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loveofvernonslife · 6 days

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jealousy & flirtation

10: FLAMING JUNE

18+

You and Wren confront Juniper in a showdown, but some shocking truths are brought to light.

Content Warning: Frat!Bucky x Fem!Reader, mature themes, dark themes, violence, strangling, injury.

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"You're really pretty when you're concentrating."

Thor looks up at Steve with narrow eyes. "Do you mind? I'm working under a time constraint, here," He says sternly.

"Oh, please, all you're doing is hooking a recorder up to a microphone," Steve says with an eye roll, before sitting down next to Thor on the bed and leaning in close. "Do you want me to do what I did to you in the car again?"

His jaw clenches, but Thor just lets out a sigh and utters, "Later."

Steve grins and squeezes Thor's bicep before getting up and leaving him alone with some peace. He walks into the living room where you and the girls are sitting around the coffee table.

"It makes sense for you to come with me," Wren is saying to you as Steve joins. "It'll probably scare Juniper even more to know we've joined forces."

You nod, but your mind is elsewhere. Sure, you want to give Juniper a taste of her own medicine, but you'd much rather explain yourself to Bucky instead. He's left you multiple voicemails since you left him at the diner, wanting to talk, but Wren told you to keep him on the back burner while you deal with his crazy best friend.

"I'll tell Juniper that I need to speak to her at the old student union building," Wanda suggests, taking out her phone. "She still doesn't know Steve and I are involved so she won't think anything of it, and the old union building is practically abandoned. There'll be no interruptions."

"Do we feel safe being alone with her there?" You wonder with a raised brow.

"We can take weapons," Wren suggests, causing everyone to give her a look before she lets out a dry laugh. "For self-defence."

While everyone else excitedly goes over the plan, sure that it can't go wrong, you can't help but feel off. There's a voice inside your head telling you to just call Bucky back and explain the truth to him yourself, but with everyone else so set on you and Wren tricking Juniper into admitting the truth, you don't have the heart to speak up and voice your reservations.

Yelena filled you in on everything Wren said. Knowing that all those years ago, Bucky proposed to Wren, you're feeling incredibly nervous about the future of your relationship with him. What if all those feelings come rushing back when he sees her? What if they decide to pick up where they left off and fucking elope?

"There's no way she'll see this mic," Thor claims as he places the small recorder in your pocket. "This is better than using a phone 'cause there's less chance of the file not saving or somehow getting deleted. Don't touch it; it's recording everything from this moment on."

"Okay," You breathe out, the nerves getting to you.

Thor places his hands on your shoulders. "Everything will be fine. By the end of the day, the truth will be out," He assures you. "You'll have Wren with you to back you up."

"Yeah, the cunt stands no chance against us," Wren says with a grin. "C'mon. We should get going."

While you and Wren prepare to leave, Yelena nudges Wanda's shoulder. "So, what do we do while we wait for them to collect their evidence?" Yelena wonders curiously.

Looking over at where Steve's mumbling something in Thor's ear with a smirk, Wanda raises a brow. "I have a feeling I know what they'll be doing," She says with a laugh before looking at Yelena. "I'm sure we can think of something to pass the time."

"Yep," Yelena squeaks, wondering if she's reading her tone wrong. "I- by that, do you- do you mean, like, similar to Thor and Steve, or-"

"I'll let you take me out for some lunch," Wanda cuts in, her eyes still forward and her face not doing much in the way of expressing her emotions.

Nodding quickly, Yelena decides it's best not to say anything in case she squanders her chance.

"Okay, we're ready," Wren announces to the group, squeezing your shoulder as a smile pulls at her lips. "Let's fucking do this."

The art studio in the old student union building is incredibly eerie now that it has sat unused for so many years. Half-painted canvases and dried paint pots litter the sides, dust covering every surface you can see. There's no power, so you're relying on the sunlight streaming in from one of the windows along the back wall, though that's doing little to illuminate the room.

"This is creepy, right?" Wren asks as she looks around. "Creepy enough to scare even a psycho?"

"Definitely," You answer with a nod. Juniper's yet to show up, but Wanda informed you that she agreed to meet her so she could show up at any moment.

Wren turns to you, an unreadable look on her face. "Do you think-"

She's cut off by the sound of your phone ringing. You quickly pull it out of your pocket, your stomach dropping when you see who it's from.

"Hang up," Wren says impatiently. "She could be here any second."

