#android!bucky x reader

[buckybabesonly]

Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

Summary: You finally confess your feelings to Bucky, hoping he might like you back. He turns you down.

Pairing: Bucky x Female!Avenger!reader

Genre: Angst, fluff

Warnings: Mentions of heavy drinking, no other significant warnings really without spoiling the plot 🤫

Word count: 6.5k

A/N: If you enjoyed this one, please do leave a comment / feedback / reblog! ❤️

Loving Bucky was like drinking honey. It was warm and comforting, sweet and overwhelming for your senses. You looked forward to seeing his face everyday and adored hearing him laugh, his whole face creasing when he doubled over at something funny you had said.

He had become an unlikely close ally since you joined the team. More than just a colleague. The time you’d spent together in the last year had been a defining period for you, as you had really grown to treasure his presence in your life.

God, the way this man made you feel. You didn’t think you’d ever be lucky enough to meet someone who would make you so happy.

It would be even better if you actually had the gall to tell him how you felt.

Being emotionally vulnerable was difficult. You wanted more, but it was scary. However, you recalled a piece of advice that one of your college professors had told you years ago, wise words which stuck with you. If you never try, the answer will always be no.

You had it set in your mind that you were going to tell him. You were, but maybe not today. You would wait for tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or the day after that.

Your inner turmoil was frustrating. You fought androids and aliens and god knows what else, but you were afraid of this?

It could mess everything up, you reasoned. If he didn’t return your feelings, then you would make everything awkward, and maybe you would lose him even as a friend. You didn't know if you could handle that.

Despite this, a tiny hopeful voice in your head told you that Bucky felt the same about you. The way he always looked for a reason to spend time with you, how he shared his deepest secrets with you. The way you always partnered up on missions, and how you always had each other's backs. The way he comforted you when you were sad, allowing you to cry on his chest, soothing fingers stroking your hair.

When you first joined the team, he had been the first one to properly befriend you. Your first encounter was in the kitchen, where you had ended up in the middle of the night after being unable to sleep.

You were shocked to see Bucky propped up on a breakfast stool at the kitchen island, book in hand. You had waved nervously at him, going over to the fridge to get a carton of chocolate milk.

“Can’t sleep?” he grunted. You glanced to see what it was reading, seeing 'The Hobbit' embossed in gold letters across a hardback cover.

“Yeah,” you said softly, tugging down at the hem of your sleep shirt. You hadn’t exchanged many words with him at this point, but he seemed friendly enough. “You want a glass?”

He contemplated for a second before he nodded. “Sure.”

You ended up sitting opposite each other, glasses of chocolate milk in hand.

“How come you’re awake?”

Bucky smiled wryly. “I have trouble sleeping.”

“Nightmares?”

“Something like that.”

You hummed to yourself, taking a sip of the sweet beverage. There was something childish but comforting about chocolate milk - you always used to have it with your mom when you were small.

“How you feeling?” Bucky asked, breaking the silence. “Settling in?”

You nodded, the grip around your glass tightening. “Yeah, kind of. Everyone’s nice.”

Bucky seemed to know that you wanted to say more, silently promoting you with his eyes to continue.

“Everybody seems very tight knit - I guess that makes me a bit nervous? Trying to fit in.” You looked down, chewing on your lower lip. "I've always had a bit of trouble with that."

“I get you,” Bucky said, eyes still observing you. They were the color of cobalt - stunning. “Don’t worry. I think you’ll do just fine.”

That was the first meeting, and since then, you had only grown closer to him. Your mid-night conversations were a frequent occurrence. At least once or twice a week, you’d find each other in the kitchen at ungodly hours. Over time, you had introduced other activities to pass the time - board games, watching TV shows, fun idle gossip. Each time, you were always accompanied by chocolate milk.

“My mom died when I was six,” you had told Bucky during one of your late night rendezvous, half a year into your time with the team. “I don’t have many memories of her, but I remember that whenever I was sick or sad, she would have chocolate milk with me. It always cheered me up.”

You exchanged nuggets of information about each others pasts, and soon, you were sure that Bucky knew enough about you to write your biography. You felt surprisingly fine, opening up to him about anything and everything.

The seasons passed in a flash, and it was suddenly the one year anniversary of your joining the team. You found Bucky in the kitchen once again, at 3AM on a Thursday. You had a smile ready on your face, though your limbs ached. They were littered with bruises and cuts from your latest mission, but seeing him put a bounce in your step.

Bucky was staring down at his phone, the glow illuminating his face in the semi-darkness. It was chiming loudly with notifications, his expression unreadable.

“What’s that?” you asked, making your presence known.

Bucky already had a glass of milk out for you. He placed his phone down, grimacing.

“Sam got me doing this online dating thing,” he said casually. Your smile fell, unable to hide your surprise. “Modern dating is kind of crazy. Women are so much bolder than in the 40s."

Online dating? What?

“I didn’t know you started online dating,” you said, trying to keep your voice light. You didn’t even know Bucky was Iooking to date. You were deflated - any hopes that Bucky returned your crush were promptly dashed. You tried to swallow your disappointment.

“I wasn’t, really,” he said. “I guess it’s not the worst idea, though.”

Damn you, Sam Wilson, you thought.

“You meet women in real life all the time,” you said, taking your usual seat across him. “No one catch your interest?” You played nonchalantly with your fingers, trying not to pick your nails - a nervous habit.

Bucky pursed his lips, eyes landing on you for a moment before he looked at the ceiling.

“Ah, I don’t know.”

“You met anyone nice so far?” you probed, your jealousy spiking.

“Early days,” he responded. He slid his phone across the surface of the island, showing you the dating app he had open. The girls were plentiful, all beautiful and clearly enthusiastic. Bucky’s inbox was full of flirtatious greetings, but you noticed he hadn’t yet responded to a single one.

“Hmm.” You struggled to keep your face neutral. You felt the sinking realization that he must have never thought of you that way. Otherwise, why would he be looking for someone when you were right there?

You couldn't focus properly on the conversation anymore, your mind racing as Bucky moved the topic onto something unrelated.

Fantasising about Bucky had been dangerous. You had spent so much time imagining the day you would finally confess, and he would reciprocate your feelings and you would have the happy relationship you yearned for. Even if you didn’t confess first, you were hoping he would.

Up until now, you had sometimes told yourself that Bucky was just being patient. That he was old-fashioned, so he was taking his time in courting you.

You realized now that you were simply never considered an option.

The next few weeks were torturous. Christmas was fast-approaching, but you were far from being in the festive mood. You had to put on a front with Bucky now, pretend everything was alright and not feel too tempted to ask about the progress of his dating life. Things were tough, and you were feeling unhappier day by day.

You had always known, deep down, that your feelings for him were more than just a crush, and had been for many months. It ached, the feeling of knowing your emotions were not returned.

One horrible part of you wondered why. Were you not sexy enough? Not smart enough? Not charming enough?

Maybe all of the above.

Seeing Bucky nowadays made you ache. You found yourself feeling sad whenever he cracked jokes with you, shared his thoughts with you, when the backs of his hands brushed against yours as you walked side by side.

He would find someone that he actually wanted to be with, to do all that and more. It wasn’t his fault, and you knew he had no idea that you were in so much pain, that he had single handedly eviscerated you.

Tony's Christmas party was a perfect opportunity to drown your sorrows. So cliché. You knew it was a bad idea, but that didn't stop you knocking back drink after drink by the bar, ignoring Natasha's requests to dance. After all, if all the Hollywood rom-coms you had watched were any indication, this was one of the key steps to getting over a guy.

The party was kicking off, and the room was spinning like a ride at a fairground. Your alcohol tolerance had always been low, and now you were paying for your actions. Your skin was burning hot and prickling, and you were struggling to walk straight. Although, this was exactly what you wanted - it was somehow cathartic, purging you of all the pent of frustration inside.

A dark figure appeared in your eye line. Your vision refocused until you realized who it was - your favorite, handsome face was looking very annoyed right now, mouth set in a firm line.

“You’re drunk,” Bucky stated, his voice filled with annoyance.

“Duh.”

“I’m taking you back to your room,” he said, his hand latching around your bicep.

“No,” you said indignantly, jerking away. Your face blanched at the sudden movement. “I don’t feel well."

Bucky rolled his eyes, opting to steer you towards the balcony instead for some fresh air. He shut the French doors behind you, allowing the silent night air to consume you, isolating the two of you from the crowd.

“Sit,” he said, gently helping you down onto a wrought iron bench. “What were you thinking? You know you can’t drink.”

“I know.”

“Something wrong?” Bucky knew that the answer was yes - there was no other reason for you to be drinking unless you were upset or mad.

“I wanted to forget,” you croaked, leaning your head back to get a proper look at him. The sight of him devastated you. He looked so beautiful, so far out of your reach.

“Forget what?”

You stared up at the ink black sky, at the stars. The night air was cool against your burning skin. Everything was quiet, save the sound of his breathing in your ear as he leaned close to you. In that intoxicated moment, you thought you had nothing to lose, forgetting that Bucky was truly your everything.

“How much I love you,” you whispered, tilting your head to look at him through beseeching eyes.

Bucky sucked in a breath of air. His entire stance became rigid at your words. The way you stared at him imploringly confirmed that he hadn’t misheard.

“How long?” He was frowning even as you gave him a trembling, sad smile.

“A long time.”

He raised his hand as if he wanted to touch you, but settled it back down on his thigh. Your face crumpled at his obvious discomfort.

“I don’t know what to say,” he breathed.

Those words alone were enough to make your throat tighten and the needles in your chest multiply ten-fold.

“Tell me you feel the same way,” you said suddenly. It was a plead. You hated how desperate you were in this moment, but you needed him to know how you felt, and you needed to know whether you had a chance. Call it liquid courage, but you felt like you had nothing to lose when you grasped one of his calloused hands in yours.

Bucky was silent for a long time, staring at you with sadness and regret in his eyes. You hated how uncomfortable you must’ve been making him. God, what were you thinking, burdening him with your feelings and putting him in this position? You scolded yourself mentally, feeling nauseous.

Your hand was tight around his, your knuckles white. With every silent second that passed, your fingers loosened, falling limp. His hand was warm, yet you had never felt so cold.

He pulled his hand free, clenching it into a fist.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally. Each word was a knife sinking into your chest. The realization hit you suddenly, thick and sour.

You felt bile rise in your throat. You stood up then, the floor shaking beneath you. You almost collapsed.

“Be careful - ”

“Oh god,” you whispered, squeezing your eyes shut. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

You darted away with surprising speed, wrenching the doors open and hurrying back inside the room. You ignored the sounds of him calling you as you rushed through the crowd, trying to put one foot steadily in front of you and praying you wouldn’t fall.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

You held the tears in until you returned to your bedroom, slamming the door shut. You bolted into the en-suite and fell onto your knees in front of the toilet, the acid in your throat finally seeing the surface as you vomited.

Your stomach heaved, emptying yourself of all its contents. But you couldn’t get rid of the horrible, cloying feeling in your gut that came with Bucky’s rejection.

You fell asleep on the bathroom floor, tear tracks on your face and fresh wound in your heart.

You were dreading seeing him the next morning. Thankfully, you arrived in the conference room before he did. The others were there already, gathered around the table. Sam took one look at you and snickered. You were dressed in black, hair in disarray and a pair of large sunglasses on your face.

“Someone had a bit too much fun last night,” he sang.

You grimaced, closing your eyes at the way his voice boomed in your overly sensitive ears. “Stop shouting,” you croaked.

Bucky entered a few minutes later. You kept your head down, refusing to look at him or otherwise acknowledge his presence. To the others, your hostility could be passed off as a result of your clear hangover. But the excruciating humiliation of your confession to him hung between the two of you, making you squirm in your seat.

You didn’t speak for the rest of the meeting, keeping your sunglasses on and staring stoically at Steve as he delivered the mission briefing. As soon as he dismissed the team, you jogged out of the room, but was accosted by Bucky in the hallway.

“Can we talk?” he asked loudly.

You didn’t want to make a scene. You put a fake smile on.

“Sure.” Your eyes were still swollen behind your dark shades as you tried not to let the sight of him bring out any more tears.

He led you into an empty room a few doors down. His face was set like stone, only the slightest crease in his forehead hinting at something akin to distress.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings,” he said carefully.

“It’s okay.” You winced in discomfort, even just the sound of your own voice bringing you pain. You wondered if he had rehearsed a speech, to let you down easy.

“You should never drink that much again.” His voice was sharp, critical.

“I can take care of myself,” you said, taken aback by his tone.

“It’s not worth it,” he said, his attitude easing up. “I’m not worth it. I don’t want you to feel this way because of me."

You felt your shoulders sag. You felt so tired, defeated.

"I can't control the way I feel," you whispered.

Bucky kept a reasonable distance between the two of you, like he was afraid to go near you now that the pair of you were alone. You wished you could read his mind, know what he was thinking.

His next words were chilling. "You’re my friend, and I care a lot about you.”

The emphasis on the word ‘friend’ didn’t go unnoticed. The way he looked at you was orchestrated, pointed. He was letting you know, in no uncertain terms, what he wanted to say. You were almost grateful that he didn’t directly bring up how you had told him you loved him, as if to save you your last shred of dignity.

He stared at you now with such intensity, the meaning clear in the way he looked at you. We are just friends.

He was doing you a favour. Still, your heart shattered. Your hands were shaking. There it was again - that awful, stinging pain of rejection.

“Okay,” you said faintly.

“I'm sorry if I ever made you think that we could be anything more," he began. Tears gathered in the corners of your eyes.

“Let’s not do this,” you interrupted. If he kept speaking, you felt like you might die. You wished the ground would swallow you up.

Bucky licked his lips but remained silent.

“Please..." You hated how your voice shook. "I would really appreciate it if we could just move on. Let’s not bring this up again. It would really help me.”

Bucky folded his arms tightly across his chest, nodding stiffly.

“Okay.”

You backed away from him, grateful your eyes were hidden. You left the room and didn’t look back.

You managed to act normal around Bucky. Well, semi-normal. The rest of the team didn't even seem to notice anything was amiss - you still spoke to Bucky, managed to look at him as if the very sight didn't break your heart, kept a smile on your face.

But that was in front of them. For anything else which wasn't out of necessity or mission-related, you avoided interacting with him. When you woke up in the middle of the night, you no longer plodded into the kitchen, instead staying in your bed, sobbing and staring at the ceiling.

You no longer laughed and joked with him. You turned your attention to the others instead, talking to Steve and Clint and Natasha and whoever else was there, in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that you were trying to keep it together. You wanted to keep your mind distracted.

It was horrible.

Things would not be the same again, at least not for a little while. You needed time to make yourself get over him.

It was easier, when Bucky returned to the compound one night with a blonde on his arm. She was giggling and clinging onto him, and your heart sank when they stumbled into the elevator just as you were making your way to your floor.

You couldn't have been more shocked at the sight of them. Bucky had red prints all over his cheeks, and her lipstick was smeared. The smell of alcohol was in the air.

"You're not supposed to have civilians in here," was the only thing you managed to say, shock infiltrating your system. The blonde giggled.

"Oops."

Bucky only shrugged, his hand slipping into hers as the elevator rose. Your heart clenched.

He was doing this on purpose. He wanted to show you that he had no interest in you, leave you without any doubts. You didn’t know that Bucky had it in him, to be so cruel. If you weren't trying to hold back your tears, you would've almost felt impressed by his antics. The worst thing was, you truly understood why he was doing this.

You think you may have hated him in that moment.

The elevator doors dinged open, and you stumbled out. Tears began prickling in your eyes, and you were sure Bucky could see.

You didn't say anything as you marched to your room, the elevator doors sliding shut.

You had always been good at pretending. Pretending you were happy when you weren't, pretending you were calm when you were furious, pretending you knew the answer when you didn't.

Bucky saw past a lot of that. He could tell when you were lying, could see when you were holding back. He read you like an open book.

He was important to you, and still would be even if he had rejected your confession and rubbed the presence of another girl in your face. You told yourself that it was a good thing - he was performing a service, encouraging you to move on. Besides, he didn't owe you a thing. He could do whatever he wanted with anyone else.

You couldn't lie convincingly to yourself.

Bucky's birthday rolled around all too quickly. You had it marked in your calendar, though you would've remembered even without the reminder.

Despite your conflicted feelings, you wanted to get him a gift. You had planned the perfect one months ago and had enlisted Bruce's help in finding it. You still wanted to see the look on his face when he opened it.

Bucky roamed the hallways on your floor the morning of his birthday, frowning slightly when your bedroom door opened, Bruce appearing in the frame. He caught a glimpse of where you were perched on your bed, face flushed in mild excitement.

Bucky gave Bruce a smile which may have looked more like a grimace, the latter giving him a polite nod before continuing on. Your door swung inwards, but Bucky stuck a hand between it and the frame, poking his head through.

"What's that all about?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

You shuffled something behind your back. You hadn't spoken to Bucky much as of late, barely acknowledging any of the awkward encounters that had occurred in the past months, instead choosing to face him with a professional-politeness.

"Nothing," you said, not particularly aware of what it would look like to have Bruce emerge from your bedroom.

"Is something going on between you two?" he asked directly. He gave a laugh void of humor, the sound escaping him in a huff. "Do you have a thing for emotionally damaged men?" He gestured to himself with his vibranium arm.

The small smile on your lips fell. Anger simmered in your eyes.

How could he? How could he reduce his feelings for you to nothing and stomp on them like it was trash?

You stood and marched towards him, a wave of fury overcoming you, thrusting a wrapped parcel into his hands.

"He helped me get your present, actually. Happy birthday," you spat, watching as Bucky's mouth fell open silently. You pushed past him, unable to look him in the eyes, feeling your stomach twist.

Bucky remained rooted to the spot, fiddling with the wrapping paper hesitantly before he ripped it open.

It was a first edition copy of 'The Grapes of Wrath', excellent condition. The subject of Bucky's favorite books came up after your first encounter when you saw him reading 'The Hobbit'.

"Is it about angry grapes?" you had asked, confused when Bucky laughed. He promised he would buy it and lend you the book one day.

Bucky's ground his teeth, every cell in his body telling him to go after you. But, for all the reasons he had told himself since the day of your confession, he made himself stay put.

Bucky had missed out on a lot in his life since falling off that train in the Austrian Alps. His whole trajectory had changed, and instead of growing old in his century, he found himself in the 21st, thrust into the modern world and navigating his new life.

He always thought, back in the 40s, that he would meet a nice girl and settle down after the war. He would live in a cozy, tiny home and have three kids, maybe four.

He missed out on that and more - though he had been quite the playboy back in his time, he had never experienced true love. He had never met that one woman he would die for.

Bucky had commented off-hand once on how lucky Steve was to meet Peggy before he went into the ice. Steve had reminisced on that with a bittersweet smile, before telling him, you’ll find your Peggy.

Falling in love with you had blindsided him. At first, he viewed you as a friend, a sweet girl who he grew to trust.

Then, he realized that he was slowly being drawn to you, like magnets he couldn’t pull apart. He realized that everything you did was endearing, that you occupied his thought space all the time, that having you around helped him feel comfortable, safe.

You were young, determined, and so innocent. You were somebody who deserved someone as pure and good as you. You weren’t his Peggy - you were something more, so unique and unapologetically you, and he wanted you as his person so badly.

But you deserved someone good. Somebody like Steve, who stood for the best values and only acted for the good of mankind. Not someone morally-gray and jaded like Bucky.

He wanted someone to spend his life with, for sure. If he couldn’t have his idyllic life in the post-war period, then he still wanted to find a partner in this new, still-unfamiliar time.

You fit that profile. He wanted you.

But he would never forgive himself if he weighed you down with his sins.

When you told him you loved him, his heart had broke. He wanted to tell you how much he valued you, how he dreamed of kissing you. He wanted to be a part of your happy ending.

But how much of a happy ending could he really give you? Could he give you children, knowing they would always be in danger from his enemies? Could he give you a wedded, domestic life, when all he knew was how to fight and cause pain?

He had to make his sacrifice for the greater good. Even if he had to crush you, he had to do it.

Someone like Bucky wasn’t supposed to get happy endings. You were, but just not with him.

You couldn't stand to be around him anymore. It was affecting your concentration, your work. It reached a breaking point two weeks after Bucky's birthday, when you requested to speak to Steve privately.

"You want to leave?" he asked, his face appalled.

