#so. yeah. they're already involved

[doe-eye-oswald]

SHE'S ALREADY INVOLVED THO!?

[hood-ex]

Actually feeling a smidge of excitement for Nightwing to come out next week like *Elphaba voice* something has... changed within me...

[necrotic-nephilim]

Please infodump about the JayTimSteph Grotesquerie AU WIP if possible.

OF COURSE i've been thinking about it since i saw the trailer and now it's a little brainworm. (disclaimer i've not watched the first two episodes yet, this is like. solely on the vibes of the trailer. some details might change once i. watch the show depending on if i follow it or just go with the vibes the trailer gave me. which also means there will be no spoilers for the show if you care about that.)

the current idea involves Detective!Tim, Nun!Steph, and Priest!Jason. the vague idea for the plot so far is that a serial killer leaves a *very* artful display of a crime scene inside of the church that Jason and Steph operate out of. Tim is assigned as the leading detective on the case and ends up in a relationship with the both of them as he spirals in madness trying to catch the killer.

for Steph, i want to explore the idea of her father, Cluemaster, being a *very* prolific and artful serial killer who's whole gimmick was sending clues to the police until he was caught when Steph was still a child, and her and her mother were forced to go into witness protection for their own safety, which led her down the path of becoming a nun. it was a defining childhood moment for her to walk in on one of her father's crimes, so when she's the one who finds the crime scene in the church, it *immediately* sends her back to her childhood and she's caught between PTSD-fueled horror and a sick, enticing fascination. she wanted to become a journalist before going into WITSEC but that career was basically all but ruined for her. now she runs the small newspaper for the church and is desperate to write on the first "real" story she's ever had, dragging her into an intense obsession over the crime and trying to prove she can solve it.

for Jason, i want to deal with his history as Bruce. the current idea is that Bruce is Tim's police chief who adopted Jason and Dick from a young-ish age and raised them to be detectives, taking them to crime scenes as teenagers and teaching them the ins and outs of how criminals think. it leads to Dick becoming a detective, but when taking them to crime scenes led to Jason being kidnapped and brutally tortured by "Jack Napier", almost dying. Dick kills Napier to save Jason and it fractures their little family so badly that Dick switches departments to another city and Jason runs away at 17, eventually happening upon joining the clergy. he's the new, young priest in the church who's known for being very pretty but very emotionally distant even if he's nice enough. and he's *pissed* that Bruce is in his church investigating a murder and that no matter where Jason goes, he can't seem to get away from the horrors.

and for Tim, he's the young new detective in his department who is *entirely* unaware that he's been taken under Bruce's wing bc Bruce is treating him as a surrogate replacement for Dick and Jason. haven't fully decided his backstory yet, but it'll likely be similar to canon with losing his mother and father. i kind of want him to be lost and lacking a sense of direction. very gifted in noticing patterns and detective work, but it's clear he doesn't *really* want this job. and when he's assigned as the lead on a case that feels *way* too big for his experience bc Bruce is showing clear favoritism, he's forced to go to Steph for help, which leads to Jason ending up wrapped up with them too.

despite how heavy the plot *sounds*, i honestly want this fic to be like. 40% porn. like the show i want to explore a lot of fucked up sexual interests in Jason who's punishing himself for it, Steph being too interested in things for her own good and desperate for a taste of what "real life" feels like, and Tim just being incredibly repressed. like i want the line between horror and erotic to feel like a jumprope. lots of fucked up sex balanced with like. them actually trying to catch the killer. and then of course the emotional aspect of how Jason's baggage with Bruce works into all of it. also want Tim to have a mild hero worship for "the great Detective Dick Grayson" while being clueless that he's Bruce's son and Jason's brother. i sort of want it to be Steph-centric, but still have POVs from Tim and Jason just to round out their emotional arcs. i haven't fully decided everyone else who'll be in the fic but i know i want Cass to be a fellow nun and friend of Steph's, Babs to also work at the church, Helena to be Tim's favorite coworker, and possibly for Damian to be around somehow. those roles will probably get more fleshed out when i. watch the damn show tho.

anyway TLDR: religious imagery, body horror, kinky sex, and a mystery that might break everyone psychologically once they get to the bottom of it. i have some very specific scenes and dialogue planned out. probably cannibalism as a metaphor for love thrown in there too. idk i just want these three to be as fucked up as possible and unhinged about each other but fighting their repressed side with their unhinged feral side. and since it doesn't exist by god I'll create it.

