#steve debates putting locks on the girls’ closets just so he can have a moment of peace

[livwritesstuff]

one thing Steve and Eddie were not prepared for at ALL when they adopted three kids was

like

siblings

they’re both only children for better or for worse, and sure, they'd had close friends that they thought of as siblings (coughcoughrobinandstevecoughcough) but they were surprised to find out that it's nothing like being actually siblings. it takes a long time for the two of them to catch on to the dynamics that the girls seem to just have innately within them

the fighting tends to be mostly between Moe and Robbie. Hazel is the sweet angel baby out of the three and not all that interested arguing about anything

(this creates its own problems though bc Steve and Ed have to make sure she’s not getting completely steam-rolled by her older sisters)

at ages 5 and 3, Moe was aggressively gaslighting Robbie into thinking her favorite color was purple, so that when there were pink and purple items up for grabs, she could have the pink one without any sort of obstacle

at the time, Robbie's personal hero was Moe, so she bought it

they'd been sort of relieved about having three girls because they figured the roughhousing would be kept to a minimum, and it was true that the girls didn't roughhouse all that much, but when they fought, it was fucking brutal. the worst of it was when Moe threw a small chair from a wooden dollhouse set at Robbie's head and she'd needed to go to the E.R. for stitches

around middle school, the girls learned how to keep the whaling on each other completely silent (see this TikTok for reference), and by then they'd also learned some self restraint, so the hospital visits ceased around the same time

uno and sorry are banned in their house. co-op games don't go over all that well either (they even argue about puzzles so sometimes Steve and Eddie just grit their teeth and endure a game night for the memories and quality time and whatever).

once the girls are older, trivia-based games tend to be the go-to. they've all got their own gaps in knowledge so there's enough material for ribbing each other but the game is still able to carry itself

Moe/Steve are the only ones who can answer sports questions without making wild guesses Hazel usually dominates pop culture and science Robbie and Ed are the best at history and art they all suck at geography

who remembers the cranium games? do we recall hullabaloo? Harrington family fav

Steve and Eddie never do get a sense of when exactly the girls are fighting and when they’re conspiring together, mostly because they can switch between the two states on a dime and their poor dads can’t keep up

[thran-duils]

Lost in Zero Gravity (P.7)

Title: Lost In Zero Gravity (Part Seven) Summary:  Fem!Reader x Mob Boss!Tony Stark x Mob Boss!Steve Rogers.  Reader is a call girl who runs high end parties. She catches the attention of Tony Stark who invites her back to his room with his friend. She might have performed too well because she becomes their new favorite play toy and they don’t like to share. Words: 2,118 Warnings (for the fic in entirety): Smut, prostitution, infidelity, angst, domestic violence, stalking, possessive behavior Author’s Note: This is more fluffy smut. I needed some buffer before the next drama drops!

Part Six || Part Eight || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost

Steve was gone when you woke up. Probably for the best because you were still a little on edge about the name issue. Stretching, you looked at the clock. He left very early apparently because it was almost 6:00am now. You kicked the covers back and got out of bed.

Picking up your phone, you saw a text from Elisha. She wanted to see you and visit your place.

Texting Steve, you asked, Can I have someone over?

He did not respond for a few moments as you sat there waiting for the three dots to show up to show he was typing. Exhaling disappointed, you decided to go take a shower and tried to enjoy the warm water. When you got out and got dressed, he had still not responded.

A friend. Elisha. Not a john.You sent, hoping to clarify if there was any doubt about your intentions of having someone over.

That seemed to do the trick because he responded almost immediately as you walked towards the kitchen to make breakfast.

Soon. Get settled in first.

Sighing, you tossed your phone back onto the counter and went back to grabbing eggs out of the fridge.

<><><>

They had not visited for a couple days and you had enjoyed the solitude to be honest. No schedule, no one else taking up your space. You were standing in your kitchen in a lounge bra and your underwear, eating a bagel you had just toasted.

It was later than normal than you would wake up. The blame could lie at the feet of the fact you had stayed awake to the wee hours of the morning binge watching videos on your phone.

You noticed your phone light up as you took another bite. Chewing, you leaned forward, seeing it was Tony.

Get ready quick. We’re going to go get your cat.

You only sat there for a second before your face broke out into a smile and then you shoved your bagel in your mouth, finishing in a rush. It was short notice, but you were excited about the cat for one but also to get out of the apartment. You had been in here for a damn week.

Rushing to your room, you threw on some casual clothes. You stopped for a moment in front of your mirror and sucked in your bottom lip. Should you have something a little sexier on? You debated for a few seconds before you waved it off; this was to get a cat, not give a lap dance.

Tony arrived not more than thirty minutes later, and you were pacing, ready for him in the living room when he let himself in.

He stopped, narrowing his eyes at you. You asked, “What?”

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before, that’s all.” He dragged his eyes down and snapped them back up to meet yours. “The fit is nice.”

“Glad to know my outfit is approved. You’re also wearing jeans. Are we going?”

Tony chortled, “Impatient. After you.” He followed you out of the apartment, locking the door behind him.

Terrence was waiting in the hall and he asked, “Who is driving you today, boss?”

Tony told him, “I’m driving.”

Stalling your stride, you looked at him shocked. “You’re driving?”

“Yes, why do you look shocked? I can drive,” Tony told you, his arm slipping around your waist as he led you to the elevator. “I’m an adult, I have my license. I assure you.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you drive yet.”

“Seems like today is having a lot of firsts already.”

His car was waiting out front, one of his people keeping a watch out on it. They moved away as soon as they spotted him coming out. Tony came over to the car, opening the passenger door for you.

“A two-seater convertible?” you asked. “Really? You think the cat is gonna like that? Or me for that matter? Having to hold the carrier in my lap?”

Tony gestured you in, “Get in, baby. I’ve got someone following us.” He threw his hand up behind the car to the black SUV parked behind. The person who had been standing by the car was sitting in the driver’s seat. “They’ll bring the cat back with them. Enclosed space. I’m not a sadist. I just wanted to have a fun drive with you.”

You refrained from commenting about wasted gas as you did as he asked, him closing the door behind you and coming around the front of the car to get into the driver’s seat, adjusting his jacket.

“It is a nice car,” you admitted, buckling in. “What is it?”

“An Audi,” Tony said pressing the start.

“I saw that. I’m not an idiot, Tony. What model?”

Tony smiled at your scorn. “I know you’re not. A Spyder.”

You frowned, “I’m not sure I’m fond of that name—”

You yelped as he pulled away from the curb, shooting off into the road. Tony laughed amused at your reaction at the sudden movement.

“Oh, love, just wait until we get out onto the highway,” Tony smirked. “I’ll show off this engine for you.”

<><><>

“It’s pretty, but the hair,” you commented as Tony pointed out a Persian cat at the shelter.

Tony eyed the cat closely as you moved on.

“Oh my fucking god!” you said excitedly, coming up to the next cage to a cat already pressing its head against the gate for pets.

Tony came up next to you and said, “So what was that complaint about hair…?”

“Yeah, but this is a Maine Coon! A mix, but still.” You saw he looked confused, and you said firmly. “I want this one.” Tony rose his brows now, giving you a challenging look and you pressed, “They’ve got great personalities! I had one as a kid. They act like dogs but they’re just big ass fluffy cats! And look, it’s a Tuxedo!”

“The hair,” Tony repeated. “My suits. You know, I’m really rethinking this now…”

“You cannot tell me you brought me in here just to not take one home. That would just be cruel.”

Tony smacked his lips and said, “You’re right. Carry on. No white hair though.”

“She doesn’t have white hair. It’s browns and greys,” you pointed out as you continued petting the Maine Coon. “Look at the little marking on her forehead! And she likes me! You can’t leave her here now!”

He stared at you for a few seconds before closing his eyes and exhaling. You held back from bouncing on your heels, knowing you had broke him. You turned back fully to the cage and stuck your fingers back through, her brushing her head against your head in earnest.

“You’re coming home with me,” you told her excitedly.

<><><>

On the way back home, your arm reached across, your fingers tip toeing up Tony’s thigh. The wind was whipping around the two of you as he sped down the highway. You saw that the SUV had lost the two of you a while ago since Tony had kept passing people, weaving into the left lane to jerk back into the right lane around curves. The danger was hot and you wanted more.

Your fingers brushed his crotch and he shot you a quick look, shaking his head. You pouted and he said loudly over the wind, “No.”

“Have you ever had road head?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

You shrugged, “Just thought you would like it!”

“Yeah and if it’s on a drone or helicopter cam somehow – cause if you haven’t noticed, there’s no roof on this car – that I had some woman going down on me on the highway? How am I gonna explain that?”

“Don’t tell me you’re actually starting to grow a conscience, Tony.”

That drew a grin out of him, shooting you a mischievous look. He cleared his throat and pressed a button, giving a bit more space between his lap and the steering wheel. Second time breaking his resolve today. It did not seem to take much when it came to you.

Unbuckling yourself, you leaned over the middle console working on his zipper. You pulled his cock out of his jeans, running your hand up and down it sensually. He tasted like salt and sweat as you took him into your mouth, trying to help it along quicker. Tony groaned, and you felt him tense. You imagined his hands tightening on the wheel, trying to keep himself focused on the road.

“I gotta pull off,” he grunted.

This did not stop you from working your mouth up and down his dick. The car veered a little, into a highway pull off you concluded.

He pressed a button the steering wheel. He pulled you away from his dick, and blocked access. Or tried to. You moved down, running your tongue across his balls, flicking.

It was too much apparently.

“Give me 15 seconds,” he breathed at you, blocking you again from swallowing him. You kissed his hand, running your tongue up his fingers. His lips twitched despite himself and he cleared his throat roughly. He jerked his hand back, giving you a light, discouraging slap. You moved back then, and he leveled you with a look. Pouting, you laid your chin on his thigh. His hand came to run over your head before straightening up when a voice came over his speaker.

“Boss? Are you alright?”

“No, go on if you pass me. I’m pulled off. I’m fine. Just take the cat back.”

“It’s crying a lot because of the weaving highway.”

“I know it is, I can hear it.” That was not a lie; it’s whines were coming over the phone call. “I’ve got something to finish here though, so just go on. Like I said! I gotta go.”

As soon as he pressed the button on the steering wheel, he tapped your head. “Alright, resume, love.”

<><><>

When you got home, Tony encouraged you ahead; he needed to talk to Daryl really quick. When you got into the apartment, the cat was nowhere to be found. You took off, throwing your bag onto the counter, searching closets. You found her cowering under the bed up against the wall. You tried to coax her out with soft noises and holding your hand out but she just put her ears back, snuggling closer to the wall.

Tony’s footfalls came down the hall and you heard him come into the bedroom.

Pushing yourself up from underneath the bed, you came up onto your knees.

“She’s hiding,” you told him, standing up.

“Maybe try with the treats you bought later,” Tony suggested, his hands in his pockets.

You shrugged, “Maybe. She’ll come out for food when she’s ready. Probably when I’m asleep.”

You walked over to your closet and closed the door to shut off another place for her to go and hide. You wanted to be able to check up on her and limiting the spaces to search would help.

“Well, I have to go do some work today at some point, so, that’s now,” Tony commented and you turned back to him, finding him close. “You can get the letter box and everything set up?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Good,” he said to you, giving you a peck on the cheek before turning away.

Suddenly, it came to you again, the last night with Steve. Maybe Tony knew, although a part of you was screaming at you to let it lie. But, despite your better judgment, you reached out, stopping his movement. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Who’s Cecile?”