You nodded curtly. "You’ll still be able to contact me, if you really need me. But I don't think I can stay here anymore."

Steve didn't look as confused at your profession as you expected.

"Is this about Bucky?"

You cringed. God, did he know about everything that happened?

"I don't know what's going on between the two of you," he clarified quickly, "but I can see that something happened. He's not the same, either."

"I'm not in a good place right now," you admitted shamefully. "I'm not saying that this is goodbye forever, Steve. But for my own sanity, I think I need a break."

Steve heaved a sigh. "I know you wouldn't ask unless you really needed it. And you don't need my permission, you know."

"I know," you said, giving him a small smile. "But I just wanted to let you know that I'll be here whenever the team needs it. Emergencies only," you joked. "But for now I think I'll get out of here. Maybe go upstate."

"Have you told him?"

"Don't need to," you said, defensiveness creeping into your voice.

"I think he would like to know."

“We’re not really on speaking terms,” you said bluntly.

Steve clasped a heavy hand on your shoulder. He knew better than to argue. He was sure you’d figure things out for yourself, anyway. “I’ll miss you.”

Now that you had completed the professional courtesy, you decided that you would leave in a few days. You still had some matters to wrap up, and to say goodbye to your teammates. You loved them, and they deserved a proper farewell.

"This isn't goodbye," Nat had said sternly, pulling you into a tight hug. Her voice was quiet and soft in your ear as she whispered, "If you need me, I'll be there."

You squeezed her tight, threatening to tear up. "Thank you."

"Keep your ass out of trouble," Clint had said, winking at you. “And check in with us now and again, yeah?”

Sam was clearly unhappy about everything. And he definitely noticed that you had picked a day to make your announcement when Bucky was conveniently away from the compound.

"Am I gonna see you again?" he asked, raising his eyebrows after you'd embraced.

"Couldn't get rid of me if you tried," you promised, punching his arm.

You retired to your bedroom that night, sure that Bucky would hear the news later after he came back. You kept your phone switched off and door locked for the rest of the evening, making sure the your belongings were packed.

Just past midnight, you crept out of your room, duffel bag over your shoulder. You made your way through the compound, down the floors into the underground garage. Bucky's motorbike wasn't there - he still hadn't returned.

You were grateful. You climbed into your car, and tossed your belongings in the back. You had to stop thinking about him - if you let yourself do it for too long, you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to go.

With a heavy heart, you left this chapter of your life behind.

Your phone rang for days afterwards. Missed calls, voicemails left unanswered, texts left unread.

You couldn't bear to face him. If you pretended he didn't exist, maybe it would ease the pain.

You didn't know where you were driving to. You simply knew you had to get as far away as possible, clear your head. You were at a crossroads, and you needed to pull yourself together, but for now you would allow yourself to wallow.

You had been spending each night in a different motel. Wake up, drive, sleep. Wake up, drive, sleep. You wanted to put as much distance between yourself and Bucky Barnes as possible.

You had no idea how you had gotten everything so wrong. Did you really misinterpret the signals? Was every intimate moment between the two of you simply platonic?

You didn't want to feel so beat up over a guy, but he wasn't just any guy. He was the first man you had ever loved.

Life was funny, sometimes. You supposed that you couldn't always expect happy endings.

You kicked open the door of the latest motel, a bag of takeout in your hands. You noticed the dark, shadowy figure on your bed in an instant, your hand sliding to the dagger sheathed in your belt on reflex. Before your brain even had time to catch up with what you were seeing, you had aimed and launched it, shocked when a familiar voice rang out.

"Calm down, tiger," he rasped. The bedside light flicked on, and Bucky was suddenly there, twirling your dagger between his fingers. He tossed it to the side, letting it land on the carpet with a soft thud.

A week had passed since you last saw him. Seeing him sent an electrifying jolt straight through your core.

"What are you doing here?" you asked. You were shocked, but your first thought was that something terrible had happened. "Is it the team? Are they in danger?"

Bucky looked irate, his jaw clenching and unclenching. His hands were knotted together, worry hiding beneath his anger.

"I've been calling you for days. You left without saying goodbye. Hell, you left without saying anything." His voice was gruff and accusatory.

That gave you the answer you needed. The team were fine, and he was simply here to rant. You felt the initial shock of his appearance wear off.

He stood up and stepped towards you, and that was when you noticed the state he was in. His usually close shaven beard was slightly unkempt, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked worn out.

"Yeah," you retorted, "I kind of did that on purpose."

"Why?" His voice was a whisper. "Why would you do that?"

You were exasperated. You did not envision yourself having to explain your decisions to him. His appearance both delighted and depressed you. It was tiring, having these two sides battle each other whenever you saw him. Your love for him versus his heavy rejection.

"I can't be around you anymore," you admitted, your voice tight. "I thought I could, but I can't."

"Why the hell not?" he pressed stubbornly.

"You know why!" you cried out. "Why are you doing this to me, Bucky? I told you I loved you and, okay, you don't love me. Fair enough," you said, frustrated. "But to go out of your way to hurt me? Remind me that I'm nothing more than a friend? Bring other girls back to the compound so you can fuck them?"

Bucky flinched. "I never - "

"No!" you shouted, cutting him off. "You don't get to do this, Bucky." You felt wetness on your cheeks, and realized you were crying. It only made you more exasperated. "You don't get to tear my heart out of my chest and come here when I've been trying to get away from you."

He stormed up to you, hands reaching for you, but you batted him away.

"Don't!" Your hand hit his chest, barely moving him an inch. "Just stop! Please!" Your voice broke, and you shook with tears. The dam had broke, and seeing him here was just too much.

"Please don't cry," he pleaded, his face anguished.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, your voice breaking. "What do you want from me?"

Bucky looked so upset, taking another step forward, but you walked backwards until you hit the door.

"You don't want me," you exclaimed through your tears. You needed him to understand how much pain you were in just by seeing him. "You can't be here, Bucky. I can't look at you and remember how you just don't love me back."

Bucky pulled you into his arms, tightening them when you struggled. He was stronger than you - you had no choice but to become a prisoner against his chest. You were crying as you had many times before in his hold, but this time it felt different. Your heart was pounding and you were aching, wanting to melt into him but also aware of the anger and sadness flaring within you. It was torture.

"It hurts too much," you managed to get out through your wailing sobs.

He didn't say anything until you stilled. He let you cry, your tears soaking through his shirt. Your quiet sniffs and hiccups accompanied his words when he finally spoke.

"You weren't supposed to appear in my life," he said, his voice tense. "You weren't supposed to be so wonderful, so comforting. You made me feel so safe."

You didn't say anything, confusion rendering you temporarily speechless.

"I thought I was fine on my own. I've been a soldier all my life, just focusing on fighting everyone else's battles. And then I met you."

You had no idea where this was going as Bucky's arms seemed to tighten all the more around you.

"It felt...strange, how I wanted to kiss you. How I wanted you there, next to me, all the time.”

You looked up at Bucky, really taking in his exhausted eyes, his chapped lips, the way he was looking at you now with an exquisite softness.

"I felt like I was doing something wrong. I thought - I don't want to - ruin you," he said. "You are so young and have your whole future ahead of you and I didn't want to bring you down with all of me. My history, my demons, my baggage. And I ended up hurting you."

A spark of hope appeared, wanting to ignite into a flame. You expelled a shaky breath.

"Do you love me?" you asked, your fingers digging into his shoulders as he continued to hold you.

He nodded, his words like velvet. "How could I not? Of course I love you."

Of course, he said. But your insecurities prevailed, and you shook your head.

"You did a good job of hiding it," you said sadly.

Bucky closed his eyes regretfully.

"I know. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought if I could push you away, make you fall out of love with me, you would find someone worthy."

"What makes you think you're not worthy?" you retorted.

"Some days, I feel like no amount of good deeds I do can redeem me," he murmured.

"Bucky," you said slowly. "You're one of the best men I've ever known. Your heart is so kind."

"I'm sorry." He grasped one of your hands, brought it to his lips, kissing the back of your hand. "I'm sorry I hurt you. Part of me thought you would shrug, get over it and find someone else."

Your smile was full of sorrow. "Then you have no idea how much you truly mean to me.

Bucky cupped the side of your face. Seeing you in this state had truly been a wake up call for him. When he found out you had left the compound, all his resolve had crumbled. He realized that he had hurt you so deeply that you couldn’t physically be around him. That was when he knew that the connection between the two of you was too rare to let it slip, when he felt an immense pain at the idea of never seeing you again.

Having you in front of him now was heartbreaking. Your eyes were puffy, and you looked tired and so frail. He loved you, and you were supposed to take care of the people you loved. He swore on his life that he would dedicate himself to showing you what you really meant to him.

"When you asked me what I'm doing here," Bucky said, a hopeful smile on his face, "It's to tell you that I love you, so much. And I'm here to take you home."

You nodded, fresh tears filling your eyes, except this time they were borne from happiness.

"Let's go."

He had already packed your belongings for you, you realized when he released you to hoist your bags over his shoulder, which he had placed by the door. He paused, slipping his hand into his pocket and placing a tiny kid-sized carton into your hand. "Almost forgot. For the journey."

Chocolate milk.

You threw your arms around him, jumping to hook your legs around his hips. He dropped your bags as you kissed him, his hands reaching to support your thighs as he returned it with equal passion.

"This room is paid for," you gasped into his mouth. "Let's go back tomorrow."

He was silent when he walked back to fall onto the bed with you on top of him, his mouth never once leaving yours.

[aquaticmercy]

Do Humans Dream of Normal Sheep?

Summary : Generations ago, your family was cursed to never sleep. Now that the curse is broken, Bucky helps you rest by telling you a bedtime story.

Pairing : Bucky Barnes x reader (she/her)

Warnings/tags : established relationship, PTSD, generational trauma, insomnia, survivors guilt, mentions of death. hurt/comfort. Fluff.

Requested by : myself :)

Word count : 2.8k

Note : Title is very much inspired by 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Phillip K. Dick, and it is an incredible book. The resemblance stops there there, though. I also thought of this while watching Agatha All Along. Enjoy!

Requests are open!

○ buy me a ko-fi ○

The clock ticked, the sound echoing in your eardrums as you laid awake in the apartment, the noise of the world outside muffled by the late evening calm. Bucky’s fingers moved absent-mindedly over your arm, tracing lazy patterns into your skin. The television hummed softly in the background, blanketing the room with subtle patterns and colours. 

You leaned against him, trying to steal some warmth from this body for yourself. The exhaustion seeping into your bones made it hard to focus on anything. 

It had been days— three days now— since the curse was lifted. Still, sleep managed to evade you. Days since your body, now hurting in unfamiliar ways, demanded a rest that you didn’t know how to give. 

For as long as you could remember, sleep had been a foreign concept. The curse, placed on you by a witch generations ago, had made it impossible for you or any of the women in your family to experience what most of the human population took for granted. 

Sleep.

Your mind wandered to those who had come before you— the ones who had carried this curse through generations. Your mother, your grandmother, all of them living without sleep, enduring the same bone-deep exhaustion you’d claimed as your birthright. You could still hear your mother’s voice from when you were young, warning you that rest was something only other people had. She told you how she had watched her own mother stumble through life without relief, how she had learned to cope with the constant fatigue. 

You felt it, too. The heaviness in your limbs, making you feel like you were wading through swampy waters, the aching fatigue hammering in your head that you’ve carried for years. It was always there— a constant, unwelcome companion. You’d learned to exist within the limits of exhaustion. There was no other way. There had never been an end in sight.

Until now.

The witch had been killed, her curse lifted.

And yet… sleep escaped your grasp still.

You were free, or that’s what everyone told you. But you didn’t feel like it.

A part of you wasn’t sure if you deserved this rest. It felt selfish and wrong to embrace sleep when your mother never had the chance. You remembered the lines etched into her face, the weariness in her eyes that never went away, even in her final days. Now, here you were, on the verge of having the one thing she never knew. Guilt gnawed at you, like you were betraying her by knowing you could rest. 

You sighed, shifting slightly, feeling the weight of days without sleep settle even heavier over your now human body. 

Bucky’s heart broke for you. The curse had denied you something so simple, and he had watched you endure it. Just when he thought it was over, he was now watching you unable to escape the habits it had carved into your flesh.

His thumb stroked your hand. He wanted to protect you from this. He wanted to fix it, but he didn’t know how to.

Bucky’s arm tightened around you. His lips brushed against your hair as he laid there in his bed with you. His voice was soft. “You okay, doll?”

It was the thousandth time he’d asked that question since the curse was broken. He tried to hide it, but he was worried. Bucky Barnes was always concerned about you, it's just one of the many ways to show that he cared.

You tried to smile, the edges of your lips twitching upward before falling back into the tired frown that had become your default expression for three days. “I'm just… tired.” you sighed.

He kissed the top of your head again, his lips lingering there. 

It felt like a cruel joke. You’d had all the time in the world before— the endless hours of night stretching out before you, feeling as if it had mocked your inability to find peace. But you didn't want time. You had never wanted time. You wanted rest.

“I’m so tired,” you whispered again, and it came out more broken than you intended, a crack in your voice, showing how deep the exhaustion ran.

Bucky turned to face you fully, his hands cupping your jaw, pulling you to look at him. “I know,” he said softly, though he didn’t. Not really.

He knew what sleep deprivation did to a person. He’d lived it during his time as the Winter Soldier, the forced hours awake, the long violent missions. But not this. He did not have to endure every night alone in his own head.

His thumb brushed the dark circles under your eyes. He told you, “It’s gonna take a while to get used to it. To let your body catch up.”

But that was the problem, though, wasn’t it? How do you even begin to catch up?

It was just supposed to be a human instinct. You wondered, after generations of this curse, if the instinct was still even intact in your genes.

The idea of sleep was so foreign, so unattainable. It was like staring at a distant shore after being lost at sea, so close you could feel the sand between your toes. The idea of closing your eyes and sinking into the dark was terrifying. 

You’d heard people speak of sleep so carelessly. Other times, they described it as if it was a refuge. For you, it was a scary adventure. It was like standing in front of an open door that has been kept locked for so long. Now that you were finally free to walk through, you found yourself paralyzed by the unknown waiting for you when you crossed the line.

Bucky’s hand slipped down to your arm, his fingers threading through yours. “Do you want to try again?” he said, his voice so full of love and patience that it made your chest ache.

He had been awake for three days, he was also so tired. He had promised to stay awake with you just so you wouldn’t be alone. 

You shook your head, your throat tightening as you reminded him,  “I don’t know how to.”

Tears started burning at the corners of your eyes. You hated how vulnerable you felt, how weak you sounded. Bucky didn’t seem to mind. He never did. He just pulled you closer, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“Hey,” he whispered. “We’ll figure it out.”

You nodded, forcing yourself to swallow the lump in your throat. You leaned into Bucky’s arms. You tried closing your eyes, even though you knew sleep wouldn��t come.

But Bucky wasn't about to give up on you.

As he watched you, Bucky’s mind wandered back to his own nights, the countless hours when sleep eluded him, too. The nightmares, the guilt, the endless faces of the Winter Soldier’s victims. His past was littered with sleepless nights, but nothing compared to this. At least he knew what it felt like to rest, even if it came rarely. 

You had been denied something so fundamentally human. He knew the darkness sleep deprivation could bring.To you, it was all you’ve ever known. And now, even though the curse was gone, he could see that part of it still stuck with you. 

He pulled the blankets further up over you, helping you settle against the pillows. The sheets were cool beneath you. You watched as Bucky got up, moving swiftly around the room. He started dimming the lights and turning off the TV. When he crawled back into bed, the warmth of his body radiated like a beacon of hope in an otherwise cold and desolate world.

Bucky’s hand found yours beneath the blankets and wrapped his fingers around yours. “How about a story?” he suggested.

You blinked at him, a little confused. “A story?”

His lips formed a small, soft curve of his lips that made your heart ache in the best way.

You couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped your lungs, the sound barely audible “James Buchanan Barnes, telling bedtime stories?” It was something you’ve never experienced. The idea of Bucky being the one to give you your first was just lovely. 

He grinned, and it was the most beautiful thing you’d seen all day. “Only for you, doll.”

With that, he started retelling a story his ma had read to him as a child when he couldn’t sleep.

Bucky’s voice dipped into a melodic rhythm, his words wrapping around you like the warmest blanket in the world. "There once was a little sheep named Patty, who lived on a green, rolling hill. Every night, when the stars twinkled, Patty and her friends would line up near an old fence to play their favourite game. They jumped over it one by one." 

Tears pricked at your eyes again. This time, it was credited to the love you felt for the man beside you. He was doing everything he could to help you, to make sure you felt safe, loved, and cared for. It made you feel like you could finally let go.

His thumb traced lazy patterns over your arm, and you could almost see the story playing out over you— the moon casting a silver shadow over the hills, the breeze gently rustling the grass. You wondered if it was your healthy imagination, or if it was your mind playing tricks on you.

"The other sheep would go first, jumping high and landing on the other side. Thump! One sheep… two sheep… three sheep," Bucky’s voice softened further. "Patty watched them all, her little legs ready to prance as she waited for her turn." 

You let your eyes drift closed, letting the soothing tone of Bucky’s voice guide you, the image of those sheep forming in your mind. "Four sheep… five sheep… six sheep," he counted gently, his voice lulling you. "And then Patty— our brave little sheep—finally jumped. Thump! Seven sheep."

He squeezed your hand lightly. The rhythm of his words stayed steady and comforting. "One by one, the sheep continued jumping over the fence, until the whole flock was safe on the other side."

You felt something you have never felt before, almost like you were floating. Bucky’s voice grew quieter, softer, as he neared the end. "Eight sheep… nine sheep… ten sheep," he whispered, "and soon, there were no more sheep left to jump.”

His voice faded away from your senses, and somewhere in those tranquil hills, you found yourself gently drifting away, too.

—

When you woke up, everything felt different.

There was no ache in your bones, no fog clouding your thoughts. For the first time in your life, you felt rested. Truly rested. It was an overwhelming sensation, a wave of calm that spread through you, your mind struggling to fill in the gaps. Your mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

You blinked, feeling the coolness of the sheets beneath you, your touch felt more vibrant than ever. Colours seemed brighter, sharper, and you could focus on them without the fog of exhaustion restricting your senses. For the first time, your mind wasn’t filled with an ever-present, haunting fatigue.

You looked around the room. For a moment, you didn’t know where you were. You didn’t know what had happened.

The realisation hit you like a truck. You had slept. 

You had finally done it.

It was too much—too overwhelming. You didn’t know how to process it. The joy, the relief, the sheer weight of the emotions crashing over you like a wave. You had been somewhere else in between falling asleep and waking up. It was like magic.

You felt… different. Natural.

The constant weight of exhaustion that had followed you was gone. You blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. For so long, sleep had been this distant, impossible thing. But now, it was yours. You had crossed that line, and it felt like you had been born again. You had found peace in the simplest, most human of things— rest. You turned your head to the side, your gaze falling on Bucky, who was still asleep next to you. 

Oh, poor Bucky, who had been awake for three days to make sure you weren’t alone.

His hand was still holding yours, even in rest.

A small sob escaped you before you could stop it, and Bucky stirred, his eyes blinking open as he turned to look at you. “Hey,” he said groggily, his voice low and raspy.

You nodded, your lip trembling as you tried to find the words. “I… wasn’t here.”

Bucky blinked himself more awake, shifting up slightly.

“I was on a hill, I think,” you tried to explain as best you could. “You were there. We were using sheep as pillows.”

A proud smile spread across his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he pulled you close, pressing a kiss to your nose. “You had a dream.”

You thought you did, but now you know. Now that Bucky had confirmed it, you didn't feel so crazy.

You buried your face in Bucky’s chest, letting the overwhelming emotion wash over you as he held you tight. It was everything you had never known you needed.

Bucky’s fingers gently stroked through your hair, his voice soft in the shell of your ear. “I’m so proud of you.”

As you recovered from a full eight hours of bliss, the peace shattered almost instantly. The relief that had washed over you just moments before was replaced by a sudden rush of suffocating guilt.

Your breath hitched in your throat, the heart-wrenching sob you had been holding back slipping free before you could stop it. The room that had felt so calm moments ago. Suddenly, it felt too small, too close.

The tears came freely now, falling onto the pillow as you stared up at the ceiling. You pictured your mother, your grandmother. 

