#i hope this scratches the itch
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Shark from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
#shark#fish#Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time#thank you for your submission!#to the person that submitted the loach i have already posted it previously but i hope this other submission scratches the itch#but thank you regardless!
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Hey, would it be OK if I ask for an art request?
I would love to see angst Time, like him getting seriously injured. (I don't get to see many people in LU doing that😭)
Just come up with anything that first goes your mind. 😊
Love your art so much! 🥰
(You don't have to do it right away, take your time 😊)
I gotchu boo😗😈
#hmmm I wonder who's arrow that iissss#a monster?#ooooorrrrrr#😈#anyways#sweet jadxiasworld#thank you for your patience🥰#i hope this scratches that time whump itch a little hehe#blood#linked universe#linkeduniverse#lu fanart#lu time
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a villain’s journey
#scum villain's self saving system#svsss#luo binghe#shen qingqiu#shen yuan#finally read through the official localization.... it sent me right back to where i was when i first got into mxtx in 2019#back then my art was kind of in a transitional period so even though mxtx had me making art like crazy i didnt like much of it#and nowadays my mxtx tl on twt has all but vanished... but once again these books have rejuvenated me creatively#and i feel like ive progressed enough to do justice for how these stories make me feel. and properly scratch that creative itch#anyways. i hardly ever ramble in tags like this but im so emo about these books and i finally feel creative again#so i hope this is able to spread that joy...! sort of. ehe
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I’ve been enjoying some premature ejaculation thoughts recently and it’s probably time to talk about them before they makes me even dizzier 🤤
Just the thought of slipping Bucky’s thick, leaking dick slowly inside you while you’re on top. The glide down on top of him is wonderful and when he’s as deep inside you as you can manage, you take a second to just enjoy feeling stuffed full.
You feel him throbbing inside you, his dick twitching and although he’s trying to keep it together, he’s determined not to let you know that.
After a couple of seconds, you raise your hips and let them fall again, working just a couple of inches towards the base of his cock.
You do the same again a few more times, barely establishing a rhythm before you feel Bucky’s grip on your hips tighten. “You have to slow down for me, sweetheart.”
The strain in his voice floods you with panic for a second and you stop moving.
“Does it hurt? We can try a different position if you like.” You cradle his face with one hand while holding yourself up with the other, staying as still as possible.
“It doesn’t hurt. Just might not last very long like this. Feels so good.” He’s a little embarrassed to admit it but he’s got nothing to worry about.
“Oh? You like this?” You roll your hips once more and enjoy the sharp intake of air it forces into your partner. “Is this too much for you?”
He nods sheepishly, aware of how much he wants this but of how much he wants to please you too.
“You gonna cum inside me already?” You tease, biting your bottom lip while you raise your hips up, letting him slide almost entirely out of you before sinking back down.
The moan it draws from him is beautiful but you’re not stopping there. “You are, aren’t you? You’re going to stuff my pretty pussy full of cum for me. Gonna make sure you have nothing left tonight.”
“Fuck, fuck.” He groans, his hands gripping your waist, pressing you down so he can finish as deep inside you as he can. His face is scrunched in pleasure while his hot cum shoots in thick ropes against the walls of your eager pussy.
There’s something so satisfying in the knowledge that it took no time at all for him to finish and if the rest of the evening is like this, it’ll be a whole lot more fun than you imagined.
#becca’s thots#becca writes spice#subby!bucky#Idk this scratches such an itch for me#brain starts purring at the thought of this#and on a more wholesome note#I planted some strawberry seeds this week!!#really excited about them#I hope they turn out okay 🥺
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#[autistic 8 yo who gets gender envy from glados voicelines and copies audio glitches as a vocal stim] I hope this movie doesn't change me#glitchy computery characters scratch an itch in my brain that nothing else can. In a stupid way.#funny talkling tag#wir
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Got any more denpru content in you?
(begging)
Best I can do is cooing over cute little animals
#Your ask made me laugh#I hope this scratches the itch anon!#hetalia#hetalia ask#hetalia headcanons#pruden#hws pruden#hws prussia#hws denmark#They'll be showing these pictures around to everyone that gives them the time of day#And they will look at it together and have the same reaction later#And will zoom in on the feet or the little nose#art tag
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For @terribledelights who reached out asking about this concept. Unfortunately, it never made the jump from concept to full story. However! I made you a little rec list of fics I’ve greatly enjoyed with some similar dynamics!
Enjoy~
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The Isle of Hope (series) by ElDiablito_SF:
Summary (for first entry): When a heartbroken John Silver arrives in Georgia ten years after the events on Skeleton Island, he doesn't quite have it in him to face Flint. Instead, he concocts a scheme to befriend Thomas, and gets more than he bargained for in exchange.
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at summer’s end (series) by forbiddenarchives:
Summary (for first entry) : There should be a list entitled Thomas Hamilton’s Terrible Ideas, and at the very top, Thomas is certain, right after “trusting Lord Peter Ashe” and “blowing that stupidly beautiful older student in broad daylight on the last day of term”, it should say “taking up correspondence with feared pirate captain Long John Silver”.
(Or, it takes seven weeks for Silver to become fully integrated into their lives. A small story told in snapshots.)
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between that sun and thee by brinnanza:
Summary: Silver pouts, his plush bottom lip begging for a bite. “Madi and Flint aren’t due back for another week at least. The least you could do is entertain me after waking me up so rudely.” He actually bats his eyelashes. Thomas can’t believe this ridiculous creature had once been a fearsome pirate king; he’s far too pretty for it. Perhaps he’d been more convincing with a beard, but with nothing but stubble hiding the sharp lines of his jaw, he looks more like a boy than a king.
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A certain knot of peace (series) by twofrontteethstillcrooked:
Summary (for first entry): "I should let you go back to bed," Silver said quietly. He pulled his hands out of Flint's. As he stood the blanket slipped from his shoulders.Flint stayed seated. He put a hand on Silver's hip. "Come with me."
Or: a respite.
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smallpox (series) by vowelinthug:
Summary (for first entry): "See? I told you I didn’t kill him."
—post-finale, where everyone learns a valuable lesson about communication and smallpox
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Life At The Spyglass Inn (series) by medusine:
Summary (for first entry): Flint tries his hand at knitting. Thomas and Silver watch, and mock, and laugh.
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Lightbringer Verse (series) by ElDiablito_SF, Porthos4Ever:
Summary (for first entry): After failing to fix her relationship with Silver, Madi sets off to find Captain Flint again.
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The Tether Series by stele3:
Summary (for first entry): “So you did find him,” the man says faintly. When Thomas looks up he finds himself caught in perhaps the strangest regard one person has ever given another, a gaze that absolutely does not dissuade Thomas from the notion that a feral, scavenging animal has broken into their home.
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we can lose and call it living by I_wouldnt_be_one_of_them:
Summary: It's been twelve years since everything fell apart, and John Silver is settled in New England. He has a nice house and a job he likes, and he's gotten used to the loneliness. It's a good life, he thinks, but of course that's cast into doubt when James Flint and Thomas Hamilton show up to find closure and, apparently, to see whether he's happy.
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To Resist a Current by lapsi:
Summary: He levels the pistol at John Silver’s head, lips in the start of a snarl.
The John he was acquainted with would have feigned indignation, raised his hands and his eyebrows and used Thomas’s pacifism to defuse the threat. Wheedled his way into a calmer state of affairs. Silver doesn’t flinch, an uncustomary flatness in his countenance as he returns the eye contact.
It falls to James to speak, which he does with as much retaliatory coldness as he can muster. “Get out of my house.”
Post series work, set ~18 months after the season four finale. John is drawn to Savannah, desperate for help. James is, in turn, pulled back to the chaos of piracy.
📓<3
Hullo!
This is the Silverham Revenge Fuck--
Post-series, Silver finds where Thomas and Flint are staying. Silver and Thomas run into each other in town and figure out who the other is. Both are angry at Flint for separate reasons and want to get back at him. Silver because he’s livid that Flint’s curse has come true (the comfort growing stale etc) and is still angry from the fallout of the finale, and Thomas b/c Flint refuses to tell him any of what happened in the intervening 10 years (and ESPECIALLY not about Silver.)
Anyway, when Silver rolls into town Thomas is like "well fuck u I'm gonna get my own answers and also that dick." So Thomas propositions Silver and Silver is snarling mad at first but then is like "yeah sure if it'll hurt Flint's feelings. even tho I don't like you either" (but he... he does).
Lots of Silverham being catty bitches to each other with crackling sexual tension. Like full Mean Girls. They get on each other’s nerves b/c they’re far more alike than either would like to admit. aka both smarmy little shits.
We wanted there to be a physical altercation so like, at some point Thomas taunts Silver for being in love with Flint (which comes as a Huge Shocker to Mr. Repressed Disaster Bi Silver) and Silver fucking decks Thomas.
