#but for all the others… gabe is already french might as well make him an orlesian apostate

[cuerue]

since i am planning on using tuman as a crow rook in veilguard, now im thinking about the rest of my ocs in dragon age au….

[rookthorne]

This is Steve and Bucky’s world, everyone else simply lives in it.

not me getting emotional already

Every now and then, Steve glances beside him, to make sure that Bucky was still with him. That Bucky was really with him and not an image that Steve’s mind had conjured up, like an apparition born from his sheer will.

But it was real. Bucky was alive, breathing, and walking next to him.

🥺🥺🥺

I can hear the yearning

“Y’alright there, pal?” Bucky asks with a curious look. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I’m pale but I ain’t that pale and I sure as shit ain’t dead… Thanks to you.”

He adds that last part in, quieter, with a private smile and an almost-wink.

Steve wants to kiss him senseless. “Yeah! Yeah, I’m…”

It’s then that he feels the slight tremors in Bucky’s body, the small twitch of his muscles. He looks closer still, to see the way Bucky’s jaw is clenched tightly and he’s got a white-knuckled grip on his rifle.

no. no, HR, you leave BUCKY ALONE!

Only once he’s sitting like this, in the dim torchlight through the dark of the night as his adrenaline wears off, does he see how battered Bucky’s body truly is. The bruising, the swelling, the blood from his ears. It makes his breath catch in his throat. His hand moves up to Bucky’s face automatically to wipe the blood away, reminiscent of all the times Bucky’s done this for him after a back alley scrap.

oh, my heart 😭😭😭

“You saved me,” Bucky whispers, his face so open and earnest that Steve loses his ability to speak. Bucky’s looking at him like he’s a hero — with the same awe and adoration that Steve’s always had for Bucky growing up.

“You saved me first,” Steve reminds him.

DUDE

He forgets where he is, forgets the hundreds of men behind them and the fact they can’t be doing this — he forgets it all, when Bucky leans in.

“Stuck with me forever, then,” Bucky murmurs against Steve’s lips.

“Forever,” he promises back, pressing in.

fuck. yes.

FUCK. YES.

FUCK! YES!

“I knew it,” Gabe whispers with a wide grin as he turns away from the private moment.

“Well you certainly don’t just drop behind enemy lines without backup for a friend,” Dugan snorts.

HA HA I KNEW IT!

“Heaven knows those two gotta have the biggest sets of balls on them,” Dugan says, exasperated. “Or they might just be the biggest pair of idiots I have ever met.”

The Howling Commandos never said a thing, but the way they always stood around the two of them, like a herd surrounding their young, Steve and Bucky knew.

Knew that they were safe. Protected from outside eyes.

MY BBYS 😭😭😭

It was in the way Morita always set them in the same tent, the way Falsworth would wink at them slyly as he left them alone, or they way Dernier always sang softly in French and yet somehow they all knew that these were love songs, secret little odes to the two of them.

they’re like the best wingmen, maybe fucking ever.

When Bucky fell off that train, they all mourned — they mourned for their friend, their sergeant, and they mourned for Steve, for he was never the same after that.

They mourned for the purest love they could have ever witnessed, the kind of love that inspires and restores faith in humanity during a time of war.

NOW IM SOBBING THIS IS BULLSHIT

Decades later, after years of service and medals, children and grandchildren, each of them still remembered Steve’s face. Sometimes it was the way Steve looked at Bucky like the man held the answers to the universe. Other times, it was his face after Bucky’s fall. Both were a testament to how deeply Bucky had been embedded in Steve’s heart.

oh look

my heart

it’s shattered

He’s told it’s New York, but it doesn’t feel like it. He’s not sure if it’s the noise or the smell. Or because Bucky isn’t here, walking side-by-side with him.

The Empire State Building is right before him though, so he can’t deny that. The city itself is brighter, and yet Steve’s world remains just as dim. What was the point of seeing color if he could never lay eyes on Bucky again?

please

just, please

They say that the world could still use him. That there’s still work to be done. Then, they hand him back the one thing still left from his time. The shield is tattered and dirty, smudged with the brutality he’d unleashed after the war took Bucky from him. He remembers, in bits and pieces all at once — Bucky, Erskine, Bucky, shield, Bucky, Peggy, Bucky — and it makes his head hurt. Rubbing his temples, he takes a deep breath to orient himself.

let him be soft, let him be loved… 🥺😭

Fury shuffles the dossiers in his hand. Jones, Morita, Dugan, Falsworth, Dernier… As suspected, Barnes’ folder is the only one missing.

AHHHH 😭😭😭

So what if they take the shield from him? So what if they handcuff him on national television? So what if they put a gun to his head while he’s on his knees?

He feels none of it.

Who the hell is Bucky?

He feels pain.

you know what?

I FEEL PAIN TOO, HR!

If Sam hadn’t been sure before, he damn well is now. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was definitely, absolutely in love with the very same person they were trying to stop.

God help him.

it works out, Sam. IT WORKS OUT!

“What could possibly go wrong with Steve turning off his comms while he enters an apartment without a clear line of sight to face one of the world’s deadliest assassins, Sam?”

…she has a point, Sam 👀🤣

“That’s not what I was talking about,” Steve says. “But it doesn’t matter right now, because the people who think you did it are coming here now. And they’re not planning on taking you alive.”

“That’s smart,” Bucky replies with all the emotion of a brick. He nods in approval. “Good strategy.”

this part always breaks me, he’s so defeated and so fucking tired.

“You pulled me from the river,” Steve says evenly, like they’re not about to be stormed. “Why?”

He knows why, he just wants Bucky to say it.

“I don’t know,” Bucky responds, his body still ready to take off at any minute.

It hurts, deeper than any wound, more painful than any torture, but he refuses to cave in. He refuses to give up on Bucky.

“Three seconds!”

“Yes, you do,” Steve pushes. I know you remember me. Say it, Bucky.

FUCK 😭😭😭

While Steve tore apart the world looking for him, he surrendered for Steve. She’s not sure which of those is more dire, but she’s positive of one thing: the two of them, reunited, on the same page, are a terrifying duo.

murder husbands 😈

Steve’s entire body is clenched up and he doesn’t take his eyes off the screen. She doesn’t blame him of course — his long lost partner is strapped down, confined in a glass cell with his arm being subjected to electromagnetic interference, which she’s sure doesn’t feel very pleasant.

What she didn’t expect was the psychiatrist unlocking Hydra’s secrets thought to be long dead.

Zemo was fucking smart and I hate that.

“They are sickeningly in love, aren’t they?” Sam asks, knowing the answer.

“They are beyond sickeningly in love,” Natasha confirms, a small smile forming on her face.

“They can hear you loud and clear,” Steve’s voice calls out from where he’s letting Bucky’s arm out of the vice grip.

Sam and Nat share a look, before helping Steve with the contraption.

the dynamic between them all is the fucking best.

Bucky’s brain feels like it’s slowly rebooting, and he should probably mention that eating after cryo seems like a terrible idea, but he’s taken aback by the room. It’s… bright. White, clean, smelling fresh. This is not the musty basement of some Hydra base.

A smoothie of some sort gets waved in his face and he takes it, not wanting to be rude. It smells amazing and his stomach lets out a low rumble, but he’s still hesitant.

“It will not upset your stomach,” Shuri tells him gently, letting go as he grasps it with shaking hands.

“Thank you,” he remembers to say.

🥹🥹🥹

He takes a deep breath when they finally emerge, feeling his skin warm up again. The sight is breathtaking. He can see the forests and fields for miles, all kissed gold by the setting sun. It reminds him of Steve’s hair, of Steve’s smile.

Chefs kiss gif

“A semi-stable, 100-year-old man.”

Steve’s heart soars at the familiar voice — this one softer and lighter, like the Bucky he grew up with and less like the Winter Soldier. He doesn’t waste a second, walking toward Bucky to meet him in the middle, even if he’s not entirely sure Bucky would welcome the touch.

The tender smile is inviting enough that Steve goes for it, arms outstretched, dying to hold Bucky for the first time in far too long.

my BBYS 😭😭😭

“Eh, not bad, for the end of the world,” he replies easily.

Steve tears up then, because if it truly is the end of the world, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be and nobody he’d rather be with.

that was cliched and cheesy as fuck. do it again.

Snap.

NO YOU’RE GONNA HURT ME HR! NO!

Everything looks the same, smells the same…

“Steve?”

Bucky’s name dies in his throat as he watches the unspeakable happen.

FUCK

“Hang on, Buck,” he promises to the empty space where his heart and soul had been. “I’m coming for you.”

if Chris had actually said this… oh my fucking god.

LITERALLY when I think you can’t possibly shatter my heart any more than you have previously, you blindside me with this shit. Rude, uncalled for, and absolutely fucking beautifully written.

clear as day, there was never any other way [AO3 Link] Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers Rating: Teen Tags/Warnings: Angst, Acceptance, Extreme Measures of Love, Lovers to Strangers, Strangers to Lovers, Canon-Divergent/Adjacent, Loss/Mourning Summary: Nothing could keep them separated. Nothing could pull them apart, whether it be days, years, or decades. Time after time, everyone around them catches on.

Or, simply: This is Steve and Bucky’s world, everyone else simply lives in it.

My @starspangledsecretsanta​ fic for @kestrafagnor​. 🧡

Keep reading

[otp-holic]

The one place (where something happened) (A03)

“In your life there are a few places, or maybe only the one place, where something happened, and then there are all the other places.” Alice Munro. (or the one where they receive a letter from a familiar name and we go into 4Ks of fluff around a lost afternoon in France)

4K. Lamely explicit at one point. Fanfic + Pictures Inside. Trigger for FLUFF as the main plot. Part of the Never let us lose what we have gained series (AO3)

This was supposed to be a manip with 200 words of bantering and it's now 4Ks of fluff with a few pictures. I've decided to leave them inside the cut because I feel they work better with its context there. I'm sorry for the hassle, but I really hope you give this a chance... unless you have cavities, only like fics with amazing plots or are allergic to shameless fluff.

Please do not repost the pictures, I know this is futile, but… I try :)

DAGUERROTYPE, France 1944 Private Collection.

Steve is cooling down from his very early run, enjoying the feeling of the pink sunrise looming over the awakening Brooklyn streets as he walks the last couple of blocks on the way home, when his phone beeps.

“Check your actual mailbox, we dropped something for you there. I think you should appreciate us making it old-fashioned just for you, grandpas!”

Steve smiles at Sam’s text and as soon as he arrives at their building he snaps a picture of the very common and flat envelope with “Barnes&Rogers” scribbled on top of a Stark Logo, to send along his response.

“Nice try, but this is inaccurate. A letter would have never made its way to us without an address or stamp. We’ll send you a proper thank you card to show you how it’s done.”

He can’t help but chuckle at his own joke rereading the text while he opens the door, and when he looks up from his phone and into the kitchen, he is received by a sleepy Bucky looking at the coffee machine like he looks at Steve during their most soft and embarrassingly cheesy moments.

“You love that thing more than you love me, confess it.”

“In the mornings? Yes. I don’t even like you in the mornings most of the time,” he answers matter of factly. “Want some?”

Steve playfully wiggles an eyebrow.

“No way. Your sweaty self is tempting, but coffee smells better. I might join you in the shower later.” Bucky offers him one of the two cups he has poured and he notices the envelope Steve is holding. “What is that?”

“We’ve got mail!” He hands it to Bucky. “I have no idea what's on it, but Sam texted me to say they had something delivered to our mailbox and there it was. Open it.”

Bucky leaves the cup on the counter, face sparked with a curiosity that makes him look twenty-one (and Steve weak on the knees), and goes for it.

The content is a bit underwhelming at first glance: Another envelope, white, no Stark logo, but topped with a bright green post-it with a note on Pepper’s script.

“This got to me via PR. We analyzed it and checked with the source (no peeking, I swear) and it seems legit. With that return address, it’s likely to arouse your interest. Love, P.”

Bucky tears off the post-it and the letter is revealed to be addressed to Steve Rogers at the Stark Tower, but it is when they turn it around when everything goes still for a second.

The return address is some street in Marseille, but what has Steve’s mouth dry and Bucky’s hand trembling just a bit is the combination of the place and the name written on top: Emmanuelle Jaques Dernier.

“Boom?”, Bucky says, trying to cut through their heavy hearts and taking Steve’s hand. It’s a terrible terrible joke, but Dernier would have loved it and he grins.

“That’s a terrible terrible joke,” Steve verbalizes, “but I think at least we’ve reached the same conclusion.”

“Elementary, my dear Steve,” Bucky answers as he opens the second envelope, only to reveal a folded letter and yet another envelope. “It’s a fucking vault of paper!”

Steve takes the letter from him, unfolds it, and quickly scans it (normal office paper, printed, hand-signed) before he starts reading it out loud to Bucky’s undivided attention.

“Dear Mr. Rogers,

My name is Emmanuelle Dernier and I am the great-grandson of Jaques Dernier of the Howling Commandos.

First, let me tell you that we all in our family grew up with amazing stories and praise for you, Sergeant Barnes, and the rest of the team. I never got to meet my great-grandfather or any of them (you), but I’ve always felt like I did.

In fact, that’s the ultimate reason behind this letter: I ached to honor him and I’ve been putting in order all his remaining letters, pictures, and memories so they don’t get lost forever, and there are many things I’m discovering through this journey. So many pictures and tiny details… and amongst them, you and the rest of the Commandos appear at the most random and memorable moments. Nothing that’s going to make it into history books, more like the stories my grandpa used to share with us over and over again, those important tidbits that make him more human.

Anyway, I was going through the pictures he kept when I came across some war photos that didn’t seem to match the 40s timeframe. Typical daguerreotypes from the 20s in a very bad state, probably taken with a camera from the era in 1944 and developed on a later date by somebody who clearly didn’t master the technique.

They were in a very bad state and hidden inside an envelope that said “Terribly drunk soldiers in France making idiots of ourselves in unique and creative ways. Fun evening, horrible hangover. About 20 miles west of the Maginot Line. Autumn ‘44”. I’m attaching a photocopy of that, I hope you can understand my decision to keep the original.

After restoring the daguerreotypes with some experts, all I got were five very bad pictures with silhouettes of people apparently having fun…. but there was one that got a lot better in the cleaning process that feels important somehow. I’m sending the original, as well as the restored version I got.

I, of course, don’t have the whole context, but I hope it brings back a good memory. My great-grandpa might be in the picture, but I don’t think this one belongs to my family or to a museum.

Thank you for your service, I really hope this letter finds its way to you.

E.Dernier.”

“I can’t believe… Steve, most days I’m convinced that day and that place are a figment of my imagination,” Bucky smiles, remembering. “When I think of a moment of pure joy during the war, I think about that afternoon in France, and it always feels unreal. A bubble of air and laughter while we were so surrounded by death.”

Steve nods, reminiscing about that warm and humid September morning when they arrived at yet another abandoned and destroyed little village, this one about twenty miles west of the Maginot Line. They had orders to lie low and wait for twenty-four hours before they started the maneuver to wipe another Hydra base off the map, and that little town was perfect for that.

Among bomb debris and fallen walls, they found one small building miraculously standing next to the remains of the church, so they decided to set camp under a roof for a change since the weather was being a little flickery with the rain, and they had the rare luxury of time.

The inside of the tiny house was as unusual as the outside: nothing was destroyed beyond being dusty and worn by time, and everything they found (furniture, kitchenware, and even fabrics) belonged more to Steve and Bucky’s early childhoods than to 1944, a living museum frozen in time.

Only it was not a museum, but the parish house left untouched and non-raided: old-fashioned clothes, outdated church books, yellowing clergy collars, and, of course, the wine cellar. Oh, that wine cellar… the havoc it unleashed.

“I remember the absolute excitement when Falsworth found all those bottles of old unscathed mass wine from the parish,” Steve brings his memory to words, looking at Bucky, “I’m still a little convinced that we are going to hell for drinking them.”

“Not for that, probably, but it was a wonder nobody died on the spot of wine poisoning, it tasted like sweet vinegar, ugh.”

“But it did his part, right? Took our minds off things; got us drunk, bold and silly.” Steve answers.

“Apparently not all of us,” Bucky says very seriously, looking at Steve.

“Technicalities… I got drunk by proxy. Seeing you all so happy made me giddy and tipsy, too.”

“I came and went… I remember being a little surprised at the clarity of my thoughts at some moments there when some of the guys were basically drooling on the floor. Now I understand, of course.”

Steve squeezes his hand, not much to be said there.

They were already way too drunk by the early afternoon, drinking to the sound of a sudden rainstorm pouring outside. All of them scattered across the small dusty living room and its adjoining kitchen while they went through all the bottles of wine they had been able to find. Cheering for the foregone priest every time somebody raised a glass, and laughing as if there were no ruins or war on the other side; just silly men (boys, really) laughing their hearts out.

“Earth to Steve… I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to see what the hell that envelope is hiding. Especially now that we know about its time stamp.”

“I’m sorry, me too! Gabe drunkenly handling that old camera and those glass plaques the way he did? I’m honestly impressed that he was able to take any pictures at all,” he muses. “Shit, is it weird that I’m nervous?”

“I’m gonna save us the bantering because I’m nervous, too,” Bucky answers in all sincerity. “Truth is, Steve, I remember everything about that day.”

It’s a new admission, a newly opened door for them because for some reason, they have never talked about that peaceful surreal afternoon, and Steve nods in recognition as he silently goes for the envelope one-handed, not wanting to let go of Bucky’s hand because his surface is way cooler than his wrenching insides. Maybe the picture is an overexposed french wall but maybe…

The photo he extracts from the envelope is clearly the original and damaged one Emmanuelle specified in his letter. Anybody else looking at it would see nothing beyond Dernier’s blurry profile, but since Steve and Bucky were there when this was taken, they know exactly what moment Steve is holding in his hand.

“Buck,…” is all Steve can say, struck by the blurry keepsake.

Later in the afternoon when they had already consumed most of the wine and there was not a single coherent thought left in the room, one of the guys took the parish books and besottedly announced that there was a wedding set for today… thirty years ago. Alcohol fueled a goofy idea that escalated at the speed of light, with Morita saying they were going to a wedding because they deserved a celebration, Dernier confessing that he had once considered becoming a priest, and Dum-dum bringing out all the old fashioned clothes from the wardrobe and deciding they were getting nice and clean for the festivities.

“That’s clearly Dernier in the picture killing it in his priest role, right?” Bucky says, half smiling and interrupting Steve’s thoughts. “You know, I went all-in with that fake wedding party. I was laughing to tears when I saw you put on that ridiculously long and ill-fitting jacket from the 10s, feeling weightless and silly for the first time since sailing off, and God knows we all deserved that. And it was all safe and light-hearted until fucking Morita decided you had to be the groom, and...”

“Were you jealous because I won the dashing groom competition?”

Steve’s attempt at a joke is weak, but there’s truth behind it: Morita chose Steve as the groom (“Cap, you are the most dashing and the least drunk”) to a chorus of excited voices cheering for him. Somebody else, most likely Dum-Dum, chose the rest of the roles (Sarge, best man duty; Jones, camera; Morita, keep the wine flowing; the rest of you, misbehave!) and in the blink of an eye, they were all going outside laughing under a light rain, and about to celebrate Steve’s fictional wedding to nobody.

“How could I be jealous?” Bucky cuts in. “Do you remember all you said to me that afternoon? During World War II and in front of a battalion of men?”

“I was drunk.”

“Fuck you!” Bucky disentangles his hand from Steve’s to use both of them to hold Steve’s face and kiss him with violence. “Tell me. Do you remember what you said?”

As if he could ever forget. He can recall every step he took from the house to the makeshift wedding spot amidst the trees where his best man (looking dapper even in that ludicrous jacket) was laughing along Dernier. He can still smell the petrichor, can still sense the blush coloring his cheeks while hoping nobody noticed and can still hear the beating of his heart when Bucky handed him a battered umbrella (“You don’t deserve to get rained on your wedding day, punk”) and a fucking ring made out his shoelaces (“You’ll have to buy something a little more permanent.”). And then…

“Dernier started the ceremony and he wanted to know if I had somebody in mind and I said ‘of course’.” He replays, his voice barely a whisper. “I said I’d had my eyes on a brown-haired Brooklynite since before I could remember. I said that I was pretty sure those blue eyes were set on mine too and that hopefully those eyes would be set enough to want to marry me even if I had never dared to ask.”

He’s been holding Bucky’s gaze the whole time, and he’s far from over yet, but he needs to fucking breathe before he goes on. Neither of them has moved a muscle for the past minute.

“Then he asked me to repeat the wedding vows after him and…”

“And you said Buck, right?”, Bucky interrupts, voice winded. “You fucking whispered I take you, Buck, as my lawful wedded husband till the end of the line. I heard, Steve. Even if the rest of the world didn’t, I did. But you never said anything, so I always deemed it impossible, a product of the corniest nook of my mind trying to outweigh all those bad things, because not even you could be as bold, reckless, and mushy as to do that,…it’s my fucking fault, I should have known better!”

“Not completely reckless, pal. I was scared shitless as I said those words, but what else could I do? You were right by my side about to put a ring on my finger as my “best man”, everyone, including you, supposedly drunk past recollection, and everybody else too far away to hear my whispers. It was such an easy choice in the end because truth should always win over fear. And those vows were. The truth.”

“You have always been too honest for your own good, Rogers,” Bucky is breathless and exasperated and goes for his mouth again, bringing in all he (they) couldn’t in 1944. “You destroyed me, Steve. My knees were as weak as a teenager’s in front of his first crush. I wanted to kiss you so badly when I heard you say all that there in the open… and I couldn’t even acknowledge it.”

“I know. And for what it's worth, I really thought you didn’t remember.”

It is too much. Is it normal to feel this much? Steve would blame it on the serum enhancements, but he was already overwhelmed at 16, so that’s clearly not the answer.

He craves, no, he needs touching, grounding, closer. Bucky. There’s too much space between them even if they are back to kissing like they would have that day in 44, and at any other time if their own lives wouldn’t have stolen those moments from them.

“It happened.” Bucky whimpers, biting on Steve’s lip who abandons his own stool to straddle him, both of them gasping in sync at the feeling of their cocks, hard against each other’s through their soft pants.

Bucky soon ups the stakes by carding his metal hand through Steve’s hair pulling his head backwards to help himself into that spot on his neck.

“Same two moles as when you were tiny, as when we were at that war... Your cute vampire bite. Favorite spot.” He licks on them with the tip of his tongue. Steve growls on cue and Bucky giggles. “Favorite chain reaction.”

“Buck, you cheater, you know what that does to me!” Steve cries out followed by Bucky’s evil chuckle.”Bed, couch, countertop,…I don’t care, but naked. Now. Stained pants due to heavy petting are too much of a trip down memory lane for me. Let me keep a bit of my dignity.”

