Imagine Bucky Asking You To Sleep Together Because You Keep The Nightmares Away.

Tangled up in Webs:Pt:3

Warnings: Violence, Spoilers (???)

Pairing: Spider-man x reader, Peter Parker x reader Summary: You are one of the Avengers hiding in Wakanda. Being the youngest and the only one with a secret identity, you are sent to New York to be undercover in Queens. You’re supposed to be focused on the mission- but then a distraction pops into your life. Well- more like swings.

1:http://mattstarrxfandomimagines.tumblr.com/post/145877178561/tangled-up-in-webs

Pt 2: http://mattstarrxfandomimagines.tumblr.com/post/145920979041/tangled-up-in-webspt2

It had been three weeks since the incident with the water balloons. It was an easy fix, despite how much discomfort it had caused you. The only sign you could see of the damage now was your old notifications. Before your tech had been improved because of the Avengers, you would get images flashing across your vision. Not glitchy ones like when the water balloon hit you- useful things. Things like heart-rate, internal temperature, heat signatures, even news feeds. You didn’t mind having them back- but you felt less human now. It was just something you would have to deal with. Your hearing and visual panel had been slightly water logged when you first started, but you and Scott had managed to figure out how to fix it. Which had almost seemed impossible with how many times Cassie would ask questions about your abilities, or why you had wires in your head. But despite finishing the work in a couple hours, your mind flittered back to Tony, knowing how easily he could have fixed you. Those kind of things you tried not to think about. After that, the next three weeks passed by quickly without you noticing. You became used to where you were- knowing Peter, acting like you had a family, doing your homework even. It all had begun to feel natural. And that was the problem. You were getting attached- you weren’t supposed to do that. Especially forgetting to actually investigate. The only time you had really investigated was late at night and you had run out of options. You decided to go down to the shadiest place in town and wait, hoping to hear anything Super villain worthy. So you stood on the roof of a building, scowling as you tried to sketch the street below. Where would the best place for super-powered villains to attack be? You quickly erased a line as you groaned, looking up periodically to see if anyone on the slummy streets below would make any moves on the various bars and clubs that littered the dingy neighborhood. You sighed and cupped your chin into you palm, tapping the side of your cheek. And you had thought posing as a normal teenager was the hard part. “What are you doing?” You felt something land behind you, and it took all of your willpower not to generate a gun from your arm and shoot whoever had snuck up on you. Instead you jumped, dropping your sketchbook. You spun around, coming face to face with the superhero you had met twice. Well, now it was three times- that didn’t matter. The first time had actually been when you were in costume, fighting him at an airport. He had been really annoying. Crazy annoying. You scowled at him, your face bunching up. “What do you think you’re doing- running around, sneaking up on people like that?!” You exclaimed, fists resting on your hips and making yourself look angry. “Me? I’m not the one who should be getting interrogated- what are you doing around here, on a building… sketching people?” He asked as he bent down and snatched up your notebook. You lunged forward for your book, but Spider-man simply danced out of reach. “Huh. You’re pretty good at this.” “Give it back!” You huffed, still reaching for you sketchbook. He held the book way over his head, to far away for you to reach it, just enough to give you hope. “Aw come on, isn’t art supposed to be public?” He said, still laughing at you. This last laugh must have pushed you over the edge, because you made up your mind. You lunged at him a second time, expecting him to dodge again. But Spider-man had been caught off-guard. You barreled directly into him, arms wrapping around his chest and taking him down. You both landed hard, the superhero directly under you. “Ow…” He said, weird mechanical eye-holes squinted shut. “HA!” You exclaimed and reached over his head for one of his hands, the one gripping tight to your sketch book. You ripped it from his hands triumphantly and sat up, still laughing. “For someone who looks so small, you hit really hard.”  Spider-man said, looking up at you. You smirked, knowing the exact reason for that. “I guess I’m just full of surprises.” “Yeah. You definitely are… Can you get off me now?” You blinked and then looked down. You were straddling him. You blushed and scrambled off, mind racing. A red line of text flashed in your vision, telling you your heartbeat was abnormally fast. You dismissed the notification. “Sorry.” You muttered, looking anywhere but at Spider-Man. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt. No harm, no foul.” You looked at him sideways, realizing that he didn’t understand the implications of the position you had been in a couple of moments ago. You were relieved- but another feeling seeped into your mind. You closed your eyes, wishing you weren’t a hormonal teenage girl. “So really, why are you out here? Shouldn’t you be at home? In bed?” “You don’t know my sleep schedule.” You quipped, flipping through the pages of your book. “Sure- but I know your schedule doesn’t include hanging out in shady places late at night”. You cocked an eyebrow suggestively, a smirk risk  to your face. “What do you do stalk me? I didn’t take you as that kind of guy.” You teased, pressing the notebook to your chest. To your surprise, Spider-Man instantly became flustered, the tech in your brain telling you that his heart rate had increased. “No of course not!” Spider-Man exclaimed, arms waving expressively, “I wouldn’t follow you around- people who do that are weird! I definitely haven’t followed you home and watched you!” You stared, mouth hanging open slightly. “Oh my gosh. You totally followed me home.” You stated, one arm extending and moving for emphasis. “No! I didn’t I swear!” You almost giggled. Spidey’s voice had again become higher, increasing with his emotion. You walked over to him, looking him up and down. An orange light blinked in the corner of your vision. He was definitely lying. But he seemed flustered enough that you couldn’t believe that his intentions had been anything but well meaning. He was kinda annoying- but he seemed to always mean well. You smiled and moved closer, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll forgive you- if you tell me about Kraven. Does he have any affiliates?” “Just because I’m embarrassed doesn’t mean you can trick me.” “So that means I’m ‘still in danger’?” “Yeah.” “Okay. See you around Web-head.” You shrugged and turned around, heading for the edge of the roof. “Wait- how are how you getting down?” “Same way I came up. Parkour.” You answered enthusiastically, edging your way off the roof. Spidey watched you go, staying silent for a long while. He sighed, putting a hand on his head now that you were out of earshot. “Uhhhhh she’s gonna kill me. I think I’m getting gray hairs- and I just turned sixteen!” “What’s that?” You asked, looking at the crumpled flyer in Peter’s hand. Peter looked at you as you walked down into the subway after school. “Uh, it’s nothing really important. Just a dance.” He said, sounding pretty negative about the subject. You snatched the paper from his hands, all while maneuvering around other people. “A dance? I didn’t know that high schools had dances…” You said, looking at the flyer with intense concentration. “You didn’t?” “No. I didn’t think education systems would bother with things like that.” You replied, turning the flyer over to find more information. “Well don’t worry, our dances suck anyway. There’s no reason you should have to worry about it.” Peter said sullenly as you both made your way to the subway platform. You looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. “You sound kinda bitter about all this.” Peter laughed half-heartedly. “Let’s just say that it isn’t fun to go to these without a date- or friends.” You looked at Peter, a feeling of sympathy weighing on your chest. If you hadn’t met Peter that first day at school, would you have been friendless? You looked at him as he stared at the subway, running something back and forth in your mind. “Peter-” You opened your mouth, but before you could say anything, loud screaming came from behind you. You turned around, seeing nothing but a large mass of people swarming out of the subway. “What is- oh…” You said, eyes landing on the large group of men two hundred feet away from you, gathering up people and forcing them to the floor. They were taking hostages- and guess who was the leader? Kraven. You caught a glimpse of his gaudy outfit as people streamed past you, running for the exit. You turned, expecting to see Peter right next to you. He wasn’t there. “Peter?!-” You cried out, and then in your confusion was knocked over by  nicely dressed New Yorker. You fell to the floor, wincing as people rushed over you, not bothering to help you up. You grimaced and got up on your hands and knees, starting to crawl backwards and stand up. You peered through the frenzied crowd, looking for something. There.

Your eyes landed on an upturned table, maybe it had been for someone selling things.

But at the moment it didn’t matter why it was there, overturned against a wall. All that mattered was that you had a hiding spot.

You sprinted towards the table, both thankful and disappointed the crowd was thinning out. Sure you could move easily, but you didn’t have the best cover. You dashed through the remaining people, weaving until you neared the table. You jumped and landed cleanly behind it, safely blocked from view by the tipped over appliance. You pressed yourself to the underside of the table and pulled out your phone, getting it ready to record what was transpiring. You turned and peered from your hiding place, seeing the last of the unlucky civilians being corralled together and thrust to the floor. The loud thumping of your silicone heart rushed in your ears as you fumbled with the phone. A small alert clouded your vision, telling you that your adrenaline was becoming rapidly high. You took a shaky breath and held the phone up. “Good, good!” Kraven roared as he sauntered across the dirty tile, brandishing a… hunting spear. You narrowed your eyes and zoomed in on the supervillain. His costume is what you were focusing on.

He wore a dark leather vest over a sleeves less orange v-neck shirt. Kraven was practically bulging from the shirt, dark hair and muscles looking like they were about to escape the orange madness. You wrinkled your nose and dismissed Kraven’s gaudy fashion sense, and focused on the accessories.

