#daffodilsbucky1k

[buckthegrump]

Why Can’t I Say That I’m In Love?

Summary: As a young girl you went into town with your parents to see the villagers. That's where you met one little boy who would change your life and your heart. But as the princess of the kingdom, there are things that are expected of you. Falling in love with the baker’s son is not one of them. Baker!Bucky x Princess!Reader

Word Count: 3505

Warnings: Angst, a little bit of fluff,

A/n: This is my entry for @daffodilsbucky​ ‘s writing challenge my prompt was Royal AU and yes I did just post a different royal AU and no I’m not going to stop 

It started when you were young. No more than eight years of age. Your parents had taken you from the castle into town, it was a tradition for the royal family to go and visit amongst the commoners at least once a month. It was supposed to show the subjects that the royals were relatable.

You had been excited to go and see other kids. The castle was a lonely place for a young princess. You’d really only met one or two kids that weren’t royalty. One of them just so happened to be your best friend Natasha. 

The royal governess was accompanying you because your parents would need the extra help keeping an eye on you. And it would give you a special opportunity to have some hands-on learning.

It was a perfect autumn day when your family went into town, well the weather was perfect. As it would turn out the act of going into town and being amongst the commoners was rather boring when you’re eight and not allowed to play with any of the other kids.

That is until you reached the bakery.

“Mr. Barnes,” your father greeted the baker, “I have a request if you could -”

You stopped paying attention as your father spoke with the baker and his wife. You looked over to the end of the counter that held all cakes and pastries to find a boy half-hidden behind it. After a quick glance to the grown-ups in the room making sure they weren’t paying attention, you snuck over to him.

“Hi,” you whispered to him, “I’m Y/n. What’s your name?”

He stared at you blankly and your heart dropped. He probably didn’t want to be friends with you because you were the princess, or maybe you’d introduced yourself incorrectly.

“I’m Bucky,” his whisper was much quieter than yours had been and you almost missed it but your mom had often said that she was sure you had abnormally great hearing.

“Do you wanna be friends?” You asked.

“Can a princess be friends with a baker’s son?” His brows knitted together in confusion.

You paused. “I don’t know, but even if it’s not allowed I don’t care.”

Bucky looked over at the adults who were still engaged in whatever conversation they were having.

“Ok,” he finally answered, “let’s be friends.”

* * *

You saw Bucky often enough as a child, he would often accompany his father or mother to the castle whenever they had business with the king and queen. More often than not, Y/n was in a lesson when he came around but she’d gotten very good about sneaking around.

But then when the two of you became teenagers and started seriously learning the art of your trade, you barely saw him and when you did it was either in court or at a ball. In your kingdom, the balls that the royals held were open to everyone. So you would catch his eye across the room and he would smile at him.

During court, Bucky would often come to bring you a gift. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for people of the kingdom to bring a gift, a lot of them did in exchange for a problem to be solved. But Bucky never really had a problem. 

Come his turn, he would approach and hand your parents and you sperate gifts. It was always a pastry and it was always wrapped in some sort of parchment.

Yours was smaller than the king and queens but you didn’t mind a bit for Bucky would always put little decorations on your pastry. Then one day you noticed that the parchment had a note written on it.

I know we are not able to speak privately much anymore, but you are still my friend.

The handwriting was beautiful but you supposed it should be since Bucky decorated cakes. It wasn’t long after that when you realized you were in love with the baker’s son.

* * *

You were walking through the gardens one spring afternoon, it had been raining almost non stop the week before so the lands were especially green. As you walked leisurely along the path, you stumbled into something.

“I’m so sorry your highness,” came a familiar voice. You looked at who you’d run into to find Bucky. “Forgive me I did not see you approaching.”

“The fault is mine, James,” you said with a curtsey, “for I was not paying attention.”

“Your highness -”

“You do not have to be so formal, James,” you looked around the garden, “we are alone.”

“Call me Bucky and I will,” he bargained.

“Are you trying to barter with a princess?”

Bucky smiled and turned away a blush creeping onto his face. “It would seem so.”

“I agree to your terms, Bucky.”

“And how are you today, Y/n?” You almost forgot to answer. The way he said your name had your heart beating at a rate that could not be healthy.

“Splendid, it’s a lovely day outside. After the winter we had, I was unsure if I would ever be able to walk outside again without multiple furs on.”

“I can’t imagine that the castle gets that cold,” he teased.

His blue eyes were sparkling, you weren’t aware that eyes could sparkle like that. Or maybe that was just something that was specific to him.

“I was more referring to the stables.”

Bucky frowned slightly. “Why were you in the stables?”

“I had to help tend to the horses, one of the stable boys broke his leg and they would’ve been understaffed and forced to stay much later than necessary. So I helped.”

“I can’t imagine that tending to the horses is a job for a princess.”

“Maybe not,” you conceded, “But I don’t mind the work.”

You stood there with Bucky staring at you and you at him. You wanted to tell him, the words were begging to fall from your lips. But that wouldn’t be fair to him. If a princess confesses her love for someone below her in rank, a few things were likely to happen.

One, the person would take advantage of the princess’s love and abuse it. Two, the person could laugh and walk away calling the princess naive. Or three, (the one you believed to be the most likely in this situation) they would feel obligated to reciprocate the feels despite not having. 

And you weren’t about to have Bucky feel forced into anything, it was probably just a crush because Bucky treated you differently than everyone else. There’s no way it could be love. And even if it was it wasn’t like you would know, having never been in love.

“Thank you for stopping to talk to me your high- Y/n,” he bowed his head not breaking eye contact with you, “I hope to see you again soon.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Bucky. I do hope you and your family are planning to bake the cakes for the upcoming ball,” you smirked at him, “It is my birthday you know.”

“Well of course, who else would make you a honey cake,” he smiled.

“That’s my favorite.”

“Yes, I know.” He bowed again and walked away. 

* * *

“Natasha, there’s no need to worry,” you said as your friend helped you with your corset, “it is merely a small infatuation.”

Natasha snorted, very unladylike but you found it funny. “Please don’t try and lie to me. I’ve seen the way you look at each other. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“James would never -”

“He may not mean to, Y/n. But because you love him, you give him the power to,” she said in a low voice. 

She was one of the only people who had the fortitude to forgo your title in favor of your name regularly. She never did it in front of other people but it’d taken you years to convince Bucky to do the same. 

“I do not know what you mean by that, Natasha,” you lied.

“I am talking about the fact that after this birthday you will be courted by men all across the land who hope to have your hand in marriage. And James may not take to kindly to you being pursued by prince after prince. Especially since he will never get the chance to.”

Natasha was right, she normally was but you had gotten into the habit of not telling her that or her ego might not fit into the castle any longer. Your 21st birthday was right around the corner and then it would be time for you to find a husband so when the crown was passed along to you, you would have someone to rule with you.

And you understood why a union between two different kingdoms would be advantageous. But you were apprehensive of the notion that you would have to marry someone that you’d only met a few times before. Not to mention that you would be married before you actually got to know them, it seemed idiotic that this was customary.

“Well, I think you will find that he is not in love with me.” You put your arms up and Natasha helped you into your dress. “He’s never giving me any indication that he is.”

Natasha sighed theatrically. “Y/n, that’s because he’s afraid that you don’t fell the same way.”

You quickly changed the subject to something else as you finished getting ready for the ball.

* * *

The ball was in full swing and you’d already danced with two dukes or lords or whatever they’d called themselves. Both of them had stepped on your feet as you danced and one had commented on how quaint it was that you enjoyed tending to the horses. 

When your mother had asked if you liked either of them you gave her a disgusted look, which she laughed at quietly, then told you to keep your face neutral.

The festivities were nowhere near over but you’d snuck out for a moment as you’d done many times before. You walked to a room a few doors away from the grand hall. It was quiet but you could still hear the band playing faintly.

“You know,” a voice said from the doorway and you spun around only to find the one person you actually wanted to see. “It’s considered bad form for the princess to leave her own ball.”

“But it’s so boring,” you whined.

“Y/n, it’s your birthday ball,” Bucky reasoned. He was leaning against the archway in his trousers and nicest shirt with a formal coat over it.

“My birthday isn’t for a few more days, and that doesn’t change the fact that it’s boring me.”

“Well, what would you suggest we do about that?” 

“I might have more fun if I got to dance with the someone I actually want to dance with,” you admitted.

Bucky smiled at you and pushed himself off the wall. He walked towards you as the band continued to play their lively tune, once he got to you he held out his hand which you gladly took. As if the band knew what was going on, they switched to a slower song.

Bucky wrapped one hand around your waist and held your hand in the other. You place your free hand on his shoulder and he spun you around the room. 

The world seemed to melt away and it was just the two of you dancing. Even if the room hadn’t been empty, you wouldn’t have noticed. Hell, someone could walk in on you and Bucky and you probably wouldn’t notice. 

The song ended and Bucky pulled away from you. You dropped your hands to your sides and watched him carefully. 

“Thank you for indulging me with a dance, your highness.” And with that, he bowed before exiting the room, leaving you alone.

The rest of the ball droned on, you almost fell asleep standing up multiple times. The only thing that was keeping you awake was your thoughts of Bucky. After that dance, you couldn’t help but wonder if Natasha had been right and he did have feelings for you.

* * *

Two years passed since your 21st birthday, and your parents were still trying to find you a suitor.

It was becoming hard for them to find someone for you to even look at without your face twisting into disgust when you’d already found someone. Not that anyone other than Natasha knew your true feelings.

Bucky didn’t even know, but that was because you hadn’t told him. And you weren’t sure that you ever would.

Over the two years, your parents held countless balls. All of which you’d snuck out of just to have one dance with Bucky. He always met you in the same place and held you close no matter the tempo or style of song the band was playing.

It was only ever for one song, and it never felt long enough. Words were rarely ever spoken between the two of you and when they were it was a simple greeting. If a full conversation was made you would slip up and tell him.

But what good would telling him do? You were to marry a prince or duke. And telling Bucky of your true feelings would only end badly for one or both of you. So you stayed quiet. You enjoyed what little time you got with him.

* * *

Prince Peter Quill. That was who had been spending a fortnight at your palace. He was planning on proposing, you could feel it.

You were just hoping and praying that he wouldn’t do it at a ball because you had no intention of saying yes. It wasn’t like his kingdom was the strongest one in the land and it would be what was best for your people. Quite the opposite actually.

Luckily, Peter had the good sense to propose in a private setting before a ball your parents had set up in hopes that you would say yes. 

When he got down on one knee and asked in the most unimaginative way if you would marry him you asked if you could think about it. He agreed and you ran off to hide in a tower.

Bucky was in the room you’d gone to hide in.

“Apologies, your majesty,” Bucky bowed his head, “I thought I would be alone up here.”

“No, James, I thought the same but you were here first so I will leave -”

“Nonsense,” he cut you off, “this is your home. I’m only here to bake the cakes for tonight.”

He began to leave but stopped when he was right next to you, he looked over at you. You were clearly distressed and it seemed like he had something to say.

“May I speak candidly?” He asked.

“Do you fear that I would ever punish you for what you say to me?”

“No, but I felt that would be warning enough for what I’m about to say may not be what you want to hear.” He closed the door that you’d opened turned so he was fully facing you and you did the same.

“Bucky -” you whispered but he held up his hand.

“This is not my place but I feel I should tell you. And I need to do so before you are promised to another. I am not fooling myself by thinking that what I am about to say will change what you are going to say to the prince.”

He stopped and shifted on his feet and you felt all the air leave your lungs.

“I am in love with you. Honestly, I fell in love with you a long time ago and if I had been smart I would’ve stopped coming to the balls and dancing with you because I know it’s going to hurt when you tell me that you aren’t in love with me. But I’m selfish. I enjoyed the fantasy that I’d made up in my head that you could possibly love me too. But I’m but a baker’s son. I’m sorry to burden you with these truths but I would never forgive myself if I took it to my grave. Y/n Y/l/n, I love you.”

Bucky bowed his head slightly and rushed out the door. You were stunned, so much so that you couldn’t speak or move. It felt like a lifetime before you remembered to breathe again.

For a brief moment, you smiled to yourself. He loved you. You reveled in that fact before the reality of your situation kicked in.

You needed to talk to your parents.

* * *

Bucky was pacing around his house, he still lived with his parents and little sisters since he had not yet taken a wife. Everyone in the village kept asking why he didn’t just pick one of the many women who fawned over him. He did not have the courage to tell them that he only had eyes for one.

And now he’s confessed his feelings to the princess, who was probably laughing at him to that prince who looked to become king of this land. 

Gods, he was a fool. Now he would have to leave this kingdom and find refuge in another. 

The door to the cottage opened. He wasn’t expecting to find you when he turned around but that’s who was there. You were in a simple green frock, but your hair looked ready for the ball in a few hours.

“Your majesty, if this is about earlier -” he began but you held up your finger cutting him off.

“After your declaration, I spoke to my parents.” Bucky’s breath got caught in his throat in fear of what you would do to him. He knew he should’ve just said nothing. “And as it would appear, when you are the only heir to the throne people actually listen to you. It is probably a good thing I didn’t figure this out sooner or I would’ve abused that power.”

“Princess -”

“You need to stop cutting me off,” you said sternly and Bucky snapped his mouth closed. “I turned down Prince Peter’s proposal. For more than one reason. When I was younger my mother always told me that when the time came for me to marry I should find a prince that would kneel to propose. Not one of the princes or lords that have asked me has done so.”

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips before you continued.

“Then when I spoke to my mother today, she told me that if I was not to marry anyone with a title I should at least find someone I trusted enough to rule alongside me.”

This was it, Bucky thought to himself, this is the rejection.

