#neighborly affection series

[goodmorgan]

What’s your favorite Arthur smut(s) 👉👈 besides your own of course

Thank you for asking! 💖

Here are some of my recs:

Fics on Tumblr:

Out of Touch by @redemptionbaby

Neighborly Affection series by @verai-marcel

Seven Deadly Sins series by @twola

Loss of virginity by @amorgansgal

Fics on AO3:

The Debt by louderthanbombs

Desire of the Wolf by Talkin_to_a_Lady

The Scenic Route by crispywriter

Please be mindful of each fic's tags and enjoy! :)

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

Matt Murdock DC crossover recs:

Quiet Heart by @beesbiteandwillowrites - Matt Murdock/Jason Todd. In which Jason moves to NYC to study nursing and finds Matt bleeding in a dumpster. Slow burn, lots of fun character moments.

Red Is The Color Of Sinners series by @darlingatlas - platonic Matt Murdock & Jason Todd. In which Jason is mute and depressed, and Matt decides to help. Lovely exploration of the parallels between the characters.

green green green series by @i-know-how-my-story-ends - Matt Murdock/Frank Castle. In which Matt and Frank essentially adopt Jason. Found family and PTSD recovery.

The Five Stages Of Neighborly Affection by AlannaLioness - Matt Murdock/Foggy Nelson. In which Tim Drake is Foggy’s neighbor. Not completely Matt-centric but very cute and funny.

Sparked Too Easy by cydneyprescott - Matt Murdock/Dick Grayson. Morning-after smut featuring lots of banter and trans!Dick. Very sweet and sexy.

(Any other favorite crossover fics we should know about? Please reblog with additional recs!)

[iamnotatobot]

In this series I’m having ai write battles between cartoon characters in a tournament. This is pt2 of the long series

In this whimsical clash of magical beings and a grumpy neighbor, we witness a showdown between Cosmo and Wanda, the fairy godparents from "The Fairly OddParents," and Squidward Tentacles, the perpetually grumpy and neighborly squid from "SpongeBob SquarePants." With their contrasting personalities and magical abilities, this fight promises to be a captivating spectacle.

As the confrontation begins, Cosmo and Wanda, with their characteristic fairy attire and wands in hand, display their mischievous and whimsical demeanor. Squidward, wearing his perpetual frown and crossed tentacles, approaches with a newfound determination, eager to prove his worth and show that he can prevail against magical adversaries.

Cosmo, known for his unpredictable and often haphazard magic, begins the fight by conjuring a series of whimsical spells. He creates colorful sparks and vibrant illusions, attempting to disorient Squidward and gain the upper hand. However, Squidward remains unfazed, steadfastly focused on his goal.

Wanda, the more level-headed and resourceful of the fairy duo, channels her magical knowledge into more strategic spells. She conjures gusts of wind and waves of water, attempting to subdue Squidward's movements and hinder his progress. Squidward, drawing upon his artistic nature, skillfully dances through the elemental onslaught, evading their effects with precise movements.

With each passing moment, Squidward's determination grows stronger. His innate resilience and refusal to back down fuel his actions. He taps into his musical talent, playing his clarinet with newfound passion and purpose. The somber notes fill the air, enveloping the battlefield with an unexpected energy.

In a surprising turn of events, Squidward's music resonates with the magical forces around him. The notes harmonize with Cosmo and Wanda's magic, disrupting their spells and causing their powers to falter momentarily. Taking advantage of the opening, Squidward seizes control of the situation.

Utilizing his tentacles with calculated precision, Squidward launches a counterattack. He delivers swift and strategic strikes, exploiting the momentary vulnerability of the fairies. Cosmo and Wanda, caught off guard by Squidward's sudden burst of skill and determination, struggle to regain their composure and mount a counteroffensive.

Squidward's artistic prowess continues to shine as he expertly maneuvers through the chaos. His clarinet playing takes on a mesmerizing quality, creating illusions and distractions that further disrupt Cosmo and Wanda's concentration. The illusions draw upon their fears and insecurities, affecting their magical abilities and diminishing their power.

With each calculated move, Squidward gains the upper hand. He outwits and outmaneuvers his magical adversaries, utilizing their own magic against them. Cosmo and Wanda, realizing the formidable opponent they face, find themselves on the defensive, unable to fully recover from Squidward's relentless onslaught.

In a final surge of determination and skill, Squidward unleashes a powerful wave of music, encompassing Cosmo and Wanda in its resonating force. The wave overpowers their weakened defenses, leaving them momentarily incapacitated.

As the dust settles, Squidward emerges as the unexpected winner, having triumphed against the odds. His unwavering resolve and resourcefulness proved to be the decisive factors, overcoming the magical abilities of Cosmo and Wanda. Despite their defeat, the fairies begrudgingly acknowledge Squidward's victory, acknowledging his skill and perseverance.

Squidward, basking in his moment of triumph, wears a rare smile of satisfaction. He graciously accepts the respect and admiration of Cosmo and Wanda, reminding them that even without magical abilities,

[ao3feed-destiel-02]

A Peaceful Life Forever

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/yI5htHl by serragracewn In the idyllic countryside, farmer Dean and farmer Cas live as neighbors, initially wary of each other, but eventually finding a deep bond through shared experiences on their farms. Their days are filled with simple joys—caring for bees, milking cows, and tending to chickens. But as they slowly warm up to each other, they find their hearts drawn together. When Dean has a near-fatal accident while picking apples, Cas's devotion and care bring them even closer, and they realize that what began as a simple neighborly relationship has blossomed into something much deeper. With Cas's protective love and Dean's growing affection, they find a life of harmony, love, and peace on their farms, where they are content to live out their days side by side. Words: 4318, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 21 of You Deserved to Be Saved, My Beloved Fandoms: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Farmer Dean Winchester, Farmer Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester are Neighbors, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Whump, Hospitalized Dean Winchester, Blood and Injury, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Caring Castiel (Supernatural), Comforting Castiel (Supernatural), Worried Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel Saves Dean Winchester, Castiel Takes Care of Dean Winchester, Castiel Comforts Dean Winchester, Castiel is Protective of Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Sweet Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sweet Castiel (Supernatural), Sweet Dean Winchester, Vulnerable Dean Winchester, Touch-Starved Dean Winchester, Loving Castiel (Supernatural), Loving Dean Winchester, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Nicknames, Angst with a Happy Ending, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Castiel (Supernatural), Domestic Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Animals, Baby Animals read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/yI5htHl

[fandom-recs14]

James (Bucky) Barnes Neighbour Masterpost

Here is all of Bucky Barnes Fanfiction in their specific AU tropes. This is all that I have found SO Far for Neighbour!

This list is for those who want to read specific Neighbour AU tropes of Bucky Barnes!

REMEMBER - none of these work are mine. This is a Recommendation Blog.

I will be adding in the authors name next to each work as I go along (if its empty don't worry I will write it in ASAP). Each link will take you to the work and you can follow the author from there if there is no link specific to author yet.

ANY NEW FICS ADDED TO LIST WILL BE PUT IN RED TO SHOW ITS NEW!!!!

FICS IN TOTAL (SO FAR): 5

ONE-SHOTS

SERIES

Neighborly Affection 

Just Roommates 

Hey Neighbor 

State of Grace 

My neighbor’s a jerk

[sunshineandaisies]

Neighborly Affection Masterlist

Summary: James Buchanan Barnes is quite possibly the most frustrating person you've ever met, but you have to admit, having a neighbor that's easy on the eyes certainly is nice.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU)

Status: Complete!

Words: ~11.2k

Main Masterlist

Purple Panties

Talk Now, Think Later

Blame Jose

On Your Knees

Distraction

Play Nurse

Tease

Side Chick

Boyfriend

Heated

Bliss

The Neighbor

[verai-marcel]

Master List of RDR2 Fics

Last Updated: 3/18/2023

Trigger Warnings in (parenthesis), other tags in Chapter 1 or beginning of fic. If a link doesn’t work, check #writing or #rdr2 fanfic or #rdr2 drabble or #rdr2 headcanons to find it. Latest fics have a *NEW* next to them.

I’ll try to mark things as Female Reader (F!Reader), Male Reader (M!Reader), or Gender Neutral Reader (GN!Reader). If I forget, just let me know so I can update.

Red Dead Online Original Characters are on the bottom of this list. Also find them tagged under #rdo oc.

Also all my fics (including ones not posted on tumblr) can be found on my AO3 page here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verai

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One Shots (Newer fics at the top of the list):

Spy Awry 2: Mail Room Boogaloo - Arthur x Fem!Reader, modern AU, 18+ (DubCon) 

Spy Awry - Arthur x Fem!Reader, modern AU, 18+ (DubCon)

Serendipitous Meetings - Arthur x Fem!Reader, modern AU, 18+

Forever and Always -  Arthur x Fem!Reader, fluff 

Of Dragons and Love - Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+

Sharing is Caring - Arthur x Fem!Reader, Charles x Fem!Reader, 18+

Maid for Him - Arthur x Fem!Reader, Canon divergent AU, 18+

A Bear of a Man - Werebear Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+

Know Your Place - Angry Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+ (NonCon, DubCon)

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My Series:

The Upsides of Property Damage (3 of 5 chapters posted, Ongoing, co-author with @shootybangbang)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 

Double Dedication - AU, Morgan Twins x F!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Between High & Low: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Possession & Punishment

Payback

Vulgarity & Vows: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 

Noir AU - Arthur is head of security in a night club run by the Van der Linde family, and you’re a backup singer in the club. (Complete)

My Song Bird - Arthur x Singer Fem!Reader, 18+

Instinct - Arthur x Singer Fem!Reader, 18+ 

Ride Through My Heart - Modern AU - “Biker AU” - Tattoo Artist Arthur x Dancer Fem!Reader, John x Florist Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Before This Dance Is Through - Modern AU Tattoo Artist Arthur x Dancer Fem!Reader - Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Clean - Side Story

The Light That You Shine - John x Florist F!Reader - Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

The Things That We Could Be - Charles x Journalist F!Reader - Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

This Is Perfection - Model Javier x Photo Intern Fem!Reader

Do What I Dare - Tattoo Artist Arthur x Dancer Fem!Reader

Neighborly Affection - AKA “Neighbor AU”, Modern Mechanic Arthur x IT Help Tech Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