His necklace was adorned with shriveled heads, bones, teeth, bullets, and small pouches. Along numerous places in his dark tan skin, burns cropped up. The most prominent was on his right cheek bones, in the shape of an animal skull.

That had to mean something.

Either he was a masochist, or that burn had some kind of ties to other villains. 

The rest of his outfit was composed of weapons, slung across his back, across his chest, around his cargo pants, and around his waist. It was a miracle he hadn’t stabbed himself. You were so intent on drinking in and  analyzing Kraven’s appearance, that you didn’t see the broad chested man who was approaching your table with panther-like stealth.

Suddenly you were plucked from your hiding place, a calloused hand wrapping around your exposed neck. You spluttered as you were lifted into the air.

“Kraven, look at this.” The large man held you up, your struggling feet dangling in the air. Your vision was infiltrated with warnings, informing you of lack of oxygen. You gasped, eyes wide like a fish out of water.

“Hm. I thought we had caught all the animals left in this station. Looks like we passed over a delicate fawn.” Kraven brought a large, sausagey finger to your face and traced it down your cheek. You made a disgusted sound in your throat as Kraven inspected you.

“Drop her.” The large man who had caught you released his grip. You fell to the ground, clutching your throat. You winced-  your were definitely going to have bruises. You scowled at the dirty tile floor.

If only you could break cover- then this wouldn’t be a problem.

And you could shove one of those serrated spears right up Kraven’s-

You stop and looked forward to see Kraven’s large boot step dangerously close to your head. You froze, keeping yourself low to the ground.

“Actually, I think I recognize you, little deer. Quite a nosy thing aren’t you?” Kraven harsh voice sent shivers down your spine. You looked up, alarmed.

“I didn’t think your brain was big enough for you to remember things.” You snapped, speaking before you thought. You realized what you said and silently cursed.

You were really bad at this acting normal thing.

Kraven’s eyes widened.

“What did you say?” He hissed through his facial hair. You shrunk back, eyeing the knife his hand was hovering over. Kraven seemed more angered then glad at your silence. He grabbed you by the collar of your shirt, hefting your closer until you could smell his breath.

Jerky- gross.

“What possesses you to speak so disrespectfully to an ultimate predator?”

Ultimate predator?

You wrinkled your nose, forcing yourself to glare into Kraven’s beady eyes.

“Well not a ghost I can tell you that for sure. Though recently I have been feeling some indigestion-” you had already messed up- so why not keep making him mad? You were already in trouble anyways.

Kraven growled-like an animal growl- and pulled out a knife, holding it to your skin.

You stifled a flinch and chuckled awkwardly.

“Is that the knife you shave with? That would explain all the scars.” You prattled on, making him angrier. Maybe in his anger he would spill some useful information?

Yeah- that was your logic.

Kraven seemed to reach his limit with you. He pinned you to wall with one gigantic hand, tile shattering around you. You cried out, wondering if this kind of attack would let you blow cover.

Kraven came dangerously close, his knife centimeters away from poking out your eyes.

“You think you are funny? That you are protected, just because you know the Spider?” You grimaced, trying to ignore the knife. You kept your comments to a zero this time, not wanting to end up skewered. Kraven grunted, the knife moving from the bridge of your nose to your forehead.

“Well little fawn, I hate to break it to you- but the Spider-Man? He is no predator. He is prey. Just like the rest of you.” You gasped, the knife piercing your skin. Kraven drew across your face, coming down around your cheekbone. Blood began to seep, flooding your vision. You bit your bottom lip as Kraven kept talking, holding in a scream. If he kept this up…

“And soon, we will show New York what it truly is. A house of prey… But where to do this?” Kraven asked, flicking to knife. It curved across your neck, grazing the skin there but deeply cutting your collarbone. This time you screamed, kicking your legs. You caught Kraven in the gut and sent him skidding away from you. You gasped, knees shaky. Blood was streaming down your face, but head wounds always looked worse than usual. You were just worried you couldn’t see out of your left eye, and about the cut across your collar. You wiped your eye with the back of your hand, trying to get the blood out.

Kraven on the other hand?

He was laughing.

Kraven stood up, waving his men away when they tried to help him.

“It looks like you’re not as helpless as you look huh?” Kraven chuckled, picking up his knife.

“Nevertheless, you need to be made an example of.” Kraven stalked over to you, wiping the blood on his knife onto his bare arm. You pressed yourself to the wall, running over the options in your head.

He would kill you if you didn’t do anything. You crouched, preparing to run. It was better than dying or giving up your cover, but if still made you feel like a coward.

Kraven chuckled, knowing what you were attempting to do.

“Do you really think-” Kraven stopped, seeing something under his foot. The villain bent down slowly, snatching a piece of paper from under his foot.

“A high-school dance? On this date? How amusing. Is this yours?” Your eyes darted to the flyer in his hands- it was yours. You kept a straight face and glared.

“Oh… It is. How amusing. Actually- this is just what I required. You certainly are full of surprises little deer. But now, it’s time to say-”

Before Kraven could finish his monologue, he got completely blindsided. Kraven’s men yelled, pointing and brandishing spears. Spider-man.

You don’t think you could have been more happy to see him. You watched as he took out the goons, one by one. It was pretty impressive. Kraven was still passed out. You glared at his unmoving body, tempted to run over to him. Instead your eyes landed on the knife he had cut you with. You ran over, grabbing the bloodied knife from the floor. Now that you looked at it, it looked nothing like you’d have expected Kraven to be carrying. It was high tech- and green. You frowned and quickly shoved it in your backpack. You leaped up, seeing Kraven starting to shift.

“(F/n)! Get out of here! What are you doing?!” You looked up and saw Spider-Man gesturing towards the stream of hostages flooding the exit. You held back a retort and nodded, dashing up the steps.

You may have been bloody- but you had information. You ran, dodging your way through the crowd.

Now you had only one question- where was Peter?

You had waited for an hour, looking for him. Peter hadn’t been one of the hostages, so where was he? He hadn’t completely ditched you had he? You crossed the street, ignoring the loud honks directed at you. You winced, feeling the cut on your chest widening. If you could find Peter you needed to patch yourself up. You were strong, but you didn’t want to bleed out. You were just about to call off your search for Peter when your phone rang. Your phone. Of course- you had stuffed into it pocket when the big guy had grabbed you. All this time you could have just called Peter. You took a deep breath and slipped out your phone, seeing that it was indeed from Peter.

“Hello? Peter?”

(F/n)! I’m so glad you picked up. Where have you been?!” You smiled, hearing that Peter was definitely fine and was acting like himself.

“Actually, I got caught up.”

“Where?”

“Peter, I was one of the hostages.”

“Really? (F/n)- are you okay? Do you need me to come and get you?”  You stopped and sat against the sill of department store. You sighed and looked at yourself, knowing there was no way you could walk home like this.

“Yeah.. actually Peter, I do need some help.” You admitted. Peter seemed shocked.

“Oh. Okay- um where are you?” You looked behind you, seeing the name of the store.

“I’m at Katie’s kitties… Who names their store like this?” You muttered, taking in the bright store window. Inside you saw kitten products, and then cages with cats in them. You felt a pang of homesickness, the cats reminding of Wakanda.

“Wow. Okay you’re actually kinda close to my apartment. You hang tight, I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks Peter. Really.” You said as you hung up, looking back at the store. You stood up and walked inside, frowning as the doorbell was replaced with a cat’s meow. You looked up, seeing the bell was in the shape of a calico cat.

Weird.

The only one else in the store besides the cat’s was a old lady, red glasses balancing on her hawk nose. You waved, only to realize she was sleeping. You dropped your hand- at least you didn’t have to explain the blood.

You walked over to middle of the store, seeing a large glass display case holding around fifteen to twenty cats.

You couldn’t help it.

You scampered over and peered over the plexiglass wall, grimace dissipating into a content smile. The nearest kitten looked up at you and mewed. You sighed and dropped your arm inside the case, petting the tiny kitten with one finger. The kitten was light brown, with big blue eyes. It continued to talk to you, mewing as it curled around your finger.

It was so cute.

You smiled and past the time by playing with the kitten, forgetting your injuries. When Peter finally go there, you didn’t notice him at first.

“(F/n)? Oh- there you are…” You sat on a small stool, playing with the brown kitten. But Peter wasn’t looking at the cute little kitten- he was looking at you.

“(F/n) you’re hurt! Are you okay?” Peter asked, rushing towards you. You looked up at him and dropped the kitten on your lap, suddenly remembering what you were doing.

“I’ve been better.” You croaked, lips caked with dried blood.

“You said you needed help- not medical attention!” Peter exclaimed, looking you up at down.

You stood up looking Peter in the eyes as you shouldered your bag.

“And you can help me with that right? Besides- the cuts aren’t that deep.” Peter gave you a skeptical look.

“Come on, let’s go. We’ll determine how bad you are back at my place.”

“Ow!”

“Sorry (F/n), but this is necessary.”

“I know- it just stings.” You muttered as Peter applied more alcohol to your forehead. You sat against his bed, Peter crouching over you as you tipped your head back. Peter rubbed some of the excess blood from your closed eyelid, and then dabbed at your cut, removing whatever invisible germs had manifested there.

