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a-simple-imagine · 4 years

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The Smarter Witch

Synopsis: You like to consider Hermione your academic rival but things begin to fall apart between the two of you when Malfoy and friends start asking questions. The reader is in Slytherin sorry.

Pairing: Hermione Granger x fem!reader (can be read as romantic or platonic)

Words: 3.5+

A/N - I’ve been rewatching all the Harry Potter Movies at the cinema recently and I think i like it more now than I ever did before. This is my first HP story so go easy on me, okay? Comments are appreciated and requests are open!!

Warnings - Swearing, excessive use of the word mudblood... i think that’s it.

"Granger," You call out, shoving your things into your bag as quick as humanly possible before charging after her. The crowd of other students growing the distance between you as you slip between them but not without almost crashing into people a bunch of times along the way. "Granger- wait." You try but she continues to walk away with Potter and Weasley beside her. You eventually manage to push your way through until you're walking in step with the trio. The girl stands in the middle, guarded by her two best friends.

"Hey," You offer them a smile, "Guess who got a perfect?"

"How?" It's instinctive to turn your nose up when it comes to Ronald Weasley. Not because of his social status like Malfoy suggests but you just found him rather... irritating. You completely ignore his question; breaking formation, you get ahead of the group and begin to carefully walk backwards so you can focus on the girl. She looked anywhere but at you, however, she had a smirk on her lips. Small but visible.

"Only because Snape favours you," The brunette proclaimed. This was routine for the two of you as of late. Always making excuses as to why the other came out on top. Only because of this. Only because of that. It was never as simple as just studying and doing well.

"You're just jealous that I'm a genius." You insist, your smile growing as you teased your own brilliance. Her head shakes a little.

"Since when were you, two friends?"

"Nobody said anything about friends Weasley-" You growl, your once happy expression morphing into one of pure distaste as you look at him. Spinning gracefully on your heel, you begin to walk normally again. "Since I'm so much smarter than you, I can help you study if you need it."

"I don't need any help from the likes of you, thank you," The likes of you? Did she mean a Slytherin? Or just someone who was smarter than her? Although you didn't actually believe you were smarter... well, not entirely anyway. Hermione Granger was often proclaimed as the smartest in your grade, didn't matter how hard you worked; you'd never quite be the promising young witch everyone seemed to think she was. Which is why you find yourself constantly competing. If you can prove to her you were smart then maybe everyone would see you as more than just a Malfoy crony.

You slap your hand against your chest just above your heart; stumbling backwards as if she just shot an arrow straight through. "Oh, how you wound me, Miss Granger. Care to share how well you did? One hundred percent?" She wouldn't have done badly at least not by everyone else's standard of bad. "Ninety maybe?" You turn back to them, coming to halt directly in front of the girl. "Merlin's beard Hermione, don't tell me you got less than eighty? That would be a travesty."

"if you don't mind, we're a little busy." She hadn't answered the question and as she walked around you, you expected she wasn't going to. "Come along Harry," she took his hand. "Ronald." And his before marching away. You watch them as they go, a smirk lingering before slipping off in search of your friends.

Come Friday afternoon and you found yourself in the great hall. The busy castle was beginning to calm and few people sat in the tables alongside the two of you. You take a sip of some water as you watch the gears in her head turn, debated her next move. At this point you already knew you would win; you always did. While everything else was more of a competition; Hermione Granger surprisingly wasn't all too hard to beat at Wizard's chess. Your Fridays together we're brilliant times to chat though, you'd often sum up any achievements from the week just to see who's doing better.

"I can't believe you beat me in history of magic again- I spent hours on that stupid essay. I basically lived in the library."

"I can help you study if you like," she offered, her eyes not leaving the board as she ordered her bishop forward. You watch as the chess piece moves along the board.

"You're not funny Granger," you tease, ordering your knight forward to take down her bishop. "Check,"

A paper ball hit the back of your head, drawing your attention away. Pansy stood with a wide grin on display, you ignored her and returned to your game but Hermione was also focused on your friend. "I think she wants your attention."

Another paper ball collides against your head. You sigh loudly before turning and mouthing 'what?'

"We're going down to the black lake? You coming?" She asked. "Or are you too busy with the Gryffindor?"

"just give me a sec." You wave her away, turning back to the other girl. "Have you moved?" She nods a little, her hair bouncing with the movements. You examine the board trying to figure out who she had moved but it didn't really matter. With a final move of your queen, the king was knocked off the board. "I do believe that is checkmate."

"I'm beginning to think you're cheating."

"Me?" You ask, pretending to be offended by the notion. "Never. How little faith you have me in, Granger."

"Slytherins are known for being cunning."

"We're not all cheating monsters, my dear sweet Gryffindor. Some of us actually have a conscience."

"I find that hard to believe," Her lips were curled into a cheeky smile. You'd never quite noticed the way her eyes crinkle when her smile is so big or how teethy it was. It was adorable.

"I gotta go- same time next week? Maybe I'll even let you win."

"I don't need you to let me win,"

"You sure?" Nothing more than a harmless joke as you stand. "How many times in a row have I won now?"

"Slither away," Hermione smiles as you back away towards Pansy. You had to admit, you did firm Hermione to be intriguing.

Being in the same year, meant you actually saw Hermione rather frequently, however, your actual interactions were limited. Yes, you played Wizard's chess together every Friday but other than that, you basically only had very short conversations. It was like being in two completely different worlds simply because you were put in different houses. This school had a weird obsession with separation by houses. You were a proud Slytherin as were you friends but your ambition to branch out was often looked at as beneath some of the others. It was dinner time and you sat at the Slytherin table but your focus was pulled towards a certain familiar Gryffindor student. She just happened to be sat in your eye line, so you couldn't help but amuse her from afar. With funny faces and playful winks. Her most common reactions were shakes of the head or rolling her eyes but you knew secretly she enjoyed the teasing.

"Are you even listening?" A sharp elbow slams into your side. You bite back a groan as you shove the boy gently.

"The hell Draco,"

"What are you staring at?" There was a particularly bite behind his words but you'd grown used to how aggressive he could come across. He was always trying to be the alpha and frankly, everyone let him be. You simply shrug at his question; grabbing an apple and taking a bite.

"What did you want?"

The grey of his eyes flickers in curiosity as he tries to figure out what had you so distracted. When you look across at Granger, she's chatting to Ginny Weasley about something.

"Sometimes I wonder if the sorting hat got it wrong with you," He muses. "Should have put you in Gryffindor since you're so obsessed with Potter."

"Says the boy who never shuts up about him." You fight back. You couldn't care less about Harry Potter or his chosen one status. You knew Malfoy hated him though; it was a little weird just how much.

"You gravely misunderstand my interest in potter."

"I don't care if you have a crush on him Malfoy," There are a few snickers around the table but he's definitely not laughing.

"Don't be ridiculous." He growled, leaving the table. It was only a joke. You follow after him along with the others.

After dinner, you're lounging in the common room. One leg hooked over the arm of the couch as you read a book all about dragons. Fascinating creatures.

"So are you and the Gryffindor friends?"

"Who?" You question. Not even looking at the blonde as he sits down beside you.

"Granger." He confirms. "Pansy thinks you have a crush or something?"

"Pansy is a liar." The joke isn't as funny when it's against you. Your feelings towards Granger was nobody else's business but your own. You were often left conflicted when it came to her. You roll your eyes, sitting up straight. "I just like proving that I'm better than her."

"You spend a lot of time with her," Goyle adds.

"So?" You finally lower your book. Your brows knitted together in a clear frown as you scan the room. A few people had invited themselves into the conversation. "I spend a lot of time with you but doesn't mean I wanna get into your pants,"

"I don't know why you associate with any of them." This was beginning to feel like a lecture. Why do they even care who you hang out with? You didn't care much for the boys but you liked Hermione. She was kind, funny and really smart. You enjoyed the little time you ultimately spent together but if you admitted that, they would crucify you.

"They'd probably say the same about you lot," you state. Bringing the large book back up to cover your face. "Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to read here,"

"You can tell us if you like her," Pansy contributes. "I mean we all know you have a soft spot for the weak."

"Are you taking pity on her?"

"Maybe she wants to start hanging out with Potter. Can you imagine?"

You grit your teeth, not at all reading the words on the page in front of you. They're just trying to get a rise out of you.

"I can't imagine anything more pathetic," Malfoy chuckles followed by a few of the others. "They're an embarrassment to the wizarding world if you ask me. Parading around like they own the place-"

"We're nothing okay?" You slap your book shut. "Not friends or secret lovers or anything, I would never date someone so.... dirty." The word slipped out before you had a chance to stop. You didn't see her that way; she was much too grand to be considered dirty. And you couldn't care less about pure bloodlines. It didn't make her any less of a fantastic witch. "I'm not joining Potter's Merry band of monkeys, so just drop it okay." Ignoring the snickers and hushed whispers, you march off to bed.

It's the Friday following your little session in the common room. You forgave them all of course; you always did. There was no point in being angry at them over some harmless teasing. You had the chessboard set up and even brought along a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans but she was running late. Normally it was you showing up late; very unusual behaviour from someone known for punctuality. But as time ticked on and you were still left alone, you began to realise she wasn't going to turn up. Packing everything up, you decide it'll be best to search for her; something bad must have happened for her to not show at all.

"Weasley," you shout, jogging up to Harry and Ron who seemed to be missing their third arm. "You seen granger?"

"Why?" Asks the redhead. Harry presents you with a smile.

"None of your business," you spit at Ron. "Have you seen her or not?"

"Last we saw her she said she was heading to the library," Harry answered. You offer a grateful smile but you can't help but wonder why she's decided to head to the library. Was there a test you didn't know about? Was she trying to get the upper hand? Surely she could have just told you that instead of having you wait.

"Thanks, Harry," You skip along to the library but the journey proves pointless when you discover she isn't there either. You would be lying if you said you had searched particularly hard before giving up though. There was always next week. With a defeated sigh, you head back towards the common room. Luck must have been on your side because you spot her on the way back. Perched on a ledge with her head in a book. Typical Hermione Granger.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," you announce as you walk towards her. "I thought we were gonna play wizards chess so I could annihilate you again." The faintest sniffle hit your ears and you froze. Was she... crying? Shit. You don't do well with criers; you never know how to handle situations when people cry. It's always so... awkward. "What's wrong?"

"Go away." Her voice is quiet but echoes through the empty corridor.

"Granger?" You closer to her now, leaning against one of the stone columns.

"I said go away," Her words are harsh; she shoves her face further into the book. Was she trying to hide the fact she had been crying? It was pretty obvious at this point.

"What's up with you?" You wonder, folding your arms over your chest.

"I don't want to talk to you,"

"What did I do?" The confusion is very clear in your voice. You'd hardly even spoken to the girl recently so how could you have possibly upset her.

"You're as bad as the rest of them, now leave me alone," Sharp words as she grabbed her things and stormed off. As bad as the rest of them? What did that even mean? Pushing yourself upright, you follow after her.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Just some filthy mudblood am I?" Venomous words spat at you with the speed of a viper. You stumble back a little; she's never been so angry with you. Tears spill down her rosy cheeks."Malfoy told me what you said- Guess I should have known better considering your so-called friends. You're just as cruel as the rest of them."

"Hermione..." you sigh softly. You couldn't exactly defend your fellow Slytherin friends. "Why do you believe him anyway?"

"So you didn't say it then."

"No, I did," you shrug a little. "Well I said you were dirty, I didn't say... that word."

"Mudblood- Same thing though right? You think you're so much better just because you're of Pure blood."

"I didn't say that, I-"

"Just stay away from me." Her tone has you backing down from the fight. You consider following her as she charges off down the hall but instead, you go back to the dorms.

"You're a right git," you exclaim, storming into the room, grip tight on the book you launch at his head. Platinum blonde hair darts of the way.

"What the hell."

"You told her?" All eyes are on you as you confront him.

"What are you on about?"

"Hermione- you told her I thought she was dirty."

"Your words, not mine." Draco shrugged a little. A huff of a laugh passing his lips which pissed you off even more.

"I-," you look around, picking up a pillow and tossing it at him. "You are such a pain in the ass."

"Why do you care about that filthy mudblood, you said you don't even like her?"

"I don't even like you and yet we're best friends," You shout, looking at the coffee table you grab a mug and aim at the boy. Draco's hand shoots up in defense.

"Don't you dare throw that at me or I swear-" He fought back. You lower your hand and so does he then you throw it anyway, hearing it break as you collapse on the couch. "You don't need someone like that." He muses as he cautiously approaches the couch.

"We can't all be insufferable snobs Malfoy," you grumble, rather casually considering what just happened. "You mess up everything for no bloody reason"

"Probably shouldn't go around calling her dirty then," He argues. "I didn't make you say that..."

The boy hovers over the back of the couch and you shove him away. "I hate you."

You realise you have to be the one because Malfoy's not about to admit he did anything wrong. And you know at the end of the day it was your fault for saying it in the first place. You retire to your bed, no longer watching to deal with other people.

For the next week or so Hermione avoids you like the plague. You'd obviously see her in some of your classes but when you'd try to speak to her after, she'd rush out before you had a chance to so much as saying hi. If you managed to catch her gaze, she'd stare daggers; if looks could kill you'd be six feet under by now. You'd sometimes find her in the library, it was the one place she could cause a scene but neither could you. When you tried to whisper to her, she'd completely ignore you. You were beginning to miss the limited interaction you hard; Half the fun of studying was ultimately doing better than her in the end.

The girl was alone today, searching the shelves. The library was fairly empty and it was getting late. You take the opportunity to make some paper birds and send them fluttering over to her. One by one until she whispers yells at you to stop. You chuckle. Doing it again. This develops into a habit throughout the next couple of days. You'll send paper birds her way, just to get a reacting out of her. You start writing little messages on them too but you don't think she ever reads them before setting them on fire.

It becomes abundantly clear she's not giving in and therefore one day during breakfast you abandon your table and enter what Malfoy would consider enemy territory. Pushing Neville aside to sit next to Hermione. A bunch of lions look to you like you'd just entered their den without permission; in their defense, you never sit here. Hermione gets up to leave but not before you can grab her wrist.

"Can you please stop ignoring me," she yanks out of your grip, walking away to leave you surrounded by kids you've only ever spoken to in passing. You groan loudly.

"What happened between you two?" Ron asked.

"Do you ever keep out of other people's business Weasley or do you have some obsessive need to weasel your way into everything."

"Just tryna help, jeez."

"If you must know, Malfoy told her that I referred to her as a... y'know."

"Mudblood?" Harry continues for you.

"I called her dirty but I didn't mean it."

"Thought you weren't friends anyway," Ron wore a smirk like he caught you out or something so you just ignore him.

"Now she's ignoring me. I just want her to talk to me."

"Have you apologised?"

"How can I apologise if she won't bloody talk to me, Harry? I thought you were supposed to be smart." You comment, dropping your head against the table. "I've tried writing notes but she burns all of them. I'm running out of ideas, I can only be so charming."

"Can't really help you there," Ron replies.

"All the boys in this school are so bloody useless," you sigh dramatically, slamming your hands on the table to push yourself up. "You’re her best friends and you can't help? Pathetic."

You debate joining the others but you decide against it and leave the great hall. You're not hungry anymore.

"You really should stop sending paper birds," The voice catches you off guard, whipping your wand out before realising it's her.

"I'll stop if you talk to me again," You counter, lowering your wand.

"I'm not ashamed of my parents."

"And you shouldn't be." Your head falls, "I really am sorry for what I said, it was definitely a peer pressure thing and I was stupid." You blurt out. "Malfoy can just be a lot sometimes and I was trying to study so... I don't think you're less than just because your parents are muggles Hermione. Not even a little." You take a deep breath. "I just want my friend back."

She hesitates. "Oh, so we're friends now huh?"

"Only if you want to be," You shrug. There was part of you that wanted to say maybe you like her as more than that but you kept it to yourself; at least for now. "I understand if you don't like... I was really shitty."

"So Friday then?"

"What?"

"Wizards chess? I think I may be able to beat you now, I've been practising."

"Pfft not likely," You tease, your smile growing. "Friday sounds good."

// NEXT

#hermione granger #Hermione Granger x reader #hermione fanfiction #Hermione x reader #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #emma watson

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fatilightwood · 3 years

Text

Our story

You can read the fic on Ao3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5: With the help of all my friends

They had that date and then they had a lot more over the course of two weeks.

Alastair had been free of work once he handed in his essay, and Thomas’s professors were giving him a break from assignments.

Life was good, life was incredible.

They had dinner, they had gone to the cinema, and even had breakfast with Ariadne at college. Now Thomas knew where Alastair’s profile picture had been taken. At the outdoor lunch tables. Alastair and Ariadne’s favorite place to have breakfast and gossip.

Thomas had found it calming that talking with Ariadne was easy. He didn’t know what he would do if Alastair’s best friend didn’t like him. Fortunately she seemed to be okay with him. That was good. Because otherwise how could he be with Alastair?

That brought him some other thoughts. Sometimes he’d told himself he was very optimistic about everything. Perhaps even now. Would Alastair want to be with him? Like officially? Bloody hell, they haven’t even kissed.

Was that a bad sign? Perhaps Alastair just hasn’t thought about it. And really, that would be unfair, because Thomas had been imagining it. At least, he didn’t have those thoughts that regularly around Alastair, otherwise he was sure he would look like a tomato all the time. The Carstairs boy hadn’t been really helpful in that area. Thomas suspected he very much liked to make Thomas blush. And then he wouldn’t say a thing, or to try to make a move.

He was still scrolling through his phone when a text came. Speaking of the devil. Or just thinking about him? Whatever. The important thing was the guy he didn’t seemed to be able to stop thinking about was texting him.

He immediately opened the chat and read the message.

He answered quickly.

Yes.

****

Alastair walked excitedly to the place where he was meeting his friends.

It didn’t take him long to spot Ariadne on a table. She was sipping some red liquid from a glass. He waved at her until she saw him.

“Do you think they’re gonna be here soon? I’m hungry.” Ariadne said as soon as he took a seat.

“You want to bribe me so you’re not the only one eating when they arrive?”

“I wouldn’t do that.” She said, shaking his head slowly in fake disappointment.

“Bowl of chips, yes or no? Quick.”

“Yes.” Ariadne clapped her hands. “I love you so much.”

“I know.” He smiled, while he saw Ariadne calling the waiter.

Ten minutes later they had ate almost the entire plate.

“How’s Cordelia?”

“Excited. Remember I told you about her friend Lucie, she just came to our apartment in the morning.”

“Oh, yes. Are they coming tomorrow?”

“I wouldn’t want to but I think Layla knew about the party even before us. I don’t think I can stop her but we’ll have to watch those two.”

“I love ruining the fun for the young ones.”

“You make us sound like we’re ancient.”

“Ok, then you’re the only grandpa.”

Alastair glared at her with squinted eyes. “Grace just texted. She says they’ll be here in a few minutes. They were stuck in traffic.”

“They better hurry, cause these ones aren’t going to last.”

“Either way, they would have to order another one.” He said and took more than 3 pieces at the same time.

“This isn’t a competition.” Ariadne said smiling

“But if it were you’d be losing.”

Grace Blackthorn and his brother, Jesse walked into the pub. They waved at the two friends who were already eating.

“Sorry for the lateness, Jesse took more time while readying himself.” Grace said, smiling wickedly at Jesse.

“So it’s this my fault now? We’ve would have been here in time if we hadn't been stuck in traffic.”

“Maybe we wouldn’t have gotten stuck in traffic if we had left the house sooner.”

“You can’t now that.”

The siblings had already taken their seats and were looking at each other with barely contained smirks.

“Well, hello to you guys, Ariadne and I are fine, by the way.” Alastair said.

“But we’re starving, and the chips were good but now I need my chicken wings.” Ariadne said. “But you arrived just in time, we haven’t finished this order yet, want some?” She pushed the dish closer to them.

“Are we gonna order another one?” Jesse asked.

“I could eat some more.” said Ariadne.

“Me too.”

“Then we should order now, I’m starving.”

They ordered pizza and chicken wings, always following the tradition of tasting each other’s dishes.

Eventually, the conversation took the way of gossip. And the latest gossip they all needed was to know more about Alastair’s love life. Their friend had been very cryptic in his texts, Grace and Jesse had to hear the majority trough Ariadne. The siblings were disappointed, that was one of the disadvantages of not studying the same major with them.

“Yes, we’ve went to the movies, we went to the park, and we’ve had other dates.” Alastair said eventually, as if they were forcing information out of him. It was fun to pretend they annoyed him, because everyone knew it wasn’t real. Alastair was glad they had reached this point of trust.

“So, is it real?”

“No, Grace, he’s a hologram, of course he’s real.”

“I meant,” she said, superiorly “it’s official. You found someone who’s actually a catch and you haven’t run away.”

Ariadne smiled and said “She has a point, you know.”

Alastair rolled his eyes. He didn’t need to say anything. He knew his friends were right.

“Shut up. There’s still plenty of time to run.”

“You’re not gonna do it.” Jesse said.

“No, there’s no plan to do it.” Alastair confirmed.

“But, there’s a plan to take him to a date to the museum on Wednesday.” Ariadne intervened.

“Oh my God, you art students are weird. Do people actually go to museums on a date?” Grace joked.

“You don’t get to have a say in that. You had study dates. What the hell is that?” His brother said.

“It’s a good way to get the anatomy learned.” Graced winked.

Jesse looked disgusted while Alastair burst out laughing. When he calmed down he said “Yes, we do that, but in my defense, it was his idea. I told him I liked the pieces in there and Thomas said it would be fun to go there together.” He shrugged.

“Oh my god, it’s more than official, why isn’t he your boyfriend already?” Jesse asked and then took a sip from his beer.

“That’s what I’ve been asking him.” Ariadne said, exasperated. “But this idiot hasn’t even kissed him.”

“You haven’t?” Grace asked incredulously.

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Me neither.” Ariadne intervened.

“This is so weird, you never take so long.” Grace said.

Grace was right, he knew, but this was different. It had been different since the beginning.

