#the winter soldier x ofc

[vbecker10]

Laundry Day

How Could This Not Fit?! (Loki x fem reader Y/N)

Loads of Fun (Bucky x fem reader Y/N)

Pairing: Loki x female reader (y/n)

Summary: You and Loki are living together in the Avengers Tower and you've asked him to help you with the laundry. You decide it's the perfect opportunity to prank him but that might not have been a good idea... not if you wanted to sleep tonight that is.

Warnings: ... um nothing really, alluding to sex but not much

A/N: I finished my laundry and was folding (trying desperately to fold) my fitted sheet and I came up with this silly little thing so... enjoy 💚

You take a bottle of water out of the fridge in the common kitchen, laughing to yourself as you shake your head.

"Something funny in the fridge?" Tony asks from the island, looking up from his tablet.

You turn to him and open the bottle. "No, I was just laughing about something that could possibly get me in a lot of trouble with Loki," you barely explain.

"I have no idea what that means," Steve says as he and Bucky join the conversation.

You take a sip of water and set the bottle on the island. "I was tired of being the one who did our laundry all the time so I told Loki he needed to help me with it today," you start to tell them.

"Still not seeing the funny," Tony says sarcastically.

"I'm getting there," you wave away his comment and he chuckles. "So anyway, I told him to help and he did... an okay job of it. I mean, the dryer and him got in a bit of a fight but we finally got it done," you continue.

"Did he break the dryer cause I've gotta do like four loads of laundry tonight?" Bucky asks concerned as he pulls out the stool next to Steve.

"How could you possibly have to do four loads of laundry?" Tony turns towards him. "You own one hoodie and three henleys at most," he adds.

"Can we get back to my problem?" you pull their attention back to yourself. "I might not have much time left," you joke but you aren't actually sure how long until Loki comes looking for you.

"What did you do to him?" Steve asks, sounding concerned for your safety. Loki would never hurt you of course, he loved you too much, but when you annoyed him you always found it hard to walk the next day.

"Well, he put all the laundry away using his magic but I told him that was cheating. He said it wasn't and we went back and forth for a bit until I made him a bet," you smile. Loki could never resist a wager, especially since he always assumed he would win, and he usually did. "I bet him... something," you suddenly realize you don't necessarily want the guys to know the dirty things you promised Loki and they all look away awkwardly for a moment as if they understood that.

"Right, whatever... so the bet was for him to make the bed himself, without his magic," you tell them.

"Look, I still don't like him very much but, give him a little credit. I think he's smart enough to figure it out," Bucky says.

"Yeah, that doesn't really seem like a bet you're going to win, Y/N," Steve agrees.

"Well... I might not have except for one teeny tiny little bitty detail," you assure them.

"Which is?" Tony asks with a mixture of curiosity and agitation that the story is taking so long.

"I switched the sheet set," you say, they all stare at you confused and you sigh. "I gave him a full size set... and we have a queen bed. There's not a chance in hell he's going to be able to get the fitted sheet on and if he does manage it, I'll know he used his magic and still win," you smile broadly, proud of yourself for tricking the trickster God.

"Well that's a dangerous game to play," Steve says and before you can respond you hear Loki coming down the hall.

"Y/N," he says when he enters the kitchen. You swallow as your mouth goes dry, he does not look happy. "You cheated," he says without question.

"No, I was just..." you try to explain but he walks towards you, keeping his eyes locked on yours.

"You... cheated," he says slowly as he backs you into the counter by the sink.

"I mean, only a little," you say with a smile but he doesn't smile back. "And I only did it to make sure you didn't use your magic," you quickly try to explain.

"Um, I think we should go... literally anywhere else," Steve says as Loki grips your waist with both hands and keeps you pressed between himself and the counter.

"Don't worry, we're leaving," Loki says with a smirk, still looking only at you. Without warning he picks you up and throws you over his shoulder. You gasp and the suddenness of it and he uses one arm to hold you in place by the back of your legs as he turns to leave the kitchen. He pauses and picks up your water bottle. "You'll need to keep hydrated, it's going to be a very long night, love," he says as he carries you down the hall towards your room.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💚💚

@soubi001 @michelleleewise @harlequin-hangout @ace-of-gay @xorpsbane @mochie85 @sheris532 @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @kkdvkyya @animnerd @peaches1958 @peachyjinx @theaudacitytowrite @lokiandbuckysdoll @winterfrostlovetriangle @high-functioning-lokipath @winniewings @pics-and-fanfics @cabingrlandrandomcrap @icytrickster17 @lokisgoodgirl @mischief2sarawr @stupidthoughtsinwriting @mjsthrillernp @holdmytesseract @holymultiplefandomsbatman @lulubelle814 @crimson25 @goblingirlsarah @janineb86 @chantsdemarins @foxherder @tonystank8

[thatsashitplan]

he may be your husband who time-traveled to be with you, but do you have an entire section dedicated to your relationship in his exhibit in the Smithsonian museum?

[donottouchredbutton]

In a Heartbeat

joaquin torres x sunshine!reader/ofc

4k words

she saves someone, and joaquin saves her.

moodboard

note: i wrote this with my oc in mind that i plan to write more about, but i wanted it to be read as a reader insert as well! let me know what you think :)

She had been living in Washington DC for a little over a year now. She moved there for grad school, and some of the excitement had yet to wear off still. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, with all of the good schools nearby and all of the things to do and learn in the capital. It seemed like a busy enough place to never be bored, which was exactly what she wanted. It really had seemed like a smart idea, especially since she hadn’t had any problems since moving there.

Until she did.

She was out with her roommate after classes had ended for the day, enjoying the warm spring day and simply happy to be people watching as they hung out. It had quickly become one of her favorite things since moving there, something she shared with her roommate, Jasmine. She was always glad she and Jazzy got along so well and liked spending time together, often spending time just being out and about like today. 

Jazzy was showing her a small outdoor shopping district just outside of a park. It must’ve been really popular because it was packed with people. People were out walking their dogs, parents were out shopping with their kids, couples and friends were on dates and lounging on the grassy areas. Music was coming from the open doors of one of the stores, loud enough to carry even as you walked away from it. Something smelled good, like fresh bread and cinnamon sugar, and she wanted to follow her nose to figure out where it was coming from. There was a warm breeze that made her shiver whenever they walked in the shade, so she pulled Jazzy away to make sure they stayed in the sun. A few kids ran past them playing tag. It made her smile, she hoped they were having fun. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed a bit of commotion going on. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but it was progressively getting louder. From the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one who had noticed as many of the people nearby were looking around as well. It continued to grow louder and louder until she spotted a large group of people running in their direction, all shouting and screaming to get away. A ways behind them, she spotted a group of big looking men in scary looking masks carrying scary looking weapons, all running after them with their weapons pointed forward. Before she could think about how cliche that sounded, she knew they had to get away first. Many people around them were coming to the same conclusion as they all began turning tail and running. She and Jazzy shared a look of understanding before following suit.

As everyone kept running away and the noise was getting louder, another noise caught her attention above all the commotion. She could just barely hear a small voice calling for help, but it was loud enough to get her to stop running. Her head whipped around trying to find whoever it was, wherever it was coming from. Her eyes landed on a little girl sitting on the ground holding a little boy, and even from her distance she could see they were crying.

“MOMMY!” the little girl kept shouting, tears running down her face as she tried to pull the little boy up with her. They had to be brother and sister. She sounded terrified.

She took off before she could think about what she was doing. She could vaguely hear Jazzy calling after her, trying to get her to turn around and come back, but she couldn’t. The only thing on her mind was getting to those kids before they could get hurt. She wouldn’t let that happen.

She slid to a stop and knelt down next to the kids when she got to them, unconcerned about the fact that she tore a hole in her jeans by doing so, nor the bruises and scrapes she no doubt would have on her knees either. The little girl, maybe seven or eight, kept pulling on her brother’s arm trying to get him to move, but he was sat on the ground firmly, bawling his eyes out and refusing to move. She knew he couldn’t have been older than three years old. 

She looked around for anyone who could have been their mother, anyone willing to help, but everyone was running in the opposite direction. She turned her head to see the group of men getting closer and closer, and they were gaining fast. She was the only one around.

“I need to get you out of here,” she said, turning back to the two kids, voice urgent. “I’ll get you back to your mom, I promise.”

She tried to pick up the little boy, who immediately started shouting and fighting when she did so. He was on the verge of a full-blown breakdown, determined to stay exactly where he was no matter what she did. 

“He won’t let anyone but mom pick him up,” the little girl cried, “but I don’t know where mommy is!”

Seeing how frightened they were broke her heart. There was no getting them to move if she couldn’t pick the little boy up, but she couldn’t just leave them. She wouldn’t. She didn’t know what to do, and she was struggling to come up with something fast enough. With another glance over her shoulder, she realized she was out of time. They were too close now, seconds away and coming right towards them. 

“Hold onto him, and don’t let go!” she ordered the girl. Once the girl did as she said, she grabbed both of the kids and held them to her chest, making sure neither of them would get hit as she awaited the inevitable first—and what she expected to be the final—blow to hit. 

She felt a strong gust of air rush over her head, and at the sound of a fight right behind her, she held on tighter to the kids in her arms. She knew this was it. In a heartbeat, it’d be finished. She’d be finished. 

“Are you okay?”

The voice was closer than she expected, making her jump, but it sounded genuinely concerned. Chancing a glance behind her, she was met with a pair of soft brown eyes. 

She looked past the man to see what was going on, only just noticing that the commotion had stopped, and she could see that the group of men were all lying on the ground unconscious with a man holding a shield standing above them. Everyone knew who Captain America was, but she never expected to come across him herself. Knowing that the kids would be safe now, she looked back to the man in front of her and was shocked to see he had a pair of wings on his back. The Falcon. They were positioned in a way that was meant to shield them from any danger. 

She finally looked back at the Falcon. His eyes hadn’t left her the entire time, and he stayed put in front of them, as if he wanted to make sure nothing could happen to them even with the threat gone. 

Instead of answering the man, she turned back to the kids in her arms. They were still crying and scared, she knew they would be, but at least she knew they would be safe now. She scanned over them for any injuries, and once she knew they were unharmed, she cupped the little girl’s face to get her attention. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay now. You’re safe,” she assured her, speaking softly to help her calm down a bit. She stroked her cheek to gently wipe away her tears. She felt her own heart beating out of her chest, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. “I’m gonna get you back to your mom now, okay? Let’s go find your mom.” 

She glanced back at the man behind her again, who still hadn’t moved, before she eased the kids up into standing. The weight of the situation was finally catching up to her, her head swimming as she tried her hardest to focus on getting the kids back to their mom before anything else. She kept looking between them and the man who saved them. Stuttering, she said, “I… I need-”

“MOMMY!” the little girl called, grabbing her brother’s hand and running to meet the woman who was running towards them. 

She watched as the older woman dropped to her knees to meet her children in an embrace, her own tears streaming down her face as she held her children to her chest. The woman began kissing all over their faces and on the tops of their heads, and the woman’s voice was just loud enough for her to hear her repeating my babies to the children in her arms.

She was walking towards the family before she knew what she was doing. Her knees were screaming at her causing her to limp slightly, but she didn’t care. She needed to make sure they would be okay. Once she was close enough, the woman looked up at her and a look of gratitude crossed her face. 

“Thank you,” the woman managed to say through her tears. “Thank you for protecting my babies.” For a moment, she thought the woman was talking to the Falcon, the one who actually had saved her kids, but the woman was looking at her. 

“You don’t…” she started, beginning to shake her head, but she knew it would be pointless. Instead, she said, “I’m just glad you and your kids are safe.” 

She watched them a few more moments before the woman gathered her kids up and hurried away from the scene. She couldn’t blame them, she wanted to do the same. 

She suddenly remembered the man who had saved them. The Falcon (she couldn’t get over it). She turned back towards him, and this time she really took him in. His wings had retracted back into his suit, thankfully, as they had been very distracting. He was tall without being towering. His skin looked warm and sun-kissed with sharp cheekbones that made her wonder what he looked like when he smiled. He had a head of short, curly black hair, and those soft brown eyes. Those eyes that were still watching, a strange gleam present that hadn’t been there before. 

She didn’t really know what to say, feeling awkward, but she didn’t need to. Before she could even thank him, he spoke instead.

“Are you okay?” he asked again. Something told her that he wouldn’t leave until he knew she was.

“I’m fine,” she finally answered. She didn’t know if she was telling the truth or not, but she still wasn’t able to focus on how she really felt. The kids were safe, their mother was safe, and as far as she was concerned, that’s all that mattered. And this man made sure of that. “Thank you.”

The man seemed to relax a bit at that, his shoulders losing some of their tension. He opened his mouth to say something else, but another voice cut in. 

“Torres! We gotta go, man!” 

It was Captain America who interrupted (which was something she never thought she’d experience), having just been talking with the police who she hadn’t noticed had arrived. They were hauling the men—masks gone and in handcuffs now—into the backs of the police cars. The hero was inspecting their weapons, clearly waiting for the other man—Torres, apparently—to join back up with him. Torres looked between the two of them, seeming conflicted. Before either of them could say anything, they were once again interrupted. 