“How do you know how to do this?” You asked, looking up at Peter as he worked his way down your face.

“Uh- boy scouts.” Peter said absently. You nodded, which caused Peter to grab your head and move it back in place, much to your annoyance.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. It’s just your health- that’s all.” Peter said sharply, avoiding your eyes as he worked. You looked back up at him.

Was he… mad at you?

You frowned at him, taking in his attitude. Sure he was trying fixing your cut- but he wasn’t doing it gently.

“What?” Peter asked, noticing that you were glaring at him.

“What do you mean what?”

“You’re glaring a hole in my face (F/n).” You let out a long breath through your nose, not looking at Peter.

“You’re mad at me.” You snapped, arms folding. Peter stopped working on your face and looked down at you.

“Huh?”

“Peter you’re pissed at me! I can tell! Don’t deny it.” You said and glared at him head on. Peter made a frustrated noise in his throat and dropped to his knees.

“I’m not really mad at you- not intentionally,”

“Really? Seems kinda like you are.” You snapped. Peter made a face at you, throwing up his hands.

“Well how am I supposed to feel?! It’s like you’re asking to be in danger!” He exclaimed loudly. You looked at him, mouth wide open.

“And how am I doing that?” You asked angrily, wincing when you tried to move.

You hated being injured.

Peter made a frustrated face and ran his hand through his hair.

“You’re just- I don’t know- being yourself!”

“Oh so being myself puts me in danger?” You asked. Peter realized what he said and shook his head.

“No (F/n)- that’s not what I meant just- first you want to meet Spider-man, then you get attacked by Kraven-”

“The second one is not my fault Peter-”

“(F/n)! Just listen okay? I know it’s not your fault-”

“Then why are you mad at me?!”

“Because I care about you!” Peter shouted. You blinked, falling silent.

Peter realized what he said, eyes widening.

“I mean- like I care because you could get hurt or…” Peter trailed off, closing his eyes as he slumped forward, hanging his head. A warm feeling had crept into your chest.

You blinked, watching the fading light from the window fall across Peter’s brown hair.

“Peter…” You sat up and extended your arm, letting it fall on his shoulder. He flinched, jolting when you touched him. You stared, surprised at his sudden movement’s. Peter looked at you, and then down at the hand that laid on his shoulder.

“If it makes you feel better, I-”

“Peter, someone is here too- Oh! I didn’t know we had a visitor!” Peter shot up, looking at the brown-haired women in the doorway.

“Aunt May! What are you doing here?”

“Peter. I live here.” The women- Peter’s aunt said and then looked down at you.

You smiled awkwardly and waved. Aunt May saw you injuries, eyes widening.

Peter looked back at you, and then back to his aunt.

“(F/n) was in an attack by Kraven. One down in the subway. I’m helping her.” Peter explained, beating her to the question. Aunt May nodded, eyes still on you.

“Are you okay? Do you want any snacks? You can stay as long as you want.” You smiled, liking Peter’s aunt immediately.

“But I’m gonna have to steal Peter from you for a bit- he needs to talk to someone who came by to see him.”

“Came by to see me…”

Someone leaned into the room, peeking past Peter’s aunt.

“Yeah- and we need to make it quick. I have a meeting in an hour… (F/n)?”

You froze, terror and shock overriding anything else you had been feeling.

Tony Stark stood in the doorway.

Oh Captain, My Captain!

Title: Oh Captain, My Captain!

Characters: Steve Rogers, Reader

Summary: You just want a relaxing night out at a bar, but creepy dudes have other ideas.

Based On: Blue Bloods by Laurel

Listen: Here

Tagging: @liqhthouse @imagine-assembling-the-avengers (hope you don’t mind being tagged Angel!)

Warnings: Drinking, Assholes being Assholes, Pretty vulgar language. (I think that’s it! Message me if you find anymore!)

A/N: My first marvel one-shot! Let me know what my Little Angels think!

The bar was lit in amber light from the brown lampshades hanging above each table. Patrons muddle about, not too many were there, it was Wednesday after all. A few had struck up a game of pool in the corner of the room, but most just sat quietly in their booths, or at the counter where you were seated.

You signaled to the bar tender to refill your drink, scotch on the rocks. You take a sip, then return to people watching. It had been a long week, and it was only half way done. On Monday you had a double shift, then you coworker had a family emergency and you had to cover her shift. On Tuesday you had issues with what your store ordered, so that was screwed to high hell, and somehow your boss was blaming it on you, even though you have literally nothing to do with what they stock. And today, you had several moody, dick-bag customers blowing up at you, and yelling in your face because they were trying to use 3 year old coupons, and because of their own stupidity. How you managed to survive this long without maiming someone was incredible.

You took another well deserved sip of your drink as someone slides into the seat next to you. You ignored him at first, hoping he would take the hint, and stop looking you up and down like you were a piece of meat. But, nope! Just your luck that Neckbeard had to pick you out of all the people in this bar, just great!

“Hey Gorgeous, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a bar like this?” God, you could smell his breath from where he was sitting, alcohol clearly present in it. You looked him over, his jeans are worn and fade with holes in them, a plain white T-shirt which is covered with various stains you don’t want to know about. His brown hair to greasy, and he smells like he hasn’t showered in days. Why couldn’t he see you wanted to be left the hell alone.

“Trying to have a relaxing night in the middle of the week, but a few people” You glare at him, “Are making that impossible.”

“Hey, hey, hey, I get it, some people just can’t take a hint ya know? That’s why you gotta be direct about it, flat out tell them you don’t won’t to talk to them.” He was clearly not taking the hint.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“See, there you go just like that, say I was wondering, you wanna ditch this bar and head back to my place?”

“No,” he seems baffled by your blunt response, like he hasn’t heard it thousands of time before.

“You bitch, I have been nothing but kind to you, and you tell me no!” You are about to start into him when out of know where a large hand grabs his shoulder.

“I suggest you apologize to the lady, before things get ugly.” The voice attached to the hand say in a threatening manor. Neckbeard can’t see the man holding him, but you can. And damn, this man is huge, and quite handsome.

“Hey buddy, shove off this has nothing to do with you.” Neckbeard turned to face him, and you could instantly see the regret on his face.

“First off, I am not your buddy, second either you leave the nice lady alone, or you’re gonna have to deal with my fist to your face. Understand?” Neckbeard nodded his head vigorously, then quietly muttered an apology to you. A laugh left your lips before you could stop it, a smile spread across your face. That was by far the funniest thing you had seen that week. The blond man turned to you a sympathetic smile on his face.

“I’m sorry about him ma'am, some men are real pigs,” He turned to leave, but you called out to him.

“Wait!” he looked back to you, a questioning look on his face, “You should stay, in case he comes back you know” He smiled at you, like he knew what you were doing, and in all honesty he did, but you were pretty cute, and seemed interesting. “I’m (Y/N) by the way, and you are?”

“Steve,” He told you

“Well, Steve, has any one ever told you, you have some of the prettiest blues eyes?” You leaned over toward him. Man, you were never that bold without a little alcohol in you blood stream.

“Are you flirting with me?” A smug smirk was on his lips.

“Maybe,” You ended up talking to each other till last call, which you then exchanged numbers, and told him to call you. Which he did, the next day, that was the first of many, many dates to come. Now, Steve’s only mission was to never, ever let the other Avengers find out about you, the amount of teasing he would receive would be unbearable. But they did, when Tony and Clint went through his phone to look for people to prank call, only to find a contact under the name, sugar. The teasing would never ever let up after that.

Sleepover

Bucky Barnes/Reader

The Avengers tower was luxurious. The beds felt like actual clouds, there were light and sound systems in your room that you could adjust perfectly, and your apartment was so high up that you couldn’t hear the noises of the city, but still could see the stars. Your shower had been long and relaxing, as you could adjust the pressure just right. Your lights were off. You were in a somewhat comfortable position. So why the hell couldn’t you fall asleep?

Groaning in frustration, you got up and padded barefoot into your living room. The design of the whole little apartment (though it was missing a kitchen) was sleek and modern. You loved the atmosphere it set. Normally, you would feel right at home with these surroundings, and yet, you were just too worked up to sleep.

You chalked it up to still being relatively new here. You were already close to the avengers, but after an attack on your own home, they decided to move you into the tower. It was like a constant sleepover with good friends—but with a lot more weapons and fighting.

You stared at your clock for a moment. It was 11:30. Most of the avengers would already be asleep. Silently, you slipped out of your room, deciding to explore the tower more.

The level you lived on was just a hallway with two rooms. Steve lived beside you. A faint light shone from under his door, and a soft tune could be barely heard. You recognized it as an Elvis song.

You rolled your eyes. “Grandpa,” you whispered fondly under your breath before continuing down the hall.

You called the elevator, punching in the numbers for a few floors down. But the elevator started slowing to a stop a floor above your destination. You furrowed your brow in confusion. It was almost midnight—why would the other avengers be awake?

The metal doors slid open to reveal a very disheveled looking Bucky Barnes. He was clad in sweatpants and an iron man shirt, and his eyes squinted at the bright lights inside the elevator.

