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linawritesocs · 1 year

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jay's union birthday ssr vignette + art!

it's jay's bday!! :D

i remind you that i only see fake!jay as a playable character while real!jay does appear in the story, you can't play as him, so he doesn't get his own vignette. he does get mentioned though!

and here's another reminder that in the third year/graduated versions post i've mentioned that fake!jay's personality would change a lot and.. as i said, i want my characters to actually get older, so you can see him already starting to act differently in this vignette <3

also this one is a bit short bc i basically had to speedrun both writing his vignette and drawing his bday art

[ part 1 ]

[ ujasiri dorm lounge - birthday venue ]

jay: "i wonder who i will get as my presenter."

jay: "it's probably gonna be allen-senpai, isn't it.."

jay: "or maybe it will be blythe-senpai-"

???: happy birthday, jay-chan!!~ ヾ(⌒▽⌒)ﾉ

jay: ".. oh. it's still a speculum student, but a different one."

jay: ".. the dorm leader, to be more exact."

angel: i was chosen to be your presenter! ＼ (^-^) ／

angel: and i promise to take my job very seriously. (￣ｰ￣)

jay: ".. a-are all speculum students like that? maybe they're just trying to be more like their dorm leader?"

jay: "i think blythe-senpai is like.. the only exception."

jay: i-i see.. i'm happy to see you, ashley-senpai-

angel: please call me angel! (>_<) everybody calls me that and you should too~ ^‿^

jay: by the way, why do people call you that? is it like.. a nickname or something?

angel: eh, i don't know, someone came up with it and said that it suits me because i'm so kind. (• ε •)

jay: .. but what is an "angel" exactly?..

angel: i don't know, ask seth-chan about it. he came up with it and when he explained it to the other students, they agreed that it's perfect for me and i just played along. ╮(─▽─)╭

jay: .. oh, so it was his idea..

angel: but enough about me!（￣へ￣ ) it's your day after all! ｖ(⌒ｏ⌒)ｖ♪

angel: oh, that reminds me, i have a present for you! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

angel: to be honest, i don't know much about you, so i just picked it based on what allen-chan has told me. (╯︵╰,)

angel: here, open it! ヾ(＾∇＾)

jay: ".. i'm gonna be honest, i'm a little scared."

jay: ".. hm?"

jay: oh, it's a book.

jay: let me see..

jay: .. wait a second.

jay: .. i-it has another book inside of it??

jay: and it has a third book inside too..

jay: just how many-

angel: it has only seven of them, sadly. (｡-_-｡) i really wanted your gift to be special and i know that reading is one of your main hobbies, but i felt like just getting one book for you isn't enough..

angel: i was told that this book will have at least ten more books inside of it! (ಠ ∩ಠ) what do you mean it has only seven??

jay: all of them look very interesting though.

jay: thank you, ash- um, angel-senpai. i appreciate it.

angel: .. you like it? you really mean it?

jay: yes.

angel: ...

angel: .. i'm so happy!! ヽ(´▽｀)ノ

angel: thank you so much, jay-chan! i was so worried that you won't like it.. o(╥﹏╥)o

jay: haha, it's okay, it's okay.

jay: ".. is it true? were they really worried about such a thing?"

jay: "i just can't figure them out at all."

[ part 2 ]

angel: okay, it's time for the birthday interview! ┗(＾0＾)┓

angel: here's the first question! ヾ(*´∇`)ﾉ

angel: "if you could choose one person from the royal sword academy as a sibling, who would it be?" └（★ｏ★）┐

angel: it can't be someone from your dorm though! (◡︿◡)

jay: a sibling?..

angel: oh, oh, i bet you're gonna choose allen-chan! (σ≧▽≦)σ you two are very close after all~ (人´∀`)

jay: um, well..

jay: to be honest, when we first met, i saw him as someone completely different.. like, totally not a sibling figure..

angel: eh? what does that mean? (*°ヮ° *)

jay: n-never mind.

jay: hm.. yes, i think i know who i would choose.

angel: ohhh?? (•⊙ω⊙•) so excited!! ☆(◒‿◒)☆

jay: i think it would be roland-senpai. you know, the gardening club leader.

angel: !! really?? (⊙︿⊙)

angel: ah, it's probably because of his big brother figure vibes! ╰(◡‿◡✿╰)

jay: haha, i guess you can say so.

jay: but the thing is.. roland-senpai really is someone i can fully trust. i admire him a lot.

angel: oh?? ◉‿◉ i wonder why.. (◠‿◠✿)

jay: well, you see.. roland-senpai has not the best reputation, i agree.

jay: but he tries his best to become a better person. and even if he still has his moments of weakness, he never gives up.

jay: i don't know what he did and what kind of person he was in the past, but.. i can try to guess.

jay: and i respect him a lot for still trying to make friends and being nice to everyone even though almost all rsa students either hate him, think he's scary or just ignore him.

angel: .. oh no, now i feel bad for roland-chan.. o(；△；)o

angel: i didn't know that people hate him?? ಥ_ಥ why would they be so cruel to him?? he's such a nice and kind person!!

angel: i wish i knew about it.. i want him to feel safer here. (╯︵╰,) i heard that he used to go to nrc before transferring here. now that i think about it, it does make sense why so many rsa students dislike him..

angel: it doesn't mean that they should hate him though! they should be nicer to him! ( ⇀ ‸ ↼ )

jay: and also.. even though i said that i don't see allen-senpai as a sibling figure, i still admire him too.

jay: p-please don't tell him that though. he won't stop mentioning it all the time if he finds out.

angel: really?? how cute!! so you two really are close! ( ≧◡≦ )

jay: i just admire him for not trying to be like the other rsa students, that's all.

angel: .. huh? what do you mean by that, jay-chan? (。・_・。)

jay: allen-senpai is weird. he's really weird, he's scary, he never thinks before doing something and he gets a new crush like every week.

jay: .. but that's what makes him unique. he doesn't try to be like other rsa students, who act like stuck up royals and pretend to be better than they actually are.

jay: he just doesn't know that his flaws are.. well, flaws. he thinks it's normal to act like that. most of the time he's not doing it on purpose or with bad intentions. he just does what he thinks is right.

jay: .. b-but i would still never want an older brother like that.

angel: haha, and here i was hoping that you will say something like "even though i don't show it, i care about him a lot"!（＾ｖ＾）

angel: but it's okay. i can see that you like allen-chan more than you think you do. ≖‿≖

jay: h-hey-

angel: oh, are you friends with any nrc students, by the way? (*´・ｖ・) you do come there often after all.

jay: "most of the time i come to nrc only to tell allen-senpai to come back to rsa.."

jay: hm.. i guess so? there's this one student from savanaclaw who i didn't expect to become close with, but he's surprisingly nice even though he looks kinda scary, haha.

jay: .. there's also this one person who i also saw as my sibling figure. he was like a twin to me, to be honest.

jay: i'm not sure if i still want to be associated with him though.

angel: wait, what?? ( °□° ) what does that mean, jay-chan?? please, i need answers-

jay: next question, please.

