#Shuri is so used to the cold she could walk outside in small clothes and be unbothered

[ginazmemeoir]

Since it's Krishna's birthday I couldn't help but write his birth story. So here y'all go, you're welcome. Oh also fun fact about Janmashtami : it always rains tonight. It might be just a drizzle, but it always rains tonight.

Devaki’s screams rent the air as she pushed and kept pushing. This was the eighth time she was giving birth to someone. The prison guards could hardly be bothered, and instead laughed at her like hyenas, their mere gazes leaving marks on her skin. Vasudev covered the prison bars with a flimsy cloth, and went back to assist his wife.

She was crying when Vasudev returned back. He bent down by her side, supporting her, and was about to go in front to assist with the delivery when Devaki squeezed his hand and stopped him. Panting, she said, “I don’t know if I want this child Vasudev.” Vasudev was stunned upon Devaki’s proclamation. She had given birth seven times, all sons, and six times had watched them being murdered by her own brother, the brother who had loved her more than any brother could love a sister. The seventh time, Vasudev had quietly given the baby to his first wife Rohini and instructed her to head to Gokul, where his friend Nanda lived. They had simply lied to Kansa and cited that Devaki had miscarried.

How cruel fate was. The couple had watched six of their children murdered in front of them in cold blood, not even a day old. The seventh, they did not know of his fate. Of his first words or his favourite food or the way he laughed. And yet, this eighth child carried hope. This child would be their salvation. Devaki continued “I cannot bear to watch another child snatched away like that Vasudev. Please I’d rather this child die on my womb, or I die while giving birth so at least I don’t have to watch him die. Please Vasudev, I cannot do this anymore” cried Devaki, tears raining down her once lustrous bronze skin, her once luxurious locks lying limp and lifeless by her side like her soul. “No Devaki. I cannot imagine the pain you endure, each time you push another life from inside you, but know this – this child is our salvation. This child is the reason six of our children were murdered. This child is the reason we sent our seventh son into hiding. This child is the reason we have wasted away in this prison for years. Devaki this child must live. Our child must live to avenge the deaths of our children. To avenge us. This child must live if the universe carries even a shred of mercy for us. For Devaki I would sooner kill both of us than watch another child tortured by your brother.” Vasudev’s eyes burned with an intensity Devaki hadn’t seen in a long time. Most of the time they were sad or scared, reminiscing their past. Their married bliss had ended the day it began, with her brother imprisoning them over a prophecy. Vasudev’s words breathed new life into Devaki. She would not let this child die. She would live. She would make sure the child lived. And she would make sure she heard her brother whimpering in agony as her child crushed his skull open.

The gods had given a prophecy. Devaki and Vasudev’s eighth child would be the death of Kansa. And Devaki did not want to prove the gods as petty liars.

With a final push and a scream, that was thankfully masked by a loud thunderclap, Devaki expelled her child out. Vasudev cut the umbilical cord with a flint stone he had dipped in cheap somaras which he had stolen from the guards yesterday, and cradled the child in his arms, lying beside Devaki, giving this child his parents’ touch one final time, the shared breath and heat warming him. He was dark, dark as the rainclouds that had gathered over the entirety of Brijbhumi that day, as the moonlit night that held secrets and wonder. A small glow emanated from his body, barely lighting his immediate surroundings. The couple kept looking at their son, prerplexed, and the baby looked back at them. He had big soft eyes, and instead of crying, he just looked up at them and gave a small laugh, reaching to grab his mother’s hair. Devaki’s tears fell on his face, as she kissed his forehead and hugged him tight. She then looked at Vasudev, and they understood what had to be done. Vasudev took the baby, and opened his prison door. Turns out if you get drunk with the guards ever so often, they don’t notice things like missing keys.

Vasudev stepped out, and half thought that he and his son were going to be hacked into pieces, but the entire cellar was quiet. The whole world seemed to hold its breath, time itself felt suspended. Only minutes ago the guards were cackling, and yet they now slept a deep slumber. Vasudev quickly stole a dagger, and placed the baby in the laundromat’s basket, covering him with a heavy warm cloth. He exited the prison quarters and entered into Indra’s wrath. The clouds overhead boomed with thunder, and rain covered everything as far as the eye could see. Unperturbed, Vasudev kept walking eastwards, until he reached the Yamuna. He looked for a boat, searching the banks of the usually idyllic river, which now coursed with the strength and vigour of the mighty Saraswati, and yet found no boat to carry him and his son. Time was running out, and his son’s life outweighed a safe passage for him, he could already imagine Kansa’s men running towards him. Vasudev then did the only thing he could – let the river decide his life. He walked into the river, determined to reach the other side. The yojana wide river divided Mathura and its outskirts from the countryside – where his son was to find sanctuary. Vasudev kept walking, and the Yamuna’s waters kept rising and rising. The heavy rain pelted Vasudev, and he kept his swaddled baby on his head in his basket. The spaces between the bamboo basket refused water from filling in. Somehow, he reached the middle, when he felt the water threatening to reach his chin, the river hell bent on drowning him and his son. No mere river was going to stop the descendant of the mighty Shuri, the prince of the Vrishnis today though. Vasudev held his breath and kept swimming forward, the basket safely above the surface of water. Surprisingly, there were no crocodiles in the river. Vasudev had only swam a bit further when the river level started lowering and lowering, until it reached his waist. Vasudev was perplexed, the river was usually the deepest at this point, then why did it suddenly lower down to below his waist? Lost in his thoughts, Vasudev almost missed the giant creature slithering towards him, and that is when he realized he and his infant son were about to be devoured by a sea monster that liked toying with its prey. The creature reached Vasudev, its smooth obsidian scales emitting a green glow, extending to its full length, spreading out its thousand hoods and shielding Vasudev and his son from the merciless rain. Had he not known better, Vasudev would’ve thought it was Adi Shesha, the thousand hooded snake, upon whose infinite coils Narayana rested. Time was running out, and Vasudev picked up speed, the serpentine creature slithering along. Climbing out of the river, he kept picking through the wilderness and hamlets, the creature’s presence scaring off any hungry predators.

At last, Vasudev glimpsed the village of Gokul. Overjoyed, Vasudev rushed down the hillock, which was dotted here and there by the occasional cow. He entered the safety of the village, his frayed nerves calming down, and started searching for Nanda’s home. Even though he was the village chief, his house was tough to spot, the only thing differentiating it from others was a larger gateway and a bigger courtyard. Surprisingly, Nanda was already standing at the gates, waiting for him. Vasudev rushed up to him, and began to speak when Nanda asked, “Vasudev, how did you come here? How are you barely wet?” Vasudev looked behind him, and found the creature had returned. Maybe it was scared of society? “There’s no time for that Nanda. I have come to entrust my last son to you,” said Vasudev, as he hastened to enter Nanda’s home. There was a lantern in front of each room, and the large house was empty except for the cows in the outside stables. Vasudev kept searching along the corridor, until he found Nanda’s wife’s room. He expected to see his elder son sleeping with her, but instead found her snoring loudly, with a baby lying beside her. Vasudev quietly placed his son beside her. The baby started crying, clutching onto his father even as he laid him on the bed. Vasudev quietly removed his hand from his grip, and sang him a lullaby. It was about a bee returning to its hive after a busy day in the meadow. He had never got a chance to sing this lullaby before. Devaki and he and spent each day perfecting it in prison. The baby quietened and went to sleep, and Vasudev left, his vision blurry, when he was stopped by Nanda. “Wait here.” he said. Nanda then returned from his wife’s room, his baby with him, and handed it over to Vasudev. “Here you go Vasudev. You may take my daughter home with you.” Vasudev looked at Nanda with disgust. Was his friend so lowly that in favour of a son he would condemn his daughter to the confines of a prison, frequented by a monster that would kill her the moment he got to know? “I know what you were thinking, and I would never do that Vasu” said Nanda, sensing his friend’s thoughts. “Yashoda gave birth to her yesterday, and hasn’t seen her since. I took her to Goddess Gauri’s temple the same day, to seek her blessings. I can’t explain what happened Vasu, but I heard Gauri. She spoke to me and she instructed me to give her to you when you came. Why do you think I was waiting for you outside?” “Oh come on Nanda, you’re just making up stories now.” said Vasudev, even more repulsed now. “Why would I lie Vasu? Is this what you think of me, a murderer? Trust me Vasu, Gauri Devi spoke to me, she told me to give my daughter to you! Who are we to defy the will of the gods?” Nanda reassured him.

“The gods don’t care about us Nanda. They stopped existing for me when they made me watch my sons’ heads being bashed against walls or crushed by hammers. But even so I will take your daughter. Maybe Kansa might spare a girl?”

Saying so, Vasudev took Nanda’s daughter and vanished into the night, heading back to his prison. Even though the babe wasn’t his, he had already named her – Maya – after this night, an illusion, a reality that felt like a dream. He did not know what fate awaited this girl, but at least his boy was safe for now.

Maybe the gods did have a plan. A plan that was tucked away under Yashoda’s arms in the tiny hamlet of Gokul, snuggling against the only mother he would ever know.

#india #hinduism #hindu mythology #mythology #bhajan #kanha #janmasthami #krishna's birth story #vasu #story time

[kylosgenesis]

Teardrops on Fire

Synopsis:

Steve Rogers is the last Alpha of the an almost extinct Lycan pack. With only less than 100 members left. Steve must produce an heir to ensure the species survival and reduce the chance of attacks from others. Omegas are rare, and betas have a hard time producing children. Steves reality is finally setting in as his obligation of producing an heir faces a major set back.

Reader is the last suitable omega to mate with Steve, due to the fear of her daughters fate in the pack, her mother kept her hidden from the pack after her own exile. Only her mother, and Bucky's family know of her existence. Bucky is Steve's right hand man, and the packs best warrior! He and the reader developed a friendship and bond over the years, but age forced them to become distant.

What happens when she presents and her first heat cycle comes? Her body is in excruciating pain and a strong fever quickly overcomes her body. Facing the fear of her daughters possible death, her mom calls on the only person who can save her at this point, Alpha Steve! Bucky and the alphas friendship will be tested. The reader will be faced with her love for Bucky or her duty to the pack.

Authors note: unbeta’d . Things will start getting really good in the next two chapters! So just hold on tight, and enjoy the ride. This chapter kinda short, and there is a lot of fluff! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6: Runaway

You kept having the same nightmare every night! Ever since you came to Nat’s place, you woke up with a feeling of fear.

In your nightmare you saw Bucky covered in blood, but the blood wasn’t his. You never got a chance to see before you woke up in a cold sweat and chills. The first few nights nat didn’t notice when you’d sneak out.

You missed everything about the place you called home! You would run around the village, and just watch in the dark as lights light up through windows, and people got ready to start their days. It had become your little escape! Running reminded you of the wind on your face while hunting, and the adrenaline of a good catch.

On the 4th night you noticed Natasha was up when you walked over to the door. She knew how hard the transition was for you so she just let you do your thing.

You hadn’t seen Steve or Bucky since that day, you where glad you hadn’t had to face them yet, but it made you uneasy!

You still felt Bucky, sometimes he was closer other times more distant.

Returning home from your jog, you found a parked car! The sun still wasn’t fully up yet, so you wondered why someone might be here this early.

As you opened the Emerald door into Nat’s home. You where caught off guard by the smell of an alpha, it was significantly different from Bucky’s scent, but still strong, and commanding! Even though you missed Bucky’s smell, whoever this was had you waltzing towards the scent.

Steve was in the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee surrounded his already amazing smell. There was eggs on the pan, and bacon sizzling in the oven.

You looked around to try to find Natasha, but she was nowhere in sight.

You only knew Steve from the small glimpse of that day, and by spoken word.

You hoped he’d turn around and notice you before you had to say something. You kept your hands crossed around your body as you walked towards the counter.

As if on cue he turned! You noticed he no longer had a beird, and his longer locks had been trimmed into a neat haircut. He looked handsome!

You heard his trust clear ” Hey! ... Natasha had to go to the pub early, so I thought I’d surprise you with breakfast when you woke up.” He looked at your running clothes, and the lightly soaked hair strands in your face “ I see you beat me to the waking up part” he chuckled to himself.

You could tell he was nervous!

You fumbled with your ponytail and placed your hands over your chest again “ Yeah... I couldn’t sleep so I went on a run! I hope you don’t mind! “ You didn’t know if he was comfortable with the thought of you running around while smelling like Bucky.

But he let out a lighthearted smile “ Not at all! Im glad you’re making yourself at home.

The sound of a timer went off. “Ohhh shoot! I almost forgot...” He turned around pulled the tray of bacon out of the oven.

Everything smelled absolutely delicious! In your 20 years of life, you hadn’t had so many combined foods in your life. You where almost salivating by the time Steve placed a plate of food in front of you.

”I hope this is okay with you? ...you don’t have to ... I’m sorry... I’m really nervous right now!” He placed his hand behind his neck and scratched his head “ I’m Steve! We haven’t properly met”

“I know! I’ve heard about you a lot! Good to put a face to the man” you kept your stance lowered, still threading carefully with him. After all he was an alpha, and if he was anything like his father, looks could be deceiving!

You redirected your focus towards the food to avoid the awkward tension between you two.

“This looks absolutely delicious! You didn’t have to, I could’ve just...”

You looked up and saw his deep blue eyes staring at you, he looked like he was waiting for you to evaporate in front of him. He was attentive, but he also had a tenderness to him to him. You didn’t know why you relaxed! But you started eating, , and stole a few glances here and there.

“I wanted to...I thought maybe I could show you around? I don’t know if you’ve seen much of the place yet outside of early dawn. If you’d like?”

“I...” You wanted to! But your body kept telling you no. He wasn’t your Alpha, you wanted your alpha. It was hard for you to admit how much you missed Bucky. The last days of your heat where spent smelling like him. Your body reacted to his smell in ways you hadn’t experienced before.

But yet here was Steve. You had to admit he was extremely attractive! You caught yourself eyeing the muscles under his tight shirt, and his blue eyes where about to burn right through your soul.

You didn’t know if you where nervios around Steve because of who he was, or because he was making your heart skip three beats every time he looked at you.

“I would love to!” You tried to hide all your thoughts behind a genuine smile, whatever happened you had to make things work with Steve. Even if Bucky owned most of your thoughts, this was new, and exiting for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bucky’s POV:

He had been on a mission since that day! After he got to his house he immediately collected his things, and took off to the Wakandan pack. He hadn’t even settled in from his last mission, and he was already out on the road again. This time he had more on his mind, and more at stake.

He’d been helping the Wakandan’s build some watchtowers, and some safety points around their property, in order to adquiere a favor from the coven, he’d have to work for it. T’challa was more than kind to provide him a place to stay for the few days.

They where more technology advanced than their pack back home, T’challa’s sister Shuri had attended one of the best universities in the world. It wasn’t often that they allowed people like them in the human world. So when she came home after graduation at 16 she made sure she used her knowledge for good. It was thanks to her he was alive. His arm was a gift! He didn’t even know how to repay them for giving him a second chance.

They where sitting on the roof of one of the lookout towers, just taking a break, and enjoying the scenery. This place had been a great comfort to him after his accident. That’s why he was the one to come for a favor, and not Steve! He’d become family over the years, and the Wakandan’s treated him with as much respect as they’d treated their own Alpha.

Back in the day Shuri had expressed an interest in him! He felt bad seeing her face light up when he talked to her, back then he was too broken to let anyone in. So they just became really good friends, and eventually she outgrew her crush!

She was still the one person he could trust to tell anything to. That’s who’s shoulder he’d cried on the night he arrived under torrencial rain smelling like his omega.

“I don’t think you should go through with this!” Shuri was reading into his silence. She knew what had been bothering him since he arrived!

He thought he was doing what was best for his mate, but really he was running away from her. He didn’t know how to approach her. He had left his mate alone!

He wanted to be with her every day, his body called to her. He could feel her! Every night he dreamt of blood! He kept having a nightmare he couldn’t shake off. It scared him!

“I have to! It wasn’t supposed to be me!” He responded to Shuri, but still kept his gaze set on the horizon.

“Steve’s, a better fit for her!” He turned to face Shuri’s soft expression “I have nothing to offer her. I broke her heart once! I don’t wanna do it again!”

Shuri grabbed his flesh’s hand on hers

“Our ancestors believed if a mating happens its because it was predestined by the great gods... you mating her first was no coincidence my friend!”

“Its too late!” He lowered his gaze to his hand.

“White wolf! What did you do?”

She replied with shock in her voice.

He hesitated to answer as he pushed himself to stand up “ They agreed to undo the mating, and I already gave my blood on it. “ Shuri looked at him with concern.

“You already made a deal with the witches?... have you gone mad? You should’ve waited for me first, or T’challa. Those witches can be tricky.”

They both where avoiding the next part. They just walked in silence back to the main house.

“What did you sacrifice?” Shuri

finally asked. He was caught by surprise by her question.

“I don’t know yet! They didn’t say! They want to meet her first.”

He looked back at her as they paused in front of the house. The doors already opening In automatic to allow them easy entrance.

He didn’t go in, instead he just kept his gaze down. “I’m going home tonight! I’ll be back for the full moon. That’s when the ritual will take place!”

She was concerned for both of them, her pack knew the witches way too well! No magic ever came easily.

“Careful! They’re ancient magic users! You never know what kinda sacrifice blood magic demands”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Steve had been walking around the village for a while. You stopped at a small building, most rooms where empty but one had a few desks. Entering further you saw some kids drawings and the room came alive with so many colors. As you looked around you heard running come towards you. Steve didn’t looked scared so it didn’t alarm you when a set of boys no order than ten ran into the room, followed by a girl around half their age.

“Steve!” They ran and tackled him. He let himself be through down by the kids embrace.

You noticed a woman walk in after them, like Nat she had red hair, only hers was a lighter shade. Her eyes where blue and kind.

“kid’s, what have I told you about manners? ”

She put her hands on her waist, as she waited for the kids to answer.

“Sorry Mrs. Maximoff! ” they all responded simultaneously as they stood up from the floor, with Steve following along, shaking some dust off of himself.

“Come on Wanda don’t be hard on them! They’re just exited! “

Wanda looked at the kids, and Steve.

“You are all lucky Mr. Rogers is here! Now go to your desks, and finish those math worksheets I handed before lunch! “ the kids ran to the desks, and started working.

“I don’t know how you do it Steve, but they love you!” Wanda approached Steve with a smile. He took her in for a hug and then tuned to you.

“This is Wanda! She’s a teacher here at the school, and a close friend of mine” he smiled so much when he talked. It made you feel like you had knows everyone he’d introduced in a deep and personal way.

“Nice to meet you Wanda!” You went to shake her hand, but she immediately pulled you into a hug.

You had never had this much human contact, but you felt so welcome! The whole village had treated you with such kindness so far. You wandered if it was truly you or just cause you where with Steve.

“You like kids?” You asked while making small stalk

“Yeah! We don’t have a lot of them around anymore, but I like seeing them! They give me hope.. I guess?” He kept walking with you, hands tucked in his pockets “ I actually help teach from time to time! We have around 15 kids, all different ages! Trust me! It gets hard to handle them as they get older” he chuckled and looked at you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one said anything about the bite scar on your neck. Even if they noticed, Steve shook it off easily, and changed the subject before it started.

“Can they smell me ?” You asked as you headed into the vintage looking building.

“They can!... it’s faded, but anyone that’s been around Bucky can tell!” he paused as he looked at you, hands placed over your shoulders. “ No one here will judge you for it! Bucky did what he had to do to save your life and where going to fix it I promise”

You nodded, as he opened the door and the room came to life in front of you. It was beautiful! The walls where filled of vintage art, the place had enough that room to orient yourself, but dark enough to relax. It smelled of chocolate and honey combined. You spotted Nat behind a bar, a collection of bottles behind her!

“Hey guys! How was the date?” Nat was drying a small glass, and winked at Steve as she spoke.