The Man Next Door: Chapter 1 - Beginnings | Chapter 2A - High Honor Arthur version | Chapter 2B - Low Honor Arthur version

First Round’s On You: Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Meeting The Friends - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Playing Dress-Up - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Stress Relief - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Taking Time For You - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor 

Tech Support - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Domestic Bliss - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor

Life Level Up - Side A - High Honor | Side B - Low Honor | Epilogue

Corrections - Modern AU - “Prisoner AU” - Prisoner/Construction Worker Arthur x Prison Guard Fem!Reader, Charles x Vet Fem!Reader, Javier x Barista Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Submit to Release - Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, originally a request one-shot (DubCon)

Side Story: Arthur’s First Day Out - Arthur & Charles, best buddies

Invitation Only - Medium Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader

Into The Wolf’s Den | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2  - Medium Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader

Revealing More - Medium Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader

The Reality of Idle Fantasies  - Medium Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader

Lost and Found - Charles x Fem!Reader

Side Story: Charles Volunteers - Charles volunteers at an animal shelter

More Than Words | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 - Charles x Fem!Reader

Confessing Darkness - Arthur x Fem!Reader

Caring for Kitten - Charles x Fem!Reader

All Tied Up - Arthur x Fem!Reader

Breaking Habits - Charles x Fem!Reader

Absolution - Arthur x Fem!Reader

What Is Real | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 - Javier x Fem!Reader

Sweet Surrender - Arthur x Fem!Reader

Forever In Your Arms - Vampire Arthur x F!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Part 1: Midnight Rendezvous: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Part 2: Midnight Promises: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 (TW: some angst, assisted suicide, death, blood)

Desperate Desire - AU - “Deputy AU” - Deputy Arthur x Doctor’s Assistant/Burglar Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Sinful Payment: Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader (NonCon)

A Fortnight of Falling: Medium to High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader (DubCon)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

A Reason to Return - High Honor Arthur

An Unconventional Union - High Honor Arthur

Inescapable Rapture: Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader (DubCon)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Back Alleys Are No Place For Proper Ladies - Low Honor Arthur, Consensual Non-consent

Taste of You - Incubus!Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete)

Part 1: The Sweet Taste of You

Part 2: The Pure Taste of You

Inevitably, Irrevocably - Arthur x Female OC (Links to AO3)(Complete)

Trial

Tribulation

Torment

Tempest

Terminal

Time & Again

A Corrupting Touch - Low Honor Arthur x Gender Neutral Reader, 18+ (Complete) (DubCon, NonCon)

Part 1: Compulsion (NonCon)

Part 2: Coercion (NonCon)

Part 3: Constriction (NonCon)

Part 4: Captivation (DubCon)

Captured Hearts - Low Honor Arthur x Bounty Hunter Fem!Reader, 18+ (Complete) (DubCon)

Part 1: Reversal of Fortune

Part 2: Chase Me Down

Part 3: Let Go

Part 4: Breaking Point (TW: Attempted Rape)

Wind and Water - Arthur x OC, Grace Chang - Short fics

Open Hand, Closed Fist

Chopsticks

In The Palm Of His Hand

A Name By Any Other

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Tumblr requests/gifts (Newer fics at the top of the list):

Not What He Seems - Arthur x Fem!Reader, High & Low honor, 18+ 

Low Honor  |  High Honor

Holiday Surprise - Charles x Fem!Reader, Christmas Lovin’, 18+

Heart of Starlight - Arthur x Unnamed Female, Mythology-inspired, 18+

After-Heist Delight - Samson Finch x Fem!Reader, 18+ 

Snapped -  High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+ (Slightly DubCon)

Time For Us - Charles x Arthur, fluff, romance

A Smile Worth More Than Gold - Arthur x Eleanor Ivie (OC), fluff, romance

Hidden Desires - Low Honor Arthur x F!Reader, 18+

Surprises - Arthur x Gender Neutral Reader, lingerie, 18+

Motivational Training - Dual Honor Arthur x Gender Neutral Reader, Modern AU, 18+

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2A - High Honor | Chapter 2B - Low Honor

Healing Touch - Low Honor Arthur x Healer Fem!Reader, 18+

Locker Room Lesson - Arthur, John, Charles, & Javier x Fem!Reader, Modern AU, 18+

Rough Competition - Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader Outlaw, 18+

Helping Hands - Low Honor & High Honor Arthur x GN!Reader with sensitive gag reflex, Short Fic, 18+

Better Than a Dream - High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader Outlaw, 18+

Solicitations - Arthur x Fem!Reader, based off this drabble, 18+

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Business Time at the Bistro - Store Manager Arthur x Fem!Reader, Modern AU, 18+

untitled drabble, takes place after story

Alternative Payment - Low Honor Arthur x In Debt Fem!Reader, 18+ (NonCon/DubCon)

Trapper Keeper - Arthur x Trapper Fem!Reader, 18+

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2A: High Honor | Chapter 2B: Low Honor

Just This Once - Arthur x Abigail, 18+

Giving Up Ain’t So Bad - Low Honor Arthur x Bratty Fem!Reader, 18+ (DubCon)

Reading Between The Lines - Arthur x Librarian Fem!Reader, 18+ (Mild DubCon)

Mail for You - Low Honor Arthur x Mail Carrier Fem!Reader, 18+

The Better to Take You  - Werewolf Arthur x Fem!Reader, 18+

RIde'em Cowgirl - Low Honor Arthur x Drunk Fem!Reader, 18+

A Curious Experiment - Low Honor Bounty Hunter Arthur x Reader, 18+ (DubCon)

Male Reader | Female Reader

Defying Discipline - Low Honor Professor Arthur x Fem!Reader, Modern AU, One shot, 18+ (DubCon)

Playing for Keeps - Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+ (NonCon, DubCon)

Worth the Risk - High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+

Steal A Moment With You - Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+

Lesson In Humility - Low Honor Arthur x Rich Virgin Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+

One and Only - High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, 4 Chapters, 18+

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Getting Into Character - High Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+

A Hard Lesson - Low Honor Arthur x Fem!Reader, One shot, 18+ (DubCon)

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Tumblr Headcanons: Search for RDR2 Headcanons!

——————————————–

Tumblr Drabbles:

untitled - Charles x Reader, fluff by the campfire (Gender Neutral)

Sensitive - Arthur x F!Reader who orgasms too easily, 18+

Installing - Arthur helps install your cable modem (Gender Neutral)

untitled - Arthur has a skinny crush (Gender Neutral)

When Love Blooms - Arthur is the Death Horseman

Arthur in Modern Times AU Series (Gender Neutral):

untitled - Christmas time, Arthur gets a mistletoe belt buckle.

untitled - Arthur helps get rid of your headache, 18+

untitled - Arthur learns about BDSM, 18+

Caught - Wacom Tablet Pt. 2 - Arthur learns what a blow job is, 18+

Wacom Tablet Pt. 1 - Arthur learns how to use a Wacom tablet

untitled - Arthur helps crack your back (Gender Neutral)

Part 1 | Part 2 - Arthur gives you hugs (Gender Neutral)

untitled - Charles gives you a comforting hug (Gender Neutral)

Imagine bartender!Arthur - Arthur as a modern day bartender (Gender Neutral)

Black Belle - Arthur submitting to Black Belle, 18+

Shower Singing - Modern!Arthur sings in the shower, F!Reader

Uniformly Speaking - Arthur as a UPS delivery man, Modern AU, GN!Reader

untitled - Arthur teaches GN!Reader how to kiss

untitled - Beer enthusiast GN!Reader x Arthur

untitled - Soliciting Arthur for “services” (Gender Neutral)

untitled - Merperson GN!Reader x Arthur

Dream Dad - Single Dad Arthur x Single Parent Reader, Gender Neutral

untitled - Bartender!F!Reader x Arthur

untitled - Gender neutral reader sucks on Arthur’s fingers, 18+

untitled - Modern AU, Charles practices hairdressing on you (Gender Neutral).

Change of Standards - Modern AU, Arthur & You walk through Target (Gender Neutral).

See What I See - Modern AU, Arthur gets scouted by a modeling agent (F!Reader).

Timeslip - Modern AU, Arthur falls into a time portal and meets you (Gender Neutral).

GIve or Take - Arthur drops his journal, and you pick it up (Gender Neutral).

——————————————–

Everett Osborn - RDO OC

Everett’s Backstory

Cactus - A short convo between Everett and the local sheriff.

Everett x Thief F!Reader series (Complete):

Domestication - Everett traps you, 18+ (DubCon)

Dominion - Everett finds you again, 18+ (DubCon)

Rewarding His Pet - Everett runs into you and gives you a reward, 18+

Between the Law - Everett x GN!Reader x Tom Davies, 18+

Mistaken - Drabble - Everett gets mistaken for another cowboy.

untitled - Drabble - Everett meets said cowboy after borrowing his hat.

An Unexpected Development - Everett x Allie Foster, RDO AU, OC x OC, 18+

Verai Marcel AKA Min - RDO OC

Verai’s Back Story

untitled - Drabble - A little bit of angst, featuring Fletcher

Firsts & Lasts - Verai/Min x Mateo, a story of her past, 18+

Everett x Verai x Mateo

Inexplicably Inevitable - Min & Everett run into a ghost from the past. 18+, MM, MMF

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 *NEW*

Everett x Verai

Dumpling - Verai/Min & Everett make new year’s dumplings.

Counting Stars - Songfic, Verai & Everett work on their relationship.

untitled - Drabble, Verai & Everett, right after their first night.

Forward - Drabble, Verai, with Everett’s help, moves forward from her past.

Cathartic - Verai tells Everett about someone she loved in the past.

We’ve Only Just Begun - Full Fic - When Everett met Verai for the first time.

Braid - Short Fic - Everett has more skills than he lets on.

Decision - Short Fic - Everett makes a decision. Feature Kira, Stevie, & Ruby from Death Squad.

Stay - Drabble - Everett finds his safe place.

Soft OC Ask - Drabble - A short journal entry from Verai about Everett.

Names - Drabble - Everett asks Verai for her real name.

Rain - Drabble - Everett has a moment in the rain with Verai.

