the elevator of sexual tension

look at all that tension, for absolutely no reason, they aren't in a fight, there's no drama between them, there's no reason for this intensity except plain ol' UST. it's likely why these two never got stuck in an elevator together cause it would have probably turned into something too racy for CBS, Steve would definitely find a way to make Danny forget about his claustrophobia 😏

Collide

Part 1 Wanda x Reader

Summary: You bump into Wanda Maximoff at a grocery store. Wouldn’t be a problem if either of you were anyone else but you two were no ordinary people.

You would think having the ability to take anyone’s power would be awesome. It’s not.

With a simple touch, you could take any person with special abilities’ special powers from them. You figured this out in grade school when you high-fived one of your friends for the first time. Suddenly you could see through walls. That same year, you figured out they could take those powers back. 

A few years later you found out they could only take those powers back if they wanted them. You tried giving someone their invisibility back but they would not have it. Now you are stuck with it. You are stuck with a few others too, like walking through walls and mimicking voices. Those you got from random strangers on the street. 

Obviously, you tried to give them back. You wouldn’t take what isn’t yours, but it was an impossible task. Finding a stranger you bumped into in New York is kind of hard. 

You’ve tried passing off powers to other people but it never worked. You could only return them to the person who gave them to you. To give them back, all you had to do was touch them again and they had to want the powers back. It was that simple. 

So when you bump into Wanda Maximoff at the grocery store, things get a little complicated. 

You’ve made a friend recently who turns out to be Sokovian. Seeing as his birthday is coming up, you thought it would be cool to cook him a traditional Sokovian meal. A few searches on Google and you print out a list of what you need. 

You leave to the nearest store that would have all you need. You check off your list, heading toward the aisle of spices. You finally find the one the recipe calls for and lucky for you, it’s the last one. You reach for it but you feel someone else’s hand touching yours, reaching for the same thing. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says. You look at the woman who is standing really close to you for a stranger. She has intense green eyes, you notice. She pulls her hand away. 

“It’s alright,” you say. 

“Was that the last one?” she asks, awkwardly.

“It seems so,” you confirm. “But we can ask an employee if they have more somewhere?”

You flag down an employee two aisles down and ask. They shake their head and then tell you they won’t be getting more until next week. The woman with the green eyes sighs. 

“We can split it,” you suggest. “I don’t need the whole thing. At least I don’t think so? I just need it to make a Sokovian dish that calls for it. I probably won’t be using it for anything else.”

“I don’t know. Sokovian food is delicious if I may say so. You’ll get a taste and might regret sharing this with a stranger,” she teases. 

You smile and ask, “Oh, are you Sokovian?”

She nods and you add, “Well, then I insist on sharing it with you. Maybe you can actually give me a few tips on this recipe?”

“What are you making?” she asks you. You show her the recipe on your phone and she kindly shares some of her expertise which you’re grateful for. She follows you around the store making conversation as you grab the rest of what you need. Technically, you follow her around as she suggests you other stuff to add to the recipe. 

You add a mini mason jar to your cart. You both head to pay and outside pour some of the spice into your mason jar and give her the rest of the bottle. You thank her for all the help and wish her a great day. 

Wanda gets back to the tower in a positive mood. Everyone notices and asks her what happened. She replies that she just had a nice interaction with a stranger and it made her day. 

Though her day was made, the rest of her week was hell. She doesn’t know what is wrong with her. Her powers have been failing her. She doesn’t understand. At first she thinks it’s just the more difficult things she can’t do but then she notices how no one’s thoughts appear in her head. It’s quiet. She only hears her own. 

Something was definitely wrong.

You thought you were imagining things but after guessing what your friends’ were thinking for the umpteenth time, you knew you had taken someone else’s power. 

You don’t think it’s too bad at first. Only your friends’ heavy thoughts made their way into your head. Unfortunately, some of those thoughts you can never unhear again. 

The problem comes when you go to the library for the first time with this new power. The library is hell. It’s full of people who are just thinking loudly. See in public, there are people who are thinking loudly of course, but there are more people distracted and speaking without thinking, which you never thought you would be so grateful for. 

You don’t last in the library for very long. So libraries are on your list of places to avoid. Soon, movie theaters are also on that list and then so are museums. Any place where people are meant to be quiet is where it’s loudest in your head. 

You wish you knew who you touched to get these powers. You begin to think back at everyone the past few weeks that you might have had direct contact with. A hand you shook or an arm you bumped into. You’ve always been cautious about your surroundings so these things wouldn’t happen.

Everyone you greeted at your Sokovian friend’s party you’ve greeted before. No one was new there. The Sokovian at the store!

Damn it. You never got her name or anything. Maybe you’ll encounter her at the store again. The next few days, you spend hours at the same store. People begin to think you’re an employee and you almost feel like one, knowing exactly where everything is from spending so much time there. 

You’ve even made plans with one employee to go hangout. But no green eyed Sokovian makes an appearance. 

Three weeks you have this power when you find that not only can you read people’s thoughts, but you hold things without actually touching them. It happens when you drop something in the kitchen. You reach for it to catch it before it hits the floor but it’s nowhere near your grasp. However, it never hits the floor. 

You then notice a red mist-like substance coming from your hands floating in the direction of the object. You see that it’s holding it up. After that, you start practicing with random things around your apartment. You begin with lighter things, thinking you would only be able to hold weight that you could in your actual arms, but it is not so. 

You work your way up to lifting your car in the air and in that same moment you learn you could do multiple things like lifting your car and replacing the flat tire. 

Two months with these abilities and you feel you start getting the hang of it. You still can’t go to the library. You’ve tried again but the voices are too loud. You still go to the store where you met the woman that unintentionally gifted you these powers to try and return them. She seemed like a decent person and you don’t know what she used these powers for. Maybe she needs them.

You still have yet to find her. 

Wanda hasn’t been on a mission in three months. Instead, Bruce has been poking and prodding her with needles and running countless tests trying to figure out what happened with her powers. Three weeks ago she began to go to a therapist because Steve thought it might be a mental block of some sort that she had to work through.

Though therapy was doing wonders for her, they weren’t getting her anywhere near having her powers back. Bruce’s tests weren’t helpful either. She’s been stuck in the tower for three months and her days have never felt so repetitive until now- train, go to therapy, undergo tests. Rinse and repeat. 

The media had begun to notice as well. She turns to another TV channel where the news anchor asks “Where is Wanda Maximoff?” as if she’s disappeared from the face of the earth. In a way she has.

Fortunately for her, you are watching that same channel. You are cooking dinner and have the television channel on for background noise. You hear them talking about the Avengers. They’ve never been of much interest to you, although they should be seeing as though you live in the same city and something is always going down here because of that reason.

“For those who have been living under a rock,” the new anchor starts, “Wanda Maximoff is one of the newer additions to the Avengers.”

“She’s the one with the red magic, isn’t she?” the co-anchor asks. That grabs your attention. You turn to look at the screen. “That’s right. She joined about a year ago after the fall of Sokovia.”

That had to be a coincidence, right? 

“She hasn’t been reported to be on any missions the last three months,” the reporter continues. That definitely couldn’t be a coincidence, you think, counting back the time you’ve attained these powers. 

“Here is a clip of Maximoff using her magic to save diplomats at the embassy five months ago when…” You don’t hear the rest as you watch the clip play. 

It’s the green eyed Sokovian who helped you out at the market. Your suspicions about it being her who had these powers were correct. You just didn’t think you took powers from an Avenger. Someone who definitely needs these powers to do her job and save people like the clip shows. Shit.

You smell the food you’re cooking burning. 

“Shit!”

Wanda pounds her hand on the mat. Sweat clings onto her shirt. She’s tired and out of breath. 

“Again,” Nat commands. Wanda huffs and stands up, getting back into her fighting pose. She takes a swing that the Black Widow easily dodges. Not two moves later, she hits the mat again.

“Again,” Nat repeats.

“Natasha, give the kid a break,” Steve says, watching from the side. 

“It’s okay,” Wanda assures him.

Natasha explains, “If therapy and tests aren’t working, maybe self defense will.”

Steve seems doubtful but allows it. They really need Wanda to work through whatever is blocking her from using her powers. He winces seeing Wanda hit the mat.

“Again.”

“I’ve told you for the millionth time. My name is Y/N L/N and I need to speak to Wanda Maximoff. Or any of the Avengers, really. Or even one of their assistants or something. It’s vital,” you try helplessly. 

“Unless you have clearance, I can’t let you up,” the guy at the desk says to you for what feels like the hundredth time. You’ve been coming in the past few days trying to get someone to let you see Wanda. 

“Look, it’s really important. Can’t you, like, give her a message or something?” You’re desperate at this point. He laughs. 

“Ah, yes, let me just text her real quick. ‘hey Wanda. It’s that one guy you said hello to once downstairs. There’s some girl here that needs to talk to you’,” he acts out sarcastically, which you do not find amusing. 

“Listen, buddy. If you do me this favor and get your boss or whoever can give me clearance to see her, I promise she’ll be so grateful for you helping me get to her that she’ll come and thank you herself,” you vow. 

“I can’t help you, Miss. Now please go or I’ll have to call security,” he warns.

You rub your temple in frustration. “Fine. There’s no need for that...Michael,” you read his name. “I’m going.”

You turn around as if to head for the door but then do a 180 and sprint past a security guard who shouts at you to stop. You make your way for the elevators as the security guard runs after you. You press the button for the elevators but you notice they’re nowhere near the ground floor. 

The security catches up to you and in panic, you push him away with Wanda’s powers. He goes sliding across the floor and you bolt for the stairs.

You don’t even know which floor you would find Wanda in but you assume it would be somewhere up top. You begin your ascend. You reach the fourth floor and realize you should start using the StairMaster at the gym. You hear multiple security guards quickly making their way to you. You panic and walk through the wall, not knowing what was on the other side. 

You’re in some kind of engineering lab. You don’t think anyone saw you walk through the wall, so you try to act casual and stroll through the lab trying to find an exit. Then you hear someone call you. “Hey, you.”

You ignore them and act like you didn’t hear. They tell you to stop walking, loud enough that you can’t ignore it. You turn around to see a woman in a lab coat. She asks, “You’re not allowed on this floor. Who let you up here?”

“Oh, uh. Michael sent me,” you lie. “Sorry, I’m new. I must have gotten off on the wrong floor. Maybe you could help me find my way?”

“Where are you meant to be working?” she inquires and you’re stuck not knowing anything about the Stark Tower or Avengers Tower, whatever it’s called. 

“The lab,” you say. Your vague answer obviously creates another question. “What lab?”

“They haven’t told me yet? I’m not actually working in the labs. I’m doing more secretarial duties, taking notes and scheduling stuff.”

“For whom?” she asks, narrowing her eyes at you. You can feel her catching onto you and it’s the only reason why you try this.

“For the big guy, obviously,” you say and then focus really hard trying to read her mind, hoping that a name will pop up in her head. Did Bruce get an assistant? You smile. “Bruce.”

“Well then you are way off. He’s usually working on the 87th floor,” she tells you. 

“Well, thank god there’s an elevator,” you chuckle nervously, pointing behind you. “Well, I should get going before I’m any later. You turn around confidently but as you walk away she stops you once more. You think you got caught but she says, “Elevators are that way.”

She points to the opposite way you came from. You laugh to play off your mistake, “Duh. Sorry, the lab is so big. Thanks.”

You head the right way. You speed walk to the elevators and then jog when you hear a rougher voice telling you to stop. “She’s on the fourth floor.”

You assume they spoke into their walkie, and you know you don't have much time before they catch you. You think quickly. You can’t make your way to the elevator because then obviously they’ll just stop the elevators. You don’t want to walk through a wall; the dangers of that are extreme given this is Stark Tower. You could accidentally walk into an ongoing experiment. 

You had to hide. And suddenly, you had the perfect plan. 

The security guard runs to you. He thinks you’re running for the elevator but then you turn before you get there. He sees you dive behind some clunky machine, presumably to hide behind. You clearly never have won a game of hide and seek in your life, he thinks as he goes around the machine to catch you. 

He’s left utterly confused when you aren’t there. The only trace of you are your clothes down to underwear on the floor. Four other guards make it to the floor. One asks him, “Where is she?”

He doesn’t know how to answer. “She was right here. Search the floor. She’s hiding and I think she’s naked.”

They disperse taking your clothes with them. You let out a breath of relief at not getting caught but then mentally curse that they took your clothes. You still haven’t learned how to make other things invisible yet. You never really used this power. Maybe you should start practicing.

You hustle your naked ass to the elevators, feeling incredibly exposed even though you know no one can actually see you. You press the elevator button and wait impatiently. It dings and opens. 

“The elevators!” You hear one of the guards yell. Two run your way as you step into the car. You put all your energy into staying invisible. It would be really awkward if you were suddenly exposed. You hold your breath when one of them looks in the elevator. You keep yourself in the corner furthest away from them. In their eyes, there is no one in the elevator. 

“She’s not here.” They leave and the doors close. You click the button for the 87th floor.

____________________________________________________

This will probably have 3 parts. 

My Name Isn't

Summary: You find out the guys (Bucky, Steve, and Sam) have a bet as to who can kiss you first, so you confront them at Tony's team building karaoke night.

Warnings: some swearing and drinking

Word Count: 3187

a/n: This was inspired by my love of the classic using karaoke to express your feelings trope and the song My Name Isn't by LOVA. I did change the lyric "yours" into "doll" though because it made sense in the story.

"Not a chance, Wilson." Bucky rolled his eyes as Steve walked into the room, unbothered by the familiar sounds of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes arguing.

"C'mon tin man, you afraid you're gonna lose?' Sam couldn't help but tease the super soldier.

"It's a stupid bet! Steve tell him it's a stupid bet." Bucky stared at his best friend, silently begging for him to agree.

Steve's tone could only be described as exasperated when he responded, "what is it this time?"

"I bet Barnes and Noble over here," Sam stopped talking to dodge the book Bucky threw at him, "that I could get Y/N to kiss me before he could, and he's too chicken shit to take the bet."

"It's a stupid bet!" Bucky was gearing up to throw another book when Steve chimed in. "I don't know Buck, it could get you to finally act on your feelings for her."

Bucky rolled his eyes, responding with his typical denial "I don't have any feelings, punk."

Sam and Steve shared an obvious "this man is lying" look before turning back to Bucky.

"Fine, Cap since Bucky won't take the bet, will you?" The mischievous gleam in Sam's eye shown through as Steve weighed his options.

"It is a pretty stupid bet, but I'm doing this for you Buck." Clapping Bucky on the shoulder, he turned to Sam. "I'm in." As Steve went to shake Sam's hand, Bucky gave in.

"Fine! Fine. All three of us. The first one to kiss her wins." Bucky reluctantly agreed.

"Now, what does the winner get?" Sam posed the question, mischief clear in his eyes.

-

The first time you had an inkling that something was afoot was your training with Steve and Bucky later that same day. Steve wasn't overly touchy or anything that would make you uncomfortable, this is America's Golden Boy after all, but he kept calling you "honey" or some variation of it. You'd throw a punch and rather than correcting your form in his usual commanding Captain voice, he would feed you a random compliment followed by a "try it like this hun."

You left the gym confused and with more energy than one would typically have after training with Steve Rogers. Luckily for you, Nat and Wanda noticed it too.

"What was that about?" Wanda asked as soon as the three of you were out of earshot.

"I don't have a clue." Your expression of complete confusion was enough to convince the two women you were telling the truth.

"I always thought Barnes had a thing for you. I wouldn't expect Steve of all people to try to mess that up. Especially with how obvious you are!" Nat chimed in. You've never regretted anything more than getting drunk and admitting your feelings for the brunette super soldier to the two women.

"Ugh, are the two of you ever gonna forget about that?" Your question was rhetorical as you nearly slammed the door to your room, but it didn't stop the two women from shouting "not a chance" and "only if you tell him" through the door.

-

The second time you noticed the weird behavior was the next day. You were running through some basic defense moves with some new Shield agents when Sam walked in with Bucky.

Now, normally Sam avoids you in the gym because he knows you'll kick his ass. All your time spent training with Nat mixed with your advanced perception skills meant you are a force to be reckoned with in the gym. This time though, he asked to spar before running through his typical warm up routine.

"You sure, Wilson? I wouldn't want to bruise your ego any further." You joked with him, unsure of his motives.

"Oh I'm sure, baby. Do your worst."

So you did. You had him on the mat in 4 minutes even, not letting the "baby" comment phase you until later in the night when you were with Wanda and Nat.

"First, Steve keeps calling me honey. Now Wilson is in on it with baby! What the hell is going on?'

The three of you shared identical shrugs, choosing to ignore it for now in favor of girls night.

-

Your days continued with the random comments from Sam and Steve. Of course, after the first 24 hours you noticed a pattern emerging. The two men would only use the pet names if Bucky was in the room. If Bucky couldn't overhear what was being said, everything was normal, but all bets were off if he so much as stepped in the room. It was constant affection and compliments from the two men.

You were thinking about the pattern you'd discovered, along with what it could mean, when Tony barged into the common room like a man on fire.

He surveyed the room, noting the presence of nearly every team member. The only three missing? Sam, Steve, and Bucky. You had a feeling they were most definitely up to something. "Oh perfect, most of you are here already! I have decided we don't do enough team building. Saving the world is stressful and we deserve to relax, so... drumroll please!" He waited for an extended period of time, until you, Wanda, and Vision gave him a lackluster drumroll. "That could use some work, but I'm not going to let it bring me down. We're doing karaoke! I rented out a bar for tonight, so clear your schedules ladies and gentlemen! We start at 8."

To say he was met with mixed results would be underselling the range of reactions. Nat looked ready to kill him. Thor was so excited, he reminded you of a golden retriever playing fetch. Most everybody else fell somewhere in the middle.

"Y/N, be a dear and let the three stooges know would ya? I don't know where they are and I don't feel like finding them." Tony didn't wait for a response before leaving the room just as rapidly as he entered it.

"I guess that's my cue. I'll be back and we can at least get ready together?" You looked to Nat and Wanda for confirmation before leaving to find Steve, Bucky, and Sam.

-

You checked Sam's room first because it's the closest to the common area, but there was no sign of life. Steve and Bucky's rooms sat similarly untouched. You went to the gym, the pool, the game room, and circled back to the kitchen but they were nowhere to be seen. Finally, you gave up the impromptu game of hide and seek asking FRIDAY where they were.

"FRIDAY, do you know where Steve, Bucky, and Sam are?"

"Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, and Lieutenant General Wilson are on the roof." The AI responded so fast, it had you wondering why didn't just ask her 40 minutes ago when their rooms were all empty.

"What the hell are they doing on the roof?" You huffed as you made your way back to the elevator.

"They are the discussing the terms of their bet." FRIDAY's response surprised you. You hadn't meant to actually receive an answer, but now that you did you were curious.

"What bet?" You continued the line of questioning as the elevator rose to the roof access point.

"The three made a bet to see who could get you to kiss them first."

Suddenly, all the pet names and compliments made sense.

"Son of a bi-" You cut yourself off as the elevator door opened, leading you directly to the three men in question. They turned abruptly, clearly caught off guard by anyone coming to the roof.

"Finally. I've been looking for you three everywhere!" You kept the new found information to yourself for the time being. "Tony decided we're doing karaoke tonight. We're supposed to be at the bar he rented out by 8pm." You smiled, taking in the slightly guilty expressions on each of their faces. Even if FRIDAY hadn't told you, it would be painstakingly obvious you caught them talking about you.

"Thanks doll, we'll make sure we're there." You felt the butterflies in your stomach at the pet name, but quickly shut it down. You wouldn't be giving in to their bet that easily.

"No problem, see you boys soon." You winked, pressing the button to bring you back to the main floor. You had a plan to make after all.

-

"Well, it's karaoke why don't you just sing a song to call them out on it?" Wanda suggested another idea as you all got ready to head to the bar.

"That could work. You just need the perfect song." Nat chimed in, quickly applying some mascara.

"Wanda, you're a genius, and I think I have just the one." You grinned, pulling the song up to play while you finished getting ready.

-

Upon entering the bar, you immediately started second guessing your plan. That is, until the pet names came out to play. Sam was back at it with calling you baby, and Steve right there beside him with honey.