After his relationship failed he had tried to date again. He went to dates with some guys, he kissed them, he talked to them, but at the end the result was always the same, he left. One was too clingy, another too arrogant, one made Alastair wonder how he had survived college. Surely someone else had answered his exams. After them, Alastair understood he didn't need a new relationship and he really didn't need to kiss someone he didn't care about. It wasn't fair to them or to Alastair. But now Alastair was in unknown territory because he had never been in this position. He had never met someone like Thomas.

“I don’t know, I— he’s just so sweet, I—”

“So you’re scared to corrupt his kind soul?” Ariadne asked, with air of superiority. She was raising her eyebrow, daring him.

“To be fair he’s so much kinder than me.”

“True. But–“

“What? You’re not even going to disagree?”

“Facts are facts, baby.”

“Guys, we all know that is rubbish.” He pointed at Alastair. “You haven’t run away but you also haven’t given him the opportunity.”

“I am giving him— giving us the chance, perhaps I’m even being too hopeful.”

“I think your hope is well placed, I don’t know Thomas very much but from what I hear, he’s a good guy and he cares a lot about you.”

“We don’t know him, and I know you’ve told us only a little but I believe that is enough for me. I think he’s worth it. And if I’m wrong, I will gladly hunt him down.” Grace said smiling.

Alastair smirked at the thought of slim Grace against muscular Thomas. But he didn’t have doubts about his friend, she could summon strength from only God knows where and give some good punches. He had seen it.

“Yes! Nobody is allowed to hurt my Alastair.” Ariadne agreed.

“I will hold him, and then Grace can punch him.” Jesse affirmed.

“As much as I love this violent show display of protectiveness, I’m gonna say that I don’t want Thomas punched, but of course that’s his decision.” He said, arrogantly.

The group of friends laughed. They all knew Alastair had bad experiences and didn’t want to put his heart at risk. It had been a hard process, but he was getting better every day. Now they all hoped Thomas wouldn’t break his heart.

The serious moment had passed. And Ariadne knew how to set them in another mood.

“You should invite him to tomorrow’s party.”

“Yes, it would be great.” Jesse said.

Alastair had thought about it. He hadn’t decided yet. But he knew it was time to make a decision.

“Only if all of you are going to behave.”

“When aren’t we behaving?” Grace asked, feigning hurt.

“Yeah, behaving like idiots.”

“You’re not helping, Jesse.”

“Go, go.” Ariadne urged.

Alastair took his phone and started typing.

There’s a party tomorrow. I believe it’s a birthday. Honestly, I was just dragged. Would you like to go?

“It’s done.”

When Thomas’s ‘yes’ came they yelled. Alastair rolled his eyes at them. At least three people had turned their heads to glare at them.

#thomastair #thomastair fluff #alastair carstairs #thomas lightwood

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tocrackerboxpalace · 3 years

Text

September, 1965

Summary: During a press interview to promote Help!, an interviewer makes his feelings for Paul quite obvious. Some parties aren't too happy about it.

“Now, I’m sure the four of you have been celebrating upon the release of your new film, Help! which recently came out here in the U.K. just over a month ago. I wanted to speak with you all about the film, the process, and the potential impact it could have. Now, the reviews have been generally strong, but many are claiming that despite its substantially more extensive budget, it falls a bit short of last year’s A Hard Day’s Night. Would you mind sharing your feelings on those claims?”

“Well, I’d hate to take this question on account of I haven’t seen either film,” came John’s reply first, drawing a thrum of laughter from the audience.

The interviewer (whose name Paul had already forgotten) spoke through a toothy grin, laughter bright on his lips. “You haven’t seen the films, John?”

A playful smile tugged at John’s lips, contradicting his deadpan reply. “Haven’t gotten around to it, no. Been busy filming some things.”

Another round of laughter. Paul felt a grin rise to his own face, knowing that John had good and well seen the films, and had rather liked them. He always found it intriguing to watch the show that John put on for the public eye.

“What about you, Paul? How do you feel about them?”

Paul tore his gaze away from his friend and flashed a bright smile at the interviewer. “Oh, I don’t mind about them. It was good fun to make them, yeah.”

“Do you feel like they captured your personalities quite well?”

“I’d say, relatively so.” The answer came from George this time, who began interlocking his fingers around his crossed knee. “You know, the films are full of us really just playing around and having a game of it, even with the more structured plots. Filming Help! was good fun, indeed.”

“We lot are a big fan of playing around,” Ringo added helpfully.

“Now Ringo, you’re more or less the star of this new film—if we can discount The Exciting Adventure of Paul on the Floor, of course. Was there any unwanted pressure there?”

Paul felt his cheeks redden at the mention of his slightly racy scene. He had already been uncomfortable with it, and the fact that it was receiving so much publicity frankly embarrassed him. He silently cursed John, the bastard, for his stupid ideas and his stupid way of making Paul go along with them. He caught John’s eye, who hastily looked away, suppressing the teasing grin that twitched at the corner of his mouth.

“—nothing at all, really,” Ringo was saying with a shrug. “I suppose it was a bit more work, as last film I got to wander about while they filmed me for a while and this one I had real big scenes of human sacrifice and whatnot. But no, I never thought about it as being stressful or more pressure.”

“Well, that’s wonderful, Ringo, thank you. Now, I’d like to circle back to something mentioned a bit earlier. Let’s cut to the chase: Paul, that scene. I’d like to know how much was really going on under that wrapper.”

A blush crept up his neck and he absentmindedly reached up to scratch his cheek. He forced himself to smile bashfully, subconsciously crossing his legs at the knee. “Well, y-you know…” He trailed off, not wanting to explicitly answer but framing the sentence in such a way that it was still suggestive.

“Aw,” the reporter gushed, flashing him a wink. “Don’t be shy now, Paul. I’m sure the viewers are dying to know as well.” The crowd hummed in agreement.

Before Paul could open his mouth, John shot a quick reply. “Now, I feel a bit hurt that no one has wanted to ask me that question.” He turned to face the camera. “I, John Winston Lennon, confirm on Universal Broadcast Television that in that scene I was wearing absolutely nothing underneath my clothing and undergarments.” He feigned a gasp, then exaggerated a grandiose curtsy as he momentarily raised himself out of his armchair. This raised another collective laugh. John was an easy fan favourite.

Paul suppressed feelings of gratitude. He giggled at the prospect of John confessing that to a real universally-broadcasted program, which, for now (fortunately, unfortunately?), was a thing of the future.

The interviewer waited for the laughter and scattered applause to subside before he continued. “Thank you for that shocking revelation, John. Though I’m not quite sure that answered our question…” The suggestion trailed off, and Paul realized that it was meant for him to answer. He was busy watching John after accidentally catching a flash of something in his expression, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Paul put on his best puppy-dog pouty face and blinked up at the interviewer through his lashes. “I suppose,” he started, intentionally producing a voice thick and coy, “there wasn’t much going on at all.” His mind barely registered that John was now tapping is foot anxiously, a habit that arose only when the man was incredibly agitated or stressed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw George place an inquisitive hand on John’s, hidden enough from the cameras for him to subtly ask if his friend was all right. John gave a curt and almost unnoticeable nod, his eyes darting from George back to the interviewer. Though unsatisfied with the confirmation, George let his hand apprehensively fall back into his own lap.

Paul noticed every one of these ministrations between them, feeling his heart warm at the thought. He knew no one else, not even crazed fans, would pick up on the subtle movements. The four were just that close, having an entire language of their own, able to communicate without even making eye contact. It felt nice, performing a television interview with over half the country watching and knowing that there were still things they had for themselves. Still, despite his musings, worry seeped into his mind as the significance of the interaction hit him. Was John all right? Paul tried to beckon John’s gaze with his own, but his friend simply started at the ground where his foot was beginning to pose quite the distraction.

The interviewer let out a bright laugh and leaned closer to Paul, if unintentionally. “Well, I’m sure our viewers won’t be able to get that image out of their heads tonight. I know I won’t be able to.”

Paul flashed an amused grin at the insinuation, watching in his peripheral as John crossed his ankles to stop his shoe from tapping, his lips pressed into a tight, thin line. A flash of annoyance struck in Paul’s chest. What could John possibly be upset about? Didn’t he realize that they were on live television? What did he have such an… an attitude for? He still wouldn’t meet his stare.

“Now, I’d like to touch upon the impact of this film,” the interviewer was continuing. “An article in The Daily Mail characterized Help! as a pioneer in the genre of musical comedies, especially with its Technicolor production, magical realism, and rather organic integration of musical influence into the plot. George, do you think that this film is going to be as historically impactful as some are proclaiming?”

“Well, er… I wouldn’t say so, only because I can’t quite know what impact it could have, as I’m not so much involved in the world of cinema. Personally, I felt as if our previous film made no industrial impact, so it’s a bit difficult to foresee this one going in a different direction. It's just fun.”

“Wonderful insight, George,” the reporter praised. “I’ll be interested to see which one of us is correct.” He flashed a wink, causing George to chuckle and respond with a bemused, “Yes, we’ll see.”

“John, I’d be interested to see where your thoughts stand on the matter. Personally, I could see you continuing with an acting, or perhaps directing, career far beyond the musical films. Do you dabble in the world of art cinema at all?”

“I suppose.”

“You suppose?” The interviewer looked a bit thrown by the curt response.

“That’s all there is to it, really.”

Paul didn’t think much of John’s acting skills tonight. Whatever was bothering the man was now evident for every eye to see, a change in his demeanor so drastic that Paul almost felt a chill come over the room. What the hell was going on with him?

The interviewer chuckled nervously and switched subjects. “All right, I’d like to shift a bit and discuss some more of the actual content of the film. Now, the scene in the bathroom—how did you all manage that?”

Ringo broke into a wide grin, and Paul matched his energy at the memory. “Well,” Ringo started, “We had to have our clothing stitched apart just enough to where it would hold on for the beginning of the scene, but easily tear off. Like in Paul’s shirt sleeve, they had sewn a bit of fishing wire into the cuff and snaked it through the dryer opening, so when they gave a tug the whole sleeve came flying off at the shoulder.” Paul nodded for emphasis as Ringo demonstrated then, reaching for the cuff of his shirtsleeve and pulling at it.

“Oh,” the reporter mused, “and here I was hoping it would take a lot more with it.” He flashed Paul another charismatic grin.

Paul had almost—almost—missed the slight eye roll that John gave as he began to chew at his thumb nail, another nervous habit he had picked up. Paul’s heart jumped a bit at the sight, followed by a pull of confusion in his stomach. Another look flashed in John’s eyes, longer this time. It looked like… anger. Paul was almost certain he had identified it when the look passed, and a sudden calm came over John as he regained his composure.

“Well that makes a pair of us, then, doesn’t it, mate?”

Paul froze. The words were light, but there was nothing friendly about the sentence that John had just spat out—the tone was salacious and determined, leaving no room for misinterpretation. His eyes glinted in a frightening mixture of malice and amusement as an awkward silence settled over the 5 players. George shifted uncomfortably and Ringo eyed the blinking red dot across the room.

Fuck, Paul thought to himself. They were live.

It had only been about five seconds, but they ticked away at what felt like a painfully slow rate. Paul’s internal clock supplied each passing numeric as the interviewer opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking once more. Someone in the audience coughed.

“All right, well, erm—it has been a pleasure hosting you boys on the show, and I wish you the utmost of luck on the film’s continuing success and your further aspirations with the band.”

George murmured a light, “Very well, thanks.” Ringo nodded with an, “All right, Louis, all the best.” John said nothing. Paul said nothing.

Louis. That was his name.

The red light ceased blinking across the room. The interviewer got up stiffly and stalked off, bewildered at the surprise ending of the televised event. George and Ringo quickly rose to their feet and muttered a quick, “goingtothedressingroom,” scurrying off.

Paul suddenly felt furious with John, a white-hot rage efflorescing in his chest. The attitude, the behaviour on live television and in front of a live audience, the lack of self-control—Paul bit back an outburst in response, willing himself not to create yet another scene. Not to mention the whole issue of what John had actually said, and what on earth had pushed him to do so. “We need to talk.”

John shrugged indifferently, letting Paul grab his wrist roughly and drag him away from the armchair. Paul made a break for the nearest hallway, desperately wanting to escape what felt like millions of nosy and inquisitive stares, pulling John behind him. Eventually, he tried the knob to a utility closet, and the door gave way as Paul shoved John inside. He could no longer contain his baffled anger as he slammed the door behind them.

It was dark in the closet save a sliver of blue moonlight that creeped through the small square window. The light bathed John in an angelic glow in front of him, and Paul wasn’t sure if it was the shadows playing tricks on him or if John actually looked sorry. Paul’s chest was rising and falling rapidly, but John’s was steady, near unmoving. The man was incredibly quiet and still as he waited for Paul to speak first.

“What the fuck was that?” He hissed.

John looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. “What?”

“What do you mean, ‘What?’, Lennon? Y-you acted like a twat. On live television. What were you so twisted up about, anyway? You couldn’t have just held it in? The interview was like five fucking minutes. Why couldn’t you do that? For m–” Paul stopped himself. He suddenly felt stupid. For me, he wanted to say. John knew how important Paul thought their public perception was. John knew how anxious Paul got before interviews, desperation and fear of saying the wrong thing crowding his thoughts. John knew all of that stuff and had still gone and mucked it up, perhaps even intentionally.

“I didn’t like the way he was talking with you,” John said quietly. “I—it was for you.”

A hand came up to pinch the bridge of Paul’s nose. He sighed as he rubbed at his eyes, a frustrated perplexity tugging at his features. He was embarrassed more than anything. Embarrassed at the forwardness of the interviewer, embarrassed at the scenes of himself in the movie, embarrassed at his reaction to what was probably just John taking up for him. He shook his head.

“I don’t get it, John. Help me understand why you would say that, why you would say it like that—"

“It was, Paul.” John’s voice cut him off, insistent now, and he stepped closer to Paul against the door. It took him a moment to realize that John was still talking about his intent. There was something rather odd in his gaze now, something almost… needy?

The pair were now only inches away from each other. Paul felt his nerves singing as he took in the sight of his best friend. A twitch in his chest told him that something had changed in the shared space between them. John’s eyes were half-lidded, and not in the vision-starved squint that was familiar, the deep amber bearing down on him with a heated look. Paul gazed at the way the man’s lower lashes rested on his cheeks, which were flushed slightly, pink like the wet bottom lip he had nervously caught between his teeth. John’s soft brown locks fell against his forehead, brushing his eyebrows, and Paul felt the sudden urge to reach up and tangle his fingers in it.

Why had he never noticed how beautiful John was before?

There wasn’t a good reason for what happened next. Maybe it was the moment of emotional vulnerability. Maybe it was their proximity. Maybe it was the tension. Maybe it was the way that Paul came to the sudden realization that John hadn’t been angry before, but jealous.

Paul tilted his chin down and kissed him.

#the beatles #beatles fanfiction #john lennon #paul mccartney #george harrison #ringo starr #1965 #help! era

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benhardypout-archive · 4 years

Photo

004. thank you, alex

a/n: so this is one of my Wonty "comfort fics" - so it's far from canon or never followed the original plot - which i would probably never publish (unless there's one i would like to share), but this time in this fic which i titled "Dirty Little Secret", I'm just going to post some chapters which I enjoyed writing. So the number is the chapter of this fic, and this is the chapter 4, hence, 004. Enjoy reading! 🙈

Perhaps, my crush on Monty was getting out of hand.

I flipped through the Liberty yearbook which Tyler lent me only to feast my eyes over the photos of the guy in Jersey no. 32 through the weekend, as I sat on the floor with my back against the bed.

Montgomery de la Cruz, I chanted in my head, reading his name printed in bold letters.

I stopped by a certain picture of his, running my fingers over the glossy paper, tracing his face. Tyler was lucky to have taken this rare shot of him smiling beautifully like this; those white teeth showing. He was leaning back and wearing a blue tank top. For once, he looked really happy…

I should probably ask Tyler the story behind this shot.

My phone rang a message.

I, mindlessly, searched for it, not keeping my eyes away from the image. I could feel my heart expanding by this simple picture of him.

Bringing my phone to my face, there’s a message from Alex: U free this afternoon?

Basically, I'm free for the whole day.

I typed a quick reply: Yes.

And not long after, Alex texted back asking us to meet up at this mall, only a five minute drive.

I wonder if this hang out thing meant anything or just platonic. Anyway, Alex seemed nice. I would love to get to know him more and perhaps get acquainted.

Looking back to the yearbook, I'm so tempted to cut the picture. Or maybe I could just ask Tyler just give me this specific yearbook, like a gift.

* * *

Alex took me bowling. And I'm not so good with the game but so far I'm having fun.

"You're so good at this," I said as Alex hit another strike.

He smiled. "Nah."

"Now, don't be modest on me," I chuckled lightly and took a bowling ball from the rack and positioned it on my hand, adjusting to its weight. Walking by the lane, I put on a stance and ran my tongue over my lower lip, aiming for a strike. Not that I'm expecting to hit one, which of course didn't happen. I looked at Alex, throwing my hands in defeat. "No, not good at this."

Alex went to hit next and of course, another strike. He raises both his arms dramatically and spun around facing me, smiling victoriously, cocking a brow.

"I give up!" I chuckled and sat down by the bench.

"You're named Winston for a reason," Alex commented, sitting beside me.

"What does that mean?"

"Winston, like Winner. Root word, win."

I laughed, throwing my head back a little. "Damn. I think I'm not doing my name justice, then."

"Practice makes perfect."

"Let's just eat. I'm starving."

"Sure."

We walked aimlessly along the mall in silence, with a few side comments about the boutiques or the shops we passed on. Then we saw and spotted some familiar faces. Well, Alex introduced me to some of them, simply pointing from afar and telling their names, since I barely knew anyone from Liberty yet, who also worked here.

Then my stomach decided to embarrass me and did a growl as we reached the food court.

“Someone’s whining,” Alex retorted.

“I know right.”

Since it’s the afternoon, there’s a lot of tables to choose from, not to mention, stalls without queues. A lot of options for us. But we just settled on some corn dogs.

"We should see some movie some time," Alex suggested. "How about tomorrow?"

"Oh, okay." I thought back if I had plans. Is looking at pictures of Monty in the yearbook counted as one?

He smiled and told me the time and rendezvous. And then added, "I-it's a date,"

I blinked. "A d-date?"

"I meant friendly date," he quickly clarified, faking a smile. I could see dejection in his eyes.

I wanted to apologize but perhaps I’m just overthinking the situation and putting meaning on how Alex was acting the past days. I may try to brush it off and act like I’m not noticing anything, but it’s there. Yet, he said so himself ‘friendly date’, maybe he really just meant us to be friendly.

"So you like someone else?" Alex asked after a moment which of course caught me off guard. I should’ve expected that question to come. I almost coughed my Coke out. Good thing, I had swallowed it down. My heart began to skip.

Should I tell him?

I avoided his gaze, and took another sip on my drink. "Uhm… yes," I said in a low voice.

"Oh…. right. Of course."

"Alex-"

"I-I'm just asking," Alex cut me off. Though, I’m afraid I’m already ruining this budding friendship and it’s the last thing I wanted. But, if he ever decides and calls off our little friendly movie date, I'd understand.

"I… Maybe I just need some company," he went on, resting his arms on the table as if for comfort. "And I… I actually like Zach," he glanced at me.

Zach. Oh. I know him.

"I kissed him," he murmured so low I almost didn’t catch it. Then he snorted, lightly. "But… of course he said he's straight."

"I'm sorry," I said in empathy. I wanted to reach for his hands but then decided against it. Then a scenario flashed in my head where I kissed Monty and then he said the same thing-- Ouch!

"It's all right. Thanks for going out with me, and listening." Alex interrupted, saving me from my disastrous thoughts.

I nodded. But then... he asked the question I’m shit scared to answer.

"May I ask who you like?"

Fuck...

I shifted on my seat. "Oh… uhm…It's..." I looked at him, warily. He was indifferent… yet. Wait till you hear this.

With a deep shaky breath I say, "Monty."

* * *

No words had been spoken since, besides the sensational "What the… fuck?" reaction from Alex who wavered before saying the word. And an awkward "Yep" from me, popping the 'p'.

We just went to our own cars and left after.

I'm sure Alex hated me now, or worse, despised me.

I knew it.

Maybe liking Monty would make you lose some friends-- lose some potential friends, rather. We're not even friends.

Was that what Monty meant when he said I got no friends here, as his own experience? Because people didn't like him?

I received a text from Alex later that night, apologizing from how he reacted. Which relieved me a hundred fold. And then he added…

Alex: But… Monty? I just can't believe it! And I think he's as straight as a ruler.

Winston: It's all right. Still a plastic ruler can be bent.

Alex: Correction. Wooden ruler. It just breaks in half, and he'll just break you.

Okay, I couldn't argue with that.

Winston: I guess. But could you keep a promise not to tell anyone?

Alex: Ok

Winston: Thanks.

Alex: So tomorrow. Same time. Same place. And move on from Monty. There's far better guys than that asshole.

Hope it's that easy…

* * *

I'm glad that Alex didn't change towards me. He still smiled and spoke to me as if I didn't tell him something, which he found horrible.

After buying two movie tickets, we went to the snack bar to buy some popcorn.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me." I heard Alex mutter under his breath, causing me to turn and follow his gaze, only for my world to stop, seeing Monty by the entrance.

I forgot the ability to move until Alex nudged me. I blinked and turned to him. He has this amused smile.

"Seriously, Winston, close your fucking mouth. Some fly would literally rent in there."

I blushed, and sneaked another glance at Monty, longer than necessary, then to the other jocks he’s with. They’re standing by the ticket booth. I shifted closer to Alex and poked his side. "Zach's among them."

"I know. I hate it." Alex then stepped forward as it's our turn. "Two medium-sized popcorn please. Plain... And two cokes?" He told the guy behind the counter and turned to me.

"Coke," I confirmed.

And he went on ordering. But half of my attention was on the noise from the jocks. God… I couldn't believe I would see Monty here.

Oh, fuck.

I desperately searched for any mirror or any surface where I could see my reflection and fixed my hair as I saw them making their way towards us!!!

