Relationship: Johnny Storm x Reader
Warnings: nothing! short little fluffy thing
Summary: Johnny brings home dessert from a local bakery for family dinner, which raises some alarms… Why has he been frequenting a bakery?
A/N: literally had this idea in the middle of eating dinner and had to stop what i was doing to write it so i hope you enjoy. i think it's kind of humorous. the relationship is more indirect/implied. also I'm testing out this little design thing (peep the borders). idk everyone makes their writing posts so aesthetically pleasing now which is very new to me. sorry I'm old I've been writing on this site since about 2014 and the trends are changing I'm trying to keep up
“What’s that?” Ben asked, pointing at the brown bag sitting at the other end of the counter.
“What’s what?” Johnny asked from the dining table.
“That.” Ben repeated, a little annoyed. “That bag on the counter. Where did it come from?”
Johnny finally gave in and turned around to see what Ben was talking about. When his eyes landed on the object, he muttered, “Oh. I brought that. It’s dessert. Apple pie to be specific.”
“You brought dessert?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you get dessert?”
“From that new bakery around the corner.”
“You went to a bakery?”
Johnny rolled his eyes and was just about to snap back when Sue and Reed entered the room.
“What did Johnny do?” Sue asked as she walked toward the dining table.
“Nothing,” Johnny sighed.
“He brought dessert,” Ben explained, “from a bakery.”
“You went to a bakery?” Reed asked, clearly unable to hide his surprise.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? Is that really so surprising?”
Sue laughed. “Well, sorry Johnny, it’s just because you aren’t exactly one to frequent bakeries.” But then she paused. Johnny swore he could see a lightbulb go off in her head. “Unless…” She eyed her brother suspiciously. Johnny certainly did not appreciate that. His defenses were suddenly amplified.
He loved his sister dearly but come on…
“Unless what?” Reed asked.
Before anyone could loop him in, Ben spoke up. “Oh, I see now. That makes perfect sense.” It makes like him and Sue were communicating telepathically. Johnny really, really did not appreciate this.
“Stop…” Johnny wanted to bury his head in the sand.
“What am I missing?” Reed asked again.
“There’s a woman,” Sue explained. “Specifically, there’s a woman at the bakery.”
At Sue’s comment, Johnny couldn’t help but let his mind flood with images and memories of you. The cashier with the welcoming eyes that had hooked him in one day when he’d uncharacteristically looked through the windows of the new neighborhood bakery. The sweet woman who chatted with him like he was any regular person. The gracious one who like to recommend him certain pies and then not-so-sneakily slip him extra cookies for free. The beautiful gal who boldly and confidently let her hand linger a little longer on his when handing him his items.
He could go on and on; his brain full with infinite ways of thinking about you. He found you entirely intoxicating. He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen but now he found himself quite addicted to pastries and sweets if it meant getting to chat with you for just a few minutes or so.
“I think you hit the nail on the head, Sue,” Ben remarked as he took his place at the table, forcing Johnny back to reality. A very embarrassing reality.
“Look—It’s—Yeah, okay, I like the cashier at the bakery, but the treats are actually really delicious—,”
“Oh, this is wonderful. I think it’s very endearing that you have a crush,” Sue replied. “When do we get to meet her?”
Johnny nearly choked on the air around him. “Meet her? We—We’re not together or anything. I haven’t even asked her out.”
Ben chuckled and then asked, “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“I don’t know,” Johnny admitted. “She’s just probably nice to everyone and I’m the sucker falling for it.“
“I don’t think you believe that. She clearly means something to you,” Reed noted. Johnny shot him a look.
“Look,” Sue interrupted, “maybe if you get this doe-eyed talking and thinking about her—,”
“Doe-eyed?” Johnny questioned.
Sue ignored him and continued, “—then where’s the harm in giving it a shot?”
“It feels different,” he finally admitted. “She feels different.”
The smile on Sue’s face grew wide. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Same here,” Ben agreed.
Reed smirked. “She sounds like a scientific marvel.”
“Okay, okay. Enough,” Johnny said a bit forcefully. “Let’s just eat, yeah? We can dissect my love life later.”
“Promise?” Ben jested.
Johnny, without an ounce of hesitation, chucked a dinner roll at him. Ben was laughing too much to bother ducking.
Relationship: Johnny Storm x Reader
Warnings: just a short fluffy thing
Summary: Johnny decides to bother you while you’re trying to work in Reed’s lab and it takes a heart-skipping turn.
A/N: jeez who would've thought the f4 movie would bring me back here. anyways this is so short and silly and kind of stupid but i had some wine tonight and just got to writing so i hope someone enjoys
"Do you really not have anywhere else to be?" You asked before turning back to the equipment Reed had left out on the counter in his lab.
As his recently hired lab assistant, you had been instructed to observe his current testing and make the appropriate notes. It wasn’t much right now, just some scans on some materials he had discovered, but that didn’t mean you needed one Johnny Storm breathing down your neck in the process.
"Nope," he replied and plopped down in one of the lab chairs beside you. He started spinning in it and, every now and then, tapping your lab coat. "I am free for the afternoon. My to-do list has been completed. I can now relax and hang around my favorite lab assistant."
"Relax," you muttered to yourself. "I’m sure posing for another Teen Living photoshoot is just so incredibly exhausting."
"I’ll have you know, it can be incredibly taxing. Not everyone has the stamina for such a thing."
Against your better instincts, you couldn’t help but let out a laugh at that. You cursed yourself mentally. He always managed to get just under your guard, just right at your skin. It was aggravating mostly. You didn’t really want to be one of the thousands of other girls who throw themselves at the ever-delightful and dreamy Johnny Storm. But, at the same time, you couldn’t really shake him. He was your employer’s brother-in-law after all. And he had the full ability to come annoy you whenever he saw fit. This led you to see some other sides of him and, gosh, you sometimes couldn’t help yourself.
You cleared your throat and recorded the number that the machine in front of you spat out. You weren’t sure how to respond to Johnny now.
"You’re familiar with the magazine then?" He asked suddenly.
"I see it at the grocery store from time to time." A little bit of a lie. You may or may not have purchased a copy of it, but it was strictly out of curiosity, and Johnny wasn’t even on the cover. Did he have an article in there? Sure. But he was not on the cover.
"Your mouth says one thing, but your eyes say something else."
"My eyes are busy trying to work, Mister Storm."
"Oh, please. We’re past the formalities, aren’t we, sweetheart?"
You almost jumped out of your skin. "I don’t think you can call me that. That has to violate some labor laws."
"Fine, scratch that then," Johnny replied smoothly before sliding his seat closer to you. "How about I call you ‘sweetheart’ when you’re not on the clock? That won’t violate labor laws."
You wrote a few more quick notes in your notepad. "And how many girls will you be calling ‘sweetheart’ this week?"
You expected some hesitation or even laughter from him at your comment, but instead, his words were serious and calm. "Just the one I’m staring at right now."
Finally, you forced yourself to pry your eyes away from the lab equipment and face the seductive man beside you. He was…waiting. Watching you. All so very patiently. You actually had to respond seriously, apparently.
"You’re serious."
"As serious as a heart attack."
"Going on such dates might also violate labor laws—,"
Johnny chuckled. "Well, you don’t work for me."
"I—I guess maybe technically—,"
"Great," he said, cutting you off effectively and abruptly. "There’s a great little place just a block over. We can walk over there after your shift."
"Sure. Fine. I clock out at seven. I think I can spare one drink."
"Drinks and a meal. I don’t skimp on my dates, darling."
"Oh—Okay—,"
"Hitting on my lab assistant again, Johnny?" Reed Richards suddenly said from the doorway. You didn’t know if you were thankful or frustrated by his interruption.
Johnny shot you one of his famous, swoon-worthy smirks (one you very much saw in the magazines) before walking toward Reed. "Reed, I’ll have you know that we have a date planned."
Reed glanced at you, his eyes wide with surprise. "She caved."
"It’s just drinks."
"And a meal," Johnny called out as he was making his way to the lab exit. "See you at seven."
Once he was gone, you turned back to your assignment, fully aware of the curious Reed who was staring you down. You apparently traded one annoying Fantastic Four for another.
"You finally agreed to a date, huh?" Reed asked while you focused on your notes.
"I’m not talking about this with my employer," you muttered.
Summary: your husband and a bunch of strangers show up at your house in the middle of the night.
Warnings: John walker, swearing
A/n: The car they have is a mini van instead of the van they had in the movie, so with actual seats and that stuff - so minor change, that's all.
^the car seating plan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are we going?" Ava asks, being the third person in the last ten minutes to ask Bucky this. "We'll be there shortly" He grounds out, the same response he's given the last two times.
John is about to say something but is quickly stopped by the glare wielded his way from Yelena. From the past three days of knowing him, she's gotten used to knowing that whenever he opens his mouth, something stupid comes out. Every. Time. And every time, it looks like Bucky is that much closer to pummeling him.
Another fifteen minutes later and Bucky pulls the van into a dirt road leading away from any civilization. Ava and Yelena look out the rear window as the main road is getting further and further away.
The two women glance at each other in concern of where they're heading and how Bucky isn't telling them anything about it. "This seems more like a kidnapping than staying under the radar" Ava finally says when Bucky continues driving deeper into the forest.
"I'm sure the winter soldier knows where we're going and what he's doing. We're fine." Alexei says with a hefty laugh as he's watching from the window beside him.
Bucky meanwhile lets out an aggravated sigh to himself, but he doesn't say anything since in just mere minutes, they'll arrive at the location. The location of which feels like he hasn't been to in way too long for his liking.
And that location is a cabin. A cabin that Tony had set up for his wife during the blip so she wouldn't have to put on any kind of act by being around others all the time. That woman just so happened yo be you, Y/n Barnes.
You're an ex. shield agent that helped Steve with finding Bucky after the events of Pierce and Hydra still being active, as well as the whole project insight fail. Bucky and you caught feelings for each other after some time of finding him again and through the events of the team splitting up and fighting against Thanos, both times. After the second time and all the tragedy, you guys decided to get married. Not that it didn't come with hardships, like the whole therapy thing and having to forgive himself and make amends, and the flagsmashers. But all in all, you love each other.
Which is how you find your eyebrows furrowing as you hear a rusty sound of a car driving along the path towards the cabin. That wasn't normal. Your husband always comes home on his bike, only a car a few times, but those times he alerted you. This time though, you got no communication from him that says not to worry.
So, you immediately turn the light off in the living room and grab your gun from the holster on your thigh. Yes, you may be alone out here, but it doesn't mean danger can't find you. Plus, this is what you were trained for.
You silently move through the pitch black house, the only light coming from the headlights of the car illuminating the halls from through the windows. Sticking to the shadows, you make your way outside through a hidden door at the side of the house.
The gun with your finger on the trigger is held firmly down to your right side as you trek silently to the corner to get a glimpse at who's in the car.
"What is this place?" Yelena asks when Bucky turns off the ignition and pulls the keys out. Instead of answering, Bucky just gets out of the car and puts his hands up after closing the door.
"I know you're there. It's me." He calls out to, appearance wise, no one. This makes everyone still in the van look at each other with confused gazes before unbuckling their seatbelts and getting out of the mini van as well. Except for Yelena right away, she stays to wake Bob up. He had nodded off an hour ago in the drive, his head rested against the small window to his left.
