#would've shaded 'em but I got tired-

[axewchao]

I swore to myself that I would do something for MerMay this year. No real reason, just something I promised myself I'd do.

And after more or less nagging myself to do it all day, I finally did it!

This year's MerMay stars the M&M ship! Morton's been searching the seas all day to find the perfect gift for a pretty Merkoopa he's known for a while, and his efforts paid off in the form of a pretty little pearl!

Makani's never been given such a lovely present before, she feels like the luckiest girl in the entire ocean! Expect lots of nuzzles and kisses in your near future, Mort~ X3c

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic 1210: Gardening with Mr. Xiao Long (RWBY)

2:41 p.m. The Xiao Long Cabin's Backyard........

'Cling'

Oscar: ('Phew') (Uses his Arm to Wipe the Sweat Off his Forehead While Panting and Holding onto the Stick Part of the Shovel He Placed Next to the Now Slightly Shaded Garden) Okay! I think....That's everything.....for now.....

Tai: (Chuckles Lightly) Hey now, don't get tired on me just yet there, kiddo! I thought you're used to this kind of work.

Oscar: (Turns to his Girlfriend's Father) I am. Heck, I'm all for doing more of it nowadays, but not in this level of heat capacity. It's unbearable!

Tai: That's the Summer Heat for ya. It's so hot that it could make even most strongest willed warriors worn out after a while.

Oscar: Yeah, but did it really have to be here now? It's not even technically Summer yet!

Tai: (Smiles More Sheepishly) True, but it.....practically already start the moment the first day of June came around, so.....

Oscar: ('Sigh') You're not wrong there. The road was already filled with traffic before Ren brought me here.

Tai: (Shrugs) Eh. The roads are always busy in Patch, no matter the season- (Forms a Cheeky Grin) Or Weather the forecast~

'Badum Tssss'

Oscar: (Eyes Widened Before Slowly Turning his Head to Taiyang) Was that pun you made just now?

Tai: Yep! Been a long while since I've made one believe it or not, so I gotta make up for lost times. 'Less I wanna be pass my- (Points and Shows Off his Watch) time! (Chuckles Some More)

Oscar: ('Sigh') You are definitely Yang's father alrght.....

Tai: Hey, if you can stomach through my little firecracker's puns on a daily, you can handle a few of mines as well. (Wraps his Arm Around Oscar's Shoulder) Now, come on, let's head back in and get away from this heatwave before it gets even more un-BEAR-able! (Let's Out a Single Laugh Before Walking Himself and Oscar Back to the House) I still got it.

Oscar: (Oh god. He really is the King of Corny Dad Puns......)

Inside of Xiao Long's Cabin............

Tai: (Pouring a Two Glasses of Cold Lemonade for Both Him and Oscar) Thanks again for helping me take care of the garden out there, Oscar. There's no way I would've gotten everything done alone in that heat. (Hands Oscar his Drink)

Oscar: (Smiles Softly) It's no problem at all, Mr. Xiao Long. As exhausting as today was, I'm glad we got the chance to spend time together today at least. You're a pretty good company to have around. (Takes a Sip of his Drink)

Tai: (Smiles Brightly) Likewise, kiddo! Better be careful now. (Forms a Playful Smirk) We wouldn't want the girls thinking I'm stealing you away from them.

Oscar: ('Scoffs') Please. As if those two would ever get mad at their dad, let alone over me of all people.

Tai: (Takes a Sip of his Lemonade) I dunno. You seem like a pretty lovable guy for people to protect and fight tooth and nail over.

Oscar: That's true. I can't begin to tell you how many legs Nora broken trying to kept me from getting killed in battle......

Tai: (Chuckles Lightly) Is that right? I take it her and Pyrrha playing the mother hens these days?

Oscar: Yep. They can be a bit much at times, but I still love 'em regardless. Jaune and Ren too. They're all are amazing to have around.

Tai: Good! I'm happy life been treating you a whole lot better these days, especially after all the crap you all had to endure.

Oscar: ('Sighs Heavily') You said it. To this day, it still surprises how far I've come to here, with and without Ozpin's help.

Tai: You ever missed having him around?

Oscar: Sometimes. We never see eye-to-eye in a few instances, but it was nice to have him around inside my head until the very end, especially when we're both at the lowest we've been in our lives.

