#so even when peter sees just how wrong hydra was

[brekitten]

Guilt

Sometimes, Peter feels guilty.

He knows he shouldn't, because the skipped lab days with Tony and missed dinners with May, and all the little lies and excuses he's told them to ease their worries, are really for the greater good - a fact he has been told time and time again by his superiors. But no matter how much he tells himself this, he can't stop feeling guilty about all of it.

As he bids May a hasty goodbye, throwing his backpack over his shoulder, that same guilt threatens to crush him once again. He almost wants to stay, to have dinner with his aunt like he had promised he would. But he can't.

He hopes he doesn't have a mission tomorrow night, so he can make it up to her.

He steps into the alley outside his apartment, where two men are waiting for him. They hand him a folder, he skims over the information, and he hands it back. They leave without another word.

He quickly climbs onto the roof and changes into the clothes he brought with him. The mask - the final piece of his uniform - slides over his mouth, and he finds the familiarity comforting. Unlike his Spider-Man mask, which always seems so suffocating, it covers just enough of his face to keep him anonymous. He prefers this mask, and wishes he could use it instead. But he can't, because it isn't Spider-Man's.

The mission is quick, far quicker than most. The file had included the likely locations of the target, and Peter finds the man right away. The target is in an unprotected building. All it takes is one shot from Peter's gun, and the man is dead. No one sees him leave the rooftop he took the shot from, and he makes it home without incident.

He changes back into his civilian clothing, tucking his uniform and weapons back into his bag, and goes into the apartment. May is waiting for him, and he rattles off some story of what he had done, the lies falling easily from his tongue. He tells her nothing of his mission.

He does have dinner with her that night, even though it's late. He has dinner with her the next night, too. He still doesn't feel like it quite makes up for his repeated absences, especially with how strained May's smile always looks.

He tries not to feel guilty about all of the lies and excuses he tells her. It's for the greater good, after all. Everyone he kills in Hydra's name deserves it, and their absence from this world makes the lives of everyone else better. But he knows May won't see it that way; not many people do.

Maybe someday, he can tell her the truth. But for now, he lies.

And despite knowing that what he's doing is what's best for her and everyone he cares about, he feels guilty about it all.

[irondad-defensesquad]

My Irondad fic recs!

I thought of doing this because why not? Admittedly, I'm not reading as much fanfiction as I did a couple years ago, but some fics have changed my life entirely. In case I forgot one, I'll add it later!

I would’ve organized this in a bullet list, but Tumblr hates me and invented a character limit for that. So this is going to be long and will be under the cut. Anyway, let’s do this!

Rare and Sweet As Cherry Wine by loubuttons – I've mentioned this one before, but this fic right here was what inspired me to write my own Irondad works. One very particular detail I like about it is how it portrays Maria, Tony's mother. It's not what I usually see in other fics about Tony's childhood, since they tend to make Howard the big bad parent. Of course, this is because I personally related to it, as I don't believe in the "bad parent vs. good parent". I also like that it praises Edwin Jarvis as the one who looked out for Tony the most. It's pretty realistic and a very melancholic character study, IMO. *TW for abuse and neglect*

You're Always Iron Man by madasthesea – a very short fic but I absolutely love the premise. Takes place after the big battle in Iron Man 2, and Tony finds little Peter again. They have a very endearing interaction. The following chapter is also very cute!

Nothing like a fresh cup of humiliation in the morning by madasthesea – Pure fluff! This one is probably a classic in the Irondad fandom. Tony kisses Peter's forehead without second thought. Shenanigans ensue. It's so adorable and funny. If you just want to read fluff without angst, this one is for you.

when my body won't hold me anymore (where will I go) by madasthesea - I think I heard about this fic thanks to @/irondadfics here on Tumblr, but I might be wrong since I already knew the Nice work, kid series. Anyway, Peter is believed to be dead, so Tony (and the rest of the Avengers team) is mourning him. In reality, Peter is astral projecting. You know, sort of like how Stephen Strange, in his first movie, was fighting a guy in the other dimension while his body on Earth was struggling to live. That's basically what happens. Strange appears, of course, and saves the day. And I pretty much LOVE the presumed dead trope. I don't know why. Maybe it's the angst of it all. *TW for grief/mourning and temporary character death*

The Reason by doctornineandthreequarters – I think I read this one when I was still writing Oh, take me back to the start. I was looking for fics for inspiration, and I found this one. During the Time Heist in Endgame, Tony remembers the reason he's fighting to bring everyone else back. It's very emotional.

Couch Cuddles by happyaspie – Classic sickfic, but with more fluff than anything. I like rereading it when I feel lonely and touch-starved, especially when I'm also sick like Peter.

You’re So Much Like Me (I’m Sorry) by SpaceCowboysFromMars – Irondad + Miles Morales! Peter is an adult in this, and he freaks out when an injured Miles arrives in his apartment. Tony gives him some wisdom about mentoring and parenting. I don’t usually find Irondad stories featuring Miles (and not necessarily a Spider-Verse crossover), so this was a nice discovery. Peter & Miles & Tony is a very underrated trio IMO. *TW for slight gore*

I'm Glad I Have You by punkybunny – Peter has been having a rough time, dealing with loneliness as Aunt May is not home often, and with bullying at school... until he finally has the chance to spend time with Tony. However, the demons don't disappear completely. Obviously, more Hurt/Comfort, lmao. *TW for nightmare/bad dream*

I Want to Trust You by punkybunny – Actually part of a series that, admittedly, I haven't read all the other stories. But even this one is a very interesting concept on its own. This is a Hydra Peter AU, after Peter has been rescued. He gets sick but given his past in Hydra, he thinks Tony is going to get angry. Peter is proven wrong when Tony helps him get better. The ending is very adorable. I'll see if I can read the rest of the series one day. *TW for past abuse and experimentation*

what you think I've done wrong by ironxprince – I don't often read Biodad stories as you all know, but I was, again, looking for inspiration for You keep me searching for a heart of gold, and I stumbled across this one. Basically Peter, as Tony's biological son, finally meets Howard. It goes as well as you think /sarcasm. *TW for physical abuse*

i, in time, will climb my mountain by ironxprince – This one is heavy. Once again, Peter is Tony's bio son, and he's suicidal. Every time Peter attempts suicide, he buys a new plant. Tony doesn't know this, so he's confused as to why there are so many plants in their house. I love this one, but of course, I try to read it when I’m not having a really bad day. *Once again, TW for suicide attempts*

how do you get that lonely (and nobody knows?) by parkrstark – Yeah... another heavy one. Peter attempts suicide but he saves himself before he reaches the ground. With that, he goes to Tony. This ends happily, don't worry. *TW for suicide attempt*

When You Can't Sleep by Emily_F6 – Pretty much Tony comforting a sleepy Peter, who has just had a nightmare about Thanos. Just Hurt/Comfort and domestic fluff. *TW for mention of death*

i get by (but it's eating me alive) by Livinei – Honestly, I think this is the BEST May's Abusive Boyfriend story I've ever read. For one, none of the characters are oblivious nor dismissive of Peter's feelings. May isn't neglectful and Ned actually tries to encourage Peter to tell someone. I also like that Peter isn't completely helpless. I don't usually see those things in other fics with this trope, sadly. And of course, Protective Tony is my weakness. *TW for emotional and physical abuse*

Hold Me Together by An_Odd_Idea – Post-Endgame where Tony is alive, and Peter and Tony are both trying to cope, so they rely on each other. Pure Hurt/Comfort.

A Tremendous Thing by ExpectoPatronum – Possibly one of my favorite Irondad stories EVER. Also post-Endgame with Alive Tony (though the author better explains it in the notes, it's supposed to be part of a series, but this story can be read on its own). There are a lot of references to Charlotte's Web if you're familiar with it. Basically, it's Father's Day and Peter is feeling guilty and out of place at Tony's lake house, even though everyone is readily trying to include him. It's absolutely beautiful and painful.

Hug You I Must by spiderwriting (catch_you_later) – Probably one of the first touch-starved Peter fics I've read. I like how it describes touch-starvation as this "itchy" current in your body, something that makes you anxious. Thankfully, Peter gets his hug later on. Plus there are some Star Wars references (the title probably is one, lol). *There's some minor violence here when Peter is fighting off some bad guys, but not the focus of the fic*

When You're There With No One There To Hold, I'll Be The Arms That Reach For You by Squibbles94 – Another touch-starved Peter fic. But I really like the references to Cast Away. Ironically I saw this movie in the same year the author published this fic (dare I say SHORTLY after it was posted). I also had no idea that Cast Away was entirely about isolation. Gosh, the main character's monologue at the end ALWAYS gets to me... anyway, yeah, the peak of the pandemic was awful to me, so reading fics like this one helped tons. It still does.

I am cold by N/A (orphan account) – Peter tries to visit Tony, but he gets lost in a subway tunnel on a freezing day. Eventually we learn why Peter wanted to see Tony, but overall this is mainly domestic fluff. Everything ends well.

Sorry Pedro by PinkEasterEggs – One of the first Irondad fics I read. Peter has a nightmare about Homecoming (mainly Toomes), but he avoids waking Tony for that reason. But thanks to F.R.I.D.A.Y's protocols, Peter goes to his mentor. Tony is also super soft here and it makes my heart swoon.

you are enough by diaz_evan – Another post-Endgame fic. Arguably I began reading Irondad fics only after Endgame released. Anyway, this one is short, kinda sad but it ends well. It’s Tony’s birthday and Peter feels very anxious about what to get him as a present. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to prove his love for Tony. *TW for panic attack*

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Stark by downeylove – There are a lot of Father’s Day fics for these two, of course, but this one takes the cake for me. It’s simple but very endearing to me. Tony obviously doesn’t have good memories of this day, but Peter changes that for the first time. It’s really cute. Plus, Pepper is here, and I love her. I wish I could read more of her interacting with Peter. *TW for mentions of alcoholism and past child abuse*

5 Times Peter Didn’t Say He Was Struggling… And The One Time He Did by Bladam_Shevine – Again, an old fic I read years ago. I admit I haven’t re-read it in a while, but I remember enjoying it and even saving it to read offline. It’s basically what it says in the title: Peter struggles in many ways and he initially refuses help. Tony is always there to reassure him he can count on him. Bruce is here if you like him! And MJ helps Peter on one of the chapters as well. The chapters might get heavier as they go, but it ends on a hopeful note. *TW for injury, panic attack, suicide attempt (it doesn’t involve Peter), and depression*

The Good Days and the Bad by SoupGirlLovesSoup - Peter has had a bad day, now he's cuddling with Tony. It takes a while before Peter finally tells him what happened. It gets sad, but it's mostly fluff and it ends hopefully. I love re-reading it when I need the comfort. *TW for mention of suicide attempt, depression, and bullying*

Breathe Again by gwenoakley - Post-Endgame where Tony survives. He's recovering in the hospital and Peter finally reunites with him. Before that, though, we can feel the anxiety and trauma Peter feels. Definitely makes me emotional. It's the ending they deserved.

Popsicles and Playgrounds by ironfamjam - I can't believe I forgot to save this one in my bookmarks. I used to re-read this all the time! It's an AU where MIT student Tony meets a kid Peter. Eventually, Tony becomes Peter's babysitter! This is part of a series, which I still have to read fully. It's such a wholesome idea!! <3 *Howard's bad parenting is mostly mentioned*

Well, for now this is it! Again, I might add more fics here. I think I also could make a list of what particular concepts I want to read more in Irondad stories, so maybe you guys could give me your own recs. I might try to resume my habit of reading Irondad fics, because they give me a lot of comfort. Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy any of the stories I included.

(I'm aware some authors here have their accounts on Tumblr, but I didn't want to annoy anyone by tagging them, so yeah 😅)

EDIT (June 4th, 2024): What Irondad fics I would like to read!

[mmimagine-40]

The Love of a Father

I don't know why I am on such a kick for Stark!Reader but I am so enjoy!

Mainly: Dad!Tony Stark x Peter Parker x Stark!F!Reader

Other Pairings: Steve Rogers x Stark!F!Reader x Bucky Barnes, MJ x Peter Parker.

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The atmosphere in the Avenger Campus was..tenses. To say lightly. Just taking one step on the campus and you can feel how everyone was on edge. All the Avengers seem off. Snappy almost. Worst of them was Tony , Steve and Bucky. It been like this for Weeks. Ever since losing contact with Y/n and Peter.

A few weeks back Y/n and Peter were sent on a quick and simple mission. There had been some strange Activity readings coming from an abounded building that was once know to be used by Hydra. It should have been a fast and easy mission. Just get in, get some readings and get back. At the most should have taken 3-4 days. But the mission went wrong fast. As drones came out attacking Y/n and Peter. The last thing that The Avengers had any communications with them, they saw Peter and Y/n complaining about their suit acting up. Then at one moment Y/n tries saying something about her suite not respawning to her. Then her communications and suit went offline. They all watched in horror as they can see Y/n falling out of the sky. Peter swings trying to get to her as he screams her name before his suite and communications also went offline. The Avengers lost all connection to them.

Tony , Steve and Bucky went crazy. Pinning the last known location of their suits and running off to the location. Trying to find them. But every lead they found was a dead end.

In those weeks it became so tense in the Avengers campus. Everyone on edge as they also worry about Peter and Y/n. They were also very worried about Steve , Bucky and Tony. Who all three were on a thin line from breaking. Tony was locked up in his lab all day and night. Never leaving. At times there can even be tools and other objects being thrown around the lab. Steve and Bucky weren't much better in the training rooms. Needing to blow off steam. Steve broke almost every single punching bag. And Bucky volunteered to spar and train the new recruits. All of which ended up in the infirmity with injuries.

It was another day of the three not sleeping and stressing. When alarms started going off in the building. Many of the avengers come together in communications room. "Whats going on here?" Tony asked rushing in. Nat looked back at him before looking back at the screens trying not to say anything about his dark eye bags. Normal she wouldn't hold back. But she knows Tony along with Steve and Bucky aren't holding it very well with Peter and y/n missing. "Someone hacked into the system and got one of the quin jets to take off". "Do we have any way to get control of it again or anything?" Steve asked as he and Bucky also walked in. Nat shook her head no. "Whoever it is they know what they are doing. They took full control we are completely locked out. Even Friday can't get into it". Tony nodded as he step forward watching the screen as it shows the flight path the jet was going on. "Okay lets keep an eye on it see where its going.".

Over the the next day they kept a close eye on the jet when they noted that the jet was heading back to the campus. The Avengers decided to suit up and wait for the jet. To get the element of surprise on whoever took the jet and is coming back.

Friday; Communications form Quinn Jet 2914 incoming.

Tony approved it as the avengers listen in to see who it was. "Y/n Stark, (Iron hero name), We are about 20 minutes from landing at avengers campus. I'm going to need a med unit as soon as we land.". Y/ns voice cracks through the coms. Everyone went silent as their breath catches into their throats. "Friday get the med units here now!" Tony said panicking as he pulled up the screens to see when the jet will land.

Those 20 minutes felt like years as they all waited. Seeing the jet come down and land. All on edge as they wait for the doors to come down. Standing back to not rush Y/n and Peter. After landing a few minutes later, Y/n and Peter coming hobbling out. They look very rough. Beaten and cut. Peter leaned on Y/n as his arm was around her shoulders as she basically carried him out. The medical Unit rushed forward with Tony , Steve and Bucky. Tony helping Y/n get Peter on a stretcher. Then get the medical team rushing Peter off as he was in a very bad condition. Y/n stepped back as she let the team take over. As she did Steve and Bucky stepped up to check her over. She sighed as she turned them. Falling tired into Steves arms. Steve pulls her close. Picking her up as he carries her to the medical unit as well.