"Hi, Alex." Zach said beside me. I, discreetly, give Alex another nudge.

Alex barely glanced. "Hi."

"Zachy, I'm gonna have these Hot Tamales," Monty announced, tapping his fingers on the glass display counters, pointing over the Hot Tamales candy bars wrapped in red.

He caught my gaze and it was too late to retrieve my eyes back. So, I threw a soft smile at him, hoping I wasn’t too obvious about my loud attraction.

"Hey, Winston. You and Alex on a date?" he asked instead, and I swore I felt blood rush through my cheeks.

"N-no," I shook my head at once.

"What about you and Zach, Monty? You guys on a date?" Alex cuts in.

"Yeah. Actually it's the four of us, Scott and Charlie."

Scott and Charlie smiled and waved, making Alex roll his eyes.

Zach cleared his throat and looked at Alex. I guessed that maybe he wanted to speak to him… alone, so being a good friend as I am, I stepped aside and took the chance to stand beside Monty. But I made sure to be discreet and just tapped my fingers against the counter, my eyes fixated at the menu posted in front.

Zach whispered something to Alex and I could only catch a few words like 'mad' and 'me', giving me enough hint of what he's saying.

I tensed feeling Monty moved closer to me. "Never thought I'd see you here."

I blushed and glanced at him. "Yeah. Small world."

Then he asked me if we’re going to watch the same movie. A horror one.

“I think we should just sit together, then." Monty suggested, glancing over to Zach and Alex. "Especially, it looks like Zach and Alex have something to talk about."

I chuckled, "Sure." Would love to sit next to you.

"Winston," I heard Alex called and saw that our popcorn was ready. I took one last glance at Monty and uttered a "See you later," before making my way back to Alex.

"What did Zach tell you?" I whispered as we made our way inside the cinema.

"He wants to talk. I said yes."

I just hummed.

"Dammit, Winston. I still like him and I hate it," Alex whined a moment later, making me smile.

We took the seat in the middle section, since it's not too far and not too close, and we could watch properly. Different trailers were being shown and I noticed that there were only a few cinema-goers or maybe only few wanted to see this movie.

Later, I spotted Monty and the group inside looking for a seat, so I gave a secret wave at them, specifically, at Monty. He called his friends after he saw me. Then they made their way to us. I hid a smile. My heart wouldn't shut up about it, and it literally wanted to jump off my chest when Monty took the seat next to me.

Calm down, Winston. I’m afraid he could hear it from here, screaming his name.

Zach tried and asked Alex if he could sit beside him, only receiving a nod from Alex. But I could practically read his mind regretting taking the middle seats, when we could just take the space on either right or left wing, and have all the spaces on our own.

"Are you following me?" I heard Alex mumble to Zach.

"No. I… Monty pointed us here and…maybe I did, by deciding to sit next to you," Zach admitted.

I decided and just diverted my attention to Monty and his Hot Tamales. "Does that taste good?"

"You wanna taste?" He gestured one to my direction. I swallowed, not expecting his sudden offer. Or maybe it's because his shoulder brushed against mine.

"N-no. Thanks."

"Come on," Monty began tearing one package open and handed it to me, "Have some."

I glanced at him and reluctantly reached, staring intently at his hand, tempting to hold it.

"No, don't taste that." One of the jocks interrupted. I stopped. "You will get addicted," he added, grinning.

"Oh, fuck off, Charlie," Monty waved. "Come on. Gimme your hand."

"You're not trying to poison me, are you?" I tried to joke.

And I blushed seeing his boyish smile. "Oh no. It's a love potion," he winked.

Now that sent me. If I happen to be an ice, I've melted by now.

You don't need to give me any love potion, Monty. I wanted to say.

With a trembling hand, I held my palm out and he poured some on it. I uttered a thanks and put everything in my mouth, letting it melt in my tongue.

Charlie was right, it's kind of addicting.

"So?"

"I think I'm in love," I blurted, not breaking eye contact.

He looked away.

Oh no! Wrong move, Winston.

"I mean your friend's right. It's addicting."

He turned back to me and smiled. "I know right." He, then, handed me the Hot Tamales. “Here, have it.”

It would be a shame to take his offer down, so I just took it, our fingers brushing; enough to send electricity down my body. I wondered if he felt it too.

Wishful thinking, Winston.

"Why are you taking Monty's food? It might be contaminated," Alex whispered.

I shrugged him off and offered it to him. "You should try."

"No thanks."

I couldn't help but find Alex's distaste towards Monty, funny. Even though I shouldn't. But I'm afraid I might continue teasing him about it.

The movie finally started. And it's supposed to be scary as it's a horror film. But I'm not a bit scared. However, I'm tempted to hold Monty's hand that was on the armrest between us. But more tempted to pull the armrest up and just lean onto him. Maybe act scared?

As he took his hand away to get some popcorn - since I decided to share my popcorn with him and his friends, who I now know the names of: Charlie and Scott - I, sneakily, placed my hand on the armrest in hopes to be held by him.

Sadly, after he took a handful of popcorn he didn't put his hand back, but my hand stayed where it was. And I just forgot all my attempts on flirting.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

And I tensed not because the scene was scary but because his hand, finally, landed on mine. I hid a smile. And when I thought he would notice and take it away, he didn't, and just stayed there. Though, I wasn't sure if he was ever aware of our hands, or he's too focused on the movie to even notice.

My heart pounded so loud, I could barely hear the show, and could hardly concentrate on it, blocking everything around me but only his presence. I’m only aware of the warmth and the weight of his hand on mine, making my throat dry. I just dreamt of kissing him, or simply lean on him, and embrace more of his scent.

Ugh! Shut it, Winston. Try and hold yourself together.

But how, when he’s close like this? Needless to say, his hand on mine?

The movie just ended without me really understanding everything that happened.

Monty made some comments about it, asking me some of it as soon as we got out to the lobby. I just nodded along, agreeing with everything he said. But Charlie argued with him and they went on, leaving me completely clueless, even though we all watched it together. I should've tried and focused on the show, so I could have a proper conversation with him. But until now, the heat of his hand pricked on my skin.

"Winston," Alex called, and began to walk. I hesitated and followed him outside, not giving me the chance to say goodbye to Monty and his friends.

"Are you alright on your own?" he asked

I frowned, blinking once. "Y-yeah."

"I need to go with Zach," he glanced at Zach, who’s busy chatting or probably saying parting words with his buddies, and rolled his eyes back to me. "Said he wants to talk."

"Oh. Sure."

"Again, beware of Monty. Don't be fooled by his good looks."

"So, you admit he looks good."

Alex stammered but soon gave up, sighing. "Whatever Winston. Don't say, I didn't warn you."

"Okay. Have fun with Zach." I gave his shoulder a pat. "And thanks for inviting me. I really had fun," I smiled.

Alex had to roll his eyes again. "I think I know why."

#13rwedit #13rw #wonty #winston williams #montgomery de la cruz #alex standall #zach dempsey #13 reasons why #zalex #winston x monty #zach x alex #*writings #*wonty #*wonty:dirtylittlesecret #*excerpt #otp:igotthegoodsideofyou #*2021 #hope you guyss like!!!! ♥

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tokoyamisstuff · 4 years

Text

Oneshot: Substance - Bucky x Reader

Summary: After stumbling upon certain things on your boyfriends phone, your self-esteem drops below zero.

Warnings: Self-hatred, Angst, Fatshaming, kinda Self-Harm (like withdrawal, not eating enough and overly excessive sport), one or two Swear Words.

Words: ~2900

A/N: Didn’t want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so this has been written in an hour without proof-reading. please have mercy with my soul

“Heya, sweetie-pie. Mind giving me the usual?”

There he was, 12 o’clock as usual. Bucky was leaning over the counter and staring at you with his piercing blue eyes.

He gave you a wink as he shoved the money over the counter, looking around the small but full diner. It was always that crowded at this time of the day.

“Come on, you doofus. You know it’s on me” you chuckled as you pressed the coins back in his hand, relishing at his warmth for a brief second before stepping back.

It has become a ritual to prepare his favourite on almost every single day, even though he claimed to love everything on your menu. His therapist once told him that a certain routine would help him adapt to society again, and he stuck to it pretty closely.

And visiting your restaurant was an important part of his day.

“Do you think we can spend the evening?” Your boyfriend was sipping on his coffee, eyes lighting up when you finally got him his piece of plum pie with whipped cream.

When you watched him eating it in almost one bite, you kind of admired him for being able to eat basically anything without gaining weight. But well, on the other hand, training and fighting were his daily bread, so it was no wonder those calories would be burned like it was nothing.

“Gosh, delicious as always” Bucky mumbled and you couldn’t surpress a quiet laugh at your dork while you were serving another customer. “And I mean you in that dress, not the food. Love your style.”

You usually avoided to fuel his stupid way of flirting, no matter how flattered you felt anyway. So you simply changed the topic. “Dunno. Might get late. Today seems to be very profitable.”

It was just wonderful how understanding Bucky was. Well, he knew he was a piece of work as well. Why should he be mad if you were sucessfull anyway?

So he just shrugged with a wide grin as he handed you over the empty plate, saying “Well, then I’ll tidy up the flat until you’re done. Guess who’s gonna get a back rub when they’re back home?”

“Sounds like a Netflix and Cuddle evening?”

“Everything you want, doll.” He gave you a quick kiss on the cheek, knowing you weren’t all that comfortable with PDA - at least at work. “I won’t bother you any longer.”

“You’re never bothering me.” Smirking, you admired the way his muscles bulged through his sleeveless top. “Distracting is a far better word.”

He won’t comment on your statement, rather winking at you and mumbling something like “You just wait until later...” as he already rushed out of the entrance.

Six hours later you were finally able to end your twelve hour shift and close the restaurant almost on time - well...plus the few customers who came about five minutes before closure, and having to clean up the mess you’d always leave behind when cooking as quick as possible.

“I’m home, darlin’!” you cheered as you threw your bag into a corner and got rid of your shoes.

Seems like he was in the shower, at least he yelled something like ‘having something for you when he’s done’.

Well, if the surprise was something cute or nasty - you’d have no problem with either one.

“Hey, babe!” his voice called you out of the bathroom. “Can you look up when we made the reservation for cinema? I made a screenshot from the booking confirmation.”

He’d always ask for that kind of stuff in the weirdest situations. Probably because he knew he’d forget it otherwise.

“Alright.” His smartphone was placed on the nightstand, as usually. It was a miracle that he learned to use it that quickly, but on the other hand he’d always been very invested with new technology.

The two of you had no secrets. And even if: Taking each others cellphones wouldn’t really tell you something you didn’t already know about each other, so it had never been a no-go to use the others phone.

You sat down on the edge of the bed after throwing your sweat-soaked and stained clothes into the basket, wishing Bucky would hurry up so you could clean up and enjoy some hot water.

Scrolling through his picture folder, you hummed a happy little song, already wondring what you’d do on your day off tomorrow.

James is still pretty awkward in todays society, but hell he knew how to treat a woman. And dates were his speciality.

“I can’t fi-” Your words turned into a loud gasp as you saw the preview image of a seemingly naked woman. Shocked, even though you felt bad for prying instead of trusting your partner, you klicked on it to see the whole picture.

It was exactly what you thought it was. That sort of picture drunk elderly men would send each other in Whatsapp Groups.

A beautiful woman, only wearing a thong and presenting it in a - let’s call it ‘seductive’ pose.

And the worst of all was the headline, floating above the models face:

“The Perfect Woman”

This was not the only pic of some sort - you found a dozen of it, videos as well.

Disgusting was the only thing that came to your mind.

Not the woman, though. You were not one to slut-shame anyway.

But a feeling of disgust came up when you layed down the phone and went to the mirror, watching yourself closely. And for the first time, you were not satisfied with what you were seeing.

Sure, you’ve always been kind of chubby. But up until now you’ve never doubtet your beauty.

Curves were always something beautiful to you, even though you had to admit that some days, you were asking yourself why you had to be the only one of your friends who had that hard cellulite and stretch marks.

Maybe if you’d already have kids or were older, you’d be fine with it, but...

On the other hand, your friends would admire the fact that you had bigger breasts and a ‘peach ass’, as they’d call it.

Your mother used to call it ‘atomar boobs’ and ‘birth-enthusiastic hips’, always making you laugh about how self-ironic she was. But on the inside you knew how much she was struggling as well.

There were so many forms of beauty, and you loved every single one of it - including your own. But now..

“Ugly” you told yourself again and again, while trying to find a suitable pose that didn’t make you look like a small, wobbly piece of fat.

Did the opinion of a man really matter more to you than your own? Now you also felt kind of pathetic.

Actually, you were just hurt. Of him not being honest, and obviously searching for something...you didn’t want to say ‘better’, but rather ‘different’ than you.

As former Winter Soldier, he might not be that popular, but his looks sure did the trick anyway. So why not searching for a thin woman if he loves them so much?

Or does he already know them? What if those were not mere pictures, but woman he actually contacted?

The thought alone made you tear up.

You’ve tried. Your whole life you did and he knew that.

It’s a problem you’ve been struggling for your whole youth, after all.

No matter how much sport or diets you tried out, your body just wouldn’t change. Even after you’ve got diagnosed with hypothyreosis, the medication would only do so much as prevent further weight gain.

Things got a lot easier when you were grown up, and the bullies would decrease.

You learned to love yourself, and realized that many people were into exactly your kind of body-type. After finding your own style and way of living, things became so much easier and you could finally be yourself.

“Heya, there” a familiar voice snickered behind your back, “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

The only reaction Bucky would gain was a pained groan, yet you didn’t dare to make a scene just yet. You wanted him to take the hints and be honest with you, that was what you had decided.

“Didn’t find the picture. Go look yourself.”

With that said, you’d walk straight past him and towards the bathroom. It took you quite a while to cry to your hearts extend, sobs being deafened by the pattering sounds of the shower.

You wrapped a towel around yourself, but when you saw your reflection again as you put on some lotion, you decided to wear the bathrobe.

No matter how you moved, you felt like some fat would always wiggle or roll up somehow - and Bucky felt your discomfort as soon as you greeted him with a twisted face.

“C’mon here, babydoll. We can talk.” He patted the spot right next to him on the bed, and goddamn it was just too unfair how he was posing there on the mattress, looking like a fucking adonis compared to you.

The very second you stiffly layed down next to him, you felt his hand slip under your bathrobe and squeeze your thigh, making you gasp.

“Maybe I can cheer you up otherwise before we talk...” he breathed into your ear, adding a bittersweet “I missed you.”

“Bucky, please. I’m tired.” Perfect. You managed to get that sentence out without your voice cracking once. Now you just needd to turn around and wrap yourself in your comforter before he’d see the tears in your eyes.

You didn’t want him - or anyone else - to touch you ever again.

“O-okay...” James stuttered, already reaching out his hand to touch your shoulder. But in the end, he retreated it, realizing you needed some time for yourself. “Imma be at the sofa if you need me.”

“Or tell me what the fuck is wrong all of a sudden...” He kept himself from saying that.

The following days were the hardest ones yet to come - for both of you.

It all started with you declining all offers from friends to go swimming or visiting some food-places, slowly but steadily withdrawing you from the happy, active life you’ve built up out of anger and shame.

You had grown quite distant as time passed, at first finding any kind of excuse for intimacy, and afterwards not even bearing any kind of physical contact. Not to speak of simple and carefree talking...

The air had become strained around the two of you, but Bucky was too afraid to ask you what was wrong.

Instead of letting off some steam through work as always, you took a few weeks off. It wasn’t like you needed the money anyway, looking at how successfull your work was.

Your restaurant, even though being more of a small diner, had been on the top of New Yorks most popular ones for years. And you were damn proud of it.

Bucky would always say you’re the only one who cooks just like home, and meanwhile you knew all of his favourite dishes.

An unconscious smile ghosted your lips when you thought back to the day where Bucky would go all Winter Soldier on a dude that made fun of you for being “a wandering cliché: a fat woman running a kitchen”. Ouch.

You didn’t go on vacation those days - there was different work to do.

Actually, you liked sports. For fun, that is. Like going to swim with your friends, or going for a walk. Sometimes visiting the gym, even. To you, it was more part of a healthy lifestyle instead of a competition for appreciation.

But now, things were different. You tried to built up your confidence again through secretly visiting the Avengers training rooms - yet to no avail.

Steve kindly offered you help with any certain training, but you declined. This was something you wanted to achieve yourself.

As if that would change anything about your feeling of betrayal...

“Fuck!” you exclaimed after almost falling off the treadmill, having to use the emergency turn-off. Even though many people assumed it, you weren’t really unfit. But those past days, you’ve just overloaded yourself through excessive training and eating almost nothing.

You kneeled down, desperately trying to catch your breath. Looking down, you saw your bruised knuckles from punching the bag earlier and thinking of that damn beautiful woman on Buckys cellphone.

If only you would have the courage to talk this through with him...but you were afraid of the outcome. Of the truth.

Knowing you were all alone on the floor, you finally gave in to your emotions, huddling to a fetal curl and starting to sob over your deadlocked situation.

“Y/N?”

Dear god no - it was Bucky. What was he doing here? It was not his usual training time!

On the other hand: What else did he have to do in his free-time, now that the other Avengers are on a mission and his girlfriend is avoiding him at all costs?

Actually, he wanted to let off some steam as well. But seeing you like this swung his mood in an instant, and he aided you immediately.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?!” There was genuine compassion in his voice, sorrow even. As if it was his fault.

He was kneeling right next to you, and for the first time in two weeks, you wouldn’t flinch at his touch. “Let me help you...”

“You don’t need to play anymore, James” you whimpered, slapping his hand away. “Just get this over with.”

Now you’ve got him mad. “What the fuck did I do wrong to deserve this, Y/N?!” he screamed and his metal fist would meet the floor, cracking it broken.

“I know damn well I’m far from the perfect boyfriend...” Bucky began to sniffle, still clenching and unclenching his fists. “But I thought you’d love me as I am.”

“You’re one to talk.” Fuck it, now that you seemingly screwed up anyway you could talk freely. “I’ve seen the photos, Bucky. Of the perfect woman. Many of them. Seems like you prefer something not remotely close to me.”

For a while, there was only silence.

Bucky dug his face deep into his palms, as if he wanted to disappear in them - or simply to facepalm in a pretty weird way.

“Doll, is that what all this is about?”

His reaction made you feel kinda strange. “Y-yeah.” Did you overreact?

“You know I don’t possibly know her. Don’t care about her or her body either.” He sat there, cross-legged and with a face as dark as your heart had been those past weeks.

“Then why do you keep a ton of photos of naked models on your phone?!” You jumped onto him, effectively knocking him over and pinning him on the floor. Out of a whim, you wanted to run away, but he trapped you in his hold.

“Gosh, why can’t you talk to me for once?” It almost sounded like he found it funny. “You’re usually one to be upfront about everything.”

A sole tear escaped every eye, but Bucky would catch them with his thumb.

“Sam sent them to me. We have that Whatsapp-Group, and he’s simply that single, horny dude that finds that kind of stuff funny. You know I never delete anything. I have over 5000+ photos on that shit phone.”

You were stunned, looking at him in disbelief. “I’m sorry, doll. I should’ve know you’d stumble across them eventually. But you were always so confident and strong, the thought of it bothering you never crossed my mind.”

“Y-you-” Gosh, what a fucking idiot you were. “You’re not at fault, Buck! I’m so sorry! I feel so stupid right now.”

“And I thought you wanted to leave me...” he murmured, mainly to himself.

“Wha- how could I ever?! You’re the love of my life! Why else do you think your opinion matters this much to me? Look where we are right now!”

“And you know that the beauty-standarts of the 40s are exactly what you look like, right?”

The situation changed so drastically, it left both of you in boisterous laughter.

When you finally catched your breath, holding your thummy at how much you laughed, Bucky would not give you a break - rather cupping your cheeks and pulling your lips onto his.

“Look” he breathed out calmly, his cheek barely brushing yours. “I feel stupid for even saying this, but: My girl doesn’t have to be a model. Beauty is a concept, dear. Everyone pictures something else when they think of it. And I think of you.”

You had already snuggled up onto his chest as he swiftly picked you up, your ear able to sense his heartbeat. Absentmindedly running your hand over his prosthetic one, you realized that you were not the only one who was self-conscious about their appearance.

But just like you never doubted the true beauty of your lover, neither did he.

“Y/N...You’re strong and smart and kind. No one had ever touched my heart the way you did. That’s all that counts.”

_______

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#Bucky x Reader #Bucky x You #Bucky/Reader #Bucky/You #BuckyxReader #BuckyxYou #Winter Soldier #Bucky Barnes #James Buchanan Barnes #White Wolf #Marvel #Avengers #Self Insert #Chubby! Reader #Fanfiction

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imagine-loki · 4 years

Text

Triple Threat, Chapter 4

TITLE: Triple Threat CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4 AUTHOR: fanficshiddles ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki kidnaps Darcy Lewis, in hopes of getting the tesseract in return for her. Imagine his surprise when he grows rather fond of the mortal, finding that she understands him better than anyone else ever has. RATING: M

A few days went by and there was nothing bad happening on Earth, the team decided not to worry too much. SHIELD was still on higher alert than usual, just in-case.

But Loki said to the team that perhaps whoever had broken the timeline was someone of non-importance.

Thor kept in touch with Asgard, there was no news from there either. Heimdall still couldn’t see anyone who was in this reality that shouldn’t be.

So when things calmed down, Darcy and Loki went out on a triple date, with Wanda and Vision, Natasha and Bruce. Natasha and Bruce were still a relatively new thing. But they were head over heels with one another, so were giving the whole being a couple thing a go.

They went to the cinema to watch a new release. That was the only reason Loki and Darcy had been able to be talked into going along, as they wanted to see the new film.

Of course there was some paparazzi there, capturing the superheroes on a day off. Not that they ever had proper days off, they were always on call in-case of emergencies.

Loki always liked to play up to them, though. He made sure they captured a perfect picture of him grabbing a handful of Darcy’s ass on the way into the cinema. She whacked his chest in retaliation, but she did laugh too.

