Hi, I'm Every. Marveler or Cait and I like to write stories about some of my favourite characters, Marvel characters (it's where the username comes from). Recently (read: last year) I reached the link limit on my master list and have been stuck with what to do since.
This is why I've created a navigation, to help others navigate the mess that is my blog.
Steve pausing seeing Rhodey working with Tony in the lab. Watching him help weld something together. Shirtless in a blacksmith smock. Breaks his binder full of ideas for a new training course.
Stumbling out, he takes a moment to breath in, "Get a grip Steven. Yes, he is your boyfriend and yes you can look but..." covers his face turning redder, "agh!!"
He looked up seeing the black widow sipping on a smoothie and hands in her pockets, "You done having an emotional breakdown about seeing a working Rhodes?"
Steve paused mind racing back to the tensing muscles and back muscles flexing, "...BYE!" He kept his down low trying to hide his blush.
low maintenance tony who pretends to be a high maintenance diva x steve who generally seems low maintenance but actually is fascinated by the sheer amount of cosmetic options that the 21st century provides
(and when they start dating, steve LOVES watching tony get ready for events)
5 Tiny Writing Tips That Aren’t Talked About Enough (but work for me)
These are some lowkey underrated tips I’ve seen floating around writing communities — the kind that don’t get flashy attention but seriously changed how I write.
1. Put “he/she/they” at the start of the sentence less often.
Try switching up your sentence rhythm. Instead of
“She walked to the window,”
try
“The window creaked open under her touch.”
Keeps it fresh and stops the paragraph from sounding like a checklist.
2. Don’t describe everything — describe what matters.
Instead of listing every detail in a room, pick 2–3 objects that say something.
“A half-drunk mug of tea and a knife on the table”
sets a way stronger tone than
“There was a wooden table, two chairs, and a shelf.”
3. Use beats instead of dialogue tags sometimes.
Instead of:
"I'm fine," she said.
Try:
"I'm fine." She wiped her hands on her skirt.
It helps shows emotion, and movement.
4. Write your first draft like no one will ever read it.
No pressure. No perfection. Just vibes. The point of draft one is to exist. Let it be messy and weird — future you will thank you for at least something to edit.
5. When stuck, ask: “What’s the most fun thing that could happen next?”
Not logical. Not realistic. FUN. It doesn’t have to stay — but chasing excitement can blast through writer’s block and give you ideas you actually want to write.
What’s a tip that unexpectedly helped with your writing? Let me know!! 🍒
I HC that Peter has allergies and intolerances from the spider bite. He loves Mint choc chip ice-cream but is allergic to mint. He refuses to give it up after having realised his healing factor works faster than he can die from anaphylaxis.
Peter also found it hilarious when a low level drug runner (Phil) took advice from his Granny - put citrus oils around doors and windows to prevent spiders creeping into your house - only he couldn't find citus oils so Phil grabbed lemon juice.
They were right that he doesn't like it but it makes finding the gangs hidey holes far easier when he can smell the citrus from a few blocks away.
Tony learns about it and has a near heart attack thinking that citus will kill Peter, as Peter is happily eating Thai on the sofa. Peter struggles to calm Tony down through his laughter.
I love Peter being more spidery. Maybe I'll write it as a fic on ao3, or it'll just stay as a fun idea. Definitely going to include it as a reference in my current WIP but idk if it deserves a full one-shot. Thoughts?
Peter’s academic record was not exactly impressive.
Okay, it was a total shit show. He barely even shows up anymore, not seeing much point. Marwood high school didn’t exactly have a stellar reputation for producing high achieving students and Peter didn’t care about getting good grades anyway.
His plan was always to get a third shitty job as soon as possible so that he could pay off some of May’s medical debts.
He didn’t even really understand how the letter arrived in the first place, inviting him to an interview at Midtown School of Science and Technology. All he knew was that his engineering teacher gave him some test and he answered the questions. Mr Ackle said he answered some ‘impossible question’ from Tony Stark’s research into the arc reactor but Peter was sure he was lying until about a week ago.
The interview itself didn’t feel like it went particularly well. The only part that was good was the tests where he was surprised by how simple the content was. He must have done better than he thought though, because the acceptance letter came through a week later.
And sure, he could have said yes, but the school wanted a minimum of 95% attendance and Peter just couldn’t commit to that between his jobs and May needing him.
So he declined.
And maybe he wouldn’t have, if he’d have known. Maybe if someone had told him that Tony Stark would somehow hear about his test scores, he would’ve thought twice about making himself stand out.
Because sure, a genius in Midtown was something Tony Stark might be interested in.
But a genius who declined their full ride scholarship? A genius with shoddy attendance and an extensive behaviour record?
Peter really shouldn’t have been shocked when Stark showed up at his house.
Peter, who doesn't often get praised, physical contact, or undivided attention. It wasn't on purpose, and he has people in his corner, it was just uncommon. May would praise him, but she didn't usually give him her full attention. Sne was too busy worrying about bills or tired from her job. MJ was MJ, what do you expect? And well, Ned was his best friend. It'd be a bit awkward. Although, Ned was often the closest he got to that.
Tony looms over his shoulder as he fills out his math sheet. His eyes track Peter's answers, which frankly, makes Peter uncomfortable.
"Wow kid, that's- that's pretty impressive." Peter can't help but smile and get all giddy.
"It's nothing, Mr. Star—" "No, seriously, that's amazing. I've never seen someone use this strategy, it's great. You even tweaked the formula, that's great." Even though it sounds stupid or selfish, all Peter wants is for Tony to elaborate, to explain in detail all of the ways he's smart, who craves the validation he's getting. Tony ruffles his hair, patting his shoulder as well. Peter feels as though he's flying. His mentor moves across from him, quickly yet smoothly, swan-like.
