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#irish steve rogers my beloved
chaossmagic · 2 months
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this is your st patrick's reminder that steve rogers is the son of irish immigrants and that that experience fundamentally shaped his political beliefs, social values and outlook on the world :) :) :) :)
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and i love gay jewish bucky and his queer irish-catholic husband steve in this chillis tonight/this morning
Same story every morning/night. I will always love them🥰🥰
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faeriecap · 2 years
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🥺💖👀✨💞
ty so much sweet pea!!!
🥺 always hurt/comfort stuff where one character has a lot of trauma and the other character comforts them over it or helps them get past those emotions n self doubt and yes i am absolutely projecting 🥴
💖 in terms of writing FANFIC i got started because i literally had a dream while half asleep about a j*hnlock plot and felt the urge to put the words id dreamed down and publish it and that was my first ever fanfic 💀
👀 UMMMMMMM i have like five or six wips rn 😩😩😩😩 but the two probably coming out soonest are the packer au with @t4tstevebucky my beloved n the dublin au. both, ironically, are college au’s. the packer au is about trans steve who thinks bucky is the cis boy of his dreams and refuses to make a move bc steve is strictly t4t however he’s just fucking dumb bc bucky is also trans lmao… the dublin au has irish!steve and american!bucky who’s doing his masters in ireland and they meet at a bar where bucky agrees to let steve be his tour guide to the city and starts to catch feelings, however they also match with each other on tinder using fake names so it’s this ridiculous love triangle that isn’t even a love triangle 💀 and by soonest i mean i have no idea when because i have not written since i finished awits in january hhhnnnh
✨ uhhhhhhhh AAAAAAAAAAA IM REALLY GOOD AT DIALOGUE AND CAPTURING CHARACTER VOICE THROUGH STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
💞 bucky barnes 10000% even moreso than steve rogers but also him. my stupid boys!
yaaaaaaay this is so fun
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not-withoutyou · 3 years
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Do you have any stucky marriage headcanons?
oh I sure do.
They have a little ceremony with a few close friends. Sam’s the best man. Natasha’s in charge of decorations, so of course it’s beautiful. Flowers from Wakanda and string lights.
It’s parts of both of them— a beautiful mixture of Jewish and Irish-Catholic tradition. Blessings and vows.
Bucky says, ‘I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,’ to which Steve replies, ‘all the days of my life.’
A lifetime before, Steve had inherited a claddagh from his Ma. (It had been her father’s —the only item of value she’d ever really had.) After a year and a half of relentless searching, Steve had tracked it down through antique dealers.
It’s a lovely band engraved with Celtic knots. A heart in hands. The gold looks so nice on Bucky.
(Sarah Rogers knew exactly where she’d hoped that ring would end up.)
The ring Bucky slips onto Steve’s finger is black vibranium. (Another piece of him for Steve to have and keep.)
They would have been content to sneak off after that— with a bottle of Thor’s Asgardian mead. But they both owe Natasha a dance. They have cake to cut and guests to thank.
Bucky stares at him all night like he can’t believe any of this is real. (Later, if anyone were to ask him what color the centerpiece flowers were, Bucky wouldn’t know the answer.)
Harry James’s ‘it’s been a long, long time’ plays and they dance together for the first time as husbands.
Bucky’s name is still stamped into metal over Steve’s heart and Steve has to fight back a wave of emotion—because this feels like the end of the war. This feels like he’s finally home.
“Didya ever think we’d get this, Stevie?”
They do sneak away after that— let the party continue without them. They have a big, safe, comfortable bed to get to.
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bistevethor · 3 years
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Steve Rogers Fanfiction Recommendations
Happy birthday, Steve!
I know that there are some (a lot?) of steve fans who sometimes struggle to find fics focused on him, so I am here now putting a list of Steve fics. I was going to fics that I haven't seen recommended a lot and most of the ones on this post have less than 200 kudos only, but I end up putting everything (it's probably easier to put my bookmarks as public but well...). It's a massive list (over 100 fics?), so it's will be separated into several posts/reblogs.
Not all of them are from Steve's POV or even have him as the main 'main' character, but rest assured he played an important role and is featured heavily. Lots of these are friendship-focused but I categorized them. The shippy ones are mostly samsteve, thundershield, and some rare pairings because I don't venture to other ships a lot and when I did it's to the rare ones instead lol. Hopefully, any of you can find some gems from this list and these are as enjoyable or as good as I remembered. I'll continue to update it, hopefully, every time I find new ones.
Fics are under read more.
General
The Rocket's Red Glare
Steve was born on the Fourth of July (no joke), so a party is in order! Unfortunately, PTSD decides to rear its ugly head. Fortunately, Steve's got an entire team at his back to help him through it. And screaming goats.
an entry in the scrapbook of absurdity
In which Steve turns into a baby and bites people.
Baby Steve Adventures
Captain America gets hit by a spell during a battle. The rest of the Avengers look after him.
Do You Remember Being Happy? ('Cause I Sure Don't)
"Dragr," Thor called them. "Demons" Clint had said. "Thieves" is what Steve labels them as. AKA, the one where Steve is captured by creatures that feed off of happy memories, and the team is left to pick up the pieces. Post-Avengers.
In Search of (Bucky, Family, Home)
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson
A week following the events of CATWS, Steve recruits Natasha and Sam to help find Bucky.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do we need to recap again? You were shot three times, beaten near to death by an enhanced super soldier with a metal arm and then almost drowned. Yeah, your ass is going to need a few more days of healing time.”
The Truth When Captains Meet
Steve Rogers wakes up on an alien’s space ship being carried bridal style by Carol Danvers. As far as first meetings go, it’s memorable.
Irish Coffee
Pairings: Jessica Jones & Steve Rogers
Jessica runs into an incognito Cap at a cafe. They form an unlikely friendship of sorts.
The Lifetimes of Steve Rogers (Series)
What happens when Steve Rogers steps onto the quantum platform to return the Stones? Where does he go? What challenges does he find? Who does he meet? How many lifetimes can one man have?
Fifty-Two Pickup
Less than a week after the fall of the Triskelion, Steve Rogers is released from the hospital. Although his physical wounds are almost fully healed, other injuries need a bit more time, and some help from friends.
little kids get big so fast
Steve ends up having to take care of the deaged Defenders.
Grampa Steve's Bedtime Stories
If Mommy was away for work, then Morgan’s Grampa Steve came over to stay with her. He’d tuck her in, let her give Mommy a kiss on video chat, then hand her the picture of Daddy for his kiss. Once Daddy’s picture was back on the bookshelf, Grampa Steve would turn off the bedside lamp so that Miss Friday could cover the ceiling with stars, and ask Morgan what story she wanted to hear.
“Captain Steve, Grampa! Tell me Captain Steve!”
Grampa Steve sometimes read to her from books and other times watched a movie with her, but her favorite by far was when he told her Captain Steve’s Adventures Through the Multiverse.
On Camping Trips
Sam is more Hermione than Natasha is, and Steve doesn't want to be Harry.
Powerful
Steve loses the advantages of the super-soldier serum. This is not a tragedy.
His Dream
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
As if on cue, Steve cut him off with a loud sneeze.
"Yeah. Like that." Sam nodded. "And please sneeze into your elbow next time, dude. You could've just started an epidemic."
"Sorry. Allergies." Steve excused, and Sam raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know it's allergies?" Sam asked, and Steve sighed, putting the ingredients together and solving the mystery of what the gas had actually done.
The answer wasn't ideal. "It feels like the seasonal allergies I had before. Before the serum- and I haven't had them since the serum."
Realization clicked in Sam's head.
"The gas de-serumed you."
Steve swallowed and nodded reluctantly.
OR: Steve gets temporarily de-serumed, with his height and stature staying the same but his immune system being as bad as it was before, and has to stay in the hospital to prevent a severe allergic reaction or illness. Sam stays with him the whole time, making sure he's not alone.
A Strange Encounter
Things have gone awry and Strange is injured. With no other options, he's called for assistance from Captain America and his team.
even if we're apart, i'll always be with you
Steve finds a dirty toy bear at an abandoned gas station, on the way back from a school trip. He brings him home.
As Long as You’re Not Tired Yet of Talking
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
When Steve Rogers tells her, “Don’t be a stranger,” as they’re all going their own ways after New York, it makes her want to laugh.
Draw/Breath
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
Natasha like knowing what makes people tick. She likes knowing things, about her teammates and her coworkers and herself. Oddly enough, sometimes other people like knowing her too.
AKA: Natasha wants to know why Steve isn’t drawing anymore, and takes the long way round to get her answer. Because why not.
With Magic We Do Fly
Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers
In Civil War we see Wanda fling Steve into the air with her magic. They must have practiced that, right?
Que Wanda throwing Steve against a wall. Many times.
Just Like We Practiced
Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers
Steve had said, in the movie when he asked Wanda to lift him into the building, "Just like we practiced." But just how did they come up with the idea of her lifting people with her powers, and putting them up somewhere like an escalator? Perhaps it was because Wanda accidentally sent a certain tall, blond Avenger face-first into the floor once and he decided he would help her learn to utilize this as a confidence building exercise. Natasha keeps an eye, Thor and Sam help build the training grounds, and Wanda has found her new home. Takes place between AGE OF ULTRON and CIVIL WAR.
Black and White but Red and Blue
They're watching black and white film reels, but Steve sees them in colour.
"My shield may be black and white but it was red and blue. Just like the blue sky under which red blood was spilled. Like Bucky's blue eyes and Peggy's red lips..."
The Road Warriors
Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff
It wasn't pretty, but somehow the four of them managed to make it through two years on the run.
We'll Fix It
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
Steve has a hard time after his battle with The Winter Soldier and isn't sure what to do with himself. After not seeing him for a week, Natasha finally shows up to his apartment unannounced to figure out how they can get back to work. There is some crying involved.
From Here On Out
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
The Accords, the search for Bucky, the fight at the airport ... In a world where nothing will ever be the same, sometimes the road to rebuilding trust and friendship is a little rockier than it should be.
AKA, the story of Steve & Natasha and how they got to where they are.
Set post-Civil War but pre-Infinity War.
I have this breath and I hold it tight
Parings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Vision
Steve finally goes to Wanda’s tiny room and taps on the doorframe, although it’s hardly necessary, with the slightly warped floorboards creaking under his feet. “Hey,” he says. “Got a minute?”
Wanda's been a little withdrawn since Steve broke everyone out of the Raft. She's had a lot to think about.
to you.
Pairings: Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff & Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Tony Stark
It's Wanda's birthday today. She's not sure how to feel.
New Love
Pairings: Diana (Wonder Woman) & Steve Rogers
Near the end of World War II, Diana Prince finds herself attempting to reconnect to her long-gone, beloved Steve Trevor. However, she comes across Steve Rogers instead.
Sharing Life (And Canned Green Beans)
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
It’s Thanksgiving, and Steve is hiding in the second living room on the 8th floor of the penthouse apartments with a can of green beans.
I'm Fine
Steve slowly began to realize that the problem with being a national icon, a hero, and a role model, is that somehow, he became more than human. He become a symbol, not a person. So when he becomes increasingly unhappy, deeply depressed, and utterly adrift in a world where he doesn't belong, the loneliness and isolation are unbearable. How could anyone believe that an iconic hero like himself was really just an ordinary kid from Brooklyn, dying inside because everything he'd gained still wasn't enough to replace everything he'd lost? How could he possibly bring himself to bleed on the ones he loves? So he tells himself the same lie over and over, hoping one day, he'll believe it.
dogpile
"My dog ate my mission report" An injured Steve remembers something he has to do. Unabashed Steve and dogs fluff. "Didn't peg you for a pet guy." "Allergies."
Alone In This World (Together)
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson
“We’re fugitives,” Steve said finally. “It might never get better.”
“The world’s always going to need saving," Sam replied. "We’re still Avengers. No one can take that away from us.” Then, like they hadn't been having an entire conversation before, “So when do we leave?”
“Once night falls.”
Do we have any idea where she is?”
“No.” Steve took a sip of his coffee. “But I know where she’ll be.”
it gets the worst at night
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
Here's how it goes: Natasha sometimes shares a bed with Steve. It's not what it sounds like.
(In which there are Colombian drug lords, awkward boners, cuddly super-soldiers and the Avengers are all giant dorks.)
Shelter
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
Sam and Steve, right after the fall of SHIELD.
Princely Bickering
Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Jane Foster, Steve Rogers & Thor
Steve allows Sam to lean up and inspect his head for bruises and blood. He then checks out Steve’s eyes. ‘Do you know where you are?’ Steve rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t be an ass, Cap, apparently you can break.’ ‘London, England, chasing apparently useless Hydra intel despite having about five hundred international arrest warrants out for us because we’re just that stupid,’ says Steve. Sam pats him - gently - on the shoulder. Life on the run isn't easy, especially not after an injury. Fortunately Steve still has a few allies left.
And The Seconds Tick Down
AU of Civil War. How the world ended in twenty steps when Steve died.
"Grant" and "Francis" Go Shopping
Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers
Steve and Clint both have holiday shopping to do for their family of choice, so they make a day trip to an outlet mall, have a few heart to hearts, use some coupons, buy a bunch of presents, and eventually get through their shopping lists.
A Tune Without Words
Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
As he and Sam prepare to begin searching for Bucky, Steve gets various offers of help—some more unexpected than others.
Purpose
Tony Stark wins the fight in Siberia completely by accident.
Steve Rogers does not resist his arrest as he is taken to the Raft.
Sam Wilson, T'Challa, and Pepper Potts pick up the pieces.
Full of Wounds and Still Standing on my Feet
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff
The five times Steve looked out for Wanda, and one time Wanda decided someone needed to look out for Steve.
Three Awakenings
The first three times that Steve Rogers woke up during his first twenty-four hours in the twenty-first century.
Making Your Own Future
Characters: Steve Rogers, Diana Prince, Steve Trevor Five times -- plus one -- that Diana Prince and Steve Rogers encountered one another.
Better Living Through Pizza
Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers
Steve takes some time off from soldiering and Avengering to get his head on straight, and Clint is assigned to keep an eye on him, because apparently SHIELD believes in the blind leading the blind. Steve really needs a hobby, since modern television shows baffle him, but Clint keeps bringing him DVDs and pizza.
Five Times Clint Barton Spoke with Steve Rogers about Growing Old and the One Time He Didn't.
Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers
When Steve Rogers reappeared from the past as an old man, there was a lot of catching up to do. Clint Barton made sure nobody got left behind.
Hammer's Totally Heavy-Handed and Incompetent Revenge
"So, at the end of IM2, Justin Hammer swears revenge on Pepper. He waits until Tony and Rhodey are halfway across the world to launch his attack.
Unfortunately for him, thanks to SHIELD, Iron Man and War Machine aren't the only superheroes in Pepper's rolladex. Steve thinks Pepper's just swell and doesn't take too kindly to somebody trying to hurt her."
