#karlie’s a relaxing thought!!

[9w1ft]

Not even joking. I had a bad day at work and sat down to chill for a minute and gather myself. Closed my eyes a little and then remembered KK went to the eras tour and just started smiling 🤭🤭 the rest of my workday was fine because it just put me in a better mood instantly. It’s so unbelievable that I just have to smirk

that’s the spirit!! harness the power!!

[maple-the-awesome]

We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 35

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader

Words: 5,280

Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: BOILING POINT

The room's relatively quiet, which has pretty much been the case ever since your latest fiasco of a mission. It isn't exactly a 'peaceful' silence, but you're willing to take what you can get while dealing with this annoying throbbing throughout your entire body and the stinging pain that’s focused around your center.

"At least I can cross breaking a rib off the bucket list."

"Not a fun feeling, huh?"

"God no," You groan, leaning back only to instantly regret doing so as shown through a sharp flinch. Sam's smile shows a mix of sympathy and amusement before he passes you a couple of pain pills as well as a glass of water. You're quick to set down your ice pack in exchange for these items, gratefully swallowing the pills in hopes that they’ll offer some relief…Unfortunately, there's no immediate effect.

You’re left with no other choice than to miserably do your best getting comfy against the stiff pillows of Zemo’s incredibly uncomfortable couch, your only other option for a distraction being to simply let your thoughts roam to topics unrelated to your searing injuries. There’s lots to review regarding the last hour anyway.

Talking to Karli was a total bust thanks to Captain Cosplay who couldn’t even help prevent her escape afterwards. By now, she’s undoubtedly gone to regroup with her terrorist buddies, bringing along even more reason for them to hate Avengers and even less reason to spare any of you an ear again.

To top off such a failure of a mission, while that section of your plans was going to shit, Zemo apparently took it upon himself to destroy the super soldier serum Karli had been carrying on her person. You suppose that might as well be a good thing considering no more stray vials means no more unwarranted superhumans running amok, however it doesn't quite sit right with you knowing how easily your rent-a-felon had slipped away from watch. He could've made a run for it, and or caused greater harm to the mission as a whole by taking matters further into his own hands which wouldn't have been too out of character given his track record with super soldiers so far.

That's precisely why you told Bucky to keep an eye on him! You were already going after John, and someone needed to stay with Zemo, so it should’ve been him. If he had just listened, you guys would've been able to maintain control of at least that variable - one less idiot to check over your shoulder for. Instead, he insisted on following you then concerned himself with your wellbeing, worried for your sake as if you're a glass doll who took a tumble off a shelf.

…Granted, in the eyes of a superhuman, that’s probably a fitting comparison for what actually happened. Karli succeeded in really knocking the air from your lungs (and most of the sense right out of your head). By the time you finally came to again, the world was spinning in muddled colors orchestrated by constant ringing in your ears, yet you were still somehow aware enough to recall Bucky scooping you up into his arms.

Between those long blinks where your eyes struggled to remain open, you could see the stunned fear woven into his expression. It’s not quite like anything you’ve seen on him before - similar, but not exactly a match even to his troubled stare during the war or his distressed cries in Romania.

You wish you could say he’s relaxed since reaching the safehouse, however his head continues to hang low. Muscles tense and breath jagged, he stands at the bar counter with a glass of vodka in hand - an empty one, since he had just chugged his third round as if a mere shot of pure H2O…He’s still having a hard time snapping out of whatever trance your injury inflicted upon him, failing to steady his nerves no matter how much alcohol he tries to drown himself in; you aren’t the only one to notice.

“Why not try some peppermint tea? It’s an excellent choice for calming anxi -”

“- Fuck off…” Bucky growls in swift response to Zemo’s suggestion, his metal grip constricting against the glass resulting in a sharp ‘squeak’. Any tighter and it’ll shatter into starry shards.

“It’s only a couple of broken ribs and some bruising. Nothing that won’t heal -” That’s the third time Sam has said this. Once when he first assessed you, a second as you finally became coherent again…although both evaluations were less for your sake and more for Bucky’s.

Your little injury seems to have really bothered him, that much is obvious. Strange, for someone who sure hasn’t wanted to address your existence lately - who has taken almost every possible chance to push you away and make you feel unwanted - but hey, maybe it should be taken as a good sign since it must mean he still cares about you to at least some extent.

So - the question remains - why keep playing these stupid games then? What motivation could Bucky possibly have? Is he trying to be angry with you? Have you upset him to the point that he’d rather force himself to hate you than forgive you? …Hopefully that isn’t the case.

‘This whole situation is a mess…’ You think, sighing as you throw your arm over your eyes to block out the light and echo out the hostile energy practically flooding this room.

Something about Steve’s shield; an ongoing source of tension between all involved, yet you have no interest in picking sides right now. Instead, you’d much rather try sleeping, the exhaustion of today weighing heavy on your bones (not to mention your patience wearing extremely thin). You might’ve actually been able to drift off, too, if not for the loud ‘SLAM’ that startles nearly all of you.

The heavy doors are thrown open, leaving way for your least favorite cosplayer to march into the room while on a clear mission to make matters even worse than he already has, "Alright, let's go! I'm ordering you to hand him over!”

"...Fantastic..." You can't help rolling your eyes. There goes your chance at recovering in peace and quiet. What has it been? An hour since you've gotten back here? Probably less. Your medicine was just beginning to kick in, too! Now, you’re forced to bear through the numb ache of both your broken rib and incoming headache as you lazily watch Sam stand to 'greet' John Walker's presence.

"Hey slow your roll. Let's be clear: shield or no shield, the only thing you're running around here is your mouth," Clearly losing his own patience with the current situation, Sam packs some bite to his words, not caring if they don't sit right with John who fails to suppress a scowl, "I had Karli - She was willing to listen until you overstepped. As for Zemo, he's actually proven himself useful today and we're going to need all hands on deck for what's coming next -"

"- How do you want the rest of this conversation to go, Sam? Huh?" John wears a cocky smirk, apparently mistaking Sam's silence as being stunned astonishment, not dumbstruck bemusement, "Should I put down the shield? Make it fair?"

He's doing his best to appear big and strong behind his threat, but he's the only one to take it seriously. Even Sam - who's usually the better of your group when it comes to maintaining peace by deescalating high tensions - scoffs at John's ridiculous assessment of himself being a 'challenge' for anyone.

Oh, what you'd give for Steve to be here so that he could show this guy how a real captain throws a punch, even if just to put the truth into perspective. If only John would realize how different he is from the real thing. Steve knew he didn't have to prove himself to anyone, he simply had to stand up for what's right. Even before he was a super soldier, that kid from Brooklyn knew the real meaning behind the shield, something you doubt John will ever understand, at least not at this rate, which is exactly why he shouldn't be carrying it.

Honestly, you had no real intentions of getting involved in this either. You weren't even going to roll yourself off the couch. You would've been perfectly content watching Sam kick Fraud's ass while casually draped across it like a professional cat, but almost the second that shield gets set down, a spear is wedged into the pillar mere inches away from John's face, causing all eyes to dart over to the dora milaje warrior standing at the other end of the room where she had previously gone unnoticed.

Before anyone can address her properly, two more dora milaje warriors march into the room from the hall. They speak in Wakandian, the content of their conversation being unknown to you, however you can assume it's nothing pleasant based on their stoney expressions and fierce tones, both fixated on Zemo and Bucky who appear less than thrilled. If anything, they look scared.

"Release him to us now," confirms the obvious regarding what this is all about.

"Hi,John Walker, Captain America,” Blind to the atmosphere around him, John all too casually approaches the women who meet his introduction with some pretty bombastic side eyes in return, “Tell you what, let’s go ahead and put down the pointy sticks and talk this through, huh? We're kinda in the middle of -"

"- John," Sam interjects, at first with an amused smile, except it’s quick to turn serious, probably after he realizes where this crossroad is likely to head, “Listen, you might want to fight Bucky before you test your luck with the dora milaje.”

John simply turns his back on Sam’s advice, giving a smug sneer towards the women in question, “The dora milaje don’t have jurisdiction here -”

“- The dora milaje have jurisdiction wherever the dora milaje find. themselves. to be…” One warrior bites back almost instantly, drawing out those last few words with venomous intent, although her expression hardly changes as she skillfully keeps her cool better than any of you would if John ever dared to step so close.

For a moment there - however short - it seems that a threat has actually put him in check for once, forcing him to shut his mouth as he appears to do some sort of double-take. A quick, almost embarrassed glance back at the rest of you, followed by an equally awkward laugh, divides that temporary silence with John’s next response which he pairs with an outstretched hand that lands on the dora milaje’s shoulder, “...Look, I think we got off on the wrong -”

Showing much less patience towards John’s audacity than the rest of you, the women attack in an instant, knocking him off his feet face first onto the floor. The three dora milaje then surrounded him and Lemar, the latter of whom’s only mistake was taking a step towards the fight which sealed his fate of being choked back with a spear.

“We should do something,” You hear Sam say, forever the kind and considerate spirit. That’s much more than you can say about yourself. Rather than stand up to at least mock concern over the situation happening mere feet in front of you, you simply rest your head lazily against the back of the couch while watching everything unfold with no more interest shown than you would towards a lackluster movie.

“They’ll figure it out…” You decide stubbornly, nonchalantly shifting your legs to avoid any contact with Lemar when he’s thrown into the seat just adjacent to you.

“Looking strong, John!” Even Bucky seems to indirectly agree with you that this situation isn’t yours to fix up, that is initially, at least, until Sam gives you both looks of disapproval.

While it’s nothing that fazes yourself - after all Sam must realize you’d be little help in a battle of physical strength - it’s apparently enough to convince Bucky to join the chaos, too, probably less so to ‘help’ the other boys and more so to prevent this show from turning into an actual blood bath.

Unfortunately for them, they don’t fare much better than the other gentleman involved. If anything, they merely split the dora milaje’s wrath, each taking a half for themselves in the form of swung spears and stinging blows which makes you all the more sure of your decision to sit this one out.

Could you have simply sat here watching things unfold with an imaginary bag of popcorn? Of course, but a grumbled roll of your eyes just happened to land your attention on the opposite side of the room and, more importantly, on Zemo. For a moment, you were so entertained by watching John Walker be slammed against a table that you nearly forgot about your other nuisance. Such a shame.

Zemo takes full advantage of the unplanned distraction tearing apart his fancy parlor, slipping past the fight through the shadows with an unbothered stride that gains no urgency even when you show your notice of him:

“HEY!” Sitting up all too quickly, you wince at the sharp pain that stabs throughout your body, yet do your best to power through it while rushing to your feet and chasing Zemo’s direction.

Eitherhe doesn’t hear you or doesn’t care enough to give you any concern - you’re willing to bet it’s the latter as he steps into the bathroom and pulls the twins doors shut behind himself, far nicer than when you toss them back open again.

Empty. The bathroom is empty by the time you step fully inside, furiously looking around for the escapee who vanished like some kind of annoying magician. There’s no way he got so lucky as to find his golden ticket and cash it that quickly. That bastard was planning his getaway for god knows how long. All he needed was a moment like this when his guards were distracted.

“Damn it!” You curse aloud, wanting to use much more vulgar words, however they’re caught upon your tongue when you turn just in time to see one of the dora milaje warriors approaching.

Flinching, you’ll admit you half expect to experience her anger for yourself. One glance behind her leads way to your defeated comrades - Sam against the floor and couch rubbing his face while Bucky stands dumbfounded with his metal arm dropped from its socket - yet the Wakandan only passes you by calmly, peering into the bathroom to see the bad news for herself.

“He’s gone,” Although she refrains from losing her tongue, the venom in her tone shows she’s about as impressed as you are with Zemo’s absences. Marching past with no regard to you nor the way you back away, she casually leaves the room as if she and her friends hadn’t just kicked the sense out of almost everyone inside, her only word of departure being directed towards one of her fellow warriors who holds John’s shield in triumph, “Leave it.”

The other woman looks disappointed, but voices no argument as they leave together.

As soon as they're gone, you make your way over to the result of their fury, your first stop being to help Sam up off the floor which he gives a quick ‘thanks’ for, however your attention is hardly on him. Instead, your eyes remain concerned with Bucky across the way.

“What happened?” You ask, not dismissing the way his hand trembles slightly while reaching to pick up his metal arm from the ground. How it became detached so cleanly in battle…Well, it must’ve taken some skill. You’ve only ever seen him remove it once or twice for cleaning, something he struggled with both times. Then again, you suppose it would make sense for the Wakandans to know the work-arounds of their own creation.