Tai: (Smiles Softly) I'm glad you two got along throughout all of it. That man has been a tortured soul for as long as i knew him, which made sense to me why he doesn't trust people as easily as either of us do these days.

Oscar: ('Sigh') Yeah, that's been a century issue believe it or not. B-But he had gotten better at it overtime! Even more so when everyone stop being angry and gave him one more chance, despite their trust in him weren't the same as it was before. (Sighs Once More) But regardless, I'm just glad he's finally resting in peace now.

Tai (Happily Nodded in Agreement) As he should.

Oscar and Taiyang raise their glasses of lemonade towards one another before taking another sip of their respective drinks.

Tai: ('Sighs Relaxingly') You know, Ruby's been talking about you quite a lot these days.

Oscar: She has?

Tai: Yeah. Way before you two started dating. I mean, she talks a lot about her and your friends as well, but....not exactly in a way she does on you, if you catch my drift.

Oscar: I- (Raises an Eyebrow a Bit in Confusion) think so?

Tai: Like, how happy you've made her and how you've inspired her to better herself as huntress and person and what have you.

Oscar: Ohhh! Okay, gotcha. (Chuckles a But Before Rubbing The Back of his Head and Putting on a More Sheepish Smile) I honestly feel like she inspired me a lot more if anything. Can't imagine what my life would've been like if Oz didn't convinced me to go meet her and the others in Mistral.......

Tai: (Casually Shrugs) I'm sure you two would've met under different circumstances. (Smiles Brightly) Even then, there wouldn't be any doubt in my mind that you two would be a perfect match for one another.

Oscar: (Stares at Taiyang For a Brief Second Before Happily Bowing his Head to Him) Thank you, sir. I'm not as strong as Ruby, at least when it comes to combat, but I promise I'll continue to keep her safe.

Tai: You don't have to the strongest in the globe to try and look after her, yoi know? You're a team, partners in crime busting. You really think Ruby gonna let you fight on your own at your very lowest?

Oscar: No, she would beat 'em down in a bloody pulp if anyone dares lay a finger on me. Her words.

Tai: (Burst Out Laughing) Exactly! She'll always have your back and you'll always have hers, even when she'll propose to you on the spot one of these days!

Oscar: Pretty sure that's too early to- Wait. (Raises an Eyebrow Again) You think Ruby will propose before me?

Tai: (Forms a Cheeky Grin) I believe so, yes~ Girl's loves you way too much not to at this point. Especially since she takes under her mother, Summer.

Oscar: She proposed to you in the past?

Tai: Oh yeah. Night out under the stars, in the middle of the forest. (Starts Snickering) She quickly swept me off my feet and kissed me the very moment I said "Yes". That was like the most romantic thing she'd done yet!

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Oho she is definitely Ruby's mom alright.

Tai: What? She swepts you off your feet too?

Oscar: More times than I can could.

'Door Opens'

WE'RE HOOOOOOME!~

Oscar: (Sighs as He and Tai Turns to See Two Very Familiar Faces Entering the Room) Speaking of which.......

Tai: (Smiles Brightly at his Two Daughters, Ruby and Yang) Hey there, ladies! How was your mini patrol today?

Yang: (Rolls her Eyes a Bit) As uneventfully time wasting as you can imagine.

Ruby: Yeah, they weren't any sight of Grimm anywhere so they let us come back home early. Which is great- (Rushes Over and Hugs Oscar Very Lovingly) Cause we missed you like crazy, honey!~

Yang: (Gently Ruffles the Top of Oscar's Hair With a Bright Smile) Hope you and dad had a great time at home together today. He wasn't boring you too much, was he?

Oscar: Nah. Not really. He was cool enough to make us both lemonade after I helped him take care of his garden and whatnot.

Tai: (Forms Another Cheeky Grin) I'm a good company in his eyes. Possibly better you girls are.

Yang: ('Playfully Scoffs') Please. I'm a FAR more funner company for him than you'll be, old man.

Ruby: (Starts Pouting at her Sister and Father) Um hello! Girlfriend in the room! I'm clearly the most superior company he ever has around here!~

Yang: Over Nora? I don't believe it.