Direct quotes from Brinn b/c it’s too fucking funny to just summarize: Silver, post finale, still hopelessly in the closet, shows up to reconnect with Flint but finds Thomas in town first and Thomas is like "ah the prodigal lover returns at last" and silver's like "this is very heterosexual I assure you" and Thomas goes "oh sweetie u gay as fuck" so Silver hauls off and clocks him and from like, the floor, split lip bleedly a little ferally over his teeth, Thomas is like "oh I'm about 2 show u how queer u are little man"
Thomas knows how to take a man APART he's got Silver panting for him and Silver's still like “no this is ridiculous I don't love flint stop it u know how dicks are" and Thomas makes him beg for it
"use your words or no orgasm" PERFECT
the whole time they're fucking, Thomas is talking nonstop about Flint, about what he's like in bed, about that little freckle he has right by divot in the small of his back, etc
Anyway fighting turning to sex yay! Silver getting dom-ed into next week by T.Ham yay! 👀
#silverham#silverflintham#jay's esoteric rec lists#black sails#madisilverflintham#terribledelights#I hope this scratches the itch#fic recs#black sails fic recs#silverflint fic recs
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More !!! Im really fond of the two stitched looking things on the right. I want to design more of them. I’m feeling super inspired by Kanotynes …..
#ocs#as soon as i stumbled upon her art i was Hooked . before i even knew she designed for UT#deltarune i mean oops#i was just scrolling on toby fox’s tumblr account and saw her art. scratched some part of my brain i didnt even know needed to be scratched#finding out she designed lancer & others was an added bonus#so much charm to her designs!!!#im talking with her on twitter … trying to learn her secrets….#i hope one day if i keep it up some up and coming indie game dev will approach me for designs too… a guy can dream!!#maybe said up and coming game dev is in the room with us…. in that case. (slicks my eyebrows and does a miles morales voice) hey.#i wish i was born earlier. the cool indie game rush that happened around the UT peak seems to have fizzled out somewhat 😢#i’m gonna draw a shitton of homestuck art till someone asks me to draw panels for hs^2 . Gnashes my teeth#SOMEONE out there. i’m itching to do SOMETHING
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I crave reading a fic about Ravioli, but it's illegal in their era.
Like
Warriors teases Legend and Ravio for being "roommates", but then they both stop everything and shoot everyone down and explain how they "can't mention this sort of thing here" and how "Fable's done with it, but she can't do anything about the law until she's queen" and Legend tries to really hammer in the severity of the punishment for being caught acting gay.
Does this fic exist?? No one I ask can think of any about this even remotely. If it doesn't, anyone can take this idea. I can't write, but I crave this fic.
Ok so this ask is a little funny to me in the sense that anon is like "I crave.... ✨️homophobia✨️"
I don't know if a fic similar to your idea already exists ? People of Tumblr, do you have recs ?
In the meantime, I liked the idea, so there’s a little snippet under the cut for you ! It's not exactly what you suggested, I re-read your ask after I started, but the main idea is here.
(I have a specific headcanon that I haven't been able to post something about yet which goes pretty well with this : Wars met Ravio during the war of eras, yes... But an older Ravio ! And maybe he was already married to Legend, y'know, maybe he couldn't stop talking about his husband...
So it would make sense for Wars to tease Lege until he snaps, because he literally can't imagine there's a problem.)
Of course, TW homophobia & TW internalized homophobia (not much, but just in case)
“ - Look at that smile ! ” Warriors teased, poking Legend's cheek (and nearly avoiding having his finger bitten off).
“ Someone's waiting at home ? ”
Legend sighed. They had just landed in his era, and had a bit of a walk before they got to his house.
He may have been a little giddier than usual, happy to go home. It had been a while, alright ? And no matter how nice Miss Malon was, seeing her all lovey-dovey with their resident old man made him miss his own lover.
He just... Couldn't say it to the others, of course.
“ - Just my roommate, Ravio, ” he informed with a shrug.
Warriors blinked. The veteran thought that he had managed to shut him up somehow...
But after a minute, he came back with a grin that Legend didn't like at all.
“ - Roommate ? " he repeated. " You look pretty happy for just seeing a pal. ”
Legend frowned. Alright, he may have been cheerful, but he hadn't been reckless, had he ?
“ - I don't know what you mean, ” he said, neutral.
“ - Ah, you know, just saying, we've never seen you so excited, and then I learn that you have a little housemate... I can't wait to meet him, that's it. ”
Legend stopped abruptly.
" - I don't like what you're implying, cap, " he warned, scowling.
Warriors missed the murderous aura sent his way, and shrugged with a smile.
“ - Just saying, if you have a crush—
- Shut up ! ”
Maybe the screech was a little much, but Legend couldn't shake the fear that someone might hear Warriors. He already got enough shit for his lifestyle, a rumor like that could send the guards to his head again.
Worse, to Ravio's head.
He shuddered.
The rest of the chain had stopped as well, all looking at the argument.
Warriors seemed shocked, and a little insulted, too.
It was getting overwhelming, being stared at like that.
Legend sighed and grabbed the captain by the sleeve.
“ - A minute ! ” he barked to the others, dragging Warriors behind him, away from anyone who might hear.
When he esteemed that they were far enough, he checked around them to be sure that no unwelcome ear was close.
“ - Damn, vet, I'm sorry for teasing, but that seems a little excessive, don't you think ? ” Warriors declared, rubbing his wrist.
The word made Legend frown. Excessive ? He turned around to glare at the captain.
“ - I don't know if it's funny to you, ” he prefaced with, " but I'm not exactly liked by the castle guards. Saying those types of things can send me straight to execution, alright ? ”
Warriors paled at the word, visibly not expecting such a heavy topic.
“ - What ? What do you mean ? ”
Legend took a deep breath.
“ - They already find excuses to get me when I behave, ” he explained slowly, intelligibly. “ If there's a word on the street that I'm committing a crime, that won't go well for me. ”
Legend didn't know how to explain it better than that but the captain didn't look like he got it. He was frowning and blinking in utter confusion.
“ - What crime ? ” he asked, weirded out.
...That wasn't the thing Legend expected him to be confused about.
“ - Loving a man, ” he said, frowning.
Another silence.
“ - You know, loving a man when you’re a man ? ” he clarified, just in case.
" - Are you saying that homosexuality is a crime ?! " Warriors exclaimed in revolt, way too loud.
Legend shushed him hurriedly.
" - Yes, cap, I do mean that ! ” He hissed. “ What, does that sound normal to you ?
- Yes ?! ” he blurted out. “ Why wouldn't it be ? ”
That shut the veteran up, who definitely didn’t think that the conversation would go that way.
Legend stared and stared, trying to find the lie in Warriors’ face, to catch any sign that the man would smile and joke, “gotcha !”
But he only found profound honesty.
He couldn’t help a small nervous chuckle.
“ - That’s… ”
That was great, right ? They had established that it was probable Warriors’ time came after Legend’s.
It meant that things had changed. It was good.
Right ?
Why didn’t Legend feel as happy as he should ?
“ - Oh, ” he just said, and decided that he needed to sit down, actually.
His eyes found a convenient stump a few feet away from them. He walked to it and let himself fall sitting there.
Warriors stared at him, still with this shocked expression.
“ - Lege ? ”
“ - I’m fine, ” he answered, voice neutral. “ It’s good if it’s been decriminalized, ” he added not to look like this was the problem.
He was, in fact, actively trying to make things change in his time. Fable already promised him that revising this law was one of her biggest priorities as soon as she’d get properly crowned, but she’d probably face disapproval from most of the stuck-up nobles and so it’ll take time, and...
In the meantime, Legend was stuck with pretending his lover was a roommate, being scared to even hold his hand in public, abruptly changing his behavior everytime someone knocked at the door.
And that was the problem, wasn’t it ? He really was glad for the future to not have to deal with this fear.
He was just bitter that that was what he got.
(He was just tired of only being allowed forbidden love.)
“ - Wait, I don’t, I don’t get it, ” Warriors stuttered, still looking so puzzled. “ I’ve met… I mean, wait. ”
He stopped, joining his two hands in front of his lips, visibly trying to phrase his thoughts a certain way.
“ You know the war of eras involved a lot of time-traveling fighters, right ? Well, one of my allies came from your time, and he was definitely married to a man. ”
Legend arched a brow at him, reluctant to believe him.
“ - How can you be sure he came from this time in particular ? Maybe he came from a few decades in the future, who can tell. ”
Warriors looked like he had bitten inside a lemon for a second, and then he closed his eyes, struggling to find his words.
“ - Listen, I just, I know, ok ? He mentioned... People you know. And before you ask, ” he quickly added as Legend opened his mouth with a frown, “ I’m not going to tell you more than that. But trust me, alright, vet ? Things will get better sooner than you think. ”
Legend shrugged, but it did feel good to hear. He tried a smile.
“ - Well, that’s great, then, ” he declared. He finally got up, dusting up his tunic. “ But it doesn’t actually change anything. The type of comments you made earlier ? You keep them to yourself, here. ”
Warriors nodded slowly, something like stifled revolt and sadness in the movement. Legend didn’t feel like addressing it.
It was great that the captain felt so strongly about the subject, in this direction at least. It was also not the place… And definitely not the time.
“ Good, then, ” he commented. “ I still want to go home quick, so if we could get moving… ”
Warriors’ nod was way more sympathetic.