Bucky stirred beside you. “What’s wrong?” he muttered. His human hand reached out to brush the tears. You didn’t know how to explain it, you didn't know where to even begin.

“I shouldn’t have…,” you choked out, “how could I let myself rest?” Bucky frowned, he gently cupping your face. 

“You’ve been waiting your whole life for this,” he said softly, his thumb stroking your cheek. 

You shook your head. The tightness wrapping in your throat made it hard to speak. “My mother— she will never know this kind of peace, Bucky. and I…” Your voice broke again, the sobs bubbling up from deep within you. “I feel like I stole it from her.”

Bucky’s expression softened, his heart breaking at the sight of you crumbling under the weight of a pain that ran so deep. 

He pressed against the top of your head, lulling you as you cried into his chest. He didn’t try to stop you. He knew how much needed to let it out, how important it was to release all the hurt and confusion that had been building inside you for so long.

As your sobs began to falter, he spoke softly into your hair. “Your mother would want you to rest, sweetheart,” he said, his voice steady, full of that quiet strength you’d come to rely on. 

“You’re living the freedom she fought for.” He pulled back slightly, tilting your chin up so that you were forced to look into his eyes. “even if she never got to experience it herself.”

You hadn’t thought of it that way before.

Maybe he was right. Maybe your mother had endured, so that you could be free. Maybe your rest wasn’t a betrayal. Maybe you had fulfilled something she wanted from you.

You sunk into Bucky’s embrace, clinging to him for dear life. Little did you know, Bucky needed this, too.

He couldn’t help but see a part of himself in the guilt you carried. He understood how it felt to be haunted by something completely out of his control. He knew how it felt to convince himself that he was undeserving of peace. His own past still weighed heavily on him, no matter how much you told him that the actions hadn’t truly been his. He saw his own struggle mirrored in you. The way you fought against the idea of rest, of freedom, was all too familiar. 

He had spent so many nights haunted with that same guilt. For a very long time, he was unsure if he would ever forgive himself for the things he couldn’t change. And now, he saw a part of himself in you. In that moment, Bucky wasn’t just comforting you; he was comforting the part of himself that still struggled to believe he deserved freedom, too.

“You’ve earned your rest.” He held you tight, his voice still a low murmur in your ear. “We’ve both earned our rest.”

His words settled into your mind, and though the guilt didn’t disappear completely, it loosened its grip just enough for you to breathe. 

Bucky’s arms tightened around you, and he didn’t say anything more. He just held you, his presence grounding you, his love surrounding you like a shield.

For the first time in your life, you felt… rested. You felt calm.

You felt whole.

You felt free.

-end

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Tiny Match-maker

Bucky Barnes x Single mom!Reader Fluff

Adjusting to his new life outside of the superhero business, Bucky makes the acquaintance of a very young, inquisitive girl.

Just a meet-cute scenario with Bucky, that I might just write a part 2 for if people are interested in it.

Word count:1,853.

Masterlist // Bucky Barnes Masterlist

It wasn’t often that Bucky found time for himself. Between the busy and at times chaotic line of work he found himself in, it didn’t leave a lot of time to do the things that the average person could do.

Doctor Raynor suggested that taking a step back from the heroic, android, alien, wizard-crime-fighting lifestyle might be just the thing that he needed. To take some time to do the things that the everyday person took for granted.

So that’s why Bucky found himself for the first time in a long while browsing the aisles of his local grocery store, standing in the middle of the dairy aisle, pondering if there’s any real difference between getting oat milk or almond milk. 

He’s brought out of his thinking when he feels something collide with his shins. Something, or rather someone. A young girl, she couldn’t have been more than three, maybe four years old. Her hair that is tied up into two bunches on either side of her head bounce slightly as she crashes into him.

He looks around himself, apart from him and this little girl, the aisle was otherwise empty. 

What was he supposed to do? He’d rescued thousands of civilians time and time again, but this little girl was just standing there, wide-eyed and innocently looking up at him.

“Hi! My name’s Lottie!” the little girl introduces herself with a big gap-toothed smile.

Bucky crouches down ever so slightly to meet her smaller stature. 

“Hi there, Where are your parents, huh? Are you lost?” he asks, keeping his voice soft when talking to her.

 Just as the little girl opened her mouth to answer, a woman came running down the aisle, slightly out of breath and with a look of panic on her face.

As she gets closer, Bucky takes in her appearance, she's pretty. Really pretty. The kind of effortless beauty that has a faint blush rising to his cheeks. 

“Charlotte!” the woman calls out as she comes closer to the little girl before scooping her up in her arms and hoisting her on her hip. “What have I told you about running off like that?” you gently scold her, although the scolding is more out of your own worries about your little girl.

“Sorry mommy.” she murmurs quietly as she tucks her head into your shirt.

“I’m so sorry, sir, I hope she didn’t bother you too much.” you smile apologetically at the man in front of you. He was tall, broad and far too handsome for his own good. With soft dark brown hair that fell along his jaw, pretty pink lips, the most beautiful stormy grey-blue eyes, and just the right amount of stubble grazing across his angled jaw to have you blushing as he looked your way. 

“Oh, hey, no harm done, she seems like a sweet kid.” he smiles, his voice is deep and rich, with a slight raspy gravel.

“Yeah, she is, although it would help if she wasn’t so much of an explorer, it’d be a lot easier to keep my eye on her otherwise.” you laugh.

“No, the world needs more explorers I say!” the handsome stranger joins in with a friendly chuckle of his own. 

“Well, I can see you’re busy, so we won’t keep you any longer..” you string out the end of your sentence, when you realise that you don’t actually know your new friend’s name.

“James. My name’s James.” he says, gesturing to himself. You tell him your name in return with a friendly smile.

“Well, it was nice talking to you, James.” You smile before turning back down the aisle. 

Bucky watched as you walked away from him, and he couldn't  help but hope that he might run into you again.

“Look, all you gotta do is go down there, tell a few old man war stories, answer some questions, maybe have your picture taken a few times and that’s it” Sam explained.

Sam had signed Bucky up to tell a few stories to the kids at the school downtown. A few about his life back in the day, and his life now. Sam thought it might be good for his public image.

“Just because you’re Captain America now, doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do, Sam.” Bucky grumbled.

“When Steve gave me the shield, he did warn me it came with the custody of one grumpy super-soldier.” Sam laughed a wide, gap-toothed smile at his friend.

“..And that’s why you don’t let your best friend sign-up to be a government ordered science experiment.” Bucky smiled, as he finished his talk with the assembled group of young students in the small, but colourful classroom.

“Wonderful, and does anybody have any questions for Sergeant Barnes?” The teacher asked, as she stepped out beside Bucky.

“How did you lose your arm?” a young boy blurts out, quickly raising his hand.

“Timothy!” The teacher is quick to gently scold the young boy, but Bucky quickly steps in before she can make her point.

“It’s quite alright, I don’t mind answering this question.” He assures the teacher, before turning to the young boy. “I-uh-I kind of lost it when I came up against a bunch of bad-guys, who weren’t very nice at all.” Bucky thinks carefully about how he was going to word his answer, especially for this 5-year old kid. “..But it’s all good now, because I’ve got the super-strong metal one.” he shows off by rolling up the sleeve of his deep-red henley shirt.

“Are you and The Falcon really friends?” another young boy asks from where he’s sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of Bucky.

“Well, we’re team-mates, so I guess I’d call him a friend, but really he only hangs out with me because I make him look cool.” Bucky jokes with ease.

“Mr. Sergeant Barnes.” A tiny hand shoots up amongst the group. 

Bucky looks out and there sat at the back of the class is the little girl who ran into him at the grocery store at the weekend. Her bouncy curls tied up in two bunches on either side of her head.

“Yes, Lottie, you have a question for Sergeant Barnes?” The teacher prompts. 

“Are you single? I think my mommy would really like you.” She smiles in that innocent way that children do, unaware of the slightly impertinent question she was asking.

Bucky flushes scarlet all over, a blooming heat settling over his features. 

With a laugh and a nervous scratch to the back of his neck, he gathered himself together enough to answer the young girl.

“I am, and I’m sure your mommy is a wonderful lady, but I think it's best that we don't talk about her private life when she's not here.” Bucky stutters out, chosing his words very carefully. 

The school bell suddenly rings into life, signifying the end of the day, and the children are all quick to get up from the carpet and make their way towards their coats and bags that are stowed away in their cubby holes.

“Ah ah, kids! What do we say to Sergeant Barnes?” The teacher prompts

“Thank you Sergeant Barnes.” The children say harmoniously. 

Bucky shrugs on his dark leather jacket as he makes his way out of the school, watching as all of the kids rush off to find their parents.

He was just about to head off to the school’s parking lot, where he’d parked his motorbike, when he sees the same girl from the classroom, the very same one who had bumped into him at the grocery store, this time her tiny hand tugging her mother across the playground and straight towards him.

“Mommy! This is the man who came into class today to tell us stories!” Lottie bubbled excitedly. 

You stepped closer to Bucky and he swears that you got even more beautiful than when he last saw you for that fleeting moment. 

As you get close enough to him to fully see his face you are met with the piercing blue eyes of the familiar stranger who you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since you’d bumped into him at the supermarket.

“Mommy! This is Mr. Sergeant Barnes! He told us all about working with his friend Captain America!” Lottie blurts out.

You had recognised him from the moment you saw him in the store, but out of courtesy to not embarrass him, you pretended that you didn't know about his life as an avenging super-soldier. 

“Mr. Sergeant Barnes?” Your voice raises in a teased question.

“Just James is fine, Ma’am.” Bucky clarifies, extending a warm hand out in a friendly greeting.

In return you shake his hand and tell him your name.

“So, it seems that we’re meeting again, James” You smile

“Hah, yeah.” He smiles back fondly with a warm chuckle.

“So you’re the one who’s been telling my daughter all these fantastical stories?” you pose, eyebrow arched.

“Just something I do as a way of working with the local community. Helping young kids to learn about their history from first-hand accounts.” he explains.

“Well, that's a very sweet thing to do.” you smile. 

“Mommy.” Lottie whispers as she tugs at the sleeve of your jacket. “He said he was single too!” 

“Sorry about her, she likes to play match-maker.” you apologise, hoping that things hadn’t taken a turn for the awkward. 

“It’s okay.” he laughs it off. “She’s a cute kid.”

“Yeah it’s just been me and her from the start, it’s been tough at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Oh? Well she seems like a wonderful young girl, and that’s only testament to having you as her mother.” he says with an earnest smile tugging at his pink lips.

“Come on now, Lottie, let’s head home, and let Mr. Sergeant Barnes get back to his life.” you say to your daughter as you begin to make your way out of the school’s playground.

“Wait!” He jogs across the school years to catch up with you before you can leave. “and you can absolutely tell me if I'm just reading this whole situation all wrong, but I'd be a fool if I didn't at least ask you if you perhaps fancied meeting up and getting coffee..at least meeting on purpose this time.” he blushes adorably.

“You know what, I'd like that actually.” You nod. “Let me give you my number and you can text me whenever you're free and we can set something up.”

He hands you over his phone and you enter your number in and text yourself so you have his number on your phone too.

“Here you go,” you say as you hand him over his phone. “It was nice seeing you again, James.”

“Bucky.”

“Hm?” 

“My friends call me Bucky.” 

“Well, Bucky, I hope to see you again, sooner rather than later.”

“You can count on it.” He grins back with a cheeky wink.

Bucky walks back to his apartment with a confident stride, he'd have to thank Sam for signing him up for this gig, that's for sure. 

@penguinsandpotterheads @paybacksawitch @impmunson

[endless-ineffabilities]

reconnaissance (1/3)

Bucky Barnes x f!reader

Reader goes on a recon mission with the White Wolf himself, formerly the Winter Soldier, which goes awry.

(a.k.a. you two idiots are clearly in love but don't do anything about it, until circumstances become so heightened that you are forced to)

masterlist ▪︎ word count: <1k

"Come in, do you copy?"

You keep walking, ignoring Bucky's increasingly grating tone in your earpiece.

"Respond, do you hear me? Meet back at the rendezvous in 2 minutes." Bucky tries again, seemingly deciding that this recon stint is done and dusted. Without even consulting you.

"I know what I'm doing, Buck." You keep up your pace, tailing the man you're supposed to gather intel on. He rounds the corner and unlocks a room, presumably his own office on the base, and disappears inside. "I'll meet you as soon as I'm finished."

"You are finished." Bucky snaps right back. He's only a block away, but he's getting worried that if something were to happen to you, he wouldn't make it on time. "We're only meant to scout the area, assess their operation. Not tail them right inside their fuckin' HQ."

"Woah there, grandpa, watch your language." You smirk, and you can picture him grinding his teeth in frustration. Why is he so worried anyhow? From what you've gathered, this organization is made up of a bunch of blip fanatics who want to restore the world to how Thanos left it. Balanced, sure, as the old shriveled grape said. But also in chaos - with everyone sufferring loss and living listlessly.

These people are insane. And insane is easy to handle, as far as you're concerned. Not one of the big 3 - aliens, androids, and wizards - just pure idiotic nutters.

Bucky has resorted to pacing on the roof of the dilapidated apartment complex he uses as a viewpoint. "Something's not right here. The man you're tailing was never meant to head to their HQ today. I have a feeling they found us out."

"Did they also figure that I would not give a rat's ass about that and - "

"Take the bait?" Bucky interjects.

"No. That I would beat them at their own game. " You whisper irately. You pause when the man comes out of his office and walks away from where you hide. "Wait, I'm going in."

"Don't do anything stupid, doll." Bucky pleads. For a moment, you want to cave in. He no longer sounds bossy, or annoying, like he tends to be on missions where it's just the two of you. He usually tells you to stick to the plan, to stick with him. Like you're incapable of going off on your own. Sure, he has decades more experience, and the effects of a Super Soldier serum to boot, but you wish he would just trust you. But he sounds like he's either desperate to get back home and get this shit over with, or he actually cares that much about you. "Just come back to me. Now. "

"Bucky," you breathe, steadying yourself. "C'mon. This'll be just like that time in Gdansk."

He feels an ounce of relief creeping in. Maybe you're right. "Then I'll be waiting for you, doll. Like always."

Doll. That still sends shivers up your spine. But he doesn't have to know that, does he? You walk up to the office door, and try to make quick work of the lock. "I won't be long. And quit calling me doll."

"What then? Princess?"

"No."

"Sweetheart? Has a nice ring to it." He counters quickly. He must have been sitting on this one for a while.

"Bucky - "

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Alright, that's it. I'm done with this conversation." You warn him, but the colouring on your cheeks betray your tone. Good thing he's not around to call you out on it. The lock gives way, and the door creaks open. "I'm in."

"Damn it." You hear him mumble to himself, seconds later. "Why does she never listen? I think she's actually trying to kill me. Give me a damn heart attack."

"That's likely, isn't it?" You give an unsolicited response. "Considering that you're about 100 years old."

"106, actually." He quips back, pinching the bridge of his nose, tapping his foot, taking deep breaths. He tries everything to calm down and not agonize over you. But nothing works. Bucky doesn't know what he would do if anything were to happen to you.

No. That's not quite right. He doesn't know what he wouldn't do - because he would do anything, kill anyone, just to get you back.

And you just can't seem to grasp that. Though it might have something to do with how he constantly hovers over you like an overprotective older brother, with Sam once remarking how you've got yourself a personal bodyguard. You think that's all it is - Bucky being a nice guy. Bucky watching your back as you would do the same for him. Bucky wanting to keep you in line, so that the missions would go smoothly, especially since he is technically acting as your superior.

You don't see how Bucky's gaze lingers a bit too long on your lips when you relay your mission reports to him. How his hand often finds itself hovering over the small of your back when you walk side by side. You don't know that he observed (not stalked, according to him) how your date played out with that one fellow agent that asked you out. How he tried to find solace in the bottom of a bottle when you invited that agent back to your apartment.

And how he made arrangements to have that agent indefinitely reassigned to Eastern Europe the week after.

The office you enter is encased in shadow, the window shutters all lowered. You're careful not to turn on any switches, so as not to trigger alarms. With steady hands, you raise your Beretta 92FS before you, the accompanying flashlight illuminating the room.

Then you see it. A map of the city pinned to a board covering the east wall.

"Talk to me," Bucky barks in your ear. "What do you see?"

"Jackpot." You can't help but grin. Breaking Bucky's rules pays off after all. This'll show him. "It looks like some blueprint for how they plan to infiltrate the city. Red markings for the areas where they will release the poison in the water supply."

"And how the hell do you know that?"

"Well, boss," you roll your eyes. "probably because there's a note at the bottom of the damn map that says release poison in water supply."

"Oh."

Yeah. Oh.

"Don't take it with you," he starts, but you beat him to it.

"Course I won't. I've already got the whole thing memorized to a tee."

"Get out of there. Now." Bucky emphasizes, and you don't know whether to be touched by how worried he sounds.

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on." Taking one final look at the scene, you head back to the door. But the handle doesn't budge. "That's weird."

At that, Bucky knew something was definitely not right. As if he did not already warn you stay out of there. His blood runs cold, and he springs into action before you can say anything further. Sprinting down the street, he tries to get you to keep talking. "I told you not to do this, doll. I told you."

"I can handle it." But the door stays closed. It doesn't even respond to your exceptional lock-picking skills. You hear a whooshing sound to your right, like a mechanical panel opening. At once, you get into a defensive stance, gun at the ready.

You don't see anything, but you can smell it. It's some kind of gas. A strong sedative, you recall from your training.

"Oh, shit." You mutter. Holding your breath can only keep you safe for so long.

"Goddamnit," Bucky curses while running, not even out of breath, "it's gas, isn't it? I knew it, I just knew it, doll!"

"I'll try the windows." You offer, but quickly find out they're of no use. Sealed shut, like the door.

Bucky's rambling now, desperate. "Should've listened... you should've... stay with me, doll. Stay with me."

You still hear his voice as white spots flood your vision. Dread sinks in as you succumb to the sensation, but you steel yourself. You will get through this. You will.

Especially when you've got Bucky promising, "I'm coming for you, doll. No one is taking you from me."

(a/n) yes, I've rewatched tfatws again. Which prompted this lil thing. Not that I was not absolutely besotted with our Bucky for a good long time back in the day (still am). Are y'all more for Steve or Bucky? Both would be better ofc, but I've never been able to choose. Let me know! 🤷🏻‍♀️💙

part 2 coming shortly!

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted: Chapter 19, Unfriended - Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, heartache, bag of dicks.

Word Count: 848

Previously On...: That fucking fuck fucking fucked the fucking fuck.

A/N: I maintain my "previously on" makes perfect sense and is completely understandable. And that's why 'fuck' is the most versatile word of all time.

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when I update, please enable notifications from my Blog page!

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

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You felt your resolve crumbling the closer you got to the conference room. With each step you took, your righteous anger morphed a little closer to soul-destroying sorrow.

"I just can't believe Bucky would do this to you," Wanda said as she walked alongside you. "He loves you so much. Everyone can see it."

"Apparently not enough to keep his cock out of places it doesn't belong," Nat growled.

"Natasha!" Wanda scolded. "Not helping."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not just going to sit here and pretend that this dipshit didn't just betray our best friend in the absolute worst way possible," she argued. "I will fucking kill him."

"How do you want to go forward with this, Pocket?" Wanda asked. "We'll follow whatever lead you take, right Natasha?" She cast a pointed look in Nat's direction.

You shook your head, not knowing how you were going to go forward, how you were going to keep living knowing what Bucky had done. "I don't know how to live without him," you whispered.

"You're not seriously thinking of forgiving that scumbag?" Natasha asked you, incredulous.

"No, I'm not saying that at all. It's just..." You let out a shuddering breath. "Why is this happening? What did I do?"

"Oh, honey," Wanda said, wrapping her arms around you. "You didn't do anything. He's a man and men are idiots."

“Viz an idiot, too?” you asked, managing to find the strength to give her a small smile. “Ah, but see,” Wanda said, grinning at you, “Viz isn’t a man. He’s a sentient android with anatomical male… attributes.”

That earned a chuckle from you, and Wanda beamed, pleased she’d been able to cheer you up, no matter how briefly it lasted.

Your phone buzzed in Nat's hands; you’d asked her to hold onto, afraid that you’d answer one of Bucky’s calls in a moment of weakness. "He's calling again," she said, holding the device out as though it would catch on fire. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just decline the call," you begged. "I... I can't talk to him right this second."

