#fleurdelouvemonth

[fleurdelouvemonth]

4th Annual Fleur de Louve Month 🦾🛥👩🏿‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻

Welcome back for another month-long celebration of Sarah Wilson and Bucky Barnes! 

This year we're still providing the well-preferred format of providing prompts to choose from. But, we're shaking it up a bit by putting it in a bingo form!

We understand that everyone has their own schedules and life be lifing. Whenever you finish your masterpiece, the requirements are the same: tag us @fleurdelouvemonth and @fleurdelouve so it can be posted and shared on the blogs!

Remember that this is for fun and to put more SarahBucky/Fleur De Louve content out into the world. There's no "wrong" way to create or submit. Any AU, any verse; it's all up to you!

Just please try to have any submissions posted by November 30th. December 14th at the latest.

Due to the results of a poll, the extended end date will be December 31st!! ❄️☃️🎄🎁🕎🍪❤️🖤💚

Please reach out to this blog or the main blog @fleurdelouve with any questions. We're so excited to see what this fandom comes up with this year!!

Pick and choose some bingo squares and have fun!! 🥳

🦃🥧🍁🍠🦌❄️🍂⛄️🌬🍎🧣🎁

Find the AO3 here to add your works to the collection, or submit to the collection “FleurdeLouve_SarahBucky_Month_2024”

✨️: Not everything HAS to be fanfiction. Be as creative as you want! Here are a few ideas: fan art, manips, comics, 3D rendering, moodboards, aesthetics, snapshots of Sims you make as the characters, the options are endless!

BELOW THE CUT IS A BLANK BINGO CARD FOR YOU TO CROSS OUT, IF YOU WANT IT

[btwxsixesandsevens]

I have a theory that the reason Bucky was just lukewarm to Marvin Gaye's music is that he first listened to it while checking off items from Steve's notebook of things to learn about in the 21st century, almost like a homework assignment. It wasn't until he heard Sarah humming along with background music while she worked on the boat and in the house that he truly thought of modern music as something to be enjoyed for its own sake. Now he loves gospel, and adores Tina Turner along with the Queen of Soul. He remains unimpressed by Marvin Gaye, much to Sam's annoyance and Sarah's amusement.

Thank you, Nonny, for this comment. You sparked something undeniable. I agree with your theory, 100%.

***

Bucky tried, really tried. Following directions was a habit he couldn’t shake. So when Sam told him to listen to Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” album, he’d done so with all the diligence of a straight-A student. He didn’t get it. He even tried to watch the movie it was a soundtrack for — he just had Vision pull it up, or down load it, or whatever…Good lord, he could watch a 50-year-old movie on demand! — but it didn’t help. That took him down an Internet rabbit hole (another modern miracle slash nuisance) of watching Blaxploitation flicks while he sat around Avengers Tower. He came back to Louisiana feeling absolutely enlightened. One day Sarah, in the course of conversation, said: “Shut your mouth!” he automatically responded, “I’m just talkin’ bout Shaft.” There had been a lot of explaining to do after that. But still, didn’t get it.

Saturdays were for cleaning around the Wilson house. And it came with music. Bucky knew what he was in for when Sarah tied her hair up high and turned the radio up loud. It was usually songs from the 70s and 80s, lots of “funk” with a sprinkling of R&B and Gospel. To keep him on his toes, he figured. It made the housekeeping fun, reminded him of being in the service, when the band on base would play over the loudspeaker. He’d once been caught dancing with a mop handle while scrubbing the mess hall. That was a long time ago. This was now though. He was out back dumping out the trash, when he heard Sarah say: “Oh, that’s my JAM!” Then her fumbling to get to the speaker to start the song over and turn it up. He didn’t think much of it. It started out reasonable enough: “Now we’re gonna take the beginning of this song, and do it easy. But then we’re gonna do the finish, rough. That’s the way we do, Proud Mary.” It had a nice, almost sweet, beat to it. A little groove. They were on a river, the Mississippi he presumed, and singing and happy, and yeah, fine. He came in the door to see her slowly mopping the floor with broad sweeps: “Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis, popped a lot of tang down in New Orleans.” “Popped a lot of tang?” he’d have to look that one up. Seventies slang was really hard to track. He kept working, straightening up the mudroom. Then, as the kids say, the beat dropped. The horns came in. Sarah started singing. “Big wheel keep on turnin’, Proud Mary keep on burnin’!” The background singers stepped in and it felt like an actual presence in the room, like a whole damn band had shown up. Sarah didn’t see him. Or didn’t care. Because she was dancing, eyes closed, feet moving frantically, singing into the end of the mop handle as she dragged in across the floor: “Rolling on the river! Doot doot doot doot! Da doot doot doot doot!” The mop was both dance partner and microphone stand. The table was the audience. The kitchen counter, the band. She commanded it all, her feet double pumping as she danced, her arms spread wide. It was joyous and loud and silly and perfect. Then she came to the end, one hand over head, with the other she dropped the mop with a clatter and said, proudly to no one: “Mike drop!” Then she bowed. So Bucky clapped. Of course he did. Sarah startled back to the present and saw him standing in the door way, grin wide. “Bucky B Barnes if you don’t get back to work!” she snapped, embarrassed and entertained simultaneously, snatching the mop back up into her hands. “Sorry Kitten, had to…quite the performance.” “If you tell anyone…” “Don’t have to. Everyone in town heard you.” That’s how Bucky met Tina Turner. The second love of his life.

***

Just in time for the end of SarahBucky month.

[fleurdelouve]

Since we had about 83% people vote that they wanted another annual event, and about 16% people said they did not, this question of the week goes out to those who DO want to have and participate in an annual event:

For 2023 what would you like this year's event to be focused on?

2021 was prompt-focused on mostly seasonal and holiday-based prompts

2022 was a gift exchange (which didn't go well, unfortunately)

Another prompt based event, or not? Do you want to do something new, such as a bingo? Also, share the topics you would like to work with! 💛

[tllgrrl]

Fine Apples by @tllgrrl aka Nefertiri Jones

Fleur De Louve SarahBucky Month 2023

Week 2: “You've got leaves in your hair.” | Week 4: “Chilly mornings”, “Apple picking”, “Falling leaves”

Relationships: Sarah Wilson x James “Bucky” Barnes, Misty Knight x Sam Wilson | Rating: SFW

* * * * * * * * * *

“Not even a little bit?”

