#and then!! in the next fic in the series when he gets protective over pepper (which. aww) and he's still very standoffish around bucky but

[ronearoundblindly]

The Dignity of His Choice (17)

Identity, Part Two (see previous or series)

Summary: Tony, Pepper, Nat, and Bucky brief you and Steve on the group that caused this mess.

Warnings for coarse language and description of an evil plot (including kidnapping and torture, threats to women and children), not graphic. Quite a lot of arguing (and Tony's shit).

Before we get started though, I'd just like to apologize for this part taking so freaking long to come out. Never intended for there to be a three-week hiatus in the midst of healing the angst, so thank you to those hanging in there. I appreciate it! And now for FIC--

You take it back. Maybe you don’t want to know because it’s bleak even when Tony tries to sell it as good news. Well, not good news, but a win. Actually, Tony seems twitchy while he rattles off details of the raid. The pictures on his projector look like a modern, dystopian Inquisition facility—all the equipment and room to keep a person clinically alive but little else. More terrifying still is how few people needed to be on the premises to run the damn thing. 

Four victims were saved from active holding. Another seven kidnappings were planned. No ransoms. No one wants money for them…for you; they want control of someone else, someone powerful, and thus, influence over thousands of people. Possibly more.

“You were one of the seven, mind you, but your file was marked ‘declined.’”

“That’s one way to put it,” you mutter.

“And then of the other six…” Tony drops two tiny objects onto the cluttered coffee table. “Recognize those?”

You and Steve pick up one each.

“The tracker thing from my necklace?”

“Yeah, want to guess where I found the second?”

Steve looks back up at Tony, silent.

“Star-Spangler,” he turns to you.

“I don’t know…”

“No, in Star-Spangler.” Tony purses his lips while his chest goes completely rigid. “Inside the pony keychain from Morgan’s book bag. They were tracking my daughter—“ his glare bores into the top of Steve’s lowered head “—could have taken her at any time, and I wouldn’t have known a damn thing about—“

Pepper touches Tony’s tense arm. “Luckily, Tony has been very involved, very close to Morgan since…you…since Steve,” she ends in a whisper, a weak smile. 

“If you had told me, I could have protected my kid—“

Natasha cuts him off this time. “Hold up. We had it under control. We made sure there were no movements to get at—“

“Don’t think I don’t see that you lied to me again,” Tony snaps at Bucky.

That’s not fair, and you know it. “Back off, Tony,” you snap. “He only did what Steve asked him to.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“She’s right,” Nat mutters.

“Yeah.” She can’t get off that easy though. “No one expects Barnes to say no to Steve, but you--“ your finger juts out toward Nat “—should have known better. How could you not tell Tony? He could have helped. This shit wouldn’t have lasted three GODDAMN months—“

Steve jumps up just as Natasha opens her mouth and steps forward.

“This is why she’s my favorite,” Tony whispers to Pepper who tries to help Steve wrangle you two.

Bucky lounges silently in the rocker, eyes wide.

“Enough,” Steve bellows. “It’s my fault. It was my choice.”

“Shut it, martyr,” Tony spits. “You’re not special. You’re selfish. We did this to each other. We all kept her in the dark. We all thought we could handle this on our own. We all thought our way was best—except, frankly, my way would have—“

“Tony,” you and Pep warn simultaneously.

He puts his hands up, huffing, and glares at Steve again. Eventually, Tony lowers his hands as slowly as Steve lowers himself back onto the couch.

Natasha’s eyes scan everyone while she crosses her arms over her chest. “So…next steps. Now that the Keepers are scattered—“

Your head whips up with Steve’s.

“We weren’t gonna,” Tony whines, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes, uh, the organization loosely called themselves…Keepers.”

“Fuck off,” you groan.

Steve growls. “What she said.”

Tony’s brows raise high. “I wholeheartedly agree. See, we’re on the same side. Look at us. Fuckin’ team-ing again.” His smug expression is not reciprocated, so he turns to Pep. “Honey, we’re so adult right now, it’s crazy, like he didn’t put our kid at risk—”

“We aren’t calling them Kee—that, are we?” Bucky sits up and scoots to the edge of the rocker’s seat.

“Right, all in favor of never repeating that one unless absolutely necessary,” Tony asks, clearing his throat.

The entire room choruses ‘yes.’

“Great. I think I can keep that out of the press.”

The glares are sharp and biting.

“Ok… I—I see what I did wrong there. That’s on me.”

Natasha yanks the tablet from Tony’s lax hand and continues his projected presentation. “If—and that’s an actual if because this may have been a centralized facility, but the operation is extensive—so if we got enough of them to scare the rest off and abandon the cause, then we won’t be hearing about the…the—“ she stalls.

Tony’s still pondering away. “They aren’t technically Ten Rings or Hydra or any of those. This thing runs like the shadiest business I’ve…ever seen…”

“I’m voting for ‘the Assholes,’” you offer with a hand raised.

Bucky points at you in agreement, a proud, thin frown tugging at his lips.

“Seconded,” Pepper, of all people, gets out before Tony. Her husband is stunned.

“I have never been third in my life.“

“Either way,” Steve pipes in, “what about Costa?”

“The Faceless Terror?” Tony’s brows raise excitedly.

Bucky snorts while you roll your eyes hard.

“Costa,” Steve says again firmly. “How was he able to go undetected for so long? He’s been here years, and he referenced being part of this organization for at least that long.”

“Ramone, or I guess we could say ‘the Fisherman,’ was—“ Nat jumps in “—and this is a technical term—so fucking average that he would tick exactly none of the boxes for candidates who could do this…or might do this… considering he did.”

Irritation visibly flares in Steve. He’s taken most of this in stride because it justifies his original fear, but Costa made it too personal. He got too close. “How is that possible?”

Nat remains calm and matter-of-fact. “He missed days. He didn’t make some promotions. He didn’t try to befriend us directly. He didn’t stand out, but he wasn’t a recluse—“

“One hot day and I’d have known,” Bucky grumbles, rubbing at his upper arm.

“My god, he killed three of his own cohorts,” Nat argues, “and Tony gave him a prize.”

Stark’s not happy about being called out. “They—the Assholes, I mean—they had programs. Programs that look a hell of a lot like Zola’s algorithm. It stands to reason if Hydra could use it to predict people’s behavior, they could calculate behavior to avoid suspicion.”

Just for fun, because he’s said over ten serious words in a row, Tony adds, “she’s up to two baddies now.” His attention lands on you as he exclaims, “wha'd’ya think of ‘Double Trouble?’”

“No,” Steve grumbles.

“What about Slapstick?”

You scoff. “I think I’m not due another nickname for at least a year.”

“Sad,” Tony frowns dramatically. “Missed opportunity.”

Why is it so easy to just fall into old habits with these people? It should be difficult, shouldn’t it? You were an alienated widow for the last quarter of this year, and you were never part of the team before this one conversation if this even counts.

Everyone in this room looked out for you though, the ones who knew, the ones who didn’t know, the ones who didn’t have to. They have been your team for a while, it seems, even if compartmentalized. All except Steve, that is, but he’s back now. Life can resume.

“Now for something a little more pleasant,” Pepper starts, her tone a smooth pressure on buzzing nerves. “We are ready to bring you back from the dead. Legally.”

Steve looks up to her beneath his shaggy hair, propping his jaw in one tense and giant hand.

“None of the paperwork has been officially filed, but it’s complete for when it’s time to announce you’re back.”

Pep smiles even though Steve doesn’t. Nat and Bucky eye each other across the coffee table. You’re very relieved you refused any army benefits.

Tony barely looks up before rambling, “and then symbolically, Wilson returns the shield, you shake some hands—“

“No.”

You grew too comfortable in all that banter, and Steve’s response blind-sides you like a punch to the gut. What did he say? The rest of the room is silent in confusion.

Bucky starts slowly. “Tony just means that Cap—“

“I know what he means,” Steve barks, not looking away from Tony. “I’m not taking it back. Sam is Captain America now.”

A bomb may as well have gone off in your apartment. Everyone except you is on their feet and yelling. You’re…well, you’re just…What?!?!

Finally, it’s Tony’s voice that rings loudest. “Then who are you supposed to be?”

You can’t seem to feel your legs, and your eyes won’t move from the coffee table. Between the two tiny black trackers, reflected on the glass surface, you see your husband hang his head.

He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “Steve. I’m Steve, and I think it’s time to give it up, to pass on the mantle. Simple since he’s already been doing this for months.”

You’re frozen, completely numb, mind blank. It won’t process. You’re blinking. All autonomic function persists in your body, but that’s it. The ringing comes back to your ears, this time in a low, swimming bass. They keep fighting, but the words are garbled, gestures thrown your way without explanation.

Your head tilts slowly to the door as your mouth falls open.

“Can we do this another time?”

You said the words but don’t remember thinking them. You’re having trouble thinking of why you might have said them, but the group snips at each other while everyone leaves, Steve kept safe well away from the view of the hall. As you shut the door, your back turns to the wall and slides down, legs crumbling beneath you on the floor.

He’s there in an instant.

“Keeps,” Steve whispers, and it wakes you as if from a dream.

“Yeah?”

He looks at you expectantly, brow knotted in concern, but he doesn’t say anything else. Steve watches you breathe heavily.

You thought you were doing so well. Plot to kidnap you? Fine. Children threatened? Awful but happens. Disastrous nickname choice? Weird it wasn’t Tony’s pick. Traitor in your midst? Apparently, nothing new. But Steve? Steve Rogers giving up the mantle of Captain America? The man who put it to writing that he would not give that up even as he professed his love for you? You cannot wrap your head around it, so you try to think back. Maybe you missed something in all that information.

“Is it always like that?”

Steve props himself up on the wall beside you. “More or less,” he grunts. “That was…a lot, and I wish it had a better—“

“You can’t quit.” Your voice may be small but stops him all the same.

After a long, loud exhale, he wraps his hand over yours, not breaking the death grip you have on your knee. “If it gives me a real life with you, it’s worth it.”

“You won’t be happy.” Your vision blurs with escalating tears. “You—you’ll get bored and bitter and resent me.”

“Honey, I could never—“

“I’m serious, Steve. You can’t do nothing.”

He pries your hand free to bring it to his lips. “I won’t do nothing, love. I just won’t be Cap anymore.”

The view of those two photographs at the funeral presents in your mind: two different people, Cap and Steve. All you wanted was Steve back, and you got him. He’s telling you that Captain America can remain well and truly dead, and that should be fine because he wasn’t yours.

Steve Rogers is yours. He’s yours and right beside you, warm and brooding, stoic and naïve as ever. He’s real and he’s really home. Real enough to squeeze his hand in recognition. Real enough to rest your head on his shoulder. Real enough to pinch his side playfully.

“If the last few days taught us anything, it’s that you need a job, Sketch.”

“Artist then?” He kisses your hand again after jolting away. “Hey now,” he exclaims at your huffed laugh.

“I mean that you love to fight for the little guy, and you love to help people. You’re a strategist. I know you love art, but you know that wouldn’t be enough, not when I work here, too.” You never thought you’d have a conversation to convince Steve Rogers to stay with his family. “You know you can’t give them up,” you finish, weaving your fingers through his and letting them fall between your legs.

“I would for you,” he mumbles before planting a kiss on the crown of your head, his beard mussing strands of hair.

“That’s not what I want. I’ll get used to it—to all that—“ you wave behind you to the door “—I promise I will if you promise not to quit. That’s the kind of choice that got us into this mess.”

Stupid Steve Rogers, bless him. Because this is just that: a big, life-altering, knee-jerk reaction that he hasn’t thought all the way through. To his credit, the world—or his world, rather—used to be more black and white. It was easier to be Captain Morals when good and evil were differentiated by genocide. Perhaps it will become easier to deal in subtleties when he’s not dressed in a flag, too, but you know one thing for certain.

Steve Rogers is a hero. He can’t just disappear. He tried that, and you never let him go. He’s too important. You love him too much. The world isn’t ready to say goodbye, this year or any other, so you hold his hand, press closer in, and get ready to bring him back into the light.

“Ok, love,” he whispers again. “Whatever you want.”

[Next Part]

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this please consider liking, commenting, and/or reblogging. It makes my day and encourages me to churn out more content for you. 💋💋

@im-a-slut-for-fluff @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @fangirl-swagg @georgeweaslysgirl @austynparksandpizza @bucky-fricking-barnes-reads @fallinallinmendes

#fools rush in #steve rogers #fanfic #steve rogers fic #steve x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve x you #series #steve rogers angst #angst #angst with a happy ending #captain america #captain america x reader #captain america x you #captain america fanfiction #the avengers #marvel mcu #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #steve rogers hurt/comfort #hurt/comfort #steve roger x reader

[wizardnuke]

TONY ARE U READING INFINITE COFFEE AND PROTECTION DETAIL I'M NOT EVEN A STEVEBUCKY ANYMORE BUT IT'S ONE OF THE FEW RECS I KEPT ONCE I STOPPED SHIPPING IT BC I STILL LOVE IT WHAT DO U THINK SO FAR

IM LOSING MY FUCKIGN MIND!!!!!!!! I'M AAAAAHHH I!!!??? I love,,,, I love them so much I'm. I finished the first in the series at like 4:30am this morning and went to bed but I probably would've finished it at 3:30 if I hadn't gotten out of bed a thousand times to pace bc I was like ohhhh my god oh my god oh my god I love it so much and it's SO fucking funny oh my lord jesus bucky is such a goddamn loser I love him so much,,,, and the old people brigade fucking SENT me oh my god. ollie didn't even fucking blink when bucky told him he was on a protection detail for captain america he was just like "well okay. get your groceries I'll stall him until then" like. king. and steve's reaction to the tape of bucky taking out the hydra group in queens goddamn near made me cry oh my god he was crying and I was gonna start crying and bucky's constant arguing with the mission was so good and literally everything about bucky hiding in the hedge to watch sam's house fucking sent me. "there's a v in the branches that can hold a coffee cup" is that?? your biggest concern at the moment?? everything about bucky's coffee obsession was hilarious and when bucky began to actually realize that steve cares about him,,,, and just the. the writing itself is brilliant. and the way bucky's speech is stilted and he's so clearly been programmed to carry out missions and idk the way that his hatred for hydra was conveyed,,,, but even though he hates them he didn't kill anyone in queens and he gave the woman a tourniquet and god steve's reaction to that I'm emo and yeah 10 out of fucking 10. I'm on like chapter 9 of the next fic in the series

#I've been meaning to read it for literal years now I finally got to it #I can even handle tony's characterization in it even tho he's written as way more of an asshole that I'm normally comfy with bc like... tony #lets his emotions get in the way. he's having trouble differentiating bucky vs the soldier bc they have the same face and the soldier kille #his parents and then there was the scene where he told steve that he'd been wrong and I really really liked his reasoning for hating bucky #bc like he said he was wrong but tbh it's logical for him to think that way abt his torture and refusal vs bucky's torture and compliance #but he realized his mistake and he's still having trouble but he's trying and anyway yeah I liked that a lot #and then!! in the next fic in the series when he gets protective over pepper (which. aww) and he's still very standoffish around bucky but #yknow pepper does what she wants and then when bucky brings her home safe I haven't gotten to the next part yet but. tony seemed to #be less angry with him which is good. bucky saved pepper's life ik he isn't going to just push that aside. he's Trying #anyways. iconique #also 'brah give me my phone back' was HAJSBDKSNDKDNFM #bucky's arguing w the mission.... contact/deny contact/deny please sir... #ask #anon

[nifolution]

Baby Blues 6

Pairing: Bucky Barnes & Reader

Summary: Bucky and his wife have been trying for a baby. Will they get their wish or will it all fall apart? Will there be too much deception, pain and anger to make it work?

Warnings: Angst, smut, fluff, infertility, heartbreak, cheating, manipulation, noncon/dubcon, harassment, pregnancy, argument, therapy, making up

A/N: This is a revised copy of my oc fic. It is written in 3rd person. 18+ only due to smut and noncon/dubcon situations. No stealing, no reposts, no translations, no feeding to AIs. Comments, reblogs and likes are always welcome and appreciated.

Chapter 5 Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

Chapter 6

Tony repeated the expletive, looking at Natasha and Pepper-Bruce who looked just as uncomfortable. Well that came so far out of left field, he could never have predicted his investigation would lead to this…this witchy business. It wasn’t metal arm’s fault. They villainized him when he needed their help. Shit! And poor Y/N... double shit!

Bucky's heart twisted painfully, the back of his neck and cheeks burned, his head throbbed. His teammates… former teammates were staring at him apprehensively. It took him a few minutes before he found his voice. “May I request a few hours to gather my things and send communication to Steve before... before I’m fired.”

“Fired?”

“The deal was to help me prove I didn't do it so I could get my wife back. You've proven the opposite. I have done e-everything she accused me of.” Bucky’s face screwed up in pain. “I thought it was fake, but it was me the whole time. I… I cheated on my wife. That means I lost my job, like I lost her.”

Tony puffed out his cheeks, letting out a long exhale. “Look, I just got to second base with The Hulk a few moments ago, so I'd call this extenuating circumstances. As much as I dislike you, it would be cruel to punish you for what happened. Consent is a two way street and that wasn't the case here, what that witch did negated that… And it pains me to say this, but I think we all owe you an apology.”

Bucky knew he should have felt some relief at Tony’s words, but there was only guilt. He hurt the person he'd vowed to love and protect, the details didn't matter. He wasn't sure how to make it better. Would she even believe what happened? Would she forgive him and take him back? He wasn't sure he deserved to be.

Natasha decided to say what they were all thinking. “How are we going to explain all this to Y/N?”

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

Natasha walked into her apartment, a ziplock of the blue dust in her pocket. She quickly spotted Y/N on the couch in her pajamas. She took off her shoes and sat down next to her.

Y/N smiled, “Welcome home Nattie. What did Tony have you doing that had you out so late?”

The redhead took a deep breath as she turned to face her friend. “Before we start, is this what you’d been smelling on Bucky?” Nat pulled the bag out, opened it and held it just under Y/N’s nose. Careful not to let her get too close.

She recognized it all right. Y/N frowned, “Yeah… What the hell is it? I figured it had to be some kind of icky perfume.”

Instead of answering, Nat got up to let the rest of the group inside.

Y/N eyed Tony and Bruce suspiciously as they shuffled in. Both of them looked like they wished they were anywhere else. “Why does this feel like an intervention?”

Tony winced, “It kinda is.”

She quirked an eyebrow at her employer, “Are you retiring again?” Then she saw Bucky slowly step into view. He looked utterly defeated, movements rigid, eyes downcast. This was the first she's seen him since the fight. Emotions hit her like a tidal wave. Shocked, upset, betrayed. “What the fuck is this, Nat? I can't be here if he is.” Y/N tried to retreat to her bedroom, only to be stopped by Tony’s hand on her shoulder.

He coaxed her back to the couch. “You're gonna want to sit down for this one, kid. We have a lot to go over.”

The group did their best to explain what they discovered. How they were victims of a jealous witch hellbent on destroying their marriage. That the powder made Bucky unaware he was with Tanya, because his eyes only saw Y/N. He believed it was his wife, even though everyone else, and video, showed the real person. Y/N was reluctant to believe them. Witchcraft, spells, this was more than her brain could handle right now. It could not be real. Why were they suddenly on his side?

“It’s very real, Y/N. I wouldn’t lie to you, especially not for him. Thanks to that blue crap I got a little too up close and personal with Banner earlier.” Tony pointed to Bruce, “You may see the big green over there, but I see Pepper.”

Natasha interjected, “Actually you groped him after we told you it was Bruce.”

“Semantics.”

Y/N’s body felt frozen in place, her mind running a mile a minute, as she came to terms with what she just learned. “But… but that would mean…” She gave her husband a panicked look, tears in her eyes, before having to turn away.

Natasha, seeing the look etched on Y/N’s face, began rubbing her back. “Are you alright? You're going to worry a hole through your lip if you don’t stop biting it.”

“No, I'm not alright. Nothing about this is alright.” Feelings warred in Y/N’s gut, the guilt slowly seeping in and suffocating her. She buried her face in her hands before screaming. “Fuck!” She put her legs up, lowering her face between her knees. “This is so fucked. This is so fucking fucked up.”

Bucky felt even more guilty seeing his wife’s distress. Maybe she was better off in the dark, hating him. He nervously stared at the floor by Y/N’s feet. Sneaking glances at her reaction before reverting his gaze in shame. He was an active participant in this mess. He could understand if she never forgave him.

Tony agreed with Y/N’s summation. “The skank is in the wind, but we will find her. We can't arrest her legally, the law hasn't caught up with the mystic world, but I assure you she will be punished for her crimes.”

Natasha continued soothing her friend. Promising that she would personally see the witch suffer and spend the rest of her short life in agony. After allowing Y/N to cry for a few minutes, she ushered Bruce and Tony out. Indicating with her eyes for Bucky to take her place next to Y/N. She then announced she would be going to bed to give the two of them time alone.

The former couple sat in awkward silence. The truth of the situation crippled them, making both terrified to speak. It was so quiet Y/N could hear the rush of her pulse. She didn’t know what to say. A chapter in her life she thought was closed suddenly burst open and in bright neon pointed out how wrong she had been. That vile witch assaulted her husband and she thought… but how could she know... Oh god, what did she do? She wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t instantly erase the bad feelings toward him that still resided in her heart. It was all too much.

Bucky faced her with a broken smile, his eyes pleading, “Y/N...” He reached out to hold her, but she moved away from him.

“I can’t, I can't do this right now. I’m sorry. I need time to process all of this. I’m so sorry.” Y/N asked him to leave and walked to her bedroom, shutting the door.

Bucky watched her walk away from him again. Feeling just as crushed as the first time. He reluctantly got up and left the apartment. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he didn’t want to go home. It didn’t feel right without her.

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

Y/N unblocked her husband… ex-husband… husband’s number. Honestly she wasn’t sure where they stood right now. Swallowing her uncertainty, she hit the call button. Her stomach flip flopping as it rang. Bucky sounded rough when he answered, but his voice perked up when she asked to come by the house to talk. He agreed to meet her there in an hour.

She hesitated at the door, unsure if she should knock or use her key. Bucky opened the door before she could decide, he’d clearly been waiting by it. He greeted her, his smile not reaching his eyes. It made her heart clench. This shouldn’t be this hard.

Walking into the house felt foreign to her. How could two weeks seem so much longer? Nothing was different from the last time she was here, and yet everything was. Bucky followed Y/N to the dining room table. It felt like a neutral enough space. He sat across from her, immediately extending his right hand to hold hers. She curled her fingers in, letting him know his touch was not welcomed. She was not ready to feel the warmth of his flesh on hers yet.

“I'm sorry.” He lowered his eyes, sadly. He couldn't stand the look on her face, knowing he put it there.

“Stop.” Y/N shook her head, “You shouldn't be sorry, I should.”

“Honey, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“I do though. I acted like such an asshole and you didn’t deserve it. You didn't…” She sniffed and wiped at her watering eyes. “God, everything is so fucked up right now. I’m still struggling with all of it. I’m ashamed of how I behaved.”

“Don't be. You're a strong and capable woman, Y/N. If it… if I had hurt you intentionally like that, I’d deserve worse. You handled it the way you should have. There was no way for you to know it was anything else. Fuck, I didn’t know.” Bucky leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“I’m not strong. I've been a wreck without you.”

Bucky couldn't help the spark of hope her words created. Maybe she needed him as much as he needed her. “Me too. It's been hard sleeping alone. I’ve missed you so much. It doesn't feel like I'm living if you’re not there.”

Y/N felt something inside her tear open. “We can't just go back to how things were. I can't pretend it never happened... The horrible things I felt, the things I'm still feeling.” She let the hot tears slide down her cheeks. It was too much to bear. “I’m sorry, I’m trying so hard, I know I'm wrong. I know the truth now, but my heart refuses to believe it. I still feel betrayed. My heart and my trust are broken and I can't just wash it away. I know that's not fair to you. I know it wasn't your fault, but I'm not sure I can get over it. I want to so badly. I don't want to lose you, but how can we move on? I don't know what to do, Bucky, I can barely stand to look at you. When I do, I see you with her. Hear the things you said to her. Saying you loved her, wanted a baby with her…”

“I thought it was you. I never would have... I only love you. I want babies with you, no one else.”

She was sobbing now, unable to hold back. “I hate this. I wish I could forget. I'm so sorry.” Y/N knew she abandoned him when he needed saving, and she hated herself for it. He needed her and she didn't even give him a chance. She broke his heart… she's breaking his heart, because her own felt impossibly and irrevocably shattered. “How could you not know it wasn’t me? You should have been able to tell. There had to be red flags telling you something was wrong.”

Bucky didn’t know how to answer that. How he never suspected. He couldn’t say which memories of Y/N were really her. To him, it was her the entire time. He’d been happy. These last few months were good ones, or so he thought. Which memories did he make with the wrong woman? He didn’t know. Near as he could tell, the entire year had been poisoned, and he enjoyed it. He refused to ask Y/N about every moment, what was real, when was it her, too afraid to know the answer. How could she stand to be around him? “I didn't mean to break us.” He cried with her. He didn’t want to lose his wife, not when he had a chance of keeping her. “I need you, Y/N. I need my wife. Please tell me you still want to be that. That you still want me as your husband. We can't undo what's happened, but we can repair our relationship, right? We can get past this.”

Y/N finally looked at him, really looked at him. His tears matched her own. His face as heartbroken as hers. Two fractured souls mirroring each other. This was still her husband, she still loved him, still wanted him. “What my brain knows and what my heart remembers are at odds right now. It will take time, but I want to try. I want to fix us.”

They calmed down enough to talk more. Trying to hash out the details of how they were going to proceed. Agreeing to start slow, not jumping into anything, not forcing it. Y/N was going to continue staying with Nat until she felt comfortable enough to move home. He walked her to the door when it was time to leave.

Bucky grabbed Y/N’s hand before she could go, needing the contact, needing to keep her with him just a moment longer. He pressed desperate kisses to her knuckles. “I love you, Y/N. Tell me we're going to get through this,” he begged for reassurance. Worried that she was already too far gone from him to ever take him back.

Y/N looked down at their connected hands and nodded. He reluctantly released her, but could not watch her leave. Flinching at the sound of the door closing… At least this time he knew she'd return.

Chapter 7

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes smut

[darthkruge]

Could you write a cute sequel to the Padawan! Anakin and Padawan! Reader oneshot, where they have a secret wedding two years later?

Anakin Skywalker x Reader ~ Can I Kiss You? (Pt 2)

Summary: Two years after their first kiss, Padawan!Anakin and Padawan!Reader return to the gardens of Naboo for their wedding

Warnings: Nothing. Once again, this is fluff. A bit more emotions thrown in this time, but cute fluff nonetheless!

Words: 1.6k

A/N: I can’t believe someone requested a sequel for one of my fics!! That’s so exciting!! The first part is one of my favorite fics I’ve ever written and I hope I did justice with the second <3. Also! You don’t need to have read the first part to understand this. But I do think it makes it more fun, as I kinda tied them together :)

Part 1

gif credit

“Can you believe we made it?” 

Anakin’s voice broke you out of your trance. You were sitting on the grass and leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder with his arms hugging you from behind. The palace’s gardens once again surrounded you; the familiar fresh, flowery scent intoxicating. 

You hummed, turning your head up and looking at him. He looked down at you and smiled. 

“Hi,” His voice held his laughter, teasing.

“Hi,” You replied, mirroring his happiness. 

You connected your lips with his, both of you grinning into the kiss. His metal hand came up, fingers gently holding your jaw as he deepened the kiss. Your mind wandered, remembering your first kiss. Here. 

You were pulled back to the present as his tongue gently swiped across your lower lip. You opened your mouth slightly, allowing him access. As he swirled his tongue around yours, your head spun. Your hands wove into his hair and pulled on the back of it lightly, making him groan into you. You smirked, loving the effect you had on him. He grabbed your waist, pulling you around so that you were straddling his thighs. You broke from his lips, trailing kisses up and down the side of his neck. 

Missing the feeling of your lips, he pulled you back up, reconnecting them with his own. You kissed and kissed and kissed until you couldn’t anymore, breaking apart only once you were positively breathless. You leaned your forehead against his, chests heaving as you relaxed.

“We’re gonna be late for our own ceremony if you keep distracting me like that” 

You lightly smacked his chest, throwing your head back and gaping in mock-offense. “Now who’s the one that shoved their tongue down my throat?”

“Well I guess that’d have to be me… considering you haven’t kissed anyone else…” He trailed off, looking at you somewhat sheepishly to gauge your reaction

“Anakin! That is rude! And unkind! And completely accurate, you kriffing asshole!” You said, laughing the entire time. Anakin joined in, sighing in relief when he realized you weren’t mad at him. 

“Rude and unkind? I’d say that’s slightly dramatic, Y/N”

“And where do you think I picked up the dramatic flair, hmm?” You shot back, quirking your eyebrows and glaring at him playfully.

Anakin rolled his eyes but, intelligently, didn’t argue. He just chuckled, pulling you back in for another kiss. You obliged but quickly pulled away, laughing as he pouted at you.

“Now, come on! We’re going to be late for our own ceremony if you keep distracting me like that!” You said, mocking him.

You got up and started skipping away before he could retort, smiling as you heard his footsteps scrambling to catch up with you. He pulled your hand into his, leaning down to press a fleeting kiss against your cheek. 

He pulled you forward and you laughed as he stopped to spin you around. Your breath caught as you felt yourself tripping over your own feet and squealed as you came in contact with Anakin’s strong chest.

You buried your face into him and he rubbed up and down your arms. As he peppered kisses into your hair, you did the same on his collarbone. Moments like this were what you wished you could live in forever. Just two people in love. Without the pressure of the Jedi, the Council, any of it. You wished you didn’t need to hide your relationship, your happiness. But you truly believed that any sacrifice would be worth keeping Anakin in your life. 

It had taken months of planning to even get the time to slip away with Anakin. Luckily, the Council thought you and Anakin worked well together and frequently allowed you to go on missions together. Granted, you both usually ended up in front of the Council trying to justify why you disobeyed their orders on these missions. Even if it was your idea, Anakin would always try to take the blame, despite you constantly telling him it was unnecessary. However, Anakin did have a point when he said that he was the Chosen One; they wouldn’t expel him from the order because of a series of poor decisions. He said that even if you didn’t have the Council’s protection, you could count on his.

To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. That’s why those fights never lasted. Most of your fights were like that. Silly, stupid arguments that almost always boiled down to the fear of losing each other. And, by the next morning, you were always curled back in bed together, unable to bear the idea of being apart. 

“Y/N?” 

You looked up, shaking yourself out of your own head.

“Yeah?”

Anakin looked at you quizzically. “You alright, my love?” He asked, concern evident in his voice.

You nodded. “Perfect.”

You were about to marry the most perfect man in the entire world. Kind, beautiful, giving, protective, understanding, flawed, yours. As if “perfect” even began to describe how you were feeling. You weren’t sure anything could. When you joined the Jedi Order, you never thought you’d get this. Love. And yet, here you were. 

Anakin leaned in, kissing your nose. “Me, too,” He whispered in your ear.

You walked up to the secluded altar where Obi-Wan, R2D2, and C3-PO stood. You thanked the stars for Obi-Wan; he had done so much to ensure that your secret stayed that way and you could successfully marry the love of your life. 

You stood, looking at Anakin. He held your hands and you gave his a squeeze. It was a signal that had developed over the years; whenever one of you needed reassurance or just wanted to remind them that you loved them, you’d squeeze the other’s hand. As per usual, he immediately returned the gesture. 

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “Y/N, would you like to go first?”

You looked at him, mouthing a quick “thank you” and nodding. He smiled right back. Obi-Wan had become a good friend of yours over the years. You were quite grateful that he was here on this wondrous day. 

You took a deep breath, looking into Anakin’s deep eyes. “Anakin, when I first met you I thought you were reckless, arrogant at times, insubordinate…” You trailed off as he gave you an amused look, clearly wondering where you were going with this. 

