#steve can not handle someone attempting to cook at the same time as him

[imthursdaysyme]

Robin and Steve would attempt to cook together as a fun activity but every time robin ends up just sitting on the counter while Steve cooks and it’s always cause Steve can not for the life of him cook with someone else

Everyone is so confused bc they try every time the make dinner and say they are gunna do it together but never do Robin might get the measuring cups out and then be done for the night

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

The Perfect Life

Part Four

Summary- 4.1k Dark!Steve x You x Dark!Bucky. Steve is gone on a mission, leaving just You and Bucky. The situation is becoming easier to handle and that alone really bothers you. You shouldn't be feeling okay with either of these men. With only one watching you, your chances might be better this time to escape. 

Warnings- Non Con, Fingering, Smut, Violence. This is an 18+ Blog. 

Part Three

Bucky did just as he promised, he read until it was later in the evening, and then when he checked the time, he snapped the book shut and set it aside. The book snapping shut had surprised you, making you jump a bit and he shushed you with a kiss to your shoulder. “Easy Doll, It’s late and about time for us to eat.” 

You shifted to a stand so he could as well, now your stomach rumbled in protest, probing that he was right. It really was that time. In his pants pocket, Bucky dug out a phone. “While I'm making us something, how about you talk to Steve?” He opened with his thumb print and pulled up a screen. “I know he will want to say goodnight.” You bit your lip looking at the phone, and then masked your face when Bucky glanced at you, giving you a smile that seemed so genuine it went to the pit of your stomach. Just maybe, you could gain access to someone other than Steve and Bucky. The Police? FBI? They should be able to track cell phones and get you out of here. It was one of the few chances you could see where you would be able to escape. 

If only he would trust you to be alone with it. 

“Come sit at the table to chat with Steve while I make dinner.” He started to pull up a video chat and you couldn't help but feel the disappointment fall in your stomach. Bucky wouldn’t just leave you alone with the phone. Following him in, you settled in a seat and Bucky paused behind you, his heavy vibranium hand rubbing the back of your neck while waiting for Steve to answer. Your head tilted forward, letting yourself just relax under the wave of disappointment and frustration at being close to a way of communicating and yet unable to take hold of the moment. 

Steve’s voice rang out over the device and you shuddered enough for the vibranium finger to dig into the back of your neck in a warning. Straightening under his touch, you smiled softly into the phone, which Steve smiled back at you in a way a lover should, which made your stomach twist. 

“Ahh Babygirl, you look rested. What have you and Bucky been up to?” Bucky gave a wave over your shoulder before retreating towards the stove and the fridge, still within’ ear shot and started to pull things out to prepare. 

“Bucky had brought me a book, and we read together all afternoon till just now actually. Well, Bucky read to me since my throat hurt.” You swallowed a bit to emphasize and Steve actually looked ashamed from the night before. Seeing his shame, you felt a second of happiness at knowing that he actually felt shame for how he used you. Steve cleared his throat and asked you with sincerity, probably the first you could really remember. 

“Are you drinking tea and honey to help it? I can bring back some hard candy or cough drops.” 

“That would be nice Steve.” you nodded with a smile, and then the both of you started talking about the chapters you read. Steve asked engaging questions that you really had to think about answering, and all with genuine interest from him. During your conversation, Bucky started cussing while something sizzled on the stove. 

“Sounds like Bucky needs your help Babydoll.” Steve said and you had to chuckle, for the first time with him. It just slipped out in the easy going moment. “Fuck I love hearing that. If Tony doesn't have me out in the field all day I will call you tomorrow evening same time. Love you.” He didn't seem to expect you to answer it back because he hung up on you. You glanced over at Bucky and gasped when you saw the smoking pan, springing up from the table to grab a hand towel while Bucky held up the sizzling pan. 

“Watch out Y/N” his words hurried from him and you tossed the towel down on the counter for him to set it on, and you flicked off the stove to turn off the heat. The grilled cheeses he started were starting to smoke on the back burner and he was quick to flip them, one side charred. “Fuck, Doll. I'm not the best of cooks as you can tell.” 

You looked at the mess of the stove, and wiggled the tip of your nose. “Well I would say let's just order a pizza, but that isn't happening.” You attempt to joke, and reach for a cloth in the sink to wipe at the mess. “How about we make something together instead Bucky?” You offer, and open the fridge to see what is in there instead. Pulling out some fresh vegetables, and cheese. You spread them out on the counter while Bucky finished cleaning up the counter while you dug out a pot and saute pan. 

“Okay Doll, what would you like me to do?” He offered once he got it all cleaned up and his attempt at soup and sandwich ditched in the garbage can. 

“Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and I will start chopping vegetables.” You spread out the vegetables and reach for a knife to start chopping. Your fingers flexed around the handle for a moment, staring at the knife for a second. Holding your breath a moment, the fleeting thought crossed your mind that you could use the knife against Bucky, could possibly sink it into his back and make a run for it. Then amid these thoughts, Bucky's voice cut through. “Y/N? Doll what's next?” 

You jumped slightly to glance his way, and those thoughts escaped in a quick fleeting moment. Returning to chopping. “Umm, perhaps some pasta? Linguine if we have any.” Bucky went searching and you were quick with the vegetables to saute. 

“Hmmm, I know Steve bought some.” Searching through the cupboard till he found a box and showed it to you. Taking a look, you nodded. “Perfect.” You grabbed a wooden spoon to stir the sizzling veggies and Bucky started a pan of water on the stove to cook the pasta. 

You tossed in a dash of salt while the water was heating and Bucky stood to the side to watch you do your thing. So far one of them had always watched from the table while doing paperwork for the Avengers. But this time Bucky got to watch you up close while you cook. The way you would scan the cupboard beside the stove to find a certain spice, how you would pluck it down and open it to sniff, a dash of this, a dash of that. You would hum when you stirred the veggies and go to tip toes to peek at the pot in the back to see if it was boiling. Using the wooden spoon, you scooped out a piece of sauteed tomato and blew on it, side eying Bucky and holding it up for him to try. “Let me know what you think?” 

Bucky stepped forward and let his mouth open for you to drop the veggie in, and chewed slowly. Somehow for you, this moment was almost more intimate then all the times he's been with you, his touch reaching for your waist, allowing him to lead you in closer so that a hand pressed against his chest, some attempt to keep a small bit of space between you two. Since you weren't supposed to enjoy this intimate moment between you two, even though it felt as genuine as a date. 

“Tastes really good Doll.” You gave a smile, and eased back to the stove, stirring the vegetables. 

“Uh, you can go ahead and add the pasta.” you worked on distracting Bucky, which worked while he did just as you asked, and soon were adding the vegetables and pasta together, which he plated some for both of you. Bucky even made the effort by putting candles out, which you set the plates down, and both of you sat down. 

“This is really good Doll.” Bucky started and you took your own bite, smiling at the praise. You gave a shrug with a smile. 

“It's nothing, simple and easy. Especially with your help.” you returned the compliment best you could, and his hand reached over to grasp your knee, squeezing lightly. 

Dinner continued till you both were pushing your plates away, exclaiming ‘not another bite, I can’t.’ Surprising the whole dinner was fun for you, easy going. You could almost forget that this was a normal situation. 

Bucky seemed relaxed in this moment with you, praising your cooking with a swipe of his finger along his plate to stick the tip in his mouth. 

“So good, really Doll you are perfect.” 

That made you look down, pull at your fingers in your lap. It was all so easy to forget you were a hostage in these moments and you felt shamed with yourself that you temporarily let it slide and enjoy your time with Bucky, the whole afternoon in fact. You should be trying to get away again, the knowledge of that bubbling in your chest and settling like a stone in your gut. It must have all shown on your face when Bucky spoke up. 

“Y/N, what's wrong?”  

Your face screwed up hearing him. It was so sincere him asking what was wrong and that was what hurt the most about it. What was wrong? All of it, him and Steve forcing themselves on you and pretending that this was a perfect life, as well as you getting comfortable with it. 

Comfortable at being there hostage. How easily had you gone to your knees last night to make Steve happy so he wouldn't be mad at you? At the way you were right now making dinner with Bucky and enjoying an everyday meal with him? 

“All of this James, can't you see that?” You cried out suddenly at him with tears brimming your eyes and you shove yourself away from the table. Bucky's face went from concern to frustration, moving to a stand when you shoved the table. 

“I see nothing wrong at all. We are having a nice evening, a good dinner and we are connecting. I don't get it Doll.” He fisted a hand through his hair as he circled around the table and you backed up a few times, but he was quick to close in the space, his hands coming to grasp your upper arms to pin you between him and the counter. Your world narrowed to just the angry man in front of you, his hazel eyes snapping in frustration. “We gave you everything, a nice home, food, you no longer have to worry about anything. I know we have had a few moments, but haven’t we treated you good Doll.” 

Your hands fisted in his henley, trying to push him back but it was pointless. You were never going to be able to move him away, get away, none of it. He easily lifted you to perch on the counter, grasping your chin to look at him. “Answer me right now. Are we so awful to be with?” 

You tried wrenching your face away, but you gasped as his vibranium fingers bit into your cheeks and your jaw popped open a bit. “Y-yes Buck. I’m sorry, i'm so sorry I just want to go home.” 

He shoved his thumb to press against your tongue in your mouth to quiet you, his face melding from anger to almost a silent pleading despair. “Doll this is home, you got to accept this.” He stepped in closer, making your thighs spread and his other hand braced against your back to pull you to the edge of the counter so your legs circled around his waist, flush against him. 

Blinking back at him through watery tears, he loosened his thumb on your tongue and dragged it along your bottom lip before dropping his lips to chase the salty tears creating tracks down your face before filling your mouth. His taste was tinged with your sorrow and fear. 

He still thought this was okay, dragging you through this madness and you gave in once more, because why fight it? Right now you were helpless and it would happen regardless. Your hands flattened in his shirt and wrapped around the back of his neck, tilting your head to kiss deeper, fist your hand in his hair and tug slightly. He groaned against your lips and hurriedly worked your pants open to slip his hand in between your thighs, pressing his fingers into your heat to rub against your clit. 

“Isn't this better Doll?” He circled slowly, dragging his fingertips to pull across it and make you shudder, dropping your head to his shoulder while he dragged teeth against your neck, still a bit of despair in his tone. “We can treat you so well if you let us. It's all we want to do, love you, take care of you, give you children.” 

You turned your head away from him while you squeezed your eyes shut, too bad you weren't able to ignore his words. They dug in deep as his fingers were inside you, stroking fluttering velvet walls that couldn't deny what he was capable of doing to you. 

“See Sweetheart, you want this. You're just sucking me in and trying to hold me. It will always be like this with me, with Steve.” He pulled you up to a sit, the metal gears whirring as his hand circled your throat to squeeze lightly while he stroked your faster. Making you face him so he could watch your face slack and your eyelids flutter as you gasped out a whine, closer. So close, you were fighting it now because you didn’t want to want this feeling with him.

Bucky smirked as he squeezed a bit more. “Come on Doll, if you don't let me have it, I will take it. Either way I'm going to get what I want and that is for you to feel good.” It wasn’t hard for him to drag it out of you, maybe you just gave in, you weren't sure right now. “Thatta girl.” he praised with a kiss to your forehead as you cried out, pleasure making you lose your inhibition as you moaned out Bucky’s name, your hand clenching in his shirt to hold onto something.  

You felt him pull his fingers from you, clenching at the loss while you still were breathing through your orgasm. He worked your pants down till your ass was bare on the counter and you dragged his shirt over his head, your fingers trailing along his shoulder and along the crease of his metallic arm and skin where it melded together. “Did it hurt?” you ask and he shrugged. 

“Pain is simply a part of my life.” He said almost with no emotion, removing your shirt to drop it aside and cup your bare breasts, pulling lightly on your nipples, watching them pebble under his touch, smiling a bit at your reaction as your pulse picked up. “And you are my reward for a lifetime of pain Doll. Cause you make me so happy seeing you like this.” 

His mouth lowered to take over his fingers teasing your breasts, sucking and making your chest heave in a gasp, leaning back slightly to give him room while you arched, rubbing yourself against his pants, the rough fabric and zipper rubbing against your clit and Bucky was sure to rut his hips, bring out more of those mewls of yours till he was having to hold onto your hip while kissing across your chest and teasing you, trying to keep you still. 

“Tell me you want it Doll.” He lifted his head, his lips swollen from playing with you, and you grabbed at the back of his head to pull him forward, now kissing him desperately, hoping that was answer enough. 

Quick he was undoing his pants and stroking his throbbing cock. It wasn't even a slow stretch, he just pushed into you, inhaling the surprised squeal from you as he rutted himself deeper. “So good baby.” He muttered at your mouth with every demanding thrust. You grasped at his back while he drove himself deeper, sure to continue taking you apart. 

“I knew you would be perfect as soon as Steve showed you to me.” He grunted into your mouth, frantic now to drive you to an end and as he dragged himself through your pussy, held your body still for himself, you came again, crying out while scratching at his back and he pulled out, his cock slapping against his abdomen while yanking you off the counter and turning to bend you flat against the surface that was now slick from your arousal, sliding himself back into place. 

“Watching you run around that apartment in those cute little panties, and knowing all this was underneath them.” He palmed your ass cheeks, splitting them apart to see your weeping core made him groan. You let your forehead go to the cool counter top when he pressed himself back into you, this time pounding into you hard, his hand pressed against the back of your head to keep it in place, and other to holding your hip, pulling you back to meet him. The counter thumped with every hit he gave you, jerking you forward. 

“Bucky- Please!” you cried out, squelching loudly around his cock, as he grunted behind you. 

“I got you, just… fuck.” He groaned out and his hips were slapping sharply against you almost savagely when he finally let himself fill you, harsh thrusts pushed his cum to paint you, fill you till you were dripping around him and he sagged heavily against your back, hot breaths further flaming your sweaty skin. He stroked your hair back and kissed behind your ear while you muffled a sob of despair for yourself. 

“You are so damn pretty everytime you fall apart for us.” 

Fuck your life. You had to get away from them. 

It was late when Bucky finally brought the two of you to bed, he let you shower alone and get dressed in your sunflower yellow room while he did the same. Sure to have the light off and in bed when he came out with a towel loosely hanging over his shoulders and a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips, you were relieved when he just slipped in behind you. 

He kept them on, his intention was to fall asleep tonight. After earlier, the front of your hips and apex in your thighs was a bit tender, being slammed into over and over again. 

His arm loosely fell over you as he spooned behind you, nudging his groin against your ass so you could still feel him, and his chest to your back, mummering against your ear. “G’night Doll. Love you.” He nudged against you with his nose and you whispered it back, trying to make it convincing. 

You must have because he didn't push it further. Instead his breathing evened out and you waited, patiently listening. 

He was sound asleep. You shifted from his hold and sat at the end of the bed, waiting to see if he would waken. When he shifted to his stomach and hugged a pillow to him, you made your way to the bathroom, grabbing your clothes from earlier and tugging them on, you peek out once more to see Bucky still facing away from you. His shoulders rising and falling steadily asleep. 

This is it. There is just one of them here and for whatever reason Bucky didn't scare you as much as Steve did. But you don't fool yourself. 

He was just as dangerous as Steve was.

Quietly you crept out of the room, your socks keeping your footfalls quiet while going down the stairs and in the kitchen you grabbed the knife you had used earlier to chop vegetables. Going into the main area, you stuffed your feet in your sneakers and laced them up tight so you wouldn't lose them while sprinting across the field. As soon as you opened the door and stepped out, quick to shut it quietly, you bolted. 

Right off the porch steps and into the sunflowers, heading right for the forest just barely in sight. Who knows, maybe there was a road you couldn't see. You got a few steps when the house lit up and you heard Bucky holler your name. 

“Shit.” You panicked and started running blindly through the field, getting slapped with the giant flowers that were as tall as you were. They slowed you down, but you had no choice. Bucky would be easily able to follow your trail through the field. That knowledge just put on a burst of frightened speed, slapping the flowers away from you. 

Get beyond the field, hide in the woods. The thought screamed through your mind as the flowers started to thin out and you stumbled out the other side to crash into the pitch black tree line. 

You stumbled and fall against harsh tree trunks that cut at your face and tripped over roots that slammed you into the ground till you were scrambling back up, holding your hands in front of you to try to feel your way, ignoring the cuts and bruises you've given yourself, your fear making the adrenaline rush, your heart pound and shadows turned into menacing figures ready to grab you. 

“Doll get the fuck out here now.” You heard Bucky. But not the Bucky you knew, this sounded cold, menacing, a killer. Hearing him made you crash into another tree with a yelp, pushing off to get around it. “There's no use running.” You heard him coming closer. 

In your panic, all you could do was hide, anywhere. But the darkness was so overwhelming, not allowing you to find a place to go. You stood there, wildly panting while looking all around, your hand circling around the knife's handle when you spun around, raising the kitchen blade in front of you. “Stay back James.” Your eyes focused on the silhouette of your personal demon when your eyes finally focused on him. 

“This hurts Doll.” he hissed out as he came in closer, ignoring the blade you were threatening with, which you swung at him, catching him across his chest, but the pain of it didn't even seem to register. He easily caught your wrist, twisting it enough so a sharp pain in your wrist made you drop it to the forest floor, a cry escaping you. 

“Please don’t, you gave me no choice.” You sobbed as he pushed you back into a tree, his hand circling your throat and squeezing enough to choke the air from you. Rage filtered down at you, mixed with a version of his own pain at your actions. 

The irony of it, you hurt him by running away. If your heart wasn't about to slam from your chest, it would have made you giggle. Instead it bubbled up your throat as bile tasting fear. Your eyes matched his, rimming tears at the edge. 

“Gave you no choice?” He hissed out, his hand flexing with a whir of mechanics as his other hand trailed a couple knuckles along your cheek. “Doll you simply had to follow the rules and we would have taken care of you. Now you give me no choice.” 

You could feel the way his fingers thrummed against your neck, tightening slightly till you gasped out in a garbled plea. “James no… just let me go, please just let me go.” You dig in your heels into the soft ground and try twisting in his hold. It was impossible to break loose from him, no man should have this kind of strength. 

And you were stuck with two of them. 

Bucky carried you so effortlessly back through the field, following the trail you weaved earlier. When reaching the other end, you expected him to carry you back up the stairs and into the house. But he turned sharply, heading towards the barn. 

“No…” You whispered, tears springing back towards your eyes. “Please no, I will be good, I promise to be good.” you started pleading, instead of trying to break from his hold, you cling to him. “Whatever you want Bucky.” 

It didn��t stall him and the barns opened doors yawned open like a beast about to swallow you whole.

[sestra-inestro]

Pleaseeee can I request a Part2 of ‘you know and I know better’. Where Wanda says it’s okay for her and R to break up and then Nat finds R and R is devastated still because of Nat and they argue before R breaks down and tried to hard all hard but Natasha sees how badly hurt she is. This broke my heart please mend it

Heartbreak Hotel

A/N: So sorry this was so late dear reader. I think this was submitted right after I took a break. But here it is, it’s a little different than what you wanted. I also don’t ever react to cheating like this but I’m feeling mushy because I’m watching New Amsterdam. Thank you for this request.

Warning: mentions of suicidal thoughts or potential self harm/suicide, cheating, otherwise just possible typos: unedited.

Masterlist

Another relationship left hanging. You just couldn’t catch a break.

Wanda sat on the other side of the bed, facing away from you as she listened to your sniffling.

She just told you that she was still in love with Vision, despite them not being a thing for a while.

In a way, you knew they would always be meant for each other. Maybe you just wanted to be selfish for a little while, just to be happy for yourself, even if it was with another Avenger.

“I’m sorry, June.” Wanda said softly. “I just can’t help my feelings.”

You wiped your nose and nodded your head.

“At least you told me, I’m grateful for that.” You said back in a husky voice. You didn’t think your heart could handle another beating like the one Nat gave you. You told her that it was okay, and with hesitation pain in her chest, Wanda left.

She left you there on the bed to break down by yourself like you wanted.

You grip your hair and fall back onto the bed to let your pain overcome you so you can move on.

-

Wanda moves back into the compound once she is done with everything at your house. Her and Vision can finally be together and they don’t try to hide it from everyone else. Nat stares at them in the kitchen as they attempt to prime Visions cooking skills again, making an absolute mess. Nat frowns to herself, Wanda was acting the same way she is with Vision now with you only a few months ago when she saw you two on her jog. She deliberately avoided that track so you wouldn’t see her and so she wouldn’t have the see the very confident pda that she was witnessing right now.

Tony waltzes into the kitchen with a whistle and spring in his step and stops at the displace of disgusting cuteness that she was staring at.

“Um, what? When did this happen?” Tony asks, I interrupting them.

“Oh, well it kinda just did.” Wanda says, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“Weren’t you with June?” Tony asks bluntly.

“Yeah, but it just didn’t work out. Me and Vision still had feelings.” Wanda says and Tony frowns at Vision, clearly wondering how Vision has feelings.

“So you broke up with June for Vision?” Nat says, not even bothering to hide the judgement in her voice.

Wanda glares at her. “At least I broke I with her first.”

The tension becomes very noticeably thick, Tony and Vision stand and stare at them both after Wandas dig at Nat.

Nat stands up, the chair behind her sliding against the floor loudly and she leaves. Everyone watches her go and wait until she’s left before moving again.

Tony turns to Wanda. “Y’ouch.” He says while cringing.

“What? You don’t think she deserved that?” Wanda asks him.

“I didn’t say she didn’t.” Tony nudges her with his elbow before standing to think about what it was he came in for. He shrugs before leaving the kitchen.

“I don’t think you were out of line. A bit blunt, though, but not out of line.” Vision pinches her chin and smiles at her. She smiles back and thinks about you. Of course she felt bad about hurting you again, but at least she broke up with you right.

Tony comes back into the kitchen, suddenly remembering his mission from before, breaking her out of her trace and forgetting about you again.

-

You had had your time to be in pain, but after a few days, you think it was finally time to pick yourself back up. Starting small, you gathered yourself up for the day and headed out to grab some lunch. You were actually going to sit outside and eat it by yourself, getting air. You went to your favourite food place and went to sit at the pond where the ducks always are. You haven’t been here in a while so you took this chance to enjoy it. The ducks swam up near you and you threw in some peas that you had brought from home.

As they ate, you ate. And when you finished, you just sat there.