“It wasn’t a date Nat, I was just showing her around” he looked at you, shoulders hunched, and blush on his cheeks.

Nat had embarrassed him! You could see Nat’s satisfaction on her face as she lined up glasses in a row on a drawer.

You decided to make Steve feel better, by responding “It’s been wonderful! Everyone’s been very kind” Steve looked relieved!

“Nat, I thought you said you had a small pub, this place is huge!” You said as you tuned into a circle admiring every detail of the place. “It looks lovely!”

“Well it feel small once you get used to it!” She was juggling multiple tasks at once, reaching for a box over her head

“I got it!” Steve replied and jumped to her aid.

“Thanks, I don’t know why he insists of storing stuff up there. Just because he’s tall, doesn’t mean I’m tall! ” she stated back at Steve as he handed her the box.

“That’s Bucky for you!” Steve replied, thinking nothing of it.

Your eyes lit up at the mention of his name. Both Steve and Nat noticed how your expression changed.

“He helps run the place whenever he’s home! He’s one of my best bartenders... with him being out of town I’ve been juggling everything the best that I can”

“I think you’re doing great!” Steve replied

“And I think you should pick up bar tending as one of your hidden talents “ she replied back with a sassy attitude.

You looked around the place! It didn’t seem so bad, you had to find something to do to keep yourself busy.

“I could do it!” You spoke, both Steve and nat turned the heads towards you in shock.

“I mean” you stumbled with your words as you felt both their stares on you” ... I can help you here if you’d like? I’m a quick learner!” Natasha looked at Steve as if awaiting for approval.

Steve was a bit hesitant, but looking at your hopeful puppy eyes immediately made him want to make you happy. “I think that you’ll be a great idea!”

You made a little happy jump at the news.

“ You can join me tomorrow when I come open, and I’ll start you off on getting familiar with the place.” Nat was wiping her hands on her pants as she spoke. A smile on her face!

“Thank you Nat!” Steve leaned over the counter for a hug. You stayed close behind him.

“Well, it’s getting late so I’m going to take her back now! I hope it’s not a wild night for you” he told her as he turned to leave

Nat yelled back at him from behind the counter “ You just jinxed it!” as she threw a towel at him. He tossed it back playfully!

“See you at home, Nat! ” you waved goodbye.

As Steve tugged on the pub door to leave, it opened from the other side.

A fall frame came into view, and your heart missed a beat. Your eyes met Bucky’s for the first time since that day. After a few seconds, your heart tugged at your strings. He noticed Steve, and walked past you towards the bar.

@dottirose @tanyaherondale @iloveshawnieboi @marmite79 @austynparksandpizza @nerdgirljen @exposition-belongs-somewhere @patzammit @connie326 @blessedwedgie

#bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #bucky barnes #alpha bucky x omega reader #alpha bucky #alpha steve rogers #alpha steve x omega reader #omegaverse #alpha bucky barnes

[babybubastis]

Inspired by the prompt “Welcome to fatherhood” sent to me by @prettylittlebirds82. I hope you don’t hate it lol. And I’m sorry it took me so long 🙈

Just some angsty, domestic WinterPrincess.

Warnings: pregnancy, pregnancy complications, hospitals

———————————————————————

He moves as the mattress shifts, rolls over in his sleep to place his hand in the warm indentation left by her body.

Footsteps, rustling, whispering flutter on the edge of his consciousness. He burrows into the covers, groaning when his hand still searches, comes up empty, searches again.

“James.”

The whisper of his name is what does it. Whatever is in her voice sets off an alarm and he’s out of the bed and at her feet, blinking his eyes against the bathroom light.

“What’s wrong, sugar?”

Shuri looks up from her perch on the toilet, hands clutching her round belly, then drops her gaze again.

“I can’t stop,” she rasps. It’s then that he notices the steady trickling sound.

Bucky frowns, tilts her chin up so he can look her in the eyes. “You can’t stop what, angel?”

A sniffle. “I had an accident in bed, so I got up to use the bathroom, but I can’t stop peeing.” She shakes her head, whispers under her breath to herself, “It can’t be, it’s too early, it’s not time.”

The crease in his brow deepens, and his stomach drops even before his brain fully registers what she’s saying.

For maybe five seconds, he doesn’t breathe. His chest feels heavy, his right hand shakes, his vision tunnels.

Then she grabs his arm to try to stand, and a switch flips.

Bucky lifts his wife into his arms and strides over to the counter top. He sets her down like glass, eyes and hands frantically roving over her slightly trembling form.

“Are you having any contractions?”

He’s read enough to know that rupture of membranes doesn’t always mean labor is coming immediately. But it’s a damn good indicator, and he has to fight down the panic flooding his veins.

Panic isn’t something Bucky’s accustomed to, despite his whole life basically being one long shitstorm. From being taking captive as a prisoner of war over eighty years ago, to literally being snapped out of and back into existence, he’s had enough stress for three lifetimes. And somehow none of that has prepared him for the slow but powerful dread gripping his gut as his fingertips slide through the small puddle gathering on the cold marble underneath his very-pregnant-but-not-quite-pregnant-enough wife.

A large tear spills over and down Shuri’s cheek, but she shakes her head. “No, I feel fine, otherwise. This doesn’t make any sense...”

Bucky lifts his hands to cup her face, fingers gently wiping away the moisture before placing his right hand on her belly.

“You’re both gonna be okay, you understand me?”

His Queen nods once, bottom lip trembling before she presses both lips together and closes her eyes. She sucks in a breath and blows it out. When her eyes open, they still shimmer. But there’s resolve there, a determination and strength that makes him straighten up. He presses his lips to her forehead and lingers there, breathing her in before pulling away.

The next few minutes are a blur as he rushes around their suite grabbing clothes, shoes, phones, keys, wallets.

She’s still sitting on the counter when he comes back. Her eyes are closed again, head bowed, lips moving silently as both hands rub her belly. Bucky falters as he notices the towel now tucked between her legs. And there’s the panic again. He swallows it down and walks over to Shuri.

When he places his hands over hers, she sighs.

“Let’s get you dressed, baby, then we’ll head to the hospital.”

Her eyes flutter open and she nods. They’re silent as he helps her dress, a cloud of anxiety gathering around them.

“Wait, Bucky.”

“Hm?”

“How are we getting there?”

Shit.

He’s so out of sorts- exhausted, terrified, and trying to shove it all down enough to think straight, but he forgot to actually secure them a ride. Today was only the second day of their “baby moon”. Shuri had wanted to see New York City at Christmas time, just the two - make that three - of them.

Her water breaking at the end of her second trimester wasn’t part of the plan.

Bucky finishes helping Shuri tie her shoes before he runs into the bedroom again to grab his phone.

An ambulance is their best bet, but it’s 8:07 on a Friday morning in Downtown Manhattan. And according to his phone, it’s snowing. Heavily.

Shit.

“What about Tony?”

He whips around to find Shuri slowly climbing down from the bathroom counter. Rushing over to help her, his heart swells in spite of everything at the adorable grunt she lets out as her feet meet the floor.

“Now what about Tony, doll?”

Shuri huffs. “I thought I told you he and Pepper bought a second place in the city? They had their youngest last year at one of the hospitals here, but I forget which one.”

Bucky’s brow furrows. He doesn’t remember any of that.

His wife rolls her eyes and steps past him, waddling over to the desk near the door to grab her phone. “He invited us over for Christmas when I was on the phone with him last night, so they should be nearby. Maybe he can help.”

Before he can say another word, Shuri is on the phone, nervously chewing her bottom lip as her hand cradles their baby.

“Tony-“

Bucky can hear Stark’s voice on the other end then, way too loud for as early as it is, and he busies himself with double checking the small bag he’s packed to avoid becoming agitated.

He really doesn’t have anything against the other man. Despite their history, Bucky can’t blame Tony for what transpired between them all those years ago. And after Tony nearly died to defeat Thanos, Bucky only has respect for the man.

Tony had flatlined on that battlefield.

It was Shuri who sprang into action, refused to take no for an answer. She shouted orders at Doctor Strange to open a portal to her lab, and within minutes, she had Stark on a table while she ran diagnostics and went to work.

She was behind closed doors for hours, allowing only Pepper and Bruce back, along with Strange.

Bucky has no idea what exactly happened. He had waited outside of her lab until his eyes drooped, and the sound of the doors sliding open jolted him awake. Shuri emerged, hands bloody and shaking, but her expression gave nothing away. When it was all said and done, Tony Stark ultimately had her to thank for giving him his life back.

The friendship that bloomed between them after that made Bucky uneasy for... a while. Even after Bucky managed to work up the courage to confess his feelings to Shuri, and she confessed that she loved him back, he couldn’t shake the streak of possessiveness that flared unreasonably whenever Tony was around.

But he never begrudged his love her friendship, even when she decided to build a second Wakandan Outreach Center in New York, and Tony - who was making every effort in using his resources to help rebuild the world he’d saved - eagerly offered to be of assistance to Shuri in any way he could, in exchange for some “playtime,” as Stark called it, in her lab.

And Tony wasn’t the only one who had become a bit enamored with the then-Princess; the entire Stark household loved her, too. And yet, the retired Iron Man and the former Winter Soldier had barely ever exchanged more than two words and a few terse nods over the last few years.

Shuri calls to him, effectively bringing him back to the present, and Bucky realizes he’s nearly worn a tread into the carpet with his nervous pacing.

“Tony is on his way.” There’s a tinge of relief in her voice, but her left hand hasn’t left her belly, and she taps her phone against her thigh in an uneven rhythm.

Bucky walks over to his wife and grabs her hand. He brings it to his lips and inhales deeply.

“You ready?” It’s an effort to keep his voice steady.

She nods once, attempts a small smile that barely reaches her eyes at all.

Then Bucky interlaces their fingers and leads her toward the door and out of their suite. He slings their duffel bag across his shoulders and scoops her up into his arms, barely breaking stride on the way to the elevator. Shuri gives a surprised little yelp that, under different circumstances, might make him chuckle.

Instead, he holds her a little tighter and fights the urge to tap his foot while they wait for the car to reach their floor. It feels like an eternity waiting in that hallway, Shuri’s shallow breath against his neck, their baby cradled between them. He can hear Shuri’s heartbeat, wishes he could hear their little Bean’s heartbeat, too.

When he steps inside the elevator and reaches toward the button for the lobby, Shuri grabs his hand. He arches a brow in question.

**

To Tony’s credit, they don’t wait long at all. It can’t be more than ten minutes since Shuri hung up the phone when Bucky hears their ride approaching.

Any other time, he might roll his eyes and accuse Tony of having a flair for the dramatic. But he’s never been happier to see a Stark Industries helicopter in his life.

The chopper barely lands before Tony hops out, waving them forward. Once inside, they get buckled and take off in record time.

“How you feelin’, kid?”

Shuri looks up and gives a small smile. “I’ll be better when I know Bean is alright.” Bucky runs his thumb across the back of her right hand, and Tony reaches across from his seat to briefly squeeze her left.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, alright? Pepper’s OB owes me a gigantic favor, I already called ahead of you at the hospital. All we need to do is get you to OB Triage, and her colleagues will take it from there.”

Bucky exhales slowly and clears his throat. “I don’t know how to thank-“

Tony waves him off before he can finish his thought. “It’s the least I can do.”

Bucky nods. Shuri sags against him, and he turns his head to place a kiss to her temple.

“But if you want to repay me,” Tony interjects after a moment, “Anthony could be a great middle name.”

Shuri snorts. “You’re insufferable, you know that?” But there’s humor in her voice, and a genuine smile on her face this time, and Bucky is grateful to Tony for the second time that day.

**

By some miracle, triage isn’t busy at all. The on-call doc and a nurse greet them and take Shuri back while Bucky deals with the paperwork and Tony goes in search of caffeine.

It takes everything in Bucky not to chuck the clipboard back across the reception desk and follow after his wife. By the time he’s done filling everything out, every nail on his right hand is bitten down to nothing and his stomach is full of lead. He hands everything over and leans both hands on the desk, fighting the urge to crush the cheap fiberboard.

“So if you could tell me where they took my wife...?”

The middle aged woman behind the desk gives him a sympathetic smile. “Gimme just a sec, hun, I have to make sure they’re ready for ya.”

Before he can object, she stands and disappears through the door behind her desk. Bucky pinches the bridge of his nose and counts down from ten in Xhosa. He has to start over twice before the receptionist comes back.

“Mr. Barnes? They just took your wife down the hall for an ultrasound. She should be back in the room shortly, and then we’ll have someone take you back. Just sit tight, okay?”

But Bucky’s already been away from Shuri and Bean for ten minutes, and ready to crawl out of his own skin for every second. He tries for a smile - something charming yet authoritative, but hopefully not menacing - and sets his fists on the desk, leaning forward.

“Look-“ he starts, but a hand taps him on the elbow before he can finish his thought.

“Hey, let’s take a breather, huh?” Tony nods toward the double doors to the unit.

Tony must see the hesitation in Bucky’s eyes, because he gently nudges him.

“Just a few minutes. You look like you need it,” he says.

Bucky flicks his eyes to the receptionist, then back at Tony and the two large cups of coffee in his hands. He sighs heavily and gestures in front of him. “Lead the way.”

**

The waiting area is blessedly empty. Bucky walks over to a TV in the corner and searches for the remote. He can hear Tony slowly approaching behind him, but decides to distract himself with finding a decent show. But almost every station he clicks on is on commercial. He swears under his breath and slams the remote back down onto the coffee table.

“You break anything in this room, I’m not payin’ for it.”

Bucky whips his head around to find Tony smirking at him, and lets out a little puff of air.

“I just... I want to do... something.” He rakes both hands through his sweat-dampened hair. Then, almost so quietly, he’s not sure Tony even hears: “I’m goin’ a little outta my mind, here.” His voice cracks at the end, and he squeezes his eyes shut against the burn of unshed tears.

“Welcome to fatherhood.” Tony claps a warm hand to Bucky’s back.

“Yeah,” Bucky chokes out through a watery, humorless chuckle. All of his weight slumps into the chair behind him then, and it teeters backwards on wobbly legs. “Baby’s not even here yet, and they’re already giving me a frickin’ heart attack,” he mutters into his hands.

“Like I said,” Tony replies, “welcome to the club. That kid’s gonna scare you shitless about a hundred more times before they’re even outta diapers, so,” he pauses to take a sip of his coffee before saluting the weary man next to him with his styrofoam cup, “buckle up.”

Bucky groans.

Slumped in this stiff chair under too-bright fluorescents, the adrenaline is beginning to wear off.

His hands are beginning to shake again, and a shiver runs through him.

“How far along is she, again?”

“Hm?” Bucky lifts his head, blinking to clear his vision.

“How far along is Shuri? I forget,” Tony repeats.

Bucky blows out a breath. He doesn’t even need to think twice, he’s been keeping track just as closely as her. “Twenty-four weeks, three days.”

“Hm.”

“Yeah,” Bucky rasps, panic threatening to clog his throat again.

Tony clears his throat after a moment. “She still insisting you guys don’t find out the sex?”

“She told you ‘bout that, huh? She uh, she thought it would be a nice surprise. Now I’m not so sure we should’ve waited to find out...” Bucky rubs his mouth.

Another silence.

His fingers twist the fabric of his pants, knees bouncing and jaw clenched as he resists the urge to go up to the nurse’s station for the twentieth time and ask when he can go back and be with his wife.

Tony gently pats his knee, and almost automatically, Bucky stops fidgeting. A little bit of the tension leaves his body and he inhales slowly to keep it at bay.

“Twenty-four weeks, three days,” Tony muses. “That’s early. But-“ he says as Bucky opens his mouth to respond, “but, it’s not terribly early, and you’d be surprised at the things they can do. This is the best place on the East Coast.”

Bucky drops his head again and nods.

“Shuri told me you guys had Arlo here.”

“Sure did.” A small smile lifts the corner of the other man’s mouth as he presumably thinks about his rambunctious and adorable youngest child.

They sit there for several minutes, Tony sipping his coffee quietly while Bucky ignores his in favor of chewing on his nails again.

He doesn’t know how long they’ve been sitting there, but he has half a mind to just burst through the doors and bypass the receptionist all together to find Shuri. He’s halfway out of his seat when Tony pulls his phone out and glances at the screen.

A twinge of guilt shoots through Bucky, and he sits back down. “You can take off whenever you need to. You really didn’t have to keep me company. I appreciate it.”

Tony finishes typing something on his phone and puts it back in his pocket before looking up.

“Believe it or not, I’m happy to do it. Couldn’t just leave you here.”

Bucky flicks his gaze to Tony’s, searches his eyes for any hint of falsehood or irritation.

The corner of Tony’s mouth lifts slightly. “Really, Barnes. I know you and I have some shit to work through. But a lot of that got put into perspective after... all the other shit.”

Bucky huffs out a laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” The knot in his stomach unravels just a tiny bit

“And that woman in there,” Tony gestures toward the doors to triage, “I would do just about anything for her. She’s done a hell of a lot for all of us over the years. And she indulges my old ass when I need a virtual lab partner and Bruce is too busy to be bothered. My kids love her, Pepper loves her. I know she saved you, too.”

Bucky’s throat is clogged again. He looks down at his hands, rubs at the upgraded arm Shuri gifted him on their wedding day: black inlaid with gold and purple, a permanent ring of gold Wakandan lettering etched into his left third finger.

“And you feel like it’s your turn to save her.”

Bucky chuckles, in spite of himself, in spite of everything going on right this second. Because Tony is way too on the nose. He sighs, a heavy, weary thing that seems to leave him deflated. He doesn’t look up as he replies.

“How do I save her from this? How do I fix this? This isn’t the way any of this was supposed to go...”

“You don’t fix it,” Tony interrupts. “Just be there. Whatever happens, don’t hide from her, and don’t try to shield her, either. Just be there and take care of them both. I know I don’t really need to tell you that.”

Bucky takes in Tony’s words. He nods, presses his lips together as he looks up to meet Tony’s eyes. A thank you is on his lips when one of the double doors behind them swings open, and his heart stutters for a second.

“Mr. Barnes?” A petite woman in navy blue scrubs looks back and forth between Bucky and Tony.

Bucky shoots up immediately. “That’s me.”

The nurse waves Bucky forward. “Your wife is back in her room, you can come on back.”

He shoots a glance over his shoulder as he heads toward the door. Tony is on his feet now. “Tell the Her Majesty I’ll call her later to check on her. Rub that belly for me. And take care of yourself, too, yeah?”

Bucky tries for a smile, hopes he makes it. His heart rate is climbing again. “Will do.”

**

Bucky pulls open the curtain and Shuri opens her eyes.

The bed practically swallows her up, she’s so tiny, even with her large belly. The pang in his chest is so acute, it takes him a couple of tries to find his voice.

“Hi, babydoll. How are my two favorite people?”

She gives him a wan smile and shrugs. “We’re okay, I think. Bean has been moving a bit, and the ultrasound looks alright. But,” she pauses and closes her eyes briefly. Bucky walks over and sits on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take both of her soft hands in his.

“It’s okay, angel.”

She clears her throat and looks up at him. “The doctor says my amniotic fluid index is 2 centimeters.”

Bucky frowns. “Is that low?”

“Normal range is 5 to 25 centimeters. Almost all of my fluid is gone. Somehow my cervix is still completely closed, but they want to keep us until the baby is born. The doctor said most people go into labor within 72 hours of their water breaking, so traveling back home is too risky. They’re bringing one of the NICU doctors up soon to discuss things.” Her teeth gnaw at her bottom lip as she pauses, gives him a chance to absorb what she’s saying.

He feels what little breath was in his lungs being knocked out. They’re stuck here. And they’re baby is coming 16 weeks early. The dread in his gut builds. Feels like it’s clawing its way up from his stomach to his chest, and he clamps his mouth shut to keep it from escaping. Something else is bothering his wife. Truth be told, he’s not sure he wants to know what else she hasn’t told him, but he needs to know. He reaches up to pull her bottom lip out from between her teeth. His fingers linger there, caressing her face and memorizing every detail for probably the billionth time.