"Explain how you figured out how to change the formula." "Don't you already know how, Mr. Stark?" "No, not really," Tony says, rendering Peter confused. "I always just used a couple different rules and formulas, I never thought to combine them in such a way. I'm interested, go on." Peter feels as though the connection is fragile, like Tony will strip this away within seconds. He rushes to explain, stuttering through his explanation. Tony's gaze never leaves Peter's except to look down at the paper.
Tony picked up pretty quick that Peter relished in attention, compliments, any kind of physical contact, even though Peter wouldn't admit it. He makes it a habit, a mental checklist. 'At least two forms of contact a day, a compliment, and genuine interest in something he likes for at least five minutes.'
Series Summary: "A chance encounter in a broken elevator ties together the lives of a hardened , emotionally closed off CEO James Barnes and a struggling single mother balancing her daughter , her new job , healing old wounds , and building something neither of them expected , a family."
a/n: haii bbys the excitement on chapter one overwhelms me and im just stunned and feel so excited to continue this w you all! i hope you enjoy this next part (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) also let me know if you caught my two little easter eggs i threw in hehe
series masterlist coming soon... read on ao3
<- previous chapter next chapter->
5:47 a.m. Y/N’s Apartment
Their home was still cloaked in that dark but peeking brightly , that certain early morning gray. Light filtered in like spreading ashes , through the slats of their flimsy plastic blinds , casting faint white lines across Madelyn's pink comforter. Her tiny form was bundled up snug in a small ball , one arm flung back dramatically over her purple pillow , little legs sprawled out every which was across the matching bed sheets. And always close by even during sleep was Piggy the stuffed Pig tucked close to her round little cheek.
Y/N padded into her daughter's bedroom barefoot quietly , already dressed and halfway through her first cup of steaming hot coffee.
She crouched low and sat down carefully so as to not jostle or dip the mattress too much and sat at the edge of the bed smiling at the peaceful , perfect sight.
“Rise and shine , baby girl ,” She leaned forward tucking a piece of hair out of her daughters face and rubbed her tummy gently in smoothing , wakening circles.
Madelyn didn’t budge or wake with her mothers words or tummy rubs. So Y/N leaned down closer , hovering over her little face and nuzzled her nose gently against her daughter’s.
“Babyyy,” She cooed whispering , giggling to herself at the little tickle her daughter's button nose gave to her own.
Madelyn scrunched her face up in a sleepy protest. “Moooommy.”
“Come on sweet girl ,” she giggled again , still nuzzling into her face , eyelashes now tickling against her daughters cheeks.
Madelyn blinked one eye open , biting back a smile as she tried to roll over facing the wall away from her mom. “It’s 'till nigh’ ‘ime.” Her words slurred , still half awake half in dream land.
“It’s morning , sweetheart. Time for big girls to wake up and help Mommy get ready for her first day at work.” She poked her side once , twice and a third time making Madelyn groan dramatically , rolling over again fully this time and buried her squishy face in the pillow.
Y/N tugged away gently at the blanket covering her daughter as she continued coaxing her awake. “Come on. You promised Piggy you’d be brave again today. She’s counting on you.”
Madelyn removed the pillow from her face and turned back , eyes wide and serious looking at her stuffed pig then back at her mom. She lifted the stuffed pig to her ear and gasped as she pretended it told her the most precious secret.
“Piggy says… we will wake up if we can have cereal that has marshmallows.” She huffed dramatically.
“Oh , well....if Piggy said it , then we must ,” Y/N grinned , scooping her daughter up into her arms as they shuffled into the kitchen together.
Madelyn yawned while hugging her pig , feet dragging and flailing slightly as she stumbly climbed onto the stool by the counter. Y/N poured a bowl of the marshmallow cereal with extra care and extra portion into Madelyn's special “only hers” bowl , sliding it to her , then sat beside her and pretended to have a very important conversation with Piggy.
“So,” Y/N turned to the stuffie. “Are you sure she’s ready for another day with Miss Helen?”
Madelyn giggled at her mom with a mouth full of cereal and milk. “Piggy says she’s not sure , but I’m super duper ready.” She smiled with cereal covered teeth , Y/N gave her a look and made her daughter immediately swallow and shrug giggling.
After breakfast was long gone and very yummy , they moved into the whirlwind of getting the both of them fully dressed , brushing teeth , braiding hair , and packing snacks/lunches.
It wasn’t quite tear-free , but it wasn’t the emotional storm of the interview day either , so Y/N counts that as a win. Madelyn clung a little too tight to her mom during the goodbye hug , her small arms tight around Y/N’s neck bracing for the release , but she didn’t cry again.
“I love you ,” Y/N whispered against her daughter's soft hair rubbing her back.
“Love you more.” Madelyn let go with a half smile half worry flashing over her face but that was quickly kissed away by her mom as she spun and took Miss Helen's hand walking inside her apartment.
7:05 am. Barnes Medical Prosthetics Co.
Her stomach rolled and flipped. First day jitters now slowly blooming into full-blown anxiety.
BMP Co. felt even bigger on the second visit than it did the first if that was even possible. The receptionists wore smiles sharp enough to slice through thick tension and pencil skirts short enough to keep the attention of married salesmen passing through.
People moved throughout the building with precision and with stern purpose , heels clacking on Italian marble floors , voices low and urgent on phone calls and hushed orders.
