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refinedbuffoonery · 4 years ago

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Flawless (6)

masterlist.

Content Warning: swearing, violence, sex, PTSD

Not gonna lie, this is a bit of a filler chapter. But the NEXT chapter...that’s the one you’ve all been waiting for. Also, I’ve had “bad guy” by Billie Eilish stuck in my head for DAYS, so that’s the song playing during the runway show.

*****

A week after the job at the director’s house, Riley sank into her first-class airplane seat and immediately opened her laptop, the tan pleather chair squeaking slightly as she crossed her legs beneath her. Dimming the brightness, Riley angled her laptop so no one could see it but her. She’d been profiled plenty of times in the past while writing perfectly benevolent code. Riley certainly didn’t need anyone catching her working on something more nefarious.

If she did this right, then she’d be able to just connect her phone to whatever Louvre computer that controlled security and be free to do whatever she wanted.

If she didn’t...she’d need to brush up on her French.

Nikki dozed in the seat beside her. She’d been bouncing off the walls all morning in anticipation of getting to see Fashion Week in person after Riley had promised to go with her to as many fashion shows as they could sneak into. Nikki’s excitement was infectious. While the priority was to see the runway show of the designer whose Louvre afterparty they were crashing, before they boarded the flight, Riley found herself sifting through fashion blogs to determine which other shows she wanted to see. All couture, of course.

Across the aisle, Jill had her nose buried in an incredibly thick book Riley couldn’t see the cover of, and behind her, Cage and Desi curled together like a human pretzel as they watched a movie. They were disgustingly happy, and that made Riley happy too.

When they were somewhere over the middle of the Atlantic, Nikki awoke, grumbling, “You’re going to ruin your eyes if you stare at that screen any longer.” She was right. Riley’s vision had started to blur at the edges hours ago, and she knew she’d have a hard time focusing on things in the distance when she finally looked up. Riley saved her work and shut her laptop.

Nikki still hadn’t budged from her awkward curled position, but her eyes were open. Riley figured now was as good of a time as any to make Nikki answer her last lingering question. “So you still haven’t told me why you and your boyfriend broke up,” she probed. “You know, the one who hacks everything else.”

Nikki sighed, rolling her head to glare at Riley. “Do I have to tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” Nikki sat up. “When we met, he told me he worked for a government think tank. Really nerdy stuff, does a lot of consulting. I figured he was smart but harmless.”

“I remember.”

“That was a lie. He’s a government agent, all right. But not the nerd kind. The double-O-seven kind.”

Riley nearly choked. “A spy?” she hissed. “You dated a fucking spy?”

“Surprise.”

“How did you find out?”

“The same way he found out about me. I originally told him I was a freelance art appraiser”—not far from the truth, actually— “and the IT job was to help make ends meet. We both bought each others’ lies at first, but over time we both struggled to keep our stories straight. And then one day it all just...fell into place, I guess. We had a massive fight, and by the time the dust settled, I think we both knew there was no going back to how things were before we knew the truth.”

Riley laced her fingers through Nikki’s, conveying her empathy through touch rather than words. “What agency does he work for?”

“The Phoenix Foundation.”

“What the fuck is that?”

“It’s DXS. The name changed while you were gone.” At least Nikki couldn’t still say the P-word either. But DXS...DXS could move Christmas. If Nikki’s boyfriend told anyone about her real job, they were all in trouble. Big trouble.

“Think he’s going to come after you? Come after us?”

“I don’t know.”

Trying to lighten the mood, Riley said, “Ignoring the part where he knows you’re a criminal, it must’ve been pretty cool to date a real-life black-ops spy. I bet he knew all kinds of tricks.” The innuendo easily rolled off Riley’s tongue.

Nikki smacked her shoulder. “We were having a nice moment and you had to go and ruin it by being gross. What the fuck, dude?”

Riley rolled her eyes. “Love you too.” And she did. Despite the grudge she may or may not be holding, Riley loved her. She never stopped.

*****

They landed in Paris at night, and the Five Eyes crashed the moment they made it to their swanky, overpriced hotel room. The next day, they bounced around the city attending as many runway shows as traffic allowed. Riley didn’t understand the hubbub and overdone romanticism; Paris was just like any other major city—loud and overcrowded. And snobby. So very snobby.

On their second day in Paris, the women chose to divide and conquer. Desi, Cage, and Jill teamed up to scope out the Louvre. Riley and Nikki attended the runway show of the designer whose masterpiece they intended to steal.

As she and Nikki found their seats along the runway, Riley made a mental note of all the exits. Their seats were in the back, against a wall. Nikki hoped for a better view, but Riley liked it better this way. Sitting by a wall, she had something solid behind her and could see everyone come and go without having to turn around. Riley had always kept meticulous tabs on her surroundings—that’s what made her so good at her job—but the fear of not being able to see what’s coming was new.

