#im always fucking doing shit like trying to climb trees and i wake up covered in bruises

[twunkzilla]

I got like extremely piss ass drunk last night and fell in a fucking lake why can't I ever do anything normal when I black out like shit myself

[sageinacage]

Hi! Saw your post about Sap and Tubbo and I’ve missed their dynamic sm so I wanted to send in a request! How about lee Tubbo and ler Sapnap? Maybe Sapnap wanted to see if Tubbo was just as ticklish as he was back then and uses one of his favorite tactics a bunch, raspberries?

Still the Same summary: sapnap wants to know if tubbo is still as ticklish as before, in his own sapnap way. a/n: sorry for the wait :( low motivation bc of personal stuff happening, but im doing a bit better so i wanted to get this out asap! hope u enjoy :D warnings: swearing, sapnap is Evil (/lh) w/c: 1.6k DSMP, Platonic

~

Everyone always says it’s easier to clear your thoughts from a high altitude. Why is that? No one knows, though no one is going to question it either. It’s always nice to enjoy the breeze from up above.

The only problem is, finding that high altitude and then having to climb up to it.

Tubbo closed his home door behind him, glancing around to find some sort of easy-access place he can sit for a while. As the boy walked around, he was quick to notice the gentle breeze that brushed against his cheeks and over his nose.

He sighed, enjoying the perfect weather present on this day, deciding to start walking down the path to town. As he walked, he chuckled as he recognized the spot he was standing at.

The day he and Sapnap had a playful bicker. It involved Tubbo making fun of the demon for miswording something, and a playful fight lasting afterward. The boy chuckled to himself, then his eyes widening.

Thinking about his old friend reminded him of the hill they used to hang out on. The perfect altitude to sit at, might he add. Now walking with intention, Tubbo smiled at the old memories that were unfolding in his brain.

“Here it is, it feels like it’s been years,” Tubbo spoke softly, arriving at the same hill he and Sapnap used to goof off on ages ago. He smiled contently, plopping down on the grass, and leaned against an oak tree that sat on the hill.

He let his head relax back, enjoying the nice breeze brush through his hair and the convenient shade the oak tree provided for him. The people were right, this is a good place to clear some thoughts up.

Meanwhile, a certain demon was also heading somewhere to relax for the day, wanting a break from all the serious ‘bullshit,’ as he would call it. Sapnap looked up at the tree that rested on his favorite hill and saw a figure under it.

He smiled to himself, recognizing a certain ram hybrid settled underneath the shade of the luscious tree. With a mischievous smirk, Sapnap tip-toed up the hill, avoiding any crinkly leaves or twigs along the way, motivated to startle his old friend.

Oh, how much Sapnap missed being so goofy and carefree. It was honestly a natural instinct to playfully mess with Tubbo, almost like how siblings always try to push each other's buttons. It’s safe to say he saw the boy as a little brother.

“Tubbo!” Sapnap squealed, whipping his head around the tree with a giddy smile. “Sap… Sapnap?! Where did you even come from?!” Tubbo gasped, holding his heart dramatically at the sudden scare.

“From down the hill, you goof.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t, why’re you smiling then?” Sapnap sniggered, earning an eye roll from the ram. “Because you’re annoying, and it’s making me smile because of how annoying you are.”

The demon snorted a laugh. Tubbo really was the sassy boy he always remembered.

The two settled underneath the tree together, just catching up. They really needed it, it was obvious on both sides that they both missed each other dearly.

They missed the playful bickering and fights they’d have over literally nothing, maybe a piece of bread if anything. Tubbo especially missed the warm feeling he got while around Sapnap. Was it the feeling of coziness inside of him, similar to the feeling of home you get when you’re around someone you’re genuinely fond of- or was it just that Sapnap is warm because he’s a literal fire demon? Probably both.

All was content and nice until Sapnap had to bring up a redacted memory, one Tubbo couldn’t think about without a wild blush spreading across his face.

“Hey Tubs, do you remember the tickle fights we used to have? Well, not exactly fights since you never put anything up- Ow!” Sapnap rubbed his shoulder where the boy flicked him, a grumpy but obviously flustered scowl painted on his face.

“Embarrassed, are we? C’mon, it’s not like you’re still that ticklish anymore!”

The embarrassed squeak that left Tubbo really just made all the dignity he had left drain away.

“...Or are you?” Sapnap continued, his curious glance turning into a dark grin. “Hey there- buddy, friend, mate- you d- don’t gotta… gotta do it… actually I think it’s getting late and I should be getting home!” Nervous giggles poured out of the boy, shuffling backward on the grass.

Sapnap just shook his head. “I don’t think you’re going anywhere, Tubbo. Not until I get my answer!~”

Oh shit. A surprised squeal left Tubbo as he was wrestled onto the ground, though the boy was strong as well and fought back. “Oh, actually fighting back, are we?~ Now that’s a change!” Sapnap teased, making Tubbo’s body go limp.

‘Teasing makes him go all jelly, got it.’ Sapnap thought with a snicker, looking down at his friend.

“S- Sapnap… dohoHON’T- SAHAPNAP!” Tubbo barked out a laugh, trying to twist on his side away from the prodding fingers on the right side of his ribcage. “Nuh-uh, you aren’t going anywhere, mister!” Sapnap sniggered as he pushed the boy’s hips on the ground, drilling his thumbs into the bones in the process.

A loud shriek left Tubbo, failing to buck Sapnap off of him. He fell limp against the grass, knowing that he wasn’t gonna get out of the predicament anytime soon. Not that he exactly wanted to, though.

“Remember you can tell me to stop whenever you’d like me to, bud.” The demon’s face softened into a more reassuring look, slowing down his tickles. Tubbo nodded, opening his mouth to speak before being interrupted with another screech.

Sapnap’s fingers found the sides of his lower stomach, massaging his fingers into the soft skin. This seemed to be successful, Sapnap found.

“SAP-HEHEHEHAHA- F- FUHuhuck ohohoff!” He continued to squirm, stomping his hooves in the plush grass behind Sapnap. “D’awww, Tubbo!~ That wasn’t very nice, was it? Maybe I should remind you of my favorite tactic?” Sapnap raised an eyebrow, relishing in the immediate anticipatory high-pitched giggles that emitted from the smaller boy.

“Do you remember? I think you do, champ! I think you remember all the nibbles and raspberries I used to give to your cute lil’ tummy- and oh how bad they tickled!~ Are you excited? I think you areeee, I can hear your tail thumping on the grass!”

Note taken; Sapnap was still as evil as before.

“Y- Yohou’re so mehehean!” Tubbo whined, covering his bright red cheeks, his shirt riding up with his arms raising. “Uh oh, Tubbo… Look what I have here! A perfect snack right in front of me!~” The man cooed, dragging his dull claws over the ram’s belly before leaning down and blowing a big raspberry right beneath his belly button.

“SHIHIHIHIT! N- NOHOT THAHAT!” Tubbo shrieked, arching his back up. “Not this? Alright, your wish is my command, champ! Guess I have no choice but to do this instead…” He chuckled slowly before beginning to gently nibble on Tubbo’s lower belly, moving up the side to nibble near his waist.

Fuck Sapnap and his stupid stubble, and his even dumber fangs.

“SAAAAHAP- NONONONOHOHOHO!” Tubbo pleaded, weakly pushing at Sapnap’s head, but the damn thing didn’t budge even a centimeter. “No? Okay!~” He giggled, going back to plant another raspberry over the side of his belly.

Arching his back again, the ram dug his hooves in the grass to try to ease the sensations at least a little bit, but the ticklish stubble dragging around his tummy kept making him go limp. “F- FUHUCK YOHOU- Y- YOHOU’RE SO BAAAHAD!” Tubbo retaliated, yet again trying to twist away but his hips were only pushed back down onto the grass.

“I think you need a little manners lesson, don’tcha think, Tubso?~ N’awww, don’t pout at me, you know I’ll just have to do… this…” Sapnap huffed in a breath, Tubbo squealing in anticipation, but then silence.

Tubbo relaxed his muscles as the raspberry didn’t happen- never mind. It happened.

“FUHUHUCK- PLEEEHEHEHEASE!” Tubbo’s body went completely jelly, the tickling too much for him to fight back anymore. Sapnap looked up, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You were so bold a few seconds ago, what happened? Hmmm?~ Cat got your tongue, Tubbo? Let’s fix that.” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around Tubbo's waist so he couldn't buck away from his attack.

Raspberry after raspberry, Tubbo knew he couldn’t handle it anymore. “STOHOHAHAHAP! E- ENOHOUGH!” His voice was squeaky and tickled-out, taking deep breaths as he laid down completely limp on the soft grass.

“You alright there, Tubso?”

“Mahahaybe…”

“Here, let me help.” Sapnap smiled, but it was softer this time- way different than the evil grins he was giving while tickling the life out of the poor boy. The demon laid the ram across his lap, gently carding his fingers through his plush hair.

“C- can yohou… keep gohoing? But- gehentle this t- tihime?” Tubbo stuttered out, Sapnap audibly cooing at the sweet boy. “Of course, it would be my pleasure- seeing how evil I was earlier.” He jested, earning an exaggerated noise of agreement from Tubbo.

He snickered, tracing his dull claws in random shapes over the boy’s belly, letting them graze up and down his sides and back down to circle around his hips. The affectionate light tickles were making the tickled-out boy sleepy, as he curled up in the warm demon’s lap and softly snored as sleep swept over him.

“Sleep well, bud. I’ll be here when you wake up. I’ve missed you, y’know that?”

[vslattae]

ALL I COULD EVER WANT

ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴄ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴋᴘᴏᴘ ɪᴅᴏʟ...ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪs ɢʀᴏᴜᴘᴍᴀᴛᴇs ᴘᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ..

ᴀʟʟ ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴠsʟᴀᴛᴛᴀᴇ

Paring: Taehyung x reader

Warnings: angst like a mf (im sorry :( ), mentions of alcohol, fluff ( bc tae cares about y/n) mention of cheating, literally y/n becoming a mess, soft kisses, groping, breast worship, dry humping and yeahhh-

( welp...the first actual smutty chapter..so soon? and this is unedited asf i’m sorry)

chapter 4. Things change..and sometimes it’s nice.

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Once again the you feel the car stop and the light goes on in the car. Opening your eyes you find everyone getting out, jimin wraps you in a blanket with him to fight off the cold.

“ jiminnn it’s so cold why did we stop driving?” you shiver and whine at the same time. “ remember? ryujii needed to get off at the next town so here we are” he said stretching his arms around you attempting to keep you warm. Jungkook finally gets out of the driver seat making his way towards you his sleepy sister and manages to keep you and jimin warm.

Haru and Jin finally emerge out of the car, flashing a wink at you. “ hello sleeping beauty..boy do i have news for you.” she says giggling. Pulling you to the front of namjoons car... “well what is it..?” you looked at her while you yawned.

“ Well first off to start off the drive ryujii was whiney the entire time because tae made her sit up front...and he just kept babbaling about some amazing girl that he likes.” oh that made your heart flutter for sure but as yourself you deny any connection to you and laughed. “ okay good joke...” you scanned her face trying to find out if she was lying or not.

“ y/n...i’m not kidding.” she smiled.. “ but you on the other hand you look like a mess what happened?” she chuckled “ jhope drooled on pants so i have to change them but like i’m surrounded by guys.” she looked down at your pants to find out jhope really did drool on you-

“ come on sleepy bug change in our car..taes in there but he’s passed the fuck out.” she laughed. You hesitatly went into the car poking tae..

“ tae...psttt” you poked his cheek. “ hmm?” he opened his eyes slowly shocked to see you in the car. “ can you hand me a pair of sweats jhope drooled on mine” you pouted. chuckling he nodded “ yeah i can’t find your bag so you can borrow mine only if you come back in here so i can sleep good.” he pulled a pair of his sweats out and handed them to you. “ okay now no peeking.” you scolded him.

pulling the hoodie down to cover your ass, you slid off your jhope drooled sweats and replaced them with taes. “ okay i’m done...” tieing the sweats and slipping your vans back on... “ okay well i have pee y/n so let me get out.” nodding you both hopped out of the car letting tae go to bathroom and joining the others.

“ hobi you drooled on my pants so i had to change.” you whined again. “ oh my i’m sorry y/n...but haha were putting you back into jins car there more room. we were crowded although you were quite a nice pillow” he laughed. Taehyung coming back noticed how much you were shivering so he threw his arms around you so you’d stay warm. Haru and everyone else took note of that smiling there cheesy ass smiles.

“ so where the fuck did ryujii go..?” haru spoke up. “ she went home i guess i don’t fucking know” tae laugh. “ how many hours are we away id much rather sleep in a bed than sleep in a car.” you closed your eyes for a second as taehyung a head fell on your shoulder.

“you look so cute in my pants...” he whispered in a low voice. “ shhh don’t want to kiss you again t.” you whispered back.

“ alright everyone. it’s like 2 hours left let’s get back on the road.” Jimin said. “ jungkook sleep i’ll drive. you get the whole middle seat to yourself” jin said smiling opening the door to let haru in and getting in the driver seat. sitting in the back of the car again with taehyung his hand pooling over your shoulder... “ kiss me again..” he looked at you.

“ tell me about ryujii first than maybe i’ll kiss you again.” you smiled sleepily. “ you’ve met her you know how she is...i found her sleeping hooking up with a guy outside of our apartment.” he said pushing a few strands out of your hair behind your ear.

“ why didn’t you tell me that part?” you pouted at him. “ because you were so busy barking up my ass about flirting with you.” you giggled “ that cannot be true...i don’t always yell at you..” you smiled at him. “ that’s not a true statement either love..now where’s my kiss?” he cooed at you.

“ oh no that’s not how this works...” you layed your head on his shoulder closing your eye lids finally drifting back to sleep. As soon as he knew you were asleep he kissed the crown of your head smiled and fell asleep as well.

꧁꧂

Finally arriving at your vacation home which by now it’s around 6 o’clock in the morning everyone piling there bags into the house and picking out rooms...there was just one teeny problem...stepping into your room that you had just found out tae was in as well there was only one bed. and there was only one person to blame for that. haru.

“ i’m going to take a nap no one please disturb me thank you” you smiled plopping yourself on the bed.

Haru walked in and looked at you. “ hey y/n how about a little bet” she smirked and boy did this cause trouble. “what” you yawned looking at her with half lidded eyes. “so we’re going out and seeing as someone is a little sleepy tae decided to stay here with you...so i’m giving you until the end of the trip to confess for aroundddd i dunno whatever you want me to buy for you” she smiled at you.

“bet easy as pie you know” you giggled back at her. “ alrighty night night princess” she turns off the light and you finally toss over pull your hoodie off and roll over to sleep on your stomach.

About 2 hours later Taehyung comes to check on you..only to find you shirtless...curled up in a ball and lightly tossing and turning..he chuckled and kisses your cheek repeatedly.. “ y/nnn wake up watch a movie with meee” he whines.

“okay okay i’m coming..give me like 2 minutes.” you rubbed your eyes and jumped out of bed. “my goodness you made you so needy tae, i thought i told everyone to not disturb me..” you went into the closet to grab another hoodie. Taehyung noticed how you were still in his sweats, they looked a little baggie on you but you still remained the cutest short girl that he undoubtedly had feelings for.

Running into the living room tae was settled on the couch laying across it, while you came and sat on the floor. About half way into the movie you heard tae whine. “well what’s wrong?” You set your head on the couch peering at him like a little three year old. “I absolutely don’t get this movie it’s tragic.” he starred back at you. “Of course you don’t get it” you laughed throwing your hands to hit his hand lightly.

Taehyungs phone rang, he got up and answered.

“hello?” he looked at you watching the movie in awe as he continued the listening to his phone call.

“what. you still love me?” he walked back and forth.

“listen you know what happened so please don’t try and save yourself...you fucked up.And Do Not, i repeat do not bring her name into this shit thank you but you do indeed still have these so called feelings sort your shit out thank you and goodbye.” he hung up and made his way back to the couch sighing in frustration.

“so that was ryujii i take it?” you turned around to look at him. “No okay don’t worry about it okay?” eyeing him you ask him again.... “then who was it.”

“Didn’t i tell you not worry about...jesus christ y/n can you back off my shit for once?” you paused. What the fuck...frustrated you stood up and walked back into your room “you know tae..for once in my life i tried to be nice and let you in, especially after kissing you for crying out loud, I thought i really actually liked you..but turns out i know your still whipped for that ryujii bitch huh..” You spat that out and closed your room door.

You sank to the floor trying to calm yourself down, half of you wanted to just get up and leave but...you on the other hand had other plans. Getting off the floor you change your clothes into a hoodie and a pair of jeans and walked out of the room.

“y/n where are you going it’s the middle of the god damn day..” he looked at you eyebrow cocked as if he was testing you. “out i’m going for a walk.” you walked out of the house and somehow manage to climb the tree and neared the waters edge. The branch was stable as far you could tell, you just needed to think things out before turning back and slapping taehyung in his god damn perfect face. You didn’t even know how you liked him, you knew him all to well, he was the kind to get drunk on his off days and pull the prettiest girl at the bar while you sat in the apartment along with everyone else managing to block all the whines and crying of the girls he brought over.

Meanwhile in the house taehyung replayed that last part... ‘i thought i actual liked you but your still whipped for that bitch ryujii’ He had to admit that was the harshes you ever gotten with him especially for such a sensitive subject for him..

Returning home everyone came back and haru went to check on you only to find that every room you would have been was empty or filled with everyone else. “where the fuck is y/n” she perched up and asked taehyung. “she went for a walk she yelled at me because of ryujii and left. Jungkook waltz in and noticed that a bottle of soju was missing and he began to frantically search for his you everywhere.

Everyone rushed outside looking for you...

“y/n?!” “where the fuck are you!” jungkook yelled out fearing that maybe a fucked up person actually kidnapped you until he noticed your dangling figure up in a tree, bottle of soju in your hand and it seemed that you were just fine.

“i’m fine jk...expect...i cant get down.” you laughed. “Why on earth are you up there in the first place. you know your afraid of heights jesus.” he worriedly looked up at you trying to figure out why the fuck you were up there in the first place.

“well..” you laughed “i came out here to figure shit out...i just told taehyung that i liked him and he doesn’t even want me jk...he so focused on ryujii so i left the house and came up here because...” you started to sniffle. Yoongi took matters into his own hands climbing up the tree to fetch you off. “jesus y/n...you scared all of us to death no more tree climbing for you okay” he said in a monotone voice to make it seem like he was panicking either.

Once you were safely on the ground jungkook rushed to you and searched for any cuts that tree would have gave you. “i’m fine jk honestly” you handed him the bottle of soju and started stumbling into the house. You spotted haru and she ran up to you. there was a knock on the door...

“I’ll get it” you giggled and wobbled to the front door opening it. There she was..and how the fuck did she know where you guys were. “taehyung it’s for you” you walked back into the room as haru ushered to sit on the counter and watch what happened outside. It seemed like they were arguing...until she kissed him. For the first time you were honestly hurt.. “Shit” haru tried grabbing you before you could open the sliding door to the backyard. Taehyung looked a little taken back...dazed on what the fuck just happened.

“Is there a reason your here or what the fuck are you doing” haru went to look for jungkook before you broke something. “Is there a reason why the fuck you aren’t inside?” ryujii peered at you “I came here to have a nice time with my brother and my family and here you are. It’s like you can never leave ryujii. I honestly don’t know why the fuck you are here.” you spat out at her.

“please tend to your brother and stay out of my shit y/n...god you always ogled over taehyung and now your pissed because of what? Because i’m here?” she scoffed. Now everyone was outside listening to the conversation.

Jungkook finally rushed out to your side. “ you what’s fucked up? You wanna know why i’m pissed ryujii.?” she nodded smiling but soon that smile was gonna disappear in about 0.22 seconds.

“I was there when I saw you kissing that other guy while you were dating taehyung. I’ve kept it to myself for the longest time..he lost his smile because of you hell i was the one that came over in the middle of the night because jk rushed me over because god he was so drunk and was weeping over a stuck up bitch like you. He didn’t do anything but while you sat there and toyed with his heart for no god damn reason ryujii, and here you are back again for no god damn reason. You act like showing here is gonna give you another chance with taehyung but it’s probably never gonna happen. is that hard to figure out he doesn’t want a cheating whore like you.” Your eyes glanced towards taes. and there it was...the eyes half closed trying to forbid the memory. Everyone went silent hearing you ramble on but in the inside jk was screaming along with haru because your actually protecting the ones you love.

“God i’m so touched y/n after all these years you finally got passed the stage of annoyance from taehyung and your actually in love with him aren’t you?” you laughe booming the outside and you had to admit that it was starting to hurt your ears.

“Now to protect you from getting hurt I suggest you to leave now.” Your eyes starting to get a little misty from all the pent up rage that settled in the pit of your stomach. “Oh well...you wanna know something too y/n...while your heart ached for taehyung..i was still the bitch blowing his brains out he even told me how much he missed me...you can pile those feelings down-” Her sentence was cutoff due to taehyung pulling her through the house and kicking her out through the front door followed by you almost punting the chick thank god jungkook had a hand on you because woozy y/n is strong y/n... “please refrain from ever contacting me again ryujii and i mean it and yeah...everything y/n said is correct please stay out of my life and i mean that, goodbye.” he slammed the door in her face and walked into the bathroom.

Haru looked at you. “ god since when is drunk y/n such a bold bitch?” she giggled and pulled you into a hug. “ i’m proud of you especially from refraining to any violence acts you know.” for the first time in a long time you cried...you cried because you could finally let everything go the hiding your feelings and the guilt that built upside you, it felt like the monster that was sucking the life out of you was finally gone. or so you hoped she would never return..

Everyone surrounded you and made sure your okay. “hey goober.” jungkook looked at you. “if this means your fucking tae...gross” he laughed. “ew gross..” you scoffed. “anyways i’m still tired and i’m going to lay down okay..” you smiled at him. “go shower first..we still have a week here before we have to go back to the company i just want to enjoy my time here with you and everyone else okay.?”

༺༻

Around 10 o’clock is when everyone settled down getting ready to go to sleep..tae peered in at your sleeping figure. “you know how hard it was for me to not beat the shit out of your ex girlfriend.” you sat up “you know how long it took you to figure shit out” he laughed a little. “tae i’m sorry about yelling at you-” he cut you off.. “ it’s fine i just wanna take things slow..i’m sorry for being a dick i should have kicked her out when she showed up.” his face inched out closer to yours.. “ i do believe you owe me a kiss still..” his lips ghosting your ever so slightly.

“you want it now or a few more months later.?” you looked up at him admiring his face once again. he layed down next to you rolled over..

“heyyyyy what are you doing” you whined “ giving you a taste of your own medicine” he chuckled. turning over you climb into his lap. You put all your weight on him “stop teasinggg i’ll give your god damn kiss tae-” His lips pressed against yours, you sighed at the feeling him tugging against your bottom lip. “is there any other girls i should worry about orrr” his hands wrapped around your waist. “ will you just shush and enjoy this moment please.” he placed his lips on yours again tongues intertwined as he rocked your hips back and forth on him..

The feeling was erotic...and somehow you never thought that all this time here you were on top of tae doing gods knows what. A tiny whine came from your lips as he pulled your hoodie off to admire your top half of your body.

“beautiful..” he whispered out and there was his boxy smile again. “god your so weird..” you giggled at him as his lips attacked your collarbone pouring down until it reach the valley of your breasts. God this image of you eyes rolled back as his hands dug into your hips to attempt to get you off. Placing one hand on your soft skin he told his mouth and kitten licked your nipple rolling it his mouth back and forth.

“tae” you whined, “come here i just want to get you off you deserve it after all.” he looked up at you gnawing on his bottom lip. Placing you off his lap and pulling you underneath the soft comfort of the blankets, he slid off your shorts. “open your mouth” he told you softly and doing so he placed two fingers in your mouth for lubricant. “sorry to ask this haha but do you want to do this?” smiling and nodding you guided his hands down to your aching core.

Sliding your underwear to the side he came back for another kiss as he lightly pushed his fingers inside. “god your so wet baby..” he huffed out. “your lucky..i- fuck” pulling his face back to you his hand movements sped up whimpering at the pace he was thrusting his fingers into you. “Tell me how it feels baby” he placed his forehead on yours.

“so good...so fucking good” eyes rolling back as the spring in your stomach was about to pop your hand locked on his wrist as you continue to tell him how good it feels. He knew you were close when your whines got a little louder and your need to kiss him so you kept quite.

“let go y/n...it’s okay baby” he murmured in your ear. with a soft whine and your muscles tightening around his fingers, arm tugging at tae hoodie sleeve you relaxed. He slid his fingers out and placed them in his mouth tasting you. “sweet here taste come here” sticking out his tongue you placed it in your mouth and twisted your tongue with his tasting the juices that came from you, it tasted sweeter maybe because of the hint of strawberry’s taehyung ate earlier.

Finally in a sleepy state you pull your pants back on and curled up against tae. “so..you wanna tell me what that was about?” he kissed the top of your head intertwining his fingers with yours. “oh about the whole feeling thing” he nodded pulling you closer. “Hm...Let’s just put it as...i know i’ve been a dick to you only because i know how you are with girls tae, i’m sorry to say this but your kind of a hoe” you chuckle out.

“well that’s a bad way to put it y/n...lucky i don’t think i remember the last guy you dated, until jk knocked him out remember?” he laughed quietly. “ Yeah yeah i know...he was an ass, but anyways back to the topic...i guess you could say i don’t find you annoying all the time.” you gaze into his eyes seeing warmth and happiness that bounced off of him.

“hey i know that plus i know you enjoy my little pick up lines” he whispered slowly closing his eyes. “ your right i do sometimes...just promise me one thing?” you divert your attention to his hand on yours. “hmm?” he hummed out. “i swear to god you find another one of your ex’s gf show up...i swear i’ll kick you out with her so no more okay?” he chuckled sleepily. “as of now my little pipsqueak your the apple of my eye and i don’t think that’ll change anytime soon okay?” nodding your head you closed your eyes and drifted into a deep sleep wondering how this whole thing would go.

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a/n: woooooo the first smutty chapter is done. and tae isn’t that bad i guess but ryujii can suck y/ns toes :) anyways lmk what you think or if you wanna be on the taglist :) ♡︎𑁍

ⓉⒶⒼⓁⒾⓈⓉ:

@hantaev @strawverryxmilktae @serendipitysev

[slashersteve]

No Shame

pairing: Steve Harrington/Female Reader

warnings: there’s sex guys okay omg, oral sex, unprotected sex (wrap it up don’t be like them)

summary: (y/n) sneaks into Steve's room at 2 am, and Steve decides to give her the best night of her life.

note: this is called no shame but why is that all i feel huh answer me im so sorry also this is a series on my archive and my first time actually posting a smut im BORED 

***

While (y/n) considered herself to be spontaneous, Steve would describe it as more of impulsiveness. It was 2 in the morning, 2 in the damn morning , and here she was, tapping onto his window to his bedroom, his bedroom on the second floor of his house. Was this how girls felt when he used to do this? At least he'd ask first, not that he minded that (y/n) was here, as long as she wasn't crawling into some other guy's bedroom, but he would've liked a warning.

Her explanation was as she climbed into his room, very silently, "I was just in the neighborhood." Steve rubbed his tired eyes, laughing sarcastically at her joke. She lived in the house across from his, though he couldn't see it due to the trees, and long drive-way so of course she was in the neighborhood. He decided to just leave the window open, she would be leaving fairly soon and it was actually a pretty cool summer night. (y/n) herself was wearing a pair of jean shorts, and a loose fitted t-shirt that fell slightly over her shoulder. The first thing she did was fall onto Steve's messed up bed, arms and legs spread open as she sighed.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked again, going over to his door to make sure it was locked. Ironically, his parents were home, and if they found him with a girl in his bedroom, he'd get into quite a bit of trouble. It was easy enough to do this kind of stuff when they weren't there, as long as he wasn't caught that is. The other nights she would be here, they weren't home, and they were very closely caught one other time when she'd accidentally fallen asleep naked in his arms.

He remembered being vaguely aware of the opening of his bedroom door, and his mother telling him that they were home before he literally shoved her off of the bed. It wasn't about just keeping him out of trouble, he could handle his parents, but it was (y/n) he was trying to keep out of trouble- well out of the trouble she was almost always in. She had whined loudly, asking what the hell his problem was before realizing herself that his mom was just about to peek in. She had quickly slid underneath his bed and Steve pretended to be barely waking up, covering his body completely and telling his mom, "Good to know!"

Then when she was gone, he could hear (y/n) trying to smother her laughter as he nearly tripped over the sheets just to get the door closed properly and locked.

"That was so fucking close," Steve had said, feeling out of breath from the sudden rush of adrenaline of being caught. (y/n) slid out from under the bed, not even bothering to cover herself up as she stood up, rubbing the back of her head as she replied, "That would've been fun." He had felt really bad for shoving her off the bed like that, but she was in equal distress. She put on all of her clothes when she was climbing out of his window, she blew him a kiss and thanked him for the head-rush.

That was the closest they've ever been caught, and he was afraid that this time- they would most definitely get caught if they decided to do anything. The reason he was trying to keep her out of trouble was because her parents were much more strict than his were, as in they would keep her locked in her room for the rest of high school had they known she was sneaking around with Steve Harrington. They trusted him a lot, he'd been Little Steve, the boy next door who would occasionally help out with their yard for a little extra spending money, for as long as they knew him. He was pretty sure that if they knew their daughter who would bring him pink lemonade, and sandwiches in those times would end up in a very so and so relationship in the future with him they would've probably moved out of Hawkins and pretended they never knew any family by the name of Harrington. Dear god, they could never know.

(y/n) sat up, leaning back onto her elbows and tilting her head when she met Steve's gaze, "Oh come on, you know you're excited to see me." The tone in voice was teasing, making Steve shift in his spot by the door, "I was laying in bed, and just got so very, very bored. Then I started to think- what do I like to do for fun? And well- here I am." She gestured to the whole room, as much as Steve wanted to go over and do exactly what she wanted him to do, he stayed still, arms crossed and gazing at her. She wiggled her eyebrows, he rolled his eyes.

"No way, not tonight, my parents are home," Steve said, it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Oh please- you definitely know how to show a girl a good time either way- I heard the tales of the infamous King Steve, fucking girls when their parents are just down the hall," she sat up now, crossing her bottom legs together. While that was all true, very true, and not something he'd put on the skills section of his resume, but nevertheless a skill, he still was against this completely.

