#then abandoned him in the middle of no where

[strkly]

honey

s.m: after being off the grid for a while you return to society and meet up with your old friend bucky barnes. unexpectedly you run into someone you never thought you would see again. your high school boyfriend robert reynolds.

robert ‘bob’ reynolds x fem!reader

w.c: 4.8k

c.w: angst, hurt/comfort, mentions of drugs/drug addictions, reader (zero is your hero name) is apart of sam’s team with gravity related powers, bff bucky, you’re exes, the new avengers are chismosas, walker is an asshole, dialogue heavy, not proofread sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes!

a.n: i cried like six times writing this i love bob so much my chest hurts might make a part two but im not sure yet

"bucky are you fucking with me?”

you stare blankly at the tower you had thought was abandoned when you and the rest of the team basically disbanded but the new A sign and the construction trucks littered around the area and tower told you otherwise.

“shut up come on up you’re already cleared for entry.”

you couldn’t believe this was happening. the mission you were recently placed on just so happened to leave you disconnected from society for a few months. bucky, your long time friend, was the first person you were interested in seeing and he agreed. when he sent you his location you merely thought he was pranking you but as you walk inside the building and hit the familiar button to the top of the tower it dawns on you he’s really not joking around.

when the elevator door opens he’s waiting there for you putting away his phone and smiling at you. “look who it is huh” you grin, the sight of your friend warming your heart, you rush towards him and throw your arms around him happily, burying your head in his neck. “i missed you jackass.” “yeah yeah missed you too.”

what you dont notice is the four people all at the bar looking at the scene in what could only be described as horror. “what is happening?” yelena whispers to ava who only shrugs unable to take her eyes off of the strange display.

when you pull away and the two of you begin to exchange a few words the group notices walkers eyes widen in horror upon seeing you and he attempts to push himself out of your line of sight. before any of them could question him the seemingly peaceful conversation between you and bucky turns hostile as you punch him across the face.

“you’re gonna tell me what the hell is going on right now!” alexei ava and yelena all exchange a look before they continue to eat the popcorn they had been snacking on and watching the two of you silently.

“what the hell is this? new avengers? what the fuck are you talking about? and where the hell is sam?” bucky glares at you as he cups his cheek, “can you just listen to me?” you throw your hands up and walk past him standing in the middle of the space not even noticing the group of people as you keep your gaze on bucky. “once you start making sense i’ll listen! god forbid i leave for a couple months and suddenly you’ve join some newly formed avengers team without! sam! who even are these people anyway...” you turn away from him and face the bar without even knowing youd be face to face with the majority of the team.

you scan each of their face one by one as your confusion grows until you land on him. your face drops into a blank stare as walker forces a smile on his face, “zero! hi! so good to see you.”

you say nothing as your head slowly turns towards bucky whos face had already twisted into a grimace knowing what you were going to say. they watch as your hand goes up and buckys body flies towards you, your hands wrapping around his neck. “james bucky barnes you will tell me what the hell is going on, right now!”

the four of them can only stare speechless as the two of you talk over one another, the anger twisted all over your face as bucky attempts to defend himself in strangled breaths. none of them could believe the sight in front of them other than walker who seemed like he had expected this to happen. you had seemed familiar to yelena and now that she saw your powers it had clicked. code name zero, you had been working for the old avengers behind the scenes and was now an associate of the new captain america sam wilson after the two of you became good friends.

if the file she had once read on you was right you could manipulate gravity at your will, a truly dangerous ability. none of them decide to help him simply watching the two of you argue.

“whats going on?” yelena turns to the soft sound of bobs voice who looks concerned as he slowly made his was towards the bar looking back and forth between everyone confused. bob tended to hide up in his room some days but the noise must have drawn his attention to the point he felt the need to come down and see.

all four of them shrug and the now five of them watch as you verbally berate bucky. finally growing tired of him you toss his down and kick him ignoring the groan he lets out you turn to the group hoping you could get some answers from one of them but when your eyes land on the newest addition to the group your expression drops to something unrecognizable.

bob grows uncomfortable under your stare and grips his hands together in front of his as you tilt your head and stare at him.

“robert? bob… reynolds?”

“um,,, yes?”

he fiddles with his fingers as you say nothing for a few moments. the look at your face laced with shock and something he can’t recognize but a small ache grows in his chest for some reason.

“holy shit.”

all eyes turn to bob as he awkwardly fidgets in his place. nobody says anything for a good while until bucky groans as he stands up looking at you. “you know him?”

he asks the question everyone was eager to know you turn your head slightly to look back at him, your voice a lot softer than it had been before. “we um, we were friends, in middle school high school you know,” you turn back to him, realizing he clearly has no memory of you you try to mask how much it hurt. for him to look at you like a stranger. you force a smile on your face as you shake your head.

“it was a long time ago, i dont blame you if you don’t remember.” you watch his face twist as he clearly tries to remember something, anything about you but he turns up blank, “sorry..” its the only thing he can force out but you wave your hand brushing him off. “dont worry about it seriously.”

you let your gaze linger on him for a little bit longer before you turn your back to him and force yourself to talk to bucky once more. he’s changed so much but he hasn’t changed at all. you hadn’t forgotten about him even after all these years have passed, it was almost jarring to see the man you spent so many years with not even seem to remember your name should make you angry but you knew him, you knew bob.

he was never really in the right mental state, with the stuff hes been through and the path he had been down you dont blame him for not remembering. hell if you were him you wouldn’t want to remember that time either but it still stung in a way you didn’t know could sting.

bucky decided to drag you off to a room where the two of you could talk thing out alone, bob doesn’t know why he cant take his eyes off of you as you walk away and why it bothers him so much. as soon as the two of you are our of ear shot everyone turns to bob.

he has no clue how to answer their questions and they quickly grow bored once they realize he truly has no memory of you. as the rest of them engross himself in another conversation about who you were bob finds himself lost in thought. you clearly knew him but it was odd you seemed to think positively of him. you didn’t look at him with disgust your gaze was something more like, fond? no it couldn’t be, nobody would look at him like that.

ill always love you honey

the voice rings in his head and he flinches as his hands gripping the bar table tightly. yelena looks at him concerned but he puts a smile on his face and she looks away hesitantly. what was that? the voice had brought him an odd sense of peace it was almost eerie. his head started to hurt as he tried to think about it, the soft pounding that would hit is body whenever someone asked about his childhood or his past. the life he’s tried to forget, he grimaces as he chugs down the glass of water yelena had given him. he wouldnt think about it anymore no matter how much it was bothering him, maybe it was better forgotten.

an hour passed as the rest of the new avengers made conversation about random nonsense until the sound of a door slamming turned all their heads towards the sight of you with a furious look on your face as bucky trailed behind you. “i just can’t believe you barnes.” “you think i wanted this?”

ignoring bucky you look at all of them with an apologetic look and bow your head. “sorry you all had to see me like that, i promise im a lot nicer than that usually.” bucky scowls like he wants to disagree but one look from you closes his mouth and he looks away. you introduce yourself and everyone but bob replies in turns back at you.

you walk towards the bar and reach over, bob isnt listening to what anyone is saying he can’t seem to take his eyes off you, he watch as you pour yourself a drink, your mouth moving to converse with the other members, a light smile graces your face as you continue to foster your drink. his head hurts. “you should do it to walker next.” the man in question glares daggers at ava who smiles and shrugs back at him. “dont tempt me.” “hey!” you laugh and his chest starts to ache even more.

when you turn your head lightly to look at him he freezes, there's something so familiar about you, he finds himself subconsciously leaning towards you like he was freezing cold and you were a warm fireplace. when you lightly smile at him before turning away he feels his whole world stop. a sudden flash pops up in his head and its you, much younger than you are now grinning at him ear to ear and he flinches, closing his eyes as he tries to push the memory away subconsciously. so he really did know you back then. his memories from his time that long ago were spotty at best, he could remember some things but they were all blurry.

he finally tunes back into the conversation when it turns to him, more specifically you and him. “you have to tell us the story between you two.” yelena wags her finger back and forth between you and bob, a mischievous look on her face as the other agree. you shake your head frantically as you shrug, “i mean whats there to say…”

“oh come on he doesnt know anything you have to tell us everything.” you turn to look at bob expecting him to tell them to stop, he probably doesn’t want them knowing about his past but the look of anticipation on his face tells you what you needed to know. you sigh and try to think about how to word this without letting them know the real dynamic of your relationship.

“well we met during middle school, kept in contact after he had dropped out of highschool. he was always getting himself into some shit and i had to bail him out.” your tone lightens up as you fondly remember your youth, “whenever he was out too late and didnt come home i was so pissed i thought i was gonna have to walk down to the station.”

“home? you guys lived together?” you barely even noticed you let that slip out, quickly covering your wide eyes with a sip of your drink and a wave of your hand. “you know his home life wasnt the best so,,, you know he just stayed with me thats all.” you tried your best to make it sound as casual as possible but it was painfully obvious that wasnt the case.

bob couldnt wrap his head around this. he had no one during his youth or atleast he thought he did but why did your words seem so right to him. a couple more flashes appered in his mind. a warm quiet home, cozy to the point he was uncomfortable to be in there alone but he wasnt really alone was he? there was always someone by his side, sitting on the couch with him standing in the kitchen with him. something in the house standing out to him.

“the tapestry.” all eyes dart to bob who had been silent this whole time, your eyes widen in shock at his words. “it was so ugly.” your shocked face twists into mock anger as you cross your arms the smile on your face and the joy in your tone unable to hide how happy you were. “can you stop saying that? i worked really hard on that thing.” “it was so ugly..” “really? after all this time you still think its ugly,,,” you look at the confused group of heros and sigh, “when i first started to crochet i made a tapestry to hang on my wall in my apartment but this jackass always thought it was so ugly. i still have it you know.” “you should throw it out.”

he doesn’t know why he cant help but tease you, he doesn’t tease anyone but it seems like second nature. the affectionate look you have on your face as you fake glare at him fills his heart with a strange sensation.

“holy shit.” your face drops at walkers voice and you turn to glare at him. “you were his girlfriend werent you.”

your stomach plummets. everyone turns to look at you expecting you to outright deny it but when you are stuck frozen in shock staring at walker he starts to laugh. “no fucking way, you were his little girlfriend.”

he turns away, laughing like it was the funniest thing on earth as you stare daggers into his back. “shut the fuck up walker.” your tone has lost all the previous joy it once had as you stare at him with disgust.

as the group explodes in chaos bobs head spins, he can barely compose himself before you lean down towards him and whisper, “im sorry honey.”

honey. the nickname unlocks memories he had buried so deep down he had forgotten them.

he met you during 7th grade. you were desk mates, the overly friendly cheery girl who didn’t seem bothered by his lack of responses to your questions and shy demeanor. you sat with him during lunch, shared your notes with him, played with him during recess. you slowly became his whole world.

you ended up asking him to be your boyfriend in 8th grade at your middle school graduation and you started dating. when he dropped out of high school and left home had no clue what he was gonna do but you took him in, living alone in an apartment with your uncle who was never home made it easy enough for bob to move in with you. while you were at school he did things you didn’t like to think about but he always tried to be home by the time you go back from your after school job.

he was so happy. throughout his shitty life you were the only constant and good thing he had, he loved you so much he always cheered up when he saw you.

some particular memories stand out to him, one of them was when the two of you were at home. you were both 17. you had moved out of your uncles and bob came with you. it was a sunday your only true day off, his head was laying in your lap clearly he was on something but you didn’t seem you to mind.

you played with his hair and you read a book, his eyes were mindless on the tv show you had thrown on neither of you were paying attention to it. his eyes trailed off the tv and onto the wall. you had many different knickknacks and trinkets postered up on your walls. awards you won during school, gifts people gave you. but one thing caught his eyes and he grimaced.