[ part 3 ]

angel: o-okay.. ahem, if you were to join any dorm other than ujasiri, which dorm would you choose?

jay: .. i don't know.

angel: huh? really? come on, i think you would be perfect for, like, any dorm in this school, jay-chan! （人´∀`*）

angel: you're basically like a prince after all-

jay: hey, angel-senpai, am i really that popular?

jay: i don't have that many friends here, so..

angel: hm.. i heard many people say that they think you're like a perfect rsa student to them! (^▽^)

angel: sure, maybe you can be a bit awkward sometimes and you need to be more confident, but you're smart, polite and very pretty! your unique magic is so fun too! ヽ(´▽｀)ノ

jay: .. interesting.

angel: sooooo, which dorm would you go with? (°⌣°) oh, may i suggest spec-

jay: no.

jay: "i've already heard enough from blythe-senpai.."

jay: "just say something already. i want them to leave me alone."

jay: ".. but i want to give an honest answer too.."

jay: um.. enaskota, maybe?

angel: ohhh, makes sense! since you're the smart and curious type and all. (✿◠‿◠)

angel: but sometimes i'm surprised to see just how much you actually don't know about this world. seriously, you look like a lost child sometimes, haha. ヾ(＾∇＾)

jay: .. haha, yeah, i do have those moments sometimes.

jay: "okay, that's it, i can't stay with this person in the same room. say what you want about allen-senpai, but i'd rather run to him right now."

jay: u-um, angel-senpai, don't you think it's time for the "gift of good fortune"?

jay: or do you have more questions for me?

jay: "i sure hope you don't."

angel: nope, i've only got two of them! (｡´∀｀)ﾉ

jay: "what kind of interview is that??"

angel: okay, are you ready then, jay-chan? (｡◝‿◜｡)

jay: i am. thank you for being my presenter, angel-senpai.

jay: "please, just throw it at me already and let me go!.."

angel: ehehe, okay!~ (σ≧▽≦)σ

angel: happy birthday, jay-chan! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

#i still love aurora's rsa dorm names they're so cool #please. please can we get some official rsa content i'm starving here #.. yes one of the reasons why this vignette is shorter than what i've planned is. um. i got tired of looking for kaomojis 😭#also a lot of them don't look good on mobile/pc #i love how austin is like.. slowly getting better and becoming more open meanwhile fake!jay is like. but what if i get a corruption arc #the literature and animals lover: jay #a strange but loving dorm leader: angel #ngl i don't like most of the tags i have but i'm too lazy to come up with something new

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starriwonderland · 1 year

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I posted 32 times in 2022

That's 32 more posts than 2021!

23 posts created (72%)

9 posts reblogged (28%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@estcaligo

@star-star-fall-inlove

@miss-jester

@lanshappycorner

@nicoliharu

I tagged 24 of my posts in 2022

Only 25% of my posts had no tags

#twisted wonderland - 21 posts

#twst nrc - 11 posts

#disney tw - 10 posts

#diasomnia - 9 posts

#malleus draconia - 9 posts

#twst headcanons - 8 posts

#twst malleus - 7 posts

#nrc - 7 posts

#lilia vanrouge - 7 posts

#vil schoenheit - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#rollo's reaction to seeing malleus ssr you cant tell me otherwise

My Top Posts in 2022:

Hello! Hope youre doing well :) can i request for a very melancholy s/o with Vil? Generally a very nostalgic and introverted person but very warm, heartfelt, wise and understanding? A mature infp if you may LWNSKQ

Thank you ! Have a nice day :D

Hi anon I hope you have a nice day too! I've been doing better these few days and first I'd like to say that I apologize for taking so long on this, it was worded rather confusing to me and I lack knowledge on mbti personality types. Please request again if I didn't write it the way you liked. I did see the words melancholy, introvert, and heartfelt, and nostalgic so I wrote this as:

Vil with a shy introverted s/o

(Sorry it's kinda short </3 I hope that's ok)

(´；ω；｀)

Characters: Vil Schoenheit

Reader: gn

Genres: Fluff, headcanons

Warnings: none

Usually despite your shy introverted disposition, you were rather sweet around those who you were close to.

Vil liked that about you. You were someone who he could share his feelings with. You could do the same with him.

Vil doesn't really try to change the fact that sometimes you're shy because he found it rather cute

Everyone at school is kinda shocked by the fact that the Vil Schoenheit who is the image of confidence would date Y/n who was probably the second biggest introvert (next to the elder Shroud)

I imagine that Vil REALLY adores your maturity, something a lot of the NRC students lacked at times. Vil considers himself to be a rather mature person.

Vil loved it most the quiet times you'd spend together, just having your presence was enough for him to feel calm.

He's not going to force you to be really social with others if it makes you uncomfortable.

You don't have to worry about people poking fun at you because you were shy, because no one wants to make Vil angry. (And if they did they must be very stupid and better get someone to plan their funeral /hj)

113 notes - Posted September 25, 2022

Hihi! I wanted to request a headcanon of Idia and Azul of how they would take a male s/o out on a date :D thanks!

Hi! I love this idea so much! I tried my best to make the reader male! I got stuck on what to write so I added crack because this is the twst-verse I hope that's okay!

Genre(s): Romance, Fluff, Crack if you squint.

Warning(s): mushrooms, slight ooc on Azul's part sorry I'm still learning about him, mentions of social anxiety on Idia's part.

Reader: Male

Character(s): Idia and Azul

Okay so CAPITALISM—

I'm joking💀

Azul will take you on a date AWAY from Mostro Lounge because he doesn't want the Tweels interfering

They still did anyway

Got the right from Headmaster to leave the campus don't ask how. All you need to know is Crowley is graciously giving his full permission.

A gentleman, he bought you flowers and wanted to take you to dinner!

Wanted everything to go perfectly but Tweels intervined :,)

Took you to a fancy restaurant and you guys sat down

You both ordered pasta as the waiter respectfully wrote down what you wanted.

A band was playing music to fit the romantic atmosphere

Everything was perfect...too perfect (Leech twins cue to come try to mess everything up for funsies)

His glasses went askewed when he finds out Jade is the 'new waiter' when there food is delivered.

"Unfortunately I will be serving you now as the last waiter has finished his shift" obviously it was a lie. Since when did jade work here?

Azul was kinda nervous about eating now as Jade expectantly waited for you both to try your food.

One bite and it was evident that the recipe had been modified with mushrooms

Jade looks every bit pleased by you guys reactions to the fungi and notes everything down.

Well if that wasn't embarrassing enough Floyd is now trying to take over the music band because "their taste in music was too sappy and boring" the guests are just bewildered at the scene.

"If you two are here, who's watch The dorm and Mostro Lounge?" He asked in a serious tone.

Azul looked very upset until he heard joyous giggles coming from you. He loved your laugh and now he's laughing too.

