#bruce is denim under lace

[busyskin]

lace under denim (it’s a metaphor or something)

[aimmyarrowshigh]

Hi! That is an impressive and intriguing list of WIPs! Can I ask for more details about Five People Wanda Slept With And One She? Hope you're having an amazing day!

Thanks, friend!

I would really like to finish this one eventually, but smut takes me SO long to write, so I really shot myself in the foot by choosing to write a 5+1 smut fic, haha. I was inspired by WandaVision for it, particularly "Previously On," and Wanda's method of dealing with trauma/grief being avoidance and pretending to be happy. Also, Elizabeth Olsen pretty and so many Marvel people hot.

(It's also kind of a "fuck you, purity culture" fic inspired by the ye olde days of LiveJournal fandom, where people wrote a lot more "wait, are those siblings fucking each other?" fic than they do now, because, like, Wanda/Pietro.)

But it starts the night after AOU ends with Wanda/Steve, and then has Wanda/Winter Soldier, Wanda/Natasha, Wanda/Vision, and then after Endgame and before Westview, Wanda/Bucky. And the +1 "And One She -- " that's unclear whether it actually ever happened is, obviously, Pietro, and the reader can draw their own conclusions.

Snippet! (TW for grief/mourning, sibling death, Hydra ideology, and mentions of unwanted sterilization.)

“America needs its captain,” Wanda says. “Sokovia is gone. It is my fault, I think. There is nothing left that needs Wanda Maximoff.”

“Hey.” Captain Rogers puts his big hands over Wanda’s where she’s picking at the bedspread. Loose threads already, and it’s brand new. “The Avengers need Wanda Maximoff, okay? I need her. Clint needs her. The Vision needs her. Natasha. Bruce. Even Tony needs you, Wanda. I know—I don’t expect you to agree or to get it or to accept it from all of us, but I’m a good judge of character, Wanda, and you’re gonna be a helluva something.” He lifts one hand and gently tucks a lock of hair behind Wanda’s ear. “All I can do is throw a big metal discus around and punch people. You can change their minds. That’s pretty special.”

“I am sorry, again,” Wanda whispers. Captain Rogers still has one hand over hers, and his skin is warm. He radiates heat, and Wanda is so used to being cold. “I hope the nightmares do not plague you too long. I… I have no excuses. Only Hydra’s justifications.”

“Hey.” Steve squeezes her hand. “You didn’t give me a tenth of the nightmares I usually see. I mean, don’t do it again, but it’s okay, Wanda. You’re forgiven.”

Wanda squeezes Steve’s hand back, and she doesn’t let go. She keeps her hand tucked around his for long, silent minutes, until finally Steve turns his hand so that she can lace her fingers between his. It’s a show of trust: Wanda spins her magic with these hands, and Steve is willingly allowing her to stroke her thumb along the length of his index finger in slow, sweeping passes. They hold hands so long that Steve’s palm starts to get a little sweaty against Wanda’s, and he says—

“Wanda…”

Wanda presses her lips together. “Please.” She squeezes his hand again. “I do not want to be alone.”

Steve extricates his hand from her grip, but only moves far enough away to tuck the stubborn lock of her dark hair behind her ear again. Wanda knows that she isn’t beautiful—she’s too thin, a thinness that spells a life of pain and hardship and denial, and her eyes stand out from her face like lamplights in a dark mine. But her hair is clean, and her eyes are dry now even if they are still rimmed in red beneath the layers of half-gone black kohl, and Steve is only a man.

“Kinda tired of being alone, myself,” Steve admits, very quietly, with a look on his face like he didn’t quite mean to say anything at all. His fingertips touch the soft skin behind Wanda’s ear.

“Then do not be alone, just for tonight.” Wanda slides her hand up the length of his thigh, denim rough under her palm. His muscle has hardly any soft humanness. It isn’t what Wanda is used to feeling, but that’s good. She doesn’t want what she knows. If she has that, she will cry and never stop. “Please, I cannot—I can’t--”

Steve presses his mouth against hers. It isn’t a kiss, really. But it is what Wanda wants.

“If Pepper stocked your room like mine, then you have, uh—” Steve goes red. “Thins. Condoms. In the, uh, in the bedside table.”

Wanda nods and doesn’t say that Hydra sterilized her years ago. Undesirable. “Okay.”

[storyshark2005]

Fic Excerpt - Tim/Kon in “East of Eden”

Little excerpt from my WIP “East of Eden”. Conner Luthor is visiting his newest friend Tim Drake in Gotham. The two take a break from studying-slash-Warcraft and venture outside. Teenage habits ensue. (No warnings, pre-Tim/Kon)

Alfred finally kicks them outside after two hours of Warcraft. And thank God they were both Alliance characters, because Conner had spent a hell of a lot of hours building up Aristos the Lightforged Draenei Paladin to level 120, and he just looked really cool, so all it took to get Aristos in the same Guild as Nyx Stormseeker the Night Elf Demon Hunter was a realm transfer and bam!, they were questing across Azeroth.

“No, no, that one goes in the red tab--” 

“But that’s where the red pole goes. Right?” 

“Well this one--” Tim frowns, staring down at the fiberglass tent pole in one hand. “Wait, there’s three red tabs.” 

“What the fuck,” Conner laughs, starting down at the pile of nylon. “Why would there be an odd number?” 

“No wait, here it is, it’s just not at a corner. It’s like a brow pole or something. See this goes under here, then over that one--” 

“That doesn’t look right.” Conner tilts his head to one side, then the other.

Tim groans, and throws the mess of nylon and poles down on the ground, flopping down into the grass. 

“Dude, I have no idea.” 

Conner follows him down into the grass, lacing his fingers behind his head. The autumn sun felt gloriously hot under the chilly breeze, baking hot patches of denim onto the tops of his knees and thighs.

“So when do we light the bonfire?”

“Probably not till it gets dark. We’ve got another hour.”

“What should we do till then?”

“Well...” Tim grins slow like syrup to the clouds, lifting his hips to dig his fingers into his back pocket.

“What?”

Tim shakes out a plastic baggie.

“Oh, you’re bad--” Conner laughs.

Tim pulls a pre-rolled joint and a lighter out of the baggie. “What can I say? I’m a rebellious child.” He clicks the lighter a few times. “My life be like-- ooh ahh!”

“Does Bruce know you smoke?”

“We both pretend he doesn’t.” The joint jumps between Tim’s lips. “This lighter sucks--”

“Give it here,” Conner gestures for the unlit joint. “Check this out.”

He sits up, making sure Tim is out of the line of fire, and stares at the end of the joint, keeping his gaze soft like Clark had taught him. The air shivers, and the end of the joint glows bright orange.

“Holy shit,” Tim breathes, eyes wide. “That is so cool--”

Conner lays back down, tucking an arm behind his head. He takes a pull, holding the smoke deep until his lungs burn.

“It was--” he hacks out a cough. “It was the first thing Clark taught me.”

Tim takes the passed joint. “What else can you do? Besides save people from falling seventeen stories with your mind.”

“I don’t know,” Conner closes his eyes, feeling the soft numb heat wash down from the crown of his head, his tongue going heavy and dry. “I can run really fast. I can jump really far. But I’m not strong like Clark, and I can’t fly.”

Tim blows smoke up into the yonder blue. “You’re gonna fly, Con.”

“Yeah?” Conner tips his head to the side, staring at the black-red ends of Tim’s curls.

Tim tips his head to Conner, so close that Conner can see the near-translucent layer of freckles splashed across his nose and cheeks. He holds the joint aloft.

“Yeah,” he nods, sounding absolutely certain.

Conner takes the joint, cheeks tingling hot under the sun. He looks up to the clouds, wonders what it might be like to fly over and through them, what the world might look like from a mile above. If it would seem very big, or very small.

Or maybe both at once.

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*The “ooh-ahhh”! moment inspired by this burquillos masterpiece:

 https://burquillos.tumblr.com/post/631867454580195328/kontober-day-13-this-is-my-favorite-conner-luthor 

[sugako]

Easy

Jason Todd (Red Hood) x Reader A/N: Reader has been watching hired to watch the Red Hood and finds him at a bar. Warnings: unprotected sex, rough sex, some angst (at the very end)  WC: 2282

You spotted that tuft of pure white hair from across the club. He was easy to find anywhere. He had no idea. Only a week ago you had crouched twenty feet above him, peering through the thinnest crack in the floor just to see him pull the mask off. You knew that hair and those strong shoulders. The way his eyes met yours through the sea of people you began to wonder if maybe he did know something. There’s no way. He never saw me. He doesn’t know who I am, no one here does. 

Maintaining eye contact, Jason began his slow walk toward you. Rolling your eyes, you spun around in the barstool back toward your drink. Inside, your heart was pounding. No, you thought, it’s just because you’re all dressed up as his dream girl. Pretty, shiny expensive jewelry, perfectly straight, long hair… it’s all fake. He is a son of Bruce Wayne, after all, he has a type. A small tap on your shoulder calmed your wandering mind. Like a mouse bumbling straight into a trap, he came to you. Slowly, you dragged yourself around to face him. “Can I help you?” “You looked lonely, I thought I could help if you like.” His words were slow and sloppy. This was a good time to catch him. You played into the lonely girl ideal he seemed to desire. “My friends have all found someone tonight, so I guess I am. But I wouldn’t want to be a bother. I’m sure you have tons of people lined up for you.” “No,” he answered quick and rough. “No, I don’t have anyone lined up.” You smiled demurely and pulled the sweater that was draped on the stool beside you. “Take a seat then. What’s your name?” “Jason, but you can just call me Jay. What’s yours?” He put an elbow up on the bar and rested his flopping head on top of his fist. You imitated him, and he let out a small chuckle. “I Y/N. What are you drinking, Jay?” “Vodka, straight.” His light blue eyes drilled into yours. The rest of him seemed so gone, but his eyes were so bright. Your lips curled into a tight smile as you flagged down the bartender. “Ma’am, can we have two shots of vodka? On my tab.” She nodded and reached under the bar for the glasses. “Oh my god, no, I’m here to help you not be lonely.” “Mmm, it’s the least I can do for your company.” He grinned like a dope and snatched the glass up from the bar. You copied. Jerking and splashing some of the alcohol over the edge he clinked his glass to yours before you both threw the drinks back. Neither of you winced at the taste. “Would you like to find someone tonight?” He asked, reaching out to place a hand over your thigh. “Ya know, I had my eyes on this amazing looking guy with white and black hair, but now he’s just sitting with a lonely girl at the bar.” He bit his lip. The action shouldn’t have made you inhale as sharply as you did. With painful slowness, he dipped in to whisper in your ear, his lips grazing your skin. “That guy would make her less lonely if she wanted.” Your heart was pounding. Usually, you were more controlled, but there was something about Jason Todd that pushed you. He dragged his face away from yours and kept a tight distance. One of his eyebrows cocked up, asking. “Yeah.” You answered, breathless. “Yeah?” His mouth wound into a grin. Your hand found its way to his stiff, denim jeans and rub hard circles into his muscular thighs. “Yeah.” “Let’s go then, Y/N.” “We can go to my place, it’s just around the corner.” You shot in quickly. He needed to be at your ‘apartment’, the boss had demanded every detail be pristine. Business aside, you were excited. You rushed to pay your tab, as did he, and you dipped out into the night. His strong hand clamped around the small of your back as you led him. You let him take lead with the conversation. “Are from Gotham?” “No, I grew up a little bit outside of the city, went to college out near Central City, and then moved back. What about you?” “Born and raised.” “You’ve probably seen some wild stuff, huh?” He laughed. “You don’t even know.” “It’s amazing how a city can be so successful yet so on the verge of collapse all the time.” “Bad people doing bad things.” He whispered. The conversation lulled just as you reached the steps to your apartment. You grabbed his hand and dragged him up behind you, pulling out your keys from your purse as you did. It was as if a switch turned on in him. His hands began tracing the outline of your body. He leaned in to wrap his arms around your front in an affectionate embrace. The stiff outline of his cock pressing into your back made you fumble with the keys as the door unlocked. You realized just how much larger he was than you at that moment. The two of you had barely stepped over the entryway before he was slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. Both of you rushed to kiss, not bothering with the lights. Shirts were thrown off as you led him toward the couch. The loud necklace and bracelets you had been forced to wear clattered to the ground. He pressed a knee between your legs and threw you down on it. With one hand he pinned your wrists above your head. Jason straddled your hips and turned his attention to your chest and neck. His mouth found your ear a nipped, making you let out a small squeal. “I know who you are and you know who I am. There’s been a misunderstanding between me and your boss. I will happily explain to him what happened and tell him he doesn’t need to send spies. And you won’t tell him about me.” Your mouth was gaping from shock and lack of breath and your eyes grew twice their size. “How did… you didn’t see me in the warehouse… I was--” “Not well hidden?” He leaned back to look at you. “I won’t tell him if you can make sure he doesn’t kill me. I could lose everything for this. Nothing bad was going to happen to you.” “What did he want?” “To make you feel something and then hurt me so you felt hurt.” He sighed, letting more of his body weight down on you. “You’re not good at being a spy.” “Maybe not, but I’m telling you this because I think you were right to kill that man.” “Hmm,” he smirked, “Nothing to do with how soaked you are right now?” Your words caught in your throat. He got what he wanted and you had failed. “We can finish this conversation later if you want me to help you.” Sound barely escaped your mouth. “Uh-huh.” “Tell me what you want.” He was taunting you now, you could feel it. “I want you to fuck me.” Jason looked around, still taunting. “This couch is a little small for me.” He looked pointedly down at the floor. You sucked in your cheeks, trying to hide the flush of color that rose up in them. Pushing up hard with your thighs you rolled the two of you onto the ground. You straddled his thighs now. Sinking hard you let yourself grind into his hard cock. He sucked in air through his teeth and moaned back out as you unbuttoned your jeans and slid them off. The carpet braided carpet was rough on your knees but you grinded your barely clothed pussy on him. “What do you want, Jason?” You whispered, leaning over to press into him. The thin bralette you had on did little to hide anything and with a little help from his roaming hands, your breasts popped out from the lacey fabric. “I want to hear you scream my name.” “Well that all depends on you.” He groaned and began unbuttoning his own pants with one hand, the other ripping your bra off. “Take that fucking wig off.” He huffed between sharp breaths. “Let me see you.” His hands grasped at the long tendrils of hair that fell to your back. You, with some regret, pulled the glued lace away from your scalp and ripped the wig cap off with it. Jason’s lids lowered and his soft moan turned into more of a growl. Gripping your waist just under your tits he moved you to the ground. He kneeled above you, mouths meeting once again in feverish excitement. He laid between your legs, thick cock straining against his underwear and pressing into your core. His hands kneaded at your chest, tightly pinching your nipples until you cried out. Finally, he leaned back to sit on his heels. Jason pointedly looked down at the large wet spot on his dark boxer briefs. “Look what you did.” You swore his voice was an octave lower now. He shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Aww, they’re ruined, you should take them off.” You sat up on your elbows and reached out for the waistband. “Oh yeah?” He smiled and eased your hands down to let his cock spring out. As you laid below him, mouth agape, he pulled the underwear down the rest of the way. He was large. Much larger than anyone you had been with recently. A drip of precum slid over the edge of his tip. “My eyes are up here, princess.” It was impossible to tell whether the nickname or the joke made you heat up a little more. You tried to keep yourself composed as your eyes dragged up his chiseled body to meet his eyes. He was lean, but every muscle was so well defined. “I know.” You answered coyly. Jason dipped back down to trail long kisses down your neck and chest. He kept going down until he was mouthing over your clothed cunt. “Uhh, Jason, I want…ah, I want you…” “What do you want?” He peered up. You couldn’t answer as he roughly pulled down your soaked panties. His expert tongue lapped against your dripping center. Calloused fingers found his way into you. “Shut up, just fuck me.” You gasped for air. Jason grinned and put a hand on either side of your head. He leaned in close, nose to nose. “You wanna get on your knees?” His tone was not questioning. Still, the softness in his eye betrayed the commanding tone. You nodded, unable to answer coherently. Wanting all of this and all of him you kissed him hard and slow. He gently moved a hand under you to help as you turned yourself over. You propped yourself up on your hands and knees, getting more excited with every second. The carpet dug deeper into your knees. His hands clamped onto your hips and dragged you toward him. He gave one and then another hard smack to your ass. Each time you cried out in ecstasy. “Jason…” You moaned. He responded by lining up his tip with your entrance. He ran his cock through your slick folds, teasing. You clit throbbed impatiently. Involuntarily, your hips wiggled back, attempting to get the message across to him. He slapped you again. Just as you were about to bemoan his teasing, he slid inside of you in one go. A strangled gasp clawed its way out of your throat. “Fuck, you’re big.” You sighed. You did your best to relax as he thrusted harshly, but it was nearly impossible to not clamp down around him. He continued pounding into you. Every time his cock slide in and out a small gasp escaped your mouth. You sounded like am overdramatic porn star at this rate. Jason’s name was on your lips like a chant. He reached underneath while still pounding into you to play with that sensitive bundle of nerves. You were already so dripping and swollen it didn’t take much of his feather-light touch to send you over the edge. “Jason!!!” You cried. “Just a little bit longer.” He grunted, your moans and twitches sending him close to the edge. “Yes, please, cum inside of me!” You had just barely come down from your own high, slumping further down into the floor, when his hips began to snap jaggedly. Knees, raw and near bloody, started to wobble to keep you upright. He pulled out abruptly. Before you could cry out in protest he flipped you over and entered you faster and harder. Jason’s eyes were clouded with lust as they bore into yours. His face was flush and glistening. He slowed and sped up once again finally cumming into you with a low deep moan. After a moment he laid down upon you, breathing hard. He slid his limp cock out of you. The cum seeped out of you, mixing with your own juices. He just barely propped himself up and reached down to your sensitive pussy and dragged two fingers up it. His hand came up to your mouth. You happily obliged, sucking the salty-sweet mix the two of you had created. Jason let his hand fall from your mouth and rolled off you. The two of you laid there, unsure of what to do or say next. 

