#and how contrasting that is with other characters like bucky or sam or steve

[luna-rainbow]

(I've seen a couple of Peggy posts turn up today and please note I'm not trying to be contrary, just want to discuss things from a different perspective)

I've talked about this in another post before, but the MCU movies need to be examined in the context of the genre convention of superhero movies. From a writing perspective, CATFA (and all the Cap movies) needed to center on Steve Rogers (which is why CACW and TFATWS were failures in their primary story). All the other characters are meant to be support -- Bucky was the main foil, but so were Sam and Nat - Nat as the deceptive spy to Steve's blunt soldier, Sam as the modern parallel of Steve's traumas. By and large, CA1 and CA2 managed this balance well. Bucky Stans may not like me saying this, but as much as it would be nice to see more of Bucky's inner voice about his horrific experiences, that was not the point of those movies. The point of the movies was to focus on Steve, and Bucky's part - as lean as it was - fulfilled his narrative purpose. Of course it could've been gayer better, but it was good enough (** CA3 should have dealt with Bucky's recovery because that would have been important to Steve's recovery).

So now we come to the awkward subject of the Carters. We can argue about "better" female representation until our voices dry (that representation was given to Nat, by the way), but the two Carters were written as pure love interests in the movies. That was the first part of how the writing failed them. There was no narrative acknowledgement of how the Carter's experiences might mirror or contrast Steve's - and there were many! The first conversation between Steve and Peggy in the army - instead of drawing parallel between a man struggling against ableism and a woman struggling against misogyny, it simply plays up Steve as an incel and Peggy as the disinterested trophy. Instead of comparing how difficult it was for Steve and Peggy to get into the army, instead of discussing their respective reasons for wanting to join, the only parallel it draws between them is both are waiting "for the right partner" (i.e. a romantic connection only)....which it then reneges in CATWS when Steve talks about "someone with shared experiences" and does not include Peggy in that mix.

As the movies continue, more and more contrast is shown in Peggy's and Steve's experiences -- Steve, who laments of feeling lost and uncertain, and Peggy, laughingly dismissing him as "always so dramatic"; Peggy, who has lived a full life without him, and Steve, who still struggles to extract himself from the past; Peggy, who has used Steve's fame to set up SHIELD and thanks Steve for "finding" her husband, and Steve, who has to contend with the legacy of what Peggy has created and what her role might have been for "finding" Bucky; Peggy, who was willing to compromise with Nazis for whatever war she intended to win, and Steve, who stared Fury in the eye and said "SHIELD, Hydra, it all goes."

But the stories never have the self-awareness for these contrasts, as they do - and they do, the CATWS writers knew exactly what they were doing - with Bucky and Nat and Sam. The poignancy of Bucky's narrative/moral connections (and Nat's and Sam's) with Steve are intentional, but for Peggy, accidental.

She was written as a sexy lamp - which, while annoying, is part of the genre convention that I can ignore - with multiple moral failings, who continually demonstrates an inability to connect with Steve on an ethical or emotional level.

But since Endgame, Disney keeps insisting that she's the female equivalent of Steve. And that's where my dislike of the character comes from.

#like i don't dislike characters just because they're bad people #cos they're fictional and it's okay to play with concepts #but when someone take a morally bad person and insist they're morally good #that's when you gotta start asking questions #anti peggy carter

[lnsfawwi]

Heroism in TFATWS

Let's establish one thing which is that the show operates in a superhero trope, which means there are good guys and bad guys, and the good guys always win. This is not to say that characters are morally clean-cut between good/bad. The Flag Smashers acted out of good intentions; Walker did want to do good things when he took over the mantle. But that doesn't mean they aren't the bad guys in the story, because a person is not only judged by their intentions but also the means and the ends of those intentions.

Sam and Bucky are the heroes in the story, they beat the bad guys (the Flag Smashers) and saved the world. That's how the story ends. That's how all the superhero stories end.

But the show isn't quite that simple, not in the sense that it deals with moral greys, no. Rather, the show really fucks up the boundaries between good/bad, right/wrong, and by extension, the heroism of the show.

Let's say Karli has some vague cosmopolitan worldview, and let's say that's better than the state system so Sam is justified to sympathize with her cause, and sam is rightfully asking the governments to be better. What's the actual, feasible way to achieve Karli's vision? Nice speeches notwithstanding, Sam isn't offering a solution. States aren't going to abandon the system that made them a state just because some hero dressed in an American flag descends from the sky and tells them to. Forced displacement and/or re-settlement happen because the population distribution is screwed, especially in Western Europe where Karli is from. Those states simply do not have the capacity, spatially and financially, to accommodate all the people while the others would be faced with devastating labour shortages. Statecraft is not just about morals, some IR scholars would even argue it's never about morals, you have to do the rationalist calculation. (also sam's speech to the politicians is so.........wrong. it sounds like a 16-year-old wanna-be socialist who spends too much time on leftist tiktok)

Here's the thing, you can agree with the political ideology or not, because it's not about whether it's right or wrong. It's about Sam being a hero who comes from a heavy political background, who represents a set of values that is meant to transcend a single country, advocating that ideology whilst being completely naive about it.

Steve embodies a similar idealism that makes him a hero, but not a leader. He's a leader because he can lead, he assesses the situation, sets a goal, and gives out tasks to achieve that goal. In the show, Sam is not demonstrating effective leadership, although not entirely his fault.

When you have the 'hero' indiscriminatorily endorsing the villain's philosophy, it doesn't mean the hero is empathetic, it means the hero is fucking bullshit. What makes a hero isn't merely stopping bad guys, it's also offering a better alternative even when the villain kinda makes sense. Superheroes are supposed to offer moral lessons through their heroism, which often takes place as they defeat evil. Without that, they're just dudes stopping fights, not heroes fighting for causes. The only moral lesson Sam offers is 'hey maybe radicalization is bad', which is completely ignored by both Karli and Zemo.

Sam's sympathy towards Karli is even more absurd. Even if he agrees with her cause, she's an unrepentant killer. 'Don't call them terrorists.' really, Sam? What would you call them? Just bc the Soviets fought the N@zis doesn't mean they were the good guys.

Furthermore, we see the contrast between her and the other flag smashers. They were invisible victims while her body was gently carried by Sam as phones and cameras were recording. In a show where they tried to make sense of racism, the stark contrast between Karli and the rest of the group happens to be mostly PoC is kinda hilarious.

The problem isn't Sam. It's the terrible horrible writing. You can't take a Watsonian take when it's so obviously a Doylist problem. The show claims to be a lot of things it got wrong is just pathetic.

What about Bucky? His arc is pretty detached from the main storyline and he basically did nothing significant in the show so I don't even know what they want to convey about his heroism. He was literally just running around punching people (not even very good at it too) while being blamed for things he wasn't responsible for. He only told Karli that killing was bad. What a novel lesson. Again, there is nothing from the good guy.

Who is the hero then?

Zemo is the true anti-hero of the show. Throughout the show, Sam and Bucky - the good guys - oppose killing in general, but their method is proven ineffectual and in the end, all Flag Smashers are killed with a majority of them killed after they were lawfully arrested. The Flag Smashers were terrorists, they were the villains, therefore narratively, this makes Zemo's end goal - killing all supersoldiers, in this case, the Flag Smashers - right. His ideology - the desire to become superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideas; supersoldiers cannot be allowed to exist - is positively reflected in the story. His success inevitably justifies his ideology, which stands in contrast to both Sam and Karli. I'm not saying what he did was heroic, but from a storytelling perspective, Zemo is the 'hero' who ultimately eliminated the evil in this superhero trope.

The result is that Sam, the supposed hero of the show, has done nothing. He didn't stop the bad guys, he didn't offer an effective alternative to Karli (or Zemo) practically and ideologically, while Zemo did all that. What does it say about heroism and the idealism that comes with it? That it's nice to talk about but useless when a real battle takes place? That end does justify means? Because that's not what Cap trilogy conveys.

#if you don't agree you don't have to engage. just so you know. #sam wilson #tfatws #bucky barnes #baron zemo #the falcon and the winter soldier #the show is bullshit ok? #cosmopolitanism in itself is controversial #being proposed by captain AMERICA is outright ridiculous #ofc point a gun to ppl's head and force them to leave their home is bad #but it's also too simplistic #just to give her a justification #as long as states exist there will never be free flow of population #not even within the EU not when there's a global crisis #so I'm asking again #dear kari and spellman #how exactly do you propose that to happen? #zemo my man you have done nothing wrong in your entire life xxx #also sam saying 'i'm a black american wearing an amarican flag so i must know all about suffering and discrimination' is just laughable #do the showrunners know that other countries exist???? #bro have you lived in a country where you can be arrested for saying all that to a politician? #marvel needs to stay out of politics #for their own good #also I have classmates who were part of the UN peacekeeping troops. painting them as terrorists isn't doing anyone any favour

[not-close-to-straight]

New Books Covers (Part 2!!)

(Part One Here)

Stetsons and Schoolteachers. I went classic with this cover, nothing too fancy but still easily recognizable. SAS was my first "Real" Stony fic, the first time I wrote Alpha!Steve (but 10000% not the last I love him) and my first attempt at a super tropey western romance. I re read this one at least once every few months, the side pairings of Sam/Clint and BuckyNat are just incredible.

Time Falls Away. Book One in my Time Travel Trilogy. I went with a pocketwatch motif on all three books both as a reference to time passing and of course, to reference Steve's iconic pocketwatch. Time Falls Away has letters for the times Winteriron wrote to each other when they were separated, and dried flowers for the ones Bucky brought Tony their first time together.

No Time Between Us. Another pocket watch, but this one lost in sand (the sands of time??) and dusty, dirty, maybe forgotten. Meant to represent just how far Stony was from each other in this book and how Bucky felt out of reach entirely behind the Winter Soldier mask.

Time Stands Still. A pocket watch of course, but also an hourglass filled with sand to signify the extra time Stuckony was given to find each other again. A notebook for all reminders Bucky wrote himself so he could feel human again. Keys for the cabin in the hills they all come home.

Tbh these three covers together just give me goosebumps.

In From the Cold. My one and only Post CACW Stuckony fic. The constant themes of being cold due to grief and heartache in this book contrasted with how fragile and tentatively beautiful a winter/struggle/journey can be? EXCELLENT.

One Reason Why. This is maybe my most OOC Spideypool fic ever, but it's still just a really beautiful story. I just recently re read it and goddamn do I love to see the crumbs of who #NCTS Spideypool became even in this very very early fic. PLUS it's the first time I let my biting/collar kink out into the Omegaverse and we all know how well that's turned out for the rest of my fics lmaoooo.

Love the contrast in this cover. The less fancy crown next to the sword and the "baggage" representing Wade and how he didn't want the title of Prince or King, how he lived in violence before finding Peter and how he came with so much angst and heartbreak and had to very slowly open up to his Omega mate. And then of course, Peter's crown is fancy and femme and bejeweled, laying against one of the thousands of books he owns, draped in the jewelry he loves to wear.

Last but not least, More Than Words. If ORW is my most OOC Spideypool fic, I feel like MTW is my most IN character Spideypool fic. Who Wade and Peter are in this story, their history and how they move through time to find each other, how they fall in love and find all these new ways to love each other and protect each other. Ughhhhh it's literally gorgeous.

I went with the same type motif for MTW that I did for PH-- Book One is less bright, the cabin is smaller and the woods are a little more menacing to reflect how Spideypool struggles, then Book Two is brighter, warmer, they are still home in their cabin in the woods but life is literally golden.