Clearly, there’s a storm of thoughts brewing in Bucky’s mind, that much being certain based on his distant stare as he reconnects his arm back into its socket. Nevertheless, he fails to answer your question, leaving that task to Sam who apparently misses the implied context.

“We got our asses handed to us, that’s what,” He grumbles bitterly, still sourly rubbing the mark upon his cheek. It probably stings and is likely to bruise.

“Well, I hate to be the bearer of further bad news, but Zemo got away.”

He scoffs, “I heard. Of course he did…”

“��Can’t imagine he’ll get far with the dora milaje on his tail. Either way, I doubt we’ll be seeing him again anytime soon - not that I’ll lose sleep over that tonight…Are you both okay at least? In a ‘recoverable’ sense, that is?” Once again, your eyes give away who you’re truly worried about and, once again, you receive no answer from who you wish to hear it from most.

“I think you should probably ask that to John,” Sam sighs. Initially, you aren’t too sure if he’s joking or serious. Going off his words, it’s a joke. Expression? He might really mean it. …And John’s expression?

The defeated soldier looks to be in a similar boat to Bucky in terms of internal dilemma. Even as Lemar offers a hand, John continues to kneel against the ground in dazed silence only interrupted by a quashed mumble, “They weren’t even super soldiers…”

He stalls for a moment before finally snapping out of it enough to take Lemar’s hand, lifting himself off the ground then swiftly masking his shock with a glare aimed towards the rest of you. No more words are said on his end - nothing verbal, that is. His eyes say everything they need to, expressing all that they need to about his embarrassment and anger…Maybe that battle wasn’t the reality check you thought he needed after all. Maybe just the opposite…

Running a hand through your hair, you glance around the room in total loss. Wakanda’s pissed. Zemo’s gone. John’s unstable. And to think your day couldn’t have gotten any worse…If you were on your own, this would be about the point where you’d be screaming into a pillow to release all your pent up anger, but now isn’t the time to lose your cool. You have to keep it together.

Sam mentions something else about the Zemo part of this situation, yet you fail to hear out his thought process. Your focus is solely stuck to Bucky who doesn’t stick around himself, having turned his back almost as soon as he could probably sense you were about to address him again.

Dragging a hand over his face, he marches off to destination you originally assumed would be the bathroom Zemo disappeared in, perhaps to begin tracing the baron’s path to recapture him - which might’ve been what Sam was trying to suggest you all do next - however Bucky walks directly past the bathroom and down the hall instead.

Carelessly smacking open the guest room door, he wanders inside where his limited belongings await mostly untouched upon the bed, never unpacked from his duffle bag. Taking a deep, labored breath, he tries to cease any thoughts about today as a whole, desperately pushing them back behind the dam that’s barely holding his sanity together…but the pressure is building.

First he let you get injured and now Ayo hates him? Is he just destined to keep hurting everyone around him, no matter what he does to avoid it? Even without the Winter Soldier to haunt his mind, his life is still cursed with conflict and danger. HYDRA, Thanos, the Flag Smashers…Will it never stop? Will he ever be able to rest without worry or blame?

“- James…?” The door was already practically open, yet you still peek out from around it, ever so gently pushing it outwards as you step into the room with a frown upon your face, "...What about you? Are you okay?"

"...Fine..."

Despite that being his answer, you still hesitate there in the doorway. You can’t just walk away - doing so wouldn’t feel right. Sure, he’s been an asshole lately and you’d have every right to disregard him, but…Well, today’s been rough for everyone, especially him. You’ve already seen how your injury bothered him on a level he refuses to admit, then for the dora milaje to show up - more importantly, for Ayo, someone he admires and considers himself to be in great debt to…

“It’s only natural for Wakanda to be upset with what we’re doing here. Zemo killed their King, after all,” You speak up against the silence, trying to sound neutral as if you’re simply stating a fact and not trying to offer any comfort, “Of course they’re not going to like that we’re working with him for any reason, much less that we broke him out of prison to do so, but it’s not like you -”

“- What part of ‘fine’ don’t you get?”

You’re left gaping at his snapped tone, frozen for a split second or two after he turns over his shoulder to glare at you…Then your own anger starts to swell faster than you can bite it back, “Maybe the part where you still look pissy as all hell. Seriously, what’s your problem? I’m only trying to make sure you’re okay. You -”

- You take a deep breath, even closing your eyes for a second to gather your thoughts. This isn’t the time to lose patience. You must keep it together. Distance - If you have any hope in your relationship getting better, you need to give him distance, and you will, but you also can’t just turn a blind eye to him while he’s struggling. Dancing around the issue isn’t helping anyone at this rate. You want to talk things out first - You need to address the problem then go from there, wherever it may lead.

Letting go of your breath, you don’t mask your concern this time, “...You’re clearly not okay, James. These last few months have been a shit-show, I get that. Thanos, losing Steve, this whole mess with the Flag Smashers…Me…”

He flinches and swiftly looks away.

“It’s been too much. I’m starting to realize that. We’re all stressed and angry and - …Listen, James. I - …I was wrong to keep secrets from you, especially one as big as me being Hollie. I’ll admit that, but you have to try to understand where I was coming from. I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I knew it was going to be a lot and hard to believe so I wanted to wait for a good time…It’s not like it’s exactly easy telling people I used to be someone else a half-century ago…”

You run a hand through your hair with a heavy sigh, “I realize I put it off for far too long, and I really can’t say sorry enough for that, but as wrong as it was for me to keep the truth from you, I still don’t understand why such a secret would warrant you treating me like this. We…We used to be so close. We were close, and then you cut me out just likethat…Why?”

Bucky clenches his fist, forcing himself not to so much as glance back at you. He’d be in trouble if he did that. It’s much easy to keep his back turned while willing himself to remain calm despite the bite that presents itself in his words, “I don’t want to talk about it right n -”

“- No!” You quite literally put your foot down, narrowing your eyes at him, “We need to talk about it now. You can’t keep shutting down on me, Bucky. We’ve been avoiding this conversation for too long already. I thought everything would sort itself out if I gave you some time to think, but clearly that’s only making matters worse for both of us. I…I need to know. I need you to know.

“Bucky, I have loved you ever since I could remember who I used to be. Every second we’ve spent together - Everything I’ve done and said - It was never an act, it’s always been me. I need you to understand that. I feel no different for you now than I did when I was named Hollie. I’ve only ever wanted to see you be happy and doing well - that’s my ultimate goal. While I’d like you to be that way with me - while I’d like to be happy together, if you don’t -...If you don’t see me as her then…”

You look down, uncomfortably fiddling with your hands as you fight to keep your voice steady. Still, you can’t ignore the sting of tears in your eyes, “...It’s fine, it’s whatever. We don’t have to be anything special - Hell, we don’t even have to maintain contact ever again if that’s what you truly want, but at the very least, can’t you still treat me like an actual human being whenever the world forces us to interact? Can’t we be civil? I mean, you’ve been nicer to Zemo than you have been to me lately. It’s like you hate me all of the sudden…Is that it?”

“No -” For once, an answer is delivered without any initial hesitation. It must have been impulsive - a powerful reaction caused by hearing that slight peak to your voice. It causes Bucky to finally spin around and face you, yet that single word is quickly followed by regret once he shies away with a heavy sigh, “...No, I don’t hate you…”

“Then why? Please just tell me so that I can fix things.”

This conversation is dragging on for a dangerous length of time. Even with how little he’s engaged, there’s a voice inside Bucky’s head warning him that it’s been too much. The further this extends, the faster his heart races and the heavier his thoughts weigh…The damage your words do against his shield are deadly, yet he stubbornly refuses to give in. He already made his decision long ago. He can’t become weak against it now.

“There’s nothing to fix -” Attempting to put an end to this discussion, he tries to distract himself with his belongings. It’s a hopeless game of pretend as he shifts through his bag with no real motivation beyond acting busy - an act that doesn’t fool you.

“- Clearly there is,” You huff, taking a step further, arms now crossed, “You wouldn’t be acting like this if everything was just fine and dandy.”

“Just -!” He catches himself, suffocating his growing frustration through a quick inhale, “…Drop it, alright? I already said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You never want to talk about it!” You accuse, a hand now falling to your hip, “Why are you acting like my presence is suddenly killing you?”

Slamming his hands against his bag, he spins towards you with a flare temper of his own…So much for keeping it managed, “Why? Because I never asked you to come here! I never wanted you to get involved!”

“In what?”

Shaking his head, he blatantly ignores you aside from a scoff. Tugging at his hair, he finds himself cursing your stubbornness. As bad as it had made him feel, at least you stormed off in Madripoor by this point. You gave up before he had to risk saying anything too close to the truth, however you’re more determined than ever to push for it now. Why can’t you just see that he’s trying to do what’s best for you here?

Instead of even considering something as silly as that, you use your built up anger as fuel for pursuing an answer. No longer are you willing to accept silence or gruff remarks. No longer do you care if you can see Bucky getting visibly distraught with every poke and prod. You deserve an answer this time.

“Involved in WHAT, James!? With this mission? Because believe it or not, I’m not here for you. I’m here because I consider myself responsible for the super soldier serum -”

“- IN EVERYTHING! I NEVER ASKED YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN ANYTHING!” Bucky suddenly shouts over you, his voice cracking in a way neither of you have heard before. Even through the tears, he swears all he can see when looking at your stunned silence is a reflection of Hollie frowning back at him. You don’t even look alike anymore, yet there’s something about your expression - maybe the bitten frown or heartbroken shine of your eyes - that makes you look so much like her. Too much like her…

Why did you have to come back, dammit it?! Hasn’t he been tortured with his past enough? Why be tempted with you now? You didn’t have to come find him the way you did. You could have gone on with your new life, enjoying all the wonders it has to offer for someone so bright and gifted - all the wonders he stole away from you in the past. Now he’s constantly keeping track of the seconds until he dooms you again - until the nightmare becomes another reality once you’re no longer lucky enough to push yourself back up with only a few broken ribs. He’s already killed Holiday Stark. How long until he gets (Y/n) (L/n) killed, too?

Tearfully, you shake your head. You wish you could do more than that. You want to be angrier or at the very least unfazed so that you can at least pretend none of this bothers you the way it does, but you don't have the spirit; it's been successfully crushed under the weight of Bucky's words and your own heartache.

"...Then I won't be…" You know your whispered voice cracks all the same, and you know your hand is trembling when you reach for its opposite, struggling more than it probably should to wiggle the silver ring off your finger which you then let fall to the floor as if it would've been too hot to hold. From there, you barely even wait to hear the 'clink' that it makes against the tile, already having your back turned as you practically throw the door open without any regard to how it slams against the adjacent dresser.

In a blind hurry, you brush past Sam who looks like a stunned deer caught on a highway. You echo out his fumbled attempts at calming you down because if you could give him words right now, you’d tell him that you're far past the point of 'calming down'. You're officially on autopilot mode as you hastily gather your belongings from your own room.

Tossing everything into your bag and swinging it over your shoulder, you retrace half of your last steps, this time finding both Sam and Bucky together in the hall. One looks annoyed like a parent who just wanted a nice night out, the other guilty like a kicked dog; both wary as you pass on by. Any other day, it might've fed your ego to see their fear. If you had some heart left, you'd aim a joke towards it, but not today.

"Wait - Where are you going?" Sam calls, and you think it overshadows Bucky's weak attempt at calling your name.

"Home. I'm done with this shit!”

Sam's attention is immediately whipped to Bucky with a hiss, “What did you do?!”

The question has little to no effect, not because it doesn’t matter, but because it’s already being considered, stirring the sour emotions bubbling in Bucky’s mind. The guilt was always expected, however its exact force was miscalculated. This is what he wanted, isn't it? He wanted to push you away - to keep you as far from him as possible where you’ll be safest…and yet he doesn’t feel accomplished in the slightest.

Glancing back through the open door of his room, Bucky’s eyes become watery once they land on the abandoned wedding ring that sinfully glows in the light of the window.

…He’s really done it now…

NEXT CHAPTER {coming soon}

<- PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Taglist:

@arunabrak

@lovemesomevesey

[widowsistersandfriends]

I Saw Taylor Kissing Santa Kloss

Summary: Karlie and Taylor have a secret meet up, leading to the rekindling of their relationship. However, when things start to go right, there's always someone spoiling the fun.