“what is that?” you look down at him, following his line of sight towards your wall. “which thing honey?” he points to the tapestry you have hung on your wall. it was white, it looked like someone was in the middle but he couldn’t make it out. “its a tapestry.” “its ugly,” you punch him in the stomach and he groans, “i made that jackass.” he laughs as you wack him again, “sorry sorry its just wow that thing is hideous.” you huff in disbelief and cross your arms. “i worked really hard on it thank you very much.” “what even is that thing in the middle? a rat?” “its a flower you asshole.”

you throw your book to the side as you punch him and the two of you soon befall into a fit of laughter as he apologizes over and over and you keep on lightly hitting him. soon enough the two of you stop to caught your breaths. you lean your head to look at him and his heart swells at the pure affection in your gaze, he knows hes looking at you the exact same way. “i love you.” only after your bring your lips down to his and cup his face his heart calms down enough for him to be able to reply that he loves you too.

the next memory is the day before he had left you a few years later. he had been in jail for god knows what for the hundredth time. he always knows its you who bailed him out and he’s thankful for it. but as he’s walking out to see you the guard escorting him, it was a small town, you all knew each other, he had grown used to seeing this particular officer at the station but that day he had said something that bothered him. “shes such a smart girl. such a bright future ahead of her. such a shame shes stuck with you holding her down.”

it bothers him. it bothers him so much because its true. he cant even bring himself to smile or hug you back as you throw yourself to his arms. when you pull alway and cup his face concerned he tells you he’s fine and walks past you. its so clear you’re trying your best to cheer him up like you always did but he was so set in his plan not even you buying his favorite take out or cuddling him in bed could help.

it was later that night. the house was completely dark and quiet. the only sound he can hear is your soft breathing as you sleep and the whirling of the fan above you. he couldnt sleep, staring up at the ceiling, allowing himself to revel in your warmth one last time.

a few hours pass before he lets himself slip out of your arms. he gathers some things i had around your room and attempts to slip out but he freezes when he hears you groan. “honey what are you doing?” “just getting some water.” you hum and settle back down to sleep as he sighs in relief. right as he’s about to close the door he can hear you mumble loud enough for him to hear. “ill always love you honey.” he stands frozen. he almost just gives up, dropping all his shit and turning around and laying in bed with you without a care in the world. he cant. he knows he cant it would kill him. “i love you too.” he whispers to the air. you would never hear him say that as he closes the door and never turns back.

he leaves you a note, telling you hes leaving and not to look for him. by the time you wake up for college he’ll hopefully already be out of the state. he places the box he had made of all the stuff you got him on the coffee table in your living room taping the note ontop of it. he takes one long final glance around the room he would never see again as his heart breaks. memories run through his mind of every second you shared together, this is for the best he knows it is but it hurts. it hurts so much.

tears run down his face as he forces himself with the clothes on his back and the small stack of cash he gained from odd jobs you helped him get. it felt wrong to take any of the stuff you had given him, he didn’t deserve any of it he didn’t deserve you. he didn’t know where he was going just that he was going somewhere, somewhere far far away from you.

he could never stop thinking about you no matter how much time had passed. he cried so much he could barely do anything else. so he decided to forget. force himself to lock up the memories of you and the best years of his life, the only good memories he had forced away so he could try to do something else anything else with his life other than missing you.

“bob?” yelena leans in towards him concerned. he has no clue how much time has passed. you’re too busy yelling at walker as bucky holds you back. ava and alexei too entertained to notice him but yelena did. you turn back to look at him at the sound of his name and your eyes widen, throwing walker against the wall you rush towards him, ignoring the way walker groans and curses at you as you bend down to eye level with him. bob had tears streaming down his face, violently shaking, “i left you im sorry im sorry.” your face falls into a pout as you look at him, unable to say anything simply staring at him.

yelena stands up with one clap of her hands shes rushing everyone out the room. “everyone out lets go.“ “no i want to watch them.” nope everyone out.” it takes a minute but she quickly rushes everyone out of the room sparing you a smile before she closes the door leaving you alone with him. you silently thank her in your mind before turning you attention towards bob.

he covered his face with his hands as he sobbed into his palms. “bob?” he wouldn’t respond, too lost in his emotions so you sigh. standing up you grip his forearms and tug at them. “come on honey.” he atleast follows you this time, allowing him to pull you to sit on the floor with him, still not looking at you.

“i looked for you.” he twitches but doesn’t dare look up. “i spent the next week running around the city looking for you at every corner. i was so scared j was gonna find you laying on the ground in some alley way.” your words seems to make his crying worse as he cant stop mumbling over and over again how sorry he was. “even after that i spent so long looking for you in every person i came across. it was second nature to glance around the street to see if i would see you, hell i dont know if i ever even stopped doing that.”

“i couldnt be the one to ruin your life.” he finally allows himself to whisper the thing he’s always thought. you would have never been able to achieve what you have if he stayed by your side. he only would have dragged you down, you probably would still be living in that old run down apartment building in florida if he had stayed. your face falls and you look down at the ground, tears pooling up in your eyes. “bob.”

“you are so amazing, everyday i was in awe of you, i was the thing setting you back. i had to go but it hurt you im sorry.” you reach over and grip his forearm, you can feel him shaking under your grip and the tears begin to spill down your face. “im happy you left.“

he looks up at you alarmed. as if you had said the craziest thing ever but you looked beyond him to the window outside. “you were miserable.”

“no i was so happy with you-“ “but you were so unhappy with your life!” he flinches as you raise your voice, you quietly apologize and fix your volume before you speak again, you shouldn’t let your emotions take over you like that. “i could tell, every single day you were just so miserable, it made me so sad to think about when i went to school or work you were just sitting at home alone doing nothing but getting high or you were getting yelled at at some part time job. you deserved so much better, you think i was being dragged down by you i was the one dragging you down.”

he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. you had thought you were keeping him down? that was ridiculous. he was the one who was going to ruin your life. when he opened his mouth to stop you you continued to speak over him. “i would have been so content just staying in that stupid city in that stupid apartment with you because i would have been with you. if you stayed i probably would have graduated from that community college and get some job at some office there to support us but you never would have been happy. you deserved more than that. to go out there to go see the world leave that city you were stuck in.”

the grip you must have on his arm would kill another man but neither of you notice lost in your own world, “if you leaving me got you here im so happy you did. look at you, you’re a hero honey, just like you always wanted to be. “

he has nothing to say. his body still shaking, as more silent tears run down his face. he cant believe you had thought like this, your words feel unreal to him. he doesnt even know what emotion he’s feeling.

“im sorry.” its the only words he can force out of his mouth. his stomach pulled in knots as forces himself to look down at the floor. you know maybe it wasn’t the best decision to dump all that on him but you couldnt help it, the thoughts you had been thinking for over a decade finally spilling from your lips. you sit in silence for awhile. you know its not good to leave it off there.

“you know what the best apology you can give me is?” when your voice unintentionally cracks he weakly looks up at you, “if you can tell me you’re happy now, without the need to stick some needle in your arm or shoot some powder up your nose you’d make me so happy.”

he sniffs a bit, finally seemingly calmed down and nods. “theyre nice to me, um im happy. i haven’t even thought about that stuff in awhile, it feels so nice. im so happy.” you choke back the sob that builds in your throat, “then thats more than enough for me.” he places his hand on top of yours and the two of you just sit and smile at each other for a bit.

“hey you wanna go eat? theres this place i really like around here havent been in ages, you can even bring your friends ill call over some of mine too.” his smile grows larger than ever and happily nods.

you dont know what the future will hold for either of you, unexpectedly running into the man you could never forget was certain to stir up some feelings in you, but for now you were so happy to see him so happy.

[acosmicbee]

Dangerous Man

500 Follower Celebration - Day 5

(Castle In The Sky inspired! Is it obvious I love Studio Ghibli or what? TWS: Reader gets drugged, brief vomiting towards the end)

Working in the mines was hard, labor intensive work. Luckily, you weren't actually a miner, but you spent a lot of time keeping everything else up and running and helping wherever you were needed. It was a great way to pick up random skills.

It was the end of another long day. You had already waved your boss out, knowing he had a daughter to get home to who hadn't seen her dad all day. You had been the last one to leave, only half paying attention as you walked along the forest, heading towards town.

It was strange, completely random. You thought you were hallucinating for a when you saw a something stumble out of the woods in front of you. It was a girl, who then promptly collapsed, leaving you to rush to catch her before she hit the ground..

You were an orphan, your mother died in childbirth and your father had disappeared on an adventure when you were 8. Despite that, you were never alone. The townspeople looked after you and you always had enough to get by, they made sure you learned to never abandon a person in need if you could help. Because of this, you didn't hesitate to bring the girl home. You lay the girl down in your father's old room, making sure she was tucked in and safe before heading to bed yourself. Hopefully when she woke up she'd be able to answer your questions.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You yawned as you cooked breakfast, never truly used to waking up so early in the morning. The food was nothing fancy, just some eggs with a bit of sausage you had left over. You made two plates, one for yourself and one for the mysterious floating girl. You gently knocked on the door before entering, seeing her awake and sitting up.

"You're awake. I was worried after whatever it was that happened last night you might be out for longer." You handed her the plate.

"What happened? And where am I? Who are you?" She carefully took the plate but didn't touch anything. You sighed.

"I'm Y/N. You're currently in the town of Shipp's Ravine, a small mining town no ones ever heard of out by the coast in the middle of nowhere." You introduced lightly. It wasn't wrong, hardly anyone who wasn't from here or somewhere close by had ever heard of this place. "As for what happened, you kinda just stumbled out of the woods."

"I'm... Poppy. I come from... far away. The airship stopped to refuel and... I ran for it." Poppy answered, talking slow as she tried to remember what happened.

"An airship? We don't get much airship traffic around here. You must have walked really far, the nearest airship dock isn't for three towns over, and it's military run." You said. Poppy grimaced.

"The military can't help me." She eventually answered. "Not with why I ran."

"Why? Did you do something? Are you a criminal?" She shook her head before taking another small bite. That made you pout a little. Secretly harboring a criminal would've brought some much needed excitement to your life and she seemed nice enough.

"This man he kidnapped me. He's working with the military, or at least he has connections with them. I know he's probably using every contact he has to try and find me." She said. You perked back up, your interest and excitement piqued.

"Well if you're trying to hide, Shipp's Ravine is the perfect place. Trust me, very few people even know this place exists! You'll be safe here."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You hummed as you skipped down the path, waving hello and greeting everyone you passed. You were heading out to buy some more food for dinner having taken a day off to talk to Poppy.

You were halfway to the market when you spotted him. A man with long blond hair in a clean white suit. Next to him were two armed guards. You cursed under your breath as you picked your way through the crowd, trying your best not to stand out.

Of course it didn't work as you were tapped on the shoulder. You turned around with a bright smile, tilting your head in mock curiosity at the outsiders trying to talk to you. "Excuse me, have you seen a young girl? Maybe around your age-?"

"Yeah! There's Lisa, Diana, Gianna, Lily, Winona..." You started to list off all the names of village girls you could think of who fit the description. The man shook his head.

"Her name is Poppy. She has fiery red hair and bright green eyes. Face covered in freckles." You shook your head.

"Nope! The only girls who fit that description would be Mrs. June's daughters but they're both under 7. Anything else I can do for you?" The man shook his head.

"No thank you. Good day."

"You too sir!" You answered, extra cheerily before continuing your shopping. You couldn't leave empty handed without drawing suspicion as to why.

The second you were done, and out of view of the main square, you booked it. You ran up the path, basket clutched in your hand. Poppy jumped when you slammed open the door, shutting it quickly behind you as you drew the curtains shut.