"I get caught (y/n), it's whatever, I will survive. You? Your parents will lock you in your room until graduation," Steve tried to explain. (y/n) groaned, throwing her head forward. She looked up at him now, and for a moment Steve thought that she was going to understand, get up, and climb out that window. It sure looked like that's what she was doing as he watched her stand up and go towards the window. He really should've known better though, when she suddenly was removing her t-shirt, and then her shorts. Steve felt his boxer shorts tighten just a little, it was just a natural reaction when it came to her by now.

(y/n) wasn't an idiot, she knew exactly what to do to get Steve going, she even wore his favorite panties of hers. She pretended that this night was one of her spontaneous urges, but really she had been planning this for a few days now. She hadn't seen Steve since his parents got home from their trip, and she'd been so incredibly hot and bothered without his touch. The hot make-out sessions behind the gym just weren't cutting for her, she had to get Steve's hands on her, feel his lips on every part of her body, feel him fill her up inside.

When this started at the start of the summer, she admitted she felt a bit pathetic and needy, practically begging Steve to touch her, to literally do anything when she was over for a get together with her parents and his. They left them there to go out for lunch together, thinking nothing would ever happen between Steve and (y/n). It was really their fault for believing that. (y/n) remembered the day as if it was yesterday, she was wearing her new one-piece polka dotted black bathing suit, lounging by the pool, Steve was in the water then, wearing nothing but a pair of bright red swimming shorts and she couldn't take her eyes off of the guy. Even when he saw her looking, she didn't even show a bit of shame. She felt dirty, inside and out, for looking at a boy, for thirsting after a boy she'd known since Elementary school. But the rush made it all the more better.

Maybe it was because she was hearing stories about her childhood friend Steve around high school, about how many girls he'd left satisfied, how many girls who wished to have another night with him, girls saying the real reason he was King Steve was because of how fucking good he was in the sack. Things that if her parents knew they would severe all ties with the Harrington's altogether just to keep their daughter away from some fiend like their son. (y/n) was a virgin then, and these rumors spiked her interest entirely, made her feel things that she was sure was super wrong. Growing up with her mother who was very, very against premarital sex, or honestly relationships before 18 or even 30, she wasn't allowed to explore herself or her sexuality at all. That if she'd thought of anything dirty, even if it was just holding a boy or girl's hand, it meant she was doing something wrong. But that's exactly what made (y/n) so very, very excited. It's what made her make the choice she made that day, and every choice after that.

She would say that was one of her spontaneous, out of the blue moments, but like right now, that just was not true, she had been dying for a moment like that for weeks now. And what a moment that was, it was written in the damn stars when she watched him get out the pool, trunks sticking to his skin, shaping his thighs and then some. He was soaking wet, skin glistening underneath the hot sun, she couldn't help it when her teeth went over her lips. When his eyes had met hers, she thought she would've died of embarrassment, but no. It was something she wanted, she didn't care if he declined her and their friendship was ruined for the rest of their lives, at least she gave it a shot.

Steve had been surprised by her behavior, not expecting her out of all people to behave in such a way. She was practically eye-fucking him, and while he initially thought it made him uncomfortable- he realized it was quite the opposite. The way she looked laying there, chest heaving up and down slightly, bare legs glowing under the sun, and the way her bathing suit hugged her body(which he noticed before but pushed the thoughts away quickly).

Maybe it was a spontaneous moment for him. Because she got up, and walked towards him, and he didn't even hesitate to kiss her when she was close enough. Then they kissed some more, and then they were suddenly inside the pool shed. It was there, when his swim trunks were around his ankles, the top of her suit was pushed down, his hands in between her legs, did Steve gain control of himself, realizing what he was doing, realizing and remembering who this was panting and desperately grinding herself against his fingers.

"Shit- fuck - what are we doing?" he had asked, (y/n) was in too much of euphoria feeling his hands on her most vulnerable spot to even answer him properly, her words coming out as just a whine. She didn't even think about the fact that she was about to lose her virginity to Steve Harrington in a pool-shed, a pool-shed of all places, not until Steve had told her. She always thought she'd lose it on her wedding night, if that ever even came, or she could wait that long, because after getting a taste of it- if Steve wouldn't do this, then she thought she'd definitely want to find someone else who would.

"Fuck- Steve- please," she nearly begged, looking up at him with wide eyes, "I want this, fuck I want this so bad." Those words made Steve's dick twitch, and he had to bite his inner cheek to stop himself from groaning, "Just one time, okay, one time, and we don't- we don't have to do anything again or talk about it again. Just please just- just fuck me." The words that came out of her lips was something he'd never imagine coming out of there, and something he never imagined would've turned him on so much.

So, he did just that, pulling his fingers out of her wetness to pull down her entire bathing suit, stroking himself a few times before lifting her body up and pushing her against the wall, aligning himself with her entrance. (y/n) was in ecstasy at this point, not even caring that her parents could freely just walk into the backyard, coming back early from their lunch with Steve's parents and hear her very loud moans. She would endure the prison cell her room would be and the loss of contact because at the moment, it was worth it- especially he pushed himself slowly into her, until he filled her up completely. Steve loved how she felt against him, how tight she was around him, the feeling of her nails digging into his back, legs wrapped perfectly around him as he slowly started to push in and out of her, the pool shed full of the sound of theirs moans and grunts, and the way she was screaming his name. He loved that, a lot . And when it was over, they both knew that this definitely wasn't going to be the last time.

And it wasn't.

Because 2 months later, here they were standing in his bedroom at two in the fucking morning with his parents sleeping soundly in their bedroom just down the hall. (y/n) stood in front of him in just her underwear, breasts out in the open for his hungry eyes to see underneath the dim light of his bedside lamp he'd switched on the moment he heard her tapping on his window. She was smiling at him, that same teasing smile that he almost took as a taunt. Like she was saying 'I'm standing here, with just my panties on in the middle of your bedroom. What are you going to do about it huh?' Steve could think of a million ways he could do something about that. Just the thought was making his dick harden in his boxer shorts, and he thought well she did come all this way .

When he finally spoke, his voices were a view octaves lower that only made (y/n) become excited, "You always get your way don't you?"

(y/n) grinned like a cat now, and shrugged, "You make it so easy."

He let out a breath through his nose, tearing his eyes away from her a second, but that was just to double check if the door was locked. When the doorknob didn't budge when he tried to turn it, he turned back to her, his eyes becoming darker with desire and need. He walked towards her, grabbing her hips and pulling her body tightly against his as she giggled. With his face dangerously close to hers, he said, "I'll fuck you, but you have to be quiet."

The way he said it made her body shiver all over, so much that Steve even felt it, a smirk resting on his lips as he saw how even more excited she'd become.

"I can do that," she said in a whisper. He raised a brow, wanting to believe that she could but he knew she honestly probably couldn't. That was okay though, he knew exactly what to do about that, he'd done this before many times with girls that weren't her, not in a while of course ever since the relationship started- but Steve still knew what to do. He thought perhaps that's why she was so excited, she admitted to him when they were getting busy in the backseat of his car that she heard all about his sexual escapades from certain girls at school, and how that ignited her to start this with him. She was excited because this was something out of those moments, except for him it would be it was his own parents home and not the girl's. He licked his lips. Knowing he wanted to make this extra good for her.

He leaned down, kissing her. In moments like this, their kisses were always quick and messy, he was the much more experienced one between the two of them, so he always set the pace for their kisses, which were usually nothing but ferocious and wet. This time, his kiss was well- gentle. And it was a surprise, a very pleasant one. One hand had moved from her waist all the way up her and then to behind her head as he kissed her, pushing his tongue between her parted lips and tasting her completely. She'd never been kissed like this by him before, expecting a quick fuck then her hopping her happy, satisfied ass out the window and back to her own room. It was different, and she liked it.

Steve didn't notice that he was kissing her differently, the idea in his mind was only 'make this the best night of her life with him' doing what he just thought was right, and boy was it a good choice because it was making (y/n) extremely weak in the knees as his tongue moved around her mouth, clashing with hers, his fingers tightening ever so slightly on the back of her head. She let out a soft moan, especially when the hand on her waist moved down to her ass, giving it a squeeze. That was when the kiss started to turn into what she was used to, her hands moving up to grip his shoulders, biting down onto his lower lip making him practically growl. The sound made her squeeze her legs together feeling the wetness that was already there.

He pushed her backwards towards his bed, and she fell softly onto the messed up covers, looking at him with dilated pupils. Steve ran his tongue across his bottom lip as his eyes shamelessly swept across her breast, then downwards at her panties, biting his lip. She whines underneath him, making him look back at her and smirk while he shook his head.

"You have to be quiet," he said again, "If you don't- I'll just have to stop here..." he let both of his hands grip her breasts, making her breath hitch and her upper body lift up slightly, "And send you home. I'm pretty sure you don't want to have to go home when you're this wet right?" His knee now pressed against her, feeling her wetness soak through her panties onto his knee. (y/n) gasped, locking legs around his knee as he applied more pressure.

"Oh shut up-" she said, voice cracking slightly as she rocked against his knee, "You like it when I'm loud."

And that was true, so very true, and he had no problem in admitting that, especially when it was his name that was being called out from her lips, his name because he was making her feel too good. But tonight, Steve found it as a challenge for her and himself, to keep her quiet so his parents won't wake up, thus ending this entire relationship altogether. She was never one to comply though, Steve knew that for a fact, he wasn't lying when he said she always got her way, but not tonight she would. He would keep her quiet, but he wanted to play with her a bit before that, let her believe that he'd let her do what she wants.

Massaging her left breast, he latched his lips onto her right, swirling his tongue around the peaked bud and keeping his eyes trained at the bottom of her face as she shamelessly let out moans and gasps, grinding against his knee to find any sort of relief. Just as Steve thought, she wasn't keeping quiet. He moved his lips off of her, trailing kiss up the side of her neck, then forcing his lips against her, drowning out her soft sighs and moans. Her hand moved, grabbing his erection and he hissed into her lips, she started to try to put her hands into his boxers, but he stopped her, pressing his knee tighter against her. She hummed quite loudly, and he laughed.

Steve began to kiss down her body again, this time going between her breasts, and over her stomach when he met the waistband of her panties, she was squirming knowing what was coming next. His hands gently began to pull down her underwear, revealing her aching heat to him. He gazed up at her, she was on her elbows again, looking down at him with an almost pained look. Steve knew at that moment that this wasn't a spontaneous moment of hers, she missed him as much he missed her, the look in her eyes was telling him that. He licked her lips, keeping his eyes on her as he pressed an open mouthed kiss on her left inner thigh, feeling how hot her skin was.

(y/n) was quickly becoming a mess, watching him intently as she let out her soft whines of his name. Steve didn't tear his eyes away from her as his kisses inched closer to where she wanted his mouth the most, when he was just about to reach there, her legs practically shaking- his eyebrows wiggled as he switched to the other.

"Oh for the love of god," she said, not using her indoor voice, falling back onto the bed. Steve laughed against her thigh, his hot breath tickling her, sending another rush of pleasure through her, "Steve- come on- come on."

"Be quiet," he told her firmly, hooking his arms underneath her thighs.

"How can I when you're being such a fucking tease?" she was annoyed, but she was also quite enjoying this, enjoying the buildup, enjoying the attention he was giving to her pleasure, but if he didn't do anything soon she was going to shove him off and make herself come. Oh but she didn't want to do that- she didn't come here to do something she could do herself. The wait would be worth it, worth it completely.

His mouth was on her almost a second after that, licking a long stripe between her folds, making her squeak out of surprise and pleasure, lifting the bottom part of her body upwards. His arms held her in place, before he buried his mouth in her cunt. She didn't stop the moan from her lips, falling backwards onto the bed and gripping his bed sheets.

"Oh fuck Steve, you always do such a-" she started to speak, but suddenly one of his hands was removed from her legs and his mouth was off of her, he practically glared at her before he reached upwards, holding up her discarded panties, and shoving it into her mouth. Her words were muffled, and she coughed questionably- wondering what the fuck Steve just stuck in her mouth, but before she could even attempt to ask- his mouth was back on her, and she literally could care less about what was gagging her. His tongue delved inside of her, nose rubbing against her clit sending waves up pleasure on her body.

She was quiet, well quieter. Her moans being muffled by the fabric stuffed in between her lips, biting down on it as she squirmed and closed her eyes.

Steve kept his eyes on her, seeing the dark pink lace fabric between her lips moving slightly as she whimpered. Steve sucked onto her folds, groaning at the taste he could never get enough of.

"That shut you up finally," he said against her sex, voice deeper and hoarser, "You taste so fucking good, can't get enough of this-" She answered that by grabbing his head, entangling her hands into his messy brown hair, begging him to continue eating her out. He complied, practically began to tongue fuck her, then suck on her clit as she started to shake underneath him. Biting down on the fabric, he could hear her muffled voice say "Steve!"

Even with that gag, she was still so fucking loud and he loved it.

He could tell she was close, attempting to get out of his grip in order to tighten her legs around him, but he kept her in place, sucking shamelessly on her clit that sent her into a frenzy, moving her body the best she could to grind against his face. Honestly, he was surprised his parents hadn't come banging on his bedroom door yet- asking him what the fuck was going on there. That would really kill the mood, but her muffled moans that were still quite loud were music to his ears, especially when she finally did come. He was lapping at her cunt, tasting every inch of her with his tongue when she gripped his hair a little too tightly folded upwards, feeling that pleasure suddenly burst- coursing through her entire body, he groaned desperately against her lips as he tasted her cum- lapping at her cum like a man deprived of it as she trembled beneath him.

When the grip she had on his hair loosened, Steve removed his lips from her. She just laid there, body almost limp, her chest heaving up and down. He looked completely sexy and erotic to her right now, his hair disheveled, pink lips plump and wet, chin wet with her release, then he ran his tongue over his lips. (y/n) whimpered at that, and Steve wiped his mouth and chin with the back of his hand. The sight of her before him was interesting, laying there coming down from her orgasm, dark pink panties sticking out of her mouth, a sheen of sweat glistened all over her. The room stunk of sex, and sweat- even if his parents knocked on his door asking what all the ruckus was and he threw her off of the bed like that other morning- they'd just know. Steve groaned, applying pressure to his ignored erection in the mattress when his eyes met her wet cunt again.

(y/n) got a hold of herself, that mind blowing orgasm made her not move for just a damn minute. Steve had eaten her out a number of times, but he'd never made her come that hard before, and when she saw him grinding not so discreetly against the mattress- she felt another rush of desire before her. Forgetting about the panties in her mouth, in fact not even caring all that much, she grabbed Steve by his shoulders, pulling him upwards on top of her.

She used her feet to push down his boxers, and Steve quickly removed them himself, pushing himself inside of her all at once using the wetness from her release. A curse word slipping from his lips when he was completely inside of her heat. She drawled out a long, suppressed moan against his ear, his head fell in the crook of her neck, placing a wet kiss there.

"Fuck I love the way you feel, always so fucking wet and tight," he said against her skin, kissing her in the same spot again. She replied with a hum, nuzzling her face into his hair, her hands were snaked around his arms, hands pressed against his shoulder blades, her legs wrapped tightly around him, encouraging him to move against her. He began to move, sliding in and out of her in quick thrusts, she pressed her face now into his hair, and he began to muffle his own fairly loud groans against her skin, biting ever so often, knowing that just might leave a mark.

Drunk on his passion, Steve started to pick up the pace, the sound of both of their skin slapping against each other and the bed creaking echoing in both of their ears along with her suppressed moans, and phrases that sounded very much like 'Yes Steve! Yes fuck me Steve!' He'd had enough of that stupid gag, leaning upwards finally to pull it out of her mouth, not giving a fuck if they were caught. He would lie, he would say it was someone else, he didn't care.

At an instant, (y/n) cried out his name, "Steve!" He started to fuck her harder, growling as he pounded shamelessly in and out of her, pushing her legs apart in order to push deeper inside of her. That made (y/n) literally scream his name that prompted Steve to kiss her, drowning out that scream. (y/n) kissed him ravenously, tasting herself on his lips and tongue. She came again, it came quick and made her choke on his tongue and Steve wasn't very far behind.

He let out a rough whine, feeling his own orgasm coming fast. He pulled out of (y/n) just as he came, hands viciously jacking himself off as he dirtied her up with his cum. It fell heavy and hot on her thighs and part of her stomach. His entire body was a flushed pink color as he panted, lips open, and eyebrows furrowed. He stopped his movements, falling forward on top of her, feeling his own cum against him and not caring, resting his head against her rising chest.

(y/n) let out a very loud satisfied sigh, and he felt her hands gently kneed themselves through his hair, making him look up at her, she moved some of his hair out of his face, and she grinned, "That was fucking amazing." Steve didn't want to toot his own horn, but yeah that was pretty fucking great. Plus, he enjoyed feeling her hands massage his scalp slightly, relishing in the moment before she'd have to get up and get herself cleaned up and go out her window. It had always been this between them since those two months, and at this point, Steve didn't know what this relationship was and didn't care, it was fun especially with her. He hadn't been with another girl since then, haven't even thought about it. Why would he go off with some other girl when the perfect one was right here running her hands through his hair after a good fucking?

He wouldn't realize until much later that he'd let her do practically anything, if she asked him to rob a bank he wouldn't even hesitate, as long as she let him kiss her until neither of them could breath anymore. Hell, she could end this tomorrow and run off with some other guy, and there wouldn't be a damn thing he could do about it but cherish the moments between them.

(y/n) couldn't go just yet, he just fucked her into next week- how the hell is she going to be able to climb out the window with these wobbly ass legs? But it had to be done, if she laid here with Steve laying on her like this she might fall asleep in his arms, which she didn't actually mind, but it was too risky. Like this wasn't, she thought amusingly. She moved to sit up and Steve reluctantly got off of her with a whine. He slid on his discarded boxers, going over the bathroom to get a wet towel to help clean her and him off. That was when (y/n) sat up, her hand touching the wet object that Steve had stuck in her mouth in an attempt to keep her quiet. She picked up the very familiar cloth, and couldn't stop the laugh that came out of her mouth.

"Oh fuck you Steve," she said just as he walked back into his bedroom, the light from the bathroom shining on her sitting there holding her underwear in one hand and giving him an amused look. Steve smirked and shrugged.

"Had to find some way to shut you up," he replied, starting to wipe her inner thighs and stomach. She laid back, looking at her panties and laughed.

"My own panties, you're so kinky Harrington," she wiggled her eyebrows, making him roll his eyes thinking for a moment that this was the girl who literally was too scared to say a curse word as a middle school to saying crude things like that.

"It's not a kink, any cloth would've done," he said, (y/n) scoffed not believing that for a second.

"Yeah right- I saw the way you were looking at it in my mouth." Then again, she didn't know what even was in her mouth and she hated to admit it- but that's kind of fucking hot.

"It might be just a little bit of a kink," he said rubbing the back of his neck almost embarrassed, (y/n) hummed.

"Thought so."

Steve leaned over her, their noses almost touching and he said in a gruff voice, "But I much prefer hearing you scream my name, instead of those muffled ones you were giving me. You just wouldn't be quiet." (y/n) nipped at his lips, and when he tried to kiss her, she dodged him by shoving him off and rolling off of the bed, knowing if they started something again she'd never leave. She could stay until the morning like last time, but the idea of sleeping in too late and waking up to knocking her head against the floor wasn't so appealing. He watched as he put on her shirt, then slid on her shorts. Steve raised a brow and grabbed the panties she tossed aside.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" (y/n) looked at him, then the panties, then back at him and shook her head. Steve gripped them between his hands and she said, "Keep them Harrington, I'll be back for them tomorrow night so we might just need them." Steve's eyes darkened slightly, and she shot him a wink as she climbed out the window. Steve watched her carefully climb onto the room, then slide off of the side of it, landing onto the lawn chair she set there, her sandals set down neatly at the side.

When she was on the ground, picking up her sandals, she looked up at Steve and waved at him as if it was just a visit between two best friends. Steve stupidly waved back, and she turned around, walking past the pool silently, hips swaying just a little bit more than usual. Steve watched her until she disappeared behind the back gate, and when she was gone, he looked down at her panties, still wet with her own saliva. He felt his dick twitch in his boxers, dammit.

He shoved them into his side dresser, and looked at his messed up bed, seeing wet spots where her thighs once were, and he removed the sheet, shoving it into his hamper. He'd have to get up early to wash his sheets, because if he didn't her scent would be all over it and he'd never get some decent amount of sleep. Well, he guessed that didn't matter- because she was coming back tomorrow night, which from the events of this night-  he wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway.

And damn he couldn't wait.

[overheardatthecontinental]

Kinktober Day 19: Vampire

If Helen was being truthful, which she often tried to be, her new neighbor was… odd. 

For starters, she had never seen him move in. One night, she went to bed and she swore the house was empty but when she woke up and opened her curtains, she could see furniture inside.

He was a night owl in the truest sense of the word. She couldn't remember ever seeing him before the moon rose but he was nowhere to be seen in the morning before work. Even on the weekends, there was no evidence that anyone was in the house save his parked car in the driveway.

After two days, the house was under construction. Every single window was replaced with tinted windows and soon she cannot see into his house. Not that she was spying. Not at all. She was just curious.

Another thing was that damn car. She looked it up and it cost as much as her little house.

That, factored in with the cost of installing tinted windows, he had to have money. Plenty of it. So why was he living in a small cottage in the suburbs?

It takes a week before she actually catches sight of him.

He is tall and dark and handsome and familiar. She knows him, vaguely.

Often, she sees him at the bar she tends in the evening. He’s a bourbon drinker and a fantastic tipper. Quiet though. Most people who drink at the bar come to have someone to talk to. They crave the ear of anyone who will listen, otherwise they’d drink at home.

Not John, though. 

He didn’t even talk to order his drink anymore. She’d see him and pour him the bourbon and he’d murmur a quiet thanks. Often, she didn’t even see him leave. He stayed till just before closing and then he’d disappear into the night.

A few times, she’s seen him standing out near the alley. Always alone.

She waves from her porch and John walks over. 

"Helen." He greets, "how are you?"

"Im well, John. I guess we’re neighbors now."

He lips quirked up in a smile, "Couldn't stand living in the city any longer.”

But knowing who her neighbor was did not make him any less strange.

Yes, John was always polite but it didn’t take away from the strange feeling she always got when she was near. Even at the bar, she got the feeling that she should be wary around the handsome man. The hairs on her neck would stand on end almost in warning.

But it seemed so silly to be nervous. 

She blamed it on the attraction. 

John was a gorgeous guy and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt another’s lips on hers, let alone anywhere else.

Soon, she started seeing him out and around in the neighborhood. It wasn’t all that strange. Of course he would habit the same grocery stores and pharmacies that she did. But she noticed that the grocery cart was nearly always empty. He’d buy a pack of beer or paper plates and the like, but never once did she see him buying food.

He had to eat, she told herself. No man with a physique like that got away without eating.

She saw him at the park, as she walked home from the subway. Again, standing by a tree, not doing anything. He didn’t even have his phone out. He would just stand there, staring into the darkness.

Weird, but not wrong. Certainly not illegal.

He offered her a ride home, one night when it was raining. The subway wasn’t terribly far but the walk from the station to her house was long enough to get her soaked. She accepted, ignoring the hair on her neck and the feeling in her stomach and every other warning her body gave her.

"How long have you worked here?" John asks as they climb into the car.

"Eight years or so? I teach second grade during the day but teaching pays shit and I needed extra money to pay for supplies for my class. And I found I enjoyed tending bar." She buckles and looks over at him, "it's a bit of a hole in the wall. How did you find it?"

His lips twitch, "I used to spend some time there back in the day."

It's Helen's turn to smirk, "you make it sound like you're so old."

"I'm older than I look."

She looks him over, not that she hasn't a hundred times before, whenever he is looking away. He's fucking gorgeous. If she had to guess, she'd place him in his late thirties. Maybe early forties, but only because he had the look in his eyes of someone who had been through a lot. 

In truth, she knows nothing about him but his address and his favored drink.

“You know,” she says as they pull out of the parking lot, “I don't think I have ever asked,  what do you do for a living?”

“Not sure I'd call it a living.” John says and that smirk just grows, “I’m a bit… nomadic. I tend not to stay in one place for too long so I do a lot of independent contracting. A lot of investing.”

It doesn’t feel like a real answer, Helen notes. He’s said a bit but he hasn’t really told her anything and that throws her for a loop. What is he hiding?

But that isn’t the right question to ask aloud so she settles on, “Where else have you lived?”

“I was born in Belarus.”

And again, she is thrown.

He has no distinguishing accent. Nothing that indicates he is from anywhere but the United States. It’s not that uncommon in New York to find people from all over but still…

“I’ve lived in Italy. Mexico. China. Spain. Russia. Canada. France. Most recently, I was in Reykjavik but I always end up coming back to New York.”

Again, her mind is blown. Utterly and completely. And he’s tossing out this information like it’s nothing and it’s completely overwhelming.

She glances out her window, watching the streets go by. She watches a raindrop race down the window as she tries to process all that. She sees herself in the reflection and is utterly underwhelmed.

She’s boring. A school teacher by day, a bartender by night.

She isn’t unattractive but she’s a dime a dozen.

She’s never left the country, not even to go up to Canada.

And she’s sitting next to this quiet man who has seen the fucking world.

She looks past herself in the reflection and her heart skips a beat. She looks for John but cannot see him. She can see herself. In the back, she can see the reflection of the steering wheel, seemingly turning of its own accord. She can see the street behind them but she cannot see John.

She looks over, sharply, and sure enough, he is there. Driving.

Helen settles back into her seat, wondering anew if he can hear her heart racing.

Or if she’s being crazy.

Because she can see the other window. She can see the reflection of herself and of the lights passing by but she sees herself almost as if John isn’t there.

She looks at him and he glances over, almost to unassuming.

Helen swallows and sits back in her seat. “It must be hard.” She says, “Moving to countries where you don’t speak the language.”

“I speak them,” John says.

“Which?”

“All of them. I make it a point to learn the language of everywhere I’ve ever lived.”

“So you speak Russian and Chinese and French and Spanish?”

“Among others.” His words sound like a taunt. They feel like a taunt, although they’re not belittling. Like he’s challenging her. 

Helen can barely breathe.

No. 

She was being crazy. She’d had far too little sleep.

John had a reflection, she just couldn’t see it because she was exhausted.

And there was a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why his house and car had tinted windows and why she had never once seen him during the day.

She had to be exhausted to even be considering…

They pull into John’s driveway and Helen quickly thanks him for the ride before she rushes, nearly running, to her house. She closes the door behind her. And locks it. And the windows. Even the ones she normally leaves open on the second floor, she locks.

And maybe she’s being paranoid but she can’t help it when she sits at her computer and types “vampire” into Google.

She’s being paranoid.

At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.

.

She stays up half the night researching a mythological creature.

And when she passes out at her computer, she dreams of John in old-fashioned garb. In old cities with cobblestones lining each street.

She dreams of John kissing her, intimately, in an empty hall. His head is buried under layers of fabric, between her thighs driving her utterly wild before she quakes around him. Only then does he move, and only inches, to where his teeth sink into her thigh.

She wakes up in her bed, alone, and gasping for air. 

It felt so real, she checks her thigh for marks and finds none.

In the fresh light of day, she shakes it off. She acknowledges that she was being ridiculous to even consider the possibility that John was a vampire.

Its utterly ridiculous.

But he's not coming out of his house.

She tells herself she's making the cookies as a thank you and not to try to get John out of his house during the daylight. In reality, its both.

They're chocolate chip, because who doesn't like chocolate chip?

She waits for them to cool before stacking them neatly on a plate and covering it with wrap.

He’s home. His car is in the driveway. It’s parked where he let her out last night so she’s fairly certain he hasn’t left since they arrived.

This is ridiculous she thinks again. She’s analyzing his every fucking move and John, for all his weirdness, has never been anything but kind to her. And here she is, acting like he has something to hide just because he’s eccentric.

Another part of her argues that this is just a thank you for said kindness. For saving her getting soaked on her commute. For that unending kindness.

She knocks on the door and waits.

Nothing.

She knocks again and listens intently. It doesn’t sound like anyone is coming.

Because the sun is out.

Or because he’s sleeping.

She tries one last time before she gives up and leaves the cookies on the porch, walking away feeling a bit defeated.

If he had come to the door, she could have assured herself she was being crazy.

But he hadn’t, so now she was feeling paranoid.

She took out a legal pad in her kitchen and sat down.

Side by side she wrote the most ridiculous list she’s ever even considered in her life.

Proof John’s a Vampire:

He’s from fucking Belarus

He spoke way too many languages for any person who lived a human lifespan to pick up. (Or he’s just wicked smart… Or lying?)

Hot as fuck

He doesn’t live in one place for too long (cuz people will notice he doesn’t age!!!!)

He says he’s older than he looks

Says he used to hang out at the bar but I’ve never seen the owner or any of the other bartenders talk to him

I’ve never seen him during the day

TINTED FUCKING WINDOWS. No normal person needs fucking tinted windows

Wealthy but won’t say what he does for a job?

Never seen him eat

Helen banged her head into the table.

Fucking ridiculous.

She was definitely losing her mind. And figuring out whether or not her neighbor was a vampire was not how she wanted to spend her day off, so she left the pad in the kitchen and went to read on the couch. 

Helen relaxed, reveling in the freedom of actually having a day to herself. She did her best to enjoy the time and not think about her attractive, weirdo neighbor.

She made dinner for herself and ate watching the news. When she was finished, she poured a glass of wine and relaxed back to some rerun of a cooking show she hadn’t seen before.

And then there was a knock on the door.

She checks her watch. It’s nearly eight and she certainly doesn’t have friends who would come over this late without sending a text.

Helen climbs to her feet, heart already racing because, of course, it’s after sunset.

Maybe he’s just doing this to fuck with her.

Maybe he’s just been lying and teasing and trying to get into her head like some sort of psycho. That had to be more realistic than the truth, she thinks as she goes over to the door.

She peers out of the look-see and sure enough, John is on her porch.

Does he just wake up and throw on a three-piece? She wonders, opening the door. Granted, he’s technically missing his suit jacket but who wears a dress shirt and a suit vest on a Sunday night? 

“John.”

“I wanted to say thank you for the cookies.”

“You’re very welcome. I hope you enjoyed them.”

The corner of his mouth twists, “Absolutely delicious.” John pauses, “May I come in?”

She feels her eyes widen and hopes that he doesn’t notice but he just fucking asked permission to come inside? That was a thing, right? That vampires need permission to enter houses?

He blinks innocently but it doesn’t feel at all innocent.

“Is everything alright?” John asks, “You look a little… flushed.”

She’s being ridiculous.