You were having a great time regardless of the twins shenanigans.

Of course he'd take you out again on a proper date though (or at least try to.

See the full post

129 notes - Posted October 4, 2022

How the Twst Characters Would Drive a Car Pt. 1

Part 2 | Part 3

Characters: Heartslaybul and Savanaclaw

Genre: Crack headcanons

Warnings: None

This was a random idea that just popped into my head.

• Can he even reach the pedals?

• Riddle is definitely the type of person that strictly adheres to the laws of the road no question about it.

• If you're riding with him you'll follow them too "Wear your seatbelt y/n, don't distract the driver, no eating in the car..." Yeah stuff like that.

• Doesn't road rage but he will turn as red as his hair if someone cut him off.

• 8/10 recommend, he's a good driver but boring

See the full post

135 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

I have writers block so I'll serve you a word vomit of angst

• Imagine a long time after everything at NRC, after graduation, after Malleus becomes king, Lilia lives in that small cottage again

• Imagine him keeping a diary so he wouldn't forget his memories but for some reason stopped.

• Imagine Lilia opening his diary for the first time in years to be reminded of his time in NRC and that he had a son

• Imagine Lilia searching desperately for his son only to find his grave with a sword symbol engraved in it

• Imagine him remembering Silver's death and that he didn't record it because he didn't want to accept the fact that his son was gone.

Imagine that

Your reminder that Lilia will have to bury Silver one day, and that fact that he is a knight doesn't make his chances of living a long life any better.

152 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I personally headcanon that Malleus gave Lilia absolute HELL when he was a kid. Not that he meant to 😭 but chaos always just happened.

he probably wasn't spoiled but most likely very demanding it shows💀

654 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #twisted wonderland

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kippykasey · 3 years

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Grace - Chapter 4: Amazing Grace

Pairing: Howard Stark x F!Reader , Bucky x Reader [Eventually]

Word Count: 3131

Series Summary: A young nurse is recruited by Dr. Abraham Erskine to join the SSR to assist on Project Rebirth. Following her work with the SSR she is drafted into the US Army Nurse Corps in the war against the Nazis...and HYDRA.

Chapter Warnings: minor character death, violence

Author's Note: Surprise?! After a battle with writers block and my own mental health I have finally been able to finish this chapter. Thank you for being patient with me as I get this out. I did switch the POV to first person, so I hope you don't mind. I still feel 'eh' about it but that might just be me being hard on myself. Either way enjoy! I hope to get back onto a normal update schedule again soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gifs they are either found on google or under the gif tag provided by tumblr. Any language other than English was translated using Google Translator, and translations will be posted in bolden italics after. I am not a nurse or in the medical field although I may do some research medical treatment written may not be correct.

Grace Masterlist | Snowdrop Masterlist | Masterlist

My fingers twisted the band around my finger, occasionally stopping to run a finger over the slightly sparkling gem. The turbulence Howard was trying to avoid was delaying our early arrival in London. London, that last place of peace I will see for a while. My eyes had been locked on the array of dials and gauges that were on display on the dash for over an hour now. Howie probably thinks I have fallen asleep by now but how could I sleep with my mind racing? Lifting my head I reached for the co-pilot headset that was hanging next to me and carefully placed it over my ears.

“Hey doll, you alright?” Howie’s voice entered my ears through the headset as he glanced over at me. I gave a soft smile but it was too weak to mean anything. “A lot on my mind. I’m afraid of losing the ring. I’m nervous about the war. I miss Abraham.” Part of me worried he wouldn’t hear me but his hand moved off the control stick to rest over my hand. It was comforting but I knew he was just as nervous about the war as I was.

“Just wear the ring with your identification tags. It’ll be okay.” His fingers wrapped around my hand bringing it up to his lips. Releasing my hand to its previous place on my lap his focus returned to piloting the aircraft. We would be landing soon.

It had only been a few short days since Project Rebirth. I hadn’t been able to write Steve Rogers since I checked up on him but I knew Peggy would keep an eye on him from wherever she was so part of me was a bit calmer. Howard’s voice came through the headset as he called down to the air tower for landing clearance. The landing was a bit rough but nothing Howard couldn’t handle it seemed. I followed Howard’s actions as he took his headset off. He grabbed my things, his would be collected and taken to the facility he would be working at, and reached for my hand to help me from the plane.

There standing by a car was none other than Peggy, her shoulders back yet relaxed as she waited for us to approach her. “Welcome to London, Mr. Stark. (Y/n) you will..” Peggy’s greeting that sounded nothing but official died on her tongue moments before her red lips turned up into a smile as she looked between Howard and me. “I believe congratulations are in order, perhaps we can postpone your drop off a little bit longer.” The twinkle in her eye made me smile. Howard moved around the car to put my bag in the back as Peggy stepped forward pulling me into an embrace. “We shall talk before you leave.” She whispered before the three of us got into the car.

Peggy took us out to lunch to celebrate our new engagement. It was a nice meal filled with smiles and laughs. It was also the last time I would be wearing the ring on my finger. Howard was sitting with me in the back seat on the way to camp when I moved the band from my finger to the metal chain hanging around my neck with silver ID tags hanging over my heart. Arriving at the camp and saying goodbye to Howie was the hardest thing I thought I would have to do. His arms wrapped around me, neither of us saying a word but knowing the chances for the future. “You’ll come back to me. I know you will.” Howie’s statement seemed so sure like it was written in stone and couldn’t be changed.

A private was there to gather my bag and take me to my new division that would be leaving on July 1st for Tuscany. I always wanted to visit Italy, but not like this. I walked by soldiers running and others sitting around talking. The medical cabin was only half full. The first person I was introduced to was Doctor Gabriel Fields. Dr. Fields would be the doctor for the division I was assigned to. He was a bald man in his mid 30s who held his head high like he was better than everyone, constantly bragging about his wonderful wife and three strapping boys. During the time before our shipment out of England I only spoke to Fields at training where he always seemed to look down at the younger nurses, which included myself.

There was one older nurse, the head nurse of the division, Abigail Moore. She was a stern looking woman who practically demanded everything be organized. This was the second war she had been a part of, the first was the first world war. She was either in her late 40s or early 50s no one was really sure, except maybe Dr. Fields who favored Nurse Moore. Maybe it was the bond between parents? After all, Moore had two children of her own who had given her 5 grand children already. As for the rare mention of her late husband it was all positive or how they had met during a party celebrating the end of the first world war.

Between Moore and Fields my habit of singing Amazing Grace to soothe the soldiers was nearly forbidden until two weeks after we arrived in Tuscany and had begun our travel through Italy. There was a small attack by nazi soldiers. A grenade went off taking out two of our men and injuring four others. The medical tent was busy as each nurse tended to an injured man. It was also the first time I watched a soldier die. His leg had been blown off and shrapnel was sticking out of his arm. My body was still stiff from locking up at the sound of the grenade as I tended to the man who was panicking over his leg. Fields was already looking at it as I started to remove and bandage the shrapnel in the soldier's arm. Men behind me were worried about their comrade outside of the tent. The anxious cloud of emotion made my hands shake as I pushed back the man’s hair.