“Nope. Long as the barometric pressure is reasonable, I’m okay. I’m from here. Between that and the whole being on ice in Siberia thing, it just makes this feel like a typical Northeast Fall to me.”

“Huh. Well, I’m from the South. I wasn’t built for this climate.”

“But you are perfectly built—“

“I’m serious! I don’t think I’ve ever worn so many layers of clothes. Do you know what-all I’m wearing under your henley?”

“I sure do. I watched you get dressed. And watched…and watched…and watched—“

“James.”

“Now I’m looking forward to being back in the lodge, lighting the fireplace in our bedroom, and helping peel off all those layers of—“

“Boy?!”

She stopped walking, crossed her arms and pouted, waiting for Bucky to turn around.

Sarah knew it was going to be colder there than in Southern Louisiana, and she’d adjusted her wardrobe, but she still wasn’t prepared for the whole brisk-ness of an unusually chilly late Fall New England morning.

“You’re out here makin’ fun, and I’m being serious!”

“So’m I! I’m always serious, nandi. Ask your brother.”

Unbeknownst to her, while he was thinking about how he was going to unwrap her later, he was also keeping an eye out for a tree with the best trunk on which to discreetly carve both their initials.

”The tour part’s almost over. They’ll be handing out baskets soon and we can—” He reached back and felt nothing but space where Sarah had been almost behind him.

Turning around, he saw her as the breeze kicked up a bit, enough to slightly move her curls around and send a light shower of leaves falling on her.

Beyoncé, bathed in stage lights and standing in front of one of her ever-present wind machines, had nothing on who he was looking at right now, because even with a full-on pout and all bundled up for the chilly morning temperatures, Sarah was beautiful.

He jogged back to her, opened his jacket, took her hands and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Come ‘ere, my delicate hothouse flower,” he cooed. “I’m sorry you’re cold.”

Then wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into his body, shielding her from the chilly wind.

Pulling back a little to see her face, he looked into her eyes and asked, “Is this better?”

She looked thoughtful. “Maybe. Got any other ideas?”

Brushing aside all the other ideas that raced through his mind at that moment, he kissed her nose.

“Wow! Good thing the rest of you is covered. So tell me, sweetness. What can I do to warm up that nose? This?”

He kissed her forehead.

“You might be on to something, but shouldn’t we be getting back to the tour?”

“Tour?” he whispered into her ear, with a warm breath that definitely took a bit of the chill off. “What tour?”

His lips were warm on her left cheek, then her right.

“That’s real nice, lover. But, we came out here to pick some apples for the pies that—“

“How ‘bout this?”

He heard a little intake of breath, then gently kissed her mouth. Kissed her again. And again, over their smiles and giggles.

The next kiss had more heat, and a brisk wind caused the leaves to swirl around them while that kiss deepened and warmed them both.

“Moving along, now, over here we have the oldest section of the orchard—”

Hearing the voice of the tour guide, they reluctantly broke the kiss, and made a mad dash deeper into the orchard.

Going into White Wolf Mode, he stood them with her back against a tree, his body covering hers and holding absolutely still as the group passed by.

They were just about face to face, and she could see those blue-grey eyes do that thing the former sniper/assassin sometimes does when they’re in unfamiliar territory: a quick perimeter scan. She knew he was relaxed when he started to snicker, and she swatted his arm.

“Shhhh! Stop that!” she whispered. “We should get back to our group before somebody notices that you snuck off.”

“Me?!? I’m not exactly alone here.”

“I left because I was looking for you.”

“What?”

“That's my story, and I’m stickin’ to it, Bucky”

“Oh, Bucky, is it?” he softly growled, leaning in for another kiss.

“Hey! What are you two doing back here?”

Busted.

Looking over their shoulders they saw Sam and Misty peeking out from behind the tree a couple of rows away.

“Nothin’,” Bucky said, turning around and feigning absolute innocence. “Just…talkin’, ya know? Like people do.”

“Talkin’ about this nice apple tree here!” Sarah said, now behind him, patting the tree trunk. “Hey Misty, wasn’t that your and Sam’s tour group that just went by?”

“Well…we were looking for you two.”

“And we stopped to look at this amazing apple tree over here,” Sam added, trying to give the fish-eye to Bucky, who had the nerve to look extremely casual instead of like somebody who was:

[mackin’ on my little sister…in the middle of a damn apple orchard!]

Both couples look at each other, and burst out laughing.

“Uh-huh…”

“Whatever! And don’t try to use my excuse!”

“Alright. Enough messing around. We need to catch up so we can pick some apples for this pie contest Misty and I are gonna win tomorrow. We have a recipe we’re using that comes from a restaurant that was popular back during the Harlem Renaissance. When Grey Wolf there was just a pup.”

“Boy?! You are truly delusional if you think you're gonna win. I’m doing a pie based on Great-grandmama’s recipe, but using spices you can’t even get unless you have connections with a certain Royal Family. It’ll knock your socks off and blow your pie out of the water.”

“Zat so?” Sam almost guffawed.

“Bet yer ass, pal!” Bucky absolutely guffawed.

“Oh, we’ll see.”

“Sure will, Samuel.”

“Man, stop saying my name like that!”

“Like what, Samuel?”

“Oh, Lord,” Sarah looked over at Misty.

“Here we go,” Misty rolled her eyes and looked over at Sarah, shaking her head.

“Hold on. Come ‘ere…”

They both stopped, letting Sam and Bucky continue walking and yakking.

“You have some leaves in your hair. Let me…there.”

“Thanks! Lean down a little bit, with your tall self. Looks like you have some too. Got ‘em.”

“We good?”

“Fine, too!”

“Who you tellin’?”

Laughing and chatting, they caught up with the two jovially bickering superheroes, and the two couples hurried back to their tour group, debating about the desserts they were planning to make out of their pickings.

The pie contest ended up being a draw.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fine apple is 1930s slang for a attractive person. Could also be a confident, hardworking, successful person as well.

* * * * * * * * * *

Also posted HERE ON AO3.

[fleurdelouve]

This was such a great piece of work!! ❤️

Bucky Barnes gets a bewitching Halloween treat when Sarah Wilson appears at his doorstep, her face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Trick r’ treat!” she said as their eyes met in a heated gaze.