During the film, Darcy needed the bathroom so she squeezed past Loki and headed out into the foyer. After exiting the bathroom she almost walked right into Loki. ‘Geez Loks! Can’t be apart from me even for five minutes?’ She smirked.

He just winked at her and pushed her against the wall, slipping a hand up to hold the side of her neck as he pressed his lips against hers firmly. She whimpered against him as they kissed, Loki deepened it briefly before pulling back, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

‘If I wasn’t so invested in the damn film I’d say let’s skip it. But let’s save our fun for when we get back.’ Darcy grinned and patted his chest. Then she made her way to the screening, but she noticed he didn’t follow her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him disappear into the men’s toilets.

But when she got back into the screening, she was confused to see Loki in his seat again. She rolled her eyes as she shimmied past him, getting a playful squeeze on the bum by him on the way.

‘You were quick.’ She whispered to him.

Loki glanced at her, confused. ‘What ever do you mean?’

She shook her head and elbowed him. ‘You know what I mean.’ She whispered back.

Loki was utterly confused, but shrugged it off as Darcy just being Darcy. And the two of them continued to watch the film, silently bickering over the popcorn.

There had been some reports that came in of weird things going on in the city over the last few days.

Silly little things, really, such as the rain being jelly drops for a full hour. Causing utter chaos in the city as cars and people slipped around as it didn’t evaporate upon hitting the ground. It got quite thick before suddenly it all just vanished. There was also an incident where all the monkeys from the zoo in the suburbs escaped, causing trouble until the zookeepers were able to capture them again.

But a week after the triple date to the cinema, there was another incident. Tony called a meeting with everyone in the living room. Loki and Darcy had been watching TV with Thor and Steve when the others came in.

‘There’s been another incident.’ Tony sighed.

‘What is it this time?’ Wanda asked.

‘You know those large stuffed toy animals that are in the large toy store? There’s an elephant, lion, penguin, zebra and bear?’ Tony said.

‘Yes…’ Bruce trailed off, not liking where this was probably going.

‘Well, they… came alive for a few hours.’ Tony frowned.

Loki threw his head back laughing, he’d found the antics lately hilarious.

‘That is totally something you’d do.’ Darcy said as she poked Loki in his side.

‘It has all been rather amusing.’ Loki grinned.

But the team looked at him warily. He looked between them all and frowned.

‘Oh come on, it’s not me. I’ve been in all day watching TV with Darcy.’ Loki said defensively.

‘He has. He’s barely moved an inch all day.’ Darcy confirmed, stuffing a macaroon into her mouth.

‘Well, whoever it is, they certainly seem to enjoy playing tricks like you do, brother.’ Thor chuckled.

‘They clearly have good taste.’ Loki smiled.

‘Look, this is serious, guys. While it’s not been anything life threatening yet, we need to find out what the hell is going on here and who is behind it all.’ Tony said firmly.

‘I can ask Heimdall. I know he has been keeping an eye on all the realms lately.’ Thor offered.

‘Thanks Thor.’ Tony nodded.

The team were told to be on the lookout more. Tony sent some of his suits out on patrol around the city, to try and catch the person who was playing tricks. But Heimdall saw nothing, whoever was doing the tricks to the city were shielded from his sight.

That evening, Darcy went out to get takeaway. When she returned, she found Loki just loitering about outside.

‘Hey you! Help me with this.’ She headed over to him and handed him one of the takeaway bags. ‘I thought you were too busy fighting with Thor to come with me.’ She grumped as they headed inside.

Loki smirked and shrugged. ‘Surely I am never too busy to help you.’ He purred at her.

Darcy wasn’t exactly sure why or what it was. But Loki seemed slightly off. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. So she just shrugged it off.

When they got inside though, they entered the kitchen and Darcy stopped dead when she saw Loki sitting at the island with Thor, Clint and Natasha.

‘Are you playing your damn tricks again with your illusions?’ She huffed at Loki, shaking her head.

Loki turned to see what she meant, his eyes widening when he saw… himself? Stood next to her. Natasha, Clint and Thor looked confused and slightly surprised too.

‘That is no illusion of mine.’ Loki said warily as he stood up.

‘Loki… what do you mean?’ Darcy looked at the Loki next to her, who had a wicked look on his face.

‘Get away from her.’ Loki stormed over to Darcy and put his arm around her, pulling her away from… himself? And he pulled out one of his daggers, aiming it at the apparent intruder, while keeping a death hold on Darcy.

‘Is that the food…’ Tony trailed off as he entered the kitchen with the rest of the team. Looking at the scene on front of them. ‘What the hell is going on?’

‘Am I seeing double?’ Steve asked, rubbing his eyes.

‘Loki?’ Bruce asked, his voice unsteady as he looked between the two Loki’s.

‘Well, that’s not a very nice welcome for your saviour.’ The intruder Loki grinned and glanced around at everyone, looking far too pleased with himself.

‘Is SOMEONE going to explain what the hell is going on?’ Clint shouted, looking between the two Loki’s nervously.

‘The only thing I know for certain, is that is NOT me.’ Loki snarled, still holding on tightly to Darcy.

Loki chuckled. ‘I am you. You are me. Just from different realities.’ He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

‘You… You’re the rift in the timeline?’ Darcy asked, eyes widening.

‘Smart girl.’ Loki winked at her.

Loki frowned, but still didn’t lower his dagger yet. ‘Explain yourself. Why are you here? What do you want?’

‘I am not here to threaten you, or Midgard.’ Loki said, looking around the team.

‘I’ve come here, because I need your help.’

#Loki #God of Mischief #Submitted fic #submission #triple threat #Chapter 4 #fanfichiddles

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coreastories · 4 years

Text

The Talk

Part 9 of Days and Nights of Forever

Tae-Eul had always wondered about something.

And like everything else, the answer was so simple.

ON AO3 for kudos and download

They pulled apart and tried not to breathe hard enough to be audible to the other people in the cinema. Thankfully, there was plenty of space for privacy.

It was one of those luxury theaters with real armchairs rather than bucket seats, and it had been so easy for him to maneuver her chair so that she was mostly in his and one moment he was tucking her against his side, the next, he was kissing her and gently biting her lower lip and tasting and laving the sweetness of her tongue and--

They both remembered they were in public when someone in the movie screamed.

Gon took measured breaths and then the ridiculousness of kissing Tae-Eul while the movie showed someone getting mutilated hit him. His deep breaths turned into snorts of amusement he tried to rein in.

Tae-Eul must have felt him shaking with suppressed laughter. She looked up at his face and hers immediately broke into a rueful grin. She bit her lip and tried not to laugh.

She lost the battle, covered her face with both hands, and hid her giggling against his chest.

When she was done, they carried on watching the movie-- people trapped in a train with violently hungry non-humans inside and outside--without any more carrying on except for playing with each other's fingers.

On a quiet part, Tae-Eul looked up at him again from her position against him, hugging his arm and with their locked hands in her lap. He’d caught her doing these glances for most of the movie, but she always chose to continue watching instead of talking.

But now the movie was being sentimental, and Tae-Eul had said she hated crying in a public theater, so Gon knew she was going to finally let out whatever was on her mind.

The last time she’d done a similar ambush, they were in Joseon, with lanterns of wishes rising all around them toward the sky. He'd thought she was going to ask what he had wished for, but she had asked him what he loved about her.

He had said, “Do you want me to list them all?”

She had wrinkled her nose, and he’d pointed at that nose. “That is one of them.” (She had just rolled her eyes and later, back in the republic, he had shown her everything he loved about her).

So now he met her eyes and wondered what was about to come out of those lips.

“Did you practice with guys?”

Gon choked on air and his own spit and had to cough for a minute. Tae-Eul helpfully rubbed and patted his back.

“What?”

“Kissing. Or more. You were in the Naval Academy. You said I’m the only woman in your life.”

“There are women in the Naval Academy.”

“Huh. So you had dated before?”

“No. It was the Naval Academy. No one had time to date." And because his head was still spinning at her first question, he said, “How can you ask that?”

“What? That you dated before? It’s a valid ques--”

“No. That thing about practicing with guys.”

“What’s wrong with it? People do that. Girls practice with girls. Boys with--”

“You’ve done it?”

“No. I didn’t have any girl friends growing up. Not close enough anyway.”

Despite his discombobulation at Tae-Eul’s question, he found himself smiling ruefully. He still remembered-- and would always remember--little five-year-old Tae-Eul in her taekwondo uniform. Knowing what he now knew of her, he wasn’t surprised that she wouldn’t have fit in with girls-- well, regular girls.

They were quite a pair. He hadn’t fit in either. He had his mates in crew, but that was it. He was still king, and he had been too busy to make any attempts to correct or broaden people’s first impressions of him.

“Where did you go? Remembering your practice sessions?” Tae-Eul said impishly. The movie was back on its climactic march to the end, but apparently, they were no longer watching it.

“I didn’t have ‘practice sessions.’ Of course I have no problem with it if that’s what people do, but it never appealed to me. And… I was lucky they respected my need for distance.”

“What need for distance?”

“I didn’t like people touching me.”

Tae-Eul sat up, but she kept hold of his hand. “What do you mean? You told me that before, the first time we met. I thought you were being prissy.”

He blinked. “Didn’t I tell you? There’s not much to tell. I didn’t like people touching me. You know, because of what Lee Lim did.”

She didn’t gasp in realization or anything dramatic like that. Her eyes just widened a fraction, and from the dim light of the cinema screen, Gon saw those eyes he loved so much shine expressively.

Of course she didn’t know. She had always touched him, and he had always welcomed it. And his current valet and staff are years into the service. She had never seen him recoil from someone because no one else ever made an attempt to touch him like she does. When he did dodge Lady Noh when she had reached for him and his blood-stained face after that confrontation in Busan, Tae-Eul had been unconscious so she wouldn’t remember it.

In this new timeline, he had no scar. But the memories--and the wounds to his spirit and mind-- remained.

Tae-Eul looked at him another moment, then lifted her free hand and placed her palm against his neck, thumb stroking his jawline and her hand resting on his shoulder inside the collar of his shirt. “No one touched you like this?”

“No.” He debated on whether to elaborate that he couldn’t even wear a tie, but that might make her cry so he’d save that for later.

“No one kissed you before? You can kiss without touching.”

He shook his head. “I couldn’t.”

“But--” She pursed her lips. And Gon could feel his own beginning to grin. He had an idea where this was going.

“But?”

“Both Seung-ah and Na-ri said if you could kiss so well, you had to have had practice.”

He grinned broadly even if she had stunned him a little again. “What? Both of them?”

“And In-yeong too.”

“Do you talk about us to everybody? Maybe the Prime Minister as well?”

Tae-Eul laughed. “Seo-ryeong said you probably kiss horribly and that’s why you wouldn’t kiss her.”

“I hope you disabused her of that notion.”

Tae-Eul nodded. She had that gleam in her eye when she was particularly vindictive or possessive, and she grinned. “Oh absolutely.”

“Good.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“Did you have practice? How do you-- how do you know how to-- why are you so-- Just tell me. You know what I’m trying to ask.” She slid her hand from his neck to his chest, slapping softly and glaring at his smug grin. He did know. He felt it every time she melted against him when he kissed her.

He took a deep breath and told her the truth. The part of the truth that made him look good anyway, because those first few times when he had no idea what he was doing with her, he had felt like a fool. But he hadn’t really shamed himself, had he? “I’m just a quick study.”

“What?”

“I kissed you, and I learned what you liked every time I kissed you. I also… extensively… read about it, about everything. There are certain techniques you don’t want to mess up--” he licked his lips, and she understood what he meant and he grinned when her cheeks went pink-- “but everything else was you. Just taking note of what you like. You’re always so delightfully transparent when you like something.”

He saw her swallow and then she leaned away from him in that bravado she always put on whenever she was discomfited. And she was. He could see it in her eyes and her cheeks and her lips.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, tilting her chin defiantly. “And listen to how you talk-- you talk like a-- like someone who knows how to talk.”

She still held his hand because he had tightened his fingers around hers, but their hands were in the space between them now.

Gon invaded that space and put his mouth next to her ear.

“Of course I know how to talk. I’m a king. I was trained in diplomacy and the art of influence. But--” he kissed the shell of her ear. “Again, talking to you comes natural to me.”

“Natural, my butt. Don’t sound so pleased with yourself. You’re a dork.”

“I’m a what?”

She was laughing now, cheeks still pink but recovering. “When I told the girls about your zero and one line, we all laughed.”

Gon pressed his lips together and it was his turn to lean back.

“I’m surprised at you. I wouldn’t have thought you’d talk about that. Haven’t you evaded Seung-ah’s questions for months?”

She looked at him disdainfully. “This is what women talk about when we’re not discussing ruling the world.” And then she pouted. “And they were drunk and I wasn’t and I felt like getting back at you.”

That made him laugh. “All right, then.”

She was grinning now. “Yeong thinks it’s ridiculous, too.”

“Oh you talked to him too, did you? You and In-yeong and Seung-ah and Yeong? And maybe Jangmi too? Did Yeong tell you the guys went to me for advice when we were in the Academy and then in the Navy?”

She made a disbelieving face. “Really? Advice for lines?”

“Advice for their women, if you must know. Why are you so surprised? I may not like people touching me but I’m not emotionally stunted. I can’t afford to be stunted anywhere. I am well-read. It’s all common sense, anyway. It’s just looking at the situation from the other’s point of view and trying to be considerate. I don’t understand how idiotic people can be about love. Either they’re really clueless or they already know what to do but they need validation or confirmation about it? It’s ridiculous--”

He stopped ranting when he saw Tae-Eul’s grin turning into that smile he loved, the one where she tilted her head and just looked at him so fondly with a closed-mouthed smile. “You and I agree on that.”

“We do?”

She nodded, and she went back to his side, hugging his arm again. “I had to give advice about love, too. The guys asked me because I’m a woman. And the girls asked me because I’m… like a man? And I’d never been in a relationship.”

He ignored that bit about her being like a man. He knew damn well how untrue that statement was. “Well, you’re married now, so you’re in a good place to give advice.”

“I feel like it doesn’t count.”

“Why doesn’t it count?”

“You’re too good. You never give me any problems.”

She was looking at the screen as she said that, but she sneaked a peek at him. He showed her how much he loved her for saying that, smiling and laying a kiss on her own smile. She pushed him off before he made it too heated like earlier.

He smiled and kissed her temple. “I love you. Why would I give you any problems?”

“Dork. But seriously, are you telling me no one has pursued you? No one who made you curious enough to try a kiss or anything else?”

“Well, when I was 20, I went to Argentina. I met the president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner--”

“What? She kissed you?!”

Gon laughed. “No. Let me finish. We established trade. Anyway, she had this young aide-- by young I mean she was in her thirties-- and this woman tracked me down to my room at the embassy. I wasn’t there to sleep, I had a hotel, but they still gave me a room. I think the guards thought she had something for me from the president, and that’s what I thought as well--”

“Get on with it!”

Gon laughed. “She came in, gave me the key card to her room at my hotel, and that was it.”

Tae-Eul looked at him disbelievingly.

“Well, she couldn’t very well try anything because I had guards in the room with me.”

“Ugh. So did you go to her?”

“Of course not.”

“But she made you curious? That was what I asked.”

“No, you asked if no one had pursued me, and aside from the Prime Minister, that aide fit the bill.”

“No one else? Didn’t you like anyone? You know, someone who had come to your room, and you sent the guards away or you already have before she even arrived.”

“Not really. That’s why JoGon was born. Didn’t Seung-ah tell you?”

He felt her shake with silent giggling against him.

“What about you?” he asked.

“What about me?” she said, without turning from the screen.

“No dating? No previous kisses?”

“Please. I was pretty hard to impress. If I could flip them bodily to the ground, I lose all thoughts of wanting to kiss them if I even had any. And they always made me do that. It was like a rite of passage to those idiots to see if I can flip them.”

Gon tried not to laugh, though he also felt a fraction of irritation that none of the idiots apparently saw Tae-Eul as a girl? As a woman? Maybe it was because of the clothes she’d grown up wearing? Idiots. Men were idiots who liked to pursue women whom they thought would easily worship them.

But one did see Tae-Eul as a woman. One whose feelings apparently persisted despite the change in timelines.

But Gon had learned not to think of him.

So instead, he joked. “Whereas I’m pretty impressive, aren’t I?”

He was looking at her-- hadn’t stopped since this conversation began-- so he saw her sardonic expression, raising one eyebrow. “I could flip you to the ground so easily.”

He just laughed. “Not right now, you can’t. Although I wish you’d do it to Gong Shin. And let me be there to see it.”

This time she did turn to look at him and glared at him without any real malice. The glare turned into another fond smile and she pressed their hands against her middle. It was still almost flat, but they both knew the little bean growing there. Growing healthily.

They continued watching the movie just as the credits started to roll.

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

Inspired by @di-elle’s post on whether or not Gon had dated before. This is my head canon of it.

I had several inner debates over how to present this story-- but in the end I decided it had to be a talk between these two, not a story set in the Academy where I have to invent side characters we won’t really care about. Heh. That would have just made me lazy to write it.

But this… this was finished so fast. Tae-Eul and Gon wanted to have this talk!

Have I told you I love this fandom? Thanks, Dani!

(Oh, right, if anyone recognizes the movie, it’s a rerun in that luxury theater. These two didn’t travel back in time).

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction #the king eternal monarch #the king: eternal monarch

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thestylesindependent · 5 years

Text

Inside Eroda, the fictional Harry Styles island that’s baffled the internet

Full Text from The Telegraph 4/12/2019

It all started on November 20. A Twitter account opened in October released its first post: “The Isle of Eroda’s rich history is embedded in daily life as the ruins of many structures from the past remain standing across the land. #VisitEroda”

It looked like a new marketing campaign for a little-visited, off-beat beauty spot. But a quick search would show it didn’t actually exist. Yet, Eroda had a website. Advertisements for the place were popping up on Facebook and Google. People interested in all manner of nerdy subcultures were foxed – it had the whiff of a clever marketing campaign about it, but what was it for?

Within hours, an Eroda subreddit had been created to discuss it. People dived deep into web hosting details, and only became more baffled as they seemed legitimate: “it ain't no kid doing a school project”. Was it a scam, a game, an elaborate prank? Some were convinced it was the beginning of a new Cloverfield film, World of Warcraft, a new Channel 4 series or even a means of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, scores of “Harries”, the sub-group of Directioners dedicated to Harry Styles, were piecing bits of evidence together. The pop star was due to release Adore You, the second single off his forthcoming sophomore album. “Adore” backwards was “Eroda”, and the video, released on November 23, looked like it had been shot in St Abbs, the Berwickshire fishing village where Styles had been spotted shooting in August. As Eroda claimed more of the internet, Harries – some of the most forensic fans in the world – were sent into a flurry of investigation.

The goliath churn of a pop star marketing campaign is fairly familiar by now: cryptic social media teaser, excitable release date news, lyric video, full video, rinse, repeat.

Styles, who will release sophomore album Fine Line on December 13 and Adore You on Friday, satisfied many speculating fans on Monday with a near-three-minute-long trailer for the single, along with an illustration of the star standing in the ocean, surrounded by fish.

To those who had been studying Eroda for the past 10 days it was the confirmation they had been hankering for: Eroda was a Harry Styles project, and it confirmed what they had always known – that he is an artist beyond the normal realms of pop frippery (by contrast, former bandmate Louis Tomlinson spent the same afternoon releasing a video in which he sings in a bunker wearing a Stone Island parka).

Styles’ trailer introduced Eroda, showing it to be an island in the middle of the Irish Sea “shaped unmistakably like a frown, it is home to an all-but-forgotten fishing village that has had perpetual cloud cover for as long as anyone can remember”. Scenes appear of a typical coastal village, with crashing waves and brave little houses facing them. It gets increasingly weird: we learn that it is bad luck to “mention a pig in a fisherman’s pub” and to “whistle in the wind, in case you turn a gust into a gale”; the island mustn’t be left on odd-numbered days.

The inhabitants of Eroda’s village always frown, calling it “resting fish face”. Until, that is, a beaming baby appears amidst the gloom. Deemed “peculiar” (a word that pops up a lot), the boy – who grows up to become Harry Style – was outcast, leading him to deal with his angst by screaming into jars. “He had lost his smile, and without it, the world grew darker, the wind colder, and the ocean more violent” the pan-European narrator explains. “Loneliness is an ocean full of travellers trying to find their place in the world”, she continues, as Harry finds himself bonding with a stubborn fish, before the film ends “to be continued…”

So far, so intriguing. But delve a little deeper into Eroda and you may find yourself wanting to visit. The island’s website – beautiful island views and a template dating back to the late Noughties – looks remarkably similar to those for any other charming coastal holiday destination, say Bute or Oban. “No Land Quite Like It”, reads Eroda’s strapline, before offering a familiar-enough menu: Accommodations, Attractions, Guide, Home and About Eroda. The video is similarly convincing: “Make memories for your senses at VisitEroda.com”, a dulcet-voiced woman encourages over shots of crabmeat and speedboats.

It didn’t take long for the Harries to take over the Eroda subreddit, moderators becoming increasingly rigid in ruling nuggets of unrelated Eroda flotsam irrelevant to the cause of discovery (such as the user who wanted to discuss Eroda, but without any intervention from the Harries). Tumblr users were similarly invested: “What do the ominous references to Him portend? What are they serving at those town dinners? You think it’s a cute little coastal AU [alternative universe] but upon closer examination it’s full-on Wicker Man meets Hotel California meets Nightvale in the afterlife (which is what most of those places are anyway so sure why not),” posted 1D Discourse of the Day.

The whole thing is littered with wordplay. Eroda, for one, is Adore backwards (Harry’s next single is called Adore You). But, as Directioners have pointed out, the copy throughout the website nods to forthcoming Styles songs: The Fisherman’s Pub is located on the corner of Cherry Street and Golden Way (Cherry is one new song, Golden is another); the album will be released on Friday, 13 December and Eroda recommends avoiding a departure on an odd-numbered day. Eroda’s fishermen wear a single gold earring for good fortune – a look historically sported by Styles.

