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#I'm really happy with the teams i have. only thing i need are more convenient off field supports. Xingqiu or Fischl style...but pyro & cryo
luveline · 9 months
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hiii jade i have a request for u if you’re up for it!! something about spencer and the reader in a new relationship and sort of keeping it from the team but having to tell hotch for an HR report or something and the subsequent kind teasing from him and the team? thank u love u have a wonderful day
thank you, ily I hope you have a great day too! tysm for u request! —you and spencer tell the team you're in a relationship. 1.1k, fem!reader
You decide to take the plunge if only to save Spencer the embarrassment, but things don't go as planned. 
You knock on Hotch's office door primly, invited inside with the same professional politeness. You and Hotch actually get along very well, and though it took some time for him to warm to you, once Hotch is warmed, you can't ever not feel it. 
"L/N," he greets. You're startled to receive his full attention, no notes scratched under his hand or phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder. 
"Hi, Hotch. So, uh, I'm a little nervous, but I have something to tell you." 
He sits back in his chair subtly. "You don't have to be nervous," he says. "Unless you've broken the coffee maker again. I'm afraid I won't be as forgiving twice." 
"It's nothing broken, it's…" 
"Do you want to sit down?" he asks, his joking softened to a familial concern. 
"No, it's not as bad as I'm making it out, I just know how embarrassing this is going to be. I," —you squeeze your hands together as you take the plunge— "asked Spencer to be my boyfriend, this weekend. And he said yes. I know it's not very convenient because we work together, but I checked the government website and it said that we have to tell you, and that you'd actually have to fill out a bunch of forms. I'm sorry." 
Hotch's eyebrows rise a little further with every sentence. "I'm sorry you can't be afforded a little more privacy," he says, standing up. He smiles as he rounds his desk. "Congratulations, Y/N. This is good news, no matter how many forms I have to fill in."
You sigh in relief as he pulls you in for a hug. "Thanks, Hotch. I'm really happy." 
"It's been a long time coming," he murmurs, rubbing your back quickly before he steps back. "Excuse me a second." 
You bring your hands together at your abdomen, startled. "Sure." 
Hotch walks out of his office onto the landing overlooking the bullpen. Spencer, who didn't know you were going to do this, is sitting unawares at his desk, a look of dread flooding his features. 
You frown. 
"Reid, a word," Hotch says.
The rest of the team look up at his scary tone, see you confused in his office, and offer looks of mirrored confusion plus a good helping of sympathy. 
Spencer gives you a reassuring smile as he follows Hotch back into the office. The door closes with a formidable thunk. 
"Y/N's just told me you have news." 
Spencer's hand twitches toward you. 
"Congratulations," Hotch says, dropping the act. 
You're honestly astounded —Hotch can be playful, especially with the team, but not often at work. 
Spencer seems a little dumbfounded too. "Thanks, Hotch." They share a hug. Spencer relaxes into it quickly. "We're sorry about all the forms," he says. 
"Y/N's already apologised. What's another mountain of paperwork?" They step apart. "I'm happy for you both. Really. This job is different when you have someone at home you're doing it for." 
You leave Hotch's office together and in shock, though the floor feels cushioned, weight shelling off of your shoulders with every step. Spencer puts his hand behind your back as you descend the steps back into the bullpen, his fingertips impossibly affectionate. They're only fingertips, how can they be loving? But they are. 
You smile at him dopily, endeared by the blush staining his cheeks. 
"What the hell was that about?" Emily asks in a whisper shout, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. "What did you guys do?" 
Spencer steps closer to your side. Too close; a colleague would never have reason to do so, nor to put the hand behind your back. He doesn't even need to curl his hand over your hip for Emily and Derek to understand, but he does. 
"You're kidding!" Emily cheers. 
"Don't act like you guys didn't know," you say. 
Spencer isn't the shy, awkward boy he was a few years ago, but he also isn't uber confident, and the attention you feel all of a sudden has his grip tightening on your hip. 
"You finally told her?" Derek asks, practically leaping out of his seat. 
You get the first hug. Spencer gets the longer one. You know it means a lot to him that Derek approves, and luckily Derek loves you. "Actually, she asked me," Spencer says, pulling away with a blinding smile. 
"Really?" Emily asks.
"Well, I asked Spence to be official," you amend, accepting her side hug. "He kissed me last week in New York." 
"I knew it!" Emily says in your ear, nearly deafening you. 
"I thought you chickened out?" Derek asks Spencer, jabbing him in the side with two hands. 
Spencer did not chicken out, the opposite. You'd been sitting together at the end of his bed after the case finished, lamenting over your lack of sight-seeing. Spencer had shrugged, said, "We'll come back." 
"For a case?" you'd asked. "That's not likely, right? We barely ever come to New York." 
"We could come without the team. Me and you." 
"You and me?" 
It wasn't an overly charged run up, though there have been moments of tension between you both. This was tame, and sweet, the perfect confession. Spencer as courteous as he always is, cautious with nerves, took your wrist into his hand and looked you in the eye. "If you want to see more of the city, we could come together. There are so many places here I think you'd be interested in." 
"As friends?" you'd asked, knowing it was make or break.
"No… Not as friends."
It wasn't a second longer before you were closing your eyes for a kiss. 
"I told you, man, it's the city of love," Derek says. 
You laugh and move forward to slide your fingers between Spencer's. "That's Paris." 
"You kissed, didn't you?" Derek pretends to dry his eyes. "My babies are all grown up." 
Spencer rubs the back of your hand with his thumb. "We'll be subjected to this for a while." 
"A few weeks, at least," you agree. 
"Wait until JJ and Penelope find out," Emily says with a laugh, her eyes lit with amusement. 
You look up at the side of Spencer's face with a huge beaming smile. You can take any amount of ridicule if it means the space between you is finally nullified. You're sure of it. He turns his head to you, smiling with less zealous joy but the same budding, dizzying affection. 
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asteria-argo · 7 months
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You mentioned is one of your WIP posts about how the Richmond coaches share repairability of the players, I would love to hear your thoughts on who belongs to who?
Not only do I have thoughts, I have a whole chart.
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The way this works in my mind is that it's a combination of how helpful the coach actually is when the player has a problem, how likely to player is to go to the coach for help and how well they get along just as people.
We'll start with Roy. Roy's only got a couple of players that are really his problem, for a couple reasons. One, Roy is scary and unapproachable but also two, Roy became a coach after most of the players had already cemented themselves as either Ted or Beards problems. That leaves Roy with Isaac and Jamie.
Jamie as Roy's problem is self explanatory. Ted fumbles the bag with Jamie every time he tries, and Beard kind of freaks Jamie out, so he doesn't usually go to him for help. We all agree Jamie is Roy's problem.
Isaac is also Roy's problem. This has canon basis, I can cite my sources but for convenience sake I'll paraphrase my reasoning and that is that Roy was a lot more instrumental to Isaacs development than any of the other coaches. Roy is the one who chose Isaac as the next captain, it was Roy who helped Isaac through his slump in season two before Roy had even come back to be a coach, and it was Roy who spoke to Isaac after he went after that fan in the stands. Isaac is Roy's problem.
Next we'll talk about Beard. Beard in canon doesn't have a lot of one on one interaction with any of the players, so I'm going mostly on vibes for the players that are his problem.
That's why Bumbercatch is mainly Beards problem. I think their weird girl energies line up pretty well, and when Bumbercatch is doing weird things Ted doesn't know how to handle, Beard is usually able to step in. Jan Maas is also mostly Beards problem, because Jan Maas appreciates Beards direct but minimal approach to coaching.
Colin is also a good balance of Ted's problem and Beard's problem with a slight lean towards being Beards problem. Not because Colin actually goes to Beard for help that often, more because Beard decided Colin was his problem and keeps an eye on him when he can. I was actually tempted to make a little circle that included Trent and put Colin there, because that is who Colin actually goes too for help more often than not, but in terms of The Coaches, Colin is usually Beards problem.
Zoreaux and Richard were tricky for me, because they don't do a lot in canon so I think they both fall under the general umbrella of being Ted's problem because he's the manager more often than not, but I think Beard is pretty involved with the goal keepers so Zoreaux is his problem sometimes.
As for Ted, he will usually take point in issues regarding Dani or Sam. As the manager, everyone on the team is under the blanket umbrella of being his problem, but Sam and Dani will usually seek Ted specifically out for help with things on the occasions they need it and Ted is always be happy to help them to the best of his ability.
As for all the background himbos, they fall solidly in the center thanks to the fact that because they have at best vague personalities and I don't even know most of their names, so they're usually the problem of whoever is closest to them at the time.
I hope you enjoyed this because I spend So Much Time thinking about it.
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starrybouquet · 4 months
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20 questions for fic writers
tagged several weeks ago by @doodledrawreblogs - thanks cy! and sorry this is late lol
1. how many works do you have on Ao3? counting drabbles, 77 works!
2. what's your total Ao3 word count? 127,611 (yes, most of the works are oneshots)
3. what fandoms do you write for? I have AO3 stuff for Stargate SG-1, NCIS, Top Gun, and RPF!
4. what are your top five fics by kudos?
I thought this would just be all the multichaps I've written (or started) but I guess there's something to be said for older stuff because it's actually all Stargate! I suspect penny!fic will eventually appear on here if I ever get off my butt and finish it
In All Duty and Service (T, Stargate, S/J, 13k)
4am (G, Stargate, S/J, 2.4k)
for here I am sitting in my tin can (strike him down) (G, icemav, 7k) - 964 kudos
and ease my mind (G, icemav, 533) - 947 kudos
so put me where I belong (G, mavdad, 3k) - 853 kudos
5. do you respond to comments? Originally, I responded to every comment. Then I started getting the inevitable daily/weekly "please update" or "update" or "are you going to finish this??" comments and now I don't respond to every comment. If your comment says something nice, though, I'll do my best to respond to it eventually!
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Uhh...nothing yet, I think? I'm really way worse about saccharine-sweet, syrupy, TERRIBLY FLUFFY endings.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I wrote a 200-word ficlet that is literally only the happy ending! Just Like in the Movies
8. Do you get hate on fics? Not yet, but all my more ~controversial~ stuff is safely in my GDrive still, so....*shrugs* all my current AO3 stuff is pretty bland.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Nope. Every year I threaten to do it and then I just get all embarrassed about it and never share anything.
10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Not yet, but if I had a good idea for one I'd absolutely write it!
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Stealing Cy's answer for this because it's so true lol. I don't...think so?
12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I know of! (If you would like to translate anything of mine, please go for it! There's not much to work with right now though lol)
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nothing that's on AO3, only super-secret stuff that may never see the light of day!
14. What’s your all time favorite ship? is this question asking for an OTP? Because I have two: Sam/Jack, SG1 and Janeway/Chakotay, Voyager.
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Gah, all of them. Uhhh, there's a marriage-of-convenience SJ AU where Sam and Jack have to be married to be on the same SG team that @carothepoet and I brainstormed years ago, and I doubt we'll ever finish?
16. What are your writing strengths? Silly dialogue, short fics! That's...um...it.
17. What are your writing weaknesses? WRITING VOLUME. It's not that I can't do it, it's that I don't ever prioritize my writing enough to find the time. In terms of actually putting words on the page...description is hard. Plot is hard.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Honestly, I'm just insane and "what the hell, it's a hobby not a job" enough to Google Translate something if I really need to have some dialogue in another language. Obviously I'd put a disclaimer that I have no idea if it's correct. I like making fun of the "everyone speaks English" TV trope though, so I'm far more likely to just have the aliens randomly speak English XD
19. First fandom you wrote for? The first thing I published was for Stargate. The first stuff I wrote before I knew what fanfiction was? God, probably...actually I have no clue? percy jackson? chronicles of narnia? who knows.
20. Favorite fic you’ve written? I am choosing to be an optimist today: I don't think it's been written yet!! I do, however, have a special fondness for Chapter 3 of Letters to Archie for, yes, its pettiness and fluffiness, and also for in for a penny, in for a pound because it's fun!
I haven't been on here in ages so I have no idea who to tag. I'm just gonna tag a bunch of people and hope some of them are actually active. Uh, no pressure tagging @malewifebillcage @tommyjop @curator-on-ao3 @mylittleredgirl @mrv3000 @delicatelie89 @ladywaffles @sluttyhenley @redbelles?
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periwinckles · 1 year
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The train back home - chapter 3
By the end of the first week, we have put our plan in motion and by the end of the second week, we operate like a well-oiled machine, capable of rivaling even the efficiency of the District Thirteen regime.
Today I'm on water duty, along with Saul and Leevy, which entails carrying buckets of water to the camping site and distributing it to the workers. We collect the water from the fountain near the East mine entrance, which is a considerable distance away. However, all the nearer fountains are clogged with ashes, and there is no plumbing for water anywhere except at the train station and in Victors village. A couple of days ago, Haymitch Abernathy visited the camping site and offered to let us collect water from his house. The walk is shorter but the incline is steep enough to discourage us. I think he was hoping to trade water for liquor, which we obviously don't have. Thom ordered two more pushcarts and several water drums that we can reuse, and hopefully that'll make our job easier, but for the time being we need to carry it. I don't mind. It's hard work, but I still haven't seen the town, and I prefer tasks that keep it out of sight.
Our group is divided into three teams: the "cleaners," the "campers," and the "suppliers." Mr. Norbert oversees the "cleaners," the largest group composed entirely of males. Their task is clearing buildings for reconstruction, sorting and salvaging materials as they go. They are also responsible for the grim task of collecting and burying the bodies of the deceased, but I try not to dwell on that too much.
Mr Johnson is in charge of the camping site, the "campers". Along with his crew they handle everything from tents set up to gathering wood for the night's bonfire. Within three days of our arrival, they constructed a shelter using wood and oilcloth to protect our supplies from the elements and they're currently in the process of building a latrine and a few makeshift showers. We’re able to use the toilets from the train station for now, but it's not really convenient, as it's still a six or seven minute walk from here, and we only have one shower for forty seven people.
Saul wanted us to join Thom's team, so we're "suppliers". We handle food, water, orders from the train, as well as cleaning and organizing all the tools and equipment. We also take inventory of everything that the 'cleaners' manage to salvage from the wrecks. It keeps us mostly in camp, although Thom and a few others usually join the "cleaners" in the afternoons. Saul begs me to let him join them every day. I managed to keep him away from town so far, but I know it won't last long.
Keeping ourselves occupied helps us to move forward, both literally and figuratively, so that’s what I’m trying to do, for Saul’s sake. It seems odd that work would be the one thing that would give me a sense of joy again, but I guess I did always find contentment in it. The afternoons are my favorite, as I take time to do some sewing and mending. It was apparent I was the most skilled with a needle. The first few days I dreaded the moment I had to pick it up. It reminded me so much of all the time I spent helping my dad at the shop. But as I worked the stitches with the precision he taught me I was flooded with happy memories of him. So, I reserve the afternoons to spend time with my dad now. Even if it's only in my head.
"Delilah, let me help you!"
That is, until I’m bothered. Again.
Cyrus Johnson makes a quick jog in my direction to help me with my buckets but before he reaches me, I shake my head.
"Thank you, Mr Johnson, but I'm good, they are not that heavy." I only half fill my buckets. They are easier to carry and easier to lift to pour the water into the water drums. I need to make more trips, but they're easier to manage this way.
As I pour my water on the drum he makes a point to hold the lid open, and once more I pretend I don't notice the extra attention he’s giving me. What a striking contrast this is to two years ago when most guys wouldn’t even spare a second glance at plain Delly. Now it feels like all I do is fend off guys trying to get too close.
"You should rest for a bit, you've been carrying buckets all morning!"
It's barely 10:00 am and I have only made four trips so far.
" I will, once I get some of this water to Sae."
Sae's a 'supplier' too and she does most of the cooking. We're still eating canned food for the most part but she's heating it up and adding a few herbs she collects. We also got a large supply of eggs last week, that she's been using in every way imaginable. Leevy and her sister Luisa help her, and they sometimes let me join as well. I’m slowly getting the hang of it, though I’m not as helpful as Leevy and Luisa, who have been cooking meals for their family before learning how to read. You'd figure my poor cooking abilities would be enough to discourage the male attention.
"Hey, Ray, get this water to Sae, will you?"
Ray Thompson reluctantly stops what he's doing and follows Cyrus's orders, but it's clear that he's unhappy about it. His wife shoots me a disapproving glare, but otherwise, the other "campers" continue with their tasks, without noticing. Lucky for me someone else does.
"Delly, I'm going to the train station now to get this week's supplies, you want to come with?"
Thom appears next to us, seemingly out of nowhere. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, his hair is wet and messy, and the front of his shirt is splattered with water, as if he was hit by a spraying hose. It's clear he's been working hard today. He’s been trying to fix one of the closer fountains to the camp, to make it usable again, and from the looks of it, he succeeded.
Read the rest on AO3
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aitchnkay · 7 months
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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 24
Maintaining order in the camp was not unlike herding chickens in an unfenced yard. Maintaining order when her subjects were scattered all over the jianghe? Meng Yao was god's blessing; he helped her keep track of all the incoming and outgoing messages, making sure to update the map they'd cobbled together.
The strike teams were ruthlessly effective. Sometimes, they were able to take out only a few Wen soldiers. Sometimes they were able to kill several hundred in a night. They stayed shielded behind Wei WuXian's talismans, allowing them freedom of movement a normal patrol would never have.
The biggest issue, however, was with Jin ZiXuan's mother. Yu FangSu arrived in the middle of the night in a rainstorm, demanding to take the reins of the campaign. As part of that, she demanded Meng Yao's expulsion from Jiang YanLi's side.
"No. My strategy advisor stays with me."
"Don't speak to your elders like that," the older woman snapped.
Jiang YanLi was fighting yawns and shivers; she'd been asleep only a few hours when her mother's friend arrived. "You are here at my convenience. Your job is to send and receive the messenger butterflies. If you can't, or won't, do that? Find me someone who will."
