of members of both teams seem to be friends and isn’t it great that our teams get along so well? Isn’t that wonderful?” (Eddie would beg to differ but he also doesn’t want to tell his coach he let that tall hot dickweed from the water polo team fuck him even though he definitely doesn’t get along with him and overall the current relations aren’t so great, because he has, like, some dignity, so he just keeps his mouth shut). 

So these two coaches, so proud of their teams for getting along so well, bring them all together during practice one day and give them the great news! They’ll be taking the bus to whatever town together, and staying in the same hotel, right beside the facility where their events will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Their rooms will be randomly assigned -- two to a room, names drawn from a hat, unless anyone has any specific requests. 

And Eddie does. Eddie sure as hell does have a specific request not to be stuck in a room with Richard Fucking Tozier, because he’s not about to subject himself to an entire weekend of whatever the fuck is going on between the two of them, especially not when he’s all but naked during swim meets and anyone with two working eyes will see whatever marks Richie decides to leave on him. 

Richie beats him to it, though, and he’s already chatting with their coaches the second the meeting ends. Eddie storms up to give Richie a piece of his mind, and to tell the coaches to disregard everything that comes out of this fibbing conniving asshole’s mouth, but Richie is... being so nice? And charming? And he drops an arm across Eddie’s shoulders to pull him into a little side hug, smiling so sincerely at the coaches as he explains how Eddie’s just so sweet to him, and he’d love to be friends, and what a perfect opportunity it would be for them to spend a whole weekend rooming together, so they can get to know each other better. Eddie’s trapped because his only option right now is to make himself the asshole and tell Richie to fuck right off in front of both their coaches, while he’s putting on this disturbingly convincing act of being, like... genuinely nice. He just watches with his jaw on the floor as Richie shakes both their hands and thanks them for all the incredible opportunities, and tells them just how grateful he is, and how he’s made some of the best friends in his life while part of the water polo team.

And then the conversation is over and there’s something almost menacing in Richie’s eyes as he plants a wet kiss to his cheek and tells him he’s looking forward to a whole weekend to play with him, and Eddie’s knees nearly give out. He is so beyond screwed at this point.

They get to their hotel late on Friday night, and Eddie can’t even bring himself to care about the room arrangements, because he’s too busy thinking about sleep, and how nice it will be to just put his head on a pillow. He purposely sat as far from Richie as possible on the bus, and Richie didn’t push his luck -- just stayed where he was, probably because he knew Eddie was already going to have to put up with enough of his shit over the course of the weekend. Still, Eddie caught him staring a few times. 

He should’ve known sleep was not in the plans for the night.

He brushes his teeth, combs his hair, and comes out of the bathroom to get his pyjamas out of his bag. Richie’s got all his crap tossed in a corner, clothes spilling out of his unzipped duffel bag, a Walkman on the bed, his dirty socks on the floor. In complete contrast to Eddie, who stacked his belongings neatly against the wall beside his bed and made sure everything was in it’s place after he got his toiletry bag out. He’s already rolling his eyes before the bathroom door has swung shut behind him, and it doesn’t occur to him that in all that mess, there’s a vital element missing: Richie. 

He sweeps up behind him and wraps an arm around his waist, pressing a kiss to the side of his throat, and Eddie yelps in surprise so Richie presses a hand over his mouth. “Quiet, now, we’ve got neighbours, you know.”

“Fuck off,” says Eddie, muffled, and he tries to mean it but he, perhaps, has not stopped thinking about the fucking fantastic lay that Richie was, and he hasn’t hooked up with anyone else since, which is kind of a new record for him. Frankly, he’s a little pissed and a little scared Richie may have ruined him for anyone else, and he is not willing to admit that, not at fucking all, so he settles for some healthy insults in the hopes Richie will make the decision to end this before it begins, so that Eddie doesn’t have to.

Except Richie just licks up the side of his throat, hot and wet, and croons, “Oh, baby, you can be meaner than that. Get my dick hard, c’mon.”

“Eat shit, fuckface,” Eddie snaps, trying to pry Richie’s hand off of his face, and he swears Richie actually shudders behind him before latching onto the skin under his jaw and starting to suck a hickey there. He stomps on Richie’s foot so hard he finally lets go, looking more than a little miffed. “Don’t you fucking dare leave marks on me, I swear to god. I have an event first thing in the morning and you are not--”

Richie kisses him, because Richie is an asshole and he just does whatever the fuck he wants, apparently, but when Eddie shoves him off he says, “Okay, deal,” with a shit-eating grin, and Eddie isn’t sure if he wants to be pissed Richie still thinks Eddie wants to fuck him at all tonight (doesn’t he?) or relieved he’s actually getting his way.

(The cognitive dissonance is real with this one)

He lets Richie fuck him on his bed, and he’s so big his legs shake and his eyes water, and Richie puts him right back into that distant and floaty headspace again. He knows he shouldn’t let Richie come in him, because it was so hard to get it all out last time, but he just doesn’t have it in him to tell him not to, and he especially doesn’t want to tell him to use a condom, so when Richie asks if he can come inside, and Eddie’s pretty sure his body and his mind have diverged into separate entities, he nods and whines a little, “Please?”

But the next morning? He’s right back to fuck that guy and fuck his seductive talents and definitely fuck his huge dick and especially fuck his ability to make the best possible use of the gifts God gave him. Something like that. Seriously, how dare he? How dare he take advantage of Eddie like that? How dare he be just hot enough and just charismatic enough and just a good enough lay that Eddie isn’t even capable of resisting it at this point. Is he a fucking incubus? This is bullshit.

And he’s sore. Which is really what’s pissing him off so much. He’s so sore and it felt so fucking good last night but now, while he’s trying to win a damn race, it doesn’t feel nearly as good (or so he tries to tell himself).

So when he hauls himself out of the water to find Richie and a couple other members of the water polo team hanging out in the front row of the stands, he’s still thinking fuck you fuck you fuck you. He towels off, gets his congratulatory pats on the back or whatever the fuck from his teammates, and he’s glaring at Richie the whole time. Richie’s grinning right back. He’s got an empty seat save beside him, one foot kicked up on it casually, and Eddie knows what he thinks that’s for, but like hell he’s going to give him the satisfaction. 

In fact, he outright refuses to give him the satisfaction. He knows there’s a good hour until the water polo game starts for Richie’s team, which means several hours until his own second and final event for the weekend, and he thinks some good old-fashioned revenge is in store.

He bypasses Richie completely to approach Bill, another member of the water polo team who Eddie’s hooked up with a couple times in the past. It was alright -- he’s had worse, but he’s definitely (and quite recently) had better. Way fucking better. Still, Bill’s always been a sweetheart to him, and Richie’s a run-of-the-mill d-bag, so there’s no competition there (yes, actually, there is).

“Hi, Bill,” he says sweetly, leaning over the railing, giving his best smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to take advantage of your free time before your game starts?”

Bill agrees easily enough, so Eddie takes him by the hand to lead him away, find somewhere they can have some privacy, and he sneaks a look at Richie to find him appropriately livid, which just leaves Eddie feeling smug. Because fuck him, right? He doesn’t deserve Eddie. He’s barely even nice to Eddie.