Title: A Taste So Sweet | Bucky Barnes x Sarah Wilson | Fandom: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Rating: Mature | Words: Part 1/1 (2328 Words) | Prompt: SarahBucky @fleurdelouvemonth and @fleurdelouve - Week 1, Day 1 Prompt: “Halloween Candy”

Bucky watched in disbelief as group after group of children and teens dressed up as monsters, superheroes, witches, and fairies trooped past his house. He had initially been excited about joining in the festivities surrounding Halloween. Still, he was now feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of trick-or-treaters that kept anxiously jostling at his front door.

He could hear Sam's voice ringing in his head, telling him to stock up on treats ahead of the evening's activities. On impulse, Bucky had gone to the store and purchased enough candy to fill an entire cauldron - more than enough for the small army of costumed kids parading up his walkway.

After living in New York City for a few years, he was unaccustomed to experiencing Halloween like this. New Orleans' proximity meant that Halloween was taken very seriously here. His neighbors went all out with scary decorations, and some even hosted light shows or static haunts in their garages.

It was the first time Bucky had experienced Halloween in his new neighborhood, and he could feel the excitement from both children and adults alike. He walked into the living room to look at the clock – it was 7 p.m.; he had a few more hours before kids would be done trick-or-treating. After making sure he had enough candy to last until 9 p.m., he set out a sizeable pumpkin-shaped bucket full of treats on a table near the entrance of his door, which he'd grab and provide the little ghouls and goblins who would come by.

One by one, groups of costumed children started arriving at Bucky's house. There were toddlers with their parents, gaggles of elementary schoolers, and even a few high schoolers. Bucky watched them all take turns selecting handfuls of candy from the white bucket he'd set out on the porch. He couldn't help feeling a pang of regret that he'd bought so much candy – but then again, it was worth it just to see how delighted they were.

The most recent group of trick-treaters waved him goodbye as they ran off to his neighbor's house to continue their journey for more candy. Just as he was about to close the door, he spotted a familiar face walking up the sidewalk towards him. It was Sarah, Sam's sister, donning a classic black witch's hat over her long hair and wearing a playful smirk on her face. Their eyes met.

Sarah stood before Bucky, her face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Trick r’ treat!” she said.

He was temporarily stunned by her beauty before composing himself.

"Hey! What are you supposed to be? Aren’t you old for trick-or-treating?" He joked, looking at her costume and wondering why she had come to his neighborhood.

"I'm old enough, thank you very much," She chuckled teasingly, sticking her tongue out playfully. Bucky noticed that Sarah was alone and asked about her boys AJ and Cass.

"Oh, I just dropped them off at a friend's place a few blocks away from here," She answered, grinning shyly as she revealed her true purpose: to visit him. "They're all trick-or-treating together, so I thought I'd swing by and see you."

Bucky felt his heart swell with warmth as he imagined her thinking of him. It was like a dream come true. He opened the door wider to welcome her in, and when she entered, they both erupted into laughter at the sight of all the candy bags he had bought.

"Okay, that's SO much candy! The kids will love you!" Sarah said, still stifling giggles.

"I'm trying to get rid of them," he said sheepishly as he directed her to the bowl on the entry table near the door.

Sarah laughed again at his over-preparedness before following Bucky to his kitchen, where he opened the fridge and asked if she wanted any refreshments.

"I have beer, apple cider, sparkling water..." She accepted his offer enthusiastically with a look of admiration.

"Oh, apple cider would be amazing!"

He twisted open an apple cider for her and handed it across the counter while opening himself a bottle of beer. Bucky could hear children's voices from outside, but there were no trick-or-treaters yet who had arrived and rang his doorbell. There was a small lull before another surge of trick-or-treaters came.

The two caught up so naturally. Bucky could feel an ease in their conversation as Sarah shared stories about her two boys deciding to be Sherlock Holmes and one a t-rex for Halloween. They even talked about the best costumes they've seen so far, reminiscing about their childhood trick-or-treating experiences.

As the night wore on, Bucky found himself completely entranced by Sarah's infectious laughter and sparkling eyes. They moved to the living room couch, sitting side by side in close proximity. He couldn't help but lean in closer to her as she spoke, wanting to absorb every word she said like a sponge.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Bucky glanced at his watch and noticed it was getting pretty late - it must have been close to 10 pm already.

"Let me get that," he said quickly, feeling the familiar pang of disappointment when he realized their intimate conversation had come to an end. He stood up and took his bowl of candy before opening the door.

"Trick-or-treat!" A group of four kids dressed as Pokemon with their parents dressed as a Pokemon Trainer greeted him. Bucky smiled warmly and spoke kindly to the little elementary school kids, nodding in approval at their costumes and giving them generous amounts of candy.

Sarah peered over the couch to watch Bucky interact with the children and felt her heart swell with admiration. More and more trick-or-treaters kept coming until it seemed like the line would never end. At one point, Sarah decided to join Bucky in front of the doorway, giving out candy alongside him from a bag she took off the counter.

The line continued for a solid fifteen minutes until another lull came forth and no new trick-or-treaters came by. Bucky closed the door and joined Sarah on the couch as they both flopped down in exhaustion.

"Tiring, huh?" Sarah asked with twinkling eyes as she settled into the spot beside him.

Bucky gave her a sheepish smile and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. "It feels like it never ends…" He paused and added with a hint of mischief in his voice, "But I don't mind it too much when I have a beautiful woman by my side."

"I..." she was almost taken aback by his forwardness, then her smile widened, revealing small dimples along the sides of her mouth. "You could always just leave the bowl outside and just let them take whatever they want."

"You think that'll work?" His heart raced as he moved closer to her on the couch.

"I think so," she said, her voice low and sultry as she scooted close to him. She grabbed the bowl of candy and rummaged through it.

"Looking for something specific?" he asked her, amused.

"Hmmm... I'm looking for a Hershey's chocolate bar, the white chocolate one." Bucky watched her closely, admiring how graceful her long fingers were as they searched through the bowl.

"There should be a ton there, not many kids picked them when I let them select which candies to get." Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, and he felt drawn into her gaze.

"Are you kidding? They're so picky nowadays, huh?" They laughed together, and the room seemed to heat up exponentially with each passing second.