Its now been days since the events. Tony , Steve and Bucky never leave their side. Making sure that Peter and Y/n were okay and getting the story of what happen. But as the days passed Steve and Bucky became worried. Y/n wasn't really talking. She was off. They tried to be patient and let her heal. But they were worried about her.

After Peter and Y/n healed and were doing a bit better the Avengers held a get together. Not a full party. Just sitting around drinking , eating and being around one another. Steve and Bucky were talking as they watched Y/n carefully.

"i'm worried about her. Shes....just not the same". Steve said to Bucky as they watched Y/n. "I am too. I know we need to give her time. But still. I'm afraid something else is wrong." Bucky replied. Steve nodded as they see Pepper as she was get a drink. They look at each other before walking over to Pepper. "Hey Pepper, Can we talk to you a bit.". Pepper smiled up at them. "Hi Steve, Bucky. Yeah what's up?". "Its Y/n. We are worried about her ... she seems off.". Bucky said. Pepper smiled softly as she nodded seeing what they are talking about. She gesture them to follow her. They do as she walks them over to one of the couches that was off to the side of the room. On the couch asleep was Tony laying flat on his back. tucked into one side was Y/n then other side Peter and laying on his chest was Morgan. As they all slept. Tony holding them all close to them.

"She just needs her fathers comfort.... I know its hard. But give her some time. She will be okay." Pepper says softly to them. Both Steve and Bucky nodded as they looked down at them. Y/ns face was more relaxed as she slept in the comfort of her father and her siblings.

A fathers love is what both siblings needed to heal.

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This is not the best, I had this idea of needing a fathers comfort but wasn't sure how to write it. Please if you wish to use the idea please do and tag me. Enjoy -MM

[sashaisready]

Chapter Twenty-Five - Epilogue

Bucky Barnes Mob AU x Femme Reader

You're hard at work in Pepper's Bakery when notorious mob boss James 'Bucky' Barnes darkens your doorway one typical afternoon, and life is never the same again.

18+ - see Masterlist for full list of warnings

Series Masterlist

(gif does not represent how reader looks!)

It had been nearly a year now since you'd met Bucky.

You're still living in your apartment despite his protests, he's been vocal since early on in your relationship that he wants you to move in with him. You're in his house most of the time anyway, and he doesn't like waking up with you not there. The men like having you around, really like it when you bake for them or bring leftovers back from the bakery. But you enjoy your little sanctuary, a break from the busy house and the swarms of mobsters – who are perfectly pleasant, but everywhere. Your apartment has a silence you can't find anywhere else. A relic from your old life. Still, he's wearing you down and it won't be long until you give in to him. You know that, he knows that, but you've never been one to back down from a fight. He knows that too.

You're still at the bakery. The newest Assistant, Carol, has taken to the job like a duck to water and has settled in nicely between you and Wanda. She's feisty and keeps Bucky's men on their toes too, which is a bonus.

Bucky surprised you by buying a large stake in the bakery and putting it in your name, meaning you now technically own it with Pepper. He was nonchalant despite your shock and gratitude, telling you that you practically run the place anyway so you should do so legally too. Pepper is delighted with the choice of new business partner and business is booming, although it's all still quite new to you – you've always been about the cake rather than the numbers. Still, you're learning all about running a business – with Bucky's help and experience.

Wanda and Vis are getting married and you're maid of honour, of course. You're busy looking at centrepieces and honeymoon Pinterest boards when you're together but still find time to sometimes grab a beer with Peter to laugh and catch up. He's back with his ex, Mora, and seems very happy. Neither of you can believe you were ever romantically involved now, even fleetingly, it just feels so wrong.

Bucky's business is doing well too. He's made a conscious effort to shift into more legitimate activities in your honour so he's doing his best to go by the book. You'd bet a large sum of money that he dabbles more under the table than he lets on, but you don't ask. He's started to share more about his past and you hold his hand and kiss his scars as he talks. Some of it is shocking, upsetting – but you don't judge him. He punishes himself enough. To you, a lot of it sounds like a lost young man groomed to be a pawn by older and stronger personalities. But Bucky never shies away from the wrongs he's committed, he believes in accountability.

HYDRA had been wiped out completely after that night, but Bucky keeps an eye on any former members or allegiances who may start up again. He managed to weed out the mole, Klaue, after some rigorous investigation. He was feeding Pierce location information and any titbits he could get his hands on for a pay-out.

One day Klaue was there and the next he wasn't. You hadn't really gotten to know him. You guessed it didn't end well for him but again, didn't ask. The newspapers simply reported that he was missing and you have a feeling he won't ever be found. But it's hard to feel sympathy as what he did nearly killed you, a fact Bucky was painfully aware of when he uncovered the double-crossing.

He doesn't have you followed anymore but he likes you to check in when you're apart, and he gets irritable if he hasn't heard from you in a while. Sometimes if you lose track of time and forget then he'll call you, anxious something has happened and scolding you. It's something of a bone of contention in your relationship but you try to remind yourself he's always on high alert after the night you got taken, and that this all comes from a place of fear. You can see he's doing his best.

The panic attacks from that night still catch you off guard occasionally. You know you won't ever be fully free, but it's gotten easier, it's gotten better. You know how to handle them. Same with the nightmares, they're uncommon now but never fully gone. Bucky holds you tight when you cry out in your sleep, his warm touch on your skin bringing you back to him as he reassures you that he's there. He's always there. He hates thinking about you waking up alone when you're staying at your place without him.

You still don't care for all aspects of his work. You still aren't fully comfortable taking money from him and prefer the cosy neighbourhood restaurants over the high end establishments in Manhattan. You're more at home with a burger than foie gras. Still, you accompany him when his business requires it – galas and meetings, fancy dinners and charity events. You never feel fully comfortable but you know he appreciates having you there. You have a few dresses to look the part now which helps with your insecurity. He teases that at least he knows you're not with him for his money.

You have no patience for the paparazzi or red carpets but funnily enough they have lots of time for you. The press seem to like the idea of the notorious Bucky Barnes falling for the 'baker next door', reforming his gangster ways and helping him settle down. It makes you roll your eyes when occasional articles pop up about you online, but Bucky finds it all very amusing.

Your insecurities rear their ugly head when occasionally women try and flirt with Bucky, not even particularly put off if you're there. Some of them seem to see it as a challenge, tempting the notorious mob boss away now he's settled and happy with a girlfriend. Bucky is quick to shut them down, he only has eyes for you after all – but part of him revels in your jealousy. You'll glue yourself to his side when it happens, scowling at the offending interloper and making it clear he's yours. You stake your claim with a firm kiss and protectively run your arm across his back. This is the role Bucky normally plays, and he'd never admit it to you but he likes when you turn the tables, reminding him that you can be just as territorial as he can.

You once both attended a black tie gala and somehow got separated as the evening went on. You were cornered by a society type trying to pitch you some sort of charitable cause...donkeys maybe? No, zebras. Maybe. Or was it a toy museum? He seemed to think you could convince Bucky to make a generous donation, that you were the wheel he needed to grease to get the cash. Despite the fact you knew the requestor could fund the charity for a year from his own bank balance and not even notice. You saw through it of course, you got this sort of impassioned spiel from one person or another at all of these events as they pretended to be interested in the bakery. You'd nod half-heartedly and tell them you would keep it in mind.

As the man continued to wax lyrical on the plight of the donkeys, or zebras, or toys, you caught a glimpse of Bucky across the grand hall. You felt a momentary pang of love as you watched him in his tux, he looked so handsome. You could scarcely believe you got to wake up to him every day.

But that affection quickly dissipated as you saw him in close conversation with a gorgeous woman, looking practically like a celebrity in a tight fitting red dress. Bucky was laughing and the woman kept touching his arm as she spoke. You seethed quietly as you glared at him over your conversation partner's shoulder.

Fine. Two can play that game.

You turned your attention back to the man in front of you. Mr. Drake you thought his name was, or was it Mr. Dickinson? Mr D would suffice. You began to smile warmly as Mr D continued his monologue, absent-mindedly running a finger across the top of your breast as you nodded along. You caught his breath hitch slightly and you took your cue to move closer to him. He cracked a terrible joke and you laughed uproariously as you angled your hips to accentuate your dress.

Your laughter caught Bucky's attention, in the corner of your eye you saw his head snap over in your direction, his companion suddenly forgotten. His gaze stayed on you as you began to press your hand onto Mr D's chest and told him how funny he was. Mr D began to stutter, clearly nervous to be in this position but not wholly against it either.

You caught Bucky's eye and stared back at him defiantly as you continued the show. He was stoic to everyone else but you knew he was raging, you recognised his poker face well enough by now. Your performance continued until Bucky finally broke away and stormed over to you, leaving his new lady friend gawking as he disappeared halfway through her sentence.

1-0 to you.

"Can I steal her for a moment?" Bucky asked Mr D, voice sweet as pie as a firm arm snaked around your waist.

Mr D nodded and stammered in agreement, clearly unnerved and nervous about what Bucky might think. Poor guy.

He marched you a suitable distance to the corner of the room and then he was hissing in your ear.

"What game are you playing here, Doll?" he warned, his face locked into a smile. To any observers you looked like a loving couple having a moment of quiet.

"Same one you're playing, apparently" you shot back through your own carefully painted grin. "Leaving me to be shaken down for money while you make new friends".

Bucky chuckled. "She's on the board of a company we're trying to make a deal with, Doll. I need to keep her sweet..."

"Mmm. Well she certainly thinks you're funny".

He glared at you, silently daring you to push him further. You merely smirked.

You had ended up in a broom closet, going at it against the door as Bucky covered your moans with his metal hand and rutted deep inside of you.

"My jealous Doll" he whispered into your ear between thrusts as you teetered over the edge. "Acting out at my work events...flirting with rich old men to piss me off...all because you want my attention...what am I going to do with you?"

You'd come hard, whimpering against his chest as he held you tightly. You slowly raised your eyes to meet his as a satisfied grin spread over your blissed out face.

"Worked though, didn't it?"

*

You both like retire to bed early and quickly became intimate with every inch of each other's bodies. The sex is like nothing you've ever experienced, a combination of raw lust and attentive lovemaking. You may not always be on the same page in conversation, but your bodies have always understood one other perfectly.

You can almost see Bucky's persona soften in real time once the bedroom door is closed. He'll strip off his suit and settle into bed with you, Bucky the mob boss and ruthless businessman disappearing before your very eyes as your Bucky emerges in his place. Your Bucky who whispers sweet nothings in your ear, who holds you tenderly and watches you with awe. He's still wracked with guilt about what happened with HYDRA, and generally how your relationship started, and so he apologises and tells you he loves you and holds you close – repeating the same gentle phrases to you like he's reciting a prayer. And no matter how much you tell him it was alright, that you love him and forgive him, you understand a small part of him will always carry it with him – much like you and your trauma from that night. So you allow him to confess his sins as he takes you in his arms and kisses your skin as he makes it up to you, his ministrations both vocal and physical.

*

It's a normal Wednesday evening and Bucky is due in any minute. You're in his ensuite bathroom staring blankly at the tiles in a bit of a daze when he storms into the bedroom.

"Doll...I'm home" he calls as he walks in, slipping his jacket off. "What do you want for dinner? Sushi could be good..."

His face creases in puzzlement when he can't see you. He notices the ajar bathroom door and heads over.

"Doll...?"

You're sitting on the closed lid of the toilet but don't answer him or meet his eye, you just sigh heavily.

"Baby...you alright?" he moves to you, suddenly anxious that you're having a panic attack or PTSD flashback.

"I'm fine..." you mumble quietly, moving your eyes to meet his. "Looks like I'll be moving in after all".

His face lights up. "Finally! Don't worry, I'll fix everything, the truck...movers...Wait, what changed your mind?"

You smile brightly at him then slowly reveal a positive pregnancy test.

"Hope you've got room for two of us?" you grin.

Bucky's jaw drops open as he looks between you and the test. He moves quickly, smattering your face in kisses as he glares at the two bold lines. He face spreads into a disbelieving smile.

"Oh my god..." he whispers.

"I know..."

"Oh...my god"

"I know..."

"So...maybe we need to rethink sushi for dinner".

You laugh, wrapping your legs around his waist as he picks you up and swings you around. He kisses you deeply before his eyes fly open and widen at a sudden realisation.

"Wait...does this mean you've got a bun-"

"I swear to God, don't say it" you warn.

"Please..." he pleads.

"Ugh, fine. But just once".

"You've got a bun in the oven" he grins.

"Happy?"

"Oh Doll, extremely".

The End

Aaand that’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, commented and reblogged this fic! It means so much to me and makes me so happy that people have enjoyed it. I am moving some of my other fics over from Wattpad/Ao3 after the holidays and am also cooking up some ideas for a Biker!Bucky fic for 2024 which I’m excited about.

Check out my Masterlist for my other stories and I’m also on Ko-Fi too. Thanks again ❤️

[maladaptivefanfic]

I Want a Nurse

Bucky Barnes x fem!Avenger!reader

(starts with Matt Murdock x reader but just trust me)

Rating: Mature (it starts slow, I’ll give a heads up when we get close to any action)

Summary: Finding herself in unfamiliar territory, or unfamiliar times to be exact, an Avenger must find her way home or risk permanently altering her timeline. If only Bucky Barnes were less charming her task would be much easier.

I realized I didn’t do the read more thing on chapter one and I am so so sorry about that.

Chapter Two - Lost and Found

Present Day, 3 Days Since Nightingale’s Disappearance - Avengers Tower

Bucky’s headache only got worse. Maybe Murdock did have powers, and it was inflicting a wicked headache on him with his glare.

“Just because I’m not her biggest fan, doesn’t mean I’m going to evaporate her.” Barnes mumbled, knowing Matt could hear him.

“Why’d she take the hit for you? You hate her.” If Murdock’s glare was meant to be intimidating, Bucky couldn’t help how he rolled his eyes in response.

“I don’t hate her.” This same discussion, again and again.

“You’re mean to her, always have been!”

“Just because I don’t want her to baby me doesn’t mean I’m being mean to her!” Was it so wrong that Bucky just wanted her to keep her damn distance?

“She’s just trying to do her job!”

“Yeah? And look where that got her!” Bucky and Matt were yelling now, bringing Steve and Sam back from the kitchen

“Really guys?” Sam was exasperated. He had been desperate to keep the peace between them, but after so many days of no answers Sam’s tactics of mediating were losing efficacy.

Matt had been visiting for the last three days, desperate for a crumb of information but still there were no leads, no guesses, no hits on where she could be. Unfortunately, this also meant that Bucky and Matt had been at each other’s throats for those three days.

Bucky was bouncing between guilt at Nightingale going missing because of him, and anger that she hadn’t left when he told her to.

Matt had settled on anger, directed specifically at Barnes.

“You both know she would hate this, she hated when you two fought.” Steve tried to ease the tension in the room, but mentioning her only made Matt clench his fist tighter.

“We moving into the past tense already?” He spoke lowly, a gravely hum lacing his voice.

“No, no we are not. We are still looking Matt, we’re going to find her and bring her home.” Steve was quick to correct himself. 3 days was hardly time to call it quits but there was nothing to go on.