Well, except that... last night, after he was done fucking the soul out of him, he kind of was nice. Like before. Holding him until he felt like himself again and telling him how good he did, helping him clean up and letting him share the unsoiled bed with him.

Still, though, he can’t just fucking... barge into Eddie’s life and take whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and expect Eddie to just bend to his will. 

So he gets a condom and lube out of his bag on their way through the locker room and he lets Bill fuck him in some empty room, and it’s not entirely unsatisfying but he also can’t stop thinking about Richie, and how fucking good he felt last night, and how he’s still sore from it, and how sweet revenge tastes -- how pissed Richie is probably going to be. And Eddie can’t wait to rub it in his face, that Richie doesn’t get to keep him to himself, and that Eddie isn’t going to play along with his stupid little games, no matter how much he likes them.

He doesn’t stick around to watch the water polo games, just goes back to his and Richie’s shared room to shower and freshen up before his next event, and when he gets back to the pool Richie is back in the stands, still looking pissed as all hell, and Eddie’s still smug as fuck about it.

He finishes up his swim meet, purposefully avoids eye contact with Richie the whole time, just to get his point across (not because he’s worried he’ll start something if he looks at him too long), and hauls ass back to his room as soon as he’s dressed, ready to spend the afternoon hiding from him. But Richie’s not a fucking idiot, apparently, because he’s throwing the door open not five minutes later, expression deadly calm, and he waltzes straight over to Eddie’s bed (now with fresh sheets, thanks to the cleaning service). “You’re cute,” Richie says, which is not what Eddie was expecting, and he makes an inquisitive noise and tilts his head, setting aside the assignment he was working on for one of his classes. “Yeah, real fuckin’ cute,” Richie continues, now lifting one knee onto the bed and crowding into his space, “thinking you can fuck around like that without consequences.”

“Um,” says Eddie, and then he’s being slammed down onto the mattress with a hand around his throat.

“You were trying to piss me off, right? You wanted it rough, or something? I though I was already giving it to you plenty rough, kitten, but all you had to do was ask.” The grip on Eddie’s throat tightens and he goes dizzy for a second, both hands curling over Richie’s wrist and squeezing. He loosens up a little, just enough to let Eddie breathe. 

“I want you... to leave me alone,” he lies, rasping, not making any further move to get Richie off of him. “I’m not your... fucking... plaything.”

Richie laughs viciously at that, free hand already creeping under Eddie’s shirt, and it tears a rough gasp out of him when he pinches hard at his nipple. “No, you don’t. Nice try, though.”

Eddie doesn’t argue the point, because he’s dug himself in this deep, anyway. So he stays when Richie tells him to stay, flat on his back on the hotel bed while Richie rummages through his bags, and he takes his shirt off when he tells him to. And he doesn’t complain when Richie wraps a belt around his wrists to tie them together over his bare chest. In fact, he fights down the colour rising in his cheeks, because no one’s ever done that before and he really, really likes it, enough that it’s, uh, physically pretty obvious. Richie’s smirking because he already knows the answer when he asks, “Is that okay? Is it too much?”

“No,” Eddie relents. “It’s fine.”

“Seems more than fine to--”

Eddie kicks him in the thigh to shut him up and earns himself a slap across the face for it, and he doesn’t think it should turn him on so much when Richie grabs at his throat again and growls, “You’re already in enough fucking trouble, you ungrateful bitch.”

“What-fucking-ever.” Eddie rolls his eyes exaggeratedly, dick stirring in his pants at the calm anger clear in Richie’s eyes, and Richie bites him. Harder than he ever did the first time they fucked, just below his collarbone, and Eddie can’t scream because he isn’t getting enough air for that, but he still makes a high noise somewhere in the back of his throat even as Richie presses harder at his windpipe. He doesn’t have to see to know he’s bleeding.

He tries to get his anger across with a glare, but Richie isn’t paying attention, he’s too busy uncapping the lube and pouring some on his fingers, and before Eddie can do anything to prepare himself he’s shoving two fingers in him at once. Eddie half-screams again, kicking out against him, and Richie finally lets go of his throat so he can breathe properly again. “Fuck you, that hurts,” he croaks, whacking Richie’s shoulder with his bound hands. 

“Really? I’d expect you to be pretty fucking loose, considering.” As if to emphasize his point, he forces a third finger in beside the first two, and the stretch is too much, too fast; it has Eddie tearing up. “Or is Billy’s cock really that small? Must not be very satisfying.”

“Richie, slow down, take it easy, please,” Eddie whimpers, but still, he can’t bring himself to outright ask him to stop, and he hates that. 

“Richie, slow down,” Richie mocks in a high voice. “Don’t piss me off and maybe it wouldn’t be a fucking problem.”

He pulls his fingers out of him too fast, and it fucking hurts, but he’s already lining his cock up to push in and Eddie knows there’s no point asking him to go easy, even though he’s still hurting from last night, and his little rendezvous with Bill only made things worse. He rocks right into him, sinking too deep all at once, and the dam bursts, tears spilling down Eddie’s cheeks. Richie bites him again, just as hard, this time right at the junction of his neck and shoulder, and Eddie fucking wails, back arching, legs tensing on either side of Richie’s hips. 

“Are you gonna let Bill fuck you again?” Richie demands as he sets a brutal pace, aggravating every ache Eddie’s been dealing with since last night. He shakes his head as Richie batters his prostate, not even entirely cognizant of what it is he’s agreeing to. “You gonna let anyone who isn’t me fuck you again?” He shakes his head again. Richie’s fingers twist into his hair and pull, forcing his head to the side so he can suck hickeys all up the side of his throat, licking over the bruises when he’s done. One hand comes down to wrap around Eddie’s cock and he squeezes his eyes shut, whining, because he’s already close. It hurts and it’s a lot but he’s so fucking close already, and Richie’s so big inside him he doesn’t thing anything else will ever compare. He clenches down around Richie and comes all over his hand, body going lax beneath him while Richie continues to fuck into him. 

He’s so damn oversensitive that he starts whimpering and pushing at Richie’s chest and shoulders, as if he’d ever be able to push him off, but Richie just grabs the belt and forces his hands up over his head, and Eddie starts sobbing. “’s too much,” he tries to tell him, feeling himself go all floaty again as Richie peppers kisses all over his cheeks and his throat, hips slamming into him so hard he’s sure his insides are going to be bruised, and his breath is stuttering in his chest as he tries to stop crying.

“No it isn’t, baby doll, because if it was too much you wouldn’t go around fucking other people, as if I weren’t enough for you.” Richie yanks on his hair, harder this time, and Eddie’s fucking astonished to realize his dick is trying to get hard again. 

Richie’s face is pinched in something like concentration while he’s fucking him, and part of him wishes he’d just come already and get it over with, but he’s pretty sure Richie’s actively resisting it, which is just as well, because another part of him entirely wants Richie to make him come on his cock a second time.

