Once youâre on the freeway you see his hand twitch like he wants to touch you but doesnât know what your boundaries are. You take his hand and drag your finger along the rougher surface of his hand. You donât look at him, even though you know heâs been glancing over at you. Instead of looking at him you take his hand and place it on your thigh, right where the fabric of your skirt meets your skin. Bucky hums happily and you canât help but smile softly. After a while his thumb starts to slide absently over your skin, youâve always known that Bucky was attractive, you have eyes, but you didnât know that you were going to want him so quickly. To feel like you need him like you need to breathe.
âYou look like youâre thinking pretty hard over there Beauty.â
âI just,â you start before you take a breath, âthis just all happened so fast. I canât believe you got this all together so fast.â
âIâm sorry we didnât get to do it right.â He says and you put your hand on his, âyou deserve a real wedding Beauty.â
âI shouldnât have asked you to do this. Youâve ruined any chance of love for yourself.â Youâre reminded that heâs almost a professional street racer in that moment. He whips the car over three lanes of traffic, down an off ramp and onto a side street without even touching the breaks until it comes to a full stop. You blink at him in surprise,
âBucky?â
âSay that again.â His voice is low and tight,
âWhat?â
âSay that youâve ruined my chances at love again, I fucking dare you.â
âBut I did,â you protest, âyou married me to save me from Peter, donât deny it. Youâve always been a commitment phobe.â He whips open his door and gets out of the car and you stare after him in bewilderment until he yanks open your door. Bucky doesnât even wait for you to unbuckle. Instead he reaches over you and does it himself then hauls you out of the car and pins you against it, his body pressed to yours.
âYou have always, always been endgame for me Beauty. The contract was my idea. Before I took over, I was at meetings, I saw how different your father and I were and I knew itâd likely be a problem. Iâm utterly addicted to you, canât live without you, Iâve always known and there was a reason I signed the contract along with my dad. I watched and I waited. I hoped Iâd have enough time to do this right, which is why I never made a move on you. But your dad pushed my hand faster than I wanted. This, you, are it Beauty. So if anything Iâve ruined falling in love with someone for you.â
âActually,â you muse, âthis is probably the best chance I have at love.â You gently touch his waist, âWe all knew that I was going to be given to someone. Like Maria was, and I already love you. I donât think that loving you as my husband will be impossible.â
âI love you too Beauty.â Bucky says, âand Iâm gonna woo the fuck outta you.â You let out a little huff of a laugh but Bucky buries his hand in your hair and kisses you soundly. When he pulls away you keep your eyes closed for a second longer and Bucky presses his forehead against yours. âIâm one lucky mother fucker.â
âYou better not.â You tell him only half teasing. âYouâre my husband now.â
âOh, I know. Youâre mine and Iâm yours Beauty.â He kisses you again, this time softly before he steps away. âWe should get going.â
âWhere are we going?â
âHoneymoon. Obviously.â Bucky teases as he helps you back into the car. He closes the door carefully and rounds the front of the car, he seems to clock something behind you and when he climbs into the car he says, âWeâve got company Baby.â He tells you as he buckles. One of the things youâve always liked about Bucky is while he drives fast he also respects the hell out of the power of a car.
âFriendly or unfriendly?â
âCops.â You sigh heavily, before buckeling your seatbelt.
âWe need a straight story.â You tell him and Bucky hums as he puts the car into gear.
âYou looked too sexy for me to keep my hands off of for another minute?â He offers and you laugh,
âI was thinking we got into a bicker because my new husband is insisting on keeping our honeymoon destination a secret.â
âSo I got out to kiss you silly and try to distract you from ruining the surprise.â
âWorks for me.â You tell him with a laugh as lights come on behind you. âAs your lawyer, say less.â You tell him and he hums,
âI forgot you were a lawyer. Thanks for the reminder Beauty.â He says kissing your hand. He lowers his window as the cop comes up.
âSir just checking in that everything is okay. You were stopped in an unsafe area and it was reported that you were driving recklessly by a few other drivers.â
âIn this car? Hardly.â Bucky says with a grin, the cop doesnât look impressed.
âMaâam. You alright?â
âOf course.â
âCan I see your IDâs please? And registration for the car sir.â You donât have any form of ID.
âBuck, I donât have my ID.â
âI have your passport in the trunk Beauty.â He tells you, âI can get it.â
âIâd rather she did.â The cop says, youâre not surprised.
âBut then sheâs gonna figure out where weâre going on our honeymoon.â
âAnd I donât know where it is.â You point out. You donât need to be digging in a bag full of, you donât know what, with a cop over your shoulder.
âMaâam, are you sure youâre safe?â
âYes. Just not as persuasive as I thought.â You say curling a hand around Buckyâs arm.
âOh Beauty, you have no idea the things Iâve had to repeat to keep from finding a motel as fast as I can.â You put your head against his arm to hide your embarrassment and the cop looks amused.
âLet me go run this so I can get you on your way.â
âNothing is going to come up right?â You whisper once the cop is gone and Bucky shakes his head.
âDo you really want to know where weâre going?â
Youâre not sure how he can be so chill about this. But maybe you shouldnât be surprised, he always seems so in control and unflappable. When you get to his house, more a small compound outside the city, youâre surprised by the small gathering there.
