Regulus “I’d pray to god that you would choke if I had one” Black

Evan “I’d put a noose around your throat if I had one” Rosier

Barty “I’d put this bullet through your skull if I had one” Crouch jr

James “no, I don’t have proof, but I would kill you” Potter

"Quartet Sentenced To Prison For Smuggling of Gold," Windsor Star. April 20, 1943. Page 5 & 6. --- Three Get Long Terms For Offences ---- Confess to Ten Charges in Taking Highgrade Valued at $3,000 Across Border ---- Three men who confessed to conspiracy and other charges, ten in all, in the smuggling of $3,000 worth of gold to the United States were sentenced to two and a half years in Portsmouth penitentiary and a fourth to two years less a day in reformatory by Judge J. J. Coughlin in County Judges' Criminal Court late yesterday afternoon.

Those receiving the prison sentences were Sam Matijevich, 42, alias Sam Matheson of Hamilton, referred to in court as "apparently the ringleader of the whole plot" [TOP]; Marko Lekrich, 35, of 1117½ Albert road [MIDDLE], and Michael Bijlich, 41, of 775 St. Luke road [BOTTOM].

WITHDRAWN AGAINST ONE The lighter reformatory term was drawn by George Birush, 42, of 1564 Hickory road. Charges against a fifth man, Joja Pejnovick of Larder Lake, were withdrawn when Stanley L. Springsteen, K.C., special prosecutor for the Foreign Exchange Control Board, said that investigation had not linked him with the cases before the court.

After an array of charges which included illegal export of gold, illegal possession of ore, infractions of the Foreign Exchange Control Regulations and aiding and abetting in the commission of these offences, Mr. Springsteen agreed with the defence counsel, Hon. James H. Clark, K.C., M.P.P., that the charges arose from two sets of circumstances concerning shipments of gold made on December 29 last and on February 15. The men then pleaded guilty in turn.

In passing sentence, Judge Coughlin told the men he was taking into full consideration a plea by Mr. Clark that they saved the county considerable expense in court costs by readily admitting their offences.

SERIOUS CHARGE "I am taking into account the fact that you have co-operated with the crown to the extent of pleading guilty," His Honor told the four accused, as they stood at. the front of the courtroom awaiting passing of sentence.

"The fact remains, however, that the offences you have comimitted are serious. You must know that the government exacts heavy duty from gold and that when you assist in the perpetration of a crime of this kind you are committing a fraud against every man and woman in the country who has to carry the added load from his taxation."

His Honor said that he was considering the suggestion of Mr. Springsteen in giving the shorter sentence to Birush who was said to have been less lightly involved. Two of the others, Matijevich and Bijlich, had previous records. Matijevich was sentenced to 12 months definite and three indefinite in reformatory on July 12, 1940, for having gold illegally and was paroled May 20, 1941. Bijlich was given two years in Portsmouth for fraud at Sudbury December 4, 1935. Lekich and Birush were both first offenders.

In reporting details of the case to the court, Mr. Springsteen disclosed that police investigation is continuing wtih a man whom he referred to as a "Mr. Milford Blackburn" still being sought by U. S. authorities. Black- burn was alleged to have been involv- ed in making a deal for the gold shipments in Detroit.

Beyond consenting to waive their. right to be tried by a jury and plead- ing guilty, none of the men made any statement to the court and how they obtained possession of the gold re- mains unexplained. Mr. Clark told the court that some of the men had been miners, but that he had been advised that they were not so en- gaged at the time of their arrest. A plea that the sentence of the men be dated back to the time of their capture was rejected by His Honor.

DARING POLICE WORK The court case followed one of the most daring bits of police work in the annals of the border, culminating in the arrest of the four men February 15.

After they had been trailed for several weeks by R.C.M.P. and Foreign Exchange Control Board officers, the pay-off came in a rooming house on Ouellette avenue. It was then that the unhappy smugglers learned that one of their number was a United States Secret Service operative, known to them only as Bill Brown. His real name has been withheld by the authorities. It was Brown who arranged for the meeting at the Ouellette avenue address and who led his "companions" unsuspectingly into the police trap.

The actual sale of a gold "button" (the term used to describe hi-grade after it has been smelted) was permitted to take place. Two of the smugglers were allowed to leave the house after the deal had been started. They were to take the gold to the proper address in Detroit. When they arrived on the American side they were to telephone to the Ouellette avenue house and say everything was okay and then the money was to be paid over. All this went on under the eyes of officers trailing the smugglers.

The two men carrying the gold to Detroit were picked up immediately after they had passed the Canadian customs officer stating that they had nothing to declare. However, the phone call actually was made to the house by police so that no suspicions would be aroused in the minds of the remaining smugglers who were to collect for the gold. The bogus Bill Brown got the call. He turned from the phone and said: "Okay boys, everything went as planned. Here's your money. He began to count out $100 bills. This was the signal for the "pinch" and officers concealed in other rooms marched in and snapped handcuffs on the smugglers.

The smugglers had been kept under observation in downtown hotel rooms, at railway depots, in private homes and their every move recorded until just the right moment arrived when they could be apprehended with the "goods."

Staff Sergeant A. W. Anderson, R.C.M.P., his entire staff, particularly Constable Jack Townsend, worked long and arduous hours and weeks on the job. W. M. Morphet, F.E.C.B. inspector here, seldom let a day or night pass that he or one of his staff were not on the job with the officers.

The collection of the facts, the details of the final showdown and the liaison between the board and the police, kept the F.E.C.B. staff at work seven days a week and often throughout the night watching, shadowing. recording and deducing the evidence. which finally netted the haul of the four men.

VALUED AT $3,000 Total value of the gold seized was about $3,000 but the value of running down the source of the smuggling is considered to be worth much more than can be measured in a few thousands of dollars. The latest figures released by the government indicate that $3,000,000 annually is lost to Canada by the illegal export of high-grade ore from gold mines.

Police here feel that one of the most active rings has been broken or at least badly disrupted. Numerous others are under observation as a result of last February's disclosures.

[AL: All the men in the smuggling ring were Yugoslav immigrants and had worked as miners or worked near mines in Northern Ontario. Matijevich was 43, single, naturalized in 1932, and Greek Orthodox - he claimed to have 'never worked' when processed at the penitentiary. He was convict #7283 at Kingston Penitentiary and worked in the excavation crew. Lekich was 35, married, a machine operator, and had been naturalized in 1936. He was convict #7282 and worked in the blacksmith and machine shop at Kingston. Bijlich was 33 years, single, a hotel bartender and short order cook, naturalized in 1933, and had one previous penitentiary term (that he served only a year of before being paroled). He was convict #7281 and worked in the blacksmith shop with Lekish. All three men were transferred between June and August 1943 to the low security Collin's Bay Penitentiary, and were all released by late 1944 to early 1945.]

eve omg omg omg the jules fic was so amazing!!!! i'm so excited for the rest :))))

Here’s part two of Adventures in Babysitting! The editing was being finnicky, so I’m sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather and Jules credit belongs to @lumosinlove!

“Are you warm enough?” Sirius asked as he swiped Jules’ bangs beneath the edge of his beanie. Jules nodded, still sleepy even at seven thirty in the morning. “D’accord, let’s get going. Re, did you let Hattie out?”

“Yep, she’s all set in the living room.” Remus kissed him as he passed, hauling his duffel up and resting his hand between Jules’ shoulder blades to guide him down the steps. “Careful, buddy, it’s slippery.”

“I know,” Jules mumbled. “D’you think it’ll snow?”

Sirius looked up—the sky was still fairly dark, but smudges of thick grey clouds seemed to be rolling in. “Probably.”

The drive to the rink was quiet and peaceful; a six o’clock wake up call was tough even on the best of mornings, when they didn’t have a third tiny person to worry about. Regulus sounded like he was waking as they left the house, and Sirius hoped he’d stick around long enough to say goodbye. Pascal’s house wasn’t far, but Sirius knew he would miss having him around.

“Morning, boys,” Remus called as they entered the locker room.

“Morning,” Kasey yawned, stretching his thigh out. “How’s the kid?”

“Sleepy.”

“Big mood. He’s with Moody again today?”

“Yep. They’ll probably come watch again at some point.” Remus smiled to himself. “Thank you guys for showing off yesterday, by the way. He couldn’t stop talking about it the whole evening.”

“Who’s ready to win a game?” James whooped, barging in and looking far too awake for his own good.

Leo frowned. “Game’s tomorrow, Pots.”

“It’s never too early to get hyped, baby rookie.” James patted him on the head as he passed and Leo scowled.

“I’m not a rookie anymore! Loops is!”

“If I call Loops a rookie, he’s going to make sure I never have children again,” James laughed, throwing a t-shirt to Remus from across the aisle. “Here, I borrowed that a couple weeks ago.”

Remus gave it a tentative sniff. “Dude, you didn’t even wash it?”

“It’s something to remember me by.”

“You’re a walking nightmare.”

“Nah, you love me.”

There was a new intensity to their practice that morning—they had beat the Ravens before, sure, but that didn’t mean they were guaranteed to win this time. Even James centered himself, tapping a puck back and forth with Remus until it was nothing but a blur between them. Sirius didn’t see Jules or Moody at any point throughout their ice time, which left him a little disappointed when the timer went off and it was time to hit the gym.

They all did lighter workouts, more like cool down exercises rather than legitimate muscle-building routines. Sirius let himself fall into the rhythm of squats, pushups, and jump-roping until each beat of his heart aligned with the impact of his feet on the mats. The jingle of his ringtone finally signaled the end of practice and a collective sigh went up.

“See you tomorrow, gents,” Nado said as he stood and stretched his back. Sirius felt the mood change as the pre-game heaviness settling over them like a weighted blanket.

Remus wandered over and gave his shoulder a light nudge. “I’ll shower and get Jules while you finish up, yeah?”

“Sounds good. I’ll be quick.” Sirius pressed their foreheads together in lieu of a kiss before turning back to the rest of the guys as stretches began. “You know the spiel. Get some sleep, carb load, all that jazz.”

“Got it, Cap,” Leo said. He tried for a smile, though he looked troubled.

“The Ravens are a great team, but we’re better. We beat them before and we can do it again. Shake off the weird vibes, okay? We can do this.” We have to if we want to make it to the playoffs, he thought instinctively before reaching over to tap the strip of wooden floor that the mats didn’t quite cover. Nope. No playoff thoughts. Just the game.

Eight minutes and a dozen fist-bumps later, they arrived at the locker room in a jumble of bodies. Sirius paused at the end of the hall and heard more than one quiet ‘awww’; Remus was waiting outside, as promised, with Jules fast asleep in his arms. He winked when he saw them and held a finger to his lips, stepping out of the way so they could sneak past.

Moving over a dozen fully-grown hockey players through a small space was not the most stealthy of activities, especially when all of them lingered to get a look at the sleeping child—it was no surprise that Jules woke up partway through and blinked drowsily at them. “Hmm?”

“It’s okay, buddy, you can sleep,” Remus murmured, hitching him a little higher up. “We’re heading home soon.”

“But I wanna watch,” Jules said, pouting slightly. Kasey made a soft noise and put his hand over his heart.

“You can watch the game tomorrow,” James said in a gentle voice. It wasn’t baby talk, persay, but Sirius had definitely heard him use that same soothing tone when Harry started to fuss. Jules snuggled his face into Remus’ neck again with a hum.

Sirius showered quickly and grabbed his bag, barely checking to see if his stuff was all there before ducking out of the locker room with a final mock-salute to the guys. “How long has he been asleep?” he asked as he picked up Remus’ duffel.

“He was out cold on the PT table.” Remus laughed under his breath. “Moody said he was a firecracker for about an hour and a half, but he came back from the bathroom and found him all curled up.”

“That’s so fucking cute. Did you get a picture?”

“Already sent it to my folks.” Remus carefully set Jules in the backseat of the car and buckled him in while Sirius closed the trunk as quietly as he could. Once they were in their respective seats, Remus leaned over the console and gave him a proper kiss, nice and slow. It sent a buzz all the way down to Sirius’ toes.

The lights were off at the house when they arrived; Jules was fully awake by then and Sirius watched his face fall at the same time his own heart clenched. “Regulus left.”

“Yeah, I think so. It’s okay, we’ll see him tomorrow.” Sirius added the last sentence partly for himself—he tried to keep in mind that Regulus was an adult and had moved out ages ago, but they had settled into their routine so quickly. He didn’t want the house to feel empty again.

“Hey.” Remus’ hand was light on his elbow and he blinked, looking over at his smile. “You alright?”

“Yeah, all good. Let’s get some lunch.” He offered a smile that he knew was weak, but Remus linked their hands all the same and kissed his cheek before getting both their bags out of the back.

Jules was playing hopscotch with the checkerboard of ice patches on the sidewalk; it had snowed while they were at practice, after all. There was a faint bark from inside and Jules gasped happily, racing toward the front door with reckless abandon and pressing his face against the wood. “Hi, Hattie-girl!”

Sirius unlocked the door, bending slightly to absorb her impact as she tumbled into them both and covered Jules’ face in kisses, wiggling to pieces with sheer joy. She sprinted for her toy box and grabbed a knotted rope, trotting back to Jules for him to grab the other end and tug.

“Do we have leftovers from last night?’ Remus called from the doorway when Sirius headed into the kitchen.

“I don’t think so, but we have turkey. How does a sandwich sound?”

“F—uh, really great.” Remus grimaced as he walked in and dropped his wallet on the counter. “I have got to be better about my language. Mom’s still mad at me for teaching Jules to say ‘fuck’, and that was years ago.”

“You had no qualms about teaching Harry bad words.”

“And you had no qualms about being on a desert island without me,” Remus said coolly. “Yet here we are.”

“Touché.” Sirius turned around to construct the sandwiches and felt someone lightly slap his ass. He laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Hello.”

“Hey,” Remus grinned, stealing a slice of cheese from his small pile and hopping up to sit on the counter.

“I don’t know why you do that.”

“Slap your ass or steal food? I do both because I love you.”

“I meant sitting on the counter. You know, where we eat.”

“I like to feel extra tall,” Remus said, reaching for another slice of cheese until Sirius gently smacked his hand away.

“Shortie.”

“Fuck off.”

“That’s a bad word,” Jules said from the doorway with a smile. He looked quite disheveled from playing with the dog.

Remus sighed. “It is, indeed. Don’t repeat it.”

“I could.”

“But you won’t.”

“I could.”

“I’ll tell mom.”

“She’d blame you for teaching me.”

“I’ll tell dad.”

“He’d think it was hilarious, and then he’d tell mom and she’d chew you out.”

Remus rolled his eyes and scooted over to make room for Jules to hop up next to him. Sirius threw his hands in the air. “Both of you! What the hell? Who taught you to do that?”

They shared a glance and shrugged. Sirius was starting to understand why people thought it was creepy how similar he and Regulus looked. “It’s a side effect of being the wiry kids on the block when everyone else is taller,” Remus said, snorting as Jules flexed his skinny arms.

Sirius handed them each a sandwich and, with a heavy sigh, boosted himself up to join them. The marble was cold, but it was…kind of fun to swing his legs and get a few extra inches of height. “I think he likes it,” Jules stage-whispered to Remus.

“It’s not horrible,” Sirius conceded, taking a bite of his food.

“Come to the Dark Side, we have the best places to sit.”

Jules widened his eyes and wiggled his fingers at Sirius until they were all laughing too hard to actually eat, then fell into silence as hunger took precedence after not having anything substantial since breakfast. “Are you good with reading or watching TV for a bit while we take a nap?” Remus asked between sips of water. Jules nodded, still making his way through his sandwich.

“What’re we doing after?”

Sirius paused at the same time Remus stopped halfway through a drink of water. They made eye contact, and he knew they were thinking the exact same thing: oh, fuck, we actually have to do things with a child around. “Uh, we’re…going to the park,” Remus said.

Jules made a happy noise around his sandwich and swung his legs. “Cool!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Okay, mom.”

----------------------------------------

The park was a winter wonderland, to say the least. Four inches of snow coated the grassy field and weighed down the branches of the trees lining the playfield, where about a dozen kids built snowmen with their parents. Hattie’s breath fogged the window as they parked and her wagging tail lightly smacked Jules’ forehead every few seconds.

Jules was out of the car the second Sirius turned the engine off, grabbing Hattie’s leash and leaping into the nearest snowbank with a whoop. Remus burst out laughing and followed him with a final glance over his shoulder to Sirius.

They were making halfhearted snow angels when he finally wandered over to the snowbank. They looked so peaceful, so content and happy.

Remus gasped when the first snowball hit him dead center in his chest. Jules laughed even harder until the next one landed in the neck of his coat and poured a veritable waterfall of snow down his front. They both stared up at Sirius in shock and betrayal; he grinned and tucked his chilly hands into his pockets.

“Go for the legs, Jules,” Remus advised as he scrambled up, keeping one hand on his beanie so it didn’t fall off.

Sirius barely made it three steps before Jules grabbed him around the shin and nearly tripped him. He did his best not to drag the kid face-first through the snow, but Jules didn’t seem to mind as he hooked an arm around his other ankle and Remus collided with his shoulder, sending all three of them to the ground in a heap. “Ugh.”

“Gotcha,” Jules said, clambering onto his chest with a breathless smile. Hattie, who had come over to see what all the fuss was about, began licking his half-frozen ear.

Remus sprinkled a handful of snow onto his face, slowly obscuring his view until everything was icy and white. “Vengeance is sweet, huh, buddy?”

“Totally.”

Sirius wiped the snow away and blinked up at two pairs of amber eyes. “I surrender?”

“I should hope so,” Remus laughed as he stood up and brushed himself off, offering a hand to help him to his feet. He kissed his nose in consolation as Jules took Hattie’s leash and ran off toward the playfield, where he would no doubt make seven new best friends within the hour.

“Cute kid,” a middle-aged woman with a kind smile said as she stopped next to them.

“Isn’t he?” Sirius smiled as Hattie rolled onto her back for belly rubs from three different kids.

“How old?”

“Ten.”

Her eyebrows rose and she looked at Remus. “You must have been young when you had him.”

“What? Oh, no, he’s my little brother!” he said quickly.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, you just look so similar,” she laughed, clearly embarrassed.

“No worries, it happens all the time. Which one is yours?”

She pointed to a giggling little girl on the swings, whose dark curls were braided back into a poofy bun. “Lena turned twelve yesterday.”

“Aw, happy birthday to her!” Sirius wrapped his arm around Remus’ waist and put his hand in his back pocket, pulling him close for warmth. They both waved to Jules when he looked over and beamed at them.

The temperature dropped rapidly as four thirty came and the sun began to set; soon, the fat flakes of snow grew smaller and icier as they flurried around the park. Lena and her mother left about half an hour before Remus started bouncing on his toes in an effort to keep warm. Sirius considered himself a decent fiancé, so he figured it would be best to not let Remus freeze solid.

Jules was damp and shivering with melted snow when they got back to the house and Hattie immediately laid down in front of the heater vent as he ran upstairs for a hot bath; Remus and Sirius peeled their soaked outer layers off and hung them in the bathroom to dry.

“If he gets hypothermia, mom’s gonna kill me,” Remus muttered as he shook Jules’ scarf out over the bathtub, though Sirius could see the genuine concern in his eyes.

“He’ll be fine,” he assured him with a gentle hip check. “We were only there for a couple hours and we left pretty quick after it got really cold.”

“He was shivering in the car.”

“Re.” Sirius set his coat down and took Remus’ face between his hands. “Jules will be just fine.”

“We would be really good parents.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Not now, obviously, but I think we’d be good parents.” Sudden nervousness shadowed his face. “Sorry, that was way out of the blue. Do you—do you not want that?”

“No, I do! I really, really do but…we’ve never talked about it before. Like, in depth.” I wouldn’t be a good dad. I barely know what a good parent looks like, aside from yours and the Potters.

Remus relaxed. “Oh. Well, I don’t think it would be a great idea to adopt kids while we’re still working full time playing hockey, but in the future…” He shrugged, the edge of his mouth ticking up in a smile. “I think about it sometimes.”

“Me, too.” There was a splash upstairs and they both laughed. “Well, I guess we’re about to have an indoor swimming pool.”

“I’ll get the towels.”

------------------------------------

Sirius was almost done with the dinner dishes when he realized he hadn’t heard much noise from Jules’ room in quite a while, and yet Remus had yet to come back downstairs. He paused, listening to the muffled voices—no, not voices. Just one.