“Gorgeous,” You added in, “and, truly, so much more. Now, while I still think of you that way, I’ve grown to love it. You inspire me, you believe in me, you understand me in a way that I thought was impossible for one person to understand another. You’re strong and loving and you always keep me safe. You make me laugh and smile and giddy and… happy. I still remember, two years ago, when you made me choke an apple and kissed me, all in one day. And that feeling I had when our lips first touched, it has remained, constant, since that moment. I want to spend my life with you. And I don’t want to put that off for another second.”

Anakin’s eyes were misty with tears by the time you finished speaking. It was hard for him to fathom -- that he’d found someone who cared about him that much. For once in his life, he believed that there was someone who wouldn’t leave. 

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a knowing smile before asking him to begin.

“Honestly, I don’t know what I did to deserve you. You’re perfect, you’re… everything. You challenge me, by the Maker, you challenge me,” Anakin said as you chuckled, nodding in agreement. “And you’re strong and good and selfless. You’ve always seen the good in me, sometimes even when  I didn’t deserve it. You sought to know me for who I am, not for what I could bring to the galaxy.” Anakin paused, looking into your eyes. He swallowed, long and hard, before going on. 

“And I know this wasn’t the relationship you dreamed of. I know I can’t give you much of anything. But I promise that for the rest of our lives I will be right here, by your side. I will love you for as long as this life allows, and for a thousand after that.” 

Tears streaked down both your cheeks, making everything else fade away. The weight of his words sat heavily on your heart; his love for you so powerful it was nearly overwhelming. But that seemed to be a theme in your relationship, didn’t it? Everything right on that edge, so close to falling apart. And yet you and Anakin balanced each other. You wouldn’t crumble. 

You once again traveled back to when all this started. You remember thinking, perhaps foolishly, that you and Anakin would make it. That one in a million couple. You thanked the entire galaxy that you were right.

You looked at Obi-Wan only to see that he was grinning at the both of you. He’d had his suspicions about you two for months before he eventually caught you kissing after you returned from a long mission. Anakin swore up and down that he “fell on you” and was “tending to your injuries” but Obi-Wan just brushed away the excuses and assured the both of you he would keep your secret. 

“You may now… kiss each other. If you so desire,” Obi-Wan said before averting his eyes.

Anakin looked at you, adoration clear in his vision. He held your gaze and gently cupped your cheek. “So… can I kiss you?”

You rolled your eyes, laughed, and leaned in. 

-----

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[nephilim-problems]

Rossi's Daughter

I sat sipping expensive wine in the middle of a crowded expensive, posh, Italian restaurant waiting for my old family friend. The only member of my family who knew what I'm doing for work. Italians are weird about family, the family name must always be protected, family is better than anything. You get the picture. Rossi was an extension of my family and he always treated me as such even promised my mama that he'd protect me in America. Then I saw him, dark black hair with small amounts of white peppered through. His beard was worse, he looked skinnier or maybe he was just taller I couldn't tell.

"Ah Rossi," I smiled standing up to meet him. "Che piacere vederti! Da quanto tempo."

Rossi grabbed both my arms and smiled "Che piacere vederti, cara."

We kissed cheeks and Rossi pulled my chair out for me and sat me down.

"You don't have to do that for me," I smiled warmly and grabbed the glass of red wine.

"But I want to," Rossi smiled and seated himself down and took a look at the wine bottle. "Contrada R? Are you trying to sweeten me up?"

"You're the one who called me here, remember?” I smiled and swirled the glass in my hand. “Come stai, Rossi?”

“Still sweeting me up my dear (Y/N/N)?” He smiled and held the glass in his hand. “But I am doing well just got back from a case.”

“Did you catch the guy?” I asked, crossing my legs and setting the wine down.

“Yes, but I would rather not talk about my work here,” Rossi replied, smiling warmly to me. “Come stai, (Y/N).”

“Va benissimo! Business is amazing, making great money. I have more new clients than I have ever had,” I smiled at him. “But I doubt we came here to talk business.”

“As a matter of fact we did,” Rossi paused and took a bite of his food when he noticed both our glasses of wine were empty. He called the waiter over before saying, “Mi porti dell’altro vino per favore.”

“Oh,” I smiled and took a bite of my food. “So you didn’t call me down here to banter like old friends,no?”

“Lets just say it’s a little bit of both,” Rossi let out a small chuckle while continuing to shove food in his face.

“Well then please elaborate,” I said, taking a sip of wine and laying back against the chair.

“I have a friend, he lost his wife last year but he hasn’t,” Rossi wiped his mouth and bearded then looked down, almost like he was nervous. “He hasn’t gotten back out there. It’s affecting him at work and he just really needs to get laid.”

“I see,” I said, leaning forward and tapping the silverware. “So you want me to seduce your friend, is that right?”

I made sure to put emphasis on the “friend” portion since I didn’t believe that this man was really his friend, perhaps a coworker; but not a friend.

“Well not exactly,”He paused again, done with his plate and handed it to the waiter. “Aaron is different. Stoic, a hardass, jobroni. He’s overly professional, he doesn’t want a girlfriend, he needs a companion.”

“I thought you wanted me to sleep with him, in your words he needs to get laid, no? So what is it, am I sleeping with him or just being another friend?” I was intrigued by this, maybe even a bit excited. I hadn’t had an overly professional in my bed or my wallet before. “I don’t think this friend is really a friend, coworker maybe? You know I won’t judge.”

“I didn’t say you shouldn’t sleep with him, I said he needs a companion. You can still sleep with him and be his companion,” Rossi laughed and leaned over the table.

“So what’s the price hm? You’re paying me, he’s paying me, i’m doing this pro bono,” I said, crossing my legs and leaning forward.

“Oh so you're interested?" Rossi asked smiling.

"I made that obvious, no?" I replied.

"I didn't want to assume," Rossi laughed and waved the waiter over. "Il conto, per favore."

The waiter noded and quickly ran off.

"Leaving so soon?" I questioned. "We aren't done talking business."

Soon the check was placed on the table. Rossi quickly pulled his card out and handing it to the waiter. The waiter quickly came back muttering a thank you in italian.

"I just thought the next bit of business was best left to be done while I drove you home," Rossi said pulling my jacket from the back of my chair. That was my cue to stand up.

"Grazie Mille," I said as he placed my jacket on my shoulders. I slipped my arms through and fixed it so I felt more comfortable then I looped my arm through Rossi's as he led me out.

"I'll do it pro bono if you'd like. A favor for a good friend free of charge," I smiled as we walked out the front door.

Rossi handed the valet his ticket and pressed a hand over mine.

"What about a favor for a favor?" He asked. Soon the valet was back with Rossi's car and Rossi opened the door then helped me inside.

"A favor for a favor? What did you have in mind?" I asked as Rossi slid in the driver side.

"I think you need a companion too," Rossi smirked.

Suddenly my smile fell slightly. He was right aside from him, my family, and my 2 best friends. I didn't talk to anyone. It's a lonely life as an escort. Woe men take their money and leave. I am always the companion.

"Okay ill do it, just send me his number and I can-" I started talking swiftly to get this over with.

"I need your help with one more thing," he interrupted as he pulled up in front of my house. "This one's for me."

"I'm always willing to help you, Babbo," I smiled warmly as his nickname slipped from my lips.

"Your father would be very upset if he heard you call me that," Rossi teased as he let both himself and myself out of the car and began walking me up the driveway to my home.

"My father would be very upset to see you as a Nerc," I smiled back and Rossi laughed.

"That is very true," he laughed. Soon we were standing in front of my front door having to say goodbye. "About why I asked for you, I have a case tomorrow, we're flying to Hawaii. I need your consult."

"I see. As I said anything for you," I smiled. "So I just need to be close to my phone, yes?"

"Actually id like it if you came with me. We might need you in real time, just in case," Rossi smiled.

"What time do I need to be ready?" I asked.

"I will pick you up at 7 A.M have a bag packed and ready," Rossi said before kissing both my cheeks. "Ciao mio caro, Ci vediamo domani."

I smiled and pulled him into a large hug, "Ci vediamo domani. Ti voglio bene Babbo."

"Ti voglio bene anch’io," Rossi replied and kissed the top of my head before heading down back to his car. "Stay safe tesoro."

"Wait, what's my new client's name?" I yelled standing from the door.

"My unit chief Aaron Hotchner. You'll see him tomorrow."

"Thank you."

I watched him take off then quickly put my key in the door and walked in. The house was dark and quiet as always. I had such a large house and lived alone. I made my way up the stairs and patted a hello pat to my pit bull Thor. He barked happily at me and followed me to my bedroom. I packed a bag for at least a week and got ready for bed. I have an early morning tomorrow.

************************************************************************

Hi thank you so much for reading my first Hotch fic I've published I hope yall like it. I'm thinking of making it a series if anyone likes it.

#aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x y/n #hotch x you #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #david rossi

[weasleywinchester]

The Way You Look Tonight - Chapter 2

Mr. Sandman

Chapter 1

Bucky Barnes X female reader

Allllrightttyyy fam, we're back with chapter 2! Which is pretty much as far as I've gotten with this day dream fic. This takes place ep.3/4 of TFATWS and this chapter starts immediately where the last chapter ends. ALSO we get a little hot steamy flash back scene y'all

Warnings: Nervous/ Angry/ Sexy Bucky, Zemo being sweet and sexy, Smut (because I have no self control) which includes: nipple play, semi-public sex, unprotected sex (always use protection you AND your partner have consented to), P in V sex, fingering, and random hook-up with a stranger (again, be careful irl).

Series Summary:

You’re obsessed with anything superhero (I mean all the best people are right?) Stark Industries, what better job could you ever have? And then becoming friends with the Avengers? Hot Damn, how was this your life? What you expected was to silently crush on one all of them until you died; what you got was an unexpected romance with one James Buchanan Barnes.

Chapter Summary:

Bucky and you, you and Bucky... it's how it should be, just ask Sam. But with the Assistant Director of the Department of Defense AND John Walker thinking they can outsmart you when it comes to your boys, they are mistaken. You'll do whatever it takes to help your friends make a better world, but will a silly one night stand break Bucky's trust in you?

“Not how I saw this trip going.” You muse out loud. You, Sam and Bucky are walking along the street, to nowhere in particular for the moment.

“Isn’t this how every trip goes?” Sam chuckles. You nod in agreement, your knuckles grazing with Bucky’s as you walk by his side. You’re not sure where you stand, but the fact you can’t freely lace your fingers through his kills you a little bit.

“We should probably get home. Figure out our next move.” Sam says over his shoulder. You nod, not hearing what he actually said.

“We should… we should talk.” Bucky says quietly, taking your hand in his.

“Ok.” You smile, your heart leaping at his touch.

Sam smiles too, glad Bucky wants to talk to you, and that you haven’t killed either of them.

“Sam, call this number. Tell Assistant Director Spencer we need a ride, and I need to talk to him.” He takes the phone and walks a head again, putting a little distance between him and the pair of you. You stay quiet, walking in comfortable silence with Bucky until Sam starts talking on the phone.

“Has it helped? The therapy?” You start, sneaking a glance at him.

He contemplates it; it wasn’t that he had a choice to go or not. It was the only way the world could move on from the Winter Soldier, the only way he could be forgiven. Helping the people he hurt did ease the pressure a little, let the world stop looking at him like an animal. But that wasn’t the hard part; the idea of forgiving himself… that he wasn’t ready for.

“Ya.” is all he’s able to give you, his hand gently squeezing yours.

“Good.” You squeeze back.

“Was there someone...” He grasps for the courage to finish asking, although he’s not sure he wants the answer.

“Pepper managed to shove me into a Stark Industries single mixer once. He flirted, I even let him kiss me. But he wasn’t you.” You confess. Bucky nods, glad Pepper succeeded at least once.

“Anyone for you?”

“A person on my list insisted I go out. She was nice but...” He stops walking, spinning you to face him. “(Y/N). I’m not a good man,” He holds up a hand to stop your protest. “Yet. There’s just a big mess up here, and you and Shuri and the Dora Milaje helped with the biggest knot in the string. And now I gotta do the rest of them.”

“And I will be there when you need me.” You smile, taking his other hand in yours.

“I can’t ask that of you.” He states, his eyes searching yours. He wants to ask that of you, to beg you to stay by his side; but he wants to offer you an easy way out too.

“You don’t have to.” You put his hands on your waist, and bring your own to rest on his strong chest. “You weren’t, and never will be, a burden or a charity case Bucky. I’m with you to the end of the line.” you whisper.

You’ve been telling him that since you met, the same amount of love in your eyes, the same kindness in your smile. The only difference now is that he can gently put his lips to yours.

“Oh thank the Lord above!” Sam shouts from the street corner, his hands wide to the sky as he dances around.

“Guess we’ll always have one person cheering for us.” You laugh against Bucky’s lips. You steal one more kiss before turning around and running to Sam with your arms raised in victory.

_______

“Miss (Y/L/N), very nice to see you again.” Assistant Director Spencer smiles, taking a big gulp of his coffee.

“Is it?” You ask, walking around him and sitting in his big fancy office chair. You glance at the clock, it says it’s 4:30 am. You made good time on your flight back.

“Guess that depends on whose story I believe.” He turns around and sits in the chair across from you. “Captain America wasn’t pleased with the results of the mission.”

“Are you alluding to the fact that Sam Wilson and James Barnes have decided against working for the government? Because that shouldn’t surprise anyone.” You grin.

“He says that it was because your intentions for the mission were, misleading.” He takes another sip of coffee. You raise your eyebrows at him, he may like Walker but he’s not a fool. “I enjoyed the chat with Mr. Wilson. Too bad he didn’t want to share more.”

You hum in agreement. You know that there’s a very good chance Dr. Raynor called and asked why Bucky’s therapy was being paused, especially since he and Sam did a session together. And then there’s you, a lover, you bet she can’t wait to help him unpack all that emotional baggage.

“(Y/N), is it alright I call you (Y/N)? The U.S. Government sent you with Captain America to find information.”

“Why was I dragged into this office for a mission and not when anyone found out Bucky came back from The Blip.” You interrupt. He blinks a few times, draining the last of his coffee and setting the cup on the desk.

“We figured it would be easier coming from your friends. We also figured you would have been at Tony Stark’s funeral-”

“I was! Us being in the same vicinity a handful of times doesn’t replace official government notice.” You slam your fist down on the desk. He takes a deep breath, leaning his elbows on the table to match your position.

“You’re the fail safe. With Barnes, and Rodgers for that matter. But you don’t work for the government. And from your pro Captain America Stance, didn’t seem like you ever wanted to. So, we get you on this mission, get your name stamped next to Barnes’s, and boom, a contract from the government that you eagerly agreed to.”

“Didn’t give you much information though.”

“It gave enough. Simple proof that Captain America needs clearance to solve the problem before unauthorized avengers do.” He leans back in his chair, like a man who just outsmarted his opponent. You nod, getting up from the chair and walking to the door.

“A warning Assistant Director.” You look over your shoulder, but he doesn’t move. “John Walker has a lot of decisions to make, and I don’t think he’ll make the right ones. Maybe I’ll be wrong.”

_______

“It's kept its lawless ways. But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.” Zemo grins, elated at the potential of seeing the Winter Soldier in action again.

Bucky stands, walking to the back of the plane and locking himself in the bathroom. Before he has the chance to think, your voice is coming through his phone.

“Hey, how’s the job?” You ask. Your voice is like a beacon, letting his mind come back to a place of peace. He imagines you’re sitting at your desk, probably reorganizing it for the third time this week. He can hear you open and close drawers, shuffle papers.

“I have to… to be it again.” He says, his voice barely above a whisper.

“To be...”

“The Winter Soldier.” He swallows the lump in his throat. He’s gotten so used to stuffing everything down, but he can’t slip back into that.

“Am I allowed to know why?” You ask, voice unwavering in the face of the unknown.

“Madripoor.”

Fuck. That means he and Sam are scraping the bottom of the barrel. You stop the project you’re working on and start stuffing travel necessities into a back pack.

“Doll, you still there?” He’s heart begins to race. What if this is where-

“Stay vigilant. You can’t afford to miss a single detail; or give one away. Don’t let yourself fall back on anything. Think about it for what it is: an act of how you were a long time ago. Something that starts and ends within twenty four hours.” You say gently, trying to keep any panic out of your voice.

He nods, you’re right. He’s pretending. A role that he knows inside and out, but at the end of the day, one he can leave behind.

“How are you even getting to Madripoor?” You pause the packing, it’s not like any of you have a private plan.

“Zemo.” Bucky reluctantly answers.

“Isn’t he in jail?”

“He was...”

You close your eyes, taking a deep breath. Don’t be angry, he… knows what he’s doing? And Sam is there, so it’ll be fine.

“(Y/N)?”

“Be careful. And think ahead please. Last thing I want is to have to fight to get your body back to the States.”

“Will do.” He smiles.

“I love you.” You sigh as he hangs up.

“Love you.” he whispers into the emptiness.

_______

You quickly zip your packed bag and call a car to take you to the airport. Luckily Pepper still owns a few planes that are not Stark Industries branded. You’re making sure work is settled and ignoring all texts from John and Lemar when an “unknown number” calls. This should be fun.

“Yes?” You answer.

“Oh good, I caught you.” A woman says on the other end.

“Sharon?” You guess.

“Could always recognize voices, even if you haven’t heard them in a few years.” She laughs.

“I wasn’t even sure if you were still alive.” You comment, instantly regretting it.

“I am, and in Madripoor. I’m guessing you’re on your way?” When you don’t answer she continues. “There will be a car to pick you up. It’ll take you to my place.”

“What made you think I would come?”

“You’re always the right distance away.” She answers, hanging up.

The flight was fast, thanks to Tony’s private plane and the long nap you took. If you had flown commercial you’d be barely leaving the states. As Sharon instructed there was a car waiting for you. What you didn’t expect was to be going to Lowtown. The car dropped you at what seemed to be a warehouse and she was waiting for you at the curb.

“Good to see you (Y/N).” She gives you a hug.

“You too. So what’s on the agenda?” You wrap an arm around her waist and she leads you inside. She gives you a brief overview of what the boys got up to earlier.

“So enjoy the party, maybe you’ll meet Zemo.” She says through the bathroom door.

“Sharon, this is the least amount of dress I’ve ever worn.” You look at yourself in the mirror. She handed you a dress, heels and heat rollers as soon as you stepped foot into her place.

“Well you have to blend in...” She smirks from the doorway. She chose a very short, silk flared dress that if you even had the thought to lean forward your ass would be out. The color could only be described as Captain America blue, both yours and Bucky’s favorite. The straps were as thin as angel hair pasta, so no bra. But damn did you look hot as fuck.

“Do you want these?” She holds out two nipple pasties for you.

“I have the smallest pair of underwear on, so might as well let my nipples enjoy the silk.” You laugh, taking the rollers out of your hair. “How did you even find this? I can never even find anything half as sexy for my size in the States.”

“Madripoor offers a lot of things from a lot of places.” She fixes your straps, smiling at you in the mirror. “The boys are downstairs.” She gestures for you to follow her.

The music is so loud you can’t hear yourself think. A few people turn to you, eyes devouring your body as you worm your way through the crowd. Your eyes instantly snap to his broad shoulders covered by his signature leather jacket. You shove his shoulder so he spins to face you.

“Well don’t you look good enough to eat.” You growl, grabbing a fist full of his black shirt to pull him down to your level, which in these heels isn’t as far as normal. He frowns at the intrusion until he realizes it’s you.

“Hey doll.” He smiles, his eyes traveling down to your chest, your nipples poking through the thin fabric. You hook a finger under his chin, tilting his gaze back to your face. You gesture to one of the doors at the side of the room, his smirk widening as he lets you drag him into the empty hallway.

“Talk about a party.” you giggle, turning around to face Bucky.

His eyes are hungrily traveling over every inch of your body, blood rushing out of his brain the more he tries to decide what his favorite part of the dress is.

“Did you want to talk...” You innocently suggest, looking up through your thick lashes. His eyes finally make it back to your face and he shakes his head no, stalking toward you, flinging his gloves off as he reaches for your hips, roughly walking you into a little alcove in the corner.

His lips find yours in a searing kiss that makes you dizzy with the sudden flood of adrenaline. He slides his hands down your ass, kneading it until you softly moan against his mouth, his tongue quickly finding yours to tangle with.

You release your grasp from his shoulders, sliding your hand between your bodies to palm him through his jeans. His mouth falls away from yours, his forehead resting in the curve of your neck as he lets out a desperate groan, grinding into your touch. His lips reach for any patch of skin, sucking and licking and biting until he feels your body tremble against his.

“Missed this, missed us.” He moans, bending his knees to gently lift you, guiding your legs to grip around his waist.

“Buck- “

He pushes himself flush against you, one of your straps falling off your shoulder. He resist the urge to roll his hips into you, opting to hike you up a bit further so your tits sit right at face level. Gently taking the edge of your dress between his teeth, moving it to reveal your hardened bud and eagerly taking it into his mouth, sucking and licking just the way you like. You moan to the ceiling, fingers threading into Bucky’s hair in an attempt to hold for dear life.

“Other side darlin’” he whispers against your sternum. You quickly shimmy the strap off your shoulder, very thankful you passed on the pasties.

“Bucky, need you.” you moan, your hips rocking against his abs. You need friction, and you need it now. He reluctantly lets your nipple go, letting you settle back to his hips. He rolls against you, the strain in his jeans almost unbearable as you dig your fingers into his shoulders.

“Baby… please.” He begs, holding you far enough away that you can reach down and release him. You hand grips his length, automatically sliding back and forth. He almost drops you at the sensation, he’s played memories like this over and over in his head, but damn.

His fingers move off your ass, searching for your underwear but all he can find is a string.

“Rip them.” you whine. And with one swift movement you feel the strings of your thong break and his length slide right into you. You both moan as Bucky readjusts his grip.

“Please” you breathe, and that’s all he needs to build his pace. And it feels like everything is on fire, all so overwhelming, the squelching noise coming from your soaked pussy, the way his fingers dig into your thighs, the way your pretty tits bounce as he pounds you into the wall.

And then your thighs push him hard against you, and he looks up to see your blissed out face as you pulse around him. Your mouth open in pure ecstasy as he finishes inside you. His head comes to rest in the crook of your neck, watching you chest fall and rise as you come down from your high.

He feels your legs go slack, knowing you're ready to be put down. He gives each nipple a kiss before gently pulling out of you, and slowly putting your legs down.

You lean against the wall, eyes still closed and breathing almost back to normal. He burns this image of you into his mind; blissed out, tits out and a slow dribble of your shared cum on your inner thighs. You take a breath in, tucking your boobs back into your dress and reaching for the bandanna Bucky keeps in his pocket. You gently wipe him clean, tuck him back into his jeans and then clean yourself off.

“A memento.” You tuck the bandana in his back pocket as he retrieves his gloves from the floor.

“Don’t worry, that memory will be put in the rotation with the others.” He smirks, giving you a quick kiss.

“So how did the meeting go?” You ask.

“Not how we planned. But we did manage to find out where the lab is. So we’ll be dealing with that tomorrow.” He cups your chin, his fingers lightly skimming over your perfectly swollen lips.

“Do you want me to stay.” You whisper, your hands wrapping around his waist.

“Always. But I think you should go ahead of us. I’ll have Zemo give me an address. We’ll meet you there.”

“We could just take the same plane.” You shake your head.

“If it were up to me you would never meet Zemo.”

_______

The Smithsonian, Washington D.C.

10 Years ago

“Welcome to the newest exhibit at the world famous Smithsonian! We hope you enjoy learning about the War Hero Group: The Howling Commandos! Don’t forget to...”

You smile at the announcement you’ve heard a hundred times already. You’ve spent every day in this exhibit; reading every plaque, watching every film reel and talking to every tour guide. You had managed to win a ticket to the opening gala, and the press week that came before it. Most of the people you talked to were fans of Cap, but not necessarily the history that came before or after him. After talking about the newspaper comics for hours on end you decided to just stop talking to people; it was always the same conversations, the same points of view.

You had decided to do something you hadn’t done in ages: draw. Here in the exhibit you felt so inspired seeing uniforms, old vehicles and the world's largest collection of Project Rebirth information. You enjoyed drawing everyone from this exhibit, but James Buchanan Barnes always captured your attention. You always admired the strength he had to keep fighting, even after he had been tortured by Hydra.

You had been sitting in one of the theater rooms that showed news reels for the last hour, always waiting for the one that showed Bucky and Steve smiling. As it appeared your pencil would move as quickly as possible to catch a new set of details. And when it was over you let your mind wander, and your eyes unfocus.

“It’s a beautiful drawing.” A voice behind you compliments, making you jump, your pencil clinking to the floor.

“My apologies, let me get that for you.” He kneels to grab the pencil, holding it out for you, a small smile on his face; his brown eyes twinkling even in the dark.

“Thanks. Most of the time no one notices.” You laugh. He chuckles, his accent present even in his laugh.

“I notice a lot. May I join you?” He gestures to the seat next to you. You nod, moving you bag to the other side of you.

“Fan of Mr. Barnes?” He nods to your drawing.

“Ya. He and Steve are very interesting. Although I think I know everything about them already.” You laugh.

“Is that so?” the stranger smiles, putting his arm along the back of your seat and turning his body to fully face you. You shrug, smiling back. “Maybe we could chat over dinner?”

“I don’t even know your name.” You laugh.

“Helmut.” He holds his hand out to you.

“(Y/N).” You place your hand in his.

_______

“Waiter, a bottle of your finest...” Helmut turns to you.

“Champagne?” You shrug. Helmet whispers something to the waiter, who bows and scurries to retrieve the bottle. “I can’t afford the finest anything, Helmut. I literally won my ticket into this event.” you add.

“I certainly can. My treat for the intriguing conversation.” He grins, his eyes gently raking over your body. You try not to squirm, it’s not that he in particular is looking at you, but just the fact that he’s looking. Normally men don’t react to you like he is.

You go to tell him you’ve enjoyed the night when the waiter comes over with two glasses and a bottle of Sokovian Bubbly.

“To you Princezná. A woman of many talents.” He holds his glass out to you, waiting for you to clink his; but you can’t move. No romantic partner has called you by anything other than your name.

He watches you for a brief moment, your reaction to the pet name adorable. You’re so young and kind, he can’t afford to remember your name, for your own safety. He shakes the thoughts, gently clinking his glass to yours.

“Thank you.” You smile, downing the whole glass, the bubbles oddly calming your nerves. He downs his, refilling both your glasses.

And the night doesn’t seem to end. You talk through every detail the other knows about Project Rebirth, deep diving into things that don’t line up, celebrating when the stories are the same. He even asks you to dance, sweeping you around the floor like a professional (which is impressive because you’re not a trained dancer in any way and you’re tipsy.) After much dancing and another bottle of bubbly, he offers to let you freshen up in his hotel suite above the restaurant.

“After you.” He gestures as the doors to a private elevator open. He pushes the button for the penthouse, coming to stand by you.

“I had a wonderful time.” You smile, your eyes lazily focusing on his face.

“As did I.” He turns to you, one hand gripping the rail behind you, the other finding purchase on your waist. Your makeup has smudged a little, but your eyes still sparkle with joy, your perfume making him drunk with lust. Your heart flutters as his lips hover over yours, your left hand gripping his bicep to bring him closer. When his lips meld against yours a warmth shoots through you, making you desperate for more.

He gently pulls at your bottom lip, eliciting the perfect little gasp that grants him entrance to your mouth. It feels like the air has been stolen from your lungs, and if you died from this kiss you would be ok with that. He guides your leg to settle around his waist, gently pushing your gown up your thigh. And when he gently rolls his hips into you, you break the kiss, desperate to fill your lungs with air. His lips move the column of your neck, sucking, licking and biting until a deep moan pushes its way up your throat.

“Tell me if you want to stop.” He whispers, stopping his actions until you give him a breathy yes. He returns to his ministrations with his mouth, and then you feel one of his nimble fingers run along the edge of your underwear. You instinctively roll your hips, your pussy fitting perfectly into the palm of his hand.

He chuckles at your neediness, letting out a low growl against your neck as he drags a finger through your dripping cunt; all he’s done is kiss you and you’re ready to fall apart. He gently toys with your clit, trying different patterns until he finds the one that makes your nails dig into his shoulders. He smiles against your skin now damp from the rising temperature of the elevator. He moves his finger from your clit, gently shushing you when you let out a small whine.

“Patience Princezná.” He whispers, pushing one long finger inside you, quickly followed by another. He bends and curls and presses along your walls, reaching a new spot that makes you almost collapse. He keeps a steady pace concentrated there, his thumb coming up to play with your clit and his mouth sliding against yours.

It’s all too much, you feel like you’re on fire or that you’re going to explode to pieces. A wave of heat pulses from your center, your ears ringing with the intense rush. Helmut watches that pretty little mouth of yours fall open, a silent scream as you pulse around his fingers.

The elevator dings, finally arriving at his room. He slowly pulls his fingers from you, licking them clean so he can guide you inside without staining your dress.

You quickly fix your makeup, staring at the reflection of the girl in the mirror. She’s strong, sexy and there’s a look of mischief in her eye. For a moment you forget it’s you.

“Helmut?” You call from the bathroom. You click down the hall, peering into the dark sitting room, listening for any sound.

“Here Princezná.” He walks out from the kitchen, two glasses of water in hand. He watches you take the glass, gulping it down in one swig. You are beautiful. But after everything last year… you’re only a distraction. You could never hold his heart, it died with his family.

“Princezná,” He whispers, gently picking up your hand. His eyes search your face, but no words come out. But you understand, this was a moment of passion.

“May we meet again.” You smile. He nods, pecking you on the cheek and sending you back down the elevator.

_______

Riga, Latvia

Present Day

“Helmut?” You frown as a familiar blonde man walks in with Sam and Bucky.

“Princezná” He smiles, striding over to you, immediately kissing your cheek.

“What are you doing here?” You smile at him, cupping his face in your hands. He looks exactly the same as the last time you saw him, that mischievous sparkle still in his eye as he smiles.

You turn to your friends, wondering how they could all know each other. The look on Bucky’s face is enough to immediately wipe the smile off yours. He looks appalled that you have any connection with Helmut. You glance at Sam, silently asking what’s Bucky’s problem but his eyebrows have seemed to have flown off his face.

“What?” You ask, stepping out of Helmut’s grip. The silence hangs between the four of you. You can practically hear the dialup noises coming out of Bucky’s ears, surprised he hasn’t lashed out. Helmut on the other hand wraps his arm around your waist, leaning his head against yours.

“Almost as fun as the last time we met Princezná.” He whispers in your ear.

“You know Zemo?” Bucky shouts, his fist clenching as tight as they go.

“Oh, very well.” Zemo mumbles into your hair, his silky voice sending a shiver down your spine.

“Zemo? Like...” You try to focus as he gently presses each finger into your side, a wave of goosebumps spreading over your skin.

“Hydra obsessed, used me as the Winter soldier, Zemo? Ya that guy.” Bucky growls, flexing his jaw.

“Princezná, am I your dirty little secret?” Helmut grins, his nose gently tracing your neck and eyes dancing with mischief as he looks over at Bucky.

“Can I talk to you?” Bucky glares, doing his best to ignore Zemo.

“Whiskey, on the rocks Helmut, make it a double.” You whisper as you follow Bucky into one of the bedrooms.

“What the hell?” He pins you to the door, clicking it shut. You glare at his arms, and then at him. He realizes he’s jumping all over you, boxing you in; and you hate that. It was one of the very few things you asked him not to do. He closes his eyes, inhales and takes a step back. You wait to see if he says anything. But he just threads his hands into his hair, taking another deep breath.

“I didn’t know who he was when we met.” You begin. He huffs in disbelief, shaking his head. “It was before I even met you!” You throw your hands in the air.

“Did you sleep with him?” Bucky demands. You two may not have been together but he doesn’t understand how you could be tricked by fuckin Zemo.