"It's Bucky," You tell her, eyes glued to your screen. "Maybe... maybe I should talk to him-"

"Are you crazy?" Wren spits with a frown. "No. You can't have any contact with him right now, not until we have proof. Hang up the phone."

Instinctively, your thumb goes to pick up the call, but you hang it up instead and put your phone down on one of the tables adjacent to you.

"We have to do this right. Juniper's smart," Wren reminds you, her tone a little softer now. "We cannot afford to mess up. Once this is over, you can talk to whoever you want. Okay?"

You nod, letting out a sigh. "Okay."

Another minute passes before you hear footsteps in the corridor. "That's her," Wren whispers, rushing over to hide behind a pillar. "Alright, good luck!" She hisses just before the door opens.

Juniper walks in, looking around with a grimace. "Why are we meeting in this dingy-" She stops when her eyes land on you. "What the fuck do you want? Where's Wanda?"

You take in a deep breath. "Hi, Juniper," You utter. "Wanda won't be joining us."

"Oh, my God, what have you done to her?" She asks, concern in her eyes.

"Calm down," You say with an eye-roll. "She's fine. But that's enough about her - I'm here to talk about you."

A scoff leaves her mouth as she folds her arms across her chest, walking further into the room. "Is this about me telling Jamie what you did? It was only a matter of time before he found out," She says with a bored tone. "Face it: he is so far out of your league, I'm surprised he even bothered to acknowledge your existence. You figured out a way to burrow under his skin like the parasite you are, but I'm the exterminator, bitch."

You can't help but laugh at her cheesy analogy, shaking your head. "Oh, shit. Y'know, you take yourself way too seriously, Junie," You tell her. "But you've had your fun, and now, it's over. Too many people have been hurt by you, and I'm sick of seeing you get the upper hand." Behind her, Wren slowly makes her way to the door.

Juniper tilts her head, eyes narrow. "You wouldn't touch me. Killing someone in self-defence as a teenager doesn't mean you have what it takes to actually murder someone in cold blood," She says. Nice to know what she truly thinks about you.

"I'm not going to hurt you," You tell her.

Wren slams the door shut, making Juniper jump. "But I might," Wren says coldly.

Juniper immediately stumbles away when she sees her, her eyes widening with pure fear. "You! I knew I wasn't seeing things, I-" She turns to you with a wild look. "You two are working together?"

"It's a temporary partnership while we take you down," Wren explains simply, walking closer to her. Juniper moves away with each step, making Wren grin. "Scared?"

"Fuck you," Juniper spits. "I'm calling the police-"

"Oh, no, you don't," Wren says, rushing over and snatching her phone from her hand and tossing it away. "This is between the three of us. We don't need anyone else joining."

Juniper closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths before opening them again. "Alright. What is this? What's the goal here? If you're gonna kill me, just get it over with," She says bluntly.

"I think we should at least talk, first," Wren says. "It's been a while. You look good."

Though you know the aim of this is to scare Juniper into a confession, you can't help but feel uneasy yourself.

"Of course I do. I maintain a healthy diet, run every day, and drink plenty of water," Juniper returns flatly. "Unlike you, I don't need to rely on plastic surgery and heaps of make-up for my appearance."

Wren snorts, shaking her head. "Oh, Juniper. Always a delight," She utters, before the smile drops. "I'll have you know, all I've had done are my lips - but you go on ahead with that internalized misogyny. Let's see how many girlfriends you maintain with that energy."

"I don't need girlfriends," Juniper points out. "Girls are way too much drama - literally, just look at what you're doing right now. This is why I get along much better with guys."

Inwardly cringing, you look down. When will this be over?

"Of course, how could I forget?" Wren asks with a laugh. "Junie and her precious boys."

"Alright," You interject, feeling like enough time has been wasted. "Juniper, you're a bad person. A very bad person. But I know you don't care about what I think - after all, I'm just another obstacle in your way of getting to Bucky, right?"

Her brow twitches but she maintains her cool. "I don't know what you're talking about," She spits.

"Oh, please," You say with an eye-roll. "You're in love with him, Juniper. There's no point lying about that to Wren and I; we've been the victims of your unrequited love."

"Victims?" Juniper repeats incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Bucky and I were going good - great, even, and you couldn't stand to see us together, so you did what you could to tear us apart," You remind her. "Lying about him showing you my pictures and messages. Digging into my past and using what you found to paint me into a villain. You went too far."