Cue badass!Steve and competent!Pepper
Fan Mail
Steve starts getting his fan mail and receives an invitation to the prom. Written for a prompt at the Avengers kink meme. It was a great prompt, and so much fun to write and get feedback for!
Prom. Steve 'Grandpa Iceberg' Rogers at a 21st-century high school prom. "This isn't happening. This whole conversation is just an elaborate practical joke. Bruce really just has orders for widgets or something."
Bruce waved the printouts at him. "Fraid not. I don't really do practical jokes. Messing with other people's moods just seems. I don't know. Karmically unwise."
Mascot
Steve runs. People see Steve run. Steve gets adopted by the neighbourhood he runs through every week day morning. He finds this confusing. Tony finds it amusing.
Locks Not Replaced
Tony angsts back at Avengers' HQ, Ross is a bully and Steve makes sure he doesn't get away with it. In other words, there is much regret, a bit on the philosophy of locks, adventure and far too many Robin Hood metaphors.
woof
For a prompt on the avengers kinkmeme: "...something different happens when Steve gets Dr Erskine's serum plus the Vita ray treatment... Steve does get taller and stronger, but when the first full moon hits, he turns into a big friendly looking dog. Yes, he's a weredog, not a werewolf."
Mission: Baby
Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
The Asset finds himself in charge of the care of a small baby, but somehow he knows—he has to protect the baby from all harm, whatever the cost.
14 Tracks
Pairings: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team 14 tracks from Steve's iPod and how they got on there.
Life Will Rattle Your Bones
Pairings: Erik Lehnsherr & Steve Rogers
Captain America and the Howling Commandos find Schmidt sooner than they thought... wait, what do you mean this is a *different* Schmidt?
In war-torn Germany, the paths of Steve Rogers and Erik Lehnsherr cross, part, and cross again.
come build me up
Pairings: Sharon Carter & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
“Do you ever feel like -- like you joined up because you wanted to do good. You wanted to do the right thing but somewhere along the way, you just lost the whole fucking plot.”
“All of the time.”
Or: the one where Captain America and Agent 13 give long distance friendship a whirl.
Down in the Worn Out Place Again
Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff
“You don't look a day over 85, Captain,” Wanda says.
Natasha smiles, just barely, and nudges Steve with her elbow. “She makes jokes now.”
(Post AoU, stories about friendship.)
Satellites
Characters: Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Nick Fury Pairings: Natasha Romanov & Steve Rogers, Minor Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
In the immediate aftermath of SHIELD's collapse and Steve's plunge into the Potomac, Natasha considers her place in the world. Also the fact that Steve is depressing.
Timeless Classics
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Avengers Team Five An undetermined number of times (six, apparently) Steve unexpectedly got the reference (sort of), and one time everyone discovered something new together.
you just wait and see
Pairings: Rocket Raccoon & Steve Rogers
“Thor said you’re the captain.” Rogers says, his voice distant, sad smile growing into a sadder grin. “Tough job.”
The Small Hours
Pairings: Steve Rogers & T'Challa, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
"I'm not getting him back, am I." The words were flatly delivered – not a question so much as fatigued resignation. "We will do everything we can to help him," T'Challa quietly replied, but he wouldn't lie, not about this. Not to a fellow warrior he respected on and off the field of battle. "The possibility does exist, however, that the triggers are permanent."
The Man We All Remember From the Newsreels
Still getting used to the twenty-first century, Steve comforts himself with memories of long-gone friends. But Howard Stark, the man Steve remembers, is nothing like the man he sees in the newsreels.
we're all choir boys at best
Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm
You are totally getting laid tonight. "Please stop talking." You hijacked my brain first, this is totally not my fault.
Epistaxis
Steve doesn't worry the first time he gets a bloody nose that won't quit. But when it happens a second, third, fourth... He, and his teammates, start to get concerned.
You Close Your Eyes and the Glory Fades
His body isn’t his own, he knows that, knew before the procedure that everything would change. That was the easiest thing to wrap his head around, actually, the physical changes. He’s used to his body betraying him, so this is just another thing to learn his way around. But the colors of everything, even the sliver of blue sky he could see, craning his head at the tiny window, look different.
Looking For Answers (From The Great Beyond)
After the Battle of New York is over, and Loki and the tesseract are returned to Asgard, Steve takes a road trip across the country, and tries to figure out what he wants to do next.
Mourning the Future
Steve's ties to the past and the future are pretty tenuous, and the serum ensures he lives in an eternal present state of ever-youthful vigour. When an old war buddy gets handed his last marching orders, Steve has to wonder if everyone will eventually leave.
Riviera Life
Sam and Steve have been traversing Europe looking for Bucky. Not everyone is convinced it isn’t an open invitation road trip.
Voluntary Bros.
Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm
"Dude, you could be twins, they tested you before they defrosted you to see if you were a clone or something, or if he was a clone," Clint said.
"I want to talk to him, I think. I mean, a girl threw her latte at me last week for not calling her back and this dude felt me up at an art gallery yesterday," Steve said.
Two Brooklynites and One Big Apple
Pairings: Miles Morales & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
“You did good out there today,” Captain America said, brushing a layer of detritus from his unfathomably broad shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”
“Not if I see you first,” replied Miles, fingergunning with one hand as he sent a web rope fwipping off into the distance with the other, catapulting himself away at tremendous speed.
... in which two superheroes battle with bad guys, embark on community art lessons, and a friendship forms along the way.
Battle Fatigue
Steve thought he was doing okay. Things weren't going great, but they were fine, manageable even, and then suddenly they weren't.
We Become New Yorkers (or: Five Times Steve Rogers Looked For Home, and One Time Home Found Him)
New York is a million cities at the same time. This is how Steve found his.
A beautiful day in the neighborhood
In which Steve and Peter learn that the best way to get through a bad situation is together. And to avoid collapsing buildings. And that concussions are terrible, terrible things.
Leviticus 25
"You want to save Bucky Barnes? You are going to have to put your own house in order first because he is going to need a rock to cling to. You are not ready to be that rock for him. You owe it to him -- and more importantly, you owe it to yourself -- to figure things out, figure out how you can be happy in this time and place, whether or not Barnes is with you."
Strike
Sometimes the road to recovery involves bowling. Conveniently, so does the one to the Grand Canyon.
Conversation in Wakanda
“I have been told that you had the privilege to share a training session with some of our Dora Milaje,” T’Challa says. “May I ask how it went?”
“Well,” the Captain huffs. “There’s no polite way to say it: I had my ass handed to me. Repeatedly.”
He sounds and looks utterly delighted.
Contact Light
Everyone thought computers would be the thing that really blew Steve's mind about the 21st century. They were wrong. When he finds out that he missed the moon landing, it's the start of an ongoing obsession with space that maybe involves Neil deGrasse Tyson, Twitter, and Star Trek marathons.
Twenty-Two
“This is Lucky,” Clint said when a dog got between him and Natasha. Lucky’s vest was bright, like desert mornings and night explosions.
“Does he help?” Natasha asked.
Clint pressed his hands flat on the counter behind him. “He saved my life.”
Natasha looked at Steve, her expression fierce. Steve resisted the urge to yank down his sleeves. Instead, he dug his nails into the puckered skin on his forearms.
AKA An AU in which Steve is a veteran just trying to survive (or not).
Gray
Peter doesn't expect Steve to show up at his house one night when he gets home from school. He also doesn't expect to have a long conversation with him, and choose to be on his side instead.
We're Happy, Free, Confused, and Lonely at the Same Time.
"Tony isn't sure, but he *thinks* Steve Rogers is going to try and argue with him about not being a kid, while wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and plaid pyjama pants watching a Disney movie. Tony really hopes that is the case. The Captain America voice looses all affect when wrapped up in that blanket and Tony can't wait to inform him as such." - The one where Tony realises that Captain America and Steve Rogers are not the same person, and Steve is so much younger then he thought.
This Isn't A Love Song, This Isn't A Fable
Steve's not OK with people's perception of Captain America, no matter what he says or how much he pretends otherwise. It's like no one in this time period realizes that there's more to him than a spangly outfit. And yes, he's including the Avengers in that. ... or, the one where everything's all right, until it's not.
it's safe here in our new world
Post TWS. In which Natasha and Steve go shopping, have Thursday night movie nights, and learn that Natasha loves to platonically kiss Steve. Which is good, because Steve loves being platonically kissed by Natasha.
Shadowboxing
Pairings: Matt Murdock & Steve Rogers
It doesn’t matter how many times you fall – what matters most is how many times you get back up. Steve Rogers knew this lesson far too well and it was one Matt Murdock had endured all his life. With both men at their lowest, could a chance friendship bring each of them to their feet again?
Everybody Eats When They Come to My House
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
“You’ll ruin your dinner,” Sam says, gesturing with Steve with his spatula.
i fear for the calendar; its days are numbered
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
Before she goes off the grid, Natasha gives Steve her phone number. He’s honored that he’s the only one to be trusted with it, but quickly learns that she spends most of her free time texting him Dad jokes.
Status Quo Ante
Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
A tale in which Sam suspects he should be used to this by now, for values of 'this' that involve certain folks he hangs out with and situations he finds himself in, Team Cap becomes Team Ex-Cap becomes TBD, and nobody but Clint really wants to know what happened to Scott Lang's GI Joes. (Sam Wilson from the final scene to the mid-credits scene.)
The Glass Parade
Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Steve thinks that he’s seen Natasha be at least three different people in the short time he’s known her, and he isn’t sure which one is real.
In which the most confusing part of the future is how much Steve has in common with Natasha, and the fact that she seems dead-set on being his friend.
Still Life
Steve Rogers and a very modern form of art therapy. (The one where Steve draws himself out of despair and into some notoriety when his cartoons hit the internet, but he's still not allowed to look at Tumblr without an okay from Pepper.)
Selective Service
The serum's given Steve a lot, but it hasn't taken anything away from him. Not even the things he never wanted in the first place.
I'm a Hustler, Baby
Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.
The Healing Properties of Felt-Tip Pens
Rapid healing has worked wonders on Steve Rogers' body, but occasionally it really screws with his head. In the aftermath of torture, Bruce Banner helps Steve to reconcile mind and body.
If I Die Before I Wake
It's his job, as their leader, to endure the sadistic focus of their captor, and that is the one thought that carries Steve through.
Even Gods Do
Captain America doesn't have a good relationship with sleep anymore. Also, he's not a toy.
Under My Skin
Written for a prompt on avengerkink: I want to see something where, for whatever reason, Steve's accelerated healing turns out to be a bad thing. Something where the faster healing is making things worse. I would prefer something other than the standard, super-healing allows for more torture without death. “He's lucky – to have the serum, to have you all.” Tony wasn't sure about that first part. When one faced death and destruction every day on the job, there were many advantages to having a healing factor...and a great many disadvantages as well.
A Glossary of the 21st Century
Pairings: pre-Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov
Steve's sick of not understanding what's going on, and the team are not all that helpful, so he starts keeping an illustrated notebook for further research. With the help of wiki, google and Logan he starts to settle in and find his place in the twenty-first century.
Blanket Gift Policy
“You didn’t,” Bucky said, with no real hope of being contradicted. Clint shrugged helplessly and passed him the large, soft bundle wrapped in shiny purple foil.
“Sorry.” Tony covered his eyes with one hand.
“I’m getting a migraine.”
“So,” Bruce said wearily, “counting Clint, me, Bucky, Tony, and Sam, that brings it up to five.”
“Excuse you, mine’s not a blanket,” Sam said. “Mine’s a slanket. Big difference.”
Bucky resisted the urge to throw the whole heap of parcels at Sam’s head. “Because it has sleeves? It’s still a blanket, Wilson. They’re all blankets. Even Thor’s direct-from-Asgard raven gift delivery was a cloak, which just means it’s a blanket with a strap. We all got Steve a goddamn blanket.”
One Tin Soldier
Written for a prompt at avengerkink: Because really, under any other circumstances, why would they follow him when he's some guy who's younger than the rest of them (time as a Capsicle aside), who goes around wearing that spangly outfit, who's not even used to the modern world? Why Steve Rogers, rather than a Norse god or the CEO of Stark Industries or anyone else?
“Love is for children,” she'd said, but respect knew no such bounds. The five times the Avengers accepted Steve as their leader, and the one time they followed without question.
and if there's life we'll see it
Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.
Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask (Before Assisting Others)
Steve keeps going, because they need him. Being Captain America - having the serum - is a responsibility and a privilege he takes seriously, and he won't waste it by sitting around resting in the middle of a crisis. But then the work is over, and the original victims of the crisis aren't the only ones needing looking after.
Way of the Eagle
Clint introduces Steve to kung-fu movies. Things escalate quickly.
Walking Wounded
In the aftermath of the battle against the Chitauri, Steve's doing just fine. Until he's not. Fortunately, Thor is a perfect mother-hen, Tony makes decent back-up, JARVIS is a genius, and Soap Operas are life-changing. (Or, Post-Shawarma Feels.)
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spaceaceathena · 3 years
Text
nancy drew name meanings
so this is the work i’ve been doing over the past couple days, I want to give you guys a heads up that list will contain spoilers for some of the characters/games so please be aware of all of that. if this garners interest, i’ll do maybe the penvellyn family tree (that thing could not fit in here) or last name origins!