When you put your name down to sing, Wanda and Nat were right there with you, hyping you up and providing some liquid courage. Four drinks in and you finally felt just tipsy enough to actually follow through with your plan.

With the encouraging words from Nat and Wanda playing through your mind, you walked up to the stage, pulling up your chosen song on the karaoke machine.

You decided to play the beginning of the song off as a coincidence, not wanting to clue the guys in too early.

"One, two, three have been staring at me. It's been going all night."

You made eye contact with Nat and Wanda, fully relying on the feminist in you to knock these guys down a few pegs. By the time the chorus rolled around, you were ready.

Making direct eye contact with Sam, you put as much sass as possible into the next line.

"My name isn't 'baby,' you cannot say whatever you feel like. I am not the things you call me."

Switching your target from Sam to Steve, you kept going with the performance.

"My name isn't 'honey,' I will always do whatever I feel like. Honestly, you don't know me."

Clearly the three of them realized you knew about their bet, but you were on a roll. Switching focus to Bucky, you switched up the words a little bit to put him on blast as well.

"My name isn't... doll. My name isn't... doll."

The girls must have filled in the rest of the group, because you now had Bruce, Thor, Vision, Tony, Pepper, Clint, Wanda, and Nat cheering you on. They were whopping and hollering in agreement with the lyrics.

"We ain't got the time for you messing around so cut the deal."

"Cut the deal!!" You heard Tony yelling out as an echo, shaking your head with a slight chuckle.

"So don't come here and say, 'boys will be boys.' Behind every act there's always a choice."

The three men in question at least had the decency to look ashamed of their actions. Of course, that wasn't enough for you to not put them on blast through another round of the chorus.

The high from calling them out wore off right around the line:

"Do you really think that you can get your way by playing the same game."

Singing those words made you realize exactly what just happened. You held it together, put up a front long enough to get through the last chorus. Singing the last line to Bucky, you felt like your emotions were all over your face. The annoyance that the bet existed. The pain at him being part of it. The love you'd been trying to hide. All of it felt like it was right out in the open.

"My name isn't... Doll. My name isn't, my name isn't... Doll."

You took a quick bow in thanks for all the applause, before running off the stage. You didn't stop at the table with Nat and Wanda, nor did you stop for the three men trying to apologize. You made it outside, running about five blocks before even taking in your surroundings. Noticing a McDonald's, you sent a quick prayer that the ice cream machine was actually functioning before ducking inside.

-

The team stood with mouths hanging open at your sudden departure.

"What the hell just happened?" Tony posed the question to the group, knocking them out of their stupor.

Bucky was the first to follow you outside, his panic growing when he didn't see you leaning against any of the brick walls.

"Where is she?" Steve asked, spinning in circles right alongside Bucky while the rest of the group filed out the door.

"I don't know!" Bucky turned on Steve and Sam. "I never should have agreed to that stupid bet. Dammit!" Running his hands through his hair, he took off down the street calling a quick, "I'll look this way" over his shoulder.

He moved quickly down the street, keeping his eyes peeled for your sparkly, dark red dress. He looked through the windows of the many store fronts as he passed them. About five blocks later, he was about to turn around, assuming you went a different direction when he saw the familiar golden "m". A memory from about three weeks ago was quick to flash through his mind.

The team just came back from a two and a half week mission yesterday, meaning Tony was bound to throw a party today. It went about the same as most Tony Stark parties go; a lot of schmoozing until most guests left and the team could actually let loose.

You let a little looser than normal at the after party. After the mission required you to pretend to be married to Bucky, you felt like you deserved it. It was getting harder and harder to hide your feelings from him, especially when he insisted on walking you to your room after the party.

In a last ditch effort to avoid any drunk escapades, you asked him to take you to McDonald's instead of your room.

"Please Bucky?" You asked, drawing out the words and adding a small pout for good measure. "I just want a McFlurry and some fries! Please!"

"Sure, doll. We can go to McDonald's." You jumped up and down clapping, hugging him as you praised him for being so kind.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the nicest, most perfect man to ever live. Let's gooooo!!" He smiled at your antics, leading you to one of the many cars Tony kept stocked, not quite trusting you to ride a motorcycle at the moment.

After getting the food, the two of you ate together in the car. You, of course, insisting he try dipping the fries in the ice cream.

Reluctantly, he admitted it wasn't that bad before driving the two of you home. He dropped you off at your door, receiving a whispered "thank you" and a quick kiss to the cheek from you.

He smiled at the memory before walking inside. He found you in a booth toward the back, unsurprisingly dipping fries into your ice cream

"Y/N, I'm so sorry." You didn't even look up when he started speaking, choosing instead to study the m&ms in your dessert. "Really. It was a stupid bet. Hell, I didn't even want to do it, but then that punk and birdman teamed up against me and I couldn't let them do it without me! It would've killed me to know one of them kissed you. It was so stupid and I should've just shut it down. I'm so sorry. You deserve so much more than that." He trailed off, waiting for you to say something.

You gestured to the seat across from you, pushing some fries toward him. "It was a stupid bet."

You waited until his mouth was full before asking "Why would it have killed you?" Watching him nearly choke on his fries was oddly satisfying.

"What?" He tried to deflect the question. You shook your head, passing him a napkin.

"You said it would have killed you to know one of them kissed me. Why?" You looked him in the eye as you ate another fry.

"Well, you see, I... um, maybe have um... feelings." It was his turn to stare intently at the m&ms. He mumbled a quick "get yourself together" under his breath before continuing. "I like you. Hell, I think I love you. I don't know when it started, but suddenly you are all I can think about. I worry about you constantly when your on a mission without me, even though I know you can take care of yourself. I see little things that remind me of you everywhere. Like yesterday, I saw a buttercup on the side of the road and I couldn't stop thinking about the time you spent a good twenty minutes ranting about how spring is the worst season."

Suddenly, you were on a tangent. "Because it is! It's always raining, it's muggy, it's always freezing in the morning and way too hot in the afternoon so you have to carry all these extra layers-"

"I love you. That's why it would've killed me. I don't even want to think about you with another-"

It was your turn to cut him off, doing so by leaning across the small table to kiss him. It was quick, but you still felt fireworks.

"I love you too." Your words were sweet, but shifted when you said the rest of your sentence. "I just have one more question." The smirk on your face made him nervous, but he was more than willing to answer anything.

"What do you get for winning?"

-

After talking with Bucky, you texted Nat and Wanda to let them know you were okay and the two of you were headed back to the compound. You beat everyone else back, but decided to wait for them in the common area.

Steve and Sam came in with their heads low, struggling to make eye contact.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry. We never should have made that bet." Steve started, aware of all the eyes on him.

"Me too. It was stupid and thoughtless." Sam added on.

"It was, but you are forgiven." You reached for Bucky's hand, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Bucky told me the winner of your little bet gets to pick the music for all forms of travel on the next three missions." You grinned at their confused expressions. "Bucky, being the winner, has so graciously bestowed that gift to me now. Get ready boys. I'm talking High School Musical. Hamilton. I'll have the two of you singing Taylor Swift in the shower." You, along with the rest of the team, laughed at their expense. Their grim expressions had you smiling, "oh please, I know you secretly love it!"

"Now, I have to go to bed. I have a date tomorrow." You winked at Bucky before sauntering off down the hall, the cheers of your teammates following you.

Invasion Fic AU - Frostiron (Tony/Loki)

Frostiron Holiday Wishes Challenge ❆ 🎅🎄 Prompt by @kimmycup Fic written by @worstloki Note: AH! So sorry this is a late post, tumblr messed up and I didn’t receive this on Xmas day! Ah! Thank you @worstloki for resending! TwT <3333 Edited the post! Sorry! 

Wish (Prompt/Idea): Invasion fic where Tony figures out Loki was mind controlled before Loki does: "But I WAS in control. Thanos didn't control me like I did Clint." "Yeah sure. And if you wanted to take over the world, what would you do?" Loki spluttered, fully aware that plan was dumb. Still, he would KNOW if he were controlled... Right? "But I wasn't mind controlled! It was me!"

“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll have that drink now,” Loki says, his lips turning up in a half-smirk as he looks up at his assailants, posing with their weapons drawn and faces straight.

Honestly, Loki finds their confidence to be presumptuously astounding.

“Alright everyone, let’s pack it up, we can stand around posing up a storm later,” Tony says, breaking everyone into motion. “And you,” he says, pointing to Loki, “I could use your help outside with the portal thing.”

Loki blinks, and slowly turns his head to the side to ensure no one is behind him. There isn’t. It would appear the Midgardian is mad and indeed addressing him.

He clears his throat. “I’m afraid I misheard you, did you just ask for my help?”

“Yeah, Stark,” Clint butts in, “what the f*ck, dude.”

“I thought we were clear on the mind-control thing?” Tony asks the room, receiving the Avenger’s blank stares.

“Oh, come on, did none of you notice the wisecrack? That’s drastically different behaviour from evil monologues and your typical vengeance comment!” Tony argues, only to be met with silence.

“Not to mention the eye colour is a few shades more green-blue instead of just plain blue-green.”

He is met with silence again.

“What I’m getting from this, Stark,” Steve says, carefully, “is that you spent an uncharacteristic amount of time staring into his eyes.”

“Also, there was no mind-control involved,” Loki pointes out, “I acted of my own volition, and you’d think I would remember the sceptre being held out to me, so where are my handcuffs?”

Thor begins to walk over, but Tony holds a hand out. “Woah woah woah big guy, no handcuffs just yet, and the mind-sceptre can most definitely meddle with memories since Thor said he didn’t push Loki into any abyss, and I’m like 99% sure he’s innocent, give or take that last 1%.”  

“I’m sorry, did you say ‘no handcuffs just yet’?” Natasha points out. 

“So you do think he’s guilty of something.” 

“Yeah, of stealing my heart, next question Blank Widow.”  

Bruce rubs his hands over his face, “Tony, please tell me you’re not defending the guy because you think he’s pretty.” 

“Not pretty!” Tony clarifies, “Also hot and very fashionable.” 

Thor coughs. “I’m putting the handcuffs on now.” 

“Loki!” Tony says, pointing dramatically at aforementioned supposed criminal, “trivia time: if you were going to take over this planet how would you do it?” “I— “ Loki closes his mouth.  

“How would you do it?” Tony repeats. 

“Not like this,” Loki sighs, “probably starting with a gradual integration as pre-existing governing figures, and, if I was in a rush and had to use the army, I would get the entirety of it transported covertly and break it into divisions to attack various locations at once for maximum global disarray, at which point a unified governing system would be the only logical form of defense.” 

Tony looks to the other Avengers with an expression of ‘See? He’s not an idiot, give him some credit for this lousy excuse of an invasion.’ 

“This doesn’t prove anything!” Loki complains, crossing his arms. “The tiny wormhole over Stark Tower sounded good at the time.” 

“Mmm,” Tony hums, “Yeah, everyone carry on packing things up, Loki get over there and help move the portal-machine to my lab, I’m going to head down and compile all the HD images SHIELD surveillance can get of how terrible you looked when you first arrived on Earth to prove torture.”  

Loki sputters, “I know the plan was dumb, but it was all me! It wasn’t like with Clint and Selvig, I was in control of my actions! You can’t prove I’m innocent, and if you try, I’ll plead guilty!” 

“Lokes, I love that you’re so ready to take the fall, and maybe you’re feeling bad about what you did and think you deserve it, but I’m taking your case, and you’re not going to plead anything,” —Tony gestures to Thor— “because Shazam over here has a gag.” 

“That’s not allowed, legally speaking,” Steve points out. 

“I was kidding, relax, it’s his word against a yatch-load of evidence to the contrary.” 

“I wasn’t mind controlled,” Loki mumbles, rolling his eyes.  

“You were totally mind controlled,” Tony mumbles in return.  

Only one of them has evidence supporting their mumbling. 

Undying Fidelity

(Loki X Sigyn!OC)

Summary: Sigyn is feeling v stressy and depressy after Loki dies. She volunteers to return to 2012 New York with Tony, Steve, Scott, and Bruce. Her reasons weren’t selfish, she promises. Chaos ensues. Big dorks. 

My first time writing for any fandom besides TWD but this idea has been in my head since the Loki trailer came out and I couldn’t shake it so here it is lmao.

Sigyn had felt like the world moved in slow motion from the moment the life had left Loki’s body. The snap had only made things worse. It had been 5 years since she had seen pretty much anyone other than Thor and sometimes the residents of New Asgard. She kept to herself more often than not. 

It was almost ironic how Loki had spoken of undying fidelity shortly before his life had been snuffed out. Meanwhile her own undying fidelity had seemed to leave her cursed with never-ending grief.

The talk of time travel had gained her interest almost as soon as the idea was pitched to the team. Asgard was an option but she knew that wouldn’t be the best option for her. Odds were that in the time they would send them back to, the residents would still think that she was dead.

Her heart had done a funny sort of flip-flop as they talked about heading back to New York. Her stomach sank even lower as an image of Loki was pulled up on the screen.

“So Sigyn will come to Asgard with myself and the rabbit,” Thor began to announce.

Her brown eyes drifted over to where Rocket had, once again, slapped himself on the forehead in frustration. “As much as I would love to go back to Asgard, I believe my skills are needed in New York.”

“You sure that’s such a good idea there, Frosty?” Tony quirked an eyebrow. 

“Are you sure it’s such a good idea to have two Hulks in one place? No offense, Bruce.”

“She’s right.” Steve spoke up, “I know what you’re thinking, Tony, and it won’t happen.”

Sigyn locked eyes with Tony for a moment before the older man relented. “Fine. But any funny business and I’m leaving your ass back in 2012.”

~

She hated travel. Whether it was through space or time, it all sucked to her. All the hair on her arms seemed to stand up inside of the suit as she shared one last worried look with Thor before they were off. Something was different about hurtling through space when you were a lot smaller.

“We all have our assignments,” Steve began as Sigyn stood up straighter and began to glance around. She knew he was around but more importantly she could feel him again.

A loud roar jolted her from her thoughts as she took a step closer to the men she had traveled with. There was the Hulk. Or the old Hulk. However time travel worked, there was the previous Hulk from that time smashing up a car like his life depended on it. 

A small smirk crept onto her face as she caught the embarrassed look that Banner had on his face. That was the champion she had seen back on Sakaar. A total wild animal. 

This Bruce, however, didn’t seem to have any of that in him anymore. Sigyn’s head tilted slightly as the rest of them watched the green man try to get back into how he was before. “Well, he’s a little confused..” She muttered.

“But he’s sure got the spirit.” Tony joked. “Let’s roll.”

Sigyn didn’t even have to ask where they were going. Sure, they had talked about it in the plans but she felt like she was almost in a trance as she scurried after Tony and Scott as Steve split off from them with a flash of a reassuring smile.

~

After not using her magic for what was probably years, she was surprised that she didn’t stumble as she landed inside the Stark tower right after Tony. As she slipped behind the stone wall to hide from their old selves, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek. Did her hair really look like that from behind? Ew.

“If it’s all the same to you,” her heart leapt into her throat, “I’ll have that drink now.” Tony gripped her arm a little too hard. Her eyes narrowed as she shot him a look.

The 2012 version of her let out a quiet snort of laughter. She remembered the look that Natasha had shot her. “What?” She heard herself say. 

“All right, get him on his feet.” The younger Tony Stark ordered. “Uh-uh. Not you, princess. Come on, Point Break. Get him up. We can all stand around posing up a storm later. By the way, feel free to clean up.”

“Wow I almost forgot how much of an ass you were, Stark,” Sigyn hissed through gritted teeth.

“At least I had style. Speaking of! Mr. Rogers, I almost forgot. That suit did nothing for your ass.” Tony shook his head in mock sympathy. 

Steve practically sounded like he was rolling his eyes. “No one asked you to look, Tony.”

Sigyn raised an eyebrow and shrugged in agreement as she caught sight of Captain America. That suit really was terrible. 

“I think you look great, Cap. As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass,” Scott called out over the line.

“C’mon.” Sigyn whispered, “No one likes a...kiss ass.” She smirked as Tony shot her an appreciative look.

“Who gets the magic wand?” Nat asked.

Thank god that Tony knew his way around Stark tower more than anyone even after years of not living there. Sigyn’s eyes narrowed as she watched the Hydra agents in disguise begin to file into the apartment from their new hiding place.

A laugh nearly slipped out as she watched Loki transform into Steve from across the room. “I mean honestly,” he joked as he turned back into himself, “how do you keep your food down?” 

“Shut up,” Thor snapped as he placed a lock over Loki’s mouth. 

“I wish I could tell you dearest,” she heard herself say as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. In spite of Loki being in chains. A prisoner. She watched herself grab him gently by the arm to lead him into the elevator with Thor almost like when they used to walk through the gardens together. “But then I would have to kill you.”

Tony’s grasp on her shoulder pulled her out of the moment as he pulled her back towards the window. The plan flooded back into her mind as she began to plummet backwards towards the ground. She let out a grunt as she was finally able to regain her own balance to drift back towards the ground without Stark’s help.

“What’s-a matter, Frosty? No knight in shining metal armor today,” Stark joked. 

“You burn my hair with those flaming feet of yours and you won’t make it back to the future,” she hissed through gritted teeth as the small green embers flickered from her own fingers as she continued on a quick course back to the ground. 

~

“Looking fresh, Stark,” Sigyn mumbled as she walked up beside Tony in her own security outfit. The only difference was her long blonde hair hung out from under the helmet. “Almost didn’t recognize you without the extra few inches of metal.”

“That really hurts me, you know. I would think for someone so old you would want to be a little nicer to the younger gen-ow!” Tony rubbed his arm as he received a hard pinch. 

“Shut up. Here we come,” she swallowed hard as she spotted herself again out of the corner of her eye. She walked side by side with Loki with her head held high. It was amazing how she could walk like that when she remembered how she’d felt. She had known that Loki had pretty much signed his own death sentence and yet still she walked beside him with pride. He was her husband and she was loyal to him. It was her gift and her biggest curse. 

“Thumbelina, do you copy? I’ve got eyes on the prize,” Tony chirped into the ear piece. 

“I’m going inside you,” Scott whispered back after a moment. Sigyn’s eyebrows shot up as she shot an amused glance at Tony. 

Sigyn flashed him a delicate smile. “I didn’t realize I would learn so much about your personal life today, Mr. Stark.”

“Quiet down, Glinda. We don’t want Elphaba to hear you.”

“May I ask you where you’re going?” Pierce’s voice made her skin crawl as she watched him approach the group. 

“A bit of lunch and then Asgard,” Thor answered cheerfully.

“Perhaps a stop for gas. I hear mileage on the Bifrost is killer these days,” past Sigyn cooed as she shot a look back at Loki over her shoulder. 

Pierce stood up a little straighter. “I’m going to have to ask you to turn the prisoner over to me.”

Sigyn could almost feel her throat close up all over again as she watched herself take a defensive step back towards Loki. Her hand came to rest a mere inch away from the handle of her knife.

Tony whispered beside her, “Easy, Sig. We know how this goes, right?” He paused. “I see what you mean by the whole fidelity thing though but the victory thing?”

“Hush!” She hissed back as she watched Loki turn slightly with an annoyed look in his eye. The woman turned to face the other way quickly as chaos seemed to be breaking out behind them again. Pierce had always been an asshole that much was sure. She wished she could’ve said she were surprised when she found out he was Hydra all along. Her stomach churned as more thoughts raced through her head of what they would have done to her husband if they’d gotten a hold of him in the first place.

Sigyn squeezed her eyes shut tight as she heard the crackle through the ear piece and a different sort of chaos broke out. “Oh my gods! Stark,” she heard her own panicked voice and the two of them turned to see herself abandon Loki and reach a hand out to steady Tony.

“Aw, you do care.” 

Sigyn resisted the urge to punch Tony in the chest for good measure. Her heart leapt as the suitcase with the tesseract spun towards them. Her pulse quickened as Tony leaned down to pick up the case and her gaze wandered for just a moment. Loki had noticed. 

“Good job, meet me in the alley,” Tony mumbled as he began to quickly exit the building. She was just about to take a few steps to follow when another explosion happened. Except it wasn’t so much of an explosion as it was a rampaging green monster busting down a door.

“Oh shit,” she hissed through her teeth as she skittered back. Stark landed at her feet with a groan but a softer noise drew her attention. A soft tinkling noise and her gaze flickered to the case. The tesseract. 

