#its so important to echo’s character that he is fully aware of the awful shit he does

[tekkenenjoyerblue]

How much does Echo hate Cammy and the other dolls for defecting/going against Bison at literally the worst possible time imaginable (aka SFV).

Bonus question If you wanna answer it: how badly does he hate Chun Li.

Hate is a pretty strong word for Echo’s opinions on Cammy, and the other Dolls for that matter, his loyalty to Bison doesn’t blind him to the fact it’s not a mindset shared by most of the specialized groups in Shadaloo (The Dolls were literally brainwashed, Echo’s not surprised that when that failed the girls defected at the first chance). He doesn’t hate them for defecting, it logically makes sense that they would, but the timing like you said could not have been worse. He’s not outraged and fuming like you’d see from someone like F.A.N.G, to Echo it’s just another obstacle to be handled like any other

He was close with the Dolls for a time before all this, basically brought in to help accelerate their combat training as their teacher when he was between missions, he also treated them far more fairly than others like F.A.N.G, but Echo’s pre-existing bonds mean little when Bison’s plans are on the line. It’s not to say he doesn’t empathize with their situation, he just refuses to let that stop him from doing his job. If there’s any hate it’s more from the Doll’s being hurt/confused how Echo could willingly remain loyal to M. Bison

Bonus Question answer, Chun-Li is a pretty consistent obstacle to Bison’s plans which naturally means Echo doesn’t really care much for her. Chun-Li has tried to track Echo’s movements for some time with little success. I’d consider it a mutual hatred but Echo respects Chun-Li’s skills both as a martial artist and as part of Interpol, if they meet its bound to lead to a clash and a very frustrated Chun-Li when Echo inevitably gives her the slip (if Echo were in the games Chun-Li would definitely be a consistent rival battle for him, probably C-Viper as well)

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: Heavy Metal

Sometimes it’s fun to revisit old movies you watched when you were younger and find out, hey, this is better than you remembered! Sometimes your young mind just wasn’t ready to accept how awesome something was, and you needed time to fully understand what you look for and like about cinema to truly appreciate it. But then, sometimes, you watch something you liked when you were younger, and you realize… wow, this is absolute dog shit!

Such is the case with Heavy Metal. This is a movie I have frequently cited as a low-ranking entry on lists of the finest animated films of all time, and to be entirely fair to the film, it is important in a historical sense, being a cult classic that was passed around through bootlegs because music rights kept it from getting a home video release, and it came out around the dawn of the 80s and kind of destroyed what you would think an animated film was capable of. This film is full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and it entirely, unabashedly unashamed of this, for better or for worse.

Now, while I do think the overall film is a bit lacking, it is an anthology film divided into segments, and there are some pretty good ones I will make note of; this is not a film with absolutely no merit. But before that, let me point out the one thing everyone can agree is amazing about this film: the soundtrack. You’ve got Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Stevie Nicks, Devo, Cheap Trick… if nothing else, the kickass soundtrack is worth a listen, though Blue Oyster Cult’s song inclusion irritates me to a great degree. The movie went with “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” for the soundtrack, despite the fact Blue Oyster Cult had a song ready to go that is literally about the final entry in the anthology, called “Vengeance (The Pact).” Why the people compiling the soundtrack made this choice baffles me; it reminds me of how they didn’t use “Jennifer’s Body” in, well, Jennifer’s Body, instead opting for a different Hole song from the same album.

But I digress. Let’s go one by one and touch on the segments:

The framing device is about an entity known as the Loc-Nar, who claims to be the sum of all evil, detailing to a little girl how it has influenced chaos and carnage across time and space. The thing is, though, the Loc-Nar doesn’t come out on top in any of the segments, and its schemes are often thwarted. So the entire movie is basically this supreme evil being detailing to a little girl how much it sucks ass at its one job.