You come out of your hiding spot behind the corner of the house with your gun held in front of you, your legs spread in a fighting stance. That is until it's confirmed that it's in fact your husband and no trick.
Paying no mind to the other people coming out of the car, you holster your gun and go over to him. Bucky quickly wraps his arms around you and holds you close to him. He rests his head on your shoulder as he breathes in the light scent of your shampoo that's still lingering from the shower you took this morning.
As Yelena and Bob emerge from the beat up mini van, you and bucky pull apart from one another to face the group of them who are now acting as though they weren't just watching what happened.
You scan over everyone and the last person, your face twists in something someone can only call as disgust. John Walker. "Hey, Y/n, long time no see?" The man at least has the decency to be weary and nervous, scratching the back of his neck. "Could be longer" You say sharply before taking your eyes off him, and just stare at the group as a whole instead.
"Wait, who is this?" Yelena is the one to speak up. "This is Y/n. My wife." Bucky smiles softly, the most genuine look on his face they've seen on him as he looks at you.
"You have a wife?" Several versions of this questions rise from the group, but get off from a glare he sends their way.
"Hey. Nice to meet you guys, I guess" You look back up at your husband before to them again. "Who are you exactly and why do you look like you just went ten rounds with a tornado?" You ask with a raised eyebrow as you take in how disheveled they all look.
"It's best we explain inside." Bucky says. You let out a puff of air before nodding after a moment and taking a key out of your boot. You head to the front door and unlock it, your husband by your side as the rest of them follow inside.
You turn the lights on as Bucky closes and locks the door and enacts the security system that runs through the house and property. "This way" You say and lead them to the living room. As they take a seat, all basically bursting with confusion still, you go over to your husband.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me you were coming, Buck!?" You exclaim in a hushed whisper. "I didn't have any way of communicating you. And I was a little pre-occupied" He glances at the people in the next room over. "I was worried about you" you finally say. "I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was how you bailed on your congressman meetings and had apparently gone rogue."
"I know, and I'm so sorry, darling. But I promise, I'm alright, and we'll tell you everything that happened" Bucky says and presses a kiss to your lips. You melt into it for a second before remembering about the occupants in the next room over.
"Come on, mind as well get this over with." He says quietly into your ear and wraps your hand in his. He leads you to the living room and to in front of the fireplace to face everyone.
"Alright, this is Alexei, Ava, Yelena, and Bob." Bucky introduces them to you. "And him as well," he quickly nods over to John, not wanting to draw too much of your attention to the man that you loath. And boy, does Bucky understand, but nows not the time.
Yelena does a little awkward wave. "Alright. Would someone like to inform me what the hell exactly happened?" You cross your arms and lean against the fireplace mantle.
They all glance at each other before Yelena sighs and sits up straighter, starting to summarize everything that happened to them up to when Bucky met them and blew up Alexie's limo. At that you look at your husband with a raised brow before Yelena continues, the others popping in at times as well.
Once everyone was finished explaining the events leading up to them arriving here, you pinch the bridge of your nose and quietly groan. "Valentina? As in the same woman from three years ago, is behind this whole thing?"
You get multiple nods and 'yeah's from the group. "Wonderful. Well, next time you plan to see her, bring me with. I have a thing or two to say...or do" the ex spy in you is coming out.
"Does he usually fall asleep like that" you're attention is drawn to Bob who is asleep with his head resting on the back couch cushioning. "Uh, he's been through a lot." Ava says.
"Okay, yeah," you sigh, "Well, down the hall are some bedrooms. You guys look like you need to clean up and some sleep yourselves." You point down the hall to your right.
"Thank you" Yelena nods, the rest of them saying thanks as well before standing and going down the hall. Though John goes over to lift Bob. "Don't bother, he can stay in the couch, he seems peaceful" you tell him, trying to fight off the growl even though technically the man was doing something sweet (ish).
He relents and nods, not wanting to get into a fight with you at this time, knowing he won't win. You go over to the younger man and have him lay down more comfortably on the couch with a pillow, as well as draping one of the throw blankets over him.
"Though if you break anything, I will personally come after you" you call down the hallway before going upstairs to your bedroom with Bucky.
"You're very authoritative. It's good, they actually listened to you" he says once you guys get to your shared room.
"That's cause I'm such an amazing person" you smirk. But a moment later, you smack your husband upside the head. "What was that for?" He asks, surprised at the action, not like it hurt that much anyways.
"For worrying me. And for the stupid shit you did" you say before kissing him softly.
summary- Bob has really started to like you, but he assumes you don’t feel the same way about him. You do though, and everyone seems to know that except Bob… and apparently also Walker, who really thought he had a chance
warnings- thunderbolts* spoilers kinda, thunderbolts being roomies and hanging out yayy, pining, slight jealousy, bob not feeling very confident :( small mention of void stuff, slightly suggestive mention, john walker likes you and of course that goes absolutely nowhere, bucky is getting too old for this foolishness, hand holding, fluff
word count- 1443
notes- i will write for any of the thunderbolts, you guys, the obsession has reallyyy set in
The view of the sunset from the Watchtower is a beautiful backdrop for an already nice evening with the group. You’re all sitting around, waiting for Bucky to come back with food for everyone. Alexei is telling some awfully embarrassing childhood story about Yelena, who keeps trying to cut him off mid-story. "No listen, I was a small child-"
Bob is listening and occasionally laughing, but he’s focusing on you more than he’s focusing on the story. You’re sitting right next to Alexei and trying really hard not to laugh at his story (for Yelena’s sake) but occasionally you cover your face as your whole body shakes with laughter. Bob loves it. He loves seeing you smile. He feels like he’s being weird so he looks away, but he quickly notices that he’s not the only one looking at you.
Walker, who’s sitting right across from him, keeps glancing your way, too. Bob’s never considered before that Walker would like you, but it's not surprising. Of course he would. You’re so funny and smart and you’re tough, but you can also be so kind and, of course, you’re absolutely beautiful... Walker would have to be so dumb to not to see all of that, but it doesn’t mean that Bob approves of this at all.
He doesn’t think Walker is right for you, and he's never considered that you might see Walker that way, but now the idea is in his head and he hates it.
Walker can be a real jerk, (and of course he’s got some rage issues), but he is good looking, and he’s actually able to help on missions. Bob has to stay back most of the time. Plus, sometimes Walker can be pleasant. Sometimes.
Walker also doesn’t risk showing you your most awful traumatic memories every time you touch. Bob’s mostly got it under control now, but it doesn’t matter because now he’s got the mental image of you and Walker touching and that makes him feel nauseous. The idea of you and Walker-
He doesn’t realize he’s been intensely staring down Walker until he looks up at Bob with the most confused look on his face and mouths “what??”.
Even the mere idea of something happening between you and Walker is bothering him, and he can't get it out of his head. I don't know why I'm upset. It's not like I ever had a chance.
After dinner, everyone starts to split up and do their own thing around the tower for the rest of the night. Of course, no one bothered to clean up after themselves, so you take it upon yourself. Bob walks over and hands you another dirty plate. “Sorry”, he says with a shy little laugh.
“Aww dang", you say with a chuckle, "Thanks for actually handing me your dishes, though. Ava left hers on the floor”, and the two of you quietly snicker.
Bob awkwardly fiddles with random things on the counter, as if one of them will give him another excuse to stay there and keep talking to you. You suspect that's what he's doing, but you never know exactly what's going on in his head. Whatever he's doing, it's endearing. Although, you find everything about him endearing: his smile, his little laugh he does every time he's nervous, his messy curls that are starting to fall over his eyes...
You realize neither of you have said anything in a while. "Hey, how are you feeling tonight? You've been extra quiet", you tell him with a sweet smile.
Bob panics, "No, what? I'm fine. Um. I'm just tired, that's what it is", and he smiles at you, but then the direct eye contact is a little too much for him and he redirects his smile to the tile floor.
"Okay, just checking", You aren't sure if you believe him, but you're not going to push it. "Hey, did you see that video where-", and you start talking about something else.
Yelena walks back into the room to grab her phone, and she smiles and rolls her eyes when she sees you happily talking and laughing together.
At some point, Walker strolls in and soo casually leans against the counter, (he thinks he's being really cool), and thanks you for cleaning up, completely ignoring Bob, who is standing right there and helping clean up, too. Bob glances at you, trying to see if you act any different when Walker's around.
As Walker steps back into the hallway to go to bed, he stops walking for a second and glances back at you from afar, until a voice totally pulls him out of his thoughts.
“Don’t even think about it”
“Geez Bucky, don’t sneak up on me like that”, Walker says before turning back to look at you and Bob again. “But seriously, do you think I should go for it?”
“No”, Bucky says with no hesitation.
“Well don’t think too hard about it.” Walker responds sarcastically and crosses his arms defensively.
“I’m not just saying this to be disagreeable. Everyone knows she kind of…” Bucky starts to say before trailing off.
“What? What is it?”
Bucky hesitates and then decides Walker isn’t going to let it go. He leans in and quietly says, “Everyone around here kinda thinks she likes Bob.”
He’s dumbfounded. “Bob?? You cannot be serious. There’s no way that-”
“Watch it, John”
“No, you know I love Bob! But come on, don’t you think if I put the idea out there that maybe she’d at least consider it?”
Bucky groans dramatically, “Ughh I do not want to be involved in all this. I’m just letting you know I think you’d be... unsuccessful”, and as Walker rolls his eyes and walks back to his room for the night, Bucky notices that Bob’s down the hall, and has apparently been listening to the entire thing.
Bob quickly walks up to Bucky. “Do you think that’s true? Actually?”, he says in a hushed tone, with what can only be described as big hopeful puppy dog eyes.
Bucky mutters something under his breath about his new team being “a bunch of teenagers” and then turns to face Bob again. “I mean, she hasn’t said anything to me, but it’s pretty clear. Yelena and Ava were talking about this earlier and they think so, too.”
Bob can’t believe this. There’s no way. He doesn't want to get his hopes up, but if 4 of his friends think so, then maybe it really is true?
Bucky puts a hand on his shoulder. “Ask her to get lunch with you or something tomorrow. You can decide for yourself.”
Bob starts to frantically shake his head, “No, no I can’t do that, it would be so embarrassing if she didn’t want to.”
“Come on, man. She’ll want to. You should probably do this soon before Walker beats you to it”, Bucky says with a little laugh.
That was enough to convince him.
The next afternoon, you’ve been training for a bit, and now you’re going over some random important documents the group was sent. You see Bob over at the counter, so you decide to walk over and pour yourself some tea, too.
“Hey, Bob”, you say cheerfully, and he turns to look at you.
“Hi”, and he pours the tea into your mug without you having to ask.
You thank him and then look in his eyes. He’s clearly thinking about something. “Bob?”
“Would you like to go get lunch with me today?”, he says out of nowhere. He says it like he thinks that if he didn’t ask you now, he never would. Which is probably true. Any more time to think about it and he might've convinced himself it was the worst idea ever.
You smile warmly at him. “Yeah I’d love to. What time were you thinking?”
Bob is so caught off guard by your positive response that he almost doesn’t answer. “Uhh, we could go in half an hour. If that works for you, of course.”