Yu FengSu sniffed, and raised her head, looking so much like her childhood friend. "I will assist you, dearest child. But, as your mother's substitute... I cannot allow you to cavort with such... persons."
Jiang YanLi lost the battle with a yawn. "Madame Yu. If you have an issue with your husband's son, I suggest you take your anger out on the man who abused your trust instead of the one who has done nothing to earn your ire." She was vaguely aware of Meng Yao allowing his frozen facial facade to show shock at her defense. You are my advisor, Meng Yao. I promised to protect you. And I will. Even against the woman I thought to call my mother-in-law. A good leader protects all of her people.
"He's a bastard," Yu FangSu hissed. "And his mother was a prostitute. Such people should be kept far away from decent people."
Jiang YanLi yawned again, not even trying to prevent it. "I fully intend to keep my distance from the man who was unfaithful to your marriage, and who refused to make Meng Shi a concubine after he impregnated her. Jin GuangShan's actions made Meng Yao a bastard. His morality is severely lacking. That you absolve your husband of his responsibility and blame someone who did not choose to be born into that mess, makes me question your morality.
"I bid you goodnight, Madame Yu. If you really cannot behave properly around my advisor, I will find another person to handle the butterflies. I find Meng Yao far more a pleasant companion and advisor than any Jin at this moment."
Meng Yao held her umbrella as she trudged through the rain and mud to her tent. "You did not have to say such things to your mother-in-law."
Jiang YanLi smiled, exhaustion showing through. "I am not marrying Jin ZiXuan anymore. My need to keep my brothers alive through this war is far more important than keeping my mother's friend happy. You, Meng Yao, are far more important to me." She shook her head softly. "I'm not saying it properly, am I? I like to think that we've become friends over the last few weeks. Aside from your abilities as my strategic advisor, you are valuable to me."
"The fortune teller told me that I... did bad things in that other future. Bad things to you and your family."
"Did she? I know what you're capable of, Meng Yao, both good and evil. I still choose to have you as a friend. I choose to trust you. Will you break my trust?"
He didn't answer for a long time. Then... "Jiang Gunian... I swear on my mother that I will never break your trust. I will be loyal to you until the day I die." He handed her the umbrella, knelt in the mud, and bowed his head.
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kitkatt0430 · 2 years
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hartley rathaway and or harry wells for the character game
Aha! My favorite prickly porcupine characters :D
Hartley Rathaway
NOTP - Hmm... I mean, he's gay so any ship with a lady that isn't a QPR would be right out. But for a true NOTP... I dunno. Joe West is a definite no. But I feel like I could see Hartley with pretty much any other guy on the show (or arrow-verse at large).
BROTP - Lisa Snart. Are they best friends? Are they QPPs? Either way I want them to be besties for life. That it would annoy Cisco to no end having these two team up is definitely a bonus. But that we never got a Piper & Glider commit crime together on the show is a definite shame.
OTP - Cisco Ramon. Hartmon is one of my favorite ships for the Flash and I definitely feel like the two have more in common than they're willing to admit. Especially when it comes to struggling with feeling like they've failed to meet familial expectations and getting screwed over by EoWells. But they're both brainy nerds, so the two of them bonding over their fandoms and then arguing over scientific theory & implementation the next is definitely part of the appeal of the ship.
Second Choice OTP - Barry Allen. This is another case of two characters having more in common than they're ready to admit. But they don't really have the baggage that Hartley does with Cisco and it's similar to why I enjoy Coldflash since Hartley does start off as Barry's enemy in all timelines but, unlike Snart, makes the full shift over to ally in most of those timelines too. (Though we only see it happen twice.) And, honestly, Hartley's comment about wanting to be swept off his feet by a guy in red leather is the funniest thing anyone's ever said in regards to Barry's suit. :D
Fluffy Ship - Cisco Ramon. As much as their established history lends itself well to angst, I really just like these two being at a point where they've moved beyond it and become all soft and melty for each other. And very protective because they know better than anyone what the other's weak spots are.
Angsty Ship - Eobard Thawne (as Harrison Wells). It's heavily implied canon that these two were involved before Hartley found the flaw(s) in the accelerator and Eobard gave him the boot, breaking up with and firing Hartley in one fell swoop. I tend to prefer it for background angst since I want Hartley to find happiness, but there's definitely a deep well of angst in there with Eobard manipulating Hartley on multiple levels.
Poly Ship - It's a toss up actually so...
David and Rob Singh. David is actually Hartley's love interest in the comics, so arguably Rob (whose last name is never given that I know of, so I just hand him his husband's instead) was created to partially take Hartley's place. That being said, what little of David/Rob seen in canon is very loving and stable, which is an environment Hartley would benefit from greatly. There definitely needs to be more of these three together and I guess at some point I'm just gonna have to write more myself.
Barry Allen and Cisco Ramon. It's my two fav OTPs for Hartley smushed into one, plus sticks two sunshine boys together. What could go wrong? hehehe (so much, no doubt)
Weirdest Ship - I mean... I don't really have a crack ship for Hartley, but arguably his canon ship with Roderick Smith is weird to me, for all that I enjoyed patching in the backstory for them with my semi-canon compliant three-parter fic series. Roderick is retconned into canon events on the show itself with 'remember the new guy' flashbacks and leaves him conveniently comatose so that he becomes Hartley's plot coupon for his redemption arc 2.0, this time speed run on screen instead of being retconned into existence. (Of course, it's set up by retconning out the first redemption arc out of existence first.) Because of how Roderick's screen time is largely confined to a fight scene flashback and naptime in a sleeping beauty glass coffin (I really gotta write a fairy tale fusion for these two), Roderick's a blank slate. He has no personality, so he can be given any personality necessary for a story and it's not OoC. Because he has no character beyond 'loyal to Hartley'.
Harry Wells
NOTP - His fellow Wells. Much as I like the idea of Harry learning to shed some of his self-hatred and that being reflected in how he treats his fellow Wells, I'm not generally into self-cest/twin-cest ships and parallel universe selves definitely fall in that area.
BROTP - Joe West. I really like their friendship in canon. It's nuanced and nice for two dad's to be able to bond over all the weird stuff their super powered adult child problems. They both have a tendency to get in trouble with their kids for being over-protective to the point of smothering too, so I just... like these two getting chances to bond. I also like that Joe is the one who really calls Harry out on his behavior in S4.
OTP - Cisco Ramon. There's so much UST and innuendo between these two in canon that the only two reasons I can think of that this ship didn't become canon was a.) the age difference between the characters/actors and b.) the writing staff has made a number of queerphobic decisions over the years that I suspect they can't conceive of Cisco being bi. Harry is clearly, canonically devoted to Cisco. So extending that devotion into romantic territory is way too easy to see.
Second Choice OTP - This is a hard one for me because Harry reads as being demiromantic and demisexual to me, so a lot of the popular ships for him get a kind of 'meh' response from me. I think E2 Tess Morgan - at least I'm assuming his unnamed wife was E2 Tess Morgan based on the audio clip used when he was sharing his memories of her with Jesse - would have to be my runner up OTP, though. We know he loved her dearly and Harry's love of her, even years after her death, is incredibly hard for him to speak of even to his daughter. So I can only imagine just how much happiness these two shared together in the early days of building STAR Labs and taking care of little Jesse.
Fluffy Ship - Cisco Ramon. Once the angst is cleared out of the way, these two just fall beautifully into sync with each other and being generally soft and domestic. Give me the fluffy happiness. :D
Angsty Ship - Hartley Rathaway. I haven't really gotten into this ship too much, but the potential for angst between these two is great. Harry's trying to leave the shadow cast by Eobard Thawne and afraid the things he did so that Zoom wouldn't kill Jesse mean he never will. And Hartley has to move beyond the hurt Eobard caused him in order to truly see Harry for who he truly is. I think Harry would be potentially drawn to Hartley for some of the same reasons he's canonically drawn to Cisco - they're both brilliant, snarky little assholes when they want to be and Harry is just delighted to have someone who pushes back when he shoves.
Poly Ship - I can't really see Harry being in a poly relationship that doesn't involve Cisco. And it'd be more likely to be a V - which would mean Harry would have to examine his jealousy issues - but in some cases I could see Harry falling into a triangle with Cisco and another too. I've been enjoying writing my Cisco/Harry/Hartley story, so for now that ship would specifically be my fav poly ship for him. But I think Harry's ultimately more likely to be accepting of others in a poly ship but not really interested in one for himself.
Weirdest Ship - HR Wells BROTP. I want these two to learn to like themselves and it being reflected in them growing a brotherly relationship while they weren't paying attention. They both struggle with self-hatred in their own ways and project it onto each other in differing degrees. Harry has the genius that HR wishes he had and HR has the social skills that Harry doesn't know how to emulate. They're both so very ND too and mask in different ways. So the ways in which these two play off each other is just fascinating to me. It's not necessarily weird-weird as a ship, but everything HR does is odd somehow. (Which is part of what I like about him.)
Bonus:
More thoughts on the Harry & HR BROTP. Okay, so, imagine HR had survived the end of S3 and gone back to Earth 19 to recuperate + help Cynthia with a much needed social revolution of what seems to be a massively fascist government there. Would have completely changed aspects of S4. In this AU HR would have learned to value his own strengths over the course of S3 and background of S4, so having him pass on what he's learned to help Harry with valuing his own emotional insights would be a interesting evolution of their relationship, with Harry especially learning from HR to treat himself with kindness and forgiveness.
<3 oh if only.
As it was, we did briefly get HR semi-back from the dead during Nash's possessed by the Wells arc. And while it's all background acting choices on Tom's part no doubt, Harry clearly treats HR with more patience, understanding, and kindness during the characters scenes together during those episodes. HR, in turn, wasn't being passive aggressive towards Harry either, no longer having to feel like Team Flash really wanted Harry and not him. Seeing the growth there for both of them was really a nice glimpse into the characters before we lost them for good. (Also Harry occasionally borrows one of HR's drumsticks. So they are basically sharing stim toys and I love the sibling-esque dynamic of it.)
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itswavelengths · 1 year
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Game Freak's Freakiest Game is Back
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As the Nintendo 3DS digital storefront meets an untimely end, it's been heartening to see some of the games I feared would be lost to time popping up in unexpected places. Pocket Card Jockey, one of the many small experiments by the team behind Pokémon, was a game as successful as it was ridiculous about racing horses by playing solitaire — the better at solitaire you are, the better your horse will perform. It's a nonsensical premise, and the game knows it.
The opening moments (this is real!!) find your protagonist dying in a horse-related accident, followed by an angelic resurrection on the condition that you're to win a derby race in your lifetime or be sent to Hell. To make things fair, the angel blesses you with the ability to ride horses as well as you can play solitaire.
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Each race involves playing quick rounds of the card game to build up points which can be spent directing your horse around the track based on where they're most comfortable — inside or outside the pack of your competitors. There's a lot more to think about on a race-by-race basis than I can succinctly write out here, and time spent outside the track can present players with a possibly overwhelming web of decisions as you begin to buy and breed horses, all of which I think is the game's greatest fault. While the core loop of playing solitaire and racing is a dream, managing the happiness, stats, and abilities of horses while also worrying about placement on a moment-to-moment basis can feel like elements that distract for players seeking a breezy time.
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Despite my grievances with the learning curve, I absolutely adored the game, and would go as far as saying it's one of the best titles ever released on the 3DS. The truth of my gripes with the visual and mechanic clutter is that after a while, I began engaging with and loving everything the game has to offer. The genius of Pocket Card Jockey lies in the understanding that solitaire by itself has always been a perfect game to take on the go, and layering any kind of progression atop it only supercharges the desire to keep returning in free moments. As the 3DS storefront faces impending closure, I'm thrilled to know the game — like its jockey protagonist — will get a second chance at life via today's release on Apple Arcade.
Director Masao Taya spoke to Giovanni Colantonio about the release over at Digital Trends:
“With Apple Arcade, which requires absolutely no in-app purchase beyond the subscription service fees, there was no need to forcefully remodel the game into an F2P style, so we figured that we’d do our best to make the fans happy,” Taya says.
“When it was made public that the game would be added to the Apple Arcade lineup, there was quite a big reaction in Japan, with Pocket Card Jockey trending on Twitter,” Taya says. “I was really surprised when the number of new unread items on my Twitter app showed up as 999. It impressed on me the number of players who’d been waiting for this.”
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I was curious how the game, which uses the top screen of the 3DS for horse racing and the bottom for solitaire and movement, would translate to the single screen of an iPhone, and have been pleasantly surprised so far. While the number of on-screen elements can be a bit difficult to parse at first, I found myself settling right back into old habits as soon as I'd made it through the tutorial.
The dream, after Ride On! was initially announced, was that taking a game famous for its quick-burst gameplay and making it available on an even more convenient piece of hardware would possibly help it surpass the original. I am absolutely an outlier in that I usually have my 3DS on me when I'm out and about, always ready to chip away at a project in Animal Crossing or meander through Hyrule when on a long subway ride. More often than not, though, I would dip into Pocket Card Jockey to knock out a race or two when given the opportunity.
Having the stickiest and most bizarre game of the Nintendo 3DS' library available on my phone means one less device in my pockets, and that's a plus in my book.
---
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac via an Apple Arcade subscription.
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wandaswifeyforlifey · 2 years
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Turtle Doves
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A/n: I'm actually really proud of this fic and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Also, just a little reference I used, two turtle doves are a symbol for love. I hope you like this festive fic and enjoy reading it!
Ship: Wanda Maximoff x Reader
Warnings: None but a fair amount of teasing and pining
Word count: 830
Summary: The whole team knew about your love for Wanda so when you go out to the Christmas Market, a team tradition, you find the perfect gift for her and present it to her in the most gorgeous place you'd ever seen.
Navigation / Masterlist / Taglist / Christmas Fics
The Christmas Market was your favourite event of the year and this time you had people to attend it with. More importantly, someone to attend it with. Your attraction towards Wanda was barely a secret anymore, thanks to Tony. Everyone seemed to know apart from Wanda herself. Due to this, the teasing was unbearable. Steve would give you a suggestive look when he left the room to leave you and Wanda alone together, Nat would try her hardest to get you to sit next to each other in the car or at the dinner table, Tony would purposefully put you on the same missions, you were surprised Wanda wasn’t aware of this because the team we not subtle about it.
Tony always made the Christmas Market a big team event to bring you all closer together and give everyone a chance to buy their gifts. Winter was also the best time of year to go out as no one could recognise you beneath all of the hats, scarves, coats and gloves.
There were few presents left to buy, all you needed to get were some quality socks for Bruce, dainty but chic earrings for Nat and the perfect gift for Wanda. That single present was the only thing you’d been struggling with this Christmas. What if you did too much? Not enough? Not her thing? There seemed to be thousands of things that could go wrong. Hopefully, this market could help give you some ideas.
When you all arrived, you split off into groups of three. In one group was Steve, Bucky and Sam, in the second was Bruce, Yelena and Clint, in the third was Tony, Rhodey and Vision and finally, there was You, Natasha and Wanda. This was not convenient for you at all considering you were here to buy presents for the other members of your group but there was nothing you could do about it.
The stalls were beautiful with colourful and delicate glass baubles at one, where you felt that by even breathing on them they could shatter into a million pieces or wooden decorations with etchings on them reading heartwarming quotes. It all brought you into the perfect festive mood. You noticed Natasha hanging back slightly, leaving Wanda and you to walk together. She began to shiver and hooked her arm in yours, intertwining you. Despite the cold weather, you felt the heat rising in your cheeks and turned away with a slowly appearing smile.
“Oh, these are gorgeous! Y/n, have a look,” Wanda pulled you towards a stand that was selling jewellery. She picked up a ring and held it out to you. She was absolutely right. It was alluring. It was a simple silver ring with a thin band but a perfectly circular red gemstone in the centre of it. The mix of colours inside made it look like liquid with browns, reds, yellows and a silver shimmer. It was the perfect gift.
You slowly left Wanda at the stall, hoping she wouldn’t notice when you walked over to Natasha.
“I need you to keep Wanda away from me for a little bit, ok?” you said in a hushed tone even though Wanda was most definitely out of earshot.
“Ooh, trouble in paradise?” she smirked.
“Ugh. No, I’m trying to buy her a present which will hopefully get me into paradise,” you replied, slightly annoyed. Nat understood completely, walked towards Wanda, still looking at the jewellery, and dragged her over to another stand selling cheese and chutney. This was your chance. You had faith in Natasha to stop her from even looking over so there wasn’t even an ounce of worry, just excitement.
You planned to give it to her that same day while you were still out. There was a more secluded place you’d passed by earlier that you would take her to and present the ring.
The snow was falling, the sun was setting, it was heavenly. You had taken Wanda by the hand without saying anything and walked her over to the spot. There was a fountain frozen over with icicles cascading over the brim and two turtle doves nuzzling each other were sitting at the very top. When she looked around she gasped, amazed by the beauty and simplicity of her surroundings. You were sitting on the bench just in front of the fountain with a small box in your hand.
“Why have you taken me here?” she said, breaking the silence.
“Because I thought I’d give you a present a little bit earlier,” you opened the box and placed it on her lap. Tears seemed to line the bottom of her eyes as she recognised the ring from hours ago. The turtle doves flitted away as she lifted you off the bench and hugged you tightly. As she pulled away she kissed you on the cheek leaving a red-ish lipstick stain.
“You’re incredible.”
Taglist: @alotofpockets @catasha @avery-romanoff @madamevirgo @evilcr0ne @marie45019
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mypoisonedvine · 3 years
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The Perfect Fit | Bucky Barnes x reader (part 2)
(part 1)
summary: after getting fitted by you, bucky’s going to try on the custom-made suits he’s bought.  unless he makes his move now, he may not get to see you again, and he can’t let that happen.
word count: 6.5k
warnings: smut!!, fingering, oral (m and f receiving), a little d/s energy, mirror kink, stomach bulge kink, slight pain kink?, creampie kink, pussy spanking, light bondage, bucky being jealous
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Bucky had a bone to pick with Tony, which was usually true but this wasn’t work-related for once.  It wasn’t hard to find him in the same place he’d seen him last— eating his lunch in the kitchen, with Sam nearby chowing down on lo mein with a spring roll.