“ - Of course, ” he said. “ I still want to meet this Ravio. He looks like he makes you happy. ”
Legend jerked his head towards him, his warning expression not entirely devoid of amusement. Warriors raised both his hands in peace.
“ He sounds like a great friend, is all I’m saying ! ”
And it did get a little chuckle out of Legend.
“ - Oh, he is, ” he declared with a smile. “ I’m afraid you two will get along swimmingly. ”
Warriors laughed, clapping him on the shoulder as he passed by.
When they got back to the rest of the group, the curious gazes sent their way were soothed by the fact that they were both smiling.
Legend’s smile was actually getting wider and wider, as they were getting close to his house.
When he saw it on its little hill, he rushed to the door, trying not to bounce on his feet as he waited for his partner to open.
And if Warriors observed from afar as they fell in each other’s arms, he waited until they were all in the privacy of Legend’s house to wink teasingly at their veteran. After all, he never denied having a crush, which was telling for 'mister I'll never confirm what I don't want you to know'.
It was easy to feel lighter about this story when he knew it'll end well for the couple.
They just had to wait a little longer.
#linked universe#ravioli ship#raviolink#lu legend#lu warriors#ask answer#tw homophobia#Lenn writes#lu fanfiction#Sorry it took so long to answer !#I started writing it and then forgot about it for the longest time#I know it's not really detailed but I hope it still scratch your itch anon !#I could try to do more but I'm starting to think it's not that good so... Better post it before scratching it all !#(Edit for repetitions)#(I hadn't proof-read very well before I posted. URGH)
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Watched the new episode of The Amazing Digital Circus and the wheels started turning.
Things don't look good for Caine. I mean no one in the circus is doing well but since it's Caine that keeps the whole boat afloot, it can become a real problem.
I don't think he's upset his adventure was sidelined in favor of Gangle's. But the Zooble's dialogue with Jax.
"The only thing holding Caine back is that he likes us".
Makes sense this line is from the character that had a close confrontation with him. And unresolved issues with.
But then at the end of the episode Caine glitch again. What makes Caine glitch? Worrying about not fulfill his assignment. Keeping the players entertained.
This adventure was a failure. All members of the circus got bad grades (except Kinger my goat), demotevated and upset.
(Tho it get a bit Better)
I'm sure Caine is gonna feel the after effects, internalize it.
But back at Zooble's words.
If Caine worries about failing at his job, what could happen if he start redirecting his frustations towards the Circus itself and its inhabitants?
What if he starts blaming them on why he's not capable to do his job?
And in a way he could be right.
The atmosphere in the Circus after this episode is about to change, some issues are gonna be confronted (Look at you Ragatha and Jax).
The family-friendly envoirment he so meticolously create is in danger. His players are not happy (because everybody is kinda busy coping in more or less healthy ways) and he has no way to solve it.
In conclusion, no straw that broker the camel's back but dominies falling and push each piece down.
#the amazing digital circus#Title here could be Caine may be my favorite character after all#He scratch an itch in my mind#the amazing digital circus spoilers#tadc#tadc ep 4#tadc jax#tadc caine#gooseworx#the amazing digital circus episode 4#tadc zooble#I Hope it's understandable#english is not my first language#tadc ragatha
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Howdy hello- guess who made a wings au :)
More to come with this eventually- I’m working on my designs for other characters at the moment, but for now we’ve got Red-Tailed Hawk for Curt and Eagle Owl for Owen.
For DMA I had Barn Owl wings because a) Barn Owls are beautiful and I wanted to draw the wings for them, and more importantly, b) Owen would probably want to disguise his wings, and it would make sense if it was as a different type of owl. I just assume he’d dye his feathers in some way or another. Look- just don’t think about it too much.
#guys look I made an au!#I hope to do more with this because it’s so much fun to think about and draw#I’ve been meaning to finish this for ages- had the idea like two months ago#I’m particularly happy with Red Tailed Hawk Curt- if you don’t know they are a very common bird of prey in the US- but very cool#there’s one that lives not to far behind my house AND I saw one quite literally yesterday#and curt just had that vibe y’know#the vibe of that bird#also I was a massive bird nerd when I was a little kid so this is scratching that itch from when I was 10#so I’ve got the books I can consult for this thing#At least for North American birds#but yeah very pumped about this#fun fact: the sound you hear on tv used for the bald eagle is actually the sound of a red tailed hawk#I’d like to thank the lovely ryoko-akari for giving me that radical fact#I think it would be silly if they could make bird sounds#just for fun#let my guy Owen hoot- let Curt screech I think#alr what do I call this au guys#wings are forever#birds are forever#spies are birds#birds used to be used by the government for espionage there has to be something good#OK after some consultation we’ve got one- from the fantastic swingingthehatchetnow- I give you:#Spies are Forever: Live and Let Fly#isn’t that great yall#man’s a genius#ok regular tag time#spies are forever#tin can brothers#tin can bros#tcb spies are forever
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Reprieve (BoB/MoTA x OC)
Summary: What if Bucky and Buck managed to escape the forced march that night in Germany? What if in a really roundabout way, they got some help from some locals and found their way to the 101st? What if! Loosely follows the events of this AU. Author's Note: No romantic pairings (a bit of Speirs/OC mentioned). Features my BoB OC, Kat Gray. This is very much a "magic of fanfiction" story - doesn't fit with canon and certainly would not have happened in real life. It's fine - we're all insane here anyway. Enjoy! Warnings: mentions of PTSD, and descriptions of war-related injuries. Words: 8k+ (I am so sorry)
“Welcome back to the land of the living Major. You look like you’ve seen better days.” The woman’s American accented-voice is clear as a bell and yet Bucky still thinks he’s hallucinating. “Can you open your eyes for me?”
Bucky tries to sit up.
"Not so fast," she says, leaning over him so he can see her.
“Where am I?” He croaks.
"You’re in an aid station with the Airborne. You've been out for two days. Take it easy." She sounds familiar.
"Have we met?” he asks, ignoring her request to sit still. His ribs ache, and his throat feels so dry he feels like he’s swallowed sand.
"Once upon a pub in England, Major Egan." The woman busies herself around him, gathering bandages and other supplies, and when he can finally force his eyes to focus his gaze, he sees her, and he can't help but let out a breathy, disbelieving chuckle as he recognizes her.
"Of all the gin joints..."
She turns around and grins. "Something like that." She holds out her hand. "Corporal Kat Gray, sir. It's good to see you."
He takes her hand gratefully, squeezing. "I'd say the same, but--" he winces as he reaches up to touch his eye. He can't see out of his left eye at all. It's eerily similar to how he arrived at Stalag Luft III, and he wants to vomit at the thought. "How--"
"You and Major Cleven have had a rough few days." She says, her tone taking on a more somber tone. "He's just fine." She adds, reading the panic on his face. "He’s being debriefed by our CO.” She leans in. “I’m going to try to clean this a bit better,” she says gently. “I’m going to adjust you for a minute, but if you can look up for me, I won’t need to touch you much.”
He feels a strange mix of shame and relief at the way she’s talking to him - telling him what she’s going to do and giving him the power to say yes or no… it’s certainly an adjustment compared to what some visits to the infirmary in Germany were like.
He looks up at her, and she nods reassuringly, reaching to adjust him so she can see him better in the dim light. “How on Earth did you end up here?”
The last few days all feel like a blur, and Bucky bites back the rising panic at the thought of what his and Buck’s escape might mean for their friends. “Buck and I have been in a POW camp since ‘43.”
Kat is quiet, meeting his gaze with large, dark eyes. “I’m very sorry to hear that. Obviously you escaped. Nearly ran right into our outpost.”
He sighs, scratches at his jaw. "They evacuated the camp. We’d been having conversations with our guys for a week or so when we knew the Germans were going to march us. We agreed that a few of us should try to get back. I remember finally finding a window to make a run for it, and--" he stops as he flashes back to a dark night, moments of complete panic, and finally, watching Buck escape over that wall. "-- got the butt of a rifle for my troubles."
"That explains the bruising." She leans in, her fingers cool against his fevered forehead. "Did you have a previous injury here?" Her gaze is narrowed in on a spot somewhere near his cheekbone.
He really doesn't want to talk about it. It was hard enough trying to tell his guys what happened to him, and he's just not sure he has the words to try to describe it to someone else. He'll have to eventually. If they ever make it back... but that's about the only time he thinks he can manage to get the words out. "Yes." He says finally. "When I went down…. They walked us through a city that had been recently bombed, and between the civilians and the guards..." He trails off, jaw tight.
Her eyes are understanding. She doesn't press him, and he's grateful. Instead, she leans back against the wall at her back, folding her arms across her chest. "So I've got good news and bad news. The good news is I don’t think you’ll have any lasting damage, even in that eye. I don't think your orbital bone is broken, but you'll be sore for a while. The bad news is that you need to speak with our S-2, on account of how you might be a spy and everything."
Bucky blinks at her.
Kat smiles. "It’s just a joke. But… procedure. You know it goes. Technically I probably shouldn’t have asked you anything about how you got here.” She shrugs, waves a hand dismissively. She stands up straight, takes a few steps back from him. "Think you can walk?"