"The man who kidnapped you, does he have long blond hair? Gray eyes?" You asked, the second you dead bolted the door. Poppy froze.

"He's- he's here?" She whispered.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. I have an idea. I have a friend who works at the rail station. I'll get us tickets somewhere in countryside, somewhere even more rural and out of the way. But until then stay here. Avoid the windows and don't answer the door. If you're okay with it, I can cut your hair shorter so you pass as a boy."

Poppy agreed to let you cut her hair so you'd made sure to wash it out nicely before you started. You'd been cutting your own hair for a while, so you made it look as nice as possible. She didn't seem to mind too much and you even caught her smiling at herself in the mirror later.

"It's nice not having to worry about brushing it for hours and hours." She eventually told you. "I wish I had cut it sooner. Maybe you could get a new job as a hair dresser."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The day you left was the day you heard that the military had been getting warrants to search the villager's houses for Poppy. You'd already been dropping hints about taking a vacation so it wouldn't come as a surprise if you left for a little.

You ran around your house, gathering only the most important things. You burned Poppy's dress, shoving her into some clothing you'd bought that was clearly meant for a boy. Once you had those all packed away you handed one of the clothing bags to Poppy.

"It'll help you blend in if we're both carrying stuff. Until we're safely on the train I'll call you Pierre, okay?" She nodded, pulling down her cap more as you walked to the station. The train station was empty and you were able to get a private room for a discounted price for the two of you, all paid in cash. The energy was tense until the train had pulled out of the station.

It was a long trip, one that would stretch through the night and into the next day. You and Poppy entertained yourselves with card games and books and other random things until it had gotten dark out. You went to bed feeling safe, drifting off easily to the gentle rocking of the train.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It was late -- or was it early? -- when you heard the door to your cabin open. In your half asleep state, curled beneath one of your mother's quilted blankets that you'd brought, you assumed it was Poppy. Maybe she needed air or to go to the bathroom.

You could vaguely make out a silhouette of someone with long hair. Convinced it was Poppy you rolled back over, but the door never closed and the lantern light in the hallway made it difficult to fall back asleep. You yawned, finally deciding to get up and see what she needed when your blood ran cold.

Poppy didn't have long hair anymore because you had cut it. Poppy couldn't be standing in the doorway because you had seen her asleep on the other bench when you opened your eyes.

T h a t   w a s n ' t   P o p p y.

A sudden pinch at the base of your neck made you whine in pain. You rolled over, trying to stand, only for your legs to give out. You never hit the floor, silently being laid back down as you tried to force your body to work.

The man, the same one from the marketplace, shushed you gently as he watched you try to fight the drug. Your eyesight was blurring, your brain turning to mush and you couldn't move. You passed out right as he turned to Poppy, still blissfully asleep across from you.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You woke up to a faint humming noise. Your stomach turned unpleasantly and you felt feverish and nauseous. Where you were laying was comfortable though. You were warm and it was soft. You wondered what had woken you up when you finally registered someone shaking you.

Opening your eyes to the dark room you saw Poppy, face covered in tears. She hugged you the second you awoke, crying into your chest. Looking around and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness you realized why. This wasn't your home, nor was it the train car. It looked like the fancy rooms advertised for rich people on airships.

"Poppy?" You whispered weakly. She held you tighter, still silently crying. You looked around noting anything that could be important. It was a large room with two beds, one of which you were laying on. There was a small heater in the middle of the room as well as a table and chairs. Your bags were placed on the table, including your mother's quilts which were neatly folded.

There was a small window in the room, barred from the outside, not that it would do anything seeing as the only view out the window was clouds and the night sky. You looked towards the door, ignoring the way your head spun. It must be a side affect of whatever he'd drugged you with, this lethargy and pseudo-sickness.

"It's locked. Everything is." Poppy whispered to you. "I'm so sorry Y/N. I never meant for you to get caught up in this."

Both of you turned at the sound of voices in the hallway outside the locked door. There was the sound of a key before the lock finally clicked open. It was the man, holding a small oil lamp. He was no longer in the white suit but in some kind of lounge wear, possibly some kind of rich person pajamas you'd never even heard of.

"You're both awake. I'm glad the drugs finally wore off, I was getting a bit worried. Then again, they were military grade sedatives." He smiled calmly, almost like he was trying to be comforting. He was dangerous, no amount of smiling would change that.

"Where are we? What did you do?" You asked. You cursed your voice for not only betraying your fear but also your compromised state.

"Y/N L/N, the beloved orphan of Shipp's Ravine. I asked around about you after our little interaction at the market. The townspeople really love you there, it's a shame you won't be going back. As for lying to me, we can discuss the repercussions of that later."

"Let them go! They never did anything to you! This has always been about me, you don't need to drag them into this as well!" Poppy yelled. The man just chuckled, approaching the both of you.

"My sweet, naïve, little Poppy. You trust so easily and you're lucky this time it turned out well for you. Imagine if you'd been found by some creep instead of some poor child playing adult who wanted nothing but companionship in return." He said, and you didn't even have the strength to be offended at his description of you.

"As for them not doing anything to me, they lied to me. Albeit, they did so to protect you, which is just so precious. It made he change my mind on what should happen to them. Rest assured, they will be cared for, just as you will be cared for. You'll finally have the sibling you always dreamed of."

"Just because you kidnapped us together doesn't make us siblings! This isn't some heartfelt family reunion!" The man smiled and tilted his head.

"Oh, but wouldn't it? I happen to have a letter from the commander of the royal military, which makes it more than just simple law. Would you like me to read it to you?" He held it out of reach when Poppy tried to snatch it from him, a satisfied smirk on his face. "It says, 'Seeing as Y/N L/N and Poppy Demonium lack legal guardians as both parents are either deceased or missing, I, General Kingston Grant hereby give all legal guardianship to one Caspian LaRue.'"

Those words proved to be the final straw for your stomach as you hunched over, gagging as you threw up on the floor beside you before slumping over onto Poppy.

"Oh dear. I suppose I should've guessed that such a large dose would've been too much for your body to handle." He murmured. You could only cry as you closed your eyes, trying to stabilize yourself.

You didn't even know when he'd called in cleaning staff, but they were already there when you opened your eyes again, leaving quickly once it had been dealt with. Poppy cradled your body close, protectively glaring at Caspian when he approached the bed and sat down beside you.

"You'll feel better in the morning. We can have a real talk then. Good night Y/N." He brushed some of your sweat stuck hair off your forehead before turning to Poppy. "Good night, Poppy. Sleep well."

He turned to leave, grabbing his oil lamp from where he'd set it, when a small smile crossed his face as he stood in the doorway. "Poppy, short hair suits you. Even if you did cut it for a silly reason." With that, the door closed and locked behind him and the two of you were left alone in the dark to ponder your new lives.

[lorimnnn]

Werewolf!Yandere x Reader (Imagines) Summary: You abandon the city for a cottage in the woods, hoping for a peaceful change of pace. But something waits for you in the trees, watching, waiting. Obsessing. Synopsis: It had taken exactly three days; in the first, you bought the house. The second, you packed up your whole life and shipped it to your new, small-town address woven into the deep wood of the far reaches of the countryside. The third: you moved in. It had taken three days for you to forfeit the city and all you had ever known, hoping to start fresh in a place where the only person who could determine the trajectory of your life was the one that was keeping you company: you. Or so you thought. You have the strangest feeling that you are being surveilled, but it's hard to tell. Surely the wild dog pacing outside your door can't have anything to do with it, right?

TW: afab + fem!reader, obsession, mentions of animal attack, mentions of stalking and fraud, mentions of graphic night terrors Word count: TBD

Werewolf!Yandere who was abandoned in the snow as a child. He knows no gentility, no kindness, no tenderness. He is a killing machine who is more animal than man and dominates the seemingly quiet wood that you have just moved into-- naive, little you, fresh out of the city.

Werewolf!Yandere who watches you from the moment you move in. He surveils your every movement and observes you through the windows you so innocently expose to him. You don't realise that you aren't alone in this forest.

Werewolf!Yandere who appears to you during the day, hoping to intimidate you with his presence.

Werewolf!Yandere who doesn't know what to do when you mistake him for a wild dog.

Werewolf!Yandere, killing machine and king of the wild, who lets you pat him. It's the first token of kindness he has ever experienced, and it's... warm. It feels nice. It bleeds into every cell of his body and awakens the part of him that he had long-since forgotten about; his human soul.

Werewolf!Yandere who has found his mate, but doesn't realise it. Nobody ever taught him this

Werewolf!Yandere who greets you every morning and waits for you to come back every night. You start feeding him as though his fangs aren't red from his prey, and it's insulting. But he eats it anyway.

Werewolf!Yandere who keeps the other animals and creatures away from your house. There is an unspoken claim laid upon the cottage and the human that resides inside. It is a claim that nobody questions, and yet you believe that you lucked out with the real estate.

Werewolf!Yandere who starts aching for his daily pats. He becomes pathetic for it before he even realises it, and suddenly he is trembling with desperation, following your scent to the edge of town so he can walk you back, drunk off the intimacy of a walk with just the two of you.

Werewolf!Yandere who lets you domesticate him. You give him a dumb name and he wants to yell at you, but seeing you happy becomes his most dominant and primal need.

Werewolf!Yandere, free spirit and predator of the wood, who lets you put a collar on him.

Werewolf!Yandere who has only ever slept in the hard terrain of the forest floor, and occasionally a wet bed of soil. He doesn't know what to do with himself when you let him into your house and set him up a place to sleep by the fire. The house is a flower field of your scent and he is overwhelmed. The smoke is the only thing that neutralises the newborn, disturbing erring in the back of his mind.

Werewolf!Yandere who hears you scream in the middle of the night. He darts into your room, growling, and can't understand why you writhe and squirm with your eyes closed. You only calm when he licks your face, and so hesitantly, he invites himself into your bed. It's impossibly soft. It's nothing like he's ever felt before. It's almost uncomfortable.

Werewolf!Yandere who feels your arms slip around his body, your face nestled into his fur. That previously muted, disgusting human instinct crescendos into a scream in his mind, and he is overwhelmed by an obsessive call to claim. Whatever that means. He barely manages to sleep.

Werewolf!Yandere who spends almost every waking hour with you from dusk until dawn.

Werewolf!Yandere who has reconciled with his fate to be a housepet.

Werewolf!Yandere who is the first to notice something wrong one night. The grass crunches and a foreing scent wafts into the cottage. You are outside, cleaning to calm your mind after another terror. You're too late to come inside.

Werewolf!Yandere who tears the local pack's wolf who was stupid enough to attack you apart. The mangled, bloody mess is barely reminiscent of the animal it once was, and it is a message to all who have plotted similar ideas, assuming that the tyrant of the wood had grown weak, and his rule had diminished. It had not. Especially not after that night.

Werewolf!Yandere who acted in a rage against the other wolf, but was too late to save you from the start of a vicious attack. He can't take you to the doctor in this form. Dragging you through the snow was not an option, and it would take him too long. You were losing too much blood. He could smell your life draining inside your body--- fast.

Werewolf!Yandere who transforms into a human for the first time since he was only a discarded child. He transforms for you, and carries you, walking barefoot and naked in the snow until his toes are blue and his teeth chatter.

Werewolf!Yandere who delivers you to the doctor and transforms again, barking desperately at the man inside the clinic who doesn't understand him.

Werewolf!Yandere who refuses to leave your side as they work on you.

Werewolf!Yandere who is there, starving for days, waiting for you to wake up.

Werewolf!Yandere who gets kicked out of the clinic for getting too territorial. He's never had to contend with other people before. This is all new, and he's finding it difficult to adapt.

Werewolf!Yandere who paces outside the clinic for weeks on end. He can't function. The break in his routine is raw and jagged; he can't sleep without your warmth, can't breathe without the distant pattern of yours in the peripheral of his hearing. Can't eat. Can't do anything.

