#but is it really a Sam bit if it instantly goes off the rails and half the things he planned don’t work?

[demigirl-demigod]

Wow that all went so badly. Extremely on brand for a Sam riegel ad spot

[we-are-dreamers42]

Nightingale: We Are Alike Part III

Bucky Barnes x OGcharacter

photo by me

After losing James Alexandra goes back to New York. The last thing she needed was to go to a party.

Word Count: 1,811

Series List

WARNING:

Chapter 20

Later that night I’m on a plane to New York City. It was too dark to see anything out the window, but I still stared. I could still feel his cold hand around my neck. The way he looked at me. The hollowness of his eyes. What did they do to him? Meeting the real James and watching him just disappear was devastating to see.

Steve met me at the airport. He was leaning on his motorcycle with a smile.

“How was your flight?”

“Long. You didn’t have to pick me up.”

“If you would’ve taken the Quinjet then I wouldn’t have to.

“I don’t know how to fly those things. Besides, I preferred the long flight.”

“Also I’m here to make sure you get to the Tower.”

“Why?” I whined. I hated it there. All the people in my business. Absolutely no privacy. I was forced to stay there for a month while the government decided if they were willing to pardon me.

Once I was pardoned I found my own apartment in the city. It’s lonely sometimes, but it’s what I needed.

“It’s a party that Tony is having tomorrow night. He wants everyone there.” I got off his bike as he pulled up to the Avengers Tower.

“I’m definitely not in a party mood.” After everything that’s happened the past three days. I just wanted to sleep for the next week.

“Thor will be there.” That would normally make me giddy. I had a secret crush on the God that wasn’t a secret at all, but right now I really didn’t care.

But to keep up an appearance, and to deflect that I’m in a really shitty mood. I smiled really big. “You really know how to manipulate me.”

“Stop making it so easy.” The elevator opened on the floor where all the Avengers rooms were. “You’re not coming?” I got off, but Steve pushed another button.

“I have some stuff to talk to Tony about. See you tonight.”

I waved him off as the doors closed. I made it to my old room, and instantly collapsed on the bed, and slept for the next nineteen hours.

Reluctantly I open the doors to the main area of the Tower. This was fine, just mingle a bit then slip out when no one is looking in an hour or two.

I headed straight to the bar. I needed a drink. Even if I couldn’t feel the effects. I still liked the taste of my vodka sour. Waiting for the bartender to make my drink I’m pulled into the conversation between Thor, Tony, Maria and Colonel Rhodes.

Rhodes was telling a story. The other three were paying attention, but I couldn’t. My mind wondered. Asking questions that just made me anxious.

Did James snap out of it? Or did he go back to HYDRA? I just left him there in the street. When he needed someone to trust I ran away. He did tell me to. Yet I still felt so guilty. I was a coward. I should’ve stayed, and made sure he was okay.

“Boom.” Rhodes said, pulling me back to the conversation. “You looking for this?” The four of us just stared at him.

“Boom. You looking for… Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else that story kills.”

“That’s the whole story?” Thor asked.

“Yeah, it’s a War Machine story.”

“Oh, it’s very good then.” I had to take a drink so they couldn’t see my smile. The story might’ve not been funny, but this situation was hilarious. It pulled me out of a shitty mood. Even if it was only for a moment. “It’s impressive.” Thor continued.

“Quality save.” I giggled as I walked away.

I go up a level looking down on everyone. Steve, and Sam were talking at the railing.

“I’m happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case.” Sam said sarcastically.

“Me too. It’s my new favorite hobbie.” I matched his sarcasm.

“You can join us on the next mission if you’d like.” Steve said.

“No. It’s not really my thing.”

“What is your thing?” Sam asked.

“Exercising restraint from kicking your ass.” I joked.

“Your world is crazy.” Sam said.

I could never be comfortable being in such a light. I may have the title of Avenger, but it was something that I still felt like I needed to earn. Line them all up and they belong here. Their skill and will to be this way. I’m not even close. I’m way to fucked up.

“Be it ever so humble.” Steve said.

“You find a place in Brooklyn yet?” I asked.

“I don’t think I can afford a place in Brooklyn.”

“Well, home is home.” Sam said.

“If you need a roommate, let me know.” I suggested.

“I’ll think about it.” I meant it more as a joke, but from his look he’s actually thinking about it. I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

Sam walked off, but Steve stayed.

“Alright spit it out.” He said.

“What?”

“Something is bothering you. What is it?”

“Nothing is bothering me.” I laughed to mask my lie.

“You would tell me if there was.”

“Of course.”

Steve, Thor, and I are talking to World War Two veterans. Steve was swapping stories with them when Thor pulled out a little flask.

He took Steve, and my drinks and poured the liquid in.

“I gotta have some of that.” One of the men said.

“Oh, no. See this was aged for a thousand years.” He handed back my glass. I took a sniff from the glass. The smell was so faint like nothing was there. “It is not for mortal men.”

“Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie. Stop trying to scare us. Come on.”

“You heard the man,” I said.

“All right.” As he poured very little in each drink. I finally tried mine.

I almost spit it back out when I felt the burn go down my throat. It was good, but damn was I not expecting that.

“I might actually get us drunk,” Steve said after his own sip.

“Those guys don’t have a chance,” I said coming to the same conclusion.

“Not at all.”

Two in a half minutes later. All the veterans are either talking to themselves or being carried out because they couldn’t walk. Then there is me who is a bit tipsy.

I’ve never felt this feeling before. I kinda liked it. But I found out the hard way that I ramble on about everything that I think. Everything.

“You are a gorgeous specimen,” I said to Thor. “Like if I didn’t want to throw up every time a man puts a hand on me I would totally try, and get in your pants. Respectively of course.”

“You are my sexual awakening,” I told Nat. “Also I wish I had your body.”

“The nerd thing is a huge turn-on,” I said to Banner.

“You are a very very beautiful man,” I said to Steve as he helped me to the couch so I didn’t say anything worse than I already have. As I said all that I knew that I should've. I wanted to stop, but it just flowed out.

“How come you’re okay?” I asked.

“Because I’ve been drunk before, and I know how to keep it in.”

“Unfair.”

“Do you need anything?”

Then of course I did something that I really shouldn’t have said. “I found him.”

His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. “Where?”

“I found him in Moscow.”

“Then we need to go now.”

“He’s not there anymore. I lost him in Paris. He could be anywhere by now.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Because I needed answers that I didn’t want you to know.”

“Why would I-”

“Because I had things I need figuring out by myself. I’m fucked up, and I didn’t want you looking at me differently. Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. I”

“Don’t say disappointed.”

“I understand. Just wish you told me your intentions. I don’t think you’re fucked up Alex.”

There was an exasperated gasp behind us. Tony stood there with a big smile.

“Don’t.” Steve said.

“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth Rogers. You should not be using that language there, mister.”

“Did I miss something?”

“No you didn’t.” The others were making their way over. The party was over.

“I’m going to get going. I want to avoid the repercussions right now. Might even leave the state for a bit.”

“If you do go, keep in touch.”

“Of course Captain.” I saluted him, and hurried away before anyone could say anything to me.

The next morning I did just that. I took a road trip to LA. The long drive gave me time to be by myself, and wallow in my guilt.

“It’s not your fault.” Rox said.

We were sitting in her boyfriend's apartment. Very rich apartment. Definitely an upgrade from our last place. I’m glad she found someone. Or ones. She denied it all the time, but I knew she never had a boyfriend before because of me.

“It is actually. He was hidden in Russia, and here I come. The disaster and killer of peace. He’d still be there instead of in the clutches of his abusers.” I put my head in my hands. “What have I done?”

“There was no way you could’ve known. While you’re on your self discovery tour did you develop a way to see the future?”

“No, but-”

“Then it’s not your fault. As much as you don’t see it. You’re not a bad person. You had the best intentions.”

“I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I can’t. I appreciate it.”

“I know what you need.” She gave me her ‘I’m up to something smile.’

“What?” I asked wearily.

“You need to get laid.”

I hadn’t felt the need to burst out a laugh for a while. Leave it to Roxy to offer such useless advice. Then I realised she wasn’t laughing with me.

“My God, you’re serious.”

“Yes. You’ll realise all that built up tension. When was the last time you had an orgasim?”

“I’m not talking about this.”

“It’ll help.”

“Maybe for you. Not me.”

“Fine, but the offer still stands, just let me know.”

“I’m not having sex with you Roxanne.” I yelled out.

“Oh fuck no. I meant I give you permission to pick.” She handed me four pictures. Each one of her boyfriends.

“I can’t tell if this is worse. Are you pimping out their boyfriends?”

“No, they talked about it, and agreed. You can pick more than one if you want. Or all four. That’s a fine time.”

I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not, but it did allow me to forget James. If only for a moment.

[ejzah]

NCIS LA Season 14 Countdown, Day 10

A/N: This one is for Ascension (because I forgot it’s part of season 5, not 4). So, I might post season 4’s episode tomorrow instead.

***

One Last Run

Rest. That’s what everyone keeps telling him. You can rest now, Detective. You’ve been through a lot, Deeks, don’t strain yourself.

He’d love nothing more rest. Sleeping would actually be fantastic. To have a few moments of oblivion from his very unpleasant reality. Every time he closes his eyes, he’s faced with Sidorov, a drill that never stops whirring, and unimaginable that medication can’t even touch. He’d rather face every bit of pain though, than to wake up screaming again.

Circling the thumb and index finger around the opposite wrist, Deeks stares at the wall. It’s too quiet, too little time with his own thoughts. What he really needs is something to keep his mind busy. Or oblivion.

He feels weak, broken. Useless.

He grabs the temp phone Nell dropped off to replace his own cell which he assumes is in evidence. If it even survived his fancy dive into Sidorov’s pool. Ignoring the shiver that runs the length of his spine, Deeks opens his messages, his thumb over Kensi’s name.

It’s killing him not knowing what’s going on, knowing that Sidorov and his men are still out there with what they’re capable of. What they could to Michelle, Callen…Kensi. Swallowing harshly, he tosses the phone on the table next to the bed, forcing back tears.

A nurse comes and goes, leaving behind his medication, a snack, and more platitudes, which he accepts with a distracted nod. He knows she’s probably regarding him with sympathy he just can’t handle right now.

It’s as he’s picking at a liquidy cup of jello that his door opens again and he jerks, pressing back into his pillows, reaching for a gun that isn’t there.

“Kensi,” he breathes, ashamed of his reaction. “Hey.”

“Deeks,” she echoes, eye flickering over him, and it occurs him that she hasn’t seen him since he and Sam were brought into the emergency. He has just enough time to register that she seems relatively uninjured before she’s moving further into the room, a duffle bag clutched in her right hand.

“What’s going on?” he asks, words coming out slightly distorted.

“Sidorov knows about Michelle and he has her,” she replies, her eyes heavy with worry and something else. “We need your help. I brought some clothes for you, your gun, and badge,” she continues, setting the bag on the chair and quickly unpacking things.

“Do you know where she is?” Deeks asks, distracted for the first time in hours. He’s seen, felt, what Sidorov is capable of, and the idea of Michelle being subject to his sadistic mind makes him ill.

“No. Eric and Nell are working on it. We lost contact with her, and when we tried to breach the hotel room, she and Sidorov were gone.”

“Damn it. Does Sam know?”

Kensi turns, huffing out sound that might have been humorous if it weren’t for the situation. As she turns back, Deeks starts yanking out his IV and disconnects the pulse monitor on his finger.

“Are you kidding? He broke out hours ago, and was there when we found out. Hetty’s not happy about it.”

He wonders what Hetty thinks about his imminent escape. He supposes it doesn’t matter at this point. It’s not likely he’s coming back to NCIS, or anywhere else.

As he slides out of bed, something in his side twinges, and he clenches his teeth against the pain before he remembers that it’s a terrible idea. Kensi’s by his side in an instant as he gasps and clutches at the bed rail, instantly flashing back to the garage.

“Deeks!” Kensi’s voice is urgent in his ear, hands tight on his forearms. It’s enough to bring him back to the present and see her standing in front of him, though he’s still trembling. “Hey, are you ok?

She sounds shaken herself, though right now he can’t look in her in the eye.

“Yeah,” he lies. “I just bit down wrong.”

“You know, you don’t need to do this,” Kensi says softly. “If it’s too much…after what you went through Deeks, no one would blame you for stepping back.”

He glances at her, seeing a wealth of concern, and something he can’t face right now that has him just as quickly looking to the ground.

“No,” he says, realizing she’s still clinging to his arms. “No, I can’t just sit back. Not after what I’ve seen him do, after what me an Sam went through to keep Michelle safe. I need to do this.”

“Ok,” Kensi whispers. She’s still clinging to his arms, her touch warm, and comforting. Seeming to notice at the same time he does, she abruptly lets go, cupping her hands around her elbows instead. “I’ll wait outside while you change. Let me know if you need anything.”