For the first time since we arrived in Italy I began to sing the hymn. Men quieted trying to hear the softer sound coming from me.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind but now I see.”

I glanced up at Dr. Fields for an indication of what the result was for his leg. The smallest shake of his head told me that there had been too much blood lost and the soldier wouldn’t make it. I turned my head back down to the man who had stopped yelling in pain.

“Was Grace that taught my heart to fear

And Grace, my fears relieved

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed.”

The hectic frenzy in the medical tent calmed to a low buzz as the other nurses worked in a calmer environment. Men outside sat on equipment boxes or the ground. My hands cradled the soldier’s head, moving him carefully into my lap. If this man were going to die in my care then he would die knowing he was not alone.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares

We have already come

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far

And Grace will lead us home

And Grace will lead us home”

My voice cracked as his breath slowed and eyes closed. My eyes closed, willing the tears not to fall. My hand brushed over the man’s chest where trembling fingers grasped at silver. Henry Williams.

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see

Was blind, but now I see”

The soldier lay limp on my lap. Nurse Moore and Dr. Fields moved towards me to move the body. Still refusing to let tears fall, my head tilted back and I sniffled, the sign that my emotions were betraying me. A firm yet delicate hand rested on my shoulder, the squeeze of fingers was enough to remind me of the same encouraging gesture Erskine would do in the SSR labs. My head turned to meet the dark brown eyes of Maxine Maine. For the toughest nurse to be looking at me with glossy eyes, I knew that what just happened was emotional for everyone in our division. “Come on, let's get you some air.”

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

From that moment on Amazing Grace became my thing started by Max herself. Maxine didn’t have the best bedside manners, given she was raised by a fisherman. Yet when she heard me sing it relaxed and calmed her enough to have gentler hands. One night when we were sitting at the camp fire she told me it was because it reminded her of her mom, one of the nearby soldiers agreed. I just smiled at them and shrugged my shoulders. By the time the first letters went out I had heard several men telling me that they were telling whoever was back home waiting for them that they had an angel in their division taking care of them. A week later when mail was delivered I had more than what I was expecting, considering I had only sent out three letters to Howie, my brother, and father.

One name stuck out to me. Rachel Williams. I took my small stack of letters and returned to the tent that I shared with the two other younger nurses. I sat on the small storage box before opening the letter. The writing was a bit shaky and there were a few splotches of runned ink from fallen tears,

To the nurse who was there with my boy during his final minutes.

My name is Rachel Williams and my son is Henry Shawn Williams, the man you comforted after the incident. I wanted to thank you for what you did. My nephew was in the tent that day. He wrote to me telling me how peaceful my boy looked in your arms before he passed. Henry never wanted to fight, he wanted to be a teacher. My nephew called you an angel and I have to agree. You’re an amazing grace blessing those in your care. Henry died in peace and that is all I could ask for, thank you.

The woman signed her name and taped a small angel pendant to the bottom of the letter. The somber mood was quickly disturbed by a squeal. I was able to quickly wipe any fallen tears from my face and hastily shove the letter back in the envelope before the freckled blonde nurse raced into the tent. Charlotte Liffiet, the sweetest gal I have ever met, looked at me with a smile so bright the cheshire cat would be jealous. “Gracie, ya never told us ya had a brother.” Clutched in her hand was a singular envelope but four pages worth of letters, each page in different penmanship.

“I don’t talk about myself, Charlie. That’s all.” Charlie, as she preferred to be called, huffed and leaned back against the small stack of baggage. “How did you find out about him anyway?” The slight pout vanished at my inquiry as she moved over pointing at the neatest out of the four letters. “My brother Bo mentioned him. Said he’d like to set us up after the war.” Charlie shot a wink at me while pointing at the spot where her brother wrote about mine.

My brother Robert was in the air force, I knew that. “Looks like you’re not the only one who got a nickname, Gracie.” Robbie Rocket was what her brother Bo kept calling Robert. I smiled and shook my head. “He’s a handful, Charlie.” I warned her before turning to open another letter. Charlie huffed and hit me with the letters. “You try having four brothers. The fact that they all like and approve of him seems like a good sign to me.

The flap of the tent opened letting in Maxine, the fiery red head of our trio. “What are you dames talking about in here?” Charlie moved to sit on her cot. “Gracie was hiding a brother on us.” Max snorted and flopped back on her cot. Maxine Maine was an only daughter of a widowed fisherman, she was a bit...rough around the edges. Max looked around before leaning closer, call me when you got a pretty dame.” Maxine winked at both of us before retrieving her box of cigarettes. “Playing poker with some of the gents, see you later.” Max spoke before putting one of the sticks in her mouth and leaving the tent.

Charlie went back to reading her letters, she had only read Bo’s when she came in. I looked back at some of my letters. There were a few letters from moms and wives who say they feel better knowing there was a nurse like me watching over their boy. Then there was my pa telling me how proud he is of me and congratulating me on my recent engagement. Reading him talk about my engagement made me reach up and grab at the ring hidden under my shirt.

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

By early October our squadron had reached Azzano in Umbria, Italy with a fourth of our men already gone. We would be stationed here for a few days checking in with nearby towns. Another wave of letters had arrived, thankfully because Max’s dad had been sending her cigarettes and she had run out recently. After a nudge from both her four brothers and myself Robbie sent a letter to Charlie. Who knows maybe at the end of all this I won’t be the only one looking at wedding dresses. Howie had written maybe twice a month. He’s been busy working on planes and other new inventions for the US military.

Azzano was pretty calm and peaceful, maybe it was wrong, but the men lowered their guard as they enjoyed the downtime the peaceful break had given them. By nightfall the squadron made a few fires and the younger crowd; Max, Charlie, and myself included, sat around talking about what plans we had for after the war. It was at that moment I realized I never told anyone that I was engaged, not even my two friends knew.

“What about you, Gracie? Going to become a singer?” One of the soldiers called from across the fire where a few of the men passed around a flask. I looked over at him and scrunched up my nose. “You gents have only heard me sing one thing, how do you know I’d be any good?” I teased, my arm propping up on my knee to hold up my head as I leaned forward. One of the other guys snorted, “You gotta have something planned for after we’re done.” My eyes moved off the guys and onto the fire my other hand was playing with the chain around my neck. “Oh I do. I’m going back home to Brooklyn, gonna find a pretty dress and marry the man I’ve got waiting for me.”

There were cheers and a few cat call whistles that heated up my cheeks in the darkness. “Whoa whoah, wait a second. First you hold out havin’ a brother now you’re tellin’ us you’re spoken for?” Charlie gasped from next to me. I let out a soft laugh and nod my head. “Yeah, a crazy man asked me right before I shipped out to marry him. He’s traveling around back home. Engineer for the army.” I grinned. The happy moment that was just built came crashing down as someone yelled, “Grenade!” The explosion wasn’t like normal. Instead it let out a smoke that fogged up the already darkened camp. Men rushed for their guns.