Dr St Helens had been a celebrated, award winning, and innovative scientist and inventor, but his mental breakdown after having his latest and most life changing work stolen tied with his wife leaving him left him more than a broken man. In his grief he had turned to reviving old hydra tech and merged it Chintari remnants from the Battle of New York. It was a Frankenstein effort of destructive rays and weaponry that had Tony, Peter, and Bruce scratching their heads trying to figure out what the goal was when not even Dr St Helens was cognizant enough to explain. Even reaching out to Shuri proved a puzzle for the young genius, but she was sure it could be solved.

“If the mad man can create it, we can certainly understand it.” She had said, and Bucky desperately wanted to believe that. Surely if she could fix him, this would be a walk in the park?

It was then they heard an alarm from down the hall begin to go off, jumping and running down the hall as they ran towards Tony’s lab just in time to have Peter cut around the corner - his eyes wide with surprise and confusion as he spoke to them.

“You’re going to want to see this.”

—————————————————-

June 27th 1943, French Countryside, 20 miles from the Italian Border

“And there we go, a picture for your new file.” Lorraine smiled at her handiwork, a crisp new photo of her newest friend.

“Thank you Lorraine.”

“Of course! Got to get you all official before we head in to Italy.”

Y/n smiled, hopefully she could get a message to Steve, she could only pray he would be over here soon enough and she would be able to meet him. If she could make enough of an impact in his memory, he would know where she was in the future!

“I really appreciate Mrs Daniels taking me on.” It would’ve been a nightmare trying to get through war torn Europe without attaching herself to this group.

“Oh think nothing of it, we’re glad to have you and your magic hands here helping us.”

Y/n laughed as Lorraine wiggled her fingers. The girls had begun to joke that she had magic hands, since all the men she healed made such speedy recoveries. In truth, y/n was really holding herself back. It was like working in the hospital again, healing to a comfortable level without being overly suspicious. Unfortunately the men were still heading out despite the pain, feeling better than they had in a long time, meaning despite her best efforts they were still out of the tent much earlier than normal.

She’d have to be careful, no sense getting caught up in trying to explain her powers. That would lead to so difficult conversations and would definitely delay her meeting Steve if not derailing her plans entirely by catching Hydra’s attention.

They would be meeting up with a couple of men from the unit stationed in Azzano and they would be escorting them from there. The unit George and his friend Paul were from would also be joining, the need for more soldiers on the Italian front increasing as more men were being captured.

Y/n was glad she could keep an eye on her new friends a while longer. While she had only been in 1943 for a week now, Lorraine had become a fast friend - and George always seemed to follow her around with Paul right behind him. It was a funny scene to watch George trying to sweet talk her outside the medical tent, trying to get her sweetened sympathy with a burnt hand or a cut forehead, but Lorraine saw right through it. Y/n and Paul could only laugh at the scene.

With her small bag, a spare duffle from a soldier in George’s unit, filled with spare clothes and toiletries from the other nurses and shipments sent over, she climbed into the truck next to Lorraine.

“I wonder what the temperature will be like in Italy, wish it wasn’t so hot.” A young nurse, Janet complained next to them as she fanned herself.

They had been traveling for a bit, and with every mile Y/n had missed the air conditioner of her time but the others could only laugh at Janet’s plight.

“Maybe if you didn’t wear that fancy dress, you wouldn’t be overheating.” Another nurse joked from further in the truck

“Hey! Moving camps means new men, I want to make a good first impression!” Janet was a sweet but silly girl, far too invested in romance during a war. Her father, some important banker in New York, was apparently very opposed to her nursing, but eventually relented to his only daughter’s whims. And nobody could complain when her father sent goodies and treats for all of them in his care packages.

The truck came to a stop, as the girls laughed again.

“Is a lovely thing to hear the laughter of pretty ladies.” A hearty voice laughed, coming to the end of the truck and looking up at them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you ladies, my name is Corporal Dugan, I’ll be escorting you ladies on to Azzano.”

The man smiled up under this mustache and y/n grinned. Dum Dum Dugan, y/n remembered him from Steve’s Howling Commando stories. This was her lucky day indeed.

“Hello Corporal Dugan, do take care of us?” Lorraine shook his hand sweetly from her end seat, with Mrs Daniels riding up front Lorraine was their unofficial leader.

“It’ll be my pleasure.” He grinned, tipping his head with a wink to some of the younger nurses before walking away.

It was another couple of hours of travel before they made it to Azzano, soldiers were there helping the nurses out of the truck and unloading fresh supplies while y/n dawdled as she stretched in the truck, last one out. As she went to hop out of the truck though, her foot caught as she took the hand of the soldier waiting for her.

Luckily he grabbed her before she fell and placed her gently on the ground.

“You just got here and you’re already falling for me, huh doll?”

She laughed, familiar with the soldiers’ easy flirting at this point, before she looked up into a smiling face that surprised her.

Smiling down at her was none other than Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.

How could she forget what else was waiting in Azzano?

———————————————

Present Day - 3 Days Since Nightingale’s Disappearance - Avengers Tower

“What is it?” Matt asked as the others stared at the screen. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“It’s a picture of y/n, but it’s…well she’s…” Peter struggled to find the words before Natasha spoke up

“It’s a file from World War Two that’s part of some online archive, information from this woman as a nurse in 1943.”

They all stared at her, that was definitely her face, her hair done differently to suit the time, and the picture faded with age. The file information was minimal, a piece of a larger file of information from the Smithsonian’s online collection.

“Nurse Y/n l/n, picture from June 1943, age y/a” Steve spoke clearly.

“That doesn’t make any sense. It’s probably some sort of mix up because they look similar.” Matt was confused, everyone was. But this wasn’t just a simple mix up, this woman smiling back at them was every inch y/n.

As Steve and Bucky stared at the picture more and more, they felt a scratch at their brains, like there was something they were supposed to be remembering. Bucky’s headache only grew worse, finding himself clutching his hand to his head.

“You ok, Buck?” It was Steve that spoke, turning to Bucky as the groan left his lips. His head hurt, the light hurt, and now this was making it worse as he felt his brain struggle to make sense of it all.

“Headache, since the fight. I got thrown into a building.” He grumbled as if it was obvious

“Y/n would’ve checked for that and fixed it.” Steve was wary, and Bucky couldn’t tell if it was sympathy or concern in his tone.

“Yeah well it came back after she left.” Damn what kind of lights did Stark use in this lab? It was too bright.

“I’ve had a headache for days now too.” When Steve said this, Bucky finally looked up to meet his gaze.

“What if it isn’t a simple headache Buck, what if something weirder is going on?”

“What on earth do you-“ but Bucky was cut off as memories began to flash in his mind, bringing him to his knees. New memories. Not memories that Hydra had taken, but something fresh.

A truck, new nurses, a charming laugh and the surprised face of a cute nurse as he caught her.

Steve was at his side as he clutched his head and groaned out his realization to the room.

“I know where she is.”

—————————————————

June 27th 1943, Azzano, Italy - US Military Camp

“Oh, uh, thank you, sir.” Y/n scurried to steady herself out of his grasp. Sergeant Barnes was no fan of hers in the future and she didn’t want to bother him further by antagonizing him in the past.

“You’re very welcome, if you’d like I can take your bag and lead you on to your friends.” He flashed her a winning smile, his eyes still bright despite what he’d seen so far. Y/n could only smile back briefly before averting her eyes.

“Oh that won’t be necessary, I’m sure you’re busy sir and-“

“Bucky, please. Sir makes me feel old. And I promise I’m not busy.” he laughed

A chill ran down her spine at the name, she was never allowed to call him Bucky. The one time it slipped she got a glare, and never had since.

“I don’t want to intrude.” A weak excuse

“You’re not intruding. This is entirely self serving I assure you, see I’m trying to get a nice in with the nurses so if you end up stitching me up, you might be gentle about it.” Again he smiled with a wink, and she finally relented her grasp on her bag. She could be nice, she could be civil, and then she would avoid him until Steve arrived.

“Thank you.” She smiled lightly at him as he held out his arm. She looked at him now, cocking an eyebrow.

“It was raining earlier today and the ground is still slippery, I’d hate for you to fall.”

The ground looked fine, but again she decided to humor him.

It reminded her of Matt, walking like this. She knew that Matt was perfectly capable of walking around on his own but it made her feel useful to him and he always said he loved having his pretty girl on his arm.

She’s made it a week without missing Matt, but this Bucky’s charm reminded her of his humor so much her heart clenched.

“So, I’ve given you my name, could I have yours?” He chirped beside her as they walked.

“Y/n l/n” he complimented it before they devolved into the usual pleasantries, where are you from, how long have you been overseas, etc etc etc. It was funny to hear Bucky explain his life to her, while she already knew. He was from Brooklyn, he had his mom and his little sister Rebecca, his best friend Steve was a pain in his neck which only made y/n laugh

“Yeah he’s a scrappy thing, I miss his fire out here though.” He chuckled, a hint of sadness laced his humored tone.

“Maybe you’ll get to see him soon, maybe on leave?” She smiled, knowing that he would very much be seeing Steve soon, sooner than he thought to be sure. Though he’d be decidedly less scrappy.

“Yeah, maybe, it’d be nice to be home for a bit.” Now his smile was genuine and light, memories of home bringing some energy back to him.

As they approached the tent where she heard the laughter of her fellow nurses, he tipped his head to her, handing her bag back to her.

“Well Miss, this is your stop.”

“Thank you very much Sergeant Barnes”

“Bucky, doll, please.” He placed his hand over his heart, feigning heartache as a smile dance across his lips. God had that look ever been directed at her? Did Sergeant Barnes even smile like that anymore?

“Have a good evening Sergeant Barnes.” She shook her head as she pulled back the flap, making her way in with the other nurses with a smile on her face.

[iliumheightnights]

Injured | Peter Parker x Stark!Son reader

Fandom: Marvel, MCU, Spiderman Pairing: Peter Parker x Male!reader (Stark son) Summary: Peter and M/n have had their issues since they've first met. But will that change after Peter gets seriously injured during a mission? ...

(M/n) had just finished the book he was reading and went to grab a snack when the quinjet landed on the landing pad. “Oh dad’s back with boy wonder.” What could he say? He was jealous that Peter got to spend so much time with Tony now. That he got to go on missions with them while he stayed confined to the tower. It was almost like he was his son instead. He didn’t like that feeling at all.

The boy’s feelings of jealousy would have to be put on hold however. He watched as the Avengers ran down the ramp carrying Peter on a stretcher. From where he was standing Peter didn’t look good….not at all. 

The Avengers burst through the doors with Peter and rushed him down the hall. “Someone get Doctor Cho now!” Steve shouted. ‘She’s already been called sir.’ Friday’s voice spoke up. (M/n) rushed behind them. “What’s wrong? What happened?” He tried to ask literally anyone but they all ignored him and they rushed Peter to the medical wing.

(M/n) followed them all the way to the medical wing but stopped just short of the room they put Peter in. Only Tony and the Doctor were allowed in. That was fair, this wasn’t something (M/n) HAD to be there for. He could respect that enough to realize everyone needed SOME privacy in this tower.

“So…what happened?” (M/n) asked looking at the closed doors. Nat stood beside him and sighed. “It was a standard mission. Just take out a hidden hydra base. We thought it’d be easy…then Taskmaster showed up.” (M/n) listened to every word she said. “Peter saved us but in the process, he got badly injured. I just hope he’ll be alright.” She said. He could hear just how torn up she was about this. After all…the entire team loved Peter.

The door opened and Tony walked out. He didn’t have a look of relief but he also didn’t look destroyed so that was something. “How is he?” Nat asked. Tony sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Nothing yet. His vitals are stabilizing, but we’re still not sure yet. Doc’s trying her best but some of the cuts were deep.” Natasha nodded and soon both of them walked away leaving (M/n) in front of the door.

After a little while the door opened and the doctor walked out. “Oh. (M/n), I didn’t know you were out here.” (M/n) shrugged. “Didn’t make myself known.” Helen nodded. “He’s stable now and there are signs of recovery. I was just about to tell your father and the others. You’re welcome to go in and see him though he’s still sleeping.” The boy nodded. “Thanks doc.” Once she left (M/n) entered the room.

He hated the medical wing. It always reminded him of when he needed to get shots or when his dad had to go through his many surgeries. It always scared him. The clean sterile white walls and smell of everything didn’t help either. Not to mention the beeping of the monitors, which luckily were stable.

There in the bed was Peter. (M/n) looked him over. His face had a few cuts, a black eye was developing and he for sure looked worse for wear. “Well…don’t get cleaned up for me or anything. You look like shit.” (M/n) shot up to Peter who was still asleep. A small chuckle escaped as well, however, there was no humor in it.

“You know since you’re asleep I can finally tell you what I want.” (M/n) stepped closer to the bed. “I absolutely hate you. I despise you.” He felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders with those words gone. “I hate how you came into my life and stole my dad from me. I hate how you seem to be so good and perfect at everything and it points out my flaws. I hate how even after I’m rude to you…you still treat me like a good person.” He breathed in to say his final thoughts. He could feel himself shake. “But most importantly…I hate how you made me care. I hate that I’m worried for you. I hate that you made me fall for you.” He felt the tears falling from his face. “So you’re GOING to get up and get better. Because now I have to get payback for all these conflicting emotions you’ve given me.”

(M/n) swiped away the tears from his face and finished up the last few sniffles he had before going to stand up. But as he went to go he felt Peter’s hand reach out and grab his, the boy's thumb rubbing against his knuckles. “Don’t go.” the other boy said, his voice faint and quiet…but there. The Stark boy froze and looked at Peter before eventually smiling. “Really? Normally you can’t wait for me to leave. Are you just such a masochist you enjoy me yelling at you?” This time there was humor behind the words and (M/n) returned to his seat. “Because I don’t mind yelling at you more. I’m sure there are lots I can say about this whole situation.” Peter let out a small laugh at that.

Everything was going to be fine. Who knows…perhaps things were going to be even better than what they were before. Either way Tony and (M/n) were going to give Peter a stern talking to when he was better and work on giving him more protection.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Episode 2 of What If Season 2 poked the Peggy hornet’s nest and did exactly what I thought it would. 

So, for context, in this reality Yondu actually handed Peter Quill over to Ego when he was supposed to, and within just 6 months Ego was able to corrupt his son into a conqueror, so they invade Earth together. Peggy is director of SHIELD at the time, and she and Howard work together to assemble a proto-Avengers team to stop them. The team consists of Hank Pym, Bill Foster, T’Chaka, Thor, Wendy Lawson (who I think is from Captain Marvel), and… wait for it… the Winter Motherfucking Soldier. 

Yes, for real.

And because I know you’re thinking it, the excuse given is that he is in the hands of the Russians during this time, so Peggy and Howard couldn’t possibly have known about it UwU. Anyway, when they see him there’s a super drawn-out moment where they both think they recognize him (and it’s while he still has the mask on, so while this probably wasn’t intentional I actually read that as yet another middle finger to Steve, as Peggy could apparently recognize Bucky even under his disguise while Steve couldn’t). And then, Howard says, I shit you not: “I'd heard the rumors, but even if they’re true, the man we knew is long-gone, Peg, and we have bigger fish to fry.” And then later in the episode, with no segway from that to this, there’s a scene where they’re all together and the Winter Soldier has his mask off, and actually speaks. 