“And I cannot expect something from others if I am not willing to do the same. My parents once told me that I was never to bow or kneel before anyone who was below me in rank.” You took a deep breath before lowering yourself to your knees.

“Y/n,” Bucky's voice was barely audible. 

“James Barnes, you have never let me down. You have been nothing but kind to me since I met you. You said that you were being selfish all those times you danced with me but it was I who was the selfish one, at any point, I could’ve stopped. But those dances were and continue to be the best part of the balls.”

“What are you doing?”

“And I continue to be selfish even now. I went to my parents and convinced them that marrying me off to someone outside the kingdom wouldn’t be best for the people, because I’ve already found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?” You asked. You looked up at him, eyes wide with fear.

Bucky walked over to where you were kneeling before him and mirrored your position. He took your hand in his.

“Typically the man proposes to the woman,” he whispered.

“If you had proposed it would’ve been under the pretense that I would have to give up my crown and something tells me that you wouldn’t do that.” You squeezed his hand. “But that’s not an answer. I understand if you say no, for I’m not just asking you to marry me. I’m also asking you to become king.”

“I would do anything if it meant I got to be with you.” He smiled brightly at you. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

Unable to control yourself you lunged forward and kissed him. He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, cupping your face with his hand.

You pulled away and he whined at the loss of contact. 

“I didn’t get you a ring,” you muttered.

“You can have my grandmother’s ring,” he said as he stroked your cheek with his thumb.

“Usually the person who proposes provides the ring.”

Bucky chuckled. “Yes, well, there are a lot of things unusual about us.”

“Yes,” you agreed, “I suppose there are.”

#daffodilsbucky1k #Bucky Barnes x Reader #Bucky Barnes AU #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x you #baker!bucky

[buckys-estrella]

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑶𝒏𝒆

Forge of the Heart

Word Count: 1.3k

Summary: The year is 1774 and Sargent James Buchannan Barnes of the British army has been sent to Boston, Massachusetts in the thirteen colonies. The Quartering Act has just been put in place and he along with two other soldiers will be staying in the house of a colonist. He expected resistance but he never thought that he would find the eldest daughter of the household to be so intriguing. 

Warnings: Enemies to lovers/slow burn(?), events leading up to the revolutionary war, talks of violence/actually violence, (more to come as the story progresses). No real warnings for this chapter.

   The ship was just setting into port as Sargent Barnes came up to the deck. The town of Boston was shrouded in fog during the early morning hours. Not many colonists were up and about at the time, but those who were stared at the incoming British ship with disdain. When it finally docked, James was approached by the two men he’d be staying with; Captain Steven Grant Rogers and Private First-Class Samuel Thomas Wilson. They were all relatively close, however more so with Steve, given that they’ve been friends since childhood. 

   “The address Colonel Pierce gave us was 17 Hanover St.” Sam spoke up as he grabbed his trunk and motioned for them to get theirs as well. “Might as well head there now and get settled down.

  They arrived at the house shortly after they left the docks. Steve took the lead and placed two hard knocks on the door. The men could hear some shuffling on the other side, and the door slowly opened to reveal a beautiful young woman. You gave them all a once over and a hard stare before finally speaking. 

   “So, you’re the ones assigned to our house,” with faux delight, you added, “great, more mouths to feed!”

   You opened the door fully and ushered them in while introductions were made. You led them to the kitchen where she had been preparing breakfast. It looked to be oatmeal with toast and jam. 

   “I had only made enough for my family; we were not expecting you for another day. Let me wake up my siblings, and I’ll come back and make more. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable at the table.” 

   The three sat down at the table as you left and began to discuss amongst themselves. It wasn’t long before you returned with two kids trailing behind you and taking their seats at the table. After the sleep was rubbed from their eyes, they stared at the men warily. The younger girl spoke up first, introducing herself as Charlotte. Her introduction prompted that of her older brother, whose name was Benjamin. When their formalities were done, they proceeded to act as if the soldiers were invisible and continued on with their morning. You were in the kitchen preparing some more oats when you declared to Benjamin that he needed to finish up soon if he were to make it to school on time. 

   “As for you three,” you said more pointedly, “your food is nearly done. Is there something you want to drink as well?”

   Steve was the first to speak up, “Some tea would be nice.” 

   You turned around, staring daggers at him. Your voice held aggression in it when you said, “I’m sorry, but tea is out of the question. If we weren’t taxed so heavily for it, then maybe that could’ve been an option. Now I’ll ask again, is there something you’d three would like to drink?” 

   They stayed silent for a moment before Bucky mentioned, “I’m not much of a tea person anyways. If it doesn’t trouble you, I’d like some coffee.”

   You stared at him incredulously before saying, “What type of redcoat doesn’t like tea?”

   He gave a shrug saying it made his stomach feel upset. You gave a small laugh at that before turning back to the breakfast you were preparing. About a minute later, both Benjamin and Charlotte finished their breakfast, and the boy got up to rush out the door with a chalkboard and books in hand. Charlotte proceeded to pick up the dishes and bring them to the sink to be washed. Watching both of them move about in the kitchen was peaceful, they worked together like a well-oiled machine. 

   “Breakfast is ready for the second time this morning. The coffee is almost done boiling, feel free to pour yourself a cup when it’s done. I have some laundry to attend to outside, and Charlotte will finish setting up David’s and my room for you to put away your items. Do me a favor, and don’t leave the kitchen until one of us are done.”

   Your sister was already gone down the hall, to where they assumed the rooms are located before you finished speaking. You were soon gone too through the back door with a basket at your hip. Bucky couldn’t help but watch you, there was something graceful in the way that you moved. You was mesmerizing to look at. It didn’t take long for Sam to catch on. 

   “Well, someone sure looks smitten.” His lips quirked up into a smirk before adding, “I don’t blame you; she looks simply ravishing.” Before Buck got the chance to, Steve smacked him upside the head.

   “We aren’t here to fraternize with the locals, so both of you: knock it off.”

   With that statement hanging in the air, they ate their breakfast in silence. Sometime later, Charlotte came back, informing them that the rooms were ready and leading the men down the hall. 

   “We only have two rooms available, so two of you will have to share.”

   “Sam and I will share; Steve’s our captain, he should have a room to himself.”

   “Buck, I don’t need- “ 

   “Don’t argue with me on this Rogers, just take the room.”

   Charlotte butted in saying that Steve would take David’s room while Sam and Bucky take your room. A small surge of excitement went through him at the thought of being in your room, but Bucky pushed it down before Steve could tell. He’d probably scold him and give Barnes a talking-to about how he shouldn’t get involved with the locals. Easy for him to say when he has a gal back at home who loves him. 

   Sam and Buck lugged their trunks into your room and tried to settle down. It was a simple room with some personal touches. You had a single shelf of books with their spines showing frequent use. It was apparent you liked to read; your father must’ve taught you because it wasn’t typical for women to be well versed in reading. You had paint and charcoal near your bed, where something was sticking out from underneath. Under closer inspection, he realized that you had drawings and paintings hidden. They quite nearly took his breath away, the talent you had for art was remarkable. 

   “Damn.” Sam was looking over Bucky's shoulder with awe in his eyes. “Do you think she made that?”

   “Right there, in the corner, it looks like she signed her name. I’d say she did make it.”

   “Wow, she could make some good money from that.” Sam had a point; a skill like this was a treasure that should be shared, but Barnes had the feeling that you hid them for a reason, and now it started to feel like an invasion of your privacy. 

   “I think I should put these back, she probably didn’t want us seeing them. Let’s finish settling down and then meet with Steve.”

   Not long into putting his things away, something caught his eye. More accurately, someone. The window of your room looked directly to the back of the house. He watched as you started taking the clothes off the line and into the basket. You looked beautiful but frustrated. You were muttering to yourself in what looked like a scolding manner. Maybe he made a sudden movement that attracted your attention, but you stopped and looked up. You two locked eyes for a moment before you turned away feeling flustered. Bucky couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. He started to think that maybe he’d enjoy his stay in the colonies after all.

A/N: Here's my entry for��@daffodilsbucky 1k writing challenge! I'm actually really excited about this because I've had this idea for a long time but never had a reason to write it. Sorry that this isn't the most historically accurate, I did do research but there are still going to be parts that just aren't exact or correct. I had writer’s block for FIVE months and I finally got past it and cranked out the chapter. Anyways, I tried my somewhat best and I hope you guys enjoy it! 

Taglist: @daffodilsbucky // @seasaurusrrex // @sunmoonandbucky // @professionalreblogs // @fangeekkk // @ravennightingaleandavatempus// @piper-koko-barnes-rogers // @viarogers // @dianadov // @sunkissedbarnes // @simplyhemmings // @isabelcrichards // @kakakatey // @kiki5283 // @slytherinyourrpants // @thelostallycat // @spidizzlemizzle // @actualdpshuri // @https-bucky // @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog // @everything-is-awesomesauce // @cap-just-said-language // @deathofmissjackson // @darthseph // @deliciouslyenchantingpenguin // @nerdy-bookworm-1998 // @thirstyghostqueen // @thewackywriter // @binkysteebnpewter // @team-lads-ass // @everything-but-the-not-natural // @ollovae3 // @my-drowning-in-time // @nsfwfangirl // @thefridgeismybestie // @augustdearly // @inez-lannister-stark-martell // @clarinette07 // @oh-hey-janina // @sinner-as-saint // @wiensrsoldier // @iwillmakeyoucraveme  // @mypassionsarenysins // @bvcky-is-my-baby // @bonky-barnes // @jbbarnesgirl // @sexyvixen7​ // @peterpandco​ // @nimrodblackparade // @bellamys ​ // @asadmarveltrashbag //

I tagged people from To The Stars and mutuals who I thought might be interested, if you want on or off the taglist just let me know :) Also I know some people changed their user names so please just send me a message if you are on one of my taglists so I can fix it!

#Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes AU #Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x y/n #Historical AU #Revolutionary War AU #Forge of the Heart #daffodilsbucky1k

[binbons-character-stuff]

Hell Hath No Fury

My contribution to @daffodilsbucky‘s 1k Follower Challenge! Congratulations!!!

My trope was #12 Body Swap.

Dinah Madani was a woman scorned. 

There was more to it, of course. Her career was in ruins. She was a laughingstock among her former co-workers and bosses. Her parents had stood by her publicly, of course, but she saw them, sometimes. They would just look at her, wondering where they had gone wrong with their child. 

Her life was a joke – she was a joke. And it was all because of one man. 

Billy Russo.

Dinah Madani never looked in the mirror and saw a woman who compromised her own values, used herself and Billy Russo sexually to find out information about Frank Castle and Cerberus. She didn’t see someone who played fast and loose with the law; she saw a victim. She saw a woman who had been dishonored, a woman who had been played for a fool. 

A woman who needed revenge.

And she didn’t want revenge from Frank Castle, the man who had pulled the trigger on her partner in Kandahar, or his boss, the man who had actually given the order to murder Zubair. She didn’t want revenge on her boss or her boss’s boss that gave Russo and Castle sweetheart deals for helping to take Rawlins down. Hell, she didn’t even blame David Leiberman for sending her the video in the first place. She blamed Billy Russo, because he had realized her game and beat her at it; because he had been able to compartmentalize dealing with Madani after he found out that she had been using him to get to Frank. 

Because he had been able to find love with someone else, when Madani herself had loved him: at least her version of love. More like want, really, but still, Madani owed him. So, yeah, Billy and you were the object of her sick fascination and utter hatred.

It was Billy Russo who needed to pay. And, if things went as she hoped, pay he would, and you right along with him.

Madame Gao had been hard to find, but Madani was determined. When she had found her, Gao had been indifferent to her. Russo and Castle were troublesome but nothing that her Hand members couldn’t handle. 

In the end, Madani had pledged herself to the Hand for Madame Gao’s help in getting revenge on Billy. And, in order to be completely certain of Madani’s loyalty, Gao had placed a geas on Dinah. She was now magically bonded to Madame Gao until her death or release.

It was a small price to pay to make Russo’s life a living hell before she finally ended it. 

This was going to be fun.

“Honey, I’m home!” Billy called when he stepped into your shared apartment and laid his keys in the bowl that was kept there for general pocket clutter. 

“In the kitchen,” you called out, though he had already figured that out from the delicious aromas and the music playing.

Billy tossed his suit jacket over a dining chair and strolled into the kitchen, loosening his tie as he entered his favorite room of your shared home. 

Leaning his chin on your shoulder as he snuggled up behind you, Billy pulled you close and kisses your neck a bunch of times until you giggled and turned to kiss him properly, knowing that he would continue to harass you delightfully until he got a proper smooch.

“How was your day, love?” you said after a sweet kiss.

“Not too shabby. Better now that I’m with you,” he said warmly.

You looked into his deep brown eyes and marveled that you had ever doubted this man’s feelings for you. “I love you so much, Russo,” you said sincerely. 

Billy kissed your nose with his special crinkly-eyed smile. “I love you, too,” he replied. “Whatcha makin’?”

“Just some quick sausage and peppers with pasta. Wanna set the table while I put the garlic bread in the oven?”

“Sure,” he answered, stealing one more kiss before he went to grab dishes and flatware.

Billy was still getting used to having a woman in his space; you were worth it and he would lie down in a puddle so you wouldn’t get your feet wet, but there was still a lot to get used to, y'know?

This was a man who never lived alone his entire life, going from foster homes to group homes to the Marines. When he finally got out and started his business, he got his first place alone – and he fucking loved it. He didn’t have to worry about his shit getting moved, busted or stolen. Hell, he didn’t even have to deal with Frankie stealing his toothpaste. In a burst of excessive hubris, he had gotten all of the things that he thought would show people how far he’d come in life from the foster kid whose junkie mother safe-havened him at a fire station.

