Love That Will Last
Requested? Yes | No
Will you please write a Bucky x Ivar x Reader fic that takes place during Victorian times? Lots of romance please
Pairing: Victorian times!Winterboneless x reader
Summary: You are the duchess to be of Duke James Barnes and the lover of Lord Ivar Ragnarsson in secret. On the night of a ball, you and Ivar have an argument and you wonder if this love is meant to last.
Song inspo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8GxG7IuI0Y
Warning(s): Angst, reader and Ivar get into an argument, loving James, ends in fluff
Word count: 2.8k (oops)
A/N: This is my first request in a long time! Hope you like it!
Tags: @unbetaedimagines
The ballroom was blazing with light. Chandeliers cast mini rainbows as the crystals gleamed. A fountain could be heard faintly bubbling outside against the chatter and music of the room and the footsteps of eager ladies and less eager gentleman. Cream and gold decorated the walls with expensive frames of art and sculptures pushed to the corners of the room but placed in a way that looked deliberate. Opulence was the name and it showed.
You were standing by one of the open balcony doors to get the faintest trace of a spring evening breeze. The dress you wore was too tight and the heat of the room made everything too claustrophobic. Maybe it was the champagne too…
A glass of water appeared in your vision and you cast your eyes to your fiancé before downing the liquid quickly. You sighed in relief.
“Thank you. This room is absolutely stifling.”
“Here I thought it was just my presence.”
You snort and hand him the empty glass.
“I could never be bored in your presence, James, no matter what you think,” you tell him before taking him in.
James Barnes, your town’s most eligible bachelor, and a holder of a very large estate, was the most eligible bachelor, is dressed in a smart suit with black tails behind him and a bowtie to match. His blue eyes are slightly shadowed in the light and they make him look even more alluring with the slight smirk on his face.
“I am a lucky man.”
“You better not forget it, or I might just leave you,” you tease.
He fakes a gasp as he holds the glass close to his chest.
“My love you wound me.” He casts his eyes around the room. “Which one of these insufferable fools would you leave me for?”
You also cast your eyes around the room for a few moments and you spot the lord of the house, Ivar, sulking away in a corner with a half empty glass of whiskey. You grin a bit as you turn back to James.
“Well, there’s a lot of qualities and responsibilities that I’d need to replace you,” you start and rock on the balls of your feet, as much as the shoes allow. “First, he’d have to be able to support me and whatever endeavors I hope to achieve. Secondly, he has to be attractive and fun. He can’t sulk away the day. Finally, he has to have an open mind. I have ambitions and dreams and maybe I want to cause some trouble too. He has to help.”
James nods as he twirls the stem of the glass between his fingers.
“Hmm, well, I do believe you’re out of luck here sweetheart. None of these men here have all three qualities that you desire. I guess you’re stuck with me.”
He grins at you and you flush at his gaze as you know what that look means.
“Behave, James. We’re in public,” you whisper as he draws you close to his side.
“Maybe I just want to have a little bit of fun.”
The band concludes with the song and you applaud politely with everyone else as they take a break. You kiss James’s cheek, as the sound of scraping chairs and hurried footsteps around you gives you an opportunity to lean away from his promising touch.
“Will you get me more water? I’m parched.”
James nods and then goes off into the crowd. You take a moment to look for Lord Ivar again, but he is gone from his spot in the corner. You frown for a moment and then hear the signs of squeaky wheels halt at your side.
“Miss (Y/L/N),” he says, and you turn to see him beside you. You start into a curtsey. “You don’t need to do that, you know.”
You smile coyly as you dip back down anyways, just to torture him with the neckline of your dress.
“It is your family home, my lord. It would be impolite to not pay my respects,” you say and complete the curtsey before standing back up.
“And because it is my home, I can command you to do certain…acts,” he teases back.
You fight the flush that tries to crawl its way under your skin.
“Of course, my lord,” you drawl. “But I always make you pay for it later.”
You wink at him and then casts your eyes around the room to make it seem like you and the lord are having a simple conversation, perhaps about the artwork lining the walls. No one needs to know that you’ve been here may times before and you’ve memorized the lines of wallpaper meeting together and the places of frames, even when they are taken down for cleaning.
“Has there been any news about my father’s statues? I thought that you would have told me something by now…” you enquire.