Directioners went further still: the hosting for VisitEroda.com and Styles’ website, doyouknowwhoyouare.com, were owned by the same company, MarkMonitor.inc. Social media pixels linked pages about Styles with Eroda. Fans became suspicious over Visit Eroda adverts appearing not on their social channels or YouTube, but, of all places, on Wikipedia. “I'M FROM FRICKING PORTUGAL,” a baffled Reddit user posted. “NOTHING EVER HAPPENS HERE. WHY IS THIS HERE”.

Eroda had analog presence, too. A4 pamphlets – the kind of thing one could make on MS Publisher circa 1998 – appeared in the freesheet boxes on the pavements of Manhattan. At a promo event in Paris, Harry was asked about Eroda by a fan. He remained silent, but those who were there claim he “made a face”.

By November 29, more evidence arrived. A short film “advert”, which used footage from the trailer released on Monday, was screened by a new Harry Styles fan account from “Eroda”. They said the film appeared in a cinema in Kinlochbervie, on Scotland’s northern coast; the Eroda account then started to tweet about cinema screening times. Eagle-eyed fans were swift to post screengrabs, showing similar island formations in the background of both the Eroda advert and that featuring Styles. The two were linked.

Kinlochbervie was, fittingly, a bit of a red herring: the footage shown in both the advert and the video trailer was actually taken in St Abbs, a picturesque fishing village in Berwickshire that’s no stranger to a rolling camera – it was “twinned” with New Asgard after being used as a location for Thor’s new home in Avengers Endgame.

Styles was there in August, shooting, it appears, a few things for the forthcoming album campaign. He and his crew used Angela Morris’s cottage, in St Abbs’ Sea View Terrace, as a green room during the three days of filming in the village, after Morris had responded to a note being popped through the door from a filming company. “One Thursday I was just coming home from work and there was Harry walking into the house,” she tells me. “All of the costumes were in the living room, make-up was going on in the kitchen.

“I asked if I could wait in the garden before my husband and I went out for the evening, so I just sat there when Harry came out,” Morris said. “I think he was having a coffee, and he sat down and chatted, asked me about bits and pieces about the village. I was talking to him about his Gucci clothes and we had a bit of a laugh. I wasn’t too starstruck, really, and I think he appreciated that.” Later on in the shoot, Styles invited Morris and her husband to share a glass of champagne with him and the crew.

While the shoot interrupted the sleepy pace of life on St Abbs for a few days – Morris says that visitor numbers had already been boosted by Avengers Endgame but small crowds of teenage girls began to crop up after word spread of Harry’s location – most villagers, she reckons, are pleased to see the place put on the map: “Most people I saw were embracing it and interested to see what was going on.”

A German artist named Mario Klingemann was, however, more incensed when his holiday collided with the shoot: “I didn't know who Harry Styles was until today when I learned that he's the guy who blocked off the entire St Abbs harbour and prevented us from enjoying our fresh crab rolls," he posted on Twitter, aggrieved.

But Morris found out about Eroda much like everybody else – through Facebook. “It’s really odd,” she assess. “Lovely footage of beautiful St Abbs, though.”

Long-lens pap shots from that shoot certainly seem to match up with what we’ve seen of Eroda so far. Styles gangles around in Seventies suits, befitting the aesthetic of his trailer. The smoking gun, though, is the presence of a young woman with hair that brings to mind a Dr Seuss illustration, or the hat Princess Beatrice wore at the Cambridges’ wedding. VisitEroda’s “about” page explains: “The primary occupation in Eroda is fishing, however, the island’s art scene has recently started to develop. In particular, Erodean hairstyles have become a rather bold expression of self amongst the island’s youth”. Clearly, these are scenes of Eroda that are being filmed.

There’s an unmistakably ominous air to Eroda, and some believe the video for Adore You will see some misfortune befall Styles – there were reports of a (fake) gunshot being filmed in St Abbs while he was there.

But what happens next is arguably less intriguing than what we’ve been given with Eroda so far. We are well-used to being nudged and prodded by pop stars ahead of a new release. Major albums aren’t so much brought out as “dropped” or “leaked”, arriving online in the middle of the night before their fans disseminate them through the internet. Fans, rather than critics, are given early listens – and under tight NDAs. Artists will clear their channels to mark a new direction, only to give us elaborate photoshoots and contrived poetry to create a “concept”.

Eroda is undeniably a “concept” – themes of loneliness, peculiarity, conformity and happiness have been woven into the fictional island from the off. But it’s been artfully done; look deep enough into the Reddit forums and you’ll see non-Styles fans begrudgingly accepting that this is the work of a former boy band frontman, rather than that of a somehow more “serious” game creator, filmmaker or even musician. Furthermore, it’s fun – and that’s all too rare in a pop world where things have become obsessed with authenticity, and a rogue comment can result in “cancellation”. One Directioner popped up on a thread only to add, “As someone who works in marketing/promotion... This is fucking genius. Harry Styles' team is tops”, and it’s difficult to disagree.

After a decade in which stars have had to up their social media presence to survive, tweaking and teasing their listenership in ever-increasing desperation to retain shrinking attention spans, Styles is closing out the 2010s with the greatest album campaign we’ve seen so far. As an artistic statement, it suggests the 2020s will be his to claim.

#harry styles #eroda #press #the telegraph #dec2019 #long post

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twd-fangirrrl · 4 years

Text

Let me kiss you, please|Daryl Dixon

This is too much.

We lost Rick so much time ago, he was protecting the community from the walkers, and he disappeared.

Since that day, everything changed.

The communities.

Michonne.

Judith.

Daryl.

My Daryl is outside looking for Rick. He assures that he still alive. So he've decide to go out and star a search for him, alone.

I barely see him. He suddenly comes here to Alexandria where I’m in the security team. He just come to get food, and see if I am fine, and leaves. This hurts so much.

- (y/n), Daryl is here.

Gabriel is in my room door.

- Ok, I’ll be there.

Putting my shoes on, I go downstairs.

- Daryl.

He looks so tired.

- Sunshine.

He come to me, and holds me in his arms.

- Is everything okay Babe?

- No.

I lead him to the kitchen. I give him a plate with some food.

- Eat, please.

Without doubt he starts to eat. He’s in silence, and I let him finish his food.

When he’s over, he speaks to me.

- Let’s go to the bed.

While we go upstairs, I catch some tears in his eyes.

Daryl laid in the bed next to me.

- What’s wrong?

- I’m a mess. I promised Michonne that I’ll find Rick, and I have no clue yet.

He looks bad.

-D. You don’t have to blame yourself. That idea cross your mind, because we didn’t found him, but what if he’s really… gone.

He looks at me.

- No, you’re wrong.

- Baby, c’mon. It’s not fair to you…

- I LOST MY FRIEND (Y/N)!!

I’m speechless. He never have shouted me.

- Daryl…

- I have faith, a big faith that I’m going to find him, and if you don’t believe me, or if you don’t think I’m capable to do it, then goodbye.

-No, hey. I didn’t meant that. I know you, you’re very intelligent Daryl. I’m just trying to help you.

- Well, you don’t help me so much. I’m going to stay searching, and I don’t care if you don’t believe me. See you (y/n).

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

Looking the sunrise, I take a deep breath.

- Hello.

Michonne.

- Hi Michonne. Everything fine?

- It's me who have to ask you that cuestion.

Turning around I answer.

- I don’t know.

With tears In my eyes she come to me.

- Talk to me.

- Is Daryl. He get mad at me the last time he came. He’s sure Rick is still alive, he blame himself for not found him, so I tried to talk to him, but was useless. He went mad at me. And now I don’t know where he is.

- Oh darling. I’m sorry for this.

- You don’t have to blame you Michonne. It’s me. I had to understand his point, and I didn’t.

- No, he have to understand that you love him, and you care about him.

Smiling at her, I nod.

- I Know. But he didn’t come yet. And I need him very much right now.

- Why?

- I’m pregnant.

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

Michonne pov.

- Ok. Did you found him?

- I have some clues. Not very sure, but Ezekiel will be going today, so he can confirm us.

-After the news of (y/n) pregnant I started an intense search for Daryl.

She been vulnerable those days, we take care of her o course, but he need Daryl in this important moment.

- Ok, we need to say something that bring him here.

-Yes, I got it. Ezekiel can manage that.

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

Reader pov.

Lying in my room I touch my belly. A knock on the door gets me out of my thoughts.

- Hey honey.

- Hey Carol.

- Can I come in?

- Sure, come.

She sits next to me.

- How are you feeling?

-More or less I want to cry sometimes at day, and I don’t like it.

- Yes, it’s very normal. Don’t worry.

I smile at her.

- So, you’ve decide the name if it’s a Girl or a Boy?

- Hahaha I don’t know. I’m not very creative at this, you know?

- Well, that will be later for sure.

We laugh.

- We have an important meeting tonight.

- Ok, I’ll be there.

- We’ll be waiting for you.

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

Later this day, I’m walking to Michonne house for the meeting.

- Hello? Why is nobody here?

- There’s no meeting yet.

His voice.

- Daryl?

Turning around I see him standing there.

- What are you…?

- Shut up and let me kiss you, please.

And he kiss me. Slowly, like if I’m the prettiest thing in the world.

- I love you, please forgive me. Please. I’m an idiot.

- Hey, calm down. It’s ok.

- No, it’s not ok. Shouted at you. I was out of my mind, I’ve never ever do it before, and I promise I’ll never do it again. Forgive me.

Smiling at him, I nod.

- Just, make me a promise.

He caress my cheeck.

- Don’t blame yourself for all that happen to Rick, ok?

He nod at me.

- Now, we have a meeting to go. Wanna come?

- They told me about a meeting here too… oh.

Yes. Michonne and Carol told us about a meeting, just to encounter the each other here.

- Those two.

I laugh. He see me.

- You’re going to stay here? I need you with me.

- Yes, I’ll stay.

-Then. Let’s go home.

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

While Daryl is taking a quick shower, I’m preparing some food for us. I’m looking for the words to say that I’m pregnant.

- Sunshine, I’m here. Let me help you.

His voice behind me makes me jump a little.

-Hey, what’s up with you? You don’t scare easy.

- Well, this is the first time.

We laugh.

After the dinner, we talk a little about the adventures of him outside. He found a Dog called Dog.

- Where is he?

- With Rosita and Eugene. They’re taking care of him. I wanted to have this night for us and only us.

After a moment of silence, I decide to tell him.

- I have some things to share with you while you were not here. Want to hear it?

- Of course.

Taking a deep breath I continue.

- You know the love grows every day. And you can feel it, you know? Like something is growing inside you, something inexplicable, lovely, and beautiful.

He nod.

- So, I’ve been feeling that thing lately. And I think this magical thing will make us stronger as a couple.

- You adopted another Dog?

I laugh.

- No baby, something more beautiful… you have to guess.

- A turtle?

- What? A turtle? haha. Nooooo.

- What?

- A baby.

With a confusing smirk he see me.

- How…

- I’m pregnant.

He looks so in shock.

- We…

- We’ll be parents.

When I see him I notice tears in his eyes. And he hug me. So close.

- This is the best news in in my life. We’ll be having a baby.

- Yes, and it’s the pure product of our love baby.

He smile at me.

- Oh Gosh, I’m the happiest person in the universe right now. What if it’s a girl? She definitely will look like you. And if it’s a boy, oh man, he too.

Crying, seeing Daryl’s excitement I hug him.

- We have to think about the name first.

………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… ……………..

- Daryl I’m ok.

We’re in his motorbike in the way to Ocean Side.

- You don’t fell uncomfortable?

- No baby, I’m good.

- This is dangerous ju…

- Just go on. This baby will love the bikes as you do.

In Ocean Side where part of us are. I saw Judith and I go to her.

- Hello (y/n) and little baby.

- He or she says hello too. How are you lady?

- Very good now that everyone is here.

She’s very mature, I love her.

Later, we decide to reunite everyone to have dinner together, and we’re now talking, and laughing between us. And this makes me happy.

- Our baby will be happy here. There’s Jud, Gracie and all the kids. And he or she’ll be have so many hands to take care of it when we are outside.

- Yes, and it’s perfect, don’t you think so?

I’m sitting next to Daryl in a tree. Holding hands. He speak first.

- I have to confess something. When I was a teen, my Dad used to told me that I could never be a parent, or any woman could ever be in love with me. Because I'm selfish, a nobody. But now, I have you and you love me, you see the best part of me, you make me have confidence in me, and now we’re having a baby. This is unbelievable. If we were in the normal world, I had already propose matrimony to you. And i could take you and our little baby to the park, the cinema, to run and to a motorbike ride.

- We don't have to be in the real world to make all of that, baby. We just have to be together. That’s all. And, about your father, he was veeeeery wrong. You are the most incredible, kind, intelligent, gentleman, and adorable boy I've ever meet. That’s why I fell in love with you.

- Nodding and smiling, he kiss my forehead.

- What did I do to deserve you (y / n)?

#daryl dixon imagine #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon #the walking dead imagine #norman reedus

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qyu-inactive · 4 years

Text

MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT OUTTAKES 16-18.5 BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY

We have been blessed with 3.5 glorious new parts to the wonderful Losty Aone/ Mountain Man Series by the wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring @shhhlikeme and i am emotional and have many many feelings about it all.

Outtake 16

I love that we got to see this from the reeader’s point of view, it was nice to see our losty y/n and see how their feeling. It was a nice break from feeling sad about Aone’s broken heart.

This part made me laugh ahaha

After dating and breaking up with him, Aone had females constantly approaching him. A/N: Not constantly but it felt that way for you ofc lol

the jealously😂, the Author’s note too like “it wasnt like that at all” 😂 this emotional person (y/n) is just blowing up the situation.

and then this:

In other words: They want what you had.

i mean of course they would, Aone is the sweetest boy but only to someone he loves. Aone’s heart is too strong to let waver to someone knew so quick

This whole outtake all i could think about was that Y/n really needs to get back with her mountain man, first they want to break up so Aone finds someone new but then doesnt want him to find someone new. Like cleary y/n is not being honest with herself or Aone.

When they went to the library, ahhh y/n really just imagining the worst scnenarios in their head😂

“Oh,” your stomach flipped. “He looks so cute.” You put on a 🥺 face when you noticed how utterly adorable a standing Takanobu looked

🥺🥺🥺 Aone is always such a cutie, and y/n really broke this man’s heart😭 I know it was insecurites but still. These two are so in love but just wont get back together.

The outfit y/n is wearing😍 you always pick these really cute and sexy outfits and I appreciate y/ns confidence and style but it is not me 😂😂 but Aone thirsting over his girl tho, i would dress up like that if it meant getting looked by Aone like that 😂

I love Aone’s plan, like he is such a sweetheart and he’s making me all soft at all his effort to win his girl back🥺🥺

This outtake really gave up all the feels y/n is feeling with breaking up with Aone and I am enjoing it 😂. At the same time though I just want these to love birds to get back together ahhhhh.

One of the things I really love about this story is how strong the friendship is and how we see the outside characters really show how much they care. A lot of stories (like shojou, oh man you dont know how much shoujo manga ive read haha) just sideline their friends after the start talking to their love interest or they dont even have friends at all in the whole story. I really enjoyed seeing Katana be a voice of reason in our losty’s life. And of course the K_nji’s being our boy Aone’s best friends.

Outtake 17

okay we starting with the real friends the K_nji’s warning our boy Aone about the situation. I love them and how much they care 😂. They can be dumbasses but still, I appreciate their effort.

The University—our University— sent her a uniform that’s a size or two too small.

Does this mean they’re going to the same university? or am I reading too much into it? It might have been mentioned before but I cant remember off the top of my head. Also Aone really living his best life and his worst life rn 😂😂 like he gets to see his girl in a super tight cheer leading uniform and spend one on one time with her but he cant do anything about his desires. His confidence tho haha “I’ve seen Y/N in a cheerleading uniform before” not like this you havent😏

Aone Takanobu can truly say—if he could speak—that he will never even question Futakuchi again.

Again I just really love their friendship, parts like this really get me 😂😂😂

When y/n took out Aone’s jacket automatically🥺🥺 my hearttttt, and how long Aone’s jacket is on them🥺🥺 this whole part made me so softtt. Like imagine wearing his jacket🥺🥺 it would be so comfy and warm.

There are so many golden lines I loved from this part, but Aone’s spank bank is just a phrase I wasnt expectng to read but it is gold. Im sure his bank is full and loaded😂

Then some random gross guy comes up to y/n, like the audacity of this guy.

He had such a disgusting grin on his face

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 this guy can back offfff.

I really love when Aone comes in to protect the reader🥺🥺 he’s not the iron wall for nothing too.

Your knight has arrived. Your ex-knight. ☹️

and then you go and hurt me again😭😭

I really wanted Aone to just kick a dude in the chest, like step the fuck off 😂😂.

“Take one more step toward her.” Aone growled in the smoothest voice.

“I dare you.” Aone added, for good measure.

Im absolutely swooning, Aoneeeeee🥺🥺🥺. And the fact that he wanted the reader to come with him so she wouldnt get anyone bothering her😭😭 he’s such a gentlemen. No one bothers Aone’s girl whose not his girl at the moment, especially guys who arent wanted

now onto the fun part of this outtake😏 I wasn’t expecting to see texts but it was definitely a nice addtion!! Our poor Aone soo horny and sweet, I dont know if the dead squirrels worked hahaha.

but he couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to edit all of this together in the time frame he promised he would with only one hand.

this went over my head when i read it the first time omg😂😂😂 Im sure Aone can do it, he’s a very capable man. This whole section had me laughing but also feeling slightly bad for Aone, again his poor horny heart right now is conflicted but very much fed. Im glad he was able to get a break, I dont think his length could wait (im not used to using subtle language hahaha) anyway this whole part was fun to read.

Aone bit his juicy bottom lip,

I legit bit my lip just before reading this part😂

Outtake 18 & 18.5

Now we’re hitting the climax!! (after Aone just hit his climax and is about to hit again😗)

—who imo really should return to their own homes now but would rather not—

I mean do these two even have their own homes anymore😂, theyre basically apart of the Aone family now. Family who also understand when to leave their horny pal alone for time being.

OKAY ONTO THE IMPORTANT PART!!! AHHHHHHHH.

“Aone-senpai, do you even have snapchat?!”

“Obviously not.” Kenji answered for his friend, being snappy.

“WELL HE SHOULD GET IT BECAUSE I SAW—“

Did Kanji see Y/N and Takeru?????? I also cant believe I learnt Takeru was a third year from this series, I always thought he was a second year for some reason. I think cos he was ennoshita’s rival. not important rn lmao

“—because Aone-senpai is jacking off again. It makes you feel lighter, and happier—so that’s why,”

this boy, there are some things you just shouldnt say out loud. Some things can be left unsaid (not like im blunt with my friends sometimes haha but still)

When Kenji had found out about why y/n dumped Aone😭😭😭😭 I’m glad he found out earlier then Aone, I wouldnt have wanted him to yell at the reader again.

Anyone that can do that, be so selfless—is good enough for his best friend.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

“I can tell its her because that’s your sweater she’s wearing. Right? It says Takanobu on the back, and I remember seeing Y/N steal it out of your bag after practice once.”

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺these parts really just made me soft. like the fact that y/n still had the jacket and wanted to wear it out. and the absolute coincedence that they were in the same cinema as Aone.

“Y/N.—Sh-She-She is wearing my attire. What does that mean?”

Yeah, big guy.

Yeah, you have a chance.

Y/N still has a little….tiny bit of feelings for you

YES YES YES FINALLY , I wanted to cry here😭😭 AND THEN KENJI CONFIRMED IT ALL AND AONE THE MAN WENT AND TRIED TO GET HIS GIRL. THIS REALLY IS THE DRAMATIC PART IN THE MOVIE. AND THEN THIS [redacted] TAKERU CAME AND AHHHHH

(Aone would know that face, he only saw it everyday he’s looked in the mirror for the past 3 years)

Absolutely dead. All hope—gone.

You make me happy and then just rip out my heart like 2 minutes later. I was going from crying happy tears to sad tears in like a heartbeat.

ALSO YOU DONT KNOW HOW UPSET I WAS WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF PART 18 I DIDNT REALISE THERE WAS 18.5 AND WAS AFRAID THAT THIS WAS IT AHHHHHH. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS THEN JUST LEAVE.

“I’m worried about you.” She finished, looking more serious than you’ve ever seen her.

y/n really has some good friends with her🥺

uhhh then Takeru comes in, I dont really hate him but no one stands in between our losties love, they deserve each other and no one can stand between them.

“But, tonight, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m just one theatre over… Okay? I have a pretty comfortable shoulder, so just text me.”

Okay this was pretty nice of Takeru, like cheesy but at least he cares and isnt staring at y/n like a peace of meat he wants to devour...

You sent it. Received a response within seconds saying he was on his way.

This boy, hes got a good heart but this isn’t your story bud, im sorry.

There! Kenji-san and Koganagewa-san, two males who were looking at you and Takeru as if you two were the villains in the movie that just popped out of the screen.

if this doesnt go well these two seem like they’re going to fight y/n outside the cinema😭😂 I couldnt imagine getting death stares from the K_njis especially after hurting Aone basically twice now.

Finding HIM was all that mattered.

OKAY THIS WHOLE PART, LIKE YES GO GET YOUR MAN PLEASE. LIKE Y/N CANT JUST LEAVE THIS RIGHT HERE LIKE THIS.

white hair visible only because his head was down, forehead kissing the steering wheel, his shoulders vibrating slightly because he is crying. It’s him.

I cant take anymore sad Aone😭😭 He needs the biggest hug and his girl to be his girl again. He has gone through so much.

“Kenji-san, please leave me—““Not Justin Bieber look-alike!”

I cant with the Justin Bieber look-alike. 😂😂

Im just going to talk about my feelings for this part, but the whole confesson. I felt like crying, i feel like crying now reading it😭 it was just so beautiful. Like y/n explaing everything and saying Aone is the only man she’ll ever love. Throughout the series we really go to understand Aone’s feelings so deeply and how passionate he is but we didnt really get to see how y/n felt as much so reading this made me happy for Aone for the fact that his girl loves him as much as he loves her. They really were lost for each other, lost with out each other, but together they were

Found.

okay maybe im tearing up now😭😭

One more marathon to go and our happy couple can live happily. The fact that this story is nearly over is a little sad but I’m happy our losties found each other. Im thinking since the next parts will be the last I’ll talk about overall themes I liked and my favourite moments as well.