Tai: Yeah, that kind seems far fetched there, kiddo.

Ruby: (Comically Glares at the Two) IS NOT!!

Oscar: Guys, guys, you ALL are amazing company to me. Now cool already.

Yang: (Points at Ruby) I will once she's brave enough to pop the question~

Ruby: (Turns to Yang) Hey! I'll put a ring on his finger one of these days, quit rushing me!!

Tai: (Watches the Girls Bicker Along with a Flustered Oscar) Well, whaddya know? (Gives Oscar a Bit of a Cocky Like Smirk) I was right on the money this hole-time~

'Bada Tssssss'

Oscar: (Gives his Future Father in Law a Deadpinned Look) Don't start. (Turns Back to his Girlfriend) Hey Ruby, I have a surprise to give you if you shimmer down a bit.

Ruby: (Growling at Tongue Sticked Out Yang Before Quickly Turning Back to Oscar) ('Gasps') You do? Truly?

Oscar: Yeah. (Gets Himself Up From his Seat) It's not much, but consider this a token for your hardwork as a huntress- (Gives Ruby a Kiss on the Cheek Before Turning Away, Blushing and Smiling a Little) As well as being the best girlfriend I could ever ask for~

Yang: (Clasps her Hands Together in Awe) Awwww~ That's so sweet~

Tai: (Chuckles Lightly) And very gentleman like!~ That kid's a real keeper, Ruby.

Ruby: (Giggles Softly While Blushing as Well) You darn right he is!~ (Hugs Oscar Again) How bold of you to kiss me in front if my dad like that, Mister Farm Boi!~

Oscar: (Shrugs) Yeah, well, it took every nerve in my body to even think about doing this. Don't expect this to be a recurring thing.

Ruby: Don't worry, I won't. (Forms a Mischievous Grin on her Face) Buuuuuuuuut~

Oscar: Oh god, what is it?

Ruby: Given that you've been so kind as to bond and help my dad with gardening, I think it's right that I return a favor, no?~

Oscar: Yeah, sure, if that's what you wanna- DO!? (Immediately Gets Swept Off His Feet by Ruby)

Ruby: (Happily Carrying Oscar in a Bridal Carry) Of course!~ (Looks Down at Oscar With a More Flirtatious Smirk on her Face) Now brace yourself and plucked up~ (Ignite her Kissy Fury Upon Oscar's Freckled Face)

Oscar: (Chuckles Ticklishly by Ruby's Love and Affection) Rubyhehehe!~ Not in front of your familyhe!~

Yang: (Let's Out a Bit of a Playful Grossed Out Noise While Watching the Couple's Antics Along with Her Father) ('Ugh') Young love.

Tai: (Smirks at Yang) Oh and like you haven't done the same to Blake.

Yang: Hey, at least we had the common decency to do it closed doors. Those two have no shame at all!

Tai: Just like your mother and I~

Yang: Summer or Raven?

Tai: ...............Yes.

Yang: (Sighs While Rolling her Eyes) Barf.

Tai: Hey, you asked!

Yang: And I'm regretting it as we speak! (Turns Back to Taiyang) Get off my freaking back!!

Tai: Twerp!

Yang: Old Fart!

Tai and Yang glare at each other for a few seconds before they start breaking down laughing.

Yang: ('Sigh') But no seriously though, dad. I'm glad you like Oscar.

Tai: (Smiles Softly as He Wrap his Arm Around his Elder Daughter's Arm) I am too, Yang. He's a really good kid and so long as he keeps my girl happy, that's good enough for me. Though I do wish he would appericate my puns a lot more. I'm getting desperate here.

Yang: (Gently Pats her Dad on the Back) He'll come around to them eventually.

Happy Father's Day!!!

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

@bestpony666

@maripr

@rwbyrosegardenweek

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

I can thank my good friend @that-one-thespian for the inspiration for this piece c:

TWs: Poisoning, illness

Bastian shivered, hands shoved in his pockets as they continued walking. Mariano was saying something to him, wiping blood from his sword after their last encounter with some hunters. It was fuzzy, the syllables floating through his brain without sticking and only serving to feel like flies in late summer.

"Bastian."

Bastian just about ran Mariano over when he abruptly stopped in front of him. "What the fuck are you doing?" He snapped at his mage, lip curling into a snarl. "We need to get to town."