Deeks nods, staying silent while as she leaves the room. Maybe is through with being a cop, but he can still save someone. At least this one last time.

[rebeccccccaaa]

ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ

_________________________

ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ: (ANON) Hi 🤗 would you do a bday imagine for me? I adore your writing so much! A Bucky one where it’s your anniversary but you get called on a mission and it goes slightly wrong as you see a little bomb thrown in bucks direction. You push him aside and take the full impact of the explosion. You barely survive with serious injuries and you end up being revived and later in a coma and Bucky is always by your side. One day you finally wake up again and Bucky takes care of you and it’s all cute?

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: soft fluffy smut because i can’t help myself lol (OMG IT’S NOT FLUFFY LMAOOOO) (i was finna do fluffy smut for their anniversary but it got filthy real quick ajhfbguhrtg, angst, scared bucky :(

cw: violence and graphic depictions of fighting and bombs and death *sad face*

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ’s ɴᴏᴛᴇs: I'm so sorry I couldn't get this to you sooner love i was having a really hard time with this concept and i just didn’t feel confident in what it was becoming but i really like what i came up with so I hope you had a beautiful birthday and enjoy bug!!

ps: we’re working on anti-valentine part 2 ;)

_____________________

“Y/n!”

Ringing echoed in your ear painfully.

“Please, don’t leave me. I need you,” you heard Bucky’s voice echo as well.

Smoke filled your lungs and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. Your leg burned but you can’t seem to figure out why it did.

“Y/n, keep your eyes open, come on, baby,” Bucky voice sounded warped and you tried your hardest to focus on his voice. Your eyes grew too heavy and soon you blacked out.

“Help!”

“Somebody!”

“She’s fallen into a come; it was all we could do.”

“I’m here, baby.”

“The other day, Steve and I went to the store and I found your favorite flowers. I just had to buy them of course; for you.”

“Peter asked about you today, I didn’t really know what to tell him so I told him about the story of when we first met.”

“Baby, please wake up; I need you, I miss you so fucking much.”

“Wake up.”

“Wake up.”

“WAKE UP!”

Bucky sat next to you by your bed as you laid still and unmoving just as you had been for the past three months. Bucky came everyday to the medical center and talked to you even though he knew you probably couldn’t hear him. He held your hand softly and suddenly the heartbeat monitor that you were hooked up to for the time being began beeping very quickly. Worried, Bucky called for Dr. Cho and Bruce to come to the medical center as soon as possible.  

“What happened?” Bruce asked Buck.

“I don’t know, I was just sitting here and it started beeping really fast,” Bucky said, panicked.

“Ok can you step out please?” Bruce started to lead him out and others arrived at the medical center after hearing the commotion.

“No, I’m not leaving her,” Bucky fought.

“Bucky, please,” Bruce begged.

“No, no!” Bucky thrashed around as Steve grabbed him and pulled him out. 

Hours later felt like an eternity as Bucky waited outside your door. He waited for any news but he was clueless. Nat, Sam, Steve, and Tony waited with him also clueless about the status of your condition. Wanda and Vision had returned from a mission aware of the news and rushed to meet the rest of the team at the medical center. 

“Is she awake?” Wanda asked breathlessly.

“We don’t know,” Nat answered.

“Vis?” Wanda turned to him.

“I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a state of panic, I don’t think I can get an evaluation right now,” he said sadly.

“Don’t stress, you two. Go get some rest. We’ll let you know what happens,” Steve told them.

They waited all night and by morning they all rested on top of each other, heads on each other's shoulders still waiting for any type of news. When the door suddenly opened, everyone who was asleep instantly and simultaneously woke up anxious for what news they’d receive.

“Barnes,” Bruce said softly; Bucky expected the worst, tears brimming his eyes silently preparing himself for the end of his happiness. 

“She asked for you,” he said and Bucky sobbed, thankful you were awake. He took a very deep breath and walked through the door alone.

When his eyes met yours he felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. You looked so beautiful and he couldn’t believe you were awake again. He waited so long to be able to hear your voice, hold you close, tell stories and laugh with you.  

“Bucky,” you whispered.

He lunged at you and hugged you tightly and you hugged him back just as hard. 

“You came back to me,” Bucky sobbed into your shoulder.

“Of course I did; I always come back to you,” your voice croaked.

“I missed you so much, baby,” he cupped your face.

“What happened?”

“You played hero, like you always do,” Bucky chuckled.

You were held up after being ambushed by too many Hydra agents. You had the material you needed and sent it over to Fury and Hill; now you just had to get the hell out of there but that was proving to be an entire challenge in itself.

Hydra had thrown smoke bombs at you two in hopes to distract and lose you but you proved to be stealthier and stronger taking out many agents already. Bucky was busy fighting an agent as were you and you took down your agent before he did. 

You turned to him and to the very side of Bucky a man had detonated a bomb that wasn't a smoke bomb. You didn’t think much before you moved forward and covered the bomb with your body. Bucky snapped the neck of his enemy and grabbed you to pull you away from the bomb but it got stuck to leg and exploded.

Ringing echoed in your ear painfully. 

Smoke filled your lungs and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. 

Bucky grabbed you and knew it was best to not move you considering the state you were in; he couldn’t risk a single thing. More hydra agents flooded in and Bucky grabbed the gun you held and fired perfect headshots to each agent killing every single one easily. 

He held you close and tried to connect to someone but the bomb interfered with both your comms. He yelled and screamed and cried keeping you in his arms looking for anyone who could be a friend nearby. 

Your eyes fluttered and he kept telling you to stay awake, to keep talking, to stay alive. He couldn’t lose you. 

“Hey, you can’t leave me; today’s our anniversary, remember? Four years today. The best four years of my life baby. I can’t lose you,” he cried.

Your body felt limp in his arms and he cried even more. The quinjet came up and medics came and took you away from him. He yelled and shouted and protested but ultimately broke down from feeling helpless. 

Hours later they came and told Bucky that they put in a medically induced coma; it was all your body was willing to negotiate. 

“She’s fallen into a come; it was all we could do.”

Bucky stayed by side all night and everyday until today. Your body reacted to the memories and everything Bucky had told while you were asleep. You fought and man did you fight hard. You needed to wake up and you did just that; reunited with the love of life 3 months later.

“God, I love you so much,” Bucky kissed you. 

“I love you too.”

============

“Bucky have you seen my black shirt? The one with the laces in the back?” you shouted.

“Did you check the clothes on the hangers?”

“Found it!”

Bucky straightened his shirt with a chuckle as he looked at himself in the mirror. Since the two of you originally missed your anniversary date because you almost got yourself killed. Tony gifted you two a reservation for dinner to celebrate. 

Bucky turned around and found staring back at him wearing your black top \you found; you had a small smile on your face.

“You look so beautiful darling,” he whispered holding your hips gently.

“You look very handsome, my love,” you kissed him faintly.

“You ready?” you nodded.

Dinner sucked.

The food was alright, not incredible like you guys had been expecting but that wasn’t even the worst of it. The waiter that was attending to you was constantly flirting with you and Bucky wasn’t having it. When he requested a new one, the waitress that came suddenly lost the top buttons of her shirt and flirted with Bucky. 

So you two left. 

When you got back to your shared room, Bucky pressed you hard against the door as soon as it closed. His lips kissing you hard and his hand already untying the strings that laced your top. Your hands gripped his shirt and soon entangled themselves in his hair. 

“Fucking asshole,” Bucky grunted.

“You think you had a bad time? The bitch suddenly had her tits out when she started waiting us,” you groaned, making Bucky laugh. 

“Yeah that wasn't a great experience. I’m sorry, baby.”

“Don’t be; all I need is you and already have that,” you whispered against his lips.

“I fucking adore you,” he said, picking you up and tossing you in the bed.

You sat up and pulled Bucky close to you as you seductively unbuttoned his shirt. Bucky bit his lip as he stared at you and you suddenly felt very small.

“No, don't get all shy on me. Keep going darling,” he encouraged.

You moved your hands down and unbuckled his belt pulling his pants and boxers down his thick thighs you loved so much. You kissed his chest and let your hands roamed across his stomach and waist pulling him close. 

He pushed you down on the bed and kissed you breasts, tracing his tongue down the center of your chest to your stomach. He slowly curled his fingers over the hem of your pants and underwear and pulled down your legs as you did to him. 

He kissed up your legs before reaching over to the bedside table and pulled a condom from inside the drawer. He pulled it down over his length and pumped a few times before settling perfectly between your hips. 

Your legs wrapped around his own hips, excitedly anticipating what's to come. Bucky cupped your face gently, slowly sliding into you with ease. Since you left the stupid resteraunt, you knew Bucky was pissed off and Bucky was pissed you got absolutely railed into oblivion. You were just waiting, arousal dripping from you, for him to snap.

He gave little time to adjust to enormous size; you were already a jittery and whimpering mess underneath him. Your chest heaved up and down and Bucky sat up on his knees pulling you with him. You held his shoulders tightly and continued to move up and down, riding Bucky. 

“You look so beautiful, baby. Fuck, I love you so much,” Bucky wrapped his hand around your throat, sqyeezing ever so gently, and pulled you against his lips. With his other hand he held both of your hands behind your back tightly; your chest flushed against his. He could feel your hardened nipples pressing into his skin.

“Bucky,” you moaned.

“Feel good? My cock feel good fucking you deep inside?” he grabbed one of your hands and placed it on your lower stomach; you could feel him poking your hand slightly with each vigorous thrust.

“Oh fuck, baby,” you moaned looking down in between your bodies. The obscene sounds of him moving rapidly in and out of you echoed in the large bedroom. The sight was just as filthy but you were basking in every second of it. 

Bucky flipped your body over and pulled your hips up harshly immediately slamming back into you. Your back arch and Bucky’s hands rubbed deliciously up and down your spine. He lifted his hand briefly and striked down smack your ass hard. Your head threw back quickly and you moaned loudly at the tingling sensation left imprinted on you.  

Bucky hips snapped into yours repeatedly, seemingly to be chasing his orgasm. Wanting to meet him, you snaked your hand down your front and circled your clit tightening the coil in your stomach. You heard Bucky grunts get louder as did your moans until finally you felt Bucky hips come to a sudden stop. 

Your body shook violently as you came hard; your head fell into the pillows and you let out a pornographic moan; high-pitched and shaky. You felt Bucky’s lips moving up your spine softly and your body trembled under them. His hands caress your sides as he gently pulled out.

“You did so well for me, my love. You were perfect,” he whispered. You simply breathed heavily trying to steady your heart rate. You could feel Bucky moving behind you and quickly returned to clean your body up and his too. 

“Baby?” he whispered when he was finished cleaning.

“Hm?” you hummed.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, that was incredible,” you smiled lazily.

“You are so perfect to me. So good to me,” he cuddled you; you squirmed and bit your lip smiling at him of which he returned.

“I love you so much,” he said.

“I love you too, Bucky.”

“Well, uh happy late anniversary, doll,” he said, making you laugh.

“Happy late anniversary.”

[thewildomega]

Second Chance Ch. 1 (Whitebeard x reader)

Summary: He had died, that much he was certain of but what he didn't understand was who this strange woman was and why was she looking at him like this. He was pretty sure he had never seen her before but then how did he know her?  Why, why did it have to be you to come across some Stanger when you went for your nightly swim? Was he dead? Please don't be dead. Walking over to him you looked down at the large male, just who the hell was this guy?

A/N:  Whitebeard deserves love too. Let's see how this goes. Comments greatly appreciated.

"THE ONE PIECE IS REAL!" he yelled. Then everything went black. It felt like he was floating, like he was on a cloud. Trying to open his eyes he expected to see a light like everyone always talked about but there was none. There was only darkness. Closing his eyes again he breathed deeply. He was still in pain, although no where near as much. He was tired, exhausted, he just wanted to sleep. Ace, my sons, forgive me.

.......................

Coming up for air you took a quick breath before your head went back under water. Kicking your legs and moving your arms you rounded the buoy and started back towards shore. The water was chilly, autumn settling in but you would keep swimming until the lake froze over. Another breath, you peeked to the shore to see the small lantern sitting on the land, marking your spot. Pushing yourself on you finished your nightly swim as your feet made contact with the sand below. Standing up you brushed back your hair, panting and rubbing your face as you walked towards the shore to grab your things. Yawning you were rubbing your eyes when your foot hit something. Furrowing your brows you expected it to be a piece of driftwood that had floated up and moved your hands but what you saw made a small scream leave your throat. It was a person! A man! he was laying right beside your things. You were positive he had not been here when you started your swim. Hurrying around him to grab your lantern you shinned it by his face. "Oh God please don't be dead." you said to the air. Swallowing hard you looked over the stranger, he was large, had to be close to seven or more feet tall and he was ripped. He was only wearing a pair of tan pants with some kind of red sash around his waist. He had long blond hair that was wet and sticking to some parts of his long face. Glancing down his wide shoulders and chest you saw a few cuts and bruises but nothing that looked serious. Licking your lips you reached out your hand and placed it on his shoulder, giving him a small shake. "Hey, hey are you alright? Hello?" 

