#i also want bucky barnes to be happy again (thank god for tfatws show it changed my life i need to rewatch it)

[https-dandelion]

i rewatched captain america the first avenger and all of a sudden i am a child/tween/13 year old obsessed with marvel again. i miss the old mcu so much it aches my heart and i didn't realise i could feel this way about movies but those movies raised me

[iadoreoldermen]

Your wish is my command

Reader x tfatws Bucky Barnes

Summary: On Bucky and Y/N's anniversary, Bucky is needy for his mommy. Y/N helps him. ;) (this summary sucks, I know)

WARNINGS: 18+ NSFW MDNI SMUT, softdom!reader, subby!bucky, pet names (baby, doll, bubba etc.), slight mommy kink, oral m recieveing, p in v sex. I also thought this was going to be short but it turned out to be a whole slowburn.

You woke up to the feeling of Bucky's lips all over your face, leaving soft kisses everywhere. You started smiling ear-to-ear when he kissed your neck. What a way to start the day.

-Happy anniversary baby. -Bucky murmured into your neck and stayed there. His voice was still raspy from sleeping.

-Happy anniversary to you too, Buck, I can't believe it's been a year already. -You said as you played with his short brunette locks.

You started smiling even more if that's possible, when you remembered last night's events. Bucky planned a little date on the boat that Sam, him and you renovated. You cried on the spot. And no, that didn't finish there. Absolutely. Not. He made your favourite food, bought your favourite flowers. For the gift, he got you both 2 matching pairs of rings and you know he doesn't wear much jewelery but when you told him that he should wear more rings, he obeyed. He trusts you so damn much, he'd risk his life for you. The biggest gift of all, was when he reached behind his neck.

-I've wanted to give these to you for a while now. -He said as he unclasped his dogtags and handed them to you.

-James, I can't, -you said between soft sobs. -I..I can't baby this is..you need these, I can't just grab them from you. -You started babbling and sobbing even more but your emotional moment was interrupted by the feeling of Bucky's lips on yours.

-I don't fucking need them anymore..you've helped me heal, and make me 'James' again and I'm really thankful for that, -he got the tags out of the loose grip of your hands and put them on you. -They look way better on you. -You continued sobbing. -Hey, hey Y/N. -He cradled your head to his chest. -It's okay, God I love you so much. Shhh..-He grabbed the backs of your thighs and lifted you up so he could see your face properly.

-I love you even more.. -You said kissing him.

-I don't think that's possible.

-Oh but it is..

-Let me show you how much I love you.....

Y/N! You with me?

Wha- oh.. Yeah, umm what were you talking about? -Well, this is embarrasing, you thought.

-I was just telling you that since Sam and I are still 'undercover' or some shit, we can't really go out this evening. I'm so sorry. -He said and looked away from you, ashamed that you can't go out like a normal couple.

-Baby, it's okay, yesterday was enough. Also you're doing your job so I have no right to be upset, okay? -You assured him. -Now let's get up, I have something in mind-He whined at that, buried his face into your chest and tightened his grip on your waist.

-Nooo, just 2 more minitues. Please. -He murmured.

-'Kay baby boy. -You agreed. For those two minitues you were deep in thought, remembering yesterday night, the way he touched you, your core clenching around nothing...

-Time to get up. -You said, Bucky whimpered again. You lifted his face and looked at him sternly.

-Okay, okay, I'll get up. -He huffed out and stood up. You made grabby hands at him to help you up, which he gladly did. You waddled out to the bathroom with his hand in yours. He started washing his face and you admired his back muscles and biceps flexing. God you loved him so much.

-What's going on in that pretty, little head of yours, huh? -He asked.

-Nothin'.. -He looked at you seriously. -..just how much I wanna fuck you right now. -He moved closer to you, lifting your head to look at him. -But we have to get ready, c'mon. -You teased him like this really often, but he still didn't get used to it totally. You made him beg. You looked at him in the mirror and chuckled, seeing the pouty face he was giving you. You just smirked and shook your head.

You started doing your makeup, but was too distracted when he started leaving love bites on your neck.

-Behave, I have things to do. -You said under your breath as a groan left your lips when Bucky bit your neck harshly.

-But mommy...I need you..-he whispered in your ear, sending shiwers down your spine. -Please..- okay that's it, you thought. You lifted his face from your neck and smashed your lips into his and pulled back after mere seconds, fiddling with the tags on your neck.

-Y'know...-you started.. -you are naughty and don't listen to me so..I don't think you deserve it. -you said with a huge grin on your face as Bucky let a high pitched whine escape his lips.

-But, mommy..-He murmured as he kneeled down in front of you. -Please, please, please. -You chuckled at his neediness.

-Hold on, baby, hold on. Mommy's gotta brush her hair. -You said and leaned over his kneeling form to reach for your brush. You brushed through your h/c locks and grabbed his face in your palms.

-Are you going to behave for mommy? -he nodded hastily, kissing your tummy. -Use your words hun. -you teased.

-I'll be good mommy I swear, please please please! -he whined.

-Please what? Tell me. -you lived for the change in his expressions, going from pouty and whiny to being a full on tease with a smirk on his stubbled face.

-I want you to do something with me, please, it tingles.. -he murmured the last part so you asked him: -What tingles? -He just looked down, and when you saw what he was looking at, you almost moaned. He was grabbing himself through his pajama pants.

-Oh you greedy little boy..Let's see what we can do to help those so called tingles go away. -He looked at you with puppy eyes as he nodded slowly.

-Stand up for me, yeah good boy. -He didn't think it was possible to become even harder, but he eventually did at your praise, he loved being your good boy. -What should we do, hmm? -You slipped his pants down to his ankles and he kicked them off.

-Oh my, you really are stiff. -You said as you held him in your hand. He groaned loudly when you tugged at his cock a little. -You like when mommy does that huh? How about this? -You asked as you spit in your hand and started stroking him.

-Fuck yeah..S'good momma. -He moaned. -So so good. Please don't stop.. -He grabbed your head and tried to guide your head down his lenght.

-Nu-uh, mommy's in control right? -You asked as you slowed the ministrations of your hand. He just nodded with a pout. You slapped his thigh and asked again:

-Right?

-Yes, mommy. -He whined and bit slightly on his fist.

-That's my good boy. -And with that you took all of him down your throat. He was not ready for that, even if he was begging for it. He didn't think it was possible to feel more pleasure, but that thought flew out the window when you started rubbing his balls.

-Oh, y-yes, mommy! -He whined. You moved your mouth to suck on his tip only for a mere fraction of seconds and then took him down all at once, his tip kissing your throat.

-I'm gonna come, can I come mommy? -Poor baby was so spent, his voice cracked mid-sentence as tears fell down his cheeks.

-Mhmm..-You hummed in response, as soon as Bucky heard that, he realesed in the confines of your mouth, groaning and whining as pure bliss consumed him. You looked up at him through your lashes as you swallowed, he groaned at the sight. When you made sure you milked every drop from him, you released his cock from your mouth and stood up.

-Did it feel good hun? -You asked as you cupped his face in your hands.

-Yes mommy. -You kissed him so he could taste himself. He moaned into your mouth and grabbed the backs of your thighs. You could feel him getting hard again as you jumped and locked your leg around his narrow waist. You could feel a slight change in his behaviour, but you went with it. He carefully dropped you down on your bed and crawled on top of you while leaving kisses on your body every now an then. When he came face-to-face with you, he kissed you passionately while dipping his hand in the thin material of your underwear.

-Mommy enjoyed sucking me off a litlle too much don't you think? -He asked as he teased your folds with his now slick fingers.

-You don' even need any prepping do you?

-Just fuck me baby. -You moaned as he pulled your panties down. He also undid his your shirt hastily to get a look at your breasts.

-Perfect boobs mommy, can I suck 'em while I make love to you? Please? -He asked and you whined an almost unhearable 'yes' and with that he entered you fully with one thrust. You were still sore from yesterday so tears welled in your eyes quickly. Bucky noticed and slowed the movements of his hips immediately.

-You okay princess? -He asked, worrying about you.

-Y-yes, hurts a bit, don't stop. -You whimpered.

-Are you sure, I don't want to hurt you. -He slowed down completely.

-Oh for fucks sake James! -You shouted and before he could even register what you were doing, you held his waist tightly with your legs, and flipped you both over and started riding him with such power it knocked the air out of his lungs.

-Damn baby, fuck..

-Told ya not to stop, this is what you get. -You said and brought his hands up above his head and held him down. You grinded on him in figure eights slowly to tease him, knowing that he couldn't guide you since his hands were trapped in yours. After a while you got tired of his constant begging so you started mercilessly riding him.

-God, yes baby, filling me up so good. -You both moaned and it was borderline pornographic, you loved it. He leaned forward and captured one of your nipples in his mouth, licking it sloppily when his mouth opened to groan.

-I'm so close Buck, so good for mommy, aren't you. -You asked moaning at the sight of him, looking up at you through his lashes and nibbling on your nipple. He nodded quickly and whined a 'yeah' around your breast.

-Come with me, c'mon baby, I can feel you throbbing, let go.. -You said, grunting as the wave of pleasure and euphoria hit you. Seconds later you felt him coming too.

-Such a good boy for me. -You said as you realesed his hands from your grip so you could lace your fingers together. You made sure you rode your highs out and you slowed your hips, until you stilled fully. When you released Bucky's hands they were instantly on you, as he pulled you close to his body. He whined when you tried to wiggle out of his grip.

-I'm just going to the bathroom baby. We gotta clean up with something. -He whined again.

-James. -You scolded lifting his face to look at you. He whined but let go of your torso.

-Fuck..-you hissed as you got off him. You waddled out to the bathroom for a wet rag so you could clean up. When you were done you entered the bedroom to see Bucky in the same position as before but his eyes were open. You grinned at him as he made grabby hands at you. You sat down beside him and started cleaning his thighs first but when you got to his cock he hissed and whimpered.