At the end of the track, Nat was jogging and keeping an eye out for you. She knew that whenever you were happy or sad, you came here. You used to talk about the ducks and how they slowly became to trust you but she never actually came with you. She only jogged passed. But this time she was keeping an eye out. If only she had looked just to the left a little. If only she actually ran on the path she would have ran right in front of you. But she missed you. Just by a few steps.

Nat wasn’t about to let that let her down. Instead of running back to the compound, she ran straight to the address she has fished out of the system from when Wanda moved back in. The apartment block stood tall and dull, the perfect hiding spot for an Avenger, Nat guessed. She ran to the floor that your room was on and stood in front of the door. She took a deep breathe, remembering the last time you two actually spoke and cringed. She hung her head, remembering you coming into the room and seeing what her and Bucky had just done. She hadn’t given you the time of day in the last few weeks leading up to your breakup, why on earth should you give it to her now, especially if she never apologised.

But Nat swallowed her pride, there was no room for her to be embarrassed anymore and she needed to let you know that there was nothing wrong with you. You were not the reason the last relationships didn’t work and she was going to show you that.

She took another deep breathe and raised her fist, knocking hard on the wooden door.

Nat waiting for a second, listening for any sound of movement on the other side, hoping to hear your footsteps. But she heard nothing. She frowned and knocked again. You couldn’t have moved out already, it had only been a few days.

“June?” She called out, cringing at her voice saying your name again. “It’s Nat.”

Still nothing.

Nat stepped back to observe the door as a whole and looked up and down the hallway. It was quiet like no one else lives here. Thoughts begin to run through Nat’s head and she starts to worry, she should know better but she can’t help but think of the possibilities that could’ve happened. You could just be out. But it also only takes one push to get someone over the edge. She remembers seeing a fire escape of the side of the building and she needed to get in to see if you were okay.

In ten minutes she was on your apartment through the fire escape window. Moving quickly she checked both the bedroom and the bathroom. The apartment was empty and in a way, Nat was relieved.

She sighs and puts her hands on her hips, observing the your living space. She is totally invading your privacy right now but she couldn’t help but smile a little when the apron in the kitchen caught her eye. I loved to cook and she thought that the apron would be the perfect gift for you, because of its ‘sweet but salty’ saying on the front. She had given it to you late because she was too busy being an Avenger. Her pity thoughts come to an abrupt end when the sound of keys jingling in the keyhole and a lock turning came from the front door. Nat stood paralysed as you walked through the door.

You sighed walking through your door and drop the half empty bag of frozen peas. “Damn it. You grumble and bend down to pick it up. You see a shadow move on the floor and quickly lift your gaze. You freeze, seeing Nat trying to get out of the fire escape quietly.

“What the fuck, Natasha?” You yell and Nat jumps.

She turns her head to look at you sheepishly. “Hi.”

“What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”

“I just wanted to see if you were okay. I heard about you and Wanda-“

“I’m peachy.” You cut her off. “Now you can leave.”

Nat sighed and went to walk passed you to the front door but you took your key out and slammed it shut. “Nope. The way you came in.” You pointed to the window and crossed your arms.

“Are you serious?” Nat huffed at your attitude.

“Deadly.” You stared her down.

Nat sighed at your glare. “I just wanna talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” You voice was hard.

“Then please just listen?” Nat asked.

You gave a little huff but stayed quiet.

“I know that what I did was wrong. I was horrible at the end of our relationship. And I wish I could go back and change how I handled it and how I treated you.” Nat said. You advert your eyes down to the floor, you didn’t have it in you to fight and you wanted to be better. But you also know that your relationship with Wanda was somewhat of a distraction from your breakup with Nat.

“I just need you to know that you are not the problem. What happened with me and with Wanda was not your fault. And I am so sorry. I would treat you right if I had the chance again. You’re an amazing person.” Nat said before touching your arm and giving it a slight squeeze.

You squeezed your eyes tight in response as she walked passed you and went out the front door.

You didn’t know what to do. You thought of what you would’ve said to Nat a millions times if you ever saw her again, but you couldn’t say any of it. You frowned to yourself as you went over her words. You didn’t think twice as you reached for your phone.

-

Nat kicked herself for breaking into your apartment. She should have just trusted that you take care of yourself, not allowing a woman to bring you down that hard. She didn’t jog back to the compound but she sped walked, passing by the people quick feeling like she needed to give you more space.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket by her hip and she rolled her eyes, thinking it’s Steve with mission info. She pulls it out of her pocket and sees the message is from you. She stops her steps and reads the message.

June - Was that you asking for another chance?

Nat didn’t know how to take your words.

Natasha - No, but I wouldn’t oppose to it. I also don’t want to overstep.

She waited to see if you would answer her back, wanting to give you the decision.

June - Do you want to come tell me how good of a person I am some more?

Nat smirked to herself a little before turning around and heading back to your apartment.

[thehollowprince]

Slightly random TFATWS question here, but I'd be interested in your take on it. If the point of the supersoldier serum is that it essentially amplifies your existing qualities and makes you More of what you already were - as Erskine says, good becomes better, bad becomes worse - then how would you say it's affected Bucky? His actions as the WS were the result of Hydra's brainwashing, not the serum, and he doesn't seem to be affected by it in the way Walker or even the Flagsmashers are.

It's difficult to say for a variety of contributing factors.

Factor #1: Steve Rogers (and Johann Schmidt)

It's important to remember that both Steve and Red Skull were the only two that got Erskine's serum directly. And, if Schidmt got the same style of treatment as Steve did, then they were both the only two that we saw who got multiple doses of the serum, as seen below...

Steve was also the only one we saw who got the combination serum + Howard Stark's Hottie Machine, so we don't know what effect that tech might have had on administering the serum.

Every other person that we saw (or didnt see) had a single dosage of a modified serum - an attempt at recreating Erskine's original success. Such as, the Flag Smashers...

... or John Walker...

... or even the five other Winter Soldiers.

The only exception to this that I can remember was Emil Blonsky from the Incredible Hulk (I know we all try to forget that movie), because he had multiple doses over multiple treatments of whatever version of the serum Ross had cooked up trying to recreat Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner.

And much like Steve (and presumably Johann) it required extra steps to administer than just a shot or an IV drip, relying on Gamma Radiation to help "complete" the process.

The bottom line here is that, there have been no two versions of the serum that were the same that were administered in the same way. Steve Rogers was a unique occurrence in more than one way.

I also have a theory that the original serum was derived from the heart-shaped herb from Wakanda, given the similarities between the two when it comes to the enhanced physicality.

Maybe Erskine and Schmidt got their hands on an herb and refined it until it was just the physical (blue), excluding the more mystical attributes (red), such as the aspect that allowed Wakandan kings to communicate with their ancestors. (I have a theory about the heart-shaped herb, too, but I'll save that for another time)

It's also very important to remember that the only super soldier to experience any kind of major side effects was Schmidt.

No other super soldier looked like this

Factor #2: Hydra

Aside from the fact that Bucky didn't receive the same super soldier serum as the others, but whatever concoction that Zola managed to cook up in his attempt to recreate the serum (interesting to note that Schmidt seemed to take a more hands off approach to this, choosing instead to focus on the Tesseract and it's capabilities). As such, Bucky, as we saw him in The First Avenger, didn't exhibit any of the enhanced physical capabilities (or even an enhanced physicality) that Steve did after his experiment. In fact, the only evidence we have to confirm that Bucky had received some version of the serum was the fact that he survived the fall from the train, which we didn't get confirmed until The Winter Soldier.

The combination of Hydra having Bucky for over seventy years and him not presenting any attributes of the super soldier serum until after all says to me that he went through more experiments once he was back in their care, possibly some of the precursors to what they did during the Red Room and Black Widow programs.

Factor #3: Psychological

Now this last one is just my hypothesis, which is what you asked for, but I wanted to get the other variables out of the way first.

My personal opinion here is that, despite what Erskine said, I don't believe there is a psychological aspect to the serum. It is purely physical. The psychological component to these experiments - how the recipients handled their newfound power - was down to the individual. Steve Rogers didn't go through any radical ideology or personality shift. He was the same scrappy kid from Brooklyn who stood up to bullies and refused to back down from a fight, except now he had the muscle to back it up.

Same with John Walker, as controversial as that may sound. We had three whole episodes with Walker before he took the serum, and in that time, we already saw he was quick to anger and had aggressive tendencies. All the serum did was give him the power to back it up.

Earlier, he and Lemar were talking about what they could have done with the serum, saving their fellow soldiers, and we saw in the immediate follow up that Walker was trying to rationalize what happened, telling Sam and Bucky that he had to do it, that he killed a terrorist. That kind of mindset isn't something that can come about over night. That was something conditioned into him by the military, something he later shouted at them during his disciplinary hearing, telling them he was what they made him to be.

The Flag Smashers were fighting for what they believed in, for those the world forgot after the Snap (I refuse to call it The Blip, I'm sorry), and suddebly they had the muscle to stand up against those who would push them down.

Karli in particular was a scared kid backed into a corner, lashing out. Was a lot of what she did was wrong? Absolutely, but she wanted to send a message and used the only means that the governments hellbent on suppressing them seemed to understand. And, as we saw after that first bombing, this extremism wasn't shared by all the Flag Smashers.

It's like all those shows or movies or books where a mousy wallflower is given superpowers or turned into a vampire or werewolf and suddenly they have the power to push back against their oppressors. A great example of this would be the three werewolves introduced in season two of Teen Wolf, those being Isaac, Erica and Boyd, who all went from being shy loners to being cocky and arrogant because they had the power to stand up for themselves physically now.

You give someone power and you'll see who they really are.

To circle back around to the point I've been trying to make (sorry for the scenic route), it's that Bucky never showed any sign of extremism, whether for good or evil. And that had to do with a combination of who he was as a person - he was more or a follower, latching on to Steve and Sam as his guiding star - and Hydra's machinations and manipulations during his time as the Winter Soldier. By the time he was finally free of them, he just wanted to be by himself and deal (or not deal) with his various traumas.

The Bucky that we met at the beginning of The First Avenger was very quickly buried under war and tragedy. Who he was, because of what he went through, changed. And I think that was the point Erskine was trying to make, though he definitely could have worded it better. The serum makes you more of who you really are, shows your true colors, not because of any chemical response, but because of how power has been prioritized in society. The notion that you don't have to fear physical repercussions anymore, because who's strong enough to stop you?

[marvels-writings]

Used To

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist

Sequel: World Turned Upside Down

Requested by @trikruismybitch​ : NatxReader, 12,18,19,22,29 <-said by R, angst questions. Nat cheats on R with R’s Bestfriend (Steve or Bucky) Nat saying 44, 23<- angst questions, 26, 49 angst dialogue. Just really angsty maybe include a little confrontation with Nat, R, Steve/Bucky with the avengers witnessing it? I’m in the mood for heartbreak (:</p>

12: “Can’t you see how fucked up this is?”

18: “When did you stop loving me?”

19: “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

22: “Which part of me wasn’t enough?”

23: “How do I make you love me again?”

44: “How do we fix this?”

26: “Will you ever forgive me?”

49: “Will I ever see you again?”

Word Count: 6.2k (heartbreakingly good)

A/N: I loved writing this, as tiring and angsty as it was. I think this is one of the drabbles i’ve cried while apologizing and writing it. It’s really good in my opinion, please do me the honor of reading it.

Moonlight blurred with string lights, bringing you into a gradient of golden and white colors. The balcony was set up, the fairy lights adorning the open-air gazebo above you. The light shone through the glass of red wine you held, the blood-like light splattering on your hands as you played with your food.

Natasha’s voice flowed around the small balcony, bringing to light her most recent mission. Her voice the only sound throughout the entire date. It wasn’t like her to ignore your silence, yet here you were. She had spent hours decorating the roof for your date night, even longer learning to make your favorite food and serving it to you, you were almost guilty for not trying to enjoy it.

How could you when your emotions cloud your judgment? The emotions brought from weeks of observing your girlfriend and your best friend. You thought you knew Natasha would never hurt you, you almost wished she wouldn’t.

But everything seemed to be changing around you. Bucky was spending more time with Natasha than before. You could’ve sworn you saw him leave her room just before you came back from a mission. You could’ve sworn you saw the same lovesick smile she wore around you, around him.

You were just being paranoid, you almost hoped you were being paranoid, to the point where you were ignoring the signs she didn’t cover. Today, you couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Your girlfriend was wearing an off-shoulder sweatshirt, revealing a hickey on the skin there. You had been on a mission for almost a week, today was the first day you came back. The dark mark was covered heavily in foundation, it showed through the heavy attempt to cover it up.

You couldn’t take your eyes off of it for almost half an hour. Every time you tried to look away or even distract yourself for it, for a few seconds. Your eyes always came back to it.

“What’s wrong?” Natasha asked, a coy smile playing on her lips. “You’ve been quiet lately.”

You tilted your head to the side, considering lying to her, even though it might not work. Taking your eyes off her shoulder to look at her eyes, you set down your fork. The green orbs shone in the soft candlelight, almost distracting you from your turmoil. Almost.

“What?” Nat chuckled, leaning back in her seat, squirming slightly. “I know my cooking isn’t the best, but-”

“When did you stop loving me?” You cut her off, licking your lips nervously.

Your heart hammered against your chest, terrified of her response. What if you were wrong? What if nothing was going on?

Some part of you hoped you were wrong and this would just be another fight. A small voice told you that you were right, you tried desperately to ignore it. You couldn’t, especially when you saw Natasha try to cover up the hickey on her shoulder. It only resulted in smudging the makeup, revealing it more as the cloth slid back.

“I didn’t,” Natasha stated, her brows furrowing in confusion as she leaned forwards into her chair. Her eyes bored into yours, almost asking you why you were upset.

“Then what is this?” You asked, leaning forwards, fingers reaching towards the mark on her shoulder.

 Your hand had barely moved forwards when your girlfriend pulled away. Natasha glanced to the mark before turning towards you. Her face wove itself into a mask, hiding anything she was feeling.

“I, this isn’t.” Natasha stuttered, falling silent when she saw the expression on your face. 

It wasn’t an expression she had seen before. Your lips were pursed tightly, the bags under your eyes seeming more prominent than ever. But your eyes, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen then so despondent.

“How long?” You asked quietly, clearing your throat as your voice trembled. You didn’t want to show how upset you were, not yet. She was barely showing any emotion, you wanted to try to do the same.

“What?” Natasha asked, unsure if she heard you correctly. Her hand inched towards yours on the table, almost flinching when you drew away suddenly.

“How long have you and Bucky been…” You trailed off, you couldn’t say it.

Maybe if you said it, it would become more clear than it is now. Even now, Natasha could deny everything, keeping reality away from you. You weren’t sure if you could handle this reality, starting to prefer if you hadn’t noticed anything.

“Not that long.”

Her mouth opened to speak again, maybe try to make excuses or try to get you to forgive her. You didn’t care, cutting off her lies before she could speak again.

“Don’t lie to me.” You hissed, face morphing into anger as you stared her down. The redhead flinched at your harsh tone, unfamiliar to having it used on her.

Natasha licked her lips, her fingers inching towards the mark to try to cover it up again. It would still be too late, she couldn’t hide the signs once they had been noticed, she couldn’t fix what she broke.

You waited for her to say anything, to tell the truth, to explain why she did this. Nothing, she didn’t speak at all. Her eyes bored into yours as if she was trying to beg you to forgive her with her eyes. You barely noticed when her hand inched towards yours again, her fingers touching yours.

You almost let yourself back into her again.

“I’m sorry, y/n,” Natasha whispered, her thumb drawing patterns on the back of your hand before you quickly drew away. Your thumb rubbed the back of your hand, trying to wipe away the feeling of her touch.

“Sorry?” You scoffed, gesturing vaguely around you. “You think you can just say you’re sorry and that would fix this?”

Natasha hesitated, emotions beginning to leak through her meticulously kept mask. The regret flooding off of her in waves. But underneath it all, you thought you could see a thread of fear. Fear of losing you.

“How do we fix this?” The redhead asked, leaning forwards in her seat. Wincing when she spoke the wrong word. Your eyebrow raised in anger.

“We?” You asked, eyebrow still raised as your arms crossed above your chest. 

Your jaw clenched tightly, muscles tensing as you tried desperately to form some sort of mask. It got harder as you spoke, your voice trembling as tears began to gather in your eyes.

“Natasha, I don’t think you can fix this.” You muttered, hoping you were wrong. 

But there was nothing she could do. The mistake had been made. You had to live with it, even though you wanted to leave it behind.

“You broke everything we had.” You muttered, a tear slipping down your cheek. It looked like liquid gold because of the lighting.

You inhaled sharply when you saw the redhead reach forwards to wipe away your tear. Leaning backward, you almost fell out of your chair when you stood up abruptly. Footsteps neared the door as you tried to leave this mess.

You heard Natasha’s chair clatter to the floor when she stood up to chase after you. Her footsteps barely behind you as she followed you out. More tears began to stream down your face, dropping on the ground below you.

The door slammed shut behind you, leaving Natasha outside. It wasn’t locked, she could follow you if you wanted to. Though, you doubted she would.

You leaned your back against the door, breathing heavily as tears soaked your cheeks. You didn’t know what you were supposed to do. Should you leave? Wait for her in your room? But you couldn’t go back to the same bed where she had forgotten you.

A heavy sigh left your lips as you went in search of someone you could trust.

————

The loud bang of the balcony door was accompanied by rapid footsteps nearing your door. Wanda looked up from her bed, frowning in concern. Pictures were spread out on her bed as she tried to sort through them, wanting to make a photo album.

She expected to hear the sound of your bedroom door slamming shut. It was usually what happened after you fought with Natasha. This time, it didn’t happen.

Waves of anger and despair hit her as the footsteps neared your door. The slam still didn’t sound, she decided you might be waiting for someone. She bit her lip, nervously walking towards her closed door to open it.

The door handle twisted slowly before revealing you. 

You stood in front of her door, your hand raised as if you were just about to knock. Tears stained your face, your eyes still glistening with them. Your hair was messy as if you’d been running your hands through it. Your hand dropped as she opened the door, your fingers wringing together as you glanced down.

“Y/n, what happened?” Wanda asked, opening the door a little wider. Her brows furrowed in concern as you avoided eye contact with her. Your entire body seemed to be shivering despite the warmth inside.

“Can I, can I come in?” You stuttered, shivering a little more. The witch nodded and let go of the door. But you didn’t seem to notice the gesture, your eyes vacant as you watched her.

“Of course.” She stated, stepping back to give you room to step in. The witch glanced around outside, incase Natasha was behind you. She spotted her red hair, glancing towards your girlfriend as she began to close the door.

Green eyes stared at the witch as she closed the door. It shut with a soft click, Wanda licked her lips nervously. Guilt rolled off Natasha in waves, the witch could almost hear her thoughts through the door. 

Shutting her off, she sighed and turned towards you.

You stood near her bed uncomfortably, glancing towards the pictures. Your eyes seemed to linger on the pictures of you with Natasha, more tears beginning to form in your eyes. Your lip slid in between your teeth, watching the images before turning back around to face Wanda.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, gesturing to the bed for you to sit.

Hesitantly, you sat down, not before moving away the pictures laying there. One of the pictures were when you had celebrate your second anniversary with Natasha, Wanda was posing behind both of you as you took a picture.

 Your fingers ran over your happy smiles with an air of nostalgia.

“It’s Nat, she,” You bit your lip harder, willing the tears to stop flowing.

 They spilled forth anyway, a drop of blood staining your lip from where you were biting it so hard. Letting your lip loose, more tears spilled forth. A sob wrenched its way from your throat as you hunched over, eyes stinging.

Wanda sat down in front of you, one of her hands resting on your knee. She tried to look at you, looking up at you to see your face. Your hands covered your face in a hasty attempt to hide your mess. Your back shook sporadically as you shivered, your body wracked with sobs.

Red wisps caught your eye, you glanced towards it before turning to look up at Wanda. Her hand gestured towards your head. She looked at you innocently, hoping you would let her see what had happened.

It wasn’t the first time Wanda had asked. 

You had come to her many times with nightmares or something that left you broken. She helped you with her powers, using them to help you instead of harming others. You trusted her completely, more than Natasha.

You nodded weakly, trying to bring the argument to the front of your mind. The images began to play through, the hickey on her shoulder, Bucky leaving the room once you came back from a mission, the looks they shared. All of it came to the front of your mind.

Wanda looked slightly confused, unsure of what was happening as she probed further. You tried to conjure an image of them in the act. But you couldn’t, more tears began to fall from your eyes as you tried to clear your mind.

But one image kept showing, no matter what. The same smile Natasha always wore when she told you she loved you. Her lies kept coming back to you.

Wanda’s eyes widened as red wisps stopped flowing between her fingers. Her eyes bored into yours, emotions running through her. The main one being shock.

“She, oh my god,” Wanda stuttered, unable to believe it.

Your relationship with Natasha was the strongest she had seen. You had plans for the future, promises to get through everything together. All of it made you what you were. For Natasha to tear that all down for a few nights of sex, she couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

By the looks of it, neither could you.

“y/n, I’m so sorry.” She whispered though a part of her knew it wouldn’t help. Her hand rested on top of yours comfortingly, trying to provide whatever support she could.

You nodded staring down at her hand nervously. Tears fell from your eyes, streaming down to your shirt and soaking it. Your lips pursed together before you drew your hand away from Wanda’s.

The witch let the silence settle over you, waiting for you to speak. There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say to make this go away. She stayed silent, hoping you would speak eventually. Though, a part of her hoped you wouldn’t say anything, instead seeking comfort in the silence.

“Why?” You asked, voice cracking as you spoke. You bit your lip tightly, trying to steady yourself. Taking in a deep breath, you turned to face Wanda.

Her heart broke a little seeing you like this. Your eyes were turning red and puffy, tears still falling from them. You looked at her with so much pain in your eyes, like you’d watched something die.

In a way you had.

“Why the fuck did she do this?” You asked again, your voice steadier than last time. It still broke slightly as you leaned back against the headboard. Your jaw clenched as you waited for the witch to answer.

You didn’t know what you expected her to answer. Maybe she would tell you it was a mistake, or this was just a bad dream you needed to wake up from. 

Part of you hoped for that last reason, almost clinging onto it like a lifeline.

“I don’t know,” Wanda whispered, shattering the last of your hopes.