The first segment is Harry Canyon, a story about the eponymous futuristic New York taxi driver. In some regards it reminds me of The Fifth Element, what with a scruffy, slummy, futuristic taxi driver trying to help a smoking hot babe find out the truth and all, but unlike that film, this short is a lot bleaker and gritty. You kinda know what you’re in for when Harry vaporizes a dude who tries to mug him, and if that’s not enough, the female lead of this short literally throws herslef at him, and yes, he gets to take a dive into her Harry Canyon – and you get to see it.

This is a running theme throughout these shorts – almost every female character has huge titties and is sexually promiscuous, throwing themselves at the first penis they see as if it was their job. It’s so incredibly juvenile and tacky as to be laughable, but I guess this comes with the territory considering the magazine this film adapted.

Anyway, the segment is harmless and unremarkable. It’s exactly what you’d expect from this sort of story, without much in the way of twists or turns.

The second segment, Den, is arguably the best segment in the entire film. We have a nerdy kid named Dan who gets transported across space and becomes the musclebound warrior with a huge cock known as Den. Every woman throws herself at him, every villain in his way gets pummeled, and no task is too impossible for this man! And did I mention that he is voiced by John Candy? Really, Candy’s comedic touch is what makes this entire thing feel fun and palatable; it’s a cheesy swords and sorcery romp through and through. Honestly, I don’t have much bad to say about this one, it’s just very silly fun.

Unfortunately we are back to being not great with Captain Sternn. Sternn, played by Eugene Levy (of The Wacky World of Mini Golf fame), is basically an intergalactic war criminal on trial, and when his paid witness Hanover Fiste (played by Rodger “Squidward Tentacles” Bumpass) comes up to the stand, the Loc-Nar influences him to the most evil act possible… betraying this war criminal in front of the judge and jury! GASP! I’m not sure what the Loc-Nar is really trying to do here; you’d think it would maybe want Sternn free to continue spreading wicked influence across the galaxy, but nah, it just makes Squidward hulk out and tries to kill him, only for the tables to be turned and Squidward to be dropped out an airlock, further cementing how utterly useless the Loc-Nar is.

Thankfully, once that’s over, we have yet another very strong segment, another contender for best in show: B-17. This is a genuinely creepy zombie short film, and the zombies are utterly horrifying and grotesque. This is regarded as the most nightmarish part of the film, and for good reason; this shit is certainly worthy of being called “heavy metal.” Honestly, there isn’t much bad to say about this one either, except perhaps that it is over far too soon.

Then we get to what is probably the worst segment: So Beautiful, So Dangerous. The entire segment is sort of meant to be a lighthearted comedic breather between The last segment and the final one, but it just comes off as combining every problem the movie has into one segment: the uselessness of the Loc-Nar, copious and ridiculous sex, drugs, and so on. Really all that’s missing from this is gratuitous violence, but hey, guess you can’t have everything all the time, right? It just comes off as really dull and pointless, and there’s not really anything particularly funny about anything that happens in it, unless of course you’re a thirteen year old who thinks “big boob woman having sex with robot while aliens snort cocaine” is the funniest shit on Earth.

Thankfully, we end on a strong note with Taarna, which is about a proud warrior woman dressed in horrifically impractical armor (and this actually effects the plot, I’m not kidding, somehow there was some self-awareness here) and a cool alien pteradactly flying off to fulfill a vengeful pact after the slaughter of a peaceful race by barbarians mutated by the Loc-Nar, in what may be the Loc-Nar’s sole impressive feat. Taarna is the ultimate hero, giving us the trifecta of qualities a heroine in this movie should have – boobs, butt, and bush... Er, I mean, sword, cool mount, and ass-kicking prowess. This one is not quite as good as “Den” or “B-17,” but I still think it’s a solid finale that has enough action and awesome music to make up for its tackier elements.

The movie ends with Taarna’s defeat of the Loc-Nar echoing through time and killing it which… makes absolutely zero sense, but whatever, the Loc-Nar is an absolutely atrocious villain and perhaps one of the most useless in cinematic history, he gets a 1/10 on Psycho Analysis. Then the girl gets her own kickass space dragon thing and becoming the new Taarna or something and, honestly, it’s the exact  sort of batshit ending you should expect from the film.