“I’m sorry for spying on you. I won’t tell, that would only get people hurt. I don’t want to hurt people.” 

“We all end up hurting people. No matter what.”

[amythedvdhoarder]

Protection - Part 4

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warning: Angst, fluff and slight smut

Summary: Bucky cannot bear that Y/N was hurt because of him. He has to find a way to keep her safe. Forever

Word Count: 3.6K

Author’s Notes: GIF not mine. Apologies for any errors. This one is a little longer, building up to mature themes in part 5. Please feel free to let me know what you think, any comments welcome. Let me know if you want tagging.

series masterlist

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An arm tightened around your waist as you started to shift in your bed. Considering you had been screaming in the middle of the night, you felt well rested. The warmth pressed up behind you brought a grin to your face. Bucky was still there, he hadn’t left you. You sighed, wishing that both of you could stay like that forever. “Morning doll”, you turned within Bucky’s arms to face him. “Morning Buck” you replied. You couldn’t remember waking up and being greeted by a better sight. His blue eyes were soft as they examined your face, a smile forming on his lips.

You reached out you hand to some of the loose hair that had fallen across his cheek, tucking it neatly behind his ear. “How are you feeling Y/N?” The genuine concern in his voiced made your stomach flutter. You waited a few seconds before answering, you didn’t want to give away your emotions. “I’m alright, thanks for staying with me last night Bucky.”  You meant it as well, you couldn’t believe how nice he had been. You two were close but you had never shared a bed. You had fantasised about waking up wrapped in Bucky’s strong arms, chest pulled tightly against your back and breath tickling at your neck. Had Bucky ever thought about that?

He had kissed you last night. You wondered if it had been done out of sympathy or whether it had meant something. It had meant something to you. Maybe he had only done all of this because he was returning the favour for all the times you had comforted him after his nightmares. 4 months ago, he had woken you up in the middle of the night screaming, you had rushed next door to see Bucky thrashing around on his bed. You had learnt the best way to calm him down was by talking to him and gently rubbing a hand up and down his arm. He had woken up one night whilst you were doing this and you ended up talking for the rest of the night in the kitchen over a hot chocolate.  After then the frequency of his nightmares had begun to settle down .Until a month ago. After you had been injured he seemed to have nightmares every night. You would stay on the armchair in his room sometimes after he had a nightmare, just to make sure he got some proper sleep, but you always left before he woke up, or so you thought.

Bucky sensed you getting nervous, he watched as your eyes moved sided to side, a battle waging inside your head. He moved his arm away and started to sit up, giving you space. You too sat up slowly, you looked at a loose thread on your bedcover, wrapping it tightly around your index finger, you couldn’t look at him. Doubt casted a shadow over your memories of last night. He just felt sorry for you, you didn’t want to pressure him staying here with you longer than he wanted. Without looking at him you mumbled “Bucky, if you want to leave you can. I’m alright now. I wouldn’t want anyone teasing you for being caught leaving my room.”

You wanted him to stay but only if it was his choice. It was easier to give him permission to reject you, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much. You didn’t want for him to have to explain why he was leaving your room to anyone, you were friends, good friends but surely, he wouldn’t want people to assume you two were anything more. He was way out of your league and people would pass comment, you didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable around the others.

Bucky stretched out his arm, placed his hand gently under your chin, turning you to face him. You kept your gaze low, you couldn’t bare to look at him. “Y/N look at me” Stubborn as ever you didn’t meet his gaze. “Y/N look at me, please. I need you to look at me and tell me you want me to leave” he was pleading with you now. You bit you bottom lip and forced yourself to meet his eyes. You could see pain, confusion and a nervousness you hadn’t seen before. “Do you want me to leave? If you do then I will but if you don’t then…” His voice trailed off, blue eyes searching yours for any hint of a response.

You moved forwards and placed you lips on his. You expected him to pull back but he didn’t. He laced his fingers through your hair and pulled you closer to him deepening this kiss. “I don’t want you leave” you breathed against his mouth. Bucky moaned in response, continuing to assault your lips with his. Moving your body around you straddled his hips. His tongue licked your lips lightly seeking entry. You parted your lips and both tongues began fighting for dominance. Neither of you could get enough. His hands travelled down your back and crept underneath your tank top, taking a firm hold of your hips pulling to closer to him. Feeling brave you moved your hands up the back of his neck, finding the band keeping his hair tied back and pulled it off, burying your fingers into his hair. You could feel him getting hard underneath you hot core. You ground your hips down onto him and he let out an animalistic growl as you built up some friction between you. You peppered kisses along his jaw and he found the sweet spot just below your ear. You let out a gasp as he continued to suck and nibble at the sensitive skin. You pulled his mouth back to yours, wanting to taste him again. He let out a low moan and moved his hand further up the skin of your back. Both of you had no idea how long you were like this but you eventually pulled away from each other gasping for breath.

“Y/N” Bucky panted, “I love you, in fact I don’t think I could be more in love with you if I tried”. You leaned back, still on his hips, to look into his eyes. You searched the blue depths; you could see the same glint in his eyes as you had last night. You finally understood. “Bucky, I love you too”. You moved back towards him and placed a slow, tender kiss on his lips. He returned the kiss and chuckled against you lips, pulling apart again. He ran a hand down your cheek, then lifted you off his lap, surreptitiously placing you back on your bed. You mewled at the loss of contact and he placed a sweet kiss on your forehead. “Believe me doll I really want to continue this but we need to get ready”. You sent a questioning look his way as he started to get up. “Why?”. “Because Y/N, we are off on a date”. “Seriously Buck, we have known each other for ages, hell we spend everyday together.” He couldn’t argue with that surely. “I know Y/N but this is different, I can finally stop hiding how I feel about you and show everyone you’re mine.  

“Not quite sure we officially agreed on that you know.” He pounced on you and attacked your mouth with his, there was a desperation about this kiss. Your arms quickly moved around him, holding him to you. You couldn’t think. He pulled away and looked at you before it could get more heated. “What was that Y/N?”. You licked your lips trying to get a hint of his lingering taste. “Alright Bucky, you got me, I’m yours. Always have been, always will be.” He sent you a massive grin, a triumphant look plastered all over his face. “I told you last night Y/N, you’re stuck with me forever.”

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Bucky left you to get showered and changed. He wouldn’t tell you exactly what he had planned but told you to dress casually and comfortable. Drying your hair, you looked into the mirror. You couldn’t remember a time when you had felt happier. Your pink lips still a little swollen from earlier, a blush swept onto your face as you smiled at the memories of Bucky telling you he loved you. It was like a dream you never wanted to wake up from. You drew your hair up into a messy bun, and routed through your wardrobe, settling on some cropped black skinny jeans and a loose white t-shirt. Just as you were lacing up your vans, there was a knock on the door “come in” you yelled. Bucky walked in with a grin plastered over his face. “You nearly ready doll?”. You finished with the lace on your right trainer and stood up, grabbed your khaki jacket and walked over to him. You reached up and placed a quick kiss to his lips, wrapped your arm around his waist and looked into his eyes. He looked amazing, as always. His hair like yours, pulled into a bun, his at the nape of his neck. He had dark denim jeans on that hugged him in all the right places, it took a lot for you not to run your hands over him. He had opted for a dark navy cotton shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. “You gonna tell me where we are going yet Barnes?”  you poked teasingly at his chest. “Nah, this is too fun. I want it to be a surprise.”

Bucky took your hand and lead you out of your room. Your fingers intertwined with his, you sighed. “You ready for this doll?” Bucky said at you as you approached the shared kitchen and lounge. You nodded, tightening your grip on his hand. As you walked through into the kitchen Nat, Sam and Bruce were sat having a chat over breakfast. Tony was at the coffee machine, you looked up to see Bucky was ginning down at you. You beamed back at him as he stroked his thumb over you hand. “Oh my God. Y/N, Bucky I am so happy for you.” You hadn’t spotted Wanda on the sofa but she ran at you and enveloped you in a big hug “I knew it” she whispered in your ear. Sam had stood up and patted Bucky on his shoulder “About time man.” Bucky looked slightly embarrassed at this, had it really been that obvious to everyone. He didn’t care really, he had the girl he loved and for some inexplicable reason you loved him back. He felt like he was on cloud nine.

Your hands found each other again, both of laughing at everyone’s reactions. “You owe me 50 bucks Tony.” Nat called to Tony. Tony had stayed quiet during everyone else’s celebrations. “Barnes you better treat her right or you’ll have me to deal with” his tone laced with authority. You gave Bucky’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Tony, I’m properly happy for the first time in ages, please don’t ruin it, not today.” Everyone looked around awkwardly trying not to get involved. “Alight kid.” Tony raised his arms in defeat. “Sorry Barnes. Just want make sure you’re gonna look after our best girl.” Nat and Wanda shared a quick glance and shrugged. Bucky nodded at Tony and started to lead you to the door.  “Go, enjoy. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Or maybe you should do those things” Tony yelled. You waved your free hand back towards your teammates, excitement bubbling in your stomach about the day to come.

Bucky had led you to the underground carpark, you thought maybe you were going to go out in his bike. You shot a puzzling look at him when he grabbed the keys to one of Tony’s convertible sports cars. “You sure Tony is going to be ok with this?” you questioned. “Of course, he will be. Tony may hate me but he loves you like a daughter.” You were going to stat arguing with him and make it clear that Tony didn’t hate him despite everything. But Bucky cut you off “I’ll take you out on the bike another time. We are off out of the city and I don’t want to aggravate your shoulder by making you sit on the bike for an hour.” Where an earth was he taking you?

Bucky opened the passenger door for you to get in, as you walked passed him, you pressed a soft kiss to his lips and got into the Audi. He got in and started the car, he put the roof down and looked at you. “You ready for the best date of your life doll?” You knew that this date was going to be incredible but you couldn’t help but tease. “Well, I don’t know if you will be able to top the ice cream shop by high school boyfriend took me to. That was a pretty awesome date, going to be tricky to beat.” Bucky reached over and tickled you “ok, ok I surrender” you said in between gasps. “I’ll remember that Y/N” he tried to be serious but you could see he was holding back a laugh.

Bucky drove you out of the city, you enjoyed the scenery and had to admit you were glad you weren’t going to be out in the city for your first date. Being part of the Avengers drew attention even in unsuspecting places. You were fairly unknown having only been part of the team for a year. Bucky on the other hand, after everything that had happened, was stopped by people regularly. He hated it, most people came up to him and said “oh my god, it’s the winter soldier. Can I have a selfie.” The attention wasn’t the worst part of it for Bucky. He hated being reminded of his past as the winter soldier. Sure, he had come to terms with it, it had made him the person he is today, in some ways it had allowed him to meet you. He just wasn’t happy about everyone reminding him about it, especially when he was just going out for a walk or to get a coffee.

“You hungry Y/N?” Food? You hadn’t had much to eat in the last 24 hours. Your stomach rumbled as it seemed to catch on. “Yeah I am absolutely starving.” Bucky chuckled and pulled the car into a diner. You both sat down looking at the menu, you could smell the tantalising scent of coffee and fresh pancakes. The waitress came over to take your order. She surveyed you and Bucky, her eyes lingering on Bucky, batting her lashes at him as he gave his order. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder “what you havin’ doll?” As you looked up to give your order to the waitress she glared at you. As she asked if that was all she seemed to have thought better of her attitude, she walked away sending a small smile back. “She is just making sure she gets her tip” you snorted “did you see how she glared at me when you put your arm around me”. Bucky grinned, “look at you getting all possessive. She hasn’t got anything on you doll. No one has.” You turned you head towards him and he caught your lips with his, his tongue licked along your bottom lip and you sighed. “Ahem, here’s your coffee” you both pulled away and muttered your thanks to the very disgruntled waitress, you supressed a giggle as you watched her storm away.  

You chatted away to one another as you both ate your breakfast; pancakes for you and an omelette for Bucky. Bucky was telling you about Steve in the 40’s as you walked back to the car. You listened contently, asking questions here or there. You could tell Bucky liked talking about this time in his life, he was open and you could see a twinkle in his eyes. He then asked you about growing up with your uncle. He knew your parents had died when you were young and you ended up being looked after by your uncle. You told Bucky about how your uncle had ended up sending you to boarding school in the English countryside. He listened and commented on how difficult it must have been “It was alright really, I came to terms with it all when I was at school. If it hadn’t of happened, I wouldn’t have been picked up by MI6 and then shield.” You drifted off into your own thoughts, Bucky placed his hand on your thigh as he drove on. 10 minutes later you arrived at a gorgeous little town. “We’re here” Bucky said excitedly as he pulled the car up on a quiet street. “Where exactly is here Bucky?” “Harriman State Park, my mum used to bring me, Steve and my sister here as kids. You’re going to love it.”

You had to hand it to Bucky, he knew what a good date was. You had walked around the little town, he had shown you where he had been when he was younger. You ended up in at lunchtime in little cake shop that him and Steve loved as kids. He leaned over and wiped a bit of sugar from the doughnut you had eaten off your lips with his thumb, he put the thumb into his mouth sucking at it lightly. He pulled his thumb out of his “mmm cinnamon, good choice” You gasped slightly and could feel your face going red, he chuckled at your embarrassment. “Bucky” you groaned, punching him lightly on the arm “stop teasing.” “Where’s the fun it that Y/N?” he took your hand and pressed it to his lips. “Come on, the adventure continues.” You walked, hand in hand towards the lake. The views were incredible, it reminded you a lot of the lake district when you had visited with your parents at a young age. Bucky took you to the edge of the lake, hired a rowing boat and you spent a couple of hours exploring a water.

You didn’t want they day to end but you knew it was an hour back to the city and you would have to leave soon. As you walked back towards the car Bucky nipped into a little shop and came out with something in a paper bag. “Here you go Y/N, open it” he said as he handed you the paper bag. You opened it up and pulled out a postcard, it was of the state park. You don’t why but the gesture brought tears to your eyes. “It’s perfect Bucky, thank you.” Bucky pulled you into a bear hug, your head pressed tightly against in chest. He kissed the top of your head “I love you Y/N.” You looked up to him “I love you too Bucky.” He took your hand and you walked back to the car.

Bucky drove you back to the city, you watched him as he concentrated at the road. “You’re staring at me Y/N, do I have something in my teeth?” He checked his teeth quickly in the mirror making you giggle. “No, I just can’t believe this is happening. I keep thinking if I close my eyes I’m going to wake from this dream.” Bucky placed his hand on your thigh and rubbed small circles with his thumb. “This has been one of the best days of my life Y/N. I have dreamt about being with you for so long. I don’t remember being so content with my life”. You placed you hand over his “me neither Buck”.

Bucky swung the car back into the car park in the tower. You headed over to the lift. His warm hand crept under your t-shirt and stopped on your lower back. You spun to face him and reached up placing your arms around his neck, leaning up to capture his lips with yours. Your tongue toyed with his and your breathing quickened as his hands moved to your ass, pulling you closer to his body. You moaned as he attacked your neck with his mouth, your hands moving down to his shoulders, feeling the taught muscles on his back. The lift dinged as you reached your floor, you pulled apart. You caught a glimpse of the pair of you in the lift mirror. You looked exactly like you had just been making out, which of course you had but you didn’t want everyone else to know that. You noted how dilated both your pupils were as you straightened yourselves up a bit. You took his hand in yours and said “We’re off to my room.” “Yes Mam” he gave you a mini salute, chuckling at you. You walked briskly through the living room trying not to draw much attention. “Hey, how did the date go?” someone called out as you walked by “yeah good thanks” Bucky yelled from the corridor. “They seem glad to be back” Nat said knowingly, you could hear them giggling but you didn’t care. You wanted Bucky, no needed Bucky, they could wait. This couldn’t. You reached your door, you looked over your shoulder at him. There wasn’t an awful lot of his blue eyes showing now. He kissed and nibbled the skin on your neck as you opened your door, your eyes rolling in your head and imagination running wild with what was about to happen next. Bucky closed the door behind him and spun you around to face him.

Taglist: @broco8​

[what-is-your-plan-today]

CSI: Rogers and Barnes- The Serious Cereal Serial Killer

Ch4: Hit and Run Co written with @icanfeelastormbrewing

Episode Summary: There’s another body, and it’s another familiar face. Some bitching and arguing and an accident. SHOCK!!!

Episode Warnings: Bad Language words. Contains flash back which alludes to a sexual assault. Nothing graphic but avoid if this is a trigger.

Episode Pairings:  Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark (she still hates him…)

Song for Episode:  Demons At The Door by Sleeping Wolf

A/N: This entire series contains dark humour (CSI + Brooklyn 99=CSI Steeb) Avengers and Stark Spangled Banner Easter Eggs and jokes. You don’t need to have read the SSB series to understand or enjoy this, but we’ve used the Universe to spin this off from so somethings might puzzle a few of you if you ain’t, but feel free to ask.