You licked your lips, tasting the salt from your tears, remembering how Natasha used to wipe them away. You could feel the ghost of her touch her thumbs running over your cheeks as you cried. 

Her comfort after you had a nightmare. 

Her lips on your skin as she drew you out of your mind’s hell.

You wiped your face angrily, trying to wipe away the ghost of her touch. The last thing you wanted was to be seeking comfort from the same woman who broke you. Turning to Wanda, you saw the gears turning in her head as she tried to come up with a solution.

“Maybe you can still work this out?” Wanda suggested timidly, cowering slightly.

You huffed, running one hand through your hair as you stood up. Voice caught in your throat, you coughed before speaking. The witch moved away from you, knowing she had said what you didn’t want to hear.

“Wanda, I don’t think…” You trailed off, palms digging into your eyes to stop the tears from flowing. 

A broken groan escaped you, the pain worsening. Your chest tightening as your arms fell to your sides. You gave up, a sigh leaving your lips as you stared down at her.

“Can’t you see how fucked up this is?” You asked, eyebrows furrowing. It was as if you were begging her to see your point of view. 

Wanda winced as she shook her head, waiting for you to explain. You almost didn’t want to, scared of narrating your worst nightmare.

“I wasn’t enough for the only person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” You muttered, jaw clenching shut tightly.

Memories came back to you, memories of talking to Natasha about your dreams. Everything you wanted to do later, from the small cabin on the lakeside, to what you wanted to name your children. 

All of your plans, even to the small outdoor wedding you had planned. 

All of the things you wanted to do with her, gone.

“And Bucky, of all people,” You sighed, running one hand through your hair, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Deflating, you sighed as your anger began to leave you. An empty feeling taking it’s place as tears continued to stream once more.

“even if it was a stranger it wouldn’t be that bad.” You said, another heavy sigh leaving your lips as you set your hands onto your lap. You leaned backward, laying down on the bed, fidgeting with your fingers as the witch watched you.

Bucky is, no, was your best friend. He had helped you through your hardest of places, you’d helped him once he came back from HYDRA. He was the person you wanted to go to after a long day to rant about, the person you trusted most.

 It was almost ironic that he did this.

“When, when you and Vision broke up, how did you cope?” You asked, turning to face Wanda. 

Her lips were pursed, she wanted to keep the answer to herself. You had been there when the breakup had happened, you had seen how miserable she was. But she pilled through it in a matter of months.

“Y/n…” Wanda trailed off, not wanting to answer. She wasn’t sure if you were going to break up with Natasha, she almost hoped you wouldn’t.

“Please?” You asked again, watching her carefully. Wanda caved with a heavy sigh, avoiding eye contact with you as she spoke.

“I had a few one night stands.” She confessed, glancing up at your. “Then I left for a month, to take a break from everything.”

You huffed in frustration, her answer wasn’t something you had hoped for. If it was something you wanted to do, you would’ve gone for it. But one night stands, it didn’t make sense. 

Leaving everything, that seemed a better option, even though it shouldn’t.

Wanda watched you carefully, seeing what you were going to do. She could see you weren’t going to do what she did. But you might leave, she couldn’t blame you if you did.

“You’re not the kind of person for one night stands,” Wanda stated, her jaw clenching as she noticed your posture stiffen. You relaxed slightly as you spoke, your words more of a quiet confession than an answer.

“No,”

“But you want to hurt her the same way she hurt you.” She continued, hoping she was wrong. 

The look you gave her confirmed she was right.

Your pain was morphing into anger, wanting Natasha to feel some of the pain she was causing you. The last thing you had wanted to cause her was pain, after this, you weren’t sure what you wanted anymore.

“You didn’t need to read my mind to figure that out.” You scoffed, turning away from her towards the window. The stars shone in the sky, the clouds nearing the slowly to cover the light that remained.

“I didn’t,” Wanda whispered, almost too quietly for you to hear.

Silence filled the room again as you considered what to do next. What options were there, you could stay and try to work things out or break up with Natasha. Or you could leave, away from this giant mess she had created. You had the right to.

“Do you think I should leave? Take a break?” You asked, turning towards the witch. She shrugged, not knowing what to answer. Her knees were curled up to her chest, her chin resting comfortably on top as she watched you.

“I think you should do what’s best for yourself,” Wanda answered, truly thinking so for the first time. 

She didn’t want you to leave, but it was probably what was best for you.

You chuckled sadly, wiping away the tear stains on your face. A hand-wound itself in your hair as you smiled again. Your eyes glazed over as memories continued to filter through your head.

“You know, I used to think that Natasha was the best thing that happened to me, the best thing for me.” You turned to face Wadna, silent tears streaming down your face. 

They rolled off your cheek and into the blanket below you, creating small stains. Your words stung you, a crushing feeling in your chest as you continued speaking.

“That being with her was all I would ever need.” You continued, feeling the air leave your lungs as you remembered the feeling. The feeling of looking at her and thinking, almost knowing that this was all you needed for the rest of your life.

Natasha was all you had needed.

“I used to think she felt the same.” You muttered, turning to face the ceiling. Your arms felt heavier than they should be, too heavy to wipe your face. You let them remain there, licking your lips again. Aware of the pitiful green eyes watching you.

Wanda stayed silent, unsure if you were finished. Even if you were, there wasn’t much she could say. 

You opened your mouth again, closing it as you chose your words carefully. A broken chuckle left your lips as you turned on your side, propping your head on your arm.

“How foolish, I used to think she loved me.”

Your words resounded in the room, circling back to you as you spoke them. They were so tired like you’d already given up on Natasha. You’d given up on everything you had, even your plans.

Wanda watched you turn away from her to sleep. The crying had worn you out, you found some comfort in thinking your mind couldn’t come up with a nightmare worse than your reality.

There wasn’t anything she could do to comfort you. If she tried to reassure you, maybe tell you that Natasha loved you, she would be lying. 

You had already been through enough lies.

She sighed, pulling up her knees and taking a book from the nightstand. Sleep wasn’t something that would come easily to her. Your thoughts were still too loud, she did her best to try to comfort you using her powers.

Eventually, you fell into a dreamless sleep. 

One devoid of lies and Natasha, one almost better than the reality you were in.

————

Noise from the bathroom filled the room as you lay on the bed. Sunlight streamed through the open blinds into your eyes. Wanda was in the bathroom, you were alone in the small bedroom. The pictures which were there last night had been moved.

Treasuring the small moments of the morning, you avoided the events of yesterday as you hoisted yourself of the bed. 

Honestly, you weren’t sure what you were going to do. Natasha was still in the compound, waiting to talk to you. She wasn’t one to run away after fights, you were.

Rapid knocking sounded on the door. Your head snapped to the doorway, waiting for a voice to sound.

“Y/n?” Natasha called, the door muffling her concerned voice. “Please, I know you’re in there.”

You froze at hearing her voice, convincing yourself she would go away if you didn’t do anything. Soft footsteps sounded near the bathroom. Wanda stood in the doorway, hair wet from her shower as she watched you.

It was up to you to let her in. If you talked to her, what good could come out of it? Maybe the apology, maybe a plea, but nothing enough to make you stay. If you didn’t want to talk to her, you knew you could ask Wanda.

 But it wouldn’t make this go away. It would only delay the inevitable.

Licking your lips dryly, you shook your head, deciding not to talk to her. Wanda nodded to you, heading towards the door to tell her off. The lock sounded as the doorknob rattled, along with the sound of a lock being picked.

Your eyes widened slightly as the door opened. Natasha stood behind the half-open doorway. You looked away from her as she came in, jumping to your feet.

“Y/n-” Natasha began, not getting in another word as you whirled to face her.

“NO!” You shouted, finally looking at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, hair messy but she still looked like the same woman who had lied to you. You couldn’t do this, not now.

“Natasha, I don’t want to talk to you.” You stated, keeping your voice level to not scream at her. Wanda glanced at both of you, unsure what to do. You stared her down, waiting for her response.

“Please? Just let me apologize.” Natasha pleaded, wincing under your gaze. Her eyes bore into yours, looking for any sort of response. But you’d shut yourself down, adamant to not give her any reaction. though, you doubted that would last.

“Let me try to fix this.” She asked, hoping to get a response from you, hoping you would let her explain.

But you didn’t, you scoffed and raised an eyebrow. Your arms crossed over your chest confrontationally as you looked at her. Heart hammering in your chest, you tried to stop feeling. Stop feeling everything, the nostalgia of what you were, the pain of this, everything.

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” You asked, voice cracking as you spoke.

Natasha paused, the answer clear in itself. She had done enough, there was nothing she could do to fix this. Explaining it could only make it worse. What could she explain anyway? 

Explain why you weren’t enough for her?

You didn’t want to stay near her. It was strange, how her mistake managed to turn everything upside down. You used to think of her as your home, the only place you felt safe and protected. Now, you’d give anything to be away from her.

Shoving past her, you headed out the door. Natasha didn’t hesitate to follow you, arm reaching out when she stopped herself.

You didn’t know where you were going, storming into the common room where the rest of the team was. They glanced up at you coming in, Natasha and Wanda at your heels.

“Y/n, please stay, just-” Natasha began, reaching out for you again. You turned around at her words, close to shoving her away from you before she stepped away.

Bucky looked up at both of you guiltily while the rest of the Avengers observed. None of them knew about your fight yesterday. Natasha had kept it under wraps, hoping she could fix this before they found out.

“Why the fuck should I stay, Natasha?” You asked, voice cracking as tears began to form in your eyes.

 The whirlwind of emotions you were avoiding caught up with you. A sob choked in your throat as you glanced away from her.

“Why should I stay when everything I gave you still wasn’t enough for you?” You demanded, stepping closer to her to look her in the eye.

Natasha avoided looking at you, trying her hardest to mask her emotions. Every question you asked cracked her mask more until it began to break. The weight of her mistake was bearing down on her, nearing like a wrecking ball. She was scared it was too late to fix the wreckage.

“Why should I stay when everything we were,” You said, wiping your face hastily to clear the tears. “everything we could have been didn’t matter to you?”

You clenched your jaw tightly, unexpectant towards answers to your questions. You watched her, thinking she would lie to you again. But she didn’t, she stared down at the ground as her eyes grew watery.

Her mask finally broke.

Tears slipped down her face, dripping onto the floor, landing with the soft patter of raindrops. Showing emotion wasn’t common to her, crying was out of the question. She had rarely let you see her breakdown, let alone the rest of the team.

Silence shrouded the room in an ugly cloud. Natasha’s sobs the only sound in the room. No one dared to move, watching both of you intently. The redhead opened her mouth, closing it after as she weighed her words.

“You should stay because I love you,” Natasha whispered, her voice barely loud enough for you to hear.

You licked your lips slowly, eyes tracing the tears falling down her cheeks. A small part of you wanted to wipe them away, to never hurt her again. It was what you’d promised her after all, to never hurt her or lie to her.

It never occurred to you that she would be the one hurting you. That she would be the one who should have made that promise.

“I don’t love you anymore.” You stated, keeping your voice as flat as you could.

Natasha looked up to you, searching your face for your tell. She couldn’t see it, staring at you, desperately hoping you were lying. It was like she was searching for you, but instead of looking for the truth, she was looking for the lie.

There wasn’t one. 

You were telling her the truth.

“Not after this,” You muttered, facade breaking as you let out a sigh. Your eyes slipped to Bucky, who looked up at you. Shutting your eyes tightly, you looked away from him, unable to look him in the eye.

There wasn’t anything you could say. Your heart thudded dully in your chest, the nervousness of seeing Natasha wearing down. Now, you were just upset and angry. All you wanted was to leave.

But there was a question you needed to ask her.

“How do I make you love me again?” Natasha asked, speaking before you could. 

You sighed again, a despondent sound as you looked back up at her. Your eyes were vacant, sad like you’d given up on her.

“I don’t think you can Nat.” You whispered. A sad smile graced your lips, twisting the corners of your mouth into a broken look.

You turned around, about to leave when you remembered the question you’d been asking yourself the moment all of this began. You didn’t want to ask her, scared of the answer. But you wanted to know.

“Just tell me one thing.” You began, turning back around to face her. Natasha looked up at you hopefully, but your expression was serious, crushing her hopes easily.

“Which part of me wasn’t enough for you?”

Natasha opened her mouth but closed it after. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She should have answered something. Maybe lie to you, tell you that nothing was wrong with you. But she didn’t admit it, staying silent.

“No, I genuinely don’t understand.” You ran one hand through your hair, stepping backward. Your eyes glanced around the room.

Wanda was watching the interaction, looking at you worriedly. Steve’s face showed nothing, but his eyebrows were furrowed in anger as he looked at Natasha. You didn’t look at Bucky, you still couldn’t. He sat in your peripheral, looking from you to Natasha guiltily.

“I don’t understand how I wasn’t enough for you.” You spoke, voice wavering as tears began to form in your eyes. “I don’t understand how you slept in the same bed as me, knowing you had broken us.”

Natasha didn’t say anything.

She slept in the same bed as you, made plans with you about your future, told you she loved you. All in the same day she had cheated on you. All in the same day she decided you weren’t enough for her.

“How, how did you even sleep at night?.” You spoke, stepping forward to look into her eyes.

“In the same bed, we talked about spending the rest of our lives together, you broke us.” 

Natasha opened her mouth to speak, a strangled sound coming out. Her eyes glanced down, staring at the floor instead of you. She had never seen you this hurt. Even after missions, when you were scared and crying after a nightmare.

She hurt you more than anyone before, even though you had given her what no one had.

“Y/n, please, it was a mistake,” Natasha begged you, pleading you with her eyes. You stepped away, betrayal shining in your face as you did so. Her eyes slipped to Bucky who looked almost as guilty as she did.

“Please just,” She reached forwards to take your hand, watching you pull away quickly. 

Her eyes shut tightly in a desperate effort to stop crying. It only irritated her eyes as more tears slipped away. She looked up at you again, staring at your blank face.

“Will, you ever forgive me?” She asked, watching your facade crash into anger.

Forgiveness. After everything, after throwing away everything, she dared to ask for your forgiveness. It was almost funny how naive this situation had made her. Anger shrouded you as you looked at her.

“You don’t deserve to be forgiven.” You stated harshly, clenching your jaw tightly.

The redhead winced at your word, a broken chuckle leaving her lips as she looked up at you. She remembered when you had told her otherwise. When you had told her she deserved to be forgiven for her mistakes. 

What she had ruined would come to haunt her.

“You convinced me I deserved to be forgiven, that I deserved love,” Natasha whispered, fondly remembering your promises to her.

You remembered your reassurances as clearly as she did, maybe even clearer. Her nightmares were always more shattering than the reality. But you were always there for her, convincing her that she deserved your love.

“And you had me convinced that you loved me.” You breathed, watching the fondness fade from her face into heartbreak.

You knew she still loved you. She had told you too many times, making it a tradition more than important words. The first time she said them, it was more difficult than you had thought. After, it was almost like the words were meaningless to her.

“I believed you, I used to think you loved me.” You spoke, heartbreak resonating in your tone as you turned away.

Everyone was still watching you intently. Your entire family was watching you, the rest of the team was in the living room now. Funny, the only time you thought they would be watching you and Natasha talk like this would be at your wedding, the day you promised each other your lives. 

Now, they were watching as you broke apart.

She opened her mouth to speak. You winced, waving her off.

“Don’t, don’t say anything.” You stuttered, stepping back slightly. You didn’t want to hear her speak, her lies, or her truth. Not that you could tell the difference anymore. She closed her mouth in surprise.

“I can’t tell the difference between your lies and your truth.” You said, licking your lips nervously.

To your surprise, she didn’t say anything. Maybe she had given up on trying to fix this. You had already given up.

Looking down, you decided to leave. If you stayed, all you would get was apologies from your family and Natasha. If you stayed, nothing could come out of it. Wanda was right to take a break after her breakup. She came back stronger after it.

Maybe you would come back stronger after. You didn’t know if you ever planned to come back.

“I’m leaving, away from this mess.” You told her, looking around the rest of the room.

They were shocked, but Wanda looked like she expected it. She gave you a small nod, leaving the room quickly. The rest of them looked up at you in shock, almost stepping up to argue with you when they caught sight of a tear making its way down your cheek.

They couldn’t stop you from leaving. Not even if they wanted to.

Your eyes fell to Bucky. He looked up at you apologetically as you finally looked him in the eye. Everything was gone from your eyes, the affection you used to greet him with. He was sure his mistake would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

This was one of his biggest regrets.

“Will I, will I ever see you again?” Natasha asked timidly, hope underlining her tone. She couldn’t stop you from leaving her with her mistakes. All she could do was hope for your return. Upon seeing your expression, that seemed unlikely.

“If the entire world turns upside down, you might.” You said a halfhearted joke as you turned towards the door.

Leaving your things behind, leaving your entire family behind. There wasn’t anything here for you anymore. Her mistake had taken that away too.

Maybe in a few years, you would come back, turn this into a story to tell your friends. Tell them the story about how Natasha Romanoff loved you. The story about how you used to love her.

World Turned Upside Down

A/N: I actually wove all of them together. And everyone who made it down to here, please tell me how it is, I put a lot of time and effort into it. Comment and reblog!!!

Tag List: @capcarolsdanver​​, @versdan​, @lesbian-girls-wayhaught​, @lovebotlarson​, @dhengkt​, @hstoria​, @natasha-danvers​, @veryfunnyal​, @xxxtwilightaxelxxx​ , @ophelias-heart​  , @never-didbefore​ , @justarandomhumanhere​, @the-most-unicorn-of-them-all , @thatssocamryn​ , @lesbian-x-blackwidow​ , @marvelbbyx​ , @wlw-imaginesss​ , @hcartbyheart​​ , @summergeezburr​​ , @imnotasuperhero​  , @a-stressedstudent​ , @aaron-despair​ , @rooskaya-yelena​ , @dynnealberto , @thewitchandtheassassin​ , @wannabe-fic-reader​ , @izalesbean​, @higherfurther-romanova​  , @natalia-quinzel​    let me know if you’d like to be in any of my tag lists!

[midgardianweasley]

Teach me

Teach me. 

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: After multiple failures at making breakfast, Natasha decides to teach her girlfriend one of the basics.

Word Count: 1.3k

Have a 3am fic that’s not been proofread at all<3

Message/ask if you’d like to be added to the taglist! 

beep! beep! beep! 

The fire alarm sounded. Again. 

This was the third morning in a row that the irritating high pitched alarm went off, alerting everyone in the compound, and most likely the next town over, that yet again, you were cooking breakfast.

Well, ‘cooking’ was a generous term. It was probably more accurate to say that you were simply attempting to heat food without burning down the entire building where it stands. That said, you quickly grabbed the metal lid abandoned on the side of the counter and threw it onto the pan, containing the flames that were rapidly getting out of hand. 

You were only trying to cook some bacon. 

“Y/L/NNNN!” You cringed at the all too familiar voice of a certain Stark making his way down the hall. 

“I swear to God if you’ve broken my toaster again!” He appeared in the doorway within seconds, still in his pyjamas and his hair tousled. He raised his eyebrows, pointing at the pan you were so innocently standing in front of, expecting an explanation for why he was being woken up yet again by your antics. 

“Your toaster is perfectly fine!” 

“Well then what have you broken?” 

“I haven’t broken anything! It was just a little fire.” 

His eyes visibly widened, if his face moved an inch, they would’ve popped out. “A fire?!” 

“Well, yeah, but look! it’s fine! I covered it!” 

More footsteps jogged up behind a stressed Tony, revealing themselves to be Steve and Natasha, your girlfriend, who knew fine well the reason behind yet another heated discussion. Literally.

“What’s going on?” The supersoldier kitted out in his gym gear asked, completely unknowing of the scene unfolding in front of him.

“What happened, Cap, is that someone is disturbing my beauty sleep.” He glared at you, only partly serious.

“Now c’mon Tony, we all know you’re a beautiful man.” the redhead piped up, giving him a famous Romanoff smirk while giving you a subtle side-eyed wink. 

Tony rolled his eyes, looking between you, the pan, Steve and Natasha, and back to you again. You tried to give him the most guilt-free smile you could muster, eyes pleading for him to not throw you into next week.

Your prayers must’ve been answered, a defeated sigh left his lips, turning towards the door to walk out. “Natasha.” 

“Yes?” 

“Please help your girlfriend and make sure she doesn’t blow herself up.” 

She looked amused, clearly using every ounce of her strength to not laugh at the situation at hand as a grown man slumped away back down the hall like an exhausted toddler. 

Steve placed a steady hand on Nats shoulder. “I’m going to try and get some more training in before my run with Sam, you got this?” 

“I’m sure I can handle this” she turned to see you looking at all the different buttons and dials on the oven, turning and pressing them with a furrowed brow. “I hope.” 

Steve chuckled lightly before returning to his gym session, leaving the pair of you alone in the now slightly clouded kitchen. 

Natasha walked towards you, you were still completely oblivious to her as you were messing with the oven. You jumped a little as her hands fell to your waist, surprised at the sudden yet firm grip on your body. 

Resting her head in the crook of your neck and tugging your body back into hers, moulding perfectly together, she placed small, delicate kisses to your sensitive skin, causing you to quietly giggle at her actions. 

“Hi baby” She whispered in between her pecks, a sly smile plastered on her face. 

“Hi ‘Tasha” 

“Would you care to explain why my darling girl is setting fire to-“ she moved to pull the lid off of the pan, only being met with some form of charred..something. “Uhm, help me out, what is this?” 

“It was bacon” You mumbled, embarrassed a little at your failed attempt at breakfast.

Trying to hide her laughter, her head fell back into your neck. She thought she was being clever, but you could feel her body vibrating with suppressed snorts and chuckles, the reaction being contagious as you started to laugh too, your head falling to the side to rest on hers. 

After calming down a little, she tapped your waist and pulled back, a frown appearing on your face instantly from the lack of body heat from your girlfriend. Turning to face her, you were ready to protest about how you wanted more hugs, but instead a green fabric was shoved into your hands. 

“That’s an apron, darling.” 

“I know! but why are you handing me it?” She tied the knot behind her back with ease, hands landing straight on her hips afterwards.

“because the day has finally come.”

“Oh no.” 

“Yep. We’re making eggs, i’m teaching you. Apron up.” 

_____________________

It had 30 minutes, and you were still attempting to get one omelette served onto the very empty plate beside you. Timing it was one thing, but flipping it was another. To be completely honest, you were surprised you even managed to get to this stage considering the amount of eggs you had to crack to have enough to form an omelette. Or something resembling one. 