Time seemed to stand still again as Loki glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with her. A confused look crossed the upper portion of his face for a moment before he glanced back towards the chaos ensuing over past Tony. He had noticed.

With one last look back at her, he knelt down to pick up the tesseract. She thought she heard Tony grunt something but her feet carried her quicker than she could ever remember running before. 

Just as Loki stood again, Sigyn came within one step of him. The sudden noise behind him made him turn once more. She gritted her teeth into a grimace as she placed both her hands on the tesseract. Sigyn fully intended to yank the damned thing right out of his fingers but before she could, she felt a strange sensation. A wall of blue and black smoke engulfed the pair of them.

She hated space travel.

~

Loki landed in the sand with a loud grunt despite the muzzle still over his mouth. The tesseract was still in his grasp. Had he even really seen what he thought he had?

A loud scream echoed through the air around him. His eyebrows raised as another portal seemed to open in the sky right above him. A figure all in black fell through it; arms flailed and legs kicked as the ground seemed to raise to meet them.

Another loud grunt left Loki, this time a more pained one as the smaller figure landed right on top of him. 

Quickly, the woman rolled to the other side and let out a quiet groan as she pulled the helmet from her head. With a fluid movement, the black object was tossed aside into the sand before she flopped back onto the sand. A grunt beside her alerted her to the presence of the man. Without even a glance to the side, she reached over and pressed a hand to his mouth to deactivate the muzzle. 

“Lovely of you to drop in, Sigyn,” Loki coughed as he took a deep breath.

Sigyn let out an annoyed grunt. “A pleasure, as always.”

Loki caught her gaze out of the corner of his eye as he rose to a sitting position. “You should have just let me take it,” he hissed through his teeth.

Sigyn let out a heavy sigh as she sat up and shrugged off the heavy black bulletproof vest and jacket she wore. “And let you cause more chaos and destroy more cities?”

Loki glanced over at her. A nearly imperceptible look of nervousness crossed his face before he smirked at her. “Who says that’s what I was going to do with it.”

Sigyn rolled her eyes as her gaze flickered forward to a small group of people that were moving slowly towards them. “I would like to think I know you better than you know yourself. Whatever you do, we’re in this together now.” She wasn’t about to lose him again. Not so soon.

“I’m positively touched,” he cooed.

“Til death do us part, darling.” And even after.

4 a.m

Bucky x Fem!reader

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Summary: Bucky calls you at 4 am because he missed you, and you pick up.

Warnings: Language? Idk.

Word count: 1.6k

A/N: Kinda based on the song “4get” by Voilá. And this is the first English one-shot I’ve ever wrote, so feedback is well accepted in here. Enjoy!

The phone was ringing wildly from the table at the side of the bed; you’d just agreed to yourself to let it ring, it was pretty damn late at night and you got to wake up really early in the morning. At the time the phone ringed, again, you extended your hand, passing it around searching for the goddamn phone, you just wondered who the fuck was calling at that hours; they should know that anything done passed 12 pm was between god and them, not you. 

When your hand finally found it you sat, pushing your messy hair out of your face. Your eyes closing when they met with the bright screen of the phone. It took you a couple of seconds and slightly opening your eyes to read the name on the screen, yet it wasn’t a number you had registered.

“Hello?” You answered with confusion and your eyes closed, still sleepy. When your voice got to Bucky’s ears a sad smile posed on her face, his mind imagining you with your messy hair, closed eyes and probably rubbing them with the palm of your hand, trying to wake up a little more, just how you were when he came home from work to the apartment you both shared. “If this is a prank call I’m blocking you” You said when you got no answer, just about to hang up.

“No, no, ‘m sorry.” He said before you tried to hung up. When you heard him you finally woke completely up, your eyes widened and your brows went up with surprise, you hadn’t talked in more than a year. 

“Y’know, I would love to hate you, I- I really would Y/N.”

His whisper to the phone was sad, melancholic, making you to furrow your brows even more confused. You were about to reply defensive but he interrupted you.

“Hate your smile, your eyes, the little wrinkles in your eyes when you laugh and sound like a pig.” 

“Barnes are you drunk?”

“I don’t know actually, I don’t think I can get drunk anymore.” He said sincerely to you while looking ath the glass of whiskey. “But hey, shut up a sec and listen to me. Y/N”. He shushed you while extending his index flesh finger to air, just as if you were standing in front of him. “I- I’m sorry.” He muttered while letting out a heavy sigh. “I know I messed up badly, I was stupid in every possible way.” He said, putting beside his empty liquor glass. “Goddammit, I miss you. I really miss you.”

“Buck, you should’ve thought of that before breaking up with me, a year ago.” You said, sitting in your bed with your legs crossed.

“I know; I- I know. Steve is always telling me the same shit and I’m sick of knowing he’s right.” The frustration on Bucky’s voice was noticeable, especially by you. He was trying to get drunk with some whiskey but failing. “Every morning I wake up and get reminded of my mistake.”

You stand up from your bed in silence, walking to the little balcony your apartment had, looking at the city that never slept.

Both Bucky and you knew he was going to regret this call later, but he felt like he should, no, he had to get that weight off of his shoulders.

“You remember that time I got sick and you tried to make some soup and ended up burning it? I still not know how the heck you did that.” He said after a little silence. “You came to the bedroom and your face was a poem, you didn’t knew how to tell me you burned the boiling water and we needed some knew pots.”

“Shut up Barnes, go home and sleep.” You said, not wanting to listen to him and that bullshit. You looked up trying to figure out the hour; it must be really late.

“Were we worth it?” He asked, looking by the bar’s windows to the cars passing through the street.

“Bucky…”

“No, answer me Y/N.” He told. “Were we worth it?”

A heavy sigh escaped through you lips, you leaned your head down with tiredness. “We were, yeah, at the beginning, when it was all pink.” You said. “But we were not worth it later, when all we did was argue, arguing day and night, face to face or by phone; at that point it wasn’t worth it anymore.” 

“I- I want to know something…” He started, just as if he didn’t ask enough.

“Go ahead.” You said, sitting on a little bench you had, still looking at the tall buildings in front of you.

“Why you didn’t come back? Why you didn’t stopped me from ending us?” 

Your heart felt heavy, you knew the answer perfectly but weren’t sure if he wanted to hear it, if you wanted to accept it. “We… We weren’t working anymore Buck, you gave up on us and I didn’t wanted to keep trying, it wasn’t worth fighting for a lost relationship where we were unhappy about 80 percent of the time. I didn’t wanted that in my life, or yours.” You said, all the bitter unhappy moments hitting back on you like a truck. 

“Oh, alright.” He said and the line went on silence, Hotline Bling sounding on the background at the bar. “So… um, I think I should let you sleep, sorry.”

“Don’t worry, is not like I got to work in the morning.”

“Oh really?”

“Of course I do Bucky, is Tuesday. Not all of us go around saving the world on weird schedules.” You said rolling your eyes. “And is fucking four, you should be sleeping too.”

“Yeah, whatever, I can deal with Sam’s annoying ass in the noon.” He said, causing a smile on your face while remembering how those two got along, you missed those stupid men too. 

“And how are Sam and Steve doing? Does Steve still have that keeping-up-with-pop-culture list?” You asked when the call turned a little bit more comfortable, it was probably just the really late vibe hitting in.

“Sam is annoying as always, and Steve, well… is Steve.” He said, both of you let out a light laugh at the simplicity of the answer; yet you knew exactly what he meant.

Silence installed himself again when both of your laughs vanished slowly, it was a weird-not-uncomfortable silence where you both drowned in your feelings and thoughts. You felt like it was your turn to ask questions.

“What did you felt when we were together?” You asked concerned.

Bucky’s mind stopped working for a second before answering, that was a good damn question. “It all felt like it was meant to be there, like you were the one putting my life together, you made me feel normal again. I loved you.” He thought his words enough so he wasn’t too much a weirdo. “And you?”

You kept silence, waiting for the right words to come. “When we were together I felt like all my worries were kicked out of my life, like everything was in order with me and my life and I would never let you go.” That last words were like stone in both hearts, realizing how messed up everything got later.

The weird silence came in again; it was like he didn’t leave at all. 

“Oh fuck it.” You heard Bucky cursing under his breath. “Look, I’m in a bar at four in the morning, paying fourteen dollars for a drink that I don’t know what it is, they have been playing songs of this man all night long and somehow you are the only thing running through my mind all damn night. I know we messed up, like really messed up. But what if we tried again?” He concluded, spilling all what he really wanted to say to you when he first called but didn’t had the guts to say.

“You think that if it didn’t work out once it will work out later?” 

“Yes, I do. Maybe it was just not the right moment for us to happen. But I need you back in my life, Y/N please, give me, us a chance again.” He pleaded to the phone.

“Buck…” And that’s it, that is all you could say at the moment, it was really late to be thinking coherently and you needed to give him an answer.

After some more seconds of silence, he understood, nodding to himself and trying to swallow the pill. “Sure, ‘m sorry, didn’t meant to disturb.” He said finally regretting the whole call. “Goodnight Y/N” He said defeated, lowering his glaze and his mouth curving downwards knowing it was time to hung up.

“No, Buck, wait.” You said when you heard him sighing. “Let’s start slowly, as friends.” “Friends don’t feel this way.” He thought while listening to you.

“What about Dunkin’ Donuts at 2 o’ clock on Friday?” You suggested, making him smile to the phone.

“Dunkin’ Donuts at two, I’ll see you there.” He sentenced, nodding his head as if you could see him.

“By the way, how you got my number?” You asked finally thinking about it.

He made weird shh noises with his mouth. “Oh no, I’m losing reception, what a shame, see you on Friday. bye!” He said childishly making you laugh and forming a dumb smile in his face.

“Night.”

“Night doll.” He said just before you finally hung up.

Both of you were left with a bright smile on your face, you just looked silently at the lights and buildings of New York as he paid for the check and got out of the bar. What a hell of a night.

Freed

(Oneshot)

Pairing: Platonic!stucky (aka Steeb and Bonky) x Gender-neutral!teen!reader (later becomes adoptive!sibling)

Words: 4600+

Type: lil angst (for introduction and back-story), Fluff, platonic.

Warning: lil angst, a couple of bad words.

A/N: This is in answer for my first request! I really had a fun time writing it. Thank you sweet anon for your lovely request! Hope I didn't disappoint. Would love your feedback!

Summary/Request:

Those eyes, just like his own once.

Bucky looked down at you as you took up a defensive pose in front of him, trying to act menacing and the heartless soldier you were molded into. Act, because he looked at your eyes and immediately understood that unfortunately, you had a better understanding of what would happen to you if you so much as dared to show your target a negligible fraction of mercy or hesitated to attack and render yourself weak.

He knew because he saw himself in the pair of eyes he stared into. Once new to this ruthless predicament you were in,  he understood that following commands and surviving yourself was a higher priority to you than caring about any other thing in the world at that moment. You had no other choice and were helpless. Just like HYDRA wanted it's puppets to be.

He took in your stance; legs spread wide, both arms bent at the elbows, one at shoulder level and the other raised in front of yourself. Atop a body covered with black garments sat a head with such a sneer he would've thought you were an animal caged inside a human's shape. Because that's how HYDRA had treated him, just like an animal.

You looked young to him; really young. He couldn't help but drown in pity for you. Oh, a child of only fifteen, maybe sixteen, too young for the horrors he supposed you would've witnessed and gone through while in their hold.

He kept up his gun poised steadily at you, though he hated himself for threatening a kid, and tried to think how low could HYDRA have gone to kidnap yet another innocent soul and turn it into a killing machine. He then realised that they didn't really know any limits. It was a bottomless pit. They grabbed at anything and everything beneficial to them, not thinking even a bare minimum amount of others. They never even had a conscience to begin with.

He then noticed that one thing almost unique only to you. At first he thought it was some sort of new mobile weapon developed by those horrendous scientists, but then was horrified as he corrected himself that - no, no that couldn't be a weapon, at least not a mobile one since it literally jutted out from between your knuckles. Three metallic blades on each hand with the luster of his old metal arm, nearly six inches long.

What in the hell have they done?

On the way over to this HYDRA base, Bucky had sworn he'd burn this place to the ground and not let any of these beastly people live. But he couldn't go through with that after watching you. He couldn't do that to a victim just like him, a child nonetheless.

"Hey, kid," He cautiously took a step forward, gun still raised, slow and calm enough to show you he didn't mean any harm but alert and stiff enough to show you that he wouldn't hesitate if you wouldn't. "I don't wanna hurt you."

"You never can." You spat back and stood your ground.

Steve's voices cackled through his earpiece, "What kid?"

Ignoring Steve for now, Bucky kept forwarding towards you slowly, "I know what they do to you, what they will keep doing to you." Bucky didn't exactly know that, but he could make nearly accurate guesses. He gauged your reaction. You tried to remain as stoic as possible, but the slight  furrow of your eyebrows encouraged him to continue, "They had me once too, but I was broken free. I am not like them. I can help you, trust me."

You charged forward and tried to strike at him  with your dominant hand, but he ducked. You tried again but he dropped his gun and grabbed both your elbows to criss-cross them in front of your chest, your back pressed to the wall. Your looked at him for a hard moment before sneering, "That's what they told me."

Bucky saw in your eyes that you badly wanted to believe him, but he supposed a past incident had given you enough wisdom from outright trusting any stranger, "They made me think that they had helped me too."

This time round you couldn't help your eyes from narrowing. Confusion sat blankly at your face, though the fight to break free still persisted. He hated to admit that he had to work in order to restrain a teenager. No doubt that they had experimented on you too.

Bucky gestured to his arm. Only then did you realise that it wasn't a part of his costume - one black left sleeve of the burgundy jacket, which you had thought to be in the dimly lit hallway. No, it was not an extremely fitted sleeve; it was his arm, black and gold and made of metal, you realised.

They replaced a whole arm with metal?

Your eyes widened and the struggle in you began to subside. Bucky continued, "They captured me, tortured me, but there were these people who helped me break free. I am with them now, let us help you."

You looked at him, trying to decipher whether he was lying, and after a careful and slow moment you found out he wasn't.

Bodies of HYDRA agents, either dead or unconscious, were scattered front and back. The stench of their blood filled the air. You had seen him destroy those bodies when conscious with an unparalleled vengeance you didn't understand. You concluded it to be his fighting style, but then you understood the reason behind it. If he was saying the truth and your perception of body language hadn't gone rusty,  you believed he fought with rage and a want for revenge for all he was put through when in their control. You believed him.

Yet you couldn't be too sure, "Why?" Your timid voice asked.

He smiled, "Because I don't want another soul to go through what I did." You believed him this time too.

~

Bucky led you to the quinjet, where everyone had already assembled. Everyone was skeptical of you, everyone but a brown haired girl who seemed only a few years older to you. She reminded everyone of something along the lines of her being in your shoes a few years past.

By the talking you heard, you found out that the brown haired girl could read minds. So they had experimented on her too, you thought. They wanted Wanda to take a peek in your head to be assured that you wouldn't try to be clever with them. You grew uncomfortable with the idea, but the metal armed savior said that they could only help you if they trusted you, and the girl assured you that she would only look into the parts necessary and wouldn't pry for more. You agreed, because you were desperate for their help, desperate to be free of the horrid people who had tormented you to no end. She looked and you were approved.

Everyone was curious to know more about you, a potential addition to the team in near future, but kept their inquisitions to themselves. Before reaching the jet, you had retracted your blades into your palm, and Bucky had watched flabbergasted as the skin between your knuckles healed immediately, leaving no trace of the deadly weapon now inside your body, but decided not to comment on it.

You had naturally chosen to sit beside Bucky on the way back. He gave you a vibe, one which you hadn't felt in a long, long time; of safety and security. For so long you had spent in that dirty den of monsters, without once being taken care of, doing whatever immoral things they commanded you to, or receiving punishment for not doing it. You'd receive punishments even when you did complete the task, because they somehow always seemed to point out a flaw in your execution which didn't exist.

You saw a man sit on the other side of the metal armed man, blond with blue eyes and a similar built to Bucky, you learnt. A weird name, you thought, but cute as well. You told him his name shyly when he asked.

You wanted to know more about the Bucky and Wanda, who seemed to have been under HYDRA's clutches previously, but felt too nervous to initiate a conversation with strangers. The fact that almost every team member of the Avengers, they seemed to call themselves, was present on the quinjet and crammed the space didn't make it any easier on you. Neither did the fact that you had no idea about what your future would hold.

Bucky noticed your anxiety and  wasn't sure if you'd be okay with it, but he took a chance and patted your shoulder reassuring you, "Everything will be fine." You believed him yet again.

Throughout the journey, a few words were exchanged, complimentary with a few smiles. You felt even more safe and at ease with Bucky than before. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was the first person in a long time to want to help you genuinely. Perhaps it was due to the fact that you knew you and him had somewhat same shared experiences of torture by nearly the same people, so your mind assumed he would know and understand what and how you felt. Whatever it may be, you were glad to have someone generous enough to offer to help you out when every nerve and muscle of your body had intended to harm them.

When the jet landed, others went for debriefing while you were sent to the med bay. You didn't want to go alone into the unknown space, so you set your pleading anxious eyes on Bucky, who without another word accompanied you after sharing a look with the blond, Steve. Dr. Banner and his team took various scans and tests, all with Bucky by your side because you refused to let him be out of your sight.

Meanwhile the team discussed on how to handle the situation. After all, you were still a child to them. They knew it would be how it was with recruiting Wanda all over again, a scared teenager ripped apart from normalcy trying to find a place and meaning with all these people who were anything but normal. She had Vision by her side, and now you have Bucky.

Everyone saw your immediate closeness with Bucky, and the slight protectiveness Bucky had taken over you. Since you felt more at ease with Bucky than anyone else, it was a unanimous decision to let him handle the progress you made with the team,

And, of course, Steve too. It was an unspoken rule. How could he not not be involved anywhere where Bucky was?

After all the tests and scans, you were given a clean set of clothes and were guided to a washroom where you could freshen up. When you went inside the shower, you expected the shower of water to be cool as you turned the knob. Surprise was the understatement of the century when you felt soothing warm droplet fall over you.

You checked out the various items placed by a small counter in the shower with labels which you could read but didn't know what they meant. You looked across  at the large mirror. For the first time in a very long time again, you could really take yourself in. The dips and curves of your body, or the lack thereof; the proportions of yourself. It felt weird not exactly knowing what your own self looked like. Despite the presence of mirrors, you never had a chance to ponder over your looks, even while bathing. Your body and skills and the blades were what was the most important to them; never your looks.

All of this newfound freedom felt so overwhelming, you broke down and allowed yourself to pour your eyes out and sob the pain of all those dreadful memories out of your mind, something which you were never allowed to do before.

As the water ran cold, you stepped out of the shower and into the clean clothes provided. When you met Bucky outside, he noticed your red and puffy eyes, but didn't say anything.

You later met everyone in a large sitting area. Dr. Banner and his team were extremely efficient. They had informed everyone of the special abilities you had as a result of the experiment. You had a very high metabolism and extraordinarily fast self-healing abilities, much higher than that of the super soldiers present.

Moreover, your palm looked normal superficially only. In reality, the metacarpals and carpus of your palm were connected to the radius and ulna of your palm in such a fashion that they accommodated six inches long and one-fourth of an inch wide plates, three in each arm, made up of an alloy yet to be named (adamantium, you learned very later on), but they found it to be similar to titanium. Their purpose was a mystery to them.

When confronted about it post your shower, you didn't know how to explain, so you opted to simply show them instead. You jut them out, piercing the skin between your knuckles. Everyone looked at you stunned. They realised that they weren't metal plates which Bruce talked about; no, they were blades. Feeling overly self conscious, you retreated the blades and pulled your arms by your side, palms on your knees, sitting uncomfortably stiff and straight like the perfect soldier you were trained to be. As soon as the blades were back inside your flesh, the pierced wounds amongst your knuckles weaved back into your skin faster than one could blink, showing no evidence of even a slight scratch.

Some sat open mouthed and some couldn't form sentences or words other than, "Wow" , "Woah", and "Holy cow". You blushed hardly. No one had ever looked at your way and given you such amazed reactions.