"Ah! I found one! I couldn't pass up all this free candy," Sarah teased as she pulled out a mini white chocolate bar. As she unwrapped it and took a small nibble, Bucky found himself mesmerized by those lush lips and the way they moved around the confection.

"Want a bite?" Sarah asked, catching his gaze and holding out the candy. She slowly bit the bottom of her lip before smiling at him innocently, but there was something else about her expression - an invitation - that made Bucky's stomach flip. He had been wanting to kiss those lips since he'd first seen them curve into that mischievous grin earlier tonight.

Heart pounding, Bucky's gaze slowly moved from Sarah's lips to her eyes. He leaned in, and instead of taking the offered candy, he brushed his lips against hers. They both gasped at the sudden contact, and as if this was a sign, their kiss deepened.

Sarah tasted like chocolate and felt so soft under his fingers as they explored each other's faces and bodies. His hands moved to her hips and pulled her closer until their bodies were flush against each other. Their tongues collided in a passionate dance of desire that left them both breathless when they finally pulled apart.

"That was..." Sarah whispered, trailing off with a sigh.

"Amazing," Bucky finished for her. The air was electric between them, heavy with unspoken longing that neither of them wanted to break.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again and they jumped apart as if electrocuted, laughter bubbling out of them before they remembered why they were there. As Bucky went to answer the door, his mind was still on the kiss he had shared with Sarah moments ago.

As the night went on and more trick-r-treaters arrived and departed, the couple found themselves alone on the couch, close but not touching. Finally, Bucky spoke up. "Sarah, I know we've been friends only for a short time, but tonight...that kiss...I can't stop thinking about it." Sarah smiled at him from under her eyelashes, and he could see the same desire reflected in her eyes that he was feeling in his own heart. Without another word, their lips met again and this time it was slow and tender - like two puzzle pieces coming together after searching for so long.

Sarah gently pulled away from Bucky and pressed her body against his, her arms wrapping around his neck as though she never wanted to let go. "Bucky... I've always wanted to do this with you," she said softly.

As her lips met him, a spark of electricity coursed through her body. She felt the warmth radiating from his chest and the gentle beat of his heart as she pressed herself closer into him. The kiss grew more passionate with each passing moment, and Sarah felt an intense desire building inside of her.

She reached up to grasp Bucky's face in her hands and trace the outline of it with her fingertips. His long, wavy hair was so soft against her skin that she wanted to keep touching it forever. He repositioned them both on the couch, so she was straddling him with her legs on either side of his thighs.

Sarah could feel Bucky's excitement pressing into her, and his hands moved up under her shirt to explore the warmth of her skin. She gasped at his touch and dug her fingers into his back, wanting this moment to never end.

Suddenly, Bucky pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. In a voice full of longing he whispered "Sarah – I want you" and at that moment, all doubts fled from Sarah's mind - she knew this is what she wanted too.

Without another word, she pressed her lips against his once more and this time they were both overcome with passion. Bucky grabbed her hips and pressed her close to him, their bodies melting together as his fingers ran up her back before unfastening her bra, revealing her creamy skin beneath the moonlight that filtered through the window. She held her breath as his hands moved across her body, exploring every curve with delicate touches and sending sparks of pleasure through her veins. He left trails of fire over her neck as his lips traveled down before lightly brushing over one nipple, eliciting a soft gasp from Sarah's lips.

Just then, Sarah's phone started ringing, and the sound of it shattered the silence in the room like a gunshot. She wanted to ignore it, but she knew it was likely her sons calling to let her know they'd be ready to be picked up soon. With a reluctant groan, she pulled away from Bucky and grabbed her phone, which stopped ringing before she could answer it.

A quick glance confirmed it was indeed her kids, and a text message from her kid's friend's mom indicated that they were done trick-or-treating and ready to be picked up. "I don't wanna go," Sarah said with a sigh.

Bucky wrapped his strong arms around her, giving her a sad smile and planting a kiss on her forehead. His breath tickled her skin as he whispered gently, "Me neither," in response to her words, then attempted to lighten the mood with a joke about their unusual entourage. They both laughed, and Sarah could feel the tension melting like ice in the sun.

Bucky pulled her close and nuzzled against her neck, sending tingles of pleasure down her spine before she reluctantly leaned back from his embrace. She looked into his eyes and saw something that made her heart skip a beat – it was longing, familiar and yet fresh and new at the same time. Locked in each other's gaze, Sarah raised herself to capture Bucky's lips in a soft kiss.

She smiled as she pulled away from him and started gathering her clothes off the floor, nerves suddenly bubbling up inside of her when Sarah realized how bold she had been. Before she could put on her shirt, however, Bucky stood up and stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. He cupped her face tenderly between his hands and searched for something in her eyes.

"We'll have to finish this later," he murmured softly. Another shiver coursed through Sarah's body as she looked into his beautiful blue eyes, nodding in agreement to his suggestion before leaning forward to give him one last kiss goodbye.

Read More Stories @ Fanfiction Master List or G.G. Halcyon's AO3

[endlesstwanted]

The Candy Hunt

My entry for @fleurdelouvemonth day 1 — Halloween candy & @comfortember day 19 — Loved Ones.

Fandom: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Sarah Wilson

Tags: Candy, Family Fluff, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Domestic Fluff

Summary: Sarah and Bucky come back from a Halloween party in Delacroix to find AJ and Cass still awake from trick-or-treating with friends.

Wordcount: 1,3k

Also created for: @buckybarnesbingo — Nose kiss / @hurtcomfort-bingo — Doing Small Things for the Other / @lyricalescape — “20 candles, blow ’em out and open your eyes.” / @buckybarnesevents’ Build-a-Bucky-Bingo — Happily Ever After

Excerpt:

Sarah and Bucky were laughing when they parked in the garden, remembering one of the games they had played in the Halloween party and how badly it had gotten for Sam at some point.

It’s her who, before entering the house, noticed a flashlight moving in the kids’ bedroom. “They’re still up,” Sarah pointed out.

“Let me go talk to them while you get comfortable.” Bucky pulled her to a side hug, placing a kiss on her head before getting inside.

AJ and Cass had gone trick-or-treating with some friends from school, a couple kids their age whose parents had driven them to the house while the couple enjoyed some quality time together in a costume party in town.