"I went too far?" She retorts. "Says the one working with that crazy bitch!"

"Fuck you," Wren snarls. "Why don't we take a trip down memory lane, hmm?"

"Be my fucking guest," Juniper retorts before turning to you while pointing at her. "Do you even know what she did?"

"Dared to take Bucky away from you?" You ask coldly.

Juniper's eyes narrow. "Wren is a deranged psycho," She claims. "Do you know what she did when I finally convinced Jamie to dump her? She stabbed me!"

With a sigh, you shake your head. "There's no need for the act, Juniper," You tell her woodenly. "We all know the truth here. You stabbed yourself that night and framed Wren."

Juniper looks utterly appalled at your words, her eyes and mouth wide. She slowly looks over at Wren before rushing over to you and grabbing your shoulders. "No," Juniper utters lowly. "Look, I admit it: I fucked with you. I've been purposely trying to sabotage your relationship with Jamie because I genuinely do not think you deserve him. I lied about the nudes and I've been doing my best to turn him against you. I hired my father's PI to look into your past, and left out the self-defence details and your age when I tried to expose that past to Jamie. I admit all of that. But I did not stab myself that night."

The look on her face is one you've never seen before. It's fearful, and stern, and as much as it terrifies you to admit it - it's honest.

You look past her to see Wren. Her face is blank. "Just quit the bullshit, Johnson," She spits.

A chill runs down your spine. Fuck. They're both crazy.

"I, uh... I think I need to go," You say, carefully peeling Juniper's hands off of you.

"Nobody is leaving until we figure this out," Wren decides firmly, standing in front of the door.

"Figure what out?" Juniper asks, turning to face her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Wren asks with a scoff. "Until we figure out which of us gets Bucky."

You and Juniper share a look. Something you never thought you'd do is be on her side, but right now, it seems that she's the best of a bad bunch.

"Hey, don't fall for her bullshit," Wren says to you with a frown. "You know better than most people what a good liar she is. Are you seriously gonna believe her over me?"

Juniper's eyes remain glued to yours. "Don't listen to her," She whispers shakily. "I swear, back then, she was the crazy one."

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Oh, please - you're the one who was insanely possessive over Bucky," Wren points out to her with a cold look in her eyes. "And you finally snapped at his birthday party. You lost your mind when you saw him proposing to me."

Juniper's jaw drops even further, a shaky breath leaving her mouth. Her eyes are so wide they're almost tearing up. "Holy fuck," She utters, looking back at you. "Is that what you think? You think Jamie proposed to her that night?"

You say nothing, not knowing what to believe anymore, and wishing you had told Yelena and Thor to come too.

"Jamie dumped her that night," Juniper claims. "I had finally proven to him that she wasn't worth his time-"

"You made me think he'd love a big party, you lying bitch!" Wren yells.

"Whatever!" Juniper snaps back. "I did what I had to, and as it turns out, I was right! He never should have dated you, and he finally realized it that night - and when he broke up with you, you begged him for another chance, but he left you there. And I came out to, admittedly, rub it in your face, but you grabbed a knife from the buffet table and stabbed me in the fucking side!"

Stunned, you take a step back. You watch Wren for a reaction, but her face remains blank. "You're lying," She mumbles. "She's lying, again!"

"Oh, brother," Juniper mutters before grabbing your arm. "I sure hope you didn't let her bring a knife to this party, otherwise it's lights out for both of us."

Slowly, so as not to alert Wren, you make your way to the table upon which lies your phone. She realizes what you're doing and immediately runs over, grabbing your phone and throwing it to the other side of the room.

"What the fuck is your problem?" You ask, your heart racing.

Without a word, Wren grabs the recorder from your pocket and drops it on the ground before stomping on it, destroying it and everything it's been recording.

"No!" You exclaim, absolutely terrified at this point. With no proof anymore of both Juniper and Wren's true colours, you might be about to die for no reason.

"You're being stupid," Wren says to you gravely. "Juniper is the bad guy. You remember that, right?"

"I'm starting to think the line between good and bad is blurred," You say, taking a few steps back. "Let's stop this, Wren. Let's just get out of here. You can talk to Bucky and explain your side. I'll make sure to keep Juniper away from him while you do."

Wren's eyes soften. "You- you'd do that for me?" She asks. "You don't want him to yourself?"