The sound of Jazzy calling her name snapped her out of whatever was going on, and she turned to see her roommate running straight towards her. Before she could comprehend what was going on, Jazzy was grabbing her arm and pulling her away, determined to get them away from anything else that might happen. She looked back at the man, Torres, and called out another thank you! before she let her roommate lead her away from the scene. 

—

In truth, she didn’t think she would ever see him again. Why would she? He was The Falcon, Captain America’s partner and a superhero in his own right. He had to have saved countless people all the time. He probably wasn’t even in DC anymore. There was no way she would see him again. 

But then she did. 

She volunteered at a local elementary school, and today they were taking the fifth graders down to the veterans rehabilitation center. They liked to decorate the walls with pictures and bring flowers for the veterans, wanting to try to brighten their days a bit and thank them for their service while doing so, and she liked being part of it as well. She couldn’t imagine what some of them have gone through, but she would sometimes sit in on the group sessions to try to understand more. It was why she made sure to take the kids there at least once every couple weeks.

“It was so nice seeing you and the kids again, sunshine!” the kind lady at the front desk said as she was getting them ready to leave. It was a nickname she had quickly picked up since they started going there, and it always made her laugh.

“Of course, Laura!” she replied. “I’m just glad they like coming down here as much as I do.”

Laura chuckled lowly. “Your visits always make everyones day. They may not say it often, but they appreciate it. More than you know.”

She smiled softly at that. “We try our best. We just want to show our respect and try to brighten things up for everyone, you know?”

“Don’t sell yourself short, hun. What you do with the kids and for everyone here, not many people would do it. We all appreciate everything you do around here. We appreciate you.”

She looked down bashfully at the older woman’s kind words. She never really knew what to say to that. Her eyes flicked back up to Laura. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She reached into her bag and pulled out a small bin. “I know you’ve been wanting to try Jazzy’s brownies.”

The wide grin that appeared on Laura’s face was enough for one to form on her’s as well. She nearly snatched the bin out of her hand, causing her to laugh. “You spoil me, sunshine!”

The two shared a few more words before she checked the time, knowing she needed to leave soon if she didn’t want the bus to leave without her. She said goodbye to Laura with a promise to be back the next week, and the other woman jokingly promised to be ready for more treats. With a wave and another smile to her friend, she began making her way to the front doors. She was in high spirits as she was preparing to leave, paying no mind to the man she passed on her way out until he called out to her. 

“Hey, it’s you!”

She almost didn’t stop, but when she looked around the area and saw it was mostly void of people, she figured it was her he was trying to get the attention of. When she stopped and turned around, her eyes widened when they met the same soft brown ones she first saw just the other day. 

“It’s you,” she repeated, not knowing what to say.

For a moment, she wondered how she could even miss him. Sure, he wasn’t wearing his suit or his wings and seemed, therefore, much less intimidating–not that he seemed intimidating in the first place, but he did save her life, and there’s just something about meeting a superhero face to face that makes a person feel overly self-aware. Without the suit on, you wouldn’t even assume he was a superhero, though in her head she was kicking herself because of course that was the point. He just seemed so normal, and she felt like she could pay more attention now that her life wasn’t on the line. He wore a dark green jacket over a black shirt and jeans, a pair of sunglasses hanging from one of the pockets. His shoulders filled out his jacket well, subtly showing off his built but lean muscles. Part of her wished she could remember what they looked like in his suit when they were more noticeable, and she mentally kicked herself again for thinking that about a complete stranger. His dark curls were styled simply and looked soft to the touch, and she was sure they were. 

Those eyes, though. Unlike before, his soft eyes were looking at her in pleasant surprise rather than concern, his lips quirking up in what was almost a smile. But that weird gleam she saw before was still there, and if anything, it was much more apparent than before.

It took her a few more seconds to realize neither one of them had said anything, her eyes glancing off to the side as her mind raced for something to say. He must’ve realized the same thing because his eyes widened suddenly, taking a step toward her once he knew he had her attention. 

“Sorry, um,” he began, searching for his words, “I just didn’t think I’d ever see you again, but I’m glad I did. How are you doing, after what happened?”

Her eyes widened slightly again, surprised by his words. “I-I’m doing fine,” she answered, but she wasn’t sure how much she believed herself. She added, “‘ve just been trying to get back to normal, is all.”

He seemed satisfied enough with her answer and started to nod, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

His words surprised her again. In a burst of confidence, she replied with, “Well, I did have someone to save me.”

His smile grew as he looked down sheepishly, and she thought she heard him say just doing my job under his breath. When he looked back up at her, she thought she liked seeing that gleam in his eyes, especially when he smiled. She thought happiness looked good on him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked gently, suddenly remembering where she still was. 

“Oh, I’m here to meet my partner,” he answered. “He helps out with the counseling sessions when he can. But I’ve got some information I need to discuss with Cap.”

Somehow, it didn’t surprise her to hear that about Captain America. In fact, it made her respect him even more for trying to help people on a more personal level, not just fighting as a superhero. Saving lives on all fronts, she was sure. But the way he talked about why he was there was just vague enough to pique her interest, and just telling enough for her to understand she shouldn’t pry. She was going to find a way to politely remove herself from the conversation, but he spoke again before she could.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, repeating her own question. He cringed at the way it came out, so he quickly added, “I just mean, this is the last place I expected to see you. Are you in the military?”

She shook her head, nearly chuckling. “No, I’m not. The school I volunteer at brings some of the older students down here every few weeks. We like to bring flowers and write cards, you know, to try to show our respect and appreciation. Try to brighten up people’s days where we can.”

“You do all this?” He asked, gesturing toward the decorations on the walls and the flowers here and there. His eyes had widened in surprise again, and it was her turn to look down bashfully this time. 

“Not just me. It’s the kids, mostly, but I like to help out.”

He looked impressed, and something about the look on his face and those damn eyes caused her face to heat up. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention. 

“Well, I can confidently say that I’m not the only one around here who loves seeing all of the notes and decorations,” he said softly, the smile on his face filling her with a sense of warmth she hadn’t felt before. “It’s amazing what you’ve been doing. We all appreciate what you do. And the kids, of course.”

Something told her that he was speaking more for himself than he was for everyone else, and somehow she knew that he meant it toward her directly. The thought made her smile.

His face suddenly got more serious, though, instantly making her feel nervous. “What you did the other day, with those two kids, too. That was amazing.”

That was not something she was expecting, and she definitely didn’t know how to respond to it. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, suddenly feeling shy. “I did what anyone would do.”

But he was already shaking his head. “No, really. You saved those kids. I may be the one with wings, but you’re the real hero. It was incredible.”

When she glanced back up at him, she saw that a small smile had reappeared on his lips, and somehow, it was enough to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. It was enough to comfort her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time, and it made her feel seen in a way she never had. All with one look, which is what really surprised her. She knew deflecting would be useless, so she settled with telling him, barely loud enough for him to hear, “Thank you.” And she meant it more than he knew.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked one final time.

She wanted to laugh that he wouldn’t let it go so easily. “I am, or I will be. I promise,” she answered, and she knew she was telling the truth this time. “Besides, this wouldn’t be my first time in a situation like that, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.” Now that got a good reaction out of him, even though it was the truth.

“Speaking of the kids, though,” she said before he could think about it too much, checking the time again and realizing she’d officially run out of time, “I have to get going so I don’t get left behind.” She looked him over one more time, trying to memorize as much as she could, before she began to turn away. “It was nice to see you again, and to talk. And thank you, again, for saving me.”

His smile warmed her from the inside out. “If it meant getting to see you again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

She forced herself not to shudder before turning around. She had only made it a few more steps before he suddenly stopped her again. 

“Wait!” he called, almost too loudly for the quiet hallway. “I didn’t ever get your name!”

She wanted to kick herself again. How had they gone this entire conversation without learning each other’s names? She glanced back over her shoulder, seeing that he had barely moved from his spot. With a warm smile directed at him, she told him her name.

Another smile began to form on his face in return, and it looked like he repeated her name under his breath. Their eyes met a final time before he responded with his own. “I’m Joaquin. It was really nice to meet you, too.”

She turned around before he could catch the wide grin that was beginning to form on her face against her will and tried to rush out of there as subtly as she could. As she went, she could just hear him, Joaquin, repeat her name a second time, and even from where she was she could hear a smile in his tone. She left the building with a bounce in her step and a warm feeling in her chest. 

All because of the Falcon who saved her.

[gaslighttragedy]

The Silver Shadow

Summary : In this story, Bucky and Andrea, an unconventional pair forced to work together even though they are constantly arguing; Sam is usually the mediator between them. Bucky does not trust Andrea, and Andrea does not trust Bucky. (Prologue is a flashback.) Pairing : Bucky Barnes x Original Female MC named Andrea, her FC is up to you, but I imagine a Shailene Woodley type character. (Bucky not seen in prologue. Main Interaction is with Tony Stark.) Words : A little under 1K. Warnings : Nothing notable in this prologue. Note : Suspension of disbelief is required ; I took a lot of liberties with the story, timeline and series of events. Other note : I wrote this in 2021, and let it in my google doc drafts. I found it, and thought maybe i could do something with it. I had a few ideas written down for the next chapters, so if people like this, I might continue? Prologue | Next Chapter Masterlist

Montreal, Summer of 2012.

The clicking and tapping of fingers on the black computer keys were the only thing that could be heard inside the small room. That small room was serving as the temporary headquarters for what the brunette doing the actual typing considered her best operation yet. Usually, she'd have some music playing in the background, but the playlist she'd been playing had stopped a while ago and she didn't bother to start a new one. No, she'd been having way too much of a blast. Infiltrating the Canadian Government's website to change every mention of Prime Minister Harper's name to Asswipe McStupid was the most fun she's ever had on a job. The real reason she was infiltrating the server was a tad bit more complex, but the prank added a little bit of flair to the task. Plus, it paid well, since she risked actual prison if she got caught. But then again, she always, always, had a fail-safe.

She only had about two minutes left to put the final touches on the malware she'd then upload on the government's server while the files she needed were uploading to her computer before the intrusion was traced back to her location and she was typing as fast as she could. That's when she heard it. 

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Fuck! She was supposed to have more time, god damnit! How could they have found her so fast? It was impossible! As she continued typing frantically, she was trying to understand where she messed up. Prison was not an option, and she didn't want to use her fail-safe. She'd never had to use it before on a big scale, say, on the military ops that would surely find her now.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Louder, this time. The pounding she was hearing seemed to come almost directly from behind her. How did they get up to her so fast? She was on the 19th floor! It's not like they had power suits or jet packs to get to her that fast! The file she needed from the server was already exported to her computer, and she barely had time to close up everything before she heard the last barrier between her and the rest of the world fall behind her.

BOOM. 

As soon as she heard the door go down behind her, the cybercriminal threw her hands up, and for just a second, it felt like time stopped. She didn't hear a sound, which was surprising, since she thought a thousand men would be there to arrest her. That's usually what happens when you get caught stealing secret files from undocumented government projects. But she didn't hear a thing. The overwhelming desire to turn around was strong, but she stayed there for what seemed an eternity before she heard his voice. 

"I knew you were strong, but that's..." He said, with a little bit of… could it be envy in his voice? 

She'd heard his voice before. Everyone in America knew that voice. He'd been on TV, on the radio, and his name was as admired as it was feared. He'd made a spectacle a couple of years back, and because of it, his name would go down in history. 

"Jarvis," he continued, "Is she really stopping the suit right now?" 

"It appears so, Sir. I've lost all control of the suit's motricity." 

The brunette sighed as she finally dropped her hands to her side, simultaneously releasing Tony Stark from her hold. 

"I thought I made my position on your offer very clear, Mr. Stark." She said as calmly as possible. 

"And I thought you might want to reconsider." He replied with confidence. "Your abilities, they're worth putting to good use."

The hacker got up from her chair and started to pack her computer as fast as she could. She was losing time, and the longer she stayed in this spot, the more likely she was to get caught. She turned to Stark, who was still trying to convince her to do something she'd never agree to.

"Mr. Stark, as I've said twice before, I'm not joining your team of superheroes, or whatever you called it…" 

"Avengers." He said, cutting her. 

She casually dismissed him with the back of her hand, making the red suit rattle. 

"Avengers, Shmamengers. I don't care. I'm not doing it. Final answer." 

"This is not Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. You can't just say final answer." Tony said, aggravated. 

As she put her black messenger bag over her shoulder, the woman approached the famous Tony Stark and patted him on the shoulder of this suit, and with the flick of a wrist, put a big dent on it. It wasn't a warning, because he knew she'd easily overpower him. She did it just for fun. Just to mess with him. 

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark." She said with a sly grin.

"Jarvis, please advise Fury that Silver Shadow is a no-go." He sighed to his AI as the brunette was leaving the concrete building. 

[hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall]

Hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall's Masterlist

Hello and welcome! Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you here again ;)

I am working on putting together all of my AO3 works from different accounts into here, so beat with me ❤️

I do have some rules:

No permission is given for reposting my work, copying it or parts of it. Please don’t add your additions or spin-offs to my existing story.

If the description states 18+ than please do not interact if you are under 18 years old.

I love constructive criticism - what I mean by that? Please be polite (not only here but everywhere). We are all just humans making mistakes.