“Hey lefty, what’s cracking?” Tony greeted, mouth full but talking loudly anyways.  
"I went down to that tailor you recommended—" Bucky began, but Tony was quick to interrupt.
"You went there?  Dude, it's a really nice place, you can just call and she'll come to you instead, way more convenient."
"So now you say 'she'?"
Realization dawned on Tony’s expression.  "Ahh, I get it.  You're not used to a female tailor.  Adds a little spice to getting fitted, huh?" he grinned, elbowing Bucky playfully.
Bucky’s throat felt a little dry when he heard that.  "Don't tell me that's why you use her…"
"Hey now, I'm not a creep, I use her cause she's the best, and those house calls are great for discretion— you know, being a celebrity and all.  The eye candy part is just gravy."
"Gravy candy sounds disgusting," Sam chimed in, missing the point entirely.
"Yeah, well, she mentioned some stuff that sure made you sound like a creep."
"Okay, well, you can't blame me for getting caught staring when I'm surrounded by fucking mirrors.  Makes it hard to be stealthy."
"You could try not staring,” Bucky suggested flatly.
"Is that what you did?"
Tony smirked when Bucky failed to reply immediately.  "Okay, so it's easier said than done,” Bucky admitted with a frown, “but still, I hope these house calls were strictly professional."
“What’s it to you, man?  I think somebody’s jealous,” Tony purred.  
“What?  No, it’s not that,” Bucky denied.
“You love her,” Tony sing-songed, completely ignoring Bucky.  “You looooooove her!”
"You are so immature," Bucky rolled his eyes, even though his heart was racing and he was pretty sure he was blushing.  
"No, it's good for you!  She's a catch, you're all brooding and stuff— maybe she can melt the Winter Soldier's frozen heart, hm?"
Sam laughed heartily.  "Stark, you read too many comic books."
"You're saying you don't wanna see Icy Hot here shoot his shot with my tailor?" Tony asked, turning his attention towards Sam.
Sam pondered that, much to Bucky's dismay.  "Depends.  How hot is she?"
"Mega," Tony smirked confidently.  "Legs for miles, and she wears these skirts that make her ass look—"
"I think I've heard enough," Bucky groaned.  "I'm leaving.  And don't ask when I'm going to see her again," he instructed, interrupting Tony just as he'd opened his mouth to speak, "because I won’t tell you.”
As Bucky left, he could hear Tony calling out into the hall: “But I’d be such a great wingman!”
//
Truth be told, Bucky had put off mastering the use of his smartphone.  It wasn’t just that new technology made him feel old, but that he knew nobody would be calling or messaging him anyways; if the phone didn’t work, he would spare himself the embarrassment of waiting up for nothing.
But once he knew you were going to call?  Suddenly, he was motivated to figure the sucker out.
A few hours later and now all he had to do was stare at it to make sure he wouldn’t miss you.  Luckily, you didn’t make him wait too long.  He recognized the number and decided to let it ring a few times before picking up, so it would seem like he had other things to do besides talk to you.
“Hello?” Bucky asked when he answered, so it would seem like he had other people calling him besides you.
You introduced yourself so formally that he was a little afraid that all that fun energy between you two would be gone.  Thankfully, once he asked what you were calling about, you were back to being cheery and casual again.
“I was just calling to schedule when I could come by with your new suits!” you explained, sounding chipper.
His fingertips were a little tingly just from hearing you talk, nervousness making him antsy (in a weirdly good way).  “I know you said it’s a one-person operation,” he responded smarmily, “but I figured you would outsource delivery.”
You scoffed, though it sounded more amused than irritated.  “It’s not just delivery, I have to check the fit and make sure everything’s exactly to your liking.”
“Oh, well, I’m free all day tomorrow— and I think you already know my address.”  Was it too forward?  Too obvious?  And why did Bucky spend half the time when he was talking to you second-guessing himself?
“Yes, Stark Tower is a relatively common destination for me.  If he doesn’t mind us using it, Tony has a dressing room with plenty of mirrors so you can get a good look.  But, I’d be happy to just go up to your quarters if that’s easier.”
He was not at all ready for you to see his room.  No way he could clean it enough in the next twelve hours; and even then, lots of the team had made fun of how empty and plain it was, so he knew it would just make you think he was boring.
“I’m sure Tony won’t mind you using his dressing room, but he might mind me using it,” Bucky chuckled.
“Well, if he makes a fuss I’ll be sure to set him straight,” you decided confidently.  Somehow, imagining you cursing out Tony was almost hotter than imagining you doing anything else.  “Be sure to bring down your dress shoes so you get the full look and everything.”
“Uhhh…” he trailed off as he scratched the back of his head, trying to remember if he owned anything other than combat boots.  “Not sure I still have those, to be honest.”
"Okay, you'll need shoes too,” you noted aloud, your voice a little distant; he figured you were writing things down, which was why you sounded distracted.  “What size are you?"
"Thirteen."
"I'll bring a selection tomorrow,” you announced firmly.  “And socks, of course.  And some watches, maybe?  And pocket squares."
"Is that it?" he asked sarcastically.
“Oh right, I’m bringing the ties you picked out, too.  I’ll throw in some alternates in case your original choices don’t match the way you were hoping.”
“You really are full-service,” he chuckled.
“I get that a lot,” you replied, a hint of coyness to your tone.
There it was again; that jealousy.  He hated it because he knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t stop it either.  As much as his mind was completely aware that you were an independent, modern woman capable of handling herself, his heart was equally determined to protect you, and spoil you, and do whatever was necessary to make sure you were safe.  
Worse, his gut was less innocent.  Mine, it demanded, all mine.  Nobody else’s.
He pushed it down and just tried to get through the rest of the call without saying something he’d regret.  You confirmed the date and time with him, and he tried not to be too aggressive when he said he was looking forward to it.  
He hung up his phone and sighed, staring off into space.  Now all that was left to do was wait, and be overwhelmed with anxiety.  Thankfully, he was good at the second thing.
//
"So, what do you think?" 
I think you look so damn good from every angle.  I think I might spend all my money on suits just to be sure I can see you again.  I think you need somebody to love you the way you deserve.  I think you’d look like an angel waking up in my bed.  
You waved your hand in front of his face for a moment, calling his attention back to reality.  “Helloooo?”
Drawn out of his trance, Bucky finally looked in the menagerie of mirrors surrounding him and admired his reflection, amazed by the perfect fit of his first suit.  The difference in quality between this and something off the rack was beyond apparent.  Most of all, your talent was undeniable.  "I think it's beautiful."
You smiled proudly.  "Of course it is, but do you like how you look in it?"
"Honestly?  I feel a bit… out of place.  I'm obviously not classy enough for a suit like this."
"Oh, nonsense," you dismissed.  
He frowned, convinced this was all flattery.  "No, seriously, this is… maybe I should just wear tactical gear to every event."
"Well, you'd still look good, but you're not always a soldier.  Sometimes you're only a man.  And every man should own a fine suit."
It was much too profound of a thing to say while you casually straightened his jacket, only to pop out from behind his reflection to smile at him in the mirror.
“Let’s get the next one on you,” you decided, helping him lose the jacket but having him move into a private dressing room to switch trousers and shirts.  “I put a turtleneck in there instead of just a regular button-up,” you explained through the door as he changed, “in case you wanted to see it that way.”
Once he’d put it on, he stepped back out and you were looking at him so proudly— well, you were looking at your handiwork with pride, really, but he could pretend it was for him and hope actually impress you that much one day.
“I went with a shawl lapel on this one, as opposed to the last one which was notched,” you explained as you traced the line with your finger.  “Spoiler: the next one has a peak lapel.  But enough about that one: what do you think of this one?”
“This looks like something my friend Sam would wear,” Bucky decided as he looked at himself in the cranberry suit and black turtleneck.  The shoes you’d had him try on with this were intricate as well, with subtle stitching in the leather and a shine so immaculate he could almost see a reflection in them.  
“Well, is your friend Sam stylish?” you asked.  
“He would certainly say so,” he smirked.
“I’m inclined to agree, because you—” you gave him a thorough glance up and down, so thorough in fact that he felt a bit exposed under your gaze, “—look marvelous.”
“Not pretentious?” 
“No, no, it works on you,” you assured, “you’ve got the looks for it.”
“And what looks are those?”
“Um… good?  Good looks?” 
He definitely remembered a time when that seemed like the obvious answer, because he had relied on being good-looking for a lot of things in life, but that felt very far away now.  Maybe it was just that people who didn’t know what he’d done could still think he was good looking, but everyone else saw the evil within beginning to leak out the way that he did.  
But you knew what he’d done, didn’t you?  You had to.  You knew Tony, you were here at the Tower… unless you were intentionally not up-to-date on current events, you must have heard of the Winter Soldier.
“Don’t act so surprised,” you huffed, “as if it’s a big secret or something.  You’re obviously very attractive.”
Bucky cleared his throat nervously.  “Uh, thanks.”  He wanted to return the compliment, but thought it might be inappropriate or rude somehow.  You broke the silence quickly as you held up two pocket squares in front of him.
“Which of these do you prefer?” you prompted.  He selected the solid gold one, making you smile.  “I knew you’d pick that one.”
“How?”
“I dunno, just fits you,” you shrugged as you folded it and gently placed it in his pocket.  Even through so many layers, your touch on his chest made his heart flutter.  Your fingers brushing over his as you slipped a watch onto his wrist was enough to cause palpitations.
He looked better in this ensemble than he expected.  This version of himself looked much more likely to be invited to parties than any other version.  If only he actually wanted to go to parties.
You put him in the pinstripe suit last, after putting a few pins in the cranberry suit to indicate minor changes you would make later, and stepped back to ponder your work.
"Hm, unbutton those top two buttons for me?" you requested with a raised eyebrow.
I will if you do, he thought to himself, but silently unbuttoned his own shirt anyway.
"I mean, it definitely works like this, but I wanna see you in a tie.  And I've got juuuuust the one," you smiled.  Soon you were approaching him with a red paisley tie, and helping him button up his shirt and tying the tie for him— you explained something about how it was a unique knot he likely couldn't do himself, but he was too lost in having you so close to notice.  It would be so easy to just reach up and grab your waist, pull you into a kiss, finally tell you how bad he wants you.
Well, it would be physically easy, but it would be very scary.  Just imagining it had his heart racing.
“I heard from Tony this morning,” you informed him suddenly, slipping the tie around his neck and popping his collar up for him.
“Really?  Is he in need of a wardrobe update?”
“Yes, but he hasn’t realized that yet so that wasn’t what he called about.”
He laughed a little at the jab, though it also made him a little worried what secret opinions you held about his own style (or lack thereof).
“We talked about you, actually,” you added.
“O-oh,” Bucky stammered, “uh, he’s not exactly my biggest fan.  So whatever he said probably isn’t true.”
“He said that you have a crush on me,” you replied nonchalantly, not even looking up from your work on his tie.
Bucky gulped, and he knew you saw the bob of his Adam’s apple because you were staring right at his neck.
“Like I said, Tony isn’t a very reliable source,” Bucky replied, but his voice cracked in the middle and he cringed internally.
“I’ll write it off as another one of Tony’s off-color jokes then,” you dismissed, perfecting the knot of his tie and stepping back to observe him.  He always felt nervous when you looked at him like that, like he couldn’t hide anything from you.
“What… what did you say, when he told you that?” Bucky asked nervously.
“I asked him what he was smoking and if I could have some,” you laughed.  “I thought it was totally impossible— and don’t worry, I didn’t tell him that you got hard when I did your inseam.”
Bucky’s throat became dry at the same moment that his palms got clammy.
“I— um, I was just—”
“Oh, it’s fine,” you dismissed quickly, still talking about this all so casually which only made him even more confused, “you’re not the first, it happens.”
“I’m not the first?!” 
“Yeah, if anything you were one of the few who didn’t say something creepy about it, which is always appreciated.  It’s just a bodily reaction, you can’t control it.”
“Did Tony ever say something creepy?” Bucky pressed, his hands involuntarily tightening into fists— another bodily reaction he couldn’t control.
“You know, Tony said you were really worried that he had been inappropriate with me, or even that he and I had a fling or something,” you added as you stepped back, giving him a quizzical look, “and now it’s sort of sounding like he was right.”
“No, no, it’s not that, I just—”
“Was he right about anything else?” you pressed, raising an eyebrow.
“I was being nosy, I’m sorry,” he sighed, “it’s just that… and I know it’s none of my business, but the idea of him and you… it isn’t a pleasant mental image.”
You laughed a little, in a way that made him feel kind of small.  “Why not?  You know how he is.  Definitely has a wandering eye… and occasionally a wandering hand.”
Bucky winced.  “I swear, if he ever put his hands on you, I’ll go find him right now and beat him senseless.”
“What if I wanted him to?”
He nearly saw red, but he knew he had no right to be angry.  You were a grown adult and he had no ownership over you… he just sort of wished that he did.
“So it’s true then?  You and him…?”
“No, Bucky,” you laughed, “it’s not.  Nothing’s ever happened between us.  I generally don’t get involved with clients like that.”
“Generally?  Is there an exception?”
You chewed your lip, seemingly a little thrown off by his question.  “Uh, I mean, no— I’ve never been involved with a client, no, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Why would you say ‘generally’ then?”
“Uh, I guess I just… I wouldn’t want to rule anything out, that’s all.  Never say never.”
And for a moment he almost wondered if you were flirting with him.  Certainly not, with him having come across as both a jealous hot-head and a bumbling dweeb who pops a boner faster than a randy teenager, but just for a second the way you looked at him was… questionable.
“I mean, who knows,” you continued, “what if, hypothetically, some gorgeous guy walked into my store one night— a sensitive guy, who made me laugh and put up with me rambling about ties for the better part of an hour— and I was supposed to dress him up when all I wanted to do was undress him?”
Your finger started to trail down his chest lightly, tickling his skin through the dress shirt. 
“I wouldn’t want to think he was off-limits just because he’s a customer… right?” you asked quietly, looking up at him and biting your lip.
He was afraid to make the wrong move, but he really really hoped this was flirting.
“I don’t think anyone would object to being dressed or undressed by you,” Bucky responded, hoping he could stay neutral until he was sure what you were talking about.
You chewed your lip, looking away as if you were thinking about something. 
"I know I certainly haven't.  And wouldn't," he added, feeling the need to say something.
You nodded, placing his tie inside his jacket and seeming happy with your work.
“You know, the fit looks great," you announced, "but I’m a little worried that one of the measurements was wrong.  Mind if I do your inseam again?”
His throat was dry all of a sudden, but he responded quickly anyways.  "Uh, go ahead…"
You looked up at him as you started to sink to your knees, very slowly.  That little move looked real good in the mirror behind you.  “Last time I did this, there was something getting in the way, made it difficult to know if I was doing it right…”
"M-my apologies," he whispered.
"Oh no, I'm not complaining," you purred as you slowly began to run your fingers up the side of his leg, keeping searing eye contact until his knees felt a little weak.
When your hand reached the top of his inner thigh, the back of it brushed against his balls and he shivered.  Delicately, and so excruciatingly slowly, your hand moved higher and gently rubbed his erection through the fabric.  
“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.
It must have been all the anticipation that made it so intense, made shivers run up his spine every time your hand moved over his length, made his toes curl inside the ridiculously fancy shoes you’d put him in.
“I’m gonna take it out now, okay?  I promise I won’t measure you here,” you winked.
"You can if you want," he shrugged, deciding now was the time for feigned confidence if there ever was one.  “I mean, if you’re worried about fit…”
You bit your lip, and he was proud to see the effect his words had on you.  “I’ll be honest, I am a little worried it won’t fit…”  You were quick with his belt, but slow with his button and fly, apparently having more fun teasing him.  “Fuck, Bucky,” you groaned softly as you took his cock out.
“Don’t look so excited, doll, you’ll give me an ego,” he purred.
“Can’t help it,” you sighed, “looks delicious.”
You licked a long wet stripe up from the bottom all the way to the tip, making a show of licking up the bead of pre-cum before taking his head into your mouth, and Bucky blinked a few times to be sure that this was actually happening.
"Been wanting to do that since I first saw you," you admitted, grinning as you stroked him right beside your face, which only helped to illustrate how big he was compared to you.
"Dirty girl," he praised with a smirk.  
Flirting, he wasn’t so good at.  Conversation in any form typically stressed him out.  But this?  This he was still pretty good at.  And he’d never wanted it so bad before.
When you took him in your mouth again, you didn’t stop until you started to gag; he couldn’t stop himself from moaning through his teeth when you did it.
"Look up at me, princess," he instructed softly, grinning when you obeyed quickly.  "Now look over there at that mirror.  Look how good you look on your knees for me, choking on my cock."
You moaned around him when you made eye contact with your own reflection, and it felt so fucking good he almost lost it right then and there. He held your jaw, almost too tightly, and guided you as your head bobbed on his length.  Your mouth was so warm he thought he would burn up— and it only got warmer the deeper he managed to get.  God, he was so ready to pump his load right into your throat, but he wanted to do so much more to you first.  
In one quick motion, he pushed you off of his cock, pulled you up to face him, and flipped you around, holding you to his chest with the metal arm and letting the flesh one start rubbing your thigh.  This way, both of you were looking at the mirror in front of you, and he loved watching you gasp and moan as you felt and watched his fingers move higher and higher.
“I think it’s time to find out if you really are ‘full-service’,” he purred right against your ear, making searing eye contact with you in the reflection.  “You’ve seen so much of me, but I haven’t seen nearly enough of you yet.  Been daydreaming about what you could be hiding under these tight little skirts.”