Main Cast
Nancy Drew: Grace (Hebrew)
Bess Marvin: god of plenty (English)
Georgia “George” Fayne: farmer (English)
Edward “Ned” Nickerson: wealth, fortune, prosperous OR guardian, protector (English)
Joe Hardy: god will increase (English)
Frank “Franklin” Hardy: free landowner (English)
SCK/SCKR
Jacob “Jake” Rogers: supplanter (Hebrew)
Daryl Gray: open, from Airelle (English, French)
Connie Watson: strong willed, wise (Irish)
Hal Tanaka: army ruler (English)
Hector “Hulk” Sanchez: holding fast (Greek)
Mitch Dillon: Who is like God, gift from god (Hebrew)
Detective “Steve” Beech: crown, garland (Greek)
STFD
Mattie Jensen: lady, mistress of the house, might in battle (Aramaic or German)
Richard “Rick” Arlen: brave ruler (English)
Dwayne Powers: swarthy (Irish, Gaelic)
Lillian Weiss: lily, a flower (English)
Millie Strathorn: industrious (German)
William Pappas: resolute protector, strong willed warrior (German)
Ralph Guardino: counsel wolf, famous wolf (Norse, English)
MHM
Rose Green: rose, a flower (English)
Abby Sideris: father’s joy (Hebrew)
Charlie Murphy: free man (Charlie)
Louis Chandler: fame, warrior, famous in battle (French)
Hannah Gruen: favor, grace (Hebrew)
Emily Foxworth: rival, wily, persuasive (Latin, Greek)
TRT
Professor Beatrice Hotchkiss: she who makes happy, bringer of joy, blessings (Italian, French, Latin)
Dexter Egan: right handed, fortunate, one who dyes (Latin)
Lisa Ostrum: God’s promise (English, Hebrew)
Jacques Brunais: supplanter (French)
FIN
Brady Armstrong: spirited, broad (Irish)
Joseph Hughes: he will add (Hebrew)
Nicholas Falcone: victory of the people (Greek)
Simone Mueller: god has heard (Hebrew)
Maya Nguyen: good mother (Greek)
Eustacia Andropov: fruitful, productive (Greek)
Sherman Trout: shearer of woolen garments (English)
SSH
Joanna Riggs: god is gracious (Greek/Hebrew)
Alejandro Del Rio: defender of mankind (Spanish)
Taylor Sinclair: tailor (French)
Henrik Van Der Hune: ruler of the home, lord of the house (Swedish, Danish)
Franklin Rose: free landowner (English)
Poppy “Penelope” Dada: weaver (Greek)
Prudence Rutherford: prudence, good judgement (Latin)
DOG
Red Knott: person with red hair (English)
Jeff Akers: pledge of peace (English)
Emily Griffin: rival, persuasive, wily (Latin, Greek)
Sally McDonald: princess (Hebrew)
Vivian Whitmore: lively (Latin)
Mickey Malone: who is like god (Hebrew)
Lucy: as of light (English, French)
Iggy: fiery (Latin)
Vitus: lively (Latin)
Xander: defender of man (Greek)
Yogi: one who performs yoga (Indian, Hindu)
CAR
Harlan Bishop: army land (English)
Ingrid Corey: beloved, beautiful (Norse, German)
Elliot Chen: with strength and right, bravely and truly, boldly and rightly (English, Breton)
Joy Trent: joy, happiness (Latin)
Paula Santos: small (Latin)
K.J Perris: Petros-> the rock (Greek)
Tink Obermeier: love (English)
DDI
Jenna Deblin: white shadow, white wave (English, Welsh)
Katie Firestone: pure (English, Greek)
Andy Jason: manlike, brave (Greek)
Holt Scotto: woods, forest (English)
Casey Porterfield: vigilant, watchful (Irish, Gaelic)
Dr. Irina Predoviciu: peace (Greek)
Hilda Swenson: battle (Norse)
SHA
Dave Gregory: beloved (English)
Tex Britten: from Texas (American)
Mary Yazzie: bitter, beloved, rebelliousness, wished for child, marine, drop of the sea (Aramaic, Hebrew via Latin and Greek)
Shorty Thurmond: a short person (American)
Bet Rawley: god is my oath (Hebrew)
Ed Rawley: wealthy spear, protector, guard, frend (English)
Sheriff Hernandez: son of Hernando (Spanish)
Dirk Valentine: famous ruler (German)
France Humber: free one (French, English)
Meryl Humber: shining sea (English)
CUR
Linda Penvellyn: beautiful, pretty, cute OR clean (Spanish/Portugeuse, Italian)
Mrs. Leticia Drake: joy, gladness (Latin)
Jane Penvellyn: god is gracious/merciful (English)
Nigel Mookerjee: champion (Irish, Gaelic)
Ethel Bossiny: noble (English)
Hugh Penvellyn: mind, spirit (English)
Mrs. Petrov: petros-> rock (Greek to Russian)
CLK
Emily Crandall: rival, wily, persuasive (Latin, Greek)
Jane Willoughby: god is gracious/merciful (English)
Richard Topham: strong in rule (English, French, German, Czech)
Jim Archer: supplanter (English)
Carson Drew: son of marsh dwellers (Scandinavian)
Gloria Crandall: glory, fame, renown, praise, honor (Latin)
Marion Aborn: star of the sea (French)
Mrs Farthingham: a house supplying food (Scottish)
Josiah Crowley: god has healed (Hebrew)
TRN
Lori Girard: bay laurel (English)
Tino Balducci: little, junior (Italian)
Charleena Purcell: free man (German)
John Gray: graced by god (Hebrew)
Jake Hurley: supplanter (Hebrew)
Camille Hurley: helper to the priest (French)
Fatima: captivating, shining one (Arabic)
DAN
Minette: star of the sea, love, will helmet, protection (French)
Heather McKay: evergreen flowering plant (Middle English)
Jing Jing Ling: perfect essence (Chinese)
Dieter von Schwesterkrank: army of the people (German)
Jean-Michel Traquenard: god remits (Hebrew)
Lynn Manrique: pond, lake, pool, waterfall (Welsh)
Hugo Butterly: mind (German)
Zu: knowledgeable and voracious reader (French)
Tammy Barnes (Minette): palm tree (Hebrew)
Noisette Tornade: hazelnut (French)
the n*zi will not be appearing on this list
CRE
Pua Mapu: flower (Hawaiian)
Big Island Mike Mapu: who is like god, gift from god (Hebrew)
Dr. Quigley Kim: descendant of Coigleach or maybe messy hair (Irish)
Dr. Malachi Craven: messenger of god (Hebrew)
ICE
Ollie Randall: olive tree (Latin)
Yanni Volkstaia: god is gracious (Greek)
Bill Kessler: resolute protection (English)
Lou Talbot: renowned warrior (French)
Guadalupe Comillo: river of the wolf (Spanish)
Chantal Moique: stone (French)
Elsa Sibblehoth: pledged to god (German)
Freddie Randall: elf, magical counsel, peaceful ruler (English, German)
Isis: throne (Egyptian)
CRY
Henry Bolet Jr.: house ruler (French)
Dr. Gilbert Buford: bright pledge/promise (French)
Lamont Warrick: the mountain (French)
Renee Amande: reborn, born again (French)
Summer: season, half-year (German)
Bruno Bolet: brown (German)
Bernie: strong and brave bear (German, French)
Iggy: fiery (Latin)
VEN
Colin Baxter: whelp, cub, young creature (Irish, Scottish, Gaelic)
Margherita Faubourg: daisy (Italian)
Helena Berg: light/bright (Greek)
Enrico Tazza: homeowner, king (Italian)
Antonio Fango: priceless one (Spanish, Italian)
Sophia Leporace: wisdom (Greek)
HAU
Kyler Mallory: bowman, archer (Dutch)
Matt Simmons: gift of god (Hebrew)
Kit Foley: bearing Christ (Greek)
Donal Delany: world leader (Scottish)
Alan Payne: precious (German)
Fiona Malloy: white, fair (Gaelic)
RAN - Her Interactive refuses to acknowledge this game and so will I.
WAC
Corine Myers: maiden (American)
Danielle Hayes: god is my judge (Latin)
Mel Corbalis: council protector (English)
Megan Vargas: pearl (Greek)
Izzy Romero: god’s promise (Hebrew)
Leela Yadav: play OR night beauty (Sanskrit or Arabic)
Rachel Hubbard: ewe, one with purity (Hebrew)
Kim Hubbard: of the clearing of the royal fortress (Old English)
Rebecca Sawyer (Nancy): join, tie, snare (Hebrew)
Rita Hallowell: pearl (Spanish)
TOT
Scott Varnell: from Scotland, a Scotsman (old English)
Debbie Kircum: bee (Hebrew)
Tobias “Frosty” Harlow: god is good (Hebrew)
Chase Releford: to hunt (French)
SAW
Shimizu Yumi: reason/cause, beauty; abundant, beauty; evening, fruit; tenderness, beauty (Japanese)
Shimizu Miwako: child of beautiful harmony (Japanese)
Shimizu Kasumi: mist, clear, pure (Japanese)
Nagai Takae: filial piety, obedience and large river (Japanese)
Aihara Rentaro: dependant on kanji used (Japanese)
Savannah Woodham: treeless plain (Spanish)
CAP
Karl Weschler: free man, strong man, man, manly (German)
Anja Mittelmeier: grace (German, Russian)
Lukas Mittelmeier: man from Lucanus (German, Greek, Swedish)
Renate Stoller: Reborn (Latin)
Markus Boehm: dedicated to Mars (Latin)
ASH
Chief McGinnis: son of Angus (Irish)
Deirdre Shannon: broken hearted, sorrowful (Irish, Gaelic)
Brenda Carlton: sword (Norse)
Alexei Markovic: defender (Russian)
Antonia “Toni” Scallari: priceless, praiseworthy, beautiful (Roman)
TMB
Abdullah Bakhoum: servant of Allah (Arabic)
Lily Crewe: lily, a flower
Jamila El-Dine: beauty (Arabic)
Dylan Carter: son of the sea, son of the wave, born from the ocean (Welsh)
Jon Boyle: God is gracious, gift of Jehovah (Hebrew)
DED
Victor Lossett: winner, conqueror (Latin)
Ryan Kilpatrick: descendant of the king, little king (Irish, Gaelic)
Mason Quinto: one who works with stone (English)
Ellie York: shining light (Greek)
Gray Cortright: color, black mixed with white (English)
Niko Jovic: people of victory (Greek, English, Slavic)
GTH
Jessalyn Thornton: he sees (Hebrew)
Clara Thornton: clear, bright, famous (Latin)
Wade Thornton: to go, ford (Anglo-Saxon English)
Harper Thornton: harp, son of the harper (Scottish, Irish, English)
Colton Birchfield: swarthy person, coal town, settlement (Old English)
Charlotte Thornton: free man, petite (French)
Addison Hammond: son of Adam, son of Addi (Old English, Scottish)
SPY
Alec Fell: defender of the people (English)
Bridget Shaw: power, strength, virtue, vigor, noble or exalted one (Gaelic, Irish)
Ewan Macleod: born of the mountain (Scottish, Gaelic)
Moira Chisholm: destiny, share, fate (English)
Kate Drew: pure (English)
Samantha Quick: listens well, as told by god (Aramaic, Hebrew)
MED
Sonny Joon: son (English)
Patrick Dowsett: nobleman, patrician (Latin)
Leena Patel: young palm tree, tender, delicate (Qunaric Arabic)
Kiri Nind: skin, bark, rind (Māori)
Jin Seung: rise, ascent, victory, excel, inherit (Sino-Korean)
LIE
Xenia Doukas: foreigner, outlander, welcomed guest, hospitality (Greek)
Niobe Papadaki: fern (Greek)
Thanos Ganas: immortal (Greek)
Grigor Karakinos: vigilant (Greek)
Melina Rosi: honey, god’s gift (Greek)
SEA
Soren Bergursson: severe (Scandinavian) 
Dagny Silva: new day (Old Norse)
Elisabet Grimursdottir: pledged to god (Hebrew)
Magnus Kiljansson: great (Latin)
Gunnar Tonnisson: fighter, soldier, attacker, brave and bold warrior (Nordic)
Burt Eddleton: bright, glorious (Old English)
Alex Trang: man’s defender, warrior (Greek)
MID
Mei Parry: beautiful (Chinese)
Teegan Parry: special thing, little poet (Cornish, Gaelic)
Olivia Ravencraft: olive, olive tree (Latin)
Judge Danforth: hidden ford (Old English) [Last name]
Lauren Corey: laurel tree, sweet of honor, wisdom (English, french)
Alicia Cole: noble natured (Germanic)
Jason Danforth: healer (Greek)
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steviesmarigold · 3 years
Text
Stevebucky Fic Recs: Kid Fics
Shyest: 29k words
SHIELD discovers that HYDRA took a DNA sample from Captain America and a DNA sample from the Winter Soldier and tried to breed a perfect supersoldier. Steve and Bucky suddenly find themselves the parents of a three-year-old boy who won't speak.
Home of the Brave: 35k words
It was Bucky, standing in a pool of his own blood, one shoulder propped against the doorframe as if he could barely stand. A little girl covered in dirt and blood clutched his right arm, leaves caught in her mane of springy black curls. A tiny baby was carefully cradled in his left, black streaks of grime standing out against its china-pale skin
“I need your help.”
It's No Coincidence: 109k words
The kids immediately scream, "Trick-or-Treat" before they see who opens the door.
The strange resident looks between the two kids, then at the adults, and his eyes widen in horror.
"It's October already?"
Okay, Bucky thinks. This guy is probably high.
Itsy Bitsy Yoga: 59k words
Bucky teaches a Parent & Toddler Yoga class. Steve and his two year old son are his students.
Spaces On The Wall: 44k words *
When Bucky had returned, he hadn't expected to win his daughter back. He hadn't expected to get an arm back. He hadn't expected to be able to build a life for himself, really. Almost a year, an approximate ton of therapy, and a new car later, he thinks he's doing okay. His daughter has earned a scholarship at one of those fancy schools in a sleepy town, and their apartment might be small but it's cosy and warm. He's expecting things will be fine, and they'll settle into a rhythm.
He's not expecting to meet an All-American Beefcake in the school parking lot, with a frankly obnoxious daughter to boot. Great. Just great.
[A No-Powers, Modern AU featuring singledad Steve and recovering POW singledad Bucky]
Leannán: 60k words
Leannán /ˈʎɛn̪ˠan/ ;
noun | lover, sweetheart. From Old Irish lendán, lennán (“(male) lover, sweetheart, beloved”).
“Steve Rogers,” he says and holds out his free hand to Bucky, putting on a kind smile while simultaneously ignoring Cassidy climbing onto him.
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky says and shakes his hand. But he isn’t looking at him. No, he’s looking at where Cassidy is planting one of her feet flat against Steve’s hip and hoisting herself off the ground. There’s a smile on his lips and a soft expression on his face, and Steve tries really hard to ignore the urge to ask for his number.
Oh boy. Not good.
OR – In which single father Steve Rogers meets and befriends kindhearted asshole Bucky Barnes and falls in love despite his best efforts not to. It’s a slow and challenging journey thanks to his past but eventually they get their happy ending. Together.
All Those Things You've Always Pined For: 92k words
“Steve Rogers. I haven’t thought about him in…God, at least ten years. Probably longer."
“Who is he?” Sharon asks, and perches on the corner of his desk, hands folded in her lap. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Bucky clears his throat, tosses the sticky note onto the desk. “Steve was…my college boyfriend. We almost got married.”
It's been fifteen years since Bucky Barnes left Steve Rogers standing in a New York airport and never saw him again. Those fifteen years have brought him wealth and stability; everything his lower middle class Brooklyn upbringing had not provided. He is happy. He doesn't want for anything.
He doesn't need anything.
That's about to change.
Supermanny: 68k words
Steve pulled out his phone, letting himself engage in his favourite hobby: shame-googling his problems. He had developed something of an addiction to so-called “mommy blogs” over the past couple of months. Every time he went down this rabbit-hole, he felt worse and worse about himself. The blogs were mostly cloying descriptions of perfect families, with just enough judgement of any differing choices and ‘non-traditional families’ to ensure that Steve always felt worse about himself at the end of a session than he had at the start. And yet, he couldn’t help himself.