English isn't my first language so please bear with me :)

You can ask me anything, If I do not wish to answer/write about something, I will let you know.

🔥- smut 🌈- fluff ⚠️ - angst

So let's get started and enjoy!

Chains of Destiny- Wolverine/Logan Howlett x Mutant F!OC ⚠️ for now later 🔥⚠️🌈 (series)

New life - Wolverine/worst!Logan x Reader 🔥⚠️🌈 (one shot)

Sweet past - Joel Miller (dbf) x Reader (series on-going) 🔥⚠️🌈

The guard till the end - Oberyn Martell x F!OC ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

Fool - Sandor Clegane x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

Escape - Bucky Barnes x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

I want to be with you, it is as simple, and as complicated as that - Bucky Barnes x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

Love is an open door - Bucky Barnes x Reader 🌈 (one-shot)

Nothings ever what it seems - Bucky Barnes ⚠️ (one-shot)

I ain’t afraid of no skeleton - Steve Rogers x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

Home / Home 2 - Steve Rogers x Reader 🔥⚠️🌈 (two-parter) 18+

The only B - Professor!Steve x Student!Reader 🔥🌈 (one-shot) 18+

Enough is Enough - Steve Rogers x Reader ⚠️ (one-shot)

But it’s snowing - Steve Rogers x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

The first snow of the year - Steve Rogers x Reader 🌈 (one-shot)

Ceasg - Pirate!Steve Rogers x Mermaid!Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

The PA - Tony Stark x Reader ⚠️🌈 (mini-series - finished)

I didn’t want it to be this way - Curtis Everett x Reader 🔥⚠️⚠️⚠️ (one-shot) 18+

Jealous - Geralt x Reader 🌈 (one-shot)

Time of War - Captain Syverson x Fem!OC (series ongoing)

Teenage Fantasy - Henry Cavill x Reader 🔥🌈 (one-shot)

The one with the Force - Obi Wan Kenobi x F!OC Medic (series ongoing)

Love isn't something you just learn, Commander part 1 / Part 2- Commander Cody x F!Reader ⚠️🔥🌈 18+ (two-parter finished)

Hope - Hunter x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one shot)

A new life / Part 2 / Part 3 - Commander Fox x F!OC ⚠️🔥🌈 18+ (three-parter finished)

Jealous - Echo x Reader ⚠️🌈 (one-shot)

The Fight isn't over yet - Rex x F!OC (series ongoing)

[figaroswilson]

𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 ⇒ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘹 𝘦𝘹𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳!𝘰𝘧𝘤

Chapter 1

masterlist

story summary: Kira Barnes, the younger adopted sister of Bucky Barnes, is forced out of the dark underworld of espionage and into the light of the new world of superheroes when her brother abandons her with the Avengers to go on the run. She is set in her ways and determined to find her brother until she meets Pietro Maximoff, someone who challenges her black-and-white view of the world.

story warnings: violence, swearing, blood, descriptions of abuse

chapter word count: 2000

< previous chapter // next chapter >

read on wattpad

~ ✺ ~

When SHIELD collapsed, Kira convinced Sam to move to New York to be closer to the Avengers.

DC just wasn't quite the same for him anymore. Not after meeting Captain America and then promptly taking out the city's secret HYDRA cell.

Steve had originally suggested the move. Sam wouldn't have to be an Avenger in any official sense, but he could be around people he knew and trusted, which would be reassuring after that whole mess. It was Kira who eventually managed to persuade him, though. After he'd helped rescue her from HYDRA, they had quickly become close friends. Her insistence made the prospect of moving to a new city easier. Less daunting. It also didn't hurt he'd managed to find a place near the Avengers' Tower with rent that was actually reasonable.

Kira was, to say the least, glad for the company.

She often seemed to find herself alone in the Tower, whilst the rest of the team was out on a mission. It was for her benefit. Apparently. Her therapist insisted her mind just couldn't handle high levels of stress so soon after everything, so it was best to take a step back occasionally. Kira wasn't a fan of those sessions. Frankly, she would've dropped the whole thing if Tony hadn't insisted. And because it was nice to have someone who finally seemed to make sense of her fucked up head. Not that she would ever admit it.

Over time, she realised she didn't mind too much. She was always looking for an excuse to be at Sam's apartment anyways. The tiny, slightly messy, studio was her favourite place to be, helped mostly by the fact one of her closest friends lived there. Every time she would show up, the two would fall into an easy routine of buying greasy takeout and watching cheesy romances, no matter the time of day or the reason for Kira's appearance.

Like usual, they were sitting in what Kira called 'Sam's extended bedroom'. He insisted it was his living area. She wasn't convinced.

She had been staying over that weekend, whilst the rest of the team was on a mission somewhere in Eastern Europe. This time, she had been eager to miss out, urging the others to go on without her. She used the weekend-long visit as an excuse to get takeaway for nearly every meal, on Tony's card, despite Sam's protests that it could not be good for them at all. He quickly let it go when she threatened to eat his food.

"I don't get it." Sam pointed to the characters on-screen, confused at the newest movie Kira had put on. As it turned out, it was a family drama with multiple romantic storylines and it was starting to hurt Sam's head. "Is that supposed to be his little brother, grown-up?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And he doesn't recognise him? Like, at all?"

"Yeah..." she said, realising the absurdity of it now Sam had pointed it out. "But can you blame him? I mean, look at the actor playing him as an adult. He doesn't look like his younger self at all. Even his eye colour's different."

"Well, it is a movie," Sam reasoned. "It's fictional. Like, they 'struggled', but live in a mansion in central London. You're supposed to suspend your disbelief or whatever."

"Yeah, or whatever. It'd be easier to do if I wasn't so stressed about this stupid thing," Kira sighed. She poked at the laptop sitting on the coffee table in front of her, with the back of her fork, as if that would hurry it up.

As much as she loved Sam, she hadn't bailed on the mission just to spend the entire weekend with him, though it was a perk. The actual reason, that had been slowly decrypting for the last two days, sat in front of her. The laptop she was doing it on, which she had found in a dumpster behind a pawn shop, was so run down it had to be kept permanently on charge, and its fan whirred so loudly, she was sure it was going to break. All to watch some stupid CCTV files so she and Sam could try and find her runaway brother.

Just like she'd promised Nat, she hadn't told anyone else about it. Which was why they were doing everything, in secret, in Sam's apartment, whilst the rest of the Avengers were away.

Kira had mainly taken over Nat's involvement in the search, as her memories returned, and Sam took over for Steve, to avoid suspicion from the rest of the team. The other Avengers only knew a couple of things about Jamie. First, he used to be Steve's best friend and was Kira's adoptive brother. Second, whilst his legal name was James Buchanan Barnes, Steve had given him the nickname Bucky and Kira the nickname Jamie. He was also a former Winter Soldier, currently on the run from the authorities and a topic that was completely off-limits.

But that was all they knew. They weren't aware of the extent of what Jamie had done. They hardly knew what Kira had done. The information in the files that, first, Tony, and then the rest of the team, had received, only touched on what Department X, and later HYDRA, had done to them. Not what Department X and HYDRA had made them do. Sam, Steve and Nat were the only ones that knew exactly who the Winter Soldiers had hurt. And, apart from Nat, no one knew anything else.

To Kira, that was fine. That was all they needed to know. The depth of what had happened in Department X, what had happened outside of Department X, and what Nat and Jamie were, wasn't their business. And what Kira was planning, dependent on finding Jamie, wasn't their business either. Not even Nat's. It didn't bother her much no one knew the whole truth. It wasn't like she was hurting them by not telling them. She didn't think they'd care much anyways.

Sam and Kira had spent nearly the whole of the last year trying to find Jamie. He, however, didn't seem to want to be found. It was clear he was hiding. After Nat had found the tape of him at the Captain America exhibition, only small signs of Jamie had shown up. First, they came from across North America, but later they started up in Europe. Mentions in police reports of someone sketchy near a crime scene with long brown hair, wearing a baseball cap, covering his face. Weird acts of kindness from a quiet man with a metal prosthetic arm. A mysterious stranger, walking to compensate for some heavy weight on his left, moving into an apartment, ignoring everyone and then quickly moving out again. It was still promising. Even if his movements never made sense.

There had been a tip-off, recently, to the police in Rome. A man with shoulder-length brown hair had reportedly stopped a bullet with his left hand. Of course, no one had taken it seriously. It was 'impossible'. Which was precisely why they had managed to hear about it. After some digging around, Kira found someone willing to sell her, through less than legal means, CCTV footage of the alley the day it took place. She had to decrypt it herself, though.

The laptop somehow whirred even louder now but didn't seem to be working any faster. It was so bad even Sam was starting to worry, glancing over at it one too many times. She was just glad it was badly encrypted. If the encryption was advanced, it would've needed a much more powerful device, the type only Tony had access to and that was a no-go. Plus, the laptop was old. No one would miss it once it finally croaked.

Still, the laptop was battered enough that the decryption might finish in anywhere from the next few minutes or the next few days. She sighed and looked up at the TV screen, instead. Bad idea. The younger brother was getting all teary-eyed at the older one, who still hadn't recognised him, whilst vaguely talking about their family. Maybe a movie about long-lost siblings wasn't a great idea right now.

The doorbell interrupted them then. Sam looked over at Kira, panicked. "It's okay," she reassured him. "My danger sense isn't going off, it's probably just Steve or Nat." She checked her phone, sighed and then held it up, showing the hour-old text from Tony that they must've missed. "See? It has to be them. They got back a while ago."

"You sure?" he asked.

"No, Sam. I've been lying about my powers this whole time. I'm not even a Super Soldier," she deadpanned.

"Hilarious," he said, sarcastically, getting up to open the door to Steve and letting him in.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be working?" he asked almost as soon as he entered, looking pointedly at the TV, before dumping his bag next to Sam's bed.

"What happened to 'hello'?" Kira muttered into her noodles.

"We are, don't worry," Sam answered, sitting back down. "It's just taking forever to work."

Steve walked over and squished into the small space between his two friends. He stared at the laptop for a while like his glare alone could fix it.

"Hey, Steve?" Kira asked.

"Yeah," he replied, turning to her with his usual kind smile.

"You know the mission?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"...What happened?"

He stared at her blankly for a second. Then, "Oh, right. Shit, sorry." He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, it went well. You can read the mission report later if you want. Everything happened basically as planned," he told them. "Got Strucker and put him in jail, shut the base down, found Loki's sceptre— actually, there was something off." They looked at him curiously. "We found two enhanced. Twins. About your age." He turned to Kira.

"My age?" she asked sceptically. As Sam always loved to remind her, she was old enough to be his grandma. Great, more sad sibling stories, the voice in the back of her head added, unhelpfully.

"Biologically," he amended. "Think Strucker kidnapped and experimented on them, actually." Kira could almost see him lose his train of thought at the horrible realisation. More kids taken and hurt by Nazis for their own benefit. It was officially the world's shittiest never-ending cycle she would've been naive to think had miraculously stopped with her.

"Well, where are they now?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Not sure. They ran off almost immediately. Can't blame them. We're trying to keep tabs on them for the meantime, though."

"Why? You gonna invite them into the Avengers too? Get a little formerly kidnapped-by-HYDRA boyband going? A bit too specific, don't you think?" Kira joked, darkly. It was a bad habit.

"I mean, maybe. You might make some friends then, Ki." Steve was clearly very proud of himself with that. Kira was not.

"Hey!"

"Ouch."

"Or... you could come to the party Tony's hosting."

"Ugh, I already told you I'm not going," she turned away from them, defensive. "What the fuck am I going to do there? Smile as the richest and most boring people in the city tell me their life stories?"

"Sure. If you have to. At least you'll get in some practice socialising."

"You'll have fun, I promise," Sam tried.

"That's easy for you to say. Everyone loves you. Not many people like casual conversation with a Winter Soldier," she sulked. Kira paused. "Wait." She turned to Steve again. "Did you just say 'practice socialising'? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, suddenly very offended. I know how to socialise... right? "Sam?"

He was silent for a second, clearly weighing up his options, before blurting out, with a pained look on his face, "Girl, you have no friends."

Kira scoffed. "What are you then?"

"Apart from me."

"And Nat?"

"You've known her forever. She doesn't count."

"Steve?"

"You work together. He doesn't count either."

She scowled at him.

"You've run out of people, haven't you?" Sam asked, a smile creeping up on his face.

"Oh, fuck you." Kira threw a pillow at his head as he burst out laughing.

~ ✺ ~

[lady-phasma]

Other fandoms masterlist

Gradually cross posting my fics from AO3

Main masterlist

The Sandman (written in first person reader)

Patience Rewarded Part 1 - Morpheus Returns Part 2 - The Gathered Storm

Marvel:

Frank Castle Battered and Broken - The Punisher (may become a series) - Frank Castle x fem!reader

Bucky Barnes Зимний Солдат (Zimniy Soldát) - Part 1 (written in first person reader) You can't ignore it - Part 2 (not in first person because I am chaotic)

Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead

Happiness at the end of the world Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 - in progress

The Mandalorian - Din Djarin x Togruta OFC

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 - cross posting soon Chapter 3 - cross posting soon Chapter 4 - cross posting soon Chapter 5 - cross posting soon

More coming soon from quite a few fandoms...