Feeling something touch him he groaned and fluttered his eyes open, having to fight the urge to let them close back instantly. Looking up he saw stars, lots of stars but then a bright light made him close his eyes again, another groan leaving his throat. Was he wet? Why was he wet?

"I'm sorry. Can you tell me your name? Are you hurt, I can get you some help." you said, moving the lantern away from his eyes some. 

A woman? Opening his eyes again he looked to the woman that was standing above him, a concerned look on her face. He was fairly sure he had never seen her before but there was something familiar about her. Blinking he felt his brow twitch at his sore body, he thought there wasn't supposed to be pain when you died. Oh yea, she had asked him his name. "Edward." he managed to mumble out before his eyes closed again. 

"Okay Edward, I'm going to get you some help okay." you told him but he seemed to be back asleep. Grabbing your phone you called for an ambulance, being told it would take a few minutes you went back over to the man and looked again at his face, he was actually pretty handsome now that you looked at him, strong jaw and chin. You couldn't put your finger on it but it felt like you had seen him before, like he was this old friend. Flashing lights snapped you out of your thoughts and you stood up to wave them over. 

Standing back and watching as Sam and Beth loaded him up into the ambulance you knit your brows and heard as the sheriff called your name. Shaking your head you looked back to the older man "I'm sorry Garth what did you say?"

"I asked if you saw him walking down the shore before you started your swim." 

Shaking your head you looked him in the eyes, "No, there was no one here when I came out, I sat my stuff down and then went for my swim. When I came back to shore to grab my things he was just laying there, right beside my things."

Humming he rubbed his chin, "Well I'll get my men to look for any footprints and go over any missing persons reports. Did he speak to you?" he asked the woman again. 

"No not really, he was pretty out of it, he did say his name was Edward though." you told him. 

"Okay well I'll talk with him once he wakes up. They are going to keep him overnight in the hospital." he told her and saw her nod. "You know, I told you it won't safe for you to be coming out here so late at night all by yourself." he started and saw her roll her eyes. "I'm serious Y/n. What if that man had tried to attack you, little thing like you..."

"But he didn't and I'm fine. Besides if I wouldn't have been out here you may have been called in to get him in a body bag." you told him. 

"Yeah well I don't even know why you keep coming out to swim, I know damn well the water is cold, you're gonna end up with pneumonia you keep on."  he lectured her and heard her sigh. Shaking his head he waved his hand, "I don't know why I even try. Go home, get some sleep, I know you have to work tomorrow. If I have anymore questions I'll call you." 

Nodding you thanked him for coming out before moving towards the path that led to your home. Hanging your towel over the porch railing you moved to the door and went inside before locking it. Slipping off your shoes you went to your bathroom to take a shower before feeding Nook and going to bed. However sleep didn't seem to come to you, your mind filled with questions about the mystery man that seemed to wash up out of no where. You were positive you had never met him but something was telling you that that wouldn't be the last you saw of Edward.

.............................

Coming to again he felt a little better this time, his mind clearer than it had been. Opening his eyes he looked above him to see a white ceiling. Turning his head to the sides he looked around the room and noticed the walls were white as well, and the bed he was in. Seeing the IV and machines he growled, he just couldn't escape those damn things could he? Going to lift his hands he felt them stop short, something holding onto his wrists. Snapping his eyes down he saw straps of sorts holding him to the bed. Gritting his teeth he began yanking on the things, he would not be tied down. In the midst of his struggling he heard a door open and when he looked up he saw two women dressed in blue come rushing over to him. 

"Whoa calm down, it's okay..." she tried saying but he cut her off.

"I suggest you unbind me now young lady." he growled. When she didn't move to take the straps off he pulled hard, filling the room with a ripping sound. 

"Sir, sir you need to relax. No one is going to hurt you we ahhh!" 

Getting one arm free he pulled on the other and broke that strap as well before moving to stand. Seeing the two women close to his height he furrowed his brows but brushed it off for now. Moving to pull out the line going into his arm he saw one of the women rush out of the room. Looking down he saw he was wearing some sort of gown that ended at his knees. "My clothes? Where are my clothes?!" he demanded, looking to the remaining woman. Hearing the sound of running he turned around and saw the woman from before rushing in along with a man dressed in the same blue clothes. When he noticed the man holding a syringe he grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "I hope you brought more back up than that."

..............................

"Okay I will be back later, please try and refrain from destroying the house." you spoke to the small cub currently fighting with the plushy in the cage made on your living room floor. Grabbing your coffee, keys and wallet you moved to put on your boots when your phone started ringing. Sighing you pulled it out of your back pocket, answering it and holding it to your ear with your shoulder while you started lacing on of your boots. "Hello." Listening to the sheriff talk you stiffened and then knit your brows.  "What?" you asked, thinking you had misheard him. "What do you mean he is asking for me?" you said a little more rough than you had meant to. Groaning you let out a long sigh, "Fine...I said fine! I'll be there in a few minutes." hanging up you finished tying your boots before grabbing your things and heading out the door, grumbling as you made your way down to your truck. "Asking for me?! He doesn't even know me?!" Slamming the door shut you started the engine and took a sip of your hot coffee. Backing out of your drive way you held the phone to your ear again, "Hey Heather. Look I'm going to be late coming into work today. I have to go to the hospital, no I'm not sick just ah.... well I have to meet the sheriff there."  you told her. "Okay well I will be there as soon as I can. Thank you." 

Walking out of the elevator you saw the sheriff standing down the hall some with his arms crossed over his chest, staring into one of the rooms. Moving over beside him you peeked inside to see the man from last night in there. He was strapped down to the bed, legs, wrists, ankles. Pretty much everywhere they could find a place. Raising your brows you looked to the older male. "Why is he..."

"He woke up earlier this morning and went crazy, broke through the straps on his wrists. They got him sedated for a little bit but the drugs don't seem to work that long on him." he told her. 

Continuing to look at him you saw him just laying there, his eyes open as he seemed to stare at the ceiling. "Did you find out anything about him?" 

"Nope. He won't talk to anyone, there were no drugs or alcohol in his system and other than the small scraps and bruises on him the doctors say he is in perfect health. Only thing he has made clear is that he wants to see the pretty woman who found him." 

Snapping your eyes to him you stiffened up. "Why me?" you asked. 

Noticing the man now looking towards them or rather her, he grinned a little, "I don't know. Wouldn't be the first time some wild thing took a liking to you."

Following his eyes you saw the man in the room, Edward looking at you. Taking a deep breath you turned away from Garth and grabbed the handle, opening the door and stepping inside, closing it behind you. Walking towards the chair you stood beside it and raised your brows at him, "You've been giving the hospital staff a hard time I hear." you started off with.

Humming he looked over the woman, she looked to be in her early twenties if he guessed right. Long h/c hair that hung down her back and bright e/c eyes. She wore tight fitting dark jeans, a long sleeved button up shirt with a strange pattern on it made of blue and black. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked to him and he couldn't help but grin a little at how pretty he thought she was. "I told you my name lass, but I don't remember you telling me yours."

Grinning you gave him your name. 

"Y/n. That's a pretty name, suits you." 

"So Edward, want to tell me how you ended up on the shore of the lake last night?" you asked, choosing to ignore his complement. 

"I would if I knew." 

"You don't remember how you got there?" you asked and saw him shake his head slightly. "Alright well can you at least tell me where you are from so we can help you get home." 

"Sphinx is the island I am from." he told her. 

Tilting your head some you looked to him, "I've never heard of it. Around where is that located?" 

"It's in the New World." he informed her but saw her look even more confused. "Perhaps you could tell me where we are now?" 

"We are in Madison, Montana." you told him and now it was his turn to look confused. "In the Untied States... America..."

"I have sailed all over the world lass and I have never heard of any of those places you just listed." he said with knitted brows. 

Humming you bit your lip, this man was crazy, no doubt. "You are a sailor?" you asked. 

"Captain, actually." he corrected. 

"Captain Edward?' you asked. 

"Newgate. My name is Edward Newgate and I'm a pirate." 

You were sure your brows were in your hairline now. "A pirate? You're a pirate?" 

"Sure am lass. I'm better known as Whitebeard." 

"Whitebeard? You don't have a beard." you told him and saw him frown. "Look the only pirate I know of is Blackbeard..."

"Blackbeard? That traitorous scum." 

"So now you are going to tell me that you know him too?" you asked. 

"Know him, I was his Captain. I considered him a son at one time." he growled. 

"Well forgive me if I have a hard time believing that, you know with him being killed like three hundred years ago." you said, moving your feet and adjusting your arms. 

"Come again." he said, narrowing his eyes. 

"Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. He was a pirate that was executed in 1718. He stayed around North Carolina mostly, he was killed there. Legend has it he was beheaded and his headless body swam around the ship nine times before sinking into the sound. " you told him with a shrug. Seeing him just sitting there you sighed. "Look I don't know who you are, I was swimming last night and when I walked up on shore you were laying there. You weren't there when I went out and I didn't see anyone else at the lake last night either so I don't know how you got there. Unless you want to end up in some place for crazy people I wouldn't go telling people you were a pirate." You told him. Letting out a sigh you started walking towards the door. "It was nice meeting you Edward. I have to go to work now."

"Wait." he spoke when he saw the woman walking away. "Have you and I ever met before?" he asked. 

" I don't think so, I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone like you." you told him, giving him a small smile. 

"Y/n." he said, the name rolling off of his tongue so easily. Seeing her look back at him he felt this strange pulling in his chest. "I know, I know you.." he said, looking into her eyes, "And you...know me... don't you." 

Swallowing hard you continued staring into his yellow looking eyes, such an odd looking color, one that you could have swore you had seen before, in your dreams. Furrowing your brows you turned to the door and walked out of it, hearing him say your name once more, the sound striking a cord in your chest. 

Watching through the glass as she spoke to the man in the uniform outside he clenched his teeth when the man shot him a dirty look. They looked to be arguing, the little woman moving her hand and shaking her finger in front of the man's face. When the man rubbed his face and threw his hand through the air he saw Y/n smirk before she was walking back into his room and over to his bed. 

"Here is the deal. I am going to help get you out of here and then you are on your own. I don't know you, I have never met you but I also don't want them to send you away and lock you up so you promise to behave and not go all crazy again?" you asked. Seeing him nod you smiled and reached to undo the strap on his wrist. "Alright then, get dressed, your clothes are in that cabinet, there is a bathroom right through that door." you said before walking out of the room to give him privacy. 

Undoing the rest of the straps those people had put him in he moved over to the cabinet and saw his clothes in a see through bag along with his boots. Grabbing them he went into the bathroom Y/n had pointed out and flipped on the light. Sitting down the bag onto he counter he closed the door and lifted his eyes to the mirror. "AHH!" 

[country-clubs-gf]

Hi hi! Can I please request an Embry x f!reader oneshot where she is Bella’s bff from school, &she goes with Bella to confront the Pack about Jacob(when Bella slapped Paul & Jake defended).Right away, Y/n made eye contact w/ Embry, & he imprinted on her, falling to his knees due to the strong feeling, & she feels the pull too. Once Paul blows up, Em pulls her to his chest, already protective of his little imprint +she doesn’t want to leave him when Bella leaves with Jake, making him(&Emily)grin.

Of course! This sounds adorable!! Xx

~~~

In The Midst of Chaos- An Embry Call one-shot

~~~

“Ugh, (Y/N)! Hurry up! Let’s go!” Bella groans as I’m slipping on my rain boots, which are a total necessity if you live in Forks.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming,” I groan back at her.

She’s been in a mood ever since Jacob randomly stopped talking to her and it’s getting on my nerves. From moping around everywhere to constantly checking her phone, I’m not sure how much more I can take.

So when she insisted on going to Jacob’s house and getting answers from him, I was sort of relieved. Maybe all of her moping and whining will come to an end once Jacob enlightens her of the reason for his sudden disappearance.

Bella grabs her keys and we both trudge through the mud and hop in her old piece of scrap metal of a truck.

Once we get on the road, I turn on the radio to whatever station will come through in this part of Forks. It ends up being some old Indie station but it’s better than nothing so I leave it on.

“So what are you going to say to him when you see him?” I ask her.

She shrugs then says, “I don’t know, maybe something along the lines of ‘where the hell have you been?’ Or ‘you have some explaining to do.’”

“Okay, but you need to stand your ground. Don’t let him walk away leaving you even more confused than before, like you did last time,” I tell her, rolling my eyes at the last part.

“I won’t,” she says, biting her nails in deep thought. Yeah, we’ll see about that.