#spideypool #winteriron #stony #stuckony

[amarriageoftrueminds]

https://youtu.be/ajNwoS3Nsas?si=w-9hwcbT3Fb6WW5f

^^^ Phillips telling the damn truth and Peggy being like,"I did what was right" and "I don't have a crush on Cap'n America". And then, when Phillips noticed the other soldiers being distracted by something (Cap and the others returning), he leaves her standing there alone in the tent. She just continues to stand in the tent for a few more seconds, and her facial expression basically screams, "Why is the attention being taken away from me!?" Nice try, Madame Hydra, we all see through your lies.

She's so deluded about herself.

1) Doesn't have a crush?? She's been following Steve around panting like a b in heat ever since he stepped out of that vitaray tube!

2) She DIDN'T have faith in Steve.

She tried to nag Steve not to do the right thing after sneering at the very idea of it "what do you plan to do, walk to Austria?" because "your friend (didn't even know Bucky's name) is most likely dead??"

(True to form, she dgaf about the little guys. Unlike Steve, who mentioned not wanting to work in a factory; he knows how dire the situation is.)

Then she had to have her words thrown back in her face by Steve before she'd deign to help him (not that he needed it). And even then she transparently only 'helped' because she doesn't like being completely irrelevant to Steve's plans.

(He essentially tells her to stfu and get out of the way.)

Also, Classic trope in a Domestic Violence thriller is the scene where the male creep turns up at the female heroine's workplace, uninvited, and tries to persuade her to quit her job so he can have more control over her life. (But then shits the bed when she starts acting independently of him?)

That's Peggy.

Her shifting blame sideways to leech off a powerful man, claiming to be his mouthpiece when he is conveniently absent/dead and cannot speak for himself to contradict her.

( How the fuck would you know what Steve would think, you've only spoken to him like 3 times, total, months apart, and most of that time you were disagreeing with him?? )

This really is her signature move: 5 times in this movie alone she rips off or puts words in powerful dead men's mouths, usually to suggest a closer connection with them than she actually had (and by extension a greater importance of herself, by proxy).

(Also a classic Stark move, to rip off other peoples' work. Like AI rips off art. You can see why Peggy is paired off with Stark so often; they really have a lot in common. And that's before you get into What If...?)

And whereas honest Steve marches straight up to Phillips, openly and with integrity, and immediately surrenders himself for disciplinary action (and only escapes it because he's proven himself competent, and has like 500+ guys around him who'd probably mutiny if he was punished), she's trying to argue she shouldn't be punished.

Textbook nepobaby.

(As Phillips makes clear. She's not important or necessary, like Stark. She's only there because he "took a chance" on her. So... not there on merit.)

It's wild that after all the shit she does in that movie this is the closest she ever comes to experiencing an Actual Consequence, until Wanda cut her in half. 🥳

(If only Steve had come back ten minutes later! She might've already been fired by then! Alas.)

And you can see on her face that being told off is a really unsettling experience she's just not used to. You can see the barely-controlled rage/attitude of 'how dare this superior officer tell ME off??' when Phillip's back is turned.

It's like... a spoiled little princess Junior Karen being told off by a school teacher.

And the only character with the clout to deliver that dressing down has to be played by friggin Tommy Lee Jones!

Other things to notice:

A) CEvans playing Steve seeing she's there behind Phillips and doing a Live Slug Reaction, about as much expression on his face as if she was a piece of furniture. 🤣 (Contrast: him seeing Bucky, or even him seeing Sam, when they've been apart a while.) His interaction with Phillips has more genuine warmth. 🤷‍♀️

B) How mysteriously un-jubilant Peggy is that all those soldiers are safe. Y'know, the ones she didn't think Steve should bother saving? 👀💅

C) The fact that this so-called 'spy's reconnaissance sources apparently can't spot 500+ men marching back to camp in broad daylight literally seconds away from where she's standing. 🤦‍♀️ How is she still employed?

#mcu meta #toAyourQ #dat's me #hey nonny #CATFA meta #antipeggy #antisteggy #cynthia glass #p*ggy meta #mcu critical #steggy is hydra trash party #meta #remember folks: REBLOG 🔁 / DON'T JUST LIKE 🤍

[thedogsled]

Previous Occupant

Card Number: B089 Square Filled: U2 Alpine Word count: 564 Rating: G Main pairing: None Major tags: non-main character death (off screen), tfatws compliant, Indiana Summary: Bucky can’t find a place to settle down. 

He has to leave Brooklyn eventually. It’s too exhausting. Every street corner is a memory twisted through a muddied lens, and every one of them features Steve. Once he’s off Raynor’s books, he’s free. Well, free in so far as he still has to check in with Ross, whom he despises, but at least there’s no more “court appointed therapy”. Needless to say he still needs therapy, but that’s a whole other can of worms. Wasn’t like there were a lot of folks out there who understood a fraction of what he’d been through, and certainly not enough to be actively trying to help him to process it. He tries Vermont first, because it’s supposed to be green and beautiful, and Bucky thinks maybe what he needs is a complete 180 from the world he’s used to. He trades the concrete jungle for…slush. A lot of it. It’s pretty, but it’s wet. Maybe that’s just the season, but Bucky wants nothing to do with it. His next attempt is California, by contrast, but he lasts only two weeks. It’s depressing. Warmer, obviously, and he’s sure lovely in summer, but just like in New York, everyone seems to be in too much of a hurry pursuing what they wanted in life to have much care for anyone else.

He has family in Indiana. It’s what draws him back in the worst possible way, because Sam calls him with the bad news. His sister Rebecca has passed away. His sister, whose existence he’s been avoiding ever since he was freed from HYDRA; who had a life, kids, grew old - older than him - and he hadn’t ever gone back to Indiana to see her. How could he? They’d all thought he was dead, and then he’d come back with all this baggage. A cold blooded killer. He couldn’t do that to her, bring that on her community.

The funeral is beautiful. Bucky watches it through a scope, then visits her grave alone, sitting with her as he should have done while she was alive. It’s too late now. Everything always feels like he does it too damn late.

He can’t bring himself to leave. She’d made her home here, so why couldn’t he? There’s a Barnes stocking shelves at his local supermarket–couldn’t be much older than Bucky had been when he’d been conscripted; he has her eyes. There’s a Barnes at the library too, somewhere in her late fourties; she doesn’t look related, but the man in her wedding photograph is the spitting image of Bucky’s dad.

He feels at home here. He feels known here, even though he doesn’t tell anyone his name. And the little house that he buys comes with free company, the first since Wakanda, where he’d happily taken care of a small herd of goats to feel as though he was contributing to his own upkeep.

The little white cat is scrawny and underfed, and the empty bowl in the window sits next to an empty bag of kibble with a hole ripped into the bottom of it. There’s no tag, no name; the dear, sweet thing has been left here by the previous owner, abandoned. Left behind. Bucky knows how that feels.

The brand of cat food is “Alpine”, so that’s the name Bucky gives his new companion, and he promises - he swears - that he won’t ever leave the cat behind.

#alpine the cat #ficlet #bucky barnes bingo

[angelltheninth]

What are your favorite characters to write for? Maybe from each of your fandoms?

Oh that's a good question Anon! Ok lets see:

Hazbin/Helluva:

Alastor, Angel Dust, Blitzo, Val and Charlie, all the sinful baddies and a cinnamon roll

Arcane:

Everyone, I literally can't choose

League of Legends:

Lux because Lightcanon, I love it and the KDA group

The Locked Tomb:

Harrow and Gideon, they're pretty much the only ones I write

Frozen:

Elsa, I can't help it, she gives me ace vibes so of course I'd latch onto her

Epithet Erased:

Zora, she'd damn chaotic and has fun with it, how could I not love writing her

Hades:

Zag, Meg and Thanatos, most of the time with them together, they all work so well together so why separate them

Bungou Stray Dogs:

Dazai, Chuuya, Doppo, Akutagawa, do I need to explain? I feel my tastes speak for themselves

JJK:

Gojo and Sukuna for the x Reader stuff, and Maki and Nobara for the ships

Boku no Hero Academia:

Hawks, Todoroki, Bakugo, Aizawa, Deku and Kirishima, I want to hug all of them and tell them that they're doing so well

Merlin:

Merlin and Morgana, Merlin is a cinnamon roll, Morgana is the hot baddie, and their actors are drop dead beautiful and funny

Critical Role:

Vax, Keyleth, Percy, Scanlan, Beau, Yasha, Fjord, Molly, Laudna, Imogen, Ashton, there's something for everyone in every campaign and I love that

Voltron:

Lotor and Allura, I'm not immune to beautiful hair or Lotor's fangs

Yuukoku no Moriarty:

William, Sherlock and James, would let each of them lie to my face and would still love them just as much if not more, plus James is just the coolest person in the show

Mass Effect:

Liara, I loved her since I first saw her, she's always my romance pick

Portal:

GLaDOS, again do I need to explain? That sass? That passive aggressiveness? She's just so much fun to write.

Miraculous Ladybug:

Adrien, Kagami and Juleka, one is a cinnamon roll who I can write so much angst for, the other could probably kill you if she wanted but I like her having a soft spot for her friends, and Juleka is just... deadpan funny, and can obliterate people in ONE PUNCH, I like that contrast

Star Wars:

Rex, Maul, The Bad Batch, Anakin, Din Djarin, Finn and Poe, again I feel like there's something for everyone here

The Arcana:

Muriel and Lucio, one is a hot himbo, I love a hot himbo, and the other one is an absolute bastard, polar opposites yet somehow my faves to write

Diabolik Lovers:

Ayato, I love him the most of all the brothers so I just write him the most

Twisted Wonderland:

Pretty new to this one but so far Malleus and Leona

Vanitas no Carte:

Vanitas himself most of the time because he's a little shit, but I also like Noe a lot too

RWBY:

Teams RWBY, JNPR and Summer and Raven, I was drawn to the main four right away, Ruby and Weiss shipwise, and then I feel into the rabbit hole

Tales of Arcadia:

Jim and Douxie, cinnamon roll with the heart of gold, and the immortal punk wizard with the heart of gold, what's not to love

The Witcher:

Geralt, specifically the Netflix version, again, himbo energy and looks like he could both crush me and give me the best, softest hugs

DC:

Batman (Battinson), Jason Todd, Nightwing for the X Reader stuff and Damian and Raven from the animated movies for the shippy stuff

Marvel:

Uhm... oh boy... Steve, Bucky, Loki, Thor, Sam, the Moon Boys, Natasha, Valkyrie, Wanda, Yelena, Kate, Clint, Shang-Chi, Peter Parker (all of them), Miles Morales, Gwen (Spider-Gwen), Logan, Emma, Laura, Kurt, and I'm sure I forgot some

ATLA/TLOK:

Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Ty Lee, Azula, Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, and will probably add Kyoshi and Rangi for the shippy ones when I read the novels (yes I haven't read them still, I just love all the fanart)

God this a long list. I probably forgot a bunch of characters too.

#fandom list #character list

[theladybarnes]

NO STRINGS ON ME - CH.4: DOUBTS

“'Cause you don't see me. And you don't need me. And you don't love me. The way I wish you would. The way I know you could”

▸ summary: fights between each other seem to cause lines to be drawn ▸ characters: steve rogers, tony stark, natasha romanoff, thor odinson, dream!bucky barnes ▸ word count: 4,762 ▸ warnings: angst, emotional cheating (?) ▸ series masterlist

The sounds of the city street life are what started to wake you up. Your body felt sore against the harsh ground, making you groan as you slowly sat up. Eyes blinking slowly as you finally were able to see where you were now. 