âCome on Beauty.â Bucky says taking your hand, he brings you up to a room where a familiar garment bag hangs. âI really hope Sam grabbed the right bag.â Bucky says going to unzip it.
âDonât!â You cry stopping him, âitâs bad luck. And I think weâre going to need all the good luck we can get.â
âOkay, 15 minutes Beauty.â He says before leaving the room. Yelena comes bustling in wearing a deep red dress,
âYour beauty squad has arrived.â She tells you as Natasha, wearing the same red dress, closes the door behind them.
âMy bridesmaids.â You say with a smile as Yelena unzips your garment bag. Nat gets your hair back in order then they help you get into your dress. The bouquet youâre handed is blood red roses, and Natasha slips your veil into your hair as a knock comes at the door. When you head out you find Steve in a suit waiting.
âBest man and on bride duty.â
âSeems fitting.â You tell him slipping your hand through his arm,
âFor me to give you away?â Something flashes through his eyes too quickly for you to read.
âTechnically you canât give me away because youâre kind of getting me more than ever.â You tell him.
Once you start down the aisle Buckyâs gaze is locked on yours. Itâs like heâs afraid to blink because if he does youâll vanish.
âJesus Beauty.â He breathes when you join him at the front, you canât help but laugh. Tony Stark presides over the ceremony, when itâs time to do your vows Tony hands you a small sheet of paper and you read,
âYou cannot possess me for I belong to myself, but while we both wish it, I give to you that which is mine to give.
You cannot command me, for I am a free person, but I shall serve you in those ways you require and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.
I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night, and the eyes into which I smile in the morning.
I pledge to you the first bite of my meat, and the first drink from my cup.
I pledge to you my living and dying, equally in your care. This is my wedding vow to you.â
Bucky recites the same vows to you, although he doesnât need to read from anything. Instead he stares into your eyes and you can hardly breathe under the intensity of his gaze. He slides the ring on your finger and you slide his on his then Tony says,
âCongratulations. You may now kiss the bride.â You thought it might be weird kissing Bucky, heâs been your friend for so long but any idea you had of a chaste first kiss vanishes the second his mouth touches yours. Bucky kisses you softly and pulls away before those bright blue eyes meet yours and his mouth collides with yours again in a needy, desperate kiss. Like he needs you to breathe. Someone coughs and Bucky pulls away from you with a small laugh. He takes your hand and the two of you walk down the short aisle and into a side room.
âWe canât stay Sweetheart.â He says with a little smile, âIf I was your dad Iâd be planning a run at me in the next twelve hours and heâs got Ego on his side.â
âYou have Tony.â
âAnd the contract, but I told you Iâd keep you safe, so Iâm gonna do that. Steveâll smooth shit over while weâre gone.â
âHe will? Will he be safe?â
âThatâs his job Beauty.â Bucky says as he tucks some hair behind your ear. âHeâs the right hand and Iâm the left.â
âSo, youâre both the boss?â
âKind of. People know that Steve acts on my behalf, but if Iâm going to have to take care of shit Iâm going to be the one to do it.â This is interesting, but not exactly surprising. Steve has always been the calm to Buckyâs storm, theyâre two sides of the same coin.
âSo when people see you coming itâs not a good thing?â
âNot usually.â You look at him, youâve never known this side of him, you know that mob men often have to do, really bad things but youâve never really gotten into the nitty gritty of it. âYou okay Beauty?â
âYea. We should go. Youâre sure Steve is gonna be okay?â You ask as Bucky leads you to his garage, his large hand wrapped around yours.
âYea Baby. Heâs gonna be fine. Just because he tends to be more peaceful doesnât mean that heâs not still as ruthless as I am.â
âGood. Iâd never forgive myself if something happened to either of you.â He pulls open the passenger side door of one of his cars, a pretty, sleek, silver thing. Before you get into the car you cup his cheek in your hand. âThank you for all of this Bucky.â He presses a quick kiss to the palm of your hand.
âThereâs not a lot I wouldnât do for you Beauty.â Your heart stutters in your chest, you didnât know that you could feel like this about him.
He helps tuck your wedding dress into the car, it poofs around you and you laugh,
âHold on, the skirt comes off.â You tell him before you undo the ballgown to reveal a miniskirt,
âFuck.â Bucky groans, âmy wife is so sexy.â He hands you into the car, shoves the skirt into the backseat, you swear you hear him say something about fucking you in your dress, before he closes the door and rounds the car. Bucky climbs in, pushes the start button, punches in a little code on a remote and the garage door opens. Youâre surprised to find youâre underground.
âWhy underground?â
âOne of the most vulnerable places in the average home is the garage. So I made mine less vulnerable.â You donât talk until youâre on the road. Instead you watch him, the way that he handles the car is so beautifully smooth, itâs completely mesmerizing. You shouldâve expected it, youâve seen him race before but seeing him inside the car, this car, is downright sexy.