We finally pull up to Jacob’s driveway on the reservation. She knocks on the door, and it opens to reveal a guilty-looking Billy Black.

“I need to see him.” She practically demands.

Billy shakes his head. “He’s not in,” he replies. Both of us can instantly tell he’s lying.

Much to my surprise, she shakes her head and says,”I’m sorry but I really need to see him.” She pushes past Billy, who is yelling her name, and I follow suit.

I can understand why she’s so persistent about Jacob. We all three grew up together back when we were just kids, before Bella moved away when her parents divorced. We were inseparable. Once she moved away, Jacob and I grew apart as well, and it hasn’t really been the same since then. I’d see him around but we don’t go to the same school anymore so there’s really no point. We only started all hanging out again when Edward left Bella. That is, until Jacob randomly ghosted us both.

She opens Jacob’s bedroom door to reveal him laying in his bed in a deep sleep. She instantly looks pissed off, and her frown grows even bigger once she hears a whistle coming from Jacob’s backyard.

We both look out the window above Jacob’s bed and see 4 shirtless boys heading towards Jacob’s house from the woods.

This sparks a lot of questions in my mind, like, for one, why don’t any of them have on shirts? And why are they coming from the woods? And what are they doing at Jacob’s house?

Bella pushes past me and runs out the door, clearly livid, and rushed towards the four, might I say, very attractive men.

“What did you do?! What did you do to him?” She yells at the biggest one standing in the middle and shoves him. Given his size, this didn’t really have much effect on him.

The man to the biggest guy’s right instantly tries to get in Bella’s face, and the big guy, who I assume is the leader of the group, puts his arm out to prevent him from getting any closer to Bella. “Easy,” he tells him, and it surprisingly works.

“Bella,” I tell her, grabbing her arm to try and turn her around. “This doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

She pulls her arm away from me and continues getting in the leader’s face. I feel a pair of eyes on me so I turn to see whose they are.

I’m met with the gorgeous brown eyes of a gorgeous tan boy with hair that falls perfectly onto his forehead, cheekbones that sit prominently, perfectly plump lips, and a jawline that could cut through steel.

As soon as our eyes meet, the boy’s face falls and he seems as if he is frozen. It’s as if the argument happening right beside us is in the distance, and it’s just me and this boy staring at each other. I can’t seem to take my eyes off of him. I suddenly feel like I’ve known him all my life, like his face is familiar to me, even though I’ve never met him before.

Just then, the boy drops to his knees and stared at the ground in disbelief. The other boys turn to look at him, seemingly knowing what just happened, but then get caught up in the argument with Bella again once the hot-headed guy starts breathing heavily.

The boy gets up from the ground quickly once he realizes what is happening beside us, and pulls me away and against his chest. “Bella, get back!” The leader man yells.

Bella slowly steps back as the angry young man jumps into the air and transforms into a silver wolf.

Without even knowing this boy’s name, I somehow feel safe with his extremely warm arms around me, guarding me from everything that’s happening in front of us.

Bella starts running back to Jacob’s house, and I don’t even feel compelled to follow. Jacob, suddenly wide awake, calls Bella’s name and hops over the porch rail, running towards the scene that’s taking place in his yard. Running towards Bella, he, too, jumps into the air and transforms into a sandy-brown colored wolf, his clothes shredding to pieces everywhere.

Bella falls to the ground as he does this, watching the fight taking place before our eyes. The leader man is holding up his fist at the boy holding me and the other boy. I’m guessing it’s a signal to not do anything.

The two huge wolves sink their teeth into each other for a bit before tumbling into the wood. The leader turns towards Bella, a concerned look in his eyes.

“Take Bella back to Emily’s place.” The leader says, his deep voice booming. He then runs towards the woods, trying to catch up to the two fighting wolves.

“I guess the wolf’s out of the bag,” the boy that’s holding me says, causing me to giggle. They both walk over to a stunned Bella who is still sitting on the ground, a confused look written on her face.

They help Bella up and then turn to me. The boy that wasn’t holding me speaks up and says, “I just realized we haven’t properly met. I’m Jared, I’ve heard a bit about you from Jacob.” He holds out his hand for me to shake, and I oblige to this gesture.

“I’m (Y/N), but I guess you already knew that,” I reply. He gives me a big grin. I then turn to look at the boy that previously wrapped me up in his arms, realizing I never got his name either.

I hold out my hand for him to shake and he quickly shakes it. “I’m Embry, it’s really nice to meet you. I’m surprised we haven’t met before, I’m one of Jacob’s best friends,” the cute boy tells me.

I smile up at him. Somehow it feels like we’ve already met. “Yeah, I’m surprised we haven’t either,” I say.

“Well now that that is over with, can we please go to Emily’s now? I’m starving!” Jared complains.

We all laugh at him and pile into Bella’s old truck.

“So, are all of you werewolves?” I ask the two boys, curious and still shocked by what I just witnessed.

“Yeah, Sam, Jared, Paul, myself and Jacob are all wolves. We’re a pack, we’re very close. Like brothers,” Embry informs me.

I nod like I understand, deciding not to question them further. For now.

The drive to Emily’s wasn’t long, as she, too, lives on the reservation. She lives in a little nook in the woods. Her house is cute and natural-looking. It seems like the kind of place anyone could feel at home in.

The two boys get out and do a strange wolf whistle thing as they shut the doors to the truck. They start rambling on about who won the fight between Jacob and Paul,They turn around once they notice Bella and I’s hesitance.

“Come on, guys, we won’t bite,” Embry calls back to us.

“Speak for yourself,” Jared smirks as he says this, turning back around to walk into Emily’s house.

Bella and I simultaneously get out of the truck and walk towards Embry. He watches me walk towards him like he can’t take his eyes off me, and I start to blush.

He turns around to walk inside but then stops and turns back towards us. “Oh, about Emily, Sam’s fiancée. Don’t stare, it bugs Sam.” Then he turns back around and walks in the door.

Bella and I share a confused looks. “Why would I stare?” Bella asks no one in particular.

We both walk in the screen door and are instantly met with the scent of muffins, and I just then realize that I’m actually quite hungry.

Emily hasn’t taken notice of us just yet as she is still fixing a plate of huge muffins for the boys. However, Embry pulls out the chair next to him for me and gestures for me to sit. I make my way over to the chair and sit down, happy that he offered.

“Are you guys hungry? Like I have to ask,” Emily giggles, answering her own question.

She puts the plate of muffins out on the table and the two boys instantly dig in. Emily slaps Jared’s hand. “Save some for your brothers!” She warns.

Embry hands me a muffin. “They’re delicious, I promise,” he tells me.

“Thank you,” I smile at him. Already, I can tell he’s a sweet and thoughtful guy, which makes him even more attractive in my eyes.

She turns towards us, a smirk on her face as her eyes land on Bella. “Who’s this?” She asks the boys.

“Bella Swan. Who else?” Jared replies with a mouthful of muffin.

“Oh, so you’re the vampire girl,” Emily says, and I giggle at her response.

Bella nods and says, “so, you’re the wolf girl.”

“Guess so,” Emily says with a little bit of sass. “Well, I’m engaged to one.” I can tell that she probably hasn’t heard the best things about Bella from the pack. “Muffin?” She offers. Bella shakes her head no.

“Oh, come on, Bella! They’re delicious!” I exclaim.

“No, I’m okay,” she tells me. I roll my eyes at her modest behavior.

“Leave it to Jacob to find a way around Sam’s gag order,” Emily states. Bella shakes her head.

“He didn’t say anything to me,” Bella clarifies.

Embry speaks up, “that’s a wolf thing. Alpha’s orders get obeyed whether we want them to or not. Oh, and check it out; we can hear each other’s thoughts.”

His statement clarifies a lot for me. Now I understand why they listened to everything Sam said, and why Jacob had to stop talking to us. It’s all coming together now.

Jared’s eyes widen at his friend’s precious statement. “Would you shut up?! These are trade secrets! Damn it! This chick runs with vampires!” He exclaims, pointing at Bella.

“You can’t really run with vampires,” Bella says awkwardly. Emily turns around and giggles at this. “‘Cause they’re fast.” I roll my eyes at her statement and mentally facepalm. What is wrong with her?

“Yeah? Well we’re faster. Freaked out yet?” Jared asks.

“You’re not the first monsters I’ve met,” Bella states.

Just then Sam walks in. “Jake’s right; you’re good with weird,” he answers as if he were part of the conversation.

He walks up to Emily and wraps his arm around her. He kisses her lips and then proceeds to kiss all over her face, making her giggle. I smile at their display of affection.

I look over at Embry who is already looking at me. He gives me a small smile, which I return.

Sam then turns to Embry and says, “did you tell her what happened yet?”

Embry looks between me and Sam. “Not yet, but I guess now is as good a time as any.”

He leans forward in his chair, grabbing my hands into his. “Another wolf thing that we experience is imprinting. Do you remember when we first saw each other, in that moment we both froze?” He asks me.

Of course I remember. How could I forget? “Yes, keep going,” I reply.

He scratches his head, and it’s in this moment that I realize everyone is watching us.

“Well, an imprint is basically our ancestors telling us that we’ve found our soulmate. Once we make eye contact with our imprint for the first time after we first phase, we are instantly devoted to them. We live for them, we are their friend, lover, protector, basically whatever they need. I know this is a lot but it’s something I had to tell you,” he explains.

I suddenly realize why he seems so familiar, and why that moment we had earlier felt like my world shifted. It was because I met my soulmate. It all makes sense now.

“That explains a lot, I felt it too when we first met. I somehow felt like you were familiar,” I tell him.

He nods. “That’s the imprint bond,” he answers. “Pretty soon we will be inseparable.”

“Awww, the baby of the pack found his mate,” Jared coos, making us all laugh.

“I’m so glad, you two look cute together,” Emily says, smiling down at us.

Just then, Paul and Jacob step onto the porch, playfully shoving each other. Paul walks ahead of Jacob and sits down in front of Bella. He turns to look at her and smirks.

“Sorry,” he says snarkily and turns around to grab a muffin. It’s pretty clear to all of us that he didn’t mean that.

Jacob motions to Bella to follow him, and Bella looks at me. “Come on,” she says.

I suddenly feel resentment towards her. I don’t want to leave Embry so soon.

“No, you go ahead,” I say to her. She gives me a confused look.

“What? No, I want you to come with us,” she says.

Without knowing the reason, I start to get a little mad. “No, Bella. I will meet you back here when you’re done,” I reply sternly.

She finally takes the hint and says, “suit yourself.” She then walks out the door with Jacob.

I look at Embry to find him smiling at me with a look of admiration in his eyes. He reaches over and squeezed my thigh. I can tell he didn’t want me to leave either.