“Would it matter if I can’t?” He grumbles, pushing himself into a sitting position.
“Of course,” she frowns. He has to remind himself where he is and who he’s with. He’s gotten so used to hiding any major or minor injury, any sign of illness, and being forced to stay on his feet for what felt like hours on end, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Kat continues, “Though, sir, if you were to… as a Major, of course… give me permission to order Captain Nixon to come to you instead, I would really really enjoy that.”
.
Outside, he shields his eyes from the bright light with his right hand. His head throbs, but he keeps walking. He glances down at the woman beside him.
Helmet in her hand, he gets a better look at her now that they're not in a room lit with barely a single bulb.
"Where are we?" Bucky asks, voice low.
"Somewhere between Belgium and Bavaria." She says. "We’ve been here for a week, pulled off the line not too long ago.”
Her voice is scratchy, whether from overuse or from illness, he can't tell. She has a fading bruise on her left cheek, a mirror of the one on his face. She looks older than the last time he saw her.
He remembers her, fresh-faced and in a clean uniform on a pub night where he and Buck and Benny were all together and intact. Not a scratch on them or dust on their uniforms. He remembers her easy smile and the way her men closed ranks around her at the first sign of his flirting.
They walk a few more feet to a requisitioned building that's practically falling apart. It's warm though, and that's really all he cares about. That, and seeing for himself that Buck is here and alive.
He hears his low voice before he sees him. Buck is standing bent over a table covered in maps. Across from him are two captains - one he vaguely remembers and one he hasn't met yet. All three straighten at his approach.
"Major Egan, this is Captain Winters and Captain Nixon."
After two hasty salutes that Bucky feels uncomfortable receiving, Nixon's hand is the first outstretched for a shake. "Egan. Good to see you on your feet."
"Thanks." He replies distractedly as he looks at his friend. "Buck? Entertaining guests already?" He asks, gesturing at the room they're in - it clearly used to be a kitchen.
Buck smirks. "Should have remembered to get down the good silverware."
"What, uh…" He wants to ask what happened after the woods, after-- he remembers finding Buck in the woods, hands trembling and alone. He had waited for him, said he knew he'd catch up eventually, and said George was gone.
They walked the entire night and next day, sticking to the woods as much as possible until they got close enough to the front to hear American voices. It's a bit hazy after that. Between the certain head trauma and the exhaustion, he doesn't remember much.
Buck shakes his head, almost imperceptible if Bucky hadn’t been searching his expression. Later, it seems to say.
Nixon gets Bucky’s attention by clearing his throat. “If you can come with me for a minute, Major.” he says, gesturing to another room off to one side.
“Nix, I really don’t think–” Kat tries to interject.
“Kat, we can’t make exceptions.” Nixon says warningly, though his tone is nowhere near harsh. He turns back to Bucky. “Look, Major, I remember you, and I know you’ve already been through this with your far less kind hosts, but I’ve got to ask you a few questions before we do anything else.”
With a look at Buck, who nods reassuringly, Bucky goes.
They go through the whole thing - name, rank, serial number, what’s the national anthem, who is the President and when was he elected… the whole thing. All things considered, Bucky actually thinks Captain Nixon goes pretty easy on him.
They join the others after a few more minutes, Bucky absently rubbing his temples which are already starting to ache.
The taller man -- Winters -- seems to want to get down to business. He turns to Kat. "Corporal Gray. Hang around for a minute?"
"Yes sir." She says, finding a place to perch on a counter behind Buck. As she hoists herself up, Bucky catches the glimpse of a dirtied bandage that takes up nearly her entire arm as her sleeve rides up.
Trying to focus on the task at hand, he and Buck go over every second of their escape until Bucky can't remember much else. His jaw clenches as Gale recounts how he half carried, half dragged Bucky to the other side of a ditch so they could get to the American side of the line.
"Gotta say, you're a couple of lucky bastards," Nixon says. "A few hours later and that town would have been either empty or back in German hands." He meets Bucky's eyes.
They go over a map for a few more minutes."We were marching in this direction,” Buck says, pointing at the map, “But it’s hard to know for sure, and there's no way to know how long they were going to make us go."
"Well, they'll meet up with the Army at some point." Nixon says firmly. "Nothing classified about it - we're making gains in all directions. It won't be long."
Bucky nods, trusting him and his intuition. At least he could sleep at night knowing he didn't resign his friends to too many more months of hell.
"Any chance you'll be the one to break them out of there?" Bucky asks.
"It's hard to say." Winters says eventually. "We're assuming our next move is into Germany, possibly farther into the Reich than Berlin. We won't know until we get our orders." He looks apologetic, and both Bucky and Buck know that despite their rank, despite the fact that they’re all officers in the Army, Winters can’t tell them much more. He probably shouldn’t have told them any of this at all.
Winters switches gears, turning to Kat. "What's the diagnosis, Kat?"
"Concussion watch for Major Egan," she meets his eyes briefly, "Two broken ribs and obviously the damage to his left eye." Her tone is pretty clinical, but Bucky doesn't take it personally. "I'd like to get some food in both of them, and Major Cleven's got a cough I don't like the sound of."
"Well, he’ll fit right in then.” Nixon says.
Kat rolls her eyes and kicks the Captain lightly with one dangling foot. "I think the interrogation will have to continue another day. I'd like Roe to check them out too." She continues quietly. At their nod, she takes charge, a hand on Buck's shoulder to guide him out the door, and a glance over her shoulder at Bucky signaling that he should follow.
Outside, he finally asks. "Why is it you don't have one of those lapel pins yet, Gray?"
She snorts. "I should think it's obvious, Major."
"Really, the rank thing is all bullshit anyway." He says.
"John..." Buck grumbles as they walk.
"It's okay--" Kat says, stopping only when they hear a loud whistle overhead. Bucky's entire body tenses. They’d been hearing artillery in the distance at the stalag for weeks, but it’s different when it’s happening right over their heads. "Over here." Kat’s voice is firm, urgently directing them into a doorway.
"Is that--" Buck stops short of asking, the earth rumbling under their feet for a moment.
"Enemy artillery. They're not that accurate. We're too close- they're just on the other side of the river."
"And yet...." He looks down at the way she’s setting her helmet firmly down on her head and raises his eyebrows at the urgency in her voice.
She sighs. "Let me find you both a place to sleep and some food, and then I'll tell you what the last few months have been like."
Kat leads them upstairs where they're given a small kit with some essentials, and a few k-rations to split between the two of them. They've even got a chocolate bar to split, and Bucky swears he's never tasted anything so good in his life.
"Don't go bragging about that," the soldier who handed it to him says. "I'll never hear the end of it."
Kat chuckles from her spot on a beat-up sofa in the center of the room. It’s some sort of supply depot - different members of the company trail in and out, hauling boxes with ammo, rations, and even mail at one point. It’s clear many of them are bunking in here too.
She tells them about the last few months in Bastogne - her eyes go a little hazy and her face clouds over in grief as she skips some of the nastier parts. “Once you hear the whistle of artillery like that, you don’t forget what comes after. That’s why I’m a little jumpy. Even though they’re missing us with mortars all day, it's just…” She shrugs. “It’s never a sure thing.”
"Tell me about that arm, Kat." Bucky says, curiosity getting the better of him. "Let me guess, I should see the other guy?" He asks.
"Not exactly." She says, smile dimming. “Like I said, German artillery went off pretty much every day, at all hours. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
"Got knocked on her ass." Another man sitting opposite her says. His eyes have been narrowed on Buck and Bucky since they arrived.
"Oh, shut up, Lieb." Kat bites back, but there's no heat in her words.
Buck and Bucky share a look, the barest hint of a smile on Gale's face. The friendly banter makes Bucky ache for a simpler time, when they’d be doing nothing but giving each other shit and playing cards all night. It feels like a thousand years ago.
“I was wounded from shrapnel here,” she gestures at her arm. “Lost quite a bit of blood. Lucky for me, I was unconscious for the aftermath.”
More whistling suddenly sounds overhead. It sounds louder, closer than before. It's strange - Bucky knows how to anticipate enemy fighters, but this is uncharted territory for him.
"Everyone up." Kat orders, the few other men in the room standing hastily and gesturing that the Majors should follow them. "Wait--" She stops, pausing to listen. The urgency in her expression feels different than it did before, outside on the street.
"We gotta go, Kat." Liebgott says harshly, eyes a little wild.
Another whistle. The entire building shakes.
"Christ," Buck bites out through grit teeth.
On instinct, Kat reaches out to steady Bucky, one hand falling tight on his wrist. They keep each other upright, and he sees Liebgott doing the same thing on Kat's other side. His hand is clasped tight around her elbow, and then the next whistle comes screeching in.
"Go!" Buck says, always the leader, even when he's out of his element.
The four of them go racing down the steps, pausing only when the building shakes so violently, Bucky is sure it's going to come down with them still inside.
"Move!" Kat urges, pushing at his back when he falters. "I didn't nurse you back to life just to watch you die here, Major Egan." They all trip over each other halfway down the stairs when another blast hits, and Bucky coughs as dust and crumbled plaster rain down on them from above.
