The List Of Oscar's Cat-like Mannerisms Is Neverending

save a horse, ride a cowboy…

The Safehouse - AU Bucky Barnes x OC

warnings: post-TFATWS Bucky, one bed, hurt.comfort, smut, 18+

word count: 10k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/story/328379898-the-safehouse

Juniper stretched out her neck the best she could in the passenger seat of the undercover police car as she brushed the tangles out of her messy brown hair. Her long legs had started to tingle and her butt was numb from being in the car for twelve hours. She wiggled her toes before pressing them against the rubber sole of her converse and pushing it free of her heel. 

She scowled. Her bottom lip jutted out upon seeing that her one sock, the cute lavender one with the cat on it, sadly had a hole in it and she could see the chipped red nail polish on her last three toes. The lump in her throat, the horrible one that had been lodged there since the day she watched John Walker shoot that man in the back of the head unprovoked, wouldn’t dissolve. 

Her stomach growled forcing her out of her silent bubble of safety, she looked over at him and anxiety flooded her. His scruffy jaw tensed tightly the second she cast her blue eyes on him. His gloved fingers gripped tighter on the steering wheel as her stomach growled louder filling the silence between them. 

“I’m driving you to the safe house in Washington, I’m not your friend.” 

He hadn’t spoken a word to her since he had taken her into possession. She wasn’t sure he would stop to feed her even if she asked nicely. Juniper went to open her mouth but was left silent when he turned to look at her. “Whatever it is. No.” He snapped. “We’re an hour from the first safe house, we aren’t stopping.”

Juniper sighed before she spoke but her stomach grumbled audibly before she could say anything. His piercing blue eyes turned to face her, a look of annoyance marred his rugged features. 

 ''Alright, let's get some food in you before I get accused of letting you die of starvation'' he said his voice low. 

Somehow the tone of his voice got under her skin and a wave of goosebumps formed on her skin. Fucking hell it's cold. He might not let me die of starvation but she might as well freeze to death.

“Thanks,” she muttered bitterly, turning her head to stare out of the window once more.

The highway was lined with pine trees, their branches laden with snow. Through the gaps in their trunks, she caught turquoise flashes of water, a lake she presumed, the grey of the sky reflecting from its still surface. It would be beautiful here, Juniper thought, if she were here for a different reason and with someone, anyone, else.

Juniper pulled her hoodie sleeves over her hands to try to keep any and all body heat enclosed. How the hell is he not cold? Juniper thought to herself. Her escort had turned off the heat about four hours ago and it seemed he wasn’t going to turn it back on anytime soon. 

Juniper decided that maybe talking would take her mind off the tragic scene she had witnessed and her continuously growling stomach, “So, quick question, we’ve been driving for twelve hours, and the last time I saw a sign for food was about five hours ago. Where exactly are we going to find food out in the middle of nowhere?”

She turned her attention back to the road in front of them when he didn’t answer her. There were hardly any cars on the road. 

“You know, if I had known we would be driving for hours I would have packed some food. It’s kind of hard to pack a bag without any warning or details about where I am going or for how long” she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Sure princess," he sneered, his icy blues turned in her direction for a second causing her face to heat up, "next time your life is in danger, we'll be sure to let you know beforehand so you can pack food." 

The car sped up a little before slowing down as he finished, leaving Juniper flustered in anger at him and the situation she found herself in.

Bringing her hand up to the window for the fourth time within twenty minutes, she wiped the foggy window clean in hopes of distracting herself from her hunger. 

“How much farther do we have to go? There’s no possible way that this isn’t a dead end,” Juniper slumped against the seat. 

The man beside her sighed as he shot a sharp glance in her direction. 

“Are you ever not complaining?” He asked. His voice was rough, probably from the lack of talking, and Juniper twisted in her seat to face him a little better.

“I’ll have you know I’m a ray of fucking sunshine when I’m not starving… or in a car with Sergeant Mood-killer who won’t even let me put music on… for twelve whole hours.”

He clenched his jaw at her remark. She watched him carefully as his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat while he clutched the steering wheel harder, his leather gloves squeaking against it. 