So, is this really an awful film? In some places, no. It’s a love letter to cheesy, trashy sci-fi fantasy from the 70s, with all that comes with it, and in that regard it does succeed. But still, a lot of the film feels like the utterly juvenile fantasies of same sad high schooler, or perhaps even middle schooler, who has never had and who likely never will have sex. It’s a tashy little time capsule to a bygone era where this sort of storytelling was okay so long as there was enough blood and titties on display, so if that appeals to you, by all means, check this film out. It’s certainly not the worst thing in the world to watch, but animation has come so far and adult animation in particular is capable of so much more than adolescent masturbatory fantasies that this film has little value beyond a few solid segments and a damn good soundtrack.

Hell, just go listen to the soundtrack. I think you’d have a better time doing that.

[cassiopeiassky]

When Everything’s Made to be Broken (I Just Want You to Know Who I Am) Part 40

Hello everyone!  I’m briefly surfacing from the pits of academic hell to bring you the next  part - not my best work, but it’s been weeks...

To all of you that left feedback/comments on the last part - I apologize for not responding, but things are really chaotic right now.  Just know that I do read each and every one of your comments *cough cough* multiple times *cough cough* and I appreciate them (and you) more than I can say.

Plot:  When you inadvertently become a witness to a murder and are suddenly a target for death, it takes a specially skilled soldier and his team to keep you and your family safe. 

This will eventually be a is a reader x Bucky fic. The reader, by the way, is a civilian. No super powers, no fighting skills, and by no means perfect.  

Word count: 3241

Warnings:

For the entire work:  Language (I have a potty mouth), violence, and angst.  This will probably get pretty dark later on, and there will be smut.  If that’s not your thing, you may want to avoid this story.

Additional warnings specific to this part: Violence, bad guys being douchebags, more angst, physical assault, death,  mentions of blood, mentions of murder (including non-established characters & children), mentions of torture (nothing graphic),    If I need to add anything else, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  If you don’t want me to publish the ask, I won’t, or you can feel free to do it as a Nonnie.  I will not take offense to any trigger warning requests.   Your well-being is important to me and I do NOT want to trigger anyone.

***I do not own any of the lyrics/music in this story, so please don’t sue me for using them***

Tags moved to the end.

WEMtbB Masterlist

Previously on WEMtbB:

As softly as you can manage, you begin humming his lullaby.  

A few moments go by, and nothing bad has happened.  You can’t help yourself – your hand goes to smooth back his hair – and when he sighs, you repeat the gesture.

His mind doesn’t remember you, but his body does.  He relaxes under your touch as you continue to croon the slow melody. You stay until his breathing is deep and even; only when you’re sure that he’s sleeping peacefully are you able to make yourself go back to your room.  

The dawn of the crystal winter morning finds you seated at the table in front of window. You stare without seeing the Siberian landscape, offhandedly recognizing that your mind has started to exhibit dangerous behaviors but simultaneously unable to give a single shit.  Who cares if your mind snaps?  Or if you sink into a depression so deep you'll never be able to claw your way out of it?  

A deep sigh finds its way out of your exhausted body.  Goddammit. You have to care.  You don't want to, but you have to. It's getting harder to remember why...so you briefly allow yourself to break the compartmentalization you'd set up, and give yourself the precious luxury of thinking of Artie and Jimmy.

They're why you need to care, why you need to survive.

And Bucky.  Deep down you know that to some extent, at least, his survival depends on your own.  You'll both need the other to get through this when it's over because there’s going to be lasting damage, but you will, right?  Get through this?  Intact? Together?

Another sigh.

The lack of sleep isn't helping; you still haven't been able to sleep for more than an hour or so each night, and the naps you manage during the day when you feel just marginally safer with Mikhail watching over you aren't enough.  God, you'd kill for some fucking coffee right now, but you don't dare leave your room alone to look for it and Mikhail won't be in for at least another hour.  Mikhail has been so nice to you.  You'd meant what you said - he doesn't deserve what happened to his family.  His dad, on the other hand, sounds like a cowardly douchcanoe that deserves a pine tree enema.