"No, of course not," Wanda soothed. "But sweetie, you are going to have to confront him at some point. You can't just hide from him forever. The Tower's not that big, and he’s going to be at this meeting."

You closed your eyes and tried to take a centering breath. It didn't help. "I know, trust me, I know. I just... I just don't know how to do this. I've never had my heart broken like this before. I thought he was it. I thought this was forever."

"Hey," Nat stopped in front of you, taking both your hands in her own, "you can do this. You are amazing, the smartest woman and one of the best people I know, and if Barnes can't see that, that's his fucking loss. You deserve better than someone who can't see what he had right in front of him. And if he can have his head so easily turned by Jade Fucking Carthage?" She spat the name out. "He's an idiot and they deserve each other."

You found yourself nodding along with what she was saying.

"And if you find yourself feeling down, and wanting him back," she continued, "remember that this son of a bitch fucked her TWICE on a mission while you were stuck home, puking your guts out."

As she spoke, you felt your agony seep out of you, replaced once again with white hot rage. Nat was right. Bucky Barnes was a fucking asshole. You'd already wasted the last year and a half on him and you'd be damned if you were going to waste a second more. You took the pain you felt and buried it, deep down with all the other pain life had dealt you, far below the surface where it could no longer reach you. Not the best coping mechanism, but it had gotten you through life so far. You took a deep breath.

"You're right," you said to Nat. "Fuck him. I gave him everything I had, and this is what I get in return? No. He can choke on a bag of dicks for all I care. He's dead to me."

"That's my girl!" grinned Nat.

"Pocket, are you sure that's the best way to go about this?" Wanda asked gently. "Maybe you should sit down and talk to him."

"No," you said, perhaps a little too forcefully, "he lost his chance at a conversation when he failed to tell me the truth and tried to get his skank to cover for him. I told him that I could take anything except for lies, and he did it anyway. I don't owe him shit."

The three of you finally approached the doors to the conference room. "You going to be able to do this?" Nat asked you.

"Yes. I can do this. Just..." you sighed, "just don't let him near me, okay?"

Nat and Wanda shared a look. "I think that, between the two of us, we can manage that," Nat said.

<- Previous Chapter / Next Part ->

[swan-of-sunrise]

Wandavision (The Scarlet Witch Saga, Part I)

Summary: (Y/N) meets with S.W.O.R.D.’s Director Hayward in an attempt to reclaim Vision’s remains for burial but after Wanda makes an unexpected and hostile appearance at their headquarters, both women uncover far more than they’d originally bargained for…

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long between stories, but I've been taking care of my mother post-hip replacement surgery and I haven't had very much free time to write. However, I found the time to finish this little angst-filled one-shot up, so yay! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy!

Wandavision Part I of The Scarlet Witch Saga November 2023 S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters, Florida (Superhero Snapshots Masterlist)

“I’m sorry, Mrs. (Y/L/N), but Director Hayward’s itinerary is completely booked-”

“And yet, I was assured over the phone by his secretary that he would finally be available to meet with me today at eleven o’clock, which is…” (Y/N) made a show of pulling back the sleeve of her blouse to look at her watch. “Right now. I don’t appreciate being given the runaround, so I suggest that you give his office another buzz before I come back with a few Avengers; believe me, they won’t be as friendly and accommodating as I am.”

The security guard gulped, snatching up his phone’s handset and hastily punching in the extension to Director Hayward’s office as (Y/N) leaned against his desk and looked up at the towering screens that lined the lobby’s walls. News footage from all across the world played one after the other, each of them depicting families being reunited and celebrations taking place in the wake of the Battle of Earth, and a wistful smile tugged on the corner of her lip. Although it had been nearly three weeks since they’d completed their Time Heist and Bruce utilized the Infinity Stones to bring the Vanished back, she still couldn’t quite believe that they’d done it; Carina, Sam, Bucky and every other friend and teammate they’d lost that traumatic day five years ago in Wakanda was back. But as the news footage changed to coverage of Tony and Natasha’s deaths and all the memorial services being held across the world in their honor, (Y/N)’s smile fell and she quickly averted her gaze from the screens.

In the wake of Tony and Natasha’s deaths, it had fallen to (Y/N) to pay a visit to S.W.O.R.D.’s headquarters in Florida to retrieve Vision’s body and arrange for his burial. Fury had pulled several strings before departing for space and finally managed to uncover where the android’s body was being held, even going so far as to discover that there were several proposed plans floating around the organization to study his remains for the development of high-tech weapons. Since her fellow Avengers were busy helping to re-stabilize Earth and countless other planets across the galaxy and Steve was at home with Carina – and, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, Steve Rogers was presumed dead after the Battle of Earth – (Y/N) volunteered to represent the Avengers in a meeting with Director Tyler Hayward to discuss the return of the fallen Avenger’s body. Now, why do I get the feeling that S.W.O.R.D. isn’t just going to hand over Vis out of the goodness of their hearts, she thought to herself with a frustrated sigh, mindful of the half-healed cut across her stomach (an aggravating physical memento from her brief clash with Thanos) as she straightened her posture and looked out at the bustling lobby.

“Oh shit…” (Y/N) swore under her breath as she spotted none other than Wanda Maximoff striding towards the security guard’s desk; the younger woman’s expression was nothing short of incensed, with her green eyes blazing and her lips pressed into the thinnest of lines, but her expression subtly softened when her gaze landed on (Y/N). With the memory of Wanda’s near-defeat of the Mad Titan still fresh in her mind, she pushed herself off the desk and stepped forward to deescalate the situation before it began. “Wanda, I tried to call but all I got was your voicemail-”

“I was tracking down a lead when you called, and I came down here the moment I listened to your message,” The younger woman interrupted, and she looked around the busy lobby with an air of suspicion. “So, this Director Hayward has agreed to meet with you?”

(Y/N) nodded. “Yes, but now that I’m here, they’re trying to tell me that I was never penciled in and that his schedule’s fully booked for today.”

Wanda’s eyes briefly glowed scarlet as her lip curled up and without another word, she brushed past (Y/N) and stormed up to the security guard’s desk. “I know you have him.”

“I-I’m sorry, but like I already told Mrs. (Y/L/N)-”

“Please…” She trailed off when she spotted the nearest armed guards tighten their grips on their weapons and while (Y/N) cautiously moved to stand beside her, she took a steadying breath and forced herself to calmly continued. “Please. When I came back, he was gone. His body…” Her voice shook with barely-restrained emotion and her fingers anxiously tugged on the cuff of her jacket’s sleeve. “And I know he’s here. He deserves a funeral, at least. I deserve it.”

The security guard’s growing discomfort was alleviated by the ringing of his desk phone; with a barely-perceptible sigh of relief, he snatched up the receiver and listened to the speaker on the other end of the line. “Yes, sir. Yeah, she’s still here.” Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) watched Wanda stare intently at the security camera affixed to the wall behind the desk and a shiver ran down her spine; I’ve got a bad feeling about all this, she thought to herself, her fingers anxiously twisting her wedding ring around and around her finger. “Are you sure? O-Of course…” The security guard’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he set the receiver down and looked back up at (Y/N). “Through the doors, down the hall. Two lefts and a right.” Wanda pushed herself off the desk and started towards the guarded double doors off to the side, forcing (Y/N) to flash him a fleeting smile of thanks and hurry after her. “One moment, I have to buzz you in.”

“I got it, thanks!” Wanda’s voice dripped with sarcasm and before anyone could react, she lobbed a ball of scarlet-hued energy towards the locked double doors that forced them open, the walls shuddering as they slammed against them; ignoring the stares of dozens of security personnel, armed guards and employees and the uncomfortable tugging on her stitches, (Y/N) quickened her pace and fell into step with the younger woman. “You disapprove of my methods, don’t you?”

(Y/N) hummed thoughtfully and followed it up with a half-hearted shrug. “Well, they did try to waste my time back there, time that I’d much rather spend with my husband and newly-returned daughter, so I can’t say that I entirely disapprove. But Wanda…” They turned left and continued walking down the hall. “We’ve got to play this carefully. Do you know what S.W.O.R.D. stands for?”

“Honestly, I don’t care,” Wanda snapped, but quickly grew contrite when she caught sight of (Y/N)’s arched brow. “Sorry. What does it stand for?”

“Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division. A few years ago, they redirected most of their resources to studying and developing robotics, nanotechnology and A.I.; they essentially stopped studying and began to both design and build their own weaponry.” They turned another corner and (Y/N) carefully weighed her words before continuing. “My point is that this organization might’ve once been dedicated to defending Earth from extra-terrestrial and extra-dimensional threats, but they’ve evolved into quite a formidable agency and one that won’t easily bow to external pressure. We’re Avengers and we just saved the world, but that doesn’t mean that things can’t and won’t go south if we burst into this asshat’s office and start making demands.”

Pursing her lips, Wanda ruminated on her statement and as they turned right into an empty hallway, she shook her head in disbelief. “So, you’re suggesting diplomacy for the organization that’s withholding my lover’s corpse from me?”

(Y/N)’s hand reached out to clasp Wanda’s forearm and she succeeded in halting their momentum for a moment; she looked around for any signs of security cameras or employees before lowering her voice and answering, “I’m suggesting self-preservation, Wanda; you know better than anybody how quickly these organizations can turn on someone the moment their interests stop aligning with theirs.” A lump of emotion formed in her throat and just as she’d done for nearly three weeks, she blinked away her tears and forced herself to smile. “Nat’ll come back from wherever she is and personally kick my ass if I let you end up in the Raft again.”

The younger woman’s green eyes softened, and the air hung heavy around them as they both thought about their fallen friend. “She would, wouldn’t she?” Taking a deep breath, she gently pried (Y/N)’s fingers away from her arm and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “Self-preservation it is.”

They shared a look of understanding before continuing down the hallway and approaching a metal-plated door near its end; the engraved plaque on the wall beside it read ‘Level 101: Director’ and as they came to a stop, the electronic keycard reader below it blinked green and the lock clicked open. (Y/N) straightened her posture and opened the door, stepping into an impressive office and immediately fixing her gaze upon the salt-and-pepper haired man getting up from his desk to greet them. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N) and Wanda Maximoff. It’s an honor to meet you both, truly.” (Y/N) reluctantly shook Director Hayward’s outstretched hand as he gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’d like to offer you my condolences, Mrs. (Y/L/N); your husband was a personal hero of mine, and his loss is a profound tragedy.”

It took a moment for (Y/N) to remember the lie that Nick Fury had helped to propagate and spread from the shadows for the past several weeks: that Steve Rogers was reported missing in action in the wake of the Battle of Earth and was presumed to have died while fighting Thanos. It was the lie they’d crafted together after he’d returned from his final mission de-serumed and steadfast in his desire to retire from the mantle he’d carried for decades in favor of a quiet life with (Y/N) and Carina, but it was a challenging one to maintain when she knew that he was safe at their home in Brooklyn with their daughter. Rearranging her features into a sorrowful expression with the ease of a trained spy, (Y/N) offered the older man a tight smile and nodded. “Thank you, Director.”

“Who are you?” Wanda demanded, her tone sharp and borderline accusatory as she took a step forward and pointedly refused to shake the director’s hand.

Director Hayward took her hostility in stride, lowering his hand and giving her a polite smile. “Director Tyler Hayward. I understand you’re both here to see the Vision – to recover the body, that is – is that right?”

“Well, I’m his next of kin,” She replied and gestured towards (Y/N). “And she’s here acting as the official representative of the Avengers in this matter.”

“I understand. I’d like to show you both something.”

The alarm bells had already begun to go off in (Y/N)’s head, but there was something about his statement and the glint in his eyes that immediately gave her pause. “And then you’ll give him to us?”

Instead of answering, Director Hayward crossed the room and opened a glass door for them to enter. “Please, just come with me.”

(Y/N) and Wanda exchanged a distrustful look before stepping through the doorway and into what appeared to be an observation room comprised of floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a set of armchairs. The buzzing and whirring of power tools nearby quickly drew (Y/N)’s attention, prompting her to walk up to the wall of glass and look down; the scene below reminded her of a mechanic’s garage, with four floodlights illuminating a handful of S.W.O.R.D. personnel dressed in protective gear, who were working to dismantle five separate sections of machinery as armed agents stood guard. The machinery’s unusual shade of maroon and uniquely-shaped panels of silver instantly drew her suspicion, and it only took her a moment to come to the sickening realization that what they were viewing was Vision’s unceremoniously dismembered corpse.

“Oh my God…” (Y/N) covered her mouth and stared down at the grisly scene below in horror, her stomach churning at the desecration of her friend’s body and her heart sinking when she caught a glimpse of Wanda’s confusion in the reflection of the glass as she took a step closer.

“What is this? Why are you showing us this?”

(Y/N) glanced over her shoulder to see a visibly puzzled Director Hayward’s head tilt to the side as he slowly answered, “Because you asked to see it.”

Tears prickled in (Y/N)’s eyes while Wanda looked back down into the laboratory; the color slowly drained from the younger woman’s face and her lip trembled with emotion when one of the S.W.O.R.D. scientists moved and revealed the decapitated head of her lover. A quiet sob escaped her and her hands came up to press against the glass, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from the synthezoid’s corpse. “Stop…stop…stop it!” She whirled around to face the director. “What are you doing to him?”

“We’re dismantling the most sophisticated, sentient weapon ever made.”

Wanda’s eyes filled with tears as she insistently shook her head. “But Vision’s not a weapon. You can’t do this!”

Unfazed by her emotional reaction, Director Hayward’s lips pursed together in an obvious attempt to appear sympathetic. “In fact, it is our legal and ethical obligation.”

“You know, I could’ve sworn that Vision was created using stolen vibranium from Wakanda, not America.” A surge of white-hot indignation filled (Y/N) as she faced the director and crossed her arms over her chest. “But what the hell do I know? I was only there the day that Ultron bought that vibranium off of Ulysses Klaue in Johannesburg.”

“The Vision signed the Sokovia Accords in 2016. With it, he established his personhood and shortly thereafter took the necessary steps to becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.”

“Seriously, that’s what you’re going with?! You know as well as I do that the Sokovia Accords are currently in the process of being repealed, and all I have to do is call up the King of Wakanda to-”

“I just wanna bury him,” Wanda forcefully interrupted their escalating face off. “That’s all I want.”

Director Hayward’s hazel-colored eyes narrowed as he studied Wanda’s grief-stricken features. “Are you sure?”

A look of incredulity flashed in Wanda’s eyes and while (Y/N)’s brow furrowed in befuddlement, the younger woman recoiled away from the director. “Excuse me?”

“What exactly are you getting at, Director?” (Y/N) demanded.

“Not everyone has the kind of power that could bring their soulmate back online, Mrs. (Y/L/N).” There was a strange cadence in the older man’s voice that quickly put her on edge; seemingly realizing the strangeness of his statement, Director Hayward rearranged his features into a more apologetic expression. “Forgive me. Back to life.”

Wanda shook her head. “No, I-I can’t do that. It’s…that’s not why I’m here.”

“Okay. But I cannot allow you two to take three-billion dollars’ worth of vibranium just to put it in the ground.” While the younger woman turned back around to look down into the bustling laboratory below, (Y/N) paced the floor and shook her head in incredulity. “So, the best I can do is let you say goodbye to him here.”

Wanda’s hands moved to rest against the window as she softly replied, “He’s all that I have.”

“Well, that’s just it, Wanda. He isn’t yours.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to denounce the director’s callous words, but several things caught her attention all at the same time: the look of almost eager anticipation on Director Hayward’s face, the reflection of Wanda’s grief-stricken expression in the glass and the scarlet-hued energy beginning to emanate from the palms of her hands. With only a split-second advantage, (Y/N) spun away from the windows and shielded her head with her arms just as the glass shattered in a deafening explosion; the S.W.O.R.D. agents screamed and ran for cover as they were pelted with fragmented glass, and she could hear the armed guards collectively ready their weapons. (Y/N) lowered her arms in time to watch Wanda wave her glowing crimson hands and descend into the laboratory, seemingly transfixed by the remains of her deceased lover and unaware of the semi-automatic guns pointed directly at her.

“Wanda, no!” (Y/N) hurried over to the very edge of the floor and, ignoring the surge of fear in her stomach that came from her long-standing fear of heights, leaned forward for a closer vantage point.

“Fall back,” Director Hayward ordered, and the guards exchanged cautious glances with one another. “It’s fine. Let her see for herself.”

After a tense moment, the armed guards reluctantly lowered their weapons and steered clear as Wanda slowly approached the table containing Vision’s severed and lifeless head. Watching the younger woman hesitantly stretch her hand out and hover her glowing palm over the crater in her lover’s forehead, (Y/N)’s heart clenched in sympathy and she found herself once again cursing Thanos; although the Mad Titan was dead and gone, with his quest to destroy the universe successfully thwarted and the Infinity Stones returned to their rightful places, the overwhelming pain he’d caused them all would remain, and none would suffer under the weight of their grief more than Wanda Maximoff. By the time she’d reached her mid-twenties, Wanda had already lost her parents, her brother, her country, her mentor and her lover and while the rest of the Avengers could turn to their loved ones for support, she was entirely alone. It’s not fair, (Y/N) thought to herself as she watched the younger woman leave Vision’s side and walk through one of the laboratory’s emergency exits, she’s lost so much already and now she’s being denied the one thing that could possibly give her closure.

“I truly am sorry for your loss, Mrs. (Y/L/N), but seeing as he was a fully sentient synthezoid, I believe that the Vision would not only understand but fully support our good work here.”

The director’s words caused (Y/N)’s jaw to clench in anger and her carefully crafted control over her emotions to finally slip; whirling around to face him, she stood tall and unflinchingly stared him down, her fury only growing the longer she studied the artificial sympathy written across his face. “His name was Vision, just Vision, and you don’t know a damn thing about him. You’re a cruel, egotistical, half-baked warmonger who’d love nothing more than to bring that body down there back online to use as a weapon against anyone S.W.O.R.D. deems a threat.” She snorted in derision as the older man pursed his lips in irritation. “You’re no better than S.H.I E.L.D., Director, and you know as well as I do what’ll happen to your little chop shop down there when the Avengers find out what you’re up to.”

“What Avengers? A third of your group of circus freaks are off-world and a third are dead, leaving a half a dozen powerless and mentally-unstable vigilantes to burden us with their problems,” Director Hayward shot back, and the carefully-constructed façade he’d worn since they’d burst into his office finally fell away to reveal a snide smirk. “So I suggest that you stick to writing books and let the adults take over the protection of this planet.”

(Y/N) took a calculated step forward and stared unflinchingly into the director’s eyes for a moment before finally speaking, her tone calm and collected in contrast to his clear vindictiveness. “Believe it or not, I know what my limits are; after all, what can a best-selling historical-fiction novelist do besides make a few phone calls and write a scathing op-ed in a prestigious newspaper?” A humorless smile curved her lips upwards. “But you’re wrong about us ‘circus freaks,’ Director. Not only does Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes possess the highest security clearance that this country has to offer and is tasked with investigating those that the executive branch of our government suspects of breaking both national and international laws, the King of Wakanda has made it his personal mission to ensure that not an ounce of vibranium leaves his country’s sovereign borders; I’m sure that both men will be interested to learn all about your so-called legal and ethical obligation to horde stolen vibranium and how to attempted to goad a mourning Avenger into weaponizing it for you.”

Director Hayward visibly paled but still managed an incredulous scoff. “Is that a threat, Mrs. (Y/L/N)?”

“No, it’s a promise.” (Y/N) strode past the fuming director and through the observation room’s doorway, the shattered glass crunching beneath her high heels as she walked towards the office’s closed door; she grasped the door’s handle but paused, glancing over her shoulder to give Director Hayward one final glare. “Good luck, Director. You’re going to need it.”

Opening the door with more force than necessary, (Y/N) exited the director’s office and stormed down the hallways until she located the lobby, ignoring the security guard’s feeble farewell as she blinked away her tears of frustration and hurried to the front doors. She emerged out into the bright Floridian sun and was forced to shield her face with her hand in order to scan the packed parking lot for Wanda; spotting a burgundy Buick turning out onto the street and catching sight of the driver’s bold scarlet-hued hair, her heart sank into her stomach and she mentally kicked herself for not being quicker. Now she can add my name to the lengthy list of people who’ve failed Wanda Maximoff, (Y/N) thought as her shoulders dropped in dejection. While she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and texted Stephen Strange’s number, she tried not to linger on the memory of her friend’s heartbroken expression and the pain that had filled her green eyes while she grappled with the agony of losing Vision for a second time.

