#you should be writing the weird team bonding get along shirt fic about THOSE TWO did we watch the same SHOW

[wastrelwoods]

the zukka problem to me is that nigh on 100% of the sokka characterization present in a given zuko/sokka fic is not by any stretch of the imagination a representation of the fictional man sokka so much as a representation of the fictional man aang, except slightly less interesting, but also the author generally has no particular love for aang and otherwise ignores him

[dear-chaton]

Can’t Cover Up

Okay so this is my first klance fic, I’ve been wanting to write one for a while now and then this happened? Is this character study or keith angst? I’m not sure but it was super fun to write and I hope you enjoy! Oh and thank you so much @it-s-loki for looking this over for me, and screaming with me how cute these boys are :P

And as always I hope you enjoy~

[Read on Ao3]

Or the one where Keith battles with feelings, particularly for a blue paladin

Keith was decidedly done with feelings, though he wasn't quite sure how he got himself into this situation in the first place. It started back at the Garrison, the sinking realization that maybe, just maybe that one cargo pilot that had the ability to befriend everyone he came into contact with—an exception being himself—was nothing short of perfect in his eyes. Keith tried talking to him, but Shiro always did tell him that people weren't his forte. And then suddenly Shiro was missing and in the attempt to find his brother, Keith was kicked out of the Garrison. Thinking back to that day, when he barely had enough time to pack a light bag of his belongings; consisting of his knife, jacket, and keys to a speeder, before taking off. He just had to run into Lance before he could leave the grounds. He could hear the Cuban talking about he had it coming, getting kicked out. That now he finally had a chance to become the fighter pilot he was destined to be. Keith had never known what was his problem, why he was so hated by this one individual. Hearing footsteps behind him jerked him into moving forward, no matter the glare Lance gave him as he rushed past. He wouldn’t make eye contact, he wouldn’t look back, he couldn’t. That should have been the last time he would have seen Lance.

But as fate would have it, saving Shiro was closer to becoming a reality than he would have originally thought. But with the reappearance of his brother came with Lance and two others that he had never seen before.

❝Nope no, no no no. Not happening I’m saving Shiro.❞ He had declared, pushing aside the table where Shiro had been and hoisted his other arm around his shoulders. That sinking feeling was back and in a fit of rage, Keith claimed to forget Lance. ❝Who are you?❞ ❝Who am I?❞ Lance struggled to shift Shiro's weight onto his shoulders, ❝Uh, the names' Lance.❞ The teen blinks at him, continuing on and Keith couldn't exactly be cared less to what he said, just as long as Shiro was out of the Garrison's clutches. Taking them all on a joyride on his precious speeder wasn't part of the plan. But he made it work, asking Hunk to shift his weight around, glancing back to make sure Pidge had a hold on Shiro, hearing Lance's terrified screams along with the others as he jumped off that one cliff. ❝Just shut up and trust me,❞ He had shouted, as Lance clutched his jacket in an attempt to not fall off. That stirred something inside him, but Keith just pushed it aside. ❝What have you been working on?❞ Keith couldn't explain the shack out in the desert that well, couldn't quite put his tongue on the weird energy he felt while out there when he got booted. He stared at the board, even as Shiro introduced himself to Lance and the others. Finding a huge mecha lion, and stumbling into a huge cave with it just sitting there was one of the weirdest things Keith had ever experienced. Riding in the thing with Lance at the helm, he was fucking terrified. And expressed as much. ❝You. Are. The. Worst. Pilot. Ever!❞ And that's how he became a paladin. Well, really how all of them became paladins. Everything became a blur after that; from defeating their first Robeast, to getting the blue lion back from those traitors Rolo and Nyma, it was an adventure all right.