Without realizing it, that day was the beginning of the rest of my life.

~~~

Hey guys! I can’t believe I’ve published two imagines in one week! I’m actually pretty impressed with myself haha

I hope you guys like it! Requests are still open!

[a-girl-who-believes-in-magic]

Saving People, Hunting Things

After Chuck is finally defeated and all the humans are back where they belong, Sam and Dean go back to the bunker. They just stand there for a while, right next to the door, and look at each other. It’s quiet now that everyone is gone. Cas, Jack, even Michael isn’t around anymore. It’s just the two of them again. Neither of them likes it. Dean is the first one to break the silence. “Come on!” he says, smiling. “I’m gonna make us some food. I’m starving.” Sam slowly follows him to the kitchen. Dean is not fine. They both know it. And they both ignore it. For now.

They have burgers and beer and Dean laughs, a bit too loud and a bit too long, but that’s just what it is. And one day it will stop hurting. He still has Sam left. His baby brother, the person he loves most in this world. And he is free. Free from Chuck and his twisted games, free to do whatever he likes. He needs to remember that when it gets worse. Later, Sam leaves. And it does get worse.

Sam doesn’t like to leave Dean, it’s easy enough to see that, but Dean smiles and tells him to fuck off and check on Eileen because he knows that Sam has been itching to do that pretty much since Jack brought everyone back including her and finally the door closes behind the younger Winchester and Dean is alone.

He walks back to his room, sits down on his bed and just stares at the wall. He doesn’t move for hours. Eventually, the tears start to fall, one after one. And he keeps staring, and for the first time he allows himself to think about Cas again. About what Cas said and about what Dean didn’t say and the things they will never say to each other and it hurts. But it is okay. They decide to go on one last hunt, to celebrate the good old times. It’s just the two of them again and Baby of course.  Dean is driving, they listen to Led Zeppelin and Sam talks about finishing law school. And then he talks about moving in with Eileen. And Dean is happy for him, he really is, but the bunker is going to be even quieter with Sam gone as well. But there’s nowhere Dean wants to go, nothing he wants to do, so he will stay anyway and wait for the day when it gets better.

The job is easy enough. A couple of vamps terrorising a small town just outside of Lawrence. Returning there is bittersweet. Dean would have expected it to be harder. But he has made his peace, and so has Sam.

They follow the vamps to a remote barn. Dean parks the Impala at a close field and they get their blades. They smile at each other as they walk up to the front door. This is how it was always meant to be. Saving people, hunting things, the family business. No god involved.

When they find out, it’s a small pack, Dean is almost disappointed. They have agreed that this is they’re last hunt. And he knows it’s for the best. But a part of him wishes it would go on a little longer. Maybe he just doesn’t want to face the empty that is waiting for him back home and in his head.

They kill the two vampires that are the closest to the door in mere seconds. One sets of through a back door and Sam follows him, leaving Dean with the last two. He grins. He has faced demons and angels and God himself. They don’t stand a chance.

A couple of minutes later his phone rings. He is cleaning his blade while waiting for Sam to return from his little jog, but when he sees his brother’s name on the display, he frowns and picks up. Sam is panting heavily. “Dean! Get out of there. The pack is bigger than we expected.” He gets on his feet. “What?” “They’re driving right up to the barn. It’s like ten of them in that car.” Sam says and Dean can hear that he is running. “I’m getting the Impala but they will reach you first.” Deans smile doesn’t fade. “Don’t hurry on my account.” he says. “It’ll be fun.” Then he hangs up.

A minute later Dean hears a car pulling up. Doors open and close, people get out. Somebody screams. There’s a loud bang. And then quiet. Somebody is walking up to the barn. Dean raises his blade. The doors swing open and Dean gets ready to strike the first vampire to walk in. Except that there is no vampire left. Just an angel with blue eyes and black hair and a smile on his lips. “Hello Dean.” Dean drops his blade. “Cas?”

There is a part of him that doesn’t believe it. Doesn’t dare to. But Lucifer is gone and Chuck is gone and there is no one left to play tricks like that on him anymore. “Are you really here?” he asks. Cas nods. “Jack brought me to heaven first, but then I heard Sam praying and came down.” And Dean rushes over to him and pulls him into a hug. He doesn’t let go, not for a while. When he finally does his eyes are teary. He doesn’t care. “What was Sam praying for?” he asks. “For someone to save your stupid ass from the vampires.”

Dean turns around. Sam is walking up to them. He hugs Cas as well. But not quite as long. “I knew you wouldn’t get out of here.” he scolds Dean after he has stepped back again. Dean shrugs. “What can I say man, I’m not running from fucking vamps.” They share a look, knowing that’s not all. But it doesn't matter any more. Cas is back. And Dean Winchester is saved.

They don’t talk about that one night, not for a very long time. But Cas doesn’t seem to mind. He just keeps being Cas, always smiling when Dean looks at him, always being there for him. Dean expects him to return to heaven again, but when they reach the bunker Cas is still there. He walks in with them, he has dinner with them, they watch a film and when Dean leaves to go to bed Cas is there to say goodnight. And he is there to say good morning the next day. And the following day. And all the days that come afterwards. He is there when Sam moves out, when Dean gets a job as a car engineer, when Charlie comes over, when Sam and Dean have dinner with Jody and Donna. Sometimes Dean wonders if it gets boring for Cas, living with him. After all, he is an angel and Dean nothing more but a human, a mortal. But then he remembers what Cas has told him, before the empty took him. He wants to say it back. Wants to tell Cas that he can have what he wants. But it’s the one thing he can’t get himself to do. Not yet. And he doesn’t need to. Cas already knows.

Sam marries Eileen two years later. Their first kid is on the way. Dean has proposed to name it after him when it is born. For some reason Sam has reclined. He still gets to be the godfather though, so he doesn’t complain too much about it.

Dean and Cas go there together. It’s a nice, small ceremony, no church and just a couple of friends. Family. Dean doesn’t cry. At all. But there was wind, and it blew him right in the face and that’s why they are red afterwards.

People start dancing later and eventually it’s just Dean and Cas who are left at the tables. Dean has a beer. He watches his little brother. Sam is smiling. He looks happy. And for once in their life, it will stay that way.

Than Dean looks over to Cas. The angel is watching Sam as well. Then he realises that Dean is watching him and looks over. Their eyes meet. Suddenly Dean feels like he is sixteen again. He clears his throat. “Uhm, you wanna dance?” he asks. Cas grins. “I thought you’d never ask.” he says. They get up. Dean doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. Cas takes position opposite of him. “I’m afraid you’re gonna have to teach me how to do this.” he says. “I should have done that a long time ago.” Dean says. And then he does teach him. Cas is good at dancing.

It past midnight when Dean proposes to take a walk. Cas agrees instantly. They’re pretty far from the next town and it’s a clear night. The stars are beautiful. They both look up to them while they walk down the path, next to each other, no destination in mind. And without really thinking about it, Dean takes Cas hand. “You can have it, by the way.” he says. He doesn’t quite know why, but it is okay to say it now. This is good. It’s safe. “If you still want it.” Cas knows what he’s talking about right away. He squeezes Dean’s hand. “Always.” he says. And he means it.

Dean dies first, after many years. Sam has become a lawyer, he has two kids, none of them called Dean, but the girl still develops an almost worrying obsession with pie and classic rock and her uncle. She seems to share that with her godfather, Castiel. Both of the kids stay with Dean and Cas sometimes. Dean is the one to teach them how to drive. Neither of them hunt for a day in their life. They still both get pentagram tattoos when they’re older, though. It’s the family symbol, after all.

When Dean reaches heaven Bobby is there, waiting for him. Dean hugs him. Bobby smiles. “I missed you, idjit.” They share a beer. Then Dean goes to visit the others. They all live around and Baby is there waiting for him, taking him to their houses. First, he makes a stop at his parent’s. They have dinner. But eventually Dean moves on. There are so many more he needs to see. Charlie, the one from this world, Jo and Ellen, Rufus, it takes him a while.

When he’s done, he stops at a bridge in the middle of nowhere. It’s beautiful here, he’s just realising that. He knows that Sam is there before he seems him. A smile appears on his face as he turns around to hug his brother. Sam hugs him back, so tight that it almost hurts. It has been longer for him than it has for Dean. Cas and Jack appear at their side. Jack looks older, wiser, but when he hugs them it’s just like it always was. Cas takes Dean’s hand as they all walk to the railing and watch the sun set in the distance.

[elisaphoenix13]

The Sorcerer's Cub (Ch.3)

When Stephen woke from their nap, he almost immediately jolted into a sitting position when he felt himself pressed up against Tony's side. That was usually normal and something he would enjoy for a few minutes, but he was very aware that he shouldn't be this close to Tony. There was a baby missing. A baby and his teddy bear, and it sent Stephen flying off the bed and startling Tony awake in the process. He looks around the room wildly as Tony blinks himself to further awareness and then stops when his husband reaches out and firmly grabs his wrist.

"Babe, what's going on?" Tony asks tiredly.

"Peter is missing. He wasn't on the bed when I woke up and I don't see him anywhere-"

Stephen covers his mouth with his free hand and Tony looks down at the bed where Peter had previously been. His head snaps back up to meets Stephen's worried gaze with his own and he drops the sorcerer's hand as he jumps off the bed himself and stumbles to the bedroom door. It was partway open which was a sign that Peter had left the room (and Stephen mentally kicked himself for not noticing sooner), and they pull it open all the way and lean over the railing to look down to the floor below. The sight that met them instantly had the air in their lungs coming out in a relieved woosh. Scott was dozing on the couch, but Steve was on another, drawing on a sketchpad and Bucky was on the floor with Peter. The winter soldier was laying on his side with his head propped on his flesh arm as he watched tv, and Peter sat in front of him with magnets laying around him on the floor as well as attached to Bucky's metal arm.

Tony rubs his eyes as he and Stephen descend the stairs to join them. "How long has he been down here?"

Steve looks up at him before motioning toward  the dozing thief with his pencil. "About an hour. Scott was helping him down the stairs when we came up."

Peter looks up from Bucky's arm and smiles up at his parents. "Hi Daddy!"

It was such an innocent greeting, but it was so genuine that it had both Tony and Stephen melting. "Hi baby. Are you hungry?"

"No." Peter says as he looks back to the metal arm and Bucky looks up at them while the baby goes back to sticking magnets on them with giggles.

"I made him a snack when Steve and I came up." The former soldier informs them. "Crackers, a little bit of fruit...that kind of stuff."

Stephen and Tony nod and sit on the third couch to watch tv. The snack would only tide Peter over for a little while, but Bucky could be roped into making lunch for them when he got hungry again. Dinner, Stephen thinks to himself when he notices the time. He and Tony had taken a longer nap then they had planned. It wasn't like they really needed it either. So far Peter was being a wonderfully behaved baby (he knew a tantrum would happen in the future though), and he only woke up once during the night because of the nightmare. It must have been stress for Tony and residual magical exhaustion for Stephen.

When it got closer to dinner, the team came up to the penthouse one after the other and every single one of them stopped to stare at Peter. It was followed by a suspicious glance in Stephen's direction who had to repeat himself multiple times that 'No. I didn't do that. It was alien tech.' that it was starting to wear on him. Tony thought it was hilarious and told him that they weren't exactly wrong to suspect the sorcerer since he was obsessed with baby Peter. The baby that was currently being swaddled by Levi since Bucky had gotten up just a little bit ago to start dinner.

Peter was sucking his thumb and cuddling with his teddy bear while he watched tv, and periodically glanced into the kitchen when a certain noise caught his attention. Natasha had tried to pick up the baby but Levi wasn't having it. It smacked her away until she gave up and went to sit at the island counter to sample bits of dinner. Stephen turned to a book shortly after Bucky got up and Tony grabbed a tablet.

"Mama."

Peter looks at Stephen and holds his arms out, and the sorcerer gets up to retrieve the baby with a smile. As soon as Stephen takes Peter from the cloak, Levi unfurls itself to float next to its master and the doctor smacks it away when it raises an end to fuss at the baby.

"Stop that." Stephen scolds and Levi puffs up before returning to it's usual corner in the living room to sulk.

"Aww. Share the baby Mama Bear." Natasha says with a teasing coo. 

Stephen looks at her pointedly when Peter wraps his arms around the sorcerer's neck tighter. "Even if I wanted to, I can't."

Sam raises an eyebrow from his seat at the table. "You just don't want to."

"No. I actually can't." To prove his point, he drops both arms from Peter to show how tightly the baby was gripping onto him.

Clint laughs. "Here I thought Tony was overexxagerating about needing to use a crowbar."

Tony snorts from the couch. "No. Not about that. Peter is a Mama's boy."

The elevator opens behind Stephen, and Quill enters with Cassie, Harley, and Diana. Sam grins when the adult walks over to the still dozing Scott and moves his legs long enough to sit on the couch. Scott grumbles in his sleep and rolls onto his side to face the couch and Quill pats his legs with a smirk as the kids approach Stephen to see what the sorcerer is holding. Harley bursts into laughter when he sees the baby, Cassie's eyes widen, and Diana giggles.

"When did this happen?!" Harley asks after he calms from his laughing.