Your father conserved ancient marble statutes and once he had died, since he had no male heir, they were sold at the house auction, breaking your heart. Before you had met James, you spent quite some time looking for them, but you hadn’t been able to find them. Upon James introducing you to Ivar, and learning about his connects, he put out enquiries into them. He had found them two months ago but no new information had been provided since then, leaving you antsy.
The squeak of leather alerts you to the fact that he’s shifting in his seat, either from discomfort from the topic or from the pain in his legs. If this was any other situation, you would help him, but you cannot. No one can know.
“You know I cannot talk about that. Only James is privy-”
“To that information, I know. You always say that,” you finish and sigh before looking at him again. “You know my background. My father didn’t educate me in conservation for years just for you and James to disregard my experience, even in our….relationship. It isn’t fair.”
“Can you believe that we are trying to protect you?”
“No. If you wanted to protect me, you never would have asked me to risk my reputation every time you ask me to come see you. James and I will be married, Ivar, and I don’t know where that leaves you.”
You look away again at the many pairs of feet that are lingering by the drink table or swaying to an unheard song on the floor.
“I understand that you are angry at me for not indulging you, but there are certain things a lady of your disposition-”
You can’t help but laugh at that and then you stare at him again, making him stop.
“Don’t pull that with me. I’m not your mother. You cannot command me to do anything.”
“Watch your tone, woman, or I’ll-”
“What? Hmm?” You stare him down. “What will you do to me? Punish me? Arguing with you is punishing enough and I will not do it anymore, even if you want my forgiveness.”
He snorts.
“Forgiveness? Why would I want that? Have I slighted you, my darling?” He asks with a slight rage burning behind his eyes, begging you to keep going, but arguing with Ivar always ends in someone’s feelings getting hurt and you are not in the mood.
Enraged, you look away from him, just as James returns.
“I’m gone for two minutes and you two are already at it,” he comments and hands you the refilled glass of water.
You down it quickly again, feeling the water cool your anger, but not entirely.
“I want to leave. I’m tired and annoyed,” you address James, ignoring Ivar completely. Two can play at that game.
“You will come back tomorrow and we can-” Ivar starts, and you whip your head around so fast it makes you a bit dizzy.
“I am not cattle to be herded. You will do your best to remember that my lord. I am going to be a duchess and you will show me the respect I have earned.”
He opens his mouth to counter back, but he is stopped by James.
“That’s enough, both of you. If I knew that you two were going to be at each other again, I never would have suggested that we come. My love, let us go and, maybe, we will return tomorrow with cool heads. Agreed?”
“Ever the logical one,” Ivar sneers.
“Ivar,” James says sternly, and shuts his mouth again.
James turns to you.
“Agreed?”
You nod curtly and hand him the empty glass again. You know that Ivar will not say that he agrees but he might if he decides to behave.
“Alright. Let us go before the storm kicks in.”
James leads you away from the crowd of bustling dancers as the music starts up again and you don’t bother to turn around to see if Ivar is watching you go. You doubt he even cares.
On the carriage ride back, you’re abnormally silent as you look out the window. Your annoyance has calmed but it still lingers, even in the cool night breeze.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” you tell James as you know he wants you to, at least, say something.
“I’m sure he’ll be sorry in the morning.”
You snort again.
“When Hell decides to freeze over, then maybe then there will be a chance of him apologizing, and actually meaning it.”
“(Y/N)…” James sighs and from the corner of your eye, you see that he has turned to look out the window on his side. “I don’t understand why you two fight so much. There’s nothing be gained from it.”
You swallow and blink back the tears.
“I know.”
You argue because most of the time you don’t believe that Ivar truly loves you as he says he does and when you argue, at least you can see some emotion laced in his words and in his eyes.
“Will you sleep on it? I can come get you in the morning and we can have breakfast at that café you like and discuss it then,” he suggests gently.
You nod.
“Alright,” he concludes.
Fifteen minutes later, the carriage rolls to a stop in front of your home but before you can get out, he stops you. James kisses your hands.
“My love, please think on it. You and I both know he loves you, and don’t look at me like that. You know it’s true.” He kisses your forehead and opens the door to help you back down onto the gravel road. “I love you and no matter what happens, that will never change.”
You nod again and give his hand a squeeze before parting.
“I love you, James Barnes. Always have, always will,” you proclaim softly.
You’re rewarded by one of his dazzling smiles and as you lay in bed that night, you wonder about the future and how uncertain it all seems.
********
At that same moment, Ivar sits at his desk in his study tapping his pen against a piece of paper that has many scribbled and struck out lines on it. He cannot seem to find the right words to apologize or tell you how he feels, even when he knows you’re only trying to help.