“Stay low. Get to the medical tent.” I told the girls.

The camp was invaded by nazi soldiers. There were flashes from the ignited gunpowder as rounds were fired in the night air. “Medic down!” A soldier called. I quickly raced over to see Maxine passed out a cut on her head. A soldier helped me move her to the medical tent where Moore, Dr. Fields, and Charlie already were. “Max got hit in the head.” I told them as she was set down. “I’m going back out to provide immediate care.” I grabbed an emergency rifle from near the tent door along with the medical bag. It was in August that I covered an injured soldier with his own rifle when we were in a small battle that the guys entrusted me with a rifle of my own.

“Holen Sie die Krankenschwester. Wir brauchen sie nur. Holen (Y/n) (L/n).” Get the nurse. We just need her. Get (Y/n) (L/n).

A soldier grabbed my shoulders and pulled me behind him. Together we landed into a slight trench. “They keep saying your name.” The soldier in front of me dropped to the ground as his leg had been shot. Hands gripped my arms hauling me from the trench. I tried to fight back as two men pulled me over to a man who looked to be leading the attack. “Ah, fräulein (L/n), there you are. We’re going to need you to come with us.” miss. The thick German accent made me raise my head higher as I looked at the straight face of the military man in front of me.

With my arms still held I did the only logical thing I could think of at the moment, I slammed my forehead into the man’s nose. The man wiped blood away from his nose looking at me like I was some dirt on his boot before the back of his hand made contact with the side of my face. I flicked my head to the side moving a stray piece of hair out of my face. “Ich habe nie gesagt, dass ich freiwillig kommen würde.” I never said I would come willingly.

I was dragged from camp. Many soldiers tried to stop the Nazi soldiers from taking me but it was futile. Many men were injured and maybe a few deaths but it was clear, as we walked through the camp, I was the priority. The only fight that happened on their exit came from people trying to stop them. A fight that wasn’t won as I ended up tied up and shoved into the back of a vehicle moments before the stars above me swirled into darkness at the painful impact of the butt end of a rifle hitting my temple.

#grace #howard x reader #bucky x female reader #howard stark x female reader #catfa #bucky barnes x reader

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swan-of-sunrise · 3 years

Text

Specs and the Flyboy (Chapter Sixteen)

Summary: Jack and (Y/N) visit the Special Forces Club for more information on Michael Carter, and a surprise meeting with one of (Y/N)’s old OSS colleagues results in her talking to Jack about her traumatic past.

Pairing: Jack Thompson X Reader

Word Count: 4.9k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a brief scene containing verbal harassment and discussions of trauma.

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen London, England (Previous Chapter)

Rubbing a hand over his still-tired eyes, Jack called out to (Y/N) in the other room, “Okay, we should probably go over everything again before we head out!”

“I’ll be there in a moment, I just need to put on my lipstick!”

Jack organized and spread all their files and papers across the top of the desk as he waited for his partner to finish getting ready, sighing through his nose when his eyes landed on the copy of Michael Carter’s original file. The newest break in the case, the possibility that Peggy’s brother was helping the SSR take down the Secret Empire from within, had set Jack and (Y/N) at odds with one another; while Jack was more willing to believe the theory, (Y/N) was highly skeptical of it, finding it hard to believe that the man who’d faked his death and committed was crimes for Hydra would change allegiances so quickly.

I guess it makes sense that she’d think that, he thought to himself as he glanced over at her closed bedroom door, she’s never done anything in her life to be ashamed of. Immediately, he regretted how envious his internal monologue had sounded; it wasn’t (Y/N)’s fault that he’d been awarded the Navy Cross for a terrible lie. But since meeting the codebreaker, it was difficult to refrain from comparing himself to her and the guilt that had been eating away at him for over two years had only steadily grown.

Before he could think on it some more, (Y/N) emerged from the bedroom and moved to lean against the side of the desk opposite of where he stood. “All right, where should we begin?” When he didn’t immediately respond, she looked up from the papers with a concerned frown. “Flyboy? You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, just a little tired…” Jack quickly replied, glancing away so that she wouldn’t realize that he’d been gawking at her from the moment she stepped out of her bedroom. She wore a sea-blue skirt and jacket with a matching fedora-styled hat, and her lips were colored with her signature red lipstick; sea-blue, his favorite color, flattered her figure and her lips had never looked so enticing to him. To distract himself from his own wandering thoughts, Jack cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s start with the Secret Empire itself.”

(Y/N) nodded. “All right. The Secret Empire was an organization within Hydra that was concerned with taking over the world by subversive means; while they were still attached to Hydra during the war, that meant funding their operations and diverting the SSR’s attention away from their activities whenever they could. It was rumored that they broke away from Hydra at the end of the war but thanks to our friend Mr. Hanson, we now know that to be fact; they formed their own group from the ground-up, using a copy of Howard’s stolen blueprints to manufacture devices for bank robberies, and then used the stolen gold to find their organization.”

“And Dottie Underwood, a Leviathan spy, somehow fits into all this.” Jack drummed his fingers against the desk. “When we finally arrested her in New York, she was leading a group of men in a bank robbery but she wasn’t after gold.”

“What was she trying to steal?”

“An Arena Club pin. Before I got shot, I found out that it was a key and I gave it to Peggy for safekeeping. You know, Underwood never told us who gave her the order to rob the bank; we all just assumed that it had been Leviathan but after her failure with Fennhoff, it would’ve been difficult to get back into Leviathan’s good graces.”

The codebreaker’s brow furrowed, a sign that she was lost in thought. “What if…? What if that bank robbery wasn’t just her chance at redemption, but also an olive branch from the Secret Empire? Think about it: the Secret Empire must’ve had a difficult time out on their own in post-war America, robbing banks one-by-one and partnering with crime bosses to earn their revenue; it’s a bit of a step down from the power and influence they had with Hydra. But since Hydra’s gone now the biggest threat out there’s Leviathan, so wouldn’t it be in their best interest to join up with them and in the process, help get rid of the Council of Nine as a potential rival?”

“But if that’s true then what’s their endgame? What exactly are they using the stolen gold to fund? What’s the significance of the key? And if Michael Carter really is trying to leave, then…?” Jack trailed off, noticing the way (Y/N) was pursing her lips. “What?”

She sighed. “I know how you feel about that theory, Flyboy, but until we have definitive proof we need to continue operating under the assumption that he’s the enemy. That’s what all the evidence we’ve collected so far points to.”

“Why’s it so hard for you to believe that someone could switch sides?” He demanded, a little annoyed by how closed her mind was on the subject. “You were the one who said that people aren’t born knowing right from wrong.”