[marshmellowtea]

shipping sandrannie in a "yes max and sandra are married but sandra and annie had this homoerotic friends-with-benefits situationship before their relationship started so max let sandra carry it over into their marriage without much fuss about it" way

[bluevelvt]

when people think anakin wouldnt have turned to the dark side if qui-gon trained him im just ?????

YOU THINK THAT WOULD HAVE STOPPED PALPATINE???

i mean qui-gon took anakin to be trained cause he thinks anakin is the chosen one or this is at least a major reason why and like??? PALPATINE WOULD HAVE JUST PIVOTED LIKE

"it's such a shame my boy that the council and even your master only see you as the chosen one and not your own person"

"i hope that they trust you as a jedi and not just part of a prophecy"

"i fear that qui gon only wants you as the chosen one and if you weren't, you would never have left tatooine"

LIKE PALPATINE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT! HE ENGINEERED A WHOLE WAR JUST TO TAKE POWER AND QUI-GON BECOMING ANAKIN'S MASTER WOULD HAVE DESTROYED PALPATINE'S PLANS???

idk just gets on my nerves and feels like a slight against obi-wan who yeah wasn't perfect and the circumstances for becoming anakin's master weren't ideal but i think he was a great master and this idea also makes palpatine seem far less manipulative, cunning, and evil

the man once said he would gladly make vader again given the chance, even knowing how it would eventually end, so he's not stopping just because anakin has a different master

[liauditore]

Thought I might say hello and make some small talk, seeing that I'm camping on your trafficshipping tag and all.

Well hi! Lovely place you've got here. Fantastic art, GREAT vibes, very nice. I'm specially enjoying your character rambling; your takes on them are super interesting and they tickle my brain 👀

May I send Divorce Fource/Quartet and Majorwood for the shipping bingo? Divorce Fource were a right mess (affectionate <3) and a perfect one at that, but I can't help but wonder how the recipe would have turned out if the soul ties were Cleo-Pearl, Martyn-Scott.

Also there is so much potential in Limlife Majorwood for eroguro if you're nasty. Which I am. Time cannibalism, respawning mechanics, birthday time... blender go brrrr 👀

!!!!!!!

y'all are really enabling my habit of long ass posts huh 😭😭

OK SO first off thankyou so much?? thats so sweet?????? 😭😭 i really don't think my character ramblings are anything special, but i like reading other ppls insane takes so i thought i'd provide others with the same 👍

not to get too into it but i feel like a series like life smp is best enjoyed with your own crazy delulu takes (similar to touhou if anyone heres familiar w/ that fandom). and it makes me kinda sad to see ppl arguing abt whats 'canon' or 'correct' cus that's no fun lol

ANYWAY yeah uh im glad u like the vibes!! :J

TREEBARK

this one first cus chronology. I honestly don't know if there's anything I can say here that hasn't been said before? But yeah they're. tasty. something about martyn waiting the entirety of third life to betray ren and never getting the chance and now longing to have him back. lots of regret but regret. for what. yknow. and ren always looking out for martyn even from a distance. and then martyn losing that connection in limlife.

yeah i can see why people ship lmao

uhh i don't really know what else to write here so have some of my insane ramblings copy+pasted from my shipping doc 👍

Martyn fancies himself a schemer, someone who's not afraid to play the game the way it's intended. If that means earning a powerful ally's trust only to shatter it then he was going to do it. Only, Martyn's bark is worse than his bite, and every night he spends in lying awake in those soft, warm sheets that Ren had laid out just for him (freshly washed too, he might add. Smelled like sunshine) he wonders if he can do it. He can, of course. (he can't. he won't. he's too soft. soft and useless.) He'd cut his head off already. (he wants to vomit) (this is why no one needs you. wants you. loves you) Who cares about other people anyway? He is the only one who really matters. (the thought of being alone makes him want to cry) Ren, on the other hand, is a capable leader. The definition of loyal and dependable, if not a bit dramatic. He struggles with self-worth, being good enough, useful enough, powerful enough. But to others, he's the opposite, caring and protective of any who would ask for his aid. After all, every citizen deserves to live in safety and comfort, and providing that is what a good King would do. ~ Martyn's not as sneaky as he thinks he is. Ren knows. Ren sees the signs. It's a death game for a reason. But he doesn't let Martyn know. He doesn't even hold it against him. He doesn't see the bloodthirst anymore, only the broken pieces lying underneath. ~ or the King's Hand, it was the thrill of feeling Useful, Powerful, Feared (loved). He was going to miss it after he betrayed him, the high of bloodlust, the smell in the air as he charged into battle. (the way his hands held him so gently) For the King himself, deep down he knew it was never to be. He had met a monster, but he hoped his efforts calmed the storm ever so slightly. On some days, he pretends to forget about the death game entirely and imagines the speech he'd give to retire his Hand. "You don't have to fight anymore," he'd say, "I'll take care of you from now on, I promise. So put the sword down, okay?" But in the end, it was all a fantasy, wasn't it?

