#then when i finally got an image that wasnt blurry the image had my thumb in it

[yanderespamton78]

Here's the crab that I bought impulsively because dearest mutual @turntableart asked :>>

Silly dude

Thanks to my sister his name is Gloin btw

[cordytriestowrite]

Keeping Up Appearances

Bucky x Reader

Fake Dating AU

Chapter 3 - All Other Parts

Summary: When an old friend comes back into your life you struggle to maintain the lies you've told. Bucky Barnes has no idea what he's gotten into by agreeing to be your fake boyfriend, but you have no idea what to do about the very real feelings you have for him.

Back again in the relative safety of Bucky's car you let out the breath you had been holding since leaving La Bernardin with Bucky, hand in sweaty hand.

"Holy fuck." You cried burying your face in your hands. You voice echoed through the parking garage, its range extended by the open driver's side door. Bucky had yet to enter the car, a worn leather jacket he had pulled from the back seat sitting in his place. The blue button up came sailing into the car, settling in a wrinkly ball on the center console. The arm of the shirt landed on your leg and you reached out to touch the fabric unthinkingly. The leather jacket disappeared and the seat was filled by a now jacketed Bucky.

"Hey, look at me." Bucky called in a gentle, calming voice. You turned your head without bothering to hide your distress. He pulled a half smile that stole your heartbeat for a few skips.

"Its all over. You survived." He whispered in the same calm and gentle voice. You scoffed and turned your head to face the windshield and the blank, concrete wall just beyond the car.

"I don't know." You said lowly. You knew it wasn't over, because when Pepper was standing with you, smiling and laughing and sharing her joy, you felt like you used to. You didn't want that feeling to end but there is no way in hell you'd survive this.

But how you used to feel...well that feeling existed because you could afford it. Now, you were making dumb, costly decisions with long term effects, and dragging Bucky along from the ride.

Bucky tried to meet your eye, but you were steadfast in your staring contest with the wall ahead. You couldn't look at him, couldn't admit you fucked up. Your eyes flicked to his hand as it reached toward you but stopped just short of your thigh to encircle the gear shift and put the car in reverse.

"I don't know about you but I am hungry for some real food." He said in a purposely lighter and louder voice. You nodded absently.

"Look, no offense, but oysters taste like snot."

You weren't offended, you thought they tasted like snot too.

-

A large pizza, fresh and hot, sat upon your lap. It smelled divine and you couldn't wait to get home, get out of your dress and into some sweats, and head over to Bucky's and Sam's and eat this giant, greasy pizza. You wanted to hear about Sam's date. You hoped your friend had a better time than you did. As if Sam knew you were thinking of him, his name appeared on Bucky's phone, which lay atop the pizza box in your lap.

"You got a text from Sam." You told him and he distractedly picked it up. He read the message at a stop sign, only taking a couple seconds to take in the contents and let his face fall into a slight frown.

"That bastard kicked me out of my own place!" Bucky exclaimed, dropping the phone back onto the box. You smirked at the dark screen. Sam's date must be going really well.

"Looks like you're sleeping in the hall tonight." You teased.

"Nah, I'll just stay at my girlfriend's for the night." He countered. It sent a jolt of panic through your chest, thinking he had a girlfriend you didn't know about, but just as quickly as your body tingled with nerves had they settled into bashfulness at the realization that he meant you. You were the girlfriend he was talking about. He intended to stay the night with you.

"Yeah, yeah of course you can." You managed to stutter out. He turned into the garage under your apartment building and suddenly let out a laugh, like he just remembered a joke.

"I'm gonna finally see what you were hanging up on your wall. It is the reason we are together after all. Better be a Monet or some shit." He winked, a brief and blurry vision in the darkness of the underground car park.

Bucky had never been in your apartment, you always going to Sam and his instead, so when he walked in behind you carrying the pizza you were nervous. You had manage to salvage a few pieces of decor and furniture from when you lived in Manhattan; a nice large L shaped couch, your bed frame, and an ornate, gold-framed full length mirror. All the other items in your apartment where either provided by the building manager or purchased from consignment shops. It was an eclectic mix of quality and convenience.

Whatever comment you thought Bucky would make was not spoken out loud. He simply parked himself on the couch like he owned the place and opened the pizza box. Without waiting for you to grab plates he dug into a hot and greasy slice of pepperoni pizza. He moaned loudly as the taste flooded his mouth. The sound sent a shiver down your spine and you busied yourself with gathering plates and napkins until your face felt less heated.