He rinsed the last plate and washed his hands, making a face at the weird soap texture and the ensuing dryness of his knuckles. There were few chores he genuinely disliked, but dishes were one of them.

The door to the guest bedroom was still open when he went upstairs, and a soft light shone out. He stopped in the doorway, a greeting dying in his throat.

“—‘hold it up!’ said Gandalf. ‘And look closely!’” Remus lowered his voice into a grumble as he read Gandalf’s lines; Jules was entranced, though he struggled to keep his eyes open for more than three seconds at a time. “As Frodo did so, he now saw fine lines, finer than the finest pen-strokes, running along the ring, outside and inside: lines of fire that seemed to form the letters of a flowing script.”

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Sirius, flushing faint pink. In the pause, Jules sighed softly. “Why’d you stop?”

“We’ll pick it up again tomorrow night,” Remus whispered, brushing his fringe out of his eyes. “Sleep well, buddy.”

“Sweet dreams,” Sirius added.

Jules mumbled and snuggled deeper under the blankets while Remus set the book on the nightstand and turned the bedside lamp off.

“That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Sirius said as soon as he had closed the door behind them and they walked down the hall to their bedroom. “Was that The Hobbit?”

“Fellowship of the Ring. It’s one of my favorites, and he picked it up this afternoon while we were napping.” Remus pulled his shirt off and sifted through their sheets for his pajama pants. “Did you do the dishes?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks, baby. That was really sweet of you.”

“You were busy being adorable.”

“Shush,” Remus scoffed, though the blush returned to his cheeks as he curled up under the covers and made grabby hands toward Sirius. “C’mere.”

The bed was cold when he laid down, but Remus was warm, and soon they were tangled together as the moon shone through their window. Sirius drifted off to slow breaths and dreams of the future, where maybe—just maybe—their kid wouldn’t have to leave after four more days. 

Ruined - Jamie Benn - Part 1

Word Count: 3,332

POV: Reader

Warnings: Language, smut, NSFW

Notes: So here we go with this new story that’s been stuck in my head and finally worked it’s way onto here. Please see the Masterlist for the synopsis. The first two parts should really be one, but I broke it into 2 because well sometimes I don’t have time to read long fics and then I lose my place, so I tried to make this a bit easier for anyone else that has this problem. So, Part 2 is coming out tonight as well. As always feedback is greatly appreciated. Happy Reading!

You sat there staring at the piece of paper in your hand, debating back in forth in your mind about what you wanted to do. This was your dream offer, just not in your dream city. In fact, if you were being honest this was the last place you saw yourself moving, but could you or would you turn it down because of him. He’d dictated most of your high school life, and some of college, to give him that kind of power over your career now would be so stupid. Especially, when you literally hadn’t seen him in almost twelve years. He probably wouldn’t even remember you, but there was no way that you could ever forget Jamie Benn.

 It was your freshman year in high school when you’d met him. He was slightly older and had just come to your secondary school to play hockey. Jamie was quiet, which seemed kind of funny for a jock. They were always loud and boisterous, but maybe you were just going by the ones in your family. By default, he was thrown in with all the other hockey players and one so happened to be your older brother, who was also friends with Jamie’s brother Jordie. The three of them ended up being thick as thieves and drove you half insane at times. Well, maybe not Jamie. When he was at your house the two of you always ended up having some random conversation about god only knew what, but it was always entertaining. You easily got a crush on him after about the seventh or eighth time you were around him but kept that to yourself. Oh, it wasn’t like you weren’t pretty or anything. It was the opposite really. Cheerleader, as well as on the track team; you were one of the more popular freshmen in school, but you were also terribly shy and inexperienced when it came to boys. You always felt, well, awkward around them, not knowing if you would say the right thing or do something embarrassing. With Jamie though, it was different. He made you feel so at ease, but then maybe part of that was because he shared the same awkwardness that you did.

 You distinctly remember one night early your sophomore year, when your brother, Justin, and Jordie decided to take both you and Jamie to a party. They practically had the school slut, throwing herself at Jamie, but it was clear the boy had no clue what to do, as his hands awkwardly fumbled her advances. Which was fine with the jealous streak that suddenly went through your entire body. She attempted to kiss him, and with all eyes focused on him, he went to return it, only to completely miss her and end up bonking her on the head. In end, he’d laughed things off saying he was too drunk, but you knew that he’d only had one beer. He somehow slipped out of the cabin you’d been partying at, and back to the woods, after the incident. Of course, you’d followed him. “Hey Jame, you ok?” He simply shrugged as you sat down on the log beside him. “Justin and Jordie can be dickheads sometimes, you know?”

 “Tell me about it.”

 “I’m sure you’re a better kisser.” Oh my god, did those words really leave your mouth? Fuck. “I mean…like…” Jamie just sort of smiled over at you as you stumbled through words that seemed to be regurgitating out of your mouth. 

 “Maybe,” he finally said, staring off into the woods, then very quietly added. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

 You had to strain your ears to catch that last part, but you were definitely sure he said he’d never had a first kiss. “Oh,” you answered softly, with a hint of surprise in your voice, though inside you were giddy. Somehow, you’d just assumed that someone like Jamie, who was athletic and good looking had definitely been kissed before. It was surprising that he admitted it to you, and before you knew what was happening that same word vomit from before was making an appearance. “Me either.”

 “Really?” His question came almost as soon as you spit out the words. Why he found that hard to believe was beyond you.

 “Yes really.”

 “I just thought….well…” This time it was Jamie stumbling through a sentence instead of you. “I know that you and David have been hanging out a lot.” 

 “David?” While it was true, you’d been hanging out with one of the school’s top soccer players, it was for a completely different reason then stolen kisses. “I’m tutoring him in biology. If he fails, he’s off the team.” The words fell from your lips before you had time to fully think them through. “Please don’t say anything. He doesn’t want anyone to know.”

 “I won’t,” Jamie told you and you knew that you could trust him with this or any secret that you had. He turned toward you then, his eyes locking with yours. “I’m glad you’re only tutoring him.”

 “Oh, why? He seems like a nice guy or have you heard different…” you trailed off not quite sure of what or why you were even asking.

 “Oh, he seems nice. I don’t really know him.” Jamie ran his fingers through his hair then. A telltale sign he was searching for the right words. “I mean…I’m glad you’re not dating him, you know…because…well I thought….” He blew out a breath and you held yours. “Maybe you’d want to date me.” Goose pimples rose on your flesh at his words. This was the moment you dreamed about, and now, here it finally was. When you didn’t answer right away Jamie added, “That is…did you want to go on a date?”

 The corners of your lips pulled up into a smile and Jamie’s did as well. “I’d like that.”

 “Me too.” He adjusted himself so that he was sitting closer to you on the log you shared. Now only an inch or two separated the two of you as he hesitantly made a move to hold your hand. It hovered just above yours for a few seconds, both of your eyes shifting down to watch as he finally clasped your hands together, and then you were both shared a stupid grin. “Can I…kiss you?”

 You were speechless at all that had transpired in the last couple of moments, and so you just nodded, both excited and afraid to share your first kiss with Jamie. You moved in closer, while Jamie did the same. Your eyes slowly going shut as your lips drew near. Jamie’s lips ghosted over yours, just barely a brush against your skin as first, but then he added a bit more pressure and it was both awkward and wonderful at the same time. You both stayed that way for several heartbeats neither of you moving, both unsure what the next move was. His free hand, the one that wasn’t tightly laced with yours, came up to caress your cheeks, and then your lips were moving together and it was one kiss simply melting into a million more. Unconsciously, you sighed. Your lips parting open for him and his tongue darted into your mouth. Eyes flying open at the contact, you weren’t sure how to react. Of course, you knew what a French kiss was, had seen it on television a million times, but to experience it was quite different. You realized you could taste the beer he’d drunk earlier and something else, though you couldn’t put your finger on it. Tentatively, you let your tongue mingle with his, letting your eyes flutter shut once again so you could savor the feel of this kiss; your first kiss with Jamie Benn. 

 It was one of many that you shared with Jamie over the next few months. He took you out on several dates, mostly to the movies or to the little pizza shop you both loved, but most nights were either spent on your couch or his, where you’d watch hockey and then makeout until it was time for curfew. Your relationship progressed about as much as any fifteen going on sixteen-year-olds did; there was a lot of holding hands and quiet kisses. On night’s that one of your parents would go out and leave you both alone, it definitely went from first to second base rather quickly, and you learned that Jamie was definitely a boob man. He became an expert at unclasp your bra in record time, of course, there was a learning curve that involved a lot of fumbling around. 

 It was Jamie’s birthday, that you decided to give him a present he’d never forget. For the life of you at the age of fifteen, you couldn’t figure out why it was called a blowjob when you were definitely supposed to suck on his cock. Thankfully, you’d seen enough of your brother’s porn stash to know how to give a proper one and not look completely stupid. Though you didn’t expect to gag when Jamie thrust his hips into your face uncontrollably. At least you recovered quickly and were able to swallow most of his cum when it shot down the back of your throat. It was two weeks later that he finally reciprocated, by going down on you in the backseat of his car. While not the most romantic place in the world, his tongue flicking across your clit made up for the cliché atmosphere. 

 By the end of summer, you’d rounded all the bases but hadn’t hit a home run yet. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to sleep with Jamie; it was the exact opposite. However, there just wasn’t a time or place for the deed to get done. The two of you had discussed and decided that you wanted to make it special and not just make it some little box that you could check off in your relationship. This would be the first time for both of you, so while it was going to be memorable, you also wanted to savor it. As neither of you were eighteen yet, it wasn’t like you could go and get a hotel, for you’d thought about that option, and you’d already ruled at the car. With limited options in Victoria, you had no choice but to travel to your parents' second house on the outskirts of Vancouver. It was rarely used, as your dad only stayed there on business trips which had become less frequent over the last couple of years. Even though the house was rarely occupied, you came up with an elaborate plan for your parents to let you not only stay there overnight but travel there by yourself. Well, technically it wasn’t by yourself as you said you were going with your best friend Emma. Who covered for you, god love her.

 You weren’t sure what excuse Jamie had told his parents, but he picked you up at Emma’s house one Saturday morning and the two of you made the trip in less than three hours. It was a nerve-wracking drive, though Jamie held your hand most of the time. It wasn’t really the thought of having sex with Jamie that made you uneasy. It was the thought of having sex period. You were afraid it was going to hurt, but you kept trying to push past that thought, knowing that you wanted to do this, more so that you wanted to do this with Jamie. 

 It was awkward, just like all your firsts with Jamie were, but eventually, you two were able to move past that, and in the end, it was actually kind of amazing. Though the most wonderful part had to be falling asleep in Jamie’s arms. He’d made you felt so loved and cherished, and you’d known right then and there that you’d made the right decision to give you virginity away to this man. It felt like the two of you would be together forever.

 That was until the following Tuesday at school came around. There were stares and whispers everywhere you looked, or so it seemed. It wasn’t until lunchtime, that you finally found out what was going on, and then it was only from Emma. “Em, what is going on with everyone? I feel like half these guys are staring at me.”

 She closed her eyes as if mustering up the courage to tell you something she didn’t want to. “Jamie told everyone that you two slept together.” You gasped, then quickly covered up both your mouth and the hurt that came along with it. “That’s not the worst of it,” Emma said and it felt like your heart just sank into your stomach. “I also heard that he told people you two have been fucking for months.” There were so many ‘whys’ and ‘how could he’ running around in your head you couldn’t make heads or tails of them. Jamie wouldn’t do this, there had to be some explanation. Your eyes scanned the cafeteria looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found. You were just about to get up and look for him when Emma’s hand came down on yours. “There’s more. He said the only reason he was dating you was because you were easy.” Bile rose in the back of your throat and you wanted to just run to the girls' bathroom and cry, but Emma stopped you. “Don’t,” she said simply. “If you go, it will just feed more gossip. Act like nothing is wrong and that nothing happened. Like you don’t care.” Easy for her to say when it felt like your heart was being ripped out of your chest along with your reputation. “Breathe.” You hadn’t realized you’d stopped until she said the word. 

 The rest of the day was a complete blur. You couldn’t find Jamie anywhere. As soon as you could make it home after practice, you were dialing his number. His mom answered, “I’m sorry (Y/N), Jamie’s not feeling well. I’ll have him call you when he’s feeling better.” The next day passed and still the lingering stares, mostly from the guys, continued. You’d even had a few ask you out, to which you simply rolled your eyes and told them it would only happen in their dreams. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say and just added fuel to the fire, making it seem like everything that Jamie had said true. He avoided you yet another day and you were beginning to wonder if he was going to pretend to be sick the entire school year just so he didn’t have to face you. By the third day that you hadn’t heard from him, you knew it was done. No matter what excuse he could give you, it would never make up for not only what he said but the way he’d treated you afterward. You simply needed to move on. So, when you saw him at school the following day, you completely ignored him. He attempted to talk to you several times, but you weren’t having it. “Come on (Y/N), please just talk to me.”

 “I think you’ve done enough talking for the both of us Jamie. We’re through.” There was hurt in his eyes and you wanted to break down and cry right then and there, but you held your head up high and continued down the hall to your next class. It was two periods later that Emma was handing you a note. You unfolded it, seeing Jamie’s writing on the top.

 (Y/N),

I’m sorry. Please let me explain….

 That’s all you read before tearing the letter up and tossing it in the garbage can in front of Jamie, hoping he would get the point and leave you alone. He didn’t. As soon as you walked in the door of your house, your mom told you he’d called three times already. After explaining that the two of you broke up, and crying on your mom’s shoulder for a half-hour, though not mentioning the details of your breakup; she told Jamie not to call back when the phone rang again. Ever persistent, Jamie came banging on the door after dinner. This time it was your dad that told him he wasn’t wanted in your home, even though Jamie was practically begging him to let you in, while you sobbed in the background. He kept up the same routine over the next week, all with the same result until eventually, he gave up.

 Over the next two weeks, you could hear the whispers as you walked down the hall. Girls muttering that you were slut, while the boys were trying to figure out which one of them would get to sample you next; now that it was clear you were no longer with Jamie. The icing on the cake was when David, the soccer player you’d been tutoring told everyone that you hadn’t been studying at all; that he’d been sleeping with you for the last month. No matter how many times you said it was a lie, no one believed you. Your reputation was simply shredded apart all by a few words Jamie had uttered. So, after a couple months of being talked about, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to become that girl that they whispered about. If they were going to condemn you, you might as well earn it.

 Your junior and senior year, you became the girl that gave the star point guard a blow job behind the bleachers after the game, as well as giving one to the goalie, the wide receiver, and the captain of the debate team, and a few more as well. Jamie seemed to take out his aggression on the ice, dropping the gloves with opponents left and right, but you tried to pay him no mind. Until he finally went to play for the Grizzlies and you didn’t have to see him all the time. By then end of high school, you truly had earned the reputation that he’d given you, but you were sick of it. Tired of being looked at for only sex, you applied to schools in the US. Thankfully, while you’d jumping from penis to penis, you’d still kept up your studies and were accepted at every school you’d applied to. 

 When you received your acceptance letter from Georgetown, along with a scholarship, you jumped at the chance to put yourself all the way across the continent from not only Jamie but what you’d become. At University, you put your head to the books instead of on some unknown guy’s cock, studying constantly which earned you a 4.0 in undergrad, and basically allowed you have your pick at the top medical schools in both Canada and the United States. It was a no brainer when John Hopkins wanted you and during your time there, you were able to work with not only the Baltimore Ravens but the Orioles as well, all within your first year. Which had you taking up orthopedics and sports medicine as your specialty. 

 All of this led you to today and the offer you were currently mulling over. It was literally everything you’d ever wanted and allowed you to work with not only the NFL but the NBA and the NHL as well. It was the last one that had you rethinking it though. The pros well outweighed the only one con that you could think of and that was Jamie Benn. Who’s to say if he’d even remember you though? It wasn’t like you could forget him after what he’d done, but you let him dictate enough of your life; you weren’t about to let him continue. So, you typed up your written acceptance, then called Dr. Ellis to let him know you were taking the job. You’d made a new reputation for yourself this time around and you weren’t about to let Jamie Benn ruin this one. 

it’s a small world after all

This is a fic written for my dear friend Jen ( @ishipallthings​ ) who sent me this prompt. I am making a new text post because Tumblr doesn’t allow me to insert the “Keep reading” link properly when replying to an ask :( 

it’s a small world after all

steve/tony, meet cute, pre-slash, au: no powers, 2054 words 

“Great speech.”

Smiling at the compliment, Tony turns around. “Thank y—”

And nearly drops his champagne flute.

His world comes to a stop. The light chatter of the mingling guests fades away, all of his senses zeroing in on the man standing before him.

They had only spent a night together—one unforgettable night a year ago in London—and didn’t even manage to catch each other’s last names, but Tony would recognize those baby blues anywhere.

It’s Steve.

Steve from Tony’s London business trip. Or, as Rhodey has become accustomed to calling him after months and months of Tony bemoaning his own profound stupidity of letting the perfect London stranger go without giving him so much as a phone number—The Soulmate That Got Away. 

“I— What— Steve?” Tony blinks and shakes his head, just to make sure that this is not some weird hallucination his brain has conjured up out of a severe case of lovesick pining.

No matter how many times he blinks, Steve stays there, standing in front of him, dressed in an elegant navy blue suit that shows off his insane shoulder to waist ratio.

“Tony,” Steve says and maybe Tony is imagining the way Steve sounds a little bit breathless, like maybe this moment is just as overwhelming for him as it is for Tony. How Tony has imagined this scenario happening a thousand times in a thousand different ways—meeting Steve again, hearing Steve call his name.

“What— What are you doing here?” Of all the places he thought he would run into Steve again, his best friend’s wedding is definitely not one of them. Tony sets the glass of champagne down on a nearby table before he actually drops it. His hand is definitely not trembling. 

“Uh, my date is a friend. Of the bride’s.”

“A friend of Carol’s?”

“Yeah. She went to get a drink, but—”

Before Steve can finish his sentence, someone approaches him from behind, hooking her arm through his with the kind of easy affection that only comes from knowing each other for years. 

“Steve, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” the woman chides, but there is no mistaking the fond note in her voice. Her blonde hair falls just slightly below her shoulders. She is clad in a long dress whose shade of blue matches Steve’s suit. 

“Sorry,” Steve says, squeezing her arm lightly as he turns to her with a soft smile. To his horror, Tony feels his own heart sinking. As much as he wants to, he finds himself unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of them standing side by side in front of him.

Loathe as Tony is to admit it, they look lovely together.

Tony doesn’t know why he is disappointed at all. After all, he is just a stranger with whom Steve has spent a night with. Granted, it was a wonderful night—one that started with them fighting over the last croissant at a coffee shop near Tony’s hotel and ended with pillow talk that was way too deep for someone Tony had just met a few hours prior. 

Just because Tony had maybe—okay, definitely—fallen a little bit in love with him, however, it doesn’t guarantee that Steve would feel the same way about Tony. 

To reiterate once again, they are just strangers. Acquaintances, at best. Acquaintances who spent a night being physically and emotionally intimate with each other on the day of their first meeting. The sex had been more than satisfactory, but if Tony were being honest, the part of that fateful day that had secured Steve a special place in his heart was the part where they spent the rest of the night cuddled up in bed, sharing secrets and stories about their very different lives until the early hours of the morning, pretending that they weren’t sleepy before eventually drifting off in each other’s arms. 

Up until minutes ago, Tony wasn’t even sure he would ever see Steve again. It is beyond ridiculous for him to maintain the foolish hope of Steve returning his feelings, the hope that Steve had somehow also waited for him or tried to look for him all this time. 

There is also the fact that Steve isn’t the one who had woken up in bed cold and alone after a night too well spent. 

“Oh, hey! You’re James’ best friend, right? The best man. I’m Sharon.” The woman offers him her hand, a warm smile on her lips.

“Tony. Nice to meet you.” He shakes her hand, returning her smile.

There is a beat in which Sharon seems to take in the situation, looking back and forth between Steve and Tony.

“You guys know each other?”

“Yes—” Steve says.

“Well, not really—” Tony answers, at the exact same time.

Both of them fall into silence upon realizing their opposing answers. Sharon blinks, eyebrows furrowing.

“We’ve met before,” Tony manages eventually, giving Sharon what he hopes passes for an amicable smile. All the while, he feels Steve’s eyes on him. 