Sarah and them had gotten to the agreement that once they arrived home, they should put on their pyjamas and avoid screen time, so they could relax and prepare for bedtime. Of course, she didn’t expect them to be sleeping already, but having the bedroom lights off and using just a flashlight revealed some shenanigans were being done.

Continue reading on Ao3!

[buckybarnesevents]

Hi, could I give a shout out to a Bucky Barnes month long event that I'm a part of isn't getting much attention? It's a small fandom involving an interracial ship from TFATWS and I thought to reach out to you hoping some people who aren't racist will see it and join. The blog is Fleurdelouvemonth. They accept late submissions and the prompts are a good variety. The mods there are chill which is a plus.

Absolutely! That's a lovely concept.

For anyone who hasn't heard, please check out their Tumblr, here.

Check out the November post here!! We will queue the post for reblogging, also.

[fleurdelouvemonth]

And thus, we bring to an official close the third Fleur De Louve Month 2023! Thank you so much to all the authors and artists and creators who took part in or read or reblogged all the amazing content that was created! This list will represent our final master list.

But wait! I hear you ask: what do we do with all the love we have left behind?

Fear not! Any additional works or recs related to this month can still be submitted and we will be happy to reblog it and update the master list to include them.

The admins thoroughly enjoyed interacting with everyone and appreciate you all for helping this ship grow! Please stay tuned for what comes next and, always, keep creating for the good ship Fleur De Louve!

𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑶𝑵𝑬: 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔

Week One Masterlist

𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑻𝑾𝑶: 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔

Week Two Masterlist

𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬: 𝑨𝑼 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔

Week Three Masterlist

𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹: 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔

Week Four Masterlist

𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑭𝑰𝑽𝑬: 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔

Week Five Masterlist

Thank you again for all of the amazing content you created to make this event possible! 

Feel free to bookmark this post and come back to enjoy Fleur De Louve month again and again in the new year.

(Divider credits go to @firefly-graphics)

[philtstone]

all else above (dreaming of the man i love)

for @sarifinasnightmare

this is my first time participating in a fic exchange! my apologies for the lateness of my submission; december was a crazy time. thank u so much to @fleurdelouve and @fleurdelouvemonth for organizing this <3 yall are the sweetest. and an additional thank u to the inimitable @foolgobi65 without whom this whole screwball venture would not have been possible

Summary: The eve before Christmas Eve, Captain America was set to speak at the United Nations building, it was blizzarding in Brooklyn, and Sarah Wilson nearly died by way of a giant wheel.

She didn't die, of course. She was very gallantly rescued by a man to whom she hadn't spoken in four months. All because she'd kissed him.

Or -- and this was really a pressing question for both of them -- had it been Bucky who kissed her?

The eve before Christmas Eve, Captain America was set to speak at the United Nations building. This was An Event insofar as he had not spoken at the United Nations building thus far in his tenure, nor had his predecessor ever done so. Indeed, Captain America — straight backed and kind faced to his admirers, overly stern and hypocritical to his naysayers — rarely elected to speak at such public political functions at all, either politely declining invitations to speak at various Whitehouse dinners, campaign rallies, and opposing newscaster debates, or cheerfully directing other invitations (memorably one extended by e-gossip column Popsugar) to his stone faced centarian partner, who reliably responded with some cross between a grunt, a glare, and a nonverbal fuck off.

This time, though, Sam had accepted. First of all, it was Christmas. Christmas was important – even over bloated and pathetically corporatized as it now was – which Sam held to be true because fifteen years later his mother’s solemn yearly adages still nagged him at the back of his head. Christmas was a time for do-gooding in the sincerest sense of the expression and Sam, regardless of what anyone else thought of him and despite his self-accepted and human flaws, strove to do good.

Secondly, he accepted because Sarah had said I think it’ll be good for everyone, and by everyone she meant Cass and AJ, because Cass had been acting out at school (there was an incident with a stink bomb in a teachers bathroom) and maybe hearing Captain America tell off some world leaders again on TV would inspire him to shape up.

In Manhattan, the snow was falling in genteel delicate flakes that fluttered and swirled and made the whole evening feel right. Brilliant holiday lights glittered and glimmered over everything and were not quite outshone by the neon and the billboards, in fact they nearly complimented each other. Cars honked in pile ups but Christmas music overroad angry yelling and more people than was usual helped each other across the street amidst the sudden slush. Three hours earlier the courtyard outside the United Nations building had gathered a hefty crowd, which was comprised of people diverse enough to herald fighting if anyone was in the mood to fight, which they were not; the anticipated address was too intriguing.

In Brooklyn, it was blizzarding. The Island had had its blizzard a good day before, and now the bad weather had migrated. Heavy winds picked up and rattled the windows of old Brownstones. Traffic lights encrusted over with ice, much to the serene acceptance of already-jaywalking pedestrians, outdoor fish markets had to shut down but were unconcerned with the quality of their fish as the temperatures were appropriately frozen, and out of the modernly-decorated windows of overpriced cafes selling charcoal infused concentrate of coffee instead of the real thing, one could barely see the street.  

All of this described the state of affairs at 7p.m. By seven thirty, the fucking Big Wheel was attacking New York.

Read more on Ao3

[fleurdelouve]

Did you delete your other blog 😭

Nope! It's still there @fleurdelouvemonth

[tllgrrl]

Fleur De Louve SarahBucky Month 2023 | Week 3: AU, Day 4: Space

Quam Celerrime Ad Astra: Moodboard and Ficlet by @tllgrrl aka Nefertiri Jones.

The moodboard is new. The ficlet was posted/published in June of this year.

* * * * * * * * * *

Photo of Adepero Oduye from short film “Artemis Falls”.

Photo of Sebastian Stan from film “The Martian”.

Stills used for fanfic purposes only.

[fleurdelouvemonth]

Positively gleeful!! Had me laughing all the way through from the first line to the last. 😁 And you can definitely tell who's talking without being told. Applause 👏

The Whoopsie

Rating: For Everyone

Pairing: Sarah/Bucky

Summary: Bucky is recovering from a whoopsie. The Wilsons behave accordingly.

Prompt: Found Family

Author's Note: It's a day late, but I hope that's okay. 😁

_________________---

“Sam, what did I tell you??”

“Sarah, this wasn’t my fault!”

“Like hell this isn’t your fault! You’re the one who took him from our family dinner table to investigate that factory just because your Falcon senses were tingling!”