“Yes, but this is different, Thompson! I saw first-hand the kinds of things Hydra did during the war. The torture, the human experimentation, the mass execution of civilians…? I saw the aftermath of it all.”

“You’re not the only one who was in the war, (Y/L/N), I saw my fair share of shit, too! I watched good men do terrible things out there in the Pacific that made me sick to my stomach, but I also understood that it was war. That doesn’t excuse or justify what they did, nothing ever could, but it doesn’t…it doesn’t mean they’re irredeemable. Besides, you didn’t see the way Michael looked in The Palladium; it was like he became a different person for a split-second, kind of like he’d woken up from a trance or something.”

Moving away from the desk, (Y/N) leaned a shoulder against the wall and sighed to herself. “According to the file, those are the things that Michael Carter had his hand in and even if it’s somehow wrong, you and I both watched as he shot a man dead in the middle of that same nightclub. As far as we know, he’s by no means innocent in all of this.”

Frustrated but wanting to avoid a fight, Jack nodded and looked back down at their papers. “Okay, what should we go over next?”

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

Around midday, Jack and (Y/N) left their hotel and took a taxi to Knightsbridge, an upper-class district of London not far from Hyde Park. Jack spent their trip staring out the window, quietly admiring the still-rebuilding city that he’d never thought he’d get to see again; the one and only time he’d visited, it had been on the orders of Vernon Masters and he didn’t have any time to enjoy his trip. Not sure I’ll be able to enjoy it this go-around, he thought to himself as his eyes subtly flicked over to (Y/N) sitting beside him, but at least the company’s nice. In no time, their taxi came to a stop in front of a large and ornate building.

“Good afternoon, sir, madam.” The doorman greeted Jack and (Y/N) as they got out of their taxi, allowing them to step into the entryway before holding out his hand. “Your membership card, sir, if you please.”

“’Scuse me?”

“Once we verify your membership to the Special Forces Club, then we can provide you and your wife with accommodations.” The doorman patiently explained, his focus entirely on Jack as he spoke.

Jack’s jaw clenched in anger and he gestured to (Y/N) standing beside him. “She’s the one with the SFC membership, and we’re only here to visit the records room.”

Taking note of Jack’s barely-contained irritation at his assumptions, the doorman stammered out a hasty apology before turning to (Y/N) and examining the membership card in her hand; he felt (Y/N) rest a placating hand on his arm as she explained their visit’s purpose to the nervous-looking man and once he stepped aside to allow them in, Jack shot the doorman a hard glare and followed (Y/N) down the hall.

“We’re here for information, Flyboy, not to start a fight.” The codebreaker spoke lowly, giving him a sideways glance as they got into the elevator. “I think the records room is on the top floor…”

“How’s it you’re even a member of this club? Seems to me like it’s just a place for stuffed shirts to re-live their old war stories.”

The corner of (Y/N)’s mouth twitched. “Well, it sort of is; it was founded in 1945 on the order of the last Chief of the SOE, Major General Sir Colin Gubbins. It’s intended to be a meeting place for former SOE, OSS and other intelligence organizations in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, similar to an old fashioned gentleman’s club. It became more popular when the SOE was officially disbanded earlier last year.”

Jack furrowed his brow in confusion. “But why isn’t the SSR a part of this club? They’re a wartime intelligence organization, too.”

“The SFC doesn’t recognize them because they were created by the Allies to strictly combat Hydra, not the broader Axis Powers; in their eyes, the SSR’s too niche for them.” She shrugged noncommittally, giving him a lopsided grin as the elevator continued its travel. “Believe me, I had absolutely no desire to ever visit the SFC before our case; I don’t exactly fit in with the crowd here.”

“’Cause you’re a woman?”

“No,” The elevator stopped on the third floor and the doors opened, revealing a smoke-filled lounge and a handful of rowdy men clinking their glasses together. “Because I don’t derive any enjoyment from re-living my old war days.”

The boisterous group of men began filing into the small elevator, still chatting away and enjoying their drinks; so as to share the space, (Y/N) moved closer to Jack’s side and while the doors slid shut, he noticed a couple of the men glancing over at her with interest. A surge of protectiveness quickly came over him and he wrapped an arm around her waist before gently tugging her closer to his side, glaring at the ogling men from over the top of her hat. They seemed to get the hint, quickly throwing themselves into conversation as if the two of them weren’t there.

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor and the men filed out, silence filling the space as Jack and (Y/N) were left alone once again. With some reluctance, Jack removed his arm from her waist and adjusted the tilt of his fedora, using the action to hide the look of disappointment that was likely gracing his features. Shortly after, their elevator came to a stop on the top floor and the doors slid open to reveal the entrance of a records room.

Once (Y/N) showed the desk clerk her membership card, they were allowed into an enormous room lined with endless rows of metal filing cabinets and several long tables set in the middle. They hung their hats and coats up on a coat rack and exchanged a weary glance before setting out to find any more information, classified or otherwise, on Michael Carter’s activities during the war. If any place is going to have the answers to some of our questions about Peggy’s older brother it’s this one, Jack thought with a small sigh as he followed (Y/N) down a row of cabinets.

They searched for what felt like hours, walking up and down each row of metal filing cabinets and scanning their individual labeling cards. Jack entertained himself by whistling and discussing different films with his partner, having recently learned of her fondness for motion pictures. Their conversation soon shifted from listing off their favorites to comparing and contrasting the various films that had been shipped out to them during the war.

“Yankee Doodle Dandy was a good one, but I remember thinking that it was a little strange not seeing James Cagney playing a gangster.” (Y/N) flashed Jack a smile before examining the label of the cabinet beside her. “Did you ever see Buck Privates?”

“The Abbot and Costello flick? Nope, but I’ve heard of it; the Andrews Sisters are in it, aren’t they?” He rolled his eyes in amusement when she shrugged noncommittally. “I swear, Specs, I think you’re obsessed with those gals…”

“What, jealous that I have a better taste in music than you do, Flyboy? What about The Bells of Saint Mary’s? I’ve always loved Ingrid Bergman’s films, and Bing Crosby was excellent in it.”

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked. “That’s the one where the priest and the nun fall in love, right? Yeah, I think that was one of the last ones I saw before I shipped home.”

“You sure we watched the same film? They don’t fall in love, they gain a mutual respect for one another by the end.” (Y/N) shot him a befuddled glance as they turned down another aisle. “Hollywood wouldn’t dare produce a film where a priest and a nun have romantic feelings for one another, you know that.”

“Not explicitly, yeah, but there sure was a helluva lotta subtext in it.” He countered. “It’s like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, except it’s the church and their devotion to it that keeps them apart, not their families.”

(Y/N) stopped and looked at him with a brow raised in challenge. “It sounds to me like you’re a fan of forbidden romances.”

Shrugging, Jack stared down at the codebreaker and smiled. “Well, they can be pretty fun sometimes; not knowing how or when it’ll end makes it all more interesting, Specs. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Sounds a little dangerous to me,” She quietly spoke, but her eyes never left his. “And there’s a lot to lose in romances like that.”