“I see.” Sharon nods, but her smile is disconcertingly knowing. “Well, I think I saw some of my friends over there, so I’m going to leave you boys to catch up. It’s nice to meet you, Tony.”

With that, she leaves them alone again, her heels clicking away. 

An awkward silence settles between them. After a few heartbeats, Tony takes a deep breath and makes a valiant attempt at small talk:

“So, how long have you guys been to—”

“You never called.”

“What?”

“I, uh.” Steve’s eyes flit down to his feet before meeting Tony’s. His smile looks slightly strained at the edges. ”You never contacted me.”

“You— You left without a word. I had no way of contacting you.”

“What?” Steve’s eyebrows crease together.

“You did!” Tony exclaims, extremely confused as to why Steve seems to be confused. “I woke up and you were gone. No goodbye. No nothing. How was I supposed to contact you?”

“I— I had to catch a flight, but I didn’t want to wake you, so I did leave without saying goodbye—”

“That’s literally what I just said—”

“—but I left a note!”

“...Huh?”

Steve stares at him with bewildered eyes. “I left you a note on the nightstand. I tore a piece of paper from the hotel notepad, wrote you a note, folded it, and left it there for you to find. I wrote down my phone number and everything.”

“No, you didn’t,” Tony insists, indignant. “I would’ve found—”

Except Tony now remembers that although when he woke up in bed that day he realized that Steve was nowhere to be found, he was also immediately struck with the realization that he was late for his 10 a.m. meeting with a client—the main reason he had been in London in the first place. He then scrambled to get ready and was out the door in a record time of ten minutes. 

He didn’t even glance at whatever note Steve had supposedly left on the nightstand.

When he came back to the hotel later that night, his room had been cleaned up by the hotel staff.

“What?” Steve blinks at him. 

Tony lets out a sharp exhale in disbelief. He tries to breathe through the wave of disappointment that hits him upon realizing that Steve had wanted him to call, and that both of them are just victims of an unfortunate set of events.

Steve is still staring at him, desperate for an explanation.

“I just realized that— Um. You see, that day, the morning after we… met, I woke up late for my meeting.” Tony smiles at him, sheepish and apologetic. “So I rushed out the door in a hurry. When I came back, the bed was made and the room was all tidy. There was nothing on the nightstand. My guess is that the hotel staff must’ve cleaned it up during the day, while I was gone, so…”

“So you never saw the note,” Steve finishes, a myriad of emotions flitting through his eyes.

“I never saw it,” Tony confirms, gazing wistfully at Steve, his heart constricting at the unfairness of it all. They could have started something, if luck had been on their side. Steve had waited for him to call. Now, however…

Steve clearly belongs to someone else now and whatever chance Tony had back then, it certainly is long gone by now. 

Suddenly, someone calls out Tony’s name. They both turn to see the groom making a beckoning motion from across the room. 

“Tones, let’s take a picture!” Rhodey shouts. He is flanked by Carol and Pepper. All three of them are staring at Tony, expectant smiles on their faces.

Tony nods at them with a grin before turning to Steve. Sweet, beautiful Steve whom Tony never got around to having a proper date with.

“Sorry, I have to go,” Tony says regretfully, heart heavy. “It’s really nice seeing you again, Steve.”

He takes one last look at Steve before turning around to join his friends.

Before he manages to take more than two steps, however, Steve catches his wrist.

“Tony, wait.”

Tony turns to see Steve staring at him with a weirdly intense expression on his face, like he is working up the courage to say something. 

“Yeah?”

“Before you go, can I borrow your phone?”

Tony blinks but complies readily, fishing his phone out of his pocket. Maybe Steve wants to keep in touch, become friends. 

Steve types a phone number into Tony’s phone. When he is done, he hands the phone back to Tony. The new number is saved under the name “Steve Rogers”.

“That’s my phone number. Don’t lose it this time,” Steve says, a sweet and lopsided smile on his face. He then swallows, shoving his hands into his pockets. “And, uh, listen… If it’s all the same to you, I would still very much like to go on that date with you, the one you promised we would go on once we’re both back home in New York. I know it’s long overdue, it’s been a year. But I would still love to go for coffee with you, if you’re willing.”

Tony stares at him, uncomprehending. Steve seems to take Tony’s silence as a sign of rejection, because then he licks his lips nervously and says:

“Only if you want to, of course. Only if you want to, only if you’re comfortable with it, and only if you have time. You really don’t have to if—”

“But,” Tony shakes his head, “I thought you and, uh, Sharon? Aren’t you two…?”

Steve pauses at Tony’s question. The second he registers what Tony is getting at, his eyes widen almost comically.

“Oh. Oh. Oh, no. No. We’re not like that. We’ve never been like that.” Steve breaks into a relieved chuckle. “I don’t think her girlfriend would like that idea very much.”

“Oh,” Tony breathes. He feels a rush of giddy hope, so strong and sudden that it leaves him a bit dizzy. “So, coffee?”

“Yeah.” Steve stares at him, nervous and expectant, light pink dusting his cheeks. “If that offer still stands.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“How does next weekend sound?”

Steve beams at him, smile radiant. “Next weekend sounds amazing.”

“Okay,” Tony says, stepping back slowly. “I’ll call you.”

Steve nods before ducking his head bashfully, biting his lip to suppress the growing grin on his face. 

Turning around to finally walk away, Tony feels the ends of his lips climbing up into a helpless smile, so wide it could split his face in half. 

Later that night, he calls Steve. His heart is pounding in his chest as he waits for Steve to pick up, phone pressed up to his ear. 

“Hello?” Steve’s voice comes from the other end of the line.

“Rogers. It’s Tony. Tony Stark.”

A pause. “The Tony who stole my croissant?”

Tony grins. “I didn’t steal anything. That croissant was rightfully mine.”

“I got there first. I saw it first.”

“But I ordered it first.”

“I rest my case.” Steve laughs, the sound sending warmth running through Tony’s body. “I’m so glad you called. Thank you for calling.”

Tony smiles. It’s only right that he gives Steve a call. 

After all, even though Tony had stolen Steve’s croissant, Steve managed to steal something much more valuable: Tony’s heart. 

True as Sarcasm

By @vintervittrannerd for @whotheheckitheheck

Rating: General

Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark 

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, James “Rhodey” Rhodes

Summary: The first time he said it, it was pure sass. But over time, the word started to feel more and more true, until Peter realizes that’s what Tony has become to him. A dad. 

This is for @friendly-neighborhood-exchange, you can read it on Ao3 here :)

The first time he said it, it was pure sass.

He had been back as Spider-man for a few weeks, after the month-long grounding he had gotten after May found out about him swinging around Queens stopping crime after school.

The grounding had been a compromise. May had been absolutely furious with everyone when she first found out (Peter still winced at the memory of her shouting at Tony for what seemed like hours) and had forbidden Peter from going out as Spider-man ever again. Peter had been certain that that had been the end. Once May made up her mind, she very rarely changed it, and she had been angry enough that not even Peter’s otherwise quite successful puppy eyes had worked. But to his astonishment, Tony had, after letting May finishing her shouting, somehow convinced her to let Peter continue his vigilantism. 

  There had to be rules of course. Peter wasn’t entirely happy with all of them, but May and Tony had been in agreement and there was no way Peter could change their minds once they had teamed up against him. The rules included strict curfews for patrolling (10pm on school nights and midnight on weekends), school and homework had to come first, he had to make time for his friends and family, and his sleeping schedule had to still be appropriate for a teenager (though Peter suspected he had quite different views on appropriate bedtimes for a 15 year old than the adults had). He also had to get some actual training, which resulted in an agreement that he should spend every other weekend at the Avengers compound and train with any of the remaining Avengers (which meant either Tony or Rhodey, or occasionally Vision if he was there). He also had to continue his patrol reports, but now directly to Tony, and was under no circumstances allowed to tone down or hide an injury of any kind. Not that he could hide it anyway, because Karen kept a log and reported directly to FRIDAY, and if she deemed any injury severe it would alert Tony the minute it happened. Peter was not very happy about this particular rule, but found it best not to try and hack Karen again. At least not so soon. He figured he would give it a few months at least, and then he and Ned could see if they couldn’t change Karen’s coding without Friday (or Tony) noticing.

And then there was the grounding. Peter had hoped that the, in his opinion, absurd number of rules would be enough of a punishment, but May did not agree.  

“The rules are just to let you be Spider-man at all. The grounding is for lying to my face for months.”

Peter couldn’t really argue with that, and besides he did feel bad for lying to her, so he accepted his punishment with minimal complaint.

And when he was finally allowed back out as Spider-man, things had been so different from how they’d been before the Vulture incident that Peter didn’t quite know how he should behave. Mr. Stark had taken a much bigger part in his life, way beyond what he actually had to according to his deal with May. Not only did he listen to all of Peter’s patrol reports, but he seemed to take a genuine interest in Peter's life, chatting with him about school and friends and Legos. He’d also started to invite Peter to the compound more often, not just for his training sessions, but to work in the lab with him and one time just for a movie night (Tony had claimed that he just needed a third person so a majority could vote against Rhodey's movie suggestions, but after a few minutes of mock betrayal when Peter sided with Rhodey, he had just decided that voting was a bad idea anyway and they should just take turns choosing what to watch on movie nights). And Peter found that he grew more and more comfortable around Mr. Stark, his nervousness and insecurity slipping away and being replaced by a familiarity that he hadn’t expected but definitely welcomed.

Which was how, a few weeks after he’d been allowed out as Spider-man again, Peter found himself in the compound kitchen after a training session with Rhodey while Tony cut up bread rolls and fussed over Peter like a mother hen.

“Have you eaten yet? It’s important to eat after you’ve trained, especially with your metabolism. We don’t want you passing out on us now, do we? Also, water,” Tony tosses a water bottle at Peter and then continues to rummage around in the fridge, pulling out a package of roast beef “you need plenty of water after working out, so drink up.”

Peter can’t help himself, the situation of THE Tony Stark preparing a sandwich for him and pestering him about drinking water is so surreal that the sass just slips out.  

“Yes dad.”

Rhodey snorts behind him and Tony turns to glare at the both of them.

“Very funny. But I have a deal with your scary Aunt and she will have my head if I break it. And I happen to be rather fond of my head.”

“Your deal includes making sandwiches?”

“My deal includes keeping you alive” Tony says with a stern look at Peter, who has a very hard time keeping himself from laughing. “Now shut up and eat your food.”

Peter rolls his eyes but doesn’t protest. He is starving after all.

***

It becomes a thing after that.

In fairness, Peter only sarcastically calls him dad when Tony is really helicopter parenting. In other words, all the time.

And really, who can blame Peter? Tony is, after all, the worst case of helicopter parent that Peter’s ever seen. Seriously, Peter has had four parents during his fifteen years on this planet and none of them has been quite as overprotective as his mentor is.

Peter doesn’t really mind it though. It’s kinda nice to have someone else that looks out for him, besides May. It’s mostly just a fun thing to mock Tony with, especially since he insists that he’s not a helicopter parent and is just being a “responsible adult” (at that, Rhodey had laughed so hard that he nearly fell of the chair he was sitting on and Tony had thrown a half-made sandwich at him).

He doesn’t know when or how it happened. But somewhere during the months of lab days and movie nights and texting each other stupid jokes, the “dad” had stopped being sarcastic and started being…something more. Peter wasn’t really sure what it was, only that Tony fricking Stark, Iron-man, genius, billionaire, philanthropist and arguably the best Avenger, had stopped feeling like just a mentor and started to feel something that was much closer to a real dad. It terrified Peter, but at the same time it made him feel safe and calm. Like he had someone he could lean on. Someone who would never leave him to face the world alone.

And that was precisely the reason he was terrified. Because Peter knew all too well that father figures did leave, even if it was unwillingly. His first father, Richard Parker, had left, died in a plane crash when Peter was four and he still missed him terribly sometimes. His other father, Uncle Ben, had also left, bleeding to death in an alley while Peter held him. And the grief he had for Ben was something he couldn’t even put words on, because it was mixed with guilt. Guilt, because he was the reason Ben had been in that alley in the first place. Guilt, because even with his powers, Peter couldn’t save his life. And guilt, because even though Ben had been his father in every sense of the word and he had loved him so much, Peter had never told him. He’d never called Ben Dad, or told him that he saw him as a father. In his mind, Peter knew Ben must have known anyway, just as Peter knew Ben had seen him as a son even if he never said so. But in his heart, there’s still a stab of guilt. He should’ve told Ben. He should’ve told him how much he meant to Peter.

Peter Parker knows that father figures leave, unexpectedly and painfully, and he knows the guilt that can follow. He knows he can’t always prevent the leaving, but he can prevent the guilt of never telling. And so, he starts to make a plan.

***

Peter has never been this nervous in his entire life. He almost asks Happy to turn the car around and take him back to the apartment at least twelve times on his way to the compound, and when the elevator doors open up to reveal the corridor that leads to the lab, he almost asks FRIDAY to take him back up again.

But he doesn’t. He steps out of the elevator with the small gift bag clutched in one hand and takes a deep breath. He reminds himself that he’s a superhero and that he’s supposed to be brave and that really, this shouldn’t even be something to be afraid of in the first place. Really, it’s just a small present. It’s just Tony. It just happens to be Father’s Day.

Tony looks up from his workbench when Peter enters the lab and blinks several times at him. He looks disheveled and tired and Peter suspects that he has spent at least the past 24 hours in the lab.

“Peter? Is something wrong? Wait, shit, did I miss that this was a compound weekend?”

He looks stressed and guilty enough that Peter rushes to reassure him.

“Oh, no, everything’s fine! Just… Rhodey said you weren’t busy today” (actually Rhodey’s exact words had been “It’ll do him good to be dragged out of his lab for a while, he could use the break”) “and so I asked Happy to drive me here cause… uhm, I just… I wanted to… I-I mean I just thought…” Why can’t he form a full sentence? His brain refuses to be of any help at all, so Peter gives up on trying and just holds out the gift bag to Tony “Here.”

Tony accepts the bag with an odd look on his face. “What’s this?” When Peter just blushes and doesn’t answer, Tony carefully pulls the gift out of the bag.

It’s a mug, the kind of mug that you could get in any gift shop, red with the words “World’s Greatest Dad” written on it. Only Peter had made it a bit more personal and had drawn a small golden Ironman helmet to the side and added the word Iron, so the mug now says “World’s Greatest IronDad”. Tony’s eyes go wide when he sees it. He stares at it, blinks slowly and continues staring as if he can’t quite believe it’s real.

Peter wonders if it is too much. If it is too little. If Tony will just assume it is a joke gift. If, maybe, it would be better if he thinks it’s a joke gift.

Tony is still staring at the mug.

Peter thinks maybe he hates it. Maybe he’ll look at Peter and tell him to take his mug and all its implications and get out of his lab. Maybe he’ll distance himself from Peter again. Maybe…

Tony sniffs and turns away, blinking furiously and swiping a hand at his eyes.

Now it’s Peter’s turn to stare.

“Mr. Stark…are you…are you crying?”

“No” Tony sniffs again, and his voice sounds suspiciously shaky. “It’s just that the air in here is very dry and it makes my eyes water. It’s a perfectly normal thing.”

“The air humidity is at a very normal level,” FRIDAY comments. “It should not affect your eyes in any way, boss.”

Tony glares at the ceiling and mutters something that sounds like “snitch”. Peter can’t stop himself from snorting and Tony turns his glare at him instead. However, the glare quickly melts into a look so soft and full of love that not even Peter's overanxious brain can doubt it. And finally, he dares to say the words he came here to say, the simple yet terrifying words he’d turned over and over in his head, wondering if he had any right to say them. The look in Tony's eyes wipes away all of Peter’s worries. So, he says it, and he means every single word.

“Happy Father’s Day, dad.”

What’s His Name?

Summary: Bucky helps you out. But then you discover he has paying too much atention on you.

Pairing: Bucky x fem!reader

Warnings: mention of sexual abuse (nothing graphic), mention of financial problems, a mom and daughter family, reader being awful (for a little), fluff, angst, self loathing and Bucky calling the reader doll (that is a warning to me).

A/N: I just had this on my mind. English is not my first language so I’m pretty sure mistakes were made. Sorry in advance.

Words: 4,4k.

~

"C'mon Rogers, pick up!" You think as the telephone rings by the 10th time. It isn't your style to look for help, but this time you really need it. And even if you two aren't the best of friends, you know you can count on him. Well, everybody knows they can count on Captain America. - "Hello?" A voice you don't recognise answers. - "Who is this?" Tonight really isn't your luck night, you can't catch a break. - "Barnes. You?" Really can't catch a fucking break. You don't need a man that doesn't even look in your eyes, you need someone that you can trust. - "Oh, hi Barnes. It's (y/n). Can I speak with Rogers, please? It's important." - "Steve isn't here. He went off to some vacation time with Sharon and left his phone with me. He won't be back until tomorrow night." - "Fuck." With all the chaos that had happened you forgot about this. - "What you need, (y/l/n)?" No way you are going to tell Bucky Barnes what just happened. You know eachothers for months now and never shared a word. Not gonna happen.

- "Nothing. Thanks, bye." While you are putting the payphone back on the hook you hear him saying something but that doesn't stop you. So you just nod to the police officer besides you and follow her back to the cell on the precinc. You consider calling some other friend of yours, but you know that this would open a lot of scars to a lot of people if it gets out. So no. You got this. Looks like a night behind bars is coming your way. Definitely not your luckiest night.

--------- You are lie down on the metal bench of the cell trying to calm yourself down when an officer calls your name and yells that your bail has been paid. - "What? Who paid my bail? Nobody knows I'm here." You asked. - "He is waiting for you, go see for yourself."

Right after you cross the door you see him. Pure beauty and indifference. Bucky Barnes. Him and his usual look, jacket and gloves, so not a peak of his vibranium arms shows. In a sec your mind understands what he did. You don't even stop, just keeps walking, needing to get ouf of this place. When you feel the wind in your face and the smell of Manhattan you are able to stop and take a deep breathe for the first time in hours. So you just stand there, eyes closed, trying to take the entire city within your breath. Most people hate the smell of big citties, but you love it. It remembers you of all your teenage dreams. Bucky just stop by your side. The man really like his silence. - "Traced the number?" Is the first thing you say. - "Hmm." Is all he answers. - "How much I owe you for the bail?" - "Wanna tell me what the hell were you thinking knocking out three guys in a bar?" Well, looks like the man can form a sentence if he wants to. You look at him, right in those blue gorgeous eyes of his. You have so much anger in yours that not even the champion of stares can hold your glance. - Look man, I know you did a nice thing and all, but I did not ask you to do that. So thank you, I really appreciate it, but that does not mean I owe you an explanation or anything. And yeah, you probably don't deserve me being a bitch to you, but, right now, that is all can I can give. So I'm sorry, but excuse me. And you go off, walking without direction in the middle of the night. If you had looked back you would have seen only concern in those ocean eyes.

--------- While you enter the room in the next mornig you know you are fucked. The voice message that Tony left you telling you to come to the tower first thing made it very clear that he wasn't happy. So all you can do now is trying to keep your head straight and keep your patience. Tony, Bucky, Nat and Hill are in the conference room waiting for you. Your eyes crosses paths with Bucky's and he says "I didn't told him", shrugging his shoulders. You just nodded in response. - "And we are gonna talk about that latter, James. But firsts things first:" Tony said, turning to you "explain this" doing that thing he does with his phone and putting up a video in the middle of the room. There it is. What had pissed you off so much last night. The surveillance camera got the whole thing. You, on the bar, having a pint on your own when a guy sits by next to you. Trying to get to close. You avoiding him the best way you can. He putting a hand in your knee. You calmly taking his hand and putting on the balcony, and then you trying to get up. He putting the same hand on your thight as you were standing up and trying to pull you to his lap. You taking his hand and breaking every finger on it. He falling from the pain. Another guy trying to hit you. You kicking him in the balls with your ankle boots, and then he was in the floor, clearly screaming. The bartender trying to grab you from behind the bar. You punching him so hard in the face that he passed out at the spot. Every other costumer of that shit hole running for the exit. You trying again to leave. The first guy recovering, grabbing a beer bottle and trying to hit you from behind with it. You showing that all that training every day for years realy payed off being able to, not only, escape from his attack but taking the bottle from his hand and breaking it in his face. Then the cops getting there. You putting both your hands up and letting them arrest you. That was it. Tony just looks back at you. "So?" - "So what? I think it's clear as water what happened. The only thing missing is the audio so you could hear me saying to thar creep that if he touched me again I would break every finger of his hand. I'm a woman of my word." Nat lefts escape a small laugh. - "Nothing funny about this!" Tony is really angry "You are an avenger, (y/n)! You can not use your powers on civillians." - "I didn't use my powers!" You cut him off, because if there is one person entitle to feel angry, that person is you. "I just used my fight abilities. Anyone with a little bit of training could have done that." - "That doesn't matter! You are not responsible for just you know, everything you do can splash on the team!" - "Nobody knows I'm an avenger, Tony! That is the point of me wearing a mask. So I'm just suppose to let the man put his hand on me for the good of the fucking team?" - "That is not what I'm saying, (y/l/n)." - "What the fuck are you saying then, Tony? Because it sounds that you are pissed at me for defending myself from a criminal. That man should be behind bars, not me! Yeah, we are the avengers, we fight aliens and big guns, but a woman in distress? Whatever! You know what? I'm not having this. Have you thought that I'm probably not the first woman that this man does that? I would bet my money that he does that shit every week. And most of the girls out there can't defende themselfs. So good chances that he made a lot of woman go home crying. Why am I the only one that cares about that?" You can feel your tears coming. "Fuck you, Tony. Fuck all of this." You need to leave this place, so that is what you do. So much for keeping your patience.