Helen shakes her head because John is not a vampire but she might be losing her mind. Maybe she needs to check herself in somewhere... “Of course. Come in.”

John steps through the door and the paranoid part of her wonders if she’s just made a terrible mistake.

John looks around and Helen wonders how she never realized how big John is. He’s tall and, without the jacket, she can see proof muscles on his arms that she had never noticed before.

“You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I truly appreciate the cookies and you thinking of me. You’re very kind.”

“No, thank you. I’ve made that walk in the rain before and it sucks.”

“I was happy to do it. In fact, I’m at the bar most nights. I’m more than happy to stay and give you a ride home on a regular basis.”

“I couldn’t impose.” And you kind of scare the hell out of me, “Can I offer you a drink? I have water, juice, and wine?”

“Wine, if you don’t mind. And it’s no imposition. Like I said, I’m there anyway. And we are neighbors, after all.”

Helen offers a small smile as she turns towards the kitchen.

His words seem nearly laced with honey and it both excites her and kind of disturbs her.

Everything about John, vampire aside, screams dangerous.

And she’s invited him into her home and he’s almost a bit too kind. She doesn’t know what to do with that and it feels like her brain is fighting itself about John.

The logical part of her is telling her to calm the fuck down because John has been nothing but kind. The paranoid part of her is screaming VAMPIRE VAMPIRE VAMPIRE. The primal part of her seems torn between telling her to run as far and as fast as she can because John is dangerous and tearing that stupid suit off of him and jumping him then and there.

Instead, she manages to ask, “What kind of wine do you like?”

“I prefer red.” And it’s such a simple statement but his words tumble out like a taunt that just sets her on edge even more.

Helen goes to the cabinet and pulls down a glass of wine, hands shaking ever so slightly.

She has an open bottle of pinot noir in the fridge and she pours the wine as carefully as she can. It sloshes a bit over the edge and she wipes it with a dishtowel, feeling her cheeks burn even more at the small spillage.

She turns to hand John the glass and nearly drops it at the full-on smirk that graces his stupidly attractive face. She left out the list and John is reading it.

“Hot as fuck, huh?”

And it seems impossible, but her face feels worse than when she has a fever. She’s certain she must be red all over and she has absolutely nothing to stay to it because what can she say? 

I know it’s ridiculous but I thought you were a vampire?

John steps closer, leaving the legal pad behind and he takes the glass from her hand and sets it on the counter behind her. With his other hand, he reaches for her chin and tilts her head up just a bit, forcing her to look into his eyes. 

He whispers, “You really are fucking clever.”

Her eyes widen at the implication because no. No. She was definitely wrong and John was definitely messing with her but he smiles. He really smiles, not just a smirk. He bares his teeth and Helen swallows at the sight of long incisors. 

Fuck.

“You should have trusted your instincts.”

He steps closer and Helen, as a result, steps back and finds herself completely enclosed. She is pressed against the counter, completely enclosed in one of his arms while the other trails down her neck.

She can’t run. She sure as hell doesn’t stand a chance if she tries to fight him. 

“Are you going to kill me?”

John tilts her head upward, “And why,” He bends his own head down, brushing his lips against hers but not kissing her, “would I even think to destroy such a jewel?”

His arm around her tightens and she is hoisted off the ground and into the air. Instinctively, she throws her arms around her neck to keep balanced and John smirks at her, almost victoriously.

Before she can say anything, he is moving impossibly fast. She closes her eyes at the rush of dizziness that fills her at the speed and opens them only as she feels herself falling. Her back hits the bed and she bounces, sucking in a gasp as she does.

And John is on top of her before she can even acknowledge what is happening, the quick turn in events that had her from scared to terrified to, fuck, John is sucking on her neck and she is horny.

A vampire is sucking on her neck.

She hears a wanton moan and, Christ, that must have come from her.

She presses her thighs together as an ache spreads down her body, warming her tummy and sending the blood rushing south.

John’s hands tear the fabric of her cotton shirt into pieces as he rips it clean of her body before doing the same to her bra. She doesn’t even complain as John lowers his head and sucks a nipple into his mouth. He rolls it with his tongue and teases it with his teeth. The fang toys with it, dragging down her breast and the sharpness makes her whine with a sick mix of pain and pleasure. 

And then it sinks into one of her veins and his teasing is suddenly a thing of the past as he sucks and swallows around her tender flesh.

Her hand jumps to his hair and Helen realizes, idly, that she’s encouraging this. Forcing his face against her, not letting him move even as her head feels dizzy.

A large hand slides down her body and into her sunday sweatpants. A finger swipes up her slit, teasing her clit and checking her arousal.

John releases her and quickly slides down her body, ripping her sweats and underwear off with the same vigor that he had done to her shirt. She’s certain they’re destroyed but she doesn’t give a flying fuck.

Not when John is plunging two fingers inside her and curling them just right so that she thrashes and writhes on the bed. John holds down her leg with his spare hand and continues his minstruations as he sinks his teeth into her thigh.

Helen shrieks, but not with pain, as John sucks on her thigh while his fingers dance inside of her. Helen isn’t sure which is more pleasurable, his mouth at her thigh or his fingers inside of her but she knows she has never felt like this. Lightheaded and pleasured and desperate and needy all at once. 

He sucks and swallows while his thumb rubs at her clit and Helen wonders if she’s actually crying because there are tears spilling down her cheeks at the wanton desperation of it all. 

Nothing has ever felt so good. So raw.

He could drain her of all her blood right now and she would probably say thank you so long as he didn’t stop toying with her clit or moving his fingers around inside her. She could definitely die like this and be happy. 

All of the sudden, he pushes up slightly off her thigh. Just as quickly, he descends upon her other, sinking his teeth into the femoral artery. John sucks at her flesh and Helen feels her head spinning all the more. 

Why does dizzy feel so good?

His thumb speeds up along her clit and his fingers roll against the spot inside her that makes her mind melt like cotton candy. Helen comes, crying out in surprise at how quickly John had been able to completely undo her.

She feels him swallowing against her thigh as she writhes beneath him.

He’s brought her pleasure to new heights and he hasn’t even begun undressing.

Helen reaches down and grabs his hair, tugging up.

It’s laughable, really, her attempt at strength in the midst of an orgasm but John acquiesces and releases her thigh from his mouth. Blood dribbles down his chin and she has the sick urge to lick it.

John climbs back up her body. He unfastens his belt, his pants as quickly as he can before pulling himself out.

Helen finds herself licking her lips at the sight of him but it’s quickly taken from her vision as John lays down on top of her body, angling the head of his cock towards her core. With a single roll of hips, he impales her onto his length and Helen finds herself arching her back, keening at the contact.

John bends his head down to her neck and she feels his tongue tease her pulse point before she feels the quick sharp of fangs digging into her throat.

His hips move against her, driving him in and out of her slick heat while he frantically swallows against her neck again and again.

She sees stars and she still isn’t certain what it’s from.

She’s lightheaded and it shows when she tries to lift her leg to wrap around John and she finds she can’t lift it. It barely registers, however, because his hand is between them again. He keeps thrusting, keeps sucking, but now his fingers are teasing and rubbing her clit and a scream escapes her. He feels so fucking good, everywhere, and his expert fingers are bringing her back to that height of pleasure.

John drives into her as deep as he can and Helen, again, feels herself falling further and further, through the stars and into the dark.

She can’t open her eyes but she really can’t bring herself to care.

She can still feel John, pistoning in and out of her and a small rip that sounds like something tearing open. Her head is tilted up and something forces her mouth open and places something against it.

“Good girl,” she can idly hear John whisper to her, “Swallow it down.”

And as he says it, she feels something pouring into her mouth. Salty and rich and warm. It fills her mouth and again, John urges her to swallow.

She does and she hears John’s quiet praises. “Good girl. Keep going. You’re going to be mine forever.”

Helen feels consciousness slip away.

And everything is black.

[theharlequinwriter]

Wound

Summary :you get hurt on a hunt in sam takes care you fluffy

Word count : 1,462

Triggers : None.

“Y/n!”

I ducked as dean threw holy water over my head splashing a demon in the face.

“RUN!”

I took off running twords the door, sam grabbed my hand pulling me into the next room covering my mouth with his hand. Dean came in after putting salt around the doors and windows.

“How many dean”

Sam sat down at a table drawing out the layout of the house. Drawing 3 x’s where we were.

“At least 13 sam not counting the three hell hounds”

Peeking outside I saw at least four demons waiting for us by the car. We planned a escape I go out the window taking out 2 of the demons by the car. Sam runs out the back killing the other two while dean distracts the ones inside. Sam grabbed my hand pulling me into him giving me a kiss.

“Love you”

“Love you too”

I broke the Window hopping out I ran forward slicing a demon from hip to hip making her fall to the ground after I killed her off . I turned to sam on his back with a demon on top trying to stab him. I went to help when I felt a sharp pain in my side , looking down a knife was deep into myside causing me to fall to my knees. I cringed pulling the blade out letting blood flow out of my wound.

Placing my hand over it , I stood up turning twords the demon who was now smiling I lunged forward cutting his arm.  He screamed at the nice gash I left on his arm. His eyes flashed black as I felt myself be thrown across the street smashing into a old car windshield smashing it into pieces.  I tried pushing myself up but I had lost to much blood feeling myself get weak I stayed where I fell.

I dont know what happend but I woke up in the back seat of the impala my head on sams lap and dean driving like a maniac. My eyes were to heavy to lift , I could hear dean telling sam to talk to me keep me awake.

“Y/n baby stay with me please”

I could feel his hand checking my pulse “Dean her pulse is weak”

I heard the engine roar before I passed back out. I woke up laying on a hotel bed stitches all down my side and neck. Trying to sit up my arms burned with pain causing me to scream.

“OWW FUCK”

The door flew open , sam came running in sitting next to me. He had been crying.

“You’re alright , we did the best we could just waiting for cas”

I laughed feeling my chest become heavy I winced at the pain.

“What happend?”

“A demon blitzed you from the trees”

“How did we get out”

“Surprisingly crowley helped”

Sam laid on the bed next to me carefully pulling me up to his chest. I curled up into a ball burying my face into his neck. I felt his hands tracing lightly over my stitches.

“Im sorry”

“For what?”

“I shouldn’t of let you go with us on a demon hunt”

“Sam its not your fault , you guys didnt know it was a nest”

I leaned up kissing his cheek.

My head began to feel dizzy , I gripped onto sam wrist holding myself still.

“Baby you o-”

Thats all I heard before everything went black again. I felt myself slipping in and out of conciseness I could hear the guys.

“I dont know what to do dean , im getting scared she might not pull through”

“Sammy she will be fine , shes tough , just make sure she doesnt move to much”

I had to wake up , forcing myself to groan I heard sams footsteps run to my bed. I felt his hand on my thigh lightly shaking me.

“Baby?”

“Hi moose”

He laughed  , I could see the relief In his eyes as I shifted so I could look up at him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like a rag doll”

He rubbed the back of his neck , smiling down at me.

“You do know I love you right?”

“Of course I do sam , whats wrong?”

He scooted me over laying next to me.

“Sam”

“I thought I was gonna lose you”

I could tell he hadn’t slept in days , lifting myself up , I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling myself onto his chest. Listening to him breath one of his hands rest on my hip while the other rubbed down my back.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy”

He hugged me causing me to hiss in pain.

“Shit im sorry baby”

“Its fine , dont let go”

His hands stayed where they were.

“Dean wants to drive back to the bunker tonight , you think you can walk a little”

We packed up getting ready to head out.  I limped to the car falling face first into the leather of the back seat. As dean drove I laid in the back singing along to the same music that always played. Sams hand held mine incase I passed out or needed him.

We arrived back at the bunker , once inside , sam made me a cup of tea while dean went to take a shower. I sat on the couch looking up the stairs where mine and sams bedroom was. Letting out a small groan , I lifted myself up starting to attempt my climb up the steps. I was having a hard time my stitches pulling every move I made. I was about to sit down when two arms swooped me up carrying me the rest of the way. Sam smiled at me as he laid me on the bed.

“You dont have to baby me sam”

“Im not , just got tired of watching you struggle”

He winked at me as he walked out the door. I sat up on the bed making myself comfy when sam came back with a big bowl of popcorn and a stack of movies.

“Thought since your bed ridden we watch movies”

He put in the first one which was army of darkness. He changed into his pjs crawling next to me pulling me into his arms. As the movie played his hands rubbed my back pulling me into him even more. Once the movie was over he got up to switch it.

“Uhh avengers or iron man 3”                                                       “Avengers”

He put it on laying down next to me once agian pulling me into him.

“Sam?”

“Yea?”

“You know you dont have to stay by my side 24/7”

He moved his gaze to me.

“Do you remeber the first day we met?”

“Yeah why?”

“I asked you out thinking you were gonna say no”

I laughed remembering when sam and dean came into my class posing as college freshmen. I was studying law apperntly a shape shifter was too Sam had gotten put in the seat next to mine. Allowing me to flirt with him all I wanted. It was maybe two weeks later when sam ran up to me during lunch asking if I wanted to go out with him but made it perfectly clear I could say no. Of course I said yes while on our date of course demons had to crash it destroying the diner and killing everyone but me and sam.

“Do you remember what  I promised you?”

“you promised to never leave my side and protect me”

His finger lifted my chin pressing his lips to mine softly.

“I kept that promise until the other day”

“Sam that wasnt your fault , I should of watched my back”

“You should be in college but you ran away with me instead”

I pecked his lips on more time.

“Y/n im never gonna let anything hurt you , I wont leave your side”

“Sam” He placed a finger on my lips.

“Im not done , if you died I dont know what I do , I mean I lost dean before and went die hard on everything but if I lost you I think id just give up cause why save everyone else when I couldn’t save you”

I could feel tears running down my face , I pulled myself up giving him A deep passionfull kiss. His hands wrapped around my lower back pulling me onto his lap. I leaned back resting my arms on his shoulders.

“But who will protect you sam?”

“I will”

Looking in the door way , dean held 3 beers ,2 burgers and a salad.

“Lets move movie night to the den ay?”

I grabbed the movies while sam grabbed blankets and pillows, once sam helped me downstairs we put in a movie while we ate. I fell alseep on sams chest listening to him and dean argue over the next movie.

[cannedapricot]

Decorating the Christmas Tree with! Ong Seongwoo

christmas collab with @alliwannado-w1 and @jihoonslattee!!!

y’all have heard of haunted house part timer! ong seongwoo

now get ready for

shopping mall part timer! ong seongwoo!11!1!

ong never has a proper job in my aus sobdvosb

he originally applied for the job of being the mall gaurd

because in his opinion, the uniform was made for him

also he gets to kick whoever he wanted to out of the mall

cough the annoying couples cough

but he unfortunately got the job of cleaner :’’)

well,, at least he was a good looking cleaner

girls come up to him 27394 times a day asking for his number

to which he gives out fake numbers 

the girls can’t even be mad when they find out it was fake

his blinding smile makes them swoon and they forget everything lol

what kind of witchcraft

is in charge of cleaning the shop windows and wiping the floor on the second storey

lowkey hates it

but it’s better than cleaning the food court :)

it doesn’t stop him from complaining to mcdonalds part timer! daniel after hours though

daniel just grimaces because,

he??? worKS??? AT MCDONALDS????? LMAO HE WOULD MUCH RATHER CLEAN THE WINDOWS

on multiple occasions niel has asked ong,

“since you hate it so much, you wanna switch? :)”

“hahHAHAHA NO THANKS”

ong gets coupons from some stores he’s in charge of and it’s basically the only reason why he hasn’t quit the job and gone broke

christmas used to be ong’s favorite holiday

but ever since he started working, christmas season is basically a nightmare

everyone’s suddenly off work and/or school

and the mall doubles in people

so more people ask for his number and more mess is made on the floor

i mean,,,, ong tries to get out of working,,,,, but he’s pretended to be sick too many times

and unless he actually faints nobody’s gonna believe him rip

also the mistletoe the mall uses makes him sneeze

“lol someone’s talking shit about you again”

“no someone’s obviously missing me”

tbfh if i found a mall that has seongwoo cleaning, daniel working at mcdonalds, jisung, jaehwan and sungwoon working at the toy shop i wouLD LIVE IN THAT MALL DONT STOP ME

for once!! you actually work with seongwoo!!!11!1 arE YOU EXCITED

but uh,,, you weren’t exactly on good terms with him

yeah sure he’s good looking whatever

but every time you see him, he’s always slacking off one way or another

AND HE’S NOT EVEN ASSIGNED TO THE FOOD COURT

and he would be flirting with the female staff and just????

you don’t understand how someone could be so shameless

ong knows that you have something against him

your glares give it away lmao

jisung from the toy store claims that’s ong’s not that bad of a guy

“y/n you’re just too focused on seeing his bad side,,,, give the guy a chance”

cue ong sliding by on the cleaning trolley

“yeeeeeaaaaah ok”

“,,,,,,,,,,,,, i sweAR HE’S BETTER THAN THIS”

sungwoon just tells you about all the shit ong’s done which makes you dislike him more???? 

jisung tries to stop him,,,, it doesn’t work

“ong once lead a girl on in highschool”

“suNGWOON,,,,,, THAT’S A HOAX”

ong has, on multiple occasions, tried to get closer to you

but you shut him down before he could say anything

“hey-”

“sorry i have important matters to attend to”

“oh ok :c”

seongwoo has complained to daniel 472974 times about you 

and daniel’s loWKEY SICK OF HEARING ABOUT HOW YOUR GLARE CAN KILL PEOPLE

“are you sure you don’t have a crush on them”

“????crush??????psh no????”

yeah ok ong doesn’t have a crush on you yet

but he’s curious as to why you dislike him so much???

he can’t remember offending you in any way

and you seem to always have a way to escape from him whenever he slides up to you

THAT IS UNTILLLLLL

y’all get assigned to put up the humongous christmas tree 

YOU GUYS THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A CUTE DOMESTIC FIC??? HA SIKE 

and you immediately come up with an excuse

but your boss isn’t having it

because,

“teamwork is important y/n!!! you can’t keep avoiding working with ong!”

BOVUBOSVBOSB 

YOU JUST HOPE THAT JISUNGS RIGHT ABOUT HIM NOT BEING THAT MUCH OF AN ASS

“oh hi y/n!!!”

after hours, ong was standing in the center clearing of the mall as the tree was getting put up

it was

h u g e

“it’s gonna take us all night huh?”

he smiles

yOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HE CAN BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS

“i just hope we’re getting payed extra”

you mumble, gritting your teeth

as ong deals with the guys putting up the tree, you head to the storage

it takes a while to find the box labelled “christmas” but you eventually do

and you make the stupid decision to carry three at once

you trip because you couldn’t see anything in front of you

bUT!!!

ONG APPEARS????

lol no you trip and fall

ong appears a second later to witness your pain

anD HE LAUGHS 

YOU START FUMING OUT OF ANGER AND EMBARRASSMENT

ong then picks up the boxes after his laughing fit and says,

“i’ll take care of the rest of the decorations, you go check if you’re hurt”

????why is he suddenly so nice

he’s always been nice y/n you jUST DON’T KN O W

and you suddenly feel like hm he’s not bad

bUT THEN SUNGWOON’S STORY OF ONG LEADING THAT GIRL ON FLASHES BACK INTO YOUR MIND

shuffling out of the room, your eyes meet with his

and you send him a glare

onG’S JUST

auiKUVDISVB????WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME

yOU SLAM YOUR FIST ON ONE OF THE BOXES

AND ONG FLINCHES

“let’s get to decorating the tree. the faster we do this, the sooner we’re done”

“YES SIR”

and without saying anything else, you turn and start hanging up baubles

most of the time,,,, you two were working in silence,,,,

ong would be sending you glances and trying to start convos but you’d just straight up ignore him

it gets to the point where seongwoo thinks he’s gonna burst

THE TENSION IN THE AIR WAS INSUFFERABLE 

so when the parts you two could reach from the ground was covered and the ladder was set,

ong decides to find out exactly why you dislike him so much

how????? by pinning you to the ladder of course

an intellectual am i right

“??????ONG SEONGWOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING--”

“why do you hate me”

“I- WHAT- UM-”

he looks you square in the eye and you find yourself spilling

“SUNGWOON SAID YOU LEAD A GIRL ON AND THAT KINDA MADE ME THINK THAT YOURE A SHIT ASSHOLE”

“??????????THAT SNITCH I KNEW I SHOULDN’T HAVE TOLD HIM”

“SO YOU ACTUALLY DID LEAD A GIRL ON”

“NO!!!!! THE GIRL LATCHED ONTO ME I DIDN’T DO SHIT I REJECTED HER THEN SHE TOLD THE SCHOOL ABOUT ME LEADING HER ON”

oh

wow how petty of the girl

but thinking of it

you reasons for disliking him were quite petty too

and you just now realize how godlike his visuals were up close???

buT YOUR ASS AIN’T ABOUT TO ADMIT YOUR HEART WAS BEATING 24923 MILES A MINUTE

SO YOU DO THE MOST LOGIC THING

PUSH HIM AWAY

ong: pretends to be hurt

you: pretends to be busy

“you don’t hate me anymore right”

“wow lets not get too ahead of ourselves”

seongwoo cracks a smile

becausE WOW YOU WERE BLUSHING AND YOU LOOKED ADORABLE WHILE SO

back to the tree coughs

ong decides to climb the ladder because,

“i need to show you how manly i am”

but he’s also,

“doN’T LET GO OF THE LADDER MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS”

lets go

onG SCREAMS

while hanging up the sparkly tinsel, ong finds two santa hats

he chucks one down at you while he puts one on himself

“wtf?”

“wE CAN MATCH!!!”

“...how the fuck are you in your twenties”

ong sneezes every few minutes because of the stupid tinsel

you both get heart attacks when he does 

whAT IF HE FALLS DOWN

BRO YOU DONT WANNA GET CHARGED WITH MURDER OR SOME SHIT

it’s way past midnight when you’re nearly close to finished

all that was left was the star

ong pulls up your facebook profile picture and goes

“i should put you up there because you are my star”

UM

you shake the ladder in disagreement

SEONGWOO SCREAMS AND DROPS HIS PHONE

but thankfullly it lands in a pile of soft toys at the bottom of the tree :’)

he still makes a big deal out of it though :’)

screams at you to put your number in 

and keeps screaming until you do so and text yourself

just so he knows it’s your real number

after putting the actual star on top of the tree, climbs down so you guys can admire your work

“im gonna jump down”

“sure but i’m not catching you”

“how heartless :(”

so you turn off the mall’s lights and seongwoo turns on the tree’s lights

it was breathtaking

who cared if it was 5 in the morning

ong turned to look at you 

he had wanted to see your reaction but your beauty catches him off gaurd

and he ends up staring at you until your head suddenly drops on his shoulder

smiling even wider, ong whispers,

“good night”

bonus: y’all wake up the next morning to your boss looking at you two like, “ah young love”

daniel, jisung, sungwoon and jaehwan come in to see you jumping away from seongwoo

and they’re like,

“what did they fuck or something”

bonus x2: ong officially asks you on a date on christmas after weeks of flirting with you

he gives you a box, claims it’s your present while inside is a selfie of him with the words, “ong seongwoo, the most attractive man on this planet is asking you on a date. feel honored.” 

you still hate him

perhaps, just a little less now

i wILL NOT STOP PROMOTING MY TOY STORE WORKER! JISUNG OK LOVE MY SUNSHINE MAN

also this was written at 1am pls forgive me for shitty plot + shitty writing :’)

[seventven]

Victim Behind the Gun

summary: reader and bucky escape from the states and find a small apartment in bucharest where they attempt to start their lives over. reader finds a job fixing electronics, bucky falls in love with ikea, reader is the big spoon and bucky finds comfort in painting. everything goes well until steve rogers shows up at their apartment and pulls them back into the world of politics, spies and super-soldiers. within just a few hours, it becomes evident that rogers blames reader for everything that has happened involving her father two years prior.

READ PART I HERE

word count: 22k+ (no im not fucking kidding i’ve been writing this one shot since july it took me 6 months to finish it im drained)

warnings: ca:cw spoilers (a lot of them but im being pretty vague so you pretty much have to know the plot of the film to understand this??), light swearing, violence, smut, slight inaccuracy in regards to the plot of the film, ptsd, my knowledge of hacking is basically nonexistent so don’t shit on me

a/n: this should’ve been turned into like a multiple chapters fic but i’m not about that life so enjoy spending two hours reading a single one shot.

let me know what you think here

inspiration: one / two / three

They left Pierce’s home before midnight. It was a starry evening and as Y/N and Bucky situated themselves in the taxi, the younger girl couldn’t help the feeling of heaviness in her chest. She stared with sad eyes as the house disappeared from her peripheral vision, the other buildings and trees on the side of the road turning into a blur of green, brown and red.

Next to her, Bucky noticed the way she bit into her lower lip and stared out the window for what felt like hours. He wanted to comfort her, the way she always comforted him even on his worst days. But a part of him was hesitant; after seventy years of nothingness it was difficult for him to get back to normal and understand regular human things. Over time he’d learn how to deal with emotions and know what to do when something like this happened, but until that time he would be left puzzled.

Bucky tried to remember what the old him would do in a situation like this. Faded flashes of memories appeared in his head if he thought hard enough; encouraging Steve to approach different girls and telling him it was far from difficult to make a woman swoon. It seemed that the old Bucky always knew what to say, what to do, and how to act in a way that could lift another person’s spirits.

But the new Bucky? The Bucky who after decades of torture, brainwashing and manipulation felt lucky he remembered even a snippet of his past? This Bucky… well, let’s just say comforting others wasn’t a talent of his nowadays. Or at least he didn’t think it was.

Y/N thought something different. When Bucky reached across the back of the cab and took her hand in his larger one, a pleasant warmth spread through her entirety, originating from the spot where their skin met. He squeezed her hand when she looked down at their laced fingers, and Y/N exhaled deeply before sliding across the bench and laying her head on his shoulder.

After what happened in her old bedroom earlier that day she experienced a new wave of feelings towards the soldier. Now, wanting to be close to him wasn’t only caused by her need to be there for him. What happened seemed to connect not only their bodies but also their minds, and for the first time in her life Y/N yearned for the feeling of knowing someone needed her as much as she needed them.

The taxi pulled up in front of a small hotel almost an hour later. Y/N knew that in order to avoid getting caught it would be better to leave town. She still had a few things to do before leaving the country and staying in her old house didn’t seem like the best idea.

They got a room on the second floor and while she talked to the lady behind the front desk, Bucky seemed to be looking around him, hands in his pockets, silently taking in his surroundings. It was pleasant; being able to notice how the world around him had changed over the years without his mind being preoccupied with thoughts of missions, killings and carnage. Steve managed to crack his outer shell on the Helicarrier earlier that day and he was grateful.

The cold water of the river helped, too. It all felt like waking out of a long, long nightmare and trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

The soldier didn’t sleep that night. He stayed awake with his back against the headboard and watched as Y/N’s chest moved up and down slowly with each inhale and exhale of breath.

A feeling of anxiety overwhelmed him. He feared that someone was going to knock down the door to their room any minute, point guns at them and take them back to the Hydra base.

He knew he was being paranoid; they were miles away from the facility and no one knew where they were staying. Hell, they didn’t even know they were together at all.

Bucky tried to sleep. He closed his eyes and wished for a state of unconsciousness but it just wouldn’t come. He turned and tossed and wished the girl sleeping on the second bed on the other side of the room would open her eyes and climb under the covers with him. But he just didn’t have the heart to wake her.

Eventually he did fall asleep, and stayed that way for roughly an hour before the sound of shuffling and bags opening woke him up.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision before he finally saw Y/N bent over her suitcase, her hands digging through the contents to find some clothes for the day. She had a white towel wrapped around her, meaning she had already showered and Bucky noticed that her toenails were painted a bright minty shade.

He sat up on the mattress, the fresh sheets falling down to bunch around his waist. Y/N heard the small movement and turned around, sending the assassin a tiny smile.

“Good morning,” she greeted him happily. For someone who had just fled their home and participated in the killing of their own father, Y/N surely did know how to act like nothing bothered her.

“Hi.” Bucky ran his metal hand through his hair, the segments of his thick fingers getting stuck in the brown waves. “Ouch.”

Y/N furrowed her brows and tightened her towel around her body before padding across the sandy carpet. She sat down next to Bucky and reached her hand up to where his hand was stuck in his hair.

“Let me take a look,” she giggled. Bucky seemed to relax, allowing the smaller girl to try and detach his hand from his head. It took some tugging and a few flinches from the soldier’s side but soon he was able to freely remove his hand.

“Hydra didn’t really care for cutting hair,” he told her when she was finished.

Y/N remained situated on the mattress, staring at him with her head tilted to the side and the edges of her lips curved upwards.

“I’m going to have to do something about it when I get the chance.”

When she didn’t respond, Bucky glanced at her questioningly with his eyes slightly narrowed. They held eye contact for several seconds before she finally spoke up.

“I like hearing you talk. You have a lovely speaking voice.” James looked down upon hearing her revelation, his fingers curling around the edges of the bed sheets. Y/N didn’t know if her statement related to a sensitive topic so she placed her index finger under his chin and lifted his head so she could look at him. Her insides tingled when she noticed the redness in his cheeks and she smiled softly before leaning over and placing a long kiss to his scruffy cheek.

She got dressed in the small bathroom connected to their room and came out with her hair dried and her shoes on her feet. Bucky was still in bed, smiling to himself with the thought of finally finding someone he could trust after all these God damn years.

“I have to meet up with one of my dad’s old friends,” Y/N stated as she bent over to tie her shoelaces. Bucky furrowed his brows, trying to understand the reasoning.

“He forges documents. He had a deal with my father that if something ever happened I’d be able to get a new identity.”

She looked up at him then, and smiled sadly. “He’s the guy who always sorted out your documents when they were ordering you to travel from country to country. He’s going to help us leave the States without getting caught.”

Bucky parted his lips and looked at her with concern.

“Isn’t he Hydra, though? Won’t he try to-“

“He’s not Hydra. He’s a college friend of Pierce’s. He doesn’t know my father is dead since he was the only person in the facility to know about his existence.”

“That’s smart,” stated Bucky. “That way he didn’t get caught.”

Y/N hummed under her breath and pushed herself up from the floor. She walked over to where Bucky sat and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear.

“I’ll be back before three. There’s money in my bedside table if you want to go out and explore but please, be careful, okay?”

Bucky nodded, lifting his chin up and silently asking for another kiss on his cheek. Y/N obliged, peppering several kisses on the side of his face before grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

Bucky tried to fall back asleep, seeing as it was only eight in the morning. However, within minutes of trying to do so, he decided to give up and climb out of bed.