He grabs Eddie’s dick and strokes him back to hardness, colour sitting high on his cheeks, sweat making his hair cling to his forehead, and then his fingers are on Eddie’s throat again and he’s squeezing, cutting off his air, and Eddie’s just gone. His mind has severed ties with his body and it’s so good and he’s floating, and he’s simultaneously too aware of his second orgasm tearing through him and too far removed from it. 

But then Richie’s voice is drawing him back. “I could come in you, kitten, but I don’t think you deserve it after that stunt you pulled. Do you?”

“No,” Eddie says in a faraway voice. He tries to get his eyes to focus on Richie’s face above him but he’s not sure he’s successful. “No, I-- I want you to.”

“Ask nicely.” Richie’s hand is still on his throat.

“...Please?”

“What’s that, baby?”

“Please? Please come inside me.”

Richie hums, contemplative, like it isn’t fucking killing him to force himself not to come then and there. “Call me Daddy.”

And Eddie doesn’t care, Eddie doesn’t fucking care anymore, he’d do literally anything to get Richie to come in him at this point, even though everything fucking hurts and he’s positive the bus ride home tomorrow is going to be an absolute nightmare as it is. “Please, Daddy? Come inside me, Daddy?” he begs through tears, and Richie practically collapses on top of him as he pumps a load of come into him, a low moan tearing out of his chest.

They just lie there for a while, breathing, and when Richie finally pulls out of him, Eddie hisses an, “Oh, fuck.”

“I got you,” Richie says, sounding -- just like that -- like a completely different person. He’s untying the belt from Eddie’s wrists and rubbing at the marks it left on his skin, and Eddie can feel himself slowly drifting back down into his own body, which feels like it got run over by a truck. “You did good,” Richie’s telling him, kissing his forehead, and it makes him inexplicably delighted to hear that -- all warm in his chest, so much so that he can’t contain the smile it brings to his lips. 

“You think so?”

Richie lies on his side and pulls Eddie in close to put an arm around him. “Yeah, of course. You take it like a champ, haven’t I told you that?”

“Think you might’ve mentioned something like that last night,” Eddie slurs, pressing his forehead to Richie’s shoulder and sighing heavily.

“Are you alright?” Richie asks, already checking him over anyway, preparing to treat whatever injuries he’s inflicted once Eddie’s come down from it. “Are you hurting anywhere?”

Eddie huffs something that might be a laugh. “Everywhere,” he jokes, and an awful expression crosses Richie’s face, like he’s appalled with himself. 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, eyes shining with tears, and Eddie’s taken aback because that’s the last thing he’d expect from fucking Tozier. He brushes his hair off his forehead and cups his cheek, drawing him in for a kiss, wiping Eddie’s tears from his cheeks as he does so. “I’m sorry, baby, I should’ve been more gentle. I won’t do that again, I swear. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

Eddie doesn’t know what to say, because is Richie seriously apologizing to him? How does his whole attitude keep doing a complete one-eighty like this? So what he ends up saying is: “Uh, no, I liked it.” At which Richie sort-of laughs, just enough to let Eddie know he isn’t going to drown in his guilt. “I’d appreciate a shower, though.”

“Why yes, of course, Your Highness. Anything for you, Your Grace,” Richie says, in possibly the worst British accent Eddie’s ever heard, even as he’s helping him to (very slowly) sit up and crawl off the bed. “Shall I ask your royal servants to prepare a wee snack for you to enjoy after your royal bath, as well?”

“Why, that would just be delightful,” Eddie responds in an equally bad accent, and Richie laughs so hard he snorts, and Eddie’s thinking it isn’t so bad that Richie refuses to leave him the fuck alone.

[mycupoffanfiction]

His Favourite Gal: Part 2 A Bucky x Reader Mobster AU Fic

An eventual mob!Bucky x Reader fic

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6

The reader begins working as a waitress at Bucky Barnes’ favourite club in town. Little does she realise that working on mob territory owned by the infamous King of New York, Bucky Barnes, comes with it’s quirks as the reader is slowly pulled into the mobster life. Warnings: Platonic fluff, slight anxious reaction, descriptions of anxiety, flirting, mentions of a creep, but little detail.

Word count: Approx 4300

Hi! Thank you all for the great feedback and lovely response on the first part! Let me know if you want to be tagged for the future parts. Also thinking about writing some mobster!Bucky oneshots, let me know what you think! Enjoy!

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As the nights went on, you continued the routine for several days of waitressing Bucky and his mob family, becoming fast friends with them. You didn’t want to assume you were friends, since Bucky was your boss after all and you still tried to keep an air of professionalism to your evenings with them. When it reached the weekend though, you entered work to realise another waitress had been coined for the job of waitressing Bucky and his family for the evening and you’d be lying if you weren’t a little upset by that.

 You spent the evening waitressing the other visitors of the club, occasionally glancing around to see the girl who was tending to Bucky that evening going between the private dining room and kitchen, but never spending more than a few minutes at a time in their dining space, waiting patiently outside of the door to be called. This gave you a little warmth to your heart when you realised Bucky had only invited you for drinks and food and the other waitress was not getting as much attention.

 On the third night of this occurring, you mindlessly wiped down a table and paused as you saw Nat approaching. “(Y/n), I need you to go and serve Barnes.” She announced. “Why what’s wrong? I thought someone else was waitressing for them.” You thought out loud, you couldn’t help but sound a little bitter, circling the towel one last time around the table you were cleaning. “He asked specifically for you. I need you to swap shifts and take care of it, please (Y/n).” She plead; it wasn’t like she needed to though. You knew it was bad, but you’d drop everything to spend time with Bucky and his mob family. Nodding, you set down your cleaning supplies and walked straight for the bar to pick up their drinks, taking note that there was eleven drinks instead of ten, which was their usual number.

 You entered their private dining room, the chatter amongst the men immediately quietening as Bucky stood quickly from his spot. “(Y/n)! Doll! Are we glad to see you!” He exclaimed, beaming at you from across the room, his arms open in excitement. A few chuckles and reactions from the men around the table made your heart warm. You smiled shyly and giggled a little as you approached the table, handing the drinks out. You realised quickly that the eleventh drink was for you, Bucky had ordered your favourite in anticipation of you taking over the waitressing for the evening. “Come and sit, doll.” Bucky motioned for you to sit by him as the other men chatted amongst themselves. “I missed ya, sugar.” Bucky couldn’t seem to shake the ecstatic grin off his face. You giggled and blushed as you sat down next to him and took a sip of your drink. “I was starting to think you didn’t want my company, Bucky.” You fluttered your lashes, perhaps a little too flirtatiously and wondered where the hell you just found that confidence and if you hadn’t crossed any lines by doing so. Bucky chuckled and patted your knee gently before sitting back in his chair. “Nah, he missed you (Y/n), wouldn’t shut up about you the past few nights.” Sam sighed, as if exhausted by the whole thing. “I missed waitressing for all of you gentlemen.” You looked up shyly at Bucky, giving him a sheepish smile and quickly hiding your features by taking a slow sip from your drink.