Jack, feeling himself leaning down a little closer to her, only grinned more at her words. “But there’s a whole lot more to be gained and besides…I like a little danger.” His eyes drifted away from hers to glance at her enticing lips and he realized that she was beginning to move closer as well. “(Y/N), I-”

“Well, if it isn’t (Y/N) (Y/L/N)!”

He and (Y/N) hastily jumped apart, looking over at the dark-haired man standing at the end of the row; the man was classically handsome, with a chiseled jaw and bright green eyes, and he was smiling bemusedly as he strode over to them. Jack felt a pang of annoyance when he noticed the way the man was looking at the codebreaker beside him.

“There was talk that a female codebreaker was visiting the club this afternoon; I’d been hopin’ that it would be you, darlin’.” The man looked over at Jack and raised a curious brow. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Chief Thompson of the SSR.” Jack didn’t look, but he could tell by (Y/N)’s voice that she wasn’t happy to see the man either. “Chief Thompson, this is Calvin Huntington; he and I briefly worked together at the OSS during the war.”

“Good to meet you, Thompson!” Calvin shook his hand with a firm grasp, but his grin tightened a little as he continued. “I didn’t think your little wartime agency was still operational; I’m with the CIA, of course, stationed here in London. If you ever wanna move on from the SSR, I could always put in a good word for you.”

Smug son of a bitch, Jack thought to himself as he replied, “Thanks, but I’m happy with where I’m at. We both are, actually.”

(Y/N) stiffened beside him just as Calvin glanced over at her in surprise. “You’re with the SSR again, (Y/N)? That’s a shock, considerin’ what happened in-”

“I’m so sorry, Agent Huntington, but my partner and I are working a very time-sensitive case so if you’ll excuse us…” She hurriedly explained, not sounding sorry at all by her abruptness.

Calvin only grinned. “Of course, I’ll see you both later when you’re finished.” He turned to leave but stopped himself, looking back at (Y/N) with a flirtatious wink. “And it’s Cal, darlin’.”

Neither of them said anything until the sound of Calvin’s footsteps faded away, when (Y/N) groaned in frustration and rubbed at her temples. “Just my luck that I run into that bastard my first time back in England…”

“Who the hell was that guy?” Jack asked, still annoyed at the man’s obvious flirting. “He looked like he could’ve used a good sock to the jaw.”

The corner of her mouth twitched before she sighed. “I whole-heartedly agree; Huntington and I joined the OSS around the same time, and I learned pretty quickly that he was the type of guy who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He asked me out on a date six different times before I was thankfully loaned out to the SSR; I thought I’d seen the last of him after that, but on one of our nights off I was at a pub with Peggy and he walked in. He cornered me near the restroom but before anything could happen, Bucky – Sergeant Barnes of the Howling Commandos – intervened and had him thrown out of the pub.”

“Sergeant Barnes, huh?”

“Yep. After that, he introduced me to Steve Rogers and once they found out I was an SSR codebreaker…” (Y/N) shrugged to herself as they continued their search. “If you think about it, then I guess I have Calvin Huntington to thank for my role as the personal codebreaker of the Howling Commandos.”

Jack nodded before furrowing his brow in confusion. “But what’d he mean when he said he was shocked to-?”

“Ah, here it is!” (Y/N) brushed past him and reached for the handle of a nearby filing cabinet, tugging the drawer open and beginning to flick through the various files. “Cadonwell, Callet…Carter.” He stood beside her as she pulled out three separate files labeled with the familiar surname and flicked through them. “This one’s on a guy named Albert L. Carter.” She handed it to Jack and he put it back in the filing cabinet. “This one looks like Peggy’s standard service record during the war.” Again, Jack returned it to its spot and turned back to her as she slipped on her reading glasses and began scanning the third and final file. “And this one…”

Jack furrowed his brow in concern when he took note of (Y/N)’s ashen face and widened eyes. “What? What’s it say?” Instead of answering, the codebreaker handed him the open file and he quickly began examining its contents; it was a chronicle of a classified SOE-led mission, starting near the end of 1940, and Jack soon realized (Y/N)’s shock when he read further down the page. “Carter was a double agent?!” He looked up at (Y/N) in surprise. “The SOE ordered him to infiltrate Hydra all the way back in 1940 and were the ones responsible for faking his death. But why?”

“The SSR wasn’t created by the Allies until 1941, so this could’ve been England’s first attempt at stopping Schmidt and the rest of Hydra before the U.S. officially entered the war.” (Y/N) reasoned, her brow knit together in concentration. “According to this file, every terrible thing Michael did during the war was on the orders of the SOE; he was forced to comply with Hydra’s demands to keep his cover and…but wait, the SOE doesn’t exist anymore as of last year. Why’s he still operating with the Secret Empire even after its dismantling?”

“Maybe he tried to get out, but the Secret Empire’s forcing him to stay somehow. Maybe Hydra discovered he was a double agent towards the end of the war and decided to experiment on him; whatever they did could’ve been enough to brainwash him into staying.” Jack shrugged, his eyes trailing further down to the bottom of the page, where someone had penciled in a random sequence of numbers and letters. “Dammit, not another code…”

(Y/N) sighed to herself and took off her reading glasses. “Yep, and there’s more. Smell the page.”

“’Scuse me?”

“The page, Flyboy. Give it a whiff.” A little confused, Jack leaned down and sniffed the page, instantly recoiling when the putrid smell hit his nose. “Urine’s one of the world’s oldest ways to write an invisible message.”

“All right, then,” Taking the file from her, Jack closed it and began walking back to where their hats and coats were hanging. “Time to go, Specs.”

The codebreaker hurried after him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. “Thompson, what the hell are you doing?! We can’t just steal-!”

“We’re not stealing, we’re borrowing.” He briskly corrected, tucking the file into the back waistband of his slacks before putting on his fedora and coat. “‘Sides, the SOE never bothered telling the SSR about their undercover agent so why should we tell the old geezers here about our case?” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed (Y/N) rolling her eyes in exasperation as she threw on her hat and coat. “You worry too much.”

That made the corner of her lips curl into a teasing half-smile. “Well, somebody’s got to have some common sense in this partnership and it sure as hell isn’t you…”

They thanked the desk clerk and got into the elevator, Jack walking with slow purpose and (Y/N) trying and failing not to let her hands nervously fidget too much. If it weren’t for that small tell she’d make a damn good spy, Jack thought with fondness as the elevator traveled downwards. Thankfully, the elevator’s journey was uninterrupted and in no time, its doors slid open to reveal the bottom floor. They walked down the hallway of the Special Forces Club and were almost to the front doors when a voice called out to them.

“Hey there, darlin’!” They turned and watched as Calvin Huntington strode towards them from one of the lounges; (Y/N) tensed beside Jack, and he felt his jaw tighten as the man’s eyes stared hungrily down at her. “I was hopin’ I’d catch you on your way out! Say, how ‘bout I take you out on the town tonight? You and I could re-live the good old days, if you know what I mean.”