Tony looked at you with all shades of suspicious, his mood completely altered by the question. There was a dangerous underlying tone to his question, “Why do you ask?”

You shrugged, letting your hand fall from his arm, suddenly not interested based off his reaction to the question. “Never mind.”

“Why do you ask?” he repeated more forcibly.

Trying to be nonchalant, you said, “Steve called me it when we had sex last. It was just weird. He’s never done it before. It threw me off. That’s all.” Tony ground his teeth, watching you intently, not saying anything. You forced a small smile. “Really, it’s not a big deal. He did not seem to even realize he had done it. I was just curious.”

He obviously did not feel the same. Tightly he said, “I’ll leave you to help the little runt settle in.” He left you then in the bedroom without a second glance.

Something told you that you should not have asked about it and that was not where that conversation was going to end.

~~~

Forever tags: @coconutqueen21 @undecidedsworld

Fic tags: @icant-hangout-imdrumming @oceaniamaddness @multifandom-superlover @imsonick @holl2712 @here4thefanfics

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch 5: You Make It Easy

Summary: Steve finally takes Katie out on a date.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Language! And a whole heap of fluffy fluff fluff.

A/N: Once again, a huge thank you to @angrybirdcr​ for her lovely little edit.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 4

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

The elation Steve had felt about actually getting a date with Katie soon evaporated the next morning when he realised he hadn’t the first CLUE about where to take her, what to do or what to wear. He wasn’t naïve, he knew dating had changed since his day but the fact he had no reference point to even start from, having never been on a date before, wasn’t helpful either.  So he sought some advice

“A nice shirt and jeans.” Peggy smiled at him, the old woman elated he had finally done it. “Nothing too flash, and pick a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, women are more impressed by a man who’s paying them attention instead of simply paying for the meal.”

“Okay, right.”

“You know her, Steve.” Peggy looked at him. “What type of food does she like?”

“Italian, Chinese, but we do that all the time.” He shrugged, before he stopped, suddenly remembering something she had said to Evans a couple of weeks back in exercise, “You know, come to think of it she has mentioned a new place in town. La Placa I think it’s called.” “See, there you go.”  Peggy patted him on his arm before she smiled at the look on the young man’s face “Just be yourself Steve, that’s who she wants. No one else.”

“Thanks Peg.”

“And make sure you kiss her goodnight…” She grinned, a twinkle in her eyes. “Us ladies do like a bit of passion every now and then you know.” He rolled his eyes at her cheekiness, running his hand through his hair which was in desperate need of a cut. He stayed with Peggy whilst he googled the restaurant number, made his reservation and then text Katie to tell her where he had booked.

Can’t wait xxx

He grinned to himself, and then pushed his phone away and turned back to find Peggy watching him, a sly grin on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” she remarked, somewhat wistfully

.He smiled “Been a long time since I felt this good.”

“It suits you.” On his way home he swung into the barbers and stepped in. As he sat in the chair the man asked him what he wanted doing, and he was about to say trim when Katie’s voice stirred in his mind.

“Trying to imagine what you’d look like with shorter hair and a beard…” “Shorn back and sides please,” he said as the man asked him what he wanted, “and take it a little shorter on top.”

******

Katie woke suddenly on top of the comforter on her bed, fully clothed. She’d fallen asleep!  She sat up, thinking back to the last thing she remembered before her nap, piecing her train of thought together. Ah, yes, Steve had messaged her to tell her he’d booked a table somewhere which had prompted her to start looking for an outfit. She’d realised she had no idea what to wear so had been debating calling Pepper to ask for advice, but had decided it wasn’t a good idea because she didn’t want Tony to know she was dating yet, let alone who.

But there was someone she could call. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Biting her lip she sighed and picked up her phone, scanning through to the person she was looking for and the cavalry arrived an hour and a half later in the shape of a red-haired deadly assassin.

“There has to be something in here that’s first date suitable…” Natasha mumbled, as she continued to search through the various items in Katie’s closet. Half Katie’s clothes adorned the floor of her walk-in-wardrobe and bedroom as they had discarded everything she’d tried so far. “It would help if I knew where you were going.” she sipped her beer thoughtfully.

“La Placa.” Katie told her after a pause, “Tapas place, but if you turn up I swear to God…”

“I got better things to do with my spare time.” “No you don’t. And I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

“If you don’t trust me why did you ask for my help?“ Natasha drawled, still rifling through the clothing racks. “Because Pepper is a four hour drive away…”

“Well that’s just rude.” Natasha mumbled and Katie grinned, shaking her head as Nat placed her beer down on the top of a set of drawers and moved to a rail “Ok, try this.”

She pulled out a knee length navy blue Balenciaga dress with a fitted top half, scalloped neck line and three-quarter length lace detailed sleeves. As Katie shrugged it on, Natasha hunted in the shoe rack, pulling out a pair of mid-height nude Kurt Geiger courts with a stiletto heel and matching bag.

“Not bad.” She mumbled as Katie stepped into the heels and gave her a twirl.

“Better than the grey one?” “Definitely.” Natasha nodded approvingly “I think we have a winner!”

Katie gave her a double Hi-Five and Nat picked up her beer as Katie stripped out of the dress and pulled on her T-shirt and shorts, before she glanced around the large bedroom, sighing at the mess.

“Better tidy this up in case things go well.” Nat smirked, before she pondered “Huh, actually, do you reckon Captain America puts out on the first date? Mind you, knowing Roger’s he’s probably a virgin…”

“I’m pretty sure people had casual sex back in the 40s too you know.” Katie rolled her eyes. “He was on the USO tours surrounded by dancing girls, there’s no way he didn’t do the old horizontal tango.”

“Yeah but…its Rogers.” Nat pressed giving a snort “Imagine if you are the one to pop his cherry.”

Katie groaned, shaking her head. “Shut up Widow.”

She smirked “Okay, so how long have we got?”

Katie glanced at her phone “An hour and twenty. And what do you mean we?” “You asked for my help, right?” Natasha shrugged, “Thought I could do your make-up and hair too…” Katie looked at her for a moment and smiled “Thanks.” She shrugged then drained her beer before turning Katie round and pushing her towards the en-suite “Go shower then we’ll start the transformation.”

An hour later Katie was ready. Her hair was curled in soft waves, and her makeup was done, a bit heavier than normal, but still subtle enough to avoid looking like it had been applied with a trowel.

“Perfect.” Nat gave her an appraising look. “Right, I trust you can get dressed without me?” “I think I’ll manage.” Katie said, standing up as she made her way out of the walk-in wardrobe and followed her into the hall where she picked up her jacket.

“Oh and if you need me to bail you, just give me an SOS call…” Nat made a phone sign with her finger and pinkie by her ear. “I think I’ll be ok.” Katie smiled, “but thank you, for all of this.”

“Have fun…” Nat grinned and then added with a smirk “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t”

“That doesn’t exactly leave a lot…” Katie quipped

“That’s my point.” Natasha intoned as she walked into the hall and pressed the button for the elevator.

“Nat, you won’t tell anyone will you?” Katie asked, “I mean, it isn’t that I don’t trust you, just…” Nat paused turning back to the brunette to find her chewing her lip with nerves. She shook her head “I won’t tell a soul. I know how much you two like each other, you’ve been dancing around it for months, so… just enjoy ok? Have a good time. You both deserve it.” “Thanks Nat” Katie smiled. The two girls shared a quick hug and then Nat left

***** Steve had to admit, he liked his new hair. It was much more like the style people sported now, but in a way it also reminded him of how Bucky had worn his back in the Howlies. He picked a light blue shirt, his dark navy jeans and then pondered before settling on a pair of brown boots that matched his jacket and belt. He was ready with plenty of time and found himself pacing as he thought about how the night could go. There was no doubt it was going to be way different to how he had imagined his first date to be. Back in his day it was movies, dinner and a dance. Now there were no dance halls, and they watched movies all the time. But, as Peggy had advised, for once he was going to “go with the flow” and just see where the night took them both.

Finally, after an agonising fifteen minutes during which he had pretty much paced non-stop and drained a good measure of scotch, even though it did nothing bar give him a comforting burn in his throat on the way down, he headed to the cab that was waiting and they set off to pick up his date.

Jesus Christ she looked amazing. Her hair was cascading in waves over her shoulders, the smoky brown eyeshadow she was wearing made the green in her eyes even more noticeable. And her dress…navy blue, knee length with a detailed neckline and sleeves that finished halfway down her forearms. The top half clung to her body where it flared out slightly from her hips and her heels accentuated her shapely calves to perfection. As Steve looked at her he found himself imagining various crude scenarios where said delectable dress ended up on the floor, but that wasn’t gentlemanly. Nor appropriate.

Katie felt her breath catch when she saw Steve. His light blue shirt was tight enough to accentuate his ridiculously well-built top half, and a brown belt with a gold buckle adorned his toned waist. And he’d had a haircut. Gone were his longer locks and side parting, and in its place was a short back and sides with slightly longer strands on the top, tousled into an exceptionally modern style. He looked incredible.

Steve broke the silence between the two, clearing his throat gently.

“You look beautiful.” He leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself, you do something to your hair?” Katie teased.

“Thought it was time for a change.” he shrugged it off casually as his cheeks warmed. “Still getting used to it.” “It looks great.” she assured him.

He beat her to her jacket as she reached up to take it off the peg and held it out so she could shrug her arms into it. Once they were in the elevator, he reached out and took her hand and she laced her fingers into his. He glanced down at her, his eyes meeting hers and she flashed him a smile.

Yeah, he’d lucked out, big time.

******

The restaurant was busy but not packed. They were seated at the back in a little booth in the corner. Steve had never had tapas before, but Peggy had explained it to him before.

“So the idea is we pick, what, three or four dishes?” he asked, looking at Katie

“Yeah, they’re like small portions and you share.” Katie nodded. “Although you eat like a horse so we should probably order more.”

He grinned and looked back at his menu.

“You choose.” he placed the card back down eventually, beaten by the list of items. “I literally have no idea…”

“Alright.” Katie grinned. “But you have to try everything…”

“Deal.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their food orders. Katie ordered a large enough selection along with a side order of olives and different breads with dipping oils before flashing the waiter a smile and he scuttled off.

“I think this is normally the part where we ask each other questions,” Steve said as the waiter disappeared. “You know, get to know each other a bit more.”

“Yeah… think that ship already sailed though.”

“True,” Steve nodded bashfully, there wasn’t many things that they didn’t know about each other, although as he watched Katie was biting her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something, but at the same time didn’t.

“What is it?” he asked, reaching out for his drink.

“Something Nat said before…” Katie flushed, caught out. There was no way she was asking that question.

“Why does this worry me slightly?” He paused, beer raised halfway to his lips.

Katie looked at him and shook her head, the flush continuing to rise up her neck “Yeah, I’m not, it’s not first date conversation.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Now I’m extremely worried, and a little intrigued.”

“You really want to know?” Katie cocking her head to one side and when he nodded she shrugged. “Alright, you asked for this…” she straightened up in the seat as he did the same, bracing himself. “Are you a virgin?”

Steve groaned and screwed his eyes shut. “No, I’m not.” He sighed shaking his head before he looked back at her. "After I first got the serum there was suddenly all this attention on me and I didn’t really know any better…” “There was no one before?” she frowned slightly, almost as if she was surprised.