Werewolf!Yandere who becomes feral and hostile with anxiety. There is a feeling that runs hot in his veins and has no name for it. When he forces himself to go hunt, he finds himself turning human against his control. The feeling is much more acute in that form; he is sweaty, trembling, and his heart pounds in his chest to the thought of you.

Werewolf!Yandere who waits for weeks upon week until you are released, and only relaxes when he sees you limping back up to the cottage. He noses your hand to try help you back into the cottage. You laugh at the sound is everything he has longed for and needed.

Werewolf!Yandere who notices a flower tucked behind your ear. There is a rosy glow swept over your cheeks and your eyes are bright with a different kind of excitement.

Werewolf!Yandere who freezes when he smells the doctor on you. The same doctor that had tended to you and kicked him out. His blood boils with possessive instinct. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Werewolf!Yandere who is no longer content with being your dog when the doctor is considered your 'man'. He wants to be seen as a man.

Werewolf!Yandere who blocks the door on the night of your first date.

Werewolf!Yandere who's heart shatters at your scream.

Werewolf!Yandere who gets on to his knees, his head at your feet. The ferocious hunter that once terrorised the deep wood is nowhere to be found. The beast, the creature, the predator, the monster --- he is now a pathetic, crying ball at the foot of your door, begging for you to recognise him as your dearest and closest companion who had found home at your side for the last six months.

"Please," he whispers. His hands clutch the edge of your skirt to his face, hemming it with tears. He has never felt so small in his life. So pathetic. The burn of shame and humiliation radiate from him like smoke, but he is helpless against it. He is sick with most fervent, instinctual longing, and there is no going back. "Don't go."

A/N: what do you think? I've been so deeply invested in hybrid yandere fanfiction these days and it's lodged an idea so deep in my mind that I haven't been able to think about anything else. I've also been listening to some audiobooks these days--- have you heard of the Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore? It's this adorable small-town romance with CHEMISTRY in it, and it's a slow-burn, too!! Anyway, my point was that I've been on a small-town romance high and it ended up workiing out perfectly with my werewolf OC. I do need some help though. I haven't given him a name... And I'm not really keen on calling him Werewolf!Yandere every time I write about him in story format. Help me decide? Note: I'm keen on using slightly non-human names because he doesn't remember/have a birth name!

As always, thank you for reading! I'm working on the full version of this story as we speak. I'm so excited. I almost want to work on it seriously! LOLOL! Please share your love and follow to keep up with the updates!

[holylulusworld]

Stuck in the middle (1)

Summary: Your best friend and his husband got this.

Pairing: Stucky x fem!Reader, former ??? x fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, abandonment, relationship problems, hurt & comfort, bisexual Stucky, hinted grey/dark Stucky

She was here before you. Penelope was there before you even came into the picture. Show a little more respect for my best friend. I have respected yours too. You cannot ask me to choose between you and her.

His words still echo in your mind. You just grabbed your bag and jacket and ran.

There’s nowhere to go, but you couldn’t stay at your house any longer. For two months, Penelope invaded your home, your personal space, acting all innocently.

Whenever your boyfriend wasn’t around, she told you that he would turn his back on you. That vile woman dared to tell you she’s going to wear his name by the end of the year and that you mean nothing to him. Penelope called you a placeholder, a distraction until she returns.

You angrily wipe the tears off your cheeks. He’s not worth it. They are not worth it. Your boyfriend poisoned the home you created by bringing a snake into your nest.

“Y/N, what happened?” You didn’t know where you went until you stood in front of your former best friend’s house—the one you abandoned to prove to your boyfriend that he means more to you than Steve.

Sweet Steve, with his head full of dreams and the kindest soul you've ever met. He stepped outside, barefoot and in only his sweatpants, to guide you inside his home. “What happened?”

“He…and then…” You shake your head. Steve doesn’t deserve to be your emotional dumpster. “Penelope is back.”

“Oh, doll,” Steve sighs and wraps his arm around your shoulders. He walks you inside his house and toward the bedroom where his husband is waiting for him.

“Steve? What happened?” Bucky slips out of the bed to wrap you in his arms while Steve walks into the walk-in wardrobe to get you a shirt to sleep in. “Hey, sweetheart. Tell Bucky what happened.”

“Buck,” Steve clears his throat. “Penelope is back.”

“That bitch,” Bucky curses while running his hand up and down your back. “You did well to come to us, baby love. Why don’t you tell Bucky everything that happened? What did that bitch do, and do we have to kill her?”

“I’m sorry,” you sniffle against Bucky. “I shouldn’t… He wanted me not to stay in contact with you. He said, you are undressing me with your eyes, Stevie.”

Bucky furrows his brows, looking at his husband. “Babe, did you undress her with your eyes?”

“Maybe?” Steve grins at his husband. “What are you going to do about it?” He eyes you in his husband’s arms, smirking darkly. Steve has been waiting for you to finally leave your boyfriend.

“We will see, Stevie. Let’s take care of our best girl first,” Bucky murmurs as he guides you toward the bathroom. “How about you take a warm bath, and we order food? We can talk after you calm down a little, okay?”

“Okay,” you whimper against Bucky. “Shit, I just ruined your night, didn’t I? I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Nonsense,” Steve jumps in. “We are glad you came to us, doll. Bucky and I will take good care of you. Right, Buck?”

“Of course,” Bucky emphasizes. “Come on, pretty girl. I’ll bring you to the bathroom, and Stevie will order food for us. You are always welcome here, you know that.”

You nod against Bucky and allow him to guide you into the bathroom. He helps you sit on the edge of the bathtub.

“Everything is going to be alright, Y/N.” Bucky runs you a bath, adding your favorite bath bomb. “Do you need help?”

You’re lost in your thoughts and sadness, to stop Bucky from unbuttoning your blouse. He helps you undress, brushing over your skin with skilled fingers. You don’t mind. He’s a friend and Steve’s husband. There’s nothing wrong with him helping you.

“Go ahead, we will be right there.”

You get inside the bathtub, humming happily as you sink into the warm water, and close your eyes. For the first time since Penelope moved into your home, you relax and forget about the pain she caused.

“Steve, calm down,” Bucky laughs as his husband is pacing the bedroom. “I know you have been waiting for her to come to us, but we need to do this slowly. You know, ease her into becoming ours.”

“She was meant to be ours from the beginning.” Steve is furious. He allowed your boyfriend to be the man in your life and gave up hope. Steve wanted you to be their third, the missing part, only for your boyfriend to snatch you out of his hands. “The tables have turned, Buck. I will never allow that piece of shit to ever get close to her again.”

“Tomorrow, we will get her things,” Bucky decides. “Tonight, we will take the first step to make her feel safe and loved in our home. Her new home.”

“We need to…” Steve squares his jaw and inhales sharply. “Take things slow, you’re right. She’ll see that we can give her all she’ll ever want. Love. Dedication. Pleasure beyond her imagination.”

“Pleasure, huh?” Bucky smirks darkly. “You already thought about ruining our sweet doll. I knew you were a dangerous man, Stevie.”

“How about we join her in the bathtub?” Steve suddenly says. “Only to scrub her back, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Stevie. Buck!” You squeak when your friend and his husband enter the bathroom wearing only a towel hung loose around their hips. “What…uh…”

“We thought we could join you. We have snacks too,” Bucky hastily says, showing you the strawberries in his hands. “We have champagne.”

“Oh…sure,” you nervously shift in the huge bathtub. There’s more than enough space in the bathtub, but you’re unsure if you want to share it with two men. Even though one of them is your best friend.

“We promise not to peek,” Steve jokes and unashamedly drops his towel. Your eyes grow wide. He’s off limits and gay, but damn, he’s packing.

Crap. No. You cannot think that way about your best friend or his gorgeous husband, who drops his towel too.

“Buck, how about you get into the tub? I’ll take care of the strawberries and champagne.” Steve is so casual about being naked in front of you and his husband that you relax. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable with them.

“I’m on it.” Bucky climbs into the bathtub to sit next to you. His hand brushes your thigh, and you shudder, feeling the heat come out of his body. He looks at you with these baby blue orbs, making you melt into a puddle. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you holding up?”

“Not good, I guess,” you sniffle and hide your face in the palms of your hands. “Sorry.”

“Baby doll.” You feel Steve’s hands on your shoulder. You end up with your back resting against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around your body. Steve is careful not to touch any intimate parts, but your cheeks heat up. “You don’t have to apologize. Never. You’re welcome to stay with us from now on.”

“Stevie and I will take good care of our best girl.” Bucky’s eyes are soft, and his words are soothing. “No one will ever hurt you again.” He takes your hand and places it on his heart. “I swear on my heart.”

You avert your gaze. It’s all too much. Steve is so close you can feel his warmth, and Bucky is looking at you as if you’re a wonder.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Bucky murmurs. He moves closer to cup your face. “We will take care of everything from now on…"

Tags in reblog.

[scribephoenixwriting]

Bob Reynolds Character analysis: Ever The Void, once more The Sentry.

After Thunderbolts* I read every major Sentry comic to get a better feel for the character and to see what aspects were adapted well. He's cool. He's terrifying, tragic, and beautiful. But also, he's never written consistently, which means he's always changing.

I'm going to run through all his major appearances here and piece together a picture of his psyche, back to front. This will include some very polarized characterization that I intend to make sense of, so a bit of it is headcanon, but MOST of it is textual.

We are introduced to Bob Reynolds in Sentry Volume 1 from 2000. There was some marketing stuff regarding him being a Stan Lee character but I'm not going to get into that right now.

As a young man, Bob Reynolds discovers the professors formula and becomes the Sentry! With the power of a million exploding suns, he'll stop evil when he sees it and protect the innocent. Bob is introduced as an ideal hero who has been forgotten by the modern age. He knew the x-men, spider-man, and could pacify the hulk. Sentry #1-6, his crossovers, and Sentry Vs The Void make up this original arc, its a mystery. Robert must find out why the world forgot one of their greatest heroes before the void returns and destroys them all.

This mini-series establishes a lot of key concepts. Rob is an addict struggling with his mental health. The void is a part of him. He knows everybody. He is the best of them. I think the most important thing here is the fact that he was forgotten. Sentry and Void's dynamics are explored further much later.

Sentry, a hero that always swoops in at the nick of time, someone that we can all rely on, is showing cracks. He's slipping, his sanity is questioned all throughout. The serum is synonymous with drug abuse, the sentry is the high, and the void are the lows. There is intervention imagery present, where the avengers tell him to stop being the sentry, and in some ways, Bob feels betrayed by this.

Bob has been positioned as a kind of linchpin for other heroes, someone they can always rely on. When the truth comes out; The void IS the sentry, they don't comfort or help him. The void is simply too dangerous, so they must simply forget him.

I think this is the tragedy that gets less attention. Yes, its sad that you must be forgotten by everyone, even yourself, but to me, the sadder thing is why.

It is far easier for the world to forget about Bob than it is for the world to fight his darkness. The void's rampage could kill millions, so its not like you can exactly fault Reed for it, but ultimately, being forgotten is synonymous with deeming Bob a lost cause, no matter the good he's done. In order for the memory loss to work, the avengers must brand him as a traitor to the public, so they want to forget him. Even if the truth is different, even if people remember him, they'll only see him as a junkie who betrayed the side of good.

The Sentry has done unquantifiable good for the world, he always saved the heroes in the nick of time, but when it comes time for someone to save Bob, to help him with his issues, they abandon him once more. Its worth noting that Bob, Sentry, and Void are all the same person, so the feelings of one can be seen in some ways as the subconscious feelings of the other. Even though it was necessary, on some levels, Bob did see this as a kind of betrayal.