She passed sleek glass walls , brushed past assistants in spotless neutrals and pearls , and followed the memory of Steve’s directions he emailed her that morning , to her new desk just outside his office upstairs.
“Morning ,” Steve greeted warmly , already in his chair and typing at a dizzying pace as she slinked in slowly. “Coffee’s in the break room to the right. Ignore the chaos today—it’s…always like this.”
She nodded and looked around. It was the definition of controlled chaos. Like a pressure cooker that somehow never exploded but was always boiling , threatening to go just over.
Emails. Meetings. Calls. Take this to HR. Print that file. Rebook this meeting. Confirm that vendor. Make copies , grab coffee , update the schedule. It was all immediate and unloaded on her.
Y/N's fingers flew over the keyboard of her new work laptop as she typed new notes on the investors propositions , sent papers to the printer and made notes on who to call when she got a minute. All while Steve talked to someone on speaker of his work phone scribbling notes and doodles on a piece of paper as her held up to her post-its reading her next directions he needed done.
After their first few hours and sighed , her inbox empty , desk filled with neatly stacked papers and files. She was all caught up , for now.
"You're fast," he commented without looking up from his latest scribbles , typing them into clear fonts and formats in docs. It was the closest thing to a compliment she got so far that morning , but it fueled her like rocket and she flew with it as the work day continued like a wildfire.
No one held her hand. No one asked if she was okay. And she didn’t expect them to. She just kept going. And she didn’t complain.
She didn’t even flinch when a grumpy rather large man , a supplier, yelled at her over the phone for something she hadn’t even been briefed on , even after stating it was her very first day , the man continued his verbal assault over the phone. She jotted down the details and complaints he had given , apologized to him , and offered a solution that he gladly accepted.
She sat down the phone and huffed out a half shakey breath and half laugh , no way that happened her first day. Steve looked at her when she hung up sighing and gave her a nod of approval. Which made her smile.
By noon , her stomach was chewing on itself and rolling loud with rumbles and protest of its emptiness.
Steve poked his head out of his office as she was coming back from dropping off a referral letter to Lacy on the floor below them.
“Hey you busy? , Could you pick up the usual for Bucky and me for lunch? Valenza’s on 34th.”
Y/N blinked. “Valenza’s? Isn’t that the place with the—uh—caviar and truffle foam?”
Steve didn’t even react. “Yeah , that’s the one. They know us. Just mention our names and they will have it all ready. for ya”
“Okay , i'll go now” she chewed her lip and looked at her clothes , they were nice but not Valenza’s nice.
The waitress barely acknowledged her when she said she was here “for Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barnes.” when ordering. But within minutes , she had two perfectly packed bags handed to her by a staff member who looked like he’d rather die than let grease or sugar touch his perfectly stark white linen apron.
The receipt price attached to the bag alone made her queasy as she read it curious on what her bosses wanted to eat for lunch.
She carried the bags back to the office like they contained rubies and emeralds.
Arriving back to the office she was mistaken for a Uber eats girl and after explaining and fixing that little mishap , she dropped off Steve’s food first , then paused outside the door next to his.
Bucky's office. Her pulse quickened. She knocked gently.
“Come in ,” came the smooth but deep voice from inside.
She pushed the door open with her foot and stepped inside with a nervous walk. Bucky looked up from his laptop , sleeves rolled up , tie loosened just slightly around his neck probably yanking on it from his latest meeting.
He smiled faintly at the sight of her , expecting a tall man in a suit or Penny from accounting that always seemed to get "lost" on his floor finding her way to his office. He was definitely not expecting her , standing there now before him.
“Here’s your lunch,” she cleared her throat , setting it down on the sleek conference table where he was perched.
"Thank you Y/N" His tone was calm. Polite. Casual—as if they hadn’t been trapped in an elevator together while she cried about her daughter and overshared her life like a badly written romcom to him.
She nodded a welcome and turned on her heels to leave when he spoke to her again.
"Will you stay Y/N?”
She paused on her exit , voice catching at the mention of her name and the request. “Excuse me?”
“You can sit in the conference room here with me , while we eat ,” he gestured to the table , motioning to the seats next to him , empty. "It’s… nicer not to eat alone.”
She hesitated blinking from to the seat next to him then back at his steel blue eyes. Then for whatever reason she didn't quiet know she agreed and nodded her head , replying meekly. “Sure"
She walked to the chair directly across from him and sat down gracefully at the large wooden table , pulling out her own lunch she grabbed from her desk when handing over Steves before she came to deliver Bucky’s.
He quickly but not rushed slid over his work he was lost in and began unpacking his lunch ; she had ordered him his usual–flakey smoked salmon on a bed of organic micro-greens and fresh arugula , white truffle drizzle on top , with a square of artisan chocolate wrapped in gold foil. It looked too pretty to eat and way too expensive for her taste.
She smiled a little awkwardly when their eyes met , feeling suddenly embarrassed slightly by her own lunch , pulling out from the dora lunch pail- obviously Madelyns old one , she had a single foil-wrapped pizza slice and an apple juice box with another cartoon character printed on the side. It was slightly smashed , kinda beaten and cold , leftover from last night’s dinner she had with Madelyn. After dinner she had promised a dance party and even with full bellies they’d stuck to it , flailing around the living room to Just Dance tracks and giggling until way past bedtime. She smiled at the memory looking down at her pizza peeling back the foil.
Bucky glanced up from his own plate at her own , quirking a curious brow. “Homemade?”
She whipped her head up and smiled sheepishly , nodding. “Madelyn and I made it last night. Then had a dance party in the living room. Pizza and ‘Just Dance’ are kind of our thing.” She scolded herself in her head for oversharing yet again , she didn't know why but when she was with him words just poured out like lava.