She didn’t tell Nikki about it.

The blonde blended right in with the highly fashionable crowd, wearing a floor-length, gray plaid coat with hot pink lining. Nikki was completely in her element here, and sometimes Riley thought her friend would’ve been better off legitimately pursuing a career in fashion rather than letting Riley drag her into the world of shadows, secrets, and cons.

While they waited, Riley fidgeted with a button on her black blazer. Her whole outfit was the same shade of her signature color—blouse, blazer, leather leggings. But her boots were the real showstopper—thigh-high black suede with intricate gold embroidery down the entire front. Riley saw them in a window yesterday and had immediately gone inside to purchase them. The boots were outrageously expensive, but it didn’t matter. Riley Davis was already a filthy rich woman, and after this job, she’d have more money than she would ever know what to do with.

The house music quieted, and the designer—older man, favored his left leg, voice thin and raspy like a smoker—strutted down the runway, microphone in hand, welcoming the audience and beginning the show. He rambled on, ruminating over his inspiration for this collection. Nikki hung on every word. Riley tuned him out.

So this was the man who was renting out the Louvre. Riley couldn’t even imagine the amount of money and favors it took to secure such an ostentatious party venue.

What she could imagine, however, was that she’d surely be subjected to yet another one of these long-winded speeches at the afterparty tonight. On the bright side, that would buy her and her team extra time, making the job that much easier.

The show began with a sweep of the lights as the music dropped to a low, pulsing beat Riley could feel just as much as she could hear. The crowd murmured respectfully as the first model appeared wearing a shiny black gown that looked like a trash bag had been melted to her body with the excess pooling on the floor. She told Nikki as much, earning an eye roll.

The next gown was better—sheer fabric with countless thin, metallic gold vertical stripes. The skirt had pretty lines, giving the model the illusion of curves she didn’t have. After that was a strapless canary yellow ball gown with a full, pillowy train.

“I don’t understand why designers keep making yellow clothes,” Riley hissed. “No one looks good in yellow.”

“That model does.”

“No one looks good in yellow.”

Nikki twisted in her seat and glared, which Riley ignored. “Are you going to say anything nice?”

“You’d miss my commentary if I stopped.” Riley’s snide comment earned her an elbow to the ribs, but she caught Nikki’s smile all the same.

The next gown was cherry red satin, with huge ruffles on one shoulder and the opposite hip. The extra fabric was a lot, but there was something elegant about the gown nonetheless.

Leanna would look good in that one, Riley stopped herself from saying aloud. Nikki—nor anyone else, for that matter—hadn’t said another word about Leanna since Riley first asked weeks ago. Suddenly their longtime friend was taboo, and Riley didn’t want to disrupt the tentative peace she had with Nikki just to push for answers she probably wouldn’t get.

Another ugly gown, this one feathery pink with a sort of netting over top.

But the last one...the last one caught the eye of every single person in the audience.

Including Riley.

The sheer dress was covered in intricate silver beading that accentuated its long sleeves and mermaid silhouette and left little to the imagination. It was the kind of show-stopping gown one wore when they wanted to be the center of attention.

Despite the audience’s rising hum of approval, Riley still heard Nikki murmur, “That one is all you.” And it was. Riley would wear that gown in a heartbeat if she had the opportunity—too bad most jobs required her to blend in, not stand out.

She was too busy lusting after the gown to respond.

From her seat, Riley could just see into the wings, and she spotted who could only be the designer’s assistant, running the show behind the scenes. Even from a distance, Riley had a feeling the young woman’s hawk-like gaze missed absolutely nothing. The designer would be easy enough to bamboozle during the heist, but this woman could very likely become a problem.

Riley committed the assistant’s appearance to memory and set the thought aside for later.

*****

Later that afternoon, the Five Eyes reconvened in their hotel suite. They still had a couple hours until they needed to get ready for the afterparty. Since only Cage and Nikki had been there before, Desi, Cage, and Jill had spent the day scouting the Louvre. It was good for Jill to work with Desi for a change; because of her military background, Desi’s way of thinking through a job diverged greatly from everyone else’s.

Team meetings like this were one of Riley’s favorite parts of the job—swapping intel and strategizing the best way to pull off the job. Or the most fun way, which was usually also the riskiest. But tonight, the team was in unspoken agreement that they would play it safe, both because of Jill and the importance of this long-awaited job.

Piled onto one plush, king-sized bed, the five women sat tangled together as they tore through the box of pastries Riley purchased on the way back to the hotel. For the first time in forever, Riley was hungry. She avoided dwelling on that fact as she licked her fingers and picked up stray crumbs that fell on the off-white comforter.

“So, what did you learn?” Nikki quizzed Jill.