“What else did they say?”

She sucks in a long breath, then puffs it out. “They said I’m at increased risk for infection now that my water has broken. There’s significantly less protection for Bean and me, the longer I stay pregnant, so they’re putting me on antibiotics, and betamethasone shots to help speed up lung development.”

Bucky swallows thickly. “Do they know how this happened?” She’s been doing everything right - sleeping eight hours a night, taking her vitamins, eating clean, drinking tons of water, exercising appropriately -he can’t wrap his head around this.

Shuri gives a shake of her head and another tired shrug. “I tested negative for any kind of infection. Apparently, most cases of premature rupture have no known cause. Not that that makes me feel any better.” She looks down at her stomach and rubs it slowly, methodically. “According to the scan, Bean is only 1.4 pounds. So tiny, Buck.” Her voice catches on that last part, and then her face crumbles.

Bucky feels like he’s fracturing into a million pieces as he leans forward and draws her into his chest. One hand cradles the back of her head while the other rubs up and down her back. Her belly presses into his, and his control slips.

He’s terrified. For Shuri. For the baby. Heartbroken, because he honestly doesn’t know if their Little Bean is even going to make it. And frustrated, because there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it. Except be here.

Shuri feels the gentle shake of his shoulders. She lifts her head to press her forehead to his, the salt of their tears mingling together as their lips meet. The life inside her belly stirs enough that they both feel the movement, and everything else ceases to matter.

**

She manages to stay pregnant for six more weeks.

Six weeks of daily ultrasounds and bed rest and no privacy and lab draws and living in the hospital because the risk of traveling back home is too great.

Bucky is sure his back will never recover from sleeping on the hospital cot, but he’d give the health of his back and more to have his sweet baby and their Bean safe. He refuses to leave her. Even when Shuri flies in her mother, her OBGYN, her doula, and a couple of the Dora Milaje and puts them all up in a hotel, Bucky sleeps by his Queen’s side.

And when, six weeks to the day that she was admitted, their sweet baby boy makes his way into the world, Bucky is by her side for that too, holding her hand and supporting her as she pushes with more strength than he ever thought any one person could possess.

Ikemba T’Challa Buchanan Barnes is beautiful. Way bigger than predicted for a thirty-weeker, and so strong, but still tiny in the grand scheme of things, and vulnerable.

Bucky barely sleeps because he can hardly stop marveling at the long fingers, the soft tuft of dark brown hair, the satiny chestnut skin. He stays up nights talking with Shuri until she passes out, then quietly reads to baby boy until the wee hours.

It’s another five weeks before they get discharged- five weeks of Shuri faithfully pumping breast milk around the clock until their baby is strong enough to nurse, five weeks of her barely even leaving his room. They’re both a wreck, The White Wolf and the Queen, trying to hold it together enough to make sure their baby boy makes it out of the NICU and back home with them where he belongs.

They can’t get out of there fast enough the day he’s finally discharged. Shuri dresses him in the tiniest little onesie made of black and gold Vibranium thread. She made it herself, embroidered the insignia of the Golden Tribe on the front, and her hand lingers as she brushes softly across it. Bucky’s chest tightens a bit as he watches her eyes squeeze shut for a moment. He knows she’s thinking of her brother.

Silent tears stream down her face as she hovers over Ikemba in his car seat. Bucky flies the Royal Talon himself, because he’s too on edge to let any of the Dora do it. He trusts them with all their lives, but he’s too fidgety to sit in the back with his family.

Home. Get them home. That’s all he wants, and his shoulders don’t settle back down into a normal position until they step onto the tarmac.

Tony calls just as they’re walking into their quarters. Interestingly enough, he calls Bucky’s phone.

“Stark?”

“Hey, daddy, how’s it goin’? You guys in safely?”

Bucky suppresses an eye roll. “Stop calling me that, it sounds gross coming from you.”

Tony laughs on the other end, and Bucky finds himself chuckling as well.

“Whatever, you like it. And you better get used to it, because once my godson learns ‘daddy’ and ‘mommy’, that’s all he’s going to want to say for a while.”

“I think we’re going with ‘baba’ and ‘mama,’ actually,” Bucky replies as he takes Ikemba out of his car seat and hands him to Shuri. He puts the phone on speaker and busies himself with putting their luggage in the closet.

Tony huffs. “You know what I mean. Anyway, how’s my girl?”

“I’m fine, Tony,” Shuri chimes in, settling in the recliner to nurse.

“I’m giving you a week, and then Pepper and I want a ton of pictures of baby boy.”

Shuri chuckles. “Of course. Give Pepper and the kids our love, okay? Well call you later in the week.”

“Alright, Your Majesty. Try to get some rest. You too, pops.”

Bucky snorts as he walks out of the bedroom and into the sitting room to give his loves some peace and quiet. He pauses briefly at the threshold, watching his wife nourish their son, his tiny little grunts and sighs practically melting him into a puddle of gratitude and adoration, before closing the door. “I’ll try. And Tony?”

“Yeah, Barnes.”

“Thank you.”

Tony hums in response. “Nothin’ to thank me for. You guys are family. Just take care of each other.”

Bucky’s chest warms, and he nods. “Of course.”

“Oh, Barnes.”

“What’s up?”

He can hear the smile in Tony’s voice as he replies, “Welcome to fatherhood.” And then the call ends.

A wide grin blooms across Bucky’s face as he walks over to the window overlooking the city. Bright, bustling, beautiful. Home. He closes his eyes and takes a real breath for the first time in three months.

After several minutes, the sweet lilt of Shuri’s voice singing a Wakandan lullaby reaches his ears and Bucky’s face hurts, he’s beaming so hard. He takes one more look at the landscape in front of him, then heads back into the bedroom to bask in the warmth of his family.

#winterprincess #royalwolf #shuri x bucky #bucky x shuri

[inviouswriting]

Darkwarden au - Redemption

Finally touching on this one again.

I think it deserves an alternative ending that’s nice. What do you think?

Revived au - For a few more installments.

Featuring @snow-covered-moon​ ‘s Shuri/Anubis along with all of her lovely children.

I will have another installment as I can write them. I have a nice way to end this one.

Kivera had lingered behind instead of leaving on her normal hunt, for other sin eaters and those with higher aether count to keep Anubis safe from those that wish her harm. Kivera paused in her thoughts for the name Anubis, in her world she knew the name of the Egyptian god of death. It was almost fitting, she is serving another god in that sense. 

The reaper’s thoughts drift to her past, how many has she served. From those in charge of her, from Bathory, Gabriel, Hades, Thanatos, Chiron. Her life of servitude never ended. Always the dutiful angel she is. Even if she wasn’t of the heavens, her path was laid before her in that sense. 

Her thoughts are drawn out when a pinged cry hits her head. She knew what it was, and turns on her heels, forgoing finding anything for a meal, instead she approaches in time before Thancred could fire his weapon.

Anubis in a vulnerable state from her hunger. She would never be able to fight back against him. She could but she didn’t “want” to fight. Thancred driven on his own conviction to put her out of her misery. To end someone who was doing no harm to those around her except exist. Power surged in the gunblade and just as it was about to fire, Kivera knocks it to the side with throwing her scythe. The blade fires missing its target, shooting pass her head and into the wall of the well itself.

“What the!” Thancred looks to the weapon that flew pass his head to knock his own. Kivera takes his distraction as opportunity and kicks her toe to the ground to send a ripple through it underneath Thancred’s feet to knock him further off balance.

Kivera flits and stands between Anubis and Thancred. She checks over Anubis quickly, only seeing mild fear in her, and acceptance of what would have been her death. Something she would talk to her later about. Kivera turns her attention onto Thancred who regains himself by now.

“You can’t leave her like this! That is not Shuri, and you know it.” Kivera ignores his words, her eyes going to where Antares landed. 

“Is there anything else you can say?” Kivera turns her back to him in favor of looking over Anubis. Thancred wouldn’t attack the fallen carelessly, he has seen her in action and knows it is suicide to fight her.

“Shuri. I think it is time to leave this place. It’s no longer safe.” Kivera completely disregards Thancred being there. She extends a hand down to where Anubis sits, and a hesitant hand takes hers. Kivera helps her to her feet, being gentle when regarding the darkwarden.

“Let’s go home, shall we?” Kivera murmurs the words Shuri had been wanting to hear for a long time. Home.

“Where do you intend to take her...” Thancred is met with an ruby eyed stare from Kivera. 

“Away from you, where you can’t go.” Her answer is cold, and she would never grant him the permission of going to her world, her domain, her sanctuary. Not when he intends to murder one she loves in cold blood. 

Thancred starts towards them, only for the ground to disappear underneath his feet. 

“Quagmire.”

Like water, the ground felt like water around him. Just as he wanted to climb out, he felt the surrounding get colder as it froze, his attention goes to the foot that was embedded in the ground. He forgot she is a master of elements. Earth is an element. Estinien himself has said the spars he had with the fallen that he could never get pass her tricks when she used earth and water together. 

“Why are you trying so hard to protect her?” Thancred feels the ground around him start to give from his moving around slowly. The ice chilled his core, seeping in faster than Coerthas’ winterlands ever chilled him.

“Why are you so intent on killing her?” Kivera guides Anubis to a gate she had prepared, a wall of ice that was reflective enough as a mirror. A conduit for Kivera, any reflective surface was her door to her world.

“I know her, that she would not want to live like that.”

“So why must it be you then?” Kivera pulls a white feather out of her left wing and uses it as a quill to write something on the surface of the ice. Scrying a door into its surface.

“Because of you, you dispatched anyone I sent after her.” Kivera knocks on the mirror and opens the gate for Anubis, on the other side a familiar hand reaches through from Divinity. 

Anubis had been quiet throughout the exchange, almost tranced from her near death. She recognizes the warmth from Kivera, standing closer to her white wing, the former angel curling it around her to shield her.

“It’s Divinity. She’ll take care of you while I clean up things in this world.” Kivera runs a hand through Anubis’ dark hair cupping her face to rub her face with her own. A show of affection she remembers from her youth as a Xaela. To try and jar her out of what she was feeling. 

Anubis reluctantly takes the hand, and is lead through the mirror to Divinity. As soon as Anubis was through the gate, it shatters as a preventive to keep Thancred from rushing the door.

Kivera now that Shuri was safe, turns her attention onto Thancred fully.

“I will give you one chance to go home. I will not attack you, you can forget all the happened here. You can run back to the townsfolk and tell them that the threat has been eliminated for all I care. She will not harm here or The Source. Leave with Kiya, and go about the threats in the other world.” Kivera walks over to the center of the area where Storge once was. Kivera looked small compared to the expansive nest that use to be the sineaters and darkwardens domain.

“And what happens if I don’t want to leave here?” At these words, Kivera whistles; to Thancred’s left Antares springs from the ground summoned back to Kivera’s hands. She catches her scythe to spin once on her feet holding the blade outward to her side in a way to strike.

“I will end you. And you know how good I am at that.” Kivera looked more sure of herself now that Anubis was safe from certain death. Thancred takes Kivera in, really looking at her. She wore different clothing than what he remembered not the odd attires she wore around them. From the black mage persona or dancer. This was her natural state, even the miqo’te side of her wasn’t there. 

“Are you not taking my offer then? You truly want to see this through to your end?” Kivera reminds him that he has an out. They don’t have to fight, Kivera is as certain of death to him as he would have been to Anubis. 

“What do I tell them... that you ran off with a threat?” Thancred sees her visibly upset at his words. Her eyes narrow, Kivera sighs.

“Someone like you would never understand unless you have been relentlessly persecuted. I take you are dismissing my offer.. don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Kivera taps her feet to the ground to stretch them. Kivera rests her head on one of her hands regarding him.

“Someone has to.” Kivera sighs, as much as she would love to fight with him, there was no point for her to do so. Shuri was safe from him and everyone that could cause her harm wouldn’t not with her secure in her very home.

“I don’t have time for you. Consider yourself lucky... I am being merciful today. I have no interest in fighting you. Go back home before your spirit severs from your body.” Thancred is shocked that she would engage him after trying to actively kill Anubis.

“Why?” Thancred takes a step towards her only to fall through a hole she created, it felt like he was slipping through another dimension itself. Unceremoniously he lands in a heap outside the well. Kivera stands on an abandoned crane away from him. 

Thancred looks up at her, he sees her with her scythe again, and using an ability to reduce the size down to an earring and pins it in her ear. She had no intentions of fighting him. She had already been gone too long from Shuri, and knew Divinity needs explaining as to what was going on from the reaper.

“It’s not your time yet. Your world needs you. I will take care of her from here on. If you somehow find a way into the other realm. May I be merciful on your soul.” Kivera ends her warning with leaving him on the red sand flitting away as if she was never there. The dread sensation Thancred had lifts, he wouldn’t say he cheated death, but simply death didn’t want him.

The darkness still lingered in the air, from the remnants of Anubis’ influence. Thancred wondered if there were others that he overlooked. Perhaps Shuri was not the only corrupted spirit in this world. 

“Kivera... is alot more kind than we give her credit for.” Thancred looks over his shoulder, Ryne. 

“Ryne?” He gets up and sees her fiddle with her hands.

“She’s not evil. She’s just protecting those dear to her. Let’s... let her do her part.” Thancred knew her right, and he’d thank his lucky stars he didn’t die today. The look in Kivera’s eyes meant it if he had harmed Shuri.

“I know... but why did she work so hard when she knew it is hopeless.” Thancred sees Ryne bring a hand to her own face in thought.

“For the same reason I don’t give up on Gaia. Everyone is worth redemption.” Thancred understood after that, that Kivera knows of a way to help Shuri somehow.

“I have been foolish haven’t I?”

“Yes.”

Kivera had secured all of her lingering doors to her world. Shattering certain mirrors that were direct doors. When she arrived back into her domain, she is greeted to the sight of the eternal night sky it already is. Only she can barely see the two moons overhead. Yet here she didn’t worry over Shuri’s well being like she was forced to do in the other two worlds.

She barely recognizes how long it had been till she had been home, as she walked through to the middle, she felt the pings between Shuri and her children. Kivera smiled to herself, there was no fear among them. She had a feeling they wouldn’t fear her, they missed her.

Divinity regards her leader when she comes into view. Getting up to greet her.

“Welcome back. I thought you weren’t going to bring her here until you found a way to break her out of this.” Kivera pulls Divinity more towards the house in the middle. 

“I was put in a position where I had to bring her here. Thancred was after her again, and he meant to kill her this time. Caught her at her most vulnerable, and when I was just leaving.” Kivera explains, Divinity understands it. It was a better move for Shuri, Kivera’s own home was brimming with life energy. Just breathing was enough to fill and satisfy the darkwarden’s needs.

Ysayle was confused to why her mother looked different, but did not fear her. In fact was content in her arms while her siblings clung to her after being away for so long. Divinity regards Kivera, a look between them both. The Libra spirit sees her relaxed with all of them out of danger.

“How do you intend we help her though?” Divinity asks the question that Kivera is unsure how to answer.

“Keeping her safe for starters.. The young ones are unaffected it seems, that is a good thing. She is still in there, bringing her to them was a good idea. She’s mostly composed of dark aether, the way we can counter that is of course with light.” Divinity closes her eyes, she wondered if her ability would be enough.

“I can try with mine.” Kivera’s eyes flicker blue brief then back to green. Divinity had a feeling about the abilities.

“It can’t be done carelessly, otherwise we could accidentally kill her, or alter enough to where she loses her humanity.” Divinity sighs, she knew. Kivera was best when it came to elemental differences, her entire life in training was spent learning and honing each element. Even her own weakness in holy. Enough to not be affected unless she prolonged using it. 

“We’ll just let her be for now, till we figure something out then.. Does Estinien know you brought her here yet? He might want to see her. As she is now or not.” Kivera didn’t have time to send the dragoon a message.

“I’ll go see him, and bring him here then.” Kivera muses aloud, her fingers finding the end of her left wing to pull a few white feathers off. New wards for her charges.

Kivera approaches the group of children and Anubis. Anubis greets Kivera, her dark figure sees the feathers in her hand. Enough for all of the children, a single black one for Anubis.

“What are those for?”

“Protection. Just like the first feathers I gave you. They’ll let me know if something is wrong.” Kivera kneels down and meets Anubis pressing forehead with hers. She felt tears, Shuri surfaced.

“Thank you.. for not killing him.” Kivera’s eyes widen and she tilts her head enough only to feel a full kiss pressed to her cheek. 

“You’re welcome..” The fallen feels a hand press on her white feathers. She doesn’t shrug Shuri’s hand off even if it felt like they were burning under her hand. Kivera gently takes her hand to lace their fingers together, prevent her from burning them further on the only holy thing about herself. 

Shuri looks at her for removing her hand.

“You’ll burn yourself...” 

“Does it hurt you too?” Kivera lifts her eyes, purple are her eyes. Hiding her pain behind her love.

“A little, but please, it means there is a way to counter. Give me more time. I kept my promise that you would be back with your family after all.” Kivera winds her arms around Shuri, pressing a palm to the middle of her back and rubs along her spine. 

“I’m sorry.. I know you kept your promise. Thank you.. I missed them. I missed everyone.. When can I see Estinien?” There is a sense of need in her voice, and Kivera feels it. Green eyes close.

“I’ll bring him here soon. I have to locate him, but I had to check on you and home here.” Kivera cups Shuri’s face using very trace amount of light in her palms. Using her thumbs she rubs Shuri’s face to test something, seeing pink almost white flesh underneath her palms. 

“Does this hurt?” Shuri thinks of the warmth on her face, a tingling where the reaper’s hands touch.

“Itches more than hurts.” Kivera stops the magic after clearing her face of the dark almost pitch black tones.

“I might have a lead then. I’ll return with Estinien soon. Be patient for us?” Kivera asks, and Shuri nods. A small kiss placed on her face, she returns it as Kivera stands up after placing a feather on each child and Shuri.

“I trust you.” Shuri says.

Kivera feels her soul alight.

“I love you too.”

#kivera x shuri #Kivera Siverstein #shuri fontaye #estinien wyrmblood #darkwarden au #I almost wrote a fight in here but... it didn't work out

[buckyreaderrecs]

Blood

Summary: Bloody Mary; a ghost who appears in a mirror when called by name three times.

Words: 2235 Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Shuri Additional Tags: Infinity War and Endgame didn't happen, Stark Tower is still a thing, recovering Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier Bucky, a bit angsty, mostly canon compliant, Bruce Banner and F.R.I.D.A.Y. are mentioned but aren’t in the story, I love Shuri SO MUCH, female pronoun Reader Warnings: death/dying, blood, description of body decomposition, nightmares

Note: This is my submission to @waiting4inspiration's Myths, Folklore and Legends writing challenge! Hope you love it, Jess!

Tag list (open): @darlingtholland @browngirlmagic

Blood

Bucky Barnes doesn't believe in ghosts. In this day and age, it's more likely that a ghost is just a loved one brought back to life. Reanimated to fight on the wrong side, kind of thing. Or maybe the ghost is a clone. A hologram. A science experiment gone wrong. If you are lucky, the ghost could simply be a hallucinatory symptom of brain disease. But, no matter what, there is always a scientific explanation.

Bucky Barnes doesn't believe in ghosts because the existence of them implies the existence of an afterlife, some sort of potential of God. Of meaning and purpose. If he thinks about that too much, he unravels. So, he chooses to not think about it.

Bucky Barnes just does not believe in ghosts, so when he sees you standing behind him in the bathroom mirror, he runs straight to Steve.

"Something's wrong with me," he blurts out.

Sam and Steve look up from conference room B's table. Case files are open and spread across the room, spilling down onto vacant chairs and placed in chronological order on the carpeted floor.

"Gonna have to be more specific, Buck," Steve replies, eyebrows furrowed.