He got dressed and brushed his teeth before taking the money Y/N told him about and heading for the door. Bucky promised his roommate he would be careful but he couldn’t help the feeling of curiosity that made his stomach twist into knots.

Just before his last mission he heard someone mention a Captain America exhibition at a place called the Smithsonian. Bucky knew that going to it probably wasn’t the best idea and as he exited the hotel building with his room key tucked into the pocket of his thin jacket, he attempted to pick out the cons and pros of checking it out. Lucky for him, the pros seemed to outweigh the cons and soon he was taking the Subway to where the exhibition was held.

He paid the fee at the door and entered the museum with his head held low, his dark cap hiding his features as he sauntered around the spacious room.

It was weird; seeing pictures and watching recordings of things he had experienced but didn’t fully remember. He saw pictures of Steve who didn’t even look like Steve anymore; at least not the Steve he punched and kicked and shot on the Helicarrier the previous day. The Steve on these pictures was smaller, more naïve and innocent.

The exhibition described Steve’s journey from his pre-serum days all the way to present day. Bucky couldn’t help the smile from forming across his lips when he stumbled upon a photograph of the Steve he remembered looking out for.

Even though he didn’t remember much from before he left Brooklyn to fight in World War II, there was still a part of him that longed for those days. He missed the freedom, and laughter, and scrawny Steve getting into alley fights and Bucky having to step in.

He kept walking, scanning each and every display and reading everything they had to offer. And then he saw it; his own eyes looking back at him from across the room.

Bucky shuffled closer until he was standing face to face with a giant display about no one else but himself.

In the photograph, his hair was short and he was clean shaven, his expression neutral but focused. He was just about to begin reading the display when a male voice sounded from a speaker above his head.

“Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both school yard and battlefield.”

The soldier glanced beneath the display where a small screen was showing black and white footage of himself and Steve, planning missions and laughing. A lump formed at the back of Bucky’s throat but he swallowed it down; he didn’t feel like he wanted to cry because really, there was only so many things he remembered about his past and honestly, after what happened to him throughout the years, he lost the need to be sentimental. He just felt sorry that he couldn’t go back in time to before all this shit happened.  

“Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.”

Bucky pursed his lips but remained stoic, hands in his pockets as he stared at the photograph of the old him. It was unsettling, to say the least; hearing someone speak of him as if he were dead. But maybe he was. Maybe the man he used to be died along with his memories and humanity when he was strapped to that chair. Maybe, just maybe – and he hoped he would be proven wrong – there just wasn’t a chance of getting the old, chirpy Bucky back.

“Excuse me?”

The soldier’s head turned slowly and he frowned when he didn’t see anyone. That is, until he lowered his gaze and noticed a girl who couldn’t be any older than ten looking up at him with her big doe eyes. She had rosy cheeks and light hair, tied into pig tails by two red ribbons.

“Would you be interested in buying some Girl Scout cookies?” Her grin was wide and she was missing one of her front teeth. It was then that Bucky noticed the box she held in her hands; it was filled with tiny packets of miniature cookies ranging from chocolate chip to strawberry icing.

Bucky stared down at her, silent, but her grin didn’t falter and she continued as if she didn’t notice.

“I’m here with my group today. We are raising funds for an animal shelter not far from here. Our leader thought it would be a good idea to try our luck here because it’s so busy. I recommend the caramel-”

She trailed off, brown eyes slowly growing in size as they scanned the image of James Buchanan Barnes on the display and then Bucky’s own nervous expression.

“Holy crap!” She exclaimed suddenly, lips parted. She was blinking at him, not trusting her own eyes. Bucky was blinking, too; over the exits and possible escape routes.

“It’s you! I need to get my friend. Stay he-"

"No, no," Bucky interjected, reaching out his hand towards the girl to stop her from rushing away. She didn't move, and Bucky dropped his metal hand, suddenly very aware of what he was doing and the child's eyes glued to the vibranium. He dug his hand back into his pocket and tried to pretend nothing ever happened.

"You have a metal arm? That's wicked cool!"

The young girl was grinning from ear to ear and Bucky felt utterly confused by her reaction. Most people showed fear and flinched away when they saw the prosthetic; he'd expect a child to be beyond terrified. Much to his surprise, this girl showed no signs of fear, only amazement and curiosity.

Bucky cleared his throat. "I mean... No one knows I'm here." He tried to remember how to speak to a child. "It's kind of a secret."

He attempted to curl the edges of his lips up into a smile but it just ended up looking forced and untrue.

"But she would die if she met you," the little girl pressed. "She did a project on you for history class. She got the highest grade."

The soldier pursed his lips, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. He stared down at the girl, not quite knowing what to say. One thing he did know, however, is that a pleasant warmth spread through his abdomen at a thought of a kid doing a project about his life pre-Hydra. He wished he could tell Steve about this.

"Please don't tell anyone I'm here," Bucky looked at the girl with his big blue eyes. "I'll do anything."

"Anything?" The little girl cocked her eyebrow. When James nodded, her grin widened.

"Buy my cookies. All of them."

Bucky furrowed his brows at her request.

"What am I supposed to do with a box full of cookies?"

The blonde shrugged her tiny shoulders, a smirk across her face.

"I don't really care. I just want to get an award for being the first one to sell everything. It's a family ticket to a theme park."

"I don't think that's a good idea. Is there anything else?" Bucky was getting frustrated, staring down at the child with a frown. He didn't like being blackmailed by adults, let alone little kids.

"Nope, it's either that, or I'm going to get my friend," she paused for a moment, scanning the area behind Bucky. "Oh, look. That's her right there. Emily-"

Bucky immediately interjected.

"Okay, fine. You win." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out some cash. The little girl handed him the entire box and took the money. It turned out Girl Scout cookies were far more expensive than he assumed.

"Now, what do I do with all these?" Bucky muttered as his blackmailer counted the money. She seemed pleased.

"Eat them. Give them to your girlfriend if you have one. Whatever you want. They're all yours and I'm gone."

She waved a quick goodbye and skipped away, leaving a defeated Bucky with a box of cookies in his hands.

When he stepped through the door of his and Y/N's hotel room later that day, Y/N was already there and she was looking out the window, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. She turned around when she heard the door closing and breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

"There you are. I thought something might have happened. Are you-"

Her eyes scanned his appearance, stopping on the box he held in his hands.

"Cookies?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Bucky sighed. "I was blackmailed into buying them by a nine year old with ribbons in her hair."

Y/N chuckled, making her way across the room and plucking a single packet of chocolate chip goodness out of the box.

“Charming,” she told him.

Bucky set the box down on the desk by the wall and glanced towards his bed. Several shopping bags rested on top of the freshly made sheets. On his pillow sat a passport, an airline ticket and what he soon learned was a piece of paper with an address.

He could feel Y/N’s eyes on him as he picked up the passport. It was for him; his photograph displayed on the first page and next to it a name; James Smith. Bucky scanned the rest of the passport and realised it looked like any other.

He set it down and picked up the small sheet of paper.

“It’s where we’re going to live. It’s a small apartment that I picked out today. I already contacted the owner and he’s ready to meet with us the day after tomorrow.”

Lastly, Bucky picked up the airline ticket, his eyes scanning the front.

“How’d you know?” He asked her, looking up at the younger girl over his shoulder.

“How’d you know that I’d choose Bucharest from the places you mentioned?”

Y/N smiled, swallowing the last cookie and wiping the corners of her mouth with her index finger.

“I just had a feeling.”

Bucky allowed the edges of his lips to curl upward, hooking onto Y/N’s heart when he turned around. He released a breath, looking at her from across the room and not really knowing what to do. Seconds passed before he finally parted his lips.

“Thank you,” he told her with a nod. “Not only for this but for everything you have done for me. Thank you.”

•••

The flight to Bucharest was long and tedious. Y/N had to admit, she was nervous about using fake documents to get through security but thankfully, no one seemed to question the authenticity of their passports.

Y/N allowed Bucky to rest his head on her shoulder and sleep for a few hours but he spent the majority of the flight looking out the window.

When they landed, they took a cab to another hotel and got a room for the night. In contrast to the previous two nights, Bucky fell asleep the moment his head hit the hotel room pillows and when Y/N emerged from the small bathroom, dressed in her pyjamas, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his face squished against the pillows. She crouched down beside the bed and stroked his hair softly, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before, too, getting into her own bed and falling asleep.

•••

The apartment Y/N chose surprised Bucky. Honestly, he was expecting some sort of a cold, colourless ruin but he was happy to find that instead, the two bedrooms were painted with bright shades, that the tiles on the walls in the kitchen were all different colours and that there was even a vase of fresh flowers waiting for them on the coffee table in the sitting room; a small welcoming gift from the landlord.

“Do you plan on living in Bucharest permanently?” He questioned in a thick accent. He was a short, dark haired man with glasses and a moustache. He also had a good sense of humour and Y/N laughed at the jokes he made.

“Possibly,” Y/N answered, looking at Bucky who was staring out the living room window, hands hidden in the pockets of his sweatshirt.

The landlord smiled. “Ah, I understand. Young couples are all about travelling before settling down in one place these days. Like my daughter for instance. Makes life interesting.”

Y/N smiled sheepishly, deciding not to explain her relationship with Bucky to a complete stranger. The lesser he knew about them, the better.

They ended up signing the lease and when all the paper work was completed and the landlord had left, Y/N looked to Bucky who stood by the wall.

The younger girl strode across the wooden floor to where he stood, a bright smile stretching across her face when she took his bionic hand in her own.

“They’re not going to find you here. I promise,” she told him. “This is our home now. Let’s make the most of it.”

When Bucky nodded in agreement, she grabbed her bag and began tugging him towards the front door.

“Come on, let’s go get a few things to make this place feel like home.”

And although Bucky didn’t want to admit it at first, he absolutely fell in love with IKEA. He allowed the younger girl to lead him through various show rooms, and asked for his opinion on curtains and cushions and rugs and bed sheets.

Honestly, Y/N didn’t expect him to be as enthusiastic as he was about the whole thing. But Bucky felt comfortable around his new housemate and he found that home decorating was more enjoyable than he’d ever imagine.

Besides, it was nice to be doing something normal. Bucky liked Bucharest; no one knew who he was and he could easily blend in with the crowd. No one showed fear or screamed as he strolled through the store with his hands in his pockets and an old lady even smiled at him when he picked up the scarf she dropped and handed it back to her.

Not a single person spared a second glance in Bucky’s direction and it was nice; he enjoyed their absolute indifference and did what everyone else did, looking for things he liked.

Y/N stood with her back to him, attempting to pick a set of plates and bowls, seemingly undecided about which colour she should choose. Bucky stood at the side, casually glancing around him as people walked by, small children clinging onto their parents’ hands.

And then he noticed something intriguing. It was another one of the store’s show rooms; except that this one was decorated with colourful 40′s style love seats, polished wooden bookshelves, French art deco chairs, and framed posters of Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby and Count Basie.

Not really thinking much about it, Bucky sauntered towards the show room and stopped when he was standing next to one of the book shelves. This tiny example of a living room looked like something Bucky would dream of having before the war.

He gazed with awe at the patterned rug and the big lamps behind the sofa. The set up reminded him of home and when he looked down at what was placed on top of one of the lower bookshelves - a vintage record player - he couldn’t stop the smile from appearing across his face.

Bucky used the index finger of his flesh hand to trace the carved, polished cherry wood of the device, and he smiled fondly at it. He once had a record player pretty similar to this one; except that his own was in a poorer condition.

Snippets of memories involving listening to the artists whose photographs were perched on the wall appeared at the front of his mind and Bucky closed his eyes for a moment to savour the memory.

He could almost hear a saxophone playing in his mind and he desperately tried to cling onto the sound, but the noise of the store made it difficult. There was a child screaming incessantly somewhere behind him, the chatter of families and the clatter of pots and pans making it impossible to hold on to the blissful memory.

After a few more seconds, he pushed himself away from the record player and returned to where Y/N stood, scribbling something onto the page she grabbed when they first entered the store, a bright smile adorning her face. She hurried to fold the sheet of paper when she noticed Bucky approaching and the older guy cocked an eyebrow at her odd behaviour but didn’t question her about it.

•••

When they returned home, Y/N cooked dinner while Bucky worked on unpacking some of the smaller things they had bought. He carried the things Y/N chose for her room to the master bedroom, setting everything down on the bed.

So far, the two bedrooms were unfurnished, apart from double beds in both. That would soon change, however, as Y/N ordered desks and bedside tables and bookshelves and even weird, large exotic plants for the place.

Bucky spent some time in his own bedroom, making his bed and trying to figure out the weird lamp Y/N insisted was the "most awesome thing they'd find at IKEA". Every time he pressed the button on the side of the lamp, the colour of the light would change but the damned thing just wouldn’t switch off. In the end Bucky got angry and pulled the plug out of the socket.

When he was pretty much finished, deciding to leave his suitcase untouched until the furniture would be delivered, he strolled back to the kitchen where Y/N was finishing making some deliciously smelling spaghetti.

Bucky sat down at the tiny island in the centre of the room, watching as she swayed her hips to the music coming from the green radio she bought for the kitchen. Bucky found himself smiling as she quietly hummed to the tune of the song, completely unaware of his presence.

Watching her acting so carefree and relaxed when she knew there was a killer in her home made Bucky smile. He felt warmth in his chest at the thought of this girl giving him a chance to be a normal human being. She knew who he was, and Bucky was aware that she, herself, probably had some dark secrets - being Pierce's daughter and all - but he trusted her and the idea of losing her made his stomach tie into knots.

She continued swaying her hips as she stirred the sauce and when she spun around, a wooden spoon in her hands, to see Bucky watching her, she appeared mortified. Bucky's heart clenched at the sight of her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

She smiled an embarrassed smile and pointed the long wooden spoon at Bucky.

"You scared me, mister."

Bucky reciprocated her grin and watched as she gave him a playful warning look and turned back to the pots and pans on the cooker.

“I didn’t mean to,” Bucky answered with a hint of a smile. Y/N’s heart skipped a beat at the sight when she glanced at him over her shoulder.

She attempted to hide her grin before continuing to stir the sauce. “I hope you like spaghetti. I’m not a very good cook but I make some mean tomato sauce.”

James released a quiet chuckle, running his fingers over his dark hair. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in what? Seventy years? I think it’s safe to say I won’t be complaining.”

•••

As weeks went on and Bucky became more comfortable, slowly adjusting to a normal life in the twenty first century, his other personality traits revealed themselves.

Bucky liked to tell jokes and as he regained more of his memories, he’d recite old punch lines which he remembered always made Steve crack up. They affected Y/N in a similar way and sometimes his jokes would have her rolling around on floor, clutching her stomach with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Sometimes his humour was subtle, innocent almost; other times it was crude and boyish. Every day Y/N waited to hear another silly joke from him and he never disappointed. Unless, of course, he was having a bad day.

After what he went through, it was only normal for him to have days where he didn’t have the energy to get out of bed or talk. But Y/N was always patient; never failing to climb into bed behind him and cuddle him for hours, or make him hot drinks and stroke his hair.

The first few months were especially difficult for Bucky; every night he was bombarded with dreams - sometimes nightmares - showing fragments of his past and every morning he’d find himself pondering over the images with a cup of steaming coffee in his hands, situated by the large window in the living room.

Speaking of the living room: it turned out that Y/N had seen the way he admired the 40s style showroom at IKEA and decided that there wasn’t a better way of making him feel at home, than decorating their own apartment in a similar manner. Without Bucky’s knowledge, she ordered the showroom’s art deco furniture, a patterned rug, those framed posters of 40s musicians and even the beautiful record player Bucky fell in love with.

It was a funny moment, really; the surprise on his face upon returning from an hour long walk around the neighbourhood to find their living room completely redecorated was beyond hilarious. He stood, motionless, in the doorway, for a moment even considering if he walked into someone else’s apartment by accident. But when Y/N emerged from the kitchen with a bunch of IKEA delivery guys behind her, holding a clipboard and pen in her hands, Bucky realised that she did all this, went through all this trouble just for him; just to make sure he felt comfortable and safe and at home.

Then, as expected, the delivery team left and the second they were alone, Bucky hurried across the room and enveloped his closest - and only - friend in a massive hug. Something within him just cracked at the realisation that this wonderful young girl in front of him cared so much about him.

He clung to her, and Y/N could feel his uneven breaths and a few hot tears on her shoulder. She held him tightly, stroking his hair and kissing the top of his head when he lowered himself onto the floor and pressed his cheek to her stomach.

“Hey, hey,” she tried to get his attention, delicately scratching his scalp and rubbing his shoulder. “Why are you crying?”

When Bucky didn’t respond she managed to loosen his grip on her middle and kneel down beside him. She held his face in her hands, smiling softly at the slowly returning light in his eyes, the new found hope for a brighter future.

“I just-” He had to pause, his adorable hiccup forcing Y/N’s lips up into a wider smile. “I just didn’t think I’d be able to feel happy again, and here you are, believing that after everything I can just lead a normal life. You can’t even imagine how grateful I am.”

It was true; the ex-assassin was beyond thankful to have Y/N in his life. He couldn’t comprehend the thought of being on the run from Hydra all by himself. The thought alone made a feeling of emptiness spread within Bucky’s chest and he’d gulp at the terrifying idea of not having anyone to help him adjust to this crazy new world.  

Y/N understood him, or at least she tried to, and that was all Bucky needed. She gave him all the time he needed to adjust; she was patient, caring, loving, and she never failed to make him smile, even on his worst days.

For the first couple of days they slept in separate rooms. Y/N didn’t know if Bucky wanted all this physical affection she was willing to give him, and she was terrified of being suffocating. At first glance Bucky didn’t seem like the kind of person who liked to be held or kissed; especially not after the stuff others had put him through.

But the reality was that Bucky hated being alone at night. Over the years he had spent being Hydra’s puppet, he grew accustomed to constant noise, discomfort, and pain. It was weird for him to lay on a soft mattress under a fuzzy blanket in a completely quiet room, no feeling of approaching danger gnawing at his mind. The peace and the silence were... deafening, almost. He despised being able to hear the steady beating of his own heart, or the rustling of the sheets whenever he changed his position.

For three nights he struggled to keep his eyes closed and his mouth shut, but when the exhaustion got to him on the fourth night, he decided he was sick of the silence. So he grabbed his pillow and quietly exited his room, maneuvering around the brightly coloured furniture in the pitch black hallway until he reached his destination.

Y/N’s bedroom door was ajar and there was light peeking out from the narrow space between the door and the frame. The lamps weren’t on, Y/N just had a habit of forgetting to shut her curtains and the moon was high up in the sky that night, illuminating her room and casting a silver light on her sleeping figure.

Bucky pushed the door open ever so slightly and just watched her for a moment. She was tangeled in her white sheets, clutching a large pillow to her chest as if she believed it was a person, her face buried in the snowy fabric and Bucky couldn’t stop himself from gulping, wanting so bad to just be that pillow.

He stood there for two, maybe three minutes, captivated by the serene expression across her face, one leg draped over the mess of sheets on the mattress. She was only wearing a black tank top, a pair of dark purple boyshorts covering her lower half. Her mouth was parted slightly and she just looked so soft and warm and inviting in the eyes of Bucky.

She stirred in her sleep, slowly waking when she detected the presence of someone in the room. Bucky’s heart sped up as she lifted her top half just slightly off the mattress, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Bucky?” She murmured, voice laced with sleep. She blinked her eyes several times and then looked at him in concern, wondering what on earth he was doing watching her sleep at one in the morning. But then she figured he probably had trouble falling asleep and before Bucky could open his mouth and apologise for coming into her room, she slid back on the mattress to make space and lifted the covers.

“Come here,” she told him, motioning with her head. Bucky’s mind didn’t register what he was doing as his feet carried him towards the bed but the next thing he knew, Y/N was wrapping him up to make sure he was warm and then her arm was sliding around his waist, her chest pressed to his back and she was kissing his shoulder.

“I’m sorry for just standing there, watching you,” Bucky whispered after a while and Y/N expelled a soft laugh.

“You don’t have to explain yourself. I’m more than happy to have you sleep with me.”

Much to his own surprise, Bucky did sleep that night. Once he was comfortably settled on the mattress, the sound of Y/N’s quiet breathing lulled him to sleep in a matter of seconds. For Bucky, there wasn’t a thing in the world that made him feel quite as relaxed as Y/N’s arms around him, her lips pressing feather light kisses to his flesh.

And, just like that, it became a routine. The next evening when Y/N’s yawning signalled that it was time to head to bed, Bucky found himself wondering if she’d let him sleep with her again. He didn’t dare ask, figuring he didn’t want to be annoying, but Y/N gripped his metal hand in hers and tugged him towards her room, letting him sleep with his head on her chest that night.

A month after their move to Bucharest Y/N stumbled upon a page in the newspaper, advertising a job at a nearby electronics store. Truthfully, she wanted to return to the real world and develop a routine for herself.

Sitting at home all day was nice for a while; she could read and spend time with Bucky but she was starting to miss the outside world. With her qualifications she was hired within moments of entering the store and she made sure to pop into a shop and buy some champagne so herself and Bucky could celebrate.

When she got home, however, taking off the uncomfortable shoes she decided to wear to the interview and setting her shopping bags on the floor, she quickly realised that Bucky wasn’t present in the lounge where he usually resided in the afternoons.

Y/N removed her jacket, glancing around the living room and furrowing her brows at Bucky’s absence. She figured he might have went out for a walk around the neighbourhood or something, so she decided not to worry and instead head to her bedroom to change. On her way, she passed Bucky’s room and stopped in her tracks at the sound of music coming from behind the door.

After Bucky began spending the nights in Y/N’s bed, his old room became entirely empty. Bucky’s clothes were moved to the giant closet Y/N ordered, and extra pillows were placed on her bed so he would be comfortable at night.

Y/N was silent as she lightly pushed the door open and peeked her head out from behind it. When she realised that Bucky was, in fact, present, she stepped inside.

Her eyes scanned the room first. The double bed which came with the apartment was standing on its side against the wall to make move floor space. The record player had been moved from the living room and it rested on the window sill, playing a quiet jazz tune as Bucky sat on the floor with his back facing the door.

The wooden floor was covered with newspaper, a selection of different sized containers of paint scattered across the room, and in the centre, among buckets of liquid colour sat Bucky.

Y/N noticed that his hair was pulled back into a low bun and that his metal arm was raised but she couldn’t see what he was doing from her current spot. The brunette wasn’t wearing a shirt, only a pair of tight fitting maroon sweatpants and the scars on his back were visible from where Y/N stood by the door.

It was only when Bucky sensed her presence in the room that she finally caught a glimpse of what he was doing. Bucky turned his head to look at Y/N over his shoulder, and that’s when she noticed the canvas in front of him, a long brush in his hand.

For a moment, Bucky looked like a deer in headlights but when Y/N closed the door behind her and slowly made her way towards him, kneeling down behind him and wrapping her arms around his middle, Bucky relaxed.

Their eyes fell upon the unfinished painting in front of them and Bucky waited for Y/N to say something, but instead she just pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder and admired his work.

The painting was a rather messy one, a combination of acrilic and watercolour mingling together to show a chaotic portrait of Steve. There were droplets of watered down paint running down the canvas, dripping onto the newspaper covered floor and staining it with various shades of blues, pinks and purples.

The look in Steve’s eyes was one of absolute defeat and Y/N’s mind wandered back to the day Bucky told her about recognising his old best friend during a mission. Y/N instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around the brunette’s middle, as if in a feeble attempt to protect him from his painful memories.

“I don’t remember much about him,” Bucky muttered quietly, placing a hand over the arm Y/N had wrapped around his middle. She kissed his shoulder once more, encouraging him share his thoughts if he wanted to.

Bucky sighed. “I don’t remember much, but I wanted to put down what I do remember,” he stated. “A way of... making sure I don’t forget, I guess.”

The brunette’s voice was soft as his blue eyes studied the painting in front of him. He didn’t consider himself to be a particularly good painter, but the piece depicted what it was supposed to. Steve looked distraught, surprised, maybe even a little terrified.

“I can always help you get in contact with him, you know?” Y/N stated quietly, hating the idea of Bucky not being able to reconnect with his childhood best friend. The two obviously had a profound connection and who was she to stop them from rekindling their friendship? Maybe she’d be putting herself in danger, but Bucky deserved to be happy. Besides, if Steve was as great as everyone made him out to be, then he wouldn’t do anything that would risk Hydra finding out about Y/N’s and Bucky’s whereabouts.

“No,” Bucky shook his head at the idea, yet his eyes remained focused on the painting in front of him. He closed them for a brief moment when Y/N pressed another kiss to his shoulder, squeezing him tighter in her embrace.

“Why not? You care about him, and he cares about you. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to speak to him.”

Bucky released a breath, tearing his gaze away from the mess of paint and turning his head so he could look at Y/N instead. Her expression showed curiosity and concern; concern for Bucky’s happiness.

“I don’t remember him that well,” he lied. “Maybe sometime in the future. When more memories come back to me. Until then, all I need is you.”

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, pushing himself up from the floor and pulling her up to stand next to him. Y/N glanced at the painting of Steve one more time as Bucky tugged her out of the room and into the kitchen.

It wasn’t that Bucky didn’t want to see Steve because my God, he wanted to more than anything. He yearned to feel Steve’s hair tickling his cheek as they hugged, or hear his dorky giggle whenever Bucky cracked a stupid joke. He wanted to talk to someone who understood what life was like back in the 40s; someone with the same life experiences as himself.

Y/N was an amazing help in getting Bucky back into the real world. But despite her caring nature, there was still something that was missing; a brother. And unfortunately, that wasn’t something Y/N could be to him, no matter how hard she’d try. Not that Bucky wanted her to; what she was doing for him up to that moment was more than enough, and Bucky knew that he was developing feelings for her.

And much to his own surprise, those feelings weren’t exactly platonic. He cared for her as if she were family and he’d stop at nothing to protect her, sure. But there seemed to be a less innocent undertone to Bucky’s feelings when he really thought about it.

Firstly, sleeping together and exchanging kisses wasn’t a thing that you’d do with any old friend; especially not the kind of kisses where they’d be lying in bed together and he’d be biting her neck and she’d be struggling to breathe. At first Bucky saw it as a distraction from his gloomy thoughts but as weeks passed, he’d find himself craving the softness of her mouth against his.

He tried to brush it off, saying it was his boyish nature making a come-back. He remembered being quite the ladies man back in the day and he figured a part of him still yearned for the closeness of an attractive girl.

Soon, however, he realised that he was completely indifferent to cute girls he’d pass on the street. He didn’t care for the attractive girl who worked at the local library that always seemed to smile a bit too flirtatiously at him, or the cheeky barista who had his favourite coffee memorised.

Bucky didn’t think about any of them longer than necessary and when it came down to relieving his pent up sexual frustration in the shower, it was always Y/N’s pretty lips and soft skin he thought about.

Bucky longed for her comforting touch and feather light kisses. He knew Y/N was the only person in the world who could make his dark thoughts vanish with as little as a tight embrace or stroking his hair.

He cared for her so deeply that the last thing he wanted to do was to put her in danger. After all, she had a perfectly nice life that she could’ve easily kept if it weren’t for Bucky. She could still be living in her giant house in Washington, her father could still make her breakfast every morning and she could be working undercover for Nick Fury.

It was Bucky who took that life away from her and despite knowing she threw it all away willingly, Bucky still felt guilty. It was because of him that her father was dead and that she was on the run in a completely foreign country with no old friends to talk to. It was just the two of them, trying to rebuild lives for themselves without allowing the past to haunt them.

This is why Bucky took it upon himself to make sure nothing would sabotage that. And even though he wanted to see Steve, to talk and be held by him, he decided against it. If Steve knew about his whereabouts he’d come to Romania, and that, in turn, would raise some serious questions within S.H.I.E.L.D.; possibly Hydra, too.

He wasn’t going to risk anyone finding out about where they were; he wasn’t going to risk putting Y/N in danger like that. If he could go seventy years without seeing Steve, he could go another few decades until they would both be old and not remember each other at all.

And so weeks passed, then months, and then a year.

As time passed the walls of their apartment became covered with paintings depicting Bucky’s past, and then, in places like their bedroom, the coloured canvases showed images of Y/N’s sleeping form tangled in the sheets, or her sitting on the bed with a book in her lap or just going about normal, every day things.

Bucky liked the contrast between the dark and scary paintings that covered the walls of the hallway and the sheer purity and tranquility of those in their bedroom. He liked to paint Y/N because it relaxed him. A sense of fear was always present when he tried to put his past down on paper, but when it was Y/N he painted, all he felt was absolute peace.

It was one cold winter night when Y/N woke up to an empty bed. Instead of sleeping next to her, Bucky was situated on a chair at the foot of the bed, one leg crossed over the other, a sketchbook perched on his lap. He wasn’t wearing anything apart from a pair of black boxer briefs and it took him several seconds to realise that Y/N was awake.

“Are you drawing me sleeping again?” Y/N smiled at him lazily, rolling onto her side and draping a leg over the mess of sheets next to her.

Bucky sat with his back facing the window and the street lamps outside cast a subtle glow on the page in front of him. It was almost four in the morning but the sound of drunken teenagers outside their apartment building still resonated through the open window. A chilly breeze made Y/N shudder, goosebumps rising on her skin.

It wasn’t a surprise, really. The temperature in the apartment was unbearable in the evening and all windows had to be opened before they went to bed. Hours later, however, Y/N found herself a little bit cold in just the lavender shorts and simple black bralette she wore to sleep.

Y/N stayed silent for several seconds, watching Bucky’s eyebrows knit together as he continued drawing. His lips were pursed together and his eyes narrowed in concentration; Y/N found the sight of him to be beyond captivating.

After a while, however, she decided to force herself up into a sitting position and push her messy hair out of her face. She glanced at Bucky again, smiling a little as she got onto her knees and moved across the mattress towards him.

“Can I see?” She asked quietly, giving Bucky an innocent grin and leaning forward.

“Nope,” Bucky grinned back, shielding the sketchbook from her view.

Y/N pouted as she leaned towards him and placed her hands on his thighs, her knees glued to the mattress and her middle hovering above the space between Bucky and the bed. The brunette twisted his torso in the opposite direction, a laugh escaping his lips at Y/N’s stubborn nature.

“Come on, Buck. Let me see,” she whined incessantly, reaching out further and attempting to grab the sketchbook. Not really thinking much about it, she lifted her knee from the mattress and placed it on Bucky’s chair; a second later she was sitting in his lap with her legs folded on either side of him.