^ yes this is so cheesy but so are they.

Cry with me again Smile with me again Scream with me again Sing with me again Dance with me again Talk to me again…

"Lower One's Eyes" (Oktavia translyrics)

MAJORWOOD

I think.. I talk too much abt scott seeing as that's who everyone points out when it comes to my headcanons 😭😭 but uh i swear everyone else is just as messed up. and martyn is like. just as bad if not worse (if that wasn't made clear from my ramblings before)

anyway uh say it with me rebound 👏 relationship 👏

i think they're both.. very numb to it all once limlife rolls around. they're just tired and have this mutual understanding and both think they're horrible people. martyn just wants to play the game. scott doesn't even know what he wants anymore.

but ofc, they're both still human and want love and comfort, so they try to seek that from one another. even if it's fake. even if it doesn't matter in the end.

Baby, though I've closed my eyes I know who you pretend I am I know who you pretend I am

Washing Machine Heart (Mitski)

We’re the Delusioned Victim Cash-in Union Praise to the “love” that will bring salvation!  Two fools singing to a shallow melody Restart, reflation, teleportation Time and again we’re stuck in rotation Circles inside a love without any ending

MKDR (SirHamnet Lyrics)

Scott uses Martyn as a replacement for Jimmy and Martyn uses Scott as a replacement for Ren. they know they dislike eachother (see: all of double life) and that only one of them will make it out alive. but they can't get that love and comfort from anyone else now.

also uhhh eroguro my beloved...... im assuming this is getting brought up cus of my mentions of loving eroguro in the past. and yes to all of that very much i agree. but i do have kind of.. a limit to what i do w/ these characters specifically because of the fandom/ccs (at least publicly). if i ever do decide to share the nastier stuff in my head or go into detail on gore and whatnot i'd probs make a sideblog and tuck it away and maybe block scott and martyn for always somehow showing up on my posts lmao

[countdown-til-sanders-take-over]

this is a formal apology for every time i've read ur fnaf theories, gone "ah... of course! yes!" and then forgotten to respond

This is a formal apology for every time I've read one of your asks, not immediately had a TQ&/E, and forgotten to respond

[hauntingblue]

ENIES LOBBY TIME!!!

Sanji's face here.... he Knows he is going to fuck him up

THAT IS SANJI??? 😨

Holding them in my hands again....

Sanji struck a nerve there akdjaoajkq

Increible trio btw.... look at the evidence

............ me next please 🙏🏻

That is love right there I can see it

What if we all killed ourselves (except usopp is telling her the opposite ajahkdhsakjd)

I need sanji to go insane like this more often.... after the timeskip it doesn't happen as much and I love to see him suffering

This is so funny.... there is no denying to her face card

"It's not like she actually wants to die" well yes she does, but no because you know she doesn't really. It is in a quantum state right now

Luffy is such a menace akdhaksjkaak

TELL EM!!!! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!

Look at franky worrying about robin.... do not fret luffy is coming and he will NOT lose!!!!!

This is zoro remarking how usopps fear of being left behind makes no sense.... this is so good.....

This is so endearing but it also breaks my heart....

Who is that sultry binch... (I don't recall this attack AT ALL and i'm sure we never see it again)

They botched his bbl.... 😔😔😔

Luffy's face here... he was convinced she wanted to go with them but was compelled to do otherwise but no.... he thought wrong and he can't fight to her.... I've just been staring at this page for minutes like damn.