“Right, just a few more seconds and then we’re going to flip this, okay?” 

“Can’t you do it? I’m hopeless.” You huffed, getting frustrated with the repetitiveness of cracking eggs, whisking them, frying them, flipping them and you’d say serving them, but you had no experience of that yet. 

“You’re not hopeless, Y/N. You’ve got this, It’s just a flick of the wrist, not a twist of the arm, like this” Natasha stood behind you once more, her fingertips tracing your bare arms lightly before stilling over yours, her back pressed against you and her arms pressed tightly on either side of you. 

“I feel like you’re teaching me golf.” 

“I mean, yeah, same teaching technique, but don’t swing the spatula.” She gave you a knowing look, warning you to not get any eggs stuck on the ceiling, leaving there no chance in hell to get it back down. 

She guided you to move the utensil under the half cooked omelette, shuffling it slightly so there was no part of it stuck to the pan.��

“You ready?” 

“Nope.”

“Great” 

And with one movement, she lifted both of your hands, and nudged them to turn over, ultimately flipping the egg so that you could see how instead of it being black and crumbly, it was a nice toasted brown with some patches of yellow still. 

“See? you did it! Not a burnt egg in sight!” She threw her hands up in celebration, the gesture would’ve made you feel silly if you weren’t focusing on her upturned lips and the pride sparkling in her eyes. 

“Well, the night is still young.” 

“it’s morning my love” 

“..You know what I meant.” You slapped her arm teasingly, both of you unable to keep the smiles off of your faces. Within a minute, Natasha had pulled your face to hers, lips dancing against yours in a loving kiss that eventually turned into a makeout when she slipped her tongue past your lips and tangling with yours. 

Neither of you had any idea how long you both stood there for, completely entranced by one another, lost in your own little world. Fortunately, you had a lovely indication of how long you’d been kissing for. 

beep! beep! beep! 

“Y/L/N! ROMANOFF!” 

You both hung your heads, foreheads not breaking apart as you did so, bracing yourselves for the famous Tony Stark lecture storming your way.

“You’re taking the fall for this one, Romanoff.” 

“If I go down, you’re coming with me.” 

“Yeah, right”

She wasn’t lying. 

taglist: @natashas-favourite-knives @wandaromanova @eilarch @natashaswifey @lostandsearching @pottahishotasf @d14n4ol​ @xxromanoffxx​ @007giu​ 

[thran-duils]

From All Sides (P.1)

Title: From All Sides (Part One) Summary: Fem!Reader x Dark!Pirate Tony. Tony is obsessed with a certain barmaid at port and showers her with gifts to try to bring her to his bed. She is resistant to his advances, her eyes elsewhere, specifically on her coworker, the cook. Although, that love is unrequited and always will be. The reader is forced into close quarters with Tony unexpectedly and sailing the sea, she slowly bends to his will. And he plans to give her all the affection he can to make sure she stays. Words: 2,279 Warnings: Eventual smut, violence, angst, possessive behavior Author’s Note: Song inspiration

Part Two || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost

It was loud tonight. As fall neared, it always brought more to port. Many were tired from long summer excursions and were looking for reprieve. At least it was nightfall now and the heat was melting away to the breeze of the ocean.

You were walking up the street back towards the tavern where you were expected back. Your boss Evan had sent you down to fetch the breads the baker was going to throw out to make sure there was enough for the crowd when they were ordering their meals.

“Miss Y/N!” A voice called out and you sighed, stopping. You turned, keeping the basket close you were carrying, smiling.

Adam was coming through the crowd, looking ecstatic to see you. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers and you felt your stomach clench. He was quite smitten and so very sweet; you were just not sure if you should commit to him. You had not found the way to get him to understand that yet, that you wanted some space, even with your polite declines to his dinners.

“Hot night,” he commented when he reached you. His smile was warm, his eyes alight at the sight of you.

“It is,” you agreed, matching his energy as best you could.

He held out the bouquet and said “I got these for you. I was hoping you would be at work though so I could ask to have dinner on your break?”

“I’m already on my break,” you lied easily. “Going back to work right now.”

His face fell. “Oh.” He recovered quickly, “Well, I will accompany you back?” He held out his arm.

Against your better judgment, you took it, allowing him to guide you. He was cordial, making small talk as usual. How someone as pure as him stayed at port was beyond you. But he had somehow found Peter too, just as kindhearted as him. The two of them made a pair. Although, Peter had been making an unsavory choice in alliance the last time Tony was at port... you had scolded Tony for a good ten minutes about how he should leave Peter be safe here at port and not on his dangerous voyages. If you were not mistaken, you had seen Tony jealous you cared so much for the boy.

The tavern you worked and lived at was packed. You weaved your way through the crowd, dodging people on instinct as they stumbled, Adam following your lead. You had worked here long enough to know the twists and turns of a drunken crowd.

Adam was close by as you moved behind the bar and he stayed by the entrance to the bar, waiting patiently. You left him knowing he would still wait, walking to the back, and handed over the basket to the cook, Eloise. She nodded in thankfulness.

You loved her smile, the way her lips formed. They were soft and you wanted to press your own to them.

“So many orders tonight,” she stated. “Tilda is doing well to keep them on the main course but there are others requesting other things.”

“Are we charging more for that?”

“You know it,” she winked. Your stomach fluttered at the gesture. “You better get back out there. Tilda is getting swamped! And poor Elizabeth is getting handled by a few tables. She needs to be more assertive, that girl.”

“I need to deal with Adam first,” you muttered.

“He’s back?” Eloise laughed, a twinkle in her eye. “My, he’s almost as persistent as Tony!”

“No one is as persistent as Tony.”

“He’s here, so you know. He ordered his usual dinner. One of the ones going off my menu!”

You almost groaned. You did not want to deal with his pawing on top of Adam’s doe eyes. Tony was easily provoked in his jealousness when it came to you, even though you had never let him between your legs, despite his best attempts to pursue you.

As you feared when you emerged from the back, Tony was hammering you to the spot with a piercing stare from the back of the tavern in a booth with some of his crew. He flicked his eyes to Adam before landing on you again you made note.

You had always brushed off his advances. Skirting around his smooth words and adjusting just out of the way where his lips were going to fall. Sometimes so close you could feel the brush of his lips against your jawline. He was a charmer.

Normally.

Tonight, he looked like a hangman, the way he was glowering at Adam. He already had a pint empty on the table and another by his bowl to replace it.

You liked Tony well enough — he was handsome, devilishly so — but it was Eloise you hung your heart on. Even if you knew she was never going to reciprocate the feelings. It was a terrible feeling to know that and still be invested. You wished you could turn your feelings to Tony even if you thought him fleeting.

Tony was known for being promiscuous and you thought he meant to get you in bed once and then be done with it. Despite all the gifts he brought you, trying to woo you, you could not help but to think he would easily discard you. Still... on the other hand, his persistence reminded you of Adam. He did not just bring you flowers either. He brought gems, jewelry, even a gown once. And not a cheap one at that. He was persistent in his chase and did not skimp on his treasures.

His last gift you wore now. It was beautiful. A seashell that seemed to glow in the light. It was on a simple cord but it was magnificent in its own right. And it settled perfectly on your chest. When he had given you it when he was here a month ago, he had been more than willing to be the one to clasp it around your neck. His fingers had flittered along your shoulder blades but he had pulled away at the last moment before you thought he was going to brush lower. He was persistent but he was also mindful to not push too hard; he did not want to lose you.

Sometimes you thought just the mere sight of you was enough to satiate him.

You pretended you did not notice Tony’s icy glare though, your eyes on Adam who was looking at you adoringly. You took the flowers from Adam and said, “I’ll put them in a vase in my room.” You took a long breath; he had actually remembered your favorites.

“I’ll bring more next week so you always have a fresh bouquet to look at,” Adam vowed.

“Oh, Adam. That’s not necessary,” you told him.

“It is for you,” he stated.

Tilda interrupted, coming in between the two of you facing you. “Hello, Y/N! Earth to you! I need help! The men are getting a little out of hand! You’re far more competent than Elizabeth!”

That poor girl. She still struggled with brushing off handsy men as she collected dishes.

You smiled at Adam over Tilda’s shoulder and said, “Sit at the bar. I’ll bring you a bowl of Eloise’s stew as soon as I can.”

He beamed at the offer as you turned around to put the flowers in a safe spot behind the bar until you could bring them upstairs.

<><><>

You had asked Tilda to take the booths, making sure to stay away from Tony’s booth although you had caught his eyes multiple times. He was not in good spirits, and you knew why. His gaze was layered with envy. Why did he have to come on the same night Adam decided he needed to try to court you? Adam had not left the bar stool yet and unlike Tony, his nose was not buried deep in a fourth pint, so he had a lot of life left in him. He was happy just to be in your presence.

Peter had joined him and was finishing his first pint. Great. You needed to keep an eye on him now to make sure he did not interact with any captain — especially Tony.

Much to your dismay though, his first mate made the plunge when you were away from the counter.

Steve had his arm around Peter’s shoulder, grinning friendly. Disgruntled, you quickly cleared plates, taking orders for more ale before coming back to the bar.

Steve met your gaze, grinning wickedly.

“Do you need to order something? Tilda was just at your table,” you said stiffly.

Steve shook his head. “No, no. Just following up with dear Peter here. He showed interest in sailing last time we were at port and he says he’s a fine cook. Ours could use an apprentice.”

“You can find an apprentice anywhere,” you snapped.

“Now, Peter, does she speak for you?” Steve asked, turning his attention to Peter.

Peter shot you a look and you saw him hesitating. It was an unfair position that Steve was putting him in. Peter respected you but he also knew the repercussions of if he let a woman make his decisions, especially in this crowd. And especially to a man who may be a ticket to his dream off this island.

Peter sucked his cheeks before saying, “You know, the room is actually spinning. Adam? Could you.... I think I need to go home?”

Adam read the signals quick and nodded, “Yes. Yeah, of course. I shouldn’t have let you have that second pint so quickly. Especially since you refused the delicious food from Eloise.”

The two of them stood quickly from their stools, Peter making quick to stumble a little before grabbing the bar to steady himself. He smiled at Steve and said, “Excuse me.”

Steve stared at him for a few seconds intently — he looked so disbelieving of Peter’s antics — before he smiled, “Of course. Go right ahead.”

He stepped out of the way and Peter met Adam before they made their way through the crowd. Adam threw a look over his shoulder at you and you gave a quick tight-lipped smile before turning your attention back to Steve who was watching you like a wolf.

“My my, you’ve just got your little claws in everyone’s hearts, don’t you?” He jeered.

“Do you need something?” you repeated, standing your ground. “I have tables to attend.”

“Two shots of rum,” Steve said, leaning on the counter.

You turned from him and grabbed the bottle and finding two glasses. You placed them on the counter in front of him and poured them out, his eyes searching. You corked the bottle back up and said, “Will they be on Tony’s tab...?”

“Hasn’t he given you enough treasures to warrant complimentary rum shots?” Steve pouted mockingly.

You ground your teeth for a few moments before waving him off. “Fine. On the house.” Steve winked lasciviously, “Much thanks, love.”

Annoyed, you turned away from him and went back to your business. The hours were doing nothing to calm the crowd yet and you begged for the impending witching hour and superstitions seeping into everyone’s psyches.

Handing some dirty glasses across the window from the bar to the back, you spotted your flowers in a vase again. You smiled softly, a moment’s reprieve. They were lovely. You leaned forward, eyes closed, and took a long inhale.

“If I knew picking a simple bundle of flowers by the shoreline would catch your attention so aptly, I would’ve saved myself a lot of trouble,” Tony said, barely above slurring his words from behind you.

You collected yourself before turning around to face him. He was leaning on the bar, slowly twirling his empty pint glass on its edge. He has long shed his coat, standing there in his leather vest over his shirt, unbuttoned just enough to expose his chest hair.

“Do you need water?” you questioned, trying to keep the condescension out of your tone and be concerned. It was hard knowing he had sent Steve up here to try to coerce poor Peter just to get into your sights.

Tony smiled broadly, looking charming as ever. You hated yourself for feeling the flutter in your stomach at it. “Sure. Thank you for being concerned for me, dearie.”

You turned and fetched him a glass of water and brought it over to him. He was close to you as he leaned on the bar, his eyes trailing down from your own gaze to your lips.

“I missed you all night,” he said, gripping the glass and bringing it towards himself. “It’s like you were avoiding me for that little pipsqueak.”

“He’s nice,” was all you offered, offering the new glass. He held out the empty and you traded him. His fingers brushed yours, longer than was necessary.

“Am I not?” Tony questioned, cocking his head.

“No. You’re very brutal — ruthless even. You’re only nice when you want something. Which is why you’re always so overly sweet to me,” you quipped without missing a beat.

Tony’s lips curled into a smile, staring at you with admiration. “I’ll always be sweet to you, love. Overly so too. Always.”

“Because I’ll always leave you wanting,” you quipped again, pushing away from the bar and walking off to go tend your tables, tossing his dirty pint glass into the bin.

“That necklace suits you. Still. I have matching earrings if you would just come to my cabin to collect them,” Tony called after you.