He balls up the piece of paper and throws it into the fire before he sighs. He looks at the picture of you on his desk and gently strokes the image of your cheeks.
“What am I to do with you, my love?” He asks himself softly.
He looks at the clock on his desk just before he hears the small bells chime for midnight. Maybe he’ll have a better idea in the morning. He swallows at that and downs the rest of his whiskey before he stares back at the picture.
Right then, he knows what he has to do, and he can only pray that his hands can keep up with the words flowing from his mind.
********
You debated going with James in the late morning, but the argument could not be left unresolved or else bitter feelings would grow between you and Ivar. You are both very stubborn but driven people and you two were bound to clash every once in a while. James always has to play Switzerland, the neutral ground, to make sure that you two didn’t reach the point of no return. That only happened once, and you and Ivar didn’t speak for two weeks. You can’t even remember what that argument was about. That’s how silly it seems.
You sigh a bit as you look out the window as his manor comes into view.
“Remember-” James starts as he’s adjusting his cuffs.
“I know. Be nice, smile. Be a duchess to be.”
James sighs a bit, but you don’t have the energy to respond to that. What you do have is curiosity as you see the servants bringing in a wooden box, and by the sounds of their grunting, a very heavy wooden box. You frown as the carriage rolls to a stop in front of the manor.
The footman helps you down as James rounds the carriage to come to your side.
“What is this? Did Ivar mention anything to you?”
James shakes his head and once the box is securely inside, you enter the manor. The manservant is inspecting the states of the boxes and is making notes in his book as he spots you. He bows to you both.
“Your grace, my lady. Lord Ivar is in his study,” he says and you both nod as you make your way to his study.
“This is very odd,” you whisper to James as he just smiles a bit. You frown again. “What is it?”
“Oh, nothing,” he chuckles. “He’s smarter than I thought is all.”
Now you’re even more confused, but Ivar’s study door is open and the conversation halts. Ivar looks up from the paper he’s studying and looks back down before gesturing for you two to come in.
As you enter, you see papers littering the floor around him and you can only imagine the state under his desk. He isn’t looking up, but you take in as much as you can.
“Have you slept?” You ask gently, your argument almost forgotten.
“No,” he speaks, and you want to protest but stop as he speaks again. “But you will see why. Come with me.”
He sets the pen down and wheels out from his desk and in front of you and James. He stops at the door and looks back at both of you.
“Well, come on. Hurry up so I can sleep this day away.”
You roll your eyes and takes James’s hand as you follow Ivar back out to the main hall where the boxes have been arranged along the sides of the walls deliberately. You can then read the words that are stamped onto the fronts of the boxes that read fragile in Italian. Your heart leaps in your chest.
“Ivar-”
“Shh, let James open them first before you get too excited.”
Ivar gestures to the crowbar that is resting on top of one of the shorter boxes and James takes off his jacket and hands it to you. You take a step back and your heart flutters with nerves and excitement.
It takes James a moment to creak open the front of the box and the protective stuffing comes pouring out, revealing the smoothed marble of one of the statues, completely unharmed.
“Oh,” you exclaim, and James moves aside so you can investigate.
You almost start to cry as you move away some more of the stuffing to see the face of the statue looking out over your head. You gently stroke the marbled cheek and let out a sound between a choke and a sound of exclamation.
You turn to Ivar.
“How did you get them here so fast? I thought that they had been lost or something.”
He shifts in his seat again, this time from discomfort as pink decorates his cheeks.
“You were right last night. I know they were your father’s greatest possessions, besides you of course, and…..I had lost them for a while there during transport and I didn’t want to tell you in case something had happened.” He meets your eyes. “I didn’t want to disappoint you and…..I’m sorry for being so snippy lately. I’ve been worried about them. I managed to send a letter to the dock master late last night when he was on shift and he said he was going to write me because they had arrived around ten. I had them delivered here as fast as he could manage it.”
You rush over and hug him tightly, despite his chair. You press kisses all over his face.
“Oh, Ivar. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I cannot tell you how much this means to me.”
He smiles, a real one, and he strokes your cheek.
“You’re welcome and I am sorry.”
You look at each other for a few moments before James speaks.
“I guess it won’t be a cold day in Hell after all,” he teases.
You know then that this love will last after all, no matter the situation or the fall. Loving forever and forever all time.