“No… well...” You mumble. Bucky rolls his eyes, turning in a circle. “I never even got his last name! Hell Bucky, we talked about you. It was so nice to talk with someone that had almost the same amount of knowledge about Project Rebirth and I knew things he didn’t, he knew things I didn’t” You can feel yourself sinking lower into the hole you are digging for yourself, might as well bury your own body. “He flirted, I flirted. He asked me to dinner, and then drinks…”

Bucky turns enough that you can see his profile, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he mulls over this information. Why couldn’t you have picked a different Avenger to obsess over? Why did it have to be Steve? And subsequently him? She helped the Dora Milaje, without her you wouldn’t believe that you could ever be a decent man, let alone a good one. He repeats in his head. But Zemo? Out of all people. He finally turns to face you, he understands Zemo’s attraction to you, anyone who says different is just a damn fool.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You grit through your teeth.

“Like what?” He shrugs.

“Like I’m an idiot.” Now it’s your turn to clench your fists. He scoffs, shaking his head. “I’m not exactly the girl who gets attention from handsome men on a regular basis. I liked the attention. I liked being desired. I liked that we talked all night. I will not apologize for liking the way he made me feel, for letting myself act on a whim.” You cross your arms over your chest, leaning against the door.

He just stares, dumbfounded. He doesn’t blame you for wanting those things, just being dumb enough to not see you already have them. You turn heads with your confidence, the way you take control of a room, the way you ask questions that everyone else is too scared to, the way you jump into action when people need you. Guys just know to keep it to themselves because they would get their ass kicked otherwise.

“Does he still make you feel that way?” Bucky whispers. He looks up at you, your shoulders slumping as you stride over to him.

“Bucky, it was one evening several years ago. It was a little bit of fun, no feelings. The only person I’m in love with is you.” You place your hands on his chest. Bucky holds your whole heart, and you know that scares him sometimes, especially when his own mind was used against him for so long.

He gently engulfs your hands in his own, leaning his forehead against yours. You are the most beautiful woman to walk the planet and for some strange reason you chose him. You’ve seen him through a lot, seen him at his lowest, and yet, you stand by him. You’re his north star, the pair of eyes he could quickly pick out in any crowd, your voice better than any song, and your heart more pure than even Steve’s. He’ll always be yours, and he must remember that you’ll always be his.

_______

Sam had come up with the idea that there might be a funeral service for Donya. You would be surprised if there wasn’t; Karli seems like she would prize family and community above everything, even her mighty cause.

You had found out where the local displacement center was, showing Zemo on the map. He had recognized it, taking the three of you there.

“Shame what's become of this place. When I was young, we used to come here for fabulous dinners and parties. I knew nothing of the politics of the time, of course, but I remember it being beautiful.” Zemo comments, looking around the old buildings. Most look like they had been stripped of their beauty; jewels missing out of statues, walls graffitied, and windows broken.

“I'm gonna take a look around upstairs. See what you can find out here. And keep an eye on him.” Sam looks between you and Bucky. You both nod, watching him jog up the stairs.

“I'll stay out of your way.” Zemo directs at Bucky, holding his hands up in surrender. Bucky frowns but doesn't say anything.

“Princezná.” Zemo smiles, holding his arm out for you. You see Bucky stiffen as you place your hand on Zemo’s elbow, but if you want to learn more about this man you have to play the part he expects.

“The Winter Soldier doesn’t seem any less angry about us.” Zemo comments, walking you towards the group of kids playing in the courtyard.

“He’s not angry about us, just about you.” You say through your teeth as you smile at one of the smaller kids. Zemo matches your smile, taking a deep breath in as you pass under the stone archway.

“♪ Baa, Baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full; One for my master, one for the dame; One for the little girl who lives down the lane.♪” he kneels, throwing a bag of candy on the table in front of the kids. “Turkish delight. It was always my son's favorite.” He comments.

Your breath catches in your throat; you didn’t know Zemo had a son. You figured he lost a lover after your night together went no further than the elevator, but to lose your whole family…

“My old friend, Donya, passed away. Did you know her?” He asks one of the older girls.

“Yes.” She nods, her eyes flicking from the candy to his face.

“I would like to pay my last respects. Do you know where her funeral will be?” He holds a candy out to her, giving her a kind smile. She nods, and whispers in his ear. He whispers back, gesturing to Bucky and Sam as he tells her something. You turn to look at them, Bucky’s classic scowl clear even from across the courtyard.

“But this lovely woman here, she can always be trusted.” He kisses your hand, winking at the kids. They giggle as they dig into the bag of candy. He places your hand back in the crook of his arm, walking you over to Bucky.

“Cute kids.” He smiles, walking in between Bucky and Sam.

You share a look with Bucky, thankful he understood and relaxed his shoulders a fraction. You four walk in silence, the crunch of gravel mixing with the distant noises of people living their lives.

“Princezná …” Zemo whispers, surprised by your silence this whole trip.

“Were you trying to forget the pain, or at least numb it for the night.” You state. He takes a deep breath in, conflicted just as before.

“I let the grief consume me." He begins, he has nothing left anyways, "And then I met you. You pulled my focus back to my mission. A silly American girl gave me more information about the Winter Soldier than any scholar. You deserved to be rewarded.”

You roll your eyes, who would have thought Steve and Bucky would be getting you in trouble before you even met them.

“I’m sorry for the loss of your family. And your country.” You stop walking, bringing his face to look at you. He nods, his eyes not quite meeting yours. "But you choose this path, and it's one I can't bring you back from."

"Princezná." He gives you a small smile as Bucky and Sam catch up to you. He nods to Bucky, removing your hand from his shoulder and walking a head of you.

#bucky barnes x plus size reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes smut #bucky imagine #bucky barns fanfiction #bucky barns x you #bucky barnes x y/n #TFATWS #sam wilson #baron zemo #baron zemo x reader #zemo x reader #zemo x plus size reader #john walker #lemar hoskins

[drstrangefictions]

One-Shot

Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Word Count: 3,832

Spoilers: Absolutely none

Warnings: Water Balloon warzone, 0 survivors. Bucky has like 2 seconds of fun after complaining about everything the entire fic. Reader has like 4 seconds of complaining about how bad relationships are lmfao. Based on actual conversations I have had with people because it’s more interesting than writing flat dialogue. It needs spice. So I just went wild with it. I WROTE THIS BEFORE F&TWS EVER BECAME A THING AND IT’S BEEN IN DRAFTS THIS WHOLE TIME AND I KEPT MEANING TO POST IT ON THE FOURTH OF JULY LMAO.

AO3: LINK

He remembered her face, not as clearly as he would have liked to.

He had met her before, two times before Steve happened to be exact. Both times were his days as the Winter Soldier. He remembered her being very cold the first time they met. It was almost like everything froze over around her. Like he was back in the icy ravine. She was clearly in charge of the team of agents that surrounded him. Looking back, she looked as though she came directly from The Matrix series. She even seemed to be as precise as the choreographed fight scenes in that series. He could’ve sworn she was much worse than H.Y.D.R.A when she let her team die at his hands. She treated it as though it was a game.

Little did he know at the time, aside from the fact that she was well aware of the Winter Soldier and his existence, she was merely testing him and feeding the information to her superiors. That team of agents she led were nothing more than LMD units, created specifically to make people like him think they were real agents.

He remembered how terrifying it was to see that instead of protecting herself and her passenger, she spun her car around and drove backwards to keep an eye on him as he was trying to run her off the road to apprehend his target the second time they met. She ran herself off the road on purpose right in front of him. Right after that failure, he was brought in to be wiped and he didn’t run into her again until Steve called her for help.

He remembered sitting away from her and Sam as they talked, seeing her with her guard down for the first time after he was taken in by Steve and Sam. She had her hands on her knees and she was laughing at something Sam told her. She snorted, only to pause and laugh harder until she was sitting on the ground, laughing. Sam was trying to stop laughing as they were in a serious situation.

“Alright, alright. Play time is over.” Steve said to her and Sam.

“Over my dead body.” She used Steve to stand back up and proceeded to pretend like she wasn’t just dying with Sam. Sam patted her back just a bit too hard, with a grin on his face. They weren’t finished laughing, but they had to be…

“Put this on the table for me, Buck.” Sam said to him, pulling him back into reality.

They were in someone’s backyard, Sam insisted on barbeque for the occasion. Everyone brought and prepared sides or desserts so the entire meal wasn’t just left on Sam. Morgan was squealing from the other end of the yard. She was playing with the water balloons in a very intense game of getting soaked by popping it on herself rather than all over her target. Clint and his kids were part of her very intense game while also actually hitting each other with the balloons. Peter, Pepper, and May started playing hot potato with the smaller water balloons to see how long they could make it last. The longest was 14 tosses before it burst in Peter’s grasp. Steve, now older, was sitting near the table in the shade, just enjoying that everyone could be together for the occasion, including himself.

Bucky set the plate down on the table next to everything that Stephen had already begun setting out. Bucky was physically there at the party; he just didn’t really feel like he was there mentally. He kept getting lost in his thoughts unintentionally. He couldn’t get her off his mind lately. “Fourth of July.” He said to himself. That was the cause of celebration, along with Steve’s birthday, except he insisted on just celebrating the Fourth of July. They all had cake as their lunch for him, which he gladly accepted.

Bucky turned around to face the yard again. He spotted her towards the back with Morgan, Clint, and his kids. The way she bent down to grab more water balloons was quick and fluid, even when she turned around to hit Pepper, she didn’t stutter. It seemed as though she used to play something like baseball or softball in her lifetime. She scrunched her nose and smiled wide, knowing now that Pepper had no choice but to join in and had to get close to her. Morgan tried to drag the bucket towards her but is stopped when Pepper and May pick it up and dump it.

She walked towards the house, completely soaked. She had never been happier to have worn a bathing suit and have decided to spend the night anywhere but her own home tonight, that meant she had extra clothes for this very reason. Her brain can’t seem to decide whether she wanted to look shocked or if she wanted to smile at what just happened. Both are apparent on her face with her teeth just resting on her lower lip. The corners of her mouth upturned, and her nose was less scrunched than before. Her eyes hold most of the shock, it’s a miracle Bucky can even see her eyes at the moment. Bucky moved out of the way of the cooler, assuming that’s why she came over. She grabbed a beer out of it and popped the cap off using the strategically placed bottle opener.

“You joining us when we reload?” She looked up at him, her expression didn’t change much. The look in her eyes was different. She looked at him, expecting him to actually join in on the fun after they sit down and eat.

He moved some of the wet hair clinging to her face. When his fingers graze her skin, he realized how touch starved he really is. “As long as that doesn’t happen to me.” He smiled at her a little more lovingly than he planned. What he would give to just go for it right now.

“Can’t really promise that one.” She shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head to the side. She suddenly looked as though she were studying him, the last time she did that, they had just been brought back from being dust. “Are you alright?”

He looked around avoidantly, not really sure how to even begin and certainly not sure how to tell her. He watched Peter chase Morgan around a tree and Clint start filling the water guns that everyone had forgotten about. He heard Sam, Steve, and Bruce chatter behind him now that he was really listening to everything. He glanced over at the sliding screen door when Wanda came outside with sangria.

“Thank you for the sangria recipe.” Wanda placed the pitcher on the table and quickly went to close the screen door behind Stephen.

“Yeah… I’m good…” His voice trailed off. He slowly looked back at her. Something changed in her expression when he spoke. She was no longer smiling or studying him, and she looked more worried. Bucky blinked a few times, thinking maybe he was starting to see what he wanted to see instead of what was real. Nothing changed.

She gripped his arm with her free hand. “You are not.” She stood unreasonably close and was as equally as touched starved as Bucky was.

“Are you coming back anytime soon?” Clint called to her.

She turned towards him, still gripping Bucky’s arm. “After we eat, maybe, yeah. Take Wanda as my replacement for now.” She mouthed ‘sorry’ as Wanda walked by. It was an unnecessary apology as Wanda was going to join in on the fun now that she was done with being in the kitchen. She turned her attention back to Bucky. “I’m not a mind reader, I’m also not a Steve. You tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours when you’re ready.”

He nodded. She was right about two things. She isn’t a mind reader (or a Steve) and that his head is indeed pretty. Although for a time, Bucky was convinced she was a mind reader until Sam debunked that whole theory by making her slip up. “You’ll be the first person I come to.” He told her, and he meant it. He wanted her to be the first one to know why he was somewhere else mentally.

Somewhere between telling her that she’d be the first to know and thinking about it, he lost time again. He was only brought back into the real world when she handed him a paper plate and took the empty beer bottle from him and switched it with a new one that she had opened for him. “Thank you.” He managed to say. He sat in the last chair, sandwiched between Wanda and Bruce. An odd place for him to sit, but because the world moved without him, he didn’t really have a choice.

He noticed that she was slowly picking out all of the things she didn’t like out of the pasta salad and putting them on Sam’s plate. Sam just watched with immeasurable disappointment because she was the one that made the pasta salad. He noticed how Steve was encouraging her to make sure Sam was the one to get all the things she didn’t like. Bucky liked the sight of those three clowns on the other end of the table. One old man that he practically knew his entire life. There was always something with that one, he just didn’t know how or when to stop fighting. His heart was usually in the right place though. One younger man, terrible friend really. Not at all funny. And then the girl he fell in love with.

He nearly choked on his food. Luckily, he was one of the last ones at the table still. Just him and…

“If you choke and die, at least try to die in the neighbor’s yard.” She may have cracked a joke, but Bucky randomly choking was a little concerning to her.

…her.

“I’ll see if I can get over there by the time I die.” He chuckled to play it off.

She slowly leaned back in the chair, relaxing now that he wasn’t choking. “Something must really be bothering you. I don’t like to pry but…” She stopped. The face she was making made it clear that she felt like she had no other choice but to pry before the firework show she was in charge of. She was worried, he had been like this all day. As much as she would like to go back out and instigate an all-out war, Bucky was a little more important.

“I’m fine. Just been thinking a lot.” He was being pretty honest. He was thinking and he was doing a lot of it.

“It’s taking everything in me not to make a very bad joke right now. I’m going to need you to be a little more… not vague or I will sit next to you.” She gave him a smile. Neither of them would actually mind sitting closer to each other.

He looked down at the table, disappointed in her response yet he still expected worse to come out of her. “Is that supposed to be a threat?” He looked back up at her, assuming that was the most appropriate response. He rested his arm on the table.

“Maybe.” She mimicked the way he sat and looked at him expectantly.

Bucky inhaled sharply and looked back out towards the yard. “It’s strange to think that I was once the bad guy and now I’m here.” He still didn’t really feel like he belonged there, at least not yet. He knew he had plenty of time to redeem himself, if need be. The last few months had been nothing but a blur to him and most everyone else.

“Well in your defense, you were the worst bad guy I have ever punched.” She took a sip of her beer, eyeing Bucky. She never actually thought of him as inherently bad, turns out she was right once Steve figured out who he was. She didn’t try to hide her emphasis on ‘worst’, she wanted him to be aware of her thoughts on the surface level at least. “You were terrible at it.”

“I appreciate the honesty there.” Bucky turned his gaze back to her. He almost didn’t want to be serious, but he felt like he couldn’t stop himself now that he started. “I have a question.”

She sat up and looked like she was caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing. “I swear I didn’t do it.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “I – what, no. What? Y’know what, I don’t even want to know right now.” He was curious but not curious enough to actually ask her about her reaction anytime soon.

She looked relieved. “Continue.”

He watched her settle in her chair. She stared at him; she wasn’t typically one to stare. When she did it was a sign that she had stopped listening to you a long time ago and she had zoned out. She had the tendency to nod every few seconds during those times. This stare felt different, like she was actually watching and listening to him.

“Have you ever felt something that you probably shouldn’t?” Bucky tried his best to word the question for her to give him a clear answer.

She shifted her eyes away from him and opened her mouth to speak. She closed her mouth and leaned forward. She was really thinking about it, the gears in her brain were turning. “I can’t say that I know. I’ve made mistakes when I was younger, and I regret feeling some feelings, but I have never felt something that I shouldn’t have.” She got up and moved to a seat next to Bucky. “I’m not really following.”

“Funny you say that I was starting to think you did follow me.” Bucky tried to keep a straight face. His lips twitched upwards; he knew that his own joke was terrible enough to make her laugh. The real humor was in being completely serious when saying it, she laughed uncontrollably every time.

“Boo, bad joke. Terrible quality.” She gave him two thumbs down while grinning. She struggled not to laugh. She gave herself a moment to do so as Bucky made the effort to amuse them both.

He pushed her hands away from his face and onto the table. “You’re not a comedian either.”

“What? I’m hilarious.” She looked at him both amused and offended by his comment. “No, no! Back up, go back to your question to me. I would like to understand something for once in my life.”

Bucky nodded his head slightly. “I don’t want to keep you away from the fun for too long, so I’ll make this quick.” He took his hand away from hers. “I’ve just been thinking about someone all day today. She’s been having such a great time, as she has been more recently. It’s just nice to see her so… truly relaxed for the first time. I just feel like maybe it’s not right to feel like this about her because of who I am and what I did.”

“I really wanted to give you a serious response first, but I can’t. Before you specified gender, I thought you were going to tell me you thought about Steve being old and it made you sad.” She covered her mouth to hide the fact that she didn’t want to laugh. She took a moment to compose herself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Okay, I’m good.”

Bucky just watched her. She moved so much in the last few seconds that he concluded she was uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be in such a serious conversation with him, but she was making herself sit through it because it was pretty important to him.

She took one final deep breath and put her hand on Bucky’s wrist. “I’m not going to guess who she is because if you know me, you know that I’m a figment of everyone’s imagination, so I know all anyway. But… look, Bucky, if you really feel this away about her, it can’t hurt you to try or something.”

“Or something.” Bucky interrupted her. Her word choice was awful.

She shrugged. “It’s ‘try’ or I quote Star Wars for the rest of the day.”

References, always with the references. He thought it was a hobby of hers. The amount of times Bucky had caught her tossing a comic book across a room or hurriedly changing the TV station from something she likes to something everyone else likes more times than he’d like to admit. It’s almost like she’s embarrassed of how many times she rereads and re-watches things over and over again when she isn’t on the field.

“You can quote the entire series later and The Hobbit while you’re at it.” Bucky took a sip of the beer he forgot he had. It was now on the warm side. Not exactly disgusting, but not pleasant either.

She nodded. “Bucky, all jokes and quotes aside… you can’t hold yourself back from anything. I have no doubt that you are suffering, probably a lot more than what I’m thinking. You can’t just, I don’t know, say it’s bad to feel something because of the past. I’m your friend and I don’t want to see you hurt yourself over this. You’re not a bad guy and you never have been.”

“Look at it this way then,” he began, “Would you date someone that tried to kill you?” He watched her and waited for her reaction. He didn’t want that to come out the way it did.

“Jokes on you, I’m into that shit.” She told him without thinking.

Bucky looked at her, horrified. “I’m sorry, what?”

She brought her hands to her face. “I am so sorry, that was awful. That just kind of came out, I am in fact not into that. That was embarrassing. That question made me nervous, and I just said that. I am so sorry you had to hear that. Look, I would date you because you’re not who that was, y’know? That sounded bad too.” She stopped herself there, she would ramble and continue to sound worse and worse if she allowed herself to continue.

Bucky was between still horrified and amused. He chuckled to himself, fully realizing he was lucky to have fallen for such a weird person rather than the cold and calculating S.H.I.E.L.D agent that she pretended to be on the field. She hid her face in her hands, but she was laughing at herself. He could have sworn she snorted due to laughing so hard out of embarrassment.

“Are you okay?” He asked, still chuckling along with her. He felt bad for starting to laugh, but it was still much needed, and her laugh was infectious.

She nodded into her hands. “Yeah… just don’t tell anyone about how dumb I am. I’m just horrified. I’m not some Matrix person, I didn’t walk straight out of the movies, I’m just dumb.”

Bucky stopped laughing. “Wait, you heard that conversation I had with Steve? And remembered that I said that about you?”

She took her head out of her hands and looked over at him. “Was I not supposed to have heard that? I mean you did say it a pretty long time ago… back when we kind of all fought over you and the Accords. Was I really not supposed to have heard that?”

Bucky shook his head. He never intended for her to hear that. “But am I ever glad that I was wrong about you…”

She started to laugh again. “Ah, jeez, don’t tell me… the feeling is mutual, and we are very stupid.” She felt a little nervous about the whole situation but loved the way it turned out.

“I’m going to be honest with you, that’s probably it.” Bucky smiled at her, for a moment before today he considered the possibility that she felt the same but wasn’t sure. “Are you sure you’re not into –.”

“Well, I probably would be if I didn’t have a crippling fear of relationships. My generation is kind of terrible, or I’m just bad at finding good people. I always get stuck with the bad ones.” She finished off her beer and stared at the bottle with a sad expression. “It has been a good few years. Nat used to nag me the way she nagged Steve about the relationship thing.”

Bucky was almost tempted to tell her she doesn’t have to be in a relationship with him if she was afraid to be in one, but he opted not to say anything about it until he knew for sure where she was going with this.

“That’s kind of why I regret feeling some feelings. Not a lot of things went my way in a relationship. Kind of turned into an asshole in the end. The Avengers, and I guess some credit to S.H.I.E.L.D, really threw me. Kind of started to be me again, I was always an asshole though, I’m just not as… terrible of a person.” She stood up. Wincing at the scraping of the chair on the concrete.

Bucky looked up at her, admiring the way the sunset created a beautiful background for her. “Happy is a good look for you.”

“Thanks, I was afraid it wasn’t.” She smiled brightly. “It’s a good look for you too, but not as good as actually going out there and getting the shit beat out of you with water balloons before I blow myself up with fireworks.” She extended her hand to him. She wasn’t asking him to join in on the fun. She was demanding it.

He grabbed her hand and was immediately pulled out of the chair. He almost didn’t want to let go of her hand, but he knew that he must. They were about to walk into a very wet and muddy war.

“Just a question before all of that happens, but are you free next Friday?” He asked, taking anything that shouldn’t get wet out of his pockets.

“I’m American, I’m always free.” She said. She planned this response for virtually anyone years ago. She was ecstatic to finally be able to use it.

Bucky sighed. “For a date.”

“I definitely knew that’s why you were asking. I am, yes. I am free next Friday at literally any time. All day. We should go watch a movie and have dinner. Are there any good movies out? Wait, you wouldn’t know.” She spoke a little faster than she had been. “I NEED TO RESTORE MY HONOR!” She yelled as soon as she entered the water balloon warzone.

Bucky ran in to grab as many water balloons as he could hold and throw. He was pelted almost instantaneously by everyone who had a water balloon in hand. “Watch the face!”

#james buchanan barnes #james barnes #Bucky Barnes #james buchanan barnes x reader #james barnes x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #james buchanan barnes x female reader #james barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky x female reader #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #mcu x reader #mcu x female reader #marvel cinematic universe x reader #marvel cinematic universe x female reader #the winter soldier #the winter soldier x reader #the winter soldier x female reader #mcu fanfiction #marvel cinematic universe fanfiction #the winter soldier fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfiction #oneshot #one shot #one-shot

[serene-victory-77]

Sweets Soothe The Heart

Hey, this is my piece for the Grishaverse Reverse Mini Bang 2021, organized of course by @grishaversebigbang! 

I worked with @ciph3rrr, who came up with the idea of exploring a sweet-loving Kaz, and you can see her artwork here on Tumblr or here on Instagram!

Summary: A new hideout entails finding a little comfort and learning more about each other. But it can also highlight how certain parts of other people's lives are still a mystery. Inej goes on a perhaps silly, but genuine, quest to find out what Kaz likes to eat.

Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32941690

Fic Under Cut:

When they’d first taken on the new hideout, they’d quickly rolled up their sleeves to make it more habitable, something to enjoy rather than just tolerate. It had been a joint effort (well, Kaz said his contribution was finding the place) to make the series of underground tunnels and rooms nice, but they made it work.

Even freelance robbers needed those little homely touches.

Nina specifically had made it her business to find everyone’s comfort food and fill their “cabinets” (it was crates stacked on each other with the open side facing forward, like large cubbies), going out to find candies, pastries, quick meals, anything to make it feel more like well-off college students rather than a den of thieves lying low.

That made Inej think, because all of them had some comfort food, right? The obvious was waffles, but they all had their individual favorites.

Nearly, that is. They all scratched their heads when it came to Kaz. 

Before the new hideout, Kaz hardly even ate in front of them, never mind indulged in sweets. Whenever they ordered food, he’d ask to get whatever Inej or Jesper ordered, and he never complained. Inej was sure her blueberry waffles weren’t his thing though.

He only drank coffee, hard alcohol, or water. He never seemed to savor or favor any food.

Nina had given up on bothering Kaz, but it stuck with Inej.

She was with him all the time. If anyone would know what Kaz’s favorite food was, it was her, right? But she was just as lost as everyone.

What did Kaz like to eat?

She started watching him whenever food was involved, trying to pick up on his tells. The first time it worked was when Nina said he couldn’t order water from a diner and decided to get him whatever Inej ordered. She picked a chocolate milkshake, and she swore he perked up just a bit.

Inej tried other cold sweets, but nothing caught his attention until Nina said she was getting them all ice cream. Inej was going to ask for a scoop of chocolate, noticed Kaz’s interest pique again because he’d once again chosen to get whatever she was, and got Kerch chocolate and chocolate with brownies.

Later, before anyone had finished their cup, she noticed Kaz had already set his aside, the ice cream gone.

Nina asked her to phone in the waffles that night because she had to help Mathias. Inej considered what she was about to do and figured that they were all eating separately, so it should be fine. 

Kaz opened the box and raised a brow. “This isn’t your usual order?”

“You don’t mind, do you?”

Kaz shrugged, but when Inej looked up 10 minutes later, the chocolate chip waffles she’d gotten him were nearly gone. It was surprising, because Kaz usually only ate half his food or forgot it for hours. She smiled.

There were a lot more chocolate treats in the house now, but they kept disappearing. Everyone but Kaz, who never participated in food talk, swore up and down it wasn’t them, but Inej knew. 

Kaz’s favorite thing to eat was chocolate, sweet as can be.

Jesper noticed Inej’s efforts and talked to her about it when the weather turned chilly. He was amused by Kaz’s leanings, but struck gold when he paused and said, “Inej, do you think he’d like hot chocolate?”

Jesper was a genius.

When protection against the cold was put in place and they had wood stoves aplenty, everyone enjoyed the newfound coziness.

“Kaz,” Inej called out near a stove in the kitchen area. “Come here!”

A few seconds later he was in the room, wearing one of the large gray pullovers she and Nina had bought. His limp had been better since they fixed the heating.

“What?” he asked, coming to stand next to her.

“Help me make hot chocolate. Keep an eye on the pot so it doesn’t bubble over,”

He blinked in a manner she could only describe as vaguely doe-eyed and she mentally thanked Jesper. “We have hot chocolate?”

She nodded, smiling up at him, and he turned his face away a bit, a smile playing on his lips.

The relocation had done a lot for her and Kaz, simply because he was a lot more relaxed. Guarded still, but with a new sense of domesticity. It helped that he basically let her do whatever she wanted, even in his space.

Plus he had definitely noticed her trying to make eating actually enjoyable and was trying to be helpful about it. He asked her how she was every morning, and if there was anything she requested or mildly implied was wrong, he’d acquire it or fix whatever she needed. It was nice.

Inej set out the ingredients and toppings as the milk heated, which he kept an eye on. She handed him the chocolate to add as he saw fit, and immediately half the bar was in the pot.

He noticed the whipped cream and his expression lit up. “We have whip cream?”

“You like it?” she asked.

There was a small pause before he nodded. “It was always my favorite, hot chocolate with whip cream.

Finally, an admission.

“That sounds nice,” Inej said. “So you’ll have yours with whip cream. We have large mugs, you’ll be able to put a lot on top,”

Kaz hummed. “How do you take your hot chocolate?”

“I like adding cinnamon,”

He chuckled. “You love cinnamon,”

“What do you mean?”

“You get cinnamon in everything. Cinnamon rolls, churros, in your coffee, you add it to the batter when you make pancakes,” Kaz said, stirring as she added sugar to the pot. “Like how you add extra pepper to everything,”

She didn’t hide her smile. “Paying attention?”

“It’s only fair,”

“I suppose,” she said, softly knocking against his arm. He didn’t move away, just glanced at her, mildly amused.

Later, to check the taste, she brought a small spoonful to Kaz’s mouth. He obliged her, albeit surprised. His eyes lit up in a way he couldn’t hide at the taste. It was officially Kaz Brekker Approved.

When the toppings were set in the den for everyone to pick from, the giant mountain of whip cream already on Kaz’s mug didn’t go unnoticed. Matthias raised a confused brow but slowly pushed the whip cream bottle closer to Kaz, to everyone’s amusement.

Wylan mostly just appreciated that Kaz managed to get the mountain so tall.

Kaz seemed to be paying Inej back in his own way, like buying her two new knives and making an effort to get the food he liked himself so she was no longer organizing it as much. In addition, if she asked him to accompany her out, he’d nod, fix them up with warm drinks to take with them, and head out alongside her. She appreciated it.

She’d read once that sweets soothe the heart. Apparently, sweets soothed Kaz’s prickly temper and made him more amicable to suggestions. 

They were walking around the town after finishing casing an art gallery when she spotted a notice on a newly opened cafe. Kaz paused when he realized she wasn’t matching his step because she’d taken out her phone to take a picture of the information that had caught her eye.

“What was that about?” he asked as she caught up.

“Oh, I just saw something Nina might know about. I go to her with questions about food usually,” Inej explained.

Kaz seemed fine with that and they went on their way.

The owners of this establishment, Harrie and Mert Stokker, are certified winners in the National Kerch Baking Competition. Particularly renowned are their pies, their brownies, and their Triple Chocolate Threat cake.

At first, she didn't know what to do with the information. It would have been simple to just buy some pastries and take them to the bunker, but she wanted to do more.

But what?

Then Kaz said that a nice Suli restaurant had opened a town over, which was a shock, and asked if she wanted to eat there with him. She’d agreed, overjoyed at the rare opportunity, and he’d reserved them a table.

Then it clicked. But how could she reserve a cafe? Especially at a newly opened one with famous owners when they were supposed to be laying low?

The next morning she was at the cake asking Mr. and Mr.s Stokker for a favor.

“I tend not to complain about early starts,” Kaz started, blinking up at the still gray skies. “But it’s freezing, and you don’t usually head out this early. Is something wrong?”

She shook her head, and her scarf slipped. Kaz paused to adjust it over her mouth and nose again, and she smiled although he couldn’t see it. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise,”

He raised a brow but trusted her as she led them down the quaint street.

When they reached the cafe, Inej knocked on the door.

A few seconds later it opened, and they were ushered in by Mrs. Stokker.

“Hello!” She greeted cheerfully. “You must be Asha’s companion. Mikka, was it? I’m Harrie Stokker, and this is my husband, Mert,”

Kaz glanced at Inej, noting the fake names she’d given. 

He smiled all the same and shook their hands, his gloved. “Yes, it’s Mikka. It’s a pleasure to meet you, but I don’t know why I’m here,”

The Stokkers smiled and nodded at Inej to explain.

“Nearly two months ago I noticed this place was opening and when I saw the information, it said they had really good chocolate cake,” Inej explained. “We’re busy and you don’t like crowds, and there was no way this place wasn’t going to be full every day. I wanted you to be able to eat here though, so I stopped by and did a few favors for them, and they agreed to let us come in extra early this morning, and even push back their opening hours today,”

Kaz turned from the Stokkers to her, incredulous. “Two months? I should have noticed,”

“It was always early, so you’d have just headed to bed. And it was only a few days overall,” she explained.