-I know, I know.. -You cooed, pushing some of his hair that was stuck to his forehead out of his face. -You're sensitive, I know bubba.. -You soothed, voice soft. You threw the rag in the laundry and went back to him.

-I love you s'much mommy. -He mumbled to you when you moved laid down next to him on the bed.

-I love you too bubba. Ready for some cuddles? -You asked him in a voice so soft and happy, he thought he'd melt on the spot. He nodded and mumbled a small 'yes mommy' and that's all you needed to pull him close to your chest and start rubbing his upper back with one of your hands while the other played with his hair.

-Can we just stay here all day and cuddle? -He asked, voice slurred from pure exhaustion.

-Well, we have nothing else to do so I guess, yeah...I love you so much Bucky.

-I love you more Y/N.

-I doubt that.

A/N : Phew, that's long, it's cute tho, I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did writing it.

[bbyboybucket]

TFATWS!Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Bucky gets jealous when he sees you flirting with Torres. You show him he has nothing to worry about.

Warnings: language as always, jealous Bucky, lil bit of insecure Bucky, drinking, smut, oral (male receiving), bathroom sex (p in v), unprotected (wrap it irl lovies), descriptions of buckys genitals

A/N - I’m shit when it comes to thinking of titles. And I’ve never used a gif before on my writing but I think it maybe makes it look more attractive idk. Also idk if I’ve ever mentioned this but I LOVE Torres so much. Like he’s such a lil cutie and I’d def be crushin on him harder if we knew more about his character. Anyways, I had to make reader a lil flirty with Torres. It’s a good plot. Plus jealous Bucky? Who doesn’t love that? I didn’t proof read so there’s prolly mistakes. This is pretty vanilla, maybe one day I’ll write something more kinky. That’s all.

—————————

Bucky Barnes was an angry man. He was a lot of things, actually, but he was always irritated about something. Being in a foul mood was practically his most identifiable characteristic at this point and he accepted that gladly. But he never thought the object of his rage would be the young lieutenant that Sam introduced him to.

Torres was a nice kid. He wasn’t really a kid but Bucky basically saw every young person that way. He’d always liked him, he was bright spirited, smart, and always helpful with whatever he and Sam needed. Bucky never had a problem with him but right now, he wanted to choke him out. Bucky’s eyes were practically daggers and if looks could kill, Torres would be dead. All because he was flirting with you.

The biggest issue was that you were flirting back. He watched the way your face light up as you talked to him, the two of you laughing. Bucky’s fists were clenched dangerously tight.

He was able to listen to every word of your conversation, thanks to his super soldier hearing.

“We’re going out for drinks later tonight, you should come.” You spoke with a smirk and your hand trailed Joaquin’s upper arm.

“I’ll check my schedule.” The young man replied with a smile. The interaction sent a rush of fury through Bucky’s entire body, his bottom lip curled beneath his teeth as he bit down harshly.

He couldn’t even begin to understand why you were flirting with this kid instead of him.

Okay, maybe he could. Torres was close to your age, maybe only a few years older. That’s a hell of a lot more reasonable than going for a 106 year old. Yeah, the age gap between you two was ungodly, he was sure you found that unattractive. And Torres was nice. Bucky didn’t always have that under his belt. He knew damn well he could be an ass, most of the time he didn’t care but he was nice to you. At least he thought he was nice to you anyways. Torres was also pretty happy, Bucky on the other hand, not so much. But Bucky was happy when you were around. That counts right? He may not smile a lot or really show it any other way, but you did make him happy. He’d count that as Torres: 3 and himself: 2. It was almost even.

But then again, Torres wasn’t an ex assassin with the blood of hundreds on his hands. Nobody was waiting for Torres to snap at any given moment. Torres also didn’t have a metal arm or a broken mind. So scratch what he thought earlier. It was Torres: 1 million and himself: 2.

Just because it was justifiable why you were into Joaquin, didn’t mean Bucky was any less pissed. He’d much rather be in the younger man’s shoes right now, hearing your sweet laugh in his ears and feeling your soft, warm touch. It enraged him that he couldn’t have that yet it was being rubbed in his face that someone else could. All Bucky could think about is the way you’d feel on him, the way your melodic voice sounded when you you spoke to him, how you made him feel giddy inside. God, he wanted to fucking punch that son of a-

“Is viciously staring at people you’re only damn hobby?” Sam laughed as he sat down next to the blue eyed man.

Bucky finally tore his gaze away from you two and brought it towards Sam. “Shut up.” He grumbled.

“I see terminator’s pissed.” Sam joked.

“I’m not pissed.” He mumbled through his teeth.

“Well, somethings got your gears grinding.”

Sam’s smile only grew as he watched his friend roll his eyes and cross his arms in annoyance. He looked across the room to where Bucky had been previously staring and the issue dawned on him.

“You’re jealous cause someone else is talking to your lil crush?” The man teased.

“‘M not jealous.” Bucky huffed and mentally cursed himself for ever telling Sam that he had feelings for you.

“You were looking at my boy like you wanted to kill him, seems like jealousy to me, cyborg.”

Bucky slouched over with his head hanging down and brought his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Sam let out a sigh. “Why don’t you just tell her you like her?”

“You know I can’t.”

“You can and you should. Just think about it, alright?” Sam suggested before standing up and clapping his hand on the other mans back.

When Sam left, Bucky did think about it. Damn, he wished he could tell you. He wished he was the way he used to be and could still make any girl swoon over him. He was far from that now. It was eternally frustrating that he was so goddamn awkward when it came to dating. He couldn’t even figure out how to stop it. Being awkward with you was one less thing he needed on the list of reasons you’d be turned off by him. He’d rather be stubborn and watch from a distance than embarrass himself.

—————————

Bars were not Bucky’s thing. Not at all. A ton of drunk people, stupid music he didn’t like, and the only thing he could do was unrealistically hope that he could feel a buzz if he took enough shots. He wished Sam wasn’t so goddamn good at coercing. He scoffed at remembering how easily he was convinced into coming with the ‘it’ll be fun’ and ‘you need to get out more, old man.’

Of course a part of it was that he wanted to be around you. It was hard to pass up spending time with you even if it wasn’t one on one. He hoped to talk to you more than he had been but instead he ended up just letting his eyes linger on you. Adoring your pretty smile, the way your hair framed your face. Admiring your sexy figure and the way that dress complimented it. Sadly for him, your attention had mainly been on Sam and even more unfortunately, Torres. That was the real cherry on top of his dreadful bar experience.

You were about 4 shots of whiskey in. Bucky could tell you were starting to get tipsy. He sat at the table as he watched the rest of you over at the bar, ordering more drinks. To his surprise, you came back without the others.

“Havin fun?” You gleamed at him as you took a seat.

“Why don’t you go ask your boyfriend that?” He mumbled, not bothering to look at you as he swirled around his drink.

You chuckled a bit at his grumpy response. “And who would that be?”

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Don’t act so innocent, I saw you flirting it up with Torres.”

You started laughing once again. “God, you’re unbelievable.”

His head shot up, finally facing you. His eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched as he spoke again. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

You scooted closer to him in the booth, sending a slight chill down his spine. “It means you’re dumb. I flirt with you every damn day, sarge.” Your voice was low, you looked Bucky up and down, eyes trailing across his whole body in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

“You do?”

“Mhm.” You hummed. God, something as simple as that was already doing things to him. “Don’t know how you don’t realize. Thought it was obvious that I’m into you.”

Bucky couldn’t control the way heat spread across his cheeks, turning them a bright pink. He felt butterflies going crazy in his stomach as he looked at your pretty face. “I-I uh, I’m into you too.”

“I know. A little birdie told me. Just been waiting for you to say somethin.”

He was gonna kill Sam later for running his mouth to you, but right now, god, the only thing he could think of is how your words sounded, like a blessing, if blessings could be seductive. He couldn’t stop looking at how beautiful you were and how you were sitting here, so close to him, seeming to actually want him too. He might have a chance.

“You actually like me?” He said asked softly.

“Yup.” You popped the ‘p’ at the end and brought a hand to his shoulder. “I can show you how much I like you, if you want.”

“Yeah, I want that.” He managed to speak with a little more confidence than before and it made you grin.

You grabbed his hand and tugged on it as you stood up. “Come on, let’s go somewhere more private.”

He followed you eagerly like an excited puppy, all the way to the bathroom in the back. Thankfully it was a single instead of one with stalls. The second you both were in you locked the door behind you. You backed him up against the sink before lifting your hand to his jawline. His heart was beating a million miles per hour when you brought your mouth to his.

The way your tongue grazed his, the way you lightly sucked his bottom lip, the way your the tips of your noses brushed, the feeling of your body pressed against his own, it all felt like pure heaven. He got hungrier for your taste and brought his hand to the back of your neck to pull you further into him. You pulled your mouth away from his and peppered kisses against his jawline.

“Nothing to be jealous of, sarge.” You said as you kissed along Bucky’s neck. You felt his breathes get heavy as you slipped your hand down to the zipper of his pants, undoing it while your lips were still lingering on his skin. “He’s just a friend. You’re the one I want.”

You put a little distance between your bodies so that you could lower his pants, as well as his underwear, down to his ankles. His large, pink cock was already hard when you uncovered it. He noticed the way your eyes slightly widened at the sight.

A small smirk grew on his lips. “You like what you see?”

“I do.” You confirmed before pulling your hair back with the tie that was on your wrist. You dropped to your knees and looked up at him while you slowly started licking the swollen tip of his dick. He didn’t know what was better, the sensation or the view of you beneath him.

You broke eye contact and put his shaft as far in to your throat as possible to get it nice and wet. You could feel the hot pre-cum leaking out on to your tongue. When you pulled his cock out, you made a ‘pop’ sound with your lips. You began to spit all over it. Your mouth made its way to his clean shaven balls. You put one completely inside and sucked away as you used your hand to jack him off.

The man who was towering above you, was moaning softly. You tightened your grip on his dick and pumped faster as you began to suck on his other warm nut. You were already dripping in your panties because of the sounds you heard from him, moan after moan rumbling through his chest.