“Falcon senses?” *snort* “Ow, that actually hurt.”

“Don’t move too much James. My poor guy.”

“James?? When did he become James??”

“Uh…recently?”

“Recently??”

“Yes, recently! You might as well know; Sam. James and I are official.”

“Aha! I knew you moving down and having dinner at the house wasn’t just you being protective! What did I tell you about dating my sister??”

“I-”

“I am grown, Sam! He is also grown! If we want to date each other then there’s nothing you can do to stop us!”

“I got a Vibranium shield and a Wakandan suit that has allowed me to do a shitload of things and that could include cutting a geriatric super soldier into tiny pieces when he least expects it!”

“I’m kind of already hurting soo…..”

“Samuel Thomas Wilson don’t you dare raise my man’s blood pressure! I want him alive!”

“Listen Sarah Eunice Wilson, he was my friend first, so I get to decide whether he lives long enough to be dating my little sister!!”

“Are you guys fighting over me?”

“Shut up, man, don’t make it weird.”

“I’m not some Southern belle that needs to be protected from gentleman callers! I am a woman and I have needs!”

“Gah! I don’t want to know about that!”

“Then stay out my business and let me take care of my man! And stop hauling him out on your crazy adventures. That’s what Joaquin is for!”

“Joaquin is still green, and I know Bucky could handle himself. It’s not my fault he caught the grenade and threw it too late.”

“Baby, a grenade?? Are you trying to break my heart?”

“No, babe, I swear I tried to move fast…”

“James if anything had happened-”

“Shhh, it won’t. I’ll be good, I’ll be so good for you.”

“….”

“…”

“Are you two really going to make me sit here and watch you kiss each other??”

“There’s the door. No one’s stopping you.”

“I ain’t leaving my partner while he’s recovering. I stayed for Steve, and I’ll stay for Bucky.”

“Thanks, man.”

“You’re welcome. I’m still kicking your ass though.”

“No, you’re not. Once James is allowed to leave, he’s coming home where I’m going to make sure he gets all the TLC he needs.”

“Aw babe, you don’t have to.”

“Hush and be spoiled, James.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Hey, how come I never got any TLC when I get hurt?”

“When was the last time you got hurt?”

“Uh…”

“Exactly!”

“I got some cuts and bruises here!”

“Nothing some painkillers and Merthiolate can’t fix.”

“Nope! Get that shit away from my cuts!”

“Chicken.”

“Like to see you handle it!”

“Look at these hands. Does it look like I can’t handle a nick or two?”

“Yeah, yeah. Not like I don’t have my own. You gave me a few when we were kids.”

“That’s what you get for picking on me.”

*snort* “Ow…you need to stop making me laugh.”

“You hungry, baby?”

“I don’t think I can handle anything heavy right now.”

“Sam go ask if they have any soup.”

“Fine, you want anything?”

“No, just want my man home.”

“Home with you sounds good right now.”

“Ya’ll behave. I’ll be right back.”

“He’s protective of you.”

“He’s protective of you too.”

“We’re both soldiers. We don’t leave our own behind.”

“It’s more than that, James. You’re important to us Wilsons and we protect our kin.”

“I’m family?”

“Damn right.”

“I like that. I like that a whole lot.”

“Good, now rest and let that super soldier shit do its thing so we can get you home faster.”

“You got it….Eunice.”

“Boy don’t start with me.”

*snort* “Ow, your middle name is Eunice.”

“I didn’t ask to be named after a great aunt. Now shut up before I get on your name Buchanan.”

The End

[endlesstwanted]

Picking Love

My entry for @fleurdelouvemonth day 22 prompt — Apple picking, inspired by this Stony drabble 🍎🥧

Fandom: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Captain America (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Sarah Wilson, minor Steve/Tony

Tags: Modern: No Powers, Meet-Cute, Apples, Flirting

Summary: Tony takes Bucky to the farmers’ market as an excuse to meet with his new fling, but Bucky makes the best out of it with the idea to bake something for his sister’s birthday.

Wordcount: 2k

Also created for: @buckybarnesevents’ Build-a-Bucky-Bingo — Farmer’s market / @slumberpartybingo — Would you rather ... Cook dinner OR eat out / @multifandom-flash’s taboo bingo — Please Put Some Clothes On / @tonystarkbingo — Asking For Trouble / @buckybarnesbingo — Terrible choices / @lyricalescape — “Light the signal fire, proceed without hesitation.”

Excerpt:

“Okay, I gotta say I was definitely not expecting that,” the woman said.

“Why is that?” Bucky frowned, but he side-smiled too. “Is it my long hair or my cool tattoos, the one telling you I’ve never baked a thing in my life?” he joked.

“None of those, actually.” She laughed, and Bucky’s chest filled up with joy in knowing it was because of him. “Only said that because I rarely see people baking anything with fruit lately. Apple pies specially, they’re often bought from bakeries. I’m surprised, but in a good way.”

Continue reading on Ao3!

[justsomeoneunordinary]

The Wailing Winter Soldier

Week Two of the SarahBucky Month @fleurdelouvemonth/@fleurdelouve

Day three: Fantasy: Haunted House

(W1,D1 / W1,D2 / W2,D1 / W2,D4 / W2,D5 / W3,D2 / W3,D4 / W4,D3 / W4,D5 / W5,D1 / W5,D2 / W5,D4)

G, 520 words, Fantasy AU, Ghosts, Curses, Ambiguous/Open Ending | AO3

As far as Sarah can remember, the screaming had always been there. Those whines of desperation, the cries of agony.

It’s being said that it’s been going on for centuries like this. A house, deep down in the woods, haunted by an evil spirit. The howling would get worse around days of winter, and whenever she’d get closer to the forest, she could feel the heartbreaking misery of those cries. The townspeople call it the wails of the Winter Soldier.

Sarah had never seen the house herself. Never been allowed to approach the deepest parts of the woods, where the ominous omnipresent mist would greet her. Her parents used to say that certain death awaited her there. Sam though, her brother, he had been at the house—multiple times even. He never told her, but she knows.

It took her a while to notice that every now and then Sam would pack some food in a lunchbox and disappear for hours. Hours, during which the faint cries would find a sudden stop. Sam must’ve gotten to the same conclusion she has: nothing capable of such anguish screaming could be of evil nature. These are painful cries of someone suffering and in need of help.