Kaz shook his head slowly. “In—Asha. You didn’t have to,”

Inej sighed. “You’ve only recently started eating things that are actually good, and your favorite is chocolate. They Stokkers are incredible bakers, and this seemed like a great opportunity,”

“Asha said that you’ve hardly eaten anything sweet in years,” Mr. Stokker shook his head. “And that you’ve never had much of a chance to eat good baking before. It was a shame, so we agreed to this. We’re hoping we can rekindle your love for eating. Chocolate is the best for mood and temper, and any baker with a heart will tell you that cake is a way of life. We had to help,”

Kaz was clearly trying to keep a straight face, and Inej could relate. The Stokkers talked about baking like it was their religion, passionate and oddly deep.

They’re given a table by a window that caught the first few rays of pale sunlight, and they shed their extra layers in the comfort of the warm cafe.

“You somehow managed to get an empty cafe,” Kaz noted, impressed. “Have I ever told you that you’re a wonder?”

“A few times, but it’s nice to hear,” Inej smiled. “They have drinks too. I’ve heard their hot chocolate is amazing,”

Kaz smiled, then leaned back in his chair. “Tell me, why are you so determined? It’s kind, but you truly didn’t have to.

Inej fidgeted but her sleeve. “At first I just wanted you to participate in the comfort food thing. Then I was confused, because I’ve known you for years, and somehow I didn’t know what you liked to eat? I had hunches, but nothing concrete. Then I noticed you liked chocolate and sweets, and I thought, alright, this works. I was happy that you actually seemed to enjoy eating, rather than just doing it because you have to,” she admitted. “Plus, you light up when you have chocolate,”

“I do not,”

“You do,”

Kaz crossed his arms, but there was no bite in the action. He tried to stay straight-faced, but Inej had always been good at making him smile.

After a moment, she added, “And you’re a lot less snappy after you’ve had chocolate,”

Kaz rolled his eyes but knew she was right.

“I didn’t think it needed to change,” he said. “But you were right when you said it wasn’t going to make me less prepared in the future to relax and participate. And…”

“Hm?”

He shrugged, a tad defensive. “You’re happier, whenever I participate. So it’s worth it for that,”

She’s saved from having to react with anything more than a blush by Mrs. Stokker setting down their drinks, which Inej had specified the day before. Of course, Kaz got a large mug of hot chocolate with whip cream.

Inej’s own mug had cinnamon and she enjoyed the smell as she watched Kaz use a spoon to drink his because he didn’t want to ruin the whipped cream too quickly.

A few minutes later they had actual breakfast food to Kaz’s confusion.

“Before sweets, normal food,” Inej said, relieved that Kaz easily ate the bagel with cream cheese and chopped up melon with ease as she’d expected.

The sunrise had truly begun then, and he was bathed in warm light by the time they got to the cake.

It really was chocolate on more chocolate, and Kaz looked startled by it. Still, he took off the pointed edge of the large slice and tried it.

A few seconds later he put the fork down.

“I think I’m kicking out Matthias and replacing him with this cake,” he said mildly. “You asked if I had a god. This is it. I believe in this cake,”

Of course, Kaz would turn his shock into snark.

Still, she was happy.

“Have you tried it?” Kaz asked.

“No,” Inej admitted. “I wanted to wait until you did,”

Kaz urged her to eat her slice.

She tried a bite.

It was perfect. Not heavy, nor too light, strong but not overbearing. It left her wanting to take another bite immediately, and she did, marveling at Kaz’s restraint

“It’s so good,” Inej said, swallowing. “Saints. Nina’s going to kill us for not sharing,”

“At least we ate it before dying,” Kaz said, finally continuing to eat. “You two wanted to know my favorite food? This. Everything should just be this,”

He seemed proud when Inej laughed.

The rest of the time was relatively calm.

Maybe it had been silly for her to fixate on finding food Kaz liked, but finding herself on what was essentially a breakfast date with Kaz made it hard to regret. Plus, she’d learned that Kaz paid attention to her likes as well. And she wouldn’t give back the hours they’d spent eating dinner in his room alone, either.

He had a small, happy smile as he ate. When he looked up at her, the warmth in his coffee eyes startled her.

She sat back and basked in it.

#grishaverse reverse mini bang 2021 #grmb2021 #Kanej #Kanej Fic #my crows #Kaz Brekker #Inej Ghafa #kanej modern au #Kanej AU #reverse mini bang #Six of Crows #Six of Crows Fic #There's also a long 6.5k version that I wrote as the first draft if anyone is interested in that? #It explores the hideout #And has more conversations overall

[imgoingtocrash]

Made of Iron, Born of Fire: The Fanmix 

by @imgoingtocrash

Listen on Spotify and 8tracks

Read the series on Ao3

AKA: A labor of love for @savvysass’s birthday!!!!

What can I say that hasn’t already been said because we’re both incredibly sappy people in our Author’s Notes? Writing this series with you has brought me so much joy in the last two years, and I never could have hit over 100k words without you. Here’s to whatever we write next in the series...and all of the WIPs we’re working on right now...and only god knows what’s next for us personally and professionally...and most importantly, to you on your Birthday. Thank you for being such a good friend, in both fandom and outside of it. I’m so, so thankful to know you and love you. 🥰

Director’s Cut Below, because we all know I love talking about this series, and yes, that does extend to why I picked these songs. (And also maybe because these song choices only make sense in my brain and hopefully Savannah’s?? Who knows! Feel free to ask questions if you want but let’s be honest this series and fanmix are most importantly for us, because we love the series so dang much.)

My Wildest Dreams by Ron Pope

I spoke in riddles and in rhymes, but my time with you has taught me to simplify, you’re not quite what I pictured you would be, you’re better than my wildest dreams.

We’ve talked about this one before, and I’LL TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN!!!! Ron Pope is so good imo, and this song wowowow the father-child feels, but especially with Tony and newborn Peter a la A Foreign Feeling and A First Time For Everything.

Big & Scared by Raleigh Ritchie

I want to be better for you, let me do that now, you’re my favorite human, so you should be prepared, I’ll help you get through it, when you’re big and scared

We’ve mentioned Tony’s thoughts about legacy multiple times by now, and I think this song really represents Tony looking forward to the person Peter could be become and that “breaking the cycle” mentality of supporting Peter even when he’s not a perfect father.

Legacy of Sadness by Ron Pope

irrational as it may seem I guess I’m sorry, even though I know that none of it’s my fault, it is easier for me to count my blessings, than to cry for every single thing we’ve lost

I have 0 shame putting these two songs by Ron Pope almost back to back because they’re the opening and closing of an album dedicated to his child like...it’s so perfect for Tony and this theme of reflection on who he is and who Peter will become/is becoming and all that entails.

this is me trying by Taylor Swift

They told me all of my cages were mental, so I got wasted like all my potential, and my words shoot to kill when I'm mad, I have a lot of regrets about that

I wrote something...very sad but also soft recently??? and this is for That it’s about pre-CW Pepperony being separated and the road to them trying to come back together including Tony working on himself and I love it!!! It hurts really good!!! This whole song is perfect for it and I can’t wait until people get to read it.

Be Good When I’m Gone by Four Year Strong

I'm sorry I can't stop to listen, but I've got so much to do and I've got some place to be, the house looks like the aftermath of a hurricane, I hope it stays that way

Tony being a busy parent but doing his best to make time for Peter in his life and making that time count has been something super important to illustrate to us, especially the transition from being a CEO to being a superhero and how that changes how Peter sees Tony’s absence over time.

I Won’t Back Down by Johnnyswim, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, and Penny and Sparrow

Tony puts on the original version by Tom Petty in Home Is Where The Heart Is, but I think this cover has a very slow, emotional undertone that’s really great too. The interludes, if you didn’t catch it, have all been featured in a fic previously.

Let It Matter by Johnnyswim

So if it matters let it matter, if your heart's breaking let it ache, catch those pieces as they scatter, know your hurt is not in vain

Pepper in Never Tell Me The Odds ALL DAYYYYY. She’s the emotional rock of that fic (and of our Ironfam TBH) and it’s all because she allows herself to feel her feelings and encourages the Stark boys to do so as well.

Simmer - Acoustic by Hayley Williams

And if my child, needed protection, from a fucker like that man, I’d sooner gut him, cause nothing cuts like a mother

Post-Home Is Where The Heart Is...y’all know Pepper’s not that mad about what happened to Obie. Also just Pepper when someone hurts her family?? I always write it as her sort of putting all of her emotion into something she can control and doing it well, so, this song is all about that.

Tightrope by Nia Hendricks

one step after another, keep holding on to each other, don’t look back, move on and let go, that’s how you walk on a tightrope

Pepperony trying to navigate their relationship and the insanity of superhero stuff and also co-parenting. It’s all excellent, I love them so much, I enjoy writing it so much!!!!

Dancing With Your Ghost by Sasha Sloan

Never got the chance, to say a last goodbye, I gotta move on, but it hurts to try, how do I love, how do I love again?

This song is tilted towards romance, but if you’ll remember, we’re a Pro-Tony Survives Endgame AU series, so it’s not about THAT...but well...Infinity War sure will hit something fierce for certain non-romantic relationships in this series, huh?

The Bones by Maren Morris

Call it dumb luck, but baby, you and I, can't even mess it up, although we both try, no, it don't always go the way we planned it, but the wolves came and went and we're still standing

Post-Endgame Ironfam!!! Tony and Pepper married with their kids, their family and HAPPY...THIS IS WHY WE DO ALL OF THE ANGST...FOR A FAMILY...WE LOVE THEM

Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas

Considered Pepper and Peter’s ‘song’, as it’s referenced multiple times in the series, and was one of the bigger solidifying moments of their mother-son relationship as a whole.

Mundane by Hardcastle

And I’ve been sinking into silence, dwelling on my thoughts, and in these months, I haven’t felt that most conversations have left me anything but blue

Peter’s selective mutism was something very special to us when we originally had the idea, and making sure we talk about it and utilize it in the right way is something we’re still working on, particularly with the Therapy Fic we’re brainstorming atm.

survivin’ (One Eyed Jack’s Session) by Bastille

What can I say? I'm survivin', crawling out these sheets to see another day, what can I say? I'm survivin', and I'm gonna be fine, I'm gonna be fine, I think I'll be fine

Spoiler Alert: Peter’s not fine, like, a decent amount of the time. But he’s sure trying, and we love him for that.

Jacob from the Bible by Jake Wesley Rogers

Mama, don't worry, it took me years, to say I'm sorry, to see your tears, Mama, forgive me, I grew up too fast, but it's not on you, it's in the past

Mostly part of Peter growing up to become a hero and realizing what his parents--particularly Pepper--have gone through for him to become the person he is today, but that sometimes he still doesn’t feel like he’s making them proud enough.

Compassion Is a German Word by To Kill A King

Don't be so arrogant, you ain't no different to anyone I've met, we're all the heroes in our own film, or maybe the villain in someone else's

Spider-Man being an excellent superhero boi!!! Being kind and good!!! We love it!! Also, I put a TKAK song on...a LOT of my playlists, because I think they’re great.

brutal by Olivia Rodrigo

And I'm so sick of seventeen, where's my fucking teenage dream?, if someone tells me one more time, "Enjoy your youth", I'm gonna cry

I mean...this song is such a Teenage Mood...I had to do it...

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning by Frank Sinatra

So, I had this cute little scene in my head that went with this song for SO LONG but there wasn’t really anything for it to fit into so...yeah that’s part 2 of Savannah’s Birthday Gift, a little soft Baby Peter drabble. Fluffy Goop from top to bottom. That can be read here.

Home by Phillip Phillips

Just know you're not alone, 'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home

...I know it’s not original, okay? It’s found family, it’s great, I don’t care!

Comes and Goes (In Waves) by Greg Laswell

And this part was for her, and this part was for her, this part was for her, does she remember?

This song is good family angst in general BUT these specific lyrics made me think of Mary and that they never forget her in their lives despite the other stuff going on (because we refuse to let them).

I Have Made Mistakes by The Oh Hellos

I have made mistakes, I continue to make them, the promises I've made, I continue to break them, and all the doubts I've faced, I continue to face them, but nothing is a waste if you learn from it

No one in the Ironfam is perfect, but they all do their best to try and grow even when they’re scared they’ll never be able to. The ups and downs are all par for the course of this series to us.

Easy Days - Demo by Bastille

Cause I don’t wanna fall back again, back into the easy days, everything was so simple then, little fires burned away

Strife is a part of life, and the family in this fic growing through their loss and struggles and moving ahead as a unit to get to a better place is super central to making the fic what it is...but it’s easy for them to remember the old days before being superheroes and wishing it was simple again.

North by Sleeping At Last

Let the years we’re here be kind, be kind, let our hearts like doors open wide, open wide, settle our bones like wood over time, over time, give us bread, give us salt, give us wine

The way Tony went from feeling so alone to having an entire built family that’s so full of love and everything he never dreamed of...*screams into my pillow* I love this series so much thank you and good night!!!

#made of iron born of fire #irondad #ironfam #fanmix #savvysass #this series just makes me burst with content i can't describe it #also doing the graphics was a fun experiment!!! #mine #mine: marvel

[metalbvcky]

*Shows up late to the Stucky/Marvel fandom Post-EG with Starbucks and dozens of fics that I’ve read in hand* So you guys like fanfiction?

Yeah so, because of quarantine I’ve been consuming a ton of fic. I’ve probably read over 1.5 million words in just a couple months. So why not share what I’ve been reading! Note that some of these are older (popular) fics so veteran Stucky peeps will probably know of them since I not too recently delved into the realm that is Stucky fanfic. :)  

Down below are over a dozen fics with different tropes, Canon/AU’s, and what not. Please do heed the tags on some of these. For the curious: My AO3 bookmarks. 

Also shoutout to @stuckylibrary, the mods over there are doing the lords work. 

Key:  ♥ = My fave, S = Smut, DS = Dom/Sub 

Heroes are Easy, People are Hard ♥ by Halbereth, Lorien - Words: 152,284 | CW Fix It, Slight Canon Divergence, Recovery, Slow Burn

Shuri and Wanda cleared Bucky's triggers shortly after Killmonger's attempted coup, and he and Steve went on the run. But it turns out there's more to "fixing Bucky's head" than "getting Hydra out of it." When a group of rogue scientists manage to neutralize the serum and make Steve very sick--pre-serum "this is bad" kind of sick--and they're cut off from contact with Wakanda, Bucky knows only one person with resources to help. He calls Tony and surrenders on the condition that Tony tries to help Steve.

From there, it's basically three variously messed-up guys’ trajectories from "This Is Fine", "Reasonably Speaking I Know It’s Fine", "I Will Be Fine With It" to actually being fine, guest-starring a far-better-adjusted teenage boy who climbs walls, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, two women with a keen sense of the absurd, and Bruce, the Zen master of “it’s fine that it’s not fine.” Add in the fact that Bucky's been secretly in love with Steve since the thirties and things only get harder. Learning to be a person is the hardest thing Bucky Barnes will ever have to do--but he's got company along the way.

Reap The Whirlwind by Cristinuke - Words: 18,221 | Canon Universe, Post CW, Domestic 

Bucky finds a cat. Or rather, a cat finds him.

Your Favorite Ghost by augustbird - Words: 21,013 |  Canon Divergence, Post TWS

It's harder than Steve ever expected to bring Bucky home.

Despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) ♥ by praximeter (Zimario) - Words: 71,532 | Canon Divergence TWS, Body Modifications 

“They really didn’t want the mask to come off.” Hill thumbed through the scans, and pulled out a film that she then handed over to Sam, face mostly expressionless but for the flat line of her pursed lips.

Sam accepted the film and held it up to the light, angling so both he and Steve could see it, squinting at the outline of the Winter Soldier’s skull, and the blips of unnatural white that showed up, God, in his brain, not to mention about half his teeth, plus the mask, with its thin protrusions—

“Those are pins,” Steve realized. He looked over at Hill. “The mask—it’s nailed to his face.”

Hill’s face was as unmoved as ever. “Like I said. They really didn’t want it coming off.”

This city bleeds its aching heart ♥ by Renne - Words: 34,537 | Canon Universe, Fake/Pretend Relationship 

The one where Steve and Bucky pose as a happily married couple while on a mission for SHIELD, to catch an international arms dealer hiding in a suburban neighbourhood.

The Best Way to Wake ♥ by LeeHan - Words: 42,293 | Post TFA, Canon Divergence TWS, Recovery 

James Buchanan Barnes lay in a glass pod in the middle of the table, frozen since he fell. Steve’s hands were on the glass before he realized he’d moved. “Wait, Captain!” “Get him out,” Steve whispered, his hands searching for a clasp, a keypad, something. “Captain, we need to keep him in stasis—“ “I said get him out!”

Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail ♥ series by owlet - Words: 264,438 | Canon Divergence (sort of) 

The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect

Undersell, overcommit by silentwalrus - Words: 10,222 | Canon Universe 

Steve goes so hard for Bucky that he becomes a licensed, practicing massage therapist.

Sparked Up Like a Book of Matches by Sena - Words: 26,734 | Post-TWS, Canon Universe 

Steve lives in Stark Tower and doesn't have much to do when he's not going after Hydra strongholds. He attends charity events to make Pepper happy. He goes hiking with Sam. He hangs out with Clint in Bed-Stuy and watches Dog Cops. Sometimes Tony gives him super alcohol in a sippy cup. Sometimes he sees Bucky out of the corner of his eye and wonders if it's real or if he's starting to lose his mind.

Alternately, the one with terrible jokes, a foot chase through the Lower East Side, and a tiny little robot named Shitcan.

Sugar Sweet ♥ from the Red Velvet series by ColorCoated - Words: 173,400 | Modern/Sugar Daddy AU, Age Difference, Slow Burn

"What's your name?" It wasn't even a line. He was just pretty and Bucky wanted a name to go with that face. With that strong jawline. With those deep blue eyes. A little smirk, "Steve."

Awww, Steve. He looked like a Steve. Bucky pursed his lips in a way he hoped was attractive, "You should buy me a drink."

College Student Bucky finds himself immediately attracted to Steve. He knows that Steve's a bit older than him, and that Steve himself is put off by the age difference. . . But that doesn't stop Bucky from wanting to climb him like a tree.

Steve and Bucky Go Away for the Weekend (and cook a lot) ♥ by E_Greer -  Words: 30,126 | Canon Universe, Domestic 

In which Steve coaxes Bucky out of the Tower for a birthday weekend away and sweet, fluffy domesticity ensues. Phlintasha helps keep Bucky calm, Steve has Opinions about how you set the table, stories are told, greenhouses are toured, baths are had, books are read, tears are shed, stars are gazed upon, and everyone makes Bucky feel loved. Includes Friday night dinner, Saturday morning breakfast, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Dona Nobis Pacem by thegraytigress - Words: 65,214 | Canon Universe, Recovery 

"This job... We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes it doesn't mean everybody, but if we can't find a way to live with that... Next time maybe nobody gets saved."

An incident on the battlefield exposes how much Steve's falling apart under the crushing weight of leading the Avengers after Sokovia. Now Bucky's adopting a new mission: save Steve before he destroys himself completely, even if it means the end of Captain America.

Give 'Em Hope ♥ by L1av - Words: 130,022 | Modern/Hospital AU, UA/Age Difference 

Dr. Steve Rogers likes to think that if his patients have hope- their chances of survival will increase. Bucky Barnes has a 20% chance of survival and a desperate yearning to experience life. Against Steve's better judgment, he develops a relationship with his patient. It's illegal. It's wrong. But it's giving Bucky the hope to keep going, so Steve's going to keep giving it, because he wants Bucky to survive. He needs him to.

You belong (to me) by hermionesmydawg - Words: 29,759 | S, DS, Canon Compliant, Post CW

"Hold on." Bucky lifted a finger and backed out of the doorway, returning a moment later with his cell phone. He snapped a photo of Steve, typed a few words, and then returned to his apple. "What the hell were you doing at a sex club last night?"

"Not having sex, if that's what you're wondering." An alert sounded from Steve's nightstand - a new Snapchat message. He rolled his eyes and unlocked his phone. Sam was always sending stupid Snapchats and frankly, Steve couldn't figure that goddamn app out and cursed whoever created that piece of shit.

The chat wasn't from Sam this time, however. It was a picture of himself, not looking guilty at all, with the caption "when your buddy catches you looking at p*rn."

Circling Back from the It’s Not Linear series by chaya - Words: 59,642 (Series Total: 136,782) | Canon Divergence

Steve looks for Bucky, Bucky finds Steve, Steve tries desperately to put Bucky back together. Bucky tries desperately to let him.

Continuing Education by 743ish, romanticalgirl - Words: 14,443 | S, Canon Universe/College, Shrunkyclunks 

Steve is invited to be a guest lecturer on the WWII unit for Bucky's college course. Bucky's more than happy to glean any extra knowledge (in more than just history) from Steve, and Steve's happy to eductate him. But then Bucky has to decide if he can handle the fact that Steve throws himself into danger, and if the sex is worth it. Or if it's not just sex anymore.

Salt & Sugar by GoldBlooded, stfustucky - Words: 19,598 | Modern/Restaurant AU

Steve Rogers is a bigshot celebrity chef in New York City, and Bucky Barnes is a classically trained pastry chef in Moscow.

When billionaire and mutual friend Natasha Romanoff calls on them to collaborate for her Memorial Day Benefit Gala, they both brace themselves to spend the week working with some jerk they're bound to hate. Except... Steve makes a burger that could bring Bucky to tears, and Bucky makes tartlets so beautiful Steve's sure they qualify as art. Maybe, just maybe, together they could make this a night to remember.

@/sgtbarnes1917 and @/cptrogers1918 by BayleyWinchester - Words: 114,203 | Canon Universe, Social Media Fic 

Bucky Barnes broke Twitter with one photo

Proprietary Information ♥ from the Additional Information series by notlucy - Words: 85,141 (Series Total: 165,871) | Modern AU, Age difference, Slow Burn

Okay, so Bucky Barnes has a crush on Steve Rogers. The guy's gorgeous, talented and, oh yeah, the Chief Design Officer of the biggest tech company in the world. In other words: he's so far out of Bucky's league that he might as well be in a different stratosphere.

Deep in the Woods (Where My Heart Has Been Waiting) by SilverMyfanwy - Words: 15,353 | Pioneer-AU, Shrinkyclinks 

Steve Rogers gets lost in the woods in a snowstorm. Bucky Barnes takes him in. Pioneer-era AU ish with Shrinkyclinks, evil chickens and a cabin in the woods.

A Bucky Odyssey by inediblesushi, thorstbench - Words: 9,952 | Shrinkyclinks,  Cap!Bucky, Nurse!Steve  

Bucky Barnes, Captain America, has a plan to make Steve Rogers, SHIELD nurse, fall in love with him. Confiding in the Internet might not be the best idea, though. So when the bad pick up lines do not work and Steve looks determined to staying single, he decides to be more himself and less what he thinks he should be.

At first I wanted to wait to post this until I finished a few more fics from my ever growing read-later list but what the heck, now or never! I’ll probably end up making a part 2 reclist by the amount of fic I’m reading these days. 

Happy reading and stay safe out there fellow Stucky trash members!!

#stucky #stucky fanfic #stucky fic rec #stucky fanfic rec #stucky fic #stucky fanfiction #stucky au #marvel fanfic #steve x bucky #my reclist #long post for ts #wow this is over a million words worth of fic + that doesnt include everything else ive read omg #the amount of talent in the destiel and stucky fandoms are insanely incredible #a total of 21 fics and at least 5 are apart of a series ... thats a lot of words

[irondadfics]

Do you have any long irondad fics you'd recommend? I really want to settle down with a good muti-chapter fic, I'd love to know your favourites!

LONG FIC REC LIST PART 2

I know some of you are stuck inside due to be quarantined right now, and I really hope each and every one of you are doing alright. Please stay inside if you can and be safe!��

To help pass the time, here’s a continuation of one of our older lists (be sure to also check out part 1 for more recs). During hard times such as this, we often turn to different forms of art for entertainment and to help us cope. BE SURE TO LET THESE WONDERFUL AUTHORS KNOW THEY ARE APPRECIATED! 

This list is organized by word count. Most of the fics listed below are complete but some are not. For example if the word count is encompassed by two asterisks it means the fic is not complete and is subject to change, but the word count is correct as of the day this list was posted. 

ENJOY LOVELIES!!

The Guardian by Emily_F6 @justme–emily (234k+)

Guardian: a person who guards, protects, or preserves. When a terrible accident claims the life of May Parker, Tony Stark steps up as Peter’s guaridan. But it’s not just a traumatized super-teen he’ll have to worry about when he recieves a transmission from Thor.

If They Knew All About You by MsHermia (*224k+*)

Tony Stark had lost his son when he was only 2 years old, stolen away in broad daylight with nobody the wiser of what exactly happened. Years later, Tony has just made it through the disaster with Ultron. He is trying to keep himself and the team together but relationships are strained and tempers are running high.Then a random turn of events leads to his path crossing with that of a particular vigilante. They are strangers to each other, or so they think.Peter Parker is on top of the world. After a few shitty years, losing his parents and then losing his Uncle, things are finally looking up. Sure he lives in a crappy little apartment with his Aunt but he might have just found his mission in life.——This is an AU story obvious by some of the tags. I’m starting out a few weeks after Age of Ultron took place. Civil War will be a thing. Other than that I’m not too concerned about sticking to every canon detail and storyline.

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle (220k+)

Homecoming A/U. Ben and May divorced before Peter’s parents died, so when Ben is murdered Peter goes into foster care. It takes just a tiny taste of superpowers for Peter to decide he doesn’t want to put up with his horrible foster father anymore—the streets are infinitely more appealing. All he wants is to be Spider-Man anyway.So he leaves.Simple.Simple, that is, until Iron Man needs Spider-Man’s help. Peter isn’t about to turn down an opportunity to fight alongside Tony Freaking Stark, but he also isn’t going to let his hero know that his recruit is a fifteen-year-old homeless dropout. So they strike a deal. Peter will help Tony. In return, the mask stays on.And that’s when things get complicated.

 Lights To Guide You Home (series) by JolinarJackson @jolinarjackson  (185k+)

Tony becomes Peter’s guardian after May dies unexpectedly and over the course of a year, they learn to become a family.

 hydra’s not a home (series) by tempestaurora @tempestaurora (139k+)

At 6 years old, the son of Tony and Pepper Stark, Peter, is kidnapped, never to be seen again. Or, so they thought. Ten years later, while raiding a HYDRA base, the Avengers come across a new, enhanced individual, working for the enemy: in black spandex, with a tendency to stick to walls and shoot webs from his wrists, the Black Spider is a pain in the ass in more ways than one.

 built from scraps by peterstank @peter-stank (138k+)

“Everybody needs someone. That’s what you said, right?” Pepper meets his eyes and he’s struck by the way she’s almost pleading. “We both lost. We can help each other.”Her hand, palm up and open, stretches into the space between them.Peter hesitates.Then he takes it.or: the one where tony was dusted instead of peter, so he and pepper try to figure out the whole ‘family’ thing together.(oh, and it turns out that the man who died in peter’s arms on an alien planet is his biological father. who knew, right?)

rescue me from the waves (series) by homebuilding @marveal (*125k+*)

“Richard Parker was studying Cross-Species Genetics, but struggled with the ethics of it, because it required he use human DNA, which no ethics board would agree with. So he used his own. His work was successful based off of his own DNA, and every human has a unique DNA,” Bruce explains. “So, naturally, when HYDRA wanted his research, they knew they would never get his support, so they took the next best thing they could to his own DNA. His son.“Or, Tony finds a tortured and experimented-on Peter Parker in a HYDRA base and decides to help him because who else will?

more peril in thine eye by iron_spider @iron–spider (119k+)

Tony sits in relative darkness, the TV on mute, Friday running searches like she has been every day for the past month. A month, since Quentin Beck’s grand plan crumpled underneath him on that bridge. A month, since a flash of light was able to distract Peter just as he was about to bring Beck down. A month, since Beck snatched him, since both of them disappeared. An entire. Month.I’ll keep you updated. I promise.I love you, kid. Rhodey’s on his way, alright? He’s coming. He’s gonna go as fast as he can.I love you too. I’ll be okay. I promise. I can do this.The last thing Tony heard Peter say. Rhodey, Happy and Fury traversed the London landscape immediately afterwards. They found the glasses, but not Spider-Man. There was footage enough to incriminate Beck for what he was, but somehow, nobody was able to get a shot of when he grabbed Peter. Peter was knocking him around, looked like he was getting the upper hand, and then that flash of light. Gone. Gone.

 I Never Knew I Was Broken by GotMyInkPen @gotmyinkpen (*111k+*)

Peter Parker has been living in HYDRA ever since his parents died at age four. All he can remember are the lesson’s HYDRA taught him and a series of words that strike fear into his heart. The only thing driving him forward are the memories of meeting his hero The Winter Soldier when he was seven and the goal to one day be as great an assassin as him.At age sixteen Peter finds himself tangled in the lives of the Avengers and can’t help but wonder if there’s more to life than what he’s been told.Tony wants to help him, no matter what.

 Reviving Peter Parker by YellowDistress @yellowdistress (100k+)

Spider-Man was murdered five years ago, on a beach, at the hands of Adrian Toomes. Peter Parker never came home.Spider-Man was murdered five years ago. Today Peter Parker took his first breath.

 It’s a Secret to Everybody by StarPrince_Punk @starprincepunk (97k+)

“I have kids,“ Clint said. “I know dad behavior when I see it.”Tony blinked multiple consecutive times, processing the statement. “Excuse me?”“Tony,” Steve said now, “how long have you had a son? And how come we’ve never known about him?”“Yeah,” Clint spoke again, “I thought I was the only one with a secret family. Turns out you’ve had one longer than me!”——-Peter gets to spend all summer living in Avengers Tower with Tony. When the Rogue Avengers get pardoned and come back to live at the Tower too, they’re confused as to who Peter is. However, once they see how Tony acts around Peter, that confusion goes away, as they know for certain who Peter must be - Tony’s secret son.Tony and Peter decide to make the most of the situation, and play along. They hope they can keep up the act all summer. But they soon learn that they barely have to act at all.

 Peter and the Jailbirds by beautifullights @beautifullights1 (86k+)

NOW COMPLETE “If you did play chess,” Ross said, “you’d remember that a pawn can become a queen. The most powerful piece on the board, Parker, remember that? But—” Ross smiled— “only if it obeys.”He adjusted his tie, stood, and looked down at Peter. “I’ll ask you again,” he said. “Eventually. You may feel differently after you’ve been living in a six-by-six cube without sunlight or fresh air for a few years.” “What pawns do,” Peter said, voice shaking slightly, “is sacrifice themselves for the greater good. I have no regrets.”He had a lot of regrets.Like, a lot. A crapton. A shitload. An overloaded dumpsterful.“When I visit you on the Raft,” Ross said, “you’ll be old enough to grow a beard.” The cell door clicked shut behind him. [Rated mature for graphic violence.]

 Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) (series) by mainstreamelectricalparade @riseuplikeglitterandgold (*76k+*)

The MCU if Peter was Tony’s biological child.

 In the Home by aloneintherain (68k+)

The Avengers have been infected, turned violent and aggressive against their will. And Peter, the only one unaffected, is trapped inside the Tower with six feral teammates.“Natasha,” Peter says cautiously, “what happened here? Steve attacked me, and if there was ever a sign that something was wrong, it’s having the embodiment of Truth, Justice, and the American Way throw you across the room—”Natasha comes closer, her stride controlled. Nothing necessarily out of the ordinary, but there’s something in her face, in her eyes—Natasha lunges across the space, and slams into Peter, hard.

 From Fraud to Father by TonyStarkissist @tonystarkissist (67k+)

“Tony,” she placated, “all you have to do is read a couple children’s books to them and answer a few of their questions. You’ll be fine.” “Will you come with me? You’re so good with kids,” he pleaded as she finished up with his collar and awkwardly patted the lapels of his suit down, forcing a smile onto her face when she looked up at him.“No. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Phil’s going with you, though, and so is Happy. You shouldn’t have a problem. They’ll make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”Theres a long pause before Tony finally voices his true concern.“But what if one of them sneezes on me?”

