#steve is a HORSE GIRL

[cxrrodedcoffin]

me every time i see a picture of matthew gray gubler:

[ghostballcheese]

BIG TOP BURGER COWBOY STEVE RAAAAHHHH Steve if he came up from the ground a couple centuries earlier

His horses name is hotshot

[rebelspykatie]

Royalty AU where Steve becomes king after his parents die and they set up an arranged marriage proposal with Nancy before they passed away. He goes to visit her with Robin. Steve is overwhelmed and doesn’t really want to get married at all, but definitely not to Nancy. Robin’s crush on Nancy is glaringly obvious and he starts to feel guilty about being the one that gets to marry her.

So he starts hiding in the stables and riding the horses to get away from the palace. Nancy’s stable hand Eddie notices and thinks Steve is being a little shit for not asking if he can go out riding, until he catches him coming back with tear stained eyes. He doesn’t say anything to him the first time, but it keeps happening. 

He finally talks to him and has a moment where he goes uh oh this guy is great, repeatedly telling himself not to fall for a betrothed king. He respects Nancy and doesn’t want to get in the way of this arrangement, but he feels something for Steve so fast. He finds out that Steve isn’t crying over his dead parents, who he actually really resented especially now that he’s caught up in this agreement, but over the situation with Nancy and Robin.

They start taking rides together and get lost in the woods for hours, sometimes having picnics, sometimes swimming in the lake. Eddie’s favorite is when he teaches Steve how to toss knives. He gets close under the guise of showing Steve how to do it, pressing their bodies close together and just breathing Steve in.

Robin brings up his relationship with Eddie one night and Steve just has a complete breakdown, crying over the expectations put upon him by his parents, the weight of running a whole kingdom on his own, and his unexpected feelings for Eddie. Robin opens up about her feelings for Nancy and they hold each other while they cry, thinking it’s hopeless.

Meanwhile, Nancy is scheming with Eddie to figure out how they can switch partners and get out of the royal arrangement. Nancy is meeting with legal advisors and having tea with dignitaries of both kingdoms to discuss the impact their severed relationship would have on trade relations and public approval of Steve if he marries someone not noble. Robin is a royal of some kind like a lady or duchess, so Nancy should be fine. Steve is all alone in his kingdom, so she wants to make sure he’ll be okay.

Eddie is speed running through royal lessons with Mike and Will, learning everything he can about Steve’s kingdom. He starts taking sword lessons from Nancy. When they finally confront Steve and Robin with their plan, both of them sit there in shock clutching each other and it’s like there’s one brain cell pinging back and forth between them as they simultaneously come to the conclusion that it means their crush likes them back.

When Eddie goes back with Steve, there’s an official celebration for their newly announced engagement. Once Eddie settles in, Steve finds out about the sword lessons and suggests Eddie become a knight, where he meets the group tasked with protecting Steve and the kingdom from danger. Dustin, Erica, Lucas and Max are Steve’s personal protection squad.

[findafight]

So, Mr Sinclair seems like a guy who enjoys being a dad. A father. Having kids that love and trust him and look to him for guidance, and being able to provide that. And dad jokes, and dispensing WisdomTM whether they asked for it or not. And he’s so proud of his kids. He’s quiet about it around them bc he thinks it’s funny, but he absolutely brags about them to the other people.

All this Charles Sinclair appreciation to say; Erica at some point begins trying to use Steve as a sacrifice/meat shield (look, Pop, a clueless sap on desperate need of fatherly advice who hasn’t heard *any* of your stories before-).

God he really does get him a best dad ever mug!! under appreciated king! wife stan too! Lucas asks him for love advice and he and his wife joke about it a little!! the whole package! what a man!!

one dayErica sees her dad opening up a book on the history of the running shoe and is like oh no oh god category five dad moment incoming t minus two days once he finishes it and starts to figure out how to place steve in front of him before she has to listen to her dad talk about SHOE HISTORY for an hour.

But see steve is legit interested in it and he and Charles talk for like two hours after dinner (that erica "invited" him to [she mentioned to her mom that Steve hadn't been over for a bit] for this reason) and asks questions and he and Charles end up with a little inside joke about running shoes. Sue just raises a singular eyebrow at her daughter but Erica goes "did you want to engage in that conversation? plus, they're both so happy!"

Charles is clapping steve on the back and calling him son and tells him he's going to show him how to use a band saw. Mission complete.

he is reaching towards a baseball biography, though... oh no!

[shares-a-vest]

Prompt: Horse (Discord Drabble) haven't done one of these in like a week. i'm back with a very silly Fruity Four-centric one. aaand it's too long, as per usual.

When Nancy agreed to accept some help with packing up her room for college, she didn't think that meant refereeing Robin and Eddie fighting over the contents of her wardrobe.

Thankfully, she'd already set aside the clothes she would be taking with her.

Exactly why Eddie (whose lightest coloured piece of clothing is a Hellfire shirt) and Robin (wearer of only the most oversized clothes) are snatching a baby pink cardigan back and forward, she'll never know.

Steve isn't helping, either. He isn't helping at all, really. In fact, he is currently mimicking the incoherent squabbling via Nancy's favourite teddy bear as he lounges on her bed.

"Why would you need this?" Robin demands, taking the cardigan back.

Before Eddie can answer, Nancy decides to dump the bottom drawer of her dresser on the end of the bed. The mattress bounces and Steve yelps as his silly pantomime is interrupted.

"How about you actually help me with this one?" she says, forcing a smile.

The pair turn their attention to the drawer and Robin tosses the cardigan at Steve, who hasn't so much manned the clothes as he has gradually scattered the separated piles.

"Can I have this one, please?" Eddie soon asks.

He unfurls a pastel purple t-shirt emblazoned with a white horse. The animal is surrounded by silver clouds, a rainbow and pink sequins that have loosened from extensive wear years back.

He shoots a glance at Robin, who is busy tossing old t-shirts she likely doesn't want from the drawer off towards the doorway.

"Sparkles," Eddie hisses, giving a far too cherubic smile.

"Fine," Nancy says, waving her hand.

At least he bothered with some manners this time!