Main masterlist

[hiraethblack22]

Fire and Ice. (Bucky x ofc)

Here I am with the continuation of the story Breathe Underwater. Your responses have inspired me to write a mini-series called "Fire and Ice". However, we begin the story at the moment when our characters meet.

MASTERLIST of FIRE AND ICE: HERE!

IMPORTANT: I won't use Y\n but the lead character will be given a name and will be a fully formed character. Set in a time where everyone is still alive and Bucky is free of the hydra.

Warnings: violence, blood, torture, and manipulation. Vulgar language. The story will contain adult content. Probably a whole lot of Smut.

Summary: Thirteen is a HYDRA pawn, a soldier, a spy and an assassin. A wraith. Chosen because of her powers and transformed into the perfect weapon. (enchanted!reader) What happens when her mission becomes locating and eliminating The Winter Soldier?

-> CHAPTER TWO <-

CHAPTER ONE: Exit Music (for a film)

“What do you think happens now?”

A voice broke through the fog of images that were plaguing my mind.

We had sat in silence, my feet naked in the lake's cold water, as the house slowly emptied behind our backs. I had walked away absent-mindedly, unseen by the procession of family members within the old family home, dropping onto the dirt as soon as I reached it, my black funeral clothes still on, staring at the sun slowly sinking into the water.

My brother crouched beside me—hands on his knees, head bowed down. The familiar colour of his blond hair stung painfully in my chest—the same shade as our mother's. It was a weird feeling seeing him like that; Michael was always composed, elegant, and kept himself as a royal would.  As I watched him, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. Seeing him vulnerable, without the usual stubbornness that bore his eyebrows and his chin always high and spoiled look in his eyes, it was like seeing him without a mask, seeing him through different eyes, and made me feel closer to him. As we sat there together, I felt a sense of unity between us that I hadn't felt in years, and for the first time, it felt like our relationship could only get better.

My brother was a copy of her. Our father used to joke about it before he died, saying that Michael had been too busy growing up clinging to our mother’s skirt, which had shielded me from her, preventing me from taking after her even a little bit. I resembled my father with my brown hair and eyes and the slight nose hump beneath the freckles. As a child, it was hard to witness— confining me to watching their love from the corners of the rooms and behind impenetrable doorways. It was as if a trench had been built between us, and thus I had grown up with my father and with his interests in horses and golf, yet part of me did wonder whether he did it out of pity or out of guilt, the fault of having a spouse who preferred the male heir. Then, as the years passed, I discovered I could occupy a different space in the lives of our family. And that was it. 

“When we die,” Michael followed, his eyes never leaving his hands, “where do you think we go?”

I shrugged. I had no energy left in me to speak or even think. But I also didn't want to drop into the catatonic state I was in last time. ���Our father would say that when a person dies, they go to a beautiful place.”

“Do you believe it?”

I nodded, taking his rough hands in mine. "He’d tell us to stick together."

“My beautiful place is here. With you.” Michael stared into my eyes, and I had never seen a more resolute look on his face. I felt my heart swell with love and gratitude. His words echoed in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile. I knew that no matter what happened, we would always have each other's backs. And in that moment, I knew that there was nowhere else I'd rather be than right there with him. "We will be together forever, sister. Trust me.” He kissed my hand, and we went back to watching the sunset. A soft smile curled my lips. We were going to be fine.

***

“Thirteen!”

A blow to my stomach made me jump, desperately gasping for air. My eyes shot open just in time to see the tip of the boot flashing straight towards my nose. I raised my arms, barely blocking the blow to my face. The force of the impact knocked me backward, slamming my back against the bars of the prison cell. Gasping for air, I struggled to calm my pounding heart and better acknowledge my surroundings. The stale, musty smell of the cell filled my nostrils. I tried to stand up, but my legs felt weak and unsteady. I stumbled to my knees, supporting myself with my hands against the filthy floor.

And there it was—the sad, cruel, bitchy reality. 

The man laughed viciously, clapping a hand on his chest—right over the symbol engraved in his dark uniform. Hydra. The cureless poison, the undetectable illness you couldn't feel, until it killed you. 

“Your time has come.”

The sweet haze of the dream vanished in a blink, drained by the cruel truth of life. The man in uniform fisted a hand around my hair, hauling me to my feet.

“You’re such a delicious thing, I almost feel sorry for you,” he said, closing the distance between us. The liquor on his breath made my empty stomach clench in disgust. He passed his tongue on his lips like an animal trying to seize its prey-his eyes dark and cruel. I struggled against his grip, but he was too strong. I felt sick with fear and revulsion. “Almost.” 

He yanked my hair, dragging me behind him like a broken doll. Like every week, the time had arrived. I tried to steel myself for the inevitable, but my body trembled with dread. I felt a scream building in my throat, but it died before it could escape. This was my life now—a never-ending cycle of pain and misery at the hands of monsters who took pleasure in my suffering.

I gazed at the cell beside mine. Inside, the woman huddled on herself, her eyes wide with terror. I knew what was coming. The man would take her next when they had finished with me, just as it had happened so many times before.  

She was grasping the bars, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks. The terror in her eyes mirrored my own. Her lips trembled, trying a few times before the words broke free from her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she hissed, her voice broken and rough. 

Before I could even think about whispering back that everything would be fine, we were in the corridor, walking fast towards the stairs. The darkness was the sole thing I had known down in the cells of Hydra, except for the only occasion when they sent me out there for a mission; but, even if I was outside, breathing fresh air, watching the blue sky, or feeling the comforting warmth of the sun on my skin, I yearned for the darkness of the cells once more, where I knew it was me suffering and not the people I was sent after. It was a familiar feeling, one that I had grown accustomed to over the years. The cries and pleas of the people I was sent after were too much to bear. In the cells, it was just me and my nightmares. 

One after the other, the cells held men, women, and children. All of them were scared and huddled together for warmth and comfort, clinging to each other to survive. Victims of a fucked-up system. 

As I passed by each cell, I couldn't help but wonder how many more innocent lives would be lost before someone would come and save us. Even when the cruel voice in my head screamed that nobody would come for us, the world had forgotten us. I remembered the day a mother was taken away from her daughter, dragged to one of these rooms, and never came out. Her screams echoed through the halls as she was dragged away. The girl clung to me, begging me to save her mommy. It broke my heart to know there was nothing I could do but offer comfort and promises of a better tomorrow. They were lies; they came for her some days later, and I'd never seen her again.

Some soldiers had tried to escape and revolt against the captors, but it was all pointless. They were made an example of; I still heard their screams, their prayers, and their cries in the silence of the night. 

I was hauled into a room. The lights were so bright that I shielded my watering eyes, but the unforgiving strength in my hair didn't pay any attention to my pain, especially not when he was going to inflict much, much, more.

“Place it on the chair and power up the machine.” 

I cried out, trying to plant my feet firmly against the ground, trying to claw the hand that was dragging me to the chair. He simply laughed, handling me like a temperamental child.  I could feel the fear rising in my chest, making my heart hammer in my ears. I knew what was coming next—the machine, the cold metal in my neck, and the head splitting ache. The thought of it made me shudder. But there was no escape. 

 “Come on, don’t be difficult.” The man threw me onto the chair. Still laughing as he fastened my wrists to the chair's armrests and wrapped the belt around my head. Another pair of hands tied my legs to the chair. The man pressed his fingertips on my face, stretching the corners of my lips. “Give me a smile.” 

I was trapped, bound to the chair, and not even allowed to close my eyes in defeat. I couldn’t fight; I couldn’t speak, but they laughed as I cried and screamed, praying in my mind that someone would come and rescue me. 

The science team tortured me with the promise to murder my brother if I fought back. Treating my sorrow as their own private, amusing show. The experiments were never ending. I didn’t know what they were looking for or what they were trying to shape my mind into. The only things I knew since they had captured me were hunger, pain, and regret, as they had dressed me in their uniform and forced me to commit atrocities.  

“You are a special one, Thirteen.” A woman appeared before me, holding a syringe. The liquid in it was shining brightly, its warmth moving and waving around the syringe like flames. “We gave you this power, and you have tamed it. The previous twelve could not endure its existence in their organisms, not even for a single moment, but you..." She smiled as if fascinated—her eyes shone in a weird light; was it excitement? Or was it the familiar grip of a delusional mind? "You have hosted the flames for years, gracing the world with their wonder.” I watched the syringe come closer and closer, until I felt the familiar pinching of the needle. As the liquid coursed through my veins, I felt a sudden rush of energy and clarity. The world around me seemed to come alive in a way that I had never experienced before. 

The world grew louder; I could now hear the buzzing noise of the computers, the soft breathing of the guards standing all around the room, the stable heartbeat of the science woman before me, and the scent of the food she had eaten. My mind raced, and I struggled to keep my thoughts in order. “Bending the world under the fist of Hydra.”

They made me steal, and lie, destroy governments, cancelling entire cities from the maps. Kill and slaughter. Whatever was that they injected in my veins, it turned me into their puppet. They pointed and I attacked, without whispering, without questions.  Relapsing my life into a routine of lessons that made me more lethal—Magic and dancing alternating with combat, weaponry, poisons, and construction of explosives. And yet, all of that was pointless when it all came down to them. I became clay in their hands, to be shaped according to their sick desires. They had beaten me until I couldn't move, broke my bones until I was nothing more than a pile of shattered flesh and bones. And then they implanted thing thing inside of me, something dark and foreign that filled me with bloodlust.

The pain was excruciating; every inch of my body felt like it was on fire. If I tried to fight them, it could mean the end for the only person left in this world who meant anything to me. So I lay there, broken and defeated, as the pain threatened to swallow me whole. 

Michael’s safety had given me the strength to stare quietly as they beat, broke, and shattered my body and mind. Letting them put this thing inside of me. I had no chance of escaping—not when it could risk the life of the last remaining person I had loved.  

I felt reality shift. The world spun faster. The uncomfortable sensation of my body turning inside out. The woman before me—whose name I’d never had the privilege to acknowledge—she split into two before becoming one again, swaying to the left and then to the right in a constant waltz that made me want to claw my eyes out of my head.  She smiled and turned serious a couple of times, watching my trembling body with fascination. “You made me a monster.”

“No, thirteen.” She pinched my chin. Her eyes shone in a red light, piercing into my soul, before returning to their usual blue shade. I tried to speak, but my throat felt tight and dry. I couldn't find the words to express the fear and confusion that consumed me. The woman's grip on my chin tightened, and I winced in pain. “I made you into an asset.”  

My mouth parted, quivering over the frantic breathing pattern that possessed my body. My thoughts ran feverishly in my head, confusing words and sounds rooted in my soul, speaking cruel words in dozens of different languages.  

“Thirteen?” 

The voice echoed in my head, clinging to the roots of my being. 

"Ready to comply."

Gloved hands emerged before me, so white that they seemed to shimmer in the neon lights. I was freed from the restraint that kept me confined to the chair, allowing me to rise to my feet. I rolled my shoulders, stretching my neck—not because I felt any pain; I felt nothing at all—but in preparation for the mission. 

“New mission. Locate and kill,” she said, presenting a photograph before me. “The Winter Soldier.” 

I need to thank everyone who commented and liked the previous part and the ones who asked to be tagged in this next part.

It's certainly not what you expected to read, but we'll get to that specific passage in a couple of chapters. I wished to give you a deeper insight into the characters and the plot.  @thefandomplace @bonkyandsteebluver @billihill - let me know if you still wish to be tagged to the next parts!

This is a test chapter, to see how readers react to the story and to allow me to figure out in which direction to proceed. Let me know what you think and if you would like to be tagged in later parts!

[dreaming-in-color]

please reblog so I can get as many votes as possible 😭😭

[lightning-writes]

good heart (faulty machine of a man) - masterpost

PINTEREST / AO3

(pinterest not yet launched)

CHAPTERS | 17/30 in progress

September 2 - (AO3)

September 9 - (AO3)

September 16 - (AO3)

September 23 - (AO3)

September 30 - (AO3)

October 7 - (AO3)

October 14 - (AO3)

October 21 - (AO3)

October 28 - (AO3)

November 4 - (AO3)

Texting Interlude - (AO3)

November 11 (Part 1) - (AO3)

November 11 (Part 2) - (AO3)

November 18 - (AO3)

November 24 (Part 1) - (AO3)

November 24 (Part 2) - (AO3)

December 2 - (AO3)

December 9 (Part 1) - (AO3)

December 9 (Part 2) - (AO3)

December 16 (Part 1) - (AO3)

December 16 (Part 2) - (AO3)

fic summary: bucky meets someone at therapy gen tags: post endgame, pre tfatws, hurt/comfort, slow burn, mutual pining, friends to lovers, canon divergent, canon compliant, au gen gen warnings: pstd, panic attacks, character death, angst

FMOAM TAGS

fmoam gen

fmoam: bucky / bucky barnes

fmoam: rue / ruby david

fmoam: other character

[darsynia]

Could you do a Bucky/OC one based off of the phrase "How the hell are you here right now?"

This got smutty AND all up in the feels. I hope you enjoy!