Sam considers making a joke, but there's a darkness splashed across Bucky's face that warns him away.

"I'm… They… I don't think they got everything. In my head," Bucky tries to explain.

"What happened?" Steve asks, pushing away from the table and assessing Bucky's body language. He's cagey, almost afraid.

"I saw… someone… She's dead. She's dead but I saw her,"

"Happens a lot around here, man," Sam offers.

"It's not like that. I was in the bathroom. She was in the mirror,"

"Like, in the mirror?" Steve asks.

Bucky shakes his head, annoyed but aware that he's not really helping them help him. "No… I was shaving and…" He tried to think. What exactly happened? When did he notice you standing behind him? There was blood…

 …

 The small cut would heal before he left the bathroom, with only the few drops of red blood in the porcelain sink left as evidence that he'd been distracted enough to cut himself shaving at all. You'd been in his head again. The nightmares had started on the day that would be your birthday.

Somewhere in the middle of being The Solider, the people around him made the mistake of not seeing him as sentient. They spoke around him, conversed and told secrets to each other, thinking he couldn’t understand. That's how he learnt about your arrival at the facility. Your name. Birthday. Power.

Bucky had nightmares about a lot of things, but you were often there. Sometimes you were centre stage with your sad eyes and painful defiance. Sometimes you lurked in the shadows, having being taught by The Solider how to do it so well. Nightmares and restless sleep were synonymous with being an Avenger, a hero. It was a high price, but Bucky considered himself to be in enormous debt.

The blood in the sink reminded him that he was still there, alive, human. He watched it slowly seep downwards, sighing out loud to himself. "Fuck," he muttered, shaking his head and trying to move the haze from his head. "Y/N," he said, then stopped. Your name had slipped through his lips straight from his unconscious. It didn't sound quite right. "Y/N," he tried again, adding another sigh like it was the last syllable of your name.

Bucky looked up, studied his reflection. He wondered what you'd think of him now.

"Happy birthday, Y/N," he whispered, his attention returning to the razor and shaving cream.

The bathroom light flickered, freezing Bucky entirely. Without moving, he glanced out the open bathroom door. The hallway outside was still. He couldn't recall if the light had flickered out there too.

He felt it then. He wasn't alone.

His eyes moved fast, up to the mirror. You were there.

Sad eyes. A strange fragility despite being possibly the most dangerous thing in Stark Tower. Alive.

He bolted. The razor clanked into the basin and the bathroom door slammed shut behind him.

Steve… Find Steve, Bucky thought.

"There's something wrong with me."

 …

 "We talked about this. It's normal to se-"

"It wasn't like that," Bucky interrupted Sam.

"We can look at the CCTV. I'll ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to-" But Steve was cut off too.

"She's dead, Steve. There's no way… She's dead, alright?"

"I would have said the same about you," Steve softly tried to reason.

Bucky could vividly remember what it felt like to lose you. He chewed his lip and crossed his arms across his chest. "I watched her die. She… she died in my arms and nobody came for us for three days. Alright? She was dead in my arms for three days."

Sam and Steve glanced at each other.

"Okay… Okay, Buck. I'll talk to Shuri. See what we can do," Steve agreed.

"If I'm- I'm seeing shit, I should be-"

"Come on, man," Sam stopped him, moving to hold his hands on Bucky's shoulders. Bucky felt the weight of each of them differently. "If you're seeing shit, you're like every other vet out there. Something's wrong, we'll cross that bridge. Ain't no use walking around all gloom and doom… We need a break anyway, right, Steve? Let's go get some pizza."

 …

 In Bucky's nightmare, the three days turn into a week. Then longer. He sits as still as a statue in the corner of a boarded-up room of an old snowed-in cottage. It's a Hydra safe house, and it contains the bare essentials to keep someone alive. Not you though. You're too hurt. It's bad. There's so much blood. He can see your insides and shoving everything back in and holding his jacket hard to the wounds isn’t helping.

You cough up blood as you watch The Solider panic. It's rare to see any emotion, so you feel grateful in your final moments. When you die, The Solider shuts down, like a computer malfunctioning. Hydra would have to do one hell of an 'alt ctrl delete' when they finally come for him.

It's cold, which is good. But you're an open corpse, which is bad. The blood hardens and turns dark. He can smell your organs as they begin to decompose. The whites of your eyes turn a sick colour, but The Solider never tries to close your eyelids. If he does that, he's alone. The inside of your mouth goes darker and darker, and the weight of your body on his continues to change.

In reality, that's about when Hydra arrived. Any longer and you would have started to fall apart very literally. In his sleep though, that's exactly what happens.

Your body begins to bloat, small blisters appearing along the surface of your skin. Parts of you liquify, find their way out, soak into The Soldier's clothes. It happens slowly at first, then within dreamstate minutes your muscles and organs and skin tissue turn to goo. Sometimes The Solider just sits in the human muck, counting the teeth left behind. Sometimes he's frantic, scooping you back up and trying to hold you together; it makes it worse.

And, although he hasn’t seen a single fly in the safehouse, there are hundreds of maggots infesting the deepest cavities of your body.

When Hydra came to claim their property, The Solider fought back. He clawed and kicked to get you back close to him. He screamed your name in every language he knew. That's where the memory stops. Often too, the nightmare.

"Y/N,” Bucky whines in his sleep, almost sounding like he's drowning in sticky, syrupy blood. “Y/N!” It is louder the second time. “Y/N!" Bucky yells, shooting up in bed and almost tearing a pillow in two.

He tries to breathe in, but the air is icy cold. Bucky only then notices the door. The balcony door is open. And you are standing there, hair moving in the breeze. Suddenly the room is bright, and warm palms are dragging his head to face away from the balcony.

"Buck?! Buck, are you okay? You’re screamin’ again,”

"Yeah, yeah," Bucky replies, pushing Steve's attempts at emotional first aid away. "Just a dream… nightmare… whatever."

He looks back for you, but you are gone.

Steve stands and watches Bucky crawl out of bed and move across the room.

"You hate the cold," Steve laments, concerned.

"Did you-" Bucky goes to ask, but stops himself too late.

"You saw her again, didn't you?"

 …

 Wakanda is beautiful. It's the closest thing to peaceful Bucky's ever known. Before making his way to Shuri, he visits old friends. The goats don't seem to remember him, but the children promise the White Wolf that they do. They show Bucky how well they've been caring for the goats, and they show him all the things they're learning in school. They ask if they can be Avengers too. He smiles sadly, and tells them, "Not yet."

"Ah! Bucky Barnes! My favourite broken White boy!" Shuri greets while pulling Bucky into a hug, then immediately focusses on his left arm. "So, your boyfriend says you need a check-up?" she asks as she opens a panel and frowns.

"It's not my arm, Shuri. That's workin' perfect,"

"Of course it is!" she laughs, yet doesn't stop tinkering. "But there can always be more. Be better."

When Bucky fails to reply, Shuri studies his face, then nods. Softly, kindly, she says, "Come, my friend. We'll have tea."

Shuri is easily one of Bucky's favourite people. She listens, which is already more than she has a responsibility to do. Bucky knows she's just a kid, but he also knows better than to stop a kid with that much genius and tenacity.

...

When all physiological and psychological avenues have been explored, Shuri shrugs at Bucky. "Maybe she's real,"

"She can't be," Bucky replies quickly.

Shuri makes a face. "You, of all people, really gonna stand there and say it's impossible for the dead to come back?"

"She was… very dead,"

"The dead are never truly gone, White Wolf. Not really."

 …

 Bucky hasn't seen you in a couple weeks. Sam says to him, "Two's only a coincidence, man. Three times, then we'll worry, yeah?" But Bucky remains worried nonetheless.

The mission they've been preparing for, the one that has taken over conference room B, is on Bucky's mind. He finds Steve sketching away, curled into an armchair and looking a lot smaller than he actually is. For a second, Bucky almost catches himself missing the 1940s.

"I shouldn't go," Bucky declares, dropping to the floor in front of Steve, back resting on the armchair and head falling back.

Steve looks down at his friend. "Nobody's going to make you do anything you don't want to do… But you are okay, Buck…"

Bucky looks up at him, exposed and vulnerable. Slowly, he shakes his head. "If I see her again while I'm meant to be focussed… I don't wanna screw anythin' up,"

"Okay. Sit this one out," Steve replies, brushing loose strands of hair out of Bucky's eyes. "But you gotta promise to be here when we get back."

 …

 The floors occupied by the Avengers are quiet. Bucky’s almost alone, save for F.R.I.D.A.Y. and Banner who is basically living in his lab. Bucky doesn't ask why he's not on the mission, and Banner returns the favour.

The irony isn't lost on Bucky; he haunts the spaces he shares with Steve, silent and invisible like a ghost. Part of him is waiting for you, he knows. The other part is genuinely terrified in a way he hasn't felt in decades.

He kills a few hours in the pages of a book, then finds himself lingering outside the door of the bathroom.

It's a little past two am when he gives in, stands in front of the mirror and closes his eyes.

"Y/N?"

He listens.

There are sounds but none of them you.

"Y/N… I… If you're there… alive… I'm sorry…"

His voice is shaky and he feels stupid, but he's started and now he can't stop.

"I'm so, so sorry… I… tried. I tried but I couldn't… And we were… If you're here, if you're here, please… just… Are you still…? Are they still out there?"

Bucky can't collect his thoughts. Each shatters into ten more, then those explode into even more, until there are hundreds of unanswered question in a web of confusion and emotion.

"Y/N…" Bucky's voice cracks.

It hurts you to hear.

You listen to his uneven breathing, listen as he tries to calm himself, hold back tears.

Bucky stands up straight, stretches out his neck muscles. He opens his eyes.

Those stormy blue-grey eyes.

"Hi," you say as softly as you can.

There is a split second where Bucky almost turns, an automatic movement, but he stops himself from spinning and stays firmly planted where he is. He's afraid that if he moves, you'll disappear again, like you had before.

"…Hi," he replies.

"You know my name… My real name. I didn't know that you knew it…"

Bucky nodded, slowly. The Soldier had never called you by your name while you were alive, just like you had never said 'Bucky.'

His blood gets pushed faster and faster around his body when his heart rate increases. The top of his cheeks flush pink.

"I know your name," Bucky says.

#mine #Bucky Barnes fanfic #Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes fic #Bucky Barnes/You #Bucky Barnes/Reader #Bucky Barnes/Y/N #Bucky Barnes x You #Bucky Barnes x Reader #Bucky Barnes x Y/N #mythsandlegendschallenge #waiting4inspiration #Marvel fanfic

[etherealwaifgoddess]

More Time - Chpt.13

Summary: Bucky, Emma, and Steve have a night at the guy’s apartment where Emma learns a little bit more about Bucky.  Master list can be found HERE.

Warnings / Content: A moment of slight angst featuring a sweet slightly insecure Bucky.

Word Count: 2.4k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! As promised, a new day and a new chapter! I don’t if anyone saw, I have a new stand alone fic I posted earlier (Love, In Any Form). I wanted to get that out there despite having this series going. It’s night and day different from this, but if anyone needs some nonbinary!Bucky in their life, check it out! I’m going to be popping up a one shot related to this fic in a little while too. Three new posts in one day... ya’ll are gonna get spoiled ;) The one shot is going to dive into the origin of Bucky’s rainbow pants and I think ya’ll will enjoy the little head cannon as much as I do. XOXO - Ash

Chapter Thirteen

It was ten days before their schedules synced up again and the guys made good on their promise of pizza and Netflix. They had both visited Emma at work since Bucky’s birthday but it was a poor excuse for quality time and they were all anxious to see each other outside of the bar again. Emma brought along her bottle of Two Buck Chuck, mostly as a joke but also so as not to show up empty handed. Bucky answered the door dressed in a pair of low hanging grey sweatpants that made Emma’s mouth go dry. He was still towel drying his hair and hadn’t gotten around to putting on a shirt yet.

“Sorry, I was running late.” Bucky told her, moving aside so she could come in. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and the woodsy, slight spicy scent of him made her toes want to curl. “I’ll be right back.” he assured her before going back to the bathroom to finish drying off. 

Steve called out a hello from the kitchen where he was getting out plates and Emma headed over to him. He was in blue sweatpants and a baggy white tee shirt she suspected he had stolen from Bucky. Everything about him screamed soft, and comfortable, and home. Emma greeted him with a lingering kiss, finding it easier to be a little bold with him. She helped him gather up everything and take it out to the living room while Bucky finished up. He joined them just as she was setting the second box of pizza on the coffee table. 

“Thank you, god, for leggings.” Bucky whistled from the doorway. 

Emma snapped upright and pulled down the hem of her shirt, realizing he must have had quite a view of her backside. “Be nice, dirty old man.” she teased. 

“Guilty as charged, ma’am.”  Bucky nodded. He’d put on a black a-line tank and his hair damp hair fell around his shoulders. Emma thought it was unfair how attractive he looked standing there leering at her. The man was walking talking sex appeal and he damn well knew it.

“I was just wearing what I would at home. That’s what you said tonight was for. Lazy day clothes, movies, and pizza.”

“And it is. Your lazy day clothes just happen to be what dreams are made of.” 

Emma huffed, unable to come up with a witty response. She didn’t have to though as Steve joined them with the opened bottle of wine. “If it makes you feel any better, Bucky is cheating.” he informed her.

“Am not” Bucky sputtered at the same time Emma asked “What do you mean?” 

Steve’s smile was cheshire. “Those are not Bucky’s around the house clothes. Those are his gym clothes.” 

“Steve…” Bucky’s voice was a low warning sound.

“And what does the illustrious James Buchanan Barnes wear around the house?” Emma had a feeling this game was going to get good. 

“Steve, no.” Bucky growled. 

Steve tried to slyly motion to the bedroom room door and Emma caught his intention. “Alpaca pants!” Steve cried and bolted to the bedroom with Emma quick on his heels giggling. “What the heck are alpaca pants?!” she asked between giggles. 

Bucky was diving after them and caught Emma around the waist barely inside the bedroom door. Steve was already rooting through a dresser drawer when Bucky tossed Emma onto the bed and went after him. He held up the pajama pants in question and threw them to Emma before being tackled by Bucky who tickled him mercilessly on the floor. 

“Oh my god, what even are these?” Emma howled as she looked at the fleecy materials print. 

Bucky left Steve panting on the floor to pounce on the bed and wrestle the pants from Emma. 

“I hate you both.” he grumbled petulantly, holding the pants close to his chest protectively. Emma noticed his eyes were actually wary as he clung to the pants, his cheeks pink from more than just exertion.

Steve joined them on the bed, still flushed from being tickled. “Oh come on, Buck. She’d have seen them eventually.” 

Emma gave Bucky shrug, “They’re actually pretty fantastic.” she admitted. 

“I know they’re… colorful.” Bucky agreed, his tone still hesitant.

“Why wouldn’t you wear these tonight?” Emma asked, “They seem so cozy.”

“I don’t know. They’re kinda private. I love my ‘paca pants but... they’re a little feminine... and over the top.” 

“Bucky, hey, no.” Emma moved so she was right up against him, both of them laying on their sides. She wasn’t used to seeing this shy side of him. “I don’t care what you wear. You could have on a leather jacket or a My Little Pony sweater, you’re still you.” 

Bucky nodded, knowing she was right but still unsure. He tested the waters a little more, “I have rainbow pants too. And a matching fluffy robe.” 

“They sound cute too.” she assured him. 

“I know it’s silly but those kinds of things remind me I’m safe, ya know?” Emma nodded encouragingly and Bucky took a breath and continued, “When I got away, it was hard sometimes to remember where I was. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and it was… yeah. It wasn’t great. There was this fuzzy kids blanket that someone left in the apartment I rented and it was so cold that I started sleeping with it. After that I didn’t have trouble waking up at night, I could feel the blanket on me and I knew I was safe. No way HYDRA would ever give me something so nice and soft.” Bucky paused to look at Emma and the understanding in her eyes made him push on. “I’m better about that now, but I still like having things like that around. Shuri gave me the rainbow pants when I was living in Wakanda and it just became a thing. Steve’s gotten me a few things and I have a pretty nice collection now.” Bucky let out a heavy breath. He hated sharing things that he struggled with but he cared for Emma and wanted to start trusting her with more pieces of himself.

Emma gave him a small smile and a kiss. “You’re allowed to like having nice things. It doesn’t make me think any less of you. But I will take a little offense if you don’t think you can be yourself around me. This is supposed to be a relationship, right?” 

Bucky nodded, “Yeah, it is.”

“Then you gotta trust me. I’m not just here for a hot threesome, I really like you guys.” 

Bucky huffed a laugh. “We like you too, doll. It’s just going to take a little time.”

“Everyone has baggage, Buck.” 

“We have a cargo plane full of baggage at this point.” 

“Oh come on,” Steve protested, “It’s not that bad. I mean you have an ex brainwashed assassin, who’s only missing one limb, and is down to screaming in his sleep once every few months now. And a retired American icon who shrank and got a little chubby, lived two full lifetimes already, and has a list of medical issues a mile long.” 

“Well when you say it like that…” Bucky rolled his eyes dramatically. Leave it to Steve and his oversharing tendencies. 

“I think I’ll keep you.” Emma laughed, “Both of you.” She stretched so she could drag Steve closer to them and rolled on to her back so she was lying with them on either side of her. 

“I don’t know what we did to deserve you, doll.” Bucky said with adoration in his eyes.

“I don’t know either, but you better keep doing it ‘cause I’m not going anywhere.” 

Steve draped himself halfway over Emma, snuggling into her warmth and reaching out to Bucky to hold onto him as well. They lay for a minute, basking in the warm, tender moment, before Bucky hopped up and dropped his sweatpants to the floor with one quick motion. Steve and Emma both made surprised sounds but he waved them off, “I might as well get comfy.” he told them pulling on his pajama pants. 

Emma pulled herself up and hugged him tightly, “They look perfect.”

Steve got up too then, kissing Bucky lightly as he passed by. “Come on, you two. Pizza’s getting cold.” 

Bucky smiled gratefully at Emma and they followed Steve, hands linked together.

Bucky got the middle seat while Steve brought up the movie they’d queued earlier and Emma flopped large pizza slices on plates for everyone. His nerves were still a little raw from all the sharing and both Steve and Emma seemed to pick up on him needing a little more affection than usual. They made their way through a pizza and a half while the movie played, a SciFi drama with just a little romance thrown in. It was engrossing and they were all a little surprised when it ended and they realized how entangled they had become during the movie. Bucky had sprawled out in his seat, his back leaning on Emma’s chest, one of her arms wrapped around his middle being hugged by his arm, and her other hand playing idly in his hair. His feet were tucked in on Steve’s lap and Steve had been rubbing them lightly, stroking up along his calves too. Steve’s feet were tucked under Bucky’s thighs for warmth despite the blanket on his lap. 

“I never want to move.” Emma groaned as Steve turned off the movie which was just scrolling credits at that point. 

“I don’t think. I can move at this point.” Bucky said hugging Emma’s arm just a little tighter. 

Steve yawned and stretched as much as he could without disrupting Bucky’s feet, “It’s late.” 

Emma looked over at him in disbelief, “It’s barely after ten.”

“I know,” Steve half shrugged, “But we both have work in the morning.” 

“Ah yes, you who keep to relatively normal work hours. I get to sleep in as much as I want to.” 

“Braggart.” Bucky teased, and then more seriously, “Don’t leave, doll. Stay the night?”

Emma looked down at Bucky’s face, searching his expression, “What are you asking me, Bucky?”

“We don’t have to do anything but sleep, but we’re all tired and the bed is big enough to share.” 

“Tempting, so tempting. But I don’t have anything with me and I don’t want to be in the way tomorrow while you’re both trying to get to work. I definitely can’t sleep with my contact lenses in either.” 

Steve squeezed Bucky’s foot and gave him a look, he was disappointed too but it was just bad timing, not a rejection of them. “It’s okay, another night maybe?” Steve tried.