You go to the wedding dress fitting. You end up with a pretty, off the shoulder, lacy top ballgown dress. It has a deep plunge in the front that is covered by the lace giving a more classy edge to the sexiness of it. Itâs so pretty that you almost hate to wear it to such a sham of a wedding but you canât hide the joy you feel when you put it on. You leave with the dress, the size they had on hand was a hair too big but your mom has someone who will get it done in time. Because of course she does.
Hold as much of the stuff as you can outside.
Bucky texts you and so you do. You hold the engagement party, and groomâs dinner outside on a large patio. The ceremony will be on another location of the same balcony, patio space. You let Bucky know where youâre going to be but you donât hear from him again.
Friday night comes fast, like it always does when youâre dreading something. Maria has been with you all day, youâd have thought that you had an ally in your sister but apparently you were wrong. Her being here makes you think your family is afraid that youâre going to sneak off. Little do they know, youâre going out with a flourish.
You get ready for the groomâs dinner in silence. Youâve got on a thigh length solid skirt with a little slit in the side, the top is covered with floral lace and thereâs a little floral lace peeking out of the slit in the skirt. It fits your body to perfection and again youâre disappointed to be wasting it on Peter Quill. You put on some silver strappy heeled sandals and put on a necklace that Bucky gave you right after he became a boss.
âChouette, itâs time.â Maria says, and you scowl over at her.
âGreat. Canât wait to go to my new prison.â
âItâs not going to be that bad. Okay? Iâm happy with Nick. You could be happy too!â
âSave the bullshit Maria. Iâm not interested.â She goes to open her mouth to argue with you but instead you leave the room. She follows you and after a silent car ride you pull up to the hotel.
A man in a uniform opens your door, you step out and meet your dad in the lobby of the building.
âYou look lovely.â
âWhat else did you expect? For me to throw a fit? I know better than that.â You say coolly as you loop an arm through his. âI do wish youâd allow me to have my friends here. At least Steve.â
âNo.â You sigh heavily and blink rapidly to keep back the tears, tears come easy with the way that Quill is looking at you. He makes you feel so gross.
Your dad leads you to where Peter and his parents are waiting.
âHello Wifey.â He schmoozes, it makes your stomach drop.
âPeter.â He frowns at you but your dad reaches forward to shake hands with Ego.
âItâs a good day.â Your dad says with a smile, âthe joining of two powerful families.â
You walk through the ceremony. Your hands start shaking at the start of dinner. Where the hell are Steve and Bucky? Itâs when you, Peter and your dad stand to start the speeches that you realize anything is happening. An armored jeep comes tearing into the space, youâre surprised to see Bucky standing with an assault rifle in his hands. He fires off a few rounds before anyone can react and people duck, a few people scream. The jeep comes to a halt and Steve pops out of the passenger side his own assault rifle at the ready. Bucky swings down and stalks toward you, your eyes wide and when Peter goes to get in his way Bucky swings the assault rifle onto his back and pulls a handgun from his back.
âYouâre going to want to move away from my woman.â Bucky growls, before grasping you by the throat and dragging you to him. He pulls your body against his so your back is to his front,
âYour woman?â Peter hisses, âI think youâre mistaken.â You cling to Buckyâs arm,
âBut Iâm not am I, Cobra?â Bucky says, âyou signed a contract with my father years ago that Iâd marry your Chouette, my Beauty.â Your startled gaze swings to your dad who looks furious. God you hope he doesnât try anything with you pressed so closely to Bucky. You can feel his breath against your cheek, in your heels your head comes to his chin so he must be stooping to stay behind you.
âThat was a contract I signed with your father. Not you.â Your dad sneers at Bucky.
âBut itâs still valid.â Bucky counters, âSo, Iâm taking whatâs mine.â Your dad takes a step toward you and Bucky fires the hand gun. He fires close enough that your father flinches but you know he wasnât aiming for your dad. Instead he presses the gun against your waist. âSheâs mine or sheâs no oneâs.â
âBucky.â You whimper, you trust him but he has a loaded gun pressed to your side.
âShh Beauty.â He murmurs in your ear as he moves with you backwards to his car. He slips into the car dragging you back into the backseat with him. Steve has moved to the spot Bucky had been on in the back of the jeep and Clint floors it. Steve fires off a few more rounds before he slips into the back of the car through the opening.
âHey Beauty.â
âAre you fucking insane?â You snap at Bucky, âYou held a loaded gun to my side!â
âPlease Beauty. There was one bullet in that gun and I fired it over your dadâs head.â You blink at him, âI said you wouldnât be in danger. I meant that.â He tells you curling a hand around your head and burying his fingers in your hair. He presses his forehead to yours, ânow, letâs go get married.â
You try calling Bucky later that night, when you should be asleep but absolutely arenât. You let out a huff of frustration when he doesnât answer but quickly call Steve. While Bucky is the leader of the Howlies in title and acts, you know that Steve holds equal respect in their group.
âBeauty?â He mumbles and relief ripples through you,
âSteve.â Your voice cracks on his name.
âAre you safe?â He sounds wide awake now.
âFor now. I, I need help.â You tell him, âI tried calling Bucky already and he didnât answer. Iâm so sorry Steve. I just, can you guys get here? I think Iâm being watched.â
âBeauty, whatâs going on?â
âI donât want to say too much on the phone. Itâs messy Steve.â
âDo you want me to come over? Or do you need Buck too?â
âCan you both come? Tonight.â
âOkay, what are you willing for us to do?â This is his way of asking if they need to kill someone to get to you.