Archetype by Bean_reads_fanfic @the-reverse-mermaid (57k+)

Tony knows something is up when the research of ex-Hydra agents gets recycled in an underground Oscorp lab… what he doesn’t expect is the boy in a hospital gown sticking to the ceiling; or, how said boy proceeds to imprint on him like a baby duckling (a poor decision on his part, really). Did he mention he wasn’t intending on bringing home a kid that day?

 Taking Leaps (and the falls that come with them) by Kamomile_Tea (*45k+*)

All across New York City the boroughs are crying out with one voice, asking a question everyone wants the answer to.Where is Spiderman?But no one is asking about Peter Parker.So, he sits alone. Contemplating how his life could have gone so downhill. Grief and nausea well up in his chest and the boy quickly shoves it back down. A shiver courses through him as the cold November air seeps into the building and through his thin clothing. And on the back of his navy blue overshirt, in blocky, white letters, reads the words:CROSSROADS JUVENILE CENTERBROOKLYN NYINMATE 3042 ========== The world seems content with ignoring this young teen. That is, until Tony Stark shows up and asks him if he wants to go to Germany.

Runaway by Spectra @iridescent-spectra  (42k+)

Tony and his adopted son Peter get into a huge spat over his late night spiderman escapades, in which case Peter takes the term ‘Not while you’re under my roof’ way too seriously. After all, how hard could it be to run away from a multi billion dollar genius?Chaos ensues as the whole city becomes a metaphorical chessboard for the two equally stubborn masterminds.

#fic rec list #Favorite

[emotionalgirl101]

Zone | Changbin

Scenario; possible mini series Pairing: Changbin x reader; 3racha fic Summary: Your assignment is due in a week, and you and your assigned partner can’t seem to agree on anything. Or can you? Warning: Soft dom!Changbin, arm kink, subtle power kink, fingering, marking, hinted voyeurism - Smut 16+ Words: 3,222

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

Tonight was not your typical Wednesday night. Usually, you'd be spending time in your dorm, curled up on the couch with a quick-to-make dinner, maybe watching tv or talking with a friend or two. However, it was getting close to exam season, meaning all your assignments were due at the same time. Luckily, you only had one left and it was due next week. That's why you were at the boys' dorm.

You had been paired with Changbin, which you didn't mind at all. You had spent most of the semester sitting at the same group table in your class. You wouldn't say you were that close, but you would say that he was a friend from class that you saw occasionally. Changbin was funny. He had a great sense of humour. He was on the stoic side at times and took to sarcastic humour for a bit of fun, but you'd caught him a few times being cutesy and embarrassing himself in front of his close friends. He didn't know that, though.

You were locked up in the boy's room, since his other housemates were in the main living area when you arrived. Changbin had clearly anticipated this, with the desk space already set up for the two of you upon your arrival.

You hadn't really started on anything. You had both chosen the topic together with ease, but the disagreements started when the conversation turned to how you were going to approach the essay. You believed the question was asking for both an analysis and opinion. Changbin was adamant that there was no opinion needed.

"It says it clearly right HERE! 'Discuss how you would be affected by the causes of-"

"No," he groaned out of pure frustration, "it's 'you' as in 'people', as in 'humans' in general. Not what you personally-"

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN LET ME FINISH READING THE QUESTION!"

"I DIDN'T HAVE TO! NOW KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN OR SOMEONE WILL COME IN-"

"NO! YOU'RE BEING UNREASONABLE-"

"Me?! Unreasonable?! Your the one jumping at an answer when you haven't even gotten a reply from the tutor yet!" He lowered his voice but the venom was clear.

You were so exasperated, you were going to scream. You opted for whisper yelling so you wouldn't irritate his dumbass even more. "Well, why don't we explore both options and then continue with the CORRECT one once we get a reply?!"

"We can't afford to! We have so little time that we're both free. Can't you just accept your misreading the question."

"I AM NOT."

"SHUT your mouth before someone comes in here." He growled.

If you were being honest, you loved when he was riled up. You remember the last time you heard him like this. You guys were walking to your cars after class. You turned to walk down the next corridor when you found two students in a very heated, very public argument. You could tell from the body language, the unrest in the clenching of their jaws, both of their arms crossed and staggered breathing, that it was going to go down hill fast. You hadn't realised that one of the guys was Changbin's roommates.

You didn't know the full story at the time. The guy had been harassing their younger roommate, Jeongin. It seemed like this guy never shook the jock mentality from high school, and Minho had finally had enough. He stepped in to protect Jeongin. The more the asshole talked, the harder it got for Minho  to not snap.

"Shit," Changbin swore under his breath. Wordlessly, he left your side. You thought he was crazy for getting involved. He immediately stood between Minho and the guy, facing the unfamiliar boy with his arms out patiently in front of his chest and bag still slung over his shoulder.

"Look, you both need to cool down," his head swung towards Minho, dressing him down as well. You were hopeful that this move made it clear to the aggressor opposite him that he wasn't taking sides. "let's move this somewhere else." He went to usher them into the secluded courtyard nearby, still being the only thing separating the two involved. Changbin eyed them both constantly, making sure nothing happened would while their guards were supposed to be down, and you followed behind them cautiously.

You kept a little distance, watching a younger boy, Jeongin, follow your lead. You heard footsteps and voices fading away. If it weren't for classes commencing at this time, you were sure the crowd would've followed. There was something about people gravitating towards drama that no one understood. It seemed a little part of everyone enjoyed spectating.

Changbin had dropped his bag near were you stood, leading the main culprits to the centre of the courtyard, and began to mediate. Well, at least he tried.

It was clear that the guy no one knew had a short temper. Every time Changbin uttered a word against him that made perfect sense, his nostrils would flare, and you could imagine his vision turned a bit more read. When Changbin did the same against the other, Minho, the boy would smirk with some sick sense of satisfaction. Minho kept a straight face throughout the whole exchange. This first perception of him being the mature one was quickly shattered once you met him properly.

Out of nowhere, the antagonist shoved Changbin when he wasn't focused on him. He barely stumbled and his eyes quickly became trained on the slightly taller guy. His tone was menacing. "Don't you dare. touch me. or my friends. again." He growled, "Now get the fuck out of here before I show you what i just saved you from." The guy's face when pale. Just like you, he noticed the unintentional and subtle flex of Changbin's toned arms when he seethed with anger. He near bolted out of there, Changbin's gaze following his every move, before they locked onto you. That turned you on way more than you liked to admit.

Ever since, whenever you played 'Short Kings Anthem', you thought of him.

You took a second to recover, and a victorious smirk spread across his lips. Whether it was the fact he thought he'd one or he noticed that you faltered, you didn't know, but the annoyance was right back at the forefront of your mind now. "Fine." you managed through gritted teeth. "See? You know i'm right. You're just too stubborn to admit it." "Bite me." You muttered, turning back to the desk. "Where?" "What?!" He cackled seeing how flustered you were at the unexpected response. Your eyes were boring into the desk. "I'd say 'fuck you' but you'd take the wrong way, too." "What if I take it the right way?" He whispered in your ear. His voice was low again but didn't harbour the same angst as before. The effect was still the same. You squeezed your thighs together and tried not to fall into whatever trap he was setting. Then you felt his hands. His left arm was situated on the back of your chair, but his right hand took purchase on your thigh. His hand gentle rubbed at the clothed flesh, getting higher and higher, teasingly. You released a shaky sigh. His right hand coming to pull back your hair that was obstructing the side of your face. You knew he liked it. He liked seeing you flustered. The control he had over you. How your cheeks were dusted pink and the rest of your complection paled. That you had to control your breathing, biting your lip to stop anything from slipping past them. He enjoyed how you could meet his eyes. You could feel his breath tickling over the flesh of your neck. His hand was still making it' way up your thigh, closer and closer to your heat. His other was playing with your hair. His hand finally reached your covered heat. You closer your eyes and willed yourself not to give in. His lips ghosted over your ear. "Stop biting your lip." His tone hit you again, a moan rolling out as you let the plum flesh go. You could feel is smirk when he pressed his own lips to your neck, ever so gently, barely touching the skin. You gasped softly. He did it again, this time with more veracity. You responded instantly, more notes being pulled out of you with every touch. "Those are the moans I love to hear." You could feel how wet he was making you. Every touch made your skin burn, a sense of lust taking over you. You had leaned back against the chair, relaxing into his control. His fingers kept playing with you over your clothes and kisses being peppered up and down your neck. You let your eyes flutter open, his arm perfectly in your line of vision, as your neck was craned away from the man beside you to allow him more access to your neck. You watched his muscles flex as he continued his movements. His veins lightly visible from the prolonged attack on your core. You moaned at the sight, slightly bucking up into his hand. He chuckled between kisses, slowly drawing back to see what sparked the reaction. He caught on quickly. He rubbed your clit with his thumb, testing his theory, and was satisfied when you bit your lip. Your eyes were glued to his arm. "Arm kink, huh?" You whimpered as he purposely flexed for you. You gasped, allowing your right hand to latch onto his thigh. You saw him swallow nothing. That didn't help you in your current situation. Your eyes moved to his face, narrowing in on his lips. As if he read your mind, he leaned in. The first kiss was gentle and warm, the ones that followed were heated and passionate. You moaned against him when he increased the pressure on your clit. You broke free of his lips, resting your head beside his own on his shoulder and your left hand came up to tangle in his hair. He continued his movements from before, kissing your neck and rubbing at your core, as you whimpered and gasped and every touch. You didn't notice the other set of eyes on you. Your right hand moved up his leg and began palming his hardened length through his jeans. He let out a groan, "That feels good, princess." and your breath hitched. You continued like this, both of you slightly picking up speed, until Changbin noticed how your breathing became more ragged. You could feel yourself slowly shifting from a simple sense of pleasure into how you felt when your orgasm began to build. Your eyes were shut and mouth agape when Changbin slowed his movements and pulled away from you. You almost whined until he reattached his lips on yours, allowing his tongue access when he wordlessly begged for it. He stood you both up without ending the kiss, arms moving to feel up the rest of your body. You found yourself exploring every inch of him, too. He kissed along your jaw, and your fingers tangled in his hair once again. "Do you want to keeping going, princess? Do you want more?" You whined out your consent as he gently pushed you back towards his bed. He rid you of the clothes on your bottom of half, stripping himself quickly as you tore off your other layers. You lazily let them fall to the side of the bed and onto the ground. You didn't notice the slight movement through the gape in the door. You lay back as Changbin climbed on top of you. He kneaded your breasts and left marks on your decolletage, never ceasing his movements as you wrapped your legs around his and tangled your fingers in his hair. You moaned a little louder than before. You bit your lip again, lifting your free hand above you to grip onto the sheets. Changbin looked up at you, taking your chin in his palm so you would look into his eyes. He removed his and, never breaking eye contact and moved it to your heat. The sight only making you wetter, whimpering when two fingers entered inside you. He moved them slowly at first, eyes never leaving yours, biting his lip at how much of a mess you were becoming. His pace increased. So did your moans. The drowned out the soft sounds coming from the doorway. Your orgasm was starting to build again. It was written all over your face. However, as much as Changbin wanted to please you, he had something else in mind. He pulled his fingers away from you and two his lips, smirking as he saw you already and your eyes on him. He reached into the draw of his nightstand as you whined protests from the loss of contact. "Binnie, please. I need you." He groaned at how need you were. A similar sound came from the hallway. Once he finished, he returned to you, stroking his protected length as he lined himself up. He leaned over you, "Remember, not too loud, princess." You nodded as his face came close to yours. "Ready?" he smiled warmly. His action contradicting how sweet his tone was, as he slammed into you before you could reply. Simultaneously, his mouth swallowed the cry escaping your lips. His grind started of slow enough, your face contorting in pleasure. You both tried to stifle your sounds with messy kisses and bitten lips. Changbin reinitiated his assault on your torso with his lips. Your hands scratched and clawed at whatever parts of his body you could get at. "More." You sung. He obliged, picking up the pace, but it wasn't enough for either of you. He sat up, pulling you with ease onto his lap. He gave a few shallow thrusts, focusing on the sensation of your lips on one another's. He went back to your neck. You arched your back. You through your head back, revelling in how it made you feel. You didn't feel his stare. Changbin's patience was waning. He picked your whole body up, still decorating you with kisses, especially on your face. Still inside of you, he pinned you to the wall, holding you up effortlessly. Your fingers traced his biceps and vienes. You clenched. He hissed yet smirked at your actions, enjoying you taking full advantage of his supply to your kink. "This might hurt a bit, baby." He hushed, moving a hand behind your hand. Then he slammed into you. The new angle did wonders, exploring every place within you. You couldn't stop the moans and cries leaving your lips with every thrust. He went harder and faster, your audible pleasure spurring him on. He started groaning and growling in time with your whimpers and sighs. You felt the pressure building, your eyes blurring, trying to focus on the shadow by the ajar door. You couldn't focus, not with how good Changbin was making you feel. You choked out a warning, trying to prevent yourself from being so loud. You pined for relief. For him. For the feeling that he would allow to wash all over you. You finally reached your high, in synchronicity with him. He rode out the feeling for both of you. Once both of you were satisfied, he returned and laid you down on his bed. You both basked in the afterglow, limbs wrapped in each other. Bated breath. Tingling sensations hitting you like waves on a shore. After a few beats, you dared to sneak a look at your counterpart. His eyes were already on you. You shared a tired, knowing smile, alone in the room. He leaned in and kissed you. You returned it without question. He smiled at you again, brighter this time. He then moved, still on the bed, grabbing some tissues. He returned to your side. "When I invited you over, I was only 70% sure this would be the end result." he said nonchalantly, being gentle to touch you, understanding how sensitive you were. The tissues in his hands used to clean you were tossed into the bin soon enough. You scoffed, "70%? Really? You're that confident." "I remember how you looked at me that day i threatened that asshole for going after Minho and Jeongin. I saw you. I saw how turned on you were. You pressed your legs together, then walked away like it was nothing." You were taken aback, almost chocking on air. "I-- fuck you, Seo Changbin." "Round two, already?" He teased. You hit him playfully, watching as he pretended to wince in pain from the blow you just struck. "Go freshen up in the bathroom. I'll check if the tutor replied yet." Ahh, yes. Even as amazing as that was, your hot sex couldn't fuck away the assignment lumming over your heads. You dressed yourself, accepting the oversized shirt and sweatpant Changbin gave you to change into. He told you there was a spare towel in the cupboard. You stepped into the hallway, mind left you reeling from what just happened and how good you felt. Though, at the same time, you couldn't help but fear the embarrassment that would come from being called out by one of Changbin's roommates. With that thought in mind, you were quick to collect yourself and almost sprinted to the bathroom closes to Changbin's room. You made a sharp turn, colliding into some. Great. You looked up to see Jisung. He seemed nervous, or maybe that was you. "H-hi Noona, um.. sor-sorry I'm in a rush. I'll see you later." You chalked the stutter up to him freaking out over being late to wherever he was going. You prayed to a higher power that he hadn't heard you. You weren't exactly close with Changbin's roommates. You knew them all, but were only really close to Chan and Minho, Changbin aside. Speak of the devil. Chan announced his arrival with a slight cough, eyes meeting yours in the mirror as he leaned on the doorframe. "Hey Channie~" You sung, hoping to sound like your usual self. You retrieved the spare towel and tried to just casually but the spare clothes from Changbin to the side of the sink. "Don't act so innocent, I heard you" You winced. Who were you kidding. The neighbour probably heard you, so of course Chan did. That's when it sunk in. Fuck, hopefully Jeongin wasn't poisoned by the filth of what happened behind Changbin's bedroom door. You let out a shake groan of self-reproach before looking back to Chan's smirking reflection. Sometimes you hated how much he teased you. Then again, you made it easier for him. Especially with the events from the same evening. Your next words came out a bit pained. You didn't really want an answer to them after all, did you? "Did the others-" "Lucky for you," He pushed himself off the frame, arms crossed, "most of them went out awhile before it all started." A sigh of relief. You felt a bit better that it seemed to be just Chan who cottoned on. "Well, I hope you enjoyed it." You deadpanned, watching as he decided to leave you be and tossing his last words over his shoulder. "Oh, well I know someone did." -----------------------------------------------

A/N: This was my first smut and I plan to write more since it wasn’t as awkward as i thought~  Credit to the owners of the few prompts I used and I’d love it if people have requests to please submit! I’m having a mental block with Question atm so I wrote this to hopefully stir up some creativity. If you like this please check out @skzsmutnetwork​ for more!

latest | Zone II (Teaser)

#skzsmutnet #changbin #seo changbin #changbin fic #seo changbin fic #changbin smut #seo changbin smut #changbin fluff #seo changbin fluff #seo changbin angst #changbin angst #skz changbin #stray kids changbin #stray kids fic #stray kids smut #stray kids angst #jisung smut #han jisung smut #stray kids han #jisung fic #han jisung fic #han smut #han fic #chan smut #bang chan smut #chan fic #bang chan fic #skz bang chan #3racha fic #3racha smut

[quietmyfearswith]

where our demons hide {dark!tony stark x fem!reader}

where our demons hide {dark!tony stark x fem!reader} part 1

status — ongoing series

warnings — non-con turns into dub-con, oral sex (giving & receiving), name-calling, swearing, porn with a bit of plot, dark!tony stark, unprotected penetrative sex (pls dont do this, use protection!)

word count — 3,205

a/n — so i’m not gonna lie this is a little self-indulgent and this was an idea i somehow had after reading a few fics/drabbles with the same premise. this will be a dark series featuring not only tony stark but also the other male avengers. i’m also considering on making a separate dark series featuring the female avengers with the same concept. also!!! infinity war, civil war, and endgame did not happen (totally not bc everything went downhill from there & i hate it but because it just would be more fitting for the story) and that tony & pepper are not in a relationship in here bc in this house we do not condone cheating. & this is my first ever time writing smut so feedback would be very much appreciated :>

masterlist

“Boss lady, you heading out already?” John asked as he knocked on the outside of my office door. Seeing him with his bag strap over his shoulder, it made me turn back my attention briefly to the desk clock I had, my eyes widening in shock as I noticed how it was already a quarter to 9. “Jesus, has it been that long?” I said to him and to myself in disbelief.

John chuckled as he approached my desk and moved some files out of the way and sat down, “Well time sure does fly when you’re working your ass off.” I threw my head back, trying to rub off of the exhaustion off of my eyes, agreeing with him by saying, “As the head of the research department, I don’t think I have time to slack off and mess around.” 

As I looked into his eyes, I felt that he was conflicted — that he did want to help me furthermore, but there was also this part of him that wanted nothing but to spend a night out and enjoy himself and afterwards proceed with crashing into his bed. He inched closer to me, “You need to take a break though. Your report is like, 90% done, and that it is extremely well-detailed and comprehensive. I’m sure the mighty heroes of the world will understand if you go home now, rest and enjoy for the weekend, and come back on Monday to finish it up.”

“Do you think that these mighty heroes of the world always have the option to take a break on the weekends and come back to the job on Monday?” I sassed back as I moved my attention from him back to my computer, searching for more essential information for the team’s next mission. John, not taking a hint that I had already wasted time by talking to him, scooted closer and said, “Well for one, your work does not involve travelling suspects and mercenaries. You’re computer ain’t going anywhere, you know?” as he brushed a strand of hair that has fallen from my ponytail as he explained, “I just don’t want you to overwork yourself. I really care about you, Y/N.”

Creating some distance between me and him, I looked at him pointedly and told him, “I get that you may be worried about how I overwork myself, but I’m okay. If it ever gets too much, I will take a break. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish this research and report so that I can go home and get some rest. Unless you’ll help me in accomplishing this task, then I suggest that you just leave.”

John looked like he was in disbelief, but he quickly masked up what he felt and just walked away from my desk and awkwardly waved as he headed for the door. “What a bitch..” I heard him mumble lowly, not having enough strength to say it directly in my face — for in doing so could get him fired.

Following John’s departure, I was able to work peacefully and productively. Gathering and verifying information, confirm tipped intelligence, compiling these into an extensive and coherent report. As I was re-reading once more the final product of my long hours of labor and hard work, I stretched my arms up, hoping to provide some relief to my aching back. 

“Mr. Stark would like to ask if he can swing by your office, Ms. Y/n,” the voice of the A.I. startled me briefly, but it somehow also brought me back to my senses. Wanting to look decent and not like I was mere minutes away from passing out, I quickly removed the hair tie from my ponytail, fixing up my hair as I replied to Friday, “Yeah, he can come up.” As I was done attempting to look presentable, it wasn’t even a minute until I heard the office door open and the man himself, Tony Stark, did walk in — wearing a tight dri fit shirt and sweatpants. 

“Good evening Mr. Stark, was there anything I can help you out with?” I watched as he walked around the office, as if he was checking out if everything was in place — as if he had been there before and was making sure that things were the way he once envisioned. He settled down on an office chair, opposite from where I was sitting down.

Putting his chin on his hand as he crossed his legs, he stared at me curiously and intensely as he informed me about his sudden visit, “Was walking around the office wing when Friday informed me that you were the only employee left in the building. So I thought I’d drop by and see as to what was the reason as to why you were still working late and not going about with your weekend plans.”

I let out a sigh I did not know I was holding — probably out of relief that I was not in trouble — before sharing with him the reason, “I was just finishing up the final touches on the researched information for your mission next week.” He looked interested in that and rose to his feet and made his way to where I was sitting. “You mind if I take a look?”

I shook my head no and started to get up from my seat, when he placed his left hand on my shoulder, pulling me down to remain seated. “Stay,” he requested as his right hand operated the mouse in order to inspect the document opened on my computer, “I might have some remarks or questions about what you have researched.”

Beginning to feel a bit of uneasiness, I tried to fill him in about some parts I thought he was confused or curious about — judging by how he spent some time longer on certain pages compared to the others. “You did a good job, Y/N. Without a doubt next week’s mission would have already failed without what you have done.”

Avoiding his look and our close proximity, I shrugged off the compliment by responding, “Um, thank you. But it wasn’t just me, you know? Some other researchers also helped, I merely just organized and arranged it, Mr. Stark.” His hand still on my shoulder moved to turn me so I was facing him, he sat down on my desk and begged to differ, “I don’t think you would have been the overall head of the research department if all you did was compile shit, right?”

Fiddling with my fingers, I halfheartedly agreed with what he said. Looking up, I saw him cross his arms and his face lit up, as if he had remembered something he forgot to mention. “Which reminds me, I do need your help in researching something. Think you can handle it?” I was able to conceal my surprise, what was it he needed help with? And most importantly, why would he tell me about it now? There are procedures if an Avenger needs something to be researched relating to their work. But I could not bring myself to question him, so instead I buried those doubts in the back of my head. 

“T-That would depend, I guess? What is it about? And w-when do you need it to be completed?” I couldn’t help but scold myself for coming out as timid and scared. He uncrossed his arms and checked his wrist watch while he answered, “I need it to be completed tonight. Possibly into the morning. It depends.”

My jaw dropped in shock and astonishment. Does he seriously think that a research can be completed in mere hours? But if I had wanted to keep this job, then I had to comply with what he wanted. “I think that it would be a challenge to do so, but yeah. I guess it can be doable. What would the research be about?” I managed to blurt out and started to roll up the sleeves of my white, long-sleeved blouse and preparing to type on the computer.

However, Tony held my hands and placed it in my lap, preventing me from moving towards the computer and looked at me deeply, “It’s gonna be about you, Y/N.” I once again found myself dumbfounded and speechless. Opening my mouth I stammered out, “W-What? Mr. Stark, what do you mean?” 

He chuckled as he brushed the strands of hair that had covered a portion of my face. One of his hands stroking my cheek while the other had a firm hold on both my hands situated at my lap, he calmly said, “It’s gonna be about you, baby. I wanna get to know you better. Let’s start with me finding out what it is you’re hiding underneath all these clothes, hm?” 

As he guided me onto my feet and pushed me against the office table, his lips grazed my ear and he kissed it lightly and whispered, “I like the way you call me Mr. Stark, makes me feel powerful.” His kisses started to descend, his lips leaving a trail in my neck as his hands started to caress my waist. Snapping out of my frozen state, I somehow managed to speak up and attempt to push him away from me, “Mr. Stark, please don’t do this. Please, stop” 

With one hand, he quickly grabbed both of my hands and placed it behind my back. His other hand wrapped around my throat, just where his lips were and hissed out, “Why do you want me to stop, Y/N? Do you not like this, baby?” I shook my head, telling him I did not in fact like where this was going. He scoffed, “I think you do. You like the idea of someone taking you in your office, the place where you spend most of your days in. Can’t imagine you getting laid frequently with how busy you are, baby.”

Tears were slowly streaming down my face, trying to wiggle away from the hero that everyone adored and respected. He pushed his body into mine, causing me to stumble which he used to his advantage by lifting me up and sitting me down on the desk. His legs wrapping around mine, effectively trapping me, he lifted my jaw and looked into me as he smirked and said, “Tell you what, if I search you up down there and find that you aren’t wet, I’ll let you go. Think that’s fair, baby?”

He did not even wait for me to answer as he made quick work of removing my skirt as he knelt down on the floor. After unzipping my skirt and discarding it to the floor, he chuckled upon seeing that I was wearing red, lace panties. “For someone who claims to not want this, you sure as hell came prepared.” His hands were then fondling my thighs as he kissed both my kneecaps and requested, “Open those legs, baby girl.” I shook my head and tried to cover my intimate area with both my hands. This evidently displeased the billionaire as he harshly placed his hands on my knees and threatened me by saying, “Unless you want to walk away jobless, then I suggest that you fucking open your legs.”

Filled with fear and horror, I reluctantly opened my legs and showed him my lower half. He showed his appreciation by chuckling darkly and immediately ripping off my panties. Just as I gasped with what he did with my piece of clothing, he brought one hand to my entrance and scooped some of the juices that my body was involuntarily producing. “Well what do you know, you’re not just wet. You’re soaking wet,” he bragged as he used his other grab my leg and stretched it out sideways, giving him more room to work with. “Time to start our research on you, baby.”

As he slowly inserted two of his thick fingers, I could not hold back the whimper as he ruthlessly moved his finger in and out of me. “Please, Mr. Stark, don’t do this.” I pleaded, hoping that his conscience would slap him and somehow get him to stop. But shortly after saying that, I let out a moan of pleasure as I felt his tongue lick my bundle of nerves.

“Just stop resisting, baby,” With his mouth still attached to my pussy lips, he used his other hand to fondle my thighs — hoping to rub off the tension within me. I threw my head back as he thrusted his fingers hard and sucked hard enough that I forgot my earlier concerns of how I was at first reluctant in giving in to him. I threaded my fingers into his hair, pushing his face closer, urging him to continue with what he was doing. He complied and proceeded to focus his sucking my little nub while he added another finger inside before managing to go at even a faster pace than he previously was.

“Fuck,” I exclaimed, “I’m close.” Right after saying that, Mr. Stark abruptly stopped his actions. I looked at him, and there he was licking off the residual juices off of his fingers.”Can’t have you finishing just on my fingers, baby. Has to happen with me inside you. But before that,” he stood up and pulled down his sweatpants and briefs, “Show me how talented your hands and mouth are first, baby.”

Before I could even process what he said, my body responded to the words that just left his mouth and I was pushing him away in order to make room for me to work and dropped down on my knees. Despite being of average length, I took note of how he had an incredible girth. With one hand fondling his balls, the other swiped the precum that was leaking out and spread it around the tip. He let out a loud groan as I then opened my mouth and captured his length.

“Yes, that’s a good girl, baby,” he complimented me while stroking my hair and later on gathering it all up in order for him to control the pace and speed of how I was sucking him. I glanced up at him just as I started gagging around his cock and fondling the rest that failed to fit in my mouth. “Do I taste good, baby?” he teased me while probably noticing that I was struggling not only to fit his entire length in my mouth, but also to please him.

A gurgled yes was the only reply that I managed to get out and he suddenly pulled out of my mouth and quickly put me back into my feet. He ripped off the blouse that I was wearing and briskly unclasped my bra. I watched him intently as he sat down on the swivel chair where I spent most of my working hours on and called out for me, “As much as I love how you please me with your mouth, it would be a waste to not cum inside you. So come over here and ride me,” he demanded as he patted his thighs.

I slowly began to walk over him and climbed over his legs. His smirk widened upon seeing me slowly get into position to ride him — with one of my hands holding onto his shoulder and the other one holding his cock up, I sank down onto him fully. The action might have taken the superhero back as both his hands flew into grasping on my hips and he threw his head back in pleasure.

Moving in slow, circular motions I found myself moaning and panting loudly, breathing out words of praise that had stroke the ego of the superhero. He brought his hand to my clit and he rubbed me fast enough that got me to stop riding him because of how intense the pleasure was. Mr. Stark’s dissatisfaction with what I did was made evident by him slapping my ass with enough force to push my chest into his and reprimanding me, “Did I fucking tell you to stop? No! So keep riding me, you fucking whore!”

I let out a whimper as he once again slapped my ass cheek and rubbed me even harder and faster. Placing both my hands near his collarbone, I began to ride him even faster and started to feel the release begging to come out. This pleased him as he stopped his assault on my ass and began to twist and pull on my nipples. The simulation proved to be too much for me that my head fell into the side of his neck and I began to trail kisses on there and suddenly let out a loud scream as I had suddenly reached my climax.

“Fucking hell, you’ve become even more tighter,” Mr. Stark sounded like he too was already on the verge of reaching his climax. Both his hands then met my hips once more and he started to bounce myself on his cock, disregarding that I could have been sensitive, hoping to finish inside of me. “I told you that you wanted this. That you needed to be fucked hard. So much for the “I don’t want this bullshit,” huh baby?” He mocked me as he noticed the stray tears that were falling on my cheeks as I felt that the stimulation was too much.

“I bet I can make you cum again. That by the time I release my load deep inside you, you will also be creaming over yourself.” His overconfidence was once again being made evident and determined to make his statement true, he began to wrap his mouth around my nipple and one of his fingers was shoved right into my asshole. It might have been the sudden intrusion on my backside, or the feeling of his warm tongue on my nipple, or the fact that his cock was being rammed in and out of me at a dangerously quick pace, but I found myself squirting all over both of our legs.

“Fuck, baby, that’s a good girl,” he moaned out as I also felt him release his juices inside of me. He stopped his licking, fingering, and maneuvering of my body as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled my head to lay down on his chest. We both took this time in order to calm down and catch our breaths. His one hand was playing with my hair while the other lightly ran up and down my spine. 

With his cock planted still deeply in me, he made me look into his eyes as his hard and demanding tone vanished and instead was replaced with a soft voice accompanied with a gentle look in his eyes as he said, “You did very well in accompanying and complying with my research, baby.”

His praise made me smile and I once again placed my head by his shoulder and briefly closed my eyes — still not having fully recovered from our sexual activity — when what he said caused me once again to be speechless and shocked, “Get ready because in a few minutes I’ll once again be conducting research. But I was thinking about conducting it in a different venue.”

#tony stank #tony stark #tony stark x reader #tony stark oneshot #tony stark x you #dark!tony stark #dark!tony stark x reader #dark!tony stark x you #dark!tony stark x fem!reader #tony stark x fem!reader #this is somewhat a fantasy of mine #noncon smut #dubcon smut #tony stark smut #dark!avengers #dark!tony stark smut #quietmyfearswith #my writing

[wendimydarling]

Count to Three

https://weheartit.com/entry/220987445

Title: Count to Three

Summary: Casey can’t fall asleep and Dean is there to help.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x OFC (Casey Moore)

Word Count: 2110

Warnings: Fingering, Oral sex, external stimulation, female orgasm, protected penetrative sex, mention of bodily fluids.

A/N: So I usually post Henry Cavill content. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever posted a story that’s not for him. But this... this felt right. Please understand that this is the first smut I ever wrote, all the way back in 2012. I posted it forever ago on fanfiction.net, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t even operate anymore. I haven’t edited it save for some formatting that will make it easier to read, and I definitely cringed quite a bit while re-reading it, but it felt dishonorable to edit the original. 