So, at least in this universe, Howard and Peggy are 100% aware that Bucky Barnes is in fact the Winter Soldier. Later on in the episode Howard attempts to get through to him, but only when it becomes a necessity to save the world (because he is about to kill Peter Quill while Hank is trying to convince him to turn on Ego), but it’s still pretty damning. And then at the end of the episode, rather than trying to rehabilitate him, they just let him go. Like, it’s not the same situation as Steve where he was out cold and unable to do anything, they could have taken Bucky in and tried to break his programming, but they didn’t. It’s left ambiguous what will happen to him after that, so it’s not like they sent him back to Hydra, but Hydra is still out there in this universe, so my hopes aren’t high.

TLDR; this episode attempts to handwave away the very strong possibility that the Howard and Peggy of the Prime Timeline knew what was happening to Bucky, but in doing so unintentionally made them look so much worse.

I don't... I can't even... WTF did I just read? (not you of course, I mean, what is wrong with Marvel?) 🤦‍♀️

So they use Bucky while brainwashed and/or still with Hydra's BS in his mind, and they don't even care to help him out after? They see a victim and they use him and then turn away from him, not caring about his well-being? And, I assume, Howard and Lady Brexit are still framed as good guys? And how are they any better than Hydra in that story?! The absolute nerve...

Once I read the spoilers a few days ago and saw they were going to have her as Director of SHIELD, I just knew they were going to absolve her of everything and never have her answer for any of her actions. And of course the only one who says he had "heard rumours" was Howard, not her. She's an angelic glorious being incapable of doing anything wrong. What in the absolute narrative protection is this...

Howard and Miss Brexit couldn't possibly know about Bucky... yeah, right. Except for the fact that they knew what Zola had done, because Steve told them, and they still willingly worked alongside him, even gave him a nickname. Oh Arnie, my beloved, wasn't it fun when you tortured Steve's best friend? Let's have some beer. I don't see how Miss "I shoot innocents when I'm jealous" Brexit could have recognized Bucky considering she didn't give a damn about him after Steve risked his own life against her wishes to save him, but apparently in this she can tell who he is even with a mask on? Damn girl, did you inject the serum in him yourself?

And I'm sorry but what is this... “I'd heard the rumors, but even if they’re true, the man we knew is long gone.” Excuse me? Oh, good enough to use but not good enough to save? How is the everloving hell is that even a line?! Oh my god, Marvel, just say you hate Bucky and go. I don't get it, what, he's the guy who ruins their beloved Steggy nonsense and they can't help themselves, they have to drag him through the mud for daring to be more important to Steve than Miss Brexit here? (And I say that as a non-shipper but holy crap, this is nuts.)

Not even in another timeline are these two somewhat redeemable. And Bucky is fucked up no matter what. Typical.

So the Infinity Saga had Stark as their golden boy and now it's Agent Brexit's time to shine... Will the Hero Cinematic Universe ever provide any heroes of narrative protection or are they going to choose the bad ones only? Oh, you're a soldier kidnapped, tortured and brainwashed? Go ahead and make amends, you monster. Oh, you willingly worked for the TVA and tortured and killed because you wanted to? Poor you, let us frame you as good and pat you on the back, you sweet thing.

Wow, I got mad in this one. Sorry. I have the Bucky feels right now 😜😂

[sjsmith56]

Faces of Bucky Barnes

Summary: One shot of an interaction with the multiverse that affects Bucky Barnes during a tough time in his life.

Length: 7.4 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes from 2024, Bucky Barnes from 1938, Jim Barnes (son of another AU Bucky from 1971), Bucky Barnes from 1998 (AU).

Warnings: some references to drug use, domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, and suicide but it’s not really a dark fic.

Author notes: Set at the same time as Spider-Man: No Way Home but only connected in a roundabout way. Also slightly connected to What If? Season 2, Episode 2, What If? ... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes.   Images in the banner were created by the author using the Microsoft Copilot App in Designer mode.

🌃 🌉 🥡

It was Bucky's favourite place to go when he needed to get out of his head for a while. A rooftop on an empty warehouse that overlooked an approach to the Brooklyn Bridge was the perfect location to sit at night and see the bridge that he had grown up with all those years ago, before the war, before HYDRA, before the Avengers. Before everything became fucked up again.

This time, it was Alexander Ross who set in motion the latest attempt to rope Bucky into doing something he didn't want to do. The man just wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You served your country before, then you served HYDRA. I'm just asking you to serve your country again. Then we'll call it even."

Those were his exact words. As if Bucky's service in World War II wasn't enough, all by itself. As if fighting Thanos twice and containing the Flag Smashers also wasn't enough. Why couldn't Bucky just be left alone to do what he wanted? Why couldn't he tinker with old cars and motorcycles, keeping them in good repair for enthusiasts who still appreciated how things were made before. The sound of a siren on the bridge caught his attention and he focused on a police car in pursuit of someone. That part was still very much the same now as it had been then, even though the subway cars and vehicles crossing the bridge looked different. There were always going to be people who lived on the wrong side of the law and those who would hunt them down.

Why did Ross think it should be him doing the hunting? The man wouldn't even say who it was he wanted Bucky to hunt down but deep down the super soldier knew that Ross saw a lot of good people as enemies and that's what bothered him the most. For all he knew Ross wanted Bucky to go after Sam, or even Peter Parker, and that would never happen.

Peter Parker, that kid was facing problems just as bad as Bucky had it. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. Why couldn't they leave him alone as well? Let him go to college, marry his girlfriend, have a family. He was a good kid, and a smart one. But no, certain segments of society were out to pigeon-hole him as a threat.

"Stop," he said out loud. "Breathe. Peter will be okay. You can tell Ross no and you'll be okay. Life will go on."

A sound of a portal opening behind him made him shake his head. How did the sorcerers always find him? He turned around to see if it was Dr. Strange or Wong, but he didn't expect to see what he saw there and stood up, facing the young man, with his face, his much younger face, dressed in a brown suit.

"What just happened?" The younger version asked, his face a mask of surprise. "I'm in Brooklyn, cuz that's the Brooklyn Bridge so that must be Manhattan but it ain't nothin' like the New York I know. Who are you?"

His Brooklyn accent was strong, much stronger than Bucky's accent of 2024. He studied the current version carefully, lingering on his eyes, recognizing him. Approaching him where he stood near the edge, he looked up at him, puzzled that this older man with his face was taller.

"Are you me?"

Fuck it. The guy just walked through a portal from the 1930s based on that suit that Bucky remembered wearing then.

"James Buchanan Barnes, born March 10, 1917, is the day I was born, in Indiana," replied Bucky. "Moved here when I was a little kid. You?"

"Same," he replied. "You're older and taller than me and dressed different. What year is it?"

Older Bucky smiled a little. He read a lot of science and fantasy fiction when he was younger so the thought of it being a different year obviously came easily to his other self.

"2024, and before you say that makes me 107 years old, yes, I am that, technically. But there's a reason I'm still alive and I'm not sure I'm supposed to tell you. What I can do is phone someone to get you back home."

The younger Bucky smirked. "Hate to break it to you, pal, but there ain't a pay phone up here."

It was older Bucky's turn to smirk as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialled Dr. Strange. His smirk turned to a frown as the call went to voice mail.

"Hey, Strange, it's Bucky Barnes," he said into the phone. God, he hated voice mail. "I'm talking to a version of myself from ...." He looked at his younger self. "What year exactly are you from?"

"1938, was headed out for my 21st birthday party. Supposed to pick up Steve then meet Dot and a bunch of friends at a dance hall in Rockaway Beach."

Fuck, he was such a punk then. "The younger version of me says he's from 1938. Are you messing around with the multiverse again? Call me back, or better yet, get over here. I'll keep my phone on so you can locate it."

He hung up then noticed his younger self looking curiously at it.

"It's called a cell phone. There aren't many pay phones these days as nearly everyone has their own personal phone, even homeless people. It's used for more than that. You can pull up maps, watch movies, television shows, play games, even pay for things."

He shrugged. The younger man looked back at the Manhattan skyline, his eyes taking it all in.

"I can still see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building," he said, "but look at the height on some of those others. People live in those?"

"Most are office buildings," replied older Bucky. He sighed. "Not sure what's going on as you shouldn't be here. The guy I phoned is a sorcerer acquaintance. He should be getting back to me."

"Sorcerer? Seriously? They're around in the future?"

"They were around in the past," said older Bucky, "but more hidden and secretive. The ones now have had to be more visible because of ... stuff."

The sound of another portal behind them had them both turning to the source. Young Bucky's face transformed into something incredulous as the telltale sparkle of light appeared and grew larger, except it wasn't a sorcerer who came through. It was another version of Bucky, definitely from the multiverse because he was young, but he looked like he came from the 1960s or 1970s, as he had long hair, a Fu Manchu moustache and wore bell bottom jeans and a jean jacket. He came through, watching the sparkling circle close then noticed the others standing there.

"Far out," he said, as the portal closed behind him. "That was some trip." He noticed the 1930s version of himself. "Cool threads, man. Got a 1930s vibe going there." He looked closer at the two of them. "Weird. You look like me, except you're older and you're younger. Dude, what's happening?"

"Did you understand that?" asked 1938 Bucky.

"Some of it," said original modern Bucky. "Not sure what's going on, but I think you two appeared here from your original universes. What year was it before you came through the portal?"

"1971," replied the long-haired version. "I smoked up a little while ago, thought maybe I was hallucinating. This is real? What year?"

"2024," answered 1938 Bucky as he glanced at original Bucky. "He smells of reefer."

"Reefer." The long-haired man laughed. "They haven't called it that since the 1940s. What do they call it now?"

"Weed, mostly or cannabis," said original Bucky, sighing. "Can't believe I'm having this conversation. It's legal now, at least in New York, so they refer to it by brand names as well."

"No shit!" The long-haired man laughed again. "Like, you can buy it in a store?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Bucky dialled Dr. Strange again, getting another voice mail prompt which made him hang up. This was definitely a multiverse thing but the fact there was a version of him that was born after the war meant he wasn't just in his original time frame. He was in different ones as well. Unless ... this guy was his kid.

"What's your name, when were you born and who were your parents?" he asked. "Sorry, just trying to keep things straight."

"Jim Barnes, Jr., born in 1950," said the long hair version. "My dad was James Buchanan Barnes, Sr., and my mother was Dolores Barnes. They split up when I was about 10.

Fuck, this guy was his kid. 1938 Bucky glanced at him, obviously thinking the same thing, as he mouthed Dolores' nickname, Dot.

"Why did they split up?"

"My dad was never right after the war," said Jim. "Lost his best friend in 1945 when he fell off a train during a mission. Tried to drink himself to death but never seemed to get there. He could out drink anyone, so he just got angry and eventually it got too dangerous for us to be around him. Us three kids stayed with Mom." He shrugged. "Not sure I'll be seeing any of them any time soon. I decided to go to Canada when I got my draft notice. It's just a matter of when."

Modern Bucky felt his stomach do a flip. Steve must have fallen off the train in this man's timeline, an event that obviously affected him deeply. This son of his was 21, in 1971. It meant he likely was drafted into the Vietnam War and didn't want to go. He glanced at the 1938 version of himself, who was frowning at this revelation.

"It was because of a war in Southeast Asia," Bucky murmured. "By all accounts it wasn't supported too well by the population. Some burned their draft cards and went to Canada. Stayed there, too." He looked at Jim sympathetically. "Can I ask you something? Are you strong? Like really strong? Can you handle your alcohol well?"

"Yeah," said the younger man suspiciously. "Takes a lot to get me buzzed. Sometimes, it's not worth the trouble." He frowned. "I'm not a coward. I am strong but I don't want to fight anyone. It's a bogus war, man. Rich boys can get deferments or get into the Coast Guard or the National Guard and not have to go over but even they've been involved in some killings. The killing of those four students in Ohio last year was the last straw for me. I'm not firing against American citizens."

His dad obviously never told anyone about what HYDRA did to him and he passed on his abilities to his kids. No wonder he was trying to drink himself to death. The guilt over Steve's death ... wait, if Steve fell, did he become.... He shook his head, clearing that thought.

"Your dad, is he still alive?"

Jim swallowed, looked at the Brooklyn Bridge with obvious pain then back at Bucky.

"No, he put a bullet in his head a couple of years ago, after my older brother Steve came back from Vietnam missing an arm. That's another reason I'm not going. If anything happened to me, it would kill my mom and as fucked up as I am, I do love her. I love Steve and Rebecca as well."

Bucky placed his hand on Jim's shoulder, patting it sympathetically. The sound of another portal drew all of their attention as the circle formed. What stepped out shocked Bucky, as this version of him wore a uniform that was obviously his universe's version of Captain America, complete with a dull silver-coloured prosthetic arm. His hair, longer than Bucky's but shorter than Jim's was clean and somewhat styled. He looked startled at the 1938 version of Bucky, then puzzled at Jim Barnes. Finally, he noticed modern Bucky, specifically the metal hand and approached him.

"What year?" he asked, gesturing to the skyline.

"2024," replied modern Bucky. "I've been out of HYDRA for ten years. You?"

"1998. I was sent to be Russia's contribution to a threat to the world in 1988 and escaped but I ended up in a car accident a couple of years later. Went into a coma. When I woke up it was 1994 and my old arm was gone but Tony Stark made me a new one. Somehow the damage that put me into a coma neutralized the trigger words. Peggy Carter asked me to be Captain America for the Avengers. What else was I going to do?" He shook his head then looked at the two younger men as they stood gazing at the Manhattan skyline, so different from what they were used to. "I take it these two are other versions of ourselves."

"Not exactly," said Bucky, gesturing to the 1938 version. "He's an original. The other one is our son. In his universe, Steve fell off the train and we tried to drink ourselves to death, never telling anyone what we were or accepting it."

"Shit, does he have ...?"

Modern Bucky nodded. "We should tell him, as it appears he's self-medicating a lot, unsuccessfully. Mind you it's 1971 in his world and he's just made the decision to be a draft dodger." He hesitated for a moment. "My words are gone as well, courtesy of a brilliant scientist. She designed this arm for me. You should know that Steve is alive."

"What? They said he was lost in a plane crash in 1945."

"Frozen in the ice. In this universe, they find him in 2011 and thaw him out. The serum kept him alive. He stayed here until last year then went back in time to be with Peggy. Cap in this time is another guy, Sam Wilson. He has wings."

"They didn't ask you?"

Bucky shrugged, then looked over to the Brooklyn Bridge. "Too messed up in my own head. I killed a lot, including Howard and his wife, in my timeline. I remember them all."

"I'm sorry." Cap Bucky placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "You are a good man. I killed a lot for HYDRA as well, but Peggy never held that against me. Neither do the other Avengers. I guess Howard died of cancer when I was in a coma. What you do in the here and now is what should define you. Easier said, I know, but still true." He took a breath. "So, what are we going to do? Sit here and wait for a sorcerer to appear? I could use something to eat."

Bucky looked at the others. "You guys hungry? I don't live too far. We could pick up some takeout and beer. I left a message for Dr. Strange. Once he checks his messages he should come and help get you back to where you belong."

"Food is good," said 1930s Bucky. "What's takeout?"

The other three smiled the same lopsided smile and Bucky gestured to follow him down a fire escape. They stopped at a Korean place that was still open, with the proprietor waving to Bucky from the kitchen, as he was a regular customer. He ordered several servings of everything, knowing that three of the four of them could easily finish it, choosing Korean fried chicken, beef and pork bulgogi, green onion cakes, japchae, bibimbap with rice, and kimchi. Although the staff gave the other three some second and third looks, they didn't say anything.

"This universe has seen some strange things, including aliens, androids and sorcerers," explained modern Bucky. "Seeing three other versions of me doesn't even come close to weird."