[bunnybananasims]

Strangetown - a Netflix Original Series

I am back on my Netflix era 🤣

Welcome to the Beaker arc of my Strangetown series! *plays X-Files theme*

“What experiments are the highly secretive and less than neighborly Loki and Circe Beaker performing on poor Nervous Subject? Will this secrecy affect Circe's career ambitions?”

If you remember my last ST playthrough, Nervous and Annie hatched a plan to finally take down the Beakers, and with the new powers Nervous has, the couple’s feeling confident that they could get and do all they need.

What would happen next? Stay tuned to find out 😁

Netflix template by @seungnm

[watermelonlipstick]

Dreams, Chapter 7

If you haven’t read this series before, you might want to start on Chapter 1, or check out the Dreams Masterlist! Here’s the series description:

When Dean dies for good leaving Sam and his girlfriend (the reader) behind, they must figure out how to carry on without him. Alone, reeling, and unsure what to do next, trying to honor Dean’s memory and follow their hearts gets even more complicated when their nightmares become dreams that feel a little too real.

Title: Dreams, Chapter 7

Pairing: (past) Dean Winchester x Reader, (eventual) Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 4184

Summary: Life moves toward normalcy for Sam and the reader, regardless of emotional turmoil.

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, s l o w  b u r n

          A few days later the Kaisers came into the bar for a nightcap and asked you and Sam to come to their house for dinner. You couldn’t think of a reason not to, and honestly thought maybe it would be nice to have something to structure the week around. It had been quiet, just barely beneath solemn while the dust settled and Sam stayed mostly silent while you moved around each other throughout the day. At least at the Kaisers’ Sam would have to talk to you, maybe even sidle up close to you during waking hours to keep up the couples’ charade. A little zap of guilt moved through you as you politely agreed to a time, that the second thought you’d had was about getting closer to Sam under this guise. In any case, the Kaisers were kind, it wouldn’t hurt to have a nice meal with someone else, and if you were going to stay here, it would be a good idea to avoid appearing standoffish. You bought their last drink and were waving after them when Sam came upstairs from changing a keg.

           “We’re going to the Kaisers’ for dinner tomorrow,” you offered, trying to keep your voice even and making a point of not staring at Sam too long. It was a challenge; since Sam had kissed you and even more since he’d divulged that longing was part of the tangle of emotions he was feeling, it was on your mind nearly constantly, adding a murky stripe to the ever-present grief.

           “Oh, uh, okay.” Sam jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans like he didn’t know what to do with them. “What time?”

           “They said 7:30. Don’t let me forget; I think we should bring a bottle of wine or something, so I can grab one tomorrow.”

           “Yeah, that works.”

           You wanted to drag out the conversation but couldn’t think of any way to that wasn’t cloying or desperate. If this (hopefully temporary) emotional distance was what Sam needed, it was unfair for you to try to take it from him. A quick nod and you returned to washing glasses.

           The rest of the shift passed agonizingly slowly. Sam put on a podcast about Jonestown for the drive home.

           You’d decided to walk over to the Kaisers’ with Sam the next day, bundled up on top of a presentable sweater that you hadn’t worn in a few years. Biting wind sliced through your jeans and seemed to creep into your coat even as you dug your chin inside the collar like a turtle, and when Sam noticed he threw an arm around you. His side blocked a bit of the wind and he rubbed your shoulder to warm it with friction. The impulse to curl up into his ribs was fierce, but you fought it down to wrap your forearms around the bottle of red wine that looked the fanciest of the midrange bottles at the grocery store. Where seconds before you had been wishing the walk were shorter, now you could’ve stayed out in the ice forever if it meant Sam would allow himself to be close to you again without being asleep. You’d made peace with the want, trying hard to decide that feeling crazy on top of your grief wasn’t helping anyone.

           “Ready?” Sam asked with a tentative smile at the doorway. The Kaisers lived in a version of your cabin, in the sense that many of the houses in the area were log-hewn and rustic. However, they were clearly here to stay. Window flowerbeds filled with pinecones for the season and delicately carved shutters framed warm casts of light streaming onto the snow through gauzy ivory curtains, and their door opened to a tiny front porch where yours simply had a small ungraceful cement platform. For a moment, you thought about how comforting it would be to come back here at the end of a shift. It didn’t feel like somewhere as darling as this could have a half-broken boiler that rattled all day or plastic-coated countertops. This was a home and not a hideout.

           You gave Sam what you hoped was a reassuring grin and watched as his long finger pressed an old-fashioned doorbell encased in wrought iron.

           Mike answered the door. He had on a fuzzy pullover that made him look even more like a teddy bear than he normally did, nubbly wool spanning his belly like fur. He had the kind of rosy full-cheeked smile some jolly men combined with their booming voices to seem like the Ghost of Christmas Present, and a well-groomed beard with two starkly delineated streaks of gray-white dropping straight down from the corners of his mouth. From previous neighborly hugs, you knew he smelled like piney aftershave. He was a little taller than average, and built former-linebacker solid. You would’ve bet anything he was the perfect dad to call to help move you into a college apartment or scare an ex-boyfriend, and the thought of it made you cheerful and sad all at once. The hand not holding the doorknob had a pint of dark beer. “Great, you’re here! Babs, they’re here,” he added over his shoulder, gesturing an arm to welcome you into the home.

           Sam waited for you to go first, shuffling his feet along the doormat in tandem with you as Mike closed the door. You followed Mike’s socked initiative and gently toed your boots off while you handed him the bottle of wine somewhat shyly. For all the years you’d been on your own, there was something so decidedly adult about bringing wine over to the dinner party of a middle-aged couple that felt like those first few meetings of your parents’ friends after college, when you’re not sure whether to call them by their first names or resign yourself to a life of Mr This and Mrs That. Mike seemed to pick up on it, thoughtfully appraising the bottle and squeezing your shoulder, humming about how you didn’t have to bring anything. He clapped Sam on the back and asked him how he was doing before teasing gently about how long his hair had gotten, and you took in the house.

           It was bigger than the cabin you were staying in, the staircase to your left suggesting an upstairs that yours didn’t have, but what was far more striking was how warm it felt both in mood and literal temperature. A fire crackled straight through the main room in front of you, surrounded by giant river rock stonework that offset caramelly beige walls. A deep, plush canvas sofa faced the fireplace, flanked by two equally overstuffed armchairs upholstered with burnt sienna stained leather. Quick visual survey gave you a count of 4 throws in the room of various weights and patterns.

           The kitchen was over to the right through the dining room. Barbie was wearing an apron covered in piglets and appeared to be basting something in the oven, turning toward you and absentmindedly wiping her hands. Fluffy, soft-looking hair was held back from her face with a pair of no-nonsense tortoiseshell barrettes. “Oh, perfect! I thought I hadn’t left enough time for the roast, but it looks about done. Can I get you two a drink?”

           Sam’s soft, encouraging smile was enough to make you feel a little weak in the knees. “Sure! It smells great in here.”

           “How about an old fashioned? We’ve been working through a great bottle of bourbon.”

           “Works for me,” Sam agreed, and you nodded as well.

           A few moments of small talk later, Sam offered to help Barbie with the food. She graciously accepted, giving him some job you knew she could’ve easily done herself as a way to make him feel more comfortable. Mike noticed you looking at the variety of pictures on the wall and started talking about their kids, putting names to each cheerful face. They were a good-looking family, the Kaisers, all big beaming smiles and limbs protectively wrapped around each other over the course of different seasons and major events. You’d had to let go of this idea years ago, long before Dean was gone, but it still made you ache in a nondescript way to see a family so happy and so each others’, not only in the way they loved but also in the way they so obviously belonged. Mike and Barbie were good people, and they deserved this. You tried to focus on the affection in Mike’s face as he talked, asking a few clarifying questions as he went. A few moments later, Sam came up behind you.

           “Barbie says we should go sit down.” There was a pinkness to his cheeks and you couldn’t tell if it was the warmth of the kitchen or residual windburn from your walk over.

           The table was one of those single-plank, live-edged ones you’d always coveted and knew were far more expensive than they looked. It fit the elevated rustic feel of the Kaisers’ house and the delicious, rib-sticking meal you were eating off of it. As you fawned over the roast and Barbie did the requisite Midwestern dance of ‘oh it’s nothing I’ll give you the recipe’ it was easy to fantasize about belonging somewhere like this, having parents like this, pictures of your cousins and nieces and nephews lining the walls of your childhood home. Indulgent, clearly, even more so than the rich food and smooth liquor, but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel guilty about it.

           “So, have you two always worked in the bar industry? That always seemed so fun to me—but I’m too old to do anything like that now,” Barbie asked.

           “Oh, come on, you’d be a great bartender,” Sam insisted, always coming down on the exact right spot between flattering and politely flirtatious. “But uh, no. This is the first bar I’ve worked in for more than a few weeks, actually.”

           Mike raised his eyebrows in an indication to continue but Sam artfully avoided his gaze. You couldn’t tell what the cue was—how honest was Sam planning on being? An old classic, the technically-true, seemed like the best option. “I worked as a bartender through and a little bit after college.”

           “Silly me, I guess I had always thought that’s how you two had met; you seem like such a good team there! How did you meet, then?”

           You artfully popped an entire fingerling potato in your mouth to force Sam to take over. “Uh, our, ah, families were friends.” In the sense that Bobby had been like an uncle to you both, maybe. A complete non-answer that sort of encompassed the barebones of the situation if you squinted at it right, but neither Mike nor Barbie seemed to recognize the opacity of it.

           “That’s great. I bet your parents were excited then, seeing you get together,” Mike suggested before taking a sip of bourbon. Both you and Sam smiled affirmatively—not together, many of those parents long dead before we had even met—and hoped the moment would pass. “How long has it been, then? Since you got together?”

           That one you couldn’t even guess what the right pretend answer would be and prepared to joke ‘too long’ before Sam said, “About two years. We knew each other for a long time before that, though.” It made sense, as far as answers went. ‘About two years’ since Dean was gone, since your lives changed, but it still ripped through you like an electric shock and sent you reeling. You could have spent an hour looking at that statement from every angle but snapped out of it when Barbie gave you a basket of rolls to pass to Mike.

           “So that explains why she doesn’t have a ring,” Mike winked, playfully knocking Sam’s arm with his fork still in his hand. “Two years isn’t that long.”