When Bastion Security took off and made it through the government oversight after he and Frank and Curtis had done the CIA’s dirty work and took out Rawlins, he was able to grow the business honestly, not having to worry about Black ops that were too dirty for Feds. His jobs were aboveboard and his money was clean.

Clean money meant less money, though, so the penthouse had been traded for a normal apartment, his closets filled with nice but not bespoke suits and his parking space with the Wraith was now occupied with a Land Rover. After life settled into routine, after all the testifying before the Senate, after he paid back the dirty money he used to start Anvil, well, he realized that while it was nice to have his own space and things, they didn’t have to be the most expensive just for the sake of having the highest price tag. 

And now that he didn’t have to maintain strictest privacy at all times lest his not-so-squeaky-clean business practices came to light, he didn’t necessarily love being alone all the time.

You and he were the last of your friends who were still single; Karen and Frank were together, Foggy and Marci were engaged, Curtis had started dating a girl he’d met at the gym and Matt was getting serious with a social worker he’d met on a case where he’d been guardian ad litem for a boy who had lost his parents.

So, after the first few times that you and Billy were the only ones to show up for a group outing, or were the last ones left after everyone went on with their couples plans, you decided you may as well hang out with each other. One thing had led to another, you’d asked him to be your plus one for a work thing, he’d asked you to go with him to a mix and mingle thing so he wouldn’t threaten husbands. You never expected anything, of course; Billy was famously single and you certainly didn’t think you’d be the one to change that.

But you were. Billy finally quit pretending he needed you to accompany him as a friend and told you he wanted more. 

“What?” you asked with a nervous chuckle. “Is this a joke?”

Billy looked offended. “No,” he said stiffly. “It was not intended as such.”

“I mean, you’re famously unfunny, Russo. You sure?” you said, giving him an out.

Suddenly Billy was feeling more vulnerable than he had as a kid. He decided to go for bravado. With a half-smile, he said, “Yeah, that’s a pretty stupid idea, huh? I just thought that y'know since we been spending so much time together –”

“Bill!” you interrupted. 

“What?” he growled, cheeks a bit flushed with embarrassment.

You smiled and stepped closer, tentatively putting your hands on his shoulders. Looking into his eyes, you whispered, “It’s a great idea, Billy.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and put his hands on your hips, pulling you a bit closer and leaning in to drop a gentle kiss on your lips. 

Your eyelids fluttered open and you smiled happily. “Best idea ever.”

Frank and Curtis had known Billy for a lot longer than any of his other friends, and neither of them could get over the change in him. Outwardly, Billy told them to screw off, he had always been the same guy, but inside – well, inside, Billy knew that he was different. You had seen the person who had always worried that he wasn’t worth anything deeper than his looks. 

But you looked past his exterior, past his sins and loved the man that he had never before had the courage to be. You became his friend after he lost the money and the car and suits, and you never seemed all that impressed with his looks. Oh, you thought he was gorgeous; you weren’t blind. But that wasn’t enough for you. You’d needed to get to know the real William Russo, not the image he showed the world. Only then did you fall for him.

There was a freedom that accompanied someone knowing the real Billy. He had never known true acceptance before, had never understood that concept because no one had ever wanted what was beneath the facade he showed the world. When he was a Marine, he was the best goddamn sniper there was. When he was a businessman, he was the best bullshit artist and salesman he could be. When he was with a woman, he was the best lover he could be, leaving every partner exhausted and satisfied.

But he had never really allowed anyone to see the man he was before. Only you understood the little boy who had been abandoned that still lived inside Billy, and only you had ever been able to make him understand that it had not been his failing, that his mother had been an addict and unable to care for him. 

For the first time, Billy thought that maybe there could be more to his life than resentment and anger; you gave him love and acceptance.

Madani had gathered all of the necessary components for the spell and it was time. She had been very careful not to let Billy see her as she tailed him, learning his and your routines by heart. She had spy training, after all – even someone trained as Billy had been unprepared for the Killing Eve disguises and infiltration shit Madani was pulling. Madame Gao had also loaned her some manpower, so there wasn’t always a small woman around, regardless of her hair color or clothing.

Madame Gao herself was going to perform the spell. Later, Madani would apprentice in spellcraft, but for now she would simply be the subject of the spell.

It had been so easy to get close to you to get something personal to use for the spell component. You were truly and completely a civilian, a trusting fool. What did Russo even see in you?

Madani was currently bound to a sturdy chair, arms and legs lashed down securely. She couldn’t get out of it herself, she had no doubt that it would hold a weakling like you. 

Madame Gao began chanting and threw a lit match into a bowl, fragrant smoke surrounding Madani, clouding her vision and making her dizzy. As her eyes fluttered closed, she felt herself drifting away…

You were having the strangest dream. The sounds and smells were completely foreign to you. There was a strange voice chanting and it was as if you were drunk or high. You muttered in your sleep, and the feel of Billy’s heart beating against your cheek was growing fainter, as if you were being pulled away from his embrace. 

Suddenly, you gasped as your eyes opened to a strange room where an elderly Asian woman was looking you over with a matter-of-fact expression on her wrinkled face. 

“You do not seem worthy of such hatred as my apprentice holds for you,” she said disdainfully.

You were still woozy and completely confused. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“I think the more important question for you is, ‘Who are you?’” she replied, gesturing across from you.

You looked in the direction and saw a woman bound to a chair. Disturbing, but you couldn’t see how it pertained to you. You turned to look at the woman and saw the woman across from you mirror your move. You looked back and so did she – you began to make faces and she mimicked each one. Finally your brain caught up with the evidence before you and you looked down, finding your hands bound to a chair – but they were not your hands!

“What – what the hell is going on?” you asked, panicking and pulling against your bonds. “What is happening to me? BILLY!!”

“You may continue to scream if that is your wish, but there is no one to come to your aid. Ms. Madani was very careful in her planning. Your Mr. Russo should be waking up next to her any time now.”

“Madani? That crazy bitch who tried to kill Billy?” you asked, real fear in your eyes as you looked into the mirror more closely. The hair was short and blond now, but the eyes and face, the beauty mark – you were indeed trapped in the body of Dinah Madani.

And your love was snuggled in bed with a woman who blamed him for every bad thing that had ever happened to her – and had been trained to kill.

Billy woke abruptly, the feel of fingernails digging into his skin jolting him from sleep. He jumped from the bed in fight-mode but saw no threat. “Babe?” he said, half asleep and confused. You usually woke him up sweetly, knowing that he had PTSD from growing up in foster care and serving in the Middle East – startling Billy awake was not a great idea.

“Hey,” Madani purred, “no talking, just make me feel good.”

Billy was wide awake at that, skin almost crawling as he jumped out of bed and away from the hands trying to get inside the boxer briefs he had worn to sleep. “Ah, sorry, no can do,” he said, backing away from what certainly looked like the woman he loved. “Got an early meeting.”

“Ugh,” she practically sneered at Billy. “Fine, Russo. Go to work – as usual.”

Billy visibly flinched and said, “Ah, gonna hit the shower.”

Madani realized that maybe, just maybe she had come on a bit strong. She hadn’t really put any thought into how you and Billy were when you were alone together, and surprisingly, you spent most of your off time alone in your shared apartment. No, she only thought about getting revenge. But Billy had definitely been confused, and though she knew she was smarter and he couldn’t possibly expect this, he wasn’t a stupid man. 

She would have to be softer. It just hadn’t occurred to her that Billy Russo would want to be with a rag doll, she assumed that he would be with a woman more…well, more like Madani. She had been his type once, but it seemed that these days he liked his tail with a side of submission. 

Billy was in the shower quietly freaking out. You were behaving strangely; it was like you were a different person entirely. 

Get ahold of yourself, Russo, he berated himself. So your girl woke up horny and tried to jump you? Most guys would be grateful, and it isn’t like you never woke her up for sex! 

Billy shook his head and hurried through his shower. He had no idea what you saw in him, but you were so tender-hearted that you were probably some combination of hurt and embarrassed because he’d run off like a blushing virgin.

Billy came back to the bedroom wrapped in a towel, an apology loaded for his weird exit, but you weren’t there. He perked his ear in the direction of the kitchen and heard you opening cabinets and shrugged. Morning weirdness aside, he really did have an early meeting.

He got dressed and came out to the dining room to find you drinking coffee. He bent over to drop a kiss on your cheek. “Gotta go,” he said. “See you at 7 for Karen’s thing, right?”

“Oh, right!” Madani exclaimed. “You’re picking me up, right?”

“No,” Billy drawled slowly. “We’re meeting at Kashkaval Garden. Remember?”

Madani made a 'silly me’ face and said, “Right, of course! Absolutely.”

“Great,” Billy replied a bit suspiciously. “You OK?”

“I’m fine,” Madani replied. “Weird dreams, feel like I could sleep some more. Better hit the coffee!”

“K,” Billy agreed reluctantly, then sent you the special smile that he deserved for you. “Love you, babe.”

Madani felt her stomach churn. Really? He loved this little Mary Sue? “Back atcha,” she said with a tense smile.

Billy’s eyebrows went up slightly, but then he smiled and said, “See ya tonight.”

“Yup.”

Billy closed the door behind him, actually shaking. You had never failed to tell him to have a great day when he left for work. He’d been called out of bed in the middle of the night and you’d told him to have a great day in your sleep! And, 'Back atcha’ when he’d said he loved you?

Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

Madani knew that Billy had been weirded out by her behavior, though she wasn’t sure what precisely she did wrong. He’d liked her well enough when they had been together, how much different could you be? Yes, you were a pediatrician, so you obviously liked children, whereas Madani wanted nothing to do with any ankle biters, even if they were family. Maybe he found something in you that he had missed out on being raised in the foster system? That made sense; it wasn’t you, but what you represented.

What possible other reason could there be for him to be with Madani’s polar opposite?

Billy had been distracted all day. From the first minute of the 7 a.m. meeting where David and Curtis had gone over the company’s quarterly financials and the prospects for the upcoming months, he’d been somewhere else. 

“Billy!” Curtis said loudly, knocking on the table in the conference room. “This is where you talk.”

“Shit, sorry, guys. Weird morning,” he apologized. “Ah, we have eight ongoing personal security jobs stateside and I’ve been trying to get us contracts for overseas security, too. If any of that starts looking positive, we’re going to need to hire and train more ground crew. And we could actually use some tech crew now, Micro.”

“That’s…wow,” David Leiberman exclaimed. “I’ll put out some feelers. This is great news, guys!”

“Yeah,” Billy said with a surprised chuckle. “Y'know, I think we might just make a go of this thing.”

Frank slapped the tabletop and said, “Damn straight!” he agreed heartily. “Drinks are on me tonight.”

“It’s your girlfriend’s party, weren’t they already?” Curt heckled Frank.

“Yeah, ya cheap bastard!” David joined in as Billy chuckled at their ribbing of their friend.

“Eh, shut it!” Frank clapped back happily. “Bastion Security Incorporated is here to stay!”

Billy was planning to talk to Frank about your strange behavior, but he didn’t want to bring down the vibe of the partners after the meeting, and he had a lot of work to do around three meetings and two conference calls. I’m probably overreacting, anyways, he reassured himself. Just a weird morning.

Still, the feeling that something was wrong nagged at him all day. To top it off, he had texted you several times and you hadn’t answered him once. You always answered him, even if it was just a few words to say you were busy and you loved him.

He was utterly disgusted with himself for feeling like a clingy teenager, but damn, you were the best part of his life. What if you really had been keeping from him resentment over how much he worked? You always said you understood, even when he had been completely honest about all the stupid, awful things he had done. He was utterly overwhelmed with the grace and forgiveness his found family had blessed him with, but they had already been friends. For them it was a continuance of a relationship and therefore they found good in him to outweigh the bad that he had done. 

With you, he had been honest early on; he needed to know that you could bear to look at him with his sins laid bare, because he knew almost from the beginning that you were special. The fact that you loved him knowing what he had done never ceased to amaze him – and he didn’t think he could make it without that love. Your love had changed him, made him able to return love. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t the most important person to him.

Christ, I feel like a twelve year old girl, he thought to himself disgustedly. 

He picked up his phone and looked again. Still no texts.

Billy sighed and tried to focus on the resumes in front of him. They needed to hire new employees whether or not his love life was making him weepy.

Billy had arrived a few minutes early, but the hostess said the Garden Room was ready and led him back. Frank and Karen greeted him warmly, Billy congratulating Karen on her book deal. As if being a partner in Nelson, Murdock & Page wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she had submitted a manuscript for a mystery novel to a publishing house and had been offered a contract.

“Promise me you’ll only describe a character based on me as 'devastatingly handsome’,” Billy demanded playfully.

“How about, 'chronic bedwetter’,” Frank suggested.

“Or 'high-maintenance mirror hog’?” Curtis chimed in.

“'Technologically challenged!’” David piped up, loathe to be left out and giving the worst playful insult he could think of.

“Or 'terrible, inattentive boyfriend?’” he heard your voice add in the midst of laughing off his buddies’ roasting.

His eyes went wide and he spun around, and yeah, you looked pissed. “Hey, babe,” he said carefully, leaning over to kiss your cheek, which you accepted stiffly.

“I’ve been sitting out front waiting for a while, babe,” Madani said with saccharine sweetness and a big smile. “If Sarah hadn’t grabbed me on the way in, I’d still be waiting.”

“I mean, I thought you’d come on back,” Billy said quietly, smiling thinly, aware that all of your friends were watching. “Not like this is the first time we’ve used this room for our group.”

Madani looked around and saw the questioning looks pointed her way and let it go. “Of course. Long day,” she said, hopefully placatingly.

“Did you bring the gift?” Billy whispered as people began to mingle again.

“Gift?” Madani replied absently.