Emma nodded emphatically, “Yes, definitely. Maybe on a day that none of us have work in the morning. We can sleep in and get breakfast at the diner over on 5th.” 

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Bucky told her with a slow grin.

“I’ll look at the calendar tomorrow and figure it out.” Steve agreed.

“Kiss for the road?” Emma asked, looking from one to the other.

Bucky turned over so he was hovering above her and leaned down for a long, reverent kiss. Emma couldn't even breathe as his tongue danced along the seam of her lips, asking tenderly for permission. She opened her lips for him and shuddered when his tongue darted in. His hand stayed in PG-rated territory but the firm caresses of her shoulders and the back of her neck made it clear he was struggling to keep things from progressing further. Bucky was lost, barely reigning himself in after he got a taste of her mouth; all wine-sweet and perfectly her. Steve had moved so he could watch, rubbing a hand in small circles on Bucky’s lower back. It was with great reluctance that Bucky finally pulled back, “I’ll miss you.” He murmured against her mouth before moving away. 

Steve didn’t have to be told to slide over as Bucky moved away. He was painfully hard from watching Bucky and Emma kiss but he knew it wasn’t the time for that. He would take his goodbye kisses and be more than happy enough with them. Emma practically melted against Steve as his lips brushed across hers. Where Bucky was bright flame, Steve was glowing embers; patient and steady. Emma let him lead, enjoying the careful way his fingers combed through her hair. A soft sigh escaped her lips when he trailed a few feather light kisses along her neck. They were so soft but they absolutely ignited her body. Steve moved away and pulled himself up, extending a hand to help her up too. “You gotta get going before we start something we can’t finish.” He told her. 

“Well, you and I can’t finish. But you two could.” Emma motioned between the guys. 

“Uh, yeah… I mean we could but…” Steve stuttered, flustered.

Emma chuckled, “It’s okay, Steve. I know you two weren’t living like monks before you met me. I adore the way you guys are together and I wouldn’t dream of infringing on that. We’re all a little worked up; I don’t expect you two to go without a little fun once I leave.” 

“You’re perfect, you know that?” Bucky cooed, wrapping his arms around her. “We just don’t want you feeling left out.” 

“I’m far from it. And I don’t feel left out, I’m coming in new here and that’s okay.” 

 Emma was traded between her guys for a few more goodnight kisses until she was finally able to get her coat and head home. 

Bucky shut the door behind her and looked at Steve, his love-struck expression mirrored on Steve’s face. “We are in so deep here, Stevie.” 

Steve let Bucky envelop him in his arms, his head resting right under Bucky’s chin as he hugged him close. “We are.” He agreed, “But, god, we are lucky.”

“You feelin’ lucky, punk?” Bucky asked, quoting loosely from a movie Sam had made him watch.

Steve laughed lightly, “Yeah, jerk, I think I am.” 

Bucky grinned before dropping down to wrap his arms around the back of Steve’s thighs, picking him up with ease and carrying him off to show him just how lucky he was feeling.

The one shot is up now! The Origin of the Rainbow Pants

Tag list lovelies: @godofplumsandthunder​ @remilupin22​ @supraveng​ @hiddles-rose​

If anyone wants added or removed please lmk!

#more time #stucky #stucky x original character #stucky x original female character #stucky x ofc #stucky fanfic #stucky fanfiction #original female character #steve rogers #preserum steve rogers #bucky barnes #post winter soldier bucky barnes #shrinkyclinks #shrinky clinks #marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #post endgame #post avengers endgame #endgame fix it #endgame fixit

[helpinghanikan]

Keeper of the word

T’challa x Reader

Sum: Your job is simple, almost non-essential, but it’s important. And it’s recognized by more then just you

AN: Requested. Also, I’m not the greatest at first meets or meet cutes. I tried my best

There is likely never to be someone quiet as unqualified as you for this job.

           Young, no past experiences in the medical or psychiatric field. None of your college course covered this area. Any experience you did have was from before your move; retail, fast food, high school jobs without a future to them. Nothing but a college student who picked the wrong apartment to spend your year abroad.

           But you were smart, you were kind, and not once did you mention that your next-door neighbor was the winter soldier and the world’s most wanted criminal.

           “Is this hurting him?” A stupid question but what else could you say?

           Dr. Azza tried to stop his slight smile. To most who had seen you so far seemed to see you as either dangerous or just strange. Dr. Azza probably had children, based on his age some might have been as old as you.

           “No, it is…like sleeping. He is asleep” He explains pointing to the screens next to the upward bed surrounded holding your friend. He’s surrounded by fogged glass and several screens you don’t understand what’s on them. From the words to the math you’d never be able to wrap your mind around what they meant.

           Dr. Azza had become your new best friend over the past few days. The cryo specialist who spoke very little English, but still gave a half-smile when you made eye contact. Your fun little bracelet the Princess gave you allowed for translation, but it was still a little sketchy about catching all your words. In the end your conversations would typically turn into charades with an attempt at a language you didn’t know.

           He was the one who let you pull a comfier chair into the Cryochamber room. Sat against one of the massive windows, almost completely padded white and not as bad for your back as you had thought. It wasn’t a permeant solution, but it kept you close to Bucky.

            Your name is spoken on the other side of the room. Dr. Azza looks up from the chamber. Speaking into his wrist quickly, your own lighting up.

           “I’m going to bed/home/away, is there anything you need/want/require?” It spoke in an accented female voice.

           “No, have a good night.” You spoke back into your bracelet.

           The same female voice spoke from his side of the room. He looks up to you and smiles, waving his hand before heading out. You did the same.

           Legs stretched out you slide deeper into the chair. Azza, the Sweetheart, had brought you a ‘borrowed’ sweater. You had no idea whose sweater it actually was, but they were at least three sizes bigger then you. Your face was barely visible in the piles of fabric you sank into. Too tired to walk around, but not enough to try and sleep.

           Next to the sedative dispenser you were the next line in defense. A thick black mark in a red book older then you made it so. Captain Rogers refusing to give up the information made it official.

           Very few people in the entire world knew what was under the black mark. You were among them; rediscovering the word on the flight over. Holding up the book to Captain Rogers like a child showing off their latest and greatest drawing. It wasn’t a long word, something simple that you easily memorized before it was crossed out with a black marker.

           Under strict orders from Captain Rogers you were to never say the word unless absolutely necessary. Everything else you were to give to the doctors, to the princess, to really anyone who wore a white coat you were to be as open as the red book.

           Your face tingled slightly from the cold of the chamber. Bringing snowflakes that didn’t exist down on your eyelashes. You’d hear if there was any movement from Bucky, there wasn’t any reason not-.

           The lab door opens and every part of you is sent into high gear. Sometimes one of those guards will poke their head in, see if you’ve messed with anything you weren’t supposed to. Usually the door with be slightly opened or they’d just walk around the glass. When you’d see them, you’d give a wave, one that was almost never reciprocated.

           “Hello…?” Probably should have used the bracelet.

           You’ve seen King T’challa a hand full of times since being here. He looked at you a few times, nodded his head when you met him. All those times you were off to the side or weren’t a participant of the conversation for longer then a few seconds. You were just a decoration in room, a lovely statue worth a glance but not a stare.

           “Your highness,” The statue comes alive in moments of panic.

           Your legs were almost asleep in the position you were in. Suddenly in a standing position and your more then a little wobbly. The sweater was longer then it was wide, basically wearing a thick nightdress that almost went to your knee.

           “I’m sorry, do I-do I bow?” You asked, back already slightly bent. It was an honest miracle that you didn’t grab the end of your sweater and try to courtesy.

           “You do not have to, no.” He says, a softer expression then you had seen before.

           He looks back to the chamber. Looking over the machine more then the person inside.

           “I saw you guys do ‘I love you’ sign.” You said, prefer an awkward look over awkward silence.

           And an awkward look he gave. Eyebrows knit together, head turning towards you in a “what?” expression.

           “Oh, uh, the arms,” You cross your arms over your chest. Hands open. “It means ‘love’ in American sign language. Although it probably means something else here.”

           A quarter smile was added to the look. A small shake of his head, but it wasn’t condescending.

           You had gotten many looks while you were here. Most could fall into the category of, “Who is this?”, and others were small laughs and suppressed smiles that might as well shout you were doing something wrong. The guards were the easiest to handle; for a while they all looked at you as you were, an outsider and a possible danger. The big boss guard, one with the gold necklace compared to the other silver, visible tensed when you moved too close into the Princess’s space.

           In your defense there was absolutely no indication about what the cultural differences were between America and Wakanda. They seemed to be bigger than you could have imaged Any massive amounts of confidence you had were gone as you reverted to an awkward young person, unsure with every step you took.

           King T’challa was different in his looks didn’t appear to be from surprise how foreign you were. More in a fashion of watching a child learn how to read.

           “Clench your fists,” He crosses his arms and you do the same. Your hands clenching into fists. “Just like that, it’s like our salute.”

           “If I do it wrong will Princess Shuri make fun of me?” You ask looking down to your X.

           The nod he gave was filled with previous experiences.

           The cryo-chamber gave a steady stream of beeps from the heart monitor. It was the only monitor which had both the Wakandan and your mother language on it. Azza showed you, pointed and explained every button on the monitor, the whole thing unfortunately too tall for you to reach the very top of without standing on your tip-toes.

           Soft beeping become louder in the silence you and King T’Challa. Not enough to send an alarm but enough that it would have woken you from your sleep.

           “He’s dreaming,” A comment for yourself then your conversation. When the beeping starts to speed you speak again. “It’s a nightmare, he’s scared.”

           “Like he’s being chased?” King T’challa asked.

           “Sure, excuse me.” He takes a small step to the side when you step into his space.

           The top part of the monitor, point in which you couldn’t reach, was arguable the most important part. Simplified it was another type of sedative, the type that send him deeper under where the dreams couldn’t reach him for a time.

           Standing on your tip-toes a single hand reaches past you. Hovering over the button until you nod and then press down on the monitor. Beeping slowed and a hiss, to indicate the release of whatever drug was used, played throughout the room.

           “Thank you,” You say. He takes a step back for you to leave the small area.

           You had seen news footage of the King of Wakanda at meetings in a suit and tie, saw him when you first entered the country in robes of his country, and saw him as the Black Panther in the suit and shiny claws and everything. This one was new; dark sleeping pants and a long sleeve shirt that seemed to be weighted. His feet were bare, and the clothes barely made any but a small swishing noise when he moved. It looked incredibly comfortable, but bare feet on tile just made a chill appear up your spine.

           A majority of your time together was silence staring at a frozen man.

           “You’re Highness...?” You asked after enough time that the beeping was completely back to normal.

           “You can call me T’challa.” He says in a softer voice that matched the late hour.

           “How long will it take to get that stuff out of his head?”

           He thinks for a minute before answering. “I don’t know, but we will help. We will do everything we can to, however long it takes.” He thinks for another few seconds. “Shuri is excited, she knows what she is doing.”

           “So, he could be in there for months.” You add, nodding as if you were agreeing to something he said.

           Conversation hitting another low point you walk back towards your chair. Not sitting down just yet, hovering around the area.

           “A room can be made ready,” King, no, just T’challa says. “There are several in the castle that you can move into tonight.”

           “He may dream again, and I want to be here for him. I wouldn’t be able to run over here if something happened, not as fast as others, anyway.” You sat back into the chair for emphasis, “Thank you for the offer.”

           “One around the labs then? Steps away from your friend.” He says.

           “That would be- yes, that would great.” It’s borderline greedy but a bed sounded like actual heaven compared to the chair you were living in.

           He stands closer to your chair, quarter smile at your happiness for a simple room. You had seen, and heard, a lot about the confusion between Bucky and T’challa. Including full on assault from a place of anger and an urge for urgent revenge. According to Captain Rogers T’challa regretted the entire situation, enough to give him asylum and medical treatment without a blink of the eye. That all you asked for was a room, that you didn’t even actually ask for, was almost nothing.

           “If there is anything else, anything at all.” He says.

           “I’ll go straight to you. After your guards stare at me some more.”

           It wasn’t a full laugh worthy joke but enough for you both to smile. A genuine look or relation. Even with all the knots in your back.

#t'challa x reader #T'Challa #black panther x reader #black panther #reader insert #requested #post civil war #the-walking-daryl

[hennessystevens-udaku]

For Everybody

_________________________________

Summary: This story is what happens when @eriknutinthispoosy wants a fic of Erik cheating and @allhailnjadaka wants some ratchet shit to take place. The First Lady is all type of outta character in this one.

_________________________________

“Aww hell nah, this nigga got me 50 shades of fucked up,” Hennessy exclaimed as she watched the surveillance camera set up in Erik’s room. She never saw the point of them, but he and Charlie insisted, for security purposes. Just when she thought her idiot husband couldn’t get any stupider, he proved her wrong yet again.

“So 9 vaginas ain’t enough for him? His Braille-backed ass had to go get some random bitch from off the street? And his stupid ass brought her in our house?!” The Princess was fuming.

Her eyes widened when the mystery woman, standing at 5’10 with lean sun kissed legs and a face just as gorgeous as any of the other women in the house, walked to the middle of the room and looked directly in the camera. As if she knew it was there...as if she knew someone would be watching.

The time stamp on the recording read last Wednesday, 12:43 pm. That sneaky bastard. Wednesday was the day that all nine wives plus Little Bee wenr to brunch, catching up and bonding in sisterly fellowship. It was few and far between that they were all free at the same time and when those rare moments came they took advantage. Erik was filled in on this brunch at a few of the ladies favorite French bistro a day prior and he took advantage as well.

“Guess this nigga didn’t think we’d catch him.” Ryley’s long matte black nails tapped against the vast mahogany oak desk. She sat beside Henny as her eyes bore into the pretty face on the screen. “Bold one, she is.”

“Very bold.” Henny folded her arms and fell back into her seat. Her brows stitched together and her pouty lips were set in a thin line, emotions etched all over her face. To say she was hurt was an understatement. It hurt her so much she couldn’t produce a single tear.

“Am I not enough? Are we not enough?” her voice was soft and shaky.

“Nah, don’t even think like that sis. That nigga stupid and he gone get what’s coming to him.” A few moments later, Charlie sauntered into Henny’s office looking almost as upset as the other two women. Her usual Charming demeanor had switched to something more cold and devious.

“Henny, I love you, but y’all need to come with me.” Without question, the three women made the short trek to Ryley’s G Wagon and sped towards their shared abode. When they were a safe distance from the greenhouse, Charlie pulled up the surveillance footage on her iPhone X.

“THIS BITCH IS STILL IN MY HOUSE?!”

“I didn’t wanna tell you in your office for the sake of the plants, but yeah she’s still there and is making herself real comfortable.” They both watched as the mystery woman sauntered from room to room, touching and trying on their precious jewels and clothes. Hennessy began to see red. It had been a while since she’d gotten this upset and of course it would be Mr. Stevens-Udaku to bring her inner beast out of retirement.

“Hennessy?” Ryley questioned when she noticed the head brat had become a little too quiet for comfort. She remained silent.

“Henny?” she tried again. Silence.

“Kitana?” Charlie tried. Suddenly, the small woman turned and flashed a sly smile, her rose gold fronts gleaming in the twilight. Her usually happy, doe eyes and turned an eerie black and her whole face was turned into an evil grimace.

“Aww shit!” Ryley and Charlie exclaimed in unison.

--

“N’Jadaka! Bring your crusty ass out here!” Kitana screamed as she, Ryley, and Charlie walked back into The Kompound.

“Wait, what we miss?” Angel questioned, confusion etched all over her face. She and Little Bee were seated on the couch, Princess Nya bouncing happily between them. Kimora and Josephine were in the kitchen baking, while Homie sat comfortably on the counter acting as taste tester. Per usual, Aly’Sha was in her room, probably tired from football practice.

“Mr. Stevens-Udaku isn’t available right now,” the mystery woman called from the grand staircase. “However, I’ll be more than happy to answer whatever questions you may have.”

Everything was silent as all eyes fell on her.

“Ericka,” Kitana snarled.

“Nice to meet you in person, Kitana, I’ve heard so much about you.”

As the two exchanged looks, Kimora emerged from the kitchen.

“I’m glad y’all know of each other and whatnot, but who are you and why you in our house?”

“I’m the woman who just fucked y’all husband. Now since there’s so many of you I’m not sure whose room it was but it was real nice. I was thinking of doing some wandering since Daddy is asleep.”

“Bitch I swear to Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Bast herself, I will drag yo rusty, dusty, crusty, broke back, uneven frontal headass down this entire gahdamn hallway. And trust me, there's a lot of fucking hallway in this big ass house.” Josephine perked up at her tone.

“Aww shit, Demon Henny, yeee!” As the rest of the harem attempted to understand what was going on downstairs, Aly’Sha had heard just enough to take matters into her own hands in regards to the punishment of their husband.

“Aye Nigga! Wake the fuck up!” Aly’sha growled as she shot a hollow point 9mm bullet on the headboard above their husband, who she affectionately referred to as a beginners tutorial for the blind. Her voice echoed from the enormous room. Guess she wasn't too tired from practice.

“Aly'sha…” The beast growled, sitting up slowly. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

“NAH WHAT THE ABSOLUTE DUMB NIGGA FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” Another bullet whizzed past Erik's head and for the first time in a long while, he flinched.

“ALY’SHA I GOT IT!” the small woman screamed upstairs. “I just gotta take care of this bitch first.”

Grumbling to herself, Aly’sha exited the room, putting the gun back in the waist of her shorts. This nigga was really about to die die.

“That must be your little errand girl, hmm?” Erika hissed a giggled as she watched the rage in Kitana’s eyes grow.

Upon hearing all the commotion from her studio, Bastion emerges in her Moschino sweatsuit and fluffy mink slides.

“What in the Christian Louboutin is going on in here?”

“Don’t worry about it babygirl, go back to work. Mama’s just gotta take out some trash.”

“Oh well that means I must stay. That’s one of my specialities. Now who is this woman, why is she in my house and why are there gunshots being fired? I thought we weren't doing firearms in the house after the last time I got too drunk.”

“Because your husband is an idiotic dipshit.” Aly'sha growled, standing behind Kitana as if she was one of Charlie's angels.

“Well I knew that when I married him, but Harpo who dis woman?”

“A dead bitch,” Kitana hissed as she wielded the katana blade that was hidden in the intricately carved bracelet on her wrist. A birthday present from Shuri.

“Has she always had that?” Homie inquired.

“I don’t think I wanna find out,” Kristina said as she carried little Nya away from all of the commotion.

“Care to give me the information on her astronomical indiscretion?” Bastion inquires with a perfectly orchestrated eyebrow raised.

“It’s simple really,” Ericka began to explain. “While the cats were away, Daddy Jaguar decided to play. And who am I to deny the Prince of Wakanda?”

“As I said before, A dead bitch.” Kitana twirling the blade between her nimble fingers as she stared Erika down.

“I’m sorry let me see if I can comprehend this simpleton’s language. So you’re telling me that my husband, who has a plethora of pussy to use and abuse at his discretion, was intimate with you? Of his own free will? As though he wasn’t just shot at for not giving his last wife enough attention? He fucked you freely? Ha! Ok my darling please have yourself admitted to the nearest psychiatric ward. I’ll even recommend a wonderful therapist and even better medication. My mother knows them well.”

Ericka stared her, grin wide as ever but not quite making it to her eyes. They were steely, dark and deep. She’d seen and experienced a lot. It was in the way she moved…spoke. “You’re so entertaining, no wonder he stopped at you. You were the icing on the spoiled ass cake, huh?” She let out a chuckle. “Pipe down, little bitch, before I make you. I’m here to speak with the real wife, the first lady. All you other hoes sit down and watch me defeat your beloved head Princess Hennessy Chiron.”

Her eyes moved back to Kitana, looking over her frame before she met her fiery gaze.