After dividing the food bags between them they made one more stop at a 24-hour liquor store with Bucky getting a couple of six packs of beer and a bottle of bourbon. They crammed into the elevator of his building.

"I only have a one-bedroom place," said Bucky. "Not much furniture but I'm good on the floor if you others want to take a chair. I'm living on an army pension so it's what I could afford."

When he handed off the food and booze to the others to unlock the door, he opened it and stepped back to let them in first. They filed in, dropping everything off on the small kitchen island.

"This is nice," said 1930s Bucky. "Clean, small but if it's just you it's enough. Nicer than that slum Steve is living in."

Both modern Bucky and Cap Bucky nodded, remembering that tenement room their best friend insisted on living in. Taking his meagre assortment of glasses out, Bucky poured out some bourbon in each one, holding his glass in front of him.

"Here's mud in your eye," he said, draining it in one gulp. "They've been kind enough to provide us four servings of rice, just take what you want from each of the other containers and dig in."

For the next few minutes there was no sound as they all went after the food, transferring portions into their individual rice boxes. Modern Bucky sat on the floor, leaning against the wall as the other three took the armchair, and the two dining table chairs that were there. Cap Bucky eyed the bedding on the floor.

"Sleeping there?"

"Yeah, bed's too soft," replied modern Bucky. "I manage a few hours every night."

Jim swallowed his food and looked critically at the two artificial arms. "What's with the arms?"

"Not sure I can tell you, exactly," said Cap Bucky. "Let's just say this Bucky and I have a shared experience where we lost our flesh arms, went through some shit, then got a new life and new arms in the process."

"Were you born in 1917 as well?" asked 1930s Bucky. "He already told me."

"Yeah, I was. Don't know if you'll go through what we went through. Jim's dad didn't, at least not the way we did."

"He had both of his original arms," said Jim. "But he was one angry guy. Ma said before the war he was a lot of fun but after ... he was a different man. She still loved him, but he hurt her and us, more than once."

"I would never hit a woman," stated 1930s Bucky. "Not Dot, I loved her."

The other two Bucky's looked meaningfully at each other. On a hunch, modern Bucky signed to Cap Bucky, who sat back and watched, nodding his head. He signed back, as the other two realized what they were doing.

"What can it hurt?" asked modern Bucky, verbally. "They've already seen two different versions of us, and how New York looks in the 21st century. Maybe, this Bucky is this guy's dad. If he understands what might happen, he can deal with it better, and I'm sure Jim would like to understand more of what his dad went through that made him the way he is. It can help him with his own timeline and whether he should go to Canada."

The bright blue eyes of Cap Bucky seemed to harden for a moment then they softened.

"Alright, we tell them both everything," he said. "We can't change our past but maybe we can change their futures."

For the rest of that night, the two Bucky's with prosthetic arms told their stories, amazing each other with the synchronization of their journeys until Cap Bucky's took a turn when he listened to Howard Stark and didn't kill a boy who only wanted to get back home to Earth. Both 1930s Bucky and Jim Barnes questioned them about details, about the things that they wished they had done. By sunrise, the 1930s Bucky had loosened his shirt and tie and was lying on top of the double bed in the bedroom. Jim Barnes had taken his boots and jacket off and was lying next to him curled up with his hand hanging over the edge. Cap and Modern Bucky still sat in the living room, leaning against the open wall, while finishing the bourbon.

"So, where exactly is Steve in 1998?" asked Cap.

"Buried in a glacier in the Arctic," said Bucky, reaching for one of his notebooks and tearing a sheet out. "Here's the coordinates." He watched as Cap looked at it, folded it up and placed inside a hidden pocket. "They were on a display in the Smithsonian. He's alive and they should be able to resuscitate him. I don't know if your universe will go through with what mine did but if it does, aliens start to show up in 2011, then Tony tries to make Ultron in 2014 to protect the Earth. Instead, Ultron went a little crazy and decided to kill humans. Aliens start looking for the stones ... that blue Tesseract is one of them ... and Thanos comes calling in 2018. If he does, remember to go for the head. Don't let him snap his fingers or else half of all life, everywhere, is just gone."

"What about you?" There was sympathy and understanding in Cap Bucky's eyes. "What's going on with you?"

"A powerful man wants me to work for him." Bucky looked at his metal hand. "By work, I think he means for me to hunt other enhanced individuals and bring them together so that he can control them. I don't want to do it but he's in a position to make my life miserable if I don't." He looked around at his little flat. "This isn't what I ever envisioned for myself. I'm 107 years old, living on an army pension that barely pays the bills, while waiting on the army to give me my back pay for all the years I was basically a prisoner of war. Half of society thinks I should have been shot for what I did as the Winter Soldier, and the other half are indifferent to my existence."

"You have friends though, right?" Modern Bucky felt his face get warm. "You don't think you're worthy of friendship, do you?" Cap sipped his bourbon, thoughtfully. "Obviously, I didn't kill as many people as you did when HYDRA, then Russia had me in their control, but the body count was still up there. I became a kind of vigilante when I first got away from them. I could hear calls for help and would get to people who were being assaulted. I hid myself a lot. Then, I got hit by an armoured truck and knocked out. Stayed that way for four years. When I woke up, Peggy Carter was sitting next to my bed. Tony showed up within the hour. A few of the Howlies showed up, old men all of them, but they were so happy to see me. None of them ever forgot about me and Peggy apologized for not looking for me, even though she suspected who the Winter Soldier was years later. I could have been angry, but the fact was that I could have also escaped sooner than I did. I just convinced myself that I was too far gone and not worth saving. I was wrong. Don't give up on life, Buck. If you don't want to do what this guy wants you to do, then don't do it. Call in your friends, tell the newspapers, expose his plans to the daylight. Fight for your right to have a life, to be just another face in the crowd."

"You make it sound easy." Bucky sighed. "I'm just tired of it. You know what I really want to do? Fix motorcycles and cars from the 1930s and 40s, find an understanding woman who doesn't mind listening to the old music with me, maybe dinner out or dancing once in a while, having a couple of kids and playing catch with them in the back yard. Getting old ... God, how I want to grow old." He rubbed his face. "Sounds pathetic."

"No, not at all," smiled Cap Bucky. "Sounds pretty perfect to me."

A portal began forming in Bucky's living room and both men stood up. Dr. Strange strode through.

"I got your message," he said, taking in Cap Bucky. "How many?"

"Three, although one of them isn't me. He's, my son."

Strange frowned. "Your son ... interesting. Well, get them out here and I'll send them back."

Modern Bucky went into the bedroom while Cap Bucky stayed out in the living room with Dr. Strange.

"Can you do me a favour?" he asked. "Is there any way you can make him appear like another face in the crowd?"

"That's what got me into this mess," said Strange. "A similar request from another person. You mean, no one would know who he is?"

"I mean, I think he would want to keep his friends because he doesn't have many and he shouldn't have to start at the beginning to find new ones." A crease appeared in Cap's forehead between his eyes. "All he wants is to live in peace, fix old vehicles, find the right woman and grow old. Is that too much to ask?"

Strange looked carefully at this version of Bucky, noticing the uniform. He had obviously come to terms with his own past if he was Captain America in another universe. The Bucky from this universe came out of the bedroom followed by a younger version of him from what appeared to be the 1930s and another from the 1970s. They were both rubbing their eyes as if they had been asleep for a while. The younger Bucky's eyes grew large at the sight of Dr. Strange.

"Sorcerer?" Modern Bucky nodded making the 1930s version grin. "Far out."

Jim Barnes grinned at the use of his term by the older Bucky. "He doesn't look like Gandalf."

"None of us do," deadpanned Strange. "Alright, let's get you two back to where you belong. No talking about what you've seen or heard. Frankly, people in your times will think you've had a psychiatric episode if you do, so keep it quiet."

With a wave of his hand the first portal opened, and 1930s Bucky quickly shook hands with the others before stepping through. Once that portal closed, he opened another one for Jim Barnes who looked thoughtfully at the two Bucky's then waved when he stepped back into 1971. Cap Bucky extended his metal arm to modern Bucky and the two men with the shared HYDRA past grasped each other's arms before releasing them. After he stepped through the portal only Bucky and Dr. Strange were left.

"Busy night?"

"You don't know the half of it," said Strange. "Is everything alright, with you, I mean."

"Thaddeus Ross is pressuring me to join his "team," said Bucky. "I think he wants to use me to hunt down enhanced individuals. Even though the Sokovia Accords are toast he still wants control of us."

"What do you want?"

"To find my own way, one that doesn't involve hurting people, or having to justify why I should be allowed to live," said Bucky, frowning. "I just want the life I was supposed to have if HYDRA never get their claws into me, unless I ended up a serial killer anyways, because I don't want that."

"That's fair," said Strange. "Excuse me for a moment." Bucky watched as the sorcerer did his thing with the Time Stone. When he came out of his momentary review of time, he looked at Bucky and smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about Thaddeus Ross too much. As for the rest, I'm sure things will look better. How was it visiting with two versions of yourself and a version of your son?"

"Interesting," admitted Bucky. "I should try to get some sleep. Cap and I stayed up all night comparing our HYDRA experiences. I'm glad to see another version of me got away from them."

Dr. Strange said nothing, just smiled his grim smile, opened a portal and stepped through.

March 15, 1938

"So, there's no connection between having your birthday celebration now and the Ides of March?" asked Steve as the two friends headed to the train station. "I was surprised when you canceled out last weekend."

"Nope, unless you're all planning to stab me in the back," said Bucky, waving to Dot and her friend. "Now, Margie is shy like you, but she's into art. Dot says she's always drawing something."

"She looks nice." Steve blushed as his friend put his arm around his shoulder and drew up to the two young women. "Hi, Dot."

"Hey, Stevie," she said, after receiving a kiss on the cheek from Bucky. "This is my friend Margie. She's in the art program at Pratt."

"Yeah?" His face brightened. "I just had a year at Auburndale but couldn't afford another year."

"Auburndale's good," said Margie, liking Steve's blue eyes and ready smile. "I was lucky to get a scholarship to Pratt. What's your favourite medium?"

Steve offered her his arm as they went up the steps. Bucky took Dot's hand, pulling her towards him, and wrapping his arms around her.

"Thanks for waiting until this weekend and finding him a date. I didn't want Steve to feel like a third wheel."

She shrugged; her red hair vibrant under the streetlight. "I don't know why I didn't think of pairing them together before. They're alike in many ways. Steve's a good guy. He just needs to loosen up a bit."

Bucky grinned then his face grew serious as he gazed at her. "I love you; you know. Have for a long time."

Her face changed at his declaration, as she smiled then placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, too, Bucky. Now let's go dancing."

With their arms around each other they followed the other couple up the stairs to the elevated train station, waiting for the one that would take them to the dance hall at Rockaway Beach, the second dance of the spring season.

April 7, 1971

Jim stepped off the train, placing his satchel over his shoulder as he walked towards the exit. When he stepped back into his time after being in the future, he wasn't sure what to expect. But ending up in the library at Brooklyn College wasn't it. Hopefully, he still lived in the same house with his mother, brother Steve and sister Rebecca. On the train ride to their neighbourhood, he thought over what happened to him. It had been an interesting experience, that was for sure. Perhaps, he could write about it in his journalism class. His stop came up and he made his way to the door, stepping out into the cool spring evening air. It was only a short walk from the station to the house.

"You got mail!" His mother called as he stepped inside.

How she always knew it was him coming in was interesting. He looked at the return address, Department of Defence. Shit, it was his draft notice. His last deferment didn't go through. Stopping dead in the hallway in front of the stairs he stared at the envelope wondering whether to open it.

"You better deal with it sooner rather than later," said a familiar voice that shocked him.

"Dad? I thought ...."

His dad put his finger up to his mouth. "It's me," he whispered. "It's been hard waiting for this day, waiting for this version of you to come home and know the truth. I remembered what you wore that night."

"I thought we couldn't change our past," said Jim, as his dad took him by the elbow into the living room.

"I changed my future and that changed yours, but you had to get back here to know it," said the older Barnes. "I didn't join the 107th. I became a pilot and Steve became a reporter, drawing comics of the various soldiers he met as he covered the war. Some other guy became Captain America. Some other guy became the Winter Soldier. It still worked out for them because they were different guys, and their futures were different than ours."

"But our Steve still lost his arm," said Jim.

"Yeah, but he didn't lose us because I didn't lose your mom and you kids. We got him through it, and we'll get you through whatever that letter says." He placed his calloused hand on his son's face. "I think that's why you were there so that I would know you, know what you went through as a kid because of how I dealt with the things that happened to me in your timeline. I've tried really hard to be a good man, Jim."

His eyes were glassy as he said it and the two men hugged. Then Jim opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, making a sigh of relief.

"Coast Guard," he said. "They've taken my ... when did I become an experienced sailor?"

"Since I started taking you kids out on sailboats when you were kids," smiled Bucky. "Don't worry, it should come to you, once you integrate into this timeline. Your brother, Steve, ended up on a patrol boat in the Vietnamese river system, lost his arm when he was shot from the shore. With the Coast Guard, you could end up working from home. You don't have to go to Canada, although you'll have to cut your hair and shave that monstrosity off your face."

His grin showed Jim that his dad was joking, and they hugged again. Both men thought back to that night when they went from their respective times into the future and met two other Bucky's who had gone through hell. Something drew them there, to fix both of them, and to fix what was wrong between them. It was meant to be.

May 17, 1998

Bucky was with the team when they located the Valkyrie just under the top layer of the glacier. It had shrunk from when the aircraft crash landed into it in 1945. Since then, the one wing tip was slowly exposed, to the point where it showed up on an aerial survey done by the Greenland parks service, close to the coordinates given to Bucky in 2024. Carefully they had used steam to thaw out the door into the large aircraft, finding it mostly undamaged inside, although a lot of ice had built up from all the water that seeped in from the glacier. Then a corporal called to them when he spied the shield and Bucky hurried over there, brushing the frost away from the body that lay encased in ice under the shield.

"Steve," he whispered, confirming his identity.

The extraction team came in, carefully unthawing the ice several inches underneath the frozen remains, then lifting the icy block onto a stretcher, then into a Chinook helicopter. Bucky sat near Steve's body, watching as the block of ice was wrapped in thermal blankets to slow down the rate of the ice melting so it was gradual and wouldn't put his body into shock. By the time the large helicopter landed in Thule, they had the special medical unit set up, with Peggy and Tony waiting as Steve's body was wheeled in. None of them slept well over that week as they did everything they could to keep the thawing process stable. When the decision was made to start warming the body they waited anxiously, hoping that the information given to Bucky was accurate. Ten days after he was transported there, Steve Rogers opened his eyes and saw himself in a hospital room, with tubes and IV lines coming in and out of his body. He shifted, setting up a bunch of alarms, which brought a number of people running. The person he noticed first was already there, with a head of dark hair, long in length, a several day-old beard, and the blue eyes of his best friend, Bucky.

"Hey punk," said that best friend, grinning at him. "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid until I got back."

"Buck." Steve tried to raise himself, but several hands came out to stop him. "You're alive. You fell."

"Yeah, I did." Bucky smiled sadly. "I'll tell you about it later. The important thing is that we found you. A lot has happened since you went into the ice, but now that you're here, I think things are going to look up."

The two friends looked at each other with affection. Catching up would have to wait, as a team of medical personnel arrived to document the momentous occasion when a frozen body was successfully reanimated after over 50 years encased in the ice. It was one for the history books.