He shook his head again. “Girls weren’t exactly interested in me before hand, Bucky was the one who had the looks and the swag. He had a different girl every weekend. I guess when they finally did start looking at me that way I just, I dunno…” He stopped and took a breath. “God, this makes me sound like a right jerk. There weren’t that many”

Three to be exact. And none of them had been anything to write home about. He got the distinct impression they hadn’t particularly enjoyed themselves either, not past the fact they could boast about having bedded Captain America. Plus, he was infatuated by Peggy at that point as well and found he craved the tenderness that was supposed to be associated with the act, not merely the physical bliss. As corny as it sounded, he genuinely wanted someone to be with him intimately that wanted him, not Captain America.

As he watched, he noticed Katie was watching him intently and he swallowed a little as she simply shrugged. .

“We all have a past Steve.”

“I haven’t been with anyone since I came out of the ice.” He added softly, feeling the need to explain that he wasn’t that type of man.

“I haven’t since Grant.” she eyed him. “One night stands are overrated.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, locking eyes with her. “That’s all I ever had.”

Katie studied him for a moment. She had no idea why, but to learn he hadn’t had a girl that way before he became some kind of war time celebrity, and knowing that the ones he had been with were probably chasing nothing but the kudos of being able to say they fucked Captain America, made her kind of sad. No wonder he was always so self-doubting.

She smiled and reached across the table, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Well, personally, I think all those girls that picked Bucky over you were dumbasses. I’ve seen the photos of you before all this happened…” she raised her free hand and held out her index finger, and gestured up and down his torso. “You were sweet”

He chuckled and took a drink of his beer. “You know I heard that a lot…you’re really sweet and all but…“

“Like I said…”she leaned back in her chair slightly, “Dumbasses” Steve was aware that her ankle was brushing against his slightly and he felt the warm flush in his cheek at her forwardness, but soon found it disappeared and was replaced instead with simply enjoying the fact she wanted to be so close to him.

As tactful as ever, Katie swiftly moved the conversation on and it took a natural turn to Tony’s renovation of the tower and then New York in general, how much Brooklyn in particular had changed since Steve had left it behind to go to war.

It was through this conversation Steve discovered that in all the time Katie had spent in New York she had never been to Coney Island.

“Maybe I could take you one day, down to the fair.” He suggested.

“I’d love that.” She smiled and his chest swelled even more.

Their food arrived and they continued to talk. And, considering they had started the date off thinking there wasn’t much more to find out about each other, both of them were surprised to see exactly how much trivial stuff there was to learn about the other. For instance, Steve knew that Katie enjoyed baseball but what he didn’t know was that whilst Tony was a Yankees fan, she actually supported the LA Dodgers, having grown up in Malibu. Suddenly her teasing about the fact they had moved made perfect sense. And in turn, Katie knew that the Dodgers relocating was a bug bear of his but, since he would rather go into the ice all over again than support the Yankees, he had started watching out for the Mets results, but apparently it just wasn’t the same and as such he hadn’t been to an actual game since he came out of the ice. Both of them found out the other preferred dogs to cats, cats making Katie sneeze and their ability to hiss and scratch you with no damned warning whatsoever made Steve not trust them as far as he could throw them. 

“I can just read the headlines now!” Katie chuckled after Steve had added that if he wanted to he could probably throw a cat quite far. “Captain America killed my Cat.” Steve let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up his beer. “Don’t cats always land on their feet?” “I dunno, depends how hard you’re intending on throwing it.” “I’m not intending on throwing any cat anywhere.” Steve shook his head “As much as I don’t like them I couldn’t deliberately harm one.” “Tony did. Well not deliberately, and he didn’t so much harm it as kill it…” “Oh you gotta tell me this story!” Steve grinned, leaning forward, topping up Katie’s wine glass from the bottle that was in the ice bucket in the middle of the table.

Katie grinned, “When we were kids, the first place we lived in was down this huge, posh road  with like 3 other houses on and we had this really eccentric neighbour, Mrs Livesy her name was. She had like 18 cats or something ridiculous and one morning, Tony was reversing the car out of the garage and he flattened 2 of them.”

Steve nearly spat his beer back into his glass. “He ran them over?” “Yeah…” Katie said, and by now she was full on laughing “But the best bit is, she comes round asking Dad if he’s seen the cats, dad’s got no idea what’s gone on right as Tony’s moved the cats and bribed me to keep quiet with the biggest ice cream you could imagine, so dad is all like ‘I’ve got no idea Mrs Livesy I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open…” Katie took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes “So then Tony comes back, Dad mentions that Mrs Livesy was looking for 2 of her cats and Tony’s like ‘huh, well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat’ and me, being the little shit I was at the age of 4 pipes up ‘no that was you this morning, remember?’”

Steve laughed, and watched as she carried on giggling. “He never forgave me for that, Dad made him go round and apologise. And he had to attend a memorial for Mr Whiskers and Bagpuss…”

Eventually after desert and a few more drinks it was time to leave, Katie tried to split the meal bill with Steve but one stern look stopped that in its tracks. This was a date, he was paying. Thankfully she didn’t argue too much. Steve then asked her if she wanted to go for a drink, she gleefully accepted so he took her hand, gently leading her across the road, holding the bar door open for her. They both sat at the bar, Katie turning her seat so she was directly facing him, the pair of them leaning closer to one another as they talked. And the conversation just continued to flow, as did the odd but subtle display of affection, moving their chairs closer together, her hand on his shoulder. Steve was surprised to find how easy the whole thing was. He had no nerves, no awkward moments. The chemistry fizzled and there wasn’t a single moment he was stuck for anything to say. It was for that reason he was disappointed when the bar tender called time and reluctantly stood up as Katie drained the final bit of gin from her glass.

As Steve held out her jacket, his hands gently brushed her shoulders as she shrugged it on, sending a tingle down her spine and the hitch in her breathing didn’t go unnoticed. She turned to face him, all green eyes and pink lips, blinking as her eyes locked onto his and before he could stop them, his hands connected at the base of her spine as she moved closer to him, not moving her gaze from his, hand resting on his chest.

“I’d really like to kiss you again…” Steve said, shyly.

“You know you don’t have to ask.” she replied. Smiling softly he leaned down and connected his lips with hers, the kiss growing slightly deeper until Steve remembered they were in the middle of a public bar. He pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers briefly, blushing like an absolute moron as a small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth.

“You know, for someone who said they’d never taken a woman on a date before Rogers, you’ve done amazingly well.” she blinked up at him, grinning.

“That’s because you make it easy to be around you.” He shrugged, honestly. He took her hand, curled his fingers round hers and made their way out into the street to hail a cab.

All too soon they pulled up outside her apartment block and both of them found themselves wishing the night would never end. Steve told the driver to wait whilst he hopped out and walked her into the lobby, their hands still twined together. There was a part of him that wanted to follow her in, and a part of her that almost invited him to, but they both wanted to do this right, take their time.

“I think now is the part where I’m supposed to ask you if you had a good time.” Steve turned to face her as they stopped by the elevator door.

“I did.”

“And if you’d go out with me again?” “I already said I would, Coney Island remember?” she replied cheekily, leaning closer to him.

“I meant before that.”  He rolled his eyes.

“I’d love too.” She muttered, and then his lips were on hers again and they were kissing, exactly where they had left off in the bar, only this time they were alone. Steve’s hand snaked into her soft hair, angling her head slightly and she parted her lips, their tongues tangling easily as once more the fireworks erupted deep in Steve’s belly.

“Always leave ‘em wanting more Stevie…” Bucky said, nudging him on the arm, winking as they crossed the fairground towards the girls “That’s the trick…”

Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling he pulled back. Their night was at an end, it was a perfect place to leave it.

“I really did had a great time tonight, thank you.” Katie whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers, giving her lips another quick peck before he stepped back a little and she reached into her bag for her key card, pressing it to the pad by the elevator.

“Me too.” He smiled as the elevator doors opened. She stepped inside, turning to face him and flashed him another grin.

“Night Stevie.”

“Night, Sweetheart.” He replied as the doors shut. With that, he turned round and grinning to himself he walked back to the cab. Date 1 down, and it had been a roaring success.

**** Chapter 6

**Original Posting**

[sherrybaby14]

People Can Lick Too

This is for my darling @barnesrogersvstheworld

Prompt:  People Can Lick Too.

Pairing:  Steve x Reader

Warnings:  Serial Killer AU,  Dub-con, rough sex, fem dom, choking,

Summary:  You don’t realize who your night time visitor really is.  

Words: 2800

“I’m telling you, it was shut when I left for work.”  You walked over to the closet and braced yourself, holding out the phone as you yanked open the door and shut your eyes. “Is anyone there?”

“YES!!! It’s the killer!”  Bucky’s voice carried over the phone.

“Eeek!”  You started jogging in place, almost dropping Bucky who began cackling away.  Your heart beat calmed down and you opened your eyes to see your coats hanging there.  “Not funny.”

“Well what would I do over FaceTime anyway?”  Bucky tilted his head and gave you that smug know-it-all look.  “Knock the guy out with my words?”  

“I know.  I’m just freaked.”  You walked back over to the windows in your small apartment and made sure they were locked again.  “I mean, those dead girls.  They sort of look like me and I swear the windows were shut.”  

“You’re on the second floor.  He’d have to be pretty strong to scale a brick building.”  Bucky sighed.  “There’s over 8 million people in New York.  None of the other girls lived near you.  I think you’re over reacting.”  

“Still a psycho killer on the loose?”  You went into your bedroom and flipped on the light, holding the phone in front of you so Bucky could scan the room.

“All clear.”  He sighed.  “Don’t forget to check the closet in there and under the bed, wait maybe he is hiding in the ceiling tile?  Can you push those up.”  

“Ceiling tile?” You glanced up at the solid plaster ceiling and rolled your eyes.  “Maybe I am being dramatic.  Can you just get here.  Please?”  

“I have to work late.”  Bucky scratched his head.  “The earliest I’ll get off is 2 am.  Then by the time I do closing duties.  The sun will practically be up.”

“So you’re not coming?”  You sat on the edge of your bed.

“I didn’t say that.”  Bucky’s eyes darted off camera.  “I’ll be there.  Just late.  You can’t wait up for me.”  

“But what if I want to?”  You pulled your feet up, folding your knees.  “It’s been over a week.”  

“You are a little devil.”  Bucky wiped his mouth.  “But you need to relax, get some rest.  How about I do that thing you like to wake you up?”

“Which thing?”  You raised an eyebrow as your brain scanned the many of Bucky’s talents.  

“You know, when I take your fingers in my mouth.  Lap my tongue at them.  Give a little suck?”   Now his tongue ran across his lips sending a shiver down your spine.

“That would be a nice wake-up.”  

“So relax.  You’re fine.  Nobody is in your apartment but you.  It’s too small for anyone to hide.”  Bucky narrowed his eyes.  “Be a good girl and get some sleep.  I have a feeling you’ll need some stamina for when I arrive.”  

“You’re right.”  You shook your head, the paranoia being replaced by giddiness. “Try and get out early?”  

“Not going to happen Doll.”  Bucky brought his fingers to his mouth and gave a lick.  “Mmmm.. yours taste much better.”  

“You are a tease.”  You unfolded your legs and stood up from your bed.  “You have your key right?  I’m not leaving the door unlocked.”  

“Shit. I left it at home.”  Bucky ran his hands over his hair.  “Leave your ringer on?”

“Fine.”  You strutted to your bathroom.  “If you get off early, stop and get it?”  

“What happened to get there as fast as possible?”  Bucky pouted.  

“That was before you convinced me I needed some beauty sleep.”  You giggled.  

“Well you are a beauty.”  Bucky’s teeth dragged across his bottom lip.  “Stop distracting me.  I have to get back to work.  Sleep well.  Get ready for a fun wake-up.”