“Yeah that works. Thanks Bob!”, you say, and then you gently pat him on the shoulder and leave the room to shower and get changed. Bob stands there for a second, hoping he didn't just imagine all of that.
When the two of you are ready, you slowly take his hand, and he lightly squeezes your hand back and smiles at you.
Over on the couch, Ava smiles, and Bucky pats Walker on the back with no real sympathy. "Told ya".
Walker kind of scoffs, but he can't help but smile just a little as he watches Bob step into the elevator, happily holding your hand.
Bob doesn't mean to be sneaking around. But he can't help it. He's got a secret, and he wants to keep it that way. Too bad he's best friends with Yelena Belova.
Warnings: Thunderbolts* spoilers, minor (and i mean MINOR) talks of addiction
"Bob."
Yelena watched as he stopped in his tracks. He looked cosy in his sweater and trousers. Not like the rest of them, ready in combat gear.
"Where are you going?"
She didn't mean to so closely keep tabs on him. He was a fully grown man, after all. Not some child that couldn't be trusted. But she still worried.
His sleeves were rolled up slightly, stopping them from falling over his hands. "Out," he said, eyes darting between Yelena and Alexi (the only other person in the room with them).
Yelena raised her eyebrows. "Just... out?"
"Just out." He shook his head slightly, raised his hands and smiled at his shoes.
Yelena looked him over once more. There was nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary about him. Nothing to suggest anything was wrong. "Okay," she said.
"Okay?" The way Bob asked it, it was like he was asking for permission.
Yelena let her expression soften. "Come back safe."
"I will."
With that, Bob left. His hands entered his pockets as he stepped into the elevator and turned around. Still smiling at Yelena as the doors slid shut.
"Okay," Yelena said as she stood up. Moving her heard from side to side, she listened to her neck click before she started towards the window.
"Yelena, where are you going?" Alexi asked, more nosey than anything else.
Yelena ignored him as she opened up the window and jumped out.
***
There was something about the way Bob walked. His steps were kind of bouncy, his head held high. It was something you wouldn't notice, unless you knew what you were looking for.
Yelena knew what she was looking for.
Following Bob was all too easy. He had no idea anybody was behind him, couldn't fathom the idea that someone was following him.
Nowadays, Bob was so content. He wasn't looking over his shoulder, wasn't over thinking every move he made. He wasn't scavenging for his next fix.
He was happier, now. He still had his dark days, sure, but he was overall happier.
Yelena was three steps behind him. She made no move to weave around the New Yorkers walking past her, didn't need to be elusive and sneaky when it came to Bob.
But then Bob stepped into a cafe.
It was just a normal cafe, Independently owned, serving a variety of hot and cold drinks. Cakes were in the display case in front of the counter, three baristas wiping down the space behind it.
Bob went straight over to the counter. Yelena watched from the window as Bob looked up at the chalkboard above the coffee machines. His mouth was open, Yelena could hear the 'uhhhhhh' he was probably letting out.
But then he chose.
One barista began making the coffee. Another barista began making something in the blender. A mixture of milk and ice and some sort of syrup from a pump.
Once they were made, the baristas put the drinks on a tray and passed it to Bob. He thanked them both and headed over to an empty table.
And Bob sat there, alone. He took both drinks from the tray and placed the tray on the empty table beside him. He didn't drink the milkshake in front of him, didn't touch the coffee opposite him.
After a few moment, Yelena stepped towards the door of the cafe. He was waiting for someone, someone who wasn't going to show up. All she had to do was sit opposite him and he wouldn't be so alone.
But then somebody rushed in front of her. They pushed open the cafe, the bell above the door chiming, and walked over to Bob's table.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She cried as she sat down.
The tips of Bob's ears became red. "You're not that late," he mumbled and picked up his milkshake.
Grabbing two cubes of sugar from the pot between them, she dropped them into her drink. "Still," she said, stirring her sugar in. "Next time I'll run."
Yelena furrowed her brows. Who the hell? She wondered as she watched the two of them.
Bob must've said something funny, something that had her laughing and him giggling at himself. Of course he did, that was what Bob did. On his good days, he was a light.
But Yelena watched as she reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Bob's. It was a sweet move, her thumb brushing over his wrist. Bob didn't withdraw from her. No, he moved closer.
The two chatted as they drank their drinks. As soon as their cups were drained, she shook up and offered her hand to Bob.
Bob took it. He looked down at her like there was nothing else in the cafe, nothing else in the world.
Linking her arm through his, she dragged him out of the cafe. Well, she didn't need to drag him; he was happy to trail after her.
Yelena had to admit, she was cute. But that didn't make her trustworthy.
Bob was much more than a super weapon. Yelena knew that, she knew that better than anyone. But that was still one of the fears that flashed through her mind as she followed them.
They disappeared into a bookshop. Two seconds later, Bob emerged. Yelena ducked down the side of the building next door to the bookshop. The building Bob entered.
He left the florists a few moments later, a small bouquet in his hands. The flowers were all soft, pastel colours. Baby blues and pinks and whites. It was gorgeous. It was obvious Bob didn't pick it out himself.
It was then that Yelena realised what was happening. Bob had a girlfriend.
As soon as the flowers were in her hands, mystery girl kissed him. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Yelena backed away. She'd completed her mission, made sure Bob was okay. He was better than okay.
saw thunderbolts* and i believe in the mcu again. the movie was good and if you want to see it, go see it. thought this could be a cute little post because the orange test will never not be fun to me.
anyways i need more ava starr pls and thank you
divider by @cafekitsune
yelena belova / black widow
"you want me to...peel you an orange?"
yelena, at best, is confused about the idea of an 'orange test.' she doesn't exactly have the best relationship with tests. but when you explain that it's just an action that shows someone they care about you and see you...she does laugh. she laughs and says it's ridiculous. but then a few days later she'll slide over a plate of peeled oranges, separated in segments and looking mostly uniform (because she ate the non-uniform pieces). if you forgot, she'll remind you why she did it.
bucky barnes / the winter soldier
"i don't understand the point of this."
it's a trend on social media. you have to explain the significance and why people are really into it. bucky doesn't know what to think of it. he chalks it up to one of those trends that he's just too old for. but he'll do it regardless. the orange comes out whole.
ava starr / ghost
"you came to the right person."
one of the ways ava might have entertained herself when she was younger was with art. she views fruit carving as another medium for art. so when you ask her to peel you an orange, she peels it with a knife. with precision. she slices the orange to make a crane! isn't that cute? will also generally cut your fruit into cute shapes. there's something soothing about focusing on something mundane. it makes her feel normal.
john walker / u.s. agent
"i can totally do."
you might have overestimated john's capacity for peeling oranges. he's more of a insert thumbs into the fruit and then split it open. then he'll give you the portion, unpeeled. it's not what you what but it is funny. and besides, it's the thought that counts, right?
alexei shostakov / red guardian
"you know, yelena used to ask me to peel her oranges and make them fun. it was the only way to get her to eat fruit."
surprisingly is very much like ava. alexei can peel an orange no problem. uses a knife (a bigger one, not the smaller one for delicate lines like ava) and then slices it to make fun shapes! but it's not as detailed as ava's. he also ends up using the orange slices for a lecture and to talk about a story. and then you guys get to eat it!
bob
"that's kind of cute...actually..."
bob's no stranger to peeling oranges. he uses his hands and does it without question. he likes helping, he likes being useful. and even if it's something small like peeling the orange because you can't or because you don't like the smell of the citrus on your fingers, he'll do it. on the contrary bob would like the citrus smell. he tries to cut the orange into cute shapes like ava but messes it up.
Disclaimer: I am not the author of these stories, just sharing my favourite James 'Bucky' Barnes stories. Find the authors' links below. If you want your work removed, message me privately.
this list is very lateee, but im slowly getting through them. Thank you to every author listed! y'all make the fandom way more enjoyable and bring soo many smiles to so many faces <3
✱: Fall Back Again (yn gets injured during a mission and suffers from amnesia) @mywinterbuckybear
✱: Happy birthday, Steve Rogers (steve wakes up from a terrible dream and to his birthday and everything is fine) @mywinterbuckybear
✱: Challenge Accepted...? (Steve has never been good at quick decision making when it comes to his own safety. after one horrible experience you find a way to remind him) @anika-ann
✱: A matter of trust (you and steve get to go on a mission together after a while... you might even enjoy this as a couple) @anika-ann
✱: The wounded (after you survive a kidnapping that ends up affecting you in ways you and steve never anticipated, you turn to bucky for comfort leaving steve confused) @beyondspaceandstars
✱: The recipe for love (the words bucky said were nothing but innocent, except they wormed their way into your brain and now you're worried you're not enough) @anika-ann
✱: With this ring (steve has mastered the word no. to you, not really and not to the little lady that runs his life? defintly not really) @touchstarvedirl
✱: The birthday party (on the day of her daughter's first birthday, yn learns something an awful truth) @tryingmybestpls
✱: Movie star (dark!steve x ex-pornstar!reader) @vampy-doll
✱: Secret's out (steve rogers is a terrible liar) @speechlessxx
✱: I love watching you, baby (filming different home videos with different characters) @worksby-d
✱: Slow like honey (the gossip buzzes around in the teacher's lounge is that sweet, divorce steve rogers is hot-for-teacher) @heli0s-writes
✱: Reflections (an offhanded under-the-breath comment you make sets steve off) @thepsychewrites
✱: What a world 1/3 (tarzan!steve x doctor!reader) @onsunnyside
✱: Three's company (bucky teaches steve how to eat you out) @dirtychocolatechai
✱: Hungry eyes (you and bucky love to experiment, and steve loves to watch) @bucksfucks
✱: Method acting (frat!steve and yn are close friends, but the lines start to blur and enter beryl;a girl who wants to make steve hers) @kinanabinks
✱: Parade (you and steve try rotary sushi for the first time) @rodrikstark
✱: Who's your daddy (reader takes steve to meet her parents for the first time. turns out he's already met her father-- tony stark) @maybepointlessthoughts
✱: reader is a virgin and nervous to try something new @worksby-d
✱: True friends stab you in the front (your best friend is meant to protect you right...?) @cockslutpadalecki
✱: home> (its 1945, steve is home from war, and all he wants to do is get his girl back) @avintagekiss24
✱: mafia daycare (yn has an event last minute so steve has to watch his daughter at work) @sweetsbfreex
✱: bucky finds an interesting way to wake steve in the morning @angrythingstarlight
✱: poyt!blurb @evansbby
✱: readers getting picked up by their biker!bf after bar @angrythingstarlight
✱: earpiece (you're undercover) @rodrikstark
✱: Skinny dipping (frat!steve, you and the gang decide a camping getaway before summer ends) @lanadelreycodewhor3
✱: The cheerleader (the captain of the football team is a total bitch. her dad's pretty hot though) @kinanabinks
✱: Wicked games (in which you and steve have a secret pornhub channel) @fushic0re
✱: Soft on me (every time you and steve fuck, you do it his way. because captain america is always in charge. but what happens when stevie wakes up and finds himself tied to his bed) @gummydummy19
✱: Squirting @myfictionaldreams
✱: Fairy woes (poty drabble, steve throws a halloween party and you try your hardest to be the perfect little host) @evansbby
✱: Tatiana (youve made a series of mistakes concering steve and you're not going to stop now, although those mistakes may leave you in some unprecedented circumstances) @lilbabycee
What do we think of a pining Bucky who isn't good at flirting anymore?