"Look at me." Mariano didn't even seem to think about the growl as he reached to feel Bastian's forehead. "You're cold."

"I'm fine." Bastian argued, not quite pulling away from Mariano's hand. He couldn't meet the other's eyes.

Mariano frowned, starting to look Bastian over. "You're sick." His palms cupped Bastian's face, guiding him to tilt his head this way and that before finally releasing him. Bastian's head spun alongside Mariano's circling footsteps. Warm hands found his side, and Mariano spoke as he walked. "When did you get hurt?"

Bastian shrugged, the ground beginning to sway under him. "During the fight, one of 'em got me with a...with a dagger or something."

Mariano was very still for a moment, before one of his hands moved to Bastian's back. "We're making camp now." Bastian found that he didn't want to argue as he was lead towards the shade of some trees and guided down onto the sweet-smelling grass.

The wind in his hair swept warmth over him, drying the sweat that had started beading on his brow. "Acting like I'm dying." He muttered when Mariano crouched near him and swept his cloak over him like a blanket.

"You won't if I have anything to say about it." The crackle of a new fire started up beside them, and Bastian heard the clank of a pot being set up and filled with water. His stomach rolled at the thought of eating, and he swallowed hard. "I know how to neutralize the poison they likely used."

"I'm lucky." Bastian muttered, feeling more tired by the moment. He could hear Mariano scraping stone on stone, using the mortar and pestle they'd picked up not a town or two ago.

A bitter tang met his nose, and then a cup was at his lips with a terrible, thick soup inside. "Swallow all of this." Bastian could taste the crushed herbs before they even hit his tongue, and it took everything he had to open his mouth and not just stubbornly turn his head away.

"Good, good." Mariano said, voice oddly lilting as he took his hand away. This time, plain water was given to him. "It'll take a while, but this'll help your body deal with everything. Helps with pain, too."

Bastian didn't quite remember night falling. He didn't remember the sun sinking below the horizon, or Mariano cooking anything. He certainly didn't remember getting to put his head on Mariano's lap.

When he opened his eyes, his face was pressed into Mariano's shirt and calloused fingers were slowly slipping through his hair. The darkness had all but swallowed them both, but he could barely make out the ring of silver in Mariano's eyes as he looked out over the rolling hills.

As ice lanced through his muscles, Bastian didn't know why he reached out to take Mariano's other hand. Bastian threaded their fingers together, marveling at how heavy his arm felt, at how comfortably warm Mariano felt. He didn't know why Mariano let him.

Shivering and curling in on himself, Bastian started to fall asleep again. If he wasn't dying from poisoning, he would've thought that Mariano had started humming while stroking his hair. It was a stupid thought, no matter how warm it made his chest feel.

The next day was just as hazy, slipping through his fingers like the wind itself. There was more bad soup, and more water, and Mariano wasn't there all the time but the storm-thick smell of his magic was always close. When the crickets began to sing again, Bastian awoke to water being sponged over his forehead and uncontrollable shivering wracking his frame. Each bout drew tiny, annoying noises from his throat, silver eyes squeezing shut as his aching limbs screamed.

"Your fever is breaking." Mariano mused, meeting Bastian's dazed glance before his face disappeared against his mage's stomach again. "I think you'll be feeling much better sometime tomorrow."

Bastian didn't think he'd ever feel better, as his clawed hands gripped at Mariano's steady waist and hands. Ice ran through his bones as his skin broiled. Even the water Mariano brought to his lips felt like too much. He kept it down, though, along with the awful herb soup.

Morning came as abruptly as night had, and with it, the circles under Mariano's eyes darkened further. Bastian blinked hard, trying to remember how to put the words he wanted together. He wasn't burning or freezing. The pain was gone.

The golden light made Mariano look like an angel.

"Hey." Bastian croaked.

"Hey." Mariano murmured, one thumb tracing circles along Bastian's temple. "You didn't die."

"Y'didn't let me."