Nevermind.... this is something your mother would say "you want to die??? Just wash the dishes and you can do whatever you want later"

"If you wanna die, or whatever...." this is so good like he knows what he is doing.... he Knows.... look at her face. After knowing how luffy and ace were as kids this just makes more sense (oda didn't think about this i'm sure but damn does it fit) also the slight manipulation.... look at all of us we're already here and look how we all miss you already... you know that post about luffy being selfish but his selfishness is jusg kindness to others... yesh

Thinking about robin's cinderella lifestyle.... why did her mother leave her with that aunt and why didn't some archeologist take her in?? Because she doesn't complain about anything just like she doesn't respond when that mother accused her of hitting her child without reason... that's so fucked

Alright this is funny (and also true)... I'm sorry fellow women....

*Justin Bieber voice* I like your laugh... dereishi shishishi

SHE'S GONNA ASK HER MOM TO TAKE HER TO THE SEA WITH HER??? LIKE SHE DOES AFTER WITH LUFFY??? MY GOD!!! I just bursted into tears like I got punched in the nose I can't keep going ajdhakajk

I lied i can keep going... but head in my hands over this....

Find out how my emotional stability survives this arc in ennies lobby part 2. coming soon

[lohstandfound]

ignore this.

learning to shut up when i dont have anything new to say to the discussions my mutuals are having about the treatment of the female characters in this show and fandom

even though ive just gone ahead and rambled in the tags a bunch of bullshit

[magdaclaire]

re: the american education system showing high school children their "dead" peers in an effort to lessen teenage drunk driving after prom,

the suing part is one hundred percent true but several parents (including my mom <3) threatened to personally beat the ass of the principal at the time

[smol-grey-tea]

Secret Ending Three Chapter Ten: Still Famous

It's kind of hard to write in Red's point of view.... I feel like maybe he doesn't think in words but rather feelings. And they're rather hard to write down into words for me. So it's pretty difficult trying to write from his thoughts

Also his speech pattern is a little bit difficult for me to get the hang of

Let's see where Lance got off to then shall we?

When I leave the classroom, I linger in the doorway for more than a moment. It's not that likely she might lose her memories or get confused while I'm not there again...but was it ever likely that it would even happen in the first place? She knows that I'll be here though, and I'm only a phone call away if she needs me.

Maybe she'll be okay. I can't shake off the instinct to sit down outside the classroom, so I'm still standing there hesitating when I hear the footsteps of someone coming this way, stopping right behind me.

"Oh! Um, uh... Uh- hi." It's just a small girl with long black hair that her face hides behind and her fingers brush through desperately, as desperate as can be.

She's a girl I think I've seen before, but only out the corner of my eye. And I'd have to say that today is the day I found out she could actually speak.

Oh, but I might look pretty weird just standing here holding onto the door handle like this- "Oh- um, sorry. I was just leaving."

And I awkwardly remove myself from the door and step back- right into the poor girl. "Oh-! Sorry!" "Ahh!! Uh, sorry!! I'll just-" And we step again, out of the way, once more into each other... "Um, s-sorry. Uhh..." "Ah, no, I'm sorry, it's okay-"

I'm really really really really really not proud of this weird awkward dance we end up doing. When I try to step out of her way to the right, so does she, and when I go to the left, she does too... Um...

"Ah, you know what-" I sigh. "It's easier like this." I just take hold of the girl's arms and guide her gently to the side while I finally escape the awkward dance.

"Mission accomplished! You may now proceed!" I beam with a big thumbs up. Fantastic job, me! "Ah, haha..." Is it too warm in here? Her cheeks are a bit pink... "Th-thanks... Ah... I mean, sorry...." She stops twisting her hair around her fingers to return my thumbs up. Nice!

That felt super awkward...but oh well. Onward...

I turn the corner but then I stop... What's she even doing? That's not her classroom, she's a senior. And she's probably not in the student government and coming to speak to Lance, since she looks a bit too quiet to be in such a demanding role, so... Why?

Could it be that she's like those girls who hurt the Heroine..? What does she want to do to her..?

I have to make sure it's okay... With all the stealth and subtlety I can manage, I hide in the next corridor and listen out for what she's got planned.

She's quiet, that's what I learn. And that's probably the word that would describe her entire personality. Pacing back and forth. She's not entering the classroom but she's not leaving either.

She hesitates for a long time, a lot longer than I had stood there. And she finally takes a deep breath before finally opening the door with a knock.