Jill pushed up her glasses with her middle finger, speaking with her mouth full. “The room the party will be in is super fancy and at the far corner of the building.” She swallowed. “First floor.”

“Good. What else?” Riley prompted. “How do Nikki or I get to security and the building’s system control?”

“There’s an employee door in the hallway…” Jill trailed off. “Wait. This is a test, isn’t it? You already know.”

Riley smirked. “I do.”

Disbelief etched Jill’s face. “How? You told me yourself that you’ve never been there!”

“I have my ways.” Riley would tell her eventually, but for now, it was more fun to lure trade secrets over Jill’s head. She reached for another buttery pastry, selecting one topped with slivered almonds.

But before Riley could continue her taunting, Desi spoke up. “There’s something you should know.” The mood plummeted into seriousness.

Riley and Nikki both raised their eyebrows. Go on.

“Nikki’s ex was at the museum.”

“Which one?” Nikki asked cautiously. Riley could hear the dread in her tone, the same dread that churned in her own stomach.

“You know which one.”

Riley swore. Nikki’s ex, the spy, was at the Louvre. “Did he see you?”

Cage answered, “We have to assume he did. And we also have to assume he recognized Desi and me as Nikki’s friends.” Riley set her pastry down, no longer hungry as the heist of her dreams started to crumble before her eyes. She refused to let that happen.

“He was with a middle-aged man who definitely had a gun tucked into his belt,” Desi said. “Based on that and his haircut, I’d say he’s probably ex-military.”

“Mac is too.” Tucking her knees to her chest, Nikki’s voice was uncharacteristically small as she spoke. Defeat wormed its way across her features. Nikki thought they couldn’t pull off the job now, Riley realized.

No way. She wouldn’t let one stupid ex-boyfriend get in the way of her dream job. And her grossly large payday.

“It’ll be fine,” Riley reassured. “He knows you’re into fashion, right?” Nikki nodded. “Then he has to assume you’re there for innocent, legitimate reasons. Innocent until proven guilty, remember? All we have to do is avoid looking suspicious, which we already do anyway. He won’t have any evidence to pin it on us besides a hunch, and even if he shares that hunch, he’ll get in trouble for not disclosing information about you and your relationship sooner.”

Jill said, “That seems overly optimistic.”

“Which one of us is the expert?” Riley snapped. Jill flinched, and the other three watched Riley warily. “Sorry,” she grumbled.

The tension only somewhat dissipated.

“Anyway,” Riley redirected. “We picked up the replicas.” She gestured to Nikki’s Balenciaga bag sitting open on a nearby chair.

“Replicas?” Riley fought the urge to sigh at Jill and her constant questions.

“What did you think we were going to do? Just take the jewelry and run like hell?”

Jill’s silence was a resounding yes.

“Pickpocketing 101. What did I tell you?”

Understanding dawned in Jill’s wide, blue eyes. “When you steal something heavy, put something else in its place.” A pause. “We’re going to replace the jewelry with fakes so no one even realizes the real set is missing.”

It was Cage’s turn to smirk. “She’s catching on.” The blonde leaned in. “So, can we see them?”

Nikki was off the bed in an instant, retrieving a package wrapped in plain brown paper from her purse. She let Cage have the honor of unwrapping it and revealing the masterfully crafted jewels.

The faux-sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings were stunning. And exact replicas of the real set. The only difference was a tiny, insignificant bump Nikki’s jeweler added to the back of each piece so they could quickly tell the difference between the replicas and the real deal.

Desi whistled. “Damn. Those are stunning.” Beside her, Cage nodded appreciatively. “You would look so hot wearing those,” Desi murmured to her girlfriend. “Wearing only those.”

Blushing furiously, Cage shoved her girlfriend off the bed.

Riley knew that if she let them, her friends would spend hours examining the jewels. Clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention, she asked, “Everyone clear on the plan?”

The four other women nodded in turn, first Desi, then Nikki, then Cage, and finally Jill.

“Good.”

“That’s it?” Jill questioned. “No team pep talk?” The other women chuckled, but Riley just rolled her eyes.

“That one,” Desi pointed at Riley, “is the wrong person to ask for a pep talk.”

Riley’s jaw dropped in mock outrage. “Hey! Speak for yourself.” Desi shrugged. Directing her attention back to Jill, “You really want a pep talk?”

Jill blinked.

“Don’t fuck this up.”

~ Tag List ~ Want to be added? Send me an ask.

@macrileyedits / @hellishrose / @incorret-macgyver-quotes / @mylifequotesshowallofthem / @thecarrieonokay

#beth writes #flawless au #macgyver #riley davis #nikki carpenter #desiree nguyen #samantha cage #jill morgan #macgyver fanfiction

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invisibleanonymousmonsters · 6 years ago

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Non-Sequential [Ch. 7]

Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader

One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.