I love that idea, nonnie.
Bucky who is trying to get his bearings after everything and seeing you brings so much comfort to his life. You're patient and accepting. Just a good person. And you're so beautiful to him. One of the most beautiful people he has ever laid eyes on.
But he has a tendency to stare a little bit too long and doesn't exactly look away when you catch him. The old him would've said something charming, but the current him just continues to stare. Sometimes gives you an awkward smile in return. It's kind of sweet though, especially when he cringes before he looks away.
Bucky who wants to spend more time with you and finds excuses to hang out or linger nearby. You're so easy to talk to and listen to and don't seem to mind his company. It's nice that you want him around, especially when so many others want your attention.
But it creates another awkward moment when he laughs at a joke you make... to someone else. Both of you turn to look at him and he can't come up with an excuse for why he's eavesdropping because he wasn't even supposed to be there. How can he blend in so easily in any other situation, except for when it comes to you? You're nice enough to give him a soft smile when he salutes you and walks away. He wants to kick his own ass for that because he. Saluted. You.
Bucky who sees you talking to another guy one day and he once again lingers nearby. Are you attracted to him? Is he funny? Does it treat you well? He blurts out, "So, are you seeing him or something?" when the guy walks away. He looks a little relieved and a bit too eager when you say not only are you not seeing the guy, but you're single. Now's the perfect opportunity to ask you out, right?
But instead of taking a chance, he says, "That's great that you're single. Really great." He can feel the cheek tic the moment the words leave his mouth. At least he doesn't salute you this time when your brows furrow, but he quickly takes his leave again and groans once he's far enough away. He's an idiot.
Bucky who is happy you're still talking to him despite him being him and tries to surprise you one by making your favorite meal. He's so careful, checking the recipe multiple times to get it just right. He even manages a relaxed smile when he sees you and proudly holds up dish. "Heard this was your favorite, so I wanted to surprise you."
But almost like he's watching in slow motion, his super soldier reflexes can't stop him from dropping the meal right at your feet. His eye twitches when he realizes the food splashed on your shoes and legs. Neither of you speak and you hardly react. "I'm so sorry," he finally says. The sadness that takes over your eyes is enough for him to deflate. "I'm fucking hopeless around you," he mutters before grabbing something to clean it up, his shoulders sagging in defeat.
Bucky who doesn't understand why he can't just have this one thing go right. All he wants to do is be with you and be good to you. If you give him a chance... But why would you since he keeps making an ass out of himself? At least Steve and Sam don't witness any of his fumbling when it comes to you.
But his hope renews when you crouch to help him clean up the mess. The hope grows when you smile at him, his heart and stomach twisting in tight knots. "It's okay, Bucky. I'm sorry I didn't get to try it, but I'm sure it was delicious," you say, your hand touching his. He longs to feel you touch him again. "Maybe we can make it together sometime? If you'd like," you offer.
Bucky who isn't sure he heard you correctly even with his excellent hearing. Who says "Yes!" a little too loudly once the words register and makes you giggle when he pinches himself. He can't help himself. He has to make sure he isn't dreaming. And he hopes when you two make that meal together he can convince you to go on a date with him.
Awkwardness and all.
Our poor awkward Bucky. I kind of love him. What other awkward shenanigans can he get up to? Love and thanks! ❤️
Carol Danvers x fem!reader
Warnings: established relationship, long distance, fluffy times, explicit language, implied sex (let me know if I've missed anything!)
Word Count: 1.2k
Summary: It's been nearly a year since you've seen your girlfriend and almost two months since you've heard from her. And you're beginning to worry that she's forgotten about you. After all, the universe is a big place.
357 days. That’s how long it had been since you’d seen your girlfriend. You tried to think of yourself like a military spouse. After all, Carol did used to be in the Air Force. And she did travel to far-away, dangerous places to protect people, with very limited communication for long periods of time. It’s just that her dangerous locations were in other galaxies instead of other countries.
You were used to her being gone or, well, as used to it as you could be. The longer her absence went on, the more used to it you got, but somehow it also became harder. When she first set off on this mission, she’d been in your galaxy, so communications had come faster and with more regularity. Less space and time for them to travel through. But the farther away she got, the longer it took her messages to get to you. You were lucky if you got one email a month.
It wasn’t personal. You knew that. She was far away. Even with the best technology S.H.I.E.L.D. could provide to a civilian, her communication with you was still slow and limited. But, god, you missed her. You missed her laugh. You missed the warmth of her next to you in bed. You missed the way she propped her leg up when she sat down, no matter what kind of chair it was. You hung on every word of her emails, going over them so often you’d memorized them.
It had been two months since Carol’s last email. It was a long time to go without communication, even for her. The irrational part of your brain was desperately worried for her. There’s no telling what kind of high-risk situations she got herself into out there. But you knew that if anyone could handle themselves against all the forces of evil in the universe, it was Carol. You also knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. would have contacted you immediately had anything happened to her.
Another part of your brain–equally irrational but much harder to talk down–worried that Carol had forgotten you. The universe that Carol traversed was huge. Infinite, even. She saw things no one else had ever seen. Met people and experienced cultures that were so different from ours on Earth that we’d never even dream them up. Who’s to say she hadn’t found somewhere–someone–more beautiful than here, with you? She saw entire worlds, the neverending canvas of space and time. How could it possibly be that, of all the things in the known universe, you were the one worth coming home to? You always worried that maybe, this time, you weren’t.
As you climbed into bed, missing, as always, the feeling of Carol’s arms wrapped around you, the rise and fall of her chest as she slept, you once again pulled up her most recent email. From 61 days ago.
Hi, baby. I hope all’s well on Earth. I’m sad I’m missing spring–you know it’s my favorite season. Are there apricots on the tree yet? Or just buds? I’d give an arm for an apricot right now. I’m farther out than normal, so you might not hear from me for a while. One of the Andromedas. 2.7 lightyears away, if you can believe it. It scares me a little to be so far away from you.
I know I’ve said it before, but it gets lonely out here. Sometimes I wish you could come with me, but I know your body wouldn’t handle space-time travel like mine does. Superhero probs. Also, it’s probably not fair for me to make you put your entire life on pause just because I miss you like crazy.
It’s so beautiful out here in a weird, quiet way. I wish you could see it. Yesterday, I passed a pulsar. A star carcass, as I like to call them. They’re these gigantic masses of spinning light that put out radio signals (which might interfere with how quickly you get this, fuck pulsars). You’ve never seen something so big. So big it’s almost hard to believe it’s really there.
Anyway. I’m rambling. I miss you so much. I always miss you, but this time feels harder for some reason. I miss the way your eyes crinkle when you smile. I miss the way your hair sticks up in the morning. I miss kissing you. I miss doing more than kissing you. I just miss you.
I’m not sure when I’ll get home, but I think about you every day, every second. Nothing in this galaxy or the next or the next compares to you. Please stay safe. Don’t be sad. Snuggle Goose for me.
I love you.
Carol
You fell asleep reading through the email, again and again, your phone going dark in your hand beside you as you drifted off. You dreamed of pulsars. You dreamed of Carol.
Hours later, you jerked awake, gasping, as you felt a hand on your shoulder.
“Hey, hey!” a voice said, calming, reassuring. “It’s just me.”
You’d know that voice anywhere. “Carol!” you squealed, grabbing her and pulling her onto the bed with you, holding her as tight as possible so she could never, ever leave you for so long again. “You’re home!”
You felt her smile against you as she buried her face in your neck, wrapping her strong arms around you. She smelled metallic, almost like gunpowder; you knew it by now–the smell of space. “Hi, baby,” she whispered, breathing you in. “I missed you so much.”
Still holding you close, Carol sat up a bit to just look at you, just take you in. She ran her hand along your cheekbone and pressed a warm kiss to your mouth. A kiss you’d been so desperate for, you thought you might die from relief. Her lips tasted like space, too, the way metal smells after rain. So uniquely her. How many other people could say they knew the taste of space?
“Are you crying?!” Carol asked, alarmed, as she brushed a few tears from under your eyelids.
You sniffed and mumbled, “I thought maybe you forgot about me.”
Carol pulled you to her chest, running her fingers through your hair, lightly grazing her fingernails against your scalp. You shivered at the sensation.
“Oh, baby,” she breathed. “I could never forget about you.”
“But there’s so much out there.”
“Mmhm,” she said, kissing your nose. “And none of it’s as beautiful as you.”
When she moved to stand up, you grasped her hands. “No, no! Stay here and snuggle!”
She laughed, grinning from ear to ear, as she pushed your hair back from your face. “I have to shower, Y/N. I smell like an asteroid.”
You leapt out of bed to stand next to her, looping your arm and hand through hers and leaning against her shoulder. You couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t get close enough. You never wanted to let her go.
“Can I join you?” you asked, blushing a little. After all, it had been nearly a year.
Carol looked at you lovingly, smiling softly, a few of her own tears building. She squeezed your hand and dragged you after her into the bathroom. “God, yes.”
Summary: After a very tense argument about a misused name, your apologetic husband ends up getting looped in by your students.
//follow-up to three empty words but can probably be read on its own//
The next morning, you refused to dilly dally your morning routine. Your shower was quick, your hair and makeup remained simple. Even your outfit was more or less the first thing you grabbed from your closet. You gathered all of your papers - which you hadn’t gotten around to grading the night before - and your laptop before Matt’s alarm had even gone off.
You skipped making breakfast, deciding to stop at a coffee shop on the way to work instead, and hustled out the door. You ignored the still sleeping figure of Elektra on your couch even though your brain wanted to soak her with cold water and kick her out. You did slam the door on your way out but that was just to satisfy your own anger.
You walked into your classroom and let out a loud sigh as you dropped into your deskchair. You were thankful to be out of the house, in your own space for the time being. As you began grading the papers and piling them according to the hours, your mind wandered back to the night before. You wondered if Elektra would be out of your apartment when you got back. You wondered if Matt would tell Foggy and Karen that you two got into a fight last night. You then found yourself wondering if Matt was actually going to go to work that morning.
You realized you were staring blankly at the student’s worksheet in front of you so you shook the thoughts and focused on the daunting stacks before you.
Most of the hours were business as usual. Your normal rowdy students were a bit extra, but that might’ve been due to your already grated nerves more than their own behaviors. It wasn’t until the hour before lunch that you found some of your students more huddled and secretive than usual.
“What are you doing in the corner?” You called, peaking over your computer at the small group. “There’s, what, five minutes till the bell?”
“Mrs. Murdock, what’s your husband’s name?” One of the girls, Liv, asked with an innocent expression. The same one she gave you when she explained her lacking assignments.
“Matthew.” You titled down your screen to see them better. “Why?”
“What does he do again?”
“Lawyer. Why?”
“Is he handsome?” Another girl, Nicole, asked with wiggling eyebrows.
You had to refrain from rolling your eyes at your middle schoolers.
“Yes, very.” You smiled slightly. “I wouldn’t have married him if he wasn’t.”
“And if he’s a lawyer, he’s gotta be smart, right?”
“Again, very. He went to Columbia.”
“So like… Is he why you’re so sad today?” Blake, the only boy in the group, chimed in with a nonchalant shrug.