You pulled you head back and refocused your attention to his throbbing dick, wrapping your lips around it once again. His cock was so thick and long that it took up all of the space it your mouth, you were deep throating and it still didn’t fit all the way in. You began to bob your head back and forth quickly, you moved your tongue around the shaft to give him the extra sensation.

“Fuck…” he moaned out, voice deep but shaky. “You’re so fucking good…”

You brought his cock further in, the furthest you could possibly take it. It was pounding against the back of your throat, hitting every second with the fast pace you were sucking at. The guttural moans kept flowing out of him, unbeknownst to Bucky, it was like music to your ears.

“God…Y/N…I’m close…” He whimpered out and you suddenly stopped, much to his dismay. You sloppily extracted his saliva covered dick from your mouth.

You wiped the drool off your face as you stood up. “I’m gonna make you cum the right way, sarge.”

You took his hand and guided him to the toliet, closing the lid before you pushed him to sit down on it. You lifted the bottom of the black dress you were wearing and removed your soaking wet thong. You grabbed his fingers and guided them towards your clit as you stood over him.

“Feel that? All wet for you, Buck.”

You guided his large fingers as they massaged your clit. You let out a small whimper as you felt tension coiling in lower stomach.

“I want you, Y/N. God, I fucking want you.”

You dropped his hand and the straddled his lap, sitting on his voluptuous thighs. You grabbed his cocktail and brought it towards you entrance. It hurt pushing it in, but it was such a pleasurable pain. He moved his hips closer to you, to help push it in, hearing you whimper as his length was engulfed by your wet pussy. You started to rock your hips back and forth on him, his hand reached to your ass cheek as he grabbed it roughly.

“God, you’re so tight…you feel so good around me.” He huffed out blissfully.

His cock was completely filling you, so painfully deep you wondered if rearranging your guts was really just an expression. He began to thrust his hips harshly into you, making you moan just as much as he’d been earlier. Curses fell from his lips one right after the other, the heat and tightness of your pussy feeling better than he could’ve ever dreamed.

Your arms were clinging to the back of his neck as he rocked forcefully into you, slamming into your most sensitive spots. He could barely contain himself any longer, he was about to speak up but you beat him to it.

“I’m close, I’m almost there.” You whined, your eyes watering slightly from the feeling he was giving you. The pressure in your stomach and hips was unmatched, you were on the very edge of coming undone. “Fuck, keep going Bucky.”

He then thrusted his hips the hardest he has the whole night, holding you steady by wrapping his metal arm around your back. You finished first, panting out a loud ‘fuck’ and feeling a tingling sensation throughout your whole body as you came all over his dick. He didn’t take much longer to cum himself, letting your pussy milk him completely and releasing the last low moan erupt from his throat.

You let him slide out of you. Your tired body then leaned up against him for a moment, head against his shoulder.

“That was so fucking good, doll.” Bucky said as he played with your hair.

“Mhm. No reason to be jealous anymore, right?” You mumbled into his neck.

“Right, cause we both know I can fuck you better than anyone else.”

[hobis-hope94]

~ Hair ~

AN: hello! I’m back at it again using my Captain America OC as inspiration for more Bucky x Reader fics! I’m still blown away with how much love “She Loves You” got 😭 thank you! This story takes place just before TFATWS!

Parings: Bucky x f!reader

Warnings: scissors, mentions of food, talks of feet at the beginning (not in a weird kinky way!) and tons of fluff!

“Wow, when you struggle with modern day technology, you really do show your age, grandpa,” you giggled as you watched Bucky attempt to connect his phone to your shared Bluetooth speaker in your shared apartment.

“If I showed you any World War 2 tech, would you be able to use it?” Bucky growled, but a smile showed he wasn’t really angry.

“You didn’t have any technology in World War 2,” you teased, nudging him with your foot

“Liar. We did,” said Bucky, grinning at you

“Oh yeah. Horse drawn carriages,” you teased, smirking, trying to hold a giggle back.

“If you’re not careful, missy. I’ll hang you upside down and shake you until all that sass comes out of you,” said Bucky, grabbing your foot gently to make you stop nudging him.

“You wouldn’t be able to hold me for very long because your bones are all crumbly because you’re so old,” you teased.

You instantly regretted that last statement by the mischievous grin on Bucky.

“No,” you said, trying to wiggle free.

Bucky had already taken you by the ankles and stood up holding you upside down.

“Put me down Barnes!” You shirked.

“Nah. I’m gonna shake until all that sass of yours has fallen out,” Bucky teased.

“Buuuuckkkyyyy!!” You squealed.

He gently threw you back on the sofa, you poked your tongue out playfully at him, he did the same.

“You need a hair cut,” you said after a pause.

“Over my dead body,” Bucky said firmly, still trying to work out how two different devices can connect to each other.

“Oh please, Buck. I can cut hair, you know,” you said, now cuddling into Bucky’s side, twirling a bit of his brunette hair around your finger.

“I thought you liked it long,” Bucky said, not taking his focus away from his phone.

“I don’t mind it. But I love seeing your face fully more,” said you gently, kissing his cheek making him go slightly red.

That was an utter lie, you *adored* his long hair. You loved playing with it when you two cuddled, he secretly loved you doing that. You also got pretty damn good at platting hair thanks to sneakily platting Bucky’s when he slept during the day.

But you knew the long hair was getting on his nerves.

“Okay, fine. We can cut it once I figure out how to work this damned thing to see whatever the heck it is that you’ve made for me,” Bucky said, his nose scrunched up from focusing so hard as you beamed in delight.

“You’re cute when you’re in focus. Your nose scrunches, did you know that?” you said, smiling at his side profile.

Bucky once again blushed. Finally, he got his phone connected, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and rested your head on his right shoulder.

“Now what?” Bucky asked, looking at you.

“Go to YouTube Music,” you informed gently, leaving a kiss on his shoulder.

“What’s YouTube?” Bucky asked, looking back at his phone making you giggle again

“I downloaded it for you yesterday, granddad,” you said giggling, pressing the app that was right there in front of him.

You guided him to the playlist she made for him, and hit shuffle. It had all types of 40’s music on there. Bucky smiled at you.

“Isn’t this like the actual mixtape you made me on our first anniversary?” Bucky asked gently.

“It’s exactly the same,” you nodded, “now you can listen to it whenever you want.” You added, smiling brightly at him as you lent back.

“God I love you,” Bucky said, pulling you into a kiss. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” He added as you two pulled away.

“I’m yours, Buck. Today, tomorrow, forever. I’m always yours, and you deserve me. You deserve every ounce of happiness that’s gonna come your way. I’m gonna make sure you get it all, and I’m gonna be right beside you when you do,” you said gently, looking into his piercing blue eyes, your foreheads touching.

You had one of your hands on his cheek and was gently running your thumb up and down his cheek. Gently, you lent in and kissed his chin dimple making him smile at you and blush slightly.

There was just the sound of gentle 40’s jazz that filled the air.

“Right. Lemme get the stuff to cut your locks,” you said, snapping out of it as a more upbeat song began playing.

Bucky was sat waiting for you, the playlist making him smile. All the songs he loved, and the songs that reminded you of Bucky.

He truly didn’t know what he did to deserve such a loving, caring, understanding and gentle woman like Y/N Y/L/N.

You had only been dating two years now, but you loved each other dearly. The biggest step you had made was moving in together.

After a while, you called for him. He got up and walked into the bathroom.

“C’on, plong yourself down on the chair, sir,” you said.

Bucky rolled his eyes with a smile but did so. You gently wrapped a towel around his neck, and spun him gently around to face the mirror, which was covered up so he couldn’t see what you were doing.

“How much off, Buck?” You asked, gently wetting his hair by running warm water threw it.

“As much as you’d like, doll,” said Bucky.

You smiled and kissed the top of his head. You began to get to work as gentle sounds of jazz filled the air, you smiled slightly as you saw Bucky tap his feet along with the rhythm.

“What drew you to jazz, baby?” You asked gently, snipping away at his hair.

“I dunno. My mom liked it and so did my sister. So it was always playing in our house,” said Bucky, smiling fondly.

You felt sad a little as you saw a slight change in behaviour towards Bucky. He never speaks about his parents or sister.

“They’re all probably dead now,” he said quietly.

You had to force tears back. You hated that he didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to his family.

You hated that the last time he saw his parents and sister was probably the last ever time. You hated knowing that his family probably died thinking he would be waiting for them.

“You might have some nieces and nephews and maybe some great nieces and nephews out there, bub,” you said gently, finishing the last snips.

“I never really considered that. My sister was so young when I left for war, she was only 12yrs old. I never really knew her outside of that age,” Bucky said gently.

“Well. All finished,” you said gently after a pause.

“Is it carnage?” Bucky asked, jokingly as you went to get the mirror.

“Ahaha very funny,” you said sarcastically.

You carefully lifted the mirror for Bucky’s eye level. It was short. Very short. He hadn’t had this short of a hair style since the war.

“Do you like it?” You asked anxiously.

“I love it,” Bucky said, looking at you

You beamed, left him with the mirror while you cleaned up the remains of his hair.

After you had cleaned the hair from the floor, you went into the kitchen to prepare your evening meal.

Bucky shortly followed you. He smiled as you had changed the music to your favourite artist.

“Careful Bucky. I have a knife in my hand,” you said as you felt Bucky’s arms sneak around your waist.

“I just wanna hold you,” Bucky almost whined, gently taking the knife from your hand and spinning you around.

“Bucky, baby, i need to finish cooking dinner,” you said, though you loooved when your boyfriend held you.

“Alright. I’ll leave. For a small price,” Bucky said, gently hooking his flesh index finger and thumb on your chin to make you look at him.

“And what might that be?” You giggled.

“You kiss me,” Bucky said gently.

You didn’t argue. You shared a passionate and loving kiss. As you pulled apart, you both smiled at each other.

“Wow, cutting your hair might have either been a blessing or mistake,” you giggled as you wiggled free from him.

Bucky smirked at you as you finished preparing the meal.