Word Count: 2,880

A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.

Chapter 6

Steve was leaning against the doorway for one of the many labs in the compound. Y/N was sitting on a stool across from Nat. On the table between them were countless mock door knobs and locks. Nat was talking in an quiet and patient tone. And Steve could tell from Y/N’s expression alone that she was listening as intently as possible. “How long you think your boyfriend is gonna stare at us for?” Nat asked so seamlessly after her instructions that it Y/N had to process what she actually asked.

Y/N blinked and then looked to the door. Her face immediately broke into a loving smile when she spotted Steve. She jumped up from her seat and practically skipped to him, giving him a quick peck on the lips as her greeting.

“How’s my little criminal doing?” He joked.

“I already told you. I’m only using my skills for survival.”

He smirked at her. “That’s what you keep saying. But when Tony’s expensive wine starts to go missing from his wine cellar, I’m not protecting you.” She scoffed and giggled. “Yes, you will.”

And Steve knew she was right.

“I came down to see if you wanted to go out for dinner tonight,” he asked.

Y/N’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please.”

“What do you want to get?”

Without missing a beat, she answered, “Can we get cheeseburgers?”

Steve couldn’t help but smile and nod. It didn’t take a lot to make her happy. She could’ve said she wanted to get gourmet grasshoppers or frog for dinner, and he would’ve said yes. By some miracle, Y/N had yet to fully comprehend how much she had Steve wrapped around her finger.

Y/N even had the cheek to jump a little in excitement. “Let me just go change really quick and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

“You look beautiful, Y/N. What do ya need to change for?”

But she ignored his question and kissed his cheek before hurrying off to his bedroom.

Nat slowly got up from her seat and had a teasing smirk on her lips.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you…for showing her all of this,” Steve gestured to the table of locks and doorknobs.

Nat had offered to teach Y/N how to pick locks.

When Y/N traveled, she unfortunately didn’t get to bring her clothes with her. Therefore, the first goal was always to find something to wear and also get out of the elements. Almost nobody would let a strange, naked woman into their house. And the ones that would, were after something that Steve couldn’t let himself ever consider.

So…Y/N had to break in to places quite often.

When Steve and Y/N had their first fight about trying to find a cure for Y/N’s time traveling, Steve realized what he should put his focus on instead was giving her the tools to survive and keep herself safe.

The next thing on his list was teaching her self-defense. He’d probably need Nat’s help on that again. He valued her perspective on teaching a woman how to fight men twice her size. Y/N wasn’t forced to learn like Steve and the rest of the Avengers.

“It was no problem,” Nat shrugged. Then she eyed him a moment. “I like her.”

Steve grinned and lowered his head sheepishly. “I like her too.”

But they both knew it was more like love for him.

“I’m happy for you, Steve.”

The playfulness had disappeared. Nat was being serious.

He sighed, “There’s a ‘but’ coming in somewhere, isn’t there?”

“You’re waiting for something,” she pointed out cooly.

Steve huffed. “Yeah, for the floor the drop. For her to disappear. For her to never come back because something happened to her.”

“Is that why you’re holding back?” Nat accused.

“I’m not holding back. I’m trying not to be…overbearing.”

“She doesn’t want distance, Steve. Don’t you think the two of you have had more than a lifetime of it?” Nat pat his shoulder then. “For once, can you just let yourself be happy? You deserve it, Steve. Really. And Y/N does too.”

Steve’s eyes softened.

But she had already started walking away.

“Hey, Nat?”

She turned.

“Thank you.”

—————

“Are you ever going to stop looking at me like that?” Y/N asked with a smirk before taking a sip of her beer.

“I just saw you inhale that double cheeseburger and a family-sized order of fries, like your life depended on it,” Steve laughed.

“Yeah. Well. I’m a lady.”

Steve chuckled.

“Have I ruined my allure now? Is this it for us?” Y/N asked melodramatically, mischief evident in her eyes.

“Oh, no. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Steve answered instantly and added a shake of his head. “If anything, you’re even more alluring now.”

Then he reached forward and used his thumb to rub away a small dot of mustard that had been left on the corner of her mouth.

Y/N blushed like it was the most intimate thing he’d ever done to her.

She hid the embarrassment by chugging her beer. Then she eyed Steve’s, which he had barely touched.

“Why do you order drinks when you can’t get drunk?”

Steve shrugged. “Guess I just do it to fit in…feel more normal.” Then he slid it toward her. “But that shouldn’t stop you from having fun.”

Y/N’s cellphone suddenly started ringing and all Y/N’s amusement was wiped away when she read the screen. She instantly silenced it and shoved it back in her purse.

Steve shifted in his chair and knew he had to tread carefully. “That your mom again?”