Notes: I had this idea for a while and decided to write it out and see how it goes! Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate, and happy holidays to everyone! (PS, there are 27 lyric references for you swifties!)

Also thank you @thenigotthisfamily for helping me brainstorm these ideas! Thanks for loving kaylor as much as I love you 😘

Word Count: 3797

Warnings: There's some swearing and kissing, and of course tickles, so if you are uncomfortable with that, please do not read.

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Streamers hung from the ceiling. There was glitter on the floor. Lights were strung around the giant mansion. Mistletoe was wrapped around the staircase banister. Lastly, there was a large, decorated tree with a red carpet wrapping around it. This mansion belonged to the one and only: Karlie Kloss. 

This year, Karlie was throwing a massive Christmas party with all of her friends and family. Security was lining the front, checking the list of guests that were expected to attend. Karlie was busy touching up her makeup and then began setting out the charcuterie platters.

A cozy, yet festive atmosphere took over the house. The smell of gingerbread cookies filled the air as the timer on the oven went off. This party was gonna be one for the century. 

Guests started arriving at the door, including Karlie’s sisters and closest friends. Each guest came with a present, as they were participating in a gift exchange. Karlie was wearing a short, sleeveless red dress, showing off the body of a true supermodel. 

After about a half hour, all the guests had arrived and the party was in full swing. Drinks were being downed, snacks were being consumed, and games were being played. 

Karlie was in the middle of her turn for truth or dare, when one of her security guards asked her to come aside. 

“Karlie, your guest is here,” the security guard whispered, leading her away from the crowd. 

A confused look formed on her face, brows furrowed as she was certain everyone on the list was there.

“Hey where’d Karlie go?” Her sister asked.

“I bet it’s her man Josh who just arrived,” someone chimed in, as the group oohed in unison. 

Karlie was led to the front door, fear and caution in her small steps. Unlike her, the security guard seemed very relaxed, reassuring Karlie that this wasn’t what she thought it was.

“She wants to meet you in the garden,” the security guard said softly, guiding Karlie gently outside.

“No! I refuse! I don’t even know who it is! My life could be in danger!” Karlie shouted, backing away.

A familiar shadow appeared into the light. The tall, strong build was nothing new to Karlie. As the mysterious guest stepped through the light, a dark green long sleeve dress was revealed. 

“It’s me, hi,” a soft spoken voice was revealed. 

“Taylor?” 

Taylor looked around sheepishly, avoiding eye contact and giving a little wave. 

Karlie stared at her for a moment, not saying a word. Taylor dared a glance, looking up into those half moon eyes.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?” Karlie asked, shattering her glass on the white tablecloth nearby.

“Wait I can explai–,” Taylor was cut off.

“NO! YOU LISTEN HERE! I have spent years trying to get in touch with you. I even attended your concert for crying out loud! And what do I get? NOTHING!” Karlie shouted, her voice echoing through the mansion.

Taylor looked taken aback, knowing that it was true. She knew Karlie had tried, but sometimes you just don’t know the answer till someone’s on their knees. Oh how she wished Karlie was right now, but it wasn’t the right time.

“Aren’t you gonna say anything?!? You come all the way to my house and crash my party to just sit there and not say anything?!?” I SAID SPEAK NOW!” Karlie shouted, almost out of instinct.

What came next was unexpected for both of them. Taylor burst out laughing, hearing the difference in how she had sung it in the past.

“Karlie, what was that?” Taylor asked through hysterical giggles.

Karlie opened her mouth to answer, before a stream of her own giggles spilled out.

“Trust me, I’ll lead you to the garden,” Taylor said, gently grabbing Karlie’s hand.

The two girls put on their coats and walked to the secret garden gate, where Taylor snuck in through every night that summer to seal her fate. Now in the present day, she was experiencing her fate.

“So…chilly night isn’t it?” Taylor asked, now feeling the silence settling in.

“Yep, gets pretty cold here in New York during the winter. Of course, you wouldn’t know since you’re spending all your time at Chiefs games,” Karlie said, with a bite of passive aggressiveness behind her words.

“You really think I want to be there?” Taylor asked, scoffing a bit.

“Well what am I supposed to think when I open up social media and you’re popping up everywhere with that ugly dude,” Karlie said, as the two of them finally arrived at the garden gate.

“Look, I…,” Taylor trailed off. She wasn’t sure how she should explain this.

“Go on,” Karlie said, as Taylor punched in the code to open the gate to Karlie’s secret garden.

“I just got caught up in the moment I guess. I like being pursued, I like having the attention. I now realize it was all a money gimmick and that there’s a difference between being pursued romantically and just whining,” Taylor explained, letting out a sigh.

“What do you mean?” Karlie asked, encouraging her to elaborate. 

“Well, going in I didn’t realize I was just gonna be this big green dollar sign for the NFL. And then I just got sucked in to the attention Travis was giving me that I didn’t realize how awful it looked. He just whines and blasts me on his stupid podcast about not taking his bracelet? I’m sure there’s many people who would love to give me one, and there I was giving in to this guy just because he whined. What lesson am I teaching to the young kids who look up to me? That you’ll get your way if you whine enough?” Taylor asked, as the two had now entered and walked into the garden for a bit. 

Karlie pursed her lips, thinking carefully about what to say next.

“You knew I was chasing you,” Karlie said after a small moment of silence.

“What?” Taylor asked.

“Oh don’t play dumb. You literally told everyone in your vault track. You know, that line about you turning into a shrouded mystery when I was chasing you?” Karlie asked.

“Oh yeah, I remember that like it was yesterday,” Taylor said.

“I guess what I’m not fully over is the fact that you were so careful with us and I didn’t get any of that kind of publicity when I chased you. I knew you liked being pursued, and I was the one of the few who did,” Karlie said angrily. 

“My mom said it was for the best,” Taylor said quietly, knowing she was cornered.

“IT’S ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK IS FOR THE BEST,” Karlie shouted, pointing aggressively towards her. 

“Karlie.” Taylor said, it that oh so even tone of hers. She knew how to calm her down.

“I know you’re mad at me, especially for showing up to your party. But I did want to know. Would you have me? Would you want me? Would you trust me?” Taylor asked, hoping the reference would ring a bell.

“Betty,” Karlie said softly.

“Karlie Elizabeth Kloss. You must live under a rock if you thought I wasn’t thinking of you all these years,” Taylor said, smirking slightly.

“But nobody knows. Everyone thinks you’re happily in a relationship with Travis and that you guys are getting married and everything,” Karlie said.

“No one has to know…” Taylor said.

“Are you hinting that in the middle of the night I appear in your dreams?” Karlie asked, cracking a small smile of hope.

“Oh yeah, they’re some of my wildest dreams,” Taylor said.

“Oh yeah? How so?” Karlie asked.

No matter how confident the greatest singer and songwriter of this century was, Karlie never failed in making her blush. This time was no exception.

I..um, forgot,” Taylor said, reverting into her awkward self.

“You sure about that?” Karlie asked, tilting her head slightly and moving a step closer to Taylor.

“I’m sure Karlie,” Taylor scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

“How evergreen our group of friends huh?” Karlie asked, poking Taylor’s side, referring to her dark green dress.

Taylor jumped away, avoiding eye contact and not saying a word. 

“You know, there’s a party inside,” Karlie said, indirectly inviting her inside. 

“How are you gonna pull this off?” Taylor asked.

“The dress or you crashing my party?” Karlie asked

“Both. You know I only bought this dress so you could take it off,” Taylor said with a smirk.

Karlie got her security guards to clear everyone out, saying that the party was over and that Karlie needed the house to herself.

“Now this party’s just for us,” Karlie said, getting wine for both of them, and handing the glass to Taylor. 

The two were sitting at a small table across from each other, enjoying their drinks.

They glanced up at the same time, both getting a feeling of familiarity.

“Reminds me of the video that Vogue took down on your birthday,” Taylor said with a giggle.

“I remember you yelling at me that I couldn’t look at the paper,” Karlie said with a playful eyeroll. 

“I demand a rematch of the arm wrestle,” Taylor said, fiercely placing her elbow on the table.

“Oh? You want to lose again?” Karlie said, placing hers as well.

“Shut up and fight me,” Taylor said with a competitive glint in her eyes.

“3..2..1 go!” Karlie said, the two of them going at it. Taylor was much stronger now so it was a much closer match.

The two of them were both giggling as the match went on, Taylor now reaching under the table to squeeze Karlie’s knee, causing the other blonde to yelp and lose her strength, resulting in a win for Taylor.

“That’s cheating!” Karlie cried, scooting her chair back from the table to avoid any more tickles.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Taylor said, flexing and kissing her bicep to rub it in Karlie’s face some more.

“Real mature,” Karlie said while shaking her head and grinning.

“Yeah, I’m flexing like a goddamn acrobat,” Taylor said while giggling.

The two of them relocated to the couch, now snacking on one of the many charcuterie boards. 

“All right, spill the tea,” Karlie said, popping a piece of cheese into her mouth. 

“What?” Taylor asked.

“I know you’re hiding more. Come on, feed me,” Karlie said with a smile. 

“I just…I see the media. I see everything that’s posted. I know the truth, and everyone else doesn’t. They picture us as this perfect couple with no flaws, but there’s only so long I can lie to the public and you know I don’t like doing that,” Taylor sighed.

“I mean, they’re partly correct. You have zero flaws. That dude though? Don’t even get me started,” Karlie said with an eye roll of annoyance.

“Oh but you’ve gotten me started,” Taylor said, making a stack of crackers, meat, and cheese.

“I hate his hypocrisy. He goes and blasts the NFL for milking our relationship, and then does the same exact thing on his podcasts and interviews by dropping my name every chance he gets,” Taylor complained.

“And you know, you once said if a man drops your name then you owe him nothing.” Karlie said with a smile.

“Literally. I’m dealing with these rough emotions after what happened in Brazil, and he’s making it about himself. Like I feel like I can’t even grieve without him looking for clout and attention,” Taylor ranted.

Karlie nodded, allowing Taylor to speak her feelings.

“Like I get that we’re popular and good for ratings and media, but does he seriously have to make it that obvious that he’s an attention seeker?” Taylor asked.

“Well, he knows he’s benefitting from this more than you. He’s gonna milk that cow till it’s dry unfortunately,” Karlie replied.

“It just got so out of control. Tabloids started publishing articles that we were gonna get engaged on my birthday,” Taylor said, as Karlie snorted in amusement.

“I’ve seen you out in public with him. You are not a good actress,” Karlie said while laughing.

“It’s just hard when it’s not natural. Like when I giggle and sit in your lap, or give you that look when walking down the runway with you. All of that was so natural and my face gave it all away,” Taylor said, now breaking eye contact.

“You could’ve been a Victoria Secret model if you weren’t so dang good with words,” Karlie said.

“Well, what can I say? Words are kinda my thing,” Taylor chuckled.

“OH! And don’t even get me started on Twitter,” Taylor said, chugging her glass of wine.

“The whole shebang about how his old tweets were wholesome?” Karlie asked, refilling both of their glasses.

“YES! I do not get how people think a person who can’t spell basic words is wholesome. AND THEN, they cover up all the awful things he said in the past,” Taylor said, getting a little angrier.

“What did he say?” Karlie asked.

“Well you can thank our fans for finding it, but basically he called people retarded, made fun of gay people, called women breeders AND made fun of people with eating disorders. Something I suffered from for so long because I never felt I was skinny or fit enough. That hurts, and you know I don’t stand for all those other things he said,” Taylor said, staring into Karlie’s eyes.

“You know we’re in very similar situations. In relationships with guys who don’t match our values and views. Josh and I have very different values and people question the relationship as well. And fuck him for saying all that. It’s hypocritical for him to call people retarted when he can’t even spell simple words,” Karlie ranted.

“I just feel like it takes away all the credibility of all that I have spoken out about. I speak out for women not only in the industry but all women. I support gays and wrote YNTCD to show my solidarity. I spoke out and wrote YOYOK about my eating disorder and how I overcame it. But now everyone is gonna think I don’t mean any of it because of his conflicting views,” Taylor said with annoyance.

“I know it’s frustrating since it kinda questions the credibility of your statements, but you have no idea how much power you have. You are on top of the world right now. If you want this to end, that decision is in your hands,” Karlie explained.

“I just feel stuck. If I break up, everyone is just gonna keep going on about how I can’t keep a man and how I lead the world in most breakups. Then, if I don’t, I’m gonna be stuck with this moocher,” Taylor said, thrusting her head back into a pillow. 