What he wasn't prepared for was the endless fighting with Lance. He knew the boy hated him, but this was a whole other level. This hatred towards him, Keith hadn't felt that since Shiro and his foster days. Once he turned eighteen, he had moved out with Shiro as his guardian. He knew he shouldn't rise to the bait but it was so hard. He was sinking deep into this routine of rivalry, fighting as a paladin and dealing with his inner struggle of finding out who he was. It took them almost losing Allura to Zarkon and getting lost in a wormhole that confirmed it in his mind that they could actually die out here and there was no one back home that would miss him. Everyone that he had ever cared about was right there with him. Not that they all knew it or not. Lance was a character, he always knew that for certain. But lately, after the whole space mall thing, he really thought that they have bonded. Even though Lance denied their original bonding moment after the castle takeover at Arus, he thought they were really making headway. Until the Trials of Marmora happened. Suddenly he was an outcast again. He was the enemy, the same being that they were fighting against and he was completely alone. He didn't trust himself with his three a.m. shadows anymore. He didn't even trust himself to not turn Galra, or however, it is Hunk said when the team found out. Allura couldn't even look him in the eye, Shiro was trying to be supportive but it was that disappointing brotherly look he had years of experience. Keith was done with feeling this way. So he threw himself into training, if they wanted him gone then he would train better than he ever has before. He would prove them wrong, he would show them that he was worth keeping. But it was almost too soon that they were all divided on their missions to finally put a stop to Zarkon. Hunk and he went off searching for a giant space worm that gorged on dead planets while the others did other, more interesting things. Galra Keith, Hunk had decided, was definitely funnier than regular Keith but he wouldn't let that get to him. He wouldn't let anything get to him, it would only prove to show his weakness to others. He wasn't sure how it happened. He was in his room the night before they were going to take out Zarkon, and his door hissed open. He shoved his Marmora blade under his pillow, just as he had done many times before but he guessed it didn't matter now that his heritage had been revealed. Lance walked into the room anyways. He wasn't sure why but he wasn't too keen to find out. ❝Get out.❞ ❝No, you missed dinner, again.❞ The lanky boy crossed his arms, leaning against Keith's bed with practiced ease. He looked like he belonged there, in Keith's room. But it would never happen, he shifted his gaze away from Lance. ❝Nobody missed me before why start now.❞ ❝Because you're part of the team? Because we care about you? Any of this ringing any bells idiot?❞ When Keith didn't respond, his teammate sat himself down next to him. Startled but too shocked to move, he watched as Lance reached behind him to grab his knife. ❝I know you're worried about this and Allura but you can't let it get to you.❞ Keith blinked at Lance, the boy who he had admired throughout all of his Garrison years and suddenly it was too much to for him to bear alone. A tear slipped past his mask. And then another, and then he was crying while Lance watched on with a blank face. He was about to shove him away, didn't want his stupid crush to see him cry when a hand appeared on his back and he was being pushed forward into a chest. That caused him to cry harder, Keith couldn't stop himself once he started and Lance didn't seem to mind. A soothing hand rubbed against his spine, and fingers curled into his hair. He reached forward, grasping Lance's shirt into his fingers, just to hold onto something real and tangible. Lance was muttering something into his ear but he could barely focus on anything than trying to calm his breathing before he got a panic attack. ❝Is that okay?❞ Lance pulled away for only a moment, and Keith was confused. What had he said? He wasn't entirely sure. And Lance guessed as much, chuckling softly before giving him a small smile. ❝Wanna lay down buddy?❞ Keith numbly nodded, shuffling backward until he could give Lance enough room to lay down with him. The severity of the situation hadn't yet caught up with him, as Lance rested down next to him, still running fingers through his hair while Keith lay across his chest. He had never been one to cuddle, it wasn't like him to initiate touch but it was comforting having a body there with him. A body that was Lance. His long-term crush. A dense idiot at that. He stilled, what the fuck was he doing. This wasn't like them, they were normally neck and neck, fighting over every little thing and yet this was the quietest Keith had ever seen Lance in a long time. He wasn't there when the blue paladin confessed to his homesickness, he wasn't there when the boy had rambled on about being the 7th wheel, the dark look that had passed in Shiro's face when he told everyone else, Keith hadn't known what to say. Lance, their goofball of a sharpshooter was just as insecure as the rest of them, if not more. They all had their demons, but Keith never wanted to see that side of Lance ever again. He wanted to sleep next to Lance, he wanted to hold hands and get close to the boy in a way that no one had ever tried. So he let himself relax if Lance recognized that he nuzzled his nose a little farther into his shirt, he didn't say another word. Even if this was the best he was going to get to being close to Lance, Keith was going to take it.

Shiro had gone missing once again after the big fight and Keith lost his goddamn mind. Shiro was his rock, well more recently Lance had become his rock and his comforter but this was two times more than he needed to lose his brother. So he lashed out. He didn't want to lead Voltron, he denied any and all visitors to his room.