Steve stands up liberating Bucky from his grip but aching at the loss of contact.

They are naked and making out in the middle of the kitchen in no time; Bucky steadily pushing him against the refrigerator while fiercely grinding against his crotch.

“Hey, ‘teve,” Bucky pants. “The way this is going, it’s my dignity now that's at risk. I don’t think I can make it further than the floor before I come.”

Steve groans into his mouth just at the thought and they start sliding to the floor the best they can until he’s a human blanket moving over Bucky. With no lube at hand, and no time, that’s their best option.

They kiss and kiss and kiss, his hands not leaving Bucky’s sweaty hair. Bucky’s hands on his ass, forcing their groins closer with one while he (almost absently) plays around his hole with the other, driving Steve crazy in the process. Dicks left to do their own thing through pressure and friction. Everything is working. And fast.

“Oh, fuck!” Bucky exclaims “Can you promise me all this stuff with the letter was real and not a long-con plan to assure your fragile masculinity that I love you more than I love that espresso machine?”

That. That silly unfunny excuse of a joke that screams Bucky all over is what pushes Steve all the way over the edge. He fucking laughs as he comes making absolutely embarrassing sounds, pressing their foreheads and noses together until it hurts, and shaking from head to toe without stoping his pressure on the stupid and smug man under him. His lover. His partner. His unofficial husband. His best friend.

His Buck.

“There’s still too much blood in your brain if you can play that dirty,” Steve states, placing one hand between them grabbing Bucky’s hard cock. “Let’s see if I can do anything about it.”

“Your hand, usually so helpful, but I was already following you after that sound you make when you come and laugh at the same time, shit, it always goes straight to my dick, I’m,…” he keeps talking with difficulty between breaths and moans until he leaves his speech unfinished coming all over Steve’s fist.

They kiss on the lips breathing into each other before Steve rolls over. They are sticky and panting in silence, spread on their kitchen’s floor, Steve’s shoulders crushed between Bucky’s and the dishwasher. Domestic bliss at its most literal.

One lavish fuck and two showers later they reemerge into the kitchen in search of something to eat: Bucky is in charge of the food today, while Steve cleans the mess they left a couple of hours ago.

He’s decluttering the counter when their damaged picture laying there puts a smile on his face but also reminds him of the restored version presumably still waiting inside the disregarded letter, so he grabs the envelope to retrieve its contents: one photocopy (from Dernier’s original writing), and the promised photo.

And it is restored. Everything is clear where it was blurry before: Dernier (so deep into his priest impersonation that he’s not even looking at them), the trees, the battered umbrella, the ridiculous jackets… and them.

“You had the nerve to call me reckless and mushy, Buck?” Steve laughs as he stares at the picture where a very young Bucky is about to put a ring on his finger with the least subtle lovestruck expression he’s ever seen (“and it’s for you”, his brain proudly reminds him) “Wow, you might as well be kissing me there, anything would be more subtle than this!”

“Don’t shame me, you punk, especially not when you were the one responsible for breaking my brain back then!” Bucky answers coming from behind and stealing the picture from his hands to scrutinize it. Goofy grin and raging blush quickly taking over his face. “But you’re one to talk, Cap. You are gazing at that shoelace’s ring as if I were handing you a diamond tiara!”

Steve laughs softly at that and moves his right hand to his pocket, feeling the weight of the little compass he had retrieved earlier from one of his drawers. He used to carry it with him everywhere for comfort, but he has a better option now.

“Didn't you know that shoelaces are forever?” He asks, taking the compass out of his pocket and holding it in both hands as he opens it, nudging Bucky with his elbow to get his attention.

Bucky is confused for an instant while he looks at his young face staring at them from inside the little box. Of course he knew that (he made fun of Steve for days and days) but Steve detects the change in his expression when he notices the other thing.

“Wow, you gigantic sap,” Bucky says, taking the compass out of his hands to double-check he is seeing what he thinks he’s seeing. “You saved my shoelace.”

He had. While they were all celebrating his wedding under the rain dancing to no music, he quietly slipped the little string off his finger and tied it to the most secure place he had back then.

“It’s not a shoelace, you jerk, it’s a symbol. A declaration.” He laughs, stealing the compass back to safely pocket it again.

“You are delusional,” Bucky snorts, kissing the top of his head. But he’s widely smiling and lost in thought as he goes back to their sandwiches.

Steve stays on the spot enjoying the peace in their silent companionship, his focus on the latest news showing up on his phone, the text he’s writing to Sam and the comforting sounds of Bucky moving around the kitchen.

“You might have married me, but I never actually married you.” Bucky blurts out of the blue a bit later, sitting by his side as he hands him a plate with a sandwich and some grilled greens on it. “Do you want mayo with that?”

“Uh?” Steve forgets all about the news and the text and looks at Bucky in confusion.

“Mayo, do you want some?” Bucky repeats nonchalantly.

“No mayo, thank you; but I was actually more interested in the other part, you know, that thing about marriage?”

Bucky looks him in the eye: earnest, blushing and with the same look of smug adoration he had on the picture.

“Oh, that part.” He jokes. “You apparently married me in 1944, but I never married you back. And I would like to.”

“Marry me?” Steve asks and Bucky visibly nods.

“I’m sorry for throwing the idea at you like this, books tell me I'm supposed to have candles, music, and a ring, but you showed me that restored picture and I couldn't stop thinking about it, about proof,” Bucky speaks uncharacteristically slow and very softly, voice trembling here and there while he claps his hand with Steve’s finger by finger for reassurance and as a distraction. “A single photo had the power to transform a moment that existed just as a made-up happy place inside my mind into something tangible and real. Something that would be tangible and real for anybody getting a hold on it and looking at our stupid faces.”

“So stealthy,” Steve says, and they both laugh together.

“Proof, Steve. I was slicing tomatoes and thinking how there’s so much evidence, thousands of files! out there proving that all the stuff that fuels my nightmares were real, but nothing solid about this. Us.” Bucky stops for a moment collecting his thoughts, still smiling even with the heavy subject he just dropped into the mix. “Sorry, I believe I put more time into these sandwiches than into thinking this all the way through so I’m…”

“Take your time, we’ve gone from mayo to marriage to nightmares in five minutes so don’t worry, you have me hooked here.”

Steve makes Bucky laugh again as he intended, and he feels their calloused laced fingers immediately squeezing closer.

“It’s stupid because it doesn’t change anything for us but,.. I don’t fucking know, Steve, I think that picture has messed up with my mind! I instantly found comfort in the idea of people finding facts beyond the nightmares now or in the future. An easy to understand, universal and oversimplified proof of how much I loved you and how much I was loved in return.” Bucky takes a breath and stares at him sporting a million-watt smile. “Marrying you,… I would really love that. And for real this time.”

“Ok, Buck.” Steve instantly replies, eagerness winning over thoughtful and heartfelt declarations. He tightens the grip on their joined hands to drive them to his lips and seals the easiest answer he’s ever had to give.

And it's done!Sorry for the cavities, for going on with the fic when it should have ended and for ending it where it might have had to keep going. It was painful and fun. I'm free!

[hawkbucks]

Hi! I already tried to bribe you with virtual donuts, but it didn't work. I'd really like to know more abt the "maybe tony travelled back in time, maybe not" 'verse - be it as a fic or some headcanons. If you feel like it, of course. :) Here, have a donut: 🍩

Okay, so... surprise, surprise, but Tony did travel back in time HGJFKDSJH 

Basically:

All they know is that Tony was in lab, and then he wasn’t. When they investigate, they find a glowing white disc with Tony’s loupe sitting on the table next to it. Steve slowly realizes what happened because he’s smart and he’s know how to connect the dots, no matter how fantastical they might seem. 

Instead of Tony meeting Steve and Bucky before Steve became Cap, he ends up being plopped somewhere in the middle of a firefight in Nowhere, Europe. They’re a bit away from civilization, so the Commandos are pretty surprised to see someone that isn’t affiliated with HYDRA hiding somewhere in the brush. 

He goes under some thorough scrutiny to make sure that he isn’t a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Then: “Why are you dressed so... strangely?” a man he recognizes as Timothy Dugan asks. 

“...I’m an engineer. We have eccentric fashion choices. And I was held captive. To make weapons. Yeah.” It’s not like it’s a lie. Okay, it sort of is, but it’s the truth in a different time period in his defense.  

“Ah.” Dugan nods. “Makes sense.” 

They offer him a place by their side until they get to the nearest city/town to drop him off in because it’d be pretty goddamn mean of them to leave a civilian out on their own. 

They ask him for his name and he panics like, “Anthony... S.... C... Carbonell.” “Anthony Scarbonell?” “Carbonell. I don’t know why I started with an S, haha.” 

But like? He gets along with them incredibly well? Especially Bucky. Like, the others are all winding down in their tents while those two are still by the fire, talking about whatever. 

Somehow, they manage to convince everyone that Tony should be on their team because he’s an engineer and a repairman and he can handle a gun, so it’s not like he’s entirely defenseless. (”But don’t you guys already sort of have a rep--” “Shhhhhh.”) 

He usually stays with Bucky on the high ground ‘cause two pairs of eyes in the sky will always be better than two. He also acts as Bucky’s spotter. 

“I think those two like each other,” Morita whispers to Steve as they both look at Bucky and Tony, who are both busy stargazing. 

“Oh, yeah,” Steve snorts, “that’s obvious.” Gabe and Dernier take that time to gossip in French with each other about it lol. 

But yeah? Tony gets really close with everyone, like I said before. He’s their heart, as Dernier once said (albeit in French, so Gabe had to translate for everyone). 

And it would not be me if there was no angst so, hold on, I was thinking that instead of Bucky, Gabe, and Steve on the train, Tony manages to convince Bucky to stay behind (because of course he knows what’s going to happen) and let him take his place, so instead of Bucky falling off the train, it’s Tony.

EXCEPT: the Avengers in the current time manage to Deus Ex Machina it and bring Tony back to the present right before he hits the ground. So, the Commandos think he’s dead, but he’s not so yeah. 

They mourn him and stuff and that’s why Steve got so angry when he first met Tony because he honestly thought SHIELD was using the image of a dead man to manipulate him. 

(And thank you for the donut. I will gladly accept that bribe.) 

[edorazzi]

IDK if you watched the Chat Blanc episode, but if you did, what are your thoughts?

I don’t usually post about my reactions to episodes these days (unless it’s in snarky comic form), but a few people have asked me about this one so why not!

This got super long, so I’ll throw it under a cut (and apologies for anyone on mobile if Tumblr dot hell still opens readmores automatically). 

I personally thought Chat Blanc was an underwhelming episode. Everyone knows how much I adore Adrien so of course I loved all his scenes, and I thought the actual Chat Blanc content was really exciting and well-done (when we were actually THERE), but the rest of the episode was pretty meh for me. For whatever it’s worth I watched this episode in French, so I don’t know if the English dub changed anything.

When it comes down to it I’ve got two big gripes: logical and emotional. My logical complaint is that the plot just DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. I respect that the rules of time travel are very loose in fiction and every work has its own take, but the episode’s “whatever happened today changes the future” basis absolutely doesn’t work when there’s been no interference from outside the timestream. Are they telling me Marinette has to follow a particular set of actions for the rest of time in order for the past to match up with the future, and every time she puts a foot wrong on this invisible path Bunnix will show up to berate her? It’s ridiculous. If Bunnix exists in the future then that path has already been written, so anything Marinette does in the present day she would have done anyway. It doesn’t work and I’m kind of amazed the writers thought it made enough sense to put in at all, let alone hinge the entire plot on. This has to be a Bunnix problem because both her episodes have been full of scrambled logic like this, and it’s really making me not enjoy her.

(I also don’t understand why Bunnix just did NOTHING even when she found out what the cause of the whole mess was. Why did she sit around waiting for Ladybug to defeat Chat Blanc when she could have just gone back to five minutes before Ladybug jumped through Adrien’s window and told her not to do it? I know she was gradually losing limbs to the altered timestream and stuff but she didn’t even try! There were easy fixes in this plot which no one took and that’s so frustrating!)

My emotional complaint might not be shared with everyone, but I was left feeling really irritated that the entire storyline was based on a problem created for this specific episode, which was then retconned into never happening. Adrien has a lot of emotional issues and it’s not been lost on me that Ladybug is starting to treat him pretty badly lately (the way she behaved in Reflekdoll was APPALLING, and I don’t understand people who say Adrien was a brat in Syren because I feel he was completely justified in demanding some respect and proper communication from his PARTNER), so it rubs me wrong that his akumatization - which is a VERY big deal! - was the result of this mangled “oH bUt WhAt iF gAbRiEl rUiNeD tHe LoVe SqUaRe AnD wAs EvEn MoRe eViL LaTer” concept instead of actually addressing the unfair way Ladybug’s been treating Chat Noir this season on top of everything else the poor guy is going through. 

Having Adrien bottle up his problems the way we know he does only to explode in such a drastic and dangerous way, like in the Christmas special which resulted in him running away and nearly destroying the town tree in an act of rage and spite, is SUCH an interesting route to follow for something like Chat Blanc. I don’t want it to be about some half-assed nothing-matters-in-the-end-anyway-lol love square BS laced with a big middle finger to anyone who’s been hoping for an identity reveal sometime this century. It’s just a sign they’re planning to hold on to this formula until the end of time itself, and I don’t know about anyone else but that’s going to make any future identity teases REALLY underwhelming (or terrifying, since now we know that APPARENTLY identity reveals result in the moon exploding all life being wiped out. Tread carefully, Marinette).

And comparing this to the Christmas special reminds me how horribly out of character Gabriel was! Like oh my god, who was this man?! Xmas Gabe was out of his mind with worry when Adrien went missing (and grateful enough for his safe return to let all the plebs into his home for dinner), and in several other episodes we’ve seen that Adrien’s wellbeing is his real weak spot, particularly when he’s suspected he might be Chat Noir (Jackady is a great example of both). Yet I’m expected to believe he’d ruin his son’s happy relationship for the sake of an akuma, then just go full maniacal villain in the event of discovering Chat Noir’s identity and try to physically fight him right after revealing Emilie instead of appealing to him on an emotional level? Hell no! That’s stupid and boring and nothing like the complex antagonist we’ve come to know over three seasons, and considering that’s what the akumatization hinged on that’s really disappointing. 

(Also Nathalie is a snake, but I don’t feel I know enough about her character to know if she’d rat Adrien out or not. She’s definitely hopelessly devoted to Gabe but I like to THINK she wouldn’t.)

I would definitely have preferred a much more lowkey episode focusing on Chat getting akumatized because of something Ladybug says or does, because she’s (canonly!) become complacent and isn’t treating him very well as a partner. Something which explores all his (canon!) insecurities and his (canon!) tendency to bottle up his emotions and not bother anyone. It could have been a great starting point for the pair of them to confront their issues and start fixing their relationship and getting back to that wonderful Season 1 dynamic! And this was none of those things. Nothing changed or progressed and nobody learned anything. :/

There were parts I liked though! As I said before I loved all the Chat Blanc scenes which I thought were really powerful, and Ladybug’s reaction was nice; being so gentle and near-tearfully sympathetic until Chat Blanc forced her to defend herself. I also adored the final scene where - to Chat, who has no idea about all the time travel stuff - it seems like Ladybug called him out exclusively to cuddle. I’m a sucker for that kind of platonic affection and it’s a huge improvement on their uncertain relationship in recent episodes! But that’s about it. I’ve heard this was supposed to be the finale at one point but got pushed back, and oh my god, can you imagine?! I haven’t even watched the finale yet (I wanted to keep my viewing in some kind of chronological order, not that that means ANYTHING with this show) but it cannot be more of a disappointment than this would have been. Extremely hard yikes.

Anyway, I could keep going but I think I’ve put more effort into this than the writing team did with the episode. This was a MESS. 

[captainjimothycarter]

I really love that Peggy and Sousa encounter each other in the future post 😍

I had to go back so many posts to find this post, lmao. This is a long one! 4k! This is so not what you wanted but I couldn’t stop writing??? 

--

Chaos was a normal way of life for Peggy. She had already accepted that when she signed up for the war, following Michael’s death. Being a codebreaker beforehand was hard enough and she was good at it, Peggy was good with her hands but it wasn’t enough. There was always that itch in the back of her head that just reminded her there was more that could be done and unfortunately, it took the death of her brother to realize what exactly she should be doing.

Then she met Steve, a scrawny Brooklyn Native who didn’t look like he should be breathing much less standing beside Dr. Erksine who insisted this is who he wanted for his experiment. It took very little convincing before this absolute mad man was nodding eagerly about this experiment, promising to keep the details under lock and key. As quickly as she met and no matter how hard she tried not to admit it, she lost Steve. A part of her heart went down with him in that plane and no promise to recover. To just move on because she had to.

Or so, Peggy thought.

Time travel was an idea of fiction on paper. She didn’t think it was real or something possible. Why would she? It was an amusing idea, one even Howard had tinkered with, yet as all ideas are, there is some truth to them. There had to be or otherwise, Peggy was insistent she was going mad here because Steven Grant Rogers was standing on her doorstep wearing clothes a size too big and with a bouquet of roses in hand.

The shattering teacup was the last thing she remembered.

That night, there was a long, long talk. One that went far on until they were both hoarse and bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. In reality, she was afraid to sleep. If she closed her eyes, Steve might disappear. This might be some hallucination from her imagination but every touch to his skin felt real whereas she couldn’t touch him before. He felt real when it came to the body heat and his heart. So, in conclusion, he had to be real, she just couldn’t accept it because he could easily be taken away.

There was this tale he spun for her. One about the future, about being frozen for so long, about how he fought in new wars, worse than their own, how the organization she was building in secret was destroyed from the inside out, how he had a key hand to it [and how very apologetic and downright hurt he looked by telling her this], how he has lost and gained, just to lose again, and how he got here. Time travel of all foolish things. And she wasn’t sure what was worst, the fact that he was here or the fact that she believing him.

Or the fact that she was going with him.

There was no other word for this beyond selfish but Steve had assured her that she wasn’t. Selfish wasn’t helping the greater good, he assured. They could rebuild Shield with the help of some new friends, start their life together. He would be there. And yet her life here? In this single, dreary apartment where the front door didn’t close all the way and her neighbor’s cat had snuck in and sprayed her bedsheets? Well, she didn’t think she was leaving much behind, so she agreed.

Steve did try to warn her. He did try to tell her about the future and the insane technology, not even Howard had agreed on. How Howard had a son [‘he’s hurt but he’s alive and he’s gonna be okay, Pegs, I promise.’ Funny, it sounded like Steve was convincing himself more than her], how Sargeant Barnes was alive, and the complicated history of Hydra behind it. He’d told her not to feel so guilty for it because no one knew but there was that itch, that self-guilt that told her they’d been so close to rescuing him. She just knew it, but they snuck out right under their noses.

There was a whole crowd of people waiting for her as they stepped through the portal, Steve holding the bag of essentials she’s packed. An outfit or two despite his insistence that they had clothes, a few files, photos, and even books. And of course...Steve’s photo that she kept close to her heart. She dressed comfortably, in her leather jacket from the war, slacks, and a blouse. The last she expected was a sharp whistle to cut through the crowd and to see a man with an eyepatch standing in the back. 

Steve’s sigh told him all.

“Director,” he said harshly, almost standing between him and Peggy, as if to put himself in harm’s way. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Oh no, taking people from the past and bringing them to our future doesn’t concern me,” Fury huffed, sounding annoyed and almost amused. “Tell me why in the hell did you bring Carter here.”

“Tell me why in the hell are you speaking about me as if I’m not here?” Peggy snapped, stepping around Steve and folding her arms across her chest with an unamused look. She swore the man’s lip twitched. “I can speak for myself and don’t need Steve to speak for me. I think it’s very clear why I’m here and beyond the obvious to help recreate an organization that you have very well allowed being destroyed by your greed and a blind eye.”

There was a smirk on Steve’s lips as Fury rolled his eyes and muttered something about having ‘other plans’ and ‘not officially director anymore’ that reminded her of the scrawny boy from Brooklyn. That he was proud of her. Oh, that did the heart wonders.

“Spunky as always, huh, Auntie?” 

The voice made Peggy turn to find the owner. She felt like she was staring right at Howard Stark, except with more salt in his beard and more burn scars and a missing arm. This had to be Tony Stark. Steve’s friend, Howard’s son.

“Auntie?” She questioned, raising a brow to his amused look. “I think you’re older than me.”

Tony shrugged, still amused. “Maybe.” She scoffed as if not to say maybe. “Okay, I am but you practically raised me at points in my life. Not you, another you...the here...you. Steve, why did you have to make this difficult?”

“I did not,” Steve countered, wrapping his arm around Peggy to squeeze her close. “You’re making it awkward.”

Rolling her eyes and muttering boys, Peggy enveloped Tony in a familiar hug, mindful of the burns. 

“Auntie or not,” she sighed, patting his cheek. “I think I can still wring your ear when you need to be reminded of your manners.”

An almost familiar redhead was watching her from behind Tony. There was a sense Peggy got from her that she’s seen her before. Or perhaps another version of her. Younger, with hair and outfits that changed colors, and words that taunted her and wrung in her head. With mysteries that they still never solved. 

“Black Widow,” she breathed, much to Natasha’s amusement. “I’ve fought one of you before.”

“Dottie, if I remember correctly,” Natasha sighed, giving a small nod. “My trainers never quite let that go. You were always a pest on their side, even to the day you rescued me. Or well, you and Barton.”

Barton, she pointed out made her look over her shoulder to see a tall blonde with purple hearing aids and a boyish smile on his face. His hands wrapped around a leash, a golden lab at the end of it. Beside him stood a familiar sight. A very familiar site that took her breath away.

James Buchanan Barnes. Broader than she remembered the slender soldier, with long hair that was now tied back into a bun, and a shimmering arm of silver and gold. His stormy gray eyes betrayed the fear that echoed through him, one step more forceful than the next before he dropped to his knees at her feet. 

Peggy was quicker and saw the fall coming from a mile away, dropping with him to catch him in time and envelope him in her arms. He held onto her tightly, she was his comfort, his solace, and he was begging her for forgiveness for sins she did not know but haunted him. She felt the stubble on his face brush over her neck as he buried his face into her, his shoulders shaking with every other sob.

“I have you,” she whispered, brushing his hair back, her face tucked into his neck to give him that peace. “I have you, little one. You’re okay.”

“You-you’re...younger…” He hiccuped, trying to force those old Barnes ways back through.

“Younger and yet wiser,” she teased. Looking up, she saw the crowd disperse with the promise of introduction at dinner. Far as she understood there was still a God she had yet to meet and these other...agents. The only people who stayed were Steve, Barton, Romanoff, and another man who stood beside them with bright eyes and a smirk that reminded her of Gabe Jones.