Your disjointed train of thought shifts once again, and you start thinking about last night.  Bucky hit you.  He hit you.  No, he didn't.  The Soldier did.  Minor technicality, really, as neither of them were in control.  The only people to blame are the fucking Krakkens.  It could have been - should have been - much worse. Truth be told, it wasn't nearly as bad as the night Christopher assaulted you; he'd completely lost his shit in a fit of rage.  They're not the same thing, you tell yourself, not even close.

You wonder about Bucky's nightmare.  What did he see?  Was it a memory from earlier, or was he already reliving his attack on you?  The more you think about it, the more it makes sense that his subconscious is free from the effects of the triggers.  You try to focus, try to remember what you’d learned about how the conscious and subconscious are separate and how they work together yet independently of the other, but your brain just won’t cooperate. Figures.  But there’s something still nagging at you…is it possible to reach Bucky - even just in his subconscious - so early after being triggered? Would it even matter if you could?  Well, it fucking matters to you.  God, it hurt so much to leave Bucky's side...but then, it isn't really Bucky, is it? At this point, however, you're fully willing to settle for a facade.  You miss him so fucking much.

What are the odds that the Winter Soldier is a cuddler?

At the thought, a small laugh comes out and it sounds crazy even to your ears.  A tear rolls down your cheek, but instead of wiping it away you rub at your gritty eyes; it feels like your eyelids are lined with sandpaper.

A few minutes later the still quiet is broken by the soft clicks of a door opening and closing; the Soldier is up.  Your breath hitches as you hear his measured footsteps in the hall - almost the same as Bucky's but not quite.  The threats that have been constantly vocalized start echoing in your head.  Is he coming to you?  It's still Bucky's face, you could just pretend…

But no.  He doesn't pause as he passes the door to your room. You tell yourself it's for the best.

***

The morning passes agonizingly slowly; you listen carefully, but as far as you can tell the Soldier doesn't return.  Where is he?

It's mostly concern with a dash of curiosity until Mikhail comes in with your lunch.  

Something's wrong.

Mikhail avoids your eyes and is extremely quiet.  Not his normally reflective and respectful quiet, but subdued.

“Mikhail, what's wrong?” The question hangs in the air for a long minute as he focuses on arranging your lunch on the table.   When he finally turns toward you, the look on his face is enough to make you regret asking the question.  You hesitate before speaking again.  “Mikhail?  Is everything okay?”  

“I am fine, you do not need to worry about me.”  The statement is accompanied by a falsely bright smile.

He's hedging; you don't get the feeling he's lying, but rather withholding.  In fact, your intuition is screaming that there's something you should know.  You narrow your eyes.  “What's going on?”  Your heartbeat increases as an unwelcome thought occurs to you, lacing your next questions with panic.  “Is Bucky okay?  Where is he?���

He's quick to reassure you, “As far as I am aware, he is fine.”

You wait for more, but nothing comes.  “But?” There's more to this.

He sighs heavily.  “I will tell you if you really wish to know, but sometimes, solnisko, ignorance is bliss.”

“Tell me, Mikhail.”  Your impatience is starting to make you snappy.

He glances up at the camera, and you wonder if it’s from habit or if he’s weighing how much he can safely say.

“They have already begun using him.”  Mikhail avoids your eyes again, “Your Bucky - they have already given him orders, and he has complied.”

“What does that mean, Mikhail?  What’s happened?”  What the fuck is going on?!  Why does he look so unsettled?

Mikhail takes a deep breath before continuing, “Kapitan heard some rumors that some of his men were selling information to other Bratva families.  The Soldier was given the task of...uh...encouraging the guilty to confess.”

You think for a moment; the implications are nauseating.  “Bucky was told to torture them.”  You wish you could phrase it as a question, but you know better.  