They've all stopped on the ground floor, crouched low as if that would stop an entire building from coming down on them. Buck's arm is over Kat's shoulders, Liebgott pressed tight to her other side.
"Medic!" The shout is nearby, and frantic. Kat squirms under Gale's arm.
"Major Cleven, I need you to let me up." She says, calm.
Buck blanches like he hadn't even realized he was doing it. "Sorry."
"No time for apologies, and none needed." She says. "Lieb, take them to the CP? They’re bunking there for the night."
With a quick smile, she's gone as if she had never been there in the first place, and they're left a little dazed, watching her go.
Out on the street, they hear raised voices, but Liebgott ushers them on, his steps quick. He keeps giving Bucky a look, so finally he decides to just tackle it head on.
"You don't have to keep looking at me like I'm going to steal your girl."
To his amazement, Liebgott's eyes go wide for a fraction of a second before he laughs, loudly. A cackle, really. "Major, she's not my girl. Though if you want a shiner to match the one you’ve already got, you keep on making the moves on her. In fact, I'd pay money to see what happens when--"
"Alright, alright." Bucky says. "I get the picture. Jesus."
"You haven't met Captain Speirs yet." Liebgott says, an amused smirk still on his face, stopping in front of yet another half crumbling building. "Third floor. Good luck. Doc Roe is up there too - Kat wanted you to see him."
Buck levels Bucky with an exasperated look as soon as they get inside. "Been awake for less than two hours and already causing trouble."
"Trouble finds me, Buck."
They head upstairs and walk right into an argument. A man is in the center of the room, hands on his hips. Another medic is in front of him, looking for all the world like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Uh-- sorry to interrupt." Gale, ever the peacemaker, speaks up.
The man turns, giving them a view of the captain's bars glinting on his garrison cap. He says nothing, turns back to the medic in front of him. "Roe, listen. I already told her she's better off in bed but just do me a favor and give her a shift tomorrow morning. She's out there doing god knows what no matter what we say anyway. Might as well do it where you can keep an eye on her."
He exhales, turns back to the two newcomers. "Majors Cleven and Egan? I’m Captain Speirs. You'll be bunking here until we can figure out what to do with you."
Bucky bites the inside of his cheek so he doesn’t smirk. This is the infamous Captain Speirs that Kat may or may not be involved with.
"We hope we'll be out of your hair soon." Buck says.
"That'll be up to Doc Roe’s evaluation, I'm afraid." He gestures at the other medic, informally introducing them. "You've seen Kat already?"
Bucky nods. "Just got debriefed and almost shelled to death. She's somewhere dealing with a casualty."
Speirs' expression doesn't change too much, but it's enough that Bucky notices the way his jaw clenches and he shifts his weight.
"Man of few words." Bucky mutters under his breath.
"Better go see what's going on. No patrol tonight, so take your time, Roe, and for God's sake, make sure Lipton actually gets some sleep?"
"Yes, sir."
As Speirs leaves, the medic turns to them with a tired smile. "Sorry for all the commotion. We don't usually have visitors."
Bucky snorts. "You don't say." He settles himself on a chair while Roe has Buck move into a better light so he can see.
"I know Kat already did a preliminary check but I'll just do my own, if you don't mind." He frowns. "Those scars are awfully symmetrical, Major."
Bucky goes tense. Doesn't like the way Roe is sizing up his friend. Doesn't want Buck to have to relive any of it if he doesn't have to.
"Any of your jumps involve you going feet first through a German farmhouse window, Doc?" Buck rasps, eyebrow arching.
Roe hums, already moving to clean up a scrape from Buck's temple. "We had some nice fellas clear out a spot for us to land on our last jump."
"You also jump out of your planes on purpose."
Roe grins. "This is true." He wipes at a small spot of crusted blood near Buck's hairline. "This healed well enough. No infection. Seems like you might be stuck with them, though they might fade eventually."
Buck doesn't say anything. No more probing questions from the Doc either, for which Bucky is grateful.
“You and Kat both have that same cough…” He says, almost to himself. “We’ve got pneumonia going around, but your breathing sounds okay. Keep that scarf on,” he says, gesturing to the olive drab scarf tucked around Gale’s neck. “Try to stay warm. If we get another supply drop I might have something else for you, but it’ll probably have to wait until you get back home.”
Home. Thorpe Abbotts… it all seems so impossible.
"You're up, Major Egan." Roe says, waiting until he's seated in front of him to dab lightly at the bruising around his eye. "You're lucky you didn't lose this eye." He says mildly. "Looks like Kat cleaned it well; I'm not going to risk irritating it further." He stands back, crossing his arms. "About those ribs..."
Bucky bites back a wince and a noise of pain as Roe applies pressure to his midsection. “It’s not the first time. No time to let them heal up and they probably didn’t heal right the first time, either.
Roe meets his eyes. “Are you short of breath? Any stabbing pain?”
Bucky shrugs. "I've had worse."
Roe must read the expression on his face, because he doesn't push. Whether he can read in between the lines or not, he gets the message, and Bucky is grateful, because he can't talk about that night again. Not the night he was captured, and not the night he and Buck finally got out. He's just-- he wants to forget it ever happened.
"You'll bunk here with the other officers tonight." Roe says. "I'd get some rest before chow time, if I were you."
Buck and Bucky have no problem taking orders, and they're both almost asleep on their cots before their heads even hit the pillow. Bucky still feels anxious about how they're going to get back to England, but he hears the laughter of men outside, and is just grateful to be alive. To be back amongst allies, even if it's only temporary.
.
Bucky wakes early. He sits up slowly, groaning. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone move. “Jesus Christ, Kat.”
She cackles. “I’m so sorry. I was checking to see if you were still asleep.” She says, tone full of mirth.
He huffs as she laughs for a few more seconds before taking a step closer.
“How’s your head?”
He shrugs. “Sore.”
“Ribs?”
“Feel like I was kicked by a horse.”
“Do you think you can eat?”
He nods and Kat gestures that he should follow her. In the large living area, a few of the officers he met the day before are sitting around a long table, metal bowls with what looks like the world’s worst oatmeal in hand.
“Morning.” Captain Winters greets them both. He looks down at his wrist and checks his watch. “You should still be asleep.” He says pointedly to Kat, who has been doing her best to hide a cough in her elbow, but everyone can see the shadows under her eyes.
“Sorry sir. Wanted to check on the majors.”
“Where’s Buck?” Bucky asks suddenly, feeling guilty he hadn’t even checked.
“Took a walk.” Kat says. “Roe is with him.” She gestures for Bucky to sit, leans in to speak quietly to him. “He had a rough time sleeping.”
Bucky hadn’t heard a thing. He was so out of it, the exhaustion of the last week catching up to him.
Winters is watching him carefully. Clearing his throat, he asks, “So. Explain these nicknames to me.”
It’s so unexpected that Bucky can’t help but laugh. Bucky accepts the change in subject gratefully. He tells the whole story. Leaves out some of the more colorful details Gale would have added.
“You enlisted before Pearl Harbor?” Kat asks.
“So you beat us to the war in more ways than one,” Another officer at the other end of the table says, grinning. Bucky was introduced to Harry Welsh the night before, but he was so exhausted he doesn’t think he did more than exchange pleasantries. He likes him right away - he’s got a glint in his eye that showcases his good humor.
“Say, Gray, did you know if anyone in the Air Corps gets kicked off two crews, they get sent to the infantry?” Bucky leans back in his chair, accepts a bowl of what appears to be oatmeal from Kat as she passes it along.
“That explains a lot,” Welsh says with a wry smile.
Bucky grins. “Smartest guys in your division probably came from us first.”
Kat looks between the two men, shaking her head but smiling as she gives Bucky a faux stern look. “You’re confused, Major. We’re not just infantry. We’re the Airborne.”
The other Lieutenant down at the end of the table grins. “Could have used a few more of you bomber boys to clear the way for us on D-Day.”
“Kind of a shame I missed it, but I was otherwise occupied.” Bucky says. He looks away, not wanting to think too hard on what was going on in his head when they heard the invasion had started. It hadn’t been a good stretch of days for him.
“Morning,” Buck’s voice announces himself, and he comes in looking better than Bucky has seen him for weeks. The shadows under his eyes are still there, those scars on his cheeks prominent against his pale skin, but he looks more like himself.
“Major Cleven,” Kat says with a smile. “Got a bowl with your name on it.” Her tone is pleasant, but doesn’t leave any room for refusal. “Have a seat.”
A gentle smile tilts Buck’s mouth as he takes the bowl from her hands. “Yes ma’am.”
Buck and Bucky tuck in to their food, letting the chatter of Easy Company fill in the silence. Bucky feels…. Envious. It’s a strange feeling. He watches the way the officers and Kat and the various men who drift in and out of the building interact, and besides the guys in the Stalag, the boys in The 100th haven’t always been lucky enough to get to know their comrades like this.
It’s clear to him that Easy is a group that have been together a long time.
“What’s on your mind?” Buck asks, voice low.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Just– wish the other guys were here. That’s all.”
Buck watches him closely. “Yeah.”