(Y/N): All finished here, eagerly anticipating a portal to get me the hell out of this godforsaken state S. Strange/The Wizard: Sounds like it went about as well as I’d anticipated… (Y/N): Oh, you have no idea ☹

A sparking orange portal appeared beside (Y/N) and whirled itself open to reveal her living room. Ignoring the handful of S.W.O.R.D. employees that were gawking from inside the building’s headquarters, she stepped through the portal and breathed a sigh of relief when the portal closed itself behind her, leaving her standing in her unruly but blessedly private home. They’d accepted Nick Fury’s offer of living in a temporary safehouse while they healed from their traumatic ordeals and acclimated themselves to civilian life, which meant that for the past week, their home was steadily piling high with taped-up moving boxes while they waited for Fury to finish making the final necessary arrangements for their new house; they’d still maintain ownership of their Brooklyn home, of course, but for the next several months, the (Y/L/N)-Rogers family would be calling the peaceful town of Rockport, Maine their home.

“We’re in here, sunshine,” Steve’s voice emanated from the kitchen. After tossing her purse onto the nearest armchair and kicking off her high heels, (Y/N) padded into the kitchen but froze halfway through the doorway at the unusual sight that she was met with; her husband was perched on a stool at the kitchen island with the sleeve of his shirt rolled up, his nose wrinkled in displeasure as a floating syringe punctured the skin of his small bicep, and Stephen Strange, dressed in full Master of the Mystic Arts regalia, was carefully manipulating the hovering syringe with magic as his blue-green eyes narrowed in concentration. “Bruce dropped off my last round of vaccinations; today’s Tdap, Varicella, MMR and an annual flu shot, so I’m feeling particularly pin-cushioney.”

“Well, I think you’ve been a very brave pin cushion, sweetheart.” With a sympathetic smile, (Y/N) crossed the room to where Steve was seated and kissed his cheek. “And all of your Band-Aids are very cute.”

Steve huffed in exaggerated dissatisfaction and Stephen’s lip curled up into his signature smirk; the sorcerer willed the empty syringe away and magically applied another Paw Patrol Band-Aid onto the former super-soldier’s bicep. “Just think, Rogers, in two weeks you’ll finally be able to be around your daughter without wearing a surgical mask, and your de-serumed life will officially begin.”

“Definitely something to look forward to,” Steve conceded, biting back a wince as he wrapped an arm around (Y/N)’s waist and looked at her expectantly. “How’d your meeting with Director Hayward go?” She grimaced at his question and his expression fell. “That bad, huh?”

(Y/N) shrugged half-heartedly. “Wanda at least showed up but after seeing S.W.O.R.D.’s work firsthand, I wish she hadn’t come at all.”

While she recalled their contentious meeting with Director Hayward, she looked between both men and was struck by their differing reactions to her story; Steve was rightfully enraged on Wanda’s behalf for being denied a sliver of closure and beyond livid when he learned of the organization’s plans for the remains of his former teammate, but Stephen was primarily focused on Director Hayward’s comments regarding Wanda’s powers and the young woman’s momentary loss of control. (Y/N) arched a brow at the sorcerer’s piqued interest but didn’t address it, drawing the conclusion that as a Master of the Mystic Arts, he was naturally curious about powerful beings and their unique skill sets. They were both disgusted by the director’s callous behavior towards her after Wanda departed, with Steve’s jaw clenching tight and Stephen’s eyes narrowing as she spoke, and they both nodded in approval at her biting response to his cold-heartedness.

“I’ll give T’Challa and Rhodey a call to let them know what Hayward’s up to, but I’m afraid that that’s all I can really do.” (Y/N) let out a defeated sigh and twisted her wedding ring around her finger. “Fury made it clear that we can’t afford to draw any unusual attention to ourselves for the time being.”

Steve looked down at the marble countertop as guilt filled his azure eyes. “Because of me.”

“Steve…” Cupping his cheek, she gently coaxed him to look over at her and offered him a small smile of understanding. “After a lifetime spent prioritizing others, you finally chose to prioritize yourself and that shouldn’t make you feel an ounce of guilt. We may not be able to help Wanda ourselves, but we can pass along some very valuable information to the people who will.”

While the former super-soldier returned her smile with one of his own and gave her a chaste kiss, the sorcerer shrugged and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “All I can say is that it’s a real shame this can’t all be solved with a sling-ring, a portal and a little bit of grand theft.”

A soft whimpering began to emanate from the baby monitor resting atop the microwave, drawing (Y/N) and Steve’s immediate attention. “It must be time for Cari’s bottle; I’ll go get her while you start prepping it?” She hummed in agreement, turning to retrieve a clean bottle and a container of formula from the cabinet while Steve approached Stephen with his hand outstretched. “Thank you again for all your help today, Doc.”

“It’s nothing, really. In fact, I should be the one thanking you.” Stephen shook Steve’s hand and chuckled. “I don’t exactly get many opportunities to put my medical degrees to good use, so thanks for that.” After grabbing the baby monitor and donning a fresh surgical mask, Steve left the kitchen and Stephen turned his attention to (Y/N). “I wouldn’t worry too much about Wanda, (Y/N). I’ll keep an eye on her, check in from time to time and make sure she’s doing all right.”

(Y/N) screwed the cap back onto the full bottle and shook it as she studied the older man standing before her, unable to shake the feeling that there was more to his reasoning than selflessness. “You’re concerned about her powers.”

“…I’m more so intrigued by her powers; after all, reckless experimentation with an Infinity Stone somehow imbued her with enough power to nearly kill Thanos and made her one of the most formidable beings on this planet.” Stephen’s quaking fingers withdrew his sling-ring from his pocket and slipped it on with a half-smile. “As the Master of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, it’s my responsibility to keep a list of every powerful or supernatural person in my general vicinity and after what you’ve just told me, Wanda Maximoff’s shot to the very top of it.”

Biting her lip, (Y/N) watched as the sorcerer waved his hand and created a sparking orange portal that opened into the sanctum’s foyer, contemplating his words before countering them. “I understand. Just don’t…don’t forget that even with all that power, she’s still just a person, Stephen. Promise me?”

“I won’t,” Stephen solemnly vowed, taking a step into the sanctum and turning to give her a small wave. “See you around, (Y/N).”

She smiled and waved back while he closed the portal and in an instant, she was left alone in her kitchen with her daughter’s bottle of formula clutched in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she worked to ground herself and avoid replaying the memories of Wanda’s losses and heartbreaks in her mind, but her effort was for naught; she recalled Clint carrying Pietro Maximoff’s body onto the helicarrier after evacuating Novi Grad, Wanda huddled in the corner of a tiny prison cell with a collar fastened around her neck, Vision using his last words to reassure his distraught lover as she used her powers to destroy him, the anguished cry that echoed throughout the Wakandan clearing when Thanos used the Time Stone to bring Vision back and rip the Mind Stone out of the android’s forehead, the emptiness that remained in Wanda’s eyes throughout Tony and Natasha’s funerals…

“Everything okay out there, baby?”

Shaken out of her memories, (Y/N) wiped away her tears and took another breath before calling back, “I was just seeing Stephen out; I’ll be right there!”

While she made her way through the house to their daughter’s nursery and beamed down at the cooing infant as she took her into her arms and sat down in the room’s rocking chair to feed her her bottle, (Y/N) took solace in the feeling of Steve’s arm draping around her shoulders and the adoration that illuminated Carina’s face. It isn’t fair, she thought again to herself as she absentmindedly hummed the Sokovian lullaby that had been taught to her by Wanda years before, it isn’t fair that we’ve gotten our happily ever after and Wanda’s all alone. With all she’d seen and done throughout the years, it would be foolish not to believe that there wasn’t some sort of higher power out there, so as she was surrounded by her beloved husband and daughter, (Y/N) sent a silent but earnest wish to that power that while she healed from her past traumas, Wanda Maximoff would finally find her own lasting happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: All I want is for Wanda to be happy, but I guess the universe continues to have other plans for her :/ Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ziGMhEsAw833GQ9eV44nR?si=6dfead09c76848d5 

Stumblin’ In Book VII: “Superhero Snapshots” Masterlist 

Stumblin' In Book VI: "Endgame" Masterlist

Tagging: @mrs-obrien @lahoete @awkward117 @fanficfandomlove @momc95 @savedbystyle @awkwardnesshabitat @marinettepotterandplagg @benakenalove @brooke0297 @hufflepeople @outoftheregular @junipermurdock @mads-weasley @username23345 @crist1216 @capswife @lilmschild @crowleysqueenofhell @mary1raven @groovy-lady @ljej95 @toostrangerkid @prettysbliss

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Second Chance - Chapter 7

Master list

Warning: affects of chemotherapy treatment, lack of appetite, fatigue, body aches

Note: a lot of this chapter is based on my own personal experience with the disease. As I've learned chemotherapy effects everyone very differently. The type of chemo the reader is on is based on her type of cancer but the treatment plan may not be 100% accurate.

Relationships: Yelena x Reader, Avengers x Reader (Platonic), Wanda x reader (Platonic), Tony x daughter!reader, Pepper x daughter!reader

Word Count: 2.9k

“Breakfast smells wonderful darling,” Vision said, with a quick kiss to Wanda’s temple. Eating wasn’t something the android needed to do, he gathered energy from the mind stone. Sometimes, she would see him try a small bite of food to understand the appeal of it.

“Thank you,” she said. Even though he didn’t eat, he would always compliment her on it. She knew she didn’t have to cook for the team, everyone had their individual space and the ability to cook their food. But it was Wanda’s way to bring everyone together and to ensure everyone was eating. She grew up in a war-torn country where food wasn’t the easiest to come by. Three meals a day was a luxury. She knew what it felt like to be hungry and as long as she was around, no one would know that feeling.

As the common area began to fill with the sound of silverware against plates and the chatter of the plans for the day, Wanda smiled. Her family. She never thought she’d be here. With the death of her brother, her time at the RAFT, and 5 years of her life taken from her, she felt undeserving of a happy family. Her eyes fell on Yelena, Kate, and America. The trio were laughing about something but she was surprised you weren’t with them. She frowned, setting down her cup of coffee, and excused herself.

The AI must have sensed her urgency because the elevator wasted no time getting her to your floor. She knocked a few times on your door but it remained shut. She opened the door and saw your kitchen empty. Walking towards the direction of your bedroom, she saw you in bed still fast asleep. She knew you overdid it yesterday. Quietly, she walked to the side of your bed and sat in the space. “Sweetheart,” she gently rubbed your back. “Can you wake up for me?” It took a moment but you groaned and your eyes blinked open. “Good morning,” she said. “Breakfast is ready, do you want me to bring you some?” You shook your head.

“Not hungry,” you mumbled, closing your eyes. That worried Wanda. You barely ate dinner and she doubted you ate anything when you met your floor mates. “Why don’t I go get you a protein shake?” You were already falling asleep when Wanda left your room and went into the kitchen. She saw a box of strawberry Ensure that was mission one. Grabbing a bottle and a sleeve of crackers, she walked back into your room. You were in the same position she left you. However, when she set the food on your nightstand and sat back down on your bed, your eyes fluttered open. “I brought you an ensure and some crackers. Can you promise you’ll try to drink some of it?” You nodded.

“Promise,” you mumbled, eyes closing again.

“Let FRIDAY know if you need anything, okay?” You hummed that you understood. Wanda sighed and left your room, gently closing the door behind her. While she walked back to the common area, she was lost in thought of the possibility today you not getting better.

“How is she?” Vision asked when she returned to her spot with Vision, Natasha, and Bucky.

“How did-?” She cut herself off. It was the mind stone. It gave him life and her powers but also a deep connection between the pair. Wanda sighed, glancing at the Young Avengers who were now entertaining Morgan. “She’s not doing well. She barely could keep her eyes open and she wasn’t hungry.” Natasha took a sip of her coffee.

“We should tell Pepper and Tony, they’ll want to know.” She kept her hands wrapped around the mug as she stared into the dark liquid. Wanda kept her powers from venturing into the Black Widow’s thoughts. Instead, Bucky gently hit his shoulder against hers.

“What’s on your mind, doll?” He asked. The Black Widow sighed, setting her mug on the counter.

“I just hope one of us is a match,” she said. “Not sure what will happen to this tower if she doesn’t pull through.” Wanda wondered if the Russian developed the ability to read minds as those were the same thoughts and fears running through her mind.

“Miss. Easton is a remarkable young lady,” Vision said. “She will pull through.”

“Yes she is,” Wanda confirmed. “But the body can only go through so much.” She saw a brief moment in your mind when you touched her powers. There were a lot of light and happy moments that you held onto tight but there were emotions inside you that Wanda knew too well. Guilt. Anger. Sadness. A small dash of loneliness. The witch was worried those emotions were going to win.

*

With Wanda’s update regarding how you were feeling and a much-needed break, Pepper told Tony she could go check on you. She was hoping that a little more sleep was all you needed and you would be back to your normal self. Tony hid it well but the news Wanda told them worried him. Unfortunately, when Pepper entered your room, you were still asleep in bed and the food Wanda left you remained untouched. The CEO sighed and sat on your bed. “Hey honey,” Pepper softly spoke. “Wakey, wakey” you groaned and flopped onto your back. Your eyes blinked open and you rubbed sleep out of them, keeping our arm across your eyes.

“Hi,” you whispered. Pepper smiled.

“How are you?” You shrugged.

“I’m okay,” the CEO took your arm off your face and gave you a pointed look. You sighed. “I’ve been better.” Pepper chuckled.

“You need to eat and drink something.”

“I did eat,” she glared down at you.

“Both items Wanda left you are unopened,” you frowned. “You have to eat something, sweetheart. Your old man is starting to worry.” You giggled but nodded and sat up. “What do you want?”

“Ensure and my water bottle,” Pepper grabbed the two bottles and handed them to you. You took a few slow sips of your water then opened the ensure. Your nose scrunched as you brought it to your lips. A shiver went down your spine as took two big gulps and struggled to swallow it. You shook your head and put the cap on the bottle. “I won’t be able to keep down anymore.” You said, taking a few more sips of your water.

“You did a great job, honey,” she praised and placed your water bottle back on the nightstand. “Try the crackers in a little bit and I’ll put the rest of this in the fridge.”

“Thank you, Pepper,” you lay back down. “And tell Tony I’m fine,” your eyes started to close. “This is normal.”

“Normal?” She questioned. You hummed, nodding your head.

“Double dosage,” you yawned. “Kicks my ass every time.” ‘Did she just say it happens every time?’ Pepper thought. If you were affected this badly by your normal treatment, how was Plan B gonna affect you? She wasn’t sure if Tony or Morgan or even herself could handle it if your condition got worse.

The CEO was snapped out of her thoughts by your quiet snores. The CEO sighed, stood up, and gently ran her hand over your head. “You’ll overcome this,” she said, kissing your forehead. “You can’t come into our lives, turn it upside down, then leave.”

*

“I want Y/n to have dinner with us,” Morgan pouted, moving her barely-touched spaghetti into the bowl. It was tradition for the family of three to have dinner together on their floor. But Morgan refused to eat until you were there, putting on a little hungry strike.

“We told you, little miss, that she isn’t feeling well,” Pepper said. The girl huffed, throwing her fork down and crossing her arms.

“But she was fine yesterday. I don’t understand. She said her doctor made sure she was healthy,” Tony sighed, whipping his mouth with a napkin. “Why did she lie?”

“She didn’t lie, pumpkin, sometimes we have days where we feel good and other days not so much,” her pout remained. “Do you remember when you got sick last year? You felt better and played with Lila and Nathaniel all day but the next day you felt all sicky again.” He explained. His youngest slowly nodded.

“The same thing is happening to Y/n,” Pepper added.

“How about this, you eat your dinner and I’ll go check on her and no you can’t come,” he said quickly, shutting down the idea that he saw turning in her head. “Eat your food, squirt,” he kissed the top of her head. “Your mother worked hard on it.”

“Give her a hug for me,” Morgan spun around in her chair. “And, and tell her I want another story. And I want to play fair princesses and-”

“Dinner. Eat,” he cut off his daughter before her rambling got too out of hand.

As Tony took the elevator to your floor, his heart started to beat against his chest. He was nervous. What if you didn’t want to see him and turned him away? What if he messed this up and you no longer wanted him to be in your life? Sighing, he opened the door to your small apartment and ventured towards your bedroom. He was surprised to see you sitting up in your bed with a sketchbook. You smiled. “I was wondering when you’d be down to check on me,” the billionaire chuckled and sat down by your feet. Your knees were bent so he couldn’t see what you were drawing.

“Can I see?” He pointed to the sketchbook. You bit the end of your pencil as you thought about it.

“Sure but it’s not at all finished so don’t judge it too hard,” you handed it to him. He stared at the outline of Morgan while she was playing with some of her toys. “I know it’s not great but -”

“No,” Tony said. “It’s great. You are incredibly talented,” he handed you back the sketchbook. “You drew the pictures that are hung up in your living room.” You nodded, earrings a part of the drawing to redo it.

“Yeah, National Geographic used some of my drawings for an article,” you smiled. “I have the edition somewhere. I’ll show it to you.” He remembered reading about your love for drawing in one of Jessica’s letters. She bought you one of those deluxe art sets with paints and crayons for Christmas. Out of all the toys you received that year, the art set was your most played with gift. Tony imagined spending time with you in his lap as you drew him blueprints for new inventions. Maybe it could happen when you were feeling better. “I’m okay, Tony,” you said, closing your sketchbook. “Just part of the process.”

“Well I’m here because Princess Morgan has a message,” you sat up straighter at the mention of the younger girl.

“Oh and what does her majesty say?” Tony chuckled at your serious tone. “This is not a laughing matter, what does the princess request?” Even you couldn’t keep a straight face and let out a few giggles.

“The princess declares she wants to play fair princesses, another story, and,” he paused. The next request was complicated but he knew FRIDAY would inform his 4-year-old that he didn’t tell you everything. You raised a questioning eyebrow. “And she wants me to give you a hug.”

“Oh,” you squeaked, not expecting it but you recovered and smiled. “Are you going to give me a hug?”

“Do you want a hug?” He countered. You titled your head.

“Yeah, I think I’d like one,” To say Tony was shocked was an understatement. You wanted a hug. A hug from your father that wasn’t in your life but now was. Tony stood up and held out his arms. You hesitated, placed your sketchbook on the nightstand, and hugged him. The billionaire wrapped his around you and felt you let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t help himself and rested his chin on the top of your head.

“You’re a fighter, squirt,” he whispered. “You’re gonna get through this.” You ended the hug, eyes glossy from tears but you refused to let them fall. Instead, you let out another breath and chuckled.

“Squirt?” You questioned. Tony shrugged.

“Testing out nicknames for you, how do you like it?” You scrunched your nose.

“It’s okay. Let me know if you come up with something else.” He chuckled.

“Understood,” he kissed your forehead. “Come get me if you need anything.”

“I will,” you whispered.”

*

You watched him leave your room and when you heard the door closed you slumped back into bed. Tears prickled at the corner of your eyes as you still felt his arms around you. He smelt like spaghetti and coffee, and he was so warm. You wished he was still hugging you but it made you miss your mom even more. The way she also smelt of coffee from long days at the courthouse that she tried to mask with her floral perfume. With a sigh, you stood up and made your way to the kitchen, your sketchbook in your hand. You knew you weren’t going to be able to keep the ensure down so that left you limited options. Yogurt, no. Oatmeal, no. Applesauce, maybe. You grabbed a small apple sauce, and vanilla protein powder, and sat down at the island. You put about 2 tablespoons of the powder into the apple sauce and mix it up.

Starring at the spoonful, you contemplated your life choices and ate it. Yup, it was not good; tasted like metal even when you were using a plastic spoon. But you managed to eat all of it. Once you cleaned up, you decided to move onto the couch. With a Disney movie on and your sketchbook on your lap, it was a nice change of scenery. You took a break from the drawing you started of Morgan and began a new one. It was the picture you took of the Blonde Black Widow from your outing together.