Sensing your discomfort once again, Bucky wrapped an arm around your shoulder and asked everyone to move onto other important things. Seeing a little super soldiers with great powers, they wanted to recruit you to the team, but only if you wanted and when you were mentally healthy.

Of course you wanted to join them after learning of their purpose. You had done many bad things and wanted to do something good with the weapon you were cursed with. Bucky and Steve loved and appreciated the fact that though you weren't sure of who you were exactly yet, you were sure of all the good deeds you wanted to do despite experiencing only the worse.

Later that night you were given your own quarters, right next to Bucky's. You were utterly thankful for it. When you proceeded to sleep on the bed, you found it too soft to relax enough to sleep. Having only known mattresses as hard as the ground it was kept upon, you hadn't known that a mattress could be as soft as your were given. You were conflicted between being grateful and vexed.

Regardless, you didn't sleep that night. You decided to step out of your room and into the common balcony of your floor to get some fresh air. You stayed there for a few minutes and realised bringing a jacket would have been a better idea if you wanted to spend your night away staring at the shiny  and sprinkling stars above.

As you walked back the length of the hallway, Bucky suddenly appeared in front of you. Filled with shock, you instinctively drew your blades and took up a defensive position, blades placed in front of his neck.

"Hey kid, calm down. I'm not trying to heart ya." Bucky put his hands up to show he was harmless.

Ashamed and guilty, you drew your blades in and looked down at the floor and shook your head, "Sorry...I was just surprised, I guess."

"It's alright, kid. Sorry, I shouldn't have been that quiet." You didn't understand why he apologized for what was his nature, but you gave him a little nod nonetheless.

"What are you here, by the way?" He looked inquisitively at you.

"Couldn't sleep. I wanted to get a jacket to sit down in the balcony." You still didn't meet his eyes. He understood the unspoken words; that you couldn't adjust to all this with just a clip of your fingers.

You felt awfully bad for how you reacted to someone who had thought more good of you in a few hours than the beasts you escaped from had in all your lifetime. Still overwhelmed from all the new and good possibilities your future could hold, tears sprang to your eyes.

Bucky wanted to comfort you, to assure you  that you were safe here, that him and the others would look our for you. He tried to make himself as small as possible and gently asked in a soft voice, "Is it okay if I hug you?"

You looked up at him with wide eyes. Bringing your here and freeing you from those varlets; he had already done so much. Why did he want to go out of his way for your comfort? Whatever the reason may be, being gentle touch deprived all your life, you didn't want to turn him down. You nodded.

He smiled and slowly took a step forward. He encircled you in his arms. You broke down again at his soft touch and laid your head in his chest, not quite as tall as him. He used one palm to pet your head, whispering sweet words to assure you that you are well and everything would be fine.

When you calmed down enough, he asked, "Would you mind if I accompany you?" You nodded again.

After getting your respective jackets, you sat down in the small couch placed in the balcony. You leaned into him. He put an arm around you and you both looked at the stars above wordlessly.

This continued for a few nights. You'd come to the balcony and he'd already be there. You'd keep your head on his shoulders and stare into the night sky. You'd dose off and Bucky would remain in the same posture, afraid to wake you. Sometimes he would be lulled into sleep too by the beautiful atmosphere. You both didn't need much sleep, thanks to the serums in your bloods. You'd wake up in a couple of hours, refreshed and back into your rooms.

In the daytime, you were assigned to therapy and sharpening you skills in the gym. Steve would take care of that. He'd help you correct your techniques and style with pushing you much, in a soft and gentle way. You were grateful to him too.

On your fifth night on the balcony, Steve had joined you guys too. You didn't know the reason why, he just came and sat on your other side and slumped down enough to rest his head on the back rest and eyes on the twinkling night sky.

After a few moments he spoke, "Beautiful, isn't it?" Words of confirmation were exchanged, and so you three began talking.

Steve and Bucky first shared their stories of the previous century, after hearing which you were surprised to know Steve had survived through all the 'idiocy' stuff he did. Bucky's words, not yours. Feeling comfortable enough, you told them the things you hadn't even shared with your therapist. Bucky held your hand and Steve stroked your back as you went through a roller coaster of emotions. Bucky told you about his own time under HYDRA's control, sparing the gruesome details, to give you a hint that in a way he understood all you had gone through.

You felt really good, as if a weight had been lifted off of your chest. As the conversation died down, so did your conscious pulling you into a deep peaceful sleep.

Being with you, taking care of you, Bucky and Steve were reminded of a sibling they had too little time with. They liked this unofficial care-taking role.

After the talk that night, or rather early morning, you seemed very cheerful and elevated for that day and the days to come. You started to initiate small conversation with everyone, smiling gleefully at everyone you passed in the hallways, opened up more to your therapist, and gave Steve your best while training.

Soon you were cleared for missions, accompanied with Bucky, Steve and Sam. You were exceedingly excited for your first mission; to start doing things right with the advancements you were given to do only the wrongs. Bucky and Steve had given you a lengthy talk about keeping your safety in mind, to not overexert yourself and not be too rash in your decisions. You calmed them down with a long hug to each, assuring them you would take care of yourself.

Almost every mission from there onwards, you were paired with at least either one of them or both. In the compound too, you had become inseparable from them, or maybe they from you. Movie nights had been introduced, where they would show you all the hits from your own generation which you had missed or from their own, along with those which the others had shown to them.

They soon took over a pair of protective older brothers' role. They wouldn't let Sam or anyone else mess with you, except for themselves. They started calling you all these crazy and funny nicknames to tick you off. In retaliation, you started calling them Steeb and Bonky. They hadn't looked happy.

When you started dating, they would give murderous glares to anyone you were with, which would give them a clear enough idea not to be in your bad books. Steeb would keep his hand on his hips, broadening his shoulders and flexing his biceps. Bonky would make the presence of his metal arm even more obvious by doing everything with it and whirring the plates constantly to make enough noise to give your date a hint.

Then came the ever dreaded 'talk'. They felt that since you had started dating, things between you and your significant other would  escalate quickly either now or in the near future. They felt it was their responsibility to give you 'the talk'. You had been ever grateful for their presence in your life up until then. All three of you ended that conversation with faces red enough to rival Bonky's burgundy leather jacket.

Once Sam had approached you to prank them. You were eager to do whatever Sam had planned. The end result had been Bonky's arm and Steeb's shield adorned with stickers of various mindless things stuck with a strong adhesive. They had had a field day in scrapping and removing the glue with a shitload of acetone.

Your birthday was coming in a few days. Steeb and Bonky wanted it to be special; your first birthday outside of HYDRA. You didn't remember celebrating your birthday ever, so when the day rolled around you didn't suspect a thing when Steeb and Bonky offered to take you to Coney Island. You hadn't even remembered it was your birthday.

You spent the day in disguise so as to not be recognised, hopping from one ride to another and stuffing your face with anything you found appealing. Though you had a higher metabolism than the other two super soldiers, they didn't think eating the way you were was a good idea, but they couldn't say no to your puppy dog eyes and the cheeky grin you put on in victory afterwards.

You had stopped on a shooting stall to play, but Bonky cast you aside before you could even fully reach there, paid the amount and started shooting. Shoulders slumping, Steeb sighed loudly.

He was an excellent shooter - hell, he was a sniper in the WW2 and is currently one for the Avengers. Everyone knew that, but to not make anyone suspicious of his true identity he purposefully hit the first few shots wider. The stall keeper watched with a smug smile, convinced the last shot wouldn't be any different cause it hardly ever was. Steeb hid his smirk with the pretense of clearing his throat as Bonky hit bullseye, earning a giant [whatever you want] for you. You squealed as you accepted it, hugging and squeezing it to your chest after hugging Bonky.

By the time you had reached the compound, your faces were lit up with a hundred watt smiles. You had thoroughly enjoyed the day to its best and didn't think it could have gotten any better. Laughing your asses off, your heart came to your throat as you stepped out of the elevator and everyone yelled, "Surprise!"

A banner hung from the ceiling written, 'Happy Birthday Y/N'. You were momentarily surprised as you gaped at it open mouthed. Balloons and string lights were scattered beautifully across the living room. You didn't register who took Bonky's win from your arms and who hugged your limo form, wishing you. When it finally registered, you were teary eyed as you looked at everyone's genuinely happy expression.

You were determined not to cry but all hell broke loose when Wanda brought in a small and cute cake with icing piped in her trademark way, candles lit. You broke down then and there, crying into your elbow. Bonky and Steeb instantly hugged you from both sides. Petting your head, Steeb said, "Aw kid, don't cry."

You felt elated. No one had ever thought of or cared for you enough to organise a little something behind your back for your birthday, so that you were happy. You had hugged everyone as you thanked them, still overwhelmed. Candles were blown and the cake was cut. A big portion of the icing was in your face. You didn't complain though; you felt appreciated and loved.

A few weeks later you were graced with a mission where your right lung got punctured and a few ribs got broken. Even with your abilities, it took you a day to gain consciousness and another three for all your injuries to heal completely.

Steeb and Bonky had lost it when you fell into their arms when you got attacked and wouldn't wake up in the quinjet. The next day until you were conscious, they hadn't slept or left your side after the required surgery. They had been soft with you until you were discharged, but as soon as you got okay, they blew up your head with unending scoldings and lectures for you to be safe. They crushed you to their chests later, telling you how scared you had made them.

Though you felt bad for worrying them, you couldn't help the happy beats in your heart to know people actually did care about your well being because they care about you and not your utility.