Also, our knowledge of American Policing and Brooklyn is limited, so bear with us if we slip up, but at the end of the day this is a fiction so we’ll claim any mistakes as creative license!!

As always we live for re-blogs and comments  

CSI Rogers and Barnes Master List 

Main Masterlist 

"Of all the places in the world...." Steve groaned as they approached the murder scene.

It was a late July evening and the cool breeze that blew at the Ice Rink at 8 p.m. wasn't a good match for his short sleeved navy blue polo shirt. He didn’t like ice, either. But that was a whole different story. He shrugged on his denim jacket as he walked, giving a slight shiver.

"Hey, it's me who has issues with winter sports, not you. You love ice, Capsicle." Bucky said laughing at his own lame pun.

"Jerk" was the only thing Steve bothered to say to his friend.

They waved at Thor who, as per usual, was directing the police operative. The man was more rushed this time as the new body had appeared in a more popular with tourists spot at a busier time of the evening too.

The area had been secured but people still lingered in the area, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening and, if they were lucky enough, of the bulk under the sheet before they put it in a body bag.

Steve saw a pair of journalists trying to bargain some information out of the police officers who were trying to keep the curious onlookers at bay. He had seen them around other crime scenes and at a few press conferences he had attended over the last couple of years. It was a matter of seconds when another two or three more turned up.

As they approached the scene, they saw that Sam had arrived and was discussing some sort of procedure with Bruce who was crouched down by the body. Katie was busy inspecting the surroundings oblivious to the two men behind her and gave a start when Steve and Bucky greeted her.

"Hey" she said catching her breath and placing a hand on her chest. "You startled me."

"Sorry" Steve smiled. "How are you holding?"

She didn’t return his smile, instead she just gave a shrug.

"Reinforcements are here" Bucky said puffing his chest.

"God bless America" Katie scoffed. "Well, pretty much same crime scene only this one is frostier."

"You can say that again." muttered Bucky. Katie glared at him and ignoring his jab regarding the tension between her and Steve and continued her report on the scene.

"No bullet wound, so no casings. This is a promenade so no vehicle tracks, I was inspecting the area for footprints but there are no wet marks so the attacker wasn't on the ice. We need to see what Sam says about the body, but I presume from the lack of evidence of a vehicle, plus the fact it would be pretty hard to drive here anyway at this time of day without being seen, that the victim was attacked where he's lying, by the bench that faces the ice rink."

"Have you talked to the boys that found it?" Steve asked Katie while looking around searching for the kids who had spotted the body.

“Him.” she replied, not looking up

"It's a male?" Bucky asked Katie.

"Yes, the boys reported the body of a man who seemed to be dead by one of the benches in front of the rink." Katie said. "Well, according to Thor their exact words were “There's a dude here, he got smoked.”  Yeah, quite the literary talent." she added when Bucky chuckled at the boys’ use of slang. "Anyway, a police officer is with them, we’re waiting for their parents to show up and then we can drive them to the station to take their statements."

"Ok. Let's see what Sam and Bruce got." Steve said as he began to walk towards the scene, followed by Bucky and Katie who was now grabbing a mint from the packet that Bucky was holding out for her.

"Do we know anything about the victim?" Steve asked turning her head to Katie and then turned again to greet Sam.

"Nope. Not yet. Sam only told me there was no bullet wound, only what seemed...." Steve frowned and turned to ask Katie why she had stopped talking when he saw she had paused in her tracks and stood there frozen looking down at the body.

"Katie?" Bucky who had also stopped walking asked a worried look on his face.

She didn’t reply, merely stood there her eyes wide, a look of utter shock on her face.

"She's shaken. She's not hearing you." Steve told Bucky as he moved towards Katie, recognising the signs instantly. He’d seen it often enough "Can you please take the reins, while I... umm..?"

"Sure, pal. I've got this." he said before Steve could finish the question and turned to Sam and Bruce whose worried looks were focused now on the three of them rather than on the dead body on the floor.

"Hey. Are you ok? Katie? Look at me." Steve said quietly holding Katie's face between his hands.

She seemingly reacted to the human contact and the soft voice speaking to her. Her eyes fell on the ones before her and Steve saw those green orbs staring at his, struggling to focus, and once she did  she flinched from his touch and composed herself.

Steve swallowed hard and tried to hide his wounded pride as much as possible.

"Come here." he said as he took her arm gently and guided her to the spot where their cars were parked.

"Need anything? Water?" Steve offered patiently giving her time to adjust to reality.

"No, I'm fine thanks." she said and fell silent again looking past him towards the bulk on the ground beside the bench.

"Are you gonna tell me what that was about?" Steve asked tentatively.

Katie stood now leaning back against the left door of her car as Steve waiting patiently for an answer which he honestly wasn't sure he was going to get given how things were between the two of them. His fists clenched inside the pockets of his denim jacket fighting the urge to reach for Katie to comfort her but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, he watched her carefully as she moved her eyes frantically between the crime scene and him, and closing them she whispered "I know him."

"You knew the victim?" he asked frowning.

She nodded and inhaled deeply before opening her eyes again and saying "Sitwell, Jasper Sitwell."

Steve looked at her intently trying to get more information from her, he couldn't recall where had he heard that name but it did sound familiar.

"Sitwell..." he repeated as if uttering that surname again would magically bring a memory back. "Katie, I don't..."

"Steve" she said her eyes on his "remember what happened with Rumlow?"

"Yes." he said the word nearly getting stuck in his throat. Now he was beginning to get worried.

"Sitwell was Rumlow's alibi when Peralta and I were digging into him. We had to drop the case because that bloodsucker stated they were together when it all happened." she rubbed her temples and laced a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing "Never believed him. We were forced to drop it. And then..." she choked on her words.

"Shhhh" Steve said gently reaching for her to calm her with a hug. But she raised her palms stopping him on the spot and he retreated hurt showing in his eyes as it was the second time in less than 5 minutes that she had rejected his touch.

"I'm fine." She said biting her lower lip and looking down to the ground "Or I will be... gotta get out of here Steve" she added before moving around the front part of her car.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Steve asked before she reached the driver's door. "Want me to take you?"

"No." she said too fast and sharp for Steve liking

"Let me call Tony... or Bucky could?" he tried again, worried she would be too upset to focus on the road.

"I'm fine, Steve. Just need a hot bath and to get some sleep." she said taking the car keys out of her jacket right pocket.

"Ok, well… be careful.” She nodded and went to open her door before Steve suddenly remembered something.

“Wait…” he said, and she turned to look at him "I've got something for you.”

He ran towards his car while Katie stood there by the open door of hers waiting for him with a frown.

"Here! My ma gave me this for you." he said handing her the slice of apple pie Mrs Rogers had sent with him.

"Does she know...?" she said taking the foil wrapped pie he was handing her, looking down at it as he handed it over.

"That you're back? Yes, told her earlier." Steve nodded pursing his lips at the memory of her mother's advice.

"Tell her thanks and I'll drop by when I can." she said smiling to him for the first time since she came back from DC.

Steve nodded and smiled back at her as she closed the door and started the car. He leant over the driver's window and said "Drive safe." before she pulled away. He sighed, hands on his hips, his never wavering gaze on the taillights of the blue Honda Civic as it drove away.

"What was that about?" Steve turned around to see a concerned Bucky.

"The victim was.... ummm.... Let's say he was an old acquaintance. Long story. Tell you about it later." Steve said and gestured to the crime scene before asking Bucky.

"Same scene?"

"Yeah, pretty much. This time there's apparently increased violence though. Two blows." Bucky answered.

"Cereal?"

"Yes. I would say it was Jump Start this time. God I hate that shitty generic brand stuff." Bucky scoffed while unlocking his phone.

Steve raised an eyebrow and was about to ask him what was the deal with him and cereals, but honestly he had too many things in his mind at the moment and Bucky's one of many quirks was the last thing in the list right now.

"Ok, get in the car. I sent Katie home, so it's you and me taking the statements of those kids tonight." Steve said walking to the car and opening the driver's door.

"You sent her home and she did as you told without putting up a fight? That's a first." Bucky grinned as he entered the car and sat on the passenger seat.

Steve only groaned and started the car and shook his head at the sight of Bucky devouring his slice of pie.

During the drive back to the station Steve filled Bucky in on everything. And by doing so he found himself catapulted back 5 years previously to one of the NYPD Charity Balls.

Steve could see Katie was excited for this one, it was her first formal event since moving from Uniform into the Detective branch little over 7 months previously after years of hard work on her part to get there. She was determined to make a name for herself, prove to people she wasn’t just Commander Howard Stark’s daughter. Of course Ward had let her down last minute, as per usual, but she wasn’t letting that dampen her spirits. He picked her up, and had to smile as she practically skipped down to his car, her deep red, knee length dress flared slightly out from her hips and she had a soft black shawl draped over her shoulders. She climbed into the passenger seat and gave his cheek a quick peck as he told her she looked stunning, as always. She beamed and then the car filled with her happy chatter, about how she was looking forward to letting her hair down, especially after the case that she had been working for weeks had collapsed.

Steve, as always, kept an eye on her all night, without being overbearing. If she wanted to get drunk to the point of puking then that was her prerogative, he’d simply be there to mop up just like he had done several times before. But then he was caught in a conversation with Thor, Terry Jefferson and Barton about the recent Super Bowl and as such he hadn’t seen her for a lost sight of her for a while. When he looked up to find her, as it was his round, he realised she was nowhere to be seen. After asking Natasha where she was, the red head had frowned saying she hadn’t seen her for a while either, so Steve had headed off to see if he could find out where she was.

And he found her.

“Katie…what the hell?” Steve looked at her as she was stood near the bathroom. She was pressed hard against the wall, almost like she was trying to sink into it. Her breathing was ragged and there were tears streaking her face and he noticed she was shaking from head to toe “Jesus Sweetheart what’s…” “I just...Stevie…I…” She was stumbling over her words as turned to him and practically threw herself into his arms. He frowned and pulled her close, rubbing her back softly as she trembled against him.

“You’re scaring me honey.” he said softly. He’d never seen her like this in the entire 5 years they had been friends. “What…”

“He…er…he was waiting and…”

“Ok, slow down…” he said gently, his hands sliding to her face. “Who?”

“Rumlow…”

Steve took a deep breath through his nose as he felt the nerve in his jaw twitch. “What did he do?”

“He….he was rambling on about the case and….”

“Katie…” he looked at her, his voice calm and commanding “Tell me, what did he do?”

“He said that if I told anyone no one would believe me anyway because of the rape case being dropped and…”

Steve felt cold all over as he looked at her. His thumbs gently skated over her cheek bones as she took a deep breath “Did he touch you? Because if he did I swear to God…”

“He put his hand up my skirt and…” “Mother fucker…” Steve said, one of his hands taking through his hair, the other slamming against the wall causing Katie to flinch “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know….”

With that he wheeled round, ignoring her calls and stormed towards the main door of the bar, yanking it open.

“Hey Rogers…” Peralta looked at him “You seen Katie? The boss is just about to…” “Where’s Rumlow?” Steve demanded, cutting him off.

Peralta’s face darkened “He just left…bastard had a nerve showing up anyway, I can’t believe…”

Steve didn’t wait to hear the rest, the red mist had descended and he had only one thing in mind. That fucking cunt should be banged up in a cell from what he had heard. Apparently he had a cast iron alibi from the rape, but both Katie and Peralta were 100% convinced he had done it. But the case had been dropped as the victim had decided not pursue and as such he was still wandering around the 99 free to do what he wanted.

And he’d just assaulted one of the most important people in Steve’s life.

He ran out of the bar and spotted Rumlow as he headed towards his car. Picking up a sprint, at the sound of his feet pounding on the tarmac, Rumlow turned round and Steve sent a punch straight into the bastards face, sending him sprawling over the bonnet of his car. Steve dragged him up off the bonnet with one hand fisting in the front of his shirt before delivering another punch again, feeling his nose crunch under his fist as the man dropped to the floor. He was just winding up to boot him hard in the ribs when someone grabbed him from behind.

“Cap…” He heard Barton speak, but Steve shrugged him off easily. He went to lead with his foot again, the only thing on his mind was beating the piece of shit until he couldn’t stand up, but when someone else grabbed him, the grip was much stronger, and he was dragged back by both arms.

“Rogers, leave it…come on man…” It was Terry Jefferson.

“Son of a bitch!” Steve yelled, attempting to work his way out of Terry’s grip but to no avail.

“Stevie…” another voice, this one quieter cut through the fog and he took a deep breath as Katie appeared in front of him, both hands on his chest “Stop…”

His chest heaving he took a deep breath and looked down at her as Rumlow gave a groan from the floor behind her. Clint bent down to see to him and Steve held his hands up in surrender. Terry let go and Steve looked at Katie, his hands once more holding her face, the knuckles of his right tender from the punches he had landed.

“You alright?” he asked softly and she nodded. Steve drew himself up and turned to Terry “He assaulted her…”

“What?” Terry frowned, and looked down to Rumlow. Upon hearing Steve’s words, Clint had turned to look up at them and Natasha moved forward, her hand falling to Katie’s shoulder. Katie gave a small nod, and took a deep breath as Natasha looked at her and Steve stepped away slightly, and noticing Katie was still shaking he shrugged off his jacket and dropped it lightly over her shoulders before he heard Terry barking instructions to Peralta to get a unit down to the bar.

Rumlow was now on his feet, and in a second Clint had his arm up his back, and had shoved him down on the bonnet of the car, Rumlow giving a yell.

“Move again and I’ll break it…” he snarled, giving it a harsh jerk.

“He attacked me…”

“Did he?” Peralta asked, his phone clutched to his ear as he looked around, “I didn’t see anything…”

“Me neither…” Terry spoke.

“Yeah, hi, this is Detective Jake Peralta, I need a unit…” Peralta spoke, walking a little way away from the group as Rumlow gave another yell as Clint yanked on his arm again

“Looks like you’re mistaken shit bag.”

“Doll…” Steve turned to Katie again, who was now leaning her head against Natasha’s shoulder clutching his leather jacket around her as the red head’s arm pulled her in. She looked up at him, her green eyes still sporting that petrified look. “You up to giving a statement?”

She glanced at him, then to Rumlow, and then drew herself tall “Yeah, he’s not getting away with it a second time.” “Only he did.” Steve spat out as he swung the car into the station parking lot “The Prosecution advised Katie that it would simply be her word against his. Rumlow was sticking to his story, saying Katie had led him outside on purpose and then got cold feet. And the previous accusation couldn’t be used as the previous victim had dropped all charges…” “What previous accusation?” Bucky asked.

“Rape.” Steve sighed “The victim saw Rumlow at the station and her reaction basically led Katie and Peralta to believe it was him. But before they could go any further, he had a cast iron alibi…and that was Sitwell, the guy we just saw with his head caved in and a mouth full of cereal”

“Fuck…” Bucky mumbled.

“Katie basically went through weeks of hell to in the end drop her case, which killed her. And her fucker of a boyfriend wasn’t much of a support either, simply telling her that she shouldn’t wear such “tight or revealing clothing” for fear of egging men on.” “Are you for real?” Bucky frowned.

“Yup. Trust me, it took everything I had not to kick the crap out of him for that.” Steve sighed, “Still, being Howard’s daughter had some perks. He went in all guns blazing when he learned about what happened and kicked up an absolute storm, threatening to go to the press and everything.  Pierce, in the end, instructed Rumlow to “resign”. Which is another thing that sticks in my throat. He should have been fired.”

“Instead he got to leave with the full benefits of a pension.” Bucky shook his head.

“Yeah, still, it meant he was away from Katie. Which was something she was thankful for.”

Bucky was silent for a moment as Steve cut the engine and ran his hand over his face. “You think his murder could be connected to the dropped rape case?”

Steve shrugged “I dunno. It could just be a coincidence but…” “I don’t believe in coincidences.” Bucky shook his head “Not when it comes to stuff like this.” “Me neither.” Steve said, undoing his belt. “Let’s get these statements taken.” “Aye, aye Captain.” Bucky said, saluting as he followed his friend out of the car.

*****

It was way past eleven the next morning when Bucky entered the kitchen of the station. He and Steve had been working late the previous night, taking statements and going over the case files again and again. The rest of the team had been working on other minor cases or doing paperwork waiting for them to arrive for briefing and were now taking a coffee break.

"Morning, Barnes." greeted Clint who was perched on the kitchen counter. "Fancy some coffee?"

"Yes, please. You really remind me of my ma's parakeet, always perched onto something." he said taking the coffee pot Clint was holding out for him as he opened one of the cupboards to get a mug.

"Tweet, tweet." Clint retorted and Natasha, who was filing her nails, scoffed.

Bucky spotted Katie engrossed on some files that were scattered over the kitchen table while sipping from her coffee mug and moved closer to her and leant over her.

"How you holding?" he whispered placing a kiss on her head.

She looked up at him and smiled softly for an only answer.

"Good." he whispered again and turned to the others to ask "Is there anything worth eating around here?"

"Here, have one." Wanda, who had been watching his interaction with Katie with a broad smile, offered him a box of doughnuts. But she slapped his hand when he was about to take a particular one.

"Not that one. Those are Steve's favourites!" she cried.

"Sorry." he said with a sarcastic tone as he raised an eyebrow at Clint and Natasha who were smiling at him knowingly. "God forgive me if I ate your Captain’s food." he continued while Wanda pulled a face.

It was at that moment that Katie sat up and gathered all her papers to head for her desk but she bumped into Thor at the kitchen's door.