Pulling Bucky back after giving him a few minutes, she pressed their foreheads together, brushing the tears from his cheeks. Steve had crouched beside them, a comforting smile on his face. This close, Peggy could count Bucky’s full lashes if she so wished.

“Are you okay?” She whispered in French. Steve had gotten the basics of it when he was alive beforehand, but Bucky had been fluent.

The language made him blink, the Soldier was never taught French. It was a forgotten language. But Bucky, no he knew it. It made him smile. 

“No,” he replied honestly. “Not really. You don’t understand because it hasn’t happened and I don’t think it will happen’ but I tried to kill you.” He took in a shuddering breath, avoiding looking at Steve. He wasn’t sure if Steve even knew this. “Hydra s-sent me to kill you, it was my first solo mission. No handler, no contact. In and out. I failed. You knocked some sense into me, literally, with a-a lamp post. It was...in some hotel I remember. We sat and talked. You tried to help me but I-I couldn’t let you get close. I told you of some names in..in Hydra that might be in Shield and...can remember my handlers torturing me when...when they died by your hand.”

“Damn right,” she grumbled. “Not about you...being tortured. Look at me.” She cupped both his cheeks and pressed a tender kiss between his eyes. “You are safe now, okay? You’re here and I’m not upset at you. Or going to hurt you. If...if you seeing me…”

“Stop being the selfless one for once,” Bucky snorted. “Jesus, no wonder you and Steve are perfect. You’d both take a bullet for one another.”

“Technically a grenade,” Peggy mused, making Bucky look up in alarm at the blonde.

“Steve.”

“It was...years ago, Buck, c’mon.” Steve shot Peggy a look, standing them both up and looking away as Bucky cleaned his face up.

“Did you jump on a grenade?!”

“It was a dummy!”

Peggy laughed at their bickering, hugging Bucky tightly to her and kissing his cheek. She’d missed him, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She did miss him.

“I’m not going to avoid you, Pegs. Some days are gonna be harder than others, but I’m gonna be fine. I can’t avoid you.” He tilted her head up with the metal hand, giving her that trademark smile that reminded her of her older brother so much. “You’ll find ways to wiggle into my life later, but I...think you met my partners.”

Yes, partners, Peggy hadn’t misheard. She was reintroduced to Natasha, Clint, and now Sam. Sam, who was the great-nephew of Gabe Jones.

“I take it you kept these two in line?” Peggy teased, hugging Sam tightly who just melted into her.

“Hell no!” He laughed. “These two are hell-bent on getting themselves killed. I think they learned that from you.”

“Guilty as charged,” Peggy mused.

--

It was a full month later before Peggy was introduced to those fellow agents she was promised to meet. 

There was Mack, now the official Director of Shield, and who was very humble to meet her and as only she could describe was a giant teddy bear. He even made Steve look small.

May and Coulson, two lovebirds who were dangerous in their own way and yet we’re still in love. May just looked amused as Coulson gushed about ‘being a fan’ and Steve just looked embarrassed for her. Then it was chaos after the ‘Avengers’ saw Coulson in their living room. The chaos of yelling about how he was alive and not told for so long. That was an argument that May and Peggy quickly escorted themselves out to have a friendly chat.

Three new people arrived a day later in a small, private jet. The first soul out of it was a small blonde, little girl who came to Peggy’s hip and had all the energy as a toddler should. She laughed when Peggy caught her so she didn’t run off towards the lake, spinning her around. The laugh made her smile. And even Steve who snuck up beside her.

“Alya!” Jemma sighed, running up to Peggy before skitting to a stop over the turf when she realized who spun her daughter around in a circle. “You’re...you’re…”

“I’m told you’re a fan,” Peggy laughed, holding her hand out and shaking hers and then her husband who looked amused. “Jemma and Fitz, correct? And this is?” She held her arm up where she now hung upside down on her arm.

“That’s our littl’ monkey,” Fitz laughed, scooping his daughter up and putting her on his shoulders. “Coulson called us about...this and we didn’t want to believe.”

“You didn’t want to believe,” Jemma countered, shaking her curls. “I believed him. Why would he lie, Fitz?”

“It wasn’t lying I was worried about! Normally people pulled from the past isn’t good! Look at Sousa!’

Time stood still and Peggy felt like her heart had stopped. She was fully aware people were staring at her. Steve had stood behind her, touching her cheek.

“Pegs?” He whispered, clearly worried. “Peggy, are you okay? Hey, hey. Whoa.” 

He lowered her to the ground when her knees gave out, supporting her body. Jemma knelt beside her, sending Fitz inside with their daughter so Peggy wasn’t crowded. Even May had come out of the lake house to check in on them.

Peggy blinked a series of times, clearing her throat. She could feel Steve’s hand on her neck, checking her pulse. She felt like she couldn’t speak, her mind was stalled out. She forgot every word she knew. Everything had been replaced by his voice, his face.

While she didn’t harbor feelings for Sousa, while their kiss had been rash, and she decided not what she wanted, they parted on good terms. Really good terms. His death, his violent, needless death of a body floating in a hotel pool had made her choke on her coffee when the news was told to her in passing as if it was a normal thing.

“Sousa is alive?” She finally whispered, feeling her hands starting to shake even as Steve’s own closed around them. “He’s alive?” 

Jemma and Steve shared a look above her, one Peggy missed. “Yes,” May replied over both of them, shifting so she was in Peggy’s vision. “Yes, he’s alive. And he’s doing wonderful. They’ll be here in a few hours.” She paused as if to consider her words. “He’ll be happy to see you.”

--

“Can you handle your jealousy?”

Steve looked up from the bed, where he was trying to rethread his boots with difficulty. He paused as the boot fell to the floor, the lace slipping out of it with a heavy sigh.

“Why am I jealous? No, how am I jealous? If I remember correctly, you shot at me for kissing…”

“No, I was shooting the shield.” Peggy reasoned, fixing her last curl into place before turning to face Steve from the mirror. “And you were kissing her!”

“No, she was kissing me. She kissed me and I couldn’t back away! I’ve told you, I didn’t want her, I wanted you.”

Damn Rogers and damn him for saying the right words. Peggy’s shoulders slowly relaxed and her eyes softened as she took the boot from his hand and wrapped him in a tight hug. “I know,” she sighed. “I see you kept the marks on your shield, after all this time.”

“Well, I had to have some keepsake to remind me not to fuck up again.”

They laughed, Steve slowly kissing Peggy as he savored every moment. He only jerked when there was a knock on the door, looking embarrassed as the door opened to a new face. 

“Oh!” Daisy, breathed, her won cheeks tinging pink. “I can go if you two are busy. May just sent me to find you...two…” Her eyes fell onto Steve, then Peggy and a small smile grew on her lips as if confirming something to herself.

Peggy stood up, taking Steve’s boot in hand and lacing it in three easy strokes before handing it back to him. “I take it you must be Daisy, right?” Her hand held out to him and she smiled as they shook hands. 

“And you’re Agent Carter. Jemma has told me everything about you.” She paused, her tongue between her lips. “And Daniel.” 

“It’s okay, I’m not...jealous or anything like that.” She wanted to make that clear, even if Steve snorted from the bed. “You have anything to say, Captain?”

“Just to keep your gun away from a man who doesn’t have a shield,” Steve teased, pecking her temple. He nodded politely at Daisy. “Coulson has told me much about you and the rest of the team. He thinks highly of all of you.”

“Yeah, well for a robot...he has a lot of feelings,” Daisy laughed with a shrug of her shoulders. “Is your team still done yelling at him?”

“Friends, not team. And sorta? Thor already knew because of Sif. Tony was quick to forgive him. Bruce said he knew already from working with Fury on some side project. As for Agent Barton and Romanoff… well, they hold onto grudges for a long, long time.”

Daisy chuckled as they left, hands in her pockets as they walked down the hall. She didn’t miss how Peggy had taken Steve’s hand. “We know. Agent Romanoff has gotten May back for a few things during our time together. Try explaining to Director Fury at the time why five chickens were in her office once. It took us ages to get them out. I think Fitz still has nightmares about those chickens.”

“They’re dreadful beasts!” Fitz shouted from the kitchen. “Let’s not talk about the Chicken Incident, please.”

“They are not,” Jemma insisted, smiling at Peggy. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Wonderful, thank you. I’m glad someone knows how to make a proper cuppa. The bath and nap did help.” 

Steve pouted when Peggy’s eyes shot over to him. “Hey, I tried to learn during the war. Unlike Pinky who just put straight up a leaf in hot water one time.”

“Steven, if that’s what you call tea, then I don’t want to know what you call coffee. You just don’t have that touch.” Peggy’s hand patted at his cheek, making Steve flush. 

“Don’t worry,” a voice behind them said. “I tried through all my years with her and still didn’t learn right. Even Mr. Jarvis tried to teach me. I have too heavy of an American hand, whatever that means.”

Leaning onto his cane behind them stood Daniel Sousa with his still boyish, but more handsome face and a proud look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Peggy’s breath was in her throat as she saw him, her hand gripping Steve’s tightly. Everyone around them, save for Daisy and Steve suddenly found they needed to be elsewhere to give these people privacy. 

“Hey, Pegs,” Daniel breathed, giving a warm smile. “Whoa, whoa hold on.”

He nearly fell if it wasn’t for Steve when Peggy darted to him and hugged him tightly. He had to admit, some part of him felt almost a little jealous until he saw Peggy’s shoulders shake. She had taken his death hard, she’d told him. The fact there was not even a body to bury had made it much worst and he wondered how much of that funeral reminded her of his own.

“She took it hard,” Steve whispered to Daisy, giving a sympathetic look to the pair whispering to one another. “Even if they were friends after...everything, she didn’t learn about his death until weeks after. Hydra was trying to cover it up. She blamed herself.”

“She’s really hard on herself, huh?” Daisy sighed, shaking her head. “Daniel has told me everything about them. Is this...weird for you?” At Steve’s confused look, Daisy shrugged. “Your...girlfriend with her ex? Is that weird?”

“Never really had anything to compare it to, so I supposed not. Daniel is an important part of her life,” he mused. “I just have to accept that, as she has to accept my friends are important to me. She knows about Bucky and I…”

That was the last thing Daisy had expected to hear, her eyes widening. “You and the Winter Soldier were…?”

“Bucky but yes, teenagers, during the war, Peggy was involved in it. And even after.”

“I think Coulson owes me fifty bucks,” she muttered. 

“Mention it to Clint and you’ll get a hundred.” 

--

“Captain…?” 

Steve looked up from where he sat on the bench by the lake, watching Alya, Peggy, and Fitz look for ‘specimens’ in the shallow end of the lake. On the other side, Bucky and Lucky were going for a jog or more as Lucky was dragging Bucky through the marsh. In front of him stood Daniel, still with that boyish smile and leaning on his cane.

“Steve,” he corrected, scooting over and patting the seat. “Sit down. I know that thing has to hurt like hell. Don’t lie, I had to have a brace as a kid for my back. Felt like torture.”

“The whole straightening rod and all? Poor you. I see it’s done nothing for your posture,” he teased, groaning when he finally sat down. “It’s gotten better. I’m looking into better prosthetics, giving this up...feels sorta odd. Is that how the serum felt to you?”

“In a way,” Steve responded after a moment to think about it. “But in another, I didn’t know what the hell to expect. None of us did. I went in an asthmatic boy and came out...able to breathe and see color for the first time.”

“Was it Peggy?” 

Steve looked over at him, raising a brow and Daniel shrugged. “When you saw color for the first time, was Peggy your first sight?”

The Captain sighed and laid his head back, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah. Red. First time I saw it, you know? I knew the color existed, been told it does, but seeing it...seeing her eyes...her hair… But that red, it stuck to me. Took my breath away. She was...beautiful. Still is.”

Even if she was covered in mud now by Alya giving up the hunt and having a mud-fight. 

“I hope you don’t find it odd that I’m here, that Peggy and I talked,” Daniel replied after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “Peggy… Marge…”

“Look,” Steve put a hand on his knee and gave a gentle squeeze. “You and Peggy have a history, that’s okay. I don’t care. She’s important to you and you’re important to her. I’m not jealous. She took your death hard given everything at the time. You were there for her in times I couldn’t be and I’m thankful that you were a crutch for her to lean on. So, stop this...awkwardness...Pegs is important to both of us in separate manners. She’s gonna be here for a long, long time and I hope you stick around too. I like to think we’ll be friends even.”

He could even hear Bucky, in the back of his head, telling him what a kid he sounds like.

“I’d like that,” Daniel sighed, squeezing Steve’s hand gently. “She never stopped, you know? She never stopped hoping to find you. A part of her always kept looking. Always hoping, even if it was a body to bury. She’s always loved you.”

“I’m thankful for that because Gods know I fucked up a lot.” He gave a strained laugh, shaking his head. “She loves you too. In her own manner. It’s why your death hit her so hard.”

“Yeah, well, now we have all the time to make up for it.” Daniel stood up, holding his hand out to help Steve up with a small smirk. “Sure wish Thompson was alive right now. He’d so owe me ten bucks for even being friends with Captain America.”

“Don’t remind me,” Steve groaned, rubbing at his brow, hearing a heavy splash. He laughed at the sight of Lucky dragging Bucky through the mud before the man had the sense to let go and let the dog run off back towards the house. “That’s a face I wouldn’t mind punching, much shit as he gave Pegs.”

“Then I hope you don’t mind I’ve done it a time or two and blamed it on the alcohol,” Daniel laughed. “You want a few beers? I think they’re gonna be busy for a while.” 

“Sure. What’re a few beers between friends?”

[pomegranateanarchist]

things about the lightning thief musical

[thebeethathums]

Observers - 49

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x Reader

Mycroft knew something was bothering you the moment he walked through the café doors. His assumption quickly confirmed when you slipped over to greet him, giving only a weak grin, “Hey, Mycroft. What can I get you?” He pursed his lips, “Coffee- Black, three sugars. No French or formalities today, (F/n)?” You just shook your head, “I’ll be back with your coffee in a moment.” When you returned but didn’t sit with him as you usually did, he couldn’t help but give a small frown- you could plaster a very convincing fake grin on your face and fool everyone else but not him. In a lull, he caught your attention and you trotted over obediently, ready to fulfill whatever his request might be. For the first time since he’d started coming in, he had to ask you to sit with him, “May I have a word, (F/n)?” Looking over your section and then at the time, you gave a short nod and went to make sure someone would cover you while you took a break. When you returned, he broached the subject head-on, asking what was on his mind, “Did Sherlock tell you to stay away from me?” 

Your eyes widened, “N-No, Mycroft… I know he was not exactly happy about us talking but I am my own person. He cannot tell me what to do or whom to talk to.”

“Then whatever is the matter, my dear?” Mycroft frowned, he would never admit it but he could see the value of the company of another when you sat with him… he might even go so far as to say you were friends. It was a rather foreign concept to him and the slight sense of caring was bothersome but he knew it wasn’t something he couldn't stop, so he just accepted it. It was kind of nice to have someone other than Sherlock to talk to. He watched you chew at your lip before sighing and raising your eyes to look at him, “You told me once that caring was not an advantage…” “Yes and if I recall you made a fairly good argument for the merits of caring for others.” You fiddled with your pen, capping it and uncapping it, “I’m beginning to think I was wrong.” “And why is that?” “Just look at my life Mycroft… the only person I deeply care about that hasn’t hurt me is John- even Harry has hurt me in the past- and beyond that, the others that I care about either leave me, get themselves killed, or take advantage… and with those that haven’t, it's only a matter of time before they do.”

Mycroft furrowed his brow, unsure of how to handle this new attitude, “And you would give up your friends to avoid this?” There was a short silence as you thought that over and then shook your head, “No… I suppose not,” before running a hand through the front of your hair, “Maybe I just need to step back from everything to see the whole picture… it certainly helps with my paintings.” You suddenly looked up and offered him a genuine smile, “Thank you, Mycroft. You were very helpful.” He gaped at you confusedly for a moment, not understanding exactly what he’d done to be helpful, but you just grinned at him and then got up to get back to work. After straightening your apron, you patted his shoulder and murmured, “Merci Beaucoup, Monsieur Holmes. À la prochaine.” He watched you bounce away, enthusiasm restored, and rolled his eyes as he shook his head- he would never understand the emotions of those less intelligent than him, especially women. One second they were happy and the next sad… it was off-putting. Mycroft had long since gone when you heard Annie call you from across the café, spinning to respond only to freeze and then break into a wide grin followed by a loud squeal, “GABRIEL!” You bounded over to greet a tall man with tan, olive skin and a flop of dark hair with a slight wave, throwing your arms happily around his neck so he could sweep you off the ground and into a spin, “Hola, querida! Cómo estás?” “Come on Gabe, you know my Spanish is terrible…” you pouted, leaning back from him slightly as Annie laughed, the noise drawing your attention to her, “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming? Why didn’t you call Gabe?” Annie rolled her eyes and went to take care of your section when he kissed the end of your nose, causing you to giggle as he flashed a brilliant smile and explained, “I wanted to surprise you. Everyone in Paris misses you so much… I figured you’d be missing us as well,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he added, “especially me.” You laughed happily, wiggling so he would set you down again, “You flirt! I’ve missed you too, Gabe, but I rather like London. It’s started to feel like home.” “You’ve been well then? Happy? No troubles?” he queried, concern clouding his normally jovial expression. Nodding, you grinned, “I’m getting back to myself again. It’s definitely a relief.” “Well then, amor,” he purred, taking your hand to twirl you into a dip, “Care to go salsa dancing with me tonight?” “Like a date?” you asked, poking his cheek so he would let you up as he simply responded, “Si.” You furrowed your brow as you considered it for a second- you’d known Gabriel for a long time and he’d been one of the ones to take you to the hospital when that whole mess happened so you trusted him. You couldn’t say you weren’t attracted to him and you knew your friendship would remain intact even if it didn’t work out because he was just a laid back guy but what about Sherlock? You had never felt the way you did with him for anyone else but on the other hand, it wasn’t as if he felt the same… you two weren’t even in a relationship. If you were going to care then at least it could be with someone who cared back- maybe this was the universe's way of saying you should move on. Deciding that if you were ready to be in a relationship again, then you deserved a chance to be happy and loved, you offered Gabriel a grin, “Pick me up at eight. 221 Baker Street.” Before he could respond, you swished away to get back to work, tossing him a flirty grin and a wink as you caught up to Annie who softly hummed, “About time you got back out there but what happened to your detective friend? I thought you two had a thing.” “Nope. He’s married to his work and devoted to his mistress- science.” She raised an eyebrow, picking up on the slight bitterness in your tone, but didn’t press, simply offering, “Have fun tonight then. You deserve it.” After work, you went to your closet and pulled out the dress you’d been thinking about all day, a cute red number with an open back and knee length ruffled skirt that had a slit that went all the way up your thigh. Cliché, you knew, but what else do you wear out salsa dancing? Besides, it looked damn good and you had an adorable hair clip and heels to match. You were almost ready when you went to reach for a lipstick and found that the bag you kept your plethora of lip things in was missing, sighing as you tried to remember where you could have left it. A light bulb popped up as you remembered that you had gotten ready for work upstairs one morning when your water wasn’t working. You’d probably left it in the boy’s flat and, since you carried your current favorite shade of lipstick with you, it hadn’t come up until now. You glanced at the clock- Gabe would be there in less than five minutes and you could only pray that at least John was not only home but that your bag was easy to find as you turned to bound out of your flat and up the stairs. Not bothering to knock, you burst through the door, heels clicking across the floor as you frantically searched for your bag, grumbling, “Where the bloody hell is it? I can’t go out without lipstick… might as well just go naked.” John looked up from his laptop and Sherlock from his microscope, both startling slightly at your choice of attire as John frowned, “You look nice… where are you going?” Your dress looked fantastic with your strappy red heels and you’d left your hair down, one side pulled back with a clip shaped like a gold butterfly with red accents. You found your bag under a small stack of papers, holding it up triumphantly before swishing over to the mirror to add a dark red lipstick to your already striking makeup as you answered, “I have a date.” You spun and gave your hips a little shake as you beamed, “He’s taking me salsa dancing.” John opened his mouth to ask some follow-up questions but the buzzer rang and you giggled, “I have to go… don’t wait up.” John looked to Sherlock as you bounded down the stairs and out the door, noting that he’d gone a little pale, “What happened there?” Sherlock went back to his microscope as though nothing had happened, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” John narrowed his eyes, “I’m talking about my sister going out on a date… Don’t you care? I punched you…” He didn’t look up as he grumbled, “Why should I care if she’s going on a date?” “So you’re not jealous?” Sherlock huffed, ���Jealousy is for simple minded idiots.” John rolled his eyes, going back to his blog since goading Sherlock wasn’t getting him anywhere, and Sherlock let his face slip into a frown. He was jealous… why were you going out with another man? That was not what he’d expected after what you had done together the other night. He couldn’t understand it… maybe you had just used him to get over your insecurities about dating again, or maybe he’d done something wrong during the physical act- it was an area he was relatively inexperienced in. What did this guy have that he didn’t? He was probably an idiot. His mind raced as he tried to figure it out, coming to the only final conclusion that he could- he disliked this entire situation and he needed to do something about it immediately.

TAGS <3:

@team-free-sherlock @multifandom-ramblings @madshelily @severusminerva @yes-but-theyre-my-dorks @smitemewiththysherlock @not-fandom-addicted @unknownwonder @deducingdevil @aviien @mrsfrankensteinsworld​ @lolamurphy @bakerstreethound @musical-doll-x @protectteamfreewill @delightful-pirate @lilcutekittykat @broke-and-overwhelmed @adri1ii @turtle-at-the-disco @fanfictionsilove @chasedbyhowlingwolves @thorkyrie-rights

[twodaysintojune]

Creepin’ up The Backstairs

Supernatural, Debriel, Warnings-None

One Shots Masterlist, Long Stories Masterlist

Find me at AO3

Made for @debrielcc Creations Challenge, Song Prompt: Creepin’ Up The Backstairs by The Fratellis

There was a knock on the glass, one, two, three times before Gabriel finally realized there was someone knocking, standing up from his desk he moved the curtains aside. He almost screamed when he saw the shadow of a guy in front of him until he realized it was Dean. Quickly, he opened the window.

“Dean what the hell? How did you get past the fence?”

Dean sent Gabriel a smile so bright and warm while entering the room that Gabriel felt the air leave his lungs for a second.

“Heard you came back from that stuck-up boarding school, old man Beckett let me in.”