[ryanlockheart]

xander knew he might be a little naïve or gullible, but he had alfie to protect him. he might have underestimated how cruel cambridge could be, but his handsome roommate was always there to remind him to trust no one. there was something so genuine about it all that he had no choice but to believe him. for that very reason, xander was weary to trust anyone except alfie. it had been one hell of a night, one that he wasn't exactly prepared for... but in the end, he wanted nothing more than just to get back to alfie. "i don't think anyone sniffs hair like that, alfie! you're making that up," xander countered with a chuckle. some might have been scared off by alfie's protective tendencies, but the redhead found it endearing. plus, it was fun to tease him about it. he liked seeing alfie squirm just a little bit. "yeah, yeah... you can deny it all y'want, alfie, but i can tell," xander hummed. he giggled softly, shaking his head. "i don't think you'd be half as devoted to makin' sure 'm safe if y'didn't like me like that. 's okay... y'don't have to admit it." "how's milkin' you for every load ya have sound?" xander questioned, wide green eyes peering up at alfie. he didn't know where the sudden confidence came from, but it was very much needed. he had no choice but to act on the burning desire that had been building up in his chest for so long. "is that a bad thing?" he hummed, wiggling a brow. as the older male started to lay out his fantasies, xander could feel something awaken inside of him. he was tired of being the poster child for being well behaved and doing good. he wanted to be bad, to feel a little dirty — and alfie did just that. "sounds like the best way to shut me up... ya've got free pass to do it, alfie," he giggled. xander crawled a little closer to the ridiculously tall boy, his plump ass on full display in the process. "might be the best idea you've ever had," the ginger chirped, his eager little fingertips danced across alfie's thighs. there was nothing but want and need for alfie in his chest. "i've thought about your tongue more than you could imagine," xander admitted, pale cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. "i'd be begging you to fuck me, daddy. been tryin' to catch your eye this whole time."

his own crush had been getting worse and worse with each passing day. it had taken him getting buzzed a little to work up the courage to even think about mentioning it to alfie. things had just turned out more in his favor when he'd caught alfie in a compromising position. "you'd have to be like... an axe murderer for me to hate you, so i think 'm good, alfie," xander hummed, his pale face flushed. he had alfie right where he wanted him. he was eating right out of the palm of his hand, and xander couldn't have been happier. "my little feet are all yours, daddy," the smaller boy promised with a smirk on his lips. "y'can do whatever ya want to 'em! if you wanna get your tongue all on 'em and get 'em nice and sloppy or if y'wanna get 'em drenched in your cum... y'get to use 'em however ya want!" xander was new to it, but he was having the time of his life. alfie suddenly bucked up into his wet heat, and the younger boy struggled to keep things cool. he choked a little, drool sputtering all over the place... but he really liked the feeling. he liked having a throat full of alfie's cock — something about it was exciting. "don't be sorry," xander assured him, slapping the tip against his extended tongue. he then let his face nuzzle in those low-hanging balls, breathing in that manly musk. he pressed delicate kisses to the soft flesh. "fuck, daddy, y'smell so good," he whined. his wicked little tongue was lapping stripes along the soft sac. his green eyes never left alfie, watching eagerly as the older male brought his sweaty socks to his nose. he never would've taken alfie to be into feet, but it made sense in hindsight — xander had caught his eyes on his feet a few times but had just written it off. he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard alfie's yelp of pleasure. white ropes painted his face, his tongue hanging out of his mouth to catch any excess. xander moaned out in pleasure, hips rutting against the mattress for some friction. "thank you, daddy," xander giggled. he suckled at the tip after all was said and done, lapping up the last bit of cum. he swallowed it right down. "do i look pretty?" he questioned. "you ready for my feet? or maybe i should get a taste of yours since i've been so good..."

on the outside, the university of cambridge was a prestige institution with a reputation for molding young minds. its buildings were handcrafted and hundreds of years old. generations of his family's men had walked its halls and studied in its many libraries. the carmichaels had a pristine reputation, and then alfie came along. no one had warned alfie of the darkness that loomed over the campus, that possessed its student body and turned them into carnivorous beasts with a lust for blood. he learned that the hard way, by having the details of his personal life feasted upon and best friend's life drained from his body. alfie would be damned if xander met the same fate, no matter what he had to do to stop it.