Many instances happened in your life, some happy, some sad. You had had Bonky and Steeb by you side, and knew you would later too. Ever grateful for their presence in your life, you looked forward to life with renewed vim and zest.

~~~

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Seven Devils

Warnings: Language, Murder, Bloody, Gore 

Words: 3.3k

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Summary: Monster of the Week. What happens when two psychos stick you in a cell with the one person who hasn’t talked to you in six months with the intent to kill you both. 

Song: Seven Devils by Florence + The Machine 

A/N: This concept comes from one of my favorite monster of the week SPN episodes, because let’s face it, the worst monsters are human. 

See, I’ve come to burn your kingdom down.

Secrets.

They tear people apart.

Destroy relationships, leaving nothing behind.

Sometimes the worst monsters we face, aren’t even monsters at all.

They’re human.

It’s cold.

That’s your first thought.

You feel something warm and familiar draped lightly across your stomach – an arm. You smile to yourself, rolling into him for warmth. Instinctively, he pulls you closer into his chest sleepily, as you nuzzle your face against his neck.

You vaguely notice there was no give in the mattress when you rolled over – the first sign.

The second sign hits you as soon as your face is against his skin, inhaling deeply. The scent is different. No notes of leather and lavender, this is a deep, earthy tone.

Pulling your head back to look up at him, you see the thick, dark beard. “Shit,” you exclaim, barely above a whisper, as blue eyes jerk open to watch as you shove his chest roughly. “What the hell Rogers?”

“Sorry,” he fumbles the word as he sits up, reaching for the side of his head. The two of you slowly start to look around, realizing you’re in a cell made of metal bars. It’s about eight-foot tall and eight-foot wide with a dirt floor. “Where are we?”

You glance at the jeans you were wearing yesterday, before looking up at him, “I don’t know. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Just came back from Wakanda,” he replies, as he remembers overhearing the conversation you had with Tony.  

“Yea, well maybe he should learn to be more than just the guy with shield,” you say it without thinking, a defensive reaction and Tony narrows his eyes at you. Neither of you know Steve is standing just outside the door listening. “Sorry.”

“What happened with you two?” Stark questions. “I thought you were friends.”

“So did I,” you remark. “Now he’s all – I don’t know – entitled.”

“He has saved the world a couple times,” Tony shrugs his shoulders with a soft smile.

“I was going to talk to Tony, but I went for a walk instead.” He slowly stands up from the ground and you notice he’s still wearing his dark stealth suit from the mission. Steve offers his hand to you, “What about you?”

You take the assistance and allow him to pull you to your feet, dusting the dirt from your jeans as you think back, “I was headed out to check on Parker. Get some pizza.”

“We must have been drugged,” he states, walking over to the edge of the cell, wrapping his hands around the bars. He begins to pull and pry on the metal with everything he has – it doesn’t budge.

You move closer and watch quietly for a few moments as he struggles with the cell bars. “You can get us out of here, right?” you question as you watch him pulling at the bars, strain evident on his features. He doesn’t respond, so you try to prod a response out of him, “Steve?”

He slams his hands against the metal bars that won’t budge, frustration and anger in his tone, “Fuck.” There’s no enhanced strength to pry the bars apart, his mind feels cloudy as he realizes that he feels different.

Something is off.

“What’s wrong?” you sound frantic. “I thought you –”

“I’m just the guy with the shield, remember,” his words are harsh as he glares at you for a moment before turning to walk away from you.

***

Neither of you have spoken for nearly thirty minutes when the door to the outside of what appears to be a barn opens and in walks two bigger men. One’s bald, mid-forties and the other has a short crew-cut and appears to be late twenties maybe.

“Good,” the bald one states, he’s wielding a shotgun. “You’re awake.”

“Where are we?” Steve demands, moving closer to the cell door.

“How you feel pretty boy?” Crew-cut asks with a smug grin. “Little – weak – maybe?”

You glance between the men and Steve, “What did you do to him?”

“Little serum of our own we mixed up with some help from a friend,” the bald man states with a devious grin. “Makes you normal, just like the rest of us Captain.” Steve glares at the man as he speaks, jaw clenching in anger. “Let’s see how well you do without all the enhancements.”

“What does that mean? What do you want with us?” you question them, walking closer to where Steve stands.

“Out here is over three hundred acres of land,” the older man states. “Game is simple, you get a thirty-minute head start and then we come looking.”

“And you better pray we don’t find you,” the younger one says with a malicious smile.

Steve glances down at you, as you shake your head, “Some twisted version of hide and seek?”

“No darlin’,” the older one states, as crew-cut flips a light switch on the nearest wall, illuminating the small corner next to the cell in a pale-yellow light. “We hunt you down.”

Your heart drops as you stare at the wall, covered in photographs of the two men posing with various victims. All humans. All dead and posed like trophy kills hunters do when they hunt big game. Steve cuts his eyes down to you as you stare at the photos. There’s dozens of men and women on that wall. You feel his eyes on you and you glance up, hiding the fear that’s overwhelming you.

“Our family’s been doing it for generations,” the older one says. “Hunting people is more fun than any other animal there is. Never thought we’d get the chance to go after an Avenger, much less two.”

“Fucking psychos,” you say quietly.

The one with the crew-cut reaches through the bars quickly, grabbing you by the hair and jerking your face against them roughly. Steve starts to lunge for him, but the other man aims the shot gun, stopping him.

“Let her go,” Rogers snarls instead, staring at the man as he takes a long whiff from the scent of your hair.

“I won’t kill you right away,” he breathes against your cheek and bile rises in your throat. “I’ll take my time.” You grip the bars with your hands, pushing against them as you clench your jaw. “Slowly.”

He shoves you away, causing you to stumble over your feet at the sudden sideways motion. Steve grabs your arm, jerking you behind him quickly. His sudden protectiveness surprises you. He’s barely looked at you in six months, much less spoke to you.

“Better rest up,” you hear the older man state as the other one laughs before flipping the light back off. “We start at sundown.”

You don’t see them leave, only hear the door slam, because Steve’s wide frame blocks your view. Once the door shuts, his shoulders relax slightly as he turns around to look at you.

“You okay?” he questions, and you can hear the tinge of concern there.

You nod before you glance up at him, “What are we going to do?”

He sees the worry and fear in your eyes, “They’re just people. We’ve taken on bigger, right?”

“Yea, but we were prepared with tech and weapons and,” you hesitate as you look him up and down, “whatever it is that makes you, well, you.”

“We’ll be fine,” he tries to reassure you as much as himself.

***

The barn is quiet and the two of you can hear the men as they approach, the younger one speaking, “The witch said the stuff would wear off in forty-eight hours.”

“We’ll have them caught before daylight,” the older one replies.

Steve is across the cell and on you before you realize it, his hand wrapping tightly around your arm, “Listen to me. If anything happens and we get separated, you run, and you don’t stop running no matter what.” The grip he has on your bicep is almost painful as he stares at you, his eyes pleading with you.

“I – I won’t leave you,” you shake your head.

“Dammit, for once listen to me,” his words come out angrily and you cut your eyes over to the door as it opens. Steve releases your arm as the two men enter the barn and stalk toward the cell, each holding a rifle and a twisted smile on their face.

“Let’s see how fast you can run now Captain,” the older man states as the younger one trains his rifle on you while he opens the lock to the cell. Swinging the door wide, the older one holds his rifle up at Steve as the two of you make your way slowly out of the cell and toward the door leading outside the barn.

It’s dark, eerily so, and the younger brother fires a warning shot into the air, causing you to duck as you glance behind to see him laughing with morbid excitement.

“You get thirty minutes,” the bald one yells out and you’re almost transfixed at how much enjoyment they’re getting out of this. Sick and twisted pleasure in seeing people run for their life.

It takes you a minute to realize Steve’s grabbed your hand and is pulling you along with him toward the tree line. The two of you running faster than you can ever remember running in your life. He takes the less likely of trail options, slightly rougher terrain and you run until it feels as if your lungs are going to explode.

“I can’t,” you pant, slowing to a stop as you lean against a large oak tree.

“You have to,” Steve responds as he turns back to you.

“Do you even know where we’re going?” you question him, glancing around the pitch-black woods.

“North,” he states knowingly, and you roll your eyes, of course he knows. “Come on, we have to keep moving.”

“You know we can’t out run them,” you say more to yourself, but he hears it as you push off the tree with a huff and start following him. Steve keeps the pace at a brisk walk instead of a run this time, glancing every so often to check on you.

It’s been at least an hour and after the fourth time he asks if you’re okay, you snap, “Fucking stop!” He quits moving for a moment as you continue angrily past him, climbing across a downed tree. “You don’t get to play nice now.” You remark before he moves again, easily makes his way across the tree.

“What are you talking about?”

You look at him incredulously, “Really? You haven’t talked to me in like six months Steve.”

“We’re really going to do this now?” his tone skeptical.

“Why not?”

“Probably not the best time,” Steve remarks glancing over his shoulder.

You keep moving for a few feet before you say quietly, “Was it something I did?”

“No.”

Glancing at him with furrowed brows you ask, “What happened then?”

Steve looks over at you for a second before he narrows his eyes, his gaze moving past you to something behind you in the dark. “Is that – a cabin?” Turning quickly, you see the dark shape of what looks to be a small square building several hundred yards away. “I have an idea.” You look back up at to see a smile on his face. “We might not outrun them, but we can outsmart them.”

***

The fire Steve’s building in the fireplace illuminates the interior of the small, rundown cabin. Everything is dusty and covered in cobwebs. You’re busy rummaging through the drawers in the kitchen area, hoping for anything of usefulness.

“Shouldn’t be long,” he states as he stands up from in front of the fireplace. “Any luck?”

“Couple wooden spoons,” you say, then excitedly grab something that catches your attention. “Oh, we got scissors.”

“That’ll work.”

“And a steak knife,” you hold it up with smirk. “What are the odds?”

“Give me the scissors,” Steve walks over to where you’re standing. “You keep the knife.”

He takes them from you and shoves them carefully into the shaft of his boot as you easily tuck the knife at your lower back, in between your belt and the band of your jeans. Steve watches as you stare blankly across at the fire, while your finger begins to twirl a strand of your hair idly.

You’re nervous and he sees it.

It’s been a while since he’s seen you nervous.

Since he’s seen you at all.

“We’ll be okay,” he says softly, reassuringly. “I promise.”

Your eyes drift up to his slowly, “But we aren’t okay.” He takes a deep breath before he leans against the counter behind him. “We haven’t been. You were one of my best friends and then you just weren’t and I – I need to know why.”

Steve folds his arms across his chest as he glances to the dirt covered floor, “Things changed. I can’t be that person for you. I tried, but I’m sorry, I just can’t be your friend.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense,” you remark. “We were friends before –”

“I love you,” his eyes meet yours as he drops the words like a grenade and your eyes widen at the revelation. “And I can’t be around you because it hurts. It hurts knowing I let you slip away.”

Your heart is in your throat as you stare at him in disbelief. As if things weren’t complicated enough in this moment with two psychos chasing the two of you through the woods fully intent on killing you, he drops this bombshell?

Steve’s just turned the world you thought you knew upside down and shook it like a snow globe.

***

The younger man enters the cabin first and sees you standing near the door with a wooden chair raised in your arms defensively. He aims his rifle at you, “Drop it.” You slowly do as he says, anger apparent on your features, while the bald one walks in behind him. “Where’s your friend?”

“He went out for more firewood,” you remark quietly, as the younger one pushes you towards the fireplace and into a dust covered chair.

“You got her?” the bald man questions his partner and the younger man pulls his pistol from its holster, leaning his rifle against the fireplace.

“Oh yea,” he responds with a malicious smile, turning to drag his index finger along your cheek. “I’ll be fine. You go bag the big one, take your time.”

As the younger one turns his attention to you, the other one turns back to the door, unaware of the man silently dropping from the wooden rafters above. Steve lands on the bald one’s shoulders expertly, stabbing the scissors into his chest as he does. The cry of pain from the man, causes the guy in front of you to turn his head, giving you the distraction you need. Slipping the knife from behind your back you drag it across the fleshy part of his neck forcefully. The warmth and smell of the blood as it spills out of his neck and onto your shirt and face makes you nauseous, but you fight back the urge to vomit as you watch your attacker fall to the floor.

You glance over slowly to see Steve standing there, blood splattered about his uniform and face, the dead body of the bald man lying at his feet. All the missions, all the fights, you’ve never had to fight for your life in such a brutal manner – ending so bloody. You stand slowly, taking the pistol from the man as you do and laying both it and the knife on the coffee table before you search his pockets for a phone. You find it and immediately dial a number.

“Ping this cell,” you say quietly, your voice on the verge of breaking. “Come fucking get us.” You’re not sure what else is said during the phone call as you watch Steve drag the body of the younger man out from in front of you and over near the door with the other man. Then you stay on the line as he drags both men out of the cabin and into the yard.

When you finally hang up, he’s back inside and you look at Steve and say simply, “They’re close.”

Dropping the cell on the coffee table, you see just how bloodstained your hands are in the firelight. You watch as your hands begin to tremble for a few seconds before a larger set of hands envelopes them tightly.

“Breathe,” Steve says calmly, and you do, not realizing that at some point you had stopped breathing. Glancing up at him, he gives you a small smile of reassurance. “We’re okay.”

Maybe it’s the adrenaline and endorphins rushing through you.

The fact Steve and you took on two murderers without any of your usual resources.

Or maybe it’s the bombshell he dropped earlier.

The fact both of you could have easily died tonight, became another picture on that wall.

“No, we’re not,” you whisper before you press your lips against his. Soft and full.  

You feel him hesitate before his hands release yours and pull you closer to him, mouth opening wide to devour you. Tongue writhing against yours. The slight taste of copper on his lips only adds fuel to the fire burning within you. His kisses are desperate, hand caressing your face, and you get lost in that moment.

There’s only you and him.

No one else.

The sound of the quinjet brings you back to reality and you break away from the kiss, dropping your head. Steve clenches his jaw in frustration before he places a chaste kiss in your hair. You see the flashlights through the windows, and you turn toward the cabin door as it’s flung open.

You see the big dark eyes widen in horror at the sight of you covered in blood and you quickly calm him, “I’m okay. It’s not my blood.”

“Thank god,” Tony breathes a sigh of relief before he takes your face in his hands gently. “You scared the hell out of me.” He kisses you softly and as much as it’s comforting, it breaks your heart. “You okay big guy?” He questions Rogers and Steve gives him a nod. Tony smiles giving Steve an appreciative nod as he pulls you against the nano-tech suit, wrapping his arms around you. Wilson walks in beside him as Stark continues talking. “I’m sorry. We’ve been flying blind, pinged the last tower your cells hit on and have been scanning the area. I didn’t know – I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s okay,” you say. “Can we get out of here?”

“Of course.”

“You good?” Sam questions as Steve moves closer to him. He knows the last six months haven’t been the easiest on his friend. All it took was Steve seeing you and Tony together the first time for him to realize it.

That’s how the saying goes though right? You don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone.

“No,” Steve replies.

***

The redheaded woman enters the room with a devious smile on her face, causing the man sitting on the throne to look at her suspiciously, “I know that look. What have you been up to?”

“Taking care of a little business,” she says.

“And what would that be?” Crowley questions her.

“Someone needed me to cause a little ruckus amongst those pesky Avengers.”

“Setting little fires, again are we?” the man looks back down to the book in his hands.

“Oh sweetie,” Rowen begins with a smile, “I’m going to burn the whole thing down.”

“What did you do Mother?” he looks back up at her curiously.

“Just watered the seeds,” she replies innocently. “It’s amazing what a little life or death situation does.” Crowley watches her intently as she continues with a smile. “What happens when the King finds out his right-hand man is in love with his Queen?”

The man in the black suit grins, “Camelot falls.”

Braving the Elements

Chapter 4: explanations and introductions

TW: mentions of forced experimentation, swearing

Songs

(playing when she enters the room with all the Avengers)

(when she first looks at Bucky and then again when demonstrating her powers)

Authors note: oof this is a long one but our boy is finally in it! Once again apologies for not making it a (continue reading) but i am trapped on mobile RIP

“Sorry about this.” Wanda says, tightening the cuffs currently trapping your hands behind your back.

“ Don’t worry about it, I’d have done the same.” you say.

“Jesus (Y/N) what have you gotten yourself into now?” she chuckles uneasily with worry in her eyes, as she gently grazes the bruise on your face with her hand.

“Oh you know me. Just placed my bet on the wrong horse is all.” You say lightly. She removes her hand nodding slightly. This answer seems to have satisfied her for now.

“Well most of the guys are asleep, but you can meet the head honchos now.” she says.

“ What is this an Al Pacino movie?” you ask with a smile.

She laughs, picking up the bag you had dropped on the floor and leading you to the elevator.

As you enter the room the four Avengers all stare at you. You had seen them on the news before so you could put names to faces. Not to mention you choked one of them out yesterday. Tony speaks up first “Well this is uncomfortable.” You clear your throat before speaking

“Sorry about the light choking cap! Nothing personal.”

“Sorry about the shield in the back” he responds.

“So, even Stevens then?” You ask with a hopeful smile.

“No..” says Tony screwing up his eyebrows in confusion “Not, ‘even Stevens’, you robbed a bank, severely injured four guards and have been working for a mobster for the past six months!”

“Fair enough.” you reply, “Hey Wanda wanna open that bag you have there?” Looking at you with just a hint of doubt she opens the bag and pulls out one of many wads of cash.

“Figured I shouldn’t show up empty handed, so I brought back the money I stole and the safe thing. That’s in there too.”

“Not bad” Tony shrugs, peering into the bag.

“As for the whole working for a mobster thing it’s really not what it looks like. I mean I didn’t want to take up crime. It just kinda happened!” You express.

“Alright then, please enlighten us on how you started as a friend of our dear Wandas and ended up robbing banks.” Tony says taking a seat across from you.

“Alright don’t get your panties in a knot Stark. I’ll start at the beginning, and please hold your applause until the end. My parents sold me to a government run lab at the ripe old age of 7 when I first started showing signs of being “different” “ you say making air quotes around the final word.

“When the mutant gene presented itself.” Wanda clarifies

“ I mean, I did accidentally light the couch on fire after getting angry about something, but in my defense, I was a kid! How was I supposed to know any better? By my ninth birthday Xavier had managed to shut down the lab on the basis of it violating the mutant rights act. He took all us kids in and taught us how to control our powers and gave us a pretty amazing education. It was the first real home I ever had and it was also where I met Wanda.” Your voice falters for a second. “Hey, by the way I’m really sorry about Pietro, he was a great kid, best kind, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” She gives you a small, but reassuring smile and you continue “When I turned 18 I decided to leave, wanted to see what the world had to offer. Along the way I met Magneto who convinced me that what he was doing was right, so I joined his fight. Then proceeded to lose said fight. All of us non-compliant mutants were given two options: go to prison or serve your country and join the military!” you say in an old timey radio voice

“So you chose prison and Roman broke you out?” Nat inquired

“Oh god no! I picked the military, figured I’d get out eventually, but I got tired of fighting for a country that secretly hated my existence, so I tried to leave, but they wouldn’t let me. When I refused to fight they discharged me, deemed me a danger to society and locked me up in one of those fancy prisons you helped build Mr. Stark. By the way do you know what really goes on in there?” Tony glances at you out the corner of his eye “I designed it, I don’t run it, so no” he scoffs.

“Figured as much, your type don’t tend to care once you’ve got a payment” you state matter of factly.

“Hey, now that’s a bit out of line.” Steve jumps in defending Tony

“You know what was out of line Mr. America?” you snap back “Being forcibly tested without my consent. I lost teeth, bone marrow, fingernails, and part of my liver and I was only there for 6 months, so maybe you should look into that Mr. high and mighty.” Tony’s face turns white “No, I didn’t know that.” he manages to say. Cap and Nat avoid your eyes, but are obviously shocked while Wanda wipes away a single tear.

“ Come on don’t act so naive, mutant testing has been going on for years they just got better at hiding it. Anyways, Romy broke me out so I went to work for him.”

“Makes sense guy saves you from a life time of torture I’d work for him as well.” Nat says.

“So why did you leave him?”, Steve asks

“What? The face doesn’t give it away.” you reply “Also turns out the guy legally owns me.”

“He what?” Nat and Wanda yell in unison

“Ya the bastard drugged me up and got me to sign a contract signing myself over to him. So, I left, wanted to make things right and now I’m here to offer my help, get redemption or whatever. If you’ll have me.” No one says anything “Well I mean I also kinda figured you were my best shot at bringing him down. See he has dozens of mutant files in his office, but I’ve never seen any of them. Leading me to the conclusion that he’s up to something.”

“And why exactly should we trust you after all you’ve done?” Tony poses

“Wanda side pocket of the bag,” she pulls out multiple brown folders

“That’s my contract, along with ones belonging to a few other mutants, also I’m gonna need you to cut my arm open” you say. They look up at you with concerned, and slightly disturbed, faces.

“There’s a microchip in it with all the downloaded files from his work computer before I blew it, and his HQ up.”

“Pretty crafty. I knew I liked you!” Nat smiles

“Thanks!” you return

“Well it’s a pretty good start,” says Tony “but the others will have to agree. So we’ll have a vote in the morning. Which is in approximately,” he pauses looking down at his watch, “5 hours so I’d suggest we all get some sleep.” The rest of the team nods in agreement and Nat, Tony and Steve leave the room. Wanda hangs back for a second “Hey, I’m really glad you’re here I’ve missed you.”

Sheepishly you respond “Ya, I’ve missed you too. Hey Wanda?”

She stops in the doorway “Ya?”

“Is the rest of the team as hot as you guys?” you ask wiggling your eyebrows

She snorts “Oh ya. Just wait till you meet the rest of them, they blow Summers out of the water.”

“Which Summers brother Wanda? Which one?” you call with fake urgency, but she doesn’t answer.

You’re woken up by the sound of light tapping on glass. You must have dozed off. Wanda walks in with two cups of coffee, placing one down in front of you. She puts her own cup down on the table and frees your hands. “Thanks,” you say shaking out your arms, which had partially fallen asleep, before taking the cup from her.

From a distance you hear Tony’s voice exclaiming

“Well we have a very special surprise for you all. A delivery that arrived last night.” Stopping in front of the door he continues “Now some of you may know her, but for those who don’t, this…” he says pointing towards you through the glass “is (y/n).” You gaze back at the substantial group of people currently staring at you, suddenly understanding how a tiger in a zoo might feel. The group has two teens, one of which you recognized as Shuri, the princess of Wakanda. You also take note of the four large, and very attractive male Avengers making up the rest of the group who you recognized as Clint, Sam, Bucky and Vision . “You were right, they are hot, even better than they look on the news!” you whisper to Wanda causing her to roll her eyes.

“Hey! You trapped me in a tree!” the teen boy pipes up

“Spiderman is a child?” You question, before Peter can denounce the use of the term child, you continue “Sorry about that kid. I won't do it again. Promise!”

“So were just letting any run of the mill villains onto our team?” Sam asks.

“ Well I wouldn’t exactly call myself run of the mill, and I did bring back the cash I borrowed.” You say.