“Let me give you the play by play. First, I took a seat on my new throne, you know those lips you love? Made him hit it from the back then from the side. Asked him what’s your favorite position and then made him look in my eyes while I took all that dick. He promised to make me wifey number twelve.”

Slice. The blade moved so fast no one could process the action. Ericka’s pink peplum blouse was now in shreds at her feet and blood oozed from the long cut across her chest. Before she could react, Kitana had the blade above her head and was bringing it down again, this time digging it into the flesh of her abdomen.

“I’m glad you enjoyed that dick because that’s the last one you’ll ever hop on,” Kitana snarled as she threw her blade down and went straight for Ericka’s neck. What she lacked in height, the small woman definitely made up for in brute strength and speed.

“Damn, she really is the female Erik,” Kimora noted as the two women wrestled in the foyer. Though Henny was much shorter than Ericka, she easily overpowered the outsider.

“No one can dethrone me, bitch,” Hennessy snarled with a sharp jab to Ericka’s face.

Ericka growled, her whole body throbbing. First it was the wound to her chest, causing pain to spread through her body like wildfire. Her tolerance was higher than many. She should’ve been on the floor begging for mercy. Her mission, however, was not done.

“I-I did you one better.” She spoke softly, low but audible enough for Kitana to hear. The venom in her bite had disappeared. “There’s a crack in your foundation. You’re relationship isn’t as perfect as you thought it was. N’Jadaka found ten wives after you and still can’t be loyal. I can’t take your spot but my actions will make you want to give it up.”

Just then the blade appeared from the small of Erika’s back, piercing a few vital organs and killing her instantly. The princess removed her blade and headed for the staircase. The wrath of Hennessy Monaé Chiron Stevens-Udaku had only just begun.

_________________________________

TAG LIST: @vibranium-soul @imagine-mbaku @mareethequeen @greennightspider @hearteyes-for-killmonger @blackpantherismyish @muse-of-mbaku @thehomierobbstark @wifeyofnjadaka @youreadthatright @tgigoldie @killmongersgurl @dameshaemonique @princessstevens @princesskillmonger @amethyst1993 @iamrheaspeaks @laketaj24 @bidibidibombaclaat @whatmoredoyouwantamericaa @forbeautyandlife @yaachtynoboat711 @panthergoddessbast @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanimelove @dacreskars @thadelightfulone @drsunshine97 @wakanda-inspired @wawakanda-btch @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @ayellepea @awkwardlyabstract @madamslayyy @blowmymbackout @vikkidc @champagnesugamama @sociallyawkward18 @chasingsunlight @dabluestsky @trevantesbrat @itsangeludaku

#hennessy chiron #my shit #the kompound #erik x henny #erik killmonger #erik stevens #the household #poly!erik

[ashotinthedark-avengers]

A Shot In The Dark- Chapter 3:Forever.

Bucky x Reader

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my character. 

WARNINGS: Depression, sex(under keep reading)

RATED MATURE 18+

A Shot In The Dark- Chapter 3:Forever.

You had arrived in Wakanda early that morning for the Technological Symposium. Earlier that month the King of Wakanda gave a press conference saying that Wakanda will now open its borders with the rest of the world and show them what they had to offer. You knew Wakanda was technologically advanced due to the vibranium, but you never imagined what you saw when you got off the ship. The symposium was over the course of 3 days on a weekend. You were sent by the Stark corporation as well as a handful of others. Tony was true with his word and hired you right after you helped fight against Steve and the rest of his team. You didn’t agree with everything they did, but he knew you were smart and an asset and you’ve been at Stark Industries for almost 2 years.

When the conferences of the day were finished. Princess Shuri came up to you and invited you to her personal lab.

"I heard you have powers" Shuri said leading you into her lab. "Ah, you want to study me?" you joked. "You create an immense amount of energy that allows you to manipulate the plasma particles you emit." she said. " I was wondering if you could do the same with the vibranium particles.     " Vibranium particles use kinetic energy I thought? I create electromagnetic energy" you questioned her motives. "Yes, but you also create kinetic energy within the subatomic particles in your plasma shifting them from plasma to solid." she retorted.

“Okay” you nodded your head in understanding. 

“My brother said he fought with you a while ago” Shuri said messing with one of her computers. “Against the White Wolf”

“The White Wolf?” you asked

“The one you call The Winter Soldier, he lives on the edge of the village” she said clinking on her keys. She stopped doing what she was doing, moved over a station and motioned you to come over. She stood on the other side of a white table, she waved her hand over it and opened revealing vibranium particles.

Bucky came into your mind. You had only one real interaction with him, but remembering the way he smiled at you made you want to know him. You know of him, Steve had came to you once after the aftermath for some help finding someone. You asked about the events leading up to the civil war. He told you how he thought Bucky had died and then only to find out he was alive and brainwashed. 

You and Shuri spend the afternoon in her lab testing her theory and lo and behold she was correct. She was so excited that her theory was correct and that it opened new possibilities and new theories. She excused her self for getting too eager. 

“You must be hungry and tired. I will probably be working through the night and will miss dinner, but you go on ahead.” she said. 

You smiled at her and started walking out of her lab when you decided to double back. 

“Is it possible to go see him?” you asked shyly. 

Shuri smirked at you. She knew exactly why you were asking to see him. 

“My brother doesn’t like him having too many visitors. But I think it will be good for him” she said. She walked over and opened a drawer. She picked up something and walked back to you. 

“You can take my bike, 1st level garage” she said handing you a key, “Go south, by the river, he’s there”. 

You took the keys from her and said thank you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You rode down the river for about thirty minutes before spotting a small hut. You stopped to admire the sunset, It was getting darker and dark clouds were filling the sky. You rode a little closer to his house and got off to walk the rest of the way. He didn’t seem to notice you come up, he was busy moving his animals into the small stables near his house. 

You walked up to the wooden fence he had around his yard and watched him. He looked the same, yet older, he looked worn out, but he looked better. He was wearing dark pants and a green shirt. His arm, was without the metal prosthetic you had seen on him and was now just covered up with a wakandian print fabric. Half of his hair was tied up into a bun. He made a kissing noise to one of the goats and led it into the stable. The sight of the made you smile. 

“Come here often?” you yell at him from the fence. 

He turned to you, surprised to see you. Probably thinking you’d be the last person you’d see. He smiled at the floor and started walking towards you. 

“We were never properly introduced” you yell again to him as he moved closer. 

“Lizbeth” you said when he was right in front of you. 

“James” he smiled, “But most people call me Bucky”

“Liz” you countered “Some people call me Beth.”

“it’s been a while” he said.

“About a year a half to be exact”‘ you responded.

He studied your face for a couple seconds.

“You look older” he added.

“And you don’t look a day over a hundred and three old man” you joked.

“And you still look 12″ he retorted. 

“Snarky, I missed that last time, you know when we were trying to kill each other” you laughed. 

“Well Beth, a lot of people were trying to kill me last time. It’s good to see a familiar face” he said looking at the ground again.  

Your heart jumped at him calling you Beth, the last person who called you Beth was your mother. 

“You look better” you gave him a soft smile. You heard some thundering in the distance. 

Bucky’s face turned serious. 

“Why are you here?” he asked 

“The symposium. Stark sends his children” you responded. 

“No, I meant, What are you doing here?” he asked again. You knew what he meant. Why did you come see him. 

“To say hello” you lied. And he knew you were lying. You both know why you were there. Your first encounter was flirty to say the least. Lustful even. You heard another thunder, this time it was closer. 

“I can’t give you what you’re looking for” he said sternly. 

You smiled at him. You understood. You knew everything that he has done in the past. 

“You should go, before the storm starts. It’ll last for hours.” he said in sad tone. 

Bucky backed up from the fence as to leave. You went to leave, but before you did you had to ask Bucky something, something you knew he could answer. 

“Can I ask you something? Personal?”  you said.

He nodded in approval.

You looked down.  

“How.. How do you wake up in the morning and not hate yourself for what you’ve done? How do you move past it?” you asked. 

He knew you weren’t talking about what he had done. It was about what you did. 

“You don’t. You just learn to live with it” he responded. 

The two of you stood in silence for a minute. You felt a couple raindrops on your face before you spoke again. 

“My best friend. It was my fault he died. I got powers and he....His wife was pregnant when he died.” you confided in him. “I know that you’ve done horrible things, but I also know you’re a good man. Steve told me.” 

You felt more raindrops hit your face. 

Bucky sighed, “ Steve sees the best in people. And that’s the thing, you have to see the best in yourself. The goodness and the light. No matter how black the darkness you’ve created was.” 

The rain came hard now, just in time to cover up the tears falling from your face. You were both standing there, getting soaked. You understood even more now, you were both broken. You swallowed hard and made eye contact with Bucky who was looking at you with sadness. 

You closed your eyes and took in the rain. You felt the rain on your face and even if it was just temporary, you felt the sadness inside you wash away with it. 

“Come inside” you heard Bucky yell to you over the rain and thunder. 

You ducked under one of the bars of the wooden fence and followed Bucky into his house. 

His house was small, but it felt like him. On one side of the small hut was his bed separated with a four panel room divider with more wakandian print on it. On the other side of the house was a small kitchen with a fireplace and a table with chairs. 

Bucky walked to the fire place, threw wood in it and started a fire. 

You took off the sweater you were wearing and laid it on the back of one of the chairs. You ringed out the water from your hair. Bucky stood up and faced you. He swept the lose strands of his wet hair back, but fell forward again when he looked down to undo the knot on the robe that was covering up his left shoulder. 

You stepped forward, your hands were cold from the rain outside, but reached for the knot. Bucky looked at you and placed his hand down, letting you undo the knot. Bucky took the the robe and hung it over the fireplace to dry. Bukcy turned back to you, 

“I guess you’re stuck here until the rain lets up. Make yourself at home.” he said and walked behind the room divider. You sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, shivering in your wet clothes. Bucky was gone for a couple minutes and returned with dry clothes on. He handed you a dry shirt. 

“Thats the largest shirt I have, but it should cover you up. You’re tiny, but you carry a punch.” he laughed It’s true, you were a small person, you were about 5′1 at 110 pounds. Bucky was a foot taller compared to you. Bucky motioned you to change behind the panels. 

“Thank you” you said taking the shirt. 

“I’ll make some tea” you whispered. 

You walked behind the divider and started taking off your wet jeans. You look up at the panel and see a couple pictures pinned to the divider. You saw an old looking picture of Steve and Bucky probably from the war, and other newer one right next to it that seemed to be taken recently. They looked exactly the same, except Bucky’s eyes, they seemed more tired. 

“So what else did Steve tell you about me” he shouted at you from the fireplace. 

“Mostly good things” you shouted back. You pulled your wet shirt over your head and put on the dry one on. You laughed, Bucky was right, the shirt fit halfway down your thighs, like a dress. You took your wet clothes and walked over to lay them near the fireplace for them to dry.  Bucky was facing the fireplace, boiling water and took a glance at you when you came back. You sat down in a chair again, crossed your legs and pulled down the shirt, slightly embarrassed. 

“Who taught you how to fight?” he asked taking the kettle from the fire and placing it on the table. 

“Ummm, Physics?” you said. 

Bucky laughed and went to grab to grab to mugs that were sitting by the sink. 

“The average human is capable of generating enough force to lift a car off its front wheels for several seconds. You apply enough force into punches and kicks in the right angle, you can render your opponent useless” you continued. 

He came back and placed the cups on the table and sat down next to you. 

“I remember you were smart. Your PhD project, is that in physics?” he asked. 

“ Biophysics” you smiled. 

Bucky placed a couple of leaves into the kettle. 

“And you powers? They’re kinda like Wanda’s” he said. 

“Not necessarily. Wanda seems to have magic like abilities. She can manipulate people and items and I cant do that. I create an immense amount of energy and thats pretty much it.” you said. 

“You can do more than that” he responded, pouring tea into both of the cups. ”What about the objects you create?” 

Your hands were laying on the table, you picked the one closest to him and turned it over. A pink glow came from the center of your palm. You wanted something for Bucky and thought back to what Shuri had called him earlier. A white wolf. A pink plasma version of a viking fenrir head laid in your palm. 

“And if I put enough energy in it....” you eyes started glowing, closed you hand and it started glowing pink as well “ It stays solid.” 

You eyes and hand stopped glowing. Turn your hand over and moved it towards Bucky. He opened his hand under yours and you dropped the small silver wolf medallion into hand.

“Impressive” he smiled. Just then a lighting bolt hit close, startling you. You looked out the window, when you entered Bucky’s house there was still light from the setting sun. It was completely dark outside now and the only light was coming from the fire Bucky had started. You laughed and turned back to Bucky who was already staring at you. 

Bucky slipped his hand between your damp hair and your face, and kissed you hard. You kissed him back even harder. He tasted sweet and warm. You moved closer to him and before you knew it you were straddling him in his chair. Bucky moved his hand behind your neck and forcefully kissed you. You felt his hand move down your back ending on you hips. He pushed your hips into yours. He stopped kissing you and stood up, picking you up along with him. He took you to the end of his bed and gently sat you on it. You’re heart was pounding and you pushed yourself further back into his bed. Bucky pulled his pants down and wiggled out of them. He got into bed on his knees and crawled up towards you, your legs were already opened for him. He positioned himself on top of you and began kissing you again. You wrap your hands around his neck and start moving your hips into him. You felt him through your panties, he was hard and you wanted him inside you. You pushed him off you and sat up, You took your shirt off and then pulled his off. He kissed you trying to push you back into his bed. You pushed him off again, slid your panties off and then pulled him back on top of you. Bucky started kissing you neck and then started training down you chest with kisses, then your stomach. Bucky slid down and positioned himself, he kissed you and it wasn’t long before his tongue was inside you. Your hands gripped the sheets under them and moaned in pleasure as you felt his tongue on your clit. After a few minutes, Bucky got to his knees and pulled his underwear off. He crawled back up and kissed your neck. 

“Tell me what you want.” his raspy voice whispered in you ear. 

“I want you inside me” you whispered back. 

You opened your legs even wider for him, you felt his hand go down in between you two and then felt the tip of his hard cock trying to enter you. Bucky moved his arm back up above your head, kissed you and pushed into you. You moaned into his mouth as you felt him deep inside you. You kissed him harder which caused him to push into you even harder. 

“Fuck” he whispered as he moved inside you once more. He started thrusting in you faster. One of your hands was gripping his hair and with the other you ran your nails along his back. 

You were starting to cum, you moved yourself into him faster and faster. You dug your nails into his back and moaned into the darkness as you came. He must have felt you coming because his strokes became slower and deeper into you. When you stopped he started fucking you faster again. He felt so good you moaned into his ear. His arm slipped under you and picked you up and flipped positions. You were now on top of him, you placed you hands on his chest and slowly started moving back and forth. His moan sent a shiver down your neck. You picked up your rhythm and were riding him for a couple minutes before you felt his thumb rubbing on your clit. You let out a loud gasp and rode him until you came again. This time you clawed into his chest and fell into him when you finished. You were breathing hard into his neck, you felt his chest moving from his hard breathing and he was still inside you. He caught his breath and rolled you over so he was on top of you again. Your thighs were sore as you felt him start thrusting into you again. He leaned slightly up and locked eyes with you. He placed his thumb right on top of your neck and pressed down slightly. It felt good and you wanted to come again. You knew he was close to finishing as well. 

“Don’t stop” you whispered to him. 

Both of you were so close. He moved faster into you. On his last thrust you he moaned loud and you felt throbbing cock releasing inside you causing you to cum with him. 

Bucky fell into bed next to you almost gasping for air. You turned to him and lay on your stomach facing him. You smiled at him. Bucky sat up and reached for the blanket at the bottom of the bed and covered the both of you. 

Bucky fell back into bed and laid on his side facing you. He started running his fingers down your back, you closed your eyes and shivered. 

“When do you leave?” he asked softly. 

“Tomorrow.” you responded with your eye still closed, “I could stay for a while. If you’d like. “ 

“How long?” he said. 

“Forever” you whispered before drifting to sleep listening to the pattering of the rain outside. 

#bucky #Bucky Barnes #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky imagine #tony stark #Avengers #avengers civil war #avengers fanfiction #avengers endgame #Steve Rogers #bucky x reader #winter solider #winter solider imagine #winter solider x reader

[wndamaximov]

The New Recruit

Part 3

Pairing - peter x  shuri x indian!reader(platonic), dad!bucky x indian!reader

Summary - Y/n is starting to feel a little desperate to find Shiva and with the rest of the Avengers clueless as to her whereabouts, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Warnings - Language, angst, fluff

Words - 1,053

<< prev chapter

She hadn’t talked in days. Any progress that Bucky, Loki, Peter, and Shuri made in taking down her walls was undone, leaving her in a pit of self-despair. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to escape her past- and that terrified her.

There was a slight knock on the door. “Y/n? It’s Shuri. I am coming in.” Y/n didn’t move from her spot on her little nest of blankets. She was surrounded by the things that made her happy- her phone, headphones, one of Bucky’s too big shirts, and a pack of m&m’s. Shuri came and sat down next to her, careful not to disturb the arrangement of items on her bed.

“You don’t have to talk back, but can I tell you about my day?” Y/n didn’t respond, but Shuri knew she was listening. As she talked, y/n payed attention to every last detail, hanging onto every word.

There was a brief pause in Shuri’s narration and y/n seized the chance to finally speak out loud. “Shuri?” her voice came out small and raspy, as expected when one hasn’t used it in a long time. Shuri looked surprised at first, but then her gaze softened and she smiled for the girl to go ahead. “May you, I mean can you pass that water bottle?” She acquiesced and waited patiently as y/n took a delicate sip.

“Shiva used to be my best friend.” She took a deep breath in and out to remind herself that she was safe.

“Y/n you don’t have to talk, you don’t owe anyone anything,” Shuri reminded, her voice full of worry.

“Yes I do, that’s the problem. The last time I saw her, she warned me that I would never truly be able to leave, and I didn’t take her seriously. All the damage that has been done to so many innocent lives is because of me.” Y/n got up from the bed and opened the window, bathing the room with a pale yellow light. “I’ve made up my mind.”

Shuri came up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. “No.”

“You can’t stop-”

“I’m not trying to,” she interrupted. “You have no information on where Shiva is, and even if you did what kind of friend would I be if I let you go all alone?”

“Yeah, what kind of friend would we be if we let you go alone?” The two girls jumped as they saw Peter suddenly appear behind them.

“Sorry,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “The door was open, so I thought I could-” he was immediately cut off by Shuri whacking him on the arm. “Ow, that hurt!”

“Don’t do that, idiot!” she exclaimed angrily as y/n burst out laughing at the exchange.

“Now,” Shuri said, after glaring at Peter for the longest time, “let’s go get this bread.”

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

The rest of the Avengers sat around the table in the kitchen, back from their latest skirmish in Kashmir. They’d suffered a devastating loss of 10 human lives, and people around the world were calling for some form of action against the team.

“Well,” Loki commented, “that went terribly.”

“Brother, maybe now’s not the time.”

“No I think it is. I mean, Reindeer Games isn’t wrong,” Tony interjected.

“We need to get to this Shiva before she causes any or damage, Tony. We’ll worry about the rest of the world later. Lives are at stake,” Steve added sternly.

“And what if we’re the ones putting them at stake Cap?”

“Really boys? Now?”

“I agree with Nat,”  Bruce replied then continued, “we need to get to the bottom of this without any shit, agreed?”

The rest of the Avengers merely nodded, complacent for now.

“Good. C’mon Tony, let’s go work on that algorithm to find Shiva again.”

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

“I think I’ve got a lock on her coordinates!” Shuri pulled Peter and y/n into her portable lab just outside the compound. “When do you wish to leave y/n?”

“How does now sound?” Peter and Shuri gave their approval, and the trio went off to prepare for their escape.