“Have a good night at work.”  You winked. “See you later.”  

Bucky blew a kiss before disconnecting.  

You looked in the mirror and blew a raspberry before turning on the shower, letting the room fill with steam.   Thoughts of the window replaced by eagerness for Bucky’s visit.  You put on a playlist at full blast as you stripped down.  Planning on being extra clean for you man.  

~~

The adrenaline from this hunt was different than the others.  Maybe because she was aware of the dangerous in the city, noticed the window, or that phone call with her boyfriend.  She was an absolute trophy.  

Steve was certain any second she was going to peek under the bed and see him laying there.  Even if she didn’t have the time to let out a scream that boyfriend of hers would have called the cops.  It would have been game over.  

But fate was on his side.  Now the noise from the shower drowned out the creak of the floorboards as he slid out from his hiding spot.  

Killing one of his victims in the shower would make for easy clean up.  Not that he ever needed much.  He yanked his gloves down harder.  His hands the preferred method.  So intimate, watching as he saved them from the suffering of this world.  All these women were angels and deserved to head home.  He was merely a conduit.  

His heart raced as he entered the small bathroom.  The curtain was opaque and he got a view of her silhouette when he drew close.  His heart almost stopped as all the blood rushed to his south.  Exquisite.  She was the best of them in more ways than one.  Perfection.  

For the first time since he started this project Steve hesitated.  No.  She had to die.  Return to heaven where she belonged.  He moved forward again, but she started singing along with the music.  He’d never wanted one of his victims before.  Not like this.  

Was this a sign?  She was wanting.  He heard it in her voice on the phone.  Maybe he was wanting too.   Maybe this was the perfect set up for him to give her a better send off.  One more deserving of her.  Yes.  That was it.

Steve snuck back out of the bathroom.  The bed was too close a call.  She’d already checked the hall closet.  He slid inside just as the water stopped, the clicking of the door hidden by her tunes.  This was good.  Better.  It would be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste.

~~

Tossing and turning was an understatement.  You were in and out of dreams like you had a fever.  Some points you felt so cold you debated on getting out of bed and putting on clothes, but then the heat would come back and you remembered you wanted to be ready for Bucky’s arrival.  

You were in a light sleep when there was a hand on your wrist, lifting it in the air.  Your face turned into a smile and the problems melted away.  

“I didn’t hear you.”  You turned on your back, the room was pitch black, almost darker than normal.  You made out his figure, but before you could comment on it he took your fingers into his mouth.  “Mmmm.”  

Instead of sucking on them right away he ran his tongue down them, almost lapping at your fore and middle.  It was a different sensation that made you coo.  You started to press into his mouth when he bit down.  

“Ooo!”  Your sleepiness started to vanish.  “That’s new.”  

He relaxed his teeth and sucked hard, moving his head back until your digits left his mouth with a pop.  You stifled the giggle, not wanting to ruin the moment.   Bucky spun your hand and his lips crashed against your wrist.  His kiss was harder than normal.  The week break must have been hard on him too.

He kissed down, your core dampening as he got closer to your body.  You brought your other hand up to his shoulder and felt his bare skin.  Was he naked too?  That would be divine.  

When he neared the top of your arm you shifted, spreading your legs so he could settle between you thighs.  Skin on skin.  You let out a purr as his body loomed over yours, his lips touching your neck.  

You tilted your head to the side.  He lapped at you, sucking the skin hard, pulling it between his teeth, until CRUNCH.

“Hey!” You shoved at him.  “That hurt.”  

He pulled back a little.  In the darkness it was hard to make out his response.  

“I mean, I don’t mind a little kink.”  You rubbed your neck not wanting to ruin the mood.  “But the most you’ve been into has been finger sucking.  This mean you’re ready for more?”  

Bucky responded with his lips.  They crashed against yours with such power you fell back into the pillow.  His mouth commanded yours to open and you had no desire to resist as your tongues pressed for each other.  

This was new.  Exciting.  His hand came up and rested on your throat.  You wrapped your fingers around his wrist and squeezed, wanting him to do the same.  He was always so gentle with you.  Finally a little roughness.  

His fingers sank in and you moaned into his mouth.  They pushed down hard and more of your juices gathered as a result.  You tried to lift your hips, brushing your sex against his cock.  He was so hard it made you whimper.  

The sound made his hand vanish and body pull away.  

“No.” You grabbed the back of his neck and arched your back as you sat up with him.  “I won’t break.  I’ll let you know what I can’t handle and you do the same.”  

A growl left Bucky’s mouth as he dipped his head to your chest.  You felt the roughness from his beard tickle your breast as his mouth wrapped around your nipple.  

“That feels so good baby.”  You ran your hands through his hair.  Had he gotten it cut?  Not that it mattered.  “Keep going.”  

His hand came to your other breast.  He started kneading and pulling you to a peak.  Mixed with the pulsing of his tongue on your alternate side your body felt like it was on fire.  Then you felt his teeth graze and you started to pull away, but got a better idea.

“Bite and I’ll slap you.” You knew Bucky wasn’t kinky enough to try anything, why shouldn’t you play the dom? Knowing what you wanted.  

But then there was a quick pressure on your sensitive bud.  

“FUCK!”  You shoved him away, his teeth dragging your nip with him.  

The stinging pain made you bring your hand to your breast, pushing down to ease the sting.  

Never one for empty threats there was no hesitation as you pulled your palm back. CRACK!  The slap echoed across the pitch black room, loudened by the darkness in a way.  

His chest was heaving.  Stunned.  It was obvious he did not know how to respond.  But you, you were becoming more turned on than you ever thought possible.  

You through your body forward, wrapping your arms around his neck as you smashed your chests and lips together.  Now it was you in control again.  Would he make another power play?  You wouldn’t mind.

“Quit fucking around and fuck me.”  You got the order out as you spread your legs and lifted your hips, ready for him to spear you.  “NOW.”

A grunt left Bucky and this time both of his hands went to your throat.  He started squeezing hard.  No warm up.  All the air escaped from your lungs, your eyes started to bulge.  You couldn’t be certain if your vision was fading or it was just the dark room as he pushed you back into the bed.

Now this, this was what you were talking about.  He thought he was strong, clever, was trying to show his power.  You enjoyed how wet his control was making you and thought about letting him choke you until you passed out, but your soaking cunt had other ideas.  

You straightened your palm as hard as you could and pushed your fingertips into his ribs.  Finding that tender spot and digging harder.   His grip started to loosen and you took in a big gasp of air.  

Bucky made some unintelligible noise and you shoved harder.  His body twisted and hands dropped as he went to knock yours away.  

You worked his momentum against him and flipped him over so you were straddling him again.  

“Nice effort.”  You grabbed the base of his cock.  “Appreciate the attempt.  But I’ve had enough foreplay.”  

As you sunk yourself down on him you couldn’t help but notice he felt bigger, you felt fuller.  

“It’s like you’re a whole new person tonight.”  When you settled all the way on him he was almost at your cervix.  “Maybe you’re ready to experience my other side?”  

Your hands ran up his chest until they got to his neck.  Bucky grabbed your wrists, making them feel small in his palms, but he didn’t push you away as you started to choke him.  You began to rock your body forward, dragging your clit against him as you tightened your grasp.

You knew you weren’t as strong as he was, but you could cut off some air.  And the power, the control of this strong man underneath you was enough to light a fire in your body.  You rocked in a wave motion, using him for your own pleasure.  

“When I squeeze harder.”  You applied more pressure.  “Your cock gets bigger.  And you like that? Don’t you?”  

His head nodded.  A grin covered your face as your head fell back.  

“Don’t forget what you promised me baby.”  You pulled one hand off his neck and shoved it into his mouth.  “Be a good boy and LICK.”

You moaned as Bucky did exactly as told, worshiping your fingers, his tongue pulsing against them as he sucked in.  You wondered how much he could take and started sliding the four of them down hard.  

A gagging sound left his mouth and you swore you had a mini-orgasm.  But that wasn’t enough.  You were ready for the big one.  

“You like this don’t you?”  You pressed his tongue down pushing them further and harder as you picked up the pace, adding a lift to your movement, driving your clit against him and his cock into you.  “Tell me I am in charge.”

An unintelligible noise left his mouth and a giggle left yours.  This power, this heat.  It was turning your into a mad woman with one goal.  The finish.  

As if Bucky could read your mind his hand went to your hips.  He started thrusting up as you thrust down. Your bodies working in tandem.  Your other hand went to his chest to brace yourself, letting him guide you to the release your body craved.  

“Fuck!”  You gripped at him, digging your nails without control.  “I’m going to cum. I’m gonna cum.”

He pushed your hips down hard and started dragging your body back and forth, you clit and g-spot activated at the exact right rate.  Even in the darkness you knew your vision blurred as you tumbled into ecstasy.  Sparks spreading through your limbs as you fell forward.  

Through the haze you felt his cock soften inside of you, your juices mixing together.  You pulled your hand out of him mouth and he coughed so hard his body shook.  You cuddled up to him as you climbed off, spent.  

“Thank you for coming…in both ways.”  The restlessness left your body as he kissed your head and grabbed your wrist, bringing your fingers to his mouth and licking them as you drifted off to sleep.

~~

A melodic tune woke you up.  Sunlight splintered in through your drapes.  You felt for Bucky, but the bed was empty.  You realized it was your phone and looked to see his name for a FaceTime.

“Where did you run off to?” The lazy smile stayed as you hit answer.  

“Please don’t have me.” Bucky was in his apartment.  “I had to stay later than I thought.”  

“What?”  You sat up in bed and pulled the sheet to your body.  “What are you talking about?”

“But at least you got a good night sleep right?”  He scratched the top of his head.  “What’s on your neck?  Curling iron burn?”  

“There’s something on my neck?”  You were out of it, but noticed a pain as you brought your hand.  “Wait.  I’m confused.”  

“Things got hectic.”  Bucky kept rambling as you got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom, eager to take a look in the mirror at what he was talking about.  

You flipped on the light.  The phone and bedsheet slipped from your hand as you stared ahead.  Your lipstick, open in the sink.

“What’s going on?  Did I lose you? Are you naked?”  Bucky drifted away as the world around you spun.  

Shock, fear, excitement.  All you could do was read the words over and over again:  

PSYCHO KILLERS CAN LICK TOO.

 -  

[yuulina-vre]

Gifting you a new life

Finding the hint

Pairing: Steve x Bucky, Reader insert

Warnings: None 

Word count: 3731 words

Part: Two

Summary: Bucky struggles a litte through his workday

Masterlist

* * *

Bucky wakes up tiredly. The night wasn’t one of the best he ever had but it wasn’t as bad as the worst ones. Nightmares and restlessness had him captured and awake for half of the night. Now he doesn’t really feel rested, but he’s used to it by now. His shoulder aches as he sits up. He winces slightly, starting to massage around on the scarred flesh of his stump for a moment, then rolling his shoulder and ignoring the slightly dulled pain. After throwing the blanket off his lap he yawns wide and long before he stands up to stretch his arm as high as he can. He throws a quick glance at his metal prosthetic that he had taken off before bed. He still can’t decide if he likes or hates it, even after years of having it. It makes the everyday life easier but at the same time it’s a struggle to put on by himself, he can’t feel with it and sometimes he calculates his strength wrong and smashes glasses and the like. One thing that’s makes no difference are the looks. He gets them if he wears the arm and he gets them I he doesn’t, but by now he’ s at least used to that.

With a sigh he lets the arm stay in his box and walks to the bathroom and straight to the mirror. After seeing his reflections, he sighs again, this time in annoyance. His hair is a mess! It’s tangled up nicely and look like a mop, not hair at all. Maybe he really should cut it at some point. He had grown it out since he got honorably discharged from active duty. That was about three years ago.