Gabriel beamed at his old friend, the moment he came back from France he was about to run to Dean’s house when his father forced him to stay and meet some unknown relatives that were most likely trying to lick dad’s boots to receive a loan from him for a truly stupid enterpise.

He hated it, hated the fact that they were ‘nobles’ and ‘rich’ and that they were supposed to act like it. That was why he loved Dean so much, he was unfazed by the nobility thing and always treated him as his friend. Gabriel still felt stupid when he remembered how troubled he had been that first time they met to hide the fact that he belonged to the Payne family and also remembered fondly how Dean took it all in stride and waved it aside, the last name was not important, what was important was Gabriel. Looking at it in hindsight that might have been the moment Gabriel fell in love for him.

Of course Dean didn’t know that. As far as Gabriel could see, Dean considered him a friend and just that. Yes, they were thick as thieves, much to both of their families chagrin but he had never shown any kind of romantic inclination towards him. It was sad to admit that this crush was very one sided but that didn’t stop him from having fun and enjoying Dean’s company so he was definitely not ready to let him go. Maybe when Dean eventually found someone else he would have to make a choice but not today.

Especially not tonight. Not when Dean’s cheeks were red from running and the cold winds of December and they looked ready to be kissed. Thing that Gabriel did immediately pecking both of Dean’s cheeks while hugging him, following the French tradition, so excited that he didn’t notice how his friend tensed slightly under his hold.

“Oh man, you just don’t know how much I’ve missed you!”

Dean snickered nervously. “Yeah, I can tell.”

“So what brings you here?”

“Ah uh...” Dean seemed to space a moment looking at Gabriel. He blushed and coughed a little. “I thought we could sneak away, there’s a couple of new bands performing at the club I’m sure you’ll like.”

“Awesome! Yeah sure, lemme get some clothes and we can go.”

“Oh and…”

Gabriel turned towards Dean once more, waiting for his words, nodding at him to prompt him into speaking.

“I was wondering if we could, uh, you know… Grab the car?”

“The car?”

“Yeah, you know, The Car.”

“Oh, oh!” Gabriel laughed mischievously while taking off his pj’s and putting in some old worn jeans, a dark Black Sabbath t-shirt Dean had gifted him for his birthday and black leather boots. “Yeah sure! We can sneak downstairs through the service stairs, I bet Mrs. Bell is knocked off with those sleeping pills she gets.”

Gabriel turned to find an awkward looking Dean.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing, uh, it’s good to see you here.”

Gabriel beamed at him.

“It’s good to see you too.”

So they sneaked into the garage to steal Michael’s car. The car, by the way was a classic 60’s cherry red Roadster that Michael kept in mint condition. Gabriel had been impressed when he saw it for the first time, moreso considering the fact that he couldn’t believe his down-to-earth brother was able to have such good taste in cars, maybe it was the ‘classic’ part of it that had called his attention but in the end, Gabriel was not going to complain. Especially when he knew for a fact Michael still left the car keys in the same place at the garage despite knowing his little brother liked to take it out for a ride from time to time. Okay, so maybe Michael was not as stuck up as he looked, Gabriel thought fondly. He was going to miss him if he decided to move after the marriage.

This time, Dean was on the wheel. They zoomed through the open roads for a while and left the car on a parking lot, knowing Michael would kill him if anything happened to it. Soon after the engine was killed, Gabriel took out his kohl stick and began to line his eyes. Dean shifted in his seat.

“Dude, you look good already, leave the makeup for the girls.”

“There’s never enough makeup when it comes to the guyliner Dean, maybe you should try it too.”

Dean snorted, he looked at Gabriel with a glance he was unable to read until he made up his mind.

“Alright then, turn me into a clown.”

Gabriel barked in delight with Dean’s comment while he leant towards him to start the job. They were close enough but Gabriel was more concentrated on not poking Dean’s eye by mistake.

“I knew I’d convince you one day.”

“You just like being pushy.”

“Shut up, you love me pushy.”

Dean stayed silent for a while while Gabriel finished the delicate job. Once he was done he began to put the eyeliner away.

“Yeah, I do.”

The words had been but a whisper but in the middle of the silence of the parked car it had been just as clear as daylight. Gabriel paused his actions and lowered his hands to look, really look at Dean. And it struck him like a lightning to realize that while Dean was undoubtedly handsome, the guyliner he had just placed on him made him ten times more attractive. And this attractive guy was looking at him in a way he knew for a fact he had never been addressed before.

“Dean?”

A car blaring out hip-hop music loud enough to wake up an entire block searching for a spot rushed in front of the Roadster, startling them. Dean coughed a bit.

“Come on, lets go.”

They ran through the couple of streets they had to cross to get to the club. It had been a good thing Dean had convinced him of using his warm lined corduroy jacket instead of the leather one. He had forgotten how cold things got at home.

Once inside the bar they were received by the gang; Charlie and Gilda, Mick, Ash and Jo greeted Gabriel warmly. Meanwhile, Dean took their jackets and headed to the personnel entry door. Gabriel stopped him just a second.

“You gotta work today?”

“Only half the shift, Jessica took Sam to some weird ass French movie, don’t even ask.”

Gabriel snorted, he was sure Dean only thwarted Sam’s chance of getting laid because he was expected to as the older brother. He screamed at him from half away.

“Cut him some slack man, the poor kid will die of blue balls!”

Dean turned around.

“Hey, I give him enough slack at home with the studies for the entrance exams, I won’t budge anymore.”

Gabriel moved his head in disapproval but he was still smiling. That probably had been the exact same answer the younger Winchester must have got. In the end all three of them knew Sam was still gonna get laid because he was not going to watch any movie, he was only not gonna be able to cuddle later.

The club began to fill itself with a lot of new faces, most likely followers of the bands that were going to play that night and sooner than later Gabriel saw the bar filling itself with countless girls that screamed in awe while he saw a bottle soar through the air. He wanted to get near to watch Dean do his bartender magic tricks but the crowd was so tight he wasn’t even able to see him through the people. He was sure the guyliner he had given him was also helping a lot with the charm.

Sighing a bit disappointed he turned back to the conversation only to find Charlie looking at him with knowing eyes.

“What?”

“What? You’re asking me what? Come on Gabe, you’re head over heels for Dean!”

Gabriel shrugged trying to play it cool. “So? It’s not like I’m hiding it anyways.”

“You’re not gonna do anything about it?”

At this point everyone else on the group turned to look at him, by the look of their faces they had obviously been desperate to ask him for a while now.

“Wha—!? Of course not! He’s my best friend! I’m not gonna risk what we already have because of my stupid crush.”

All their faces went down.

“Oh come on man! It’s Dean we’re talking about, he’ll definitely take you!”

Gabriel was about to retort when he stopped for a second.

“Okay, how much did you guys actually bet on me confessing?”

Everyone immediately began to laugh.

“It’s quite some actually, Kali and Bela said both of you are too much of a coward and nothing will happen.” Ash chimed in. “I’m rooting for Dean though.”

Gabriel tried his best to throw a judgemental glare to his friends until something in Ash words clicked in.

“What do you mean you’re rooting for Dean?”

Jo barked a laugh. In fact everyone did.

“Oh. My. God.”

“Are you being serious now Gabe?”

“I can’t believe this!”

“Okay guys come on, he wasn’t around to see what we saw. Actually, it’s because he wasn’t around that we saw it.”

“What? What did you see?”

More laughter.

“Well you see, three months ago, when your brother Michael got engaged—”

“Don’t tell him!”

“Oh come on guys!”

“I’m sorry Gabe, if you really want to know you’ll have to ask Dean.”

The banter between everyone went down to some gossip about the general whereabouts of everyone in life now. In the end most of them were able to see each other only on vacations now that they were studying in College so it was a good time to catch up. A few hours later, Dean joined them with a bucket of beers for everyone. Everybody cheered.

“Hey guys, what did I miss?”

“Hey, Dean, why don’t you tell Gabe what happened when we heard of the Payne engagement?”

Gabriel turned to Dean honestly curious, he really didn’t know what reaction to expect given the fact that none of their friends had wanted to spill the beans but he still got a bit startled when he saw Dean’s usually laid back features stiffen and his entire face turning red. Gabriel tried to ask him with a look but he distinctly avoided his gaze. Feeling a little taken aback by Dean’s avoidance Gabriel snickered nervously.

“It’s okay guys, it’s obviously not something that funny.”

Dean looked troubled for a second before he stepped in to try to help Gabriel feel better.

“No, no it’s okay I… uh, I dropped some bottles.”

“You... dropped some bottles?”

“Yeah, because they announced it on the news, remember?” Ash chimed in and went to imitate a news host voice “Exciting news for today folks! A new engagement has been formalized between the Payne and the Byrne households!”

“And just like that, Dean dropped the bottles!”

“Okay?”

“Don’t you get it Gabe? He dropped the bottles because of the shock!”

Dean fidgeted looking extremely uncomfortable while everybody held gloating faces.

“...Is it that weird to imagine Michael getting married?”

Everybody groaned, Dean deflated as if he had avoided a landmine.

“Guess I’m just weird! Now let’s drink guys, I need to wet my throat a bit.”

Dean was a bit too forceful but nobody complained. The rest of the night went by without an issue and Dean drove Gabriel back to his place. Once inside his room, Gabriel proceeded to remove their eyeliner, which proved to be harder than putting it on since Dean was doing a very poor job at staying still, every time Gabriel approached him, he stepped back.

“Damn it Dean, if you’re not going to let me do it then do it yourself!”

It seemed like that helped Dean snap out of whatever it was that was making him go back. He steeled himself and looked at Gabriel.

“I… I’m sorry.”

Gabriel sighed and went back to removing Dean’s eyeliner, he finished the first eye and moved to the second while Dean seemed to rummage something. He opened up the moment Gabriel was done.

“I thought it was you.”

“Huh?”

“The one getting married. I thought it was you.”

Gabriel looked at Dean blank for a second until it dawned on him what he was trying to say. Mick’s words came back to him and hit him like a train.

“Don’t you get it Gabe? He dropped the bottles because of the shock!”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in realization. Did this mean that Dean actually liked him? Maybe it had just been the shock of hearing about your friend’s marriage but then he wouldn’t have dropped the bottles, right? He stayed silent, he didn’t even know what to say, what if he was thinking way too much about this? What if Dean had really just been shocked because they were friends? What if…?

Gabriel’s train of thought halted and crashed when Dean leant towards him and kissed him.  

With a started noise and a sigh, Gabriel dropped everything and rushed to hold Dean’s face between his hands. Enticed by Gabriel’s actions, Dean moved forward and roughed him to get closer to him. Opening their lips and searching into each other’s mouths, gliding hands through their chests and biting softly each others lips, the kiss quickly heated up the moment they took each other’s shirts off when Gabriel’s door opened and in came a fairly drunk Lucifer who groaned at the sight, startling them.

“Oh for fucks sake Gabriel, get a room!”

Gabriel quickly deadpanned at his brother’s remark.

“Lucifer, this IS my room.”

Lucifer blinked a couple of times and looked around.

“Oh… well... lock the damn door next time!”

Gabriel threw his shirt at his older brother while he closed it back and went to properly lock it this time. When they were sure Lucifer was not going to try to come back, the guys turned to look at each other and began to laugh.

[aion-rsa]

Best Space Operas of 2019

https://ift.tt/2NPOHv1

From A Memory Called Empire to Star Wars IX, here are all of the space operas, on screen and on the page, we're looking forward to in 2019.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Here at Den of Geek, we love a good space opera: that delightful subgenre of science fiction that combines action, adventure, romance, and melodrama and sets it all in space.

Between now and the end of 2019, fans of space opera have a lot to look forward to. Whether or not you're excited about the December 20, 2019 release of Star Wars Episode IX, the year should be a good one for space opera—especially for novel readers, but with a few films and comics thrown in for good measure.

Here are the space operas (and some stories that are space opera-adjacent) we've already consumed or are most looking forward to consuming at Den of Geek...

January

Fire Fury Frontier by Amanda Rose

This dystopian novel follows the remnant of humanity aboard the single ship, the Saisei. Refugees from a dead planet, humanity has lost any knowledge of what it is to live on a single world instead of traveling the stars—but space is not always a hospitable home. Set 200 years after the events of her 2018 novel Fire Fury Freedom, the book looks into what could be humanity's last days...

Io

In Io, a young scientist wants to save a post-apocalyptic Earth, but has to make a choice of whether to leave for the moon Io with Earth's last survivors. The Netflix film, starring Margaret Qualley and Anthony Mackie, the made-for-Netflix original didn't get great reviews, but for viewers looking for a post-apocalyptic space fix, this may be a good way to spend ninety minutes.

Shadow Captain by Alastair Reynolds

The two sisters of Reynolds's 2016 Revenger return to face old wounds—and seek new adventure—in this second part of the "Revenger" trilogy. Adrana and Fura Ness signed on to a mercenary ship in Revenger, and events separated them, including Adrana's capture by pirate Bosa Sennen. The two decide to go after Bosa Sennen's treasure ship, but those who want the pirate dead won't care whether Bosa Sennen is flying the ship, or two sisters out for their own revenge. 

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

Korean mythology and space opera intersect in this fantastic middle grade offering from well-known SF writer Yoon Ha Lee (also a writer on The Vela, below). Min, a fox who—like her family—takes human form to avoid cultural prejudice about foxes being unlucky, cons her way into space to find out what happened to her older brother, Jun.

A young enlisted member of the Space Forces, Jun has been accused of desertion, and Min's determined to prove that's not true—and find him, before something horrible can happen to him. Could he really have gone searching for the Dragon Pearl, an artifact that can perfectly terraform a planet without the intervention of the dragons?

Although this is aimed at a younger audience, there's plenty here for older readers to enjoy, especially the foxes, dragons, goblins, and ghosts that Lee introduces to a universe of multi-world governments, space pirates, and terraforming.

February

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

On a planet divided between eternal night and eternal day, most cities are located on the border between those two extremes in Anders's new novel. The dystopian world, where time itself is controlled by the government, may find itself looking to be saved by a girl once exiled to night—who found a way to survive.

Read our full review of City in the Middle of the Night.

No Way by S. J. Morden

In the sequel to One Way, Frank Kitteridge is stranded on Mars and determined to find his way home. Abandoned and left for dead by the corporation XO, Frank discovers that he's not as alone on the planet as he expected—and the survivors of an SO base on Mars may try to take everything he has left.

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

For two years, Ada von Hasenberg has been a princess on the run—into the stars—to avoid a betrothal she doesn't want in this first volume of a new space opera trilogy. Captured by an outlaw hired by her father, Ada's fate gets worse when the outlaw, known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, encounters the ships of her jilted fiancée's family. Can she make a deal with the Devil to save her family's face, and choose her own fate?

Terminal Uprising by Jim Hines

If you missed Hines's series opener, Terminal Alliance, you've yet to meet space janitor Marion "Mops" Adamopoulos and her team. While their original plan was just to clean up after their ship, they stumble upon some truths about the fate of Earth (now overrun by zombie-like feral humans) and the aliens who supposedly saved humanity. With the truth in her hands, as well as her own ship, Mops is off to change the fate of humanity.

March

Sky without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Imagine a YA version of Les Miserables set on a French colony planet. That's the premise behind Brody and Rendell's series opener. The planet of Laterre was settled by the wealthy French and their descendants when Earth's end was nigh. But while the wealthy continue to rise, the poor starve, and the discontented inhabitants of Laterre plot a revolution that will rival the rebellion of their historical ancestors. Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette—a thief, an officer, and a library guardian—find their fates intertwined as revolution comes to Laterre, and no one's destiny is certain.

Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear

In Bear's new series opener, Haimey Dz and her salvage crew stumble upon information at the edge of the Milky Way that could change everything. With revolutionaries seeking to use ancient tech to start a war, Haimey has to get to the bottom of the mysteries of an ancient civilization first, before that knowledge can be used against everyone she cares about.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Mahit Dzmare, the ambassador from a small mining Station, makes her way to the center of the Texicalaani Empire, a hungry growing empire whose ambitions might have led to the murder of her predecessor. Mahit is determined to keep Station free and independent—and bring the murderer of the previous ambassador to justice.

read more: Loving the Oppressor — Identity in A Memory Called Empire

The Vela

In Serial Box's first space opera serial, mercenary Asala Sikou isn't that concerned about her dying star system—she's looking out for number one. But when she gets paired with a rich president's kid on a rescue mission, she finds herself in the middle of a situation where the universe may be in the balance—and she will be the one to decide who deserves to survive. The authors for the serial are Becky Chambers, Yoon Ha Lee, Rivers Solomon, and SL Huang, all of whom have earned critical acclaim for their previous SF works.

read more: Post-Apocalyptic Refugees in The Vela & Terminal Uprising

April

The Colossus by Jay Allan

Allan's "Blood on the Stars" series hits its twelfth installment in this novel, in which the Confederacy and the Hegemony struggle for dominance of the known worlds. When the Hegemony appears in control of an incredible weapon, a superbattleship known as the Colossus, it appears that the tide of war has again turned. But even while the battle for the Rim seems to be at its peak, there are other, older enemies waiting for their turn to enter the fray...

May

Vessel by Lisa A. Nichols

NASA astronaut Catherine Wells and her crew are lost in deep space, and everyone believes that they are dead. When Catherine returns after ten years, with little memory of what happened to her or the rest of the crew, readjusting to life on earth is difficult. Her husband has gotten remarried. Her young daughter is now a teenager Catherine doesn't know. And Catherine herself suffers from jumps in memory and consciousness—she increasingly finds herself waking in places she shouldn't be, including highly secured areas of NASA. Everything happening makes her wonder what actually happened to her and her crew... and what might truly be happening now that she's back on Earth.

Octavia Gone by Jack McDevitt

Alex Benedict returns in an eighth series installment of space mystery. Alex's teammate, Gabe, has reappeared after eleven years lost in space. As Gabe tries to rebuild his friendships with Alex and Chase, and they try to readjust to Gabe's presence, an artifact from Gabe's old collection is stolen, giving the team a chance to work together and solve a mystery, just like in the good old days. With leads from a dead pilot pointing them toward infamous missing scientists, the three may be on one of the greatest archaeological adventures of their time.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Legionnaire Tyler Jones misses the Draft, which would have assigned him to a more prestigious squad than the bunch of misfits he ends up with, because he's on a mission to rescue a cryogenically frozen girl from a lost transport ship. But missing the Draft isn't the only problem the girl causes Tyler. Just as he and his squad are out on their first mission, they discover that the girl, Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, has stowed away with them. The entire Terran Defense Force is looking for her—most likely because she has superhuman powers. This YA series starter introduces seven mismatched crew mates, both human and alien, and launches them into an intergalactic adventure.

Ad Astra

Because of the hard science angle, Ad Astra is unlikely to really qualify as a space opera. But the Brad Pitt film about an engineer who goes into space, seeking for answers about his father's failed mission to find extra terrestrial life on Neptune, should have plenty of beautiful space cinematography.

June

The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull

While The Lesson is entirely set on Earth, its storyline, five years after first contact of humans with a super-advanced alien species, earns it a spot on this list. A Ynaa ship hovers over Water Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Virgin Islanders have developed a tenuous peace with the aliens. A year after the death of a boy, at the hands of the Ynaa, three families lives intertwine as everything begins to change on the islands once again, and the peace is broken. Not only does this first contact story beg to be read, but its unique setting from an #OwnVoices author (Turnbull is from the USVI) make it an appealing way to spice up your SFF reading list.

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This sequel to Children of Time continues the saga of terraformers from a dying Earth—who woke something on their new planet that would have been better left sleeping. Thousands of years after Earth's civilizations fell, the remaining humans have made allies with a spider-like people, the Portiids. When these humans receive a signal being transmitted from Nod, they are excited at the possibility of finding human cousins… unaware that they're walking into danger.

Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

Vivian Liao is an innovator, and she never expects her own work to fling her into the future. But the time in which she finds herself is no utopia—instead, an Empress who can destroy worlds with a thought reigns supreme, and Viv has to lead a rag tag team of subjugated misfits into a rebellion that will let her reclaim her old life.

Orphans by Roberto Recchioni and Emiliano Mammucari

Italian authors Roberto Recchioni and Emiliano Mammucari continue this sweeping tale of an alien war against Earth, and the five "Orphan" heroes who stand against the aliens. The first two volumes were finally translated into English and released in the United States in 2018, and Lion Forge is keeping the European import coming with a third volume, Truth, that explores whether the true enemy is the alien forces—or within the elite Orphan Squadron's own ranks.

The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz

Kenna and a band of misfits must come together to save everything they've come to cherish—in this case, the galaxy's most renowned restaurant, the Sol Majestic. This humorous interplanetary tale takes a poke at some of the epic nature of space opera, while also building a story about staying true to one's ideals and learning about strengthening friendship and love.

Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe

In this debut novel, two siblings are destined to save the universe—but when soldier Sandra has her gunship destroyed, she wakes more than two hundred years in her future. The war she and her brother, Biran, were supposed to end is over, but with both sides destroyed in the process. Everyone she ever knew is dead. Separated by time and space, will she and Biran find a way to set things right? This looks like a series launcher, so odds are good that the novel will leave that question open, and take us deeper into space-time looking for the answer.

July

Across the Void by S. K. Vaughn

When Commander May Knox wakes, she doesn't have any memory of her mission, or even who she is. She discovers that her ship is failing, and she is the only surviving member of a crew bound for one of Jupiter's moons. Everyone believes that May is dead, and her husband, Stephen—estranged due to the mission—is on bereavement leave from NASA. But when May's voice finally reaches Earth, Stephen returns to guide her to safety—not realizing that not everyone wants May to survive. This thriller takes notes from previous SF thrillers and space missions gone wrong, such as Arrival and The Martian.

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

Deadly viruses and abandoned starships mix in Wallace's fast-paced sci-fi thriller. Zahra and her crew are hired to infiltrate the abandoned exploration vessel House of Wisdom. All they need is to kidnap Jaswinder Bhattacharya, the only survivor of the virus that killed the rest of the ship's voyagers. Bhattacharya's DNA allows entry into the vessel, but breaking into the ship opens a can of worms that Zahra and her crew never anticipated—the truth to a secret the government has been hiding for years. Packed with explosions, betrayals, and unexpected twists, this suspenseful thriller may well keep you up at night...

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

Brown continues his "Red Saga Rising" series in this fifth installment, revolutionary Darrow begins to wonder if he is still a hero. Though he still dreams of a Utopian society beyond the color-coded corruption he fought for so long, he's become an outlaw in the very nation he founded. Meanwhile, Lysander au Lune, is determined to bring peace to the system, by force if necessary, even if Darrow stands in his way. So much has happened in the first four books of this series that starting in book five is probably not a great idea, but for fans used to long series reads (some critics compare this in tone to a Game of Thrones set in space), grabbing book one might be just the thing.