May 31, 2024

It had been almost two weeks since that night when the three portals discharged the two Bucky's and Jim Barnes on the rooftop of the building. Bucky had kept a low profile since then, although he phoned Sam, telling him about Ross's ultimatum to him. Sam was angry about that and raised a very public stink, which made Ross back off, although Bucky still had the feeling someone was watching him from afar. More than likely, he was being paranoid. On this Friday morning, he got up, hearing about a particular motorcycle for sale in Bensonhurst. When he got off the train he began the short walk to the shop. Frowning at the Closed sign on it when he arrived, he peeked inside the window, then noticed a back door was open. Heading around to the back he saw a woman, sitting in a lawn chair, with her feet up on a crate, a coffee on another crate while she closed her eyes in the sun.

"Excuse me," he said, making her eyes open, frowning at him. "I called about the World War II motorcycle. The man said I could come this morning to look at it."

She ran her eyes over him, then sighed. "That was likely my deadbeat brother. He's taken the bike. Said he had a buyer for it in the Bronx. Personally, I think he took it to his loan shark, to pay off some of his debt. Sorry that you came all this way for nothing." She shook her head, seeming to fight off some tears. "Hell of a way to run a business but what do I know? My dad left it to both of us and he's running it into the ground, while I'm trying to make it a going concern."

"Well, I guess the price he quoted was too good to be true," said Bucky. "I'm sorry to bother you."

He turned to leave but she called out to him. "Hey mister? There's another classic motorcycle in there. Needs some work but whatever price you want to pay for it, I'm willing to let it go for that. Otherwise, the bank will just seize it when they foreclose."

"I don't want to take advantage of your situation," said Bucky.

She stood up, surprising him with her height as she was only a couple of inches shorter than him.

"Come in and have a look at it, you never know," she replied, walking towards the open door to the shop.

They stepped inside and right away, Bucky felt comfortable with all the motorcycles in various states of repair. He saw several from the 1940s as well as some 1950s models. She stopped beside a silver motorcycle that seemed to be complete, a 1958 Triumph Tiger 100. He kneeled down, looking carefully at the engine, then stood up and examined the finishings.

"She's beautiful," he said. "What's left to do?"

The woman shrugged. "Honestly? I'm not sure what I'm missing. She starts up fine, then about a mile into the ride she starts running rough and by the time I get her back here she gives up the ghost. I've put a lot of time into restoring her but I'm missing something."

"You're the mechanic?" He noticed her look of dismay at his comment. "I'm not being critical. I'm impressed." He stuck his hand out. "Bucky."

"Angel," she replied, shaking his hand, then noticing his smile. "Yeah, it's my real name. I guess my great grandpa took one look at me when he came to the hospital just after I was born and said I was an angel. He's the one who started this shop, after World War II. He was responsible for the motor pool for the Howling Commandos, Sergeant Bruno Moretti."

She pointed to a large, framed photograph on the wall. With a smile, Bucky went over to it, grinning at the picture of the Howling Commandos as he bent closer to it. That's when Angel saw him in the picture, then looked back and forth between the man standing beside her and the man on the old photograph.

"You're Bucky Barnes."

"Yeah," he replied, then straightened up. "You're Sarge's great granddaughter. Did you know him?"

"No, he died when I was about a year old. Grandpa told me his stories about the Howlies ... that's what you called yourselves, right?"

Bucky nodded his head, feeling nostalgic at the moment. "They were a good group of guys. Sarge always kept us supplied with working vehicles. Didn't even mind when I would tinker with the motorcycles. Showed me a few things as well. Sometimes, I'm amazed I still remember it."

"Well, you've been through a lot," replied Angel. "It must be hard at times, stuck in a future that is so different. Sometimes .... Never mind." She looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's okay," said Bucky. "What were you going to say?"

"Well, sometimes I feel like I'm out of my right time," she said. "I mean, I like the old music, and even though I'm a mechanic, I'm kind of a girlie girl when I'm not knuckle deep in a greasy engine. It must be worse for you sometimes. I imagine you missed out on a lot of things because of what happened to you." She looked away again. "Sorry, I'm babbling."

"I don't mind. You're honest without being cruel and that's a good quality."

They stood without talking for a moment, comfortable in the silence, then their peace and quiet was shattered by the arrival of Angel's brother, Tony. Right away, Bucky didn't care for the guy, wondering how he was such a jerk compared to his sister. Eventually, he found that he had to leave before he was tempted to punch Tony and headed out the back door. Before he got very far, he heard his voice being called and turned to see Angel walking towards him. She handed him her business card.

"Stay in touch," she smiled. "We can go for coffee or something. If you want."

"Yeah, I would like that." He looked at her again. "Do you have your phone with you?" She nodded. He phoned the number she gave him, making her phone ring. "Save my phone number. We can talk about the different things you can try to narrow down that problem with the Triumph. Or maybe you can talk your brother into selling his share in the business to someone else."

They were looking at more than each other's eyes when he said that. Then Angel smiled and saved Bucky's phone number to her contacts. They began to walk away from each other then both turned to look back at the same moment, making them chuckle. With a wave, Bucky headed towards the subway station, feeling pretty positive about his prospects.

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One Shots Masterlist

[irondadfics]

Hi! I recently read really great fics by JolinarJackson (Can't Take The Sky series + And If You Can't Remember A Better Time) and I was wondering if you knew of any other fics that have a similar premise. Tony finds out that people (SHIELD, Hydra, etc) with bad intentions are looking for Peter (he's an escape asset or they think of him as a weapon and want their hands on him, etc) and Tony + Avengers keep him safe so they can't get to him. Or maybe Peter does get captured and has to get rescued. Thank you!

Could these be close to what you are looking for?

Archetype by Bean_reads_fanfic

Tony knows something is up when the research of ex-Hydra agents gets recycled in an underground Oscorp lab… what he doesn’t expect is the boy in a hospital gown sticking to the ceiling; or, how said boy proceeds to imprint on him like a baby duckling (a poor decision on his part, really). Did he mention he wasn’t intending on bringing home a kid that day?

History has Its Eyes on You by AziOfHearts

The Spider’s world crumbled apart the moment the door opened. All order and discipline and structure was thrown into the fire that was crawling up the walls of the facility. He scaled the wall and hovered over the door, waiting for someone to walk through. An instructor, a guard, a doctor, an Avenger (which he just knew were the ones who started the fire), absolutely anyone. But no one walked in. … “Let us go!” The metal encased man shouted from inside the cage. The Spider spoke no English, so he didn’t understand a word that they said. But the instructor and handler seemed to. “Why should we? I could always set Паук on you and see how he deals with the all mighty Avengers.” The instructor’s voice was notably calm, even with the flames licking at the door jamb. The Spider watched as all eyes turned to him.

weapons never weep by McSquishee

“Let me make something clear, insect. You are a freak of nature that serves no purpose outside of science and war, and you do not have nor deserve the luxury of human rights. I gave you the opportunity to make this easy on yourself, but if you must be difficult, I will have no qualms over forcing you into submission by any means necessary.”  The man looked over to him, his expression unwavering and offering no guilt or remorse.  “You are naught but a weapon, and I will treat you as such. Don’t forget that.” -or- On a mission gone haywire, Peter is abducted by HYDRA, and they will do whatever it takes to harness his biology for their benefit.

The Missing 92 Days by YellowDistress

Peter wakes, ripping through the surface of the bath water, surrounded by the bodies of Hydra Agents. Their blood is on his hands.

Broken Thoughts (I Remember Everything) by blackwatchandromeda (avenris)

"Peter, who am I?" He hesitates. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know."  - Peter Parker has been missing for thirty-six days. When Tony Stark finally finds him, he's wandering around New York with no memories, unaware of where and who he is. The missing month is a mystery, and nobody knows what happened to him - least of all the kid himself. Peter, meanwhile, is trying to piece together who he was. What doesn't help is the big secret he's sure Tony is keeping from him, or the way the man is avoiding him. Nobody notices how the missing month is catching up to them until everything goes wrong.

[vicontheinternet]

this come up every 3-5 business months and we have to keep telling y'all grown adults that y'all are wrong

Hi I am here to remind you that tony stark was not in the right in captian America civil war and not to bring real world politics in to it but by now I'd think we'd seeing how utterly useless the un is. If Tony had cared at all to stick by the accords or if they had any repercussions at all he would’ve had to wait and go to the un and petition the un to say that there are fucking aliens attacking earth then ask them if he could stop then wait for their answer. But he doesn’t even have respect for the thing that he had a hand in making instead he played the victim and took no accountability in his part and said the avengers broke up and then said that’s why my idea for the shield around the earth was a great idea. The accords were abysmal and Tony wrote him a way out while the other members of the avengers either had to sign or retire he wrote into the accord that he was exempt so ofc he was going to peddle that thing he was going to face nothing. The only reason he was doing this was because an American mother made him feel guilty he didn’t feel guilty for the town of ppl whose were ruin he didn’t feel guilty abt Wanda’s brother and she was sleeping in avengers tower he got to see her more often then that singular woman. Tony broke the accords like 3 separate times and you want me to be on his side. Don’t get me started on Peter because y’all irondad fans are weird. Y’all want me to see the guy who canonically kidnapped a kid peter was 14 in cacw he didn’t have a passport until homecoming and Tony withheld any information from Peter so that he couldn’t make an informed decision on what happened and what team he would want to be on and Tony took a 14 year old Peter to Germany under false pretense to fight a fight that he had no business being in without informing his legal guardian that is the textbook definition kidnapping. Ppl can say team cap is wrong all they want but at least their team stayed together and respects ppls consent. Why would cap trust the un when just the last movie it was exposed that hydra was in the government. I truly believe that ppl who are team iron man throws out all logic because “bucky killed his parents” even though he was brainwashed and they beat his ass even though he started it that man is grown grown if he didn’t want to lose a fight he shouldn’t have started it. He didn’t even like his father yall get on Peter quil’s ass for his emotional reaction but that was a fucking emotional reaction and he got his ass beat. I’m sorry but his ego got him thinking he could take out Bucky Barnes who was formerly the winter soldier with his friends right next to him and thought Steve wasn’t going to do nothing. And to dispel this misconception Steve and Tony weren’t friends they were barely co workers they tolerated each other

[buckybarnesisdaddy]

Fun Times & Thin Walls

Summary: Peter shows you around the compound and the team find out that Hydra has grown more than anyone thought. Bucky and you take every moment to get reacquainted.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Rating: Mature 18+

Warnings: Sexual jokes, sexual innuendoes, and smut (Not too graphic yet.)

A/N: I combined two chapters so this one was longer. 🥰

Previous

*You and Peter are outside*

Peter- Well, I've showed you just about everything...except one thing. I saved the best for last. *Peter had the biggest smile on his face*

*15 Minutes later*

*You and Peter come crashing to the ground and roll. Thankfully the couch broke your fall and Peter landed on his feet.*

Y/N- okay that was AMAZING!!

Peter- See what I mean!?!? And Tony says swinging from the rafters is dangerous. *You and Peter laugh*

Y/N- Thanks Peter.. that was a lot of fun! *You give Peter a hug and you start to walk away*

Peter- Hey want to see something else..

Y/N- Sure! *Peter leads you downstairs into a big room. Lights come on as you walk in. You realize it's Tony's workshop* Wow, this is so cool, but are you sure it's okay for us to be in here. *Peter smiles and leans in closer as he whispers*

Peter- Yeah, it's totally fine.

Tony- Actually it's not *Tony appears between you and Peter. You and Peter jump and yell because you thought you were alone* but I needed to talk to you anyway so whatever, follow me! *Tony rolls away and heads back to the group. You and Peter follow him. You and Peter catch up to Tony and follow him into the conference room.*

Tony- okay now that everyone is here we can start. *You go stand next to Bucky and he notices you have a cut on your arm from where you and Peter fell earlier.*

Bucky- what happened?!? *He holds your arm and looks you over. You look and laugh a little.*

Y/N- oh I didn't even notice! It's nothing! I must have scratched it when me a Peter fell. *You brush off his concern.*

Bucky- fell?? From where? *He raises his voice slightly*

Y/N- The rafters. *You answer, not knowing the chaos you would cause. Everyone expresses their concern*

Bucky- excuse me?!? *He looks you over from head to toe, checking your eyes and fussing over you. You laugh and push him off a little.*

Y/N- We were swinging from the rafters using his Web- *You see Peter motioning you to stop talking, he groans as Tony whips his head around to Peter.*

Tony- you were what?!? Kid how many times have I told you this isn't a jungle gym. One wrong placed web could bring this whole place down. You've lost your web privileges for a week! Hand them over! *Peter sighs and tosses his web shooters over to Tony.*

Peter- you know you've already taken them away 3 times this week and I just keep making more.

Tony- Fine make it two weeks *you laugh to yourself as Bucky continues to look at your cut*

Bucky- this is pretty bad, y/n. W need to get this fixed. *Thor looks over your shoulder.*

Thor- I agree with metal arm. *You turn around and toss Thor an annoyed glance. Someone walks in behind you all*

Clint- ahh she's survived worse. *He stands there, arms crossed and just smiling. You beam and walk over, giving Clint a hug*

Y/N- hey old man! How are you?!? *Clint laughs and hugs you back.*

Clint- Hey! You might want to look at who your boyfriend is before you start calling me an old man.

Bucky- Hey Clint * He smiles and shakes Clint’s hand*

Clint- Got a call from Nat and Tony asking me to come in, so what's up? *Tony clears his throat loudly, everyone glances at him*

Tony- Now that the groundings, punishments, and reunions are done can we get back to the reason I called this meeting, yes? *He looks at everyone and nods* Awesome! *A map pops up with at least 50 red dots all over the world. You sigh and Bucky squeezes your shoulders*

Y/N- Hydra?

Tony- yes and I'd say last night was a pretty good indication they want you back or dead. *Steve moves closer*

Wanda- So we take them all down before they can get Y/N. *She looks at you and you smile*

Thor- Just like before. *Thor agrees*

Sam- except this time we will have two people who know Hydra inside and out. *Steve shakes his head and stands up.*

Steve- No, there is no way y/n is about to go walk into a Hydra camp. The whole point of her being with us is for them to not know where she is. We don't need to parade her around for the world to see. *You glance at Steve and you start to speak when Nat speaks up.*

Nat- But she could be useful Steve- *Nat start to explain and Bucky cuts her off*

Bucky- yeah until they get her, then what?! I'm not kidding when I say she could make what I do look like child's play. *Bucky exclaims*

Peter- but you said for yourself she's fine- *Peter tries to chime in*

Clint- she still needs to stay safe. *Clint says finally*

Y/N- can I speak?!? *You say in outburst and everyone looks at you*

Tony-you have the floor Chai *He motions for you to fall and you roll your eyes as you smile*

Y/N- Look considering what happened last night I think I need to lay low for a while- *The guys interrupt you, directing their words to the ladies and Sam.*

Bucky/Steve/Tony- See, thank you! That's what I'm saying! Voice of reason. *You cut them off and shoot a glare their way.*

Y/N- not forever though. We should let last nights events settle and then I can join in the fight.

Nat/Wanda/Sam- Sounds good! We will need you! Awesome! *Tony rolls closer to Clint*

Tony- and that's why you are here Barton. We will be down one man for awhile so we will need you.

Clint- okay *He nods and grabs his bag.*

Steve- Alright, suit up. We leave in 20 minutes. *Bucky looks at you then looks at the cut on your arm again. You caress his face.*

Y/N- You know I've been through a lot worse. *Bucky knows you are referring to your fall from the plane and he can’t help but glare at you for bringing that up again.*

Bucky- don't remind me *He grumbles and he pulls you in close and kisses you* let's go clean this up.