He scrolled through the results until he stumbled upon a blog page from a self-proclaimed “SuperManny”.
Steve Rogers was a single dad, perpetually tired and ready to break out of the rut he was living in.
Bucky Barnes was a successful small-business owner, living alone with his cat and ignoring the empty space in his life.
The Tortoise and the Hare: 10k words
Bucky loves all kids, but no one's kid is better than Steve Rogers's.
My Stevebucky Fic Rec Collection
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softbiker · 4 years
Text
Steve Rogers Oneshot
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Warnings: language, attempted sexual assault and harassment, mentions of past sexual assault and harassment - do not read if these situations are triggering for you.
Word count: 6.1k - am I capable of writing anything short anymore???
A/N: HI I’M FINALLY BACK AND POSTING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 3 MONTHS WOW. This story continues the Agent 14 series (so definitely check that out in my masterlist if you’re not familiar!) and...it’s something I’ve had on my mind for a while. I just needed to get it out. I hope that you like it and please share what you think! Feedback is appreciated!
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When her phone starts buzzing, she’s mid-swing at the faded sandbag hanging from the ceiling. 
She’s glad to have the place to herself - the dusty air and stale silence more of a comfort. A bead of sweat slides down her temple, itching past her ear, and her finger scratches at the spot absently, coming away salty wet. There’s sweat slicking her scalp, too; she feels it under the tight twist of her braids, heat trapped beneath the strands. Her dirty little basement gym - faded posters lining the walls, advertising fights long finished, flickering bulbs hanging from the ceiling, stained linoleum - is quiet in the mornings. A kind of quiet that is all too rare in the city, in her life. 
Sure, it was nice of Sam to continue inviting her on their morning runs - she has every intention of taking him up on his offer, when she finally gets off the opening shift at work. She sees his 4 a.m. offers a couple times a week, shooting back a quick response that she’s already up, heading in to open the cafe. He finds it all so funny; calls her “Agent Barista”, and endearingly teases her about her rigorous coffee training at the SHIELD Academy. 
Okay but real talk, 14 - what’s your top secret mission down at Starbucks? Pinged her phone as she brushed her teeth and concealed undereye circles with strategic swipes of makeup. 
Key word in your question is “top secret”, Wilson. As in, tell you but I’d have to kill you. You know the drill. 
Another ping. Yeah, yeah. Y’all agents talk a good game, but I know for a fact 41 can be bought with a box of See’s candies. Just gotta figure out your weakness. 
Good luck. 
No luck needed. I’ll bring a couple sweaty super soldiers your way around 8:30, you’re welcome. 
With a wrapped hand, she flicks one swinging braid back over her shoulder, turning to her duffel bag for her phone. It’s buried under a spare pair of socks and a sports bra she forgot to wash, still buzzing as she grasps it and flips the screen upwards in her hand. 
Unknown caller. 
She’d bet every cent to her name that she could guess who was on the other end of the line. Tongue pressed against her teeth, she dismisses the call and drops her phone back in her bag. Fury can wait. 
Turning back to the sandbag, she sucks a quick breath through her nose, curling power in her lean shoulders, and then unleashes a furious combination of jabs and kicks on the beaten plastic. Grunts and harsh pants slip past her lips, fists slinging blow after punishing blow, her weight held bouncing on the balls of her feet. The sandbag is a stoic opponent, taking her fists and feet without so much as a groan of protest, swinging back only a few inches on the chain even as she whips around high for a roundhouse kick. Growling, she rocks her weight back on her heels, before leaping forward off one leg to drive her knee into the bag with bruising force. More to herself than the bag, she thinks, glancing down at the tender skin on her bare knee, stinging from the impact. She leans an elbow against the bag and drops her head, swiping at the baby hairs along her forehead. 
The phone buzzes again, insistent and muffled, and she lets her head drop back with a heavy sigh, eyes closed. 
“Shut up,” she mutters, eyes narrowing in a nasty glare at the offending noise. 
“I didn’t say anything.” 
She whirls at the sound, fists raised - she hadn’t even heard him enter. 
Steve has the good grace to look sheepish as he approaches from a shadowed staircase in the corner of the room, his hands raised in surrender. Not many people have had the sheer dumb luck - and misfortune - of sneaking up on her, and the part of her brain not whiplashed by adrenaline grudgingly admires him for it. 
“Morning, Captain,” 14 sighs, her hands falling to her hips, rolling her neck against the tension in her shoulders. 
“Morning,” he smiles. He’s trimmed back the beard, she notices, closer to the sharp line of his jaw. Dust motes swirl around his golden head like fairy dust as he passes through the puddles of light cast from the weak overhead bulbs. It strikes her then, the unassuming slope of his shoulders, a little shuffle in his gait, not quite lifting his feet from the ground. Not a strut, no stalking or preening like the SHIELD boys she came up at the Academy with, eager to throw their weight around. Somehow, despite his height, he manages to duck his head, to look up at her under a fringe of enviable dark lashes. Disarming and soft, a wayward blond strand falling over his forehead, he tucks his hands into his pockets, standing just a few feet away from her. He nods at the hanging sandbag behind her. 
“Gave that thing quite a beating,” he says, tilting a dark eyebrow. She shrugs one shoulder. 
“Looked at me funny,” she quips back, still catching her breath from the last bout. Her tongue swipes at a drop of sweat on her upper lip. Sniffing, she turns her gaze down to the wrapping on her hands. “I don’t recall inviting you, Rogers - I thought this was a private session.” 
“Sorry for intruding,” he says, scrunching his nose and swiping at the errant lock of hair hanging before his eyes. With a jerk of his chin, he gestures towards her gym bag, where her phone has gone blessedly silent. “Fury had a feeling you would, um, how does Sam say it…’shady button’ him?” 
She snorts in spite of herself, just managing to slap a hand over her mouth before her laugh becomes obnoxious. Even in the dim light of the fluorescents, she can see the high flush creeping up those scruffy cheeks. Steve rubs the back of his neck, a familiar embarrassment curling in his belly; it’s a joke the team plays sometimes, and he gets it, he really does. Gotta laugh at your CO sometimes - it brings the team together; so he drops little phrases here and there, incongruous slang with his pleated slacks and old-fashioned manners. Even things that Sam says - the word “fam”, or adding “ass” as a suffix to virtually any word - from Steve’s mouth, they’re suddenly enough to have the team rolling with laughter, Tony red-faced, Wanda close to tears. The tips of his ears burn, and he always acts put out, lowers his stern father brows, but if there’s one thing he learned as a Brooklyn-born punk, it’s how to take his punches.
“Oh, I’m sorry - I’m sorry,” 14 says, hand still half-covering the silly grin tugging at her mouth. “It just sounded so funny coming from you. It was like-”
“Kinda like if your dad were saying it?” Steve purses his lips, tilts his head to the side.
“Oh god…yes, that’s exactly it.” It ignites a fresh burst of giggles, though she scrunches her nose and shakes her head at the image. “Uh, just do us both a favor and don’t say that again.” 
“I don’t think you can restrict Captain America’s freedom of speech.” He lifts his eyebrows, playful, considering. The slope of his nose casts a long shadow across his cheek, skin like Irish cream. She rolls her eyes, turning away to her duffel bag, using her teeth to tug at the wrappings on her hands. 
“So. You’re Nick’s new personal assistant or something?” Dropping to the bench, she rummages through her gym bag and takes a long gulp from her water bottle. She swipes at her phone screen - 3 missed calls now. 
Steve shrugs. 
“I volunteered,” he says simply, large knuckles still visible where they stay curled in his pockets. “Thought…hoped I might have better luck.”
She licks her lower lip, chasing a coveted drop of water. It’s not as though she’s tired of the job - it varies so much, from one day to the next, that it makes boredom impossible. No, it’s not the job, she’s just…tired. Of what, or why, she can’t really say. Steve is patient. He doesn’t say anymore, just waits, standing a few feet away and shifting his weight from one leg to the other, his soft eyes watchful. Her fingers go to her shoulders, massaging the oncoming ache in her muscles. 
“What’s the mission?” 
  **********                                                                                      
“You need some help there, punk?” Bucky leans a hip against the doorframe, arms crossed over his beloved NASA hoodie, an amused twitch tugging at the corner of his mouth. Across the room, Steve frowns at him in the mirror. 
“Never really got the hang of these damned things,” Steve huffs, fingers losing the knot on his bowtie and sighing again as the cloth falls loose from the crisp collar of his shirt. Hands falling to his narrow hips, he turns to Bucky, wearing a look of defeat rarely seen on Steve Rogers. 
Wordlessly, Bucky shuffles across the carpet and begins to knot the offending fabric, fingers of metal and flesh looping one strand over the other and back again. Chin lifted, brows furrowed, a marble bust of martyrdom, Steve is ever stoic while he works. 
“Thought you were gonna shave for this,” Bucky comments, his voice quiet, not lifting his eyes from the tie. Steve makes a dissenting noise from his throat. 
“Yeah, well, the beard makes it easier to keep a low profile,” he says, a hand reaching up to rub his whiskers absentmindedly. “And besides, I’m sort of attached to it now.” 
Bucky chuckles, a smile dimpling his own scruffy cheeks. 
“Know what you mean - God, but nobody looked like this when we were kids, ya know?” He steps back, finished with the tie, and gives Steve an appraising nod, pursing his lips. “Not too bad, Rogers, not too bad.” 
Raising a dubious brow, Steve turns back to the mirror, tugging at the sleeves and adjusting his shoulders in the tux. Strictly white tie - totally out of his element, but sometimes duty comes with a dress code. He wedges a thick finger between the starched white collar and his own tender skin. 
“In this get up?” Steve shakes his head. “Never did get used to wearing a monkey suit.” 
Tongue in his cheek, Bucky grins. 
“Have you seen yourself in your uniform?” 
Steve flings a fist back behind him, grinning triumphantly when his hit lands in Bucky’s gut; a metal fist swings in retaliation, but Steve manages to sidestep, his hands raised in quick surrender. 
“Hey, not too rough,” he says, tamping down a mischievous smile. “Tony will have my head if I ruin another one of these.” 
“Tony could buy you one for every day of the week,” Bucky scoffs, rolling his eyes. 
A knock on the doorframe makes them both turn. 
It’s been years now, since he met Natasha - wind whipping up familiar curls on the deck of the helicarrier, a watchful smile, wolves’ teeth hidden under a lamb-soft face. Even later, when he learned to trust her, he always found himself surprised at her startling contrasts, the ease with which she managed to be two things at once; ally and spy, friend then enemy then family. In truth, she was testing him. They both knew. Years of probing, disguised as teasing and sarcasm and near-insubordination - assessing his strength, his weakness, the man behind the shield. And after all this time, it was his steadiness at each of her own turns that pacified her, let her learn to lean on him in return. 
She smiles in the doorway now, her bright hair swept sleek behind her ears, revealing diamond teardrop earrings, probably on loan from Tony’s collection. The tips of her hair just brush her pale, bare shoulders, revealed by the strapless neckline of her jumpsuit. Black was always her signature color - never dull, though, because with Nat black is a spectrum, a rainbow refracted through her prism: intimidating, alluring, powerful, subtle. 
“You clean up good, Rogers,” she smirks, her hands tucked into her pockets as she gives him a look of approval. “Keeping the beard, though?” 
Steve’s hand idly brushes against his trimmed whiskers.
“It’s grown on me,” he admits. “And besides, I’ve got too much of a baby face without it.” 
“Some girls like that.” 
“Some guys like that,” Bucky adds, waggling his eyebrows. 
“Yeah, well,” Steve rubs the back of his neck, willing down the flush that crept up at his friends’ praise. “I’m not supposed to be the bait tonight.” 
“No, I guess that’s my job.” Another voice appears behind Nat, her head peaking around Nat’s shoulder as she steps forward to share the space in the doorway. 
Unbidden, Steve feels his mouth fall open. He always thought she was beautiful, from the first time he saw her, no makeup and the sleeves of her sweater splashed with coffee and mocha sauce; this morning, in the dusty half-light of the basement gym, sweat gleaming on her forehead and arms. But he wasn’t prepared to see her like this, glowing in his doorway, draped in a pink silk slip that exposed one of her thighs. She’d let her hair loose from it’s tight braids, her makeup bringing a dewy sheen to her cheeks - she looked…fresh, blooming like a rose. A clean swipe of red across her lips, almost an afterthought, as if she couldn’t be bothered to make more effort than that. Steve swipes his suddenly sweaty palms against his thighs and clears his throat. 
“Um, wow,” he says, wincing at his own voice, which nearly gave an embarrassingly pubescent crack. “I mean, you…uh, you look great.”
“Better than great,” Bucky pipes up, the amused tilt to his mouth the only hint that he enjoys Steve’s embarrassment. “She looks beautiful.” 
Nat nods in agreement. 
“The dress is perfect for you - is it one of Stark’s?” she asks. 14 shakes her head, modestly gesturing to the gown with her hand. 
“I’ve had it for a little while actually, I just couldn’t pass it up,” she sighs. “Just haven’t had the chance to wear it.” 
“Well, we’re finally gonna put some miles on it,” Natasha smiles, her eyes cutting to Steve, who has clamped his jaw shut to prevent himself from saying more. “We all ready? Happy’s pulling the car around.” 
14 nods, a shy smile tilting her mouth as she spares a glance at Steve before moving to follow Nat down the hall. She turns, and he sees that the cut of her dress falls low against the small of her back - almost low enough to glimpse the sweet dimples at the base of her spine. When they’re out of the doorway, he feels Bucky’s eyes on him - he’s perched on the edge of the bed, chewing his lip, one eyebrow lifted in an all-knowing look. He opens his mouth to speak but Steve lifts a hand. 
“Don’t,” Steve cuts him off. “I know what you’re gonna say Buck, but just- don’t.”
Bucky lifts his hands in surrender, standing from the bed and walking over to where Steve still stands in the middle of his room. 
“Fine, I won’t say a damn word,” Bucky sighs, shuffling across the thick carpet. He slaps his friend on the shoulder, gripping Steve with a firm hand. “Except you better move your ass instead of standing there like a dud - didn’t I tell you not to keep a lady waiting, Rogers?” 
 **********                                                                                         
Sam had whistled playfully as she glided out of the elevator on Steve’s arm, his eyebrows lifting halfway up his forehead. 
“Damn, girl - almost didn’t recognize you without your apron,” he winked, his gap-toothed grin charming as ever. 
“Didn’t match my shoes,” she winked back, flicking her hair over her shoulder. It sent a wave of her perfume drifting upwards; something bright and sweet, neroli, he thought, or orange blossom - maybe a hint of coconut. He had licked his lips without thinking; he’d like to smell it again, just to be sure. 