"Greetings, little Stark" Thor said joyfully.

"Morning" she said flatly before heading out. Thor shrugged and moved to one of the cupboards.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked the others while rummaging inside the cupboard "Have we run out of pop tarts?" he groaned turning around.

"Take a doughnut, and watch your hand, picking one is like playing Russian roulette." Clint quipped and Wanda stuck her tongue out at him.

"She's been particularly snarky all morning." Natasha deadpanned looking intently at Bucky who sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Bitchy." Wanda added and Bucky shot a glare at her.

He was going to say something, not too compromising but enough to get them to leave her alone, when Steve appeared at the kitchen door and called "Everyone, briefing in five." before leaving again.

"Gotta go" Wanda said and before stepping outside the door she turned and added "Are we meeting for lunch?"

"Yes. Diner on the corner, just after briefing!" Natasha yelled for her to hear.

Steve was already sat in the briefing room checking his phone when Wanda came in and placed a coffee mug and a plate with two doughnuts with red, white and blue sprinkles on the table in front of him.

"Thanks" he said "Where is everyone? I told them five minutes."

"They're coming. Well, everyone bar Katie, I don't know where she is." she shrugged.

Steve raised her head to look at her and asked "What do you mean you don't know where she is?"

"She left the kitchen without bothering to look us in the face. Ask Barnes, they seem very close." and as she leant over his ear she whispered "I think they were having a moment back there."

Steve stiffened on his seat and gave an angry bite to one of the doughnuts avoiding saying something he could regret later on. He hadn't failed to notice how close the pair of detectives had become over the last week and it was something that was starting to piss him off. Would Bucky....? No, he wouldn't... He tried to shake those thoughts from his mind and was snapped back into reality by the voices of his team plus Bruce entering the briefing room.

"All right, let's start." Steve said when everyone had taken their seats, noticing Katie sliding in and taking up a seat further down the table. "Sam called. He's currently doing the second victim's autopsy and Tony is out of town working in another case, so Bruce here will do the honours." he said gesturing to the scientist.

Bruce cleared his throat and in a nervous tick he took off his glasses before speaking, "Well, regarding the first victim, we have concluded that the murder weapon could be a round, blunt hammer…"

"A chasing hammer." Thor nodded and everyone turned to look at him, questioningly. "What? I like hammers." he shrugged. "I was actually the hammer throwing champion in the school athletics team."

There was a pause everyone taking in what Thor had just revealed. Then Katie spoke turning to Bruce "But it wasn't a frenzied attack? A single blow?"

"Yeah, that is unlike the second victim, but we'll come to that later." Bruce confirmed.

Steve saw Katie shiver at the mention of the second victim and before he could even register what he was doing he asked her if she was ok to which she only nodded not taking her eyes from the table. He looked directly at Bruce, gesturing for him to continue, not able to deal with the glances he was sure Clint, Natasha and Wanda were sharing at his question to the sergeant.

"As you know we recovered some hairs from Ross trousers" Bruce resumed his report.

"Oh, well that's something." Bucky nodded. "A potential lead maybe?”

"Yeah, wouldn't bank on it." Bruce said "Initial tests show us it's not human."

"What do you mean it's not human?" Steve frowned.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Bruce stuttered looking at Steve "Exactly what I just said. That hair is not from a human being. And it's not from the more common domestic animals either like dogs, cats, rabbits, horses... So Peter's on with it now, as soon as we get something we'll let you know."

"Ok, thanks Bruce." Steve said while everyone was lost on their thoughts trying to decipher what kind of animal Ross had been around.

"As for the second victim, we have confirmed his identity." Bruce said chewing one of the arms of his glasses "His name is Jasper Sitwell."

And at the mention of that name Steve saw Katie close her eyes and couldn't help but ask her again.

"You sure you're ok, sweetheart?" he had blurted the words out before he could stop himself and her head shot up and she gave him a filthy look.

"Stop asking me if I'm ok for fuck sake, Steve!" she raised her voice angrily "And DON’T call me that! I'm not your sweetheart, never have been."

Steve clenched his jaw and for a second closed his eyes. If he could have smacked the back of his own head right there and then, he would have. That was on him. Still, he needed to react, despite the grudge Katie was holding against him, they were in a briefing meeting and he was the Captain, being talked to like that was out of order. He looked at Katie and opened his mouth to tell her off, when Bucky shot a quick glance at him and then turned to Katie grabbing her arm.

"Stark. You're off the line. We're not discussing personal matters here." Bucky told her before leaning and whispering to her "Even if he is an asshole."

Steve watched her soften a bit under Bucky's call and then saw a glimpse of a smile on her face when he had whispered something to her. But that smile had faded when she had spotted Wanda shaking her head gazing at Katie reproachfully. That's when he decided to step up, but was again cut off.

"What's your problem?" Katie glared at Wanda while Bucky sat back in his chair and raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Katie...stop it!" Natasha tried to intercede also shooting daggers at her.

"That's enough!" Steve spoke up, his voice loud as he cut across the briefing room. "Sergeant Stark, you have any problems with your superiors just issue a complaint form."

"I'll issue a form, I'll shove it up your fucking ass. Fuck this..." Katie yelled at him before she stood up and stormed out of the briefing room.

Bucky stood up fast as lightning and went for the door hurriedly after saying "I've got her, just continue with the briefing."

Steve stood there frozen deciding whether to call the meeting off or get it over with once and for all, when he heard Clint say to Natasha "You should have gone after her." and she shot him a deathly glare.

"What a ..." Wanda started to say.

"I said enough, Wanda." Steve raised his voice and heard Bruce groan and he couldn't blame him, after all the scientist didn't like people with anger management issues.

"Sorry Banner, you were saying..." he said pinching the bridge of his nose and gesturing for him to continue.

"Ummm yes..." Bruce said scanning his notes " that is, I was saying the victim is Jasper Sitwell. Preliminary visual inspection at the crime scene says it was two blows on the head this time. Cereal in mouth as well. So we'd say same MO but we'll give you more details after Sam has finished with him."

"Thanks Banner" Steve said to Bruce who nodded shyly.

"Barton, Romanoff, I want you to investigate Jasper Sitwell. Use all your spy tricks, the guy must be someone relatively important, Sam said yesterday the tie he was wearing was expensive."

"What a pity" Natasha drawled.

"Well, he was a suit and tie kind of guy. We'll find something Cap." Clint said and Steve rolled his eyes at the detective's use of nickname.

"All right, I'll call Rhodes, same course of action with the press." Steve said now looking at Wanda who nodded.

"Wait, why was Little Stark so pissed?" Thor asked out of the blue and everyone turned to look at him astonished.

"What, were you napping?" Steve said and sighed “OK. You're dismissed, I can feel a headache brewing." and stood up to head for his office, but before that he heard Natasha say not as quietly as she intended "I can feel a storm brewing." and Wanda sniggered.

***** Bucky caught up with Katie as she stormed out of the main office and into the corridor.

“Doll face, just...” She wheeled round at him and he held his hands up “Ok, my bad…”

“Leave me alone…” she said, her voice quieter “I’ve had enough.”

“I can tell.” Bucky said “You made that perfectly clear.”

Katie sighed and folded her arms, her tongue poking into her cheek.

“I’m not defending him but maybe, just maybe, Steve’s a little concerned about you.”

“He’s no right to be.” “Maybe not, but you two were friends for a long time before it went sideways.” “Before he sent it sideways…” “Whatever, the point I’m trying to make is that was a slip of the tongue, that’s all.” “I am sick and tired of this.” She said, looking at him. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the team being off with me.” “Well, you are kinda scary when you’re angry…and you always seem kinda angry so…” “And why do you think that is?” she asked “I didn’t ask for any of this Bucky… he was the one that pulled me back here I just…” “So, let’s just get the job done and then you can go back.” Bucky soothed. “Look, we’re going for lunch in a moment so this afternoon let’s just get our heads down and get our ideas up on the boards.” She frowned and then there was a look on her face as if she was understanding something. But what it was, he had no idea. Instead she shrugged and headed back into the office, ignoring everyone as she walked, in particular Wanda. Wanda followed her with her eyes, narrowing them slightly until she spotted Bucky watching. He gave her a look of his own and she scurried back to her desk.

“Right, lunch!” Thor clapped his hands. There were murmurs in the office and Bucky nodded, telling them to go ahead and he’d catch them up. He popped his head into Steve’s office.

“Punk, we’re going for lunch.” he said. Steve looked up “you coming?” “No I’m gonna go have half an hour in the gym.” Steve said. Bucky knew that was Steve’s way of working out some of his frustration so he didn’t argue.

“I’m assuming from the lack of a black eye you managed to calm Katie down.” Steve looked at him.

“In a fashion.” Bucky shrugged “I’ll feed her a double cheeseburger like you suggested, she’ll be fine. Just maybe stop with the pet names huh?”

Steve snorted “force of habit.” Bucky gave him a final nod and leaving his friend to it he headed after Natasha and caught the gang up as they walked the block or so down the road. They headed to a table in the corner and Bucky took a seat between Clint and Wanda, picking up the menu and giving it a glance. He looked up momentarily when Natasha spoke to the waitress who took their drinks order, saying she would come back and take the one for their food in a moment. They all began to discuss what they were having, Bucky deciding he would probably go for his usual, the Southern Fried Chicken sandwich. Putting the menu down he looked around the team, Natasha and Wanda leaning together pointing at something on the card before he realised they were one short.

“Hold up…” he frowned “Where’s Stark?”

At that Thor frowned and looked around, as if only just noticing she wasn’t there. Clint gave Natasha a look, one that clearly said ‘I told you so’ whilst Wanda looked down at her nails.

“Have you deliberately not invited her?” Bucky’s frown deepened as he began to realise what it was that Katie had understood before. She’d understood that she hadn’t been invited. 

Fuck.

“We’re just getting a little tired of her attitude.” Natasha sighed. “She was out of line at briefing before.”

“The way she speaks to Steve is disgusting. She’s being such a fucking bitch…” Wanda added. “Ok, that’s enough.” Bucky said sternly. “She’s got a lot going on. And Steve, well frankly, he isn’t innocent in all of this.”

“Oh please!” Wanda snorted “They fucked after a Christmas party and then she made a meal out of it, dramatically running away to DC…”

“That’s not…” Bucky sighed, shaking his head “You know what, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take mine to go. Not having her sitting alone in the office, it’s cruel and frankly I expect more from you.”

Natasha frowned “Do you know something we don’t Serge?” 

“Ask her…or Captain Goldenboy.” he sighed, standing up. He headed over to the counter, ignoring the hushed whispers that had struck up and ordered his own, and then after a pause added a few extra items. He sat by the counter, faffing about on his phone until about 20 minutes later it was ready. Grabbing the bags he headed back, still feeling slightly pissed at the behaviour of the unit.

He headed up the elevator and into the office, crossing towards his desk. Katie was sat at hers, pen between her teeth and he could see she had been crying.

“Hey…”

“Thought you had all gone for lunch…” she said looking up at him and he could tell she was trying to keep her tone casual.

“Decided on take out…” He waved the bag and spotting the logo she smiled, a genuine smile at him and it lit her pretty face up. “Cheeseburger, chilli fries and a vanilla shake?” he asked as he began to unpack the items.

“Thanks Bucky.” she said softly, taking her food from him. He smiled at her again before he took one of the subs he had bought through along with a bag of chips and a soda to Steve’s office, dropping it all on his desk. He was just leaving when Steve walked back into the room, almost bumping into him.

“Thought you were going for lunch?” Steve said, brushing his damp hair back with his right hand.

“I was…” Bucky said, before he gestured to the door. Steve shut it and turned back to his friend “Until I got there and found out they’d deliberately excluded Katie.”

“What?” Steve frowned “Why?” “Sick of her attitude…apparently” Bucky said and Steve sighed.

“So you bailed?” “Yeah, not having her sitting here alone.”

Steve took a deep breath and rubbed at his temple. He looked at Bucky, opened his mouth and then shut it again, shaking his head.

“Spit it out…” Bucky said, looking at him.

“I err, well, there’s nothing going on between you and her is there?” Steve asked, his eyes locking onto Bucky’s.

“What the fuck?” Bucky scowled, an angry flush spreading up his neck to his cheeks “Because I bailed on lunch as she wasn’t there? I did that because it’s fucking cruel…”

“It’s not just the lunch…” Steve cut him off, his eyes still focussed on his “Wanda said she thought you two were having a moment before and I’ve seen the pair of you…” “Man you really are as stupid as you look…” Bucky snorted. “She looked lost this morning, so yeah, I gave her a bit of a hug and a kiss on the head but fuck me Steve…even if I did like her that way do you really think I’d go there knowing your history? You’re by best friend, it’s an unwritten rule…”

There was a silence in the office and Steve sighed, hanging his head.

“Sorry man, I know. I just…”

“Just nothing, get your head out of your ass.” Bucky snorted. “You need to watch Wanda, Steve. She’s got a thing for you and I get the impression she instigated leaving Katie off of the lunch invite. She was being particularly nasty about her this morning too before briefing.”

Steve gave a groan and shook his head “That’s all I need…”

“And as you keep saying, Katie is vicious so you could end up with a full scale bitch fight on your hands.”

“Do you think I should talk to Wanda?”

“To be honest I’m not sure whether that will help.” Bucky shrugged “I’m just telling you to be aware. You say Katie is strong but…well, there’s only so much anyone can take. She’s been crying, I can tell.” He looked at Steve who bit his lip and glanced out through the blinds to where Katie was sat, eating her lunch.

“You brought her lunch back?” Steve looked at him.

“Yeah, is that ok or does it mean we’re fucking?”

“Alright, I said I was sorry…”

“Good, because I got you a Pastrami and rye, extra pickle. And there’s no way I want to be romantically involved with your punk ass so…”

Steve glanced at the bag and when he turned back to look at Bucky, the sergeant was surprised at the look on Steve’s face. Almost like he was about to burst into tears. “Thanks Buck.”

“It’s only a sandwich.”

“No I mean for looking after her.” Steve said, giving him a significant look.

“You’re welcome pal, what can I say? I like your girl.” Steve sighed “She’s not my girl…” “Yeah, yeah…” Bucky said, and with that he turned and left the office.

***** Steve looked up as there was a knock on his open door. Katie stepped in, file in her hand and she strode to his desk, dropping it down.

“Initial profile.” she said, nodding to it “It’s only a basic one at the moment but I’ll keep working on it. I’ve given a copy to Barnes as well and run him through my initial thoughts.”

“You wanna give me the basics?” Steve asked, leaning back in his chair, gesturing for her to take the one on the opposite side of the desk.

“Not really but you’re the boss.” she said, remaining stood up, arms folded “I think we’re looking for a male. The MO doesn’t fit with a female as you know and the victims have all been struck at the back of the head at an angle that would insinuate the height of the attacker in Ross’ case was similar, or in Sitwell’s case taller. Ross is 6ft and the blows took significant strength. Of course it could be a tall, bodybuilding female but I doubt it.”

Steve nodded and waited for her to continue.

“Also the hammer blows…it’s a typical cave man move. A bang on the back of the head, like with a club. Most Male serial killers are known to hunt their victims like that, throw-back to the hunter gatherer days. Women serial killers will normally use poison or suffocation…or if they’re in a frenzy a sharp knife.” He smiled, he had almost forgotten how good she was at this.

“I also believe that the victims were known to our guy, and that they know him too. First off there’s little to no physical resemblance, apart from them being male. Which leads me to believe he is targeting them deliberately. The lack of other marks on the body means they’re not being manhandled out to the place their killed either, so I believe it to be prearranged. Oh, and on that Barnes has had tech start to look at their phone records…see if either of them had calls or messages before hand.” Steve nodded “And the calling card?” “I’m stumped.” Katie said, shrugging. “Literally. I can only, again, go back to what I said in DC. Normally leaving things in mouths is either a sexual thing, which in this case we can rule out as there’s no signs of any sexual activity taking place, or a class statement, you know the whole silver spoon trope. I can only conclude this is his message about how dangerous either an everyday object can be, or how dangerous he can be with an everyday object. It could mean something to the killer, but…”

She paused and then looked at Steve “I want to dig into Sitwell more.” Steve watched her as she continued and bit back the smile at the fact she was telling him what she was going to do rather than asking for permission, like she always had.  “I’m going to call back to the 99, drag the Rumlow case files out…see if there’s anything that can tie Sitwell to Ross or vice versa. I know Rumlow is doing a stretch inside but…” “Sure. I’ll call Holt and let him know.”

With that she gave him a curt nod and went to leave. 

“Katie.” he said gently and she turned to look at him.

“Just be careful”

She didn’t reply, simply gave him a cold look and left. He watched her head to her desk where she said something to Bucky who nodded to her as she picked up her hoody, purse and then the mug in her usual end of day routine- she would NEVER leave an unwashed mug on her desk, no matter what time she was leaving.

A few moments later Bucky popped his head in, telling Steve he was heading off and had a couple of things to do on his way home so he would be later back. By couple of things, Steve assumed he meant a dame so he simply nodded and then once his friend was gone he glanced at the file Katie had left him. Before he started looking at it in detail he needed another coffee. He left his office, heading for the kitchen and as he made his way down the corridor he paused as Natasha’s raised voice hit his ears.