"My job is to keep you safe, not to satisfy your whims. Which means I need to keep my senses sharp and I can't do that listening to whatever mmbop crap you wanna listen to."

“Maybe that’s what you and you’re friends listen to in your free time since you already seem so much fun to be around, but it’s not what I would prefer when I think of music, Mr. “I wear gloves to drive a car”. What are you? 87?”

“Can you shut up?” He responded annoyed. His jaw was clenching so hard she was afraid he would crack it…but on the other hand…

“No, I won’t shut up. I’m bored, hungry, tired, and cold! Sorry that I’m not a robot like you. I am a human and I need those things like food and sleep once in a while!” 

He didn’t respond. All he did was slow down the car, making Juniper hope they had arrived at the safe house. But to her surprise, he stopped the car on the side of the road. 

“What are you doing?” She asked confused.

He didn’t answer and got out with a blast of freezing cold air, slamming the door shut behind him as Juniper sat in shock. She watched as he flexed his left hand a few times, clenching it into a fist before opening the door and getting back in. 

“D-done with your temper t-tantrum?” Juniper sniped, although it was slightly ruined by her chattering teeth.

He narrowed his icy gaze on her face, “you should try insulting me once your lips stop trembling, tough guy.”

She pouted at him and the muscle in his jaw tensed as he leaned into her space, “my only job is to keep you alive until you can put a man behind bars. It is hard to do that when I want to kill you myself. Shut up and let me drive.” 

Juniper could feel the heat rolling off his body. Sandalwood and cinnamon filled her senses and she fought to keep her cold lips still as he scolded her. He leaned back into his seat, satisfied with the fear he had instilled. Proud of himself. A horrible clinking sound, followed by a long painful muffle screeched sounded as he forced the keys into the ignition. 

"Fuck. Of course, this happens," he growled hitting his gloved hand on the steering wheel letting out a string of curses under his breath. Somehow how seeing him mad made him look infuriatingly attractive. 

"If you move, I'll tie you to your seat," he grumbled before getting out of the car. 

"We are in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, why would I leave?" Juniper retorted ironically.

She heard the snow crumple under his heavy footsteps as he rounded the front of the car and popped the hood.  She couldn’t see him from where she sat shivering in the car but she sure as hell heard him when he swore loudly and slammed the hood back down.  The car rocked when his boot connected with the tire and she let out an involuntary yelp when he drove his right fist into the hood once, twice, and a third time, leaving craters in the smooth black metal.

For the second time, Juniper is hit with a blast of ice-cold air as the agent gets back in the driver's seat. 

“FUCK”, he yells as he pounds the steering wheel, bending it with the force of the hit. 

Juniper gasped, “LANGUAGE! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!” 

At a time like this, humor was the only thing that kept Juniper from having an absolute breakdown. Apparently, that wasn’t the case for her escort. 

His blue eyes pierced into her as he whipped his head to stare at her. “Get out.” He said sternly. 

“Wha-what?” Juniper stuttered as her eyes widened.

"Did you not hear me the first time?"

"You need to calm down, dude."

"I am calm," he snarled through gritted teeth. "You know what would make me a lot calmer, is if you did as you're told, dude."

Juniper shivered beneath the weight of his gaze but got out of the car. She didn't want to mess with him, or piss him off after he just dented the hood. She shut the door and crossed her arms over her chest to conserve her body heat. She could feel his eyes on her.

"You cold?" He asked, his voice clipped.

She didn't answer, still shaken by this violent outburst. Her escort sighed and shrugged off his jacket, holding it out for her. She sneered at it and he huffed.

"Take it." His voice softened, along with the permanent scowl he seemed to wear. Slowly, Juniper grabbed the coat, but apparently, even that was too slow for him and he wrapped it around her shoulders, zipping it up. She smelled leather and the cinnamon from his cologne. He sighed softly and looked around. "We have to walk. Car's busted."

"You sure?" She asked with a raised brow. "You wanna hit it again? Maybe roundhouse kick it a few times? I heard mechanics do that a lot."