"This pizza is way better than any other food we had tonight." He said as you settled in on the other side of the couch. You nodded in agreement.

"Cheaper too." You added offhandedly. You wouldnt have said it if you had known it was bring you into a discussion you didnt want to be having with the fake boyfriend you had a very real crush on.

"So how did you get yourself into this mess? To me it seems like you used to be loaded like them and now you're not but you dont want her to know?" Bucky's finger moved between invisible points in the air between you as if he was connecting the dots to a larger picture.

"That's basically it yeah." You admitted. You had no intention of telling him more than you had to. You ate your pizza slowly, it was good but the taste in your mouth was dampened by anxiety.

"But how does she not know?" He asked incredulously.

"She's been traveling all over the world since college. We've only communicated through letters and they were very infrequent. Only one or two a month."

"Does she not have Facebook? Instagram?"

"She does," you leaned back against the couch, chewing thoughtfully as you reminisced on the days leading up to her departure. "She said she wanted to be pen pals while she was gone. She thought it would be more exciting to anticipate a letter than an email. Pepper is the kind of friend who will create something special just for you and make you feel like you mean something. She wanted to write letters, they meant something to her. And to me." You realized with a slight bitterness that now that Pepper was back that special connection would be gone.

"If your friendship is so special why hide things from her? Why lie? I dont get it." Bucky's voice broke into your head and along with bitterness you felt a pinch of guilt.

"I'm in too deep now. I've been lying for months. About my living situation, my job, my family-"

"Your boyfriend." Bucky interjected, his tone accusatory though his expression was nothing but playful. You nodded and leaned forward to drop your pizza crust onto a chipped blue plate before sinking back into the couch.

Bucky put down his slice as well and closed the distance between you. You tensed as he invaded your space, his shoulder pressed against yours heavily as he leaned into you.

"Ya know, she's probably going to be using social media more. Might not hurt to take some pictures together. Just to really sell it?" He asked it like he wasnt sure you would see his reasoning and you were doubtful, suspicious even.

"You're willing to do that for me? What about other people? What if you actually like someone and they think you're with me?"

He shrugged and pulled out his phone pressing his thumb to the camera icon. You took in the image of your two faces. You were close but not boyfriend girlfriend close. You angled your head closer and tried to smile naturally but it was obviously strained.

"No, no come on my ma's gonna see this you gotta look like you dont hate me." He laughed, staring into the phone instead of your face. You shoved him and pulled your head away to look at him.

"I don't hate you." You said in your defense, "I just dont think we look-"

"Like a couple?" He finished. He was really good at finished your thoughts.

"Here." He said and shifted into the middle of the sofa. Once he was settled he all but dragged you onto his lap. You felt like a ragdoll in the way you let him maneuver you, but when he pulled up his phone again you could not be upset at his manhandling. You two looked cute. You looked like a couple. You smiled, a small, shy smile and Bucky hit the big white button to capture your image.

"Better. Right babe?"

You smiled wider and another photo was taken. His free hand dug into your side and you laughed and the button was pressed again. His lips pressed against yours, only a peck, enough to produce one more photo. You sat frozen on Bucky's lap as he brought the phone close to his face and scrutinized the images. His hand rested warmly on your hip and occasionally his thumb rubbed back and forth.

"I like this one." He finally declared, showing you the screen. It was the one where he tickled you unexpectedly. Your head was thrown back, eyes closed and mouth open in laughter. Bucky was looking up at you, the corners of he eyes crinkled in delight as he smiled widely, and there was a crinkle in his nose. You bit your lip to suppress a smile.

"I like it to." You whispered, moving your finger over the screen to glance at the other photos. You wanted to see all of them but you mostly wanted to see the kiss, to make sure you didnt imagine his lips on yours. The proof was there, clear as day, but you didn't linger too long on the photo. You were afraid of what Bucky would think, if he would regret kissing you because you were being weird about it.

"I'll send these to you. We need to post a few online."

-

It was hours later as you lie in bed that you had a chance to really take in all the pictures Bucky had sent. You drank in each image, zooming in and out on your face, then Bucky's. Bucky was right, the laughing photo was definitely the best. It seemed natural and fun. But your favorite was the one where he kissed you, because he had kissed you! Your mouths were off center and the muscles in your neck were too tense. His eyes were scrunched tight too. It was a really terrible picture.