You couldn’t help it but this image plagued your mind. You thought about it constantly not just the image but her. Her warmth. Her smile. Her sense of humor. Everything about her made your heart skip and stomach drop. Oh, you were in trouble.

*

It was morning when your door opened again. You slept on the couch, too tired and achy to move back to your room. You smirked when you saw America and Kate. “I feel like I need to lock that door,” you said. “Everyone just keeps coming in.” America giggled.

“Well, we come barring gifts.” She said, walking over to the couch with her girlfriend. They sat down around the table and you slide off the couch to join them on the floor. America set a board game on the table called A Ticket to Ride and Kate began to take out snacks from plastic bags. Pretzels, crackers, and a few breakfast options. She set an electrolyte drink in front of you.

“What are you guys doing?” You asked.

“We thought we could keep you company since you aren’t feeling well,” Kate said. “We can leave if you want us to.” You shook your head.

“No, this is great,” you said. “So, how do we play?”

*

“Did she eat anything?” Tony asked the couple when they walked out of the elevator. Kate shook her head.

“She drank an electrolyte drink we got her but nothing.” So with Kate and America’s attempt to get you to eat something not going to plan, Tony found himself in med bay with Helen on a video chat with Dr. Carpenter.

“When was the last time she ate?” Your doctor asked, leaning forward in his office chair.

“FRIDAY, can you give us a list of everything she’s eaten in the past few days?” Tony asked the AI. The AI was quiet for a second as it collected all the data.

“Miss. Eaton’s last full meal was breakfast the day after her chemotherapy appointment,” which was almost 48 hours ago. “Since then she’s had half of an ensure, some crackers, and apple sauce with protein powder,” Tony watched the man think, head moving side to side.

“Okay, if she doesn’t eat tonight we’ll hook her up at an IV- hydration fluids and a low dosage of steroids,” he turned to his computer. “I’ll prescribe her some steroids that she’ll need to take before her next treatment. Can you weigh her before you start?” Helen nodded.

“We’ll get her all set up here,” she said.

“Before we go, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us,” Tony said. “But is she like this after every treatment?” Lucas sighed, placing his chin in his hands.

“I am going to tell you something about your daughter, Tony,” he started. “When her mother died, she cut everyone out of her life. If she didn’t send me a postcard every once in a while, I would have no idea if she was alive,” the billionaire frowned at that. “So, she’s used to dealing with everything on her own.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I don’t know,” he admitted. “Even as her doctor and friend, she told me the bare minimum of how she feels. Like I said, she’s very stubborn and it may be her downfall.”

_

Taglist: @likemick, @averagetmblrusser, @wandaromamoff69, @simpforyelenabelova, @cd-4848,

[thewriterg]

♡︎𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞♡︎

pairing(s): Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader, sub!wanda x dom!reader, Thor Odinson x fem!reader, Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

summary: Wanda had been teasing you all night and your patience was beyond thin with the witch so you get a little revenge and give her a punishment early when she steps a little too close with a toaster

word count: 880+

warning(s): Reader is a empath, magical orgasms, overstimulation, dirty talk, public sex not really but kinda, jealousy, kisses, and language

A/n:—GIF; @dreamgirlevil & @nikolatexla— you guys seem to like sub Wanda so here we are

You sat at the bar talking to a very bright and loud Thor as and a smirking Natasha Tony forced invited you and your girlfriend Wanda to his Christmas party at first you had no intention to attend whatsoever but your little witch could be very persuading

The red skirt she wore with a thick black belt and and and even bigger buckle to impersonate old Saint Nick was very distracting but you had set a note for yourself that kept you focused on the conversation at once

You’d get your gif sooner or later.

You’d get your gif sooner or later.

Thor telling some story about Asgard never seem to put a very infrequent smile on your face you viewed the man as a father of the sorts him, Natasha, and Bucky tied when it came to opening up the most

Usually you were all ears for the blondes story times but as you scanned through the unnecessarily large crowd your smile dropped as the view of Wanda talking to Vision twisting the tips of her in her fingertips as a Santa hat rested on the top of her head

As you began to look back at the group of people you sat around you could see Natasha in your face smirking wide at you and you couldn’t help but advert your glare from the advanced res toaster across the room to the redhead assassin in front of you

“Are you alright lady Y/n? Your eyes seem to be flashing war” Thor spoke up from his position completely oblivious and innocent to the silent conversation You and Natasha were having beside you placing a large hand on your shoulder

“I’m fine Goldie, I would really like to meet Heimdall one day but I have to excuse myself” Your eyes only left Natasha’s when you spoke of the Gods mentor and all around best friend as he nodded with a bright smile on his face sending you off

As you got up from your position sitting on a bar stool your hands rested at your side as you swifted and swayed your fingers walking through the crowd of people

💌💌💌💌

Wanda felt herself pause mind going blank as she listed to the words the fell from Visions lips in the air her vision went blurry and Vision could see the redheads eyes flash crimson as Wanda felt a pleasurable torture in her underwear it felt as if 1000 orgasms was rushing over her core at once

“e-excuse me for a second v-vision” Wanda attempted to excuse herself before your arm wrapped around her shoulder you could feel the witch’s glossy eyes on you but your line of sight was focused on the human like android in front of you

“Vision, how are you this evening?” Wanda could tell you were in no mood to talk and your question to the man had a purpose for you own pleasure

“Delighted Ms. Y/l/n, I was just Talking to Wanda about our last mission” There was slight smugness in his voice that had you tilting your head a certain way as Wanda gripped onto the fabric of your sweater a small gasp coming from her parted lips as she squeezed her legs closed

The last mission he happened to be talking about was a small one in Afghanistan that him along with Wanda and Steve took while you were on your own mission in Wisconsin and you couldn’t help but want to wipe the smug look right off Visions face

“Congratulations on your success, my darling here told me all about how she had to heal you in the field never got much of it but I know surprise shots could be a scare we’ll not for most of us who just have faster reflexes” Vision was breaking under the pressure of your game and you loved ever Meer passing second of it

But you were getting impatient and Wanda knew that you were about to end your game and it caused a dripping to run down her thighs to her feet that rested in the black boots she wore

“Now it was nice talking to you Vision, but me and Wanda should get going I apologize if you hear a little commotion tonight but I think that’ll teach you a little something about the way you talk to my witch”

Just as you finished your sentence Wanda came with a loud cry that you couldn’t hear over the music unless you were close and Vision was indeed close enough

“Tell Vision goodnight Wanda.” You demanded lightly as the redheads body shook in your side at the overstimulation reaching down you pinched her bottom as she gasped her hips jerking

“g-g-goodnight vision-n” You gave one more smile to the a android before turning around trailing off with Wanda right on your trying to keep her wobbly legs under control as she passed greeting guests

“Pull something like that again and I’ll fuck you stupid right in front of him” You growled into the girls ear as you both made your way into the elevator

“Y-yes mam” Wanda didn’t think she had stuttered in less than five minutes in her life but even if she wanted to think about her brain was clouded with euphoria and ecstasy

Wanda knew it would be a long night for her.

[moonlightdawn1102]

Arion's Angel - Chapter Six

Pairings: Slight Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 1262

Warnings: N/A

Balcony, Avengers Tower

Rushing out of the conference room you head back to the bedroom that Bucky had shown you earlier. You enter and slam the door behind you, the room is equipped with a balcony so you decide to head out onto it. Despite not needing to breathe, you were desperate for the fresh air.

You collapse against the railing and cry quietly, you’d been through unimaginable pain throughout the centuries you’d been alive but nothing had ever come close to losing your children and murdering your own son. Luca hadn’t even told you to bring up your past, at least not in that much detail but when you’d started speaking you just couldn’t stop.

Conference Room, Avengers Tower

To say that your story had shocked the Avengers was an understatement. Silence engulfed the room for around ten minutes and each member of the team took that time to try and process what you’d told them. Steve was the first to speak up but even he was unsure of what to say after the information you’d just dropped on them, “So what are people’s initial thoughts? This is our time to talk about it without anyone’s feelings getting hurt”

Tony sighs heavily when no one else speaks up, “Personally I don’t think she should be on the team. She’s clearly unstable. She killed her own son. What’s to stop her from killing any of us? She’s not even human, I mean we saw the way she tore those Hydra agents apart. It was..It was animalistic. I understand that she had a terrible start in life but she still hasn’t accounted for the next three hundred and eighty years after being made into a vampire. You can’t tell me that she didn’t kill anyone in all that time..” he says firmly.

Wanda frowns slightly at Tony’s words, “I disagree. You have no idea what it’s like Tony. To have a power that you can’t control. You saw how broken up and regretful she was when talking about her children. That’s not the response of someone who doesn’t care about people, especially those she loves. I think she should be allowed to join the team. Or she should at least be able to stay here until we see how she works within the group” she states softly.

Natasha clears her throat and leans forward to rest her elbows on the conference room table, “I agree with Wanda. Y/N deserves a chance to prove to us that she wants to be a member of this team. Most of us have skeletons in our past and enough red in our ledgers to last a lifetime. Just because she’s not exactly human doesn’t mean we give up on her. Half of the members of this team aren’t human to begin with, I mean just take a look around, Thor’s a god, Vision is an android and Bruce has an alter ego. I vote for her to stay with us” she says firmly, the tone of her voice advised none of them to argue with her.

Yelena can’t stop the laugh that escapes her which causes everyone in the room to stare at her in confusion, “Sorry I’ve just not heard Natasha speak that sternly since we were kids” she explains. Natasha rolls her eyes at her sister’s behaviour, “Really Yelena? This isn’t the most appropriate time for you to reminisce” she chastises.

Yelena shrugs her shoulders, “Well I think she should stay, I don’t even feel like I need to explain why, it’s pretty damn obvious that she deserves a shot at being a member of this team. I think we should just move on” she says while leaning back in her chair.

The team continued to discuss your future but Bucky had heard enough. His only thought was that you’d rushed out of here in tears and that not one person had gone to check on you. He stands up from his chair and while the rest of the team is deep in conversation and arguments he slips out of the room to look for you.

Bucky figured that you would have headed back to your bedroom considering you hadn’t been shown around the tower yet. He reaches your bedroom door and debates on whether he should just walk in or knock first.

Your Bedroom, Avengers Tower

You were still leaning against the railing of the balcony when you heard someone outside of your bedroom door. You focus and smile slightly when you recognize the smell of Bucky and the steady rate of his heartbeat. You step away from the railing and walk towards the bedroom door, you grab hold of the handle and open the door.

Bucky stares at you in shock, “Oh..erm..I..I wasn’t just lurking around out here, I swear. I just..I wanted to come and check on you. That must have been hard for you to talk about” he says softly.

You couldn’t believe how sweet and kind this man in front of you was, Luca had told you that he was nothing but a machine but you knew that was a lie.

Opening the bedroom door further, you invite Bucky into the room. He steps inside and you shut the door, “Yeah..It was..It’s a lot..I haven’t spoken about my past in a very long time. Or my family or my..erm..kids for that matter. You must think I’m a monster, right? For what I did..” you say quietly. Every fibre of your being hoped that Bucky wouldn’t hate you and not just for the benefit of the mission either.

Bucky sighs softly and shakes his head with a slight smile, “No I don’t think you’re a monster. I know a little something about not being in control of your own mind or body. And I know that you never would have hurt the people you love if you had a choice. I understand the feeling of guilt and remorse you must have experienced after coming back to your senses. So no Y/N you won’t ever be a monster to me..” he says genuinely. 

You stood there completely gobsmacked for a minute, you’d wanted and needed him to believe in you but you could never have predicted how genuine he’d be or that he’d be able to relate to you on such a deep level. Not knowing what else to do you take a step towards him and wrap your arms around his neck pulling him into a tight hug, “Thank you Bucky” you whisper while inhaling his scent.

The mixture of vanilla, leather and wood was quickly becoming a comfort for you, never mind the scent from his blood that was enough to drive you wild.

Bucky cradles you against his chest, “You’re welcome Y/N. You’re not alone anymore” he says gently.

You pull away from the hug and sigh gently, “The rest of the team have to make that decision yet. I know Tony doesn’t want me here, I’m sure others will agree with him” you say sadly. You needed the team to accept you or you’d have to face the consequences from Luca.

Bucky chuckles gently, “Natasha, Yelena and Wanda were pretty passionate about you staying. And those three are pretty persuasive when they get together. I wouldn’t worry your pretty head about it. Why don’t we go for a walk until they’ve made a decision? It’ll keep your mind occupied” he suggests.

You blush and nod your head, “I’d love to” you say with a smile. 

[marvelcvte]

morning bliss - sam wilson

*The above image is not intended to force the reader to identify with any of the people in it. Its purpose is to present the concept of the story.*

pairing: sam wilson x f!reader theme: fluff warnings: none word count: 649 summary: sam is back from a mission and you finally wake up beside him. a/n: hi!! i hope you like it, it's my first time writing here so be kind (: feedback is always appreciated

»»————-　　————-««

The sunshine sparkles against your face, the kind warm of the sun makes you shuffle between the sheets.

The moments of the evening before run through your mind as fast as they came. Sam had returned from his mission and run back to your apartment right away.

Just in time to say hi, you jumped on him and made love to him after a very long time. That's why now you're naked in your bed and he's breathing lightly next to you.

You decide to wake up silently and head to the kitchen to make him breakfast, just like old times. You stretch out noticing that your clothes are nowhere to be seen, apart from your underwear thrown away in a corner of the room.

You collect it and put it on, leaving you shirtless. And that's when you notice his shirt resting on the dresser. You tip toe towards it and put it on, feeling its perfume and softness.

You exit your bedroom, heading to the kitchen. You start the coffee maker on the stove while cutting fresh food for yourself. As you wait for the coffee to come out, you bite down on your apple.

There is a calmness in the air that you never felt since Sam went away. Everyday you would wake up thinking about him, hoping he was safe and waiting for his return. Now that you know he's in your bed, there's no need to worry further more.

The noise of the coffee maker gets you out from your river of thoughts. As you turn off the stove and open the cupboard to pick two cups, a voice behind you makes you jump a little.

"Good morning."

You don't have time to turn around, that you feel two powerful arms wrap around your waist. Sam was waken up by the smell of fresh coffee and decided to join you.

You smile fondly, even if he can't see you. You finally turn around and you put your hands on his bare pecs. His hands are now on the counter, trapping you.

"Good morning," you smile at him. He leaves little kisses on your face.

"You know, I missed waking up like this," he finally says, between his kisses on your neck. You feel the soft fabric of the shirt against your already turgid nipples.

You break the embrace before it is too late. You pick the coffee maker and pour the coffee in each cup. You hand him his, while blowing on yours.

He takes place on the stool and you do the same on the one in front of him.

You two have so much catching up to do, but you always find it hard talking to him after his missions. He sees aliens, androids and wizards everyday and, for him, it must be a lot to process.

Even if he's a soldier, nobody really prepared him for what he would encounter after joining the Avengers. That was Steve's job, but since his departure "on the moon", Sam has to deal with all that alone. It's just you and Bucky left for him.

"What are you thinking about?" Sam suddenly asks, breaking the silence between you two. You observe his features after replying.

"Nothing. Just... remember that I'm here for you."

He smiles, letting out the little breath he was holding. "Come here," he then says, gesturing at you to sit on his lap.

You obey and position yourself on him. His hand is caressing your cheek, then your neck, then the collar of his shirt.

"You look better in my clothes than I do." He notices what you're wearing, feeling the fabric as he strokes it.

"You think so?" you ask jokingly. He knows how much of a tease you are, in fact he feels himself twitch as you speak.

"You know, I think you look even better without any."

[missmarveledsblog]

I think you'd like this story: "Stand tall ( BUCKY X READER )" by Missmarveled on Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/story/346796823?utm_source=android&utm_medium=com.tumblr&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details_button&wp_uname=Missmarveled

[sarahsmi13s]

Lieutenant Rogers - pt 4

Earn It

pairings: romantic!neil ‘omaha’ vikander x rogers!reader, platonic!dagger squad x rogers!reader, plantonic!sam wilson x rogers!reader, platonic!bucky barnes x rogers!reader

characters: y/n rogers, neil vikander, the entire dagger squad (admirals and captain included), sam wilson, bucky barnes, john walker, lemar hoskins, misc. characters from both universes

series warnings: language, blood, fighting, sexual inuendoes, john walker, cannon dangers, cannon deaths, suggestive themes, the flag smashers, super soldiers, if i miss any please let me know

word count: ~4.1k

a/n: if you couldn’t already tell, i’m OBSESSED with crossovers. reader is the daughter of steve rogers, and has the super soldier serum as well

sources: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)  

series summary: 13 pilots were called back to Top Gun in 2023. at the same time, Lieutenant Rogers learns that her father’s shield was passed down to John Walker.

chaper summary: sam and bucky finally meet john in person. so does star. neither interactions were in john’s favor.

pt 1  pt 2  pt 3  pt 5  pt 6

************

“We need to tell Y/N,” Bucky said as he walked alongside Sam. “Hell no,” Sam said immediately. “Why not? She needs to know!” “No, she does not. She is training, and this is not her problem.” “She’s a super soldier, just like them.” “Well, technically she’s a super pilot, not a soldier.” Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Sorry about Redwing,” Bucky said after a few minutes of silence. “No you’re not,” Sam said. He looked over at Bucky, “What’s going on in the big cyborg brain of yours?” 

“It’s computing,” Buck replied flatly, making Sam chuckled. “You know what? I can actually see it. I can see the gears turning. Ope, they’re malfunctioning, shuttin’ down. Yep, they’re on fire.” 

Bucky ignored his teasing, “We gotta figure out where the serum’s coming from.” “Yeah. And how in the hell after 80 years are there 8 super soldiers runnin’ loose?”

A truck pulled up beside them, honking.

“So that didn’t go as planned, huh?” John said from the back. 

Sam and Bucky barely glanced as they kept walking. 

“Okay. Let’s keep going.” The car rolled forward, staying in front of the two.

“Look, at least we know what we’re up against now, huh? And we’re pretty sure it’s one of the big three, so..” John continued. “Aliens, androids, or wizards?” “Pretty sure.” 

Bucky shook his head and scoffed, “There’s no such thing as wizards.” John nodded, “Alright, then it’s aliens, or androids.” Sam finally turned his head, “Or super soldiers.” 

“Shit, super soldiers. For real?” The other guy in the truck said. “Yeah.” “Wow. Alright. Then we work together.” “That’s not happening,” Bucky said bluntly.

John sighed, “I think we stand a much better chance if we all just-” Bucky cut him off, “Just 'cause you carry that shield, it doesn't mean you're Captain America.” He was fuming on the inside, but just mildly annoyed on the outside. “Look, I've done the work, okay?” John was becoming impatient. “You ever jump on top of a grenade?” Bucky challenged.

Walker didn’t miss the chance to brag, “Yeah. Actually, I have. Four times. It's a thing I do with my helmet. It's a reinforced helmet. It's a long story, but, any… Look, it's 20 miles to the airport. You guys need a ride. Guys. Gary, stop. Get in.” 

Okay, you gotta give the man credit for trying to be friendly but he was doing it for the wrong reasons.

Bucky and Sam shared a look before begrudgingly climbing into the truck.

And the talking started immediately. “Okay, so we've got eight Super Soldiers on a bulk supply run. Why?” Sam sighed, knowing there was no way around trying to work with him, “They say their mission is to get things back to the way it was during The Blip. Maybe they're just trying to help.” “They had a funny way of showing it,” Bucky voiced.

“That serum doesn't exactly have a great track record. No offense.” John was already approaching their last nerve, that stepped right on it. But they continued to be cordial.

Well, Sam did, Bucky was just staring.

“We need to figure out where they're going. How'd you track 'em here? The Flag Smashers?” Sam asked, looking between the two. “Uh, no, we didn't track them, we tracked you, uh, through Redwing,” the guy next to John said, scratching his neck. 

“You hacked my tech?”

John chuckled, seemingly amused by Sam’s frustration, “Sorry. It's not exactly hacking. It's government property. Kind of the government.” Bucky just stared at him, pondering how someone had that much audacity dare carry the shield. 

“Does he always just stare like that?” Sam glanced at Bucky before looking back at Walker, “You get used to it.”

“Okay, look,” John cleared his throat, “you know, things have gotten kind of, uh…” “Chaotic.” “Yeah. The GRC, they're doing the best they can to get things up and running smoothly, post Blip.” “Reactivating citizenship, social security, healthcare. Basically just managing resources for the refugees who were displaced by the return.” Sam nodded, “The Global Repatriation Council does all that. I get that. So why exactly are you two here?”