He rolled his eye at her comment and walked around to the back of the car and opened up the boot and grabbed his bag along with hers. He closed the boot and started to walk along the road.  She began to follow him and reached out her hand.

“I can carry my bag, I don’t need you to carry it for me,” she said as she caught up with him. He handed her bag over in silence as he continued to walk. “So are we just going to leave the car here or…”

“I’ll call someone when we get to where we are going… hopefully they will be able to fix it,” he replied with a sigh.

“And where are we going exactly and how long will it take? Because I rather not be walking out on the road when it gets dark and even colder,” she said trying to keep up with his pace damn this dude could walk fast.

“You’ll see,” is all he had to offer. Juniper sighed as she rolled her eyes- this guy was going to make this ten times harder than it should be. 

In hopes of entertaining herself, she looked up at all the wildlife around them; the beautiful pine trees with their branches covered in snow, the few birds that actually liked the cold decorating the trees with their nests. 

It was beautiful as the late-day sun made the snow glisten with a sparkle similar to that of a diamond. 

Where ever they were going, it was quiet and peaceful- something she could get used to. 

“So…what’s your favorite food?” She asked, her chipper voice breaking the silence.

“Pizza,” he muttered, voice lost to the wind as he marched ahead. Juniper skipped to keep up, huffing and puffing as the cold air hit the back of her throat. 

“Booooring,” she breathed out, smirking when he growled in frustration. “What kind of pizza?” 

“Listen, sweetheart. I don’t know how many times I need to tell you this, but we’re not gonna do the whole ‘getting to know you’ shit. Stop talking, keep up, and stay alert. You talk again, I’m throwing you over my shoulder.” 

Juniper stared up at him, eyes drawn to where his jaw ticked before they tracked up to his mouth and the way he clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“Yes, sir.”

They continued their trek along the side of the road for what felt like ages for Juniper as she tried to keep up with her escort's long strides. She felt like her legs were going to give out, both from exhaustion and the cold seeping through her clothes. No matter how many times she'd rebundled herself into his coat she just couldn't shake it, all the while this man walked around completely unfazed at the dropping temperature. At one point she felt his cutting gaze on her as she adjusted the coat and her bag once again, she assumed the scratching and rubbing of the fabrics was also annoying to him. She cast her eyes downward and continued walking. This was the worst thing that could have happened to her, they could have at least assigned her someone with compassion.

She began to feel a little dizzy and just as she was about to ask him how much longer it would be, he stopped. He turned to her, giving her a once-over at the sight of her slumped shoulders. For just a split second she thought she saw a glimpse of worry in his eyes. 

"It's through here. Just a few more steps, okay?" He voiced as he nodded towards a barely there path between a string of cedars.

The sudden bout of dizziness grew stronger and she thought if she opened her mouth, everything would leave her stomach right away, so she answered with a quick nod, looking down at the white snow beneath her feet. 

“You okay?” He furrowed his brows.

She didn’t respond, so he took a step closer to her. 

“Talk to me.” His tone was commanding, but it felt like he was concerned about her.

Juniper swallowed before she answered. “What is your name?” She was still looking at her feet, covering her stomach with her arms. 

“You answer my question first-“

“What. Is. Your. Name?” 

He sighed before he answered, a little confused by her sudden change in behavior. “James.” his voice was soft. 

She nodded, “Okay…James?” She made a quick pause before she continued. “I’m not feeling good.” 

He let out a deep breath before he stepped closer. She yelped in surprise when she felt his strong arms lifting her up into his arms, carrying her the rest of the way.

“What? I didn’t mean- you don’t have to carry me, I just needed to rest,” Juniper said quietly, unable to stop herself from snuggling into his warm embrace.

“Better to get there faster,” James said gruffly, staring straight ahead, jaw ticking again. He didn’t seem to be under any strain at all, just annoyance. 

“Thank you anyways,” Juniper whispered, and she felt his arms tighten around her briefly before James cleared his throat roughly. 