You’re not gonna understand everything that’s going on because it’s a snippet from a much larger fic, but the basic info that you need to know is that Casey and Dean are connected by a spell, and she sees his future in her dreams. 

Now, there is a further continuation of the author’s note at the bottom of the fic explaining why I’m posting this that contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the series finale, so if you don’t wanna know, don’t click keep reading. It’s that simple, I’ve done everything I can to defend you.

"Shhhh, shhhh... Casey, calm down." Dean strode across the room to sit next to her on the bed, uncharacteristically pulling her into his arms and putting his hand behind her neck. Casey wasn't even sure why she was crying, she was just so very frustrated at not being able to remember. The boys' life was in her hands, and her damn brain couldn't remember the dream. 

"Casey, it's not gonna come back to you if you don't calm down," Dean whispered so she would have to quiet down and listen. "Now breathe." Casey closed her eyes and breathed deep, focusing on her other senses. Dean had never been this close before, and she could smell the soft musk of his soap. Sandalwood, leather, black pepper, a hint of scotch, and motor oil from his car, she thought to herself, letting the scent wash over her in soothing waves. She could hear him breathe, slow and steady, and she tried to match him as best she could. The hand she had on his chest could feel his heart, beating out a strong rhythm. 

The muscles underneath that hand rippled at her touch, and for a moment she felt a small spark in the pit of her stomach. Casey opened her eyes and found herself eye to eye with the most beautiful irises she'd ever seen. She was normally such an observant person, how had she never noticed the piercing green she saw now? And his lips, they looked much softer when they were this close and not drawn into such a tight line. Her mind began to drift to things, inappropriate things, like how much experience he had and what he could be doing with those lips... 

"Casey?" 

Casey snapped back to reality. 

"Sorry, I'm calm," she assured Dean quickly, not wanting to betray her thoughts. "I just wish I could remember. If I could just sleep, I would dream it again and remember, but I'm not even close to tired, so I doubt that will happen." Dean smirked, knowing full well what she had just been thinking (even though she very gracefully tried to hide it). He had been with enough women to know when they wanted him, and he had to admit he liked the idea of sleeping with Casey. She was a pretty girl, and feisty to boot. He'd been scheming for weeks, trying to figure out a way to get her to bed without it complicating things. Without realizing it, Casey had just handed him the solution on a platter, and he wasn't about to let it pass by.

"I could help you with that," he said, flirting. Casey looked up at him confused, so he went on. "With the sleeping... I know exactly what we could do to wear you out. All I have to do is count to three." His hand was still around her neck, so before Casey had time to register what he was saying, he pulled her to him and kissed her with a feather-light touch, making her question if his lips had actually touched her. He held his face right to hers and paused, waiting for her to put two and two together. Casey looked at Dean like he was crazy, and then suddenly it dawned on her. 

"Oh," she breathed. "Okay." That 'okay' was all Dean needed and his mouth was on hers, lips moving together in a violent dance. He was normally gentle with his lovers, but this wasn't the time. The whole point was for Casey to be exhausted, so Dean was going to give her every move he had. She was going to beg before he let her have it. 

Casey let Dean take charge; she was content to let him have his way with her, and the way he was moaning against her mouth, he seemed to agree. His hand left her face and came down to join its brother at the hem of her shirt. He lifted the fabric to reveal smooth skin, and even Dean was surprised at how soft it was. He paused the kiss to remove her shirt completely, stopping short once it was gone. She was even more beautiful than he had realized. Casey whimpered at the lack of touch, so he quickly pulled his shirt off and continued his attack on her lips; pushing her horizontal and climbing on top of her in the process. Casey was in heaven. She had never been kissed so forcefully, so passionately, and she loved it. The weight of his lips, the brush of his fingers, the firmness of his abs beneath her fingertips; it was all so wonderfully overwhelming. Her insides ached with desire, and she wanted more. She knew Dean was drawing this out on purpose, but she was getting frustrated. Wanting to move things along, she unbuckled his belt and whipped it out of its loops, surprising Dean and giving her the opportunity to unbutton and unzip his pants. Dean caught her wrists in his hands and brought them down to her sides. 

"My timing," he scolded, laughing at her groan of displeasure. He gave her a little tease by undoing her pants and pulling them down just past her crotch. The cool air hit her exposed groin, fabric already wet with her desire, and she groaned again, this time in excitement. Pulling her arms above her head, Dean came back up to kiss her neck, skillfully running his tongue in the crease of her collarbone. He moved his head down to kiss her ribs, knowing that when he did she would arch her back, which would give him access to the back of her bra. Casey left her arms where they were as he undid the clasp, revealing her breasts. She wasn't a large girl, but she was proportioned in just the right way, each breast round with a small pink center. Showing no mercy, Dean took one of her nipples in his mouth as he pinned her arms again, sucking on the soft flesh to get it hard and then flicking it rapidly under his tongue. Casey cried out at the warm sensations, and tried in vain to get away from the teasing touches. Her breasts had always been slightly ticklish, and though it felt amazing, she couldn't help trying to escape his grasp. Dean held firm and continued the onslaught on her breasts, alternating between the two as her cries and squirms egged him on. He was having fun playing with her nipples, and seeing as though she couldn't go anywhere, he wasn't going to stop any time soon. 

Casey could feel his cock growing harder against her leg, and her inability to touch him back increased her arousal. She wanted nothing more than to take his member in her mouth and torture him in return, but she was pinned, which only made her mound throb harder. "Dean! Dean pleeeease!" Casey screamed, the nerves in her breasts sending fire to her loins. "I can't... no more... I need... inside..." She couldn't even form a proper sentence. The fire was burning inside her, growing hotter and hotter as she begged him to give her release. It seemed as though her pleas fell on deaf ears as Dean ignored her request to enter her. Instead, he took both her wrists in one hand and brought the other hand down to tickle the breast his mouth wasn't currently sucking on. 

The fire inside Casey erupted at the combination of the tandem touch, and she came hard. Her breath came out in strangled cries, and she bucked harder against him than she had before. Dean kept up his steady rhythm, licking and tickling and slowing only once she came down. 

"One," he said with a grin, laughing softly at the expression on her face. He sat up quickly. Before Casey had time to reassemble her thoughts, Dean was tugging off her pants, and encircling her hips with one arm. The hand that had been pinning her arms slid down her side, past her hip, and came to rest cupping her crotch, thumb brushing against the skin he found there. Casey gasped against his touch, pleasure lacing itself through her veins. She tried to grab his hands, but Dean just smacked hers away. He pulled her panties down just enough that he could reach her bare clit, and stuck his talented tongue into the crevasses of her body. Casey keened as he began his torturous flicking again, wanting him to open her up and fuck her with that tongue instead. She felt Dean smile against her womanhood, and in vain she prayed he would give her more. 

He didn't. Dean used his free hand to pin her wrists underneath her body so that she couldn't push him away and continued licking her up and down. He used two fingers from his other hand to move aside her underwear, slid them in between her lips and held them there, making Casey gasp, and pull against his firm grip. 

"No, Dean please," she said, trying to persuade him to free her hands. Dean ignored her and held fast, shifting his body slightly to spread her legs a little further apart (which elicited another gasp from Casey). He brought his lips down to her button and sucked hard, shoving his fingers inside of her at the same time. Casey's brain exploded at the sudden warmth of his fingers. He pushed and pulled and twisted and scissored in every possible way, contorting his fingers to find every spot inside of her that made her scream. Of course, that wasn't very hard to do; thanks to his mouth on her slit it didn't matter where his fingers went, her orgasm stayed strong. 

"Oh my God... Oh my God, Dean!" She cried out as wave after wave of pleasure continued to roll through her. 

"That's right baby, say my name," Dean mumbled around her mound, trying his best to ignore how unbearably tight his pants were. He would have satisfaction soon enough, so he focused on her. She was still choking out strangled gasps of pleasure, so he moved his fingers faster, pumping her in time with his tongue. Casey's eyes rolled back into her head and she became rigid, her body locked in spasms and her mouth falling open into a silent scream. Her muscles relaxed and she went limp, eyes closed, head rolling slightly and chest heaving. She didn't even fight Dean's grip anymore, just moaned as he slowed down his pace. "Two," Dean noted quietly as he took the opportunity to stand up and remove his pants and boxers. He groaned in relief as his throbbing cock was freed from its tight bondage, not at all surprised to see he was already leaking. He bent over and pulled a condom from his wallet, tearing the wrapping with his teeth and then slipping the condom on with one hand. Casey hadn't moved, hadn't even felt him get up. Eyes still closed, she felt gentle fingers slowly tug her panties off, so she spread her legs wide, inviting whatever was to come next. She was expecting more teasing, more drawn out torture, so when she was suddenly filled with Dean's length, her eyes snapped open, breath catching in her throat. Dean growled, and began to thrust himself deep inside her. Casey's reaction was immediate, her body opening up to receive all of him, her arms coming above her head so her hands could grasp the sheets behind her. Dean was relentless, pounding into her with fury. He grasped the headboard for leverage, and kept up his pace, hard and fast. Casey cried out every time he was deepest, and Dean felt himself slipping over the edge. Casey's third orgasm rocked through her body at the same time Dean let go, his shout mixing with her cry. He continued to thrust through his orgasm, keeping her pleasure high, until it hurt too much to continue. Casey relaxed her body again, and let Dean clean up, too tired to move. 

Dean finished in the bathroom, and came back into the room to find Casey fast asleep, still naked and sprawled across the bed. Dean looked at her tenderly, pulling the covers out from under her body and draping them over her so she would be warm. He climbed into the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her worn out frame. She snuggled closer to him, seeking his warmth, and looked up at him through moon-slit eyes. 

"Thank you," she mumbled to him, drifting back into sleep. Dean looked down at her and kissed her forehead. 

"Three," he whispered.

A/N Continued: Okay, so I’m not here to get into a debate about what they did or did not do right in last night’s episode. I don’t care about your politics, I don’t care about what you think about the episode as a whole. I’m posting this as a tribute. A tribute to Dean Winchester.

Dean is... was, my first love. He introduced me to writing. He was my first boyfriend, he showed me things about my body that I wasn’t aware it could do. He showed me what it meant to keep fighting in the face of adversity. He was there to encourage me when all hope seemed lost. He reminded me that he too dealt with what seemed like an unloving parent, with a parent who no matter what you did, it was never enough. And watching him die like that broke my heart.

So, this story is for you Dean. I love you, I will always love you, and it’s okay. 

You can go now. ❤

#supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester #dean winchester fanfiction

[quepasta]

Breath of the Wild: A Warm Breath from the Mountains Chapter 1

Written by @quepasta and @freshbreezesworld . 

Author note: A series of short stories about Link and Zelda after the events of Breath of the Wild. The series follows them as they explore their new world and what they mean to each other. Some of the biggest challenges they will face will be their mental health and the aftermath of the calamity. I (QuePasta) write Zelda's POV and freshbreezesworld writes Link's POV. Chapter 2 is coming soon! (You can also find this fanfic on AO3 by searching for A Warm Breath from the Mountains. The fic is posted on both of our accounts)

I followed behind him as we traversed through the heavy snow, the wind howling in our faces. Between the elixirs and the snowquill armor we both wore, I hardly registered the cold anymore. Or perhaps it was the exhaustion from running and climbing all day that prevented me from feeling the icy crystals that peppered my skin.

Link walked slowly but steadily ahead of me, his face was hidden by the hylian hood he adorned. Even though I couldn’t see his face I knew his eyes were darting every which way, always on the lookout for danger. I knew with each step he checked the ground for stability, pressing his foot down to check for traction. And I also knew that he was listening to my steps in case I started to slip, ready to catch me when I eventually would.

Forcing myself to match my pace to his and stepping in his footprints where I knew it was safe, I kept up as much as I possibly could. We were on the south side of the Hebra Mountains, our original destination being Biron Snowshelf. But now it was any sort of shelter we could find. I cursed myself again under my breath, it was my fault we were in the mountains anyway. Link and I had planned to head to Rito Village to investigate Vah Medoh, when I had made an offhand comment that I had never been to the Hebra Mountains. Before I knew it, Link had started leading us towards them.

The Hebra Mountains were a favorite of Link’s, I knew that from before the Calamity. He never really told me why he favored them, but I assumed I would find that out on our trip. We were making great time until the blizzard hit. We had been discussing what our plans were after we were done at Rito Village while walking through the still winter landscape when the wind suddenly picked up. Link had turned towards the direction of the wind, peering into the winter sky when he saw the approaching storm. He had let out a small gasp and then quickly walked over to me, tucked my own hylian hood into my snowquill jacket and tightened the hood around my face. Then he pulled out a cold resistance elixir and instructed me to drink it right before the blizzard hit us. I nodded and we ran towards the mountains, hoping the peaks would provide protection from the wind.

The blizzard hit us earlier than we had originally thought it would. But I followed Link’s instructions and swallowed the elixir right before we were engulfed in the storm, making sure Link did the same. I wasn’t sure how long we had been trudging through the snow, but it was definitely a few hours. Link had stopped twice to hand me another elixir to drink, but besides that we had been trudging on trying to outrun the storm.

Suddenly I bumped into Link’s back, not realizing he had stopped. He reached his left arm back to steady me, but didn’t say anything. I stayed silent as well, watching Link as he turned his head slowly from left to right. He kept his eyes on something in the distance, but I couldn’t see through the snowflakes whipping around. Subconsciously I leaned into his touch, feeling the warmth of his body next to mine. Link didn’t seem to notice as he studied the landscape, staying silent.

Shaking his head, he turned around to face me while keeping his movements slow and deliberate. He then reached out his gloved hand. “Sheikah Slate.” he yelled. Even though he was right next to me, I could hardly hear him over the wind. I nodded and grabbed the sheikah slate from my hip and pressed it into his hand.

I huddled closer to him as he opened up the map to check our location. We had been on the north side of the Kopeeki Drifts when the storm began. Now the sheikah slate showed our location to be just north of the Hebra Headspring, in the valley between Hebra and Talonto Peaks.

I sighed as I realized we hadn’t made it far at all. The snow and wind were disorientating and hard to traverse through. I felt my frustration grow more as the thought occurred to me that I was definitely slowing us down. The weather was slowing Link down as well, but I knew he could go faster than the pace we had been at. I however was struggling to keep up.

“I’m sorry, Zelda. I should have made us turn around when the storm came in. I did not believe the blizzard would last this long.” He said, closing his eyes in frustration.

“It’s okay, Link.” I said, resting a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes when he felt my hand and stared at it for a few moments. “I can keep going. Are we getting close to a safe place?” I asked, redirecting his energy to the task at hand. I preferred that he didn’t blame himself for our treacherous situation.

“There is a civilian who lives in these mountains. Her name is Selmie, she acts as a guide for travelers through here. She’s also rather competitive about shield surfing.” He smirked. “But she has a cabin north of this valley. She...there’s a shrine right outside of her cabin. You should use the Sheikah Slate to fast travel there.” He turned his face toward mine, his blue eyes squinting from the wind.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes. I knew it was the smart decision, I could fast travel to the shrine and Link could run ahead to meet me there. It would only take him half a day on a normal day. As I pondered the suggestion, I raised my eyes to the skies above us. The valley blocked a lot of the wind, but it was still roaring strong and angrily in our faces. If we kept going we would have to climb to higher ground eventually, where the wind and snow would be harder to travel through. If I traveled to Selmie’s, Link would be left alone in this storm. As the thought crossed my mind, I felt my heart pound and my breath catch in my throat. No, I would not leave him again.

“No, Link. I’m not leaving you alone in this storm. We will get through this together. Look, we aren’t even that far.” I responded, pointing to the peak with “Selmie’s Spot” on the map.

Link stared back at me, his jaw moving as he thought about what to do. “Over 100 years, and you’re still as stubborn as before.” He muttered, his tone slightly annoyed. But the edges of his mouth curved slightly into a smile that he tried to hide. “After these cliffs, there’s a hollow up ahead that we will have to glide over, are you okay with that?” He turned his head to the side.

The smile that had appeared on my face when he called me stubborn disappeared as he mentioned gliding. There was nothing I despised more than gliding as the last time we had tried it flashed through my mind, but I knew Link would not have mentioned it if there was another way. At this point I would do anything to get out of this storm, so I nodded yes to Link even though my stomach lurched at the idea of being airborne.

“Onward, then.” He said, while nodding his head north. He handed the sheikah slate back to me and turned around to start walking again. His footsteps were a little faster this time, but still as careful as before. However, this time he kept his left arm reaching backward towards me. Each time my leg would tap his arm he took it as a sign to keep walking. A light blush fell across my face as I realized he was making sure I was still keeping up with him, afraid to lose me in this snow.

As we walked, my mind wandered back to Link’s comment about me being stubborn. I sucked in a breath when I realized that he didn’t fight me more on fast traveling, which was not like him at all. It could only have been because this storm scared Link, but he wasn’t going to say it outright. He didn’t want to be left behind.

Soon we ran into the end of the valley, the side of the mountain towering over us. Link started following the mountainside west and we eventually came across some boulders that had fallen from the overhang. They provided an easier way to climb out of the valley instead of scaling the entire cliffside. I was silently relieved, knowing that I wouldn’t have been able to climb up the sheer cliff. While the shelves the boulders made were almost twice as tall as me, they were covered in indents and roots that would make it easier to climb.

Link went first, jumping up the first one with ease and barely a grunt of effort. He used the force of his leap to propel himself over the shelf. Once at the top he turned around and motioned for me to follow him, with a mischievous smirk on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing what that face was about. Link had always been competitive for as long as I had known him. And his 100 year sleep definitely had not changed that.

Deciding to play along, I took a step back and took a running leap, aiming for the top of the first boulder. I landed with two-thirds of my body over the ledge, but I quickly found an indent in the rock below to push myself over the rest of the way. I scrambled to stand up, brushing the snow off. Knowing I probably looked clumsy in comparison to Link’s agile ascent, but couldn’t help feeling proud of myself for making it without any help.

I turned to look at Link, and saw a smile of approval on his face. My heart soared, that smile had been so rare before everything happened. But it was so prevalent now, that I often forgot about the treacherous life we led. And even though we were also in danger in the middle of this blizzard, I was enjoying this trip together.

Shooting me one last glimpse of his smile, Link turned around and crawled up the second cliff. This one was the same height as the last one, but had more tree roots poking through the ground. While Link used the same strategy of using the momentum of his leap to launch him up the next cliff, I decided to take advantage of the extra foot and hand holds. Not waiting for Link to finish his climb, I grabbed on to the nearest root and began pulling myself up. The bitter cold ate through my gloves and my hands stung, but adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I felt free in the way I only felt when adventuring out with Link. Out here I wasn’t the fabled Princess with the Golden Power, here I was just a girl trying to win a race.

When I got to the top, Link was peering down the other side of the cliff, his head turning back and forth looking for me. It seemed he hadn’t seen me change course heading in the other direction.

“What are you looking for?” I called out to him, putting my best smirk on.

He spun around, his eyes wide before squinting as he focused in on me.

“Oh, we’re being tricky now? You’re lucky I still don’t have Revali’s Gale. You would never catch up with me then.” He walked toward me until he stood right in front of me. I had to look up at him now to be able to see his eyes, blue as ever. When I first met him, he had been a few inches shorter than me. 100 years later, when we walked away from the castle after sealing away Ganon, I had noticed that he had grown to be the same height as me. But now over the past couple of months, he had continued to grow to be a full head taller than me.

“You wouldn’t leave me.” I said, my voice wavering as I suddenly felt nervous.

Link stared back at me, his eyes searching my face for something. He was always checking on me, always looking for something to be wrong so he could fix it.

“No, Zelda. I would never.” His voice was soft, and I barely heard it over the roar of the wind. He turned to look at the last cliff and leaned down so that his face was hovering over my ear, which was still covered by my hood.

“Do you think you can make it up the last one by yourself?” He teased, he was so close I could feel the edge of his mouth curve upward as he spoke.

Without even looking back at him, I took off towards the cliff. I heard him laugh as I did so, and I was glad once again for my hood as it hid the crazy grin I had. My eyes searched for places in the cliff that I could use for support. This one was taller, probably three times my height. But that wasn’t the issue, the problem with this one was that there were fewer roots and indents to grab onto. My mind worked to pick out the best place to start my climb. I went off to the right where there was a good root to step up on and let the adrenaline and pure joy I felt take me the rest of the way.

I heard more than saw Link scramble past me, which was fine. I wasn’t expecting to beat him, but I wanted to be a close second. Almost at the top, I saw Link peer over the edge again, his eyebrows raised in a “I won” sort of expression. I wrinkled my nose back up at him, but focused on climbing the rest of the way. My legs were resting on small indents in the cliff, and my left hand was hanging onto a tree root. Just out of reach of my right hand was a handhold that would get me the rest of the way up. I bent my legs slightly, readying them to make the little jump to reach the handhold. I took a deep breath and pushed, kicking my legs as hard as I could while reaching my hand out towards the handhold.

My heart stopped when I saw my hand barely miss the hold and I started falling back down and I let out a scream. Instinct kicked in and my left hand grabbed the root it had been holding earlier, but that was the only thing that kept me from falling all the way back down the valley.

I hit the side of the cliff with a thud and had the wind knocked out of me. I grabbed the root with my right hand as well and dared not to move, the tiny tendril of root being my only life line. My arms were shaking and my side began to hurt where it collided with the cliff. But I was okay, and I felt tears escape my eyes as I leaned my forehead against the side of the cliff. Trying to regain my strength and my breath, it took me a moment to realize Link was calling my name.

“Zelda! Damnit, Zelda answer me!” He yelled, his voice almost a growl.

“I’m okay.” I tried to yell back, but it was a weak reply with my breath still gone. I heard Link answer with a sigh of relief and then heard the sound of him pacing back and forth on the cliff above me. I looked up, I was just out of view from him because of the snow fall. He couldn’t reach me yet from where I was and I knew he was frustrated with not being able to help me.

After another minute I felt that I could breathe normally again and I knew I needed to start going soon before my limbs gave out. Climbing up, I kept telling myself that I was almost to the top. Soon I could make Link’s outline against the sky.

“Zelda!” He said while falling to his knees and stretching his arm out as far as he could. I reached my right arm out, pushing myself up with my left arm that was wrapped around a tree root. My gloves skimmed the fingertips of his when the root I was resting on gave out. I screamed as I began falling again and closed my eyes, this time too exhausted for any instincts to kick in.

But then I stopped falling. I opened my eyes and saw Link’s hand wrapped around my wrist, gripping it in a painfully tight grasp. As soon as I realized Link had me, the small part of my brain still working told my feet to find a foothold to relieve some of my weight off of Link. My readjustment gave Link the opportunity to secure his footing and he began pulling me up.

My head was clouded from the shock of almost falling twice and my limbs felt numb. All I could do was not move so he wouldn't lose his balance. As he finally pulled me over the edge, I felt my muscles spring back to life and push forward away from the cliff. Link also pushed us away from the cliff as I landed in his arms. He kept retreating until his back was against the mountain, far away from the cliffside.

My whole body felt numb, except for the warmth coming off his body. I closed my eyes and buried my face into his shoulder. I stayed like that for a while, just focusing on the feeling of his arms around me. It took me a moment to realize I was sobbing and shaking with every gasp of air. Link was rubbing my back and repeating “I’m sorry” and “You’re okay now”. I tightened my hold on him and just focused on the sound of his voice rumbling in my ear.

After a while I started to feel myself calm down. Then the overwhelming feeling of embarrassment and anger at myself started to wash over me. We had been having fun before I went and ruined it. Link was always doing so much for me, how did he not get tired of saving me every five minutes? The Great Princess Zelda, savior of Hyrule and sealer of Ganon, almost dies climbing a measly cliff!

The thought caused me to laugh out loud. It’s a messy laugh, layered with my tears and snot. But as I laugh, I felt Link relax a little bit under me. He moved one hand to the side of my face and gently pulls my head up so that we face each other. He wiped a tear away and brushed a couple of stray hairs out of my face. Then Link raised one of his eyebrows in a question, wanting to know what caused me to laugh. I shake my head at him, indicating I wasn’t ready to talk yet.

He gave me a little nod, and I felt a small bubble of happiness in my chest as we fall into our old habit, talking to each other without speaking. It was something we had perfected a long time ago. But I had been afraid it would change after 100 years. My soul jumped with glee to see that it hadn’t.  

“Maybe I should have teleported to Selmie’s, it would have saved quite a bit of trouble for you.” I finally said, looking down out of embarrassment. Link grunted in disapproval, but before he could respond I continued. “I was slowing us down before and now I’ve nearly gotten both of us killed. And it’s my fault that-”

Link cut me off. “Zelda, for Goddesses sake. At least let me have a moment to celebrate the fact that you’re alive instead of being unconscious at the bottom of the cliff before starting an argument with me.” He scoffed, but his tone was still soft.

My breath caught in my throat again as he placed his forehead against mine, eyes closed. Both of his arms are wrapped around my waist again, holding me against him. He was right, there was no point in arguing now.

The wind howled around us as we sat there. The loose part of my hood was flapping around threatening to take off any second. For a second I let myself believe that if I didn’t hold on tight enough to Link, I would be blown away with it into the storm.

“Let’s try to get out of this cold.” Link finally whispered into my cheek. I nodded and untangled myself from him, feeling the loss of warmth from him instantly.

Link stood up as well and brushed the snow off his legs. He gave me a quick look, making sure I was ready to go. I tightened my hood around my face and gave him another nod. Link stared at me a little longer, then decided to grab my hand and started leading the way north.

I kept my grip on his hand tight and he did the same, feeling another wave of blush make its way across my face. Soon, our path led us to a pretty large covered tunnel. It looked like something had carved through the mountain and went all the way through. The way the tunnel was angled, the inside was completely safe from the wind. We stepped inside the entrance, the fading light from outside still enough to see the whole thing.

Link let go of my hand and motioned for me to stay. Then he crept further into the tunnel, checking everywhere for any danger. There was a stray ice keese that screeched before he shot it down with his bow, but other than that the tunnel was empty.

“It’s not perfect, but it will protect us for the night. Are you okay with us staying here? You need to rest.” Link said, slinging his bow over his shoulder as he walked back.

I wanted to tell him I could keep going, that I was fine and if we hurried we could make it to Selmie’s before the sun set completely. But it would have been a lie, I was exhausted. My bones and muscles ached, and I was worried about the loss of feeling in my toes. And I was shaking, but I was not certain if it was from the cold or from my almost fall.

“Yes. That will be good.” I sighed, feeling my eyes start to feel heavy with sleep.

Link started pulling supplies out of his pack. He had told me a couple of weeks ago that a korok had enchanted it to hold more things than should have been possible. It had definitely made it easier to trek through the snow without a huge pack to carry.

Soon Link had set up a makeshift lean-to and laid a bed roll down under it. I narrowed my eyes at the one bed roll, realizing he wasn’t planning on sleeping. I walked over to where he was smoothing a blanket out.

“You need to sleep too.” I squatted by him, putting my hand lightly on his arm. He turned to look at me, his jaw clenching as he thought it over. It was then I saw his eyelids were drooping, he was tired. Eventually he pulled another bed roll out and more blankets. But he set this one up against the wall of the tunnel at the entrance of the lean-to he made.

He then motioned for me to sit on my bed roll. I sat down on the soft fur blanket, wanting to instantly sink all the way into it and sleep forever. But before I could follow through on that thought, Link handed me a paper wrapped parcel. My mouth started instantly watering as I smelled the food through the paper. Oh Goddesses, I had forgotten about food entirely. I preferred the hot and fresh meals Link usually made, but I knew that was not an option given our current situation. Still, the cold mushroom rice ball tasted like heaven and it took everything in me not to eat all in one bite.

I watched as Link slid into the lean-to and sat on his bed roll. He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and leaned against the wall of the tunnel. Then he pulled out a matching package to the one he handed me and started eating his rice ball. He took big deliberate bites and was finished within seconds. I laughed as I watched him, his eating habits were always interesting to watch.

He stopped when he realized I was laughing at him. But then he grinned as he wiped his mouth. “I thought I told you that you can’t judge me for how I eat anymore.”

“Old habits die hard, I suppose.” I shrugged, running my still gloved hand over the blanket under me.

Link rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. He leaned back against the wall again and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at his ankles. Then he cleared his throat and crossed his arms. This is what I considered to be his “sleeping but still on guard” position. I watched as he stared out the tunnel, listening and watching for any danger. While I appreciated it, I was pretty sure we were the only ones in the mountains right now.

I felt my exhaustion fill my limbs again and decided to lay down to settle in for the night. Laying down, my legs were sticking slightly out of the other side of the lean-to, and my head was about an arm’s length or two from where Link sat. Between the snowquill outfit I still wore and the blankets, I was completely warm. Feeling had started to return to my toes and fingers. Sleep threatened to take over, but I fought it a little longer. The tunnel was now dark as night time fell outside. I could still see Link’s outline in the dark, but everything else was lost in the night.

“Link?” I whispered. I felt him twitch a little bit when I spoke, he must have almost been dozing off himself.

“Sorry, I just wanted to say thank you. For, um well, everything.” I whispered again, feeling bad I had woken him up.

“Of course, Princess. Sleep well.” He responded. Then I felt him reach down and give my hand a little squeeze. It was a quick movement, so quick that it almost felt like I imagined it. And if it had not been for the newly returned feeling in my hands, I would have assumed that I had imagined it. I let my face break into a huge grin, before I finally let sleep takeover.

The next morning I woke up in the same way I fell asleep in. My bones and muscles ached from the day before and from sleeping in one position all night. Getting myself to want to wake up was proving to be difficult, my bed roll was so warm and my eyes were still heavy with sleep. But I forced myself to try to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I looked up and saw that Link was still sleeping, his head tilted to the side to lay on his shoulder. His arms were still crossed at his chest and his legs still crossed at the ankles.

Some of his blonde hair had fallen to lay across his face and more of it had fallen out of his hair band to lay on his shoulders. I bit my lip and resisted the urge to move the hair out of his face. He really was quite a beautiful man. His quiet demeanor and determination often hardened his features when he was awake. But now that he was asleep, his face looked young and innocent. He looked like the 19 year old he was. Or I guess 119 year old?

My heart ached for him. Before the calamity he had been so troubled. But back then he still had his memories of his childhood, of his family and his home. Now, those memories were fuzzy in his mind at best, if they were even there at all. I still wasn’t sure how much he actually remembered. How much of us did he remember?

I had been trying not to think about the time before Ganon. The darkest day of my life was not one I wished to revisit. However, I know eventually I will have to. There is no moving on without coming face to face with what happened. I felt the familiar panic rise in my chest as the events from the day flickered through my mind. Tears threatened to run down my face as my hands began to shake.

I can see my life before Ganon’s return. At the time I thought I was miserable being stuck in the castle destined to wield a power I had no idea how to harness. However, the brightest memories from back then are the ones I remember the most. The ones with Link. The ones where we traveled Hyrule alone, roaming the countryside in between our errands. I knew he cared for me back then, but I always wondered if it had been more for him too. Back then we had so much weight on our shoulders, there was no room to even entertain the idea of something more between Link and I. And now, so much has changed since then. Did he even remember, remember more than just his duty?

And here I sit in a tunnel with him after all this time, still wondering about my silent knight. Still roaming the country with him, a question on my lips. Oh goddess, is that what I was doing? Trying to recreate our life from back then by suggesting we explore the mountains?

And I felt it here too in the mountains. This “thing” between us. I wanted to examine it, ask Link the questions that haunted me while I sat in the castle for 100 years. I wanted to know that I wasn’t crazy. That it wasn’t just me.

But courage was not my strength, that was his. Mine was wisdom, and my brain told me to be a smart girl and not ruin things. We were both still healing from everything. While our friends and family had fallen 100 years, it was still fresh for us both. And while we eventually came out successful, our initial failures were wounds that would not heal for a long time. So how could I add one more thing into the mixture? Confess my feelings and scare off the one person left from my old life? I couldn’t lose him, not again. So bite my tongue, I will.