Here, in this stuffy ballroom across town, with eager officials and bourgeois brats trying to rub elbows with Captain America, he finds the smell much less appealing. Sweat and ambition, excess and greed, all covered in layers of atelier cologne (eau de aristocratie) and - well, Bucky heard enough of his socialist soapbox speeches back in the day, and his views certainly haven’t changed much. 
Still, he makes polite small talk with his admirers, rubs elbows, accepts drinks, all the while keeping one eye on the far corner of the room. It’s quiet, secluded, an overstuffed chaise with a soft cover tucked away from the buzz of the main dance floor. She’s perched there, ankles coquettishly crossed, the side slit of her dress revealing one leg and her glittering open-toed shoes; she leans on one arm, tilting her head towards the target, charming smile drawing up her lips as she hangs on his every word. Or pretends to, anyway. The target seems not to know the difference: Robbie Sinclair, a middle-aged man with the tanned smile of a Kennedy, salt and pepper hair slicked back from his face with a boyish cowlick escaping near the front, grins confidently as he talks to her. Steve watches him preen and puff his chest, spreading his legs to take up far more space than he needs. He stretches one arm along the back of the couch, leaning closer than appropriate, but she doesn’t move away. 
He doesn’t like this, any of it. To be fair, he’d never been a big fan of the espionage facet of his job; much to Nat’s chagrin, subtlety and subterfuge were not Steve’s strong suits. If he had his way, they’d come in swinging and arrest this creep (and his insider-trading Wall Street buddies, too). But shooting from the hip wouldn’t work here, not when they still needed hard evidence on this guy, something more substantial than rumors - heavy as those rumors might be, words like “human trafficking” and “slavery” coming up in his SHIELD files. He understood the necessity, and so did 14. 
Still, bringing her here and dangling her like a worm on a hook, hoping this asshole would take the bait…his stomach churned, whiskey bubbling unpleasantly at the thought. Steve angles his body around a chatty senator, trying to maintain his view on the corner. Sinclair looks about ready to take a bite, his head bent close to 14’s, sly smirk plastered on his face as he whispers something in her ear. Did her fist tighten around her glass? He can’t quite tell from this distance; he knows his own fingers are white-knuckled on his third whiskey. Or was it the fourth? 
In a blink, a stumble, a minute trapped in choked small talk with Miss New York (during which he wondered if her real teeth were filed down like a shark’s underneath that crown-winning smile like Sam told him), he’s lost her. 
A snowy static of panic whites out his brain, and his heart picks up against his ribcage as he all but shoves the beauty queen out of his way, his vision tunneling on the now-empty chaise in the corner. Where did she go? Where would she go? Barely managing subtlety know, he ducks his head, speaking to the comm device in his ear. 
“Natasha. Do you have eyes on them?” 
“…no, I was doing a sweep of the terrace outside,” she answers a moment later. “Did you lose them?”
Steve turns a circle where he stands, sharp eyes scanning each face and failing to find the one he wants to see. 
“They’re gone, I’ve lost visual.” He tries to keep his voice down, his tone tight and clipped. Through a break in the crowd, he thinks he catches a glimpse of her dress, but when he looks again it’s the wrong color, the wrong dress, the wrong woman-
“Alright, I’m heading back inside - I’ll go up the stairs to the next floor, see if they went up that way.” 
“Okay, I’ll take this floor,” Steve says, already making a beeline for the open doors of the ballroom, his tight-laced dress shoes clicking a solitary echo in the cavernous hallway just outside. Past the doors, and the gazes of nosy party-goers, he doubles his pace - the stiff starched tux protesting against the movement. 
They’re not tucked into the alcoves along this hallway, and he deliberates a moment where the hall forks in opposite directions, before darting to the left and continuing his clipped jog. In a small part of his brain, he knows he shouldn’t be this concerned about her. 14 was an agent - a highly trained, highly skilled agent; he’d worked with her enough by now to know firsthand how well she could handle herself. But the other part of him couldn’t shake the way Sinclair had looked at her - the way every man in the room had looked at her when she walked in, circling and waiting for their chance to close in. Not to mention the less-than-sterling reputation of Robbie Sinclair, who, aside from the trafficking conspiracy that put SHIELD on his scent, had a handful of secretaries threaten him with harassment suits, before they were quietly paid to keep their mouths shut. 
He comes to a dead end, a dancing nymph statue (far too baroque for his taste) mocking him with her tambourine against her hip. Doubling back, he curses under his breath and runs through the building schematics in his head, wondering where they could have slipped away to so quickly. 
“Natasha? Any luck?” 
“Negative. You?”
“No.” Steve clenches his fists and tries to force his heart back down from where it’s climbed up into his throat. His teeth grind together, jaw locked tight, holding in a frustrated growl. Unprompted, a wave of worst-case scenarios floods his mind - 14 dragged away by thugs, knocked unconscious, bleeding and gagged, unable to call for help. She’s a good agent. A good soldier. She can handle this. Try as he might to force them away, the tide of panic swells over and over inside him, the voice of his intuition telling him something must have gone wrong-
Behind him, an elevator dings. 
Steve turns to see the ancient metalwork door rattle open, Agent 14 stumbling out half a moment later. 
He blinks. She’s lost her shoes - no, she’s carrying them, the straps dangling from one hand. The side slit of her dress looks higher, and he notices the frayed edges along the top where the fabric has ripped. Her lipstick is smudged, her hair mussed, and she takes labored, panting breaths as she leans against the wall. 
It takes him a while to understand what he’s looking at. As his panic starts to ebb, something different, something wounded and green threatens to perch in its place, at the sight of her so disheveled, with swollen lips and rumpled clothes. He says nothing; he has nothing to say, shocked as he is by the bitter taste of his own thoughts, wondering if a rendezvous with Sinclair was worth the information she might have gained. 
It’s not until she starts sniffling that he notices the tears running down her cheeks.
The realization stops him cold, strangles the dark seed of doubt just starting to sprout in his heart, and fills him with shame and guilt. He takes a step forward. She’s not looking at him. 
“…14? Are you okay?” he asks, his voice hushed. “Are you hurt?” There were no visible wounds that he could see, though she had limped a little when coming out of the elevator. 
She nods, sniffing again.
“I’m-I’m fine,” she says, her voice scraping in her throat, barely holding back a sob. Squeezing her eyes shut, she presses a hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking with silent tears. 
In two steps he’s at her side, though unsure of what to do, what would be appropriate, what she wants or needs. Were they…friends? Acquaintances? Colleagues? Do work friends hug, comfort each other? 
“Can you tell me what happened?” he ventures softly, still not touching her, not crowding. He holds back a few inches, waiting, his hands feeling empty and heavy at his sides. “Do you want to?”
She nods, but it takes a few moments before she has regained her composure enough to lower her hand from her mouth and take a few rattling breaths, preparing to speak. 
“He…h-he,” she stutters over a sob, like a child who’s cried too hard for too long. “He grabbed me and-and was kissing me, and then he tried,” she’s interrupted by a hiccup and a shaky sigh. “He tried to…to…” 
She raises her eyes to his, tears welling up again, and shakes her head. She can’t say it, won’t say it - it is too much. It will make it real. 
For his part, Steve barely restrains himself from blacking out with rage. His jaw is so tight he can feel his teeth nearly crack from the strain, fists curled but unsatisfied with not being wrapped around Sinclair’s neck. How dare he? How dare anyone? When he gets his hands on this goddamned son of a bitch, he’ll-
His vengeful train of thought is interrupted when she collapses against his chest with a sob, gripping the lapels of his jacket for support. On instinct he wraps his arms around her, caging her in, his chin resting on top of her head. 
“I’m sorry - I’m so sorry,” he whispers as he hushes her and holds her, wishing there was more he could do, more he could say. He holds himself back from other platitudes, from it’s okay, and everything’s alright - he knows it’s not true. 
She shakes and cries and rides out the storm in his arms, full of anger and fear and shame and helplessness; all the while, he stands silent and solid, murmuring soothing words his mother might have said - in another life, when someone held him, protected him. 
Neither of them knows how much time has passed when her sobs become less violent, when her breathing calms, but she doesn’t step away. Her head doesn’t move from its place on his chest, and he makes no sign of wanting it to. Gently, slowly, he rocks her in his embrace, one hand smoothing over her back. 
After a while, she speaks. 
“I’m so tired,” she whispers. From this angle, he can see her blink slowly, tear tracks drying on her cheeks. He nods.
“You’re coming down from the adrenaline - that’s normal,” he murmurs, letting her weight sag against him, wondering if he’ll need to carry her.
“No,” she shakes her head. “Not like that…that’s not what I mean.”
“What do you mean?” 
She doesn’t answer, not right away; her breathing has settled into an easier rhythm, less frenzied and panting. Her fingers slide from their place at his chest to rest around his waist. 
“When I was in high school, there was this guy.” Her voice startles him when she finally speaks again, she’s been silent for so long. He makes a noise to let her know he’s listening before she goes on. “He was…I don’t know. Popular, I guess. Cute. Football player. Advanced classes. All the girls liked him.” She takes a shuddering breath before forging ahead. “And-and I guess he liked me because he couldn’t leave alone for a single fucking minute.
“God, it was constant. He’d grab my ass, or say dirty things about me to other guys…sometimes it wasn’t even sexual, it was like…he’d squeeze my waist or pinch the fat on the back of my arms and comment about my weight.” She sniffs, and Steve tightens his arms around her, not speaking. “One time, between classes, he grabbed me by the hips and bent me backwards over a desk - he wouldn’t let go, and he was just laughing…and no one said anything, none of the guys or my friends or anybody.” 
Steve frowns, feeling impotent and frustrated. “I’m so sorry.” She shakes her head again. 
“The worst thing is I just put up with it. I didn’t say anything…I didn’t think, I didn’t know-” she huffs a bitter laugh. “I guess I just thought it was flirting. Like I should’ve been flattered by it.” 
“You shouldn’t - you don’t have to take that,” Steve says, fighting to control his tone. “Not from anyone.” 
“I know that now,” she says. “But I was just a kid…nobody told me. Nobody helped me.”
He opens his mouth, tries to think of something to say, but she goes on.
“And nobody told me that it never gets better, it never changes.” He can feel how tightly her fists are clenched at his sides. “No one told me that this would be the rest of my fucking life. First it was him, and old men at the gas station where I got snacks after school, and truck loads of frat boys following me home. Jesus even the damn milk guy at the café calls me ’sexy’ and won’t leave me alone.” She sniffles again, voice tightening with anguish. “I’m tired, I’m so tired - I’m so fucking sick of all of it…of-of just being a thing, I’m tired of being looked at, and-” She tries to swallow back her sob, but it crests and stutters in her lungs, taking over her voice once again as she presses her face impossibly closer. 
It breaks his heart and stokes his rage, the helpless, hopeless weight of her bitter words. Here he is, over a century old, and still watching people fight the same battles; battles to be heard, to be seen, to be treated like humans. He’d seen it all his life, women like his mother, like Peggy, spines of steel and hearts made of diamonds, resisting a world that would grind them down and make them small. He wishes his shield were wider, stronger. He wishes he could protect them from this. 
“I can’t tell you it’s okay,” he murmurs. “Because it’s not. It’s not okay, I’m so sorry.” She squeezes his waist gratefully and nods her head a little. “But you…you don’t ever have to feel alone in this, okay?” He leans back a little, prompting her to lift her head, to meet her tear-bright eyes. “You’re not alone. I promise.” 
It’s not enough. It’s not over. But today, for now, it feels like something. 
 **********                                                                                             
Natasha pages Happy, who pulls the car around to the front of the building. She says nothing as 14 limps down the front steps, shoes in hand, one arm linked with Steve’s and wearing his jacket, the too-long sleeves covering her hands. Nat’s eyes slide up to his - their silent exchange lasts moments, microseconds; her lips pinch tightly and her elegant white fists curl tight. 
Happy holds the door, offering a hand as 14 drops inside, folding her legs and wrapping her torn skirt as tight as she can around the exposed length of her legs. Nat glances at the open door of the car and steps away, angling her back to the patient Happy. She juts her chin at Steve. 
“You need a hand, Rogers?” He knows the look in her eyes is mirrored in his own - the look of a boxer stepping in the ring, of a lion sighting prey, a shark scenting blood.
Steve shakes his head, a hand reaching up to loosen his tie. 
“No, it’s alright. You go on with 14.”
Happy peaks his head around. 
“You don’t want me to wait for you, Cap?” he frowns. “I can keep the car running.”
Steve glances over Nat’s shoulder at the town car, where 14 has curled up in the backseat, and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. 
“Nah. I need to have a word with Mr. Sinclair.”
  **********                                                                                        
The arrest doesn’t make the front page. Or any page of the papers, in fact. Robbie Sinclair wakes in a hospital bed, in SHIELD custody, and ready to make deals with anyone who will bargain - provided his security detail keeps him well away from the Avengers and their Captain. 
When the file crosses his desk, courtesy of Natasha, he notices the long list of names Sinclair has provided them with - powerful men, Wall Street and Capitol Hill’s finest, who found their positions one dirty handshake at a time. It would take some time to build a case against them all, find sufficient evidence for arrests, but SHIELD was up for the task. There’s a note in the back of the file, a small article someone has attached with a paperclip. 
‘Executive’s Secretaries Speak Out’ reads the headline, with the subtext ‘Sinclair accused of sexual harassment, assault’. It appears a few women who had crossed his path were tired of being silenced; they had banded together, sharing pain and courage, to finally see him brought to justice. And combined with the charges SHIELD was bringing against him, it was unlikely he’d step foot outside of a prison for the next couple of decades. 
It’s a start. 
A few days later, Steve rises before the sun, a creature of habit. He takes his run alone, listening to a podcast that Sam had recommended. By 5:30, he’s stretching at the bench in front of the tower, before making his way down the street to the coffee shop. 
She does a double take when she sees him, surprise and (he hopes) excitement creeping up in her smile. There’s only a couple of baristas in the store at this time - they haven’t hit their peak yet - and she’s wiping down the bar in front of the espresso machines by herself. 
“Morning, Cap,” she smiles. There are tired little circles under her eyes. She looks beautiful. “You want your usual?” 
“Hmmm,” he pretends to think, narrowing his eyes at the menu. “Actually…how about you surprise me.” 
She raises her brows, a little impressed. “You sure? Anything goes?”
“Anything - I promise I’ll try it.” 
“Alright,” she smirks, mischievous and much too eager, and she turns away from the espresso machines to the blenders behind her. 
Milk, syrup, ice - other ingredients he can’t see or identify, all thrown into the pitcher and blended. She leans against the counter as the machine whirs loudly, a cheeky smile dimpling her cheeks. Just as the machine stops, the bell above the door chimes, both of them turning to look. 
A small, wiry, white-haired man backs his way into the store, pulling a dolly stacked high with milk crates. He looks around, making sure he’s not backing into anyone, and catches sight of her behind the counter. Steve doesn’t like the look of his smile, or the way 14 ducks back down to her blender, her shoulders inching upwards.  