“It’s nothin’,” he rumbled just as a cabin came into view.

She followed him as he slowed down his steps through the snow-covered path. The trees interlock each other as if walking through a tunnel. He stopped them just outside the porch. It may not have been much for the world but for Juniper, it felt like walking into a new untouched world. It looked picturesque with the cabin that was nestled back in the woods. The snow lay like a thick blanket on the roof, the snow barely hanging on the edges with a brick chimney. She could already see herself sitting in front of the fireplace with her hands reaching out to finally replace the cold with warmth again.

“Is this it?” She asked as she looked up at him. 

He narrowed his eyes in front, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “No, the Hilton is just behind it. Do you think you can make it?”

Juniper huffed and rolled her eyes. She became acutely aware of her arms wrapped around his neck and felt a blush creep across her face. “Put me down.”

James said nothing, just suddenly dropping his arm from underneath her body. She felt her Converse land against the snow, sinking slightly into the pillowy white. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the sudden loss of James’ body heat had her trembling. She exhaled deeply and watched the cloud of her breath fill the air as she stared up at the porch. 

The safe house. Her new digs for the next… however long. With this giant, muscular jerk. Great.

“Let’s go,” he said gruffly. He put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her up the wooden steps. The planks creaked under their weight as if they haven’t been used in years. James reached up towards the porch light and Juniper winced as she heard the crunch of spider webs. He procured a single key and shoved it in the deadbolt, pushing the front door open. He stood behind her as her shoulders trembled, and pursed his lips.

“Alright, princess. Get in.”

“You know I have a name right?” Juniper muttered as she stepped inside the cabin with a small push from James. 

The wind blew against the side of the house and she could feel the draft through the walls. The furniture had a thin layer of dust clouded around them and it reeked of must. 

She shuddered again feeling the cold seep further into her bones. Juniper set down her bag, coughing slightly at the dust cloud that formed around her. 

James pulled the old door closed and rounded the old green couch that took up most of the living space, tossing his bag onto the cushion. She stood, watching him as he inspected the fireplace and then the wood pile next to it. 

“It’s not much wood,” he sighed, tossing a few logs into the fireplace, “do me a favor darlin’, check the closets for blankets, paper, anything we can use to keep warm.” 

She stood, almost frozen in place her legs ached and her stomach still growling. James glanced up at her after not hearing her move, his eyes a bright ocean blue against the harsh darkness around them, “Juniper? Can you do that?” He asked but it sounded more like a command.

She curled up her toes in her wet shoes and bit her lip, staring around the cabin. She had stepped out of a winter wonderland and back into the horror movie that her life had become. 

“Alright,” he stood wiping his hands on his pants. “I know that you’re tired, hungry, and scared but if I don’t get you warm now, you’re going to wish being hungry was your only problem.”

“I get that being an asshole is your whole personality but some of us can’t compartmentalize our needs,” Juniper whined but James didn’t falter in his order of her. “Fine, blankets, paper.” 

“Good girl,” he smirked and suddenly she wasn’t so cold anymore as a wildfire spread through her belly. She turned her back on him, wandering around the cabin using the tiny bit of sunlight that peered through the dust-caked windows until she found a closet. The doorknob and hinges were covered in a thick coating of dust and webs. "Spiders," she shuddered, kicking her foot against the ground like a child, "I fucking hate spiders."

She pulled the sleeve over her fingers and twisted the doorknob just hoping that the spider had long fled the rotted wood.

She found a stack of old newspapers which she tried to pick up as a spider fled the stack over her feet. Juniper let out a high-pitched screech that sounded through the whole cabin.

Seconds later, James barged into the room.

"What's going on ?" a slight concern laced his deep voice.

Juniper's face marred with disgust. 

"Fucking spider." She murmured under her breath.

“You’re kiddin’ me, right?” He said with disdain, frowning anew.

“Look,” she shuddered, “everyone has limits and this is mine.  Are you gonna protect me, or are you gonna keep frowning at me?”

“Can you at least grab the blankets?” He asked.