“Yep,” she replied, emphasizing the ‘p.��

“Maybe you should just answer it,” Steve suggested carefully.

Y/N ignored him and drank his beer.

“You still mad at her?” “Maybe,” she mumbled.

“You know, I wasn’t offended by what she said. If you’re mad at her for my sake, that’s not necessary.”

Y/N’s parents had made it very clear that they did not approve of her dating an Avenger. Her even being near them was off-putting for them. Her parents were convinced The Avengers were taking advantage of her powers and would probably convince her to join the initiative…and then eventually be killed protecting the world.

Steve wasn’t mad because he knew what they were really upset about: her safety.

And he could relate.

After a bit, Steve also found out that Y/N’s mom and dad blamed him for all the time travel events where Y/N got hurt or nearly killed.

Y/N tried to explain to them why her traveling was so attached to Steve’s lifeline. But they just didn’t seem to want to listen. Y/N grew more and more frustrated, until she just stopped answering their calls altogether.

The movies would probably romanticize dating a superhero. But in reality, having their daughter date Captain America was a parent’s worst nightmare.

What made it worse was Steve completely understanding that.

“I’ll torture them a little bit longer,” Y/N muttered.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Steve tried to joke. “I don’t think I could handle a silent treatment from you.”

—

They were driving back from dinner when Steve’s phone vibrated with a text message.

“That Sam?” Y/N asked carefully. Steve sighed and nodded.

“Another dead end?”

He nodded again.

Sam had been in and out of town, tracking down any lead he had on Bucky. It was strange to have Steve’s best friend of the present hunting down his best friend of the past. If Steve had his way, he’d be doing it himself. But he was handling Avengers business. Most importantly, he couldn’t spend any more time away from Y/N. He was already constantly going on missions. The idea to add even more to his plate, to be gone even longer, made him feel sick.

“You knew what would happen to him?” Steve asked her lightly.

“Yeah, I tried to stop it even.”

HIs brows raised and he turned to look at her. She’d never admitted to something like that before.

Y/N’s eyes watered. “I tried to warn you of the date. I tried to give you hints. One time I even tried to stop Bucky from going on that mission. But nothing I do changes the past. It’s like my attempts were already written in history. My time travel from the future was already embedded in the past.”

Steve reached over the console to grip her thigh. “Y/N, it means a lot to me that you even tried.”

She sighed shakily. “If I knew where he was now, I’d tell you. But I don’t.”

“Have you…Have you seen him in the future?”

Y/N shook her head, “At least…not yet.”

———————

Steve rarely slept through the night. He woke up constantly through the night. His anxiety was his worst enemy. It was hard for him to rest. He kept thinking about upcoming missions or how he could made fewer mistakes on the last one. Then he worried about Y/N. If she was sleeping in his bed, he would often wake up in a startle and check to make sure she was still sleeping beside him.

Tonight was another one of those nights.

Both he and Y/N were naked under his sheets and comforter from their activities earlier in the evening.

Y/N’s naked back had been pressed against his chest. In his sleep, he held her close.

So when he woke up, he wondered why he had a bad feeling.

He placed a kiss on her shoulder. And when he looked over at her face, she was peacefully sleeping.

But their little piece of nirvana was dismantled.

It started at her finger tips. Her skin, bones, and muscles were evaporating as if they were made out of clouds.

Steve gasped, realizing what was happening. He didn’t want to wake her, worried it would panic her. She traveled in her sleep before, she had once told him. This wasn’t new territory for her. But it still pained Steve to watch his lover disappear in his grasp, while he could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

———————

1944

By some miracle, Y/N didn’t end up alone in a freezing forest during a war. Instead, she was standing naked in the middle of a god damn camp of WWII soldiers.

Men gaped at her, wondering if they had completely gone insane from the war to see a beautiful and naked woman before them. Others seemed to register what they were seeing immediately and started whistling at her.

Y/N’s face had never felt hotter, even in the cold winter air. She tried to cover herself and knew that her cheeks had to be bright red.

Her heart rate started picking up as she began to panic. There was no escaping. Her eyes raced around the camp, hoping to find the blue eyes of Steve.

“What do we have here?” A brave – but sleazy – soldier said as he got up from his spot next to a fire. He made his way toward her.

Y/N started backing up.

She jumped when she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders and a firm grip.

“Back up, private,” a deep voice growled in warning.

But it wasn’t Steve’s voice.

Y/N turned around, wide eyed, to find Bucky Barnes.

He had thrown his military overcoat around her shoulders. The heavy and thick wool shielded her naked skin and instantly warmed her.

“What? You’re not sharin’ Sergeant Barnes?” The private had the guts to challenge.

Bucky put himself between Y/N and the man, which stopped her from being able to see the deathly glare Bucky was giving.