Medusa in the Graveyard by Emily Davenport

After the revolution in Medusa Uploaded, the heroes have taken the helm of government... but they soon realize that the Old Guard they displaced knew how to do things like keep the lights on. Ruling isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when the new leaders of the generation starship Olympia are faced with judgment from three ancient, sentient starships guarding their way to a planet known as the Graveyard. As the second book in a trilogy, this title depends on knowledge of what has gone on before—and while the series has plenty of levity, some familiarity with Greek tragedy may enhance your reading experience.

The Redemption of Time by Baoshu

This fanfiction become canon is a prequel to Cixin Liu's extremely well-received "Three Body Problem" series. Focusing on Yun, a traitor to the human race who has helped the alien Trisolorans conquer Earth, the novel delves into the man's life, from his battle with cancer through his work with the aliens. As his life nears its end, he's once again drawn into conflict—but now, he refuses to be anyone's pawn. While some readers feel this work, approved by Liu, can be read alone, others find it highly dependent on having read The Three Body Problem and sequels for enjoyment.

The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

When Sally Jansen's mission to Mars ended in disaster, she believed that her days in space were over. But when a large alien object threatens Earth, NASA reaches out to Jansen, one of their most accomplished astronauts, for one more mission. This could be the redemption Jansen has always hoped for, but if she doesn't succeed, it could be the end of humanity.

August

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

Seske Kaleigh's clan has long voyaged the stars in spacefaring beasts, carving up their insides to create systems of mass transit and cities in which their people can live. The barely-living creature keeps its human occupants alive and able to survive until they use up the creature's resources and have to move to another. The system works... until something goes horribly wrong.

Read our review of Nicky Drayden's last novel, Temper.

Arch Allies by Audrey Sharpe

Sharpe launches the first in her new space opera, the Starhawk Rogue series, with the tale of a down-on-her-luck pilot who just wants her own ship. When Natasha Orlev discovers a buried starship, she knows it's the key to finding her way to prosperity—as long as she can dig it up before the Feds realize she's performing illegal salvage. And of course, she's not the only one interested in claiming the ship for herself. Readers won't have to wait long to find out what happens next in this series; Sharpe already has the second novel, Marked Mercenaries, available for preorder ahead of its September publication date.

December

Star Wars Episode IX

Love or hate the new Star Wars films, the newest trilogy is coming to its conclusion at the end of 2019. It should offer some answers about the open threads from Episodes VII and VIII, and point to the direction where the Star Wars franchise will travel from here out. You can follow our collection of all the news for the episode here: Star Wars Episode IX.

We'll continue to update this piece during the year as we find out about additional upcoming releases. What space operas are you most looking forward to? What have we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Alana Joli Abbott writes about books for Den of Geek. Read more of her work here.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Feature

Movies

Alana Joli Abbott

Sep 4, 2019

Science Fiction Books

Star Wars

from Books https://ift.tt/2TnDMMQ

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Love Potion Extravaganza Ch. 5

Note: Yes, here comes Act 2! Thank you so much again to @pizzansunshine for her patience and her enthusiastic editing. The songs I used in this chapter are, “What am I feeling”. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXuM2LW79ao. “His status is preferred” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q_n0DytNx5I and “Omg I think I like you” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IGtb-gZcLak#

“OOOH This is so exciting!” Olivia squealed once Naomi explained her suspicions within the silent corridors of Mateo’s workshop.

“I wouldn’t say “exciting” more like a very serious situation.” Naomi cautioned against Olivia’s enthusiasm. She already heard the story of the water spirit Olivia accidentally summoned when she had been too eager to use her magical skills. She didn’t want another mess-up that ended with a kingdom-wide wedding or somehow reversed the spell and everyone wanted to kill each other.

“Right serious. I get it. I’m serious.” Olivia calmed down, her eyes trained on Mateo’s shelves full of spellbooks. “Which one do you think would have the antidote for a love spell in it?”

Naomi looked nervously at all the books There had to be at least thirty of them already, squished together on the small shelves with long, intellectual titles like “1,001 Spells for Healing, Combat, and Other Miscellaneous Items Need for Accumulation of Knowledge.”

“Well, it’s not a love spell but a love potion according to Gabe. The Delgados put in the water supply so it would probably be in a book about potions.” Naomi answered unsuredly.

“Mateo showed me how he organizes his books in categories and Señora De Alva put little bookmarks to separate the good spells from the dangerous spells.” Olivia ran to the lower right side of Mateo’s second shelf. “20 of these are books on potions.”

“20?” Naomi groaned. They could probably get through 20 books but think of how much time they could be wasted looking for the potion in the book, then making the potion itself, assuming that Mateo had all the need ingredients in his workshop.

Olivia saw her impatience and suggested optimistically, “We can split the work. I look through the chapters of 10 books and you look through 10. It can’t be that hard.” Olivia said optimistically, heaving a bunch of books in her arms which fell to the ground due to her weak upper body strength.

Naomi helped her gather them up and Olivia asked, “If the Delgados put the love potion in the water system. How come you’re not affected?” “I haven’t drank water all day. My dad makes me drink milk. He says it’s more healthy. What about you?” Naomi answered, opening a hefty purple volume of potions to its index where a fly flew out.

“I could never fall in love with a boy. Even because of a love spell. They have cooties!” Olivia definitively declared.

“Well I don’t know about cooties” Naomi laughed a little at Olivia’s disgusted face, and thought about Gabe’s less than alert guard skills and Elena and Mateo’s infatuation with each other. Both had completely missed Carla’s escape, “But it does make you blind.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gabe’s face was haunting her and she hated it.  

The way his eyes seemed to fill with unspeakable sadness and how he had been frozen to the spot, unable to move for fear he would lose his stern guard discipline but at the same he was so vulnerable...

Carla didn’t know why she felt her heart tug a bit when she pictured his face. He was the enemy who was a danger to her family by chasing them across the kingdom. He had been a target she was going to use. His broken hearted feelings because of a love potion her mom had made shouldn’t matter to her. “What am I feeling? Is it a feeling? Could I be feeling somehow?”

All of this time I never truly had one.

Why would I be starting now?

But apparently she did have some feelings and it made her chest feel heavy and tight. She wanted to run back and see if he was okay. Maybe he had found a new girl to lust over. “If it's a feeling. Truly a feeling. Why is it hurting me so?

Could it be my first one is a bad one?

How am I supposed to know?

As she trudged into the five star hotel, she cursed herself for putting her tamborita and malvago robes in the closet at the top floor. So much walking! It just gave her more time to think and for Gabe’s sad face to go through her head. “Is it meant to make your insides ache?

Meant to make your chest go tight?

Meant to make you sweat and shake?

How could anything like that be right?”

She wondered if she accidentally drank the love potion too. She had avoided water all day as her parents instructed. She did have a sip of wine too. That didn’t have water, right? “If I am feelin some stupid feeling... Why can't it just go away?

Why did all of these feelings have to start?

Tearing at my armor-plated heart.”

As Carla approached the top floor, a horrifying thought struck her sending the tightness in her chest to go clenching her stomach. What if she did have that love potion? What if she was stuck loving someone who would never have her? Stuck with all these stupid, heart-tearing feelings?

“What if, God forbid, they're here to stay?

How can I unfeel the way I feel today?”

She was one of the most dangerous malvagos in all of Avalor! She could not be experiencing heartbreak or be made to look as devastated as Gabe had when Elena smashed his into tiny pieces. She was Carla Delgado. She was fierce, independent, not to be trusted and untrusting of others. She couldn’t give in to these.. these...

“Excuse me senorita, Prince coming through!” A boy called from behind her.

Carla was so startled by this interruption to her self-pity part that she missed the next step and fell over. When she looked to growl at him for being so annoying, her mouth dropped open. She had seen his face a thousand times when she and Papa had lived in Cordoba. Prince Alonso!

Back then she had had a small crush on him. What with the luscious hair, his money and the fact that he clearly had a wild side, racing his chariots all over the place. She had thought they would be perfect together. She would bring him to the edge of bad behavior and he would make her his princess.

Of course that had been a silly, little girl’s fantasy. Now she was grown-up, much more realistic.

But that didn’t stop the instinctive smile she gave him when he paused to help her up.

“Pr-princy- I mean Prince Alonso.” Carla tried to resist the urge to squeak, “What are you doing here?”

“I am here for a very important trade meeting. But before I do my work, I must have pleasure. Specifically with one of Princess Elena’s grand council members. She was all over me, it was the least I can do to give in and show her the time of her life.” Alonso bragged.

Carla thought back to her time as Rita and who Elena had said was on her grand council. Her abuelos, her cousin, and... Naomi. Seriously, she couldn’t seduce Gabe and that Turner girl was getting to sleep with a prince!

Suddenly an idea flashed through her mind. If she slept with Prince Alonso, it would fix all her problems!!! She could prove to herself that she didn’t have any real feelings for Gabe, literally screw over Naomi after that blonde had foiled her plans one too many times, and she, Carla Delgado, would be sleeping with a prince!

Somewhere a little voice told her that if she tried to seduce Alonso, that she would somehow be putting her family’s big plan at risk. But... she was pretty sure everyone was under the love potion spell already. Did she really need to check on everyone?

Nah! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Her parents would understand.

“Have fun!” Carla waved as Alonso continued up to whatever room he was going to. “Maybe I’ll see you soon.”

Once Alonso was out of sight, Carla ran up the last few steps to the closet where she had stashed her robe and tamborita, singing to herself, “He's discerning, he's refined.

Eats French cheeses, drinks French wine

He travels all the time

'Cause he's elite

He's Silver Elite

Royal Silver Elite

His status is... Preferred.”

This was so much better than her plan to seduce the Captain of the Guard. As she pushed her robe sleeves back, she recalled Gabe’s words, “Seduce me with a song about how evil you are? Know your audience.”

Carla frowned at the inconvenience. It would probably not be in her best interest to come to his door dressed as a malvago. Back to the stinking waitress outfit it is.

“Fine hotels are where he stays

The kind with grand breakfast buffets

And a chef who can make omelettes a variety of ways

And they don't stick him in some regular room

No, that would be absurd!”

She tucked her tamborita into the makeshift belt made out of rope she found in the janitor’s closet. Not her best look but she wasn’t going to leave it here. She might need to make a quick getaway. Then she pulled her right strap down so it was alluringly dangling on her shoulder.

Once she was prepared she went scouring the floor. Pressing her ear against various doors in hopes of finding Alonso’s, all the while she imagined the luxury his room must have. Grand golden vases filled with roses, gilded wall to wall mirrors. To think, in a few hours, she’d be living like that in the Avaloran palace.

“He gets a suite

A two-room Royal Suite

An Royal City View Suite

With a 400 thread count sheets

Because his status is... Preferred”

She had come a long way from nobody. Maybe if they hit it off, he would consider dating her? Sure he might be a bit upset that she dethroned his friend but that’s nothing a love potion wouldn’t fix. “Oh, can't you see, He's got premiere access to me

My whole life, I've been stuck!

I have waited and waited

To one day be upgraded.

To spread my wings and fly!”

Then she passed a room where she heard Prince Alonso’s voice repeating, “Would you like to see the royal jewels? No no no, how about I charm you in all the right places. No that is not it.” How endearing-he practicing his pick-up lines. Well she could help him with them. She knocked on his door and he opened it eagerly but his face slumped when he saw it was her. Despite his less than enthusiastic reaction, Carla took the time to seize him over, humming her song in her head. “On his wrist, a gold wristwatch

On his lips, a blended Scotch

And I have to stop my eyes from drifting

Downwards towards his crotch!

I can peek, but I have to be discreet

'Cause he's filet mignon

Not just some piece of meat.”

“I know you said you had to meet some other girl but she seems to be running late and I have a preposition for you.” Carla purred batting her eyelashes in a way that she knew drove men wild. To add to that effect, she bended over just enough to give a teasing glance of her clevage.

Score! His eyes flicked down and an unconscious smirk spread across his face showing his interest. He may be some gentlemanly prince, but she was going to bring out the wild side.

”He’s sophisticated

Elegant

Elite

In a word:

He's preferred.

“Oh yeah, he is so much better than Gabe”  Carla thought then she corrected herself, “Better than Gino.”

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

“I think I’d preferred to be in school if there were other royals coming. I mean look at all these people!” Tomiko cried as she and Isabel left their physics class in the University of Avalor. Random townspeople had been corralled into the university’s square by guards since they had been trying to follow Princess Valentina causing a crush of people.

“See you tomorrow!” Tomiko called, waving frantically, as a crowd swept by, carrying her away to her dorm.

“Bye!” Isabel yelled back but Tomiko was too far gone to hear. Isabel had been excused from her afternoon classes at her regular school due to being needed to greet Princess Valentina and Prince Alonso back at the palace. But as she waited uncertainly by the entrance she started to wonder if someone forgot that she needed to be picked up.

She watched the people go by, lots of couples out enjoying the sunshine and each other’s company. She even heard one young man say, “That Princess is right. With love we’ll never have problems again!”

As more and more people walked into stores and cafes, leaving the streets empty she became sure that she had been forgotten.

Isabel groaned, feeling unneeded tears of frustration pool in her eyes. She knew that her sister was busy. She knew her sister had other more important priorities to her kingdom to attend to. But still. She still. She had said that she needed Isabel to be with her to greet the other royals, and now, she forgot her completely.

She could be in Senora Marisol’s right now with her friends learning about history!

But nooo, she was the younger and unimportant princess left by the gate of her university because no one remembered that she even existed.

Once this trade alliance was over she wanted to go over a few things with Elena. She’d let her sister put the kingdom first, but that didn’t mean she should start breaking promises just because she--

“ISA! Watch out!” a voice shouted. Then before she could even let out a scream, a speeding horse and cart barreled across her path and a strong man tackled her out of the way.

Isabel coughed and rubbed her eyes, trying to get the dust out of her face. Then she turned to her rescuer, “Thank you so much!”

The rescuer looked at her and she recognized Gabe’s familiar face. He was forcing a fearless smile but his eyes were clearly filled with worry as he discreetly observed her for injuries.

She was about to thank him again and apologize for not paying attention when her throat closed up. Her heart fluttered frantically in her chest and all she could do was stare at his intense brown eyes while her intestines turned to goo.

Oh Gabe. He never forgot about her existence. Well once, but that was an accident she completely forgave him for.

Gabe was so unlike all the other people she hanged out with. Despite being older than her, he always asked for opinion on things and made a point to include her. She saw how tough and macho he acted in public, but when he was with her, he was always so sweet. She had seen his adorkable side when he met Antonio Agama for the first time. It had been adorable the way he hugged the oversized gecko. And equally endearing when he freaked out over the small geckos.

Gabe pulled her to standing position and said gently, “How about I take you to the palace?” She could only nod in response.

Every inch of him was just so well-built and emphasized his strength. His discipline shown through how tall and straight he carried himself. The small calluses she felt on his hands from rigorous training when he put her in front of him on Fuego. His muscles were firm and highlighted by his guard uniform and encased between them, she wanted to snuggle against his chest.

Just as she was about to ask him how his guard duty was, she felt an unexplained blush rise up her cheek. He looked like a fairytale knight, the way he looked straight ahead with an determined air.

Isabel gasped a little.

Blushing?

One of the sentences she read for homework sprang to mind immediately, “Blushing is triggered by emotions related to self-conscious such as eagerness. This eagerness could be being complimented, put in the spotlight or near a potential mate. This is a natural process...”

Isabel gulped. Sh-she didn’t think Gabe was a potential mate. He was just a friend! He was so much older than she, he...

Those protests of her mind faded away when she looked up again and Gabe met her eyes. He smiled at her. His bright teeth twinkling in the sunlight and his eyes seemed to glow. He was a knight and that smile promised happiness, protection and sweet sweet bliss. She didn’t know how he conveyed it all in one smile but he just did.  

It was all Isabel could do not to melt against his hard, solid chest. A thousand little daydreams swarmed in her head like instead of he taking her to the palace, he’d take her to his family bakery and they’d lick icing off each other’s fingers. Them reading by the firelight of a log cabin. They by a lake and a priest saying “You may kiss the bride.” Gabe would whisper, “Mi amor” and take her in his arms and kiss her passionately..

“Here we are. Have a good day, Isa.” Then he said a bit more subduedly, “Say “Hi” to your sister and her boyfriend for me.”

Isabel barely heard Gabe’s words, she was too busy trying to keep her legs steady. When he put her down again, the touch sent electrical sparks up and down her legs and she was pretty sure she would need help standing up.

Once she was sure the ground was steady beneath her, she saw a glimpse of Gabe riding back to town. His figure framed by the sun shining down. He was so perfect.

She turned and walked into the door, the headache that came from knocking her head against the wood brought her back to her doubts again.

She jittery opened the door which was surprisingly unlocked despite the fact that there were no guards around. Her heart was still doing it’s fluttery dance but her mind was a bit clearer.

“What’s wrong with you? He’s an adult, and you’re not even 13.” She muttered to herself. But that didn't stop her at all. She just pictured herself as a gorgeous 25 year old. Her hair was long and wavy as it trailed down her back. She was wearing a white wedding gown and Gabe was wearing an opened shirt, showing off his defined muscles. He held her in his arms while she gazed into his eyes, reminiscent of an old romance novel she saw her mother reading once.

“But he’s Elena’s friend. He only thinks of you as her little sister.” Isabel reminded herself but smiled as her little wedding daydream continued in her head.

She almost bumped into Octavio who was in a secluded corner with one of the castle maids. The sight of them kissing just made her smile even brighter. Love was so wonderful. Feeling giddy, she twirled and sang through the hallways,

“I can’t stop the image of you and me

Getting married on a hillside, surrounded by ducks

And then we get into a rowboat!”

She got dizzy and fell over with one revelation hanging her mind. Gabe was so not her friend anymore. He was a bona fide crush that was never going to happen. Her heart pounded but so did her brain as headache came about.

“Oh my God I think I like you!”

[takadasaiko]

Home from the War Chapter Two: Monsters

FFN II AO3

Summary: The Hargraves prove they're bad at retirement while the Keens find themselves with Tom's very angry ex girlfriend in their home.

Chapter Two: Monsters

Tourists filled the streets of Paris, leaving an already hot afternoon suffocated under the heavy blanket of thousands of people that didn't know the city or the language trying to find their way. It was, in Scottie Hargrave's opinion, the worst time to visit.

Or it would be if they were there for pleasure.

Dark eyes flickered up from behind her large sunglasses and focused on a man approaching. "Gabriel," she greeted, the corners of her mouth turning up. His own expression didn't lighten. Gabriel Moreau had been a sour man as long as the Hargraves has known him, but he was the best damn tracker this side of the world or the other. Irritable, brooding, and snappish, it took a special approach to get anything from him, but once they did he was gold.

"I thought it would be Howard," Moreau grumbled in perfect English.

"He was detained. You get me today," she answered in French. "Have a seat. Order something. It's been ages."

"The Hargraves never reach out without wanting something."

She shifted in her seat and pushed the chair opposite of her out with the tip of her red-soled pump. "But we pay generously."

Moreau looked at the chair suspiciously as Scottie took a bite out of her muffin, an innocent expression plastered across her face.

"That might fool anyone else," he grumbled as he took a seat.

"I'm not here to fool you, Gabriel. You know what I want."

"What is it you say? A needle in a haystack? This is a very large haystack, Scottie."

"I have faith in your abilities." He didn't look sold and Scottie loosed a breath. "Alright, Gabe. Money isn't what you're after. If it was we'd already have a deal. Name your price."

"This isn't about the price."

"It's always about the price."

"The people they worked for-"

"Are in prison. Or dead. Quite a few of them are dead. Alan, Peter, Laurel…. Patricia Morris took a bullet to the head about six months ago."

"From Raymond Reddington. I heard. He's dead too. Aligned with you."

Scottie tilted her head a little. "That was unfortunate, but had nothing to do with his alignment with us. Red made his own choice in the end."

"Saved your son's life I hear."

"See. You're already caught up. I'm not asking for anything more than a location. Howard and I will do the rest."

"You're digging your own grave," Moreau warned. "Your government will put Davis in prison whether you link him to your son's kidnapping or not. Why risk it?"

"Call it closure."

Moreau sighed. "I'll see what I can find. When I do, I'll send you the bill." He stood. "Whatever you expect, it will be more."

Scottie watched him leave. They had spent the last six months digging up anything and everything that they could about the people responsible for Tom's kidnapping as a child. They had uncovered multiple aliases that his adoptive parents had worked under - several with clear ties to the Cabal - but the trail had run dry. That's why they needed Moreau. He could find anyone, and despite his protests, haystacks were his specialty.

Tom was squatted down in front of his daughter's bookshelf and offering options for a bedtime story when he heard Liz call his name from the living room. Every instinct kicked into overdrive through his own exhaustion as he stood, motioning to Agnes. "Stay there, baby girl."

She didn't move and Tom regretted the fact that his sidearm was still in his bag. They had a spare in the lockbox in their room, but if Liz was in trouble he wasn't sure he could risk the thirty seconds it would take to duck into the room, open the safe, and get back to the front. He didn't risk it, instead moving carefully down the hall towards the front.

He stopped, blinking hard at what he found. Gina Zanetakos stood just inside their door and Liz stood next to her, having apparently let her in. She didn't look happy about it though. His wife looked pissed.

"Gina, what the hell-?" Tom tried, but she was already moving. He thought he heard Liz shout, startled by the switch, but it was nothing he hadn't seen from the blonde operative.

Tom got his arms up to deflect the first swing, the second coming at him fast and it connected hard with his right side in a way that told him she had done her homework about his injuries a couple of years before. The muscles protested the blow and Tom felt the breath leave his lungs as he stumbled a little, narrowly missing the next raging strike. He lashed out, the kick driving her back and he straightened in time to see Liz leveling her gun at Gina.

"Hey! Unless you want to take a trip to the hospital tonight, don't take another step."

To her credit, Gina didn't come at him again, but she locked a glare on him he hadn't seen in years. "Need to have the ball and chain fight your battles?" she snarled.

"You break into our home and one of us is going for a gun," Tom answered with a shrug. He opened his mouth to repeat the question he had tried to ask when she had jumped him when a little voice sounded from the hallway.

"Daddy?"

Tom whipped around to see Agnes in her princess pj's, book in hand, and a terrified look etched into her round face. Tears were building as her dark blue gaze shifted to Liz who still had her gun drawn and they were within seconds of a four-year-old meltdown. Even as he turned a look on Gina - one she would know well. One she would know better than to question - he could hear Agnes' sobs starting. "Don't," he snapped dangerously at Gina and saw her give the barest nods as she stared at the little girl.