 Bucky sighed contentedly, shifting to sit sideways on his chair to face you fully. “How ‘bout a deal, doll.” He began, pausing for a breath. “Be our private waitress from now on, I’ll even pay you extra, have you driven or walked home each night. Our visits just weren’t the same with the other waitresses that got assigned to us the past few nights.” Bucky patiently waited for your response. It was a sweet deal, serve them and only them, bask in Bucky’s company each evening and have a pay rise and a safe way home each day. It sounded like perfection. “You have yourself a deal, Mr Barnes.” You smirked, raising your glass to his and clinked them together before you both took a sip of your drinks. “You’re really something, sugar.” Bucky murmured, giving you a broad, sweet smile that you were convinced he reserved for you, although you knew that could just be wishful thinking.

 As the nights went on, you became closer to the mob family. Your job didn’t really even feel like a job, you spent most evenings sitting on Bucky’s righthand side where he gave you his full attention for the evening. The only thing you really had to do was serve their food and drinks when they ordered and the rest of the time you enjoyed your free drinks in their company each evening. You’d even been asked by Bucky to give him your phone number, for business purposes, of course.

 A week later, you were preparing to leave for work in an hour when your phone buzzed. Looking down at the screen it was a text from Bucky.

Hey doll! How’s my favourite gal? Dress up tonight, real fancy. Got some business partners eating with us. You’ll have to speak to us formally but I promise we’ll enjoy a casual evening like usual tomorrow night. See ya later sugar, Bucky x

You would be lying if being called his favourite gal or the little kiss at the end didn’t do things to you. Your heart raced as your nimble fingers typed a reply and you changed your plans to try and look as knockout as possible. If you couldn’t have a casual one with Bucky’s attention, perhaps you could still keep his attention by dressing up for him.

 You entered the club as usual at the beginning of your shift dressed in a sleek, black dress, sticking to the colour code of the club. It hugged you in all the right places and looked damn good on you. You did your hair just right and put a little more effort into your makeup than usual. As you entered the private dining space, you realised half the table, the half that faced away from the door was full of unfamiliar men, presumably the business partners Bucky was meeting with. On the other side of the table with Bucky and his closest men. Bucky paused, nudging Steve in the side as you made your appearance and he looked across at you with wide eyes.

 Approaching the table, you greeted them all politely, addressing them all formally and taking their orders. You took the opportunity to flash a few looks and smiles at Bucky while you were at it. Throughout the entire evening his eyes were constantly on you as you went in and out of the room, bringing in their orders and clearing the table. Being a formal meeting, you did have to wait outside before Steve sent you an alert on your phone for your required attention.

 As the evening went on, the businessmen left, leaving only Bucky’s men in the room. Bucky insisted on staying, making everyone leave and requesting that Steve and Clint wait for him in the car while he enjoyed one last drink alone. Although he wasn’t going to be alone. You entered the room with a drink for both him and yourself and you carefully sat down next to him. “When I told you to dress real fancy, I wasn’t expecting this, doll.” Bucky began, a smile playing on his lips. “You don’t like it?” You asked, feigning offence and pouting playfully. “No, I don’t actually.” He said bluntly. “I love it, sugar.” Bucky all but growled. Was he flirting with you?! Surely Bucky Barnes wasn’t interested in you like that. Still you took the compliment and blushed furiously.

 “How was your day doll?” Bucky asked, hoping to keep a light conversation and make the most of his last drink of the night. “It was okay, I suppose. I went on a lunch date, the guy turned out to be an absolute…” You trailed off, unsure that Bucky would like it if you swore around him. “Asshole?” He finished for you. Nodding, you took a sip from your drink and sighed. “Doesn’t deserve ya, doll.” Bucky concluded, patting your knee gently. “I can’t seem to find anyone. All the guys I meet are rude assholes, they only care about one thing and once they get it they drop you.” You sighed, quickly realising you were going on about your personal life perhaps a bit too much. “Sorry, I shouldn’t talk about that kind of stuff.” You cleared your throat. “Nonsense, (Y/n), we’re friends, right? You can tell me anything, doll.” Bucky nudged you gently. Throwing him a little smile you realised how close you and Bucky had gotten over the past few weeks and how much you loved his attention. “So, what made you pick out this number tonight?” Bucky asked, motioning at your beautiful dress. “You said to dress real fancy, so I wanted to impress.” You smiled shyly at him, you of course were not going to tell him that it was part of your attempt to get his attention and you tried your best to hide your blush by looking down and letting you hair fall down around your face. Bucky was quick to reach forward and tuck the loose strands behind your ear. “You look stunning.” He spoke softly, his eyes locking with yours and for a moment you felt nothing but contentment as you gazed at him.

 ***

The next day went horribly, you’d overslept past lunch and when you went to the market for your weekly gorcery shopping, you’d been uncharacteristically clumsy for a waitress and dropped your bags of groceries everywhere. On top of that, you went on a date that turned out to be awful and the guy showed up already drunk calling you all sorts of obscenities when you tried to make conversation. And just to make your day that much worse, as you tried to wiggle out of your date, the guy drunkenly shoved you into a wall and somehow you came out of that scuffle with a huge bruise on your upper arm. You hoped your shift wouldn’t be so dramatic, and if it was, that the drama was not focussed on you.

 Trudging into work, sporting your new giant bruise, you quickly got ready to serve Bucky tonight when Clint barges into the locker room unannounced. Clasping your hand over your heart, you lean into your locker as you stare at Clint. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.” You gasp. “Sorry (Y/n).” Clint chuckles softly, taking a step closer to you. “Last minute change of plans, boss has got a dodgy client dining with him tonight, told me to warn you of his wandering hands.” Clint informed you, wiggling his fingers at you before perching on the bench in the middle of the room. “Great.” You groaned under your breath, scrunching up your nose at the thought. You shrug off your jacket and shove it into your locker, grabbing your apron off the hook. “Shit what happened to you?” Clint stands up immediately, inspecting your arm, reaching for it but left his hands hovering like he was unsure if he should touch you. “I went on a date.” You shrug, tying your apron on at the back. “Do all of your dates end like that, with you getting hurt?” Clint asks, raising a brow and peaking his voice in an attempted joke. “Apparently in more ways than one this time.” You roll your eyes, shoving your notepad and pen into your pocket and glancing over at yourself in the mirror, fluffing your hair a bit. “Is it that bad?” You cringe at the sight of it. “No, your hair looks great.” Clint replies, somewhat oblivious to what you meant and stands next to you, looking in the mirror at you. Giving him a light nudge, you scoff. “The bruise, Clint.” You roll your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time today. Clint pauses, making a face. “Eh, it could be worse.” He responds. That didn’t exactly fill you with confidence. You mutter a quiet thanks before leaving the room and walking down the hall to Bucky’s dining room.