In order to stop the Void, he agrees to go away again, to be forgotten by the public once more and go back to his life as Bob the nut. He woke up in the middle of the night, certain that The void would return, he gathered his friends together, and they couldn't fight it with him.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to come back,"

A man struggling with his mental health has reached out to his friends after a long time of substance abuse. He asks them to help him fight the darkness within, but they can't. They just can't. So he has to go away. Bob has burdened them. His burdens are far too great for them to bear. He's sorry for coming back into their lives as if it was his fault.

It isn't your fault, Bob.

New Avengers 2004! A group of super-heroes are caught amidst a super-villain prison break. In this prison, tucked away in a solitary cell, is none other than the Sentry himself. (Notice that he's still in costume?)

They fight off all they can, but when attacked by Carnage, they start losing. Suddenly, Sentry leaves his cell and defends our heroes.

In a moment of weakness, Bob pulls the "Tear him in half" gambit to great success. To Bob, this might as well be a relapse, so immediately after, he runs away.

Since his wife's death, he's sworn to never become the Sentry again. He's happy to punish himself forever if it means keeping people safe. However, the avengers find him and finally they HELP HIM!!!!!. Emma Frost helps him past his mental block and helps him regain control of his own psyche. No more forgetting, not anymore.

Bob still has issues, but previously he'd been stuck in a loop of returning, then forcing the world to forget him with his own psychic powers. Breaking this loop is like Bob finally reaching out for real. He's trying to stay in other peoples lives again. As such, the real return of the sentry isn't an enigmatic figure flying into space and tearing someone to pieces. Its heroic and beautiful.

At this point, Iron man is in Bobs corner quite consistently. He lets Bob set up on top of avengers tower, he supports him, he advocates for him. This makes sense given Tony's history as an alcoholic.

Finally, things are looking up for Bob. The avengers are helping him, and Lindy is alive!

Poor Lindy. Turns out she's not dead. She won't be. Not ever. For now, its a mystery why she's alive, presumed to have died either during the original mini series or sometime after. Eventually we'll find out.

Lindy and Tony act as (as far as I can tell) Bob and Sentry's main friends. Lindy is Bob's wife, she keeps him human. Iron man is Sentry's colleague, he keeps him good. I wonder what would happen if either of these two were removed from the picture. Hmm. Anyway.

After New Avengers 1-10 (2004), Bob gets his own Mini: Sentry Vol. 2 (2005).

Sentry Vol. 2 is all about Sentry and the Void. Bob is working around the clock, second to second, to save as many lives as he physically can at all times. He has little time for Lindy. He has only minutes a day for therapy, and he has the Void locked in his basement.

Except... he doesn't. The Sentry isn't in control. In fact, we learn towards the end of this Mini that these personas Bob has are essentially reactions to himself. When he drank the Golden Serum to get high, he became the void first. This is his self-hatred, his disappointment, and his anger at the world given the power of a million exploding suns.

The Void is the "Real" Bob, and the Sentry is his guilt, an unstoppable force that will make up for the Void's evil and fight him back at every turn. Bob goes into his basement every night to berate himself (The Void) in the mirror to make himself feel better. The most powerful superhero on the planet is a coping mechanism for Bob's self-disgust.

And this tracks. C.L.O.C., his personal assistant computer... thing... is programmed to always tell him who he needs to save next. Every second of every day is spent flying to disasters and swooping in, just like he used to. This is heroic, sure, but its also a punishment. No life. No wife. No fun. Go to the other side of the planet or people die. No breaks.

Sentry must spend every second of his existence making up for Bob's failure as a human being. Bob wants to be a better man, but he doesn't believe he's a good person, and he especially doesn't believe he's worthy of the power he has. When Bob realizes that Sentry is essentially just a reaction to his own guilt, he tries to kill the void.

And yeah. Big gay kiss. The Void is all of Bob's ugliness personified, and Bob knows that the Sentry is a high he's constantly chasing. He loves that power, but he knows how pathetic that is, so the Void adores the Sentry.

And here, the Void is making a good point. Bob can't stand himself. His addictions, his flaws, his schizophrenia, his agoraphobia. He hates them, despite being part of him, so he tries to kill them over and over and over again to no avail. His guilt prevents him from ever forgiving himself. The Sentry will always fight the Void and Bob will never have the chance to heal.

I'll continue this analysis in another post. I've got a lot more, but there's a limit on images I can attach.

Next up: Civil War, The Mighty Avengers, and World War Hulk.

[s0fter-sin]

temporarily blind!johnny forced on leave and stalker!ghost who decides to live in his house with him to help him heal

ghost saw him out on the sidewalk, so vulnerable yet still refusing to be helped inside, but when he snuck a look through his window later that day, johnny was standing lost in the middle of the room

he watches whenever he can and hates what he sees; bruises and scrapes litter johnny's body from walking into walls and furniture in his unfamiliar surroundings, he looks skinnier after just a few weeks and his hair that had been so well maintained had been left to grease and mat

he obviously isn't looking after himself; can't... or doesn't want to

it kills ghost to see someone so beautiful, so perfect, let himself go; to abandon himself all because someone stole his sight from him

so he decides he has to fix it

he can't just walk up to johnny and ask him if he wants some help around the place; fiercely independent, he didn't even let his friend walk him to the door when he first came home. it made ghost fall in love with him even more; that he didn’t want to be seen as weak, even in his worst moment

(it made him hate his pathetic excuse of a friend even more for leaving him alone and helpless)

but the layout of his house is exactly the same as ghost's

and ghost knows he has an attic

he starts with little things; moving johnny’s furniture further apart so the walkways are wider and there's less to run into, putting simple, non perishable foods within easy reach to try and slowly convince him to start eating, always retreating back to the attic at dawn, forced to content himself with following the echo of johnny’s footsteps, imagining what he looks like in the sunlight, all the things he could be helping him with…

then he notices the nightmares

ghost understands. his poor johnny; it would be terrifying to go from being a soldier, a strong, capable man, to suddenly being unable to see or protect himself. to not know when a nightmare ends and the waking world starts because all you see is black

so ghost starts keeping watch over him

he soothes his johnny when the nightmares start; talks down his stilted begging, brushes out his hair when he’s lulled deep enough that his breaths don’t even stutter at his touch, and he's filled with pride when he notices the bags under his eyes lighten

his sweet, perfect johnny; just being around ghost makes him feel better, even if he doesn't know it

already in love with him and he doesn’t even know it

johnny gets so used to his presence that one morning, ghost chances keeping his spot beside the bed; waiting with bated breath as johnny stretches and lets out the cutest noises, rubbing his sleep-creased face in his pillow. so beautiful...

and he's right

johnny doesn't even question his presence, the extra weight on the floor; doesn't feel anything off about his surroundings or the feel of someone's hungry eyes on his back

and ghost takes it as permission to move out of the attic; to stay by his side where he belongs

he shadows johnny everywhere now; they watch shows together even though johnny can't see the screen but he likes listening to them, nudges things into his hand now that his appetite's gotten back up enough to want to cook, makes sure he's using the right lube when he fists his cock at night, none the wiser to the creamy, thick consistency...

his beautiful, oblivious johnny... already loving him so much when he can't even see him; watching movies together, cooking together, sleeping together...

ghost can't wait to see what the rest of their lives together will be like when johnny's vision comes back

[adsosfraser]

calamity's cocoa

a zombie apocalypse fluff-adjacent oneshot. in which Peeta's mother meets a satisfying ending. meet cute wc: 1793

happy katniss everdeen day <33 (it's still May 8 shh), this was originally written for the d12 fluff fest but I shall post it now instead

Snow falls unhurried to the ground. I watch as the flakes lick the pavement, not sticking but melting immediately. The sight would make me smile, were I in a well-insulated home, with a roaring fire to warm my toes and a cup of hot cocoa in my hands.

But, I speed on ahead on the precarious mountain highway, dodging abandoned cars that dot the two lanes. They slowly stretch farther and farther apart as I push deeper into the mountains, my foot like lead against the accelerator.

I catch a blur from my right, where there is a gradual hill down into the valley. I'm used to deer and other manner of critter in my woods, so I calmly slam my foot on the brakes. Well, as calmly as one can in a situation like this.

As the creature comes closer into view, I gasp at the distinctly human shape. It doesn't move as I ram right into it, sending its body crumpling right into the windshield and flying straight up over behind me. Even at the reduced speed I'm going, there's no way a human would have survived that.

But then, the disjointed limbs reanimate in my rear view mirror. I jump quickly to my bow and arrow, shoving the driver door open with a speed I didn't know I possessed and send one of my arrows flying straight through the walking corpse's eye. I scan my surroundings for more of the creatures, they usually travel in swarms, like a hive mind and I slip back inside the car. There is no sign of others as I turn the key over to the piece of junk I had borrowed just this morning.

I see a streak of light blond in my peripheral vision. My heart races. I was so certain I had killed that zombie with that arrow straight to the eye.

"Holy Fuck!"

My head jerks back into the headrest as the car splutters to its death.

And then my eyes take in the boy standing in front of my window with a sheepish smile. His hands are deep in his pockets as he shivers in the cold. I roll down the window, happy to see no signs of deteriorating flesh from him.

"Hi."

"Uh, hello."

He looks back at the blonde zombie, her hair limp and pale and her flesh sagging away from her bones.

"That was my mother."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I couldn't kill her myself, so I nudged her in the right direction."

"When was she bitten?"

"Five days ago."

I look down to the chains wrapped around her neck.

"If-" The man looks down at me, hopefully shy. "If you have nowhere to stay, you can come with me Katniss."

The use of my name forces me to inspect him closer and my eyes widen as the recognition dawns on me. I haven't seen that face since middle school. Or was it elementary?

"Peeta?"

His face brightens with a smile. "You remember me?"

"Of course I do. You remember me?"

"I remember everything about you."

My face heats at his sincere candour. The pines around us groan and I push open my door. It sticks with the ice and cold and Peeta helps pull from the outside as well. Soon, I'm free with a quiet thanks to him and I reach the trunk for my hunting bag, my bow and arrow already in hand. I never seem to stop owing my boy with the bread. The boy who saved my life from certain starvation so many years ago. So I try to match his kindness in at least an attempt of some repayment.

"Lead the way?" I gesture with my bow in hand.

We abandon the car, its obvious defects no worth risking out necks out in the open to fix for hours in the cold, exposed to both the weather and the creatures that go bump in the day.

It's not far as Peeta limps his way with a rudimentary wooden crutch to a secluded cabin surrounded by chestnuts, oaks, maples, and pines. The trees offer a good camouflage; the house is well hidden within the leaves and bark. He notices my stare as he looks back at me with a smile for the tenth time, making sure I'm following and safe. That I haven't been left behind. Which would be impossible considering I'm practically breathing down his neck.

"I was bit. My brother had the crazy idea to chop off my leg and somehow it worked."

I don't know how to respond, so I simply don't.

My silence doesn't seem to bother him, as he keeps trudging on through the small clearing we're in, pointing out this bird and that rock or a random squirrel along the way. And then we finally stop before the cabin. It's nice and huge, befitting a family like the Mellark's, who soared into wealth as their bakery became renowned in this part of Appalachia a couple years ago.

It reminds me of my father's cabin, the logs of pine expertly crafted into a cohesive stack, but on a more extreme scale. In fact, that's the very destination I had in mind before I rammed into Peeta's mother. The peace and quiet of my father's cabin, where he taught me how to hunt and fish and swim. To survive. And now, all I have left of my father is his wisdom. It does give me some comfort to know that he didn't have to go through this shit show. That his death happened long before the outbreak, and wasn't marred by his corpse reanimating.