Lance got in most nights don't ask him how, and even if they didn't speak, Keith always found himself tangled with Lance in the morning. Allura and Keith had made up before his big mission infiltrating Zarkon's ship but that didn't mean she was totally fine with him taking over leadership. He wanted to scream, he wanted to tear his hair out. Lance would never let him, said his hair was much too soft to be torn out. ❝You should see a space barber if you really want to get rid of it.❞ He had voiced his opinion on the matter, effectively distracting Keith from the matter once again as they settled in for another dreamless night. They didn't fight quite as much anymore, barely did anything at all then run training sessions with Allura as a pilot. Red refused to open to her though, and it was starting to wear them all out. The Black Lion let him enter with ease, just as she had when Shiro was in trouble after their separation out of the wormhole. Still, the whole team was suffering, it wasn't just him. They were slowly falling apart without Shiro and it was all his fault. Until Lance caught on to his intrusive thoughts and would search for him, begging him to sleep with him for a while. It always brought a blush to his face, the crush had not gone away. It had grown far stronger than he thought was capable. He was sinking into something he couldn't put his tongue on but it wasn't good. Lance was better at this kind of thing than he let everyone on. He knew how to distract Keith, distract him from his night terrors and sooth him into calmness. It was a rare feeling, to feel safe like this. Wrapped in someone he cared so deeply about. He no longer let Lance do everything, Keith would follow the blue paladin everywhere, from the training room to the dinner table, he felt at such a peace around him that he couldn't explain. And thankfully, Lance never objected. He wasn't sure how it happened but one night while they were getting ready for bed, Keith all but dropped himself onto Lance. Who in turn laughed and cupped his face as he smiled. There were so much joy and happiness in his eyes that Keith didn't think as he surged forward to catch Lance's lips with his. His recklessness was going to get him killed one day, that much he knew. But this was something different. The other boy froze for a moment before he pulled away, and yet held Keith in place while he desperately wanted to run away. ❝About fucking time,❞ He was confused, and yet so ready to bolt that he gasped when Lance gave him a kiss. And then another and another and before he knew it, his entire face was being kissed by the same lips he's dreamed about since forever. He was still confused. ❝Ah right so I thought a really long time ago that you hated me and I asked Shiro what you thought of me and not to subtly implied that you liked me. I'm sorry!❞ He hadn't even finished his sentence before Keith was bashing a space pillow over top his head, face burning red. ❝That smug bastard how could he?❞ ❝But hey I would have never had the courage to do this otherwise.❞ Again, words went over his head as Lance sat himself up, pulling Keith close to him. ❝I like you, a lot. Actually since the Garrison and maybe Shiro was wrong and maybe that was a pity kiss but maybe after this is over we could try something?❞ He didn't know how to speak, he lost his ability to, so when he found his voice he sputtered out the only thing that came to mind. ❝I want you to pilot Red.❞ ❝Wait for what?❞ ❝I mean yes I would like that but I want you to pilot Red, Allura isn't getting through to her.❞ ❝And you think I can?❞ ❝I know you can Sharpshooter.❞ And Lance's jaw fell slack, he rubbed the back of his neck as something Keith recognized as full on embarrassment. ❝If you say so Mr. Hotshot.❞ They stared at each other for the longest time. It was getting late Earth time, the lights around them dimmed a little bit more with every passing minute. ❝We'll talk in the morning? Tell Allura your grand plan at breakfast?❞ Keith could only nod sleepily, letting his body fall onto the bed unceremoniously as Lance got in after him. They had been sharing beds for a month now, but knowing the boy next to him actually returned his feelings, that maybe things would start to look up, that made him giddy. Keith could barely sleep, Lance conked out fairly fast, who could blame him when Keith trained them as rigorously as he did. He had gone years running on little sleep. It was when he got too much that he was a tired mess, and most of the time it was Lance's fault. So maybe it was his fault that they woke up late the next morning. Maybe Keith had just wanted to spend a little more time with the person who made life bearable again. Yes, Shiro was still gone but he had one hell of a crew to support him and for him to support during this hardship. That didn't stop him from dragging Lance to Red's hanger as soon as the breakfast meeting had adjourned. The other paladins followed closely, some with knowing smiles while others had tears in their eyes as the paladins seemed to move as one in a way they never had before. They were in good hands as the red lion opened its jaws for Lance, whoops and breaths of relief all around. Keith watched on as everyone congratulated Lance, yeah they were a bit broken, but they were strong enough to pull through this. Keith wasn't quite finished with this whole feeling thing, he still had a lot to experience especially if he had that goofball with him.

[writingwithadinosaur]

“Cautious” - Part 4

“Cautious” - Part 4

(Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3)

My Masterlist - Here

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 3,985

Key: Y/N = Your Name, L/N = Your Last Name, H/C = Your Hair Color, E/C = Your Eye Color

Warnings: Some cursing, but nothing else that I could tell.

Summary:  Bucky is now pretty much rehabilitated and able to be part of the group. He has nightmares sometimes, but not nearly as much as he used to. Reader was taken by Hydra and made the subject of experiments due to her having powers (something similar to the force, but not the force). The team rescues her after a mission and takes her in. She struggles with control sometimes, is very skittish sometimes, and hasn't talked to anyone since arriving at the tower. She only talks to Bruce Banner. Soon enough, Bucky takes an interest in her. Let’s see how this unfurls.

Author’s Note: Welcome to Part 4! This is a more lengthy part because I really liked this section and wanted to write a lot. I do write stuff like this to be therapeutic, and this helped. I hope others get enjoyment out of it. I have the next couple of parts planned out too. The next few parts are also going to be on the lengthier side.

This is my interpretation of the characters and the reader is one of my own creation. I leave the names and such open so you can put your own name and features in or you can create your own. I know this may not please everyone, but I’m writing this for myself. I hope people will enjoy this fanfic, but I know that you can’t please everyone.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who has shown so much support with the past pieces I’ve written. I didn’t expect to get such a great response from writing. I hope this storyline doesn’t disappoint!

Special shout out to @goodnightwife for being a wonderful beta reader and wonderful person in general! Please go check out her page for some cute fics as well!

If you would like to be tagged in any future pieces, please let me know! And as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

<3

- DreaSaurusREX

Tags: @luciebell-writes​ @goodnightwife​ @bexboo616​ @bicrypt​ @mayfeather27

The team was loading their gear into the jet as you made your way into the hangar with Bucky. You wanted to say bye to everyone, even if it was just waving. Bucky went to talk to Steve, you saw them hug like the best friends they were. When Bruce finished securing his stuff, he brought you into a large hug. You had hugged him a few time before, but this was by far one of the best. He pulled away but held your arms.