You hadn’t ever really talked to Bucky. He moved into the tower only a few days after you, but wasn’t much for conversation. You assumed he was getting over the traumatic experiences with Hydra—something all of the other avengers knew about, so they kept their distance. He was wary of everyone in the tower, though Steve tried to get him acclimated to living with all of them.

His blue eyes finally adjusted to the light and landed on you. You were also in pajamas.

“Can’t sleep?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

You shook your head.

“Me either.” He stepped inside the elevator, and pushed the button to the same floor you were headed to. There were all sorts of rooms to poke around in down there.

You sat in awkward silence, contemplating your options. Bucky didn’t seem like the type to run around an empty floor at midnight. Then again, you didn’t really know what type he was. Eventually, your boredom got the best of you, and you said, “I’m gonna explore a bit. Want to come with?”

Bucky considered this for a moment, eyeing you levelly. “Tony keeps a stash of Oreos above the fridge,” he said finally. “We’re headed there first.”

You grinned at him. “Fair enough.”

“I can’t reach them!” You whispered harshly, jumping up and down in front of the fridge. Bucky was standing guard, just in case someone came down to this floor.

“Really? It’s not that high,” he said, obviously trying to hide the humor in his voice.

“Easy for you to say. I don’t have a super soldier serum! I’m normal human height!”

“Okay, I’ll get them—”

“No! I can do this!” Stubbornly, you looked around for anything to help you. “I’ll just climb on the counter. Just a sec—”

“Don’t, it’s slippery!”

Bucky’s warning was too late. You’d just pulled yourself onto the counter when you felt yourself slipping, falling fast toward the ground. Bucky was there in an instant, catching you right before you hit the floor.

You looked up at him, a mischievous grin overtaking your features. “Hey, guess what?” You said when you realized he was still holding you.

He raised his brow.

“I just fell for you!” You snickered at the pun as Bucky titled you upright again.

“You’re ridiculous.”

Quite a few Oreos later, the two of you wandered down the halls, having explored the rooms on that floor thoroughly. 

“Hey, wait a minute,” Bucky said, lightly grabbing your arm to stop you. The contact sent a small shiver through you. You told yourself it was a draft.

“Let’s go to a different floor,” you suggested. “Maybe one of the offices. We could scare a few late workers.” It was already past midnight, so you doubted anyone would still be there—but you were getting bored. “We’ve already explored everything on this floor.”

“Not everything.” He pointed to a small crawlspace in the wall.

“What? No way!” You shook your head.

“Scared?” He arched a brow.

“No!” You defended. “Just…I think it’s too small for your shoulders to fit. And I’m not going in alone.”

“I think you’d be surprised to learn what I can fit into, doll.” He sent a suggestive wink your way. Scoffing, you playfully pushed at his shoulder. You were glad the lights were off—you didn’t want him to see the way your cheeks heated up.

“Besides, it’s a bad idea. Haven’t you ever seen a horror movie? Going into a dark crawlspace is like, the number one way to die.”

Bucky frowned. “I don’t think I have seen a horror movie.”

You stopped. “What? Really?”

He shook his head. “I’m sure they played them at drive-ins in Brooklyn,” he said thoughtfully, “But I can’t remember watching one.”

Astounded, you instantly made up your mind. “That’s it! We’re watching a horror movie!” You declared, grabbing his hand.

Bucky stiffened. For a moment, you panicked. You remembered how he shied away from the other avenger’s attention, avoiding physical—or even social, for that matter—contact. You really didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. The night had been going so well.

But then he grinned at you, letting you lead him down the dark hallway of the tower.

“I don’t understand why we can’t just go down to the movie theatre. That’s what it’s there for!” Bucky exclaimed, shaking his head with an exasperated smile.

“I have no idea why Tony thought a movie theatre was necessary in the tower,” you stated. “Plus, it takes away from the experience! Here, hold this end down.”

Bucky grabbed the corner of one of his sheets, keeping it in place as you draped the other side across a few chairs. The blanket fort was your idea, but Bucky had brought down his own materials. He’d provide the blankets if you shared your snacks.

Standing upright, you dusted off your hands and nodded approvingly. “It’s perfect.” The conference room table had been moved out of the way, the chairs strategically placed to hold up your fort. The opening was wide enough to see the tv.

“How do we get in?” Bucky asked, eyeing the tent.

“The door’s over here!” You held up a blanket at the end of the fort. 

He took the blanket from you, motioning for you to go in. “Ladies first,” he grinned.

You complied, crawling into the tent while grumbling, “Don’t look at my ass, Barnes.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied rather sarcastically.

Once Bucky had finally managed to crawl in, he looked around the fort. “What are you, some kind of blanket architect?”

“I’ve been building these ever since I can remember.” Using the remote to start the movie and turn the lights off (still a surprising feature to you), you settled in next to Bucky, nestling into the pillows and blankets you spread out on the floor. You opened a pack of candy and popped a piece into your mouth, content with how the night was going.

After a while, the movie was boring you. It was one you’d watched at least a thousand times. So, wanting something to do with your hands, you began to braid Bucky’s hair.

He didn’t flinch this time, but you saw his face twist with confusion. “…What are you doing?”

“Fishtailing,” you answered simply.

He nodded thoughtfully. “Oh.” A few moments of silence passed before he asked, “And what the hell does that mean?”

You smiled. “It’s a type of braid. Your hair is really soft, by the way. What shampoo do you you use?”

Instead of answering, he snorted. “You’re braiding my hair.”

Sitting up properly, you continued the braid, decided to make it wrap around his head. “This has got to be a real sleepover experience. Blanket fort, snacks, horror movie at 2 am, braiding hair, gossiping about friends…” You trailed off, watching his amused expression. “Actually, let’s skip that last one. I don’t want to gossip about people that can kill me.”

Bucky laughed, a smooth sound that contrasted so greatly with the man you first met a few days ago. Here, illuminated only by the tv, he didn’t look like the Winter Soldier. He just looked happy. You finished the braid, smiling at the finished product.

He sat up suddenly, earning a shout of protest when he almost knocked the fort down. “Teach me how,” he said.

He was suddenly very close, you realized. His lips were just inches from yours. You tried not to think about it.

“Teach you how?” You asked, internally wincing at how your voice wavered. He smirked, just the tiniest bit. “To braid. I’ll do yours.”

You grinned up at him. “I’ll show you.”

You took a small strand of your hair and separated it into thirds, demonstrating it for him. “Just cross it over into the middle each time. Like this.”

He nodded, studying the strand before moving behind you to start the braid. “So, over one to the middle…” He trailed off, sounding lost.

You giggled. “Here. I’ll help.” You rested your hands on his, guiding him through the steps.

Your felt his breaths on the back of your neck as he concentrated, trying once again not to think about how close he was. A small shiver ran down your back. You hoped he didn’t notice.

You didn’t realize how hyper-focused you were, because when a scream sounded from the film, you jumped with a startled yelp. However, with Bucky’s hands still in your hair, you didn’t get too far. The tug on your hair sent you falling backwards, straight into Bucky, who happened to be leaning on one of the fort’s support chairs. The whole thing collapsed on the two of you.

You groaned, your head still in Bucky’s lap. He lifted the sheets and looked down at you, quirking his brow in amusement. “You alright?” He asked, unable to keep the humor from his voice.

You nodded with a sheepish smile. “Guess I was just distracted,” you mumbled. “Sorry I ruined your braid.”

He leaned forward, hovering slightly above you. “I don’t mind,” he said, moving closer to you. “Truth is, I had a sister. I already knew how to braid.” He didn’t look the least bit apologetic.

You scoffed, feigning indignation. “You think you’re smooth?” You said, amused.

“No,” Bucky answered, so close you could feel his breath on your lips. “I know I am.” His hand moved to cup your face as he leaned down farther, finally closing the distance between the two of you. The kiss was slow at first, hesitant—but after a moment, you worked up enough courage to deepen the kiss, only breaking away from him to sit up properly.

When the two of you finally pulled away, breathless, Bucky rested his forehead against yours. The sheet was still wrapped around the two of you, keeping you close, and the movie credits were just coming to an end. You giggled at the absurdity of the situation. Here you sat, in a collapsed blanket fort with the winter soldier, who still had your braids in his hair.

“What’s so funny?” He asked.

You shook your head. “Just…haven’t had a sleepover like this before.” He chuckled, gently lacing his fingers with yours. You yawned, slouching slightly. “It’s already around 4 in the morning,” you said, a sleepy smile overtaking your features. “Want to just stay down here?”

He untangled the two of you from the sheet, returning your grin. “Fine by me, doll.”

You settled down into the heap of pillows and blankets, sighing contentedly as Bucky’s arms wrapped around you. You fell asleep almost instantly.

“Where the hell are my Oreos?” Tony stomped out of the kitchen, eyeing the avengers in the lounge. “Which one of you took them?”

Wanda put her hands up defensively, the rest of the group simply shook their heads.

“Maybe it was Bucky. Or Y/N,” Sam suggested.

“Speaking of which,” Nat asked, “Where is Y/N? We were gonna go for a jog.”