 The first thing you see is the familiar alleyway in the city of Krosno. It was almost as if you had returned to the same spot from a few days ago. Glancing over your shoulder, you frown at the street way. It was the same spot. 

 How did I end up back here? Where is everyone?

 In the opening you could see civilians bundled up for the cold weather that day. Reminding you just how cold you usually felt then. But strangely, you felt quite the opposite. You were boiling up as if you were in the summer sun. 

 Climbing up from the floor, you shed off your jacket, feeling like it was suffocating you. No one seemed to feel the same way you did, huddling close together as they continued on with their daily life. 

 Am I tripping out?

 You were about to take a step onto the street, maybe ask around for help or find a way to reach your friends. That is until you felt a cool metal hand wrap around your arm, tugging you back to the concealing shade. 

 “Please don’t leave yet. I just need to see you for a little while more.” 

 Bucky, who looks just as you last saw him, is smiling at you. Looking down at you like you were the person he wanted to see most. His gaze alone made your heart race, not having seen anyone look at you like that in days.

 “I thought you…left. Didn’t we say goodbye?” The memory of him stepping out into the streets replayed into your mind. He left first, then you met up with Sam. That’s how it happened. At least that's what you remembered. Suddenly some things didn’t feel real anymore.

 “I couldn’t leave you. What if HYDRA found you?” Shaking his head he leaned in, nuzzling his nose against yours tenderly. “You would be alone.” He sighed, fanning your face with his breath. Making you take a deep inhale. Something about him drew you in. Almost effortlessly for him to distract you with everything he does.

 Even now, his hands moved to rub at the sides of your hips. Pulling you slightly closer to his waistline. The affectionate touch was driving you wild, not just in your body, but your mind. None of this happened but this was strangely real.

 Why am I dreaming this? This isn’t right.

 “Hey, wait a minute. I’m with Steve.” You reminded him, ignoring the ache that came inside at the thought of pushing him away. It was hard to ignore the keen desire that had builded up in your stomach the closer he pulled you. 

 You love Steve..

 Bucky was not only his friend but he’s yours. You had to stay away. This sort of thing could set him back on all the work he’s doing to get better. But why did his hands have to feel so perfect against you? The cool contrast of his metallic palm rubbing into your unnaturally hot skin was divine.

 “What happened to us being friends?” The words caught him off guard, making his head snap up to blink at you. The blue in his eyes looked so much more beautiful this close. Had you not noticed it from your last encounter? He didn’t seem to care  about your entranced gaze as he peered up at you warmly. As if he were a sunflower soaking up the rays from the morning sun.

 Without thinking, you raised your hand up to cup the side of his face. Needing to feel him in some sort of way that was semi appropriate. With your thumb, you gently rubbed against the apple of his cheek. Admiring as the pink started to brush over the soft skin underneath. 

 Truly captivating.

 He melted into your touch, sighing contently against the soft skin of your hands before he turned his head slightly. Allowing for his lips to press at your wrist, giving just the lightest kisses. The act alone is enough to bite on your bottom lip to keep from saying anything you might regret. 

 Like how much you loved that.

 “What if I wanna be more than friends?” He mumbled, causing the whiskers of his beard to slightly brush against your skin, making you shiver at the tingle it gave. “What if I go with you? Will that change your mind?” He changed to fully kiss at your wrist now, nearly making any thought you might have had go blank as you only focused on his touch.

 “Please, Bucky,” you groaned, not even able to form a full sentence. Especially when he moved his face now to rest in the crook of your neck, breathing in your scent. Why did he suddenly have this need and affection for you? Why was this so hard to push away? “I love him..”

 “What if he doesn’t love you back?” He questioned sadly, almost speaking your hidden thoughts. The light graze his lips at your pulse point made your knees become weak, causing your body to slink against his. He happily wrapped his arms around your body again, pulling you tightly against him. “You can come with me. Just leave them.”

 Leave my friends and family? I couldn’t. I’d never. 

 “I’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ll teach you anything you wanna know.” He promised, nipping at the tender skin. “Anything you want, I’ll give it to you.”

 “Bucky, you’re..you’re not ready for this. You need time to heal.”

 “Then help me, but just you. No one else.”

 He grabbed your hands, moving them to wrap around the back of his neck. Coaxing you to play with his hair. Without hesitation you ran your fingers through his dark locks, enjoying the feeling of his soft hair. Noticing that you haven’t pulled away again, he finally brings his face back up to yours, leaning in terribly close. 

 “Can I kiss you again? Just one more time..”

 “We..I shouldn’t..” 

 He doesn’t kiss you, but he closes his eyes, letting you see even more features on his face. The light freckles that were peppered at the sides of his eyes, the unfair length of his lashes, and the slight sunburn he seemed to have on the bridge of his nose. Without weighing in more on the guilt you’ll feel from this, you leaned in and pressed your lips on his, revelling at the taste of him again. 

 A pleased hum came from his lips as he pressed back. Giving a slight rumble from deep within his chest that vibrated against yours. His hands now moved from your sides to rub up and down your back, dipping lower than the last time, testing the waters. It’s all so needy. 

 “When will she wake up, Stark? It’s been so long…”

 Thor’s booming voice echoes into the city. Causing you to pull away. Bucky seemed unphased, like he didn’t hear it at all. Instead, he happily moved his kisses to trail from your lips to down your neck, still holding onto you gently. 

 “I don’t know. We should be landing at Barton’s safe house soon.” 

 The sound of your brother’s voice is kind of like being hit with cold water. You instantly need to see him, making sure he’s okay. “Tony?” You called out worriedly. Bucky stops his movements, pulling back now to stare at you sadly. “Did you hear that?” Moving out of his arms, you step forward to look up at the sky better.

 “Maybe you should set her down, Thor. You’re making her sweat..”

 A soft hand rubbed at her cheek, bringing your focus back to Bucky. He’s back to looking less disheveled from the mess your hands left him in and more like he did the last time you saw him. And like last time, you weren’t ready to have him leave again. 

 “You’ll find me, you always seem to.” 

 “Wait, what are you talking about?” He tilts his head to the side, curious at your reply. Again, he adjusts his hair before he slips his hat back. 

 “You’ll find me, you always seem to.”

 Like as if he were an actor waiting for your turn, he stays still, staring back at you expectantly. Racking through your brain, you try to remember what you had said. “Until then?“ you repeated, watching the approval slowly return to his face.

 “Pe curând, iubi.” That familiar dazzling smile was on his face again, making you not want to wake up. He raises a hand out to you, seeking to touch you once more when you’re suddenly slammed to the ground with an electric force. Almost back in the position  you had woken up in. The touch was like electricity and you gape up to the sky wondering when you had been struck by thunder when there wasn’t even a cloud in the sky. 

 Bucky seemed to not notice again as he continued mimicking the way he left just the other day. Taking one more glance back before blending into the crowd. “What the hell?!“ you gasped, watching him fade away. As you try to sit up you’re hit again by the hot shot.

 “Do it one more time, Zeusy! Think it’s waking her up.” 

 The world began to pixelate away, fading out into a black void. Suddenly you feel like you’re hit with energy as you snap your eyes open. “It worked!” Cheered a deep voice beside you, blinking slowly you realize that it’s Thor looking at you, disheveled, but relieved to have you staring up at him. 

 “Kid, you’re gonna be the death of me one day.” Tony now popped up next to Thor, looking a little bit tired from the possible fight he just had. 

 Glancing down at your lap you raised a brow at how you were held so tightly against Thor’s chest and arms. “Did you electrocute me?” The two shared a small glance before the God chuckled. 

 “Just a spark, little Lady.”

 Tony nodded, patting Thor on the shoulder. “Yeah, just enough to wake you up since you were pretty deep in your dream.” Sitting up from his lap, Thor helped you move over so that you could sit in the seat beside him. Making your vision go a bit blurry as the world around you slowly became level again.

 “Tony, you really thought it was a good idea to have Thor electrocute me while we’re all in a metal plane?”

 For once your brother seemed stumped by the question, possibly not having really thought that through. When his mouth kept flopping open as he tried to get an answer out, you took the moment to bring him in for a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” You mumbled, pushing your face into his shoulder. “Scared me out when I didn’t get an answer back.”

 “Wish I could say it was for nothing.” He glanced behind him briefly, looking at the rest of the team before he grimaced. “The team took a big hit.” 

 “Is..everyone okay? Where’s Bruce?” Tony shook his head quickly, holding his hand up. 

 “I wouldn’t ask about him for a while…” Your gaze found the doctor eventually, noticing how he was curled up to himself, trying to make himself as small as possible. It made you wonder just how bad it was for him. There was a big part of you that felt guilty about not being a better partner to him. 

 Sure, Pietro had speed and there seemed to be no current way to stop whatever it was that Wanda did to you. But maybe if you had just taken off, come back to the fight in another way, maybe then whatever he went through wouldn’t have happened. Bruce was always living through a nightmare when he had to turn green. And even if he volunteered to do things as him, and even help formulate a way to calm the Hulk down, this still had to hurt him somehow. 

 “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to stop her..” Pushing your face into your hands, you held back the tears that wanted to slip out. Thor reached out to wrap an arm around your shoulder. Squeezing you a bit before he spoke. 

 “We all experienced that witch’s magic, friend. You, me, the captain, widow, and of course dear Banner. It just happened to hurt some of us more than others.” It was then that you realized you haven’t even thought about the others. 

 Shooting up now. You leave the privacy of the back of the quinjet to find Steve sitting in the front, haggard with little beads of sweat at the top of his forehead. Reaching out to him, you hold out your arms to pull him in. Using your fingers to try and turn his chip up so you can look at him.

 He won’t open his eyes for some reason. Whispering to you softly as he pushed you back gently. “I just need a minute alone.” He swallowed, still not looking up at you. It made your stomach turn, not sure why he wouldn’t feel the same as you did. But considering neither of you knew what happened in each other’s visions, you nodded back. 

 Natasha was your next target, and you regret not checking on her first. The glaze that went over her eyes as she stared off into nothing made your chest tighten. There were things that she’s gone through in life, nightmares that she couldn’t share right away, that you knew she must have seen. Her hands shook as she opened them up to you.

 Instantly you took her in your arms, bringing her now shivering body close. “Hey, it’s okay.” You whispered, feeling better at how she seemed to calm down in your arms. You raked your fingers through her curls, hoping it would keep the calm that suddenly came to her. 

 “You’re here, you’re okay.” She whispered back, as if she just noticed that she wasn’t in her vision anymore. Nodding your head, you press a soft kiss to her forehead and stay quiet as she repeats the lines to herself. Trying not to pry whenever she’d slip up something about a ceremony of some sort. 

 “I’ve got you, лисичка (little fox).” 

 A very small smile managed to tug at her lips. “Cолнышко (little sun)...” She sighed in relief, giving you some sort of hope that she was coming down. “I guess I should say I’m sorry..things kind of backfired.”

 “No apologies are needed, Natasha. None of us really expected that.”

 “But she got to you..they hurt you.”

 Using your fingers, you forced the girl to meet your eyes. Giving her a stern look. “Exactly, they hurt me. They hurt all of us.” Looking around, you noticed just how damaged the group was. An angry feeling filled within you at the idea of the twins doing so much harm to the people you cared about. There’s a moment when you meet Steve’s worried gaze before you speak again. 

 “We’re not gonna let them get away with this.”

 What you had hoped would be more inspiring, led Steve’s face to harden. Upsetting him in some way that caused him to turn the seat around and away from the vision of the two of you. Both you and Natasha frowned at that, sharing a confused glance with each other. 