“You know as well as anyone round here, Stark, we’re a family. We look out for one another…and we’re just tired of the way you keep snapping at Steve. It’s not fair…”

“Wait you think... “Katie snorted and let her a bitter laugh "You think that I'm being unreasonable?” "You’re being a bitch!” Nat scoffed

Katie let out another derisive snort “Whatever…” she replied sarcastically and Steve knew from her tone she would be rolling her eyes.

“Look, you slept together. Yeah, we figured as much, and then you ran…” “I ran?” Katie laughed bitterly “Oh, that’s fucking priceless that is! Of course he hasn’t told any of you, wouldn’t want to ruin his God’s Righteous Man reputation would he?” “What are you talking about?” Nat asked.

“I didn’t run anywhere, Nat, he did!” Katie said, her voice loud “After we spent the night together I woke up to find him gone. And then he ghosted me for 3 days.”

"Shit." Nat said gently, "Katie…honestly I had no idea…I knew you'd both...you know but we all just assumed you'd decided it was a mistake and…"

“I wasn’t the one that decided it was a mistake. He did. Nat, I practically begged him to give me a reason to stay but he wouldn't.”

There was a pause and Katie spoke again, and Steve could hear the emotion in her voice. “You know, he told me that he cared, that he’d had feelings for me for years but…then he goes and does this and…”

She trailed off and Steve swallowed, he hated that he had hurt her so much, but more so that he couldn’t do anything to make it right. "I'm so, so sorry." Nat spoke again, her voice soft “I wouldn’t have…well, leaving you off the lunch invite was cruel, I should have said something to Wanda.”

Again nothing. And then Steve heard a sniffle “Shit, Katie come here..." There was the rustling of clothing as he assumed the two women embraced.

“Why didn’t you talk to me?” Nat asked.

“I don’t know I just...I suppose I thought by cutting myself off it would help but it didn’t. I’ve been so lonely…DC is great and the job is amazing but, well all my friends are here and…”

She was crying now and Steve’s heart sank even further. He’d done this to her.

“I’m sorry I ran out on you all like I did…and I should have talked to you I know. I missed you Nat.” “Yeah?” Steve heard the amusement in Nat’s voice.

“Of course I did.” Katie laughed a little “You were my best friend.” “No I wasn’t” Nat said softly.

“Well, my best girlfriend…” Katie replied.

"Have you told any of the 99 you're back in town?" Nat asked after a short pause. "No." "You should call Diaz. Us girls can go out, beers and a catch up."

"I'd like that. That is if Wanda hasn’t poisoned me before hand." Katie snorted. "Yeah well she’s sweet on Cap... you know that. " "She’s welcome to him. Let him give her the best fuck of her life and bail before the toast is ready." "The best fuck of your life?” Nat said, chuckling “That’s some claim.”

Katie gave a bitter laugh. "And don’t I wish it wasn't true."

“Well you know what they say…” Nat replied “The best way to get over a man is get under another one.” Steve didn’t want to hear anymore. He couldn’t. Frankly the thought of her with anyone else was enough to make him ill. He turned and strode back the way he had come and grabbed the files, shoving them into his laptop bag along with his tablet and his trusted leather bound notebook Katie had bought him the previous year. He’d do this at home, he didn’t want to be in the station anymore.

He was in a daze as he drove through the streets off Brooklyn, Katie’s voice ringing in his ears. "She’s welcome to him. Let him give her the best fuck of her life and bail before the toast is ready."  Her tone had been cold, callous, a far cry from the Katie he knew and loved.  A fuck. That’s all she believed she was, but it had never been about that, she meant far more to him. She always had. He couldn’t blame her for thinking that at all, but hearing her speak about him that way was tearing him in two, especially as he knew it was his fault.

Bucky was right, he should have left her well alone, got another profiler on the case. And it was for that reason he made a snap decision. He’d talk to her tomorrow, give her the opportunity to go back to DC.

He was that wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the car running the red light, as it hurtled towards him. The last thing he remembered was hearing the screeching of tyres and brakes, the sounding of a horn, and then the squealing and crunching of metal caused by a harsh impact to the driver’s side of his vehicle. He was thrown sideways, his car sent into a spin, his head snapping painfully to the side as it collided with the metal of his door column as it folded inwards.

And everything went black.  

@the-omni-princess  @momobaby227​ @geekofmanythings16 @angelofhell-666 @thewackywriter @marvelfansworld  @cobalt-gear  @asgardlover75 @jennmurawski13  @jtargaryen18 @saiyanprincessswanie​  @navispalace​ @patzammit​  @joannaliceevans-fanficblog​ @djeniiscorner​  @ayamenimthiriel​  @coldmuffinbanditshoe​  @disneylovingal​ @madzmilllz​  @sgtjaamesbaarnes​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @southerngracela​ @goldenfightergir​ @kellymat​ @official-and-unstable-satan​ @charmed-asylum​ @pagesoflauren​

[ghostburs-blue]

Lost and Found

Part Nine

Summary: Aiden’s family is big mean (again), and the avengers are a great fam

Warnings: pretty much only fluff i think? angst if you squint

Word Count: 3.1k

The months leading up to Christmas were busy and stressful for both Peter and Aiden. Aiden trained every day for three hours after school with whoever was available (generally Bucky), then finished homework with Bruce, Tony, and Peter. Her and Peter were like the babies of the Avengers family; even Rocket cared about them.

Aiden and Peter both joined the academic decathlon team, and Aiden had decided to pursue photography for the school newspaper as well. Peter was still busy with Spider-Man, and would always come to Aiden when he had minor cuts and bruises.

Relationship wise, the two were doing extremely well. No matter how busy one or the other was, they would always make time for their Saturday night movie nights together, prefaced by dinner at their favorite Thai restaurant. 

Aiden would leave home at 7 in the morning and get home at 10, and she would have it no other way. She felt less and less connected to her parents, and many nights she even slept over at the tower. She could feel the tension rising between her and her parents, but didn’t think much of it. Their relationship was becoming strained, and Aiden simply couldn’t pinpoint why. It was like they were extremely stressed about something that they refused to acknowledge. Until one night, that is.

Aiden had just returned home from the tower, and she was exhausted. Peter and her hadn’t had much homework, so Natasha had them fight against each other for the better part of half an hour. Before that, Bucky had done a harder, longer training session on Aiden, and by the time she got home, it was close to midnight.

Her parents were sitting in the living room, watching the nightly news. It was strange; they never waited up for her and barely acknowledged her presence, so why were they here now?

Aiden dropped her bag on the ground next to the door and carefully slid off her shoes. Her parents turned at the sound, and her mother’s face broke into a frown. 

“Aiden, finally. It took you long enough, didn’t it?” Her mother said, her tone laced with anger. Aiden opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by her mother lifting her hand. “No, it doesn’t matter now. We just wanted to tell you that you can’t go to the internship tomorrow; you must come home directly after school.” Aiden simply looked at her, confused. “Aiden, T-” she paused, taking a breath. “Tom is coming over tomorrow for dinner with his fiance. He told us the news a month ago. Now pick up your crap and go to your room,” she snapped, while Aiden stared in shock.

Tom? Tom was coming over tomorrow?

What kind of illogical bullshit is this? She thought to herself. Nevertheless, she shook herself out of her stupor and headed to her room, grabbing her backpack to take back with her.

Sitting down on her bed, she shot a quick text to the Avengers group chat.

The Fam With A Plan

The Godfather, Spidey-Boy, Fox Guy, America’s Ass, +29 more

Thing #1

Hey guys! I’m really sorry but I won’t be able

to make it to the tower tomorrow :(

The Godfather

Alright, that’s fine. But can we know

the reason you’re not coming?

Spidey-Boy

Yeah, why aren’t you coming?

Thing #1

Um, well

How do I say this

America’s Ass

Kid, you’re making me nervous

Thing #1

Tom’s coming over for dinner tomorrow, and my

parents want me home right after school

The Godfather, America’s Ass, Spidey-Boy, +29 more are typing…

Bird-Brain

Oh my god I’m so sorry

The Godfather

That’s it I’m adopting you

America’s Ass

Text us through it all!!

Spidey-Boy

Aww baby I’m so sorry, I know how hard it must be for you

I’m always here for you!

The Rubberband Man

For once, the other Peter is right. We’re all here for you!

Thing #1

Wow I don’t deserve you guys thank you <3

Spidey-Boy

Always

Aiden smiled at the last text, then plugged in her phone and got ready for bed. She quickly threw on a pair of pajamas (it’s worth mentioning that they were her ugliest pair, with a giant coffee stain on the shirt and a huge ice cream stain on the shorts), and brushed her teeth.

Sitting in bed, she finally let herself think about the events of the day. Tom. Dinner. Fiancé. Training. Newspaper. Everything swirled around in her head, and it was too much for her.

Aiden started to hyperventilate, and her head spun. She was getting dizzy, and couldn’t see straight. Hands getting clammy, she didn’t even notice the body she was being pushed against, the voice whispering comforting words.

Remembering what Gwen had told her, she focused on the warmth emanating from the body that was holding her close; it was then that she realized it was Adam, her brother. She was slowly calming down, and looked up at him.

“Why are you here?” she whispered. He just smiled in response and pulled her closer.

Kissing the top of her head, he murmured, “I’m sorry. I was never there for you when you needed me and I guess I’m trying to make up for it now.”

Aiden broke away from the hug and half-heartedly punched his shoulder. “Dickhead,” she muttered.

“Bitch,” he shot back. They smiled at each other, then hugged again. 

“I missed you, you know?” She muttered into his chest. 

“I know,” he whispered sadly into her ear.

--

The next morning, Aiden woke up surprisingly happy.

Smiling, she got up, brushed her teeth, did her hair and makeup, and packed her bag. She threw on a yellow, red, and blue striped sweater with a high waisted peach skirt and a denim jacket that almost hit the bottom of it. Slipping on some brown boots, she grabbed a granola bar on her way out the door and headed to school. Adam and her parents were already gone for the day, and it made Aiden a little sad that she couldn’t say goodbye to her brother.

Reaching school, she immediately headed off to find Peter. Luckily, his locker was close to hers’, and Aiden immediately spotted the familiar mop of brown hair. Running over, she hugged him from behind and placed her forehead on his shoulder.

Peter turned around and smiled at her, bringing her in for a quick kiss.

“Alright lovebirds, break it up!” They turned to see Flash, MJ, and Ned walking over. Flash pointed at where Aiden and Tom were still holding hands. “I want no contact at all. No eye contact, no touching, no hugging, and definitely no kissing! Is that clear?” He said in a stern voice, causing the couple to double over in laughter.

Aiden slowly straightened up again, wiping tears from her eyes. She pretended to salute Flash, saying, “Yes sir,” in the most monotone voice she could manage. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her, ruffling her hair before leaving to join his group again.

Aiden simply called, “FUCK YOU!” after his retreating body, trying to fix her hair.

Peter stopped her, grabbing her hands and kissing them, murmuring, “Stop. You’re beautiful no matter what, baby.” Aiden smiled, then turned to face MJ and Ned, who both had equally disgusted looks on their faces.

MJ just nodded at them, saying, “Let’s get to class before we’re late.” The rest agreed, and headed to their first period.

The rest of the school day flew by much too fast for Aiden’s liking. Before she knew it, the last bell of the day rang, and she was headed off to her home. She noticed Peter getting into the car she normally would get into; he caught her eye and gave a small wave, making a small “call me” motion with his hand.

She nodded and smiled, blowing him a kiss.

About an hour later, Aiden finally got home. The minute she stepped inside, her parents yelled at her to go to her room and clean it. Sighing, she trudged up to her room to find a welcome surprise.

Steve and Peter stood there with a slight smile on their faces. They were both in uniform, with Steve in his Captain America suit and Peter in his Spider- BoyMan suit. Aiden dropped her bag with a thud, running over to hug Steve and kiss Peter.

“Hey Aiden, I-,” the voice stopped, and Aiden turned to see her brother standing in the doorway, eyes wide with shock and mouth open. He slowly pointed to Steve, then Peter, who had quickly put his mask on, although Adam had already seen his face.

“What- What are you two doing here?” He asked, confused.

“Well, um. You know the Tony Stark internship that I have?” Aiden asked, a little nervous. Adam nods. “Uh- This is kinda it,” she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.

If possible, Adam seems to get even more shocked. He holds up a finger. “One se- second. I’ll be right back,” he says as he runs out of the room. He comes back not even 10 seconds later, holding a pen and a piece of paper.

He hands it to Steve, muttering, “Uh- can you sign this please?”. Instantly, Aiden, Steve, and Peter burst out into laughter, clutching their sides.

“Adam, you can literally come to the compound if you’re Aiden’s immediate family. She has complete access to it 24/7, so she can bring you anytime you want to,” Steve said, still chuckling.

“Holy shit,” Adam muttered under his breath. Then, with a frown on his face, he turned to Peter. “Why was my sister about to kiss you as I walked in? And why does your face look so familiar?” He asked.

Peter shyly pulled off the mask and gave a little wave. “Uh- I’m your neighbor, Peter Parker. And, well, your sister and I have been, uh-” his nervous explanation was cut off by Aiden.

“We’ve been dating for a few months now, okay? And before you even say anything I’m not going to listen to you so you can just shut up,” She snapped. Adam frowned and crossed his arms.

“Fine. But I’m giving you the talk later, okay? And yes, you should be scared.” He addressed Peter, then walked out of the room.

Turning back to Steve and Peter, she smiled. “So, why are you guys here?” She wondered aloud.

Steve grinned back. “Well, we know the dinner is tonight, and we wanted to wish you luck! Everyone, literally everyone wanted to come but Tony wouldn’t let them. So, he sent us!” He finished.

Aiden pulled him into a hug, placing her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “Thank you, guys. It really means a lot, you know,” she said, voice muffled. Aiden felt another set of arms wrap around her, and she pulled back to grin at Peter. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him passionately and deeply, forgetting the world around them.

Peter’s tongue ran across her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She obliged, opening her mouth, and he pulled her closer into him. They stayed like that for a few moments, kissing with a burning passion and not a care in the world. That is, until Steve cleared his throat. They jumped apart, gasping for air.

“So, um, I think Peter and I are going to head out now, yeah? Text us throughout dinner, okay?” Steve asked, concerned. Aiden nodded, then stood and waved as they climbed out through her window.

As she watched Peter swing away, she whispered, “I love you Peter.”

Aiden spent the rest of the day until dinner getting ready. She cleaned her room and the living room, then put on some makeup and found an outfit. She threw on an emerald green floral maxi dress, taking a photo of her outfit and sending it to the avengers group chat, captioning it “does this look okay for dinner?” Almost instantly, she got responses from all the women (and Peter), telling her she looked absolutely gorgeous and beautiful. Tony and Steve both freaked out, telling her that she was too exposed and she should immediately go change into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. She laughed and ignored them, sending a quick thank you text to everyone who had complimented her. 

Before she knew it, the doorbell rang, and her parents were screaming at her to get it. Aiden texted “He’s here” to the chat, then grabbed her phone and made her way to the door.

She put on a bright smile and reached for the doorknob, hesitating slightly as she turned it. Then, she swung it open to find her brother and his fiancé standing outside. They were here.

Hoping that she didn’t look like she was grimacing, Aiden smiled wider, stepping back to let them in. “Hi guys! Come in!” She exclaimed, impossibly peppy. Taking the bouquet of flowers from his hand, she stepped into the kitchen, letting her smile drop for a second as she took a deep breath. Aiden raised her head when footsteps sounded close to her, realizing that it was her mom.

She offered a small smile, then gestured towards the bunch of flowers in her hand. “He brought roses, your favorite,” she said weakly. Her mother ducked her head, then raised it, looking equally sad.

“Yeah. Yeah, he did,” she said eventually, taking them from Aiden’s hand and placing them in a vase. It was then that Aiden noticed how tired her mother looked, though she tried to hide her dark circles with concealer. She had a worn out look in her eyes, replacing the normal burning passion for whatever she was doing that would give her a youthful appearance. Without a second thought, Aiden wrapped her in a hug, inhaling deeply. She felt like she was 7 again, free to live and laugh like she wanted. She wasn’t pressured about her future, and she had a loving family, with 2 brothers that doted after her.

Then her mother patted her back, and reality came crashing down on her. And it really, really sucked. They broke apart and took a second to compose themselves. Aiden smoothed her dress down, and her mother fixed her hair. They smiled at each other, then headed out to the dining room, where everyone was sitting and waiting for them to join. At the sight of the two women walking into the room, Tom and his fiancé quickly stood up, and he smiled.

“Uh M- Mom,” Aiden noticed her mother stiffen a bit beside her. “This is Carrie, the beautiful woman I’m soon to marry,” He finishes, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Their mother places a hand on her heart and smiles, then walks over and wraps Carrie in a hug.

“Sorry, we’re all huggers,” she says to Carrie, smiling. Adam promptly chokes on his dinner, causing Aiden to blow up her cheeks in an effort to not laugh. No one else seemed to notice, however, and continued conversing.

Slowly, they got about halfway through their dinner before they were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Dabbing at her mouth with the napkin that was in her lap, Aiden quickly folded it and placed it on the table, standing up. “I’ll get i-” She was cut off by her father shaking his head, and she slowly sat back down as he made his way over to the door.

Then, she hears an astonished gasp and a, “THE AVENGERS?!”. While Tom, Carrie, Adam, and their mother were freaking out, Aiden was trying her hardest not to roll her eyes. It was a stunt that was so completely Tony that Aiden should have seen it coming. She honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if he had flown to her building in a helicopter.

Speak of the devil. The Avengers (a/n - for the purpose of this situation, it’s only the original 6) strode around the corner, into her dining room, with Tony leading them.