“I will try to update you whenever we figure out our ETA back home. I have that comm link set up in your room. All you have to do is press the call button and it will direct you to me. If anything happens, let me know and I will do my best to help. I know Bucky seems intimidating sometimes, but I trust him to take care of you. He knows the consequences if he doesn’t.”

You chuckle a bit at that part before hugging him again and saying “I’ll be okay. Just make sure to stay safe, please.”

“I’ll try my best. I got the team to help too, they won’t let anything happen. We gotta get ready for take off. I’ll check in whenever I can.” He kissed your forehead and lightly squeezed your arms before turning his attention to Bucky, who was now standing a couple of feet behind you.

“Be patient with her, and keep her safe.”

“I will do my best, Banner. I’ll update you when needed. Be safe out there.”

With one more wave goodbye to the group, you and Bucky began your walk back to the tower. These next few days were going to be an adventure.

~~~~~~~~

A couple of days ago, Bruce convinced Tony to have your stuff from your apartment in Chicago be shipped to the tower. Since you were going to live with them now, it only made sense. You were still in the process of unpacking it all, and being on crutches didn’t help. Not being able to move with much in your arms was challenging, and you didn’t want to bother Bucky with such a small thing. Sure you had your powers, but they weren’t as strong as they should be. You were focusing more on healing and getting back to normal before really building up your strength with your abilities.

So you sat at your desk and began opening a box that was labeled “Electronics and Miscellaneous”. Your Navy Pier mug with your pens and pencils, a stack of your favorite books, some dvds, your laptop, and a few knickknacks. You pulled your laptop out and thankfully saw the charger next to it. Finding the extension cord, you plugged your charger in and waited for your laptop to boot up. The first thing you did was look at your music. You hadn’t realized how much you missed music until now.

Music was like your own personal time machine. It could take you back to a specific moment in your past or make you think about the future. It could make time fly by or just serve as background music. When you sang along, your thoughts weren’t cluttered or all over the place like usual. You were enveloped in the lyrics and the instruments. You were content, even if only for a brief moment.  

You found a playlist of songs that sparked that flame again. You pressed play and began to unpack the rest of the box. At first, you were just humming along to the instruments, then you found your voice. While still kind of quiet, you began singing. No belting or anything, just soft singing in time with the artist. You were surprised at how much of the lyrics you actually remembered. At the end of the song, the box was unpacked. 1 down, 8 more to go.

Little did you know, Bucky had stopped in your doorway and listened in a little bit. He knocked on the door when the song was over. You gasped a bit and jumped back in your seat. “Sorry, doll. I didn’t mean to scare you. I knew you had a lot of boxes to unpack. I was wondering if you wanted any help.” He had that kind and perfect grin on his face that made you swoon. You thought about it and then shook your head yes. “Great! Just let me know what to do, boss.”

You realized that you didn’t have many clean clothes. This was going to be even more difficult if you didn’t speak. “Just fucking go for it, (Y/N). Just talk!” You thought to yourself before speaking out loud.

“Well, I need to find any boxes that are labeled ‘Clothing’ and hang that stuff up or put it in my drawers.” After finding two boxes of clothes, you tried to hang some shirts and dresses in the closet, but the crutches got in the way. Bucky put a hand on your shoulder and suggested that you just sit and fold stuff to put in the dresser next to your bed while telling him what needs to be hung. Being crippled sucked, but you were thankful for Bucky stepping in.

Once both boxes were unpacked and the contents were put away, you looked at your watch. 2:45PM. Bucky usually went and trained at around 3:00. He shouldn’t skip a day of training to help you hang clothes.

“Hey, Bucky? I think I am gonna stop unpacking for today and just rest. You don’t need to stick around all day. Don’t you usually go work out at this time?” You realized how creepy that probably sounded. “I mean- That sounds very stalker-ish. But I’ve seen the schedule posted in the hallway of when everyone trains. I know Steve is at 9AM, Wanda at 2PM, you at 3PM, and I’m just going to stop now…”

Bucky let out a small laugh before sitting next to you and putting a hand on your knee.

“You’re fine, (Y/N)! I know how observant you are. It’s not creepy or weird. I am going to go train though. As long as you’re okay and don’t need my help for the next two hours.” “I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna lay here and watch some videos for a bit.” A nap sounded very nice right now. You had been up since 4AM because of a small nightmare, but you didn’t tell anyone. You were going to talk to Bruce, but then there was the meeting and the sudden departure. You didn’t want to be more of a hassle in a stressful time. Plus, it wasn't a very bad nightmare, you could brush it off.

“Okay. I’ll have my phone on. Call me if you need anything.” And with that, he was off to get changed and train. As much as you would have loved to watch him (as you sometimes did when you were bored), your bed felt very inviting.