----- Two blocks away from the tower and you notice that he has been following you. The angry in you is making your bad at your job. If this was a normal day you would've noticed him in two seconds. Well, maybe not him, Bucky isn't a world renowned spy/soldier for nothing. Not one word before yesterday and now it seems that the man can't leave you be. So you just stop and turns around, letting him know you made him. He doesn't stop walking your way, just slows down a little. When he gets to a hearing range you ask "Tony put you up to this? Made you follow me? I'm not going to ruin the team's name, you can be sure of that" - "You think that Stark can boss me around?" No, you don't. He stops a few feet away from you. - "So what the hell are you doing? He look at you, straight in your eyes. What's that expression on his face? Is it sadness? After a few moments he asks you, shifting his feet. - "What's the name of the guy that hurted you?" Your heart freezes. - "He didn't hurt me, Barnes. He tried to, just that. You saw the video. And I don't know his name". - "I'm not talking about last night. I'm asking about the one that actually succed in hurting you". Impossible. He doesn't know about this. Only two people know, yours oldest friends, and they would never tell nobody. - "I don't know what you are talking about it". He sighs. Yes, that is sadness you are seeing. - "I notice that you cringe when I get close to you. If it was only with me I would get it, but then I saw you having the exact same reaction when Sam, Tony.. any man that comes close to you. Even Steve, and Steve doesn't scare anyone, he is the best man on the land. That and what you did last night, the things you just said in the conference room.... It doesn't take a genius to know that one plus one equals two." You are on the edge of a full collapse. You don't even know what shocks you the most right now: that Bucky Barnes has been paying this much attention to you or that he cares enough to confront you about it. Or the fact that your trauma is so exposed. You thought that it was behind you. Obviously it isn't. - His name doesn't matter. He is in the past. You feel like screaming your lungs out and crying, but Bucky is right there looking at you, so you don't do that. Instead you kick the trash can that is besides you. And kick. And kick. And you imagine is the face of that horrible man. The face you would never forget. So you punch it. But without releasing your powers. You don't want Tony to be mad. The trash is all on the street now. You hear Bucky telling the people on the street to just keep walking, that there isn't nothing to see in there. And you keep on punching the trash, the street, anything. You just keep punching until your pain takes you out completely and you fell on your knees, in the middle of the garbage, tears falling out. And you just cry. You feel someone picking you up from that chaos and you hear bucky's voice "c'mon doll, you don't deserve to be in the trash. lets take you out of here". He puts you up, but support you with his arm. He begins to walk and your legs start to copy his move. You lost track of time, but one moment you regain control of yourself. Bucky realises that and stops, letting you to try to stand on your own. - "You okay, doll?" You never imagined that you would like being called a doll. You are not a doll, you are a person, with her own mind. But the way Bucky says it makes you feel warm and safe. Falling from his lips you like it. - "Am I smelling like trash?" Is the first thing that came in your mind and the moment the words were out you regreted. Who says things like that? Who says things like that in front of the sexiest man alive? You should go home, take a shower and stay in bed for the rest of your life. But that question makes Bucky give out a little laugh, and that helps you feel okay. - "No, you smell great as you always do. I didn't let you be around the trash for that long. But again, are you okay, doll?" - "Yeah. Twice in two days that someone rescue me. That is not normal for me. Thank you, Barnes. With all my heart, thank you". - "Twice in two days and you still don't call me by my name." He scoffs. And that makes you smile. - "Thank you, Bucky!" He sees your little smile, and that make him let go of the tension he had been carrying around since you called Steve's phone last night. - "You're welcome." You start to look around and discover that you are in the corner of 54st and 5th. You don't remember how you got there, but it's not that far from the tower, so he didn't had to carry you for long. An ideia pass your mind. Doing something that always cheers you up. And the super soldier is still looking at you, trying to understand what to do next. - "Look, I thought of something that will help me now. So, again, thank you Bucky! Really! For everything. I will never forget this. If you can please just keep my secret between us, I would appreciate it." - "Of course, doll. I will never tell anyone. You good? I know you aren't, but.... are you?" -"I will be. Don't worry." -"Do you want some company? On the thing that will help you?" You smile. That would've been fun. -"No need, Bucky. You have done enough." -"I didn't ask if there was need, I asked if you want it." Man, nothings passes the Winter Soldier, does it? -"Only if you promess you won't judge". -"I would never". The truth is you judge yourself a little" -"Let's see" and you start to walk down 5th avenue.

---- When you get to the corner of 50st and 5th you stop turns to him, because you need to explain. Hell, the man already knows your biggest secret and stood by you, what is this in comparison? -"Okay, so let me just tell you something" You are feeling better already, the four blocks with Bucky on your side, without saying a word helped you to find yourlsef again. "I grew up on a town that had nothing to do. Nothing. My family is just my mom and me, and she worked from 8 to 8, monday to friday. But in the weekends we always went to the mall in the next town. It was our thing We used to go the movies, ate at McDonalds, and eye shopping since we didn't had money to buy anything. All those beautifull things we couldn't had. And that stuck with me. I know it sounds kinda sad, but it isn't. So now when I feel down and homesick I go eye shopping too, but with better options. Now I don't see small town stores, now I see clothes that are almos art, so incredible they belong in a museum." Bucky had listening to every word you said like his life deppend on it, but when you were over he starts to look around until he understands. He left an "Oh no" escape. Of course he knows where he is, growing up in New York. This place has been out here even before he was born, and that is a lot. - "Oh yeeeees" you start to laugh at his face. "But for real now, you don't have to do this. I'm okay. Espeacilly here. I know this place better than my own house, and I would never lost my temper in front of high luxury brands." You are actually wishin real bad tha he stays, but you can't ask him that. He had done way too much already, and he doesn't owe you anything. - "Will you believe me if I tell you I never put a foot on this place, babydoll?" Babydoll now? What is this? And why you get butterflies hearing Bucky say it? - "Ok, I can't let this goes on. Lets go inside!" And you star to make these stupid little jumps you do when you are happy as you move towards the Saks, without realising. And again you don't look back, but if you did you would see the most mesmerizing smile on the most handsome man. He follows you and meets you by the entrance. Saks is like Disney for you. All the wonder, the magic. And that shows in your face. Bucky notices it. The way you are happy in here. He wishes you could be happy like this with him, but you would never guessed that. - "So now I know where you spend all your money" Bucky says, whitout even realising it. He just wanted to be a part of this. Be a part of one happy memory of yours, not only police stations and trash. - "Nah, like I said, it's eye shopping. I'm pretty basic when comes to clothes. There is a difference between what you think it looks good on others and what fits you. You know? But I admit, the shoes are tempting." Bucky didn't know. He thinks that everything fits you. You two just kept walking in the store in a comfortable silence, just looking it. You looking at everything and Bucky looking at you. You are completely on your space, just being. Until you start to miss something. His presence. Where is Bucky? You start to look for him, retracing your steps, and find him looking at a killer McQueen leather jacket. -"You should go for it. It would look perfect on you" You say, unable to resist. You weren't lying. That combination would leave all the women in the the state of New York staring at Bucky. Like that doesn't happen already. -"Did you see the price on this thing? This is absurd" You sighed. Sometimes he does shows his age. - "It's a McQueen. If you treat her well, your kids could inherited her. That is the thing with these types of clothes, they can outlive you, and they never losw their vallue, and their are never out of style". - "I'm 106, doll. I don't think a jacket can outlive me". That makes you burst untill full laugh, Bucky following along. Not because he thinks he's funny, but because if you laugh, he laughs. And in this moment he starts to understand that. A noise from your phone takes both of you out off your the laughing transe. You take it off your pocket and sees a message from your therapist saying a spot just opened up and asking if you could meet her in 30 minutes. You had forgotten that you asked her if you two could meet when you left the conference room. It seems like days ago. You were loving your time with Bucky, but you know you need this, so you texted her back saying that you would be there. - "Sorry Bucky, I have to go. I can't thank you enough for what you did." -"Everything okay?" Now you can see the look of concern in his face, and you don't know how to react to that. - "Yeah, yeah. My therapist just texted me to say that she can see me in half an hour. But it's all the way back in Brooklyn, so I should be going. I'm really sorry to leave you here with her, the perfect jacket, but I know I need this now". - "No problem, you should do whats best for you" - "Thanks, Bucky" you say, laying a sweet kiss on his cheek. Where this came from? You have no idea, but you are too tired too care. So you go, leaving the greatest man you have ever meet, in one of your favorite places. You are almost at the escalator when hear him saying something. - "It's working for you?" Bucky asks, but you don't really understand. -"Sorry?" - "Therapy. Does it work for you?" - "Oh yeah. I mean, I know I've been awful since yesterday but, believe me, if I didn't go to therapy I would have done something way worst than destroying a trash can and crying on top of garbage. Why are you asking this, Bucky?" - "Oh, nothing". You aren't as good as him when it comes to reading people, but even you could spot that lie. - "So now you know two of my secrets, but you won't tell me the truth? Really, Barnes?" He sighed, looking to the floor. Did you say something wrong? You were almost apologising when he gave you his honest answer. - "I've been doing some mandatory therapy, but I don't see a lot of results". You didn't know him very well, but you knew enough to feel important when he spoke this truth to you. Bucky Barnes is not a man that tell his hearth truths to anyone. That makes you bring in your A game. He helped you so much in those last hours, you want to do the same to him. - "Have you talked to your therapist about it? Because the way I see it, everybody needs a therapist. You, me, everybody in this store, in this block, in the fucking planet. Everybody. But, you see, everybody is different. Which means everybody have different responses to different therapies. That's why that are so many of styles. Because what may work for me, may not work for you. So, be honest with your therapist and with yourself. Maybe he/she can change some things and you get a better response. Just don't give up. You deserve to be happy, Bucky. You deserve to let go of your past and start a future you can be really proud off." As you were saying the words you saw Bucky getting uncomfortable, and when you told him he deserves to be happy you saw as he rooled his eyes so much that all the blue got lost to the white. - "You are giving me too much credit, doll." -"Why?" - "I don't think happiness is stored for me" - "Well, I'm sure off it. Do you wanna know why?" - "Why?" - "You were on the carnival on Coney Island last month, weren't you?" He wasn't expecting that. - "What?" - " Yes or no?" - "Yeah, I was, but what that has to do with anything?" - "I saw you, Bucky. I saw you winning the biggest stuffed bear for that little kid that was trying for so long but wasn't able to hit all the marks. I saw you just going there, winning and then giving your prize to the kid with a wink. I saw that. I also saw you helping people with their aim at the shooting range at the tower. I also saw you filling up the groceries list with everyones favorites so it never ran out. and I also saw you following a girl that had been so rude to you the day before because you wanted to know if she was alright. And you did that thinking nobody was noticing. Without expecting any kind of rewards. You just did it because you are good. And people like you are rare. And people like you deserve to be happy." He had the biggest shocked look at his face when you finished talking. Yeah, Bucky, you weren't the only one paying attention. You were gonna loose your appointment if you didn't leave soon, but there was just one more thing you needed to say. - "Still on earth, Bucky?" - "I'm listening, doll." - "Before, you told me that you thought it was okay if I cringe by your approximation. I would never. And nobody thinks about you this way anymore. Only yourself Stop thinking these things of yourself. Please." And with that, you were gone, leaving Bucky without words, planted in the middle of Saks. It took him quite some time to move.

_____ Waking up the next morning Bucky could not stopping thinking about you. Were you okay? Did the encounter with your therapist help you? When he was gonna see you again? What was the name of the guy? He was gonna kill him. Yesterday night Stark called a meeting with everyone. Steve had already arrived from his off days, so everybody was present. Something had changed since that morning because now Stark were deffending you and was asking for a manhunt to find that guy from the bar. Bucky hadn't told anything to anyone. And in the same meeting Stark also told the whole team that you where taking some weeks off. So all that Bucky could do was hope that you are okay. While he takes a shower and gets ready for the day he replays all the amazing things you told him, and that lights up a little spark on his heart, but then he remembers all the terrible deeds he made in the past and all you had to suffer in your life. You deserves to be the happiest person on earth, and he knows he isn't the one that was going to help you achieve that. But a man is allow to dream. So he left his mind go wandering about you, your smile and the things he would do to make you happy. He gets to the kitchen still daydreaming when Steve's voice wakes him up. - "Crazy what happened to (y/n)." - "Hmm" - "There is a package to you. There" Steve points out to the other side of the giant kitchen island. "No sender, but the guys downstairs checked up. It's not a bomb" - "And why would someone send me a bomb?" - "I don't know. My guess is that it wouldn't be the first time someone tries to kill you this way" He wasn't wrong about that. Bucky opens up the package and the first thing he sees is a hadwritten note. I really do think that the world needs Bucky Barnes in these. There is always room for more beauty out there. Can you do me a favor? Every time you wear it remember the great man you are and how happy you deserve to be. Hope to see you when I get back. But in case you need someone to bail you ot of jail, some company while eye shopping or anything else just give me a call. Behind the note, involved in silk, it was the leather jacket from yesterday. Steve was wrong. This was a type of bomb.

Survey #443

“it’s not a life sentence, but a death dream for you”

When was the last time you were in the hospital? Me personally, uhhh sometime in 2017? Why were you there? I had a cyst removal surgery. Do you like Cheez-Its or Cheese Nips better? Cheez-Its. Have you worn headphones at all today? Yeah, I pretty much always do because YouTube is always open and on a video. When was the last time you had blood drawn? A few months ago or something? I'll be getting some drawn shortly though for genetic testing; due to my mom having some dysfunctional cancer prevention gene, all her children are getting tests to see if we inherited it. The last time you got blood drawn, what was the reason? I want to say I was tested for anemia most recently. What color eyes does/did your father have? Brown. What do you daydream most about? Things I wish I didn't daydream about. What is your relation to the last child you spoke to? They're my niece and nephew. Do you believe the Holocaust happened? No fucking shit? Do you prefer zebra stripes, tiger stripes, or leopard spots? Tiger stripes, ig. When did you last see a dog? At my nephew's b-day party a couple weeks ago. Nicole brought her dog Zeke over. Have you ever been in the mountains when the moon and stars were up? No, but omg I wish!!!!!!!!!! Do you know anyone from Canada? Yep. Has a cat ever licked you? Yeah. Roman especially loves to give kisses. Where would you most like to go in your state, etc. that you haven’t been? The Wizard of Oz park, probs. Are you scared to look at your own organs on x-ray or ultrasound? No, that shit's rad. o: Have you ever walked on a frozen lake/river? No, that sketches me out. I'd be afraid of the ice breaking and me falling in. Have you ever seen a volcano? No. Have you ever met an Alaskan? Met in-person, no. But I do have an online friend who's from Alaska. Or may still live there? Idk. Have you ever mowed the lawn (even a little bit)? No. Have any unpleasant public transit stories to tell? Nah. Do you know any German words? Seeing as I took four semesters of the language in high school, I know a good deal. However, my skill has definitely atrophied with time and lack of application. Do you have a passport? No. Are your teeth straight? I mean, mostly. I had braces for too long, but I didn't wear my retainer, so they've moved back some. Would you mind dating someone significantly shorter than you? Yeah, sure. I've never understood why height is an issue for some people. Can you quote the movie Mean Girls? No. I personally never got the craze. Have you ever swam in the Atlantic Ocean? I have. The Pacific? No. Can you make yourself cry? No. Have you ever held a starfish? Not a live one. What would you do if you found out your ex was pregnant/fathered a child? Faint or vomit. Wail. All three. Are you very close to your siblings? No. :/ Can you do CPR? No. Favorite sport to watch in the summer Olympics? I don't care. Ever flushed a fish? Yes. Ever been paid for sex or a sexual favor? No. I wouldn't agree to that. Last friend you talked to online? Sara. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? No. What is the best ice cream flavor? Vanilla. You have so many topping options. What’s your favorite thing to do outside? Photograph nature, especially wild animals. What would you spend $1,000 on? A big, really pro tattoo. What was the best (non-romantic) night you’ve had? Hm. I don't know. Who did you last lay in a bed/couch/recliner with? Mom and I sat together on the couch some time ago. Do you keep a planner? No. What are you craving right now? I've got a seriously random craving for shell pasta with a nice, meaty tomato sauce. Do you want kids anytime soon? DEFINITELY not soon, but also never. Has anyone ever drunk called/texted you? No. Have you ever slept in the same bed with the last person you kissed? Yeah. What’s the best feeling in the world? Knowing you're in love and really feeling it. What’s something you really want right now, be honest. There's a lot of things. Who in your family do you act like the most? I don't know, really. Who has made the biggest sacrifice for you? My mom, 100%. Do you believe that your first true love can be your only love in life? Of course not. Have you ever kissed under water? Yes. Is there that one guy that you’ll always have feelings for no matter what? Suuuure is. Wish it wasn't like that, but I don't see it ever changing, to be real... Are you 100% over the last person you kissed? 100%? No, I can't say I am entirely. Have your parents ever caught you kissing a guy? "Caught me?" How old is this question meant for? Yes, they've seen me kiss a guy before. If you mean like, seriously kiss-kissing, no. Which one of your exes hates you the most? Probably Jason. Are you named after anyone? No. Well, my middle name has been passed down, but "Brittany" wasn't from anybody else in specific. What reminds you the most of your last relationship? The song "The Only Exception" by Paramore. Have you ever rejected someone but they still wouldn’t give up on you? In elementary school, yes. When growing up, did your family always eat at the dinner table together? Usually, yes, at least when growing up. Sometimes we'd use little tables to eat in the living room though while watching TV. What is the greatest source of happiness in your life? My mom, best friend, and pets. What was the last charity/cause you donated to? I'm unsure, actually. Who was the last person you got a handwritten letter from? Sara! :') Did your parents read bedtime stories to you when you were little? Mom did. Have any of your worst fears ever come true? Yes. The greatest fear I've ever had was losing Jason, and that happened. Is anyone in your family divorced? My parents, for one. My older half-sister has also be divorced because her ex is an absolute piece of manipulative horse shit. Has anyone in your family gotten pregnant as a teenager? I think my mom? No, maybe not... Idk. I ain't doing the math. What’s your greatest talent? If you want a serious answer and not something self-depracating, I suppose writing. Would you ever want to get a master’s degree? It'd be cool, but I've never *actually* wanted to pursue that. Have you ever worn revealing clothing in order to get attention? No. Have you ever been falsely accused of being racist? I've never been accused of being racist, because I'm not. To you, is sex just about physical pleasure, or do you see it as an expression of love and commitment? Absolutely the latter. I could never engage in sex without deep emotional commitment. How many times have you been drunk in the past 6 months? Zero. What’s your favorite French food? I have no idea. What’s the most elaborate recipe you know how to cook? Nothing. Which rooms of your house have doors that lead outside? The living room and kitchen. Best purchase you ever made? My snake. :') Is there anybody you think is hot over the age of 40? I haven't seen him a long time, but boy did I have a thing for James Hetfield in high school. There are defs others, but no one else immediately comes to mind. Have you ever been caught sneaking out? No, because I've never tried to. How many Facebooks have you had? Just the one I still use. Have you ever been punched in the face? No. When was the last time you talked to the first person you kissed? The beginning of February, 2017. What is the latest you have ever slept in? Past 5. Do you have to watch yourself in the mirror while you brush your teeth? No. Do you text when you drive? Fuck no. You couldn't pay me to. What movie do you really want to see that’s out? I don't even know what movies are out right now. Did America really put a man on the moon? Eventually, yes. Call me crazy, but I do believe the supposed first one was faked, though, to "beat" Russia in the space race. Do some research and it's pretty shocking. Would you like to date someone a lot purer than you? Idc. Do you turn your phone off at night when you go to sleep? No, but I turn the brightness down for if I wake up in the middle of the night and want to check the time. Have you slept in a bed with the last person you kissed? Yeah. Has anyone ever told you that they loved you, and you didn’t say it back? Yes. Has anyone ever played a prank on you? What happened? I don't believe so. Do you like tattoos and piercings? Helllll yes. :') What are you really into? Animals, art, some weird Korean guy on the Internet... Do your parents like your best friends? Yes. Have you ever taken a nap with a member of the opposite sex? Yeah. Do you have weak upper body strength? Yes. What color was the last cup you drank from? It's just clear glass. How old is your oldest sibling? I actually don't know her exact age. 30-something. What was the last thing you ate that had nuts in it? A Nature Valley cashew bar I had earlier today. How many pieces did the last puzzle you completed have? I have no idea. Who did you last shake hands with? uhhhhhhhh Has anybody asked you out on a date recently? Nah. When was the last time somebody asked you to be their girlfriend? When Girt asked me out a few years ago. Name something you’re picky about: Food. Who did you last ask for help? My mom. Do you like corn? Yeah. If you were offered to smoke some weed right now, would you accept? Right now I honestly probably would, believe it or not. Honestly, who is the last person to tell you that they love you? My mum. Have you ever made out for more than a half hour straight? Yeah. How do you earn money? The only occasions where I ever and very rarely earn money is if someone (non-family, of course) pays me to take pictures for them. Where were you raised? All you need to know is a crappy town in eastern NC. Are your ears gauged? No, but I want the first holes in my earlobes to be, but only with very small gauges. I just can't figure out how to do it myself, at least with the gauges I have. I think I'm missing something. Explain what triggered your last kiss? We were saying goodbye. Could you go a month without talking to your best friend? I mean I could, but it'd seriously fucking suck. Have you ever made out in a park? No, because I don't do that in public. What are you listening to? "Paint You With My Love" by Marilyn Manson. I wasn't big on the album when it came out, but this is one of the songs that's aight to me. Last thing you said out loud? I gave Venus a little wave and said "hey babe" or something like that like I do sometimes when she's slithering around and looks out towards me. Are you sad? Always at least a little bit. I have been kinda down this evening. Where is your dad? I would hope at home. He's probably watching TV, or maybe in bed.