âI donât know.â
âIâll get Sam to scope it out while I get Buck okay? Do you want me to call you back?â You can hear him moving on the other side of the phone and it strangely calms you.
âJust let me know when youâre here.â
âYour code still the same?â
âYea.â
âOkay Beauty. Iâll keep you posted on progress.â
âThank you.â You breathe before you hang up and then you start your pacing. The boys have snuck into your place before, more than once, so youâre not overly worried about that.
Less than a half hour later your phone is buzzing in your hand.
Weâre here. Coming up.
Ok
When your door swings open Bucky comes prowling into the room.
âBeauty. What the fuck is going on?â He demands, âyou better be something deep or Iâm gonna be so pissed.â He warns and you can hardly bear to look at him. Once upon a time youâd believed that you could marry him, that you would. After all, alliance marriages are commonplace in your world, obviously, Mariaâs marriage is an arranged, so was your parents. But now thatâs all been dashed. âBeauty?â
âIâm getting married.â You blurt and his gaze softens faster than you can blink,
âTo who?â Bucky asks, his voice soft.
âPeter Quillâ
âIâll kill him.â Bucky sneers, âwhen?â
âSaturday.â
âWhen did you find out?â Steve asks joining the conversation.
âThis morning at breakfast. I was bombarded.â
âOkay, weâll figure this out Beauty. And without killing Peter Quill.â He assures and you canât help the hot tears that roll down your cheeks,
âAw, Beauty. Donât cry. Please you know that fuckinâ kills me.â Bucky groans pulling you gently to him. You go willingly and bury yourself into Buckyâs chest.
They let you cry. Bucky eases down onto your couch, taking you with him, and just holds you talking softly with Steve the whole time.
When youâve wept all you could Bucky passes you a box of Kleenex that Steve mustâve grabbed at some point.
âWe have an idea but itâs a long shot.â Bucky says once youâve slid from his lap and settled on the couch next to him.
âOkay?â
âYou marry me instead.â When you just blink at him in surprise he continues, âIâm a more powerful ally to have than Quill.â
âYouâll have to kidnap me. From the wedding.â
âWhat?â
âIf it looks like I went willingly, which I am, theyâll say my dad had betrayed whatever deal he has going with him and itâll piss my dad off, putting you in danger.â
âBeauty, no matter what I do Iâm gonna piss him off.â Bucky says with a little smirk. âBut youâre right, if it looks like youâre compliant in this then youâre in danger too. Iâm not worried about me as much at this point.â He counters, waving your concern away.
âBut I am.â You tell him, âis there anything else we can do?â
âI could kill Quill.â Bucky offers sounding far too nonchalant about the offer.
âLetâs put a pin in murder please.â You say and both Steve and Bucky grin.
âYou know your father has ordered and killed people right?â
âAllegedly.â You reply automatically and Bucky laughs softly.
âRight. Same, allegedly.â Buckyâs voice is far lighter than it should be.
âDo you want to know the details Beauty?â Steve asks, and you shake your head. The less that you know the better, so that you can play it safe.
âAlright. Know, that without a shadow of a doubt, I wonât put you in any risk. Okay?â Bucky says and youâre nodding before he even finishes the sentence.
âI trust you.â You tell him, and you do. Youâre trusting him with your life.
Steve and Bucky leave a half hour later. Both men giving you tight hugs.
âItâs gonna be okay Beauty. Weâll see you on Saturday. What time is the ceremony?â Bucky says,
â11. Iâll send you more details once I know them.â You promise him and he presses a kiss to the top of your head.
You go to bed after they leave. Not that you sleep well but you sleep. When you wake itâs to your phone ringing
âHello?â You murmur,
âYou need to be ready in an hour. Mom and I are coming to get you for wedding dress shopping.â Maria says, sounding about as excited as you feel.
âWhatâs the point Maria?â You groan and she hums,
âThe point is doing it right. You donât have to like it, I donât like it. Mom didnât like it. But youâll learn to, at least care about him.â
âHa.â Eloquent as ever. âYou at least got a couple months to prepare. I have days Maria.â
âItâs not ideal but you make the best of it.â
âIâm not going.â
âYes you are. Donât make this worse.â You hang up then. Just because your mom and Maria took this life, this trade, as their life sentence doesnât mean you will. Clearly. But you donât tell your sister anything, you wonât tell a soul your secret with Bucky and Steve. You canât. Nothing can go wrong. In order for whatever Steve and Bucky have planned no one can suspect a thing and if you were to just go along with this, no. Youâd be furious either way, plan or no.
When your sister strolls into your home you scowl at her from your couch.
âDonât make me call Brock to drag your ass to this appointment. You know that I will.â She also knows that you hate Brock the most of all your fatherâs people.
âFuck you Maria.â
âYea, yea.â She says grabbing your arm and pulling you to your feet. You hadnât taken her seriously about being ready, youâre only in your pajamas, but she drags you to a waiting car anyway.