Billy’s eyebrows beetled his brows and he frowned as he said, “Are you kidding me? I said that we didn’t need a gift and you spent hours picking things out and paid extra for fast shipping!”

Just as Madani opened her mouth to snap back, Matt said, “Billy, got a minute?”

Billy closed his eyes briefly before smiling and turning to face the group. “Sup, Matt?" 

"I heard you were hiring and I have a friend who might be a good fit.”

“You have friends who aren’t here?” Billy said with feigned amazement in his voice.

“Ha ha.” Matt held out his hand and said, “Come over here so we don’t bore everyone?”

Billy was surprised but said, “OK,” and put his arm under Matt’s hand and walked over to the far side of the room.

Matt smiled and said quietly, “Who the hell is that?”

Madani watched Billy lead Matt over to the other side of the room. She had been worried when Matt had asked Billy to talk, but then Billy had served him up snark like he did to the other guys so she figured it must really be normal.

She really was making him suspicious, though. She wasn’t going to be able to drag this out and enjoy torturing him, as much as it pained her to admit it. She had put so much thought into the method of her revenge that she didn’t research the means.

She smiled and joined the crowd, hanging back to learn the names of the people she didn’t know. She regretted letting her obsession with revenge cloud her judgment and keep her from doing better background. 

You were actually being treated fairly well. Aside from some self-defense moves that Billy had insisted upon teaching you, you were absolutely not a threat. You were more of a throw-your-handbag-then-run-away-yelling, “Street Smarts” than a hand-gesture-like-Neo-while-screaming, “Come Get A Taste” kinda girl.

The elderly Chinese woman had dismissed you to the care of a group of guards with a full-on bad guy monologue. “The rest of your life does not promise to be pleasant, but it is up to you how you will be treated while you are my guest. Obey my simple rules and you will have the freedom of this room, you will be allowed to watch television and have access to bathing facilities. Your meals will be brought to you and if you are a well-behaved guest, you will be treated as such.

"However, if you get any ideas about escaping, then of course you will be returned to this chair and these bindings. Tell me, child, have you a preference?”

“I will behave until Billy comes for me,” you said, chin raised proudly. “You’re right, I am absolutely no threat, but Billy…he allows himself to care for very few people. You have the misfortune to be holding one of them as an honored but unwilling guest. Let’s hope the insane obsession of an off-balance woman scorned is worth the trouble it will bring to your door.”

Madame Gao smiled condescendingly. “I think we will be able to manage a few toy soldiers, child. Do not worry about my health when yours is in so much more peril.”

Billy smiled tensely at Matt. “What the hell do you mean, man?”

“I mean,” Matt bit out, “that woman may physically be your girlfriend, but somehow, that’s not who is currently inside her.”

Billy was dumbfounded. He knew of Matt’s alter ego and therefore understood that Matt had talents and powers far beyond his experience, but for there to be a completely different person inside your body? The same body, incidentally, that he had been inside on countless occasions?

“Matt,” Billy bit out a moment later, “man, I can’t wrap my head around this. You saying there are two people inside her?”

“No, Billy,” Matt replied ominously. “She’s completely gone.”

Madani figured she should stop staring holes into the back of Billy’s head and mingle a bit. She’d met Karen and Sarah before, albeit in a rather interrogate-y way, but still – she figured she could handle small talk with them.

Madani walked over to the edge of the group of friends and edged in until she was next to Karen. 

Karen turned to her a bit and gave her a one-armed hug. “So glad you got here! Boys are so dumb, right?”

“Tell me about it!” Madani replied with an exasperated smile. “I feel like such a dunce, I left your present at home!”

Karen waved her concern away. “You don’t need to get me a present, silly! I just want to celebrate with all my friends.”

“Still,” Madani said ruefully, “happy birthday!”

And there was silence. And it was not good.

Frank cleared his throat. “Ah, we’re celebrating Karen’s book deal, kiddo! Did you pre-game some white wine before you got here?” he joked.

Madani was mortified. 

Karen laughed. “Oh, you goofball!” she announced. “This is an old joke, like Frosty the Snowman, we say 'Happy Birthday’ for everything!" 

Billy and Matt had returned to the group in time to hear Karen blatantly lie to help fake-you save face. 

William Russo had seen a lot of things. He’d been to war, he’d killed men, he’d seen his friends die – hell, he’d almost had his own ticket punched more than a few times. But he had never, never experienced a horror so visceral before in his life.

You had never had an enemy in your life. Hell, when he’d first met you he’d been suspicious as hell, not believing anyone could be so goddamn nice. But the more he got to know you, the more he realized you were simply a caring, kind individual.

And you would have to have one hell of a case of amnesia to forget one of your dearest friend’s birthday. 

"Karen, I am so sorry, but I just got word that I have to go into work,” Billy said regretfully. “And I really hate to say it, but I need my team.”

Frank, David and Curtis all groaned at that announcement, but they knew that Billy wouldn’t disrupt something like this for no reason.

“I’m really sorry, Karen” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I’m so proud of you. I promise I’ll make it up to you.’

Karen hugged him back, whispering, "What is going on?”

“Dunno,” Billy whispered back, knowing she was talking about you. “Gotta find out.”

Billy needed confirmation before he left. He walked over to fake-you and said, “Sorry, lovebug,” knowing that you absolutely loathed that particular term of endearment. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, feeling the anger rolling off fake-you in waves. “Can you get home OK?”

Madani almost snapped at him, but judging by the nauseating nickname knew that you wouldn’t respond that way. “Of course,” she said sweetly. 

Billy stood and waited expectantly for a moment, but you never told him to be safe.

You always told him to be safe when he had to go on a job.

By the time the four of them had gathered at Bastion’s office, Billy had pulled his shit together, but there was still a part of him that was reeling. He’d seen a lot in his time on this green earth, but nothing else had come close to this shit.

“What the hell, Bill?” Frank growled as he entered the conference room at Bastion.

Usually the richly appointed room made Billy feel a sense of pride. This was where he brought new clients to discuss their needs with the team. It was a combination of high tech and dark wood, the perfect blend of science and class that said that the company was competent and successful. Now, he could have been sitting in a junkyard for all he cared. “Brother, I’m so sorry to fuck up Karen’s party –" 

"That ain’t what I’m talking about, Bill,” Frank interrupted as Curtis and David entered the room. 

“I think he means, what the hell is wrong with your girl?” Curtis said quietly.

Billy’s shoulders sagged as his chin hit his chest in defeat. “I wish I knew,” he said quietly, then looked up. “Matt said – he said that there’s someone else inside her? I mean, what the fuck does that even mean?”

Frank whistled. “Matt’s seen some shit,” he commented quietly. “Nightmare shit.”

Billy slammed his hand onto the conference table he leaned against. “What, like some voodoo shit?" 

"Ancient Chinese mysticism, actually,” Matt said from the doorway.

Billy jerked to attention. Frank, Curtis and David spun to face Matt and saw two people with him: a young man with curly blonde hair and a young Asian woman.

“This is Danny Rand and Colleen Wing,” Matt announced. “This is Billy Russo, Frank Castle, Curtis Hoyle and David Lieberman. Billy’s girlfriend is the one I was telling you about.”

Billy was quiet for a moment. The girl was Asian, but the white kid? “Ah, pleasure to meet you. But what exactly do you bring to the table?” he asked bluntly.

“I am the Immortal Iron Fist.”

You had been pacing your chamber pretty much non-stop. It was decorated nicely in soothing shades of blue and was much homier than a hotel and certainly better than a dungeon. Knowing that it was your prison didn’t make you appreciate the color scheme, pleasant or not. They could hang silk curtains on the windows, but it didn’t change the fact that there were also bars.

This was so not your thing. Billy probably would have found a way to weaponize the TV remote or built a bazooka out of a toilet tissue tube by now, but aside from making bandages out of the embroidered pillow covers, your DIY skills were strictly decorative. 

You had no idea how long you were to be a guest, either. Knowing that your stay would most likely end with either the man you loved more than life or you dead or critically wounded didn’t make you anxious to end your forced vacation with the elderly Asian woman and her silent minions.

“It sounds as though she has been placed under a spell which removes her soul with her body and replaces it with that of another person,” Danny said. “How long has this been going on?”

Billy scrubbed his face with his hand, utterly heartsick and defeated by the situation. “This morning. It was like she was a different person from the second she woke up.” He laughed humorously. “Little did I know she was literally a different person.”

Danny traded a look with Colleen. “There are only a few people in the world that could cast a spell like that, and most of them are in K'un-Lun.”

“What, now?” David sputtered in amazement. “I’m sorry, but are we really talking spells and and and magic? I mean, I know that there are things out there that we can’t explain but –”

“This is not the time to have 'The Talk’ about the world being larger than you know, David,” Matt said harshly. “Our friend is missing.”

“Shit,” Billy hissed as the pain of those words, resisting the need to double over from the gut punch they brought. “She’s missing. Jesus.”

Curtis clapped a hand on Billy’s shoulder and said, “We’re gonna get her back, man.”

“Damn straight,” Frank swore.

You were being punished. Apparently trying to keep the plastic knife from your dinner was not acceptable. You didn’t even know what the hell you were going to do with it; for Christ’s sake, you had literally fallen over when you got your toe stuck in the elastic while putting on your underwear the other day! Still, you felt like you should at least try. 

“What did you hope to accomplish?” Madame Gao snapped at you disapprovingly, almost as if she was addressing a naughty child.

You chuckled bitterly. “I honestly don’t know. I just feel wrong sitting here waiting for the man I love to be murdered by his crazy ex-girlfriend while she’s wearing my body like a Halloween costume,” you railed, beginning to cry. “Why are you helping her?”

“She has pledged herself to me for this favor,” Madame Gao said stiffly.

You scoffed. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. She practically whored herself out when she worked for Homeland, why wouldn’t she sell her soul, too?”

“You should mind your tongue,” Madame Gao warned. 

“Or what?” you sneered. “You’ll kill me? If you let her kill Billy, I don’t really care what happens to me.”

“You hold your life cheap.”

“I don’t. I just hold Billy’s more dear.”

“He wronged my new apprentice,” she said imperiously.

You laughed bitterly at that. “He outplayed your apprentice,” you spat. “She used sex to get information out of Billy and found out he played her back. She just can’t accept that he outsmarted her.”

She stiffened. “Perhaps your information is untrustworthy.”

“Yeah, maybe,” you countered. “But what if it’s yours that’s wrong?”

She paused as if pondering your words and then turned to leave, stopping at the door to say, “Since you cannot be trusted with eating utensils, you will not be allowed them for future meals. If there are any more incidents of pointless defiance such as this, you will be given neither utensils nor food. Do I make myself clear?”

“Abundantly,” you answered coldly.

She nodded once, looking at you consideringly for a moment before turning to leave without another word.

You waited until she was gone to sob in earnest.

“How the hell do we find out what we’re dealing with here?” Billy asked.

“Or who, for that matter,” Matt said. “Who hates you enough to do something like this, Bill? Crazy ex?”

Billy exchanged a look with Frank. “Do you think?” he began.

Frank shook his head in disbelief. “She really hates you, that I know.”

“Who are we talking about?” David demanded. Then, as if struck with the knowledge, he blurted, “Wait, Madani?”

“Hold up, you sayin’ you think a Homeland agent did this?” Curtis said in amazement. 

Billy was shaking his head in disbelief. “She lost her job when all the shit went down. You think she’d go this far off the rails, Frank?”

“Hell hath no fury, brother.”

You laid awake, trying to think of something, anything you could do to escape. 

Had Billy even missed you yet? Was Madani playing some sick mind games with him? God, had she seduced him? You wouldn’t blame Billy of course – hell, as far as he knew, you were you. 

You’d had moments of insecurity when you had first gotten together, of course. Billy was an absolutely stunning man: physically breathtaking, intelligent and charming. He had been around the block so many times you were surprised that the city of New York hadn’t renamed it in his honor. 

And that was exactly what he had told you. You had been sitting next to each other on your sofa watching a movie together when he had asked you what was wrong.

“I just…Billy, you’ve been with so many women. How am I ever gonna be enough?”

He smiled sweetly and kissed your nose. “Sweetheart, I have never been a guy to settle down, and yeah, I’ve had my share of sex. I’m not gonna pretend that I don’t know I’m hot. I can get laid pretty much any time I want.”

“Wow, thanks for this pep talk,” you muttered sarcastically.

Billy had smiled at your snark. “So, doesn’t the fact that I want to be only with you tell you that I’m only gonna be with you?”

You’d thought about it for a minute. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

“Damn right.”

“Probably doesn’t hurt that Frank and Matt would castrate you if you cheated on me, either,” you’d said with a wicked grin.

“There’s my girl,” he’d said with a chuckle.

You came back to the present, even though you’d so much rather stay wrapped in the warmth of your memories with Billy. 

From what you had been told, you didn’t expect to come out of this alive. If you did and Billy had slept with Madani, well, you would forgive him. But, goddamn, you really wished you knew what that crazy bitch’s game was. 

And you really hoped Billy realized that she wasn’t you.

Danny and Colleen needed to gather some spell components of their own to divine what magic had been used, and Matt had gone off to see if he could drum up any leads on Hand activities. Billy, Frank and Curtis had changed into combat gear, ready to go at a moment’s notice, while David was digging into Madani’s affairs as deeply as he could.

Billy had been pacing the floor, so much nervous energy that he felt like he was about to lift off.

“Hey, I think I got something!” David called out.

Billy dashed over to where David was peering into his computer screen. “What?”

“I picked up a video of her leaving her apartment a few months ago and have been running a GAIT tracer on her like how I found Frank.”

“And?” Billy said impatiently.

“And she’s been going in and out of this building every day for the last few weeks, until yesterday. She went in and hasn’t come back out.”