“Wanna try that again…private?” Bucky emphasized the man’s lower rank with a hiss.

The private blinked and seemed to finally snap out of his daze; a daze that could only happen when a man hasn’t seen a woman in too many months.

Bucky then turned his attention to all the curious gazes that watched him or gawked at Y/N. “She’s a woman from the village that got attacked the other night. Anyone even thinks about laying a hand on her, you’re answering to me and the Howlies. Got it?”

There were a lot of nods and some ‘yes, sergeant’s from the group.

Bucky turned, and as soon as his gaze met hers, his tough and authoritative demeanor vanished. He looked at her with sympathy and kindness.

“Come on, doll. You’re gonna freeze to death if we don’t get you inside,” he told her as he ushered her away.

Y/N didn’t even know it was possible for Bucky to sound so quiet and gentle.

He glared at any soldier that stared at Y/N in a way he didn’t like. Meanwhile, Y/N shivered as she followed Bucky through the camp.

Finally they reached a tent that clearly belonged to the sergeant.

“Th-Thank you…for what you did back there.” Y/N managed to say through her shivering.

Bucky winced at her obvious freezing and knelt down, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her up quicker.

“W-Where’s Steve?” She asked.

Then Bucky couldn’t seem to look her in the eye.

Y/N put it together real quick. Her head lowered and she smiled wistfully. “He’s with Peggy.” It wasn’t a question. She already knew.

“They’re in a meeting,” Bucky tried to sound as casual as possible.

She ignored him and pulled the coat tighter around herself.

“Here,” Bucky hurriedly grabbed the blanket from his cot and threw it over her shoulders.

“Really weren’t kidding about the whole time-traveling thing, huh?” He said with his infamous Bucky Barnes side smirk.

Y/N eyed him. “Clearly not.”

Bucky’s face went a little serious. “Steve told me how it works – that you can’t control it.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“But now it makes sense,” his eyes were filled with mischief. “What makes sense?”

“Why Steve never made you his girl.” Y/N couldn’t help but glare at him slightly. “Steve’s with Peggy.”

“That mean you don’t got a fella in whatever time period you’re from?” Bucky teased with the raise of a brow.

“Why? You interested?”

That seemed to take him aback.

“After all,” Y/N continued, “You did just see me completely naked.”

Bucky blushed. “That’s not – I wasn’t-”

“What?” Y/N cut off his stuttering. “Girl’s never outwitted you in flirtation, Sergeant Barnes?”

Bucky finally broke the spell with a loud chuckle and a shake of his head. Then he noticed that Y/N was still shaking.

“Let me go see if I can find you some soup or hot coffee,” he thought aloud as he tried to think about where he could find such things when their rations were so low.

“You don’t have to do that,” Y/N tried to argue.

“You kidding me? Steve would have my ass if I let anything happen to you.” He opened the flap of his tent. “Don’t go wandering around. Just because they’re soldiers, doesn’t mean they’re all good men.”

After what felt like forever Bucky found some soup.

But as he was walking back to his tent, he found Steve walking toward him alongside Agent Carter.

“Where the hell have you been?” Bucky accused, a little too aggressive for his usual self.

Steve looked taken aback. “I told you earlier, Buck. I had a meeting with Agent Carter and Stark.”

“Well, someone wants to talk to you.” But Bucky tried to communicate more through just his eyes. “Someone who was early…very early.”

“You usually speak in riddles, Sergeant Barnes, or are you just being unusually strange today?” Agent Carter mocked.

But Steve’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what Bucky was trying to tell him.

“Excuse us, Agent Carter,” then Steve rushed away and dragged his best fired with him, without any further explanation to Peggy.

“How long has she been here?” Steve whispered in a hiss.

“About an hour or so,” Bucky answered. “She just appeared in front of the entire infantry. I had to practically drag her out of there, as if she were a piece of meat being dangled in front of a pack of wolves.”

Then he saw panic flash across Steve’s face.

“Relax, punk. She’s safe and sound in my tent.”

Steve blinked. “What part of that sentence is supposed to comfort me?”

Bucky punched his shoulder. He started to argue with Steve about the jab.

But when they entered his tent, Steve slapped his chest to quiet him.

Bucky looked over at his cot to find Y/N fast asleep. Then he looked back at Steve, who hadn’t moved his gaze away from her.

“She gets tired after she travels. It takes a lot out of her,” Steve whispered.

He moved to sit on the edge of the cot. Careful not to wake her. He brushed some hair away from her face. Y/N seemed to sigh with content at the touch.

Bucky watched the way Steve looked at Y/N.

The two of them were not romantically involved; they might be separated by time. But in that moment, Bucky realized that Y/N was still Steve’s girl.