 Whatever was on Steve’s mind would eventually come out, it had to. The feeling of the quinjet descending thankfully pulled you from the worrisome thoughts. Clint cleared his voice, grunting out to everyone.

“Heads up guys, we’re here.”

  The minute the jet door opened, it seemed to fill the group with confusion. While you’ve heard of the type of safe houses that SHIELD used to have, a farm was certainly an odd one. Especially considering it was an active running farm.

 “Do you think Clint knows the owner?” You whispered to Steve, watching as he tried to piece the same thought together. 

 “Maybe it’s a friend.” He concludes, now seeming a bit more at ease with you. Taking your hand in his, he gently led you with the others towards the front steps of the house. Thor caught up to walk past you two, giving you a weak smile as he moved to walk beside Tony.

 “You know, I’m surprised he let you out of his arms.” Glancing up at Steve again, you noticed a forlorn look in his face. “We had walked up to the jet and you were..” he paused briefly, squeezing your hand a bit. “You were on the floor, passed out. If I didn’t hear how fast your heart was been beating, I would have thought you were dead.”

 You squeezed back, feeling suddenly guilty for the scare. “Thor still had some lingering effects from his vision and suddenly started calling out to you. But, he thought you were Loki. He..wouldn’t let you go. I didn’t have it in my heart to tear you away from him.”

 Leaning up, you press a kiss against his cheek. Thankful that while he was going through his own, he still helped out everyone else. “I couldn’t blame him, even when we got back in the air, I still kept hearing and seeing things.” 

 “Maybe we should talk about what we saw..” you said finally, knowing that at some point Steve needed to let you in.

 “No.” He said firmly, releasing your hand now. You tried to control the emotions on your face, but his sudden cold demeanor with you lately was throwing you off. “I’m sorry,” he added once he saw your face. Lifting his hand up, he looked like he was going to reach out for you but stopped himself. “I just need time..” with that, he left you alone, moving to walk ahead with Thor now as they reached the front door.

 “Chin up, kid. Can’t get any worse.” Bruce muttered as he walked past you, truly leaving you to wonder if he was actually right.

  The following events were thankfully less stressful and more calming. You had an idea that Clint might have been seeing someone, especially since he showed interest in no one back in the academy. What you didn’t think was the fact that he had a whole secret family. Neither could anyone else on the team since Tony pulled you aside multiple times to make a comment about something else that seemed to fascinate him.

 “Barton is copying us, you know.”

 “How exactly is he doing that?” You asked, humoring him as the two of you made your way outside. The both of you needed some fresh air after getting some lunch and since Steve was still being distant, you figured a short walk would feel nice.

 “We had a secret family dynamic and he totally copied that.”

 “Tony, it’s not the same. I hid it because I didn’t want any nepotism at work, he did it because he’s keeping his family safe from harm. Big difference.”

 He shook his head, using his fingers to scratch at his hairy chin. “Whatever, it’s not like it’s a big deal.” He shrugged, refusing to say you’re right. He pointed back over to the house, noticing Steve emerge. “What’s going on with you and frosty? I figured by now he’d be tending to you like he usually does.”

 “I have absolutely no idea. I wanted to talk to him about what we saw in our visions but he seemed to grow even more distant at the idea.”

 Tony frowned at that, giving his friend a glance again before he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “And what exactly did you see?” He asked softly, probably worried now. 

 “It was weird. Not really much I can describe. I was in the forest that was by us, but in a blink of an eye everyone and everything was gone. It was just me, trees, and this dooming cloud of darkness that wanted to swallow me.” A shiver ran over you as you remembered the image again. “A voice was calling me, almost scared for me. But I couldn’t place who it was. I was just alone..”

 “I’d never leave you alone.” He promised, pulling you in tighter. 

 “I know, but it was just a nightmare right? It’s not like it’s the future.”

 Tony sighed for a second, looking like he wanted to say otherwise but instead nodded his head. “Yeah, just nightmares.”

 You both don’t talk much about it after that, choosing instead to talk about more normal mundane things. Tony brings up Pepper now and then, imagining what it’d be like if they lived on a farm together. You reminded him that the both of them were city kids and probably would do horrible. He rebutted that he could build them both machines that would do most of the hard stuff.

 Soon enough you’re back on the porch by yourself, enjoying the calmness of the farm as you watched Steve and Tony converse while chopping wood. On your left you could hear Clint basking in the time with his children again, giving you a small nod of approval whenever he’d catch you smiling at the interaction. It was kind of nice to see him in this kind of environment. 

 “They’re kinda like a couple.” Mused a voice behind you. Turning your head up, you’re met with the kind smile of Laura; Clint’s wife. She had been so calm and understanding when you all entered the home, claiming to know everyone’s name (including yours surprisingly), and immediately offered to help accommodate with the things everyone needed. 

 Following where she was looking, you noticed now that Tony and Steve were more so aggressively chopping at the wood now. Already getting into a small type of competition, or at least Tony was. Glancing now and then at Steve’s pile before he would calculate how much more he needed. It was all seemingly okay until you noticed their familiar frowns appear.

 “Oh yeah, they act practically married.” You laughed, watching as they squared up to each other. There’s a few more words to each other before Steve has changed to splitting a log in half with his bare hands, officially ending your moment of peace. “I guess I should go help break them up.” 

 Laura offered another small smile. “I can help out with that. Kinda need Tony to help with something anyway.” Trailing after her, you both step in time to catch Steve’s last words with Tony, making your stomach knot up again. 

 “Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.”

 “I’m sorry. Mr.Stark..Clint said you wouldn’t mind, but our tractor doesn’t seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might..” 

 Tony, having enough of his time with Steve, interrupts her. “Yeah, I’ll give her a kick.” He nodded, turning to follow Laura. He shoots you a quick wink before he pointed at his side. “Don’t take from my pile.”

 Finally leaving you and Steve alone. 

 “So,” you clapped, reaching over to pick up a spare log. “You wanna finally get to talking about things?”

 Steve turned away from you, glancing at the axe as he wiped his hands over his pants. “Scout, I’m really not in the mood to do this right now.” 

 “Oh yeah? Well I am, so you’re gonna at least hear from me.”

 Turning to look at you, he raised a brow at your reaction before his arms crossed over his chest. “What did you want to say?”

 He almost sounded bothered to have you want to talk. It filled you up with a small amount of angry. Enough so that you’re marching right up to him, finger pointed at his chest. “I don’t know how you could still be so mad over everything. Over me sticking by Tony, going on the mission, failing to help Bruce. But staying mad at me, and not wanting to talk to work out our problems isn’t going to work.”

 “Sweetheart..” Steve sighed, looking more crestfallen. 

 “No! Now you can’t talk.” You glared, pushing the hair away from your face. “I don’t get you, Steve. I thought I did but I haven’t so much lately.” He gulped at your words, moving his hands out now to try and reach for you. But you took a small step back, not wanting his comfort so much anymore. “I love you..it’s as simple as that and I know that maybe it was too soon or you don’t know how to react to it..but I do. And it hurts me to see you push me away.”

 “I’m not meaning to. I have a lot on my mind.”

 “So do the rest of us, and yet, you all want to let Ultron win by pushing each other away.” Licking over your suddenly dry lips, you began to pace in front of him, trying to put together all the worried thoughts you had over the past few hours. “Even if I took out the problem with Tony, there’s something you’re holding back on me.”

 “There really isn’t.” 

 “Oh? So how did I go from being one of the most important people in your life to this girl you can’t even look in the eye.” Even now as you point that out to him, it only makes his eyes turn colder. Looking over onto the field as he tried to think of a reply. 

 “In my vision I was alone Steve..and I’m beginning to think it’s going to be that way the more I see people I care about shut me out.”

 When he still won’t look at you, it nearly broke your heart. So, you reached out finally, cupping at the side of his cheek and rubbed your thumb over it. Hoping to see some sort of comfort come over him. All it does is make him frown harder. “Please Steve..I love-“

 “My vision had Peggy in it..and..I don’t know what that means to me.”

 “Well, she was your friend. And you two were working to stop a war. I’m sure it feels similar-“

 He gripped at your hands, dragging them slowly off his face before he finally met your gaze. “She wanted me to come home. With her. I..I think I did love her. She was this dame who took charge, fought by my side, and knew just what to do. And I missed my chance.” 

 Pursing his lips he nodded his head slowly, like he was putting together his thoughts along the way. “There’s a lot of regret I have with my time then. A kind that you wouldn’t understand. And it’s not like I can easily tell you that because I don’t want you to think I regret my time now. Especially after you tell me how you feel about me.”

 “So, because of her, you what? Can’t move on from a girl you knew over seventy years ago?” You wanted to point out how ridiculous it was to hear him list the reasons why he loved her and possibly not you, but this was already turning more sour for your taste.

 “Scout, you couldn’t possibly know what it feels like to be out of your time. To not have a right place in the new world. I can’t even pinpoint all my emotions.”

 “No, you can’t. But I’m beginning to think there are things you’re never going to feel.”

 Staring down at you, he shakes his head, not sure what to say next. And as heart breaking as that is, you have to admit that you don’t really know either. What he did do was lean in to your face, pressing his forehead against yours, attempting to bring you back some sort of connection. “I just need time.”

 “Guys! We need all hands for dinner!” Called Clint from the front door giving you two a friendly wave. As much as he was a savior from the rest of this conversation, you knew that joining together in a big family meal was the last thing you wanted to do too. You’d have to just stick with the lesser of two evils.

You back away from his hands, watching the frown return to his face as you stepped towards the house. Ignoring the blue eyes watching as you walked away from not only your boyfriend, but possibly your relationship too.

A/N: I feel there had to be a filler before any bigger stuff happens. So what a perfect time to bring Bucky again!

TAGGED REQUESTS: @justanothermagicalsara

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fic #bucky x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fanfiction #steve x reader #marvel fanfic #marvel scenario #marvel imagine #nsom #i promise one day to write a happy steve lol

[barnesbabee]

A rating of Marvel shows so far

WandaVision Extremely creative and innovative, it was refreshing to see something different from Marvel and I loved the fact that it had an ending that, for once, wasn't "all is well when it ends well". I liked the idea and it was very well executed, I think it portrayed the range of feelings from loss, anger and grief very well. It also gave Wanda's character more depth, which I definitely appreciate because Marvel tends to make the women characters/women the same badass hero that has quirky/funny one-liners here and there.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier I know this is controversial but I really did enjoy this show. I liked that there was no love story being forced down our throats and it was mostly Bucky and Sam dealing with the loss of Steve and all that came along with it. Marvel has a history of throwing in a love interest in every little thing just because they see fit and I liked that this time it was just dealing with feelings off loss and handling rehabilitation. I loved that Sam ended up as Captain America and honestly episode 4 did it for me. Watching the Dora Milaje make John Walker eat shit while Bucky and Sam watched was amazing and I was very shocked to see that they went through with John Walker decapitating someone with the shield. I was fully waiting for Bucky to stop the shield with his metal arm but the image of the bloody shield showed a lot of contrast. Minus points for sharon I hate her from the bottom of my heart and how is it possible that she built a whole empire in a couple years when she was also erased by the snap. Overall I liked that this show was a continuation and not something new, it felt homely after 'losing' most of the avengers.

Moon Knight First of all, the costumes, CGI and special effects were beautiful. Truly mesmerizing and the aesthetic they set for it was gorgeous. It was a bit confusing in the beginning before they explained the whole Mark/Steve thing and I was 'catching hats' as we say here in Portugal for most of the show but it's an interesting dynamic and the characters were pretty solid. I don't have much to say, it was a solid show with a nice variety of characters and plot twists and the villain was pretty solid, but the reason why it's not higher on the list it's because overall the plot was eh. Everything around it was great but I feel like it only starts to get interesting around episode 5 which is second to last episode and other than that the visuals carry the show.