“Or…you could be stuck with me,” Karlie suggested, trying her best to keep her bold facet.

“W-what?” Taylor stuttered.

“You and me. We’d be a big conversation,” Karlie said while smirking.

“But what about Josh? And the kids?” Taylor asked.

“Josh already knows he’s a beard, but he got his wish of having kids. And I absolutely adore the kids, but Josh isn’t really there for them as much as I’d like if I’m being honest,” Karlie said with a sigh.

They sat in silence for a moment, both with thoughts whirling through their heads at 100 mph. 

“I know you’re still mad at me,” Taylor said softly. 

“I’m not really. At least not as much now. I was mad at the sudden drop off and the lack of acknowledgement at your tour, but I couldn’t help feeling so proud of you when you announced 1989 TV. I still remember when I was the first person to listen to the original album,” Karlie said longingly. 

“I knew you were there,” Taylor said quietly.

“Oh, did you?” Karlie asked.

“Why do you think I kept looking up there that night? You’re kind of a giraffe Karlie,” Taylor said teasingly.

“Like that time you kept pointing to me during the Rep Tour during Dress,” Karlie said with a wink.

Taylor rolled her eyes, knowing that she didn’t have a leg to stand on.

“But you know, I still stand by my statement. You belong with me,” Karlie said, shifting closer to Taylor on the couch.

Taylor blushed and looked away, cheeks burning.

“Are you impressed that I actually know your lyrics? Unlike some Burger King looking dude,” Karlie said, making Taylor burst out laughing.

“I am. I’m also impressed by your charisma,” Taylor said, reaching for Karlie’s hand as a gesture for accepting her love.

“Awwww, look at you. You’re always so confident when you’re performing. What’s wrong?” Karlie asked, smirking at Taylor.

“You know I can take my word back, right?” Taylor asked, giving Karlie a look of warning. 

“Alright fine, I’ll tease you later,” Karlie said, now getting up to put stuff away.

After washing up, the two of them were back on the couch again, both in comfy pajamas. 

The two of them were still drunk, and were both a lot more bold than before.

“Ugh my feet hurt. Massage them,” Taylor said, thrusting her bare feet into Karlie’s lap.

“Fine,” Karlie said, sighing with a smile.

“Oooh yeah that feels good. This would be so nice after I perform. My feet always hurt so bad,” Taylor said, adjusting herself on the couch.

“So I’m just gonna be your servant?” Karlie asked playfully.

“At least you’ll be a hot servant,” Taylor said, squealing as Karlie ran a nail up her sole.

“Kahaharlie! No!” Taylor said, sounding more childish than usual.

“No what?” Karlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” Taylor said, regaining her composure again. 

“You’re still ticklish huh?” Karlie said, now using one hand to hold her feet down and the other to tickle up and down her arches.

“NOHO IHIM NOHOHOT,” Taylor laughed, trying to pull her feet away.

“Laughing with my feet in your lap~~” Karlie sang teasingly, making Taylor blush.

“STAHAHAHAP,” Taylor shouted, sitting up to hit Karlie on the shoulder.

“Oh no, you’re in for it. Don’t think I forgot about how you cheated during the arm wrestling match,” Karlie said, moving quickly and pinning Taylor to the couch with her arms above her head.

“IM SORRY,” Taylor shouted immediately, knowing that Karlie was going to destroy her.

“Hmm, I accept your apology but that doesn’t exempt you from punishment,” Karlie said, now using her nails to lightly scratch over Taylor’s sensitive armpits.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA KAHAHAHRLIHIHIE PLEHEHEHEASE,” Taylor laughed. Nothing was more embarrassing than this.

“Yes?” Karlie asked, grinning like a devil. 

“IHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLES,” Taylor squealed adorably. 

“That’s the point. The point is to make you suffer from this awful sensation and laugh so I can see that beautiful smile of yours,” Karlie said, now leaning down to blow a raspberry on her neck, earning a loud squeal. 

Karlie repeatedly blew raspberries on her neck while clawing and tickling away at Taylor’s sides.

“IHIHIHI GIHIHIVE,” Taylor screamed, as Karlie relented with a triumphant grin.

Taylor laid there, panting in recovery. 

“You are the absolute worst meanie head on earth,” Taylor said, as Karlie laughed.

“That’s the best you can come up with, lyrical genius?” Karlie teased, poking Taylor’s tummy.

“Stoppppp,” Taylor whined, curling up into a ball.

After Taylor recovered, she couldn’t help but question if Karlie was also ticklish. If she had ever tested during all those years she could’ve gotten so much revenge. 

Taylor reached out slowly, and gently poked Karlie in the ribs, earning a jump from the taller blonde.

“Stop being a pest,” Karlie said playfully, scooting away from her.

“What did you just call me?” Taylor said, pulling Karlie into a tickle hug, clawing at her ribs.

“AHAHAHA AN ANGEHEHEL,” Karlie lied, unable to defend herself, as her arms were trapped. 

“That’s not what I heard. And anyway, if you called me that I would be rolling my eyes, not tickling you,” Taylor said, as she moved her hands towards Karlie’s shiny abs.

“NO! NOT THEHEHEHERE!” Karlie laughed, cursing her muscles for being so ticklish. 

Taylor dared and wiggled her finger into Karlie’s belly button, earning a jolt from the supermodel and a loud plea of laughter. 

“There is nothing I do better than revenge~” Taylor sang teasingly.

“TRUHUHUHUCE!” Karlie cried.

“Hmm, I don’t know…You did a lot worse to me,” Taylor said, now getting up and sitting on Karlie’s shins.

“Now tell me. Does this tickle?” Taylor said, running her nails all over Karlie’s inner thighs.

“YEHEHEHES NOW STAHAHAHAP,” Karlie squealed, unable to kick or protect herself. Taylor was very satisfied when she ran her nails over her inner knee and got Karlie to curse. 

“WHAHAHAT DOHOHO YOHOHOU WAHAHANT,” Karlie screamed.

“Nothing, I just find it hot when you’re laughing and helpless,” Taylor said with a shrug, making Karlie blush while still laughing. 

Eventually Taylor let her up after tormenting her for a little bit longer. 

“Your hair is a mess,” Taylor teased, as if she wasn’t the same just before that.

“You’re still worse than me,” Karlie said while rolling her eyes.

“Uh huh.”

“You know, don’t people usually kiss under the mistletoe?” Karlie asked.

“Is it too soon to do this yet?” Taylor asked.

“You’ve already sat in my lap before, so I may as well be Santa Kloss,” Karlie said, as Taylor laughed at the ridiculous play on words.

“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” Taylor said, as the two of them were now under the mistletoe.

“Me too,” Karlie growled, as the two leaned in. However it was stopped quickly when Karlie said she forgot her Santa hat and how it wouldn’t be ‘Santa Kloss’ without it.

The taller blonde returned quickly, causing Taylor to giggle at the ridiculous situation.

“Now, where were we?” Karlie asked.

“You were being horny,” Taylor teased, as Karlie pinched her side, causing her to yelp.

“No, you’re the one talking about how long you’ve been waiting for this,” Karlie refuted.

“You’re mine,” Taylor stated, leaning up to passionately kiss Karlie. Taylor placed her hands on Karlie’s ass, feeling the familiar toned shape she had felt before. Karlie let out a soft moan of satisfaction, making Taylor’s lips turn upwards during the kiss.

“What the hell is going on?!” A familiar voice rang throughout the house after a couple of minutes of making out.

Karlie turned around quickly, as both of their eyes widened at the sight of Josh and the kids.

There was a moment of silence before one of the kids spoke up.

“I saw Taylor kissing Santa Kloss!!”

“Shade never made anybody less gay. We’ve got some men to dump,” Karlie said quietly to Taylor before walking towards Josh to handle this.

To be continued…

[wenellyb]

I just saw a post about Samsteve in the Sambucky tag saying that Steve wasn't good enough for Sam because he had too many issues and had to get his sh*t together before even considering dating Sam. Then they said they felt the same way about Sambucky. And I couldn't disagree more.

While I love Samsteve as a ship, I agree with the part about Steve but I can't agree with the part about Bucky.

I might be saying something controversial but Sam doesn't "deserve better" than Bucky.

Samsteve and Sambucky have very different relationship dynamics. Sam and Steve are best friends but it's like Steve has a very biased view of Sam. He puts him on a pedestal and thinks Sam Can handle anything on his own, so he lets Sam handle everything on his own without ever wondering if Sam might need extra support from him or not. That's why we always see Sam being there and supporting Steve but it's rarely the other way around.

Bucky isn't like that. Bucky doesn't push Sam but he also doesn't let him hide behind his mask of being tough or invincible, he's there for him. He notices when Sam needs someone and always actively choses to be that someone.

He was there for Sam when Sam was having doubts about the Shield in Endgame.

And he was there for Sam when Sam needed him to go with him to meet Karli but wouldn't say the word.

He was there when Sam was repairing his family boat but wasn't daring to ask for help.

He knows what to say to Sam to comfort him, make him relax or make him laugh.

Bucky is not perfect in any way but I can give a dozen of examples of how Bucky knows Sam and he know him enough to be there for him when Sam needs him.

Steve left Sam without even telling Sam because I guess he thought Sam could take it or sometimes like that. Steve didn't mind sending Sam on a mission all around the World to try and find Bucky.

If you think for a minute that Bucky "I'm coming with you x2" would have let Sam go on a mission for him without going with him, then I don't know what to tell you.

Bucky knows Sam could handle everything on his own if he had to, but he wouldn't put Sam on that position if he had a say in it.

I remember watching the therapy scene in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier and thinking "I can't wait to see how the show will wrap this up" because it was a good scene. I would have had a problem if the show had never adressed Bucky's behavior but they did, Bucky apologized and he apologized using the words, they didn't go with that "I don't see color" bullsh*t.

Bucky is there for Sam, and yes Bucky was a jerk with Sam on the first 4 episodes but that was actually good storytelling because a lot of couples/friendships go through the exact same thing, with one of the partner being dismissive or clueless about what the other person is going through. Especially in interracial relationships.

Bucky actually put his head out of his *ss and got his sh*t together.

So no, Sam, doesn't deserve someone better than Bucky. Because he has actually found someone who's there for him, who takes care of him and who's ready to put in the work to be the man Sam deserves. Bucky is it for Sam.

[folksyswift]

Even if Taylor Swift announces nothing tonight none of us our as big of clowns as Karlie Kloss and that my friend is a relaxing thought.

[iwanthermidnightz]

*me checks august surprise songs list and the things that happened in their respectives dates*:

'Cause Karlie is my boyfriend

Karlie is a god

Karlie is the breeze in my hair on the weekend

Karlie's a relaxing thought

Arent you envious that for you it's not?

Sweet like honey, Karlie is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause she loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and Karlie vibe like that

😌🥹🎶

What a list, what a month! And to think there’s still 4 more days in August 😜

[spade-riddles]

Anon,

With all due respect—relax.

As someone said yesterday in response to an anon about “Robin” was that Aaron’s son Robin was 9 years old and if the song were about his son, Aaron would’ve probably put it on his own album.

Taylor is the one who writes songs about her own feelings and (alleged) closeting. She has also said numerous times that her songwriting is confessional. She isn’t reducing her work to her sexuality or who she’s sleeping with either, but if she wanted to, she could.

Just because there’s a chance she isn’t writing about Aaron’s child specifically, doesn’t mean she can’t be writing about another friend’s child(ren). No one to my knowledge has said that on this blog. SR herself has said and shared anons plenty of times that say how they think songs are about other people or topics other than her sexuality.

It seems like you clearly care enough to be triggered by someone else’s thoughts by calling their thoughts ‘pathetic’ and accusing them of diminishing Taylor’s songwriting and her great loves outside of her romantic interests.

I mean, she’s openly sang about her love of wine also, but I digress.

It sounds like what bothers you isn’t that some people don’t think she wrote a song about Aaron’s child. What bothers you is that some people think the song is about Karlie’s kids. Because you mentioned her specifically in your comments.

Aaron simply acknowledged a friendship bracelet that had his child’s name on it, while also acknowledging that the fan who made is of the opinion the song is about his child.

The characters on folklore are named after Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ kids, but the songs certainly are not about them.

[bisamwilson]

23, sambucky :)

#23: ...in relief

(this is in the hey princess verse but you don’t really need knowledge of it to understand this)

Sam isn’t panicking.