------------

Chapter 8

Thank you to everyone who sent me asks on suggestions or what they wanted to see in this series. It was super, super helpful. But I’m also shocked at how many of you did it. You guys are the real MVPs.

I do not do taglists. Here is the series’ masterlist: Non-Sequential

#non sequential series #non sequential chapter 7 #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers series #steve rogers family #steve rogers reader insert #marvel reader insert #steve rogers angst #steve rogers x peggy carter #bucky barnes #pre serum!steve rogers x reader #pre serum steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fluff #1940s!steve rogers #1940s steve rogers #1940s!bucky #1940s bucky

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theripertoire · 8 years ago

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Our Wedding - A Night filled with Happiness, Magic, Positivity & Above All, Love

On December 30, 2016, I married the love of my life. We were surrounded by 300 of our dearest family members, closest friends, and coolest acquaintances. It was the most fun, most unforgettable, and most magical night I’ve ever had. Looking back, I can’t believe that over a month has gone by, and I still can’t get over how fast it ended. It’s something I had heard so many married couples say: you plan it for months and it goes by in a second. So, I decided to make the most out of that second, no matter what.

Many of my followers and readers have been asking me for tips, based on my experience, and this long, overdue post is to do just that!

Here goes!

Lesson #1: Invest in a wedding planner, and more specifically, in the right wedding planner for you. I don’t care how many people say wedding planners are overrated, they definitely aren’t. on your big day, you want to be as carefree as possible, and you need someone (in fact, a team of someones) to make sure every detail is accounted for and that all is moving according to plan. After extensive research, I decided to work with Robert Hykl. I realized his work is different, simple, chic, and tasteful. He didn’t just throw flowers and jewels around and call it “décor”. He didn’t set ridiculous conditions like “Sorry, I can’t do a wedding under 700,000 USD.” That is something I’m fortunately not wasteful enough to do. I wanted to work with someone who was able to translate my ideas into something timeless and consistent, without ripping us off. He did just that. He also made sure we worked with the best suppliers so that I would never have to worry about being robbed or ending up with bad results. I literally bow down to all the hard work Robert and his team did. Without them, I would have had 1,000 mistakes happen that night. For instance, Robert made sure to measure the aisle according to the width of my dress, and the entrance according to the height of the cake. If he hadn’t thought of that, my cape would have caught fire, and the cake would have collapsed. These are only some of the few reasons you need a wedding planner.

Lesson #2: Meet with every designer you can and try on every single dress silhouette you find before choosing your dress. You want to end up wearing something that you will love 30 years from now when you and your daughter are looking at your photos. I wanted a wedding cape instead of a veil and a fuss-free evening gown instead of a massive dress (not that it’s wrong – we each have our preferences). In my case, I simply don’t believe in being uncomfortable during an already stressful day. I didn’t want my fragile hair being tugged by meters and meters of tulle. I also wanted a dress that weighed way under 5 kilos. That meant: no layers, no petticoat, no heavy beading, and no meringue effect. I’m pretty sure my dress was difficult for many to digest – heck I was even shocked when I saw it for the first few times. But, I felt it was my responsibility to wear something new and different, even if it were at risk of some people not liking it. After all, isn’t that what fashion is all about? Jean Louis Sabaji, a very whimsical and creative designer, who also happens to be a friend of mine, felt like the perfect choice to me. I wanted people to see what he can do with bridal gowns, and show the world a new angle to Lebanese designers. I wish I could have worked with so many other extremely talented Lebanese designers as well, and wear 7 different dresses, but it all comes down to one dress. Point is: stay true to yourself. Don’t follow the crowd. Wear something with your fingerprints on it. You should be the one wearing the dress, not the other way around.

Lesson #3: People will piss you off. Get ready for it. Basically, you will expect so much from certain people and so little from others. At the end, the opposite could/will happen. Those you didn’t expect much from will end up being the superstars of the night, while those you expected much more from will have done so little. Don’t let it get to you. Accept that not all friends make it to the next chapter of your life, and understand that this behavior has nothing to do with you personally. Focus on what truly matters and on how blessed you are to be embarking on this journey. Good riddance to those who don’t make the effort to be a part of it. They will soon be replaced by many others.

Lesson #4: Enjoy your night, no matter what! You worked so hard for it and waited so long for it, you owe it to yourself to enjoy it! I can’t stand seeing a prissy bride; her stiffness ends up ruining the mood for everyone else. I decided not to care about my hair and makeup, and have a blast. I wanted my guests to feel at home and drink and dance the night away. In order for that to happen, I had to help set the mood for them by showing them it’s okay to jump around and act silly. Some of us were still dancing till 3:30 AM, and most of our guests were totally wasted by the time they left. Now that’s what a good party is all about. Yes, the décor has to be nice, and the food has to be good, but the mood is everything. We worked with 8e art and Jad Jazzy Jay for the entertainment, and if we had to do it all again, I would work them every single time. (PS. We did play Arabic music, and I even danced to it. It was so cool.)