Summary: “I won’t go back,” he says. His chest feels as hard as the vibranium that has built this place of refuge. Lyza is no foe, but she’s usually paid by one. Length/Warnings: 931 words / Oral sex, male receiving MINORS DNI Fill: @allcapsbingo square 'the 1970's'

Note: I think this story kind of fell flat when I first posted, because the implications of Bucky/OC and the previous summary implied some kind of relationship that would preclude any other. Lyza is definitely not a girlfriend, hardly a lover. This is a story about Bucky realizing the difference between his HYDRA life and the Avenger he's becoming.

Oath of the Betrayed One

When he’s deep in cryo, he dreams of her.

He was awake a lot in the seventies, enough that his handlers worried he’d figure out what he was missing, so they’d found/hired/recruited Lyza cel Tradat to soothe him. A prize. Bucky knew it wasn’t her real name-- hell, ‘cel Tradat’ means ‘betrayed one,’ and she’d once told him that Lyza meant ‘oath.’

Bucky very much enjoyed fucking the oath of the betrayed one.

How he was able to remember her, he doesn’t know, but he figures it has to do with the way human memory works. His dreams of Lyza reinforced her reality, and now he’s standing in a field in Wakanda, and she’s walking toward him.

Except, she can’t be, because she’s every bit as wiry and beautiful as she had been in ‘73, when he’d committed an assassination every few months and came back to weeks on a beach with her before the ice again.

“How the hell are you here right now?” he asks when she’s close enough to catch the words. His arm isn’t even here right now, but Lyza is. She’s got on a swimsuit coverup over tiny white shorts and a tube top no one’s worn for decades. No bra, no shoes, too much eyeshadow, too much hair, that’s Lyza.

“I’m not. You’re dreaming again,” she says with an artful shrug. The fringed silk slips off of her shoulder, and Bucky reaches out to touch her, half expecting his hand to pass right through. 

It doesn’t. She’s warm, vital, and he shivers. If she’s right, why is she right? He doesn’t remember why he’d let that happen again, not now that he’s free of HYDRA, not now that he’s got Steve back. He trusts the people of Wakanda, and their trust means the world to him.

“Shhhh,” Lyza says, resting both forearms on his shoulders like she always does. She smells like sunshine.

“I won’t go back,” he says. His chest feels as hard as the vibranium that has built this place of refuge. Lyza is no foe, but she’s usually paid by one. For the first time, Bucky wonders if she’s some kind of construct, if those lazy pleasures they’d shared in the sand were a dream, too.

Was her name a hint, all along?

“You don’t have to, I promise,” Lyza says, trailing a languid hand down his chest toward his waistband. “This is another reward.”

He catches her hand as she starts on his buckle, squeezes hard. She doesn’t flinch, because she isn’t, can’t be real.

“Who sent you?” Bucky grits out. He’s a weapon who wields himself, now, but for all his bravado, he fears the answer to his question.

Lyza sinks down to her knees, head tipped back, unafraid as always. “You did. As a goodbye. A goodbye and a reward.” She leans forward, nuzzles at his crotch with a hum of approval. “I love that you’re sweaty and worn out, even in your dreams.”

Real or not, she knows just how to please him. His grip on her loosens, and Lyza takes advantage, finishes what she’d started. It’s a sultry commentary on truth, because if this weren’t a dream, he’d never insult his hosts by letting her strip him in broad daylight.

Fuck, but her mouth is perfect, even if nothing else around them is. It’s too hot, they’re too exposed, the wind is blowing the wrong way so her long, long hair is tickling his bare thigh, he’s about to lose his balance and--

Bucky tips his head back and stares at the sun above. His breath is coming in short gasps as Lyza’s hands and mouth trigger ten, fifteen, fifty memories that may or may not be real. All of them are more perfect than this one, but this is the one he’s rewarded himself with, because he remembers, now.

He’d chosen the ice, this time. To give his hosts time to figure out how to save him. To take part in saving himself.

“That’s right, let go,” Lyza coaxes, reaching for his hand. She wraps her silken hair around his fist, and Bucky lets himself look down at her. Her mascara’s running, lips stretched around him, imperfectly perfect, just right. “Use me,” she says, and he is, but more like a salve than a slave.

With a very great effort, Bucky stops her. He needs to know before the dream ends, and in his experience, most dreams end before the climax. 

“Was any of it real?”

“I’m sorry, Buck. It was all real. All of it.”

She doesn't just mean sex on the beach.

It’s the worst possible response, but it’s the one he deserves, Bucky thinks. “How do I wake up?” he rasps. He feels naked, but not because of what she’s been doing, and not because he’s given up the arm for now.

“Trust,” dream-Lyza says, her smile warm and reassuring.

“Well, shit,” Bucky smiles, with multiple decades’ worth of regretful humor.

“Trust you can finish what you started,” she continues, pressing a meaningful kiss to his thigh.

Bucky thinks about Steve, how grateful he is to have found him again. He thinks about the nobility of T’Challa’s grief, about how much faith in second chances it took to allow Bucky to convalesce in Wakanda. As he pushes his thoughts toward how to make amends, Lyza takes him in her mouth again, and the pleasure mitigates the pain of those thoughts so perfectly that he finally believes her.

The real Lyza is gone. So is the man HYDRA forced him to become.

[flushedandruffled]

Just some comfort for poor Bucky after a mission.

————

No warnings I don’t think. Sorry English is not my first language so apologies if it makes no sense. I also hate writing y/n so I write a she/ her or my original female character Kali. Hope you like.

———-

He got into the apartment and she stood up, he saw her worried expression, ‘I’m ok’ he said and walked in a few paces, dropped his gear. She saw he winced ever so slightly.

She ran to fill his arms and he turned his head gently to nuzzle her hair. She smelled like home to him.

She wrapped her arms around him and he flinched slightly.

‘You’re hurt’ she tipped her head up to meet his eyes and he leant down to press his lips to hers.

‘It’s fine, I’ve had worse’ she knew that, but it hurt her to see how reckless he was with himself. Looking up at him she thanked the gods he was here, safe, home.

She reached up to stroke his cheek and he caught her hand, held her fingers to his lips and kissed them. ‘I missed you’ his voice soft.

His eyes were tired.

‘I’m gonna have a shower’ he said and smoothed her hair back from her face. He leant down and kissed her once, twice, three times.

‘It’s so good to see you, dove’

He was quiet, quieter than usual.

He let her hand go and went to the bathroom.

She heard the water and after a minute or two went in after him, making a bit of noise so he’d know she was coming,

‘What are you doing?’ He chided gently, but he wasn’t angry. In fact her presence calmed him. It always did.

She stripped naked and opened the shower and walked in. He had stitches in his side. Bruises, cuts.

‘Oh James ’ she cooed. ‘Sit’ she stroked his hair back and he sat down on the shower bench seat and closed his eyes. She shampooed and rinsed his hair. He relaxed into the feeling of her fingers massaging his scalp. So soothing. He opened his eyes to see her profile as she turned into him, her eyes on his body, She washed his skin and he just sat back and relaxed, he reached out to touch her soft hips, run his hands down her, she smiled at his touch and kissed his cheek.

He felt safe, loved with her, she trusted him. She wrapped her arms around him and sat with him in her arms. She didn’t see the tears run out of his eyes, but she felt his arms around her, and his lips in the crook of her neck. She smoothed his rough edges out, washed away the fight, they sat for a few minutes wrapped up, under the water. She kissed his face, he’d never known such tenderness.

She turned the water off and when she met his eyes they were red.

‘You ok?’

He just nodded silently, Her heart ached. She wished she could take his pain. All she could do was touch him, kiss him. Show him he was loved.

He watched her every move as she went and got a towel and wrapped it around him, the water beading on her skin. He sighed trying to rid himself of his melancholy and he followed her out of the shower.

They dried themselves off.

She threw a slip over her body and he tugged on some sweetpants.

‘There’s some of those brews from Thor in here..’

She smiled at him as she went to the fridge and poured herself a wine.

He nodded. He looked happy but always a little sad around the eyes. He often had that mix of looks on his face. She knew she needed to be extra gentle with him when he was like this. He made it easy through, he was just quiet.

He flopped on the couch and she placed his drink in front of him.

‘Sorry if I’m a bit…’

‘Never’ she interrupted.

‘Thanks for taking care of me’

she leaned over and kissed him softly. And then kissed his forehead.

‘I love you’ she said as she smoothed his long hair back.

‘I love you too.’ He said and caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. She loved that, he kissed her wrist.

‘Let’s get drunk and watch some crappy tv eh?’ she smiled and she got a little smile out of him. He lay down in her lap.

His face after a few drinks was a little flushed and his hair ruffled. It made her want to cling fast to him, to hold him, for there was a warm, drowsy sadness in his beauty that made her want to kiss him, clutch him, to have him close to her, under her wing.

‘Bucky’ she whispered.

He stiffened as she hardly ever called him that.

‘Are you feeling better?’

He sighed and burrowed into her thighs.

‘I went to a place I remembered as him, i got distracted and let my guard down. I hate remembering things he’s done. I … I just hate it’

He closed his eyes as he felt her fingers in his hair. Massaging his scalp

‘I’m sorry, my love.’

He sighed into her touch.

‘What do you need me to do?’

She said simply. ‘Just be you.’ He said.

‘I just want to feel you’ he said huskily. ‘ I want to feel’

Her body flushed.

He turned his head gently to hers and his eyes were half closed, his lips parted. God, he was so beautiful.

‘I’m here, you’re home now, come..’

[donottouchredbutton]

Endlessly Falling

joaquin torres x sunshine!reader/ofc

3k words

she was falling, and there was only one person she trusted to catch her.

set in the same universe as this fic

warnings: angst, fear, canon-typical violence but i think it's pretty vague, reader/ofc has a fear of heights, idk let me know if i'm missing anything

note: idk if this is any good, i wrote it in like four hours unedited while i was trying to distract myself from burnout from work. feedback is always welcome :) also let me know if you notice anything familiar about sunshine's backstory... idk maybe there's something there, maybe there's not. let me know what you think!

She was running for her life. Again. She was really getting tired of this shit. 

She remembered a few weeks ago when the worst thing she had to worry about was getting her essays turned in on time, emailing her professors, and working on her thesis, back when she was just a grad student. Since meeting Joaquin, she found herself in trouble a lot more than she ever expected to be. 

That wasn’t to say this was the first time she’s ever had to run for her life, or that meeting Joaquin was the start of her getting into trouble. Or that meeting Joaquin was her first time helping a superhero. No, she had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. She remembered when she was a teenager the few (multiple) times when her dad’s work followed him home (literally) and having to hide or having to flee her own home just so he could take care of it. Terrifying as it was, she had learned to be good at finding the best hiding spots on the fly. And she still remembered when she was nineteen being trapped in a cage with a monster (who, to be fair, was her dad, but we won’t go into the specifics this time), with the intention of being mauled to death alongside a woman she barely knew. And just a year later, having to travel halfway across the world to help a superhero with identity issues to stop a cult and rescue her dad from said cult (her dad had a bad habit of getting himself into trouble, but he would always tell her that her uncle was even worse). 

Yeah. This wasn’t her first rodeo. And she was positive it wouldn’t be her last, either. 

But she sure as hell didn’t miss having to do this. 

Sam and Joaquin had both understood and agreed initially that they needed her help if they were going to stop this underground terrorist group. Bucky had been on the fence about it at first, thinking her too nice and innocent to get involved, but once she had proved herself in a fight the first time he had realized he had jumped the gun on judging her. She was a formidable opponent while still being able to maintain her happy nature and her positive, love-for-life attitude. 

Which was why she found herself in this position for the first time in years. She hadn’t meant to cause a distraction, she had just been sent by the men on a reconnaissance mission to one of their underground meetings while the three of them tried to take out their base of operations nearby. Even to her, the meeting was much bigger than she had been expecting, and the sound of the men updating her on their progress through her earpiece was only confirmation: they were a much bigger threat than they had initially believed. She had been listening to one of the leaders of the group as he slowly but surely began riling everyone up, his voice raising as he spoke to them about forcing order to the world and subjecting the people who had no care for them. He was nearly shouting at that point, and it was honestly beginning to frighten her. She was so ensnared by his words that the sound of Sam yelling through the earpiece completely threw her off her guard. 

“GET DOWN! IT’S A TRAP!”

The sound of gunshots on the other end of her earpiece caused her to gasp in fear, which caused her to slap her hand over her mouth in dread. She was scared for her friends, but she was also terrified at the sudden silence that happened in the room next to her after she did so. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as what was surely only a few seconds felt like years as she awaited what would happen. She didn’t dare breathe as she waited, her back pressed against the wall to make herself as small as possible. 

“Someone’s here with us. Take care of it.”

The leader’s words were just loud enough for her to hear, but it was more than enough to set her off at a sprint to get out of there. 

She had been running for what had felt like forever when she finally thought to check in with the others to make sure they were okay, and to find out what the hell happened. 

“What the hell happened?” she shouted through the earpiece. 

“They knew we were coming! It was a setup!” Sam shouted back. He and Bucky were fighting off terrorists left and right as they themselves tried to get out of the base. Their initial plan had been to find the leaders at the base and to either a) reason with them and get them to come willingly (Sam’s idea) or b) stop them by any means necessary (Bucky’s idea), but the three men had been met with nearly an entire army once they got there like they knew they were coming. The place had been booby trapped of all things, tipping the group off so that they opened fire seconds later. They all knew that if they were in trouble, she would be too. “Get outta there, now!”