Loki I know a lot of you are kicking screaming and crying bc loki is the last one here, but I'm sure that after watching hawkeye he would be above Loki. You know when you watch a whole show, it's amazing, and then the last season fucks it all up? Yeah, that was Loki. The whole Sylvie thing was annoying, her character was annoying, Im sick of marvel forcing love stories down out throats, and the fact that they made a point to say loki was bisexual and then made him fall in love with literally the only loki variant that we saw that didn't look like a guy was very telling. Stop the love stories, it's tiring, I don't wanna see it, it's needless.

(You might notice hawkeye and Ms Marvel aren't here, I didn't finish hawkeye cause I don't give a shit about hawkeye but I will eventually finish it, and I didn't watch Ms Marvel cause Im just not interested in the show)

#marvel

[bottombaron]

I've just noticed that Zemo has become something like a power fantasy character for me.

he's short, with a soft body, and the more 'common' brown hair/eyes. he's also ~vaguely ethnic~ of a general Polish/Czech area like me (even if his ethnicity is made up)

and totally not anything like other mcu characters with their washboard abs and cutting cheekbones and buff arms. or at least none of the ones you're supposed to find sexy.

but Zemo's just so undeniably confident in everything he does it makes me feel giddy with second-hand power. like yeah, I too am not your conventional wet dream, but maybe can strut my love handles in a man's direction with the confidence of a baron who knows that they are the most fuckable thing in a gang with people who look like Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.

like, damn.

I know he's not actually queer or anything but the thought of a character like that who is also possibly dealing with things like depression and mental illness that doesn't stem from dysphoria or homophobia?? I want more of it pls.

(basically what I'm saying is Zemo has hit classic Disney Villain level representation for me)

#zemo #helmut zemo #baron zemo #daniel brühl #tfatws #mcu #this is a really random post but I was just thinking today of how soft daniel is #and how contrasting that is with other characters like bucky or sam or steve #or hell even the baddies are mostly buff and conventionally sexy #and then there's soft daniel just...manwhoring it out and I'm like this #this is my power fantasy #this is who I want to be when I grow up #forget a Cruella de Vil prequel #what if zemo's family was killed by avenger - oh wait...

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

If you wanna read "TFATWS" as Sam Wilson's Captain America origin story:

Joaquin Torres: Is there to take over the Falcon mantle once Sam becomes Captain America.

Bucky Barnes: Here to advocate for the legacy of the shield. In addition, Bucky's character arc of trying to forge an identity for himself after spending decades as the Winter Soldier can work as a parallel to Sam's arc of trying to decide whether he wants to take on the Captain America mantle.

Helmut Zemo: As a contrast to Barnes, he's here to remind Sam about the negative side of the shield. How superheroes can become cult of personalities and that the reason why Steve Rogers was chosen in the first place was that he was a "good man". By criticizing the Captain America concept, he provides a separate viewpoint that Sam can take into account.

Isaiah Bradley: Teaches Sam about the history of the shield and how it is deeply tied to the black community. Also acts as a reminder that the shield means something different to Sam than it does to someone like Steve or Bucky.

Sharon Carter: Serves as a reminder that people were hurt for the shield and that Steve's actions as Captain America did affect the people around him, even if it was unintentional. Like Zemo, she talks to Sam about the darker aspects of Captain America, something that Sam needs to consider moving forward.

Karli Morgenthau and John Walker: As the villains of the story, Karli and John serve as dark reflections of Captain America. Karli is a super-soldier who believes she's doing what's right, despite all the death and destruction she's caused. In this sense, she's like a darker, more extreme version of Steve. On the other hand, John is a Captain America without any of the traits that made Steve an admirable person. He may look the part, but he can't play the part. So while Karli is an extreme Steve Rogers, John is more like a Captain America husk; he's got the shield and the suit, but none of the humility and good nature. They serve as reminders of who Steve could have turned into and what Sam needs to avoid once he takes over the Captain America mantle.

#tfatws #tfatws spoilers #fatws #fatws spoilers #sam wilson #captain america #steve rogers #joaquin torres #falcon #bucky barnes #the winter soldier #helmut zemo #baron zemo #isaiah bradley #sharon carter #karli morgenthau #flag smasher #john walker #US Agent #mcu meta

[avengerscompound]

The Tower: Happily Ever After - 44

The Tower: Happily Ever After An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist | Character Reference PREVIOUS //

Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1917

Warnings:  smut (FFM Bisexual threesome, oral sex, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, voyeurism, exhibitionism)

Synopsis: Almost 40 years after Elise Cooper first crashed into Natasha Romanoff outside the library at Columbia University, she and the Avengers are adapting to a near-immortal life together with their large brood of children.  Yet things aren’t perfect.  Life is moving on without them and they’re starting to discover who isolating being immortal can be.  When Angela comes and asks Thor to take the throne of Asgard once more, the group leaves Earth in the hopes that they will find their Happily Ever After there.

Chapter 44: The Bachelor Party

The day before Billy and Teddy’s bonding the boys had a joint bachelor party, much the way we did all those years ago.  We had planned to attend for a little while and leave before things started getting silly so they could let go without their parents cramping their style.  We were acting as the babysitters for the kids anyway.  Sarah and Paul had them for a few hours and then we’d come and swap out so they got to join in the fun.

They were celebrating in the feast hall which had been decorated so that rather than resembling the formal Asgardian dining room, it looked like a club back on Earth.  Or at last, an Asgardian-themed club back on Earth.  There was a bar set up on one side, and couches sat around the outside of the room with small tables.  The middle of the room was set up as a dance floor and Loki had even enchanted a light to give off a mirror ball effect.  Tony had set up a PA system and Eddie was acting as DJ for the night.  Friends and family had been brought in from Earth, including Teddy’s parents, and it was set to be a fun night.

When we arrived, Teddy and Billy were already decorated with the start of their Henhalda, and seeing the artwork up their arms and neck brought me right back to when I was lying on the bed and Katveil was painting me.  Coincidentally, Katveil was there when we arrived, having a drink at the bar with Tommy.

I went and greeted the boys first, kissing each on the cheek, before running my thumb down Billy’s neck where I could see the Henhalda poking up under the collar of his shirt.

“Mom, that tickles,” Billy complained, flinching away from me.

I couldn’t help but laugh but dropped my hands.  “Seeing it just reminded me of when I was bonded.  Who did the work?”

“Kat did,” Billy said.

“She did?” I squeaked excitedly.  “She did mine too!”

“I know,” Billy said.  “She told me.  And let me tell you, it’s pretty weird having your brother’s girlfriend painting around your junk.”

I couldn’t help but snort.  Teddy nudged him and laughed.  “At least you don’t have a tiny little old man doing it.”

“I think it’s amazing.  Like things are going around full circle,” I said, patting his shoulder.  “And tomorrow you’ll do your spirit walk and you’ll be bonded forever.”

“Yeah,” Billy said, wrapping his arm around Teddy’s waist and leaning up and kissing the taller man’s cheek.  “It’s going to be so great.”

I loved how much they loved each other and I knew that tomorrow I was going to be crying like a baby.

After I’d let them go talk to some of the other guests, I circulated a little, spending time catching up with Katveil and Tommy.  They seemed so happy and in that new love period that was full of excitement and a list of firsts that still hadn’t been met.  Contrasting that with Billy and Teddy who had already met so many firsts but who were going to have a major one tomorrow, and even me and my chosen people, who had done so much together but kept finding new things out - it was gorgeous to see and made me feel happy deep down into my core.

It was Bruce, Wanda, and I who left the party first.  Me for breastfeeding reasons - Bruce and Wanda because parties still weren’t really their thing.  When we arrived back at our chambers Rose and Paul barely waited for us to settle in before taking off, happy to have a night off from the kids.  Zak, Piper, and Flynn were already in bed, the spare room having been turned into a blanket fort and all three were snuggled inside with a big pile of stuffed animals.  Ziggy and Anna were still up but looking very sleepy.  Completely ready for bed, but waiting for their grandpa Bruce to read them a bedtime story. I kissed them goodnight and went into the nursery with Wanda to feed the twins.

“Tomorrow is going to be so wonderful,” Wanda said as she helped me get them both in a comfortable position to feed them.  “We’ll have all the little ones here when we wake up and then when everyone’s dressed and ready we’ll go down to watch our son bond with his soul mate.”

“I know,” I said, as I rocked quietly with the babies.  “We’re very lucky people.  They seem so ecstatic.”

Wanda took a seat on one of the sofa chairs and the vulparev both jumped into her lap.  She began to stroke them gently and play with their ears.  “I can’t wait to see their finished outfits.  I had a lot of fun helping choose things.  The fabric on Billy’s is so nice.”

“I’m excited too,” I admitted.  “And seeing Ziggy and Anna give them away.  It’s going to be amazing.”

Wanda hummed and closed her eyes.  “I didn’t think I’d ever want to move to Asgard.  It was so different to back home.  And I grew up poor.  This is such a big change, but - I love it, Elly.  I feel so happy here.”

“Me too,” I agreed.  “There was a false start with me and the post-partum.  But I feel like I’m really home.”

Wanda smiled, her whole face lighting up.  “Exactly.”

When the babies were both milk drunk, we put them into bed and tucked them in, their vulparevs curled into their sides.  Wanda and I made our way back into the bedroom and changed into nightdresses and climbed up the stairs into bed.

“I thought B would be here before us,” I said as we curled up together.

“Those two little rascals are probably making him act out the story,” Wanda giggled.  “They know exactly what buttons to press to make their grandparents fold like cards.”

“We’re all a bunch of soft touches,” I giggled and kissed her lovingly. 

She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around me and pulling herself up tight against me.  It took me a little by surprise, but I quickly melted into it. Her leg moved between mine and she slowly bunched up the skirt of my nightgown.  I sat up and pulled it off and she did the same, and we quickly returned to kissing each other.

I pressed my breasts against her and ground down on her thigh.  We heard Bruce arrive and I looked up and smiled at him as he stood a little nervously at the side of the bed.  Wanda continued to kiss my neck and her hand ran down my stomach to my cunt.  “Oh - uh - sorry.  Did you want me to come back?”

I giggled and held out my hand.  “No, my loves.  You’re always welcome here.”

He licked his lips as he watched us.  “Can I watch for a little while first?”

“Of course,” I said.  “Enjoy the show.”

I tilted Wanda’s chin up to face me and we returned to kissing and grinding down on each other.  As I felt myself become more wet and needy, I began kissing my way down her body.  I paused at her breasts, squeezing them together and licking over her nipples.  She gasped and jerked under me, rutting her hips against my waist, smearing her slick on my skin.

“Elly, oh god, Elly,” she whimpered.

I tried to pull both her nipples into my mouth at once and then went from sucking one to the other.  She continued to hump the air under me like she was trying to find something to grip on to.

As I began to kiss lower, I glanced back at Bruce.  He was watching on with darkened eyes, his fist pumping up and down his slicked cock.  I smiled at him and turned my attention back to Wanda, kissing down her stomach and between her legs.  She spread them for me and lifted her hips needly.  I couldn’t help the soft laughter that slipped from my lips and I smothered the sound by latching on to her pussy and sucking at it greedily.

The strong heady flavor of her arousal coated my tongue as I pushed it inside her and lapped up over her clit.  She mewled, bucking her hips and grabbing my hair as she tried to push me down onto her cunt.  I focused my tongue, pushing it up under her clitoral hood and flicking it over the tiny bundle of nerves hidden under it.  As I did, I reached under me and spread my labia with my fingers for Bruce to see.