—-

That evening, you both were cuddled up in bed, your head right against his chest, listening to the gentle rhythm of his heart, one of your favourite sounds.

Both of his arms were gently wrapped around you, Bucky was gently drawing on your skin with his metal finger. You smiled as he spelt out “I love you”.

Without saying it yourself, you placed a loving kiss to his chest before snuggling back down and spelling out “I love you too” with your finger on his rib cage.

That moment, was perfect and you both drifted into a heavy and peaceful sleep.

[writingtoforgetreality]

I’m Only Me When I’m With You (Sam Wilson x Reader)

Request: Hello! Hope this ask finds you well! May I request a Sam Wilson x reader in which the reader is very stubborn but finds herself falling for Sam despite trying to resist those feelings? Thank you so much! I hope you stay safe and healthy during these crazy times! (by @agentmalfoy24601), [Marvel-Masterlist]

Summary: You liked Sam. Was it a secret? You hoped so but your team would state otherwise. While the teasing was funny & all, it actually made you distance yourself from your feelings even more. Luckily, there was a certain someone who could see right through you.

Words: 1,990

Warnings: language, feels, fluff, this is a cute one, I love Sam but barely anyone writes for him :(, slight TFATWS spoilers, (Y/E/C) = your eye color, REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

“Nope, forget it.” you argued with the three men in front of you. “I understand that this mission is important but I will not pretend to be his wife.” your finger pointed at Sam while your eyebrows raised.

“You could always pretend to be my partner.” Zemo reasoned. Shaking your head, you let out a scoff.

“(Y/N) & Zemo? Makes a cute couple.” Bucky spoke up & earned a death glare from not only you but also Sam. Though you did not see what Wilson was doing. Not in this moment.

“I hate every single one of you.” you snarled through gritted teeth.

“Sure.” Bucky mumbled almost inaudible, followed by a low chuckle.

The thing about this mission was that you knew if you played pretend next to Sam, it would not actually be pretending from your side. Truth was, you were falling for him. More than you would have liked to admit. You were not born yesterday, you were aware that relationships did not work out. Not with a job as dangerous as yours. Besides, this was Wilson you were talking about. Hell, he could have anyone, he would never choose someone like you. And you did not want him to choose you. Relationships complicated things. Complications led to danger & danger led to death. The rest of the team, especially Bucky, had picked up on the fact that you kind of liked Sam. And they teased the shit out of you. They even made bets on how long it would take the two of you to start dating. No way would you give in. Nope. That was not in your nature.

Though you had to admit that Sam did not make your plan of burying your feelings deep down any easier. Most of the times, he did not even realize the effect he had on you. It was simple things, really. The way he moved his body. How his shirts fit just right. This heartwarming smile of his that had you weak at the knees. His efforts to make you smile constantly, especially after failed missions. He was a good guy. And good guys never chose people like you. An acquaintance. That was what you were to him. Maybe it was for the better anyway.

“(Y/N)?” you heard Bucky’s voice coming from the closed door to your room. Jogging over there, you slowly opened it for him, checking if it really was him & not a threat or something. He entered after you stepped aside as a silent invitation.

“What’s up?” you were fixing up your appearance for the upcoming party you all had to attend. The outfit you wore made you feel like a strong goddess. The colors complemented perfectly, hugging every curve in the best way possible. It was not often when you got to dress up like that but when you did, it definitely paid off.

“Tell Sam you like him.” Bucky wasted no time with his words. Spinning around in order to face him, you gave him your best dumbfounded look. It made him roll his eyes. “I’m being serious.”

“How much money do you win if I do?” you asked curiously, knowing that this was most likely just part of one of their stupid bets.

“Zero, actually. Because I said you’d get together after this mission.” you gave him a look that he gladly ignored. “But that’s not the point…I do believe that the tension between you guys will be unbearable, though.”

“Oh, come on, dude. You’re totally exaggerating.” you gave an awkward chuckle to hide your embarrassment.

“I’m afraid I’m right.” he sat down on one of the chairs, then looked into your eyes. “I don’t know why you make such a big deal outta it. You like him. He likes you-“

“Which is not true. You’re just assuming shit.”

“He likes you. (Y/N), you’re not the same when you’re not with him.” his words were soft, the sincerity clearly shown.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” your arms raised in confusion. Plopping down on your bed, you sighed loudly.

“He completes you. I didn’t think it was possible, actually. I used to laugh at people when they said stuff like that.” he chuckled. “You & Sam deserve to be happy. You belong with each other.” when there was a long pause from you, Bucky got up & approached the door. Stopping briefly after touching the doorknob to turn around & face you. “Please think about it, (Y/N).” shooting you one last warm smile, he exited. Leaving you alone with the silence being your only company.

Bucky was one of your best friends. You knew he would not lie to you. Not about something like that. And even though he loved messing with you, he was serious when he talked to you just now. Yes, you liked Sam. Of course you did. How could you not? His broad shoulders, muscles that you only ever got to see when he decided to change in front of you (which did not happen often enough for your liking). But why were you even thinking about that? If you were honest, you were not even sure if you would go on a date with him if he decided to ask. Was it to protect him & the others? Or was it to protect yourself from possible heartbreak? Or was it just to show yourself & the others that you were not someone who gave in easily? Not when everyone around you pushed you to do something. Wanted you to do something.

There was another knock on your door. This time, your head was thrown back in frustration. Bucky was a pain in the ass sometimes. He did not even give you enough time to go talk to Sam if you planned on doing so. Which you were not. Walking over to the door, you prepared a speech for Barnes.

“You know you’re actually an awful frien-“ you stopped dead in your tracks when the door opening revealed that it was not Bucky who came to invade your privacy again. It was Sam. Realizing what you just said, you started stuttering out an apology. “Oh God, Sam. I’m so sorry. I thought Bucky was-“

“No worries.” his laugh warmed your heart as much as you disliked to admit it. “Can I…?” he gestured to your room. Quickly stepping aside, you motioned for him to enter, apologizing once more. Why were you even saying sorry? There was literally no need to.

“You-You look gorgeous.” he eyed you up & down, taking in your appearance. Training your eyes down to the floor, you regained your composure a second later. You were not the embarrassed type.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Wilson.” winking at him & his black turtleneck. Sam wearing this? Well, it did things to you. He patted the spot next to him on your bed. Getting the message, you walked over & seated yourself right beside him, body facing his. The most gorgeous brown eyes locked with your (Y/E/C) ones. It was hard to look away. Like you were trapped in them. But truth was, you did not want to look away. Sam was the first one to speak up. Voice only a whisper.

“What are we doing?” he asked & you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

“W-What?” you really had no clue what he was talking about.

“This.” he gestured between you two. “What are we doing?”

“Well, Zemo said we’ll have to pretend to be married, right? So I guess we should just stay close to each other at all times & then see-“ you got interrupted by him shaking his head frantically, a smile still on his lips.

“I’m not talking about the mission, (Y/N).” his eyes met yours once more, an expectant expression on his face.

“O-Okay?” your head tilted to the side.

“Why are you making this even harder?” he sighed frustratingly but you could hear the sarcasm in his tone.

“I’m sorry?” it was more of a question, really. Quickly, he shook his head, one of his hand moving on top of yours.

“No, please don’t apologize. You do that way too often.” he chuckled. “Am I the only one thinking that there’s something between us?” your face changed in realization. No. Whatever he was doing, you hoped he would not go that way. If he did, it could ruin your entire friendship. And you were not sure if you could live without him. You did not want to live without him.

“I’m- I mean…I think we shouldn’t-“ you started only to be interrupted by him again.

“Why shouldn’t we?” he asked, voice raising just the slightest bit. You gave him a shrug in return, eyes focusing on his hand on top of yours in your lap. “Oh, I think I get it.” Sam started again when he realized that you were not planning on giving him an actual answer. “You’re scared.” this statement made you glance at him. He smirked at your expression because he knew that he had you now. “You’re scared that this won’t work out. And you don’t wanna give in.”

“Don’t wanna give in?” you played dumb but actually, it shocked you how well Sam knew you. Yeah, you had been close friends for a while now but still, nobody else could read you like he did.

“People have been bugging you to go out with me, haven’t they?” his eyebrows raised while waiting for you to confirm this. After a few moments, you nodded slightly. “That’s one of the reasons we aren’t dating yet.” he was straight forward with all of this. Like he had been preparing this speech for ages. Maybe he had, who knew?

“Yeah? You seem pretty damn sure about this.” you smirked at his certainty. Deep down, you knew he was right. But a little teasing never killed nobody, right?

“I know I’m right.” he pointed out, mimicking your smirk.

“Is that so? And why do you think that?”

“Because you’re too stubborn for your own good sometimes. “ you should feel hurt by him calling you out on this but you felt the exact opposite. It just showed you how much he actually paid attention to you. “You’re too stubborn & you like to do things your way. So when people tell you to do something…you tend to do the exact opposite.” his bright smile plastered one on your face as well.

“Guilty.” suddenly, it was way too silent. Not the usual silence but one that was uncomfortably quiet, even more so than normal. His hand cupping your cheek brought you back to reality. Leaning into his touch involuntarily, you closed your eyes briefly. Sam took the chance & closed the gap between you two. You were frozen in place at first but found yourself melting into the kiss soon. It was better than you ever imagined. And you were glad that he was the one who took that first step. Because you were, you had to agree with Sam here, way too stubborn to deal with this yourself.

After breaking away from each other, he rested his forehead against yours. Neither of you said anything for a few minutes. You simply enjoyed being with each other. Bucky’s words made their way into your mind again & you could not help but start laughing.

“What?” Sam pulled back, looking at you with that charming smile of his. Oh, how he loved when you laughed.

“Just…” you shook your head. “Bucky told me earlier today that I’m only myself when I’m with you. And I think I finally know what he meant.”

“Yeah? What did he mean?” he inquired.

“You know me better than I know myself.” this made him smile even wider. Leaning in one more time, he pressed another loving kiss to your lips. Wherever this was going, you could not wait for your journey with Sam.