“Guys.” You frowned slightly. “I’m not sure what you’re doing, but I’m not sad. Me and Mr. Murdock are fine. We’re happily married. And you should be worried about your own relationship drama, not mine.”
“So you admit there’s drama?” Nicole countered quickly.
“Between Blake and Emmy? Yes.” You nodded and Emmy’s jaw dropped while her friends poked her teasingly. “Between me and Mr. Murdock, no.”
“Mhmm.. So why is the photo face down?”
“What?”
“The photo by your computer.” She came across the room and lifted the frame near your laptop that was in fact, face down. “You told us on the first day that this was one your favorite photos and you have it on it’s face… There’s drama, Mrs. Murdock.”
“You’re very observant, Nicole. Thank you.” You said flatly as you took the frame from her hands and set it in it’s rightful position. “I must’ve knocked it over when I was trying to find you and Liv’s missing portfolio project.”
“You can’t deflect, Mrs. M.” Liv added from across the room. “It’s all over your face.”
“Y’know what.” You announced, standing from your desk. “The bell rings in less than two minutes. You guys can all go to lunch early.”
A chorus of questions arose while you heard the door being pushed open.
“They can’t write you all up.” You shrugged and dropped back in your chair while the meddling group made their way into the hall.
The girls continued to whisper to themselves and glanced back at you, to which you shooed them away. When you were finally alone in your classroom, you let out a heavy sigh and rubbed a hand over your eyes.
Usually, you adored having open communication with your students because that meant they trusted you. But at the same time, that meant they felt entitled to know your life story whether you like it or not. The bell echoed in your ears so you spun your chair to the small fridge under your desk that held your lunch.
You clicked play on a playlist from your laptop and began eating your lunch, typing away to enter in grades. You knew you should just do nothing, scroll mindlessly on your social medias instead or maybe even call Foggy to ensure Matt made it to work, but the busy work for your eyes, head, and hands felt better. Plus, you weren’t exactly sure what you would’ve said that could’ve gotten your question answered without being a dead giveaway. So you kept working instead.
“MRS. MURDOCK!” Liv nearly yelled as she burst through your door, maybe halfway through the lunch hour. “OHMYGODYOULLNEVERBELIEVE-”
“Liv!” You said in shock, nearly dropping your water bottle. “What is going on? Is everything okay?”
“Look at this!” She hurried across and showed you her phone screen. Oddly enough, it was a photo of the back of a man exiting a taxi. What stood out to you was the white cane in his hand.
“It’s a guy getting out a cab.” You tried to reason, gently pushing her phone away. “That’s what you ran in here to tell me?”
“But he’s blind!”
“So it seems.”
“Don’t you know what this means?” She insisted with a small stomp.
You simply shrugged and raised your brows.
“It’s Mr. Murdock! He came to apologize!”
“Liv, I appreciate your concern for my marriage but we’re fine, okay? It’s not like he and I are heading towards a divorce. We’re just in a bit of an argument. It’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? Because I’ve never seen you so…” She gestured vaguely to you.
“Yes, I’m sure. Now go back to your lunch, please. I have to finish these.”
“But-”
“No.”
“Mrs. M, just-”
“Liv, boundaries, please.”
“Just listen!”
“No.” You said firmly. “Go back to your lunch.”
She huffed slightly but retreated to the door. As she was heading out, she nearly ran into one of the monitors.
“Sorry to intrude, Y/N.” The monitor said as she popped her head in. “I have a visitor for you.”
“Another one of my kids being a problem?” You sighed and wheeled yourself a bit further from your desk. “Send ‘em in. They can sit in the corner till next class.”
“Actually, I think you’ll be glad to see this one.” She smiled knowingly and reached for something outside the doorframe.
Before you could voice another question, she ushered Matt through the door. He said his usual thanks for being guided and the monitor gave you an approving nod and thumbs up. She mouthed a very not subtle ‘He’s very handsome’. You smiled awkwardly in agreement but once the door closed, you rolled your eyes and went back to your gradebook.
“Could’ve called.” You said simply.
“I didn’t think you would answer.” Matt replied honestly.
“Probably wouldn’t have… Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I couldn’t focus.”
You heard the clicks of him folding his cane as he wandered around your classroom. You peaked up to watch him manueaver the desks with such ease that for a split second, you forgot he was blind. You watched him run his fingers along the bulletin board you had on one wall, leading into the standards and other required signage you had up.
“Did she leave?” You asked and returned to your prior task. You knew if you watched him for too long, he’d know and he’d show you that stupid lopsided smirk that he did.
“She was still pretty weak when I left.” He said and there was a slight sadness in his voice. Though if someone asked if it was for Elektra or your argument, you wouldn’t have been able to say. “But I did ask Stick to find somewhere else to take her to recover if she can’t leave on her own by the time someone gets home.”
“Chivalrous.” You made a face behind your computer screen. “You didn’t have to come all the way here to tell me that.”
He sighed slightly and you mumbled a short complaint to yourself before scooting away from your desk and spinning in your chair to face him, just as he appeared at your side. You folded your hands over your stomach and leaned back in your chair, giving an exaggerated sigh and nod for him to talk.
“Y/N, last night, I said something I shouldn’t have.” He began carefully, as if he was following a carefully rehearsed speech. For all you knew, he had rehearsed it with Foggy that morning before he showed up. “I let Stick push me and I just said the first thing that came to mind.”
“But she shouldn’t be the first thing, right?” You said softly with a small shrug. “Stick shouldn’t be able to push you into saying that, whether you meant it or not.”
“You’re right.” He admitted and your brows went up slightly. “I shouldn’t have said that. You are the only woman that I want to be with. I married you, without any hesitation. I never had second thoughts or second thoughts or anything. You, Y/N Murdock, have my heart.”
You nodded slowly but said nothing as you stood. You crossed your arms and looked up at him, him offering a hopeful expression in return. You broke into a small smile and nudged him with your shoulder before moving past him. He followed you almost instantly and you took him to the wall on the other side of your desk near the window.
“The kids started calling this the Sweetheart’s Spotlight.” You said quietly with a small smile. “They keep a polaroid camera in one of the cubbies and every Friday, they rearrange the couples in order of their favorites… They made me put a photo of us on here, too.”
“Where do we rank?” He smiled slightly.
“We’ve been number one since it started.” You laughed. “They tell me that you’re the best by default since I’m their favorite teacher.”
“Lucky me.”
“You know I’m still upset, right?” You said carefully when the air was too light between you two.
“I know.” He nodded. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“But I also don’t want to hold onto this fight. So here’s an idea. Elektra’s out of the apartment today. You two finish whatever crusade you’re on. You make sure you don’t get yourself killed. She leaves New York and it’s all put to bed.”
“Consider it done.” He nodded. “And I know better than to get myself killed. I’ve got it too good to die.”
“Yeah because then I’m a widow and there’s not much life insurance to cash in on.” You joked as the lunch bell rang.
“I should get going.” He nodded before gently taking your hand. “I love you. So much.”
“I love you too.” You said softly as your students started filing in.
“OHMYGOD.” One of your students yelled and you closed your eyes tightly, quietly groaning in embarrassment. “IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS?”
“Yes, Luna.” You said, feeling the blush across your cheeks. “This is Mr. Murdock and he’s leaving.”
You pulled Matt towards the door as he laughed. Your kids yelled questions that you tried to ignore until Matt stopped, pulling you to stop with him.
“It’s career week!” One of the boys yelled. More so a demand.
“I’m aware, Jack.” You nodded. “What does that have to do with this?”
“He’s not here to talk to us about lawyers?” The boy’s head cocked as he asked his question.
“That’s exactly why I’m here.” Matt grinned and you groaned again. “Let’s give Mrs. Murdock a break, right?”
“You’re so dead.” You threatened quietly with a laugh before heading back to your chair.
“Okay, kids.” You announced. “He’s blind and can’t write. I’m not getting up. Take your own notes and keep your questions relevant to his career, okay?”
“Yes, Mrs. Murdock.” They all answered.
“All yours, Mr. Murdock.” You gestured before returning to grading and the personal questions started flying.
“How did you guys meet?!”
“What’s her favorite color?!”
“Did you see the wall?!” “He can’t see!”
“Are they always this rowdy?” He asked you with a slight laugh.
“You’re new and exciting.” You shrugged. “Take it as a compliment.”
Description: When a bad nightmare leads to you finding Bucky in the bathroom with a pair of scissors in his hand, you offer to help him recognize himself in the mirror
Warnings: fluff and angst, Hurt/Comfort, haircuts, facial shaving, gratuitous use of pet names, Bucky’s trauma, HYDRA abuse/torture, mentions of blood, mentions of… forced haircuts I guess? I dunno if that’s a warning but there it is
A/N: I think we as a society need more “Bucky gets a haircut” fanfic in the world, so here’s my 2 cents
((18+ only below the cut please and thank you!!))
It was the scream that woke you up
You groggily reached your hand out to the other side of the bed, searching for Bucky’s warmth
But it was empty
You noticed the bathroom light was on, and had knocked on the door, calling out to him
When he didn’t respond, you had decided to let yourself in
“Baby, I’m gonna open the door, okay?” You called softly before opening the door.
You weren’t entirely sure what you expected to walk in on.
But a shattered bathroom mirror and your boyfriend leaned over the bathroom counter, his Vibranium hand gripping the marble, a pair of scissors clenched in his other was not one of them
“Oh my God, Bucky!” You quickly grabbed your slippers and slid them on, rushing to his side, “what happened?”
You grabbed his right hand, removing what you now saw to be a pair of scissors as gently as possible
“Are you okay?” You began to search his body for injury, “Honey, what happened?”
Bucky didn’t respond.
His glassy eyes met yours, looking at you but not really seeing youYou took his face in both hands, leaning your forehead against his and gently stroking his cheekbones
“It’s alright, Baby,” you cooed, brushing his hair out of his eyes and tucking it behind his ear, “it’s okay, Bucky, you're safe, Sweet Boy…”
His breathing slowly started to even out as you continued to hush him, slowly starting to come back to you.
“Doll?” He asked in a quiet, broken voice that broke your heart.
“I'm here, Honey,” you wrapped your arms around him, cradling his head against your shoulder, “I'm here, it's okay…”
He’d sobbed into your neck as you held him, rocking him back and forth and rubbing his back
“It’s alright Sweetheart,” you’d cooed, pressing little kisses against his temple, “you’re alright, it’s okay…”
When he’d finally calmed down, Bucky told you about the nightmare that had sent him into this spiral, the vivid flashbacks of HYDRA’s torture
“It felt so fucking real, Doll.” Bucky’s voice shook. You hugged him a little closer, “they had these…taser things. Cattle prods, really. They– they would jam them into my sides for hours. And I swear I could feel it. When they decided they'd had their fun I felt them grab me by the hair and start dragging me, they used to do that a lot. I woke up before they could toss me into the Chair.”
“Oh… oh, Bucky,” you whispered, running your fingers through his hair, “oh, baby…”
“I tried not to think about it,” he whimpered, “I just went to go splash some water on my face, but when I looked in the mirror all I could see was the Soldier and I couldn't take it.”
He motioned to the scissors, “I tried to take care of it myself, but I couldn't stop fucking shaking.”