He eyes his reflection with a slight frown, brushes his hair but doesn’t try to even get it somehow presentable, just pulls it up into a bun. Then he undresses as best as he can with one arm and steps into the shower to quickly get rid of the sweat of the night, from dreams he can’t even remember anymore.

After stepping out of the shower into the now steam filled room, he feels more awake and refreshed. His hair is now a wet mess in a bun since he didn’t pay attention to it and got it all wet. But he doesn’t mind.

Wrapped up in a towel around his waist and holding it with his hand he leaves the bathroom again to sit back down on his bed. His eyes wander back to the arm in the box. He silently debates if he should put it on today or not. Sometimes he rather not wears it when his shoulder hurts already it makes attaching the arm difficult and the pain will grow over the day but without it his workday will be a struggle to handle. After a few minutes of back and forth he garbs his prosthetic, letting the towel fall from his hips. It’s not like someone can see him running around naked anyway. Aside from Maggie but she’s not even here. Bucky struggles a little with getting the arm attached to his shoulder. It always hurts a little afterwards which is now worse since his shoulder is, in fact, hurting already. “Come on you fucking piece of- Aha” he curses a little until he finally manages to get the damned thing on. He really hates this arm. Maybe. Probably. He rotates his arm and shoulder for a while, massages the scarring again to prevent the stiffness from setting in just yet. It feels a little heavy at first, like it’s dragging his right side down, but Bucky knows that it’s just because he actually wears his prosthetic for the first time in three days and the feeling will vanish the longer he wears it. He carefully flexes his metal hand a few times, testing the strength and motion before he lift himself from his bed to shuffle over to his closet. He gets one of his favorite shirts and a pair of boxers and pants to get dressed in before he leaves the room to walk downstairs to his kitchen. Once again, he’s reminded that his house is actually too big for just him. He used to live here with his siter but since she married a few years ago he’s living all by himself in the house he grew up in. he thought about selling the place a few times by now but never really got it in him to follow through. There were just too many memories of his parents and his childhood in the walks and floor. Each cracking step, whistling of wind that squeezes past the windows, each little ting that need renovating or replacing has its own memory to tell. So, he stays. Maybe he adopts a dew more cat. Maggie probably feels lonely when he’s not home anyway. Yawning tiredly again, still not really awake, he switches on the coffee machine before he starts the toaster. While waiting for his toast he goes to one of the cabinets to retrieve some of Maggie’s favorite food and fills it in her bowl, whistling for her, so she knows food’s ready. Then he walks back to his table, grabs his toasts and some stuff to put on them, grabs his coffee and starts his breakfast, all while scrolling through his phone. He’s almost finished eating when he hears a meow from behind him. Bucky turns around only to be greeted by a white, black-footed fluffy cat that stares up at him with sparkling amber eyes. “Hey you. Finally, back? I waited for hours last night.” Bucky glares at his little girl but Magnolia only meows again, rubbing her head against his leg with a purr before stalking over to her food. Bucky shakes his head and silently curses himself for being so soft for the fur ball. “You know, one of these days I see you stealing my credit card to buy yourself some staff or something. You do what you want, huh?” The cat meows again, looks up at him and flicks its tail as if to say that he’s damn right. Bucky chuckles. “Yeah, yeah. For feeding I’m good enough, I know.” Snorting he drinks the last of his coffee, gets up and disposes everything into the sink to wash up later. Then he walks to Maggie, bends down and picks her up into his arms. She struggles for a second, not pleased to be interrupted while eating breakfast but then settles down, rubbing her head under his chin with some more purring. A smile creeps on Bucky’s face, he starts scratching under Maggie’s chin and kissing her fluffy head until his gaze switches to the clock on the wall. It’s late already but he figures that he can take five minutes to cuddle with his favorite girl. He strokes though the cat’s fur, letting her purr against his chest while she still rubs her head against his chin and shoulder. As much as Maggie loves to be outside, striving through the wilderness of his garden, she loves to cuddle with him, too. Sometimes Bucky thinks that she has more dog than cat in her genes. She always seems to know when he’s not feeling well or is in pain. She comes running up to him, greatly takes her places on his lap or chest and stays there, purring contently and letting the man stroke through her fur until he’s feeling better, or she decides he has to suck it up already. Sometimes she stays as long as Bucky lets her, and he has to admit that it can be pretty long. He loves her small warm body purring against his skin. Magnolia is really good at comforting, too.

The little white ball meows again and Bucky kisses her head once more. “I know, I need to get ready.” He sets her down watching her walking back to her food. “See you later, Maggie. Don’t do stupid stuff. And don’t scratch the couch again. I know it was you!” He points at the cat, but Magnolia just throws an innocent look at him, munching happily. He shakes his head before he walks to his wardrobe in the hall, slips on his ID card for the military and takes the dog tags form the key hooks where they always hang. He stokes his thumb carefully over the old and damaged metal, lingering for a moment in some memories. These tags are the only thing that he still has from his time as a soldier. They aren’t his though, oh no. He gave his own to his sister for keeping safe util he’s ready to take them back again. These ones are somebody else’s. They’re from the man that he rescued. A comrade, a total stranger. He pushed him away as a grenade exploded which made the stranger fall down a small cliff. That was the day he lost his arm. He can’t remember much about the day, let alone the face of the Captain he saved. Since he retired his service and works in the lost-and-found section of the military he tries to find the man. For five years now. He still has no clue who he is or where to find him. He doesn’t even know if he’s still alive or if he died that day. No one could help him, and no one seems to know the man. At least no one he talked to. The team is so damaged that the only things he knows are, that the man had the rank of a Captain and his last name ends with ‘gers’. So, he carries the tags with him, as reminder and in hopes to finally find a clue one day and get the chance to give them back. He carefully slips them into his jeans pocket, takes his car keys, locks the door and walks over to his car. The old thing looks like it’s falling apart some day and Bucky really hopes that his motorcycle will be repaired by tomorrow. He hates his car.

 * * *

The moment he opens the door to his office at the community center he sighs. He managed to get across the whole place without anyone stopping him to have a chat. It’s not that he doesn’t like talking to anyone but if he doesn’t have to than that its totally fine for him. He likes to be alone and have his silence. He only greeted some people he knows pretty well, and actually likes.

Now he collapses into his chair with a huffed sigh. It’s not that he has much to do but the few things he has to do are tiring. Carding through old files, newspaper, calling the archive of the military and so on. A lot of running around, too. And all that just to return some old things to retired soldiers or their remaining family. The things mostly consisted of dog tags, photos sometimes clothes that were found on battlefields or while sorting through other stuff somewhere. To be fair, most of the people are very happy to get some memories to cherish. Some are not that happy and ask to get rid of the things because they dig up things that were buried a long time ago. Bucky can understand that very well, that’s why Becca has his own tags right now.Bucky rubs at his shoulder; his prosthetic seems to give him more trouble today. He wonders if his shoulder is too stiff already, it has only been two weeks since it got massaged professionally. Or if it got infected again. That happens sometimes and with all the scarring he has, the fears get more vivid that the doctor was very sloppy in his work. If he had enough money, he would go to the next best doctor, get everything fixed but that would cost a fortune and the military would not help him out since he already got his arm and operations covered before. He lets out a second sigh. What a damn mess he returned to. Everybody tells you that it will get better after returning home, after living a normal life. Bucky thinks he has more troubles now then he had before. A knock on the door startles him out of his thoughts. He looks up just as it opens and a brunette woman steps in. “Maria.” Maria Hill, one of Bucky’s favorite co-workers and at the same time some sort of boss, after Nick Fury of course, holds a cardboard box in her hands. “Hello James. I’ve got something new for you.”“Again? I didn’t even finish the last box.”“I know. But this might be interesting for you. The things all should be easy to get back, too.” She places the box on his table and opens it. “We got a few lost dog tags, some pictures form wife’s and children, clothes and all the usual.”

“Something pretty damaged?”

“No, at least not as damaged as the tags that you’re always carrying around.” She musters his feature as his hand instantly raises to the pocket. “Did you find any clue by now?” She raises her eyebrows, looking really interested. She always tries to help him find the mysterious Captain but until now there’s no lead. “No.” Bucky sighs defeated, flopping back in his chair. “The guy seems to have vanished. I found some guys who were in the same area as we were back then, but no one seems to be either around here or to remember. Just have to keep looking.”

“Did you look through protocols?”

“Yeah, and I asked Peggy. But nothing ‘til now.”

“You’ll find him eventually.” Maria pats him on the shoulder with a kind smile. “Anyway, this here might be a little easier. The tags are pretty good to read, so you shouldn’t have any difficulties to find the ones to return them to. Some of the photos even have names written on the back, could be some kind of help.”

“Thanks.” Bucky gifts her a small smile before he pulls the box closer to look through it. Maria looks him over for a while. “It’s bad again, huh?”

“Hm?” Bucky looks up at her, wondering what she means this time. “Your shoulder. You’re holding it in a protective posture again.” She nods at his shoulder before she crosses her arms. “I don’t understand why you aren’t asking Fury for a new one.”

“Because his answer is going to be the same as last time.” Now Bucky leans back in his chair, crossing his own arms over his chest. “He’s going to say that I already got a new arm, and that the military isn’t a charity organization. We don’t repair what’s already been repaired.” Bucky rolls his eyes and sees Maria do the same. “Should I talk to him?”

“No. I will talk to Phil, try to find out if I have any other option so I don’t need to pay everything on my own. Since then, I have to live with this.” He shrugs his shoulder and suppresses a wince as a sharp pain shoots through it. Maria seems to notice it, her face darkens a bit, but she says nothing to it, well knowing Bucky will deny it if she points it out. “Fine. But do it quickly. It wouldn’t help when your shoulder is too damaged to repair anything.” She is almost out of the door as she turns to him again. “James. Nick says you still have to take your vacation. If you haven’t taken it by the end of the month, he’s going to force you.” He looks up, feeling a little uncomfortable but nods at the woman. “I know.” He watches as Maria leaves before he leans back in his seat again. It’s really not that he doesn’t want a vacation, he just doesn’t know what to do with all the time. He has no family left to visit besides Becca who lives in the same town, no other half to take on dates, Magnolia would disagree, though. She likes it when he spoils her rotten all day and would gladly have him home for a week or so. A vacation also means that he has way too much time to think, too. After he lost his arm he was in a really dark space of his head. It had taken his therapist almost two and a half years to get him back out of it and since then Bucky always tries to take as less free day’s as he can. Still, Fury always insist that he takes his vacation and always makes sure he really does.

While he goes through the contents of the box, he sees a photo that somehow catches his attention. On it is a man, clearly a higher ranged soldier with a woman. They’re both smiling at the little blonde boy in the man’s arms. The boy seems to be around five years old, has a lost tooth but he seems a bit smaller than other kids Bucky has ever seen at that age. He’s also very thin but his eyes shine with happiness as he hugs his dad while laughing. The photo is well used with all sorts of bends and folds in it. The edges turned a little yellow with time and are a little frayed. He keeps looking at it for a while longer and sets his mind to find the owner to this one first. He turns the photo around to see if somethings written on it. “Sarah and me with our little sunshine. 1993.” Bucky reads out aloud. He turns the picture again and thinks for a moment. Where should he start to search? He decides to run down to the archive to ask Peggy about it. She usually has some good ideas to help him.