“This son of a bitch,” she muttered to herself, quiet enough that only Adam, who was sitting next to her, could hear. For the second time that night, he found himself choking on his food.

Trailing behind the group was her father, who looked at Aiden. “They’re here for you…?” His voice trailed off, confused. Tony had already struck up a conversation with Aiden’s mother, and this time, Aiden couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Standing up, she placed her napkin on the table and walked over to the group. She did her special handshake with Steve and Bruce, then hugged Clint and Natasha, smiling at them. She fist bumped Nat before turning to Thor, who unexpectedly wrapped her in a massive bear hug, practically engulfing her small frame. 

“Lady Aiden!” He roared, making her laugh.

“Hi, Thor,” Aiden said, grinning. Finally, she turned to Tony. She tried to look serious, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip. “Excuse me Tony, I didn’t invite you here.” She said, trying to sound bossy.

Instantly, she heard a gasp from her father and a sharp, “Aiden!” from her mother. Aiden couldn’t hold it together anymore, and she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. She walked over to Tony and hugged him, still wheezing slightly. She turned to her parents and smiled. “Guys, I’m messing with you. Plus, all of these guys are practically family now with how much I see them.” She finished, playfully nudging Tony. Her parents still looked awestruck that their daughter was in such good terms with the saviors of Earth. Aiden just smirked, knowing that she had finally proven them wrong.

The rest of the dinner went well, and the Avengers left twenty or so minutes after they had arrived. Soon, Aiden was back in her room, changed into comfortable pajamas and lying in bed, scrolling through Twitter. She heard her window open and turned, seeing Peter crawl in.

He was dressed in his pajamas too; that meant no shirt and a pair of shorts. Aiden sat up, smiling, making grabby motions towards him. He laughed, climbing into bed next to her. She scooted closer to Peter, laying her head on his bare chest. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

As she was drifting off to sleep, Aiden whispered, “I love you, Peter Parker.” She felt his body stiffen under her, and she raised her head.

He gave her a shy smile, pulling her up to his face to kiss her lips. “I love you too, baby,” he whispered, and they both relaxed.

Together, they fell asleep quickly, each wrapped in the other’s warmth and love.

--

a/n - I decided to make this really fluffy because the next chapter is NOT going to be so please don’t hate me hehe <3 sorry for disappearing for (a little less than) a month! i was focused on other ficsss

[littledarlinwrites]

It Won't Kill Ya

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2774 

Author's Note: First of all, thank you @teamcap4bucky for hosting your challenge and being so gracious and understanding about life and letting me get this in a bit late, I am so sorry for the delay, but I hope it was worth the wait! (Also, I used the “keep reading” feature before I posted this so hopefully it sticks, in case tumblr eats it, sometimes it doesn’t show for me until it’s shared, a new tumblr issue I’ve noticed) Also, huge thank you to @letstalkaboutsebbaby, doll you are my savior for this fic and helping me work this fic out when I was getting stuck. I love you so much!

Summary: "Why are you so nervous around me?" Will nerves get the best of both of you and ruin something before it even has the chance to start?

Warnings: pining, self deprecating talk/confession, mentions of alcohol

You swore it had been the longest New York winter to date. There had been snow on the ground consistently for the last three months. There had also been a lack of missions lately, as if the criminals had taken a holiday or decided to hibernate through the painfully long winter. All you knew at this point was that is you had to see the same walls inside the Tower for another minute that you were going to go insane. It didn’t help that team bonding night was tonight and currently you were stuck listening to Sam, Steve, and Tony argue over what movie to watch. Well, mainly Sam and Tony arguing, Steve was trying to to keep the two from starting a civil war over their choices. Even Steve’s diplomatic ways were grating on your nerves. You quietly got up from the couch and walked over to the guys yanking both DVD cases out of their hands and chucking them across the room. Tony was about to make some smart remark until he got a look at your face to which he promptly decided he liked his anatomy just the way it was.

“That’s it, we are going out tonight, or so help me, I will grab both of those DVDs and shove them up some unsavory places on the both of you.” You stated as calmly as possible which, if you were being honest with yourself, seemed to scare them more.

“Thank God!” Natasha remarked from her perched spot on the chair.

“Out?” Wanda spoke up.

“Out.” You confirmed.

“Oh, we should go check out that new club that just opened up!” Natasha suggested.

“Now that’s something I can agree with!” Sam spoke up smiling. Tony nodded his head in agreement. Steve didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t shoot the idea down either.

“I’ve never been to a club before.” Wanda spoke up, a bit of excitement and curiosity laced in her voice.

“Then it’s settled. We are going to the club tonight. 10 o’clock.” You looked toward Natasha and nodded your head toward your room and head towards it. Natasha grabbed Wanda and followed you.

Once in your room, you headed towards your closet to see if you could find something to wear for tonight. Wanda sat on your bed while Natasha raided your closet with you occasionally throwing articles of clothing she thought had potential onto your bed. You were more picky on the clothes that had potential. You were hoping to get the attention of a certain sergeant. The man made you nervous. Bucky had this certain way of looking at you like he could really see you. That you weren’t what everybody else saw, a badass Avenger that handled everything that was thrown their way with grace and determination without an ounce of doubt or weakness. That if you were being honest with yourself, you had a lot of doubts, you weren’t as brave as you seemed more often than not, Like he could see every part of you that made you who you are, which scared the living shit out of you. It took you a long time to open up and trust someone with that amount of vulnerability. To trust someone with your soul. Yes, Bucky Barnes made you nervous.

Natasha stepped away from the closet and looked at the items she threw onto your bed to see what she was working with. It wasn’t until you reached the back of your closet that you found what you knew you would wear. A black off the shoulder bodycon dress that laces up the back. You grabbed your black knee high stiletto boots and walked out of your closet to show your friend your outfit. Wanda’s eyes widened since it was a bit more revealing that what you typically chose to wear. Natasha just had a smirk on her face. Natasha picked the rose gold backless V-neck mini dress for herself that she had originally thrown on the pile of outfits to be considered for you. You looked through the pile for something for Wanda and found a maroon V-neck silk-like bodycon dress that had a side slit. You handed it to her and told her to feel free to look over your shoe collection.

Two hours later, the three of you were dressed, had your hair and makeup done, and were heading down to the lobby of the tower where the guys were waiting for you. Your eyes immediately flitted to Bucky. He was talking to Steve, his metal hand was in his pocket, while the other was combing through his hair. A nervous tick of his that you had noticed. Your eyes couldn’t help but rake over his body. The crisp white shirt underneath his deep blue satin jacket did nothing to hide his strong physique. You could still tell there was rippling muscle underneath the layers of clothing. When your eyes ran over his black denim covered thighs you had to hold back a moan. Bucky Barnes was sent to personally torture you, and if it wasn’t the sweetest, most aggravating torture of your life. Maybe one day the pent up frustration would spark the courage you needed to put yourself out there. You doubted it, but hey, a girl can dream right?

“Buck, I’m telling you she’s into you, just go for it already.” Steve whispered to Bucky as the girls made their way from across the lobby. Bucky couldn’t help but stare at you as you said something funny to Natasha which caused the both of you to laugh. He could hear your laugh from here and it made his heart skip. His eyes scanned your body appreciatively before he realized that every single guy in the club would be doing the exact same thing. Even worse? They would have the nerve to talk to you, ask you to dance, and worst of all, ask you to come home with them. His stomach immediately soured at the thought. Bucky wanted nothing more than to be that guy, but every time he tried his throat would try up, his stomach would twist in knots, and his mind would completely blank on him aborting the mission before it even began. He wasn’t the same guy that he was back in the forties. He could flirt with dames all day, but not with you. He was a guy out of time, and you were out of his league. You made him nervous.

You looked away from Natasha when you caught up with the rest of the group in the main lobby just to catch a glimpse of Bucky looking away from you. As much as Natasha assured you that Bucky was into you, you couldn’t help but be disappointed by the lack of a reaction from him. Natasha noticed the look in your eyes and knew where your thoughts were. You were your own worst critic and your nerves often got the best of you if others lives weren’t at stake.

“Alright boys, you all ready?” You spoke to the guys, but avoided a certain super soldiers eyes.

“Hell yeah, let’s get this party started!” Sam said excitedly. It looks like you may not have been the only one eager to get out tonight. Before you could loop your arm with Natasha’s, she had moved towards Steve talking to him and walking ahead of the group. Wanda and Vision,  Tony and Pepper followed them, and Bruce and Thor were talking about science and magic, along with Sam and Clint talking about weaponry. The left you and Bucky to follow up last.

As soon as you walked out of the tower you almost slipped on a patch of black ice outside the tower. Instead of feeling the cold, hard ground under your butt, you felt a solid, warm chest against your back, and two strong arms catching you.

“You okay, Doll?” Bucky whispered against the shell of your ear.

A breathy, “yeah,” escaped your lips as Bucky helped you regain your footing. You managed to stutter out a tank you to Bucky while keeping your head a bit tilted towards the sidewalk, but you managed to sneak a look up through your eyelashes to see a small smile grace his face. You couldn’t tell if he was blushing or if his face was just red from the bitter cold New York air. You involuntarily shivered before you wrapped your arms around yourself and began walking towards the club having already fallen behind the others by about a block. You felt something being draped over your shoulders.

“At least ‘til we get to the club?” Bucky said staving off the protest that was on your lips. You knew that Bucky hated the cold, but you couldn’t ignore the plea in his eyes and conceded to his request with a grateful smile and a nod of your head, your cheeks feeling even hotter than before. You and Bucky walked quickly, but carefully, and caught up with the others just before entering the club. You handed Bucky his jacket back, thanking him before Wanda excitedly pulled you towards the bar for drinks, while Tony got a table in a private section where everyone could sit down and drink, but have a good view of the dance floor. You down a couple of shots of tequila at the bar before helping Wanda carry both trays of drinks to the table. It wasn’t long until both trays of shots were empty. You could feel the buzz of alcohol singing through your blood, and you couldn’t help but feel a bit more relaxed because of it. You could feel the thump of the thump of blaring bass through the floor and when the song changed Wanda was grabbing yours and Nat’s hands and heading to the dance floor. The three of you danced, and it wasn’t long until a couple of the guys joined you three. You saw Vision try to mimic everyone else, but his movements were definitely a little awkward. Wanda simply just grabbed his hands that rested on her hips and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned against his chest looking completely content as they swayed side-to-side, disregarding the beat of the music. You saw Clint make his way behind Nat resting his hands on her hips before turning her around to face him as they started dancing. It was long before you heard the deep Southern voice of Sam in your ear.

“I know I’m not a certain blue-eyed super soldier, but do you mind if I have this dance.” He asked, his voice barely audible over the loud music even though he was speaking into your ear from behind you. You turned around and nodded. You two began dancing and it wasn’t long before Sam had you laughing from spinning you in a circle. When you looked over his shoulder though, your laughter died on your lips. Bucky was putting his jacket on and making his way toward the exit. Your heart plummeted into your stomach. You were hoping Bucky would have asked you to dance and it seemed as if the moment was passing. You don’t know if it was the buzz of alcohol in your veins, or the irrational fear that if this moment passed you didn’t know if either of you would ever work up the nerve to really know each other and maybe, if you were lucky, become something more.

“Go.” Sam said, you looked at him questioningly. “Go get him, trust me.”

You didn’t wait another second before bolting after Bucky, he was too far away, and the music was too loud for even his super soldier ears to hear you calling his name. He had made it through the exit before you could call his name again where he had the potential of hearing you. You took the stairs two at a time, rolling your ankle once. Before you made it to the door that led you outside.

“Bucky!” You called his name as you threw open the door. Bucky turned around shocked that you were standing there. You took a wobbly step onto the sidewalk, letting the door shut behind you. Bucky noticed the wobble in your step and jogged over to you before you could almost fall for a second time that night, while he loved seeing you in heels, he didn’t love the idea of seeing you fall in them.

“Why are you so nervous around me?” You blurted out. Grace was beyond you at this point, in all honesty it was probably beyond you three shots of tequila ago, but your irrational panic wasn’t helping anything here either. Bucky looked down at his shoes, taking a breath before stumbling around his words to answer your question.

“I just, I guess, I thought you wouldn’t want to be with someone like me.”

“Like you? What do you mean someone like you?” Bucky took a deep breath before making eye contact with you and the look in his eyes broke your heart.

“Someone like me, I’m a monster. I’ve killed people, even though I wasn’t mentally there at the time, it was still me that did it. I’m an experiment gone wrong, well, right for HYDRA, but wrong. I’m broken, and you deserve someone whole. Someone good. Someone that isn’t me. Someone like Sam probably.” At that moment it dawned on you, Bucky even if Bucky saw you down to your core, he couldn’t see himself clearly.

“Dance with me?” Your small voice cracked out.

“What? There isn’t even music playing out here.”

“It won’t kill ya.” You reply back coyly, a hopeful smile playing at your lips. Bucky looked at you for a minute before moving towards you apprehensively, he rested his hands gently at your waist, just a feather light touch from his metal one. Your hands made their way to behind his neck. You two swayed slowly back and forth. It took you a minute to gather your scattered thoughts before you spoke up.

“You’re not a monster you know,” you began, your voice just above a whisper, but you could tell by the way his muscles stiffened that he had heard you.

“A monster doesn’t feel remorse for pain they caused, they don’t feel guilt. They don’t worry about others more than themselves, or worry about others at all. Monsters don’t try to right their wrongs, or fight evil. Good people do. So, you aren’t a monster Bucky, and just because HYDRA experimented on you doesn’t make that the only thing about you. I wish they hadn’t done all those awful things to you, but I am glad they saved your life, because if they hadn’t you probably wouldn’t be here right now, and I wouldn’t be hopelessly in love with you. I love how strong you are because most people wouldn’t have survived everything you’ve been through, let alone survive and come out the other side strong and fighting back. I love how you seem so sure of yourself, and every move you make with the team when we’re out on a mission because there are times I’m scared absolutely shitless, but then I look over at you, and you’re strong, and not just physically, but you make me feel safe because I know you have my back. Everyone always thinks I’m strong, and brave to the point of fearless, and smart, but I doubt myself constantly, and I’m always worried about making the wrong move and who it will effect and that if I make the wrong one it would be all my fault, and what if someone got hurt because of me and I can’t fix it-”

Bucky placed both hands on the side of your face, tilting your head to look up towards his before leaning down and kissing you in the middle of your rant. You could taste the citrus and mint on his lips from the mojito he drank at the club. You pressed your body against Bucky’s and kissed him back. Your tequila-addled brain quickly losing it’s previous train of thought as the thought that Bucky’s lips were really on yours consumed you. By the time you broke apart you both were needing air. Bucky rested his forehead against yours.

“I wanna know ya, Doll.”

“I wanna know ya too, Bucky. Every part of you.” You could see the internal struggle Bucky was dealing with, worried that if you knew every part of him it would scare you away. He nodded his head before whispering four words you thought you’d never hear.

“I love ya too, Doll.”

Bucky Barnes tag list:

@ria132love

[holy-fate-worse-than-death]

Red has a new chapter!

Chapter 13 is here! That’s right, it’s the Jaydick fluff chapter you’ve all been waiting for! (No? Just me? Okay...)

As always, you can read the whole fic here, but I feel like this chapter can be read as a standalone bit of Jaydick fluff (with some Superbat mentions), so I’ll post it below the cut.

Word count: 3966 because I’m a long-winded bitch who likes describing Dick Grayson’s face a whole lot

Content Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death, mentions of sex, mentions of canon-typical violence

He was waiting until Bruce got back, Jason told himself. But his fingers, tapping impatiently against the steering wheel in front of him, told a different story. Maybe it was this damn car, a silver Porsche 911 that was older than Jason was. It was small, sleek and low to the ground; not the sort of car Jason would usually drive, but he’d picked it from the garage that morning because he remembered that it was the one Dick had taken his first joyride in. It had seemed appropriate, given that he was driving to Blüdhaven and back. The plan that was slowly coming to life in his head, unfurling like blueprints across the Batcave’s conference table, was fuelled by the type of sheer ego that only Bruce Wayne could pull off. Bruce Wayne and all his shiny cars, and even shinier gadgets.

Jason sighed, reaching out and flicking off the radio with a short, frustrated noise. As if the lasts few days hadn’t been enough to wind him up, every radio DJ in Gotham had seemingly forgotten what taste was while he was gone.

He fished his phone out from the centre console and jammed it into the mount on the dash. It connected to the car’s radio automatically. Jason was planning to play some of his own music, but when his fingers touched the phone he found himself calling Dick’s number instead.

I was going to surprise him, he thought as he set the call to speaker.

It took a few rings for Dick to pick up, and Jason found his heart skipping with each one. A knot formed under his diaphragm and it seemed to siphon off some of his air, leaving him not-quite breathless.

“Jay?” Dick asked mildly, a hint of surprise in his voice.

See the thing is, Jason never calls first. He isn’t – has never been – the one to initiate these things. It was always a one-word text from Dick to Jason’s cell; just the word ‘now’ or an address. Jason never replied to them, but he always showed up. But then that night had happened- and god, Jason couldn’t think about it without wanting to scream or cry or something. How had he gone from ramming Dick’s ass once or twice a month to I hate you for making me fall in love with you, all in one night?

“You driving?” Dick asked after a while, when Jason didn’t say anything.