The press of the crowd is almost too much, pressing in from all sides of you. Bucky grins at Steve before pulling a woman to him and kissing her soundly. When his gaze meets yours he shoots you a wink that you roll your eyes at, and then he pulls open the driverâs door of his car. Clint is already in his car and when Natasha struts to the space between the two his eyes are locked on her. You donât know why they wonât just get together already and put everyone out of their misery but they havenât. Bucky climbs into his car and starts it, she purrs to life, you watch as he buckles then his gaze goes sharp. You love watching Bucky race, even if you know you shouldnât be here. Natasha drops the flag and Bucky and Clint take off with the roar of their engines. Some people in the crowd start yelling but you donât, you just watch.
âYouâre not supposed to be here.â Steve says from beside you, god he moves quietly for a big man.
âYea, neither is anyone else.â You counter and he laughs.
âOkay good point. Howâd you sneak away?â
âSam. Obviously.â
âGood ol Sam.â Steve says with a grin before throwing his arm over your shoulders. âCome on Pretty Girl. When Buck wins this one you can celebrate with us.â
âBarnes isnât gonna win.â Some dude next to you argues but both you and Steve ignore him. As the daughter of The Cobra you know better than to run with Steve and Bucky, especially Bucky, who runs the Howlies. But you grew up together, you went from mud covered children to awkward teens together and then Buckyâs dad died and he stepped up. He and your father had had a differing of opinions and your father had cut ties, then told you to as well. But Buckyâd gotten under your skin in the very best way, not that you were in love with him, no, more he was the closest thing you had to a friend. He and Steve.
The two cars come roaring back into the area and toward you. Itâs going to be close but Bucky is the better driver, he usually is, and at the last second he eeks out a win. You cheer wildly and Steve laughs,
âYou act like youâve never seen him win before.â He teases and you laugh,
âYea, yea. Itâs always fun when he wins.â
âCloser than I expected it to be.â Steve murmurs, âcome on. Letâs go celebrate.â You make your way over to where Bucky is getting out of his car with a wide grin.
âHey Beauty!â Bucky calls grabbing you with one arm and pulling you to him. âAlways nice to have my lucky charm show up.â
âAlways the charmer Barnes.â You tease him with a laugh. âBesides you know I saw you kissing some other girl before the race.â
âI could kiss you too if it makes you feel better.â He flirts and you laugh giving his torso a little push. Bucky doesnât move away but he does grin down at you.
You spend far too long hanging out with them, by the time Bucky drops you off at home itâs after three in the morning and youâre supposed to be going to a family breakfast which usually means your Dad is going to be requesting something from you. So, after a quick shower and blow drying your hair, you climb into bed.
Youâre up three hours later. You have to put on your armor, aka impeccable hair, make up and outfit. Youâve opted for black sweetheart neckline, a corset top and a-line skirt that falls to just above your knees. You put on a black leather jacket and a pair of black heels. Your make up is soft and so are the curls that you end up putting in your hair. Youâre ready to go when Sam comes to pick you up for your meeting thatâs being presented as a family breakfast.
When you get to your Dadâs house you wait for Sam to open your car door, then you head inside. When you get there you go straight to the large, somewhat ridiculous, dining room. If you hadnât been trained in Ms. Manners school of manners, you wish you were kidding, you may have actually stumbled youâre so surprised by what you find in the dining room. Itâs not just your parents, older sister, brother-in-law and younger brother, no, thereâs a whole second family sitting around your familyâs table.
âExcuse me, I didnât mean to keep you waiting.â You say softly, Maria wonât meet your eyes and your heart sinks a little further. Your parents both look pleased but even Peter looks a little sick.
âChouette,â your dad starts using your family nickname of Owl, âIâd like to introduce you to the Quills,â
âA pleasure.â You tell them sitting in your chair.
âThis is Ego and Meredith and their son Peter. He went to school with Nick.â Your brother in law doesnât look pleased about this connection. Youâre seated directly across from Peter, heâs looking at you in a way you really arenât comfortable with. His father is appraising you, his mother is watching you coolly.
You donât talk much during breakfast, instead you listen, you take in information and from what you understand a rather large business deal is in the works. After breakfast the Quillâs leave and your dad smiles over at you.
âYou will be very happy with him.â
âPardon?â
âPeter Quill, as a husband. Youâll do well.â
âOh, Iâm not interested thank you.â You tell him but the look of amusement makes your heart race in your chest.
âYouâre already engaged. The engagement party is Friday and the wedding is Saturday.â
âThis Saturday? As in three days?â You ask your mouth agape.
âYes.â
âDad, you canât honestly expect me to get a whole wedding together in three days!â
âIt will be a small affair.â
âThis canât be a small affair. The Quillâs are as big of a name as we are.â In your world at least, you may not be what would be considered traditionally important but in the mob world, youâre practically royalty.
âI am aware. Youâll marry him in a private ceremony and weâll do something bigger later.â
âThis, Dad please donât.â
âIt is not up for negotiation.â His voice is cold, you knew this could happen, probably would happen, it was the same for Maria. But, you will not break in front of your family, you will not cry. That will come later, it has to come later. Instead, you stand from the table, give him a small nod then leave your childhood home. Youâll go home for now, while you can still call your apartment your home, then youâll go to see him, if anyone can help get you out of this itâs one James Buchanan Barnes.