Tony, who had begun sulking back to the kitchen, froze in front of the door to the conference room. “Oh my god. Cap, at least your friend is warming up to one of us.” He immediately took out his phone, snapping a few pictures. Confused, Steve made his way over to Tony, raising his eyebrows in disbelief when he saw the scene before him.

The other avengers crowded around to see you on a nest of blankets and pillows, curled up in Bucky’s arms, sleeping peacefully. There were snacks all around you and an old case for a horror movie. Bucky’s hair was still in braids.

“Bucky was good at charming the ladies,” Steve said, shaking his head.

Tony cupped his hands around his mouth, ready to shout something to the two of you, when Natasha cuffed him on the back of the head. “Just let them sleep,” she said. “We can humiliate them later. I don’t want to have to deal with both of them being grumpy.”

“Fine,” Tony groaned. “But next time, they need to get their own damn Oreos.”

The Magic Feat

Request:  Bucky x reader please :) They’re friends but have feelings for each other. When they’re watching a film reader takes her bra off under her shirt & he’s amazed. She can’t believe he’s impressed given all the things he can do. Fluff to end please.

Word Count: 1,402

Contains: Fluff and a baffled Bucky. Cuteness all around.

A/N: Fluffy Bucky for you all! Hope you enjoy :) 

Bucky stepped into the living room, concern in his eyes. “Where’s everyone?” he asked you.

After muting the television, you swallowed the bite of cereal you had been chewing on before replying. “They’re on a mission.”

“And they couldn’t have told me about it?” Bucky’s voice was laced with annoyance.

You scoffed. “They don’t need to report everything to you, Barnes.”

“I know, but I’d like to know where they are,” he huffed out. “And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Bucky?”

Keep reading

i will not ask you why you were creeping (in some sad way i already know)

this is part three to this azriel and his best friend fic :)

azriel x reader

word count: 5.8k

warnings: mentions of bad family dynamics and childhood trauma, mentions of canon typical violence

summary: starfall has passed, but the revelations of the night keep her anxious and a little embarrassed. there's nothing like having a best friend to ease all your worries - until he goes on a mission, that is

a/n: here it is finally!! I hope you enjoy it and make sure to let me know what you think :) all feedback is welcome! if you want to be added to the taglist let me know here

“Oh, he did not say that!”

“I swear to the Mother, Az! And he looked so pompous too!” a rare laugh bubbled out of the shadowsinger’s lips. He was sitting up over the navy blue covers of his bed, almost doubled over, his stomach hurting from laughter.

“I cannot believe you kept this story from me for a full week” she giggled in response.

The pair of best friends were currently locked inside Azriel’s bedchambers, after she came running into his room about an hour earlier with one groaned out in exasperation explanation - “Cassian and Nesta,” she had practically growled out while throwing herself head first into his pillows “again! It’s the fifth time this week!”

The cause for her visit in his chambers may have been out of a need to escape the sounds that the mated pair made, but Azriel welcomed her with open arms and a big smile, as always. That was one thing about her best friend - there was always some form of smile on his face, each time he saw her.

It was special, that he reserved those moments for her only - and their other family members too - sweet, even.

“You got any other recent stories from your studio for me?” Azriel asked with a quirked eyebrow as he settled back against his bed, biting on one of the freshly baked cookies she had brought with her.

“Not really, you know. Starfall season is over so there’s not that many customers now” she had opened up a dressmaker studio a few decades earlier, despite Azriel’s insistence that she did not have to work, that Rhysand had enough money to support her.

But she had wanted to work.

She never had the chance to before and even though it initially came as another piece of defiance against her parents - she had a need for many of those when she first fled her hometown - it quickly became a great passion of hers.

Dresses were one of the few things from her old life that she did really love, despite how poorly she used to make them for the first few years. She’s pretty sure Rhysand had spent more money to keep it open than the shop actually made. He would never admit it to her though. Now, however, she was one of the most renowned dressmakers in Velaris.

She still pictured her parents' faces if they found out she was a working female now. This was one of the few things they couldn’t bring her down about.

Yes, it was outrageous that a highborn female like her chose to work - with her hands too - but she was successful at what she did. They could insult her about it all they liked, but they couldn’t take her skills away from her.

Sometimes it felt like a sole proof that she could do well in life without them, without their money and prospects and marriage and the golden cage she had spent her youth in.

Sometimes it felt like a lifeline to hold onto, when anxiety and guilt wrecked her guts.

She was still, so, so embarrassed about starfall. She woke up the morning after already dreading seeing Azriel again after he saw her fall apart like that.

Despite it not being the first time. Despite it likely not being the last time either.

But he acted as though nothing had happened - took her out to breakfast before helping her tidy up the studio for opening in a few days.

She knew that the good weeks now were like sunlight before the storm. She could feel the unease already brewing deep inside her. The two months mark would be here soon and- she didn’t even want to think about the mess that would follow.

Azriel knew. Of course he did.

He acted calmly, though, maybe so she could anchor herself to him, try and mirror his behaviour. He made sure she knew he was there for her, offering more long flights over the Velaris skyline than usual or bringing her new fruit flavoured pastries from a bakery down the street to her studio.

Only he could act like that and make it not feel like pity.

She didn’t know how to express gratitude, so she resolved to baking. Example: the cookies they were both currently snacking on.

She had just finished hers and now she lay flat on her stomach, playing with the shadows curling around her fingers.

“They’re so cute” Azriel visibly stopped in his tracks, the hand holding his cookie up to his mouth freezing

“Excuse me?” she glanced up at him

“Your shadows. They’re cute” her eyes momentarily gained focus after sensing Az’s startled reaction, a hint of sharp amusement awakening in them. He opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, his shadows just about tripled in quantity. Curling and brushing around her whole body, twining around her fingers and lifting individual strands of her hair into the air.

Her eyes widened and she let out a giggle.

“Stop this. Right now.”

“I’m not even doing anything!”

“You know exactly what you’re doing” she burst out laughing at that, genuine joy shining off her eyes

“I’m not doing shit, it’s them!” and Azriel was shaking his head, nothing but fondness in his eyes as he looked at her, laying there in his sheets and blankets, catered to by his shadows. Something akin to a string pulled at his rib.

Eventually, Azriel spoke “Fine” he shrugged his shoulders and brought the cookie back up to his mouth to bite. t was intimate to see him so at ease. Laying in bed, posture and body fully relaxed shadows leisurely curling around the entirety of the room. It was vulnerable how safe they both were in each other’s presence.

“Fine?”

“You’re their favorite. Can’t argue with that” he said between chews.

She gasped, quirking up, legs bent and kicking in the air. “You really think so?” Azriel laughed softly.

“Of course I do”

She pursed her lips, and poked her cheek with her tongue in contemplation. Finally, she huffed “You’re making me blush so we’re changing the subject,” he was shaking his head again, smiling softly at her, arms bent behind his head, resting against the headboard.

“Any missions this week?”

“Yeah. One in the continent. Tomorrow” a bit of loaded silence followed, and then

“What? Really?” his eyes softened when he noticed how she visibly deflated. She stopped kicking her legs, the fingers playing with his shadows stilling their movement too.

“I just found out today, sweetheart. But it should only last one day”

“Yeah, okay then” she moved up the bed to sit next to him, moonlight reflecting against her nightgown “Promise you’ll be careful?”

Azriel could swear something even the Mother herself could not explain was happening to his heart.

His fingers clenched and unclenched as he fought the urge to do something. Gods, he was barely able to breathe when the sweet scent of her shampoo hit his nose and there she was kneeling next to him like it was nothing.

Green eyes wide, hopeful and waiting looking up at him and golden-brown curls cascading down her shoulders and over her breasts.

She was in his bed, covered in his scent, shadows and blankets, clad in nothing but a nightgown after bringing him godsdamned cookies to eat.

How was he expected to function properly?

Her full lips parted when he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Of course I promise, angel,” Azriel replied with a raspy voice. And with that, the night went on.

After a while, her movements started to become slower, sluggish even. Sleepy girl.

“Tired?” she only nodded.

He sometimes wondered whether the reason behind how often she became sleepy when next to him was because she felt safe.

Mother, he hoped it was.

The alternative was far more daunting and sent a spike of alarm through his mind - was she overworking herself at the studio? No, surely his shadows would have informed him of that.

“Want me to walk you to your room?” his heart clenched awaiting her response, before immediately warming up when she said:

“What, you won't let me sleep here? No sympathetic cuddle for your best friend?” her smile was sheepish as she already lowered herself onto the pillow he usually slept on.

Azriel chuckled, laying down next to her, bringing the covers and a wing to keep her ever chilly body warm.

“All the cuddles my best friend wants, she gets”

“Wake up,” there was a voice disturbing her sleep. Azriel’s voice. “Sweetheart. Wake up”

“Leave me alone”

A chuckle escaped Azriel’s lips as he crouched in front of his bed. He let her sleep in when he sneaked out of bed earlier to get ready for his mission.

Partially because he had wanted to let her sleep in, and partially because she turned into a demon whenever someone tried to wake her up.