“Micro, you brilliant son of a bitch, I could kiss you!” Billy yelled. “Frank, get on the horn with Matt, tell him to get Rand and Wing back here. We have an op to plan.”

You awoke with a start. It was still pitch dark in your room and you didn’t hear so much as a whisper of breath or shuffle of fabric.

“Who’s there?” you said quietly, hating the waver in your voice.

“It would seem I have misjudged you,” the disembodied voice of the elderly woman. “I saw nothing to inspire such hatred in you, but neither did I see the potential for you to inspire such love, either.”

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” you asked, attempting to peer into the darkness and see her.

“You have friends in high places. And I underestimated your toy soldier,” she said, voice almost fading away at the end.

“Billy? Is Billy here?” you asked frantically, but there was no answer, and when you scrambled out of bed and over to the light switch, you were alone in the room.

But the door was slightly open.

You crept out into the hallway, terrified but not missing the opportunity to sneak out. As you moved away from your room, you began to hear what sounded like a fight – and then you heard a gunshot.

“Where is she?” you heard Billy scream.

“Billy!!” you yelled as loud as you could, moving toward the sound of his voice.

You reached a room at the end of the hallway where there was what could only be called a battle in progress. Billy, Frank, Daredevil?, a blonde kid you didn’t recognize and an Asian woman were fighting the elderly Asian woman’s guards, Billy and Frank slashing madly with knives while Curtis stayed behind them with a rifle.

You stayed back so that you couldn’t be used against them by being a human shield, but not running to Billy and being quiet so you didn’t distract them was the hardest thing you had ever done.

Finally, the last of the guards dropped and you stepped out of hiding so Billy could see you.

Billy looked at you and you nodded, ready to face your abductor.

“Honey, I’m home,” Billy called out as he entered your shared apartment.

Madani jumped up from where she had been sitting on the couch waiting for Billy to return. “It’s after 3, where the hell have you been?” she asked angrily.

“Aww honeybunch, were you worried about me?” Billy said with what almost seemed to Madani like…sarcasm?

Just then there was a brief knock followed by Frank, Curtis and Micro letting themselves in.

“Oh, hey, I told the guys you’d make us something to eat,” Billy said with a big smile. “You don’t mind, do ya Buttercup?”

Madani narrowed her eyes and bit her tongue.

“Billy, you know how much I hate sappy pet names like that,” you said in Madani’s voice.

Billy’s voice was cold as he, Curtis and Frank all pulled guns on faux-you. “Don’t move, Madani,” he growled.

“Yeah,” you said as she watched her tiny body emerge from behind the large men. “He won’t kill that body, but I told him it was OK to put a couple bullet holes in discreetly.”

Behind you was Daredevil, of all people, and a blond kid that looked slightly familiar. 

Madani looked over at Billy and sneered, “I really didn’t think you were smart enough to figure this out at all, let alone in one day.”

“That’s funny, I always gave you credit for being smart enough to do some investigating before running into a situation,” he said with an icy smile. “I knew something was up before I even opened my eyes this morning.”

You watched Madani’s hateful expression on your face and said, “Damn, babe, do I look that ugly when I’m mad at you or is she just radiating her inner bitch that much?”

“All her, hon,” Billy replied with a small smile.

“In that case, I think it’s time we put her inner bitch back in her outer bitch, don’t you?”

Danny had performed the ritual to return you to your body and then had taken Madani with him, saying he would take her to a place called K'un-Lun to be tried for using dark magic. He assured you that you would never have to worry about Madani coming after either of you for misdirected revenge again.

You had taken a hot shower after they had gone and had been so relieved to feel your own skin, scars and cellulite that you almost cried. But what actually did make you cry in the shower was the fact that while you could tell he was happy to have you back, Billy had made no move to kiss you or touch you in any way. 

Had Madani ruined what you had with Billy?

You were sitting on the edge of the bed, still wrapped in a towel, hair dripping down your back and shoulders as you stared into space.

“Hon?” Billy said gently, standing right in front of you. He knelt before you and ran his thumbs over your cheeks. “I’m so sorry this happened to you because of me. I know you’re probably furious with me –”

“What?” you interrupted, surprised. “I’m not mad at you, love.”

“I understand if you are,” he whispered, not meeting your eyes.

“William, look at me,” you said firmly. When his big brown eyes met yours, you saw pain and fear in their depths. “I don’t blame you for this.”

“How can you not?” he whispered.

“Hey,” you said, “this is on that crazy bitch, not you.”

“I brought this home to you. I should have never gotten involved with you, you’re too g–”

You grabbed his hair and pulled him into a kiss, silencing him and showing him how wrong he was. When you pulled apart you were both panting. 

“William Russo, I never want to hear you say you aren’t good enough or you shouldn’t be with me, because I love you more than anyone else in the world.” You leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose, then gently said, “So shut the hell up, OK?”

Billy grinned. “Yes, ma'am.”

“You knew before you even opened your eyes, huh?” you asked, part shy and somehow part smug.

Billy chuckled. “Yeah, she might have stolen your body, but she could never be you. You’re beautiful physically, yes, but your inner beauty shines brighter than anything,” he said almost reverently. “So, yeah, I knew something was wrong right away, because your touch just radiates love, and that was missing.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Billy,” you whispered,caressing his beard.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Honey, you were the one in danger! I don’t know what I would do without you.”

You threw yourself into Billy’s arms. “You never have to find out,” you said. Then you kissed him and you held one another until you fell asleep wrapped around each other, both thankful to be together and safe.

@marauder–harder / @giggleberts / @thesandbeneathmytoes  / @banditthewriter / @heyitslexy  /  @marauderskeeper / @squidscottjeans  / @russosprettydiamondnow / @iamnotbenbarneswifeyet /  @cutie-bug / @joelynnp / @sssilverssserpent / @acciophoenx / @presstocontinue / @suchatinyinfinity /  @fortisfiliae / @chibiyanai / @raquelbc2003 / @i-padfootblack-things / @rousakousa / @ponycake27 / @hermionegranger  / @drinix  / @something-tofightfor / @life-is-a-melody / @libbymouse   / @letsdanceinthedark/ @lilywoood / @ivegotillegalsinmybottom / @irinazatyk / @thinemineours / @ssserpensortiaaa / @starless-skyox / @lalafral / @hxbbit / @itsjustmylifeconfessions / @buddha-for-satan / @youveseen–thebutcher / @swiftyhowlz  / @shinebrightlikeafanbase / @moonyscardigans / @iaintnofurry / @heytherecix / @ladyblablabla / @damalseer / @starkrobb / @ymariejp / @projectcampbell / @agent-scully-182 / @saralou23/ @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme / @ethereal-heavcns / @songtoyou/ @morriganwarrior / @training-wheeels / @breanime / @ifoundmyhappythought / @firecracker98 / @poedamneronhoe / @dylanobrusso / @0-cries-0 / @my-little-dumpster-fire / @shadowhunterscloset / @suna-the-lost-cause / @disengagefrmreality / @achishisha / @curlyhairedblueeyedangel / @editboutique / @traeumerinwitzhelden / @ripsithskywalkers / @littledarlinhavefaithinme / @thesumofmychoices / @propertyofpoeandbucky / @whovianayesha /  @weallhaveadestiny / @saltyshaggymeme / @daffodilsbucky / @abroadcastofthemind​

#ben barnes #billy russo #billy russo x reader #punisher au #daffodilsbucky1k

[bvckys-doll]

For Forever

Pairing: Prince!Bucky Barnes x Princess!reader

Word count: 1.1k

Summary: The princess “fell” in love with her prince. Literally.

Warnings: language (maybe)

Author’s note: This is my entry for @daffodilsbucky​ 1k writing challenge! Kelsey runs one of my favorite accounts here on tumblr so check out her blog! My prompt was the song “For Forever” by one of my favorite musicals “Dear Evan Hansen” <3 Please enjoy this little piece of cuteness!

You can find my main masterlist here!

“James, stop! I can't run as fast as you can in these shoes. They are not made for running!“ (Y/N) called after her boyfriend as he ran towards the huge oak tree that stood at the edge of the forest. Laughing at her attempt to follow him. Broad branches stretched from the trunk upwards, carrying thousand of leaves that shimmered in the sunlight in their autumn colours.

„Then you should have worn different shoes, Princess!“ he shouted over his shoulder to her and laughed before he reached the tree and began to climb up the trunk. Soon after (Y/N) also reached the foot of the oak and looked up at Bucky, who had already reached the third thick branch and settled there, waiting for her. Beaming, he smiled down at her “What? Don't you dare or don't you want to get your dress dirty?“

“You know damn well I don't wear it willingly“ She cursed softly before the princess started to take off her shoes. Without care, she threw them to the side and started to climb up the tree herself, whereupon the smile on Bucky's lips disappeared. He watched her, getting closer and closer.

“Sweetheart, that's not a good idea. You could accidentally step on your dress or maybe it gets caught on one of the branches.“

“There are many things I've done while wearing dresses, my prince. It won't be that hard“ the princess grumbled annoyed and climbed further and further up the trunk before she soon stopped on the branch right under Bucky's and straightened up. Smiling, Bucky looked down at her as she raised her head at him “See? That wasn't so hard.“

“You're a natural, princess“ Bucky winked at her with his charming smile before he bent down to her and briefly pressed a kissed on her lips. She smiled as he broke the kiss and smiled back at her when the two suddenly heard a crackling sound.

A look of horror spread across her face as (Y/N) looked up at Bucky as the branch under her feet gave away and broke off. There was no time for Bucky to grab her as she fell to the forest floor, screaming at the top of her lungs. The prince cried in horror “(Y/N)!“ before he hurriedly climbed down the tree and ran to her.

The young princess lay unconscious on the floor. Her hair hung halfway down her face and a small wound on her forehead began to bleed. Completely overwhelmed, Bucky stroked her cheek and mustered her from top to bottom “Hey...wake up. Come on, doll, you can't do this to me now. Wake up, please...baby doll.“

Slowly but surely the princess regained her consciousness and blinked as she realized how Bucky bent over her and breathed a sigh of relief. (Y/N) narrowed her eyes for a second before she spoke “That really hurt...“

“When you told me you were falling for me, I didn't think you'd take the phrase so literally.“ Bucky chuckled and wiped a strand of hair from her face, smiling. Briefly he took a look at her wound which had already stopped bleeding. Carefully he helped her to sit up when they could her the guards calling for them “Prince James, is everything alright? We heard your screams!“

“Of course something like this has to interrupt our afternoon off.“ (Y/N) muttered and held her head which started to ache as James waved the guards over. Without hesitation, they came up to them on their horses as they noticed the princess' state.

“We must take her back to the palace. Let one of the healers take care of her“ Bucky helped her up and put her on his horse. Although she was still a bit dizzy, she was able to hold herself upright before Bucky got up behind her and put an arm around her waist. Gently he kissed her temple and smiled at her “Don't worry. I got you, princess“

Together with their personal guards, they rode back to the palace where he took his fiancée directly to a healer. He insisted on carrying her all the way up when she got off his horse.

“You don't have to carry me, Buck. I can walk.“ (Y/N) wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder as he carried her in his arms, up to the healing chambers. He smiled at her and answered with a cheeky tone “But it is much more pleasant for both of us like this. I can practise for our wedding night when I carry you into our shared bedroom“

This earned him a gentle slap on the back of his head but (Y/N) smiled anyway. He might be an idiot, she thought, but at least he is my idiot.

It didn't take long until they reached the healing chambers and Bucky layed her on one of the smalls beds which were spread along the long wall of the small hall. It didn't take long for a healer to come up to them. She bowed before them and smiled softly at the princess “Reminds me of your days as a child, princess. You used to come here very often.“

„You wanna tell me my sweet fiancée was a little rebel when she was small?“ Bucky chuckled as the older woman treated her wound carefully and applied a soothing creme on her wound. She smiled softly at the young prince before she put the small box of creme aside and responded “She was very adventurous when she was just a little girl. Always picked up fights with the boys in the gardens. It was just for fun but sometimes she hurt herself a little too bad.“

“So you're one of the tough girls, are you?“ Bucky winked at (Y/N) as she playfully shoved him aside and laughed “Shut up, you dork.“

“But don't worry, my prince, her wound will heal quickly. The only thing that may remain is a small scar“ the healer replied and stood up from her seat next to the bed as the couple listened to her. Bucky grinned back at (Y/N) “I always thought scars are quite sexy.” before he smiled softly at the older woman “Thank you for your service”

Smiling, the woman returned the gesture and left.

“This is not what I thought would happen when I suggested to go for a walk outside“ James turned his attention back to his girlfriend as she pouted “I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to fall off the oak tree. But if it wasn't for you, we would not be in this situation. You wanted to climb the tree.“

“I know, baby doll, but you didn't have to follow me.“ Bucky raised an eyebrow playfully „But don't worry. There is nowhere else I'd rather be“

“Me too, honey...me too.“ (Y/N) chuckled before he bent down and kissed her.

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

Thanks for reading!

#daffodilsbucky1k #daffodilsbucky #writing challenge #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky fluff #prince!bucky #prompt #dear evan hansen #marvel imagine #own writing #first writing challenge #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader

[the-goddamn-queen]

Little Star

The Winter Soldier x Reader

Warnings: blood, mild violence, injury 

Word Count: 1314 (with lyrics)

A/N: For @daffodilsbucky‘s 1K Writing Challenge! Song fic based on Foreigner’s God by Hozier (lyrics included in italics).

She moves with shameless wonder The perfect creature rarely seen Since some liar brought the thunder When the land was godless and free

 She’s the perfect candidate. An excellent marksman, a fearsome opponent in hand-to-hand combat; even the Soldier takes notice.

Her arms move effortlessly as she lines up the shot. Archery is new to her, but she takes to it like everything else, her grace overshadowing her lack of experience.