Bucky laughed again and dropped the sketchbook onto the floor by the chair, a place unreachable for the younger girl who had situated herself comfortably in his lap. Bucky’s fingers were quick to grab onto her hips, holding her in place and preventing her from leaning down and grabbing the object she was so desperate to get her hands on.

“You love to torture me, don’t you?” She shook her head in disbelief, a smile stretching across her face.

Bucky pretended to think for a moment but the dorky look on his face only made Y/N laugh harder.

“Only sometimes,” he answered with a casual shrug of his shoulders, hooking his bionic arm around his friend and pulling her closer. Y/N yelped as their chests collided and she expelled a contented breath upon burying her face in Bucky’s neck.

He held her close, liking the feeling of her warm flesh pressed against him and enjoying the innocent affection she granted him in the form of feather light kisses on his jaw and neck.

“Why are you up at 4am anyway?” Y/N asked quietly, tilting her head back to scan his expression.

Bucky sighed and squeezed her tighter in his embrace, readjusting her in his lap and pressing his scruffy cheek to her chest. Y/N ran her fingers through his messy hair, stroking his scalp slowly.

“Was it a dream?” She was worried he had another one of his nightmares; she despised the affect these bloody memories had on him.

Bucky hesitated, hiding his face in her bralette to make sure she didn’t see the redness on his cheeks. “Something like that,” he finally managed, but when Y/N placed her index finger under his chin and lifted it slightly to see the unmistakable blush across his face, it all clicked in her mind.

“That kind of dream,” she said, more to herself than to him. “And that’s why you couldn’t sleep?”

“Yeah,” Bucky confirmed, closing his eyes in mortification. “I haven’t had a wet dream since I was a sixteen year old boy in pre-war Brooklyn.”

Y/N used his moment of absolute embarrassment to slide off his lap and onto the floor. She had his sketchbook in her hands before Bucky could even open his eyes and by the time he reacted, she was already sitting on the floor with her back pressed to the side of the bed, eyes glued to the sketch in front of her.

Bucky knew he had been defeated and there was no point in trying to get his sketchbook back now; she had seen everything there was to see and he was sure that his face reassembled the colour of the star on his left arm. He slowly slid onto the floor and sat down next to her, glancing at the sketchbook in her hands and beating himself up for putting the image in his mind down onto paper. He should’ve just kept it to himself.

“This is... wow,” Y/N’s wide eyes couldn’t seem to look away and she felt a weird fuzzy sensation in her lower abdomen. Sure, Bucky had drawn and painted her before, but never like this.

None of the paintings hanging from the walls in their apartment depicted her from this angle, in this position and especially not in so little clothing. She tilted her head to the side, looking at the drawing from a different perspective and realising that it was her turn to turn the colour of the communist flag.

“So this is the image that kept you up?”

Bucky remained quiet, hands folded together and resting on his lap. He looked like a child waiting to be yelled at for doing something they shouldn’t have, but Y/N wasn’t angry. In fact, she was blown away with the sheer intensity of the drawing.

And despite it being based on what she looked like sleeping - what she looked like only minutes earlier - there was a weird forties feeling to it. Maybe it was the sexy yet modest femininity of it, or maybe it was the hat she had seen in pictures of Bucky just before he was sent to war. On Sergeant James Barnes it looked adorable but on Y/N it just looked silly, especially considering the rest of the uniform was missing.

Y/N was looking back at her own eyes and she couldn’t quite believe it was her. The face looked like her own, as did the body, but the eyes - blazing, almost whispering “come to me” - looked like the eyes of some other woman; a woman more sexually experienced and open than herself. The thought of lying naked in a bed with a soldier hat on her head and a look of overwhelming need for what could only be sex had never crossed her mind.

Now that she was looking at it, however, the idea didn’t seem that bizarre. In fact, she was picturing it and soon, she felt an unexpected longing to bring this simple sketch to life.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Bucky announced, trying to play it cool. He reached out and tried to pry the sketchbook from Y/N’s hands but she kept a strong hold on it.

“I like it,” she told him suddenly, tearing her eyes away from the page and lifting her head up just long enough for Bucky to notice that she, too, had turned an impossibly red colour. He smiled at her shyness.

Y/N moved to face Bucky, sitting on the back of her calves and continuing to study the drawing. She bit her lip lightly, looking up at Bucky with a smirk she was evidently trying to hide.

“So, uh... the hat?”

Bucky scrunched up his nose as if he had tasted something sour. He looked cute; so embarrassed and at a loss for words yet still amused with the situation. Y/N’s smile remained as she asked:

“Why did you decide to put it in there?” She nodded towards the drawing which now rested on the floor next to them.

Bucky looked to the ceiling as if searching for answers, and Y/N giggled at his attempt to give himself more time to think of a suitable reply.

“I don’t know,” he answered finally. “I mean, before the war I had this fantasy of a girl I was in love with wearing my uniform... or rather the hat and nothing else. I know, it’s dumb but it was just this fantasy I had. It seemed like a funny and cute thing to witness.”

His shrug had Y/N quirking an eyebrow. “Who was the girl?”

Bucky smiled, a lazy kind of smile that made it seem like he was looking back fondly at the memories. Then he expelled a laugh in the form of a tired breath.

“There was no girl. I thought it would be a nice thing to come home to, you know? But the place where the girl’s face would’ve been was always vacant; just waiting for me to meet someone I’d care to come home to every evening.”

Y/N felt a pressure in her chest, realising that now her own face filled that vacant spot in Bucky’s heart. She leaned forward when Bucky finished speaking and pressed a long kiss to his cheek, letting her lips linger there for a few moments.

When she pulled back just slightly, Bucky turned his head so that he was facing her and hesitated before moving closer and capturing her lips with his.

Y/N’s hands slowly moved to his face and she held it in place, fearing that he’d pull back sooner than she’d like him to. Lucky for her, that didn’t seem to be an issue because only a few seconds later the brunette was gripping her sides and pulling her closer, encouraging her to straddle his thighs the way she had before.

The kiss wasn’t broken as she moved forward on her knees, situating herself comfortably where Bucky wanted her. His mouth moved slowly against her own, wanting nothing more than to enjoy every moment to the fullest. Bucky was sitting up straight, his back no longer pressed to the side of the bed and he was putting every bit of emotion he had into the sweet exchange. He could feel every worry and every bad thought he had evaporating with the feeling of her delicate hands holding his face and stroking the back of his head. He could feel himself melting under her, feel the tension disintegrating, his body succumbing to the relaxation that kissing her brought him.

It took a while for it to transform into something more than just innocent kissing on their bedroom floor. But as minutes passed and Bucky felt his mind losing the need to be overly cautious, he stopped kissing her lips and moved further south, connecting his mouth to her uncovered collarbone and feeling her shudder when his breath hit her skin.

Y/N was surprised at first; they had only ever really done this once and the circumstances were entirely different. Last time she could feel his need to release his frustration and tension; it was quick and messy. Y/N didn’t think that they’d ever do it again; she thought it was a one time thing and that they’d go on pretending that it never happened.

She wasn’t going to lie, however. She had thought about and imagined what it would be like to do it again. This time without the fear of someone barging in, or Y/N’s anger and Bucky’s suffering mingling into the tension between them to form a lethal combination. And finally, after several months, she was getting an opportunity to find out for herself what it would feel like.

Her mouth fell open and a gasp escaped when Bucky pressed his tongue flat to the base of her neck and she could feel the corners of his lips curling up at the reaction he provoked. His mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ shape as he allowed his instincts to kick in and sucked a small patch of skin until it turned pink and purple.

When he withdrew, Bucky’s own mouth was swollen and his eyes blazing, begging for Y/N to agree to bring this whole thing to a new level. She didn’t have to be told twice, her own need for something more than just innocent kisses clouded her judgement and the next thing she knew, her fingers were buried in Bucky’s hair and she was leaving hot, open mouthed kisses down his jaw, neck, and finally his chest.

Every movement and every action was fuelled by their need for each other. Bucky was breathing heavily and he had thrown his head back as Y/N’s lips moved down his body and he could already feel himself throbbing like a pathetic teenage boy about to lose his virginity to the hottest girl in school. He was greedy and impatient and Y/N’s mouth felt so good on his heated skin he feared that if she thought it was a good idea to tease him, he’d actually spontaneously combust.

But she wasn’t one for torturing him - at least not that night - and it wasn’t long before she was pulling Bucky’s boxers down his legs and giving him a cheeky wink before situating herself between his parted outstretched legs and pushing him past the swell of her lips. Only a short moment passed before Bucky succumbed to his primal instincts and tangled his metal fingers in her hair, the other fumbling with the strap of her bralette, wanting so bad to just rip it off.

“Fuck,” he muttered, expelling a deep groan and throwing his head back. Bucky had almost forgotten how good oral sex could feel and the sight of Y/N between his parted legs wasn’t helping to delay his imminent orgasm. Her mouth felt warm and wet around him and the tiny sounds she was making - the quiet hums and heavy breaths every time she’d come up for air - had Bucky whimpering out her name.

Bucky’s cock looked so good in her hand, her feminine fingers wrapped tightly around the hard, pulsating shaft. But the sight of the swell of her lips against the bulbous head, or her pink tongue licking up the tiny beads of pre-come, had the brunette gasping for air, eyes watering with tears at just how amazing she was making him feel.

For a moment Bucky’s vision remained glued to the ceiling, lips parted as he wondered how it was possible for him to feel so much pleasure after decades of nothing but suffering. A mere few months ealier he believed it was impossible to escape from the pain; yet here he was safe, happy, with the girl he knew he was falling in love with making him feel things he didn’t know were possible.

He pulled her hair lightly and she moaned around him and glanced up. Y/N’s eyes met Bucky’s and he watched as his length disappeared into her mouth again, deeper than before.

“You’re gonna have to slow down a bit,” Bucky told her, a bit breathless. “I’m not going to last long if you keep doing that.”

But Y/N was adamant on making him feel good and refused to go easy on him. Her eyes watered as he hit the back of her throat, time after time, and it wasn’t long before Bucky’s metal fingers were tightening the grip they had on her hair and his mouth was falling open, tiny little groans falling past his swollen lips.

He came in short hot spurts down her throat and when he was absolutely spent Y/N began peppering sweet little kisses up his stomach until she reached his neck.

“Was that any good?” She asked quietly, kissing the spot right below his ear and feeling Bucky’s hands begin to wander. He stroked her sides, still a bit breathless, and then he was turning his head and connecting his mouth to her jaw.

“You’ve no idea,” he responded, a yelp escaping her lips when he lifted them both from the floor and placed her gently on the bed, smiling coyly before getting to work on returning the favour.

For two years everything was going beyond fantastic. Bucky was slowly recovering, taking his time to go back to a normal life. He was painting every week and even sold some of his works to a small art gallery in town where people could admire his talent. He took up cooking, and found enjoyment in surprising Y/N with new recipes he’d find on the internet. He befriended the guy who lived in the apartment opposite theirs and took care of his dog whenever he’d leave town to see his family.

Bucky was happy; he was living a normal life and he could go out for walks every evening and watch the leaves falling in autumn and curl up next to the girl he loved when he was cold and just enjoy the wonders of a simple life.

As for Y/N she grew to love her job. Fixing electronics was something she liked and everyday she’d wake up happy to go to work. It wasn’t a difficult job which required a lot of energy; for Y/N, going to work every morning was like a hobby she was getting paid for. Over the two years they spent in Bucharest she had learned the language and even convinced Bucky to go on a week long trip to explore the country’s places of historical value. Long story short, Bucky really fell in love with the Dracula Castle and upon their return home, he read Stoker’s “Dracula” and painted the spooky fortress.

James Buchanan Barnes was a creative soul and took up many artistic activities. At the beginning it was just painting and drawing, but as time passed things like cooking, writing and even knitting were added to the list. Y/N found the sight of him sitting under a blanket in the living room with knitting needles in his hands and a collection of different coloured wool next to him, a concentrated frown adorning his face, to be beyond amusing. His first finished product was a thick yellow scarf that Y/N loved to wear to work on cold winter mornings.

Unfortunately, their time of peace came to an abrupt end two years after their arrival to Romania.

Initially, the day started off like any other. Y/N woke up first and peppered kisses all over Bucky’s face until his eyes opened and he was awake. The brunette made breakfast as she showered and got dressed, and by the time she was ready to go to work, Bucky had placed a whole stack of pancakes on the kitchen island for her to eat before leaving.

She kissed him again when she entered the kitchen, thanking him quietly for the breakfast and munched on her food while Bucky worked on preparing eggs and bacon for himself.

“So, what are your plans for today?” She questioned casually, taking another bite of her pancake.

Bucky flipped the eggs and grabbed his mug of coffee, taking a generous sip as he leaned against the counter. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll do a bit of grocery shopping.”

Y/N finished her food and then headed to work, a smile present on her face as she went about her business at the store. It was a pleasant day; the place wasn’t particularly busy and she had lunch with one of her co-workers before heading home for the day.

Bucky’s day, however, was far from relaxed. Sure, he headed to the library and returned the books he was finished reading. But upon arriving at the market where he did most of his and Y/N’s grocery shopping, he realised his day was only going to get worse.

It started off when the guy working in a kiosk sent him a fishy look. Bucky pretended he didn’t notice, but the guy kept staring at him and when Bucky decided to step closer, he exited the small booth and ran.

Then there was the newspaper which had his face plastered onto the front page, announcing that Bucky had been involved in a bombing in Vienna on the same day he spent in bed with Y/N doing absolutely nothing.

The article led to Bucky rushing home and finding no one else but Steve Rogers standing in his and Y/N’s living room, looking at the paintings on the wall with an expression of utmost disbelief.

The piece he was looking at was Bucky’s very first painting, depicting his blonde best friend the day he was ordered to kill him.

Bucky felt strangely uncomfortable having Steve look at the painting. The nervousness of having Steve so close to him dominated the thoughts he had about being hunted down by the police.

Steve turned slowly upon realising he was no longer the only person in the apartment and Bucky honestly felt at a loss for words. His mind was absolutely blank and looking at Steve standing across the room in his silly American flag uniform made him feel both scared and surprisingly relieved.

Then his mind wandered back to Y/N and he wondered how he’d explain all of this to her.

“Do you know me?”

The question could’ve been answered one of two ways, and thinking about the circumstances and consequences, Bucky figured the best thing to do was to lie.

He avoided contacting Steve for two years in fear of putting Y/N in danger but there he was, at their apartment, and Bucky knew that it was only a matter of time before someone would knock down their door and try to shoot them.

“I know you’re nervous. And you have plently of reasons to be.” Steve always knew when Bucky was being dishonest. “But you’re lying.”

“I wasn’t in Vienna. I don’t do that anymore.”

A male voice sounded from Steve’s radio, warning them that only seconds separated them from being attacked. Steve ignored his friend, eyes focused solely on Bucky.

“I can see that,” he told him, looking around him, acknowledging the little love nest Y/N and Bucky had built for themselves. Steve’s eyes briefly wandered to the photograph of Y/N perched on the wall, recognising her as the girl who helped take down S.H.I.E.L.D. two years earlier. Steve knew what she did for Fury, but he also knew that she was Pierce's daughter and that she was involved with Hydra for years. He didn't like the idea of this girl snatching Bucky away from him, no matter what she had done to help Fury.

Steve diverted his attention back to Bucky, deciding now was not the time to lecture him on his choice of friends. He'd do that later.

The brunette had moved towards the door, listening to the noise of footsteps approaching the apartment.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck."

"It always ends in a fight," he responded, sounding rueful. He could already feel the happiness being drained out of him. He knew that there was no going back and there wasn't a chance of Y/N coming home that afternoon and cuddling up next to him on the couch. Never again would they lay in bed together in this lovely little apartment they shared and talk about nonsense like why giraffes had long necks or why there was no gravity on the moon.

Bucky knew that escaping from this world of violence and brutality was too good to be true.

"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve's voice got louder with the increasing volume of the German special forces standing outside the door. They could hear their talking, getting ready to knock down the door.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

And then it began; a tear gas canister was thrown in through the window and the front door was knocked down all in the space of a second. Bucky succumbed to his instincts, not thinking much as he fought his way through the special forces, attempting to escape the building with Steve trying his best to keep up with him.

What he didn't know was that it was all pointless.

•••

Y/N's grin remained as she entered the apartment building, her earphones in her ears, an upbeat tune adding a swagger to her step. She walked up the steps to their floor, noticing the unusual mess on the staircase. She brushed it off, assuming that one of their neighbours was renovating their apartment and proceeded upstairs.

When she got to her destination, Y/N’s heart began to hammer in her chest at the sight of the broken down door, realising that the mess on the staircase originated from inside her and Bucky’s apartment.

She pulled her earphones out, not bothering to turn off the music, too distracted with the sight in front of her.

Y/N cautiously stepped over the rubble on the floor and quietly entered the apartment. She was paying attention to being exceptionally quiet. At first she assumed that someone might have broken in, but no burglar would make a mess of these proportions. She feared the absolute worst.

But before Y/N could even get a good glimpse at the living room, she was already being pinned down to the floor, her hands being pulled behind her and cuffed.

The young girl struggled beneath the weight of what she soon learned were German special forces, catching a glimpse of the letters on the back of their jackets.

“Ms Pierce?” One of the agents asked, and Y/N briefly wondered what would happen if she said they had the wrong person. Would he apologise for attacking an innocent civilian who simply walked into the apartment to check what all the commotion was about?

“That would be me,” she responded breathlessly, still situated on her stomach, trying to get a look at the four men surrounding her. They all wore black and had a number of weapons strapped to their uniforms, heavy helmets protecting their heads.

“We’re going to need you to come with us,” the male told her, roughly hoisting her up to stand on her own feet.

•••

The worst thing about the whole ordeal was that as Y/N was being forced into the grey bulletproof van which waited outside her apartment building she still had no idea what was going on. Of course, she figured it had something to do with Bucky and she was already freaking out internally but she refused to let it show. After all, these guys could easily use it against her and she had no intention of finding out how they would do that.

”Hey, no need to be so rough with me,” she told the agent as he pushed her inside the van, having already uncuffed her. Y/N rubbed her sore wrists as the door was slid shut, a frown visible across her face. She almost didn’t notice the guy sitting next to her, or the other two in front of her, one of which she soon realised was Steve Rogers.

”Who the hell are you?” The question tumbled past her lips before she realised and an expectant frown was present across her face as she turned to the guy on her left. His eyebrow was cocked.

“Hey Steve, I didn’t realise we were picking anyone up. I thought the boys left to get food.” His sense of humour was surprising, considering the circumstances. He turned to Y/N and flashed a smile. “I’m Sam, Captain America’s best buddy and also a fucking idiot for following him like a stray dog.”

Steve released a tired breath, shaking his head without turning to look at Sam. The guy sitting next to him remained silent.

“And who are you, may I ask?” Sam questioned, trying to seem polite.

The van began to move and Y/N thanked the heavens she had been uncuffed. She slowly put on her seatbelt and was just about to respond to Sam’s question before she was interrupted by Steve.

“Alexander Pierce’s daughter. One of the most important and skilled people at Hydra. Responsible for ninety percent of the crap we’ve had to deal with.”

The young girl narrowed her eyes, glaring at the back of Steve’s head. It was as if he felt her eyes on him and turned slowly, looking at her over his shoulder with a bitter smile.

“Did you have a good time hiding Bucky from me? What kind of lies did you feed him, huh?”

Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line, trying her best not to explode. She was already fuming and they had only been in the van for less than five minutes. She had yet to find out where they were taking her and her anger only grew with each passing minute.

“For your information I was the one who helped Bucky escape. I don’t know what Fury told you, or rather what he hasn’t told you, but I was working for him for months, trying to take down Hydra. So you can shut your mouth before I make you.”

A moment of silence followed, and even the guy sitting next to Steve raised his eyebrows in astonishment.

“Feisty,” Sam muttered under his breath, and nothing else was said until almost an hour later. By then, Y/N found out they were being transported to Berlin, thanks to the agents talking in the front seat, and realised she was in deep, deep trouble.

The guy sitting next to Steve turned out to be the new king of Wakanda, also the country’s protector known as the Black Panther. He seemed a little condescending to Y/N and she didn’t like the way he spoke of Bucky, so when Sam asked him if he liked cats, mocking his vibranium suit, she had to cover up her laughter with a forced cough.

Sam, in turn, sent her a cheeky grin and Steve told them to be quiet.

By the time they arrived at the facility in Berlin after what had to be the longest and most tedious car ride of Y/N’s life, Sam had explained the entire situation to her. He kept his voice low, not wanting the agents in the front seat to hear everything, and Y/N was thankful to have somebody tell her what was going on.

She wondered what Bucky was feeling. Was he scared? Did he know she had been captured, too? Hundreds of questions rushed through Y/N’s mind at a thousand miles per second and not a single one of them could be answered.

However, upon being permitted to leave the van once they arrived - and feeling an awful cramp in her legs after sitting down for so many hours - Y/N finally caught a glimpse of Bucky.

He was situated in a giant glass cube, strapped down to his seat by metal cuffs. He was frowning, seemingly deep in thought, but when his eyes met Y/N’s from across the building his expression softened. He went from frustrated to shocked to confused to scared in the space of a second and Y/N gave him a sad smile before she was led away to be psychologically evaluated along with the other three guys she shared the ride with.

Lucky for her, by the time they got to the floor on which they’d be kept, Y/N had been separated from the rest of the group and placed in a room by herself.

The place surprised her; she was expecting a cell but instead she was led to a small office with television screens, a conference table and a sofa by the wall. She wasn’t in there five whole minutes before the glass door was pushed open and an individual with a familiar face stepped in.

“Nice to see you again,” Y/N told Natasha, sending her a small smile as she situated herself on the sofa. She crossed her legs over each other, waiting for the red head to say something.

“You would’ve seen me sooner if you hadn’t vanished into thin air two years ago,” she joked, then her expression turned more serious. “Fury had me look for you for months. I’ve never seen anyone just disappear like that. Well done.”

Y/N chuckled at the compliment, running her fingers through her hair. “What’s gonna happen to Bucky?”

Natasha cleared her throat, avoiding Y/N’s gaze. She hesitated before replying.

“Psychological evaluation and extradition. Who knows what the US or the Wakandan government will decide to do to him after that.”

A moment of absolute silence passed. Natasha felt awkward being the person to tell Y/N about this. The younger girl, on the other hand, was too busy worrying about Bucky to realise.

“And what could that involve?”

Natasha’s lip quirked up into a tiny grin. “Stop worrying about Barnes. He’s safe downstairs. You have other things to worry about.”

Y/N cocked an eyebrow expectantly.

“They want to charge you for helping a criminal escape from the country and for what they believe is betraying S.H.I.E.L.D. and the US government. They think that you and Barnes have been working for Hydra all this time you were missing.”

Y/N’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Tell me about it,” Natasha scoffed.

Both of their heads turned towards the door when Tony Stark stepped into the room. He looked focused, a little distraught, maybe. Y/N had heard a lot about him from Fury but never actually got the chance to meet him. It was weird to finally get the opportunity to introduce herself in these terrible circumstances.

“Take a seat, Nat. I’m gonna need you to back me up here.” Tony motioned towards one of the chairs at the conference table and Natasha smiled softly before sitting down.

Tony shut the door, silently circling the table until he was standing in front of Y/N. He casually leaned against the glass surface, giving her a small smile.

“I’m Tony. I can’t say I’ve heard a lot about you from Fury, but I know a substantial amount.” He held his hand out and Y/N shook it, reciprocating his smile.

“Now, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is I was talking to the guys downstairs and they’ve decided that they’re not going to question you about anything until you arrive in the States. They don’t want the German government getting theirs hands on any information the US is not willing to share. And despite it sounding like a good thing, believe me, it’s not.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, waiting for Tony to elaborate. She could feel herself becoming more and more nervous with each moment that passed and she yearned to return home to Bucharest and forget this whole thing ever happened.

Tony smiled sadly again. “They’re convinced you’ve been working for Hydra over the past two years but Natasha here,” he nodded towards the red head, “knows that you’ve actually been recruited by Fury. Unfortunately Fury had gone into hiding a few weeks after what happened in Washington so he can’t confirm anything. To make matters worse, no files with your name exist since Fury didn’t want your father knowing you were working undercover. They think you’re more dangerous than Rogers.”

“What’s the good news, then?”

Tony chuckled quietly at how impatient she was being.

“The bombing in Vienna took place during the signing of the Sokovia Accords. I’ve spoken to a few important people, pulled a few strings and they have agreed to forget the whole thing if you stand on our side. If you also agree to the terms of the Accords.”

Y/N was utterly confused. “What has any of this to do with me?”

Tony looked to Natasha who then continued, “The guys downstairs figured that you and Barnes are together. The Secretary of State thinks that if you sign the Accords, Barnes will follow your steps and surrender unconditionally. They’re hoping that if Barnes is on our side, Rogers will sign the Accords, too. A chain reaction.”

“Basically they want to use you to get Cap to sign.”

Y/N still didn’t know what to feel about this whole thing. She knew that Bucky didn’t mean to do any harm, so he’d probably have nothing against ending this whole thing in peace. However, the smile on Tony’s face made her feel as if he was hiding something from her, trying to trick her into something she’d later regret.

“Sorry, Mr Stark, but I’m not going to sign anything or take sides until I know what’s really going on here. Something doesn’t feel right and honestly, right now, I have better things to be doing than being used by the government.”

Tony’s grin seemed to disappear but he kept his cool, nodding his head curtly and silently walking out of the room with Natasha following.

•••

Y/N remained in her comfortable prison for a little bit longer. She was brought food by a young girl who only spoke German and she spent the majority of her time there pacing the room, trying to understand what on earth she was supposed to do.

It wasn’t like she could just push the door open and leave. Or could she?

She got the opportunity to find out when the lights in the room switched off and an alarm began to blare so loudly she feared it would burst her ear drums. The door to Y/N’s room opened on its own and red emergency lights flashed imminently on the ceiling.

She slowly stepped towards the door and peaked her head out, noticing that the corridor outside was absolutely deserted. She took a deep breath before exiting the cell, cautiously making her way down the corridor. She tried to be as quiet as possible, looking over her shoulder every couple of seconds to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She decided to descend the stairs and see what all the commotion was about. After all, her door wouldn’t have opened without a reason.

She wandered through corridors, climbed and descended several sets of stairs but she couldn’t seem to figure out where the hell she was going. A voice coming from an intercom located somewhere in the hall told everyone to evacuate themselves from the building immediately but there seemed to be nobody where Y/N had been locked up.

She continued trying to find her way to an exit for what had to be at least ten minutes. The building was giant, consisting of a maze of long windowless corridors and the lack of lighting wasn’t exactly helpful. Y/N was sure she had been walking around in circles until she caught a glimpse of red in the corner of her eye.

She turned quickly and released a breath when she realised it was Bucky. But her relief was short lived. Bucky was trudging towards her, his hair having fallen in front of his eyes and he looked angry yet focused.

“Buck?” She asked softly, and it was only when he didn’t reply that she realised she wasn’t talking to her soft, loving Bucky who liked to paint and knit her scarves.

The Winter Soldier gripped her wrist, remaining completely silent as he pulled her towards another staircase and forced her to climb up, throwing her over his shoulder when he realised she couldn’t keep up with him.

“Bucky, what are you doing? What happened?” Y/N asked, trying to get through to him. Warm wind whipped through her hair before she heard a door closing and it was then she realised they were on the roof of the building.

Bucky didn’t say anything as he carried her. The Winter Soldier walked over to the helicopter located on the centre of the roof and yanked the door open, throwing Y/N inside without much care.

The younger girl rubbed her elbow as he circled the machine, getting in on the pilot’s side and preparing to take off. Y/N’s heart was beating like crazy; for one, she had no idea how they managed to activate the Winter Soldier. Bucky had told her about his trigger words but he assured her that nobody outside of Hydra knew them. Besides, why was the Winter Soldier escaping with her?

What Y/N didn’t know was that two years back, when her father first assigned her to work with the Winter Soldier, they had reprogrammed him so that he wouldn’t hurt her. He had been programmed to protect her at all costs and always put her safety first.

Having been activated by Zemo, the first thing the soldier thought of was bringing Y/N to safety.

The helicopter had just lifted off the ground when Y/N noticed the door through which Bucky had carried her opening, and Steve exiting in a hurry. He ran towards the helicopter and Y/N assumed he must’ve grabbed onto the skids because suddenly they stopped lifting up.

Y/N noticed that Bucky was looking in the other direction; too focused on getting Steve to let go. She looked out the window, noticing that the helicopter was only about two metres off the ground. She glanced at Bucky again but he wasn’t looking at her.

Y/N took a deep breath before hurriedly opening the door and doing what had to be the most stupid and dangerous thing in the whole world, and jumped out of the helicopter.

She landed gracefully on her feet and didn’t look back as she ran in the opposite direction. She passed Steve, who didn’t even notice her and made sure she wasn’t anywhere near the helicopter as the blonde super soldier continued to pull it down.

Y/N was breathing heavily, wishing she could help but the only thing she could do was watch. She was surprised by Steve’s strength when he succeeded in stopping the helicopter from taking off, but her surprise turned to fear when the helicopter, Bucky and Steve all fell into river beneath the pad.

She ran towards them but by the time she got to her destination they had already fallen, and she stared at the water below, praying to God that they would be alright.

She stayed there for a moment, her eyes wide open with fear as she watched the helicopter sink to the bottom. Moments passed and nothing happened, until she finally saw a head of blonde and a head of brown appear above the surface.

She released a breath of utmost relief, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. She pursed her lips, breathing in heavily. She had to get down there, and fast.

•••

Bucky regained consciousness two hours later.

By that time, Steve had moved him to what looked like an abandoned metalwork factory, and situated him on the concrete ground with his vibranium arm held in place by a hydraulic press.

Sam had joined them, as had Y/N. She sat with Wilson in the corner while Steve kept a watchful eye on what was going on outside. No one seemed to have figured out where they had gone to.

“I mean, I’m not an expert but I don’t think anyone should just jump out of a helicopter,” Sam joked, watching as she smiled ruefully and glanced towards Bucky. He was still unconscious and Y/N was growing worried.

“She has done a lot of stupid things, Sam. This isn’t the first,” Steve stated from across the room, turning back to the group. Y/N glared at him again.

“Oh, yeah? Like what for instance? Make myself a target for a terrorist organisation to save your best friend? Participate in the killing of my own father to save your ass while you were on that damn Helicarrier? Please, enlighten me, because I would really like to know why you hate me so damn much.”