As he pulled up the plaid-patterned fabric, he saw that you were wearing white, lacy panties and he groaned deeply.  
“What are you wearing these for?” he teased, rubbing along the edge but never getting where you wanted— and he knew you were getting desperate, because your hips were starting to buck up into his hand.  “Were you expecting something would happen today, sweetheart?”
“I— I was hopeful,” you stammered; instantly, he slapped you right on your barely-covered pussy, just hard enough to make you yelp and squirm in his grasp.  
“You’re so shameless,” he chuckled darkly, “and I love it.  I just hope this isn’t your usual routine— acting all innocent and batting your eyes so your clients will fuck you.”
“No, I swear, it’s just you, Bucky,” you whimpered, “there’s nobody else, please…”
“Please what?  Tell me what you want.”
“I want you to… to touch me more,” you whispered, as if it was a secret and not patently obvious.
He slipped two fingers underneath the thin fabric, finding your clit right away (not difficult at all with how swollen it was) and rubbing it in gentle circles.
“Oh god,” you sighed, “Bucky…”
WIth his hand on your hips, it wasn’t hard at all to push you back into him so he could rub his aching cock against you.  
"What material is this skirt made of?" 
"It's a silk blend," you answered breathlessly, "about 30% cotton."
"It's soft," he purred before yanking your skirt up higher and pressing his cock against your ass instead, "but not as soft as you."
Next to go was your blouse, which he tore open to the sound of buttons flying every direction and bouncing off of the mirrors and floors.
"Bucky!" you yelped, but he could see your nipples harden through the lacy white bra.  If there was any doubt that you had intended to seduce him today, the matching undergarments dispelled it.
After teasing your nipples between his fingers for a moment, he reached back down between your legs— and when his fingers slipped through your folds and moved down to your opening, he actually moaned just from how wet you are.
"Fucking hell," he growled, "you are drenched, princess.  You liked sucking me off that much?"
"Not just that," you clarified, "you look really good in my suits."
He gave you a toothy smile in the mirror, using it to nibble on your ear a bit.  "You deserve most of the credit for that," he purred.
"No, no, I don't," you whined, "you'd look sexy in a paper bag, honestly… you turn me on so much, Bucky."
“Did you… think about me?  After I left your shop the other night?” he asked playfully, already foreseeing your answer from the way your thighs clenched and your lips let out the subtlest gasp.
“Yes,” you whimpered.
“You’re smart enough to know I want you to be more specific than that,” he chuckled.
“I thought about you that night… after I got into bed…” you elaborated slowly, clearly distracted by the way he was moving his fingers: delicately, but with obvious intentionality.  “I thought about what it would’ve been like if you had grabbed me and kissed me, shoved me against the wall, fucked me right there on my desk… in front of the glass wall, where anyone could’ve walked by and seen you claim me…”
His cock was throbbing, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the image itself or from the knowledge that you’d been fantasizing about it.  “Were you touching yourself?” he growled.
“Yes,” you sighed, your thighs starting to visibly shake, your knees bending towards each other in the mirror.
“Show me how,” he demanded.  “Show me exactly how you were playing with your needy little pussy while you thought about me.”
Your hand found its place on top of his, your fingers starting to move his to the specific place, guiding his movements to be faster and rougher.
“Oh, I see,” he grinned, “you don’t like to tease yourself, do you?  You like to jump right into it, come as many times as you can and rub yourself raw in the process?”
You nodded feverishly, panting and whining and writhing in his grasp.
“You’re so desperate, honey… such a shameless cockwhore for me.”
“For you,” you repeated through your trance, “Bucky, ‘m close… keep touching me, please…”
He kept his thumb on your clit but gently slid one finger inside you, both of you gasping at the sensation (if for different reasons).
“So tight,” he hissed, already pulling it back out, “fuck, and just for one finger…”
“More, please,” you begged mindlessly.
“More?  Sure you can take it?”
You bit down on your lip as you nodded, and he pushed a second finger in beside his first.  He felt you struggling with it, both in your walls and in the way you winced a little, but you softly begged him to keep going so of course he couldn’t stop.  You adjusted quickly, your wetness starting to run down his hand.  
“Fuck me,” you whimpered, “now, please, can’t wait anymore.”
“Yes you can,” he encouraged, “and you will, cause I need to taste you first.”
Pulling his fingers out of you, he flipped you around again, finally kissing you the way he’d been dreaming of since he first saw you.  It was intense but not too dominating— in spite of everything.  It was a romantic sort of kiss, maybe too romantic for the situation (that being his cock out and hard and pressed against you, and his fingers covered in your arousal) but perfect nonetheless.
“That’s not what I thought you meant when you said you wanted to taste me,” you giggled when he pulled away.
“No, I meant it the other way,” he smiled, “I just wanted to do that first.”  
He picked you up suddenly, making you gasp a bit, but knelt down to lay you on the floor pretty soon after.  You looked up at him with wide eyes as he lifted your leg and kissed his way up.  He could smell your need, and he worried it would drive him wild before he reached his destination.
Pulling your soaked panties aside, he realized he could probably come just from looking at you.  “Such a gorgeous pussy,” he growled his praise, leaning down to plant a few more teasing kisses over the inside of your thighs.  Finally, he started with one long lick, just like you had with him, but you weren’t so patient to tolerate it.  Nearly instantly your fingers pulled his hair, clearly trying to guide him to tease you less, but he couldn’t be swayed to go easy on you.
“I hope you’re not forgetting who’s in charge,” he smiled hungrily.
“And what if I am?” you returned, clearly looking to get on his nerves so he’d get rough with you.  He was happy to oblige.
Bucky sat up and loosened his tie, slipping it off of his neck with a smirk.  "Now, this is 100% Venetian silk, so it should feel nice around your wrists," he cooed.  You offered your hands willingly, and he got a chance to show off a few complex knots of his own.  "Now be a good girl and keep those hands above your head, alright?"
You did as he asked, freeing him to hold your legs open as he devoured you, alternating between teasing your bud with the tip of his tongue, and fucking you with it.  
"You taste like heaven, doll," he growled when he came up quickly, "and the way you moan when my tongue's inside you?  I swear I could die happy right now."
"I wish you wouldn't though," you whimpered.
He laughed a bit before he got back to it, letting his tongue focus on your clit while he filled you with his fingers again.  Your walls clenched down on him occasionally, and when it became more frequent just as your moans became louder, he knew you were close.
"Stop, stop," you sighed suddenly, pushing him away.
"Are you alright?" he asked, nervous he'd done something wrong.  
"No I'm fine, I just… I don't want to come yet.  I want you inside me first."
"And what about what I want, hm?  What if I want to watch you come just from my tongue?" he offered instead, though he was definitely still very persuadable in this regard.
"I know you wanna fuck me, Bucky, don't make me wait any longer,” you moaned, your back arching up a little from the floor.
Not needing to be told twice, he flipped you onto your elbows and knees, making sure you could support yourself with bound wrists before letting you go.  His hands running over your exposed ass and thighs made you shiver, and he smiled down at you.  At this point, he was probably more desperate than you were, but he was doing a much better job of hiding it, even taking the time to reach up and undo a few of the buttons of his shirt, because wow suits are warm and not meant for his level of physical activity.
Still, he figured he had waited long enough— he needed to fuck you while he still had at least a shred of patience left.  He was going to need it if he was going to give you time to adjust to him.
Holding his cock and rubbing it through your folds, he chuckled when you whined and dropped your head down in a pout.  He loved watching your expression shift into a gasp as he pushed in.
He went slow, but he didn't stop either.  He wanted to test you just a little.  He wanted to stretch you open.
"Fuck," you cried, "god, you're so… you feel so…"
"Look in the mirror," he instructed coldly, although the coldness was just a front for the way he was holding himself back as your body swallowed him so beautifully.
You moaned again, higher-pitched and weak, just as he finally got all the way in.  He waited until he felt your body relax a bit before he asked if it was okay for him to move yet.  You answered with a quick nod, a breathy "please," and he didn't need any more encouragement.
It was probably too fast to start off with, but god, he'd been waiting so long to fuck you like this.
"Baby," he whispered, "you're so perfect."
He held you steady and thrusted deep, so deep that it made you gasp each time.  You looked incredible, and you felt incredible, but the way you sounded was just… divine.  He could never have imagined the beautiful way you would sound when he was bringing you pleasure like this.  Having heard it, he wanted to make you sound like this as often as possible from now on.  Technically he couldn’t even be sure he’d get another chance to, but surely sounds this perfect meant you had to be having a good time, right?  Ideally a good enough time to call him again?
He was snapped back to focus when he saw your eyes flutter shut with pleasure.
"Don't look away from that mirror, honey," he growled, "don't close your eyes.  Look how pretty you look like this."
He could tell you loved it from the way your channel fluttered and flexed.
"You like watching yourself get fucked, princess?"
"Yes," you sobbed as he grabbed your hips harder, hoping to leave a bruise, "it feels so good, Bucky, please don't stop!"
"I won't stop, pretty girl.  Not until you cream on my cock," he grunted. 
"Fuck, I'm close," you whined, "Bucky, I'm gonna come— oh god right there!"
And he was sure it couldn’t be fake from the way your body tightened and released so many times, the way you quivered and your breathing seemed to stop for a moment.  Even though he could barely take it, he kept fucking you through it until you were shaking so violently that he worried about your health.
“You feel so goddamn good when you come, princess,” he moaned softly.  “Tryin’ to milk my cock for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”
You laughed a little, sounding exhausted, but as he kept fucking you he could feel how sensitive you had become.  When he reached down to push your skirt back up to your waist after it had started to fall down a bit, he felt his own movements in your gut and it took so much not to lose his cool in that moment.  Instead, he pulled your upper body into his so that you could see in the mirror the way your lower stomach was bulging a bit each time he pushed in all the way.
"F-fuck, Bucky," you whimpered.
"Anybody ever been that deep inside you before?"
"No, not even close," you moaned.
"Am I hurting you?" he asked gently, kissing up and down your neck slowly to match his lazy, teasing thrusts.
"A little," you admitted, "but it feels good.  Don't stop."
He wasn’t so brutal with his thrusts, still deep but with a patient, measured pace.  It staved off his orgasm a bit longer, and it made you moan all slow and throaty which was not better or worse than the needy, high-pitched moans, but enjoyably different.  You didn’t sound as desperate anymore (probably because you’d already come), instead seeming relaxed and calm— if still arching your back and biting your lip nonetheless.
"I wanna come inside you," he whispered right against your ear; he could feel the way you shivered as a result.
"Please," you whimpered.
"Is that what you want?  Wanna be full of my come?"
"Yes," you sobbed, "yes, please Bucky I need it so bad!"
"Fuck, gonna fill you up so good, doll," he promised gruffly.  "Want me to make you mine, beautiful?"
He knew it was a risky thing to say, but his risks had paid off so far, and he wasn't in his most cautious mood.
"Already yours, Bucky," you sighed, "I'm yours, please come in me…"
It hit him suddenly when you said that, and harder than he expected.  He hadn't come like that in… he hadn't come like that ever.  He preferred not to think about the sudden, wavering moan he let out in that moment because he wondered if it sounded unsexy, but thankfully his mind was distracted by the overwhelming sensation of his softening, sensitive cock still within you.
He managed to maneuver you in the way he needed as he pulled out, leaning you back into him and holding your legs open to the mirror in front of you.
"Look in the mirror, sweetheart,” he instructed, his whisper a little labored as he was still catching his breath, “watch my come leak outta your pussy."
You seemed to be in awe of it, despite it being the obvious outcome of what had just happened.  To be fair, he was in awe of it in a sense, too; a thick, slow stream of sticky white come dripping down from your swollen hole and onto the floor… it was mesmerizing.
Your body was limp in his arms as he finally allowed you to rest, your eyes falling shut as you melted into his embrace.  He took a moment to untie your wrists, tossing the garment aside with an exhausted sigh.  “Bucky…” you mumbled sleepily, apparently just to say his name.
“Was that… sort of what you were hoping for today?” he asked softly, kissing your temple.
“And more,” you giggled.  “Oh my god, I… I don’t even know how to describe that… you’re so… fuck, I don’t know, my brain is totally jelly right now.”
“In a good way?”
“In the best way.”
He smiled, admiring your vacant-yet-pleased expression and feeling satisfied with his work.  You turned over to lay your head on his chest, and he gladly draped his arms around you in response.  Holding you like this felt so purely right, in a way so few things did to him.  Funny enough, even just having fucked you on the floor and already holding you afterwards right now, he felt nervous again that he would say something wrong.  You were a modern woman, after all, and maybe this was this ‘hook-up culture’ he kept hearing about.
“Was that true what you said, doll?” he asked gently, feeling you stir a little and slide a leg up to rest over his.  “Did you mean it when you said that you were mine?  Or was it just, you know, the heat of the moment…?”
You smiled a little, looking kind of embarrassed.  “Um, yeah, I meant that… I’m yours, if you want me to be.”
He didn’t feel as guilty for feeling so possessive over you now.  Clearly it was appreciated, in the right context.  And he was now at least 75% sure that this wasn’t a hook-up.  “Well, I’m yours, too,” he replied with a soft laugh, “whether you want me or not.”
“I want you,” you confirmed.
You laid in silence together for some unknowable amount of time, but it was a purely unawkward silence.  A peaceful silence, and one filled with possibilities, but not uncomfortable.  Maybe it was uncomfortable in the sense that the carpet, while still being very plushy and expensive, was still the floor and not as forgiving as a bed… but it was completely worth it.
Part of him feared to ruin the moment by speaking, but much more of him feared that you would slip out of his grasp if he didn’t say something.  "This may be the wrong time to ask this— or maybe just the wrong order to do this stuff in— but I wanted to ask if you'd like to join me for dinner sometime."
You laughed, but cuddled deeper into his chest.  "Um, yeah, that would be nice."
"I just hope I'll find something nice to wear," he grinned.
1K notes · View notes
evafrechette · 3 years
Text
With A Little Help From My Hyung
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↠ yoongi x seokjin | smut | friends to lovers, slow burn | 18+ | 2.4k
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↠ Summary: Seokjin is the best roommate Yoongi could have asked for, he’s funny, respectful, a good cook and incredibly handsome. That’s a big problem though - because Yoongi has a constant boner over him.
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↠ Warnings: eventual smut, drama queen yoongi, oblivious seokjin, blowjobs, standing sex, yoongi enjoys seokjin carrying him around, anal sex, yoongi is clumsy and hurts himself, which is a great excuse to have seokjin look after him, the other members make a small appearance, my fic usually has a few swear words, hyung kink???
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"Hyung, stop it. Leave me alone." Yoongi's deep voice grumbled defiantly.
"Aish, quit being a baby Yoongi-yah, let me help." Seokjin held his hand out to the smaller man who sat on the cold concrete ground below him, food scattered around his aching body, tangerines rolling down the sidewalk.
Yoongi slapped away Seokjin's hand, scowling at his annoying roommate. He got onto his knees and attempted to stand, wincing in pain the moment he put pressure onto his left foot. Only moments before he and Seokjin had left the convenience store, arms full of energy drinks, jelly candy, ramen and tangerines. But Yoongi being Yoongi was busy in his own world and didn't notice the patch of ice on the footpath right in front of him, once his foot touched the slippery ice he slipped and wobbled about, struggling to balance before his legs came out from under him, falling directly onto his ass. Paper bag flying out of his grip, contents spilling onto the sidewalk.
He tried to stand again, taking his time as he clung onto Seokjin's arm, managing to get himself upright, left foot hovering above the ground, but when he placed it firmly against the sidewalk pain shot up his leg and he suddenly felt faint. "Shit, I think it's broken Hyung." He looked up into Seokjin's eyes, refusing to let the tears spill. Yoongi was in pain, a lot of fucking pain but he couldn't let his hyung see him be a cry baby.
"You hit the ground hard but it's probably just a sprain or something, I doubt it's broken. You're a real drama queen Min Yoongi. Can you stand by yourself for a bit?" Yoongi nodded in reply and let go of the elders arm, watching as he carefully rushed around picking up the spilled food and shoved it into his own bag. Seokjin walked back to Yoongi, spinning around so his back faced the man. He crouched down, holding the overfilled paper bag tight against his chest. "Jump on Yoongi-ah, and don't even try it with me. I'm your Hyung you have to listen to me."
Yoongi rolled his eyes but slowly hobbled over to his taller roommate, awkwardly jumping onto his back, arms wrapping around Seokjin's neck, and his short legs around his waist when the older man stood. "I don't have to listen to shit." He mumbled into Seokjin's messy brown hair. Seokjin let out his trademark high pitched laugh as he carried his injured roommate back towards their apartment, "You're so full of it Yoongi."
The walk would usually only take five minutes, but carrying a grown man (who enjoyed complaining every few minutes) had a part in the trip taking close to twenty. Yoongi laid his head on Seokjin's wide shoulders and enjoyed the way his oversized blue shirt smelled of a calming mix of lavender and vanilla bean, he took a mental note to check what brand of washing powder the man used when he got home.
Something about being carried on Seokjin's back made Yoongi's belly flip, he had never felt so small and vulnerable in his life. He was the strong one of their group - the pit bull, small but tough, with an acid tongue that could make a grown man cry. But being carried around by his cute, tall, goofy roommate was actually kind of comforting, it felt nice to snuggle against his broad shoulders.
Yoongi could feel his cheeks heating up, he had been crushing on his video game loving roommate for a few months now. At first the blond thought they were just compatible roommates, respecting each others boundaries and privacy, they quickly became friends bonding over their love of cooking, but along the way Yoongi developed feelings. His eyes lingering on Seokjin longer than what was socially acceptable, sneakily scooching closer to his side on the couch while he watched Seokjin get annihilated playing video games and "accidentally" falling asleep during their movie marathon nights, head resting comfortably against Seokjin's shoulder. But Yoongi knew nothing would come of his little crush so he kept his feelings locked away and instead tried to focus on their good friendship instead.