“I fuckin’ told Sam I wasn’t the right guy for this. Shoulda asked fuckin’ Torres,” James grumbled under his breath as he picked up the stack of paper.

James walked back to the fireplace again, leaning down, and began to stuff kindling and starter paper around the larger logs. 

Juniper looked around her and saw the doorway to a small, kitchen. “Finally”, she breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped towards a row of cabinets next to a refrigerator she was sure was as old as her grandma. With caution, she opened the first cabinet to be greeted with no spiders and canned food goods. 

Her stomach growled again as she grabbed a can of fruit cocktail and spam, not her favorite food, but they would have to do. She began rummaging through the drawers looking for a can opener and a spoon.

“What are you doing?” James appeared in the doorway, a look of annoyance still on his face, “Do you always make so much noise?”

She sneered at him, her hunger bleeding into pure agitation. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, do regular sounds that humans make bother you, Your Highness? I'm looking for a can opener."

James rolled his eyes and walked toward her, pulling a knife out of nowhere. She gasped and put her hands up as he flipped it in his hand and then grabbed the can. He bit down on his bottom lip as he used the tip of the knife to dig beneath the metal lid. It popped off in an instant and he slammed it back down on the counter.

"Don't say I never did nothin' for ya, princess."

"What about a spoon... or a fork?!" She squeaked. 

"You've got perfectly good forks on the ends of your arms," he called as he strode back toward the fire to start working on it.

Juniper crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at him.

"Are you going to be an ass this entire time?"

He looked over his shoulder, his eyes glittering. Her knees knocked together and she had to lean against the counter to keep herself from falling over. She could feel the flush in her cheeks and her throat clenched as James flashed her a cocky grin. 

"It's my specialty, sugar."

Juniper stuck her tongue out at him once he had turned his back to her. She decided she was too hungry to look for a fork and opted to use her fingers to eat the canned fruit.  Leaving the kitchen she decided to explore the rest of the cabin. When she came across the bedroom she found that there was only one bed. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. 

“What?” James called from the living room. 

“I’ve read too many books to know what this means. And a lot of fics on AO3. Nope, not happening” she said, shaking her head back and forth. 

“Huh?” James asked.

“There’s only one bed…” Juniper said. 

“And?” James asked coming into the room.

"And?! It's not happening, mister!" Juniper snickered at him, only to be met with his vacant stare. 

"What?" He huffed out after a beat, confusion mixing with irritation on his face. 

She marched to the bed, canned fruit in hand as she planted herself in the middle of the bed, cross legged and staring at him while picking a pineapple slice and talking around the bite in her mouth;

"I'm taking the bed, and there will be no sharing it or warming up together. No sir. None." 

She swallowed the piece of fruit as he marched out of the room, mumbling to himself.

“Hey!” She launched a piece of pineapple at him, hitting him square on the back of the head and he froze as it made impact, “I need confirmation that you’re not gonna try anything.” 

“I’m not gonna try anythin’, sugar, don’t you worry.” 

Juniper huffed, “well now I’m just gonna think you don’t find me attractive.” 

“Jesus Christ,” James stalked back into the bedroom, stopping in front of her. Her eye line fell level with his chest, the hard muscles pulling his shirt tight as inhaled deeply and let out a heavy breath. “It would be unprofessional of me to comment on your looks, Juniper.” 

“But you kinda want to, don’t ya?” She grinned.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated huff. 

"I don't want anything and I'm not entertaining this conversation anymore." 

"Oh come on, James. Indulge a girl a little, one compliment won't kill you." she voiced peering at him through her lashes. 

He let his arm fall to his side as he stepped forward, pressing his hands onto the mattress as he leaned down to meet her gaze. Juniper swallowed slightly as he inched closer to her. Their noses were just inches apart, ocean blue eyes boring into hers, his breath fanning her face as he responded. 

"You're not sharing the bed, I'm not indulging you. With compliments or otherwise. Eat your fruit and behave, Juniper." 

Her brows knit together, her brain failing to put words together at the moment as he brought himself back to his height and turned back to leave the room.