"Were you a horse girl?" Robin grins, now paying attention as she lazily points to the image Eddie is now smoothing over his front.

"Major horse girl," Steve says, rolling his eyes as he slumps back on the bed and sends a bag of old shoes toppling onto the floor.

Eddie moves to the desk, the only spot in her room Nancy is waiting to pack up at the last possible moment and retrieves a pair of scissors.

"What are you doing!" she whines.

Can't he save the tailoring for when he gets home!

"I don't want this for the sleeves," Eddie snaps over his shoulder, sounding utterly offended as he continues cutting, "Or the bottom, really."

And so he rips the bottom off, tosses it on the desk and removes his black t-shirt, hurling it at Steve's head. Steve doesn't catch it as he gawks at the sight of Eddie wrestling on his too-tight, new-old (and now, mangled) horse shirt.

"Keep it together, Dingus," Robin quips, launching herself onto the bed which tips the drawer over.

[duck-in-a-thrift-store]

Room/character closeup #2 (going in order from most to least popular based on the poll)

~Eddie & Steve's room~

Edit bc I accidentally posted this before I meant to: spoilers ahead for my full house au, as can be expected

Did you notice the pattern on the rug bc it's important to me that you notice the pattern on the rug I spent a good bit of time searching for this one specific rug guys I'm serious about this. Is it incredibly dark humor? Yes. But it is humor nonetheless

Anyway

One of my first priorities/things I took into consideration when working on this room was that I didn't want it to be too bright or have any sort of potentially eyestrain-y patterns. Steve has suffered repeated head trauma and I wanted his room to be a safe space where he doesn't have to worry about triggering a migraine or fucking with his vision or getting dizzy just from his surroundings. Hence why they have a darker, more subdued palette than most of the other rooms (which I guess you don't know yet since this is only the second one I've shown you but just trust me on this)

Beyond that, I admittedly had a pretty difficult time trying to figure out what I could do that I felt like both Steve and Eddie would vibe with decor-wise while still being a cohesive theme

Didn't want it to lean too far either way into metalhead freak or preppy golden boy territory, and besides I do think Steve's whole aesthetic isn't entirely his own and is at least partly influenced by the expectations placed on him, so I tried to go for a fairly neutral sort of vibe here

For some reason I settled on some blue jean lookin ass wallpaper, a rug patterned with the our-dimension-version of the critters that very nearly took their lives, and a few choice items to put on the walls

First off, the ship painting

This was sort of an unexpected last minute addition, partially bc I thought it looked nice with the rest of the room and partially as a character reflection

I wholeheartedly believe that Eddie Munson would fucking love anything pirate related, he probably was a pirate for Halloween at least once growing up, and he just thinks sailing ships are super cool. Plus the painting just felt like it would appeal to a fantasy nerd lol (it reminded me of the chronicles of Narnia actually but that's not really important)

And as for Steve, at least in this au but I know I'm not the only one who thinks so, he really likes water. Being in it, on it, around it- he likes swimming (refer back to his noted complicated feelings about the pool from my basement post), he likes the beach, he likes the ocean, and he likes sailing. He hasn't been many times but I'd totally buy the Harringtons having been on a yacht or some shit at one point or another. This character note may or may not be related to both his job at scoops ahoy* and him being on the swim team in high school, which is one of those things that at this point I honestly don't know if it was at all canon or if it's just one of those headcanons that become so popular in fandom that it feels that way, and at this point I can't be bothered to fact check it

*I think either he had a prior interest in sailing-related stuff and that was part of what initially drew him to that job specifically, or that working there sparked an interest which only grew with time, like maybe some of the silly slogans and terms used in ice cream flavors and maybe even the uniform stirred his curiosity/memories of going out on the water with his folks during the summers before they decided he was old enough to be left home alone for weeks at a time, and he started looking into actual sailing and found out he really liked it. (He can't stand the uniforms now though bc they trigger traumatic flashbacks, for both him and Robin)

Next, the bass/electric guitar on the wall, which I feel is pretty self explanatory honestly. It's Eddie's (although he does offer to teach Steve how to play- haven't decided yet whether Steve takes him up on that)

And then there's the horses (photo? painting?)

This is where the whole "horse girl eddie munson" thing came from; the whole idea was initially born of me trying to decide what I could put on their wall, liking this poster and asking myself if Steve and Eddie struck me as people who were into horses. As it turns out the answer was "hell yeah" and it spiraled into an entire fic idea of its own, which can be found here. As for this au, the background of them both having a "horse girl" phase/being into the idea of cowboys is still a thing, but obviously it doesn't progress the same way as that did (steddie cowboys my beloved but these particular multiverse variants are stuck playing house with their traumatized found family and slowly realizing that they actually enjoy co-parenting >:3 and this way everyone gets to stay together)

Also, speaking of the steddie cowboys thing this inspired, Eddie is trans in the full house au but Steve is a cis man (unlike in the other au). However Steve does have some gender moments here and there, like the kids "jokingly" calling him mom and him lowkey vibing with it (oh no I'm already doubting my ability to stick to the Steve being cis plan- bigender Steve agenda where did you come from??)

But yeah basically both of them are secretly horse nerds lol and that's something they discover while they're arguing over how to decorate (aka when they agree on this poster) and end up bonding over

And now for a note about their placement in the house (specifically who they share a floor with)

I've already explained that/why I wanted them on the same floor as Dustin Lucas & Erica, although I don't think I mentioned that Lucas and Steve are really close in this au* and it goes without saying that Dustin is super close with both of them

*it just feels right to me; also Steve was the only one of his friends to come watch his basketball game and Steve did chew Eddie out about that whole situation at some point but by now everyone is pretty much on good terms

Sometimes when any of the kids- but especially any of those three- have bad nightmares or can't sleep, they bunker down in Eddie & Steve's room,* the door of which is always open (metaphorically that is, but once they start dating... well let's just say the kids better knock or they're going to have yet another reason to be scarred for life lmao)