He isn’t, really. Sure, he’d spent half the night frantically writing and rewriting his big speech for the new refugee center’s ribbon cutting today, finally crawling into bed about two hours before his morning wake up call, and sure, he’d apparently left both his full speech draft and all of his notecards at home, but he’s not panicking.

He’s understandably nervous is all. There’s nothing wrong with a good bit of pacing every now and again. It builds character or something. One of his mentors had probably told him that once.

"You're panicking," Peggy says, rather unhelpfully, her arms crossed across her chest and her brow furrowing the way it always does when she's worried. She catches him by the shoulders and forces him to stop pacing. "Breathe, Sam. In for eight and out for ten."

That phrase had been a constant in the early days, back when Sam was sixteen and also had just been informed he was actually a prince of a country that was barely a speck on the map. It had never quite worked as well as both himself and Peggy had hoped it would, but he'd always tried anyway.

He breathes in for eight, counting in Arabic as an added distraction, and breathes back out for ten in French.

It works about as well as it had six years ago.

He does stop pacing, though, so he supposes that counts as progress.

"I am entirely too sleep deprived to come up with a speech on the spot," Sam says, replacing his pacing with his second favorite pastime when not-panicking: listing out all the ways he's probably fucked. "I could have someone get my speech and my notecards, but the castle is twenty minutes away at least, not including rushing into my office to grab them and getting into a car, and I'm on in five minutes."

"And because you're on in five minutes, you don't have time to write a new one," Peggy finishes, because she has the same horrible coping mechanisms that he does. "You could postpone?"

Sam gives her an unamused look and shakes his head. "They've been waiting long enough for this. I'm not going to make them wait even longer because I couldn't remember to grab a single notebook this morning. I could always say something generic and just let Karli know beforehand what the deal is, let her use her original speech draft that's longer."

Peggy sighs. "If you don't want to delay, that is probably the best option." She puts a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezes. "I'm sorry, Sam. I know how much this means to you."

Sam just barely refrains from rubbing his eyes in mild frustration, remembering only at the last minute his makeup team had added a bit of eye makeup today for the sake of the cameras. He wrings his hands together instead and tries to think of a reply that isn't, "Yeah, this sucks."

The door to the small room they're in opens before he can think of one, and Sam jumps, not expecting the go-time signal for another five minutes.

He relaxes when he sees Bucky's head pop through the door, hair braided back elegantly the way it only ever is for special occasions, and wearing a dark gray suit.

"Hey, princess," he says, slipping through the doorway without letting it open enough for paparazzi to see through. He's holding a ratty spiral notebook in one hand and an index card holder in the other, and if Sam didn't have to worry about looking ruffled in front of the cameras, he'd kiss him senseless. "Did you need these? Thought I'd grab them on my way out, but didn't know if you had extras with you."

Sam closes his eyes and breathes deeply before crossing the room and plucking the notebook out of Bucky's hands, holding it tightly to his chest. He cups Bucky's cheek with his free hand and uses it to tilt his face down, kissing him easily and gently, careful not to mess up any of his own makeup.

"Thanks, baby," he says softly, pulling back and taking the index cards as well. "Remind me to write my speech on Google docs next time instead of on index cards I can leave at home."

Bucky laughs. "Or you could go to bed early enough you won't forget them next time."

Sam shakes his head as he looks through his index cards. "I make no promises."

Years later, when Sam can't find his index cards in any of the pockets of his impeccably tailored white tux, Bucky pulls them out of his own breast pocket with a smile.

send me a ship and a number and i'll write a kiss!

[krazykiki05]

There’s Just Not Enough Hours in the Day

Zemo accidentally had a daughter at 16 with a 17 year old. When she found out what he was doing back in 2016, she teamed up with the Avengers to help fight her father at the age of 19. During this time, she helped Bucky and they grew close.. She moved to Wakanda to help him readjust to modern life. When Bucky came back from the blip, he lived with her. He would miss therapy if it wasn’t for her. She would have never seen her father again if it wasn’t for him.

I

I Part 5 I

I

Bucky shut the container door and it was pitch black. Sam and Sharon used their phones' flashlights to light up the room. Bucky held onto me as bullets were still fired outside. “You okay?” He asks me. 

“I’m fine.” I lie. A bullet was lodged in my torso, off to the side so I know it didn’t hit any vital organs. I’ll live as long as I dress it in time. I discreetly place my hand there, to cover the seeping blood. It was an all black outfit, but blood still shines in light. 

After a few minutes, all gunshots were gone. “Stand back.” Bucky says before using his metal arm punch the doors open. As soon as we get out, a car speeds our way before stopping right in front of us. My father. “Supercharged.” He explains. I chuckle. 

“You’re going back to jail.” Sam threatens. 

“Do you want to find Karli or not?” 

“He’s right. We need him.” My boyfriend defends. I hop in the front seat, where it’s less likely for them to see my wound. I pull my legs up to my chest, which hurt a lot but I was comfortable. I lean against the door and try to relax. Sam tries to get Sharon to come with us, but she refuses. Papa speeds off. 

“Malyshka, what’s wrong?” Papa asks as he drives us back to the plane. 

“What? Nothing.” I answered too defensively. Papa glances at me. 

“I’m your father. Something’s wrong, I know it.” He argues in our native language. I glare at him. 

“I’m just tired. We all are.” I lie in the same language. Papa shakes his head with a frown. 

“I don’t buy it. Are you hurt?” He asks. I hesitate. 

“No.”

“Then that means you would be okay moving your hand and getting your feet off the seat.” He challenges casually. I look at Papa worriedly, also glancing back at Bucky and Sam who were curious to what we were talking about. I move my hand, palm side covered in blood. I place it on my calf. My father harshly grabs my hand, looking at my palm. Sam and Bucky catch a glimpse of it too. “Dammit!” Papa curses in English. 

“What the hell.”

“Annika what the hell is that?” Sam asks. I tank my hand away, placing it back on my wound. My father punches the wheel. 

“She got shot.” He answers. Both men look at me. 

You said you were fine!” Bucky chastises. 

“I am fine!” I defend. 

“A bullet wound is not fine! It’s not!” Sam yells. Papa takes out his phone. 

“Oeznik, get some medical supplies. She has a bullet wound.” My father commands on the phone in Sokovian. I sigh. I got back to leaning against the car door. I felt a hand rub my shoulder from behind. Sam. 