“ Borrowed?” Bucky asked with a smirk, you go to say something snarky back, but are taken aback for a moment when your eyes meet his. Wow. These have gotta be the most gorgeous eyes you’d ever seen, a color of blue that falls somewhere between a stormy ocean and steel. You hadn’t failed to notice that they were attached to a very nice face, leading you to speculate that his body was probably equally as exquisite. You quickly pull yourself out of the trance realizing you probably hadn’t said anything in a few seconds and were just openly staring at this man.

“Ya, borrowed, I took it and brought it back, how would you define the term?” Sam laughs, and Bucky frowns slightly before nodding his head in agreement.

“Also weren’t like, at least half of you guys, all villains at some point?” you ask.

“That is a very valid point” Clint spoke up.

“Thank you! Your my new favorite person” you say causing Wanda to give you a look of fake offence.

“Alright now you’ve met her it's time to cast votes to see if she should join the team.” Steve says

“Wait!” you exclaim, “Don’t you guys want to know what you’re buying before you pay for it?”

You smile at Wanda. She reluctantly gives into your demand huffing out a “Fine. Anyone got any water?” Peter pulls his backpack forwards to his chest and takes out his water bottle throwing it to Wanda. “Alright what about a lighter?” Leaning forward Bucky pulls one out of his back pocket and throws it at you. Catching it you smile and place it on the table.

“Steve can you pull in that ficus from just outside the door?” lifting his eyebrows in suspicions he lifts up the potted plant and.

“Not bad doll” Bucky says almost impressed

“Well sweetie buckle up cause you ain’t seen nothing yet!” The half dead ficus Steve had dragged into the office suddenly began to turn green again and began sprouting new leaves. Using the air from the room you carefully pick the plant up and return it to the hallway dropping it back to its original spot.

“And for my final trick,” You say while flicking Bucky's lighter open. You gather a few embers and create a ball of fire between your hands. You extinguish the ball between your hands and throw the lighter back to Bucky.

“Well that’s gonna come in handy” Clint says

”I also served in the military for 2 years so I can shoot and fight as good as any of you”

“That I can personally vouch for” Steve says rubbing his throat “Anyway, let's vote.”

“Well I want you to stay,” Wanda says excitedly “we’ve got 10 years of catching up to do.”

You were surprised when the next person to pipe up was Bucky “ Can’t exactly say no, I was a war criminal before joining you guys.”

“I was a yes the second you blew up that building.” Nat says placing a hand on your shoulder.

So far everyone has said yes though some more begrudgingly than others.

Everyone looks to Tony for the final say.

“What the hell, she can stay, just no powers in the loft!”

“But what if I need something like an ice cube or a bonfire!” you proclaim

“Fine no destructive powers! Shuri can you get started on making her a suit?”

“Thank god someone with style is doing it” you say Causing Shuri to smirk and nod her head up at you

“Sam trains all the new recruits so you're going to go up against him tomorrow. He’ll figure out where you are in your fighting abilities” Tony says.

You turn to Sam and give him a wicked smile. Sam looks back at you, obviously concerned before muttering, “I swear if we just let another psychopath into this building so help me god”

“Don’t worry I’ll go easy on ya!” you say patting him on the back.

“C’mon” Wanda says, pulling your arm “I'll show you to your room!”

“Great!” you respond as she leads you down the hall “This is me, This is Bucky and then this is all yours” she says opening the door. The room was a decent size with a double bed, floor to ceiling windows, a closet and an ensuite bathroom. It wasn’t as extravagant as the apartment Roman had gotten you, but it’d do just fine “I’ll leave you to get unpacked” Wanda says before leaving the room. You head downstairs back to the car you had stolen the night before and grab your two suitcases out of the trunk. Using the midday wind, you launch them over towards the front entrance, almost hitting an unsuspecting Sam who was just exiting for a run with Bucky. “Sorry! Didn’t see you there.” You shout tensing up slightly.

“If you think taking me out with a suitcase is gonna give you the upper hand tomorrow you are sorely mistaken.” Sam laughs.

“Darn saw right through my clever plan!” you respond feigning disbelief.

“Nice car.” Bucky says

“Thanks I stole it.” you respond breezing by the two men and picking up your cases before heading up the stairs to the elevator

“You know I can’t tell if she’s joking or not.” Sam says looking to Bucky

“20 bucks says she isn’t.” he responds with a chuckle.

You make it upstairs and open your suitcase “unpacking” most of your clothes straight onto the floor before jumping in the shower.

The hot water hits your body and you begin to scrub away all the troubles (and grime) from the past two days. As you wash you notice the array of bruises on your body. Poking at one on your hip which you figure must have happened when you landed on it during the robbery. You press it again and squint in pain. After a thorough cleaning you turn off the water and wrap a towel around your body. Wiping steam off the mirror you look at your face. Your split lip had basically closed up and the bruises around your neck and on your face had gone from an array of dark purple hues to ones with yellowish undertones. After looking at your face for a bit longer you brush your teeth, put on your pyjamas and drift off to sleep.

Can you do a one shot with Steve where you get in a scrape ( beat up for some reason) and Steve nurses you back to health ☺️☺️☺️

I LOVED WRITING THIS!!! STRANGER THINGS ONE SHOT REQUESTS ARE OPEN

I also realize I might have taken "scrape" a little to far in this...

   The last thing you wanted was for Steve to see you like this. You never got into fights, but sometimes things are inevitable. Where else were you supposed to go though when home wasn't an option. You didn't want to show up to the Harrington residence unannounced even if you would be welcomed with open arms, the Harrington's loved you like a daughter.  You pulled your car over on the side of the road, got out, and made your way to the phone booth, your fingers dialing the number like it was a part of you.

   "Harrington residence." You heard Mrs. Harrington's voice.

  "Mrs. Harrington, its Y/N, I'm sorry its so late, but could I please talk to Steve if he's still awake." The pain was throbbing in your head, you most likely had a concussion.  You could taste the blood dried up on your lips, rusty.. metallic... bitter and painful.

  "Sure dear.  STEVE Y/N IS ON THE PHONE!" She yelled partially covering the mouthpiece of the phone. "Is everything okay dear, you sound different."

  "I'm okay Mrs. Harrington, just having a bad night." You weren't lying. Things were awful, and you tried to remember what got you into this mess to begin with.

  "Y/N?" Steve answered. "Is everything okay?"

   "Not really." You trailed off. This was embarrassing. There were tiny defensive cuts on your hands and large bruises swelling up on your arms. Everyone would know anyways, there was no covering up these marks. They knew the history anyways.

  "Where are you?" Steve heaved a sigh full of worry. "Did they hurt you?"

  "Yeah..." You tried not to cry, your eye was puffy already and the gash on your cheek burned enough without the threat of saltwater. "I'm at the phone booth on Juniper.."

  "I'll be right there."

  "Steve, don't freak out when you see me..."

  "Just relax, I'll be there soon."

    The crisp air of November wrapped around you and you realized how exposed you were. Jeans, a tank top, and a pair of sneakers. You looked down at the patches of blood, still bright but drying. "He's going to lose his mind when he sees me..." You spoke out loud to no one. You looked up at the sky, it was clear as crystal speckled with the brightest stars you'd seen in a long time. "Some night.." You muttered opening your car door. You slid into the seat and leaned back. Thank goodness you managed to have the heat on. The adrenaline was running on empty and you could feel the coldness setting into your bones.

  The brightness of two headlights pierced the night and your vision. It had to be Steve, but that wasn't Steve's car. His had a distinct shake in the left headlight from that little fender bender he had a few weeks ago. You locked the doors. If it was your attackers again....

    The car pulled over and a boy got out. You would notice that figure anywhere. "Thank god..." It was Mrs. Harrington's car. "Great... now she's going to see me like this too." You sheepishly got out of your car and turned to face them.

  "Oh shit." Steve started before wrapping you gently in a hug. "What the hell happened?"

  "I don't want to talk about it..." You could feel the tears welling up again.   "Okay.. shhh.. its all right, we're going to fix you up."

  Mrs. Harrington waited until Steve let you go. She gave you a sympathetic frown looking you over. "Oh honey," she pulled you in for a hug as well then step away. "I have a first aid kit in the back, we're going to clean you up a bit here, then Steve is going to drive your car back to our place." She grabbed a soft padded first aid kit from the back seat of her car. You nodded.

   "Who did this?" Steve begged you to tell him in the faintest of whispers. "You can tell me."

  "I really don't want to bring it up right now. Can you please just take care of me?" You felt broken; physically, emotionally, mentally.

  "I'm always going to take care of you." He kissed your temple before moving away enough for his mom to start cleaning your wounds.

  "This is probably going to hurt like hell." Mrs. Harrington warned before dumping rubbing alcohol onto a gauze pad. You prepared yourself the best you could... rubbing alcohol can't hurt as bad as some of the other pains you had.

  "The cuts aren't very deep, most likely wont scar up to badly, but if you want to go to the doctor..."

  "No.. no doctors." You interjected. "Thank you Mrs. Harrington, but I'd rather not."

  "That's up to you." She continued. "I want you to stay with us for a while. Whoever did this to you.." She had a clear idea who did. "I don't want them getting to you again. We can set you up in the guest bedroom."

  "She can.." Steve started before getting cut off with a look from his mom.   "The guest room would be great Mrs. Harrington." You moved from the hood of your car, you were stiff, achy...

    The guestroom at the Harrington house was essentially a third master bedroom. Jack and Jill bathroom connecting it to Steve's. Making your way up the steps was more difficult than you cared to admit, but with Steve's help you made it. He pulled the covers down on the bed and had you sit down on the edge.

  "I'm going to go find you something to sleep in." He ran his fingers through your hair and kissed your forehead. "I'll be right back."

  You sat there, finally feeling a little bit at ease, looking around the room. You caught your reflection in the mirror for the first time all night. You were an absolute mess. This time the tears didn't stay at bay. You let a few slip out before trying to swallow the ball of fire in your throat. If you let yourself cry right now, you may never stop.

   "I hope this is okay." Steve came back in holding up an old nightgown of his mothers.

  You wiped the few tears away. "Its more than okay Steve."

  "Hey, no crying... everything is going to be all right, I'm here now." He knelt down in front of you. You looked away from him. "Look at me.." He whispered, you begrudgingly obliged. "I'm going to take care of you. I'm not going to let anyone ever hurt you like this again." He stood up slowly, "I'm going to let you get dressed, then I'll come back in and cuddle you up." He smiled.

  You smiled back. "Doctor Steve..." A small laugh escaped your split lips. "I could get used to that."

   Steve shook his head, glad to see that you were starting to feel a little better by being here with him. "I'll be right outside the door, come get me when you're changed."

   You kicked off your sneakers and socks easily. Even getting your jeans off wasn't that big of an issue. Your tank top on the other hand, posed difficult with the soreness of your shoulder. You felt stupid. Trapped in fabric. You needed help, and it wasn't like Steve hadn't seen you naked before....

   "Steve...." You called him softly from behind the door.

    Steve opened the door, "Ready for cuddles?" He laughed when he saw you. Tank top stuck around your arms.

  "I need help." You pouted. Feeling defeated.

  "You're so damn cute." He pulled the fabric up over your body slowly... exposing more bruising. Whatever happened, you obviously lost. His eyes lingered on them too long making you self conscious.  You put your arms down.

  "Never mind, I'll figure it out." You tried to wiggle free on your own, afraid of him seeing your pain.

  "Stop it Y/N." He wrapped his arms around you. "I'm going to help you, and then I am going to make you feel better."

  You sighed, knowing that there was no way in hell you were going to be able to do this alone. Steve pulled the fabric up again, careful to not bump you or make you uncomfortable. Once shirtless you turned around.  He unhooked your bra and slip the straps down your arms. He kissed the back of your neck letting his hands ghost the path your bra straps started.

  "Steve...." You cooed.

  "Not tonight." He responded. "Tonight, I need to get you comfortable and well rested." Steve grabbed the night gown off the bed. "Arms up the best you can." He chuckled softly as you sighed lifting your arms up to the best of your ability. He tugged the night gown down your body and smiled at you. "You're absolutely beautiful, do you know that?"

  You let a halfhearted smile appear. "You tell me that a lot.. but I never seem to believe you... especially right now." You looked over at your reflection again.

  "You're always beautiful." He kissed you, his lips proving his point, distracting you from the image in the mirror. He broke the kiss. "Now, get into bed and let Doctor Steve nurse you back to health."

  You slid under the covers thankful for such a comfortable bed to sleep in. Steve walked into the bathroom getting a glass of water and a few aspirin from the medicine cabinet. "Here take these, it will make it easier to sleep." You did as you were told.

  "Thank you Steve..."

  "Don't thank me baby..." He answered climbing in beside you. "I'd do anything for you." He pulled you close to him, your head on his chest, his fingers running softly though your hair. "Do you remember when we first met?"  

  "Mmmhmm.." You were finally relaxing enough to realize you were exhausted.  "It was summer time.." He trailed on holding you and peppering your hair with kisses until you fell asleep.  

The Winter Soldier is Still Here (Part 25 - “Hail Hydra”) (Bucky/Winter Soldier x reader)

Description: You’re working at the local farmers market when you meet Bucky and catch his eye, not only because you’re the only one who sells plums, but because you treat him like a normal person. As a friendship begins to bloom, it quickly grows into a relationship and you learn that life with Bucky isn’t as easy it originally seemed. I SUCK AT DESCRIPTIONS!

Word count: 2044....a short one, I'm sorry, but I thought a short update might be better than none. In the words of Peggy, “It’s been so long.”

Warnings: Language.

Author’s Note: I don't own art.

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READER POV

__________

I stared in disgusted awe at Jake. This...this was not happening. He was...

"Jake, " I asked almost silently. "Who are y-? Why? What is going on?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh please, " he now spoke with a heavy Russian accent, "don't even start with dramatics and hysterics. None of that will help you. Nothing will, really. Oh, the Asset thinks he will save you. Hell, he probably believes he'll sacrifice himself for you, but no. He has no idea the storm that will soon hit him."

"But, Jake....you're...you're... what about the hospital? The hike? Our relationship."

"Oh, you thought that was real," Jake questioned in the voice I recognized. Then he laughed aloud. "Woman, you're a fool. The Asset really fucked you up, didn't he? You fell so easily into the trap. You've been the easiest target we've ever had. If you had left him be you'd have never become involved, yet here you are, still pining for him in New York."

I attempted to get up but the threatening tone that propelled itself at me stopped me cold.

"Don't dare fucking move, you bitch."

"I just, I don't understand. Any of it."

"Боже. ты идиот, но теперь долго, маленькая сука. Look, you're pathetic so I'm going to tell you this and then it's lights out. I'm not Jake. I wouldn't have such a trashy American name. You were the target to get to Barnes. Soon enough he won't remember you and you'll have no way of remembering him. Therefore, rest well knowing that you're the reason he will be serving Hydra once again."

As promised I was unconscious in the next second. The last thing I remembered was his cold hands around my throat and the room slowly dimming until there was nothing but pitch black.

BUCKY POV

___________

I ran to the weaponry faster than I had run in quite some time. I had to get to (y/n) soon. If I didn't get there quick enough, they'd kill her just for spite. As I got to the vault, a message came through on Steve's phone which I would have to steal. It was a location: Jumping Jack Powerplant. While the actual location of this plant had been erased from public record, I knew it well as the hideout Hydra had used when it was after Nick Fury and after its full control attempt at overtaking S.H.I.E.L.D. The location had to be close enough to D.C. to arrive in a short time yet far enough so that it was off of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar. I quickly grabbed all of my usual choices: Gerber Yari ll Tanto, SIG-Sauer P220ST, and Vz.61 Skorpion. To be honest, I didn't plan to put up much of a fight unless that's what it took to free (y/n) and get her to safety. Otherwise, I was planning to do what they asked but it was best not to go empty-handed. I closed the vault quickly and as I turned around Natasha was standing in front of me.

"Barnes, what's going on?" The tone of her voice told me she already had a clue.

"Nothing, Natasha. Don't tell anyone I'm gone. I have to go." I pushed past her but she quickly caught up.

"It's Hydra isn't it," she asked as she followed me down the steps. I'd make it downstairs quicker that way.

"Natasha," I called over my shoulder, "please, just go back and pretend you never saw me."

"No," she wouldn't leave me. I halted and turned to her quickly but before I could speak, she figured it out.

"They've got her, don't they?" Her words hit me again like a fresh ton of bricks, the reality sinking in more than it already had. I halted for a second to stop myself from stumbling as the weight on my chest began to cave in. I began to continue my descent but she didn't move.

"They're just trying to get to you, Barnes. They only want you."

"You think I don't know that? I don't care. I can't let her die on my account."

"Just so we're clear."

She quickly caught up with me and actually passed me. By the time I made it down she already had the vehicle pulled to the door.

"Get in." After I was in and the door just shut, "where to," she asked.

"Jumping Jack Powerplant. It's North o-"

"Of D.C. Yeah, I remember." I simply nodded. We rode in silence for quite some time. When we were about 15 minutes out, she broke the silence. "So what's the plan when we get in." I remained silent. "You do have a plan, right," she asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Kill anyone who gets in my way to (y/n)."

READER POV

————————

I awoke with bright lights shining in my eyes, lights so bright that I immediately had to squint. There was a beeping noise. It started to speed up and then I realized it must have been a heart monitor.

"The stupid princess awakes," Jake...or whatever his name was...spat. "The asset isn't here yet so you might as well calm down. No use in screaming either, no one will ever hear you and we made it where you can't reach your full voice anyway."

I tried to speak but no sound came out. I began to panic. What had he done to me? He smiled.

"You're one of the most stubborn women I've ever met. I just told you-you cannot reach your full voice, yet what is the first thing you try to do? You won't be able to scream or even speak for a while. You might as well calm down, otherwise, I'll put you back under." I attempted to calm down. I needed to be as aware of everything he would do as I possibly could. I tried to lie still and keep my face even and emotionless. After a few moments of this, he commented on it. "Hmm, maybe there's a reason you and the Asset got along so well. You're both able to turn off your emotion so well. Granted I'm sure the serum helps." I had to stop my eyes from growing and becoming restless again as he got ready to continue.

"You know, this little serum right here," he held up a syringe that held an almost clear, slightly blue-tinted liquid inside, "took us many years to perfect but once we did, we made vats of it. We keep it stored safely away in a top secret location, of course. I can't wait to use it on you. The ladies always have the best reaction," he finished explaining eerily. He began wrapping an elastic band around my arm and I couldn't remain calm any longer. I started to try and shake the table straps loose so that I could, in turn, get away. I knew it was useless but I had to fight. If nothing else, maybe I could keep him from getting whatever serum he was so in love with, within my body. I couldn't scream but that didn't stop me from trying. I could feel the tight sinched air attempting to scratch its way out into the warehouse but it wasn't going far. I didn't struggle for long. He stuck a different syringe quickly in my arm and there was the darkness that immediately surrounded me.

BUCKY POV

———————-

Natasha parked far enough away that we wouldn't be detected and I got into the driver's seat and drove slowly up to the building, on high alert for any sneak attacks. I knew Natasha wouldn't be far behind me, probably already making her way into the building before I pulled up and parked outside of the locked fence. After I took a quick observance of my surroundings, I got ready to jump the fence when the gate to my right began to open. They knew I was here. They had learned how to hide their cameras better than they had in the past.

I entered the grounds, even more, hyperaware of the fact that they had eyes on me even though I didn't have my own on them than I was before. After I had walked about 15 feet I saw them, I saw him. I recognized him immediately which was surprising considering I couldn't remember much else. As soon as he spoke I knew this was the man who had posed as Jake.

"Charscovsky."

"Soldier."

"What an honor that you'd meet me at the entrance, " I attempted not to sneer. All he did was smile mischievously.

"Oh, come now, Soldier. You act as though we weren't close once."

"You and I have very different definitions of 'close' then."

The eerie smile never left his face. He turned on his heel and began to leisurely lead the way into the building. As he led me in I noticed just the faintest blur of red hair to my left before I entered and I was grateful in that moment that Natasha had refused to be left behind.

"(Y/n) has had such wonderful things to say about you."

"Take me to her."

"Oh, now, now, Soldier. You'll be reunited soon enough. First, we need to discuss a few things."

"We don't need to discuss anything except you telling me where (Y/n) is. Once she's out of here we'll discuss whatever you like."

"You see, that was a huge problem that we never did perfect with the soldier serum."

He waited for me to respond but I refused. He stopped at a door and turned to look at me.

"You're not curious, huh? I suppose I'll say it anyway. It'll be valuable information to you very soon."

He paused again waiting for a response but when he realized I wasn't going to, that smile he had held for the entirety of the time since our eyes had met, began to fade which almost brought one to my face.

"Whether you're curious or not, Soldier, what I'm referring to is the ability to negotiate. You see, we didn't think about that at the time. Elimination and defense were the prime qualities we wanted but now, looking back, I can see it is something we will need to work on in the future. I imagine you'll soon wish we would have too." He arrived at a door and stopped. Four guards stepped between us as he leaned down and pressed his face to a retinal recognition. I suppose they knew I would be tempted to attack and dissemble in order to get to her if he were left unprotected. I heard the door unlock before opening into darkness. My body tensed as I didn't know what this meant. He waved off the guards so that they walked behind us and he led the way into the dark.

I then heard two thumps on each side of me. I turned, fully alert, ready for a fight, but instead, I saw nothing but as the room lit, a dash of red flew past me and took down Charscovsky, pinning him to the floor.

"Oh," he smirked, "Ms. Romanoff, what a pleasant surprise."

"Where is she?" Natasha sneered.

"Oh yes, you have become fond of her too, haven't you?" Natasha pushed down against his throat more, so that he had to put more effort into continuing, "не волнуйся, ты скоро ее увидишь." He smiled again, mischief playing happily across his eyes. Natasha stood and jerked him up along with her. I stepped to him, toe-to-toe. "Where the hell is she?" I was now snarling. He smiled and remained silent a moment. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Oh, зимняя принцесса," he said louder as if he was calling to someone else.

"What?" Natasha quickly questioned.

"No," I said, not wanting to believe what he was saying. Fear and anger took me over. My vision blurred. "No!" I exclaimed, pushing him into the wall to my left. My left hand grasped his throat, the metal plates of my arm shifting to strengthen my grip. All the while he smiled.

"Bucky, what is it? What's he saying?" Natasha asked, worry filling her tone. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

I’ll Do It For You (Bucky x Fem!Reader)

Prompt: Can I get #4,#10,and #12 with Bucky please☺️💗 ~ Requested by @xxbearcubxx

4. She always pushes me away. Why is this hard?

10. You had me at hello.

12. So where we going?

Warnings: Swearing, ANGSTY, fluffy ending

Summary: You and Bucky have been together for a year, but you still have some secrets you haven’t told him. Will your relationship continue or could this be the end?

(Don’t own this gif)

If there was anything that kept you together, it was Bucky. After everything you have been through, Bucky seemed to be your guiding light...and you were his. You two had met at a cafe in New York, where you worked. You noticed a man sitting alone in the corner, flipping aimlessly through a newspaper. 

You approached him slowly, with the best smile you could put on after dealing with a rough customer. “Hello, my name is y/n. Is there anything I can get for you today?” When he looked up at you from his newspaper, you thought your heart was going to jump right out of your chest. He was beautiful. His soft brown locks draped on his shoulder and his eyes were the perfect shade of blue.