“I’m trying!”

And she was. Unfortunately for her, the place was a maze, and with about ten angry men chasing after her, it was hard for her to focus on where all of the hallways led to rather than just trying to get away from them. Her fear was making it hard to think, and luckily it was making it hard to think about the fear itself. She just needed to get away. 

The sound of Joaquin’s voice in her ear immediately began to uncloud her mind. “Find a way to go up! Stairs, ladder, window, anything! I’ll come find you!”

She wasn’t able to think about how he would be able to do so, but she listened to him anyway. She trusted him enough to believe he was telling the truth. 

Truthfully, Joaquin didn’t know if he was. He had split from Sam and Bucky once they had opened fire, Sam telling him to fly out of there to find their superior and tell them all they had learned about the group. He often thought about what it would be like to jump out as Falcon, but he wasn’t exactly able to reflect on those expectations when he was in the middle of a life or death situation. He thought once he did so that he was in the clear, but there had been a couple of helicopters right outside waiting for him. So, they had air support. Of fucking course they did. 

Joaquin was sure that their superior would get an earful from Sam once they were finally on the clear (if they ever got to that point). He was doing his best to take out the people shooting at him from the helicopters, making sure they stayed focused on him so they wouldn’t start shooting elsewhere, but the entire time his focus was elsewhere. He couldn’t keep his mind off of her, and he was riddled with guilt. 

Joaquin was the one who had fought so hard to convince Sam and Bucky that she could help them on this mission. While they had both known she could handle herself, they were hesitant to let her go into the field with them, especially on a mission like this. She would have to get about as close as she physically could to this terrorist group without them finding out she was there, and they weren’t willing to risk her getting hurt or worse if something went wrong. It was the last thing Joaquin ever wanted, but he saw how hard she fought to convince them. He saw her conviction and determination, and more than anything, he saw that she truly cared. She just wanted to help, and Joaquin knew that. She was running for her life right now because he was the one to convince them to let her help. 

She was in danger because of him. 

He was right about her needing to find a way up. She had found a door that led her to a staircase all the way up to the roof. She took a quick glance over her shoulder to see how close the men were, finding them far away enough for her to be able to lock the door behind her. If she wasn’t running for her life, she would’ve thought about how it definitely seemed like a safety issue for the door to even have a lock, but she was more concerned about buying herself at least a minute or two to get to the top. She didn’t look back again after she locked the door and began to race up the stairs, not until she heard the sound of a gunshot blowing the door open. The information that they did have guns with them scared her more than she thought it would. They liked the chase, and they didn’t want the end to be quick if they did catch her. The thought made her blood run cold, and a new wave of adrenaline filled her as she continued to run. 

Once she reached the roof, once again locking the door behind her to buy herself some time, she looked out to try to find Joaquin anywhere nearby, but he was nowhere to be found. She braced herself as she looked over the edge of the building she was on, and the realization of just how far up she was was quick to set in. She hadn’t realized how long the staircase was nor how far up she had run, but the sight of the city what looked like miles beneath her caused her heart to beat faster for a completely different reason. She could handle most things—monsters, cults, running for her life. Heights weren’t one of those things. 

“Joaquin,” she said. She tried to steady the tremble in her voice, trying to control her breathing. 

“I’m on my way!” he shouted back, trying to dodge the helicopter that was currently shooting at him. He was not on his way, but he needed to be soon if he wanted any chance of getting to her in time. 

The sound of the men chasing her banging on the door to the roof made her jolt, dread filling her veins like venom. They were throwing themselves against the door to get it open. Unsuccessfully, sure, but the knowledge that they had the means to get the door open with their weapons made her believe that this was just a sadistic scare tactic. The thought made her sick. 

“Joaquin,” she warned. She was unable to hide the fear she felt from her voice. Even she could hear her voice shake. 

So could Joaquin, and he knew they were both running out of time. Taking out the pilot in the final helicopter, he set the thrusters of his wings to full power before jetting off to where she was. 

“I’m on my way!” he shouted once again, but he knew that he wouldn’t be there in enough time. Thinking fast, he added, “You’re gonna have to jump!”

Her stomach dropped at the thought. “I can’t,” she whispered. But she knew she was running out of options. The men chasing her would get tired of playing with her, and in seconds they would be out there with her. She’d have nowhere else to go. Her hands were already shaking as the reality of what she had to do was setting in. 

And she was right. The sound of the door to the roof being blown open made her jump, and the sight of the men closing in on her filled her with a fear she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“JOAQUIN!”

“JUMP!”

She didn’t think. She ran to the edge of the building and jumped, right before they could grab her. 

She’s fallen before. She’s fallen out of tall trees when she was little, her dad constantly scolding her for climbing trees when she knew she might fall, but that’s why she always did it—to get better at climbing without falling. She’s jumped off of high platforms, trying to get down from where she was to try to help someone who needed it. She’s been thrown off of the side of a building before, but even then that was done when she was unconscious. This was something different. Being in free fall for so long, that sinking feeling in her gut never leaving but slowly getting worse as she seemed to fall closer to the ground in slow motion. The air whipped at her as if punishing her for jumping, her fear only growing as it felt like she would be endlessly falling. 

She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think to breathe. She couldn’t think, her mind somewhere up in the clouds that she seemed to remember falling through when she jumped. Her eyes were dripping with tears she couldn’t stop as the cool air burned them as she went. Another punishment, she thought. The air was thin, too, choking her up even more. She couldn’t find her voice, though if she did, she wouldn’t have been able to think about calling for Joaquin again. She couldn’t think about whether he would catch her in time. She just had to continue falling. 

Joaquin’s heart raced as he did, his sights set on her as he flew to catch her. He could hear the fear in her voice when she said she couldn’t jump, it had been clear as day to him that she was afraid to. He hadn’t wanted to make her do it, but he knew she had to. And he knew he would rather die than let her hit the ground. He wouldn’t let her get hurt again. He would make sure of it. 

When he was finally close enough, his arms reaching for her, Joaquin felt time stop. He couldn’t think. The only thing he could focus on as he reached for her was her eyes. Those eyes he had seen could hold such light and happiness as he had come to know her, those same eyes that were squeezed shut from fear and wet with tears he knew she couldn’t stop. Once he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, never daring to let go. 

Once she felt him surrounding her, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, aware enough to not choke him but clutching onto him like her life depended on it, because it did. There was nothing that would get her to let go. And now that he was holding her, she could finally feel herself breathe again. 

They were both silent as he flew them away from the building, away from all of the bad men who wished them harm, away from where she felt for a moment she was falling to her death. The pit in her stomach from falling was gone, replaced with something else she couldn’t place. She still felt sick feeling her insides shaken so much, but it wasn’t just that. She felt a pull inside her, not in her stomach but maybe in her chest. She couldn’t know for sure, still barely able to think or process what was going on. The only thing she knew for sure at that moment was that she felt well and truly safe wrapped up in Joaquin’s arms. 

Joaquin finally landed them on the roof of another building, much much shorter than the one she had jumped from and miles away. With the way she was clutching onto his back, he knew she could use a moment to stand on her own two legs and catch her breath. Once his feet touched the ground, he slowly eased her down as well, taking care to handle her gently for fear of causing her any more grief. His arms didn’t leave her even as she got her footing, nor did they when she leaned heavily against him once she was standing. She was still gripping him for dear life, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He was sure he was holding her in a similar way. 

“Are you okay?” he asked after a few minutes. He always made sure that she was, and if she wasn’t, he always did what he could to help. 

“…Yeah,” she answered slowly, barely audible if it weren’t for her mouth being so close to his ear. “Just… need a minute.” 

Joaquin knew that they didn’t have a minute. He should’ve already been with his superior by now, finishing up with the debrief as they waited for Sam and Bucky to return as well. But he wasn’t concerned with any of that right now. The only thing he cared about was the woman in his arms, shaking like a leaf as she tried to calm down. For her, he would make the time. 

He readjusted his arms around her so that he was hugging her instead, one arm around her waist while the other came up to her shoulders, his hand holding her head against him and stroking her hair. He tried to steady his breathing in a way that she could follow, willing his own heart rate to slow down as he tried to help her calm down. 

She wasn’t the only one who had felt like they were endlessly falling. The only difference was, his had been slow and steady, hardly noticing it was happening until it hit him all at once. And he knew he would fall again and again if it meant getting to hold her like this. 

[aikaterini-drag]

Chapter 18 Reunited

Warnings (whole series): Violence, Non-Con Abduction, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Sexual Tension, First Time, Emotional Sex, Protective Bucky, Angst with a Happy Ending, Soft Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Barnes Gets all the Love he deserves.

Find more chapters of the "Fading Scars" Series here ♡

Tony swirled in the air, gliding in his suit. Using his tech, he scanned the building Grace had instructed him to infiltrate. Felicity Landon's secret work lay concealed within an abandoned hotel in Croatia, safeguarded within a vault buried several meters beneath the ground. However, the entire structure was rigged to collapse at the slightest sign of a break-in. And even if they somehow managed to access the vault, all the critical information was secured within an impenetrable metal case, programmed to unlock only through Grace's iris scan.

Felicity Landon had meticulously planned every detail of this operation, accounting for potential risks and unwanted attention. Unfortunately for them, their operation was bound to attract a lot of attention. So that was their plan for today: Tony would take to the skies, launching missiles at the building while Grace and Braylon provided support from their jet. They had chosen a specific date and time to minimize civilian presence.

Once the building was torn down, Tony would analyze the scale of the collision and proceed to the vault. He'd use Iron Man's strength to dig through the remains, reach the vault and hack it open to retrieve the suitcase. Then, he would return to the jet, passing the case to Grace for her to unlock. So far, their plan unfolded seamlessly, with Braylon and Grace closely monitoring the situation.

"You're doing great, Tony," Grace's voice reverberated in his ear.

Tony let out a self-satisfied chuckle. "These new sensor missiles are pretty nifty!"

"Boss is going all out!" Braylon chimed in, deftly steering the jet away from the crumbling building.

"So much for being subtle," Grace muttered with a soft laugh.

"Subtlety isn't really my style," Tony quipped while he cleared away the wreckage and advanced to the vault.

Grace's concern surfaced. "What if Hydra is nearby?"

Braylon grinned confidently. "We'll take 'em down without breaking a sweat."

"Can't you practically smell the sweet smell of success?" Tony said as he dismantled the debris and headed toward the vault's entrance. "Found it. I'll get the case and—"

"Uh, boss, we've got unexpected visitors," Braylon interrupted. "As it appears, Captain America and his friends are on their way. Wakandan forces are intercepting our signals, taking charge of our communications—"

"Great, just what I needed," Tony grumbled, his earpiece making jagged sounds.

"Stark," Steve's stern tone resonated, cutting through the static.

Tony released an exasperated sigh. "Alright, Cap. What's the occasion?"

"The question is, what brought you here?" James echoed through the intercom, angry and anxious.

James is here... Grace thought, the mere sound of his voice filling her like warm sunshine. His sudden appearance caused her body to numb and her throat to tighten. She remained silent, completely moveless in her seat.

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question," Tony replied in his usual cheeky tone.

"We're tracking Silas," T'Challa's voice joined the conversation as he disembarked from his aircraft. "He owes me some explanations."

"Greetings, Your Majesty," Tony responded with his trademark charm. "By all means, go ahead and have him."

Sam intervened. "Hydra soldiers approaching from the South! They're coming in real fast, probably because of the serum. Silas must be hiding somewhere close."

T'Challa hummed. "I shall deal with him."

"Where's Grace?" James asked, his voice filled with worry and impatience.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Tony replied, feigning ignorance. He let out a frustrated sigh upon noticing the glint of Barnes' arm in the distance. The ex-soldier had joined the battle and he didn't look pleased. On the contrary, he was smashing one super soldier after the other, his face a rigid grimace.

"Don't play games with me! Is she aboard your jet?" James said and peered at the floating aircraft above him. "How can you bring her out on a mission?"

"She's a guest with a special request," Tony replied. "I'm assisting her."

After some digging in cement and metal, Tony emerged from the barrage of the ruins, clutching the invaluable suitcase in his hand. Nothing could stop him from snatching it, not even the sudden commotion. He was ready to fly away when two Hydra operatives lunged at him, coming out of nowhere. He had not expected that and as a result, he got punched and tossed aside like a discarded rag.

"More company? Seriously?" Tony muttered under his breath as he quickly regained his footing, countering their assaults with swift precision. He hurled himself toward the opponents, unleashing bursts of energy from his armed gauntlets.

"I'll provide backup, boss," Braylon declared, maneuvering the jet into a strategic combat position.

"Much appreciated, Babo," Tony said, his focus on the ongoing battle. Braylon swiftly joined the battle, his shots synchronized with those from Steve's jet and the combined forces of the Wakandans.

"Why isn't she responding? Grace?" James's voice reverberated through the intercom. "Grace!"

At the sound of her name coming out of his lips, she fidgeted, butterflies churning in her stomach. Pure terror enveloped her and she did the only thing she could think of and turned off her earpiece.

"Tsk..." Tony breathed out and checked the data on his screen. "You made her turn off her earpiece. Anyway, I'm taking charge. Fend off the Hydra agents while I do my stuff."