It's nothing bad, right? It can't be. I've never seen her hanging out with the girls that hurt the Heroine and she just looks so...innocent.

Looks can be deceiving. That's what Tei said. If he was here, he might know. I trace the dust patterns in the wall's brickwork as she and Lance stand there in the hallway together. They don't know I'm here.

"Okay, so-" she cuts herself off with another breath. And then another. She puts her fingers back to work in her hair and I can just about see through it that she's staring down at the floor as she speaks.

"Is this really important?" "I just- Can I- Please-?"

Lance rolls his eyes.

"So...I've been thinking about this for a while. And I went back and forth on whether I should say anything. And I wasn't going to for a long time. But..." She pushed the hair out from above her eyes and she looked at Lance right in the face.

"'Cause it's New Years, I really wanted to change and be more confident. So I decided I should say something.

"It's not every day that you run into a situation like this. And since no one else has said anything about it yet, I might be the only one who noticed."

"So Lance." She pauses again, like she's psyching herself up for something big. "I don't really know how to explain it, 'cause it's a bit crazy but.

"Is this you?"

Damn it, I can't see from here. What's she showing him on her phone?? And from this angle, I'm facing Lance's back, so I can't see how he's reacting either.

But what he says... "I... I...don't know what you mean." I've never heard him so speechless... Damn it, what is it!!

"I know this does sound really crazy, I know. 'Cause it still doesn't make sense. But I don't think it's just a coincidence. 'Cause it's the same for the rest of the HOT5 too, they're all here... Apart from Red."

Apart from me? Why me?

"I... What are you trying to say? It's...just a doll. It cannot be anything more than a coincidence."

Oh my god............. Oh my god???? Is she..????//?

"But it's more than just appearance though. It's not just looks, it's personality and skills. You're plain, Yeonho has that 'maternal instinct' thing, Mr Yuri is a musician and Tei is like an older brother." "That's..." "So it can't be coincidence. I have a Lance doll myself, so when I first heard of you, I got reminded of my own doll at home. But then I saw you and the others too and I couldn't help but connect he dots... Or rather, connect the dolls? Haha-"

"Who else knows about this?" "What? Oh, I haven't told anyone. It's just me... But does that mean you want to keep it a secret if you're asking that?" Damn, she's good... She was so quiet before but won't even stutter now that she's opened up.

"So...what is it? You are him, right? The Lance from Crobidoll? You look exactly like him..." "Uh... Well... I just..." "So is it like you're just pretending to be him or you are him? It's really weird if you found out about him when you learned Korean and then tried to model all your behaviour and personality off of him to fit in, but somehow it's slightly less weird if you've just always been him and one day became human, especially since the company wouldn't be that well known outside of Korea. So which is it?" "..."

Lance is completely silent... I don't blame him though. We never decided what to do in this kind of situation. What the hell would I do in his place..? And hell, what are the odds that I specifically would actually end up in that situation?

"No one would believe the latter. They'd say you were insane," he ended up saying. "But again though. Why would you say that if it weren't true?" "Uh-!" "So you're saying it's true that you're all dolls that came to life..?"

Hmm...

"... Still. It's not like it's believable. Even if it were true, does it...matter?" Lance... I'm a bit disappointed. Of course it does. "Of course it matters!" Yeah. "Oh- Sorry..." She seems to slink back into herself, embarrassed. "Sometimes I get excited about things... I'm so sorry."

Lance sighs and tries to go back into the classroom. "Well don't get too excited about it. It's not even something I can explain anyway." But it's impossible for him to do that when she's hanging onto his sleeves and asking him so many questions.

"But what's it like to be a doll? And why are you a human now? Did Crobidoll do it or do you have an owner? Did they do it? How?

"Is it more like a conspircy theory about the company that they're experimenting in the nature of souls and stuff and they're trying to artificially create people to combat the plummeting fertility rates, or possibly to quickly create a plastic army to save the human race from the alien invaders?

"Or is it more like something completely irrelevant to the company and whatever owner you have is some sort of scientist, possibly experimenting in the world of cloning and AI and they wanna create an artificial intelligence with the personality and looks of high school boys with Crobidoll dolls as the template for each boy, and they put you in a high school as a turing test to prove how believable your coding is?"

... Uh...

"..................... Wh-... What?"