“Morning, sweetheart,” the man says, a bit too loud, rattling the crates on his dolly as he wheels around tables, towards the back of house. 
“Morning,” 14 replies coolly, not looking up from where she’s carefully lining Steve’s cup with mocha sauce. She doesn’t say anything more, keeping her head down as she pours out the drink and reaches for a canister of whipped cream. Steve’s eyes cut between them, his hands in the pockets of his shorts. 
The milk man hustles back through the store with an empty dolly, on his way to collect the next load of crates, and 14 sighs a little when the bell chimes on his way out. She’s just turning around to hand Steve his drink, when she notices that the café is empty - he must have slipped out as well. 
“Hey, pal,” Steve claps a hand on the man’s shoulder, consciously withholding his full force. “I was wondering - you usually deliver the milk here?”
“Yeah,” the man huffs, a little confused, and in a hurry to unload his crates. He squints, the rising sun in his eyes. “Why?” 
“Oh, I just wanted to talk to you for a second, that’s all,” Steve smiles. His hand doesn’t move from it’s place on the man’s shoulder. 
When he comes back inside, his towering, chocolate-swirled beverage is waiting at the end of the bar. 14 is waiting, too, arms crossed, one hip propped up against the counter. She tilts her head to one side. 
“Do I wanna know?” she asks. Steve shrugs. 
“Nothing to know,” he says, shuffling up to the bar to claim his drink and stare at it, incredulous and amused. “Now what on earth is this thing, a milkshake?” 
She rolls her eyes.
“It’s called a frappucino, old man,” she grins. “Drink up - you promised.”
154 notes · View notes
illuminatingcomics · 6 years
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Some anon asked me what I thought of The Life of Captain Marvel, and jokes on you, I was already deep into writing this.
What the fuck was this bullshit?! And here I was sorta of optimistic reading the preview.  I guess I was hypnotized by Marguerite Sauvage’s heartbreakingly beautiful artwork, about the only saving grace of this melodramatic fuckfest of an issue.
THE PLOT
It’s father’s day, and while dealing with a weirdly matched band of supervillains, Carol has Vietnam-tier flashbacks of a family vacation that sends her into a frenzy. She decides to visit her old family summer home to try and deal with this baggage. Really badly written tragedy strikes, and she decides to linger, making some weird discoveries along the way.
THE BULLSHIT
Ok, this issue was mostly bland and trite, but what was really bad, what really made me angry, was the whole heap of bullshit and retcons surrounding Carol’s family. Ever since she got promoted to Captain Marvel, writer after writer tried their hardest to give her a supporting cast, all seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had a mother and a brother just hanging in limbo that could easily be the source of any number of stories. I’ve been waiting since 2008, ten fucking years, to see Carol reunite with her family, and now I got monkey pawned I guess.
Let’s start with her dad. Let me tell you something about Joseph Danvers: he was an ASSHOLE, a dick, a stubborn fool, but you know, he was also a brave man. When Claremont’s introduces him the first time, we see him risk his own life to save the one of another man, and he stands up to crooked criminals that want to run him out of business. He was pigheaded, yes, but he was also a good person deep down, a hardworker who simply didn’t know how to deal with his daughter, and part of the charm was seeing Carol both grow out of her animosity with him and simultaneously realize she got a lot of her temper from him, all in the span of a couple of issues, because Claremont is what we call in these circles “a good writer”, and made a character that had a little bit of texture to him.
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Then Brian Reed’s came along and made him an alcoholic. Ms. Marvel v2 #31. I cut Reed’s a lot of slack, but that was frankly unnecessary. Still, ok, it tied to Carol’s harder, and he’s portrayed as a self-destructing kind of alcoholic rather than actively malicious with everybody, and it was after his beloved eldest’s death, so you could understand he was completely broken...
But here comes Margaret Stohl people, and according to her, Joseph Danvers was always an unabashed abuser who screwed up his children’s childhood, and Carol can’t even bring herself to THINK about him without going in a berserker rage and suffer a cardiac arrest! Why do this? What’s the point? Not only it is clichéd as hell, overused to the point of meaninglessness, it adds nothing to Carol’s character, except more empty soap opera angst. She already has countless other sources of drama and pain in her past, is an abusive dad really necessary? And God, what the fuck is up with Marvel and dads?! They pulled the same shit with Joseph Rogers (how many joseph are there?) turning a problem with the bottle mentioned in passing into a full blown stereotypical irish knuckle fest. Can’t wait for the day Uncle Ben gets it, that’ll be fun.
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I feel bad, like it’s my fault, because months ago, I complained about Stohl writing of Joe Danvers in Mighty Captain Marvel #0. There, she had significantly mellowed out the scene where he tells her she wasn’t going to college and just needed to find a husband. I said he didn’t look like the stubborn dick I remembered, but a dopey, oblivious dude... It’s like, Stohl saw my post, decided I was making a good point, and went all the way into the other direction...  This alone should tell us how much care and attention goes into forging these stories these day, how clear and laid out the direction for each character is! Last year Joseph Danvers was just a moron with a pot belly, now he’s the King of Punchville, population: my kids. Maybe he’s not actually Joseph Danvers, but some skrull impostor, it would explain the absence of his awesome stache.
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 Then there’s Joe Jr... I didn’t believe it was possible to fuck up a character that, before this issue, had TWO balloons of spoken dialogue across six decades of history, but somehow they did. First of all: HE’S YOUNGER THAN CAROL NOT OLDER. How do you fuck that up?! He’s the third child, she’s the second! Yet Carol calls him big brother, and he’s portrayed as bigger and taller than her in flashbacks. Look, I know Ike Perlmutter pays editors in stale bread and wedgies, but come on, it took me five minutes to double check it!
Besides that: Joe Jr was a complete blank slate, you could’ve done literally ANYTHING with him, and what happens? He gets fucking FRIDGED. Slams his car and becomes a vegetable so Carol has an excuse to linger in her family home... it feels like his head trauma is just there to have a time-skip, so that Carol’s hair grows to resemble Brie Larson’s length, just in time for the fucking movie! Like, are you kidding me? How wasteful is that? I mean, with how this issue ended, it’s entirely possible they’re going to have magic alien tech or some shit to fix him up, but still, I’m not holding my breath.
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Finally, there’s Marie, Carol’s mom. Yup, there she is. She’s just there. She’s always been just there. Nobody seems to know what to do with her. She was always the quiet, sweet housewife that wasn’t quite sure how to handle her husband histrionics except be patient and supporting. That character trait still lingers, but now that Joseph graduated in open abusiveness, her patient looks criminal. At least, when they made Steve’s dad abusive, it was to showcase Sarah Rogers’ strength of character, how she boldly and proudly stood up to her husband’s abuse... here, Marie Danvers just tells her daughter to pipe it down while her husband wails on her children. She’s a goddamn enabler. One change, two characters ruined.
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The fact that Carol has been brain wiped not once but twice, is completely disregarded, which is absurd, because it’s the biggest and most profound source of emotional turmoil she has! When Brian Reed wrote the story revolving around it, it was heartbreaking! Carol’s loss of memory, having her show up at her family house, realizing she doesn’t know these people, that she should feel anger, and love, and rage, and sadness, but nothing comes up, because she has nothing left.
In TLofCM, this feeling of alienation is never brought up, it’s only ever barely hinted at. Her mindwipe isn’t mentioned, just tangentially referred to, and it’s treated like the reason Carol never shows up to her old home is that the memories of her dad are too painful. Great job guys, you took Carol’s very specific and interesting source of pain and replaced it with daddy’s issues. Plus, as I mentioned, IRL it’s been ten years since Carol met her family. In canon at least a couple must’ve passed, yet this separation is barely mentioned. Her mother welcomes her to their summer home with the warmth you’d expect if they met like once a week or once a month, where she should’ve gone “Where the fuck have you been?!”. Joe Jr is the only one that brings it up, and it still feels way too casual.
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Now, let’s finally speak about Carol. I really hope I won’t sound like an arrogant prick, but reading earlier issues of Margaret Stohl’s run, I once tweeted “this is something I would write if I lacked any self-awareness”. Nothing is more true than in this issue, where Carol acts like a unhinged psychopath in the most worrying of ways. We see her snap and downright punch her FATHER’S  TOMBSTONE into pieces. I mean, I was shocked! What the fuck?! Who does this? How is she going to explain this to her mother?! To her brother?! How much of a mental trainwreck do you have to be to go this far? Hating your dad is one thing, desecrating a cemetery is another one entirely! And at the beginning of the issue she brutalizes Moonstone, with the Avengers just idly standing by the side quipping about it... GUYS THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER, Carol is suffering another breakdown. Also no laughing matter is what happened to Carol’s brother, but the tone this book has is way too carefree and light to properly deal with it. Every single dialogue Carol has is coated with some matter of snappy comeback, or clever line. It creates an ironic distance that doesn’t allow the drama to unfold.
Look, ok, this is just the very first issue, and the ending seems to imply there was something more going on with Carol’s dad, but that just fills me with even more dread, suddenly we’re bringing in more spaceshit! We’ve been seeing Carol deal with trite spaceshit for years now, this could’ve been a down to earth, emotional, quiet miniseries focusing entirely on Carol’s family life and childhood, but no, there’s still conspiracies and mysterious glowing gadgets and space foetuses, and god knows what matter of absurdist retcon awaiting us.
Off on a great start.
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regrettablewritings · 6 years
Note
May I please request Steve Rogers/Reader for the Ship Prompt?
You absolutely may, but be warned: I… honestly only have a lingering understanding of Steve due to myfluctuating involvement with the MCU. As in, the last Cap-heavy film I saw thatwasn’t Infinity War was, like, Avengers…andbecausehesnottheavengerifollowthemost😰  I hope I do good by both him and you …
How differently do they think ofeach other now compared to when they first met?:
Given how for years he’d gone on with this reputation ofbeing this fresh-faced, All-American goody-goody. (In a version where theoccurrences of Civil War broke out, you would find yourself pleasantlysurprised that he had a strand of rebellion in him, given his sparkly-cleanimage.) During the happenstance of your meeting, you were delighted to see thathe was just as gentlemanly as you imagined him being. But considering that the two of you met while he was saving you from gettingcrushed by flying debris from a minor attack, he couldn’t conjure up anyparticular thoughts about you from the exact moment you met – only thoughtsconcerning getting you and many other civilians out of the area. It was bysheer luck that he managed to see you again at all, you running up to himbefore his departure and offering to treat him to something to make up for therescue. He courteously turned the offer down, insisting that it didn’t feelright to be thanked materialistically. However, you insisted: “Food isn’t material, it’s necessary. Just like eating is.So please, let me thank you necessarily!”Steve is now very glad he accepted the offer.
Currently, not too much has changed in terms of how you view Steve: He’s stilla giant puppy in a leather jacket or star-spangled outfit, only this time youknow the puppy has some bite to him rather than just barking for entertainment.You know he’s even more willing to sacrifice himself than you initially thought(which is both beautiful and painful all at once). But especially, you now knowthat his kindness and obedience does have a limit; and once it’spushed, he has few qualms about striking against what he disagrees with to makesure that the right thing is being done.With the time he’s known you and eventually been with you, Steve now has somethoughts about you: You’re absolutely wonderful. Your stubbornness may causehim some grief, but at the end of the day, he wouldn’t have it any other waybecause it’s that determination that assures things get done. And Lord knowsSteve loves himself a can-do kind of person.
What do their friends/family thinkof their relationship?: Given howSteve doesn’t have any actual family left, of course any comments and views hereceives regarding your relationship comes from friends and his closestacquaintances. Bucky, for example, likes to toss jokes that you’re Steve’s newprotector and that there’s finally somebody who can keep up with hisdetermination. Whereas Tony likes to joke that Steve is robbing the cradle orthat “you must have a thing for old men.” Technically he’s not wrong butstill.
Once your own friends (and even some family members) finish prodding at theinevitable age gap (and some very embarrassing and intimate questions), they’reultimately pretty accepting of your relationship. They trust Steve to be theperfect gentleman and never let you down and to be more than capable ofprotecting you. Of course, your friends still try to feel his muscles or askabout the other Avengers but there’s only so much you can do about that.(If we take the post-CW route, however, there’s a chance that neitheryour friends or family even know about the relationship. Considering that Steveand co are constantly on the run, he doesn’t get to see you or even communicatevery often, and you can’t really tell anybody that you’re dating a technicalfugitive, so …)
How do their personalities/skillscomplement or contrast with each other?: Steve’ssweetiepie personality and your stubborn nature make the relationship work.However, once Steve’s determination transforms into ambition, both yourhard-headedness can ram at one another.
What is their favorite aspect ofeach other?: You both enjoy one another’s need toget the job done, whether it’s to save the day or to get a workload finishedbefore quitting time. Plus, it makes you very happy whenever Steve turns on the“old-fashioned, good boy” charm.
Do either of them have pet peevesabout each other?: That same headstrong tendency ofyours that gives Steve admiration also gives him headaches at times. You scoffand call it ironic whenever he tells you that you sometimes need to know whenyou cut your losses and bail. Additionally, you may sometimes make decisionsthat he doesn’t entirely agree with and dig your heels in even deeper than hehad been frozen in. And while Steve may be a rebel to a certain extent, you’renot the government so he can’t duke it out with his beloved in the middle of anairport. On Steve’s end, you admire how driven he is and his willingness to step infront of a moving train to save others. However, this has resulted in way toomany close calls where you’ve nearly had a heart attack because he wasn’tthinking about anything but saving the day. You accuse him of having a herocomplex to the worst degree, and he will fight back with the fact that being ahero means putting others first. You acknowledge this, but sometimes you wonderif he’s putting others first instead of considering both you and therelationship.
How would each reconcile with eachother after a fight?: Steve grewup in a time where couples, even after a fight, were expected to make upbecause the options were limited and things like separation ranged closer tobeing considered taboo. He likes that nowadays, couples are more so encouragedto take time and space away from one another if they were fighting too much. But he still doesn’t like going to bed angry.As a result, he utilizes as many tried-and-trues from his childhood as hepossibly can: A bouquet of your favorite flowers, some chocolates and othercandies. If these don’t work, however, fear not: He’ll gladly do more personalthings such as providing you a massage, ordering takeout on your favorite food,watching your favorite romance, etc.You try to play to his nostalgia as best as you can when trying to make upafter a argument: You play music from when he was growing up, try cooking hisfavorite childhood meals, find footage of movies he loved, and so on.But ultimately, the thing both sides do is talk. Talking wasn’t emphasized asentirely important in the male-centric world of the 30s and 40s in spite of thewhole image of being a gentleman, and the thought honestly disturbs Steve inhindsight as he recognizes how much more comparatively it’s spoken of intoday’s world. As a result, when the two of you share a hug and do whatever itis that requires the other to be happy, you both take the time out to hear oneanother out about the matter and not compromise, but get creative to come upwith a decision that fuses your ideas together. That way, it doesn’t feel likeone is settling while the other is mostly satisfied.