Shoulder blades pulled back tight, chin square, arms perfectly aligned. Of course, they were. She’d been practicing for days knowing what Madame B was planning. She always knew. She had to, or they would have killed her years ago.

She takes great care not to hold her breath as she lets the arrow fly, but barely holds back her sigh of relief as it hits the mark. She would live another day.

“Again.” Madame B shows nothing in her voice, but she’s pleased. “Zviozdochka moya, again.” Her little star. She’s always pleased with her little star.

The Soldier has been invited to watch. But he sees more than the madame. He sees the tremble in her lip. He notices the sigh she tries to hide. He looks to her eyes to find fear but finds nothing. Brighter than most, but he still comes up empty handed. No wonder the madame is so taken with her.

She is a perfect actress as well.

 Her eyes look sharp and steady Into the empty parts of me But still my heart is heavy With the hate of some other man’s belief

 The Soldier demands to train her.

The Soldier had never demanded anything before.

Madame B is hesitant to turn over her little star, but she relents. It’s only fitting that the perfect Winter Soldier work with the perfect future Black Widow.

He knocks her flat on her back in their first sparring session. “Come now, zviozdochka,” he mocks, “Madame B’s little star can’t take a punch?”

She wipes the blood from her nose and reaches to mar the Soldiers face with it, but he catches her wrist and yanks her up from the floor.

“A fraud, you are,” he whispers so only she can hear it.

“Then your eyes are the same as mine,” she counters.

He shoves her to the ground again.

 Always a well-dressed foe Who wouldn’t spare the rod Never for me

Screaming the name Of a foreigner’s God The purest expression of grief

 The Soldier strips himself of his compression shirt after their latest session. How many had it been? She’d lost count now.

She was getting better, though. She’d lasted nearly the entire hour before the Soldier put her on her ass like he always did.

She dares to move closer as he unwraps his hands and admires his chest for a moment before moving to his eyes. They always told so much. Some time ago she began using them to see how long it’d been since he’d been wiped.

About a month now. She hopes it stays like this a while longer. He never goes much longer than a month, but he’s softer with her when he does.

She inches closer, her thigh nearly brushing his.

“Zviozdochka moya.” There’s no malice in his voice when he says it now. But only when it’s been this long without the machine.

He’s dragged away to be wiped that afternoon.

She can hear his screams from her room.

 Wondering who I'll copy Muster in some tender charm She feels no control of her body She feels no safety in my arms

 Hydra falls.

The man who holds the shield; he breaks it into pieces. Heads cut, slaughtered, scattered.

The Red Room is in ruins when he goes to find her. The soldier tears apart the rubble searching for a light in the darkness. His Little Star.

He finds her buried among beams. Blood mars her pretty face. Her skin is cold, but stuttered breaths remain.

He dragged the man he knew from the river; he can save her too.

He tries to be gentle, something he has little practice with. But he has to. Keep the beams from shifting lest they crush her more.

The soldier moves the last of the wood and watches her take another unsteady breath. She’s broken but she will live.

He cannot drag her the way he dragged the man. She is not like them.

The soldier wraps his arms underneath her instead, pressing her to his chest. He’s wary of his arm, unyielding and unforgiving metal digging into the back of her knees.

She blinks as he moves her, barely awake but catches the blue of his eyes. Tears fall, and she starts shaking. They’ve wiped him and sent him to kill her, she thinks. But she can’t move. She can’t get away. Her ribs are broken. They couldn’t blow her to pieces, so they sent him to finish her.

“Soldat.” Her voice is weak and pained. “Soldat, please don’t do this.” She’s crying harder now, barely moving her arms to push at his chest. “Please don’t kill me.”

He stops, a pain in his chest growing. “Zviozdochka moya, no.” His tears are close to matching hers. “I would never.” He kneels among the dirt to pull her closer, wary of her injuries. “I cannot kill you, little star.” He buries his nose in her hair. She smells of smoke and gunpowder. “I want to save you.”

 I've no language left to say it All I do is crave to her Breaking if I try to convey it The broken love I make to her

 She sleeps for days, and then wakes all at once.

She wakes with terror, tumbling to the floor.

Gathering herself quickly, she searches for an exit.

There is no way of knowing who’s on the other side of the door or how high up the window is.

The door creaks, and she decides to take her chances on the window.

 The bed in the apartment is small, so he sleeps on the couch as she heals.

It’s the middle of the night when he’s woken up by noises from her room.

She’s awake!

He moves quickly to the door but pause when his ears pick up her labored breathing and frantic heartbeat.

She’s afraid.

He pulls open the door and catches her with on foot on the windowsill.

“Zviozdochka, no!”

His voice makes her hesitate. She knows him.

She turns to see her soldier. The one who saved her over and over again, even after her life collapsed over her. He’s soft, concerned. She cannot tell how long it’s been since he’s been wiped, but he’s never looked so soft.

She softens too.

She dislodges herself from the window frame and moves to stand before him. “Soldat.” She runs her thumbs over the stubble forming on his cheeks.

She presses her lips to his the way she has a million times before. But this time she wants more.

They need more from each other.

He pulls her hips in closer to press his entire body against hers. Needing to touch her, feel her, hold her in all the ways he never could.

He spends all night staying as close to her as possible.

 All that I’ve been taught And every word I’ve got Is foreign to me

Screaming the name Of a foreigner’s god The purest expression of grief

 “It’s you,” she whispers with a squeeze of his hand, “your name is Bucky.” They stand together, hats drawn low, staring up at the the museum exhibit bearing his face.

“It was,” he says dryly.

“He was a good man.” She turns to him. “You can be him again.”

He looks to her and wishes he could share the hope in her eyes. “I don’t even know him.”

She takes both his hands and smiles so sweetly up at him. So bright, his little star. “Then we will discover him together.”

He can’t help but smile back. “Together.”

#daffodilsbucky1k #bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fic #the winter soldier #the winter soldier x reader #the winter soldier imagine #the winter soldier fanfic #the winter soldier fic #Avengers #avengers fic #avengers fanfic #avengers imagine

[eyesfixedonthesun22]

The Wedding

Pairing: Steve x Reader  Warning(s): None Word Count: 1,368 Prompt: Based on a “New Girl” Episode: Wedding Season 1 Episode 3 Beta Reader: @supersoldiersruined-me​ Notes: This is for Kelsey’s ( @daffodilsbucky) 1k Challenge! Thanks for letting me be a part of this, darling. 

“So how do you feel about weddings?”

The question Sam’s asked you rattles around in your skull a moment before you return your attention to the “night in buffet” of your dreams you’d just concocted. Strewn across the coffee table is your favorite noodle take-out from down the block, a large pizza with all your favorite toppings, a bottle of the fancier tier alcohol you usually only treated yourself with. The cherry on top was what could only be described as some sundae-esque contraption. You had thrown together all your favorite desserts into one, quite possibly diabetes inducing, dish. Your shows were queued, your comfy pants were on, your bra was off.

“Who’s wedding?” you finally say through a mouth full of heaven.

“Has anyone told you you’re a picture of feminine grace?”

“No.” Throwing in an extra eye roll. Sam continued on as if not having seen your facial expression.

“Some friends from college are getting married this weekend and we need you to come and be Steve’s date. And before you ask why-” Your mouth clamps closed in indignation. “Peggy is gonna be there.”

“The Peggy.”

“Yes, the very one. Now can we stop talking about it unless it means you’re gonna be my date?”

You can’t help but smile as a tall, blue-eyed blonde enters the room. Steve looks entirely unbothered by the mention of his ex, which is the first clue that he is very much bothered. His straight posture masks the rigid tension held in his muscles. The emotional aloofness, a poor attempt at recovery from a nasty breakup.

“I’ll be your date, Stevie.”

“Excellent!” Another hulking man strides into the kitchen plopping onto the couch next to you. He snatches a piece of pizza and folds it in half before pushing nearly the entire piece into his mouth. “Did you tell her the rules,” the brunette manages to mumble from behind cheese and crust.

“Chew and swallow, Bucky...you animal. Also, maybe ask me if you can have a piece of my pizza next time.” You shove him playfully. “What rules?”

Sam and Bucky seem to share a look with each other and then Steve.

“What rules!?”

Sam thinks a half beat longer before saying, “Well you’re not exactly the most… how do I put this?”

“Lady like?” Bucky offers.

“And Peggy is the epitome of poise and grace. So we need you to polish up a bit. Be at the top of your game. Not whatever this is.” He gestures to your table full of food.

“I clean up wonderfully I’ll have you know!” You turn back to your food mildly offended at your best friends before mumbling, “Ungrateful assholes.”

***

Two hours into the reception and things are a verified disaster. You curse outwardly at your support system for aiding Steve and shake your head at their weakness.

Bucky had been named an usher of the wedding. At some point, he’d started what you’d believed to be a friendly competition with another usher. As it turns out, the usher is a child! The two of them have now locked themselves in a battle of wits, pranks, and competition that has fully taken over Bucky’s competitive nature; rendering him wholly useless to distract Steve from Peggy.

For all the lecturing Sam gave you, he’s turned out no better. Not ten minutes into the wedding ceremony he excused himself from his seat. Since then you’d only seen glimpses of him with Tammy. Each of you knew Tammy. You were all intimately experienced with sounds she makes as many other horrific private insights. Sam has a habit of bringing Tammy home from every single event that they are at together despite claiming to hate one another. You’re certain tonight will be no exception.

“Well it’s just us, Stevie.”

He gulps and yanks at his tie before downing his drink. You search your memory to try to remember how many that’s been. A drunk Steve will be far more difficult to redirect than a sober Steve.

“Forgive me, sweetheart but that isn’t instilling the most confidence in me.”

“Hey now! I’m in a really banging dress and heels and it’s all for you.”

“Did you just say-hicc-banging?”

Uh-oh. Your drink count really must be off if he’s hiccupping.

“Is this seat taken?” A picturesque woman in a sweetheart neckline dress moves to sit on the other side of Steve. “I didn’t know you’d be here, Steven. Who’s your friend?”

Steve stares slack-jawed before downing the rest of your drink and introducing you to Peggy. You cling to Steve’s arm, trying to convey the fake dating status you’re supposed to be exuding but it’s obvious he only has eyes for the prim woman in front of him. She is so polite and charming you don’t even realize what’s happened until it’s too late when she’s asked you, “Darling, would you mind going to refresh our drinks?”

It’s there at the bar, you finally run into Bucky. “What the hell are you doing, doll? Where is Steve?” He glances around the ballroom in a panic before landing on the blonde head next to Peggy’s. “What happened?”

“We all failed is what happened?”

“Why is Rogers in a deep conversation with the exact woman we had you here to help him avoid!” You nearly jump as Sam’s deep baritone slides up next to you at the other side of the bar.

“You both abandoned me! We were supposed to be a team. She is tricky and Steve is sad and drunk. I didn’t know what I was getting into.” Your voice tapers off. “I was outmaneuvered.” You can feel the tears start to well behind your eyes a bit, but Sam continues on.

“We didn’t all fail. That’s why we brought you. You failed.”

You can’t hold back the tears any longer. Your vision blurs. All you can think is to find somewhere out of this room; a place where the sounds don’t ricochet off the walls a clog your head. You miss Steve turning away from Peggy to see you sprinting out of the ballroom.

You’ve taken refuge in the coat closet; plopped deep back in a corner alone with your self-pity. You hear a soft rap of knuckles on wood and tuck your legs further into the darkness.

“I saw your shoes, sweetheart,” Steve says. “And I have a peace offering.”

“Steve?”

He crawls down do your level and wedges himself against the back wall. His progress is awkward at first, you assume due to his size, but then you see he’s crawling one handed. In the other hand, he holds a large platter filled with food and wedding cake.  When he’s finally settled he hands you the plate.

“Oh and before I forget,” he reaches into his back pocket and removes a silver flask. “Snacks and drinks.”

You smirk lopsided at him through your tears. “What are you doing here, Stevie? Where’s Peggy?”

“Probably on her way back home to her fiance.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” He takes a large swig from the flask before passing it your way. “I think I finally realized something today. I have spent years of my life waiting for Peggy to take me back...and it’s just not going to happen.”

You aren’t sure if it’s the warmth from the flask rushing to your cheeks or the proximity to the man next to you that makes you say what you say next. “She shouldn’t have been flirting with you, Steve. You really deserve to be something more than someone’s backup plan. You’re a wonderful, thoughtful man. Tons of women would be lucky to have you.”

Steve pulls you against his side and tosses his arm around your shoulder. “You gonna eat all that cake, sweetheart?”

“I could be persuaded to share.”

“Thank you, honey. For everything.” With that, he plans a long peck right to your temple. The electric spark it generates seems to zing straight down to your lungs; stilling your breath and igniting your heart.

Well that’s new.

“Anytime, Stevie.” You’re more than thankful for the low light of the coat closet hiding what is no doubt a fiery blush across your cheeks and chest. “Anytime.”

#daffodilsbucky1k #steve x reader #Steve x female reader #Steve rogers #my writing #my fics

[love-pyramus]

Coffee Girl -Stucky x fem!reader

(Photo is used later in the story)

For @daffodilsbucky​ writing challenge

WC: 907

Summary: Steve and Bucky meet a coffee girl who reminds them of someone they used to know

Warnings: It’s just fluff my dudes

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Steve and Bucky walked to the coffee shop down the block from their apartment in Brooklyn. It was a small quiet place but highly recommended. The two walked in and the bells chimed as they closed the door. “Just a second!” Someone calls from the back. “Hi! What can I get you two?” a woman asks appearing around the corner. Steve and Bucky freeze for a minute before ordering. She looks like someone, but they can’t put their fingers on it. They pay and take a seat as their coffees are made. They take them with a smile and remain in the little booth for a while. They were so caught up in their conversation that they didn’t notice the plate of desserts that had been placed down. Bucky was the one who finally noticed it. “Stevie, look at this.” He says. There is a note that was half under the plate. You guys have been here for over three hours with only coffee. These are on the house. -(Y/n) Steve and Bucky look up towards the counter where more cookies and brownies have just been brought out. They eat the cookies before walking out. “We should go there more often,” Bucky says. 