Liz lowered the gun, tucking it away and out of sight and Tom scooped Agnes up, holding her close as he collapsed against his shoulder. Hot, wet tears were already soaking through his shirt and he bounced her. "Hey, kiddo. It's alright. Everything's alright." His calm voice didn't do much and she tightened her grip. She was saying something. He knew she was saying something, but between the sobs and the hiccups that were starting it was impossible to tell what.

Tom tried to keep his movements smooth so he wouldn't startle her more when he felt a hand on the small if his back and he saw Liz had covered the distance and was circling so that she could stand with them. She reached out, her touch finally calming Agnes a little and she was piling into her mother's arms without warning. Liz looked up and Tom offered a thin smile. "I've got this."

"I'll be right back."

She wanted to be involved in the conversation. Even if she hadn't said it in so many words, her tone was loud and clear. Tom nodded and grimaced as Liz took Agnes to the back. She would be asleep before Liz put her down, no matter how much the display had frightened her.

"She looks like you."

Tom turned and saw some of the rage had faded from Gina's eyes. Some. Not all of it. He swallowed. She knew. That had to be why she was there. She knew. "Yeah."

"I never could have imagined," she said softly. "You. This."

"I like my life."

"You were always good at lying to yourself," she murmured.

Tom reached a hesitant hand to his side that was beginning to ache as the adrenaline faded. "Liz and Agnes are everything to me."

Brown eyes watched him. "I believe that, more or less."

"What you believe doesn't really matter."

She hummed and looked around. He saw her study the little details of the new home. "It does," she said slowly and her gaze flickered back to meet his, That anger smoldering dangerously. "Because if I trust you or not will decide if I kill you and your little FBI bitch tonight."

Tom felt his own temper flare. "You so much as look at them wrong and-"

"You'll what?" She stepped closer. "That's your problem, Jacob. When it comes to me, you've never been able to pull the trigger." She was in his face now and he didn't budge. "You know I can. And I will. To protect what's mine."

"I don't have any problem putting you six feet under," Liz warned and Tom saw Gina's gaze flicker over his shoulder to where his wife had reemerged.

Gina snorted and made a show of stepping back. "Why have you been digging through our financials?"

Yep. She knew. Tom sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair, standing it on end. Liz moved past him and he nodded towards the couch and chairs. "You asked about Asia."

Gina Zanetakos made herself at home in the chair opposite of the couch with a beer in hand and an expected look. Tom's expression was closed off. Focused. Those expressive eyes were cold and shut off. Typically Liz could read the underlying subtleties that played out just behind the mask, but there was nothing that night. It reminded her of the day that the Pavlovich brothers had delivered him to their townhome after everything had come out. She hated it.

Gina locked her glare on Tom. "How the hell did you find Cecil?"

He shrugged. "Didn't take a lot. He's still in touch with Zhou. You'd be surprised to know how many people don't know I'm gone."

"Who's Cecil?"

Both Tom and Gina turned, almost like they had forgotten that Liz was there. Tom blinked hard and she recognized an intentional reset of sort. "He's moved money for St Regis for…. years." He turned to Gina. "He was there before I came in."

She shrugged. "I still haven't found anybody that was there before him."

Liz nodded, sitting back on the couch. So Tom had been in Asia to track down St Regis' money man. As much as she wanted to know why, she didn't dare flaunt it in front of Gina they Tom had left her out of the loop. They had to play this smart.

"You still haven't told me why you reached out to Cecil."

Liz watched her husband's gaze harden a little again. "I needed to make sure."

"I think we're past the point of vagueness, Jacob," Gina grumbled. "What do you want?"

Liz saw the barest clench in her husband's jaw before he answered. "St Regis."

There was a hush that fell over the room and no one moved. Gina was the first one to loose an audible breath. "You left." The two words escaped her lips with a venom that sounded like betrayal, and with the way she was seated Liz was half ready for her to come swinging at Tom again.

Her husband grimaced. "Halcyon's looking for ways to overhaul our training methods. Bud's program -"

"You told me it drowned people."

"It does. As it is, it does, but the core training's solid. It's the fact that we got dumped in as kids that..." Tom's lips twitched down. "I know it's not going the way you planned, Gina. You've had four years and you'rer bleeding money."

"You want to buy St Regis," Liz breathed.

"Yeah."

"No," Gina bit out immediately as she stood, slamming her beer down on the coffee table between them. "You had your chance. You chose her over everything."

"My guess is they've given you this long because of who you are, but you and I both know it won't last. They'll clean up. You know how this goes."

"I do, and I don't need your help. Stay away from my people. If I catch you near them again I'll put you down myself." With that she turned and stormed out of the apartment, the threat hanging heavily in the air. Neither Keen moved for a long moment.

Finally, Tom drew a breath. "I was gonna tell you," he murmured. "I just… didn't know if it was even plausible."

Liz swallowed hard, half a dozen starts to her question spinning in her mind and being replaced by another before it ever left her lips. After a few failed triest she forced herself to look at him. "Help me understand this, because right now al I'm seeing is a reallystupid move to open up all sorts of terrible things from your past that put the three of us in in the crosshairs of a dangerous organization that you had managed to slip away from."

"Liz-"

"Your ex was in our home and threatening to kill us. Why, Tom? What the hell could possibly-"

"Keep your voice down," he snapped, dark gaze sliding back towards Agnes' room.

She tried to steady herself and held his gaze as it returned to her. "I understand that you might feel the need to take control of some aspect of your past to try to balance out the fact that Scottie and Howard have been-"

"Do not try to shrink me, Liz." He squeezed his eyes shut, resetting himself, and he fell back against the couch. "Will you let me explain without trying to turn me into a patient?"

It was Liz's turn to grimace. He hated that. He'd told her before that he had had one too many social service therapists convinced that they could figure him out and that they thought they had. They slapped every useless label on him they could and it did nothing but isolate him further. He hated it, and she couldn't blame him for that. "Sorry."

He offered a thin smile, accepting the apology. "I knew something was off when she showed up in Costa Rica. If she trusted me she wouldn't have shown up herself, but she still took the job."

"So you started looking into the organization?"

"When I got the chance, yeah." He leaned back and Liz reached out, her hand brushing his leg and he dropped his own to hold on. Long fingers wrapped around hers. "I know the contenders that'll try to push her out. Bud screwed kids up, even I know that, but these guys…"

Pieces fell into place. Tom had always had more conflicted views than Liz did about his time with St Regis, both feeling like he had been saved and twisted up all at once when he had accepted McCready's offer. He saw what the man had done, at least in a way, and what happened to the kids growing up in the organization now. It was an emotionally charged conversation if they ever broached it and Liz was always hesitant to push him on it.

But here, now, he was the one poking at it.

"What if you handed it to the Task Force?"

Tom turned to look at her. "Liz-"

"Just hear me out. St Regis is huge. You have intel that could bring them down. It's well within the arrangement you have between Halcyon and the Task Force. Ressler won't fight you on the intel you need for them and we can stop them from turning kids into-"

"Monsters?"

The word cut through her argument and Liz caught his gaze. "You're not a monster," she said firmly.

"Because of you." His fingers tightened around hers again and she saw the struggle to put his feelings into words that made sense. "You…. Not everyone gets the chance you gave me, Liz."

"We'll make sure they're taken care of, Tom."

"How? Turn them back over to social services? How do you think they ended up in St Regis to start with?"

She pursed her lips together. "What would you do differently?"

"I was thinking about setting up some kind of program through Halcyon. The board loves charity projects and it'll keep them off the streets and out of the system. Give them a chance. The ones in now, if they wanted, would have the choice to get hired on at Halcyon at eighteen. Maybe later. If they wanted out they're free to leave."

They sat in silence for a long moment and she leaned into him. "You've been thinking about this for a while."

"Yeah," he breathed after a beat.

"I wish you'd told me."

"Doesn't matter now. All of that was balanced on Gina being willing to turn it over."

"Wouldn't the people you said would be after her fight you on it?"

She saw a small smile tilt his lips. "You think I wasn't going to offer Ressler something in all of that?"

Liz laughed and turned to kiss his shoulder. "Let's talk to him. Maybe we can still find a way."

"I just don't want those kids going from bad to worse. Least where they are now they can fight back."

"Hey." She waited until he looked at her, those eyes meeting hers. "McCready was the monster, not you."

Tom gave her a thin smile and she leaned up, her lips against his. "I know you, Tom Keen," she murmured. "Better than anyone."

There was a small sound of acknowledgement and pulled her into the kiss a little deeper. She sank in and she felt his his hands moving down her back, toying at the zipper on her dress that she still wore from the party, and she fought the frustrated sigh as she pulled away. "Agnes is in our room," she warned.

He loosed a breath and nodded, kissing her lightly. "We should be there if she wakes up," he acknowledged softly.

"After tonight, yeah."

She stood and he caught her hand, pulling her attention back around to him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away," he said, and there was a sincerity there that she believed.

Liz squeezed his hand. "We'll figure it out."

He stood, his arms circling her waist and he pulled her a little closer. "I don't deserve you."

Her smile was real as she leaned in, her cheek pressed against his chest as he pulled her close. She stood there for a long moment just listening to the sound of his heart beating steadily in his chest. She had him, and she wasn't going to let him go. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," he answered softly, kissing the side of her head. "C'mon. We'll figure out how to read the Task Force in tomorrow."

Liz nodded, letting her hand drop down into his and she followed him back to their bedroom. Agnes was snoring, sprawled in the middle of their bed, and the exhausted little girl didn't even stir as they changed and crawled in on either side of her. Liz pulled the covers up and she finally turned, cuddling close to her mother, and a sense of peace settled in despite the evening's events. They were there and they would fight to be safe. No one - not Gina, or St Regis, or any other of the real monster's from Tom's past - would take her family from her.

TBC

Notes: I will forever be sad that we didn't dive further into St Regis in canon. It seemed like such a perfect opportunity for the task force to take on. So here we go. If they won't I will lol

Next Time: Tom talks to Ressler, Howard gets himself into some trouble, and Liz tries to convince her therapist to sign off on her reinstatement.

[uriel-ignatius121]

Stuck In The Sunshine Riptide

So this little thing is now a fic that I wrote for Dailyreaper76′s fic contest!

Also available here at AO3!

Business was slow at the Talon Teahouse when Gabriel came in for his shift.

Opening a teahouse by the beach in Eternally Sunny L.A. seemed like a wild idea a year ago when Akande asked Gabriel to co-own it with him. They were fortunate enough to find a market for it, especially among the Magical Community.

Being one of the few establishments that was owned and staffed by purely Supernatural beings had a novelty to it that attracted mundanes and tourists of both kinds to their quaint little shop - but that novelty was slowly starting to fade, it was inevitable.

 As Gabriel makes his way from the entrance to the office behind the counter, where Akande has left him a report of last month’s expenses that needed his attention, his eyes scan the shop.

 ‘Amélie and Sombra are at the counter while Genji’s cleaning tables in the dining area ,’ Gabriel makes a mental note. ‘ A couple more hours ‘til the afternoon shift comes in… ’

He notices a few of their regulars were there right on schedule and a couple of unfamiliar faces. ‘ Not bad for a slow morning... ’

 “Morning Gaa~be!” Sombra sing-songs as he passes by. Gabriel raises an eyebrow at the mischievous smile she was sporting.

Leaning heavily on the counter, Sombra crooks a well-manicured finger at his direction, motioning him to come closer.

“What are you up to now, you little witch?” Gabriel grumbles but obliges her as he walks over.

He gives a polite nod to Amélie who was by the cash register before leaning closer to Sombra as she whispers something to his ear.

“Hey hey! check out rubiecito in table 8, he seems to be just your type…” Sombra’s voice was laced with unabashed glee.

 Gabriel follows her eyes to the table at the corner of the shop where a broad shouldered, leather jacket clad blond man currently sits, his nose so buried into a book that Gabriel can barely see his face.

Gabriel begins to categorize the items on the table. The man ordered black tea and french toast, which was barely touched. On the table were several notebooks and what looks like a small wooden box placed right in the center, which peaks his curiosity - but Gabriel squashes that feeling immediately. They get all sorts of folk in this shop, after-all.

 “Get back to work,” Gabriel frowns, waving Sombra away who sticks her tongue out at him, “Remember the last date you guys tried to hook me up with…”

“In our defense, it was Genji who failed to inform us of their nature...” Amélie interrupts them as she walks over, hoping to stop any arguments that might arise between the two.

 “What did I do now?” Genji says with an annoyed huff, putting down a tray of dirty dishes on the nearest empty table. He runs a hand through his already messy neon green hair.

Sombra rolls her eyes before she replies. “Remember Kiku? The nekomata...”

“Ooooh right,” Genji winces at the memory. He carefully hefts up the tray, all cups and plates stable. “Yeah, that was my bad - I didn’t know there was going to be issue…”

“You didn’t see any issues with a mermaid and a cat demon dating?” Gabriel joked dryly.

“Again - I apologize for that, Boss, ” Genji says sincerely but with a mocking bow as he goes into the kitchen area.

 “It wasn't that I didn't like Kiku…” Gabriel rambles on to his now captive audience of Sombra and Amélie, “It’s just… I don’t do casually flings anymore, I’m too old for that-”

“Ha! That’s a joke if I ever he-Aaaah!” Sombra screeches as Gabriel ruffles her hair, messing up her purple faux-hawk.

“You are such brat!” Gabriel grins widely as Sombra struggles to get out of his reach. Her sharp purple nails try to grab his beanie in retaliation, but she fails miserably.

“Ah shit! I kid, I kid, lo siento!” Sombra finally gets away and furiously tries to fix her hair,  Amélie gives them both disapproving looks.

 “But what?” mutters Fareeha between bites of her blueberry muffin. Gabriel failed to notice that the young police officer has been listening to their conversation for a while now.

If she wasn’t the precious daughter of one of his oldest friends and has literally watched this girl grow up from a precocious child to the intellectual but nosy, young lady - Gabriel would find this habit of hers rude, but he was used to it. She always stops by for a snack whenever she was in the area during her patrols.

 “What I meant was, They just weren’t the type I could bring home to meet the family, you know…” Gabriel begins to grab a couple of tissues from the counter and gives them to Fareeha, prompting her to wipe off the crumbs on her pristine uniform.

“Like literally, last I heard was that my parents were slumming it near the Marianas Trench,” He continues as he walks behind the counter and makes his way to office. “They’re still hoping that this whole ‘I-want-to-go-to-the-surface-world’ thing is just a phase, by the way!”

 “Parents… still very much stuck in the old ways,” Genji comments, peeking through the service window, there was a bitter frown on his lips but understanding in his eyes.

“You got that right!” Gabriel nods in agreement as his opens the door. “I’m a couple of centuries old and they still give me shit sometimes! Seriously! When will they--”

 Gabriel suddenly found himself unable to breathe.

Everything felt too hot, too dry. There is a tingling sensation sparking every nerve cell in his entire body, suddenly he feels heavier and before he knew it, gravity has shifted and he was lying on the cold, tiled floor.

 “GABRIEL!”

“GABE!”

“GABRIEL! OH MY GOSH!”

“BOSS!”

 He hears his friends and the other patrons shouting.

He hears the chairs scraping on the floor. Hurried and concerned footsteps getting louder.

 “Alright! Everybody remain calm,” Gabriel hears Fareeha address the crowd that was forming near the front of the shop. “We got this under control, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience but we all could step outside-”

 Gabriel tries to stand up again, but he can’t seem to feel his legs.

There was a numbing ache all over his body, like small pin pricks on every inch of his flesh.

As he once again attempts to push himself off the floor, he sees that his hands are covered in black scales upto his elbows, his nails are sharp and claw-like. Scarred fins have sprouted on his forearms.

 ‘Oh no! Nononononono- ’

 He frantically looks down at the rest of his body.

 Where his legs should be was a long fishtail - black, obsidian scales at the end that lighten up into a bright, ruby red as they get closer to his torso.

Gills on his sides open and close frantically, gasping for oxygen- for water.

His hair that he meticulously keeps in a trendy undercut was now extremely long, curly, wild and tangled.

 He quickly takes hold of the amulet of crystal around his neck, usually it glowed a distracting bright blue causing him to hide it under layers of clothes- the crystal was now dull, a clear sign that it no longer bore the strong spell that it once held and sustained.

 “Wa-wa… water!” Gabriel begs, his voice sounded hoarse and pained.

“Genji!” Amélie ordered, her usually neat bun now in a disarray. “Get those spray bottles from out back, make sure to fill them with water”

“On it! ” And off he goes in a blur of bright green.

 “Gabi? You okay? You hit your head?” Sombra was kneeling beside Gabriel with Fareeha and Amélie struggling to put him into a sitting position. Carefully, Sombra puts a glass of water to Gabriel’s lips.

“I… I’m okay…” Gabriel replies between sips. “I think… the amulet’s dead…”

“Impossible,” Fareeha mumbles out a reply as she inspects the crystal. “I saw how mother made this for you, this was supposed to last you another half century-”

“Well it didn’t… ‘cause I’m currently on the floor literally a fish out of water!” Gabriel says harshly, flashing sharp fangs he didn’t realize that grew back, as he takes off the amulet and handing it over to Fareeha. She flinched slightly at his harsh tone.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to shout,” Gabriel gave out a sigh of exasperation, running a hand through wild, untamed curls. ‘ I remember now why I keep it short, I DON’T miss this… ’

 Genji finally returned with 6 spray bottles in his arms. Amélie and Sombra took two each and begin spraying water all over Gabriel. He started to feel a little less dry, but it wasn’t enough - he needed this to be fixed real soon.

 “It’s okay, I will take this to mother immediately- but it might take a while for her to fix this…” Fareeha replied sadly as she pockets the amulet, “Give or take 3 days?”

“3 days!?! Okay… 3 days…” Gabriel’s eyes went wide, nodding mindlessly. “Right- uuuh, I can’t stay like this for 3 da… urk!”

He is trying real hard to take big gulps of air, his human lungs were barely working properly. The shock of the sudden transition messed them up somehow. With a few deep breaths the tightness in his chest lessens.

 “We need to take him to the beach!” Genji slowly puts an arm around Gabriel.

“We can’t carry him all the way!?! He’s too heavy - Sorry Gabi…” Sombra argues back and gives a non-apologetic smile at Gabriel’s glaring.

“Let me...” Fareeha switches with Genji, she quickly positions her arms around Gabriel’s lower back and near his tail end. As she lifts him up, Gabriel can feel her failing to get a good hold on him and her stance wavering.

“This won’t work, I’m twice your weight Fareeha - especially with the tail,” Gabriel says as Fareeha lays him down on the floor, her arms still around him.

“Then what are we supposed to do Gabe-” Fareeha sounded out of breath, her voice strained.

 A small coughing from behind made them all turn around to see Blondie in Table 8 standing in front of the counter.

“Uh, hi…” Mr. Table 8 gives a small nervous smile and a little wave to everyone. “I might be able to help? I'm Jack.”

 Mr. Table 8-Jack was getting nervous with all eyes on him, a small blush was already showing up - highlighting a cute dusting of freckles on his cheeks.

Now that he was no longer sitting down, Gabriel finally notices how tall he was - maybe taller by a couple of inches even if he was standing on his legs, if he got his legs back. Jack was also no longer wearing his jacket, his short-sleeved shirt revealing his very muscular biceps.

 “I’m gonna put my hands around you, okay?” Jack asked politely and Gabriel gave back a small nod in reply.

‘Hoo~ boy… ’ Gabriel thinks as Jack replaces Fareeha by his side and then strong muscled arms are around him in preparation for a bridal style carry.

“Put your arms around my neck, if you don’t mind?” Jack’s breath tickled his ear, it sent shivers down Gabriel’s spine as he brings his arms around Jack’s neck. “I’m going to lift you now, okay?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Gabriel nods and Jack takes a deep breath. With a grunt, up Gabriel goes, cradled in Jack’s arms. Gabriel nails dig a little deeper into Jack’s shoulder unintentionally as he gets lifted of the ground.

“Okay, okay…” Jack says, a little breathless. “I think we are good! Can someone hold on to his tail?”

“I got it, I got it!” Fareeha quickly goes beside Jack and lifts the lower half of Gabriel’s tail.

 “Amélie, close up shop for now - report to Akande asap,” Gabriel says quietly, feeling a little lightheaded, “Genji, Sombra - grab those bottles and come with us.”

“We good to go?” Jack asks politely, his blue eyes going to each staff member before landing on to Gabriel.

‘Damn… they’re really blue… ’ Gabriel nods again in reply, hoping and praying that he wasn’t blushing too hard.

 Together Jack and Fareeha carefully carry Gabriel out of the shop and outside - the beach, the sea, just across the street from them. Sombra opens up an umbrella to shield Gabriel from the hot sun while Genji continues to spray water on his gills. They ignore the few stares they have been getting from passers by.

 “You’re pretty strong,” Gabriel mutters quietly, forgetting that he was close enough that Jack can hear him. “Uhh… Thanks… for uh…” Gabriel waves his hand gesturing to their current situation.

“Yeah, no problem,” Jack quickly answers and flashes him a too bright smile, “Happy to help…”

“G-Gabriel. My name is Gabriel,” Gabriel ignores how his heart skips a beat just like how he ignores the knowing looks from Genji, Sombra, and Fareeha.

“Oh! I’m happy to help, Gabriel, ” Jack says as he carefully readjusts his hold on Gabriel, holding him closer to his body. Gabriel’s lips were just centimeters away from the skin on Jack’s neck, so close that he could count all the constellations of freckles he had.

 Gabriel is trying hard not to think how warm Jack felt, or how comfortable but also really safe he feels to be held in his arms - the skin of Jack’s arm against the bare flesh of Gabriel’s back. He can’t even look up to see how the sunlight casts a golden glow on Jack’s blond hair or stare into those true blue eyes.

 The group efficiently crossed the road, cleverly avoiding traffic while carrying a merman, an umbrella, and several spray bottles. They finally reached the beach, sand crunching beneath their feet. Gabriel can smell the saltiness of the sea and feel the cool breeze. He feels the soft hum of pure energy all over his body the nearer he gets to the sea.

 “Drop me here. I can do the rest,” Gabriel announces to his friends and Jack, patting Jack’s shoulders. “Thanks for the help, Jack-”

“Nonsense, I can take you to the water,” Jack continues walking towards the sea, Gabriel still in his arms. Fareeha, Sombra and Genji remain by the shore.

“You're getting wet, you idiot,” Gabriel complained as he looked down at Jack’s boots and pants getting splashed on by the waves.

“And I can’t let you drag yourself into the water in your state when it is much safer for me to keep carrying you until we reach a more acceptable depth.” Jack says cheerily.

When the water was about 3 feet deep, Jack carefully lowers Gabriel - the temperature shift from the radiating warmth of Jack’s body and the coolness of the water sends another wave of shivers throughout Gabriel’s body.