After fighting with my inner monologue and panic , I was wide awake. After another moment of trying to slow down my breathing I decided to get up. I slowly sat up, trying to be as quiet as possible. But Link, always on watch even when sleeping, woke up anyway. He looked around, wide-eyed at first as he tried to remember where he was. Then I saw his eyes relax as he recalled where we were. He glanced over at me and gave a sleepy smile.

“Well, good morning sleepy head.” He yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

The image of him yawning sleepily while rubbing his eyes awake and then stretching his arms out in a yawn was too much. The little warm butterflies in my stomach returned as I watched him.

“I beg your pardon Sir Knight, but I was up first.” I corrected him.

He smiled again as he stretched out his legs, and gave me an eye roll, as if to say “sure,”. Then he reached into his pack and pulled out a water pouch, then held it out to me. I stared at it for a second, once again reminded that this man did everything for me. I wasn’t even thinking of water and hadn’t realized how thirsty I was.

“Thank you.” I said before taking a couple of sips.

Truthfully I wanted to gulp it down and refill it to drink it all again. But that wasn’t very lady like and I wasn’t sure how much water Link had packed. As if on cue, Link pulled out another water pouch and drank from it, taking large gulps until it was empty. He gave me another look, as if to dare me to say something again about his etiquette. Instead I took another sip from my pouch while obviously forcing my eyes to look somewhere else, pretending I didn’t see. But I couldn’t keep a straight face and let out a little snort, which caused me to spill some of my water.

My face red with embarrassment I looked over at Link to see if he noticed and knew that he had. But he was beaming at me, his face filled with a wide grin. He shook his head slightly while he laughed, his voice filling the tunnel.

“That is what you get for making fun of me.” He choked out while laughing.

“I was trying not to!” I told him, with a fake pout on my face. But I couldn’t hide my smile entirely.

He made a “tsk” sound with his teeth and went to hand me another parcel of food. “I’m not really sure you deserve this after being so mean.” And for emphasis, he pulled the package back when I went to reach for it.

I raised an eyebrow at him and tried to give a menacing stare back. While it didn’t work, he handed me the parcel anyway. Unfolding the paper, I opened it to find a mix of fruit, nuts, and bread. I popped one of the berries in my mouth and bit it, humming as the sweet taste trickled over my tongue. Fruit was one of my favorite treats ever and I was delighted at having the treat for breakfast.

However, guilt began to eat away at my stomach again. When did Link have time to do all this? I don’t remember seeing him pack this much before we left, especially considering this was a last minute detour. Over and over I had been telling him thank you, but it just never felt like enough. I wanted to do something for him, I just didn’t know what.

“Link?” I asked, uncertain of what I was planning on saying. He looked up from where he was about to dig into his own parcel, his eyebrows raising at my voice. “I’ve been thinking. I want to start helping out with cooking our food and other preparations for our trips. You do everything and… I don’t know how to do anything useful.”

The corner of Link’s mouth curved up a little bit. “I don’t know if having you cook is the best idea. My memory might not be all there, but I do recall a time when you tried to feed me a whole frog.”

“That was for a study! And I’m serious, Link. You do everything for me and all I can do is say thank you, but that’s not enough!” I replied, dropping the smile on my face.

Link looked down at his meal parcel, fidgeting with the edge of the paper. I could almost read the expression on his face, he much rather be scarfing down the food than talking about this.

“You have done plenty.” He finally said. “You were in a century long battle with our land’s greatest enemy. You saved all of Hyrule and restored hope to your people. Is that not enough? After all that, surely you deserve to be taken care of. Is that not my job?”

“The same thing could be said of you, Link. You also saved Hyrule. Do you not deserve to rest? And your job was to protect me and help me seal Ganon. You have accomplished that. Now you are my friend, not my caregiver.” I said shortly. “Come on. Please? We can start with something simple, like cooking lessons!” I said lighter this time, my goal was not to start a fight.

He studied the ground for a long time, his jaw shifting as he mulled over what I said. It was a habit he did often, along with grinding his teeth when he was in thought. The silence lasted longer than I wanted. The conversation had gone deeper than I had meant it to. Since our successful battle with the calamity, we hadn’t really talked about any of it. This was as close we had gotten. It was a subject we couldn’t bear to talk about without unraveling everything. The panic began to seep through my chest again, my breath catching in my throat as I fought it back down. I felt myself bite my lip harder as each quiet second passed.

“Fine. When we get out of these mountains, I will try to teach you how to cook. I trust you are still a quick study?” He finally lifted his eyes to look at me, those blue pools twinkling.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Of course! Thank you, Link. You will not regret it!” I squealed, surprised I had convinced him.

“But, just so we are on the same page. I am still your knight, my job is still to protect you. Even if I am also your friend.” His face went back to being stern, the almost blank face that was his signature look.

I rolled my eyes at him, always so serious about his duty as my appointed knight. I opened my mouth to respond but Link was already pouring his food from his parcel directly into his mouth. I decided to drop whatever I was going to say and finish my food as well.

Later that morning we had packed everything away and bundled back up. Walking out of the tunnel I was relieved to see that the blizzard had ended its rage on the mountains. The morning was quite beautiful, a light snow was falling across the landscape. Everything was quiet and still except for the small scuttling of the winter wildlife that were hidden from our site. It was a rather drastic change from the weather we faced last night.

We began walking up the steep slope that led north out of the tunnel. The incline was a little slippery and every once in a while I would slide backwards, but every time Link moved to help me back up I would find my footing again. I was determined not to need him to help me every step of the way. It was nothing against Link, hoping he knew that. But the feeling that I was a burden on these trips had been eating away at me lately. Surely I could walk in the snow on my own?

Eventually the slope leveled out into a clearing at the edge of a cliff. The view was even more breathtaking from up here. Morning light filtered by the clouds and the snow pooled into the mountains, turning everything an icy white. The snow twinkled in the light, Good Morning it almost seemed to say. The gray spires of the mountains jutted into the sky, frosted with the falling snow. Cedar and pine trees poked out of the rocky ground, staking their claim on the rough terrain. The overhang we were on was surprisingly lush, patches of grass and herbs grew among the snow covered bushes.

I looked over at Link, his hood was down as he also took in the landscape. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, his hair still a bit messy, but his eyes were wide in awe. And I suddenly knew why these mountains were his favorite. They were like him. They were quiet and serene, still but with so much life. Hidden away from most except for those who went looking. Fierce when they needed to be. And beautiful. Insanely beautiful. They were like Link.

“This is ...  gorgeous.” I gasped.

“It is.” Link smiled, not taking his eyes off the landscape.

“The start of the trip might have been rough, but this was worth it.” I whispered into the frosty air.

Link turned around then, relief falling over his face. “I’m glad you think that. This trip did not really go how I wanted it to and I was worried you weren’t enjoying it.”

I wanted to ask him how he wanted the trip to go, what he meant by that. To poke at the thing that lingered in the air sometimes. But I didn’t. “So what? I nearly fell off a cliff twice. Not a big deal, actually. Especially when your own appointed knight is there to save you.”

“Well, hopefully that means you’re okay with gliding over these cliffs. The blizzard is gone but we are so close to Selmie’s, we might as well stop by.” Link concurred.

“Let’s do it.” I tried to put on my most convincing smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

Link chuckled and pulled out his paraglider, then reached out for my hand. I took it and let him pull me closer until I was standing beside him. My right side against his left side, our arms fell to each other’s waists. The configurement we had to create to be able to paraglide with two people was a little complicated. I tried to focus on remembering what to do and not be distracted by his hip against mine or his arms around my waist. I double checked that the sheikah slate was secure and then grabbed on to my side of the paraglider.

Side by side, we walked closer to the cliff edge. Instantly my mind thought about yesterday and almost falling down the mountain. But I shook the thought from my mind and concentrated on keeping my form while gliding. I started going through the checklist Link had gone through with me last time. Keep your hold on the handle, do not let go. Keep your grip on each other, lean your body weight towards the middle to help. Keep most of your weight in your legs. Deep breaths and calm thoughts.

“Remember, pull down on the glider to steer it one way or the other. I might need your help if the wind picks up.” Link said, and then gave me a look to see if I was ready.

I nodded and before I could change my mind I started running with him towards the edge of the cliff. We jumped off and I felt my stomach fall as my feet left the ground. I kept a tight grip on my handle and my right arm was wrapped around Link’s hip, leaning towards him as much as I could without off-balancing the glider.

And then we were gliding! I let out a squeal, unsure if it was out of excitement or joy. I leaned my face into Link’s shoulder to hide it from the wind, but peaked at the landscape from a squinted eye. The air carried us up over the hollow below and Link steered us to the next overhang. The view up here was amazing too, endless mountains and snow was all I could see.  

We were in the air for maybe 30 seconds before we started to descend and land on the next cliff. Landing was my least favorite part, but this time I knew what to expect. Our feet hitting the ground with a thud, we actually did great. My legs gave out the second I hit the ground and I took Link down with me.

I laughed as I felt us hit the snow, rolling a few times. The rolling caused me to be slightly disoriented, but once I could see again I realized how fun that had been. The first time we tried gliding together it had been for a longer stretch and I had been too nervous to enjoy it. However a quick glide like proved to be enjoyable.

Link and I were laying on our backs in the snow, the paraglider in Link’s right hand. He was looking over at me, checking to see if I was okay. I smiled back while laughing, the adrenaline once again pumping through my veins. He laughed too after he realized I was fine. I stared up at the sky, watching the snowflakes flutter down to the ground. I couldn’t get over how absolutely stunning it was here.

I turned back to Link who was still watching me. His left arm was under my back, still around my waist and I felt the warmth of his body. We laid side by side in the snow, our breath creating a smoke like haze above us. It was so calm, so peaceful. I couldn’t help but think I wanted to stay in this moment forever.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then I saw the snowflakes getting caught in Link’s eyelashes. I realized I was rather close to his face, closer than I should have been. Not willing to risk the kind of thoughts I would have if I stayed laying down, I cleared my throat and sat up.

“Well that wasn’t too bad. Actually, it was kind of fun. “ I said while Link also sat up.

“Good, because we have one more area to glide over before we get to Selmie’s.” Link replied. He stood up and rubbed the back of his neck while looking at the ground. Then closed his eyes for a moment. As soon as I was about to ask if something was wrong, he opened them again. Then he smiled and held out a gloved hand to help me up.

Once we were both up we again got into position and took off over the cliff. I laughed in delight again as we flew through the air. It was so freeing to be flying in the mountains! I imagined I was one of the dragon spirits, gliding through Hyrule. Watching over it as I made my rounds across the land. I heard Link laugh beside me, his laugh shaking his body and echoing across the cliffs. Closing my eyes, I let the sound of his laugh take me somewhere else. Somewhere where we didn’t have the pressures of our destinies on us. Somewhere where we could be as free as we were right now, forever.

But our flight came to an end too soon, and we landed with a thud again. This time I managed not to take Link down with me and I only fell to my knees. The fleeting feeling of that moment knocked the wind out of me more than our landing did. I stood up and turned around, taking in the scenery again. The memory of Link’s laugh earlier still ringing in my ears. I realized that I had heard him laugh more on this trip more than I had ever before.

“Are you okay?” Link’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I turned to him, not hearing what he said at first. My eyes were drawn to the concerned look on his face, the slight tip of his head to the side in a question. The blue in his eyes contrasting against the white snow behind him, begging for all of my attention.

“Oh, yes. I was just looking at the view again.” I said, realizing my words had a hidden meaning. I blushed, hoping it would look like cold turned my face red.

Link gave a small nod in agreement and folded up the paraglider. We both started walking up the slope that cut through the edge of the mountain, heading towards a small tendril of smoke cutting through the air in the distance. It must be Selmie’s cabin, and it looked close! I started to get giddy at the idea of warming up inside and resting for a bit.

Suddenly Link stopped and stared up at something on the cliffside above us. Then his face broke into a grin, his eyes twinkling with an idea.

“Wait here.” He said. Before I could ask what he was doing, he started climbing up the cliff.

I watched as he climbed up, wondering what in the name of Hylia he was doing. He seemed to find footholes and places to hold on that didn’t exist. I remembered watching him from the castle, as he roamed around Hyrule after waking up. Everytime he would decide to climb a mountain or a building, I wanted to yell at him for being so reckless. But his ability to climb was really unlike anything I had ever seen.

I heard him say something from above, it sounded like a yell of triumph but the words didn’t reach me as he was too high up. He started to make his way down, only using one hand with something in his hand. Was he showing off now? As soon as I thought about calling him out on it, a gust of wind swept through the hollow. I felt myself stumble as the wind pushed past me.

Then I heard Link gasp and I looked up in time to see him lose his balance as the wind pushed against him. His hand reached out for a place to grib, but it missed. The next few moments happened so fast that when Link’s body hit the ground I wasn’t sure what happened at first. Then my brain caught up. I flinched as I remembered seeing him fall, his shoulder hitting the mountain, then his back hit a rock, his side making contact next. Each time sounded painful, did I hear something snap? Did I see him hit his head?

Next thing I knew I was kneeling on the ground next to him, pulling him into my lap. My heart started pounding and my hands were shaking as this felt all too familiar. I couldn’t breathe, my lungs suddenly losing the ability to function. I stared at him, frozen as I relived the last time I held him while he was unconscious.

I heard them. The mechanical grinding of the guardians. The sound of their blasts as they destroyed my kingdom. The sound of the one that had aimed itself at Link. Myself yelling “No!” as I pushed Link out of the way. The sound of his body hitting the ground that time, as he lost the battle to stay awake. The look on his face as the life left his body, the sorrow he felt as he knew his fight was over. Then the cough he let out as the light in his eyes faded, closing them for what I had thought was the last time.

I saw it all again. The worst moment of my life, helpless as Link died in my arms.

I shook my head, pushing it all away. I wasn’t helpless this time. Focus, Zelda! You have to do something!

My hands shook as I began looking Link over. I silently sent a prayer of thankfulness back to my old tutors, glad they had made me study anatomy. His eyes were closed, completely still. I put my fingers to his neck, and was relieved to feel his pulse. Good, that’s good. I told myself. He had a gash on his forehead, which was bleeding moderately. I could bandage that up though.

I gasped though as I saw the state of his right shoulder. I could see the bulge of bone through his clothes. My fingers trembling, I undid the ties on his armor to look at it. Luckily, the bone hadn’t pushed through his skin. His shoulder was just dislocated. That could be fixed. Then I moved down to his ribs, and pressed against his sides. Link let out a yelp in response.

I sighed as I knew his ribs were at least bruised, if not broken. Those can heal though, I said to myself. I tied up his rito armor again and set Link carefully back on the ground. I quickly checked his legs and feet, but they appeared to be fine. He would probably have some bruises, but nothing serious.

It was not until after checking his legs that I noticed what he had in his left hand. I gasped, as I stared at the silent princess still gripped in his fist. Link! You idiot! I wanted to yell at him. All of that for a flower, a stupid flower. My favorite flower . What was it doing up here? They didn’t usually grow well in colder climates.

I bit my lip and I pulled it out of his hand. He had gotten it for me. He had fallen down the cliff and gotten hurt for me. I twirled the flower in my fingers, feeling the rubbery stem prick at my skin. I pulled the paper parcel from my breakfast this morning out of my pocket and wrapped the flower in it. Part of me wanted to curse at it, stomp it into the ground with my boots. Yell at it for making Link climb up and retrieve it.

But I wrapped it up instead because he had wanted me to have it. The flower didn't deserve the anger I felt toward it. I looked back at Link, looking him over once again. I was pretty confident I could reset his shoulder and bandage the wound on his forehead. However, I needed to get him out of the cold first. Turning my face toward the skyline, I saw the smoke from what I assumed was Selmie’s cabin. It couldn’t be that far. Working quickly, I pulled one of the sturdier blankets out from Link’s pack and spread out beside him. Then as gently as I could, I pulled Link over so that he laid on top of it.

Then I began pulling him up the slope, going slow enough not to jostle him around too much but still going quickly to get him inside as soon as possible. I felt tears falling down my cheeks as I pulled my knight up the mountain, but I ignored them. I ignored the panic rising in my chest and focused on the determination I felt instead. I would not fail him!

Soon I saw the roof of Selmie’s cabin peak out from the horizon, and the sight brought new energy to my aching muscles. The last stretch seemed to take hours to cross, although it could have been no more than ten minutes. Finally we reached the door of the cabin and I saw a note on the door fluttering in the wind. I squinted my eyes as I leaned in to read it.

Gone for a couple of days, feel free to warm up inside!  -Selmie

Selmie wasn’t here. Which was probably a good thing, I didn’t want anyone else to see me in my near hysterical state. But it would have been nice for someone else to be here, to tell me I was doing the right thing and that it would be okay.

I pushed the door open slowly, checking to see if any other travelers had stopped by. The cabin was empty, the only movement was the remnants of a fire in the hearth. I grabbed the blanket and pulled Link inside. I pulled out another blanket from his pack and laid it in front of the fire. Then I pulled Link over so he laid on the new blanket. I walked back outside and shook the blanket out that I had dragged him through the snow on, dislodging the snow that had collected in it.

Walking back into the cabin, I checked on Link again. He was still breathing, still had a pulse. On the trek here he had been mostly silent, whimpering in pain every so often. But now he was silent as he slept in front of the fire. I draped the blanket over some wooden barrels that were by the wall next to the fire. Then I turned back to Link and rummaged through his pack. I knew he kept extra fabric to wrap around his wrists under his bracer. I quickly found the strips of fabric and also pulled out a water pouch. Then I found his stash of herbs and plants, and pulled the whole collection out.

He didn’t have as much as I thought he would, which was unlike him. Then I remembered the elixirs he gave me at the beginning of the trip. I fumbled around, feeling for the tiny glass jars until I found them. There were ten of them, I wasn’t sure what they all were. But there was one that had a familiar pink glow to it. He had a fairy elixir! That would be good, if things took a turn for the worse.

After taking stock of the supplies I had, I discovered that I had most of the items to make a pain relief elixir and a healing ointment for his forehead. I would have to go out and search for the remaining supplies, but that was a problem for later.

I decided the first course of action was to take care of his shoulder. Luckily, I remembered how to set a dislocated shoulder from my studies 100 years ago. I kneeled by Link’s right side and undid his armor again. As carefully as I could, I slipped his right arm out of its sleeve. Link only gave a short grunt of pain as I did so.

“Link, if you can hear me just know this is going to hurt for a bit. But I have to set your shoulder back.” I whispered to him, looking for any sign of acknowledgment that he had heard me. He gave no response back of course.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed his right arm in both of my hands. I lifted it so it was raised forward and straight out from his body. I stood up so I could use my height as an advantage. I put one hand on his shoulder and my other hand clasped around his arm, and pulled. Thankfully I felt his shoulder joint pop back in place quickly and I stopped pulling as Link yelled out in pain.

I grimaced at the sound as I rubbed my hand over his shoulder, pressing against the joint. Everything felt in place, no longer an odd bump where bone pushed at his skin. I thought about wrestling his arm into a sling, but decided against it.

Link’s face was contorted and he was breathing heavily. I scooted over to his head and ran my fingers through his hair while making shushing noises. He calmed down after a minute and his breathing returned to normal. I used the scraps of fabric to clean his wound and then wrapped a couple around his forehead to cover it.

There was nothing I could do for his ribs yet, but I knew Link would heal faster than normal hylians. The power of being the sword’s chosen one still coursed through his veins even if our duty was done. He still had exceptional strength, speed, and luckily, the ability to quickly heal. I frowned though as I knew he would still be in pain.

The fire besides us sputtered pathetically as it began to die out. We would need more wood and I needed to see if I could the remaining materials for the elixirs and ointment. I looked back at Link, unconscious on the floor besides me. He always took care of me and now I needed to take care of him. However, I began to worry that my limited knowledge of how to treat wounds wouldn’t be enough. What if his ribs were poking into his organs? What if his head injury was worse and I couldn’t tell? There could be so many other things that needed to be treated that I couldn’t possibly know.

As I walked out the door, I passed the note again on Selmie’s door. An idea began to form in my mind. Maybe there was a way to get Link out of here, but he wouldn’t like it.

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Everything around me is dark. I wander through the darkness, looking for a light source, but I don't see anything at all. Nor was there a forest on a moonless night; because then I would hear and feel cracking branches, lose leaves and the muffled sound of soft earth under my boots. It was no prison, no dungeon, no building and no shrine. After all, I would know the shrines the best because of the hundreds of trials I went through.

Nothing changes and I continue to wander through the light-dead space. But then I hear a soft voice, quiet and too far away. Desperate, she calls for my name, but I can't figure out where she comes from. I notice panic creeping into my face. But then I realize that I don't feel pain where pain should have been. After that life-threatening fall, I had felt a burning pain in my right shoulder. My ribs hurt like a muscle strain, but 100 times stronger. I still tried to get up to stop Zelda from crying continuously, but the pain in my shoulder and ribs prevented me from getting up. I could barely breathe and yet I tried to calm her down. That was the last thing I remember before I landed in this void. Was I dead? But why could I still hear her lovely voice? I gather all my courage and decide to find a way out of here by following the sound of her voice.

It took me all of my strength and courage to begin climbing out of this seemingly endless void. I feel my lungs filling and emptying weakly. I feel how my weak heartbeat strengthens the more I gain consciousness. My shoulder feels numb and my ribs aren't as strong as before. How is this possible? When I was finally conscious, but still very dazed, I notice a heavyweight on my chest above my heart. I turn my head to the right and left and notice that I am lying covered with coats on a hut floor, right next to an extinguished fireplace. My senses are returning and finally, I understand what this weight is on my chest is. It's Zelda’s head. Her hands rest right and left on my rib and shoulder. I lift my head and see her sleeping half lying on me. She has angled her slender legs and lies there, exposed to the merciless cold. It seems like, she had taken off her coat and covered me with it as she warmed herself with the flames of the fireplace. Carefully, I raise my head even higher to see her better and I immediately notice that she must have cried a lot; dry traces of her tears can still be seen on her cheek and nose. She must have been in despair. I feel a deep sadness wash over me, I wanted to give her joy with this trip but I ended up causing her pain.

Suddenly, she whispered my name in her sleep and snuggled into my Rito warrior top, which is spread out on my chest.

“Zelda.”, I whispered while brushing her hair out of her face.

She didn’t hear me. I guess she was in a deep sleep- But then, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Link?" Her voice sounds a bit raspy; my guess is that she has hardly eaten or drunk while I was unconscious.

"Zelda, your head's a little heavy." I say to provoke her.

Instead, she squeaks my name and her arms fall around my neck, giggling. All the strength I put into regaining consciousness was worth it, just to hear her lovely laugh once more. Exhaling loudly, I wrap my healthy arm around her shoulders and place one hand on her neck while pressing my head against hers.

Her floral scent reaches my nose and triggers a tingling in my chest. She jerks her head back while her eyes widen. " I am sorry...I-I did not want to invade your personal space…" she whispers. Her face is so close that I could almost touch her lips to mine, but I didn't want to allow my urges to take advantage of the opportunity and make her uncomfortable with my presence if she didn't want the same thing.

"It’s all right, you didn't invade it at all." She gives me a sweet smile while she stays above me for a while. I see her trying to absorb every detail of my face. But it was far too short. Her face wasn’t near mine long enough. And now I feel a deep remorse sitting in me for not kissing her. She moves away and starts to rummage in our back packs. “While you were unconscious, I dragged you with a carpet to Selmie’s hut and gathered all herbs and wood fire I could carry, to take care of you. It was hard to remember every recipe and every herb with their specialty but in the end, I managed to ease your pain a little bit and relocate your shoulder. I found the fairy elixir in your backpack and trickled some drops in your mouth while you were unconscious but apparently it does not heal every wound. I must note that for the next time.”

Wait. She did all that by herself? She must be so exhausted! And still, she thinks about my well-being instead of hers. But I really needed to know how she made me swallow the elixir while I was unconscious. “Thank you for looking out for me. It is my duty to protect you, but I failed and now you have to stay with me in the cold while you could have been in safety.”

“Link,” she gives me a soft look; “You died for me 100 years ago and protected my life many times now it is my turn to be there for you. That’s why I will put you back to sleep, to heal faster. ”

“NO, NO NO. I don’t want this. I don’t need this. Zelda, nooo!”

I try to fight her off with one arm but she just presses my arm down with her chest and her face hovers now over mine.

“Shall I demonstrate how I gave you the medicine while you were unconscious, dear Link?” she says while giving me a innocent look. I have a bad feeling about this.

“I won’t swallow it. As soon as I fall asleep, you will do something that I wouldn’t agree with! That’s why you want to knock me out.”

But still she plays innocent. She looks to the right and back to my eyes and smiles mischievously. She holds the elixir in her mouth and she uses her other hand to force me to open my mouth. Slowly she pours the elixir into my mouth, then she massages my neck to force me to swallow it and then closes my mouth again. As she wipes the drops from the corners of my mouth. She stares in to my eyes in a way I have never seen before. What was it? But before I could think of the answer I fell asleep.

Abruptly I tear my eyes open and tightly draw the air. I stare up at a pointed canopy. Even though I have just woken up, I immediately notice that I was no longer in the hut. Inwardly, I sighed; Zelda had actually done something I disagreed with. Suddenly I feel a stinging pain in my chest and frantically look around Zelda, but I found nothing more than furniture. I sit up and see a Rito villager bringing me a mug with a mysterious liquid on a wooden serving tray.

"Good morning, revered hero. I brought you our traditional made medicine. But it seems you're already in good shape."

It was Saki, the wife of Teba, the white-feathered warrior of the Rito tribe, who helped me fight Against Vah Medoh. She seemed to me like an unassuming Rito woman, but beautiful to look at. She hardly has time to put down the cup before a horde of Rito children storm into the room and throw themselves on top on me.

"LINK, LINK, LINK, WE ARE SOOOO GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN! PLAY WITH US, PLAY WITH US! SING WITH US!" all of them chirp in chorus as they jump on the bed while one even throws himself at my head.

"Be careful you little cheeky monkeys!" My heart fills with joy at seeing them and I let a laugh escape. I even joke around with them until I remember that Zelda isn’t here to watch this or experience the warmth of the village. Where was she? Immediately my cheerfulness suffocates, as if a candle had been put on it. My facial expression falls into my stoic expression as I remember that I didn’t protect Zelda again.

"Children, let the hero of our village rest for a while, he will take care of you when his wounds are healed and his pain disappears."

She must have noticed my change in mood, swirls it in my mind.

Reluctantly moaning, the children jump off the bed and say goodbye to me. Now it was finally quiet again. "Dear hero of the sword, the children worship you very much. They often run around and play knights and princesses and argue over who the hero should be with the sword." She giggled while holding her wing in front of her beak. 'So, don't mind them reacting so hastily to see you. However, I feel that your annoyance comes from a different origin. Does it have anything to do with the young woman with the golden hair and the big green eyes?"

Surprised by her acumen, I look at her directly without letting my guard down. I scornfully turn up my nose, leave the room and storm in the direction of Revali’s landing as I am stopped on the stairs by several powerful Rito warriors. I could take them all out in a split second. I feel the hot anger pulsing through my veins. Although they are several heads bigger than me I am not intimidated by anything. No obstacle was too hard. I will make it through here and find Zelda.

"Look, I thank you all for your help, but you must let me go right away. I must find my friend and protect her.”

“We are sorry hero of our village; we can’t let you go look after her. She told us you would act up when you woke up and that it was important to let you stay here as long as you need to heal.”

“Alright boys let’s end this game. Get out of my way and let me search for her.” Swiftly calculating my chances to escape without hurting them, I leap over their heads, spin around in mid-air and land on my feet directly behind them. My shoulder burns in pain. But I can’t stop yet. I need to find my best friend. Because without her, this world is without hope and light. Biting my teeth, I hold onto my shoulder and rush ahead. They scream after me and try to catch me but I was too fast for them. As I reached the stairs, I heard their voices demanding me to wait to let them explain. But there was no time for me to lose. I must find Zelda! I jump on the stair railing and run-down wards. I realise it was way more difficult to balance my body when my shoulder was injured . Feeling the cold headwind in my face, I took in a deep breath and focused. I hurried down the stairs, always keeping my muscles under control, I reach the entrance to Rito village and jump to the ground. I roll along the ground to take the impact out of the fall, but then I bump into the patrolling guard, who looks at me suspiciously. Without saying a word, I push past him and rush towards the first bridge.

Suddenly I feel a tingling on the back of my neck and instinctively stop just before the bridge. Within a fraction of a second, a flaming arrow is shot at the bridge, setting the wooden bridge on fire. I knew it would take longer for the fire to spread in the damp cold and rush onto the bridge. My upper body stripped and wrapped in bandages, I jump through the fire and hit the grassy rocks on the other side with full force. Face contorted in pain, I leap to my feet again and am about to charge towards the second bridge when a slender silhouette runs towards me.

"Link! Link! What are you doing! You're injured!" Her voice echoes in the face of the gorge below us and stabs me in the chest. She's alright, I think as relief spreads through me. I fall to my knees and struggle for breath. Only now do I realise how much strain I have put myself under. My body shivers with pain and cold and my sweat, mixed from my fear of losing her and my pain, freezes in the freezing cold.

"Link! LINK!" The hysteria in her voice is hard to miss. A breeze reaches me. I force myself to stand and look into two large worried green eyes. "Zelda..." I whisper to myself and force a smile. "By the goddess Hylia, what were you thinking running off in your condition???? Link. Please don't pass out again, I don't have that much strength to carry you." Then she presses herself against me, warming me with her Rito clothes as she carefully supports me as I stand up. But then she pauses and stares at a point ahead of us in the direction of Rito village.

"Link, please don't tell me the bridge is on fire because of you."

“Hmm… not quite.”

After everyone helped to distinguish the fire and repair the bridge we finally could talk about what happened. I sincerely apologized for being a total idiot as I learned what happened while I was asleep.

"Zelda, can you repeat why you did that? I wasn’t listening very well because of the angry looks around me.“ Now fully dressed in warm Rito clothes, I once bought from here back then, Zelda and I were finally able to be alone together. Saki was truly a blessing, as she noticed my insecurity around so many people and took out everyone as she left the room with the fire pit in the middle of the room.

"It’s going to be alright Link.“ Saki said but I wasn’t so sure about it. "Don’t worry they will understand after I talk to them.“

She looked between me and Zelda for a while and smiled in a way as if she would know something that I didn’t.

As soon as she left, Zelda looked at me waiting for me to give her my full attention.

"Link, it’s simple. I had limited ways to treat you in the mountains and your wounds were serious. I needed to send you to the village and get professional treatment for your injuries. I feared, I would lose you again but this time for good and I didn’t want you to go. So, I plotted to put you asleep because you wouldn’t want me be left alone in the mountains. Based on the information you told me a while ago that you could teleport yourself to a different place but it was way more difficult to send another person, I figured out how to teleport one person to a near place but I still had to study it. I am glad I managed to make it happen. Because now you’re in a safe place surround by people who respect and adore you."

Her look in her eyes became soft as she said the last words. I am not sure why but her look made my heart flutter. After a brief moment I realised that I was staring at her and shook my head. “Zelda but how did you find the way here? Did you teleport yourself here too?“

She giggled at my question and went further on to explain. "No, Link don’t be silly. I needed to send the slate with you in order to teleport you. I simply pinned a letter with a message and my coordinates on your clothes to let the Rito warriors find me. Remember the two, who looked at you with annoyance? It was them who came to guide me into the village."

Good grief, it were also the same dudes who held me back when I tried to escape. Embarrassment spread through me. I knew I had to make up for it.