*some may think they're too old for stuff like this but I say- fuck that. A major theme of this au is acknowledgement of how these guys have had a large portion of their childhood stolen from them and the people around them are working to help them get it back, to let them just be kids and to make them feel safer than they have in a long time, so they're allowed to be "childish" and that's going to play a part in many of the events and details of this au. The same goes for the older guys too btw; like with this example specifically if Robin or Steve is the one waking up from a nightmare they find the other and both crash on the couch together for the night. You're never too old to seek comfort from your loved ones

[heavencasteel420]

I basically have two visions of Steve’s parents:

The more dramatic version is sort of a toned-down 1980s version of what Don and Betty have going on in Mad Men. His dad is a self-made man (no identity theft though) from a poor background; he doesn’t have the same drifter tendencies and his drinking isn’t as much of a problem, but he’s serially unfaithful and usually in a bad mood. His mom is a brittle former debutante who’s weird about food. Her drinking is actually more of a problem. They married because they were both extremely hot and the sex was amazing. They are both still very hot and regularly bang it out even though the marriage isn’t great. They are both a little baffled by Steve’s midwestern placidity.

The less dramatic version is that they’re regular medium-rich middle-American yuppies with mundanely shitty Republican attitudes, but they’re capable of being moderately less shitty.

[harrypotterandmarvelfics]

Steve Rogers x horse rider!reader

Warning ⚠️: injuries, fluff, blood and horses just in case some of y’all don’t like them.

Summary: While during a practice you’re horse decides to just stop and throw you off causing some bad injuries. Who will help?

You decided to wake up early to practice with your horse for the next race. You’ve been riding horses since you were 13. You are now 26. Not only were you a horse girl but you were also an avenger so you were pretty tough. You didn’t have any powers. You were just good at fighting like Natasha.

After putting on your boots and grabbing your helmet you walk out of your bedroom to the kitchen to grab a super quick breakfast. When you turned the corner you saw Steve sitting at the counter eating cereal. “Morning.” You said stepping into the kitchen to get. “You’re up early.” He responded. “I’m going to go train my horse for the next race.” He looked up at you confused. “You ride horses?” “Yeah. I have been for about 12 years.” After you’re response he looked back down at his cereal. “When is you’re next race?” He asked looking back up at you

“In 3 days.” You answered he nodded his head. You grabbed you food and headed out. “See you later Steve.” Then you shut the door on your way to the stable. It was only a 10 minute walk.

———————————————————

You finally arrived at the stable. You walked over to your horse and put on the saddle and everything else. You strapped on your helmet and mounted your horse walking it over to the training park of the stable. Everything was going great your horse was listening to everything you told her to do and was doing great with her jumps and trots. You were probably training for about 45 minutes and then she just stopped. “You’re okay.” She still stood there. “Come on girl.” You said kicking her softly to get her going again. She started to freak out and go hay wire.

You were freaking out yourself she kept running around the place and spinning with you on her. You tried to get control of her again when she kicked you off and you flew a few feet in the air and crashed on the floor. “Ow.” “Y/n!” You heard someone say you couldn’t tell who but you recognized the voice and looked up but everything was blurry and black dots started to flog your vision. “Y/n! Stay with me!” You felt someone’s arms pick you up then everything went black.

——————————————————

You woke up in your bed. You sat up with a huge headache like a horse was sitting on your head. “Slow down there.” You looked over to see a man you’ve never seen. “Who are you?” “What do you mean. I’m Steve you don’t remember me?” He had a mix of hurt and confusion in his eyes. “No I’m sorry.” He got up and left but moments later returned with a doctor. “Y/n do you remember anything?” “I remember being thrown of of my horse and someone picking me up and then everything went black.” You responded. “Do you know where you are?” “Home.” Was all you needed to say. “Okay do you remember anyone here?” Then people came in my room. “Some of them.” “Who don’t you remember?” You pointed at a few people. (Steve and Natasha.) “Okay. We’ll get some rest and we’ll see if you remember them tomorrow.” He said getting up. “Wait. Where’s my horse?” “I put her back in her stall.” The man who said he was Steve. “Oh thank you.” Then everyone left. Leaving you there to sit there and think. You’re head hurt a lot and looking down you say you’re arm was in a cast. You looked around your room seeing a lot of pictures of people. Some you recognized some you didn’t. You say the red head the you pointed to earlier. In the picture you guys were hugging smiling at the camera. “Natasha.” You did remember her! Now you have to try to remember… Steve. You looked for a photo and find one with everyone. Steve was standing next you and Tony. Then a bunch of memories suddenly came to your head. That horse must have done a lot of damage to my head even with a helmet on. You decided to go to sleep. Maybe then I’ll have my memory back.

Next morning you look around nothing has changed then you slowly start to remember stuff. Like your snacks under your bed. Then you remember Steve. You walk out of your room to Steve’s you knock on the door and it opens showing a very confused Steve. “Y/n?” “Steve I think I remember you now.” “Really?” He ask excited and looking not so tired now. “Yeah. I do. You’re Captain America.” His happy face faded. “That’s all you remember of me?” “I thought you would be happy for me to remember something about you.” “Well I’m way more than Captain America.” “I know but I don’t remember much, I mean I got thrown off a horse.” “Yet you remember everyone else.” “Steve I’m still trying.” “Yeah whatever.” He then shuts the door in my face. “Ugh.” You go back to your room to try to remember more. You look for pictures and eventually find a few. You focus trying to unlock more memories. You slowly started to. Steve rogers. Your friend for 5 years. The first to welcome you. You wrote all this down. Everything you remember. Then you remember you have a race. You fold the paper and slip it under his door. You headed out to go to the race. A few moments later you got you’re horse ready for the race. You looked at the crowd finding Natasha and Tony. Steve. He was there! You focused back to your horse. You remembered that you have to win. Have too. 3. 2. 1. You were off. You were in last place but it didn’t worry you. You knew you have 3 laps to do. Plenty of time. You horse was fast catching up more and more. Than came the jumps. Easy. You’re horse was the best getting first for 2 laps. You heard the crowd cheering. “Come on girl. You got this.” It seemed like you horse understood and went even faster towards the jumps once again. Everyone was far behind. Your horse was fast and went through the jumps like she’s been doing it for years! The line was so close. Going closer. Your horse went faster. Than you crossed the line. You won! You looked over to see all your friends cheering you on. You stepped up after everyone got to the end and they put the medal over your head and gave you the trophy. Another to add to the collection. You walked up to your friends as they wrapped you in a huge hug. You took longer hugging Steve. “Good job Y/N.” “Thanks Steve.” You guys walked hand in hand to the parking lot with your horse being loaded up in the trailer you hooked up to your truck.