 Entering the dining room, you’re surprised to see that it’s only Bucky and Steve sitting opposite the client Clint had warned you about. Instantly you felt awkward as everyone turns to look at you, the room falling silent. You watch as Bucky’s eyes instantly trail down to your bruise and shoots you a questioning look. “Good evening gentlemen.” You tried to inject your regular amount of pep into your voice, but you’re well aware you sound no where near as cheerful as usual, so you plaster a smile to your face, which you’re sure Bucky and Steve know is just about the most fake smile you could muster. You assume your usual spot next to Bucky to take their orders but spare a glance over at the client in question. There’s something odd about the way he’s moving in his seat. You shrug it off and take off to get their orders ready.

 The next time you enter the room, you bring in a trayful of drinks, setting it down you serve Bucky and Steve first and then personally bring the client’s drink to him, giving you a chance to eye him a little. Something about him just doesn’t seem right to you. You walk behind him and chance a worrisome glance over your shoulder to Steve as a way to silently let him know something doesn’t seem right. You exit the dining room and wait by Natasha’s bar for the food to be ready. “Rough day?” Nat asks as she pours a drink and slides it across the bar for a customer. “You could say that.” You heave sigh, leaning against the wall behind her. You make polite conversation with Nat for a while, but your mind keeps jumping back to the client in the dining room.

 You’re pulled from your thoughts when Nat all but slaps you on the shoulder. “Christ (Y/n), the kitchen’s calling for you.” You utter an apology before swinging into the kitchen, swooping up the tray of food and rushing it to the dining room. You enter and serve Bucky and Steve, all the while carefully looking up at the guy opposite you. When you take his plate over to him, he gets a bit handsy, hooking his arm around your waist a pulling you close, you internally groan as you look down at him, resisting the urge to slap him. But then you notice something odd. Something that seems out of place, but you can’t be sure. So, you play along, much to Bucky and Steve’s displeasure. Running your hand over his chest, your fingers make contact with his exposed skin where his shirt is udone at the top, sliding slightly into the open gap and you can see Bucky tense at your actions in your peripheral vision. You manage to get a much better peak into his shirt while the guy is distracted with looking you up and down. Swallowing down the pit in your stomach at the way he’s looking at you, you take in a long, slow breath and in one sharp movement, you reach into his shirt, grip something and yank it out, throwing the black wire down onto the table. You push away from him and sheepishly glance across at Bucky and Steve who gape at you, and then Bucky’s expression turns to one of rage.

 You see Steve mouth a few curses as Bucky leapt to his feet, forcing his chair back. The client hops up and goes for you, but you dodge him quickly. Bucky hits him from the side like a freight train and tackles him into the wall with a deafening crunch. “(Y/n).” Steve says your name sternly but you raise your finger to your lips as you rush to the table. Running your fingers on the underside of the wood, Steve stops and watches you pull out a bug the guy had planted under the table. Bucky reaches for it, immediately crushing it in his metal hand while he held the guy down with his flesh hand. You suddenly feel a pang of panic and bolt from the room, rushing down the corridor to the bathrooms and you lock yourself in feeling your breathing getting more intense.

 Bloody hell, what if you just fucked that all up? What if you just fucked everything up? Will Bucky be angry at you? Sure, you found a wire and a bug, but interrupting the meeting like that might have sent things more sideways than they would have been if you’d just intervened at the end. Clutching your face in your hands you force a breath into your lungs and start to try and calm yourself down from the possible impending doom. God, why did today have to be so ridiculous? Letting out a shaky breath, you hear the rush of footsteps in the corridor and then the bathroom door is flung open. “(Y/n).” Steve breathes your name as he walks in. You decide against hiding and stumble out of the cubicle, afraid to make eye contact with him. “Come on, let’s get you to the office.” He puts his hand on your back and steers you out of the room, leading you through the hallways to Bucky’s office.

 Perching on the armchair, you have a million thoughts swirling in your head and your anxiety increases as you begin to overthink and over react to the situation. “Are you alright?” Steve asks, leaning up against the front of the desk, placing his hand on your shoulder. You nod and swallow thickly. As if sensing your uneasiness, Steve moves to be right in front of you and puts his fingers under your chin, forcing you to look up at him. “Bucky isn’t mad at you.” He spoke clearly and enunciated every word carefully. A string of breathy okays leave your lips as you calm yourself further.

 Your heart rate instantly spikes as the door to the office is flung open and the door slams against the wall, leaving you wide eyed and heaving for breath. “Jesus Buck.” Steve frowns, nodding his head at you dramatically before clutching at your shoulders in an effort to calm you. You hear Bucky sigh and he walks into view, stopping in front of you and waving Steve out of the way to take his place in front of you. “You alright?” Bucky places his hand on your knee. All you can do is nod after practically having cardiac arrest. “Sorry I interrupted your meeting.” You say barely above a whisper. “Are you kidding me?” Bucky raises his voice slightly before realising he’s being too loud with you and instantly softens his approach. “That was great, (Y/n)!” He exclaims, raising his voice again. “How did you work out he was wearing a wire?” Bucky asks. You take a second to compose yourself and you lock eyes nervously with Bucky. “He was acting weird, moving strangely, I kept an eye on him and I thought I saw him possibly planting the bug while I was serving your drinks. Then when he got handsy I noticed something in his shirt and realised he was wearing a wire too.” You explained nonchalantly. Bucky does nothing short of gape at you and then shoots Steve an impressed face.

 “Steve.” Bucky says his name in a gravelly voice, but nods towards the door and Steve quickly leaves the room. Bucky looks back at you again and reaches up, trailing his hand over your arm. “What happened, sugar?” Bucky asks softly, brushing over the bruise, making you wince a little. “I went on a date. The guy shoved me around a bit when I tried to leave.” You decide not to hide the truth from Bucky, knowing it’s likely impossible to keep secrets from him, especially how his slate blue eyes somehow manage to get you spill everything without him having to push you for it. “Asshole.” Bucky growls. “He didn’t deserve you.” Bucky says bluntly. He lets out a sigh and then reaches for your hand. “Let’s go and have a drink, just you a me, doll.” Bucky waits for you to agree and then he pulls you along with him.

 You would be lying if you said you didn’t like the feeling of your hand in his as he walks you down the hallway. His hand is calloused but the skin on the back of his hand, while it’s peppered with scars, is silky smooth and you have to stop yourself from running your thumb over his skin. You knew this was purely a platonic situation and you begin to tell yourself your boss would never see you that way. He’s your boss after all and more importantly, the King of New York.