He smirked faintly. “Sounds like you got a solid partner in crime.”
There was a comfortable pause after that as they each ate. Y/N tried not to feel too self-conscious about her pizza and juice while Bucky practically dined on edible wealth. They ate in silence for a few beats , him leaning back and her swiveling the black office chair nervously back and forth , back and-
“I thought—”
“How’s your—”
They both stopped and let out breathy laughs. Both speaking up at the same time.
Bucky sat down his fork and gestured a designer watch clad hand to her. “You first , please.”
“I thought you said your name was Bucky but-” She trailed off.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and slid his plate away from him , giving her his full attention as he answered. “My middle name is Buchanan. James Buchanan Barnes. My friends and loved ones call me Bucky.”
“Oh,” she nodded slowly , taking another bite slowly chewing then swallowing. “That…that makes sense.” Lowering her head back to her lap.
She glanced at him through her lashes , hesitating but the want to fill the silence overpowered her hesitation. “So... how’s your CEO-ing going?”
He chuckled , shaking his head taking a deep inhale before answering. “Busy. Same as usual.”
“Right,” she nodded , lips in a tight smile shrugging. “Running a company. No big deal.”
A smirk tugged at his lips as he leaned back slightly more , eyes curious , tilting his head just a hair. “How’s your daughter?”
Y/N blinked , head shooting up in surprise caught off guard by his question. “Madelyn? She uh well was… brave this morning. I think she knew how important today was for me , for us. We had um pizza last night. Danced to the fox Just Dance song. Her stuffies supervised of course until Piggy was dragged in for the last song.”
Bucky smiled. A real one this time , toothy and a little lopsided. Eyes lighting up with quiet amusement. “Piggy , huh?”
Y/N didn’t notice. She was too busy nervously poking at the crust and shifting in her seat. “Yeah. She and her pig run the house, honestly.”
“She sounds cool,” he said after a moment thinking , but his smile dropped slowly as his face went back to its hardened resting state.
“Oh she is , she’s everything,” Y/N replied before she could stop herself getting slightly teary eyed as she always did when talking about her baby.
They chatted a bit more , small talk and conversation shared between bites as they finished up their lunch hour. It was odd for the both of them how easy it all was , and how comfortable despite everything.
She started to forget she was sitting across from a man who signed million-dollar contracts like grocery receipts and who rested on an amount of money that could change her life forever and his pocket still never even flinch.
And he completely forgot that this woman sitting across sharing a meal with him wasn't a life long friend or something maybe more but instead his newest hire , his bestfriends assistant.
When the last crumbs of pizza crust were gone and he crumbled up the foil from his chocolate , popping it in his mouth , she wrapped up her trash and stood smoothing down her pants. “Thanks for letting me crash your lunch Mr. Barnes,”
He stood with her , sliding his chair into place and tucking his hands in his suit pants pockets nodding his head. “Thanks for staying Y/N.” His voice was soft , genuine but his face was that hard exterior and couldn't see through his thoughts.
She smiled and stepped out of the conference room , her cheeks warm and a little tinted , walking back to her desk down the hall , her pulse fluttering faintly under her skin.
He saw her , had really saw her. And somehow , that made the chaos of the rest of the work day feeling easier to take on.
She plopped back down behind her desk and dove right back into the whirlwind that she was now ready and prepared for.
After their lunch together and throughout the rest of the day , she passed his office a countless amount of times. On legitimate errands. Swapping reports. Carrying folders. And maybe , just maybe as she did , stealing a glance or two.
But every time she caught him in his office he was either pacing , twisting in his chair or typing on his computer. He didn’t look up or notice her walk by.
Except once. Just as she passed hastily heading straight to the shredder downstairs as Steve requested. He flicked his gaze up for a split second. Met hers. She gasped and looked away so fast she tripped over her own feet almost falling and scurried away cursing under her breath.
By the time 5:02 hit , she’d survived the first day even despite last minute reschedules , surprise impromptu investor meetings , two more angry calls , a jammed and what she called "haunted" shredder and almost face planting infornt of her boss who she spent her lunch hour with.
And somehow , she’d stayed upright through it all and was happy. She picking up her things and as she did she really though and reflected , she could really see this going great for her and for Madelyn's future.
Bucky watched from behind the glass of his open office window as she thanked Steve and wrapped her arms around him hugging him and then turning leaving with another quick wave.
Bucky saw the way she didn’t flinch during the day. The way she powered through. The way she didn't complain or stutter under the pressure. He didn’t say a word to her. But made a quick mental note.
“Hey Rogers” Bucky barked not looking from him typing up something Steve couldn't see , as his friend was walking by and now peeking a head through.
“What's up, Buck? Do you need Y/N? I just sent her home it's been quite the first day-.”
“No , she can go on home but since you brought her up , how about we don't hug our assistants alright pal? Looks bad for HR.” He looked up now at his friend , shutting his laptop roughly , jaw twitching.
“Oh yeah , totally sorry.” His eyes widened at Bucky's words nodding quickly , understanding. "Night buddy"
5:28 p.m. Y/N’s Apartment
The metal keys jangled in the lock before the door loudly creaked and squeaked wide open. Y/N’s head poked inside first before stepping inside kicking her heels off by instinct , seeking that familiar comfort and home. Her feet ached. Her shoulders were on fire. But her heart was full and hopeful.
She was totally and utterly exhausted. But happy. And even happier when she heard the tornado that was her kid bounding inside the apartment meeting her mom.