“Jerk,” she muttered to herself, enjoying the rest of her fruit. 

The next couple of hours were exhausting. She didn’t know what to do besides walking around the house and looking at the spider webs, giving them names to have at least something that makes the time go by faster. After a couple of hours, she got tired and decided to lie on her bed. Bucky was still at the fireplace, heating the cabin up a little, though the warmth didn’t reach the bedroom. He looked through some blankets to make sure they were free of spiders before he went to the bedroom, laying the blankets onto the bed. 

“Here,” he said softly. Looking up at her he saw that she was changing her wet sweater. 

He cleared his throat and looked away, giving her privacy.

After she changed into a dry t-shirt, she voiced a soft  “Thank you,” which made him turn to look at her again. 

He responded with a quick nod and left the room.

Juniper stepped over to the pile of blankets, picking one up and delicately shaking it out, relieved when no spiders fell out. As she wrapped it around her shoulders, she heard James’ voice through the open door. 

“…and then the damn car broke down! Don’t laugh Sam, it wasn’t funny- she was exposed, she could’ve died.” Juniper shuddered and started to turn away when there was silence but James spoke again. “Ha ha Sam, you just might have to stop me still, she’s a goddamn pain in my ass!”

Her shoulders sunk down, the blanket fully enveloping her frame. Hot tears filled her eyes and before she could recognize herself as upset, they spilled over. Her cheeks burned as her thoughts spiraled. She wanted to run into the other room and smack James, giving him a piece of her mind. She could still hear him talking to Sam- probably still complaining about her. 

She didn’t ask to see what she saw. She didn’t ask for her entire life to be upended. She certainly didn’t ask to be stuck in the middle of the snowy woods with Agent Sunshine.

Juniper felt the flames of white-hot anger deep in her belly. She felt the words bubbling up in her throat- this guy was being such a dick, and she was gonna let him know-

“G-goodnight,” she said suddenly. She heard James stop talking. A little louder, more confident now- “Goodnight, James.”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond before she walked forward and closed the bedroom door, hearing a firm click. The blanket sagged from her shoulders as she collapsed on the bed in a heap of tears, finally letting the reality of her situation sink in.

Juniper woke to the sound of something thudding against the side of the house. Her eyes shot open as the images of yesterday started flooding back in. She quickly sat up, her heart hammering in her chest as she wrapped the blanket from last night further around her frame. 

“J—James?” She sucked in a burst of cold air when the thudding suddenly stopped. It had to be him, they were in the middle of nowhere. Walker couldn’t have found her so soon. But what if he did. 

“James?” She asked again, a little louder this time as she reached for the bedroom door handle. Her fingers wrapped around the frigid metal before turning it carefully. 

Juniper poked her head out, her eyes searching the room. She finally let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding when she saw him standing in the doorway, an arm full of damp logs, kicking his boots against the threshold to rid them of the matted snow. 

Crystal blue eyes fell on her face, his brows furrowing for a moment but softened as she opened the door fully. 

“Morning’.” He muttered, his voice raspy and still full of sleep. 

“Morning,” she whispered watching him move about the room stacking the wood against the fireplace. 

The tension between them was thick, and his words from last night still hung in the air. She’s a pain in my ass. 

“How long are we going to be here?” 

James sighed, glancing up at her like suddenly her presence was a burden, “I don’t know, June. Probably until Walker isn’t planning on hurting you anymore.”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t joke about that,” she huddled her arms around herself as she walked toward the edge of the couch and sat on the arm. He rolled his eyes and went back to stacking wood, this time within the fireplace.

 “It may be normal for someone like you but I’ve never seen…” she stopped shaking the images of the blood pooling on the ground at her feet from her mind. 

He paused his process of stacking the wood, his shoulders tensing at her words. She didn’t expect an apology for his crass remarks over the last twenty-four hours, but he could at least stop making them. 

“Torres dropped off a vehicle this morning, I’m going to go into town and get proper food and supplies,” he started, as his lighter clicked to life and the fireplace roared to life. The dull flickering illuminated his face as he turned on his heels to look at her again and like he was reading her mind cut her off before she could speak. “You’ll stay here and don't bother arguing you can’t be seen in town.”