           Two years is a lifetime. Sam blushed and looked down at his plate. “Be nice. Kids don’t get married at 20 like they used to,” Barbie teased from across the table, smirking at her husband with so much love behind her eyes. You couldn’t help but wonder if you would’ve looked at Dean like that across some dining room table if things had been different and your mind flashed on the kitchen counter a few nights before, silently clinking rocks glasses together over pie and wanting to hold Sam until the world got more fair.

           The plates were cleared and an amazing, sticky bread pudding was brought out. Mike and Barbie coaxed each other into telling stories that made you genuinely belly laugh until finally you couldn’t suppress a tiny yawn and the final drink was poured with a joke about how it wasn’t like you were driving home, so what was the harm? You all moved to the living room in front of the fire, sitting next to Sam on the couch when Mike and Barbie took what must’ve been their normal spots in each armchair. Old cushions folded up around you comfortingly and rolled you slightly into Sam’s weight next to you, lining up the firm stretch of his thigh along yours. Warmth from the fire and Sam, the pleasant sounds of your hosts’ voices and Sam’s answers to them rumbling through you as vibrations when he spoke were so sweet and heavy under the bourbon, and your eyelids began to droop.

           Sam’s hand gently covered your knee. “Ready to go?” he asked, low with a private smirk.

           You made a conscious effort to sit up straight. “I’m so sorry, I can barely keep my eyes open! Where are my manners?”

           Mike laughed a big belly laugh from his armchair. “Babs, we’re outlasting the bartenders!”

           Everyone chuckled as you all got up from your chairs, Sam accepting a Tupperware of leftovers before the at-the-doorway conversation of people who didn’t want to go and hosts who didn’t want them to either. You’d been so nervous about the dinner and now you didn’t want to leave, honestly hadn’t really wanted to leave the sofa, just doze against Sam in the heat and company like a child. It had seemed before like maybe Mike and Barbie were just asking you for dinner because it was the thing to do, but they had been genuinely welcoming and you realized that these were the first non-hunter or hunting-related relationships you had made in literal years as you zipped your coat up all the way to the top and followed Sam outside into the quiet night.

           “Man, they are really nice,” he remarked, walking closely enough next to you that your sleeves brushed together.

           You could barely see his face when you looked up to him. “Yeah. We should have them over sometime.”

           “Our place looks like a flop house.”

           You giggled, the sound falling softly on the snow around you. “We can fix it up first.”

           “No real point in fixing it up if we’re not staying here for a long time.”

           “Maybe we could stay a while.”

           Sam looked down at you, slowing to a stop even as the icy wind whipped around you. “You want to stay?”

           “I mean, I—yeah, I think I do. Unless you think we should go somewhere else.”

           “No, I just…I guess I hadn’t really considered it here, the whole “roots” thing.”

           “It’s fucking freezing, can we talk at the cabin?”

           Sam’s laugh rang out across the woodsy surroundings as he clapped an arm around you and shuffled you both home.

           That night you tucked your cold toes between Sam’s flannel-clad legs and tried to imagine Dean as an old man.

           If you’d thought December and January were bad, the intense cold snap of February sent you for a loop. Something about the months of darkness and frozen fingers was making you more stir crazy than normal; the idea of coming home to the cabin seeming less and less enticing as the days went on.

           And then the boiler broke.

           Well and truly broke, not just making the horrible clanging sounds it was prone to, but no heat at all. It had only been a couple weeks since going to dinner at the Kaisers’ and the experimental conversation with Sam about investing time into the cabin which had since fizzled out. A lack of heat at the border of the Upper Peninsula in winter was obviously untenable, and it forced the topic again as you grumpily helped carry in the remnants of another dead tree Sam had felled to heat the home with firewood.

           “Is it worth fixing or is this a sign?” you huffed through the tiny clouds of steam coming out of your mouth. “How much would it cost?”

           “I don’t have a ton of experience with boilers, but I’m pretty sure it’s the heat exchanger. And I have no idea how much it would cost to fix, but I can try to do it myself if the parts aren’t too much.” Pragmatic, genius Sam with the patience for machinery that you didn’t have. He snaked a long arm out from the bundle of wood he was carrying to open the door and hold it for you to scurry under his arm before closing it after both of you.

           Generally, you thought a landlord would probably fix this kind of thing but it always felt a little scary asking him for anything, knowing you paid cash every month and the owner had never asked for a background check. It could have been fine, but every potential conflict seemed like it might be an opportunity to be unceremoniously evicted. Better to either leave before it could happen or solve the problem yourselves. You put a hand on Sam’s chest before he could go back for another bundle of wood. “Let’s talk about it for a second.”

           Sam put his hands on his hips and it accentuated the broad span of his shoulders in his thick jacket. “Okay, right. What do you think?”

           “Well, I mean, do you want to stay here? Or do you want to go somewhere else, or start moving again or something? We haven’t even really talked about it.”

           He seemed to be weighing the options before biting his lip. “Here seems as good a place as any in a lot of ways, you know? Off the beaten path, probably not going to get spotted by anyone we know—knew—and the money is honest.”

           You cut him off with a flippant wave of the hand. “Right, but I’m not talking strategically. Do you want to stay here? Do you like it here?”

           A moment of silence fell as you searched his face for clues. “I—yeah, I do. I like being in the woods, I like the bar, I like people like the Kaisers and Steve and Jake. Maybe I’ll feel differently in the summer but right now I do.”

           The grin cracked open your face slowly. “Good. I like it here too. Do you think the hardware store would have the stuff you need to fix it?”

           “Definitely the first place I would check.”

           After getting the rest of the wood inside and leaving it next to the small fire already burning to dry out, you started to follow Sam to the car before he turned around a step before the door. “Where are you going?” he asked as you almost bumped into him.

           “Hardware store, I thought?”

           “Nice try, we can’t both leave with a fire going.”

           “Oh, I get it. So you get to go sit in the warm car and hang out in the warm hardware store while I turn into a popsicle over here.” You were half-joking, but it was genuinely freezing in the cabin, even with the fire going. Sam rolled his eyes over a smirk and strode around you, pushing the couch tight to the fireplace before retrieving the down comforter from the bed and throwing it on top. He grabbed a rinsed plastic bottle from the top of the recycling bin and filled it with water hot from the tap before throwing it in the microwave for a second.

           “Unless you feel like learning a lot about boilers today, then yes.” He gingerly pulled the bottle out of the microwave and tightened the cap back on, deftly shifting it between hands before tossing it under the comforter on the sofa.

           You were having a hard time holding onto your anger as you watched him make a cup of peppermint tea, still wearing his boots and coat as he moved around the tiny kitchen. Reluctantly, you shuffled over to the couch and removed only your boots and gloves before getting under the blankets, tucking your socked feet around the poor man’s hot water bottle and finally smiling only when Sam brought over the steaming mug of tea with more than a touch of affection under the exasperation coloring his face. “Fine?”

           “Fine.”

           When he came back, you were well into a worn paperback and had put two more logs on the fire already. “Do you need help?” you called over your shoulder from within the comforter cocoon.

           “I think I’ve got it, thanks.” His words came into the room on a gust of cold air while he tapped snow off of his boots.

           “Think you know what you’re doing?”

           “Actually, yeah. The woman at the hardware store—you’d recognize her, Diane I think—knew a fair amount about it. I’m pretty sure I have it under control.” He brought a paper bag weighted with supplies over to the utility closet you knew held the boiler and got to work.

           It was nice watching Sam in this element, always had been. As much as Dean had loved doing little projects and fixing things, both Winchesters were far handier than your average bear and Sam’s natural interest in learning lent itself well to tinkering with all kinds of things. Evidently boilers were not an exception. He shucked his coat off to lie flat on his back, looking up  at something you couldn’t see with his hands gently resting on his ribcage before reaching to grab a wrench. The twisting motion raised his elbow and tugged his shirt a bit up his torso to reveal a few inches of Sam’s lower abdomen, the trail of hair tracing to his belt buckle in slightly sharper contrast to the taught skin around it given the consecutive months spent without sun. It made you blush and you quickly looked back to your book, grateful for the heat that the fireplace was bringing to your cheeks as cover.

           About forty minutes later, Sam tapped your shoulder and startled you out of the goofy historical fiction of the paperback. “Wanna see if it works?”

           He had a stripe of oil or something on his cheek but you resisted the impulse to swipe it off, instead nodding and extricating yourself from the heat of the blanket and couch around you. When you turned it on, the boiler clicked loudly twice in a way you thought might be a bad omen before going silent again. You let an extended beat pass and placed a palm on the side. It was already on the edge of being too hot to touch and you momentarily forgot that you and Sam had decidedly not been continuing your new normal level of comforting affection lately before throwing your arms up high around his neck excitedly. He chuckled into your ear and closed the embrace, forearms crossing your ribcage and hoisting you off the ground as he stood up in your hug. You could feel the fingers of one hand splayed out over your back and side through your jacket, the other still holding the wrench tightly.

           “Okay, no promises it’s going to last, but I think that was it,” Sam offered as you released each other.

           “Crank it! I want it to feel like the Caribbean in here.”

           “You say that now, and in 3 hours you’re going to be whining about how hot you are,” Sam grinned, clearly feeling a little proud of himself even if he wouldn’t admit it. He tapped the wrench absentmindedly against his palm for a moment, considering whether he wanted to say something. “When I was at the hardware store she said our landlord might be open to cutting our rent if we offered to fix up the place.”

           “Who’s we?” you teased, holding your frozen fingers close to the boiler like it was a campfire.

           “I thought you might say that. But seriously, I know you don’t like the color of the walls or the shower pressure or whatever, could make it feel a little less…sterile.”

           You tried not to remember that the last time you’d picked out paint was for a bright pink bedroom at age 12. Sam was right, it could be nice. Even more than that, it would be great to have some leftover cash around, and an extra project to kill a few hours of daylight wasn’t a bad idea.

           “I kind of like the sound of that. I’ll talk to him about whether he’d be game.” Sam squeezed your shoulder before massaging your neck, admiring the boiler distractedly when you continued. “And seriously, thank you for fixing it.”