~~~~~~~~

The next two days were filled basically waking up, unpacking with help from Bucky from time to time while you found ways of using your powers to help yourself, and bonding with Bucky. You were getting pretty comfortable talking with him. He told you a lot about his life in the 40s and in the present time. You told him about your life before your abduction. You weren’t scared. You actually felt great. Talking and venting to him was amazing.

After these couple of days of unpacking, you were finally on your last box. It was simply labeled “Walls.” It had a poster from a movie premier you went to in your freshman year, some tickets from various movies and concerts, and a few printed pictures that you recognized from your camera.

There was also a colorful tapestry folded at bottom. You got this tapestry during your first week of college, you saw the colors and designs as an interpretation of new beginnings and freedom. Looking at it now, you could see your ability to determine auras was present, even if it was just detecting symbolism in art.

You needed to hang it up on your wall here. The colors still represented those messages to you, just not at a college level anymore.

Bucky was probably getting ready to go train, so you decided to try to hang it by yourself. Without even thinking, you knew you wanted it to flow behind the headboard of your bed. That’s how you had it in your dorm room and how you had it in your apartment when you moved. You grabbed some hooks that stuck to the wall and put them on your nightstand, then you tackled the difficult job of standing on your bed. Somehow you got up and stood up straight without putting too much pressure on your ankle. It was doing better, but still healing.

“There has to be some way I can make this work.” You thought to yourself. Adjusting your focus so part of it was on staying balanced, you felt your powers take hold of you. It felt like little, invisible, stationary cubes were lined around your body. They would shift to form to you, but they would be solid and not move too much. It helped you stay upright without putting your injured ankle down on your bed. No pressure on that ankle, no pain.

Once you felt secure, you kept this line of focus while also making the hooks raise up to your level. You placed one hook on the wall when a very loud voice broke your concentration and balance. You felt all of the invisible cubes suddenly disappear and you started to fall backwards towards the edge of your bed.

“(Y/N)! What the hell are you doing?!” Bucky quickly walked over to the edge of the bed in time to catch you. He sounded so worried, this was new. You knew he cared about making sure you were safe, but never to this point.

“I was trying to hang my tapestry. I was doing okay until you broke my concentration.”

“That looked really unstable. Just… Let me hang it up. I don’t want you to make your ankle worse.” Bucky sat you down in your desk chair. You’ve learned that there really isn’t any debating when it came to Bucky. You wanted to explain how you were using your powers to help yourself, but you were kind of tired from holding your focus that well for that long on your entire body.

~~~~~~~~

It was around 5:45PM, you knew Buck changed his workout time tonight to start at 6:00PM instead of his usual 3:00PM. So right now he was probably getting ready for at least two hours at the gym, a shower, and then dinner.

Dinner. You had an idea. You looked at a black and gold binder in your small bookshelf. You wanted to try your abilities again. The only way that you were going to get stronger and have more control over them would be if you practiced them more. It was just like the water bottle in the jet. You focused your eyes on the binder, held your hand out to grab it, and made it quickly move out of the shelf and into your hand. You forgot how big it was, so you quickly brought up both hands to catch it. Gazing down at the binder in your lap, you had a moment to be proud of yourself, and then began to go through it to try to find one of your favorite recipes.

As soon as you found it, you heard a knock at your door and a familiar face poke through into your room. You shut your binder so Buck didn’t see what was inside. He gave you a funny look but assumed it was nothing and spoke anyways.

“Hey (Y/N). I’m gonna go workout. Do you need anything before I head out?”

“Nope. I think I’m good. I’ll let you know if I change my mind. Thank you.”

With a flash of that great smile of his, he headed out. Time to get your plan in motion.

~~~~~~~~

When you left for college, your mom made a binder full of recipes from your life. Everything from simple chocolate chip cookies to the perfect marinated steak and veggies served with herb butter. Tonight, you were going to keep it on more of the simple side. Your mom used to make these chicken panini sandwiches that you loved. It was just putting a piece of fried chicken between two pieces of french baguette with this marmalade on it, then heating it on a stove top with some sort of press to make it as flat as possible.

You decided to try out your powers again. These new tiny squares were interesting. You got everything out that you would need and put it on the counter. You heated up the stove and found a cast iron presser to put on top of the sandwiches while they cooked. You had also brought your laptop out to play music while you cooked. You had a certain playlist stuck in your head. Why not listen to it while you work in the kitchen?

Once everything was laid out, you took a deep breath, focused on using your powers to hold you steady. You felt them start to line up around your leg and then make their way up to your chest. You left your neck and arms free for obvious reason. The moment of truth, you put your crutches off to the side. There you were, standing straight next to the counter, perfectly balanced.

After a brief minute of adjustment, you got to work on the sandwiches. You forgot how much you missed cooking. The enjoyment your got from the action, the music was easy to sing along to, and the general calmness of the atmosphere overtook your thoughts. You didn’t even hear Bucky go into his room to shower and change, nor did you hear him make his way into the kitchen.