Published (04/29/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @bibliophilewednesday, @msmarvelsmain, @babygirlwilly, @patricexirene (thanks for your support <3)

[olivemac]

1300 miles | chapter one | b.b.

Summary | Bucky Barnes is adjusting to civilian life, living in Brooklyn, visiting Sam in Delacroix when he can, and trying to figure out what he wants. When he meets Jo Landry, the tattooed lead singer of a New Orleans-based band, he thinks he might have found the answer. Too bad they live 1300 miles apart.

Time Frame | post-TFATWS

Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc

Rating | explicit

Warnings | mentions of combat-related injuries, alcohol use, tattoos/body piercings, coarse language, gay male character, bisexual female character, recreational/medicinal drug use (weed), pet names (doll, Sarge), smut (f/m, mutual masturbation, fingering, slight dom!Bucky, praise kink), angst if you squint but not really, and all the romance tropes/fluff because I'm a sucker for it; more warnings to come; 18+ ONLY, minors DNI

A/N | It’s my birthday, so to celebrate I’m sharing chapter one of my new WIP. This started its life as a one-shot but then my enneagram 4 brain took over and now it’s looking like it’ll be a multi-chapter short. Enjoy!

Also, feedback – comments, likes, etc. – is always appreciated, my loves.

AO3 link | 1300 miles playlist

_____

The sun is just starting to sink in the sky as Sam and Bucky finish the latest repairs on the boat. Sam has spent the last hour pestering Bucky about things he’s missed over the last 80 years — things he needs to do, shows and movies he needs to watch, music to listen to, places to go. Bucky is considering the consequences of putting his vibranium fist through the new Captain America’s face.

“You’re telling me you’ve never been to New Orleans?” Sam half-shouts at Bucky in amusement.

“Sam, besides the airport, when would I have been to New Orleans?” Bucky sighs.

“We’re going. Tonight.” He stands up. “But none of that Bourbon Street bullshit. I know a place,” he says.

_____

The bar is crowded on a Saturday night, but they manage to find a table near the small stage where a band is setting up.

“I’ll get drinks,” Sam says, heading to the bar.

“Sam said he knows the owners?” Bucky asks Sarah.

“Jo and Danny. Yeah,” Sarah says. “Danny served with Sam on his last tour. Real young kid when he served. Took some shrapnel to the chest and face in an RPG explosion and got out early. He and Sam kept in touch.”

Bucky watches Sam talk to a man with a mop of curly, brown hair and an auburn beard behind the bar. From where he sits, Bucky can see a jagged scar peeking out from the top of the man’s beard over his cheek, stopping just below his right eye.

Sam returns with three beers. "Danny says hi," he tells Sarah. "Says he'll come over when he has a free minute."

"Jo around?" Sarah asks.

Sam nods toward the stage. "She's playing tonight. Danny says she's in the office rewriting the set list."

Bucky sips his beer and looks around. When they entered, there was a wave of enthusiasm as people recognized Sam as Captain America, but it seems to have died down and now no one is paying them much attention. Bucky prefers it that way, though he’s happy that people are excited for Sam.

“Speak of the devil,” Sam says, smiling and nodding toward a woman emerging from a door beside the bar marked ‘Employees Only.’ She’s wearing a loose-fitting white tank tucked into light-wash jeans cuffed just above a pair of black combat boots. Her wavy, dark hair fans out behind her as she rushes towards the stage. She's clutching a piece of paper in one hand, and the smile on her face makes Bucky's heart stutter for a moment.

Sam catches the way Bucky is watching Jo as she jumps onto the stage. He elbows Sarah and nods at the lovestruck look on Bucky's face, and they share a smirk. Bucky doesn't notice the exchange. He's too busy studying Jo. Her arms are covered in tattoos, from shoulders to fingers. When she tucks a strand of hair behind her left ear, Bucky can see the row of piercings adorning the curve of her ear. There's a gold ring between her nostrils. Bucky's seen some of the kids in Brooklyn with that piercing, but he doesn't know what it's called. He's seen plenty of women like her since moving back to New York — with tattoos and piercings and dark hair — but there's something about the combination with her green eyes and soft smile that makes his mouth go dry and his palm sweat.

He takes another sip of his beer to ground himself.

Jo picks up an acoustic-electric guitar from its stand, swings the strap over her shoulder, and plugs the guitar into a small amp at her feet. She raises her right hand in the air and sets a count with her fingers — one, two, three, four. The band starts, and Jo strums the guitar, smiling at the crowd. When she steps up to the microphone and opens her mouth, Bucky is surprised at how sweet her voice sounds. He was expecting it to be rougher, but it's gentle and warm, and he likes the way her mouth looks as it forms the words to the song.

Next to him, Sam taps his foot along to the music. Bucky can't remember the last time he saw a band play live. God, he thinks, it was before the war, before everything. He takes another sip of his beer before Sarah hands him a fresh bottle. He hadn't even noticed that she'd left the table and gone to the bar. He smiles and nods his thanks.

Sarah leans over and whispers to Bucky just loud enough for Sam to hear, as well, "You should ask her out after the show."

Bucky grimaces and shakes his head. As he told Yori once, there's a dance to these things, and he's eighty years out of practice. Plus, his last date didn't exactly go as planned.

But he can't stop staring at Jo's painted black nails and tattooed fingers as they move across the guitar strings. LOVE is written across the top knuckles of her right hand, HATE on the left. A series of lines and dots decorate her lower knuckles. There’s a snake curling around her left wrist, its inked head resting on her hand, and several large peonies cover the back of her right hand and up her forearm. Bucky wonders what her tattooed hands would look like wrapped around his cock. He also wonders where else on her body she has tattoos and what that voice would sound like when he's between her thighs. Fuck.

The band transitions into another song, and Jo's eyes land on Bucky. She's used to people staring at her, especially when she's on stage, but she's caught by the way his eyes never leave her, never wander to look at the band's female bassist or to Sarah sitting next to him. She's certain his stare could burn a hole right through her, and she wouldn't even complain. He’s fucking gorgeous.

She knows who he is, of course. She’s seen the recent footage of him with Sam in New York and read the Times article detailing his move from assassin to almost Avenger. Plus, her twin brother, Danny, was a bit of a history nerd as a kid so she’s definitely seen a Captain America documentary that mentioned the Howling Commandos. And they may or may not have hidden a fugitive Captain America and Falcon following the Accords.

Jo tears her eyes away from the super soldier and focuses on the rest of the audience. She can see Danny behind the bar, flirting with the man he's been trying to sleep with for the past two weeks. She catches his eye and smiles her encouragement between lyrics. Get his number! she tries to say with her eyes. Danny's usually pretty good at reading her mind. She doesn't know if it's a brother thing or a twin thing or just a Danny thing, but when he holds up his phone in surrender and smiles back at her, she knows he got the message.

The first half of their set ends with a crash of drums and a long guitar riff. Jo takes a swig from the mason jar full of water she keeps on stage. Her eyes meet Bucky's again as she swallows, and he licks his bottom lip. Heat curls in the pit of her stomach at the thought of what else that tongue could do.

Willow, the band's bassist, steps over and whispers in Jo's ear, “If you don’t fuck him after the show, I’m going to."

When Jo looks at her, she can see the amusement dancing in Willow's eyes. She rolls her own eyes and avoids looking directly at Bucky for the rest of the set.

_____

After the last song, Jo thanks the crowd and helps the rest of the band tidy up the stage, unplugging amps and turning off the mics. She's still trying not to look at Bucky, even though she can feel his eyes on her.

"You have to stop staring, man," Sam whispers to Bucky.

"I'm not staring," Bucky grumbles.

Sarah laughs, "You're definitely staring."

“Here," Sam says, "I'll introduce you." And before Bucky can protest, Sam is waving Jo over. "Josephine," Sam says, hugging her.

"Samuel," she returns, smiling. "Congrats on the new gig." She punches his shoulder lightly. "Better you than that John Walker douchebag," she says. Bucky snorts, and she catches his eye and smirks before turning to Sarah. "Hey, Sarah." They exchange pleasantries while Bucky tries to get his tongue to turn back from lead.

Sam points at Bucky, "This is—"

Bucky stands. "Bucky. Barnes."

Jo smiles and shakes his gloved hand. "Jo. Landry," she says, matching his cadence.

Sam was right. Bucky can't stop staring at her. This close, he can see there's a bit of gold in the green of her eyes and a slight gap between her two front teeth. She smells like sandalwood and citrus and just a little bit like pot.

Jo returns his stare. His five o’clock shadow doesn’t hide the dimple in his chin, and she briefly imagines pressing her lips against it. She’s trying to name the exact shade of blue of his eyes when Sam clears his throat.

She’s not usually so easily flustered by attractive people, but Bucky's blue eyes and chiseled jaw have done a number on her self-control. “Let me grab a drink,” Jo says, turning quickly.

“No need,” Danny says, appearing in front of her and handing her a glass. He leans in and whispers in her ear, “He’s cute.”

“Please fuck off,” Jo hisses in return, widening her eyes at him. She’s only half-serious, and Danny knows it. It’s a twin thing.

When she looks at Bucky again, he’s smirking, and she wonders if enhanced hearing is a super soldier trait. Bucky pulls out the fourth chair at the small table for her to sit, and Jo can't remember the last time someone did that for her.

"The show was great," Sarah says, grabbing Jo's attention.

"Thanks," Jo replies. "Took a while to get back to it after…” she snaps her fingers but doesn’t finish her sentence.

"You were snapped?" Bucky asks.

Jo nods. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah."

"Cheers," she says sarcastically, raising her glass in a toast. She shakes her head again and pushes her hair behind her ear. "Five years just," she holds her hands open, "gone. Danny was still here, holding all this together by himself."

She tucks one leg under the other, and her knee bumps Bucky’s beneath the table. When she moves to pull her knee away from his, he places a gloved hand on her thigh, holding her leg in place.