You hugged him close, “oh, Baby. I’m sorry…”
“I just… I can’t keep my hair like this,” he said, hiding his face your neck, “I can’t keep seeing the Soldier every time I look in the fucking mirror.”
“I know, Baby, I know,” you told him, “how about this, help me clean up the glass, and then I’ll cut your hair after, okay?”
“I think I want to shave too,” Bucky replied, “could you…?”
“Of course, Honey.”
Cleaning up the glass was quick, so you sent him to get the kitchen ready while you grabbed the supplies
You found him in the kitchen, seated in a chair and twiddling his thumbs You kissed his cheek and draped an old towel around his shoulders, setting down the things in your hands.
“I thought I could start by putting it in a ponytail and cutting the length off,” you explained, “then maybe trim the top and then clean it up with the clippers. Does that sound good?”
He nodded, and you began to comb your fingers through his long locks, gathering it up to put in a hair tie. He hummed at the feeling of your hands in his hair.
“Did I ever tell you about my first few decades at HYDRA?” Bucky asked as you finished the ponytail, his eyes not meeting yours.
You shook your head, confused.
“They shaved my head for a long time. Sanitary reasons. I didn’t really get a lot of chances to shower. It’s easier to keep your hair clean if you don’t have any,” his blue eyes focused on the ground, “I guess it was for medical reasons too. They always had things stuck on my head in the early days.”
Bucky took a deep, shaky breath.
“I hated it. They would always cut it before tossing me in the Chair,” he continued, “it felt like I was being fucking scalped. They had to hold me down, I fought them every time. ”
You wrapped him in a tight hug, “I’m sorry.”
“I’ve been letting my hair grow out because I couldn’t stand the idea of that again,” he murmured into your shirt, “bad memories and all.”
“I won’t hurt you,” you promised him, “I won’t ever hurt you. I promise Buck, you’re safe here.”
“I know, Doll. I know,” Bucky took a deep breath,“we should get started. Before I lose my nerve.”
You nodded, straightening up and grabbing the scissors, “can I make the first cut?”
“Yeah,” he straightened up in the chair a bit, “Go ahead.”
He sucked in a breath as you carefully snipped off the chocolate colored ponytail, holding it out for him to see once it was off
“Good job, Sweetheart.” You smiled, “first cut’s done. Do you want to keep going?”
Bucky stared wide eyed at what you’d cut off, “I didn’t realize it had gotten this long… Uh, yeah. You can keep going.”
You hummed and continued.
He was doing so good, keeping so still for you as you worked.
“You’re doing so well, Honey. I’m so proud of you,” you pressed a kiss to his cheek, “I’m gonna use the clippers now, is that alright?”
Bucky nodded, closing his eyes and resting his head against your stomach
He flinched away hard when he heard the clippers buzz on, despite your warning about the noise.
When HYDRA had shaved him they’d used manual clippers, raking them along his skull with little care.
It felt foolish, but on some level he’d forgotten those weren’t the standard anymore.
You switched the device off immediately and rubbed his shoulder, trying to give him what little comfort you could
“You okay?”You asked, “talk to me, Bucky-Baby.”
“The…the…” he stammered, shifting on the seat, unable to articulate what was in his head.
That the buzzing was loud in his ears, bringing him back to a hand dragging him towards a room he knew too well, to metal clamping down on either side of his face and screaming as his mind was torn away from him.
“The buzzing,” he finally forced out, “The Chair…”
You nodded, understanding.
“You’re not back there,” you whispered, stepping in front of him and holding his face with both hands, “you’re home with me. I won’t hurt you, I won’t let anyone hurt you, Buck.”
Bucky nodded, taking a deep breath.
“I know, I know you won’t,” he assured you, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down, “just… just do it. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m ready, I’m okay.”
You kept a hand on his shoulder, “okay Baby. Deep breath, okay?”
He obeyed, and you kept your free hand on him as you carefully cut away his soft hair.
“You’re doing so good, Sweet Boy,” you cooed as you gently trimmed his sideburns, Bucky tensing at how loud the buzzing was, “it’s alright, you’re alright…”
You switched off the clippers once you’d finished, running your fingers through his shorn locks, loose bits of hair falling down his back and onto the tile.
“There we go,” you stood in front of him, holding his face, “your hair is all done, Sweetheart. Do you still want to shave?”
He nodded, and you grabbed his shaving cream.
You sat down on his lap and Bucky instinctively wrapped his arms around your waist
You began to carefully rub the cream onto his face, planting a little peck to the tip of his nose, earning you a little smile.
Once his face was sufficiently lathered, you grabbed his razor and smiled softly
“Ready?” You asked.
He nodded, and you began to carefully shave his face.
Bucky was shocked by how gentle you were with him, moving his face as you needed with only the tips of your fingers and pressing little kisses to each patch of smooth skin that was revealed
Once you were done, you gently patted his face dry with a towel and applying his aftershave.
“Very handsome, Sweetheart.” You smiled, gently tilting his face from side to side, inspecting your work.
“You really think so?” Bucky asked with anxious eyes.
“Of course I think so. Why don’t you take a look?”
The mirror is still broken so you held your phone up with the camera opening, allowing him to see himself.
You watched him examine his new look
He chewed his lip, staring at the short hair, the clean-shaven face.
“What do you see, Buck?” You asked, his silence making you nervous.
“I… I see me…” his right hand reached up and touched his own cheek, “I see me…”
You smiled softly, cupping his face and lightly stroking his smooth skin, “you look so good, baby.”
Bucky hugged you tightly to him, and you leaned your head against his collarbone.
“Thank you,” he murmured into your hair, “thank you so much.”
“Any time, Buck.” You stood up, taking his hand, “c’mon, Honey, why don’t we get you some rest?”
“But what about the mess?”
“It’ll still be there in the morning.”
You guided him back to your bed and pulled him into your arms, his head on your chest.
You ran your fingers through his hair, so much shorter but still just as soft.
Bucky smiled softly up at you, and you cupped his cheek
“I’ll miss the beard a bit, I’ll be honest,” you murmured, stroking your thumb along his cheekbone.
“Thought you might,” Bucky chuckled, remembering how often you touched his scruffy cheeks, “maybe I’ll let some stubble grow in, give you something to run your hand over.”
“I’ll love you no matter what you do. You’ll always be the most handsome man in the room to me,” you kissed his lips softly.
“Thank you,” he whispered when you pulled back, taking your hand and kissing your knuckles, “for helping me look like me again.”
You smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead as he settled back down in your arms.
“Of course, Bucky.”
A/N: this guy might get pulled and edited/rewritten at some point. I'm not sure how I feel about it quite yet, I feel like there's a lot unnecessary stuff in here. I dunno, we'll see what the reception is. I hope you enjoyed 💜💙
Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Warnings: slight frustration but mainly fluff
Summary: Nothing seemed to go right with your date night plans...
A/N: This is an older one shot (from 2020, omg) that I published on ao3 but never on here! (At least, I hope I didn't! I can't find it if I did, haha) so I edited it a bit and decided to release it into the wild here. it's really short and simple but I think it's sweet :)
You wanted one nice night in with your fiancé. Just one. A simple dinner with a fresh, home-cooked meal, couple glasses of wine, some shitty romantic comedy, all follow by bedtime at 10 p.m. It was all you wanted. It should've been so simple.
But your dream was crumbling to pieces as the minutes, the seconds, went on.
It started with Bucky calling to say he was running a bit late and wouldn’t be home until later than expected. You wanted to scream and remind him that you’d had this date night planned for weeks but you, luckily, kept your cool and just asked him to come home safely. This was just one little fluke, you could manage that.
So, you started the meal later than you had originally planned. You just really wanted everything to be ready and on the table for when Bucky got home. He deserved that and it should be manageable, right? You could still have a nice dinner together but the movie might have to be skipped.
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until you got to cooking the main entree: steak. You hadn’t always been the best at cooking much above pasta but hours of watching cooking shows and a couple of YouTube videos gave you just a little bit of confidence... But confidence doesn't always equal skill and next thing you knew, the steaks were burnt. Completely charred and horrendously burnt. Smoke filled the kitchen and the smell was overwhelming. Both pieces of meat were well past saving and it made you wanna rip out your hair. You didn’t even know how it got to this point. The mashed potatoes needed your attention for one second and it all went to hell.
The only thing you could successfully salvage were the side dishes which consisted of a salad and mashed potatoes. But even those had turned out slightly wrong. Your salad was somehow bitter and the mashed potatoes were runny. Although, yes, they were both edible… But it just wasn’t right.
Nothing was right.
You groaned as you tried fanning out the smoke from the kitchen, praying the smoke alarm wouldn’t go off. It was literally the last thing you needed on top of how everything else was going tonight.
You threw the burnt steaks into the trash and filled the greasy, darkened pan with hot water for it to soak in the sink. Scrubbing that was just gonna be the perfect ending, you thought as you ran your hands down your face in frustration.
You scourged through your pantry, praying you had something to replace the meal as quick as possible when you heard the front door open and shut. You stood at the pantry, staring angrily at your dry goods. You felt a presence creep up behind you and your eyes began to water. You didn’t want to turn around.
"Doll?" Bucky muttered, confusion evident in his voice.
"Hi, honey," You replied, trying to fight back any tears. "How was the mission?"
"Um, fine." He said. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
You sighed and closed the pantry door. You turned to face him, folding your arms around yourself in the process, trying to find some comfort. You couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. A night you had been looking forward to seemed completely ridiculous now. You bit your lip, still trying to fight back the tears as best as you could but it was turning out to be useless.
Bucky’s eyes filled with concern when he saw the state you were in. He reached out and caressed your cheek. The metal of his hand contrasted pleasantly with your warmth. It was a familiar comfort you leaned into. He fully welcomed you in and wrapped his arms firmly around your shoulders. You buried your face into his chest as you wept.
Bucky was silent as you let your emotions finally run through you. He learned that was the best way for you to eventually calm down so he never seemed to mind just holding you when you were upset — so long as it made you feel better.
When you seemed to be slightly settling down, he broke the silence. "Can you tell me what’s wrong?"
You pulled yourself out of his grasp and let your eyes meet his. "I ruined date night."
Your fiancé’s expression morphed into shock. Without saying anything, you knew he completely forgot about the date night. You didn’t know whether to be relieved or upset.
"Date night… Oh, crap, I..."
"Don’t even worry about it," You sighed and walked over to sit at the kitchen island. The area still reeked of burnt meat which just made you wish you were in bed and finished with the day.
"No, honey, I didn’t mean to I just got caught up-," Bucky fumbled over his words as he raced to follow you.
"Seriously, can we forget about it?" You pleaded as tears threatened to come back. "I ruined it all anyways."
Bucky sighed. "What do you mean?"
You sniffled as you averted your eyes to the counter top. You traced the marble pattern as you spoke, "I burnt the steaks. Like completely black, charcoal, killed-the-cow-again burnt. Then the mashed potatoes were too creamy and the salad turned out bitter, however the hell that can happen-,"
"Doll…" Bucky cut you off when he saw you begin to ramble. You looked up at him, actually thankful that he cut you off this one time. You could take a breath.
"I just wanted to make a nice meal for you. Like a real meal. Meat, potatoes, the whole nine-yards," you explained. "But I couldn’t do it. I couldn't do something so simple. Are you sure you wanna marry me?"