"I mean, the latter does explain a lot. But if it was some kind of experiment, you'd have to be monitored, right? By your owner, right?" "Well-" "Then your owner must be someone who attends Crobi Academy!"

Oh no...

"Oh. Uh. N-no. That's..." "They'd have to be someone who no one would actually suspect, who'd be in your classes with you and be able to interact with you through all times of the day..."

Her hair fell back onto her face again and her chin fit neatly into her hand. Clearly lost in thought.

But eventually she'll figure it out. She got this far at least. I don't know how. I don't know what she showed Lance. But she must know that we're dolls.

On it's own, that's not that bad. But if she's going to figure out that the Heroine is our owner... I can't just stand by and watch.

I have to do something.

"Actually..." I have to save her. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." I won't let her get hurt again. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

"Red??" Lance looks at me as I march over to him. How is he pissed off at me again when I'm trying to save everyone??" "Uh- oh! Um. Th-this... This is just...a joke, haha." The girl is running her fingers through her hair again. "I mean, even if this stuff was true, you wouldn't believe me anyway, so it doesn't matter, haha..."

"No. It's true. Because it's me. I'm Lance's owner. Please don't bother him or anyone else about this anymore. It's me who knows everything. It's true, I never told anyone because it's just not something that people would believe.

"So I'm sorry for lying. But please don't bother my...dolls...about this anymore. They just wanna live life normally as regular people, okay?"

"...................... What the fuck, Red??" "What?? It's not like you were doing any better, Lance, I actually-"

"Oh.

"My.

"GOD.

"No way no way no way!!!!!" The girl jumps up and down and claps her hands together. And...her excited smile is so big and genuine I...can't help but smile back. "I was right!! I was right I was right I was right, no way!!!"

"You have to tell me everything!!!" "Okay! Uh but first, what's your name?"

"Oh! Hahaha, I'm so sorry," she nervously stops herself again, facepalming at herself. "I should've probably opened with that, I'm sorry.

"Um, it's really nice to formally meet you. I'm Deosuni."

So that's the story of how I saved the day again!

How many insults is Lance gonna throw at me for this? What will happen next with Deosuni? How many more lies are we going to tell?

Tune in next time to find out!

Real Weeaboo-boo ass situation

[zipquips]

i haven't been to class or campus in a few days bc i'm having a tough time and i'm kind of upset none of my friends have noticed or reached out

[bluemoon1331]

Ok— about this nova os 👁️👄👁️ i NEED to know does singularity knew nova was gonna kidnap mc?? Did he try to stop him? Did he encourage it? What was going on in his head when they were doing it hzlshddk

(I’m literally dying to know rn!!)

Ah yes, Nova. To be fair, he's not actually my OC, @deceptiveshadow was just cool with me writing about him.

Singularity was kinda a placeholder for his Sun, cause Wraith hasn't officially made any counterpart, butttt, for the scenario in Gravity, Singularity is aware of what's happening as it occurs, though not beforehand.

Both are head over heels for MC in their own ways, and Singularity did initially kick up a fuss when he realized what Nova had done. Fortunately, he's too much of a simp himself, and quieted down after watching MC sleep for a while.

At the latter half of the fic, though, he is definitely jealous about Nova confessing and getting intimate first. He doesn't actually hold it against Nova or MC, however, but I would imagine he's very eager for his own chance ASAP. :)

[trans-yllz]

had to take one of my rats to the vet because she has this weird pink Bump on her stomach and thus I paid ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS for the vet to be like yeah I don't really know you should see a specialist here's an ointment for it. I am going to commit violence

[m1ssunderstanding]

.

[ilovolderman]

Friday Night

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: You end up sitting next to Bucky in a casual team dinner.

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: humor, fluff, secret dating, flirting, light language, water war (because who can resist a splash battle?)

A/N: this is part 4 of "You Said What?", just some fluff in a universe where you and Bucky secretly date. It can be read on its own and doesn't necessarily follow a specific order, but if you want to check out the other parts, here they are: part 1, part 2, part 3. im loving writing about these two so thanks for reading, i hope you like it :)

It’s one of those rare nights at the compound, no missions, no briefings, no surprise alien invasions. Just a Friday. Just dinner. And, somehow, Steve decided it’d be nice if the whole team ate together like one big weird family.