 * * *

The archive, like almost all archives, is down in the basement of the whole compound. It’s pretty big and each time Bucky is down here he asks himself how Peggy still knows where to find something. Margeret ‘Peggy’ Carter is one of Bucky’s favorite woman. She’s kind and almost always likes to chat with him, always knowing what to say and when to be silent. She listens to him and is actually the only one that never showed him some kind of pity. She always says what she thinks and is honest with him. He appreciates it very much. Peggy even established the lost-and-found unit for the military, having lost her own husband in a war.

He knocks lightly on the door and waits for Peggy to call him in. Never would he dare to just enter. Peggy can be really scary when she wants to be, and he learned that lesson more than once. “Come in.”

“Hello, Peg.”

“Bucky. How nice to see you.” The elderly woman smiles at him and waves him over. “What brings you down here?”

“I need your help.”

“Oh, what for this time?”

“I have this picture. Do you happen to know this man or where I can find something about him?” He passes the picture over to her and she eyes it for a while before turning it over. The year that’s on the paper is one year before Peggy lost her husband, so she knew many soldiers at that time. She hums and mutters to herself before she stands up and shuffles away to vanish behind some of the shelves. Twenty minutes later she comes back with a big box of folders. “This are all the soldiers that got send away in 1993. Let’s see if he was one of them. He looks kind of familiar, but I don’t have a name to that face.” Bucky nods and they go through folder after folder until Peggy hums. “I knew he’s familiar. He was the one to always get me some cake on my birthday. And his little boy was a really sweet one. He drew me lots of pictures, quite talented actually.”

“Show me?” Bucky holds his hand out for the folder and Peggy passes it to him with a bitter expression. “The poor boy. He must be around your age now. Joseph was a really nice man. But in 1993 he was sent to this stupid mission.” The brunette woman shakes her head with a displeased sound. “Something top secret.” She scoffs and Bucky can clearly see what she thinks about it. That kind of mission happe more that one would think and never do the families hear what really happened to their loved ones when they pass away while being shipped off. “The man never came back. Sarah had to raise Steve all on her own. The boy had lots of sicknesses and Sarah had to manage double shifts in the hospital and caring for the boy when he was ill again.” Bucky looks up from the folder and passes it back to Peggy. “You seem to know a lot about them.”

“Sure do. Sarah brought Steve over from time to time. I told her I would look for her little troublemaker if she needs to pull extra shifts. Until he turned thirteen, I think, he was like a nephew. Then Sarah had to move away. Her rent was too high, and I lost contact.” Bucky nods and looks back down at the picture. “Do you know where I can find her?”

“On the cemetery I’m afraid. I think Sarah died a few years ago. The boy must have turned 18 or so.” Bucky raises his eyebrows and looks down at the picture once more. “Seems like a bad life for him so far.” He picks the picture up and looks at Peggy again. “Do you know where he lives now?”

“No. Dear god, if I would know where everybody’s children moved, I would know whole America.” She frowns at him, but her eyes still sparkle. Bucky guesses she has some nice memories returning right now. “Okay, okay, Peggy.” Bucky raises his hands with an amused laugh. “Need some help to get these away before I leave.”

“I got this, you just go and make this boy a bit happier. I remember he was really sad back then. He loved his father.” She waves at Bucky as he leaves.

Pervious Part / Next Part

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Stark Spangled Banner Ch5: You Make It Easy

Summary: It’s date night, and it’s its a coin toss between who is the most nervous, Steve or Katie.... 

Pairing: Steve Rogers x O/C Katie Stark

Warnings: Bad language

May 2013

The elation Steve had felt about actually getting a date with Katie soon evaporated the next morning when he realised he hadn’t the first CLUE where to take her or what to wear.

So he sought some advice

“A nice shirt and jeans.” Peggy smiled at him, the old woman elated he had finally done it. “Nothing too flash, and pick a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, women are more impressed by a man who’s paying them attention, interested in them, it isn’t’ about the flashing of cash.” “Come to think of it she has mentioned a new place in town.” Steve said, suddenly remembering that she had asked Evans one morning in Exercise if he had tried it yet. “La Placa I think it’s called.” “Well there you go.”  Peggy patted him on his arm before she smiled at the look on the young man’s face “Just be yourself Steve, that’s who she wants. No one else.”

“Thanks Peg.”

“And make sure you kiss her goodnight…” she grinned, a twinkle in her eyes “Us ladies do like a bit of passion every now and then you know.” He rolled his eyes at her cheekiness, running his hand through his hair which was in desperate need of a cut. He stayed with Peggy whilst he googled the restaurant number, made his reservation and then text Katie to tell her where he had booked.

Can't wait xxx

He grinned to himself, and then pushed his phone away and turned back to find Peggy watching him, a sly grin on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” she said, somewhat wistfully

.He smiled “Been a long time since I felt this good.” he said honestly.

“It suits you.” On his way home he swung into the barbers and stepped in. As he sat in the chair the man asked him what he wanted doing, and he was about to say trim when Katie’s voice stirred in his mind.

“Trying to imagine what you’d look like with shorter hair and a beard…” Fuck it. “Shorn back and sides please” he said, “and take it a little shorter on top.”

******

Katie woke suddenly on top of the comforter on her bed, fully clothed. She’d fallen asleep!  She sat up, thinking back to the last thing she remembered before her nap, piecing her train of thought together. Ah, yes, Steve had messaged her to tell her he’d booked a table somewhere which had prompted her to start looking for an outfit. She’d realised she had no idea what to wear so had been debating calling Pepper to ask for advice. And she had decided it wasn’t a good idea because she didn’t want Tony to know she was dating yet, let alone who. This had then got her thinking about the first time they had all met when Loki had taken the Tesseract, which must had jogged that particular memory…what a fucked up place the human mind could be at times.

And then she remembered. Shit, she still didn’t have an outfit sorted! Biting her lip she sighed and picked up her phone, scanning through to the person she was looking for. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

The cavalry arrived an hour and a half later in the shape of a red-haired deadly assassin.

“There has to be something in here that’s first date suitable…” Natasha mumbled, as she continued to search through the various items in Katie’s closet. Half Katie’s clothes adorned the floor of her walk-in-wardrobe and bedroom as they had discarded everything she’d tried so far. “It would help if I knew where you were going.” she sipped her beer thoughtfully.

“La Placa.” Katie said after a pause, “Tapas place…but if you turn up I swear to God…”

“I got better things to do with my spare time…” Nat shrugged. “No you don’t.” Katie replied, “And I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

“If you don’t trust me why did you ask for my help?“ “Because Pepper is a 4 hour drive away…”

“Well that’s just rude…” Natasha mumbled and Katie grinned, shaking her head as Nat placed her beer down on the top of a set of drawers and moved to a rail “Ok, try this…”

She pulled out a knee length Balenciaga dress with a fitted top half, scalloped neck line and three-quarter length sleeves. As Katie shrugged it on, Natasha hunted in the shoe rack, pulling out a pair of mid-height red Kurt Geiger courts with a chunky gold heel and matching bag.

“Not bad.” She mumbled as Katie stepped into the heels and gave her a twirl.

“Better than the grey one?” “Definitely.” She said, nodding “I think we have a winner!”

Katie gave her a double Hi-Five and Nat picked up her beer as Katie stripped out of the dress and pulled on her T-shirt and shorts, before she glanced around the large bedroom, sighing at the mess.

“Better tidy this up in case things go well.” Nat smirked, before she pondered “Huh, actually, do you reckon Captain America puts out on the first date?”

“Jesus Nat…” Katie shook her head.

“Mind you, knowing Roger’s he’s probably a virgin…”

“I’m pretty sure people had casual sex back in the 40s too you know.” Katie rolled her eyes. “He was on the USO tours surrounded by dancing girls, there’s no way he didn’t do the old horizontal tango.”

“Yeah but…its Rogers.” Nat pressed giving a snort “Imagine if you are the one to pop his cherry.”

Katie groaned, shaking her head. “Shut up Widow.”

She smirked “Ok, so how long have we got?”

Katie glanced at her phone “An hour and 20 minutes. And what do you mean we?” “You asked for my help, right?” she shrugged, “Thought I could do your make-up and hair too…” Katie looked at her for a moment and smiled “Thanks.” She shrugged then drained her beer before turning Katie round and pushing her towards the en-suite “Go shower then we’ll start the transformation.”

An hour later Katie was ready. Her hair was curled in soft waves, and her makeup was done, a bit heavier than normal, but still subtle enough to avoid looking like it had been applied with a trowel.

“Perfect…” Nat said, giving her an appraising look. “Right, I trust you can get dressed without me.” “I think I’ll manage.” Katie said, standing up as she made her way out of the walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and followed her into the hall where she picked up her jacket.

“Oh and if you need me to bail you, just give me an SOS call…” Nat said, making a phone sign with her finger and pinkie by her ear. “I think I’ll be ok.” Katie smiled, “but thank you, for all of this.”

“Have fun…” she said, and then added with a smirk “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t”

“That doesn’t exactly leave a lot…” Katie quipped

“That’s my point.” Natasha intoned as she walked into the hall and pressed the button for the elevator.

“Nat, you won’t tell anyone will you?” Katie asked, “I mean, it isn’t that I don’t trust you, just…” Nat paused turning back to the brunette to find her chewing her lip with nerves. She shook her head “I won’t tell a soul. I know how much you two like each other, you’ve been dancing around it for months, so… just enjoy ok? Have a good time. You both deserve it.” “Thanks Nat” Katie smiled. The two girls shared a quick hug and then Nat left

***** Steve had to admit, he liked his new hair. It was much more like the style people sported now, but in a way it also reminded him of how Bucky had worn his back in the Howlies. He picked a light blue shirt, his dark navy jeans and then pondered before settling on a pair of brown boots that matched his jacket and belt. He was ready with plenty of time and found himself pacing as he thought about how the night could go. There was no doubt it was going to be way different to how he had imagined his first date to be. Back in his day it was movies, dinner and a dance. Now there were no dance halls, and they watched movies all the time. But, as Peggy had advised, for once he was going to “go with the flow” and just see where the night took them both.

Finally, after an agonising 15 minutes during which he had pretty much paced non-stop and drained a good measure of scotch, even though it did nothing bar give him a comforting burn in his throat on the way down, he headed to the cab that was waiting and they set off to pick up his date.

Jesus Christ she looked amazing. Her hair was cascading in waves over one shoulder, the smoky brown eyeshadow she was wearing made the green in her eyes even more noticeable. And her dress… black, knee length with a detailed neckline and sleeves that finished halfway down her forearms. The top half clung to her body where it flared out slightly from her hips and her red heels accentuated her shapely calves to perfection. As Steve looked at her he found himself imagining various crude scenarios where that dress ended up on the floor, but that wasn’t gentlemanly. Nor appropriate.

Katie felt her breath catch when she saw Steve. His light blue shirt was tight enough to accentuate his ridiculously well built top half, and a brown belt with a gold buckle adorned his toned waist. And he’d had a haircut. Gone were his longer locks and side parting, and in its place was a short back and sides with slightly longer strands on the top, tousled into an exceptionally modern style. He looked incredible.

Steve broke the silence between the two, clearing his throat gently.

“You look beautiful.” He said, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself, you do something to your hair?” Katie teased.

“Thought it was time for a change.” he said, shrugging it off casually as his cheeks warmed. “Still getting used to it.” “It looks great.” she assured him.