THE END

Please leave requests for more. Bye!

[ghast1yghosts]

eddie will be bringing this up at every opportunity, thank you very much

one thing eddie doesn’t expect when they move to a ranch, is for steve to become a straight up cowboy.

he only realizes it’s happened when steve walks in, boots clinking, dirt smudged on his cheek, flannel completely unbuttoned, and his chunky belt buckle on display.

eddie shakes his head and clears his throat, completely missing whatever steve’s just said to him.

“sorry- what?” his voice absolutely doesn’t not crack at the end, refuses to believe it did. steve crosses his arms and leans against that counter. eddie can feel himself gulp.

steve must’ve notice it too, one side of his mouth quirked up. “i *said,* i fixed the gate. shouldn’t give us any hassle anymore.”

“the gate.. uh huh. good to know.” that chest hair is unforgivable. god he’s covered in a thin layer of sweat too.

steve laughs at him, “earth to eddie,” he snaps his fingers once or twice.

“sorry- i-“ eddie pauses. steve raises his brows at him, waiting. “you can’t do this to me.”

steve looks taken aback. “do what?”

eddie gestures to him, “look like- that.”

hands out, steve turns in a circle, “like this?”

“yes.”

“i’m just in my clothes eds.”

“you look like you’re out of some wet cowboy dream i had when i was 13,” a laugh bursts out of steve, “it’s frankly unfair i’ve only just realized i have my own cowboy now.” someone should’ve told him he’s got the literal fucking dream boat at his fingertips. steve hums and steps toward him. he reaches out and fixes the collar eddie’s own flannel.

“you do, yeah.”

“is this where i make the very obvious joke of suddenly needing to save a horse.” steve cackles at that, hiding his face in eddie’s shoulder.

“you’re insufferable.”

“i try.”

[dreamwatch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Characters: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Original Female Character(s), Tony the Horse Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Chronic Pain, Therapy, equine assisted therapy, horse riding, Disabled Eddie Munson, Horse Girl Eddie Munson, Prompt Fic, One Shot Series: Part 4 of Drabbles, Prompts and Ficlets Summary:

'All he’s ever known is loss. His parents, his home, and very nearly his life. Everything just gets taken away in the end. The only thing he’s been given in the last few months is chronic pain and an apology from Hawkins PD that isn’t worth shit.

Eddie clams up and does his best to make it clear that this particular line of enquiry is closed for the day. He changes the subject, and talks about safer things, things that don’t have teeth, real or metaphorical. She follows along behind waiting for breadcrumbs. Eventually, their time comes to an end and he’s desperate to get out.

“Do you trust me, Eddie?”'

 Recovery comes in many forms. Eddie's therapist offers him something new.

[inkedbybarnes]

unclear

bucky barnes x fem!reader

summary: everyone thinks you're dating bucky, except yourself.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: 18+ minors dni. miscommunication (i love this trope, sue me), angst with a happy fluffy ending, quite stubborn reader, implied smut if you squint, usage of petnames such as baby and doll. lowercase for basically everything.

i haven't finished anything in decades, but i suddenly had an idea just now and decided to write it down. surprisingly, i finished it? might have a lot of mistakes and such since i haven't proofread it yet. also, sorry for using lowercase for this, i kinda like how it looks. hope you enjoy this one!

dividers by @cafekitsune!

comments, reblogs, and likes are highly appreciated. thank you! ♡

“you're confusing me. so... you're not dating bucky?”

wanda tilted her head, confusion etched on her face as you spent your weekly girl's night with natasha. it usually consisted of eating food you all desired, drinking until you got wasted, and spilling secrets to one another.

although tonight, you weren't sure if you had any secrets to spill.

"as far as i know, no. we're just friends, teammates. nothing else," you answered with a heavy sigh. "can we talk about something else?"

"hold your horses, young lady! we are not skipping this topic again. you obviously want a label but he isn't giving you one!" wanda protested. she has been constantly asking about you and bucky's relationship for the past weeks, and you always had the same answer. you don't know.

"have you never talked about it with bucky? he looks at you like you'd get lost if he looks away for a second. not a single soul in the tower would think that you're just friends," natasha interjected, taking another sip from the bottle of beer she held. she had a point, as always. "if he's just playing with you, which i highly doubt for barnes, then just end whatever that is. you deserve better than having doubts and confusion, babe."

you've tried asking him multiple times, but every attempt felt like you were stepping on his boundaries. after years of being controlled by hydra, you knew it was possible that he'd hate the feeling of being rushed and entering a relationship that could potentially feel like a cage to him.

but natasha was right. your "relationship" was no longer anything friendly. he sleeps in your bed, claiming he slept better in it, and wakes up beside you to shower you with kisses. none of you even tried to hide it after some time. you always cooked your meals and ate them together, casually feeding one another and stealing kisses in between. you even stopped going on dates and you had no idea if you were exclusive. you deserved to know what your relationship with bucky was, but you were too scared to lose everything once you asked.

"we're not dating. i only see him as a friend, so you can both stop worrying about me." you lied through your teeth, your chest aching as you realised how stupid this was. you sighed and faked a smile, shifting the attention to natasha. "so, tell me about your date with steve! how was the first ever date of captain america since the 40s?"

wanda was distracted by the question, immediately bombarding the now blushing widow with questions. on the other hand, your mind flew away for a minute, finally deciding to get an answer from bucky.

the annual ball that tony stark held for, well, nearly anyone, was nearing. you only had two weeks left, and you haven't even gone out to find something to wear. it was hard to find any motivation to do all that effort when the person you've been waiting to ask you as his date hasn't asked you yet.

although, bucky had a tendency to get shy and hold back. you knew that. so here you were, standing behind the doors to the gym, knowing that bucky would be training at this hour. you still haven't asked him the question you were supposed to ask him, so you decided to do it all at once.

after you've finished your small pep talk, you opened the door to enter the room and your first instinct was to search for bucky.

considering that he was a huge chunk of a man, he was easy to find. however, the sight of him standing in front of a woman that was too close for your comfort wasn't delightful.

he didn't see you entering the room since he was facing the opposite direction, conversing with the agent that happened to be training as well. she had the sweetest and flirtiest smile on her face, bringing her hand up to his arm, slowly caressing it. you didn't mean to easily hear their conversation as you walked closer.