#shhhlikeme #Losty Aone #Losty mountain man series #this took longer then i expected but i can finally post it!!!!

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gintoki-sakata-archive · 4 years

Text

“Cinema”

Fandom: Gintama

Main Ship: Gintoki x Tsukuyo

Other Ships: Okita x Kagura

Words:2709

Hinowa was holding two cinema tickets for the selected movie. She won the tickets in a street game by drawing a golden ball. She was supposed to go with Seita, but Seita suggested that Tsukuyo should go and have some fun. Then the idea was born in her head that Tsukuyo should go, but not alone. Hinowa wanted Gintoki and Tsukuyo to go together, however, she knew well that the two would not agree. Gintoki is quick to convince. It is enough that Seita asks him and he will not refuse him. The only problem was with Tsukuyo. This is the biggest challenge for Hinowa. She knew perfectly well that her sister would try every excuse not to go. She had to come up with a strategy so that she could not refuse the first time. The woman raised her head and looked at the sun that was between the metal walls.

"She is too stubborn" she said quietly to herself, turning her head a little to the side, and at a crooked angle she saw her store passing by people or courtesans with clients. She sighed heavily, "I have to ask Seit for help. I have no choice." She straightened her head, grabbed the staff and returned to the store. Hinowa, she did not want to mix her son in her own plan, but she had no choice. She also had concerns that her son wouldn't agree to participate in the plan.

When Seita, returned from school. Hinowa told him what she was planning and the boy agreed immediately, more he was very excited, his eyes glittered with delight, Seita, knew that his mother very much supports the relationship between Gintoki and Tsukuyo. He himself thought that they fit together perfectly and wanted his sister to play more, smile more, be more relaxed. Just like his mother just wanted her happiness, Hinowa and Seita talked vigorously about their plan. When they were finished, they heard the sound of a turning key in the door that was a sign that Tsukuyo was coming home. They finished the conversation quickly. Hinowa sat back comfortably in the armchair, grabbed the tea in both hands and touched the cup with her mouth to take a sip.

fallen Seita ran to her in the hallway with a wide smile. She heard a bang like something heavy. Hinowa didn't flinch because they knew the sound well, it happened every time her sister came home. Seita always jumped vigorously at her, with such powerful force that Tsukuyo fell. For the Courtesan it was a very familiar buzz and pleasant to her ears because it was a hallmark that Tsukuyo is back home. She drank a bow of tea and put the box down on the table and looked in the middle of the passage, saw that Tsukuyo was walking and carrying a happy Seit in her arms.

"Welcome home” Tsukuyo Hinowa, welcomed her sister with a warm smile

"I came back" She returned the warm smile. She set Seit on the ground.

"You have dinner in the fridge," they said

Tsukuyo, just nodded her head in confirmation. She put Seita on the ground and said he was going to sleep. Both women were alone, so Hinowa decided to implement the plan.

"Listen, Tsukuyo, I won two tickets to a movie cinema. Will you follow me?" Hinowa sat at the table and tapped her fingernails on the table and waited for an answer

"You won. You should go with Seita." Tsukuyo took dinner and put it in the microwave

"Seita has plans, I have an appointment" - She gave her a dishonest smile

"Then you will go another time." She poured boiling water into cups and handed a cup of tea to her sister

"No. The deadline is this Saturday. Me and Seita, we want you to go," she said firmly

"I'll think about it," she said, taking the dinner out of the fridge

XXXX

Hinowa and Seita managed to convince Gintoki and Tsukuyo. Hinowa, convinced Tsukuyo with one apt argument that she had never been to the cinema and should go and see if she liked it. She didn't want to leave Gintoki much, but she couldn't find any arguments against. Gintoki just heard that it was Tsukuyo, he agreed immediately. It only confirmed Hinowa that the two of them love each other, but they are too stubborn to take the first step. They both didn't know how to behave. Gintoki spent his last money on Cola Cola and Tsukuyo bought popcorn. He didn't want her to pay, but Tsukuyo was stubborn so she would share the expenses. They entered the cinema hall. Tsukuyo walked with Gintoki, looking around the place

"Fuck!"

Tsukuyo heard a familiar voice. She turned to her voice and saw red familiar material disappearing from behind the chairs. She stopped

* Kagura? * She thought questioningly and raised one up

"Tsukuyo"

Gintoki pulled her out of his thoughts. Tsukuyo, she turned to him and saw Gintoki waving her while sitting. She went to him.

"It seemed to me," she said to herself

Gintoki spread lazily and watched the movie. Gintoki was not too impressed by the choice of movie It was a romantic movie. Tsukuyo was very curious how she watched such movies on such a large screen, so she was very involved and looked with great curiosity.

They didn't know anyone was watching them. Behind four rows are hidden Kagura and Sougo. They had been dating for a month, but secretly before Kondo and Gintoki. Kagura asked him for a secret. She didn't know how to tell her father-brother that he had a boyfriend. She remembered well what had happened before when she "had a boyfriend" and her father and Gintoki almost killed him. She had nothing against their jealousy and knew that they were also saving the earth, but it opened her eyes that they were overprotective and no one knew what Sougo would do. Sougo understood this because Kagura told him everything, so he knew that first Kagura would have to prepare her biological father and adoptive father, but it is hard because they would sooner kill him than give away their beloved daughter. Now it's different, now they were in the same cinema, in the same room in the same film. Okita and Kagura were left with no way out.

"What now Sougo?" She looked at the boy out of the corner of her eye. Her expression was panicked and her voice trembled with panic.

"I didn't know they were together," Okita said surprised, looking at them all the time

"It's not even a date. Just Hinowa asked them to use the tickets" She sighed heavily "They are in love with each other, but neither of them will admit or take the first step" She added clutching her head

After Kagura's words, Sougo's expression changed to sadistic, and a wide smirk appeared on his face. Kagura well knew that Okita had an idea

"What did you come up with?" She looked at him suspiciously

"We should help them become a couple!" He said it ominously

"What?!" Kagura, slightly raised the elk.

Okita put his hand on her lips and covered them and touched his finger - Shhh - he said in a low voice.

Kagura looked surreptitiously at Gintoki and Tsukuyo and seemed not to have heard. She was relieved. Okita took his hand from her mouth. She sighed heavily.

"I don't know if that makes sense ..." She still doubted

"Of course he does! We can and will have no reason for your father not to agree to our relationship" He said hopeful

"Let's do it!" She said hopefully. Okita approached her and started telling her plan.

XXXX

In the meantime, Kagura and Okita thought of what to do. Gintoki and Tsukuyo watched the movie. Gintoki was uninterested, his eyes were closed, but he really looked at Tsukuyo, who clearly liked it. He smiled slightly and felt happier being at her side. When he saw her shiny eyes, red cheeks it made his butterflies in the stomach only grow. This feeling only appeared in the presence of Tsukuyo. He knew what it was, but he didn't dare tell her true feelings.

* Why am I afraid? We're both adults ... Tsukuyo * paused for a moment and looked at Tsukuyo * A woman like her wouldn't want to be lazy like me. Wait wait!! This is not Shoujo Manga ... this is Gintama. I read maybe two or three Shoujo Manga ... But ... this is completely different. Tsukuyo certainly wouldn't fall in love with me. It is not real for such a beautiful woman to want me. And if I have a chance? * Gintoki fought his thoughts, considered different scenarios. Tsukuyo looked at her friend and noticed that she was wandering somewhere. She touched his hand. He twitched slightly and looked surprised, blushing slightly

"All right?' She asked touching his hair.

She didn't know why she did it, but she just wanted to do it and couldn't fight it. Tsukuyo loved his hair, it was naturally durable and soft to the touch. Gintoki grabbed her hand playing with his hair. At this gesture he got a little scared and wanted to take his hand, but Gintoki did not allow it. He was holding her hand. Tsukuyo blushed slightly and felt her heart beat faster and faster. He kissed her fingers. Her face turned bright red. She wanted to ask why he did it, but she couldn't say a word. Gintoki also felt embarrassed.

"I-it was a thank you for agreeing to come here," he said, stammering and giggling nervously. He felt embarrassed by what he had done, but it was getting harder to control her. The irritation helped him stifle those feelings of unrequited love for a little more

"I-it's not a problem," she replied in a shaky voice. She didn't hear the movie, just beating her own heart. She felt happy and confused because she did not know what Gintoki was all about. She knows she won't have this man for herself, it made her heart go crazy, but now he did something unexpected. They didn't know what to think, but he quickly explained himself. Tsukuyo felt disappointed.

"Good." She smiled sadly. she went back to watching the movie.

Gintoki kept his eyes on her. Tsukuyo, tender as he looks at her all the time and felt uncomfortable. They didn't know what the reason was. I wanted to ask, but she heard his voice.

"Tsukuyo .."

"Yes?" They answered looking at the movie

Gintoki was silent and was analyzing whether he should say those two words that are hard to say

"Nothing ..." He couldn't .. he was a coward, but it was something more. He was afraid of rejecting her, he was afraid of losing such a valuable friend like Tsukuyo.

Kagura and Okita did a faceplam. They already hoped that Gintoki would cope with her feelings and tell her how she felt, but he was a coward that was one of his biggest flaws. Okita and Kagura knew that without their help they would not leave this cinema as a couple, but as friends. Kagura watched as the situation unfolded with tension and hope. She loved Tsukuyo and could not imagine another set for Gintoka, but when she heard that Gintoki was saying "No, nothing" Blood boiled in her and leaned out from behind the seat and punched him on the top of the head. Okita quickly stood up and brought her down and scolded the quietest one he could. Gintoki felt a blow and grasped the sore spot and looked around in all anger. Someone hit him, but he didn't know who. Outraged Gintoki stood up, turned his back to the screen and bent his legs, leaning his knees on the seat, looking for the person who hit him. He looked around, but in the government they sat only and previous governments were empty. There was no one behind him. It seemed strange to him. Okita and Kagura means that Gintoki will discover their presence. They both sweated in fear. Fear became stronger as Gintoki began to bend down.

"Gintoki"

The samurai head automatically turned to Tsukuyo, so Okita and Kagura breathed a sigh of relief. Okita hit the girl on the head. Kagura just gave him a hostile look.

"What happened?

"No .. nothing ..." Gintoki gave Tsukuyo a false smile

"For sure?" She asked suspiciously

"Yes, don't worry," he replied immediately. He sat down.

Kagura and Okita dressed in random clothes they found. They sat down near Tsukuyo. Okita sat next to her and waited for the right moment to move. he didn't have to wait long. When Tsukuyo grabbed a Coke to drink Okita, he elbowed the Coke and. Tsukuyo poured cola on her chest.

"Damn it!?" Tsukuyo shouted furiously

Gintoki quickly looked at his friend and saw what happened.

"I'll help you"

He took a white handkerchief from his pocket and began to drain Tsukuyo. Gintoki was thinking again, but he finally decided to do what belonged to him. He looked down at Tsukuyo, determination in his eyes. Tsukuyo was embarrassed to see her friend's serious expression. He opens his mouth to say something, suddenly she felt her and Gintoki's lips become one. Tsukuyo widened her eyes, stiffened when she realized that Gintoki had kissed her. Gintoki broke the kiss Tsukuyo immediately touched her lips and her diameter stopped working.

"Tsukuyo, I-"

Tsukuyo grabbed him by the kimono and pulled him to her and kissed his lips. The kiss was short. She broke the kiss and smiled looking at the boy's shocked face.

In the meantime, Okita and Kagura nailed that they managed to join them with a kiss and became a couple. They turned in the direction where Gintoki and Tsukuyo sat, but they were gone.

"Where are they?" - Kuga asked

"Behind you.."

Kagura and Okita trembled in fear at the sound of a female tone behind them. They turned to them trembling. Gintoki and Kagura stood still and Gintoki and Tsukuyo took off their beads and sunglasses.

"Kagura"

"Okita"

"What are you doing here?" Asked shocked Gintoki

"we ..eeeeeeee ..." Kagura looked sideways into the cinema wall

"We're on a date," Okita said

There was silence. In the background you could hear the music and voices of the cats in the film. The atmosphere was thick. Gintoki analyzed word by word what Okita told him.

"WHAT?!!?!?!" He shouted at the cinema

"Shhh !!" People at the cinema shouted

Gintoki ignored them. He wanted to put everything in his head, but his head was a mess.

"Since when have you been together?" Tsukuyo asked

"For a month," Kagura replied

"Why do I know nothing?" Gintoki can't believe it

"Because I couldn't tell you that" Kagura sighed "I know you won't accept Sougo" She added

"You're right. I won't accept him!"

"Gintoki" Tsukuyo spoke up. Everyone looked at her "Give them a chance. It's thanks to them. We're together"

"But he.."

"Listen ... Give them a chance ... Then we will see if he is not suitable for"

Gintoki closed his mouth. He tilted his head sideways and looked at Tsukuyo, who read from him like an open book. *sighs heavliy*

"Okay! Only-"

"Thanks Gin-chan, thanks Danna"

They both said it at the same time

"Only!" He turned serious and looked at Okita, who also got serious "You have to not hurt her otherwise. No matter where you hide, I will find you" He said threatening

"Don't worry Danna, I'm not going to hurt her" He grabbed Kagur's hand

When he saw that Okita was holding his dear daughter's hand, the blood began to boil in him. He must have had a lot of nerve control not to explode with anger. Tsukuyo sensed this and kissed Gintoki's cheek. The samurai turned to the girl and raised one eyebrow. He wanted to say something, but Kagura overtook him.

"Let's go" Kagura said

Without waiting for an answer, Kagura grabbed Okita's hand and they ran out of the cinema.

Gintoki and Tsukuyo could only watch them move away. They stared at the door for a moment and went back to watching the movie.

#gintama #tsukuyo #gintoki sakata #sakata gintoki #gintoki x tsukuyo #gintsu #gintsukki #myfanfic #gintsu fanfic #my gintsu fanfics

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ninasfireescape · 5 years

Text

The ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ review no one asked for

I wanted to enjoy it. I really did.

I was one of the people who didn’t dislike The Last Jedi. Sure, I didn’t love it. When I watched it, I thought it was too long and had made certain characters choices I wasn’t too happy with, but overall it was enjoyable and left me feeling satisfied. It was not as good as The Force Awakens however and hearing JJ Abrams was returning, I thought he might be able to restore the final episode to its former glory.

That indeed seemed like the case for the first hour. The gang were back together, it was quick-paced, I had an emotional investment in what was going on (and it seemed like they were taking the Finnrey route I wanted them too). I couldn’t exactly follow every plot specific but does that really matter in Star Wars when it’s so exciting? The bit on Star Killer base was genuinely inspired, I was laughing away at once again what terrible shots the stormtroopers were and at Hux being the spy. Every scene with Lando in was gold.

It was just after they got to the water planet that things started to go wrong. I’m not sure quite what it was exactly that made it so disappointing from this point onwards. Perhaps the gang splitting up or the rather horrifically done Leia death scene. I know they didn’t really have much choice with what footage they had but having watched each member of the original trio died, this death was devoid of emotion and predictable. And she died to make Kylo Ren hesitate for one moment. What a waste!

Then the pointless force ghosts! Seeing Luke was nice but it felt like he was just there to add clunky explanation since the plot made so little sense at this point. And when Han appeared, I actually laughed. It was so inconsistent with the tone of the film and he appeared all while Kylo Ren was standing in the middle of a stormy sea that he could fall into at any moment, right in the most climactic section of the film, just to have a conversation with the son who killed him! It was the most outrageous example of a fan service cameo that just didn’t assimilate with the rest of the film.

I don’t actually have a problem with Rey Palpatine. If anything, I thought it was really cool she was a Palpatine. I really didn’t want her to be a Skywalker because I felt it would be predictable and repetitive. Her being a Palpatine also sends the message to young viewers that blood relations don’t make a family which I think is very important for children to hear. Honestly, the only problem I have with it is that it means some poor lady had sex with Palpatine. I agree that it was a ridiculous retcon of The Last Jedi but then I didn’t like the reveal about her parents in TLJ anyway because of how it was executed. Another thing that bothers me about it is the utter lack of information we get about Villanelle Rey’s mother. Already we don’t know much about her father other than that he’s Palpatine’s son but with her mother, we get nothing. With Rey having wondered about who her parents were for so long, surely it would make sense for her to want to know more about her mother and maybe even take her surname in place of ‘Palpatine’. I also firmly believe Rey’s mother should have been played by Hayley Atwell because she looks so much like Daisy Ridley. And while Jodie Comer is an amazing actress, I think 1. She deserves a bigger role in the Star Wars franchise and 2. Her casting as Rey’s mother exemplifies Hollywood’s fear of casting older actresses as mothers. A twenty six year old as a mother!?

About Zurii, I always appreciate new female characters in Star Wars and I thought she had a great design. However, it is blatantly clear what her purpose in the film was. It was to stop people calling Poe gay, inserting a female character for one scene (she barely spoke in her other scenes so I’m not counting those) with no backstory of her own, just to prove he is attracted to women. Well, first of all, he can be bi, secondly, that’s not going to stop people shipping Finnpoe at all. I didn’t clock until afterwards when I saw people talking about it online, but it was super problematic to make Poe a former drug dealer. Sure, the only Latino character in this trilogy. Also, it in general complicates the little we know about Poe’s backstory so far.

With Rose, all our worst fears were confirmed. She just wasn’t there. She appeared in a couple of scenes and had some lines but you’d think she was no more than another miscellaneous rebel, no more significant a role than Billie Lourd’s character. Did they really give into the white fanboy pressure? How could they erase Rose when she was such a good character? She was tough and fought strongly for her beliefs, but she was also compassionate, sensitive. Now, I never particularly shipped Finn and Rose in TLJ. I thought it seemed a bit of a rushed romance and Finn didn’t seem that invested in the kiss they shared. However, you can’t just pretend they didn’t kiss in the last film. They interacted a few times but there was no sense of any bond between them. Where there relationship stood was unclear. Were they now a couple or had they had an offscreen conversation where they decided they were better off as friends? Who knows?

And now onto the worst part of the film: Kylo Ren and more specifically that kiss. Gross. Okay, to be clear, I wasn’t entirely opposed to a redemption arc for Kylo Ren. Sure, it would be predictable, but it’s not like Kylo Ren’s crimes are any worse than those of Darth Vader and he was still capable of redemption. I liked Kylo Ren as a villain. He perfectly depicted that type of whiny, entitled white man who we see so commonly in real life, but again, he could have achieved some redemption if it were implemented correctly. What we got in the film was not this. He was still committing genocide at the start and carried out one good deed which was saving the woman he had a crush on. For this one good act, he was entirely forgiven and somehow all of the genocide wasn’t his fault. And he got rewarded with the woman! If anything, I’d call that act selfish since he only wanted to save the woman he liked. Adam Driver did the best he could with it but everything about it was awful. And it was out of character for Rey to kiss him and forgive him. She stabbed him little more than half an hour earlier! At the end of the last film, she slammed a door in his face. It makes no sense to me how she could suddenly be so invested in him becoming a better person. There’s also the fact that wasn’t included in the films that Rey and Kylo Ren are related (aunt and nephew to be exact). I wasn’t aware this was Game of Thrones! And according to Wookiepedia, Rey was 18 at the start of the films and is now 20 whereas Kylo Ren is now 30. A ten year age different would be fine if Rey were older but at this point, the age gap is uncomfortable and very borderline.

If they’re going to make the claim that it wasn’t actually Kylo Ren who was doing the evil deeds but some dark force corrupting him, they should have explained how the mechanism works. At least in the prequels, we got some sense of Anakin slowly being corrupted. To me, it reads like in some horror films when the abusive characters are found to have been possessed by demons or something. It trivializes abuse which is something very real, acting instead as if no abusers can actually be responsible for their actions and it is the cause of some supernatural force instead. I suppose the kiss doesn’t have to mean anything. After all, Leia and Luke kissed in the original trilogy and Finn and Rose kissed and apparently that meant nothing.

I firmly believe the series intended a Finn and Rey romance. Lest we forget The Force Awakens, Finn awkwardly asking Rey if she had a boyfriend. That was clear coding for him having a crush on her. In that film, the two developed such a strong bond, and they have so much more chemistry than Rey and Kylo Ren ever had. All the scenes with Rey and Finn (and Poe) were full of light and emotion. The scene at the end where the three of them hugged was honestly the high point of the film. Now, when I left the cinema, what was plaguing my mind the most was that throughout the film, Finn had a secret he wanted to tell Rey. It was first suggested when they thought they were going to die in the quicksand. “Wait, Rey, I never told you!” It had to be that he loved her. What else could it be? Supposedly, it was that he was force sensitive. I don’t believe that for one second. If he needed to tell her that, why couldn’t Poe be included? And why did he never get the chance to tell her? It was a build-up I got invested in with no payoff. It must have been that he loved her. So, if that was the case, that leaves us with two options. Either there was a Finnrey subplot that got cut but they forgot to cut these scenes out (or simply couldn’t be bothered to), or they thought it would be funny to have the black supposed male lead chasing after the white female lead who didn’t love him back because she was instead in love with the genocidal white villain. I ship Finnrey so much and find the second option so horrific but I wouldn’t put it past the writers. Finn played such a significant role in the first half of the film, as he should since he’s meant to be the male lead in the series, but after that, he was dangerously underutilized. At least the ending where no one ends up with each other is compliant with my headcanon that Rey, Finn and Poe (and I don’t mind Rose being in the mix too) all end up married to each other and adopt a bunch of porgs.

And lastly, the lesbian scene. Pathetic. We don’t know the character names and I can’t even find out who the actresses were that played them. Okay, they kissed which is a pretty big deal (even though kisses apparently mean nothing in Star Wars) and it’s certainly a step forward from the Avengers: Endgame ‘’’’representation’’’’, but it’s still rather useless considering the big deal JJ Abrams made about how there would be representation.