What would be their ideal vacationgetaway together?: Steve has always been somewhatcurious about his Irish ancestry. His parents would talk to him about theirhometowns and the things they would do there and show him pictures of thefamilies they’d left behind. Even though he knows that times have changedwithout a doubt, he still very much wants to visit the places he’d learnedabout and see what remains of the sites he’d seen only in frayed photographs.
Think of a new way (AU, differentsituation, etc.) they could have met for the first time: The fairgrounds are crowded even as the evening sets in,with children running about and grown men bellowing with drunken laughter andwomen chatting excitedly with their friends and couples strolling about, arm inarm. You rubbed the nickel between your fingers until it almost felt hot in yourhand. It was your last coin, and you wanted to be sure that it would berightfully spent. Preferably at the booth where you could shoot tin ducks on aconveyor belt and win a teddy bear with a blue ribbon collaring its neck. You already knew what you were going to name it (Fuzzworth) and where it wasgoing to go (on your bed where you would cuddle its adorable self to sleep).The only problem now was making sure there would even be a Fuzzworth to takehome. But with the chides coming from a particularly rowdy bunch of boys, you werequestioning if you would even have the ability to do so. “Careful – the kickback might huck ya in the mouth!”“You sure you can lift that there? Might break a bone, there, chicken boy.”“You shoot like a girl.”That caught your attention. Youcouldn’t stop yourself from whipping your head into the direction of thejeering. There, you saw the riffraff: Several young men, all with annoyinglysmug grins, standing further down the booth’s counter. For a moment, you weren’tsure to whom they were speaking – the actual target of the taunts was almosthidden amongst the small group of boys. He, himself, was quite small. Scrawny.Sickly, even, given how his lanky limbs trembled as he lifted the pellet gun inhis hands (much to the delight of his mockers). Or perhaps it was the nervescausing him to commit the trembling.You felt sorry for him. Sorry and angry. But perhaps more angry than anything, consideringhow you didn’t realize what you were doing until you stormed over, gentlynudging the young man away but not before gingerly acquiring the pellet gunfrom him. “Oh, is your girlfriend gonna do it for ya?” one of the jeerers questioned. Oneof his buddies jokingly nudged him in the arm. “She’s probably waiting on him so they can go home and do one another’s ha-”Ding! The laughter went silent asthey watched one of the moving tin ducks go down. You eased your finger of thetrigger and readied yourself for your next target.Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!One by one, the duck-shaped targets fell flat as you released BB after BB –all with perfect precision. The boys stopped smiling completely; some mouthseven went slack. The sickly one was one of them, only he wasn’t watching theducks going down: He was watching you.You made no reply or attention to the boys behind you, however, as you placedthe rifle down on the counter and turned to the gangly one at your side. Youtired not to be put off by how short he was and calmly asked him, “Which do youwant?”He blinked, realizing that you had been referring to the prizes.“Y-you can choose,” he muttered, cheeks beginning to redden. It was in yourexcitement of acquiring Fuzzworth that you almost forgot to realize exactlywhat you had done. Did you perhaps embarrass him further? Technically it wasn’tyour job to make him feel better, but then it also wasn’t your job to barge onover just to prove a point to some snobbish assholes whom you were probablynever going to see again.You tried your damndest to appear calm and collect as your walked away, only toshove your burning face into Fuzzworth’s head as you quickly strolled behind atent where none of the young men could see you. You messed up, and while youhadn’t necessarily done so in a big way, you couldn’t help but worry about thestick-thin crumb of a lad you’d left there. What you’d done hadn’t necessarilyproved anything except perhaps give the boys all the more reason to bully him. Youbit your lip and squeezed Fuzzworth closer to your chest.What were they going to do? More names? Punch him? Kick him? Oh, God, what ifthey –“E-excuse me, Miss?”You jolted, startled at the sound of a quiet but warm voice that came frombeside you. The owner – that itty bitty boy – jumped back in response.“Jesus!” you hollered, clutching your chest. “Do you always scare girls likethat?! Or are you just that lightfooted!?”The young man chuckled sheepishly.“If you don’t mind me saying so, it might’ve been that you were too caught upin your thoughts …” He nodded at your newly acquired toy. “I suppose it’seasy to with something that soft.” Your cheeks burned, realizing the scope of the situation. “I’m sorry for embarrassing you,” you blurted. “I really am! I just – They were–” You stumbled over your words, making your face pained with heat at the soundof every syllable that tumbled out of your mouth. “No, no, it’s okay,” the young man chuckled. “In fact, more than okay: Youstartled them so much, they got all slack-jawed and quiet. But … Well, thefact that a young lady got something that made her happy is also a plus in my humbleopinion.” In the dim lighting, you could see his cheeks beginning to pinken.His eyes were cast to the ground, though he still tried to hold a small smile. “Really, even if they come after me tomorrow, I’m just glad I had a chance toget away from them.”“Really? But don’t you want them to stop completely?”“Well, yes, of course, but I can’t have others coming to my rescue all thetime. After some point, I have to stand up for myself. Not! That … I’m not… thankful …” The rouge in his gaunt cheeks deepened.“… Lemme make it up to you,” you found yourself saying. His eyes returnedback to you, widening.“Beg your pardon?”“Lemme make it up to you,” you repeated. “It doesn’t seem fair to me that I gotthis bear and all you got was a single moment’s peace. I still got a nickelleft; that ought to be enough for a lemonade.” The young man dug the tip of his shoe into the dirt. “I … That soundslovely, Miss, but I’m afraid that I can’t take that offer. I didn’t deserve it.Besides, it doesn’t seem right to me that you have to pay for something – ”“I insist!” You bit your lip upon realizing that you might have been pressuringtoo hard. “I – I mean, it would give me a peace of mind to know that you gotsomething enjoyable out of this … Please?” You noticed the young man’s pink cheeks go positively red.“Steve Rogers,” he blurted, offering you his hand. You blinked. “My name isSteve Rogers. Ma’am. I just thought you ought to know so that you weren’toffering to treat some stranger to a lemonade.” You looked at his hand. It wasskinny and weak-looking, just like the rest of him. But as you took it intoyours, it was surprisingly soft and warm. You grinned, “(Y/N) (L/N). It’s a pleasure to meet you, Steve.” The smile wasreturned.“Now …” You turned around, your hand still encasing his, “Let’s go get youthat lemonade!” Aside from some flustered stammering in response to yourhandholding, Steve made no objections to you leading him away. (Not that hecould hold his ground well enough, given his lack of strength.)In the end, he was glad he gave in to your offer: Lemonade had never tastedsweeter to him, and it was only as he went home that night that he realized ithad nothing to do with the recipe.
Thanks for asking!! I hope I did okay!!
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thestuckylibrary · 7 years
Text
Mod’s Reads: July 2017
Continuing our newest feature, here's the list of what the Mods have read this past month!
Mod Blue
tin soldiers by idrilka  Dishonor On Your Cow by mandarou That Is Not A Cow by mandarou  'Til the End of the Timeline by mandarou In the Carcass of the World by Speranza More Than This by concavepatterns Field Studies by concavepatterns Harm and Foul by concavepatterns Except it Abide in the Vine by spitandvinegar (restricted) I have crawled out of my cobwebbed tomb in the midnight gloaming by spitandvinegar The Long Road Begins at Home by owlet The Pugilists by ipoiledi the future's so bright (I gotta wear shades) by KiaraSayre this is not a drive by by plutos All Those Things You've Always Pined For by LavenderProse Ready Player Two by perfect_plan  warm me up and breathe me by caelestys We Can Work Out The Rest by onethingconstant AKA Superheroes Anonymous by onethingconstant persistence of memory by hollimichele  Fluff by MoreThanSlightly (cadignan) A Pretty Boy with a Bird Tattoo by Kryptaria, rayvanfox
Mod Julia
Dirty Pics by lillupon 
There’s this one guy Bucky slept with three months ago who still sends pics of his ass whenever Bucky asks. What can he say? Grant’s got an ass that just won’t quit. 
In the Carcass of the World by Speranza
"Post-apocalyptic AU. The idea I had while drawing was that the end of the world happens some time after WS or CW, Steve and Bucky are looking for Tony so he can make a new arm for Bucky, and Natasha, Clint and Sam are looking for them so they can stop Hydra from taking control of what's left of society. That or quiet slice of life, except in a post-apo world." 
Fourth of July by ChettaDrabbles (KOranges) 
Honestly, Steve hadn't thought going to the bathroom was going to be all that exciting. 
Group Projects Suck by youngavengerfeels 
Bucky gets paired with a guy who never shows up to class for a group presentation. 
Three, and Not Just Two by CoraRochester 
Steve tried to take a drink of water from the glass on his bedside table, but there was definitely already a three-inch long piece of dog hair in it. The ice hadn’t even melted yet. 
Gunpowder Ice Cream by Defiler_Wyrm 
“You keep that up you’re gonna end up with a pudgy midway,” Steve teased.
Bucky didn’t even glance over. He just squirmed down deeper into the blanket and licked his spoon.
“That’s right. I’m gonna get fat,” he declared, to all appearances ignoring Steve’s sputter of laughter. “I’m gonna stop doing a thousand crunches a day and let my belly get all soft. What’re you gonna do then, punk?”
Renascence by hitlikehammers
When they tell him, he freezes. Steve feels his bones seize and his blood go cold and slow and snag on spears of ice that catch, that flay him alive.
We’re in the final phases, Captain. He'll wake within the month if we’re lucky.
A Thousand Men by merkkat
He has killed many men, but he will kill a thousand more to keep his freedom and his Steve.
Government Man-Date by velvetjinx
Bucky Barnes is interning for congressman Steve Rogers during his reelection campaign. Sparks fly between the two of them, but how will their relationship affect the campaign?
Moosebumps by rohkeutta
Steve feels like he’s in some wild fever dream as he walks closer and says, “Hey, you all right?”
107 looks up. He looks even prettier up close, even (or especially, Steve’s mind supplies unhelpfully) with his cheeks flushed with the exercise and sweat beading on his forehead. He does look a little crazy, though.
“Huh,” 107 says, looks down Steve’s body, then up again. “I know we just met, but your dick looks like it’s getting strangled.”
Short Circuit by Chiyume
Something is obviously wrong with Bucky's arm, but he still refuses to let anyone look at it. Steve suspects foul play, and goes to confront his friend about it. Only, when he finally finds Bucky, the truth turns out to be much, much worse than Steve ever suspected.
Slip of the Tongue by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)
When Bucky transferred to the new location he was expecting he'd have to get used to doing things differently. They were all part of the same coffee shop chain, but every store was a little bit unique. He wasn't expecting Steve, six foot plus of blue-eyed muscle who worked at the local bookstore and doctored his coffee with enough sugary syrup to feed an army of hummingbirds, or that getting used to him was going to feel so much like falling.
Mod Dee
for you, i give my soul to keep by samoosifer
Steve stared at Bucky curiously, a dragonfly floating past in the sun. The sound of the river floating by, the soft breeze and the calmness that Steve felt made him feel truly relaxed like he'd never been before. He trusted Bucky. There was something terrifying about him but deep down, Steve knew that Bucky wasn't going to hurt him.
kicking down the door by layersofsilence
Getting married is surely an unmistakeable gesture of romantic love between two people. Even if those two people are men, it can't be that difficult to understand, right?
(Wrong.)
Mod Karin
And Shadows Will Fall Behind by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)
The world was full of things no one could have expected.
Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes never expected to fall from a train into decades of torture and killing.
HYDRA never expected their perfect Winter Soldier's programming to shatter.
And Bucky, who'd once been the Winter Soldier, who was now an auxiliary to the Avengers, never expected to look down from a rooftop in New York City, where he was keeping watch over the world's most ineffectual aspirant supervillains, and see a tiny ball of angry sunshine. Fierce and fearless, he loosed feelings in Bucky that he'd thought were gone forever.
Bucky was determined to see him again. The better thing would have been to introduce himself. Not to stealthily follow him as he leapt across the rooftops, strong and agile, feet touching down like he was doing gravity a favour.
The world may have been full of things no one could have expected, but Bucky probably shouldn't have been surprised when his tiny ball of fierce, angry sunshine dumped him on his ass.
après nous le déluge by tomorrowsrain
After us, the deluge.
Steve and Bucky break, mend, and try to find their place in the world without the mantles of Captain America or the Winter Soldier. AU, post Civil War.
(i won't say) i'm in love by jamesbuchanan
Five times Steve said he hated Bucky Barnes. (And the one time he admitted he didn't.)
If it brings you homeby Kalibear
After six months of searching for Bucky, Steve asks for help from Tony, Dr Strange, and Reed Richards but the portal that was supposed to send him to a 'where' sends him to a 'when' instead.
Instead of finding the Winter Soldier, Steve finds 19-year-old Bucky.
Leannán by charlesdk
Leannán /ˈʎɛn̪ˠan/ ;    noun | lover, sweetheart. From Old Irish lendán, lennán (“(male) lover, sweetheart, beloved”).
“Steve Rogers,” he says and holds out his free hand to Bucky, putting on a kind smile while simultaneously ignoring Cassidy climbing onto him.
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky says and shakes his hand. But he isn’t looking at him. No, he’s looking at where Cassidy is planting one of her feet flat against Steve’s hip and hoisting herself off the ground. There’s a smile on his lips and a soft expression on his face, and Steve tries really hard to ignore the urge to ask for his number.
Oh boy. Not good.
OR – In which single father Steve Rogers meets and befriends kindhearted asshole Bucky Barnes and falls in love despite his best efforts not to. It’s a slow and challenging journey thanks to his past but eventually they get their happy ending. Together.
Moosebumps by rohkeutta
Steve feels like he’s in some wild fever dream as he walks closer and says, “Hey, you all right?”
107 looks up. He looks even prettier up close, even (or especially, Steve’s mind supplies unhelpfully) with his cheeks flushed with the exercise and sweat beading on his forehead. He does look a little crazy, though.
“Huh,” 107 says, looks down Steve’s body, then up again. “I know we just met, but your dick looks like it’s getting strangled.”
Once Upon Some Bullshit by machine_dove, Sproings
Bucky really hated magic. He had always hated magic, ever since the first time he'd been forced to believe in it, back in the trenches in occupied France.
He hated it even more now.
A beautiful white swan was standing where Steve should have been, and Enchantress was fucking giggling like the asshole she was.
In which magic is terrible, Steve is sick of this bullshit, and True Love Conquers All
The Joy of Little Things by obsessivereader, Sealcat
"Do you want me to eat you?"
“No, but—” Steve broke off his instinctive response. All his life, he’d believed in doing what was right… he was not about to stop now. Wincing at the prickling pain in his feet, he straightened up to his full height. “Yes. If it means you’ll leave this place.”