They walk past the shop every day, and as it approaches Christmas season the windows of the shop are painted for the season. They finally go in again, this time to see there is a small line. The line moves quickly, and they’re ordering the coffees. “Hey boys, your booth is empty, I’ll bring these out in a second.” The shop, though crowded is still strangely quiet. The orders are brought out and Bucky and Steve once again stay and talk for hours. They notice this time when the cookies are brought out. “Again doll?” Bucky asks. She blushes. “You guys have been here hours without eating, I thought you might be hungry.” She says sheepishly. “I’m (Y/n) by the way.” “Bucky, and that’s Steve,” Bucky says. “Nice to meet you,” She says. “Do you want to sit and talk for a bit?” Steve asks. She looks around the empty shop. “Sure, but if a customer comes I have to take them.” She says. Bucky and Steve nod. “Is this your place?” Steve asks. “It’s a family run business. I’m just the last one left who is capable of running it.” (Y/n) answers. Steve and Bucky nod. They watch as she runs behind the counter as someone comes in. They wait and she comes back. “I have to close up soon, text me sometimes yeah?” She says. They take the piece of paper she’s holding before walking out. They watch the lights turn off and hear the door locking before a light turns on above it. The two walk to their apartment. The two smile as they make their way inside. Bucky looks at Steve. “Her eyes! She has the same eyes as Dot!” Bucky says. Steve lets out a gasp. “Do you think she’s related?” Steve asks. Bucky shakes his head. “I don’t know,” Bucky sighs. The two lie down. “We’ll go back tomorrow and ask.” 

When the two make their way into the shop (Y/n) is talking to a very old woman in a wheelchair. There is a younger woman standing with the one in the wheelchair. “Nana, where did you find this? I’ve been looking for one for years.” (Y/n) says breathlessly. “I was alive in World War Two. I can do anything.” the old woman says. “Are you gonna stay? You can help me make some desserts,” (Y/n) says. “Why do you think Amalia with me? She’s going to make sure I take all my meds,” (Y/n) helps the woman back to the kitchen and there is laughter. (Y/n) comes out to the counter as the two talk quietly. “Hey guys! The usual?” She asks. “Yeah. Who was that woman?” Bucky asks. “Oh, my nana and her aid, Amalia. I’ve been looking for a certain brooch for years, and she found one.” (Y/n) says. “Wanna come help bake?” She asks. The boys nod and follow her back. “Nana, these are the boys I told you about,” (Y/n) says. “Bucky?” The woman asks. Bucky's eyes widen. “Dot?” Bucky asks. “Nana, is this him?” (Y/n) asks. Dot nods. Steve smiles. “Nana, come help me make the cinnamon rolls!” (Y/n) says. “Bye boys! Amalia, can you make them their coffee?” (Y/n) asks taking Dot to the kitchen. The woman begins making the coffees. “Dot talked about you two. You two were her best friends.” The boys nod. There is laughter coming from inside the kitchen. The two sit and talk. When Dot leaves (Y/n) is walking out with them. “Come back soon, alright nana. It got lonely with only these two idiots.” (Y/n) says gesturing to the boys. Dot and Amalia smile. “We’ll come back as soon as we can,” Amalia says. Dot waves at them before they exit. (Y/n) sits down at the table with the boys. The see a flower pin on her apron. “You’re poly?” Steve asks. (Y/n) nods. “Yeah,” (Y/n) says. “I was looking at these on Etsy for a while, but they were sold out before I could get one. Nana always manages to get the things I’m looking for. “So...would you like to go on a date with us?” 

#stucky #stucky x reader #steve rogers x bucky barnes #x fem!reader #daffodilsbucky1k #Soph writes

[redhairedfeistynerd]

Twelve Days

For @daffodilsbucky 1k Writing Challenge.Congrats to you and here’s to many more followers <3

I chose ‘they were roommates’

This has a bit of a spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas. I will hopefully get a chapter out each week, 12 in total plus a ‘behind the scenes’ sort of deal.

Bucky Barnes X Reader, Steve Rogers, other Avengers popping in and out

Warnings: Angst, swearing, drinking, mild sexual content

I’ll update warnings as I post each chapter

word count: 1500+

Twelve Days: Part 1

Catching one last snowflake on your tongue, you pushed open the gate to your yard, walking down the snow-covered path to the porch. Stomping the snow off your boots as you walked up each stair, you noticed a small box sitting on your door mat. One individual box, nothing more, nothing less. The package was wrapped perfectly, folded paper, twine twisted around, a pine clipping attached to a small card, and a bow tied on top. Reaching down, you flipped the tag over with your gloved hand and read what was written; the card was addressed to you. An unrecognizable script stating it was from a secret admirer. A secret admirer?

You took a second look at the card, thinking that you had misread the fancy handwriting, it was definitely addressed to you. Your name, the curves and arches flowing together so beautifully. Someone had taken the time to write each letter with care, delicately. Flipping the tag over to see if there are any other clues as to where this box came from, you find several lines written in the same black lettering.

Twelve days of gifts

To keep you merry,

Twelve days of poetry,

On handmade stationary,

Twelve days to show you,

What you mean to me,

Twelve days to figure out

Who I may be,

Twelve days …

Your cheeks begin to warm once you finish reading the tag and you read it again to make sense of what it says. You had to laugh, how silly was this? Someone was going to give YOU a gift for the next twelve days. Who in their right mind would spend twelve days (after all the holiday chaos that was only starting to wrap up) sending you gifts? This had to be your roommates pulling a fast one on you; trying to get some sort of rise out of you.

The box in one hand and your house key in the other, you unlock the front door to your place, toeing off your wet boots before stepping into the entryway and shutting the door behind you. Silence. The guys must be finishing up with their families, brunches for each, followed by a quick gift exchange and home to spend the evening with you.

The evening before the three of you attended a holiday party – dinner, drinks, and dancing late into the night. Each guest brought a gift under $20, you had to draw a number and whoever had the same, exchanged gifts with you. You went home with a beautiful handmade mug, the lines of the mountains that sat behind your house scratched into it, the green trees reached up high, and wildlife ran across the bottom of the mug. Wanda’s artistic talent always took your breath away – you hugged her so hard she had squealed, the party-goers turning over to look at the two of you during your moment of thanks.  

Wanda’s gift in hand and coffee to the rim, you carried the gift into the living room where you were finishing up New Year’s cards for your family and friends. Each card had a positive comment written, you wanted to end this year on a good note and spread the love to those you cared about.

Placing the box on the coffee table, you sit down on the pillow you had placed on the floor and stare at the gift. Bending down further, now eye level with the perfectly wrapped cube, you spin the box around, checking out each of its sides.  You sit and contemplate whether to open it or wait until your roommates return home from work. Taking a quick photo, knowing that your friends will want to see what was left for you on the porch today and for the days to follow. Pulling at the twine running the rough strands between your fingers, the knot loosens and you pull the bow, the twine falling to the table. You run your eyes over the script on the small card, reassuring yourself that it was addressed to you before sliding it to your left and pulling back the first piece of tape from the bottom of the box. The paper is thick, the same paper you would wrap a parcel in to ship off to your grandmother. It’s incredibly hard not to tear everything off and throw the paper on the floor but the mystery of what’s inside keeps you grounded. The paper off and a beautiful gold box sits before you, opening the lid with the utmost care, your eyes widen; nestled in between sparkly sheets of tissue paper lay a pair of earrings. Gold hoops, the size of a dollar coin stare up at you and trigger a not so recent memory. You remember these hoops; you had a pair a few years back and you know that you lost one somewhere in the house but you never found the missing one. But who knew about that or remembered it for that matter? Running your hand over the hoops, you smile, your grandmother had given you hoops one year for your birthday; the thought of her, warmed your heart. Pulling the backing off each hoop, you pushed one through your right lobe and then your left, securely fastening them, cautious that you could lose one again. This gift was thoughtful, meaningful, but who knew about the memories the original earrings held?

Your heart full, you took another sip of coffee and continued on with the cards, the gratitude in your heart stronger now and waiting to be spilled onto the card stock.  

Steve walks in the door that evening, freshly showered, gym bag slung over his right shoulder. He smiles at you from down the hallway. “Something smells good, is that...”

“Yes Steve, my special lasagna, I thought I would treat you boys to a good meal tonight. Should I pour you a glass of wine, handsome?” You ask, holding up the bottle of red of him to see.  

“My my, aren’t we fancy this evening. I’m in.” You hear him drop his bag in his room before he steps into the kitchen. “Is Buck around?” Steve asks and makes his way to the counter, picking a piece of cucumber out of the salad you had prepared and popping it in his mouth. Shooting him a look, he winks and gives you one of his charming smiles.  

Pouring a glass for Steve, you sliding it across the counter to him, “You know, I haven’t crossed paths with him today but I have been in my own little world. I finished up a bunch of chores around the house and then the strangest thing happened earlier today-  

You’re cut off by the back-door slamming shut, rattling the dishes in the cabinet, cursing follows immediately after. You shake your head, knowing that it could be no other than Bucky Barnes, roommate extraordinaire. You look back to Steve, his eyebrows raised, and wine glass halfway to his lips.

“I guess his day didn’t go exactly as planned.”

“What do you mean? He seems as happy as a can be,” you joke and take a sip of your wine.

Steve smiles back at you, but you know deep down he’s worrying about Bucky. For as long as you have known the duo, they have been inseparable. They made each other laugh and they were there for each other when one needed to be consoled. You admired their friendship, the honesty and compassion that they had for each other.  

Steve looked to you, concern crossing his face. “You better not be thinking about knocking on his door. I know you; you’re always trying to pull him out of his moods and he does nothing but shit on you. “

“Why not? You do it all the time,” you say scooping a noodle into your mouth.

“It’s different, no matter what we say to each other, we can always fix it, there’s an understanding between us. I feel like you keep pushing yourself to help him and I’m not sure why. He doesn’t always treat you the way I think you want to be treated. You know I care about both of you and I don’t want either of you to explode.”

Steve keeps shoveling food into his mouth, finally silencing his big mouth. You had heard it all before and he would probably say it 1000 more times.  

You couldn’t help it, you had a soft spot for Bucky Barnes, even if he had broken your heart years earlier. No, no, you shouldn’t underplay what happened, he did more than break your heart, he ripped it out of your chest, tossed it to the dirty floor and stomped on it, twice for good measure. You let out a sigh, Steve catching your gaze before you dropped your eyes back to the food on your plate. Dinner is a silent affair tonight, Steve finishes up, thanks you and heads to his room, claiming that the holidays had worn him out and sleep was calling.

You knock, gently at first and wait a minute. Nothing. No sound coming from within, so you reach up and knock again, this time louder. The door to Bucky’s room swings open, darkness behind him as he steps out in front of you. “What?”

You hold out the plate you had made him for dinner, lasagna and salad with the homemade dressing he loved so much. “I saved dinner for you,” you said, holding the plate out to him, an offering, something to hopefully cheer him up.

“I’m really not hungry and I’d really appreciate it if you stopped coming by my room every time you think there is some sort of issue.” He stares at you, eyes cold, waiting for you to leave.

Pulling the plate back and taking a deep breath in, you try to compose yourself, you cannot let Bucky Barnes draw tears from your eyes again. “I want you to know that I care about you and I’m here if you want to talk,” you say, your voice wavering, the tears starting to form in your eyes.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” spat Bucky, slamming the door in your face, the force blowing stands of your hair across your nose.

You freeze, shocked at Bucky’s actions, the look of hatred on his face, the anger in his voice. Maybe it was the time of year, or maybe he didn’t want you near him at all; you really weren’t sure. In the last few months, something had changed within Bucky. He avoided you when possible, your conversations had gone from friendly to nonexistent. For two years you had coexisted peacefully and now, whatever was going on with Bucky, was a mystery to you.  

You carry the lasagna back into the kitchen and packed it up into a Tupperware container, there was always a chance that he would want a late evening meal. There you go, still thinking about him and trying to please him; Steve was right. You sighed, placing the leftovers in the fridge. Pouring yourself another glass of wine, you cleaned up the rest of the mess from dinner, wondering what you had done recently to set off Bucky Barnes.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes roommate #steve rogers #daffodilsbucky1k

[locke-writes]

Save Me From It

Author: locke-writes

Title: Save Me From It

Prompt: Sedated - Hozier, For: @daffodilsbucky​ 1K writing challenge

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,040

Warnings: Mentions of Torture, PTSD

Much like ink on a page or paint on canvas the scars that cover us tell the stories of our lives. They mark us, become permanent parts of us, reveal secrets to those we deem worthing of knowing the deepest parts of ourselves. Scars present stories, some of which may be better left untold. Yet we can't change the past, time is not fluid it is solid. We must accept the past, must accept the scars, learn to see them as an extension of who we are and what we have overcome rather than who we were and what we were doing at the moment that the mark was bestowed upon us. There is nothing ugly about our scars, for they are who we are and show who we have been. Scars reflect are strengths, they are not reflections of weakness.

Bucky Barnes. 

The Winter Soldier.

These were two sides of the same coin, a coin that was molded of blood and pain. Whether it was liked or not, these two beings were the same, inseparable. Most of the time the only memory Bucky had of his time with Hydra was of the pain, of the extreme excruciating pain that came with the code words spoken while he was strapped down in that damn chair. Pain, for a large chunk of his life all he knew, all he remembered was pain. The effects had faded each day he was with the Avengers but he knew they might never go away entirely. 