It was a good thing your timing worked out perfectly. As soon as he came into the kitchen and began to lecture you about how it's dangerous for you to do stuff like this with no one around, you held a plate of food out in front of him.

“Did you make this for me?” He looked shocked but kind of happy.

“I don’t see anyone else around. You’ve done more than I ever thought you would for me, so I figured I should try to at least say thank you in more than words.” You pause for a second, taking a deeper breath in, realizing that you felt yourself slipping. The cubes shifting away one by one. “Please take it, I feel myself losing my grip on my balance.” You admitted. 

As soon as you said that last part, Bucky took the plate from you, put it on the counter and grabbed your crutches. As soon as you touched the crutches, the cubes vanished and you suddenly felt so exhausted. Once you adjusted yourself on the crutches, he put his hands on your arms to help really stabilize you and shot you a worried look.

“You really shouldn’t have done that without anyone here, doll. You’ve obviously worn yourself out with how much focus it took to not only hold yourself up, but to also cook and such. That being said, this looks amazing. I’m going to grab us some drinks and then take both of our plates to the table. Go sit.” You tried to protest, but Bucky stopped you before you got a word out.

“I’m not gonna argue this, sweetheart. Go sit down.”

You sigh a bit and mutter “fine” under your breath as you make your way to the table. He watched you to make sure you didn’t fall over or anything. Truth was, you were actually super exhausted after all of that, but you didn’t want him to be right.

The first few minutes of dinner are quiet. Both of you eating while you played some instrumental music quietly in the background. It was a soundtrack from a show that you saw as a kid. You were looking down at your laptop to chose a specific song when Bucky looked at you.

You were beautiful inside and out. He loved everything about you. Getting to be close to you these past couple of days just made his thoughts and feelings for you flourish. But he also knew that you were still adapting to this new life and that a relationship would probably do more harm than good right now. He could also tell how much energy it took to do this, and all just to thank him? He really didn’t do much because you’re stubborn and try your hardest to do things for yourself. Did you really not realize that he was doing this all because he wanted to? Because he really cared about you? “(Y/N)? You know you don’t have to thank me for any of what I’m doing right? Now I don’t want to make this weird or uncomfortable, so I apologize ahead of time if it comes out like that. But I volunteered to stay here and help you out as much as possible. To be honest, when I saw you have that mini episode on the jet after we found you, I knew I wanted to help you. I remember what those bastards did to me, and I can’t even imagine what fresh hell they had at that lab. But I do know how hard it is to come back from that. I wanted to get close to you and show you that you can come back. I honestly want to see you grow and become part of the team because I truly care about you.” You honestly didn’t know what to say. He had taken you by surprise with all of that. Another example of you knowing that he cared about you, but you didn’t really know how much. You spend a few moments trying to think of something to say in response.

“That wasn’t weird or uncomfortable. I just… I know you volunteered for all of this, I know you care, but I didn’t really think it was for you. That doesn’t make sense. Give me a sec.” You thought about your words again. “I thought you were volunteering and helping out because you thought the group wanted you to or like it was expected of you. I don’t know if that made it any clearer.”

“I understand you. I also understand that what you said is the totally opposite of what everyone else thought. Everyone thought Steve or Sam would be the first to win your trust after Banner, and that my experience with Hydra would make it more difficult for me. I am pretty glad I can now prove them wrong and say that I beat Steve to it.” Bucky let out a small chuckle at his last remark. You smiled a bit before thinking about what to say again.

“I’m glad it was you first instead of anyone else.” Both of you sat there for a second, processing everything that was said.

After this pause, Bucky started conversation and asked some questions about your powers and your interests. He was really intrigued by the idea of auras. He asked about what auras the rest of the gang had and what they meant. You loved how interested he was and gladly explained to him what auras were and what everyone’s symbolized to you. You guys just sat there and talked for a good 30 or 40 minutes.

You let out a pretty decent sized yawn and then looked at your watch. 10:45PM. You needed to get some rest. After everything you did today, your mind and body were exhausted. But you knew you left a bit of a mess in the kitchen sink. So dishes, clean your face, brush your teeth, then bedtime.

“I think I’m gonna head to bed soon. I’m really tired.” You said as another yawn escaped your body.

“Yeah, it is getting pretty late isn’t it. Go head to bed, I’ll probably be up for a little bit, gotta do some work before bed.” Bucky grabbed your crutches and helped you stand up on them. Once you were stable, he placed his hands on your arms, leaned down to kiss your forehead and said “Thank you for dinner. It really was amazing.” Flashing that brilliant, toothy grin to you, he turned, grabbed the plates and cups, and headed to the kitchen. You followed.

You knew he was going to do the dishes, but you wanted to help. As soon as he saw you come into the kitchen, he got a sort of facial expression that said ‘Really?’

“What are you doing, doll? You need to get some rest.” He knew you had a good heart, but he wasn’t going to let you work anymore tonight. You needed sleep.

“Well, I didn’t want you to do all of the dishes. You do too much for me as is.” You started to make your way closer to the sink. Bucky stopped you about halfway.