“Hey. Don’t fall asleep.” Bucky calls. I obey.

~~~~~~~

Once we arrived at the airport, walking to the plane was easy, even swatting Bucky’s hand away from helping me. It was until I got to the steps. Sam and Papa both went in front of me to get the supplies ready. Bucky triled behind in case I fell. I didn’t, but it still took me a good minute to get up there. 

“Sit. Here. Now.” Sam snaps. With the help of Bucky, I sat on the couch part of the plane. I lift up my shirt to reveal the hold bigger than I thought. 

“Shit.” I mumble. Sam pulls out a pair of tweezers. Right. He had to get the bullet out. Bucky sits next to me, facing us so that he’s behind me. He places his metal arm over my mouth. 

“Place your hands on my arm.” He says, guiding one hand. I grasp his metal arm lightly. My heart starts racing.  My father couldn’t watch, running to the cockpit. Bucky places his right arm around my torso. Sam and Bucky both nod at each other. Wait, what about me? I wasn’t ready! But they didn’t care. Sam uses one gloved hand to hold the wound open. I yelp into Bucky’s hand. I felt him place his face into my hair. Sam takes the tweezers and dig it into my skin. I yell and squeeze Bucky’s arm, nails bending at the metal. I let out a sob, shutting my eyes.

“Okay. All done.” Sam said. Bucky releases the hand over my mouth, I drop my arms. Having to endure that took up the last of my energy. My head feel back onto Bucky, well, my whole body did. Sam looks at me with sympathetic eyes. “Lay her down, Buck.” He whispers. 

Bucky gently sets me down. He is moved out of the way by my father. Papa places his overcoat on top of me and kisses my forehead. Just like tucking me into bed when I was a little girl. “Rest for now, Malyshka. I’ll wake you later so you can eat.” 

Zemo’s POV

I sat in my chair, contemplating if I should ask him or not. Well she is my daughter. “James, I am going to ask you an..unusual question. But I’m going to need you to answer.” James looks up from cleaning his metal arm. His eyebrows are furrowed. “How much does Annika eat in a day?” I could tell he was taken back by the question. But nonetheless, he thinks. 

“Um. Not that much, honestly. You could say she has the appetite of a sparrow.” Bucky answers, chuckling at himself. I frown. It has returned. 

“Why you ask?” Sam asks. I sigh. Technically it’s not my place to tell. But Bucky is her...boyfriend. And he should know. She will just have to deal with Sam knowing. 

“When Anni was 16, she developed Bulimia. Anorexia if her mother and I were out of town for days at a time. It lasted 2 years, 2 years until one day, her mother and I heard a noise from the bathroom. A thud. The door was locked. I had to break it down. And there she was. My little girl, unconscious on the floor, vomit in the toilet. We took her to the hospital, where she had to stay there for 3 days to pump nutrients into her body. Her body was so used to digesting only itself, that digesting real food caused her great pain.” I explain. Both men look concerned. I look at my sleeping daughter. “She should not be this exhausted if she has been eating well.” I add. 

“So, you’re saying it’s back?” Bucky asks. 

“I know it’s back. I know what she looks like healthy. And that is not it.” I say, pointing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We’ve been in the air for some time now, the sky has grown dark. I think Anni has slept enough. So I started putting together some food. Sam was on the phone when I walked in so I just set his plate on the table next to him. I set mine and Bucky’s on the same table. I kneel down to gently wake Annika from her slumber by rubbing her shoulder. I see her twitch. “Malyshka, you’ve got to eat.” I whisper. Anni moans in annoyance but gets up. I set the plate on her lap. “I want all of this gone.” I demand before leaving to sit in my seat. 

“She died in Riga. a city near the Baltic sea.” Sam explains. 

“I have a place we can go.” I announce. 

[rainbowdaisy13]

Call It What You Want Karlie would you want to

Karma (Karlie) is a God, Karlie is my boyfriend, Karlies a relaxing thought aren’t you envious that for you she’s not

Hits Different I slur your name 'til someone puts me in a KAR

KAYDA—KAYLOR

They really do be finding ways to literally say their names until the world just stops 🌍

[9w1ft]

what do you think are some specific kaylor lyrics/verses that most suggest theyre still together? post-folklore ofc, & try to stick to songs most people agree are kaylor songs!

hehe i don’t know if this makes sense but i think if you try to stick to the songs that “most people” agree are kaylor songs, it’s not exactly the version of kaylor that suggests they are together because most people don’t think they’re still together!

but here are a few

“every bait and switch was a work of art”

“this pain wouldn’t be forevermore, evermore”

“and we live in peace but if someone comes at us this time i’m ready”

“i thought the plane was going down how’d you turn it right around”

“we survived the great war”

“karma is my girlfriend”/“karma’s a relaxing thought”

“on the way home i wrote a poem you say what a mind this happens all the time” where on the way home is a reference to the instagram photo of taylor and karlie at big sur captioned “on the way home” and the song you are in love, which incidentally taylor played in combination with Our Song, the day after karlie’s birthday, on eras tour

“it’s been 2190 days of our love blackout” when 2190 days from the release of midnights brings you to the last times taylor and karlie were photographed publicly as friends

also not a lyric but taylor’s explainer video for lavender haze where she talks about how she and her lover have had to dodge weird rumors for 6 years, wherein 6 years past from fall 2022 was fall 2016, precisely when taylor and karlie had to do the love blackout because of the election. this coupled with her saying that she got the term lavender haze from mad men, and if you look up the scene where don draper talks about lavender haze he’s talking about being in love with someone named betty and i think it’s become pretty popular to associate betty with karlie.

also not a lyric but, mastermind having all the chess references and taylor confidently displaying the chess visuals in her performance of it on eras tour, where the chess visuals are a direct callback to vsfs 2014

people please add stuff in the comments or reblogs!

[whatiwillsay]

there are definitely songs i think are about dianna that i know you don’t, which is fine of course, but i just binged the kaylor series on your pod and there’s a few songs i thought you also believed were about dianna that you gave to kaylor, and i was just wondering if your interpretations changed with the start of the kaylor deep dive or something 🤷‍♀️

the songs i’m talking about are dwoht (which i think is one of the bigger swiftgron heartbreak anthems), i know places, and i think cardigan or betty was the other song mentioned but i could be completely wrong about that, but i’m pretty sure it was from folklore

when we approach a ship in a pod episode we give the most time of that day to that ship for song analysis. could dwoht be about dianna? sure anything is possible. in a kaylor series however we of course have to explore karlie as a muse for that song. the kissgate analysis of that song is very reasonable and even if it weren’t i’d still explore a kaylor song analysis in a series where we focus on kaylor.

at the end of the day we don’t know who any of taylor’s songs are about. to create interesting content it’s important to keep an open mind and explore a multitude of muse options for every song. this isn’t a religion where we’re following a set of tenants that we have to stick to. it’s a big goofy group research project where we explore every option as a group so we can have a fun and interesting conversation.

word to the wise you may find fandom spaces more fun and relaxing if you approach them with flexibility and an open mind. as i’ve said before we have no way to know who any specific song is for sure so it’s not worth losing sleep over.

[hale-raiser1]

you’ve got a friend in me - karlie & lucy

after spending a week in the Maldives, Lucy was happy. she was relaxed and in her element. there was no worries hanging off her shoulders, no thoughts pinging and panging around in her head. she was simply happy. it had felt like she hadn’t been able to be in that state of mind and soul in a long, long time. but now? now she was feeling herself again, looking in the mirror didn’t make her want to slink back into a dark corner like sometimes was the case two weeks ago. why? she wasn’t sure. life had just been a go go go affair and now it didn’t feel so daunting. 

“you two know the drill, no jumping on our guest, even though she probably won’t mind it. and Ethel, you weirdo, stop licking the glass door!” shaking her head, the brunette let out a small laugh and finished pulling out the pizza she had put in the oven thirty five minutes ago. it was going to be an easy going night. just Lucy and Karlie, hanging out and talking. the last time they had seen each other, she had done a drop in and then run, since filming had been keeping her on tha run. now, though, she was going to stick around LA for a day or two before heading to Nashville. it was time to see her family, be around the people she loved the most, and just be. that was her problem - the girl had forgotten how to just be a long time ago.

when the doorbell peeled, her hands clapped together in excitement and she ran to pull it open, seeing the blonde on the other side. with a squeal of happiness, she pulled her best friend in for a huge hug and didn’t want to let her go. “ahhhhhhh i’m so freaking happy you’re here! you have no idea!” bouncing on her toes a bit, she waved her hand for Karlie to come inside. “come come! i made pizza,” she paused as her head canted to the side, “well i didn’t actually make it myself, just popped it into the oven but you get me.” a grin came across her features as she waited for the other girl, rolling her eyes when Ethel went crazy, running around the blondes legs in welcome. @kloss-karliee

[ladyamanda123]

Ugh this stupid moment 😤

The first time I saw it him dragging her instantly irritated me. With women she stands confident. With this guy she’s always a few steps behind him, letting him drag her along.

I saw a bunch of comments about how sweet it is, she gets to relax and let someone else lead.

I just don’t see it that way and I don’t think that’s the sort of person she is. Do I know her? No of course not, but if I was presented with Taylor with Travis and Taylor with Karlie side by side, Kaylor is the happy confident Taylor and Tayvis is and uncomfortable and unhappy Taylor. It makes me so frustrated for her 😥

EDITED…more thoughts!

It’s like she has to intentionally shrink herself down to not bruise their tender male egos. Like she’s physically trying to fade herself into the background.

There’s some definite connection in this line of thinking to the song peace. She’s larger than life and there are lots of examples of celebrity couples failing because the woman is more famous than the man.

Just like she was afraid to be outspoken in a male industry (the whole good girl speech in Miss Americans) I’m guessing she has felt the need in male relationships, even if just bearding, to take a backseat to them to avoid conflict.

With women she can stand confident by their side. Especially with Karlie who was always beaming with pride over Taylor’s successes, not feeling threatened by them.

How Evelyn Hugo coded of her…

Being dragged along by a man who’s using you for fame…

Here’s a whole post of how Evelyn Hugo coded our girl truly is… 💚💚💚happy reading 😏

[cjsinkythoughts]

The Shield

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 5595

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, John Walker, Emotions, Character Death, Mentions of Blood, I know people had a hard time with that last scene so please take caution because it is in this part! GIF at end is the ending scene, so be careful when you get towards the bottom! I feel like I’m forgetting some, so just know this one’s a bit more than the others.

A/N: Here it is, folks! The Part we’ve all been waiting for! It’s the longest one I’ve written so far but so much happened and I couldn’t find a better spot to end it than where the episode ended. Thank you all for being patient with me today. I know I didn’t get this out as quickly as I would’ve the past few weeks, but you guys are so awesome! Seriously! I love that you understand I do have a life and work comes first! Thank you, thank you!

This Part is a doozy, guys, and…I’m sorry? But not really. I’m SUPER excited to see where this is gonna go, especially considering Episode 5 is supposed to be the real tear jerker. I can’t believe there’s only two more episodes! I’ve grown so attached to these characters just in the past month! I’m so glad I’m able to share some of my thoughts and feelings with you guys, too! You’re honestly the best!

I’ll be doing more One Shots this week, so look for those on the Masterlist. I’m still taking requests for them, so if there’s anything you want explored about the reader and her relationships that you don’t think will be explored in this Series, just ask and I’ll try to add it to the One Shot list.

As always, this isn’t beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Thank you for reading, be kind to yourself and others, enjoy this part and stay tuned!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

(I couldn’t decide on which GIF to use because there are so many good ones! Thank you Tumblr Creators!)

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

“Doll…hey. Doll. C’mon, sweetheart. We gotta get moving.”

You cracked your eyes open begrudgingly, squinting up to see Bucky’s amused grin, head tilted and eyes soft. “Huh?”

He chuckled as you rubbed your eyes, confusion lifting an eyebrow. “The funeral. Zemo said we’ve gotta go if we’re gonna make it in time.”

“Wait, but…huh?”

Sniggering again at your reaction, he held up your phone. “You passed out in the middle of a chapter, sleepyhead.” He teased lightly, grabbing your hand and gently pulling you to sit upright. “It’s almost been an hour.”

You huffed tiredly, stretching and placing your feet on the floor, taking back the phone he held out to you. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well.” He stated, like it should’ve been obvious. “How’s your arm feeling?”

“Better than earlier. It’s just sore. That’s all.”

He studied your features for any hint of a lie. Not finding one, he nodded, holding out his hand. “Okay. But tell me if it starts bothering you.”

You placed your hand in his, marveling for a split second at how big his hands were compared to yours - something you noticed every time but still it never ceased to astound you. He tugged you up, and you looked up to meet his worried eyes, remembering his question.

“I will, Buck. Promise.”

He nodded, tilting his head towards the door. “C’mon, cuddle bug. We don’t wanna miss this.”

A groan passed your lips, but you nodded and followed Bucky out into the main room, where Sam chuckled at you from his spot at the table. “Sleeping beauty has finally awoken.”

You flipped Sam off groggily. “Are we going or not?”

“Do you wanna wake up s’more first?”

“No.” You answered the one armed brunette. “I’ll just splash some water on my face or something. I’ll be fine by the time we get there. Where’s-”

“Looking for me?”

Zemo strolled out, now dressed in that coat of his, that smug smirk on his lips. You scowled. “I wish I wasn’t.”

Sam stood up, standing subconsciously between you and Zemo. “Let’s head out.”

You nodded in agreement, shooting the Baron one more glare, before following him out the door and into the city, Bucky right besides you, shoulders brushing as if you weren’t ignoring him just hours prior.

The walk was mostly silent, a few jests between Bucky and Sam plus a couple comments from Zemo here and there. You talked about strategy, with Sam bringing up the fact that he wanted to try convincing Karli to step down. Zemo didn’t look pleased with the arrangement, but both you and Bucky relented, agreeing to let Sam at least try.

It wasn’t until you were close to your destination according to Zemo that anything exciting happened.

“Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit!”

Hell. No. 

The moment the voice registered in your brain, your jaw tightened, your teeth starting to grind together as you held back the very not nice things you wanted to say. 

“Ah! How’d you find us now?” Bucky called out, tucking you into his side protectively, and a little possessively you noted, as Walker and Hoskins came down the steps, the two groups nearing each other.

You were relieved when the subject of Zemo escaping jail went by relatively quickly, Walker latching onto the fact that you were going to talk to Karli instead of focusing on the escaped fugitive in front of him.