"But you don’t look very filling." The tip of the dragon’s tail twitched. "I don’t suppose you’re a virgin?" he asked hopefully. "I’ve heard they taste better."
Steve gritted his teeth and refused to answer. The dragon could very well find that out for himself. He stared at the dragon. The dragon stared back. Then the dragon got up, turned around, and went back into his cave.
"Well? Come on, tribute."
or, how Steve ends up working for a dragon with a very odd sense of humor
Three, and Not Just Two by CoraRochester
Steve tried to take a drink of water from the glass on his bedside table, but there was definitely already a three-inch long piece of dog hair in it. The ice hadn’t even melted yet.
....
Bucky "liberates" a Chow Chow and brings it home. This means, in no particular order: special shampoo, dog hair, googling "can dogs eat apples??", more dog hair, and learning to share your boyfriend with the dog.
Steve's none too quick on the uptake that it's his dog, too.
Inspired by the artwork of silentwalrus
Where You Lead by mambo, tuntekorpp
“That was before I saw that you were on a date,” she says. “Date?” Steve asks, confused. "The man you were holding hands with,” Peggy says. Steve shakes his head. “No, no, that’s not a date. That’s just… Bucky. He’s Bucky.”
Steve is a single dad who manages the local inn. Bucky runs the local diner. Steve loves Bucky's coffee, but definitely not Bucky. Except, maybe that's not so true. Well, it's true about the coffee. Steve definitely loves Bucky's coffee.
(A Gilmore Girls-inspired AU that doesn't require background knowledge of Gilmore Girls to enjoy, and a Captain America Reverse Big Bang offering from mambo and tuntekorpp.)
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avengerdragoness · 7 years
Text
Sentence Starter Masterlist
Batfamily:
Jason Todd:
“You deserve a world without this”
"Guns? Ha! Last I remember, you had string bean arms!"
“It’s not that funny.”
“I know you liked it when they were hitting on you.” "If you would do it I would like it better" "Wait, what" "What"
"If you're not there when this baby comes, I'm going to take that gun, and shove it so far up your--"
"open it" "can you say please?"
"real smooth, tripping over air"
"Alright guys time to play truth or dare"
"well, that was... interesting"
"where have you been"
“You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this…”
“If you shove cake in my face this will be the worst wedding night of your life.”
“After everything you did, you’re asking ME to apologize for snapping at you ONCE?”
"I know I said I’d get up with the kid in the morning but I’m hoping you can’t tell I’m fake sleeping and hoping you will do it instead"
"It helps that my competition is attractive."
“I’d die for you. Of course, I’d haunt you in the afterlife but really, it’s the thought that counts.”
"I bet I could beat you in wrestling match"
“It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me.”
"Yeah, because fighting crime wearing the colors of a traffic light is soooooo stealthy."
“I met your parents and your mom was flirting with me. "
"I am not jealous, I'm territorial. Jealous is when you what something you can't have, territorial is protecting what is yours."
"Get over here, Jason 'Crush Me With Your Thighs' Todd!"
"ITS PLATINUM!!!"
"Wait, you're not a virgin? do you even stay awake long enough for sex?"
"you can't just go around killing people"
"So tell me: do all vigilantes lurk or is this just a part of your unique charm?"
"Am I really gonna be a father to an actual human being?"
"Put the water balloon down."
“You’re cute when you’re angry.”
Dick Grayson:
“I did a pregnancy test.”
“You can’t banish me! This is my bed too!”
"What do you mean I can't stay up until 4 am reading? You've stayed up later risking your life in a ridiculous costume!"
"If you sing that song one more time I will fight you"
“I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
"I swear to god if you don't get off the chandelier right now"
"love first of all  if you're wearing that kilt to slag me off for me Irish heritage I'm not one fucking bit impressed and second KILTS ARE FUCKING SCOTTISH ugh but you do look the ride in it , i have to say wait there I'm posting a pic of it this gonna be great craic"
"IVE BEEN STANDING IN THIS SHOP FOR TWO FUCKING HOURS TRYING TO DECIDE BETWEEN SMARTIES OR SKITTLES DONT RUSH ME !"
“What do you want me to do with this?”
"You know you have to worst name ever"
"Where do you run off to every day?" 
Tim Drake:
“Is there a problem?” “Is there a special reason, as to why you’re wearing my shirt?”
"No, nothing's wrong, I was just fangirling, carry on."
"You should know by know that if you leave your cape laying around, I don't care if it's for 'superhero business', I'm going to wrap it around myself like a blanket."
“You drowned my makeup in water so I used my key to scratch all of your video game discs.”
"stop it, stop whatever the hell your doing"
'please stop staring at that stupid computer and talk to me'
"You're not meeting my boyfriend, Tim, because I'd like to date him a while before my brother kills him."
“This is your twentieth cup of coffee are you trying to break a world record or something?“
"I found you passed out, face down in a pile of coffee cups, are you ok?"
"You have to be cheating! No one is that good poker!"
"There's nothing wrong with taking a break"
"You should really get out of the house more, I almost attacked you thinking you were a vampire. And no patrol doesn't count, get some sunlight."
Damian Wayne:
“Damn, when did y/n get hot?”
"We’re camping and you think you lost the kid but they’re napping in the tent and I’m not telling you yet so you watch them better next time" 
"Damian, are you sure your dad is going to be ok with us sneaking a monkey into the Manor?"
“Before you decide to murder me, let me explain…”
“His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.”
“When you love someone, you don’t just stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Especially then!”
“Do you ever follow directions?”
"dami ..I can't find my reading glasses have you seen them ?"
"I was trained by the masters of the League of Assassins and Ra's Al Ghul himself I DO NOT SING"
"we are not going to steal someone's dog"
"i'm allowed to be obssesed with you, im your husband"
"Why is there a deer in the mansion."
"I'm better at handling swords than you"
“So that’s why you’re always gone... you’re fighting crime in tights...”
"Wait... are you actually trying to stab me with a spoon?"
"Do I have to?"
"Don't worry beloved my family will love you, if anything I'm worried about them scaring you off"
Batfam:
"Not to point out the elephant in the room, but is that a literal elephant in the room?"
                   <-------------------------------------------->
CW DC:
Barry Allen:
"Cisco I don't need you to hit on them for me."
"I don't care how much a speedster needs to eat, you touch my food, and we're going to have a problem."
"everyone can tell you lover her, it's obvious"
“im NOT jealous, but he was flirting with you"
"I'm so sorry to disturb you but....I ran out of toilet paper"
Wally West:
"you like her, don't you!" 
"I recognize that you have reached a decision, but given that it is a stupid ass decision I have elected to ignore it"
Oliver Queen:
"are you jerking off or did you just find another book?"
Mon-El:
"Are you really jealous of a dog?"
"Mon-El, stop trying to make me blush, you jerk!"
Winn Schott:
"Winslow Schott, you do *not* get to saw I'm 'crabby' right now. If I seem to be in a bad mood, it's because *someone* decided to drag all the way to the DEO, first thing in the morning before I had a chance to have breakfast, without actually giving me a reason!"
                   <-------------------------------------------->
DC (Other):
Billy Batson:
"I'll give you your precious hoodie back, if you say the magic word!"
"How hasn't Bruce Wayne adopted you yet?"
"So...what happened EXACTLY?"
"y'know when you sneak around like that to transform you look super shady right?"
"You snuck into my room in the middle of the night to tell me something that could've waited till morning, woke me up by tripping over a small pile of books, and almost broke the most expensive thing I own. Remind me again why I shouldn't immediately call the cops on my best friend?" 
                   <-------------------------------------------->
Young Justice:
Wally West:
"I'd like to remind everyone to refrain from eating my food"
"I think you're just jealous cause you don't have magic powers! Or maybe you don't believe cause your so dependent on your precious science to explain everything!"
"I don't speak science, think you can translate for us non-nerds?"
Bart Allen:
"You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened to him"
"I'm from the past...I knew your cousin"
"We're about to die!"/"Comes with the job!"/”You're not helping!"
"You can't be serious"
"Hey, could you help me go over these case files-...you do not have a shirt on..."
"Who do i look like, Batman?"
"How are you always late?"
"Give me back my book!! You better not spoil it!!!"
"YOU CAN SING?!?!?!?!"
"You look good in yellow"
"I promise to tell you where your snacks went, if you promise not to get mad."
“are you sure about this”
"please don’t make me say it" 
                   <-------------------------------------------->
Marvel:
The Avengers:
"oops they saw it, well surprise I guess!"
Peter Parker:
"Don't be such a nerd Parker, we need to keep this professional and intimidating."
"You're that Bug Boy Jamison keeps talking about"
"You're an arachnophobe?"
“You're gonna get me killed!"
"I dare you to kiss him."
"Explain your powers to me again"
"Could you just get me down from here?!"
"These aren't even quips! They're just bad puns!"
"I cannot believe you of all people got us detention! I always thought it would be me."
"There's no such thing as bad publicity!"
"So, what's up with BugBoy over there?"
Steve Rogers:
"When were you planning to let me know what happened?!"
                   <-------------------------------------------->
Voltron:
Shiro:
“I’m like 20% sure this plan will work. The other 80% means we could die horribly and violently, but honestly it’s a really solid plan.”
“You’re so determined to protect yourself and your feelings, but what about me?”
“How is my wife more badass than me?”
"i lost our baby"
“Are you hitting on me?”
"...Why did you throw confetti in my face?"
Lance:
“I’m starting an idiot jar. Any time you do or say anything idiotic, you have to put at least a dollar in it—more depending on how stupid the thing that you said or did was.”
"Please tell me you aren't washing a metal, mechanical, slightly magical lion with soap and water?"
“How did you even get that there?“
Keith:
"How in the world did I get you to like me back?"
“I thought it was a good idea at the time, but it now occurs to me that I was horribly wrong.”
“Oh my god! You’re in love with them!” "No, Dumb-ass I'm in love with you"
"I can't believe you talked me into this."
"Keith, I love you, you know I do, but *please* tell me you didn't actually jump out of an airlock to get your lion."
“Why are you staring at me like that?” 
                   <-------------------------------------------->
Criminal Minds:
Spencer Reid:
"i need you to breath in and out with me, this anxiety attack will pass, i......"
"I don't care what you think you know, Spence, I'm *not* ticklish!"
"God, I hate profilers! You can never keep a secret from one."
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thestuckylibrary · 7 years
Note
could yer by any chance split that LGBT author list up a bit or have a separate list for mlm authors b/c the more work i read by women to a female audience the less inclined i am to continue reading (i dont mean this to sound mean i swear I would just like a mlm story written by someone who really gets it all ya kno)
Well I do have a couple more specifically mlm authors since I started paying more attention earlier this week and it does include some of my all time faves actually :)EDIT: this is not by any means a comprehensive list. It’s just a handful of authors who I have been told are mum or have posted it on their fic or blog
Holding Hands At The Movie Palace by copperbadge
Steve wants to know what Bucky remembers; Steve’s own memories are much more interesting to Bucky.
Leannán by charlesdk
Leannán /ˈʎɛn̪ˠan/ ;    noun | lover, sweetheart. From Old Irish lendán, lennán (“(male) lover, sweetheart, beloved”).
“Steve Rogers,” he says and holds out his free hand to Bucky, putting on a kind smile while simultaneously ignoring Cassidy climbing onto him.
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky says and shakes his hand. But he isn’t looking at him. No, he’s looking at where Cassidy is planting one of her feet flat against Steve’s hip and hoisting herself off the ground. There’s a smile on his lips and a soft expression on his face, and Steve tries really hard to ignore the urge to ask for his number.
Oh boy. Not good.
OR – In which single father Steve Rogers meets and befriends kindhearted asshole Bucky Barnes and falls in love despite his best efforts not to. It’s a slow and challenging journey thanks to his past but eventually they get their happy ending. Together.
Stellar by vintage_granddad
“The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great; bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”During the Great Depression, a young, trans Steve Rogers falls in love with his best friend, ultimately creating an unbreakable bond. And, by a supposed mistake of modern science, Steve Rogers is finally able to live as himself, at a cost.
tattoo your last bruise by ftmsteverogers 
“If you wanted, you could share the bed again,” Steve said, still studiously looking at the wall directly in front of him. “We used to do it all the time, before. It isn’t weird. Not for me, anyway.”
Whatever Bucky had been expecting, that hadn’t been it. “Oh,” he said.
“I’m gonna go brush my teeth,” Steve said, and disappeared down the hallway.
The Crucible by Dreadnought (keep an eye on the tags for this one)
Therapy’s a bitch, but PTSD is worse. An in-depth character study of Bucky Barnes as he reconciles his years with Hydra in the wake of Civil War.
——
I don’t really know who I am. I do know that James Buchanan Barnes is dead. He’s a pile of bones at the bottom of a ravine. He’s a side bar in some other guy’s museum exhibit that might not even exist anymore. James Barnes would puke if he could see what he became. His parents and sister and friends would cry.
I don’t know what’s left over now, but I know it’s not good. And I don’t think it can ever be good.
there must have been a moment where we could have said no by magdaliny (others for ts, drug addiction)
The Soldier remembers this: he wakes up in the snow.
EDIT: Another author to add to this list:
Akru899 Scottieisstressed
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thestuckylibrary · 7 years
Note
got anything kinda gifted-themed? just watched it (omg i cried so hard) and obviously my first thought was the need for a stucky au
These are the closest I know of
Bucky Barnes Has His Shit Together (and Other Lies He Tells Himself) by betts
You’d think a guy who owns one of the most successful bakeries in Brooklyn, has a million-dollar smile and that antiquated good ol’ boy charm, blond hair and blue eyes and biceps for days, would know what’s what.
But don’t let that fool you: Steve Rogers is a mess.
Leannán by charlesdk
Leannán /ˈʎɛn̪ˠan/ ;    noun | lover, sweetheart. From Old Irish lendán, lennán (“(male) lover, sweetheart, beloved”).
“Steve Rogers,” he says and holds out his free hand to Bucky, putting on a kind smile while simultaneously ignoring Cassidy climbing onto him.
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky says and shakes his hand. But he isn’t looking at him. No, he’s looking at where Cassidy is planting one of her feet flat against Steve’s hip and hoisting herself off the ground. There’s a smile on his lips and a soft expression on his face, and Steve tries really hard to ignore the urge to ask for his number.
Oh boy. Not good.
OR – In which single father Steve Rogers meets and befriends kindhearted asshole Bucky Barnes and falls in love despite his best efforts not to. It’s a slow and challenging journey thanks to his past but eventually they get their happy ending. Together.
Of Devious Daughters and Ballet Teachers by heartsdesire456
When Steve's daughter gets cast as Clara in The Nutcracker, Steve meets her new ballet instructor, Bucky Barnes.
It all goes downhill from there.
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