#alexia reviews #star wars #star wars spoilers #tros #tros spoilers #the rise of skywalker #the rise of skywalker spoilers #anti tros #anti reylo

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im-a-writer-sometimes · 5 years

Text

A Thousand Years

Description: Captain America wasn’t alone when he crashed that plane into the water in 1945. When they dug him out of the ice, you were there. You learned to live in the future without the love of your life: Bucky Barnes. That was until a masked man entered your life, with deadly aim and familiar blue eyes.

Word Count: 9.7k (oof issa long one)

Warnings: violence, death, angst, a tiny droplet of fluff at the end.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x f!Reader

A/N: Okay, so this follows the events of CA:TWS and CA:CW. It has a lot of build up before there’s actual Bucky x reader stuff happening, but the angst is worth the wait.

---

When Captain America crashed a bomb-filled plane into the ocean, he wasn’t alone. I was there, watching from the cockpit as he flew into the water, Peggy Carter’s voice echoing through the cabin. Despite her pleas, we knew it was the only way and we were both willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. We were willing to die.

But we didn’t. We just took a 70-year nap.

When they dug us out of the ice, the world knew they found Captain America. Not Captain America and the often-forgotten member of his Howling Commandos. Just the Captain. Some news stories mentioned another person found in the plane, but no one cared about me when World War II’s golden boy had been reborn. I honestly liked it that way. It meant I could live my life as normal as was possible for a woman out of time. It took some getting used to. I had to learn to live without the people I knew and loved. I still had Steve, of course, but he was off saving the world. I pitched in every now and then, but I wanted to leave my days as a soldier behind me. Fighting during the war was different; I didn’t know why at first, but now I do.

It was Bucky. It was impossible to find a reason to fight without Bucky by my side. Even after he fell off the train, it felt like I was fighting for him back then. But now, I had no reason to fight. The world didn’t need me when they had Captain America.

However, after New York, the soldier in me found it hard to stand by and watch. So, when Steve became a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, so did I. I became Natasha Romanoff’s right-hand woman. My accuracy with any weaponry I laid my hands on mixed well with her top-notch combat skills. I found myself accompanying Steve on missions, just like the good old days. It wasn’t the same—it wouldn’t ever be the same—but it gave me purpose. Like I hadn’t been pulled out of the ice for nothing.

“Nat, Y/N, what’s your status?”

Steve’s voice sounded over our coms as Nat tackled a pirate and I shot down two others.

“Give us a minute,” I practically hissed, as I slung my gun over my back and landed a kick to the man barreling towards me. Within seconds, all of the pirates were laying either dead or unconscious on the floor, and Natasha and I quickly made our way out.

“Engine room secure,” Natasha said, receiving a hasty response from Steve. As soon as he finished speaking, she switched off her comm, gesturing for me to do the same. “I’ll get the files onto the drive, you cover the door, got it?”

I nodded as I trailed behind her into a room lined with computers. She did exactly as she said, sticking the drive into the port and typing hastily. I stayed by the door, leaving it slightly ajar so I could see outside. I could hear the sounds of a fight in the distance, but no immediate threat, so I brought my gun down to my side and leaned against the wall.

“I could go for a glass of Whiskey right about now,” I sighed, my eyes still peering out the door.

“Tell me about it,” Nat scoffed, not looking up from the computer.

“How much longer?”

“A minute or two. It’s at 67%.”

I looked down at the watch I kept on the inside of my wrist. Ugh, it was past my bedtime.

I thought I heard the fight moving closer, so I lifted my gun, my eyes alert for any sort of movement. Maybe a millisecond after I saw two bodies outside, one of them came crashing through the door, knocking it down in the process. I jumped back, gun at the ready, before Steve barrelled through the door, landing on top of the man and pummelling him.

“Well, this is awkward.”

Steve’s head snapped up at Nat’s voice and she smirked at him. He caught sight of me as well, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What the hell are you two doing? Rumlow needed you two.” He got up off the now unconscious man and made his way to Natasha. “You’re saving S.H.I.E.L.D. intel?” He said, a hint of disgust in his tone.

“Whatever I can get my hands on.”

They continued talking and I was so focused on them, that I didn’t notice the man lying on the floor start to get up. It wasn��t until he knocked me off my feet and threw an explosive in the air that I finally saw him. Within seconds, I had landed a bullet between his eyes, but it was too late, he had already detonated whatever the hell he had thrown. Steve and Nat crashed through a window and I followed them just as an explosion rocked the room.

“Fuck…” I groaned, clutching my side.

“Okay… that one’s on me,” Nat panted out.

“Damn right,” Steve barked, getting up and storming out.

Nat and I shared a look, not needing to speak to know what both of us were thinking. What a dramatic bitch.

---

I had been sparring with Nat when she got the call. Her phone rang mid-kick and we both looked at each other, immediately knowing something was wrong. When she picked up the phone and her face fell, my fears were confirmed. She spoke quietly to the person on the other end and hung up.

“What happened?” I asked, already taking the gauze off my knuckles.

“Fury’s been shot.”

The ride to the hospital was absolutely terrifying. Nat usually drives fast, but I’m pretty sure we broke every traffic law in existence getting there. She rushed inside, and I scurried to keep up with her. In minutes, we found ourselves standing outside the O.R., looking on as doctors tried to salvage what was left of Fury’s life. Steve and Hill were already there, standing tense by the window. For the first time in the time I had known her, the Black Widow was speechless. Tears started to form in her eyes and despite the fact that I wasn’t close with Fury, I found myself crying as well.

“Tell me about the shooter.”

“He was fast. Strong. He had a metal arm.”

Nat tensed immediately and I furrowed my brows, sensing she knew something we didn’t. Hill described the bullets and Nat quickly responded, noting that they were Soviet-made. Hill and I shared a confused look, but neither of us said anything. Steve was too focused on Fury to notice at all. We all watched in horror as the quick beeping of the heart monitor turned into one long automated scream.

He was dead. Nick Fury was dead.

Hill walked away, and I was quick to follow, never one to deal with difficult situations well. I waited in the hallway for what seemed like an hour as they cleaned up the O.R. and Nat and Steve went to see his body. Hill sat down next to me, eyes trained on the wall in front of us.

“Natasha knows something we don’t,” she noted.

“I know,” I responded. “I don’t know how, but I’ll get it out of her.”

“You’re gonna manipulate the Black Widow into giving you information?”

“I think you underestimate me, Agent Hill.”

She didn’t respond, she just stood up to get Steve and Natasha.

---

“I think you should sit this one out, Y/N.”

I furrowed my brows at Nat’s words as Steve hotwired a truck parked in a back alley. We were on our way to track down the source of the drive Fury gave Steve, and she wanted me to sit this one out?

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Nat responded, as she opened the passenger door.

“Why the hell would I do that?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I just need you to trust me on this.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Nat hopped into the car and shut the door before I could. She gestured for Steve to leave and he caught my gaze but listened to her anyway. I stood in some DC back alley as they drove off and I scoffed. Is she serious? I’m not a fucking child.

I wandered out of the alley, walking alongside the road as I wondered what the hell to do now. My thoughts drifted back to earlier in the hospital when Nat talked about the shooter, the Winter Soldier. The way she talked about him… something was off. Nat may have been a trained spy and an incredible liar, but I knew her well enough to see through her bullshit. I thought there was something she was holding back, and now I’m sure of it.

I couldn’t go back to S.H.I.E.L.D., that was for sure. I had no idea who I could trust. I kept walking until I found myself at the National Mall. I walked alongside the pool, the Washington Monument casting a shadow over me. I was so focused on my feet I didn’t notice someone jogging towards me. I didn’t notice him into we collided into each other and I ended up on my ass. I looked up and saw Sam Wilson looking down at me.

“Hey, I know you,” he smirked, as he offered a hand. I took it and stood back up, wiping the dirt off my ass. “Sorry about that. Is there a reason you’re pathetically trudging towards the Washington Monument?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I wasn’t trudging.”

I had met Sam when Steve convinced me to go to the VA. It didn’t take much convincing when he mentioned he met a cute guy that worked there. I had tagged along and I wasn’t disappointed when Steve introduced me to the ex-pararescue. We hit it off, flirting like teenagers. He made me feel like I belonged; like I wasn’t some old woman from the ’40s.

“It certainly looked like trudging to me,” Sam said. “What’s got you down?”

“Just confused about a lot of stuff,” I admitted, shrugging.

“Like what?”

I wanted to talk to him, to talk to anyone, about everything going on, but I knew I couldn’t. So I just shrugged again.

“Do you want to catch a movie or something? Make you forget about all the confusing shit on your mind?”

I smiled appreciatively and nodded. “That would be great.”

Turned out there was nothing good at the cinema, so we ended up having dinner at his house. Sam was actually a decent cook, and we laughed together in the kitchen as we threw together some lasagna. We scarfed it all down the second it came out of the oven. Then we ended the night with some Netflix. I realized Sam was a really great guy and an awesome friend. I thought maybe I was interested in him, but I realized he wasn’t my type. He would make a great friend though.

“Where do you live?” Sam asked as the credits started to roll across the screen.

“Downtown, by S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.”

“That’s quite a far walk from here. You’re welcome to take the guest room.”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose,” I said, shaking my head.

“It’s fine, Y/N. As long as you promise not to rob me in the middle of the night.”

I chuckled as Sam stood up and I followed him into the guest room. I plopped down on the bed and Sam lingered by the door.

“Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Thanks again, Sam. Goodnight,” I replied, waving to him awkwardly as he left, shutting the door behind him.

My exhaustion finally caught up to me, and I crawled under the covers, not caring I was in jeans. It was a matter of minutes before my eyes fluttered shut and I slipped into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

I woke up to light flooding the room. I groaned and shoved the covers of my frame before sitting up. I ran my hands down my face and glanced at my watch. It was only seven in the morning. My feet carried me out of the room and into the kitchen. There was a fresh pot of coffee on the counter with a post-it note attached.

Went on my morning run. Make yourself at home. -S

I smiled and peeled the note of the coffee pot. I searched through the cabinets until I found a mug, pouring the still steaming liquid into the cup. I shuffled to the kitchen table, sitting with my feet on the chair and my head on my knees as I sipped the coffee, black, just as I liked it. It wasn’t long before the front door opened and Sam walked into the kitchen, still out of breath.

“Hey, Y/N. Didn’t think you’d be up yet.”

“Neither did I,” I said. “Thanks for the coffee. And for letting me crash here.”

“Anytime.”

Sam pulled a carton of orange juice out of the fridge, but I knock sounded on the door before he could take a sip. He gave me a confused look, before setting down the carton and making his way to the front door. I heard the murmur of voices before the last two people I expected to see walked into the kitchen.

“Y/N? What the hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. And why do you look like you just got your asses kicked?”

“Because we just got our asses kicked,” Steve said, sighing.

Sam showed them to the guest room I had spent the night in and they both cleaned themselves up. They eventually made their way back into the kitchen, sitting across from me.

“Do you care to explain what the hell happened?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to have us killed,” Nat said.

My mouth fell open as I stared at them in disbelief.

“Why?”

“We found the origin of the drive,” she explained. “There’s some type of algorithm on it, we don’t know what it does. And apparently, S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to make sure we never found out.”

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“We do nothing,” Nat said. “Steve and I will take care of this.”

“Hell, no. I’m in the middle of this, whether you want me to be or not. And so I’m helping. Not a question, not a suggestion, I’m helping.”

Nat sighed and rolled her lips into her mouth.

“Fine.”

---

Soon enough, we had forced information out of Jasper Sitwell, a S.H.I.E.L.D. officer. Steve had shoved him into a car and we made our way down the freeway, arguing amongst ourselves.

“Are you kidding me? That is a terrible idea!” Sitwell said after we went through the plan. Before he could add anything else, something jumped on top of the car. A metal arm smashed through the window and grabbed Sitwell by the throat, tossing him out of the car like a rag doll. Shots ripped through the roof of the car and Nat and I dodged them just in time. Nat hurled herself into the front seat as Steve pulled the emergency brake, knocking me off my seat in the process. I lifted my head to see a figure fly off the roof of the car, somehow landing gracefully on the concrete. We watched in horror as the man stood up, his metal arm glinting in the sunlight.

The Winter Soldier.

Before I could process, a car rammed into the back of us, and my head collided with the back of the driver’s seat.

“Shit…” I muttered, clutching my skull. The car behind us continued driving, pushing us towards the soldier. Eventually, he jumped back onto the roof of the car, a loud thud sounding above me. I got back up, my hands resting on the two front seats, just in time to see the man rip the steering wheel out of Sam’s hand and through the windshield.

“Jesus—fuck!” I cursed, eyes going wide.

Nat fired through the roof, and she seemed to have hit him since his weight left the car. However, the car behind us continued driving, pushing us further along. I could feel the car beginning to flip and Steve broke the passenger door off its hinges, effectively getting him, Nat, and Sam out.

“Y/N!” Nat screamed as the car flipped three times, me bouncing around inside of it. By the time it came to a screeching halt, it was upside down. I kicked the back door out, crawling onto the concrete outside, my body aching. I stood up on shaking legs, watching in horror as the Winter Soldier shot at my friends, actually sending Steve flying off the bridge. I reached for the handgun tucked into the back of my pants and lifted it. My hands were shaking, but I still managed to hit him in the arm, effectively turning his attention to me. Shit. I hadn’t thought this out.

To my surprise, he turned back to Nat and Sam, leaving the entourage trailing behind him to take care of me. Two of the men aimed their assault rifles at me, leaving me to defend myself from a storm of bullets. I lunged behind a car, peeking over just far enough the shoot the two men between the eyes. The rest of them, including the soldier, still remained focused on Nat and Sam, giving me a perfect opening. Before I could take a shot, Nat came running towards me.

“Y/N!” She called out and I barrelled towards her, dodging bullets all the way. I reached her just as the soldier shot at her. She grabbed me as she went sailing off the side of the overpass, shooting a grappling hook into the underside of the bridge just in time. We managed to hit the ground safely and I let go, trailing behind her. She was about to run out of cover, when I grabbed her arm, silently pointing to the soldier’s shadow, clearly waiting for us to run out from under the bridge. We waited until he started firing at the bus Steve had crashed into before we ran out, not hesitating to fire up at him. I managed to hit him in the face, cracking the dark glasses covering his eyes. He ducked behind the railing giving us time to run farther, getting cover behind a flipped car. He popped back up, his glasses missing, raining down bullets where we previously stood, only to see us firing from a farther distance.

There was an exchange of bullets before Nat and I glanced at each other, making the split-second decision to run. We bolted away from the bridge, ducking behind cars as we did. We made our way into a busy intersection and Nat screamed at the people around her to get out of the way. They didn't hesitate and soon enough the area was abandoned. We ducked behind a car and caught our breaths.

"What now?" I hissed, staring at her with wide eyes. I watched as she pulled out her phone, recording her voice, before placing it against the tire, hitting play on the recording she had just made. I caught on to what she was doing, following her as she ran to hide behind another car.

Through the windows of the car we were hiding behind, I saw the soldier approach. He walked slowly, hands gripping his gun as he looked for any sign of us. Just as Nat planned, he heard her voice. Instead of attacking, he rolled what must have been an explosive towards the car. Once it went off, Nat jumped out from behind the vehicle and launched herself onto his shoulders, trying desperately to suffocate him. After some struggling, he threw her off him, and she landed on the ground with a thud.

I didn't hesitate to pop up from behind the car, my shaking handgun managing to hit him on the metal arm. It clinked off pathetically and he turned towards me. Shit. I hopped over the hood and kicked toward his stomach. He grabbed my ankle before I made contact, flinging me to the ground. I stood up, ducking as he swung at me. I managed to block two more hits before I pulled a knife out of my boot, swinging it towards him. I hit him, but I barely even sliced through his gear. He wrenched the knife from my grasp and aimed to stab my shoulder. I tried to dodge it, but it still managed to graze me. I stumbled and let out a cry, giving him time to knock me to the ground. I waited for a final blow that never came.

I looked up to see Steve fighting him off. I scooted away from the fight, reaching for the gun I had dropped behind the car. Then I caught the soldier's eyes over Steve's shoulder as he avoided a punch. My breath caught in my throat. I knew those eyes.

I didn't have time to think too much about it, because he was kicking Steve's ass. I lifted my gun and fired three shots, missing three times. I lifted it to fire again but decided against it. I was too shaken up and didn't want to hit Steve. I followed from a distance as the fight moved down the street. He was an excellent fighter, but Steve was holding his own.

At one point, Steve managed to send the soldier flying, his mask falling off in the process. The fight skidded to a halt as we waited for him to turn around. When he did, my gun clattered to the ground as I let out a strangled cry.

"Bucky?" Steve's confused voice sounded from beside me.

"Bucky…?" I heard my voice, though I don't remember speaking. "Oh my God, Bucky…"

I started towards him, but Steve held me back.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

My heart shattered at the sound of the voice I hadn't heard in seventy years. Tears began to sting at the corners of my eyes, but I didn't have time to cry.

He was lunging right at us.

---

Seventy years prior.

"How was your date yesterday?"

I raised my eyebrows at Bucky, unimpressed.

"We're supposed to be watching Steve's back."

I looked back through the scope on my sniper rifle, following Steve with my eyes as he made his way towards the Hydra base.

"Steve's fine. Now answer the question."

I noticed someone trailing behind Steve and I took him out with a pull of the trigger. Then I turned to face Bucky.

"It was horrible. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No, of course--"

"Don't lie, Buck. You hate Pierson."

"I may hate the guy you went on a date with but that doesn't mean I want you to have a bad time."

I raised my eyebrows at him, before looking back out at Steve. A few more soldiers had accumulated behind him, but I took them out in seconds.

"What was so bad about it?" Bucky asked, unfazed by the fact that I just shot five people.

"I thought we were both supposed to be sniping. Right now it feels like I'm doing it alone."

Bucky rolled his eyes and peered through his scope. He looked from place to place, occasionally letting a bullet or two fly.

"There. There's no one threatening Steve. Now talk to me."

I sighed.

"He just wanted to get me into bed. And don't say I told you so because I might break your nose."

"I'm sorry, doll. You deserve better."

I looked at him confused.

"You're not going to say something snappy?"

"No. As I said, I didn't want you to have a bad date and it sucks that you had to put up with him."

"Well, thank you." You paused. "And no, you do not have my permission to beat him up."

Bucky laughed.

"Well then, it's a good thing I didn't ask for permission."

---

I was thrown back into the present when Bucky started shooting at us. I ducked for cover as Steve launched a grenade in Bucky's general direction, clearly trying to miss. An explosion sounded and by the time the smoke cleared, Bucky was gone.

---

I remember the first time I met Bucky like it was yesterday. Captain America came marching into camp with hundreds of soldiers staggering behind him. Everyone was watching the super soldier, but not me. My eyes were trained on the man to his right. When Steve first told me he was doing a solo rescue mission just to save his friend, I told him he was crazy. But, as I watched who I could only assume to be Bucky cheer on his friend, I understood.

"Let's hear it for Captain America!" He said, staring at Steve in gratitude as everyone around him cheered. His eyes flicked past his friend's figure and landed on mine. I smiled. He smiled. My heart forgot how to beat properly.

When I heard Steve was forming a band of soldiers, I wanted in. Technically I had the same job as Peggy, but I was an excellent sniper. Once Steve saw the precision of my marksmanship, he didn't hesitate to include me in what would later be known as the Howling Commandos.

The very first mission I went on, I was excellent. Except for the part in the end where I almost got shot in the shoulder. Almost. It just grazed me.

"You're done. That's it," Steve had said as we made our way back to camp.

"Are you kidding me?" I shouted. "We marched into enemy territory and you expected me not to get shot at?"

"I expected you to be good enough to avoid it."

"She was good enough to take out half of the men shooting at you."

We both turned around to see Bucky, staring at Steve with raised eyebrows.

“Maybe you should thank her for keeping you from getting shot.”

I rolled my lips into my mouth, trying desperately not to smirk at Steve. He opened his mouth to disagree but realized there was nothing he could say. Eventually, he just sighed.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Bucky’s right.”

Steve, clearly aggravated or embarrassed—or maybe both—walked ahead of me and Bucky.

“Thanks for that,” I said when Steve was out of earshot, smiling at him.

“It’s nothing. Steve means well, he’s just stubborn as hell.”

“I’ve only known him for a few weeks and I’m already well aware of that.”

We both laughed, and the sound of his laugh was something I never wanted to forget.

I never did.

So, as I sat in the back of the van, that sound echoed through my head. I remembered the soldier with the lopsided grin I knew so long ago and the man who had just attacked us. They were different people. But they weren’t. It was still Bucky.

“You knew,” I said my voice barely above a whisper.

The car went quiet as I looked at Natasha.

“I don’t know how, but you knew it was him all along. And you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” she admitted, not looking up at me.

I scoffed, tears stinging at the corner of my eyes. “You didn’t want me to get hurt? The fact that the love of my life is alive and trying to kill us hurts me. It hurts more that you knew and I didn’t hear it from you.”

---

Skip ahead a few hours, turns out Fury’s not dead. We’re at a remote location, everyone else is inside. I’m standing outside, my eyes fixed on nothing in particular. I couldn’t think of anything but Bucky. Every thought had been of him since the moment the blue of his eyes filled my vision. I didn’t even realize I was crying until a tear fell from my chin. I sank to the ground, leaning my head against the concrete behind me. A sob wracked my body. And then another. And another. I was a hyperventilating mess when Steve found me about an hour later.

“Hey, Y/N, hey, it’s okay,” he assured, crouching beside me.

“No. It’s not, Steve,” I sobbed. “I thought he was dead. But he’s not, and somehow that’s not better. I’ve thought about him every day since his d-dumb ass fell off that train and suddenly he was there. Staring right at me. And he didn’t even know who I was. H-he didn’t kn-know me, Steve. He d-didn’t know himself.”

I was sobbing again, and Steve opened his arms. I fell into them, soaking Steve’s shirt with my tears.

---

It had been a grueling mission, and I sat just outside camp, twirling my knife between my hands.