Chapter 3 of Possible-y Utah

Chapter 3 - Surprising the DrsP

(45 minutes later)

Kim looked around and saw that only 20 students still remained in the gym.

"Um...where did everyone go?" she asked.

"Maybe it's getting a bit late." Ron answered.

"Late..." Kim muttered to herself and then she gasped.

(Flashback, Six Hours Ago)

James cleared his throat and exclaimed, "Let's get a few things clear right up front."

Eric, without hesitation, replied "Oh, you read my mind, sir. Now, Kim explained that her

normal curfew is 10 o'clock but on special occasions and

rescue missions, you extend that to 11. I'd feel better

if we stick with 10."

(End Flashback)

"Rufus?!" Kim exclaimed.

Rufus came out onto the table and saluted.

"What time is it on the Kimmunicator?" she asked.

Rufus got out Kim's Kimmunicator from her handbag. It read the time: 12:18am.

Kim gasped, "Oh no!"

"What is it, KP?" Ron questioned, alert.

"I promised Dad that we would be back by 11pm and it's after midnight!" Kim exclaimed, "Oh no...he's definitely going to kill me for sure! I'll just send him a text on my phone, letting him know that me and Ron will be back at the house!"

"And there's the other little thing..." Ron interrupted her.

"Ron...must you compile the sitch a bit more?" Kim groaned.

"Sorry about that, Kim. How are we going to get a ride home?" Ron said. "We used the last bit of your brother's rocket fuel to get from BN HQ to the gym."

Kim then looked at Jessica, Monique and Tara on the table.

"Awww...you aren't coming to the post-prom party at my house? It has plenty of room!" Jessica insisted.

"Sorry, Jess." Kim replied, "I gotta get home to the 'rents. Maybe when Senior Prom comes around, we can do that."

"Okay, sounds like a good idea." Jessica replied.

"And I came in one of the stretch limos." Monique added.

"So that pretty much leaves Tara." Kim replied, eyeing the blonde's set of car keys.

"I got my drive's license last week, so I'll be more than happy to drive you two back to Mr. Possible's house!" Tara insisted on the request.

"Then that sitch has been settled!" Kim said, "It's been a long night for me and Ron and we do need to get back home."

(35 minutes later)

Tara's car drove the couple back up to the Possible house, which still had the FEMA-blue tarp on its roof from the Diablos.

"Thanks for the emergency ride, Tara!" Kim smiled with Ron in the backseat, wrapping his arm around her back. He also put his baby blue prom coat, around Kim's shoulders.

"A bon-diggety ride, to be exact!" Ron agreed.

Tara replied with a grin, "It's the least I can do, Kim, after you saved my puppy from the storm drain a couple weeks ago!"

"So not the drama, Tara! I always help people in need!" Kim agreed.

"Night, Kim. I'll probably see you on Monday at chemistry class." Tara said, putting her hands on the steering wheel.

"Same here!" Kim said. Both she and Ron got out of the back of the car.

Tara started up the car and drove out into the dark of the night.

"So...ready to break the news to your 'rents?" Ron asked, offering his hand.

"You know I am more than ready, Ron, even though I am probably going to be grounded for being late due to...you know...all that's happened tonight." Kim said, taking a deep breath, and grabbing Ron's hand.

The two, holding hands, walked up to the front door of the house. Ron knocked on the door three times.

The door slowly opened, showing James.

"Hello, you two!" James said before opening the door fully, showing them holding hands.

He paused for a moment at this sight and said, "I guess I have a great many questions to ask."

"You do, Dad. Where is Mom, by the way?" Kim asked.

"She is in the den, Kimmie-cub."

"OK, sounds good!" _

(12:56am)

The couple and James all walked into the den where Ann was waiting for them. She was in her teddy bear pajamas and bunny slippers.

When she saw both Kim and Ron holding hands, her eyes widened with joy and she began to squeal.

"James! You have to check this out! Kimberly and Ron are..."

"Yep, Mom! Me and Ron are officially BF and GF!" Kim proclaimed. "And I won as Junior Prom Queen!" she added, pointing to her crown and sash

"I'm very excited for you!" Ann exclaimed "Did you manage to get your first kiss?"

"Actually, Mom, we did! Monique was the one who took the pic!" Kim grinned, taking out her digital camera from her handbag. She scrolled the about 60 pictures she took during the dance. She got to the one where Kim and Ron kissed for the first time.

"Awwww...you two are so sweet in that pic!" Ann smiled.

"I totally like this!" James exclaimed, seeing the photo with satisfaction.

Then something came to his mind.

"What happened with Eric?" he asked.

"Ron, should we give him the long version or the short version?" Kim questioned to her new BF.

Ron and Rufus yawned and were rubbing their eyes. "Me and Rufus are about to crash."

"So short version of the sitch it is." Kim replied. "As it turned out, Dad, Eric was nothing more than a fake."

"We both meant that very literally..." Ron interjected.

"He was a Synthodrone created by Drakken to keep me distracted from his Diablo plot." Kim explained.

"And as it turned out, he was a liar too!" Ron exclaimed. "He claimed that he liked naked mole rats!"

Rufus then chittered angrily.

"Eric got a taste of his own medicine." Kim smirked, "Rufus bit him and he shriveled up like a prune with the scrambler in his hands. Destroyed the tower as well!"

"So Drakken not only managed to steal the Hepheastus project for those toys, he also nearly broke my daughter's heart?!" James growled, raising his fist at the blue tarp covering his roof.

"Yes, but thankfully, when the chips were down and I nearly gave up, Ron 'fessed his feelings for me!" Kim smiled, "And thanks to him, we stopped Drakken's scheme once and for all!"

"That's very good to hear." James said, "Now I think we should all go to bed. It is past 1 in the morning."

Kim then yawned, "Agreed, Dad!"

"I guess I'm going to be heading back to the ol' Stoppable abode!" Ron said.

"But first, a little good-night kiss for the road!" Kim grinned, giving Ron a kiss on the lips.

"Night, KP! This has been the best night of both our lives!" Ron replied with a wide smile across his face.

"You can say that again, Ron!" Kim giggled.

(20 minutes later)

Kim, now alone in her bedroom, began to yawn.

"Now...time for sleep..."

But before she could get into her bed, both Jim and Tim appeared.

Jim began, "Hey Kim, did you get..."

"...infected by the cootie monster?" Tim finished.

"No, I haven't, Tweebs!" Kim muttered, "And shouldn't you two be in bed by now?"

"It's the weekend! We usually stay..." Jim began

And Tim finished, "...up later than usual!"

"Now if you don't mind, we are..." Jim then began his next sentence,

"...going to work on our inventions." Tim added.

"I have the earplugs on standby just in case." Kim said, pointing to the earplugs on her nightstand. "Oh and Tweebs..."

Jim and Tim stopped for a moment at what their sister was about to say.

"Thanks for helping me and Ron out back there!" she said with a smile to the two. "Now good night!"

With that, the Tweebs left her behind and Kim turned out the lights, reflecting on the most eventful night of her life.

TEAM ZRCN ARC 4 - CHAPTER 2

Well, that definitely wasn’t planned...

XANTHOS

Xanthos grumbled for the third time in the space of ten minutes. “I should be out there helping - I feel useless being forced to stay in here.”

Wren smiled weakly at his left - he wouldn’t have been surprised if she was sick of his complaining by now. “If it makes you feel any better, think of yourself as mine and Cala’s protector in case anything goes wrong, rather than being cooped up in here due to not being hundred percent yet.”

Xanthos didn’t want to repeat that he felt fine, so smiled back. After his run-in with Belleza and Miho three days prior, Zelde had been the one to insist he stay with Calantha and Wren instead of patrolling for Belleza like the rest. Though he had protested, Zelde understandably wanted to be cautious after being caught out by the eldest Rossi again, and claimed he was not yet fighting fit. 

“Thanks, Wren. But I’ve seen what you did to that Karkadan, I’m pretty sure you can handle yourself with or without me.”

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Ravi,” Wren assured him. “I’ve seen a marked improvement in you and the rest of your team since you joined us; those lessons are really paying off. I’m sure James will be glad to see how much you’ve all improved in person when you return to Atlas Academy.”

Xanthos smiled back appreciatively. Whilst he knew Wren was partly saying that to reassure him and make him feel better, Xanthos knew they were getting better. He had seen it in the way he and the rest of his teammates were fighting, how they all used their weapons and semblances more effectively, and how they all communicated better in and out of battle. 

Wren turned away from him, responding to a report from Cherry through her earpiece. Though he nor any of his teammates - nor Helia - had been given an ear piece they had all been split off into small teams to ensure there was still something of a clear line of communication. Parson was with Zelde and Cordovan, Cherry with Helia, Elio was by himself, and Morgan was paired with Neela.

To avoid eavesdropping, Xanthos stepped towards Calantha who was seated in an old plastic chair. Though her expression appeared neutral, her juddering leg betrayed her.

"You good?" He asked, resting a hand upon her shoulder in an action that made her flinch ever so slightly.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered, turning her head to him and giving him a wide smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Your leg’s bouncing." He said simply, glancing down at her still bouncing leg. Calantha followed his gaze, and caught herself.

"I didn't even realise," She said, looking almost apologetic as she spoke. "Maybe I am a little nervous."

"I'd be concerned if you weren't." Xanthos chuckled. "My sister does the exact same thing, you know."

"I didn't know you had a sister. Is she older or younger than you?"

"Younger," Xanthos replied. "...Though she likes to think she's older sometimes."

"I bet you haven't spoken to her for a while due to the CCT going down," Calantha mused. "You must miss her."

"Sure do," Xanthos confirmed with a nod of the head. "But Marisol is a strong kid, and even though I can't speak to her, I know she'll be safe with our mom."

Calantha smiled at him softly, and a part of him felt sympathy for her, realising she was probably missing a sister - at least one of them.

"You must miss yours too."

Calantha seemed a little surprised by the comment - perhaps not expecting him to bring her sisters up - but after a moment she nodded. "I miss Bianca," She confirmed, "I know Belleza only really said it to try and goad me when she said that Bianca was missing me... but I don't think she was too far off the mark."

"Are you close with her?" Xanthos asked politely. "She doesn't treat you like Belleza does she?"

"Oh no, Bianca is nothing like Belleza," Calantha responded, and despite an awkward laugh that followed her words, she seemed a little hurt at Xanthos implying Bianca was anything like their elder sister. "I won't deny they have similar goals, but Bianca would never stoop as low as Belleza to achieve them. She was the only one I was ever really close to at Olympia, always looking out for me and ensuring I was happy, or at least as happy as I could be given what our home was like. After our mother died and our father retreated more and more into himself, she was really the only family I had left in a sense. Belleza always saw me as an inconvenience, a weak link, rather than a sister. But Bianca...she was and still is my closest friend."

"At least one of your sisters has a shred of decency." Xanthos mumbled quietly. As an older sibling himself, he felt a sense of anger at the treatment she had endured at the hands of Belleza.

"It's kind of pathetic isn't it?" Calantha suddenly said, forcing a tired laugh.

"What is?"

"I'm eighteen years old and my two closest friends are my sister and Rosie - a child."

Xanthos looked at her with a sorrowful expression, and gave her another squeeze on the shoulder in a way of reassurance. This time Calantha didn't flinch away.

"You have us now too," He said, giving her a warm smile. “Don’t forget it.” She returned the gesture with an appreciative nod, and reached up to give his hand a gentle squeeze in return.

A sudden urgency in Wren’s voice drew Xanthos’s attention back to her. He shared a glance with Calantha, before moving back over to the veteran huntress. 

“Keep me updated as soon as you know.” 

Xanthos looked at her questioningly, silently gesturing for her to tell him what was going on.

“Elio thinks he saw someone matching Belleza’s description,” She explained in a hushed tone. Her gaze drifted beyond Xanthos and over to Calantha whose fidgeting had since resumed. “Is she alright?” Wren asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“Just a little nervous,” Xanthos responded. “Can’t say I blame her really.”

“No... neither can I.” Wren nodded in agreement, a small sigh parting her lips.

Xanthos was suddenly aware of a muffled voice through the Huntress’s earpiece, and she jumped back to attention. She spoke briefly with Elio, before thanking him for keeping her in the loop. “False alarm - it wasn’t her.” Wren informed him.

They both breathed a sigh of relief at this, but it was short-lived as not moments later a call came through Calantha’s scroll. She jolted at the noise, and fumbled to get her scroll out of her pocket. 

She stared at the screen for a few seconds, frozen.

“It’s Belle.”

“Answer it.” Wren encouraged softly.

Calantha nodded hesitantly, before answering. “Hello, Belle. I’m- What? Yes, she’s here with me right now.” Calantha looked up at Wren warily. “She wants to be put on speaker. Should I do it?”

Wren considered this for a moment. “Do it.”

As Calantha put the call on speaker, Wren quickly spoke into her earpiece to let the others know she was about to speak with Belleza.

“You’re on speaker, Miss Rossi,” Wren said. “Where are you? We’ve been waiting.”

“Miss Rossi? My, isn't that formal!” Belleza laughed. “Is it just you and my sister I’m talking with?”

“I’m here,” Xanthos said abruptly, the words falling out of his mouth before he had a chance to even confer with Wren about whether he was allowed to talk.

“And who exactly is that supposed to be?”

“Xanthos Ravindra,” He said coldly. “You know, the boy whose arm you nearly dislocated before shoving into a broom closet.”

“You got off lightly, ‘Xanthos Ravindra’,” Belleza mocked. “Consider yourself lucky - had Miho and I not been interrupted you might have been sitting with the rest of my prisoners right about now.”

“Where are you, Belle?” Calantha inquired. “I’ve been waiting to do our trade off.”

“You’ll be waiting for a long time I fear.” Belleza said. “They’ve already been moved.”

Wren tensed a little beside him. “Let’s not play games here, Miss Rossi,” She warned. “We arranged a trade, let’s get it over and done with.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Belle, please,” Calantha attempted to appeal to her sister. “Don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

“Oh, ho, ho, you’re one to talk, little lamb,” Belleza responded, her voice full of malice. “I know what you and your friends have been planning. I know that even stepping foot within the grounds of Astrolabe would be like signing off on my own prison sentence.”

“H-How?” Wren stammered. “How do you know this?” She added in a more demanding voice.

“Well, you just confirmed it for me, dimwit.” Belleza stated, using that falsely sweet tone of voice that set Xanthos on edge, her grin almost audible. It reminded him of his encounter with the eldest Rossi sibling three days prior.

“You might have taken Wisteria, but I’m guessing you haven’t asked her for any information?” Belleza continued. “Maybe if you had, you might have known about the little present a certain Ulysses Crest left us.”

Calantha suddenly seemed to understand the point her sister was making. Her free hand went to cover her mouth, as a look of realisation began to dawn on her face. 

Her voice trembled. “No…”

Wren and Xanthos shared a nervous glance. 

“I’d advise you to hand yourself in now, Miss Rossi,” Wren advised. “Things will be easier for you if you do so.”

“I already told you I can’t.”

“Damnit!” Wren snapped, her frustrations beginning to bubble over. “Stop playing games, Belleza! Where are you?!”

“I am going home,” Belleza said simply. “For now at least. If you wish to continue our little game you are welcome to come to Olympia and fight me on home turf. If not...well, I suspect we’ll see each other soon when the reckoning comes for you Atlesian nitwits.”

Wren’s eyes widened and Xanthos was more keenly aware of her shaking. “Rosie…” She said the name so softly, that had it not been for the fact he was standing so close, he might have heard her. Wren took a moment before speaking again. “Callaway. Mira. Rosie. You promised. If you don’t have the decency to show yourself, at least tell me that they’re safe!”

But rather than a civil response, all Wren got in response was bone-chilling laughter.

“You all wanted me to jump but you should have been the ones asking how high.”  Belleza sounded gleeful as she said that. “Enjoy the little gift I left for you.”

A small click signalled Belleza had disconnected from the call. The three of them did not have time to process what had just been said to them, before the thunderous roar of an explosion sounded nearby, and Astrolabe University went up in flames.

Biting Your Own Neck (1/?)

Mid-season 2, Jon’s life is abruptly upended by the intrusion of two unexpected and eerily familiar visitors.

on AO3

“...I somehow managed to live through one horror movie. I have no intention of going looking for another.

Statement ends.”

Another spider statement. Lovely. Just what Jon needed right now, for childhood trauma to be drudged up and mixed with more recent trauma.

Was that what was waiting in the tunnels, what had killed Gertrude? The idea of spiders managing to fire a gun seemed absurd at a glance, but from what Jon knew, he wouldn’t put it past them.

Or... or given what this statement suggested, perhaps the spiders wouldn’t have to be the ones pulling the trigger. Perhaps they could just force someone else to do it, have their hands move of their own accord like Mr. Harlow described happening to himself...

Jon shuddered a little as he thought of it, took a breath as he prepared to make his typical post-statement remarks, and then stopped cold as he heard something behind him.

No, not something--someone. Someone trying to keep their breathing soft and shallow, perhaps hoping to avoid being heard, but no such luck.

Jon stood up from his seat and grabbed the nearest loose object on his desk as he turned around. If this was whoever had killed Gertrude, be it someone he worked with or the thing that lurked in the tunnels, come to kill another Archivist... well. He might go down, but he wasn’t going to make it easy for them.

Jon had been prepared to face any number of abnormal things when he turned around. He knew whatever was in the tunnels was almost certainly some flavor of supernatural, was very probably not even human, and the fact that his office door remained closed, that there was no evidence that somebody had simply sneaked up behind him while he was lost in a statement, supported that belief. Jon had seen beings consumed or created by supernatural powers before, knew they might well look unlike any sentient being most of the world even knew existed.