Youâd been working since before noon. One bathroom break, no food, just head down and grind it out. It was just after five now, youâve finished everything, and stand in the little study room to stretch. Youâll just return the couple of books you used to round out the research paper then youâll pack up. You turn to the door then freeze.
Itâs pitch black in the library behind you. Spinning back around you open the internet on your computer and type in the name of the library and their hours.
Wednesday 9:00-5:00.
Five oâclock? You look down at your watch and it says 5:12. Well shit. You donât know if thereâs a security system so you donât want to just, leave, so you grab your phone and search for the non-emergency line for the local police. It just rings, then rolls you over to an announcement to call 911 if thereâs an emergency. You donât know what else to do. You hang up and call 911.
â911, what is your emergency?â The male voice is rich and soothing in your ear. This is exactly what youâd want to hear in an actual emergency.
âUm, this is kind of an emergency but Iâm locked in the local library.â Thereâs silence on the other end of the line before he says,
âWhat?â
âSo, apparently the library closed at five but they closed with me, inside.â You donât expect his laughter but thatâs exactly what happens.
âIâm sorry, Iâm so sorry. I donât mean to laugh.â He says through peals of laughter. âAre you okay?â
âItâs fine, Iâm fine.â You say a smile breaking out on your face, âI just donât want to set off an alarm or anything by leaving the study room Iâm in.â
âYea that makes sense. Iâll send an officer over to make sure that you donât have any issues. Where are you in the library?â
âIâm in the back, on the left side in one of the study rooms.â
âAlright, Iâll let Rogers know. Heâs already in route so it should only be like 10 minutes.â
âOkay, thank you.â He hangs up then and you open your talkaboutit app and start recording.
âSoooo, I got locked in the library today. They just left with me in here so the police are on their way. Iâm good just, donât want to set off any alarms.â You report to your best friend with a small laugh. Then you wait. Butt resting against the edge of the small built in desk, facing the door with the window next to it.
The alarm blares and you jump about three feet in the air. It wasnât you was it? One of the lights clicks on and then the alarm silences. Someone must be here, but thereâs no way itâs been ten minutes already. When you see him your heart stops. No way a man that gorgeous is a cop.
âHi, you my little hostage?â He asks with a grin when he opens the door, heâs not in a uniform.
âI might be. Who are you?â
âCaptain Steve Rogers. Why donât I get you out of here?â He offers, pulling a badge from his belt, you nod. âDid you, hide or something?â
âNope. Just finished a quiz and went to put some books away but when I turned around it was pitch black.â
âWell, Iâm glad youâre okay. Let me turn the security system back on and we can head out.â He says and you nod as you slip the books onto the counter where the librarian told you to leave them earlier. He punches in the code and a light starts flashing, âalright letâs go.â You follow him to the front and he pops open the door then gestures for you to go ahead of him. You step out the door and nearly get hit by something flying by. Captain Rogers yanks you to him and shields you with his body. Teenage laughter is followed by car tires squealing away. Captain Rogers pulls his phone from his pocket with a scowl on his face.
âBuck. They did it again. Red pickup southbound on Main.â He hangs up as you mutter,
âAgain?
âYea. Thereâs this group of teenagers who have been stalking officers and pelting them with snowballs. Are you okay?â
âYea,â you look up at him and have to stifle a laugh, âare you?â
âFine.â
âThey got you good huh?â
âApparently.â He grumbles but you can tell heâs less annoyed than he was a minute ago.
âHow about I buy you a drink for your troubles? Let some of that snow melt?â You suggest as you meander toward your car. He pauses for a beat and when you glance back at him over your shoulder heâs got a little smile on his face.
The vibes of the playoffs are something else. Itâs been intense and you know that everything is on the line. Every game counts, every goal counts and in order to move to the second round of the cup playoffs they have to win.
You didnât think youâd feel so much pressure. Loki scores his first goal after coming back and you canât help but cheer along with the crowd.
Carl glares at you. He hasnât tried to talk to you since the state hockey tourney but even meeting eyes with him was enough to make you want to scream. What did you ever see in him?
Asgard is on a power play when Thor has the puck and is racing toward the goal. Skurge comes out of nowhere and slams into him, the sound of Thorâs body hitting the boards almost makes you sick. He hits the ice and doesnât move. You grab your bag before they even blow the whistle, which doesnât take long since it was an illegal hit from behind and you slide out onto the ice. Loki skates over and grabs your hands so he can skate you over to Thor sliding your feet across the ice.
âThor?â
âIâm okay. Iâm okay. It only hurts when I breathe.â He says with a humorless laugh.
âIâm worried about your ribs.â You tell him and he groans softly, âCan you get up?â
âI think so.â Loki reaches down for Thor, you know youâd never be able to get him on your own, then helps hoist his older brother to his feet. âFuck.â He groans and it breaks your heart. You follow Thor, Loki and Hogunn off the ice and then gesture Thor back to the locker room. He goes with a sigh but then winces from the pain, this isnât good. Carl couldâve done some serious damage and youâre pissed.