He nods hesitantly. “They made us watch, told us that it would deter any future disloyalty.”  He closes his eyes at whatever awful images came to mind. “Eight men were brought in for questioning.  All but one confessed.  All but one are dead.”

“Oh, God…”  More blood on Bucky’s unwilling hands.

Mikhail nods with haunted eyes.  “They were not good men, solnishko, and they deserved to die, but this went far beyond typical torture techniques and execution.  This...this was horrific.”  

You can’t imagine what the Soldier is capable of - you don’t want to - but the idea that excessive cruelty could come from Bucky, even while activated, is almost incomprehensible.  Bucky didn’t always go into great detail when he spoke with you about his time under HYDRA’s control, but everything you could recall was about efficiency and effectively completing a job.  Even when he’d needed to ‘persuade’ someone, it wasn't cruelty for the sake of being cruel; it was a tool, a means to an end.  

Mikhail must intuit your thoughts, because he quickly continues, “The most heinous and perverse acts were not of the Soldier’s design; those were ordered by Mr. Krakken and Kapitan.”

Of course the worst of it would be their design.  Evil fuckers.  The Soldier was just following orders.  Despite the fact that Bucky will still hold himself accountable, a measure of relief floods through you.  “Where is he now?”  

“I do not know.  They were giving him instructions when we were dismissed.”  

You nod, more to yourself than anything.  Clearly they’ve begun using him, but what exactly are they using him for?

***

Dinnertime finds you at the Krakkens’ table.  Again. You’re still seated between Nicolai and Anatoliy, but instead of sitting across from you, a subdued and bruised Metzger is seated across from Anatoliy.  There is a place setting laid out, though, and you wonder who it’s for. Ugh, please don’t be Grigory.  All the men here seem to be dangerous, malicious, and scary, but that guy is fucking creepy and you really don’t want him sitting right in front of you.

So here you are, in an uncomfortable dress and pair of heels, and sporting enough makeup and hairspray to supply Captain America’s backup dancers for an entire tour.  On one hand, you’re irritated beyond belief that you had to go through the ridiculous process of getting ready to be ‘presentable’ to these jackasses.  On the other hand, you find yourself hoping desperately that you’ll get to see the Soldier, if for no other reason than to know that he is alive; at the very least you might hear about the Soldier’s whereabouts.  You haven’t seen him all day.  It shouldn’t surprise you since you don’t leave your room, but still…

Mikhail’s hand reaching over your shoulder to place a plate in front of you breaks you out of your thoughts, and you groan inwardly.  More stewed meat with potatoes and the ever-present sour cream…and are those mushrooms?  Gross.

You pick at your food as you listen intently to the conversation happening around you, although it does you no good.  For the first time since you were brought here they’re speaking Russian instead of English; Metzger looks like he’s barely keeping up.  It’s incredibly annoying (why the fuck did they want you here?!?) but the men are, thankfully, ignoring you for the most part.  

“Mr. Krakken, Kapitan,” Grigory interrupts the brothers’ laughter as he sweeps into the room, “the Asset has returned.”

“Ah yes, good, he’s right on time!  Send him in Grigory,” Nicolai turns to you with a smirk as he speaks.  

Oh.  This is why they want you here.  They want to see your reaction to whatever is coming next.

Despite knowing this, you can’t help keeping your eyes trained on the door.

“If I were you, lisichka, I do not think I would be so excited to see the Soldat.  I think you will strongly disapprove of his activities today.”  Nicolai and Metzger chuckle at Anatoliy’s comment, but you pointedly ignore him.

Your heart stutters as he walks in. Well, strut is probably more accurate. The Soldier strides with competent purpose, his booted footsteps echoing a confident promise of quick and unremorseful violence should anyone get in his way.  

A quick onceover tells you that he’s dirty, but it doesn’t seem as though he’s injured.