“You’re gonna end up chopping one of your fingers off.”

I jumped at Bucky’s voice, the knife hitting the ground.

“I will if you scare me like that again,” I said, trying to sound angry.

Bucky just smiled, plopping down on the grass next to me.

“Are you okay? You seemed a little off after we got back.”

I sighed, picking up the knife again and running my fingers along the smooth metal.

“I don’t usually see their faces. But I was looking through the scope and there was this kid looking right at me. He could see me, he knew I was going to kill him.” I paused. “He was a kid, Bucky. Younger than me. He probably didn’t even know what he was fighting for. And I put a bullet in his skull.”

Bucky let out a breath, his hand resting on my shoulder.

“You’re a good person, Y/N.”

I furrowed my brows. “I just told you I shot a teenager.”

“I know. There are plenty of men here who have shot kids younger than themselves. They continue shooting at them like there’s nothing wrong. But you’re out here. Beating yourself up for it. Feeling guilty. Feeling remorse for taking his life.”

He shifted so he was facing me.

“You were just doing your job, Y/N. War can turn people heartless, but no matter how many missions we go on, you’re still the same compassionate person. That’s why I lo—… why I admire you.”

I smiled, staring down at the grass.

“Thank you, Bucky. I admire you too.”

“Oh,” Bucky smirked. “Do tell.”

I laughed. “That’s why. Because no matter how messed up we all get, you’re still smiling. No matter how much I want to break down, you’re there to remind me to laugh every now and then. Because you’re one of the most supportive people I know. Towards everyone you care about. But you’re also not afraid to tell me when I’m being stupid, and I should hate that about you, but I don’t. And you’re so easy to talk to. From the first moment we talked, it felt like I had known you my whole life.”

“Don’t start getting all mushy on me, Y/L/N.” He said and I chuckled. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

I looked at him, smiling.

“Everyone else is sound asleep and here you are, sitting under a tree, looking beautiful.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise at his words.

“Oh don’t tell me you don’t know how beautiful you are.”

I laughed. “Oh, I do. I’ve just never heard you say it.”

“Well, Y/N, you are the most beautiful woman in this camp.”

I laughed again. “I’m the only woman in this camp right now.”

“There could be a hundred women in this stupid camp and you’d still outshine them all.”

I was speechless. Bucky had always been flirty, but never to this level.

“Well, you’re not too bad yourself, Sargeant.”

“How kind of you,” he laughed, a smile lighting up his face. The tone suddenly grew more serious as he looked into my eyes. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“Well then what are you waiting for?��

He broke out into a smile, and leaned in, his lips meeting mine. It was soft at first, slow and filled with everything we couldn’t say aloud. His hand cupped my jaw before sliding down my arm and finding a home on my waist. My fingers gently tugged at his hair, and he smiled into the kiss. He pulled away much too soon, looking at me with adoration as his forehead rested against mine.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for forever,” he said, brushing my hair behind my ear.

“Took you long enough.”

---

I went over the plan, again and again, hoping I could get in and out without running into Bucky. But also needing to see his face.

I was on the third helicarrier, chip tucked into my pocket. I just got confirmation from Hill that the other two helicarriers has been linked, the last one was up to me. I approached the mainframe and he was there. Decked in all black, metal arm shining.

I stopped on the walkway, ten feet from where he stood.

“Bucky, you know me. I don’t want to fight you.”

He didn’t respond, and I took a step closer.

“Bucky, please. We know each other.”

“No we don’t,” he said, and he lunged towards me. Anticipating his moves, I ducked out of the way. I had fought him before, so I had a better idea of his style. Dodging his punches and getting a few of my own in was much easier than before. I managed to make my way to the center, punching in the code and yanking out one of the chips. I pulled the other out of my pocket and almost had it in when Bucky knocked it out of my hand. The chip fell, landing on a landing below us, nearly falling off the edge as Bucky swung at me. I ducked, jumping over the railing after the chip. I grabbed it, standing up just as Bucky reached me. I bought up my arms to block a punch, knocking the chip out of my hand, it fell and clattered on the glass below us. I landed a kick on his stomach, sending him over the edge as well.

I jumped down onto the glass, sprinting towards the chip. Before I could reach it, Bucky tackled me to the ground, metal hand clasping around my throat. I choked, face growing red. I kicked him in the leg and he loosened his grip. I took that as my opportunity, and I swung my legs up, wrapping around his neck and flipping us over. I was laying on my back, my thighs closed around Bucky’s neck as he tried to pry them off. I managed to hold on for a few seconds before he wriggled out of my grasp.

He stood up and I followed suit. We both lunged for the chip and he beat me to it. I came up behind him, pulling out my gun and hitting him in the back of the head with the butt of it. He collapsed, the chip cluttering out of his hand. I grabbed it and climbed along the side of the glass, leaping towards the landing. I ran, climbing along the inside towards the landing above me. A shot echoed through the air hitting the wall beside my thigh. Another shot sounded, barely missing my arm. This was Bucky Barnes, one of the best snipers of his time. Was he missing on purpose? I continued climbing, until I hurled myself onto the landing, sprinting towards the center.

“Ten seconds!” Hill warned over my comms.

I reached towards the empty slot when a bullet ripped through my abdomen. I screamed, collapsing next to the mainframe. I struggled to lift myself up another bullet ricocheted near my head. With a grunt, I hauled myself up, sticking the chip in with no time to spare. I sighed, sinking to the ground.

“Okay, Y/N, get out of there,” Hill said.

“I can’t,” I grunted. “Do it now.”

“Y/N--”

“Do it. Now!”

Hill listened, and soon enough a rain of explosions rocked the helicarrier. I crawled toward the railing, seeing Bucky pinned beneath a metal beam. I made my way down to him, clutching my stomach. He was desperately trying to lift it, and I let go of my stomach, trying to ignore the throbbing pain. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed the beam away from his form. I screamed out, barely moving it, but it was enough to help him push it off. Within seconds he was on his feet, staring at me with wild eyes. I stared at him, arms wrapped around myself.

“I won’t fight you, Bucky.”

“Stop calling me that,” he muttered, lunging towards me. I half-heartedly blocked him and realized he wasn’t using his full strength.

“Your name is James Buchanan Barnes. My name is Y/N Y/L/N and I love you more than anything in the world.”

“Stop talking!” Bucky said, stumbling away from me clutching his head and screwing his eyes shut.

“I love you, Bucky.”

That was the last thing to leave my mouth before the ground gave out beneath me and I fell. I saw the helicarrier grow smaller above me and my vision grew darker. I hit the water, sinking deeper as I faded in and out of consciousness. I saw a figure above me, growing bigger and bigger as it approached. I felt someone grab a hold of me, pulling me towards the surface. We broke the surface and I took a deep breath in. I kept fading in and out of reality as the shore grew closer. Soon enough, I was laying on the sand as a figure walked away from me, his metal arm catching the sunlight.

---

Two years later.

Romania. Bucharest to be exact. That’s where our search had led us. I looked at Steve, letting out a shaky breath as he opened the apartment door. It was empty and we made our way inside. I looked at the mattress on the floor and the dirt-covered walls. This was where he was staying? Bucky deserved better than this. I came up behind Steve as he pulled notebook from on top of the fridge, leafing through it. It fell open on a picture of Steve and we shared a glance.

I caught sight of a figure in my peripherals and I turned. There he was. No matter how many times I told Steve I was ready to see him, I wasn’t. I momentarily forgot how to breathe.

“Do you know who I am?” Steve asked from behind me.

“You’re Steve,” he said, addressing Steve even though he was looking at me. “I read about you in a museum.”

“And me?” I asked, my voice shaking.

He didn’t respond to my question, changing the subject altogether.

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

They’re entering the building, Sam said over the comms.

“Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they’re not planning on taking you alive.”

“That’s smart,” Bucky said. “Good strategy.”

They’re on the roof. I’m compromised, Sam said.

I looked up, hearing the sound of boots above us.

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Buck,” Steve warned as Bucky pulled off his glove, revealing his metal hand. He sighed.

“It always ends in a fight.”

Five seconds, Sam warned.

“Why did you save me from drowning?” I asked, making my voice sound braver than I felt.

His eyes found mine and he swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do,” Steve said from behind me.

Before he could respond, Sam’s voice sounded through the comms.

Breach! Breach! Brea--

A grenade broke through the window, landing on the floor at Bucky’s feet. He kicked it towards Steve, and he covered it with his shield just as it exploded. A shot shattered the window and Bucky used his mattress as a shield. I kicked the table towards the door, preventing the agents on the other side from entering. For now.

Two men came in through the windows, immediately attacking. One man went for Bucky, while another lifted his gun. I pushed the barrel away from Bucky and wrenched the gun from the man’s grasp. I didn’t hesitate to flip it around and shoot the man, doing the same to the man attacking Bucky.

Steve had gotten knocked on the floor and Bucky punched through the floor next to his head, pulling out a backpack from underneath the floorboards.

“Buck, stop! You’re gonna kill someone!”

He threw the backpack off the roof, hurling it onto the nearby roof.

“I’m not gonna kill anyone.”

They managed to bust down the door and agents flooded into the room. I aimed my gun at the door and pressed down the trigger, bullets flying. I hit most of them, but one man came lunging towards me. Before he could get to me, Bucky had kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying across the room.

And then he was gone, racing down the stairwell. I followed behind him, trying my best to take out any threats with non-fatal shots. Steve raced ahead of me, trailing after Bucky. There was no way I could keep up with them, so I came to a halt. All the action continued to move farther down, leaving me alone. I looked at the door to my left and made a split second decision.

Mustering up my strength, I kicked it in, and the people inside screamed. I rushed past them onto the balcony, just in time to see Bucky fighting someone on the next roof as Sam kicked the tail of a helicopter, sending it spinning.

“Care to give me a lift?” I said into the comm, and Sam flew towards the building, spotting me in an instant. He raced towards me and I latched onto him as we went flying. We followed from above as Bucky was chased through the city, momentarily losing them in a tunnel. When we caught sight of them again, we saw an unknown figure rip Bucky off a motorcycle. Before said figure could attack Bucky, Steve came out of nowhere tackling him to the ground. Sam landed next to him, setting me down, so the three of us stood between the unknown man and Bucky.

The sound of police sirens surrounded filled the air and an entourage of black vehicles soon trapped us.

Shit.

---

Sam, Steve, Sharon and I all sat in a conference room. My eyes were glued to the photo in Steve’s hand. It was supposed to be Bucky, walking away from the UN bombing.

“Why put out this picture in the first place?” Steve asked, tossing it onto the table.

“Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can,” Sharon responded.

“Right,” Steve said. “It’s a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. You’ve got seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier.”

“You’re saying someone framed him to find him,” Sharon said, understanding what he was getting at.

“We looked for the guy for two years and found nothing,” Sam countered.

“Yeah, but we didn’t bomb the UN,” I noted. “That turns a lot of heads.”

“But that doesn’t guarantee that the person who framed him would get him, it guarantees that we would.”

Silence fell over the room as realization sank in. We all turned to look at the screen where a psychiatrist was interrogating Bucky.

Then, the lights went out. We all turned to Sharon, waiting for her to speak.

“Sublevel five, east wing.”

We were there in a matter of minutes. We entered the interrogation room, lit up by red emergency lights. Steve didn’t hesitate to pin the supposed psychiatrist against the wall.

“What do you want?” Steve growled.

“To see an empire fall.”

Suddenly Bucky was there as Sam walked in, hurling him across the room. Steve let go of the man and lunged at Bucky, throwing a punch that he easily dodged. I kicked out his feet from under him and he landed on his back. I was quick to jump on top of him, using my weight to pin him down.

“Snap out of this, Bucky,” I pleaded. He flipped me over so he was on top of me, hand wrapping around my neck. I writhed below him, my face growing red. Steve landed a kick to his stomach, knocking him off me. I sat up, my hands coming to rest on my throat as I gasped for air. Steve and Bucky took the fight farther down the hall until Bucky kicked him into the empty elevator shaft. He walked away, leaving a gaping hole in what used to be the elevator doors.

I scurried towards the shaft, looking down to see Steve using the cable to climb up.

“You good?” I asked, my voice echoing.

He grunted as he pulled himself onto the floor at my feet.

“That’s gonna hurt tomorrow,” he panted. “Let’s go.”

I don't know how, but Steve knew to run to the roof, and sure enough, Bucky was there. Or the Winter Soldier was there. I didn't know what to call him when he was like this.

He had climbed into a helicopter and Steve bolted towards him as it lifted off the ground. Steve latched onto the bottom and the helicopter shifted slightly. I watched as Steve was dragged towards the edge.

"Steve!" I called out, racing towards him, although I wasn't sure how I could help.

He held onto the edge of the landing pad as Bucky tried to steer the helicopter away. I stopped, shocked, as Steve kept the copter from moving. He screamed, using every ounce of strength to keep Bucky from leaving.

I looked up at Bucky, his eyes wild. I saw his hands twitch and I knew what he was going to do. I bolted backward.

"Steve! Look out!" I cried just as Bucky steered the copter towards the concrete. Steve ducked out of the way just in time, dodging the tail as it slid along the ground.

The helicopter was teetering on the edge and Steve made his way over to it. Before he could do a thing, a metal hand broke through the window, wrapping around his neck. I watched in horror as the helicopter shifted towards the edge. I wanted to do something, anything, but I didn't know what.

"Steve!" I cried as the helicopter fell, falling into the water below. I raced to the edge and searched the water desperately for any sign of them. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest and my breathing halted. And then I saw them, breaking the waters' surface and gasping for air. I feel to my knees, letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

---

Steve and I were having a harshly whispered conversation when Sam called us from the other room. We entered the room him and Bucky was in to see Bucky had finally gained consciousness.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your mom's name was Sarah," he said, his voice unsure. "You used to shove newspapers in your shoes."

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine.

"You're Y/N. I would always have to remind you to turn your safety off." He paused. "Your perfume smelled like vanilla."

My heart swelled with a mixture of relief, sadness, and love.

"What did I do?" He asked, running his free hand over his face.

"That man," I said. "He must have triggered the Soldier."

"What did he want?" Steve asked.

"I don't know."

"You're gonna have to do better than 'I don't know.'"

"He wanted to know about Siberia," he said, confused.

"Why is that important?" I asked.

He paused, looking down at the ground.

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

Silence fell over the room as we absorbed the words Bucky said.

"Tell us everything."

---

We wound up in a stolen VW Beetle, with Steve driving, Sam shotgun, and Bucky and me in the back. The ride to the airport was silent, and I occasionally stole glances at Bucky, whose eyes were trained on the road in front of us.

"Stop looking at me like that," he said quietly, still focused on the road ahead of him.

"Like what?" I asked, my eyes locked on his profile.

"Like you feel sorry for me," he breathed, finally turning to look at me.

"Bucky, you were tortured and brainwashed for seventy years. How else am I supposed to feel?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "I don't even know how I feel."

"And you don't have to," I assured. "You have every right to be confused and angry and every emotion I can think of. And I'm here for you while you figure it all out."

"How did we meet?" He asked, looking at me with apologetic eyes. My heart sank at the expression he wore.

"I helped Steve organize the rescue mission he went on to save you. Do you remember that?"

He paused for a moment and then nodded.

"When he came back, he introduced us. Eventually, I went on dozens of missions with you guys."

He opened his mouth, searching for words.

"Were we… friends or… were we…"

He trailed off, not looking at me. It killed me that he remembered me, but he remembered so little.

"We were the best of friends," I said, not sure why I lied.

Steve caught my eye in the rearview mirror, eyebrows raised, and I just shrugged.

We arrived at the airport, and fighting ensued. I don’t need to go into detail, but basically Tony, surrounded by the Avengers that supported the Accords, tried to stop us from getting to the quinjet. They managed to get Scott, Clint, Wanda and Sam. Bucky, Steve and I made it to the quinjet with seconds to spare.

We skidded to a stop as we saw Natasha standing between us and the jet. She looked at Bucky, Steve, and then her eyes locked on mine.

"Please, Nat," I said, just loud enough to be heard over the fighting behind us.

She didn't respond, she just sidestepped, clearing the path for us to leave. We didn't hesitate and made our way to the jet. I slowed down as I passed her, nodding in her direction. She nodded back and I hope she understood that I forgave her for not telling me about Bucky two years ago. I had him now and that was all that mattered.

It was a matter of seconds before we took off, and then we were on our way to Siberia. I looked over at Bucky, and he looked back at me. The turmoil boiling beneath the surface of his eyes was clear.

"I don't know if I'm worth all this," he admitted, breaking eye contact with me.

"All those years, it wasn't you, Buck. It was Hydra, not you."

He looked at me and offered a tight-lipped smile, clearly not hearing was I was saying.

The jet touched down on a frozen wasteland, and violent wind ripped at my clothes and skin as soon as we stepped out. The door to the compound was ajar, meaning Zemo must have already arrived. We didn’t hesitate to enter. The rickety elevator ride to the lower level was silent, the air tense. We walked silently through a doorway and up a small flight of stairs, guns at the ready when we heard movement behind us. We turned around in time to see the doors behind us being pried open.

It was Tony. He sauntered in, his helmet disappearing to reveal his face.

“You seem a little defensive,” he said nonchalantly.

“It’s been a long day,” Steve answered, taking a step towards Tony. He looked behind Steve, his gaze landing on Bucky. I instinctively stepped so I was in between them.

“At ease, soldier. I’m not currently after you,” he said, and I furrowed my brows.

“Then why are you here?” Steve asked, voicing my exact thoughts.

“Maybe your story’s not so crazy,” Tony admitted. “Maybe.”

I lowered my gun at his words, realizing he wasn’t a threat.

“Ross has no idea I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I’d have to arrest myself.”

“Sounds like a lot of paperwork,” Steve said, lowering his shield. “It’s good to see you, Tony.”

“You too, Cap.” He looked in my direction. “Y/L/N.” I offered him a polite nod before he looked back at Bucky. “Manchurian Candidate, you’re killing me. There’s a truce here; you can drop your gun.”

I looked back at him and nodded, and he relaxed.

We continued on before we arrived in a large room, our footsteps echoing off the tall, metal walls. As we entered, six tanks lit up, three on each side of the room. I moved closer, to see the Winter Soldiers Bucky had described, all with bullets between their eyes.

“What the hell…?” I muttered.

A voice sounded through the room, startling all of us.

“If it’s any comfort, they died in their sleep.”

I looked back at Steve and Bucky, who looked equally as confused as I felt.

“Did you really think I wanted more of you? I’m grateful for them, though. They brought you here.”

A light came on, revealing a small window where Zemo appeared. Steve didn’t hesitate to launch his shield directly at him, but it bounced off the glass.

“Please, Captain. The Soviets built this place to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets.”

“I’m betting I could beat that,” Tony quipped as we all moved towards Zemo.

“I’m sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you’d never know why you came.”

“You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here,” Steve said, coming to stand right in front of the window Zemo hid behind.

“I’ve thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you, I followed you, but now that you’re standing here, I just realized… there’s a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw.”

“You’re Sokovian,” Steve stated. “Is that what this is about?”

I remained a few feet behind him, gun ready should anything happen.

“Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell. No. I’m here because I made a promise.”

“You lost someone,” I stated, and Zemo’s eyes flicked past Steve to meet mine.

“I lost everyone.” He looked between Steve and I. “And so will you.”

Suddenly text appeared on a screen next to us. Russian: December 16, 1991.

“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again,” Zemo said. “But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead. Forever.”

I looked on as security footage from the bend in some road started to play.

“I know that road,” Tony said, his voice faltering. “What is this?”

Zemo didn’t respond, and I turned back to the screen. A car crashed into a pole, followed by a man on a motorcycle. The streetlight glinted off his metal arm and my breath caught in my throat. I looked at Bucky, and his eyes met mine. I quickly turned back to the screen. The Soldier got off his bike and made his way to a man who had crawled out of the driver’s seat.

“Sargeant Barnes?” The man’s voice sounded.

“Howard!” A woman moaned.

No. No, no, no, no.

I looked at Tony, his eyes glued to the screen, hands shaking. He looked up at Bucky and I silently prayed he wouldn’t do anything. The sound of Maria Stark’s voice sounded again before the Soldier strangled her. And then he walked towards the camera, aiming his gun at the lens, and pulling the trigger.

As soon as it finished, Tony lunged towards Bucky. I launched myself between them, but Steve held Tony back. Tony turned to face Steve.

“Did you know?” He asked, the trademark confidence of Tony Stark gone from his voice.

“I didn’t know it was him,” Steve replied.

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers,” Tony spat. “Did you know?”

“Yes.”

Tony jerked away from him, stumbling slightly. When he turned towards Bucky, I took a step towards him.

“Please, Tony, You know he wasn’t--”

I didn’t have time to finish, because Tony hit me with a blast from his suit, sending me flying into the wall.

And then everything went black.

---

I woke up on the quinjet, with Bucky sitting on the floor next to where I was laying. As my eyes adjusted, I saw the blood coating his skin and the bruises littering his cheek and jaw.

“What happened?” I groaned, trying to sit up, but laying back down immediately, my head pounding.

“We got our asses kicked,” Bucky said.

“Tony?” I asked, eyes flicking to Steve in the cockpit.

“He’s alive,” Steve confirmed and I let out a breath.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe.”

I looked up at Bucky and his gaze was already on me.

“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting up slowly, so I was eye level with him.

“Are you?” He laughed. “You got knocked into a wall.”

“And you got the living daylights beaten out of you.”

He smiled; I forgot how much I had missed his smile. Tears started stinging in my eyes and Bucky’s face softened.

“Hey… you’re okay,” he said, scooting towards me. We were both leaning against the wall of the quinjet, sitting maybe an inch from each other. I smiled and looked at him as he wiped away the tears wetting my cheeks.

“I missed you so much, Bucky,” I said, my voice breaking.

“I missed you too, doll.”

He leaned towards me and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut and savored the feeling of his lips against my skin.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” he said, pulling away.

“It’s all so fucked up, Buck. How can you be so sure?”

He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Because now I have you.”

---

PART TWO

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