He beat her to her jacket as she reached up to take it off the peg and held it out so she could shrug her arms into it. Once they were in the elevator, he reached out and took her hand and she laced her fingers into his. He glanced down at her, his eyes meeting hers and she flashed him a smile.

Yeah, he’d lucked out, big time.

******

The restaurant was busy but not packed. They were seated at the back in a little booth in the corner. Steve had never had tapas before, but Peggy had explained it to him before.

“So the idea is we pick, what, 3 or 4 dishes?” he asked, looking at Katie

“Yeah, they’re like small portions and you share.” Katie nodded. “Although you eat like a horse so we should probably order more…”

He grinned and looked back at his menu.

“You pick,” he said, putting the menu back down eventually, beaten by the various choices. “I literally have no idea…”

“Alright…” she grinned. “But you have to try everything…”

“Deal.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their food orders. Katie ordered, 3 meat dishes, 3 fish, 3 veg and then a side order of olives and different breads with dipping oils before flashing the waiter a smile and he scuttled off.

“I think this is normally the part where we ask each other questions,” Steve said as the waiter disappeared. “You know, get to know each other a bit more.”

“Yeah… think that ship already sailed though.”

“True,” Steve said nodding bashfully, there wasn’t many things that they didn’t know about each other, although as he watched Katie was biting her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something, but at the same time didn’t.

“What is it?” he asked, reaching out for his drink.

“Something Nat said before…” Katie flushed, caught out. There was no way she was asking that question.

“Why does this worry me slightly?” he asked, his beer raised halfway to his lips. And it did. Romanoff was a total wind up merchant.

Katie looked at him and shook her head, the flush continuing to rise up her neck “Yeah, I’m not…it’s not first date conversation.”

He cocked his head to one side “Now I’m extremely worried.”

“You really want to know?” she asked, cocking her head to one side.

He nodded. Well, he did. And didn’t…

"Alright, you asked for this…” she straightened up in the seat as he did the same, bracing himself. “Are you a virgin?”

Steve groaned and screwed his eyes shut as she bit her lip. She really shouldn’t have asked that, but now as she watched she was intrigued as to his answer.

“No, I’m not.” He sighed shaking his head before he looked back at her "After I first got the serum there was suddenly all this attention on me and I didn’t really know any better…” “There was no one before?” she frowned slightly, almost as if she was surprised.

He shook his head again “Girls weren’t exactly interested in me before hand, Bucky was the one who had the looks and the swag. He had a different girl every weekend. I guess when they finally did I just, I dunno…” He stopped and took a breath. This made him sound like a right jerk. “There weren’t that many” he added hastily.

3 to be exact. And none of them had been anything to write home about. He got the distinct impression they hadn’t particularly enjoyed themselves either, not past the fact they could boast about having bedded Captain America. After the 3rd he’d decided simply chasing a physical bliss that lasted mere moments wasn’t for him, plus he was infatuated by Peggy at that point. He craved the tenderness of the act that Bucky had so often boasted about. As corny as it sounded he genuinely wanted someone to be with him, intimately that wanted him, not Captain America. He noticed Katie was watching him intently and he hung his head slightly, peeking up at her.

“We all have a past Steve.” she said, shrugging easily.

“I haven’t been with anyone since I came out of the ice.” He said, softly, feeling the need to explain that he wasn’t that type of man.

“I haven’t since Grant.” she eyed him. “One night stands are overrated.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, locking eyes with her. “That’s all I ever had.”

Katie studied him for a moment. She had no idea why, but to learn he hadn’t had a girl that way before he became some kind of war time celebrity, and that the ones he had been with were probably chasing nothing but the kudos of being able to say they fucked Captain American made her kind of sad. No wonder he was always so self-doubting.

She smiled and reached across the table, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Well, personally, I think all those girls that picked Bucky over you were dumbasses. I’ve seen the photos of you before all this happened…” she raised her free hand and held out her index finger, and gestured up and down his torso “You were sweet”

He chuckled and took a drink of his beer “You know I heard that a lot…you’re really sweet and all but…“

“Like I said…”she leaned back in her chair slightly, “Dumbasses” Steve was aware that her ankle was brushing against his slightly and he felt the warm flush in his cheek at her forwardness, but soon found it disappeared and was replaced instead with simply enjoying the fact she wanted to be so close to him.

“Ok…” he said as their feet gently tangled together under the table. “So, in the spirit of this being a first date…there are a couple of things I don’t know about you…what’s your favourite film?” Katie paused “That’s a hard one. I like a lot of films but if there was one I couldn’t live without watching ever again it would be the Wizard of Oz.”

“No kidding.” he grinned.

“It’s a masterpiece” she nodded, “The music, the story, the colours…” “You read the book?” he asked.

She nodded “Several times. I used to have a copy but not sure where it went. Probably blown up in Malibu.”

“You know when that film came out it was mind blowing. Technicolour…never seen anything like it.” Steve said with a grin.

“I’ll bet…” she laughed “is it still your favourite?”

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“You told me, ages ago.” “Huh.” he said, “And yeah, even if it’s just for purely nostalgic reasons. Although I did like Gladiator when we watched that.” “Yeah that’s a great film too.” she smiled “one of my favourite quotes of all times comes from that film.” “Which is?” “Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.” she said as her ankle returned to brushing against his.

“Isn’t that a little bit morbid?” he asked, taking a drink of his beer.

“Only if you look at it that way.” she shrugged “to me it’s more of a reminder to live your life like there’s no tomorrow.”

“That’s a good way to look at it.”

The conversation took a natural turn to the renovation of the tower and then New York in general, how much Brooklyn in particular had changed since Steve had left it behind to go to war. It was through this conversation Steve discovered that in all the time Katie had spent in New York she had never been to Coney Island.

“Maybe I could take you one day, down to the fair.” Steve suggested.

“I’d love that.” she smiled and his chest swelled even more.

Their food arrived and they continued to talk. And, considering they had started the date off thinking there wasn’t much more to find out about each other, both of them were surprised to see exactly how much trivial stuff there was to learn about the other. For instance, Steve knew that Katie enjoyed baseball but what he didn’t know was that whilst Tony was a Yankees fan, she actually supported the LA Dodgers, having grown up in Malibu. Suddenly her teasing about the fact they had moved made perfect sense. And in turn, Katie knew that the Dodgers relocating was a bug bear of his but, since he would rather go into the ice all over again than support the Yankees, he had started watching out for the Mets results, but apparently it just wasn’t the same and as such he hadn’t been to an actual game since he came out of the ice. Both of them found out the other preferred dogs to cats, cats making Katie sneeze and their ability to hiss and scratch you with no damned warning whatsoever made Steve not trust them as far as he could throw them. 

“I can just read the headlines now!” Katie said, in between laughs after he had added that if he wanted to he could probably throw a cat quite far… “Captain America killed my Cat.” Steve let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up his beer “Don’t cats always land on their feet?” “I dunno, depends how hard you’re intending on throwing it.” “I’m not intending on throwing any cat anywhere.” Steve said, shaking his head “As much as I don’t like them I couldn’t deliberately harm one.” “Tony did.” Katie said. “Well not deliberately, and he didn’t so much harm it as kill it…” “Oh you gotta tell me this story!” Steve grinned, leaning forward, topping up her wine glass from the bottle that was in the ice bucket in the middle of the table.

Katie grinned, “When we were kids, the first place we lived in was down this huge, posh road  with like 3 other houses on and we had this really eccentric neighbour, Mrs Livesy her name was. She had like 18 cats or something ridiculous and one morning, Tony was reversing the car out of the garage and he flattened 2 of them.”

Steve nearly spat his beer back into his glass. “He ran them over?” “Yeah…” Katie said, and by now she was laughing “But the best bit is, she comes round asking Dad if he’s seen the cats, dad’s got no idea what’s gone on right as Tony’s moved the cats and bribed me to keep quiet with the biggest ice cream you could imagine, so dad is all like ‘I’ve got no idea Mrs Livesy I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open…” Katie took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes “So then Tony comes back, Dad mentions that Mrs Livesy was looking for 2 of her cats and Tony’s like ‘huh, well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat’ and me, being the little shit I was at the age of 4 pipes up ‘no that was you this morning, remember?’”

Steve laughed, and watched as she carried on giggling “He never forgave me for that, Dad made him go round and apologise. And he had to attend a memorial for Mr Whiskers and Bagpuss…”

Eventually after desert and a few more drinks it was time to leave, Katie tried to split the meal bill with Steve but one stern look stopped that in its tracks. This was a date, he was paying. Thankfully she didn’t argue too much. Steve then asked her if she wanted to go for a drink, she gleefully accepted so he took her hand, gently leading her across the road, holding the bar door open for her. They both sat at the bar, Katie turning her seat so she was directly facing him, the pair of them leaning closer to one another as they talked. And the conversation just continued to flow, as did the odd but subtle display of affection, moving their chairs closer together, her hand on his shoulder, his falling to her knee. Steve was surprised to find how easy the whole thing was. He had no nerves, no awkward moments. The chemistry fizzled and there wasn’t a single moment he was stuck for anything to say. It was for that reason he was disappointed when the bar tender called time and reluctantly stood up as Katie drained the final bit of gin from her glass.

As Steve held out her jacket, his hands gently brushed her shoulders as she shrugged it on, sending a tingle down her spine and the hitch in her breathing didn’t go unnoticed. She turned to face him, all green eyes and pink lips, blinking as her eyes locked onto his. His hands connected at the base of her spine as she moved closer to him, not moving her gaze from his, hand resting on his chest.

“I’d really like to kiss you again…” he said, shyly.

“You know you don’t have to ask…” she replied. Smiling softly he leaned down and connected his lips with hers, the kiss growing slightly deeper until Steve remembered they were in the middle of a public bar. He pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers briefly, blushing like an absolute moron a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

“You know, for someone who said they’d never taken a woman on a date before Rogers, you’ve done amazingly well.” she said smiling at him.

“That’s because you make it easy to be around you.” He said, honestly. He took her hand, curled his fingers round hers and made their way out into the street to hail a cab.

All too soon they pulled up outside her apartment and both of them found themselves wishing the night would never end. Steve told the driver to wait whilst he hopped out and walked her into the lobby, their hands still twined together. There was a part of him that wanted to follow her in, and a part of her that almost invited him to, but they both wanted to do this right, take their time. Katie wanted Steve to understand that this was more to her than it had been to any of those other girls he had talked about, and Steve wanted Katie to understand that he had meant exactly what he said the other night because she meant the world to him.

“I think now is the part where I’m supposed to ask you if you had a good time…” Steve turned to face her as they stopped by the elevator door.

“I did…”

“And if you’d go out with me again?” “I already said I would, Coney Island remember?” she replied cheekily, leaning closer to him

“I meant before that.”  he rolled his eyes.

“I’d love too.” she muttered, and then his lips were on hers again and they were kissing, exactly where they had left off in the bar, only this time they were alone. His hand snaked into her soft hair, angling her head as his tongue brushed her lips. She parted them slightly to grant him access and as their tongues tangled easily, Steve felt as if there were fireworks in his stomach, he had never kissed anyone like this before, no one. The kiss grew even deeper, Katie giving an involuntary moan.