Juniper sighed loud enough for him to hear.

“Stay by the fire, inside Juniper.” He warned. 

She wouldn’t win this fight but she could at least make his life harder, she spun around and stomped back to her room, slamming the door behind her. 

“Brat!” She heard him call as he slammed the front door in response. 

The hours ticked by and her own thoughts ate away at her as the wind ripped around outside the cabin. As the sun began to dip low in the sky, darkness engulfed the tiny cabin and the wind turned to a vicious hailing of snow. She trembled, wracked with chills even under two blankets as she talked herself off the cliff. 

Each snap of the branches made her blood dip in temperature until the front door swung open. Slamming uncontrollably against the inside wall she dipped her head under the blankets as her heart pounded uncomfortably within her chest. John had found her. She was sure of it. 

“June?” A muffled voice called out to her, “hey,” warm hands reached out in the darkness and wrapped around her shoulders as the bed dipped behind her. “Fuck you’re freezing,” James swore as he pulled his jacket off and pressed himself against her. 

“Get away from me,” she pushed against him even though his warmth felt so good, it was intoxicating and made her sleepy. 

“You have to get warm June, you don’t have a choice,” he grumbled, pulling her against his chest he wrapped his arms around her tighter and forced her face into the crook of his warm neck.

Deciding that it would be fruitless to fight against this annoying, muscular giant she slumped against his hard body, breathing in his scent. His skin radiated a heat that spread through her body pooling low in her stomach. 

"Thank you," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"You're welcome, sunshine," he murmured as he began to stroke a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Goosebumps appeared on Juniper’s arms, her not knowing if it was from the nickname and low, sultry voice of the human radiator holding her, or just the heat in general. Suddenly, Juniper felt herself being lifted off the bed. 

“What are you doing?” Juniper whispered as she raised her head to look at James. 

James tilted his head to look at her, “Well, княжна, you let the fire die while I was gone. So I need to start it again and warm you up completely before the hypothermia sets in”. 

James had moved easily through the cabin and gently placed Juniper on the broken down couch in front of the fireplace, keeping her wrapped in the blanket he had found her under. 

“And you’re not going to get sick? You have on jeans and a t-shirt just like me!” Juniper snipped back, pulling her knees to her chest trying to keep what body heat James had left behind wrapped around her. 

James looked over his shoulder and smirked, “I’m a super soldier doll, I can’t get sick or cold.” He then turned his attention back to the fireplace.

She watched him start the fire, his muscles rippling beneath his t-shirt.

"What did you call me?" She asked.

A chuckle escaped his throat.

"I call you a lot things."

Her cheeks burned with humiliation. She was fixated on the Russian word-- at least it sounded Russian. It was probably something mean, and he was probably going to lie about it. He hated her, and she didn't understand why. She huffed softly and looked out the window as the snow fell, tears misting her eyes. She was stuck here with this asshole who hated her. The loneliness was starting to sink in and her throat clenched as she struggled to swallow the lump growing at the base of it. She just wanted to go home. 

Suddenly, she heard the fire crackling and then felt a warm hand tuck beneath her chin.

"June?" He whispered. "Can you look at me?"

She shook her head and heard a soft, disgruntled sigh, a gentle crunch of knees as he crouched in front of her, leaning until his eyes met hers. Tears dripped down her cheeks and she tried to flick them away before he saw them but it was futile.

"Go away," she whispered, her chin trembling. She felt like she could choke. 

"княжна means princess," he breathed, turning her head to face him. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Why are you staying? You could just leave me here, no one would know." Juniper hiccuped between tears, her voice thick with a held back sob as her eyes connected with his.

A tired sigh left him as James shuffled closer to her while he kept his eyes on her, lips pursed into a thin line. 

"Look June," he lifted a calloused hand to grasp her own causing her breath to stutter, her eyes flitted down to his hand covering hers before looking back up at him, "I know this is hard on you. I know that I haven't made it any easier and I know you feel trapped here but.. I wanna keep you safe, okay?" 