 Bucky takes you to a different private room this time, it’s much smaller than the usual one, the table only meant for four to six people rather than the usual twelve seater you’re used to seeing. Clint pokes his head in and Bucky asks him to grab you both some drinks. “Our usual room is having a sweep, gotta make sure there’s no more bugs in there.” Bucky felt the need to clarify his decision of taking you to a different room. “What did you do with your client?” You ask, pulling out the chair opposite him, but before you can sit down, Bucky pats the seat next to him, insisting you sit beside him. “Drax took him to lock up.” He replied simply as he got up and pulled your seat out for you, which was normally Steve’s job. “Someone else will take care of him, if that’s what you’re wondering. I tend not to partake in getting my hands dirty with that sort of stuff, got bigger things to worry about.” Bucky explains, shooting his signature smirk at you that has you melting next to him. “But, I’d like to reward you for your excellent observational skills today.” Bucky says almost teasingly and you begin to wonder what on earth he has in store for you. “You stopped some important information from being leaked, I owe you.” Bucky grins. “Tell me what you want, it can be anything sweetheart.” And there it is, the way he tilts his head forwards and lifts his gaze to captivate you turns you to mush as every thought and feeling exits your brain. You start to feel awkward when you realise you’ve been staring right at him completely silent and looking flustered for far too long and you turn away, trying to hide your blush. “No, no, that won’t be necessary, but thank you.” You squeak out. “Don’t be modest, doll. You deserve something, anything, name your price.” He chuckles to himself, leaning on the table and trying to get your eye contact again. “Please?” He says quietly, his voice gravelly and deep as his hand trails up your arm. Letting a slightly shaky breath exit through your lips, you gain the courage to look him in the eyes again. God he knew exactly how to get through to you. “How about I list some things off, since it’s so hard for you to think of anything, hm?” He suggests, leaning a bit closer to you. Just as you’re about to say something, the door opens and Clint strides to the table with two drinks before leaving the two of you alone again. “Clint isn’t a very good waiter.” Bucky scoffs playfully. “He’s not as graceful as you.” He gently takes a strand of your hair and twirls it in his fingers. You are wrapped well and truly around his little finger and he knows it. “Or as beautiful as you.” He continues to list off, moving even closer to you.

 You can feel his warm breath fanning against your face now and your heart quickens as you notice just how close he is. “Maybe I can offer you more money?” Bucky suggests. You shake your head, eyes locked onto his. “A car?” He tries again, resting his hand on your upper thigh, gently gripping it. You shook your head again, completely captivated by him. He hummed and narrowed his eyes playfully. “How about…” He drawls, giving you his lopsided smile. He moves in a little more, scraping his stubble against your soft cheek as he leans in to whisper in your ear. “A date?” You feel yourself burn bright red and when you don’t respond, he retracts just enough to see your face and he cocks his head to side, signalling you to react. You choose not to trust your voice and you nod at his suggestion. He hums in satisfaction as his smirk graces his lips again, the deep rumbling noise of his reaction sent waves of excitement through you when you realise you’re almost pressed up against him. Taking in a shaky breath, you feel his hand slowly trail up to your waist and he holds you gently at first, before pulling you flush against him. You put your hands on his chest to support yourself and he looks down at you with that smouldering face you’ve only seen him put on for you. “Let me take you out tomorrow for lunch, how about that, doll?” Bucky speaks softly and quietly but the roughness of his voice still makes it through in a deep rumble. “I’d like that.” You finally manage to get out, somewhat breathlessly. “I’ll pick you up at twelve, wear something real fancy.” Bucky tells you before leaning in and planting a delicate kiss on your cheek. “Drink up, sugar. Clint will take you home after this, alright?” He swiftly changes the subject, smirking at you as he studies your face, enjoying how he’s visibly affected you.

 As soon as you get home and practically stumble into your apartment, you collapse onto your sofa and began to wonder how the hell that just happened. Bucky Barnes had just asked you on a date. Bucky Barnes. Maybe your day wasn’t so bad after all.

________________________________

Good lord, mobster Bucky makes me weak.

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@scuzmunkie @stupendousshepherdloverpony

[artycreative-blog]

Top Films, TV and Games 2018

Films

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (10) My one word review for this film was 'Perfection'. I've never in my life see such a perfectly crafted animation film or... film in general, really. Every single shot looked stunning. This, combined with the excellent story and characters, the incredible voice acting, the way they managed to fit seven (SEVEN!) Spider hero characters into it without it feeling crowded, and the amazing Miles Morales origin story means that it has to be my choice for number one film this year.

Mission Impossible Fallout (10) My second only 10/10 rated film this year, the sixth installment of the series was the best yet, an intense rollercoaster ride that left me barely able to breathe. Of course, the set pieces are the most important factor here; the suspense created by them has never been more thrilling. However, I loved the character moments too, particularly the slow but meaningful development between Ethan and Ilsa. I can't imagine how they're going to top this film next time.

Bohemian Rhapsody (9) Biopics are some of my favourite films and rank highly on my top films list on a regular basis (think The Theory of Everything, my top film of 2014). Bohemian Rhapsody was a powerful window into Freddie Mercury's public and private life. The Live Aid scene in particular had me in tears the whole way through, I couldn't have stopped them if I wanted to. It was the perfect culmination to the film. The cast was also amazing, but particularly Rami Malek at Freddie. The way he embodied every aspect of Freddie's personality was amazing to watch and I hope that he gets recognition past the great reviews about his performance.

A Simple Favor (9) This film was wickedly entertaining and all engrossing. I've never seen a mystery quite like it. The advertising leading up to its release was particularly important, enough to entice you without giving anything away. I wasn't surprised about the ending, hence the nine rather than a ten, but I was satisfied. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively in particular gave stand out performances, although I fully endorse the use of Henry Golding as the handsome husband/boyfriend at every opportunity -- he's great.

Crazy Rich Asians (8) Considering I don't have much time to get to the cinema these days, the fact that I saw Crazy Rich Asians three times has to say something! It is without a doubt the most fun film I saw this year. I loved the decadence of it all, from the settings to the grand romance. Of course I appreciated that it was a full Asian cast, as it showed Hollywood that making films based solely around a different culture works, even if it has a Westernized skew to it. But what I really adored was the women in this film, they took center stage, each which different personalities, stories and motives. I'd really love to see more of that in the future.

TV

Altered Carbon (9) I've watched Altered Carbon three times. In a year where I've been short on time and have struggled to watch/play things, this alone should explain why it has taken my number one spot. Science fiction is one of my favourite genres, it has been since I was a kid. I've watched a lot of different sci-fi over the years, but when something really commits to it, even if it makes it complicated, I really love that, particularly if it is based on believable science (like in the Star Trek review). Altered Carbon was an amazing blend of intelligent writing, fantastic acting and a compelling story. A must watch for anyone who enjoys this genre like I do.

Star Trek Discovery (9) Star Trek has taken many forms over the years, but this has to be one of my favourites so far. The way it embraces science makes me giddy with excitement, much like the Martian did back in 2015. They then take this science and weave it into an compelling, sometimes heart-rending story which has proven to be a stellar series of the franchise for me. I particularly love the crew and how different they all are, that diversity in terms of personality is what I strive for in my own writing and I'm so happy to see it here.

Final Space (9) Whew. I did not understand what I was getting myself into when I pressed play on this show on Netflix earlier this year. I watched pretty much the whole season in one day. It was the effed up hilarity of it all that drew me in, but it was the characters and the legitimately emotional journey behind it all that made me stay. I was really impressed with this, I can't wait for more. CHOOKITY!

One Day at a Time (9) If a show can make you cry every episode, it automatically gets high marks. The great thing about One Day at a Time is that it also backs up the powerful, emotional issues it deals with each time with some of the most hilarious jokes week in, week out. The family dynamic is brilliant, Schneider included, and the way they handle the aforementioned issues in a balanced, sensitive way is wonderful. It makes it feel like their family is real, despite the sitcom style, which is so hard to do. I really love it and I'm so looking forward to season three!