Swallowing thickly, you shake your head. "I think the decision lies with him. Once he finds out the truth, he might want to get back with you, which I'd completely understand," You say, hoping she believes you. "I mean, technically, you're still his fiancé, right?"

Her face lights up. "Yeah. Yeah, I am," She says with a smile. "You're right. Ha. You hear that, Johnson? You cunt?"

"Fuck you," Juniper spits.

"No, fuck you!" Wren retorts. "Neither of you have the deep love that I have with him. Our relationship was more than just boyfriend and girlfriend - we were soulmates. We are soulmates. And if anyone tries to get between us again, I'll destroy them."

During her rant, Juniper moves closer to you and lowers her voice to a whisper. "We... we should kill her," She suggests.

"Oh, my God, shut up," You hiss back at her.

Wren seems to be in deep thought while you try to figure out an escape plan. She looks to be in good shape - could you simply outrun her? But what if she has a gun?

"I spent the last few years doing a lot of inward contemplation," Wren tells you both. "I worked on myself. My mental health. I got better. And then, your friends came and visited me. At first, I was going to tell them to leave me alone. I had healed, you know? I didn't want to open up old wounds."

You and Juniper listen closely, equally as fascinated with hearing her story as you are scared.

"But then they mentioned you," Wren says, her eyes on you. "A new girl in Bucky's life. A new flame for Juniper to put out. Sure, I felt it was my duty to protect you from her - but at the same time, I realized I never truly moved on from Bucky. Why should I have helped you get your happily ever after with him? Nobody ever tried to help me. Wanda and Steve knew what a pick-me cunt she was in freshman year, but they never said a word to Bucky. And now I'm supposed to make sure Juniper doesn't do the same to you? Why? Why you? Why do you get the happy ending?"

You let out a shaky breath, doing your best to keep calm. "I'm sorry, Wren. I didn't know," You say lowly. "If I could have helped you out back then, I would have."

"You make me sound like a monster," Juniper says with narrow eyes. "Both of you. All I've ever wanted is for Jamie to be happy. That's what I've wanted my whole life. He's had girlfriends; he's been heartbroken. He's a sensitive soul. I won't let some bitch walk all over him and take advantage of his kindness."

"When did you realize you were in love with him?" Wren asks her with a raised brow.

Juniper glares at her, but her gaze gradually softens as she gives in. "Middle school. He was just getting into classical art, and getting really good at painting. He would try to copy famous paintings as practice. Flaming June. That's what he used to call me when we were kids. It's a painting, if that wasn't obvious. He said I was his Flaming June. Before I even knew what love was, I was feeling it for him. He made me laugh. He looked out for me. He remembered things about me," She says wistfully. "He was my best friend. And I waited. God, did I wait. I waited and waited and waited for him to fall, too, but he just kept floating on that cloud called friendship. I figured that would be enough for me. After all, it was better than nothing. But he's a terrible judge of character - he always has been. It's been my job to remove the weeds from his life - to take out any threats. Not threats to me, threats to his happiness. Jamie's happiest when it's just him and I. He just needs to realize that."

Becoming acutely aware that you're stuck in an abandoned building with two of the most unhinged people you've ever met who are both after the guy you're dating, you suddenly feel sick to your stomach and decide it's best to keep quiet and hope they forget you're there.

"Nice story. Anyway, there's something I've been wanting to do for a long time," Wren says with a sordid smirk. "It would just be so satisfying."

Frowning, Juniper bites, "What?"

Wren's eyes narrow. "Beat the fuck out of you," She utters simply before launching herself at Juniper in an attack.

You jump back instinctively, your heart lurching when you see her punch Juniper square in the jaw. Sure, a part of you would like nothing more than to see Juniper get roughed up, but you feel nauseous and want it to stop immediately.

"Wren, get off her!" You call out, rushing over and trying to pull her off.

Wren shrugs you off before shoving Juniper backwards. Juniper loses her balance and falls backwards, her head hitting the side of a table on her way down. When she lands on the ground, she's unconscious.

"Shit!" You whisper tensely.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Wren says casually, smoothing down her hair as she turns to you. "Now, where was I?"

Not wanting to set her off, you keep yourself calm. "I think we need to call an ambulance," You say. "She might have a concussion."

Wren's face twists up. "Who gives a fuck?" She asks you harshly. "This is the girl that has ruined our lives. I heard what she did to you. How do you have any sympathy for her?"