"so, do you happen to have someone for me to have as a date for the ball? i don't want to be lonely on that night, sergeant," the agent said with an extra pout, swaying her hips side to side like a child asking for candy.

"oh, yeah? i think i have someone for you," bucky replied, breaking your heart into pieces with how enthusiastic he was with his answer. "i'm sure you'll—"

you sniffed. unconsciously. not knowing that your tears were already falling, causing your nose to get stuffy. how pathetic, you thought.

your little sniff caught the attention of both the agent and bucky, looking at you in shock. although, the girl was more pleasantly surprised than the opposite. thankfully, you already had your tears wiped before they could see them.

"oh, we didn't see you there!" she greeted you with your name. "we were just talking about our date for this year's ball. who are you bringing?"

"i haven't decided yet, no one's worth it even if i try," you answered bitterly. "so you're going together?"

before bucky could answer, the agent already had her arm wrapped around his, happily smiling at your question. "yeah! amazing, right? i actually thought you two had a thing, but i guess not. glad things worked out in the end."

and that was your last straw. "well, enjoy yourselves. i have to go and find natasha."

you turned to leave, ignoring the loud calls of bucky. you were glad that you never asked him about your relationship and the ball. you were going to be hurt either way.

you spent the next hours stuck in your room, body covered with a thick sheet as you ranted about your frustrations to friday.

it was silly, you knew that, but you refused to call natasha and wanda to remind you of your stupidity and decided to let an ai robot listen to your problems instead.

"and he even flirted back! answering coyly like a teenager. he's 107 years old, fri!" you whined, not noticing the new nickname you've given the alternative intelligence. "ugh, now i have a broken heart and no date in sight. how did it get to this?"

"perhaps you must discuss this matter with sergeant barnes first. your conversation ended quite abruptly with no clear conclusion."

"no, i don't want the truth rubbed on my face," you said, grabbing another piece of tissue to sneeze in. "you restricted him from entering my room, right?"

friday answered with a yes, then you thanked her for listening and decided to get some sleep after tirelessly crying for hours. you knew you had a team meeting with the avengers in a bit, but you couldn't bring yourself to even walk a few steps.

your sleep ended and you were woken up with friday's reminder that it was time for dinner with the team.

with a groan, you pushed yourself off your bed. bucky would be there, but you were too hungry to care. it would be awkward, of course, but you had to face him at some point anyway.

your feet padded towards the door, opening it after trying your hair in a bun.

"ah, fuck."

you jumped at the voice and the body falling to the floor as you opened the door.

"bucky?" you asked, still in shock. "were you sleeping outside of my room?"

you watched bucky stand up, his hand massaging his aching nape as he looked for your eyes. "friday won't let me in. i waited outside instead. i guess i fell asleep during that," he explained, a frown forming on his face. "did you restrict me from entering our room?"

your eyes widened at his choice of words. our room. he considered your room to be his room as well. while that would've made you melt in an instant, you were still hurt to entertain that possibility.

"this is my room, barnes. not yours, not ours. and yes, i had you restricted because i couldn't face you yet. what do you need anyway?"

"i wanted to see you, talk to you." a flash of pain crossed his eyes. "whatever happened at the gym, it's—"

"bucky, you don't have to explain anything to me. we're just friends. it's my fault i assumed we were something. i just need some time to get over it."

"but i thought we were something as well..." he replied, his voice was almost as quiet as a whisper. "i thought we were dating."

"were we?" you asked, genuinely curious. "we never.. you never said anything. i mean, yeah, i wished it meant something, but i thought you wouldn't want to be trapped in a relationship with me, so i just waited. apparently, i was right and i can't blame you for that."

"right about what? the thing that happened in the gym this morning?" he asked. you nodded in response. "i know it sounds like i was flirting back, well i didn't know at the moment, until i asked steve who was clueless but he called nat to help me out and explained that it looked like i was flirting back. i wasn't. i was just going to suggest sam as a date for her. i would never agree to anyone."

oh. so he just wasn't interested in anyone at all.

"besides this one girl who's constantly been in my head. that's if she'd even give me a chance and say yes. i fucked it up badly before i could even ask her properly."

you knew what hoping got you, but you couldn't help but think that he was talking about you. he'd have to be clueless to say all those things in front of you only for it to be someone else.

"i love you, baby. i should've told you that, i should've made it clear sooner. i'm so sorry i let you have doubts when i could've been reassuring you about what i feel for you."

"bucky..."

"i would never feel trapped with you, doll. only you made me feel so much love and freedom. i'd be a fool to let go of that. i'm sorry it took a few hits and harsh words from natasha to make me realise that i wasn't giving you enough when you deserve everything." he held your face in his hands, bringing you closer to him. you felt breathless, tears threatening to fall but this time it was out of joy. "hydra made sure i had no voice to express myself. now, i'll use it to let you know that i love you so fucking much that it hurts when you're not around. i promise to work on it. if anything like this happens again, ask me, baby. demand things from me. i'll give you everything in a heartbeat."

"even if i ask for your arm?"

he laughed, a sound that was music to your ears. "it's yours baby. although, i do like fucking you with my metal—"

"bucky!" you scolded him, hitting him lightly on the chest.

"sorry, baby. couldn't help it. missed my girl so much."

his girl. you loved hearing that.

"it's only been a few hours. don't be silly," you reminded him, but you knew you also felt the same.

"i miss you even when i don't see you for a second." you couldn't help but laugh at his words. "something funny, doll?"