Y/N- Yes Sir * you say in a mocking tone. You add a little salute for good measure. Bucky smirks before he laughs and throws you over his shoulder, he walks to his room. Steve sees and yells after him down the hall*

Steve- Buck! You don't have time for that! *Bucky just laughs and kicks open his door. Steve sends Peter to find Bucky. As he is walking into Bucky's room he hears you and Bucky in the bathroom.*

-Ouch Bucky!

-oh sorry *Bucky laughs* I thought you were ready

-no!

-does it hurt

-yeah *you laugh* but in a good way! *you kiss him and then gasp.* Whoa that's really deep.

-well, I gotta get in there *Bucky laughs again and you let out a scream. Peter is absolutely traumatized by what he has heard but he knows Steve is serious about the jet leaving any minute. So he knows he has to interrupt.*

Peter- Um guys, *his voice cracks* Steve said it's really time to go. *The bathroom door swings open and Bucky walks out. He smiles and pats his shoulder.*

Bucky- Hey could you finish up in here? Thanks kid *Peter peaks in and looks at you. He realizes Bucky was helping you clean up your cut and he can’t help but exclaim.*

Peter- oh thank God! *You look up at peter*

Y/N- what was that Peter? *You look up at him.*

Peter- oh nothing! *He blushes* Nothing. Okay let's bandage this and you should be good to go. *Peter bandages your arm while blushing the whole time. You watch him and smile as he works.*

Y/N- Thanks Peter you're the best! *You give him a kiss on the cheek* oh by the way, we knew you were outside the door. *you wink at him and walk away. Peter groans and then laughs. You and Peter get to the Jet just in time. As Peter walks on you can see Bucky and Steve teasing him about what just happened in the Bathroom. You yell to Bucky and Steve*

Y/N- Play nice!! *Bucky and Steve look at each other and then look at you*

Bucky/Steve- We always do! *The door to the jet closes and they fly away.*

*For the next 3 months while you are laying low the Avengers go on mission after mission. They take down one Hydra base after another. When they get home you always have a little celebration for them and when you and Bucky are alone you two always have a little special celebration of your own.*

Y/N- Lock the door *you say breathlessly as Bucky rips off your clothes*

Bucky- Too many clothes *Bucky picks you up and takes you to the bed. He kisses you all over and makes his way down your stomach. He takes extra time in between your legs. He is the definition of a tease, it has been 3 weeks since you had seen him last and he wants to savor every moment of this reunion.*

Bucky- Tell me what you want. *he says as he is still pleasuring you with his mouth. Your arch of the bed and moan between breaths*

Y/N- I. want. you! *Everything he is doing feels so good it's hard for you to speak, he smiles. Bucky kisses his way up your body till he gets to your lips*

Bucky- I can do tha- *You cut him off*

Y/N- in the shower. *You smirk against his lips and Bucky looks at you with a devilish grin*

Bucky- as you wish *Bucky picks you up from the bed and takes you to the bathroom. The room was filled with steam in a mater of minutes. The water hadn't been turned on yet. He sets you on the counter while he turns on the water. Bucky comes back and picks you up, carry’s you into the shower. The water was freezing at first but it quickly heated up. He used everything he could think of to pleasure you, his hands, his mouth, himself. Even the detachable shower head and you came every. single. time. You tried to return the favor but he wouldn't let you. Bucky kept saying he wasn't finished with you yet. God you loved this man so much, by the time Bucky was done with you the water was freezing again. You don’t care, you have Bucky and that's all that matters. Bucky helps dry you off and get ready for bed. And you need the help, your legs are so shaky you can hardly stand.*

*Bucky has a soft side that very few people know about but when you two are alone he always lets his guard down for you. You are laying in bed and Bucky has his arms around your waist*

Bucky- I just wish we could end all the fighting. I know I am no longer the Winter Soldier but sometimes when I fight I can feel him trying to break free. *Bucky stops talking, you turn over to look at him and even in the dark you can tell he is crying. You snuggle into his chest and run your hands over his back just the way he likes.*

Y/N- Bucky I understand and it's okay. I feel the same way about Odette. We can get through this together. *you look up and kiss Bucky* You are no longer the Winter Soldier, He is gone, just keep reminding yourself of that.

Bucky- Well, *he gives you another devilish grin* he's not completely gone. *He smirks and rolls over on top of you, kissing you. He looks at you with a killer smirk as he grinds a little against you.* Ready to Comply, Soldier? *You giggle and even though you start to ache for him at the sound of his voice and that phrase you know you both needed to sleep*

Y/N- I just complied for the last 2 hours, so let's just sleep. *Bucky laughs and leans in to kiss you but stops and gets very serious for a moment*

Bucky- I love you so much, Y/N. I don't know what I would do without you. *He brushes his thumb across your lips.*

Y/N- I love you too, Bucky. *He kisses you and then settles back down behind you. You both snuggle in and go to sleep*

*The next morning you are so sore. Bucky teases you about it before he picks you up and carries you downstairs to get breakfast. He puts you down right outside the kitchen door and you hear Tony talking to Sam, Steve, and Nat.*

Tony- I knew I should have splurged for the sound proofing in every room. *He rubs his temples*

Sam- For real man, *Sam groans* like damn we get it you're really into each other but I don't need to know when you're actually into each other. *Nat gasps and wacks his arm.*

Nat- Eww Sam, we knew what you meant you didn't have to- *Sam turns on Nat*

Sam- oh don't even get me started on you two *Sam points to Nat and Steve.* Steve's all "I can do this all day", ya nasty! *Nat rolls her eyes and Steve blushes. Tony groans as he looks up to the sky*

Tony- I just hope Peter and Morgan were asleep by the time they started- god, the nightmares those kid would have. *Peter shouts from the other room*

Peter- I wasn't! And I wouldn't call them nightmares. *you and Bucky look at each other and try not to laugh. He motions to you to head back upstairs and you shake you head. You walk right into the kitchen with no shame*

Y/N- Hey guys! How did everyone sleep last night? *you grab an apple and walk towards Bucky* I know I was exhausted and super sore *You give Bucky a love tap on his butt and a wink as you walk back out of the room. Bucky lightly laughs and turns to look at you and you leave. He then looks at everyone*

Bucky- we will keep it down next time. *He starts to leave the room when Tony calls after him*

Tony- that's all I ask, think of the children Barnes, the children! *Peter shouts from the other room again*

Peter- This child will sleep with earplugs so go crazy. *Everyone busts out laughing, Tony rolls his eyes. Bucky just shrugs.*

Next

Tag list: @cadencejames87 @hisredheadedgoddess28 @jessieasher1616 @janineb86 @cjand10 @anastasiamariebarnes @slytherinqueen4life @theinheriteddutchess

[missvelvetsstuff]

The Wrong One

Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Reader met Steve while he was on the run and stood behind him through everything. Until he saw Peggy Carter.

Chapter 12: Moving Again

Warnings: swearing, angst

While they felt some relief at Steve accepting some responsibility for this mess, Y/N couldn't help but over think and worry.

"You know, it would have been better if Steve had just come and talked to us instead of getting the press involved. I mean, now the world knows there's a super soldier baby and the press knows where I live. I doubt it would be hard to figure out where she is." She ranted

"I don't trust Steve's motives, going straight to the press seems, I don't know, questionable. Like he's more concerned with salvaging his reputation with the public than actually trying to accept responsibility."

She thought for a moment. "I hate thinking like this but what if we gave Winnie a tracker chip? I mean, I might be paranoid but that way we could always find her. In case Steve or whoever tried something."

Bucky nodded "That might not be a bad idea. Now that he's confirmed everything to the world, those bad actors that are building Hydra, and other criminal organizations, back up might come looking."

He paused for a moment, nervous to broach the subject "Do you think your place is really safe? I mean, now that it's public knowledge."

She growled at him "You know we wouldn't be in the position if you and Sam could keep your mouths shut. What kind of spies can't keep one damn secret?" Her voice rose at the end and Winnie whined "Oh no baby, I'm so sorry. Your father and uncles are just dumbasses."

Bucky looked at his feet "I know, doll. I'm so sorry and plan to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I didn't think Steve would cause so many problems but I never thought he would leave you for Peggy without even telling you so I don't seem to be the best judge of who he is these days. I'll do whatever I can to fix this."

She sighed "I don't know, Bucky, you may be right.  My house might not be the safest place anymore. I need to talk to Pepper. Before I go home."

She sent a text to her friend to stop by and visit when she had the time.

They spent most of the day relaxing and bonding with Winnie. She gave Bucky smiles when she heard his voice and Y/N had never seen him light up like when she did.

Pepper stopped by at dinner time, followed by Happy who carried a number of take out bags from her favorite steak house.

Pepper set down a huge arrangement of pink roses in a crystal vase and gave them a big smile. "Look at this happy little family. We have to have some pictures done." She turned to Happy "Can you see if Peter can come by tomorrow and get some pictures?"

Happy nodded "Of course. She's beautiful."

Y/N smiled and thanked him.

Pepper set out food and made a plate for Y/N, trading Winnie between them.

While they ate, Y/N brought up her concerns about security. Pepper had seen Steves presser and had been concerned herself.

After thinking for a few minutes Pepper figured it out. "I know you don't want to move again but I think Bucky is right, your place has been exposed but I think I have a solution" she smiled "On the same property where Morgan and I are living, there's another cabin. 3 bedrooms and a fully updated kitchen, like my cabin. It's been empty for a bit so needs to be cleaned and the security would need upgrading. It's on the other side of the lake so you'd be close but still have your privacy."

She looked to Happy "Can you make some calls and get that started?"

Happy nodded and left the room.

Pepper started cleaning up their food "You should stay here in the Tower until the cabin is ready. Shouldn't be more than a week and you'll be safe here. We can take care of the move so you don't have to deal with all that."

"Pepper, I don't know how to thank you. It's so much."

Pepper shook her head "Then don't worry about it. I'm glad to help and the cabin has just been sitting there gathering dust." She smirked at Y/N "Besides, it'll be nice to have a sitter close by."

Y/N grinned "I don't know how soon I'll be up for babysitting a kid as active as Morgan but yeah, when I'm healed. Of course."

That evening Steve came by again obviously pleased with himself "Did you see it? I fixed everything so we can be happy together again."

He picked Winnie up from her bassinet, waking her up.

Bucky wanted to mention that Winnie had just fallen asleep but bit his tongue and watched to see how Steve would handle her.

Y/N shook her head "No, Steve. We won't be together again. I thought I made that clear. And while I appreciate your attempt to make things right, now everyone knows for sure there's a super soldier baby and the press knows where I live. My house won't be safe for us anymore."

Steve smiled brightly "You can stay with me. I'll protect you both." Winnie wasn't happy about being woken up and started squirming in his arms.

She sighed "It's like talking to a brick wall. No Steve we're done. I have a place to go but will be staying in the Tower until it's ready."

His smile fell "Where is it? I can go make sure it's secure." Winnie started fussing, not familiar with the scent or voice of the person holding her.

Bucky spoke up "I don't think that's a good idea. We will be here for now and can meet here for visits after that. The fewer people who know where they live the better."

Steve bristled "Why can't I ever talk to Y/N without you butting into something that's none of your damn business? You are always with her like some pathetic puppy." Winnie felt the tension and started bawling, trying to push away from him.

Bucky glared at him "It's my business because I've been here when you weren't" he quickly took Winnie from Steve and she calmed right away for him which only upset Steve more.

"She won't get used to me if you don't let me hold her." Steve snapped. "You won't let me hold her, won't tell me where they're moving to. Seems like you're working pretty hard to keep my daughter away from me. I thought we were all going to be adults about this."

Bucky smiled down at Winnie who gave him a big, drool filled, toothless grin. "You don't need to be holding her when you're all wound up like that. The rest is for their safety"

He took her hand and planted a raspberry on her palm and she laughed at him. He whispered softly "That's my girl."

Steve clenched his jaw, angry and frustrated at his own daughter preferring his friend over him. He sat on a chair in the corner of the room and sulked.

Y/N rolled her eyes at him acting like a baby but kept her mouth shut.

The next week was relatively calm. Steve stayed in the Tower too and did everything he could to get Y/N and Winnie alone. Bucky's presence alone was enough to upset Steve. He was still angry about Bucky's bond with Winnie and the tension didn't help her like him any better. He also refused to change diapers at all, something about it being womans work and even mocked Bucky for doing anything Y/N or Winnie needed.

Y/N had a discussion with Helen Cho and a tracking chip was implanted on Winnie. She only cried for a moment.

Finally it was time to move into her new house. They waited until Steve was out of town for the day in the hopes of keeping the location secret from him.

Y/N had a feeling he was closer than she wanted and would find out where she was living before too long.

Y/N was overwhelmed at the cabin. It was perfectly rustic on the outside but had every possible convenience inside. The interior was freshly painted and most of her furniture had been moved already.

Once they were settled in and everyone else had gone Y/N and Bucky took Winnie to sit on the swing that took up half of the front porch. All they could hear were crickets and frogs with the occasional owl or other bird chiming in. The sky was clear and full of stars that Winnie was staring and pointing at as Bucky named the constellations for her.

Life was relatively quiet for a few months. Bucky helped Sam on missions when needed but was always anxious to get home to his girls.

Winnie was growing quickly, already trying to crawl and getting into everything.

Y/N healed quickly and worked the baby weight off chasing after a baby that shouldn't be so mobile yet.

Y/N and Bucky were cautiously taking baby steps towards each other although they hadn't done anything more than some heated making out.

Steve finally learned how to change a diaper, since Y/N insisted he learn how to care for Winnie properly before he was allowed to take her on his own.

When she was 6 months old Steve had finally learned how to change and feed her well enough that Y/N was convinced he could care for Winnie on his own. That didn't dispel her concerns that he might try to disappear with Winnie but Y/N started letting him take her for a few hours or even an entire day but not overnight.

One weekend when Winnie was almost 8 months old, and trying to walk, Steve came to take her for the afternoon but promised to have her back before her bedtime at 7pm.

Y/N and Bucky went on a date to a nice restaurant where they were in their own little bubble for a little while. When her alarm went off they hurried to meet Steve at the tower only to find he wasn't there yet, even though they were almost 20 minutes late. Y/N tried not to panic.

Bucky squeezed her hand "I'm sure they got caught up in traffic or something. Steve was always a stickler for punctuality so I'm sure he will be here soon."

Y/N nodded hesitantly, it had taken a lot of time and counseling for her to trust Steve with Winnie away from her. She laughed nervously "I know, we've been doing this for 2 months and he's always here on time so maybe I should trust him but it's hard and she's everything to me."

"I know doll, just give him a little longer and she'll be back in your arms where she belongs." Bucky tried to reassure her even though he was getting nervous too.

When she looked up and saw it was over an hour since their scheduled time, Y/N started to panic.

Bucky tried to soothe her with little success so decided to call Steve and see what was holding him up. His heart stopped when the recording told him the number was no longer available.

Y/N looked to him hopefully but her stomach fell when she saw the look on his face "What's wrong Buck?"

He shook his head and stammered "Says the number isn't available."

Her eyes grew and tears started to gather right away. "No, no, he wouldn't hhe he promised. Maybe he blocked you or..." She tore through her purse in a panic, looking for her own phone. Maybe she missed his call.