“Mommy!” Madelyn came running full speed from the hallway , as fast as her little socked feet would allow , crashing into her mothers legs with a tight almost bruising hug.
“Hi , my baby,” Y/N murmured , scooping her daughter up with the last of her strength she had stored away just for Madelyn.
She buried her face in her daughter’s hair and breathed in her perfectly unique smell— berry shampoo , fresh linen with something sugary ; honey.
“I missed you,” Madelyn squished her round cheeks nuzzling into Y/N’s neck.
“I missed you more. How was your day , did you have fun?”
“Mhm Miss Helen let me watch the pink princess movie and Piggy got to take a nap in the sun.”
Y/N laughed softly at her daughter's babbles and joy. “Lucky , Piggy.”
She set her down on the floor grabbing her chubby hand as they made their way to the small kitchen , only to stop cold in their tracks.
The fridge was almost empty. Right , shoot! She had meant to go grocery shopping… She glanced at the calendar that had a pic of her and Madelyn on it and written in red marker “Groceries” last week…
“Okayyy,” she drew out , peering into the shelves of their cabinets and the makeshift pantry. “Let’s see what we can magic up” Madelyn giggled at her mom and hopped up on the barstool.
She grabbed two eggs still surprisingly in date , half a zucchini , a couple of tortillas , and a can of black beans. Some of this will do.
Madelyn sat babbling at the counter with Piggy tucked in her lap making the stuffed animal spin and dance with a made up song she hummed. “Whatcha making , Mommy?”
“A surprise,” Y/N smiled , slicing with one hand and skillfully flipping tortillas in the pan with the other.
Twenty minutes later , they sat on the couch eating quesadillas with black beans and a drizzle of hot sauce ; on Y/N’s side only. Madelyn didn’t question the dinner—she just chomped down happily and talked with her mouth full about Miss Helen’s cat , how she wanted a kitty and the new coloring book she wanted
After dinner and a satisfied groan from both of their over-filled bellies , Y/N opened the plastic container they kept under the sink—a treasure chest of cheap but cherished nail polish they have collected over the years.
Madelyn’s eyes lit up when she saw the polish and began clapping with a joyful glee. “Can we do sparkles tonight?”
“Oh we are 100% doing sparkles ,” Y/N teased already unscrewing the cap of the glitter filled nail polish.
They painted each other’s fingers and toes taking turns—Madelyn choosing a bright purple with rainbow glitter for both of them wanting to match. Y/N’s hands were a sparkle mess by the end , more polish streaked across half her fingers than her nails , but Madelyn beamed at her work.
“You’re so good at this baby,” Y/N smiled at her daughters focused face little tongue peeking out the side.
Madelyn puffed out her chest when she went to dip the brush in the little glass bottle moving on to the next hand. “Thank you mama , I practice on Piggy.”
Once the polish was dry and all the mess of glitter and sparkle was cleaned and washed up, Y/N tucked her daughter into bed as usual , pink covers pulled tight around her little frame , Piggy tucked beside her on the pillow.
Y/N switched off the main bright overhead light and flicked on her warm amber night light as she slowly padded out the bedroom but was stopped at the door hearing her daughter whisper.
“Mommy?”
She spun around and tilted her head peering at her daughter. “Yeah?”
“You think your new job is gonna help us get a yard?”
Y/N felt her throat tighten and blinked nodding. “I think it just might , baby.”
Madelyn smiled sleepily and closed her eyes snuggling more into her duvet sighing contently. “I really want a slide in the yard.”
Y/N smiled, her eyes tearing up and lip popping out slightly at her daughter's request. “You got it. One slide , coming right up.”
Madelyn’s eyes fluttered shut , Y/N moved across the room , leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.
“Goodnight my brave girl.”
She picked up some toys that were scattered in her path , putting them up as she walked out , stepping quietly into the hall , letting the door close slowly behind her with a soft latch.
The apartment was silent again. Her body was aching. Her brain was buzzing.
But in that stillness , she still smiled. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy or perfect. But it was theirs. And she would do it again and again to get her daughter that slide , that yard and life she deserved.
-end
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tyrant - jegulus - @into-the-jeggyverse - word count: 325
“Oi, Reg!”
Dorcas stormed over to Regulus, face furious, looking about ten seconds away from cursing him on the spot.
“Can I help you?” he asked flatly, raising one eyebrow.
“Yeah. Control your boyfriend,” she said flippantly, crossing her arms.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Regulus insisted, feeling himself blush. “But…what’d he do?”
“Marlene said he’s acting like a right arse in practice. Screaming his head off like a tyrant, making them run drills for hours. She has no energy to do anything, so–”
“Maybe she’s lying, and just isn’t interested,” he smirked.
Dorcas flipped him a finger. “Talk to him,” she ordered.
Loathe as Regulus was to admit it, Dorcas was one of the few people that scared him, so he stood and shot her a look. “Fine. But he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Sure, sure.”
He knew just where to find the Gryffindor, of course. Not that that meant anything. Potter was simply predictable. So, ten minutes later, he stood at the edge of the Pitch and yelled up to the red blur in the sky.
“Potter, get down here!” he called.
Immediately, James touched down, hair even more windswept than usual. “Hey, Reg,” he mumbled.
“You can’t be a prick in practice,” Regulus said bluntly. “Dorcas is on my arse because you’re tiring McKinnon out so much she doesn’t want to snog her in closets. She seems to think I can stop you.”
For a moment, James’s face twisted into something akin to fury, before he took a deep breath and sighed. “We have to win this one, Reg. I…all this practice can’t be for nothing.”
“Then win. But don’t be an arse. That only looks good on me,” he replied, sending the taller boy a small smile.