The man next to John continued to explain, “Well, they provide the resources and we keep things stable.” John chimed in, “Yeah, violent revolutionaries aren't usually good for anyone's cause.” “Usually said by the people with the resources.” John nodded, “We got a lot of resources. If you guys, if you joined up with us, we could-”

“No,” Bucky bluntly cut Walker off, firm in his decision. 

“I got mad respect for both of y'all. But you were getting your asses kicked till we showed up.” Bucky looked at him, “Who are you?” “Lemar Hoskins.” Sam scoffed, “Look, I see a guy hanging out of a helicopter in tactical gear, I need a lot more than Lemar Hoskins.” “I’m ‘Battlestar’. John’s partner.” Bucky really couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “‘Battlestar’?” Bucky nodded, turning to the front, “Stop the car!”

The driver, Gary, stopped at a rest point. 

“Look, I-I get it, okay? I get the attitude, I do. You didn't think that the shield was gonna end up here. I get it, Bucky,” John called out, but Bucky ignored him. He sighed and turned to Sam, “And I'm-I'm not trying to be Steve. I'm not trying to replace Steve. I'm just trying to be the best Captain America I can be. That's it.” 

He hoped to get Sam on board, “It'd be a whole lot easier if I had Cap's wingmen on my side.”

Scoffing, Sam moved to get out, “It’s always that last line.” 

He shut the door, not thinking about the next words that came out of his mouth, “If you really want support, you need it from more than just Cap’s ‘wingmen’.” Sam shook his head and followed after Bucky.

*********

“Good morning. The uranium enrichment plant that is your target will be operational earlier than expected. Raw uranium will be delivered to the plant in ten days’ time. As a result, your mission has been moved up one week-” Everyone tensed in their seats. “-in order to avoid contaminating the target valley with radiation.”

“Sir,” Coyote spoke up from behind where you were seated beside Hangman. “No one here has successfully flown a low-level course.” You nodded a little as you moved your eyes from Coyote to Warlock. “Nevertheless, you have been ordered to move on. Captain.”

Maverick walked up, “We have one week left to focus on phase two. It’s the most difficult stage of the mission. It’s a pop-strike with a steep dive, requiring nothing less than two consecutive miracles.” You shifted in your seat and flexed your hand. “Two pairs of F-18’s will fly in a welded wing formation. Teamwork. Precise coordination of these aircrafts is essential to both the mission’s success and your survival.”

You glanced up at Hangman to find him clicking his pen as he listened. 

“As you know, the plant rests between two mountains. On final approach, you’ll invert directly into a steep dive. This allows you to maintain the lowest possible altitude, and the only possible attack angle. Your target is an impact point less than 3 meters wide. The two seat aircraft will paint the target with a laser bull’s-eye. The first pair will breach the reactor by dropping a laser guided bomb on an exposed ventilation hatch. They will create an opening for the second pair. That’s miracle number one.”

You glanced over and shared a look with Bob, exhaling your nerves as you turned back to Mav. “The second team will deliver the kill shot and destroy the target. That’s miracle number two. If either team misses the target the mission is a failure.” You sucked in a breath as you popped your knuckles. “Egress is a steep high-G climb out to avoid hitting this mountain.”

Jake spoke up next to you, having seemingly done the math in his head, “A steep climb out at that speed, you’re pulling at least eight G’s.” You shook your head, sitting up, “You’re pulling nine, maybe even ten G’s.” Maverick nodded. 

“The stress limit of the F-18’s airframes is 7.5.” Mav nodded again, looking at Rooster, “That’s the accepted limit. To survive this mission, you’ll pull beyond that, even if it means bending your airframe.”

He took a breath, turning back to the screen, “You’ll be pulling so hard, you’ll weigh close to 2,000 pounds, your skull crushing your spine, your lungs imploding like an elephant’s sitting on your chest, fighting with everything you can just to keep from blacking out. And this is where you’ll be the most vulnerable. This is Coffin Corner.”

Fanboy spoke up, “The only person that could maybe withstand that much force is Star.” Both you and Mav shook your heads. “It may not affect me as much as it would anyone else, but I’m not invincible. The serum boosts my metabolism, it doesn't create miracles.” Mav swallowed, nodding at you before continuing.

“Assuming you avoid crashing into this mountain, you’ll climb straight up into enemy radar while losing all of your airspeed. Within seconds you’ll be fired upon by enemy SAMs. You’ve all faced sustained G’s before, but this-this is gonna take you and your aircraft to your breaking point.” 

Phoenix spoke up, shaking her head slightly, “Sir, is this even achievable?” “The answer to that question will come down to the pilot in the box.”

*******

You just exited the locker room, sore, showered, and ready for some drinks after a long day of failing.

“Lieutenant Rogers,” Admiral Simpson poked his head out of his office. “I need a word, please.” You turned immediately and walked in, “Sir, did I-” “This has nothing to do with the mission, Star,” Warlock assured you.

“I don’t know if you were aware but Captain Walker stopped by wanting to have a word with you,” Cyclone said, crossing his arms and he leaned against his desk. You shook your head, “No, sir, I was not aware the Captain would be stopping by.” Cyclone nodded, “Understood. I sent him away as soon as I could.”

His scoff resembled an unamused chuckle, “He tried to use the ‘I’m Captain America’ card. I had to remind him that this was in fact the Navy and that it didn’t work here.” “Also, we’re Admirals, we out rank him anyway.” 

“We aren’t sure of how he found you. But we wanted you to be aware.” You nodded curtly, “Thank you, sirs. Am I dismissed?” They nodded and you went to the door.

“Star?” You turned, humming in acknowledgement. “We stand with you. We don’t appreciate how your wishes were disrespected, if there’s anything we can do. Let us know.” You smiled a little, nodding, “Thank you.”

Once you closed the door, you were fast walking out of the building going to your bike.

********

You laughed as you stood up straight, “Ha! Told you it’d go in!” “That’s what she said,” Fanboy mumbled behind his glass. You dropped your jaw, “Jar, Garcia, I heard that.” He groaned, “Damn your super hearing.” He placed a dollar in the jar.

As you leaned over to take your next shot, the bar became silent and the pilots around you stood stock still. 

You glanced up to see the anger on their faces. “Okay? What made you guys so sour all of a sudden?”

“Y/N Rogers?”

You froze. You’d recognize that voice anywhere. “You gotta be shittin’ me,” you grumbled to yourself.

Hangman, Omaha, and Harvard looked at you, silently asking if they needed to handle this. You shook your head and stood.

Being extra cautious of how you gripped the pool cue, you turned to face John Walker.

“That would be me.” The blond had a proud smile on his face and looked at Lemar who was next to him, “Told you she’d be here.” 

He cleared his throat and adjusted his suit. “John Walker. Captain America,” he stuck his hand out for you to shake.

The quiet scoffs from behind you went unnoticed by the man in blue. “I know who you are, John.” You jerked your head toward Lemar, “Who’s your friend?” “Lemar Hoskins, or ‘Battlestar’,” he said, nodding politely to you. “Nice to meet you, Lemar.”

John clears his throat, obviously not liking that you seemed to just overlook him. You look at him, giving him a once over, not missing the gun on his belt. “How can I help you boys?” You smirked a little at the way John’s jaw clenched.

“We’re trying to work with Sam and Bucky on a mission, they just don’t seem to respect or support us-“ “And you’re here to ask me to talk to them?” “Would you?” 

A laugh escaped your lips before you could catch it.

Walker furrowed his brow, “What’s so funny?” You took a deep breath to calm yourself, “It’s just, you think that I have any influence over two grown men. Like what I say to them might make them want to work with you. John, you might want to rethink your methods.” “Look, Y/N, all I’m asking for is just a little respect and support. It’d mean a lot if I could get it from you.” You nodded, passing your cue to Hangman before stepping forward.

As you opened your mouth, he spoke, “I understand that this isn’t what you expected, or even wanted. But I’m trying to do the best I can, and having you by my side would really help. What do you say?” 

He gave you a smile, one that he definitely thought could get him what he wanted.

“No,” you said, holding your head high, reveling in the way his smile dropped. “No?”

You crossed your arms, looking down at your boots before looking up at John. “Respect is not simply given, John. You have to earn it.” “I’m Captain America, everyone respects me.” 

Rooster laughed from behind you, causing you to smirk when Walker nearly gave himself whiplash to look at him. 

“Dude, if you didn’t notice, which I’m sure you did, nobody batted an eye when you walked in.”

Hangman looked around, “Yeah, and everyone is just kinda ignoring you. It’s a little embarrassing.” John's fingers twitched, but he made no move, knowing he was severely out matched and out numbered.

“Look, Walker, just because you carry that shield doesn’t mean you get respect from everyone at the drop of a hat. My father earned the respect he got. I’ll admit that you’ve done some good things, but that doesn’t make you a good person. It doesn’t mean you deserve the shield.” John nodded, “Oh, I see. I think I know what this is about.”

You opened your arms, inviting him to continue, “Please, do enlighten me.” 

“You wanted the shield and you’re mad they didn’t choose you.” You scoffed, “Oh, really? That’s why I’m upset? Listen, if I wanted the shield, I would have it. This is all about your attitude, and the fact you think you’re above everyone. My dad never thought that way. He was a nobody that was given a chance. He had a heart of pure fucking gold that was too big for his own good. He stood up to bullies, that’s why he was Captain America. You were chosen because of your achievements, not your heart.”

John opened his mouth to say something, but you cut him off. “You want my respect, go out there and fucking earn it. You want Sam and Bucky’s respect, you earn it. Have the day you deserve, John.” The look in your eyes had Walker biting his tongue and walking out, Lemar looking at you.

You shifted your gaze to him, “I understand he’s your friend, but he needed to be taken down a peg or two. Take care, Lemar.” “You too, Lieutenant.” You gave him a small smile as he walked out, wondering if was only here because John was his friend.

Turning back to your fellow aviators, you exhaled, shaking your head. 

“What a dick,” Halo piped up. You all chuckled, nodding in agreement. You held your hand out, Hangman placing the cue in your hand. “That was pretty badass, Star.”

“You’re lucky you had that handled, Penny was about to make him buy a round for the whole bar for that comment,” Phoenix informed you. “Yeah, her hands were itching to ring that bell,” Payback said, nodding towards the bar. “My hands were itching to knock his damn teeth in,” Coyote said, sipping his beer.

You smiled at the group, watching them move back to their previous activities. You were grateful to have them at your back just now.

Bob came up to you and rubbed your arm, Omaha coming up with him to place a hand on the small of your back. “Are you okay?” You nodded, “Yeah.” 

Your hands gripped the cue a little tighter as you twisted your hands around it. “I think I just need a drink, you can take over for me,” you passed the cue to Bob. They nodded and watched you make your way to the bar, turning back around when you made it there safely.

You stood at the bar, rubbing your temples. Penny noticed your presence and made a note to go over to you when she finished cashing out this patron’s tab.

Glancing over, you made sure none of the squad was paying attention and snuck out the back.

Except someone saw you. 

Maverick watched you push off the bar and make a bee-line to the beach. He watched Penny come back and notice that you had left. “Where’d she go?” Mav gestured to the door, “Outside. Put a drink for her on my tab, I’ll go talk to her.” Penny nodded and got the drink.

****

You sat in the sand, cross-legged and staring at the water. “I’m sorry, Dad…” You mumbled, moving your gaze to look at your hands, Steve’s dog tags tangled in your fingers.

Someone sat down beside you, not saying anything as they held out the bottle. “Thanks.” “No problem.” It was silent for a moment while you both took sips of your respective drinks.

“Hangman would have been a better fit,” you tried to make light of the situation and Mav chuckled. “Don’t let him hear you say that.” You huffed a laugh and took a gulp of your drink.

“You wanna talk about it?” Mav asked, not taking his eyes off the water. You chuckled dryly, “I think I voiced my opinion fairly well.” “Star…” You sighed, “I just- I want- I don’t know…”

You sniffled and rubbed your nose, “I wish I could let it go…” “But you can’t.” You shook your head, “No, I can’t.” “That’s okay. Some things you just can’t let go of,” Mav said, flexing his hand and moving his eyes away from the ocean. You knew he was referring to Goose and Rooster.

You brought your knees up, settling your bottle in the sand. “I feel like I let him down, you know,” you confessed, running your fingers over the raised metal of the tags. “That I should have fought Sam harder. Somehow proven to him that he was ready for it. That he was the Captain America this country needs, not the one it wants. Tell him that he had the ability to really make a difference.” 

Mav hesitantly rubbed your back, “I’m sure Sam had his reasons.” You nodded, “He did. And I respected his decision, I’m in no place to tell him how he should feel or what he should do.”

It was silent for a moment and you didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

You gestured back to the Hard Deck, “I appreciate you checkin’ on me, Mav. But go enjoy the rest of your night. We got a long day tomorrow.” He nodded, “It’s not a problem. If you need anything, don’t hesitate.” You gave him a small smile and watched him retreat to the bar.

As you turned back to the water you sighed and ran a hand down your face, bringing the bottle to your lips to finish it.

As you sat there, your phone rang. “Sam, hey.” “Hey, are you busy?” You shook your head, standing up and dusting the sand off, “Not at the moment, no. Heard you got to meet Walker. Would’ve been nice to have a heads up though.” “Heads up?” “Yeah, he showed up at the Hard Deck. If I don’t see him for another 70 years it’ll be too soon.” 

Sam covers his mouth on the other end, “Shit, he went to North Island?” “Actually he tried to talk to me at work. But the Admirals shooed him away. Then I gave him a piece of my mind about 20 minutes ago.” “I’m sorry, Y/N. I had no idea.” You sighed, “It’s fine. But I know you didn’t call about that, what’s going on?”

“Bucky got arrested.” “What?! Why?!” “He missed his court mandated therapy,” Sam explained. You pinched the bridge of your nose, “Why? He knows how important that is.” “He was with me in Germany. We were there on a lead. He wasn’t even supposed to be there.” You groaned and rubbed your face. “Is there anything I can do?” “No, I think his therapist is on her way.” 

You nodded, hand on your hip now, “Okay. Look, our mission got moved up a week, so I’m gonna be training a lot. So just keep an eye on him.” “Of course. I’ll keep you updated.” “Thanks. And Sam?” He hummed. “Be safe. Watch your six.” “You got it. Give ‘em hell, Star.” You both hung up and you went back to the bar.

********

Sam and Bucky walked outside of the police station. “Well, I feel better.” “I feel awful.”

A siren whooping and lights flashing caught their attention. They looked over to see John and Lamar leaning on a squad car. “Gentlemen.”

They glanced at each other before walking over.

“Good to see you again,” John greeted. He was awfully chipper for someone you just got his ass chewed out by his predecessor's daughter.

Neither spoke and just looked at him. “Look, if we divide ourselves, we don’t stand a chance, you guys know that.” John tried to reason, and he honestly thought getting Bucky out of jail would at least garner a little respect.

Sam spoke, crossing his arms, “So, what you got?” “Well, the leader’s name is Karli Morgenthau. We’ve been targeting civilians who’ve been helping Karli move from place to place,” John started. “They geotagged a location, then scrambled the signal. But our satellites have found their symbol popping up in various displacement communities all across Central and Eastern Europe,” Lamar continued.

“Mhm. We think she’s taking the medicine she just stole to one of these camps.” “Well, there are hundreds of those all over the planet since The Blip. So I guess you’ll have to look real hard,” Bucky smarted off. “Good thing I have 20/20 vision, huh?”

Bucky wasn’t having it, “Where is she now, Walker? Do you know?” “No, we don’t know, Bucky,” John said, frustration making his volume rise. “But, it’s only a matter of time before we find out.” “Things are really intense for you, aren’t they, Walker? Doesn’t help that you didn’t get your special approval from Y/N,” Bucky continued to antagonize.

Sam decided to step in, “Take it easy. Look, Walker’s right. It is imperative that we find them and stop them.” John stood up straight, thinking he finally got them on his side. Sam turned to him, “But you guys have rules of engagement and all kind of authorizations you have to get. Us, we’re free agents. We’re more flexible. So it wouldn’t make sense for us to work with you.” Sam and Bucky walked away.

“A word of advice, then,” John said, fed up with it all. They both turned back to him expectantly. “Stay the hell out of my way.” It was John and Lamar’s turn to walk away.

Bucky and Sam walked down the alley, “You really had to rub that in didn’t you?” Bucky just shrugged, “Well, he wasn’t really following her advice anyway.”

****************

okay... okay i know what you guys were thinking- why not just punch the bastard?

to be honest, i want to i REALLY wanted to - but i think a blow to a man’s ego is much more lethal than getting punched

plus, we don’t need to get in trouble for fighting ‘captain america’ and lose our chance at flying this mission

but regardless i hope you enjoyed!

tags <3: @milesdickpic @luckyladycreator2 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp​

comment if you would like to be tagged <3 

[randomshyperson]

Hi! I'm try to find a Wanda x reader smut... it's where reader's an android and after sparring with bucky, wanda and reader have sex in the showers... can you help me

Heey, if is mine, it's from the blurb collection "kink's special" from last year. You can find it in the master list or here.

[alabamasweettea]

I posted 31 times in 2022

That's 29 more posts than 2021!

17 posts created (55%)

14 posts reblogged (45%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@wheredidhiseyebrowsgo

@bookworm-on-rainy-days

@that-was-not-supposed-to-happen

@fellshish

@writings-of-the-cosmos

I tagged 21 of my posts in 2022

Only 32% of my posts had no tags

#ian bohen - 2 posts

#stories - 2 posts

#writing - 2 posts

#fanart - 2 posts

#detroit become human - 2 posts

#d:bh - 2 posts

#fanfic - 2 posts

#dsmp art - 2 posts

#peter hale - 2 posts

#books - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 69 characters

#i would just like to say that i have fallen in love with both of them

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I see you

6 notes - Posted February 17, 2022

#4

Tell me I’m not the only one who prefers “Harry’s House” Harry Styles over One Direction Harry Styles...

Cute, but...

See the full post

6 notes - Posted August 22, 2022

#3

So I just watched this video of Ian Bohen speaking French and.......I think I might be catching feels...

oH MY GOD he’s so cUtE

6 notes - Posted January 2, 2022

#2

Random story idea: You, Clay(Dream), and his blobs all live in an apartment together. Chaos ensues.

13 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The Stories I Collect

*No imagines are mine unless specified*

Teen Wolf

Wild (Ao3) :Peter's lethargic body was unresponsive as he sat in the wheelchair, endlessly staring out the window of his hospital room. His side twinged a bit from the rough scrubbing the nurse had given his mottled flesh earlier and he ached to move even a finger. "Uncle Peter?" The small voice was behind him in the doorway. He remembered that voice. Contrary to the title bestowed from the small girl that rounded his chair into his line of sight, Stiles Stilinski was not related to Peter at all. Or how Stiles and Peter became best friends for life and brought Stiles into the Pack.

Strange Nights:  request: I was wondering could you do a one shot with Reader x Peter Hale where The Reader finds an injured wolf (who is peter stuck in full wolf form because of a magic curse or something), so she takes it home to look after it. While at the reader’s house Peter realized she’s his mate and is worried about how to tell her and what she’ll think when he changes back and finds out what he is.  Thanks 😉

LOTR

Silk : Human reader plays with Frodo's hair. (A personal favorite! Would definitely recommend)

Detroit: Become Human

Rough Around the Edges: YN700 aka, Y/N is the new female Android Cyberlife sent to the DPD after The Android Revolution, specifically to solve a strange case involving body parts of both Humans and Androids alike. Unfortunately for the YN700 model, she has to of course deal with another Android hater in the form of the DPD’s least favorite detective. (Gavin Reed)

David Tennant

Smut! David Tennant does not just a podcast with...: David and you are recording a podcast about erotism, the room is dark, the music pleasant and he is whispering sonnets against the microphone while he looks directly into your eyes, Could this be more perfect?

Smut! A Taste :  David Tennant appears at your strip club after months of first meeting him during a convention. Things get hot and heavy and you find a way to both make money and indulge in your own fantasies.

The Vampire Diaries

Endlessly Enough : You are an artist starting mid-semester at Whitmore College. You meet Stefan Salvatore and his friends who take you in. You realized pretty soon that your friends are more than what they seem. But what will you make of Stefan's older brother? A slow burn romance with some well-loved tropes.