When she found her phone she saw there were no calls or messages and quickly hit Steve's name on her contacts. Bucky knew from her face that she got the same recording and he pulled her close.

He was going to kill Steve when he found him.

Chapter 13

[kenztheweirdmf]

If youre looking for a challenge, try writing something that will make me actually like Steve (you know who I am)

Good luck ♡

Hey yall i know i said i was free and oooh send me asks but god had other plans cus why the fuck was my laptop start freezing when i was about to write the asks i got and got writers block 🧍‍♂️ anyways ima stop yappin now enjoy i hope you enjoy anon even tho i know you lmao

oooh Im just imagining Steve like outside of Tonys lab remembering the times where the team hasnt separated yet and him remembering the moments where they bicker and argue like a married couple like what Nat says all the time and that brings a pained smile to Steves faces but that doesnt last long cus of yknow him lying to Tony about his Parents death, him and Bucky fighting Tony without choice cus Tony wanted Bucky dead and the worst of all him Smashing his shield into Tony arc reactor which at the same was his literal heart and i know Steve is feeling so many emotions like guilt, regret, and anger. But he always tells himself that he had to smash his shield into Tonys arc reactor cause he will not stop until Bucky was dead so he had to do it right? Steve getting a headache from that so he decided to leave but was stoppped cus he heard a sniffing noise inside Tony labs so he investigated and found Peter AKA Spider-man on the floor hugging one of Tony iron man helmets and when Steve says Peters name he lets out a surprise yelp before looking up to see Steve and when Steve asked if hes alright and when Peter tried to form a lie Steve just gives him a frown and that made Peter stop and just looks down not even trying to lie infront of Steve

and when Steve asked if he can sit next to him Peter says he can Steve asked Peter if he wants to talk about it and Peter replies saying he doesnt want to be a bother and Steve of course assures him he is not being a bother so Peter tells Steve how much he missed Tony and how he cant sleep without having nightmares where Tony died when he used the gauntlet and is now even thinking he will die from the coma and Peter starts crying again and before Peter can react Steve just brings him into a big warm hug and Steve whisper assurance to Peter saying Tony will not die and Peter asks how does he know and Steve says he doesnt but he does know Tony is too stubborn to die and that made Peter let out a wet chuckle minutes passed when they finally stopped hugging and theyre were just in a comfortable silence when Peter breaks it by asking Steve why he was visiting Tonys lab and when Steve lied saying he heard Peters sniffs and wanted to investigated it. Peter replying he can tell Steve is lying and Steve lets out a defeated sigh and tells Peter everything from Bucky, The Accords, Tonys Parents and Siberia and the guilt the comes with it. and the only thing Steve wants is just to apologize to Tony for everything. Peter says hes not the only one who feels guilty and Steve looks at him with confusion as Peter continues that even though Tony cant admit he knows he was wrong on some things but his stubbornness makes it difficult, he also felt guilty on trying to kill Bucky back in siberia and it took some time to realize that both of them were victims of hydra and Tony was so blinded by rage to realize it, he also mentioned the times he caught Tony watching old Captain America films and Peter even knew Tony missed Steve Peter thought for a seconds and said that theyre both idiots for not talking like adults and Steve chuckled at that and agrees with him on that but Peter says even though they cant change the past they can learn from it so they dont make the same mistakes and Steve smiled and so did Peter cus they know things will get better

[morganwrites12672]

Hi!!!

This is my request for peter parker. So Peter is struck with a crush from the moment he meets the new Avenger. Weeks pass and when he finally works up the courage to "make a move” it goes wrong. 

Love your work 🧡

Peter Parker x Reader

Peter was told that a new avenger would be joining, and she would also be his age. He rubbed his palms on his jeans as he waited for her to enter the meeting room.

"Asshat," he hears a female voice tell as a girl with beautiful Y/H/C is drug into the room by none other then Tony Stark himself, but she doesn't look as happy as other people would in that situation.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are I didn't shoot you? You want me to take you back to Hydra, one phone call," Tony threatens. Peter has never seen Tony this mad and is slightly afraid of what this girl did.

"I think you mean how unlucky I am you didn't put me out of my misery," she replies cooly and glances around at the other avengers before giving a small smile, it looks more like a grimace.

"This is Yn," Tony says exasperated as he sits down. Peter wondered why Tony seemed so upset by this girl, Yn.

"What does she do?" Natasha asks with slight interest, anybody who became an avenger had some type of ability.

"Why don't you ask Drekoyv?" Yn replies with a smile and Nat's face goes pale, "Or Mrs. B?" Yn teases and Nat looks uncomfortable. Peter doesn't know why, he didn't even know who those people were.

Clint did, or so Peter thinks by the way Clint tenses up to. Looking around, most of the older avengers all look quite nervous, now.

"That," Tony says pulling out a slide, "the basis of her abilities is espionage, and mind reading. Like Wanda, but she uses it differently," Tony explains.

"No, what he means is I can read your mind completely undetected. If I want you to see the memories I am looking at, I can. But I don't have to," Yn replies. She is clearly not happy to there.

Bucky looks the most threatened by her, "She came from Hydra?" He asks looking at Tony.

"I'm right here you long haired bastard," she replies and Bucky looks shocked,a sly smile appears on Yn's face, "and I know Russian, Mr. Winter Soldier," she seems to mock.

"I don't like her," Steve says standing up, tony stands up and crossed his arms.

"What do you suggest we do with her? She can manipulate the best of guards, and I already know if she escaped Hydra she could escape any cell we put her in," Tony says to Steve who just looks super pissed off.

"It's called telekinesis, I can move things with my mind you idiot," Yn finally admits. Tony looks almost flustered.

"And you couldn't of mentioned that?"

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You didn't like this. The meeting only went on a little longer before you were escorted to a room. You were terrified, all of those... people.

You sighed as you laid down on the bed. This sucked, and the spider boy had been banned from your room, you didn't know why. No you actually did, he had great interest in you. And Tony didn't want his little spider baby to get hurt.

You didn't blame him. You were a monster, what tony doesn't know, is that the main purpose you were trained and experimented on, was to take down the avengers from the inside.

You didn't know if you should. These people might suck, but at least they were better then Hydra. Anything was better then Hydra.

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It had been six weeks since you came to the tower, Peter couldn't stand barely seeing you. You never came to breakfast, it seemed you didn't eat much either, Peter thought that was weird. He didn't question it because he knew hydra was really bad.

"Hey Yn," Peter says when you walk in. You were straight from training, Peter couldn't help but become speechless. Your hair dangled down in wet locks, leggings and a Tshirt we're your attire, but he thought you had never looked hotter.

"Hey Baby Spider," you say and walk past him to grab a cold water. You open the fridge to grab one before walking back over to him.

"You look really pretty," Peter blurts and you smile, Baby Spider had a little crush.

"I don't need to read your mind to see someone has a crush," you say with a laugh as you walk away. You leave Peter blushing in the kitchen.

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This was such a cute idea!

Also, they definitely end up together, Yn gives him a kiss on the cheek just to fluster him the next time they see each other.

Requests are open! My pinned post has all of the people and fandoms I write for!

Also, please reblog if you enjoyed this! Reblogs help a lot!

[me1och]

AEJASJKADJHDS SORRY THAT WAS ABOUT THE POST YOU REBLOGGED AND PUT STEVE ROGERS IN THE TAGS. fandoms misinterpreting characters thing ESKDJKJDS

Ah, i see!! yeah it's such a shame people don't get the complexities of Steve Rogers standing up for the people of the world, especially for the marginalised people, and not for the interests of the american government. i hate how much some people would rather suck Тony's war-profiteering dick. like seriously, the dude had sponsored project Insight, was the creator of Ultron (and so the one who should have born the responsibility for sokovia, and not the team and definitely not every enhanced person in the world) And he had the audacity to build EDITH which combines the worst of the two. I'm not even gonna get into dragging Peter to Germany without even telling his guardians, to fight superpowered opponents one of whom is a literal assassin (don't get me wrong Bucky is NOT who hydra broke him to be, but that's who he is in Тony's eyes because he never bothered to hear Steve out, literally shutting him down when Steve asked for them to talk it out instead of fighting in the airport).

Okay, back to who the post is about. I just. How do some people manage to miss the fact that him refusing to compromise on the accords is a Good thing? because damn it, you DON'T compromise on the human rights issues. He wavers when Тony dangles Bucky's safety in front of him like a carrot (seemingly recognising that Bucky's a victim, but only while it's convenient, same w him acknowledging but choosing to ignore the fact that Bucky can't be held responsible for hydra's actions, not even for those carried out by TWS) In the end Steve still does what's right, refusing to sign, cos he's reminded of the treatment Wanda got. For trying to save people. Because everyone ignores that were Wanda not there, All those people would have died instead of the few she didn't manage to save. It's not like she created the damn explosion!

[elius-learns-to-write]

The one with a plan:

Being friends with Nat goes sideways when you remember that she is a trained spy who is not against forming a plan to get her two favourite people together. @i-writes-things

I took this a little bit out of the request hope you still enjoy!

If someone would’ve told you 2 years ago that you were going to become an avenger then you would’ve probably believed them. I mean you had superhuman abilities so stranger things had happened. You had been scouted for ‘The Avengers Initiative’ by Fury himself after you had been put on their radar  after a little accident including an old woman, a shopping trolley and some fire (in your defence that was an accident and if she would’ve had moved and not stolen out of your cart then it wouldn’t have happened). That was how you met your now best friend Natasha Romanoff. 

Inseparable. With all the words the others could use to describe your friendship with Nat, that was the one that sprung to mind first. While you might have been younger that didn’t mean you were any less of a dynamic duo! After 2 years on the team doing missions that ranged from starting fires in the basement of a Hydra base to destroying information to making sure that some rich man had proper security for an event, you could safely say that your makeshift family was very very close. Way too close if they asked you. However no one did. That’s why you would continue to sit on Nats bed for at least an hour a night as you swapped stories about new recruits and how much you hated them.

That was how you had learnt about Peter Parker or Web Boy as Nat affectionately called him. You had been talking to Nat about the usual things; the one new agent who couldn’t keep his mouth shut, that one girl who constantly ‘got lost’ and wandered into the living quarters on nearly a weekly basis, and that one person who just didn’t know what they were doing. You aren’t too sure what they’re doing here if you’re being honest but that’s above your pay grade so that makes it someone else's problem. 

That was until she decided to bring the new web slinger into the conversation. “Tony is obsessed with the kid, it’s endearing in a strange way” Nat sighed as she flopped herself onto the bed “Nat you think everything is strange about Tony, anyway I’m sure he’s sweet enough. At the very least he won't be totally clueless” you laughed. How have you become the level headed one in this friendship? “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she paused, taking an overly dramatic breath “you know he’s about your age, it’d be nice to finally have someone your age hanging around the compound” another pause “no pun intended”. You had to laugh at that, how could someone with a kill count larger than even the richest man's bank account be making puns without trying?! “Natasha, whatever you are thinking, I want you to stop. I have you guys! I don’t need any new friends” you spoke fiddling with the edge of the fluffy blanket you had stolen from Natasha the second you entered her room. “I wasn’t thinking about anything!” Oh you definitely didn’t like that look on her face.

Coincidentally you had met Peter a few days after your conversation with Nat. Well, more slammed into him as you turned a corner but first impressions aren’t everything. “Whoa hey I am so so so sorry” the boy stuttered, the tips of his ears turning a red that you were pretty sure matched the colour of Nat’s hair. “It’s nothing really,  I should've been looking where I was going, it's not your fault”. It was his fault but when a stuttering cute boy slams into you, you don’t tell him that he is in the wrong. You had been on your way to a training session with Steve that you would’ve rather avoided anyway. “Are you the new arachnid on the team?” you questioned. You knew the answer, you just wanted to see how long you could put off turning into super soldier soup. “Uh yeah I am Spider Parker. I mean Peter man. I’m sorry Peter Parker nice to meet you” he chuckled, rubbing a hand nervously behind his neck, finding a very interesting stain on the cold tiles. “Y/n. I’ll see you around bug boy”.

From there your relationship with Peter flourished. You quickly found yourself seeking out his company whenever he came to visit (which did result in a semi permanent ban from Tony’s lab after a freak screw driver accident). The seeking out of company wasn’t just one way though, Peter found himself gravitating towards you whenever you were near. He also found himself thinking about you a whole lot more than he should’ve. There was no chance in hell that he was going to do something about it though, why would he? This was his first ‘super hero gig’, his first time joining the big guns. Why would he jeopardise that? He was also deathly afraid of Natasha which certainly didn’t help. 

“Earth to Peter Parker” you shouted, throwing a pillow at his head, giggling a little as he jumped “sorry off in my own world” he replied, the same blush you saw on him when you met coating his cheeks once again. He had come to your room for your now weekly movie nights (which had all started after you confessed you hadn't watched any of the starwars movies) but honestly he had spent more time thinking about you than he had spent time watching the movies. It had become obvious when you let the credits roll and didn’t get his normal summary of the movie. “Right Parker, what are we doing now?” you asked more to yourself as you debated on whether to paint his nails or make him put a face mask on with you. “Do not think about putting a face mask on me, I don’t need Captain America hearing me cry” he warned, which would have seemed a little bit scarier if it weren't for the plethora of pillows piled around him. “Fine then nails it is”.

If only you would’ve seen the look on Nat’s face as she walked past the room to see you in a fit of giggles after peter spilt nail polish on his joggers. She couldn’t stand to watch you idiots dance around each other anymore. This called for a team intervention. Operation ‘Get the idiots together’ was officially in action.

People would’ve thought that being an avenger meant that you were on high alert every minute of every day. However, put someone's crush in front of them and they apparently forget every ounce of training they’ve learnt. That was how you ended up getting shoved into a utility closet from the red head you loved most. With the boy you had a crush on nonetheless! “Right you two are not allowed out until something happens because looking at the both of you makes me want to tear my hair out” her muffled voice came through the door. Groaning you both knew that unless one of you admitted your feelings (that you were entirely sure only went one way) you were not getting out of this. “Parker I swear I have no idea why she’s doing this' ' you pleaded with the boy, who when forced into a confined room with you didn't seem able to look you in the eye. “I- I might have some idea as to what she’s referring to” finally he looked up at you, you could see something in his eyes, an emotion that you didn’t recognise on him. “Parker if this is some prank I’d pay very close attention to your shampoo bottles for the next couple of months” you gritted out. Although there was no way that you thought he would do something like this to you it wouldn't be the first time hair remover ended up in the wrong bottle. Just ask Bucky. “No! It’s not I promise” he stopped “the other day Mr stark asked me to order some food to the compound, we were working on this new suit of his and we hadn’t eaten in a while and well we were kinda hungry” one thing you would say about Peter is when he went on ramble nothing would stop him. Well almost nothing. “Peter, your point?” you cut him off, listening to small spaces did nothing for your heart rate and you wanted out. “Right sorry, I went onto his phone and he hadn’t shut his messages, he was on a group chat started by Nat called ‘Operation get the idiots together’ and well yeah” oh. OH. Nat was so dead when you got out. “Look Peter I am so so sorry that you were forced into a cupboard, I swear I didn’t want you to find out like this and if you never want to talk to me again that’s completely fine by me, well it’s not fine but I’d respect it” it seemed the both of you were as bad as each other when it came to word vomit.  “You feel the same way?” Now that is how you effectively shut someone up. “Yes- hang on, did you just say the same?!” your exclamation was soon cut off by F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice “operation ‘get the idiots together’ complete. Lock-down lifted”