 Gabriel swims a bit further until he is completely underwater, he takes in deep breathes - forcing an equilibrium between his human lungs and gills. His scales are a bit damaged from the fall and the sun exposure - but they’ll heal with magic. He feels some part of him sing in rejoice and jubilation to finally return to the water.

 “GAH! It’s been so long!” Gabriel shouted as he resurfaced, relief washing over the faces of his friends and Jack. With his tail, he splashed around a few times, getting used to the feeling of having it again - together with the fins, claws, sharp teeth, and long hair.

 “Fareeha, are you sure that there isn’t anyway for the amulet to get fixed faster?” Gabriel swam nearer to the shore, right beside Jack who hasn’t left the water yet. Sombra and Genji comfortably sitting on the sand while Fareeha stands behind them.

“Unless I can figure out what happened to it in the first place, make a proper diagnosis to prevent this from happening again - it’s gonna take awhile for mother to reinforce the right set of spells, even with my help…” Fareeha replies as she takes the amulet out of her pocket to inspect it further.

 Jack slowly raises his hand, his face red with shame.

 “Um… I can answer that…” Jack puts his hands in his pockets, taking deep breaths as he feels all eyes were on him once again. He looked at Gabriel as he began to explain.

“I’m a mage whose specialty is in breaking curses and undoing spells, I was kinda practicing this new spell at your shop when I k-kinda lost focused and the spell must’ve been casted on you purely by mistake…”

“You must be pretty strong,” Sombra’s eyes were glowing purple with interest, “A miscasted spell undoing a century old Transfiguration charm enchanted by not just one Amari, but by two?”

 Jack feels worry and guilt build up in his gut. He really can’t say that the real reason that he lost focused was because the moment Gabriel walked into the shop, he felt breathless and couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful he was. How the man kept popping up in his mind which caused him to lose focus and cause the spell's misdirection.

 “Behave, Olivia…” Gabriel says out loud with a deep, commanding voice, using what Jack assumes is Sombra’s true name.

“Ugh! Fiiine…” Sombra whined but her smile grew a bit wider. She whips out her phone from her pocket as she checks out the few texts that just popped up. “Anywaay - I sent out an SOS and someone replied that they can may be able to make you a really good Glamour that can give you temporary humanity…”

“What’s the catch?” Genji looks at Sombra with a little suspicion.

“Well… it’s O’Deorain, the Black Witch-in-training…” Sombra says with a grimace, her eyes still on her phone. “And she says her price is negotiable…”

“I say we take it,” Fareeha adds, “The Glamour won’t be on you longer than 3 days, and since nothing is really wrong with the amulet - it won’t take long for us to recast the spell…”

“That’s fine,” Gabriel shrugs casually, running a hand through his long wet hair, “Money isn’t an option - give Moira a text that I accept.”

Sombra quickly types out a reply, and quickly her phone chimes.

“She said she is on her way with her stuff,” Sombra stands up as she pockets her phone and wipes of sand from her pants. “I’m meeting her at the Teahouse, so I’m gonna be getting back…” Sombra kicks Genji's thigh lightly.

“I too shall return to the Teahouse,” Genji quickly stands as well. “We can’t be closed for the whole day and Miss Amélie will need assistance until Mccree and Mei arrive for their shift…”

“I need to get this amulet to mother before my break is over…” Fareeha says with an impish look on her face - which was shared amongst Sombra and Genji, as well.

Gabriel doesn’t like where this is going.

 “It was nice meeting you, Jack!” Fareeha smile was a tad too big as she waves to Jack.

“Yeah, thanks for your help - even if you did kinda caused it in the fi-” Sombra immediately covers Genji’s mouth before he says another word.

“What Genji meant was that, you’re a really cool dude - come by the shop anytime,” Sombra gives them a wink and a little wave. “You guys hang on tight until Moira gets here with her bag of tricks!” She gets her arm around Genji’s shoulder as they both walk back to the shop, Fareeha right behind them.

 “You can go by the way… Nothing’s stopping you,” Gabriel tells Jack as he swims a bit further that earlier, half tempted to swim to the deepest part of the sea.

“I don’t mind waiting a little bit longer… just until you’re back on your feet,” Jack says faking an innocent smile. Gabriel can’t help but laugh at how horrible that joke sounded.

 “But really…” Jack’s face goes serious, then concerned, “I’m not sure what else that spell did to you, so I’m sort of keeping watch for any other side effects.”

Jack gives a nervous giggle, “And… I’m really sorry about that.”

“Speaking of spells…” Gabriel starts as he gets nearer to Jack again, “Sombra's right, you are pretty powerful - undoing a century old spell with only a few choice words…”

 Gabriel couldn’t help himself, he was in his element once again after a long time - he has become hyperaware of the energy surrounding this stranger before him and he is curious and intrigued, and maybe a bit turned on, to say the least.

 “What is a mage of your caliber doing with just tampering with a few bad hexes and illusion spells,” Gabriel says carefully, his eyes never leaving Jack’s as the other man watches him in return. “Those spells are usually child’s play, as long as you know of the intent and methods the original spell was casted…”

“Well… that’s my job,” Jack replies, raising his hands defensively, “I just undo spells and break curses, it’s what I’m good at  - I’m originally from Indiana and I got assigned to a client with a really complicated case so I’m actually out here investigating and doing some research…”

 “A High Level Mage from Indiana - you’re a Morrison, aren’t you?” Gabriel lazily swims circles around Jack.

Jack stares at him wide-eyed as he gives a small nod.

“I have met your kind before… decades ago…” Gabriel continues, thinking about the time that he was still traveling the country.

“Really?”

“Yeah…they’re  kinda the reason why I am not welcome in Chicago anymore,” Gabriel makes a face at the memory. He decides to go under the water to cool his head.

“Oh, seems like we didn’t give you much for a first impression?” Jack continues to watch how graceful Gabriel looks in the water.

How his scales look like gemstones under the light of the sun. His hair is almost reminiscent of smoke, how it ebbs and flows with the water.

 “It happens,” Gabriel says nonchalantly as he resurfaces, distracting Jack from current train of thought, “So I pissed of a mage or two now and then, not really a big deal-”

“What about I make it up to you?” Jack says out loud, “In regards to today’s events, I owe you dinner…” Jack gives Gabriel his most charming smile.

“You owe me dinner?” Gabriel says with teasing tone, one eyebrow raised.

“Well… if dinner is a b-bit too much, maybe lunch - or even brunch?” Jack replies, feeling quite flustered.

“Dinner sounds lovely, Jack…” Gabriel says sincerely. “But I’ll take a raincheck on that dinner for now… because…” Gabriel waves his red-to-black tail in front of Jack before splashing a bit of water at him.

“R-right, right… of course,” Jack stammers out a reply. “And again… I’m really sorry about that-”

“Yeah, I hope you are…” Gabriel says with no actual malice. “It’s really inconveniencing, especially when this really cute guy asks you out to dinner but you don’t know where your wallet or phone or your pants have disappeared off to when you magically regain a fishtail.”

“I’m really, really sorry-” ‘ Wait… he thinks I’m cute? ’

 “Yo Lovebirds! We’re back!” Sombra shouts from behind them bringing a small bag with her.

“What did you do now, Gabriel?” A tall redheaded woman sounded almost amused, she had a rather cruel looking smile on her face and mismatched eyes were glowing with mirth.

 “For your information, Moira…” Gabriel huffs, crossing his arms, “This time it wasn’t my fault...”

“Riiight…” Moira rolls up her pants and takes off her shoes as she steps into the water. As she walks towards Jack, extending a hand out. Jack shakes it politely.

 “I’m Moira O’Deorain,” She introduces herself to Jack, “And you must be the mage responsible for this?”

“Um.. yeah, I’m Jack…” Jack feels uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Moira’s gaze.

“Moira!” Gabriel splashes her lightly, “Are we doing this or what?”

“Because of that, I’ll make you pay double…” Moira walks towards Gabriel as he makes a face at her.

Gabriel's eyes slowly go back to Jack and he gives him an apologetic smile.

“This might take awhile, Jack…” Gabriel swims to Jack and takes his hand, and swims towards the shore, guiding him. “Why don’t you head on home and get a change of clothes? Come back to the Talon Teahouse tomorrow morning, I’ll be there and we can talk about this dinner further until then…”

“Sounds like a date…” Jack chuckles at how Gabriel’s face turns red for a millisecond. Jack finally reaches the shore, Gabriel by the edge of the water.

“See ya later, Gabe,” Jack gives a little wave at Gabriel

“See ya. Jack…” Gabriel waves back before swimming back to Moira

 “Jack! Jack! Over here!” Sombra calls for him by her little spot under the shade of a tree.

 Jack makes his way to Sombra, ignoring how cold he feels from his now wet clothes.

She was holding a small brown paper bag and a regular sized paper cup with a lid.

“Here,” Sombra says as she hands them over to Jack, “This is me apologizing for my behavior from before - it’s a cinnamon roll and some special tea, it’ll help keep you warm.”

“Apology accepted then...” Jack says as he finally notices that he was shivering a bit, he takes a polite sip of tea. The sweet smell and warmth of the tea already taking effect, but he still needs to go home and change. Jack’s gaze wanders to where he parked his car, he prays silently that the meter hasn’t ran out yet.

 “Don’t worry about it, I paid for your meter…” Sombra says sweetly, “No need to pay me back… you aren’t the only one here who has quirky little specialties.” Her eyes glow purple for a half second before returning to their natural brown.

 “Thank you again… I really am sorry about all this-” Jack begins to apologize again, but Sombra raises a finger at him.

“Eh… Water under the bridge! Don’t beat yourself too much about it!” Sombra said as she suddenly has her phone in her hands and is typing something real fast.

 “I just sent you Gabe’s new number - just got him a new phone and other stuff…” Sombra continues to type away on her phone.

“Uhh… I don’t think I gave you my number?” Jack looks at Sombra suspiciously.

“Don’t worry about it, I promise I use my powers for good… most of the time,” Sombra gives Jack a wink. “Don’t forget to text him as soon as tonight, by the way!”

“If you say so…” Jack sighs, it seems that his stay in Los Angeles is going to be very eventful. “It was nice seeing you again,Sombra…”

“Likewise! Don’t be a stranger now, you are always welcomed at the Talon Teahouse.” Sombra gives him her best customer service smile.

“Is that what you always say to people who casts spells on your co-workers?” Jack asks with a smirk.

“He’s my boss, actually,” Sombra giggles and gives him a wicked smile back, “But only when they are obviously mutually crushing each other hard!”

 Jack begins to make his way towards his car. He turns around for a minute, looking back at the sea behind him. He spots Moira and Gabriel still in the water, trying out different spells to see which one would stick.

Jack smiles to himself as he enters his car, his notes and the wooden box on the passenger seat. He gets his leather jacket and searches for his phone in one of the pockets. He finds it and opens the message from Sombra. He reads the number of one Gabriel Reyes and saves it to his contacts.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

A/B/O Au. Bucky is an army sniper who has a whirlwind romance with Tony. While on leave he introduces Tony to his Army buds, who do not take kindly to Tony because they think he's using Bucky for good PR. So before Bucky goes back on tour they break up. Fast Forward 3years Bucky wandering aimlessly through towns (without an arm) bumps into Tony whose got a young boy that oddly resembles Bucky when he was younger. ANGST please.

The Long Way Round - Part I of IV

[Part II] | [Part III] | [Part IV]

2013

When Bucky’s finally fought his way back through the crowded pub and slides into their booth, he immediately notices how the mood has turned sour. It’s subtle, but Bucky’s known these guys for years, and something’s definitely up.

Jacques and Gabe have their heads bent together, and are talking in quiet, hissed French, turned away from the rest of the group. Morita’s resting bitch face has reached an entirely new level, Monty is typing away on his phone, and even Dum Dum, although still trying to keep up the conversation, is much less buoyant and blustering than usual. And then there’s Tony, shoulders hunched and shrunk in on himself, eyes fixed on a spot on the table as he worries his bottom lip.

“Hey,” Bucky whispers, and bumps their knees together, frowning when Tony startles, and pulls his leg away. “Everythin’ all right? Did somethin’ happen while I was gone?”

Tony shakes his head, the movement a little jerky. “It’s nothing,” he says, flat. It’s clearly a lie, but before Bucky can call him out on it, he adds, “Just not feeling it tonight. I might turn in early, actually, if that’s okay?”

“‘Course, yeah,” Bucky says, reaching for his jacket. “Walk you home?”

For a moment, it looks like Tony’s going to say no. But then he swallows, hard, and nods, even smiles a little in thanks when Bucky helps him into his coat, and leans into Bucky’s side, albeit somewhat stiffly, when Bucky curls an arm around him.

“Breakfast tomorrow before we gotta catch our plane?” Bucky asks the rest of the table, getting nods and a few murmured confirmations in return. None of them tease or rib him for leaving after just one beer, and Bucky squints at them for a moment, suspicious, before he shrugs, and leads Tony out onto the street.

(Watch out for the break, mobile readers!)

They walk in not entirely comfortable silence after Tony keeps blocking Bucky’s attempts at talking with short, one-word answers, clearly distracted by something. It’s not until they get to Tony’s apartment complex that Tony finally looks at Bucky again, his mouth downturned as he places a firm hand on Bucky’s chest when Bucky goes to follow him into the lobby.

“What? Not gonna invite me up for coffee?” Bucky asks, trying for joking in hopes of cheering Tony up. The flirty smile begins to slide off his face, though, when Tony shakes his head, opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again, and takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Hey, no. C’mon, sweetheart, talk to me? What’s wrong?”

He goes to touch Tony’s cheek, eyes widening and hand hovering awkwardly in the air between them when Tony takes a step back. “Tony?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore,” Tony blurts out in a rush. “It’s—I think it’s for the best. If we stop.”

It takes a moment for the meaning of the words to register, but when it does, Bucky turns cold, stomach sinking. “Are—are you breakin’ up with me? Tony—”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Tony hurries to reassure, reading Bucky’s mind. “You were perfect, Bucky, I swear you were. Are. This. It’s not. It’s really not you,” he says with a small, humourless chuckle, “it’s me.”

Bucky looks at the tense line of Tony’s shoulders, at the sad set of his mouth, the defeat in his eyes, and he knows it’s the truth. Or, at least, what Tony believes to be true. “Tony, sweetheart, I don’t understand—”

“Don’t make this any harder than it already is,” Tony says quietly as he backs away towards the door. Then, voice breaking on what sounds suspiciously like a sob, “Bucky, please.”

There’s nothing Bucky wants more than to reach out, wrap his arms around Tony, draw him in and hold him tight, kiss away the tears he can see glistening at the corners of Tony’s eyes. But Bucky’s never been able to refuse Tony, to deny him a single thing, especially not when he’s upset, and not even, it turns out, if it breaks his own heart. So Bucky nods, throat tight, and shoves his hands into his pockets instead.

“If—if you want to talk,” Bucky croaks, and has to clear his throat before he can continue, “about this, us, about something else. Or if you need me, if you need anything at all. You call me, a’right?” He waits until Tony hesitantly meets his eyes, needing Tony to see how serious he is about this, then promises, “I will find time for you. Doesn’t matter where I am, what I’m doing. I’ll make time for you, Tony. Always. I’ll—I’ll bribe Colonel Phillips to give me phone privileges, whatever it takes. I’ll do it.”

Tony’s crying fully now, and Bucky’s helpless to watch him wipe at his cheeks, doesn’t know what to do, how to fix it when Tony hiccups, wet and pained, “I’m sorry,” before turning around, and fleeing inside.

“Hey,” Steve calls as Bucky closes the door to their apartment behind himself. “There’s some leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry. Peggy cooked, don’t worry. Oh! She wanted me to ask you—”

He cuts off abruptly when Bucky rounds the corner into the living room, throws himself down on the couch face first, and pulls the comforter folded over its back down and over himself. “Buck? You okay?”

“No,” Bucky says, muffled. “Tony broke up with me.” When several seconds pass without Steve saying anything, Bucky shoves the comforter down enough to glance over at him, hackles raising at Steve’s almost relieved expression. “What?”

“Well. You know,” Steve says, shrugging. “It’s not exactly a surprise, is it?”

Bucky blinks at him. “The fuck are you talkin’ about? We were fine.”

The way Steve grimaces, he apparently doesn’t agree. “Buck, c’mon. He’s nineteen, smart, absurdly rich—

“So, what?” Bucky cuts in snappishly. “You’re sayin’ I’m not good enough for him? Tony doesn’t care about shit like that. An’ I thought you didn’t, either.”

Steve glares at him. “You know damn well that’s not what I’m saying. You’re a catch, anyone’d be lucky to have you.”

“Anyone but Tony?” Bucky sits up properly, pointing an accusing finger at Steve. “You never liked him, anyway. You never even gave him a chance to—”

“Because I knew this would happen!” Steve yells back, throwing his hands up in the air. “Bucky, be serious for a moment. Tony is young, with the world at his feet, and people lining up to get a piece of him. He’s—flighty, he’s never had a stable relationship before you came along. I want you to be happy, you know I do, but him getting bored of you was exactly what I was afraid of when—”

“That’s not what happened,” Bucky insists, standing.

Steve shrugs, but his pitying expression belies his nonchalance. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“I’m going to bed,” Bucky sighs, shaking his head. “Don’t wanna fight with you on my last day home.”

Bucky doesn’t fall asleep until hours later, though, curled up on top of his blankets, clutching a pillow that still smells faintly of Tony, his heart heavy and a lump in his throat.

- Potrix

[baadbaadblacksheep]

Insomnia Club

First of all, congrats to @purely-a-trashcan for finishing Learning the Ropes!!! This fic inspired me to get back into writing, and I made a wonderful friend in the process. The only reason I’m not sad to see this end is because I know there’s still so much more content coming! The spin-off is going to be spectacular, guys. 

Second of all, this little ficlet I wrote was written like... 3 months ago? Before Ch.21 ripped out my mcfreakin’ heart. So Jesse’s got two arms and isn’t mcfreakin’ depressed in this. But we can pretend I’m referring to a prosthetic arm and that he’s had time to heal in this. 

Last note: Sparrow Song is finally being worked on again, and if all goes according to plan, will finally have an update soon.

Anyway, enjoy.

Read on Ao3: [Here]

"What are you doing out here so late?"

Jesse jumps, startling the pit bull at his feet awake in turn. The sliding glass door opening and shutting behind Jack must have been muted by the radio playing at its lowest volume next to Jesse. The young man grunts as he stands, turning his chair back around to face the rest in the sitting area they'd set up on the small back patio.

Jesse pets Blue in apology before settling back into his chair, taking a drag of the cigarette that had been steady burning between his fingers. "Couldn't sleep," he tells Jack plainly, feeling sheepish. "Didn't mean to wake anybody."

Jack shakes his head and takes the chair next to Jesse, stealing a cigarette from the pack sitting by the radio on the small table in front of them. Jesse didn't mind, but gives Jack a curious expression at the action all the same. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Only when he can't sleep," A sleepy voice says on a yawn as the sliding door opens again, revealing Genji in a pair of Jack's sweats and a too-big t-shirt, probably also Jack's. Or Gabe's. He was in everyone's dressers and closets these days. Nico follows behind slowly, looking as tired as Genji sounds. Ever the loyal dog. Genji produces a cheap plastic lighter and a pack of his own cigarettes from his sweatpants and lights his fiancé's cigarette before lighting his own. For once Jack isn't scolding Genji for smoking, though Jesse knows it's only because Jack is indulging in the bad habit as well.

Genji plops down into the chair across from Jack and props his feet up in Jack's lap, slouching with his eyes closed. Nico drops down beside where Blue is drifting back to sleep on the ground beside Jesse's feet, sharing his warmth with her on the cool summer night.

"Did I wake you up when I got up?" Jack asks, absently brushing Genji's soles clean of any dirt he may have tracked when he stepped out in his bare feet. Genji groans a bit at the tickling sensation, squirming in his chair before bringing his cigarette to his lips.

"No, I haven't been able to sleep since I woke up earlier. I took a sleeping pill on my way out here." Genji blows out the smoke in his lungs and opens his bleary eyes to look at Jesse. "You've been keeping late nights all summer. I can hear the radio when you come out here." Genji points up at the window on the second floor above them. The window of Genji and Jack's room, currently open to let in the fresh night air through its screen.

Jesse frowns, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, the other holding his vice reaching to turn off the radio. "Shit, I'm sorry. Can't stand the quiet when it's just me and my thoughts." Genji reaches forward just enough to intercept Jesse's hand, miraculously steering clear of the burning ember jutting out of it.

"It's fine. It's not loud enough to wake anyone. It actually helps me fall back asleep sometimes." Genji smirks, pointing his attention to Jack, "But I definitely can't sleep by myself."

It's Jack's turn to frown, though Genji only catches a glimpse before his eyes are shut again. "I'm sorry baby. I haven't been able to sleep all night. I heard the radio playing and came to join the insomniac club." Genji snorts and waves away the apology weakly. The sliding door is opening again before Genji can respond.

"Is that what we're calling this? I may need to sign up, then." Jesse beams just a bit at Gabriel's appearance, though it becomes a guilty expression by the time his boyfriend is situated in the remaining chair across from him.

"I'm sorry Gabi, I didn't mean to wake anyone up," Jesse apologizes. He can't help but feel responsible for the impromptu 2 am gathering. Genji grunts in mock protest when Gabe reaches into his pocket, fishing out his pack of nicotine and bright pink lighter. He brings a stick between his lips and lights it, replacing the products in Genji's pocket.

"If you're going to stick your hand in my pocket and steal my stuff, you should at least move your hand over a little and make it worth my while," Genji slurs out sleepily, eyes still unopened. Gabe ruffles Genji's green locks and tells him to shush, making Genji hum contently at the contact.

Gabe lets Genji lean over the arms of the chairs and bury his cheek in Gabe's shoulder. The older man wraps his arm around his shoulders, his thumb rubbing absently against his skin chilled slightly by the night air. He turns his attention back to his still-fretting Jesse. "You didn't wake anyone, dulcito. I've been mostly awake all night. Decided to get up and find you after you'd been gone for a while. I've got some decaf brewing inside."

Gabe took another drag from his cigarette, watching his boyfriend snub out his own spent one in the ashtray on the small table. "Jack and I have been dealing with insomnia since I've known him. Military fucks you up." They all chuckle at Genji's knuckles brushing Gabe's chest in a scolding mock-hit, muttering language! just like Jack might scolds the boys.

"Guess it is an insomnia club, then. Though, Genji, you said you were asleep earlier?" Jesse says, procuring another cigarette between his fingers but not lighting it.