As y/n walked to her room she caught a glimpse of Bucky. The Winter Soldier was startled by a bundle of clothes slamming into him for a hug. “You’re back!” She clung to him and he held her close.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” he consoled, stroking her hair and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered letting go of the man who had become a bit like her father, then left guiltily to go pack her bags.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

"Peter?" Tony called, searching for the spider-boy. He peered into y/n's room and was met with Bucky standing alone in the room, holding one of the shirts y/n had copped from him.

Not two seconds later, T’challa came walking down the hall asking, “Have either of you seen Shuri?”

"I'm starting to sense a pattern, Stark."

"Me too Barnes. I'm gonna kill them." Tony stomped off to gather the rest of the team. He was simultaneously proud and angry, if that was possible. Those teenagers had done exactly what he would've done in their place. Damn his terrible influence.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ '

Y/n, Peter, and Shuri found themselves in the lovely Budapest. They had traveled all around the beautiful city without a trace of Shiva or anyone else y/n recognized. After hours of searching, they’d decided to take a break to sit around a table at one of the many roadside cafe's.

"I still don't understand where my calculations could have gone wrong," Shuri said dejectedly while working it out on a napkin ignoring the now-cold coffee in front of her.

"It's okay Shuri. Everyone messes up," y/n reassured, picking at the Hungarian delicacy in front of her. Peter was the only one enjoying himself, delightfully tearing at the pastry given to him

"Wait, I got it!" Shuri screamed, jumping out of her seat. "C'mon!" She dragged the both of them away from the table and signalled for one of the taxis to pull over. "This time I'm sure I'm right."

And right she was. Not that there was much to see at their destination- just an abandoned warehouse with a great big hydra painted on the outside.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ '

>> next chapter

Angels: @jim-the-fallen-fan @ms-mischief221b @someonebeatmeatthisname @spidergirl2017 @marvel-is-a-mood

If you want to be tagged in The New Recruit, just ask!

#the new recruit #peter x shuri x reader #peter x reader #peter and shuri #shuri x reader #poc!reader #indian!reader #bucky x reader #dad!buckyxreader #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #mcu fic #peter parker #bucky barnes #dad!bucky #shuri #shuri udaku #steve rogers #tony stark #loki #natasha romanoff #bruce banner #thor #poc

[fenthyr]

Hi and goodbye (Part 1) (Bucky x Reader)

pairing: Bucky x reader

Summary: Steve approaches you to help him fight against Thanos in Wakanda. Of course you help him and there you meet Bucky again after Civil war. He’s different now. Good different.

 ______________________________________________

Ring ring.

“yeah with y/n”

“y/n,it’s Steve. Where are you we need to talk”

“I’m in New York actually. You?”

“I’ll be in New York by 7pm. You know where to meet me.”

_   _   _   _   _   _  _  _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _  

You were standing at the tree in the park. This is where you and Steve met for the first time. There was an attack from Loki in New York a few years back. You were fighting some of those idiots when Steve came by to help because you weren’t exactly winning. A few years later you helped him with civil war. Steve kind of saved your life and you owed him that much. There you met Sam, Clint, Scott, Wanda and Bucky. And now Steve needed your help again and you were glad he called you for this. You always want to help him, you may not see him a lot but he’s still a close friend.

“y/n, How are you?”

“Great, well you know fighting the little crimes to get some exercise.” I laughed.

“Good, it will be useful.”

“what’s going on? what can I help with?”

Steve sighted “ there is a war coming. A big one.”

“against who?”

“Thanos.” Steve said angry.

“Thanos, I’ve heard of him before but I thought it were just stories?”

“No, he is very real and he is coming for earth.” Steve looked away. “He wants to kill half the universe, but to kill half the universe he needs all of the infinity stones.”

“How do we even know were he’ll be when he comes to earth?”

“Vision has the soul stone. He will coma after him. We go to Wakanda so less innocent people will die and we will have more warriors.”

“okey, when do we leave?”

“pack your stuff we leave in an hour. I’ll meet you at the avengers facility.”

You went back to your shitty apartment and packed your stuff. You also packed your combat clothes. You got those from your family, it’s been in your family for years to wear these kind of clothing and it makes you feel warm and close to your family. It’s the only thing you have left from them.

You met Steve at the avengers facility  and saw Natasha standing there too.

“Hello Natasha” you said politely. She is a scary women you know. Don’t want to be on her bad side.

“Hey y/n, ready to go?”

“yeah, I’ve heard a lot of stories about Wakanda. But I guess people are just making some stuff up. I’m wondering witch story is true.”

“okey let’s go, we need to be there by morning.” Steve stated.

You all stepped into the jet and took of to Wakanda. The fly was boring, everyone was tense for the fight to come especially when you don’t know when it starts.

“So who will be there?” I asked

“Banner, Every warrior in Wakanda, we, Wanda, Vision and Bucky. That’s what I know for sure. I don’t know about the other guys.” Steve answered.

“you think we will make it? Or stop it?”

“I don’t know.” Natasha said worried.

We finally arrived at Wakanda. Steve went to greet Bucky. Hmm, Bucky changed. He wasn’t wearing that metal arm anymore, he looked happier too. And kind of cute. It made you happy to see him like that. His smile is so innocent and sweet. ‘I can’t believe that once he was this cold blooded killer. Of course it wasn’t him but still.’ You gave him a small nod and a little smile when he saw you. Just then Shuri walked up to you.

“Hello there, you must be y/n, Hi I am Shuri, T’challa’s little sister. Come I’ll show you your place to stay.”

“Thanks Shuri. Will you be fighting with us?”

“Of course I will. I am a warrior, you know that suit that my brother wears. Yeah I kind did the special effect with that.” “ I also make other weapons. Like Bucky’s arm, I am the one fixing it.”

“Oh”-

“hey are those you combat clothes?” Shuri asks while eying your bag.

“yeah, these kind of clothes have been in the family for a long time. It’s an honor to fight in them.”

You arrived at a little cottage. It looked nice although it was very luxurious as in the city, but I liked it better here, it was quiet and peaceful. Right across the little cottage was another one. It looked like a little farm with goats. There were some other cottages to but they were further away. All around you were trees. ‘perfect place to train’ you think.

“So I’ll leave you to it. Make yourself at home.” Shuri said happily.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Tonight there is al little feast. I’ll let someone pick you up around 8pm. And wear something fancy.” “You did bring something fancy right?” she asked

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry I packed something for every occasion.” I said laughing.

Shuri closed the door behind her and I started unpacking. I got bored and thought it would be a good idea to train a little bit. I put on some training clothes and went outside. I saw Bucky and Steve talking with T’challa while Bucky was throwing some straw on a pile. They looked serious, I guess they were discussing the battle. I walked to the forest and looked for a death tree. I know fighting a person instead of a tree would be way more useful. But I can’t just ask people I don’t know to fight me. Or at least I think it’s weird. after some running and jumping around to warm up I focus on the tree. First the basics of course. Slicing the tree at both sides with a knife. After that I take my sword. Attacking the tree until it’s barely standing. Suddenly I hear a noise behind me. I take my bow and aim at the place where the sound came from.

“who’s there?”

Bucky came out of the shadow with raised hands.

“wow Don’t worry it’s just me. I saw you running into the forest and thought I would check on you.” He said with a little grin.

“you should know never to sneak up on people who are training and expecting a fricking war any second now.” I said jokingly while putting my bow down.

Bucky just laughed. “ your pretty good with knives you know. But training with a tree? I don’t think that very useful. They don’t exactly defend themselves.”

“I know but it’s better than nothing.”

“you should train with me and Steve tomorrow, we’re going to train hand to hand combat.”

“yeah, just tell me when and where.”

“I’ll pick you up at 9 am, just be ready.”

“okey” I smiled at him and he stepped away.

Okey I have to admit that I maybe kind of really like the guy. Last time I saw him he was so cold and now he is so happy. It instantly makes me happy too. Oh, and those eyes I could drown in those eyes. And then we haven’t talked about that ass. I stood there for 10 minutes or so just dreaming about the guy until I realized I needed to go shower and get ready for the party tonight.

you are so happy that they prepared a music instillation in the cottage. I know right who thought a cottage could have a music instillation in every freaking room. I put some of my favorite song in the playlist and turn the music on before I go to take a shower. I walk into the bathroom and take in the sight of a beautiful modern but still cozy bathroom. ‘This place is way better than that apartment.’ I cleaned myself up and went to the closet. “Okey what to wear?” you had this beautiful dress that you wore when you had a mission at a party. ‘well I did look good in that dress?’ ‘outfit chosen.’ Once the dress was on you did your hair and make-up.

Knock, Knock.

‘Oh no, of course I need to start stressing right now. I don’t even know who came to pick me up.’

I walked to the door and opened it to see a very handsome Bucky open the door. He had his hair half up an was wearing a black suit. God he looked great. Bucky cleared his throat and I caught myself staring.

“So, you ready to go?”

“Yeah, Totally ready” I answered with a smile.

We hooked our arms together and walked to T’challa’s place. Bucky greeted Steve, T’challa and Bruce while I want to greet Natasha, Wanda and Shuri.

“Hey y/n, we haven’t seen you all day where were you?” Natasha asked.

“Oh, well you know preparing for the fight of our lives you know how it goes.” I said jokingly

“oh, I love this song” Wanda said while giving you a glass of champagne. And ran to the dance floor. She turned around and motioned us to follow her. Nat, Shuri and I Shared a look and followed Wanda into the crowed. Nat looked over your shoulder and smiled, you wanted to turn around but Nat kept you in place.

“Don’t look now but I think someone likes you.” She said with a grin

“oh come on Nat at least tell me who it is.”

“don’t worry you’ll know soon enough.” She took another sip from her drink while looking you directly in the eyes. You just looked back confused cause you had no idea what she was planning. Wanda and Shuri must have noticed Nat’s sudden change and already knew why too.

“Okey Girls what’s going on?” I asked kind of scared.

“oh nothing don’t worry about it.” Wanda answers.

Shuri just stood there with a smile on her face. They are definitely up to something.

After some dancing and ignoring The girls Glances and grins you start feeling tired. You did drink some more than you intended but that’s definitely Nat’s fault she kept giving you more drinks and did not give up until you drank it so you just went with it.

“Hey, I loved this evening but I think I’ll head to bed now. I have an early training session with Steve and Buck tomorrow so. See ya later girls” I said tired and maybe a little to exited about the Bucky part.

“Okey bye y/n sleep tight!” they yelled drunkly.

Natasha’s POV

“Okey tomorrow she has a training session whit Buck and Steve. Now there is one problem.” Nat said

“Steve.” Shuri and Wanda said in unision.

“I’llmake sure he won’t make it. You two go talk to bucky. It will only work better if we get the two alone as much as possible” Nat winked

Nat walked over to Steve when she saw him sitting alone.

Your POV

You were walking to you cottage. Well a little bit slower than normally cause you know alcohol. When you heard someone call your name. you turned around and saw Bucky running up to you.

“Hey y/n, leaving already?”

“Well lets see its 2 am and we got training at 9 so yeah. Plus Nat, Wanda and Shuri were feeding me alcohol like I would die if I didn’t have a drink every 2 minutes.”

“that’s what they do to new members of the group you know. It’s like their kind of ritual. The’ll be teasing you about a lot more the next days.”

“what did they do to you?” you asked thinking about how Bucky would be when he is drunk.

“I’m a lucky one they didn’t tease me. That’s probably because of the whole fight between Steve and Tony and the things with Hyrda.”

“So they haven’t teased you yet.” You said thinking out loud

“yet? I don’t think they will. You know I think they are secretly scared of me.” He fake whispered.

“Hahaha, Natasha, scared, of you. Hahaha Don’t make me laugh.”

“What it could.”

“Thanks Bucky, for walking me back. See you at 9 in the morning right?”

“yeah see ya y/n”

_________________________________________

End part 1

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #wakanda #buckyxreader #infintywar #marvel

[foreverpanther]

Witblits

For @orysbaratheon

Prompt: Everett speaking Xhosa fluently to the surprise of others/ T’Challa being proud of his husband.

Words: 977

It was a large room made small by the lifelong bonds the people present had forged over the many years. T’Challa stood proud to be not only the king but a friend to many of the individuals there. He spotted W’Kabi talking to the leader of the river tribe. Shuri was showing off new tech to some of M'Baku’s men. They seemed impressed. His mother sat in a large seating area, indulging in Wakandan politics with some of the other tribe leaders. She looked beautiful. It was a social gathering. Not everyone was present, but T’Challa’s family was there. He decided to be a spectator for most of the night. If anyone greeted him or came up to him to spark friendly conversation, then T’Challa indulged them. Needless to say his mind was elsewhere. That was until around 10 pm. The clearing of familiar a throat to his left practically made his ears perk up. T’Challa gave Everett the due justice of a full head turn. Everett wore a deep purple suit made with fabric from Wakanda and designed with thin silver triangles, glinting in the dim orange light of the room. His hair was combed back and he had a bright smile plastered on his face.

“Thanks for finally joining us.”

T’Challa spoke, happy to finally see Everett with him

“Don’t scold me I brought gifts.”

Everett handed T’Challa a glass of clear liquid. T’Challa sipped, wincing as it trickled down his throat.

“The bartender said it’s the best in the house.”

Everett spoke as he watched T’Challa’s face scrunch up.

“And you believed them?”

T’Challa coughed the drink out of his system and Everett’s face fell.

“I haven’t had Witblits since I was a young man.”

T’Challa laughed and clapped Everett on the shoulder.

“You need to brush up on your Wakandan culture, foreigner.”

“Foreigner? I think that drinks gone to your head my friend.”

They both laughed, Everett taking his own sip of the horrid drink.

Shuri spotted Everett and left the men to greet him with a little handshake.

“We didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

Everett passed a confused look from Shuri to T’Challa.

“Define ‘we’, I attend parties.”

“Yeah. Political parties. I haven’t seen you outside of a business suit since you were nearly paralyzed.”

T’Challa gave his little sister a disapproving look.

“Were those men bothering you?”

Everett looked passed Shuri’s shoulder to the two men she was conversing with, whose eyes seemed to keep catching his. Shuri shrugged her shoulders.

“Nah they’re cool.”

“I don’t think they like that we’ve whisked you away. “

“Then I should probably get back to them. You know how short the male attention span is.”

Everett raised his eyebrows, agreeing.

Just as Shuri turned around the two men began to get up from their seats, walking straight for the trio. Everett could see by their dress that they were M'Baku’s men, but he didn’t know their names or recognize their faces.

They greeted T’Challa as their king, but dismissed Everett altogether, like he wasn’t there. Then one of them said something Everett couldn’t quite understand. He’d practiced learning the language for the last few months he’d stayed in Wakanda, but he rarely spoke out in public and definitely didn’t know every word in the dictionary. He recognized the phrase “you invite” in the past tense, and then a word he couldn’t quite place, yet it sounded familiar, like he’d heard it somewhere before only recently. This was followed by words he heard a lot in the meetings he attended. Something about their tribe and Wakanda. He strained his mind in the short seconds after he heard the man speak, watching T'Challa’s face change subtly from mild mannered to cold steel. Little forest mice she called it. Earlier that week Everett visited the village where he met a dressmaker to tailor some new clothes for him. He had seen a large green snake in the shadows of the trees on his way over to her. He recounted this to the local woman, who thankfully understood english. She said snakes slithered about and were relatively harmless unless provoked. She said they ate rabbits and little forest mice, like porcupines. Hedgehog. He’d called him a hedgehog. Everett’s train of thought had lasted a couple seconds in real time, because T’Challa was barely opening his mouth to retaliate when he interrupted and spoke the little Xhosa he knew, the cheap drink giving him false confidence on his speaking skills.

“I’d be careful what hedgehog you go after. I’ve got a panther at my side.”

The two men turned their attention to Everett, who downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, holding the glass with his left hand so that they saw his ring before he slammed the empty glass on a nearby stand, all without breaking eye contact with them. The men glanced from Everett’s serious expression to T’Challa.

“You heard him..”

T’Challa responded in english with an ear to ear smirk on his face. The men proceeded to walk away, glaring at Everett as they passed.

Shuri looked at Everett with a mixture of confusion and awe. She almost remarked on his Xhosa being nearly perfect, but settled on just giving him a high five and then walked away.

Everett faced T’Challa with a small smile, watching Shuri leave to join the rest of the party.

“That was weird.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Maybe we should skip the rest of the party.”

Everett eyed T’Challa, who looked to have a permanent smile on his face and a certain twinkle in his eyes. Everett shook his head, laughing.

“That drink definitely went to your head. Come on. I want to say hi to your mother.”

Everett took T’Challa’s hand in his and the two made their way across the room, joining the rest of the fun.

#black panther #everett ross #everpanther #t'challa #everpanther gallery ao3

[occasionalfics]

The Ones To Go, 8 (Thor X Reader)

masterlist | the one to stay masterlist | the ones to go masterlist | chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 | chapter 6 | chapter 7 | 

Summary: Thor just wants to go home. He’s lost so much already.

A/N: You know that post about how much Thor’s lost? I think about that post a lot. It hurts me - physically hurts me. So I tried not to make this too painful. Also I’m a huge sucker for romance and fluff so that’s what I give you, friends.

Also...there are only two more parts after this. I’m real anxious thinking about that for no reason at all.

Warnings: Thor...sad. 

Words: 2,055. Thor so sad I couldn’t even reach 3k for this one. That’s probably for the best.

He’d seen his friends die more than once now. Well, he’d been on Sakaar when the Warriors Three were killed by Hela, but he hadn’t really had much time to grieve them since. So, in some way, it felt like he’d witnessed their deaths first hand as he walked the camp, knowing exactly who had fallen in battle. He saw it all this time. Two of the bravest, most incredible men he’d ever met had fallen - he couldn’t even say their names without nearly breaking down.

He had to save that for the return to their kingdom. Thor reminded himself when he woke up, intermittently throughout the day, and just before he fell asleep just how lucky he actually was.

Thanos had not taken (Y/N). Not entirely. Not in the same way.

Thanos had not taken Loki or Brunhilde or Heimdall.

Thanos was dead.

The Infinity Stones were to be locked away - he’d forgotten where the remaining Avengers had agreed to take them. It didn’t matter to him, so long as they were far, far away from his kingdom and his family.

More than that, he was going to be a father. The Ice Woman had been right - his Queen was pregnant, and though the timing felt all wrong, there was nothing that could make him happier. He assured her, as the days grew on, that they would be ready for their child when they came into the world.

They agreed to stay in Wakanda for the funerals and wakes of their fallen peers. They borrowed clothing for the occasion with T’Challa’s permission, knowing that everything had some cultural significance or another. The Wakandans did their best to respect the traditions of each person’s home - the Americans were sent home in their coffins, for instance - and then a festival was thrown in the city proper. Shuri assured them both that this was all meant to celebrate the lives of the people they’d lost, to lift their spirits and - hopefully - send them all off with a new glance at the horizon.

Banners with the images of the fallen hung from the ceiling of the room the festival was being held in. Thor had to force himself in behind his wife, and then had to keep his eye down. He couldn’t bare looking at their faces - not so soon after their deaths at the hands of Thanos. (Y/N) clung to him all night - not tightly, so she was dragging him, but just gently enough to remind him she was there with him the whole time. She made being in that room bearable.

“Just remember,” she told him more than once, “that in the morning, Dr. Strange will send us home again.”

He nodded every time, attempting smiles regardless of how convincing he thought he was. The night passed off this way - Thor an anxious mess, (Y/N) his rock as they sat and watched the others dance and celebrate the lives they were now able to live. It all seemed too soon, and his wife agreed.

“We’ll grieve when we get home,” she told him toward the end of the night. “And then we’ll prepare a nursery to recover.”

He smiled genuinely at that. It was a sentiment that truly set his heart at ease and made him hopeful for the morning. He put his arm that was wrapped around her against her stomach and kissed her forehead, keeping her as close as he possibly could.