You locked your phone and plunged yourself into darkness as a creaking sound emerged in the silence. Bucky was spending the night on your couch, his attempt to persuade you to let him join you in your bed had failed almost immediately as nerves overcame you. You thought if he had been there in bed, all warm and hard against you on your queen sized mattress, that you would not be able to sleep a wink. Your instincts were right; you weren't able to sleep now with the man crashing in your living room, how could you have handled him in your bed?

The bedroom door opened slowly, bathing your dark space in light. You squinted against the sudden brightness, attempting to make out Bucky's expression but he was silhouetted in shadow.

"Its late enough. I think I can sneak into my own apartment."

You nodded and sat up, but Bucky was already beyond your doorway. You turned the corner into your living room just in time to glance his backside as he closed you front door gently behind him. He didnt turn back, didnt even say goodbye. You locked the door with a dejected sigh, suddenly feeling like your apartment was dark and cold without Bucky's bright, warm presence. You shuffled your way back to your bed. It took a minute to get settled but once you were snuggled in the blankets you pulled up your phone again, swiping through the images of you and Bucky. Somehow these moments already felt so long ago.

Knock knock knock

A gentle rasp of knuckles on drywall near your head stole your attention. You smiled and bit your lip, bringing your clenched fist to the spot where you heard the knocks.

Knock knock knock

He knocked back twice more. Your face was split wide in a grin as you posted a couple photos of you and Bucky to Facebook. You decided to keep the picture of your first kiss with Bucky to yourself for now.

Tag list for this fic is open

@spyderparker @slender--spirit @rangotangomango @josiejosie0 @pandalandalopalis @lost-in-translating

Permanent tag list is open

@just-add-butter @instantnoodlese @bluebriid @bambamwolf87 @iabigailgarcia @dyanlzbb @sebstanhun @thoughtfullhuman @sbluehi @fanfictionrecommendations-com @spacezombiie @whovianwookie86-captainxev @friendly-neighborhood-lich-queen @titty-teetee @morganhoran1671 @alt-er-love-er-alt

[until-the-joy-drops-again]

One (More) Night

We sat out on the car for awhile...not saying anything...lost in our own thoughts... I soaked in every single second I had her curled up next to me... but it was inevitable that we would have to go back inside...

"I suppose..." she did finally murmur.

"I know... just give me one more minute with you..." I nuzzled her hair, taking another deep breath and breathing her in.

She tightened her grip on me, "the sooner we go in, the sooner we can kick them all out..."

I laughed and I felt it with my entire body. God she was amazing! I grabbed her and kissed her hair, she moved her head so I could kiss her forehead, then her cheek until her lips found mine. I felt sparks, lightning shot through my veins, her touch was electric, her lips were perfect, her body felt like it was made to next to mine.

She pulled away from me slightly, a smile on her lips, "those bastards deserve to know their plan turned out ok."

I couldn't help but chuckle, " yeah, I suppose they do." But I didnt loosen my grip on her.

She got the wickedest look in her eyes then. She leaned in like she was going to kiss me again, my grip on her automatically loosened. Getting ready to grip new areas of her body when-

She jumped back, off the car completely and paused just long enough to meet my totally shocked gaze with twinkling smirk and then took off running to the door.

I lept off the car and took off after her, with her head start she got to the door first and threw it open, but I was just a second behind her. We burst into the house in the middle of Adrien singing. She paused for half a second so she wouldn't run straight into him, and it was just enough for me to catch her.

I grabbed her waist and spun her around to face me, and lifted her off the ground. I spun around in a circle, making her laugh. And even though I could barely hear it over them music, it was one of the greatest sounds I had ever heard in my life.

I loosened my grip on her she slid down towards me. I was still spinning her and she was still laughing. I slid her down until she was at eye level with me and stopped spinning. I kissed her, I felt her hands come up and take my face, pulling me closer to her lips. I was totally lost in her.

I felt her giggle in my arms and it made me smile. I opened my eyes to see her staring back at me. There was so much sparkling in her eyes as she looked at me, the heat, the love, I could FEEL it. I gently set her back on the ground and we both realized we were in the way. She took my hand and we moved towards the couch where Sam had been sitting but motioned for us to take his spot as he stood up and moved off to the side.

I sat down first and pulled her down, wrapping my one arm around her shoulders and the other across her stomach. She snuggled into me, her head laying on my shoulder, her arms going around my waist.

I couldn't stop smiling. I was so happy just sitting there with her.... and with all our old, and new, friends. I looked around the room and realized there were quite a few new faces, and a lot of faces I hadnt seen in a very long time, but even so, each and every face held a smile when i made eye contact. I knew i needed to to make my rounds and reconnect with everyone.... but I just wasnt ready to let go of her yet.