Seokjin carefully placed Yoongi on the couch, pushing a cushion under his now swollen foot. He rushed off to Yoongi's room and returned with a blanket which he draped over the smaller man. With a happy hum he walked towards the kitchen and Yoongi watched with lovesick eyes as he put away their food shopping. Everytime Seokjin reached up for the top shelf his shirt would raise a little, giving Yoongi a glimpse of the tantalising caramel skin underneath. Yoongi longed to drag his calloused fingertips along that skin, to leave small kisses down Seokjin's spine, along his lower back and down over his firm ass. He sought to taste Seokjin, to feel his cock heavy on his tongue, to feel the burn of his cock stretching him out.
"Hey Yoongi are you okay?" A cool hand placed against his forehead brought Yoongi out of his Seokjin induced daze. His roommate was looking at him with fondness and concern, "Your cheeks are really red but you're not hot or anything. I thought maybe you were coming down with a fever." Yoongi knew he was even redder now, but he allowed himself to relax against the man's hand. He sighed when Seokjin withdrew his hand and moved to sit on the bean bag on the floor. "Yeah, no I'm fine. Just a bit embarrassed about this." Yoongi waved his hand over his ankle.
"Aish, these things happen. Just have to be more careful. And Hyung is here to take care of you okay? Anything you need you let me know. Keep that boney ass of yours on the couch."
The pair spent the rest of the night watching a marathon of Law of the Jungle, empty containers of ramen and Kloud draft beer scattered across the coffee table. Yoongi as usual was unable to keep the snarky comments to himself, "Pfft look at them! Useless. I could survive on that island so much better than any of them." He quipped as a team of celebrities dived into the ocean to try to catch fish with just their hands.
"Errrr Yoongi-yah, did you forget that I had to carry your tiny ass home this evening? Your weak ankles wouldn't last a day on that show." Seokjin doubled over in laughter, clapping his hands loudly as Yoongi rolled his eyes.
"Whatever Jin-hyung," he scoffed, "Like you'd do any better."
"Pretty sure I'd do great on a show like this! You've seen me fishing Yoongi, I'm practically a professional at it now."
Yoongi groaned at this, Seokjin had dragged him out fishing more times than he could even count and he was nowhere near a professional level. The last time they went fishing together Seokjin didn't catch a single fish. He did manage to catch some seaweed and disintegrating plastic bag though.
Yoongi could feel his eyelids getting heavy, and instead of fighting the feeling allowed himself to drift off to sleep, which wasn't hard as sleep was his favourite hobby after all. Yoongi was having a beautiful dream, he was being carried in Seokjin's strong arms as the brunette carried him along the golden hues of a sandy beach, gentle waves breaking along the shore splashing against Seokjin's bare feet. He mirrored Seokjin's smile as his Hyung looked down at him, carrying him bridal style while the breeze whispered sweetly around them both.
"Aish, Yoongi you are a pain in my ass, but you're kinda cute so it's okay I guess." His gummy smile widened at the sweet but slightly insulting words. "What are you smiling about you weirdo." Seokjin let out a small laugh.
Yoongi was confused, why was dream Seokjin insulting him? It took him a few seconds to realise that he was actually awake and that he was no longer asleep on the couch, but rather in the arms of his Hyung. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and let his body go slack against Seokjin's chest, adding a few very realistic soft snores for good measure. Yoongi felt his body fall gently against the cold mattress on his bed, shivering slightly at the loss of heat from Seokjin's warm body. A blanket was dragged up his body, before footsteps retreated out of the room and the door clicking shut quietly.
Yoongi's eyes widened once he was alone in the dark room, had he heard correct? Did Seokjin just call him cute? It took all his self control not to squeal like a teenage girl. He wiggled down the mattress, throwing the blankets over his head and snuggled into his soft pillows. That night Yoongi had the best sleep of his life, with a smile on his face and a hard cock in his pants.
-----
The following weekend Yoongi found himself squished between his friends Jungkook and Hoseok in the back seat of Jimin's tiny Hyundai Pony hatchback. Usher's 'U Remind Me' thumped out of the piss-poor and incredibly outdated sound system, tinny and grating on his ears. His friends, including Taehyung who was sitting in the passenger seat, were singing along at the top of their lungs, he threw his head back and groaned. Why did he get stuck with the loud idiots of their group? Yoongi peered through the windscreen, tall, shapely pine trees lined the dirt road they traveled along. Dust swirled around the car, a curtain of brown blocking the view of the car travelling behind them. The sky was dotted with grey clouds, slowly drifting across the sky hiding the sun, who was trying it's hardest to make an appearance.
The car full of friends pulled into a small gravel parking lot and climbed out of the stuffy vehicle. They watched as the trailing car pulled up beside them, excitedly chatting and joking around now that everyone had finally arrived. Today was Namjoon's choice of activity, one Yoongi was secretly dreading - Hiking. He cast a glance towards Seokjin who was dressed in a pair of black and white track suit pants, sneakers, wide brim bucket hat with drawcord and a fluffy cream jumper. He swallowed hard at the thought of wrapping his arms around Seokjin's waist and resting his head against his fleece covered chest. He looked so snuggly and warm and cute, yeah, really really cute.
Yoongi zoned out while the others planned their trek, his mind too focused on Seokjin's beautiful plush lips, enthralled by how his Hyung randomly pouted while he spoke, his plump bottom lip puffing out before returning back to normal. Yoongi found this habit of Seokjin's incredibly endearing and wondered if the man was even aware of what he was doing. Or at just how crazy it was making Yoongi feel.
"Is everyone okay with the plan?" Namjoon asked, slipping away a map into the front pocket of his jacket. The group all spoke at once, loud and chaotic as usual. "Okay well let's go!"
The group trekked for a few hours, enjoying the challenging course. Up and down steep inclines, weaving through lush forest and snaking between narrow boulders that sat unsteadily on either side of their path. They eventually came across a small stream that separated the gravel path, Yoongi looked down at his feet and whined. "Do we have to go through that? I'm wearing brand new shoes." His nose scrunched as he caught sight of the shallow murky water he knew he would have to trudge through.
"Why would you wear new shoes on a hike Yoongi?" Hoseok laughed, clapping the smaller man on the back. Yoongi glared at his friend, tempted to turn around and walk back to the car. Fuck nature.
"Don't worry about it Yoongi-yah, climb on." Seokjin smiled, bending down in front of Yoongi, memories of the previous weekend flooded Yoongi's thoughts. Without hesitation Yoongi climbed onto his back, legs wrapping around his waist tightly. He placed his chin into the crook of Seokjin's shoulder and sighed as herbal scented hair brushed across his nose.
"O-okay then, well errr let's get going then." Namjoon raised his eyebrow, the rest of the group watching quizzically as Seokjin happily carried Yoongi across the stream. They exchanged looks with each other, hushed whispers at what had just transpired, Yoongi knew the others would be talking, getting a piggy back ride was pretty out of character for him, but he was blissfully peaceful at that very moment. So fuck what anyone thought.
-----
Back at their apartment that night the pair settled into their usual routine of cheap ramen, beer and trashy kdramas on the television.
"Hey Hyung, thanks for picking me up today," Yoongi bit nervously into his thumbnail, a habit he struggled to free himself from, "You didn't need to . . Hobi was right though, those shoes cost $300 why did I choose to wear them today?" Yoongi knew exactly why - he was trying to look good for Seokjin. He had dashed out to a Camping and Fishing store after work to purchase an entirely new outfit for the day. He settled on a long sleeved yellow and green flannel shirt, khaki trousers and a blue and black fleece fila jacket. Plus those damn tramping boots that cost as much as his share of the rent.
Seokjin leaned in, inches away from Yoongi's face, breath catching in the back of his throat, heart hammering against his rib cage. "It was my pleasure," Seokjin grabbed Yoongi by the cheeks and pinched, jiggling the flushed skin between his thumb and index finger, "That's what a good Hyung does, helps their cry baby friends out." He laughed, letting go of Yoongi and plopping back down onto his side of the couch. Yoongi's hand shot up to his cheek, fingers brushing along his warm skin. Seokjin's touch felt amazing, electric sparks coursed through his body, Yoongi wanted those hands touching him in places that crossed the line from friends to lovers, those long fingers curling up inside of him brushing against his sweet sensitive spot, wrapped around his cock pumping him until it was too much to handle and he was screaming Seokjin's name while he spilled his release over his Hyungs hand.
Yoongi found it hard to concentrate on the television in front of him, eyes constantly drifting towards his roommate who looked amazing in a pair of grey shorts and loose white T-shirt, his feet curled up underneath him, strong thigh muscles catching Yoongi's attention. He cleared his throat and quickly averted his eyes, Yoongi wasn't sure how much more of Seokjin he could deal with. He was the perfect roommate, but his desire to be fucked by the man was becoming an every minute of the day kinda thing. Maybe Yoongi needed to hurry up and move out. He thought about Seokjin at work, while doing his laundry, on the bus to the grocery store, while putting the rubbish out, when pumping his dildo in and out of his ass, Seokjin was on his mind 24/7.
Yoongi's cock twitched as he watched the couple on television, the male lead carrying the female through a cherry blossom lined park while a terrible ballad wailed in the background. He decided that being carried was his newest kink. Or maybe Seokjin's entire existence was his fetish? He tugged on his hoop earring as his thoughts travelled to a million different scenarios in which Seokjin would need to lift and carry him around. He recalled the previous weekend, waking up while Seokjin carried him to bed, how nice it felt to be held in Seokjin's arms, to hear him call Yoongi cute. He wanted, no he needed that again.
Yoongi glanced out of the corner of his eye, the brunette’s head was down as he browsed at something on his phone, he watered his lips and decided now was the perfect time to enact his master plan. Yoongi closed his eyes and let out a loud yawn, arms stretched high above his head, "Mmmm what's the time?" He asked Seokjin drowsily. "Huh? Oh it's  9:23, are you tired already?" The brunette placed his phone on the coffee table and shifted to face Yoongi. "You're not? We walked a million miles today, of course I'm tired." For theatrics he let out another yawn. Seokjin shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Guess I've got a better stamina than you."
Over the next half an hour Yoongi let out more fake yawns, complaining about his sore muscles and tired bones - which Seokjin informed him wasn't a real thing and that he was being a whiny old man again. His body sunk into the couch, head lolling against the arm rest as he feigned falling asleep. It would only be a matter of time before he would be whisked away in Seokjin's arms and it was making him giddy, trying his hardest not to crack a smile. Yoongi heard the room fall silent, the television now switched off. His heart was racing, this was it - the big moment - his hands were softly shaking, breath uneven and shallow.
"Hey Yoongi, wake up." A large hand shook his arm attempting to wake him from his faux slumber. His eyebrows furrowed, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. Seokjin was supposed to pick him up and carry him to the bedroom, whisper a few sweet words in his ear and maybe jerk him off a bit. He opened his eyes and glared at the handsome man standing over him, his plans were ruined and he and his neglected cock were pretty pissed off.
"Why didn't you just carry me Hyung?" Yoongi sulked, crossing his arms against his chest like a defiant toddler.
"W-why would I? You can walk your legs aren't broken."
"Well you've been carrying me around a lot recently so I just thought you'd do it again tonight. Ahhh fuck it whatever." He mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the brunette who was trying his hardest not to laugh.
"Aish, Yoongi-yah do you enjoy Seokjinnie lifting you up and carrying you around?" He could no longer hold it in, erupting into a fit of laughter.
Yoongi's cheeks burnt bright red, he was already a small man but he had never felt as small as he did right at this moment. Tears threatened to spill over his long lashes, he knew he was being a little dramatic but his heart was practically ripped out of his chest by his crush. Yoongi bowed his head refusing to look anywhere other than at his hands which were clasped together tightly.
"Wait, shit Yoongi I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry," Seokjin dropped down onto his knees and engulfed Yoongi's hands with his own. "So you do enjoy being carried by me?"
Yoongi sniffed, "Yeah. I like a lot about you Hyung, the carrying thing is one of my favourites though."
An awkward silence filled the room, Yoongi's sniffles the only sound to break the dead air. "Well uh, there is a lot I like about you too," he stroked his thumb against the back of Yoongi's hand softly and slowly. "I like your dry sense of humor, the way you screech when you're excited - that is so adorable. I like how passionate you are about music and I really like how your cheeks turn red whenever we touch each other by accident. I sorta brush up against you on purpose just to see it."
A gasp escaped Yoongi's lips, head snapping up to look into the dark chocolate eyes of his roommate. Seokjin's cheeks puffed wide as he gave Yoongi a sweet smile, his thumb continuing to draw circles over Yoongi's hands which were resting in his lap. "I think you're cute Yoongi-yah, and I'd love to kiss you. If you'd allow me to of course."
Yoongi's eyes darted to Seokjin's plump lips, inviting and glistening. He couldn't hold back any longer, throwing himself forward as he smashed their lips together, hungry and desperate. In the wild rush of lips and tongues exploring new territory their noses bumped together, deep chuckles slipping out between kisses. Yoongi's hands frantically grasped onto Seokjin's hair, pulling him down so their body's were close but it still wasn't enough, he needed to feel naked flesh against his own. Yoongi's long fingers travelled underneath Seokjin's thin cotton T-shirt and brushed against his soft stomach, over his nipples rubbing the hard nubs between his fingers and then back down his chest. He played with the elastic waist of Seokjin's shorts, dipping his hand inside, fingers grazing the wiry mound of pubic hair just above where his hands really wanted to touch, "I-is this okay Hyungie?" Yoongi whimpered, Seokjin's tongue running along the exposed skin of his neck, teeth nipping the soft skin.
"Mmmm yeah, touch Hyung Yoongi." Seokjin bit down gently his teeth scraping the skin. He attached his lips against the smaller man's neck, alternating between sucking on the warm flesh and sly little nibbles, creating deep purple bruises that contrasted beautifully against Yoongi's pale skin. While Seokjin was busy marking his neck, Yoongi pulled his cock out of the shorts and stroked sensually up and down his length, which was growing harder and stiffer in his hand. His hand glided over Seokjin's length at a quickening pace, flicking his wrists and gripping tight around the head before pulling off and pumping again. Yoongi added another hand on Seokjin's shaft and slowly twisted in opposite directions, up then down, left then right.  His fingers played with the tip of his cock, pressing his thumb into the slit, stroking playfully over the head.
"Fuck your cock feels amazing Hyung," Yoongi sighed, Seokjin's cock pulsing in his grip, "C-can we fuck?"
Seokjin removed his swollen lips from Yoongi's neck with a 'pop' and took his time licking along the already fucked out man's lips, pressing their soft flesh against each other, gentle kisses that were in in opposition of the acceleration of Yoongi's heart beat. Seokjin sat between Yoongi's legs on the floor, hands roaming over the blonds thighs. When he reached Yoongi's crotch his fingers ghosted over Yoongi's hard cock visible through his sweats, he bucked his hips desperate for Seokjin's touch.
"Hyung's got you Yoongi, just sit back and relax hmmm?" He placed a sloppy wet kiss against the fleece material and helped pull them down to Yoongi's ankles. "Such a pretty cock Yoongi-yah." Seokjin's voice was smooth and sweet. His fingers grazed against Yoongi's balls, eyes flicking back up to watch Yoongi's reaction. He continued to massage his sack, pulling lightly and wiggling the weight in his hand. He rubbed his cheek along the soft skin of Yoongi's balls and then up and down his incredibly hard shaft. Tongue flicking out to leave small licks along the side, down to his balls and then further below to the sweet spot between Yoongi's balls and warm inviting hole.
Yoongi's slit was leaking precum so Seokjin lapped it up, moaning sinfully. A groaned escaped the back of Yoongi's throat when Seokjin took his balls into his mouth, sucking and kissing all over. He took his time enjoying their heat in his mouth. He stroked the blonds length while sucking the pale skin of Yoongi's inner thighs. Seokjin sat back and removed he and Yoongi's bottoms completely, throwing the pants into a small pile in the corner of the room. He stood and motioned for Yoongi to stand with him. Their lips crashed against another's once more, Yoongi standing on his tippy toes to match his Hyungs height. A knee slipped between Yoongi's thighs as the two men continued to taste and explore each others mouths.
"Shit, we need lube, uhhh, don't move Yoongi-yah! I'll be back quickly." Seokjin ran towards his bedroom leaving Yoongi standing naked from the waist down in their living room, cock red and hot. He gripped onto the base and squeezed tight, moaning at his own touch. Seokjin returned cock glistening from the lube, bouncing with every step. Yoongi gulped, Seokjin was longer than any cock his ass had taken before but god was he eager to have it inside him.
They kissed passionately while Seokjin fingered Yoongi's hole, stretching him open enough for his cock. Yoongi's mind had turned to mush, absolutely lost in the moment. It was as though Seokjin had flicked a switch in his ass to become a whimpering, whining mess. Seokjin bent his knees and using his right hand guided his cock into Yoongi's tight hole. Once inside he allowed Yoongi to get used to his size while his hands reached out to wrap around Yoongi's small waist. Without warning he lifted Yoongi, a squeak echoing in the silent room. "You are adorable Yoongi-yah, can't wait to hear more noises come from those pretty lips." Yoongi's legs wrapped around Seokjin's waist which readjusted their position, cock now deeper than before, big hands reached down to Yoongi's ass holding him in place as they walked out of the living room and into the hallway.
Yoongi held on tight, gripping onto strong shoulders as he was pushed against the wall with a thud. Seokjin's arms trembled from Yoongi’s weight so he started to pound into his ass before it was too much and he would have to let him go. Yoongi let out tiny pants and whimpers, eyelids half closed, mouth so slack drool was starting to drip from the corners. Seokjin's cock grazed over his prostate, hitting deep and hard with every thrust. "Hyung, hy-hyung ahh ah so good." His hands roamed over Seokjin's back leaving red and pink marks underneath the thin material of his shirt. His cock was trapped between their bodies, friction from their movements driving him insane.