"Last night." Stephen replies as Peter clings even closer to him. "You were at your friend's house and Diana stayed downstairs with Cassie."

"My boyfriend is a literal baby. I don't even want to call him my boyfriend right now because that sounds so weird." Cassie says with a wince. "How aware is he?"

"As far as we know, not at all. He's acting like a two year old." Stephen says as Sam gets up and approaches them.

"Hey kid." The man says to get the baby's attention and then points over at Quill. The space pirate was paying no attention to them, watching whatever happened to be on tv. "See that guy?"

"Uh huh." The baby confirms.

"He stole your name. His name is Peter too." Sam says with a grin.

Stephen smacks the back of his head (something Sam deemed totally worth it) when baby Peter glared as furiously as his little face could manage at Quill, and the outlaw looks up when he feels eyes on him. Sniggers echo throughout the floor at the look on Peter's face, and since Quill hadn't been paying attention, he had no idea what warranted the baby fury. He literally did nothing but sit with Scott.

"Why the hell is pipsqueak glaring at me?" The pirate asks, a little miffed.

Sam cackles. "You stole his name."

"I stole his name?! It was mine first!" 

"Are you seriously arguing about a name?" Tony asks, looking up at Quill from his tablet.

"Bird-man started it--ow! Babe..." Quill grunts out when Scott opens an eye to kick his boyfriend in the gut.

"I'm trying to catch up on sleep. Quit arguing about a name." Scott closes his eye again.

"You might as well stay up," Wanda says and Scott sighs heavily. "Dinner is ready."

Everyone gathers in the kitchen for dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, most members at the table and everyone else either at the island counter or in the living room. Harley was too distracted watching Peter try to eat for a while, but that soon lost its appeal when Stephen helped the temporary baby. Cassie was pointedly ignoring Peter for her own sanity and helping Diana with her own food, and Scott had to prop his head on one of his hands to keep himself from falling asleep in his food. Conversations were random and happened between different people and it was all uneventful...until Peter threw a meatball at Quill's head.

For a two year old, he had quite the arm and hit the pirate's forehead right smack in the middle. Scott almost chokes on his mouthful of spaghetti at the development, but says nothing as he offers his boyfriend a napkin who takes it in silence to wipe the sauce of his face. Those at the table and that had seen the meatball fiasco, bursts into hysterics, and Stephen had to stop Peter from throwing a second one.

"No. We don't throw food." The sorcerer reprimands and the baby pouts. "Now apologize to Quill. He didn't deserve that."

"No." Peter grumps and drops the meatball before taking his arm out of Stephen's grasp so he can fold his arms.

"Peter." Stephen scolds and the boy only slouches into his seat.

Quill clears his throat and puts the napkin down after getting an okay from Scott. "I guess he doesn't want to see some new magic." Peter perks up a bit and the outlaw smirks. "I mean...he's seen Mom's magic but mine? Totally different."

Stephen watches as Peter has a mental war with himself, and the curious toddler immediately wins when Quill moves to stand. Peter reaches out with sauce covered hands in an attempt to stop the bigger man from leaving and Stephen takes the opportunity to grab the filthy hands and clean them off. The baby shouts out an apology, and Quill raises an eyebrow before sitting back down and holding out one of his hands. White light swirls above his palm and big brown eyes widen as it slowly shapes into a small sphere. The pirate closes his hand around it and gives it to the baby until Tony and Stephen stop him.

"It's fine! It won't hurt him unless I want it to." Quill assures them and rolls his eyes when the couple looks at him skeptically. "I'm not that mean! I did like the kid before he was miniaturized."

Tony and Stephen return to their dinner as Quill sets the small sphere of light into the toddler's hands, unaware of the fond way that Scott was watching him.

"Why don't you keep that? As long as I'm alive or as long as you want it, it will never go out."

"Hey Porcupine?" Quill looks over at Tony when the baby thanks the Celestial, and the engineer points at the ball with his fork. "That's not going to cause any damage or hurt anyone else if he decides to throw a tantrum is it?"

"Nope. It's just holdable light for him."

"Bummer. I was thinking about taking him to one of my meetings-" Tony starts.

"Tony, stop trying to weaponize our temporarily toddler son." Stephen interrupts. "That's something Harley would do.

Said teen looks up from his dinner with an indignant look. "Hey!"

Cassie snorts. "Don't deny it."

"Yeah...okay." Harley relents.

[acabecca]

Tell me about Briar and Klaus!! Vague question, I know, but I do want to know more about these two!! :D

omg my faves tbh so this might be a bit long lol so I’m gonna put this under a read more!!

They have ~history and they actually know each other before he arrives in Mystic Falls, only she knows him as Nik and doesn’t realise he’s this big bad Klaus guy, and Klaus also doesn’t know that Briar will be in Mystic Falls when he turns up, but it fits nicely in to his plan (even if he shocked at first and nearly gives it away that he’s in Alaric’s body). 

Briar is a witch, her whole family were witches and she’s been practicing magic ever since she could understand what it was so Klaus thinks he can take advantage of their previous friendship to further his own agenda, but he underestimates how close she’s grown to the Msytic Falls lot (particularly Stefan and Damon, the last one thanks to @sgtbuckyybarnes​ oc Ava). 

There’s a lot of tension there because Briar knows she’s supposed to hate Klaus, but everyone knows that she doesn’t and none of them especially trust her anymore (apart from Stefan) (not humanity off Stefan bc he’s a dick and he doesn’t care and he actually turns Briar into a vampire but there we go). It’s very awkward between Briar and Klaus because she lowkey blames him for her becoming a vampire and she has a hard time adjusting and her powers are haywire and she just can’t control them or her emotions, and she still has lingering feelings for Stefan who absolutely refuses to have any kind of relationship with her because of his guilt, and because of that she does go running back to Klaus and they grow close again.

I can’t say much bc of spoilers for Sam’s fic but Briar leaves Mystic Falls not long after Jeremy kills Kol, but she does follow the Mikaelson’s to New Orleans (Briar would do anything Elijah Mikaelson asked her to do because, well, he’s Elijah and she owes him, but she really looks up to and admires him too).

Then obviously you have the events of The Originals which Briar (and Ava!) is central to – almost instantly she forms a very strong bond with Hayley and is very protective of Hope (she leaves with Hope and Rebekah and the end of season one), like she would die if it meant Hope would be safe, the only time she isn’t around is when Marcel has Klaus chained up in that basement thing because she goes a little off the rails – the Mikaelson’s are her family now and she doesn’t know what to do without them – but Hayley pulls her back in. After the untimely end of Hayley, Klaus and Elijah (although I’m not sure Klaus and Elijah can be considered untimely), Briar does a bit of soul-searching but ultimately she will end up back in Mystic Falls working at the Salvatore School because of Hope, and Briar tries her hardest not to adopt the waifs and strays (namely, Raf and Landon), but it doesn’t work because she has always been a protector, that’s just who she is and she will always protect the kids who have no families.

And I’ve basically just told you Briar’s whole story and there isn’t much about her and Klaus lmao I’m sorry, she started as a Stefan OC but she ended up a Stefan x Klaus OC, now she’s mainly a Klaus OC with a bit of Stefan thrown in here and there (and even a bit of Ric during Legacies), but the person she loves more than anyone in the world (apart from Ava) is Hope.

[brattywriters-anonymous]

A Rose In Harlem

OC x Erik Story

Based on Teyana Taylor’s VII & KTSE

Warnings: Language

@chaneajoyyy

Chapter IX: Rize

February 6, 2014

22 HOURS BEFORE SHOWTIME.REHEARSAL, NINE PM.

"Ladies, Gents! Find Seats! Sit in them!" All twenty-four models followed Yani's request. We just wrapped our rehearsal, everyone did phenomenal. I can only pray that we get it like this at 583 Park Ave. Yani and I have been thee dynamic duo for the past seventy-two hours. I've been steaming outfits, she's been bagging accessories. I've been designing roll-away walls, she's been contacting every contractor in her contacts to design the black and gold glitter floors.

Honestly, in the past month, Yani and I have been on our hustle. I finished my last shoot and have been on go since. Erik and I have basically been like two ships passing in the night. I usually would leave before him, and come home after he arrived. We never talked about my father's birthday, our kiss..well..kisses. None of it. I've been too busy. Yasin and I have been texting here and there, but I haven't seen him either. He's been understanding about it though. The only person I've been spending my time with is Yani.

We've collectively gotten maybe eight hours of sleep in three days. So now, we're just exhausted and over it. We're trying to get this rehearsal over and done with. The theater's silence is my queue to step on the stage, I do so, scanning my models faces. They're looking like kids on Christmas Eve. So excited for what the next day has to bring. Their faces make me grateful, my smile spreads and everyone breaks out in applause. I decipher a few, "Yeah Syd!" "You did it girl!" and "Woos" in the crowd, I yield my hands up and down, they lower their yells. "Hey everybody, We're down to the wire here. We're less than a day away. We've been working our asses off for a month and a half. I couldn't have ever gotten this done without any of you. I'm excited for everyone to see our hard work. I'm even more excited for you to see your hard work pay off."

I point to Iyo in the control center, He dims the lights and lower the projector screen. "I now present to you.. UPTXWN." Applause rings out as the projector displays a drone clip of High Bridge among the sunrise and Syd's voiceover, "Uptown, Home of the greats. From The Bronx, to Harlem. The place I know, the place I love." The six models she started with appear on the screen, daringly sitting on the railing, laughing with one another in their high end garments. "Our hustles.. It always had this special..thing about it. We always went a little harder. Thought a little smarter. Emerged to the top a bit faster." Photos of me and all of Uptown's finest begins scrolling through from right to left. From a photo of me and Dapper Dan when I was fresh out of college. Diddy and I when I was an intern at Chanel. With Kerry Washington a bit after Save the Last Dance came out when I was twelve. Sistah Souljah, Kid Capri, Bianca (aka Young B), Cam'ron, Juelz, and Jim Jones back when Rock-a-fella were still together, Kalis, and finally, A$AP Mob & me when they were fresh in the game back in 2011.

"And when we're on top, we set trends. We define eras. Their stamps will forever be evident in our culture. Here's mine. Here's UPTXWN." All of the photos scroll backwards and the screen goes black for a few seconds. Images of the Big L tribute wall outside of the Harlem Up Deli Market, in black and white appear, then the same original six models; Sam, Levi, Von, Jade, Deanna, and Cass kneeling at different levels, crowded around the wall. Making sure not to block his face or name. Then Pretty Flako instrumental bangs through the theater's speakers. The TV flake transition changes to the Bailey house shoot. The drone shot pans around the corner of the property, all twenty four models posing looking like royalty draped in over $80,000 worth of clothes collectively.  The visual pans over to a slowed down visual of Nina flashing her bottom grill, her thick frame vibing out to the up tempo beat. Then to Xierra kneeling beside her, giving face in her side profile. The screen shortly displays a wide pan of the property and models again, then switches to Levi. Iyo's suggested scene of displaying the details of his tattoos on his shirtless body-- while simultaneously showing the VVS necklace, the embroidery on the custom one of a kind jean jacket; came out perfectly.

The photos of each model in each of their looks scroll through at the right speed so each detail is fully displayed. Every model stands up, showing off as their photos went across the screen. As Gina's photoset emerges, I turn to the screen so I can roll my eyes. I instantly become reminded of how flirty she was with Erik before Yani had to snatch her up to take these.  Yani stands beside me, peeping the entire scene, "Girl, suck it up. She in it now. Let's get it over with." I shake it off, turning back to the models.  

The park Marcus Garvey Amphitheater scene pops up, it was a gloomy overcast. Which was perfect for the theme. As the looping instrumental repeats, each model was either sitting at the top of the folding seats, or crouched on the seat of the folding seats. The collective total of every look? $110,878. I'm lucky I got such great relationships with these clients and these models didn't fuck up any of they shit. The first visual was Von, on the center stage. His long hair hanging over his entire face. He rocked this black long open hooded jacket, shirtless. Displaying his massive musical themed chest piece. It gave me a grim reaper vibe that I was definitely looking for. The jacket was a piece I asked Chris Brown's people to create for their Black Pyramid line. They fucked with the vision and agreed to do it. Von flipped the bottom of the jacket back with force, the rest of the models appeared on stage, smoke filled the stage floor as the all black visual came to life. Gina and Cass rocked matching contrast dresses, Cass was the only model not in black that day. I put her in a white intricate lace Erdem Dress. Gina wore the matching Black dress.

Jade and Deanna were back to back. Jade was wearing a black deep v neck, with a leather ribbed comme des garcons jacket. With a cascading gold necklace reaching her stomach. Accompanied with black and gold aviator Louis Vuitton shades,  Black ripped Levis I thrifted on the East side, and Jefferey Campbell's Legion booties. Deanna was wearing my favorite outfit of that day. A black long sleeved Oscar De La Renta ruffled shirt with cut out shoulders, a Burberry black ruffled skirt, and black Averil Doc Martin boots. Her bamboos and three finger ring spelling out her name put a street edge on her look that was near and dear to my Harlem bred heart. GG beat every woman's face and gave them the same cohesive smokey eye with the black, In The Spirit MAC lipstick. The only difference makeup wise was Cass' white undereye liner.