After you get back to the trainerâs space in the locker room you start pulling off Thorâs jersey.
âKattunge,â he rumbles, âIâm going to be okay. Iâve taken hits worse than that.â
âIt was a cheap fucking shot. Iâm going to kill him.â
âHey, down Kattunge, claws away.â Thor soothes pressing a kiss to your forehead. You donât know how he isnât livid about this.
âWhy arenât you pissed?â
âOne of us needs to be calm.â He says gently and heâs right but youâre just so angry.
âYouâre right. Iâm sorry.â
âNo need to be sorry, I like you fiery.â He purrs but when he leans down to kiss you you see him wince and you suddenly remember that heâs probably in a lot of pain.
âShit, your ribs. Jersey off Odinson.â You tell him and he winces as he grabs the bottom.
âI might need help min kärlek.â
âI thought you might.â You help him ease the jersey off of him then peel off his pads and undershirt. God heâs so hot it makes you a little stupid, especially that tattoo that says Astrid over his heart. You make your exam as quick and painless as you can. Youâre not positive but you donât feel like any of his ribs are broken. Just a deep bruise so you fill him an ice bath then with a quick kiss you leave him there and head back to the bench.
The rest of the game goes well, Asgard squeaks out a win and none of the guys get injured. Youâre waiting in the hallway, one foot propped against the wall when he comes out of the locker room.
âDidnât see the golden boy after that little hit. Poor baby.â Carl says and one of his teammates snickers. You narrow your eyes at him.
âIt was a cheap fucking shot Carl.â You snap, you know you shouldnât rise to the bait but you canât help it. You hate him.
âJust cuz Thor is a little bitch and canât take a check isnât my fault princess.â
âYouâre a fucking asshole.â You sneer popping off the wall. âYou had to cheap shot him because you knew that in a real fight, in a fair fight, youâll lose every. Fucking. Time.â Youâre almost toe to toe with him right now, youâre not even sure how you got here.
âHeâs just got my sloppy seconds.â
âThereâs nothing sloppy about me.â
âDoes he like my used things?â Carl sneers and you laugh.
âCanât call it used if you literally never made me finish. Had to do that myself. Now, with Thor,â you trail off with a little smirk, âthat doesnât seem to be a problem.â Carlâs teammate laughs again and this time Carl shoves him. âIf you touch him like that again, I will take that hockey stick and shove it so far up your ass you never see it again.â A deep laugh comes from behind you and when you whip around youâre surprised to see Heimdall.
âGetting into trouble again I see Moxie.â He teases and you shrug.
âI donât play around with the health and safety of my team.â
âAnd we donât play around with your safety so why donât you,â he turns his piercing gaze onto Carl, âfuck off.â
âWhat you fucking the whole team?â You take a step toward him, youâre not sure what youâre planning to do but heâs just so vile. A strong arm loops around your waist and pulls you back.
âHeâs not worth it Moxie.â Heimdall says softly.
âWhat a wh-â
âI would not finish that sentence if you know whatâs good for you.â Loki says with a voice so cold itâs like ice. âNot unless you want me to beat your ass, which Iâll gladly do.â He says with a slow dangerous smile. Carlâs teammate hits the back of his arm and jerks his head toward the exit. He leaves, smart man, as two other players come from the Asgard locker room.
âSo, what are the chances we can keep this from Thor?â
âNone.â Heimdall says, âwe donât keep secrets from the captain.â
âDamn it.â You murmur and Thor chuckles softly,
âGood answer Heimdall.â He rumbles before cocking an eyebrow at you. âSecrets min kärlek?â
âJust a little one.â
âShe went toe to toe with Carl.â Heimdall says, âthreatened to shove his hockey stick so far up his ass that heâd never see it again.â
âThatâs a vision.â Loki says with a small shudder.
âIâm fine Kattunge.â He says but you just narrow your eyes at him. âOkay, fine I will be fine, Iâm a little sore now.â He steps closer to you then murmurs, âCan I take you home so you can take care of me?â You nod looking up at him with wide eyes you like that tone of voice he just used, it sounds promising. You sigh softly then pick up your bag,
âOkay fine. Someone with some medical training should keep an eye on you tonight.â
âBut thatâs the only reason sheâs going over.â Loki teases as the three of you start for the door.
âYelena is home all alone tonight, poor thing.â You say mildly and Loki stays quiet for the rest of your walk back to your cars. You drove separately from Thor who walks you to your car.
âYouâll come over?â He asks quietly, tangling his fingers into your hair and you nod.
âYea, Iâll come over.â You tell him and he kisses you softly.
âSee you in a few.â He says with the little half smile you adore. You get into your car and he gently closes the door behind you. Youâll follow him home, keep an eye on those ribs and just relax for the night. Honestly, it sounds so wonderful.
đđđ
This is a series of one shots. If you have any suggestions or ideas for Thor and Moxie please let me know.
Steve is standing to the left of you and youâre not sure how he got there, or when he got there. His taser is pointed at Brock and he looks furious.
âYouâre gonna let T move away from the door then youâre gonna lay flat on your stomach with your hands behind your back.â Steve orders and for a second youâre afraid that Brock might do another stupid thing and not listen. He seems to be weighing his options when Steve says, âDo it now or youâre getting tased.â Brock glares for a moment longer before stepping away from you and lying down on the floor.