He gave you a small smile. “Uh, I just settle for a small cup of coffee.” You nodded and went to grab him a fresh pot of coffee. You returned in no time. “Here you go, sir.” He chuckled lightly and received his mug. “Please, call me Bucky.” You blushed and flashed him a smile. “Ok then, Bucky, would you like some cream or sugar?” 

He began to pour some coffee in a mug. “Sure, just one cream and a few sugars please.” You began to turn away, but he caught your arm. “Wait, I didn’t catch your name.” Damn, he was slick. “Y/N...Y/F/N Y/L/N. Why you wanna know?” He gave you a smile. “You had me at hello.” You thought your heart was going to explode, so you just giggled. “Well, y/n, would you like to join me for this cup of delicious coffee?” You looked at your watch. It was almost your break time. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right over.” He gave you a small wink, and you were on your way back to the counter.

That was a year ago...now you two were sharing a room at the Avengers’ facility and spending every moment with one another. “Doll, you mind helping me set this up? I don’t even know where to begin on this dam thing.” Your boyfriend sat hopeless on the couch trying to figure out his new phone. “Buck, you’re aging yourself. Old people the same age as you, are more advanced than this.” 

He snorted. “Ya know, not all us old people are as smart as you.” You bounced on the couch next to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. Grabbing his phone you walked him through the set-up process. He leaned his cheek on your shoulder, watching your every move. “Set up lock screen wallpaper. What the hell does that mean?” 

You giggled and gave him his phone back. “It means you can set a picture for your phone, so that whenever you turn your screen on you’ll see something on the background.” He sat there, thinking. “Could we take a selfie?” You smiled and grabbed the phone from him. “Of course babe. How would you like to pose?” 

He wrapped both of his arms around your waist. “Take the pic.” You opened up the camera and were about to take the picture, when he kissed you. You giggled. “Buck, I wasn’t prepared.” He chuckled and gave you another kiss before looking at the picture. It was perfect. It was a simple picture of you and him with your eyes closed, kissing. 

“See? I know what I’m doing.” He smirked and you smacked him. “Dork.” You leaned against him as he set up his new lock screen wallpaper. Your phone vibrated in your pocket and you pulled it out. There was a simple text that read: He’s all yours. 

You closed the screen and got up from the couch. Bucky looked at you, confused. “Where’re you going, doll?” You tried to cover some tears and began walking away. “I need to...just, I need to make a phone call.”  You ran out of the room and headed for the balcony. Staring at your phone, you wanted to scream. The text was from your ex-husband. You decided to call him, despite hating his guts. 

“Y/N? Interesting to hear from you.” Your ex sneered on the other end of the phone. 

“That’s funny coming from you. So, not friends with the judges huh?” 

“Ha ha, funny. My lawyer sucked at his job, so the judge ruled me guilty.” 

“How are you calling me then?

“Judge gave me 2 days to get Ben’s stuff together so I can hand him over to you. They have me on watch.”

“Tim, you can’t just drop this on me. I live on the complete opposite side of the United States. I have to explain this to Bucky and--”

“Wait a second. Who the hell is this Bucky? Is there someone else that I should know about? How do I know this guy is good for my son?”

“He’ll be a better father than you’ll ever were! At least he doesn’t go home wasted or stoned!” The balcony door opened and Bucky stepped out quietly. “Doll, I heard you yelling. Everything ok?” You waved him away. “Not now Bucky!”

“Oh, Bucky’s there with you?! Put that little shit on the phone. I’ll have a talk with him.”

You resumed talking on your phone. “TIM! SHUT UP!” Bucky was about to comfort you, until he stepped back. “Tim? Who the hell is Tim? Y/N, what’s going on here?” You pushed Bucky away. “THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS BUCKY! GET OUT OF HERE!” 

The look in Bucky’s eyes were a mixture of hurt and anger. He started to walk away and then turned to you. “You know what...screw you.” You began to sob.

“Oh he sounds like a Prince Charming.” Your ex started chuckling on the other side of the phone. 

“Tim, shut the fuck up. I erased you from my life. Don’t try to butt back in.”

He scoffed into the phone. “I’m not gonna waste anymore time with you. This is the deal. DCF is going to drop Ben off at whatever location you’re at. Unless you don’t want full custody, the adoption agencies are open.”

“I can’t believe you would even bring that up. Ben is MY son. You know damn well I will make his life better than it ever was with you.” 

“Ok. So I am going to hang up, cause I don’t feel like dealing with you screaming at me. Ben is yours. I have him all packed up. Anything else you want me to do?”

You were a sobbing mess. “I think you’ve done enough. I need to settle things out with Bucky.”

Tim chuckled. “Oh yea, him. You enjoy him. Hope he’s giving it to you as good as I did.”

Your blood was boiling. “ROT IN JAIL, TIM!” And with that, you hung up on him and screamed out into the sky. You stormed back into the tower, slamming the door behind you. You stopped your tracks when you herd voices coming from the living room.

“I don’t know man. She always pushes me away. Why is this so hard?” It was Bucky’s voice. You walked in and found Bucky sitting with Steve on the couch. They both looked at you. Bucky was glaring at you until he saw how upset you were, so his expression softened. 

Steve got up. “I’ll give you two some privacy.” He walked past you and gave you a sad smile. Bucky was the next to get and walked over to you, crossing his arms. “So...is there a reason why you push me away every time I try to comfort you?”

You just stood there, feeling the tears sting again. “Buck, I am SO sorry. Just, let me explain.” He grabbed your hand. “Let’s go someplace more private.” Bucky brought you to your shared bedroom. You sat hesitantly on the bed. He sighed and ran his fingers through his long locks. 

You tried to hold back the tears, but they kept streaming down. Bucky was the first to speak. “Is there someone else I should know about?” All you could do was shake your head. “No, nothing like that. Tim is my ex-husband.” 

“You had a husband? You were married? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” The look of hurt in his eyes was starting to eat away at you. “Babe, I’m so sorry that I never did. I didn’t tell you because I removed that ass hat from my life. He abused me and was never a husband to me. When I found you, all of my problems were washed away. I found someone who I can tell my problems to.”

Bucky looked at you and his eyes narrowed. “So that’s all I am to you? A crutch?” He was getting defensive and his lips tightened. You placed a hand on his lap. “If you think that, then my love has meant nothing to you. The countless hours I spent calming you from nightmares, the numerous times I patched you up from wounds...shall I go on?” 

He hung his head and shook it in a ‘no’ matter. “The reason why Tim called is because I’m getting full custody of my son.” Bucky perked up and grew tense. “Yes Bucky, I have a son. His name is Ben and he’s 10 years old. Ben is the best kid on the world. When Tim and I divorced, I left him with Tim in hopes that he would straighten out. I was wrong in doing so. Tim got laid off from his job and began selling stuff on the streets and was a regular at local bars. Cops found out, DCF got involved and that was the end of that.”

Bucky stared at the wall and showed no sign of emotion. “So, he informed me that the judge is giving Ben to me.” Bucky changed his focus to you. “This means that Ben is staying with me. I can’t give him up for adoption, Buck. Ben has gone through too much and I need to be back in his life. I was a terrible mother leaving him with a drunk of a father.” You began to sniffle and sob. “I understand if you don’t want to help me with this. This is a lot asking you, and I know we’ve only been together for a year, and--” You were at loss for words.

Bucky sighed and looked at you, sadly. “Oh, doll. Don't beat yourself up. Come here.” He picked you up and cradled you in his arms. He placed small kisses on your head. “I am going to do this for you. I don’t know anything about being a dad, but I am willing to learn if it means that I am going to make you and Ben happy. I love you too much to see you walk alone.”

You raised your head from his shoulder and wiped your cheeks. “Really? You really want to do this?” He smiled and rubbed your cheek. “Anything for you, love.” You squealed and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Thank you, babe. I love you SO much.” He chuckled into your hair. “I love you too, Doll.”

You jumped up and pulled his arm. “C’mon, we have to get ready!” He grabbed your shoulders. “Why? Where are we going?” You smiled at him and rubbed his stubbled face. “We’re going to pick up our son.”

Bucky never thought he would here those words, but now it made him excited because he was making his girl happy.

A/N: So I have no idea where this was going...but I kind of got emotional writing it. HOPE YOU LIKE! I hate writing angst but this time I decided it was perfect with this request. PLEASE LIKE, REBLOG, AND LEAVE SOME COMMENTS! I love hearing what you guys have to say. :) 

TAG LIST (OPEN)

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Mercy: Part 1

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Warnings: None

Summary: Inspired by the song Mercy by Lewis Capaldi 

Word count: 2591

Author’s Note: This is for Mee’s Writing Challenge, it will be a 3 part fic, that will hopefully be all finished up in time. Seeing as this is a canon challenge, this fic takes place directly after the end of Avenger’s: Age of Ultron, that being said, some of the starting lines are directly quoted from that final scene, I did not write them. Hope you all enjoy. 

My Masterlist 

The multicolored circle of light flashes, causing both men to recoil slightly at the blinding brightness. In a moment, Thor was gone, leaving an intricately patterned scorch mark on the green grass.

“That man has no regard for lawn maintenance.” Tony shakes his head, as he smiles at his joke, glancing at Steve through his dark sunglasses as he turns to walk away, “I’m gonna miss him though. And you’re gonna miss me. There’s gonna be a lot of manful tears.”

They stroll slowly towards the gravel path, Tony clicking a button, calling his car forward on the gravel drive.

“I will miss you, Tony.” Steve confirms, nodding with certainty at his teammate as Stark’s orange car approaches.

“Yeah? Well, it’s time for me to tap out.” Tony nods, shrugging slightly, “Maybe I should take a page out of Barton’s book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up.”

Steve smirks, laughing slightly as he nods in agreement, “The simple life.” His grin falters slightly, the regret in his tone noticed by Tony as he turns to face Steve once more.

“You’ll get there one day,” Tony reassures him, knowing of the small surprise that was still to come for his teammate. He smirks slightly, certain of his decision to make the call, regardless of whether his friend is grateful for his interference.

“I don’t know, family, stability.” Steve shakes his head, turning away to look throughout the lush green expanse of the compound, but Tony knew full well that something else was flashing across his friend’s mind, “The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago.” He sighs, “I think someone else came out.”

Tony turns to get in the car, smiling sheepishly as his eyes glance around the compound, spotting a helicopter landing on the launch pad in the distance. 

“Well,” Tony shrugs, trying to hide the wide smile now flashing across his face, well aware of the new arrival that had just landed at the compound, “Never say never.”

Steve looks at him confused, his brow furrowing as his face falls slightly becoming lost in his thoughts once more.

“You alright?”  Tony asks, clapping Steve on the shoulder to pull his attention back to the conversation. Steve looks at him through thick lashes, his eyes squinting slightly in the bright sunshine. Glancing around the compound, nodding as he takes in the military style base.

“I’m home.”

“Cap. There’s uh… there’s something I need to talk to you about.” Natasha’s voice floats down the hallway, slowing Steve in his steps as he advances towards the training room.

Though he had some big hitters with Vision, Sam, and Wanda, he and Tony had previously agreed that they needed to flesh out their team with more recruits. Recruits that Natasha and Tony had taken initiative in procuring.

“Walk and talk, Romanoff. I’m running late.” Steve speaks quickly, pausing in his progress to allow Natasha to catch up and fall into step beside him. “Tony sent over the chosen recruits yesterday without giving me even a heads up about it. How he expects me to manage a team when I’m not even told they’re here…” he sighs exasperatedly shaking his head as Natasha interjects.

“Steve, that’s what I want to talk to you about. You know how Tony likes to play his little jokes?” Natasha speaks quickly, her legs working overtime to keep up with Steve’s long strides. He scoffs, confirming his understanding of Tony’s sense of humor as Natasha continues hurriedly “Well he may have gone a little too far this time.”

Steve glances at her in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing as they turn the corner into the training area. Their ears are met with the rough sounds of grunts as various bodies hit the mats, fists flying in fast sparring sessions.

“Nat, what are you on about…” Steve begins before hearing a particularly loud smack on the mat and the peal of a familiar laugh that follows. His body freezes, every muscle tensing as he slowly turns his head towards the sound.

Then he sees you. Standing over the body of your easily discarded opponent. Your head thrown back in a wide smile as your laugh echoes throughout the hall. Your hip is cocked out in a nonchalant stance as your opponent rolls onto his stomach, his face red as he catches his breath, rising to his feet in front of you once more.

The laughter stops as you attack again, your electric grin still wide across your face as you move quickly, ducking and dodging your opponent's attacks as you sneak in various hits and kicks, your long ponytail whipping through the air.

“Steve,” Natasha speaks quietly, trying to bring her captain back into reality, his gaze locked on his ex-girlfriend as you hurriedly dance around your sparring partner, chuckling and beaming as you avoid and counter each and every hit.

His neck grows red as he feels the heat of your laugh infect him, yanking a memory from his mind of being your partner only a year ago, remembering the spark that your giggle would ignite in him. 

The sound of it causing his frustration to mount as you would twirl and twist out of his grasp, always moving away at the last second. Steve’s fist clenches, as if for a moment he can feel the ghost of your long ponytail slipping through his fingers as you twirl away, just as you had so many months ago. 

“I swear, I just found out that Tony sent her today…” Natasha’s words stumble from her mouth in a hushed whisper as Steve stands stock still, frozen in place, his eyes unmoving from his former lover, “I was trying to warn you… But… she is one of the best, and Tony thought…”

“I’m sure Tony thinks this is hysterical.” He growls, grinding his teeth together as he glares at you, his jaw tightening as he breathes slowly trying to control the race of emotions coursing through his body.

All the memories and feelings from your past relationship rush through him at once, a cold sweat erupting on his forehead as his face blanches. He locks his thumbs into his belt buckle, rolling his shoulders back as he takes a deep breath, standing tall.

The stance of confidence, as Bucky used to call it. His best friend always told him to pose like that when he was nervous. Stand tall and no one will see the fear, that’s what Bucky always used to promise… but it wasn’t fear Steve was feeling at this moment, it was pain… pain and regret.

You move through the sparring session, falling into a locked position as your partner pulls you closely in front of him, holding your curvy body tightly to his, your hips grinding against his pelvis as you try to escape. 

Steve fights to control a jealous growl that threatens to erupt in his chest as you break the hold, slamming an elbow into your opponent’s abdomen.

A small smirk of satisfaction pulls at Steve’s lips, remembering the effectiveness of that specific move. One you had used on him many times when you became cross during your sparring.

You spin quickly following up with another kick that sends your partner sprawling, another laugh escaping from you at the sight. You look up, the laughter freezing on your face as your smile falters ever so slightly, your eyes falling on Steve’s tall form, frozen next to Natasha at the entrance, the satisfied smirk still present on his face.

It’s as if the whole room slows as Steve makes eye contact with you once again. Your familiar features unchanged in the last year, every line, every mark, every dimple was exactly the way he remembered, your face permanently memorized in his subconscious.

Your face softens as you take him in, a beaming smile hurriedly flashing across your lips as you focus on him, the kind of look that you used to reserve just for him. His breath catches in his chest at the sight of it. Every feeling that he once had for you flooding through him once again as everything in the room dimmed in comparison to the brightness of your smile.

But the moment is shattered as your opponent takes advantage of your temporary distraction and lands a particularly strong kick to your abdomen, sending you sprawling backward.

Steve moves forward quickly, the defensive bark of his command ripping from his chest before he fully realizes he is in motion. “That’s enough!”

Everyone in the training room freezes as they turn to take in the new presence of the famous Captain America. Some of the new recruits fall into formal salutes. Others avert their eyes uncomfortably, unsure of whether they should look directly at the fabled superhero.

But Steve notices none of them, he only has eyes for you as you regain your footing, rising gracefully to your feet once more. Your eyes flash to his once more, causing his foot to stutter slightly in his advance, freezing in motion as he stares at you once more.

Natasha clears her throat behind him, causing him to drag his eyes away from you and take in the rest of the recruits. Addressing them slowly, he scans down the line, directly avoiding looking at you again.

“You are all here because Mr. Stark and Agent Romanoff believe you’re the best. You will spend the next month proving that to me.” Steve barks his instructions, issuing the challenge and expectation quickly, before nodding in satisfaction and dismissing the new recruits, proclaiming the end of training for the day.

As soon as he dismisses them, everyone begins to move hurriedly from the mats, weaving around him as he stands firmly at the head of the room, his eyes focusing on you once more as your opponent speaks in hushed tones, a coy smile pulling across his cheeks as he elicits a throaty chuckle from you.

Steve moves forward, approaching the pair of you slowly until he is standing behind the young man. He places his thumbs into his belt buckle, drawing himself up to his full height once more, he clears his throat, causing the man to jump and stumble backward as he turns to see Captain America standing intimidatingly behind him.

“Captain… I…” He stammers as he takes in Steve’s large form. Your eyes roll exasperatedly behind the exchange as the young man bows awkwardly, hurriedly excusing himself from the interaction under Steve’s cold gaze. He glances briefly at you once more to flash a small smile behind Steve’s back as he hurries away.

“Well, you haven’t changed at all.” You scoff, the lyrical nature of your voice causing Steve’s breath to catch in his chest once more. His memory could never do justice to the velvety nature of your sultry tone, the way that you sound like your singing an old jazz song with every word you speak. Your low tone wrapping around every syllable as it floats through the air to his ears.

“I didn’t know you were coming here.” He kicks himself as soon as the words escape his mouth. The sentence revealing his own disorientation at your presence. You let out a small sigh at his statement, your eyes glancing uncomfortably towards the ceiling as you shift your weight from one foot to the other, cocking out your hip in annoyance once more, crossing your arms defensively as you stare back at him.

“Yeah, I had the feeling you wouldn’t.” You look at him, eyeing him up and down. Taking in the quiet reserve in his expression as you admire the broadness of his shoulders, wondering if he had always been that large. 

After a deep breath, you relax, letting a small smile pull at the corner of your mouth as your arms drop to your side, one hand resting lazily on your hip. “Tony called me.” You speak plainly, “Seemed to think I’d be an asset to your team.”

He watches you as you speak, counting every line around your face. Remembering all the tiny expressive movements that your muscles made as you spoke. Memorizing the way your ponytail swings behind your head as you animatedly tilt your head with your words.

“I told him that I wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable, but he insisted that you were ok with it.” You pause, taking in his expression as he stares. You bite your lip as you assess his expression, contemplating your next sentence.

As your teeth move across your bottom lip, Steve feels as if his knees might buckle beneath him. He is acutely aware of how close he is to you, feeling as if he is pulled within your orbit, a gravitational force dragging him forward as he stands in front of you.

“I’m guessing that Tony may have been exaggerating…” You speak slowly, watching him. Taking in his tense stance and continuous silence, “Or… you didn’t know I was coming at all.”

Steve shakes his head, snapping out of the trance-like effect you had on him, he forces his mouth open, pulling a response from his the back of his mind.

“No! I...” His voice sounds hoarse and foreign, wavering slightly as he tries to save face. He swallows hard, choking down the nerves that were threatening to gag him.

“Of course I knew.” He lies hurriedly, causing your eyebrows to rise in surprise.

“I…” he coughs slightly, stealing his voice with his Captain America bravado, the performative tone that he reserved for professional and awkward situations, and this was definitely the latter.

“I actually suggested you. I know your skills, knew you’d be a valuable asset.” Steve rushes to give an explanation, watching your face light up in surprise at his words, taking a small satisfaction in the shock that flashes briefly across your features, before being controlled once again with a smile.

“Wow, that’s really big of you Steve, thank you.” You beam once more, his head swimming when that look lights up your face again, his look. The smile you always used to give him now meant for him once again.

“I mean,” You correct awkwardly, the smile faltering slightly as you break his gaze, glancing uncomfortably at the floor. “We did, um, separate a year ago… But I’m really glad that we can now work together comfortably.”

The memory of the separation stings in Steve’s chest, reminding him of the distance that now exists between him and the love of his life. The space between, though only a foot, felt like a mile with the reminder of the current standing of your relationship.

How could you be so calm and collected? Speaking plainly and comfortably to him, as if you were longtime friends and weren’t once in love. As if he hadn’t almost given up his shield for you… almost.

He felt a stab of pain at your natural state, resenting how easy it appeared for you to be near him, while he felt like he was falling apart at the seams. Every nerve in his body screaming to touch you again. To turn back the clock and not have walked away. 

But he did walk away, only to now be lead back to you.

“Of course,” He nods, through clenched teeth masquerading as a smile. How could you just be alright? Acting as if nothing had ever happened between you two. Appearing perfectly fine while he felt like he was breaking at the sight of you.

“Great! Well, I’m going to call it a night.” You smile again, the look of your curling lips causing his knees to weaken once more, you mime an awkward salute, clearly poking fun at the formal nature of the other recruits. “Goodnight Captain.”

You smile as you turn, exiting quickly, leaving Steve standing there alone in the empty training room, his eyes fixated on the doorway that you had just left through. A pain beating in his chest where his heart once was as he thinks through the interaction. She’s alright… but I’m not alright.

Forever Tags: @imhereforbvcky @heismyhunter  @feelmyroarrrr  @sapphire1727  @colt-eleven-impala-sixtyseven @lilacs-lavender  @callamint @himasugi @amrita31199 @ailynalonso15 @thewintersoldierprogram @watch-out-for-thorns @givemethatgold @eloquentpetrichorpeculiar @kristygear @winterboobaer @magicintheelements  @danstrash @bridgeneem @mitra-k-w @coffeeismylife28 @cornflax01 @emmatheawesome @movingonto-betterthings @shifutheshihtzu @cheythehulk @melconnor2007 @alwayshave-faith @justreadingfics@calaofnoldor @smut-goodness @badassbaker @pineapplebooboo @inconvenientvoid @dorned @kitkatkl @allisonbaelfire  

5:49 PM 4/23/2021

The Falcon and The Winter Solder ep6

So when Marvel Movie Marathons return to movie theaters, are they going to include Falcon & Winter Soldier (and WandaVision)? Because The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is pretty much like 3 movies.

I'm kind of glad this ep begins by kind of quelching theories about Sharon being the Power Broker. They needed another hand to help for this mission. So no use complicating things by making Sharon a secret bad guy. Still, why did she hire that French mercenary Batroc?

It's really cool how Sam throws the shield then catches it mid flight. *o*

Karli is really escalating, but it happened so gradually, you can feel her followers didn't know how they got to this point.

Wait. What? I gotta pay attention vs typing notes. ...Oh, the NYPD chopper got clipped.

"I don't wanna hurt people that don't matter." Ouch.

Maybe it's just me, but I like that they got an Asian woman to play the random extra with the helicopter training. Ayla. Especially now that AAPI community is trying to get visibility vs the hate crimes lately. And I really like this idea of Captain America working with normal people. It gives a sense that he's really part of the community, represents it, and will fight for it. And he'll best represent the will of the people.

I don't know how I want this fight between Karli and Walker to go. Man...

Oh, she brought the hostages to Bucky. How convenient.

Oh, I guess we gotta have some pathos for Walker. I gueeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss~ -.-

Oh wow. The vehical got caught again. By Falcon---SORRY. I mean Captain America. Goddamn, how did I make that mistake when that's what this whole series is about?!!!