“Come on, angel,” he brushed a hand down her hair. She was laying on her side, facing him, features relaxed.

A familiar feeling warmed his chest to see her like that. And he hated that he had to leave, that he couldn’t get under the covers next to her and-. He has work to do.

Azriel tried again in a soft, warm tone “Open your eyes”

The groan she let out was bordering on growling “Seriously Azriel if you don’t-”

“I have to go”

A bit of silence ensued, her brow furrowed and then she was groaning again, turning onto her back. “Your mission wouldn’t get ruined if you slept for an extra hour, for Mother’s sake”

He didn’t say anything, waiting for her to open her eyes.

After a few seconds she scooted closer to him, but stayed on the bed. She draped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, barely awake.

Sleepy, grumpy girl.

The movement made him sway and spread out his wings to balance himself. Absent-mindedly, he buried his nose in her hair.

“Be careful. And come back to me quickly, alright?”

“Alright. I promise”

She slowly raised herself up onto her elbows, eyes lidded, still half asleep, movements slow. “M’ sorry if I was mean”

“You were actually quite nice. For your standards”

“Hmph”

“Go back to sleep. I’ll be back for dinner” before his sentence was out, she had already laid back on the bed and snuggled her face into his pillow.

“M-” she yawned, eyes drifting close “Mkay”

After sparing one lengthy glance at her soundly sleeping form in his sheets, Azriel was out the door to meet Rhysand who would give him some final instructions.

He would also give him shit for making him wait for the extra fifteen minutes that the spymaster spent trying to coax his best friend awake.

He wouldn’t pay it any mind.

The day at the studio was incredibly boring, as she had expected. The post-starfall lull came every year without fail.

At one point she had considered closing shop for the day, but working seemed to be good on her mind.

Working meant she didn’t worry about her parents, and about Azriel. Who hadn’t even told her what his mission was about. Or where exactly it was.

Was it because she had talked over him so much that he hadn’t even had the chance? Gods, she hoped not. And she hoped he wasn’t offended she fell asleep on him mid-conversation, again.

It kept happening and she wanted to stay awake for longer to spend more time with him, the Mother knew she did, but her eyes always closed on their own accord. Which was especially strange considering that for most of her youth, she had huge trouble with sleep.

Whether it was waking up in terror in the dead of night, or being unable to fall asleep at all - she had dreaded almost every nightfall back in her family estate. Even though it was the only time she could ever really be herself - unjudged and unguarded.

She shook her head - those years were well past her.

Well, she hoped so, at least.

The day passed quickly - she spent it starting up on some projects that she may or may not finish just in time for spring to arrive.

Except for when a few customers came in, the quiet of the shop had been filled with her soft humming. And a little bit of talking to herself.

Well, not entirely to herself. She spoke to the shadow that Azriel always left with her when he left on missions. Or the shadow stayed behind on its own whim, as her best friend never mentioned leaving it with her.

Either way, with Azriel away, it was the sole subject of her babbling. Up until afternoon, that is, when Elain Archeron came into the shop.

She was alerted with the presence of a new customer, courtesy of the bell hanging over the door.

“Just a second! I’ll be right there!” she squealed out from the backroom. She hadn’t expected any more customers today, especially so near closing.

“Oh, it’s alright!” came a soft voice from the main room of the shop “Take your time”

“Oh, hi Elain!” she said walking to greet her friend “What brings you here?”

“I was just running some errands and wanted to check up on you” if even Elain of all people resorted to this gentle handling and coddling her, then she didn’t even want to imagine what would go down on dinner tonight.

They all still talked about starfall, then.

She appreciated the worry, she really did, but frankly there was nothing for them to do. And she couldn’t ask a High Lord to send out a letter telling her father to frankly, fuck off. Even though he probably would, if it came to it. But she did not want to let someone else handle her life for her, ever again.

She would be fine. Even if dismissing the whole situation probably didn't prove that she could, in fact, fix all of her problems on her own.

The female must have noticed her lack of response and opened her mouth to say something, but she was quickly cut off “I’m fine, Elain, really” she told her friend with a tight lipped smile.

“Are you sure?” something about the look in the middle Archeron sister’s eyes told her she didn’t entirely believe her. Elain gripped both of her hands in hers and continued on “Because if you’re not-”

“I’m alright, really” she assured

“Well, if you say so” the female dipped her head sheepishly, words slow and unsure.

“Can we change the subject, please?” she walked toward the counter near the back of the studio “I have these new projects here, maybe you could take a look…”

The two females ended up taking more than just one look at the projects, as they were now, well over an hour later, sitting on the wooden floor of the shop, papers scattered around them.

Elain gasped as she looked at the time, saying she was supposed to meet with Lucien in a few minutes. She left quickly after complimenting her unfinished works.

She stood up from the floor, wiping her hands on the skirts of her dress. She had a bit of time for a general clean up before Cassian came to fly her to the house for family dinner.

She sighed out through her nose and fixed the ribbon holding half of her hair up. If she was perfectly honest with herself, she would say that she’d much rather hide in her bedroom all night than deal with more coddling from her family.

Maybe it was some long-ago built in shame for expressing vulnerability. She was supposed to sit pretty, quiet and pliant. What was scary was how sometimes, when she fell apart or was especially exhausted - that was a form she craved taking.

But she was alright now and it was ridiculous for her to require this much attention from the people around her.

As she went on with tidying up the studio, her mind wandered over to Azriel. She worried for him, as she always did, but she knew how experienced and seasoned he was. The mission wasn’t anything for him to even bat an eye over, she was sure.

And anyway, he was probably already on his way home.

Azriel did not yet appear to be on his way home. Her stomach churned as she squirmed in Cassian’s arms.

“What do you mean ‘he hasn’t reported to Rhys yet?’” she looked up at him, and wide eyes demanding explanation

“I’m sure he’s alright, seriously. I did not mean to worry you” Cassian replied with a light voice as he soared over the city. When she didn’t reply he looked down to find her still staring at him sternly, jaw clenched and eyes squinted. Uneasy in his arms. “If I knew this would be how you’d react, I’d never would have told you”

“Well that’s comforting, Cassian.” he bristled a bit, eyes softening at her worry.

“He probably just got held up somewhere. This has happened before, remember?” Cassian tried to reason “He usually comes home late”

“But he always reports it, no?”

Cassian sighed, adjusting his grip on her.

“I’m just worried, Cass”

“I know. But he’s fine, I’m sure of it”

Her worry had not eased one bit in the next half hour.

After immediately taking notice of Azriel’s absence at dinner, unease started to creep up her chest. It was possibly a bit unreasonable to get overly worried, this soon. This wasn’t the first time he was late from a mission.

But why hasn’t he reported back?

Everyone else at the table seemed to think exactly the same way Cassian did - that everything was fine. But she had a bad feeling about this.

She swore she could feel worry and anxiety in her chest as though someone had tied a string to her rib and actively pulled it. But with some more convincing from the inner circle, she chose to dismiss the worry for a little while.

If he didn’t get back when they were done eating, that’s when she would seriously start worrying.

“So, I heard you and Azriel are going on a trip to Summer Court soon?” Feyre asked in a light tone, a fair try at deflecting the conversation.

“What? Summer?” Cassian gasped at hearing the question. He looked at her, eyes wide with betrayal. “You guys know I can’t go!”

Nesta chuckled, patting her mate’s arm.

“You’ll live, big guy”

“Well,” she looked at Cassian, and smiled sheepishly “that’s because Az and I were planning on going alone”

Cassian just sat there, mouth hanging open, staring at her in disbelief. Nesta was fighting her smirk; Feyre, Elain and their respective mates were chuckling, while Mor was outright laughing in Cassian’s face.

“And you all knew about this?”

Silence, broken by a few giggles, engulfed the dining room of the House of Wind.

“Traitors” Cassian huffed, slumping back in his chair with his arms crossed.

And for a moment, a comforting lightness came over her. Her friends were all laughing, the evening was peaceful and Azriel surely would be home safe and sound soon.

That feeling lasted all but about ten seconds before a sharp voice cut through it like a knife.

“Well, it’s good to know you and Azriel will be gallivanting around another court while we will be left to deal with your family, once they come here” Amren spoke smoothly from her chair at the other end of the table, eyes sharp and focused.

The room was casted in a heavy silence.

Before she could open her mouth to say something, Rhysand was already shaking his head in disapproval. Violet eyes held warning in them as he spoke to the female. “I think that’s enough, Amren”

She scoffed. “What, you make a show of breaking down over this on Starfall and now Azriel is taking you away to have a vacation just when things will get dirty here?”

“I-” she stammered. A doe closed into a corner. “We haven’t decided on when we’re going-”

“Like that’s the issue here” there was a hint of disdain in Amren’s voice as she replied, before bringing her wine glass to her lips.

She looked down at her like she was a bug under her shoe.

This was strange, even for Amren - yes, they were never close friends, but their relationship was also never outright hostile like this. “What exactly is it that you’re planning to do when your father does come here, eventually?”

She didn’t say anything. Shame, so distinct that she could actually feel it cutting into her chest, burned her as she looked around the room.