"trust me, i'm gonna," alfie assured. he wasn't going to let just anyone fall into xander's life. "when day he's your lab partner, and the next he's snuck into our room and stolen a lock of your hair to sniff while he sleeps. there are weirdos out there, xander." whilst alfie was sporting a sizable soft spot for his new roommate, he wasn't exactly thrilled to have xander call him out so blatantly. "i don't have a crush on you!" he protested. "so what, i want to ensure your safety at all times, and i'd murder anyone who messed with you. that doesn't mean i have a crush on you."

"—and how are you gonna do that?" alfie asked with a lifted brow. xander had no idea that he'd already proven it, and alfie didn't care to fill him in. the last thing he needed was for xander to get an even bigger head. "you might wanna kill me after i say this, but... you talk a lot during films," alfie said, bracing for impact. when it didn't come, he carried on. "it's a lot less, well, coordinated than that. i just wanna push your face into the mattress, rip your knickers off, and pound that sweet little ass 'til you can't make out proper sentences." his cheeks flushed soft pink at the revelation, but once he started, he couldn't stop. "there are other times, though... like when you do homework, and i can tell you're getting frustrated," he said, swallowing a gulp. "makes me wanna throw everything off your desk and spread you out on top of, get down on my knees and eat you out until you can't think about your studies anymore. god, y'just look so soft... i'd take my sweet time worshipping every inch of your body."

perhaps that wasn't something that someone without a crush would've said, but why should he care?! alfie was pretty sure that xander knew his denials were a crock of shit anyway, and he could no longer contain himself. alfie was down bad for xander. he couldn't hide it. "i didn't mean... i just meant that you still have a lot to learn about me, before y'go claiming you could never hate anything about me," alfie chuckled softly. "you're doing great at all the other stuff... just so you know." he couldn't take his eyes away from xander — well, he could, but only to lust after those tiny little feet. xander might not have the most experience, but he knew what he was doing. "do whatever you want, baby," alfie groaned. "just know i'm gonna be doing a lot more with your feet, blowing a load on 'em is just the start."

"you're evil," alfie moaned out, struggling to remain still under such intense pleasure. his hips bucked forward as xander suckled at his tip, sending the massive length down the younger boy's throat. "sh—shit, sorry!" he yelped, running a hand through his hair. "just... feels really good, won't do it again." xander's socks hadn't even landed on his lap before they were pressed to his face. they were ripe, just as xander had described, and his scent was intoxicating. "fuck, thank you," alfie replied. chills traveled down his spine as xander's face pressed into his heavy sac, cock twitching in his soft hand with every stroke of his tongue. "keep going, baby... 'm gettin' close," alfie warned, eyes clenched shut. his toes curled in his own socks as xander's were brought to his mouth. as xander's sweat resonated on his tastebuds, alfie was cumming with a pathetic yelp. "shit... there y'go, princess. take daddy's load, you earned it," he hissed, white spurts coating xander's pretty face. "st—stick your tongue out, make sure you savor it."

[roguerogerss]

A Hard Day’s Night

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Plot: You’re just about to go to bed, when you get an unsuspected visit from a certain supersoldier. 

W/C: 2.2k

Warnings: angst, mentions of blood/injury, language, fluff.

(A/N: Hello again! Here’s another Bucky fic bbys! This has been unfinished in my drafts for the LONGEST time, and I finally got around to finishing it! Thank you so much for the support on ‘Safe Haven’! It really means the world to a small blog like me that people r enjoying my shtuffff. If you enjoy, pls remember to like and reblog! Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated!)

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It was three in the morning, and the sky had gone a shade of dark blue when I finally decided that maybe it would be a good time to sleep. I was notorious for not turning the TV off before going to bed, and that night was no different. It was a comfort thing, even though I was fully aware that it was racking up electricity bills, and that I’d be sorry for it at the end of the month.

When I rounded the corner, from the hallway to my bedroom, the only source of light was coming from the still-open curtains, which I didn’t bother to close before getting changed. No one was awake, and I figured that, if anyone was, they might as well have looked. I set an alarm for ten, even though I knew that I would blank it and wake up closer to two in the afternoon anyway, and then I lay on my bed and looked at the ceiling.