He would not be held at arm’s length forever. And you were not sure you wanted him to be.

~~~

Marvel tags: @coconutqueen21 @undecidedsworld @holl2712 @agustdowney​

[hufflautia]

In Sickness and in Health

Requested by @milk-leaves!​  

Warnings: A very brief and non-explicit sexual implication

Summary: Slytherin catches the flu. Luckily, her husband is there to help. However, her stubborn nature and insistent claim that “she can’t be sick because she’s never been sick in her entire life” makes it a little difficult for Hufflepuff to assist her. Marriage isn’t always easy, but with the proper amount of love and patience, everything works out in the end. 

Slytherin grabs the garbage can just in time to vomit into the basket. When she finishes, she wipes her mouth with a grimace and rests her forehead against the bed. 

“Honey?” 

She looks up and sees Hufflepuff standing by the door, his forehead puckered as he takes in her appearance. Her hair unruly, she’s slumped on the floor of their bedroom, looking tired and pale. 

Usually, Slytherin would be happy to see her husband. However, all she feels is irritation in the wake of his presence, and she leans against the side of the mattress once more. 

“What are you doing here,” she croaks, eyeing him as he approaches her and kneels down. “I thought you had to go to the Ministry today.” 

“It was a minor emergency, so I left early.” He regards her carefully. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” 

Hufflepuff frowns. “But you threw up.” 

“Yeah, I’ve been doing that a lot today,” she murmurs weakly. Noticing his eyes widen, she snorts. “I’m not pregnant if that’s what you’re thinking. I got my period today.”  

He gives her a sympathetic look. “I imagine it’s been a very fun day for you.” 

“The best I’ve ever had, actually.” 

Leaning in ever so slightly, that’s when Hufflepuff sees it—the faint flush on her face, the way she folds her arm around herself, the tinge of hoarseness in her voice.  

He reaches out and touches Slytherin’s forehead. Her skin feels hot and cold at the same time. She bats away his hand in annoyance. “What are you doing,” she snaps, scowling at him. Her anger immediately falters when she notices how his eyebrows rise, a look of surprise mixed with hurt spreading onto his face. 

“You have a fever,” he confirms quietly. 

Slytherin resists a frown. “But I never get sick.” 

“Well, it happens to the best of us.” He gets up. “Wait here, I’ll get some medicine.” 

“I don’t need it,” she calls after him but he’s already in the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets. He returns with a bottle and a small cup. Taking a seat before pouring red liquid into the cup, he ignores her when she says his name in a tone of indignation, insisting that she isn’t sick.

Hufflepuff hands it to her. “Drink,” he says firmly. When she juts her chin out and pouts, he lets out an exasperated sigh. “Honey, I know you don’t want to, but it’ll make you feel better.”

She still doesn’t move. This time, he returns her unyielding stare with one of his own. His tone is hard and demanding as he warns, “I’m not gonna repeat myself.” 

Slytherin grudgingly brings the cup to her lips. If she didn't feel like complete shit right now, she would keep pushing his patience for fun. She’d even be a little turned on by his authoritative voice. Probably both. 

She immediately makes a face as the medicine slides down her throat. “This tastes like ass,” she grumbles, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth and setting the cup down. 

He chuckles. “Medicine tends to taste that way.” He stands and offers his hand. “Come. I’m sure a warm shower sounds perfect right now.”  

A faint smile twitches at the corner of her mouth. “How’d you know,” she asks, taking his hand. A wave of nausea sweeps over her when she gets up, and he quickly plants his hands on either side of her. 

“I’m your husband,” he pulls her closer, “I know these things.” 

Slytherin wraps her arms around him. “Will you carry me to the bathroom,” she mumbles into his sweater. 

He presses a kiss to the top of her head before picking her up bridal-style with care. 

“Do you even have to ask?” 

A couple of hours pass. Feeling drowsy from the medicine, Slytherin took a long nap before waking up to the smell of homemade soup. Hufflepuff cooked something for her while she was sleeping. To her dismay, he also gave her another cup of NyQuil, but she drank it without any resistance. Afterwards, her headache subsided and was diminished to a dull pain, which is nothing compared to before. 

Now, she is laying in bed, feeling comfortable and content as she snuggles with her husband while he reads her favorite book out loud. She’ll probably never openly admit it but she loves when they cuddle. Listening to the smooth drawl of his voice, she catches a few words while dozing in and out of sleep. Her lips curve into a smile. He’s getting to her favorite part where he speaks in a ridiculous voice when reading the dialogue of an ancient wizard. 

Hufflepuff had read the book to her before when they were dating. He used the same wise and raspy voice as he uses now. At that moment, as she attempted to hold in her laughter, she knew he was the one. Funnily enough, he ended up proposing to her a month later. 

Feeling the familiar tug in her heart that can only be classified as complete adoration, Slytherin musters enough strength to pull herself out of the cozy arms of sleep. She shifts around so that she can properly see his face and says his name tenderly. 

“What is it,” he asks, putting the book down. “Is your headache still bothering you?” 

“A little, but...I’m sorry for being mean to you before. I was angry at you for no reason, but it might’ve been because of my period, and you already know how bad my PMS gets sometimes, but I still feel terrible about being so rude because you’re so great and sweet and you were only trying to help but I was being so difficult and I think I’m just not really used to people taking care of me, so I was trying to handle this flu on my own but I still shouldn’t have acted that way—and I literally hit your fucking hand and I hate myself for it because you don’t deserve it at all, you deserve so much more than whatever I have to offer...” Words continue to spill from her mouth as she rambles on and on, not bothering to pause for a breath of air. 

Hufflepuff says her name and she finally stops, staring back at him with a contorted expression as if she were trying to back tears. He cups her cheek, to which she leans into his warm touch. “Please don’t worry about that anymore, honey, it’s okay. Honestly. I’ve been with you long enough to know that there’s no one else I would rather be with but you. Even with your stubbornness, I love you all the same. Maybe even a little more.” He gives her a reassuring smile as she looks back at him with watery eyes. “Just focus on resting for now, okay?”

She nods and tries to smile back, getting a little choked up in the process. His words are laced with so much endearment that she realizes just how lucky she is to have someone like him to spend the rest of her life with. She puts her hand over his. 

“Thank you,” she whispers, “for loving me as you do.”  

His gaze is so unimaginably soft that, for a split second, Slytherin wonders how it’s even possible. He leans in, and she happily closes the distance. 

One might think that as time passes for a married couple, the love begins to stale. This is not true in their case, for the flutter in her stomach intensifies as they kiss. She can only focus on how soft he feels against her lips, how he invades all her senses in the best way possible. Her fingers grip the front of his shirt while his hand rests against the curve of her neck when they finally pull apart. Their noses brush against each other as they lock eyes. 

“I love you,” she breathes. 

“I know,” he murmurs. “And I love you.” 

“Good. Because we’re stuck with each other forever.” 

“I’d be sad if we weren’t,” he replies with a grin, retrieving the book. “Shall I continue reading?” 

She beams at him before laying her cheek against his chest. “Yes please.” 

Hufflepuff flips to the page he left off from. While he reads, he traces patterns around her stomach, as if he's painting a beautiful masterpiece over her skin. 

A couple of chapters in, Slytherin momentarily closes her eyes as his melodious voice washes over her. 

The sound of his steady heartbeat lulls her to sleep. 

FIN.

~

Check out my masterlist! | Kind comments and reblogs are most appreciated :) 

AUTHOR’S NOTE: 

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It took me a while to come up with an idea for this (also, to the person who requested this, I hope you are satisfied :D). My friend had the idea of “a vacation gone horribly wrong”. It was a fantastic idea - I even made a google doc for it and everything, but I did not write out a sufficient amount of general details for it because nothing solid came to mind. Then, when I was trying to go to sleep, I came up with this idea and I am very happy with how it came out!! 

I modeled Hufflepuff after Steve Rogers to some extent. He has that gentle giant type of vibe. He is kind and loving, but he’ll be stern if he needs to. I have to admit, the thought of making a series about slytherpuff married life has crossed my mind while writing this one-shot. I am still contemplating it. If I do create the series, it won’t be restricted to this couple specifically, but I will consider writing more stories about them because I really do adore their dynamic! Anyways, if I were to write that series, it would be different stories with different couples. It might not even be classified as a series but more as a collection of slytherpuff married life stories. Also, there would probably be at least one nsfw story included in that collection, but I will not be writing any smut until after my birthday, which is in April. *HI THIS IS JESSICA FROM THE NEXT DAY, aka the day that i’m gonna post this and im just going over the fic. while i was sleeping, i just thought of ANOTHER marriage fic so i think im going to make a married life collection of storiessss :D :D :D!!! however, im still wondering about whether i should write it, because the story idea is a little eh. if anyone has any other marriage life ideas, please feel free to let me know! before, i was a little hesitant on making a collection because it was hard for me to think of ideas for this fic when the request came in. hopefully, that will change in the future. also why do i keep coming up with good ideas for stories in my sleep lmao* 

Writing this story was fun. I stayed up until 2 am for four straight days while writing. Lmao how odd is it to see those two sentences right next to each other? In all honestly, I didn’t feel like it was 2 am because I was in the zone. I just kept writing until I told myself to go to bed because the future morning me will regret it--and lemme tell you, she really does. Anyways, I used my own experience with medicine for fevers. I absolutely hate the taste of NyQuil; I remember when my mom would make me drink small cups of it whenever I was sick. Also, when I was writing Sly’s rambling bit, I did not put any periods in the paragraph because I wanted to make it seem like she’s going on and on and isn’t stopping. However, I thought it to be weird and so I put the paragraph into the “translate to english” thing so that I could press the audio icon and hear what it sounds like. I’m happy to report that it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard in my entire life because her monotone voice saying all that was very amusing. 

There is no telling what fic I will post next. Last week, I was all over the place and working on several fics, moving from one to another when I got bored of the story. Also, my mental state is not the best at the moment. I’ve been feeling self-conscious about my writing recently, and I’m probably gonna go through another episode of that because this is gonna be the first fic that marks the end of tag lists and so this is probably gonna be an underrated fic because fewer ppl will see it. I came to realize that it’s not me who’s writing bad fics; even though I tag people, there’s a noticeable lack of interaction, so it’s likely that some of my followers just aren’t active anymore. There was a fanfic writer who I really like because their loki fics are amazing. A few weeks ago, I found their other blog that I was not aware of beforehand and they made a post 3 weeks ago saying that they would no longer be writing fics because there were barely any people interacting with them. She seemed really upset, saying stuff like “I guess my fics just aren’t good enough”, “no one can save me anymore” (I know that sounds very ominous but she was insinuating “no nice comments will make me change my mind”), and “I feel like deleting my blog because there’s a sense of failure in just leaving them there”. This made me really sad, and a part of me was afraid that one day, I would adopt a similar mindset. However, I know that there’s a group of people who will always be there to read my stories, so I’m gonna try to hold onto that idea and continue writing to make you happy and myself happy as well. Also I just realized that I always include one part in my author’s note that’s just sad for some reason :’)

ANYWAYS, I remember making a post a longgggg time ago that said “I promise that I will finish the slytherpuff series if it’s the last thing I do”. That has changed; I plan to post all the chapters leading up to their requited love at last (aka the part in which they actually get into a relationship together). After that, there’s still a bunch of chapters but they’re just fluffy bits, i.e. rainy day, they bake together, oop it’s one of their birthdays, etc. In other words, they aren’t essential to the plot. I could turn them into one-shots and stuff, but some of the chapters relate to the characters’ lives. In addition, it’s sweet to see their relationship progress. For those chapters regarding fluffy bits of their relationship, I won’t feel incentive to write them right away because their love is already requited and I also have two big series that I would rather work on. However, I’m not gonna start another series yet because I don’t wanna leave you on a cliffhanger in Chapter 3 and suddenly start writing a whole other series. The plan is to post all the chapters for the slytherpuff series leading up to the moment when they start dating (Chapter 7 or 8 will probably be when they actually get together). That way, there’s no rush to complete it because it’s just easy and sweet since they’re already in a relationship and readers aren’t anxiously waiting to see what happens next. After that, I will probably begin writing the other series, which will be different from the original slytherpuff series. You’ll see why. Once in a while, I will go back to the original series and write for that when I feel like it. 

I’m trying my best to finish writing Chapter 4 :( It is gonna be long - I’ve already written about 7 pages and I am thinking of splitting it into two parts. If I do, I might be posting part 1 soon because it’s kind of already done. Then again, I like the idea of just posting it all at once. We’ll see! I’m gonna try to work on that after this. My desire to write is sporadic, but comments and interactions from readers are very impactful in terms of my motivation to write, so be sure to leave feedback if you can! I’ll see you all again the next time I post a fic. Thanks for reading!

Tags: 

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[slutforbuck]

Traveling Soldier -- Bucky Barnes x Reader

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

*1941*

“What do you mean you’re enlisting? You can’t leave me here.” You stared at Steve and Bucky with wide eyes. “Y/n it’s our duty to this country to go,” Steve started to reassure you that everything would be fine. “We won’t be gone that long, you will probably even enjoy the peace for a while.” Bucky smiled at you and gave you a small wink. “Eleven years. Eleven years we have been attached at the hip, and now you’re going to leave me here. Alone.” Tears began to well up in your eyes as you stared at them. Steve looked down, unsure how to handle you crying. Bucky wrapped you up in a hug, “I promise everything will be fine. Nothing is going to happen to us doll.” He pulled back and looked into your eyes, “We will write every chance we get. I promise.” One tear broke free and slid down your cheek. You wiped it away quickly, not wanting the boys to feel any worse. Steve turned to you, “I love you y/n. I promise I’ll write, and we will be home soon. Take care of the house.” Your brother gave you a quick peck on the cheek before walking to the door. “I’ll meet you outside Buck. Goodbye y/n, wish me luck.” With a huge goofy smile and a wink, your brother closed the door. Bucky looked down at you. “I know it’s hard, but I promise we will be fine.” You couldn’t keep the tears at bay anymore, and they began streaming down your face. You started to speak, but then realized that the words wouldn't come out. Bucky pulled you in for another hug, and softly kissed the top of your head. “I’m gonna miss you, you know that right? But I have to do this. I’ll write you as soon as I can, I swear.” You looked up at the tall man, “You come back in one piece James.” He looked down at your teary eyes and placed a soft, quick kiss on your lips. “I promise.” He smiled at you, then walked to the door. You stood there, fingers to your lips where his had been, “You aren't going to say goodbye?” Bucky turned and gave a small smile as he opened the door, “Goodbye is too final. I’m coming back.”

You sat down in your rocking chair in the corner, fingers still to your lips. He kissed you. James Buchanan Barnes kissed you. He was a sweet man, you’re sure he didn't mean anything by it.

A few hours pass, and you are cooking supper in the kitchen when you hear the front door open. You grab a nearby knife and slowly walk towards the door. As you raise your arms with the knife, Steve yells for you to stop. “You could kill someone like that!” “Steve?” You looked at him confused. “Why are you home? You were supposed to be enlisting. What happened?” Steve looked down at his shoes. “I was rejected. Too many health issues they said. I’m trying again. I’ll just keep changing my city and going to every enlistment center until they accept me.” Rolling your eyes, you looked behind him, hoping to see the tall, dark haired man that was almost always with him. “Where is—,” Before you could even finish your thought, he looked at you. “He was accepted. He told me to tell you that he would write you as soon as he could.” You sighed and walked back to the kitchen to finish supper.

While Steve was off trying to be accepted, you managed to get a job with Howard Stark as a lab assistant. Most of your job was running files to different people, and helping Mr. Stark record information during his experiments. Letters from Bucky began coming in after a few weeks, and it helped improve your mood.

*1943*

“Stark Expo! We will showcase all of our latest inventions, show these people a look into the future!” You looked at Mr. Stark with a small smile, “It is a wonderful idea sir. I will begin making preparations for you.” Howard looked at you, “Make sure Mr. Erskine is there. I would like to find some candidates for Project Rebirth that night.” You nodded, “Yes sir. I will find him right away.”

“Everything is set up and ready to go Mr. Stark. Do you think that it might be possible to have the day of the Expo off sir? I would like to spend a little time with my brother.” Howard smiled softly at you, “Of course y/n, you have done an exceptional job. I will let you know how things go with Project Rebirth the day after. I am hoping that we will be very busy.” “Yes sir. I will see you then.”

The next morning as you were cooking breakfast, Steve came in. “I’m trying again. Surely they’ll accept me this time.” You paused and turned towards him, “Steve don’t you think it’s time to stop? I know how much it means to you, but this will be the fourth time you’ve tried.” He looked at you, with an almost anger in his eyes. You turned back to the stove and apologized. “I’m sorry Steve, you go ahead. If it doesn’t work out, come back here. Please?” Steve smiled, “It’s going to happen this time, I’m sure of it.”

A few hours later, Steve was back at home. “Rejected again. Who cares if I have asthma?? I just want to

do what’s right. I want to serve my country!” He sat at the table, head in his hands. “How about we go see a movie? Maybe it will cheer you up.” He looked up at you and reluctantly agreed.

A war commercial played on the screen before the movie. You began tearing up, thinking about Bucky being gone, dealing with everything the war would throw his way. Worrying that one day your brother would succeed in enlisting, and that it was possible you might one day lose both Bucky and Steve to the war. You were jerked away from your thoughts when you hear a man loudly shouting, wanting the war commercial to be over. Steve spoke up, “Hey buddy, you wanna shut up?!” The man stood up and turned, he was much larger than Steve, and you ran out the door after the two men. You watch as the man keeps hitting Steve, who is not giving up. He throws one last punch, and Steve falls to the ground. You jump in-between the men, begging them to stop. The man grabs your arm, and squeezes tightly. Before you could say anything, you hear a familiar voice. “Hey! Pick on someone your own size.” You squeeze your eyes shut, and the man is ripped away from you. You slowly open your eyes to see Bucky standing in front of you. “Bucky! You didn’t say you were getting to come home!” You threw your arms around his neck, and he hugged you tightly. Steve pulled himself up off the ground. “Sometimes I think you like getting punched.” Bucky smirked at Steve as he leaned down to pick up a card from the ground. “I had him on the ropes.” You checked him over to make sure he was okay. You stood back up and looked at Bucky, who looked upset. “How many times is this? Oh, you’re from Paramus now? You know it’s illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?” Steve looked away from his friend. “Get your orders?” Bucky straightened up and smiled, “107th. Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England tomorrow.” You leaned against the wall and looked down, already feeling the tears welling up in your eyes. “Come on you two,” Bucky said as he wrapped an arm around yours and your brother’s shoulders. “Where are we going?” “The future.” You internally groaned. Your one night off and you were still going to work.

“Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world.”

The three of you stood at the stage as you watched Howard enter. You watched as he showed off his hovering automobile. Bucky’s eyes widened, “Holy cow.” The car suddenly fell back to the ground, and you smirked, watching Howard recover. You turned to Bucky, then realized neither he nor Steve were next to you. You work your way through the crowd until you see the enlistment tent. You groan to yourself, and rush over just to hear the end of what sounded like an argument. “Bucky, come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.” “You’re trying again?” You knew what was in the tent, and prayed that Dr. Erskine wouldn’t see Steve. Steve looked to you as Bucky rubbed his eyes in frustration. “I have a good feeling this time. It’s gonna happen.” You looked at him and shook your head. “Be careful Steve. If it actually happens for you, please be careful. You better write me.” You hugged your brother one last time, before Bucky wrapped an arm around your waist. “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Bucky began walking you away from the tent. “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” You both looked back towards him, “You’re a punk.” Bucky hugged his friend goodbye. “Jerk. Be careful.” Steve smiled then walked into the tent.

Your arms draped loosely around Bucky’s neck as you swayed to the music. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? You just sent me a letter and didn’t even hint towards it,” you looked up at his steel blue eyes as he pulled you closer. “I wanted to surprise you. I’m only home for tonight, and honestly I was a little worried about coming to see you.” “Sergeant James Barnes, worried about something? I don’t believe it.” He smiled softly at you, “I was afraid I wouldn’t want to leave. I was right to be afraid though. I don’t want to leave you again.” You felt your heart drop to your stomach. You heard what he had said, but surely he didn’t mean it the way you wanted him to. You pulled away and began walking to find somewhere to sit down. Bucky was right on your heels, with a confused look on his face. “Y/n what did I say? What’s wrong?” As you sat down, you looked up at him with a lump in your throat and your heart in your feet. “Bucky you can’t just say stuff like that. Not now. Not to me.” Still confused, he sat next to you, “Why not? I’m not allowed to tell you that I miss you like crazy? That knowing I’m helping protect you is what is getting me through this war?” You looked at your feet, “Not when I know you feel the same about me as you do Steve. We’re friends. That’s all we have ever been, and that’s all we will ever be.” You breathed deeply in a poor attempt to stop tears from forming and spilling over. Bucky’s face softened as he realized what was happening. “You have never been just a friend to me. You’ve always been so much more to me,” he whispered to you as he lifted your face to look at your big y/e/c eyes. “I can’t go back over there without you knowing how I feel about you. You are the most amazing, beautiful woman that I have ever met y/n. You make my heart skip beats, you make me nervous. I enlisted because I felt like it was the best way to protect you from what was happening. This is the worst time to say this, I know. But I can’t leave again until I know that you know that I love you.” He looked deep into your eyes, looking to see if you felt the same. Your tears began to stream down your face, “Bucky,” you breathed deeply to steady your voice and gain a little confidence. “I knew from the moment I met you that I loved you. I have never not loved you.” Bucky smiled and pulled you close to his chest. He leaned towards you, and you met his lips with yours. Your chest felt like it was going to explode as he pressed a kiss to your lips. He finally pulled away, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” Looking a little confused you reminded him that he had kissed you before he had left to enlist. “That doesn’t count. I was just testing the water. I wanted to say something so badly that day, but I lost my nerve and just couldn’t.” You smiled at him and pulled him back to dance, “Dance with me Buck.”

*later that night*

“Do you have to go?”, with tears in your eyes, you looked at Bucky. “Please don’t go. I don’t want you to leave again. What if something happens to you? Please.” Big pleading eyes filled with tears as you looked at the man in front of you. “Y/n, I have to go. You know I have to go.” You heard the pain in Bucky’s voice and he wrapped you in his arms. “I promise I will write as often as we can. I’m not leaving forever, just for a little while doll.” You felt a soft kiss press to the top of your head, and you finally let the tears in your eyes spill over. You looked up, and your eyes met Bucky’s. His eyes began to water as he looked at you, and he gave you a tight, sad smile. “I’ll write as soon as I can. I’ll be back so soon you won’t even know I’m gone. When I get back, I’ll take you back to Coney Island, and we can see how quick it takes your brother to vomit again.” He gave you a wink before he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. “I love you so much, I swear I’ll come back” “Please come back in one piece Buck,” you whispered as you softly kissed his cheek. “I love you James Buchanan Barnes.” He looked at you with watery eyes and saluted before he turned and walked out your front door.

[coyotesongwriting]

Home - Ch. 3

Chapter 3 - Fresh Start

Chapter Summary: Bucky’s gone, and so are you. What happens when you find out some big news?

Word Count: 3222

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading this story and I hope you enjoy it. I’ve tried a new writing style for this fic and I can definitely say it’s not my cup of tea but I love the story anyways!

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters so don’t sue me please. I just really like them haha

Previous Chapter              Series Masterlist

May You weren’t sure where you were headed when you left the compound, but you knew you had to go as far as you could. For the next two weeks, you wandered wherever the road took you in the Ford Explorer Fury had gifted you. At first, you traveled down to Florida and spent a few days on the coast. The smell of the fish that seemed to permeate the harbor areas left you feeling ill though, and you decided it was time to move. You slowly made your way along the southern coast, stopping in New Orleans for a few days to take in all the sights you’d always wanted to see. You even did a few of the cheesy ghost tours, a part of you hoping that maybe you would receive a sign from Bucky, but knowing you wouldn’t.

As you drove through Texas, you took the old two-lane roads through the middle of nowhere. On one hot summer day, you were driving when you saw a dog on the side of the road. The large German Shepherd mix was tied to a pole on the side of the road, a piece of paper that said ‘free’ taped to it above his lead. The dog had been tied out in the heat with no water for who knows how long, and without a second thought, you loaded him up into your car. Pouring some water into your hands, you gave him a bit before rushing him to the vet in San Antonio.

According to the vet, if you hadn’t come along when you did, someone would have found a dead dog in the summer sun. The vet scanned him for a microchip and was able to find out his name was Rex. His owner’s information was all outdated though, and when they asked what you wanted to do, you didn’t hesitate to say that he was staying with you. You found a hotel room nearby and stayed for the two days Rex spent at the vet, waiting for him to be given a clean bill of health. Every day, you went to visit him for as long as you could. He was always happy to see you and seemed to know you had saved him from a slow and horrible death. You constantly were texting the Avengers pictures of Rex, and Clint immediately claimed him as his godson.