Sweat dripped down Seokjin's face, his arms close to giving out. This was more intense than any workout his personal trainer at the gym had given him. He slammed his cock into Yoongi repeatedly eager to cum inside his ass. Yoongi's whimpers in his ear pushed Seokjin to his peak and exploded his white hot cum into Yoongi's warm hole.
They stood still while Seokjin caught his breath, Yoongi hanging onto his neck for dear life, almost as though the floor was lava. "Hyungie make me come, pleaseeeee I'm so close." Yoongi whined, nipping at Seokjin's lips then pouting against the plush flesh. He would rather be dead than admit it, but Seokjin was right - he was a bit of a drama queen. "I'll have to put you down though, I think my arms are about to fall off." Seokjin chuckled as Yoongi detached his legs from around the brunette's waist and placed them on the floor.
Seokjin reached down and gripped tight onto Yoongi's aching cock, moving his hand in a steady rhythm. Their foreheads touched, breathing in each others air, hushed pants and whimpers shared between the pair as they kiss messily, lips grazing chins and teeth clinking. Yoongi bucked into Seokjin's grip, incredibly close to his high. Seokjin's cum escaping slowly out of his hole and running down his creamy white thighs and the hand around his cock pushed Yoongi to his release, "Ah-ah Hyung don't stop, ahh I'm going to come, shit ahh." His body tensed as he came harder than ever before, Seokjin barely moving his hand as his cock throbbed and pulsated.
"Hyung, you have no idea how long I've wanted this to happen." Yoongi sighed, wrapping his hands around Seokjin's neck, fingers crawling their way up to thread through short dark hair. "I've wanted to do that since the day I moved in," Seokjin whispered in reply, ears turning crimson, "Come on let's get cleaned up and then cuddle."
-----
The pair made their way into Seokjin's bed, snuggled between a mess of cushions and soft toys, their limbs a tangled mess as impatient hands explored naked skin. They laughed as revelations of their feelings for each other were finally said out loud, cheeks tight and sore from smiling so hard. "Seokjin-hyung can we do this more often?" Yoongi's eyes avoided the naked man beside him focusing on the window pane instead. "Well I would hope so since I want to make your my boyfriend Yoongi-yah." Fingers caught hold of Yoongi's chin as his face was guided towards Seokjin's, a shy kiss planted on his lips. "Yes Hyung, fuck yes I'll be your boyfriend."
The roommates turned lovers drifted off to sleep that night with satisfied smiles on their faces, excited for what the future would hold for them both.
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starshipsofstarlord · 3 years
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Hey if requests are open can I ask one?
Can you do a bucky or stephen strange x reader where the reader falls under the ace spectrum and they are terrified to tell him that they are ace.
I'm ace (on the spectrum) and I've been struggling with forming romantic attachments and not feeling like "complete" or "enough" so I just felt this would be nice💕
If its convenient for you then please do this request
Thank you!
On the spectrum
Pairing | Bucky Barnes x reader
Summary | based on the request. I kinda made a little twist to it, so I hope that you like it. I am in no way saying that asexual people can only be with asexual folk, but I thought this might be cute, so I wrote it like this xx
Warnings | erection, mentions of sex, ^^
Quick link to my masterlist, if you’re interested in reading more of my crap 😬
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Jolting up from your rest, your eyes widened as you get your weight lounging upon Bucky, eyes wide as felt an appendage of his jolting stiffly upon your inner thigh. It was a surprise, the pair of you, through the expanse of your short term relationship, had never had the conversation of sex, and a part of you wanted to avoid it at all costs. There was something that you needed to inform Bucky about, but you were wary of what his reaction could be.
You weren’t sure that he would understand, after all, back in the 40s he was known for his womanising reputation, and whilst you knew that you weren’t another loose fling that had no attachments, it was still a big deal to share the truth with him. Not only would it impend and possibly affect his view of a future with you, but it would promote a new side to you, that you hadn’t told many people about.
Nat knew, but that was only because years back, you had confided in her, confused about your lack of sexual attraction to anyone. She had been supportive, and prompted you to research online, to see if you were as she suggested, asexual. There were many perceptions of the sexuality, some people would still do the deed to keep their partner happy, and others swore off the act altogether.
It wasn’t that the thought and idea of sex grossed you out, in fact, you could understand that people did it to feel amounts of pleasure that came from nothing else. But the rouse of body parts brushing against the other, and slipping inside was not something that ever appealed to yourself. And then you met Bucky, and your perception of the ordeal remained the same; you weren’t blind, you knew Bucky was extremely attractive, however, there still seemed to be no pulse in your veins that was prompting you to jump his bones.
It wasn’t him, it was you, and that was more okay. There was nothing wrong with not having a desire to perform erotic acts with any partner, and more so than his appearance, you had fallen for not only Bucky’s heavenly appearance, but his soul. He had an old soul, that was a given, with all things considered. And that was what had first made you step towards the man that liked to be alone, and change his perception of that fact.
He was new to the team, Tony enjoyed picking fun at the man, who as he liked to say ‘hadn’t got any in eighty years’. Bucky hardly responded to Iron Man’s nit picks, ignoring them instead to settle the conflict in his eyes. Berating with Tony was off the table, and so were snarky remarks, otherwise the billionaire would remind him of his sins against the Stark family, although in foresight, he had just been carrying out orders.
A groan relented from the man beneath you as you uncomfortably shuffled, his cock clearly rubbing against your thigh. His sleep dazed eyes slowly peeled open, revealing the blue globes beneath that stared up at you. A furrow endorsed his features, as he came to realisation of what had you so frozen; he was hard, nothing in particular had turned him on, it was just his body’s way of rousing him from slumber, and apparently it had extracted you from your rest also.
He released his arms from around you, watching as you shyly rolled to the side, and glanced at him from out of the corner of your eye. He released a small and sorrowful smile as he glanced down to where the covers had lightly raised from his manhood, feeling guilty for how his body had reacted by itself. “Doll face I’m sorry, I didn’t- it just- ugh.” The man groaned, rubbing his face with his prosthetic hand as he tried to rid the dust from out from the corner of his eyes.
“It’s okay.” Your voice came across as meek, small to the elephant in the room. “Just I- there is something I should tell you.” You twiddled with your fingers, picking nervously at the hanging skin that had chipped its way partially off on your latest mission, that had required you to furiously try and peel a jammed car door open to get the family out. Bucky now focused all his attention on you rather than the uninvited presence of his little friend in the bedroom, his pupils sending you signals of warmth as if to tell you that whatever you were going to tell him next, he would remain here for you.
“I’m asexual, and I get that you aren’t and you probably want all of nothing in this relationship but-” You spoke, but quickly paused when you saw Bucky tilted his head, a clear frown creating a thin line through the middle of his forehead. “What is it, do you not want me or-“ he stopped you from speaking, reaching out to hold your hands, giving them a light comforting squeeze, before he happened to open his mouth to speak.
“Doll face.” That name made you gulp, afraid that it would be the last time that he addressed you in such a way. And if it were, then that emotional connection that you felt to him would be unwound, and set out to sea to float and turn under the waves. “Asexual.” He tested the word on his tongue, as he lightly nodded, for some reason the phrase feeling right upon his tongue. “Can you explain it to me, I don’t know what it is?”
Of course, he wouldn’t know what it is! It made sense, he was from the forties, where various sexualities were not explored, all because straight white men thought their opinions were inferior. Well now, everyone had the freedom to be who they wanted to, and could be attracted to whomever they pleased, as things should have always been. Brushing your hand through your hair, thinking of holding onto the locks for dear life as you felt your nerves persevere, and spur in your membrane.
“It’s where someone does not experience sexual thoughts or feelings, towards anyone. Their thoughts are primarily romantic, and that’s how I feel. I do love you Buck, but I’m not sexually attracted to you, and I understand if that is a deal breaker for you. Not everyone wants to be put on a sex ban for the entirety of their relationship, but for me, it’s not like that at all, instead it’s more so I find the little moments to be more intimate than intercourse.”
“Y/n... I, not to jump the gun, but I’ve been feeling the same way.” Bucky slowly spoke, making your eyes dart up to his guilty expression. “I guess eighty years on ice will make you think about the things that are more important, and you are the most important person to me, and I guess if we neither of us have any desire to have sex, then me and you are supposed to work.”
It was surely a surprise, but he had contained his emotions, thinking that even when Tony pried at him for his lack of involved affections, he felt ashamed, as though there was something wrong with him. But it appeared as this day and age was far more fitting for this version of him, the one that had endured the battles against aliens and his own friends.
“I’m sure we’d have found a way to sort your needs out even if you weren’t asexual.” It felt strange for him to hear himself described with that word, but it felt right. “And look, it’s gone down.” You laughed lightly, resting against his chest once more as he let out a breathy laugh, and cuddled you to his chest. “I’m with you for you Buck, I love every part of you. And I think, maybe we should move out of the compound and get a place together, maybe downtown?”
“Really?” His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, shining with festive luminescence. “You want that, with me?” You humbly nodded, pressing a kiss upon his cheek as you inhaled his scent. His hands dipped to your waist, holding you that bit tighter. He was never going to let you go, no matter who was what, or what was who. The two of you were y/n and Bucky, and you got through anything.
That way, leaving these Stark white four walls behind, Stark himself could not pry at the soldier, nor make jokes about his lack of sexual affection. The two of you were complete with the truth wading between you, there was to be no dwelling or worrying about the other thought, because you both understood.
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fonulyn · 3 years
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So I'm reading this sad Chreon story - as one does (it's me, I'm one) - and I just had the weirdest epiphany? Like, I dunno, it's probably dumb and far from a hot take or some eye opening character analysis no one has done before but I noticed that people (including myself, so like not saying this in any kind of bad way) tend to write Leon as stand offish, apathetic, and cold. Like this story stated it specifically, said something along the lines of "this is what Leon gets for cultivating a reputation for being unapproachable, apathetic, and indifferent" and the insinuation there is that he's done this on purpose, put on this front to seem unaffected by things when in the presence of others, and I think it's pretty true for his character. Like anything post RE2, Leon is kind of. I dunno, I wanna say deadpan? He seems to express v little emotion, and when he does it's usually in the form of a quip, one-liner, or snarky come back. Sometimes awkward small talk lol. But it feels like he's built this wall, this persona around himself, not just to protect himself from losing more people (bc he probably sees it as some kind of inevitability, and with his track record I certainly wouldn't blame him), but to protect people from him. This poor man has spent so long fighting, trying to save people, and even tho he saves the day in the end, so many people get lost in the process, and Leon feels every single loss personally. Right off the bat we see it every time someone dies in RE2, then again in RE4 with Luis, who he knew for a short period of time and yet mourned so heavily for, and even Krauser to an extent. Leon is someone who is quick to trust, even as he gets older, and we see that in RE Vendetta, too. Like that's probably one of the big reasons he's so devastated after losing his team. Not only was he entrusted with a group (which doesn't happen often, as far as we have seen), but he probably put his trust in them as well, including Petrucio, the man who betrayed them. I just think Leon is such a complex character who hides so much of himself (which is convenient for bad writers at Capcom who can't write good dialogue to save their lives lmao, but I also think it's a decent part of his character now), probably so what happened in RE2 doesn't happen again. Bc that shit was probably so traumatizing, and Leon was still a baby! I'm only a year older then he was at the time of RE2 but like, as humans our brains don't finish growing until age 25, so that kind of trauma at that age is for sure gonna stick with you, and it seems he picked up some unhealthy coping mechanisms from it that's more than just his drinking problem. Anyways I guess I just wanted to rant about how Leon is the most "emotionless" character in RE but in reality he feels and cares so much, so much so that if he doesn't put up that mask of indifference then he'll destroy himself. This man would die so that others could live, he's saved the world multiple times without a care for himself past the need to finish his mission and keep as many people as possible safe. He's such a tragic character and I love him so goddamn much, like he's one of those characters who you aspire to be like, in a way. Selfless, capable, dependable, reliable, smart, passionate, caring. And some of this might be my own character building I've done based off of other headcanons and character analysis posts and stories I've seen, but I do think we see a lot of this in the canon content, too. I just really love Leon S Kennedy, okay? He makes me sad but also so so happy and I love him v much, he is a big time comfort character for me. Sorry for the rant, just needed to scream about this with someone who would understand lol 😅
oh anon, I get you, I dooo. I think that you're right in that Leon has kind of this shell around himself because it's the only way he can cope. but there are so many cracks in his shell, and he lets people in so readily even when it would stand to reason that he shouldn't trust anyone anymore. he gets attached to people lightning fast, and he'd die for them even when he's barely met them.
this borders on headcanon territory, definitely, but I tend to often write him as someone who gets attached easily and falls for people easily (be it friendship or romantic or anything), but then he doesn't know how to properly let people in because he's got his defense mechanisms, he's trying to keep himself from breaking, and what if he truly lets someone past those walls and then another disaster strikes and he never recovers from it?
and I think it shows a lot in how he's so awkward with small talk, he can throw in one-liners and dad jokes and try to keep his own (and anyone else's) spirits up with that. but oh man. beyond that? the boy doesn't know how to naturally talk to people. (even like in Infinite Darkness, with Claire, I think his "don't do anything stupid" was 100% meant to be a joke, both times, but it just didn't exactly land perfectly. poor awkward bby)
but like even though he might put up this unaffected front, he's still so very expressive? like... if you really pay attention to him? he's far from actually an expressionless and cold person. he just isn't very loud about it. (i was just going through ID screencaps yesterday and while Shen May is talking and Leon is on the background, he goes through such a journey in expressions alone :'D)
AND HE CARES. like, for example in Infinite Darkness, he sees Patrick is shaken and the first possible moment he has, he immediately asks him if he's okay and takes a moment to reassure him. they're in a hurry, he's supposed to get going and not check up on a guy he's never even met before, but he does it anyway. and I think it speaks a lot of his character. he's quick to offer support and comfort, and he genuinely tries to be there for others the best he can. he desperately needs someone to listen to him in turn, seriously. give him emotional support, damnit.
and I wanna highlight what you said:
in reality he feels and cares so much, so much so that if he doesn't put up that mask of indifference then he'll destroy himself. This man would die so that others could live, he's saved the world multiple times without a care for himself past the need to finish his mission and keep as many people as possible safe.
because yes. 100%. also this:
he's one of those characters who you aspire to be like, in a way.
like. yes. there was this one meme thing going around which was basically like asking if you feel like you're like your favorite character and I'm just. I fucking wish I was one tenth of what he is :'D
I know not even he is perfect, c'mon, no such thing as perfect people exist (not even in fiction, or if they do then they'd be really damn boring :'D). i'm not trying to claim he has no flaws, or that he never does anything wrong. he has and he does. but the amount of genuine caring he shows and how hard he tries to do the right thing? truly awe inspiring.
i just. I'm right there with you. I love him so damn much. and that's why I spend most of my time writing fic where he gets at least some of that happiness he deserves :'D i need him taken care of, damnit, and if canon doesn't give him good things then i damn sure will.
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wolvesandpetals · 3 years
Text
Loki x Sylvie Post-Finale Fanfiction (Angst, Rated Teen) Part 2 of 2
Part 1 is here:
She never knew it would hurt this much when the person she loves is right in front of her, but she can't reach out and touch him; when she is still her, he is still him, but everything else has changed, like an invisible lever in an old theatre changing the scenery in the background, bringing them both to the part of the play where they are hopelessly lost.
[[MORE]]
All it took was one single moment, one single decision, and everything feels irrevocably broken now. It makes her contemplate on the true nature of relationships, how fragile they are, and how easy it is to shatter them- and her.
The smoke is slowly clearing, and all that seems to be left is a man who is doing his best to keep his distance from her, physically and emotionally.
She can tell from the way he stands with his arms crossed, or his fists clenced when his hands are by his side, that he really doesn't want to hold her hand. How can something so simple as the touch of his fingers be so vital to her existence that it feels like something has been ripped out from inside her?
She wants to reach out and touch him, but she is scared that if he pulls away outright, any hope of reconciliation that she still has left will shatter into pieces.
And she really needs this hope. It's the only thing she still has left. It's the only thing that keeps her going.
---
He looks like a man with a mission.
They spent quite a long time together, running from the TVA, running towards the citadel at the end of time, hoping to achieve their goal of bringing down the one behind the curtains.
But that was her mission, and he was there for her. She was the one behind the wheels, he was the one keeping the sails afloat.
Now it's different. Now he has a defined goal, a glorious purpose.
She's seeing him in a whole new light now, and not just because he has switched to Asgardian leather and metal armors.
As far as she is concerned, she is better off doing it all alone. One woman army, nobody to get in her way, nobody to screw up her plans. Nobody to blame her if it all goes to shit.
Or so it was, until two months ago, when Mobius decided to enlist her help in fixing the multiversal madness.
She has never really worked with people before, and it's weird, to say the least. She never considered herself a team player, but she is finding herself hating the idea less and less lately.
And she swears it has nothing to do with him. Not the fact that they are working together, and seeing his face first thing in the morning brings her a sense of calm that she quite can't explain. Or the fact that their rooms are next to each other and it makes her feel secure enough to finally get some rest at nights. Or that this whole arrangement has kept them on talking terms, when they had gone their own separate ways otherwise.
Nothing to do with that at all.
---
Humans are stupid, and the biggest evidence of this is how they decided that two extremely powerful Gods skilled at magic, enchantment, and defeating an evil extra dimensional cloud that swallows everything it touches, should be delegated to the role of research. "You're clever. You're good at reading people. You can put yourselves in the shoes of the bad guys, no offense", they said, but really, what they meant was, "We can't trust you out in the field much." She knows it, he knows it. She just doesn't know why he's complying.
That's how they find themselves researching every single day.
She likes to think he's not the only reason why she's studying in the library instead of in the comfort of her room, but that'd be a lie.