In retrospect, he probably could have at least said ‘hello’. But there was blood rushing in his ears and someone had just cut him off on the highway. He hummed in affirmation, wondering if Dick could even hear him through the speaker.

Dick’s voice dropped lower then, more serious. Jason pictured him sitting down, tensing his shoulders and worrying at the hem of his sleeve like he always did when he was nervous.

“How’s Damian?” he breathed.

Jason smiled then, despite Dick’s sombre tone. Perhaps he should have been worried, but truth be told the kid was bouncing back like a champ. He’d even had the Kent kid over yesterday. They’d squabbled over ice-cream flavours like real kids, and Jason’s chest had been full to bursting. The Kent kid – Jon – had helped Damian feed all his animals, even his cow and the two-dozen battery hens that now roamed Wayne Manor’s hedge maze (and Jesus, Jason would have to ask Dick later how the fuck that had come to be). It had been weird, seeing these two miniature versions of Bruce and Clark chase each other around the Manor, but it had also felt so spine-tinglingly right.

“He looks like his mom when he smiles,” Jason murmured, not realising he’d spoken out loud until the words were already hanging like a warm cloud in the air.

“How well did you know her?” Dick enquired.

Dick was always so inquisitive, so full of questions. For a long time, it had annoyed Jason, pissed him off to the point where he’d yelled at his older counterpart about it a time or two. But these days he’d just resigned himself to it; understood that it was the natural companion for Jason’s (no doubt equally as infuriating) brevity.

As if to hammer that point home, Jason replied with a single word: “Well.”

Dick hmmed at him then, just as Jason turned onto the Blüdhaven off-ramp. Now or never, he thought to himself.

“You at home?” he asked gruffly.

“Yeah,” Dick replied easily, a smile creeping into his voice, “Night off.”

“I’m coming over,” Jason told him, not bothering to phrase it as a question.

Dick’s breath hitched on the other end of the line and Jason chewed on his lip, wondering if he’d pushed his luck too far.

“Okay,” Dick eventually breathed, letting out a long, shaky breath that Jason wasn’t sure he was meant to hear.

Jason smirked to himself, relieved that he could still take the guy’s breath away when he wanted to. Emboldened, he asked, “So… what are you wearing?”

He’d figured the question – which was the sort of thing only straight men in their forties ever asked their dates – would have earned him a laugh from his jovial older counterpart. Instead, silence tore a schism between them, and Jason was left feeling like all the air had been sucked from inside the car.

When Dick finally spoke, he wasn’t even angry, he just sounded sad: “Jay, please don’t make fun of this.”

Jason’s stomach sank so far that he could feel it in his knees. In his mind’s eye he was seeing Clark, in that abandoned hospital on the outskirts of Smallville, flinching at Jason’s joke and trying desperately to hide it. That moment had already broken Jason’s heart, and somehow this one was so much worse.

He wanted to grab Dick’s sweet, scared face in his hands and kiss him until he forgot every stupid thing Jason had ever said; until he could feel Jason’s feelings pulsating between them. He wanted to breathe new life into this tired, terrified boy who’d been the only one brave enough to call this what it was. The one who’d been brave enough to call Jason’s name since the very first night they were together. The one who’d kept letting him in, piece by piece, knowing that the Red Hood would almost certainly break him; run him through and pierce his heart like he’d done to so many men before him. Admittedly, those men had been criminals, not lovers, but sometimes Jason felt like his whole being existed to cater to criminals.

“I’ll be over in fifteen,” Jay croaked, fumbling to hang up the phone before Dick could protest.

He looked at himself in the rear-view mirror; eyes downturned and sad under a grey-white fringe that had been neatly combed to one side. His eyeliner was smoky, and a little too thick, because he’d applied it in the car to avoid having that conversation with Damian. Not that he was ashamed, it just seemed like something that his brother didn’t need to be thinking about right now, especially with the way the Kent kid made him blush. Jeez, he thought, they really are their father’s sons.

Jason had pulled a crisp white tee from Bruce’s closet (all of Jason’s were stained or torn) and paired it with his tightest black jeans, throwing his usual jacket and boots on with it. Somehow the shirt was enough to clean up his whole look, and he was glad; he wanted Dick to know he’d put in a little effort.

For fucking once, Jason thought bitterly, glaring at his own reflection.

Dick’s loft in Blüdhaven was an intimidatingly light and airy place, with none of the Gotham gothic style Jason was used to. Even in the various short-term rentals Jason had lived in over the years (including a few here in Blüdhaven), Jason had maintained the greyscale colour palette of Wayne Manor and The Penthouse. Here, everything was shades of warm brown; wood-panelled walls and unpolished floorboards, with a modest chipboard kitchen and huge windows with lace curtains that danced in the afternoon breeze.

Dick’s clothing was draped over everything; a salmon-pink button-down over the back of the couch alongside a half-inside-out pair of pale blue jeans, a denim jacket hung over the back of one of the breakfast bar’s stools, a pair of discarded boxers on the living room floor. Everything smelled so much like him, and Jason spied some black-and-red Kevlar mesh poking out from between the couch cushions. Jason snorted at the discarded uniform and sauntered towards the bedroom where he’d heard footsteps. Better than a glass case, he thought.

Come in! It’s open! Dick had called at him when he’d knocked, so Jason did.

Jason swung the bedroom door open and dropped his shoulder against the doorframe. It was darker in here, and Jason spied the rubber-backed curtains on the window that blocked out the sunlight. He smirked at them, the contrast between these curtains and the ones in the living room serving as a reminder that Dick was still the antisocial little cave-dweller they all were.

His eyes fell to Dick then, soft hair curtaining his face as he desperately tried to yank on a pair of jeans that were entirely too tight. Jason was familiar with his plight and had to stifle a laugh as Dick desperately tried to force the offending denim over his ass. His back was turned, and Jason could see the way all the muscles in his shoulders tensed as he hopped up and down, fingers hooked through his belt loops.

“Take it easy, D,” Jason chortled.

He pushed off the doorframe as Dick spun around to face him, a half-hearted glare sent in Jason’s direction. Jason figured he probably deserved it, but he ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Instead, he barrelled into Dick, gripping the back of the acrobat’s waistband and yanking his jeans up over his ass easily, inadvertently lifting Dick into the air in the process. Without thinking it through (and gee, there was a surprise) Jason snaked his hands around to the front of Dick’s jeans to do up his fly for him. There was a joke in there somewhere about the irony of Jason helping him put on his jeans instead of taking them off, but Jason left it unsaid.

Dick’s hands had fallen limp to his sides as Jason manhandled him, and now he rolled his eyes.

“Thanks mom,” he said, shoving Jason away playfully so he could bend over and retrieve his socks from the floor.

Dick sat down on the edge of his unmade bed to put them on, and Jason stood over him, grinning like a maniac. He looked good like that, still shirtless and leaning backwards onto the bed, one leg in the air as he tugged a bat-symbol-branded sock over his foot.

“You still wear the matchin’ panties too?” Jason asked, inching just a little closer to Dick as he began to tug on the other sock.

Dick blushed then, and Jason’s smirk got even wider. He’d just seen Dick putting on his pants, so he knew the answer was yes. But it reminded Jason of so many other times – and the first time, where he’d cracked some lame joke about daddy issues and then torn them off with his teeth.

But this wasn’t about sex, and it wasn’t just about Jason distracting himself from the ludicrous plan he was setting in motion in Bruce’s absence, either. This was meant to be about something else, so Jason sank into Dick’s lap, startling his older counterpart, and pressed his lips gently against Dick’s.

Jason had never kissed like this before. Usually when he kissed somebody it was a jaws-clashing, teeth-gnashing, go-until-you’ve-got-spit-on-your-chin affair. And Jason loved that, of course, but this was something else.

Dick’s lips were soft and pliant under his, tentative and quivering just a little. Unlike last time, neither of them was crying now, and Jason had all the time in the world to work Dick’s mouth open and explore it tenderly with his tongue. He wrapped his arms around Dick’s neck like a girl might and pulled back playfully so that Dick had to chase his mouth to continue the kiss – which Dick did eagerly. Their lips made that sound that happened when people kissed in movies and Dick weaved a hand between them and up to Jason’s face, cupping his jaw and rubbing circles on Jason’s cheek with his thumb.

The kiss never deepened, but when they pulled back to rest their foreheads together they were breathing as though it had. Even so, there was a stillness in the room, a comfortable silence that embraced them as they embraced each other.

Jason opened his eyes first, Dick’s relaxed, gently-smiling face coming into focus. Dick’s dark eyelashes dusted his cheekbones, and his lips were red and shiny now, pulled up into the ghost of a smile and still parted slightly. Jason settled properly onto the bed, knees still bracketing Dick’s thighs, and wondered if he could stay like this forever.

The soft afternoon light filtered in through the bedroom door over Jason’s shoulder, casting the perfect shadows over Dick’s face. His jaw was strong and square, his cheekbones high and angular, but set into an exquisitely masculine shape. His nose was wide at the nostrils, the bridge of it sunken back into his face and crooked from at least a half-dozen broken noses. The first hint of a beard peppered his chin and Jason had to resist the urge to nuzzle his own face against it.

Eventually, Dick’s eyes opened and he sighed contentedly, wriggling with lazy pleasure as he wrapped his arms more firmly around Jason’s waist. Jason thought that it was nice to be held like this (though he’d never say it out loud). He was still tense with the knowledge of what was coming next, but for once he felt safe in someone’s embrace.

It reminded him, perhaps perversely, of the first time Bruce had ever held him; sheltering Jason from the storm he’d been weathering on his own for so many years. And it reminded him of how he’d held Damian and Tim over the past few days, though he’d been in Dick’s role during those moments. Is it supposed to feel like this all the time? he wondered.

Dick was staring up into his eyes now, their haziness disappearing as he scrutinised his younger counterpart. Jason knew what he was looking at, and he wondered if Dick – or anyone in the family – had ever seen him with makeup on before. Jason squirmed, somewhat despite himself, but Dick’s lazy little smile never faltered.

“So,” Dick began carefully, “What’s the plan.”

Jason chewed on his lip as he contemplated how best to answer that. Jason hadn’t come here with an explicit plan, but somewhere between the Gotham on-ramp and the Blüdhaven off-ramp, Jason had come to know exactly where he’d take Dick. It had seemed silly at that point, to drive all the way out here to pick up Dick, only to drive right back to Gotham, but somehow it had seemed right. Old fashioned, he thought to himself. But it had seemed like the type of thing that Clark Kent would do, and so Jason had done it.

“There’s this old Italian place down by Amusement Mile,” Jason started, climbing out of Dick’s lap to sit next to him on the bed.

He swivelled his head to face Dick, giving his older counterpart a look that hopefully conveyed his seriousness. Instinctively, Jason reached out and took Dick’s hand in his, giving it a little squeeze. Dick didn’t respond, but he didn’t jerk his hand away either – though he was looking at Jason with a calculated sort of confusion; brows knitting together as his eyes flew across Jason’s features, trying to read him.

“They have the best ossobuco in the city,” Jason continued, swallowing down the ache that came from how much he sounded like his Sicilian mother whenever he said anything more Italian than ‘pizza’.

Jason had never been to this Italian place himself, but a long time ago Dick had told him about it. More specifically, he’d told Jason that it was the last place he’d eaten with his parents before their deaths.

Dick had stopped breathing now, and Jason pre-emptively flinched, ready for Dick to wrench his hand away and throw Jason out of the apartment. Which was why Jason nearly choked when Dick squeezed his hand instead.

“Have you ever been back?” Jason asked softly, knowing that Dick had caught on to his plan now.

“No,” Dick whispered, turning his face away from Jason’s to scrunch his toes in the carpet.

Dick took several long, steadying breaths before he spoke again. Jason waited patiently, never loosening his grip on Dick’s hand. He’d wait for Dick Grayson for as long as it took. Had been waiting, he realised, maybe since before his death.

“Is this a date?” Dick asked after a while, eyes flickering over to Jason briefly before returning to the carpet.

“Yes,” Jason answered firmly, utterly determined not to give Dick any cowardly cop-outs this time – not this time, and never again if he could help it.

Dick’s breathing had gone shallow again, but Jason felt suddenly emboldened to press on. Maybe it was the candour with which Clark had apologised to him back in Smallville that inspired him. After all, when Clark had done it, it had earned more of Jason’s respect than anything else could have. He figured he owed Dick at least that.

“But it’s also an apology,” he said, perhaps not as confidently as Clark would have, though he imagined Clark had had far more practice at this during his time as Superman (and during his time dating Bruce Wayne).

Dick turned to him, like he was about to ask, ‘for what?’ but Jason was already answering him.

“For… everything.”

Dick’s tears this time are gentle and quiet. They roll down his face like rain on a windowpane, and it takes a beat before Jason even spots them. When he does, his eyes begin to prick as well, and he reaches out automatically to cup Dick’s face in his hand and turn the older man towards him. Dick’s eyes are wet and glistening, but the hopelessness that Jason had seen in them that night outside Damian’s room is (mercifully) no longer there.

Licking a tear off his lips, Jason smiled weakly and asked, “How do you do this?”

He was half-asking how Dick could stand to cry so often when Jason usually cried about three times a year on average, and half-asking something else, which he voiced as best as he could:

“It’s like every time you cry, I have to cry too.”

Dick laughed at him then; a wet, sunny little laugh that ended in a sniffle.

“That’s called love,” he said easily, his tone as breezy and incredulous as if he was explaining to an alien what a toaster was.

“Well,” Jason said, wiping his tears away and laying back on the bed with a sigh.

He pillowed one of his arms behind his head, using his free hand (which was still in Dick’s) to tug his older counterpart down with him. Dick complied, rolling onto his side and resting his head on his elbow. From his vantage, he stared down at Jason while Jason stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Jason said after a while, finishing the thought he’d left hanging in the air.

Dick’s tears were gone now, and he’d perked up considerably. The amicability between them was unlike anything either of them had had together since before Jason had died, and if Jason had been asked to describe it, he might have called it freeing.

Dick certainly seemed free, as he asked, “You’ve never been in love before?” as unabashedly as a middle schooler might.

Jason chewed on Dick’s words for a while. The question ought to have made him anxious, but he felt nothing but an honest fascination that mirrored Dick’s. Never really thought about it before, he said to himself, deciding that wouldn’t be a good enough answer to satisfy Dick’s insatiable curiosity.

“Once,” Jason finally settled on, letting the story flow out of him before he was even sure where it was going. “He was hot,” he stated matter-of-factly.

He turned his head to give Dick a gratuitous look that said, ‘he was very hot’.

“And smart,” Jason added, “and sweet, and caring.” Jason scrubbed a hand over his face idly. “He was everything I wanted to be back then.”

Jason let out a puff of air from deep in his tightening chest, turning his head back to the ceiling so that he didn’t have to deal with all the emotions muddying Dick’s perfect face.

“This guy inspired me,” Jason continued, quieter now. “He made me want to be a better person.”

Jason smiled, memories that he hadn’t allowed in since his resurrection flooding his mind. But for once they weren’t flashbacks, they were like a warm breeze blown across his face, and he was heady with the sensation of it.

“This was before I died,” Jason clarified, for once not feeling torn apart by the mention of his own death. “How I felt about him changed everything. It made me who I am.”

Jason’s head lolled to the side, still resting on his arm, and he smiled easily at Dick; a smile that reached his eyes, because Jason felt like he was really looking at him for the first time ever.

“I wanted to be good enough for him,” Jason said. “And in the end, you know, I think I almost was.”

Jason sighed wistfully, and Dick shifted on the bed beside him with what might have been discomfort. He was faintly aware that Dick should be uncomfortable, surprised by Jason’s sudden candour, maybe even a little jealous. But he felt good, for once. His chest was light, and he felt like he could take the weight of the world. Or, at least, the weight of Dick and his brothers.

“Did I mention hot?” Jason asked with a laugh.

There was silence after that for a while, as Dick processed, and Jason continued to revel in old memories.

Memories of soaring through the air, and refitting the Robin suit, and eating McDonalds on the corner of Cornerstone Court and Third Avenue at the end of a patrol. Memories of stupid puns and witty one-liners; of aborted jokes, and stories that always got cut off by the blaring of an ambulance siren or the chatter of a police scanner. Memories of pillow forts in Wayne Manor, and ice-cream sundaes made hastily behind Alfred’s back. Memories of raucous laughter and boyhood. Memories of his childhood best friend.

Memories of Dick Grayson.

“You should tell him,” Dick said firmly after a while.

At some point his hand had slipped out of Jason’s, and now Jason felt the ache of its absence.

“Whatever is between us,” Dick continued slowly, holding Jason’s gaze, “You should tell him that he was loved.”

Jason’s smile unfurled alongside the great python in his chest that had been constricting his heart since that night all those months ago, when he’d caught Dick’s eye across the floor of The Black Cat. His grin was untameable, taking over his whole face until his eyes crinkled and his cheeks were sore.

He rolled up onto his side, pushing Dick down onto the bed so that they were a mirroring their previous positions. He tried to wrangle his smile and hold Dick’s gaze with some amount of seriousness, but he failed outstandingly.

“I think I just did.”

[lowkey-lokis-bitch]

57 and 155 with Loki, if you wouldn't mind! I love your writing so much, and the fact that the reader is presented gender neutrally really makes me happy as a non-binary person! Never stop writing 💛

57 - “is that my shirt?”