You casually take a step back. "That doesn't mean I want her to die," You tell her. "You could get in a lot of trouble, Wren, especially with your history."

"Oh, my God. You actually believe her," She says with a scoff. "You actually think I stabbed her?"

Shaking your head, you take another step back. "Of course not. I just mean, that's what Bucky thinks, right? You don't want to give him any more reason to think badly of you. I'll even say it was me who pushed her," You promise. "I'll say we got into a fight, and I pushed her. You won't get in any trouble, just please call an ambulance."

She tilts her head. "Are you scared?" She asks you with a confused look. "Do you - do you actually think I could hurt someone?"

You steal a glance at Juniper's unmoving body on the floor before looking back at Wren. "No. Of course not. I'm just concerned for her wellbeing," You tell her. "Bucky would want us to look out for her. She's still his best friend, after all."

"Not after he finds out the truth," Wren reminds you.

You take another look at Juniper and panic. What if she's bleeding internally? What if her head cracked open? What if she dies? You refuse to have another death on your hands. If there's even a small chance that waiting another minute means Juniper will die, you won't take it.

With a sharp intake of breath, you lunge at Wren, aiming for the phone sticking out of her pocket. Even if she attacks you afterwards, at least there'll be help on the way. "Get off me!" She cries.

"Just give me your phone!" You shout, trying to reach for it. With a huff, she pulls the phone out of her pocket and throws it with all her might at the wall. "You crazy fucking bitch!" You can't help but scream.

Her eyes darken and she grabs you by the hair, pulling your head down onto a nearby table with a slam. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" She bellows. "You just want him to yourself, right? You want to save Juniper and make me out to be the bad guy, again, so you can get him to love you!"

"Not everything is about him!" You call out as you do your best to push her off you, ignoring your pounding headache.

"Of course it is!" Wren wails, wrapping her hand around your throat as she pushes you back down on the table. In any other situation, being choked out by a flaming-hot redhead wouldn't be so bad, but right now, it's not what you need.

"Stop," You manage to get out as you kick her legs and claw at her hands to no avail. Your vision blurs and you start to feel lightheaded. This can't be how it ends. Was he worth it?

Who are you kidding? Of course he was. You may not be insane - or maybe you are - but you achieved your college dream. You slept with Bucky Barnes. Who knew that that party would result in your death? Worth it? Bucky's more than worth it. You'd take on a hundred Wrens and Junipers if it meant you had a chance with him. Maybe you are insane. Maybe loving Bucky has made you insane. Loving him? You're in deeper than you thought.

Your energy is dropping. You can't fight back as hard anymore. But all you can think about is Bucky. His perfect smile. His big hands. His incredible dick.

So, this is it. You're dying, and your last thought will be a montage of Bucky railing you. Not bad.

Just as the dark spots in the corners of your vision start to get bigger, and you start to succumb to the darkness, you hear a distant thud. Suddenly, the pressure around your neck is gone. You suck in a sharp breath, filling your lungs with sweet air as you fall to the ground, blinking away the blurry darkness.

Breathing heavily, you slowly look up to see Juniper standing over Wren, who's lying on the floor with a canvas around her neck. Around her neck? It seems Juniper smashed it onto her head, causing Wren to rip through the paper.

"Now, can we kill her?" Juniper asks you with her hands on her hips.

You use the little energy you have to shake your head, your heart thudding in your chest. Juniper holds her hand out to you, but before you can attempt to reach up and take it, there are multiple voices in the corridor.

The door slams open to reveal Bucky, with Steve and Yelena on either side of him. Bucky's eyes fill with concern as he takes in the sight, before he shoots a glare at Juniper. "Get the fuck away from her," He says sternly, walking further into the room.

"Wha- Jamie?" Juniper whispers, shaking her head. "I wasn't- I was helping her."

He ignores her, running past Wren who's groaning on the ground and rushing to your side, taking your hand in his. "Are you with me, flora?" He asks, using his free hand to cup your cheek. "Are you okay?"

You nod slowly, your throat too sore for you to try and speak. Part of you wants to tell him that Juniper wasn't hurting you, but when you try to use your voice, all that comes out is a squeak.

"The police are on their way," Steve says, shooting Juniper a cold look. "I suggest you get your story straight."

While Bucky wraps his arms around you, you look up at Juniper, who looks back down at you with a terrified look on her face. "Please," She whispers to you.

You give her a nod.

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