âTor, get over here.â Steve orders gently, you scurry around Brock to behind Steve where Bucky has moved. Steve moves in then planting a knee in the middle of Brockâs back Steve handcuffs Brock quickly.
âHow did you find her? How long have you been stalking Tor?â
âI havenât been stalking her. She let me follow her on the stupid app.â Brock grumbles and your jaw drops open. Samâs app.
âBuck stay in here with T okay?â
âYea.â Bucky agrees as Steve yanks open the front door and leads Brock out in front of him. Fury comes charging back into the house once Steve and Brock are out of the way. He comes directly to you and you sink to the floor wrapping your arms around his neck.
âYou good boy. You good, good boy.â You praise Fury who wags his tail. âThank you for coming Bucky.â You say not moving from where youâve got your arms around Fury.
âSmart move letting Fury out the front.â
âI hoped youâd bring him home again. Iâm sorry I got you mixed up in this.â
âDonât be sorry. I called Steve to come get him and he figured something must be wrong.â Bucky tells you as the door opens again and Steve comes back into the house.
âSweetheart. You okay?â He asks making a beeline for you. Instead of you standing Steve drops down and pulls you to him.
âIâm okay. Sorry I put Fury at risk, I didnât want Brock to get bit and have to put him down or something.â You tell Steve wrapping one of your arms around his body so you can keep hold of Fury too. Steve buries his face into the space between your shoulder and neck. You close your eyes and slowly relax against him.
âHow did you get in the house?â You murmur,
âClimbed in through the window.â You pull away from him in surprise,
âWhat?â
âThe side window. If you jiggle it just right you can pop it open. I keep meaning to fix it but havenât found the time yet.â
âThank god.â
âI was getting to you one way or another. Thankfully Bucky was game to play distraction while I called for backup.â
âWhat if he had a gun?â
âBuckâs armed.â You look to where Steveâs best friend had been standing last time you saw him but heâs gone. âHeâs an expert marksman.â
âHoly shit.â You murmur and he laughs softly,
âYea, when we were in the service together, he saved my ass more than once. Youâre sure youâre okay?â
âYea. Heâs delusional. Thought we were still together.â
âIâm pressing charging for breaking and entering. Do you want to press charges for stalking?â
âI donât know. I just want him to go away.â
âSweetheart, that would be the best way to keep him away.â
âIt just seems so harsh.â You admit with a soft sigh, as you move away from Steve. You donât want to ruin Brockâs life or anything.
âTor, itâll just make it easier for any other victims he gets in the future.â Steve tells you standing up and holding a hand out to you.
âYou think he might do this again?â You ask as he pulls you to your feet.
âI think itâs a possibility. I donât mean to scare you but this could have been really bad.â Heâs right. You know he is but you kind of canât help but feel bad for Brock. You really hadnât been that heartbroken over your break up, more annoyed and frustrated.
âI think, I think Iâd like to press charges.â Steve nods,
âI have to go in and write this up.â
âTonight?â
âYea. I also have to get his truck towed.â
âWas that him? The black truck?â You ask and Steve nods, âIâm so sorry Steve. If it wasnât for me.â
âHe made his choices. You didnât do anything wrong.â
You end up going with Steve to the station. Since youâre pressing charges it makes sense for you to go but youâre glad that Clint had come to get Brock so you didnât have to ride with him in the back of Steveâs cruiser. You also convince him to bring Fury with, heâs the best boy and deserves the reward of hanging out with you both for the night. You know that Brock sees you when you come in, but you ignore him and go into Steveâs office to give your statement. Clint joins you and when you look confused Steve explains,
âThereâs a conflict of interest because weâre dating so Clint is going to take your statement. I can leave or stay but Iâm here as your boyfriend not as sheriff.â You give your statement holding tightly to Steveâs hand.
After you give your statement you, Steve and Fury head back home. Youâre quiet on the ride home, kind of stuck in your own head about all the Brock shit but when Steve kisses you softly you forget all about Brock.
âAre you okay?â He asks brushing a thumb along your jaw. You nod,
âCan, can I sleep in your room tonight? I donât think Iâm ready to be alone.â
âYea. I also want to jam the window I came through. Just in case.â
âOkay.â
âWhy donât we take this in baby steps?â When you look at him in confusion he clarifies, âwhy donât you head upstairs while I let Fury out then deal with this window. Be alone, in a safe space, in a safe way, for a little bit.â
âI think I can do that.â You admit softly, âthank you.â
âSweetheart, you have nothing to thank me for. It was my fault that he came in, if I had stayed.â
âDonât.â You tell him cutting him off, âif you wonât let me take the blame then you canât take the blame either.â
âOkay.â You go to start upstairs but Steve holds onto your hand. âI love you.â He says, his ears turning red.
âI love you too.â You tell him, before wrapping your arms around his torso. Steve laughs softly as he wraps his arms around you and presses a kiss to the top of your head.
When you become the Goddess Persephone will you get to have the happy ending with Hades that you want or will your Mother, Demeter, ruin your chances at happiness?