It was quiet, peaceful, tranquil. I enjoyed being awake at ungodly hours because it meant that, while I was awake, the world was asleep. I felt superior, like I’d beaten the system and was on an entirely different wavelength from the rest of New York City. Like the birds that I could hear in the distance were my only concerns, and that they were the only ones who truly understood me in of myself. I could’ve laughed at myself for sounding so philosophical in my own head, but I didn’t.

The silence was soothing and unbroken until, was that? No, it couldn’t be. Grunts? Groaning? My face contorted as I listened to whatever the noise was getting closer to my window. It didn’t so much as scare me, it was more worrying. I sat up just in time for my window to be slid open from the outside, not noticing the blur of silver metal and flesh in my state of panic. I was on the verge of picking up the lamp that sat next to my bed to whack the creature with, before the all too familiar figure hopped onto my windowsill and the fear that I was feeling was alleviated.

Bucky motherfucking Barnes.

He held his hands out to me, like he was surrendering, but he still had this grin on his face that he knew could make me melt. I hated him for not knocking, even though I knew that he didn’t knock, that he never had and probably never would. He simply let himself in, and, most nights - all nights - I was okay with that.

“Hey.” Bucky said. He said it so passively, like he hadn't just climbed twelve floors so that he could crawl through my window. Like he hadn't just done it without breaking a sweat. Like this wasn't the first time I'd seen him in almost a month, and it wasn't nearly four AM.

"What are you doing?" I sighed. I sat back down and admired him in his place, with his back against the window frame. He was attractive at all times, from all angles, but I liked him best in the low light of the early hours of the morning. The hollows of his cheekbones and jaw seemed more visible, chiseled, and his skin seemed perfect and unflawed. It was almost like the scars and blemishes that he'd acquired from past missions and suchlike simply ceased to exist. His eyes seemed brighter, more blue, with the way that the dim light reflected in them.

"I know you're probably mad." He pulled one knee up to his chest, circling his arms around it, and stretched his other leg out so that his foot was touching the other side of the window frame. "I don't expect you to be fine with me. Was on a mission, three weeks long, that's why I haven't been around. I know it's late, but I needed to see you as soon as I could."

I stayed quiet as I tilted my head back to look up at the ceiling. There were little patterns on it that I hadn't noticed before. They were faint, because the building was old, and I tried to decipher what they might be. I made a mental note to myself to try to figure out what they were at some other point.

"I would've called, but I was pretty badly hurt and tired most nights. Thought seeing me like that might've upset you." Bucky continued, but I still didn't speak. I didn't want to. I thought maybe I wanted to be mad, wanted some reason to be, but now that he'd given me nothing, I decided to do the same.

"Can you say something? Anything, please?"

I took a shaky breath. It was supposed to be deep, long, but my lungs felt shallow and like they had shrunk in capacity. "I would've liked it if you'd called. Would've been nice to see you."

I was being cold with him and I knew that I was, it was no coincidence and certainly no accident. My eyes were still fixated on the ceiling, trying to concentrate on the unknown patterns instead of Bucky. "Would've been nice to see me?"

I nodded, feeling stupid and like I could've cried, and Bucky scoffed in response. "Tell me, you think it would've been nice to see this?"

Bucky's flesh hand went to the side of his burgundy shirt, which I had seen before, and pulled it up just enough for me to see a large, swollen, red gash on his side. I knew that he'd been slashed by a knife, just from the look of it, but I looked away because I didn't want to see it.

I blinked down at my lap, and shook my head, at a loss for words and really just wanting to go to sleep. It was getting light outside, the intensity of the bird's screeching and bickering becoming increasingly more as the conversation went on.

"Of course you don't. Why would you?" Bucky sounded angry, like I'd personally offended him by not wanting to see the obscene laceration to his side.

"You could've still called. It's not obligatory for you to show me your wounds, in all of their glory."

"I heal overnight, sweetheart. If you get in a fight with someone, and they pull a knife on you, you're always left with more than one cut. And let's not forget that we never had any time to shower, so I was all dust and dirt and dried blood, plus a few stab wounds. Couldn't speak for a week, either, stabbed in the base of the neck and severed my vocal chords. Dr Cho managed to fix 'em up." Bucky had been staring out of the window, at the sky, which was orange and blue due to the rising sun, for the entire time that we'd been speaking. He hadn't looked at me at all, like he was trying to keep his composure and, if he saw my face, he'd lose it.