I know the crowd reaction---the extras aknowleding that Sam is no loinger "Falcon" but "Captain America"---is cheesy, but I'm crying. I love sincerity. ;u;

"You of all people bought into that bullshit?" I love that the antagonist and the protagonist of this series recognize their ideological connection. So that Karli can speakwith camraderie and disappointment when she has a fight with Sam, instead of fights just being "Argh~! I hate you! *violence*!".

Maybe Sharon is the Power Broker. Wait. Did that mercenary Batroc just arm Karli? Oh, the smoke screen was just Flag Smasher backup.

Shouldn't Bucky go with Sam since Sam isn't a Super Soldier? Can't leave Walker alone because he's going to do something crazy, huh? Anyway, Sam is Captain America now. It shouldn't matter if he has super strength or not. He's got the character and brains.

Oh man, Sharon really is the Power Broker. Ug. Kind of weird to hear that Sharon wants an Empire.

Oh, they're going for the sacrifice-redemption route?

"I'm not gonna fight you!" I like that that's what a shield is for. And I like that it demonstrates that Sam believes in negotiation and people understanding each other, more than just fighting. It reiterates that Sam believes that violence is a last resort, and has a character we can believe in. Or at least a character I can admire and believe in. Throughout this series, I've really liked the emphasis on Sam's skills as a soldier counsellor. It's those skills, reiterated on his purely defensive fighting style vs Karli in this scene that have convinced me he is best to be Captain America.

"Stay down". Ooh. Reference.

Before you die, tell Sam that Sharon is the Power Broker! I like that Karli's last words were "I'msorry". I really think it captures the dichotomy of her motivations. She wanted to do good things, but she was doing bad things, to do good things...

Wow. Angelic pose.

I'm surprised this episode is short. Feels a little cut short. But it's an action and stunt heavy ep, they can't afford too much. No, wait. I forgot that Disney+'s mintue counter is different from Netflix's. The number on the right is how much time is remaining, now the total episode length.

Sam's monologe was beginning to feel a little bit cheesey or rather, artificial, but that reaction shot to Isaiah really got to me. Crying again. ;u;

Bringing it back to the plot, reminding them to ask why Karli did what she did, really help ground this monologe too.

I liked that Sam equated the decisions the council would make, to having the same impact as what Thanos did.

So is Sharon going to walk-off a gunshot??? lol Superhero logic! lol

I'm really in denial about Sharon being the Power Broker, because I just don't want it to be true!!! ;O; Tho, I am a sucker for the ambiguous, "on no one's side" female character. Plays into the Universal Mother Goddess archetype that I love from mythology.

GASP! When that military guy told the Flag Smasher prisoners their motto "One world, one people", I thought that meant they were going to be rescued from the Raft. Not exploded! O.O!!!

Wait. So is this old guy the *real* Power Broker? The statement that Sharon was the Power Broker was said by Karli, afterall. Not an admission straight from Sharon herself.

Oh,it was Zemo's butler.

"Or did I?" Stop it, Elaine. lol

It's probably the helmet. lol I'm sure the costume department designed that first helmet to make him look goofy on purpose, when he first appeared. So you'd recognize "Captain America, but ASKEWED". So I guess they gotta fix that now that he's going to stick around and in a different, US Agent role that better suits him.

I must be color blind because I didn't notice his suit was black. I thought it was just the scene'slighting, shadow.

And Disney+ crashed. omg. At least it was during the epilogue scenes.

Oh..Here we go. Bucky is going to confess to killig Nakajima's son. ;~;!!!!!!!

I like that the shrine to his son is visible whenever he opens his door. I wish I could be thoughtful enough to shoot compositions like that. Today is Figure Friday.

Well, if Nakajima wants to hit him or hate him, that's fair. Wow. They cut out his reaciton to Bucky's confession. Well, more than that "Why?" and silent reaciton.

So Bucky just gave away Steve's book?

Well, at least the waitress is keeping Nakajima company.

I like how Isaiah is so old but he so easily picks up that GIANT potted tree. So casually portrayed too! lol

I mean, it's a great gesture if Sam got the Smithsonian to put Isaiah into the museum. But isn't publicity going to get him killed by some shady organization trying to cover up what they did? I'm afraid for him! Aw, but it means so much to Isaiah! ;O;!!!!!!!!!! Maybe the exhibit only mentions how he saved that group of POWs, and not that he was part of a Super Soldier program.

So is this ending theme a Marvin Gay song? After all that dialogue setting up how much Marvin Gay's music means to Sam, it would only make sense to use it as the ending theme.

Is there a post credits scene...?

So is Sharon going to use her pardon as just freedom to move into more territories as the Power Broker? Mysterious slow motion! ...Kind of sad that she's a "bad guy" now tho. But hey, they got to use the ironic line, "The Carter name has always been synonymous with service and trust." to add so much intrigue. Well, it's very possible something big with her character could happen in one of the movies and she'll then stop being the Power Broker. I mean, SHIELD was revealed to be infiltrated by Hydra in one of the movies. I mean, being the Power Broker wouldn't be bad if she wasn't arming criminals...and stealing art to replace with replicas so that underground elite could buy the authentic art...And probably lots of other crimes that hurt people... Ugh. She's a bad guy now. o_o;

Y'know, a lot of the powerful authority figures in the villains side have been women in this series. The crime boss that Zemo met with, Contessa Val, and now Sharon Carter. It's a nice inclusion. If this was a few decades ago, all those characters would have been cast from white male stereotypes of 1950's Chicago mob bosses. Female representation!

Now I can watch everyone's reactions and browse Twitter without worrying about spoilers. ^_^

Don't let the Main Street media lie to and do your own research folks.

Don't let the Main Street media lie to you and do your own research folks. https://t.co/zCB4bG7pV4This Timeline Shows Who Acted, When, and How! Just for the record, here is the COMPLETE timeline of the corona (China) virus including all of the actions that were taken by the Trump Administration and the CDC.Don't let anyone tell you that the administration wasn't on top of this: December 31: China reports the discovery of the coronavirus to the World Health Organization. January 6: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for Wuhan, China due to the spreading coronavirus. January 7: The CDC established a coronavirus incident management system to better share and respond to information about the virus. January 11: The CDC issued a Level I travel health notice for Wuhan, China. January 17: The CDC began implementing public health entry screening at the 3 U.S. airports that received the most travelers from Wuhan – San Francisco, New York JFK, and Los Angeles. January 20: Dr. Fauci announces the National Institutes of Health is already working on the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus. January 21: The CDC activated its emergency operations center to provide ongoing support to the coronavirus response. January 23: The CDC sought a “special emergency authorization” from the FDA to allow states to use its newly developed coronavirus test. January 27: The CDC issued a level III travel health notice urging Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China due to the coronavirus. January 29: The White House announced the formation of the Coronavirus Task Force to help monitor and contain the spread of the virus and provide updates to the President. January 31: The Trump Administration: Declared the coronavirus a public health emergency. Announced Chinese travel restrictions. Suspended entry into the United States for foreign nationals who pose a risk of transmitting the coronavirus. January 31: The Department of Homeland Security took critical steps to funnel all flights from China into just 7 domestic U.S. airports. February 3: The CDC had a team ready to travel to China to obtain critical information on the novel coronavirus, but were in the U.S. awaiting permission to enter by the Chinese government. February 4: President Trump vowed in his State of the Union Address to “take all necessary steps” to protect Americans from the coronavirus. February 6: The CDC began shipping CDC-Developed test kits for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to U.S. and international labs. February 9: The White House Coronavirus Task Force briefed governors from across the nation at the National Governors’ Association Meeting in Washington. February 11: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded a partnership with Janssen Research & Development to “expedite the development” of a coronavirus vaccine. February 12: The U.S. shipped test kits for the 2019 novel coronavirus to approximately 30 countries that lacked the necessary reagents and other materials. February 12: The CDC was prepared to travel to China but had yet to receive permission from the Chinese government. February 14: The CDC began working with five labs to conduct “community-based influenza surveillance” to study and detect the spread of coronavirus. March 3: The White House announced President Trump donated his fourth-quarter salary to fight the coronavirus. vaccine and to develop a treatment for coronavirus infections. February 24: The Trump Administration sent a letter to Congress requesting at least $2.5 billion to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. February 26: President Trump discussed coronavirus containment efforts with Indian PM Modi and updated the press on his Administration’s containment efforts in the U.S. during his state visit to India. February 29: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed certified labs to develop and begin testing coronavirus testing kits while reviewing pending applications. February 29: The Trump Administration: Announced a level 4 travel advisory to areas of Italy and South Korea. Barred all travel to Iran. Barred the entry of foreign citizens who visited Iran in the last 14 days. March 3: The CDC lifted federal restrictions on coronavirus testing to allow any American to be tested for coronavirus, “subject to doctor’s orders.” March 3: The White House announced President Trump donated his fourth-quarter salary to fight the coronavirus. March 4: The Trump Administration announced the purchase of $500 million N95 respirators over the next 18 months to respond to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. March 4: Secretary Azar announced that HHS was transferring $35 million to the CDC to help state and local communities that have been impacted most by the coronavirus. March 6: President Trump signed an $8.3 billion bill to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The bill provides $7.76 billion to federal, state, & local agencies to combat the coronavirus and authorizes an additional $500 million in waivers for Medicare telehealth restrictions. March 9: President Trump called on Congress to pass a payroll tax cut over coronavirus. March 10: President Trump and VP Pence met with top health insurance companies and secured a commitment to waive co-pays for coronavirus testing. March 11: President Trump: Announced travel restrictions on foreigners who had visited Europe in the last 14 days. Directed the Small Business Administration to issue low-interest loans to affected small businesses and called on Congress to increase this fund by $50 billion. Directed the Treasury Department to defer tax payments for affected individuals & businesses, & provide $200 billion in “additional liquidity.” Met with American bankers at the White House to discuss coronavirus.March 13: President Trump declared a national emergency in order to access $42 billion in existing funds to combat the coronavirus. March 13: President Trump announced: Public-private partnerships to open up drive-through testing collection sites. A pause on interest payments on federal student loans. An order to the Department of Energy to purchase oil for the strategic petroleum reserve.March 13: The Food & Drug Administration: Granted Roche AG an emergency approval for automated coronavirus testing kits. Issued an emergency approval to Thermo Fisher for a coronavirus test within 24 hours of receiving the request. March 13: HHS announced funding for the development of two new rapid diagnostic tests, which would be able to detect coronavirus in approximately 1 hour. March 14: The Coronavirus Relief Bill passed the House of Representatives. March 14: The Trump Administration announced the European travel ban will extend to the UK and Ireland. March 15: President Trump held a phone call with over two dozen grocery store executives to discuss on-going demand for food and other supplies. March 15: HHS announced it is projected to have 1.9 million COVID-19 tests available in 2,000 labs this week. March 15: Google announced a partnership with the Trump Administration to develop a website dedicated to coronavirus education, prevention, & local resources. March 15: All 50 states were contacted through FEMA to coordinate “federally-supported, state-led efforts” to end coronavirus. March 16: President Trump: Held a teleconference with governors to discuss coronavirus preparedness and response. Participated in a call with G7 leaders who committed to increasing coordination in response to the coronavirus and restoring global economic confidence. Announced that the first potential vaccine for coronavirus has entered a phase one trial in a record amount of time. Announced “15 days to slow the spread” coronavirus guidance.March 16: The FDA announced it was empowering states to authorize tests developed and used by labs in their states. March 16: Asst. Secretary for Health confirmed the availability of 1 million coronavirus tests and projected 2 million tests available the next week and 5 million the following.March 17: President Trump announced: CMS will expand telehealth benefits for Medicare beneficiaries.Relevant Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act penalties will not be enforced. The Army Corps of Engineers is on ”standby” to assist federal & state governments. March 17: President Trump spoke to fast-food executives from Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Burger King to discuss drive-thru services recommended by CDC March 17: President Trump met with tourism industry representatives along with industrial supply, retail, and wholesale representatives. March 17: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin met with lawmakers to discuss stimulus measures to relieve the economic burden of coronavirus on certain industries, businesses, and American workers. March 17: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a partnership between USDA, Baylor University, McLane Global, and Pepsi Co. to provide one million meals per weak to rural children in response to widespread school closures. March 17: The Treasury Department: Contributed $10bil through the economic stabilization fund to the Federal Reserve’s commercial paper funding facility. Deferred $300 billion in tax payments for 90 days without penalty, up to $1mil for individuals & $10mil for business. March 17: The Department of Defense announced it will make available to HHS up to five million respirator masks and 2,000 ventilators. March 18: President Trump announced: Temporary closure of the U.S.-Canada border to non-essential traffic. Plans to invoke the Defense Production Act in order to increase the number of necessary supplies needed to combat coronavirus. FEMA has been activated in every region at its highest level of response. The U.S. Navy will deploy USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy hospital ships. All foreclosures and evictions will be suspended for a period of time.March 18: Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirmed: 1 million masks are now immediately available. The Army Corps of Engineers is in NY consulting on how to best assist state officials.March 18: HHS temporarily suspended a regulation that prevents doctors from practicing across state lines. March 18: President Trump spoke to: Doctors, physicians, and nurses on the front lines containing the spread of coronavirus. 130 CEOs of the Business Roundtable to discuss on-going public-private partnerships in response to the coronavirus pandemic.Posted by Dan Cirucci at 5:38 PM  

One Last Mission

Hi guys!!! I put up a post about this story asking if you wanted it and the general answer was a big yes. But for those who didn’t see the post here we go.

***Summary: You’re a ‘retired’ Level 12 SHIELD agent who has been laying low ever since the Project Insight disaster. Now, a couple years later Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton show up at your doorstep asking a favour; they need your help on one last mission. You agree to help them out on the condition that they left you alone afterwards. It was fine until it all fell apart…***

Woo! So that’s the summary and this is the first part!

It was a quiet Thursday night for you as you sipped on a glass of wine with a new book.  Of course, nothing could ever go as planned as a shrill ring filled the air as your personal phone rang on the table. Silently getting up, you took the knife strapped under the table and held it behind you before answering it. 

“It’s Black Widow speaking.”

“Bloody hell, what are you doing?!” Immediately your eyes searched your apartment as you hissed to the phone. 

“You gave me your number in case of emergencies.” Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, replied as her partner said something with didn’t quite come through clearly. 

“I swear to god if it isn’t an-”

“We need your help, L/N. And you know we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t an emergency.” Clint Barton, whose code name was Hawkeye, cut you off as he officially joined the conversation. 

“Don’t cut me off again, Barton.” Levelling the phone with a glare as if it was Clint, you walked back to your wine and downed it because you knew that if they really had come around to calling you, it was going to be a big deal. Subtly, you twirled the knife in your hand and slotted it into into one of the belt loops on your jeans. 

“I’m not doing anything for you. I’m laying low now because my enemies make the majority of yours look like kindergarten children.”

“It’s about Budapest.” Natasha’s words stopped you in your track of denial. 

“I’m sorry, what? I saved your asses there and now your telling me that you messed it up even further?” You could already feel the impending headache begin to ebb its way into your brain. 

“Something like that." 

You groaned and rolled your eyes. "You’re useless. Give me the eight. Now.” As they explained everything to you about the mission you simply sat back down and soaked it all in. 

“That’s nice but I’m still not sure why you need me. You’re taking your boyband there and I don’t see where I fit in.” You were leaning on the back on your sofa, watching your phone as the two ex-agents talked.

You could hear rustling from the other end of the line before Natasha spoke. “Y/N, look, aside from us nobody else knows what went down in Budapest.” That’s not true. “And you were a Level 12 SHIELD TASA certified agent who was and still is a myth to most people. We were Level 6 and look at what we do. I think that says it all, don’t you?”

You knew that she had a point; if they were coming to you it had to be big, and from their explanation you knew they were worried about what could pan out from this. 

“When do you need me?” You asked and ran a hand through your hair. 

“We need you yesterday; the team didn’t want to get anyone else involved but we insisted we knew someone trustworthy enough to bring on to the case. Didn’t specify any details so what you say is all they know about you.” Clint’s voice gave away a lopsided smirk and that brought a small smile to your face. 

“Give me twenty and I’ll be on my way.”

In those minutes, you had your bag packed; weapons packed in a separate bag; your old uniform on and all of your typical arsenal attached in various places; your neighbour to look after the place; any confidential paperwork hidden away in a safe; and finally your ‘missions phone’ reactivated. You walked down out of your apartment building into an inconspicuous car which you had purchased after fleeing DC after the ‘Potomac Disaster’, as the intelligence community had taken to calling it. 

It was an easy drive to the airport where all you had to do was flash your badge you were let through, no questions asked and both of your bags were allowed with you as carry on luggage. Four hours later, you were driving up to the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York in a rented car and parking in the underground car park at the back of the building. Getting to the Avengers was worryingly easy, granted that you avoided reception in the lobby.

You walked up the stairs, as the elevator was bound to have Stark’s AI system and cameras in which would alert him to your presence and therefore ruin your entrance. As you ascended, you recognised the two people’s voices who called you and stopped at that floor which was penultimate to the top. You slid through the door silently and no one noticed you, much to your pleasure and you moved into the shadows of the natural evening light that fells in beams into the room. Looking around the room, it had one glass wall overlooking the grounds and a open space plan, allowing easy access to every part of the floor and leaving it vulnerable to aerial attack despite the glass likely being tinted. 

You just quite happily stood in your corner watching the exchange until soon your moment came.

“If you trust this person I suppose they can’t be that bad.” Steve Rogers reckoned to Clint and Natasha as the sat in a vague gathering with the other members of the team.

“They’re better than ‘not bad’, Rogers.” Natasha was smooth in defending you.

“We know nothing about this person yet you expect us to trust them?” Wanda Maximoff’s European accent cut in.

“I have faith that whomever they bring in will not betray us as Miss Romanoff’s and Mr Barton’s trust is very hard earned.” Vision placated the people in the room considerably.

Scott Lang decided to add to the discussion. “Wanda had a point. We know nothing about this person.”

You rolled your eyes and pushed on the wall you were leaning on. “You know for a fact that I exist; that’s more than more people even dream.” 

The room turned silent as everybody stood up in some type of defensive pose apart from Clint and Natasha.

“FRIDAY why didn’t you inform me of a new visitor?”

The AI replied formally. “Forgive me sir, but I was unaware of the person’s presence. It seems my scans were unable to detect a new life form.” 

“Remind me to update you.” Tony said drily whilst tapping at a device in his hands. “How long have you been there?” 

“Fifteen minutes and counting.” 

You looked at every person individually only to notice that there was another in the shadows, yet they were on the other side of the room. Noticing that you had seen them, they took a step forward and you felt the wind get knocked out of your chest. It had been a while since you had seen the man in front of you and it had not been an easy meeting.

“Soldat.” It was one word and everybody looked ready to strike and both Natasha and Clint stood up, looking between you and the man.

“You haven’t changed at all.” His voice. Oh how you missed his voice.

“I could say the same about you. When was it last?”

“Beijing?”

“I suppose Tokyo doesn’t really count.”

“No. It doesn’t.” A small quirk of his lips appeared as he truly took in your appearance and the bags behind you.

“Buck? Who is this?” Steve looked between the two of you, lingering longer on you.

James saw you nod. “This is Shadow; she’s the best in the game alongside The Winter Soldier. We’ve met on numerous occasions, sometimes with conflicting interests, sometimes with common interests.” 

“Do you trust her?” 

James didn’t reply for a moment and you metaphorically held your breath. “I do as much as you can at our level.”

“I’m sorry but that is not much to go on.” Bruce Banner looked at everyone briefly as he looked out on the grounds.

“That may be so, Doctor, but I guarantee I am the best suited to help you out on this.” 

“And why is that?” Tony flopped back down on to the couch.

“The original Avengers such as yourself all had a ranking of Level Six, correct? Well, apart from Captain Rogers who was Level Seven.” You made eye contact with said people. “I was Level Twelve TASA certified. There are only three people who have made it that far. Two are in this room and the other is dead.” 

“What is ‘TASA certified’? I have not heard of it.” Peter Parker, the youngest by far in the room, asked you nervously.

“Are you even allowed to be in here? You look like you’re two.”

“No I’m not! I’m a teenager.”

You rolled your eyes and looked at James. “Whatever. Just nobody feed that fucking thing after midnight.” 

Peter looked like a deer caught in the headlights and tried to stutter a reply.

“Relax kid; I don’t bite. Unless you’re into that kind of thing?” You trailed off suggestively and smirked at the stuttering mess the teen was. “TASA is a badge that can only be earned at Level Ten intelligence or higher. It’s an acronym that stands for Tracker, Assassin, Spy, Agent.”

“So you’re a female version of Frosty?” Sam Wilson clarified, from where his arms were crossed over his chest.

“To a degree.” You acknowledged.

“Which means if you turn on us there’s no hope.” Scott looked torn between amusement and annoyance.

“I won’t turn on you. I’m here by choice, not obligation.”

“That’s reassuring.” Somebody muttered and you rolled your eyes.

“Fine. Maybe this will help reassure you.” You moved over to the breakfast bar of the kitchen and cleared the space so that they could see. “Look and pay attention.”- You pulled off the first item -“Twenty seven inch Katana. Two matching throwing knives. Twelve piece knife set. Glock 19. Two smoke bombs. Single grenade. Zip ties. Handcuffs. Grippy fingerless gloves. Milkor mgl rounds. Glock 17. Blade embedded shoes. Spare ammunition. Lock-picks. Electrocution rings. Tactical belt. Facial armour. Bullet proof bodice.” 

Having taken all of that off, you almost felt naked in an odd kind of way, all the people in the room staring at you.

“That’s a lot of kit.” Sam said from his position next to Steve.

This time Natasha answered for you. “The higher you get the more kit you might need.” 

“Anyways, Natasha. Clint.” You finally greeted the people who asked you to come.

“Nice to see you.” Clint replied and Natasha smiled in agreement.

You felt a probing in your head and made eye contact with the responsible party. “If you want to know something, Wanda, just ask instead of stealing the information.”

“We know nothing about you other than that your code name is Shadow and that you are skilled like Bucky. What’s your real name?”

“My real name?” You smirked lightly. “My real name is Y/N L/N, but please, call me Y/N.”

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