He let out a guttural groan and the bed shifted behind us.  As he moved closer the dip became less, and when his hands gripped my hips, they were the smaller calloused hands of Bruce.  He slid his cock up and down my folds and with a hard thrust, he entered me.

I moaned loudly into Wanda’s cunt, and she tugged on my hair, trying to get me to focus as Bruce began fucking me from behind.  I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment as I adjusted and returned my focus to Wanda.

I pulled her clit between my lips and flicked my tongue back and forth over it.  I could feel both Wanda and Bruce’s pleasure seeping down to me through the threads we shared and it deepened mine, making my cunt clench around Bruce’s cock and draw him in deeper to me.  Wanda flicked her fingers and a ball of energy vibrated down my spine and settled on my clit and suddenly I lost all sense of self.  My hips bucked and my legs trembled as jolts of pleasure surged through me. Every moan and gasp I made was echoed by Wanda as she felt what I felt.  I came hard, shuddering around Bruce’s cock and her orgasm followed directly on after it.

I was determined to make her feel just as good as I felt.  I thrust two fingers inside her and curled them, dragging them down the ridges of her cunt, again and again, drawing her slick from her and licking it up.  When I hit that soft spot inside her, she cried out and bucked her hips up, and squirted on me. The ball of energy intensified and spluttered out, sending me over too.  I cried out as came, squeezing around Bruce’s cock.

Wanda pulled me up toward her and I collapsed down on her stomach, my ass popped up in the air as Bruce kept fucking me.  “That’s it, Elly,” Wanda cooed.  “I’ve got you.”

Bruce groaned, and his hips began to stutter and with a loud moan, he released inside me.

As his cock stilled he slipped out and fell back on his heels and all three of us just stayed like that, breathing heavily with dopey smiles plastered on our faces.

“We made a bit of a mess,” Bruce said.

Wanda giggled.  “Blame, Elly.”

“I usually do,” Bruce chuckled, and I couldn’t help laughing.

“Okay, go get me some sheets and I’ll change them,” Wanda said, patting my back.

Bruce and I got up and hurriedly grabbed a fresh set of sheets and Wanda used her magic to change them.  We were all changed and in fresh bedding when our drunk spouses started to return, and we all cuddled up in a big pile, excited for what tomorrow was going to bring.

// NEXT

#the avengers #steve rogers #bucky barnes #tony stark #natasha romanoff #bruce banner #clint barton #wanda maximoff #sam wilson #avengers fanfic #avengers x oc #steve rogers x oc #bucky barnes x oc #tony stark x oc #stucky #clintasha #natasha romanoff x oc #wanda maximoff x oc #clint barton x oc #bruce banner x oc #sam wilson x oc #all caps #thor x oc #thor #fanfic #fanfiction #smut #the tower

[luna-rainbow]

Did you really feel that Walker's story was the most coherent in TFATWS? I thought the ending was very odd, suddenly he's all best buds with Bucky for no apparent reason, but in the last scene with Julia Louis Dreyfus (sorry, I can't remember the character's name) he's being an egotistical *hole again.

Personally I thought only Isaiah had a well written arc, even though it made no sense to create an exhibit in the Smithsonian for a guy who's life would be in danger if anyone knew he was alive (and without even asking his permission.)

IDK. I got the impression that the only story Spellman wanted to tell was Isaiah's, and all the rest including the setup for Thunderbolts, was just stuff he didn't care about but had to do to get a foot in the door of the MCU.

Hmm...I would say Isaiah's story was the most meaningful and certainly of most relevance to Sam's arc, but Isaiah himself didn't have a story arc. The conflict that Isaiah had with the system wasn't resolved (at least not to me), and the compromise he had at the end was brought to him externally by Sam and not through any change he enacted or went through.

Walker, on the other hand, had a very traditional narrative arc, which was so well-constructed compared to all the other characters, to the point it feels like other character interactions revolved around this arc. His story is centered around his need to fit the ideal perfect soldier: this brings about his inferiority complex next to Steve's reputation, his growing aggression when he struggles to meet his goals, then him crossing the line and finally his redemption.

1. Introduction: memorably, Walker's introduction was the first cliff-hanger to end the series. He was introduced on the background of Sam struggling with several internal conflicts: what the place of Captain America in the post-Blip world is, what his place in his home/family is, and what his people's place in America is. Walker's appearance negated the meaning and pain of Sam's choice as well as his struggles...but this turned out not to be the point at all (oh I had such high hopes for the series at episode 1) because why would you use the perfect narrative foil to highlight the protagonist's story arc?

2. Establishment: Immediately on opening episode 2, both sides of Walker were established - the uncertain vulnerable private side that is supposed to draw our sympathy, and the boisterous confident public side which made Bucky baulk. The contrast between these two scenes as well as the reactions of the people involved (Lemar vs Bucky) depicted Walker as a complex person with both good and bad traits.

3. Conflict: Walker's next scene was the big entrance at the end of Sam and Bucky's fight against the Flagsmashers. It will forever irk me that Walker had the heroic entrance in this scene with fanfare, and not, you know the eponymous heroes of the show. This segues into Walker's argument with Sam and Bucky -- but because he had saved them earlier, we are supposed to feel Bucky (particularly) and Sam are being petty towards Walker's well-meaning-but-poorly-worded intentions over the fact he's taken on Steve's mantle.

4. Escalation: there are several points of escalation between Walker and (mainly) Bucky. While Walker's animosity isn't directed against Bucky, per se, Bucky's status as a super soldier comes up several times and is the key to the escalation. Walker drops the line "super soldiers don't exactly have a great track record no offense" as early as the truck scene. He signs Bucky out of therapy because "he's too valuable an asset", only for Bucky to indicate it wasn't appreciated. In Riga, Walker turns away from Sam to ask Bucky if he's going to let Sam walk into a room with super soldiers. Then there's that "this is all very easy for you, all that super soldier serum running through your veins" (honestly, I thought they were setting Walker up to be unlikable - most Bucky fans recoiled at this, because Bucky never had a choice in it - but given how little the writers seemed to know about Bucky's backstory, they probably had no idea how antagonistic this makes Walker sound), until Wakanda's fight where he mutters to himself "they weren't even super soldiers".

5. Climax: From the string of failures and his growing anxiety, Walker's arc peaks with his decision to take the serum, and his subsequent actions where he defaults to a soldier's response in a situation where it was inappropriate.

6. Fall: His fight with Sam and Bucky where he loses the shield is the start of his fall. At his discharge from military, he points out that he's exactly what the military had made him into, which summarises the theme of his story. His fall was inevitable, ironically because he is the perfect soldier - he has a natural aggression but also perfectionism and a need to conform. His fall is hastened by his relationship with the military, who - as they had with Steve - paraded him without providing him with any meaningful support.

7. Resolution: Walker's redemption pivots around him becoming at peace with himself - accepting that he no longer needs to act to please anyone, and that he doesn't need to be the perfect soldier as he is capable of contribution regardless of where he is. His arc is completed by showing that given the freedom, he is capable of choosing the right actions.

I mean...I don't love what he is and what the story says by framing him in a positive light. He is an aggressively White privileged male stereotype, one of those who intrudes into the affairs of multiple minority characters with complete disregard for their boundaries, and thinks because he has good intentions (the whole "I don't want to take Steve's place but I just want his wingman" speech) people should forgive him.

That said, his motivation and characterisation remained consistent, which is more than I can say for Sam or Bucky's arcs. Also notable is that the pacing of his arc is far better done than Sam's or Bucky's, with every episode contributing another piece to his story, while Sam and Bucky had all their conflict dumped in episode 2 and their "turning point" and resolution all done within episode 5.

As for him being buddies with Bucky, I personally thought that was more OOC for Bucky than it was for Walker. Walker wanted Sam and Bucky's approval, and he got it in his redemption arc...hence what I said about other characters revolving around Walker's arc.

#asks #john walker #tfatws critical

[achillieus]

we’re fools. (bucky barnes x reader)

summary: for all bucky barnes knows, he hates clichés. and this thing between you two, happens to be the biggest one.

(enemies to lovers trope or i watched the society on netflix recently and based this entirely on harry bingham and cassandra pressman)

pairing: college au!bucky x reader

warnings: alcohol, angst, too much tension, bucky and reader are stupid and in  denial, sexual tension all around the place

tagging: @tonystankschild​

(other parts)  (masterlist)

part 2/3:

And then it’s the last week of February and you have an assignment together, you and Bucky, the boy with black hair and a mind that you’re certain is not as clever as he insists it is. You know this cannot possibly end well. You feel it when he sits beside you and his knee brushes past your leg. You feel it when you take a breath and smell his aftershave. Sandalwood and vanilla. It makes you want to lick your lips. Please, get a grip. You try to get away, even propose to write the whole thing alone so you wouldn’t have to spend any time around him. In your mind, you call it self defense. But Bucky’s boastful and you can see him pumping the muscles in his neck, trying to intimidate you.

“My dorm, tomorrow at 7,” he says “Don’t be late.”

-

(your late night instagram search history)

(00:38 AM) #literaturememes

(01:15 AM) @buckybrns

(01:30 AM) #newgirl

(01:50 AM) @buckybrns

(02:10 AM) @buckybrns

You find it annoying; how he’s present even when he’s not around.

-

The thing about Bucky Barnes is that everyone, boys and girls, adore him alike. He’s charming, he’s crafty, he’s brilliant. He’s everything they want him to be and even more. It nearly condones his megalomania.

The thing about Bucky Barnes is that he’s aware he has an audience. Always plans his moves, knows how to play his character perfectly. He wears dark designer jeans and plain Henley shirts, buttons open, fabric tight around his biceps. Sometimes even a black leather jacket and a tag necklace. Girls are intrigued by the bad-boy, straight A student contrast, while the boys are envious enough keep him close and invite him to all of their parties. Bucky gives them whatever they need.

The thing about Bucky Barnes is that he’s utterly lonely. He has never said so, but it’s the truest thing about him. He has Sam. But for how long? Bucky’s used to people going away. It has been imprinted on him. His best friend, Steve, left with his girlfriend in an exchange program last month and Natasha, the one girl he ever came close to loving, just started dating Clint Barton. Clint fucking Barton. What a downgrade.

And then there’s you, sitting at the end of his bed, playing with the ring in your finger, reading some neatly written lecture notes. Usually, Bucky would think about 129 cheeky comments he could make to a girl in his room. But not to you. Are you sure, Bucky? He has grown accustomed to disliking you. It’s the one constant he has left and he’s not planning on losing it.

He leans down and takes the place next to you, a bottle of beer dangling loosely in his hand.

He offers and you decline.

“We need to concentrate on the project.”  

“You’re the biggest killjoy.” Bucky says with a hint of a smirk.

“I’m studying, Bucky.” He can see your left hand holding that dark green pen in a tight grip and your eyes trying to focus everywhere but on his face. He can see your hair glistening in the warm afternoon light that comes from his window. He can see the soft red blush on your cheeks and the beauty mark on your neck. What a tricky thing it is to see. And to feel. And to want.

Is that what dislike tastes like, Bucky?

-

He talks a lot, that’s the first thing you notice. He says all sorts of things, most of them having nothing to do with your project. You’re certain it’s because he’s feeling as uncomfortable and agitated as you. But still, it’s annoying as hell.

“Listen,” you say and turn to his side “I’m not going to fail this class just because you have the attention span of a two year old.”