When the day came that you finally got to pick him, you took him to the pet store where you bought him all the supplies he’d need, a nice collar, bed, leash, food bowls, treats, all of it. That night, Rex climbed onto the bed next to you and fell asleep with his head resting on your stomach. For the first time since losing Bucky, you finally slept through the night.

Back on the road, you drove until you reached Sedona, Arizona. There, you decided, was going to be your first stop. The beauty of the surrounding mountains and cliffs surrounded you, and it was completely unlike the forests and meadows you’d called home in upstate New York. The desert was never going to be the place you’d permanently settle down, but it was the perfect place to spend a few months, to heal before attempting to build a permanent life somewhere with Rex.

You found a small apartment on the outskirts of town with a balcony overlooking the cliffs and made it your own. It didn’t take long before you found a job at one of the diners in town working as a cook. You settled into the different lifestyle quickly and made a new routine, one that was reliable and without danger.

In the mornings, you’d take Rex for a jog on the hiking trail behind the apartments. By the time it started to heat up, you were back at the apartment, and Rex was relaxing. You’d go to the apartment’s gym where you’d do some basic exercises, even if you weren’t an Avenger anymore you wanted to be sure you were in shape just in case something happened. After that, you got ready for your shift and went to cook for the dinner rush.

Every day, you checked in with Nat and Sam, and usually one of the others. Everyone wanted to make sure you were doing alright and to be honest, you were. Things were hard of course, and you missed Bucky, you always would, but you were learning to live a new life. One that wasn’t haunted by the ghost of him. One where you didn’t have to worry every day about whether or not your friends would die in front of you.

June A month after getting settled into Sedona, you received a phone call from Steve. It was a late Tuesday night, and you’d just finished your shift at the diner, and you were walking back to your apartment down the quiet streets when you answered.

“[Y/N], we have to make the announcement” Steve’s voice was soft, careful as he spoke.

The warm night air seemed suddenly suffocating. You’d been so wrapped up in your own guilt that you forgot that to the rest of the world, Bucky was still alive somewhere, doing his job as an Avenger. When he first joined the team, he’d gotten mixed reviews from people on the street. Half the people they ran into feared him, blaming him for what he’d done as the winter soldier. The others seemed to understand and were more than willing to welcome him on as one of Earth’s Defenders. Over the years, he had managed to change the doubter’s minds and it wasn’t long before there was even fan merchandise being sold of him. Unlike Tony, he hadn’t relished the spotlight and tried to stand back whenever he could.

While you and Bucky had been more than happy to come out as a couple to the team, you’d decided to keep your relationship private. Since you always wore a photostatic veil when you were in public as one of the avengers, you didn’t want to make things awkward if someone saw him out with you when you weren’t wearing a disguise. He didn’t need the bad publicity if someone saw him kissing you with and without the veil. Besides, it was nice having something for just you and the team, one part of your life that didn’t belong to the world.

The realization struck you, the moment the world found out about his death? He’d be everywhere. You may have left the Avengers in the hope of avoiding his ghost, which still followed you, but the moment it was announced you’d see his face everywhere. The news coverage that would come was sure to run nonstop for days. There’d be a public funeral service.  Bucky’s death would surround you once again, and this time you’d have no choice but to wait it out.

“[Y/N]?” Steve’s voice drew you out of your thoughts, reminding you of his presence.

“Y-yeah. Can you give me a little bit? A few days. Please. I just need to be ready.”

“Saturday, we have to do it then. People are beginning to ask why they haven’t seen him around lately and we can’t keep hiding this. There’s going to be a lot of questions” he paused before continuing, “People have been asking about you too.”

“Okay. That’s fine, that’ll work” your voice was nervous, trying to reassure yourself it would be alright, “What are you going to tell them about me?”

“You can still come back, you know. We miss you. Even Tony misses you.”

“I know. But I’m not coming back. I can’t. I can’t do that. I can’t watch one of you die again. I can’t do it again.”

“I can’t say if you come back you’ll never be in that position again, but we need you. It’s not the same without both of you…”

“No. I know, I miss you guys, I get it. But I can’t - won’t - go through that again”

“I just worry about you. Bucky wouldn’t want you to do this.”

“Bucky’s dead, Steve. We don’t know what he’d want, but he’d want me to be happy and I can’t stay there and pretend everything’s fine, okay?”

“Come home, [Y/N].” Steve’s voice lost the softness, his stubbornness setting in.

You could feel the frustration in you rising as Steve’s attitude changed. You’d been more touchy lately, but who wouldn’t be after losing the person they were meant to spend the rest of their life with?

“I am home.” you slid your key into the lock of your front door and were greeted by Rex’s wagging tail.

“You know what I mean.” he sighed, frustrated.

“No. No, I don’t. Because the complex isn’t my home, not anymore.”

“[Y/N]-”

“Look. I have to go. I just got in and I’m exhausted. You’re making the announcement on Saturday. I get it.”

“Come home. Please.”

You didn’t answer him, merely hanging up the phone. You set your phone on the small entry table by the door and leaned back against the door behind you. Sliding down, you sat on the floor, back against the door as the tears overwhelmed you again. You were getting better, truly. You could usually get through the day without crying by this point, but sometimes things were just too hard.

Looking back all you could see were the mistakes that were made. The things you could have done to save him. And in your darkest times, when it seemed like dawn would never come, you blamed Steve. If he hadn’t made you wait, you could have gotten to him in time. You could have warned him. You could have gotten him out of there, and you wouldn’t be here today. Blaming Steve wasn’t fair, you knew that, but sometimes it was hard to forget that.

Rex nuzzled his way into your face, and your hands closed around him, pulling him close as you broke. While you may have saved him, he’d more than repaid you since you brought him home. On the days you felt alone, he was always by your side. When you didn’t even want to get out of bed, he was there nudging you and making sure you got things handled. When you broke down at night, he was happy to lay with you and offer you a listening ear.

The night passed slowly, seeming to creep by. You slept in fits, but Rex was there every time you woke up. His calm presence lured you back to sleep every time. In your dreams, Bucky was there by your side again and things were good, things were happy and you got to relive some of your favorite memories.

The next morning, you called your boss, asking for Saturday and Sunday off. You’d been working every night since they hired you on. Not having days off meant you could live in the same routine day in and out, no surprises or confusion. Your manager quickly approved the request, and you began to plan.

Saturday came, and in the early morning hours you packed up your car with some supplies and Rex and set off on the five-hour drive to Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. The forest there would give you the perfect chance to ride out the worst of the news coverage, give the world a chance to get over the shock while you were away.

You shut off your phone, knowing that if you left it on you’d be too distracted by what’s happening to focus on getting on getting away. The drive was nice, and you kept the music soft, not in the mood for anything loud at the time. On your drive to Sedona after finding Rex, you’d learned he was one of those pups who truly loved car trips. His antics as you drove kept your mind off the reason for the trip.

The towering pines and cool mountain weather enveloped you as pulled into the campground. The campground was all but deserted, only one other camper nearby and for that you were grateful. When you planned the trip, you feared that the campground would be busy and you’d be surrounded by couples and families, unable to get the chance to escape. Instead, you were able to focus on the peace and quiet of the forest.

The weekend passed quickly, too quickly for your liking. You and Rex spent the time hiking throughout the forest. Rex was eager to see it all, his exuberance reminding you that he was only a year old. For that, you were grateful. The idea of losing him, your only anchor left in the world, left your breath stuttering. Watching him bound after a squirrel, stopped by the leash, brought a quick burst of laughter from your lips, and with that, you left fears of losing him behind.

During your hike on Sunday, you stumbled upon a herd of wild horses. When you’d first decided to camp here you’d heard they had wild horses here, but you figured you’d never be lucky enough to see one. They were off in the distance across the meadow from you and didn’t seem bothered by your presence. The band stallion watched you for a moment when you first left the trees but quickly turned his attention back to his family, his mares too busy keeping an eye on their roughhousing foals to worry about you. You watched them with Rex for an hour before the herd moved on.

Monday morning seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye, and the dread you’d managed to put out of your mind all weekend crawled back in. Packing up the car, you kept eyeing the phone in the center console, terrified of what you would see when you inevitably turned it back on. For a long moment, you considered just not. Just leaving the phone behind, taking Rex, and running back into the wilderness.

But you couldn’t. Bucky’s death lay heavy on your shoulders, and you couldn’t face yourself if you had run from what happened. No, you had to face the music. And so, you did. The drive back to Sedona was a much more somber trip than the drive away, and you found your mind constantly wandering back to your phone, to what you’d turn it back on to find.

It wasn’t until you were back at your apartment with Rex napping at your feet, that you turned on your phone. It began to flood with notifications, emails from news organizations, and companies chiming in on his death. Texts from the avengers trying to check in on you grew more worried as the days ticked on. Quickly you shot off a text to them, letting them know you were okay, that you’d taken the weekend to go camping and hadn’t had phone reception. Almost immediately, you got responses from Nat and Sam, telling you they’d been worried. Steve’s response was to yell at you for scaring him. You didn’t text him back.

July It wasn’t until you’d been settled in Sedona for two months that you realized something was wrong. At first, you’d chalked missing your period off to stress, who wouldn’t be stressed after losing someone like that? But after four missed periods, you knew it was time to take a test. After your jog that day, you came home with three different kinds of tests, unsure what you hoped the answer would be. Within 15 minutes, the results were in.

Calling around, you were able to get a doctor’s appointment the next day for an official pregnancy test. Nerves ate at you about the idea of being a single mom, and a big part of you contemplated packing up and going back to the Avengers. If you chose to stay away from the Avengers, you’d be denying your kid the chance to really know their family, and your friends turned family the chance to know their niece or nephew.

The next morning your blood was drawn and within a few hours, they had the official results. You were pregnant. It wasn’t just a batch of faulty tests, it was definite. While the idea of going home to the Avengers, of having that support system,  was a huge draw, you feared that going back would put you back in the same mental place you fled to get out of. With a baby on the way, could you really risk that?

You pulled out your phone, dialing Nat and before she could even say hello, you spoke, “Hey. Can you get everyone together?”

“Yeah, is everything okay?” she asked, before letting out a loud whistle. Clint loved to joke she’d trained them like dogs because they’d always come running when she whistled once.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’d just rather only tell this all once”  you let out a nervous breath as you waited.

Within a few seconds, everyone had gathered on Nat’s line and after a quick round of hellos, you took a deep breath before blurting out, “I’m pregnant. About four and a half months along.”

The silence that came across the line was deafening, and you waited anxiously to hear how they’d react. Steve was the first to speak, “Y-you’re pregnant? With Bucky’s kid?” his voice was unsure.

“Yeah. Went to the doctor today and got it confirmed. I’m due in early January” you bit your lip, pulling it between your teeth nervously.

“Congrats, kid” you could hear the smile in Clint’s voice, and you let out a nervous breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding, “I guess I shouldn’t call you kid anymore though, huh?”

“Probably not” you chuckled softly.

“What are you going to do, [Y/N]?” Tony chimed in.

“What am I going to do?” you repeated back curiously, “I’m going to have my kid and raise them up the best I can.”

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Steve’s voice was quiet.

“Yes I’m sure I’m up to raising my own child, Steve.” your voice was hard.

“That’s not what I meant. I just - I meant you could always come back. You don’t have to do it alone.”

“I know what you meant, Steve. And no, I’m not going to come back because I’m pregnant. If anything, this just tells me I made the right call. I don’t want to raise a kid in that world, always having to wonder if I’m coming home or if they’re going to lose someone they love too.”

“You don’t have to rejoin us, you can just come home, you don’t have to fight.”

“Steve, no. I’m finally doing alright out here. I’ve got Rex, and soon I’ll have my kid, and I’m moving on. I’m not going to just move back to the compound because I’m pregnant. Women do this on their own every year. Look, I just wanted to share my news I wasn’t looking for a fight. I’m going to do what’s right for me and my kid” by the end, your voice was a low growl.

For a long moment, no one spoke. When silence began to echo down the line, you hung up and began to go about your day, hoping to forget their apparent doubt in you and your ability to be a good mom. You didn’t.

Next Chapter -> 

Taglist OPEN:  @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @queenoftheunderdark @redfoxwritesstuff​ @brokenthelovely  @collinsstanharbour​  @samsgoddess​ @redhairedfeistynerd​ @winterisakiller​

[dontcare77ghj]

Civilian

Bucky x reader x Natasha

You’d met the loves of your life at a coffee store. Cliché, you know, but it’s what happened. They’d sat at the counter, where you’d been stationed and they’d both ordered a black coffee. Over the next two months they’d come in at least once a week. They’d struck up conversation with you on the third week and it was then you knew you were falling. 

 They had introduced themselves as Natalia and James, and in turn you had introduced yourself Y/N. It was the end of the second month, when they had asked you out. You’d quickly said yes to the beautiful red head and attractive brunette. It was at the end of the first date when you knew, you were in love. 

The three of you had known each other for almost a year and had been dating for nine months. It was in the second month of your relationship when you’d found out about James metal arm, the three of you had laid together and held each other loosely as he’d explained how he’d been in the army and lost it, before he’d retired and joined the security company where he’d met Natalia.

 You didn’t love him any less and the three of you had stayed in that position for a long time, just holding each other, reaffirming your feelings for each other.

You didn’t see them as often as you wanted to because of their work, as well as your own schedule. They’d told you they worked in security detail on your first date and you’d believed them a hundred percent, when they had to leave for work related issues you would always smile at the two. 

“Go on you two. Go make the world a little bit safer.” You’d say giving them both tight hugs as they would leave. James would smile and place a kiss on your temple and Natalia would hold your waist tighter.

 “Love you, красотка.” Nat would whisper into your hair. You sighed, contently and leaned closer into her.

 “You’re going to have to tell me what that means one day.” You giggled a little. 

“One day.” She agreed as the two would give you one last kiss and leave your small apartment. 

 At the end of your first year together, the two had pretty much moved in. They stayed there most nights, when they weren’t working, and had a lot of their things littered around your cozy apartment.

“Morning, doll.” James greeted, as you walked into the kitchen. He and Nat would always be awake by the time you would crawl out of bed.

“Morning, lover boy.” You greeted taking a seat next to Nat who pulled you into a kiss. 

“Morning, Red.” You addressed Nat when the two of you pulled away. 

“Morning, красотка.” She responded giving James a smile who placed a plate in front of the two of you.

“Any plans for today doll-face?” James asked as he took a seat across from you.

“Not really.” You shrugged taking a bite of the delicious meal, James was mainly in charge of cooking because his food was always perfect. Natalia was banned from going in unsupervised after last time. “I’ve got a shift at two, but not much before. What about you two?”

“We’ve gotta be out of here by eleven.” Natalia said to you. 

“Work stuff?” You asked turning to the red head. She nodded as Bucky answered your question.

“Got some things we have to take care of in the office. Nothing too serious.”

“That’s good. Do you know when you’ll be back?” You asked looking at your boyfriend.

“Not sure, sorry sweet thing.” He replied with a sorry look.

“Don’t worry about it, J. If you’re both free tomorrow, maybe we can go on a date.” You smiled sweetly.

“That sounds lovely, красотка.” Nat spoke with a smile. Bucky nodded at the same time.

“Great!” You chirped, as you stood. “Breakfast was delicious baby.” You said moving to James and giving him a kiss on the forehead. “But the two of you have to start getting ready soon.”

“You’re right, doll.” James said copying your motions. “How about you help us shower, y’know, just to make sure properly ready for the office?” He added, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

“That sounds like a good plan.” Natalia said, moving to your front. “What do ya say, printessa?” She asked, running her hands lightly over your form.

You shivered at the feeling of her hands. “What are we waiting for?” You asked with a smirk.

 It was seven when you’d finally made it back home. You felt exhausted as you dragged yourself up the stairs to your apartment. The only thing on your mind right now was a warm bath and some cuddles with your favorite people.

When you’d made it to your door, you were surprised the door was slightly open. Cautiously you walked towards the door, pulling out the army knife you kept in your handbag. You pushed the door open and felt your jaw slack at the sight of your home.

The placed was trashed, and that was putting it lightly. Your furniture was strewn across the place, most of it was broken, glass littered the floor, every picture frame was smashed and the pictures themselves were all torn. You looked around the room to ensure no-one was there before pulling out your cell phone. 

You quickly punched in the number before stepping out of the apartment and shutting the door behind you.

“Hello, 911 how can I help you?” A voice queried into your ear.

“Uh hi, I need the police someone broke into my apartment.”

 “Doll!” James shouted as he ran into your apartment, with Natalia right behind him.

“I’m okay.” You breathed as you were crushed into James’ chest. “I’m okay.” 

“You’re okay.” He breathed into your hair, as Nat moved over to the police to see what happened.

“I know. I’m okay. I really am.” you said looking up James. 

“I know.” He said, grabbing your face with two hands and looking into your eyes. “Do you know what happened?”

“They said it might just have been a robber, but why would they trash the place like this?” You questioned not daring to look back at the mess, that was your home.

“I don’t know doll, I really don’t.” He answered pulling you back into his chest.

 The police left about a half hour after James and Natalia arrived. You’d brushed off James and Natalia's insistent coddling and insisted that all you needed was a shower.

“I’m fine, you two, really. I just need a shower I swear.”

You stayed in the shower long after the water turned cold. It felt good to have the mess, that was today, washed off. You turned the water off and as you were toweling off, you could hear James and Natalia arguing.

“We should tell her.”

“Why? What would the point in that be?”

“Because she’s in danger. We put her in danger. And she’s only going to be in more danger if we don’t tell her.”

“And when we do, how is she going to look at us? Could you stand looking at her, knowing exactly who we are and what we do?”

“How long do you think we can keep lying to her?”

“Lying to who?” You questioned as you entered the room in your towel. James sat on the bed with his head in his hands, while Nat stood across from him, arms crossed.

“A client.” Nat answered with a shake of her head. “We aren’t able to get what she requested but James here doesn’t want to tell her.”

“Oh, well, maybe telling her would be best. Lies are always exposed in the end. And I’m sure she’d understand in the end.” You said moving to your drawers and pulling out some underwear and pajamas for yourself.

“You always know exactly what to say, doll.” James said looking at you. “You always know how to help.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” You replied moving to sit on James’ lap. “I love you two.” You murmured into James’ neck.

“We love you doll.” James replied as he lied down cradling you in his arms, Nat curling in behind you.

“Always.” Nat added. The three of you laid there, murmuring to each other until you fell asleep.

 It was a week after the break in and James and Nat were still on edge. The had installed new locks on the apartment, one was always at the café when you were on a shift, or if they were busy they made sure to text you constantly. You thought it was sweet, sure it was a little overwhelming sometimes, but otherwise it was sweet that they wanted to keep you safe.

You were sitting in the apartment, doing some odd jobs around the house when it happened. The door to the apartment bursts open and three, hulking, men ran inside. They wore all black and were armed.

“Shit.” You swore in surprise as they came closer.

“Don’t move.” One growled as they came closer. They came towards you slowly and when the first one came too close to you, you turned and punched him in the throat. You quickly followed that up by slamming your palm into his nose and taking his gun. You pistol whipped the man hard enough that he fell to the ground, unmoving.

You spun around to face the other two and cocked the gun in your hands. “Get the fuck out of my house.” You growled, staring down the remaining two. They both had a look of surprise on their faces when you too down their friend but schooled their expression when you turned to them.

“Not without you.” One said with a grim face.

“Just fucking try it.” You snarled. One made launched forward and attempted to knock the weapon out of your hands. You dodged to the side, whipped the gun out and hit him on the back of the head, he fell into the counter and before you could spin to face the other, a shot rang out.

You let out a cry of pain, as you fell to your knees and grabbed at your side where you could feel the blood pooling under your hands.

“Should’ve fucking known the solider and widow’s girl would be able to handle herself.” The man muttered as he moved towards you. Gritting your teeth, you scrambled towards the gun you dropped when the door slammed open again.

Three more people ran in, but they were different to the men. They were avengers. Captain America, Black Widow and the White Wolf, formally the Winter Solider. But there was something else about them that was different to them, specifically to the Black Widow and the White Wolf.

“Holy shit.” You breathed as you realized exactly who they were. Your Natalia, your James. Steve Rogers and Natalia ran forward to disarm and subdue the remaining man as James ran over to you.

“Doll, doll, look at me.” James said as he lifted you into his arms, ensuring he was clutching at your injury. You hissed but he didn’t move his hand only murmured apologies as he ran out the apartment with you.

“James, what about Nat?” You whispered weakly, as he made it onto the roof, were a small jet was waiting.

“She’ll be fine, doll, trust me. She’s the Black Widow.” He replied as he laid you carefully onto a bench. He lifted your shirt to look at the wound and made quick work as another man came over. Hawkeye.

“You never told me this is what you meant by security.” You said quietly, a loopy smile gracing your face.

“I’m so sorry doll.” Bucky whispered, grasping one of your hands tightly.

“S’okay.” You murmured before the dark spots became too many, and you drifted out.

 You awoke to a steady beeping. You lifted your head to find yourself in a too white, hospital room. Looking down you saw an IV in your hand and your side wrapped tightly with bandages that were stained red. You were attempting to pull the IV out when another hand grasped yours.

“Don’t.” You heard as you looked up and saw James and Natalia. They both looked tired, but they held small smiles as you looked at them. You leaned back in your bed and let out a long sigh.

“So,” You began. “Are your names even James and Natalia?” You asked, turning your head to your lovers.

“Yes.” Natalia responded. “They’re our real names, but everyone else calls us Natasha and Bucky.”

“God.” You laughed as your eyes began to sting with tears. “How did I not notice?” You questioned as Natalia, or Natasha, grabbed your hand and James, Bucky grabbed your chin.

“Doll, we’re sorry. We wanted to tell you but,” Bucky started with a somber expression but was cut off.

“We were scared.” Nat interjected. “We were scared that when you knew who we were and what we did, you wouldn’t love us anymore.”

“I would never stop loving you just because of who you were. I feel in love with you because of who you are.”

“Do you hate us?” Bucky whispered, gazing at you softly.

“Of course not.” You smiled, clasping his hand and squeezing Nat’s. “I love you. Always have, always will.”

“We love you too, красотка.” Nat said with a beautiful smile. she kissed you first and then Bucky repeated her actions.

“Wait just one more thing.” You said pulling back slightly, with a small smirk.

“What is it doll?” Bucky asked with a slightly worried glance. 

“Do I get to meet your friends now, or not?” You asked smirking. The two looked at you for a minute before laughing, loudly.

“Of course doll face.” Bucky responded with a smile.

Show feedback. Buy me a coffee. 

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Love Isn’t Always On Time Part Nine

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

Notes: Slightly shorter chapter this week

Not beta-read

Summary: The spring of 1942 was almost like a dream. Warnings: None?

Rating: T (this may change)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader x Bucky Barnes

Steve would’ve had to be an idiot to not notice the stony silence that persisted between Bucky and myself for the next week. He didn’t hover around me in the kitchen, or talk me into taking a spin around the living room. We barely spoke to one another, except where Steve was concerned. I couldn’t look Bucky in the eye; I could barely look at Steve, either.

“So we’re just not gonna talk about it?” Steve’s words were stifling in the already small kitchen. I didn’t answer, instead pushing my food around the plate in an attempt to cool it. Bucky let out a quiet, warning, “Steve.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I said. I could feel their eyes on me, but I was determined not to meet their gazes.

“Sure there is. You and Bucky kissed.” Steve’s tone had the flatness of a man discussing the weather forecast.

“It didn’t mean anything,” I said.

“To you,” Came Bucky’s mumble. My eyes lifted then, taking in the sour features of the man sitting across from me.

“Excuse me?” I asked softly.

“To you. It didn’t mean anything to you. No offense, but I’d rather you not speak for me, doll.” I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest defensively.

“Well, what did it mean to you, James?” He bristled at the use of his first name, sitting up and mirroring my pose.

“I thought we were getting somewhere.”

“I didn’t know there was anywhere to get to.”

“Oh come on,” Bucky scoffed.

“Buck, if she doesn’t feel the same way as us, it’s alright,” Steve reasoned, resting his hand on Bucky’s arm. Bucky didn’t glanced over at Steve, some of the tension dropping from his face.