Once again the photos of every model starts cascading slideshow style. Johan was my second favorite look for that shoot, He rocked a black high low long sleeved Alexander Wang shirt, black distressed Givenchy jeans, and his personal black on black Ralph Lauren Hi Boots. I was going to put him in some other shoes, but I saw the ones he had on and they looked way better with the fit. We accompanied that look with a black Cuban link necklace, the matching bracelet, and Dolce & Gabana retro flip up  round glasses.

Everyone's rave reactions trigger my tears of joy, it's all of our first times seeing the visual's final product and I couldn't be any more proud. This has really been my baby. I've nurtured it, I've put in the work for it. This moment was like its graduation. Everyone looks at me, "Awwwwww!" Yani gives me a big hug, "I'm proud of you, kid." I squeeze her, "I'm proud of us, kid." I push out a laugh.

The final shoot displayed the brownstones on Mount Morris Park, the street right outside of Marcus Garvey Park. Where my parents' old brownstone was. I only needed my original six for this one, since all twenty-four wouldn't fit on the stoop. That day, it was sunny. Not one cloud in sight. Perfect lighting for the intimate shoot. The theme was spring, specifically, pastel colors.

I dressed Jade in a pastel yellow Ted Baker maxi dress, I accessorized her outfit with vintage canary yellow teardrop earrings with a matching tennis bracelet. She wore some nude Christian Louboutin spiked peep toed heels. She stands up when she finds her face and yells while twerking, "Long Hair! Red Bottoms! Long Hair! Red Bottoms!" Everyone, including me burst out in laughter. She kept saying it so much during the shoot, I let her keep them. Paid the $1,500 tab too. Deanna was draped in a Monroe and Main white two piece suit with black accents on the collar and cuffs. We accompanied that with my personal pearls I got from my mom before she passed, some white Manolo Blahnic pumps, and some VVS diamond earrings while her hair popped in the sunlight. She wore her low cut with a rose gold tint. I put Cass in a pair of nude Emilio Pucci wide legged trousers, a White Alexander McQueen peplum top, and a matching nude blazer was draping over her shoulders. Her accessories was a silver double C Chanel choker, charm rings from Tiffany Co., and a vintage Chanel crossbody, gifted from Karl Lagerfeld himself. He said I needed something old for my collection.

The guys were matching my girls' fly. Von parallels Deanna with a Tom Ford cotton two piece suit,  I laced him with some white Versace loafers with the gold Medusa emblem on the center, with the Cuban link chain Johan wore at the Marcus Garvey shoot, and golden Panthere De Cartier  rounded sunglasses. Levi's parallel was for Jade's look. He wore a pastel yellow Calvin Klein. Accompanied with a large size canary ring on his index finger, and the Burberry vintage loafers. Sam paralleled Cass, in a nude ASOS suit with the matching vest. I kept it simple and just accessorized it with my dad's gold pocket watch and black Stacy Adams dress shoes.

I thought the presentation was over, but then the screen transitioned to me working behind the scenes. Me pointing and directing at the Bailey house, with the wind blowing like crazy, me filming on Highbridge at the crack of dawn, Iyo even snuck some footage of the meeting we had in Morningside Park. It looks like Yani snuck some footage of me putting the image board for the fashion show stage together as well. I'm just admiring the scene of watching the hard nights and amazing days I shared with an incredible team. The last shot was me sitting on my old stoop. I was just reminiscing, thinking of how my mom, dad, and I would eat ice cream in the spring in the same spot. I looked up, as I normally do when thinking of them, put my hands together and mumbled, 'allah , shkraan lak.' The camera was too far to catch my phrase. Afterward I bowed between my legs so I could have my emotional moment to myself.

Everyone hops on the stage to crowd around me and initiated a group hug. Once everyone slightly disbursed, I see Gina still sitting in the audience with Erik, I guess he just got here. I hear the doors open again and see Yasin, smiling at me.

--

By half past 10, everyone had gone home except for Yani, Nina, Gina, Erik, and Yasin. Nina is waiting on Rashad to pick her up, and I guess Gina is looking to Erik to take her home. She's literally been all up under him since his arrival.

"Tomorrow's gonna go great, babe. You got a great team behind you, you've been super focused. It can't go any other way." Yasin lands a kiss on my temple as I blush at his encouragement. I blink in Erik's direction, he's giving the same look he gave us at Rashad's party. He then grips Gina, pulling her closer to him, "Yeah. You got it Syd. We gon head out. See ya later." with that, Erik and Gina strut to the exit. Nina's phone dings, "Oh, bae is here! See ya tomorrow Syd! We gon kill it, boo!" She hugs me and Yani then jogs out the double doors, "Nice seeing you again Yasin!" he nods, "You too!"

--

"So tell me something about you, Sin! I've only talked about me when I see you. What was lil Yasin like?" We are strolling down Saint Nick Avenue after getting grilled jerk chicken from King Barka. We decide to sit on a park bench right outside Saint Nick Park to chat since I wasn't quite ready to go home. "Well, I was born and raised in Brooklyn. Flatbush. My moms is from Brooklyn as well. My dad's side of the family is from Harlem, the eastside, but they love uptown just as much." I grin as he continues, "I was a bad ass kid growing up. Always fighting, getting into trouble at school, I even got expelled in middle school." "Well damn! How did you go from that to--" I wave my hands around his silhouette, "This?" He takes a bite out of his chicken and flashes a sexy smile, "My mom sent me to live with my Uncle. The one that retired and gave me the maintenance business."

"Ahhhh, I see. He whipped you into shape?" He snorts, "Oh, he whipped me alright. A lot. He taught me what it is to be a man." "Where was your father?" He continues eating, pausing his story for a spell, "Uh.. He was in prison. He pushed weight for about ten years, he got caught up. He didn't snitch, so he got twenty. He got out after eight years for good behavior." "How's your relationship with him now?" He shugs, "We're cool. We had a little spat when he first got out. I had to be the man of the house for a while for my moms and sisters. I resented him for it." I take a hold of his free hand, "We patched things up recently." "So him and your mom still married?" He nods, "Yeah. Moms held him down. That lady.. She deserves the world." He finishes his dish as he glows at the mention of his mother.

"She had to get two jobs before I turned sixteen and worked with my Uncle. She held down our household for three years, alone, before I was able to step in and help her. After that, she went back to school. She finished the year before my pops got out, now she's a nurse. Doing what she loves to do." "That's great. That's what life is about, doing what you love." "Definitely." He throws away our empty plates and we keep walking down the avenue, "So what do you love to do Yasin?" "I love music." I stop in my tracks.

"Let me guess, you rap?" he sucks his teeth, "Nah, girl. I play instruments. Three; Acoustic guitar, piano, and snare drum." "Ah, okay! When did you discover your talent?" "I was... ten, I think?" "You make songs?" He pulls a slick move behind me, grabbing me by my waist. I roll my eyes as we continue to walk, "I haven't made a song in five years." "Why not?" I feel him shrug behind me, "I've been busy." I turn around to grab his hands, "You're never too busy to do what you love." He smiles at me, I sense the same glow about him that he had when he spoke of his mom. "Especially when it makes you this happy...just talking about it." Yasin closes the gap between us, "Maybe, you're right. Look at you. Doing what you love. You're inspiring Syeda. Beautiful, too." He strokes my left cheek with his palm. I freeze, much like I did a couple weeks back in my apartment with Erik.

Speaking of Erik, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do about what happened since my dad's birthday. I guess Erik knows what he wants, and that's Gina. So why am I freezing? What's stopping me? All of a sudden my inner thoughts are silenced when Yasin seals our distance, gently kissing me. My knees buckle and he hoists me up by my butt, cuffing the bottom of my cheeks. That makes me even weaker, he breaks off from me, "Damn girl. You good?" My eyes flutter as I respond, "Yeah. Yeah. I'm good." I pull him by his shirt to kiss him again.

--

[ashapon]

Pretty Girl Rock

Summary: Part 1. Honestly, they’ve known each other for so long. Chris shouldn’t just be figuring this out now.

Tags: Climbing Class, Chris/Josh, Until Dawn AU, Cheerleader!Josh

Word Count: 2,733

“Hey, nerd.”

Chris swiveled around in his seat to face a beaming Jessica, her hands clutching her cellphone close to the fabric of her baby blue cami. He’d long since learned that her way of referring to him was more of an endearment than anything else; Jessica was shockingly sweet in spite that her position as head of the cheerleading squad also carried the baggage of the ‘bitch’ stereotype.

“What’s up?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s up’?” Jessica rolled her eyes playfully. “You comin’ to tonight’s game or what?”

Chris furrowed his eyebrows, actually considered she was joking for a moment. She didn’t wait for his answer and instead plowed through his confusion.

“We’ve got this phenomenal routine, right?” Jessica wiggled her fingers excitedly. “Oh my gosh, you have to come! It’s Friday night, we’ll all hang out afterward.”

“I don’t know,” he chuckled, glancing to the clock. Three minutes until the chemistry quiz. “Josh goes on about how boring I’ll find it. All games are the same, right?”

“Don’t do it for the football, duh,” she joked, leaning down to pull her book out. “Do it for us! Do it for the cheer. It’d totally mean a lot.”

“Yeah,” Chris offered her a quick smile before swiveling around in his seat just as the bell rang. “Okay. I guess I could drop by if it means so much to you.”

Jessica giggled, typing out a brief message.

“I thought you’d wanna do it for Josh, but whatever.”

Chris turned the upper half of his body, raising an eyebrow in Jessica’s direction.

“Why would Josh care if I watched you guys cheer?”

Jessica gave him a look that very much conveyed he was an idiot and, honestly, Chris had no idea why. He didn’t get the chance to inquire further, not when their teacher was calling their attention to the front as she started passing out the quiz.

Josh Washington was his best friend; they’d known each other since the 3rd grade - and sometimes they were completely different people and they worked. They shared plenty of common interest, and would truthfully do anything for each other, but Chris wasn’t oblivious to the fact that he wouldn’t know half the people he did without Josh.

The way that Josh was, he didn’t care how he came off to other people, he socialized with anyone, didn’t actually try to compromise on who he was. Chris respected him more than he could put into words. Josh was someone Chris could goof around with who wouldn’t pretend it didn’t happen the next day.

That in mind, Chris realized he hadn’t ever gone to see his friend play a game. Josh was on the football team and he’d never bothered to drop in? Maybe he didn’t care about that kind of obligation, maybe he knew that wasn’t the kind of environment Chris thrived in?

He hadn’t bothered to consider it until now; and he thought about it the entire day, tossed multiple scenarios around in his head that varied from Josh being completely ashamed of him to, was it even possible, Josh being a terrible football player. Neither seemed likely, no matter which direction Chris’ anxieties tried to push him in.

In the end, Chris convinced himself not to worry about it. He met up with two of their friends, Sam and Ashley, after school and they followed the crowd to the bleachers.

“Is this really your first time seeing a game?”

Chris shrunk under Sam’s gaze a bit and she immediately appeared apologetic. He stared down at his phone, biting his lip, and tapped a swift ‘good luck, I’ll be here after’ message to Josh. He wanted to tell Josh he’d be here sooner, but he knew his friend would try to talk him out of it.

Why was that?

“You know Josh,” Chris managed a smile. “He always says it’s not a big deal.”

Sam hummed in a way that suggested she was only half-satisfied with that answer before the three of them were interrupted by an enthusiastic shout.

“You made it!”

Jessica reached over the railing to snag Chris’ hands, shaking them with vigor. She was wearing the tri-colored cheerleading uniform, her hair twisted in dual braids.

“I said I would, didn’t I?”

“This is so great,” Jessica fists went up in the air before she extended her index fingers toward Chris. “He’s gonna be so happy. He always gets a little nervous about every game.”

Well, Chris supposed that did make sense. The school put a lot of pressure on its athletes.

“I’m sure it’ll be great,” he replied, supportive. “Where is he, anyway?”

Jessica opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly the crowd was roaring and instead she took a few steps back. She mouthed something that looked like ‘Show time’ and lifted her hands in the air again.

The crowd quieted some and she spoke over the din.

“What’s up, Titans?”

The crowd roared in response and Chris reached up to cover his ears, wincing.

“You guys ready to see a win tonight?”

Again, the crowd screamed the affirmative and Jessica clapped her hands together.

“First thing’s first...” a coy smile tugged at her pink lips. “Are you excited for some Titan cheer?”

Jessica’s smile was infectious, Chris found, exchanging a small grin with Sam and Ashley before clapping along with everyone else. Music started blaring from the speakers around them and the hype reached its peak with the appearance of the Los Angeles Titans’ cheering squad.

Roughly a half a dozen male and female cheerleaders stood just outside of the football field, gathering in their formation. Chris spared half of them a look before the cheer began.

It really was impressive; Chris flinched because, half the time, it seemed as if someone was in danger of breaking their spine, but definitely impressive. Jessica was a star, obviously, but he knew that going in.

Halfway through the cheer Sam jostled his shoulder and pointed at a particular member of the squad. He followed her gaze, listening as she spoke directly into his ear.

“There’s our boy,” she sounded like she was imitating a proud mother. “Cool, right?”

Chris squinted. Honestly, he hadn’t been paying attention to any of the others aside from Jessica. The instant his eyes landed on the man in question, they widened and his mouth hung open.

He felt numb for the remainder of the performance, like he switched bodies with someone who was him but not quite. As though he’d ended up in a completely different universe in the span of a few minutes.

In this universe, Josh Washington - his best friend in the entire world - just so happened to be a cheerleader. One of the few male cheerleaders and, by all appearances, the most out-fucking-standing of them.