“Don’t worry, they won’t be angry with you anymore after I talk to them." As if she read my mind. I smiled at a response and hoped she was right. „But why weren’t you here when I woke up? How long did I sleep anyway?“ I had been so stressed that only now did those thoughts occur to me. Uncertain, I grab the back of my head and look at Zelda, desperate for answers. In response, however, I get a honeyed chuckle. "You slept for a total of three days straight. It would took me a total of two days to get here, thanks to the Rito we got there quicker as they knew some shortcuts. When we finally arrived before the gorge, I could already see the bridge and was about to charge straight for it, but we stopped and I got on the back of the Rito with the blue feathers and soared over the gorge."

Suddenly I feel a strange feeling of fear mixed with a desire to fight take over. I had never felt this feeling before and yet I feel it right now, with Zelda telling me nothing problematic. I decided to push the thought aside and focus on Zelda.

"So you’ve been here a day already. How was it for you? The view is majestic, isn’t it? What had you actually done on the other side of the gorge, since I saw you coming from there.“

"When I arrived here I was immediately greeted warmly by the Rito children! They were so cute and sang me old songs from their people. I was also introduced to the elder! A really forgetful, sweet old geezer. He often spoke of you and how much you resembled the Link from the Time of Devastation. Then when it got awkward when he asked about my past, the woman with the cherry-blossom coloured feathers came to the rescue and saved me from interrogation .“ I smirked at her way of describing situations so vividly and dramatically. Even she giggled. "She was so kind and brought me to you and helped me take care of you. I learned a lot from her! She then gave me a book of remedies and cooking recipes and mentioned that I would find some ingredients at the other end of the bridge, in a horse stable which is a trading hub for many travelers. I just couldn’t help myself and dashed to the stable. I didn’t want to miss seeing you wake up, but unfortunately I was too late. I heard yelling in the distance and got worried, so I peeked out and then when I noticed the dark smoke, I dashed as I thought something had happened to you.“

She looks down sheepishly and almost whispers the last words. I smirk at her confession as I continue to lean forward towards her, mindful that the small cooking area next to us doesn’t torch my shoes. "Zelda, I was worried about you too. I thought you were alone in the mountains.“ I stare directly into her bright green eyes as she slowly raises her gaze to my blue eyes. I don’t even notice that I’ve already gotten close enough to smell her sweet scent. Once again I felt that desire inside me that I felt in Selmie’s hut. She gives me an infectious smile and asks me in a soft voice, "Link, can we stay here for a while? There’s something soothing and magical about the area.“ I nod in response and enjoy being able to be close to her again. "I will also take this opportunity to introduce you to two special Rito. Teba and Kass. You’ll love them both instantly.“ I smile at the thought of the proud warrior and the talented musician.

#a warm breath from the mountains #wbftm #quepasta #freshbreezesworld #zelink #zelink fic #zelink fanfic #zelink fanfiction #loz botw #botw #zelink botw #breath of the wild #loz #legend of zelda #link #zelda #fanfic #fanfiction #loz fanfic #nintendo #zelink fluff #link botw #zelink breath of the wild #zelda breath of the wild #age of calamity #aoc #hwaoc #hw age of calamity #botw2 #post game botw

[scandalousfemale]

Ch.2 The Safety Dance

Chinese!OC x Kelce

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Zombies were meant for apocalyptic movies and TV shows where one could binge watch for a day and return to their mundane life. But something happened, a lab test went wrong and suddenly the outbreak started. This story takes place exactly three weeks after zombies slowly started to take over the planet.

Series master list

WC: 6,726

Warnings: Violence, mentions of familial death and murder, THIS IS A ZOMBIE APOCALYPTIC FIC, there are mentions of weapons, we’re looking at someone’s wounds here, fighting, fear, ptsd, trauma, greasy old men being gross, please be aware that you are responsible for the media that you consume

A/N: I want to thank every single person who supported me this far. If you’re reading this it means that you liked the first chapter and you’re back for more! That means more than I can ever tell you because I love writing this series so much. Of course, it does get a little bit hectic because there are so many characters to take care of so thank you for little notes along the way from @rafecameron​ and a million thanks to @millyelliot​ for being my BETA reader and holding my hand while I cry lol I hope you all enjoy getting to know my characters a little more.

Waking up in a tour bus bunk was what Kaili felt waking up in a coffin would be like. The space was small and dark, and if it wasn’t for the quiet chatter towards the front of the bus, she’d believe that this was her own personal hell. She’d barely remembered falling asleep the night before, she must’ve passed out halfway through the movie and someone carried her to the bunk. If only so she wouldn’t be disrupting the flow of the common area. 

Kaili made it a mission to learn about the characters in front of her today. She needed to know if she could trust them, even though a small part of her told her that she could. She pushed back the curtain to her bunk and slid out of the hole she had slept in only to find Kiara and Sarah on the seat next to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes to adjust to the sunlight before giving them both a small smile and then indulging in caring for her hygiene that she hadn’t been able to do in weeks. 

“The boys have breakfast outside,” Sarah offered a sweet smile and Kaili couldn’t help but smile back. She nodded and exited the bus onto a RV campground. The people in the surroundings must be familiar with the area and faces because not one person looked out of place. She took in the rows of RVs around them, noting that privacy was a privilege that not a lot of them had, if there wasn’t a door next to yours then you were lucky. Maybe it was because no one wanted to park next to a bunch of kids or maybe it was the intimidation of trying to get out of a parking space next to the monstrosity that they called a bus but the few spaces next to them were empty. Of course, there could also be other reasons as to why the spots were empty but Kaili didn’t allow herself to dwell on the thought for too long, willing herself not to get sad about their current situation. 

It didn’t take long for her to spot everyone she was looking for. JJ was holding a map, huddled with Pope as an older gentleman stood next to them, speaking quietly and rushed as he pointed out spots on the paper in front of them. The man couldn’t have been any younger than forty, his disheveled salt and pepper hair and tired eyes did not compliment the wrinkled green shirt and khaki shorts he was wearing. Kaili didn’t notice that she was focused on making the guy out until someone cleared their throat in front of her. 

Rafe was cooking rice and beans in a pot over some fire, which made her wonder why they didn’t use the fully equipped kitchen they had indoors. He eyed Kaili as she stood by the door way of the bus trying to take in her environment. She stretched and it did not escape her that it was the first time in weeks that her joints didn’t creak and crack as she moved around. She finally moved from the doorway and sat down next to Topper on a lawn chair. 

“Mind if I sit here?” She asked though she was already sitting down next to him, giving him a small smile though he barely looked up from his radio. He must’ve been looking for something specific because he went right back to messing around with the dials, switching from song after song until he found the news he wanted.

She ate her breakfast, or lunch, in quiet. She didn’t say much to anyone else and neither did the boys say much to her. It was nice, she had to admit, to be able to eat and take her time or not have to worry about watching her back, though it doesn’t mean she stopped being aware of her surroundings. The storm clouds settled over the camp as she saw a man in the distance and if it were any other situation and she was with any of her friends, she’d tell them that that’s one of the sexiest men she’s ever seen.

She might’ve gone up and made a move had it not been for an apocalypse going on. Even if the guy’s shirt rode up just a little and she could see the muscle on his pelvic that creates the V…or even how his arms are flexed from carrying the plastic bags. Kaili licked her lips and as she helped herself to eye candy before quickly diverting her gaze when the man started walking towards her. Her cheeks immediately heated up when the man got close enough for her to recognize who he was. 

The smile on Kelce’s face, though small, proved that he definitely had seen her make eyes at him and if dying of embarrassment wasn’t such a shameful way to go in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, she’d have done it. 

“What do you have there?” Kaili inquired about the bags Kelce was holding, hoping to ignore any thought she’d just had for him.

“A couple of trades,” he replied, getting the hint but his smile was even wider now. “Since we’re headed back to the market tomorrow anyway, I felt like it was time to get some new things.”

“What do you mean?” Kaili tilted her head, not sure what he was talking about. 

“In the campgrounds, people trade goods, since money doesn’t really mean a lot to them right now. So, say I have a pancake mix with no stove, it’s useless, right? But you have a stove and you’re dying for pancakes but I’m not giving it to you unless you give something back. So, then the question arises, what’s it worth to you?”

Kaili raised her eyebrows at the man in front of her, really taking the time to drink him in. Almost like JJ, everything he says kind of has an edge to it. Even when he’s laughing or telling a joke, there’s a hint of either pain or anger that she can’t quite place. Of course, there’s the fact that he’s sexy but also that he looks, for lack of a better word, strong. His shoulders are wide and he holds them back like he knew he could take on anyone that comes his way but he also has scars running from his knuckles and disappearing into his long sleeve shirt. When her eyes met his hard brown eyes again, she could tell that he had just sized her up as well.

“Apparently a lot,” she tilted her head as he motioned to the bags he had placed next to Topper. 

“Not enough,” Topper interjected as he rummaged through the goods that Kelce had brought back. “We need food and weapons.” 

“We’re getting food tomorrow from that grocery store Wheezie pointed out,” Kelce brushed off his friend’s criticism. 

“And if it’s cleaned out by tomorrow? What then? We’ll be hungry until the next place we can find,” and though what Topper was saying did make a lot of sense, she could also see that Kelce brought back things that might be of necessity. He brought back clothes for layering, winter hats, and a bit of canned foods.

“I’ll go back in a couple of hours, a lot of people aren't awake yet. Talking about trading though, you might want to start setting up our spot. Maybe something good will come to us instead since you have such a problem with how I trade,” Kelce bit back. And as much as Kaili wouldn't mind watching two boys argue with each other, she’d much rather do anything else. So, she excused herself from the friendly fire and ducked back into the bus to rummage through her bag, there had to be something in there that she could trade. All she had was maybe a couple of days worth of spam, if only for a person, and extra knives. She also found four switchblades and of course, her extra change of clothes. There was also a mini sewing kit she refused to part with and the bags filled with medicine that she wouldn’t mind parting with some of her inventory.

As she separated what she was willing to trade and wanting to keep, a little girl had sat down on the seat next to her.

“Do you always carry those?” Wheezie pointed to the knives on her weapons belt now strapped around her biker shorts from last night.

Without breaking from her task of separating which medicine was necessary to them, she answered back with a simple, “yes.” Because since she found this belt and the knives with Wei, she hasn’t.

“Why?”

Now, that had made Kaili stop to look at the girl. Her glasses pushed back against her face as her curly hair was pulled into a bun at the top of her head. Then she realized that some people weren’t exposed to the horrors of the world just yet. Maybe Wheezie was protected enough not to see a family member dismembered in front of her. How she wishes she could say the same.

“It’s dangerous out there.”

“But you don’t have to worry when you’re with us. Plus, Topper said the only people on the campgrounds are the living and breathing ones.”

Finishing up the bag she was willing to trade, she wrapped the handle around her wrist to make sure no one could pull them off, “Wheezie,” she said the girl’s name for the first time as she stood, “humans are the most dangerous of them all.” 

“How?” The younger girl asked, a flash of doubt already crossing her face.

“Because you know what zombies want. They want to kill you. With humans, you don’t know what they want. They will smile to your face and then have an ulterior motive.”

Wheezie took a pause to think about what had been said and right when Kaili thought the conversation was over, she had turned to leave the bus, Wheezie stopped her in her tracks.

“You don’t trust us, do you?” It was a heavy question that had no simple answer.

“I want to,” was the best way that Kaili could explain it. Then Wheezie nodded at her as Kaili left the bus. The cold wind hitting her legs first and causing goosebumps to appear all over her body. She hugged her arms around her body, thinking about going back inside and putting on her long pants and long sleeve again but honestly, she couldn’t be bothered. 

She hadn’t even made it past the floor mat that was being set up at the end of their bus yet when a voice called out to her to ask where she was going. 

“I want to see what I can trade,” she said as she looked at Kelce’s face and if she hadn’t known better, it would’ve looked like he was upset. But he couldn’t have been upset at her, she hadn’t done anything to cause that reaction. 

“I’ll come with you,” he said and Kaili would have protested if it looked like he was going to give her a choice.

After disappearing into the bus, Kelce came out a few minutes later holding a Letterman jacket with the name SMITH printed across the shoulders on the back and a small bag of his own.

“Wear this,” he pushed the jacket into her hands as he easily took the bag away from her so that she could stick her arms into the holes. And so she did. She mumbled a small thank you to him before grabbing onto her bag again and followed Kelce’s lead. 

It didn’t take long for Kaili to get a peek into Kelce’s plastic bag, it was all filled with hygiene products such as deodorant, dry shampoo, and razors. Which made a whole lot sense as to why the trio she met at the pharmacy started throwing everything they saw in their bags.

“Remember what I said,” Kelce all but whispered next to her, “you have to know what your product is worth and how much what you’re asking for is worth. Some people will ask you for more but you have to be smart about it.”

Reaching the first group of people that seemed to be trading, they had set up all of their products on the floor. Two guys with guns standing beside the blanket as if they’ll guard it with their lives and honestly, Kaili wouldn’t doubt that they would. Even if what they were selling wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Just a couple of magazines, jerky’s, and individual bullets. She hadn’t noticed but somehow, as they walked around and bargained, she had stepped closer to Kelce. Or maybe he has stepped closer to her. There was just a level of security being next to him that clouded her judgement, that made her squeeze next to him when someone else tried to step into her bubble. Something that made her feel alright when his arm came around her to move her out of the way when a brute pushed his way through the crowd. 

Kelce was a natural at communicating with the traders. She was surprised to find him to be a people person because of how closed off he was in the bus but even now his eyes looked more distant than ever making her think that maybe he wasn’t really a natural, he was just trained very well. 

At one table, he traded in canned corn for beans and then whispered in her ear that beans were better because they are heavier so that they would stay full longer and she guessed that made sense in a bus full of growing boys. He’d also traded two razors, shaving cream, and a deodorant for one blanket. Causing Kaili to raise her eyebrows in question. 

“People, during a crisis, usually don’t think too far ahead. Maybe they don’t think they’d survive that long but all I know is that winter is coming very soon and we don’t have enough blankets for everyone to stay as warm as we need to be.”

As Kaili looked at Kelce there was an edge to his tone, “and you don’t trust that the bus would take you very far,” she concluded, saying the words he didn’t. 

His face gave a hint to smile and the playful gleam to his eyes made him all that much more attractive, “it’s big, hard to maneuver, no matter what Topper says. I also don’t miss how everyone else looks at it. These are just the early days, people aren’t so desperate yet but they will be and they’ll see our vehicle,” she didn’t miss how he didn’t say tour bus, “then it’s only a matter of when, not if, we’ll run into a group big and strong enough to take it from us.” He shrugged as if she should’ve already worked out the equation in her head. Maybe she was too busy enjoying the luxury of the shower and the bed to think twice about it but he was right and she hated that she wasn’t able to pick up on how people looked at that bus at the end of the camp. 

“Are you prepared? When that happens, I mean.”

Kelce smirked and spared a glance around them before he brought his hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear and lean in. To anyone else, it might look like he was about to kiss the nape of her neck but he stopped to whisper her a sweet secret instead, “I’m a great shot,” he leaned back with a wicked smile. She didn’t miss how his eyes flickered to her parted lips right before she averted her eyes and began walking to a new group of people who seemed a bit more rowdy than the rest. 

“Where’d you learn?” Kaili attempted to regain her breath, she didn’t need a distraction. Not now. Not when the world is crumbling.

They passed people huddled around radios, some listening to the president’s speech about how everyone was ‘all in this together’, it made her want to laugh but also cry at the same time. The people hidden away in mansions with gates and guards were definitely not fighting the same fight as the ones who were on the streets. Others were listening to the news about the widespread pandemic. Kaili didn’t stick around to listen but she caught a couple of sentences, talks of vaccines or having the whole city sprayed from the air were talked about being in the works.

“My father loved to hunt and he didn’t believe in doing anything we weren’t the best at,” Kelce's smooth voice broke through her line of thought and she welcomed it, “that’s how I learned.”

“So you’re telling me I’m standing next to the best shooter in wherever you came from,” she’d meant to tease but her tone came off a lot more impressed with him than she intended it to be.

All he did was nod once, never losing the smile.

“Lucky me.”

A group of guys that were causing a bit of a ruckus were trying to draw attention to their small tent as they pushed a couple of people out of their way to drop the heavy bags off of their shoulders with a thud. She could hear the metal clanking against each other and she knew exactly what they were before the men began to unzip the bags with a bright smile on their faces.

“Fuck,” she heard Kelce say below his breath next to her when the guys started pulling out guns and machetes one after another. She had wondered how many stores or maybe even homes they had raided to be able to accumulate their stockpile but that was a thought she pushed to the back of her mind when she saw a sniper with a stand and a machete that looked sharp enough to cut someone’s head off. She knew that she needed it. One of them would be a great service to the group if they were able to strap the sniper on top of the bus, it could help them with enemies, humans and zombies alike. As for the machete, it would be a better use for her because she wouldn’t have to get too close to her target and that was a privilege that her throwing knives did not allow. 

She was the first one to step in front of the men, “what are you willing to trade with?” was her question, not taking her eyes off of the weapons.

“Well, baby, what are you willing to offer?” one of the greasy men with handlebars mustache had stepped before his friends and asked her.

“I want the sniper and the machete with the black handle,” Kaili didn’t waste time as she got on her knees and started pulling some products out of her bag, “I have spam for days, a Swiss army knife, and pills. I have medicine for anything you think you need. Asthma, anemia, you name it and I got it.” 

The man didn’t waste time stepping in front of her kneeled figure and putting his hands on his hips, “you know what? I kind of like my little porcelain doll like this. How’s that for a trade?” the greasy man said as he looked over her shoulder and Kaili noticed that he wasn’t talking to her. He was talking to Kelce, as if asking him for permission to trade the weapons for her. Hearing Kelce chuckle behind her, disgusted, her lips curled about to give him a piece of her mind before the man was off of his feet and slamming onto the ground on his back. Kelce on top of him in an instant, his hand wrapping around the guy’s shirt while the other fist met the man’s cheek. 

“That’s no way to talk to a lady,” Kelce’s jaw ticked as the man’s friends were now at their side but before they could even touch him, Kaili pulled two blades from her thighs, pointing the sharp instrument at their throats.

“Gentlemen, I don’t think this is a very nice way to conduct a business, don’t you agree? Now, before you get a tiny bit ahead about yourselves, I think that my offer was very generous. If you don’t believe so, that’s fine. We can walk away,” Kelce grunted behind her but she kept talking, “what do you say?”

The shorter man in front of her with red hair, freckles, and green eyes looked to the other one beside her, “Abby is asthmatic, we’ve been trying to find a pharmacy forever and you know we don’t even know what we’re looking for. The name’s all different and weird, man. I mean, I need it.” The other man seemed to agree so with great caution, Kaili looked them over again before sticking the knives back into her thigh band.

“I have salmeterol xinafoate, fluticasone propionate powder. I actually have a couple of those. I have a couple more other brands, I’m not really sure what Abby takes but they come with inhalers. Here,” Kaili gave them the bag which still also included the spam, not worrying herself with Kelce as he was still talking to the guy but at least they were off of the floor now. 

The green eyed man took the bag gratefully as his friend shooed away the crowd that had gathered around them. Telling the people that if they’re not going to trade then they were basically wasting their time because no one was fighting today.

Kelce hadn’t mentioned standing up for her the entire time that they had looked around for more supplies and she didn’t bring it up. Not even when he glared at the man in front of her when she wanted to trade one of her throwing knives for a power drill. Yes, it was completely useless to the man selling it but for her, it was the only way to attach the sniper to the top of the bus.

After a couple of rounds to some other families, they’d finally made it back to Topper packing back up.

“What the fuck?” he looked at them with wide eyes as he saw the new found weapons.

“Is this not what you asked for?” Kelce said, already defensive but he was quickly distracted when he saw what Topper and Kiara was putting away, “how’d you manage that?” he pointed to the soggy used-to-be-frozen pizza in Kiara’s hands and something that might have looked like it used to be ground meat, Kaili wasn’t sure.

--

Dinner wasn’t half as bad as she assumed it would be but, then again, she wasn’t one to be picky. Earlier, when Kiara was fixing dinner with JJ, Kiara had the help of Rafe to put up the sniper on the rooftop and she was quite proud of the purchase, if she did say so herself. Rafe was also kind enough to praise her a whole total of one time. She must’ve been getting through to him. 

“Hey,” Kelce nudged her with his leg as she shoved half a piece of kiwi in her mouth, courtesy of Sarah. She learned it’s best to just not ask anyone where they got anything and appreciate that they were willing to share it with her.

“If you teach me some of that first aid stuff, I’ll teach you how to shoot.”

“Wait,” Kiara squeezed her way into the spot in front of them, “teach me, too. I can teach you literally anything you need to know about cooking or mixing pre cooked food.”

“You guys know I’d teach you this without expecting anything in return, right?”

“Don’t,” Kelce advised, carelessly grabbing onto Kaili’s knee as he spoke, “don’t do anyone any favors without something in return. Including us.” 

Kaili kept her eyes on Kelce’s hand until he pulled away from her, her eyebrows arched in question.

“What Kelce means in ‘rich people mentality speak’ is that if we can offer you something in return, you should take it. Like his jacket,” Pope pointed out and though his words could have been taken as a snarky response, she didn’t take it like that. She also chose to ignore his latter statement.

“What I meant was what I said,” Kelce refuted.

“Well, what you said came off kind of gross,” Kiara sided with Pope as she rolled her eyes. 

“Good thing I wasn’t talking to you though, isn’t it?” Kelce’s voice stern but collected and Kaili could see it now. He didn’t have the air of a free spirited person the way that JJ, Pope, Kiara, and John B did. He was more put together in a way that he felt he always had to present himself. That brought her back to what Pope had just called him, rich. Of course, she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t seen it before. The way it was so easy for him to talk to strangers in such a charismatic way that it almost seemed practiced. Instilled. He was rich and that meant that his friends, on their own side of the firepit, Topper and Rafe, had to have been rich as well. Not like it mattered anymore, as Kelce said, money doesn’t get you much in the streets.

“Okay,” Kaili announced when Kiara made a move towards Kelce, “so I can teach you both, or all of you, first aid but I refuse to do it if it’s inflicted from one person to the other. So, stop getting at each other’s throats.” With a nod, Kiara had a triumphant smile as she plopped herself down beside Pope and JJ.

Feeling Kelce’s eyes still on her, she shrugged, “what?” but Kelce didn’t respond. He just shook his head at her, a small smirk on his lips.

Kaili was about to head inside to see how Sarah and John B were doing when the man that JJ and Pope were talking to earlier today came towards them with a map. The middle aged man looked like he was about either about to flee or pass out at any moment by the way that he was fidgeting and looking over his shoulder. Kaili definitely didn’t like that. A man who looked like he was running from another kind of demon. He wiped the back of his palm across his sweating forehead even if it was one of the colder nights that South Carolina has seen this past week. A part of her wanted to reach out to the man and tell him that he doesn’t have to worry about looking back as long as she was in front of him but another part, told her that he might’ve just brought trouble to her door step and she didn’t want to comfort that. 

Pope had motioned Kiara to get up and follow him inside of the bus, a small act that Kaili caught.

“I found the map,” the older man said, JJ immediately moving next to him as he laid the map close to the fire, the only thing illuminating any of them on this dark night. She’d found herself moving closer to what seemed like a torn up and taped map of the United States, red and blue markers decorated the paper with lines and x’s. She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at though.

“The guys, the military, man. They’re just picking people up left and right and they’re separating the men and the woman and I can’t have that. I can’t lose my girls,” he was still pointing to the x’s on the map. Kaili cleared her throat as if for either of them to explain to her what was happening since both the man and JJ seemed lost in their own world. 

“Right,” JJ said as he looked to his friends and Kaili, “This is Mark,” JJ said without glancing back at the man, “he’d came up from Florida and he said that it’s a shit show down there. Bodies scattered on the street and then turning into fucking zombies. His stories are...something else, man. Apparently, Georgia is just taken over by the military now. They are snatching people up and no one really knows where they’re taking them, so I think it’s time we seriously think about leaving the east coast. He’s taking his family to Canada and they’re passing through New York to do it, he said it’s the safest way and I kind of believe him?” JJ ended his statement sounding like it’s a question. 

The blonde boy sat on his knees as he traced the map, showing the group which route would be the easiest but there was an uneasy feeling bubbling up inside Kaili. It’s impossible that Wei and her were wrong but then again, does this mean that they would’ve been doomed either way? Before panic could take over her a hand came to her shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Kelce asked her, eyes scanning her face as if he was waiting for any signs that she’d vomit her dinner on him but all she gave him was a shake of her head before she turned back to JJ who was still rambling about the roads.

“No,” she said as she stood, realizing that she’s declining both the men who were talking. All eyes turned to her and she took in their faces. Except for the man with the map, the boys surrounding her had such sweet baby faces and she will not watch another person die in front of her.

“I’m from Maryland, everyone there was basically told to go south because everything started in New York and though that might not be true, I can honestly tell you that Maryland is gone. There was nothing left there when W—, when my cousin and I ran.”

“You’re wrong,” Mark confidently said as he stood up himself, eyeing Kaili like she was the new threat, “nothing could be worse than the south and passing through New York is the easiest way to get to Montreal.” The conviction in his voice almost made her believe it, if she hadn’t seen the horrors of the states above them herself.

“Okay, so even if New York isn’t the epicenter, let’s say the news had lied, you’d have to actually get there alive and there’s a chance Canada will not let you in. Then what? You turn around and go back the way you came? The plan leaves you cornered and vulnerable. You need to think about getting gas in those states. States I’ve just told you aren’t safe.”

“You think I don’t know about getting gas? We have to stop for that anywhere that we go anyway,” the man insisted.

“Okay,” Topper tried to interject but Mark took a step forward. Kaili didn’t miss that he wasn’t the only one to do that. JJ is now standing, staring at the map in his hands. Topper is glaring at the space between Mark and Kaili.

“Listen,” Kaili took a breath before she continued, “I don’t have a say in what you guys do. I was only brought in to help your friend, I’m not dumb enough to think otherwise but I do know that we will go our separate ways if you want to go up north.” She declared. She took a pause to shake her head as the images of her parents clouded her mind, “I can’t go back there.” She softly whispered. 

“Then it’s settled,” Mark spoke, his speech hurried as he took the map back from JJ, “leave the girl before she gets you killed and take my advice. Go north,” he gave JJ a quick nod and made his way back to his family. 

The silence that he left behind would’ve made anyone else uncomfortable but not when she was lost in her head. She just wanted the flashbacks to stop. 

Topper gave a quick nod to the guys and walked back into the bus, along with Rafe, probably going to talk about the best way to leave her behind, she assumed. 

“How many?” JJ asked suddenly as he sat in front of her and Kelce was still beside her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable that she’s the last one standing, she reclaimed her seat.

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

“How many people have you lost, or watched die, however you want to put it?” And the question squeezed her chest tightly. She didn’t want to think about it but it was all she could think about as she dug her nails into the part of her thighs that were exposed.

“Five, that I know,” she said with an exhale, “my parents first, they were...eating my aunt and uncle in law. Then I lost my little cousin three days ago. She was barely sixteen,” tears swarming her eyes as she squeezed her leg tighter. 

JJ nodded in understanding, “I lost my dad,” he said as if the memory doesn’t affect him but the strain in his voice gave him away, “he was an asshole but it still hurt. He’s actually the first zombie I saw. I thought he was high as fuck again when he came at me but then he didn’t stop. Even when I broke his arms. So, yeah, I killed my dad. How’s that for fucked up?” He released a humorless laugh. 

“I lost my parents,” Kelce said next, his voice low and JJ winced as if he had already heard this story. Of course, they all must’ve. “My dad had killed my mom when he saw what she had become. She was trying to attack my little sister so it really only made sense but when he came to, he just looked at me and shot himself. He couldn’t take it, I guess. Not that he cared that he’d be leaving two kids behind.” Kelce said in disgust, “and then I told my sister to stay close, stay next to me so I can protect her. I told her that it was the only way to make sure that she was safe but when we got to the ferry for the mainland she wouldn’t stop crying and crying about her friends. I mean, I get it. She’s thirteen and she cares about them, too, but before I even realized it, she was gone.” 

“What happened to her?” Kaili hadn’t realized that she was holding her breath.

“I don’t know. She sent me a text before our phones went off. She said her friend is sailing across the Atlantic, that their parents have done it before and how she wished that I’d listen and I’d gone with her, but how could I have been listening when I was thinking about our safety? You know? She said that she had called my name and that I’d just kept walking into the ferry, following my friends.”

“Is that why you don’t talk much? So you can listen?” Kaili asked.

Kelce shrugged, “when I’m not thinking about her, sure.” He turned away from them both. JJ offered her a small smile. 

“See, you don’t need to suffer in silence here. We’ve all gone through something,” and though it was true, it still didn’t make her feel better. “So when you need your space or you need to work some shit out, let us know. We’ll listen or leave you alone, whichever you prefer.”

And just when Kaili was about to thank them for their kindness, Rafe showed up at the door, “so are we done having a heart to heart or are you guys going to sleep out here tonight?” He said. But there was something in Rafe’s voice that betrayed the cold exterior he was trying to portray and she wondered if their little heart to heart was heard by everyone else in the bus.

“I should probably check on John B anyway,” Kaili excused herself, ignoring the grumbles behind her as the rest of the boys told Rafe that was uncalled for.

The energy inside the bus has shifted, more than likely Topper and Rafe had filled the girls in on their change of direction and Kaili’s inflexible heart. She was aware enough that it was probably her trauma speaking when she said she wasn’t going back. She knew that maybe the information could be right and maybe she could be wrong but that doesn’t help the fact that her body was rejecting the idea of even going. Yes, she’d be alone if they left without her but she wasn’t going to ask them to change their minds either if it was already made.

She made her way into the bigger bedroom at the end of the bus where John B has taken up space right now after washing her hands and her arms, making sure that he was going to be as protected as possible. The boy looked to be sleeping the night away but at least his color was coming back and the sweating had stopped.

Hearing someone come into his space, almost as if instinct had taken over, his body stirred and he opened his eyes, tension leaving his body when he found her standing by him. 

“You’re looking better,” Kaili offered a small smile as she sat beside him on the bed, asking if she could look at the sutures she performed on him.

“All thanks to you,” the boy said as he lifted up his shirt, wincing as he moved, “I was sure that I was a goner,” he continued with a faraway look in his eyes. 

She maneuvered him in a way that made it easier for her to look at the stitches without having to undo the entire bandage on him.

“What even happened?” She inquired and though she knew not to pry, it was curious to her that in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, someone would die from blood loss from a wound instead. “I know your friends said it’s a knife wound but it looked like you were stabbed with something a bit more...bigger? Thicker than a knife.”

“Are you telling me you don’t believe I fought off a whole bunch of pirates for their boat so we could cross over to South Carolina safely?” John b joked as he offered a flash of a smile before Kaili shook her head with a small laugh, making sure that his wound was looking better and not infected.

“Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t either,” he began, “I was trying to run away from some zombies with my friends. They’d all jumped over a fence and I guess I over shot it or under shot it, I don’t know. I was jumping and then the next thing I know, a part of the sharp end of the metal fence was in me, I didn’t even really feel it at first, my only thought was like I hope that Sarah hasn’t left without me—because we were going to her house to get her, you know? I don’t even think that I screamed.” 

“He most definitely screamed,” Pope said at the entrance to the bedroom, “I know you’re not supposed to remove the thing lodged inside a person but it was either leave him there or pull him out and we’re not really in the habit of leaving people behind.”

“Lucky you,” Kaili sweetly said to John b as she looked to Pope, “to have friends willing to risk their lives for you.”  And this she said to the both of them. Afterwards, she’d gotten up from the bed, John b had nodded returned to closing his eyes and Pope excused himself to the kitchen.

Kaili had washed her hands again, thoroughly before returning to JJ’s side as he put on another movie for the night.

“So, I think our best bet is just going west to California,” Rafe announced to everyone in the bus, sparing a glance at Kaili.

“What?” Kaili asked, confused.

“You’re not going north and we’re not going south. We sure as hell can't swim the ocean so we’re going west,” Rafe explained and left no room for discussion as he turned back around to Topper and right then, her heart might’ve mended itself a little bit tonight.

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