James snorted. “Everything looks good on you, baby.”
Regulus turned away to hide his grin. “Don’t call me that.”
Strong arms snaked around his waist, making him grow warm all over. “Okay, love. Whatever you say.”
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support my loves🩷 I hope you like this chapter as well! 🥰 Please let me know what you think! 🩷
Pairing: Congressman!Bucky x Female!Reader
Summary: Crushes can happen out of nowhere.
Warnings: Explicit language, drinking.
Word Count: 3300
Series Masterlist
Fine, maybe people were right.
Maybe you were a workaholic who couldn’t stay away from her phone for five seconds without going full on Gollum without the ring, but in your defense, the elections were very close so you had to be in total control.
“What do you mean we don’t know where Bucky is?” you asked as you held the phone to your ear, frowning at your reflection in the mirror as someone entered the bathroom and started refreshing her lipstick, the chatter from the bar reaching the bathroom. “The guy is a super soldier who is running for congress. We’re his campaign staff, one of us is supposed to know.”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Kelsey said. “He had a meeting but then he texted me to tell me not to wait up so I came home.”
“Are we sure he’s not off to save people somewhere in the city?”
“I already checked everywhere, no one is getting attacked as far as I know.”
Your heart skipped a beat. “Are we—are we sure he’s safe?”
“As you said, the guy is a super soldier,” Kelsey replied. “I’m sure he’s fine. How’s the dinner going with the boyfriend’s firm?”
You heaved a sigh and leaned your back to the wall as the girl left the bathroom.
“Well, it’s not my crowd,” you muttered. “They seem nice enough though.”
“That’s good,” she said. “Hey, me and Caleb and the rest of the team are gonna go to the usual place in like an hour, if you’re done by then, you should come.”
You made a face.
“I’d love to but I doubt it’ll be over by then,” you said. “Maybe we can drop by if you guys are still out when we leave.”
“That works.”
“Gotta go Kels,” you said. “Talk to you later.”
“Have fun!” she said and you hung up, then took a deep breath, checked your reflection in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom to join the group by the bar.
Max was talking to his friends by the corner, laughing loudly at a joke and you bit inside your cheek, then motioned at the bartender for a drink. You typed in a quick text to Bucky before opening the email that Caleb sent you, but your head shot up when someone cleared their throat.
“Hi!” you said with a bright smile when you saw one of Max’s coworkers and she smiled back at you.
“Hey,” she said and offered her hand. “Tessa.”
You introduced yourself, shaking her hand and thanked the bartender when he brought you your drink before turning to her again.
“You look kind of tense,” Tessa said. “I hope it’s not us.”
“Oh no, not at all!” you said. “Sorry about that, I’m just one of those people who look like they have the stress level of a nervous chihuahua. I’m actually having fun.”
“You sure? It can be a bit boring, I know all we do is talk about work.”
You waved a hand in the air. “I know how it is, no worries.”
“Your boy is doing well lately,” Tessa said and you nodded your head fervently, your heart skipping a beat at the mention of Bucky.
“Oh I know, his poll numbers are so good,” you said, your smile widening. “He might not want to use the superhero thing but people aren’t blind.”
Tessa raised her brows. “…I meant Max.”
Right.
Right, Max was your boy.
Friend.
Boyfriend.
“Fuck, sorry,” you said with a nervous laugh and held up your phone. “Still in the work mode.”
“Don’t I know it,” she said and snapped her fingers. “Oh you work for Bucky Barnes! Max mentioned it. It’s quite impressive.”
“Thank you.” You took a sip of your drink. “It’s a bit chaotic but I like it.”
“Well, tell him he has my vote.” Tessa winked at you. “I have zero idea about any of his policies, but he’s hot as fuck.”
You let out a giggle.
“I know you won’t believe this, but a significant number of his voters have the same approach as you.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah, it’s on a report—” You were cut off when your phone started buzzing and you touched the screen to see the multiple people writing on your group chat. You scrolled up to click on the link Caleb sent, your heart dropping to your stomach when you saw the post.
It was a gossip blog, not different than millions of others on the social media. Even if the photo was a little blurry, you could still recognize Bucky and Hazel Brooks, the famous CEO of the nonprofit he’d had multiple meetings with last month and this week. She was standing very close to him, close enough to kiss him while he smiled down at her, and as the caption underneath said, it was right outside the restaurant they had their—
Their date in.
Oh.
You could swear someone was twisting your heart inside your chest. You swallowed thickly, still staring at the picture as if it could explain what was happening to you, trying your hardest to ignore the burning in your eyes.
Hazel Brooks was just perfect.
She was pretty, she was successful, she had her own nonprofit that she used to actually help people, and people in business adored her. Of course Bucky would like her, of course he would want to date her after a mere business meeting, of course—
Tessa touched your arm. “Everything okay?”
Your throat tightened but you blinked back the tears and lifted your head to smile at her.
“Yeah!” you managed to say. “Just uh, just a work thing.”
What the fuck was happening?
You couldn’t burst into tears just because Bucky was with a hot CEO, that had nothing to do with you. You were in a relationship, you were in the business dinner of the said relationship, but somehow, that did nothing to ease the pain.
“You sure?” Tessa asked. “You seem a bit—”
“Hey babe!” Max’s voice cut her off as he threw an arm over your shoulder to pull you close to him. “Having fun with Tess?”
You bit inside your cheek hard enough to hurt, then downed your drink.
“Yeah.”
“Me and the boys will do shots, wanna join?”
Pull. Your. Shit. Together.
“Sure,” you rasped out. “Shots sounds amazing.”