A few minutes later, Adrien finished his song and called an end to the "band practice." As the guys started breaking down equipment, those with nothing to do all started to gather around us on the couch.

We talked and laughed and caught up over the next two hours. The entire time I couldn't get over how wonderful it all felt, being home again. Besides my band mates, these people were my family, and I had forgotten how much they fed my soul. It made it even better having her sitting with me, talking and laughing, teasing. Every second that past healed a part of me that I hadnt even realized was damaged.

Finally Seth caught a small pause in the flurry of conversation, "it's getting late, we should probably let these two have the rest of the night to themselves."

"Better not forget anything," Adrien piped up, "these two wont resurface for years," he smiled at the two of us as everyone started to stand up.

She and I stood up too. I finally had to break my hold on her as I clasped hands and exchanged hugs as we said goodbye. I thanked every single one of them as they left. Soon there was no one left in the house except her and I.

I stepped back from the door as she waved and shut it behind everyone, then she turned towards me. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me. I felt her let out a sigh as I buried my face in her hair. We just stood like that for a little while before she pulled back a little. She took my hand and led me back over to the couch.

I sat down sideways and pulled her down next to me. She turned so she sat half facing me, half leaning into me. I wrapped my arms back around her and pulled her close, she leaned her head on my chest.

I stroked her hair, "talk to me." I knew she would know what I meant, that I had talked all night and gotten a lot off my chest, but now it was her turn. I knew it wouldn't be easy to hear, but I didnt have the luxury of not hearing it. She sighed again, but this time it was staggered and tense.

"I lost a big piece of me when you left," she kept her head on my chest, not looking at me.

"I thought I had done something wrong... and that hurt a lot... not knowing why you walked out...I mean NOW I get it," she pushed off of me and leaned back to look at me. She studied my face for a few seconds then looked away again.

"You have always been the one person-the ONLY person I never had a filter for. You were my best friend, an extension of myself, the person I could always talk to... and then... you weren't there anymore..." she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye for just a second before staring back at the floor.

I gripped her with my hands, I wanted to hold her but I knew that, at that moment, i couldn't. I needed to let her do her no matter how badly I wanted to intervene.

"Adam," she sighed again and turned to look at me, I saw her eyes glistening with tears, breaking my heart.

"After awhile...I hated you..." she sniffled as she blinked back tears, "it felt like the worst breakup of my life, and I didnt even know why...." finally a tear slipped down her face but she quickly and angrily wiped it away, frowning slightly at herself.

"I had a lot of pain I had no way of handling... was it me? Was it you? What did I do to deserve being completely abandoned by MY person?"

I couldn't stand it anymore and I went to hold her, to try and shield her from the thoughts running through her head. To try and help carry the pain she was digging back out after burying it so well. But she put her hand on my chest and physically stopped me from scooping her into me. And I felt her hand pushing my heart back, her nails digging into it, I felt it twisting in my stomach, I felt it squeazing all the air it out of my lungs.

I looked at her eyes and saw it all. i saw the anger, I saw the confusion she had to turn into hate to be able to move past it. Then, suddenly, her image became blurry and I realized I was fighting back my own tears. I took a breath to say I was sorry but I stopped myself and it killed me... but I had to let her go...

After a few seconds, her eyes softened and her body started to relax. Her shoulders lowered, and the hand that was still planted firmly on my chest drew back. She ran it up to my face and cupped my cheek, rubbing it with her thumb.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, searching the depths of her eyes.

"I want you to understand that I'm not mad now, but I have a lot of hurt I need to re-evaluate so please let me take my time on it."

I nodded as I felt her back relax under my hand and I very lightly applied a little pressure to it... this time she let me pull her in. I wrapped her up and I felt her arms go around me and pull me towards her. I rested my cheek on the top of her head.

"I will do everything in the universe I can to show you how sorry I am that I ever made you feel even an ounce of what i made you feel."

Her head turned upwards to look at me, "I know you are, I know you didnt mean for it to happen, I just have a lot of bricks I need to pick up from the wall that was just knocked down in my head."

I smirked at her, "well lucky for you, you have a big muscled man to help," I let go of her for only a second while I flexed for her, hoping she would laugh.

"You're such a dork," but she was giggling.

I wrapped my arms back around her and nuzzled her face, "that's 100% accurate... but I'm YOUR dork."