Genji shrugged, trying to fight the drowsiness coming over him to stay in the conversation. "Waking nightmares can't qualify me for the insomnia club?" Jesse laughs softly, watching Gabe move his arm to better hold Genji against him. He's starting to nod off, struggling to keep himself against Gabriel's warmth before he moved to help.

"I think that's good enough to get you in," Jesse says to an already unconscious Genji as he stands up. He replaces the cigarette he had considered chainsmoking into its pack. The dogs beside him stir but don't move. "I'm gonna pour us some coffee. You want some, Jack?"

Jacks extinguishes his own cigarette and nods. Jesse slips inside, leaving the doms to figure out how to disentangle from Genji's deadweight limbs. Gabe takes the cigarette still dangling from his limp hand and puts it out with his own.

By the time Jesse comes out of the kitchen with a mug of decaf coffee in each hand, Gabe is settling in Jack's oversized recliner with Genji in tow, holding him against his torso. Genji snuggles up close the moment Gabe stops moving. Gabe reclines the chair slightly so he can sit up a bit but still let Genji's form lay against him. Jack gives Gabe a chaste kiss before kissing Genji's head, moving to settle on the couch and turn on the tv.

Jesse sets Gabe's mug on the side table next to the recliner, accepting a kiss and his murmur of thanks before handing Jack his own mug. Jack thanks him with a kiss of his own, making the youngest blush. He can't hide it before he turns to go get his own mug from the kitchen, earning low rumbles of laughter from his boyfriends at his reddened face.

The whole turns-out-we've-all-been-dating-each-other-for-months-but-just-made-it-official-recently thing was still new to him, and he still felt an electric jolt of excitement when Jack kissed him, like he'd feel with any new relationship. Even kissing Genji felt different, and them making out was nothing new. Not to say his relationship with Gabe had grown old. But it was familiar and fond, like coming home when they were together.

Jesse returned to them with his mug of coffee, holding it in his lap once he was curled up against Jack's side on the couch. They all half-watched the news at its barely audible volume, comfortable in one another's silent presence. The dogs had curled up on the other end of the couch, no one bothering to care enough to enforce the no dogs on the furniture rule for now.

-

Jesse woke to Genji poking his cheek, hovering over him. Genji grinned once his eyes were open and announced in a whisper that breakfast was almost ready. Jesse grumbled in response and closed his eyes again once Genji was walking away. Why had he been whispering?

The solid body beneath him shifted as it woke, making Jesse's eyes fly back open. He looked into bright blue ones, still half-lidded from sleep. He realized he and Jack had ended up laying down entirely on the couch at some point, Jesse getting tucked tightly between Jack's side and the back of the couch. Jack's hand came to run itself through Jesse's hair, making his scalp tingle with the intimate touch.

Gabe's humming cuts through the busy sounds in the kitchen. "Smells good. We outta get up and eat, hm?" Jack says, looking as blissful in this domesticity as Jesse feels. Jesse nods, squirming out of the small space he had somehow fit so perfectly into.

Jack carries their mostly empty mugs of cold coffee into the kitchen and to the sink with Jesse trailing behind. Nico and Blue are begging silently by Gabe where he's cooking the last of the bacon at the stovetop. Genji has the table set, carrying the large plate with the pile of bacon to its place at the table once the last piece is set down. Nico tries to trip him up on his way, earning a falling piece of bacon for his trouble that he snaps up before it hits the floor. Blue is too polite to steal food, gratefully accepting the small piece Gabe slips to her when he thinks no one is looking.

"What's the plan for today?" Jesse asks before his first bite. He tries not to moan. Gabe's french toast is to die for.

"I say we all take a nap," Genji volunteers, pushing Nico's panting maw away from his plate.

Jesse snorts, "We just woke up!"

"Yes, but you all barely got 4 hours of sleep. I actually got some sleep before I joined you last night so I'm fully rested. Plus, if you all sleep that means I get to watch cartoons and no one can complain." Genji pops a melon ball into his mouth and nods, content with this plan.

"Fine by me. I'm not going to want to move after this," Jack confides with a shrug. Gabe gives a shrug of his own. He doesn't want to admit he's still tired, the cooking draining what little energy he had felt after he had woken up to a lonely Genji rocking in his lap, but the lack of sleep is apparent to anyone used to seeing past his maintained cool exterior by now.

Jesse gives a fake defeated sigh, but can't help but smile faintly anyway. "Fine, but I call dibs on the recliner."

Jack shoots him a raised eyebrow. "That's my recliner, so technically I get dibs."

"Fine. You can cuddle with me in it." Jesse says it like he's being sassy, but the pink dusting his cheeks fools no one.

Jack smiles as he takes a sip of his coffee, catching eyes with an equally amused Gabriel. "You drive a hard bargain, but it's a deal." He and Gabe chuckle, watching Jesse struggle not to look pleased.

Genji looks around the table, popping another piece of fruit in his mouth and talking around it. "Sooo... I get the remote?"

[valkyrie-echo]

Project Echo, Part 1: Chapter 3 (Intel)

Part 1 Summary: A long-buried Hydra disaster, a monster in the shadows, a missing child. Eight months after the events of “The Winter Soldier”, Bucky turns himself in to the Avengers on one condition: They must help him find a girl snatched off the streets by Hydra seven years ago. In their quest, the Avengers accidentally unleash a horrifying creature of darkness and shadow, intent on making their quarry its prey.

[Edited 4/28/19]

Chapter 3: Intel

"Oh yeah, I can tell you're really suffering."

Sam turned away from Skye's tablet just in time to take a duffle bag full in the face. He fell off the stool he was perched on and landed painfully on the floor of the shipping crate. He jumped to his feet, ready for a fight, but held back once he identified his "attacker". 

Steve had showered and changed into civvies (more to cover up the stench from spending hours in a soggy uniform) and carried with him his own duffle bag. He had no less than eight pizzas and four plastic bags of soda, plates, and popcorn in the other arm. 

While his friend's smile was polite as he approached, Sam got the impression he was a dead man walking.

"Doing alright?" Steve was tense in what to him was a den of enemies. His eyes searched for any sign of a trap and his body was tensed for a fight.

"No," Sam replied honestly- the SHIELD agents were securing the last of the files upstairs and were, for the moment, out of sight. The electroshock chair was already gone, thankfully, "I can't find anything on our lead. I really do think we should consider going with them. I got a call from Nat earlier, she's vouching for their lead agent. I seriously doubt it's a trap."

"I don't care. We're not risking it. We can't trust these people," Steve said.

"Captain Rogers!" Tripp came down the ladder, guiding some sort of vertical lift that was supporting an entire file cabinet down. He quickly came to the corner where Sam and Steve were and offered a hand, "I'm Agent Tripplet Jones. You knew my grandfather, back in the day."

Steve set his duffle down and obligingly returned the handshake, then froze at Tripp's name. His face broke into a massive grin the likes of which Sam hadn't seen in months, "Gabe Jones? You're Gabe Jones' grandson? You two could be twins! Sam, his grandfather was a Howling Commando!" 

It was night a day- the Steve who entered the shipping crate and the one meeting the grandson of a long-dead friend. Yes, Hydra had poisoned SHIELD, but a Howling Commando’s loyalties could never be questioned.

Sam tried to hide his triumphant smile, "I guess this SHIELD might not be Hydra in disguise after all."

Steve ignored Sam and beamed at Gabe, "Your grandfather saved my butt more times than I could ever count! Is Bea your grandmother? What was his name… Donnie! Was Donnie your father, or did they have more kids?"

As Steve and Tripp swapped Stories of Gabe and his wife, Sam wandered over behind Steve. He flashed Tripp two thumbs up. There was no doubt now that Steve would at least give SHIELD a chance.

"We're almost done loading up, are you two joining us or not?" Agent May interrupted. Behind her, Skye was doing her best to look like a serious agent and not an Avengers fangirl.

Steve hesitated, glancing between Tripp, Sam, and Agent May, “Nat vouched for her?” Sam nodded and he sighed, "We need intel... I don’t suppose we have any other choice." 

"Then get in the jet and we'll head back to our Bus. I've arranged for you- and only you- to meet with our Director as soon as we arrive," Agent May said.

"Do you allow food on the bus? I brought pizza for everyone," he offered, lifting his other arm (as if they couldn't see 8 pizza boxes). "They’re ransom for Sam."

"That's all I'm worth to you? Eight pizzas?" Sam snapped with mock outrage.

"I got a Hawaiian one. Plus the pizzeria gave us popcorn too."

"In that case, god bless."

---

---

Steve spent the quick hop to the "Bus" (which turned out to be a SHIELD cargo plane) chatting with Skye and Tripp while Sam got to know Simmons and Fitz. The team was everything the Avengers were not- unity being the most obvious feature. Even the strict Agent May seemed more of a mothering figure once you got to know her a bit. 

They all joked as the jet flew deep into the ice fields and once it docked with its mother ship they moved down into the living quarters and began on the pizza, sodas, and popcorn. It made for a fun and almost family-like atmosphere. 

Simmons helped Fitz cut his pizza, Tripp unceremoniously tore the crusts off his pieces to hand to Skye, who deposited half of her green peppers on his plate in payment, all without breaking their conversations with the two Avengers or one another. Their closeness wasn’t feigned, but instinct. They were a family.

Once their lunch was finished May directed Steve and Sam to remain in the living quarters while the rest of the crew emptied out the contents of the Quin-Jet and completed final checks on the anchors holding it to the hull before takeoff.

"I'm sorry for snapping so much," Steve rubbed his eyes as exhaustion caught up with him, "you're a good friend. You've already gone above and beyond, helping me look for him. I shouldn't be such a dictator."

"I would have left off the 'tator' bit." Sam chuckled, "Nah, man, I get it. If it was Riley I'd be chasing him down just as hard. Judging by that chair I saw you-know-who has to be the longest serving POW in history. The way I look at it it's my duty as a soldier to bring him back."

Steve sighed, "This isn't the first time we've had this conversation."

"Well, maybe now that we’re giving SHIELD a chance, it can be the last."

Steve moved over to sit on a low couch. The two Avengers waited in comfortable silence for Agent May to ready the bus for flight.

Nearly 24 hours after they'd gone out to the bridge to finalize plans for the barge raid, the strain finally caught up with Steve and Sam. By the time Agent May made it to the bridge they were both asleep in their chairs. They remained that way- Steve with his head on the table and Sam stretched out across the seats- until the plane landed at home base.

May woke the duo several hours later, “Agent Wilson, Captain Rogers- we’ve arrived.” 

Sam groaned on the couch and tried to stretch. His arm and leg were asleep in his suit- unlike Steve he never got the chance to change. He propped himself up with one eye half-open, his body tingling painfully, and with angry red lines crossing his neck where the suit had dug in.

Steve, capable of sleeping just about anywhere, was more graceful in the wake-up than his companion. He sat up and brushed his sandy blond hair aside, model-perfect. 

"Agent Wilson-"

"Not an agent," Sam mumbled as he tried to remember where he was.

"Mr. Wilson- Agent Jones will escort you to our locker room. You can shower and change there, then he'll take you to the archive. Captain Rogers, you'll meet with our Director and brief them completely on your mission. If the Director agrees then you will be given a team of Agents to help go through our files. If not, you and Mr. Wilson will be given 24 hours to find what you can and then you will be escorted to a neutral location of your choice."

"You had me at 'shower'," Sam shook out the tingling in his leg and stood.

Steve took a deep breath, gathered his bag, and followed May out of the plane. 

He was resigned to meeting the Director. He didn't have to be enthusiastic about it. He tried to think back over the SHIELD agents he'd had contact with, but most were now confirmed Hydra. Alexander Pierce had made him into as much of a asset as Bucky. 

The thought made his blood boil. Any semblance of peace he’d found on that jet evaporated.

SHIELD's base turned out to be fairly small compared to the others Steve and Sam had raided. Of course, now that they were a so-called terrorist organization it wasn't like they'd be moving into another massive Triskellion-esque facility anytime soon.

The hanger was equipped to handle two planes the size of Agent May's "Bus". There were a few Quin-Jets sitting around, but for the most part the other half of the hanger doubled as a gym. A dozen agents trained in hand-to-hand and boxing, just like Steve had once upon a time.

Heading through the base Steve was struck by how familiar it all looked. Labs, meeting rooms, storage, and living quarters were all crammed together and vied for limited space- the closeness was only magnified by the sheer number of Agents trying to navigate their work spaces. It wasn't claustrophobic though. Rather... nostalgic.

"This facility belonged to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, once upon a time," May noticed the pained look in Steve's eyes, "they used to build everything from the same blueprints. The idea being-"

"-if you've been to one base you can find your way around all of them." It looked so much like the place he, Bucky, Peggy, and Howard had been stationed at during the war. If he didn't know any better he'd have thought it was the same base. But that place, if it still existed, was lost somewhere in the French Alps. He'd tried tracking it down when they first went after Bucky, but the entrance was gone.

But if this was a different facility, what gave it the right to show him so many painful memories? What gave the ghosts the right to come out?

Peggy wasn't standing there in the meeting room consoling him after Bucky’s death, she was in a nursing home in D.C. lost somewhere in the past. Howard wasn't in the lab cooking up some new weapon- but his son probably was. The Howling Commandos were all in their graves, not the equipment room gearing up. And Bucky- his best friend was out there somewhere, lost and angry, not by Steve’s side where he belonged. 

Red Skull took most of his life. Zola the rest.

"I'm not meeting your Director," Steve stopped abruptly. He wasn't going to let history repeat itself. It wasn't worth it to trust SHIELD and risk them turning on him once they realized there was a second super-soldier on the board, "The Avengers will handle this." 

Steve turned around and came face-to-face with one last ghost- the SHIELD agent he let down before the Battle of New York.

"I know," Coulson smiled, "I look good for a dead guy."

Steve could only stare, "You're alive?" He shook his head and growled, "Fury." Steve turned and slammed his fist into the wall- a bit less satisfying than the target he wanted, but he wouldn't be the one to put Coulson back in his grave.

"I'll have that dent framed," Coulson smiled, "the agents will get a kick out of it. Avenger damage adds a touch of class to the joint."

"Did Loki ever even know you existed, or was all that a ploy to get us to work together?" Manipulated at every turn. By SHIELD, by Hydra-

"I was dead," Coulson was calm in the face of Cap’s rage, "For about two days, actually. We developed a project, T.A.H.I.T.I., after you were thawed. Pseudo-science capable of bringing back the dead- only to be used in the event of an Avenger fell. I shut the project down. Fury brought it back, then he brought me back."

"Is it-"

"-it's no longer in play. It was destroyed. Utterly. No chance of replication."

"It had better be gone," Steve growled. The last thing SHIELD or Hydra needed was the ability to raise the dead.

Coulson nodded, "Don't tell the other Avengers, by the way. Agent Hill says you're still not the most cohesive unit. It’s better to be a dead mascot than alive and Avenger-less."

"Of course Maria Hill is still SHIELD," he snapped. She was Tony's employee, technically, but in truth worked with all Avengers either helping plan missions, gather intel, or seeking out persons and items of interest. 

Right now she was supposed to be scanning Hydra intel to get a lead on Loki's missing staff. Steve made a mental note to yank her off that project as soon as possible, in case she just handed it back to SHIELD.

"We aren't going to interfere with the Avengers in any way," Coulson offered. "I promise you that. My call to Maria came after Agent May said she was bringing you and Mr. Wilson in. It was idle friendly gossip, nothing more.”

The fall of SHIELD alone hadn't been enough, but it isn't really just one straw that breaks the camel's back. It's a million working together. 

Coulson could see it in Steve clearly, the darkness of someone who'd been through too much. People tended to forget the Avengers were human too. Steve had no grasp anymore of why he was fighting, he just knew that he was. A shadow like that could very easily devour a man. 

"Doesn't matter whose side Hill is on. I'm done with secrets, and I'm done with SHIELD. We'll find the intel some other way." Steve turned around to find his way back to the Bus. He was grabbing Sam and-

"Do you think you can get the intel before Hydra finds Bucky?" Steve froze, "We've got people inside Hydra. We already know what they did to James Barnes. Hydra's been on high alert since the Triskellion. We might know more than you at this point. Did you know he wiped out facilities in Russia, Sweden, South Africa, and the Rocky Mountains?"

Steve turned to face Coulson, "Do you know where he is?" his voice was ice.

"No, but if you trust us we might be able to help you figure out where he is heading. He's running from Hydra, SHIELD, and the Avengers. He may be unstable and you can sure as hell bet that he's lethal.”

“You just want to use him-”

“We want him off the streets before anyone gets hurt. That’s it. You can have him. Bucky Barnes is an American hero, no matter what they turned him into. We’re just trying to bring him home.”

Technically Coulson had never lied to them, but Steve still didn’t know if he could trust him. He barely knew the guy for three days before he "died", but the others loved him- even Tony. 

Clint roomed with him at SHIELD Academy, Natasha considered him a friend, and even Thor respected him… 

Steve hung his head. He had to roll the dice.

"Project Echo," he said at last, "Bucky took that file from the barge and nothing else that we know of. From what we know it's been off the books for 5 years, but it was important to him for some reason. He killed everyone on that ship, wiped the computers, but Sam thinks it was as much about that file as it was revenge."

Coulson nodded, "Alright, we'll help you figure out what he's doing. I'll send half a dozen agents to the records room to help you with your search and another six to digitize them and run keyword searches," he held out a hand and, after consideration, Steve shook it. "Peggy Carter made James Barnes a SHIELD agent posthumously so that he would be included in our Wall of Valor. We protect our own, Steve."

"He isn't going to SHIELD."

"The Avengers are technically a SHIELD team. If he's with you he is in SHIELD custody." This whole thing was an apology, and so Coulson was willing to bend the rules for the Avengers. 

Coulson was looking ahead- SHIELD hadn't exactly welcomed Skye openly once the other faction learned about her abilities. The Avengers would be the safest place for her should the issue ever arise again. He needed an IOU from Captain America to shield his friend.

Still weary of a double-cross, Steve watched Coulson carefully. 

At this point he'd run out of patience, but he owed it to Sam to finish this once and for all. They bickered constantly, but he still knew who his friends were. Steve just wished he could be sure Coulson counted among those ranks. 

Just because he was a fan didn't mean he wouldn't stab Steve in the back if it looked like it would benefit him. 

I don't even remember when I became the pessimist, he thought sadly as he reached out and shook Coulson’s hand.

---

---

"I've got something," Sam frowned as he flipped through a binder of Hydra memos from one of the bases Bucky wiped out. The binder was massive, and he was going through it page by page, but they were being thorough. 

Sam had placed sticky-notes inside to act as markers and he flipped through them, "Five memos just say 'Project: Echo failed, advise,' and I have four, 'Failure unacceptable, proceed as planned'. The last reply though is, 'Director Pierce to oversee termination, stand by’. It’s not much, but-"

"-it's more than any of us have found. Put it on the board," Steve nodded to a large cork board with the few pieces of evidence they had (most taken from the barge in Alaska by Sam): The empty hanging folder, a one-page medical brief on the Winter Soldier, and a directory of Hydra Asset ID numbers with Bucky's highlighted.

"I've got something too," Tripp had the binder with messages from the base in Gallivare, Sweden. He glanced up at Bucky's Hydra ID to verify, "'Project: Echo termination complete' sent from his ID."

"If the Winter Soldier completed a termination order it means we're probably talking about a human project." Steve sighed, "Whoever they were, they're long dead."

"He has the file, just by looking at it he'd know he's got a cold case on his hands. Still, he took it. Maybe he's not looking for the subject, maybe it's something else."

Skye was in the lab with Fitz, Simmons, and three other agents scanning boxes of files as the team in the records room progressed. She stuck her head in the door and knocked softly, "Captain Rogers? Can I borrow you for, like, five minutes?"

"Don't let him come back without fresh coffee," Sam waved his empty mug at Steve.

"Sure, what do you need?" Steve collected the empty carafe and followed Skye out into the hall.

She was nervous- everyone was around Steve, "I was screwing around- only because the scanner was busy- and I found something you might be interested in. It didn't slow us down, I promise, but-"

"I've been too intense, I know. It's fine. We've been at this for ten hours, everyone needs a rest. Don't worry, please." He'd gotten over a good chunk of his temper- enough to feel guilty towards everyone he'd been snapping at. Especially Sam. 

He always felt guilty for snapping at Sam lately.

Skye held out her tablet and pressed play, "Just on a hunch I ran facial recognition with that picture of Bucky you provided, focusing on the Smithsonian exhibit and Avengers Tower after the emergence of Hydra, just in case maybe he went looking for you," she tapped one of about twenty small black-and-white images and it filled the screen. 

It was the James Barnes memorial wall in his exhibit. A man stood in front of it- a man who was unmistakably Bucky Barnes. It was like a massive weight being lifted from Steve’s shoulders.

 "I can't say if he remembers or not, but he stared at that wall for a good half hour, then spent another four in the exhibit until a security guard sent him out for the night. The only other things he really focused on were the pictures of you before Project Rebirth and the interviews with Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos."

Steve was more hopeful than certain it was Bucky who pulled him out of the Potomac, or that the hesitation before the killing blow on the helicarrier was recognition. Bucky at the Smithsonian seeing who he was and who their friends were- "Thank you, Skye," he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you so much."

She was grinning as he released her, "Yeah, well, it was nothing."

"Peace of mind isn't ‘nothing’, it's everything." 

For the first time in months, Steve felt like he could breathe again. 

---

---

The next day they hit pay dirt.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Agent May's excited outburst startled even the SHIELD agents in the room. She slapped down an order form in the middle of the table, "A requisition form for twenty bags of O- blood earmarked for Project: Echo at Hydra facility Astana in Kazakhstan. The order is set for automatic refill on a bi-monthly basis."

They knew Project: Echo involved a human subject or subjects, but what could they possibly need that much blood for? 

"Alright, new angle," Coulson broke the silence, "find anything you can on Hydra Facility Astana. Agent May, contact Agent Ivaneau." He looked to Steve, “Hydra put spies in SHIELD, so we put one in Hydra. She might be able to get us a floorplan of the base.”

"I'll update Natasha, see if she can find anything," Sam patted Steve's shoulder as he stood.

"Come with me, I'll show you where your comms will work," May exited with him.

Coulson eyed Steve, "Bucky has been ripping apart Hydra bases. There's a chance Astana is already gone, we just haven't found out about it yet. I hate to be the naysayer, but what's your plan if it's another dead end?"

Steve's heart was still pounding with excitement over the lead, Coulson's worries didn't even phase him, "Natasha is working on Stark. If we can get him on board then I'll be able to go after him with the full might of the Avengers, finally. We'll get Bucky, one way or the other."

"And if he can’t be the Bucky you remember anymore?"

"Then at least he’ll be home."

Chapter 4: Astana