-

Continue to Dreams, Chapter 8

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[rainydaycafe]

Wrong apartment, Sam

Summary: Moving in is never an enjoyable experience, but if you mix a recovering super soldier, a pretty neighbor, soft flirtations and a sudden misunderstanding; you have the recipe for a pretty sweet story waiting to unfold.

Warnings: None. Bucky Barnes is one in a million.

First chapter (part?) of the Neighborly Affection series I cooked up.

________________

Af-fec-tion: A gentle feeling of fondness or liking

Emilia really liked her apartment.

It was in a nice location near enough to her school to be walked to and from with a very reasonable rent after subletting from an elderly woman who was off traveling until the foreseeable future.

After months and months of work, she had finally gotten it to the point in terms of decoration and overall feel to have the homey feeling she had been wanting to have while she was away from home. It had been quite the hassle, but she had been successful.

The fourth floor of her building was less than eventful, especially where she lived in the far corner without a next door neighbor though it did mean she got a larger balcony.

Well she didn’t have a neighbor until she was sitting on her couch grading papers for Professor Barlow when she heard her front door attempting to be opened from the outside, but it was thankfully locked.

Sitting up quickly, she was startled even if she reasoned her apartment building was safe as she headed over to the peephole to see a man standing there looking confused down at the doorknob as though it were in the wrong.

Biting the bullet, she unlocked her door and swung it open, surprising the man who didn’t get to speak before another voice came down the hall.

“I said 225 not 226,” Said the voice, prompting Emilia to stick her head out of her door to see a tall man holding what seemed to be a superhuman amount of boxes before dropping them next to the empty apartment next door.

Well formerly empty now.

“Sorry,” Said the man who had attempted to open her door, “For trying to open your room and because you got this brooding toddler as a neighbor.”

Emilia cracked a smile, “It’s okay. Do you need any help?” She offered sincerely, glancing at the man unlocking his door before glancing away because he was the slightest bit intimidating.

And handsome.

“Uh- no. We can manage,” Said the man pocketing his key, “But thank you.”

Turning back to the man in front of her, she returned his smile after he had picked up the box from the floor in front of him.

“I swear, he’s good company.” He assured her with a wink before heading down the hallway before pausing right as she was about to close her door, “I’m Sam, by the way.”

Emilia popped out of her apartment again, “I’m Emilia.” She introduced and Sam nodded his head towards the apartment in reference to the man, “That’s Bucky. Or, well James.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” She said quietly and Sam grinned at her, nodding before leaving Emilia to shut her door and lock it soundly, the entire ordeal running around her head and replaying itself.

Her face felt hot and she knew she was blushing.

Sam had been really nice, but Buck- or well, James was different. He didn’t seem unkind, but preoccupied with his move. He was tall, broad, and almost ridiculously handsome in an old fashioned and classic type of way and Emilia knew she was beyond screwed.

She was being ridiculous.

There was no reason she needed to have the memory of James running through her head as she attempted to correct freshman English.

However she was entirely oblivious to the conversation going on in the apartment next door.

“She's a pretty girl, Buck.” Sam told him as he sliced open a poorly taped box, earning a roll of the eyes from Bucky.

However Sam didn’t miss the way Bucky tried to smother a smile at the mention of the neighbor he had just met. It was obvious they had caught her off guard since she had been wearing leggings and a Boston University sweatshirt, and he knew she thought he hadn’t even noticed her but he had noticed her.

He had noticed everything about her “thanks” to his years as an assassin since that tends to carve your ability to observe and comprehend people in an instant.

“So what?”

Sam threw a dish towel at him, “She seems really nice. She’s pretty. Maybe, I don’t know- get to know her and see where it leads so you aren’t a lonely bitter grump all of the time?” He said as though it were obvious.

However, Bucky was fine.

“Just help me unpack, please,” Bucky said, “I don’t need any dating advice, man.” Shutting down the conversation until further notice.

___________________

They didn’t see or hear one another for the next three days, both of them caught up in their own lives and getting settled in.

That lasted until Friday when Emilia was digging her keys out of her satchel with one hand holding a grocery tote bag when Bucky’s front door swung open as she was about to pass it, startling her.

“Sorry,” He apologized, smiling as Emilia smiled at him and told him it was okay as she headed towards her door when he bit the bullet and asked her a stupid question.

“Wait,” Bucky called out, causing Emilia to turn around curiously, “Do you know how to unlock the balcony door? I can’t get it to open.”

Emilia’s slight confusion was evident but she quickly nodded, “Yeah, of course.” Before following Bucky into his apartment.

His apartment was essentially the same in terms of layout as Emilia’s, but it was decorated differently since it wasn’t really decorated at all. It all seemed a bit plain and rudimentary, but he was just moving in so there was always time for him to make it his own, she supposed.

Pointing towards the balcony door, Bucky said, “I’ve been trying to figure it out but it just won’t unlock.”

Readjusting her bag over her left shoulder, she quickly went over and lifted the hatch before sliding it open and pointing with a grin, earning a laugh from Bucky who knew he looked dumb but had gotten to speak to her again and had gotten her to laugh.

“Wow,” He said with a grin, “I’m really stupid, aren’t it?”

She shook her head quickly, “No, don’t say that. It’s a new apartment so it’s all weird and difficult to adjust to.” She assured him as they began walking back towards the front door.

Bucky had noticed her satchel and grocery bag, but opted to leave the satchel for another conversation and instead asked about the bag she was holding.

Exiting his apartment, she turned and opened the bag for him to see its contents which were powdered sugar and cream cheese.

“I’m thinking about making cinnamon rolls and I needed this for the frosting,” She explained, her face heating up but Bucky thought it was adorable.

He was screwed.

“I think cinnamon rolls are a beautiful way to spend a Friday,” Bucky justified for her, “Thank you for helping me open my balcony door.”

Emilia grinned at him, and he could feel himself becoming accustomed and enchanted by her grins which were soft and sincere towards him, something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

They bid their goodbyes and Emilia was soon entering her apartment with a bitten back grin attempting to win control as she dropped her satchel next to the door alongside the shoes she had just kicked off before swinging the tote bag onto the counter and jumping up and down a bit.

For a 24 year old graduate student with a bachelor’s degree in English lit she was acting like a 13 year old girl with a crush who had never gotten the right kind of attention from a cute boy.

Bucky on his own side of the wall was grinning as he plopped down onto his couch and began scrolling through what Sam called “Nextflix” or something after allowing him to use his account.

As stupid as the excuse had been, he had gotten to speak to her and see how truly kind she was.

Of course, he had been slightly worried she would freak out at the sight of metal arm’s hand gleaming underneath the hallway lights, but she had barely even glanced at it, or maybe she had not even noticed it at all.

Either way, he felt calm about it because he had found a new therapist with the help of Sam who had led him in the direction of acceptance of the past and the inability to change it regardless of how much he wanted it to be different.

He was who he was now, and while he had no control over being an assassin, he had control over who he was now.

This didn’t mean the insecurities were all gone…. But he had a solid amount of stability and he felt he was able to look forward to what he could have here while picking and choosing who he let in.

The way he was drawn to Emilia was something he hadn’t really ever encountered on something other than a physical level even before the fall, but he wasn’t about to fight it either.

____________________

By 6:50pm Emilia was going against her better and humble judgement as she packed four cinnamon rolls away into a glass tupperware container before snapping the lid shut.

He had mentioned cinnamon rolls sounding lovely on a Friday night, and her father would be so offended by her lack of kindness towards a neighbor who was obviously a fan of what she was baking.

It was to be polite and kind.

It was most definitely not to get another good look at his steel blue eyes planted so perfectly on his almost inhumanely handsome face with his cologne following him just about everywhere in his apartment.

She had seen a shiny glint on his left hand, causing her to glance and see he had a black and gold metal prosthetic, yet somehow it made him feel all the more mysterious and entrancing.

Clutching the container in her hand, she made her way over to her door where she slid her socked feet into her go-to Birkenstocks and glanced down to what she was wearing and grimaced.

Dark blue leggings and a long sleeve Smokey the Bear shirt.

She could change, but there was no way someone would believe she was just casually looking cute while baking after he had seen her outfit after her return from school so she couldn’t just show up looking cute.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped out of her door and made sure not to lock it behind herself. She was acting ridiculous and it was becoming too much because she was acting as though there were someone to dress up for.

All this was doing was getting her hopes up and preparing her to be crushed.

Knocking on his door, she heard footsteps gather towards the door before it swung wide open and there stood James.

“Hi,” Emilia said as she held up her container proudly, “I made the cinnamon rolls and thought you would like some.”

There was genuine surprise on his face before he cooled his expression, “I would love some.” But she could still see that he was really surprised at her kind gesture at an off comment he had made without expecting anything.

Emilia handed him the container and for whatever god forsaken reason gave him a thumbs up which earned a laugh out of Bucky who glanced back into his apartment which was still respectfully clean after unpacking what was left.

“Do you want to come in and have some with me? Uh- Sam gave me a list of movies to watch and we could maybe watch one?” Bucky asked before quickly adding “But only if you want to.”

Caught off her guard herself now, she was soon nodding before gesturing to her apartment, “Let me just grab my phone and lock my door.” Because while Bucky was handsome and seemingly perfect, she couldn’t just go into a man’s apartment without a phone. She had some sense inside of her, afterall.

“Do you drink milk with your cinnamon rolls? Tea? Water? Chicken broth?” Bucky asked with a teasing flint in his eyes before she could go and Emilia shook her head and laughed.

“I’m lactose intolerant, but I have oat milk. Do you like oat milk?”

Bucky shrugged, “I’ve never had it. I didn’t even know it was a thing.” Which earned an eyebrow raise from Emilia who told him she would be back quickly.

Returning quickly, she made her way into Bucky’s apartment clutching her vanilla oat milk proudly while oblivious to the way Bucky stared at her ass in those leggings he thought were akin to a Godsend because good God did she have a fantastic ass.

Grabbing two glasses from his cabinet he handed them to Emilia who poured their milk as he grabbed plates for the cinnamon rolls before they both headed towards his couch, sitting on opposite ends.

Bucky carefully served them both a cinnamon roll before he grabbed a glass from the table and stared at it as Emilia looked at him, watching his reaction as he took a respectable size drink.

“That’s pretty damn good.” Bucky admitted with reluctance because he had always been a whole milk kind of guy, and the thought of milk coming from oats was just lunacy, but it sure was tasty.

He handed Emilia the remote and surrendered control to her.

“I haven’t really been…. Up to date with any movies so you’re the leader here.” Bucky insisted after she attempted to hand the remote back to him to no avail.

It was true, technically speaking.

Turning to the TV, she moved to the movie selection and really thought about what was a truly necessary watch as Bucky picked up his cinnamon roll and took a large bite. The groan he produced was entirely organic as he chewed, searching for a napkin to clean his mouth of the frosting.

Emilia smiled at his reaction before gesturing to the TV which was showing the thumbnail and description of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in a silent question which Bucky answered with a shake of his head as he cleaned his mouth.

“I’ve never watched it, but it sounds funky. Let’s watch.” He insisted.

Getting comfortable, they were both silent as the movie began its opening credits, however they both were a bit too caught up on attempting to sneak subtle glances at one another. Bucky was much more successful, but Emilia was truly feeling like she was 13 years old with a cute boy nearby.

“I have to ask; where did you learn to make these?” Bucky asked as he finished off his cinnamon roll while Emilia was about a quarter of the way through with hers after her eyes had become glued to the TV when they began feeling more comfortable.

“My dad, actually.” She said with a shrug, “He would make them on special occasions like birthday breakfasts, Christmas, or on days he thought should be special and he taught me how until it became second nature.”

His eyes softened at that. It felt private, like it was something intimate to share with someone.

“Well my respect goes out to your father because his past self blessed my current self because these are amazing.” Bucky complimented, smiling as Emilia blushed and fidgeted nervously much to his enjoyment.

Adjusting her leg to move underneath her, she gently set her plate on the table as she watched Charlie run home after obtaining the winning ticket, smiling to herself as Bucky smiled at what was happening on the TV.

Before either of them could ask a question or prompt another conversation, Emilia’s phone vibrated against the cushion, catching both of their attention.

“You can answer it, I’ll grab another cinnamon roll while you talk.” Bucky assured her when he saw how hesitant she was which earned a grateful smile from her as he stood with the container and left her to at least some privacy since the kitchen was behind the living room.

“Hello?” He heard Emilia answer, and while he had superhuman hearing he couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the line so he went about his business.

“Blaine, you left it in my apartment.” She said and Bucky raised his eyebrows as he set his dessert into the microwave for a quick reheat.

“Because you were wearing it the day you helped me move in but then you took it off and never took it when you left.” Emilia spoke into her phone.

Taking out the roll, he poked at it before deciding it needed more time to get softer as he pretended to be busy himself washing his hands as he still listened.

“No way. I’m keeping it until you physically take it out of my hands, it’s comfortable.” Emilia defended before laughing at what they said before the next line had Bucky raising his eyebrows at her next sentence.

“Yes I will take care of it, Blaine. I love you too, bye.” Before she hung up the phone and apologized as Bucky sat down but he waved her off with a lopsided smile.

Getting comfortable again, they hit play on the previously paused movie when Bucky dared to ask what was on the tip of his tongue because he had to know before he became much too far gone for his own good.

“Boyfriend on the phone?” Bucky asked casually, smiling as Emilia dropped her cinnamon roll onto her plate and shook her head fervently.

“No. God no.” She said with a huffy laugh, “That was my brother, Blaine. He was asking if he had left a sweatshirt here and asked me to mail it over to him, but I refused because it’s become a part of my ensemble.”

Bucky smiled, relieved at the information because this meant there was one less person to compete for Emilia’s affection with.

Emilia chewed her mouthful before she dared to be bold enough to ask if Bucky had a girlfriend, or even a boyfriend to which Bucky shook his head casually.

“No girlfriend. Nobody has caught my attention, you know.” He made a gesture with his metal arm, catching as Emilia looked at it but it wasn’t a judgemental look, more of a curious one.

Before getting into that, he needed to assure himself that he was making the right moves here.

“So no potential boyfriend to be known?”

That caught her off guard, causing her to blink at him not unlike an owl before stabilizing herself and shaking her head, “No. No potential boyfriend.” She told him soundly.

Bucky smiled and nodded, only saying “Good.” Before he turned his attention back to the TV as he left Emilia with her own thoughts as she mimicked his movements with a mind full of thoughts.

Her heartbeat was rattling around her chest quickly, her nervous becoming prominent at what was being implied mixed in with the knowledge that she couldn’t be exactly sure what Bucky meant by saying “Good.”

But somehow she didn’t mind all too much.

____________________

The remainder of the weekend and the following week had Emilia and Bucky spending an almost illegal amount of time together.

Much to his relief, the conversation about his metal arm was simple and more admiring from Emilia than anything else.

They had gotten to know one another, becoming comfortable and open with one another. To Bucky, this was unheard of but he found himself going along with it.

Especially after speaking to Dr. Elena about it on his weekly therapy session the Wednesday morning following a fourth hangout on Tuesday night which had sent him spiralling a bit at how entranced he truly was by Emilia.

He had mentioned her a bit the prior week, but with how much he actually enjoyed spending time with her the more he needed to speak to someone other than himself in the shower.

“Is it…. Am I thinking too much about this? Causing it to be something it’s not?” Bucky asked as he rested his elbows on his knees, watching carefully as Dr. Elena set down her notepad and looked at him.

“That’s not for me to answer, Bucky,” She answered as she waved her hands, “If you like someone then that’s all there is to it. Love has no timeline… sometimes it comes gradually after an extensive commitment and sometimes it comes rushing all at once, but either way it’s out of our control.”

“I’ve seen her almost everyday for more than a week now and I’m listening to the music she recommends…. What if I ruin it?” Bucky said as he dropped his gaze to the carpet between them and shook his head, “Everything in my life has become complicated one way or another and I don’t want to hurt her or-or complicate things.”

Elena crossed her legs and tilted her head, “What if you don’t? What if this is the one thing in your life that can be less than complicated? I’m not saying you two will be perfect, but perhaps it will be a grounding aspect in your life.”

He was silent as she continued.

“You lost control of your life for a long time, but you’re beginning the arduous process of healing. This is what comes with the territory because it’s natural to want someone with you, and you’ve entered this situation where it’s organic and easy between you and Emilia.”

Bucky took a deep breath, “The game of “what if” is endless, isn’t it?”

Elena nodded with a smile, “I’ll tell you something, Bucky. There are few relationships in life you’re going to get where it’s just easy enough as going with the flow. I wouldn’t drop the opportunity because you might be overthinking it when the signs are right there.”

There was silence between them until he suddenly spoke up again, his voice showing his awe.

“She didn’t… she didn’t make it a big deal.” Bucky said, prompting Elena to ask what he meant.

“When I told her about my past; about Hydra, the Winter Soldier, the kills…. She told me that it was okay. That it was heartbreaking to think about, but that it wasn’t within my control because I was a weapon, not the attacker.” He explained to her, his voice becoming shaky towards the end.

Elena had an impressed look on her face as she scribbled something down on her legal pad.

“Well then, Bucky, you’re on the lucky receiving end of someone doubtedly understand’s affection and that’s something special, isn’t it?” She asked, “Plus she’s on the receiving end of yours which is even harder to gain so that must mean something as well, right?”

That following Thursday Emilia had stopped at the grocery store to buy bell peppers and onions for a sudden craving for chicken fajitas after hearing a classmate mention having enjoyed some the night prior on a date.

She knew Bucky was a fan of chicken so she doubled the general meat quantity she would use for herself because the man could eat.

Sauteeing the vegetables, her thoughts wandered off to said neighbor and smiled to herself as she thought about spending even more time with him. She had assured him that he didn’t always need to hang out with her, but he had mentioned loving her attention and company.

It was just a matter of fact that she was far gone for him, but even as a friend she knew he was beautiful company.

Opting to head over to invite him over to dinner at her place, she was smiling at his front door until it swung open only to reveal an… uncomfortable looking Bucky standing there, looking as though he didn’t want her to be there at that moment.

The way his face fell had her own heart dropping in her stomach, making her want to be anywhere but there.

“Emilia,” Bucky said, sounding uncomfortable, “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Before Emilia could excuse herself and apologize profusely, a very pretty blonde came around his shoulder and stared at Emilia before giving her a halfhearted smile as she looked her up and down as though she were a nuisance.

This was enough to send Emilia into a fit of apologies, “I’m so sorry, James. I didn’t know you were busy, I’ll just go.” Before looking down and heading to her own apartment, thankful for not having locked it as she rushed in and shut it soundly behind herself.

She had been so stupid.

Why had she allowed herself to believe he felt the same? Allowed herself to get her hopes up when she was so obviously ignorant to the fact that he was being friendly to his overly eager neighbor.

Reality was often unkind and crushing without regard, much like this moment where she began packing away the food with her appetite gone at the thought of him being locked away with such a tall and pretty woman.

They would be perfect together, of course.

Though regardless of her feelings, she was alone in her apartment feeling a dull ache in her chest alongside the humiliation as she had to put away the larger than usual portion of dinner that reminded her of how eager she was to just spend time with him.

Snapping the lids onto the container, she felt her eyes well with hot tears as they fell down her cheeks only to be wiped away by herself quickly because she wasn’t about to cry.

It was dumb.

It had all been so dumb, and her feelings were so dumb.

It had all been in her head, all of it. It was sickening, actually, to realize how ignorant she had been to the reality of it and all and how caught up in her head because here she was, upset at James for being what he was; a single man.

Sticking her pan into the sink, she washed while consumed by her own thoughts though she concluded she deserved a night in with ice cream to consume her sadness.

________________

After washing the dishes and turning off the lights, she had laid herself down on her couch with only her living room light on as she corrected a few leftover quizzes from that day before allowing her night to be consumed by her emotions.

Well, until her ice cream softened enough to not snap all of her spoons in half.

Writing off a note to study the poet’s personal history, she was startled when she heard a knock at her door, causing her to pray it wasn’t James.

The knocks came again and soon a voice carried through the front door into her apartment.

“I know you’re in there Emilia. Open the door, please.” He said, and while Emilia wanted to act like she wasn’t there, she didn’t have it in her to be rude to him.

Setting her papers on her coffee table, she centered herself before heading over to the door to open it. Apparently she looked absolutely disheartened because Bucky’s already worried face became even more worried when he saw her looking absolutely crestfallen.

Her eyes were so sad and sincere he mentally punched himself for having hurt her.

“Emilia, it’s not like that,” He assured her, “She was just telling me about some work.”

Emilia swallowed and gave him a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes before speaking with what she deemed to be a stable voice, “It’s none of my business. I was- I thought- I don’t know what I thought, but it’s really okay.” She told him with the same forced smile that broke his heart.

That added with the fading red rimmed eyes she wore, Bucky looked at her couch and saw the pint of ice cream on her coffee table and couldn’t take it anymore.

Bucky cupped her face in his hands and brought her to meet his eyes, “It’s not okay. Come on, let’s just talk, okay?” He asked softly, almost jumping for joy when Emilia reluctantly nodded in his hands and moved to let him in.

As they headed to her couch, Emilia felt all wrong footed.

Sitting down, Emilia wanted nothing else to be far away from Bucky and this entire situation, but she couldn’t kick him out either, regardless of how much she didn’t want to hear about this entire situation at hand.

Suddenly Bucky was digging into pockets and producing black bracelet as well as a white bracelet, both of them beaded with chakra beads in the middle.

He looked so happy to show it to her, picking up her wrist with his metal hand gently.

“I was out and I saw this little handmade craft stand near the farmer’s market you told me about one morning and I saw these bracelets,” Bucky explained hopefully as he clasped it on. “I am hoping that this will be a good concrete representation of how I feel because while I made a mess of this, how I feel about you isn’t a mess.”

Emilia stared down at it, feeling the light weight of it against her wrist as Bucky added, “It’s magnetic.” With his expression so hopeful she felt as though she were being looked at by a child.

“I had this whole idea in my mind where I would make my feelings clear when I felt the timing was right but apparently I failed at that.”

“It’s-” Emilia started but she cut herself off, feeling too vulnerable for comfort but she looked down at the bracelet and it egged her on somehow, “I’ve never dated anyone. I’ve had little crushes here and there, you know? But nothing concrete to where I made me want to seriously consider them as worth the investment and commitment.”

Bucky let her take the black bracelet out of his hand, watching as she snapped it into place for him on his flesh arm.

“Well as you know my dating hasn’t been exactly a priority but I thought about it before as any human does. But it’s easy with you, it really is.”

Before Emilia could send herself into a flurry of emotions, she was glancing up and suddenly Bucky was in her personal space and she felt the warm, soft pressure of his lips against hers.

For someone who held themselves as a dark person with an even darker past, Bucky sure had very well taken care of lips.

It wasn’t forceful or too much, it was soft but wanting as he attempted to convey how much he actually liked Emilia through one of the most intimate gestures reserved for love.

“I like you, Emilia,” He told her in a low voice while connecting their eyes, “I- I don’t have many people I’m close to. I keep everyone at arm’s length, even Sam. But with you I can’t and I don’t want to.”

“You’re a gem, James,” Emilia told him with such a genuine affection for his name Bucky felt his vulnerability become almost palpable.

“But I want to be selfish, for once in my life I want to be selfish with you and have you all to myself.”

Emilia closed her eyes and opened them again, attempting to regulate her emotions and actually accept what was being given and offered to her, something she thought was a conjuring of her mind.

“I don’t want to keep you at arm’s length either. I always thought relationships were always something I’d just observe you know? Like through movies.” She told him as she pointed towards Pretty in Pink, earning a chuckle from Bucky who raised his eyebrows.

“Well you don’t have to wonder anymore because you have me as much as I have you.” He gestured towards the bracelet clinging onto his wrist.

Taking hold of his metal arm, she nodded to him before breaking out into what had to be a bright enough smile to power the city before saying, “Okay. Good.” As she caressed his metal fingers with such softness he felt his chest crack wide open.

________________

[araliestrange]

Series Introduction.

Alright, here we go. The first four families (the next posts will have five). This starts off where our story will begin ("Round Zero"). The families are already a bit established past where their Sims 2 counterparts started out. Some have moved out, some have new kids, all are further along in their careers, etc. This is a continuation of TS2, not your average remake.

Part One:

Sims 2 Description: Can Victor convince Elizabeth to grow their family? What will Luis discover in the attic - Could it be the answer to his lifelong question?

Family Members:

Luis: Luis has lived a long and satisfying life. He knows there is more to learn, but making friends is important to him as well. He just doesn't understand his cousin Natasha's views on grilled cheese and that strange Mr. Mole character.

-Simology: Renaissance Sim; Genius, Creative, Active. Career: Science (Retired).

Victor: Victor wants more children, lots and lots of children, but Elizabeth is satisfied with just Pauline. How can a loving husband convince his workaholic wife to increase the family?

-Simology: Big Happy Family; Goofball, Foodie, Neat. Career: Medicine.

Pauline: Pauline is a happy baby, but lonely. She is eager to learn, but she'll have to wait to see what destiny has in store.

-Simology: Angelic.

Round Zero:

New Additions:

Trevor Haggerty. Teen. Adopted by Victor Aspir.

-Simology: Computer Whiz; Lazy, Outgoing.

New Description: Victor can't decide if Luis has dementia or is just getting more eccentric with age, but he worries that he is a bad influence on Trevor- what, with all this talk of genies and space portals. Elizabeth struggles to connect with her newly adopted teenage son.

Sims 2 Description: What experiments are the highly secretive and less than neighborly Loki and Circe Beaker performing on poor Nervous Subject? Will this secrecy affect Circe's career ambitions?

Family Members:

Loki: As soon as he perfects his latest invention, Loki is sure to get the recognition he knows he deserves. In the meantime, he keeps himself busy by trying to assemble a nuclear reactor out of common household items.

-Simology: Nerd Brain; Mean, Evil, Hotheaded. Career: Science.

Circe: Circe knows 238 different ways to make someone scream, and none of them are nice. She enjoys taxidermy and collecting coat hangers.

-Simology: Fabulously Wealthy; Mean, Ambitious, Genius, Business Savvy. Career: Medicine.

Round Zero:

Moved Out: Nervous Subject.

New Additions:

Emilie. Teen. Daughter of Circe Beaker and Vidcund Curious.

-Simology: Archaeology Scholar; Gloomy, Genius.

Atom & Ceres. Genetically engineered twin children of Loki and Circe.

-Simology: Atom has the motor aspiration, Ceres has the social aspiration; Genius (both share this trait).

Cyclotron. Family Robot.

-Simology: Renaissance Sim; Genius, Perfectionist, Family Oriented. Career: Engineer.

Pets:

Pickles. RoboCat.

*Note: I made Atom and Ceres before they were put on the gallery. It's hilarious how similar they turned out to those versions! I didn't even know they were on there until I was looking up the family bio! I just knew them from TS3.

New Description: Circe is frustrated by the unusually close relationship Loki seems to have with his sister. Loki suspects Circe's affair with Vidcund was more than just the one night that resulted in Emilie. Both parents worry that creating genetically engineered children had unforeseen side effects on Ceres and Atom's development- They just can't seem to control themselves and behave! Emilie struggles to fit into this chaotic family while maintaining her status as a popular cheerleader at school- Another place she isn't sure she belongs.

Sims 2 Description: Singles Household: Has there ever been a group of roommates so different from one another? As if living in Strangetown isn't hard enough, will these girls be able to accept their differences and be friends or will the tension tear the house apart?

Family Members:

Erin Beaker: Erin spends a lot of time working on her psychic powers. Of course, she isn't really psychic, but don't tell her that.

-Simology: Soulmates; Cheerful, Vegetarian, Non-Committal. Career: Communications Major.

Kristen Loste: Kristen envisions herself as a world famous sports champion. She doesn't particularly care for Strangetown, but it's only a pit stop on her track to greatness.

-Simology: Bodybuilder; Bro, Paranoid, Active. Career: Athlete.

Round Zero:

Moved out: Lola and Chloe Curious.

New Additions:

Kala Beaker. Baby. Child of Erin and Loki Beaker.

New Description: Erin never wanted children and planned to give Kala up for adoption, but when she was born it was love at first sight. Can she balance finishing her degree and raising a baby? Can she keep Kala's paternity a secret when her best friends won't stop asking? Kristen wants to leave Strangetown to further her career, but she doesn't want to leave her friend to fend for herself as a single mother. She just wishes she could get up the nerve to tell Erin how she really feels about her...

Sims 2 Description: The Bell family is doing wonderfully well, but will Hannah's sister moving in cause a critical disturbance?

Family Members:

Isaac Bell: Isaac has a good life and has started climbing the ranks in his dream career. Can he balance both reaching for the stars and keeping his family happy?

-Simology: Joke Star; Goofball, Lazy, Outgoing. Career: Entertainment.

Hannah Bell: Hannah Bell met Elizabeth Aspir in High School. They have been inseparable ever since. Even marriage and raising their own families hasn't weakened their relationship.

-Simology: Big Happy Family; Music Lover, Ambitious, Creative. Career: Entertainment.

Daniel Bell: Daniel loves drawing and seems to have inherited his mother's artistic abilities. Will his mother let him develop on his own or only nurture his artistic qualities?

-Simology: Artistic; Lazy.

Sharon Wirth: Sharon has decided to move in with her sister's family until she becomes a bit more financially stable. She has found herself very interested in Mr. Mole, but had a difficult time getting to know him.

-Simology: Soulmates; Music Lover, Outgoing, Active.

New Description: Isaac and Hannah just want to advance in their careers and raise their son. Will Sharon ever find a job or a partner and stop mooching off of them?

[ao3feed-destiel-02]

A Peaceful Life Forever

A Peaceful Life Forever https://ift.tt/Eoqugbh by serragracewn In the idyllic countryside, farmer Dean and farmer Cas live as neighbors, initially wary of each other, but eventually finding a deep bond through shared experiences on their farms. Their days are filled with simple joys—caring for bees, milking cows, and tending to chickens. But as they slowly warm up to each other, they find their hearts drawn together. When Dean has a near-fatal accident while picking apples, Cas's devotion and care bring them even closer, and they realize that what began as a simple neighborly relationship has blossomed into something much deeper. With Cas's protective love and Dean's growing affection, they find a life of harmony, love, and peace on their farms, where they are content to live out their days side by side. Words: 4318, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 21 of You Deserved to Be Saved, My Beloved Fandoms: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Farmer Dean Winchester, Farmer Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester are Neighbors, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Whump, Hospitalized Dean Winchester, Blood and Injury, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Caring Castiel (Supernatural), Comforting Castiel (Supernatural), Worried Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel Saves Dean Winchester, Castiel Takes Care of Dean Winchester, Castiel Comforts Dean Winchester, Castiel is Protective of Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Sweet Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sweet Castiel (Supernatural), Sweet Dean Winchester, Vulnerable Dean Winchester, Touch-Starved Dean Winchester, Loving Castiel (Supernatural), Loving Dean Winchester, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Nicknames, Angst with a Happy Ending, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Castiel (Supernatural), Domestic Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Animals, Baby Animals via AO3 works tagged 'Castiel/Dean Winchester' https://ift.tt/LWa8ybV September 02, 2024 at 10:48AM

[sunshineandaisies]

Talk Now, Think Later

Part Two of the Neighborly Affection Series

Words: 896

Pairing: Bucky x Reader (Modern AU)

Warnings: language

Note: So if you recognize this from like 4-5 years ago, it’s because this is a repost from my old account (caps-best-girl) that I’ve since deactivated. There are 12 parts to this in total that I’ll be editing and reposting throughout the week.

The following weeks you had only run into James a few times. It was almost always in the morning when you left for work and he was ushering out whichever girl he had decided to call the night before. You were getting used to seeing a red-head – Nat, you think he had called her – in the early hours of the morning after you returned from your jog, as she was shutting the door quietly as to not wake up James. You liked Nat. The others, however, were loud and obnoxious and almost always clinging to James, pressing loud, sloppy kisses to his face when he tried to greet you in the morning.

You never saw any of the girls twice. The only exception was Nat, and while you had no reason to, you always felt a sinking feeling in your stomach when you saw her leaving James’s apartment.

You told your best friend about your new neighbor, and you knew fully well that your description of him didn’t do him justice when the two of you ran into him one Friday evening as he locked his door behind him, ready for a night out.

“Y/N,” he greeted, smiling widely at you.

“James.” No other conversation passed between you as he turned to walk down the hallway and you opened your front door and pushed a gaping Wanda inside. When the door was closed behind you, Wanda finally came out of her trance and slapped you on the shoulder, hard. “Ow! What the hell?”

“You didn’t tell me that he was hot!” Wanda accused.

“Who? James?”

“No, Mr. Watkins on the third floor,” she shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “We should go out tonight. Maybe accidentally run into your hunky neighbor.”

“We are not following him around, Wanda.”

She didn’t even give you a chance to change before dragging you into the streets and towards a bar that she thought – thought! – she had seen him go into. “Come on, Y/N. I’ll buy the first round!” She shouted over the loud music that was playing as the bar started to get more and more busy with the Friday night crowd.

“You’ll buy every round for dragging me out on movie night, you crotch.”

Wanda laughed. “Did you just call me a crotch?”

“It’s a lot nicer than bitch, isn’t it?” you shot back as she slid a shot glass towards you. You downed it and set the glass back on the bar. “I can’t believe I let you bring me here. I should be sitting on my couch right now, not wearing a bra.”

“Is it purple?” you heard someone ask from behind you. You knew that voice. You slowly turned in your seat, and when you saw James’s blue eyes and smug grin you reached towards the shot in front of Wanda and brought it to your lips, feeling the alcohol burn as it slid down your throat. James turned to Wanda and held out a hand to her, much like he did when you first met him (officially). “James Buchanan Barnes,” he greeted.

You grinned when you beat him to saying, “But you can call him Bucky.”

“Is James like only reserved for you or something?” she asked, making both you and James laugh.

“Something like that,” James answered, eyes lighting up in amusement when your eyes met his. He winked at you and added, “Y/N’s special.” He turned his full attention to you, a hand gripping the back of your chair as he leaned in closer to you. You could smell his cologne and see each distinct shade of blue in his eyes. “So, doll, is it purple?”

“Goddammit, James! Can you drop the underwear thing?” you asked, eyes shifting from him to Wanda, already regretting your words. Something about being around James just made you talk and then think. You weren’t a fan of that.

“Wait, hold on. Underwear thing?” Wanda’s eyes grew wide as she shifted her gaze back and forth between you and James. “How could you not tell me you banged your hot neighbor?”

“We did not have sex,” you said at the same time James said, “Best sex of my life.” You glared at him, only making him laugh. “Don’t give her any ideas, James. She’ll be trying to get us into bed for the next month if you do.”

He shrugged and leaned closer. “I wouldn’t mind,” he said nonchalantly, making your cheeks burn, flustered. Your cheeks felt like they were on fire, a feeling due to the mixture of alcohol in your system and the embarrassment you felt due to the current situation.

“Buck, stop harassing innocent girls,” someone spoke up from behind him, catching not only James’s attention but also yours and Wanda’s.

“Y/N is anything but innocent, Steve,” he teased, winking at you. Your face heated even more. “Steve, meet Y/N, the neighbor I mentioned. Y/N, meet Steve, my best friend.” He glanced at Wanda and pursed his lips, hesitating, thinking. “And uh, Y/N’s friend is here, too.”

“Wanda. Nice to meet you Steve.” Wanda stuck out her hand to shake Steve’s, directing a sly grin at you before offering, “Would you boys like to join us?”

Three shots and four jokes at your expense later, you leaned over to Wanda and whispered in her ear, “I’m going to murder you.”

“Bite me,” she laughed before sliding another shot in front of you.

[hogwartsmarvelmommy]

18 and 21 for the asks !😊😊

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

Oh boy... This is going to be alot 😅

Jaded by @soft-haz

(this whole series was just 😩 I loved it)

Domino, ground rules, and no knock knocks by @madmadmilk

(none of these even need an explanation, like if you haven't read... You should)

I swear to God I never fall in love and blackouts, thin walls, and neighborly affection by @hazofmyheart

(also don't need an explanation, both of these were so unbelievably good and I wish I could go back and read for the first time again 😩❤️)

And

Electric love and paint the grass green by @lauras-collection

(dad!Tom and roommate! Harrison fwb that's all the explanation needed 😭😂)

(there is more, but I'm to lazy to go find any of them currently)

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

I'm putting a cut because I can't just give one answer 😅

Well this one and this one make me cringe. (Won't catch me rereading thoes anytime soon 😬)

Never have I ever, sleep talk, and empty mugs and unexpected hugs are three that I am unexplainably proud of to this day, and I do believe they were good. They could have used a bit more editing, sure, but here we are 😅

Fallout of the century.... I don't want to talk about it 😏 I just really thought I was doing something, the whole thing is rushed and bam bam bam.. (it was the very first thing I wrote though so...) (Also the re-edited version is better than the original series, but still not great)

The lighthouse that guided me, pinkie promise, and second chances and unspoken promises were three that I was very excited about when I posted them, and then they just didn't do all that well, so I'm not sure how I feel anymore... (Which is stupid i know)

I have reread all of my fics way to many times to count tbh. (For editing, and just pure boredom sometimes) And I can honestly say I have grown since I first started writing (Thank God) 😂

[therebelcaptainnetwork]

July Fic Recs: Neighbors!

Who hasn't clapped an eye on a neighbor and gone Hmmmmmm? Neighbor AUs are lots of fun because you're almost certain to see the object of your affection at all kinds of times and in all sorts of states. And yet, you're not quite in a position to get to know them better, not unless you get up the courage to knock on their door. Here are some of my faves!

The Most Beautiful Man in the World series by ephemera / @incognitajones

Modern AU, 3 one-shots, 7.2k

The first time Jyn meets her new neighbor, he looks like something right out of GQ. Unfortunately, she is all novacained up and drooling. The next time, she's frazzled, covered in paint, and dragging home a snake. Somehow he still stops to talk to her, no matter how much of a walking disaster she looks. What's that all about?

This is three loosely-tied one-shots full of humor and warmth and yes, pining. (Mmmm, pining.) Bonus: there's at least two other authors who penned their own sequels, so you can explore even more! Note: the last story of the series is rated E. 

The Neighborly Thing to Do by rcmsw

Modern AU, one-shot, 2.3k

Cassian is taken with his new neighbor from the moment he offers to help her move in. But he's never been the type to move in on somebody who's already in a relationship, and there's this guy Bodhi who's always hanging around. And yet, Jyn Erso is just irresistible . . .

I always enjoy  modern AUs that show us not only Jyn and Cassian, but the rest of Rogue One becoming part of their lives. This one features Baze, Chirrut, and Bodhi as part of Jyn's life already, and they are all firmly of the opinion that Cassian should join it too.

A Moment, a Love by lilabut

Modern AU, one-shot, 5k

Of all the ways to meet your newest neighbor, getting stuck together in the terrible glitchy elevator wasn't what Cassian would have picked. And yet their enforced proximity proves to be the pathway to a connection he never expected.

Oooooo man. Trapped in an elevator is a wonderful trope for fanfic. In real life of course, you'd probably just have a boring and mildly uncomfortable hour or so, but in this story (and most fanfics featuring it), the situation is the perfect opportunity for intimacy to blossom between two lonely people.

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As always, if you’re one of the authors featured and would like me to change anything about the way I’ve listed your story, please drop me a line via PM or ask and I would be pleased to edit.

Next month’s theme is Occupational AUs! If you have a perfect story to rec, drop me a line via PM or ask with the title, a link to the story, and maybe a few words about why you liked it, and I’ll include it with your handle.

Happy reading! Love, @mosylufanfic

[sunshinesteviee]

hi love, i hope you're ready for some awesome fics!! :)

first, breaking curfew and instead of you by wazzupmrstark (always a fav) // fine line by sunsetholland (very, very cute) // blackout, thin walls, & neighborly affection by hazofmyheart (really hot!!) // and one of my all time favs, mutually beneficial by definitely-not-black-cat

also, may i suggest my own haz mini series? 👉👈 it's called love at the second sight -mcumendes :)

hi love!! thank you for all of the suggestions, i'm definitely going to check them out!!!

@mcumendes