GLOW S2 (9) I've never been very good at articulating why I love this show. I mow through every episode I'm given with very little thought as to why. It's incredibly watchable; I think a large part of that is down to the characters and cast, but also the quirkiness of it all. I also find the relationship between Ruth and Sam really compelling, whatever form it takes. I'm still very much looking forward to a third season.

Games

Batman: The Enemy Within (10) I originally gave this game a nine, if memory serves, right after my first play through. However, once I played the other storyline to the game, I saw how damn freakin' good it truly is. For the first time in a Telltale game, I witnessed the devastating effects that my choices could have on the characters, particularly John. Some of the end scenes in both versions are utterly heart wrenching and it shows perfectly the twisted dynamic a hero can have with his villains. I can heartily recommend playing both this game and the first series; if you love Batman, it's so worth your time.

Detroit: Become Human (8) This game is exactly what I needed this year, totally story driven and no more than 12 hours long for a play through. It kept making me want to go back and play more whenever I had time, which a lot of games haven't been able to do the last 12 months. The graphics are incredible and the plot itself can be really engrossing, particularly when you get behind the characters. I really loved Connor, I totally understand why Bryan Dechart has such a huge following now. He had the most compelling story line for me (helped by his interaction with Hank, who was also amazing) and acted the role so well. I have played through the game a second time and was able to follow as many different paths as possible, sometimes even forsaking my own conscience, which is hard for me to do! But I have no motivation to complete all the different paths, which is where I think it falls down for me. If you like games like Telltale games, then I would say this is a good choice for you.

Spider-man (8) The thing I loved most about Spider-man was its story. If you can write something that will make grown men cry on stream, without shame, then I think you're onto something. The great thing about games is that they a) have the time to let you delve into the lives of the characters, which is something that movies struggle to do because they simply can't cover everything they want to, and b) really immerse you into the world so you feel like you're actually Peter Parker, soaring through the streets of Manhattan as you thwip your way from Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge. The web slinging is particularly good and the fighting is fun too, so long as you remember to dodge. There were some things that niggled at me, made the game not as enjoyable to play as it was to watch, but all in all it was a brilliant game and really did Spider-man justice.

Forza Horizon 4 (8) I remember the showcase for this game at E3 and boy, did it look good. Driving games were something I loved as a kid, albeit they were the likes of Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing. So far as 'adult' racing games go, this one is pretty great. It looks spectacular on a 4K screen using the XBox One X and the racing itself is exhilarating and challenging enough to make you want to work for those wins. I wish that it covered more of Britain, being limited to the countryside and Edinburgh was a bit of a let down, but I understand why they did. This is definitely a game that has more longevity if you play it with friends, although a quick jaunt down the motorway at 200mph every now and again never hurt anyone.

Destiny 2: Forsaken (7.5) Ah, Destiny. I've been playing the game since Vanilla and I can't explain how good it felt back in the beginning. I could grind for hours by myself without a care in the world. Forsaken hasn't quite recaptured this for me, as I still find it hard to play the game by myself. With friends, though, it's a great experience now. We love picking up all the bounties and working towards long-term quests in the evenings and on the weekends, there's plenty of content now like the players wanted. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the story, but that's a personal thing as revenge has never been a thrilling plot line for me, so I lacked the drive to get behind hunting down Uldren. However, the game is still by far the best shooter I own from the point of view of the way it handles and the characters you encounter. I'm very glad I've been able to get back into it with this expansion.

[junker-town]

College basketball schedule 2017: Times, TV coverage, and scores for Feb. 3

A Pac-12 showdown between Oregon and Arizona headlines what should be another wild Saturday in college hoops.

Last week, college basketball gave us just one Saturday showdown featuring a pair of top 25 teams. What was supposed to be a mild day and night of hoops turned into a wild 14-hour span loaded with upsets.

This week has the potential to give is our fill of both. There are a heavy dose of dangerous games featuring ranked favorites, but also three showcase tilts with two top 25 teams going head-to-head.

That number would be four, but the North Carolina-Notre Dame game has been pushed back to Sunday because of a water-main break of 1.5 million gallons in the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill on Friday afternoon. The game will now be played in Greensboro on Sunday at 1 p.m., and will be televised on ESPNews.

Here are a bunch more games that will be nationally televised, but all of them will be played on Saturday.

MUST WATCH

No. 23 Purdue at No. 17 Maryland (12 p.m./ESPN)

It’s a bit mind-boggling that a program as high-profile as Maryland could be off to the best start in school history (20-2) and still be ranked no higher than 17th. The biggest reason for that is that the Terps haven’t beaten, or even played, a top-25 team yet this season. One of those facts is guaranteed to change Saturday afternoon. Maryland fans hope both of them do.

No. 5 Arizona at No. 13 Oregon (4 p.m./ESPN)

This is the only time these two will meet in the regular season, which means the game will have even larger implications for both the Pac-12 championship and a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament than it would otherwise.

No. 8 Kentucky at No. 24 Florida (8:15 p.m./ESPN)

It’s hard not to view this game as a referendum on Florida, a team the computers love, but which has just one win over a team that appears to be a lock to make the tournament. If the Gators are able to win, it will also make the SEC race among the three teams at the top of the league standings awfully interesting for the next month.

SHOULD WATCH

No. 9 Virginia at Syracuse (12 p.m./ESPN2)

What the committee chooses to do with Syracuse seems destined to be one of the most interesting storylines of Selection Sunday. The Orange of a handful of just inexplicable losses, but they also seem more likely than not to finish in the top half of the best conference in the country. Racking up a few quality wins like this one would make everyone’s job at least a tad easier.

Pittsburgh at No. 21 Duke (1 p.m./CBS)

Coach K back.

Iowa State at No. 3 Kansas (2 p.m./ESPN)

Whatever the hell is going on off the court in Lawrence seems to be the only thing capable of derailing the work the Jayhawks are putting in on it. The distractions keep piling up, but so do the wins. Only time will tell if that trend can continue.

Kansas State at No. 2 Baylor (3 p.m./ESPNews)

What is up with Baylor always playing on ESPNews? The sports world rarely needs to remember what channel ESPNews is anymore, and 99.9 percent of the time we do, it’s because Baylor is playing a close game against somebody. The Bears are the real deal. Bump whatever crap game is on ESPN2 or ESPNU and let’s end this trend before the public starts catching on.

Xavier at No. 22 Creighton (3 p.m./Fox)

It’s a Big East battle between the league’s biggest first-half disappointment, and what had been the league’s most pleasant surprise before Mo Watson Jr. went down. Creighton appears to be settling into life without Watson, posting back-to-back wins, the most recent of which being a monster road upset of No. 16 Butler. Xavier, meanwhile, finds itself out of the rankings for the first time all year and in desperate need of building some momentum in order to avoid this season being remembered as a massive letdown.