A laugh escapes his lips and you watch, completely in awe, the way little wrinkles form around his eyes and his nose scrunches. Right now, he looks tender and warm. No, he doesn’t.

“I think we’re both pretty smart,” Bucky says nonchalant and wets his lower lip with his tongue, before he adds, “We’ve got this, so relax doll.”

There are rules, things that are solid, de facto.

Example 1: Bucky never praises you. At least not out loud.

Example 1: Not valid anymore.

Example 2: Bucky uses the word “doll” approximately ten times a day. To other girls. The girls he likes. Not to you.

That’s actually wrong, he called you doll the first time you met. That doesn’t count. He didn’t know you then.

Example 2: Not valid anymore.

It feels foreign. Pleasant and beguiling, but foreign.

“You always call girls “doll”. What is this?” You ask and he looks up. “Is it like your thing, your flirt move?”

Bucky meets your gaze, his forehead creased, and holds it for some seconds before he laughs again. Is this amusing him?

“No, I’m serious.” You bite your lip. “You even did it to me when we first met.”

“I did?”

Of course he doesn’t remember, what did you expect?

“Yeah, when you helped me find the admission office.”

“And you remember that, an entire year later?” He raises his eyebrows, looking entertained and partly interested.

Your mind empties and for some time you feel out of place, embarrassed. But you’re quick to recollect yourself. You can’t let him get you.

“It was my first day as a college student, I remember all of it.”

Liar. You don’t even remember who you sat next to.

Bucky smirks a little too long for your liking and then he leans in, his body bending in a way that makes you forget to breath. He’s so close and you only see blue, a rare kind of blue between the depths of the ocean and the brightest shade of the sky at noon. This would be so much easier if he wasn’t that handsome. Handsome and indomitable. What an awful combination.

“Interesting.” He whispers and lies back, touching the wall.

You tuck a piece of hair behind your ear and clear your throat.

“I should go, it’s obvious we’re not making any progress.” You pick your books and stand up. “Sometimes I wonder how you get all those perfect grades, you clearly-” You merely finish your sentence before he grabs your arm and swiftly, he has you pressed against his wooden bookcase. You don’t have time to blink.

What’s happening? He was sitting down a second ago.

“That day,” he says while his thumb draws circles on your wrist. “You were wearing a denim dress and some Saturn shaped earrings. And you were holding a cherry juice box.”

It’s utterly terrifying how your emotions toss and turn the moment you realize what he’s talking about and the fragile muscles of your heart ache because Bucky cares. Bucky remembers.

“It wasn’t my first day of college, but I remember.”

You want to throw up. Or kiss him. You’re not sure. You know you hate Bucky. Do you? You’ve taught yourself to. And it was never supposed to change. It shouldn’t have to.  

You part your lips to say something, anything, but he shakes his head and steps back.

“You should go.”

And you do. And you’ll never tell him, but you’ll always regret not kissing him then. You’re sure now.

-

your inbox, the next morning

(10:25 AM) from [email protected]

              I’m sending you our assignment. You only need to add a few things and it’s done. If anything else comes up, it’s better we work on our own.

-

For Bucky, it all came crashing down the moment he first saw you. It was all over the moment his eyes met yours. A gourmand perfume lingered in the air around you that day and it stained his pores. And it’s been with him since then. Clinging onto his flesh.

It’s partly obsessive and partly romantic and Bucky tries to keep it locked inside. He thinks he can make it go away easily, the way he flicks a crumb off his expensive cashmere scarf. He thinks if he doesn’t talk about it, it’ll be less true. That’s not how things work, Bucky.

Yeah, he’s starting to notice.

And he’s trying so hard to hate you. The problem is, he doesn’t think he can.

(his late night instagram search history)

(00:45 AM) #tomfordperfumes

(01:30 AM) @y/n

(01:50 AM) #funnycats

(02:15 AM) @y/n

(03:45 AM) @y/n

-

You make it your mission to avoid him and it’s going well until the fifth of March. You spot him at Sam Wilson’s party. You should have known he’d be here, they’re friends. There’s a thick cloud of cigarette smoke all around, but still, you can perfectly see him. He’s standing alone, his skin changing colors under the neon lights, a plastic cup in his hand, eyes crystal blue and swollen and fixated on you.

The room is small and everything feels known but unfamiliar at the same time; the atmosphere, his gaze, the lump on your throat.

They’re suffocating you, the looks you give each other.

-

“Buck, what do you want?” Sam asks, holding both vodka and gin and he observes the way Bucky merely turns his head to look at him.

What do you want Bucky?

Not to play a role anymore. For Steve to be back. Maybe, Natasha. No, he hasn’t thought about her in a month. Perhaps a Pulitzer Prize. Definitely a new pair of sunglasses. But there is one more answer he has behind his teeth.

Y/N, he almost says. Always.

“Vodka.”

-

He leaves before midnight and you can’t remember where the urge came from, yet you’re following him. You know he has noticed. But he just keeps walking until he reaches the door of his dorm and presses his back against it. He sees you and you see him and his eyes cut your heart open.

“Your place is on the other side of the building.”

“I know,” you mumble, “I just never got to say good job on the assignment and I wanted to.” You are unable to meet his eyes. You sound pitiful and you want to hit a wall; with your head.

Why the hell did you follow him here?

Because sometimes you do stupid things.

Bucky mockingly opens his mouth, as if shocked. It almost makes you groan.

“Did Miss high and mighty just comment something nice about me?”

“Why do you have to contradict everything I say?”

He shakes his head and you can feel your heart beat loud and irregular and it’s not because you’re mad. It’s because he’s coming closer, almost chest to chest now. And it’s because you can swear, he just glanced at your lips.

“Someone has to, you can’t act like you know everything all the time.”  

“I don’t do that, you don’t know a thing about me Bucky.”

“Oh, but I do. You’re Y/N, you like plaid skirts and Homer and dark green pens. You expect everyone to be perfect. You expect yourself to be perfect. And you always want to do the right thing.”

His pupils are dilated. Yours must be too. Bucky Barnes is dangerous and fatal. He makes your blood coil and your mouth dry. And there’s a tension, almost pain, almost agony, deep in your lungs and it burns. And you don’t know who leaned in first, probably you because Bucky isn’t that brave yet, but suddenly your hands are everywhere. Your fingers blending in his hair, his digging in the skin on the back of your neck. He’s bringing you closer and it’s a mess and all you can hear is the beating of your heart; a rapid vibration between your ears. It’s pure and raw and it doesn’t hurt anymore.

He tastes like ambrosia and a year-old despair and you think you can go on forever. You eventually break apart because you both need to breath and for a second you worry because he looks like he’s ready to cry, but instead he smiles, softly touching your cheek.

“Did I do the right thing?” You whisper.

...

feedback is so appreciated and motivates me tons, thank you :)

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #college au #bucky barnes imagine #au!bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #sebastian stan #alternate universe #alternate universe bucky #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #fools

[merrysithmas]

The good thing abt Steve and smth ppl are missing in the current discourse is he really did say Fuck America literally every chance he got and criticized the US govt every second he wore the suit and the govt absolutely hated him for it.

Even in the 40s he didnt want to kill anyone "for America", but as a disabled man couldn't fathom not standing up to the eugenicist Nazis. He wasn't politically motivated by nationalism but instead by human compassion. In fact, it is extremely likely he was highly critical of the US govt as a young man preserum given his impoverished life circumstances and constantly failing health. Living in NYC, seeing the shanty towns in Central Park, unable to afford life-saving medicine, watching Bucky and his mother kill themselves to make a nickle, surrounded by the radical leftist art scene in NY as an art student - Steve saw and lived injustice every day. And empathized with people who suffered different social misfortunes than he did (the woman crying in the movie theatre, "I don't like bullies", Peggy suffering sexism) although his personal list was extensive itself.

To him, the shield was always more of a philosophy and never attached to a specific country, which is what made it so easy for him to blow off 117 countries for Bucky, or tear the star from his chest yet defend the world in the vestiges of his armor against Thanos - he was fighting for what was right and not what was dictated by any country or political ideology (which is the main issue in Civil War with him being against the Accords, and one he was extremely well-positioned to understand having been used as a symbol and propaganda against his will many times, and having witnessed the dangers of state-sanctioned violence in WWII and CATWS. Even if Steve's argument was also faulty to an extent, you can absolutely see why he would argue for that perspective).

Steve was as FDR leftist artist in the Great Depression post Crash 1930s, disabled and chronically ill, diminutive and likely targeted by US eugenicits in NYC who vocally campaigned against disabled people being alive in the 30s (saying they should be sterilized or killed), son of an Irish immigrant single mother, lived in historically queer neighborhood of Brooklyn, an artist, and in the MCU coded as bi. He fights for whoever needs him, not for whoever tells him to. He was always highly critical and tongue-in-cheek/tired of the costume, drawing himself as the dancing monkey in CATFA ("Ready to follow 'Captain America' into the jaws of death?" he confides his mockery in Bucky, who heartwarmingly assures him that no, he is following Steve.) Steve continued to question, dog, and make trouble for the US continually after that until he wholeheartedly said Fuck You in CATWS and just dropped the shield (and never picked it up again until he handed it off to Sam, who he was confident could do something meaningful with it that he was not positioned to as a white man).

Steve visibly appears as a bygone era's "perfect man" and outright REJECTS both this supremacist definition and the shield's gatekeeping/the shield itself. Sam visibly appears as an "outsider" to exclusivist and systemically racist systems and yet EMBRACES the shield's potential. They are both radically standing up for the same cause in different ways and this comparison depicts why they are so closely aligned and best friends.

The irony of Steve Rogers as Captain America is hugely important to his character. In many ways, Steve is depicted as a reluctant hero who struggles with the strength of his own moral ideals versus the highly imperfect symbol he dons. This is different from other superheroes who usually self-create their alter egos as symbols of their more perfect, empowered selves.

In contrast, it is Steve's natural hardiness, independence, and righteous outrage in the face of wrongdoing which represents America's best ideals, but distinctly is opposed to its government which directs that he act as its image. As Steve holds the shield we see the image of a person who is critical of the govt for falling short of its principles and simultaneously embodies the ideal qualities that a equitable and free US is supposed to hold. Importantly, and definitively for his character, Steve as Cap shows how wanting the US really is for the goodness it robotically claims to have. And that is why he is important and impactful as Cap, essentially because he is uncomfortable with and critical of the costume.

The status of the suit often does not coincide with his personal beliefs. Yet he wears it to attempt to level up the system he is, for a while, mired in. Steve is not a patriot, not in the common sense of the world, he is instead a patriot of the humanist cause. This puts him on-site for many enemies, including those domestic to him and thus defines him as a hero.

Though his physical appearance suggests that he might wear the suit with a blind nationalist fervor a la John Walker (depicted as a perfect automaton soldier), Steve could not be further from that mindset (a good individualist man). As a now "perfect specimen" poised to be accepted and revered, Steve has the ability to choose an easy life where he is free of the hardships and ostracization he endured preserum. Yet instead, post CACW, Steve chose to continue to stand on the side of progress, the "little guy", to abandon the shield and now finally proudly embrace his pariah status and fight for those pushed aside or deemed unsalvagable or scapegoated (symbolized by Bucky) as he recognizes that while America's rule may benefit some, it still causes other to suffer and struggle (as he once did).

Not to mention, as a meta point, he was crafted as the "perfect man" from a sick, disenfranchised disabled boy who absolutely loathed Nazis by Jewish comic artists to mock the Nazi Aryan ideal - inverting their eugenicist visual image of perfection by empowering someone Nazis would view as worthless to burn their entire evil regime to ash.