*
This was not pulling your shit together.
This was the opposite.
After you and Max had left the dinner party, you had told him you’d have to meet Kelsey for a quick work thing and thankfully, Max had told you he was too tired so he would go to bed, so here you were.
At this point, you might as well have changed your surname into Goldberg if you were going to stare at people’s homes like a goddamn creep, but knowing that it was creepy did nothing to make you walk away. You had drunk a lot, and even with your high tolerance, it was enough to give you some liquid courage.
Hence where you were now.
Outside Bucky’s place.
In your defense, the place where Kelsey and the rest of the team were drinking was close to his place, and you had originally planned to join them—you were going to join them right after talking to Bucky.
Because this was unacceptable.
You chewed the gum in your mouth vigorously before throwing it in the trash can and wiped at your eyes, then made your way to his door. If you were a bit more sober, you would’ve actually come up with a speech to explain to him why going on a date out of nowhere when the elections were this close was both unacceptable and unprofessional, not to mention rude, but you figured you could just wing it, so you raised your fist and knocked on the door, then wiped at your nose with the back of your hand and stepped back, listening to the footsteps coming closer.
And then the door opened.
Fuck.
Fuck, alright, you really should’ve thought this through.
He looked way too hot. His hair was tousled, the first couple buttons on his white shirt undone, his piercing blue eyes gleaming under the dim light.
“Birdie?”
You gritted your teeth, taking a deep breath
“Well hello there Casanova,” you said and held up the phone so that he could see the post. “Fun night?”
He frowned. “What—”
“Are you serious right now?” you asked. “You didn’t think to let me know about this whole thing before hard launching your girlfriend?”
“I’m not launching anything,” he said, confusion clear in his tone. “Who posted this?”
“Some gossip account, who the fuck cares?” you snapped. “This is going to affect the polls, you do realize that?”
“How? I’m not auditioning for The Bachelor, I’m running for congress.”
You tilted your head, momentarily distracted. “You watch The Bachelor?”
“No, Caleb made the same joke the other day.”
“Well, either way!” you said through your teeth. “A huge number of your voters want to fuck you, surprise surprise! This is so thoughtless of you, like, are you okay? Have you lost your mind?”
He looked over his shoulder, then pulled the door close behind him.
“We didn’t even do a background check, or social media check, oh my God, there are one thousand things that could go wrong, and you decided to go on a date? Without letting me—letting anyone in your team know? You can’t just pull this shit!”
He raised his brows, watching you in silence.
“Do you have any idea how it’s going to affect things?” you asked. “No. No, you don’t, because if you—I get that she’s pretty, okay? Anyone can see that she’s pretty, and fine, she’s very smart and very successful, it doesn’t mean you can just go on dates, there are things to consider before. She has actual pull in the business world, we’re trying to get all the nonprofits on that list I made on our side, and you decided going on a date with her was more important? Is that what’s happening?”
Bucky’s voice was frustratingly calm when he spoke; “Are you done?”
“Stop treating me like, like—” you stammered. “Like I’m a fucking hysterical housewife from 40s, I’m doing my—”
“How’s Max?”
That had the same effect of someone pouring a bucket of ice cold water on you and you stopped talking, your eyes snapping up to his.
“The guy you’re so in love with?” Bucky asked, his piercing gaze locked in yours. “As you kept telling me? How is he?”
Your lips pulled into a pout as you crossed your arms over your chest.
“Whatever you’re insinuating…”
“I’m not insinuating anything,” Bucky cut you off. “Are you insinuating something?”
You shook your head fervently. “No.”
“Great. We’re both clear then.”
You nibbled on your lip, your mind going overdrive.
“Well, is it…” You paused, a nervous laugh climbing your throat. “You and her, is it serious or something?”
Before he could answer, the door opened behind him.
“Bucky, what’s taking so long—oh, hi there.”
Okay.
Great.
Miss Brooks.
She looked from you to him and leaned on Bucky’s strong figure while you took a step back, forcing yourself to pull your gaze off Bucky before plastering a smile on your face.
“Hi Ms. Brooks,” you said, your voice completely professional. “Sorry about this. I uh—I work for Mr. Barnes and we needed his confirmation on this new draft we’re preparing, and we…we couldn’t reach him.” You motioned at the street vaguely. “Me and the rest of the team are drinking right around the corner, so I figured I’d come by to check.”
She hissed in a breath.
“Ah, my apologies,” she said with a small grin. “That one is my fault, I may have been keeping him busy.”
Don’t cry.
Do not cry.
You’re not a fucking schoolgirl with a crush, keep it together.
You blinked fast so that you could stop the tears before they could reach your eyes, the bridge of your nose tingling.
“Right,” you said and turned to Bucky. “Thank you for the confirmation, Mr. Barnes. I was confused before but now everything is crystal clear.”
His jaw tightened. “Birdie…”
“I apologize for the interruption,” you said, taking another step back. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
With that, you turned around and walked away from them, still holding your phone in one hand tight while rubbing at your eyes with the other.
*
Thankfully, the team was still out drinking. They were lost in their happy chatter, which was good for you because Caleb and Kelsey had pulled you to a different table the moment they saw the look on your face, so no one else could pay attention to the conversation your table was having while the occasional roars of laughter rose from theirs.
“Fuck,” Caleb commented as the waitress brought your drinks and took the empty glasses away. “Why didn’t you say anything, Birdie?”
“Because it was supposed to go away,” you said, sniffling. “I mean for God’s sake, he’s my boss and…ugh, I’m so sorry Kels.”
Kelsey tilted her head. “Why?”