“If it wasn’t for you, Bucky could be living happily in Brooklyn with me right now. None of this shit would be happening if you could just follow Fury’s orders and hand him over once you escaped from Hydra,” he told her, his voice gruff, laced with sheer anger.

She wasn’t sure when, but next thing she knew, Y/N was standing up and her fingers were balled into fists. About ten feet separated her from an angry Steve and honestly, she was just itching to punch him.

“Please, are you actually stupid enough to believe that the government would just let him out into the streets and permit him to have a normal life? They’d put him in a high security prison and you wouldn’t have seen him ever again.”

Sam decided to butt in, his voice calm. “She does have a point, Cap.”

“You’re a selfish, crappy agent who couldn’t even do her job right. All of this is your God damn fault... What happened in Washington is your fault because you couldn’t stop your daddy in time. And why? Because you’re just like him.” Steve pointed a long accusing finger at Y/N and she scoffed at his stupidity.

“You watched Bucky suffer for years. You watched him be Hydra’s puppet and you did nothing to stop them.”

Y/N was fuming.

“The second I saw a chance to help him, I took it, Rogers. Not all of us have super soldier serum running in our veins.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You have to accept-”

“Shhh,” Sam suddenly interrupted, raising his index finger. The two looked towards him and then diverted their attention to Bucky when Sam nodded in his direction.

He was waking up, his eyes fluttering open and Y/N could feel relief flooding her senses. He groaned quietly, quickly realising that his arm was immobilised and that he wasn’t the only person in the room.

“Y/N? Steve?” He whimpered out, forcing himself into a sitting position. He looked around the room, disoriented.

Y/N’s heart clenched in her chest and she smiled softly before deciding to make her way over to him. Before she could even take a step forward, Steve had grabbed her bicep, preventing her from moving towards him.

He turned his head to the brunette. “Which Bucky am I talking to?”

Y/N yanked her arm out of his grip. “That’s enough,” she told him angrily.

Steve looked at her again, almost seething with rage. “It’s enough when I say it is.”

Y/N glared at him and made her way over to Bucky. He was situated on a stone stool and she smiled lovingly at him as she kneeled between his parted legs. She cupped his face gently, looking into his eyes.

“How are you feeling, Buck?” She asked softly and he smiled back at her, allowing his free hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind his ear.

“I’ve been better,” he told her and chuckled lightly before adding, “I didn’t get to finish that grocery shopping.”

Y/N laughed, too. “And I forgot to do the laundry last week. We’re even.”

Steve coughed behind her, snapping them out of their little moment. Bucky looked towards him, feeling calm as Y/N gently stroked his face and watched him carefully, making sure he wasn’t injured.

“What did I do?” Bucky asked, sounding apologetic and regretful. Y/N wanted to tell him that none of what happened was his fault but Steve interrupted her before she could.

“Enough.”

Y/N looked at Steve over her shoulder, sending him a warning look. “Could you be useful and get him out of this contraption?” She motioned to the hydraulic press with her head. Her voice was laced with bitterness and even she was surprised by how angry the blonde made her.

Steve rolled his eyes but complied without a word, returning to his initial spot when Bucky’s arm was freed. Y/N laced her fingers with his own, kissing his knuckles one by one, just like that day two years back when he showed up at her kitchen.

He inhaled sharply, looking at Y/N as he spoke. “Everything Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the god damn words,” Bucky explained ruefully.

“Who was he, Bucky?” Y/N asked softly, wanting nothing more than to kill the guy herself. The brunette glanced at Steve, then looked down at her and smiled apologetically.

“I don’t know.” He narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment. His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed. Y/N associated this expression of concentration with lazy afternoons, those silly knitting needles in his hands. “He wanted to know about Siberia. The place where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where.”

Steve looked concerned. “Why would he want to know that?”

A moment of silence lingered and even Sam looked eager to find out why. Bucky’s eyes remained on his girlfriend, knowing exactly what she was thinking and feeling so guilty for being a part of everything that had happened. Neither one of them was guilty for what had yet to be explained, yet both felt liable.

Y/N pushed herself up from the ground, brushing the dust off her jeans. She turned to Steve.

“Because Bucky’s not the only Winter Soldier,” she told him quietly, glancing at his face briefly. She diverted her attention back to Bucky, knowing that he hated talking about any of this.

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked to Y/N. She moved to stand behind Bucky, one hand on his shoulder, the other twirling a strand of his hair between her fingers. She was so happy to have him alive and well.

“Who are they?” The blonde questioned.

Y/N sighed. “The most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in Hydra history. And that’s before the serum.”

“How do you know all this?” Wilson questioned, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Bucky raised his head and looked up at the younger girl, offering her a sad smile.

“I hacked into old Hydra files after we moved to Bucharest. I wanted to find out more about what was happening.”

Sam turned his attention to Bucky. “Did they all turn out like you?”

“Worse,” he answered. “These guys, they speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilise. They can take a whole country down in one night and you’d never see them coming.”

Y/N watched as Sam approached Steve and they proceeded to talk quietly between themselves for a few moments.

While they busied themselves with discussing the situation Y/N moved to kneel in front of Bucky again and kissed his cheek.

“None of what happened was your fault, okay? Don’t blame yourself for it,” she told him and Bucky smiled, kissing her mouth lightly.

“I’m sorry for all of this. I hate that they arrested you because of me,” he apologised and she shook her head at him.

“It would be twenty times worse if I just returned home from work and you were gone. If I had no idea what happened to you. I wouldn’t stand it.”

She pecked his forehead and stood up, turning to Steve expectantly. He was already looking at her.

“We need a place to spend the night,” he announced, and Y/N’s mouth curled up into a smirk.

“I know the perfect place.”

•••

The “perfect place” turned out to be a house that Pierce had bought years back due to his constant visits to Germany. It was there he stayed the weekend a sixteen year old Y/N found out he was responsible for the death of her mother. Y/N knew the police wouldn’t check the house. After all, there was no record of her existence in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s old files and nobody apart from Nick Fury and Maria Hill knew where she lived prior to leaving the US. There was no way they knew about a vacation home Pierce had purchased back in the 90s.

They didn’t leave the factory until after sunset, wanting to lower the chances of being caught. They arrived at the house close to midnight and Y/N smiled when she found a spare set of keys under a flower pot by the gate to the back garden, just where she remembered her father leaving it years earlier.

She entered the house first, switching on the lights and looking around. Bucky was behind her, studying the expression across her face as she drank in the sight of her childhood vacation home. Her parents had brought her to Berlin several times in her younger years and even after her mother was killed, she’d visit the house with her father.

“You alright?” The brunette asked her softly, and Y/N nodded her head, smiling when he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“There’s enough bedrooms upstairs for everyone to get a good night’s rest. Unfortunately there’s no food so we’ll have to figure something out. I can always head out and buy something or we can just order food. I doubt the pizza guy works for the government,” she told them.

Steve and Sam headed upstairs in search of the bedrooms while Y/N moved to the living room. The whole place was perfectly clean, just the way she had last seen it and Y/N gulped at the sight of pictures of herself, her father and her mother perched on the wall.

“Hey, don’t pay attention to any of this,” Bucky told her softly, standing in front of the photograph of her father so she couldn’t see it. He stepped closer to her and embraced her in a hug, holding her tightly when she buried her face in his chest.

“It’s been such a long day,” she muttered, tightening her grip on him, wanting nothing more than to get into bed with him and sleep for a few hours. She wanted to be held by him and she wanted to kiss his shoulder and cuddle him forever.

“Go take a nice long shower. I’ll order some food,” he assured her and kissed her forehead before retreating.

“There’s a stack of food delivery brochures in the cabinet next to the fridge. Order a lot. I’m starved.”

Bucky smiled again as she headed up the stairs and to her old vacation room. She passed one of the guest rooms on her way; the door was open and Steve and Sam seemed to be in a deep conversation inside.

She decided not to interrupt and as told, took a long shower, changed into an old pair of pyjamas and collapsed on the bed. The food arrived almost forty minutes later and she had to drag herself downstairs, grabbing a wad of cash from another one of Pierce’s hiding spots and paying for the delivery.

The group ate around the kitchen island and when they were finished, everyone headed to bed. Lucky for Y/N, Bucky was just as eager to sleep with her head on his chest and not even a minute passed after they climbed into bed that both of them were fast asleep.

•••

The next morning consisted of getting into a “borrowed” VW Bug and meeting Steve’s friend, Sharon, to pick up their weapons and suits. When that was out of the way the group drove to the airport and discussed what they were going to do on the way.

Despite not being a super soldier, or a trained assassin, or having a wicked set of falcon wings, Y/N had a job of her own and she was happy to help.

Her mission consisted of staying by Sam’s side while he located the Quinjet the opposing team had arrived in, sneak on board, do some hacking and wait for the rest of the group to join her so they could fly to Siberia.

Y/N watched from a well hidden spot as Steve went outside and talked to Tony. His goal was to distract him for a few moments, giving Falcon an opportunity to find out where the Quinjet was before the inevitable fight would begin.

Y/N had to admit, she was nervous. Sharon had equipped her with tight fitting fighting gear and weapons which she was more than acquainted with using; she had guns, knives, high tech explosives and even a taser strapped to her clothes but none of these things was of any help in calming her nerves.

She wasn’t even that anxious for herself; she was more afraid of what would happen to Bucky. This entire ordeal was caused by the stupid fake psychiatrist who just couldn’t seem let go of the past and Y/N wished she could use the weapons she had on no other person but himself.

Y/N made sure not to be seen as she headed in the direction Sam had told her to go and kept a secure hold on her gun while she ran. The fight was only beginning, and Y/N tried not to pay attention to any of the punches thrown and just focus on her own mission. Lucky for her, Bucky wasn’t anywhere in sight and she could easily proceed towards the hangar, going unnoticed by the distracted team.

It was only when Y/N got inside and climbed on board that she released a sigh of relief.

The inside of the Quinjet was sleek and modern, nothing out of the ordinary for Tony Stark and his need for everything expensive and extravagant. Not that she was complaining; because of the fact the Quinjet had been programmed similarly to his Iron Man suit, Y/N’s job of hacking the system and sabotaging his work was made easier.

She was a bit out of breath from the running she had to do in order to get to her destination but she got an opportunity to rest when she took a seat at the console and got to work. Pulling out her USB flash drive, Y/N’s smile widened as she got to work. She hadn’t had an opportunity to have a little fun with computers in a while.

Her focus remained as she began messing with Tony’s suit, beginning with minor faults like not being able to locate targets and then slowly making him lose the ability to shoot or fly too fast.

“Can’t believe I’m saying this but well done. Keep up the good work, Y/N,” Steve said through her earpiece and she was just about to respond when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

She jumped slightly, not expecting anyone to be behind her, and upon turning her chair to face the intruder she almost gulped.

Natasha was standing over her and despite the circumstances, she looked amused. Honestly, the red head didn’t expect Barnes to bring his girlfriend to the fight. He thought they had hidden her in some safe house until all of this would be over. It was a big surprise to her when Tony told her someone was messing with his suit and asked her to check who stood behind it.

“Secretary Ross isn’t going to be impressed when he finds out about this,” Natasha stated, her tone confident and warning.

“And who’s going to tell him about it? You?” Y/N cocked an eyebrow, surprised with her own relaxed tone.

Natasha, believing she had the situation under control, took a step back and motioned for Y/N to follow her. She wasn’t expecting a fight; after all, who on earth would want to start a fight with her when they had an opportunity to avoid it?

And because Y/N was smart, she figured getting her hands dirty wasn’t a good idea. At least not for another while.

She released a breath, groaning at being caught and pushed herself up from her seat, following Natasha off the jet. It was only when their feet hit the concrete ground of the hangar that the fight ensued.

Natasha wasn’t expecting it so when Y/N attacked, she was unprepared. The red head was good at defending herself in hand to hand combat and tried to throw a few hard punches but Y/N managed to block them. The younger girl seemed to be able to predict Nat’s every move and after a solid minute of fighting and not being able to take her down, Nat began to grow agitated.

Who on earth could’ve taught her how to fight like this? It surely wasn’t Rumlow.

Y/N inhaled sharply before jumping high into the air, placing one foot on Nat’s hip and throwing her leg over her shoulder. She swiftly moved around her, managing to throw her off balance and cause Nat to fall onto the concrete. In a flash Y/N was straddling her waist, using one of Sharon’s fancy toys to immobilise her.

“Where did you learn to fight? Why are you able to predict my every move?” Nat was breathless but she couldn’t stop the question from tumbling past her lips. Her brows were furrowed and she was beyond confused, shocked at her own failure to predict this would happen. She should’ve guessed, the moment she found out Y/N was at the airport, that Bucky wouldn’t bring her here if she was helpless.

Y/N’s lip quirked up into a smirk and she sent Natasha a small wink. For a moment the red head even thought Y/N might have been trained in the Red Room like she was but she knew that couldn’t have been it. Her father wouldn’t send her off to be trained into a killer by the Soviets.

“We had the same teacher,” Y/N told Nat, pushing herself up and leaving the other girl unable to move on the ground. “He taught me a few things over the last two years.”

She turned her back and rushed back onto the jet, continuing her task from earlier on until finally, she was joined by Bucky and Steve, taking off from the hangar before the door was even properly shut.

•••

The flight was long, but no where near as frustrating as the drive from Bucharest to Berlin. Steve decided to take control of the Quinjet the moment they were out of the opposing team’s reach and Y/N smiled at him gratefully before making her way to the back where Bucky was situated.

“How was the fight?” She asked softly, sitting down next to him. She had pulled one leg underneath her and sat facing Bucky’s side, peering up at his face with a tiny smile. She was happy he didn’t get hurt.

“Same as any other,” he told her. “At least no one got killed.”

She pressed her lips to his clothed shoulder and he reciprocated her smile. Bucky noticed the dark circles under her eyes and felt bad for her. She didn’t have super soldier serum like himself or Steve and the events of the previous two days had taken their toll on her.

Firstly it was the stress, secondly the lack of sleep and lastly the fear for Buck’s well being. He smiled sympathetically and reached out his metal arm, stroking her cheek gently.

“Tired?” He asked, and she nodded lightly, releasing a breath. He patted his lap, sitting back on the bench and inviting her to use his legs as a pillow. She complied without much convincing, closing her eyes and feeling Bucky’s fingers stroking her side, his other hand gently playing with her hair.

“Sleep for a while,” he told her.

Y/N was asleep within moments, loving the feeling of Bucky’s warmth and his hands stroking her flesh ever so delicately. The Quinjet was filled with silence, the occasional sigh or cough being heard until Bucky finally spoke up almost an hour later.

The flight to Siberia gave him a chance to think about everything; their actions and consequences, what would happen when all of this would be over and if he’d get the chance to live normally again.

Truth be told; Bucky hated fighting. He hated having to use violence, he hated guns and he hated the way people treated him because of his past. It seemed that no body understood him - he felt like even Steve wasn’t exactly on the same page as himself - but he was willing to keep going; having Y/N on his side was enough to motivate him to fight for their happiness.

“What’s going to happen to your friends?” Bucky asked suddenly, looking fondly at the sleeping girl situated comfortably with her head on his lap. Her hair was soft between his fingers and he loved the tiny peaceful smile across her face.

Steve didn’t respond immediately, continuing to stare at the vast expanse of clouds ahead. They were nearing their destination; the ground beneath the jet was covered in snow and the screen in front of Steve informed him it was well below zero degrees Celsius.

The blonde sighed. “Whatever it is, I’ll deal with it.”

He thought the response was good enough to satisfy Bucky, especially when he decided to remain silent for a long moment after it. But Buck wasn’t exactly okay with it; his mind was overflowing with thoughts of everything and he felt guilty for not letting the special forces shoot him when they found him in Bucharest.

None of this would’ve happened.

“I don’t know if I’m worth all this, Steve.”

The younger guy’s mind seemed to freeze for a short moment and he almost turned to Bucky with the most confused and frustrated expression but instead, he kept his eyes on the clouds in front of him. He pursed his lips and willed himself not to tell Bucky how stupid he was being. Steve wished they could go back in time to the 40s when, even with the war going on around them, they felt happy and at peace.

“What you did all those years, it wasn’t you. You didn’t have choice.”

“I know.” Bucky bit the inside of his cheek, continuing to play with Y/N’s hair. “But I did it.”

The feeling of her next to him relaxed Bucky and he was so damn thankful to have her with him through all of this. She could’ve easily signed the Accords like Tony asked her, and gone back to a normal life on her own. But there she was, risking her life time after time just to be with Bucky. Even Steve had noticed the sacrifices she’d made over the years and a part of him knew that despite her past, she was good for his best friend.

“Look, you have a girlfriend who’s ready to go to the ends of the earth to be there for you, to protect and to care for you. I know I was unkind to her because of what she did two years back but I can see the way she looks at you. She thinks you’re worth all this, as do I, and I will try my hardest to make you believe that because you deserve to be happy.”

Bucky smiled sadly, and when Steve glanced at him briefly over his shoulder, he realised that Bucky was biting his lip, willing it not to quiver.

The Quinjet didn’t land for another while, and when it did, Bucky gently shook Y/N awake and kissed her cheek.

“It’s time to go,” he told her softly, and she allowed him to pull her up into a standing position, handing her the waist holster she decided to take off earlier on.

They got their weapons ready and Steve stood next to Bucky as they waited for the back door of the jet to open. A cold breeze whipped through Y/N’s hair as she stood behind them, making sure that her gun was loaded.

“You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?” Steve asked suddenly, and Y/N lifted her head at the question despite it not being directed at her.

Bucky looked at Steve and grinned.

“Was that the time you used our train money to buy hot dogs?”

“You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead.“

Y/N involuntarily raised her brow, lips curving up at the edges.

Bucky’s eyes narrowed in thought. “What was her name again?”

“Dolores. You called her Dot.”

Y/N removed the safety from her gun and took a step forward so that she was standing between them. The door was almost open by then.

She looked up at Bucky, sending him a playful smirk.

“Dolores, huh?” She asked, faking jealousy. Steve chuckled when she sent Bucky a wink and proceeded to exit the Quinjet.

“She's gotta be a hundred years old right now...” Bucky trailed off, looking to Steve.

The blonde laughed, patting Buck on the back as they followed Y/N outside.

“So are we, pal.”

It wasn’t long before the group realised the fake psychiatrist from before had arrived at the Siberian base hours before they had. The door to the base had been opened and there were no signs of the guy’s footprints on the snow, having been covered with a brand new layer.

Bucky feared the absolute worst. He knew the guy had enough time to awake the five other Winter Soldiers before they arrived and as they entered the facility, he instinctively moved in front of Y/N, shielding her from any danger which could’ve arisen ahead.

They hustled through the cold air and whizzed sneakily around dark concrete corridors, their weapons ready to be used if needed.

The base was huge, located underground and the trio had to take an old rusty elevator to get to the bottom. It was eerily quiet and the place almost had a sinister quality to it. As they moved, following Bucky to where he knew the soldiers were kept, Y/N wondered how many people were held captive there, how many people were tortured, and brain-washed and how many of them simply weren’t able to survive it all.

They were in the midst of climbing a narrow set of stairs when the noise of a metal door opening made them turn around. Y/N held her gun up, pointing it in the direction of the sound, noticing that Buck was doing the same thing next to her. Steve stood on a lower step, holding his shield tightly.

Y/N’s face contorted in confusion when Tony Stark emerged from behind the door, hidden behind his Iron Man mask, and looking strangely relaxed. The light of the arc reactor in the suit was almost blinding in the dim, windowless corridor. He continued towards them, removing his helmet.

“You seem a little defensive,” he stated casually, and Steve began to descend the short set of stairs to get closer. He was still holding his shield up, unsure about what was going on.

“It’s been a long day,” he responded cautiously.

Tony’s eyes quickly moved to where Bucky and Y/N remained.

“I’m not currently after you, Barnes,” he stated, then glanced at Y/N. “Thanks for messing with my suit, kid,” he told her, and she rolled her eyes.

“My pleasure,” she responded bitterly.

“Ross has no idea I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way,” Tony continued, moving to lean against the concrete wall. “Otherwise I’d have to arrest myself.”

Both Y/N and Bucky lowered their weapons at the sight of Steve doing the same. Her finger remained on the trigger, however, just in case Tony was trying to be cunning again. Y/N learned the hard way that it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Well, that sounds like a lot of paper work,” Steve chuckled, and Tony smiled. The blonde lowered his shield entirely and gave the other Avenger a small nod. “It’s good to see you, Tony.”

“You too, Cap.”

Unfortunately, the peace between them was short lived. Tony had found out that the Winter Soldier was framed for the Vienna bombing and he wished to forget about it and help them take down the other five super soldier plus the vengeful Zemo.

But things never went as planned for Tony and upon being exposed to the horrifying truth that on December 16th, 1991, Bucky had murdered both of his parents, Tony simply lost it.

Y/N’s heart ached as she watched Tony’s eyes fill up with unreadable emotions, watching the video of his parents being murdered. The sound of his mother crying out for Howard bounced off the concrete walls and Y/N could feel Bucky stiffening next to her.

She looked up at him, and saw the utmost guilt in his expression. His eyes were welling up and Y/N wanted to wrap him up and tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that it wasn’t him who did all of this. Unfortunately, when Tony turned to her boyfriend and looked at him with rage, Y/N realised that now wasn’t the time to do that.

She instinctively stepped in front of Buck, holding her gun tight when Tony attempted to charge towards the brunette. Lucky for her and Bucky, Steve pulled him back.

Tony stared at Steve expectantly. “Did you know?”

A moment of silence followed.

“I didn’t know it was him.”

Tony was losing his patience and despite not liking the guy too much, Y/N felt bad for him. “Don’t bullshit me, Rogers. Did you know?” He demanded through gritted teeth.

Steve hesitated and nodded his head ruefully. “Yes.”

Tony took a step back and glanced at the screen again. Y/N held her breath as she watched him weighing his options and for a moment she even believed he was going to let this whole thing go. Maybe he understood that Bucky wasn’t in control of the things he did in the past; that none of this was his fault.

But this was Tony Stark; the guy basically ran on vengeance and there was no way he’d let Bucky just forget about it.  

Another fight ensued and while Bucky, Steve and Tony threw punches, kicked and shot at each other, Y/N decided to do the smart thing and follow Zemo outside.

She knew Bucky would be fine. He had to be. Besides, Cap was there to protect him, and someone had to find the idiot who stood behind all this. Y/N noticed Zemo trying to sneak off when he thought no one was watching but he ought to have known better than that.

The snow crunched under Y/N’s feet as she made her way outside. Her heart was beating rapidly with the effect of adrenaline and she tried to distract herself from thoughts of Bucky by circling the base in an attempt to find Zemo.

When she found him, he was sitting on a rock with his back facing the building, overlooking the vast expanse of snow ahead. Y/N stayed hidden behind a wall, noticing that he wasn’t alone. Next to Zemo stood T’Challa, the infamous protector of Wakanda who wanted her boyfriend dead.

For a moment Y/N even considered shooting him from her current spot but she figured she shouldn’t let her anger towards him get the better of her. Besides, she doubted any bullet could penetrate his vibranium suit.

“Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them,” he stated and paused for a moment. Y/N wondered why but she couldn’t see his face from where she was standing.

“I’m done letting it consume me,” he added, surprising the girl hiding behind the wall. “Justice will come soon enough.”

“Tell that to the dead,” Zemo responded, and before Y/N could react he was pressing a gun to the underside of his chin and T’Challa was catching the bullet in the palm of his hand, saving Zemo.

She came out of hiding when T’Challa had yanked the gun out of Zemo’s hand and threw it onto the snow behind him.

“The living are not done with you yet,” the Wakandan king reminded him, and turned his head upon hearing Y/N’s footsteps. She kicked the gun farther away, coming to a halt about three feet away from where the two were situated, T’Challa’s arm pressing down firmly on Zemo’s throat.

“And neither am I,” she added, tossing a pair of iron cuffs in T’Challa’s direction. He caught them with one hand and gave the younger girl a small nod before forcing Zemo to lay down on his front, pulling his hands behind his back, and putting the metal bracelets on his wrists.

“I know Barnes is innocent,” T’Challa told her, and she gave him a grateful smile. She watched as T’Challa hoisted Zemo up to stand on his own feet and then began tugging him in the direction of his jet.

“What are you going to do with him?” Y/N questioned, expecting to hear something about a Wakandan prison; the place he wanted Bucky to be transported to when he was being questioned in Berlin.

“Hand him over to Ross,” he answered, then looked towards the entrance of the base. “Don’t worry. I have him. You should probably return to your friends. I’ll stay here and make sure he doesn’t try to escape. I’ll be waiting for the others to come out so I can personally apologise to Barnes.”

Y/N nodded and spun on her heel, hurrying back inside the base. Her speed increased as she ran through the building, tapping her foot impatiently as the elevator carried her to the bottom.

She was out of breath by the time she got to the area where the now dead soldiers were kept. Only a mess remained on the ground, all caused by the fight between the three men. Y/N’s brows furrowed as she followed the rubble on the floor, soon catching a glimpse of Steve who was helping Bucky walk, holding his weight and stopping him from falling.

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat as she ran over. It was only then that she saw the damage done to her boyfriend’s prosthetic; most of it was gone, only a fraction of his bicep left. Loose wires and sharp fragments of soot covered vibranium remained. Bucky’s face was bloody and he was weak on his two feet.

When Steve noticed her, he whispered something to Bucky and then the latter looked up.

“My God, what happened?” Y/N demanded, grabbing a hold of Bucky’s face and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Steve was still holding him, allowing Y/N to take in the sight of her boyfriend and do what she had to.

Bucky’s lips curved up into a tiny smile at the sight of Y/N and she stroked his face, looking for other injuries she mightn’t have noticed yet.

“I’m okay,” he reassured her, but even Steve knew she wasn’t buying any of his crap.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again. Do you hear me, Buck?” She told him, and Steve chuckled at her threat, knowing it to be true.

“Come on, let’s get him onto the Quinjet,” Steve motioned for Y/N to help him with Bucky’s weight and she didn’t have to be told twice before wrapping an arm around the brunette’s middle.

“There’s someone outside who wants to speak to you,” she said quietly, and Steve sent her a questioning look but she didn’t elaborate.

•••

The sound of Y/N’s high heeled shoes echoed off the walls of the Wakandan facility as she followed Ayo, T’Challa’s head of security down the lengthy corridor.

“Thank you for everything,” Y/N told the other woman when she stopped in front of a tall white door and motioned for Y/N to go inside.

“My pleasure,” Ayo smiled, flashing a set of pearly white teeth and walking away.

Upon landing in Wakanda with Steve, Bucky and T’Challa, the new king assigned Ayo to make sure nobody in the States would find out where they were and find them a place to spend the night in the facility. She was a kind woman with a short temper and T’Challa was surprised with her niceness towards Y/N.

Y/N pushed open the door and peaked her head out from behind it before finally entering.

It was a brightly lit, modern room with all sorts of technologically advanced equipment. A pretty Wakandan nurse sat behind a computer in the corner and she smiled at Y/N when she entered. She was surprised with everyone’s kindness towards her after everything that had happened.

Y/N’s eyes darted across the room to where Bucky was situated on a comfortable examination table, his feet dangling above the floor. He was wearing white, the remaining part of his bionic arm covered by a black fabric of sorts, preventing the loose metal from scratching his ribs.

He smiled when she approached him and she reciprocated the gesture as she moved to stand between his parted thighs and placed her hands of his shoulders.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him softly and Bucky reached out to wrap his arm around her lower back, pulling her closer to him.

“Better than yesterday,” he chuckled lightly and she leaned over to kiss his forehead, her hand stroking his face lightly.

“I love you, you know?” She asked, and her boyfriend’s smile widened.

“I know,” he answered quietly, craning his neck and silently asking for another kiss on his lips. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him gently and loving the little grin on his face when she withdrew.

“Are you sure about this?” She questioned after a moment, her smile faltering a bit. Bucky’s decision to go back into cryo surprised her and she wanted him to change his mind but refused to stand in his way if this is what he really wanted.

He remained silent for a moment and she tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear, kissing his mouth again.

“I can’t trust my own mind. So until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think that going back under is the best thing for everybody,” he told her quietly, sending her a sad smile when he was finished.

“Not for me,” she replied, her tone laced with disappointment. Bucky kept his eyes on her, noticing that she was trying to stay strong in this entire situation but that her facade was crumbling. He tightened his grip on her and she buried her face in his neck, feeling his warmth and savouring every second of it. 

“Am I interrupting something?” She heard a voice behind her, and turned around to see Steve standing by the door with his hands in his pockets.

She shook her head at Steve and pressed a long kiss to Bucky’s forehead before retreating, allowing Steve to say goodbye to him before the doctors arrived.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back,” Bucky whispered to her as she was turning to walk away and she sent him a weak smile. 

Y/N and Steve stood by a wall as the proceedings began and she had to bite back a sob when the glass capsule closed and a white cold fog began to fill the space within it.

“Why didn’t you stop him?” Steve asked softly, eyes still focused on Bucky’s sleeping form inside the capsule. It was a peaceful yet horrifying sight.

“I wanted to, but after decades of not being able to decide his own fate, I thought I’d let him choose what he wanted to do without interfering,” she answered equally softly.

Y/N took in a sharp breath before spinning on her heel but before she could exit the room, Steve had placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” He asked, genuinely concerned. Despite their rough start Steve had actually grown to respect Y/N. She helped Bucky, she loved Bucky and Bucky loved her. What kind of a friend would he be if he came between that?

“No, but I will be,” she answered with a weak smile and continued out the door, letting it swing closed behind her.

T’Challa was standing alone in the corridor outside, looking at the vast expanse of trees on the other side of the window. It was raining, and Y/N almost scoffed at the fact the weather matched her gloomy mood.

She slowly made her way towards him and came to a stop when she was standing on his left.

“Did everything go as planned?” He questioned, and Y/N nodded.

“He went ahead with it,” she answered, biting her bottom lip.

“And what about you?” He turned his head towards her and studied her expression. He knew the feeling of losing someone most cherished by you; he understood the emptiness in her chest and the indescribable tightness of her throat.

“You know he’d hate for you to do this,” T’Challa noted, and she expelled a heavy breath, looking up at him from between her damp eyelashes.

“Good thing he doesn’t get to decide what I do,” she replied, then pursed her lips. “So where is this other cryo room you told me about?”

The taller guy smiled at her sorrowfully.

“Your bravery amazes me,” he declared, and Y/N chuckled sadly, glancing out the window, knowing it would be a long time before she saw the outside world again.