Their procession the next morning was much smaller than it had been when they’d come to Midgard. Doctor Strange was grateful - he wouldn’t have to hold the portal open quite as long - but Thor felt disheartened. For the first time that morning, he reminded himself that his close friends, his trusted family members were going home with him. Bruce, of course, would remain behind, but at least he was still with them, too.

They moved across space and time as if it were nothing, stepping out onto the field that welcomed them with a calming, warm breeze. They sent a guard ahead of them to announce their arrival, so her brother and sister-in-law waited to greet them at the doors of the palace.

Thor felt as though they’d been away for a year, when really it had been less than a week since he’d been back. It’d been less than a week since he’d come to collect the Queen for the war. That was all.

They greeted the Queen’s family with smiles and hugs, but he was too tired to do much else. They would resume their place on the throne tomorrow, after an inevitable court meeting that would, likely, be too early in the morning.

He tried not to think about that - or really, anything - as (Y/N) drew a bath. He watched her from the main part of their chamber as she tested the temperature, poured in salts and oils, and shut the faucet off when the large tub was full enough. She came back to him then, helped him undress - which he didn’t fight, given how much weight his body seemed to bear at that moment - then held his hand as she brought him into the bathroom.

Thor groaned when he slid into the tub. The warm water instantly lifted some of the tension from his muscles, and the scent of the room cleared his mind the way he wanted it to. (Y/N) didn’t get in at first; she moved around the room, grabbing soap and sponges, the heels of her boots clicking against the stone floors. She put the things in her arms on a table beside the tub, then rubbed more oil on her fingers before working the muscles in his neck in slow circles. She pressed her thumbs the hardest, pushing out tension and knots he didn’t even know he had.

“I’m not complaining or anything,” he said just before groaning as she pushed on an exceptionally tight muscle by his shoulder. “But you do know we have servants for this, right?”

She leaned forward so her lips were right by his ear, some of her hair falling into the water around his chest. “I like taking care of you,” she said in a low voice that sent tingles all over his body. “You made sure I was looked over when I was recovering from that fireball. And besides, I like being needed.”

He smiled and turned his head to kiss her quickly. She worked his other shoulder, eliciting more groans of pleasure from him as the toll of war started to physically leave his body. She’d moved onto his arms, stroking them carefully with soap and oil, when he decided the water was cooling too quickly. He wanted her with him in the water like usual.

He needed the normalcy.

“Could you finish that from in here?” he asked quietly, releasing his arm from her grasp only to take her hand in his.

She sighed and smiled softly at him before standing and removing her clothing. They held one another’s eye, even as she climbed into the tub and placed her body against his. It felt like it’d been another month since they’d been so intimate, when it had been only a few days in earnest. Once she was with him, cleaning his face and chest with the soap and sponge, he felt as though he could breathe again.

He’d think about it more later, but he loved the feeling of being at home here. When he’d come to this planet, he’d been angry, conquered, and powerless. Over time, he’d started to see what she’d seen of the place, and now...now it was even more his home than Avengers Tower ever felt.

“You’re going to allow me to care for you this way again, right?” he asked when she’d returned to working his arms. “Because soon, you’ll need all the care I can give.” He gently swiped fingers across her stomach, smiling all the while. The thought of their child growing inside her had been one of the few that had gotten him through the funerals, the festival, and the short journey back home.

She stopped her massaging, put the sponge on the table again, and leaned her whole body against his, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes,” she said, pressing her lips against his jaw. “Although I’m sure there’ll come a time when you won’t even allow me to leave our chamber and I’ll have to have Loki sneak me out for a bit of fun.”

They laughed together for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The jovial emotion that spread from his heart almost felt foreign, but it was a comfort to know he could still feel it.

“I won’t keep you cooped up unless you need it,” he whispered, suddenly more serious, despite still smiling. “I just want to make sure you and the baby are well taken care of.”

She kissed him, and he was finally able to push out anything that existed outside of that bathroom. For a few more minutes, everything was just the two of them, the floral scent of the bath, and the baby.

When he pulled back to breathe, Thor ran a few of his fingers down her back, earning a slight hum from her. “I love you, (Y/N),” he said quietly, reveling in the smallness of his voice and the world around him.

“I love you more, Thor,” she whispered, putting her head on his shoulder.

He didn’t think that was possible, but he didn’t say as much.

They stayed in the tub until the water was cold, then she drained the tub and they went into the bedroom. They found robes to dry off in, then slid into the bed for the first time in what truly felt like a long time. He hadn’t slept in a real bed in too long, so he was grateful for the plush mattress and cool satin sheets.

He was comfortable with her arms around him, as if he didn’t dwarf her in size. But now that they weren’t in the tub anymore, his thoughts came creeping back. He tried to keep it together, shutting his eyes to the world in an attempt to force himself to sleep. But in complete darkness, he saw their faces. The face of the fifth mind control victim - the one none of them had been able to save. He’d had the trident, and he still hadn’t been able to get the disc to deactivate. He watched them die because he was unable to do his job - and then he’d watched his friends die for the same reason.

His eyes shot open and he breathed hard. (Y/N) was still awake, staring at him with questions in her eyes. But she didn’t ask any of them; she just stroked his cheek and blinked.

After a few minutes she said, “I can try to help you get some sleep,” as quietly as she could manage.

His breathing slowed when he shook his head. “I’ll be okay,” he said.

“Maybe one day,” she said. “But not right now. You need to rest, my King.”

He wished she were enough just the way she were, for this specifically. He wished her voice would lull him to sleep, to a dreamless place where he could escape the terror of War for a few hours. He wished he didn’t need her offering to use magic to get him there. He wished he could go back a few months, to before Thanos, when he was so happy just to follow her out into forest that he didn’t think of looking back.

He sighed and nodded, knowing this was best. For now. He wasn’t even sure she knew how to do it, but he trusted her. He knew she wouldn’t hurt him more. So he let her put two fingers to his temples - a thumb to one, the pointer finger to the other - and shut his eyes again as she concentrated. She didn’t make a sound, but he remembered that she hadn’t had to call forth her heatless light before, either. Maybe her magic was like Loki’s, he thought. He didn’t know if that put him at ease or made him more anxious, but he allowed it to pass anyway.

TAGS (send a message if you want to be added or moved!)

Thor Tags: @thewayilookatbacon @athorable-and-deanlicous @baileythepenguin  

Permanent/Global Tags: @infinityblogger @champion-ofthe-sun @hopefulblazetriumph  @httpmcrvel  @capsheadquaters 

The One to Stay/The Ones to Leave Tags: @mysweetcookie99 @tegan-eva  @kinglyhemmings @markusstraya  @dragoste-lunes @arrowswithwifi @ourdreamsrealized  @demonic-meatball 

#thor x reader #thor odinson x reader #the ones to go fic

[sunflowerspectre]

The Backwaters | Commission Piece

This is a commission piece for anon. 

Also available on A03

Title: The Backwaters Summary: As an agent of SHIELD, Shuri’s assignment is to find and rescue Wanda Maximoff who disappeared in the backwaters of West Virginia. But her training is put to the test when the town’s mechanic Bucky takes a liking to her. Aged up! Shuri Warnings: Omega!Verse, Beta/Omega/Alpha Dynamics, OOC

<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>

The Backwaters | Chapter Three | Word Count: 2905

Her check-in with Coulson the previous night didn’t go over very well and Shuri can’t say that she blames him. She is not exactly thrilled to be staying in a stranger’s house in the middle of the forest either, but even Coulson couldn’t deny that this would be their best (and maybe only) shot at finding out what happened to Wanda and the other missing omegas. 

But she is still alive come the next morning, which she supposes has to count for something. At the very least, Bucky picks her up to take her back to the auto shop. The ride is more comfortable back into town than it was out, despite the fact that Shuri is fully aware that she is, once again, in a truck with someone who's at least related to a family that is highly suspected of kidnapping omegas. 

Shuri hates to admit that there is a sense of easiness that comes over her, being a bit more comfortable being back in town with the light of the sun shining down into the open garage. She’s not too keen on the way Bucky continues to chat her up, but she gives appropriate replies here and there that seem to keep him satisfied.

The more she watches him work on the car, the more she notices that he’s doing very minimal work. In one way, it feels as if he’s stalling, and on the other, she at least doesn’t have to worry about him messing up a SHIELD-grade car. He makes some off-hand comment about ordering the parts he needs for her car and then begins to work on one of the other cars on the lot.

She doesn’t really have anywhere else to go. She wanders out of the garage here and there, tempted to wander through town on foot, but it could cause future complications if someone jumps her. She still doesn’t see a single soul in town anyway, so she stays put until the sun begins to set as Bucky finishes up his work, informing her that he won’t be able to finish her car until the part comes in tomorrow. Oh I fucking bet you will, Shuri thinks with mild amusement, having doubts of his plans to actually fix her car, but it wouldn’t do her any good to speak up now until she has more information.

The trip takes longer this time around, driving further into the forest than Shuri really feels comfortable with. Despite them only going there once, she knows damn well that this isn’t the route to his folks’ place. She eyes him with mild caution, a hand on her bracelet, ready to signal for help should it be needed. She glances toward his muscled, but exposed, neck, and wonders just how much force would be needed to do a one-hit knock out on him. 

But he’s not as stupid as she thinks he is, as he looks at her through the corner of his eyes with a wicked, twisted grin.

“Don’t look so tense, missy. My father’s hunting buddies are taking up my folks’ place tonight, so it looks like it’ll be my place tonight.”

His truck pulls into a cabin that’s not as extravagant as his folks, nor as big, but looks like a comfortably sized getaway. While he walks ahead of her with confidence, she trails behind with headed caution, taking in every detail carefully. Knowing who she is with, or more accurately, who his family is, she takes each step as if she’s expecting a bear trap to lock onto her ankle at any second or for any trap to spring on her. She steps in each of Bucky’s footsteps, copying his movements as best as she can, to lower the chances of her tripping a hidden wire.

The cabin isn’t as cozy nor warm as his parents’ were. The shelves and counters are bare of any knickknacks and photo frames while Shuri is able to gaze out into the darkened woods through the exposed windows. Despite the small bits of furniture, the cabin hardly looks lived in and it makes her jaw tense as a sense of unease crawls up her back. 

“Bit empty, and quiet isn’t it,” Shuri questions carefully, her words slow.

Bucky shrugs off the question with a laugh that comes off uneasy and forced. 

“I’ve never been much for housekeepin’,” he explains, “The cabin could use more of a woman’s touch.”

Shuri follows him into the kitchen with her shoulders back and head held high. She spots her bags in the corner and wonders if his folks dropped off her stuff and just how much of it will be missing if she checks; thankfully, the bags had nothing but her clothes in them and like any mission, she never packed anything she would miss if something were to happen to it. The fact that they dropped the bags off is unexpected, and not needed. But considering that nothing is stolen out of them, clean underwear is always welcomed.

Bucky heats up two microwave dinners for them. She spends the time at the table picking at the food and watching at the door. Unlike his folks, who had poured everything fresh, she watched Bucky carefully fill up mason jars with water from the sink. But Bucky watches her just as carefully, with hooded eyes that have dark shadows underneath them. She meets his gaze evenly, almost as if she’s accepting an unspoken challenge.

“You’re a pretty young thing, aren’t ya? You look so fresh, full of life. I bet you’ve broken lots of hearts.”

She has. Metaphorically and otherwise. A fact she’s tempted to tell him, just to see if he realizes the seriousness of her tone when she says it, if he realizes that she is just as a threat to him as he is trying to be toward her; and he is, she notices the way he pulls his shoulders back, puffs his chest up to his chin, and tries to take up as much room as possible. Like a bear trying to make itself look bigger.

“For someone so young, you have a very classic taste in jewelry,” he gestures toward the supposed pearls on her wrist, “Very feminine. It suits you.”

He traces a finger along the mouth of the mason jar he drinks. She notes the way he looks at her, how he trails along her long legs that drape over the edge of her chair and how her shirt falls on her chest. It may have been a while since she’s gotten that type of action, but she is far from stupid. His looks aren’t innocent, they’re hungry. 

In a different time, different place, she may have been okay with playing his prey, if just for one night. But she reminds herself why she’s here and doesn’t return any of his gazes and pushes down the heat that threatens to blossom on her cheeks.

“We don’t get a lot of folks of your color around here.” The comment makes her skin crawl and itch, but he just smiles, “You have a beautiful shade of skin, if I may say so, miss.”

No you must not say so.

When dinner is finished, she notes every single room in the house as he leads her to his bedroom, insisting that it’s the only bed in the cabin. She counts five rooms in total, all empty and undisturbed. She doesn’t see anyone else, but she’s not sure how she feels about that. No hidden doors that she’s spotted yet, not even a basement or attic. 

He brings her bags with them and plops them down in a bedroom in the very back of the cabin, the only one with any furniture aside from the minor things she’s seen in the living area and kitchen. The bed is large with a thick comforter, and at least a TV.

“Just tuck yourself in, doll. I’ll be out on the couch.”

The moment the door clicks behind him, Shuri checks for any bugs, any notes, anything that she can use. The drawers are empty aside from a whiskey flask that’s half full (and a sniff confirms that it is indeed whiskey that’s inside of it), the TV remote and ironically, a Bible that’s free of any handwritten notes. The TV, as far as she can tell, is just a normal TV, and she finds no spy gear or hidden cameras. With the little comfort that brings, she shuffles through her bags to find everything there, changes into her sleepwear and plops down into the bed.

“Coulson,” she whispers into her wrist as she activites the device, “You’re not going to like what’s happened.”

“....Why? What did you do?”

She keeps her update short, with the paranoia that Bucky could walk in at any moment, but she was right - he didn’t like what was happening at all. If she were honest, neither did she.

______________________________________

The night was cold and full of coyote howls outside her window. Despite the temptation to lull into sleep, Shuri is wide awake. Her eyes are already well adjusted to the darkness when she sees Bucky slip into the bedroom like a shadowy eel. The moonlight casts a sinister shadow on his face, making him look sinister. Like a monster that lurks around, stalking toward her bed.

But just like any other dark creature, he slithers away when she turns on the lamp and stares at him, waiting for an explanation. For a moment, they only stare at each other in a tense silence that weighs heavy within the room, but Shuri refuses to back down as she raises a single brow in question. He finally answers.

“I’m sorry, doll, I forgot something and didn’t want to wake you.”

Bullshit. He was heading for the bed, she knows it, and it’s only confirmed when he leaves quickly without taking anything from the bedroom with him. 

She doesn’t sleep a wink that night.

________________________________________

The next morning, she is cautious and careful when she exits the bedroom, making sure to stay out of the line of sight of the windows when she changes. But when she finds no one home and Bucky’s truck gone, she frowns with displeasure.

He was supposed to take her back to town today as he finishes up her car, but she knows that what he says and whatever it is he is planning are two very different things. But an empty cabin with no one to stop her from snooping around, she can’t complain too much. 

She spends the entire day, despite the heat that beats in from the windows, searching the cabin thoroughly. She doesn’t find any bugs, or cameras - the most advanced tech is the TV within the back bedroom and the microwave. By all means, everything she finds suggests a simple, if a bit backward, lifestyle. No secret hidden doors, she checked the empty bedrooms carefully. 

She’s just about to get frustrated at her lack of findings when she hears his truck pulling in and she meets him at the porch, hands crossed over her chest as her eyes strike daggers into his. She doesn’t bother to offer any help with the supposed grocery bags that he carries back into the house, barely even stepping out of his way and not bothering to hold the door open for him. He grunts a bit at the lack of response from her, but doesn’t show any other signs of noticing her aggression.

“I had to run into town for food. Your part came in and I had wanted to work on it as much as I could today. Not done yet, but it’s getting there.”

She still had the device that turned on the car in her pocket - it didn’t give her any alarm that something was wrong with the car. But she didn’t even need any evidence at this point to know that he was most definitely not working on the car.

“I’d like you to take me into town, see the car for myself.”

The comment makes him pause as he works on putting away the groceries, almost as if he’s confused as to why she’s even asking,

“Why?”

“Why,” she parrots, with anger seeping into her tone, but he still doesn’t notice the fire that’s growing behind her eyes.

“Kitchen’s stocked now. You’ll be comfortable here. We’ve got Netflix.”

The anger starts to seep into her bones, but despite the fire that lights up her eyes, her face is eerily calm as she takes a seat at the table. 

“Why should it matter, it’s my car, isn’t it? My fucking choice.”

A muscle twitches in his jaw and she stares at him, neither of them backing down. He towers over her as she sits down and yet she still manages to come off as the bigger person in the room.  But his eyes are soft and there’s a smile on his lips.

“I knew you were going to be a spitfire.” He comes too close to her for comfort, but she holds her head high in defiance, still refusing to break his gaze. “But don’t ever use that kind of language under my roof again or I will take a belt to that little chocolate rear of yours.”

Shuri’s lips thin, but she doesn’t back down from his threat. She would love to see him even try to land a hand on her. She would take him out before he even knew what happened. She almost wishes that he will try. Just so she could knock that look off his face. 

“Steve said that I should take the direct approach with ya, he’s got the most experience with all of this.” He sighs, resting his palms beside her on the table, his forearms flexing. “He said that it would be kinder, be doing you a favor, but I ain’t never done this.” 

Her ears perk up at the mention of Steve’s name, finally getting the lead she’s been looking for, despite that she has a sinking feeling at where Bucky is going with this conversation. She will grasp at any straw she’s given though, take any lead with stride, even if it means playing along.

“What do you mean?”

She already knows and he looks at her, confused at the even tone of voice and how she still hasn’t lifted her gaze from him.

“I think you know. You’re not leaving here, not till I think you’re ready anyway. I’m keeping you.” 

She still doesn’t back down, looking at him, unblinking and he finds himself unnerved as if he should be scared about what she is about to do or say. She relishes the way he takes a small step back, the confusion written on his face. She crosses her hands in her lap and slyly uses the position to her advantage, pressing the pearls of her bracelet together. If Coulson is smart, he’ll be quiet and listen. With the way this conversation is heading, she knows that there is just going to be piles of evidence heading their way - evidence that can and will be used against the people here.

“Why?”

Her voice lacks any signs of fear and her word doesn’t once tremble. She is direct, matter of fact, as if he didn’t just threaten to never let her leave or threaten to hit her should she curse - a threat she doesn’t just scoff at, she laughs at within the confines of her mind. 

“I think that would be obvious, darling,” Bucky speaks slowly, as if he never thought she would even ask. “I like you and I don’t plan on letting a dark skinned, beautiful omega like you just walk out on me. It’s just how we all do things around here.”

When she doesn’t say anything, he continues and she takes in each word carefully, noting the way he says we all as if there’s many more within the mountains which confirms what they already suspected.

“‘Course we have certain rules that are to be obeyed. No cursin’ is one of the biggest of ‘em, but since I don’t plan on lettin’ you go, you’ll be my wife. Eventually. You will take care of the entire cabin. Cooking. Cleaning. Become the perfect lil’ wife.”

Oh she highly doubts any of that. Even when she really does marry, she doubts that she will be what many label a ‘perfect wife’ for many reasons, some being the ones he even pointed out. She can’t remember the last meal she actually cooked by hand.

Bucky continues to explain, and she continues to let Coulson in on their conversation. She listens to each word carefully, but she understands the gist of it as it’s exactly what SHIELD thought this would be. She can’t say she’s happy that SHIELD is right, but at least her chances of finding the others and Wanda are much higher.

“Alright,” Shuri finally speaks up calmly, “I’ll play along for now.”

He smiles at her, if with a bit of confusion, and babbles a bit about how he’s happy that she’s accepting her role so easily, and that she’s realizing just exactly who the man of the house is. She rolls her eyes and stands, removing her from her bracelet and waves him off.

“Yes, yes, just get some decent groceries next time if you actually expect me to try to cook.”

Commission Info | Find This Chapter on A03

#marvel #bucky #shuri #omega #omega verse #alpha #omega alpha dynamics #fanfic #fanfiction #myworks #myfics #commission