Bucky surprises even himself with this move. He hasn’t been this forward with a woman since an auburn-haired nurse in Italy during the war. With her, it was all hands and mouths and skin on skin because he was certain he was going to die any day. Now he supposedly has all the time in the world. He just isn’t sure what he wants to do with it.

But in this moment, he's comfortable here, in this tiny bar, with a beer in his hand and Jo's knee pressed against his. He's confident that Sam would never introduce him to someone he couldn't trust.

Bucky's flirted with Sarah, sure, but that was mostly to irritate to Sam. And as much as he doesn't want to admit it, the thought of something happening between himself and Sarah and then ending badly and ruining his relationship with Sam makes his stomach hurt. Pursuing Jo seems safer in that regard. She and Sam are friends, but if — when, he thinks — he ruins things, he can just go back to New York instead of losing his only friend.

Jo asks Sarah about AJ and Cass to distract herself from the butterflies forming in her stomach at Bucky’s touch, and Sam starts a story about the boys' latest interests. Bucky is content to listen to the three of them talk, his eyes barely leaving Jo. When she flicks her gaze over to him every now and then, she doesn't seem phased by his staring, and she hasn't pulled her knee away from where it's softly touching his. After a while, Danny emerges from behind the bar and joins their table, introducing himself to Bucky with a firm handshake.

While Danny and Sam trade updates about people they know, Jo leans towards Bucky and asks, “You want another drink?”

“Sure,” Bucky replies.

Jo doesn’t say anything else, just nods her head toward the bar, stands, and offers Bucky her hand. He takes it, the leather glove of his right hand warm against her palm. He wishes he could feel her skin without the gloves between them. He doesn’t usually wear them around Sam and Sarah and everyone in Delacroix, but he wasn’t sure how the metal arm would be perceived at this bar he’s never been to. Sam told him not to worry about it, but Bucky doesn’t like to draw unnecessary attention to himself.

Jo leads him through the sea of tables to a barstool, then moves behind the bar and grabs him a fresh bottle of the beer he's been drinking all night. "Unless you want something stronger," she says, pausing before she hands it to him.

"This is good," Bucky replies.

She pops the top and hands him the bottle. He takes a sip as he watches her maneuver around the bartender on duty to fix herself another whiskey sour before taking a seat on the barstool next to him.

"Full disclosure; because it's only fair," she says, taking a sip of her drink. "I know who you are, Sergeant Barnes. Not the whole story, but bits and pieces."

Bucky pauses. He searches her eyes for the fear he's expecting but finds none. "And you're okay with that?" he asks.

Jo quirks the corner of her mouth up in a half-smile and says, “If Sam trusts you, I trust you."

“I’m not great with meeting new people, and I was telling myself the same thing about you," Bucky admits, almost sheepishly.

“You know we can never tell Sam about this, right?" Jo says, conspiratorially. "We’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Never,” Bucky agrees, and knocks his beer bottle lightly against her glass in understanding.

They talk for a while, just the two of them alone at the end of the bar. Jo asks him how he likes Louisiana ("Hot, but the people are friendly"); where he's staying ("Sarah's"); when he's heading back to New York ("A week from tomorrow"); what he likes to do for fun ("Still figuring that out"); his favorite place ("Wakanda") and favorite book ("The Hobbit"); and a myriad of other questions — some of which Bucky answers easily and some that make him pause. He makes her give her own answers to each one in turn.

Jo leans close to Bucky so she can hear him over the noise of the room, and he takes the opportunity to study her features more closely. He's practically mapped all of her face when her eyes leave his for a brief second and land on Sam, Sarah, and Danny staring at them from the table across the room.

"Don't look now," she whispers, leaning even closer, "But we seem to have an audience."

Bucky makes a big show of looking over his shoulder at the group.

"I said 'don't look!'" Jo laughs and swats casually at his arm.

Bucky takes the opportunity to pin her hand with his own, holding it tightly and licking his bottom lip before smiling at her. He can see the blush paint her cheeks and creep down her neck and chest.

He likes Jo, likes how easy it feels to be around her. He isn't used to that. He isn't used to feeling comfortable with people. Hell, he thinks, I barely feel comfortable with myself. But there's something about Jo that makes him feel safe and calm. Of course, there's attraction there — plenty of it — but he's sure it's more than that.

For her part, Jo is enamored with Bucky. She likes his hard edges and his snark, but she also likes the small glimpses he's given her of the man beneath all of that. She doesn't usually fall for people so easily, but she's found herself drowning in the sea of blues that make up Bucky's eyes, and she doesn't want to be rescued. How fucking cliche, she tells herself.

"We should probably go back over there," Bucky says, squeezing her hand once before releasing it.

They both stand and make their way back to the table. Bucky pulls Jo's chair out for her again, but this time, he makes sure to pull it a little closer to his chair in the process. This doesn't go unnoticed by Sam who smirks at him. Bucky returns the smirk with a thin-lipped smile of his own before scooting even closer to Jo.

Jo finds it hard to focus on the conversation in front of her with Bucky's warm body so close to her own, and she realizes she misses the pleasant feeling of his gloved hand around hers. She places her own hand on his thigh and hopes he gets the hint.

Bucky’s fascinated by even the slightest movements of Jo's tattooed fingers, and when her hand rests on his denim-clad thigh, he thinks the sight alone might kill him. Before he can second-guess himself, he pulls the glove off his right hand and links his own flesh and bone fingers with hers.

Jo doesn't look at Bucky — she's trying not to draw attention to her hand in his lap — but Bucky watches the corner of her mouth quirk upwards into a smile, and he squeezes her hand in response.

The conversation continues a bit longer before Danny leaves the table to check in with his bartender. Jo excuses herself to get another drink, and Bucky watches her pop behind the bar to fill a glass for herself.

"I need to get home, relieve the babysitter," Sarah says when she finishes her beer.

"We're heading out then," Sam says, then turns to Bucky, "You coming?"

Bucky looks toward Jo and says, "No, I'm gonna stick around. I'll get a cab back or get a hotel room in the city."

Sam smirks. "I don't think you're gonna need a hotel room, man."

Bucky rolls his eyes.

"Just promise me you'll use protection," Sam laughs. "We don't need any little super soldiers running around just yet."

Bucky gives him a sarcastic smile, but realizes Sam's probably right, and he definitely doesn't have any condoms in his wallet. He's not planning on sleeping with Jo tonight — he just met her, and he's not sure he's ready for that yet — but if the army taught him anything, it's to be prepared. As if reading his mind, Sam pulls out his wallet and places a condom in Bucky's palm before pulling him in for a hug and clapping him on the back.

"Have fun, man," Sam says.

Sam and Sarah say their goodbyes to Danny and Jo on their way out, and Bucky joins Jo at the bar, sitting on the barstool next to her where they sat earlier.

"Sticking around, soldier?" she asks. She reaches for his dog tags and tugs them gently. The drinks have been strong, and she's feeling more flirtatious than she would otherwise.

"If you don't mind," Bucky replies.

Jo smiles and reaches for his hand this time. "Not at all."

"Are you gonna finish your interrogation of me?" Bucky asks, amusement apparent in his voice.

Jo laughs in return. “I thought I'd read your palm instead," she says, turning his hand over in her own.

Bucky snorts but doesn't pull his hand away. "Is this a trick you use on all the guys?"

"And girls," Jo says, meeting his eyes. Then she studies his hand carefully, running her index finger across the lines that crisscross his palm.

"Your dominant hand," she continues, "determines your future, while your non-dominant hand is tied to your past."

Bucky snorts again at the truth of it all.

"I'm not making this up!" Jo laughs. "I mean, someone did, but I'm not!" She can see the laughter shining in Bucky's eyes, so she goes on, "Your head line is deep, meaning your thinking is clear and focused, but it's also curved downward which indicates a creative spirit and an appetite for literature and fantasy." She looks up at him, "Explains the love for Tolkien."

"I'm not sure I'm buying this," Bucky says.

"You've literally fought aliens, and you're gonna give me a hard time over palm reading," Jo laughs.

"The aliens were real," Bucky deadpans.

"And in New Orleans, palm reading and psychics and crystal balls and voodoo are real," Jo says, still laughing. "But I promise not to read your palm again or read your aura or get out the tarot cards."

Bucky likes the way her slight accent makes New Orleans sound more like Nawlins. He also likes the sound of her laughter and the way her face lights up when she smiles. She's still holding his hand in her own, so he turns his palm over in hers and brings her tattooed knuckles to his lips.

_____

Meanwhile, the bar closes, and Danny and the bartender clean glasses and close up for the night.

Danny points at Jo as he comes around the bar. "I’m locking up then heading upstairs," he says.

"Thanks, love," Jo replies.

Danny walks the bartender out and locks the front door, then retraces his steps to the back of the bar. On his way past Jo, he stops and kisses her on the cheek, saying, "Be good. And set the alarm."

He turns to Bucky. "And you, Sergeant Barnes," he says, pointing at him now, "I know you're an Avenger or whatever, but if you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"Bye, Danny," Jo says, rolling her eyes as he disappears through the door marked 'Employees Only.' "Don't worry about him," Jo says, turning back to Bucky.

“Older brother, right?” Bucky says. He understands; he was an older brother once.

“Twins, actually,” Jo smiles.

Bucky takes a sip of his beer. "Sarah said Danny served with Sam," he says.

"Yeah. Afghanistan. A lifetime ago," Jo says. “He only had one more mission before he could come home so he switched with someone. An RPG barely missed the helicopter he was in, and he was pretty badly injured in the explosion and the resulting crash. Almost lost an eye. He came home, got out of the Air Force, went to business school. Now we own the bar..." She pauses to take the last sip of her drink. "...and the building. Sam's really helped Danny get past everything."

"He's good at that," Bucky says.

"Another thing we can never tell him," Jo laughs.

"Agreed. So, when do I get to ask about your tattoos?" he questions.

"What do you want to know?" she asks.

Bucky licks his bottom lip. "Anything."