But whenever she asks, Sam evades the question, and Sarah has had enough of it. She is no innocent child anymore in need of protection—it’s been over thirty years and she’s a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. So, on a cold November morning, she packs a lunchbox and heads out.

It’s a reckless action, she’s aware. She’s got two boys waiting for her to come back home, and no husband anymore who could take care of them should something happen. But Sarah is no fool—she wouldn’t do it if she wasn’t positive she’d come back safe and sound. Sam is a fighter, and Sam never looks like he’s been in a fight when he comes back from his trips to the house.

For the first time, Sarah steps foot into the deep ends of the woods and lets the mysterious mist engulf her. With every step she takes, the screaming gets louder, almost bone-crushing, causing shivers to run down her spine and having her hurting more and more for this poor pained soul.

Eventually, she reaches her destination and dares to enter the abandoned house with thrill and a healthy dose of fear pumping through her blood. When she finally gets to the attic, where the cries seem to be coming from, she learns three things right then and there, and none of them are what she expected:

For one, the Wailing Winter Soldier is no ghost or evil spirit. It’s a man. A man, bound to the house for eternal torture, cursed by no one else but the Clan of HYDRA.

For another, it’s not the man who’s screaming, but the house itself—expressing what the man is repressing.

Lastly, the man’s name is Bucky. And Bucky has the bluest eyes and kindest smile Sarah has ever seen, making her heart beat faster as if she was again a teen.

[fleurdelouvemonth]

2023 Fleur de Louve (SarahBucky) Ship Month Prompts

This is collaboration with the original announcement post.

Below you'll find a transcript of all the prompts for this year's ship month event! (For those who couldn't see it on the original image.) It's a mix of dialogue, subject, AU, and seasonal prompts. We tried to be versatile this year, so we hope you like them.

Don't be shy! Late comers are welcome, and late submissions are welcome as well. None of these have to be completed in order the day of/day before.

All that we ask is, if you like this ship and want to see more, then join us in the fun! No submission will be turned away.

Week 1: Food Prompts (Nov. 1 to 5)

Halloween Candy

Sweet Potato Pie

Pumpkin

Chai tea

Soup

Week 2: Dialogue Prompts (Nov. 6 to 12)

"There's no place like home."

"I think it looks nice."

"Tell me a story." "I don't know any stories."

"You've got leaves in your hair."

"I love you, but you have the worse poker face I've ever seen."

"Do that again."

"Would you like to dance?"

Week 3: AU Prompts (Nov. 13 to 19)

Celebrity/Bodyguard AU

Coffee Shop/Bakery AU

College Professors AU

Space AU

Tattoo Parlor/Flower Shop AU

Med School/Doctors AU

Mermaid/Pirates AU

Week 4: Seasonal Prompts (Nov. 20 to 26)

Falling leaves

Chilly mornings

Apple picking

Football game

Gratitude

Sweaters

Family dinner

Week 5: Tropes Prompts (Nov. 27 to 30)

They were roommates

Friends-to-lovers

Bed sharing

Found family

[fleurdelouvemonth]

This is so good already!! 😭 Excited to see more!!

Really invested to see where you take Sarah and merman!Bucky 👏

fic snippet: as foam upon the sea

meant for @fleurdelouvemonth but regrettably i don’t expect that the full fic will be done within the next two days and i’m already over a week behind the mermaid au prompt day this was supposed to be for (although elements of it apply to the days this week heyo), so i’m posting a piece from the middle of it to show that i participated. i haven’t written for either of these characters before so i really hope this isn’t trash, and if you notice logistical or geographical tomfoolery no you don’t

So abruptly she nearly knocks her head into his, Barnes stops. He searches the horizon — for what, she doesn’t know — his eyes narrowing beneath a growing frown. She treads water beside him, attempting to sense what he apparently does, but all she sees is what she doesn’t see. Just gently rippling blackness meeting an equally black sky broken up only by the pinpricks of starlight and the crescent moon high above.

“What is it?” she whispers.

He had said his arm could sense electro-whatever; maybe that’s happening now, maybe there’s a shark headed their way or something. Though, she doesn’t think Barnes would be quite so on edge if it were as mundane a thing as a shark. And that’s assuming a shark would even bother with them when it could have a much easier time finding different prey.

“I don’t know,” he murmurs. With a quiet shink, he withdraws a knife and hands it to her, then reaches for the boltgun strapped across his back.

She has about a dozen questions, but the tension and alertness rolling off him in waves keeps her from voicing any of them. She nervously adjusts and readjusts her grip on the knife, thoroughly unused to wielding such a utensil for any purpose besides cutting nets, cooking, or opening boxes.

Out of nowhere, Barnes snaps his head towards a specific point, no longer having a vague sense of danger. He shoves her roughly behind him, but not soon enough, and Sarah cries out as she feels a searing pain in her side. There’s still nothing above water that she can see; the shot had come from somewhere beneath. She feels another projectile whiz by, but it ricochets off Barnes’s metal arm before it can reach her. Which is where her perception of anything beneath her stops, for Barnes ducks beneath the water. There is nowhere nearby to retreat to, not even a piece of driftwood to use as a meager defense. All Sarah can do is float where she is, not draw further attention to herself, and try not to think about how much she’s bleeding from whatever laceration had been made.

She can’t tell whether it’s a minute or an hour that passes without a single indication of Barnes returning, which brings an entirely new fear to mind: whether he will return, and what it would mean for her if he doesn’t. If he’s been shot, if he’s been killed, if he’s been captured, at best she’ll be stranded in the middle of the ocean with an inventory of a single knife. Worse, HYDRA — and it must be them, of that she has no doubt — will kill her, too.

“You’re gonna be fine,” she tells herself, as if saying it aloud will make it true. “Everything is gonna be fine. This is just your typical aquatic assassination attempt, no problem.”

While it doesn’t lessen her pessimism much, it does at least help keep her focused on something other than sheer fear. She knows all too well how paralyzing fear can be, and that is the last thing she needs right now.

Shutting her eyes, she starts to hum a lullaby Titi used to sing. She can’t remember the words anymore, but she remembers the tune.

She gets a few verses in when she jerks back with a shriek, brandishing her knife at the movement she feels by her feet.

“Watch it!” hisses the movement, whose voice she identifies as Barnes. Wisely, he plucks the knife from her hand and returns it to its sheath.