The long table is already half full when you show up a few minutes late, sliding into the only empty seat left, next to Bucky, obviously by coincidence. Totally random. Totally not planned. Totally a miracle.

“Hey,” you murmur, your knee bumping his under the table. You don’t move it.

“Hey,” he says back, low and warm, like it’s just for you. His knee nudges yours in return, the tiniest pressure that somehow makes your chest feel full.

Dinner is loud. Sam’s in the middle of a dramatic story involving a rooftop and a rogue pizza slice, gesturing so wildly he nearly knocks over his drink twice. Wanda is laughing so hard she’s wheezing. Clint and Natasha are arguing about spice levels in the curry. Tony ordered five different desserts “just in case,” and even Vision looks mildly amused.

It’s chaotic. It’s weirdly cozy. And it’s perfect.

Meanwhile, Bucky quietly slides the breadbasket your way before you even ask. Passes you a napkin when you drop yours. Leans over and murmurs a dumb joke under his breath just to make you laugh. And when you both reach for the same dish, your fingers brush—and linger. Neither of you moves.

You glance at him. He’s already looking at you like you’re the best thing he’s seen all night.

“Stop looking at me like that,” you whisper, biting your lip.

“Like what?” he asks, faking innocence.

“Like you’re thinking about kissing me at a table full of Avengers.”

He leans in, voice low. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Your breath catches. You blink, trying not to let it show. “Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t kick you under this table.”

“I’d still kiss you.”

“You’re impossible.”

He smirks. “Yeah. But I’m your problem.”

You’re in the middle of pretending to care about Steve and Nat’s back-and-forth on training strategies when your phone buzzes in your lap.

[bucky]: come to the kitchen. 5 mins. say you forgot the hot sauce.

You bite your lip to keep from grinning. He sees it and smiles with just one side of his mouth.

A few minutes later, you slide your chair back, muttering something about needing Sriracha. No one blinks. They're all too busy arguing over which dessert to try first.

You slip into the kitchen.

And there he is. Leaning against the counter, arms crossed, eyes already on you. Like he wasn’t just sitting beside you five minutes ago.

“I’m starting to think I’m more addicted to seeing you than caffeine,” he says, that soft smile tugging at his lips.

You walk right into his arms. He smells like clean laundry and something you can’t place—something that’s just him.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

“Tell that to Sam,” he mutters. “He said I’ve been grumpy all week. I was just missing this.”

His fingers brush your cheek, his thumb grazing the curve of your jaw. You lean up and kiss him—quick, soft, sweet. The kind of kiss that says I wish we had more time.

And then you steal another.

And another.

He groans, resting his forehead against yours. “Okay. One more, and then I’m walking back in there like nothing happened.”

You smirk. “You have lipstick on your mouth.”

“Dammit.”

When you both return, the table’s still buzzing, still full of warmth and noise and people who feel like home. Bucky catches your eye as you pass him the dessert like it’s nothing.

But you know. And he knows. And your heart is doing somersaults when Bucky leans in again.

“You’ve got whipped cream on your lip.”

You freeze. Glance at him, wary. “Do I?”

He nods solemnly and you wipe your mouth with a napkin. “Better?”

He tilts his head, eyes sparkling. “Not really. Might need to check later.”

You kick him under the table.

Dinner winds down slowly, plates are half-empty, dessert is more whipped cream than anything else, and everyone’s full in that way that makes you too lazy to move.

Tony’s talking about building a pizza oven on the roof. Clint is inexplicably napping in his chair. Wanda’s stealing bites off Sam’s plate while pretending not to. And you?

Your face hurts from smiling, your stomach’s full, but you still offer to clean up.

“I’ll do the dishes,” you say, already sliding your chair back.

A second later, Bucky glances your way. “I’ll help.”

“Seriously?” Sam teases. “Since when do you volunteer?”

“Since now,” Bucky says coolly, already following you into the kitchen.

You roll your eyes, but your heart is racing.

The kitchen is quieter than the dining room, where the others are still laughing, picking at desserts, arguing over who cheated in charades last week. In here, it’s just you, the soft clink of dishes, and Bucky—close behind you.

You roll up your sleeves and start running the water, pretending your hands aren’t slightly shaking. “You don’t actually have to help, you know.”

“I know,” he says, leaning a hip against the counter beside you. “But I want to.”

You glance at him sidelong. “You hate doing dishes.”