"sorry, natasha said something similar about you a few days ago," you answered. "i'm sorry for assuming so quickly, bucky. you deserved the chance to explain."

"and you did let me explain. i can't blame you for assuming and getting hurt when i never gave you the confirmation to believe otherwise. don't apologise for it, baby."

"i love you," you said, causing him to grin widely.

"yeah? you love me too?" he asked, a hint of pink tinting his cheeks. "this is official now, right? we're dating?"

you nodded happily, giggling as he landed a kiss to your mouth. "so, you wanna go to the ball with me?"

he kissed you again. "don't. i'm supposed to be asking you that. i had an entire thing prepared for you, i even dragged half of the team to help me out days ago. besides wanda and natasha, of course. couldn't let them tell you about it."

your heart swelled, he was already planning to ask you before all of this misunderstanding happened, and it could've been solved with communication. lesson learned, indeed.

"well hurry because i can't wait to say yes," you playfully threatened him, kissing the tip of his nose until the loud rumble of your stomach interrupted your sweet moment. "ah, right. i was on my way to eat dinner when i opened the door."

bucky laughed, his eyes twinkling witth adoration as he kept his eyes on you. "we can't have you starving, that's for sure. come, let's get you something." he held your hand, and dragged you to the kitchen. he turned to look at you with a playful smile. "wanna cook together like the old times?"

you smiled. "like the old times."

in the middle of your cooking session, you heard whistles and claps along with the footsteps that entered the kitchen. you both turned to find the rest of the team with shit eating grins.

"finally! so is this real or do we need to smack your heads?" tony asked, his hand placed on his hip.

"it's always been real, stark," bucky answered, wrapping his arm around your waist. "except this time, i'm making sure my entire world knows it."

"i think everybody knows you have a thing for each other, barnes." clint added.

"i meant my entire world, not everybody." bucky looked at you with awe. "she's my world."

bucky's answer gained various loud reactions from the team, mostly calling him a cheesy old man and fake gags, but there you were, cheeks heating up as you looked back at him with the same amount of love, if not more.

and he did ask you to be his date to the ball the day after, surprising you with his so-called secret plan.

a year later, he surprised you with a ring as he knelt on one knee.

if you have any requests for bucky, send them my way! 💌

[jolieeason]

WWW Wednesday: July 5th, 2023

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading?What do you think you’ll read next? What I am currently reading: While breaking into a financial network, a hacker falls for a dangerous artist.Based on the buried events of one of the largest criminal frauds in history, Paper…

[butchfemmes]

watching my fav childhood movie ferngully and trying not to be emotional about it ♡

[findafight]

*sighs* You had to say “Seabiscuit”, didn’t you?

Okay, so every now and then, Charles puts a flat cap on ad tells the kids they’re going for a drive (Sue giving him a flat stare every time because it’s been Years, Charles, I know you’re going to the horse track, you don’t have to go through this song and dance every time). He genuinely has fun just watching the races, talking with other people, working out the odds, but *very* rarely makes bets, and when he does they’re pathetically small - one of the bookies used to jokingly ask if he was placing bets for the kids. (The closest either kid has come is when they were *very* small and he’d get them too choose names that they liked the sound of).

When they’re kids, it makes Lucas feel grown up (especially thinking like it’s a secret that they’re trusted to keep from Sue) and Erica likes the horses.

(She absolutely gets the Horse Girl gene from Charles - Sue had a bad experience with them as a kid and it’s part of the reason that Erica doesn’t go horse riding)

Anyway, at one point Steve gets invited (dragged) along. Lucas is apologetic because, yeah, he likes spending time with his Dad and it’s kind of their tradition, but it’s a little boring these days. Erica, still very much a Horse Girl, but also recognising an opportunity and laying groundwork, is not.

This is how the Sinclairs learn that Steve is actually pretty good at math when the has the motivation. Or at least, mental arithmetic and statistics. Which makes sense when Lucas thinks about some of the conversations that they’ve had about basketball.

This being said, Steve follows Charles’ example and doesn’t really make bets. Except sometimes for beer/wine (with Charles) or brownies (Erica - who copes with losing by reminding Steve that he *still* owes her ice cream, and really, she should be getting the brownies anyway).

Hehehe

Charles pretending it's a secret and I'm just imagining that episode of Malcom in the Middle where Hal takes the boys to Nascar (and wears the visor and gets Nascar sunburnt on his forehead. Iconic hal looks.) Like it's CLEAR Sue knows where they're going but also knows part of the fun for them is thinking she doesn't.

They go to watch the horses and chat and maybe Charles or Steve is able to sweet talk someone to let Erica pet some of them! She is woman enough to admit that it was super cool and she got to feed one a carrot. Betting with each other and maybe like max five bucks once in a blue moon if they're feeling particularly lucky and Steve's figured good odds on a horse.

Do you think they like show jumping? I think they could really get into that too. Maybe Lucas likes that more because there more happening and more turning and jumping etc? Maybe when she was little Erica was so so so upset she wasn't allowed to ride horses (both safety concern wise and money wise) because she desperately wanted to be an equestrian jumper.

Sue gets to do the same by sneaking them to college basketball games maybe.

[appocalipse]

that guy ⊹ steve harrington

summary: After he's been to yet another failed date with yet another random pretty girl, Steve Harrington, your best friend, stops by at the diner your family owns for a late-night chat, same as he'd done a thousand times before. Steve is totally unaware of how much he's hurting you with his endless parade of dates, because after all — the two of you are only friends and nothing more, right? It's not like you have any secret feelings for him… | 2.6k words

── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──

The moment Steve steps through the glass doors of the diner, you wonder, for about the millionth time that month alone, what is it that you've done so wrong to deserve this kind of punishment.

It's Friday night, and on Friday nights, Steve Harrington goes on dates. It's just like clockwork, really: he meets a pretty girl, thinks she's the one, takes her out on a date, realizes quickly enough that she isn't quite what he was looking for, then comes here after having dropped her back home to sulk with you, in the diner that your family runs, still clad in the outfit he'd chosen especially for his failed date.

To be honest, he never looks sad, per se — more like disappointed. Frustrated, maybe.