Illinois State at Wichita State (8 p.m./ESPN2)

It’s the game of the year in the Missouri Valley, as 11-0 Illinois State hits the road to take on 10-1 preseason favorite Wichita State. You should watch. That’s why the game is under this subheading.

Santa Clara at No. 1 Gonzaga (10 p.m./ESPN2)

Who cares if Gonzaga is a 22-point favorite? It’s the No. 1 team in the country and they’re 23-0. You should at least check in.

WORTH WATCHING UNLESS YOU HAVE A VALID EXCUSE

Georgia at No. 19 South Carolina (2 p.m./ESPN2)

Georgia already squandered a huge opportunity against a depleted Kentucky team earlier this week. They need this one or the game against Florida Tuesday night to keep any realistic shot of earning an at-large bid alive.

Connecticut at No. 14 Cincinnati (4 p.m./ESPN2)

UConn is really bad and Cincinnati is really good, but sometimes cool stuff happens when these two meet.

Ohio State at Michigan (6 p.m./ESPN2)

I’m told there is some animosity between these two programs.

St. John’s at No. 4 Villanova (8 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

St. John’s has spent the whole season sprinting between two extremes — “Is this the worst power conference team in the country?” and “These guys might actually be okay.” Who knows what they’re going to do in Philly Saturday night.

No. 11 UCLA at Washington (10:30 p.m./Pac-12 Network)

It’s a big game, so Washington will try, which is always a good thing. And even if they stop trying in the second, there are going to be a lot of talented players scoring a lot of points, which is also always a good thing. For us, at least.

IF YOU WANT TO JUST CHECK THE BOX SCORE THAT’S FINE ... BUT CHECK THE BOX SCORE

Wagner at Fairleigh Dickinson (11 a.m./ESPNU)

It’s nationally televised pre-noon college basketball on a Saturday, which means you have an excuse to drink before lunch. Don’t let anybody tell you any differently.

Seton Hall at Georgetown (12 p.m./FS1)

Seton Hall is the first team out in Chris Dobbertean’s latest bracket projection, so this is sort of a big deal for Kevin Willard’s team.

Akron at Ohio (12 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

It’s a battle of the top two teams in the MAC’s East Division, which is a bit misleading since Akron is 9-0 and Ohio is 5-4.

Duquesne at Dayton (12:30 p.m./NBC Sports Network)

These are the types of games Dayton can’t afford to slip up in if they want to have a relaxing Selection Sunday.

Rutgers at Penn State (1 p.m./ESPNU)

Rutgers comes into this game 340th out of 347 Division-I teams in three-point field goal percentage. It’s not the only reason the Scarlet Knights have lost 10 of their last 11, but it’s up there.

Texas at TCU (1 p.m./ESPNews)

At this point you have to assume that Pitt fans are watching every TCU game with same confusion, focus and despair as an ex-boyfriend scrolling through his old girl’s pictures with “new friends” on Facebook.

Marquette at DePaul (2 p.m./FS1)

I wrote about Marquette finally regaining its old mojo last week, and the Golden Eagles promptly dropped two in a row. If they lose to DePaul, then yeah, that’s entirely on me.

Indiana State at Northern Iowa (2 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

Not the game of the week in the Valley, but that’s okay.

George Washington at Richmond (2:30 p.m./NBC Sports Network)

Is it possible for a college basketball game to be too America? Watch and find out.

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt (3 p.m./ESPNU)

You don’t need to check the box score. I’m just being nice here because the game is on TV.

Miami at NC State (3 p.m./ACC Network)

After briefly holding the ACC’s “I have no idea what to make of this team” flag for about a week, NC State is now firmly back in the “they’re bad” camp. Miami is currently second in the “I have no idea what to make of this team” standings, sitting just behind Syracuse, and just ahead of Georgia Tech.

No. 6 Louisville at Boston College 3 p.m./ACC Network)

Every time we all agree that a team in the ACC is really good, they seem to tank that weekend. Louisville is that team heading into February, which means the Cardinals might be on upset alert in Chestnut Hill. Or they might win by 50. It’s the bleeping ACC, nobody knows.

Minnesota at Illinois (4 p.m./Big Ten Network)

After looking like the Big Ten’s most pleasant surprise, Minnesota has now lost five in a row. A February season recovery has to start Saturday.

VCU at St. Bonaventure (4 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

Will Wade quietly continues to do a fantastic job at VCU, which enters the weekend tied atop the A-10 standings with Dayton.

William & Mary at Towson (4 p.m./NBC Sports Network)

After a disappointing first half of conference play, preseason Colonial favorite William & Mary appears to be hitting its stride. The Tribe is averaging 95.0 ppg over its last four contests, all blowout victories.

Utah at Stanford (4:30 p.m./FS1)

The Utes have not won a game at Maples Pavilion since 1971. Larry Krystkowiak’s club has been close in recent years, losing there by a point in 2014, and in overtime last season.

Memphis at Central Florida (5 p.m./ESPNews)

Memphis, which has some work to do if it wants to make the tournament in Tubby Smith’s first season, gutted out a 70-65 win over UCF just two weeks ago.

Oklahoma State at No. 7 West Virginia (5 p.m./ESPNU)

Brad Underwood suddenly has the Cowboys rolling. OSU has won four straight, and will be out for revenge against a West Virginia team that embarrassed them at home on Dec. 30.

Arkansas at Missouri (6 p.m./SEC Network)

Postseason idea for college basketball: force the eight worst major conference teams to play in a single elimination postseason tournament. Here’s the catch: losers advance and keep playing.

Can you imagine the level of pissed off that you’d see in a Missouri-Oregon State or LSU-Rutgers semifinal game? You can’t tell me that wouldn’t me more entertaining than the CIT.

Colorado State at UNLV (6 p.m./CBS Sports Network)

It has been a rough go for Marvin Menzies in his first season with the Rebels. The good news is that the Mountain West is wide open, so there’s still some hope for both these teams to get hot at the perfect time and make some March memories.

Oklahoma at Texas Tech (7 p.m./ESPNU)

It’s been a year to forget for the Sooners. One bright spot has been freshman Kameron McGusty, who could become the first Oklahoma player since 1991 to score in double figures in 10 consecutive games if he hits the mark on Saturday against Texas Tech.

SMU at Tulsa (7 p.m./ESPNews)

We should talk more about Shake Milton. All of us. Semi Ojeleye too.

No. 18 Saint Mary’s at San Diego (7 p.m./Spectrum SportsNet)

Can we not get this top-20 team on a real channel? Why does this keep happening? Gonzaga’s always playing on real channels.

Auburn at Alabama (8:30 p.m./SEC Network)

It’s just like the football rivalry except completely different in every conceivable way.

Texas A&M at LSU (9 p.m./ESPNU)

Your weekly LSU DGAF Meter update:

Extremely high.

UC Irvine at Long Beach State (11 p.m./ESPNU)

This is a very down year for the Big West, which features just two teams with records above .500. The best of that elite group is UC Irvine, which sits atop the standings with a 6-2 mark. Plus, their nickname is the Anteaters, so if they make the tournament we all win.