You very nearly punched him when he ran in front of you after Sam told him the plan, making the four of you stop in your tracks, but Bucky’s arm tightened around your shoulders, holding you in place next to him.

“You’re gonna let him do this?” Walker questioned Bucky in disbelief, self righteous judgement practically dripping from your tone. “You’re gonna let your partner walk into a room with a super soldier alone?”

Bucky’s jaw ticked. “He’s dealt with worse. And he’s not my partner.”

“And you?” Walker narrowed his eyes towards you. “I expected more from you; the last original Avenger.”

You snorted, shaking your head. He obviously didn’t know how chaotic the Avengers were. What Sam was proposing? You’d seen it a million times with Steve alone. Not considering Nat, Clint, Thor, even Bruce and Tony. All of them willing to try to negotiate before running in, bullets raining and hell rising. “First, I’m not the last original. I’m technically not even an original. Second, I trust Sam with my life and I’m standing by his decision. He’s my brother. As a soldier, I would’ve thought you understood that.”

Before he could respond, Sam stepped around Bucky. You saw the reluctance in Walker’s eyes as he admitted a temporary defeat once Hoskins agreed with Sam. The fact that he was so unwilling to try to save more lives - including Karli’s - made the truth that he wasn’t, and would never, be your Captain harden deeper into your heart.

Ignoring Walker’s confusion as you followed the little girl Zemo befriended - which was weird, you’d admit, but it was getting you closer to Karli - Bucky’s arm slipped from your shoulders, hand sliding across your back and skimming down your arm to grip your hand. Even through your jacket, you felt goosebumps erupt along his fingers’ trail.

You finally came to your destination and you let out a small breath. If everything went smoothly, this mission could finally be over and you could go home and take a bath, get take out, get out a bottle of wine, watch TV, and just relax.

What a dream.

“Hey.” You stopped Sam before he could go through the entrance of where the girl said Karli was, holding his forearm. “You want me to come with you?”

He shook his head. “I think it’ll be better if I go alone.”

You nodded, letting go without any hesitance. “Okay. Be careful.”

“Always.” And despite all you’ve been through, no matter how many times he’s followed Steve’s lead in doing something stupid, you knew he meant it. You nodded again, before he disappeared around the corner.

You leaned back against the wall, Bucky once again wrapping an arm around your shoulder now that you weren’t walking - he liked having mobility on the move, hence the reason he held your hand instead - leaning besides you and pulling you against his chest.

Ten minutes. You tried looking at Bucky’s watch, which was on the wrist of the arm around you. He noticed and turned his wrist slightly, bending his elbow more, which brought you even closer to him, showing you the time.

Giving a small sigh, you nodded slightly and dropped your head back against his bicep, your hands shoving in your pockets, one of your feet coming up to rest against the wall. Bucky shifted to your other side so he could stand in front of the doors to where Karli and Sam were, pulling you against his back, arms wrapping around your shoulders tightly.

It was a long ten minutes. You kept eyeing Walker, and you couldn’t help the anger burning through you as he held the shield in his hands. That damn shield. It wasn’t his. It would never be his. And he would never understand it. The fact that the shield didn’t make Captain America. The shield isn’t what made Steve a good man. Not even the Serum did. He already was one. Steve made the shield what it was, not the other way around.

But then you remembered a conversation you had, years ago, and your eyes flitted up to Bucky’s hardened face, the brunette staring intensely at the ground.

~

You didn’t get it. You were confused. You knew how important Barnes - Bucky - was to Steve. But apparently you didn’t understand it quite yet.

You watched from the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the wall, as Bucky went under once more.

Steve stood there for a moment longer, before turning and walking towards you. “Why’d you do it?”

He raised an eyebrow at you while you turned to walk with him down the hall. “Do what?”

“Give up the shield. And don’t say it doesn’t belong to you. It does. Howard gave it to you. You’re the reason it’s…a symbol.”

He hummed. “And what exactly is it a symbol for, honey?”

You scoffed. “Uh, freedom? Justice? Resilience? The defense of the whole life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness thing?”

He stopped, facing you with a strange expression on his face, thoughtful. “I dropped it because I can’t be that anymore. Not right now. People don’t have the same beliefs they used to have. How can I stand up for freedom and let the Sokovia Accords track every person they deem a threat, just like HYDRA tried doing? How can I be a symbol for justice and let Bucky take the fall for something that he wasn’t in control of? I can’t. And until the world is ready to change…I can’t be Captain America.”

~

And suddenly, it seemed to click. Steve gave up the shield for Bucky because the world wasn’t ready to admit it was wrong. Just like Sam gave up the shield for himself and his family because the world wasn’t ready for the truth that would come with him becoming Captain America.

God…when did a metal circle become so complicated?

“What’s goin’ on in that pretty lil’ head’a yours?” His whisper in your ear startled you out of your thoughts, his nose brushing against your temple tenderly as he placed a chaste kiss on your cheek.

You looked up at him and shook your head. Of all the things Steve gave up, he never gave up Bucky. And it used to confuse you, but you understood then. His blue eyes sparkling with curiosity and slight concern, his fingers tracing patterns along your collarbone with a barely-there touch that was so light it didn’t seem to exist. You finally understood. Not just Steve’s decision, but Sam’s too. And maybe you didn’t understand it fully, and that was okay, because you weren’t them, so you never would, but you understood a little bit.

“Nothing.” You shook your head, keeping your voice down so the others couldn’t hear, the conversation being a private one, “I’m just waiting for this to be over.”

He hummed, nodding in agreement, setting his chin on your head. “Me too.”

Walker started pacing the room about half way through, getting too antsy for your liking. “Shhh.” Bucky mumbled under his breath, feeling you tense as Walker started talking. “It hasn’t been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronize me.”

“He knows what he’s doing.” Bucky stated confidently, straightening slightly from his leaning position, arms falling from your form. The two of you exchanged glances as Walker checked the clock over on the far wall, blocked from your view.

“I’m going in.” Walker strode across the room, heading for the entrance, no doubt willing to steam roll anything - anyone - in his way.

Bucky stopped him with a hand on his chest. You glanced back and forth between the two as Walker spoke, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “Buck…we promised him ten minutes.” You reminded him, seeing his resolve crumble a bit. You could guess he was thinking of the nightmares. The people he couldn’t save. The blood he already considered on his hands.

Walker used his moment of hesitation, shoving past him roughly. “I’m not waiting.”

“John!”

“Walker!”

You followed after him, you and Bucky arguing with him and Hoskins about giving Sam more time, but it was too late.

“Karli Morgenthau! You’re under arrest!”

“Fuck.” You hissed out when you saw Sam’s panicked expression, looking at you confused. Walker was flown across the room when Karli punched him, Bucky shoving Hoskins out of the way to run after her.

“Y/N-”

You threw your hands up. “I tried, Sam! C’mon!”

You and Sam ran over to some stairs, turning corners and trying to remember what the building looked like from outside to cut her off, but you only ran into Bucky again. 

“I wish we had the layout or something.” You grumbled. “We were that close-”

“We’re not done yet, doll.” Nodding, you followed the boys out, Bucky pausing every so often to try to hear anything. “I’ve got gunshots.” At that, the three of you took off towards the sound, Bucky leading the way.

Just around the corner from where Bucky heard the gunshots, you thought you saw a couple people slip around another bend. Noticing you had stopped, Bucky backtracked. “You okay?’

“Yeah.” Deciding it wasn’t worth the pursuit, you turned to him and nodded towards the doorway Sam already went through. He gave you a look, but nodded and the two of you jogged into the room.

You sighed heavily, seeing Zemo knocked out on the floor, Walker standing over him and broken vials that were previously full of, what you assumed was, the Serum. Hoskins ran in right after you, meaning no one but Walker and Zemo knew what happened. Meaning you would probably never get the full, true story.

What fun it is to work with manipulators and liars.

********************

“I don’t like him.” Bucky grumbled, the two of you walking up to the place you were staying in, Bucky holding the door open for you.

“I know you don’t, Buck. I don’t either.” You had asked Bucky to go with you to get some fresh air once you got back, Zemo having woken up a few minutes after and Walker and Hoskins had to make a call or something official like the good soldiers they were. “He’s hiding something.”

“You think?” Bucky scoffed, giving you a look.

You rolled your eyes. “I mean…I don’t know. When we found him and Zemo…my gut twisted.”

He nodded in understanding, his face twisting into a scowl. “Yeah. Mine did too.”

You stopped him before you could walk through the door to the main room. “Do me a favor?” He nodded again with a little hum. Catching his chin between your fingers, your free hand moved to smooth out the creases between his brow. “Stop brooding so much. It makes me worried.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips, features softening slightly. “Are you really gonna leave in the morning? I know you’ve had a lot of people telling you to take a break, and it’s selfish for me to ask you to stay, but…I dunno if I can finish this without you.”

“I-” You sighed, ducking your head as you thought of a response, before looking up in his wide eyes, begging for you to stick around longer. “Let’s just finish the day and see what happens next. Okay?”

He bit his lip, nodding slightly. You gave him a smile, before tugging on his hand. “I need a drink.”

He chuckled at that. “That I can fix, doll.” He, again, opened the door for you, and the two of you walked in.

“What a gentleman. Straight outta the 40’s.” You joked, making him roll his eyes.

He took off his jacket, heading to the kitchen, while you sat on the opposite side of the island. “Somethin’s not right about Walker.”

Sam gave you two an amused look. “You don’t say.”

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one.” He opened the lid of the bottle he grabbed, starting to pour two glasses of whiskey for the both of you. “Because I am crazy.”

You rolled your eyes as Sam responded, “can’t argue with that.”

“You shouldn’t have given him the shield.”

Giving Bucky a disapproving look over the rim of your glass, you sipped your drink, narrowing your eyes when he ignored you. “I didn’t give him the shield.”

“Well Steve definitely didn’t.”

Your glass slammed down on the counter. Why did he have to bring this up right now? Seriously? You were just having a nice conversation about places you wanted to visit while taking a walk outside. Why was he suddenly snapping?

Before you could scold him, the doors burst open, making your head whip over as Walker stormed in, “ordering” you to hand over Zemo.

You stayed sitting, leaning on the counter and facing the opposite wall as Sam told him off, giving an amused snicker as you sipped your drink. Bucky sat besides you, facing Walker, and you recognized from the angle he was positioning himself that he was blocking you from Walker’s view, whether intentional or not.

You raised an eyebrow, turning in interest when Walker put down the shield, knowing Sam wasn’t about to fight the man. What an ego the blonde had.

Before anything could happen, however, a spear pierced through the air, lodging in the pillar next to Walker’s head.

Your frustration with Bucky’s comment flew out of your head as Ayo and a few other Dora Milaje walked in. Bucky sat up straighter and you stood up, leaning ever so slightly against his arm.

You nearly facepalmed, a sound of complete disbelief leaving you as Walker introduced himself. Sam looked over at you two, an entertained, slightly incredulous smile on his face.

Sam tried warning him. He really did. But Walker, you’ve come to find, was an arrogant, egotistical narcissist who only wanted to win and would do whatever it takes to do so. Even when there wasn’t really a winner. At least, not in that situation. It seemed that Walker liked ignoring the gray area in the world, which wasn’t good. Not in the least.

Which is why you couldn’t really feel sorry for the man. You saw it coming as soon as he told them they didn’t have jurisdiction. And the moment he touched Ayo?

You put your chin on Bucky’s shoulder - who had stood up from his spot - watching the Dora Milaje kick Walker’s ass, wincing and cringing mockingly at the right moments, making Bucky smirk at you.

“We should do something.” Sam said, although he didn’t look thrilled about the prospect.

Bucky crossed his arms. “Looking strong, John!”

You gave a slight snort, not wanting to encourage anything, but unable to hold in your amusement. Bucky winked at you, clinking his cup of whiskey with your own, before taking a gulp.

“Bucky.” 

You huffed and stepped back at Sam’s tone. “C’mon, Buck.”

“Fine.” Bucky grunted. “But ‘M not happy about it.”

Soon, the three of you, plus Walker and Hoskins, were all occupied with a member of the Dora Milaje. You knew you couldn’t take them; they were on a higher level that Natasha, and you could barely beat her. But you weren’t necessarily trying to win.

It was a strange fight, knowing that no one - except Walker, probably - actually wanted to hurt anyone. Of course, that didn’t stop one of them from exploiting your injured shoulder that she spotted rather quickly. The hits were quick and precise, the tip of her spear cutting along the graze, hitting the spot just perfect enough to reopen it. The stitches that had been placed only a couple days ago ripped, making you wince and clutch your now bleeding shoulder.

“Oh fuck.” You groaned. “You were always good with those things.”

She gave you an almost apologetic look, before she looked over to Ayo, who stepped through the room towards the bathroom where Zemo had locked himself in during the chaos.

When you caught sight of the shoulder thing she did to Bucky, his metallic arm now laying on the floor, his eyes wide and his stance stunned, your jaw nearly dropped. You guessed it made sense that they had a way to do that, but, still. None of you were expecting it.

“Did you know they could do that?” Sam asked once they started leaving, Bucky picking up his arm and connecting it to his shoulder.

“No.” The arm whirred as he swung it, getting it back to normal.

You couldn’t help the little giggle that left you, making Bucky raise an eyebrow at you. You tried holding in more laughs, but they just kept coming. “She-she...she disarmed you!”

Bucky rolled his eyes as you chortled, holding your stomach and bending over. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

“Oh come on!” You straightened and wiped your eyes. “That was good! Wasn’t it, Sammy?”

Sammy chuckled and nodded. “I’ll admit, it was pretty good. This, however, is not.”

Your laughter died as Sam made his way over to the bathroom, the light air that came with your cackles dissipating as quickly as it came.

“I can’t believe he pulled an El Chapo.”

You stared at the drain that was uncovered - large enough for Zemo to slip inside and escape. He did it. The son of a bitch finally did it. It took him long enough. You would’ve betted against him days ago.

“I can.” Bucky turned and grabbed your hand. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

*********************

“I thought you told them.”

Bucky looked up from wrapping your shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“I thought you told them. The Dora Milaje. Wakanda. T’Challa. I thought you told them about Zemo.”

He leaned back with a sigh. “It was kinda a last minute decision. You know that. You were there.”

You nodded. “I do. But I also know what they’ve done for you. Shuri and Ayo. I was there for that, too. And you know what he did to them. To their country. Their king.”