“Always leave ‘em wanting more Stevie…” Bucky said, nudging him on the arm, winking as they crossed the fairground towards the girls “That’s the trick…”

Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling he pulled back. Their night was at an end, it was a perfect place to leave it.

“I really did had a great time tonight, thank you.” she said, as he reached round and called the elevator for her as she pulled her key card out of her bag. He gently ran his finger down her cheek before he pressed a soft kiss there and smiled.

“Me too.” He waited until the elevator doors had shut and once they shut he turned round and grinning to himself he walked out into the night, whilst in the elevator Katie was wearing a smile equally as big.

Date 1 down, and it had been a roaring success.

Tags

@the-omni-princess​

@momobaby227​

[planetsam]

plz anything jancy. i need post season 2 fluff!!

The flyer is her first clue.

Nancy rips it from the senior board, reads it three times to make sure she’s not imagining things due to sleep depravation. She isn’t. The flyer asks that anyone interested in being the photographer for the senior prom please contact the teacher in charge. She stares at it because it’s insane. They usually bring in a photographer but there wasn’t a need in at junior prom because Jonathan takes the best pictures. They got to keep a huge chunk of their budged because of him and it was just assumed the same wound be true this year.

Nancy looks at the flyer, debating on what to do morally before she clutches it in her hand and runs off to find Jonathan. He’s not pulling this running away card again on her watch. Not after everything. She’s dragging him to prom if it’s the last thing she does. They’ve faced demon dogs and other dimensions and she’s exorcised his brother–they are going to have a normal high school experience. Also she wants to go to prom. Even without a date. It doesn’t make her weird it makes her normal, she tells herself resolutely. But she isn’t going to enjoy prom if Jonathan is miserable at home.

“Jonathan what the hell?” She demands when she sees him, smacking the flyer into his chest, “you’re not going to prom?”

Since Halloween Jonathan’s bulked up even more. Or maybe it’s just that she knows what’s under his stooped posture and oversized jackets. She reigns herself in and focuses on the task at hand, not the furrow that comes to his brow as he looks at the ripped flyer.

“I didn’t say that,” he says instantly, taking the flyer from her, “I just said I couldn’t photograph it.”

“So you’re not going?” She presses.

“I didn’t say that,” he repeats.

“You’re coming to prom,” she informs him, “I don’t care if you’re photographing it or not. I’ll buy your ticket myself,” she bites her lip, briefly weighs the pros and cons of announcing a sex ban in the middle of the hallway, “okay?”

“No,” he says, “you don’t have to–”

“I’m doing it,” she decides aloud, turning on her heel, “it can be your birthday present,” she continues, “but you’re going.”

His hand wraps around her wrist, calloused and warm, it stops her in her tracks. His grip is gentle but it’s the look in his eyes that stops her. He looks pained and she swallows, not liking the look. Something else is going on, she realizes. The anguish on his face is a give away. It hits her like a ton of bricks and his face falls when he sees her arrive at the conclusion.

“Oh–oh!” She grabs the flyer back from him, “never mind. I just–” she crosses her feet and nearly toppled over, suddenly dizzy with the idea of it, “I have to go,” she lunges forward and grabs the flyer from him, “you never saw me, see you later!”

She pecks his lips in the middle of the hallway, completely forgetting the secrecy of their relationship and all but sprints to the principals office, begging a strip of tape to fix the flyer and tacking it back up.

She spends the rest of the day jumping when someone says her name, consumed by a mix of guilt and excitement. She’s ruined the surprise of it, yes. But Jonathan Byers, who can’t stand parties or school dances on principal, is going to put that aside and ask her to prom. She wants to make sure it’s the best prom, if he’s going to do that. So much of their relationship is built on this connection they have, but so much of it circles with the shared trauma. So things like this are rare, becoming less rare as he stumbles through years of trust issues to try and be in a relationship with her. When the bell rings Nancy throws everything into her bag and sprints to the parking lot, stopping when she see him leaning against his car. Before she can apologize he gives her a look of affection mixed with exasperation and holds up the two tickets that aren’t even supposed to go on sale until next week.

She runs forward and throws herself into his arms, laughing and maybe crying a little bit too. She kisses his cheeks and his nose and anywhere she can. His arms band around her just as tight and perfect as when they’ve gone through all the shit they’ve gone through. She feels his laugh through her chest as his jacket falls on either side of her. When she pulls back his arms stay there. There’s nothing tortured about the look on his face, nothing that speaks of obligation or how he usually acts at these dances.

“Is that a yes then?” He laughs, the shadow in his eyes breaking into something hopeful.

“Of course it’s a yes!” She cries.

That night she takes the dark blue dress out of the back of her closet. She and Barb fawned over it in a magazine, dreaming about the far off day of senior prom and what it would be like to wear the dress. It’s not flamboyant, it’s classic. Nancy always thought it would be like playing dress up to wear it, but when she puts it on it feels like it’s a second skin. She twists her hair up and tries not to think about Jonathan’s hand on her bare back. She marches into her brothers room, does the secret knock he’s instigated and is pleased when she sees the girl on his bed, even though she shouldn’t be.

“See this?” She says fixing her little brother with a look, “this is my prom dress.”

“Prom’s months away, that’s been in your closet for year–” she likes the girl even more when she gives Mike a look, “that’s your prom dress.”

“If it leaves my closet, I will ruin your life,” she says.

“I’ll help,” Eleven volunteers.

“What the hell?” Mike questions looking at her, “you’re on her side?” Eleven shrugs and gives his hand a squeeze.

“Yes because I’m right,” Nancy says drawing herself up, “thank you,” she adds to Eleven who nods.

“You look beautiful,” she says.

She smiles and blushes, pleased to know it. Then she gives Mike one last glare before stepping back into her room. Jonathan is just slipping through the window. For one moment Nancy wants to yell at him to turn around, worried this is some kind of bad luck. But it’s just prom. Still the fact that her mind jumped to a wedding sends butterflies into her stomach, ones she can’t squash properly. Especially not when he turns around and freezes. Jonathan is such an old soul, surprising him is something she likes doing. But as she leans against her door, she finds she can’t move from under his gaze.

“This is my dress,” she says softly.

“You look–” he stops, his eyes darkening as they drag over her. Nancy holds herself still. Waits, “I can’t believe I get to take you to prom,” he confesses.

He crosses the room in three quick strides and kisses her like a drowning man seeking air. There’s nothing half assed about it, he kisses her like every dream she’s ever had. Her fingers fumble behind her for the lock as his run down the exposed length of her spine. She shivers, wrapping her arms around him as he overtakes all of her senses. His lips move to her neck as he continues to touch her back, already picking up on her reaction to it. He’s taller than her, enough to see what he’s doing and the ministrations pause only long enough for him to glance at the clasp. His fingers easily open it and his lips press to every inch of exposed skin as he guides the fabric off her shoulders. She didn’t even feel him undo the buttons lower down on her back. The dress pools at her ankles as it falls down her body.

Before she can tell him she has to get it cleaned anyway, he’s kissing below her breasts, sinking down in front of her. Nancy threads her fingers through his hair, stepping out of the pool of fabric when he kisses one hipbone, then the other. She bites her lip hard in an effort to remain quiet. Jonathan straightens up with the dress in his hands, like he gets it means something to her. He lays it over the back of her chair and Nancy presses him up against the desk, standing in between his legs. They stagger back over to the bed and she scoots backwards, pulling him up with her and then pulling him down. His lips trail along her stomach again, then lower, then the blue dress is the last thing she’s thinking of.

“You don’t have to match it,” she says abruptly when they both catch their breath, “you don’t have to wear a cummerbund or anything dumb like that.”

He looks at her. They’re clothed again and laying on her bed, a few text books around just in case. She’s curled in his arms, her head resting on his bicep. Even with the clothes on she can still see the marks she left on his neck and feel the throb from the ones he left on hers. Her legs are still weak because Jonathan has an impressive amount of endurance and thinks her face when she orgasm’s is a thing to be worshipped.

“I want to go to prom,” she continues, “but I want you to have a good time too.”

“I will,” he says. She raises her eyebrows, “I will try,” he corrects.

“If it sucks we can always leave,” she volunteers, “come back here, you can tear my dress off for real.”

He chuckles, pulling her closer and she burrows into his shirt.

“I don’t need to tear your dress off,” he says and she nods.

She thinks of Barb and how worried she was about Nancy having sex. She wonders if Steve would have torn her dress off. More than that she wonders if she would have been able to tell him not to. If any of this would have happened if Barb was still alive. The blue dress is burned behind her eyelids and the emotion of it crashes over her. Jonathan just tightens his arms around her and holds her when she cries.

Months later they are both new york bound, both looking at a way out that seems too good to be true. College looms ahead and all the senior relationships people have said will end with distance suddenly don’t seem to apply to them. The thought makes her excited, more excited than she thought she would be at the prospect.

She slips into her blue dress and looks in the mirror.

She’s invited Mr. & Mrs. Holland to come over. Explained everything to both of her parents and to them. Joyce asked as well and she invited her immediately too. It’s odd to think that downstairs are all these people united in ways she never would have thought possible. United with her. She fixes her lipstick and smooths out her dress, knowing that she’s being silly but feeling like she needs a moment. Just to herself. There’s a tap at the door and she opens it.

“In your closet, as promised,” Mike says and Nancy rolls her eyes, though she knows she’s smiling back at him, “you look good,” he says and then shoves a box into her hand.

“What’s this?” she asks, opening it up. It’s earrings. Her eyes widen and she looks at him, these aren’t just costume jewelry, “Mike—“

“I know I stole your dress, but you were cool about it,” he says, “you were cool about all the stuff I pulled last year. You got it,” he shrugs, “so—“

She hugs him tightly and swaps out her earrings, coming back out.

“How do I look?” she asks and he nods. The light near her flickers and she looks at him for a translation. He gives another thumbs up, “thank you,” she says, oddly nervous even with all of their approval.

She makes her way carefully down the stairs. Midway down, she sees Jonathan standing there in a dark blue tuxedo and all the nerves she feels vanish when their eyes lock. He’s seen the dress before, seen her before, in a million different ways. But there’s a look that’s been there the whole time. Like he can see her beyond how most people can. Nancy takes a deep breath and knows that things will be okay, just as long as she’s got that. He holds his hand out the last step and she breaks into a wide grin at the sight of his impatience.

“Jonathan Byers, are you excited for prom?” she whispers into his ear as they all snap pictures. He thumbs the top button on her back and she fights the urge to shiver.

Her parents hand her the pale pink boutonniere and she pins it on his suit, winking at her own personal piece of revenge. He goes red around the ears before producing a corsage that’s a mix of orange and red, tied with a black ribbon. He settles it on her wrist and they link arms.

Prom is fun.

A lot of it is a blur, even as it’s happening. But it’s fun. They stay a long time. The thing that sticks out to her, that she’ll remember long after prom and all of this is when she and Jonathan are dancing to a slow song. Her head is resting on his chest and one of his hands is on the bare skin of her back. The song is sultry and sweet, the spiked punch has taken away most of her inhibitions and this moment feels close to the kind she and Barb always dreamed about having.

“We should dance to this song, when we get married,” she tells him.

Most boys would run, some boys would laugh. Jonathan just holds her closer, like the weight of that future isn’t something he’d object to or find her silly for voicing.

“Will you let me propose to you?” he asks and she shrugs, not opening her eyes.

“Not if I ask you first.”