"No!" James cried out but it was all in vain. The signal was forcefully cut off.

▪️▪️▪️

Almost an hour had passed, the fight leaving them all panting and blinking through exhaustion. James hoisted himself from the ground and approached Tony, who had just removed his iron helmet, clutching a metal suitcase in hand. They had taken down the super soldiers, but Silas was once again attempting to escape and a serious decision had to be made. Cap and Sam were chasing after him.

"Is she up there?" James said, eyes wide and icy with panic.

"Why meet her?" Tony faced him and took a cautious step forward. "It was your choice to leave her behind."

"I need to see for myself that she's safe."

Tony was about to respond, but Sam interjected, "Hate to break it to you, but T'Challa and the Dora Milage are on Silas's tail. I had my eyes on them, but they refused my help."

"In that case, we should let the Wakandans handle it," Steve advised. "Capturing Silas is a matter of honor for them. It's best if we don't interfere."

"Agreed. My job here is done," Tony said, his thrusters preparing to take flight. Yet, James seized his collar, causing them both to hover in the air.

"I'm coming with you!"

"Seriously?" Tony grumbled, grappling with the added weight. With little choice left, he adjusted their trajectory, moving through the air at a more deliberate pace. When they set foot inside the jet, they were welcomed by Babo, but Grace was nowhere to be seen.

"Welcome aboard, boss," Braylon greeted them, his gaze shifting from Tony to the huge man beside him. "And who's this? If I may ask, where—"

"Step aside," James said and strode boldly, slightly shoving him and causing him to stumble back.

"You're being a little rude, don't you think?" Tony said, trailing closely behind as they made their way inside the jet, with Braylon in tow.

"I apologize..." James slowed his pace and looked at him. "I'm grateful for what you've done, but you shouldn't have brought her on a mission."

"It was her mission," Tony corrected. "And you'll be very thankful once you hear more about it."

"That can wait," James continued, resuming his determined stride. "Right now, I need to see her."

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't wish to see you," Babo said, unaware of how ill-advised his statement was.

"Don't test my patience." James clutched Braylon by the lapels of his suit and looked him dead in the eye. "I know Grace. She will see me."

"Braylon, don't provoke him. Go away." Tony gave Braylon a gentle shove then handed James the metal suitcase. "Give her this. She'll know what to do."

Bucky clutched the case tightly in his metal hand, his super soldier senses working on overload to locate Grace. Her faint scent and the rhythmic beat of her heart guided him, and when his gaze finally settled on her, a surge of relief and adoration swept through him. She stood there, safe and unharmed, as beautiful and soft as he remembered. But her eyes were weary, just like his.

Ironically, she waited for him at the very spot where he had abandoned her. A pang of guilt twisted in his gut at the realization. He took a few steps forward, and when she didn't flinch, he closed their distance. She raised her chin to glare at him, a thin stripe of air separating them.

"Give me the case," she said, attempting to appear brave and unaffected by him.

"Grace..." He set the bag down and whispered her name like a prayer. It was the only word he could utter and his voice shook uncontrollably. He just stared at her, his piercing blue eyes holding her captive.

Breathe... Grace reminded herself as the moments stretched between them. She couldn't move, breathless. His beautiful eyes were studying her, no longer striking blue but pale and worried. These were the only eyes that gave her the sense of security she had missed. She had never before experienced this fluttering sentiment, feeling as if one look from him was enough to crush all her defenses.

"I'm sorry," he said, sensing the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

"You're sorry?" she breathed in fake disbelief.

"I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry for everything. I missed you." His gaze never wavered, and she felt the weight of his regret. "How long are you going to stay angry with me?"

She looked away, her heart conflicted. "I haven't decided yet."

"I missed you. I missed you so much..."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I didn't know you could be so heartless."

"Heartless?" She let out a soft chuckle. "Between the two of us, you know very well who wears that title."

"Yes... and I paid for it dearly." His eyes plunged into despair. "I missed you. I missed you so much..."

She mumbled a hurried whisper under her breath, something he didn't quite catch. "What?"

"I said... I missed you, too," she muttered and gazed up at him, her eyes misty with tears.

"Oh, sweetness..."

He pulled her to him, his fingers curling around her with a possessive hold that stole her breath. But before she could voice her surprise, his mouth descended upon hers, capturing her in a kiss that held a raw, untamed hunger. She gasped, her initial protest melting away as his touch ignited a fire within her. Her soft lips were coaxed apart as he moaned her name and licked inside her mouth.

Her fingers instinctively found their way to his chest, clutching the fabric of his vest. The taste of him was intoxicating, his closeness overwhelming her senses. He pushed her back against the wall and realizing that he was getting way too bold with her, he broke away from her sweet tempting mouth.

"I'm sorry, I... I took it too far," he said, "fuck I can't. I can't stop!"

He kissed her again, swiping his tongue across her lips, parting her mouth and getting his head filled with her sweet taste. She responded eagerly, head tippling back in the cradle of his palms. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him in desperation, small delectable moans escaping her as his tongue tasted her mouth, probing in between hot and quickening breaths.

"James—mmph... we must talk," she moaned in between breathless kisses and he replied with a hum, catching her bottom lip between his teeth.

"Please, don't pull away," came his whisper, soft and wanting. "Don't ever pull away."

"I won't," she said, her fingers tracing his unshaven jaw. "I'm here."

"I know, I just—" He tightened his hold around her waist, drawing her close. "Forgive me. Please. I'll never leave you again. Never."

"Leave me?" She squeezed his face in her palms. "I've got my eyes on you, Sergeant Barnes. If you ever—even for a moment—think about leaving me again, I swear I'll give you a piece of my mind."

She attempted to wiggle away, but he thrust her against his chest. "What are you doing?"

"You said I can't leave you. I won't ever let you go."

[drabbles-mc]

Keeping Tabs

Sam Wilson x OFC

Prompt: "Anytime you wanna stop by the VA and make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: Okay so I truuuuuly can't remember the last time I wrote fic for the MCU. So take it easy on me haha. This is also my first fic for Sam! I was rewatching CAWS last night and when I heard him say that line at the beginning my mind instantly took off without me so here we are! Just a quick, fun little thing to get back into the Marvel swing of things.

MCU Taglist: @garbinge @winchestershiresauce (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)

She’d been so busy updating the appointment log that she hadn’t even felt the curls that had fallen forward in front of her shoulders let alone heard him walk up to the front desk. Steve could see the intense focus on her face, and he cracked a small smile at it. He felt a little bad interrupting her.

Her eyes snapped up when she heard him clear his throat, growing wide when she saw who was standing on the other side of the desk giving her one of the most charming smiles she’d ever seen. He was still just as pretty even with the fading bruises on his face. “Sorry,” Steve said, “don’t mean to interrupt. I’m looking for someone.”

She nodded, scrambling to get her desk in order as though Captain America was visiting with the intention of running an inspection on her work station. “Y-yes. Yea. Um, sorry, who—who are you looking for?” She finally got herself situated, fingers at the ready above her keyboard so she could look up whoever it was that he said.

“What’s your name?” he asked with another smile.

She wished that it did anything to calm her down at all. “Annalee—you can call me Annie.”

“Hi, Annie.” He held his hand out for her to shake. “I’m Steve.”

“Yea,” she laughed as she shook his hand, sounding a little surer of herself now that the initial shock of it all was starting to wear off, “I know.”

He chuckled, nodding. “Right.”

“You said you were looking for someone?”

“Yea. Sam Wilson?”

Her face brightened up immediately. “Oh! Sam. Yea, hold on one second.”

She reached for the phone on her desk and dialed the number without having to look it up. She flashed Steve a smile as she held the receiver to her ear and waited for Sam to pick up on the other end of the line. Steve saw the way that she was tapping the end of her pen against the desk while she waited for Sam to answer. He leaned slightly against the front desk.

“Sam, hey,” she said when he answered the phone. “I’m good, I’m good. I’ve actually,” she chuckled, “I’ve got a visitor down here looking for you. You got a minute?” She paused for a second before she gave Steve a reassuring nod. “Great, we’ll be here. See you in a sec.” When she hung up the phone, she looked back over at Steve. “He’s on his way.”

“Thank you,” Steve said with a nod.

There was a quiet moment between them before she asked, “So, what does Captain America need to pay Sam a visit for?”

Steve chuckled at the way she phrased it. He shook his head, seeming so nonchalant. “I ran into him a few days ago. Just had a couple things I wanted to talk to him about.”

She had already been a little more curious about Sam than she cared to admit. The reasons for her curiosity before this had nothing to do with Captain America and everything to do with how Sam looked when he smiled and reached over the front desk to borrow pens from her. This was another interesting layer, though, one that she couldn’t pretend didn’t pique her interest. She didn’t hide it well but she wasn’t quite sure that she cared. “Oh really?”

He could see the way that she wanted to ask for more but was trying to hold herself back. Steve tried to play a little dumb and keep his amused expression under control. “Yea, he mentioned—”

“Hey, man,” Sam said, inadvertently cutting off their conversation as he half-jogged up to the front desk. “Everything alright?”

“Sam, hey, yea.” He reached and shook his hand for a moment before continuing. “I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”

Sam was trying to get a read on Steve’s face, his body language. No matter what it was, it wasn’t as though there was ever going to be a time when he didn’t make time for Captain America. He realized how long he’d been standing there saying nothing, and quickly recovered. “Yea,” he motioned for Steve to follow him, “I got an office just up the stairs.”

Steve nodded, still not looking bothered by much. “Great.” He turned back to the woman behind the desk, who was very intently watching the interaction between the two men on the other side of her desk. “Nice meeting you, Annie.”

She smiled. “You too, Steve.”

When the two of them reached Sam’s office, he shut the door behind them. “You know,” he said with a chuckle, “I only half meant it when I said the thing about the girl at the front desk.”

Steve smiled knowingly. “Figured it couldn’t hurt, but it doesn’t really seem like you need my help.” He paused, watching for Sam’s reaction. “She seems nice.”

“Annie, yea,” Sam said, his expression softer than he realized, “she’s, she’s cool.” Clearing his throat, he tried to get his composure back. “Anyway, did you actually stop by to talk about something? Or were you just trying to be my wingman?”

Steve laughed. “Little of both, actually.”

Annie heard them coming back down towards her front desk before she saw them. She couldn’t even try to venture a guess as to what the two of them had been talking about while they were up in Sam’s office. However, whatever the conversation had been, they were laughing between themselves now.

She looked down at the screen of her computer in a vain effort to not seem like she was listening and watching for them. It wasn’t until they got much closer to her desk that she looked up, flashing a warm smile at the both of them. She listened as the two of them said goodbye to each other, vague promises to get in touch soon about whatever it was that they had been talking about.

“Offer still stands,” Sam said as he shook Steve’s hand, “if you ever want to come to my group. We’d be more than happy to have you.”

Steve nodded, a polite smile on his face. “I’ll think about it.” He turned and faced Annie, smile still in place. “Thank you for your help, Annie.”

“If you ever need to track Sam down,” she said with a soft laugh, “I’m your girl.”

Steve’s eyebrows lifted slightly as he looked back and forth between the two of them. “Good to know.” He said one last quick goodbye to each of them before turning and heading for the door.

Sam lingered by the desk until Steve had completely exited the building. Once the door shut behind him, he leaned onto the desk, peering over the edge of it more dramatically than necessary as he looked at Annie and waited for her to look back at him instead of where Steve had just walked out.

“So, you’re his girl, huh?” Sam joked.

Annie rolled her eyes as she propped her elbows on the edge of her desk. Resting her chin on top of her interlocked fingers, she asked, “What, feeling a little jealous, Sam?”

He laughed, shaking his head like it was a ridiculous notion despite the fact that his face was heating up. “I know he’s Captain America and all, I just thought that we had something special.”

She arched one eyebrow. “Oh, did you?”

“You don’t?” He acted far more offended than he really was.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” she shook her head as the phone started to ring, “you’re still my favorite.” Reaching for the phone, she shot him one more smile. “Doesn’t matter how many super soldiers come through here.”

He was almost thankful that she had to answer the phone, because his mind was completely devoid of any coherent thoughts, let alone something that would make him sound as smooth as he wanted to come off. He forced himself to move, making his way back towards the stairs that led to his office. He could hear the sounds of various murmured conversations across the floor and on the staircase, but the only thing that he was really trying to tune into was the sound of Annie’s voice as she put the person on the phone in touch with whoever they had been calling for.

When Sam was coming back down the stairs at the end of the day, he was immediately looking over to see if Annie was still behind the desk or if she had already taken off for the night. He picked up his pace a little bit when he saw that she was grabbing her purse and her coat as she got ready to leave.

Just as she was stepping out from behind the desk, Sam popped up. She almost ran into him, not looking up as she fished around her purse for her keys. She let out a small laugh as she pushed her hair back out of her face.

“Hey.” She spotted the keys in his hand. “You taking off too?”

He nodded. “Yea.” He gestured and they both started walking towards the door. “You parked far? I can walk with you.” He saw the way a grin stretched across her face and he let out a laugh that he hoped didn’t convey the small shot of nervousness that went through him. “What?”

“No, no,” she adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder, “nothing. I’d,” she looked at him, giant grin still on her face, “I’d like that.”