“I know, I know. I almost died several times because of it.”

Your eyebrows pinched in confusion. “So why-”

“I thought it’d be quick. I thought, maybe, I could do it without them finding out and then we could get to Karli and they wouldn’t be disappointed. Win win.”

Your cheek caught between your teeth as you thought. “You could’ve just asked-”

He shook his head. “They would’ve said no. You know that.”

“Okay. Fine. Yes. I know that. But…but giving them a warning would’ve been better than this.” He hung his head, closing his eyes. “Bucky. Hey,” hooking a finger under his chin, you tilted his head back up to look at you. “I know it’s been hard for you. Everything has. And I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I shouldn’t have let you come along. You should be healing, and it’s my fault you’re not.” He opened his mouth, face scrunching up in disagreement, but you shook your head. “It’s true. I just…I didn’t know it would come this far.” You gnawed on your bottom lip studying those captivating eyes, before sighing. “Which is why I’m not leaving.”

He perked up, those pretty eyes going wide, jaw slackening. “You-you’re not?!”

You shook your head. As much as you wanted to run away, you couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. “It wouldn’t be fair to you or Sam. I promised to help, and I brought you into it. So I’m gonna stay.

“Are you, uh…are you sure? You don’t hafta if you don’t wanna, doll. I know I kinda pushed you earlier, but-”

“I’m sure Buck.” You nodded firmly. “Just…do something for me?”

“I dunno if I can promise not brooding, sweetheart.”

You giggled at his words. “Not that. Just…stop giving Sam a hard time. About the shield. Please.”

His soft features hardened and he scowled. “If he didn’t give it up-”

“He thought it was going to the museum. I told you about that, remember? I told you we’d go when I got back.”

Giving a slight nod, he sighed. “We never did.”

“We will. But, I’m serious, Buck. Please. It’s not his fault. He did exactly what Steve did.” At Bucky’s confused look, you pursed your lips, looking down at his hands, starting to play with his fingers. “Remember how I was thinking during those ten minutes we had?” He nodded. “I was thinking about how Steve gave the shield back to Tony. After saving you. In Siberia. You remember that?” Another nod was given, so you continued. “It was for you, James. Because you made him realize that he didn’t want to be the face of a country that preached one thing, but did another. And that’s what Sam did. He did it for his family. For himself. Because no one wants to fight for a country that goes against your personal beliefs, no matter what they say.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Bucky’s eyes squinted, his brow creasing as he tried processing what you were telling him.

“That’s okay. Not everyone will. Really only they can understand their own reasoning. But you have to try to understand that he did what he thought was best for himself. For Steve. For the shield. And I know - dammit do I know - that it’s the last thing left of him. But it is just metal. Isn’t it? Steve’s the reason it is what it is. No one else. And no one is going to change that.”

Bucky took a breath, glossy, worried eyes meeting yours. “Walker’s going to ruin it. I know he is. I can feel it. Everything Steve worked for. I don’t care about Captain America. I care about the kid from Brooklyn who wanted to make a difference, no matter how little he was. I trusted him. I followed him through bullets and blood, with only that shield between us and them. He was home on a battlefield in Italy across the ocean from New York. And that shield was the welcome mat. It doesn’t matter what it says, what it looks like…but it protected my home when I couldn’t. But now? I feel like it’s tearing my home down. Pulling out the bricks. And it hurts. It was never about the shield, Y/N. It was always about the man it protected when I couldn’t be there for him. And now?”

Gathering him in your arms as he trailed off, you gave a couple little sniffles, pressing your face in his hair, nails scratching the nape of his neck lightly. “I’ll be your welcome mat, Buckaroo.” You offered.

He shook his head, pulling away to hold your face between his hands. “No, sweetheart. You’re not the welcome mat. You’re the new bricks replacing the old. You’re…you’re my home, now, doll.”

You swallowed thickly, unable to handle the rush of emotions that just poured through you, the sudden change in topic making you feel more vulnerable than you’d like. You leaned forwards, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, feeling him go lax in your arms. “And you’re mine.” You murmured softly, before getting up and heading out for the room, unable to stay any longer. You still had a mission to do. One that became even more desperate with Zemo loose, Walker unhinged, and Karli being so close.

******************

There was a silent agreement to not bring up your conversation. Not yet, at least. Sam had eyed you both when you came out of the room, saying you were ready to get moving, but he didn’t say anything either.

None of you really knew where you were going, only what you had to do. Find Zemo and get to Karli before Walker could. Both of which were a lot easier said than done.

Until Sam got a call from Sarah, who told him Karli contacted her personally and threatened her and her sons. She left a contact number for Sam, evidently wanting to meet. His phone dinged not a minute after he texted the number.

“She said come alone.”

“Well that’s not happening.” You opposed, crossing your arms.

Bucky nodded with your sentence. “We’re coming with you.”

Sam didn’t say anything against it, the three of you exchanging glances, before heading out to the location, changing into your tactical suits along the way.

Karli didn’t seem to mind you and Bucky tagging along, and you understood why the moment she mentioned not killing Sam because he wasn’t hiding behind a shield. It was a distraction. They were going after Walker.

It was confirmed only moments later when Sharon contacted Sam. “Looks like he found them, or maybe they found him.”

As soon as Sam announced that it was Walker, you jumped into action, Sam disabling Karli for just the right amount of time for you to get a head start. “I’ll send you the location. Go.” He told Bucky, who nodded and took off in his super soldier sprint. “You hitching a ride?”

You rolled your eyes at his slight tease. “I hate this so much.” You grumbled, catching his hand as he took off in the air with his bird costume. He held onto you tightly, like the millions of times you’d done this before, although it didn’t make you any less dizzy, traveling that fast, that high, with only his hold keeping you from dropping. “You’re lucky I trust you so much!”

He gave a small chuckle at your shout over the wind. “We’re landing! Brace yourself!” You followed his order, just in time for him to break through the glass ceiling of the building Walker was in. The both of you landed on a platform on the staircase just as a Flag Smasher was thrown through double glass doors, down the stairs, and into a power box. Your eyes went wide as Walker strolled down the steps, oozing a confidence that made you nervous. The moment Walker stopped the Flag Smasher - the Super Soldier - from hitting him with the pipe, you knew even before he twisted it like a pretzel.

“Sam.” You breathed out. You couldn’t even do anything, only watching as the Flag Smasher got up from being thrown again, and running down a hall.

“What’d you do?”

“They got Lemar.” Was the only reply he gave, brushing past you and Sam. You gave Sam a look, but he just jerked his head down the hall, in the direction the Flag Smasher went and the way Walker started heading. You nodded, willing to drop it for now to save someone’s life, but you were so bringing it up once this was done.

Jogging into the room, you should’ve expected the ambush in the room, but, to be honest, they didn’t take as much advantage as they could’ve, so it wasn’t too difficult of a fight. You had trained with Steve millions of times before, so you knew how to go against a Super Soldier. Granted, your Cap wasn’t trying to kill you while training, but it was better than nothing.

You protected your shoulder, knowing that was your weak point, while trying to disguise it so whoever you were fighting wouldn’t realize your Achilles’ Heel. Something you often found while dealing with Steve, and even Bucky, was that Super Soldiers, as quick as they were, tended to favor the super strength side of their enhancements. This made it easier for you to dodge the attacks, knowing most of your blows wouldn’t do much.

Knowing you wouldn’t be able to stay on the defensive for long, you decided to try to get an advantage over them. Disarming them and taking their knife was easy enough. A small advantage, yeah, but now you had a weapon, and you could work with that.

You weren’t exactly sure when Bucky joined the fight, but he did, immediately coming over to you when you body kicked your opponent, helping you up. “That was a Steve move.” Your eyes caught sight of the Flag Smasher behind him and you shoved his shoulder down, throwing your knife, making it land solidly in the man’s shoulder. Bucky looked up at you from his crouch, impressed. “And that was a me move.”

You shrugged. “I’m a visual learner.”

You, Sam, and Bucky were about to go for another round with the guys when a sickening crack sounded behind you, and you whipped around. 

Hoskins was against a split pillar, a crimson streak running down his forehead, head lolling to the side, lips red and cracked. The fight stopped as Walker rushed over to his friend, but you knew there was no way he survived. A punch from a Super Soldier? That hard?

Eyeing the Flag Smashers, you turned to Sam and Bucky when they started dispersing, Karli running out as well. They nodded towards you and the three of you took off after her, not wanting to let her get away again and, for you, at least, wanting to give Walker some time.

You weren’t expecting his grief to turn into such raw hatred. 

Running up to the city square, you didn’t actually see it happen. Just the aftermath. Which was good, considering you nearly threw up just seeing that.

You heard the change in Bucky’s breathing, barely recognizing the way he stepped in front of you, only realizing you stepped closer when you felt his sleeve against your palms, fingers tightly wrapped around his forearm. A choked sound came from somewhere, but you didn’t know it was you, even as Bucky reached his arm around to hold your waist, keeping you behind his shoulder. 

Tears leaked down your face silently, eyes unable to look away as Walker straightened, sliding the shield on his arm, too nonchalantly for someone who just murdered another in front of a crowd full of people, cameras pointed towards him.

The shield. That piece of metal you had been wondering so deeply about the past couple of weeks. The link to the first person you’d ever loved. Ruined. Tarnished. Stained.

You could barely breathe, your throat clenching so tightly it was a wonder you were able to get anything out at all.

“James…”

[thighs-of-betrayal-blog]

Heeeey!

Love your drabbles and one shots!

Umm.. can you do a one-shot in aftermath TFATWS settings when the reader and Bucky go to Sam's home in Louisiana. They then like help in the party and stuff a lot while Bucky flirts with her during that and then they dance at the end ft. Sam and Sarah whistling and cheering them on. And then Bucky just whispers, 'marry me?'. And the reader just melts and kisses him and says yes and it's just all fluffy with tiny bit of angst and i-

It's too detailed lol.♥️😂😩✌️

That One Question

A/N: This request is everything... My heart can’t take all the fluff haha. Thank you so much for sending it in! Also, thank you for the kind words, love :)

I hope you all enjoy and as always, feedback is appreciated! 

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger! Reader

Warnings: a tad bit of angst, fluff, cursing 

Relief floods through you as you look out at the calm Louisiana waters. The worst of it is over and now, you have a sliver of relaxation until the next mission comes up. 

Fighting against the Flag Smashers was your worst nightmare, the one time you were desperately worried of losing both Bucky and Sam. 

You’re glad they’re both okay. You don’t know what you would’ve done if you lost both your best friend and the love of your-

“Everything okay over here, doll?” 

Bucky’s voice melts over you, pulling you out of your thoughts of despair. 

“Hey, baby,” you whisper, not quite ready to turn away from the moving water to look at him. 

You sigh as his arms wrap around you, his chest pressing into your back as he rests his head on top of yours. “Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

Leaning back into him, you close your eyes. “Just everything that’s happened. This one was different from the rest.” 

“Because of Karli?” 

“She didn’t deserve to die.” 

Bucky gently turns you around and cups your chin in his hand. “You’re right, doll. She didn’t. But, that doesn’t mean her death was your fault.” 

You stare into his blue eyes and let them carry you to shore, steadying you back into reality. “I just feel like we could’ve done more. We could’ve-” 

“You guys coming to help set up?” Sarah asks, standing a few feet away with a pile of plates in her hand. “The party starts in a few minutes.” 

“We’ll be right there,” you answer, giving Sarah a small smile as you move out of Bucky’s hold.

He walks back up to you then and kisses you on the side of your head. “I promise we will pick this conversation up later, doll. Right now, let’s just try to enjoy the night… Maybe even have some fun with Sam.” 

You raise your eyebrow in question. “We always have fun with Sam.” 

“Ehhh-” 

Rolling your eyes, you lightly punch him in the arm. “Don’t be rude.” 

As you grab his hand, he intertwines your fingers. “Me? Rude? Never.” 

---

The party is exactly what you need to get your mind off everything. Between Sam’s dancing and Bucky’s dad jokes, you’re currently laughing your ass off, forgetting about everything else around you. 

Bucky shoots you a look and you tilt your head to the side, but he just shakes his head and smiles. 

Sam watches the exchange between the two of you before grabbing Bucky’s shoulder. “C’mon, tinman, go dance with Y/N!” 

Bucky laughs as he stands up and walks over to you, stretching his hand out for you to grab. “Fancy a dance, doll?” 

Sliding your hand into his, you smile. “Why I’d love to dance with you, kind sir.” 

The both of you laugh as he drags you onto the dance floor, wrapping you up in his arms as he rests his forehead against yours. 

“Hey,” he whispers, his breath fanning over your face. 

You wrap your arms around his neck. “Hey.” 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” 

You take a second to answer, pretending to think about it. “Hmm, let me see… Maybe once or twice?” 

“Oh really? Once or twice, huh?” 

His hands move slightly over your hips, daring to tickle you. 

“You wouldn’t,” you laugh out. 

A mischievous glint appears in his eyes. “Try me.” 

As soon as he starts to move his fingers, you freeze up. “Okay! Okay! I give in. You tell me you love me every day.” 

Bucky laughs as he settles his face into your neck, biting down lightly on your skin. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you. You might have to say it again.” 

Laughing along with him, you move back and grab his face in between your hands. “You tell me you love me every day and I’m the luckiest person in the world.” 

Grinning, Bucky leans in. “Now that’s more like it.” 

Just as his lips are about to touch yours, you hear Sam and Sarah whistle from across the party. 

“That’s my boy!” Sam yells, his voice booming over the crowd of people. 

Embarrassed, you hide your face in Bucky’s chest. “Please tell him to fuck off.” 

“Don’t worry, I am,” he says while flipping Sam off. 

You feel his head move back towards yours, his mouth resting against your ear. “I love you so fucking much, doll.” 

Closing your eyes, you let his words run through your body, taking claim of your heart. “I love you just as much, Buck.” 

“Then marry me.” 

You lift your head up and take a step back, staring at him confused. “What?” 

He chuckles at the expression on your face and lifts your chin up with his finger. “Marry me.” 

His words are spoken with utter confidence. You know he’s been thinking about this for a while. 

Without hesitation, you smash your lips to his. “Yes,” you whisper. “Fuck yes.”

Bucky deepens the kiss then, his heart beating fast against yours. 

In the background, you can still hear the faint cheer of Sam and Sarah. But now, they don’t even realize the huge moment they’re celebrating... They will soon though.