Josh was worrying his lip beneath a small and entirely wholehearted grin as he pulled off moves and flips and things that had Chris gasping behind his hands.

This was real. He knew that grin. He knew it because it was exactly like the one Josh sent his way whenever Chris insisted he’d be the next big thing in Hollywood.

By the end of the routine, Chris was positive his eardrums had shattered, his hands shaking while the crowd chanted for more. The cheer squad convened in front of them and Josh, beaming, had an arm around Jessica as he whooped and the football players began to file out onto the field. Ashley’s friend Matt among them.

Chris, however, couldn’t help that he was still gaping in his best friend’s direction. He barely registered that Josh and a few of the other cheerleaders were setting up to do a final toss, twist, catch except that Josh didn’t catch and someone else had to when Chris stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“What?”

The crowd around him died down substantially, Sam and Ashley were giving him weird looks and Josh...

Josh met his gaze, instantly mortified regardless of any attempts to conceal it. He recovered faster than Chris, largely because he was being ushered away by the squad, by a Jessica who was shooting him odds glances. Josh dropped his gaze, physically moved behind Jessica and refused to even acknowledge Chris until he was out of sight.

Everyone seemed to forget it happened; a student announced the arrival of the opponents over an intercom system and Chris remained rooted to the spot.

“Uh, Chris,” Ashley nudged his arm cautiously. “Why are you acting like that?”

Chris opened his mouth, closed it and took a deep breath.

“Like what?”

“Like you didn’t know Josh was on the cheer squad,” Sam elaborated, pausing. “You didn’t know Josh was on the cheer squad.”

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, unsure whether he felt angry, betrayed, whatever. Either way, he didn’t trust himself to speak any further.

“How could you not know?” Ashley asked. “Didn’t he mention it?”

It was a sincere and perfectly justified question, but Chris found himself hissing out a put off “I don’t know” before he was making his way down from the bleachers.

The cheer squad was taking a break near the refreshments, Chris heard Josh’s voice above the surrounding conversational tones.

“Are you kidding me, Jess?”

“Don’t get mad at me, Josh,” Jessica huffed, sipping her water. “How is this my fault? You’re telling me you never said anything? Not once?”

“It...” Chris heard Josh struggle for a moment only to come up with a feeble, “It never came up.”

“Don’t play that game with me.”

When Chris peered around the corner, Jessica was shoving her cup of water in Josh’s chest accusingly.

“I’m serious,” Josh frowned. “What am I gonna do? Say ‘Hey, Chris, guess what’.”

“That’s exactly what someone who isn’t embarrassed to be a part of an awesome cheer squad would say.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” Josh groaned, lowering his voice. “Why would I be embarrassed to be a part of a kick-ass cheer squad?”

“I don’t know,” she crossed her arms and shot him a pointed look. “Why wouldn’t you tell your best friend?”

“Maybe you need to cool off a bit, Jess-”

“-actually,” Chris cleared his throat and stepped forward through a crowd, scuffing his shoes across the asphalt. “I was wondering the same thing.”

The other two fell silent and when Chris braved the chance to meet Josh’s eyes, he found his friend averting his gaze to the ground.

“Josh,” he tried, struggling to keep an even tone. “Can we talk for a second?”

Josh hummed in thought, a careless noise that set Chris’ nerves on edge. He gazed over at the field and shrugged.

“We’ll probably have to go out any minute -- Jess, ow, what the hell?”

Jessica snatched the water out of Josh’s hands and took a few steps closer to Chris.

“We don’t actually need you out on the field until half-time, genius,” she tossed her hair over her shoulders and nodded to Chris. “Take your time alright? Really, just, nail into him. Throw a punch if you have to.”

Behind her, Josh was shaking his head, hands on his hips. Jessica gestured for the others to follow her out to the bleachers, calling over her shoulder.

“If you do punch him,” she added sweetly. “Make sure it’s not in the face, okay?”

Josh turned around to the refreshment stand when they were left alone, ordering a complimentary water. Chris wanted to give him credit for the fact that he legitimately acknowledged Chris’ presence and asked if he wanted anything.

Instead, he declined and watched Josh nervously tug at his straw. It was obvious to Chris that his friend felt trapped by the situation - and he never responded well to that kind of environment. He’d have to be the one to extend the olive branch.

“Wanna sit down somewhere?”

Something in Chris’ tone likely prevented what would have been a typical childish response by Josh. The other only nodded slowly and followed after him.

They ended up a way out from the field, which was still visible from where they’d hopped up on the tailgate of Mike Munroe’s truck. Josh insisted that Mike wouldn’t know - or hell, care - considering he was in the middle of an incredibly important football game.

Chris shrugged in response and they sat in a silence that was very occasionally interrupted by the excitement of said football match.

“’It’s not just good to be different,’” Chris recited after several minutes, gritting his teeth. “’it’s better to be different’. You know who says that?”

“I do,” Josh answered without hesitation, the corner of his mouth tugging up a little. “Gotta be honest, though, it’s lame as hell. Plus I got it off a speech by a guy from some prime time award show.”

“Whatever,” he sighed, forcing Josh’s to meet his gaze for one goddamn second. “You’re always the one going on about how I should be my nerdy old self, right?”

“I never lied to you, man-”

“-but you never told me,” Chris interrupted. “Which, I gotta admit, is a shitty thing to do. And it means you already decided how I would react.”

Josh didn’t respond, resumed staring down into the straw of his untouched drink. In the background, the home crowd screamed and the digital number adjacent to the ‘Titans’ rose a few points.

“How long?” Chris watched Josh slump out of the corner of his eye. “Josh, how long?”

Josh shook his head again, cursed to himself as he pulled the lid off of his drink and downed it.

“Six years,” he picked at the lip of the Styrofoam cup. “Give or take.”

“Six years,” Chris repeated, closing his eyes. “And everybody but me knows?”

“My, uh, my dad doesn’t,” Josh laughed, a hollow, humorless sound. “Not too keen on having that conversation with him anytime soon.”

“Senior year,” Chris felt exhausted at this point, not even angry. “I don’t get to know until our senior year because you thought - what? - that I’d react like your dad would? That you’d lose my respect or something?”

“I don’t know, man,” he could tell Josh was steeling himself for something. “People have their own opinions about that kind of thing. Stereotypes or whatever.”

“Really?” Chris’ furrowed his eyebrows. “You have got to be shitting me. You thought I would assume you were gay and drop you like a damn hot potato?”

Josh flinched, there was no disguising it. Chris wanted to pursue what that meant, but his friend was nudging his shoulder and grinning like it hadn’t happened.

“You wish,” he winked, but the usual impish glee wasn’t there. “Bro, I’m sorry, but you’ll be competing with me for the lovely ladies of the world’s attention for the rest of your miserable life.”

Chris had to let it go, because whatever there was left to learn about wasn’t worth the suffocating silence, because he felt inexplicably tired and Josh...

Behind the grin, Chris thought he saw it there, desperation peeking through the cracks, an entreaty for momentary peace. Even though he wanted to call his friend out on it, even though he wanted to press it further, he laughed instead.

“Sure,” he patted Josh’s knee, feigning consolation. “Say what you want, but once they find out Josh Washington, my best bro, is a cheerleader, they’ll all come running to me.”

Josh snorted.

“You don’t even know,” the grin back in full force, Josh ran his tongue across his top row of teeth. “Guy or girl, people dig cheerleaders. I’ll be the one hooking you up.”

“I do know, actually,” Chris knocked his shoulder against the other’s. “You looked really fucking cool out there.”

“Thanks, man.”

“I mean it.”

Josh ducked his head, palm pressed to the back of his neck. He didn’t look at Chris when he spoke next, his face turned toward the field.

“Come to practice sometime, okay? If you want.”

The game had gotten off to a late start and with autumn approaching, dusk descended upon them long before any clocks chimed eight. Because of this, Chris couldn’t be sure that Josh’s skin seemed suddenly a little darker around his ears.

He couldn’t exactly deny it either.

“Definitely,” Chris pulled his knees up to his chest, buried a grin in the denim of his jeans. “Got a lot of time to make up for, after all.”

[worrisomeme]

@abovethesmokestacks I’m by no means done yet, but I’m just gonna leave this here… :3

“Then finish it,” Steve manages to get out around ragged breaths, “’cause I’m with you to the end of the line.”

And it’s like a switch is flicked in his brain and all those memories come flooding back. The ones from the 40’s, sure, from the cramped little apartment they used to share, the angry little punk who always bit off way more than he could chew, who picked fights with sexists and racists and assholes, who loved him. Those memories come flooding back so fast he’s starting to get a migraine.

But the other memories come flooding back too. The bad ones. The hundreds of kills, being frozen, then thawed, then frozen again, unending for over 70 years. The torture and surgeries and serums. Their fight on the overpass. The fall. Oh god, the fall. That one comes back to him the hardest, knocks the breath out of him.

Or maybe it’s the shrapnel falling, falling, falling around him. It busts through metal and glass under them and now Steve’s the one falling from him.

Steve! No! He’ll drown!

His metal arm had instinctively grabbed the railing above him but he takes a deep breath and forces it to let go. He has to save him. He has to…

*

Six months later Bucky wakes up in Romania and he’s instantly aware that he’s not alone.

Well, he’s not dead yet so it’s not Hydra.

There’s no cuffs, no guns, no tranquilizers. Not SHIELD.

Someone’s ruffling through his things, though. He huffs out a little breath and doesn’t bother opening his eyes. They can take what they want. He left the only thing that matters to him back in DC, half-alive on some shore.

Or so he thought.

“Copy that,” says the voice, just above a whisper. But he’d know that voice anywhere.

His pulse races as he jumps out of bed, snaps instinctively into a fighting stance. He and Steve didn’t exactly leave on good terms.

But the blond whirls around to face him and his guard drops instantly. He’s in civilian clothes, adorned in a ridiculous pair of glasses and a baseball cap. SHIELD really needs to up their disguise training, if that’s what he’s going for.

“Buck,” Steve breathes out. He makes like he’s going to step forward, reach out, but he catches himself, tenses up just slightly. He takes a deep breath to steady himself and then he asks, “Do you know who I am?”

Bucky lets his own guard drop. As much as he ever does, anyway. He rubs the back off his neck with his flesh hand and drops his gaze to the floor of the dingy apartment, littered with electronics parts.

“You’re Captain America, right?” he mumbles, feels his cheeks heating up. There’s a long beat and then he adds, “Captain Steve Rogers.” He hesitates. “I, uh… I read about you in a museum,” he lies. He’s not really sure why he does it.

Steve is studying him, analyzing. Then he pops a hip and crosses his arms over his chest, a smirk playing across his lips. And, god, does he look like that skinny little punk from Brooklyn again. “You’re lying,” he says. Not a question. “I get it,” he goes on. “I really do. You’re nervous, and you have every right to be. But I’m here of my own accord Buck. SHIELD is dead. I’m not here to take you in or anything.”

Bucky pauses and it’s his turn to analyze now. he studies Steve, eyes trailing up and down his body. His new body. It might have been over 70 years, but it’s still new to him. To both of them.

“What’s with the disguise then? If you’re not here to take me in,” he asks finally. “That’s a shitty fuckin’ disguise,” he teases, and he can’t help the slightest grin from creeping across his lips. It all just comes out, it’s all just so natural.

Steve barks out a laugh, grinning from ear to ear. “Blame Natasha,” he says, his voice full of light for a brief moment. But then he frowns and his eyes become sad again. “I’m just here to help. That’s all. To ask you to come with me. Just ask. Somewhere safe.”

Bucky’s blood runs cold. Go with him? Where? Back to SHIELD? He said he wasn’t here to take him in. Is he lying now too?

“I’m not turning myself in,” he shakes his head. “I don’t do that stuff anymore Steve, I swear, you gotta believe me. But I’m not turning myself in.”

The blond holds up his hands, calming, surrendering. “I know you don’t Buck, I know. I’m not asking you to.” He drops his hands and takes a step closer. Bucky gets ready to run, tensing, his metal arm whirring a little. “It’s just Nat, Sam, and me. We’ve got this little safe house,” he explains. “A couple miles outside of Berlin. I just…” I miss you, he doesn’t say. Doesn’t need to. Bucky can see it in his eyes.

He lets himself relax again and sighs, tosses the idea around in his brain. Some days things get mixed up in there and he’s grateful today isn’t one of those days. He’s not sure who Nat and Sam are but if Steve trusts them like this, Bucky will as well.

“Okay,” he says finally. “Okay. Let’s go.”

*

The second they’re on the plane recognition washes over him. The two from the car, from the overpass. Fuck. Sam is looking at him warily. He’s clearly not sold on this whole plan. But Nat, Natasha-

It hits him like a truck.

Little girls, dancing ballet, shooting guns, hand-to-hand combat. A redhead, the Black Widow they called her. She was the best there ever was, in the Red Room. He trained those little girls once, turned them into killing machines. Natalia Romanova. His little Black Widow. And he remembers putting a bullet through her, right above her hip. Perfect shot. He doesn’t even realized he’s moved until Steve’s at his side, a hand on his shoulder.

“Bucky?” he asks, concern furrowing his brow, his tone soft. “What’s wrong Bucky?”

The brunet drops his hands from where they were pressed over his ears, lifts his head to meet Steve’s gaze. “Nothing,” he manages, his breath ragged. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Sam has scooted further away from him now, his gaze disapproving. I told you this was a bad idea, he doesn’t say. Natasha is back at the controls.

“You couldn’t have remembered me before Odessa?” she asks quietly.