He shrugs. “I’ve done worse.”

You snort, handing him a dish towel. The two of you fall into a rhythm quiet, easy. You wash, he dries. Occasionally your arms brush, and each time it’s like a tiny electric pulse zips up your spine. You tell yourself not to overthink it. You fail.

“You were quiet at dinner,” you say, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn bit of lasagna like it personally offended you. “Well. Except for all the flirting.”

Bucky doesn’t answer right away. When he does, his voice is low. “I like watching everyone like that. Laughing. Being...normal.” He pauses. “I like watching you.”

You freeze, dish half-submerged in sudsy water. Slowly, you turn to look at him. “That supposed to be smooth?”

He grins, shameless. “Did it work?”

You don’t answer. You can’t. Because he’s looking at you again—that way he does, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to you, and worse, that he means every bit of it. Your heart is somewhere in your throat.

“Bucky,” you say, unsure what comes next.

But then he sets the dish towel down. Steps a little closer. And when you don’t move he reaches up and brushes a wet strand of hair from your cheek.

“You gonna kick me under the sink,” he murmurs, “or are you finally gonna let me kiss you?”

Your breath catches. “There are at least three Avengers in earshot.”

“Then I’ll be quick.”

And he is. But somehow it still feels slow, like the whole world holds its breath for you, just for this. It’s not desperate. It’s not showy. It’s just real. When he pulls back, you blink up at him, dazed. “You call that quick?”

He grins, a little smug. “Told you I’ve done worse.”

You roll your eyes, but you’re smiling too. “You missed a spot,” you say, tossing him a still-dripping plate.

He catches it one-handed, totally unfazed. “You’re lucky I like you.”

You bump your hip into his, reaching for a fresh towel. “I tolerate it.”

There’s a beat of silence before he adds, “You know, I kinda like this.”

“The dishes?”

“No. This.” He gestures between you. “You. Me. Elbow-deep in soap. Feels… nice.”

You reach over and flick a bubble at him.

He blinks, deadpan. “Did you just—”

You do it again, giggling. He retaliates by flicking water at your face. You shriek. He laughs.

“What, you can handle HYDRA but not a splash of water?” he teases.

You grab the sprayer.

“Don’t you dare.”

“I dare.”

There’s a short-lived, extremely wet battle that ends with Bucky shielding himself with a dish towel and you both breathless from laughter, leaning against the counter like you’ve run a marathon.

“I think we’re officially banned from post-dinner cleanup now,” you say, still giggling.

“Worth it.”

There’s a pause. He looks at you, hair a little damp, cheeks pink from laughing. And then he leans in again, just because he can. Just because you’re both still smiling.

When he pulls back, he murmurs, “Think we can sneak off to dry off somewhere quieter?”

You grin. “Only if you promise not to start a water war in the hallway.”

“No promises.” But you link your pinky with his anyway.

And that’s when it happens. A very deliberate throat-clear from the doorway. You both freeze like guilty teenagers. Natasha’s leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, one brow raised like she’s watching a soap opera. “You two done playing splashy-splash, or should I get you floaties?”

Bucky groans softly, his head thudding against the cabinet door behind him. You try to hide behind the dish towel. It doesn’t work.

Natasha steps further into the room, clearly savoring this. “Didn’t know dishwashing came with a swim option.”

“We were just—” you start.

“—cleaning,” Bucky finishes, not even trying to sound convincing.

“Mhm,” Natasha hums, giving you both the kind of look that could peel paint. “You know, for two people trying so hard to look casual, you’re not very good at it.”

Before you can respond, there’s a loud clink from the doorway. Steve steps in, completely unbothered. Holding a slice of pie on a plate like it’s the most important thing in the world.

 “Is everything okay here?”

Natasha raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything more. Instead, she shoots you one last look, a knowing glint in her eye. “Alright, alright. Carry on with your... dishes.” She turns, heading toward the door, but not before adding with a teasing smile, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Steve watches her leave, clearly lost in his pie-induced bliss. “What’s her deal?”

You and Bucky exchange an amused look before Bucky mutters, “You really don’t want to know.”

Steve shrugs. “Yeah, probably not.”

And just like that, the moment passes. Natasha's suspicion lingers in the air for only a second longer before Steve’s back to his pie, you’re back to drying dishes, and Bucky’s smile is a little too smug for anyone’s good.

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