He likes her dagger tattoo the best. It’s inked on the inside of her right forearm, nestled amongst the peonies, the hilt facing the crook of her elbow and the knife’s tip pointed toward her wrist. It’s feminine and dangerous and incredibly sexy. She blushes when he tells her how much he likes it. He doesn't tell her it reminds him of one of his favorite knives, currently tucked at the bottom of his backpack back in Sarah's living room.

"In some ways, they're my armor," she explains. "When I'm on stage, people look at the tattoos, not me, and I kind of like that. It lets me be whoever I want to up there."

Bucky understands the desire to hide better than anyone. But she knows who he is so there's really no point in hiding from her any longer. Plus, he feels like his arm is something she would understand, something she could accept — not just because of her brother's military record but because of her own unique body modifications.

He pulls his left glove off and shrugs out of his leather jacket, revealing the vibranium arm beneath his black t-shirt.

Jo takes in the black metal and gold details. "That," she says, pointing to his arm, "is lovely."

"It's lethal," Bucky warns.

She cocks her head to the side and says, "If you're trying to scare me, it won't work, Sergeant Barnes."

Bucky can't stop the corner of his lip from pulling up in the slightest hint of a smile.

"Okay,” she says, placing her palms flat on the bar top. “You want another beer?" she asks.

Jo stands and turns to move behind the bar, but Bucky's vibranium hand on her arm stops her. She looks at him curiously, and he slides his arm behind her back and pulls her flush against his chest. She settles between his open thighs, her palms resting gently on top of his legs. He's staring at her so intensely she's convinced he willburn that hole right through her, but she can't bring herself to look away.

He leans in, his lips only a breath away from hers.

"Can I kiss you?" Bucky finally asks, his flesh hand moving up to cup her cheek.

"Please," Jo whispers, desperately.

Bucky closes the distance between them, and his lips meet hers. He's hesitant at first, but when he feels Jo respond, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing even closer, he runs his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opens them for him. She tastes like bourbon and lemon from the whiskey sours she's been drinking, and Bucky loves it. His tongue sweeps along the roof of her mouth, and Jo moans. Bucky is determined to hear that sound again.

He kisses across the corner of her mouth and over her jaw. The hand that was cupping her cheek moves to her hair to angle her head backwards and give him better access to the bare skin of her neck. He laves his tongue over the corded muscles there, then nips at the skin with his teeth. She moans again, and Bucky is on fire.

Jo's right hand weaves into his short hair and tugs until his mouth comes away from her neck. He catches his breath while Jo nuzzles his nose with her own and places a soft kiss against the Cupid's bow of his upper lip. His eyes meet hers, and her pupils are blown wide with lust.

The need to kiss her again is overwhelming. Bucky’s lips find hers, and Jo somehow leans even closer into his body, her hands tracing down his chest to his waist. Bucky lets his own hands move to Jo’s ribs, resting just beneath her chest, his thumbs teasing the underside of each breast. Jo gasps when Bucky’s right thumb moves across her taut nipple.

Fuck, he thinks, I need to slow down. While he’s shared kisses with the handful of women he’s met on dating apps, he hasn’t done anything this intimate in a lifetime.

Bucky pulls away, panting. He rests his forehead against Jo's and stares into her green eyes.

"I should leave," he says. “I’m getting carried away. I…I want to do this right.”

And he does. Desperately. He wants to buy her flowers and take her out and learn what makes her swoon. But he also wants to map every tattoo on her body with his fingers and tongue and then fuck her until she can’t walk straight.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Jo laughs breathily. “We don’t have to do anything, but it’s almost three o'clock in the morning and your ride already left. You can sleep on my couch if you want to be a gentleman.”

Bucky groans. “I should be a gentleman."

She kisses him again, lightly, then moves away to set the alarm and turn the rest of the lights out. She leads him through the 'Employees Only' door and up a set of stairs to her apartment.

"You're not allergic to cats, are you?" Jo asks, as she unlocks the door.

"No," Bucky says. As far as he knows, he's not allergic to anything thanks to the knock-off serum, but he doesn't say that.

Inside her apartment, Jo kicks off her combat boots at the door, and Bucky does the same, leaving them both in their socked feet. There's a fluffy black cat sitting on the back of the green velvet sofa.

"That's Toulouse," Jo says. "Or Louie. He doesn't answer to either, so it really doesn't matter what I call him."

The cat regards Bucky with indifference before standing up, stretching, and leaving the room.

"Guest bathroom’s just there,” she nods. “Let me get you some blankets and pillows for the couch," Jo continues. "Unless you've changed your mind about being a gentleman." She smirks at him.

Bucky laughs through his nose. “Don’t tempt me.”

Jo leaves the room for a moment, which gives Bucky a chance to look around. He's standing in her living room; one wall features a set of French doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the street, and the opposite wall holds bookcases stuffed from floor to ceiling with books, framed photographs, and various knick-knacks. From where he stands, he can see a small room with an upright piano and guitars hanging on the walls. The exterior walls of Jo's apartment are brick, and everything else is set in jewel tones. He likes it. It's dark and cozy, and from what he knows of Jo so far, her living space matches her well.

When she returns, Jo is holding a stack of blankets and pillows. She sets them on the ottoman and moves across the room to close the curtains.

"There are some sweats and a t-shirt there that should fit you" she says, turning to Bucky.

"Thanks," Bucky says, smiling softly.

Now that they're here, in her apartment, Bucky isn't sure what he's supposed to do or say. He can still feel the heat of Jo's lips on his, and he's painfully aware that the condom Sam gave him is still in his pocket.

Jo must sense the hesitation rolling off him because she crosses the room to stand in front of him and takes his hands in hers.

"Get some sleep, Sarge," she says, squeezing his hands in tandem before dropping them.

"Goodnight, Jo," Bucky returns.

_____

Bucky lays on Jo's couch in the dark beneath blankets that smell like laundry detergent. He wishes they smelled like her. He unlocks his phone and looks up the distance between New Orleans and Brooklyn. Just over thirteen hundred miles. He sighs and drops his phone onto the coffee table before closing his eyes and reliving each kiss as he falls asleep.

On the other side of the wall, Jo falls across her bed, deflated. She likes this guy. She wants him — painfully so. But leave it to her to fall for the one guy in her bar who lives half-way across the country.

_____

next chapter

[phdna]

TFatWS episode 5 keysmashing below!

What do you mean it's the second to last episode? No.

Mr Wyatt Russell acted the hell outta that opening scene. I mean, he was on fire the whole episode, but the opening scene just reminded me so much of the unhinged Walker from the comics that it was extra special to see. Walker was never a character I cared about reading comics but I'm not immune to geeking out over him

Bucky unconscious so Sam has to fight a supersoldier by himself for a while? Thank you Marvel I love it when Sam gets to shine!

That being said, it feels so viscerally wrong to fight over a bloody shield. There are many correct ways to make this shield switch hands but this is definitely NOT one of them.

Bucky "I am not afraid to throw a tantrum to make a point" Barnes needs to learn how to not take two steps back with Sam whenever he takes one forward. If next episode he does something stupid again, I'm gonna cry

SAM. Why does Mackie have to destroy my heart so much??? This might be worse than the end of episode 1!!! He looked so devastated after that fight, I felt zero satisfaction knowing the shield is back with him

The soundtrack also didn't help. Like at all. That song always has me tearing up even out of context - in context it was a lot

My baby Joaquin Torres is back! He's such a cute kid. And apparently the new Falcon! And he doesn't even have to look like a bird to get the mantle! Hope he gets himself a Redwing too!

What... What is the Contessa doing here. I need answers.

Karli needs both a hug and to be stopped. That's going to be tricky. Like, stopping her is a priority, of course, she's a full-blown terrorist now... but how to handle her after she's stopped? No way she'll trust Sam easily again, but he's her best option, so :/ I hope this doesn't have an unhappy ending, I really do

I still have no idea why the hell Bucky would feel he has to make amends with Zemo (am I missing something???) but all I care about is that the Dora have Zemo as they should, and Bucky and Ayo seem to be alright-ish

Eli! Didn't expect he'd make a comeback in this show!

"If you ain't bitter, you blind" goes down as one of the best lines in the show. I don't make the rules.

The entire Isaiah sequence was... Heavy. As it should be. But that was hard to watch

Sarah and Sam bickering nonstop whenever they're together is so cute, I want a whole movie about them and nothing else

A community looking after each other??? Did you mean my favorite trope of all time that always makes me tear up???

Bucky showing up and awkwardly trying to show he supports Sam while aggressively glaring is adorable. Baby steps are hard!

I'm sorry, Sam, but I now ship Bucky and Sarah, they're pretty cute around each other

Bucky: It's time for me to leave and stay in a cold hotel room with no friends no family nothing that matters in my life I have no home nobody cares whether I live or die alas I know no one in the area who has a couch I can borrow so I'm doomed to this bitter fate

Walker doesn't deserve the Hoskins family. (Although the hill I'll die on is that he wouldn't have become such a horrible villain if the government hadn't made him Cap, so he's only like... 80% to blame)

Aw man, Sarah's kids playing with the shield was just the cutest thing I've ever seen. (And Bucky waking up from nightmares on the floor of his empty apartment vs waking up in a HOME to the sight of children being happy and loving what the shield stands for?? Ugh, my heart!)

Anyway I would die for any member of the Wilson family

Oh, so Bucky was in on Steve's plans, canonically. I've always thought so but it's nice to have it spelled out. Anyway, good on Bucky for using his words and apologizing to Sam! Long time coming and very necessary! I hope this is an ongoing thing, even if offscreen, and that he learns how to do better in the future

And Bucky genuinely opening up about how he's been feeling and Sam responding to him so warmly and wisely? Helped him in like 5 minutes more than any of his court-mandated therapy ever did. Sam is amazing

Sam and Bucky speed running from "we're sort of partners maybe" to "we're bffs now" through the power of fixing a boat and throwing a metal frisbee sparks so much joy

Sam and Sarah talking towards the end of the episode was so sweet and I was so happy to see Sam finally getting the support he deserves

Shield training montage!!!! Cool as hell!!!!!!