“What happened?” she asks, hit with a waterfall of relief. She wishes she could see more than vague silhouettes. “That was HYDRA?”

“Yeah,” Barnes says, “They must’ve used some kind of heat signature tracking. Or maybe they caught sight of me back at the beach and dispatched divers to the area they thought I’d go. I don’t think they know exactly where, or they’d have sent more than a few guys armed with spearguns.”

That had to have been what she was grazed with, then, a speargun arrow. She can’t say she’s ever had that before, though she knows it happens back home every now and then, usually to stupid kids not paying attention to what they’re doing.

Of course, she’s fairly certain none of those stupid kids were shot by HYDRA spearguns. She gets the dubious honor of being the first.

“So what now? Are there going to be more where they came from? Do they have beacons or something they could’ve activated?”

“Likely,” Barnes says. He refastens her rope to himself. “We have to go. Once HYDRA notices their divers aren’t moving from this spot, they’ll come. With reinforcements.”

Great.

“So how are we supposed to get out of here?”

“I’ll have to dive.”

“Not all of us can hold their breath for as long as you can. How do you expect me to —”

“I don’t have time to explain.”

“Explain what?”

Barnes answers by cupping her face in his hands and kissing her full on the mouth. Before she can ask him what the hell he thinks he’s doing or push him off her, she feels an odd, though not unpleasant, tingling in her lips. A warm burn slides its way into her lungs, as though she’s taken a swig from high-shelf whiskey.

The burn lingers as Barnes drags her beneath the surface of the water. Only then does he pull away, leaving her to panic at the sensation of having no air left in her lungs. That is, until she realizes that she doesn’t need to breathe. As Barnes swims away, the rope connecting them keeping her at pace, Sarah does her best to get her bearings.

Regrettably, for all that she seems to have temporarily acquired Barnes’s breathing ability, that hasn’t affected her eyesight or cognitive processing — she can make out some shapes, but for the most part everything they pass is a complete blur.

Once she gets over the novelty of the breathing part, the unnerving part of being along for the ride settles in. She hadn’t thought much about mermaid locomotion, but if she had, she doesn’t think she’d have banked on them being able to swim this fast. Not that she has a speedometer, but she’s sat seatbelt-less in the bed of a truck barreling down the freeway plenty of times, and this feels much the same. Only more wet. Needless to say, she grips the harness like her life depends on it — which, really, it does.

She also wishes that that kiss — or whatever it was — from Barnes helped with temperature as well, for while it doesn’t seem like they’re going deeper anymore, she’s fucking cold. Solely the fear of being tracked by an evil organization keeps her from tapping Barnes on the shoulder and asking if they could possibly swim a few dozen meters higher.

She puts up with it, knowing the alternative is tempting lethal fate. After a while, she nearly manages to fall asleep, such is her adrenaline crash and the steady fluidity of Barnes’s movements. She’s groggy when finally they stop, some sort of partially enclosed outcrop whose features she can just make out in the burgeoning sunrise. Barnes sets her on the rock and triple-checks both the entrance and surroundings.

Unfortunately, she discovers, the end feels much like the beginning, complete with the sensation of having no air even though now there is plenty of it. Is it possible to suffocate when there’s air to be had? Did Barnes merely delay her death sentence?

Apparently hearing her distress, he approaches with mild concern in his expression amongst the usual cagey neutrality, but his voice is calm as he instructs, “Force it. The air, you have to force it.”

The thought feels impossible. “I — can’t —”

“You can.” He places his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Breathe, Sarah.”

It’s the first time he’s said her name, she realizes, which all by itself is nearly enough to startle her out of her predicament. The touching takes care of the rest; up until now, their only contact has been of necessity, not comfort or even friendliness.

It’s a shaky breath that she draws into her lungs but a breath nonetheless, and once she’s done it, she gulps down as much as she possibly can. The pain in her chest slowly dissipates.

“Are you okay?” Barnes asks.

“Yeah I — I think so. Did you know it was that awful to come out of it?”

“No. I’ve never been around for that part.”

Now that she no longer is suffocating and they’re out of imminent danger, she wonders about the mechanics of the whole thing. “How’d you do it?”

“Something to do with the regenerative properties of the serum, it slows hypoxia. That’s what I was told, anyway.”

“Then why did it feel like I couldn’t breathe?”

“Because,” he says, “if you hold it too long, your body wants to keep the air it has left. It doesn’t realize it doesn’t have to until you force it.”

“That was too long?” she asks. “How long did we swim?”

“Bit over two hours, I think.”

“Two —”

He’d told her he could dive for an hour and a half, two hours maybe. And while with his enhanced strength she must not weigh much, she still weighs something. She takes stock of him, seeing only now that he looks exhausted, his own breath coming in heavier than normal. Never mind the exertion from fighting the combatants and what looks like a nasty gash over his eye dripping blood down the side of his face. He doesn’t appear bothered by it, but she’s been around him enough by this point to know he’s not the kind of person to admit to injury. Who knows what else he might’ve sustained?

Ultimately, she supposes the specifics of it all don’t matter and, frankly, she doesn’t have the patience for any more of a science lesson at the moment. Barnes himself may not even know the full scope. Really, she should celebrate the fact that he’s spoken more to her in the last two minutes than he has the last few days combined.

“So, how’d you figure it out, this breath-sharing thing?” she asks instead. “Got a history of saving damsels in distress, do you?”

She’d meant it as a joke, but a shadow passes over Barnes’s face. “No.”

“Then how —”

“Let me see where you were hit,” he interrupts. “You’re bleeding pretty badly.”

She looks down to see a wide bloom of red is indeed staining her shirt. The pain has become more of a throbbing nuisance than the acute sharpness it was before, though she’s not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing.

Sarah lifts up the hem of her shirt, and immediately wishes she hadn’t. It looks much worse than she thought it would. It still counts as a graze, she’d say, in the grand scheme of things, but an inch further and she’d have a hole straight through her abdomen.

“Seawater is healing,” she says with feeble confidence. It is, but she’s fairly certain this is too big of a wound for that to apply to.

“Stay here,” Barnes directs. “I’ll be back soon.”

He’s gone before she can ask where he’s going, disappearing under the water as quietly as always. She lets out a sigh. One of these days she’s going to make him give her an explanation before darting off.