Peeta stomps his boots before the entryway and I follow suit, falling into a routine almost instantly. We toe off our shoes in the mud room. There are no mud prints, or motes of dust in sight. Peeta calls out to someone and I tense, unready for a presence other than him. And then, I hear the bells jingle and hear hooves clopping against the wood floors.

"Lady!" I crouch down and wrap my arms around the goat's neck.

It's been years since I've seen the creature. She was Prim's, and it broke my heart to see her go away when we could no longer sustain a goat in our new apartment. Her hair was in two braids, and she bawled as she put one last pretty pink ribbon on her beloved goat. Tears spring to my eyes too a that memory, and how young and innocent my baby sister was. Her heart was, and is so big.

"I begged my dad to adopt her when I found out you were moving. I wanted to give her back to you guys." He looks around sheepishly, his hand scratching the back of his neck as a blush colours his face. "Sorry it took a few years. So much has happened."

"That's actually—" I smile up at him, scratching the spot between Lady's shoulders that she loves. "—so sweet of you Peeta."

"Is your sister…?"

Lady runs away, happy with her quota of pets for the day, and I hear clomps up the steps to the second floor.

"Alive? Yes, I was going to meet her at our father's cabin. Same with my mother."

He exhales a big breath and reaches out a hand to me. He knows I'm perfectly capable of getting up from my squat alone, but something in me makes me accept the help.

"Hot cocoa? I still have some packs stashed away after all these months."

"Sure." My lips twitch into a soft smile.

My face will surely fall off from all the smiling I seem to be doing today. And it's barely noon.

He leads the way to the kitchen, taking my bag from me and dropping it down near the island. The entire place is open and tall, the beams of pine and cedar reaching high up in the air to almost twenty feet. The large windows on the wall opposite the kitchen offer a breathtaking view of the mountains. My mouth gapes like a fish as I take in the leather couches, the stainless steal fridge, and the kitchen island with a nice stone surface.

Peeta's already at the kettle when I finally take a seat at one of the stools. It swivels and I swing myself side to side as he putters about. My brows furrow at the sight of the cord attached to the kettle, and into an outlet that is clearly working, and then I remember the sight of the massive solar panels on the cabin roof. The water heats up quickly and he pours two cups of the liquid into plain white mugs with the hot cocoa powder. He ushers us into the living room, and we fall into the loveseat. The cushions swallow us and we slide into one another, our legs connecting with a tingling rush of warmth. He begins a speech, jaw set and eyes determined.

"With this whole death of civilisation, or well rebirth, whatever people want to call it these days. I've really sorted my priorities. We've all been forced to." Peeta pauses, licking his soft and plump lips as he looks directly into my eyes. My palms sweat at the eye contact and I regrip my mug with the sleeves of my long shirt. "And well, I uh." His eyes dart to the side and quickly back at me. "I like you Katniss. I have ever since I heard you sing the Valley Song in Kindergarten. Your hair was in two braids instead of one that day and your hand shot straight up when the teacher asked for a volunteer. The birds stopped when you sang, just like with your father." Next, his eyes swoop to the bottom of my braid, a yearning behind them as if he wants to reach out and caress it. "I don't presume to know how you feel, and I don't want to force-"

Impusively, I rush forward to shut him up with a kiss. I don't know what makes me do it, seeing the sentimental side of him with Lady, the way I watched my boy with the bread, my dandelion in the spring through the years before my sister and I moved in with our uncle Haymitch, or the cozy feeling of the snow falling down softly outside around us, with a warm cup of hot cocoa in my hands. But I whisper the words to him that I never even admitted myself. I let myself feel a semblance of happiness that I've forbidden myself from over the years. My chest blossoms with the warmth that overwhelms it and I break away from the kiss. My first one.

"I like you too Peeta."

[not-kamenx]

just a thought I had

I love how in the beginning when Ekusu/Jaxon and Bird/Robin were still in their whole phase of getting used to each other in the earlier episodes, Robin was the one to be the hugger

LIKE HE FULL ON TACKLED JAXON FOR A CELEBRATORY HUG

then later on

Jaxon is the one initiating most of the physical contact

he takes Robin’s hand whenever he feels like it (when he wanted to try the cheese waffle sushi after moving into Komaba Sushi and dragged him along, and in the ep of Warden’s Exam when he wanted to battle) and regularly seems to choose him over Multi over most situations even when he’s scared, like in the ep of Riddles and Beys when he hides behind Robin after the tall person appeared (I FORGOT THE NAME)

It’s just really funny to see how it kind of swapped

[nonbinary-sticks-the-badger]

because charmy's so young its fairly easy to come up with similar headcanons for why and how he found vector but i wanna hear thoughts about espio

[phosphophillight]

follow up to the last post, Apeirons dagger that my mind conjured up randomly n now i can’t imagine scenes with him without him constantly fidgeting with it 🤦‍♂️

getting better at drawing props is surely on my list of things to do…. ill get to it eventually but in the meanwhile we just have these concepts ! ill have to simplify it later for easier time drawing it consistently but this is ok for what it is rn

i do think its mostly white/silver? maybe iridescent somehow idk. but thats hard to show with the amount of effort i was willing to put into this drawing so… ehhhg

[hitachiincest]

post-beginning of accomplice ending [anime/ova timeline, so after the burning but long before souji leaves inaba] where souji & the IT are met up at junes still trying to figure out the "real culprit" but souji's phone rings & he looks down & sees its adachi & his brows raise then knit & he looks conflicted for a moment & he quietly excuses himself & the others just assume its dojima calling about nanakos condition or asking him to run an errand so they dont rly give it a second thought, sure ok souji.

but after Quite a long while, souji's still not back & whereas the others are engrossed in talking abt namatame with naoto, it rly nags at yosuke bc he has a bad feeling... what if souji's still not back bc he received some rly bad news? did he have to leave & forgot to tell them? so he tells the others hes gonna go look for souji & see if hes alright or whatever

so he gets up & looks around junes in some of the quieter corners nearby until he spots the bathroom & hes like huh. i wonder if he took his call in the bathroom? or maybe he had to go afterward. so he decides to peek his head in (it's stalls, so theres a sink/open area) & hes abt to say soujis name to see if hes in 1 of the stalls (would be creepy to look down & lean a little to see the shoes in the stalls, after all. & what if he gets the wrong person who just has similar shoes?), but then he hears a choked sound that sounds ODDLY familiar... but, what—

& then he hears it again, this time a bit different. it's more a whimper or smth of that nature... alongside some quiet sound of skin. & he'd recognize his partner's voice Anywhere. was he... in here...??! & he gets flusters for a second bc the reality of walking in on his partner doing smth like that is- i-is... & what sort of phone call couldve led to this? was the phone call a Ruse to get him to leave & have some private time to do... this? his head was too scrambled... & yu sounds far better than he had any right to. he could hardly think abt the implications of the warm feeling in his stomach at the sound of his partner's noises.

but thats when he hears it. souji letting out a strangled hiss of "adachi-san, i—" & his blood goes absolutely cold.

[samuraijackenjoyer]

dude I was looking through clips for a reference image and it literally makes me sick with anger that Genndy chose to portray Africa like That. Literally racist caricatures like come onnnn man. The worst part is that I really want to LIKE that episode aside from the art direction. His mentor is a very sweet guy and I like Jack’s little rivalry with the other kid. I dislike that Jack has to save everyone and the other tribe is portrayed even worse, but at least Jack isn’t fighting by his fucking self the whole scene. there was so much potential in this episode if Genndy hadn’t been so fucking racist with his character designs. I do not fucking understand why he chose to make them absolutely pitch black in color. That’s not what humans look like. It’s like how he colors Jack straight up yellow sometimes. I know during the time this came out it was not very likely for bigotry to get called out but that had to have made some people uncomfortable. Jeeeeesus Christ. The guy portrayed China more respectfully than he portrayed literally any other culture including Japan lmao. Actually I take that back he gave quite a few Chinese characters racist accents. The man wanted a ‘multiethnic’ feel to his show but could not fucking stop being white and racist for it

[thetangibleghost]

"give me a beer, a lullaby, and a word in my ear" -guy at a speed dating event in my dream

[aq2003]

i think the idea that ten in a dnd game would have main character syndrome is very incorrect. unless you're talking abt timelord victorious in which the image of ood sigma pulling that freak out of the snow and sitting him down to play dnd to fix him is very funny

[blythesarchives]

Sugar Plums. | W.S

summary: The soldier has an attachment to you.

warnings: Suggestive 18+ MDNI & Fluff | Fem!reader | Winter Soldier!Bucky | Brief mentions of PTSD | Brief talk of HYDRA | Heavy petting | Love biting/hickeys

a/n: This came to me randomly but thought it was cute and somewhat spicy. I added some fluff to balance it all out and tried to keep the sexy scenes sweet too. I see so many fics of him being super aggressive in bed and those are great, but for me I think he'd be a little more like this. Takes place after the events of CA:TWS. Contains roughly translated Russian, native speakers can correct me if anything was translated wrong. Ty. ;; wc: 5.5k

It was so awkward.

Everyone sat frozen in place, their eyes locked on the imposing figure of the Winter Soldier as he towered behind you, his piercing blue eyes methodically scanning the room and studying each occupant with an intensity that made them shift uncomfortably in their seats.

"Absolutely not!" Tony was the first to break the suffocating silence, his voice sharp and decisive as he beat Steve to speaking by a mere second. There was absolutely no way he would even consider allowing the fist of HYDRA to take up residence in his tower, treating him like he was nothing more than some lost stray that needed sheltering. "He's not staying here, no way in hell - this isn't a halfway house for reformed assassins."

"Tony, come on. HYDRA is gone, their control over him is broken," you reasoned desperately, your voice taking on a pleading tone as you gestured toward the silent figure behind you, "He's been surviving on his own for weeks, barely getting by. Just look at him...he's exhausted, malnourished, and clearly needs somewhere safe to stay and recover."

"Uh, how about no?" Tony fired back, staring at you like you had grown a second head...or like you had a towering sleeper soldier looming behind you.

Tony wasn't your favorite person in the world, but he was usually somewhat reasonable.

"There's absolutely no way that he's staying here. Have you completely lost your mind? What if he suddenly snaps or loses control and goes completely berserk, hm? What if one night those sleeper triggers buried in his brain suddenly activate and he systematically takes us out one by one in our sleep?" Tony added emphatically, his hands gesturing wildly in the air as he attempted to visualize the gruesome scenarios playing out in his mind.

"Your state-of-the-art security cameras can't give us a heads up before that happens?" You asked with dry sarcasm, your tone deliberately flat and unimpressed, clearly making a joke while you tried to find some kind of middle ground that would get the agitated, self-proclaimed playboy to calm down and think rationally.

"No chance in hell, sweet cheeks," he folded his arms and glared at you with sternness that etched across his features. "Too dangerous."

"He's staying, whether you like it or not," you replied in the same unwavering tone, standing your ground with resolute conviction. "He's hurt, weak, completely vulnerable. There's absolutely nothing he could possibly do in this state. He needs somewhere warm and safe to stay, especially since he's been struggling to survive out on the streets for weeks now. Besides, winter is coming fast and there’s no way he won’t get hypothermia or something." You added with concern, knowing full well that while the soldier hadn't been entirely helpless during his ordeal, he certainly hadn't managed to secure any kind of stable shelter.

His temporary refuges consisted only of cold spaces beneath bridges, dark corners tucked away in forgotten alleys, or the remains of abandoned buildings - not a single place where he could truly let his guard down or feel protected from the harsh elements. With winter's rapid approach and already light dustings of snow, the temperatures would only get more brutal as the nights went on.

You continued to argue with Tony, Steve butting in every so often, luckily siding with you, desperate to have his old friend somewhere safe. It was a long, frustrating argument that lasted much longer than need be.