Youtubers

Just a Theory :  As an intern, you can't hit on your boss... But you have a theory to test. (MatPat fanfic)

Disney Movies

Bruno Madrigal: Telenovelas and Flower Fields:  You and Julieta Madrigal met through your father's bakery. You become fast friends and she invites you to dinner at Casa de Madrigal to meet her family. After observing how you and Bruno interact with each other, Alma has an idea.

Bucky Barnes

Smut! Sin: Your body was entirely too hot, a stark contrast to the cold weather outside: winter, with two feet of snow on the ground and black ice all over the roads. With the seatbelt resting uncomfortably between your breasts, your bare thighs and back stuck to the leather passenger’s seat as Bucky drove you through a blizzard on the way back to the Quinjet. The mission was a failure. Whatever intel Hydra still had under wraps, you hadn’t been able to retrieve it. Instead, you’d walked right into a trap. The moment the two of you broke into the warehouse, a bucket of acid spilled from the rafters right down the front of your body – strong enough to melt away your clothing, yet gentle enough not to hurt you. Much. (Involves sex pollen, bucky x sister reader incest)

29 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[blubberingmess]

Ready to comply [Android!Bucky x fem!reader]

Summary: you accidentally drunk-'bought' an android, what could go wrong?

*sigh*

Warnings: a lot of cursing and mention of sex. Heavily inspired by the video game called 'Detroit: Become Human', don't worry everyone can still read this.

|3043|

      "No, don't leave me! Please."

      "I have to... It's for the best, Maria."

      "No! Alejandro, don't do this to me!

      The sound of the old show from the 2030s and the crunch of the chips on every bite you make were the only things that can be heard inside your small, dingy apartment.

"You really need to take care of yourself! I mean, look at this! Why is there a bra on the freaking counter?"

Ah yes, and also the loud nagging of your big sister. You love her, you really do, but sometimes you just want to just punch her in the face for being so loud every time she comes to visit.

You simply ignored her and continue watching the show in front of you, shoving a handful of chips in your mouth and crunching down on it a bit loudly on purpose. The sound of heavy footsteps can be heard emerging from the kitchen area and stopped in front of you.

Looking up with an unamused expression on your face, you are met by your sister's glare with her arms cross over her chest. Her luxurious clothes and accessories just makes you wince at how bright it is, the urge to obnoxiously hissed at her and hide away from such brightness is strong.

"You need an android."

You were about to actually hiss at her when you were stopped by her sudden suggestion, although, it's more of a command rather than a suggestion. You blink, slowly registering what she just said.

"The fuck do I need an android for?"

Your apartment might not look the best but it's home. Your sister just isn't used to such place, living the life as a supermodel and traveling around the world. Your apartment looking like shit is not a good valid reason for you to buy one. You can take care of yourself, plus, those things are expensive and may you add, weird.

You're not against them, to be honest you're fascinated by CyberStark's inventions; A fan of Stark himself. His inventions just gives you the creeps becasue of how human-looking they are. Kept you guessing who is an android and who is a human when going out.

Thankfully enough, CyberStark designed their androids with an LED in their right temples, one of the distinction of androids between humans. But still...

"Your apartment is a mess. You aren't taking care of yourself or even cook yourself some decent food--"

"I can cook! I just don't feel like it," you protest, clearly offended.

Your sister ignores you and resumes on listing off the reasons why you needed an android with with you groaning every sentence. Finishing off with a, "-- also, you haven't gotten laid in months."

You clicked the pause button on the remote and toss it beside you, mouth agape. "Why the fuck do you care about my sex life all of the sudden?! And for your information, I'm broke. I can't afford a normal android, more so an android with a dic-."

She sighed. "Do you even have a job?" Yes, I hack shits for a living.

You pursed your lips together before answering with a casual chuckle, "Of course I am, sis." You quickly moved the subject before she could ask anymore, "The point is, I don't have enough money to buy myself an android."

"Even the cheaper ones? They only cost ten grand."

Not all of us are getting paid just by posing in front of the camera, sis.

"Even the cheaper ones," you repeated, shoving a piece of chip in your mouth. You were about to grab the remote you tossed beside you but stopped when you heard her speak.

"Here."

You widened your eyes at her outstretched hand, more specifically, the black card. "Woah what? Are you serious? No."

"Yes. Give it back to me as soon as you bought an android. Don't forget, I'll get notified on every purchase you'll be making so don't you dare waste my money."

"What if I want to order some parts for my Nitro? Or my computer suddenly blows up?"

"Not a surprise, but no. Just an android. Order some foods if you want but that's all."

"Um... thanks."

|12am|

      The nearest CyberStark branch isn't what you called 'near', it's about a mile away from your apartment; a few minutes drive using your beloved motorcycle; Nitro.

You decided to give yourself just one glass of wine a few hours ago just to let yourself unwind; think about your life choices. But the more you think about it, the more you didn't noticed that 'one glass of wine' became a 'one bottle of wine'.

Now here you are, currently in the middle of the empty sidewalk, staring up at the brightly lit logo of CyberStark all while trying to stay upright.

Taking a deep breath, you stepped inside the shop and widen your eyes in awe. The inside is very bright and clean in contrast to your outfit which is a mismatched pajamas; is a bit wrinkly and slightly dirty - is that a ketchup stain? Whatever.

You're the only customer inside, thank God.

"Hello ma'am. How may I help you?" You yelped at the sudden voice and glanced at your left to see who it was. A blue LED on It's temple; It's a female android with blonde hair and blue eyes, attractive and unnaturally symmetrical - a typical look for androids, they have to be symmetrical and pleasing for the human eyes.

"Um, yeah. I'm looking for an android?" You mentally smack your head at the stupid question.

The female android nodded it's head, gesturing towards a line of different kinds of androids. "What kind of android are you looking for, ma'am?"

"I don't... I don't actually know." It feels weird talking to someone who looks like a human but is clearly not.

"We have androids that are specialized for house work." Gesturing at the left said of the shop where there are different kinds of varieties of androids are staring into space, only blinking every few minutes.

The female android gestures towards the right side of the shop where another line of different looking androids are. Just like the left side, they just stands there, only blinking and staring into space.

They look... so lifeless.

"On the right side, we have androids that are specialized for caregiving; seniors and toddlers. To the back we have..."

The voice of the android was suddenly blocked off from your ears, focusing at the large box in a vertical rectanglar form that's being carried by two androids while a human man beside them talked, carrying a clipboard in his hand.

They carefully placed it on top of a small platform before opening the metal box and almost choked on air at what you saw.

Even with its eyes closed, you could tell that the android is handsome. It's a model you've never seen before, a new model perhaps? It's hair is brunette; neatly trimmed to the sides while it's thick, curly on top. It's dressed in the usual android uniform of CyberStark, with the necktie and such. You could tell that this android is much more built than the other models, and maybe a bit more taller as well.

"What's that?"

The female android stops and searched her eyes to where you are pointing at, LED flickering from orange then back to blue.

"Android B107, the latest android of CyberStark." The two androids and the man from before walks away after making sure the said B107 is all ready and set for the day.

You walked towards the said B107, giving it a once over and hum in appreciation.

"Does it work?" You shove your hands inside your pockets (thankfully your pajamas has pockets), casually and unashamedly checking out the currently asleep android.

Damn, look at those thighs.

The female android's LED started to flicker once again before answering, "Yes." She walked up to the platform where the B107 and pressed a button on the small white stand, tapering up where a small red button is located, before stepping back.

With a single push of the button, the BB107 came to life. You watched in awe as it slowly opens it's eyes, blinking a few times before it focuses down on you.

He looks so soft and innocent, like a puppy.

"Pleasing to the eyes indeed," you whispered. You watched at how his bright blue eyes scanned your whole face before staring up ahead like the rest of the androids, blank and spaced out.

You hate it.

Turning your eyes back at the only android you can talk to at the moment, you asks,  "What does it do?"

It's LED flickered from blue to red real quick as soon as you asked the question. "I'm sorry ma'am, but it's classified for now," it answered monotonously.

You quirked an eyebrow at it and unconsciously started fiddling the small device inside your pocket. "What? Then why is it placed here then?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but it's classified for now." Again, with that monotonous, android-esque tone in its voice.

A scoff left your mouth and sassily roll your eyes. "Then tell me something about the android that isn't classified. Geez."

Both of you unbeknownst at the small movement from the B107, it's eyes locked down on your frame. Eyes slightly narrows as it tried to read the datas and information in front of his lens, almost all are empty except for your name and a file he can't access.

[(Y/n) ::surname not found::; ::age not found::; ::year of birth not found::  occupation: unknown;]

[History; not found]

[File.exe 09002576] - [File can not be opened]

The B107 analyzed your movements and the way you lightly swayed side to side.

[(Y/n);; intoxicated]

"B107 is a prototype, first of its kind."

That immediately got you hooked and without having a second thought, you whirl your whole body towards the blonde and grinned.

"I'm buying this one."

The blonde simply shakes it's head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but the B107 is not for sale."

You inhale, grasping the small device a bit tighter. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Just like the recent models, CyberStark have yet to introduce the model before deciding if they should sell models like B107 in the future."

You hummed with a quick look around the empty android shop, before pointing behind the android. "What about that one? I'm sure it's for sale."

The gullible android turns her head to look at where you're pointing at and saw a stray dog peeing on the large glass window of the shop. Before the android could even turn back around, you immediately sticks the tiny cube like device on It's arm.

The android immediately started sizzle and popped the moment the device came contact with it. It's outer skin deactivated around the area, the white plastic coming into view.

Small sparks are coming out from its LED light before the android completely stopped moving, standing still with its eyes wide open.

You're no monster, you just turned it off; reset all of it's data and delete all the scans of your face the android made.

"If I told you to sell me the android, Sell me the fucking android," you slurred, already feeling your head spin. You quickly grabbed the small screen from its hand and blindly scanned the black card before tossing it behind you without a care.

The BB107 watched it all happened before him and can't help but feel... slightly amused. The corners of his already lightly upturned lips lifts up more into a tiny smirk while his eyes remained blank.

The B107 averted it's gaze from the deactivated android and look back down at you, hands unwrapping from its back and down to it's sides.

"B107... B... B... Bucky. Yeah, I like the sound of that. Your name is Bucky." You snapped your head on the now 'dead' android and points your index finger to your 'Bucky'. 

"You heard that? His name is Bucky." Before swinging your attention back to your android, puffing your chest - a futile attempt to look superior since he's basically towering over you with or without the platform, not to mention, much more powerful.

"You probably know this by now; noticed you scanning my face. My name is (Y/n) and I'm your owner now, do you understand?"

[Face scan>>(Y/n):acquaintance]

Bucky nodded his head once, not hiding the smirk from his face. "Ready to comply, (Y/n)."

The sound of his voice is so deep and smooth, so... arousing.

You physically shook your head at the thought of jumping the android's bone, you don't even know if he is one of those kinds of androids, yet. Maybe next time.

Also,'Ready to comply' ? That was new.

"Good. Now let's go, I'm hungry." You wrapped your hand on his cold ones and intertwined your fingers together. Surprisingly, the android lets you.

Unbeknownst to you, you didn't actually activated the small screen after you took it from the female android and just unceremoniously tossed it behind you.

You didn't actually paid for the android. That means you don't own the B107 in anyway, and yet... he lets you drag him out of the CyberStark shop like you do.

Chapter 2

How's the AU? Didn't find one with Bucky yet. Let me know if there is, I wanna read one 🙏💛

[moonlightdawn1102]

Arion's Angel - Chapter Four

Pairings: Slight Bucky x Reader, Steve x Natasha, Tony x Pepper, Wanda x Vision

Word Count: 2033

Warnings: N/A

Avengers Tower

The jet landed and you took a deep breath while you waited for someone to guide you inside. Secretly you hoped that it would be Bucky, however there was another part of you that hoped he’d want nothing to do with you. If he took an interest in you, even as a friend, it would make the betrayal ten times worse. Wanda was the first to exit the jet and quickly walked over to a red human looking android, you’d see the files on him and knew that he would be one of your biggest challenges due to the mind stone he possessed.

However, you’d come up with a way to kill every single Avenger over the past couple weeks and Vision would be no exception. Dreaming up and planning out people’s deaths wasn’t fun and you hated yourself for it but it’s what Luca demanded of you. 

Tony exited the jet next while typing away on his phone like a mad man. He didn’t even spare you a second glance and just walked towards the elevator with Peter by his side. Steve glances at you but ultimately puts his attention on Bucky, “Do you mind guiding her inside Buck? I’ll get F.R.I.D.A.Y to alert the whole team to meet in the conference room in fifteen minutes. I need to let Fury know about the attack on Peter and our new guest” he says softly.

Bucky stands up and nods his head, “Of course Stevie, you go do your important Captain things. We’ll meet you in the conference room in fifteen minutes” he says with a chuckle. A smile graces Steve's face and he exits the jet with Sam following behind, “Don’t be late you two, I see the eyes you’re making at each other” Sam calls out with a cackle.

Bucky blushes and clears his throat while awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, “I’m sorry about him, he means well, he just..Actually, you know what I’m not going to try and explain bird brain to you, he just lives to make my life hell” he says with a laugh.

You stand up and laugh with him, “Don’t worry about it. I think it’s sweet that he teases you. He obviously cares in his own way. The two of you definitely give me golden retriever and black cat vibes though” you say with a giggle. Bucky looks at you in pure confusion, “What?” he asks with a slight pout on his face.

You couldn’t help but to find it adorable, “Nothing, come on. We don’t want to be late to Steve’s meeting” you say while walking off the jet.

Bucky is instantly by your side and guides you to the elevator. You both step inside and once the doors closed you could feel all of your senses become heightened due to the enclosed space. Bucky smelt so sweet and you were struggling to keep it together, you’d been having nothing but blood bags or Luca’s blood for years and neither of those ever smelt the way that Bucky did right now. You’d never yearned for Luca’s blood even at your most desperate, but now you could barely stop yourself from ravishing Bucky in the elevator like you were some kind of animal.

Thankfully, the elevator stopped and the doors opened before you had a chance to let your natural instincts take over. You quickly stepped outside and Bucky gave you a curious look, “I’m not a fan of tight spaces” you say with a nervous laugh. He just chuckles in response and takes your wrist gently to guide you down the hallway. Your eyes immediately flick to his hand and the warmth it brought to your ice cold skin. You couldn’t help but to wonder if he would have grabbed your hand if it hadn’t been covered in blood. 

“Where are we going?” you ask after you notice that he was leading you to what seemed to be a hallway full of bedroom doors and not the conference room. Bucky bites his lip and looks at you, “Well, I figured you’d want to get cleaned up before meeting everyone else. And there’s a spare room next to mine, so I was thinking that you might want to take it” he says quickly.

You smirk slightly and laugh gently, “I’d love to take the room next to yours Bucky. But you don’t even know if I’m staying yet. The team might not want me around once they find out what I am” you say softly.

Bucky shakes his head firmly, “No, don’t say that. Of course they will! I can already tell that Natasha and Yelena are going to love you” he says positively. You can’t help but to smile at his enthusiasm, “Alright, if you say so. I’ll only be a minute” you say gently before walking into the empty bedroom.

You stand there astounded for a second at how beautiful and cosy the room is, it was nothing like your bedroom at the Arion base. Making your way to the en-suite you could already imagine building a life in this room. You could have all the paints and books that you desired, plus not having glass walls would be a massive positive. You turn on the water and quickly wash the blood from your hands and wipe your mouth clean. 

You take these few minutes alone to contact Luca. He’d given you a phone that was heavily encrypted and wasn’t capable of being used for anything other than texting and calling him. You take the phone from your pocket and send him a simple text: ‘I’ve made contact. Potentially have a room next to Bucky’ 

Within a second you got a response back: ‘Wonderful angel. You make me proud’ 

The phone buzzed again and you looked down at the text that came through: ‘And don’t call him that. You should refer to him as an asset or soldier. Nothing more’

You flinch at the words that Luca text and quickly pocket the phone. You could imagine that Bucky felt the same way about being called an ‘asset’ or ‘soldier’ as you did about Luca calling you ‘angel’.

A heavy sigh escapes your lips before you walk out of the en-suite and bathroom to meet Bucky who was still waiting for you in the hallway. He gives you a charming smile and nods his head in the direction of a door at the end, “We’ll take the stairs, come on” he says softly. You let out a sigh of relief and Bucky chuckles before opening the door for you that leads to the stairs. You had a feeling that he wouldn’t be laughing if he knew the real reason you couldn’t be in an elevator with him again. 

The conference room was four floors down and was already full of people by the time you got there. The room had nothing else in it apart from a large wooden table and a massive computer screen on one end. You enter after Bucky and immediately feel everyone’s eyes on you.

Steve and Tony were standing at the front by the computer screen even if you hadn’t stalked them all for over a week you’d have immediately been able to tell that they were the two in charge. Bucky rests his hand comfortingly on your lower back and gestures towards the front of the room, he was clearly instructing you to go and stand beside Steve.

This was the point in which you could fail the mission. You were about to tell them that you were a vampire witch. You suddenly felt nauseous which wasn’t something you’d experienced in over three hundred years, but the thought of Bucky and some of the others being disgusted by you was enough to nearly tip you over the edge. 

Steve clears his throat and looks out at the team, “This is Y/N, she helped save Peter today. And we need to make a decision as a team on whether we’d like her to join us or not” he states. Tony steps forward and looks at you, “Alright we’re going to run a background check on you. So full name..” he says. You sigh gently and roll your eyes, “Y/N L/N” you mutter softly.

You knew what would come up and how they’d react so you just stayed quiet and prepared for the questions. F.R.I.D.A.Y runs your name through every database and comes up with some results, “Y/N L/N referred to as one of the earliest witches to be executed during the Salem witch trials. Known on record to have had one sister that was also accused of witchcraft and executed” 

The silence in the room was deafening until Tony laughed and shook his head, “So what’s your real name? Not the one you stole from a dead woman” he asks firmly. You rub your arm gently and look at him, “That is my real name. The records are right” you say with a shrug. Steve sighs and rubs his forehead, “You need to start being truthful with us. If those records are correct you should be nothing but bones by now” he says softly.

You laugh and shake your head, “Really? You’re going to question my age when you’re over a hundred years old?” you say in disbelief. Steve shakes his head, “There were certain circumstances that expanded my life span and only by a couple of decades. Not centuries. Plus you were killed. It said that you were executed for witchcraft” he replies.

“Yeah, well, you can’t kill someone who’s already dead” you say bitterly. 

Everyone in the room just looked more confused than ever, so you decided to clear everything up. You turn to face the team and gulp gently, “I’m a witch. But I’m also a vampire. When they hung me for witchcraft, my neck snapped but I didn’t die. I woke up an hour later about to be thrown on a bonfire”

A few members of the team laughed clearly not believing you and the other’s looked terrified at the prospect of you telling the truth. You hadn’t glanced at Bucky yet afraid to see the look on his face. You knew that they wouldn’t believe you until they had proof. Using your speed and strength you grab Steve and throw him over your shoulder onto the table, you wrap a hand around his throat and let your fangs drop whilst your eyes change colour.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye but once the team saw you with Steve pressed against the table they were prepared to fight. You keep hold of Steve and look up at them, “I told you what I am. You needed proof to believe me so I’ve given it to you. I’m not going to kill him. He’d already be dead if I wanted him to be” you say flatly while removing your hand from around Steve’s throat.

Steve gets up from the table completely unharmed and looks at you with an emotion that you couldn’t decipher right now. Tony clenches his jaw and shakes his head, “You are a monster. Just like I said you were” he spits out. You flinch at the term ‘monster’ again and take a soft breath to calm down, “I’m not a monster. Just let me explain. Steve was never in any danger. I just needed to get my point across and I knew he’d be able to handle my strength. I swear” you say softly.

Tony scoffs loudly, “We can’t have an evil blood sucking witch on the team. You should be locked up on the raft!” he exclaims. Steve frowns and steps forward, “Tony that’s enough. She has the right to explain her past and then we’ll make a collective decision as a team” he says firmly. He looks at you and nods gently, “Go ahead” he says with a brief smile.

You swallow thickly and fiddle with the sleeve of your leather jacket while looking at the team, “Alright..Here it goes” you say softly.