T’Challa motioned for her to follow him. “Right this way.”

tags: @stxnninq @spn-worm @becksly9 @melissalovesmusicyay @asirenscalling @green-spotlight @crownofmanga @mauve022 @bddybrnes @zoebet

[septic84]

Renewable Energy

I really, really did not like Daniel Howell. We had worked in the same office for the last five years, innovating and selling products and processes for businesses to ensure what they were producing was done so in a way to promote better benefits for the environment. Our firm, Fortress Ozone, was dedicated to lessening human and industry impact on the climate, and that was something I could get behind. I agreed to take this job offer because I wanted to make a difference, and quickly climbed the ranks to one of the company's top performers, to his credit, so had Dan. 

A03

It didn't take long for management to realize that we did not get along. Three years ago, they had put us on a project to present a more climate beneficial, renewable energy source to Ireland’s largest manufacturing plant, and it was a disaster. Individually, we both had our parts down, but when Dan and I didn't agree on one key argument, the entire thing had crumbled. He had gone behind my back to management, telling them that I was unreasonable, did not understand the project and that he couldn't work with me. We both were removed from the project; I was humiliated and I had never really been able to let that go.    

“Phil, I know that you and Dan don't get along,” my supervisor Jackson started, “He is a top performer and so are you. So, they want you both to go to America.” This was going to be a struggle. Dan was always vocal, boisterous and animated, which made me uncomfortable. I liked to unassumingly fade into the background whenever I could. He also was a snake who liked to stab people in the back. “I haven't forgotten the Ireland fiasco, but this comes from the top.”  

“I get it, Jack,” I said, resolutely. I knew this would happen sooner or later. Dan was really good at his job, there was no doubt about that. So was I.  

He took a deep breath. "There's something else,” he hesitated. “One room, double bed.”    

“Oh,” was all I could say. Not only did I have to work with him again, but I also had to sleep in the same room as well. “There isn't anything you can do?” I said, carefully.  

“No,” he said, smiling sympathetically, “I did try.”  

I sighed, it looked like I was stuck. “Does Dan know yet?”    

He shrugged, “Milo's telling 'im,” Milo was Jackson's counterpart in management and somehow had Dan wrapped around his little finger.    

“Should be fine then.”  

He nodded. “You leave tomorrow.”  

“On a Saturday?”  

“Yes. That's the plan.” He handed me a packet of information and a plane ticket. “Head home, get packed, yeah?”  

“Okay.”  

I had called a car to take me to my flat, it was small and was co-inhabited by my prissy cat, Pemsky. Pemsky somewhat came with the place, she was always climbing the nearby tree and sitting on my balcony. At first, I didn't notice, but when I did I realized she was there every day when I returned from work, disappearing about an hour later. One day, it was raining and windy and she appeared, almost pleading to be let in. Her fur was dripping and covered in leaves, I wasn't heartless so in she came and in she stayed. From that day on, she lived with me and not just on my balcony.    

I opened the door and heard her jump down from wherever she was to come to greet me. “Heya Pem,” I bent down and stroked her. “Had a good day?” She wound around my legs, begging for food. Pemsky did everything on her terms, she only allowed me to pet her when she wanted and demanded I attend to her every need, which I did. She had me trained just as Milo did Dan.  

Dan, I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to spend an entire week with him at this conference. We were to fly out, work out the presentation and present the final product on Thursday. I really hoped the time had matured him, or maybe he had gotten over the last project, but he hadn't so much as glanced in my direction since so chances were slim.  After packing and confirming with my brother that he would be able to look after Pemsky, I headed out to Tesco to get some basic things to take along on the trip. I knew we would have a food budget, but I was very particular about my coffee.  

I had to be at the airport at 6:00 am on a Saturday, thanks, job. Our flight left at 8:00 am.  I saw Dan in the line a few places behind me, once I had checked in, I sat and waited for him, bouncing my knee up and down, clutching to my pillow. He saw me and sat next to me, silently.  

“Hi, Dan.” He looked at me, he looked terrible.    

“Hi,” He looked back down.    

“You okay?”  

“Like you care. Listen, I don't want to lose this one too, okay?”  

I shook my head, starting with the attitude, great. “Right.”  

“Who brings a pillow as carryon?”  

“I guess I do,” I said shrugging.  

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Perfect.”  

“I don't know why you want to argue, it's not even half 6.”  

“I don't. In fact, I don't even want to talk to you. I know how you are.”  

“What the hell does that mean?'  

“You know damn well, Lester.”  

“Dan, can we please keep things civil? I want to have a successful trip. You know as well as I do, we both were handpicked because we are dedicated and good at our positions. We are up against some pretty solid competition; let's remain professional, then we can show off our talents and our company.”  

He scoffed. “God, you are so up your own ass.” He ran his hand through his hair. The conversation was left there due to the plane boarding. This trip was going to test every ounce of patience I had.  

As we boarded the plane, Dan was nervously chewing on his lip, it was then it dawned on me, Dan was a nervous flyer.  He looked at me and I gave him my best reassuring smile, he rolled his eyes.  We somehow had gotten seats right next to each other, that meant the next 11 and a half hours were going to be excruciating.    

As the pilot announced we were about to take off, I heard him inhale and exhale slowly, his hands had a death grip on the armrests and his eyes were closed,    

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I said  

“Just shut up, Phil,”  

I sighed annoyed, I knew he was scared, but his attitude was not helpful. As we pulled away from the runway and lifted into the air, I watched Dan’s knuckles turn white. “We're almost past the worst part for a while,” I said. He didn't respond, but his grip loosened slightly. Once we were in the air and flying smoothly, Dan’s eyes peaked open and I saw him glance out the window.  

“Feeling better?”  

“Yeah, yeah,”    

“That seemed rough for you, I’m sorry,”  

“Why are you sorry? You’re a Pratt, I bet you can’t wait to get back and tell everyone what a baby I was,”  

“I wouldn’t do that, Dan,” I said quietly, putting my earbuds in and closing my eyes. I wasn’t going to listen to him being an asshole anymore. I was trying to be nice, but it was clear that it wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to bicker and frankly, I wasn’t interested in doing so, especially since the flight had just taken off.    

Dan nudged me, “Wake up,” He said, pulling out an earbud,  

“Hm?”    

“I need to go to the toilet and you are in the way,”  

“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, I shifted so Dan could squeeze past me. 5 hours had passed, which meant food would be coming soon. I was starting to get hungry. Dan came back shortly after, squeezing past me to get back to his seat,  

“How are you feeling?”  

“I’m fine.”    

“Food should be offered soon,”  

“Yeah, great. Could you just shut up?”  

“I could try, but It’s not really in my nature,” I swore I saw him smirk out of the corner of my eye.  “Still don’t want to call a truce?”  

“I doubt it would work. You remember Ireland,”   “Yeah, I remember a lot of things about Ireland,” I said, softly. Apparently, Dan had forgotten that while in Ireland we had actually worked very well together, before the blowup.  

“What does that mean?”  

“Nothing, forget it.”  

“No, you can’t just say something like that and not finish,”  

“I just did,”  

“See? This is what I am talking about, you’re so fucking annoying Lester,”  

“Well, it would seem that is a trait we both share, Howell,”  

Dan put his earbuds in facing away from me.  I was done trying to talk to him, at least as much as I could help it. If he was this crabby now, I couldn’t imagine what he would be like once the jet lag set in from the 8-hour time difference.  

When it was announced that the landing may be a little rough due to a weather system in LA, Dan’s face paled and he grabbed the armrests again. We hadn’t spoken once since we called each other annoying, but I couldn’t help myself,  

“Deep breaths, you’re okay,” He didn’t say anything, but he did start to take deep breaths. We had hit a rather bumpy patch of turbulence and Dan’s hand slipped off the armrest and was suddenly clutching mine. I believed this was a complete accident, however, I reassuringly rubbed my thumb on the back of his hand. I figured he was going to snatch his hand out of mine as quickly as he could, but he didn’t. He only let it go when we were still on the runway and told that it was time to exit the plane. He was blushing but didn’t say anything.  

“We have to get an Uber to get to the hotel,” I said to him as we entered the airport, “Do you want to walk around a little and eat first?”  

His head was low, “Why are you being so nice?”  

“Because I am nice, you seemed to have forgotten that, but that’s alright. I’ve got a week to remind you.”  

We went to the Café in the Airport and placed our order, and though I fully expected him to sit as far away from me as possible, surprisingly, he sat at the same table across from me.  It was 11:00 AM in LA, it was the lunch rush and as Dan watched people, I watched Dan. When he wasn’t focusing on trying to present himself a certain way, he actually looked soft, friendly and he was cute.  

The server brought our meals and left us be, I drank two cups of coffee straight away, adding a lot of sugar, I couldn’t wait to get to the hotel to make my own.  

“Wow, that’s a shit-ton of sugar, mate,”  

“I like sugar,” I said in my defense.  

“Apparently,”  

Once back at the hotel, Dan flopped down onto one of the beds,  

"You're going to sleep?"  

"Well, no shit,"  

"Uh, don't you think we should get on the local schedule?"  

"It is 2:00 pm, Lester, that means that I wouldn't be able to sleep for what? 5 hours? Is 8:00 pm acceptable?"  

"I just want us to be at our best for Monday, we have to start to make a plan,"  

"You think? Will you actually work with me this time?"  

I sighed, "I wanted to work with you last time, you shut me out then stabbed me in the back."  

"Of course, you would see it like that,"  

"You know what, fine, Dan. Go to sleep. Do what you want like always, never thinking of anyone else." I grabbed my room key and walked out the door. I was hoping we could move past Ireland, but it didn't seem like Dan was interested in doing so. I walked around the surrounding area, checking out various shops, I was trying to waste time to keep myself awake. Maybe Dan was just overly grumpy when he was tired. I wanted to remain hopeful of the chance at a pleasant experience. My legs started to get sore, so I walked back to the hotel. I tried to open the door as carefully as I could so I didn't wake him up.  What he was doing was thrashing around in his sleep, he was having a nightmare. I went back to the door, opened it and let it close loudly this time, it woke him up.  

"Holy shit," he looked disoriented,  

"Sorry, are you okay?"  

He flushed red, "I'm fine, Lester, mind your business."  

"Sorry I was concerned, my mistake," I said casually as I walked into the bathroom. When I came out, he was sat up with his head in his hands.  

"What time is it?"    

It's shortly after 4,"  

"I feel like shit,"  

"Jet lag,"  

"Yeah, probably."  

"Would you like some coffee?"  

"Ah yeah. That would be good."  

"Coming right up," I unpacked, set up to make the coffee, and heated the water in the microwave. I handed it to him, adding sugar to mine,  

"Wow, that's a lot of sugar, mate,"  

I shrugged, "it's how I like it,"  

"Oh god," he coughed as he drank it, "this is terrible coffee."  

Well, I like this coffee," I pouted slightly, "and you're welcome, by the way."  

"Right, yeah, thanks,"  

I smiled, "that's better. So, ever been in LA?"  

"No, first time, you?"  

"Nope, first time as well, are you nervous?"  

"How do you mean?"  

"About the presentations, about trying to win this contract?"  

"Oh, that. No. That part never makes me nervous. It's the flying, but you already knew that,"  

I smiled sympathetically, "yeah,"  

"I wish they would have given me more notice, I could have gotten a prescription,"  

"Yes, I could have used more of a heads up too,"  

"Did they wait and tell you at the end of the day Friday?"  

"Yep. I had to beg my brother to look after my cat, I had no plan." He smirked.  

"You have a cat,"  

"I do, her name is Pemsky, she is a rescue, and she thinks she owns my flat." I smiled fondly.  

"What kind of a name is Pemsky?"  

I shrugged, "it sorta just happened."  

"That is a specific name to just be random,"  

"I'm a specific kinda guy."    

He laughed, "I'd say"  

It dawned on me that we had just had a civil conversation that was more than 5 words, pressing my luck, I said, "Do you want to go get dinner somewhere? Maybe a walk will help clear your head,"  

He considered it, "I am hungry,"  

"I saw a cute little Sushi place a few blocks away,"  

"Yeah, Sushi is good,"  

"Wow, did we just agree on something?"  

"I mean it's Sushi, you'd have to be mad not to agree to that,"  

After he took a shower and spent an ungodly amount of time getting ready, we found ourselves walking into the small restaurant. We were sat next to a large fish tank filled with fish of varying breeds and colors.  I kept looking from the tank back up to him, trying not to be too obvious.  

"Got something you want to say, Lester?"  

Damn, he noticed, "no,"  

“Right,”  

"Are you going to be ready for Monday?" I blurted out.  

"Yeah, we'll have to go over things, but I'm ready, are you?"  

"Yeah, I think so,"  

"It's just unfortunate that all this work could be for nothing,"  

"Well, we get to see LA and free food!" I held up my drink.  

He nodded, "yeah, that's true,"  

We sat and talked while we ate our food for about an hour. We had been getting along for the entire meal (the drinks probably helped)  

"Wow, this is the best Sushi I've had for a while,"    

"Yeah, same. Very good."  

After we had paid the check and left, Dan hesitated before walking towards the hotel, "Did you forget something?"  

"Ah, no,"  

I arched my eyebrow, "okay?"  

"Hey, um,"  

"Yeah?"  

"So, we've had a good meal, right?"  

"Why does that sound like a loaded question?"  

"You know what, forget it, never mind,"  

"What? No, what were you going to say?"  

"You're just going to be a dick about it,"  

"That doesn't seem fair, I don't even know what you're going to say,"  

"It's just that, I've never been in LA, and I doubt I ever will be again. There's this club, and I'd like to go,"  

"Okay,"  

"Like, could you go with me?"  

He was so cute and nervous, I swallowed. "You want me to go to a club, me, Phil Lester?" I was still skeptical.  

"See, I knew you'd do that!"  

I held my hands up, "excuse me if this seems unusual to me, I just wanted to make sure I understood,"  

"What don't you understand? So?"  

"Is this the reason it took you so long to get ready?"  

"Shut up, I look good,"  

"So, where is this club?" His eyes lit up.  

"We will have to get a car, but it's not too far,"    

"What type of club is it?"  

He sucked in a breath, "That's the thing,"  

"Oh, here we go,"  

"Please just hear me out, okay, I'll owe you."  

"You'll owe me, huh,"  

"Yeah whatever, so this club,"  

"This isn't like a BDSM club, is it?"  

"What? No, it's a gay club," he judged my reaction, he must have judged it wrong because he started to ramble, "Listen, It's a cool club, one of the biggest. Don't worry, I won't let any guys hit on you or anything, or like flirt with you. This is a once in a lifetime for me, I wish I were brave enough to go alone, but I'm not," I pushed my finger to his lips, shutting him up,  

"Dan, breathe," he backed away from my finger.  

"So?" His eyes were so hopeful, he seemed so young.  

I shook my head smiling, You're an idiot, but okay,"    

The smile on his face was so genuine that his dimple popped out, it made butterflies swirl in my stomach. He grabbed my hands jumping up and down, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  

"Yeah, yeah, we should call a car."  

When we arrived, we had found a small table off to the side, by clubbing standards, 10:00 PM was early. I watched Dan look around excitedly, taking in his surroundings. "What do you want to drink?"  

"You're buying me a drink?" Misunderstanding me again he said,  "Not like that! Look, I know that you're uncomfortable here, I am thankful you were willing to come,"  

"Wow, Dan Howell showing appreciation?"    

"This is the problem with you, you never know when to shut your mouth,"  

"Guilty as charged. I like sweet drinks,"  

"Of course you do, I'll be right back,"    

We sat and sipped our drinks, watching the people filter in by the numbers. Dan had started taking pictures, "I can't believe I'm actually here, oh my God."  

"It sure is cool," It wasn't as if I hadn't heard of this place, it was the most popular gay club in LA. I watched more and more people enter and I started to get nervous. Dan must have noticed my trepidation.  

"Don't worry if a guy hits on you, I'll run blocker,"  

"Right,"  

Several drinks and songs later, (at least for Dan, I had two and hadn't danced. I don't dance unless it's on a DDR pad) Dan was pretty intoxicated.  He was out dancing again and I was "saving our table," when a tall blonde approached me. His smile was as wide as he was tall,  

"Hey," he yelled over the music, "I'm Scott."  

"Phil," I yelled back  

"How is it going, Phil?"  

"Can't really complain, first time here."  

"Oh, you're British, sexy," I blushed, "Wanna dance?"  

"Oh, no. That would be a big mistake for me, Scott, I can't, "  

"Hey, babe!" Dan slid his arms around my shoulders, "who's this?"  

"Scott, Scott, Dan,"  

"Hi, Scott, nice to meet you. Babe, I'm getting a drink, you want something?"  

"Water, please," Dan smiled,  

"Well, it was nice meeting you both, have a good night," Scott left.  

Dan sat down, smiling, "Sorry Phily, forgot how alluring your blue eyes are,"  

I smirked, "Alluring, huh?"  

"Shut up, as if you didn't know,"  

"Scott seemed nice,    

"Scott probably wanted in your pants,"  

I shrugged, he laughed. "You are the most chill straight man I have ever met,"  

"Well, I'm,"  

"Oh, I love this song, BRB," I smirked as I watched him scamper back to the dance floor. A few songs passed and a much more intoxicated Dan skipped over to our table, "come dance with me, Phily,"  

"No, I don't dance," he grabbed my hand and pulled me up, "Dan, no, you're really pissed,"  

"You're really pretty" he paused, "oh my God, I'm sorry. I'm that guy I said I'd protect you from."  

I laughed, "We should probably go, it's late and we have to prepare for Monday,"  

"Booooo, boooo Phil, boooooo,"  

"You'll be thankful when you keep your job, sober Dan loves his job,"  

He sighed, "Drunk Dan does too," he started to stumble and fall, I caught him before he hit the ground. He looked up at me, meeting my eyes he breathed out, "wow,"  

I righted him, "come on dancing queen, time to go back to the hotel," he nodded and slipped his hand inside of mine. Using that to my advantage, I pulled him along as I used my other hand to order an Uber.  We were outside waiting for the car, "You're so boring, like responsible and adult level boring,"  

"Once again, you'll be thanking me when you can still make rent,  

"See, that's the the thingie,"  

"The thingie?"  

"You just take over and be all like smart, and your face may be pretty, but it's also stupid,"  

I laughed, "I'll take it,"  

"Was nice for you to do this," he stumbled again and I pulled him to my side to keep him stable. "You smell like warn,"  

"I smell like warm?" I laughed as I felt him burrow closer to me.    

"Yeah, warm," the car had arrived, Dan was sleepy and was very agreeable which made getting him into the Uber easier.  

Dan was asleep on me in minutes, I had to admit that being this close to him was comforting. As the car pulled up to the hotel, I woke him up,  

"Dan, wake up,"  

"Nooooo,"  

"Yes, we need to get you to bed," I paid the driver and got Dan back to the room,    

"I'm so sleepy,"  

"Yeah, I bet you are, take off your shoes,"  

"Don't wanna,"  

"Don't then, I don't care. Goodnight," I grabbed my bag and went into the bathroom, I showered, brushed my teeth, and hung up my wet towel. When I walked back out into the room, I heard Dan snoring softly, "you're going to be sick tomorrow," I said to the sleeping man. I noticed his shoes and clothes were in a pile next to his bed, I hoped he at least had his pants on. Shaking my head, I turned off the lights and went to sleep.  

I was awakened by my phone; I fumbled for it and saw “Jackson” on my display. “Shit,” I muttered,    

“Fuck, make it stop,” Dan groaned,  

I got up and went into the hall, “Hello?”  

“Hey there Phil, getting settled okay?”  

“Yeah, getting used to the time change, you know.”  

“Right, have you guys talked about the presentation yet?” He asked hesitantly.  

“Ah, no. The jet lag is really bad,”  

“I understand, but you can’t lose this one, Phil,”  

“I know, we will be ready,” I assured.  

“Milo wants me to talk to Dan,”  

“Oh, Dan’s in the shower right now,” I covered for him, though I’m not sure why I did.  

“Oh, right. Well, he’s okay too, yeah?”  

“Sure,”  

“Phil,”  

“He’s Dan, Jackson, what do you want me to say?”  

He snorted, “Fair enough, keep me posted,”  

“I will, bye.” I snuck back into the room,  

“Turn your fucking phone off,”  

“I can’t, that was Jackson,”  

Dan struggled to sit up, a look of panic crossed his face, “Shit,”  

“Don’t worry, you’re good,”  

“Yeah, I’m sure you were forthcoming with my current state, weren’t you?”  

I shook my head, I guess last night changed nothing, “It’s too early for this, I told him you were in the shower, so it’s fine.”  

“I have to call Milo, explain,”  

“You will only damn yourself, I covered for you.” It had just gone 9, so I set an Alarm for 11:00. “Go back to sleep, we have work to do later,”  

“Bloody hell,” He said stumbling out of bed to the bathroom. I set tablets and a water bottle on the nightstand and laid back down.  

“You better not have been talking shit, Lester,” He snapped as he went back to bed.  I missed the curly-haired cuddly Dan I saw last night, that Dan I could stand.  

“Just go to sleep,”  

We had gone over the presentation twice, Dan had three cups of my “terrible” coffee and had started to become short-tempered.  

“Why do you want us to fail?”  

“How do you know we will fail? I have worked on this for hours; the statistics speak for themselves.”  

“It’s so boring, though, we need to awe them, it has to be a show,”  

“How do you mean?”  

“We are in LA, Phil, not London.”  

“Right, so what did you have in mind?”  

“This,” Dan went through several examples of how to add “pizazz” to our project, he wasn’t wrong. It did look better.    

Dan’s phone rang, it was Milo,  

“Hey, yeah. It's fine. We are going to make it work. What? Tonight? When? Fine. Milo, are there any other surprises we don’t, fine. Right, bye,”  

“For fuck sake,”  

“What now?”  

“There’s a dinner tonight, with all the other companies and representatives, we are required to go,”   “And they couldn’t have told us before now?”  

“They didn’t know,” I arched my eyebrow skeptically, “Right? S’what Milo said”  

“Great, when?”  

“6:00, Milo sent me directions”  

I glanced at the clock, it was three now, “Well, I suppose we had better figure out where it is and start to get ready,”  

“I guess so,”    

“You do that and I’ll shower first,”  

“Yeah, okay.”  

Dan cleaned up nice, he was in a white shirt, a pinstriped grey vest with matching pinstriped gray pants, his hair was fully straightened and one silver hoop was in his left ear, I tried hard not to stare. I looked so plain in comparison, my red button-up shirt and black pants looked drab next to him, but honestly, I didn’t even feel bad. Dan looked good, he looked damned good  

“Lester, you drunk? I said the car’s here, let’s go,”  

“Oh, right, sorry,” I blushed looking down.  

We were greeted at the door by one of the leaders of the convention, I didn’t recall his name, Dan did,  

“Mr. Kinney, is it?” Dan said, shaking his hand,  

“Yes, and you are?”  

“I’m Dan and this is Phil, we’re with Fortress Ozone in London.”  

“Oh, nice to meet you, please go in through there and have a seat, we will start shortly.” I nodded politely and let Dan take the lead, I was so nervous, he seemed to be right in his element.    

We sat next to each other at a large table full of several sharp-looking business people, they all were talking among themselves, I never really understood this. These people were all threats to each other, and yet here they were talking as if it were a casual dinner. I guess that’s what it meant when they said “It’s just business,” I could never wrap my mind around that.    

Dan moved closer to my ear and whispered, “The big man on the end with the hideous gold chain 4 sizes larger than it should be is the current top performer for his company, he also has the current contract we are bidding for,”  He nodded to the other end, “The woman in that dreadful yellow hat is his partner, they're called “Accountable products,”   “Why are the on opposite ends of the table?”  

“They probably can’t stand each other, but really, they are probably trying to overhear things that can be used in their presentations.”  

“Right,”  

“This is a lot more intense than Ireland, Phil, that man at the end is with “More than industry,” their company has won several awards for environmental accomplishments, but their profit is not as impressive as others,"  

“Right,”  

“And legs over there,” He pointed to a tall redhead who was gesticulating wildly as she was in the middle of a conversation, “Is with Rival Trees,”  

“Oh, I’ve heard of them, they’re pretty good,”  

“Yeah, they are. They will be our competition, as far as brains go, anyway. Be careful who and how you talk to people,”  

“Okay,”  

“I have a feeling most of these other companies are filler,” I chewed on my lip, I didn’t sign up for all of this political and social stress. He looked at me, his face softened, “Take a deep breath, Phil,”  

I did so, and Mr. Kinney entered the room.  “May I have your attention, please?”  

He walked to the head of the table, “Thank you all for coming, we have several of the planets smartest people at this table and this week is going to be about learning, growing and hopefully making a profit. As you know, our firm represents about half of the manufacturing plants on the west and east coast of the United States; We are looking for several things this week,” He started to walk around the room, “We want to learn how we can make a profit and still impress the EPA, how to produce goods and keep up with the expectations and demands of the consumers without being penalized by regulations.”    

This man did not care about the impact on the environment at all, I shifted uncomfortably.  

“Tonight, we will get to know each other, and tomorrow the real work begins, on Thursday we will know who has won the bid. Enjoy,” He sat down next to the lady in the yellow hat.  

I watched as everyone started chatting, a tall blonde caught my eye, Scott.  I glanced at Dan, who was chatting with the person next to him, Dan either had not seen Scott, or he didn’t remember him.  I did everything I could to not be noticed.  

We were eating when the man across from me spoke,  

“Hell of a speech,” he said,  

I nodded  

“Adam, TTK Limited,”  

“Phil, Fortress Ozone,”  

“London, right?”  

“That’s us,”  

“So, ever been to the states?”  

“Yes, this is our first time in LA, though,”  

He started to eat and much to my relief the conversation ended. As they all ate, drank and chatted I observed, Dan and I seemed to be the youngest people here, which made me nervous. I wondered if our credibility would be called into question due to the supposed years of experience most of these people had on us. My leg started to nervously bounce, I wasn’t good at being with people, especially people I had to impress.  

“Thank you all for coming,” Mr. Kinney said at the close of the meal, “We start at 10:00 AM tomorrow, if you haven't made arrangements for transportation, I have a list of options.  Enjoy your evening,” The room started to get up, but Dan remained seated. I waited for him to get up before I made a move, he seemed to know what he was doing, better than I did.    

“Ready?”  

“Yeah,”    

“Dan, Phil!” Shit, Scott. A look of confusion passed over Dan’s face,  

“Scott, hello,”  

“It’s a small world, huh?”  

“Sure is,”  

“So, you’re Planet Ozone, huh?”  

“We are,”  

“I’m with Rival Trees,”  

“Oh, wow,” I said, “I'm familiar with your past work, you guys are really good,”  

“We are. I supposed you are the doe-eyed kids Bennington was talking about,”  

I laughed uncomfortably, “I don’t know about that, but we are passionate about what we do, that’s true.”    

“Bennington is with Accountable Products,” Dan explained,  

“Oh, right,”  

“Well, good to actually meet you both,” He smiled and nodded, “See you on the battlefield,”  

“Right,” I watched him walk away, forcing myself to breathe,  

“Phil?”  

“Yeah?”  

“Who was that?”  

“Don’t remember much from last night, do you?”  

His face flushed, “Fuck off, Lester,”  

I held my hands up, “Don’t get so defensive it was just a question.”  

“Well, clearly your memory is crisp, keeping that in your back pocket, are you?”  

“Christ Dan, can you just stop?”  

“Uh oh, trouble in paradise?” It was the redhead, her body language was confident and aggressive,  

“Ah,” I said,  

“Oh, where are my manners,” She extended her hand, “Vivi, Rival Trees,”  

“Pleasure,” Dan said, shaking her hand,  

“I’m sure,” She winked, “Lovers spats are hard, good luck boys,” she walked away under the pretense of “joking,” it was far more sinister than that.  

“Fuck,” I said, startling Dan,    

“I haven’t ever heard you say that word,”  

“Well, it’s warranted, we need to leave.”  

“What’s going on?”  

“Not here,” I said through clenched teeth, “Come on,”  

Once we got back to the hotel, Dan looked at me expectantly.    

“You don’t give a shit about me, I don’t even know why I let you convince me to go to that club,”  

“What does this have to do with anything?”  

“Are you being purposefully dense or are you just stupid?”    

“Rude,” He said unbuttoning his vest, “Just fucking tell me,”  

“Well, Mr. “Please let’s go to a club, it’s a gay club, it will be fun,” it’s not so fun now,”  

“Well, it couldn’t have been that bad?” Dan now had his vest off and was unbuttoning his undershirt, I stared at the floor.  

"Yeah, it really was, it is,”  

“Are you so insecure in your masculinity that you can’t take a gay man hitting on you?”  

“You are so stupid,” I muttered.  

“Could you stop calling me stupid?”  

“It has nothing to do with insecurities, you were afraid that I wouldn’t let you go to that stupid club if I thought a man would hit on me, so, when that happened, you pretended to be my boyfriend,”  

“Fuck off,”  

“You even called me babe, twice.”  

“How drunk was I?”  

“Oh, you were right wankered,”  

“Had to have been,”  

“It was Scott, you berk,”  

“Oh,” I looked up, Dan’s shirt was fully unbuttoned now, exposing his skin. I swallowed.  

“Yeah, "Oh." So now they think we are boyfriends,”  

“Well, I am sorry I am so repulsive as a gay man that you are having a crisis about someone thinking we are together,”  

“Dan. Shut up.”  

“What? Are you really that homophobic?”  

“You are too smart to be acting this obtuse, I suppose everyone handles shame differently,”  

“Hey,”  

“Am I wrong?” He stayed quiet, “I didn’t think so. The problem is this, Scott told “Vivi,” she caught us arguing,”  

“And now all we are is gossip,”  

“Yes, but think about it. She thinks she has dirt on us, an angle, they think they have found our Achilles heel,”  

“Oh,”    

“So, if we want to keep our reputation and probably our jobs, we are going to have to start getting along,”  

“Right,” He slowly sat down.  

“I want this contract, badly Dan. It would put Planet Ozone on the map globally, and I think we can do it,”  

“You do? You haven’t seemed very confident about any of this.”  

“Of course, I do. I am not good at social situations, but this is important to me. It’s more than a “job,” we may not like each other, but we are both damn good at our jobs,” I sighed, “And if we worked together, and not against each other, just think what we could do,” He nodded, “So now we need a new plan, and we need it quick, so what do you say, are we a team?”  

“Well, according to them, we’re Boyfriends, I guess,”  

“Ah, yeah,” I looked him up and down, biting my lip. Why did he have to be so damn hot?  