You watch as he weaves around tables occupied by laughing friends, past booths filled with couples sharing desserts, then slides into a seat in front of you at the bar. Steve sits down with an exhausted sigh, ruffling up his hair before shooting you a tired smile.

"Hi."

You don't look up from where you're polishing the counter. "Bad date again?"

"Not even close. She talked about horses non-stop."

A quiet laugh slips past your lips despite yourself, and finally, you tear your gaze off the dark wooden surface of the counter to look up at him; he's got this pleased little smile on his face, the corners of his eyes crinkled ever so slightly in the way they always do whenever he succeeds at making you laugh, even if just a little.

How are you supposed to keep acting like nothing's wrong when he looks at you like that?

You clear your throat awkwardly and make yourself busy stacking clean glasses next to the coffee machine.

"So...not the one, I take it?"

Steve leans forward against the counter and props his head up with his hand, sighing deeply.

"I'm starting to think she won't ever show up," he says quietly, running his other hand through his hair. You chance another glance at him and note how genuinely worried he looks. It breaks your heart almost as much as it annoys you. "What is it that's wrong with me, huh? I just don't get it."

"Nothing is wrong with you."

"You don't need to be nice to me. We've been friends since forever, remember?"

The word 'friends' makes you wince a little bit inside, but you hide the reaction behind a neutral frown. "Do you think there's something wrong with me? Because I haven't found the one yet either, you know."

Steve's expression softens as he looks at you, and once again you feel that horrible twinge in your stomach that you wish would just stop already.

"It's different. I mean—you're not actively trying to find someone." He reaches out to pull one of the half-melted mints out from the glass bowl on the counter and pops it into his mouth with a shrug. "I go out looking for her and she just doesn't come. If she even exists, that is."

"She does."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I wouldn't hold my breath. God, why am I such an idiot, y'know?" Steve slumps over the counter with a groan, burying his face into his crossed arms. "My love life is a trainwreck."

"At least you have one."

He glances up at you curiously and lifts an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it. Do you want some pie?"

You're not about to tell him what you've only admitted to yourself mere months ago — that you're actually hopelessly, madly, stupidly in love with him, and that you have been ever since the two of you were just dumb kids racing around your parents' diner.

What makes it even worse is that you had no idea your feelings went that deep until Steve started going on these dates of his again. Before then, everything was normal — you met up every weekend and binged on candy, watched bad movies on your couch, drove around town together blasting The Clash on his BMW's speakers...it was good.

Until it wasn't.

"Wait, c'mon, you can't just leave me hanging like that," Steve presses. He shifts a little on his stool to better face you, then gestures at you with his hands. "You've clearly got something you wanna say, so, like—hit me. Lay it on me."

"Nothing. I'm just saying...at least you're trying, you know," you say carefully, measuring each word before speaking them. "And at least you're the one doing the rejecting. Could be worse."

Steve's eyebrows rise high up on his forehead and he looks at you incredulously. "Whoa, wait—are you trying to tell me you've been rejected?"

You busy yourself by filling two tall glasses with soda, then slide one to his side of the counter and keep the other for yourself. "Uh...kind of, yeah. But it's fine."

"But who the hell would even do that?" he blurts out. There's anger in his voice all of a sudden, a defensive fire in his eyes that makes you feel as if someone has punched you in the gut. "To you? You're like, the nicest person on the planet, and super pretty to boot. That's just—that's crazy!"

Your heart gives a violent little jump in your chest. He thinks you're pretty. Steve Harrington thinks you're pretty.

Pretty as a friend, you correct yourself immediately, and sigh as you sip your drink. Of course, it's nothing more than that — just meaningless words spoken in a moment of unthinking kindness.

"Seriously, who?" he presses on. "Give me a name. I'll fight him."

"You mean like you fought Jonathan Byers?" you smile behind your glass, looking at him from over its rim.

Steve looks embarrassed at the memory and drops his gaze for a second or two before meeting your eyes again with a playful little smile of his own. "Different situation, okay, but that's not the point. So? Who's the guy?"

"You...don't know him," you hedge.

"It's Hawkins. I know the stray cats here by name."

"Fine, well, even if you did know him, it doesn't matter. He didn't reject me, exactly...not really."

Steve frowns a little. "Okay, you're gonna have to start making sense now. This is hurting my head."

The funny thing is, he actually looks confused, as if he can't possibly fathom the idea of someone rejecting you. It's sweet, really — way too sweet for your liking, especially when you know fully well he doesn't see you in the way you'd want him to.

You lower your gaze to avoid his and instead focus on drawing random shapes on the counter with your index finger, where tiny droplets of condensation from your glass have pooled up on the dark wood. "I mean, I never really told him how I felt. Not directly. It just…never happened."

"Oh. Well, then how do you even know if he feels the same way?" he asks you, looking rather doubtful.

You steal another glance at him and almost regret it instantly. His eyes are trained on your face, patient and attentive like you're the only thing worth watching in the world. It makes you feel horribly small and selfish and guilty, because after all, what right do you have to want him when he so clearly wants someone else?

You feel like you could cry. You might, if you don't distract yourself with something fast enough.

"I just know. Do you want some pie? I'll go get you some pie."

Without waiting for a response, you rush off to the kitchen even though there's plenty of pies sitting on the display counter at the bar, and you make a beeline straight for the back exit.

The alley behind the diner is blissfully empty as usual, just a lonely dumpster and a handful of sad-looking shrubs and weeds peeking out from under the concrete.

No, you aren't going to cry.

This is stupid.

You press your back against the rough brick wall of the diner and breathe in deep the warm night air, then exhale slowly as you count to ten in your head.

When the door opens behind you and the diner's familiar chatter and clatter of cutlery spill into the alley, you wince, mentally cursing yourself for being so goddamn weak. You should have known better.

You don't have to look up to know that it's him.

"Are you hiding from me?" Steve's voice comes, quiet and curious and maybe just a little bit hurt, even.

"I got...suddenly nauseous," you explain weakly, still refusing to look up and meet his eyes.

There's a long stretch of silence, and you feel Steve move closer to you until he's leaning against the wall by your side. You finally look up and find him smiling, this gentle, amused little thing that makes your traitorous heart skip a beat.