“What do you mean, the same way as ‘us’?” I asked slowly. Steve didn’t answer at first, sharing another look with Bucky. I almost hated it when they did that; I felt on the outside, like I wasn’t being let in on a good joke.

I watched Steve get out of his seat and step around the table to me. I swore I could feel the nerves rolling off of him in waves. “You know we care about you,” He said. I nodded. “Course. And I care about you guys.” “I know. We know.” His hand reached out to cup my cheek, hesitating and freezing mid air before it finished the journey, thumb skimming my cheekbone. I could feel Bucky watching us, likely as tense as I felt. Steve hinged at the waist, leaning in.

“Steve,” I mumbled, dazed as he grew closer. He met my eyes, tearing his gaze away from my lips, and I hated the fear I saw there. I finished the journey for the both of us, pressing my lips gently to his. He grunted in surprise before he relaxed a little. I reached out, gripping one of his suspenders to keep him from pulling away. He rested his forehead against mine, smiling as the kiss broke. “I think she likes us, Buck,” He teased. “I can see that, Stevie.” I turned my head to see Bucky looking relieved. I gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry about this week.” He shook his head, waving me off. “Not like either of us handled it particularly well, babydoll.” He paused, glancing at Steve, then back at me. “You’re gonna have to let him go so he can finish his dinner, though.” I reddened, letting go of Steve’s suspender and looking up at him sheepishly. He was red, too, but grinning. He swooped in for one more peck before he returned to his seat.

That night, we found a way to all cram into bed together, a tangle of limbs and sleepy smiles.

——

The spring of 1942 was almost like a dream. I felt like I’d found where I was always meant to be. It wasn’t the year, it was the people (though I wouldn’t lie— I was partial to the Andrew Sisters). Bucky was out of the house first most mornings, cooked breakfast and left some behind for me and Steve. I was the next one up and out, but not before I nudged Steve out of bed to drink some water and eat a little before I left. Steve had classes, and a part time job at a nearby general store. When he wasn’t at either, he’d bring me lunch. Madge liked Steve, told me she was glad to see that I’d settled down with someone, finally, and was eating lunch earlier than I used to. Bucky picked me up from work and walked me home most nights, hand in hand and talking our days over. Evenings were a rotation of who made dinner, who neatened the apartment, and who got to relax. When Bucky, who was working down at the docks, looked particularly tired, Steve and I had an unspoken agreement of who took whatever his shift was that night. He’d often disagree, or try to get us to stop, but he was appeased quickly enough with a kiss and a beer. We sold both beds and bought a bigger one that would fit the three of us more comfortably every night.

Bucky was faster to show physical affection, as he had been before— he often tried to distract me while cooking dinner: cuddling up against me, still kissing my neck, my chin, and my lips now. I became Steve’s second favorite art subject— I was fine with Bucky being his first and foremost, always, hadn’t been expecting it any other way. “Y’alright?” Bucky asked me one night. Steve had long since fallen asleep; Bucky had tired him out while I’d cleaned up the living room; I didn’t ask what it entailed:  Bucky’s wink was explanation enough. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m happy,” I said honestly. Bucky smiled down at me, hair no longer the coiffed perfection I saw when he left for work. “We’re happy, too.” I knew that, but it was good to hear. “Stevie doesn’t say it so much.” Bucky’s eyes drifted to the man behind us. “Him not saying it doesn’t mean he ain’t thinkin’ it, babydoll.” “You can read his mind now?” “Good as. Feels like I’ve known Steve for a hundred years.” I lowered my eyes, tucking my head under Bucky’s chin. Bucky’s hand soothed over my lower back. “Feels like I’ve known you at least fifty,” he added. I snorted, unable to help it. “Go to sleep, Barnes. You’ve got an early shift.” “Yes ma’am,” Bucky mumbled. I fell asleep shortly after he did, head on his chest, my fingers intertwined with Steve’s.

Tag list: @gloryevans @redryderdesigns @winter-scolder @aactuaaltraash; @secretagentben @staplerrrr @moli1497@adayinmymeadow  @allonszassbutt

[banashee]

Part 3 of my @badthingshappenbingo​

prompt: “Accidentally hurt by a friend”.

                    Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

 It starts out like any other, uneventful evening in the tower where all of them are present. Dinner, movie night, falling asleep on the couch - nothing unusual at all.

 That is, until Natasha starts fidgeting and muttering in her sleep. Clint blinks awake, carefully running a hand over her shoulder in a soothing motion.

 But when she doesn’t stop, doesn’t calm and instead, a cold string of Russian flows from her lips, he tenses up and curses out loud in a hushed  voice.

 "Everything okay?“ Steve asks from where he’d been dozing off on Bucky’s shoulder, sounding concerned.

 It causes everyone else to look up as well, just in time for Natasha to tense up, muttering once more in Russian - Bucky tenses as well, since he’s got a pretty good idea of what might be happening. He keeps his eyes locked on her and Clint in understanding, while the expressions of their teammates range from confusion to worry and slowly dawning understanding.

 “I need you all to get out of the room. This might get ugly and too many people here won’t help.”

 Clint sits up, very carefully, and gets his feet on the ground in preparation for what he knows will follow soon - any further questions are cut off, because Natasha shoots up from the couch, angry snarl on her lips and then, without a warning, she kicks Clint into the coffee table with enough force for it to break under him.

 The whole room erupts in chaos - people screaming, wanting to help and unsure what to do. Meanwhile, Clint forces himself up from the floor, blocking the next vicious blows from Natasha as she attacks him in a cold rage. It’s like she doesn’t even recognize him.

 As devastating this whole thing is, it’s over in a matter of just a few minutes - but the room lies in shambles around them, furniture in pieces, shards of glass and spilled drinks on the floor. Blood splattered across a wall and the floor from when she broke Clint’s nose earlier.

 Now, Natasha sits on the ground and in the middle of the wreckage, clearly shaken and very, very silent.

 Her green eyes are filled with pain and sadness, shining suspiciously wet. Clint is sitting in front of her, dried blood on his face and one eye swelling shut - he’s moving very carefully, probably because of some cracked ribs. He’d fought off any attempt in medical care, simply shoving balled up pieces of tissue paper up his nose to stop bleeding all over the place.

 The injuries don’t seem to bother him very much right now, because he keeps talking in the same calm and low tone of voice he’d used the entire time in an attempt to bring Natasha back to herself. He has one hand stretched out in between them, a calm offering of comfort, but Natasha doesn’t take it - not yet, not trusting herself, even now that the red fog in her head has cleared up and she is back to her own self. Back, but shaken.

 The others had, despite that Clint asked them to, not left.

 Usually, they respect each others requests to be left alone, but this is different. No one wanted to leave, too worried about Natasha’s state of mind and too worried about Clint getting seriously hurt to the point where he wouldn’t be able to fight anymore - and he’d refused to fight back, not wanting to hurt his best friend when she wasn’t in control of herself and even more so, refusing to use the trigger words that would stop her.

 As it is, they managed to restrain her with Steve and Thor holding onto her, firm but as non-threateningly as possible while Clint had gotten a chance to catch his breath. He managed talk her down and back to her own self after the nightmare that triggered something in her. Even after she’d calmed down and gotten back to herself, and her friends stopped holding onto her, she’s still holding her arms tightly crossed around herself.

 The team is keeping their distance now, but still worried and hovering. They want to give her privacy,  while still staying close, just in case any of them is needed in some way.

 As a compromise, they pile in the kitchen, where Bucky had gone first to make tea.

 Natasha and him have history that dates back many decades - with her being back in a old mindset, he’d been unsure if his presence would be helpful or make it even worse. So he keeps his distance and keeps busy with preparing a mug of herbal tea with honey, just the way he knows Nat likes.

 Natasha keeps her breathing carefully even. Slowly, she uncurls herself, scooting a little bit closer to Clint and finally taking his hand. The grip is gentle and reassuring - it feels warm, slightly rough and calloused. This is a feeling she’s associated with home for a long time.

 She has told Clint about the trigger words years ago - told them to Phil, too. Just in case something or someone compromised her.

 Neither of them have ever used this knowledge, not wanting to manipulate her. They always managed to bring her back without it.

 Part of Natasha is disappointed that they willingly let her hurt them instead of putting a stop to it with the most efficient way they know, but another, slightly selfish part of her is thankful that they love her enough to try their damn best to bring her back without using any of this delicate knowledge - that they love her enough as to not mess with her mind, even when it would be for the best of everyone else.

 It assures her in her decision to trust them with it in the first place.

 It’s been years since she’s had the last setback into her red room programming - before they even formed the Avengers years, and right now, she’s slowly catching up to the damage she’s done.

 Wrecking their home, probably scaring the team and most of all, hurting her best friend. Natasha feels sick, and wonders if that was it with her new life.

     “What if they hate you for this”    a mean voice in her brain whispers, smug and gloating, rubbing it’s disgusting little hands.

 She doesn’t realize she must have asked this out loud - or maybe not, and Clint just knows her too well to not catch on.

 “Nothing changed. You’re safe and all of us still love you. Promise.”

 Natasha doesn’t answer, but she crosses the distance between them and wraps herself around Clint, holding on for dear life. It must be causing him pain, what with his newly damaged ribs because he can’t suppress a slight flinch at the sudden pressure there, but still, he simply hugs back, holding her close and pressing a kiss into her messy red curls, not letting go of her.

 “I’m sorry I hurt  you.” she mutters into his shoulder.

 “It’s okay, I’ve had worse. Not your fault, Tasha.”

 She wants to disagree, but it won’t get them anywhere. They’ve had this kind of talk many times over the years, so she simply holds on for longer.

 When she finally lets go of Clint, pale and red eyed, there is a travel mug placed on the floor near her, but no one else is in sight. Natasha didn’t even realize it got placed there. It’s something that would usually never happen to her, because she always notices things around her, but this particular set back left her shaken.

 She still recognizes the gesture for what it is. The ghost of a smile crosses her lips, and she takes a careful sip.

 It’s her favourite herbal tea and it tastes perfect - sweet with honey and instantly calming.

 Breathing is a lot easier now.

     The rest of the night, she spends curled up around Clint in his bed. Part of her wants to fight it, too afraid she might slip back again and kill him in his sleep, but the part that wants to accept the offered comfort is stronger this time - they know the drill by now. It always works out, and Natasha wants the company.

 Sleep doesn’t come, but she manages to doze a little bit at least and the next day, she feels a little better and shuffles off to the shower, stealing ancient sweatpants with holes in the knees and a cheesy touristy T-shirt out of Clint’s closet.

 He simply puts a clean, folded towel on top of the pile of clothes, then he makes his way to the kitchen.

 When Natasha joins him there later, she is greeted by the rest of the team. While this kitchen is a lot smaller than the common area downstairs, they all fit around the table - she knows they try and keep her away from that area until the damage is repaired, not wanting to upset her - she’s torn between being annoyed, because she can handle it for god’s sake, and being happy that she won’t have to deal with it.

     “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”     a calm voice in the back of her head gently reminds her, and it is no coincidence that it sounds very much like Phil - she still misses him.

 All of them do.

 But the team is here and everything is the same as always - Clint stands at the stove, cooking while inhaling black coffee straight from the pot. His injuries look worse now that bruises have formed, and some time in the night he actually managed to set his broken nose in place - his face looks horrible right now, a reminder of what she’s done. But she also knows he doesn’t blame her, and most importantly, despite looking banged up, he seems to be otherwise okay.

 A cooking Clint is one who is feeling good, she knows. He’s also occasionally humming along to the song that’s playing faintly in the background, in between sips of coffee and flipping eggs and pancakes.

 Steve, Bucky and Thor set the table, chatting away and greeting her just as happy as always. Bruce chops fruit into a large bowl, looking up with a smile and Tony is propped up against the counter, drinking coffee out of a giant mug and keeping an eye on the waffle iron - the only cooking task they trust him to do without supervision.

 He’s using nicknames just as always, “Red Sonja”, “Itsy Bitsy” and all the other names that keep earning him her elbow into the ribs on a daily basis - it’s a comfort.

 A comfort, and prove for what Clint promised her earlier - nothing changed and they still love her.

 *+~

     Square: Accidentally hurt by a friend  

[frobster]

To Court a Little Spider: Chapter 1

Here it is, the winterspider a/b/o littlespace fic that I've taken forever writing! Chapter 1 is only 2k words so it really should not have taken me so long, but alas.

You're always welcome to comment, talk in the tags, and send me asks about these two!! I thrive on feedback and people offering up other ideas ♡

The ao3 link is here , you're also welcome to leave feedback and ideas there as well.

Enjoy!

☆☆☆

Everyone had their own ways of coping with stress. Some people went to the gym, some made art, some cooked, some tinkered. There was always a flurry of activity on the compound with everyone either gearing up for or winding down from their missions. Peter still lived with his aunt even as he went to college since they didn’t want to pay that extra money for housing. And while he probably could afford it, given his superhero salary, he secretly just wanted to stay home where he had May’s constant support and familiar surroundings. 

There was enough stress in Peter’s life between being a college student and being a superhero that he didn’t want to throw anything new into the mix. But he still had to contend with being an omega and all the uncertainties that came with his designation. His bedroom was a special space where he could go to de-stress and avoid some of the triggers and annoyances that always seemed to invade his life.

When puberty hit years ago and Peter presented as an omega, he already felt sensitive to the fast-paced world around him. Getting bit by the radioactive spider and having his senses cranked up even higher was a painful adjustment that he still struggled with some days. It all became even worse during his heats, when May had to practically sound-proof and scent-proof his room to help him keep from getting too overwhelmed. 

But for the most part, Peter had his own way of coping that helped him just like everyone else. He was a little hesitant about telling the team at first, worried people would react poorly. There was a lot of secrecy for a while, sneaking around and only letting himself relax either when he was alone on the compound or when he was home with May. His aunt knew and she supported him as well as she could, but she knew he needed a more personal, intimate form of care that she was unable to provide.

Peter had some sort of naive hope that once he was open about his coping method with the rest of the team, he could find someone willing to offer that level of care. Someone who could hold him and comfort him, take care of him in every way. He longed for someone to be both his partner and his caregiver; to tuck him in for naps and take him to bed for reasons other than sleeping.

As time passed and these needs grew, Peter didn't find the same level of calm or peace in his normal activities. Puzzles became tedious, coloring became boring, his snacks didn't hold that same novelty as they used to. He stopped allowing himself to be soft and tried to force himself to muscle through his stress. Whether the stress came from classes, from fighting petty crime, or just from being a pedestrian in New York City. Stress was a constant input in Peter's life and it didn't take long for him to feel close to crumbling.

So when a day came when the majority of the team was finally at the compound, since it seemed impossible to get everyone in the same place at the same time, Peter requested a meeting. He wouldn’t tell them what the meeting was for, but he stressed its importance and told them to take what he said as seriously as possible.

While everyone assembled in the common room, Peter paced around. He had to burn off his restless anxiety somehow or he would end up chickening out. This was such an important part of his life and how he handled his stress, he wouldn’t be able to handle them rejecting him.

But finally everyone was there, and even seemed a little worried about him.

“Okay, so, I know everyone here has their ways of coping with stress and all that,” he started, no longer pacing but still fidgeting in place. 

Steve and Bucky were sitting side-by-side on a two-person couch, and Natasha, Clint, and Bruce were sitting on a larger couch. Tony, Sam, Thor, and others were off working elsewhere. He felt he could trust the people who were gathered around so his fear lessened slightly as they nodded in understanding.

“Well,” Peter continued, hesitating slightly. “Um. The way I typically cope with my stress, anxiety, all that, is..” He trailed off again and shrugged. May took to it so well. She didn’t quite understand at first, but they did research together and she tried her best. That was no guarantee the others would take it just as well.

“You can tell us,” Steve prompted gently, giving Peter a reassuring smile. Peter nodded and took a deep breath before continuing.

“Okay. I regress. Like, age regressing,” he finally admitted, his scent spiking with anxiety when he finally said it out loud. Bucky and Natasha both shifted and sat up, leaning forward like they wanted to reach out and reassure Peter. Their alpha instincts were likely screaming at them to comfort the distressed omega, and Bucky looked like he was fighting particularly hard to stay in his seat.

“If you guys don’t know what that is, that’s understandable. It isn’t exactly a popular thing. And because of that, I’ve been worried about telling you guys. There‘s a big stigma around age regressing and littlespace and all those similar topics, and I didn’t want you guys to hate me or be disgusted or uncomfortable with it. But I hate having to leave every time I get stressed out, and I'm stressed out all the time. 

“May knows, she���s been with me from the beginning with all this. We did our research together and she helped me figure this all out. But she has her own life too and our schedules don’t line up very often so she can’t really take care of me like I need. I don’t want to be a burden so you guys don’t have to feel some sort of need to take care of me, I just wanted to let you guys know before you catch me, I dunno, hiding in a blanket nest with apple slices and watching Disney Kids wondering what the hell was wrong with me.”

Peter finally took a deep breath after his rambling. His scent was still stressed and his cheeks went red both from embarrassment and from talking for so long with barely taking a breath. Clint was nodding in understanding, Bruce didn’t look all that surprised, Steve looked thoughtful. Natasha and Bucky still looked like they wanted to comfort Peter somehow, and there seemed to be an unexpected glint of compassion in Bucky’s eyes as he looked at Peter. That look didn’t help his blush fade at all, and he started fidgeting in place again as he waited for an answer.

“Well, that’s alright,” Clint finally said, looking completely relaxed. Natasha glanced over at Clint and smiled before she relaxed too, reaching out a hand to rest on his knee.

“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that. We’ll do anything you need, anything to help,” she added.

Seeing the pair so relaxed and accepting immediately put the thought of caring parents into Peter’s head, and he was actually surprised at himself for having such a reaction. But he managed to nod, and he started to feel a little encouraged too. If they voiced their acceptance, hopefully the others would follow their lead.

“I agree. Age regression is a relatively normal way of coping with extreme stress, which you seem to have,” Bruce said, somehow being both clinical and reassuring at the same time. Peter smiled at his answer.

“Whatever helps, kid,” Steve finally said with his own smile. Steve was the only other omega in the room and his acceptance actually helped Peter the most. He wanted them to have some solidarity, some sort of connection. 

The only person who had yet to respond was Bucky. Peter turned to look at him, nerves creeping back into him. He fidgeted and picked at the hem of his shirt, unsure how he would react if Bucky said anything negative. The others had all accepted him, but Bucky had been a wild card ever since he joined the team and Peter didn’t know what to expect. 

“You said we didn’t need to feel obligated to take care of you. But do you want us to take care of you?” Bucky asked. His tone was level enough that Peter wasn’t sure how he should answer, but that gentle look was still on his face so Peter decided to be completely honest rather than attempting to pick the ‘right’ answer.

“Yeah, yeah I would like that. May can’t really drop everything and rush home when I want someone to make mac and cheese for me,” Peter answered with a slight shrug.

Clint laughed under his breath and Steve grinned. Bucky was the one who looked thoughtful this time, and he nodded slowly as he looked over Peter. The attention made him shy away and he turned back to the other couch instead. Until Bucky spoke up again.

"Is there anything in particular you would want from us?" Bucky was the only one still leaning forward and he seemed like he was making mental notes of everything Peter said.

There was a spark of hope in Peter's chest but he wouldn't let it grow yet. Bucky had never been particularly attentive to him. They got along as teammates do, but he wouldn't really call them friends, not like MJ and Ned.

"Uh, um.. I guess just.. be there for me? I don't like being alone when I regress," Peter stammered out. He did want more, he wanted to truly be cared for. But he wasn't about to outright ask for that when he just admitted to his regression.

Bucky nodded in thought, only focused on Peter and what he was saying. The rest of the room could've been empty for all he acknowledged the other people there. Peter found himself swaying in place like he was drawn to Bucky, had an urge to step closer, but he fought it back. That wasn't appropriate. Bucky was likely only asking these questions so the others also had the information. 

“Of course. We won't leave you alone. Is there anything we should get for you, so we’re prepared? You mentioned mac and cheese, apple slices, blanket forts. Those are easy enough to get. You could send us a list, or just leave one out. I’m sure it’ll be obvious enough when someone stumbles across it,” Bucky added with a smile, finally officially showing his acceptance. 

The relief that flooded through Peter was palpable even to Clint and Bruce, the two betas in the room. Everyone smiled and Peter nodded as he visibly perked up, his whole mood lifting as he realized that everyone was okay with his coping mechanism and were completely willing to help him.

It was a surprise to have Bucky so willing to help, so eager to help somehow. Even if he would only be gathering information and working behind the scenes since he never seemed very tactile or outwardly caring, Peter appreciated it.

“Yeah!” Peter’s voice cracked and he blushed again at his own excitement, especially since he didn't want to dive in too quickly, but Bucky laughed and shook his head, looking completely adoring of the young omega. “Yeah, I can make a list. Then you guys gotta find it,” he added with his own grin.

Peter lingered in place for a moment in case anyone had any questions before darting off again. He grabbed his backpack, since he did bring some of his supplies in case everything went well. Since it was still nice outside, he intended to lay out a blanket and sit under a tree, maybe read or maybe nap until it got too dark to be outside. 

He intended to start his list, and maybe make one of activities too. Maybe puzzles would be more interesting again. Maybe he could put his drawings up on the common room fridge with colorful magnets. The possibilities swirled in his head and his chest fluttered with warmth. Peter felt hopeful, relaxed, far less terrified about the future and finding a new way to cope.

The meeting went well and he was actually looking forward to telling the others so he wouldn’t have to hide or awkwardly try to explain himself if they unknowingly found him in littlespace since he sometimes struggled with words when he regressed. There was just one thing that he wasn’t entirely sure about with going forward: Why did Bucky react the way he did?

☆☆☆

@leisurelypanda @spider-lovin

@problematic-trauma @quietgayguy

[space-helen]

Forever

Words: 3547

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Steve and the reader knew each other before the war. They’ve been through a lot together including the enlistment process, project rebirth and fighting Schmidt. 

A/N: So the summary is really bad and I also think the fic is very weak in places but I’m going to put that down to the fact I haven’t watched the movie in like a year and the writing break I took. I actually enjoyed writing this though and I’m proud so I hope you enjoy!

Request: Can I request a Steve one-shot, where he falls in love with Bucky's twin sister (and vice versa? Since Reader is patriotic too, she tried to enlist everywhere, just like Steve, and eventually got approved to be the second candidate for Project Rebirth (making her the second super-soldier). Before Steve and Bucky go on their last mission as Howling Commandos, Steve proposes to her + they also go on ice together in the end. - @witch-of-letters

____________________

You picked up the enlistment form from the table. You couldn’t even remember how many you’d filled out, most of the enlistment officers had laughed in your face when you turned up, saying you couldn’t enlist because you were a woman. It was worth another shot though surely? After all, if your twin brother, Bucky, could get in why couldn’t you?

Walking out of the cafe you began heading home, after searching through your bag to find your keys you looked up to see two familiar figures walking out of an alley. “Bucky? Steve?” they turned to face you.

“Y/N” Bucky replied, a smile on his face, Steve stood next to him adjusting his jacket. As you approached them you opened your arms for a hug from Bucky.  

“So want to explain why you two were down a back alley?” you let your eyes run over Steve’s face, seeing his obviously busted lip and dried blood from his nose.

“Well. Steve here was about to get his ass handed to him, but thankfully someone turned up in time to stop that happening.” Bucky said rolling his eyes.

“I said I had it under control. The guy was being an idiot, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Bucky unwrapped his arm from you and ruffled Steve's hair. “Sure you did pal, sure. Anyway, I’ve got to run.” Bucky turned and hugged you “Walk Y/N home would ya Steve? I’ll see you both later.” he patted Steve on the shoulder before heading off in the opposite direction. The fleeting conversation was nothing new from your brother.

The two of you made general conversation as you walked the couple blocks before moving onto how you were going to miss your brother, your voice slightly cracking as you spoke about him leaving. “Y/N it’s alright, Bucky’s going to be ok. Besides you have me here if you need anything.”

You smiled and looked into Steve’s eyes “thanks, Steve." "I know Bucky means a lot to you too, being your best friend and all.”

“Yeah I’ll miss him but he’ll be home soon enough.”

The two of you went silent for a bit. “How’s enlistment going for you?” you asked.

“Same old same old I guess. No one wants me as usual. Trying again tomorrow.” the two of you stopped outside your apartment.

“Me too, I filled the paperwork out today and everything.” you pulled the sheets of paper out of your handbag.

“Guess you’re not having much luck either?”

“Apparently no one wants a woman to fight. Who woulda thought?” you laughed.

“Well you’d make a great addition, you’re the strongest woman I know, determined with a heart of gold. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.”

The heat rushed to your face “Thank’s Steve it really means a lot. Same goes for you, you’re special you know, destined for great things.”