He approaches the table, and stands by the chair across from you.  “Komandir,” he dips his head in respect to Nicolai before repeating the gesture to Anatoliy, “Kapitan.”  His emotionless blue eyes pass over you without a moment’s hesitation, and he ignores Metzger completely; Little Frankenstein is clearly pouting.  

“Target status, Soldat?” Nicolai’s eyes narrow as he speaks.

“All targets have been eliminated, Komandir.”  The Soldier’s words are respectful, but his voice is flat and his eyes remain fixed on a spot slightly above Nicolai’s head.

“All of them?” Anatoliy’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.  “There were 14.  You had until sundown tomorrow to complete the assignment.”  

“Yes, Kapitan, all of them. It was more efficient to do complete the tasks today as the targets were all centrally located.”

You’ve been taking advantage of the moment and drinking him in; it’s Bucky standing in front of you, but it’s not.  The same sculpted physique, the same sharp jaw, the same mahogany hair. Not the same expression or carriage, though, and definitely not the same eyes; they seem to have lost their color and have faded to a flat, muddy gray.  It’s as if he lost his soul.

It’s only then that you realize that the Soldier’s gear has a tacky, stained look to it, and there’s something matting his hair.

A sickening realization hits you, and the dots connect; it’s blood.  He’s covered in blood.

He was out killing people on the Krakkens’ command.

Oh God, Bucky…

Your skin is suddenly crawling, and you turn to see Nicolai smirking at you; the fucker’s eyes are practically sparkling with glee.  “He slaughtered 14 people for me today; Bratva members that were getting in my way…and their families.”  He turns toward the Soldier with a sickening grin.  “You made it look as though they were fighting among each other and retaliating, yes?”

“Yes, Komandir.  I moved the body of the first target to the final target’s location, as you directed, and the executions were completed to your specifications.  Nothing will be traced back to you.”  You can’t help but stare as the Soldier speaks - he talks blandly, as though he’s discussing a grocery list and not killing and death.  

“Wonderful!  Please, Soldat, have a seat and eat with us.  You have certainly earned your dinner tonight.” Nicolai gestures grandly to the spot across from you as the Soldier moves to comply, and you turn to glare at the hideously cruel, green-eyed demon sitting to your left.  His malice knows no bounds.  “Milaya moya, do not look at me like that.  This is the man you love, sitting across from you, is it not?  Are you not happy to dine with him, to see that he is alive and well?”  He pauses, eyebrows raised and lips tilted in an amused smile, “Or do you no longer care for him, knowing what he has done today?”

You swallow thickly, willing yourself to keep quiet and not speak any words that would bring punishment to either you or Bucky, and turn your attention back to your mostly untouched food. After an uncomfortable moment, you glance back up to see both Nicolai and Anatoliy glaring at you, and malicious glee in Metzger’s eyes.

“I believe my brother asked you a question.  Do not be rude, lisichka.”  You barely mange to repress your sigh; Anatoliy is such a condescending ass.

Lifting your chin, you turn toward Nicolai.  Without blinking or hesitation, you state what should be blatantly obvious, “Yes, Nicolai, I still love him.”

He appears to be mildly amused.  “But he is a murderer, a monster.”

It takes effort, but a sweet smile accompanies your reply. “No Nicolai, he isn’t a monster.  You are.”

“Stupid bitch,” Anatoliy mutters as he grabs you roughly by your upper arm and drags you out of your chair. You can’t help but steal a glimpse at the Soldier; he doesn’t so much as spare a glance your way as he begins to eat.

“Brother, do not bother - I think she is suffering enough knowing that her love has executed a total of 21 people today.  Besides, you still need to discipline our servant.”  Your blood runs cold as Anatoliy’s eyes light up and focus on someone behind you.  Mikhail is the only other one in here right now.

“Right…” Anatoliy’s fingers slip from your arm as he pushes you aside to walk up to Mikhail, who is obediently standing at his station with his back to the wall.  He trembles but lifts his chin, patiently and almost defiantly waiting for the first strike.  There’s nothing you can do to help him.