"Tell me, honestly, would you have wanted to see me like that?" I loved his voice. It was raspy and deep, but still managed to relax me, even when his words were harsh. Hearing him speak took me back to countless nights in my bed, when I'd be woken up by nightmares and Bucky would lull me back to sleep by simply telling me one of his stories from the 1940s. I was like a baby, latching onto his every word until they blurred together, became one, and I fell asleep in his arms.

"You could've texted." I said, lamely.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." I was done with the argument, and I made that clear in my voice and in my words. I wasn't unbothered by the situation at hand, that he hadn't visited, or called, that he'd seemingly forgotten about my existence and fallen off the face of the earth for three weeks, but I was so tired. All I could think about was going to sleep, but I wanted Bucky to be there beside me when I did.

"Are we okay now?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and a smirk adorned his face as he took his first look of the night in my direction. It wasn't a big gesture, but the look that he had about him made my heart flutter and beat erratically within the confines of my chest.

I smiled and lay back on my bed, with my hands clasped over my abdomen, ankles crossed, and head lulled back into the white pillows that were placed at the headboard. "Get changed and come here." I pointed to the white dresser that sat at the foot of my bed, and Bucky knew that I was asking him to stay the night, but he didn't seem to want to leave.

He got up, and I heard the heavy thumps of his combat boots against the floor. His footsteps were so loud and it was so late that I was sure that the couple who lived in the apartment directly below mine would complain about the noise the next morning. I heard Bucky opening the drawer, the one that was inexplicably his drawer, and I propped my head up on my hand to watch him.

He peeled his shirt off, inspected the gash on his side — which was already beginning to knit itself shut — and then discarded of his cargo pants and black boots somewhere on the floor of my bedroom. I didn't mind, instead, I watched the muscles in his back flex deliciously as he pulled on a pair of basketball shorts that I kept for when he stayed over.

I had one of his shirts, but he didn't bother putting it on for whatever reason, tiredness or just a general lack of desire to wear one. "It's rude to stare." He turned around, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he crawled towards me from the end of my bed.

Bucky placed a hand on my stomach, hiking up the big shirt that I was wearing so that he could press a kiss to the space above my belly button, the space below it, my hipbones over the pink and white cotton panties that I had on, the insides and outsides of my thighs, the backs of my knees. And then he pushed my legs open and lay between them, sighing as he buried his face in my chest.

One of my hands found his long, dark hair, which was freshly washed and smelled like apples, and the other found his jaw, clean shaven, soft.

"It's four in the morning." My fingers massaged Bucky's scalp while I stated the nonsensical words. I was unaware of what they were supposed to mean, what I wanted him to take from them, but I allowed him to interpret them in whatever way he wanted.

"Mm." Bucky hummed, like he was content or half-asleep, and then he propped his chin lightly on my stomach and looked up at me through his thick, dark lashes. His eyes were so striking that I couldn't help the way that my breath hitched, the way my tongue came out to wet my bottom lip, the way that I felt like butterflies were going berserk in my stomach. "What, you wanna sleep?"

“If that's not too much to ask." I giggled, watching intently as Bucky's eyes flicked over my face and his lips twitched in a tiny smile. He shook his head and kissed my collarbone, before rolling off of me and onto his side. I turned over to face him, and he held my face in his hands and smiled.

"'Course not. I haven't slept properly in weeks." He tugged my face towards his, looked at me with that lopsided grin that set butterflies loose in my stomach, and then captured my lips with his own. It was a sloppy kiss, one that indicated how tired we both were, but it felt nice. Nice to have him back, nice to have finally stopped arguing, nice to be laying in his arms. It just felt nice.

Bucky pulled back, as if to admire me in all of my half-asleep-messy-haired glory, and grinned lazily. “Goodnight, beautiful.” He dragged the comforter up to both of our chins and pulled me close, kissing me on the forehead then. “Sweet dreams.”

I sighed happily, the relief of Bucky being there making my heart swell. It was the same relief that came with Bucky’s return from any mission, whether it was long or short, or whether he had contacted me during it or not. I’d missed him - I always missed him - as much as I liked to pretend that I didn’t.

But he was home, he was here, and he made it clear that he wasn’t going anywhere.