Jon still wasn’t prepared to come face to face with a being that looked startlingly like himself.

It wasn’t an exact replica of him, that much was clear at a glance. The hair was longer and more tinged with gray streaks than Jon’s own, the clothes were more ragged than anything Jon would ever wear outside of his own flat, and it had scars that Jon didn’t have, testaments to injuries Jon himself had never suffered. (The worm scars were there, though, and as Jon glanced between his hand and that of his doppelganger, he confirmed that the locations were identical.) But there was no denying the similarity between the two. It was, perhaps, like looking an identical twin in the eye--not quite right, not quite him, but close, eerily close.

Jon’s doppelganger wasn’t alone, either. Standing next to it was a being that resembled Martin, but again with a few details decidedly off--a thick white streak in his hair that Martin certainly didn’t have, clothes worn and dirty while Martin always wore something significantly more presentable to work. But if you weren’t paying attention, weren’t already on guard, the changes might be subtle enough that it could fool somebody into thinking it was Martin.

Behind them, a yellow door that made Jon’s heart sink at the sight of it closed and disappeared from sight.

If Michael was in on this... well, Jon didn’t know what that meant exactly, but it definitely wasn’t a good sign.

“Sorry, did we interrupt you? We didn’t mean to.” The voice sounded like Martin’s, sure enough, but the tone wasn’t quite as genuinely apologetic as Jon would have expected if it were really Martin speaking.

The thing that looked like Jon glanced over at the thing that looked like Martin before directing its gaze back at Jon himself. “Was that the statement about Annabelle Cane just now?”

It was disconcerting, hearing something that sounded very much like his own voice coming out of another’s mouth.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Jon tried to sound more confident than he felt, though he wasn’t sure whether he actually succeeded on that front.

He sneaked a glance at the tape recorder, which was still recording. Good. If this really was a murder attempt about to unfold, he’d very much appreciate having it recorded. If he died, he wanted the world to know how it happened.

“That’s back in, what, January 2017?” the not-Martin said, its eyes focused on the not-Jon.

“If this world even has the same timeline as ours did, yes.” the not-Jon replied.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to try and sell this as some sort of- of time travel conspiracy, of all things.” Jon said. “I know better than that.”

Not-Jon and Not-Martin exchanged what looked to be a meaningful glance between them, though what exactly the meaning of it was was lost on Jon.

“Not time travel. Not exactly.” Not-Jon said. It even had Jon’s speech patterns down pat. Were they here to replace him--him and Martin? “Probably closer to dimensional travel, at a guess.”

Jon scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, even better.”

“D’you think Helen knew-” Not-Martin started, his speech cut off by a shake of the head from Not-Jon.

“I think this is uncharted territory for all of us.” Not-Jon shifted its gaze from Not-Martin to Jon before adding, with a wry smile, “Probably good you came prepared to write all this down.”

Jon followed his doppelganger’s gaze and saw that the object he’d grabbed in his haste to find something, anything, to use as an impromptu weapon had in fact been a pen, a cheap pen that was one of probably about a dozen identical ones Jon had around his office at any given moment. It still had its cap on, too. There were probably worse impromptu weapons than a flimsy plastic pen that wasn’t even uncapped, but Jon couldn’t think of many, and his face heated up as he dropped the pen, suddenly aware of how feeble his attempt at self-defense truly had been.

“Who’s Helen?” Jon asked. There were more pressing questions on his mind than that one, admittedly, but that one seemed like it might actually get an answer, which he rather doubted would happen if he asked the doppelgangers what they were or what exactly they planned on doing to him and Martin.

Not-Jon blinked rapidly and raised its eyebrows in a passable imitation of confusion. “Oh, you haven’t met her yet?”

Jon thought silently for a moment. The only Helen he’d met recently was Helen Richardson, but she couldn’t be responsible for this, whatever “this” even was. She was a victim, a statement giver consumed more permanently after her escape from the corridors, not an eldritch being herself. Though perhaps these doppelgangers had encountered her while traversing Michael’s corridors... was Michael going to come back for these two like it had for Helen, or was it in on whatever they were planning?

Rather than explain his thought process fully to these alien beings, Jon simply shook his head.

“That’s different, then. Met her before the Cane statement myself, I’m pretty sure.” Not-Jon said.

“Different world, different rules...” Not-Martin replied.

“Perhaps. It does feel different, but maybe that’s just because...” Not-Jon let its sentence trail off, punctuating it with a strange hand gesture that Jon couldn’t decipher the meaning of.

“Ah, yeah, right.”

“What are you here for? To kill me?”

Not-Martin paled at the question, but Not-Jon seemed to be stifling a laugh as it shook its head.

“I don’t think that would help, no, but if this really is early 2017-”

“It is.” Jon said. He still wasn’t keen on giving these intruders information, on helping them in any way, but confirming the date, at least, could be done a number of different ways without his assistance--hell, he was pretty sure it was visible on his computer screen right now, if you looked closely enough.

“Well then.” Not-Jon smiled, but it wasn’t a kind smile, exactly; Jon was reminded a bit of how smiles were abnormal in the animal kingdom, how for most animals baring your teeth like that was a show of aggression, an open threat. “I would very much like to speak to Sasha James, please.”

Jon nodded numbly, his whole body shaking as he went to the door and opened it up to the rest of the Archives, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was making a deal with the devil here, that if he wasn’t about to die then it was only because one of his assistants was about to take his place.

Sirius on anaesthesia from a muggle surgery (needed for something his parents did or his incessant smoking) with lots of care fluff 🥰

((A/N: Mentions of child abuse, serious injuries, and recovery, and mild homophobia))

It was hard to find Sirius appropriately cute being all doped up because of the circumstances. James would like to make one thing quite clear: Sirius was adorable. At all times and in all ways. 

But the situation was... well, utter shite. It proved how much it was utter shite that when James accidentally used that exact phrasing in front of his parents, they agreed instead of telling him to watch his language. Sirius hadn't said (yet) what set it off, but his parents had gone completely mad. Beat him so bad he ended up in hospital, and the Potter parents had been granted temporary custody. Sirius was old enough that he'd probably become an adult before they finalized his custody with anyone. 

The cute part of this-- if there was one-- was how Sirius acted when he was all loopy from pain medication. James tried to enjoy the way Sirius would go full puppy eyes, and then he'd see the stitches on his head and have a hard time feeling good about anything. 

"Jaaaames," Sirius whinged, pawing half-heartedly at James's arm. His depth perception was buggered up with one eye covered, so he ended up a few centimetres short. And slightly to the left, but it was hard to say if that was an injury thing or a meds thing. 

"Yeah, Si?" 

"'m bored."

No screens, no moving... yeah he was real sodding bored and James couldn't blame him for it. The music Sirius normally listened to was punk, which Mum and Dad had declared too grating for his current state. That Sirius didn't fight them on it was proof enough that they were right about it. Sirius could sort of play games right now, but sometimes sitting up for too long was taxing, and again, depth perception was an issue. They'd tried to play Monopoly the other day, but he hadn't been able to put the money in the bank without fucking up and he got upset. All of this was to say that Sirius was bored, and while James was sympathetic, he didn't really know what he could do about it. "Alright. What- er, what do you want to do?" 

"What I really want to do is go got a malt from Fortescue's. Or have a smoke. But I'm guessing you're not going to let me do that." 

"Fuck no. I didn't like you smoking before, I'm sure as hell not going to help you do it now." 

Sirius gave a forlorn sigh. "Yeah, I thought not. What've you been doing?" He was pretty coherent right now, which was rare. His words were still a little slurred, but the doctors had said that would last for a while with everything going on. (They hadn't phrased it quite like that, but it's what James had taken from it.) 

"Staying with you? Your memory might be shite right now, but what did you really think I'd be doing?" 

"Hm. You're getting boring in your old age, Prongs." 

"I've gotten halfway through that series Remus was going on about," he offered. 

"That makes me more old, not less." 

James blinked at him. "Alright. Whatever." 

Sirius waved his arm at him, managing to hit his leg. "'m bored." 

"I can read to you?" James offered with a slight grimace. It's not like Sirius hated books or summat, but it was the only thing available to them right now and he'd always been more on the active side. 

"Can I pick the book?" 

"Sure." 

"Do we have any Seuss books here?" 

"Y'know, when you said you wanted to pick the book, I thought you were going to force me to read the history of punk or summat." 

"I want to hear you bugger up your words as much as I've been doing. Get one of those tongue-twister ones." 

"You haven't been that bad," James protested. 

Sirius tilted his head just to look him in the eye and give him a flat look. "Memory's shit, but I can hear what I sound like." 

"Your sentences are perfectly coherent." 

"Yeah, now. Didn't used to be." 

James didn't really know what to say to that, so he went off to find some Seuss books-- he knew that Dad had some around here somewhere-- with a careful pat on Sirius's shoulder as he left. 

*

"What'd your parents get in such a snit about anyways?" Peter asked. 

Sirius was healed enough that Mum and Dad had let Peter and Remus come over. "Told them I was queer," he said casually. "Well, technically I told them I was dating James, but like, same outcome for grandchildren. I guess they found it horribly offensive." 

James tried to remember how to breathe. He'd known that the Black parents were bigoted pieces of rubbish, but he hadn't realised just how bad they were. That they'd do this to Sirius at all was bad enough, but over something so trivial as who he liked to sleep with? 

"You're dating?" Remus asked. If he hadn't known about them, he was the only one. 

"Yeah mate," Peter said, doing everyone a favour by answering. "For like three years, where've you been?" 

"I-" Remus blinked. "Well I dunno. I knew they fancied each other, but I didn't know they'd actually done something about it." 

"How are you the dumbest bloke I've ever met," Peter asked flatly. 

"Practice?" 

James snorted, rubbing at his face. "Yeah, well maybe stop practicing. I think you've perfected it by now, Moony." 

"I second that," Sirius added. "Time to call it quits and make fun of us for being all sappy." 

"You're not the sappy sort," Remus said dismissively. 

Sirius and James shared a look. They kept things mildly toned down around their friends, but they were definitely the sappy sort. And even then, James was pretty sure they were more sappy in front of Remus and Peter than either of them really cared to see. "We'll see what you say at Hogwarts in a couple weeks when we're all stuck in the dormitory together again," Sirius said. 

"You gonna be better by then?" Peter asked, surprised. 

Sirius opened his mouth to give a customary answer that of course he'd be fine, nothing could keep him down, but then he stopped. He wasn't going to be going back to school with the rest of them. He was doing the work at home for the first month, and then they were letting him go back to Hogwarts if nothing else went wrong. The cut on his leg from surgery had started to get infected, and it had set back his recovery time. Originally though, he should've been able to go back for their final year of Hogwarts. "I meant you two having to watch James stare at his phone all moody and pining for me," he said with half a smile that none of them believed was real for a second. 

*

"I hate that you're leaving," Sirius muttered. 

"I hate it too," James said glumly, squeezing him carefully. He wanted to be comforting, but he also refused to hurt him just because he wasn't paying enough attention. He'd already asked his parents if he could stay here and join the term late like Sirius was doing, and the answer had been a firm no. 

"Don't get your phone taken away." 

"Wouldn't be the first time it's happened." 

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't have anyway of talking to you. Or showing you my progress with liquid eyeliner." 

"Is that really what you're going to be doing while I'm gone?" 

"Gotta do something with my time. Homework doesn't take but, what, two hours?" 

James hummed in agreement. He knew it wasn't like that for everyone, but school was boring as all hell. And he wouldn't even have Sirius to help distract him this time-- not for a while, at least. "So what am I supposed to do while you're busy doing your makeup?" 

"Hone your doodling skills?" 

"There's only so many times I can draw Slughorn running a furniture store before I get bored." 

"Then draw a comic, you lazy bastard." 

"What if Grubbyplank takes it away?" 

"Ask for it back. After class, of course." 

"Of course," James repeated, rolling his eyes. 

"That sass is not going to help you." 

"Aw c'mon. By this point, all the teachers know what to expect from me. Whether or not you're there," he added, because it seemed like the kind of loophole Sirius would try to use. "But fine. Comics about us and our epic love." 

"We're already living that. You should make one where I'm a dog." 

"Are we still in love when you're a dog? Or are you my pet? Or am I a dog too?" 

"How should I bloody know? I just think being a dog would be pretty relaxing." 

"Unless you're one of those dogs that has to pull a sled." 

"Then make me a house dog that lays around in the sun and goes for walks twice a day. That sounds nice." 

"Going for walks?" James asked. 

"Laying in the sun." 

"You realise you can do that now, right?" 

"Every time I lay on the floor, you think I'm hurt and freak out." 

"You did fall once," James pointed out, because it was important that Sirius remember there was a reason to him panicking. 

"I tripped. I didn't fall." 

"Does it matter?" 

"Meh. Not really." Sirius sighed, grabbing James's arm and repositioning it so he could hug it. "I just hate that I'm not gonna see you for so long." 

"Maybe you can visit on a weekend." 

"Yeah," he said neutrally. "Not sure Mum will let me. She's more paranoid than you are." 

"I'm not paranoid." 

Sirius scoffed. 

"I just want you to be healthy, is that so wrong?" 

"Saying yes would make me sound suicidal, so no, I guess it's not so bad." 

"Just- I dunno. Send me lots of snaps." 

"Course. Can't keep this beautiful face all to myself. Hell, by the time I'm back at school, it'll probably be safe for you to kiss me again." 

"Here's hoping," James said, pressing his lips lightly to the top of Sirius's head. 

Almost

New Story! FFN and AO3

James has spent the majority of his life letting Lily be his almost, but today that's all going to change. James/Lily One-shot. Muggle AU. Fluff. Rated T.

A little Jily one-shot for your downtime, or your crazy time, whichever boat you currently fall in. :)

Almost

It felt like James' life was full of "almost," at least where one Lily Evans was concerned.

He almost told her how he felt in A-Levels. They'd been sitting alone in an empty classroom after classes were done for the day and she told him what a great bloke he was. He nearly pulled his hair out as he told her she was barmy instead of how much he liked her.

He almost kissed her during their first year at university when she came up to his flat for help with her biology paper. She'd looked up at him with those gorgeous green eyes while she went on and on about how grateful she was for the help. He nearly broke the tabletop as he gripped it to keep from pulling her into him and pressing his lips to hers.

He almost punched a wall when she casually mentioned her new boyfriend at the start of their second year of university. Sirius told him it served him right.

He almost told her to dump said boyfriend when he found her at a house party alone. He almost laid in his bed with her when he brought her back to his flat to recover. Instead, he slept on the couch. Remus told him he'd done the right thing, but James wondered what would have happened if he hadn't.

He almost walked out of the room when Lily announced her engagement.

He almost told her he couldn't make it to her wedding.

He almost walked in the door to the ceremony hall.

He almost told her he had to leave in person. Instead, he sent a text that simply said, "sorry," before turning off his phone and jumping in his car.

James sat at a patio table at their favorite cafe while the woman he'd loved from afar for years said "I do" to someone else.

He pushed his hands into his hair and rested his elbows on the table.

He was pathetic.

Why hadn't he ever said something? He'd had a decade worth of opportunities. But he'd been a coward. His cowardice stemmed from the fact that they were friends and he didn't want to lose that. Friendship with Lily seemed better than risking not having Lily in his life at all.

But James could see that Sirius had been right, he was an idiot.

Because this, knowing she was going to spend the rest of her life with someone else, it hurt worse than anything James could have imagined. This made his chest cramp and his jaw clench. This made his gut twist and his and his breathing go shallow. This made him want to curl into a ball.

At least if he had said something, had told her how he felt and she had rejected him he would have some sense of closure. But now, every what-if bombarded him like rapid gunfire. The one that left the widest wound was the possibility that it might have been him standing at the end of that aisle today instead of sitting here alone with his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"James Potter, I am going to kill you!"

Great, now he was hallucinating things. At least James thought he was until a firm hand grabbed his shoulder.

James looked up to see one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Lily Evans in a wedding dress, her hair pulled up into an intricate style, her gorgeous green eyes hard as steel, and her face flushed.

"Where the hell do you come off sending me a text saying "sorry" and then turning off your bloody phone before disappearing?! I was worried sick! I swear, I should toss your stupid arse in the Thames!"

James blinked. "You're, you're here."

"Of course I am!" Lily plopped down in the seat next to him and kicked at her dress.

His ability to think returned and James shook his head. "Lily you're supposed to be walking down the aisle right now."

"Well, obviously, I'm not." Lily didn't meet his gaze.

"Lils," James tried to catch her eye. "Why, exactly, are you not walking down the aisle?"

Lily made a sound James could only describe as a growl.

"You're awful, you know."

James huffed. "I'm well aware, but how does that play into you not currently getting married?"

"I don't know." Lily grabbed his water glass. "I got your text, and Sirius didn't know where you were, and Remus hadn't seen you, and you weren't responding, and I just, nothing mattered until I knew you were alright."

"I didn't mean to worry you. I…" James trailed off, not sure he could finish the sentence he should have said for the last decade he'd known her.

"It's over though," Lily looked down at her French tipped nails. "He wasn't happy that I wanted to postpone the ceremony to go and find you. Told me he was done."

James blinked. He knew he had to say something. Her wedding had just been ruined because he disappeared.

"I literally couldn't believe him, James. You could have been ready to jump to your death and he was mad at me for needing to make sure you were alright. You think you know someone and then…"

"I left because I'm in love with you."

James stared straight down at the table. He'd said it, like a coward but at least now she knew why he ran, the real reason her wedding hadn't even started. It was quiet a beat before she spoke.

"How long, do you think, do you think you've loved me?"

James would have almost preferred her to storm off rather than ask a question like that.

"Oh, since I met you." James let out a long breath.

"You're impossible, James."

"I'm sorry," James went to say more but stopped when Lily kicked him under the table.

"You should be! Do you know how long and how hard I tried to get you to make a move?!"

"Wait, what?" James finally looked up at her.

"Yes! I only started dating around when you completely ignored every advance I made!"

"You, you made advances? At me?"

"Yes, Sherlock, I, Lily Evans, made romantic advances at you, James Potter, and accepted that you weren't into me and I might as well try and live my life."

James felt like he'd been smacked across the face with a frying pan.

"Lils," he started but she cut him off.

"You owe me food."

"What?"

"Look, I spent the last decade wondering if you'd ever love me back and since you did actually love me back that entire freaking time and wouldn't make any move to show it, you owe me food. I'm starving."

James couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.

"I think I owe you more than food."

He pulled her to stand with him and ran a gentle hand from her cheek down her neck before dropping his lips to hers.

He could have died right there. She was soft and sweet and electricity coursed through him as her hands went straight for his hair. He pulled her flush against him and bit back the moan as her fingers tightened their grip. He brushed his tongue against her lips and felt his heart skip a beat as her tongue met his.

How had he denied himself of this? For ten years no less?

James knew one thing though, he wasn't going to survive without it now.

"I'm not saying we should go back and put on a wedding, but you really shouldn't get rid of your dress." He smiled against her lips before kissing her again.

"It's bad luck now," Lily sighed.

"Nah," James slid his hands over the soft white silk. "It's the luckiest dress in the world."

Lily laughed before capturing his lips again.

And when James watched Lily walk down the aisle to him in that exact dress, he knew that not only was her dress lucky but that he was definitely the luckiest man to ever walk the face of the planet.

bittersweet {3}

pairing: boxer!bucky x rogers!reader

warnings: swearing, things get a bit saucy oop, mostly fluff.

synopsis: The world of boxing wasn’t something you knew much about, but after a certain boxer with blue eyes and an irresistible charm wove his way into your heart, you soon learned that it went far deeper than red gloves and gold medals — you thought that the boxer happening to be your brother’s best friend was bad enough, but darker affairs had only yet to come to light.

a/n: so i was gonna completely leave this until i finished FFY, but this chapter has been sitting unfinished in my drafts for ages and it was bugging me lmao,,, but after this part things are gonna get interesting :)) please enjoy, and any feedback is appreciated!

Series Masterlist

There was something different about Bucky after his match, Steve noticed it slowly but surely. Usually, the guy would get a high for a couple of days after his win, and then he’d be too focused on training for the next match to even crack a smile.

However, it’d been two weeks since his match. Two weeks since he won, and Steve was beginning to get suspicious at how long Bucky’s high had been strung out.