***

Mikhail’s screams follow you to bed; he’s alive, thank God, but you’re pretty sure he’s got a broken arm, two black eyes, broken ribs, and maybe some missing teeth.

Someone had been paying attention when Mikhail had told you about the torture earlier this morning, and that the men that had been executed weren’t good men and deserved to die. Apparently, even though those men were accused of betraying their Kapitan, it was an unforgivable sin to speak badly of them.  Mikhail paid for his words with a beating that left him quivering and bleeding in front of the dining room fireplace before Anatoliy called in Grigory and had him drag Mikhail to his room.  You weren’t allowed to follow although you wanted to make sure he was okay; instead they made you sit at the table while they had the Soldier give a full, detailed report of the tasks he’d completed.  

His mission included families…and three children. He'd been tasked with killing children, for fucks sake, and he'd...completed...his mission. It was nothing short of petrifying, and you’d kept your gaze locked on your plate to keep Bucky from seeing the horror on your face and the tears in your eyes.  

He’d remember this eventually, and you didn’t want to add to his misery.

***

Even though you were awake and waiting for it, the tortured screams still startle you and, as before, the pull to go to him is strong.  Despite what he’s done today - or is it yesterday? What time is it? - despite the lives taken by his hands, despite the blood that covers him both figuratively and literally, you can’t seem to help yourself.  Bucky’s still in there, somewhere, you’re sure of it.  Besides, you repeat to yourself for the thousandth time, you love him.  All of him.  Even this version of him.  What he did today - it's not his fault. It's not.

Logically, you can’t help but think that you’re incredibly fucked up.  Your heart doesn’t care, though.  How could it?  It's Bucky.

Going to him is easier tonight - probably because your courage is bolstered by your previous success. You didn't get hurt last night, and what if there's a way to help his subconscious break through the programming? Not that it would do either of you any good in this particular situation - you'll actually be less safe when he breaks though because they'll use you to guarantee his willing compliance.

The door is unlocked, and as you step closer you can see that he's curled up on his side, almost like a child trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid being seen by the boogeyman. The twitching of his bare shoulder above the covers, softly bathed in the pale moonlight, tells you that he's still asleep.

You're able to calm him without him waking, and he's just so familiar, so Bucky in this moment, that you decide to do one of the stupidest things imaginable. Maybe it’s the sleep deprivation or the way your mind is teetering on the fine edge of stability, maybe it was the horrors you'd heard, maybe it was seeing Mikhail being viciously attacked weeks - you're not sure. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

You know you're playing with fire, but you're willing to get burned for the sake of keeping warm.

So you lie down next to him.

You carefully arrange yourself so you're mirroring his position behind him, not quite brave enough to risk waking him by putting your arms around him but still close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body and to feel the slight shifts as he breathes.

You're just going to lie here for a minute or five, not long. Just long enough to pretend, long enough to maybe fool your mind into sleeping when you get back to your room. Just long enough for your heart to stop its ever-present ache, even if just for a minute.

A gentle sigh escapes as your body reacts to Bucky's proximity, and you feel yourself relax into the mattress.

You'll just close your eyes and lie here for a minute.

...only

...a

...minute...

Round 1 Tags:  @rogersxbarnesx @hellomissmabel @beccaanne814-blog  @musichowler @nykitass @danimuhle @iwillbeinmynest  @shifutheshihtzu @iamtal @passiononfire @jade-cheshire @flowercrownsandmetallicarms @lostinspace33 @gingerrootknits @callmebucky-doll @learisa @sammedrano @hardcorehippos  @vaisabu @widowvinter @amrita31199 @bellenuit45 @agentraven007 @ sarahjeaniejean  @canumoveyourseatup-no @unpredictable-firecracker @ omalleysgirl22  @crazyliraz   @shamvictoria11    @ kaaatniss  @lillian-paige  @ladylizzieofdarbyshire  @sexyseabass1231   @knittingknerdy  @4theluvofall  @howdoesoneadult