“You cook, I clean. It's a rule. Now go, your room is that way.” Bucky pointed to the hallway and then turned towards the sink and started scrubbing one of the plates. You puff out a little sigh and keep moving towards the sink.

“It’s a stupid rule.” You hobbled over next to him at the sink and started to pick up one of the cups and wash it with the sponge. Bucky was wiping his hands on the dish towel before he turned to you. He had a small smile that was a bit mischievous.

“(Y/N), put down the cup and put your crutches to the side.” He didn’t sound worried or demanding or anything.

You were curious as to why he would ask such a strange thing, so you did what he asked. As soon as your crutches were leaning up against the counter and you turned around to face him, your feet were lifted off the ground and you were in Bucky’s arms.

“Bucky! What the fuck?! Put me down!”

“Since you were having a hard time finding your room and wouldn’t leave the kitchen, I figured I’d help you find your way.” He had that stupid smile on his face because your reaction was priceless. You thought it was funny, but you also were surprised and playfully angry.

He opened your door, placed you on your bed, found a pair of your leggings in your drawer and a tank top from your closet. He then quickly went back to the kitchen and grabbed your crutches.

“Now, you have pajamas and you’re in your room. I’m going to go do the dishes and you are going to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning. The team should be getting back tomorrow at some point. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Ugh. Why are you so wonderful, Bucky Barnes? Goodnight.”

He shut the door behind him and you could hear the dishes clanking and the water running a few seconds later. You changed into your leggings and tank, brushed your teeth, and went under your covers.

You were falling hard for Bucky. He understood you, he cared about you, and he was such an incredible human being. There really wasn’t anything to dislike about him. But you figured he wasn’t the type of guy that wanted a relationship. So you just kept those thoughts to yourself as you drifted to sleep, hoping they would influence your brain to come up with some enjoyable dreams.

Apparently your mind had its own plans for what you would be seeing in your sleep that night.

Part 5 - Here

[technicallyoneofakind]

Nymph Hugs

Authors Note:

Heyo! It's Yuni! Been a bit since I last updated or posted anything on the site. (Sorry those of you who read Greedy Souls, I haven't gotten back to it… I feel like if I continue I would write myself into a corner and ruin the fic. Hehe.)

I decided to write about Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. I decided to write about Swaine. I like Swaine. I felt bad for him when I ran into him in game. I played blindly so his introduction in the game came quite surprisingly.

I wondered what he did in the days he "wondered off" after the events involving Vileheart. Oh yes, there are slight spoilers. Forgot to mention.

This is actually inspired by Wherever Girl's "Like a Brother" fic.

Leave feedback. If you don't like something, be sure to leave constructive criticism. I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness- especially anything to do with Swaine as he's the hardest to nail down, characterwise. People who use this as an excuse to insult and harass will be reported.

Anywho. Here's the fic.

Disclaimer: I only own a copy of the disk for the PS3.

~.~.~

He couldn't describe the despair he felt. He couldn't explain why he felt it either. It reminded him of when the three had gone to the past- the scene he had not experienced as a child. The scene that completely blindsided him and sent him into an abyss of grief for the next week after. Difference was, he knew deep down that there was at least a chance his friend could come back.

It wasn't much to go on…

In the boy's current comatose state, he might as well be dead. And if he didn't wake up soon…

The thief slammed his palm into the nearby hill, bracing himself against it as this grim realization hit him. Normally, there would be some sort of remedy to wake him… The rugged man opened his tired eyes, a hint of a smile of that small hopeful thought.

But they had tried everything. Reminding himself of this, his smile sank again, right along with his heart. It's not like the boy was "broken-hearted"… But then again, what would happen if more than one piece was missing? Who would repair him? How would they know what part to fix in his condition? The man clenched his fist, his gunslinging hand grabbing a fist full of grass, pulling a couple of blades out of the mountainside.

Maybe my brother…? Could he help him? The thief thought, his hands beginning to tremble from the sheer stress of it all. Damn it all… Outside the fairy, I'm responsible for those two. I should be able to do something! Anything! Anything to help… He pushed himself away from the hill, but not far. He looked out to the valley that gave Autumnia its name.

He had come out here to think. In times of major stress such as this, he found it better to be alone. The thief was sure Esther had already called him out on his disappearance to the loudmouth fairy. She probably thought he didn't care- an all too wrong assumption. The ex-prince cared more than he let on. The truth is, being around the young wizard in his current state did nothing but remind him of his failure, which only stressed him more. That's why he was away from the inn. Swaine knew if he stuck around, tension would build, and his emotions would get the best of him. He tended to get rather stubborn and irrational in that state, which didn't help anyone.

There were many times where the thief was the last one standing. There wasn't enough time during those types of fights to revive the other two. When the time came, the least heroic of the group was the one that pulled them through. He let a small chuckle escape him, thinking on it. The scrappy Dumbelemur turned Aye-Aye Sir, Vemahl, put up a good fight most of the time. To Swaine's chagrin, Oliver wanted to try something different with his team of familiars, putting Gunther into the retreat for safe keeping. Thinking more about it, he realized part of the reason he lasted so long in battle may have partially been because of Gemini, the Greater Naiad, and her well-timed evasion.