He let out a low laugh at your question. "Honey, I’d still wanna marry you even if the only thing you could make was cereal."
You sniffled but managed a smile, feeling a bit better at his stance on the situation. He didn't appear to be upset and you were so grateful for that.
"Look," Bucky began, "how about we reschedule date night? I’ll mark it on every calendar and we’ll cook together, okay? Does that sound better? It'll be a real date."
Your heart warmed at the suggestion. You reached out and took his hands in yours. He gladly accepted the gesture as his eyes wandered over you, looking for some sign of approval.
"That sounds perfect," you replied, your voice getting caught in your throat. Tears were making a comeback but this time, it was happy crying. Your whole body warmed with love for your fiancé and you couldn’t get enough.
Summary (request): Hey, may I make a Matt x Reader request. Foggy wants to meet Matt's new girlfriend. Foggy and Karen are supposed to meet you at Josie's. (You and Matt have a little plan to annoy Foggy.) You arrive later than the others and walk past the trio, foggy notices you and flirts with you. The idea came to me with the quote // Matt Murdock : How would I even know she's a beautiful woman? Foggy Nelson : I don't know. It's kinda spooky, actually. But if there's a stunning woman with questionable character in the room, Matt Murdock's gonna find her, and Foggy Nelson is gonna suffer.
“Are you sure?” You asked from the car, phone to your ear as you leaned on your steering wheel. “What if they hate me?”
“They won’t hate you.” He laughed. “I’ll make sure they know it was my idea.”
“Yeah, what a great first impression. I look like that girl and you look like a two timer.. You really think they’ll believe you’re a cheater?”
“It’s not gonna be like that.” He laughed again. “I haven’t told them we’re together together. They think it’s just one dates here and there.”
“And you’re positive they’ll think it’s funny?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Probably? Matt!” You whined.
“Sweetheart, I promise, it’ll be okay.”
“Fine.” You huffed and turned the key to shut off the car. “I’ll be in in a minute.”
You dropped your phone to your lap and pulled down your visor to check yourself in the mirror. You seemed put together enough. Hair looked good, makeup fresh. You sighed and slammed the visor up before grabbing your purse and exiting your vehicle. You chirped the alarm and dropped the keys in your purse as you headed into Josie’s.
You scanned the place and found Matt with who you assumed were his friends back at the pool table. You were meeting Matt’s friend for the first time and he had the brilliant idea that morning to pretend that you weren’t his girlfriend. He wanted you to come up and flirt with him to get a reaction from his friends before he would tell them anything. It sounded fun enough earlier, but as you sat at the bar, your stomach twisted into tight knots.
You were absolutely terrified that his friends wouldn’t find it funny. What if they thought you were a homewrecker? What if they didn’t want anything to do with you after that? Your anxious thoughts and tapping on the bar top came to a screeching halt when someone sat next to you.
“Hey.” He said kindly. You jumped slightly and turned your head so quick you thought you’d given yourself whiplash. You recognized him as Matt’s friend, Foggy.
“Hi.” You said carefully. “Any chance you know how to get a drink in this place? Bartender hasn’t even looked this way.” You tried with a nervous smile.
“Oh, yeah!” He grinned, happy to help. “What were you looking to get?”
“Something with bourbon.” You glanced around to find Matt turned towards you with a small smirk. “Probably a double.”
“Easy.” Foggy nodded before successfully waving down the bartender and ordering for you. “I’m Foggy, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you.” You smiled kindly as your drink came out. “You seem to know your way around here.”
“Me and my buddies come here all the time.. I'd introduce you but…”
“But?” Your brows raised in interest while you dipped your drink.
“You see that guy over there?” He pointed over your shoulder and you swiveled in your seat to see him point at Matt. “That’s Matt.”
“Why the glasses?” You feigned ignorance.
“He’s blind.”
“Is that why you won’t introduce me?”
“No.” He laughed awkwardly. “No, not at all. See, he has this thing where he just knows when a beautiful woman is around.”
“Ah.” You nodded and turned back to Foggy. “And you think that’d be a problem?”
“Yeah.” He laughed with a nod. “Definitely.”
“Oh c’mon.” You tried with a mischievous smile, the knots in your stomach now loosening due to the liquor. “I think it’d be fun.”
Foggy sighed slightly and ran a hand over his face. You pursed your lips slightly and gave a small lift to your brows to make your eyes a little bigger to silently plead for Foggy to let you. His head dropped as he muttered to himself before he excused himself with the promise of returning.
“This just got interesting.” You mumbled into your glass as you watched Foggy talk to Matt and Karen. He gestured over to you and you sent a small wave in return. When the conversation dragged on, you grabbed your drink and headed over to join them which caused them to aggressively shush each other.
“Please.” You smiled. “Don’t stop on my account.”
“Hi. I’m Karen.” Karen smiled and offered you a hand from the other side of the pool table.
“Nice to meet you.” You grinned and shook her hand. “How do you know these guys?”
“We work together.”
“Cool. What do they do?”
“Lawyers.” Matt spoke up and the smoothness of his voice made your stomach flip. “We actually have our own firm, Nelson and Murdock.”
“Oh, I think I’ve heard of you guys.” You said quickly, as if a sudden realization. “You do a lot of local work, right That’s pretty cool.”
“You think so?” Matt’s brows raised as he gave you a small smirk.
“Yeah, I always thought being a lawyer would be cool but I can’t argue without crying.” You shrugged. “Instead, I just do hobbies and be an EMT.”
“Like a paramedic?” Karen asked.
“On the way.” You nodded. “Few more courses and tests, probably about a year's worth of work, give or take.”
“That’s so cool!”
“Thanks. Are you a lawyer too?”
“Office manager.” She nodded.
“But she does some really great research and investigating.” Foggy chimed in proudly, pointing a finger at his friend. “Don’t sell yourself short, Page.”
She put her hands up in surrender and you both laughed.
“So Ms. EMT, gotta be pretty good with your hands then.” Matt teased and you pushed your tongue against your cheek to block the smile. “For dressing wounds and giving care. That kind of stuff.”
“Y’know, I’ve yet to have a complaint so I gotta be doing something right.” Your head tilted and he grinned. “And you? You a hot shot lawyer or does your friend do it better?”
Matt chuckled slightly and wagged a finger at you before turning away to get his drink from the table. You blew out a small breath of relief before leaning against the pool table, sipping your own drink again. Foggy came up beside you in the meantime.
“Sorry about him.” He said nervously and you saw Matt turn back with an offended expression. You used your free hand to cover your mouth in an effort to hide your smile. “Told you, sixth sense.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment… I think?” You joked and Foggy laughed. “It’s really okay. He seems nice.”
“That’s how it starts.” Foggy sighed. “Next thing you know, he’s smooth taking you back to his apartment.”
“I’ll be careful.” You nodded. “Are you as smooth as him?”
“Lucky for you, I taught him everything he knows.” Foggy grinned. “He’s like my padawan and I’m his Yoda.”
“Jedis.” Your brows raised in interest and Foggy laughed. “I would’ve guessed that one was a sith.” You whispered as if a secret.
“Well he’s Catholic so..”
“Ah.” You nodded. “A vanilla jedi then.”
Foggy laughed and you took a glance at Matt, who was trying to keep his smirk back while crossing his arms over his chest. You tipped your drink towards him as a toast and you saw the way his body language shifted, accepting the challenge you unintentionally laid out.
“Hey, can I steal her for a second?” Karen said, suddenly at your side. “It’s just, there’s some makeup on the collar of her shirt.”
“Oh shit. Really?” You jumped up quickly and set down your drink, tugging your shirt to try and see what she meant.
“Don’t worry, it happens to me all the time. I can help.”
“Thank you.” You sighed and let her pull you into the restroom.
You leaned into the mirror but couldn’t find anything on your shirt. You turned back to Karen in confusion but she was wringing her hands.
“Everything okay?” You asked carefully. “I get the feeling the makeup thing was just a clever excuse.”
“Yeah, no, you’re fine. You look great.” She smiled quickly.
“Thanks… So what’s wrong?”
“Well… I think Matt has a girlfriend.”
“Oh..”
“He hasn’t said anything officially but he’s been on a few dates with her and just has this look after he talks to her on the phone, y’know. Anyways, um, I just… He’s charming, sure, but…”
“Right.” You nodded. “I totally understand. I didn’t mean to overstep. I was just going off what he was doing… Thanks for telling me.”
She nodded quickly before following you back to the boys. You liked that Karen stood up for your unconfirmed relationship. It really showed you could trust her.
“… Matt Murdock’s gonna find her. And Foggy Nelson’s gonna suffer.” Foggy ranted, not noticing you two had returned. “Besides, what about that girl you’re always calling?”
“Sounds like someone’s committed.” You announced, getting both boys’ attention. “If that’s how you talk to me, I can only imagine how you talk to your special lady friend.”
“I bet you’ll have fun with that thought.” Matt countered smoothly and you flattened your palms against the side of the pool table. His brows raised and he mimicked your stance.
“What would she have to say about that?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Okay, guys, maybe we-“ Karen tried before looking to Foggy for help while trying to pull you back.
“Dude!” Foggy urged and smacked his friend’s arm. “What are you doing?”
“I’d tone it down, Murdock.” You warned as you reached across for your drink before you straightened. “You’re not being a very good Catholic. Isn’t adultery a sin?”
“Dear God.” Matt mumbled and stood tall, backing away a few steps.
“So, Foggy.” You said when the silence got thick. “How’d you two meet?”
“We met in college. He was my roommate.” Foggy explained, patting his friend on the back. “It’s like we were soulmates.”
“Sounds like your girl’s got some competition.” You laughed. “Does she know how deep this bromance goes?”
“I’d hope so.” Foggy nodded with a small shrug. “But we won’t know till he makes a move.”
“She’s a lucky girl.” You said honestly. “With a guy like that and new friends like you two… What else could a girl want?”
“Y’know, you’re more than welcome to keep joining us.” Foggy offered.
“Yeah, I’d love to be friends.” You grinned and Matt smiled proudly.
After a little while of conversation, the boys were drinking more than you and Karen were. You laughed as Foggy stumbled to the jukebox and sent up five songs that he “just had to dance to”. He grabbed Karen’s hand, which left Matt to come and get yours.
“You like dancing?” He said quietly in your ear as he pulled you against his chest.
“With the right partner.” You answered with the same tone. “I like your friends. Karen’s a real girl’s girl and Foggy’s real nice.”
“Yeah, I think they like you too.”
“And I like how they seem to already know that you’re taken without you saying it.” You smiled and he blushed slightly. “Are you gonna say it?”
“That you’re my girlfriend?” His brows raised and you hummed in agreement. “I’d scream it from the rooftops if you wanted me to.”
“You would not.” You giggled.
“Mhmm. And if someone asked why, I’d tell them because my baby said so.”
“Your baby?” Foggy asked loudly and his sudden appearance made you jump. “This is the girl?” He nearly yelled.
“Hi.” You waved awkwardly.
“So wait.” Karen laughed slightly. “All that flirting was on purpose?”
“Yeah… But I appreciate you pulling me aside before.” You said honestly.
“Ohmygod?” Foggy continued. “I almost flirted with your girlfriend.” He whispered loudly to Matt.
“Almost?” You questioned with a laugh.