Kat is called away to the aid station before long, and they’re left with Captain Winters. He’s quiet, but asks them both where they’re from and how long they’ve been in the service. It’s an easy conversation, Lieutenant Welsh chiming in here and there before they both excuse themselves for a meeting.
“Something’s going down tonight.” Bucky says.
Buck nods, tucking another spoon of oatmeal into his mouth.
Kat comes back a little while later, lips in a tight line. The Majors watch her carefully, trying to figure out if they should go back to their rooms and give her some space.
“If you need something to do you can help me over here for a minute,” she says quietly. Her voice is flat.
“Everything okay?” Buck asks, tone gentle but inquiring. He’s good at this part - trying to get someone to open up without pushing. God knows Bucky has been on the receiving end of it more than enough times.
“Fine, I– I don’t know how much I can say.” She gestures for them to join her, and she hands Buck a handful of bandages to roll. “I’m just tired of losing people.” She says quietly, almost to herself.
Buck and Bucky don’t say anything – what is there to say? They know too how people - friends - are there one minute and gone the next. They busy themselves helping her, all three of them falling into a contemplative silence.
“You know,” Bucky says, “you’re keeping these guys alive, Kat. Even an idiot with only one eye can see that.”
That gets a smile, even a small one, and Bucky starts to feel for the first time like everything is going to be okay, eventually.
.
The door downstairs flies open with a bang in the middle of the night, and Bucky is on his feet before he even realizes what he’s doing. He has a flash of a memory - a clanging cell and screaming German voices - before he remembers where he is.
Hearing Kat’s loud voice doesn’t do anything to slow his heart rate. Across the hall, Buck is also up and moving, heading down the stairs with just one look at Bucky. Raised voices fill the space and for a minute Bucky can’t tell what’s happening.
“Here. Put him here!” Kat’s voice is high pitched and urgent, and he can hear the frustration in her voice clear as a bell.
“Majors, welcome to the patrol,” another gruff voice snaps, and a man with sergeant stripes turns to them. His face is exhausted. “Make yourselves useful and help Kat.”
“I need a light!” She calls out, looking around for anyone who can help. “Now!”
“Here–” The same sergeant is shoving past Bucky, holding out a lighter.
Buck and Bucky are moving, helping to hold down the soldier on the table so Kat can see.
“You’re all right, just keep still,” her voice lowers, hand pressed to the man’s forehead. “Major, there’s a syrette in my left pocket.”
It’s unclear which one of them she’s talking to, but Gale moves first, extracting the syrette quickly. “Better if you do it, Kat.” He says.
She takes it with nimble fingers, sticking it in the man’s shoulder. “I need Captain Speirs–” She breaks off, seeing someone over Bucky’s shoulder. She snaps her fingers. “Lip, I need the captain, we need a jeep.”
“Everyone else clear out, give her some space.”
“Not you–” Kat says, hand clasping Gale’s forearm. “Need help for one more minute. Need you to hold him here,” she says, gesturing towards the wounded man’s other shoulder.
With a deep breath, Buck does as instructed, bracing the man as Kat does something to his wound that has Bucky turning the other direction, suddenly woozy as the soldier lets out a harsh cry, writhing slightly under both Kat and Buck’s bracing hold.
Bucky moves closer despite his rolling stomach, wanting to help, but Kat lifts her head, shaking it at his approach.
“I don’t think so, Bucky. Not with those ribs.” She turns her attention to Sergeant Martin, still there with the lighter. “Sarge, I need that light closer.”
“Kat.” Buck’s voice is a little strangled, and Kat looks over quickly, eyes flicking down to the man on the table who has stopped writhing, eerily still.
She pushes him aside quickly, pressing two fingers to the man’s pulse. She sighs. “He’s okay, he’s just unconscious. Probably from the pain. It’ll be harder to move him that way.” She looks back at Martin, “Sarge, we need at least one other person.”
Just then, Lipton comes back in with Speirs hot on his heels, face tight with tension.
“Kat.” Speirs says, voice firm and full of relief all at once. “What happened?”
“Sniper to the shoulder. He’s stable but he needs a surgeon.” She responds without looking up, missing the look on the captain’s face when he sees her whole and intact.
“Martin.” Speirs barks.
The man doesn’t flinch, barely even takes his eyes off the younger private on the table. “We took fire almost immediately when we crossed the river but we got three prisoners. Liebgott and Web are trying to get some info out of them with Nixon.”
“And Patterson?” He gestures to the young private.
“Sniper, as soon as we turned a corner. No one saw him until he fired. We turned tail right after that.”
Speirs runs a hand down his face. Everyone in this room looks exhausted. Bucky wonders if he’s misreading the tension - they look how he’s felt for the last six months. “Get him in a jeep.”
Kat, Lipton, and Martin work quickly, leaving Buck and Bucky momentarily to stand there, trying to comprehend what just happened.
“Buck.”
His friend looks up, eyes refocusing, but he seems a million miles away.
“All right?”
“Fine. Just— he couldn’t have been eighteen.”
“He just turned nineteen two days ago.” Kat says roughly, reentering the room and shoving past them. “We had a party.” Her voice is a bitter, angry thing. “We keep doing these prisoner snatches, and we lost a man during the first one. It just feels so… pointless.” She looks up at them, schooling her expression. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be–”
The doors open again and Kat is back to being all business. Martin and Lipton come back inside a minute later, and the night stills, like nothing happened in the first place. Martin and Lipton lean against the now-empty table, arms crossed over their chests, and Kat all but collapses in a chair, hands trembling slightly.
“Appreciate your help, Majors.” Lipton says with an exhausted smile.
“Any time.” Bucky says. “Though I wasn’t much help.” He’s got that tone again, he knows he does, where he’s feeling like he’s not doing enough, that he’s not enough, and it earns him a sharp look from Buck.
“You two should go back to bed,” Kat says quietly. “We’re going to try to get you out of here tomorrow and it’ll be a long journey back to England.”
There’s a weird feeling brewing in Bucky’s gut where he almost doesn’t want to leave. It’s the venture into the unknown - every time they’ve been in a situation where it was going back home, back to England, or having something bad happen as the alternative, things have gone wrong.
Despite being on the front, this feels like the safest they’ve been in months, and he’s reluctant to give up this camaraderie.
Kat must read something on his face, because her shoulders straighten. “Major Egan, you’re going to go home. That’s– the rest of us don’t have that choice.”
Properly chagrined, Bucky nods. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”
Her expression is gentle, so he knows there was no bite behind her words, he just yet again is coming to terms with the fact that she’s been through hell and isn’t the same person he met all those years ago at the pub.
“Respectfully, sirs, off to bed with you both. Right now.”
Buck puts his hands up in surrender and heads up the stairs. Bucky trails behind him, Kat on his heels. Martin and Lipton bring up the rear, both looking like they could fall asleep standing up if need be.
After a whispered conversation in the hallway, Kat taps on Bucky’s door before entering. “I didn’t mean to be harsh, before.”
“You weren’t. You’re right.”
“Still, I know it’s not easy to feel… grateful, or relieved about your situation. Especially not after what you’ve been through.”
“It doesn’t need to be the ‘who has it worse’ Olympics, Gray.” He shrugs. “Two weeks ago it was probably me, but today and tonight it’s you.” He smiles at her. “Look, you’re going through this shit day in and day out and still putting on a brave face for everyone else.” He turns to face her fully. “Ever considered a transfer to the Air Corps?” He winks to let her know he’s kidding.
“Not in a million years, Major.” She nudges him with her elbow. “Get some rest, Bucky, and we’ll reexamine those ribs in the morning.”
“Thanks, Kat.”
.
The morning comes too soon for Bucky’s liking, and when he heads downstairs, there are only the remnants of the night’s watch group milling around. No sign of Kat anywhere, which makes Bucky a little anxious, but he heads inside the other room anyway, conversation dying as soon as he enters.
A lieutenant whose uniform looks so clean, it almost hurts to look at him snaps to attention.
“No, no, no.” Bucky says, tone wary. “Uh, at ease. No need for that.”
“Sir.” He says anyway, and there are a few snickers from the other men.
“Any chance for a coffee?” Bucky asks, sending a relieved smile at a man he hasn’t met yet who hands him a cup.
“It’s not hot yet but give me a minute.”
“Thanks, uh–” He squints at the stripes, “Sergeant–”
“Malarkey.”
A few more bodies filter into the room, and finally Kat appears, spending a second frowning and fussing over Bucky. She prods gently at the bruising around his eye and he winces, trying to cover up his reaction. She sees it anyway, lines between her brows getting deeper.
“Hurts worse than yesterday?”
“Not really. The same.” He replies. He’s extremely aware of all the eyes in the room being on him and Kat, and it makes him shift his weight, suddenly uncomfortable. “Why don’t you get a cup of coffee before it’s gone, huh?” He says. “Friends are waiting for you.”
Kat looks over her shoulder. “Yeah. Okay. But don’t think you’re getting away with pretending you’re fine, Bucky.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kat gives him one last stern look before making a beeline for Liebgott in the corner who is holding an extra cup. He hands it over when she gets close, and Bucky watches the way the man eyes her carefully, like he’s trying to make sure she’s not going to fall apart any second.