Earlier that day, while you had been making your way down the frost-covered street of New York's downtown district, his eyes had caught sight of your familiar form. Something deep within him told him to follow you, a magnetic pull that he couldn't explain. He obeyed the instinct, trailing silently behind you all the way back to the tower. When you finally became aware of his presence, he was thoroughly drenched from the steadily falling snow, his cheeks and nose having turned a bright, rosy color from the biting cold as he tried to suppress his constant shivering.

The moment you made your sudden turn to approach him, he visibly startled, immediately taking a defensive step backward as his mind raced through all the possible scenarios and potential threats. His eyes darted across your face with obvious wariness as you fully turned to face him, his entire body subtly shifting its weight from foot to foot, muscles tensed and ready to bolt away.

"It's okay...you look cold..." You spoke softly, your voice barely above a whisper, trying not to startle him as you took in his disheveled appearance. The soldier, the one whose face had practically been plastered across every news channel, the same one Steve had spoken about with such raw emotion in his voice.

You remembered how Steve had mourned his best friend, utterly confused and devastated about why he had saved from the river, while Bucky fell to what should have been his death. Steve held onto that grief, that guilt, like a lifeline. He held onto it so desperately, clinging to the faintest hope that a sliver of Bucky was still somewhere deep inside the persona of the Winter Soldier.

Looking at him now, you couldn't see any trace of the man from Steve's stories - the soldier's eyes were too wild and wide, filled with fear and confusion.

But despite everything you'd heard, despite the destruction you'd witnessed on the news, despite the intense warnings from everyone in the tower, there was something about his presence that didn't trigger your fight or flight response.

He didn't make you feel unsafe.

He looked absolutely beat down, exhausted to his very core, his shoulders slumped in a way that made you wonder when he'd last had a moment's rest. You weren't even sure he could take you down if he tried in this state, though you knew his reputation suggested otherwise. He was shaking from the cold air as it blew in a stinging breeze, his metal arm gleaming dully in what little light remained, while the incoming winter storm brought with it a thick haze and countless tiny pinpricks of needle-like snowflakes that seemed to cut through the air.

"Come inside with me, I'll take care of you." You offered quietly, your voice gentle and reassuring as you extended your hand towards him. Your body language remained open and non-threatening, shoulders relaxed and posture deliberately casual to help put him at ease and to show him you felt no fear.

After a few silent moments where his piercing blue eyes studied you through the thick haze, he finally shifted his weight forward and took a step in your direction.

The water in the shower had set a steady steam in the bathroom, the mirror had fogged and the tiles sweat below your bare feet.

You could hear the gentle splashing of water against the bathtub as he cleaned himself. The mechanical whirring of his metal arm caught your attention, hopefully that thing was waterproof, but it must be, right?

After setting out a fresh towel and clean clothes for his use, you quietly excused yourself to provide him with privacy. The state of his current attire was awful, every piece was thoroughly saturated and carried an unmistakable stench that made you wrinkle your nose. The clothes were in such poor condition that you couldn't help but wonder if they had been scavenged from someone who no longer needed them.

You wouldn’t put it past the soldier to steal from a cadaver.

His shower routine was notably brief, years of conditioning taught him to minimize the time spent on his personal care. Upon finishing, he emerged from behind the curtain and efficiently dried himself with the provided towel. His gaze fell upon the fresh clothes you had thoughtfully placed by the sink, while his previous garments had been discreetly removed.

The soldier hesitated momentarily before donning the clean outfit. It wasn’t anything fancy, a pair of grey sweatpants emblazoned with the Avenger's logo along the side and a simple yet comfortable black tank top. When he finally emerged from the bathroom to face you, his body language betrayed his uncertainty as he stood there, not sure what to do now. Comfort was completely foreign to him, and care was a dream away.

"Tony finally gave in," you replied softly, your voice sounded in the quiet stillness of the bedroom. "He said you could stay here with us."

He remained motionless, his expression blank and unreadable as he stood there, offering neither response nor the slightest hint of acknowledgement to your words. You weren’t sure what to expect but that seemed pretty in character for him at the moment.

"You'll be staying in my quarters since no one else is comfortable having you in their space just yet...but don't worry too much about that," you reassured gently, though you could tell from his demeanor that others' opinions held little weight in his mind. "They'll come around after some time, I'm sure of it."

His gaze fixed upon you then, his brow creasing ever so slightly with an unspoken question as he began to move. Each step was deliberate and measured as he crossed the room, closing the distance between you until he stood directly in front of you, close enough that you could see the water droplets from his freshly washed hair beading at the ends and falling onto the fabric of your top, leaving dark spots where they landed.

"Everything's going to be fine," you said with gentle reassurance, trying to ease the tension in the air. "Why don't we head to the kitchen and get you something to eat? You must be hungry." You offered, hoping to bring some normalcy to the situation.

The soldier shadowed your every movement, following closely behind like a faithful companion who refused to stray from their master's side.

Upon entering the expansive kitchen, you immediately made your way to the industrial-sized refrigerator, searching through its contents for something suitable to offer him. The kitchen was perpetually stocked to the brim with an array of foods, snacks, and ingredients, practically anything one could imagine or desire. It was like having a private, fully-stocked grocery store.

Though with a the ravenous super soldier with enhanced metabolism, the mighty Asgardian god whose appetite matched his status, and Banner's surprisingly hulk-ish consumption…the team still depleted their food with an efficiency that would put a pack of famished wolves to shame.

"Hm...what should you have...do you want anything specific?" You turned over your shoulder to address him, but he maintained his characteristic silence. Unmoving, and completely stoic, like a statue carved from marble.

"Нет [No]," came his quiet response, the Russian word rolling off his tongue deeply. He remained perfectly still, observing with careful attention as you continued your search through the refrigerator's contents, trying to determine what would be most appropriate for him to eat. Your mind was working quickly, knowing you wanted to avoid anything too time-consuming to prepare. You wanted to get some food into him sooner rather than later.

"How about...I could make some soup real quick? Tomato and grilled cheese might be a safe option for you. Shouldn't upset your stomach too much if you haven’t been eating a lot, and it will warm you up if you're still feeling cold." You turned back toward him once more, studying his features carefully for any hint of reaction or preference to your suggestion, any subtle change in his expression.

But, he didn't provide even the slightest indication of his feelings.

You decided on tomato soup and a grilled cheese anyway, you figured it was best and immediately set to work in the kitchen.

Although you typically prided yourself on preparing meals completely from scratch, this particular circumstance called for something different. You assembled the sandwich, buttering the bread before placing it in a heated pan to get a golden-brown crust while keeping a watchful eye on the pot of soup simmering beside it, occasionally stirring for even heating.

Once everything reached the perfect temperature and consistency, you transferred the meal onto clean dishes, relieved it didn’t take too long. You presented him with the steaming bowl of soup and perfectly grilled sandwich, watching as the soldier deliberately took his place at the counter, his eyes fixed intently on the rising steam from the bowl before him.

You watched him, noting how his entire body remained unnaturally rigid and motionless, as though every muscle was locked in place and braced for something. His lips bore a slight sheen of moisture, like he had licked them at some point when you weren't watching. Yet despite his obvious hunger, he hadn't made even the slightest attempt to reach for the food. His eyes held intense longing and hesitation, briefly meeting yours before quickly darting away, as if making eye contact was somehow forbidden.

"What's wrong?" You asked with growing concern etched across your features, "You're hungry aren't you? I can tell you haven't eaten in a while. Especially not anything warm, at least. I know it can be hard out there, all by yourself…"

His response came in the form of an almost imperceptible nod, his gaze remaining firmly fixed on the bowl and sandwich before him, as though they were the most important and most dangerous objects in the room.

"So why aren't you eating? The food's getting cold, it won’t be as good if it cools too much."

"Я не могу совершить действие без приказа. [I cannot perform an action without an order]," the soldier responded in barely more than a whisper, his voice carrying the weight of years of conditioning.

You stood there, completely lost in the language barrier between you. Your limited knowledge of Russian extended only to the most basic words - 'да' and 'нет' - leaving you clueless by his response and worried about the implications of his behavior.

You didn't want to wake Natasha, even though she would certainly understand what he was saying in Russian, but disturbing her sleep for something as simple as a quick translation seemed unnecessary and might put her in a bad mood. Instead, an idea popped into your head that would avoid an angry widow. You reached for your phone and placed it on the smooth counter surface, navigating to a translator app before looking up at him again. "Can you repeat that?"

The soldier's eyes flickered briefly to the phone screen, taking in the sight of the translation app with what seemed like recognition, before his gaze deliberately returned to the untouched food laid out before him. "I cannot perform an action without an order," he stated in perfect, albeit mechanical English this time.

You blinked in surprise, thoroughly caught off guard by the sudden switch to English when he had been persistently speaking Russian up until this point. "Okay...well...eat then, you can eat freely here, you don't need an order to do that." You slowly tucked your phone away into your pocket as his right hand gradually lifted from where it had been resting in his lap, reaching out to pick up the sandwich.

You weren't sure what you were expecting, but he wolfed down his food within a minute, that sandwich was gone within maybe three bites. The soup swallowed just as fast.

God, he was starving, and the realization made your heart ache.

"Better?" You asked gently, to which he only nodded, swallowing the last of the food in his mouth.

This became routine, the soldier stuck by your side like a duckling imprinting on its mother.

He followed you diligently around every corner of the tower, his protective instincts activated as he positioned himself like an ever-vigilant guardian. His eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, noting how others would cast uncertain and sometimes suspicious glances in his direction.

These looks made him increasingly self-conscious and anxious, as though he were some exotic creature put on display at a zoo for others to gawk at. But in your presence, he seemed a bit more at ease. He genuinely liked being around you.

Gradually, the rigid tension that had defined his existence began to melt away, and he started allowing more intimate gestures of care. He let you gently brush his unruly hair into place, carefully wash his face with warm water, or trim his growing stubble for him.

He accepted these tender ministrations without the slightest resistance or complaint, though a nagging worry lingered in your mind that his compliance stemmed from years of conditioning to submit to others' wishes. Each time you worried about that, you’d see a genuine warmth and contentment in his gaze rather than submission, showing you that he truly found comfort and pleasure in your gentle touch.

It was evening, the room reflected the warm glow of festive holiday lights emanating from a miniature Christmas tree nestled in the corner. The soldier found himself transfixed by the small decorated tree, his eyes lingering on each twinkling light as their vibrant colors danced and shimmered. The sterile, monotonous walls he had grown accustomed to during his confinement were nothing compared to the colorful lights. The gentle play of red, green, and gold seemed to awaken something long dormant within him, he almost wanted to plant himself in front of the tree and just stare at it.

Tony may have allowed his stay, but that didn’t mean there weren’t restrictions. He was stern about where and when the soldier could go anywhere with you, and he demanded that he not leave your room afterhours. It wasn’t hard to follow, the solider showed reluctance to leave your room at all, having been so accustomed to being kept in one room. You didn’t push him, but you felt bad for him because he was missing how the tower had been decorated for the holidays. So, you got a smaller tree for the bedroom to provide some kind of festive look for him to take in.

You emerged from the bathroom, wisps of steam following in your wake, your damp hair leaving little droplets on your shoulders as you continued to towel it dry with scrunches. He remained motionless on the edge of your bed, his attention immediately shifting as he turned and blinked up at your approaching figure.

His icy eyes traced a deliberate path across your form, which was barely concealed beneath the thin fabric of your sleep shirt, the hem teasingly brushing against your mid-thigh with each movement. "I am beat," you sighed heavily, your voice carrying the weight of the day's festivities. The marathon of holiday activities had clearly taken its toll, leaving you thoroughly drained. The tower often held an array of things to do because Tony loved to show off what he could afford, and it wasn’t like anyone else would object.