At first, he chooses to sit at a separate table. But she keeps going over to his to "get his opinion" on something in the file she's reading, and finally, he gives in. Their current arrangement consists of him sitting in the chair in front of her, to the left, prim and proper, while she hoists her feet up on the table.
He falls asleep on the desk one night, face smacked against a file, the tiniest bit of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. It would be a hilarious sight, if her heart wasn't feeling what she can only describe as longing.
They should probably talk about it, like mature adults, but neither of them know how to do that.
All she can do right now is gather the courage to run her fingers through his hair. The touch is hesitant at first, as if one wrong move would make him wake up and push her back to square one. Slowly, she relaxes, letting her fingers dance on his scalp.
He stirs in his sleep. "Please Sif. I'm sorry. Don't cut off my glorious locks, please."
Now this is a story she must hear when things are better.
If things are better.
---
Doctor Strange joins them very briefly, very rarely, but the tension between him and Loki is hard to miss. It's worse than the current situation with her, and that's saying something.
"You don't really like Stephen, do you?"
Something inside him seems to shift, but he masks it behind a non-chalant look immediately and just arches an eyebrow at her. "He's Stephen now, is he?"
"Well, that is his name." She shrugs. "What do you call him?"
"Strange", he spits the word out with an amount of irritation that indicates there definitely is a story there. "That is his name", he mimics.
She can't help the smirk that spreads across her lips. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing", he lies, ignoring the horrifying flashbacks of thirty minutes of endless falling. Not a single soul must ever know a mere human got the best of him. "What can he do to me? I'm a God among those mortals. He just irks me because he is so pompous, and arrogant, and he ceaselessly uses magic to toy with others."
She pretends to think deeply. "Now where have I seen that before?"
He scoffs. "You mock me, but I am nothing like him. For one, I am not rude."
"He seems fine to me", she declares decisively.
It's the first time in months that he gives her a cheeky grin. "That's because you're rude too."
---
They are still just containing the threats to their world, instead of finding a way to fortify the barriers between worlds and stop the threats from coming.
"Shouldn't we have a plan to seal off the other worlds from ours?" She asks him one day.
"They are working on it." He tells her, and then with a look of worry, adds, "I hope."
There are debates on what to do at the Avengers tower and at the TVA. Nobody seems to agree on what the best course of action is, but everyone seems to be following the general instructions of Doctor Strange.
During one such meeting, a Minuteman makes the mistake of voicing out loud how she wondered if things would be better if they were running according to their old boss's plans.
Sylvie feels the guilt wash over her once more.
"No", Loki tells them all firmly. The determination in his voice takes her completely by surprise. "Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred." She catches him steal a glance at her direction. "We couldn't have left a dictator in charge just because it's convenient. Listen, I'm the bad guy. I've done horrible, unspeakable things. I thought humans needed to be ruled. I wanted to rule. But even I know that it's not right to take away a person's life completely. These are innocent people. You are innocent people. You have families back home, parents, children", a pause and a softening of his features, "-love. A whole past, a whole future. That man had no right to take it away from you."
His powers of persuasion are foreign to her, and it's mesmerizing to watch. Her enchantments cannot hold a candle to how he is able to just talk people into doing what he wants, thinking what he thinks, seeing what he sees.
"He who remains had a plan. One, singular plan, from one, singular man." There is absolute conviction in his voice. "It's not the only way. We'll find another way. A better way."
She has never known what it is like to have someone see you for who you are- broken and flawed, and defend you- even your well-intentioned actions that yielded different results than what you expected and hurt them in the process. She suspects it has been the same for him, a lifetime of not having anyone have his back.
The warm feeling inside her is brand new. What is the name of this? Comfort? Relief?
Happiness?
---
This will be their first time out in the field in a long time, and she feels a little sick to the stomach.
He notices. "Are you alright?"
The concern in his voice tugs at her heartstrings. She nods. She has faced way worse, she shouldn't be so nervous about this, but she is. "I've never done this before."
"We can always just kill him and blame it on the Chitauris", he suggests with a serious face.
"I heard that", Peter yells from the other room, where he is doing whatever it is that teenagers do to prepare for battle.
She shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe we're babysitting."
"I've done this before", he assures her, and it surprises her to picture him being entrusted with such a serious task. "The trick is to conjure up illusions that keep them distracted enough to not cry."
She laughs. "You're thinking of infants. This one is a little older."
"I'm over a thousand years old, Sylvie. They're all infants to me."
Peter joins them, mask covering his face so that he doesn't reveal his identity. "So what do I call you? Loki and Loki? That's confusing. How about Loki and Lady Loki? Or is that offensive? I'm not suggesting women are inferior, because they're absolutely not..."
"Does he come with an off switch?" She whispers in horror as Peter rambles on.
Loki grins. With one wave of his hand and a flash of green, Peter's own webbing shoots out and seals his mouth shut.
---
Things are fine but not fine at the same time. He's right there beside her, but not there at all. They have their banters, they have their stolen glances, but they haven't had a meaningful conversation since that first day when she got back. She's been putting it off for a long time, but she knows they really do need to have the talk.
She corners him in his room one evening while he's tinkering with a temporal collar. She takes a seat in the chair next to his bed and rests her hand on the table, leaning her head against her palm, before switching position and crossing her arms and legs. Everything about her posture screams uneasiness. If he notices- he probably does- he doesn't say anything.
"You defended me that day."
He briefly looks up from the task at hand and gives her a soft smile. "Of course."
She blinks. "I don't understand." Her hands involuntary rise up to rub her temples. "If you can justify my actions to them, then how can you still be mad at me?"
"I'm not mad at you", he says without missing a beat.
"Rubbish", her words come out angrier than she intended. This frustration is the result of the months of status quo they have had. She has to know now, one way or the other. "You're distant. You're guarded", she accuses. Then her voice breaks, as she feels a part of her break all over again with her next words. "You don't hold my hand. Why? Tell me."
He abandons the collar and focuses his full attention on her. Staring straight into her eyes, he answers her. "You know why."
"I wouldn't be asking if I did. Look, if it's because I chose the mission over you-"
"-Of course it's not that." He says decisively. Then a sad smile clouds his face. It's the same look he had when she accused him of conning her to gain the throne. "Do you think I'm the type of man who would want a woman to abandon her life-long ambitions just because she has met someone?"
She knows he isn't. But it still doesn't answer why he is so cross with her. "What is it then?"
He pauses for a moment, trying to decide whether he wants to bare his soul out to her once more or not. There are two ways he can go from here- choose to not let her in again and save himself from the hurt, or trust her again and open himself up to potential pain.
Who is he kidding? Pushing her away- keeping her away- doesn't hurt any less.
There were a thousand things that had to go wrong to bring two Lokis from two universes together. A connection like that, it doesn't just happen.
And it doesn't just go away. The pain is constant, it's a part of him, pounding like a second heart every second he has to stop himself from reaching out for her hand.
This has to come to an end.
He takes in a deep breath, bracing himself. "You didn't have to send me away, Sylvie. I wanted to stop you from making the same mistakes I did. But in the end, I didn't care what you chose. I just wanted us to do it together."
She never even imagined this could be the reason for his hurt. All these months spent thinking he hates her for her choices, and now it turns out he is hurt simply because she chose to do it alone? "I'm sorry." She says sincerely. "I just wanted you to be safe."
"And I just wanted to be there with you till the end." He confesses. His eyes shimmer with the emotions he has kept bottled in for so long. "You go, I go."
She doesn't know what to say to that. She has never been good at articulating her feelings. Tears stream down her cheeks at the realisation that even after everything, he is still there for her.
She didn't cry even back at Lamentis when they thought they were going to die. She doesn't let anyone see her cry when she is sad or scared. That's all she has known her whole life. She's used to it by now.
This is new. These are tears of relief. Comfort.
Happiness.
Tentatively, she crosses over to the bed and sits by his side.
It's quiet for a few minutes. But unlike the months of tension so thick she could cut it into splices with her daggers, this is comfortable silence. The kind they had before it all went wrong.
"Did you even miss me?" He whispers.
"What kind of silly question is that? Of course I did." Her shaking hands grab his, and oh how she missed this.
He intertwines their fingers. His eyes draw closed. Bliss. That's the only word for this feeling.
He opens his eyes again and studies her. She's staring back at him, teary-eyed, but with a hopeful smile. "Really? Because you have a really unique way of showing it. You didn't even come looking for me."
"I didn't know how to face you", she tells him honestly. No tricks, no enchantment, no treachery. Not with him. "I didn't know if you even wanted to see me." Her voice grows quieter, dropping to a timbre that perfectly encapsulates her deepest fear. "I thought you hated me."
"Hate you?" He is shocked that she thinks that is even possible, specially after seeing him these last few months. "Sylvie, I'm working with the Avengers. The Avengers. Do you know how much I hate them? They are my nemesis. They're self-righteous, condescending, and so completely dull. Every second with them makes me want to rip their hearts out. Why do you think I'm here with them?"
She thinks she knows. But she needs to hear it anyway.
"It's because of you." He lays it all out on the table. All cards on deck, win or lose. "You've been running away. I have been the one who has been here, trying to hold down the fort, working to fix everything. Because that is what one does when one loves-"
Shit. The word slips out before he realises it.
Their eyes go wide in unison.
"Sylvie, I-"
"-Don't you dare take it back now." She warns him. "I-" She doesn't know how to say it either. They make such a great pair, both equally daft at saying how they feel, like they are teenagers, not Gods who have lived for centuries. "I've been running because I didn't think I could bear the burden of knowing I found you and then I lost you. I don't want to lose you. Not now, not ever."
He kisses the back of her hand, before letting it go. He cups her face, gently caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "I don't want to lose you either."
She leans in closer, until their foreheads touch. She can feel his breath on her face, warm and soft. That is exactly how she feels inside. "You won't", she promises. "You go, I go."
---
(Quote on Lesser Evil from The Witcher. Thanks for reading!!)
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sebstanseabass · 3 years
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Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 17
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Afterglow chapters
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
One of the advantages of being a photographer — or a self-taught photographer in your case — is having the ability to acquire an eidetic memory. You remembered the hat that the little bitch (a four-year old) was wearing when she pushed you off the swings in daycare, or the little stain on your father's doctor's lab coat when your family had to rush him to the hospital, or what Peter was wearing the day you guys first met (some oversized flannel he borrowed from Bucky), or the look on your ex-boyfriend's face when you punched him in the face for cheating on you.
The attention to every pretty little detail is, and always will be, a must, and so not remembering where you had seen Bucky before killed you, or rather, was killing you.
It was a normal morning, well, better than your normal mornings to say the least, with Bucky spending the night in your bed. This time, you woke up first, all wrapped in nothing but sheets and Bucky's arms just like yesterday. You rolled over to his side and admired him in his sleep. Then, sudden flashes of Bucky's face from before flooded your memory. You didn't know when exactly was before. It felt like a kind of a deja vu moment.
While eating Bucky's homemade breakfast, in your mind, you listed all the possible places where you could've seen him before: a café, a bar you once went to in college, a bookstore, a museum, a convivial gathering, a convenience store, and any other places you could've bumped into him.
The morning grew unusually quiet and clouded, eliciting concern from Bucky.
"You seem awfully quiet this morning." He observed. "Are you alright, doll?"
"Y-yes, I am."
"Uh-oh, was the sex not great last night?" He joked, nudging his elbow against yours.
You shook your head, trying to smile a little. Thankful that Bucky was trying to keep everything light. "No, no, it was great. You were great. It's just... I'm just quite anxious for today."
Today, you were going to Sam's office and to his store on Fifth Street, to discuss the details about the project. It wasn't what you had in your mind this morning but as you told Bucky about it, you realized you really were getting a bit nervous about the meeting. It was a big deal, after all.
Sam's business, The Falcons, was getting more recognition than you thought. He was now in near competition with Nike and Adidas, especially with the rumors of him releasing brand-new footwear, that could — and you quote one of the articles you read while on break — “overthrow the big leagues.” That alone, already put you in the spotlight. So, whatever you put out there should only be a success, and not a flop; because if it were a failure, you wouldn't only be humiliating yourself, but Bucky as well.
"You're gonna do great!" He assured you. "Plus, it's just a meeting. You two already seem to have a grasp on the project, anyway."
"Yeah." You sighed. "You're right."
You wanted to ask Bucky if you had ever, ever, met each other before — perhaps during a party where you’ve rescued Peter before? — but you bit your tongue to stop yourself. You already did when you met, anyway. And everything was going great between the two of you — whatever the hell this was; besides, labels are overrated nowadays — and you didn't want to say anything or do anything that could potentially ruin it. You were beyond happy in your little bubble, and you could tell Bucky was, too.
You brushed all those thoughts at the back of your mind as you and Bucky strolled through Sam's building's hallways, ironically telling yourself it was all just in your head, that you were just quite edgy about this damn meeting, that you were just thinking about Bucky all the damn time; and the more you told these things to yourself, the more you believed it, and the more you hoped you would never have these thoughts again.
Today, you wore something a bit different than what you usually wore down at the bar. A blazer and pants set, adorned with black and white stripes, a tube top inside, and a white belt that kept the blazer on your sides. You got the set when you and Bucky were out shopping on Monday, of course, Bucky paid for it no matter how many times you refused. Your hair was let down, all the ends flowing down your shoulders until the bottom of your breasts. Lips painted bright red (which Bucky really, really liked). A bit of shimmer on your eyelids as well.
Today was a huge deal and you wanted to look your best.
Bucky kept his hand on the small of your back the whole time you walked, giving a sense of comfort and familiarity you now learned to be fond of. He told the story of how he met Sam (at a bar, where else?), how he had seen him grow in the industry (all the ups and downs), and also how they've always supported each other — the three of them.
"Wait, the three of you?" You asked. "There's another one?"
Bucky almost wanted to stop in his tracks but decided against it. He avoided your gaze, his eyes straight down the hallway. "Yes, but we've fallen apart." He said. "He has his own thing now. Anyway, let's not talk about it. We have more important things to deal with today."
Before you could even ask what the name of this third friend was, Sam appeared at the end of the hallway, with his arms wide open, like a king opening his arms to his heir. Bucky, without leaving your side, proceeded to hug Sam only using his free arm, "Hey, man," he said, and retreated back afterwards.
On the other hand, you shook Sam's hand and gave him a smile.
"Hi, Sam." You greeted. "Nice to see you again."
"You too... y/n." Sam replied, hiding a smirk you knew he was itching to show, hiding the fact that he wanted to mock Bucky by calling you "babydoll."
"You guys made it in time." He said. "Come with me to the conference hall."
Sam led you to his right where a white long table stood in the middle with a bunch of vacant office chairs around. A projector sat on the center of the table, a series of displays of sports apparel lying around, perfectly organized by color. A blonde woman had her back on you, flipping papers on a clipboard. Once she heard you come in, she swiveled around and put the clipboard on the table.
"Y/n, this is Sharon Carter, my assistant and the project manager assigned for this new release." Sam spoke. "She knows everything there is to know about how my business works, all the ins and outs. And if in any case I won't be around, you can always rely on her."
"Hi, nice to meet you." You said.
Sharon Carter, instead of answering verbally, just offered you a smile and a small nod. Her gaze shifted towards Bucky, and then Sam. "Mr. Wilson, does he need to be here?"
"Always a pleasure to see you, Sharon." Bucky chuckled.
Sharon ignored him and continued to talk to Sam; well, tried to. "All the details in today's meeting are confidential and he — "
"He's good, Sharon." Sam cut her off. "I doubt he'll be interested in this, anyway. He's just here for his... doll." Sam chortled and Bucky winked and clicked his tongue in response. "Besides, he's the one who introduced me to y/n."
Sharon sighed in defeat and tried to smile at her boss. "Very well then."
"Please, take a seat." Sam offered, leading you towards the vacant chairs.
While walking towards the chairs, Bucky bent over on your side and whispered: "Don't worry, she's usually like that" which gave you relief.
"Good," you whispered back, "for a moment there, I thought she hated my guts."
"To be fair, she usually hates everyone's guts. Especially mine." Then, he placed a small kiss on your temple before pulling out a chair for you. "You'll do great, doll."
"Alright," Sharon started, glaring at Bucky, "shall we begin?"
The meeting lasted longer than you had liked it to be, and for a little while, it suddenly became an understanding of the difference between working with small, independent businesses and big businesses such as Sam's. Usually, you had a lot of artistic upper hand when it came to the small ones, seeing as they were still starting — and it was also where your college degree came in handy. You would talk to them about advertising, and marketing strategies through product photography. And that was that. But Sam's business already had something to start with.
Something already big.
In the middle of the presentation, Bucky reached for your hand under the table (which took you by surprise), hooking his pinky into yours.
"Just hold my pinky like this if this is too overwhelming for you." He whispered.
"Why the pinky?"
He just shrugged in response, a smile playing on his lips.
Sharon walked you all the way through it, careful not to miss any kind of detail, small or big: from the moment the business started (Sam working in retail, then reselling clothes, then making streetwear designs of his own until he landed on sporting apparels), and to what made the business grow what it is right now.
"Inclusivity." She continued, clicking on the next slide, "This is what The Falcons is going to be all about. Plus-size workout clothes, a huge array of colors suited for every skin tone — literally any color you can think of. We also have workout clothes and streetwear in one which means new designs and new materials. And of course, the new footwear. Bringing the light in speed, bringing new comfort, a new aesthetic, footwear for all. Again, inclusivity. Right in front of you," she pointed to all the sports apparel lying on the table, "are the new designs. We just received the first batch yesterday and we're expecting the second and last one hopefully this weekend just in time for the photoshoots any day next week."
"Me and the marketing team haven't actually discussed the photoshoot details, but they've had that with Sharon, seeing as she's the project head. All I have to do is approve it," Sam said, looking at you, "with you here, of course."
You nodded in agreement, then looked at Sharon. "Will we discuss, perhaps, half of it today?"