155 - “it isn’t what it looks like! okay, maybe it is.”

black shirt - loki

warnings - a wee makeout at the end ;)))) 

a/n - I hope you enjoy! this one is a lot more fluffy than ‘uncovered secrets’ but I enjoyed writing it just as much!! thank you for the request!!

word count - 1945

The word “trust” was thrown around within the Avengers fairly frequently. Like when Tony “trusted” Natasha and Clint not to drink his entire liquor stash while he was away with Pepper, which they attacked as soon as the door closed. Or how Scott “trusted” Sam to go full-force whilst sparring, leading to a very bruised Scott. Or how the team claimed they “trusted” Loki when he was brought back to Earth by Thor.

If they trusted him, they had an interesting way of showing it. Rules were set in place before he even arrived; minimal communication with team members, no leaving the facility without an assigned team member, limited accessibility within the facility. Tony called a meeting to discuss these restrictions with the team as soon as Thor told him the news, and although you were physically present, mentally you were skipping around the clouds.

Thor had told you first, as he was the only team member who knew of your past with Loki. Before Loki had returned to Asgard, you had grown close with him, literally and metaphorically. When he left, you were unable to say goodbye, but Thor returned only days later with letters, gifts, and most importantly, your favourite shirt. You had kept this black shirt in your drawer, taking it out frequently to wear and think of your lover. It had helped you with insomnia, and with generally missing what had become a vital part of you.

When Thor told you, he brought another letter, handing it to you discreetly, to avoid any suspicion from your teammates.

My love,

I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again.

I have discussed with my brother, and we feel it would be best to keep our relationship hidden from your colleagues, for fear it could bring judgement and mistrust upon you. I hope you understand our reasoning.

I shall see you soon,

Loki

Your heart soared at the familiar cursive and after reading the note, you looked up at Thor, smiling and giving him a quick nod. Your mind raced with ideals of your reunion, before realising that the entire team would be present, leaving you to act nonchalant when your heart would be practically beating outwith your chest.

The morning of Loki’s return, you could hardly sleep. You tossed and turned in your bed, dreaming of his sharp eyes looking down at you once again, his slender hands running along your arms, his lips. You were awake long before you wanted to be, and you sat at your window, gazing up at the sky. A smile crossed your lips as your mind wandered back to your lover, and the fact that within a few hours he would be back in your arms.

You trailed into the kitchen, still dressed in your most comfortable pyjamas, seeing Tony leaning against the counter when you entered.

“Good morning,” you smiled, trying to contain the excitement that was bursting at your seams. Tony only grunted in response, leaving you to furrow your eyebrows, “What’s up?”

“Well, with our untimely guest arriving soon, we still need to get his cell monitoring up and running,” Tony pressed his face into his palms, his puffy eyes showing he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Probably for a few nights.

“Cell?” you questioned, pouring yourself a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, you didn’t think we were gonna let him have one of the nice rooms?” Tony joked looking up at you. You laughed it off, taking a sip of your coffee. “Anyway, Reindeer Games should be here in a few hours. Thor said we would know when they were coming? Whatever the hell that meant.”You shook your head slowly, “No idea. He does have a flair for the dramatic.” 

Tony reached out and took the cup of coffee from your hands, taking a sip before grimacing and offering it back to you, “I wouldn’t say no to something stronger.”

“Tony. It’s 9 in the morning.”“And?”

“Whatever, get changed at some point,” you laughed, leaving the kitchen to head back to your room.

As materialistic as it may seem, your outfit for today was very important. You swung open the doors of your wardrobe, pulled open every drawer before your eyes settled upon the black shirt nestled in the corner of your top drawer. You smiled to yourself, knowing it would drive Loki crazy to see you wearing it whilst unable to talk to you. You threw it on over your underwear, tucking it into a pair of denim shorts, finishing the look with a pair of white trainers. Checking yourself in the mirror, you threw yourself some finger guns and left your room, practically skipping along the corridor.

“Good morning sunshine,” Sam appeared behind you, taking in your awake presence in comparison to his barely conscious self. “What’s got you all excited?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just, woke up on the right side of the bed I guess,” you smiled, trying to tone down your enthusiasm.

“You get two sides of the bed? Tony put mine up against the wall,” he mumbled to himself, looking genuinely disappointed.

“Why didn’t you just move it yourself?”

“I did,” the look of disappointment morphed into one of embarrassment. “They put the little guy under the leg and he went big and flipped it upside down. It was difficult to put it back.”

“Buddy, go back to bed,” you laughed, watching Sam rub his eyes.

“Yeah, bed,” he muttered, turning slowly on his heels to walk right back into his room.

You were surrounded by your teammates as you waited for the arrival of your newest house guest, the facility feeling empty in anticipation. The blue sky you had grown acquainted with quickly disappeared, replaced with a dark cloud and thunder rumbling in the distance.

“I guess this is what he meant,” you turned to Tony, laughing slightly as he shook his head.

The familiar sight of the bifrost appeared before you and your heart leapt as you saw the silhouette of the man you loved. When the lighting had evened, you could see his hands were bound in chains and he looked up at the group before his eyes settled on you. Conscious of your teammates, his eyes flickered away seconds later, but not before noticing your choice of clothing.

Thor brought him towards the group, gesturing for Tony to enter the facility with him. They made their way up the stairs and you watched after them, longing for a moment alone with Loki. You walked along to the lab, deciding to wait until he was left alone to go and attempt a visit. Bruce was the only one there, his glasses sitting at the end of his nose as he watched a live camera feed of the cell containing Loki and Thor, Loki having been let out of his chains.

“Hey,” you spoke softly, trying not to startle the man before you. That could end badly. “Didn’t see you outside, not his biggest fan?”

“I’m not sure he’s a fan of the other guy, last time he saw him was when he was buried in the ground so I thought it best to sit back for a while,” Bruce looked up at you, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “What was the reception like?”“Clint’s not too pleased, other than that I think it’s fairly neutral,” a hint of doubt laced your voice. “Which cell is he in?”“The new one, E6. Tony rigged it all up this morning, at least he said he did,” Bruce smiled to himself. No matter what Tony may have done, he would always admire him. You smiled at the thought. Looking over Bruce’s shoulder you saw that Thor had left the cell, leaving Loki alone. Perfect.

“Hey, I’m gonna grab a coffee. Do you want something?” you asked, hoping for Bruce to say no.

He only shook his head lightly, going back to work on an object that you couldn’t begin to describe. You left the room, heading towards the new cells that had been built recently, reciting the cell number in your head. E6 E6 E6.

As you approached the cells, it was absolutely silent. Reaching the cell, you pressed your pass to the panel next to the door.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N), Mr Stark has restricted all access to this cell,” FRIDAY spoke and you cursed under your breath. Wringing your hands, you scanned your memory for any hints of an override password, before settling on the best possibility.

“Override password, ReindeerGames,” you scrunched up your face at the attempt, expecting an immediate lockdown.

To your surprise the light flashed green, and you heard the door unlock. Eagerly, you pushed on the door and it opened to reveal Loki, standing in the center of his cell. He turned to you, a smile on his face as he strode towards you.

“Wait,” you whispered. “FRIDAY, restrict all cameras to the lab.”

“Of course, (Y/N).”You looked up to see the green light on the camera switch to red, then bounded to Loki wrapping yourself in his embrace.

“My love,” he spoke, his grip on you bone-crushingly tight. “How I’ve missed you.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” you pulled back to place your hands on his face, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

“You look incredible, as per usual,” he smirked at you, assessing your figure. “Is that my shirt? Ravishing.”

You blushed a deep shade of pink, your cheeks starting to ache from your large grin.

“I’ve missed you so much Loki,” you whimpered, pressing your face into his chest once again. He laced his arms around you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. You pulled away, looking up at him and entwined your hands behind his neck, pulling him towards you to press your lips to his. He tightened his grip on you, deepening the kiss as he walked you to the wall, pushing you against it. You trailed your hands down his chest, lingering on the hem at his hips. You could feel him growl against you and you smiled into the kiss. This. This was the life you wanted, with him.

You ran your tongue along Loki’s bottom lip, eliciting a moan to escape his lips. He pushed further into you, hips against hips, noses squished together. Any awareness of the world around you had diminished to a speck now, as you lost yourself entirely in the world of Loki.

“What in hell?!” you broke apart quickly, gasping for breath as you turned to see Bruce and Tony standing in the doorway.

“Tony,” you gasped, jumping away from Loki. “It isn’t what it looks like.”Tony simply gave you his all-knowing look whilst Bruce still looked confused.

“Okay, maybe it is,” you sighed, your back still to Loki.

“Well, we thought he had escaped and disabled the cameras or something. To be fair I still haven’t fully set them up,” Tony trailed off, leaving Bruce to whack him in the arm. “Okay, rules. I’m not one to comment on relationships, but let’s keep this under wraps for now? With the team, and literally - always best to be safe.”

You remained speechless as you felt Loki wrap his arm around your waist, “Thank you Tony.” He spoke with such ease that no matter how often you heard it, it never failed to amaze you.

“Right,” Bruce finally spoke, clearly wanting the vacate the area. “We can discuss this at a more, um, appropriate time. Okay. Tony? Let’s go.”

“Remember kids, be safe!” Tony called as he left you and Loki to enjoy each other’s presence.

a/n - fluffy Lokiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[sakura-soldier]

Barry Madison - Avengers OC Uniform

Ok, it's been 1 year since I've drawn and uploaded an Avengers uniform design for Tracey. Fast-forward to January 2016, I found myself having an urge to draw her twin brother, Barry in HIS new Avengers uniform. He was originally a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but he and his fraternal twin sister ended up joining the Avengers sometime after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (he's also part of the Winter Is Ending series, written by @winter-is-ending/Singer of Water). Back in S.H.I.E.L.D, he was simply known as "Agent Madison", but then a couple years later (read "The Fireman" by Just A Little Birdy on fanfiction.net to understand this pic: www.fanfiction.net/s/11575901/…), he discovered a flamethrower gun during a mission, which originally belonged to one of those cliched mad scientists, and had to use it to fight a monster. Because of this, the internet and the Avengers (much to Barry's suffering) originally called him Fireman, but then Tracey hacked into social media and she christened him with the superhero name Firebrand instead.

Weird thing was, I tried starting this drawing back in January 2016, but that time, I was struggling with how his uniform was supposed to look like AND I got swamped over by homework and stuff, resulting in a huge-ass case of artist's blocks for months and months, so I only finished part of the lineart until just now (late April 2017-Thursday. May. 11, 2017), when I finally got the inspiration and guts to finish the whole thing (even though sadly, it took me about a few months/1 year-ish to even finish). Also, the WEIRDER thing was that, way back before Just a Little Birdy's story was written, I came up with a DIFFERENT superhero name and power/weapons for Barry; I originally wanted to call him Endgame and I planned to give him special gloves/fingerless gloves (?) that would give him the ability to move objects around in thin air with the help of physical motion/gestures and telekinesis just after leaving a signature imprint on it (inspired by video game logic and abilities). Sadly, I had to start my concept over from scratch, as well as the colour palette a few times as soon as Barry became Firebrand (unless like, I don't know, you wanna see Barry as Endgame, maybe?).

So for this outfit, I wanted to give off some kind of connection to Barry's original job as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but since he's an Avenger now (with a new alias, too), I wanted him to prove that he is more independent, less restrained by militaristic or spy rules, and have a sense of freedom and individuality, but still connected to the organization he previously (currently?) worked in. The difficult part though, was to not make it super flashy, let alone make it super obvious that his flamethrower-like gun/fire was his weapon (think Johnny Storm's powers/Fantastic 4 uniform, flame-patterned fabrics and clothing, warm colours like red, orange, yellow, etc..); otherwise, it would make him a bigger target for the enemy to attack or notice him. For Barry's uniform, his jacket (don't worry, he's wearing a short-sleeved top underneath) and leggings could be connected together with tiny metal hooks hooking inside the jacket and legging's waistline, as if it looks like a bodyglove/jumpsuit, but it can appear as separate clothing items as well. They are charcoal black (although slightly lighter) and slightly distressed with a bit of a metallic sheen underneath (you know how some leather clothing would have have shiny, iridescent, metallic layers underneath the original black, brown, or gray colour; it's kinda like that), but it's not too obvious. Believe it or not, the jacket was actually based on a black trench coat I owned, which has a high collar like the one Barry's sporting. The collar flaps, as you can see, can be laid flat like the ones from a leather jacket, rolled up to his neck like a turtleneck or scarf for warmth, or even pulled up to cover the lower half of his face like a mask or scarf for warmth, concealing his identity, or (if Stark Industries or other technology allows it) even acting like a gas mask of some kind. The jacket buttons are bright blue, but they could also be navy blue, silver, or black either in plain or the Avengers logo. There's even a darker black pocket on his left side for extra storage, which I got the idea from after randomly discovering a jean pocket from a denim bag I saw on tumblr. :P Since Barry and Tracey are fraternal twin brother and sister, I wanted to create a few similarities and indications that can imply that Barry's related to Tracey (the two uniforms have slightly loose yet form-fitting jacket, tight leggings, the asymmetrical zipper on Barry's right and Tracey's left, the buckles on Barry's left shoulder/his left and Tracey's right shoulder/her right that are inspired by asymmetrical leather jackets and Bucky's Howling Commando's jacket, belt shape, usage of fingerless gloves, and ankle boots), but it's also easy to tell that they're mostly different (by colour schemes, abilities/strengths/skills/themes, button and belt colours, zipper and buckle positions, silhouettes, belt structure, separate vs. attachment pieces, and shades of black in the leather).

The leggings should provide mobility and freedom to move around (and to give Darcy some secret eye-candy, mmm~), while his simple black ankle boots have flat soles, rather than ones with heels, laces, or buckles, so that they're easy to put on. There's a holster with a pouch on his right left while his belt design is actually inspired by chain belts and this ribbon-like version Dan Kuso from Bakugan: New Vestroia wore as his New Vestroia/Vestal outfit (you're gonna have to look him up though, to get the idea); the "chain" is more of a decoration than anything, but it can be attached or detached from the actual belt depending on what Barry's comfortable with. The fingerless gloves are two separate versions; the "outer" layer is technically part of the jacket is based on atheltic stretch tops, running shirts, oversized sleeves, and Quicksilver's/Pietro's (Age of Ultron version)'s blue Under Armor top, while the inner layer is a dark, inky black and they're actual fingerless gloves underneath, which can be worn together or separately for protection and to keep his palms warm.

Now, the most unique part about Barry's uniform are the flame designs that run down from his shoulders to barely touching his hands, from his outer thighs to his ankles. They don't seem too significant at first, UNTIL you actually look at them more closely. At first glance, people might perceive them as normal swirls, but really, they're stylistic designs of flames (ok, I struggled with drawing actual flames for his drawing that doesn't too obvious, is small enough for the size, AND easier to tell that it's fire, so I experimented with swirls and curves like I did with Tracey's hair and ended up creating my own flame designs, which looks really cool). As for the colours, you'd be surprised at how colourful they looked; depending on how Barry moves around, the lighting, angles, or even his emotions, either the entire designs or the individual flames can change colour, which can vary from blues, whites, traditional fire colours of red, orange, and yellow, or even unusual colours like purple, pink, gold, or green. But why those colours? Well, basically, they represent the physical states of fire, which can change into different colours depending on the chemical compositions of burning material, immediate reaction products, chemicals, and temperature. I recommend looking this up to have a better understanding of flame colours and temperatures: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame. They also reflect the temperment and unpredictability of Barry's personality inside and outside of his missions. Also, the colours COULD also act like a mood ring, in which the flame colours can change and reflect depending on his emotions and mental state. BUT if Tony Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D, or other kinds of technology could make this possible, then the flame designs would also emit and/or reflect heat to keep himself and other people warm, could light up a dark room like reflective tape/glow-in-the-dark clothes and paint/reflective elements like in Pietro's shirt, AND/OR if Barry got manhandled/grabbed/physically in contact with the enemy (human, monster, robots, or otherwise), he can either unleash his anger as a trigger (like how Bruce turns into the Hulk) or use hidden buttons inside his uniform to make himself burst into actual flames that come out via the flame designs to burn or melt the enemy/enemies, but can be cooled off by self-control/calmness/non-angry feelings or the hidden buttons so that they won't burn his actual clothing. Either of the following options depend on @winter-is-ending/Singer of Water and her choices for future stories.

I also managed to provide colour palettes for the overall outfit and the flames (sorry if some parts are cropped up though; I think my parents cut off part of it with Photoshop without telling me -__-), and I tried to practice the jacket collar in two variations (though it's actually three) and Barry's hair with several headshots. The front view made him look like Finnick Odair (or maybe that's just me?) while everything else is either sticky-uppy or loosy and shaggy. (BARRY MADISON, YOUR HAIR IS AN ABOMINATION!!!! NAH, JK, I LOVE YOU EVEN IF YOU HAVE HARD-TO-DRAW HAIR, BRO.) The materials I used were pencil crayons, two different types of pens, a thin fineliner, and a hint of eraser. It took longer to draw Barry compared to Tracey and I had to improve and reinvent a lot of stuff compared to what I originally planned, but I liked the results so far and I hope Mel would like it. *^^*

deviantArt version: http://artist-cupid.deviantart.com/art/Barry-Madison-Avengers-OC-Uniform-Design-680500893?ga_submit_new=10%3A1494763216&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1

Drawing and uniform concept design belongs to me, @sakura-soldier.

Barry Madison/Firebrand belongs to @winter-is-ending/@the-melapedes-main-blog (also known as Singer of Water.

Please don't use my drawing or uniform design without my permission first, thank you.