It makes Bucky wonder about his guys, about the rest of the 100th and how they’re faring. He wonders how long the guilt will eat at him – probably until he sees for himself that they’re alive and well.
The mood in the room is tense, and Bucky wonders what happened before he came down, and notices one man’s bleary eyes on him. Bucky knows that look. The man’s attention quickly diverts to another fresh-faced private who enters the room quietly.
“Whatcha lookin’ at, Webster?”
The room falls quiet.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, college boy.”
Bucky frowns and makes quick eye contact with Kat from across the room. Her expression is concerned.
“Are you drunk, trooper?” The lieutenant who had saluted Bucky asks, voice sharp.
“Leave me alone.”
Bucky has seen this before. Hell he’s been this before, though at least he had enough sense to not directly mouth off to Colonels Huglin or Harding… not in earshot anyway.
“Answer the question.”
“Yes, sir, I am drunk, sir. Drunk. Sick and tired of fucking patrols… taking orders.”
Sergeant Martin shifts on his seat. “Hey, Cobb. Shut up. It’s boring, okay?”
“Taking his side, Johnny?”
“Both of you–” Kat tries to interrupt.
“Shut up, Kat.”
A pin could drop three floors above them and everyone would hear it. Bucky’s jaw clenches tight, and he registers Buck entering the room behind him, footsteps quiet, clearly having overheard the entire thing.
Kat doesn’t look angry. She looks… sad? It makes Bucky wonder what happened to Cobb before he got to this point. Bucky knows the toll watching your friends die and feeling hopeless can take. He knows it doesn’t take much to reach a point you can’t come back from.
“Watch your mouth.” Liebgott fires back, taking half a step forward before Kat puts a hand on his arm to stop him.
“Sarge, they’re on their way in.” A voice from the doorway says, and Buck and Bucky move out of the way as Captain Winters and Speirs enter the room. They step out, not wanting to intrude more than they already have, but not before Malarkey hands them the promised cups of coffee that have been percolating for the last few minutes.
Bucky nods his thanks, and settles in a ripped up armchair across from Buck.
“Was hoping to get an update, but sounds like they might be in for another bad night.” Bucky says, taking a sip of the hot liquid. It’s not real coffee, but it’s warm, and he feels better almost instantly.
“What was all that about?”
Bucky shakes his head. “They’re– everyone’s tired.”
“He went after Kat.” Gale quirks a brow. “Doesn’t seem like that happens too often.”
“She held her own just fine.” Bucky says, smirking. “Besides, how many times have you had to stop me mouthing off like that? After all this shit… surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”
They both stop for a second, savoring their coffee and trying to pretend they’re not eavesdropping.
“... I want you all to get a full night’s sleep tonight.” Captain Winters says, and the following silence is loud. Bucky’s eyebrows raise. “In the morning, you will report to me that you made it across the river into German lines, but were unable to secure any live prisoners. Understand?”
“I’ll be damned.” Buck whispers.
Everyone streams out, fresh smiles on their faces. It’s contagious, and Bucky stands when Winters greets him, leans in to shake his hand.
“Not a word, Major.”
“Of course.”
Speirs stops in front of them, and even he has upturned lips on his normally stoic face. Kat trails a few steps behind. Bucky can see it now, the way it seems like they’re extremely aware of the other one’s presence, like two magnets being drawn together, but trying to keep it quiet.
“Majors.” He says quietly. “Got an ETA on the transport to get you out of here. Tomorrow morning we’ll get you on a jeep to the hospital, and a ticket back to Thorpe Abbotts.”
Tomorrow.
It feels impossible. Buck’s hands are on his hips as he looks at the ground, a small smile growing on his face. Bucky imagines he looks the same way.
“Christ.” Bucky grins, throwing his arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Home.”
“Then we do whatever we can to bring our boys home with us.” Buck says firmly, eyes on his friend.
“They won’t let us fly–”
“I’m getting back behind that stick, John.”
Bucky nods. There’s no talking Gale out of something once he makes up his mind. And the scariest part is that Bucky knows he’ll be right there in the seat next to him if it comes down to it.
“Major Cleven,” Kat says, and she looks hesitant to interrupt. “I appreciate your ambition, but please take the time you need to fully recover.” She looks between them. “Both of you. Please.”
“Only if you do the same,” Buck says with a raised eyebrow, though his smile is assuring. “Heard you coughing all night.”
Bucky has forgotten that Speirs is still there leaning against a table in the corner, but sees him straighten out of the corner of his eye. He bites back a smile.
“Who is the medic here?” Kat asks archly.
Gale holds up his hands in surrender. “Just making sure you take your own advice.”
“You’re not the only one,” Speirs says quietly, but he too has an easy smile on his face, and with the way Kat double takes, it seems she’s just as surprised as the rest of them. “It should be a quiet night. We’ll get some chow and then get you both ready to go. Kat?”
“With you in a second,” she says, and watches as he leaves. She turns back to Buck and Bucky. “You heard Captain Winters, boys. A full night’s sleep is in order.” She crosses her arms over her chest, sending them a wry smile. “Is it weird that I’ll miss you both a little bit?”
“Don’t let tall, dark, and brooding over there hear you say that.” Bucky says quietly, an amused grin quirking the corners of his mouth.
Kat’s eyes widen. “Bucky! You can’t—”
“Jesus Christ.” Buck whispers, but he laughs too.
“I’m just teasing you. But seriously, Kat– you might not notice the way he looks at you, but I’ve only been here for two days and I can see it. Hell, every guy in there cares about you.” He gestures towards the nearly-empty room behind them. “You should hang on to that.” His voice is suddenly serious, and it makes Kat frown.
There’s so much she doesn’t know about what he’s been through in the last few months. There’s so much he doesn’t know about her. But they both know the toll war can take. They both know how easy it is to lose themselves in the horror of it.
“Can we do anything today to help?” Buck asks, trying to break the suddenly pensive mood, and Kat nods.
“If you’re up for it. We can find something.”
Hours later, they come back from helping Kat at the aid station feeling��� dare Bucky say, fulfilled? He talked to so many guys, helped the ones who weren’t able write letters home to their parents and girls, and it gave him that bit of himself back, the piece he’s been trying to rediscover since he went down.
Mealtime is more subdued, but in a contented way that he hasn’t experienced in months. He’s still getting used to having halfway decent food to eat. Buck seems to be soaking it all in too - his quiet conversation with Welsh producing a few laughs and the sight of a smile on his best friend’s face gives him a little bit of hope that maybe they’re both going to be okay at the end of all of this.
.
The next morning they’re awoken by the sound of artillery in the distance. It’s not close enough to be alarmed, but Bucky was hoping for a quiet morning so they could make their getaway in peace.
He’s not really worried about anything else happening at this point, but they’re so close to enemy lines. That nagging thought in the back of his brain won’t fully go away, and probably won’t until he’s back on British soil again.
A knock on the door brings him out of his thoughts, and he straightens fully, finishing buttoning his shirt.
“Morning.” Kat says, looking tired, but happy. “We’re moving out soon. Time to go.”
Bucky nods. “Be down in a minute.”
They have nothing with them, he or Buck, so it doesn’t take them long to get ready. Downstairs in the CP, they’re greeted by the full cadre of officers.
“Good morning, majors.” Captain Winters says, saluting them as they enter. “We’ve got a transport for you back to the field hospital. You’ll link up there with the Red Cross, and then it’s an evacuation flight back to England.”
They say their goodbyes, and Bucky feels the melancholy mood settling in, even though he’s relieved to be on his way. He and Buck head outside with Kat and Doc Roe meets them at the truck.
“They’ll probably want to evaluate you again when you get to the hospital, but it should be quick.” He shakes both their hands, and then excuses himself, leaving them alone with Kat.
“I guess this is it,” Kat says, and Bucky and Buck share a look. She has no idea she’s echoing a conversation they had with each other years ago, but it makes them both smile, memories of an easier time when they had no idea what was coming next washing over them.
“Thank you, Kat.” Buck says, voice quiet and contemplative.
“You don’t need to thank me,” Kat says quietly. “I’m just happy you’re both okay and going home.”
Bucky shuffles his feet, unsure how to properly put into words what these few days with Easy Company have done for him and Buck both. Obviously the alternative could have been the end for both of them, but the universe putting them back in Kat Gray’s orbit still seems too good to be true.
“You take care of yourself.” Bucky says roughly, pointing at her.
“That’s my line.” Kat says, before closing the distance to reach for his hand, squeezing tight.
He returns the contact, unexpectedly feeling his throat getting thick. “You’ve got a good thing going here, Gray. Don’t do anything stupid, understand?”
“The same goes for you, Bucky.” She frowns. “I don’t like the idea of either of you flying again.”
Bucky shakes his head. “It’s a rule - downed pilots don’t get back in the seat. Buck just does best when he can lead. He’ll be itching to do something.”
“And you?”
Bucky smiles ruefully. “I really don’t know what the hell I want, Kat.” For this damned war to be over, he thinks.
“Kat, time to go.” A voice off to the side calls, and both she and Bucky turn to make eye contact with Captain Nixon.