Wide eyes confused the glances the rest of the inner circles were exchanging as hostile against her, when in reality they were meant against Amren. She felt her breathing become shallow, and more shame licked at her.

Stupid, foolish girl.

“That’s enough.” Rhysand said with finality, at which Amren smirked but sat back and looked away. Nesta glared at her.

She should be fine. She shouldn’t need this defense, all this coddling. She hated that about the matter of her parents so much - the subject left her feeling so defenseless.

Any thought of them was like twisting a knife that had been stabbed through her for her whole life.

The worst thing was that deep down, she knew Amren was right.

She had no plan, no idea what to do, and did in fact hope that her summer court vacation would overlap with her family’s visit. If you could even call it a visit.

The word invasion crossed her mind.

Gods, what a mess this was. She was.

And most of all, she felt stupid for wishing Azriel was here. She shouldn’t need anyone. She usually didn’t need anyone.

She shook her head, not wanting to ruin the evening for herself more. There were things to worry about, now that they were halfway through eating and Azriel was still not here.

With a picked up heart rate and shaky hands, she went on eating her meal. She didn’t look up from her plate once, so she didn’t see the worried glances her friends were exchanging.

Not like it would’ve been better on her mind if she had.

She has been pacing her best friend’s bedroom for half an hour now.

He should be here. Something is wrong, for sure.

More and more nightmarish scenarios passed through her mind as she ran her hands through her hair for the thousandth time.

Just when she was about to step out of the room to find Rhys or Cassian and Nesta, the door opened.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she watched the shadowsinger stumble into his bedroom. Her eyes zeroed in on the hand he was clutching at his stomach. Red stained his fingers.

Her breathing went in and out in short gasps and she didn’t notice the surprise on Azriel’s face when he saw her there.

Her presence alone was enough reason for happiness for Azriel to forget the pain shooting through his abdomen.

The sight of her, however, was not.

Her usually composed hairstyle was a mess, and when she moved to stabilize him when he stumbled in her direction, he noticed the bit through the skin on her fingertips. The look on her face didn’t help either.

She was scared. Worried.

“Are you alright?”

She stopped dead in her tracks, again, and then with a furrowed brow looked down at his abdomen, and then back to his face.

“You’re hurt” her voice was strained, heavy

“I’ll be fine” he went to go inside his room, and she caught him when he almost fell “Just need to-” he gasped “Lay down”

“No, Az, you need help,” she directed him into the bathroom instead and led him to sit on the closed toilet lid. “Here, I’ll get Rhys to call Madja”

“No”

She gave him a stern look. Sweet, caring girl. “Azriel.”

“I can patch myself up,” he laid back against the wall “No healers. And I’ll be fine s’long as you’re here, angel. Been thinking about you all day” he said with closed eyes.

Gods, he must be delirious from the bloodlost, she thought.

If he won’t see Madja she’ll have to heal him herself. A bunch of shadows handed her a medic kit.

Time was a blur as she set everything out and went to start stopping the bleeding and healing the cut. She knelt before Azriel, movements quick, but precise. Her brow was furrowed with concentration, but worry, too.

Why hadn’t he let anyone know that he was hurt? What has happened?

Azriel hissed in pain as she disinfected the already healing wound. He would be fine, she exhaled in relief.

“Sorry,” she grimaced, looking up at him. “I’m almost done”

Azriel looked down at her through lidded eyes, a small smile donning his lips.

After a moment, when he still wouldn’t look away, she continued on her work with pink-tinted cheeks. Azriel’s stupid smile widened.

He could get stabbed everyday if it meant she would take care of him.

Soon, she was done and helped him to bed.

With assistance from his shadows, she had managed to change him into sleeping clothes. The wound was almost healed already, but she still bandaged it up, just in case.

She exhaled for what felt like the first time in hours. Gods, she knew something was wrong. Still, something inside her eased at having him back at her side, even if hurt. At least this way she could personally make sure he would be taken care of.

And she had to admit to herself, as selfish as it was, she was eternally glad to have him here after that cauldron damned dinner. A feeling of safety came back to her chest like a puzzle piece being set in place.

Now that he wasn’t actively losing blood, Azriel could think a little straighter. He sat against his pillows as she fluffed them up for him, brow still furrowed with worry. He lifted a finger to smooth the lines of her forehead.

“You should be better soon, Az. How do you feel?” she gripped his forearm in her hand. Her wide eyes bored into his hazel ones.

“I’m alright”

She let out a sigh in relief that he was at least feeling better. “I’ll tell Cassian that you won’t come to training and I’ll go to Madja for some tonics for you first thing in the morning. I also read somewhere that-”

“Sweetheart” he interrupted her gently “I’m alright, really. No need to do any of those things”

“No, Az, you’re not training tomorrow morning. No way” he straightened up a little when he saw the seriousness in her eyes. The worry, the stress. Gods, she must have really worked herself up over this.

“Alright, okay. I’m not training tomorrow” he murmured gently, reaching up to tuck away a strand of her hair that fell out of the meddled up hairstyle.

She breathed out, nodding.

Sweet girl.

There was an aspect of vulnerability to their relationship that made it quite different from any other ones in their lives.

For example, Azriel was the only one who knew the true details of her past. Of why she acted the way she did when the subject came up, and he knew how to handle her when she got soft and sensitive about it too. And she let him. Only him.

It went the other way around as well.

She knew everything about his childhood and why now so often he kept to the corners and the shadows.

Why he sometimes felt as if he should not touch her with his bare hands. And she knew how to coax out his soft side, too. In fact, after a while it started coming out around her against his own will. And after a while, he started to love it, how safe he felt around her.

But there were corners of his mind that Azriel was still too wary to let even her into. Corners that he visited in his nightmares and in his darkest moments, but ones that somehow felt all too powerful over him.

That’s why when a heavy silence encapsulated Azriel’s darkened bedroom, when the air became heavy and both their breathing shallow, when the pair realized just how close they are to each other and she looked at him wide eyed, so expectantly, as if something groundbreaking were about to happen, lips already opening for him- He pulled away.

That was why he started some meaningless conversation, trying to ignore the way her face fell when he sat back, further away from her.

That was why he hated himself a little more than on his worst days as he told her minor details of the beginning of his mission, eyes not missing the water lining her eyes.

He swore, his shadows had never scolded him as much in his entire life as in that moment. And they were right to.

The conversation went on until Azriel succumbed to the tiredness of being wounded and fell asleep. She watched his breathing even out, and then stared at him for a little while more.

Then, she debated going back to her room to sleep, but quickly rejected that idea. What if something happened to his wound while he was asleep? No, she should stay. But it also felt wrong to lay next to him after he-

No, she must have misinterpreted the situation. Azriel would never try to-

Right?

She tried to dismiss the thoughts from her mind.

Gods, what was wrong with her?

She laid down in an armchair she had dragged to the side of his bed. Her best friend was hurt, and here she was thinking about kissing him. About how she wanted to but-. This is not the time and place.

Sleep wouldn’t claim her for a long time, so she resorted to sitting there and counting her best friend’s breaths. After a while, their steady rhythm pulled her eyelids to close.

The room was still dark when Azriel opened his eyes. Moonlight streamed in through the opened curtains.

Azriel hissed as he turned around. A sharp pain pulled at this stomach and he looked down to see bandages wrapped around his torso. The wound must not have fully healed yet.

His eyes took in his surroundings and the first thing he noticed was that the armchair pulled up to his bedside.

And the person in it.

With a furrowed brow Azriel took in his best friend, still dressed in her work dress, curled in the chair in a position that must have been uncomfortable to fall asleep in.

What was she doing? Why hadn’t she laid down next to him? Possibilities passed through his mind, and finally he landed on the most probable one - that she wanted to watch him while he slept without disturbing him.

He shook his head as he started getting up. Selfless girl.

Too selfless for her own good, if it meant she would have to deal with back or neck pain in the morning.

But her care was a sweet feeling that even after decades of knowing her felt strange to Azriel. Any other member of his family would’ve known he could patch himself up and not worry themselves into madness about one singular stab wound that was nothing new for him.

Because he would’ve been fine. He had no doubt that if something actually life threatening were to happen to him, his family would take care of him.

It was a sweet, strange feeling that she would care over things he discarded as insignificant. That anyone would ever enjoy taking care of him, and willingly take time out of their day to do so.

He breathed out through his nose as he reached down to scoop her into his arms.

He hoped she wouldn’t wake, if only because she would scold him from carrying her when wounded.

And as he laid her on his bed, he thought about how there was one part of her he would probably never understand.

That unfiltered, unprecedented care she had for him. He knew he reciprocated it, that it went both ways, but somehow her care towards him seemed greater.

Maybe it was because he was harder to love. There were many more ugly sides to him that she frankly lacked.

Maybe because sometimes when he touched her he could feel that ugliness actually seep into her skin.

By the Mother, if he were any less of a selfish male he would’ve stopped this a long time ago. But neither did he have the honour to make her aware of his darkness, as cheap as that may sound, nor did he have the guts to make her his fully.