Batroc just won't stop oh my god how many times will they have to beat him

Speaking of which... Sharon. Honey you know I love you but you're way out of line. Just... god. What a mess, I'm not looking forward to this and I'm... Having doubts Marvel will handle it well

Can't believe they wouldn't let us see Sam wearing his new uniform today!!!! That's evil!!!

Walker DIYing a shield show be menacing but somehow it was so funny. Like... "I'M EVIL NOW!!!! Let me go buy spray paint."

I.... Honestly think I would have preferred the whole show to be more like this episode. Sam is a really fascinating character and this episode more than most explores that

[gingyboo]

Mirror Mirror

A/N: Again many thanks to @booglebug

Description- Soulmates existed. People knew that much. Soulmates were rare, a handful in each generation, an unexplainable phenomenon that formed a bond closer than blood and more sacred than marriage.

Bucky finds his soulmate when he needs her most. Little does he know how much she needs him too.

(Soulmate au that slots pretty much in to the MCU but with soulmates. Set after TFATWS.)

Pairing- Bucky Barnes x OFC

Warnings- Mentions of violence and guns, but its mostly fluff, drama and angst.

This is a multi chaptered fic.

Please like, comment, reblog!

prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13

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Chapter 14

“Bucky…” she started again, Bucky held up a hand to stop her

“Don’t, please Nancy don’t.” He shook his head.”

“I am sorry though Buck.”

“Don’t be, god Nancy, I flipped in there, seeing you there, with him trying to get into your head, I couldn’t bare it.”

“You’re angry at yourself?” She asked

“You had to threaten yourself to get me to stand down.” He grabbed her, pulling her face to his. “How could I let that happen.” Nancy twisted in his grip, pressing her lips to the pulse point on his wrist. His pained expression softened slightly.

“Bucky, we got what we needed. Okay, you know what he was doing in there, you let this get between us and he wins okay. Look at me, look at us, we’re okay. We know where Kit is, the mission is complete.” Bucky met her eyes then, aquamarine bore into emerald. A shiver ran through them both and they sprung apart.

“You felt that?” He whispered, Nancy nodded. He slid his hand across to hers. The feeling was gone but Nancy felt the familiar joy of his presence.

“A soulmate thing I guess?” She responded.

“I think this thing goes deeper than either of us expected.” Bucky twirled a strand of hair through his fingers. “Shuri’s probably got some theory’s on it.”

“Maybe we should try and find out more.” She agreed.

“Yeah, probably. Do you have any idea how happy I was when I saw you looking back at me all those months ago? I knew I wasn’t alone anymore. Everything I’ve been through, the things I’ve seen, meeting you, made it seem like there was a point to it. Getting to know you, I think it was worth it.” Bucky declared.

“Bucky…” Nancy croaked. She knew what he’d told her about his past but also knew there was much more he hadn’t told her.

“Wait. I can’t give you a normal life, I want to because you deserve to be safe and secure, but trouble seems to follow me. I can only promise that I was always try to protect you from it.” He looked like he might cry navy reached her hand round to sweep across his cheek.

“Please, let me speak.” she started, steadying her voice. “I felt the same, when I found you I felt complete, I loved you from the first moments I spent with you, I can’t have a life without you, when Helmut said I was my brothers biggest weakness, I realised you’re mine, and then I hurt you, don’t say I didn’t because I saw it in your eyes. We stand together, I set us apart it was unforgivable.”

“There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t forgive.” He insisted, his vibranium hand against hers on his cheek. Nancy smiled, her whole face lighting up.

“And for the record, trouble seems to find me just fine, and who wants a normal life, any life with you would be extraordinary.”

“Nancy, we might not get the big house in the country, I might not get to give you the kind of life you’re used to. I don’t work nine to five, I haven’t got a credit score or a pension plan, we might not get a puppy or have some kids…”

“Oh no we will have kids,” Nancy cut him off with a laugh, shaking her head.

“How are you so certain.” Bucky smiled back.

“Because I’m as stubborn as I am beautiful, because i think you want kids, and so do I, because our life will be different, but I’ll be damned if it’s not exactly the life we both want.” She let up kissing his forehead and both his cheeks.

“Are you sure?” He pressed his forehead into hers.

“Absolutely, you don’t need a pension, or a credit score and I don’t care where we live, New York, London, Timbuktu for all I care. I have money, I know it can’t buy me those moments in our future.” She exclaimed. She looked briefly round the cabin. “Where’d you suppose Sam got to?”

“I think he’s giving us a moment.” Bucky chuckled, tilt her chin to press his lips against hers, she chuckled into it, running her fingers through his hair.

“You think a lot about our future,” he asked, kissing along her jawline.

“Yes.” She blushed slightly, biting her lip.

“Tell me.” Both hands were in her hair now, moving against her scalp as her head tilted back, giving him access to her neck.

“Okay,” She breathed in heavily, closing her eyes. “so, I think we’ll have a little place somewhere, not too busy, nice and secluded, you can go off on your missions and know there’s a safe place to come home to. We can have kids, they’ll get under our feet when we put up the Christmas decorations, they’ll sneak out of bed to see you when you come home late. A little boy with your big blue eyes, a little girl dusted in my freckles. We can have Sam round for barbecues…” Nancy was cut off by Bucky sitting back up straight.

“Don’t talk about Sam right now.” He laughed.

“So nice little place, couple of kids, what will you be doing? I cannot picture you as the doting housewife.” He tapped her nose playfully.

“Maybe I’ll be heading out next to you,” His face filled with horror, she laughed again and his face relaxed, “or I’ll finally put that degree I got to good use, start writing again.”

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

They arrived in Cornwall under cover of night. The trio trudged sleepily across the field and made their way to a cosy Clift top B&B. The elderly lady on the desk showed them up to two rooms. Bucky and Nancy settled into their nightly routine, he lay with his arms wrapped around her as she traced the gold detailing in his left arm.

“I think Sam’s idea is good, we’ll start at the docks tomorrow, work our way down the coast from there.” Bucky said, Nancy nodded sleepily. “Sorry, were you trying to sleep?”

“No no, it’s okay, keep talking, your voice is soothing.” She smiled, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

“Okay, different topic, tell me about Thomas Gregory.” He whispered in her ear. She laughed loudly, turning round to face him.

“He was Kit’s best friend, so he was a little older, I was 11 and thought he was perfect. He was actually an arsehole. But I fancied he was my soulmate. Kit used to tease me constantly about him, why’d you ask, feeling jealous?” She asked giggling.

“No, I was merely curious.” He insisted.

“Sure sure, I do think you’re right about Sam’s plan. If he is using Thomas’s name then we can look for that. If he’s using a different alias maybe I’ll recognise it. Helmut did think he wanted me to find him. Also, if he has taken the serum maybe some locals have noticed a local fisherman with super strength.”

“You think he’s become a fisherman?” Bucky said, surprised.

“Well, I was thinking, he loves to be at sea, the navy is out of the question and if he is wanting me to find him, he’d have to stay local. Cornwall is known for its’ roaring fishing trade.”

“I wouldn’t know, but it’s a good place to begin,”

“So, we’ll do this undercover, no stars, no stripes and no metal arm.” Her eyes pleaded with him.

“I packed my gloves.” He waved the vibranium at her. She smiled as the soft light from the bedside lamp reflected off it. A yawn came over her and Bucky reached back to switch off the light. Nancy turned again, her back now pressed back against Bucky’s chest. Sleep fell over them both.

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

They headed out to the coast at dawn. The early morning sun beating down on them. Chatted cheerfully on along the way, he seemed to have lost his hostility from the day before. The first village they came across turned out to be a tourist hotspot, Nancy managed to hire them a car. The first harbour they found didn’t recognise the name Thomas Gregory or the picture Nancy brought up of Kit on her phone. The second harbour told the same story but once they reached the third harbour they had some hope.

“I think I might’ve seen him round here before, tall fellow,” The harbour master explained. Nancy nodded eagerly. “I think he usually mores over the ridge, wait here a moment.” The man jogged back to his portacabin and returned with a clipboard. “Here it is, Greg Thomas, stayed here a few months back, just the one night, the boat you’re looking for is the Princess Lynnette.” He smiled cheerfully at them. Nancy froze but the man didn’t notice as Sam thanked him whilst he walked away.

“You okay there?” Sam asked tapping her shoulder, “it’s good news, he might not be far.”

“He named his boat after me.” She whispered. Bucky smiled but Sam looked confused.

“Princess Lynnette?”

“Lynnette is my middle name.” Nancy explained, fondling the car keys before nodding to herself and marching back to the car. She slipped behind the driver’s seat and started the engine. Kit was close, she could almost feel it, as they drove over the ridge a large cove came into view. The harbour was a rush with activity as the boats came in from their morning runs. They pulled into a nearby car park and entered the throng of people. With everyone so busy they had to do without help finding the boat. They flittered in and out of crowds and up and down the jetty. Just when Nancy was losing hope she caught sight a surprisingly still boat at the end of one row. Every other boat had people rushing on and off loading and unloading goods. This one was silent, Nancy approached it slowly, and there were the words, Princess Lynnette, printed in blue along the side of a modestly sized fishing boat. It had curtains drawn across the window. She reached up to knock tentatively on the window. There was no response. Bucky came up and wrapped an arm round her shoulder.

“It’s his, it has to be.” She felt tears pricking at her eyes.

“We’ll give you a minute.” Bucky nodded at Sam who was admiring the docks comings and goings. They walked a little way away as Nancy stared at the boat, waiting for the curtain to twitch or the boat to rock. It just kept bobbing gently. She knocked again, harder this time, the again and again.

“Can I help you?” A voice sounded from behind her. Nancy span on one heel, her hair flying around as she did, getting whipped up in the wind.

“Nancy.” Kit was standing there, the same but different. He seemed bigger, he’d grown out his hair and was sporting a beard, his skin tanned more than it had been before. He looked different, but he was still, unmistakably, her big brother, he really was alive.

“Kit.” She said, breathless as her legs gave out under her.