"You look just fine to me."

You stare up at the sky, head against the wall. "I thought I was gonna throw up."

He's still watching you, you can tell; you're keenly aware of his eyes on you, so much so that your skin prickles at the attention. "No, you didn't."

"No, I didn't," you admit with a sigh, and turn your head to finally look at him. He's got this little half-smile on his lips, the very same one you fell for years ago, and you curse yourself silently for never learning how to let him go. Really let him go.

"Hey. Listen. You don't have to tell me, okay?" Steve says gently, pushing himself off the wall to step closer to you. He brings his hand up to your face and tucks a loose lock of hair behind your ear, letting his fingertips linger on the edge of your jaw for the briefest of moments, just long enough for you to wonder whether he knows what he's doing to you.

You don't dare to move. You're afraid of breaking whatever spell has seemingly come over him.

"I should've never asked. That was selfish."

"Forget it," you say.

He's standing close now, close enough that you have to tilt your chin up to be able to look up at him properly. There's a strange kind of tension in his eyes, something dark and unsure and tentative, and his gaze darts down to your lips just the slightest bit.

You're fairly sure you're just seeing what you want to see, your foolish heart playing tricks on you. But you panic nonetheless, feeling a sudden, irrational fear that if he moves any closer, he'll realize the truth — that you're a liar and a coward, that you've been harboring these feelings of yours for him for years.

"I should—I should go. Back inside," you mutter, pointing vaguely at the door with your thumb. "In there."

"Sure, yeah. Okay. In there," he echoes, not making a single move to leave. "Not out here."

"Yup. Exactly. In there."

"So you said."

"Yep."

The wall of the diner is digging into your spine uncomfortably, and your mouth is dry, and your knees feel weak, and your stomach is doing somersaults, and the longer he stares at you with those eyes of his the more you feel like you're burning from the inside out and—

He's not moving. All he does is look at you, really look at you, as if it's the first time he's really looked, as if he's seeing something that wasn't there before.

"Okay, so—"

You try to push past him towards the door, but Steve grabs your arm, making you stop dead in your tracks. He lets go as soon as you look up at him, lifting his hand in front of him in an apologetic gesture.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," he says. He swallows hard and rubs his palm on the front of his jeans, a nervous little habit you think he's always had. He runs his hand through his hair, mussing up the carefully gelled strands, and it's probably the first time you've ever seen him look so flustered.

He laughs nervously and gestures at the ground with his hands as he speaks. "Look, this is just—this is just crazy, okay, but I think I, uh, maybe sort of realized something."

You blink at him, not quite certain you're hearing him correctly.

"Realized what?" you ask, the words barely more than a whisper.

Steve clears his throat and nods at you, seemingly pleased that you've finally spoken. "Yeah, well, this is stupid, but you know how you're always telling me to listen to my gut?"

"You're not making a whole lot of sense right now, Steve."

"Just bear with me for a sec, okay? This is like, totally new to me." He holds his palms up, and you notice his hands are shaking a little. "I just need a minute, alright?"

He breathes in deep and exhales slowly, then shoots you an apologetic look.

"Sorry, this is just...really weird," he confesses. "Weirdly real."

"You're freaking me out," you tell him, but Steve only smiles at you.

"Maybe I should just show you. Because, I mean, what if I'm wrong? That'd be terrible, obviously."

"Steve."

"Yeah, I know, but hear me out, okay?" he says quickly, and takes another step closer. You stand your ground this time, if only because you don't trust yourself to actually move without your legs giving out. "So, look. Here's the thing. You're, like—you're one of the most important people in my life. You've been there for me when nobody else was, and I...you mean a lot to me."

"Steve—"

"Shut up, you're ruining the moment."

He takes another step forward until he's crowding you against the wall, hand coming to rest next to your head on the brick. He's close, so close that you can smell the scent of his cologne and shampoo and laundry detergent, and if you were to lean in even the slightest bit, your faces would bump.

Steve is a little out of breath, his lips parted ever so slightly. And he's still looking at you with that strange, searching expression of his.

"Is this okay?" he whispers.

"I don't—what?"

Your voice catches in your throat. There's no room for doubt in his eyes now, not even the tiniest, slightest sliver of uncertainty left.

"This," Steve murmurs.

He tilts his head to the side a little and leans in until you're sure your noses are touching, and you feel your eyes slip closed in anticipation.

"Is this okay?" he repeats in a whisper. "Please tell me I'm not crazy."

"I think I am."

His lips brush yours. It feels like an accident, doesn't last long enough to be anything but a dream. You can still taste the faint, sweet trace of sugar and mint on your tongue when he pulls away, though.

"Just to be clear," Steve whispers, his fingers brushing lightly over the skin of your neck, tracing invisible lines that make you shiver, "am I the guy from earlier? The one you like?"

You don't have it in you to deny it anymore.

"Yes. It's you."

A wide grin breaks out across his face, and suddenly he's everywhere; he cups your face in his hands, pressing eager, fervent kisses along the line of your jaw, trailing hot and open-mouthed down the side of your neck.

You giggle helplessly, grabbing Steve by his collar to pull him away from you and up to your eye level. He's breathing just as heavily as you are, his hair messy and his eyes bright.

"How do you do this to me, huh?" he pants, kissing your forehead, the tip of your nose, the corner of your mouth. "You just—you just completely knock me out."

A pleasant little thrill rushes up your spine at that.

"Oh yeah?"

"Completely."

You kiss him this time.

[heavencasteel420]

I do have an idea for a AU-ish fic set around S3, which would include a scene where Steve is venting about the Nancy breakup to Robin (who hasn’t quite come around on him yet but they’ve built a rapport), and his view of it is very much that, if he hadn’t screwed up, Nancy would have never left him for Jonathan. And Robin is like, “nah, I don’t think that’s it, I think Nancy is just a Horse Girl at heart and gets off on metaphorically convincing a skittish horse (Jonathan) to eat sugar cubes out of her hand.” And Steve is like “you’re the weirdest person I’ve ever met but. That’s an interesting idea.”