Steve laughed “Well they’re missing out on the dream team then aren’t they? I guess it’s their loss.” there was a short pause “Well you best be getting inside, I’ll see you later?”

You hugged the man. “See you later.”

You made your way to the enlistment office. You were late and you felt guilty since you said you'd meet Steve. Walking inside you scanned the sea of shirtless men for Steve, people whistling at you as you took steps further into the room. Before long a shorter thin figure standing up caught your eye. You felt even more guilty now, you hadn't even been able to talk to the man before he went in. Nonetheless, you quickly registered before taking a seat where Steve was just sat.

A while later your name was called, standing you walked towards the private rooms when Steve and a grey-haired man, with circular glasses and no white doctors jacket, exited a room and approached the desk. Puzzled you continued walking. Just as you reached the doorway Steve’s eyes caught yours “Is everything ok?” you asked. The man with him turned and smiled at you before leaving Steve’s side.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Go, I’ll be right here when you come out. I’ll explain it all then.” Steve replied as a man in a white coat was trying to guide you into the room.

As always the process went quickly, the examination officer commenting on how maybe you weren’t the best fit for the front, this one specifically seemed against women fighting especially when he said “We don’t need your type on the front. Why are you even bothering to waste our time?”

You shifted on the bed. “What do you mean by my type? Is it because I’m a woman? I care about the lives being lost out there, I want to help.”

The man looked up from his clipboard. “How about you just go home and cook yourself up some dinner? Take your mind off things."

Grabbing your coat and handbag you left the room before practically running out of the enlistment office. Steve hot on your tail. “Y/N!” you kept moving wanting to get as far away from the office as possible “Y/N, wait up will ya?”

Stopping you turned to see Steve come to a halt in front of you, clearly out of breath. The first thing Steve noticed was the tears building up in your reddened eyes. He felt a weight on his chest he hated seeing you upset "What was that all about? Are you ok?"

You looked away from the man before looking back the tears now heavily flowing. "They didn't accept me again." You stammered out "the guy was … he was so rude Steve…"

"Hey." He put a hand on your arm "hey, it's alright. That guy's a jerk. Calm down alright?"

You wiped the tears from your face a couple still falling "I just want to help."

"I know you do. Come here." The man opened his arms up for a hug and you accepted. Burying your head into his neck. He'd always had a heart of gold and been there for you alongside Bucky. Steve soothingly rubbed circles into your back as you stood there in each other's arms.

"Thank you." You whispered as you pulled away.

"No problem at all. I'm here for you." The man said as his eyes scanned your beautiful features.

The two of you began walking side by side, towards your place. "So who was that guy who came out of the room with you?"

Steve looked at you before looking back in front of him, knowing he had to tell you the truth. "He came into my examination and they're giving me a chance. He said that maybe there are enough big guys out there fighting and it's time to give the little guys a go." He paused "so yeah he authorised my application. After grilling me about my multiple enlistment attempts that is."

You laughed "Steve that's amazing. I knew you could do it."

"And I have no doubt you will be able to too. Please don't give up"

You could see your apartment "I wasn't planning on it. I'll keep trying even if it kills me. I can't be here helpless but no one will listen."

"You're voice will be heard. You'll make a change, your special." The two of you stopped outside your apartment your eyes locking together for a moment. Your heart skipped a beat.

Steve coughed to break the silence "well looks like this is you." He awkwardly spoke turning away from you.

"Yeah, this is me I guess." You took a step towards your door before turning around "I am happy for you Steve. You're perfect and really deserve this chance." You could see the man blushing "I'll see you tomorrow or something? Come over or call me."

"Yeah see you soon. Have a nice evening."

"And you Steve."

With that Steve watched as you entered your apartment before heading towards his own.

You hadn't seen Steve in weeks, maybe even months. The last time you'd seen him was after your last failed enlistment attempt when he dropped you home. You were worried.

Then out of the blue, you received a call from him a week later and since then he’d been calling you once to twice a week. Originally talking about his training and then slowly not being able to talk about much his side. Saying it was classified information and that he'd changed. Just from subtle things over the phone, you could tell he'd changed but you didn't know how. He was still that caring person you'd fallen for before he left.

Hanging up you moved away from the payphone and towards the enlistment office. Today was the day again. Another enlistment attempt, but this time was different you didn't have Bucky or Steve with you.

After registering you didn't have to wait long before you were called up. Walking into the room with the open curtain you sat on the bed. The man saying he'd be right back. That was when a soldier walked in and held the curtain for another man. The man that was with Steve. He nodded towards the soldier who left and closed the curtains. Unsettled you shifted on the bed.

"Hello Y/N, my name is Doctor Abraham Erskine. You may have seen me before?"

You nodded "yes I think I have."

"Well, answer me one question. Why do you keep applying?"

You fiddled with your hands, oh God you were in trouble "I just… I can't help but think of all those people out there losing their lives. I want to help out, I want to be heard. There must be alternative methods for winning than the great amounts of bloodshed. There are so many people out there fighting, it might not be the best method but if it's the only one we have right now I want to do it alongside them and maybe work towards something better, help them maybe not make as many mistakes. Be an extra pair of hands and brain to help out." You laughed "Also apparently no one expects a woman on the front so why not? Might trip up a couple people."

You finally looked up at the man who had a sparkle in his eyes and a small smirk on his face. "Well, Miss I agree with you and want to give you the chance. Your friend Mr Roger's said you were determined, had a heart of gold, wanted to make a change, help people in any way you could, were selfless and recommended you for project rebirth, and from what I've seen and looked into you're exactly who we're looking for, for our second candidate."

"What's project rebirth?"

"I cannot divulge too much information but Mr Roger's is currently on the project, he was our first candidate. You would need to do a series of training before we move onto other things."

Steve was on this project. He'd told you he'd changed and you didn't know how. Would the same happen to you? You turned it over in your head before coming to a decision "I'd be more than happy to participate."

The man smiled and shook your hand "Welcome to project rebirth." He scribbled something in your file and the two of you left the room as he stamped your file. "Pack some bags someone will be around to collect you in the morning."

"Thank you, Doctor Erskine."

The training had been going well so far, now you were here, a couple of weeks later ready for what he was calling the ‘rebirth’ to happen. Earlier today you’d had an in-depth conversation with him, he explained how Steve went through the rebirth too and the serum changed him and would change you too. He spoke about how they’d adapted the serum a little bit and didn’t exactly know the extent of the changes that would happen to you but they hoped that they wouldn’t be as extreme. The Doctor mentioned the words super soldier a couple of times but didn’t go into much detail. This all worried you but you’d come this far you couldn’t turn back now? You’d been calling Steve almost daily since starting the training, telling him about all of the different session you’d been having with Agent Carter.

Hearing someone enter the room you looked up from where you were sat on the bed, if you could even call it that, as you peered over to the door you saw a rather bulky, tall, blond man enter the room. You stared at the familiar face for a second before you realised who it was. “Steve?” you rushed over to the man, him capturing you in a tight embrace. “I’ve missed you,” you spoke into his chest.

His arm moved to the back of your head and cradled you close, bending down he placed a kiss into your hair. “I’ve missed you too.”

“They said you changed but I didn’t realise it was like this. I thought it was going to be loads of tattoos or something.” you laughed pulling away, receiving a laugh in return as the man tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

Dr Erskine appeared next to you “Y/N it’s time.”

Walking over to the bed you lay down and turned your head to look at Steve, “Going to be completely truthful, I’m scared.”

He reached over and held your hand as someone injected something into your shoulder. “Truthfully it will hurt. You can stop it at any time though just say so. Remember project rebirth isn’t about the physical traits it’s about the mindset. Also, you’re so much luckier than me you don’t have an audience.”

You nodded and looked at the ceiling “Ok I’m ready.” closing your eyes you felt something cover your chest and arms before everything became a blur. Steve watched from the side of the room, worry painted all over his face. It hurt him thinking that you were going through the same pain he went through not that long ago.

Before you knew it, it was over, you stumbled out of the device before being caught by Steve. “How’d you feel?”

“Warm” you laughed before you were taken away to conduct a couple of tests.

A while later you were reunited with Steve, the two of you talked about your new abilities and what that meant for the both of you. Steve telling you the things that he had learnt and how he’d been reunited with Bucky. Dr Erskine entered the room and took a seat near you. “The serum appears to have worked in a similar way to how it did on Steve without changing your appearance. You are as strong and fast as him but do not appear any different than before you went through the rebirth.”

You laughed “At least I won’t need to buy a new wardrobe I guess.”

Steve smiled and Erskine nodded his head “Unfortunately we are unable to carry on with training like before as you’re needed out on the front immediately as you’re one of our biggest assets right now. After all, who would suspect a woman?” the man cheekily said.

Seeing Bucky for the first time in a while was a rollercoaster of emotions at first you practically sprinted at the man, nearly knocking him over on impact when you brought him into a tight hug. After embracing for a while you broke down in tears reflecting on how much you truly missed your brother. But now everything was back to normal, the two of you laughing and joking as you normally would back home. Even if you were in a battle situation.

Sitting just outside of camp on a log you were mentally preparing yourself for the next mission with the howling commandos. You’d been on a couple before but you had a feeling that this one was going to be different. You were lost in your thoughts until a small cough from beside you brought you out of them. You immediately knew it was Steve before he even spoke. “May I sit with you?”

Nodding the man took a seat next to you. The two of you had become very close as of late and then Steve finally asked you out a couple of weeks ago and you’d been dating ever since, but it all felt so natural as if you’d been dating for years. “I’m worried Steve.”

The man put his arm around you and brought you into his side “Why? Talk to me?”

“I just have a very weird feeling about this one. It’s probably nothing.”

“If you have a bad feeling. We’ll be extra careful on this one.”

“Thanks.” you tilted your head up to kiss the man. Before the two of you sat in silence for a while, just listening to your surroundings. Steve took in every second of it, the feeling of you in his arms and the peace he felt in this moment. It was rare that the two of you had moments like these.

You shifted in his arms and stood. “We should probably be getting back.” you started slowly walking back, hoping he’d walk with you.

“Y/N wait.” turning around you saw Steve approach you quickly. “I’ve been thinking… I feel like this is the right thing to do but others might not agree. It’s probably not the right time either. I’ve asked Bucky but…”

“Just spit it out Steve,” you said with a small laugh.

“Marry me?” the words came out quickly and you were stuck there in shock. “Obviously not right now. When we get home? After all of this is over.”

You moved towards the man and grabbed his hand he looked up from the floor to meet your eyes “Of course I will Steve. I’ve loved you since way before the war even started.”

Steve’s face lit up before he grabbed you around the waist for an embrace and spun you around. Putting you on the ground he looked panicked. “I almost forgot.” reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small normal-looking cigarette box. “Sorry, it's nothing nicer. I’m so unprepared I was going to find a nicer box for it. When ma’ gave me the ring it didn’t have a box so I used what I could find on the street. Uh, yeah its a street box but let's forget about that.” he opened the box and presented you with the simplest, most beautiful ring you’d ever seen. “It’s not a lot but it’s from my ‘ma. She wanted me to give this to the person I want to spend the rest of my life with and that’s you.”

Steve took your hand and placed the ring on your finger. “Steve it’s beautiful.” Putting your arms around the man’s waist for one more embrace he brought you close before leaning down and placing a tender kiss into your hair.

“Let’s head back.”

“I’ve got to put her in the water,” Steve spoke as you fiddled with a panel trying to disarm some of the bombs but nothing was working.

“Please don't do this, we have time we can work this out.” Peggy’s voice came over the comm

“Right now we’re in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are going to die.” you rushed towards Steve as quickly as you could, a limp slowing you down. In the fight against Schmidt, you’d taken a beating. Trying your best to both stabilise the ship and neutralize the man.

Joining him at the front of the aircraft you saw the problem on the screen and just nodded towards Steve, there was nothing else that could be done. This was for the greater good.

“Peggy, this is our choice,” Steve spoke before he aimed the aircraft towards the sea. He turned his head to look at you before capturing your lips in what could be your last kiss. There was very little likelihood you’d survive this. The kiss was hungry and sad as tears streamed down both of your cheeks.

Pulling away you spoke. “Peggy?”

“I’m here.” you could hear the tears in her voice. She’d been a very good friend to the both of you.

“Once this is over we’re going to need to go out to celebrate. Maybe dancing? After we go bridesmaid dress shopping.” your voice cracked midway through.

“Alright. A week next Saturday at the stalk club. 7 O’clock on the dot don’t be late.”

“We’ll be there.”

“You know I still don’t know how to dance.” Steve joked a small sad laugh came from you

“Just be there, the both of you” Peggy whispered.

Steve ended the transmission with Peggy and looked at you one last time, his blue eyes locking with yours. His eyes filled with tears much like your own.

He turned to look back out of the window as you slid your hand down his shoulder to grab his hand tightly. The other ready to brace yourself on the back of the chair. He brought your hand to his mouth as the ground came closer. “I love you Steve” you sobbed out.

his grip on your hand tightened “I love you Y/N. Forev-”  Tag List: (open)

Let me know if you want to be added to a Steve x reader or marvel tag list :)

[ghostburs-blue]

Lost and Found

Part Six

The next morning, Aiden woke up to an unfamiliar room. Instantly, her senses were on high alert as she looked around, then relaxed as she remembered where she was. She walked into the bathroom and found a new toothbrush waiting for her on the counter, along with toothpaste, a hairbrush, and some lotion. Aiden smiled, then noticed a little note left next to the items.

Ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to take you to the 2nd floor for breakfast. We should all be down there until around 10:30, but if you wake up late that’s fine. You had a long night and need rest.

Love,

The Avengers

Aiden grinned at the note, then got ready with all the products they had left out. Checking the time, she saw that it was 9:30, meaning that everyone was still down there. Walking out of her room, Aiden asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to take her to the 2nd floor, just like the note said. F.R.I.D.A.Y. gave her directions to the nearest elevator, then took her to the designated floor.

Stepping out into the living room, she was met with a… messy sight.

Someone had cooked pancakes (Aiden guessed Tony if the Iron Man shape was any clue), and while decorating them, things seemed to get out of hand. There was whipped cream in Sam and Bucky’s hair, maple syrup on Steve and Peter’s shirts, smoothie splatters all over Clint and Tony, and fresh fruit strewn across the room. The only ones who were relatively clean were Natasha, Wanda, and Vision, who were simply watching the situation with an amused look on their faces.

Steve was standing up from his spot on the ground when Sam thought it would be a good idea to throw a glob of whipped cream at him; he ducked, and it hit Aiden square in the face.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as Aiden slowly wiped the whipped cream off. She looked down at the white substance in her hand, then up at Sam’s terrified gaze. Without a second thought, she charged.

--

One intense chasing around the building later, Aiden and everyone else had settled down enough to eat breakfast. Halfway through the meal, Aiden raised her head and asked, “So, what are we doing today? I know Petey over here can’t really do anything,” she stopped and nudged Peter, “but I really want to have a good training session today.”

Tony opened his mouth as if to say something, but Nat beat him to it. “I actually want to see you in action, and I’m sure all of these guys do too.” There was a chorus of murmurs and agreements. “Tell you what, train with me, at 2. The rest of them can watch. Then we can judge how advanced you truly are and maybe even what you can do for us.” With that, Nat put her finished plate of breakfast in the sink and walked away, leaving Aiden staring at her, eyes wide.

Finally, she sputtered out, “Wha- What does she mean do something for you guys? Someone! Give me answers!” She looked around the table as everyone just laughed and shook their heads.

“For such a smart girl, you really are an idiot,” Sam snickered, promptly causing Aiden to punch him.

The rest of the day until two in the afternoon went by too slowly for Aiden’s liking, so she decided to explore the tower, wandering around every floor. She quickly learned that every Avenger had an entire floor to themselves, even Peter. She had been staying on Wanda’s floor. The tower was separated into sections: Tony’s lab, Bruce’s lab, the medbay, the workshop, and all the “business” floors were at the bottom. Then came the common floor, where they had group movie nights and where the common kitchen was. After that started the floors housing the Avengers. Every floor had a huge master bedroom, an attached master bath (also huge), a smaller guest room, a kitchen, and a living room. Above all of the residential floors were the training floors, filled with gym equipment from treadmills to boxing cages.

Much to Aiden’s delight, she discovered a pool and jacuzzi on the roof, and that’s where she decided to spend the rest of the day. It had been a while since Aiden had spent a day at the pool, so with the accompaniment of a bunch of stolen snacks from the kitchen, she relaxed in the pool, letting the cool water soothe her body.

No one bothered her, making it the perfect time for her to think about everything that had happened in the last 12 hours. She had discovered Peter Parker, the shy boy next door, was Spider-Man, saved his life by stitching him up, met the Avengers, eaten breakfast with them, and is now going to train with them?! Her life had literally turned upside down overnight, and Aiden was happy for it to stay like that.

At around one, Aiden decided to get out of the pool and get ready for training. She quickly dried herself off and made her way to her room, showering and putting on a sports bra and some athletic shorts. She walked over to Wanda’s room next door and knocked, waiting until it swung open to reveal a pleasantly surprised face. Two, actually. Nat was lounging on the bed and looked up as Aiden walked in.

“I really need to talk to you guys,” Aiden started, and it was obvious that she was flustered. Wanda frowned and pulled her onto the bed. Taking a deep breath, she started, “I- I think I like someone. No, I know that I like someone.”

Wanda and Nat both exchanged a knowing look, then, at the same time, stated, “Peter.”

Aiden hung her head and nodded. Then, she looked up. Confused, she asked, “How did you guys know? I thought I hid it well?”

Nat and Wanda both laughed. “Girl, it’s obvious! He likes you too, and he’s probably talking to the guys about it right now. He trusted you with his life, Aiden. You mean a lot to him, and it’s obviously reciprocated. Just, give yourselves some time to figure everything out, okay? We don’t want to see either of you getting hurt because of some stupid miscommunication. Just be careful,” Nat told Aiden, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort the girl.

Aiden smiled. “Thanks, guys. We should probably get going to train now, huh?” Wanda and Nat smiled and nodded.

Making their way up to the main training floor, Aiden felt the nerves start to settle in. She felt her palms getting clammy and she started fidgeting with her hands. When Nat noticed and asked if she was okay, Aiden lied and said she was fine.

A few minutes and one hidden nervous breakdown later, they made it to the ring where they would be fighting each other. Aiden and Nat both started stretching before anyone else made it up to the room. Nat headed over to the punching bag and started warming up, while Aiden stood at the bar, deepening her stretching while watching Natasha’s fighting style.

Nat swung hard and fast, but her stances weren’t defensive. Aiden, on the other hand, was much more graceful, using her past experience as a ballerina and a gymnast to her full capacity.

Finally, everyone filed in and Nat and Aiden headed over to the ring, climbing in.

Suddenly, Aiden’s nerves disappeared and she calmed down, settling in her element. Peter noticed the shift and called out, “You’re going to do great Aiden!”

Looking over, she took her gaze off of Natasha, sliding it over to Peter. Nat took advantage of her distraction and threw a punch, saying, “Rule number one: Never take your eyes off your oppo-”

She was cut off by Aiden turning her gaze back to Nat and grabbing her fist. Aiden twisted it and flung Natasha to the ground, successfully pinning her arm down. Nat used her other hand to punch Aiden’s stomach, but Aiden rolled out of the way. Unfortunately, she let go of Natasha’s arm, and they both sprung back up, circling each other.

Again, Nat rushed towards her, attempting to push out the legs from under Aiden. Aiden backflipped, straightening her legs to kick Nat in the face, causing her to stumble back. Aiden landed in a crouch and immediately rushed forward, jumping on top of Nat’s shoulder and bringing her arms down on her head. Nat fell back onto the rings of the fighting cage, causing Aiden to tumble off of her. Natasha smirked and walked over, pinning her down.

Nat opened her mouth to say something, but Aiden grabbed her arm and flipped her over, throwing Nat onto her back.

Both of them simply lay there, breathing heavily, until they remembered that they had an audience. They sat up and looked out to the rest of the crowd; they were all staring at them with shocked faces.

Then, Tony stepped forward, slow clapping. “Holy- Steve, cover the kid’s ears- shit. That was incredible.” He turns to Aiden. “Kid, you got tons of potential. I mean, you managed to take out a trained assassin, and you’re what? 15? 16? That’s absolutely insane.” He pauses. “Tell you what, I want you to train with us. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll come on missions with us. But I see the spark that’s in you; it’s the same that I see when I look at Peter. I’m not letting you screw this up for yourself.” He points to Natasha, Bucky, and Steve. “I want you three to train her, okay?” Then he points to Aiden. “Every day after school, I want you to come here with Peter. You can do homework and whatever shit here, I don’t care. But now? You’re part of the family Aiden. Enjoy it.” He finishes with a smirk, arms wide. Everyone stares at him in shock, including Aiden. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Tony walks towards the door, then turns around as he grips the handle. “Oh, and by the way, we’re hosting a karaoke party tonight. Be ready by 8:30, there’s going to be a ton of celebrities there!” And with that, he’s gone.

Still in shock, Aiden turns to Natasha. “What in the fucking world just happened?!” Even Steve was too stunned to tell her to watch her language.

Nat just shrugs with a little smile on her face. She places a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “That’s Tony for you, unpredictable as hell,” she smirks, then walks out of the room. Slowly, everyone trickles out until only Peter and Aiden are left in the room.

Aiden jumps down from the training cage and makes her way to Peter. He just grins like a madman and holds his arms out for her.

Still not thinking straight, Aiden walked into them and gripped him tightly, feeling him tense up at the movement. Her heart started beating fast and she placed her head in the crook of his neck. They stayed like that for a while, until they heard the click of a camera. Startled, they jump apart and turn around to find Thor, Scott, Sam, Wanda, and Natasha. Thor and Scott both have their phones out, pointing them in the kids’ direction.

Scott gives them a little thumbs up and grins, calling out, “You’re doing great sweetie!”, causing both Peter and Aiden to double over in laughter. Natasha turns and gestures for everyone to leave. Right before she steps out and closes the door, she turns around and glares at Peter, giving him an If you hurt her I will murder you death stare while Aiden isn’t looking. Peter gulps and turns to Aiden.

“So, do you want to hang out until we have to get ready?” He asks.

Aiden nods, saying, “Sure, since we have to be ready by 8:30, I’ll probably have to start getting ready at around 5. Nat, Wanda, Pepper, and I are getting ready together so it’ll probably take a little longer.” Peter just nodded, pretending to know what she was talking about.

For the next few hours, they hung out and talked, feeling like two normal teenagers for once. Then, 5 rolled around, and Aiden left to go get ready.

A few hours later, everyone was ready. Aiden was dressed in a gorgeous red skater dress, with a bit of a plunging v neckline and a slit on one leg. She wore sneakers underneath, already too dressed up for her liking. Wanda had gone all out with Aiden’s makeup, making her look like a goddess. Pepper gave her a clutch that was small enough to put her phone in, but not much else. Natasha wore a small black dress that accentuated her curves, with Wanda wearing a small silver silk dress. Pepper wore a blue-grey strapless dress with a fitted waist and a flowy bottom. With that, they were all ready to go.

The party was in full swing by the time they got downstairs, and the boys were all sitting at the bar, drinking. Peter, of course, was drinking orange juice. Aiden smiled a little at the sight.

Tony was the first to notice them, letting out a whistle when he saw Pepper, practically drooling. The rest looked up, and Aiden saw Peter visibly suck in a breath when he saw her. She grinned at him, and he grinned back. The group of girls stuck together until they got to the bar, where Wanda left to go find Vision and Pepper wandered off to the dance floor with Tony.

Aiden walked over to Peter and sat next to him, asking for water from the bartender.

Peter looked flustered while he looked Aiden up and down and finally managed to stammer out, “You- uh, you look really nice! Really pretty, I mean.” Aiden smiled and pulled him into a hug, kissing him on the cheek.

“You look really pretty too, Peter,” she said, earning a laugh from Sam who had been eavesdropping. Aiden turned to him and flipped him off, before settling her gaze on Peter again. They talked for a while until Tony and Pepper came back with Wanda and Vision, insisting that it was time for them to eat and pulling them to a row of booths in the back of the room.

As they approached their reserved booth, Aiden caught the sight of someone in the one directly behind theirs. She froze, but when Peter noticed and asked if she was okay, she nodded and continued walking forward numbly.

Don’t notice him, Tony, don’t notice him, Tony, don’t notice him, Tony, she prayed. Of course, she never gets what she wants.

Tony spots the one person that Aiden prayed he never would have invited.

“Tom!” Tony calls out.

--

a/n - so I got a bit caught up in writing this chapter and it turned out to be super long but I just didn’t know when to cut it off, you know? Sorry for the cliffhanger but I had to, I think we all hate Tom for what he did oops. (Also, his face claim is Tony Revolori sorry not sorry).