The blond eyed his friend questioningly from the mat on the gym floor across from his, watching as he’d complete a set of bicep curls, take a sip of water, smirk as he checked his phone, tapped away at the screen, and repeated that exact routine again. Training wasn’t a game to Bucky — nothing could ever normally cause him a distraction, but there was something that kept drawing him to his phone, and Steve was curious to know what.

That’s when something popped into Steve’s mind; something he’d completely forgotten about.

“Hey, Buck. I forgot to ask last week — how was your date after the match?”

Of course it was the date, right? His friend must’ve really taken a liking to the girl he went out with.

Bucky kept his gaze locked in front of him, pulling the heavy weights towards and away from his chest. “Good.”

“Just good?” Steve pressed, laying against the mat and beginning a set of sit-ups. “You haven’t stopped checkin’ your phone since you got in here.”

The boxer knew his date was better than good, but he wasn’t sure how much he should tell Steve. He was his best friend, Bucky was supposed to tell him everything about the date - he didn’t waste any time persuading Steve to tell him about Peggy when they first started dating.

“I like her, Steve,” He stated. “When we went out after the match, it didn’t feel like a first date with her -- it felt like I’d known her forever.”

It was true. Bucky had been out with his fair share of women, and not once had he felt so comfortable around someone so fast than with you.

“That’s good, Buck,” Steve nodded, smiling genuinely at his best friend. “I’m glad things are goin’ well. It’s about time you found a girl who can put up with your ass.”

Bucky let out a laugh at the joke, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt in his chest. Of course he felt bad about persuing you, especially while Steve was completely unaware of it. If he thought you were just another pretty girl, he probably wouldn’t have dragged you into the locker room on the first day you’d met him. But you weren’t just another pretty girl; you were the pretty girl. The pretty girl whose eyes twinkled when you laughed and whose smile could light up a whole boxing stadium.

Maybe you and him were doomed from the start, and you were just waiting for Steve to inevitably find out and disown the both of you. But Bucky didn’t want to think like that. He wouldn’t know where you and him were heading if he didn’t at least try. Bucky wanted to give whatever you and him had a shot, what was so wrong about that?

After finishing his final set, Bucky placed the weights back on the rack, grinning to himself as he saw his phone screen light up again. He’d just asked you if you were free any time soon. It was hard to meet up without Steve knowing, as you assumed he’d get suspicious if the both of you were constantly going out at the same time.

How about you come over to mine later today? I get off work at 5?

Bucky’s breath hitched. He hadn’t been to your apartment before, obviously since you’d only been talking for nearly three weeks, but still.

Sure, sounds good.

Awesome! See you then, James.

See you later, gorgeous.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face for so long, Buck.” The blond in front of him joked, earning himself the middle finger from Bucky.

The teasing grin was soon wiped from Steve’s mouth when a figure approached the weight rack, grabbing two weights and placing himself on a mat next to him and Bucky.

Feeling Steve’s eyes piercing into his skull, the man sighed heavily. “Are you gonna be mad at me forever, Steve?”

Lifting himself up from the blue mat, the blond only hardened his look. “What do you think, Quill?”

Picking up his water bottle, Steve mumbled something about ‘going to take a shower’ before heading to the exit of the gym.

“Jesus, what’d you do to piss him off?” Bucky took a seat on the nearest bench before taking a large gulp of his water.

Peter shook his head and chuckled, beginning his own set of bicep curls. “I go to college with his sister, (Y/N), and he found out that I made out with her at a party last year.”

Luckily, Peter was too focused on the strain in his muscles to notice how Bucky’s hand clenched around his water bottle. That wasn’t an image he needed in his mind.

“I mean, I didn’t even know she was his sister. Honestly, even if I did, I probably would’ve still-”

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” The boxer warned, causing Peter to furrow his brows. “Just cause Steve ain’t here, doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass for talking about his sister like that.”

Bucky would’ve said that even if you and him weren’t secretly a thing, but he didn’t exactly like that fact the Peter was talking about the girl he liked like that either.

Peter sighed. “Damn, you and Rogers seriously need to chill out. It was once when we were both wasted — doesn’t mean I can’t still be friends with her.”

“Well, it’s your funeral if he catches you near her again.”

Bucky always knew how protective Steve was of you. Even after leaving high school, he still thought of you as his baby sister who needed to be hidden from the outside world. Of course, Steve was aware of when you’d sneak around with boys and out to parties when you were sixteen — he didn’t think you were a little girl who knew nothing about the world around her. But if there was any way he could protect you from getting your heart broken, he’d go to lengths to make sure you didn’t get hurt.

That included keeping you away from dumb, party-animal college boys like Peter Quill. And perhaps that also included older, charming, cocky boxers like Bucky Barnes.

Not that he was ever planning on breaking your heart.

While there was a small part of his mind that thought Steve maybe wouldn’t kill him if he found out about him and you, Bucky soon came to the conclusion that Peter’s funeral wouldn’t be the only one happening if the boxer wasn’t careful.

And that was something Bucky was really hoping to avoid.

* * *

A pleasant smile graced your lips as your eyes landed on the clock on the far side of the room. 4:55pm.

Bucky would be showing up at your place in just over an hour, and you were excited.

Things had been going good between the two of you. You texted back and forth most days, met him after his training sessions at the gym, let him pick you up from college despite trying to tell him you were perfectly capable of getting the bus back. It was still pretty casual, but not in ‘friends with benefits’ way, more in a ‘we like each other and we make out a lot but we’re not anything serious yet’ way.

Steve also hadn’t caught on that you were seeing anyone yet, and you wanted to keep it that way. While everything was well with you and Bucky, you didn’t want your brother to freak out about something which might not even last. Even if he didn’t know it was Bucky you were seeing, he’d definitely be eager to find out. He was still your stupidly protective big brother — he’d only want the reassurance that you were being treated right, which you couldn’t blame him for. You’d never had a proper boyfriend before, but you’d surely had your fair share of experiences with shitty guys who were far from what Steve approved of for you.

Bucky was different, though. If he wasn’t his best friend, you’d actually be confident in thinking that Steve would approve of him. Maybe one day. Maybe he’d be able to understand.

“Is there a reason that you’re grinning from ear to ear?” Your boss stepped out of his office, raising his brow at you.

“That’s for me to know, Sam, and for you to not know.” You pushed yourself away from the desk, standing from your chair.

The man scoffed, crossing his inked arms over his chest. “Hm, alright. Turn over the sign on your way out, will you?”

“Will do, boss.”

“You got someone pickin’ you up? It’s startin’ to get dark out pretty early this time of year.”

You opened your mouth to tell him that you’d just get the bus like always, but the ringing of the bell at the door and a sudden voice breaking the silence interrupted you.

“She sure does.” The redhead that had just entered responded for you, walking up to your desk and leaning her elbows on the light wood. Your brows knitted together in surprise.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” You asked her, picking up your handbag from under the desk and slinging the strap over your shoulder.

“Picking you up?” She answered, as if you were supposed to be aware that she was going to show up randomly. “You’re having your boyfriend over tonight, right? It’ll take too long for you to get home on the bus, and I know for a fact that your apartment needs cleaned up. Plus, you’ll wanna get ready, paint your nails, put on a little makeup—”

“First of all, he’s not my boyfriend,” You confirmed, more to Sam than to Natasha, who only liked to tease. “Second of all, you know me way too well, it’s kinda freaky. And thirdly, thanks for saying all of that in front of Sam, because now I’m never gonna hear the end of it from him.”

Sam scoffed. “I’m a grown ass man, (Y/N). I’m not gonna tease you about havin’ a special someone in your life... but you should get outta here. Wouldn’t wanna keep your boyfriend waiting.”

Making your way around the desk to your friend, you rolled your eyes at your childish boss. Who allowed him to have his own business? “You know, if you weren’t the one giving me my rent money every month, I’d be calling you a pretty mean name for that comment right now.”

“Alright, alright,” The man held up his hands in defence. “But seriously, I’m closing up once you leave, so you should hurry it up.”

With a playful glare, you motioned for Natasha to follow you out of the shop, making sure to turn over the sign on the door. “Thanks, Sam. I’m feeling really appreciated as an employee right now.”

“I’m glad; see you tomorrow, (Y/N).”

“Unfortunately so, Samuel.”

Natasha chuckled once the door clicked shut, walking you over to her car. “I really think you have the most laid back boss in New York. If I told Fury I wanted to call him a mean name, I’d only get a death stare and probably an extra pile of work to do.”

You smiled at the girl’s words. Sam and you had known each other for years, way before he opened up his tattoo shop. Him and Steve used to be friends in high school, but sort of drifted apart when Steve got more into boxing and Sam wanted to focus on his shop. He had told your brother about opening up the shop a year prior, and how he was looking for someone to work at the desk, and as a freshman in college who was in desperate need of cash, you thought you’d be perfect for the job. Since then, you worked there whenever you weren’t in class on weekdays.

Of course, he was your boss, but you didn’t see him as some big, scary authority figure. He was Sam, the dude that used to play video games with your brother in the basement for hours on end. In a way, he was like your second older brother. Not that you needed another big brother, Steve had the protectiveness and stubbornness of about three brothers combined.

“So,” Natasha smirked, climbing into the car at the same time as you. “You have to tell me more about this dude, (Y/N). Did you say he was a boxer? As in a boxer at your brother’s gym?”

Nodding reluctantly, you tugged your seatbelt over your body. You weren’t sure whether it was a good idea to tell Natasha that it was in fact your brother’s best friend you were having over that night. She was friends with Steve, not as close to him as she was to you, but you were sure she’d think it was a bad idea for you to be hiding this from him.

Maybe it’d better to keep Bucky a secret for now.

“Yes, he goes to the gym. Steve knows him, he just doesn’t know that I’ve been seeing him.”

“(Y/N)...” The woman shook her head, beginning to pull the car out of the parking space. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to hide this from Steve?”

“I’m not hiding anything, Nat. It’s only been just under a month since we started seeing each other. He doesn’t need to know anything yet.”

Natasha eyed you cautiously. It didn’t seem right to her that you were completely against telling your brother about the new guy you’d been seeing. Sure, he was protective, but he wasn’t an utter asshole. You and Steve were all each other had for a while; it just seemed odd that you weren’t yet planning on telling him anything, even if the guy went to his gym.

Despite wanting to question you further, the redhead decided to stop for the time being, giving you the pleasure of a stress-free car ride back to your apartment. When you were ready, she was sure you’d tell her more about your mysterious new man.

After dropping you off outside your building, you blew an appreciative kiss to your friend before essentially skipping into the lobby, thinking about how you’d finally be able to see Bucky again properly after the quick meet-ups and short phone calls you’d dealt with all week.

While you and him weren’t serious yet, you always got a warm feeling when you knew you were going to see him. Being around him was just nice, to put it simply. Nice was good.

Since you weren’t going out, you decided to keep your look natural for the night. A light layer of makeup topped off with your signature cherry lip-gloss was applied to your face after you took a quick shower, and soon enough, you were ready to see your man.

Well, he wasn’t technically your man, but the thought of him taking other girls into the locker room at the boxing gym and making out with them wasn’t so appealing to you.

The apartment wasn’t a complete mess, yet you still practically zoomed around the place picking up odd items of clothes and putting away textbooks you’d left in the kitchen. After spending so much of your free time with Bucky, it was becoming to difficult to find time to just sit down and study. Between him hanging out with Steve at the gym and you hanging out with Steve on the weekends and you trying to find the time between work and classes to hang out with Bucky without Steve getting suspicious? You really needed to make a timetable or something.

When a sudden knock sounded against the front door, you felt your heart pang with excitement, and after rushing to open the front door and seeing Bucky Barnes standing in front of you, your heart completely melted.

As always, he looked like a three course meal. Screw that, a five course meal. Hair neatly tucked behind his ears, dark jeans covering his toned thighs, a boyish smirk sat on his lips. A large bouquet of classic red roses were enclasped in his hand, and your eyes were immediately drawn towards them.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He greeted you, his eyes wondering up and down your figure. Not in a way that made you uncomfortable, but like he was taking in your appearance, which he was. How could he not when you always looked so pretty?

“Hi, James,” You smiled, eyes flicking between his face and the roses in his hand. “That’s a lot of roses you’ve got there.”

The man let out a laugh. “I hope you like ‘em, cause they’re all yours.”

You took the flowers from his grasp slowly, tracing your eyes over every petal on every rose, trying to ignore the way your stomach was doing flips at the gesture. You leaned up, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, James. They’re beautiful.”

“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl.” Bucky winked as you pulled away, and you were sure that your face was probably as hot as the cinnamon-scented tea lights you’d lit around the place.

A flattered smile set on your lips. “Did you come up with that line on the way here?”

“Came up with it just now, actually.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“Does that mean I’m allowed inside now?”

“I guess so.” You chuckled, stepping aside so Bucky could walk through the doorway. As you closed the door behind him, his eyes wandered around the area.

It was a pretty small place; the only rooms being your bedroom, the bathroom and the conjoined kitchen and living room. It’s not like you needed anything bigger, though. Not when the majority of your time in the apartment was spent watching Netflix and writing assignments way too close to their deadlines. Natasha stayed over every now and then, making herself at home on the couch or sleeping next to you in your bed if you’d had a night in with a bit too much alcohol. Bucky was the first guy you’d ever taken to your apartment, though. You didn’t like the idea of bringing guys you’d likely never see again into a place you thought of as your safe space, but Bucky wasn’t one of those guys.

“So, you live here by yourself?” He asked, his head turning to you as you placed the bouquet of roses gently on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, I moved here a little while after graduating high school. It’s a lot closer to campus than where I used to live with Steve,” You explained, opening the fridge and picking out a cool bottle of red wine before grabbing two glasses from the cupboard. “Do you want a drink?”

Bucky made his way over to where you were stood at the kitchen counter, already pouring out the wine before he could answer the question. The man thanked you as you slid a glass across the counter to him, bringing the drink to his lips for a small sip. “God, I don’t think I can even remember the last time I had a drink.”

“Seriously?” You raised your brow, tapping your nails against your own glass.

“I spend more time in that damn gym than at my own house,” Bucky let out a laugh, a sound you weren’t sure you’d ever get tired of hearing. “Doesn’t leave a lot of time to sit down and have a drink. I’ve never been much of a drinker, anyway. It’s nice every once in a while, though — with the right company.”

A smirk had unsurprisingly made its way back into his lips, and you shook your head at him. “And what company is that? Women you’ve made out with at the gym?”

He scoffed. “I’ve told you, (Y/N); you’re the only girl that’s ever happened with.”

“It’s okay, James,” You mirrored his teasing expression. “I believe you, and I’m honoured, truly. I mean, being the only girl that James Barnes has made out with in the sweaty guy’s locker room...”

“You say that as if it wasn’t the best makeout of your life.”

“Best makeout of my life?” You almost choked on your wine. Well, that wasn’t exactly untrue. That man was one good kisser, but you wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction of hearing that from you. “I don’t know about that one.”

“Well, I can’t imagine your one with Peter Quill was any better.” Though he murmured the words into his glass, Bucky could tell you’d heard him by the way your eyes widened in surprise.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the defeated expression on your face. “Oh, god. How do you even know about that?”

“Gossip travels fast at the gym, babydoll.” He shrugged with a smug grin, earning himself an eye roll from you.

“And why are a group of grown men at the gym discussing my personal life? Aren’t you guys meant to be, I don’t know, working out?” You asked playfully, pushing yourself away from the counter and making your way over to the couch, Bucky following you without a second thought.

You plopped yourself in the corner of your couch, crossing your legs underneath you as Bucky sat on the other side, placing his glass on the glass coffee table. “It’s your brother that’s makin’ a big deal out of the whole thing. Can’t even be in the same room as Quill without shooting daggers at the guy.”

“I didn’t think he’d be that pissed off about it,” You shook your head with a chuckle. “Peter’s harmless, everyone knows that. I know that Steve’s only protective because he cares, but losing his shit over Peter Quill? Come on.”

Bucky let a laugh slip through his lips. “I can’t imagine how he’s acted with your actual boyfriends, never mind just a guy you’ve made out with.”

Your gaze dropped to you skirt at the man’s statement, fingers playing with the hem of the material. “Well, I guess I’m lucky that I’ve never had one.”

Nervously flicking your eyes up to the man in front of you, your brows furrowed at his surprised expression. “You’ve never had a boyfriend?”

“Is that weird to you?”

“No, not weird,” Bucky shook his head, shuffling a little closer to you on the couch so that your knees were touching. “Just surprising, since you’re, well... you.”

Your quirked a brow, a smirk forming on your glossy lips, indicating for Bucky to carry on talking.

Catching onto what you were hinting at, Bucky rolled his eyes, but gave you what you wanted. “Well, you’re smart, beautiful, good at carnival games...”

“Ah, yes,” You chuckled. “The quality that makes or breaks a woman. I mean, I am pretty good at carnival games.”

“Not as good as me, though,” He winked, earning himself a playful glare and a nudge to the knee. “But seriously, has no guy ever been lucky enough to call you theirs?”

The phrasing of the question brought heat to your cheeks, but you tried your best to act nonchalant. “I’ve went out with guys from time to time, but never been with them long enough to be, well, dating them. They’ve all been frat boys, though. Each one of them as immature and self-centred as the other. I made a vow to myself after the last one that I’d stop going for college guys. And well... I met you.”

A satisfied grin formed on Bucky’s lips as one of his hands picked up yours, causing your heart rate to pick up. “I’ll admit, you did get pretty lucky with that one.”

“Never mind; I take that back. You’re probably more self-centred than the frat boys,” You squeezed the hand holding yours, as Bucky shot you another eye roll. “I can’t lie, though. I was kinda surprised that you weren’t already spoken for when we met.”

“Like I said, I’m at the gym training more than anywhere else. I don’t have a lot of time on my hands to go out and meet people.”

“Well,” You took your bottom lip between your teeth, untucking your legs from under yourself and shuffling forward to lay them over the boxer’s lap. “That’s where you met me, James. Who said you couldn’t meet a girl at the gym?”

One of his hands went to your exposed calf, gently running his fingers along the soft skin there. “I guess luck was just really on my side that day, gorgeous.”

A quiet hum sounded from your mouth as you leaned in, unable to resist his perfect lips any longer. Both of your arms snakes around his neck as you felt him immediately kiss back, the bittersweet taste of wine evident on his tongue. The hand on your calf was slowly trailing up to reach your thigh as the other gripped your waist tightly. His touch was scarily addictive; every time your lips met his, it was like electricity shooting through your veins, the adrenaline making you only crave more of him.

You forced yourself to pull away for a couple of seconds, allowing you to kneel on the couch before swinging a leg over his clothed thighs to straddle him. His hands instinctively fell to your waist again, pulling your body to press against his as gentle kisses dotted along your jaw. A whimper fell from your swollen lips as Bucky’s mouth latched onto a sensitive spot on your neck, sucking a deep purple mark onto the skin before softly kissing the delicate area.

There was a gentle tug on the hem of your top, making you pull back slightly. Bucky’s voice was deeper than before as he spoke. “You wanna take this off, beautiful?”

Fuck it, you thought to yourself, reaching for the bottom of the cotton and pulling it up and off your body. The boxer’s eyes ran across your exposed chest, your lacy pink bra not leaving much to the imagination. He continued his line of kisses from the crook of your neck across your collarbone, savouring the taste of your skin and your moans of pleasure as he left another pretty mark on your body.

It was just so easy with Bucky. You could laugh with him and talk to him about anything without difficulty, and that would easily flow into a heated makeout session with you straddling his lap or being pressed against the wall. Nothing felt forced or unnatural, everything was just how the two of you wanted it to be. That had been the first time you’d taken your shirt off in front of him, and you’d never gone further than making out in the three weeks you’d been seeing each other. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to go any further, because boy, did the thought alone make heat rush to your face. It just didn’t feel like the right time yet, which was fine. As long as everything stayed swell between you and Bucky, you’d happily wait until that time eventually came.

The two of you stayed like that for twenty minutes, hungrily locking lips and running your hands over each other’s bodies until you were both panting for breath. It was you who suggested stopping for the time being, and Bucky agreed, knowing that continuing would only make the two of you crave more, which you weren’t yet ready to carry out. After finding your discarded top from the floor and pulling it back over your torso, you positioned yourself again so that your legs were thrown over his thighs, head resting on his shoulder as his hand fell to your hip. You turned the television on, some old movie playing quietly in the background as you started up another conversation with Bucky about God knows what for another hour or so, only getting up to refill your glasses wine before quickly sitting comfortably against Bucky again and falling right back into conversation.