He observed with rapt attention as you made your way onto the bed and settled back against the pillows, releasing a deep exhale that seemed to melt away the day's tension. His unwavering gaze remained fixed on the rhythmic, hypnotic motion of your chest rising and falling with each breath.

You felt the bed shift beneath you as he moved, his weight causing the mattress to dip and creak softly. He crawled over to where you lay, his arms positioning themselves on either side of your body, caging you in. Your eyes fluttered open to find him hovering directly above you, his presence overwhelming in its proximity. This was something new…he had always maintained somewhat of a distance before, never daring to position himself so intimately over top of you.

"Я скомпрометирован. [I'm compromised]," the soldier spoke in a hushed tone, his voice carrying that distinctive gravelly pitch that made you feel tingly. The tension between you had become damned near impossible to ignore. What had started as a subtle pull had grown into an overwhelming force of attraction that seemed to draw you both together like magnets.

Still, you forced yourself to hold back, maintaining that last thread of restraint. You had no way of knowing the depth of his emotional capacity, if he was even capable of genuine feelings, or wanted to experience them at all after everything he endured.

"Soldat...?" The whispered word escaped your lips as you noticed the subtle shift in his demeanor, the way his muscles tensed as he remained suspended above you, perfectly still. "You know I don't understand-"

"I am compromised," he repeated, switching to English this time. His voice had dropped even lower, carrying an edge of frustration that vibrated through the minimal space between your bodies.

"Comprom..." You sat up slowly on your elbows and shook your head in confusion, your brow furrowed as you tried to process his words. That’s what you’d say about a machine or computer, not a man. "What are you talking about?" Your eyes wandered downward, suddenly drawn to an unmistakable tent in his fitted briefs that became obvious from your new viewing angle, causing you to freeze in place as your breath caught in your throat.

So, he could feel things.

"Oh..." You felt a wave of embarrassment wash over you as you remained frozen in place, your cheeks growing warm. "I think I understand now...you're feeling a bit pent up, aren't you?"

His metal arm whirred softly, the sophisticated machinery humming as he moved to adjust his hand placement. "Да. [Yes]," he responded in a low voice, his gleaming titanium fingertips delicately ghosted across the bare skin of your thigh, just barely grazing beneath the hem of your thin sleep shirt. Goosebumps erupted along your body in response to the contact, the cool metal sudden against your flushed skin.

"Мне не нравится делиться вашим вниманием. [I don't like sharing your attention]," he muttered with an undertone of possession, his lips curling into a slight frown as he gradually leaned closer to you. His silken hair delicately tickled your face as he slowly lowered himself, the tips of your noses barely grazing against each other in an intimate gesture. His lips parted ever so slightly, revealing a glimpse of anticipation before he dipped his head down, warm lips pressing a tender, lingering kiss to your jawline.

You swallowed reflexively, your breath catching in your throat as you felt his warm, steady breath caress your sensitive skin, sending a visible shudder of growing excitement through your body.

He continued his gentle exploration, encouraged by your acceptance and the absence of any resistance. He pressed a trail of soft, purposeful kisses along the curve of your jaw, each one more intimate than the last, before gradually working his way down to your neck. His lips carefully followed the rhythmic flutter of your pulse beneath your skin, his tongue peeking out shyly to touch against you.

"Ah-" You voiced softly, feeling him settle on a particularly sensitive spot, right against the delicate side of your neck. It was nestled perfectly between the graceful junction where your neck connected to your collarbone, the skin there warm and inviting, holding a faint trace of blood flow from the intricate network of smaller veins positioned just beneath the surface.

He kissed many times with increasing intensity, clearly finding this spot ideal for his attentions. The soft, tentative pecks gradually became more passionate, open-mouthed kisses as each one was placed. His tongue began gently pressing against your skin with each lingering kiss, the pressure slowly growing in need. You felt your cheeks flush with warmth when he finally latched on, your eyes widening in surprise as the soldier's strong arms held you a little tighter.

Soldat began to suckle a mark, his ministrations gentle and teasing at first, but quickly growing in force and intensity as his skilled tongue swirled expertly around the trapped skin between his lips and teeth. The sensation drew a breathy moan from deep within you, making your entire body feel as though it were engulfed in flames of desire. Though you were completely helpless beneath the assassin, you had absolutely no intention or desire to push him away.

This felt too damned good.

Without thinking, your leg came up and hooked around his hips, drawing him closer until your bodies were flush against each other. The heat between you grew and you felt his painful erection trapped in his briefs, straining against the fabric as his arousal was staining them. Soldat exhaled sharply through his nose, his grip tightening possessively, but he did not let go.

His suckling grew increasingly intense, the sensitive skin tingling and starting to sting and burn with each passing moment. Still, he didn't release the bruised skin just yet.

Instead, he just bit down harder, ensuring the mark he left would last for days. You moaned loudly, your fingers gently tangling in his thick hair as your pleasured sounds encouraged his attention. He became more attentive when your little sounds of pleasure turned into sharp, quiet hisses - clearly indicating that the sensation had crossed from pleasure into discomfort, silently telling him to ease off.

When he did finally relent, he pulled back to admire his handiwork, looking down at the deep purple mark blooming on your neck. His breath came in heavy pants through his parted lips as he stayed quiet, watching intently as you struggled to catch your own breath too. The sight of you beneath him, disheveled and vulnerable, with flushed skin and labored breathing, was enough to draw him right back in.

He dipped back down with renewed hunger, his metal hand slowly threading through your hair before gently fisting it at the base of your skull, though his careful control ensured it wasn’t painful, just firm. He tugged just enough to guide your movement, encouraging you to expose more of your neck to his hungry gaze.

"E-easy..." You whispered, a note of anxious anticipation in your voice. You wanted more, god you wanted more, but his sudden change of behavior was a bit surprising for you.

"Понял. [Understood]," he whispered against your skin, pressing a soft kiss of reassurance to your jaw before returning his attention to your neck. Those soft kisses began again, trailing along your skin, but his restraint didn't last long as he quickly sought a new canvas for another mark. He latched onto a spot just a little bit higher on your neck, alternating between sucking and carefully controlled bites to gradually darken and bruise the sensitive flesh.

You felt bite after delicious bite, hickey after possessive hickey.

He marked the tender flesh of your neck in several deep, purple marks that bloomed like violent flowers across your skin...each one throbbing with a sweet ache when he pulled away. His tongue always swirled over the mark with care to soothe the sting of it, making you arch into his touch as you fell into a complete daze.

"S-Soldat," you muttered breathlessly, cheeks flushed crimson and eyelids heavy with desire. Your pupils matched his own - completely blown with hunger and desperate need. Those bermuda swirls meeting yours as he continued a torturously slow trail of hot kisses down your chest, nipping your collarbone with just enough pressure to make you gasp before following the gentle dip of your sternum.

He paused deliberately, pulling up so he could lift the thin sleep shirt over you and expose more of your bare chest to his hungry gaze, giving him better access for his heated kisses and teasing nips. Once your top was discarded somewhere on the floor, his hands gently but firmly held your sides, trailing up with reverent touches until settling against your ribcage. His larger hands completely encompassed your torso, making you feel small but protected.

The soldier was absolutely transfixed at the sight of your breasts, eyeing the soft mounds and peaked nipples as they hardened in the cool air, growing increasingly sensitive and rosy with your mounting arousal. It was like he was completely mesmerized by the sight before him, the fucking Winter Soldier, the most dangerous assassin in history, stopped dead in his tracks at the mere sight of your bare breasts.

You felt in charge now.

"What is it? Do you like them?" you purred softly to the soldier, your body swaying in a deliberately teasing motion that made them gently move. His eyes remained fixed, drinking in the sight before him as his lips parted ever so slightly. Slowly, his head tilted down again, surrendering to the moment. He let his face nestle against your chest, his lips trailing a constellation of unhurried kisses across your skin.

He began to nip and suckle the tender skin of your breasts, his mouth working to create deep, purple love bites on that delicate flesh. The bruising blossomed easily beneath his ministrations, almost like they were eager to show themselves.

His lips would find a promising spot, then he would begin lapping at the skin with gentle strokes of his tongue until he felt you squirming. The soldier took the sensitized flesh carefully between his teeth, rolling the captured skin while his talented muscle swirled and sucked.

Your chest displayed his passionate handiwork when he finally drew back to admire his creation. The plum-colored bruises created an intimate pattern across your skin, their rich hues made even more striking by the soft glow of the holiday lights that danced through the room, highlighting each carefully placed love bite until they seemed to shimmer like twilight stars against your flesh.

"Soldat...I think you covered enough surface area," you breathed, feeling overwhelmed by the intense throbbing that radiated from each mark he'd left. The sensation pulsed in waves across your skin, making it difficult to focus. Your neck was thoroughly covered in the passionate marks, and now your chest bore an equally impressive collection.

The soldier gazed down at you with intensely, his eyes taking in each little sugar plum bruise that decorated your skin like a masterpiece. Though they were scattered without any deliberate pattern, the overall effect clearly pleased him. You lay there looking thoroughly affected by his attention, hair mussed and breathing uneven, cheeks beautifully darkened with a dust of blush, just from his careful application of bites alone. The sight of you in such a state, marked so thoroughly, brought deep set satisfaction in his gut.

"Моя теперь. [Mine now]," he muttered softly, his warm breath ghosting across your skin as his lips hovered mere millimeters from your own. The almost-kiss was delicate, just the faintest brush of contact that sent electricity dancing through your nerves. He almost seemed nervous to close that final distance, his confidence faltering despite the passionate trail of marks he had already left scattered across your skin.

He drew back slightly, seemingly snapping out of a trance, and you could see the vulnerability written plainly across his features as that nervousness flickered in his eyes. Shifting his weight, he settled back onto the bed, his right hand finding your knee and tracing gentle, soothing circles there with his thumb. The tender gesture matched his hushed voice as he spoke, "Я не хочу идти дальше. [I don't want to go any further]," the words carrying both certainty and a hint of apology.

Your brow furrowed deeply as you struggled to understand what he was trying to stay, the confusion evident in the slight crease between your eyebrows and the questioning tilt of your head. You really needed to study Russian. "Do you not want to continue?" you asked slowly and carefully, focusing more on interpreting the subtle nuances in his tone rather than trying to parse the exact words he was using.

His facial expression held hesitance and uncertainty, the slight downturn of his lips and the way his eyes wouldn't quite meet yours telling you what you needed to know. Body language was his primary mode of genuine communication, and you had become very good at reading these silent signals he unconsciously broadcast.

"It's okay, we can stop," you replied with a reassuring tone, making sure to keep your voice soft to help dissipate any lingering tension he might be feeling. "Let's just lay here, okay? We can cuddle without any kind of pressure to do anything else, if you want." You offered with a warm smile, wanting him to feel that his comfort and boundaries were completely respected and that there was no expectation or obligation to continue.

This was a lot of good progress with him, you typically just cuddled or he kept to his side of the bed but he had shown you a lot of sweet affection tonight, and you loved it, it meant he was growing more confident in himself and your relationship. The evidence of his passionate yet tender attention remained visible in the form of gentle, plum-colored marks that decorated your neck and chest as you lay beside him, watching as his silent form trembled slightly beneath the heavy warmth of the thick blankets that enveloped you both.

You opened your arms, offering him a warmer space, and he quickly scooted forward, tucking himself against you. Prone to being cold, he liked being under many layers of blankets, so you made sure to provide plenty for him to not only feel warm but secure. Plus...having you to hold him always helped.

Without the worry of being a soldier, he could rest easy like this.

Thanks for reading. -em 🌿

Dividers by @/strangergraphics | Images found on Pinterest.

[greensleeve]

My dreams have become so so much more interesting as of late,

I like it. Complex plotlines and all, nice pacing etc.