“I know you also have a crush on him—”
“Whoa!” Kelsey cut you off. “Pump the breaks. First of all, I never said a crush, I said I wanted to fuck him.”
“Which is something you have in common with everyone in this bar,” Caleb added and Kelsey nodded.
“Second of all, I stopped wanting to fuck him the minute you told me about your crush. From now on in my eyes, he’s like a catholic priest. Or a nun. Or like, one of those monks— whichever is not allowed to fuck, I don’t know.”
“I think none of them are allowed to fuck.”
“Yeah, so there you go Birdie. You can have him.”
You sniffled again and wiped your nose with the tissue. “You’re such a good friend.”
“I know right? I’m amazing,” she mused. “I’ll just find myself a hot guy when we’re in DC, preferably from Capitol Hill.”
“I can’t wait until we’re all in DC,” Caleb stated. “I’m so over the dating scene in New York.”
You rubbed your eyes.
“How do I have a crush on him?” you asked. “I’m not allowed to have a crush on him. He’s my boss, and I have a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend is one way to describe…” Caleb waved a hand in the air as if trying to find his name and Kelsey raised her brows.
“Max,” she said. “You know what his name is, Caleb.”
“I decided to keep his name in my mind for the same length of time he spends fucking her, so like five minutes.”
“It’s because he read that Reddit post,” you said, your voice going high pitched as you dabbed at your eyes with the tissue. “Apparently his tech bro idol spends only five minutes having sex so that he can work more and—”
“I am literally begging you to dump him.”
“I listen to so much Lana Del Rey now!” You hiccupped. “Did I tell you guys that? I ordered all her albums on vinyl!”
“Well, Bucky is over 100 years old,” Caleb said. “I think that kind of age gap would make even Lana cry.”
Kelsey slurped on her cocktail.
“Hypothetically,” she said and pointed at the door. “Let’s say Bucky and Pedro Pascal walked right through that door—”
“Keep Pedro Pascal out of this, Kels.”
“I’m trying to prove something,” she insisted. “They both proclaimed their undying love for you. Who would you go for?”
You thought for a moment, then another sob escaped your mouth as you buried your face into the tissue, making Caleb hiss in a breath while Kelsey rubbed your back.
“Shit, it’s that big of a crush, huh?”
“I don’t understand how this happened!” you said through the sobs and sniffled, then took another sip of your cocktail. “There has to be something I can do to stop it.”
“I doubt it.”
“No no, we’re his political campaign staff,” you said and sat up straighter to pull yourself together. “We know everything about him, right? There has to be something there that’ll make me—make me not want to kiss him under the moonlight to an Ella Fitzgerald song.”
That made Caleb and Kelsey fall into silence in deep though before Kelsey shrugged her shoulders.
“Just off the top of my head, he killed Howard and Maria Stark.”
“Yeah I mean, technically,” you murmured. “But in his defense, he was being controlled by HYDRA.”
Caleb cleared his throat.
“I feel like we did such a good job with his PR that we also tend to overlook a couple of things about his past,” he said. “But the guy did kill JFK.”
“To repeat, HYDRA killed JFK—that’s not going to work.” You shook your head. “I need something personal. Like he secretly listens to terrible podcasts or…”
“Bucky doesn’t know what a podcast is,” Kelsey stated. “I once asked if he’d want to be a guest on a political one because they contacted me, and I had to explain what it was, and he just stared at me and went like; ‘You guys reinvented the radio?’”
“He really does want to be a guest on a radio show though,” Caleb said and pulled up his phone to take a note. “We should look into that, he was kind of excited when I mentioned it today. Must be an old dream of his.”
“Could work on the elderly voters if he mentions it during the program—”
“Guys, focus.”
“Right, back to the mission at hand,” Caleb said clapping his hands together. “Uh, maybe he’s bad at sex.”
“Oh really?” Kelsey asked with a grin. “You think the super soldier with super strength is bad at sex, Caleb?”
“It’s possible,” Caleb insisted. “People in 40s only knew what, two sex positions?”
“Is that why my grandmother had like ten children?”
“Your grandmother’s high libido is not relevant to this conversation.”
“Ew, never use grandmother and libido in the same sentence ever—”
“Guys!” you exclaimed to stop their bickering. “Bucky’s bad attributes. Come on, can’t be that hard to find.”
“His cat is an asshole.”
Both you and Kelsey gasped.
“Caleb, Alpine is a precious princess, take that back!”
“She once scratched me because I wanted to pet her!”
“You can’t just pet a cat because you want to,” you insisted. “The cat is supposed to want that, not you.”
“Hence why I’m not a cat person.”
You groaned and leaned back in your chair, throwing your head back.
“I’m sitting here thinking about his stupid smile while he’s having sex with Hazel fucking Brooks,” you mumbled. “And while my boyfriend is waiting for me at home. I—I’m such a terrible person.”
“You’re not a terrible person.”
“Yes, I am,” you insisted. “I’m here, openly lusting after my boss while I’m in a relationship.” You motioned in the direction of his house. “While he’s probably starting a relationship.”
“We don’t know that.”
“Bucky doesn’t just sleep around,” you said with a bitter laugh. “And either way, I’m with Max so I’m not supposed to care about it.”
“If you weren’t—”
“Even if I weren’t with Max, Bucky would never look my way,” you murmured. “He doesn’t see me like that.”
Kelsey reached out to squeeze your hand in an assuring manner while you downed your cocktail.
“Birdie...”
You wiped your eyes and cleared your throat, then tried to smile. “It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah,” you said, your voice unconvincing even to your own ears. “It’s just a stupid crush, guys. I’ll be okay.”