He couldn’t bear to taint her. Not as he looked at her face pressed into his pillow. Not as he thought about how soft her skin was under his fingertips. And certainly not as he thought about the endless streams of tears she let out as she seeked comfort and safety in him because of how badly she was treated by the people meant to love her.

She entrusted herself to him and he was to ruin her with himself, now?

He ran a hand through her hair as he felt his own hatred for himself run deeper and deeper.

Sometimes, in his worst nightmares, he saw something horrible happening to her. Such a tragic incident would make her his match. In his worst nightmares, she always knew that it was all his fault, and still decided to stay. Putting herself on a clear path to destruction, for him.

And, truth be told, he didn’t know what to make of it. What to do. This was one of the only areas in his life, where Azriel felt stuck.

He was hers, for eternity and he has known that for a very long time. But there was a part of him that couldn’t let her do that to herself. That couldn’t let her accept the curse of loving him.

Could he protect her from himself? Did he want to?

He used to think that he could accept this, whatever they had. Whatever form of friendship or relationship she would offer, he would grab handfuls of.

Now, however, he knew there was a problem that made his chest tighten, heart rate pick up and scarred hands clench and unclench when in close distance to her.

The impatience that grew simmering hot in Azriel, waiting to spill over.

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Pairing: Bucky x reader

Summary: Bucky writes a list on how not to lose you and you find it in the back pocket of his jeans. Requested by anonymous, a fic based on the song Tell Her You Love Her by Echosmith.

Words: 1.6k+

Warnings: Nightmare (just one, brief). It’s all fluff here, folks!

A/N: I wrote this on my iPad on iNotes lololol. Thank you thank you thank you to my bae @buckyywiththegoodhair for helping me out when I was stuck. Without you, this fic wouldn’t have happened. Hope you guys enjoy! Let me know what you think :):):)

Bucky had a hard time readjusting when Steve brought him to the tower merely 2 years after he had chosen to go back under, despite being constantly reassured that the only reason Steve had brought him back was because he was confident in new technology that could help reset Bucky’s mind. And it had done the job well. Simple words could no longer trigger the super soldier. But there was nothing they could do for his memories. Those would stay for as long as they wanted. He was plagued by nightmares, but he eventually found solace. In you.

It was an accident, really, how it all started. You were just heading down to the gym on a restless night when you heard grunts and pleas coming from behind his door. At the time, he was still adjusting to being around so many new people. He would mostly hang out with Steve, but when Steve wasn’t around he kept to himself. Never being outright rude or impolite, just quiet. So when you heard him struggling on your way to the gym, you made a split second decision to open the door, the urgency of his pleas leaving no time for you to second guess what you were about to do. When you got to his bedroom, you didn’t even bother knocking, you just opened the door and ran to him. His eyes were shut tight, sweat beading on his forehead, his arms gripping the sheets as his whole body thrashed against the mattress. You were careful but urgent in your attempts to wake him up, his screams of pain growing too much for you to bear. So you slowly placed a hand on his forehead and whispered his name. His face scrunched up in confusion, little lines forming between his eyebrows, but his eyes stayed shut and his breathing was still erratic. So you repeated his name over and over again, gradually raising your voice, until his body relaxed and his eyes finally fluttered open. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion before a flicker of recognition flitted across his eyes and he finally registered who was sitting on the bed next to him. You slowly lifted your palm from his forehead and started running your fingers through his damp hair. You stayed like that, gazes never breaking, until his breathing completely calmed. “You okay?” You kept your voice low so as not to frighten him. He nodded slowly and your lips lifted into a gentle smile before you got up from where you were perched on the bed and started making your way to his bedroom door. Before you could leave his room though, he called out your name. Turning around, your eyes met his once more, “Yeah?” A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. A real smile though, not the forced polite ones he’d given everyone on the team when he first arrived. “Thank you, [Y/N]”

After that night you two slowly grew more comfortable around each other until eventually he started confiding in you. About the things he’d done, the nightmares that plagued him, his fears. And when he finally did get more comfortable with your presence, a side of him came out that you could only assume was akin to what he was like in the 40’s. Playful, funny and charming. Somewhere along the line, you had completely fallen. He had been through so much and yet he had come out of it the kindest, most considerate man you’d ever known. In a new world, where the people were different and the customs had changed drastically, he had adjusted so well. His presence became a constant in your life and besides Nat, he was your best friend. So you tried your best to tamp it down, hoping it was just a passing thing. It made sense you would develop a little crush right? He was built like an Adonis after all, you weren’t immune to that. It didn’t help your case that you would sometimes catch him looking at you with longing in his eyes. He never made a move though. You suspected he was afraid of losing your friendship in the case you didn’t want him like he wanted you. So one day, when you two were watching a movie in his room, his arm draped across your shoulders, you decided to throw caution to the wind and finally take what you had wanted for so long. So you grabbed the remote and pressed pause. He looked at you with a playful smile and lifted an eyebrow, “Bathroom again?” He was poking fun at your ridiculously tiny bladder. You shook your head at him, a smirk on your lips. “Nope. Just tired of waiting.” His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Waiting for what?” “For you to make a move.” And then you were crashing your lips onto his. He reacted almost instantly despite his initial shock. And when he really registered what was happening, his hands came up to cup your face, tilting your head and taking control of the kiss. His lips were firm and soft against yours and it was everything you had wanted for so long and so much more. His tongue ran across your bottom lip, asking for permission that you quickly granted him. He explored your mouth fervently and you sighed at the feel of him, your hands flying to the front of his shirt. When the burning in your lungs got too uncomfortable, you parted for air, your eyes fluttering open and meeting his slightly darkened ones. He grinned. “I’m really glad you did that.” You wiggled your eyebrows at him. “Well someone has to have balls in this relationship.” He threw his head back laughing wholeheartedly and your heart danced at the sound. You joined him, overcome with joy.

7 months later, you were doing his laundry when you found a crumpled up note in the back pocket of his pants. Bucky had recently moved into the same living quarters as you. It wasn’t something you guys had talked about, it just happened. He was finding it harder and harder to sleep alone in his room when he knew what it felt like to fall asleep holding onto you. Besides, he was your boyfriend and you guys weren’t trying to hide it from the team any longer. You were never good at that anyway, anyone with eyes could tell. Unfolding the note, you found it was a list. Scrawled in his messy handwriting, it read:

1. Treat her better, make sure to see it through 2 Don’t be just everything she wants, be everything she needs 3. Don’t run away when you get tired 4. When she says she needs you, tell her you need her too 5. Tell her she’s lovely 6. Always tell her the truth 7. When she says she loves you, tell her you love her too

You scrunched up your nose at the cheesiness, but found yourself smiling anyway. The words sounded familiar to you, you were pretty sure they were lyrics to a popular song right now, you just didn’t know which one. “Buck!” You yelled over the sound of the tv program he was watching in the living room. He came strolling in, “Need some he-” his words cut off when he saw what you were holding in your hands. You smiled. “I’m just curious”, you assured him. He shuffled on his feet and put his hands in his pockets, something you only every saw him do when he was nervous or uncomfortable. “I-I was just getting groceries last week when I heard this song. Sam gave me a notepad with his grocery list on it, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to write them down, seemed like good advice.” You slowly approached him. “What for?”, you asked quietly, even though you already had an idea. He sighed. “I’ve never been a serious relationship person, not even back then. And now dating’s even more crazy. Tinder? How is that a thing?” You chuckled. Trying to find your significant other purely by looks and a short bio did seem a little unconventional, even to you, a millennial. “And I don’t want to mess this up, [Y/N]. It’s too good, you’re too good”, he continued, his gaze dropping to his feet. You cupped his face and forced him to look back at you. You smiled before speaking. “You’re not going to mess this up. You’re the best man I know, don’t underestimate yourself. We’ve been doing fine so far, don’t you think? Actually, in my most humble opinion, we’ve been doing amazing. I love you so much. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, and if you’ll have me, I’ll spend the rest of my days proving it to you until you believe it.” His face split into the biggest grin you’d ever seen and he let out a breathless chuckle. “I love you, I love you so much. I’m not sure you’re even real sometimes.” You beamed at him and pressed your lips against his, capturing them in a toe curling kiss. When you pulled back, you smiled at him. “Does that feel real to you?” He nodded vigorously. “It’s the realest thing I’ve ever felt,” he whispered, a smile blooming on his beautiful face. You ran your thumb over his cheek and grinned. “Good.”

TAGGING: @buckyywiththegoodhair @avengerofyourheart @bovaria @imaginingbucky @yourplumbucky

Hi tumblr people!

Tlou s2e2 hit so hard it teleported me back to high school. I started drawing again (which after traumatic expierience with art school is a big win for me yay!)

I know this doesn’t even resemble Pedro (somehow it reminds me more of Joel from the games. How? I don’t have the slightest idea 😂). Should I add more moths or leave it with only white? It will be a diptych with Ellie with fern and moths. The whitest part is made in Posca markers. I tried to save it by adding more in soft pastel to mute it a little but well… let’s just say I went with the flow and here we are. What should I change? What can I add? Pls be gentle 🫣 also I’m adding my reference (Photoshoot from Esquire April 2023)

Our man it’s proud♥