Lesson #5: Don’t worry about the little things. Many brides told me that no one notices the little mistakes except me, so I should focus on them. To my luck, Robert had literally taken care of every last detail – so nothing actually turned out differently than what we agreed on. BUT, one of the rhinestones on my cape got wedged in the door during my entrance. I was stuck there for a good 10 seconds trying to get it out until my mom came and helped. It was the longest 10 seconds of my life. Looking back, I don’t care for that at all. I made sure to continue dancing, smiling, and having a good time … well, until my heel broke. I had forgotten my spare shoes at home, so I decided to continue wearing them until we cut the cake. For a good 45 minutes, I was dancing with a broken heel, but it’s something I laugh about with my friends now. When I look back, I remember the happiness. I don’t even think of the mishaps.

Lesson #6: Micro manage EVERYTHING during the wedding planning phase, even if you’re working with a wedding planner. I literally followed up on every detail and we saw samples of everything. I wanted every aspect of the wedding to go through Toufic and I for approval. Trust issues? Maybe – but this is the one piece of advice I would give any bride to be. The more you micro manage during the months leading up to the wedding, the less you have to worry about anything during your big day. Put yourself in your guests’ shoes. What would you like? What wouldn’t you like? What would make the night memorable for you? And take it from there.

Lesson #7: Don’t worry about the weight you gained, you will lose it all and more in the couple of weeks leading up to the wedding. I don’t understand why some girls go on bridal diets a whole year in advance – just for one day! It’s really not that big of a deal. I gained three kilos before my wedding then lost six. At first I was freaking out, then I realized that it’s part of the process. My designer had to get my dress refitted twice. Then, a few days before the wedding, I gained a kilo. I was supposed to wear a belt with my dress, but it could barely buckle around my waist. So, I got rid of it. No big deal! If a bride is too prissy and melodramatic about these things, she could create unnecessary stress for herself and end up having a terrible time. This sort of anxiety attracts disasters. So, do what needs to be done, but try to be cool about it and have faith that things will end up going great.

Lesson #8: Don’t worry too much about the next steps or cry too much about what you’re leaving behind. You will soon realize that being a newlywed comes with a long list of perks … as well as disadvantages. Nothing you do will ever prepare you for what’s next. You have to have faith in yourself, your partner and in the universe, and remind yourself that you will adapt no matter what. I won’t elaborate more on this, because I’m preparing a separate blog post for it. Anyway, I had a very emotional month leading up to the wedding. I cried a lot and felt I was bidding farewell to an entire era. In fact, when I think about it, I still feel a lump in my throat. I was leaving my family, job, friends, and so much of my life in Lebanon, to move to a new country. It didn’t really sink in till a couple of weeks before the wedding. I fought back my tears so much that I gave myself a tear duct infection, which I’m still treating till now. There were days where I couldn’t breathe, and times where I loathed Toufic because I felt he was ripping me away from all that I loved. I fought with him countless times and romanticized my life as the single, career-oriented Rita Dahdah. With time, I realized that I needed to accept the beautiful change that was coming my way. If I fought it, I would end up bringing bad things my way. If I embraced it, amazing new doors would open for me. This is life. After weeks of crying, I was surprisingly as calm as a cucumber on the day of my wedding. I ate a manoushi. I wasted time on Snapchat. I goofed around. I shouted at a few people because I felt it was the only day I could get away with being a diva. At the end of the night, I cried, a lot. I think it was the alcohol. But, I remember crying and hugging my mom. I realized I was all grown up now. I think she realized that too. We both also realized that we were losing a little piece of what held us together, but at the same time, gaining something new that would hold us together even tighter, despite the distance.

Lesson #9: Don’t ever follow a wedding standard. There is right or wrong way to get married. Whether you want to have a small, country chic wedding somewhere in a vineyard, or a bohemian wedding somewhere by the beach, or a glamorous, old Hollywood even filled with champagne and live jazz music – it’s entirely up to you. Forget what you’re seeing on Instagram and in magazines. Forget what people tell you. It’s your night and you get to do it once, so do it your way. If it ends up being a mistake, at least it was your mistake. What matters after it’s all over is the happiness you and everyone felt. For that reason, be selective with your invitees. We had a glamorous wedding, but only invited 370 people – 320 of which attended. On Lebanese standards, that is a small wedding. On western standards, that’s a big wedding. On our standards, that was just about right.

Notable Mentions

In an upcoming post, I will be discussing our wedding in detail, how we worked on it, and how it all came together. Meanwhile, here’s a list of cool people I worked with that I would definitely recommend to others: