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sinner-as-saint · 11 months

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not without you

Viking Chief!Bucky x Witch!Reader

Run-through: You’re a powerful witch, famous and respected for your mastery of magic and ability to control the elements. Naturally, people always need you. Vikings, kings, and common men alike, be it to magically save dying crops, help them win battles, or to protect their people by manipulating the weather. One day, a certain blue-eyed Viking chief asks for your help. Bucky Barnes – one of the strongest, most feared of his kind, known for his ruthlessness and brutal nature. He offers your wandering self shelter and protection in return for your help in keeping his people and crops alive and well with the harsh winter approaching fast. And you can’t seem to refuse his offer…

Themes: witch!reader, viking chief!bucky, smut, fluff, mild knife kink, cosy winter vibes, metal arm, tatted!bucky, possessive!bucky, slight angst, HEA,

a/n: thank you for 28k. I love you.

The wind whispered that he was on his way to you.

By the time the Chief and his men made their way to your makeshift shack on the edge of the woods, you were already out waiting for them.

Hidden under your billowy cloak, with the hood hiding most of your face, you stood and faced the men with confidence. You couldn’t see them, given the hood, but you sensed the way the Chief got off of his horse, clutching his sword in hand as he took a step. Not in fear, no. But in that arrogant way you’d expect a Chief to move.

“Witch.” He greeted you. It was the only way he could greet you anyway, nobody knew your name.

You smirked. Finally peeling your hood off your head. You gave him a brief nod, “Chief.” You looked him right in those ocean blue eyes of his and judging by the look in them, you could tell he wasn’t used to people maintaining eye contact with him. He was an important man after all, and most people feared him.

But your magic had a way of reading people for you and… there was nothing to be afraid of. Not of him. He did look every bit of the fearsome viking he was known as though. Thick furs couldn’t hide the tall, muscular body. His shoulder length brown hair braided in some places. His handsome face was serious, like he rarely smiled. And all that ink all over his neck, and arm – just one arm because the other one was made of pure metal.

You had heard stories of how he’d lost his arm in battle, and how a great, benevolent king – also a close friend of his – had the metal arm constructed for him.

But above all else, the Chief was devastatingly handsome. You’d known, courted, and befriended quite some men. Hunters. Lords. Warlocks. Princes. Kings. Yet none were quite as devastatingly handsome as the Chief.

You quickly looked behind him and saw two men standing taller and prouder than the rest of the warriors. The wind whispered their names to you. Sam. Steve. Both were just as handsome as their Chief, however there was something about the male standing in front of you with a sword in hand. Thick white fur wrapped around his shoulders. Clear, icy blue eyes. Pink mouth. The cold made his cheeks and nose red.

“We heard rumours that you were close to our village, and we’ve come to ask for your help.” The Chief said, gracefully, calmly.

You gave him a nod. “I know.” You said quietly. “The north wind brings news that this winter will be exceptionally harsh.”

Bucky gave you that look that most people gave you when they figured out that your magic was indeed real. He was just a little surprised, but composed himself. “We desperately need your help.” He spoke again.

You agreed to help of course. This was your purpose with the magic you had.

And since you had little to pack, you went with them immediately. They didn’t bring an extra horse so you rode with the handsome Chief back to his village where you would be spending the entirety of the coming winter.

You never asked for anything in exchange. Some witches did, most of them did not. Mainly because you never needed anything, you had magic and you could conjure anything you wanted out of nothing. But you liked having company of people. So you considered that payment.

And after spending months on your own, you were looking forward to meeting new people, helping them.

During the ride back to the village you’d be calling home for the coming months, you felt the Chief tense behind you. His muscular arms circled around you as he held the reins but he was respectful enough to keep a few inches between you and him. You could only assume how much stress he was putting on his back to keep him from slouching forward.

You hid your smile as you sensed that he was nervous. “You don’t have to be so tense.” You said, turning your head to the side a little. “Witches don’t bite.” You spoke quietly so that the men behind you wouldn’t hear.

“I don’t…” He let out a huff of warm air. “I don’t want to be disrespectful.”

You smirked, but he couldn’t see it. “I’m just saying, you could use the warmth.”

He didn’t know what you meant until he slowly inched closer, his chest pressing against your back. Even with the multiple layers separating the two of you, your body heat wrapped around him in a way that had him sighing in relief.

Without another word said, his metal arm wrapped around your middle as he pulled you against him even more. You smiled as he leaned in to whisper into your ear, “You’re very warm.” He sounded a little surprised. His deep, gravelly voice making you shiver despite the warmth.

“Magic, remember?”

He hummed in response, keeping his arm loosely around your waist as he took you to his village. The tension between you two felt electric.

—

The ride wasn’t too long, and soon you arrived at the village. It was larger than you had imagined. Busier, but tidier.

Once you got past the tall, wooden palisades you could see more of the daily activities. Hunters sharpening their weapons, warriors training, children running around. You spotted the vast crops, the rivers.

There was so much you couldn’t see, but the elements spoke to you. You knew there was a lake here somewhere. The Chief’s hall was beyond the wooden houses which were scattered all over. You knew there were people gathered somewhere near the beach, working on building a new boat. Multiple boats in fact.

“Welcome to my home.” The Chief whispered as he led you deeper into the village.

Judging by the relieved smiles on people’s faces as they spotted you, you knew they were aware that you were here to help them. You smiled back to as many as you could on your way to the main area, in the middle of the village.

The Chief helped you off the horse and when you thanked him he said, “You can call me Bucky. All my friends do.”

You gave me a smile, “Alright, Bucky.”

He nodded, then pointed at a wooden house, not far from his residence, and said, “I hope you’ll be comfortable here.”

One of the ladies was beside you immediately, saying she wanted to help you get settled in. So with one last glance at Bucky, you made your way to your new, temporary home.

–

The moment he walked into his home, sighing in relief at the feeling of warmth, his two best friends rushed in after him, grinning like they were up to no good. Bucky rolled his eyes at Sam and Steve as he poured wine into three cups.

“What?” He barked at them, handing them their cups before he sat on one of the few stairs that led to his seat. The one he sat on when he had to act as Chief. But when he was with his friends, he didn’t like sitting on it.

“Are we going to address the heated looks you and the witch have been sharing or are we going to pretend nothing’s happening here?” Sam teased, leaning against a nearby table.

Steve chuckled, sitting down near the fire in the middle of the room. “Yeah Chief, what’s going on?”

Bucky glared at them both. He loved them to death, would die and kill for them in a heartbeat. But gods, they could be so annoying. “Enough,” He grumbled as they both laughed shamelessly at him, “She’s our guest. Most of all, we need her to survive this winter. Be respectful.”

Sam smirked and said, “Is that what that was on the ride back? The two of you as close as lovers? Was that you being respectful?”

Steve’s laughter echoed around the hall. Bucky wanted to chuck his cup at both of them but he didn’t want to waste the wine so he just rolled his eyes again, “Get out both of you.”

“Oh come on, Buck.” Steve spoke up, “With her as your wife we would be unstoppable.”

Sam nodded, “Exactly.”

“Both of you, shut up.”

“I mean, she is beautiful. If you’re not interested, I might check out what else her magic can do when-,” Steve stopped talking the moment Bucky threw his cup at him, wine and all.

Sam choked on his drink and laughed even harder.

Shortly after, Bucky kicked both of them out of his home. He was surprised at how it suddenly got hard to breathe or think the moment Steve even jokingly hinted at getting intimate with you. Bucky felt so protective over you despite having met you just hours ago.

He just wished he could keep that under control for the coming months. You were his guest after all. He couldn’t be inappropriate.

—

He couldn’t sleep that night. The village was quiet, dark. The night was cold given winter was approaching really fast. The next day, he had plans to give you a tour of the village and thinking about spending hours with you was making him nervous. But in a good way. Gods, he was turning into a little boy with a crush. This was bad for his image.

He couldn’t sleep, so he figured a walk might tire him out. So he layered up in his favourite furs, grabbed a torch and stepped outside. It was dark, save for the moonlight. And also light coming from your temporary home.

Bucky was walking towards the wooden house before he even realised it. His hand was knocking against the door before he could talk himself out of it. He should let you rest. He should act like a grown up and walk away right now. Being Chief he should–

He stopped functioning the moment you opened the door and looked up at him. Dressed in a beige night dress, a woollen blanket wrapped around your shoulders, and the dimmed light of the torches made you look ethereal just standing there at the door.

You spoke first, “Bucky.” You didn’t sound surprised. You knew he was coming over the moment he stepped out of his home. “It’s rather late, is something wrong?” You couldn’t help but ask. You knew he was coming over, but you didn’t know why. Your magic, fortunately, didn’t allow you to read minds.

Bucky placed the torch on the sconce by the door and cleared his throat, standing proud and tall like one would expect him to. “I saw your lights were still on. I couldn’t help but worry so I… uh, came to check.” He paused, awkwardly. “Do you… are you comfortable? Do you need anything?”

You sensed his slight nervousness even without using your magic. You tilted your head to the side and smiled at him, “I’m very comfortable. Your people were kind enough to–” You stopped, noticing how foggy his breaths were, “Please come in,” You opened the door wider, “It’s cold out.”

Bucky accepted the invitation. As soon as he stepped in, you placed your hand on his chest. Bucky blinked and in the fraction of a second, he felt comfortably warm. He gave you a thankful smile.

You smirked playfully and whispered, “Magic.” Then you moved towards the makeshift kitchen, “Tea?”

Bucky grimaced and said, “I don’t like that bitter stuff.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

You chuckled, “I bet you will like this one.” You went ahead and made him chamomile tea, with warm milk and a generous dollop of honey.

By the time you brought the mug to him, you found him bent over your little desk. He was looking down at the map you were currently making, your special black ink on special parchment paper.

Bucky whispered his thanks as he took the mug, then said, “You’re making a map of the village?” He sounded both amazed and confused. “No one has been able to make one this accurate. You haven’t even… “ He paused, “Of course,” He smirked, “Magic.”

You smiled. “Maps help me control my spells better. It’s enchanted parchment you see,” You pointed at the map, “I can even work from here with the help of the map.” You looked back up at him and saw the look of delight on his face as he took his first sip of the tea.

He raised an eyebrow at you, “You laced this with magic as well?”

You giggled, “No, just milk and honey.”

Bucky just stared at you with soft eyes. In the dim, golden lights his eyes twinkled like that of a wolf. You stared into them, neither of you spoke. Until he finally blinked, pointed at the map and said, “It must be incredible, being this talented.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle in a self-deprecating way. “Talent.” You repeated, looking down at the map. Then quietly said, “I was always taught and told that my magic was a great weapon. But thank you, I guess.”

Without another word said, Bucky placed his half empty mug down and grabbed both of your hands in his large, warm ones. He tugged you closer, gently. Just the slightest bit so he could have your undivided attention.

“You’re not a weapon. You won’t ever be one, not here.” He said, softly. Slowly. “You are our salvation.”

You had been repaid in many ways throughout your life. Chests filled with gold. Jewels. Feasts and balls thrown in your name. Even a few marriage proposals from influential families. But no one had ever told you that you were their salvation. Something about Bucky saying it, even before you got him and his people through the winter, made you tear up just a little.

His face softened as he wiped that tear away from your cheek with his slightly cold metal arm. “I mean it.” He whispered. Then he leaned in and kissed you on the cheek, whispering, “You are so beautiful.” Then a little closer to your mouth. “So warm.” Then finally pressed his lips against yours as his arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer and pressing you against the soft furs he was wearing.

You couldn’t help but moan quietly into the kiss. That made him growl, made him deepen the kiss. His warm hand cradled your face as his metal arm wrapped around your waist. His lips were surprisingly soft, and his kiss was gentle. Sensual. Your hands wandered over his chest. You could feel his heart racing. You could feel him breathing deeper, but refusing to break the kiss.

You gasped in pleasure when his mouth left your lips briefly to kiss along your jaw, making your heart flutter in anticipation. But then, he stopped and pulled away. He was breathless, frowning, his lips wet and pink.

“I… I shouldn’t.” He licked his lips and you almost moaned again. “You’re…” He took a deep breath. “You’re my guest. And you only just got here.” He shook his head, as if disappointed in himself. “I shouldn’t have pounced on you like an animal like that.”

You fixed the blanket around your shoulders, giving him a playful, though disappointed, smile. “I’ve heard a lot of things about you, but no one even mentioned you were such a proper gentleman.”

Bucky cleared his throat, then gave you a heated look that screamed that if he didn’t get out of here right this instant he would surely be pouncing on you again. “I should go.” He mumbled. “Thank you for the tea.”

You nodded, “You’re very welcome. I will see you tomorrow, for the tour?”

He nodded. Then as he turned to leave, he paused. He turned back around and unwrapped the thick white fur from around his shoulders and placed it on your desk. The tunic he wore was loose around his neck so you could see the ink on his skin peaking through. “Keep this,” He said, “you might need it for tomorrow.”

You smirked, understanding what he was playing at. He knew you could keep yourself warm. But he just wanted you to wear something of his while he showed you around tomorrow. He wanted everyone to see you wearing something of his. You had heard of vikings being territorial, and truthfully, you didn’t mind this one bit.

You played along, pretending to be oblivious. “Won’t you be cold then?”

As he stepped out of the door, he turned to look at you. Smirked and said, “I think your magic will keep me warm enough.”

You chuckled as he shut the door behind him, took his torch and left. Who knew the Chief would be such a flirt?

—

Bucky had never been this excited to give someone a tour of his village. He was at your door the next morning, early and ready. He knew you already had a map, but he wanted you to see the place properly.

You caught the approval in his smile when he saw you wearing the fur he left you as you stepped out to join him. He was wearing black furs, and looked just as majestic.

“My people are delighted that you’re here to save us from the winter,” He said as the two of you began walking towards the centre of the village, the busiest part he told you. “So expect a lot of gifts along the way.”

You didn’t know what to expect. And even after politely refusing many, many tokens of thanks from his people, you already had baskets filled with cheese, berries, fresh bread and you were even done with the tour yet. Bucky, of course, carried the baskets for you.

He was in a good mood, you realised. He was showing off a little as he gave you the tour. Showing you all the new warehouses, the new boats that were being built near the beaches, the new houses being made as the number of people grew.

He showed you the hall where himself, Steve, and Sam often trained young kids. They taught them how to fight, to defend. They’re vikings, they need to be ready, he said, for anything and everything.

He had a glow on his face as he spoke about the kids, and you couldn’t help but ask, “How come you don’t have any?”

Bucky gave you a faint smile. Then said, “After my father died, I had to take care of everything around here. And I guess I never had time.” He paused, “I also never found the right person.”

You turned to look at him and he was looking the other way, surely hiding a smirk. You decided to drop the subject.

Bucky led you deeper into the village, near the lake. “It looks incredible in the summer, but–,” He stopped talking once the two of you heard male voices shouting. It sounded like it was coming from the lake.

You followed Bucky as he rushed to the lakeside and let out a groan. You chuckled once you saw what he was looking at. His two friends, Steve and Sam, arguing in the water about who pushed who first.

Bucky sighed and said, “I apologise, I wish these two would act like adults.” Then he yelled at them, “Hey! Stop trying to make me look bad. And get out of the water both of you, I can’t have you both freeze to death!”

You watched how the two of them swam towards the shore and eventually got out, trembling.

“Gods, I hate you.” Sam said, shivering.

“You pushed me!” Steve argued, shoving Sam.

Sam shoved him back, “You pushed me!”

“Enough!” Bucky turned to you and said, “My useless friends,” He introduced, “I wish you would’ve met them in more normal circumstances.”

You laughed, then walked up to the two men. “Hello,” You said and placed your hands on each of their shoulders, your magic would keep them from shivering. And the moment you touched them, they both sighed in relief. “There, that should keep you warm until you get home.”

You couldn’t help but check them out. They were both muscular and fit, and the way the wet tunics clung to their bodies… their muscular torsos, and biceps bigger than–

Bucky cleared his throat and you quickly looked away. You were almost certain Sam and Steve were smirking as they mumbled their goodbyes and hurried home.

“We should get back.” Bucky said, his mood immediately turning sour.

When the two of you did head back, he walked you to your home, handed you your baskets full of food and gifts, whispered a brief goodbye and left. You had planned that you would ask him to join you for dinner, as a way of thanking him for the tour. But he was just so grumpy on the way back that you decided not to.

But then you were restless the whole evening. You made yourself a quick dinner and sat by the fire to read but something didn’t feel right.

As it got later, the village got more and more quiet. And dark. When the wolves began howling you knew it was very late, but as you looked through the window, you saw that the lights inside Bucky’s home were still lit.

He was awake.

You debated walking over to his place, but then decided not to. You had to get to work the next day and surely you’d get a chance to talk to him then.

—

You visited the crops first, drawing your runes in the dirt. That’s where you ran into Steve and Sam. They wished to introduce themselves properly, and the three of you began talking. They showed you around for a little while, making you laugh at their jokes and stories of their childhood.

They kept you company while you worked and at some point, you sensed that someone was watching you. You knew who it was before you even turned around.

There was Bucky standing, proud and tall, quite far from the crops. The same broody expression on his face as the day before.

You almost lifted your hand to wave at him but then he walked away.

“We better leave,” Steve said with a mischievous smile.

“I’m afraid if the Chief sees us around you again he might behead us in public.” Sam winked at you and then walked away.

So Bucky was jealous.

After you were done with the crops, as you made your way home in the afternoon, you ran in Bucky in the village centre. He was on his way home as well, you realised, so you walked a little faster until you caught up to him.

Once you were beside him, you said, “Hello, Bucky.”

“Hello.” He mumbled.

“I worked at the crops today, I drew my runes.” You told him.

“I know, I saw you earlier.” He said.

His voice held enough distaste that you couldn’t help but ask calmly, “Why are you angry at me?”

He threw you a look and mumbled grumpily, “I’m not angry. I’m very grateful that you’re here.”

"Then why won't you talk to me?" You asked. "You look like you're angry." You paused, then asked, "Is it because I was talking to your friends?"

He stopped walking immediately. Turned to face you and said, "What were the three of you talking about anyway?"

You had to hide a smirk as you answered, "Nothing in particular. They were just keeping me company." Seeing he still had that broody look on his face you asked, “Does that bother you?”

He scoffed. "No." He frowned. "Why would it? You're free to talk to whoever you want, you're our–"

You cut him off, "Guest, yes. I know." You smiled. "Well then, how would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Bucky's bright blue eyes stared at you, an unexplainable expression in them. "Another time." He said much to your surprise.

The rest of the walk back was filled with awkward silence.

That night, you were restless. After a quick dinner, you sat by the fire to read but you couldn’t quite get into it. Then you got up and looked through the window and saw that the lights in Bucky’s home were still on.

Again. He was awake. This time you didn’t think twice before putting your cloak on and walking to his front door. It was so quiet that you could hear the knocks echoing. Two knocks later, Bucky opened the door.

His braids were undone, yet he looked just as handsome. “It’s late.” He said.

“Also very cold, you should let me in.” You said.

Bucky opened the door wider, letting you in before shutting the door.

You walked into his home and took it all in. The place smelled like him, and a little smoky. Probably due to the fire that burned in the middle, keeping the place nice and warm. You saw his seat. His swords and weapons hung on the walls, along with artworks. Furs and rugs scattered on the floor, the place was cosy.

“Nice place.” You commented as you turned to face him. You found him leaning against a nearby wooden column, with a drink in hand.

He gave you a curious look. “Surely you didn’t walk all the way here to comment on my home.” He said. He looked good. The dim light from the torches made him look like a god. Long brown hair, pretty blue eyes. His tunic was loose now, showing a lot of the ink on his skin. His metal arm caught the light a few times, shining occasionally when he moved.

You felt your heartbeats echoing louder in your ears the more you looked at him. And then… then he had the audacity to slowly lick his lips.

That did it. You walked up to him, carefully took the cup from his hand and brought it to your lips. You held his stare the whole time. You took a careful sip because whatever it was, it was very strong. Then said, “No, no I didn’t.”

Bucky gave you a heated look. One that was familiar from the other night when he kissed you. “You know, it’s rude to snatch someone’s drink. Especially the Chief's.”

You smirked at him. “Do something about it then,” You added mischievously, “Chief.”

“Oh?” Bucky’s metal arm was around your waist in no time, pulling you into his warm, muscular chest. “Now you want my attention?” He taunted, his voice deep, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the smirk on your lips. “What about when you were shamelessly staring at other men right in front of me? Or what about earlier, when you were–”

You cut him off with a chuckle. “Just say you are jealous.” You took another sip from his drink. “And if this is how you treat your guests then I think I can imagine why everyone fears you.”

“I’m not jealous,” He mumbled, nuzzling your cheek. “I just don’t like seeing you with other men.”

You gasped, and almost dropped the cup in surprise as he kissed along your jaw softly, biting you playfully while he’s at it. “So possessive,” You whispered, “We only just met.” You teased.

His grip tightened around your waist before he pulled away to look at you. His blue eyes now dark with desire and longing. “Yet I haven’t been able to think about anything other than wanting to have you all to myself ever since I kissed you that night.” He said.

He looked down at your mouth as he spoke, and it only made your heart race faster. “Bucky…” You weren’t sure what you wanted to say to him, you just… wanted. “Please.” You found yourself whispering. Pleading, which you had never done before.

Bucky clenched his jaw and turned, pressing your back into the wooden column he was leaning against earlier. The cup fell to the floor, neither of you paying much attention to it. His metal hand cupped your face and he stared into your eyes as he spoke.

His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, “You must understand, if we do this there’s no going back.” He said, looking down at your parted lips. “If we do this, you’re mine.” He reiterated, “If we do this,” He leaned in to brush his soft lips carefully against yours, making you gasp and whimper, “You belong to me and only me. Are we clear?”

The rasp in his voice and the feral desire lacing his words already made your brain foggy. “Yes,” You whispered, placing the palms of your hands pressing against his warm chest and partially exposed skin.

He wasted no time in undoing your cloak and letting it fall to the floor and pool around your ankles. Bucky had a devilish smile on his face once he saw that you were wearing nothing beneath the cloak except for flimsy undergarments. Near transparent ones.

Bucky’s eager hand trailed up your body, gently, starting from your thigh all the way to your breasts. The warmth of his hand made you shiver in pleasure. “So this is why you were complaining about being cold?” He whispered in your ear while his hand ran up and down your sides. “I thought you could manipulate elements to keep yourself warm.” Your body felt like it was on fire under his touch.

“Well, I can manipulate the elements.” You said. Bucky pulled away to look into your eyes. “But there’s nothing quite like body heat.” He smirked at the sight of the look of mischief in your eyes.

Then he gently tugged on the delicate necklace around your neck, toying with the crystal pendant leisurely as if he had all the time in the world. As if he couldn’t see you squirming under his touch, wanting more.

“It’s…” He frowned at the crystal, now holding it between two metal fingers. “It’s moving.” He whispered, and sounded so genuinely confused that it made you smile. Who knew this tall, muscular, godlike man could be adorable?

You nodded, looking at the crystal. It was clear mostly, except for a greyish, dark, flowy mist moving around inside it. It looked like smoke trapped inside the crystal, but it was just energy. “I was given this by my family the day I left my home when I was a young girl. As a gift. For protection.” You explained.

You looked up to find him looking down at you with a heated, wild look in his eyes. “I’m here now,” He said. “I’ll protect you. Always.” He pulled you closer, pressing your barely clothed body against him.

You smiled, sliding your hands up until your fingers slid into his soft hair. The light from the burning torches began to dim, making the room slightly darker but still golden. The smirk on Bucky’s handsome face signalled that he knew you were messing with the torches.

“I want you,” You whispered, pressing your lips to his cheek. The slight stubble felt rough against your mouth. But it only made you wonder where else it would feel rough. And you couldn’t help the quiet moan that escaped your mouth.

As if he could read your mind, Bucky chuckled. He grabbed you by the neck, tightening his grip just a little, enough to make you feel warm all over. “I don’t think I could be gentle…” He whispered, his metal hand reaching for the fine dagger he kept on him at all times.

He carefully pressed the tip flat against your lower lip. Your heart began racing faster. Bucky slowly dragged the tip of the dagged down your chin, down the side of your neck, down in between your breasts before he cut the fabric, slicing it in two and letting that fall down to the floor as well. You hissed as the cold air hit your now exposed breasts. Bucky seemed pleased as he let go of your neck, his hand trailing down to fondle with your breast instead. You tipped your head back and moaned at his touch.

He kept the dagger pressed against your skin as he leaned in to kiss your exposed neck, “I don’t want to be gentle.” He said.

You let out a gasp as he slid the tip of the dagger sideways, circling your nipple with it deliberately slow. “Good,” You whispered, “I don’t want you to be gentle.”

Bucky chuckled. “Oh, you’re perfect.” He dragged the tip of the dagger down, sliding it slowly across your abdomen, right above the waistband of your undergarments. Over and over again until you were squirming, and gasping, and grinding on nothing.

“Please,” You said, looking at him with soft eyes.

Bucky held your stare as he slid the dagger under the fabric of your undergarment and sliced that off of you as well. Fuck that sound of fabric tearing off of your body did something to you.

“Please,” You begged again. You were unable to ignore the wetness in between your legs anymore. Neither could he.

Once there was not an inch of fabric shielding you from his hungry stare, Bucky threw the dagger onto the pile of your clothes and next thing you knew, you were being pushed down onto a nearby pile of soft furs.

He pinned you down by your throat, as he hovered above you, leaning over with his metal hand wrapped around your neck firmly while he stared down into your eyes. “You look so beautiful like this.”

You gave him a smirk and said, “It’s your turn. I want to see you.” You wanted to see the ink on his skin, trace it with your finger. You wanted to see him naked on these furs with you. You had never longed to touch someone like this before.

Bucky held your stare, arrogant grin on his face as he pulled away to take off his tunic and lower his pants.

You let your eyes feast on him. Ink covered more skin than you thought, but it suited him. He looked every bit the fierce Viking he was. You wanted to take your time and admire the artwork on his body but… later. Right now, you wanted him.

You grabbed him by the neck and pulled him closer, pressing your mouth to his and kissing him deeply. “I want you,” You whispered again.

“I know, sweetheart,” Bucky’s hand was back around your throat as he growled into the kiss, “I know.”

Guess he could take his time and caress every inch of you like he wanted to later, right now though, he needed to have you. He was hungry for it. So he pulled away from the kiss, parted your legs and slid a finger inside you, reassuring himself that you were ready for him.

Bucky groaned when he found that you were dripping for him. “All that for me?” He teased, settling in between your legs and pressing the tip of his cock against you. You gasped and whined as he slid the tip of it up and down your slit.

“Please,” You begged, whining. “Hurry up or I swear to gods I will make sure your house is always freezing throughout winter.”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh, leaning down to press a kiss on your forehead. “No need for all that, little witch.” He whispered as he pushed his cock into you, stretching you out in a way that made it hard for you to even think about anything else.

“Do I feel good inside you?” He questioned, teasing and knowing full well you weren’t in a headspace to answer him. His hand was around your throat and his cock buried so deep inside of you that he knew you couldn’t even think straight.

And fuck did he feel good snug inside you. You just whimpered in response, staring up into his pretty blue eyes. “More,” You whispered, “I want more.”

He smirked, digging his knees into the furs before he pulled out and pushed back into you. He set a hard and fast pace that made your head spin with pleasure. He was just as passionate as you expected him to be, his kisses were messy and his grip on your body was tight. He growled and moaned against your mouth as he sped up into you.

You were a moaning mess under him. Your legs locked around his waist as he pounded into you, “You feel so good,” He said, “Look at you, all wet and open for me.” He slowed down for just a moment, looking down to where his cock disappeared into you each time he thrust it. “Is this what you wanted? Hmm?” He asked, slow fucking you until you felt a tear escape your eye.

Fuck, he was keeping you right on that edge. It drove you mad.

“Tell me, sweetheart.” He kissed along your jaw, nibbling on your skin. “When you walked all the way here tonight, wearing basically nothing as you knocked on my door in the middle of the night,” He chuckled, “Is this what you wanted? To be full of my cock?”

You nodded, more tears falling down. It was so good, almost overwhelming. His words, his deep voice, the heated look in his eyes as he fucked you slowly, his weight on top of you, his warmth…

“Yes,” You whispered, “It’s all I wanted.”

Bucky sped up again, taking you by surprise and you couldn’t help the sinful moans that escaped your lips. He released your throat and placed his hand on your abdomen instead, pressing down on your front so he can feel himself inside you with each thrust. “Well there you go,” He said, as if taunting you, “Here I am. Deep inside you.” He stared into your eyes while he sped up into you again. “Just how you wanted.”

You whimpered desperately as he fucked you deeper. You felt your walls clenching around him. You felt the familiar feeling, the pressure down there just waiting… waiting to explode. Your back arched off the furs as he brought you right to the edge again before slowing down. It was brutal.

You gasped in shock, and the now ruined orgasm. Bucky smirked. “That’s punishment,” He said, “For talking to other men right in front of me.”

You frowned, “You’re cruel.”

Bucky kissed you one more time before he flipped you around and pulled you onto your knees and pushed into you again from behind. You moaned out loud, not expecting that but welcoming the feeling of being full again.

You laid your cheek down on the furs, the softness of them a stark contrast to how rough Bucky was being, handling your body like you were just a toy. It made you smile in pure bliss as he gripped your hips and slammed in and out of you incessantly, sighing and groaning in the process.

More tears escaped your eyes as the pleasure became too much to handle. You felt the pressure at your core forming again as Bucky pounded into you mercilessly, fucking you like an animal. Bending and contorting your body however he liked. Pressing your head down as he sped up into you until you came, crying out loud and clenching around him so hard it took him everything not to finish inside you.

He quickly pulled out and came all over your lower back and thighs. He took a moment to admire all the marks he’d left on your skin before pulling you into his arms as he laid down beside you.

You placed your ear right above his heart, listening to it gradually calm down like yours did. Only then did you have enough energy to keep your eyes open and admire the ink on his skin. You traced the closest one with a finger.

“A dragon?” You asked.

Bucky chuckled softly. “I like to think they might have been real at some point.”

You pulled away, holding yourself up using your elbow. You looked down at Bucky and said, “Of course they were. They were magical beings, they got along well with witches and warlocks in fact.”

Bucky looked pleasantly surprised. “You are so full of secrets.” He said, lifting a finger up to your face and gently traced the shape of your mouth. “Tell me more,” He pulled you back into his arms, nuzzling your neck and making you laugh, “What happened to the dragons?”

—

Sleeping in each other’s beds became part of the routine.

Some nights he would come over after the village had gone dark and quiet. Other nights you’d go over to his place and stay till early morning.

Nobody knew about you and Bucky, except for Steve and Sam who couldn’t stop grinning like mischievous devils each time they ran into you.

Days passed this way. The weather got colder, and you kept the village in perfect shape. The rivers kept flowing even though they should be frozen. The lake as well. The crops stayed healthy. As did the cattle.

Your magic had created an invisible dome over the entirety of the village. A vast dome that only you could see.

The people were safe from the intense cold and they were warm, fed, and happy.

But doing all that always made you extremely tired. Usually you’d hide it well behind faint smiles and blame it on it being a long day. But even at night you had to use your magic to keep the dome intact. And although you did your best to hide it, sometimes your weariness would show.

Like the one time when Bucky caught you by the lakeside late at night.

You were sitting on the jetty, looking down at the dark water. The moonlight made the surface shine, and just beyond the lake, right where the dome ended, you could see the harsh winds of the blizzard that you were currently keeping away from Bucky’s people. But from within the dome, no one could even hear it.

And just when you thought of Bucky, you heard him walking on the jetty and on his way to you.

“I looked for you everywhere.” He said, sitting down next to you on the edge. “Are you alright? You never come here this late.” He sounded genuinely concerned.

You smiled at him, his pretty face glowing under the moonlight. Then you pointed at the blizzard, and Bucky swore under his breath when he saw what was happening beyond the dome, “I came to make sure everything was safe.” You said. “I had to draw some of the runes again.” Then you added, “Everything’s fine, don’t worry.”

Bucky loosened the furs around his shoulders and opened his arms for you to snuggle up to him.

You gave him a smirk as you slowly scooted closer to him, “I can keep myself warm, remember?”

“Yeah, but there’s nothing quite like body heat.” He teased, wrapping his arms and the furs around you, holding you close to him. He leaned down and kissed your cheek softly then said, “You seem tired. I didn’t realise magic would take such a toll on you.” He sounded a little embarrassed.

“Hey,” You placed a gentle hand on his rough cheek. “This is how it is. Magic has a cost, it feeds on my energy and that’s just how it works. I should be okay after a few hours of sleep.” You smiled up at him. “Can I ask about the arm?”

He smiled, tapped you on the nose with his metal finger and said, “Bravery has a cost, my lady.” You laughed, and he eventually told you the story. And by the time he was done, he noticed you were just about to fall asleep. “Hey, come on. Let’s go to bed.”

You let him help you stand up and said, “I’m tired tonight, maybe–,”

He cut you off. “That’s not what I meant.” He pulled you closer and kissed you gently, “I won’t do anything, I just want you in bed with me. You’re doing so much for us, let me take care of you and do what I can.” He added, pressing another kiss on your lips, “Please.”

You smiled and gave in.

And turns out, sleeping in his bed, in his arms was enough to recharge you.

—

One day, a messenger came with urgent news for Bucky.

A little far from this village was another one, and the news said that their Chief had died leaving behind no one to care for the people. Since Bucky was the closest, they were begging him to help them last this icy winter.

Bucky held a meeting with his inner circle – his friends, and now you as well. Everyone gathered near the fire in the middle of Bucky’s home. Outside, the weather was getting colder. Your magic kept everyone here comfortable but those people who had asked for help… they wouldn’t last long.

“We can’t help them.” Bucky said, surprising everyone in the room.

Tony, the one who created weapons for every warrior in the village and also part of Bucky’s inner circle, spoke up first, “What do you mean here, Chief? Those people will die.”

Steve nodded, agreeing, “There are children, cold and starving. We can’t leave them.”

“Think about it,” Sam said, “We could have more people in our army to fight for us, with us.”

Bucky stopped his slow pacing, then turned to all of you. “How are we going to care for these people? I mean, I guess we’ll have enough food for everyone but what about shelter?”

Peter, Tony’s apprentice, spoke up this time, “We have enough material to build houses. I mean, we could always pause on the boats for now and use those materials for houses. You’ll have to go bring the people over anyway, and by the time you’ll be back I suppose we could have houses ready by then.” He looked over to Tony for approval. The latter nodded in agreement.

“That will cost too much.” Bucky said. Then sighed. “I have to care for the people here.”

You spoke up this time, “I could help.” You said. “I have more gold than I could ever use. And I could help with the building, and–,”

Bucky cut you off gently, “No, I cannot ask you for all that. You’re already helping us, and this wasn’t part of our arrangement.” He paused for a moment, only the crackling logs filled the silence, “Besides, I’ve seen what using magic constantly does to you.”

You rolled your eyes, “That’s just how it works,” You repeated. “It’s like when you complain about being tired after a whole day of training. Doesn’t mean you won’t ever train again.” You reasoned. “And as for our arrangement, I agreed to help. So let me.”

Bucky sighed again, walking over to you as if the rest of the people in the room didn’t exist. Honestly, the moment you stared into his clear blue eyes, it didn’t matter who else was in the room.

“It’ll wear you out.” He said softly, almost in a whisper.

You gave him a faint smile, “Guess you’ll just have to take better care of me then.”

He was about to reach out and cup your face in his hands but then Steve, Sam, and Tony all cleared their throats to get your attention back on the current issue. You avoided all their eyes awkwardly while Bucky smirked shamelessly. Peter just seemed confused.

“Fine,” Bucky said. “We’ll bring the people. We’ll take the boats.” He announced. “We leave today itself.” Then he proceeded to assign the work of building additional houses over to Tony and Peter. Sam and Steve, along with other warriors, were going with Bucky.

Then the men left, Tony and Peter went to gather people to help them start building immediately and Sam and Steve went to get the other warriors to prepare for their journey. Once they were out of the house, Bucky pulled you close.

“That was generous of you.” He said, nuzzling your neck and kissing it. “I’ll be gone for two weeks at least, you know?” He said. “I’ll miss you.” His lips brushed along your neck, stopping at the corner of your mouth, “I’ll miss this.” His arms tightened around you, making you gasp.

“I’ll miss you too,” You said, pulling away to look at him. “The sea will be rough,” You said, “Take this.” You took the crystal necklace off of your neck and put it around his, hiding it under the layers he wore. “That should keep you safe.” Then you looked around and said, “You should start packing your things. My magic won’t work given the distance so you’ll need more furs to keep you warm.”

He looked at you with soft eyes. “Usually no one fusses over me like this.” He said, “I like it. I like it a lot.”

You smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “Now hurry up. Those people need you.”

“Hmm,” He leaned down for a kiss again. “If anyone touches you while I’m gone I will behead them.” He said, half-joking. “One more thing, I want you to stay here while I’m gone.” He said, referring to his house. “Sleep in my bed every night. Oh and think of me. Miss me. A lot.”

You laughed. “Understood, Chief.”

—

You went to see Bucky off when he left later that evening. He looked like a King and his armada, setting off for battle.

He was barely out of your sight and you missed him already. You whispered a prayer to the strong winter winds, telling them to keep him safe until he comes back.

—

For the entirety of the two weeks which followed, you worked harder than ever. The dome, the crops, the cattle, the rivers and lake, and now the construction. Your magic fortified the wood used for the new houses, all the gold you had accumulated over the years helped the village immensely.

The people were so grateful. And you did your best to keep their spirits up while their Chief was gone.

It made you feel all warm inside whenever people would gush about how incredible of a leader Bucky was. You wondered if he knew his people loved him so much. Then, almost always, quickly followed by that warm fuzzy feeling was intense worry.

You never had anyone to worry about this much. So this was new for you.

By the end of the second week, each morning you’d wake up and go by the beach to see if you could see the ships coming. They didn’t.

You slept in his bed like he wanted you to. And that just made things worse. Because now not only did you worry about him, but you missed him like a mad woman. His scent was all over the bed and the covers.

But then one morning, as you went to the beach to check, you saw them. The ships, tiny little dots near the horizon. They were coming back. He was coming back.

Great timing in fact because the houses were just done building as well. And the crops had just been harvested.

Some hours later, the ships docked. And the new people had arrived, with their entire lives packed into trunks. While everyone showed the new ones to their houses, you looked for Bucky. You couldn’t even hide the smile on your face as you spotted him, running to him.

Bucky smiled as you ran into his open arms, hugging him tightly. You didn’t see the approving smiles on the faces of people around you, all you cared about was that Bucky was here, safely.

“Hello to you too, sweetheart,” He whispered, kissing your forehead. “I’ve missed you.”

You pulled away to look up at him. “You’re back.” You whispered, delighted.

He cupped your face and leaned down to press his forehead against yours, sighing. “I wish I could take you to bed and show you how much I missed you, but…”

“Later,” You finished his sentence. “There’s a lot of work to be done right now.”

He nodded. Then you felt something moving near your ankles, getting tangled up in your flowy cloak. You looked down and saw a small ball of white fur. Bucky chuckled as you bent down to pick it up.

“The mother and the rest of the litter didn’t survive the cold,” He said, “But I found this little guy as we were evacuating the village. He was hiding under a pile of hay, all hungry and trembling. And I thought, who else would take better care of him than a certain generous witch I know?” He explained, a little flustered, ”So I brought him along. For you.”

You looked at the fluffy, white wolf pup in your hands. You already loved him with all your heart. Then you looked up at Bucky again, “Thank you. I love him.” You said, kissing him on the cheek, “And thank you for not leaving him behind.”

He smiled, “Oh well,” He looked around to see his people helping their new guests get off the boats, offering to carry their luggage for them. He looked beyond proud. “What’s one more addition to our village?” He shrugged, smiling at you.

–

It took some hours, but by nightfall everyone had a bed to sleep in and roof over their heads. Bucky was so pleased he insisted they celebrated this feat. Plus he wanted the new members to feel welcomed and comfortable so he held a feast.

Food and ale makes everyone feel at home, he said.

So the feast was held. The village centre quickly became a vibrant, bustling scene. And the music was the best part. You had travelled to so many places but you had never heard such rich music and singing.

As you walked around, enjoying the atmosphere, everyone thanked you for your help. Usually by this time well into winter, food was always scarce. But with you and your magic here, everyone was happy and their bellies were full.

You caught Bucky’s stare from across the crowds of people a lot of times. His heated stare that held promises which made your face feel all hot and made your body tingle. But he was busy catching up with his people right now, he made sure to speak with each and everyone of the new members of his village, he spoke with the kids and promised them that they would be restarting training soon. He even held some of the babies that had been born while he was away.

And you watched him with fondness. Watched how he smiled, watched how he let the kids mess with and admire his metal arm, watched how gentle and kind he could be, as well as how stern and assertive.

And then he caught you staring. He smirked at you while you pretended that your entire being didn’t come alive under his attention. You tried to hide the way you clenched your thighs together as he began walking over to you, finally.

The music rose to a crescendo as he made his way to you. Tall, strong, with a confident and slightly arrogant gait. He stopped when he was right in front of you, the lit torches made his skin look golden, and his eyes… oh his eyes.

His metal head reached out to touch your face, slowly caressing your warm cheek. “Did you get a chance to eat?” He asked.

You nodded, lost in his eyes. You didn’t even remember what you ate, if he asked you you wouldn’t know.

“Good. Then let’s go.” There was enough raw desire in his voice that it made you move immediately.

As you walked you asked, “Won’t they notice you’re gone?” You referred to the ongoing festivities.

Bucky smirked as he took your hand in his, the two of you making your way through the dark, to his place. “Judging by the way you threw yourself into my arms earlier, I think they expected us both to disappear at some point.”

After the short walk, you could still hear the music from the feast even after making your way into Bucky’s home. You could hear some vocalising, and it sounded… magical. Raw. Intense. Much like the look in Bucky’s eyes.

“I see you did sleep here.” He noted, appreciating that you did as he’d asked.

You took your cloak off near the fire and then followed Bucky into the sleeping area. “It was the closest I could get to you while you were gone.” You whispered, taking the layers of fur off of him. You carefully placed it down and began undoing his tunic. “Your bed smells like you.” You said, “Some nights I couldn’t sleep until I made myself come while pretending it was your hand touching me.”

A sound resembling a growl left his mouth as he grabbed both of your wrists in one hand, ceasing your movement. “Show me.” He said, low and deep, “Show me what I missed.”

A sly smirk formed on your lips, “Sure you don’t want to do it yourself?”

He shook his head. “I want to see.”

You turned and gave him your back, “Undress me then.” You expected him to undo the laces and buttons. But no. You felt something cold against the nape of your neck, and then the sound of fabric being ripped filled the room.

You gasped in pleasant surprise. He’d torn your dress off instead. With the dagger. You let the ruined dress fall to the ground and faced him again, naked because you hadn’t been wearing any undergarments, “That was one of my favourites.” You said, looking into his lust-drunk, hooded eyes.

“I don’t care.” He answered, truthfully. Stepping closer he raised the dagger up under your chin, pressing it gently against your skin. “If it were up to me, I’d keep you naked in this bed at all times.”

You giggled.

“Hurry up,” He said, “Show me.” His voice was a mere whisper.

You could still hear the music and the singing in the background as you held his stare and laid down on his soft bed, on your back. He stood at the end of the bed looking down at you like an old god looking at a sacrifice. With hunger in his eyes like you’d never seen before.

He watched as if in trance, as you bent your knees and spread your legs. His breaths got deeper as he watched how wet you were, your finger slowly sliding up and down your slit. He inched just a little closer as you began gasping and whimpering, your finger slipping in and out of you.

Your other hand toyed with your nipple, twisting and tugging. You held his dark stare as you moaned, back arching off the bed, the slightly chilly air hit your bare chest and caused your nipples to erect even further.

“Oh gods…” Bucky whispered, watching as you put on a show. Watching as you whined in pleasure as the pace at which your fingers effortlessly slipped in and out of you increased. You looked down and saw the bulge in his pants. He was barely holding back.

The way he watched you, the feeling of anticipation knowing he would fill you up soon, all of it made your heart race. Outside, the music rose to a crescendo again and you moaned louder, fingering yourself faster, the palm of your hands rubbing against your sensitive clit over and over again as your middle finger slipped in and out of you.

You gasped, “Bucky…” You moaned quietly under your breath, imagining it was his fingers that were touching you instead of your own. “I need you…” you mumbled in the haze that you were in, “Please… I need you.”

He wasted no time in grabbing you by the thighs and dragging you to the edge of the bed as he knelt to the ground. He placed your legs over his shoulders and leaned down to kiss your belly. He was rock hard, barely able to think straight. But fuck he needed to hear you moan as you came.

“I fucking missed you,” He mumbled as he kissed around where your shaky fingers were buried in your wet cunt. “Let me taste you.” He whispered before gently slipping your fingers out of your hole and into his mouth. He sucked on them like they’d just been dipped in the sweetest honey.

“Oh fuck…” You moaned, looking at him. The great Chief, kneeling in between your legs, sucking your taste off your fingers… it was heady. “Please,” You murmured again when you noticed that he was teasing you, keeping you waiting on purpose.

He let go of your fingers, smirking as he looked up at you. “I’ve been wanting to taste you.” He whispered, his warm breath making you squirm. Chuckling at your restlessness, he parted your folds and buried his mouth in between them, eating you out like he was a starving man and moaning at your taste.

Relentlessly, passionately. His warm mouth wrapped around your clit and sucked on it occasionally. His tongue teased your entrance as he took his time to feast in between your legs.

Your fingers slid into his hair, it had gotten slightly longer you realised as you grabbed a fistful of it, tugging on it gently as his mouth teased you.

“So this is what you did, huh? While I was away, rescuing people and fighting rough seas…” His tongue slowly circled around your clit and he earned more and more moans out of you. “You were here, touching yourself.”

Your legs trembled as he locked his arms around your thighs and pushed your core further into his mouth and made you cry out of pleasure. You whined. “Please, Bucky…”

He chuckled, darkly. “No.” He pulled away, licking his lips. “Not so easily.”

He stood up, got rid of all his clothes before climbing into bed with you. His glorious, inked, naked body hovered above yours as he looked down at you with nothing but fondness and desire in his eyes. You looked down, whimpering at the sight of him stroking his hard cock, it was leaking already.

Bucky looked down at you and smiled before leaning in for a kiss again. He nibbled along your skin, from your mouth to your neck, “Are you ready for me, sweetheart?”

You cried out, “Yes! Please, Buck–,”

He cut you off by sliding into you, filling you up. You gasped as your walls welcomed him perfectly and he growled under his breath as he filled you up entirely. “Look at me,” He said. When you did, he smiled and laced your fingers together and pinned both your hands above your head as he sped up into you. “Fuck,” He swore, “You feel like you were made for me.”

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head once he started rocking in and out of you with your legs locked behind his back. He leaned in and kissed your lips again, groaning and panting against your lips as he fucked you hard and fast.

The music outside felt like it echoed inside your head. It made your heart race, like a soundtrack to this ethereal union.

“Tell me you belong to me,” He whispered, lips brushing against yours as his cock stroked your inner walls perfectly. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m… I’m yours,” You said, breathlessly.

“That’s right,” He breathed against your mouth. “All fucking mine.” He repeated, kissing along your skin and moaning into your ear, “Fuck, you feel so good.” He said as he sped up again, fucking you nice and deep to show you that you belong to him. “Come for me,” He said, knowing he wouldn’t last too long, “Come on sweetheart, come for me.”

You cried out as you did, coming undone as he kept pounding into you until he finished inside you. Bucky nuzzled your neck, kissing your skin as he caught his breath. You wrapped your arms around him lazily, feeling his heart racing just as fast as yours was.

He sighed in bliss as he finally laid down beside you, taking you with him so more than half of your body was on top of his. He kissed the top of your head and whispered, “I missed you like a madman.”

You smiled, kissing his damp skin as you replied, “I did too. It felt… empty without you.” You lifted your head up to look at him. “Your hair is longer.” You pointed out.

Bucky chuckled, “You like it?”

You nodded, “It suits you.”

He smiled, caressing your cheek again. “I like you in my bed.” He murmured.

You smirked, lifting yourself up to straddle him properly. You grabbed his semi hard cock and slid it inside you again, gasping as it went in easily. Bucky groaned in pleasure, his hands holding you by the waist, ready to lift you up and down his cock.

“I really like me in your bed too.” You said, and began riding him until you both came once more.

—

And so, winter passed by.

You kept everyone safe and warm. Your bond with Bucky was not a secret anymore given you were always seen together. Judging by the smiles on people’s faces when they saw the two of you together, you’d say they were more than happy for Bucky.

You spent more time in Bucky’s house than the one you were assigned when you first got here that Bucky suggested you move in, and let someone else have the other home.

“I like having you in my home.” He said one night as he pulled your worn out, bare body into his. He kissed your shoulder, and made sure you were properly warm under the soft furs, in his bed. “Come live with me.”

So you moved in.

Your days started and ended with Bucky. With his soft, loving, often demanding touch. His merciless and passionate kisses. And you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

He was a stern, just, and caring chief to the rest of the village but only you saw the softer side of him.

The way some evenings he would lay his head in your lap and grumble until you played with his hair until he fell asleep.

Or how much he loved it when you braided his hair, he’d wear it proudly.

Or how he always gave you the best bites of food when you dined together.

The way he would always make sure you had enough fur and blankets on your side of the bed at night.

Or how he’d always accompany you when you took your little wolf for walks in the woods.

Or how he’d often tempt you into going for midnight swims with him at the lake. How he’d kiss you under the moonlight, smiling like a lovesick young boy instead of the great chief he was.

During those moments, you often wanted to freeze time and just stay with him forever.

Forever… but that wasn’t possible, was it?

—

The weather, naturally, didn’t stay freezing cold. It got warmer, and warmer as winter faded into a gentle, barely there spring.

Your little wolf grew, and kept growing. Time, you realised, moved and with it came time to say goodbye.

Winter was nearly over. Everyone knew, everyone could see it. But nobody said anything. You were still greeted with the same grateful smiles and infinite gifts whenever you stepped out. Steve and Sam never mentioned it, they kept filling your days with stories of their youth and more laughter.

Bucky, it seemed, had forgotten all about what the end of winter meant.

And it hurt you more than you thought it would when it came time to confront him about it. It took you two days to build the courage to break both of your hearts. You didn’t want to leave, but you had to, didn’t you?

He was home early that evening, in a good mood too. As soon as you opened your mouth to say something though, he announced, “I’m going for a swim, come with me?”

You shook your head. “I don’t feel like it. You go ahead.”

He smiled, kissed your forehead and left. The sunset as soon as he was out of the door. He’d been going on a lot of swims lately, which again indicated that the weather was getting warmer.

You waited for him to get back. Your heart breaking in the meantime.

–

“We need to, um, talk.” You said, once he’d put on clean, dry clothes again. You watched as he dried his hair with a piece of fabric as he turned to face you.

The buttons of his tunic undone with the tattoos on his chest peeking through, his hair was a damp mess, his blue eyes shining. He was so beautiful. So beautiful it hurt.

“What about, sweetheart?” He tossed the fabric aside and placed his hands on either side of your waist. “Everything okay?”

You looked up at him. Didn’t he notice? Couldn’t he see you were wearing the same cloak you wore the day he met you? Couldn’t see you were ready to leave? You spoke with tears in your eyes, “Winter is nearly over, Bucky.” You whispered in a shaky voice.

Silence. Only the few nearby torches. And the crickets outside.

Bucky clenched and unclenched his jaw. You could see it through the stubble on his cheeks. “What do you mean?”

He knew what you meant. You could tell. He was just giving you a chance to rectify what you said. But you didn’t. Instead you said, “Winter is over, it’s time for me to go.” The tears fell. Hot and burning, much like the tension between the two of you even after all these months.

Bucky was quiet, then he let out a humourless chuckle. “What are you saying? You want to leave me?”

You sighed as he made this difficult for both of you. “You know what I mean. We had a deal, remember?” You swallowed a sob. “We–,”

“I swear to gods,” He cut you off, pulling you closer and growling, “Do not fucking test me right now.”

More tears fell down your face. “Bucky…” You whispered. “I can’t stay here. You know that. It’s what I do, I help people. It’s what I’m meant to do with this…” You sighed, “This magic.”

“Who said that?” He argued. “Who said you couldn’t choose what made you happy? Who said you had to keep wandering? Huh?” He leaned closer, the tip of his nose touching yours, “Who said you can’t stop once you found a home? A real one?” He gently kissed the corner of your mouth. “You have a home here, you have me. Stay.”

You breathed in the manly scent of him. Felt the roughness of his stubble against your skin. Felt his body heat. Why couldn’t you stop? Because it scared you. “I can’t.” You mumbled, even as your heart screamed stay, stay, stay.

Bucky pulled away. His face was stone cold. Emotionless. His hands left your waist and clenched into fists as he stared at you. As Chief, he wasn’t used to people disobeying him.

“Fine then,” He spoke with a bitter voice. “You want to leave? Then I’ll follow. And my people will follow me no matter where I go.” He spoke with a confidence that only a true leader can have. “So wherever you go, you’ll find me behind you. And a whole village behind me. Is that what you want?” You could hear the stubbornness in his voice, the determination. The promise.

“You can’t.” You reasoned. “You have a duty here, Bucky. My work here is done, I lifted the dome yesterday and no one even noticed. That just goes to show I’m not needed here. You have a life here,” You said, “Not me.” More tears streamed down your face. Your mind and heart were screaming in contradiction.

Bucky just stared at you, his heart slowly breaking. Then he said, calmly but fiercely, “I have nothing without you. Nothing.” He stepped closer to you again, “You made me feel alive again, you made me feel like I was more than just a chief, like I was a man again. Just a man who is madly in love with the woman of his dreams.” His words made you weak. “You’re… everything. Don’t leave me.” He pleaded, quietly.

You couldn’t help but hide your face in his chest as you sobbed. He cradled your head, kissing the top of it.

“I will send word.” He said, as you sobbed quietly. Your tears drenching his tunic. “People will know where to come find you if they need you.” He reassured you. “Stay with me, be my wife, let’s have children together,” He cupped your face and made you look up at him. His ocean blue eyes staring down loving into yours. “Let’s have a life together.”

You sniffled. “You’re awfully stubborn.” You said.

He smiled, his own eyes tearing up. “And you love me for it.”

You sniffled again. “I do.” You confessed. “I do love you.”

“And I love you.” He leaned in for a gentle kiss. “Stay with me. You have a home here.” He whispered against your lips. “You’ve helped plenty of people all over this world. It’s not selfish if you choose to settle down now and choose your happiness.”

“I’m scared.” You admitted. “I’ve never… I don’t know if I can… I mean, I don’t know if–,”

He cut you off with another loving kiss. “Shh, I’ve got you. We will figure it out. Together.”

You gave him a faint smile through the tears as you nodded. “Together.”

And choosing to stay back with him, for him, ended up being the best decision you’d ever made.

—

Fin.

#viking!bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes smut #marvel au

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the-winter-spider · 15 days

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Never Enough | B.Barnes

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings: Angst, fluff, comfort idk

Masterlist

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The mission had been textbook so far, each Avenger playing their part with precision and skill. You moved through the chaos with a focused intensity, your grey-hued powers crackling around your hands as you deflected incoming attacks and shielded your teammates. The battlefield was a blur of noise and movement, but you were in the zone, you always were every action calculated to protect those around you, no one would ever get hurt because of you again.

Sam was high in the sky, engaged in an aerial battle with a group of enemy drones, when you spotted something he didn’t, a sniper, hidden on a distant rooftop, aimed directly at him “Sam!” You yelled through the comms, when all you heard was static you muttered to yourself “shit shit shit”

Your heart skipped a beat as you saw the glint of the scope, without a second thought, you threw herself into action, your powers surging as you manipulated the grey energy to redirect the bullet.

The energy crackled and hissed as it wrapped around the speeding projectile, altering its course just enough to avoid a fatal shot, but in the process, you lost control for a split second, and the bullet grazed your ear, tearing through flesh before embedding harmlessly in a nearby wall.

You stumbled slightly from the impact, your hand instinctively reaching up to the side of your head, when you pulled it away, your fingers were slick with blood. The warm liquid began to trickle down your face, but you pushed the pain aside, focusing on the relief that Sam was still in the sky, unharmed.

The mission wrapped up quickly after that, the team neutralising the last of their enemies. As they regrouped, Bucky’s sharp eyes zeroed in on you, and his stomach dropped when he saw the blood staining the side of your face.

“Doll?!” he called out, rushing over to you. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he tilted your chin to get a better look at the wound “You’re bleeding.”

You winced slightly at his touch but managed a small, reassuring smile “It’s just a graze, Bucky, I’m fine”

“Fine?” he repeated, his voice tinged with panic “You’re bleeding all over the place” his hands touching you all over, eyes racking your body to make sure it was the only one.

You gently pulled his hand away from you, giving him a firm look, still holding his hand in yours squeezing it “It’s fine, really. Sam’s okay, and that’s what matters”

As if on cue, Sam landed beside them, his wings retracting as he touched down. He noticed the blood immediately, his eyes widening in shock. “Y/N, what the hell happened?”

You waved it off as if it were nothing, because it was nothing “Just a little sniper action, I saw the shot coming your way and redirected it, no big deal” You shrugged

Sam’s expression softened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder “Thank you, I didn’t even see it coming… you saved my life”

You could feel his eyes peering into the side of your head, as if he was trying to see into your head and what you were actually thinking and what you were actually feeling. Before Bucky could protest further, the rest of the team gathered around, assessing the situation.

Natasha gave Y/N a once-over, her eyes lingering on the blood before nodding approvingly “Nice work out there.”

“Yeah, way to keep Sam in one piece,” Clint added with a grin.

You smiled, though the adrenaline was starting to wear off, and the pain was becoming harder to ignore. Bucky noticed the way your smile faltered, but before he could press you to get checked out, Tony’s voice came over the comms, the ones that were finally working.

“Alright, team, let’s pack it up and head back to the Compound. Dinner’s on me tonight.”

You breathed a quiet sigh of relief as they headed to the jet. You knew Bucky was worried, but you couldn’t let him fuss over you right now. The wound was minor, and all that mattered was that all of you were heading home, all of them, your family…. alive.

The flight back to the Compound was uneventful, the team settling into a comfortable silence as they let the exhaustion of the mission sink in. You sat beside Bucky, leaning your head against the cool window, ignoring the throbbing on the side of your head. You could feel Bucky’s concerned gaze on you, but you kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep to avoid another confrontation.

When they landed, the team made their way to the common area, still buzzing with post-mission energy. Tony had ordered dinner, and they all gathered around the large table, digging into the food that was quickly delivered. The atmosphere was light, everyone enjoying the rare moment of relaxation.

As they ate, Tony cleared his throat, drawing the group’s attention “Before we all dig into dessert, I’ve got something to say.”

The room quieted as everyone looked at him expectantly.

“I was going over the mission logs today,” Tony continued, a playful smirk on his face. “And it turns out that our very own Y/N here has officially been on more missions than anyone else on the team this year.”

You blinked in surprise, your fork pausing mid-air. The rest of the team looked at you with varying degrees of shock and admiration.

“Wait, seriously?” Bruce asked, his eyebrows shooting up.

“Y/N joined after most of us,” Natasha added, her tone impressed.

Bucky’s eyes narrowed slightly, a mix of pride and concern flickering in his gaze. He knew how driven you were, but hearing that you had been on the most missions—despite the risks you took—made his heart clench. It made someone chun inside of him, he felt uneasy and nauseous. He knew you had baggage, dark shadows lurking behind you, almost everyone on the team did but this felt different.

You shifted uncomfortably under the attention, forcing a smile as you shrugged, trying to brush off the unwanted attention “Just trying to keep up with the rest of you.”

Tony raised his glass in a mock toast. “Well, here’s to Y/N—the MVP of the team. Just try not to hog all the action next year.”

Everyone chuckled, raising their glasses in her honour. You smiled, but your mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the day and the worried look in Bucky’s eyes.

As the night wore on, you found yourself standing on the balcony, the cool night air brushing against your skin. You needed a moment alone to process everything—the wound, the mission, and the weight of Tony’s announcement.

As the night wore on, you found yourself standing on the balcony, the cool night air brushing against your skin. You needed a moment alone to process everything-the wound, the mission, and the weight of Tony's announcement.

But you weren't alone for long. Bucky found you, as he always did, quietly joining you, his presence a comforting warmth in the darkness.

"Sweetheart," he began, his voice low as he reached for you, brushing the hair off your face. His fingers lingered near the now bandaged wound. "You've got to stop doing this to yourself."

You didn't turn to face him, your gaze fixed on the stars above. "I'm fine, Buck... really."

He stepped closer, his hand gently resting on your arm, his grip firm but tender, trying to keep his frustration in check. "I'm not just talking about today, you're pushing yourself too hard…you're getting hurt too often. I know this seems minor to you, but... you're everything to me, doll, I can't-" He cut himself off, swallowing hard.

You finally turned to look at him, your eyes meeting his, the weight of his words settling in your chest. "I have to, Bucky. I can't stop, not when there's so much at stake”

He sighed, his expression tight with frustration, pain clouding his usually soft gaze."You don't have to do it all alone, we're a team. You've got us-you've got me…you always have me”

For a moment, you just stood there, the unspoken tension between you heavy in the air. You wanted to argue, to tell him that you needed to keep going, to keep saving lives. But the concern in his eyes, the desperation in his voice, made it harder to deny that maybe, just maybe, you were running yourself into the ground.

"I know you're trying to help," you said softly, your voice trembling as you searched for the right words. "But I don't know how to stop... I don't know how to just... be."

Bucky's face softened, and he pulled you closer, his arms

wrapping around you as if he could shield you from everything. "You don't have to have it all figured out right now. We'll take it slow, okay? You don't have to do this”

But even as you stood there in his embrace, a part of you resisted. You couldn't shake the feeling that slowing down, letting go, meant giving up some part of yourself. And that terrified you.

You pulled away from him, your heart pounding in your chest as a sudden wave of frustration surged inside you. "You don't get it, Bucky," you said, your voice rising despite your best efforts to keep it steady. "If I stop-if I take a break-then what am I even here for? All I have is the next mission, the next chance to save someone else."

Bucky's brow furrowed, his hands hovering near you, unsure whether to reach for you again. "That's not true…you're here because you matter, because we matter. You're not just some weapon to be used over and over”

You shook your head, stepping back as the anger and pain you'd been suppressing for so long started to spill over. "I can't just stop, okay? You don't understand what it's like, knowing that no matter what I do, it'll never be enough to erase what happened." He had his own demons, you knew that, he knew that. You knew he knew what it felt like, that no matter how much good you did, you could never erase the past.

"What are you talking about?" Bucky asked, his voice quiet, pleading "Enough for what?"

"My family," you snapped, the words tearing out of you like a wound being ripped open. "I killed them, Bucky. I was supposed to protect them, and I didn't. I couldn't." Your voice broke, and you took in a shaky breath, tears burning in your eyes. "No matter how many lives I save, it won't bring them back. It won't make up for what I did."

The silence that followed was deafening. Bucky stared at you, his expression stricken, as if he could feel the weight of your pain pressing down on him too. His voice, when he spoke, was raw and filled with emotion. "You were a kid... You couldn't control it. How could you blame yourself for that?"

"Because who else is there to blame?" you cried, your voice cracking with the intensity of your grief. "I'm the one who's supposed to have control. I'm the one with these powers, and I couldn't – didn't save them….and now, I have to keep going because if I don't... if I stop..."

"If you stop, what?" Bucky's voice was sharp now, his own frustration bubbling to the surface. "You think you'll suddenly fall apart? You think it'll undo everything you've done, everything you've fought for?"

You wiped at your eyes angrily, turning away from him. "Maybe….Maybe I deserve to fall apart. Maybe I should."

"Stop," he said, stepping forward, his voice firm, a thread of anger creeping into it. "You're punishing yourself, and it's not helping anyone, least of all you."

You spun back around, the heat of your emotions pushing you beyond the point of caring. "And what if I am? What if this is the only way I know how to keep going?"

Bucky's face hardened, the pain in his eyes replaced with something colder, something distant. "You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up and I can't stand by and watch you do that!”

"Then don't!" you yelled, your chest heaving as the words tumbled out before you could stop them. "If it's so hard for you, then just leave, Bucky! I'm used to being alone."

His silence was like a slap in the face. For a moment, you thought he might actually walk away, that you had finally pushed him too far.

But when he spoke, his voice was quiet, devastated. "You really think l'd leave you? After everything?"

You swallowed hard, the weight of your own words sinking in, but the anger and the pain wouldn't let you stop. "Maybe you should…maybe it would be easier for both of us."

Bucky stared at you for a long moment, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes shining with hurt. "If that's what you want."

You felt the sting of your own words twisting in your chest, regret pooling in your stomach. But it was too late now. The damage was done, you couldn't take it back.

Without another word, Bucky turned and walked away, his footsteps heavy and deliberate, each one echoing like a hammer in your chest.

And when the door finally closed behind him, the quiet that followed was suffocating. The stars above you blurred as the tears finally fell, but this time, there was no one there to hold you together.

You were alone. Just like you always feared you would be.

After the door closed behind him, you stood frozen, your breath caught in your throat. The silence was heavy, thick with the weight of words you couldn’t take back. The pain in Bucky’s eyes haunted you, replaying in your mind like a broken record.

You leaned against the balcony railing, gripping it so tightly your knuckles turned white. The cold wind stung against the cut on your ear, but the physical pain was a dull ache compared to the emotional wreckage inside of you.

“I did it again,” you whispered to yourself, your voice shaky, broken. “I pushed him away.”

You thought back to the mission, to the moment you’d saved Sam without thinking of yourself. That was who you were, wasn’t it? Someone who always threw themselves in harm’s way, someone who believed their life was a bargaining chip to protect others. But with Bucky…it was different. He didn’t need saving. He needed you to let him in, and you couldn’t.

The stars blurred as more tears filled your eyes. All you could see was the look of betrayal on Bucky’s face as he turned to leave.

Maybe you were too far gone. Maybe the weight of your past, of your guilt, was too much for anyone to carry, even Bucky. He’d seen the worst of you, and now, maybe he’d finally had enough.

You choked back a sob, the hollow emptiness in your chest growing, threatening to swallow you whole. Your breath came in ragged gasps as you fought to hold yourself together, but it was no use. The cracks were already showing.

And in the quiet of the night, with nothing but the stars and your own racing thoughts, you wondered if you’d pushed the one person who could understand you too far. If you’d finally driven him away for good.

The door didn’t open again.

You were alone. Truly, completely alone. And the worst part was, it felt like you deserved it. Because you did.

You stayed there, staring at the night sky as if the stars could offer answers, but all they did was remind you of how small and insignificant everything felt. The wind howled through the silence, and your body shook—whether from the cold or from the emotions tearing you apart, you weren’t sure.

Suddenly, the door creaked open again, and for a moment, your heart leapt, thinking Bucky had come back. But when you heard the familiar sound of soft footsteps, you realised it was someone else.

“You okay?” Natasha’s voice was quiet, cautious.

You didn’t turn around, wiping at your eyes quickly to hide the tears “Yeah… just needed some air.”

Natasha came to stand beside you, leaning her elbows on the railing, her sharp eyes scanning your face even though you refused to meet them. “You know, you’re a terrible liar”

You huffed a humourless laugh, the sound bitter in your throat. “Guess I am”

Natasha sighed softly, leaning in closer. “I heard what happened… between you and Bucky, i didn't mean to eavesdrop ”

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening at the mention of his name “Yeah, well, it’s my fault. I pushed him away, that’s what I do.”

Natasha tilted her head, her gaze softer than usual. “You think pushing people away makes you stronger, but it’s only making you more vulnerable”

You stared at the ground, your voice barely above a whisper. “What if I’m too broken to fix? What if I ruin everything I touch?”

Natasha straightened, her expression turning serious. “You’re not broken, Y/N. You’re hurting but there’s a difference.”

You shook your head, your fingers tightening around the railing “You didn’t see the look on his face when I practically told him to leave….and he did.”

Natasha crossed her arms, her voice sharp but not unkind. “Bucky’s not the type to give up easily, especially when it comes to you, he loves you so much…He’ll come back, but you have to let him in. You can’t keep shutting him out, or one day… he might not come back”

You finally looked at her, your eyes brimming with unshed tears “What if it’s too late?”

Natasha shook her head. “It’s not too late..not unless you let it be”

You bit your lip, fighting the urge to break down again. “I don’t know how to stop, Nat. I don’t know how to stop blaming myself.”

Natasha placed a hand on your arm, her grip firm, grounding you. “You have to forgive yourself, you weren’t responsible for what happened to your family and you’re not responsible for everything that goes wrong in the world, You’ve done more than enough.”

You felt the weight of her words, but they seemed so far away from what you felt in your chest. “I don’t know if I can.”

Natasha’s eyes softened again. “Then let us help you, let Bucky help you..that’s what he wants and its what you need”

You looked away, your voice small and fragile. “I’m afraid I’ll lose him, I’m afraid I’ll lose all of you.”

Natasha squeezed your arm gently. “You won’t, but if you keep pushing us away, you’re only going to lose yourself”

For a long moment, you stood in silence, her words sinking in. The night air felt a little colder, but her presence grounded you, reminded you that you weren’t alone—even if it felt that way.

Finally, you nodded, barely a whisper escaping your lips. “I don’t know how to fix this, Nat.”

Natasha gave you a small, reassuring smile. “You don’t have to fix everything, Y/N. Sometimes, you just have to let people be there for you”

You stood there for a moment longer, Natasha’s words hanging in the air like a lifeline. She was right. You didn’t have to fix everything alone, and Bucky—he wouldn’t give up on you that easily.

Taking a deep breath, you turned to her. “Thanks, Nat… I think I need to talk to him”

Natasha gave you a knowing smile, her eyes softening. “Go…He’s probably waiting for you.”

You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest as you made your way inside. The hallways of the Compound were quiet, the hum of the place barely a whisper against the tension knotting in your stomach. You weren’t sure where he had gone, but you knew Bucky—he would seek solitude, someplace quiet to think.

Heading toward the common area, you peeked around the corners until you found him sitting on the couch, his back turned to you. His posture was tense, shoulders hunched forward as he stared blankly at the wall. The sight of him like that—silent and still—made your chest ache. You hated seeing him hurt, especially when it was your words that had caused it.

You took a tentative step forward, clearing your throat softly. “Bucky?”

His shoulders tensed at the sound of your voice, but he didn’t turn around. For a moment, you feared he might stay silent, that you had pushed him too far. But then, he sighed, his voice low and filled with emotion “What do you want, Y/N?”

Your heart clenched, and you took a deep breath before stepping closer. “I… I just wanted to apologise for what I said earlier”

Bucky’s head tilted slightly, but he still didn’t turn around “You told me to leave, so I did.”

You winced at the pain in his voice, the weight of your own words crashing over you again “I didn’t mean it, Buck…I was just… scared. Of losing you, of everything”

There was a long pause, the silence stretching between you like a chasm you were desperate to cross. Finally, Bucky spoke, his voice quiet but laced with vulnerability. “I know you’re scared, but so am I.”

You blinked in surprise, stepping even closer now, your hand reaching out hesitant to touch his shoulder “You’re scared?”

He finally turned to face you, his blue eyes soft and filled with a raw emotion that made your breath hitch. “Of course I am, every time I see you throw yourself into danger like that, I’m terrified I’m going to lose you. You keep pushing yourself too hard, Y/N, and it’s killing me. You mean everything to me.”

Your heart swelled at his words, the intensity of his gaze making it impossible to look away. “Bucky… I’m sorry. I didn’t realise how much I was hurting you.”

He stood up then, towering over you but not in an intimidating way. His presence was warm, comforting, and despite everything, you felt safe with him. He reached out slowly, brushing his fingers against your cheek as if testing the waters “I just want you to be okay, doll…that’s all I’ve ever wanted, you’re all i ever want”

You leaned into his touch, your eyes searching his, the sincerity of his words making your heart ache. “I don’t want to push you away. I just… I’ve been running for so long, I didn’t know how to stop.”

Bucky’s thumb gently traced along your cheek, his touch soft and reassuring “Then stop running, sweetheart. Let me be there for you”

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes as you reached up to place your hand over his. “I don’t want to be alone, not anymore.”

Bucky’s face softened, and he pulled you into a gentle embrace, his arms wrapping around you like a protective shield. You buried your face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent, the steady beat of his heart grounding you.

“You’ll never be alone,” he murmured into your hair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Not as long as I’m here”

You squeezed him tighter, feeling the weight of your fears slowly melt away in his embrace. For the first time in a long time, you felt like you didn’t have to carry everything on your own.

“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice muffled against his chest.

He pulled back just enough to tilt your chin up, his eyes filled with so much warmth it made your heart flutter. “Anytime, doll. You’re stuck with me now.”

You couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped you, the tension between you both easing as his lips curled into a playful smile. “Good, I think I like being stuck with you.”

Bucky chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead, then your nose, and finally, your lips. It was soft and gentle, like he was afraid of breaking the moment, but it sent warmth flooding through your body.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his voice a soft whisper. “I love you, Y/N.”

Your heart soared at his words, and you smiled up at him, finally allowing yourself to let go of all the fear and doubt. “I love you too, Bucky…. More than you’ll ever know.”

Bucky’s eyes shone with affection, and he kissed you again, this time deeper, more passionate. The world around you faded away, and for the first time in a long time, everything felt right.

In his arms, you weren’t broken, you weren’t alone. You were whole. And that was more than enough.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #sebastian stan x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky x you #bucky barnes angst #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky fic #bucky barnes fluff #fluffy bucky barnes x reader

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aealzx · 2 months

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“I think I could eat this everyday, every meal, for a month.”

Sam’s gushing over the fulfilled requests for dinner earned a chuckle from the replacement team that had brought it. Stephanie, Cass and Jason had all been sent home to get their own dinner, being ones with their masks covering their mouths. And now Dick and Duke were nibbling on the second half of their own dinner while three of the teenagers crammed the food into their mouths at a rate that made Duke concerned.

“Just don’t choke on it, okay? We’re not going to take it away if you’re worried about that,” Duke commented, still marveling at how much food was disappearing into Danielle’s mouth. He was a little envious of everyone else getting to eat dinner at the manor, but this made up for it just a bit.

“I’ll let our chef know you liked it,” Dick just laughed, not minding the poor table manners at all. These kids probably hadn’t had a good meal since before they’d arrived in Gotham, so he couldn’t blame them for gorging on the warm meal. Plus it was Alfred’s cooking. Even if they weren’t half starved he’d bet they still would have devoured the food.

“I can’t decide if I’m just hungry or if this really is the most amazing steak I’ve ever tasted,” Tucker almost whispered. The only reason he had slowed down was because he was already on his third steak.

“Probably a bit of both,” Dick laughed again, enjoying his own steak of the same preparation. He had been worried about Jazz when he’d gotten back, but she seemed to be doing better now. She’d seemed even more sullen than before when they’d returned, still sitting on the stool near Danny and curling her fingers around his hand. Dick had watched her for a bit while they had unloaded the food and found that the heart monitor was probably not making her feel comforted at all. Danny’s heart rate was slow, and irregular, ranging 40 beats per minute on average and sometimes having gaps in between. It was the gaps that had clued Dick in to it being the problem, seeing Jazz snap her attention to the screen when there had been a delay, and flinching when the next beat sounded. It had been enough motivation for Dick to switch the monitor to a silent mode, adding in parameters for when to trigger an alarm when he did so. Leslie had assured them that the half frozen state of Danny’s body was what was causing the lower heart rate, and that they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it until they broke Danny out of his own self caused stasis. So Dick felt it was unnecessary to torture his sister with the sound of the monitor.

Luckily once Duke coaxed her over to eat, the taste of the food had been enough distraction for Jazz to sink her teeth into the fried chicken with little care for the fork. She’d made it through probably an entire fried chicken on her own by now, and also had plenty of the squash and other vegetables. It was pleasing to see, though Danielle made Dick almost think his best friend Wally was there, and only eating slowly to be polite. She definitely had some sort of altered metabolism, following true to her request and finishing off five chickens and an entire butternut squash on her own. When Duke had asked if she liked the food she’d just given a thumbs up and grinned with her teeth sunk into a drumstick.

“...We’ve made some progress on your predicaments,” Dick eventually started once they had given the kids enough time to eat a good amount. It caused all of them to slow, and Danielle paused for a moment to burp into her hand before quietly looking towards him. “Are you guys familiar with the concept of alternate realities? Sometimes referred to as dimensions, realms, multiverse…”

It wasn’t a completely foreign concept to the kids, but not one that seemed too familiar either based on their only semi confused reactions to the question. Tucker took a moment to clear his mouth before answering for them. “Yeah, we’ve heard of them. They’re all over in science fiction stories and stuff.”

That response made Dick’s subconscious pause. It wasn’t an outright lie, but something about it seemed off. Deliberately vague. “Well, you’re all in one now,” Dick continued without pausing outwardly.

Sam almost spit her drink as Tucker and Jazz both exclaimed, “WHAT?!”

“You mean the stupid morons shot us to a different realm?” Danielle burst, obviously irritated.

“Does that mean the- … Is our dimension still there?” Jazz asked, half rising to her feet and looking from Danielle to Dick.

“Calm down, it’ll be alright,” Dick called evenly, making a calming motion with his hands. “Just displacing a few people from their original dimension usually isn’t enough to cause it to disappear. I’m sure your original home is fine. But that’s also why you’ve been having such difficulty here. You didn’t exist in our dimension until a few months ago.”

It was starting to click in their heads, Dick and Duke watching as the connections were being made as each teen’s expression became one of realization.

“Your debit card,” Sam noted, pointing to Jazz.

“When I tried to call mom and dad on the payphone,” Jazz responded.

“And the fact that no one seems to have even heard of ectoplasm as an actual substance,” Tucker chimed in. “We just thought everyone in the big city were a bunch of weirdos,” he added, looking back to Dick and Duke. “Amity has always been a hotspot, we knew that. But all the people in costumes and codenames we’d never heard of? We just thought it was some fad big city people did that never made it to our town.”

“Not like we didn’t have other things to worry about too,” Sam added, folding her arms for a moment before glancing back to her plate and deciding the butternut squash was more enticing than being closed off.

“That makes sense. It’s also why you never would have heard of Batman or the rest of us,” Dick agreed. Being more worried about keeping themselves and their 5th team member alive would definitely not leave them with a lot of free time to even consider they were in another dimension. “In light of this we’re not relying too much on what we need being pre existent. So Batman is currently working on an antitoxin based on breaking down plant based matter - our botanical contact confirmed blood blossoms don’t exist here - and figuring out a way we can collect ectoplasm from the ambient instead of relying on something like Lazarus water. While he works we’ll keep providing you five with what you need. Unfortunately you’ll have to stay here to keep out of trouble. I don’t know about your realm, but ours has a bunch of laws about citizenship, and being in other countries without the proper verification and paperwork. Considering you’re essentially without citizenship to any country, we don’t want you guys getting taken in by the police. Members of our team will keep in touch, and give you guys updates as they come. Make sense?”

It was unexpectedly more than they were used to getting. Even back in Amity people still had mixed feelings about ghosts, so they had to rely only on themselves for any help. While avoiding dealing with any local self proclaimed heroes that liked to hunt ghosts too. But it seemed that these people, Batman and those who worked for him, didn’t really care that two of their team were half ghosts. They didn’t seem to know anything about ghosts, yet were still willing to help.

“So, you’re saying if we behave ourselves and stay under house arrest, you’ll still help Danny?” Danielle asked when no one else made a comment before her.

“Yes. Our original agreement still stands, regardless of if you’re from this dimension or not,” Dick confirmed. It was less about them being illegal residents and more about them possibly still being targeted though. Lazarus water wasn’t something the common criminals had access to, so Dick and the others had a hard time believing whoever had been slighted would give up after one assassination attempt. They had to keep their new charges safe by keeping them off the radar. And the best way they could think of keeping them out of trouble they had no idea they were even walking into was to keep them isolated from the potential threats. At least until they could get Danny healthy again, and teach them all who and what to avoid.

“.... Alright,” Jazz nodded this time. She was still the one who was the most wary of the four, but Dick was already seeing her starting to become more willing to believe them. He wouldn’t say she trusted them yet, but she was at least open to listen. “Thank you… for the update.”

—----

Back at the Wayne manor Cass and Barbara were watching the video feed from Dick and Duke’s masks while Bruce was in a separate part of the cave working on the anti toxin. When Cass tilted her head after Tucker’s answer about having heard of alternate dimensions, Barbara glanced at her. “Is he lying?” she asked, that being the first thing she could think of that would get Cass to react.

Cass remained quiet for a moment, watching their reactions to being informed they were in a different dimension, and blinking at Jazz’s slip up. “Not quite. They’re hiding something, but… It’s protective. They don’t want us to know because they think they’re keeping something safe,” she answered.

“Something other than Danny?” Barbara asked, having caught the two extra bits of information. Danielle had mentioned another group of people, and Jazz had started to speak of something other than their original realm. Obviously the people Danielle called morons weren’t who they were being protective of, so it had to be the thing that Jazz was wondering if it was still there. And Jason had also already given them the comment that Jazz seemed wary of the government. So were the morons part of the government in their dimension? Or a different party? It was pretty safe to follow the idea that the morons could potentially be the ones who they had been fighting before being sent to Gotham, and therefore the ones who had hurt Danny. And it was a fair reason not to trust government officials if all three of those facts were connected.

Cass nodded to Barbara’s question, confirming that they were on the same train of thought. “They are not used to being given help from outsiders,” she added once Dick had given the full report.

“That tracks with how they reacted to the rescue mission,” Barbara smirked slightly. It was unfortunately something they saw often enough in the kids in Gotham, so it wasn’t too hard to work with their lack of trust.

“What else is new?” Jason’s question came as he looped his arms over the back of the chair Cass was in, damp hair betraying he’d borrowed one of the showers in the manor.

“Jason? I thought you’d headed home already,” Barbara greeted. “Nothing crazy. Cass says it looks like they’re protecting something else other than Danny, but we haven’t gotten enough hints to start guessing what.”

“Hmm,” Jason hummed, watching the video feed of their wards getting settled for the night. It was all spare sleeping mats and quilts, but it hopefully was better than what they had been dealing with so far. “Tim and Steph are working on who had them targeted? Will there be a follow up attack?”

“It’s highly likely,” Barbara admitted with a small grimace. “Currently the League of Assassins are the only ones who have access to Lazarus water. It looks like the Phantom kids intercepted an exchange to another contact to get their canister. Judging by the amount and destination it seemed to have been en route to a research facility. Depending on how far along the transaction was, and how close of ties the League has with the buyer, I can see them targeting the one that interfered.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jason sighed. “I’ll head back there for the morning rotation, I don’t think the girl Dani will behave very long. You think she’s the one called Phantom?”

It was only mildly surprising to see that Jason had taken an interest in this task. The kids had been in an area close to where he usually patrolled after all. Though Barbara grew a little sad when he asked if she thought Danielle was the one they had all adopted the name Phantom from. As Cass shook her head and pointed to Danny, Barbara added her agreement. “I think the boy is the original Phantom. They follow Jazz instead of her, and… she is his clone.”

Jason’s eyes widened at the revelation, having not been at the manor when the DNA samples had been on screen. When Barbara pulled them back up to show him how they knew, Jason huffed in bitter amusement. “Unexpected sibling indeed,” he mused, remembering what Jazz had said. “They must get along well enough since she doesn’t seem to mind being named after him too.”

“Indeed. They all seem close,” Barbara agreed, gaining a smile as Dick’s check in on the room of sleeping teens revealed Danielle had already moved in her sleep enough to be laying across Jazz’s waist with her feet propped up on Tucker.

Now that there wasn’t much to watch for that Dick and Duke couldn’t take care of, Cass turned the chair to face away from the computer. “Sleep. Be ready for tomorrow,” she announced, looking at both of them before getting up.

“Yeah that sounds like a good idea,” Jason agreed, tucking his hands in his pockets. “I’ll take a nap then cover the early morning patrol before coming back to pick up breakfast. If Tim is on morning duty for the kids too, make sure he also gets some sleep. I don’t want to deal with his nasty drink getting spilled in the car.”

Barbara could only snort at the comment, raising a hand to wave. “As if any of us can ever get that kid to sleep even without a case,” she chuckled. “I’ll try, but no promises.”

“Fair enough,” Jason huffed, heading up the stairs and leaving Barbara to watch the monitors.

___________________

Big huge loving thank you to everyone for all the comments and requests on the previous section 8D I got a bunch of good ideas, and even got some things I was struggling with figured out. I also learned about the cutie that is Jon Kent X'D

I can't promise I'll incorporate everything that I'm interested in, but hopefully it'll still be fun. d>v<b

___________________

Tag list: @galaxy-sharks-and-bottled-ships, @starscreamlover, @nerdynonnativenarnian, @dragongoblet, @zeestarfishalien, @bellathecatastrophe, @cj-ghostemoji-destielpie, @asexual-insomniac, @wolfeyedwitch, @tkiesai, @fanaroff, @raven1508, @nebulainajar, @serasvictoria02, @oliocelottafanfics, @honeysuckletook, @omniithe-deer, @wolf-under-the-stars, @gingernutcalo, @that-random-fangirl, @op-sys-chaos

#my art #dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc #phantom rogues #fanfic #writing #long post

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persevereforahappyending · 9 months

Text

He Hung Up (Christmas)

Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Reader

Summary: “Christmas is literally in a few days, is the plan for them to stay through Christmas as well?”

Warnings: None

Word Count: 6k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Sam trudged up the stairs to her apartment, sighing as she got her keys ready. She just got off a long shift and wanted nothing more than to just relax. She wasn’t big on Christmas, but she was looking forward to the time off and spending time with her sister, it had been a long time since they got to spend Christmas together. Sam doesn’t really count last year because there was still a lot of recovering from Ghostface going on. She knew this year wouldn’t be perfect, but she was hoping it might be better, maybe she and Tara could make new memories and Christmas could become something they enjoyed again. She knew she was part of Tara’s dislike of the holidays, first their dad left and then Sam left. Sam had a lot of make-up to do.

The college was already on winter break but given Sam’s job she hadn’t gotten to spend any time with her sister, she barely got started on her Christmas shopping. Chad and Mindy left the first day of break, which happened to be the day after Tara’s birthday. Sam was glad the twins got to spend Tara’s birthday with her, it ended up being a fun night. The next day they flew back to California to spend the break with their mom. They all agreed to do a Christmas together when the twins got back, which just meant Sam had more time to pick something good out for them. She was hoping to get a little input from Tara, she wanted to do something football related for Chad and horror related for Mindy but despite her father being a serial killer that spawned a popular horror franchise she didn’t know shit about horror.

Danny also flew back to his hometown to be with his parents. So, the only thing keeping Sam from getting to spend the holidays alone with her sister was you. As Sam’s keys jingled, unlocking her apartment, she heard what she had been hearing every day since the break started, you. You had been over every day since the break started. The only good thing was that most days you left and went back to your own apartment, not that it mattered because you stayed all night and then were back by morning, sometimes Sam was eating breakfast, and you were already there, knocking on the door. Sam was trying to be nice though, it was the holidays and she’d hopefully have Christmas Day just her and her sister.

When Sam pushed open the door, she saw you and Tara curled up on the couch watching a movie as you not so quietly talked to each other. Sam glanced at the TV to see Gremlins playing. “Gremlins?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah!” You exclaimed, looking at her like it was the most obvious choice for them to be watching. “It’s the best Christmas movie.”

Sam was taken aback giving you a look like you had two heads. “How is-”

“Don’t,” Tara tried to warn her.

“That a Christmas movie?” Sam continued her question.

“Well, you see Samantha,” you started, earning a quick glare from Sam, she hated when someone called her Samantha. “Gizmo,” you pointed to the little fuzzy guy who was currently on the screen, “was a Christmas present.” You clasped your hands together as if you were presenting a project. “The whole movie takes place around Christmas time. They’re decorating the tree, making Christmas cookies, and the gremlins even dress up like carolers.” You let out a satisfied huff at the end of your reasoning.

“But people are attacked and some of them even die,” she tried to argue. She wasn’t sure why she was playing into your game.

“People are attacked in home alone, but everyone considers that a Christmas movie,” you fired back.

“But there’s no death!”

You scoffed, waving off the claim. “Gremlins only has off screen deaths, those don’t count. Also, all that shit Kevin did? Those two guys should have been dead.”

“Whatever,” Sam said shaking her head. She saw your reasoning and it was pretty logical, not that she’d ever tell you that. She still wasn’t sure if she’d considered it a Christmas movie.

Sam tossed her stuff down and made her way into the kitchen, opening the fridge to see what she could make for dinner. “Oh,” Tara called out from the kitchen. “Can Y/N stay for dinner?”

Sam sighed, closing the fridge, and moving to stand in the doorway. “Again?” Sam asked some of her annoyance from the week slipping in.

“Yeah?” Tara asked, turning to face Sam. “What’s the issue?” Tara wasn’t glaring at Sam, yet, but Sam could hear the slight annoyed tone. Tara always got that tone when she didn’t get her way, specifically when it came to you.

“They’ve been here an awfully lot this week,” Sam started, keeping her voice as neutral as possible.

“So? It’s Christmas break.”

“That doesn’t mean they have to spend every second of every day here.” Sam ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “They’re usually just leaving by the time I’m going to bed and then they’re back knocking on the door before I leave for work.”

“So what?” Tara was now on her feet, arms crossed and glaring at Sam. “You haven’t been home, and I don’t feel like spending all day alone. Who cares if they’re here all day?”

“Christmas is literally in a few days, is the plan for them to stay through Christmas as well?”

“Maybe!”

“No,” Sam snapped. She didn’t mean to be so harsh; all the weeks of stress have just been building up. She hadn’t expected an answer and the fact that Tara didn’t see a problem in you crashing their Christmas sent her over the edge. “That’s where I draw the line.”

“What are you saying?” Tara matched her sister’s anger. “I can’t spend Christmas with them? They’re not allowed to come over and see me?”

“I want one day! One day of just you and me! I figured Christmas could be that day. We could finally spend a Christmas together, just the two of us.”

“What about what I want?”

“Don’t they have a family to go see over Christmas and they want to spend time with?” Sam saw a flash of something in your eyes, but she was to focused on Tara to recognize what it was.

“God! You-”

“Actually,” you spoke softly cutting Tara off as you slowly rose to your feet, gently resting a hand on her arm. “I’m headed back home tomorrow.”

“What?” Tara whipped around. Sam almost got whiplash from how fast Tara went from angry to hurt. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know I was having fun with you; I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“You leave tomorrow?”

You nodded. “Yeah, but I’ll call you every day and I’m getting back the day after Christmas.”

Tara crossed her arms pouting. “I was hoping to give you your present on Christmas Day.”

“I’m sorry,” you looked at her sadly. “I wish I could give you yours Christmas Day as well, but we can do Christmas the day after, yeah?” You smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Just me and you. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“I guess.” Tara was still pouting but she seemed slightly less upset. “I still wish you would’ve had told me.”

“It’s not like it’s going to be fun. I’m not going to be doing anything, really.”

“Then why do you have to go?” Sam wanted to roll her eyes, of course Tara would try and convince you to not go to your families for Christmas.

“Spending time with family is important, right?” You raised your eyebrows, staring Tara down to make her agree with you. Sam didn’t know how you did it, you always got Tara to agree with you. If Sam had said any of the stuff you did, Tara would be nonstop, making nothing into a monstrous fight.

“Yeah,” Tara sighed. “I’m still going to miss you.”

“Me too,” you rest a hand on the side of her face, caressing her cheek. “Besides we still have tonight,” you looked up at Sam, silently asking her if that was still okay. Sam nodded; she could tolerate you one more night since it meant you wouldn’t be around for a few days.

“I guess,” Tara mumbled, wrapping her arms around your waist before burying her head in your shirt. You instantly wrapped your arms around her, pulling her in for a tighter hug. Sam wanted to roll her eyes, the two of you were acting like you weren’t going to see each other for months not a few days.

“Come on, lets finish the movie.” You kissed the top of Tara’s head, keeping one arm wrapped around her as you pulled away and led her back down to the couch.

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

The next few days did not go as Sam had imagined. She had still been working crazy hours and after work she spent the night going from store to store searching for a present for Tara. She had a gift card at the ready to give to Tara, but she wanted something more personal. Tara had also been silently hostile towards her since you left. Sam was trying not to start anything; she was just hoping Tara’s mood would lighten by Christmas day. The only good thing was that Tara wasn’t actively seeking arguments with her, she was just pouting and giving Sam short responses. Every night Tara was on her phone either texting or talking to you. Sam knew it was young love or whatever, but you guys had just seen each other. She herself had barely talked to Danny since he left, they texted a few times but neither one of them was glued to their phone.

As she walked the streets of New York, searching for a shop she hadn’t already been in, something that would call to her, something that screamed Tara, she passed by a bakery. Sam stopped, looking in the window at all the Christmas themed baked goods, there were cakes decorated with snowflakes, cupcakes with little Santas, and various cookies decorated. Sam ripped open the door, stepped into the shop and purchased a dozen cookies. All the cookies looked great but before she could walk away from the window, she noticed some of them were decorated with characters or quotes from various Christmas movies.

As she continued to walk down the street, the box of cookies under her arm, she thought back to her childhood. Sam didn’t like thinking about her childhood, most of her memories were tainted by the lies of her mom, her dad leaving, the truth of her birth father, and the guilt she felt for leaving her sister. When she was younger and Tara was just a little kid who loved following her around things were good, they were happy. Christmas used to be a magical time for them, every Christmas eve they would spend the day baking cookies to leave out for Santa. A part of Sam wanted to bring that back, maybe not the leaving the cookies out for Santa part but the making their own cookies. Besides loving to eat the cookie dough, Sam remembered how big of a smile Tara had on her face, usually covered in flower, when they would make the cookies. Part of Sam worried about bringing it up to Tara, she knew Christmas wasn’t great after she left and Sam didn’t want to try and force old memories, just because she thought it’d be fun didn’t mean Tara would.

Sam sighed, she had been out a little later than usual and she hadn’t seen a single shop that seemed interesting. She was about to turn around when a life-size Wolfman figure caught her eye. She looked at the store front, seeing the windows filled with other movie related memorabilia and posters. She shrugged, deciding there was no harm in giving the little store a shot and opened the door. She knew it was the holidays, it was the day before Christmas eve and the store was closing soon so she was going to do a quick look around and see if anything jumped out at her.

The store was small but was stuffed full, wall to wall, ceiling to floor, there was product everywhere. There were posters, action fingers, DVD sets, a wide range of TV shows and movies. As Sam weaved her way through the rows of shelves she finally came to the register where there was a display case of collectibles. There seemed to be higher valued collectibles, things way out of her price range, but there were also knives and other weapons. The weapons were horror themed though, they were the same style from whatever movie they were from and then they had the villain of the movie etched into the blade. Sam’s eyes grazed over the Ghostface knife and landed on a Friday the 13th machete. The machete had Jason from different scenes etched all down the blade. Sam smiled at the old man behind the counter and pointed to the machete.

When Sam left the shop, she had some slight reservations about buying Tara a weapon. Luckily for her the man assured her the blade was dull and was meant to be a display piece more than anything. Sam made a note of where the shop was, she would have to take Tara there one day and she was tempted to come back and get the Michael Myers knife for Mindy as a gift.

As Sam juggled the box of cookies in one hand and Tara’s present in another, she caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to do a double take. Her mouth fell open, her brow furrowed as she watched you walk out of a pizza shop, pizza box in hand as you made your way in the direction of your dorm. Sam watched you from across the street, Tara hadn’t mentioned anything about you coming back to town early. Sam also hadn’t noticed any evidence of you being in the apartment since the night you left.

When Sam finally got back to the apartment, she kicked the door closed, making sure to hide the bag with Tara’s present. She heard Tara on the phone but paid her no attention as she rushed to her room to hide the present, dropping the box of cookies on the dining room table on the way. She quickly shoved Tara’s present in her closet, planning to wrap it before she went to bed, then made her way back out to the living room.

“Alright, night,” Tara said, smiling into her phone. “Have fun with your family and I can’t wait to see you when you get back.” Sam watched curiously as Tara waited for, Sam assumed you, to respond. “Love you too.” With that she hung up the phone and looked up at Sam with a confused look. “What?”

“Was that Y/N?” Sam questioned, turning her back to Tara to open the box of cookies.

“Yeah,” Tara sighed. Sam could see Tara’s pout without having to turn around.

“They still out of town visiting their parents?” Sam looked up, internally smacking herself, she was trying and failing at being subtle.

“Yeah.” She heard Tara leave the couch, her feet quietly shuffling as she made her way next to Sam. “Said it was kind of boring there and has only really been watching Christmas movies.” Sam could only hum in response, she couldn’t figure out why you didn’t go home for the holiday and more importantly she couldn’t figure out why you were lying to Tara about it. “Whatcha got there?” Tara nodded to the box.

Sam smiled, flipping open the lid of the box. “No way!” Tara said, reaching out and grabbing a cookie. “These are so cool. Where did you find them?” Tara mumbled through a mouth full of cookie.

Sam giggled, shaking her head at her sister. “Passed a bakery on the way home. Are they good?” Tara nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

Tara grabbed another cookie and plopped herself back down on the couch. Sam tapped her fingers against the dining room table, working up the courage to ask Tara what she wanted to. She grabbed a cookie, taking a bite as she sat in the chair next to the couch. She glanced at the TV to see Tara watching The Grinch.

“So…” Sam started off slowly, looking down at her cookie, it was a really good cookie. She flicked her eyes from Tara, who was already looking at her, to the TV, and back to Tara. “I get it if you don’t want to do it, but I was wondering if you wanted to make cookies tomorrow, like we used to do.”

Sam flicked her gaze from her cookie to Tara a few times, waiting for her sister to respond. Tara was looking down at her cookie, her brow furrowed as she was deep in thought. “We don’t have to,” Sam said softly, trying to reassure Tara that it was totally fine if she didn’t want to do it.

“No,” Tara said with a small head shake, finally looking at Sam again. “I’d like that actually, it sounds fun.”

“Great,” Sam smiled and turned her attention back to the TV. Which is how they spent the night, sitting in a peaceful silence, watching whatever Christmas movie popped up next.

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

It was Christmas eve, Sam was off work, she had Tara’s present wrapped, they had plans to bake cookies later in the day, and everything was going perfectly just like Sam had always wanted. Sam couldn’t stop the nagging feeling at the back of her head though. She made breakfast for herself, and Tara and they were halfway through their second Christmas movie when she suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. Sam jumped to her feet, grabbed her keys, and walked to the door.

“I’ll be back,” she said, looking back at Tara before opening the door.

“Wait what,” Tara said, muting the TV. “Where are you going? I thought we were spending the day together?”

“We will, I just have to run out real quick, I forgot to pick something up.”

“I thought you wanted to make cookies,” Tara frowned.

“I do,” Sam smiled softly at her sister. “We will make them as soon as I get back. You’re going to like what I bring back.” Tara continued to pout. “Trust me, please, I promise you, you will love it.”

“Okay,” Tara mumbled quietly, curling up on the couch as she unmuted the TV.

Sam gave her sister one last look before rushing out the door. As a surprise to no one, the streets were bustling with people doing last-minute Christmas shopping. Sam pushed her way through the crowded streets, making her way to the college campus. There were hardly any students on campus, most having returned home for the holidays. Sam easily found her way to your building and up to your dorm room. She did a few quick knocks on your door, then bounced from foot to foot as she waited for you to answer.

The door was quickly flung open and standing before Sam was you, your mouth hung open, whatever you were about to say dying on your lips as you just stared at Sam. Sam bunched up her hands in her pockets, looking at you expectantly.

“What are you doing here?” you finally asked.

“What are you doing here?” Sam asked back, a little harsher than she intended. She couldn’t help it, you had a habit of just annoying her without even doing anything, she knew she had to work on that.

“I live here,” you said confused.

“Why are you lying to Tara?” Sam crossed her arms. “Why did you say you were going back home?”

You let out a defeated sigh. “You wanted Christmas to be the two of you,” you shrugged. “I didn’t want to intrude or ruin your Christmas.”

Sam’s eyes fell to the floor, it was so hard to dislike you when you were so considerate. You were kind of an asshole and Sam’s dislike was warranted half the time but deep down you were sweet. “Why didn’t you go home? Don’t your parents want to spend Christmas with you?”

You scoffed, refusing to meet Sam’s eyes as you looked down at the floor. “My parents haven’t spent Christmas at home since I was thirteen and deemed old enough to not burn the house down when left alone.” Sam frowned, she knew you didn’t talk about your parents much, Tara had said they weren’t super active in your life, but she didn’t realize how distant they actually were. “I don’t even know where they are right now,” you shrugged. “Somewhere warm.”

“Let’s go,” is all Sam said, turning to leave.

“Wait what?” you leaned half your body out the door.

Sam turned around, rolling her eyes at you. “Grab whatever you need and come on,” she waved her hand impatiently. “You’re spending Christmas with us.”

“Nononono,” you shook your head. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”

“Get your shit and come on,” she snapped.

You quickly shut your mouth, ran back into your dorm, and came out with two presents in less than a minute. You silently walked behind Sam as she led the way back to the apartment. She never thought she’d say it, but it was actually unsettling how quiet you were being. When the two of you got back to the apartment, she went in first, tossing her keys on the table before closing the door behind you.

“What did you have to get?” Tara asked, not taking her eyes off the TV. Sam didn’t answer, making Tara look up, her eyes becoming confused when she saw you but quickly lit up. “What are you doing here?” she jumped up, running, and crashing into you for a hug. Sam shook her head; it hadn’t even been a week since you were here and yet Tara was acting like it was a lifetime.

“I never had plans to go to my parents,” you admitted, dropping your eyes to the floor in shame.

“What?” Tara asked, there was no anger in her voice, only confusion.

“They aren’t big on Christmas; I never spend it with them. I didn’t want to intrude and ruin Christmas for you guys,” you looked back at Sam. “And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to feel bad, I knew you’d try and convince me to join you guys.”

Tara lightly punched you in the shoulder before pulling you in for another hug. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled into your neck.

Once Tara and you separated, the two of you followed Sam into the kitchen. Sam grabbed the ingredients and the three of you made cookie dough. You and Tara threw flour at each other, making a mess and though Sam would usually be annoyed she couldn’t help but laugh along with you guys. She’s pretty sure the three of you ate more of the cookie dough than you used to make cookies. When there were finally enough cookies to fill the tray, they popped them into the oven and moved to the living room, popping on another Christmas movie as they waited for the cookies to be ready.

When the oven dinged, you and Tara raced to the kitchen, nearly forgetting oven mitts as you moved to pull the cookies out. Sam had to push the two of you back before the two of you started grabbing the cookies off the hot tray before they had the chance to cool. She shooed the two of you back to the living room, forcing you both to wait for the cookies to cool before you all started eating and decorating them. With how excited the two of you were Sam wasn’t sure you guys would be able to wait to start decorating, you and Tara would probably eat all the cookies plain.

That’s how the three of you spent the rest of the night. You all decorated cookies together at the dining room table, eating cookies in the processes. Sam was focused on her decorating but every time she looked up, she saw you licking icing off your fingers, she wasn’t sure if you ever finished decorating one cookie. When all the cookies were eaten or decorated the three of you retired to the living room, Sam taking her usual spot in the chair while you and Tara cuddled up on the couch.

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

Sam woke up Christmas morning to the smell of something delicious cooking. She rubbed her eyes, frowning at who could possibly be cooking so early. It wasn’t that Tara was a bad cook, she had to learn to cook after Sam left but she had never made anything smell this good. Sam couldn’t judge though; it wasn’t like she was a master chef either, she knew how to make enough things to allow them to survive and give them some variety, but they still did takeout the majority of the time.

Sam ran a hand through her hair as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen, she stopped, blinking a few times to try and clear her vision, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, you were in her kitchen, cooking, and it smelled good. Sam looked around, seeing you were making use of the entire stove, cooking eggs, bacon and sausage, and pancakes at the same time. You flipped three pancakes onto a plate that already had a few, before pouring more batter into the pan, making three more pancakes.

“Morning,” you said, when you finally saw Sam. You kept your pace though, sprinkling cheese across the eggs before flipping it over, creating an omelet, then added more cheese on top. “We got pancakes,” you gestured to the plate beside you. “And eggs,” you gestured to the pan in front of you, before sliding the omelet onto a plate when the cheese was sufficiently melted. “And bacon and sausage,” you pointed to the other pan that was sizzling. “What would you like?”

Sam blinked a few times, still processing the site in front of her, it was just breakfast food, but everything looked so good, perfect almost, nothing was burnt. “An omelet, please,” Sam said, finally finding her voice.

You nodded, cracking another two eggs into the pan. “You guys didn’t have a ton of options but let me know what you want in it.”

Sam looked across the counter at the options, there was actually more than she thought there would be. “Just tomato and spinach.”

You gave a quick thumbs up before flipping the pancakes. You grabbed another plate, dumping all the bacon and sausage onto it. Tara came in, grabbing the plate of bacon and sausage and two separate plates with omelets.

“Morning,” Tara mumbled, taking the plates to the dining room table.

“Morning,” Sam replied, still watching you cook. She watched as you added the veggies to her omelet, flipped the omelet and added more cheese and veggies to the top of it. You flipped the pancakes onto the plate, Tara at your side the instant you were done and already taking the plate to the table. You quickly finished the omelet, sliding it onto a plate and holding it out to Sam with a smile.

Sam looked from the omelet up to you and back down to the omelet. She hesitantly took the plate but had to admit it looked just as good as everything else. “You can cook?” she couldn’t help but ask.

You just shrugged, turning off the stove as you followed Sam into the dining room. Sam set her plate down, taking a seat and got a full look at the table. The plate of pancakes, sausage and bacon, and a plate of toast was already laid out in the middle of the table.

“They can cook breakfast at least,” Tara said, shoving a fork full of omelet into her mouth. “Everything else, that’s debatable.” You scoffed, stabbing your fork into Tara’s omelet, and stealing a bite, she quickly slapped your hand, throwing a grumpy glare at you, making you chuckle.

“Thanks,” Sam said, looking down at the omelet.

You shrugged again. “It was the least I could do.”

Sam took a small bite of her omelet, and it was amazing, she hated how good of a cook you were. She almost wanted to say you could spend the night any night as long as you made breakfast in the morning. The three of you sat in a comfortable silence eating breakfast, slowly waking up the rest of the way. By the time you were all done almost everything was gone, except for a couple pancakes left over. Sam sighed, she hadn’t had breakfast that good in a long time, the diner she worked at didn’t even make breakfast that good.

The three of you moved into the living room, grabbing presents from under the little tree the sisters had put up. Tara and Sam exchanged gifts and then you handed Tara a little wrapped box, Sam was silently praying that it wasn’t a ring again. Her mouth fell opening as she looked up at you with questioning eyes when you handed her a present as well.

“Why is hers bigger?” Tara questioned, whipping her head around to look at you, holding the present she had gotten you out of reached.

You just chuckled at her. “Yours is more expensive?” you offered.

She narrowed her eyes at you but handed you the present. You happily took it, giving her a quick kiss. Without wasting any time Tara was ripping into the present you had gotten her. When she was done, she held a small jewelry box in her hand, it wasn’t a ring box though. Breakfast was good but if you had gotten Tara another ring Sam probably would have killed you. Tara lifted the lid, letting out a light gasp at the sight, she lifted the item out of the box to reveal a necklace. The necklace had a silver chain connected to a silver pendant with her birthstone in the center, it matched the ring you had gotten for her birthday. Sam might have hated the ring at first, but she had to admit you had good taste in jewelry. Tara held out the necklace for you, moving her hair so you could place it around her neck.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, pulling you in for a long kiss, acting as if Sam wasn’t still sitting right there. “Thank you.”

Tara then ripped into her present from Sam, letting out an exciting gasp at the machete. “This is awesome!” she held up the machete, a crazy look in her eye. Your eyes widened, instantly going to Sam, silently asking her if she was serious.

“It’s not sharp,” Sam quickly said. She could see you physically relax as she calmed your fears.

Tara pouted a little at the new knowledge but still twirled the machete in her hand, looking closely at the etching. “This is so cool,” Tara said again. “Thank you.”

You opened your present from Tara, jumping to your feet to reveal two videogames. Sam had no idea what the games were, but you were acting like a little kid, so she assumed her sister did a pretty good job. “Thanks babe,” you said, giving Tara a quick kiss, making her blush.

It was Sam’s turn; she slowly opened her present from Tara. “Holy shit,” she whispered as she took out the little box. Tara had gotten her ear buds, she had been looking at a pair forever because she wanted some for when she went for a run or to the gym, but she could never pull the trigger, they were always too expensive for her to justify. “Thank you.”

As Sam started to unwrap the box you had gotten her, she caught a mischievous smirk on your face. Sam almost paused her movements; she couldn’t even imagine what you had gotten her let alone what would cause that kind of smile on your face. Sam undid the rest of the wrapping paper, looking down at the box in front of her, she blinked a few times before glaring at you. You were smiling widely, nearly bouncing up in down in your seat.

“You’re an ass,” is all Sam said. She turned the box, revealing Woodsboro Monopoly, making you break out into laugh. Tara quickly slapped you but there was a small smile tugging at her lips as well.

“I’m sorry,” you said through laughter. “I couldn’t help myself,” you were practically wheezing. “I’ve had that for months.”

Sam couldn’t help but join in, lightly laughing at the game. “You know we did never get to finish our game.”

Your eyes lit up. “Yes!” you pumped a fist into the air.

“But I get to be the knife,” Sam said in a serious voice.

“Well, I’d expect nothing less.” Sam glared at your light jab. “I want to be the phone though.”

Tara groaned, rolling her eyes. “This means we have to suffer through another game of Monopoly,” she mumbled.

You gasped in offense. “It’s not my fault we were rudely interrupted last time,” you said.

Sam shook her head as she listened to you and Tara argued back and forth. Tara might hate monopoly, but it was only a matter of time before she conceded. You would probably even convince her to wait for the twins to be back and would probably drag Danny over and force everyone to play the new version they now had for game night. Sam relaxed into her chair, watching as you and Tara argued with smiles, you were slowly growing on her, not that she’d ever tell you that.

After presents the rest of the day was uneventful. The three of you just spent a lazy day lounging in the apartment, watching Christmas movies on TV again, even though you all had seen all of them within the last few days. When night finally came, Tara was curled into your side, your arm wrapped tightly around her as she was sound asleep with her head resting on your shoulder.

“Night,” Sam whispered, getting up to head to bed herself.

“Wait, Sam,” you called out, looking back but making sure not to turn enough to disturb Tara. Sam stopped in the doorway, looking back at you. “Thank you,” you whispered, dropping your eyes for a second before meeting hers again. “I really appreciate you inviting me over. This has really meant a lot.”

Sam nodded. “You’re always welcome here.” She looked away from you, opening and closing her mouth a few times. “Sorry, I kicked you out earlier.” You gave her a soft smile, shrugging lightly. “You’re now expected to join us every year,” she said in an annoyed tone, but you laughed, catching the playfulness underneath.

Sam went to bed that night with a smile. She had wanted Christmas day with just her and her sister but you joining them ended up making it better than she could have imagined. This ended up being the best Christmas she ever had, and Tara would probably agree with her. It seemed the cycle of tainted memories and disappointing Christmas’s were over; she was more than happy to make new memories with Tara and was even okay with you being in those new memories now.

You still annoyed the hell out of her, but she didn’t miss the way you brought a lightness to the group, even after everything that happened, even though you were still struggling, you managed to still find the humor in things. If Sam was being honest with herself, she was now looking forward to you joining her and Tara or the group for holidays, birthdays, and other big events. If anyone asked her if she were happy, you were there, she would deny it but inside, she was happy to have you around.

Taglist: @screechcat

#tara carpenter #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter imagine #tara carpenter x fem!reader #jenna ortega #jenna ortega x reader #scream #scream 6 #scream vi #he hung up #sam carpenter

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tightjeansjavi · 1 year

Text

Like Real People Do

Joel Miller x f!reader

A/N: @peterhollandkait came up with this tooth achingly cute idea and I just had to write it ♡ ♡ ♡

Summary: You, Joel, and Ellie arrive in Jackson for the first time. Joel sees your real smile for the first time in months, all thanks to Jackson’s horses.

~word count : 2.0k~

Warnings: some angst, protective! joel, soft! joel, established relationship, so much fluff, comforting themes, joel is so soft! you will literally feel your heart clench and tears will fall on the screen! some swearing, banter, teasing. No use of y/n, (+18) minors dni !!

Songs used:

“Like Real People Do” by Hozier

“Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran

“You and Me” by Niall Horan

Joel Miller has not seen your true, real smile in months. He doesn’t even remember what your sweet, infectious laugh sounds like. He hasn’t heard it in so long. The journey you, Joel and Ellie endured together, was a rough one. It started with Tess dying, Bill and Frank, Sam and Henry and just minutes ago, you and Joel almost lost Ellie.

You both felt numb, weak, vulnerable when the possibility of losing her, became very real.

The ride into Jackson was a somber one. You listened to the familiar sound of horses hooves crunching beneath the snow as the three of you rode into town for the first time.

You couldn’t help but lean down from the saddle, giving the horse you were riding, a gentle pat on its neck.

Joel was riding alongside you and you could feel his gaze fall upon your face. You had yet to speak a word, and he was visibly concerned.

You had met his gaze and gave him a slight nod. There was a smile tugging on the corner of your lips, but it didn’t reach your eyes.

Ellie had noticed your demeanor had changed gradually over the course of the months that you traveled together. It was slow at first. A change that didn’t take place overnight.

The thing was, you all had gone through some form of change. It was inevitable to evade.

Ellie held the same look of concern as Joel had. She pulled her horse up alongside his leaning over as she spoke.

“Hey, is she…is she alright Joel?”

Joel let out a breath of air as he looked over the kid that he had grown so fond of as if she was his own. He used to view her as a burden, cargo to transport. Now? Ellie was practically his daughter. His daughter, that he nearly lost today.

“I’m not sure, kiddo. She’ll be okay though. Don’t go worryin’ yourself alright?”

The three of you were visibly amazed when the tall, wooden gates of Jackson were opened as you rode through. You never believed that a town like this would work. That you would ever see a community thrive like this. Kids running, laughing. Smiles, people hugging, more smiles. It felt as though you were in a simulation. The sweetest dream that you never wanted to wake up from.

Joel had halted his horse suddenly. His eyes were focused on a man, who was hauling wood to build a structure. It was Joel’s younger brother, Tommy. You could see the shock, confusion, and relief wash over Joel’s features when he realized it was his brother.

“Tommy!” He shouted. His tone laced with disbelief that his brother was actually here, in front of him, and very much alive.

You watched them embrace, hugging each other so tightly. Joel nearly had tears in his eyes as he felt an overwhelming rush of emotions course through his veins.

“What the fuck you doin’ here?” Tommy asked. He was in equal disbelief that his brother was here, in front of him, and very much alive. The last thing Tommy expected was for Joel to come all this way looking for him.

“I came here to save you.”

They embraced again, Joel laughing, with the biggest smile on his face.

Maria and Tommy had shown the three of you all that Jackson had to offer. Ellie was sticking close to your side, with your arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Joel walked behind you, always feeling like he needed to be there to protect you, and Ellie. Even in this town, this paradise, he was on guard.

As soon as you heard a familiar whinny, your ears perked up in the direction of the stables. Ellie had zoned in on the beautiful brown foal with her head curiously sticking out above the open stall door. Ellie had grabbed your hand as you two quickened your pace, stopping just outside the stall door.

Shimmer, as you came to learn her name, softly nickered as Ellie had gently started to pet her, pressing her soft velvet nose into the teen’s warm gloves.

“What’s her name?” Ellie had asked Maria.

“Shimmer.”

Ellie had given the filly a kiss on the nose. Speaking softly to her.

“Shimmer, you’re so beautiful.”

You were gently petting Shimmer’s mom, a soft Palomino mare. She immediately reminded you of your old mare, Honey. You were holding in your tears and Joel could sense it.

“How many horses are on the property?” You asked.

“Thirty. Counting our newest member.”

Ellie had given you a little nudge, a genuine smile on her face. “Did you hear that? 30 horses! We should totally go and pet them all. C’mon.” This was Ellie’s way of attempting to cheer you up. You had taught her everything you knew about horses and she wanted to share this moment with you.

You had looked back at Joel for a moment and he had given you a small nod in return.

“Would that be alright, Maria? If we went inside and checked out all the horses?” You asked.

“Of course.”

Ellie had grabbed your hand once more, finding the opened door to the stables as you walked in together.

“So, what are we thinking? Are all these guys Quarter Horses, or Mustangs?”

“I’m thinking of a mix of both. It’s hard to tell with their winter fur being so thick.” You gently touched each horse's nose, as you walked past their individual stalls. The familiar barn smells of hay, grain, and horses washed over you. It took you back to your days on your uncle's ranch, long ago.

“This one is a Paint though, right?” Ellie had stopped in front of the next stall. “Woah, this guy has a blue eye, and a brown eye. That’s so sick!”

“That’s right kiddo. This one is a Paint.” You spoke with a soft smile. “You remember the different coat colors I taught you, right?”

“Yeah! So this guy is a chestnut Paint?”

“Bingo. You’re right on the money with that one kid.”

Neither of you had heard Joel enter the stables. You both were too immersed in the horses to hear him. He had quietly leaned against one of the stall doors, his arms crossed over his chest, with a big grin on his face as he watched his girls fawn over the horses.

His heart warmed at the sight of you smiling again. He killed to see it and now here it was, written across your pretty face, that he adored, loved, fought for.

Ellie had looked up from the horse she was petting and when she spotted Joel, she had that little mischievous grin as she walked over to him. She gave him a light punch to his shoulder.

“Dude, I know you got it bad for her but like, do you really need to stare that much? She might start thinking that you’re a creep man. You’re always staring at her.” She teased him.

Joel grumbled in response as he uncrossed his shoulders from his chest and gave his kid a begrudgingly light punch back. “I ain’t starin’ that much. What’re you talkin’ about? Just admirin’ her smile is all. There somethin’ wrong with that?”

Ellie let out a soft giggle, shaking her head. “Damn, admiring her smile, really Joel? You big ole softy.”

Joel gave her a slight warning look when she called him a softy.

“I ain’t a softy.”

“Okay, old man. Whatever you say!”

“Ellie–don’t you start with that shit–” he let out a sigh, rubbing his gloved hand over his face. “You little shit.” He muttered under his breath as she was walking back over to Shimmer.

You were further down the stalls, stopped in front of the last horse that was a leopard spotted Appaloosa. Only then you could hear the heavy footsteps of Joel’s worn boots approaching you.

“Hey.” You softly spoke, gently stroking the horse's forehead, while twirling a piece of its long forelock between your gloved fingers.

“Hey, darlin’ You–you alright?”

You let out a soft sigh, your lashes fluttering as you looked up at him, giving him a small, reassuring nod.

“I’m okay, Joel.” Images of Ellie getting mauled by that dog outside of Jackson, flashed through your mind. Ellie was safe, she was alive and petting Shimmer, you silently reminded yourself.

“Are you sure? We can–we can talk about it if you want?” he spoke softly to you, fumbling over his words because he too was afraid of losing Ellie. His main concern in his mind, at that very moment, was you.

“Joel, Please. I don’t–I don’t want to talk about it.” You looked away from him feeling the tears begin to prick in the corner of your eyes as you blinked them away.

“Hey, darlin’–honey?” He gently grasped your chin between his gloved fingers, tilting your head towards him so you were looking at him once more.

You let out a shaky breath when your eyes met his concerned ones.

“Do you remember what breed of horse this is?”

“Leopard Spotted Appaloosa.” Your man didn’t miss a fucking beat.

“Between Ellie’s shitty puns, and your constant horse facts, you think for a second I wasn’t payin’ attention? I love hearin’ her shitty puns and your silly horse facts darlin’ Could listen to them all goddamn day.” Joel’s words sent the tears you were holding at bay, free falling down your cheeks.

“You really paid that close attention to my horse facts? I never thought you really cared for them.”

“Oh, Honey. C’mere.” His heart was breaking deep in his chest when he saw your tears fall. He was already pulling you into his arms, wrapping you up in his warmth as he hugged you tightly. “I love ‘em, and you taught me everythin’ I need to know about horses darlin.’”

Damn this man. Damn him for being so gentle with you. Damn him for listening to your silly horse facts and remembering them. Damn Joel Miller for loving you so tenderly.

“You’re terrible. You know that cowboy? Damn you.” You spoke with your cheek firmly pressed against his chest, listening to his heart beat, and his deep chuckle that vibrated through you.

“You don’t mean that, sweet girl. You love me for it.”

“I do.” You whispered.

He gently lifted your head from his chest, holding your face in his gloved hands as he stroked your cheekbones with his thumbs. His forehead was lightly resting against yours, lips nearly touching.

“We’re gonna be okay. All three of us. What happened back there? Ain’t ever gonna happen again. I swear to you darlin’ I'm gonna keep you and Ellie safe. Whatever it takes.”

Your arms were loosely wrapped around Joel’s middle, feeling his warmth through his thick coat. “No. We’re gonna do everything we can to keep her safe. You and me. Whatever it takes, we’re keeping her safe. We’re a team Joel, remember? I got you, you got me.”

“I got you, you got me. Always.”

Your lips lightly brushed against each other, before the gap was closed. It was the softest, sweetest, heartfelt kiss you had shared together. Joel Miller kissed you, like real people do.

Ellie had seen the whole thing go down from where she was petting Shimmer and she let out a playful gagging sound.

“Oh my god, gross! Really you guys? In front of the horses? Shimmer, close your eyes! You don’t wanna see that! Yuck!”

You pulled away from Joel’s sweet embrace with a soft, heart melting giggle as you looked over his shoulder at Ellie.

“He started it, he kissed me first!”

“Oh yeahh, I'm sure he did! Y’know there’s young eyes watching! Gonna scar these poor horses man!” Ellie said with a laugh.

Joel kissed you once more, just for good measure, and you could feel his grin slowly appearing when Ellie let out another sound of disgust at her adoptive parents making out in the middle of the fucking stables.

How fucking adorable.

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doctorbitchcrxft · 4 months

Text

Faith | Supernatural Series Rewrite | Dean Winchester x Reader

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader (Eventual)

Warnings: mentions of death, canon violence, canon gore, tiptoeing in religious territory

Word Count: 4982

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Supernatural Series Rewrite Playlist

The Impala’s engine growled as Dean sped up to the house you’d tracked a nasty creature to. It had taken two little kids to its hideout. The only way to kill it was with electric shock.

“What do you got those amped up to?” Sam gestured to the two tasers Dean was holding.

You opted for your pistol since Dean only had two taser guns.

Dean handed his brother one of the guns. “A hundred thousand volts.”

“Damn,” you commented.

“Yeah, I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with these things. So make it count.”

The two of you hurried up to the front door and into the home. Dean led you and Sam down to the basement where you knew you’d find the kids.

You heard a noise coming from one of the cupboards in the corner of the basement. You aimed your gun and flashlight at the cupboard.

Dean mouthed “One, two, three,” at his brother, who threw the cupboard door open.

Inside was a young girl and a younger girl who screamed and covered their ears.

Sam whispered to the kids, “Is it still here?”

They nodded.

“Okay. Grab your sister's hand,” Dean whispered to the boy, “come on, we gotta get you out of here. Let's go, let's go.” Dean was behind you, the children, and Sam as you scrambled out of the basement. A hand grabbed your leg, knocking you to the ground.

“(Y/N)!” Dean shot his taser, but you knew he’d missed. “Sam, get 'em outta here!”

Sam obeyed, pulling the children out of the basement with him. He threw his taser gun down to his brother.

“(Y/N), get out of here!” Dean urged you.

“No! Not without you!”

Dean gave you that strange look again before he was knocked back by the creature.

“Dean!” you cried, shooting at the creature even though you knew it wouldn’t do anything.

The creature turned its attention to you, but stopped when Dean landed his taser on it. To your horror, you heard the creature and Dean groaning in pain.

“Dean!” you cried again. You rushed from your position on the stairs down to his side. He laid on the floor in a puddle of water, twitching and unconscious. You paid no mind to the water soaking through your clothes and pulled him into your lap. “Dean, please wake up! Please!” You shook him, but nothing was working. Tears streamed down your face. “Sam! Get down here!”

Sam rushed to you, seeing you cradling his brother in your arms. He pulled his brother’s face into his hands, shaking him. “Dean, hey. Hey.”

“Sam, get back,” you ordered, your head on Dean’s chest. You immediately issued CPR to him, trying your best to get his heart started again.

Sam stood to call 911, pacing frantically and running your hands through his hair. “Please! There’s been an accident! Please hurry!” he begged. He gave the operator all the necessary information and went back over to you and Dean.

You continued with the chest compressions and breaths until the EMTs pulled you off Dean. You rode with him in the ambulance and Sam followed you to the hospital in the Impala. Thankfully, the EMTs were able to get his heart started again, but he remained unconscious. They wouldn’t allow you into his room with him when you arrived at the hospital, but you desperately wanted to.

While Sam spoke to the receptionist, you spoke to two officers standing by with notepads.

“Yeah, yeah,” your voice was shaky as you talked. “We were taking a shortcut through the neighborhood when we heard the kids scream and we found ‘em in the basement.

“Well, thank god you did,” the officer told you.

You saw Dean’s doctor coming out of his room and excused yourself. You hurried to the doctor with Sam.

“Hey, Doc. Is he…”

The doctor cut Sam off. “He's resting.”

“And?”

“The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart… it's damaged.”

Your breath caught in your throat. “How damaged?”

The doctor sighed. “We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But I'd give him a couple weeks, at most, maybe a month.”

You exhaled shakily.

“No, no. There's, there's...gotta be something you can do, some kind of treatment,” Sam pleaded.

“We can't work miracles. I really am sorry,” the doctor responded.

You brushed past the doctor and down to Dean’s room. You were horrified at the sight of the man before you. He was nothing like the Dean you had grown to care so much about. His face was pale, cheeks sallow, and eyes had dark circles beneath them.

Dean kept his eyes on the television as you and Sam entered. “Have you ever actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible.”

You shook your head and sighed.

“We talked to your doctor,” Sam murmured.

“That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down,” Dean snarked.

Sam was getting more and more choked up by the second. “Dean.”

He finally looked up. He sounded resigned and clicked the television off. “Yeah. Alright, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me.”

You were immediately defensive. “We’re not leaving you here.”

“Hey, you better take care of that car. I’m serious, don’t let (Y/N) drive it,” Dean told his brother. “Or, I swear, I'll haunt your ass.”

“I don't think that's funny.” You shook your head.

“Oh, come on, it's a little funny.”

There was a long silence before Dean spoke again. “Look, guys, what can I say, man, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story.”

“Don't talk like that, alright? We still have options,” Sam said.

“What options? Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it.”

“Watch me,” Sam protested.

***

Between hours spent with Dean in his hospital room, you and Sam poured through pages of contacts in John’s journal searching for anyone that could help you. So far; nothing. Three days of searching and... nothing. While Sam called his dad, you took the opportunity to get some air. You bit back tears for as long as you could, but you couldn’t keep them at bay. You sat on the curb near the Impala, curling your knees into your chest. Sobs wracked your body. You tried to compose yourself but couldn’t.

“(Y/N)?”

Wait, that sounded like— “Dean?” you sniffed. “What the hell are you doing here?” You quickly stood and went to help him walk.

He gently shrugged you off him. “I checked myself out.”

“What, are you crazy?” you questioned, face still damp from crying and eyes still bloodshot. You slowly led Dean, who was having an incredibly difficult time walking, into the motel.

“Well, I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot,” he shrugged.

“Let me help you, please, Dee?” you begged him. He was leaning on everything he possibly could as he passed it.

“No, (Y/N), I’m fine.”

“You know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap. I can see right through it,” you responded.

“Yeah, whatever. Have you even slept? You look worse than me,” he joked.

You shook your head and led him into yours and Sam’s motel room. The younger brother jerked up from his spot, surprised to see his brother.

“What the—”

“He checked himself out,” you told him. You turned back to Dean. “We've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in John’s journal.”

“For what?” Dean questioned.

Sam finished for you. “For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist.”

“You guys ‘re not gonna let me die in peace, huh?”

Sam shook his head. “I’m not gonna let you die, period. We’re going.”

***

Sam drove you and his brother up a gravel road to a large, white circus tent labeled with the sign “The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer. Witness The Miracle.”

You and Sam both went to help Dean out of the car, but he angrily shoved you both off. He turned to the two of you. “You guys are lying bastards. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor.”

“I believe he said specialist,” you answered for Sam.

Sam sighed. “Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal.”

“I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent.”

An elderly woman passed with an umbrella. “Reverend LeGrange is a great man.”

Dean grumbled back, “Yeah, that's nice.”

A man was arguing with a cop a short distance away about his right to protest.

“I take it he's not part of the flock,” Dean commented as the cops took the man away.

“When people see something they can't explain, there's controversy,” Sam shrugged.

“I mean, come on, Sam, a faith healer?”

“Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean.”

“You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on.”

“How can you be a skeptic? With the things we see everyday?”

“Exactly. We see them, we know they're real.”

“But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?”

“Because I've seen what evil does to good people.”

A young woman broke into the boys’ argument. “Maybe god works in mysterious ways.”

Never losing his playboy pluck, Dean responded, “Maybe he does. I think you just turned me around on the subject.” He was clearly checking her out.

The woman wasn’t falling for it. “Yeah, I'm sure.”

He held out his hand. “I'm Dean. This is Sam and (Y/N).”

She shook his outstretched palm. “Layla. So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?”

“Well, apparently these two believe enough for all three of us.” He gestured between you and Sam.

Another older woman approached Layla and put her arm around her. “Come on, Layla. It's about to start.” She guided who you assumed was her daughter into the tent.

Dean checked out Layla’s ass as she left. “Well, I bet you she can work in some mysterious ways.”

“Shut up,” you grumbled. You could feel Dean’s eyes boring into you as you walked into the tent.

Dean made a few remarks as Sam led your trio up to the front of the rows of chairs. Thankfully, there were three seats open two rows from the front.

“Oh, come on, Sam,” Dean growled. “This is ridiculous. I'm good, dude, get off me.”

You and Sam let Dean take the aisle seat while a blind, old man wearing sunglasses took the stage. A woman in a stuffy skirt and sweater helped him walk to the lectern.

“Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?” The crowd agreed with the man and he continued to speak. “Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, god is watching. God rewards the good, and he punishes the corrupt. It is the lord who does the healing here, friends. The lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts.”

The crowd got more and more amped up with each word out of the man’s mouth.

“Yeah, and into their wallets,” Dean muttered to you.

The man stopped his sermon. “You think so, young man?”

The crowd immediately fell silent.

“Sorry,” Dean responded. You could tell he was embarrassed.

“No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears.” The man grinned, looking in no particular direction.

The crowd laughed.

“What's your name, son?”

Dean cleared his throat and introduced himself.

Roy LeGrange nodded. “Dean. I want— I want you to come up here with me.”

The crowd clapped in jubilant uproar, but Dean shook his head. “No, it's okay.”

You whispered harshly to him, “What are you doing?!”

Roy sounded confused. “You've come here to be healed, haven't cha?”

Dean hesitated again. “Well, yeah, but ahh... maybe you should just pick someone else.”

You looked at Dean like he was crazy, furious.

“Oh, no. I didn't pick you, Dean, the lord did,” Roy laughed.

The crowd got more excited. “That's right! Yeah! Come on!” several audience members cheered.

Sam leaned over you to his brother. “Get up there!”

Dean reluctantly moved toward the stage. The woman in the buttoned sweater on stage with Roy, Sue Ann, moved to assist him.

“You ready?” Roy asked.

Dean sighed. “Look, no disrespect, but ahh, I'm not exactly a believer.”

The old man smiled. “You will be, son. You will be. Pray with me, friends.”

The crowd lifted their arms and joined hands all around you. Your mother was Catholic; there was never this much joy at any of the services she’d forced you to sit through. It was kind of impressive, if you were honest.

Dean’s eyes began to glaze over when Roy placed a hand on the side of his head. You and Sam shot up out of your chairs. Roy’s hand remained on the older brother’s head as he sank to the floor, gasping for breath. You sprinted to the stage when Dean fell.

You grabbed the front of Dean’s hoodie. His eyes burst open and he gasped. “Say something!” you urged him.

He blinked groggily and looked up at Roy. He seemed scared; not of Roy, but of whatever was right next to Roy. You pulled him off the stage, thanking Roy, and left the tent when the service was dismissed.

***

You and Sam brought Dean to a nearby hospital the next day. He’d said he felt fine, but you and his brother just wanted to make sure.

“So, you really feel okay?” Sam asked him. You and Sam stood by Dean who sat on an exam table in the doctor’s office.

“I feel fine, Sam.” Dean’s heart wasn’t there when he spoke.

A pretty doctor with curly hair entered the room. She looked over her paperwork before addressing you and the boys. “Well, according to all your tests there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen.”

“What do you mean, strange?” Dean asked.

“Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack.”

Dean nodded absently. “Thanks, Doc.”

The woman left the room.

“That's odd,” Dean said pointedly.

Sam was defensive. “Maybe it's a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time, man.”

The older brother sighed. “No, they don't.”

“Dean, why can’t we just be grateful the guy saved your life and move on?” you questioned.

“Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why.” Dean refused to meet your eyes.

“What feeling?”

“When I was healed, I just... I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second, I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, (Y/N), it was a spirit.”

“But if there was something there, Dean, I think either of us would’ve seen it,” you insisted. “Boy Wonder over here’s been seeing an awful lot lately.”

“Exactly,” Sam affirmed.

“Well, excuse me, but you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Guys, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this.”

Sam sighed. “Yeah, alright. So, what do you wanna do?”

“I want you two to go check out the heart attack guy. I'm gonna visit the reverend.”

You and Sam obeyed. You followed the trail to the gym he used to work out at. A man who had been acquaintances with him spoke to you. “I'm telling you, he seemed healthy. Swam every day, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack just kind of seemed, well, bizarre.”

“And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?” you asked him.

“Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out,” the employee responded. “He said that something was, uh, was after him.”

“Did he say what?” Sam questioned.

“Well, thin air is what. I mean, it wasn't anything.”

You noticed a clock on the wall wasn’t working as you turned to leave. “Hey, buddy? Your clock's busted.”

The employee sighed. “Oh, yeah, we, uh, can't get it workin'. Just froze at 4:17.”

“Is that the same time Marshall died?” Sam asked.

The man was stunned. “How'd you know?”

***

You and Sam were hanging out in the boys’ motel room. You brushed a hand through your hair. “This isn’t our fault, right?” You were pacing. “We had no way of knowing.”

Sam was sitting on his bed, clacking away at his laptop. “(Y/N)—”

“No, Sam! Dean’s gonna be pissed! And he’s gonna hate himself even more because he’s Dean and of course he will. Obviously, I’m thrilled that he’s better, I just—”

The man in question came through the door at that second. He threw his eyes on the bed across from Sam’s and began taking his jacket off. “What'd you find out?” Dean could tell from your pacing that something was wrong.

You quietly said, “I'm sorry.”

He approached you. “Sorry about what?’

“Marshall Hall died at 4:17,” Sam continued.

“The exact time you were healed,” you murmured.

“Yeah. So, I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits. Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time,” Sam explained.

“Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?” Dean questioned.

Sam shook his head. “Somehow. LeGrange, he’s trading a life for another.”

“Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?” Dean’s voice became angry.

The younger brother’s puppy eyes were back. “Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway. And someone else would've been healed.”

“You never should've brought me here,” Dean said gruffly.

Guilt clawed at your throat. "Dean, we were just trying to help.”

"But, (Y/N), some guy’s dead now because of me!”

“We didn't know,” Sam protested. “The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it? How's he trading a life for a life?”

Dean seemed to realize something. “Oh, he's not doing it. Something else is doing it for him.”

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“The old man I saw on stage. I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew.” Dean leaned on the back of a chair in the corner of the room.

“You knew what? What are you talking about?” Sam inquired.

“There's only one thing that can give and take life like that. We're dealing with a reaper,” Dean finished.

You scrubbed a hand over your face and sank down at the desk in the room. “You really think it's the Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?”

Dean sat at the table across from you. “No, no, no, not the reaper, a reaper. There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth. It goes by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one of them.”

“But you said you saw a dude in a suit,” Sam deadpanned.

“What, you think he shoulda been working the whole black robe thing? You said it yourself that the clock stopped right? Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn't.”

“Maybe.”

“There's nothing else it could be Sam. The question is how is Roy controlling the damn thing?”

“That cross,” Sam realized.

“What cross?” you asked, turning to him.

“There was this cross. I noticed it in the church and I knew I had seen it before.” He rifled through some papers and snorts. He held a card up to you and Dean.

You took it from him. “A Tarot?”

“It makes sense. A tarot dates back to the early christian era right, when some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff? Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it?”

“So Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper?” Dean raised an eyebrow.

“If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a great white,” Sam quipped.

Dean rose to put a cup in the sink. “Okay, then, we stop Roy.”

“How?” You turned to him.

“You know how,” Dean answered.

You scoffed. “We’re not gonna kill Roy.”

“Sweetheart, the guy’s playing god; he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book.”

Sam argued back, “No. We're not going to kill a human being Dean. We do that, we're no better than he is.”

“Ok, we cant kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas, college boy?”

“Ok. uh, If Roy's using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we gotta… figure out what it is. And how to break it,” Sam elaborated.

“Back to church it is, then,” you said, and the boys followed you out to the Impala.

***

“If Roy's using a spell, there might be a spell book,” Sam suggested. The three of you had arrived at the church just before the service began.

“See if you can find it.” Dean looked at his watch. “Hurry up, too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy.”

The man who had been arguing with the cop days before was back out front the church again, handing out pamphlets. “Roy LeGrange is a fraud,” the man preached. “He's no healer.”

Dean took a pamphlet. “Amen, brother.”

“You keep up the good work,” Sam told him.

You giggled at the brothers’ antics.

“Thank you,” the man grinned.

You and Sam searched the house after Roy and SueAnn had left it in preparation for the service. Sam led you through a window into the house. You scanned the bookshelf; pulling the only book that didn’t have dust on it.

“Sam, look,” you said. He came over to you, and flipped through the book. Realizing there was nothing of value in it, he went to put it back. You stopped him. “Wait, what’s that?”

Sam pulled the book from behind the one you had pulled out. Inside it, you found a picture of the wooden cross Sam had seen in the tent. He also found multiple news clippings stashed inside; each a victim of Roy’s life-swapping. The one who had died for Dean was an openly gay teacher. Another in front of it was an abortion rights advocate, and the most recent page was of the man handing out leaflets in front of the tent.

“Oh, that poor guy,” you said, biting your lip. “C’mon.”

Once you were out of the house, you called Dean. “Whatcha got?” he asked you.

“Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. And I think I know who's next on his list. Remember that protestor?” you said.

“What, the guy in the parking lot?” Dean whispered.

“Yeah. Yeah, we'll find him. But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?”

Dean hung up, and you and Sam set off to find the man. Suddenly, a screeching voice caught your attention. You watched as the protester dashed between cars. “Help! Help! Help me, please!”

You ran over to him. “Where is he?”

The man grabbed your shoulder. “Right there!”

Obviously, you could see nothing. You grabbed his arm and pulled him away. “Sam!”

“Here!”

And suddenly, everyone in the tent flooded out. You, Sam, and David Wright stopped running.

“David, I think it's ok,” Sam said, pressing his phone to his ear.

David’s eyes widened, and panic overtook him once more. “No!”

“Dean it didn't work. The reaper's still coming!” Sam told his brother through the phone. “I'm telling you, I'm telling you it didn't work. Roy must not be the one controlling this thing.”

Wright began to sink to the ground. You stood by, horrified and helpless. And then, Wright gasped for breath again. He was fine and the reaper had seemingly backed off.

“It’s Sue Ann,” Sam told you.

“Bitch,” you muttered.

At that moment, Dean was escorted out of the tent by two police officers. They told him something about instilling the fear of God in him if the ever saw him again. From a distance away, you could hear Roy saying he would heal Layla in a private service later that night.

***

You returned to the boys’ motel room to hatch a plan for disrupting that private service.

“So Roy really believes.” Sam shook his head in dismay.

“I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing,” Dean added.

“Well, we found this.” You handed Dean the little book. “Hidden in their library. It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper.”

“Must be a hell of a spell,” the older brother responded.

Sam nodded. “Yeah. You gotta build a black alter with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross a line like that; a preacher's wife. Black magic. Murder. Evil.”

“Desperate,” Dean continued. “Her husband was dying, she didn't have anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy.”

“Cheating death, literally,” Sam snorted.

“Yeah but Roy's alive, so why is she still using the spell?”

“Right. To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral.”

“May god save us from half the people who think they're doing god's work.”

“We gotta break that binding spell, guys,” you said.

Dean stared at the picture of the cross in the book. “You know Sue Ann had a coptic cross like this. When she dropped it, the reaper backed off.”

“So you think we gotta find the cross or destroy the altar?” Sam questioned.

“Maybe both,” you suggested. “Whatever we do we gotta do it soon, or he's healing Layla tonight.”

Dean sighed and shook his head.

“What?” you asked.

“She just doesn’t deserve this, is all.”

“I know, Dee, I feel horrible for her. But we have to.”

Later that night, you and the boys arrived at the LeGrange house.

“That's Layla's car. She's already here.” Sam pointed.

Dean nodded sadly. “You know if Roy woulda picked Layla instead of me she'd be here right now. And if she's not healed tonight she's gonna die in a coupla months.”

“What’s happening to her is horrible. But, what?” you said. “You’re gonna let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself. You can’t play god.”

Dean didn’t answer. He just got out of the car, and you followed him. You could see Layla on stage with Roy, a small crowd of people around them.

“Where's Sue Ann?” you wondered aloud.

“House,” Sam nodded in its direction.

“Go find Sue Ann, (Y/N) and I'll catch up.”

“We will?”

“It’ll be harder for them to catch two of us. C’mon,” Dean urged. He yelled at the cops coming down the stairs to the house. “You gonna put that fear of god in me?”

They dropped their coffee cups and began to follow Dean. You jumped out from behind the bush and called at the cops, too. “How ‘bout me, fellas? Come and get it!” The two cops hesitated, but one of them followed Dean and the other followed you.

You and Dean met up behind a camper van. Dean shot you a look that said, ‘We were supposed to split up.’

“You see ‘em?” One cop asked the other.

“Nah,” came the response.

You and Dean slowly stood up to the passenger window of the camper and took in your surroundings. A dog in the van began barking wildly. You shot a look at Dean with wide eyes, and the two of you scrambled up to the roof of the van.

The cops pounded their feet all the way back to the van, cursing at the dog for falsely tipping them off. The cops headed off to the woods behind the tent. You and Dean climbed down and started toward the tent. Suddenly, the lights leading up to the tent began to go out. Dean stopped, slowly turning to face the flickering lights. He turned back to you and flinched back, falling to the ground and scrambling backward.

“What?” you called. “Where is it?”

“Right behind you!” he answered. His eyes began to roll back in his head as he convulsed on the ground.

“Dean, no!” you cried. “I can't lose you!” you held the back of his head and placed your hand on his chest. As soon as it started, it stopped. Dean fell back in your arms, gasping.

“You good?” you asked him.

He panted, nodding.

You helped him to his feet, and the two of you met Sam at the Impala.

“You okay?” Sam asked his brother.

Dean shook his head. “Hell of a week.”

“Yeah.” Sam trailed off. “Alright, come on. We should get going.”

The three of you got in the car and returned to your motel.

***

“What did you mean by ‘I can’t lose you’?” Dean asked you.

Sam took the opportunity to flee the scene, heading into the motel and leaving you and Dean on the curb.

“Just that,” you told him. You looked into those gorgeous green eyes you were beginning to have complicated feelings for. “You and Sam are my only two friends. Of course, you’re important to me.”

He chuckled and gave you a lopsided smile. “We’re friends now?”

“Of course. It’s hard to hate you, unfortunately.” You smiled warmly. “Goodnight, Dee.”

Series Rewrite Taglist: @polireader @brightlilith @atcamillanorrman @jrizzelle @insomnia-bookworm @procrastination20 @mrs-liebgott @djs8891 @tiggytaylor @staple-your-mouth @iloveshawn @jesstherebel @rach5ive @strawberrykiwisdogog @bruhidkjustwannaread @mxltifxnd0m @sunshine-on-marz @big-ol-boat @mgchaser @capncrankle @davina-clairee @chervbs @thepocketverse @simpingdeadcharacters @nesnejwritings @stillhere197 @stephshaww @tearsforhan @take-it-on-the-run @iloveyou2mia @maxinehufflepuffprincess @ohgeehowdigethere @here-for-the-extravaganza @seninjakitey @berarenado @princessleahorgana

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