“No, thank you, Agent Huntington.”

As they both began to walk away, Calvin’s hand shot out and grabbed (Y/N)’s upper arm. “C’mon, you look like you could use a little-”

“The lady said no, Huntington,” Jack stood taller as he glowered darkly at the man. “So I suggest you let her go. Now.”

Calvin dropped his hand to his side with a chuckle, but his green eyes narrowed as he exclaimed, “Well, I see that (Y/N) traded in her Sergeant for a Lieutenant Junior Grade!” Jack stiffened and Calvin’s smirk widened. “Yeah, I know who you are; I remember an MI5 buddy of mine tellin’ me all ‘bout the college friend who won himself a shiny medal in Okinawa before joinin’ the SSR. A little free advice, pal: even a big bad sailor like you couldn’t handle that dame and all her baggage-”

“Shut your goddamn mouth-”

“-‘Specially after that whole mess in Düsseldorf.”

Jack’s hands tightly curled into fists but before he could say or do anything, (Y/N) grabbed his arm and began tugging him towards the door. “Come on, Jack, he’s not worth it.”

He complied with her plea, turning towards the door as Calvin angrily called out, “Just thought I should warn a war hero like you ‘bout sleepin’ with a treasonous bitc-” The man didn’t get a chance to finish his insult, as Jack had spun back around and punched him square in the jaw; he immediately dropped to the floor, unconscious from the powerful hit.

As people began poking their heads out of the lounge, Jack glanced over at a stunned (Y/N). “Okay, let’s go.” He placed his sore hand on the small of her back as they left the building, his fury only rivaled by the feeling of satisfaction at successfully stealing the SOE file and decking the son of a bitch who’d insulted the woman he secretly loved.

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

That evening, Jack was getting ready for bed when there was a quiet knock on his bedroom door. “Yeah?”

The door opened and (Y/N) entered; she was dressed in a set of floral satin pajamas, and there was a tentative expression on her face as she finally spoke. “The other night you offered to listen to me talk about my nightmare. Does…does that offer still stand?”

“Yeah, of course, but if you’re not ready to-”

“I’m ready.” Her eyes shone with determination and Jack nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed and carefully watching her as she moved to sit against the headboard. The codebreaker wrapped her arms around her knees and took a deep breath before continuing. “I was six when my father finally stopped using opiates and my baby brother was born. They named him Alfred (Y/L/N) the Third, but I called him Freddie; I should’ve been jealous that my parents cared more about him than me, since he was their only son and all, but I just couldn’t be. He was such a cheerful baby and when he got older, when he realized exactly how terrible our parents were, he started to idolize me.” (Y/N) smiled a little to herself. “I remember that when he was in fourth grade, he had to write a theme about his hero and he wrote about me. I was the one who taught him to play baseball and I helped tutor him, even when I was swamped with my own schoolwork. Freddie was one of the only ones who was excited to see me go to Stanford and then to Bletchley; he’d write to me, always eager to hear about my job and happy that I was doing something I enjoyed, but he also talked about wanting to join the Army. In 1943, he got his wish when he was drafted into the 222nd Infantry Regiment, and I quickly got a letter from my parents begging me to look out for him; I wrote back and promised that I would.”

Jack’s brow furrowed in concern as he watched her take another steadying breath. “You don’t have to force yourself to tell me the rest, (Y/N).”

His partner ignored his words, her eyes still trained on her knees as she continued. “About two weeks after Steve Rogers went missing over the Atlantic, the Howling Commandos were reassigned to assist with Operation Undertone, a part of the Allied Invasion of Germany; I went with them and decoded top-secret Nazi messages, which were mostly orders to abandon or destroy their factories and bases. Towards the end of March, I was given new orders to remain in Saarbrücken with the OSS and decode backlogged messages, since it was apparent that the operation was a success; I followed orders, but I also continued secretly decoding any messages related to Operation Undertone. That’s when I discovered a correspondence between two Nazi commanders, detailing plans to attack the 222nd Infantry Regiment when they arrived in Düsseldorf to liquidate its factories.” (Y/N)’s voice began to waiver as she continued. “By the time I decoded it, there was less than twelve hours until the scheduled attack and when I tried warning my superior officers…all those men told me that I was being hysterical and they wouldn’t listen; I even tried contacting Howard for help, but he was in the Atlantic personally overseeing the search for Steve’s remains and refused to leave. So, I defied orders, stole an Army Jeep and drove up to Düsseldorf myself…but I was too late; sixteen men died in an explosion at one of the city’s factories…including Freddie.”

“…(Y/N), that…that wasn’t your fault. You know that, right? You did everything you could to prevent it.”

She shrugged, looking over at him with tear-filled eyes. “Isn’t it, though? My commanding officers at the OSS blamed me for not trying hard enough to inform them about the attack, and they made it very clear that if I were a man, I would’ve been court-martialed for disobeying direct orders. My parents blamed me, too. When I shipped back home after the war, they slammed the front door in my face and haven’t spoken to me since. Suffice it to say, I know very well whose fault it was.”

Seeing the normally confident and self-assured codebreaker looking so broken made something within Jack snap. He moved so that he was sitting directly in front of her on the bed and held her gaze as he replied, “No, you don’t. You’re blaming yourself for something you had absolutely no control over. Those asshole commanding officers were the ones who didn’t listen to your warning and as for your parents, they never should’ve forced you to make a promise they knew you couldn’t keep.” (Y/N) remained silent, so Jack reached a hand out and rested it on one of her own. “The only way for you to go on is to quit taking responsibility for the actions of others.”

“…But what if I can’t?”

The corner of Jack’s mouth curved into a small smile. “You’re the smartest, most stubborn gal I’ve ever met, (Y/N). I don’t think there’s anything you couldn’t do once you’ve put that mind of yours to it.” She let out a watery laugh at that. “And I know that I’ve never met him but…but from the way you talked about him, I think that Freddie would agree with me.” Seeing fresh tears beginning to well in her eyes, Jack reached forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her close all through the night.

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A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! If you haven’t checked it out yet, I created a Spotify playlist for this series and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21pWY7OiMFj8LaYpxhtVtW

Chapter Seventeen

“Specs and the Flyboy” Masterlist

Tagging: @nnon-it-up @fluffymadamina @remmyswritings @ourstarsailor @darkusangelus @josis-teacup @marvel-jackt-loki-buck @yeetyeetchickenmeat @sameoldbaby @theserenityspace @seeing-but-not-observing @supervoldejaygent @momc95 @brooke0297 @kinda-c0nfused @outoftheregular @mads-weasley

#jack thompson x reader #agent carter #jack thompson #peggy carter #howard stark #the howling commandos #steve rogers #captain america #bucky barnes #michael carter #marvel cinematic universe #strategic scientific reserve

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