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to touch me,” Dan said bitterly,  

“Dan,”  

He ignored me, throwing a tee-shirt on, “Okay Lester, where do we start?”  

We arrived at the convention center at 9:00 am, after checking in with Jackson and Milo. We wanted to make sure that we were the first ones there, we saw a few others that were at the dinner last night looking at as. It had seemed that “Vivi” had been talkative. We wanted the company reps to see us, but not Mr. Kinney or the rest of the board.  

“I can’t believe you forgot, Phil,”  

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t been yelling at me all night,”  

We watched as the eyes were glued to us, it seemed that they all knew we were "together."  

“Shh, everyone is going to hear you,”  

“Fine,”  

“Got ‘em,” Dan texted me,  

The first day was mostly informative, various groups highlighting and showcasing their studies and data, they seemed to like my graphs, that was good enough for now.  When day one came to a close, Dan and I went back to the hotel right away, I wanted to rework parts of our presentation for tomorrow.”  

“We did well,” He said, “a lot of the filler companies won’t be back tomorrow,”  

“How can you be so sure?”  

He scoffed, “Kinney’s face shows everything he’s thinking, poor bastard,”  

“How many do you think?”  

“Hell, I don’t know Phil, but I would be surprised if there were more than 10 contenders remaining tomorrow,”  

“It’s only been one day!”  

“Dog eats dog, Phil,” We ate the food he had ordered to the room and put the finishing touches on the next level of our project, we hadn’t bickered or fought, when you had a common “enemy” it was easier to let the petty things go.  

“You’re good at making data easy to understand,”  

“Really? Thanks,”  

He smiled at me, then blushed, “Well, I’m knackered, best be off to bed.”  

“Right, Dan?”  

“Yeah,”  

“I’m glad we teamed up to work together, you are the reason my data looks good,”  

He laughed, “I won’t argue with that,” He looked down, “Thanks,”  

“You’re welcome.”  

The next morning Dan and I secured our seats early, going over final notes. Dan was right, no more than 10 companies were invited back for the second day. As we noticed eyes on us, I heard Dan huff, “Fine, have it your way.” He got up abruptly and walked to the toilet. It took a minute for me to realize what he was doing, so the emotional response from me was real.  

“He seems like a pain in the ass,” It was Adam again,  

“He can be,” I said noncommittedly, “I guess we all can, though,”  

“That’s true, you in this on your own now?”  

“What? Oh no, he’ll be back. The last thing he would want is for me to take all the credit,” that wasn’t untrue.  

Adam laughed, “Yeah, I can see that,”  

Vivi walked by clicking her tongue, “Is there still trouble in paradise? What a shame,” She and Scott seated themselves at the head of the table, watching me carefully. I ignored them, Adam said quietly, “What a bitch,” I smirked.  

Throughout the day Vivi seemed to be more civil to Dan and me, but especially to Dan. Dan and I once again left straight away, I wanted to make sure everything was sorted for the next day.  

“Vivi seems to have taken a liking to you,”  

“Jealous?”  

“Don’t be absurd, it’s just strange, out of place,”   “I think she knows exactly what she's doing,”  

“You’re so good at that,”  

“At what?”  

“Reading people,”  

“Thanks,”  

I was lying in bed, unable to sleep. I wasn’t prepared for this level of competition, I just wanted to save the planet. As cliché and cheesy as it sounded, that’s really why I was here. It was disappointing that not everyone saw it that way,  

“Dan? Are you awake,”  

He groaned, “What do you want, Lester?”  

“You care about the planet, right?”  

He sat up, “What are you on about?”  

“Just, everyone here seems so focused on making a profit and “beating the EPA,” but for me, it's not about that.  I sincerely and honestly care about saving the planet, you know?”  

“Yeah, I know,”  

“To me, it’s more important than dollar signs, production, and contracts, but it seems like I’m the only one,”  

Dan paused for a moment, “You’re not the only one,”  

The next morning Dan and I were there earlier than the prior days, Dan was focused on having us be seen by as many of them as possible. If you would have asked me Sunday, I would be questioning him. Now I was trusting him, as shocking as that would be to Jackson and Milo, Dan and I were working well together.  

People started to filter in, there were only 5 companies left now, by the end of the day there would be only three, and tomorrow after our final presentation, the contract would be signed by one of us. “Phil, how could you be so careless,” Dan hissed loudly,  

He pulled me out of my thoughts, “I told you last night we shouldn’t have included that part,” His voice was so harsh, anxiety started to rise in me. I knew this was all staged, but I wasn’t prepared for it. I guess that was part of the plan too, the more natural my reaction, the easier it would be to sell.  

“I’m sorry, Dan,” I said, stuttering, I took a deep breath, “This is fake, this is fake, this is fake,” I chanted to myself.  

“You really don’t care about this at all do you?”  All of the eyes in the room were now on me, that was a real fear of mine. I was starting to lose composure,  

“You know that’s not true,” I started to shake, I got up and excused myself to the bathroom. It looked dramatic, it was good, but I needed to reset my brain so I could perform when it came time for us to say our piece. Dan texted me,  

“It’s not real, you’re doing great. You care more about this than any of the people here,”  

Today had been far more intense and cutthroat than others, but I suppose that was to be expected. I was pretty proud of myself for remaining as collected as I did.  Halfway through the day, we were notified that we had made the top three, Planet Ozone, Rival Trees and the current company, Accountable Products, were the finalists. Towards the end of the day, Mr. Kinney had to excuse himself to “take care of an urgent matter,” and his stand-in presented a PowerPoint on impacts to the "bottom-line” due to the harsher standards and regulations, I rolled my eyes.   When it was over, it was near 5; I wanted nothing more to crawl into a hole. I was drained.  

A few people were still hanging around, including Scott and Vivi, they had been watching us all day, but were not as chatty as before. I had a feeling that Scott was only a captive participant in the malice Vivi was planning, though I couldn’t be sure. He usually seemed to fade into the background.  

“Dan, Phil,” she said approaching us, “We’re going out for drinks, care to join us?”  

I was about to protest, but Dan responded, “Why not?”    

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” I said  

“Ah, loosen up a bit, we’re going to be back in London Saturday, we should experience LA.”  being as charming as he could, he looped his arm through Vivi’s and made his way to the door. “You have to tell me where you got that shirt, it’s amazing on you,”  Dan was so good at playing this part and Vivi had no idea, she was enamored with the flattery Dan was freely giving her. “Just give me a sec, love, I have to call my boss,” Dan was laying it on thick.  He stepped away and talked on his phone, we weren’t to call them until the morning, I wasn’t sure what he was doing until my pocket buzzed,  

“Trust me?” I met his eyes and nodded,  

“Okay, bye Milo,” Dan walked back to Vivi, grabbing her arm again, “Now that the boring is out of the way, where too?”  

“Well, they seem to be getting along,” Scott said, as we followed them out the door,  

“Yeah,”  

“Look, I’m sorry if I caused problems, Vivi has a big mouth,”  

“It’s fine, it wouldn’t have been a problem if Dan would have been reasonable,”  

“Do you guys fight a lot?”  

“Oh, you have no idea,”  

“That’s rough,”  

I could tell he was pumping me for information, but the sincerity of his last statement threw me off. We all piled into a car and ended up at a restaurant across town.  

“They have the best Margaritas here,” Vivi said as they sat down at a table near the back.  

“Oh, you do know how to have fun!  I love strawberry Margaritas” Dan said, nudging her, throwing his head back laughing. It was somewhat unsettling how good he was at this. I think he had missed his calling; his acting skills were uncanny.  

“Oh, I love pink lemonade myself, what will your boyfriend have?” She asked him, winking,  

“Water,” I said  

Dan sighed, “Phil, please,”  

“What? Tomorrow is a big day, Dan,"  

“A few drinks won’t hurt,” Scott said,  

I sighed, "Alright, get me whatever you’re having Dan, I need the toilet,”    

“I love how you guys say you have to go to the bathroom,” She laughed obnoxiously and so did Dan. I rolled my eyes as I snuck around to the bartender.  

“Can I help you, sir?”  

“We are at the table in the back, please make any strawberry margaritas that are ordered without alcohol.”  I slid a 100.00 dollar bill towards him, “Charge us the same as if they do, it’s a work thing, um,” I tripped over myself trying to act casual,  

He held up his hands, pocketing the bill, “Ben Franklin says you don’t owe me an explanation,” he winked, “I got you covered.”  

“Good, if all goes to plan, there’s another $50.00 in it for you,”  

“You got it,”  

I walked back from "the toilet," Dan frowned, “Was there a cue?”  

“Something like that,”  

Three Margaritas in and an hour later, Vivi was once again gesticulating widely, and oversharing. Scott had ordered a beer and only had had one, so he wasn’t intoxicated, Vivi, however, clearly was, “You both are so cute, I’ve never known British guys before,” I glanced at Dan; my plan was working. He was acting drunk, but I think that it was more the placebo effect. “Well, then, we are getting pissed!”    

“Ohhh, we should go dancing!”  

“Vivi, I think we should head back,” Scott said,  

“It’s only 9:00, Scott, we don’t have to be back tomorrow until 1:00 PM, it’s the final day.”  

“Dan, I think we should get back, you’ve had a lot to drink,”  

“Sorry, Dad,” he and Vivi both laughed.  

I scowled, “Dan, can I please talk to you a moment, privately?”  

“Uh oh, I’m in trouble,” Dan said laughing. I pulled him into the bathroom, “What’s the plan from here?”  

“We go dancing,” he said pushing his hair back into place.  

“I think you are having too much fun with this; I don’t want you to get too caught up,”  

“I asked you to trust me, and you nodded,”  

“I do trust you, you’re just,”  

“I’m not drunk you know,”  

“Oh, I know,” I smirked, he met my eyes in the mirror, “All of our drinks have been virgin,”  

He smiled, that damned dimple popping out and taunting me, “Well played Lester, well played,” I fake curtsied, he laughed, “Okay, don’t fall,”  

“So, what’s next?”  

“Well, you are going to continue to be standoffish and a disappointed boyfriend, I am going to dance with my new found BFF!” He clapped me on the shoulder, “You know Lester, you are more devious than I gave you credit for,”  

“Please don’t say that,”  

“It wasn’t an insult,” He reached up and smoothed down a piece of my hair that was sticking up, a gasp escaped my lips, “Time to get back,”  

“All good?” Vivi asked, hopefully,  

“All good,” Dan smiled,    

“I’ll meet you at the car,” I walked up to the bartender, and slid him the $50.00, “Thank you,”  

“You got it, buddy. Have a good night,”  

Dancing and acting was a strong suit of Dan’s, I watched him gyrate his hips and pretend to be having the best time in the world, Scott sat with me.  

“How long have you been out?”  

“Ah, I’m not really,”  

“Oh wow, that must be really hard,”  

“I suppose,”  

It was nearing midnight, Scott put his foot down and decided it was time to leave. Dan had ingested some actual alcohol, I wasn’t sure how much, but when we got back to the hotel, he was all smiles.  

“I’m impressed, Lester,” he said, taking off his shirt, not even bothering to be modest, “You are pretty good at this, you play a pretty convincing disappointed boyfriend.  Also, Checkmate.”  

“What did Vivi say to you?”  

“Oh, so many things,” He smirked, “I found their Achilles heel,”  

“Oh, did you now?”  

“Yes, I did,” He leaned into me, and whispered, “The stats they have are all bullshit, plagiarized even.”  

I pulled back, “What?”  

His eyes sparkled, “Do you know they already pretty much have chosen the company they want? Or they had anyway. Vivi has been to these three times now, she said that they always come in second to the current firm, which they have already defeated. It’s the reason we were left with that lame-ass PowerPoint. I have come to find out that “Accountable products” are not so accountable when it comes to their taxes,”  

“What?”  

“Contract was terminated today,”  

“Oh my god,” That meant it was between us and them,  

“Right?” He grasped both my shoulders, “And you know what else?”  

I swallowed, he was so close to me, his lips looked like they were begging to be kissed, full and swollen from drinking, “What?” I whispered,  

“We’re even kilter with Rival Trees,”  

“And you know this how?”  

“Vivi had inside information, showed me some emails, it’s how I knew it was only our two companies in the running now. Vivi was so drunk she didn’t realize when she handed me the phone to look at the news article about Accountable, that I was looking at other things. The email she has was directly from Kinney sent to the board. How she got it, I've no idea, but it mentions us, Phil. As in they are very interested in us.  There was an unsent draft, Vivi is going to try to bribe Kinney if things go south tomorrow. Apparently, a private investigator found to cut corners, Kinney and the board broke several laws. She also had a list of the sites she used to falsify their stats. She’s smarter than that, but her inflated confidence with her perceived "ace in the hole," us, she became careless. It’s all in the email. We could actually win this, Phil.”  

“Do you have proof?”  

His lips curled into a guilty smile as he  pulled out his phone, it was opened to the exact website they had copied their stats from, “Oopsie, someone needed a drink and forgot that I had their phone,” he then showed me all of the emails, the insider information and the drafts that contained the blackmail attempt.    

“You’re Brilliant,” I breathed,  

“Oh, I know,” He turned and flopped down on the bed, “So tomorrow, there will only be two final presentations, not three. I have a feeling they are going to bring up a lot of personal things.”  

“I am not sure how that would matter,”  

“If the board is homophobic or stereotypical it would, we have been “bickering” very publicly. They could also pull “conflict of interest” but here’s the thing, we aren’t dating, we aren't boyfriends and as far as our bosses know, we can’t stand each other.”  

“Right,”  

“Besides, I think we have the trump card,”  

“Well, let’s get to work, I think we need to come up with a backup plan to our back up plan, and we need at least some sleep.”  

“Okay, Lester, team Planet Ozone is about to win this thing!”  

I smiled, he was right, we really were a team. “Let’s do this,”  

Dan was sleeping when I woke up, it was shortly after 10:00, we had plenty of time before we had to give our presentation. I watched him as he slept, the fondness I felt was not expected. I started off dreading this trip, to begin with, now, I was dreading going home.  

“You know it’s weird to stare at people when they’re sleeping,” his eyes were still closed,  

“Well, you’re clearly not sleeping, so you have no proof that’s what I was doing.” a smile spread across his face.  

“Today is the day,”  

“It is,”  

“You alright?” He said, sitting up.  

“Yeah,”  

“You’re sure?”  

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m nervous,”  

“You’re going to do great, Phil, we are going to win.”  

“How are you so sure?”  

“Because I know our data is foolproof and theirs is not.”  

I smiled, “Thanks,”  

“Hi, Vivi!” Dan chirped entering the room,    

“Dan,” there was no hint of the fun-loving “BFF” from last night. She was hungover; Scott did not seem impressed.    

“Someone not feeling so good today?” Dan said, smirking.  Mr. Kinney and the rest of the board entered; ten men in suits sat at the front of the room, watching us. It was intimidating.  “I’m sure by now you all know that we have had to sever ties with Bennington, so it’s just you. Rival Trees will go first,” Mr. Kinney said.  

“Thank you, Mr. Kinney,” Vivi gave their presentation, Scott was basically her assistant, he flipped the PowerPoint pages, handed her notes and pretty much stayed silent. The presentation was good, if you didn’t know about the plagiarized and inflated stats, I wondered if Scott was aware of what she had done.  

“That concludes the presentation; however, I have some other information I would like to bring to your attention.”  I sucked in a breath through my teeth; Dan smirked. He was enjoying this,  

“Go ahead,”    

“This past Saturday Scott ran into both Dan and Phil out at a gay nightclub, and he discovered they were in a relationship. They are not opposed to public displays of affection. They both are very dramatic. This is a major conflict of interest and if you ask me, very unprofessional. We have all heard them quarreling and bickering, it seems as if they can barely stand to be around each other. I feel their relationship would certainly get in the way of productivity and as they cannot maintain a professional relationship, they would affect client relations.  They were fighting just last night. We graciously invited them to dinner, and even though we ended the night around 9:00, they were pretty intoxicated.” Dan snorted,  

Mr. Kinney glanced at him, “Excuse me,” He said, still smirking.    

“And though I understand that they are just representatives from Planet Ozone, I can’t help but wonder what type of a company you would be working with if they have allowed their employees to fornicate,” I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.   “I am concerned about your image, your brand. Do you really want your companies to work with someone who is so eccentric and immature? Do you want them, as a couple to turn into the face of change for your company? I don’t think that would be wise, and that’s why I wanted to be honest, and forthcoming with this information. I would hate for you not to have all of the facts before making a decision.”  

“Thank you,” Mr. Kinney said, he looked at Dan, a signal that it was his turn.  

“Hello, My name is Dan and this is Phil, we work for Planet Ozone.” He stood up and started to walk around, he was a natural at this and I watched in awe. “Me and Phil are much younger than most of the other representatives from the companies that have been involved, and we are well aware that there may be a generation gap too wide for us to fill, but we have to try.” He looked at me, “Phil and I care deeply about the environment, and that is why we have made it our life’s work to be proactive, but it is much more than part of our jobs.” He was going off script, I took a deep breath. “Phil is one of the most compassionate people I have met when it comes to the environment, he cares about the planet and the impact that we as humans are having. In fact, that is pretty much all he cares about,” The panel exchanged looks, Dan continued, “but that’s amazing because I am about business.  I know that it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t turn a profit, Phil knows the exact number to meet regulations and guidelines, I know how to make that work to turn a profit. Not only will breaks be given by the government, but your products will also come with “clean” labeling.  The earth conscientious consumer will be drawn to your products, your already established clientele base can use it as advertising, it’s a win-win.” He nodded at me,  

“I can tell you exactly what to cut, where to cut and how to cut to make sure that you are within safe guidelines, I have all the data and all the stats. Dan and I have come up with a comprehensive plan to eliminate emissions by 6 percent in the next five years only effecting the bottom-line by .5%. That would easily be made up in marketing alone.”  

“That’s appealing,” one of the board members said, “What do you have to say for yourselves as far as the allegations mentioned?”  

I stood up, “I wish our work was enough to speak for itself, I guess it isn't." I took a deep breath and looked towards Rival Trees, "Do you know what the funny thing is about assuming things, Vivi? Oh well, I am sure you do. Sir, this woman has been out to get us from the start. At first, I wondered if she was just intrigued or maybe just fascinated by us as we are from a different part of the world, but then I realized that she was intimidated by us,”  

Dan walked to the front of the room, “Vivi, you are very funny, you know? You say all of these insinuated homophobic insensitive things, asking about changing the face as a couple, or how we are eccentric, thing is,” He pulled up a photo of her blackmail email on the projector, “We are not trying to break the law, as you are.” Vivi went white.  

“Sirs, last night ended after midnight, my accuser was very intoxicated, Scott can vouch for that, he also can vouch for the timing as he is the one who insisted we leave at midnight. She allowed me to have her phone, she showed me the information about “Accountable Products” and then she showed me this email.”  

“Now I am not typically a tit for tat type of a man, but it seems to me that the unprofessionalism would lie with Rival Trees,” I stood up and handed all of the board members sheets of paper, showing the evidence that none of the data presented was theirs, “In front of you is proof of that.” Dan looked at me,    

“In all honesty, this is not what I signed up for, I am interested in saving the planet, but these stats are not only severely out of date and do not meet current regulations, they are clearly stolen from another's work. As far as our personal relationship,” Dan interjected.    

“Phil and I are not dating; we never have been. In fact, before this week we hadn’t worked together for years, you can ask our management, we hated each other.    

Vivi stood up, “That’s not true, Scott said you were his boyfriend!”  

“Oh, because I slid my arm around him and called him babe?” So, Dan did remember, “I am gay, that much is true, but Phil was kind enough to come with me so I was trying to make sure he wasn’t uncomfortable, and as I recall, Scott was hitting on him,”  

Vivi looked at Scott who just shrugged, shaking her head, she sat down, knowing she was defeated.  A final look around the room and I was now confident that we had won, I knew that they believed us. It was over.  

“Welcome aboard, Gentlemen, I’ll be calling Milo shortly to work out the details,” Mr. Kinney said, “I’m sorry that you had to go through, well you know all that. Our company does not tolerate those types of attitudes towards others,”  

“Excuse me, I don’t know if that’s entirely true,” I said, “If that were the case, then the board members wouldn’t have been so skeptical, or had suspicions. I mean no disrespect, and I am thankful and honored to work with you,” I took a deep breath, “All I am saying is, Off the record, you may want to get them some sort of sensitivity training,”  

A smile cracked a crossed his lips, “I knew you were smart. Point taken. Congratulations. Enjoy your last days in LA, you’ve earned it.”  

As casually as we could Dan and I walked out of the room into the hallway,  

“Holy fuck Phil, we did it,” He pulled me into a hug “We actually fucking did,”  

“I can’t believe I didn’t pass out,”  

He pulled back, “You did amazing,”  

“So did you,” Dan realized suddenly that he was still holding onto and awkwardly dropped his arms, “So,” he recovered, “What should we do to celebrate?”  

“Sleep, dear god, please.”  

He laughed, “Okay, but let’s get take away, because I am starving.”  

Dan was showering after we had finished eating, I was processing everything that had happened. We both had ignored the calls from Jackson and Milo, they probably figured we were out celebrating anyway. I looked at Dan’s bed, I never thought that I would have fond feelings for that man.  Now that we were leaving, I had to admit I was a little sad.

His hair was dripping and he only had pajama bottoms on, what was this man’s aversion to shirts?  “Hey, Phil?”  

“Yeah?”  

“I just wanted to say, like, Ireland?”  

“Yeah?”  

“I’m sorry. I could have handled that better,”  

“So could've I, I’m sorry too. It's in the past, and it doesn’t even matter because today we won,”  

“Yeah we did,” He did a fist pump and I laughed.  “You’re staring at me again,”  

“Why are you so insistent on being shirtless, Howell?”  

He blushed, “I’m sorry, I guess I am just letting it all hangout. I should be more respectful of you. I know I make you uncomfortable,”  

“Yeah, you do,’ I stood up, walking towards him, “You remember the club,”  

“Ah, yeah I do, most of it,”  

“So, you remember the ride home,”  

“Mostly,” He whispered,    

“Damn it, Daniel Howell, I hate you. I was so angry and upset about Ireland and how you just stopped talking to me. I thought we got on well and then having to come here, and all of that, and then you just ended up being so,”  

“So?”  

“Gay, you had to be gay, didn’t you? It's infuriating, Dan. You're clever, witty, funny and kind.  Oh, and pretty, god you’re so damn beautiful and you don’t even realize it. And to add insult to injury, you don’t wear a goddamn shirt half of the time,”  

“Phil, I don’t understand,”  

“You are an idiot,” I looked into his eyes, “Tell me, do I still smell warm?” His eyes widened as I pushed my lips to meet his, my arm pulling us closer. He met me with the same eagerness, my free hand cradled his face.  

When I pulled back Dan’s pupils were dilated; I was breathing heavily. He rested his forehead on mine,  

“I thought you were straight,”  

“You never asked, did you?”  

“Well, no, but,”  

“Tisk tisk tisk,”  

He smiled, “So I take it you fancy me?”  

“I shouldn't but yeah, maybe a little,”  

“Does that mean you will cuddle me again?”  

I nodded, he said, “Good, because, yes, Lester, you do still smell warm,” and he kissed me again.

And that’s a wrap, I now have a blackout bingo. This was an amazing journey.   

Bingo Card:

Writers Choice

Teaming up

[still-toking-with]

BITTEN

THE TOKING DEAD

Chapter Six

In the dead of night Duke was awoken by the moans and clawing sounds at the door. “Fuck you!  Suck my fucking balls you pieces of distorted shit.” “Jesus Christ Duke! What the hell is wrong with you?” Piper blurted. “I don’t know, I think I’m still high as a kite”, he chuckled, “and those dick wads are driving me bat shit crazy.” “Well I think you’re both toast.” laughs Tobi. “This cold ass concrete floor Is gonna give my butt hole hemorrhoids so I’m heading for my couch.” He musters to his feet. “Later fuckers!” as he starts to head off for the office. “Ya, I’m coming too.” Piper says, sitting up and leaning against the wall. “Not in the way he wants you to.” Laughs Duke. Tobi spins around giving Duke the finger, “Ya Duke, your number one in my book.” as he walks away laughing. “Well you never know” Piper says grinning “you never know.” Instant silence as Tobi and Duke exchange glances after that comment. Piper climbs to her feet.. “Ooouch !! She grimaces, grabbing her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Tobi asks, always trying to be the compassionate one. “I don’t know, I think I cut my shoulder somehow.” “Let me take a look at it.”Tobi offers. “Na, I’m ok, but thank you.” Duke makes a sound like an airplane just crashed. “EEERRRRRRRRR crashhhh” Tobi rewards Duke with a double barrel two finger this time. They made their way back to the sleeping area to try and retire for the night. Tobi wakes a short time later, his bladder ready to explode. “Man I gotta piss like a race horse, I shouldn’t have drunk all that lemonade.” he mutters heading to the bathroom. AAhhhh, much better he thinks, chuckling as he drains the lizard. Returning from the bathroom he hears Piper whisper… “Tobi, is that you?” “Ya, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” “You didn’t wake me; I’m having a hard time sleeping. I was wondering if you would do me a favor.” “Uuumm, ok. What’s up?” Tobi would do anything for Piper. “Would you come lay with me? I’m not feeling very well and with everything that’s happened lately my mind won’t stop racing.” Tobis’ eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “I can do that.” He says, finding the request quite odd. “Let me grab my pillow and blanket.” He adds, trying not to seem too eager. He tosses his pillow next to her and plops down beside her. “Is that better?” “Yes, thank you.” “Are you ok? You’re shivering.” “I’m a little chilled that’s all. Can’t seem to warm up.” Without hesitation, Tobi tosses his blanket over Piper. “Is that better?” “Much, thank you. Can I ask you a question?” she mumbles. “Sure, ask away.” “If I turn into one of those nasty ass drooling freaks would you kill me?” “Don’t talk like that, we’re gonna be just fine, I promise.” “That’s not what I asked you. Would you kill me so I wasn’t one of them?” “If that day ever came, yes, I would do that for you. I would do anything for you. Piper, rolling over to face Tobi “If all guys were like you I may have stayed straight” she says smiling. “Well Piper…” before he could finish she leans in and begins to kiss him. Tobi, in awe, like a child opening his first gift on Christmas morning reciprocated her gesture. “Piper, do you think we should…” “SShhhhh” placing a finger over his lips as she starts to slowly undress, stopping only to kiss him some more. “Why are you still in your clothes?” she asks seductively. All of Tobi’s dreams seem to be coming to fruition as he began to slowly undress, not wanting to seem as eager as he was feeling. They held each other in a tight embrace throughout the night. As the sun began to rise the next morning, Duke started to stir letting out a loud yawn and big stretch. He sat up in bed noticing the two bodies in Piper’s bunk. “What the fuck is going on over there?!!” “What? What?” exclaimed Tobi, jumping up startled, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I see by the clothes strewn about that you two idiots are over there bumping uglies.” “I prefer to call it getting boned.” Piper quickly chimes in. “Seriously, in the midst of everything that’s going on, now I gotta deal with this shit?” Duke blurts out. Tobi and Piper lock eyes and start to laugh. Duke, shaking his head, climbs from his bed and heads towards the bathroom. “Unfuckin real.” he mumbles. “OOuch” “What’s wrong Piper? Tobi asked. “It’s that damn cut on my shoulder, its really starting to bother me.” “Let me take a look at it.” “Ok, I guess” as she reluctantly rolls over so Tobi could examine it. “Ummm, that’s not a cut Piper, it looks more like a bite.” “What do you mean a bite? Quit fucking with me, that shit ain’t cool.” She spins around to see the sheer look of horror on Tobi’s face telling her that he wasn’t bullshitting her. “Those are teeth marks Piper.” “That means,” She pauses for a minute, “I got bit yesterday by that zombie.” “DUKE!! DUKE!!” Tobi yells, “you need to get in here right now.” “Chill the fuck out, I’ll be there in a minute.” He’s out there getting his jollies off and I can’t even take a shit in piece. He says to himself. Exiting the bathroom, he sees Tobi pacing the floor, obviously distressed. “What’s the fuckin problem?” Duke asks, angry for being interrupted. Tobi, now mumbling as he paces, “She been bit, I’m totally screwed. I’m gonna turn into one of those flesh eating, terd stinking, mutated fucks.” “TOBI!! Relax; you’re not making any sense. What’s the problem?” Tobi is pacing around incoherent. “Hello? Fucktard, can you hear me?” Tobi stops in his tracks. “It’s Piper, SHE’S BEEN BIT!!!” he cries, pointing towards Piper who was sitting up in the bed, barely covered. “Wait, what, when, how?” Duke stutters. “When did you get bit?” “It must have happened yesterday in all that confusion, but I don’t feel any different, it’s just sore.” Tobi, still pacing around and mumbling, “I finally get a good piece of ass and it’s gonna kill me, this is just fucking great!” “Tobi! Sit down and chill out, we don’t know shit.” Duke demands. Tobi plops down on the couch, begins shaking his head, grabs ole red and starts taking rips, “Well if I’m gonna die then im gonna die high.” he mumbles. “If anything was going to come of this wouldn’t it have already happened?” Piper interjects. “I think she’s right, you need to relax and calm down.” “How can I relax? Have you two not seen what’s happening out there? Those things are ripping people apart.” Piper, trying to lighten the mood, “well Tobi, you can eat me if you want.” “Didn’t you get enough of that last night?” spouts Duke. “No way, I can never get enough of that.” And they both burst out laughing. “I’m over dying and you two assholes are cracking jokes, real fucking nice.” “Ok Tobi, sorry but when you’re done dying can you pass ole red this way please.” Tobi passes him red while letting out a billowing cloud. “AAHHHHH much better.”They spent the next few hours trying to concoct a plan of action for another escape attempt. “Well, the way I see it, there’s only one way out of here now and that’s through the fields to the lake.” says Duke. “I would say back to the parking lot and grab my car, but I think I left my keys on the counter in the store.” “Well that’s a good place for them.” Piper says laughing. “Ok, so I guess we go on foot.” Tobi says. “We should gather as much as we can carry, get a good night’s rest, and set off first thing in the morning.” adds Duke. “Agreed” They spent the rest of the day making preparations for the following days adventure, and as evening grew close, they sat around the sleeping area toking from red and indulging on brownies. “Time to get some rest and fuel up for tomorrow, so good night all.” says Duke. “Sounds like a plan.” “Til the morning.” added Tobi and the three quietly prepared for the next day as they drifted off. Stay Tuned,More to come…