“Here to break it to you, buddy.” Matt deadpanned before breaking into a laugh. “It’s fine. We planned for that.”
“WHAT!?” Foggy yelled and you laughed again.
You were fully confident that you had a good group around you now.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Summary: You established that he's a bad idea. You know that. You know there's a million and one reasons to stay away from him. And you will - probably. But first, you have to get him back.
the sequel to bad idea right?
Anon's 1K Celebration
you watch him or maybe you're just glaring at him. you know that he knows he’s passing you off. you also know you have no real claim to your ex boyfriend. you weren’t sure what the rules were for bed buddies.
you knew one thing for sure.
you were going to get bucky barnes back.
“you’re staring.”
your head jerks over to natasha. “what?”
she rolls her eyes and slides you a shot, “you’re staring.”
you toss back the shot with a wince as bucky grins down at the random girl he just started flirting with. it sounds like an even better idea now. you’re going to get him back. you’re just not sure how.
“i assume it’s not going well.”
you were never going to admit that to your biggest supporter, your best friend. who was also the biggest critic of your love life, or just the biggest critic of your relationship with bucky. “it’s fine.”
“i told you it was a bad idea. exes are exes for a reason.”
you really hate her 'i told you so' tone.
you already knew that. you knew that there was a logical reason he was an ex. there were actually a lot of reasons why he was an ex.
his habit of arguing with you about everything.
his temper.
his massive… ego.
did that stop you from ending up in his bed? no.
did your month long exes with benefits affair stop him from flirting with that girl across the bar when you were standing right there? also no.
he was just so much fun. and really sweet - at least most of the time. and it really is unfair how pretty he is. and when he said something wrong, he’d kiss you until you forgot your own name, let alone what he did to piss you off.
you’re torn between wanting him back in your bed or maybe setting his bed on fire.
but you’re going to get him back. one way or another.
tonight, alcohol making your head swim with bad ideas. you’ll start by making him jealous. two could play at that game. and you could play it so much better than he could.
you leave natasha without another word and you sidle up to the booth your friends occupied, slinging an arm over sam’s shoulder, “hey, sam?”
he quirks an eyebrow and huffs a laugh, “yeah?”
you stroke his arm up and down, “how would you feel about pissing bucky off?”
“sounds promising.”
your smirk grows into a wicked grin. “perfect.”
“two questions.” sam stops you in your tracks. “how drunk are you? and what are the chances that i get my teeth knocked in at the end of this?”
“not that drunk. and about 50/50,” you admit, reaching out to playfully stroke his cheek, “but we’ll stop before we do anything that’ll make him mess up your pretty face.”
sam’s hand catches yours, keeping it pressed against his cheek. he teasingly grins, “has anyone told you how big of a fucking flirt you are?”
“all the time.”
he kisses the back of your hand with a sly grin, “then, let’s do it.”
you lace your fingers with sam’s, pulling him to the dance floor. not close enough to bucky that it's obvious, but just enough that there's no way he'll miss you dancing with his beloved frenemy.
you wrap your arms around sam's neck, pulling him close enough that you can feel his whiskey breath dust your face. “call me crazy, but couldn’t you just talk to him?”
“we aren’t very good at that.”
just last week, you tried that. you poured your little heart out, but just as you were about to hit send, you heard natasha’s disapproving tone echoing through your head.
the last time, the fight that led to your breakup, you told him how he hurt you and he brushed you off. yet another reason he was an ex.
did he try to make up for it? yes. were you being stubborn? also yes.
“no shit.” sam grips your waist, lowering his hand just enough to teeter out of the friendly territory. “he’s looking… this is okay, right?”
“you’re perfect, sam.”
sam snorts at you, “flirt.”
“is he still looking?”
sam presses you closer to him for another moment. “he just looked away, but he looks pissed. i’m pretty sure he’s gonna to kick my ass.”
it’s childish. you won’t try to deny it. and as twisted as it sounds, you have no reservations about breaking his heart - so long as you’re the one to stitch it up.
you press yourself into sam a little more, “he’s going to love me and hate me at the same time.”
sam loosens his grip on you, quirking an eyebrow, “so you’ll play games with each other and just pretend that sleeping with each other for the past month means nothing?”
“that shithead told you?”
“oh please," sam scoffs. "you two were so obvious. even steve figured it out.”
“the asshole didn’t tell me that you all knew,” you grumble.
“did you tell him that wanda and natasha know?”
no, you didn’t mention that little tidbit of information to him either, but sam clearly knows that so you don't bother to respond to him.
“i didn’t think so.”
sam spins you around halfway, stopping when your back is pressed against his chest. he drapes an arm around you and whispers in your ear, “and i say this will all the love and respect in the world, but you’re literally doing all this to fuck with him. it’s pretty obvious.”
“maybe i just wanted an excuse to dance with you,” you tease.
“fuck off,” he laughs, turning you back to face him. “i’m serious, though, you two could solve 90 percent of your problems if you just talked to each other.”
“or maybe i can fix him.”
“how about you start with some honesty? see where that gets you.”
you shake your head, groaning at the advice. “i love you, sam.”
“love you too. enough to risk getting the beat down of a lifetime,” he points out. "by the way, he ditched the girl. he's sulking at the bar by himself now."
“i’ll talk to him," you promise. "only so he doesn’t kill you. the rest of your advice was bullshit.”
sam playfully rolls his eyes, “of course. i’d expect nothing less from the two of you.”
"thanks for the dance, sam."
"anytime."
and with that, you part ways. you head outside into the cold night. you don’t need to look to know that he’s storming after you.
“what the hell do you think you're doing?” he demands, immediately invading your personal space.
you angrily clutch the lapels of his jacket, pulling him in towards you, “getting you back.”
Bucky Barnes Masterlist
AnonymityIsFun Masterlist
As always, let me know what you think! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 💛
Relationship: Matt Murdock x Reader
Warnings: nothing. only fluff
Summary: Although the barista at the local coffee shop never seems to be able to get Matt's order right, something keeps bringing him back.
A/N: enjoy this quick little fluffy thing I whipped up in the notes app of my phone <3
Masterlist
Matt winced after he took another sip of his coffee. You had added cinnamon to it this time. Cinnamon. He didn’t know how you managed to do that. His coffee was simple and, more importantly, never changed, but you—a barista at the local coffee shop—always somehow managed to get it just a little incorrect.
But, also, Matt wasn’t exactly keen on skipping his weekly coffee trips.
“What did she put in your coffee this time?” Foggy asked after having witnessed the face his friend had made.
Matt sighed. “Cinnamon.”
“Cinnamon?” Foggy laughed. “I don’t understand how that is even possible. Why do you keep going to that place?”
Matt did his best to his shrug casual, undetectable. “No reason. It’s not that big of a deal.”
Foggy gasped. “Oh my gosh.”
“What?”
“There’s a hot barista, isn’t there?”
Matt immediately started spewing out (weak) protests. “What. That’s… I— How would I—,”
But Foggy cut him off. “Don’t give me that again, Matthew. You do know. You can’t stop yourself from going to the coffee shop because you’re trying to get with a hot barista.”
“Okay,” Matt said in defeat, “maybe let’s not call her ‘hot barista.’ She’s just… She’s very kind. She makes silly coffee puns when I order. Sometimes we get to talking and… I don’t know. I like it. I like her, I think.”
“Even though she gets your coffee order wrong every single time?”
Matt blushed. “Well, I think I make her a little nervous. I may or may not have noticed some spikes in her heart rate.”
"Oh, that’s perfect," Foggy said with a laugh. "So, when are you going to ask her out?"
"I— I don’t think I can do that. That would be weird, right? Maybe she’s just being nice to me. I don’t want to be one of those customers."
"But you said her heart skips when you walk in."
"Sure, but maybe she’s just an anxious person—,"
Foggy scoffed. "Since when have you ever had this many reservations about asking someone out?"
"I don’t know," Matt admitted with a sigh. "I don't think she needs to get wrapped up in all my stuff."
"Actually it sounds like she very much wants to get wrapped up with you."
"Foggy…"
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop," he said, raising his arms in surrender. "I’m just saying, it sounds like she might be into you so I would at least think about it."
And so Matt did. He tried not to—he really did—but no matter how much he resisted it, your angelic voice and his best friend’s insisting words kept creeping up in the back of his mind. Even when he was out patrolling his city, the thoughts didn’t leave him.
In fact, it consumed Matt for an entire weekend. And he found himself back at the coffee shop bright and early Monday morning.
As Matt opened the door, he was immediately hit by your soft, sweet voice talking to another customer. You were kind and respectful as you interacted with them but Matt was quick to notice you didn’t share a coffee pun. He didn’t know why that made something in his chest warm.
When he approached the counter, he heard your heart speed up just ever so slightly, as if on perfect cue. Matt enjoyed trying to act clueless sometimes.
"Good—Good morning, Matthew," you said. "It’s good to see you again. I missed you a latte this past weekend."
Matt subtly tightened the grip on his cane. He swore you winced at your words, which he found adorable. "Good morning.” He couldn’t help but smile. "That was a good one.”
You giggled. And it nearly took his breath away.
“Thank you,” you replied. “I have to start looking up new ones. I fear I’m running out.”
Matt shook his head. “We can’t have that, can we?”
You laughed again. You were as giddy as ever around him. Maybe Foggy wasn’t completely bonkers, Matt thought.
"What can I get started for you today, Mister Lawyer?”
"Coffee. Splash of cream," Matt answered.
"Of course, of course," you muttered to yourself before waltzing around behind the counter. The sound of grinding beans and dripping coffee made Matt’s ears perk up.
"Busy day today?" You asked over the noise of the machines.
Matt shook his head. "Paperwork to do, files to review. The usual," he replied but his words felt jilted. Should he ask you? Would that be weird? Would you call the cops or something?
"Well, that’s good to hear! Your day will fly by," you said quite cheerfully. It made Matt feel really good—a particular kind of good that didn’t always come easily for him.
"It’s already off to a great start here," Matt replied, taking a little leap of faith. He swore he heard you gasp. "Um, you know, there is something I wanted to ask you."
You were now pouring coffee into a to-go cup. Matt didn’t think you had messed up anything this time but he couldn’t be sure. He was a little distracted.
"Oh, yeah?" You asked. Your voice was suddenly shaky. Your heart rate shot up. Not just a skip like before. It was pounding.
It could mean anything, really, he told himself.
"Yeah." Matt took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you’d like to grab dinner sometime. With me."
Something heavy hit the counter. "Uh, dinner? Like as a date?"
Matt chuckled. "Yes, exactly like a date."
"I’d love to." You didn’t even hesitate slightly. That made Matt feel really good.
"Great," he replied. He was sure he was keeping his composure from the outside but on the inside? He wanted to let out a sigh of relief.
You two exchanged contact information after Matt’s order was ready. He paid and you both kept it very professional, even when he noticed your hands were pretty much shaking.
The professionalism fell when he was bidding you a goodbye. You stepped around the counter to plant a kiss on his cheek and wish him a good day. It nearly took Matt aback but not in a bad way.
A permanent smile was etched onto his face for the entire morning—even when he went to take a sip of his coffee...
Vanilla. Matt could smell it, he could taste it. You had somehow added a splash of vanilla syrup to his cup of coffee. Matt laughed to himself.