It was funny, to him at least that could see humor in it, that the memories had faded but the pain stayed. The humor was that the pain would stay whether he felt it physically or mentally it was there and there was nothing that could pry it from him, nothing that could split the coin in two. The torture often played in his mind on a loop, a memory that he tried his hardest to get rid of. The only memory he had and yet he wanted to rip it from his mind and leave that part of his life in the past. It wasn't so much the torture he was afraid of, it was what the torture meant. 

The fear also lay in the fact that he knew what words had been used to control him. They played in his mind on a loop but as long as they were never spoken in succession out loud he'd remain Bucky Barnes. He could write down the words, he could give them to someone, give them the chance to control them but he knew that there would always be someone coming after him and those words were dangerous. Trust no one with what your past contained, not even Steve knew the extent of what had happened.

Yes Bucky did not remember his actions but he did remember the pain and so he knew what he had done was cruel and villainous. His arm was enough to remind him of a life he had no memory of. His arm was enough to remind him of what Hydra had done to him and what Hydra had taken from him.

Often Bucky reflected on the current use of the name Winter Soldier. It was used at one point to describe him as one of the world's most deadly assassins and now it was being used to describe him as a hero. He would admit that there were times when he wanted to shout out to the world that he was not the Winter Soldier, that he was simply Bucky Barnes. Yet he knew that there would be no one to understand. No being in all the world could ever understand what he felt, try as he might to explain it. 

No one that is, but you.

There was one memory in all of the pain that Bucky had never admitted to anyone. The one memory was of you. He questioned it quite often, unsure if it was his mind slowly beginning to piece together what he'd been through or creating false memories to make up for lost time. Either way in the midst of all the darkness, all the pain, there was you.

You who had your own name.

You who had your own code words.

You who had your life stripped from you by Hydra much like Bucky had.

He could never remember what year you showed up in the Hydra bunker where he was living but he knew that you had been brought there. He knew that you had screamed when they took you apart and pieced you back together an arm identical to his own on placed on you. He knew the two of you had fought side by side, killed side by side. In the muddled darkness of memory there was one thing Bucky was sure of, that he had known you, that you and he were one of the same.

Bucky knew who you were and until there had been sightings of you reported on the news, he had thought you were a myth. He could never be sure if what replayed in his mind was true no matter how visceral the feel of the memory was. How vivid the memory was didn't matter so much as knowing whether or not it had actually happened. 

At first Bucky kept the fact that he knew you to himself, it was a secret, a memory that for once he had control over. But he knew, he had been there in your position and he knew that the only person able to get you out was himself. The guilt overpowered the secret and he begged the Avengers to help you all while knowing the in the end he might have to brave it alone. The working relationship he had with Tony was already on thin ice as there had been only a few months of trust building, the working relationship he had with the rest of the team was on thin ice only because of the massive repair that was happening beneath the surface. He was cause for the rift between Steve and Tony which while being mended was still a fresh wound.

But somehow his pleas broke through as the rescue took place. 

Much like how Bucky's Hydra facade began to break as he viewed Steve, your Hydra facade began to break once Bucky appeared. You knew him, not well, but you knew him, you had fought and killed with him. But now here he was saying he was going to take you away, that he was working with the people you were trained to think of as the enemy, Here was a way out he explained and somewhere deep down part of you, the old you from before the blackness had consumed you, there was a piece of you that knew he could be trusted. There was a part of you that knew he was truthful and not to be feared. This was not a test by Hydra, this was a way out. You grabbed his hand.

The first month was frustration and pain. The arm that you had was removed from you, a new prosthetic being crafted, one that would never contain Hydra's mark. Bucky was working with you on ways to unlock memories, he told you stories of what he remembered when the two of you worked together and the you both waited for something to strike in your mind. It wasn't constant but there were moments that fleeting glimpses of your life in that bunker came to you.

The third month came progress. Memories weren't vivd but they were there. The old ones were faded and dim, like a photograph that had been sun-bleached. It frustrated you because up against the new memories that were vibrant and bright like a painting you felt like a failure. With Bucky at your side you knew this wasn't the case. Each day you wrote down what you had done and the next day you would see if you could remember, sometimes there were spots of forgetting but most of the time you remembered quite a bit of the previous day.

The sixth month was when you hit a stride, you and Bucky both. The team had noticed a change in Bucky ever since you'd arrived. Not only was he invested in your recovery, he was invested in his own. Most of what you had gone through Bucky knew about because he was there, the last few years were hard for you to remember and thus hard for him to understand what had happened after he was rescued but he knew the pain. Often the two of you would have conversations about the life before and the life after Hydra. The in-between didn't need talking about, not to one another. Memories were becoming stronger for the both of you each day. To you there was both Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes yet you could feel the pain, the anger that radiated from being seen as the Winter Soldier and only that. It was you who convinced Bucky to view using the name as a rebirth, he was like a phoenix. You both were.

At the eighth month you and Bucky began attending therapy. It helped to have someone who had gone through the same things but neither of you were medical professionals. There was no way for either of you to address the true psychological damage that surely had come from Hydra torture. There were days of individual therapy and then the two of you went into one session together as you both understood that the only way to help one another was to go through everything together. 

At the tenth month you and Bucky were on anxiety medications to help with the PTSD and each of you had a pending application for a PTSD service animal. 

At the eleventh month Bucky had offered you a spot on the Avengers which you took with the stipulation that you'd be doing surveillance work but no actual fighting for as long as you needed before you felt comfortable. 

At one year you and Bucky celebrated the year together, your year of improvement and progress. It was a small celebration held at your apartment but it was enough.

Eventually within the year you decided that you were ready to be an official Avenger. Within the year you began helping Sam at the VA, occasionally roping Bucky in as well. While those who were attending meetings at the VA had different experiences than you, those who had PTSD understood what it was like, what the memories or lack thereof was, what the constant struggle to remember to take your medication was like. 

Hydra was slowly falling apart, you made sure of it, using free time to hunt down and break apart the administration that had created you. 

At two years it was quite odd to look back at where you had been, under Hydra's thumb without hope that there was anything different. Now you were an Avenger, helping the world. You worked with those with PTSD, you were able to live on your own and you'd gained control of your mind and memories. Not every memory had returned and you know understood they wouldn't but you had accepted it. You were no longer feared by the public you were a role model, children ran up to you on the street in awe that you were there among them.

And the greatest change of all was what had occurred between you and Bucky.

Neither of you knew when it had happened. At one point it wasn't and then it was. Slowly late night conversations turned into late night dates, staying over at his apartment had turned into the two of you living together. Friendship branched out into a relationship, platonic love branched out into romantic love.

Hydra had created the both of you, had controlled the two of you. Now you controlled your own destiny, what came next you weren't sure.

Bucky rescued you, helped you heal, and in turn healed himself. Whatever the future held there was no mistaking that the two of you would face it head on, together.

#locke writes #daffodilsbucky1k #marvel #bucky barnes #bucky barnes imagine #marvel imagine #bucky barnes fic #marvel fic #bucky barnes fanfic #marvel fanfic #bucky barnes oneshot #marvel oneshot

[marquiswrites]

Wizard Love [1/5]

For @daffodilsbucky​ 1k Writing challenge. Prompt: Hogwarts AU

Summary: The Yule Ball is just around the corner, everyone is atwitter about who they’re going to ask… Steve and Bucky have been together for as long as either of them can remember, so obviously it’s a no brainer who they’re going with… Or is it?

Masterlist

#Wizard Love #Social Media AU #Stucky x Reader #Bucky x Reader #Steve x Reader #Hogwarts AU #Pietro Maximoff #Wanda Maximoff #Steve Rogers #James Buchanan Barnes #Kostya #Avengers Fanfic #Marvel Fanfic #daffodilsbucky1k

[dianadov]

Why are you here?

Pairing: Wanda x Reader

Warnings: mentions of alcohol

Prompt: “I’m not drunk, you’re just blurry.”

A/N: I wrote this for @daffodilsbucky‘s 1k challenge and I had so much fun!

@agentpeggybarnes​, thanks for beta-ing, you’re amazing

Credits for the picture to the owner :)

“Come on, Y/N. It’s going to be time to stop with the liquor for today.” You glared at Sam as hard as drunk you could and pulled your drink closer to you.

“Noo Sam! Let me live a little!”

“You’re not living, you’re trying to drown your sorrows,” he told you and you heard him clear as day, despite the loudness of the bar. You can’t actually remember how you finished up here, but you feel it was your idea. As you look around yourself, you realize that Sam is the only one left with you of the whole crew. Looks like Steve and Peggy went to his house a while ago. You’d probably be happy for them if you weren’t feeling so sorry for yourself.

“Well, I guess I am!”, you screamed louder than intended. And then you tried to stand up and go to the bar, but your legs wouldn’t listen to you.

“Y/N, please sit down and wait here. I’ll be right back.”

You didn’t know, but Sam went to call for back-up. If you knew who he was calling, you’d probably ruin his phone, but he felt this person was the only one who could get you home.

And that is how you found yourself staring at Wanda Maximoff, the reason behind your sorrows, half an hour later.

“What the hell, Sam? Why did you call her?”

“Because she’s your girlfriend, that’s why,” he shrugged as he explained. But you weren’t doing this.

“Well, not since she broke up with me without explanation, she isn’t!”, you yelled at him. He looked at Wanda questioningly. She only nodded and the look on his face let her know that they’re going to talk about this later.

“Will you still help me get her home?”, he only said to Wanda.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”, she responded to him and then she turned to you: “You’re very drunk, aren’t you, Y/N?”

But you shook your head vigorously: “Nu-uh, I’m not drunk. I only had a few drinks! It’s just-, you know, it’s just that you’re just so blurry!”, you yelled, “why the hell are you so blurry? Why can’t you be like normal people? And you too, Sam! Why is everyone so blurry around me?”

“Sweetheart, no one is blurry, it’s just the alcohol messing with your brain.  Now, please come home with us,” Sam begged.

“Finee, but only because it’s you.” You don’t even remember exactly how and when you got home, you just remember waking up in your own bed in the morning with a relatively big headache. You stood up and slowly walked to the tiny kitchen in your apartment, concentrating on not toppling over. You took a Tylenol and then made your way back to your room. And you almost had the shock of your life when you saw Sam and Wanda sitting on your couch. You haven’t even realized they’ve been there earlier.

“Oh, Sleeping Beauty woke up,” Sam teased you a bit. When you looked over to Wanda, the reason for your drinking yesterday came tumbling down on your mind.

“Wait a minute. Why are you here?”, you looked a bit accusingly at the girl on the couch, still trying to figure out how you got from the bar and when she joined your ‘party’.

Before she could answer though, your best friend chided: “Now, now, Y/N, play nice. She’s here because she helped me get you home from the bar yesterday. I called her.”

“Look, Y/N, can we talk? Please,” Wanda asked.

“Fine. But I’m only going to listen. Sam, could you please please make me a coffee?”

“Sure, no problem. I’m gonna leave you two alone,” he said as he left for the kitchen.

“Okay, so. I’m so sorry. For everything. I talked with Sam for the whole night. He’s actually really good at his job. I know I haven’t given you a reason for the breakup. I love you. I still do and I always will. I just, I feel like I’m not good enough for you. You deserve someone much better and much less damaged than me.”

“Wanda, what are you talking about? You’re perfect for me. I love you with all of my heart. I love all of your quirks and faults – not that you have any, mind you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and  I want the whole world to know that you’re perfect. I have no idea where you got the idea that you’re not good enough for me, but if you let me, I’ll be there every day for the rest of our lives to remind you of the contrary. Because I love you, I really do.” By the end of both of your speeches, you are both sobbing and hugging each other with promises of never letting each other go. It’s like nothing else exists.

Until Sam clears his throat by the doorway, grinning wide: “Uh, so, I made that sandwich that you asked me for?”

#daffodilsbucky1k #wanda x reader #wanda x you #wanda maximoff

[buckys-estrella]

Forge of the Heart Masterlist - on hold

Warnings: Enemies to lovers-ish, events leading up to the revolutionary war, talks of violence/actual violence, fluff and angst (more to come as the story progresses + each chapter will have specific warnings).

Summary: The year is 1774 and Sergeant Barnes of the British Infantry has been sent to Boston. The Quartering Act has just been put in place and he along with two other soldiers will be staying in the house of a colonist. He expected resistance but he never thought that he’d find the eldest daughter of the household so intriguing.

masterlist

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

disclaimer: I do try my best to keep my writing as inclusive as possible, however I am aware of the fact that this takes place in a time period and location where the reader is most likely a white woman. In the picture board as well she is depicted as white, but in my writing I try to keep her discription vague as to allow it for you to imagine yourself. I understand a frustration that could arise from this and I welcome any advice on how I could improve the depiction of the reader or any part of the story in order to make it more inclusive.

#Forge of the Heart #daffodilsbucky1k #masterlist #bucky barnes #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #historical au #Revolutionary War AU #sara:writes

[shakespeareanqueer]

Eggshells (Mini-Series) (Master Post)

Pairing: None

Summary: You’re the Avengers’ therapist

Word count: 8,608 words total

Mini-Series Masterlist | My Masterlist

A/N: This is for @daffodilsbucky​‘s 1K Writing Challenge! If any masterlist is made, please use this post. I had a lot of fun writing this! If there’s interest, I’ll write more sessions. My prompt is bolded in the final installment, and was the quote “I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.” from Perks of Being a Wallflower. Enjoy!

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay 

Intro

Part 1 - Captain

Part 2 - Boss Man

Part 3 - Sergeant

Final Part - Best Friend

#my post #marvelll #fanfic #daffodilsbucky1k