This was a different case altogether, though. This wasn't a fight against wild creatures. This wasn't the case of fighting on behalf of his friends. The pure-hearted one was in a state where even the distilled tears of a phoenix could wake him. The thief thought of asking his brother, but he had a feeling that he couldn't help and leaving to ask him would mean leaving alone, the Al Mamoon girl and Drippy looking after Oliver.

He knew that wasn't a good idea. He had a gut feeling that his younger brother wouldn't be able to help- having lived on the run as a common criminal helped develop a strong trust in his instincts.

He couldn't do anything, he realized. He couldn't return the favor when the time came. He couldn't help the boy that had saved him from a perilous life. He felt his strength leave him, his helplessness in the situation weighing him down. Feeling defeated, he sat down, leaning his back against the offended hill. He looked to the sky, a hand on one knee the other on the ground beside him.

A tear ran down the left side of his face- an action that shocked him. He hadn't cried since that night in Hamelin. He wiped the tear from his face, with the hand that was on the ground and stared at it. He closed his eyes, his body trembling. He felt alone.

There was a tug on his jacket sleeve. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the Greater Naiad in his regime of familiars. She didn't have her usual smile on her face, in fact, she looked rather concerned.

He sniffled. "Wh- What do you want," he whispered, his voice shaking. He didn't remember calling her to action nor did he feel her come out. He must have been pretty distracted.

She let the casting gem she held disappear into her and moved closer to him. The little sea nymph gripped his shirt in an attempt at a hug. Gemini's fluffy bauble gently rubbed his chin as she nuzzled his chest. Her cape and tendrils spread to compensate for her small size.

Swaine opened his mouth in shock, looking down at her attempt in comforting him. Nymphea wasn't a particular favorite genus of his, he recalled, but he also remembered using this particular nymph often in battle. He had unintentionally built a strong bond with her.

It reminded him of his brother, almost. There were times when they were kids that Marcassin would comfort him when he was troubled. Kind of like this, actually, the ex-thief thought.

He felt his shirt dampen suddenly, causing him to look down. Gemini was crying for him, attempting to use a healing ability she had long since abandoned. Despite how odd it felt, he felt some of his frustration leave him. He didn't know if it was because of the ability- it shouldn't have worked considering that he wasn't wounded- or because he had something comforting in a such a trying time.

"You're right…," he muttered, petting the familiar. "There's nothing I can do." He was still frustrated and confused, but less of a mess. He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes and took a second to look back out at the valley. His spirits were low still, but the worst of the emotional turmoil was over. Going back there won't snap him out of it… He looked back at the still concerned Greater Naiad. But crying over something I can't help? Ha! What good will that do?

He threw a sad smirk Gemini's way and her smile quickly returned, her gem reappearing in her small stubby arms. "Thank you. Needed some relief, I did." He knelt down, stroking the feathery bauble on the nymph's cap. The nymph nodded and returned to his heart, a warm feeling washing over him briefly.

He sighed and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. He still felt useless, he still felt frustrated. He still felt despair. But he had regained the strength of heart he had recently lost. "Familiars are still creatures with separate feelings from our own. Why do I forget that so easily?"

~.~.~

A/N: Before most of your familiars become your familiars, they are considered beasts. They have feelings, personalities, and histories before they join your team, much like the human members of your party. There's a cave outside of Nazcaa that proves this because there's a bunch of "friendly" beasts that you can go on unofficial quests for, including one of my favorite species line: the naiads. When you consider the way they act in the creature cage, even as familiars, they're still partially separate when it comes to personality and mindset.

Yeah. I switched out Swaine's main one with the lemur. I was experimenting with his set up. He really likes using the nymph, though. It's weird since Gem's not in his "favorite" genus group… I tend to ignore the whole favorite type thing in the game sometimes, though I probably shouldn't. Greater Naiad's are evasive healer types with light magic attacks. I noticed that when I removed Gemini from his team, he seemed to faint more, so it makes me wonder if the ally AI selects the most strategically sound familiar at the time. (In the winter islands, Esther busted out Soliton, the Grandsun, because he had fire affinity.) Most of the time evading and healing is pretty sound strategy and it would explain why sometimes he's the last up to bat.

Outside game mechanics, considering how much he uses Gemini in my version of the game, I always wondered if there's some sort of familiarity between him and the jellyfish. Maybe it reminds him of his brother.

And yes… I do assign genders to my familiars. And now that I really think about it, outside of the undetermined gender of a few, most of my mains are male. I don't know how that happened.

This is a long author's note… Might write another fanfic inspired by a movie I watched recently. Considering how the thief closes himself off, it makes me wonder if there are talents he neglected to mention outright. *Hint, hint*

Anyway. I'm done writing half a page for one lousy author's note. No doubt you've clicked on another story by now. (Might make this a drabble fic named after the first chapter… Watch out.) You're probably bored of me talking. Bye.