Laughter occasionally filled the room when Bucky uttered a sarcastic comment, and when you replied with just as much sarcasm as him. The conversation remained completely uninterrupted, until your eyes caught a glimpse of the dark sky scattered with stars through the window. As much as you wanted to stay curled up against Bucky forever, the boxer had training to do early the next morning, and he didn’t want to risk a questioning from Steve if he showed up late to the gym.

After reluctantly swinging your legs off the edge of the couch and downing the remainder of wine in your glass, you were soon seeing Bucky out of your apartment.

He stood in your doorway just as he had done when he’d first arrived, and it amazed you how quickly the night had flown by. It seemed like only minutes prior that the man was handing you a gorgeous bouquet of roses and asking if he was allowed inside.

There was a different look in his eyes, though. The nerves that were evident in his slightly widened eyes were long gone, replaced by a fond, affectionate glint that made your heart swell as he looked down at you.

“Thanks for tonight, babydoll,” Bucky smiled softly, tucking a strand of hair begin your ear, exposing the dark mark he’d left on your neck and letting his eyes linger on it for a few short moments. “We should do this more often.”

“Make out and drink wine? That’s something I could get used to,” You rested your hands on his chest, biting back the grin that threatened to spread from ear to ear. You leaned up to press a final kiss to his cheek, but were satisfied to feel Bucky’s lips on yours instead when he lightly tilted your chin to the side.

The kiss was long, neither of you wanting to be the one to pull away. You just couldn’t get enough of him; his touch, his lips, his sweet pet names and teasing comments. How the hell someone so perfect happened to walk into your life, you weren’t sure.

If Bucky was a stranger to Steve, he might’ve been the only guy that you weren’t afraid of your brother not approving of. Sure, he’d get the stupid lecture and the cold shoulder in the beginning, but you were positive that he’d think that Bucky was good for you. Things unfortunately were that simple, though. Because Bucky was Steve’s best friend, and the two of you were sneaking around behind his back. It bothered you, and it bothered Bucky too. However, things were still relatively new, even when you felt like Bucky was a guy you never wanted to let slip through your fingers, your brother wouldn’t be able to understand that just yet.

Reluctantly, you pulled away from the longing kiss and gently shoved at Bucky’s chest. “If we stand here any longer, there’s no way you��re gonna be up for training tomorrow. Get yourself home, James.”

The boxer sighed, trailing his fingers down your arm to your hand, giving it a final squeeze before stepping out into the hallway. “Drop by the gym some time soon?”

You crinkled your brows. “I would, but what about Ste-”

“Steve doesn’t train on Thursdays.” Bucky reassured you quickly, making a smile crawl onto your lips.

“Thursdays... I’ll see what I can do.” You didn’t have classes on Thursdays, and you only worked the morning shift at the tattoo shop that day, so you knew you’d have time to see Bucky at the gym — you just liked to see the stupid grin on the boxer’s face when you teased him. “Now, seriously; go home. And be safe.”

“I’m always safe, (Y/N).” He affirmed with one last wink before he finally began to walk away from your apartment, and you slowly shut the front door, leaning your back against it once you heard the click of the lock.

Fuck, he was just so perfect. Everything was perfect with him, and if everything stayed that way, then maybe breaking the news to Steve wouldn’t be so far from perfect too.

However, it was probably foolish of you to get so wrapped up in how smooth things with Bucky were going. It was unfortunately never going to last, the ease of it all.

Unknowingly to you, things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

Series Taglist:

@littledarlinhavefaithinme

S.Experiments (M)

➾ pairing: min yoongi x oc

➾ genre: step sibling, smut

➾ word count: 3k

➾ summary: It started from innocent curiousity. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” 

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3

chapter one:

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

Soo Jin’s eyes were hopeful as she sat on Yoongi’s 75” x 36” inch single bed, fingers clasped on her cotton shorts. She gleamed with the curiosity of a sixteen years old girl and while she had a cheeky excited look on her face, Yoongi were exactly the opposite. 

He had boredom plastered all over his face as he lay sprawled on his bed, hair still damp from shower. It was a little over 5 pm, he just went back from basketball practice, showered and his sister, correction, step sister, is already bugging him in his room. 

If Soo Jin hadn’t known him well, she would have mistaken Yoongi’s cold look as a sign of annoyance but she knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t a tiny bit annoyed at her. They were the best of friends, always has been even before their parents decided to get married to each other 5 years ago.

“Come on we’re best friends.” Soo Jin cooed, shaking Yoongi’s sides softly to urge the sixteen years old boy to speak up. “Yeah but that’s just weird as fuck.” Yoongi finally spoke, rolling his eyes when he sees her giving him her puppy eyes. 

“Oh, come on it’s not like I’ve never seen it anyway. I see it all the time when I accidentally went inside the bathroom while you were showering. You always have the habit of not locking the door.” Soo Jin had her arms crossed by now, she wasn’t one to easily give up. She always gets what she wants and this time won’t be any different.

“Exactly? So why do you still want to see it. Just google it or something. Weirdo.” Yoongi replied coolly, although deep down his heart was beating 100 miles per hours. Can you blame him though? Soo Jin just said she wanted to see his dick. What the hell is he supposed to say. 

“I want to see how it looks close up. Look it’s normal okay? Kids do this all the time where they pretend to be doctors and inspect each other’s bodies or something. Everybody has played that once in their life with their siblings, I’m just the unlucky one who was born as a single child. So now you have to play this with me because you’re “technically” my brother.” Soo Jin said in a matter of fact tone and Yoongi wondered what makes her so interested of this today. Were her female friends talking about dicks or something today at school and now she’s so intrigued to see one?

Soo Jin could sense Yoongi’s curiosity so she decided to just tell him the truth. “Okay so today Eun Ji told me she and her boyfriend did it and his ‘thingy’ were really hard and long and I know guys and girls has different looking thing but I’ve never seen a real one clearly before and I want to see it.”

Yoongi finds the situation hilarious. 

This girl can’t even say dick out loud but is so yearning to see his? He almost let out a big laugh but decided to hold it in and it came out as a snicker instead. Soo Jin’s cheeks heats up and embarrassment filled her.

“Are you laughing at me?” Soo Jin mumbled, the tough act she builds were starting to tumble down and she push the laughing boy’s shoulder with her small palm. Yoongi won’t stop laughing, and Soo Jin grew even more humiliated than she was before.

“Look if you won’t show me I’ll ask somebody else. I know Namjoon wouldn’t mind.” That was all it takes for Yoongi to stop laughing and cut her off. “Don’t you dare.” Yoongi knew his friend had a soft spot for Soo Jin. Hell, she didn’t even need to tell Namjoon she was going to show hers and the boy would still whip out his dick in a second. 

Yoongi didn’t know why but the thought pisses him off. All he knows is that he’d rather show his dick to Soo Jin if that means she won’t ask some other hormonal boys to do that for her. God knows what they’ll do to her in the heat of the moment. 

At least Yoongi knows he won’t do anything dumb like the other boys would and it’ll be purely anatomy lesson at this point. Let’s say this is a way to protect his precious best friend/step sister from getting into dumb situations with other boys like Namjoon.

“Alright fin-.” Yoongi grumbled and he didn’t even get the chance to finish his sentence when Soo Jin suddenly squeal and scream “yayyyyy” out loud. She’s already pulling down her shorts down before Yoongi can even change his mind. Yoongi choked when he saw a flash of her white cotton panties and his head automatically look away. 

What the hell has he got himself to? 

He felt a nudge on the basketball shorts he usually wore at home because it’s comfy af and before he knew it they were down to his knees. “Geez slowdown, will you?” Yoongi felt his cheeks heats up as he sat against the headboard with nothing but his blue boxers. 

He was looking at the side, specifically on his LeBron James poster he pasted on his walls because he can feel himself growing hard and the last thing he want is looking like he was getting excited for this. 

So Yoongi close his eyes and thought of all the boner killing thought he can think off in his mind and somehow it works and his dick turn flaccid. “Come on don’t be a chicken.” Soo Jin whine, tugging on his boxers and that sorts of trigger Yoongi’s man ego and he finally tug his pants down, exposing everything he have hidden underneath.

Yoongi still can’t turn his head and he’s still looking at his wall now, but he’s staring at his Notorious B.I.G album poster instead of the LeBron James one. 

Even without looking he can feel Soo Jin’s stare on his dick and he heard her soft Oooooooo of awe. 

The heat crept back to his cheeks because first, this was the first time anyone or a girl has ever seen his dick and second, well anyone in his situation would feel at least slightly embarrassed.

“Are you done looking?” Yoongi mutter and before he can get a reply he felt a soft poke on his dick. 

A moan slipped out of his lips and he immediately whipped his head in shock. 

He didn’t expect that. 

“Yah! Who told you you can touch?” His eyes met her awestruck ones and Soo Jin let out a giggle. He wasn’t mad but he was definitely caught off guard. He wasn’t expecting her to touch it at all. 

“Why is it so flaccid? Oooo it grew hard.” Soo Jin gasp as she saw Yoongi’s soft dick turn bigger and harder after she gave it a little poke.

“It’s because you touch it, stupid. It’s a natural reaction.” Yoongi retorted sharply because hell no, he wasn’t going to show that he was affected by this whole absurd situation. Soo Jin was still staring at his now semi hard dick in astonishment.

 Even though she has seen it before when she accidentally walks in on him showering, it was only for a brief second and the glass door usually obstruct the clear view anyway. But now that she can get a super clear view of his dick, she can only gape in amazement. 

His shaft was long and pink, and his balls were pink too, a contrast to Yoongi’s pale skin and the tip was bulbous like a mushroom head. Yoongi obviously didn’t shave so he had a small amount of hair around the base of his dick and around his balls. Yoongi’s dick definitely isn’t small. It complimented his figure nicely.

Soo Jin lift her eyebrow as she notices that Yoongi were looking at the sides again. He still has his blue Nike t-shirt on but he’s naked from down below. Soo Jin thought it’s not fair that he was the only one naked. She had been too busy admiring his dick to the point she forgot to strip herself too. So, she stood up from the bed and began pulling down her white cotton panties. 

“What are you doing?” Yoongi could hear a rustling sound from the side before he felt a dip on his bed again. He felt Soo Jin tug his head to look at her and Yoongi literally screamed “what the fuck!” when he saw her sitting with her legs wide open in front of him in nothing but her T-shirt. 

“You didn’t have to strip too!” Yoongi was sure his face was as red as a ripe tomato because he can see her hairless slit and it was the first time he saw one other than from the porn he watches. He didn’t even remember the deal was “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”

“Shut up don’t act like you’re not as curious about this as I do.” Soo Jin roll her eyes. Yoongi had been her best friend for the longest time and she know he never had any action with a girl so this was his first time seeing a pussy in real life too. 

Yoongi felt all the blood rushes down south below as he stares at Soo Jin sprawled out in front of him with her legs parted. It was like his eyes were magnetized and he can’t seem to look away. Yup, he’s definitely rock hard by now.

“Isn’t it funny how our privates are so different?” Soo Jin rambled as she looks downward to her own pussy before using both of her hands to part open her slit, giving Yoongi a clear view of her tiny hole and clit. Yoongi’s mouth gaped open, it was his turn to look at her in amazement.

“So, this is my clit, this is my labia, this is my pee hole and this is the hole where you have sex in and where babies come out from.” Soo Jin was pointing to different parts of her genitals as if giving Yoongi a biology lesson on female genitalia and Yoongi swore this situation is absurd as fuck and he have always known his best friend is a weirdo but not to this extent. 

But Hell, they’re already come this far and as a hormonal teenager Yoongi would be lying if he said he’s not as intrigued as her and honestly, he’s just as curious as she was.

“Okay so how the fuck can a baby come out of that tiny ass hole?” Yoongi commented, leaning in to inspect closer. Soo Jin’s eyes widen when Yoongi lean close enough to be point she could feel the air coming out of his nose when he breathes out on her slit. She felt the temperature on her body going up and she wonder if this was what it means to be turn on. Was she getting turn on at the sight of Yoongi so close to her pussy?

Soo Jin was oblivious that Yoongi was feeling the exact same way. Damn he could feel his tip leaking with precum when he caught a whiff of the scent radiating from Soo Jin’s pussy. It was a foreign smell and unlike any other scent Yoongi has ever smelled in his life before. Soo Jin was the one looking away now, her cheeks warm and pink. 

She had her legs parted and her back was almost touching the bed except her arms were propping her body up. It was a tiring position and Yoongi must have notice it too because he’s pulling her up and urging her to lay on his pillow instead. Once she lay back down, it was Yoongi who was spreading her legs back open so he can go back to seeing her pretty pussy. 

He was way too excited for someone who was so against this in the first place and Yoongi can only assure himself that this was purely anatomy lesson and there’s nothing weird about this at all. 

“Do you wax?” Yoongi suddenly ask when he notice how hairless she was below and Soo Jin gave him a brief nod. Yoongi swore Soo Jin has a really pretty pussy and he have seen enough pussy in porn to know how a good pussy looks like.

Dirty thoughts flash past Yoongi’s mind and Yoongi had to literally take a deep breath and remind himself that this was his step sister sprawled out below him. “This is just anatomy lesson Yoongi. Anatomy lesson.” Yoongi chant in his head while he closes his eyes.

“Dinner is ready!”

They both heard their mom shouting from downstairs and they look at each other with wide eyes before Soo Jin yeeted out of his bed to put on her panties and shorts back on. “You go down first I can’t go down like this.” Yoongi whisper as he points to his raging hard on. Soo Jin nod shyly before she dashes out of his room and running downstairs to greet her mom, acting as if nothing had happened at all. 

Upstairs, Yoongi were spraying his boner with cold water in an attempt to turn it soft. He doesn’t have time to jerk off so cold water is always the best choice. It wasn’t the best feeling to have your hard on sprayed with cold water but he had no other option.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires Review:

I read TSBCGTSV with @readerbookclub​ in October, and I had a lot of thoughts. They’re a little all over the place, so I’m trying to sort through them while writing this review (which probably explains why it’s so long). Just a warning, this review contains spoilers and a lot of them.

Looking back on the book, it’s very difficult for me to pinpoint how I felt about it. There were definitely parts that I took issue with, but at the same time, there were moments where it was exhilarating to read. And I’m not sure which of those should matter more.

Let’s start with the good stuff. The book is entertaining, really entertaining. It’s probably one of the most fun books I’ve read in a long time. The premise is crazy: a bunch of suburban women try to outsmart and outmaneuver a vampire for the sake of preserving their community. The way that the writer takes two completely unrelated worlds (suburban mum-hood and vampires) and mashes them together creates a wild rollercoaster of a story. You can tell from the beginning of the book (as early as the author’s note) that it’s going to be unique: “I wanted to pit Dracula against my mom. As you’ll see, it’s not a fair fight.”

I usually struggle to read books in a short amount of time. My reading speed is pretty slow and I don’t have the best attention span. But I didn’t mind reading this book in big chunks (I read the majority of it in two days). There’s so much happening, and the jumping from one plot point to the next keeps you drawn.

My favorite thing about this book was by far the horror. This was one of the first horror books I’ve ever read, and I realized that the genre’s really fun. When I looked Grady Hendrix up afterwards, I was not at all shocked to see that he mainly writes horror. The guy’s good at it! Many of the scary scenes really stuck with me. I loved how gruesome it was when the rats started attacking or when Patricia opened the suitcase to find a human face staring back at her. I also felt that the gruesome end to James Harris was beautifully done, especially this part:

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said, and gave a bloody grin. “I’m leaving you all a present. Just wait until your friend Slick gets ripe.”

He started to giggle and Mrs. Greene crunched her knife through his windpipe and she and Maryellen gripped him by the hair and pulled off his head with a loud pop.

I still can’t get over how badass it was to shut him up like that. Those kinds of moments were the highlight of the novel for me.

What made me realize how good Grady Hendrix was at creating tension was how paranoid I had become. After Patricia had been backstabbed by literally everyone, I started to become just as paranoid as her. Every time that James Harris was mentioned, I was worried that he’d done something again. I have notes scattered across the latter half of the book such as: “He’s gonna kill the kid, isn’t he?” or “Please be a dream.” I think that’s a testament to the writer’s skill in the genre. I also found it really jarring to see how everyone’s attitude towards Patricia made her second-guess herself. The loss in confidence and assuredness was done very well.

But now, it’s time to talk about the bad stuff. Because while there were moments where I felt deeply invested in the story, there were also moments where I was very frustrated with the writer. Most of this frustration was targeted at the way the writer tried to include social commentary in the book. Before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusion, I’m all for books talking about social issues. In fact, I would argue that good social/political commentary is what distinguishes a good book from a memorable one. But at the same time, it’s better to leave out the commentary than do it badly. And in my opinion, in TSBCGTSV, Grady Hendrix did it badly.

Throughout the whole book, the message of women empowerment is everywhere. And as a feminist, I would typically enjoy that. But not in this case. If you want to talk about an issue, I expect to learn something from the way you, as a writer, present it. I’m looking for a new perspective or unique approach. I also expect it to be somewhat subtle, the message should be there, but the reader should be encouraged to make sense of it for themselves. I didn’t find any of that in TSBCGTSV. Instead, I was met with very cliché approaches to sexism and gender inequality. To me, it felt like Grady Hendrix presented these ideas in a superficial way and very in-your-face too. I did initially include some examples to show why I felt this way, but upon re-reading it, my criticism seemed a little too harsh. I’d rather not take quotes out of context and nitpick phrases/sentences that I didn’t like. This should be enough to express the gist of my thoughts, and more than that seems cruel.

Having said that, it’s important to recognize that there were instances where the messages of sexism and racism were done quite well. The police’s response to Destiny’s abuse is one such example and the scene where the men turned their backs on the book club was another. But these moments were typically outnumbered by less effective attempts at talking about these issues.  

Putting that aside, there were other weaknesses with the story. One of the main issues is plot holes, or more accurately, plot inconsistencies. main thing is that James Harris is defeated very easily. From what we’d seen earlier, the guy not only has superpowers (the thing with the rats) but he also appears to have superhuman strength (the way Slick describes the assault makes it seem that way). But all that is nowhere to be found in the end, and no explanation is offered for his sudden weakness either. I didn’t mind this too much because I was too done with James Harris at that point and wanted him gone, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was a plot weakness.

There were also some scenes that really annoyed me. I think the one that angered me the most has to be when Patricia goes to Harris at the end. It seemed like a very odd plot point for me, but it was worse than just that. The scene makes almost no sense. And the best way to explain why is for me to retell it to you from my perspective:

Here’s what happens. Patricia finds James Harris raping (?) her underage daughter, and decides something has to be done. After meeting with her book club, they all come to the conclusion that she has to let him do the exact same thing to her (which is weird, but let’s ignore that). So she goes over to his house all dressed up, talks about her hips for a bit, and then tells him she wants him. The guy bursts into laughter and asks her ‘Do you think I’m an idiot? I’m an immortal being, Patricia, I see through your stupid plan.’ She gets frightened and proceeds to ramble on about her self-pity for the next few minutes. For some unknown reason, James Harris is no longer the intelligent immortal being he was five minutes ago. Suddenly he’s none the wiser to her plan and says ‘Sure, I’ll sleep with you’. While he’s heading upstairs, she somehow is able to walk over to the front door, undo the hatch and join Harris again without him even noticing.

My version might not be as poetic, but when you look at the events, it genuinely makes no sense. How does Harris go from this:

“You must think,” he said, gasping for air, “that I’m the stupidest person you’ve ever met. You come here, all dolled up like a hooker, and give me this breathless story about how you want me to make you one of the bad people? How did you get to be so arrogant? Patricia the genius, and the rest of us are just a bunch of fools?”

To then doing the exact thing he was mocking, within the span of mere minutes. That whole chapter really annoyed me.

So overall, I feel very conflicted about this book. While it was exciting and fun, it was also very frustrating and at times sloppy. I was constantly torn between liking the story and hating it. I guess for a book like this, the answer is that it’s in between. I think I gave it a rating of two stars, but 2.5 would probably be more accurate. Exactly half, not quite one way or the other.

If this review is a little too strongly-worded, my apologies. I tried not to be too harsh, but I didn’t do a perfect job. This was just a reflection of my thoughts, and I understand that many people probably felt differently :)