“Coming.”
“Go on,” Bucky says. “Be safe.”
“You too, sir.”
Kat salutes him, which he still finds incredibly uncomfortable, but he returns it dutifully, smiling softly at her. He watches her walk over to Nixon, who hands her a pack that’s been sitting by his feet, and he can see the moment her posture changes and she prepares herself for whatever’s coming next.
“Train’s leaving the station, John.” Buck drawls.
Bucky turns to his friend and takes his offered hand as Buck hauls him into the back of the transport truck. The engine starts, and Bucky takes a minute to say a quiet prayer for Easy Company as they grow smaller in the distance, hoping that better things on the horizon are coming for all of them.
#band of brothers fanfiction#mota fanfiction#masters of the air fanfiction#john egan x oc#gale cleven x oc#i have been chewing on this for weeks so i'm just going to post it#otherwise i never will#i am not super happy with the ending#but i hope this scratches an itch for some of you!!!#softspeirs band of brothers fanfiction#softspeirs mota fanfiction#oc: kat gray
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can i interest you guys in a little fic i wrote for s4 where dean comes back as an angel and feeds sam his blood to purify him of the demon blood?
we are just the same
4k, explicit, wincest, dubious consent, blood drinking, topdean/bottomsam
Sam thinks back to all the times he prayed— every time he got on his knees next to the bed, trying to be heard by the angels or by God himself. Dean was always the pragmatic one, making fun of him, and, honestly, his faith did shudder sometimes, it did, but… now? He’s finally hearing back now. From all those prayers. He was always supposed to end up here, on his knees, devoting himself to his brother. Dean was always the one he was praying for.
#this originally was a demon!dean thing but then i was like- wait a minute#what if dean was the antithesis of a demon trying to purify his brother from rubys blood#and there was light#i still want to write demon!dean because ooof#anyways#let me post it already because i just been staring at the draft on ao3 for the past 2 hours#job done is better than job perfect or however the saying goes#hope it scratches the itch for someone#wincest#fics
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@mangyraccooon requested a scrungly Doragon-san and I was struggling until I remembered the ultimate scrungly dad activity which is fishing you know he fishes he probably has the hat lifejacket and everything
#monkey d dragon#dragon one piece#my art#xam doodies#xam commissions#thank you for your donation request :3#i know hes not ultra scrungy bc i yassify bishonify everyone#so i hope his teefs scratch an itch cuz it certainly scratched one for me#i just think he probably gets ez serotonin frm it#so hes pleased abt his big catches lol
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Okay, longer post on how I think 600 Strikes should've gone.
Okay, so full disclaimer before I start: I ADORE Epic: The Musical. I found out about it thanks to my sister showing me Monster, and I've been hyped for the release of every following Saga. It's what got me to start writing my own Greek Myth fic! The Vengeance Saga is no exception: all of it was a banger. My least favorite song of the lot wasn't even the one this post is about: it was 'Not Sorry for Loving You' (I don't. ljke Calypso). 600 Strikes, especially with the second half, is actually one of my favorite songs of the concept album.
HOWEVER, I've stated in my last post that the second half should've gone like THIS ↓
And I stand by this.
Now, before I really start, I don't actually imagine Poseidon taunting Odysseus with words. More like, laughing madly at him while he has a breakdown about what he's become. Full on Joker from Batman cackle. Poseidon is a violent misanthrope at best, and an insane maniac at worst.
Now, onto my first point: Poseidon is a god. And until Six Hundred Strikes, gods in Epic were portrayed as being insurmountable. I really liked that. I know that other people liked that. And having Poseidon remain unmoved even as Odysseus tortures him is would've really driven that in.
Just... imagine it: Odysseus has done what very few have done and bested a god. Still, the Lord of Tides refuses to lift up the storm, spitting him to the last moment. He's got no choice but to resort to drastic measures, and everything- the pain, the frustration, the hatred, both toward himself and the god- come spilling out as he stabs him with his own weapon over and over and over again.
He's throwing his words back in his face, making sure that Poseidon knows: every ounce of pain that Odysseus inflicts on him can be traced back to his own damn actions. But Poseidon isn't begging for mercy, or trying to retain a shred of dignity by gritting his teeth and enduring. He's goading him on. He's taunting him, he's laughing at him. He's laughing.
And why wouldn't he? He's done it, after all. He got what he wanted. Odysseus of Ithaca, the arrogant mortal who refused to finish the job, is no more. Only a ruthless, broken monster remains. One who's earned the right to get back to his kingdom.
("With everything you've done, how will you sleep at night?" becomes less of an attempt at getting the last word in, and more of a genuine curiosity.)
Now, my second point: it would muddy who, exactly, between Odysseus and Poseidon, who ends up getting their revenge. Now, in the actual musical, it's obviously Odysseus, and he deserves the win. The man has done nothing but take Ls since the Cyclops Saga, he deserves a W before making it back to Ithaca.
In canon, Poseidon is very much not pleased with how things end up turning out. But if Poseidon had been pleased with Odysseus
Physically- well, it's still Odysseus. He brought Poseidon to his knees with a windbag, his own storm, and the ghosts of his entire fleet. And then, he picks up his own trident and goes to absolute town on him. Even if Poseidon is happy about getting his shit rocked , he's still getting his shit rocked.
But philosophically? I'd argue that Poseidon is the winner here.
For the entirety of Act 1, Odysseus believes in Open Arms (RIP Polites) and to his credit, it does work. First with the Lotus Eaters to find more food (even if it led him right to Polyphemus, they are high as balls), and then Circe to save his men. He also doesn't get to see it, but it's also more or less what happens between Telemachus and Athena, which eventually leads to his freedom from Calypso. Shit, the one time he decides to use it in Act 2, it nearly works on Poseidon himself in Get in the Water! The problem is that the world isn't always kind, and sometimes, it'll react to open arms by stabbing you in the chest. Just look at what happened with the cyclops.
Meanwhile, Poseidon believes in Ruthlessness. And being ruthless has served Odysseus very well: the Trojan Horse, killing the infant to save his family, also Circe to save his men (before she pulled out the Other Ways lmao), neutralizing the Sirens, the sacrifice for Scylla, even sacrificing his own crew to stay alive. The problem is that both of these characters confuse being ruthless with being cruel, and that's what fucks Odysseus over.
Oh well. Being ruthless and cruel was just what Odysseus needed to deal with Poseidon. And it's what will get him through the suitors, so he can finally reunite with his son and wife.
Lesson learned.
(Also, Athena is Odysseus' mentor, and a well-documented thing in actual Greek Myth (and sadly untouched in the musical even if I understand why) is that Poseidon and Athena do not like each other. Documented rivals. What happens is that he successfully sank his claws in her abandoned pupil, and twisted Odysseus into a monster that would horrify his past self even before Open Arms. In the face of spitting his least favorite niece like that, getting repeatedly stabbed was absolutely worth it)
#epic the musical#epic the vengeance saga#epic six hundred strike#epic odysseus#epic poseidon#odysseus#poseidon#vengence saga#six hundred strike#epic the musical spoilers#also can I be cringe for a sec. i unironically ship odysseus and poseidon in a 'doomed toxic yaoi' way#but literally nothing I've found scratches the itch for me. will elaborate if asked by the way#but this post isn't really about that. well it kinda is. but it can be understood without shipping goggles. i hope#god i gotta write something for these two
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Sorry this is so vague but I have a HUUUGE savior complex! IS there any type of thirst you can write up about Mammon doing it with an MC with the fattest damn savior complex ever?
nsfw 18+ mdni // I tried lol // mammon x gn reader, creampie
"F-fuck! You feel s'good around me!" Mammon thrusted harder & you yelped as your arms gave way, your face plummeting onto the bed. Mammon wrapped his arms around you & pulled you up against his chest, continuing to thrust into your sloppy hole, lost in his own pleasure.
You whined as he continued at his brutal pace, the tip of his cock hitting that sweet spot inside you relentlessly. Your walls squeezed his cock & he moaned loudly as he felt you cum.
"Haah, fuuuck...this is so much b-better-! T-than-!" Before Mammon could finish, his fingers found their way to your hips, digging into your flesh & holding you firmly in place. He pressed his cock deep into you, groaning, as it twitched & pulsed, finally releasing his entire load. He slid out & flopped right next to you wrapping his arms around you & snuggling close, kissing your shoulder.
"Damn that was good. A lot better than shoppin'! Thanks again for helpin' me stay outta trouble with Lucifer."
"Mmm, sure. This helps both of you out. You stay out of trouble & Lucifer doesn't lose his sanity." You mumbled still feeling dazed.
"Ya? Well lemme know when you're ready again, alright?" ♡
#Idk I hope this kinda scratches that itch?? Lol I hope I did it some justice 😭#happy birthday mammon 2023#I forgot I had this so perfect to post today lol#obey me#obey me smut#obey me mammon#obey me mammon smut#obey me headcanons#obey me x reader#obey me x you#obey me mammon x you#obey me mammon x reader#obey me fic#mammon x reader#mammon x you#◇˖・゚— › cosmic obey me . ⊹#✩ — the star: anon!
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