He still, today, stands staunchly at odds with far right extremists and fascists in the US today and worldwide. He's the furthest thing from them and he'd have no problem in showing it. Choosing Sam as his successor, proudly, confidently, lovingly, and as a brother in arms who steps back so others can speak for themselves and tell their own stories, Steve shows his cultural and political understanding and his good heart once again - this time as an ally, friend, and a champion of the heroics of others.

#steve rogers #steve rogers meta in 2021 its more likely than u think #bring him back as nomad pls

[vidavalor]

I can't help but notice that back in the first episode, Walker referred to Sam and Bucky as "Cap's wingmen" to Sam, implying that he doesn't really view the relationship between them as anything but this. He sees the Captain as the show and his backup as sidekicks. As much as Walker did genuinely care for Lemar, he also treated him like this in the group settings the whole show. He does all the talking, doesn't introduce Lemar to Sam and Bucky, who have to ask him who he is. Lemar could temper Walker a bit but Walker still sees himself as the show and Lemar a tool to help with his success more than anything else. Why does this matter in the context of Sam and Bucky?

Because John uses the word 'partner' to Bucky twice in reference to Sam and this implies that he can tell that Sam and Bucky roll differently than he does and treat one another differently. But Walker thinks this is dumb because Sam doesn't have the serum and Bucky is stronger physically. He doesn't get why Bucky doesn't act like Walker himself does-- in the leadership role, with Sam following as his wingman.

Bucky replies that Sam has dealt with worse than Karli (and clearly, ironically, means The Winter Soldier in part here, plus Thanos, etc.) He is making it clear that he doesn't see Sam as lesser than him because he's not a supersoldier-- that it isn't all about brute force. In saying this, he's saying that Sam has strengths to bring to the table that are not super physical strength and Bucky respects them. (By contrast, try to imagine Walker recognizing that Lemar had similar strengths. Imagine him saying it aloud, in front of other soldiers, including ones who were objectively physically stronger than him. Impossible, right?) Just by saying this, Bucky is showing another kind of strength that he possesses that John does not-- he's man enough to be a good, respectful partner. Which brings us to that word...

Bucky adds that Sam isn't his partner. This can be read a lot of different ways and has several overlapping meanings that are all probably a bit correct. On one level, he is saying they aren't working together as partners. (Even if the show has proved they are.) They still haven't really defined what it is they're doing together to one another and like hell is Bucky going to let John Walker be the one to label it, right? On another level, saying Sam isn't his partner is saying he doesn't view it that way because he is actually there to back up Sam. He's following Sam. Sam might see Bucky as a partner (even if they haven't discussed this) but Bucky might see it more as his role to back Sam up, similar to how he backed up Steve during the war. Sam, likely, wants to be more partners and has been allowing Bucky that space-- it is what they have evolved into-- but it isn't as clearly defined between them yet. But there's also the other use of it...

Walker, the physical embodiment of toxic masculinity, is attempting to bully Bucky a little, using words because he can't possibly best him physically at this point. The use of 'partner' from Walker comes off as aggressively sexual so here is a case of Walker being that asshole on the football team that we all know he was, trying to look bigger and tougher and more macho through thinly-veiled harassment of guys around him who dared to be comfortable with backing each other up and showing any caring openly. It is worth noting here that we have seen Sam and Bucky's whole evolution in the works here but Walker was just shown two guys he had no idea were arguing with one another because they put up a completely unified front in front of him. To Walker, this all is a little much for him and he tries to slander it by implying that it is gay, which he sees as not masculine.

Bucky denies being Sam's partner here for the already mentioned reasons regarding how they work together and that kind of partnership but make no mistake, he knew exactly what Walker was saying. So, another way of interpreting it is that Bucky was answering not in terms of the field work (where they do act as partners, really, even if Bucky might still be viewing it as something a little different... and, if he is, I hope Sam sets him straight on this being equal footing)... but I think Bucky was answering it regarding the sexual/romantic partners that Walker was trying to call them. But he did so in a way that is protective of Sam and makes him, ironically, a good partner.

Bucky is the character, remember, whose experience in the modern world included testing out and not minding casually outing himself as interested in men in the first episode, to a woman he was on a date with, no less. This isn't to say he's torn off the closet door from the era he grew up in in which he would have had to have been into men in secret. One thing he does get though is this kind of asshole like Walker that has sadly not evolved since the 30s. He responds in a way that he means to be protective of Sam, which is to say with his tone essentially "no, John, actually we are just like this because we aren't assholes like you and even if we were, we would still be better than you." But even if you think Bucky and Sam are already a thing by this episode or are aware of each other's potential feelings, Bucky isn't denying it to Walker as if it's something that makes then vulnerable or lesser as men. He doesn't have the same definition of it as Walker does.

Bucky is responding in a way where his tone says he gets what Walker was implying, thinks Walker is shit for not having a clue when it comes to what being a man is, and then casually answers the question as if Walker had meant field partners because, of course, that's what he meant, right? He makes Walker look stupid (which he is) by answering with word choice that says he didn't get the insinuation, even if his tone says he totally did. So, why not just be like "and so what if we were fucking, Walker! We still could kick your dumb ass anyday!"? Because Sam.

Because Bucky, who knows what it is like to be a soldier forced to sometimes be around guys like Walker, likely does not yet know how Sam approaches it. He likely doesn't know if Sam is out. The canon plays it as if literally everyone just assumes Bucky is bi or gay or basically anything that isn't straight but Sam is a different story. Bucky is not about to out Sam in front of everybody. He likely doesn't know yet how out Sam even is with others or how he feels about it. Out of respect for Sam, he's not about to let Walker's attempt at deriding them get anywhere. They literally could have been sleeping together for awhile now and Bucky is still not going to do anything about others knowing, least of all John Walker, unless or until that is what Sam wants and based on the canon, I would doubt very much if that had been a conversation they've already had by Ep 4.

But Walker, the terrifying awful dumb fuck, tries it again later-- this time, not in front of Sam. He saw what Bucky was doing, understood it, was embarrassed by Bucky making him look like a fool so what does he do? He bullies again. He goes at the core of Bucky in the way only the worst bullies can. He does it when Sam had to be in there alone, with a supersoldier, and Bucky is confident in Sam and giving him the space to do his thing, and then Walker lashes out at this less macho and violent plan to Bucky, calling Sam Bucky's partner again, trying to twist a knife by saying how could Bucky leave Sam in there and does he want his blood on his hands?

It's unspeakably cruel. But you might me mistaken if you think Bucky gave in here, even if it was a worry he had as he always worries for Sam because he cares and he has lost so many people and hurt so many that thinking about it happening again hurts him deeply. Bucky didn't verbally respond to Walker's taunts-- he did something much stronger than words could convey.

He didn't deny any definition of partner for Sam to Walker and he let Walker see how cruel he was by tearing up a bit, the pain in his eyes. Walker had no idea what to do with this. He had been trying to make Bucky angry. Instead, Bucky is silently strong enough to show how he feels *without* masking it all behind a macho, angry cover like Walker. Bucky's face says it all: yeah, you asshole, I love him. Yeah, I'm worried I could hurt him and have his blood on my hands. But also yeah, I survived being the Winter Soldier-- in general and just recently-- and I go to therapy now and I'm making amends and I'm free. Freer than you will ever be because which one of us will tear up and be a little afraid for another man and show him open care in this episode and which one will respond to pain with violence that begets nothing but more trauma and pain? Which one of us, Walker, is a brainwashed soldier and which one of us is a strong, decent man trying to be a good friend and partner? Which one of us, by the end of the episode, will make his partner feel like he'd take the serum in a heartbeat and which one of us will respond to his partner's fear at being vulnerable with "I'm going with you"?

He didn't speak a word in that scene but man. Whew. When it comes to toxic bullies?

Bucky Barnes can do this all day.

#sambucky #sam wilson #bucky barnes #john walker

[samwontshare]

(Sorry if you've answered this question before) What do you hope to learn about or see of Sam in Cap 4. Personally, I want to learn more about his childhood and parents. Just generally getting a feel for why he is the way he is. More Riley wouldn't hurt either. Thanks!

Hi Nonny!

No apologies, I appreciate the interest! :3 I am RIGHT there with you! I try to keep an open mind to new projects because they’re rarely what I expect but things I would be interested in seeing in Cap 4 are:

-Sam mentoring Joaquin and this actually being really triggering for Sam because of what happened to Riley. I can see Sam becoming OVERprotective of Joaquin to the point it stifles his growth and creates friction between them. I’d love to see Sam dealing with some of his trauma on screen. BUT if folx want to skip the angst, then just a lot of fun banter and shit talking as Sam helps Joaquin lvl up his flying skills. :) I want to see their first mission together!

-I’d like to see Sam reveal more about his parents and family via Joaquin - like going to meet Joaquin’s padres y abuelitos and Sam’s so touched by this family it makes him long for his parents and grandparents. I’d love to see Sam open up to Joaquin about them, because we know in the comics his parental relationships were driving forces for his character. Joaquin mentioned how hard living through the Blip was, too, and I’d like to see what it was like for him and his family during this time.

-Shuri chewing Sam out for being so reckless with her designs :) Sam and Shuri would be fun to see together on screen.

-A love interest (would also accept canon ace/aro but that won’t happen it’s Disney). Sam deserves love. It could be Monica. It could be Misty. It could be Bucky (again unlikely bc yknow). He’s a leading man let him have the trope.

-Parallels to CATWS - I don’t mean rehashing Steve’s story but throwbacks to Sam’s intro movie. Being really intentional in showing how Sam is his own man and not living in Steve’s shadow. I want them to show how they’re different but both effective. I also wouldn’t mind some Riley angst. Did someone appear claiming Riley is still alive? Or claiming to be Riley? BUT if slightly less angst, flashbacks to Riley or learning literally anything about why he was so important to Sam. I would LOVE to see a flashback of Sam after Riley’s death questioning everything, leaving the service, downplaying his feelings to others. I want them to show us some of the emotion we know Sam is guarding and a flashback may be an effective contrast to how collected Sam fronts for everyone.

-People complained about Sam’s 10 min opening scene flying around being a badass but it’s one of my favorite scenes in TFATWS. I want more of Sam’s unique fighting style and general badassery.

-The new Cap Quartet doing things together :) Saving the world like it’s nbd.

-Telepathic bird powers! Like something happens in the movie that lets Sam talk to birds! Come on let him do it! I want to see him command a murder of crows against his enemies. No one can see their escape because a hundred corvids rolled up. It would be so funny to have Sam gossiping about people with birds. Can you imagine how Sarah would put this to use? “Oh Sam can you have a conversation with those gulls about the deck of my boat? 🙄”

-More Sarah and Sam sibling shenanigans. The MCU is actually good about writing siblings.

-A villain who pushes Sam to grow. I’m not sure what I would like this to be but we sort of saw this with Karli. I’d have to think more on this one. I think we’ve seen Sam struggle with self-doubt - I think we’re going to see Sam continue that struggle as Cap. Did he make the right choice? Is he up to this task when the world is so relentless? What kind of struggle would make Sam 1) question if he can be the hero he wants to be and 2) prove to himself that he’s doing exactly what he needs to. This may involve confronting the past, the parts of himself he hides. A villain that can project illusions or call spirits etc might accomplish this but maybe I’m missing the mark. This could also be a good way for us to learn more about Sam’s past.

-Set Sam up as the new leader of the Avengers! :)

What did I miss?

#I’m so sorry I’m too tired to proofread this I hope it makes sense #sam wilson #asks #captain america #justsamwilson