"Oh, I can discuss all of it." Sharon smugly replied. "I have a very promising proposal right here." She clicked the next slide, showing photos of various known models. "Let's start with the models. The new faces of the Falcons — "
"Hi, sorry. Can I weigh in on this one?" You interrupted as you scanned the faces of the models in front.
"I haven't finished yet."
You looked at Sam, who had his finger on his chin (assessing the situation), pleading with him with your eyes. "Go ahead, y/n." He said, nodding.
"Thank you, Sam." You replied then went back to the screen. "If I'm not mistaken, that's Kendall Jenner."
"Yes, it is."
"That's not exactly a new face." You argued. "And isn't she already an ambassador for Adidas?"
"It is a new face of The Falcons." She answered. "And she's actually ending her contract with Adidas. Something about breach of contract or some sort that I cannot legally discuss with outsiders."
"Where are the plus-size models?" You asked.
"I was actually getting to it." She clicked the next slide.
"Ashley Graham?"
"Yes, her. She's the perfect candidate."
You bit your lip, leaning forward on the table and unhooking your pinky with Bucky's. "Look, all of these models are gorgeous and handsome and good models but they're faces you see every single day on billboards — "
"Exactly. They're faces you see every single day." She repeated. "That means that these faces sell. And that's what we want for this release."
"I thought what you wanted was inclusivity." You frowned. "We should get people who are real athletes and models from different races, colors, and sizes. Real people, not these people you see every day on your phone or everywhere you go. These models are overrated, anyways." You faced Sam, who was listening intently. "Let's not get faces but stories instead. I believe that's what will separate The Falcons from these huge brands. It's a new release, right? Might as well make everything new."
Your words hung in the air, rendering the whole conference room quiet. Until Sharon broke it off. "Business doesn't work that way. I went to business school. I know how the system works."
You chuckled. "I majored in business and finance. Trust me, I know everything there is to know about business, not just you."
She was dumbfounded but tried to hide it, anyway. "But this is my proposal. You don't have a say on who we should get. You don't work for The Falcons."
"I know." You sighed. "But I'm working with you, and I have a say in this as much as you do." You glanced at Sam who was deep in thought. "But of course, Sam will always have the last say."
You leaned back in your chair, your chest heaving. With your eyes straight ahead, you grabbed Bucky's hand and hooked your pinky with his.
"Sharon," Sam started, "that was an excellent presentation and I humbly appreciate it but y/n does have a point. I wouldn't want these people representing The Falcons. I want people like me, people with stories to tell. Inclusivity isn't a marketing strategy, or a statement. It's what I believe in. And you," he swiveled his chair in your direction, "made a good case out of it."
You broke out in a smile, glancing at Bucky who also did the same. He now intertwined his fingers with yours, squeezing your hand three times.
"Sharon, find new models and athletes and have their profiles by next week. Let's think of it like... Kind of like a casting call." Sam said, standing up. "Now, let's dismiss this meeting 'cause I am starving."
-
"You have got to get a new assistant, Sam." Bucky groaned as you got inside Bucky's limo. You had lunch at some fancy restaurant in Manhattan before Sam showed you around the main store down Fifth Street.
You laughed, greeting Howard who gave you a smile through the rearview mirror. "She's the best assistant I could ever get."
"Please." Bucky said. "You could have better. She's just, ugh, I don't know, what's the word for someone who thinks she's better than everyone else in the room? Who hates practically everyone but goes to great, great lengths just to kiss your ass — "
"Alright, alright!" Sam cut him off, laughing. "I get it, man. But y'know I can't afford to lose her. It took me months to get a loyal and honest assistant."
"Ugh, fine."
"You just want her out because you're protecting your little babydoll."
"Jesus, Sam." Bucky said. "Stop calling her that."
"Yeah, stop calling me that." You frowned, leaning on Bucky's side and wrapping your hand around his muscular arm. "Only he gets to call me that."
"You guys make me sick." Sam joked.
You turned towards Bucky who had the end of his eyes, crinkled, and nose, scrunched. "Hey," you said, grabbing his attention, "did you get a text from Parker last night?"
His expression became relaxed, and looked at you. "Yes, actually. Something about a kid named Schmidt."
You chuckled. "Yeah, he's kind of a bully. Remind me to beat his ass when he comes to the bar. You won't miss him. He's got way too much gel in his hair, and too much of a know-it-all, kind of like, Ross Geller."
"Oh, I'd like to watch you beat someone up." Sam nodded, smirking. "You know what, I'd pay you to punch Parker."
"Oh come on, Sam." Bucky laughed.
"Nah, I'm kidding. I love that little kid. Speaking of Peter," Sam cleared his throat, "what are you guys gonna do when he gets back?"
You and Bucky fell silent, hooking your pinky with his once more. "We, uh," you glanced at Bucky who had his eyes on his shoes, "we haven't talked about it yet. But we will tell him, that's for sure. Right, James?"
His eyes shot up to yours, then at Sam. "Yes, yes, of course. I mean it's Peter. Of course, we'll tell him. Just not right away."
"What do you mean not right away?" You frowned.
"Well, we can't flat out tell the guy we're dating the moment he comes back. I don't want him to have a heart attack." Then, he bent down a little, leveling his mouth on your ear. "We are dating, right?"
"Well, we haven't talked about it and we're certainly not talking about it in front of Sam." You replied, glancing at Sam who was just staring at the both of you.
"We're here, Mr. Barnes." The partition pulled open, revealing Howard's voice. The three of you got out of the limo, the bar right just right in front. Before we even got to enter the bar, Sam tapped your shoulder and called out to Bucky.
"Do you mind if I borrow your girl for a moment? I'll just have to discuss something work-related."
Bucky turned around and glanced at the both of us. "Yes, sure." He pecked you on the lips then turned around to enter the bar.
"This is actually about Bucky." Sam said.
"Oh." You said. "Okay. What about Bucky?"
"I have to say, I haven't seen him that happy."
"Uh, isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"
"It is, it is! And I'm glad he has you."
"But?"
He sighed. "But just be careful with him. Look, y/n, he's a good guy and all; we're practically brothers... But he's a child. I've known him since we were teenagers. He's almost forty and not once has he had a serious relationship."
"What are you trying to say, Sam?"
"You've only known him for, what, a couple of weeks? Don't you think this is going a little too fast?"
"I like Bucky." You replied. "I genuinely do and what we do or how we do is honestly none of your business. It doesn't matter how long I've known him. I appreciate you looking out for Bucky, but Bucky's an adult. We're all adults here. We can handle ourselves."
"Just promise me one thing."
"Sure."
"Don't hurt my friend." He said. "He may act like this rich bitch just parading around town, getting by with his manly looks and shit, but he's a child. He doesn't know what he wants. If you hurt him, you'll also end up hurting yourself. So, be careful, alright? Think this through, and talk with him."
Silence.
"Promise me, y/n."
You nodded. "Yeah, I promise."
"Good. Now let's head in there, I need a drink."
"Wait, Sam." You said, making Sam stop in his tracks. "Do you think Bucky likes me as much as I do?"
"I can't say for sure." Sam replied before walking inside.
You leaned your back against the brick wall, hitting the back of your head. You closed your eyes, letting all your thoughts rush in.
Still feeling a little bit light-headed, you went inside (which was still empty except for Nat, Sam, and Bucky) and as soon as Nat's eyes landed on your figure, she whistled. "Oh wow, Mrs. Fancypants!"
You chuckled, removing your blazer, revealing the tight black tube top as it was getting a bit hot. "Shut up, Nat."
"Woah, somebody call the fire department 'cause it's getting hoooot in here!" Nat continued then tilted her head towards Bucky. "Hey big guy, if you're not gonna hit that, I will."
You rolled your eyes, chucking the blazer to her face. You turned to Bucky who was sitting in the usual booth with Sam. "She said the same thing to me about you."
"Don't expose me like that, y/n. Not. Cool."
You giggled, sliding in the booth and greeting Bucky with a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, you."
"Hey, doll." He smiled, placing his hand on your thigh and pulling you closer. "We were just talking about you."
You glanced at Sam, who was smiling at you. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Don't worry, it's all good. And, y/n... That thing we talked about earlier."
"What about it?" You asked.
"We're good." He answered. "And to answer that last question, he does."
You beamed. "Really? He does?" You asked, as if Bucky wasn't even in the room.
"Yes, he really does."
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Bucky asked out of curiosity.
You glanced at Sam, smiling, "Oh, just this model I want for the shoot," and then you looked back at Bucky, "I was kind of having doubts for a hot minute over there about him, but, everything's fine. Everything's good."
"Good." He kissed your temple softly, making your heart flutter. "It should be."
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michaelwithab · 2 years
Text
i have been in the mood to write, so if anyone would like to indulge me, please read further! i strictly rp on discord & prefer to use tupperbox for replies, and if this isn't something you're familiar with, i'll be happy to teach you! it's honestly super easy to get the hang of <3 aside from that, seeing as i'm 27, i'm only comfortable writing with muns 22+ & playing muses 22+, typically leaning towards 25+ if possible. i lovelovelove to do quick fire threads, but also don't mind the occasional multi-para response ( bonus points if we send each other musings / songs / headcanons related to our ship in between ). it really helps keep my muse alive to know my partner is giving as much as they're receiving, so please be someone who actively engages in plotting rather than agreeing with everything i have to say & not adding things to further the plot yourself. i'm here to have a good time for possibly a long time, and if you're wanting a dedicated rp partner, then you're in the right spot!
below are my most wanted plots + faceclaims i'd love to play:
faceclaims: gong yoo, nathan stewart-jarrett, kedar williams-stirling, tati gabrielle, zoe kravitz, avan jogia, alex wolff, natasha liu bordizzo, choi minho, bright vachirawit, ryan destiny, dev patel, alejandro speitzer, aron piper, rami malek, brianne tju, sophia taylor ali, justice smith, alfonso herrera, bahar sahin, adeline rudolph, christina nadin, and i'm running out of brain cells so pls look here for more!
some plots:
ii. would love to do a multi-muse centered around a small town, but make it small town gothic. think being in a convenience store at midnight, or swings swinging with no one on them, or smiling neighbors who always greet you and never blink and always offers dinner but never says what they're cooking when asked, or WELCOME TO ( STATE ) signs but you keep driving & never see a THANKS FOR VISITING sign that tells you you have left the state. and just general creepy vibes like in this post!
i. [death tw] idk, but i've been itching to play an older muse who has abruptly become the legal guardian of a 7 year old after their parents ( my muse's sibling ) passes away in an accident. your muse can be a next door neighbor, third grade teacher, etc who notices my muse is in way over their head & is in need of some guidance as they raise their niece / nephew / nibling, while also grieving the loss of a family member. i'm leaning toward my muse being male, but i'm open to m / f / nb as opposites!
iii. love a good sports related plot ( especially if the sport is soccer or swimming ). they can be teammates or from rival teams, and i'm open to all genders for this!
iv. again, i'm blanking LOL so please feel free to peruse here for more plot ideas!! but i'm also down to look through your own wanted plots tag, as well as combining a couple plots together to give an idea more depth! and yeah!! hmu or like this post & i'll hop into your dms, then we can get this show on the road <3
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Penny being trans + autistic coded made me resonate with her as I am nonbinary and autistic myself. Her being a robot felt like me when I have to hide my neurodivergent traits. Her getting confirmation that she wasn't just a robot/machine but a real girl felt so validating. I don't have to look like everyone else to still be considered "real".
Ironwood's semblance being literal hyperfixiation, something I've dealt with since I have ADHD + autism would have made me feel better about myself. This is a man who, despite everything: his PTSD, being an amputee, still was a kind-hearted man. This is something rarely seen in media. I was happy.
Then they fucked up both Penny and Ironwood in ways that struck me. Penny is hacked into and forced to comply with basically forced suicide- she was to open the vault, then self-destruct.
Ironwood, oh dear god. They couldn't wait to fuck him over. He was so HAPPY to see team RWBYJNROQ. He told them everything about his plan, trusting them with literal GOVERNMENT secrets, giving them a place to stay, FREE weapon upgrades (Atlas is known for its advanced technology), hell even gave them their HUNTRESS LICENSES THREE-ISH YEARS EARLY (which Ruby later uses as a credibility source in her broadcast, which was eerily similar to Cinder's in Volume 3, when she says IRONWOOD CANNOT BE TRUSTED.)
Not to mention that she conveniently forgot she was calling for help from OTHER KINGDOMS. OF COURSE they wouldn't arrive soon enough. And no one had reason to trust her. She's a nobody. She was at the Vytal Festival and her team made it all the way to the singles? Cool. Ruby wasn't the final fighter, hell after the 4 vs 4 match she didn't compete further.
Blake would have obviously been a bad choice: she's a faunus and if anyone knows about the White Fang, they might recognize her.
Yang is more known than Ruby, but the world saw her kick an unarmed teen in the finals round. She doesn't have too good a reputation.
Weiss? She's well known as the Heiress, but also her singing. Having her give the speech is a mixed bag: on one hand, she's a recognizable face. On the other, that's a problem. Her father, the CEO of the SDC, is known for his cruelty. Blake said it herself way back in Volume 1: questionable business practices and partners.
So... How about no broadcast at all? What did her broadcast accomplish?
Nothing. Help didn't arrive and likely caused more panic. Plus, people still had a negative view of Atlas, as the last thing the world saw was Atlesian soldiers turning against civilians.
The last broadcast was before Beacon fell. So likely another hacker giving a message would be met with fear.
And what attracts Grimm? Negativity.
Ruby's broadcast could have been a DEATH SENTENCE to so many. But no, this is treated as the... Right course of action?
Ruby and co. hates Ironwood's plan, yet it's clear they don't have one. RWB spends a lot of time moping around the manor drinking tea. Team YOJR (Yang, Oscar, Jaune and Ren) actually DO SOMETHING. Oscar gets kidnapped and they chase after him. Ren rightfully points out that NONE OF THEM SHOULD BE DOING THIS. But that goes against the Hivemind™, so he must apologize and agree to whatever the fuck Ruby decides to do.
Which is NOTHING! RWBY didn't even take down the hound: WILLOW and WHITLEY did. A drunk woman and an unarmed teen defeated it.
Oscar is the one who blows up the whale (with his time bomb? huh??)
Ruby whines that it's all too much, cries on a staircase while her sister (remember that Ruby and Yang are related????) comforts her. The scene has no emotional depth because the two barely interact anymore.
OH GOD AND WHEN YANG TAKES A HIT FROM NEO THAT WAS MEANT FOR RUBY IT TAKES HER OUT COMPLETELY. AURA? GONE. HELL, SHE'S EVEN UNCONSCIOUS. I swear it's like the animation budget could only afford to have ONE character react, and it's Blake "sad kitty face" Belladonna. Not Ruby, who is her sister. WHO HAS A SPEED SEMBLANCE. But no, they just watch her fall, not knowing if she's alive.
Ruby has more of a reaction to CRESCENT ROSE, HER FUCKING WEAPON falling.
Which is retconned so hard in the Vol 9 trailer, where she tells Neo "I hope it was worth it" before falling into the void. Huh??
Anyways I'm rambling again but I am so angry!
-🎼
Never, ever, EVER apologize for rambling. I LOVE hearing peoples thoughts and sometimes it's a really nice feeling to let out your frustrations and anger towards something that has caused you harm and it really REALLY sounds like this caused you a lot of harm and so I do not blame you one bit for being hurt and angry. I should apologize for this taking so long. This was a lot and I needed to sort my thoughts and even so I probably missed some points so I also apologize for that.
Penny and Ironwoods biggest mistake was trusting and being kind to RWBY. They lied and betrayed James and treated him like garbage even though he showed them nothing but kindness and did whatever he could to help them and listened to them. Penny was told what to do and think far more so then James ever supposedly did. Ruby decided to give her a new body, decided she didn't like how James was treating her and that she thought James was a bad person, and decided that Penny was better off with them. Penny stopped being able to make her own decisions once she started hanging out with RWBY and co.
Really though what did they all think was going to happen when they sent out a message that matched beat to bear a lot of what Cinder said before Atlas fell? Did she think about the panic that would cause? Did she forget she was worried about Ironwood telling everyone back in Volume 7 because of the panic it would cause everyone??? Did that just conveniently slip her mind?
I honestly think Weiss would have been the best choice to give the broadcast of them all but I don't think they should have sent out the broadcast in the first place. It should realistically only cause panic and death but the narrative is gonna yadda yadda right past all of that.
Oh god yea RWBY and co complain and whine and scream that Ironwoods plan is bad whilst offering up no alternatives then just taking his plan and acting like it was theirs the whole time. They even did this in Volume 7 when in episode 2 they where worried about James telling Atlas about Salem and then turning around and acting all happy and shocked when James told everyone near the end of the season as if they wanted him to the whole time and not the other way around.
Man RWBY really did jack shit all volume huh? As you said all the major things side characters did: Fight James TWICE: Winter, Emerald, and JNRO.
Try and rescue Oscar: JRY
Blow up the Whale: Oscar
"Redeem" Hazel and Emerald: Again Oscar
Defeat the hound: Whitley and Willow
Launch the tower: Penny
Help defend Mantel against the swarm of Grimm: FNKI and the soldiers that all died trying to buy Ruby time while she cries in a mansion.
Like what does this girl do to help any of the people SHE trapped???
Oh god Ren, poor Ren, he's finally seeing the light but he can't stray from the Hivemind so he needs to get back in, we can't question the pure and perfect Ruby her plans are always right even if it causes Salem to get two relics and destroys the only kingdom with an army or the technology to restore global communications in the process.
Yea you're right like CRWBY can make excuses all day for why Ruby didn't react to Yang falling and MAYBE I can buy her not using her Semblance because she's in shock but not crying or reacting at ALL to her supposed death?? Why does her weapon get a more emotional response then her SISTER? Why is only BLAKE allowed to be sad about Yang supposedly dying? Why does fucking WINTER have more of a reaction to her sister dying?
Why are all the people we are supposed to be rooting for so fucking unlikeable???
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