Relief went through him. “Alright,” he held open the door for her, “lead the way, then.”

The two of them made small talk as they walked towards the lot where Annie’s car was parked. They chatted in broad strokes about their day, about whatever news they’d heard floating around the VA. When they hit a natural lull in the conversation, Annie figured there wasn’t going to be a better time to try and satiate her curiosity.

“So, can I ask what business you have with Captain America?” She chuckled. “Or is that classified?”

Sam laughed—if she only knew the half of it all. He looked over at her and gave a shake of his head, trying to play it all off to be a much smaller deal than any of it really was. “He’s just got some stuff going on with an old friend. Wanted some advice.”

“And he came to you?” she said, a joking lilt to her voice.

His scoff turned into a laugh. “Don’t gotta sound so surprised about it.”

She rested her hand on the outside of his arm for a moment. “I’m not! I’m not.”

“Trying to convince me or convince yourself?” he asked, arching one eyebrow.

She laughed, and for a second Sam forgot about all the mess of the weeks before. She leaned, bumping her shoulder against his as they walked. “I’m not trying to convince anyone.” She paused, her expression sobering up a bit. “Steve, all those people who come to your groups, they need someone in their corner. They’re lucky to have you.” She paused again and waited for him to look over at her. “I mean it.”

Sam nodded, not quite comfortable with the feeling of praise but he wasn’t totally adverse to it either. It was hard to shy away from it when she seemed so genuine about it. It was hard to shy away from it when really, she was someone that he hoped had a few good thoughts about him every now and then.

“Thank you,” he finally managed, with more effort than it should’ve taken.

Annie saw the entire internal conflict go across his facial features in real time. Rather than piling onto it, she spun her keys around her finger and said, “Thank you for walking me to my car.” She hit the unlock button and the car’s headlights flashed once.

“Anytime you want company, come track me down. You know,” he smirked, “since that’s apparently your thing now.”

“Psh,” she laughed as she walked to the driver’s door of her car, “it’s always been my thing.”

“Keeping tabs on me?” he asked with a smile.

She pulled the car door open, “Trying to, at least.”

“You think that maybe,” he leaned against the opposite side of her car, “giving me your number might make that a little easier?”

She braced herself against her car the same way that he was, mirroring him with a grin. “Really think I’d be doing myself a favor with that?”

“Can’t make things worse, right?”

She laughed. “Thrilling endorsement. How am I supposed to say no?” She held her hand out. “Toss me your phone.”

Any attempt to seem collected and cool about it flew out the window. Sam immediately reached into his pocket and tossed his cell phone over to her so she could put her number in. There was a grin tugging at her lips as she added herself to his contacts. She tossed the phone back to him, trying not to laugh when he almost dropped it completely.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked when he recovered.

He nodded. “That’s the plan.” He lightly tapped on the frame of her car. “Get home safe.”

“You too,” she said with a smile before finally sliding into the driver’s seat.

Sam turned and started to walk back in the direction where his car was parked. He didn’t even make it to the end of the block before pulling his phone back out and scrolling to find Annie’s name in his contacts.

He typed out a message and hit send before he could talk himself out of it. “Hey, it’s Sam”

He’d hardly put the phone back away when it chimed with a response. Checking the notification, he couldn’t help but to laugh and shake his head. “Took you long enough”

[figaroswilson]

𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 ⇒ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘹 𝘦𝘹𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳!𝘰𝘧𝘤

Prologue

masterlist

story summary: Kira Barnes, the younger adopted sister of Bucky Barnes, is forced out of the dark underworld of espionage and into the light of the new world of superheroes when her brother abandons her with the Avengers to go on the run. She is set in her ways and determined to find her brother until she meets Pietro Maximoff, someone who challenges her black-and-white view of the world.

story warnings: violence, swearing, blood, descriptions of abuse

chapter word count: 1912

next chapter >

read on wattpad

~ ✺ ~

The soldier woke to an agonising pain.

Everything hurt. That wasn't too unusual. Aching in the shoulders from strain, the stabbing pain in the left leg that never quite went away, the stiffness in the hands from overuse. That was normal. What wasn't was the burning behind her eyelids, the dull throbbing of her head, and that sense of impending doom. The mission.

The soldier finally opened her eyes, rapidly blinking to adjust to the harsh beams of the fluorescent lights. The burning didn't stop. The stark white lights made the unfurnished room look clinical, in a way that sat uncomfortably in her stomach. The singular bed she was lying on, covered by a thin sheet, and that sharp, unnatural smell weren't helping either. Nothing around her was familiar. It all felt wrong. The mission.

Her comfort, post-mission, wasn't exactly top priority, but it still didn't make sense. That was exactly why she had been beaten awake so many times for a debrief afterwards. But there was no one here. Not even Jamie. The mission.

"Two targets. Level Six."

It had failed. She'd forgotten. Again.

Everything was collapsing when Jamie had left her. She couldn't remember a thing between then and now.

The targets. They must've taken her. The soldier started to panic. In the brief years that HYDRA had the Winter Soldiers, they were treated just as badly as when Department X had had them. But at least she knew what to expect. She knew nothing about the targets. Just what they looked like. And that they were powerful. They could do anything to her. And she was all alone. She had to get out.

The soldier surged up. Just to be thrown back down. Pain radiated from her torso. She looked down. Pulled off the sheet. Restraints. Tight around her middle, keeping her on the bed, with matching, but unactivated, cuffs around her wrists and ankles. She couldn't even swing her legs onto the floor. She scrambled to rip them off. Unnaturally tough. Like they were built for her, or someone stronger. Both thoughts were terrifying.

She pulled at them. They wouldn't budge. Dug her nails in. Trying to rip it apart from the seams. Something. Anything. Her fingers started to bleed. Nothing.

The blood made her fingers slip. She wiped them off on her clothes. Continued tugging at the restraints. Eyes watering as the burning worsened. Dull throbbing becoming sharp. Wrists aching from the weight.

They must know she's awake. They'll be here any second. There was nothing in the room to use as a weapon. But she had to try something. Had to get out. Or at least up. Try not to be at a complete disadvantage.

The soldier heard the footsteps then. She was out of time. Shit. One last tug at the restraints. Still nothing. They're getting closer. All she could do was stick to the three rules she had learnt very well in her time under Department X. Three sets of footsteps. One: shut up. Two: don't be a threat. Three: it'll end eventually. She curled up into herself, as much as she could, covered her head and turned to face the wall, eyes screwed shut.

The door banged open.

There was a long moment. And... nothing. Then, "Oh my God, Tony get those restraints off of her."

"Yeah, I'm trying. Hold on."

The restraints from around her middle retracted into the bed and she fully curled into a fetal position.

"I am so sorry. Are you okay?"

The soldier looked through the gap her arms made, in the direction the voice had come from. She saw three people standing in a doorway that had appeared in the wall on the opposite side of the room: a man with black hair who she'd never seen before, the blond man who was one of the targets from her last mission, and... the redheaded woman.

She pushed down the overwhelming feeling of familiarity and looked behind them. The opening was small and the trio stood in a practised way that meant it was near impossible to escape through, especially in her weakened state. Fuck. She was stuck here.

Sensing her uncertainty, the blond man slowly stepped forward and crouched down to eye level, peering through the gap in her arms. He smiled at her in a reassuring way, trying to make himself seem as unthreatening as possible. "Hi," he tried. "I'm really sorry about that. I hope you're not hurt."

He was met with silence, the only sound coming from the other man typing furiously on a device he held. The redheaded woman continued to watch the soldier with a strange expression. Who was she?

"You must be scared," he continued. "You have no reason to trust us, but I promise we mean no harm." More silence. "My name is Steve and these are my friends: Tony and Natasha," he tried, pointing to the man and woman in turn. "What's your name?"

"Name?" she blurted out, confused. Shit. Rule one wouldn't work for much longer, she reasoned, so it wasn't terrible that she had just, technically, broken it. Time for rule two: don't be a threat.

The soldier slowly lowered her arms and sat up. "I-" she paused and cleared her throat, voice cracking from underuse. "I don't have a name," she replied.

Steve's face fell, though she could tell he was trying not to show it. Strange. "Well, what would you like us to call you then?"

"I don't know." She couldn't figure out how else to respond to that. The soldier was never given a choice. And she definitely wasn't allowed to have a name.

But, she figured, they hadn't hurt her yet. In fact, they had actually been kind. Maybe her 'captors' weren't just another organisation she'd been passed to, to aid in hurting others. Maybe they weren't her captors at all. Maybe, for the first time in a while, she was free.

She whispered like it was a secret, "Kira. My name is Kira." She couldn't remember where she had gotten it from, but it felt right.

"Ok, Kira," Steve smiled. "Do you know why you're here?"

"I don't know."

"What do you know?" Tony, mumbled to himself, not expecting her to hear.

Kira heard perfectly, though. "My brother. Jamie," she answered earnestly.

The redheaded woman, Natasha, looked up then, so fast it almost looked like she had given herself whiplash. Now she fully had Kira's attention.

"Your brother, Jamie? As in James? James Barnes? About my height? Brown hair... metal arm?"

But Kira wasn't listening. She was staring directly at Natasha, this time with a look of recognition on her face. "I remember you."

"You probably recognise me from your last 'mission'," Natasha suggested, deflecting but staring right back at her.

Quietly but surely, she replied, "No. From before."

"We've never met, Kira."

"Nye vri mnye, Natalia." Don't lie to me.

The room suddenly went very quiet.

"Can you give me a minute?"

"But-"

"She's feeling better now, isn't she?" Natasha cut back in. "She can answer your questions and do your checkups later. Give me a minute."

With some quiet complaints, the two men left the room, the door sliding, quietly this time, into place like it had never been there, leaving them alone.

Natasha slowly lowered herself to sit on the bed next to Kira. "You remember?"

"Surprising, right?" she joked, humourlessly.

"How much do you remember?"

"Some," Kira replied shakily. She took a breath, steadying herself. "Enough," she amended. "I remembered quicker this time. I'll remember more."

Natasha sighed. "Kira-"

"You know he left me," she interrupted, no longer looking at her, but off into the distance instead.

Natasha was quiet for a second, taken aback. "What?"

Kira let it all out then. "He just walked off. I was bleeding out on the bank of that river. Next to your unconscious Steve. And he ignored me. Didn't even turn back once. No matter how many times I screamed at him to come back. I even tried dragging myself over to him. He just... left me." She turned back to Natasha and added, venom laced in her words, "With you."

Natasha tried not to let it show on her face just how much that hurt her. "Yeah, he did," she replied simply. Kira looked dejected. "That doesn't mean he hates you, though. You know he's not like that. What you've both been through..." she trailed off. "It probably means the opposite. He didn't just leave you with anyone. He left you with us. The same reason he saved Steve. He trusts us, even if he's not ready to face that right now."

Kira was quiet as she thought this over.

"And, don't tell anyone about this yet, but we've been looking for him. There might be a bigger reason why James left without you."

~ ✺ ~

"How is she?" Tony asked.

"Okay. Her head started hurting. She's resting now."

"What was that in there?" Steve asked. "What did she mean about 'remembering you from before'?"

"Guess you're about to find out. Right on time, Sam. Hope the file wasn't too hard to find," Nat called out as he walked into the room.

"The information you sent me was triple encrypted. And in Russian. You little shit."

Nat just laughed in response.

"What's this?" Tony asked.

"The file on the 'Second Winter Soldier'. Part of the Winter Soldier project, run by a 'Department X'. Connected to the Black Widow program. Turns out Bucky wasn't the only one," he explained, handing it off to Tony.

"Huh, guess that's how she recognised you, Nat," Tony commented as he took the file.

"And... you might wanna sit down when you read through it. It's... heavy."

Steve shot Nat a funny look that meant 'We are talking about this later', as soon as Tony was distracted by the file. He opened it up to the first page where an old picture of Kira sat.

The girl in the photo was a couple of years younger than the Kira they knew - maybe a teenager. Her wavy black hair was choppily cut just below her chin. Someone out of frame was holding her head in place for the picture. Her brown eyes looked dead and her brown skin sullen. The old scars they had just seen on her face, were fresh in the photo.

"Don't have to wonder about where all those scars came from then," Tony said solemnly. "Guess I just have to be thankful she's somewhere safer now."

"Yeah," Steve replied, frowning. "Safer being... in one of the handful of cells you have, ready and waiting, in the basement of the tower, each strong enough to hold a supersoldier, right?"

"Don't take it personally Cap. There are cells in there strong enough to hold me too," Tony dodged.

"That can't have been much of a feat."

"Ha ha. Very funny, Nat," Tony deadpanned. Then added in a mumble, "I meant with the suit on."

Sam interrupted before they could continue to argue. "Look, it's not that important now. You guys have a much bigger problem to deal with... and by that I mean the assassin trained from birth currently in your basement. You should probably start with the fact that she definitely doesn't have a social security number."

"Great, another job for me to do."

"Tony," Steve warned.

"No, no. You're right. It's super simple and I totally shouldn't complain. We just need to draw up every single document a person needs to exist in this country, for a world-class assassin, and then keep her alive long enough to appreciate it. How hard could it possibly be?" he replied, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Steve just sighed.

~ ✺ ~