She could feel the warmth radiating from the fire starting to warm her chilled bones but it was nothing compared to the heat washing over her from his words, enough to quiet down the doubtful voices inside her head at his change in attitude. 

His thumb running soothing lines over her hand was distracting enough on its own.

"Nothing is gonna happen to you, because I'm not leaving you." He whispered with conviction lacing his tone.

“You promise, James?” She whispered, still not fully convinced. He nodded with a soft chuckle that made her heart flutter. His hard exterior seemed to melt with each passing second that they stood in front of the fire. 

“Are you warming up at all, darlin’?” A hint of a Brooklyn accent poked through his words, making her smile sheepishly. She had always found accents attractive. 

But she couldn’t lie- neither he, the fire, nor the two blankets were helping to warm her up. Shaking her head, James sighed as he frantically looked around the small cabin for something to help.

Time seemed to move painfully slow as his taut chest was fully revealed and Juniper felt like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets at the sight. The contour of his arms and chest was illuminated in tinges of orange from the flames dancing in the fireplace. 

"We need to get you warmed up fast, June and cold pieces of fabric between us isn't going to help get that done." 

She felt her heart begin to beat faster and her throat ran dry as a taunting heat crept up her neck. This has to be a dream. She felt his warm hand brush against hers and broke from her trance meeting his gaze. 

"I need you to trust me, Juniper. Let me help you. Please?"

All she could do was nod, as a violent shiver wracked her body, making her grab James’ hand to steady herself. He raised his other hand to her waist, gently touching the hem of her shirt. 

“Take this off?” he asked quietly, lifting the shirt an inch before Juniper took it, raising it and pulling it off the rest of the way. 

James kept his eyes firmly on hers, but raised his hands to her pants. “It’ll help if these come off too.”

“R-remember no f-funny business,” she said as she nodded her assent, James flashing a quick grin as he undid the button and pulled down the material. 

“I gotcha doll, strictly professional cuddling happening now,” James said seriously as he quickly shucked his own pants and held his arms out for Juniper.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach and gently leaned towards him. She was hesitant, but honestly- she was too fucking cold to wait any longer. She could feel the warmth radiating off his chiseled chest, and her options could be worse.

A blush crept up her chest and spread to her face as her eyes quickly glanced over his now exposed lower half. This man was made of muscle- his hipbones could cut glass, and his thighs were so burly that she felt icy butterflies in her stomach.

As she continued to blush and move towards him, she wasn’t sure how her blood was still flowing- every part of her was as cold as ice. She felt goosebumps rising to the surface of her skin as James wrapped his arms around her. 

Juniper dropped her forehead against his chest and immediately felt a surge of warmth. She swallowed a moan in her throat as she flung her arms around James, closing her eyes tight and holding onto him for dear life. Her body trembled against his, aching to get closer.

“Whoa there, sugar,” James cooed, lowering them both towards the couch cushions on the ground. He held her small frame alongside his, covering them both with blankets. “Let’s get you comfy by the fire.”

“How are you like a million degrees?” Her voice shuddered softly as a chill wracked through her and she curled further into him. 

James laughed, the vibration in his chest hitting her straight in her core, “are you complaining? Because I could just,” he feigned scooting away from her but her fingers gripped into the taut skin around his waist, holding onto the soft spots that melded to her fingertips making him laugh again. 

“I was not complaining, just… making an observation.” She rolled her lips between her teeth, holding back a smile as she watched the flames flicker and dance in front of them. 

“Right.” He breathed, tucking his hands around her waist.

She tilted her head up, pulling away from him a touch so she could really see his face. The hard lines of his jaw and how it angled behind his ear in a sharp swoop that she wanted to trace with her shaky, frozen fingers. 

His lips hovered near hers, watching her as she studied everything about his face in the flickering light of the fire. The flames licked and danced behind his blue eyes as his lip curled up in response to her staring. 

“More observations?” He whispered and the husky tone of his voice mixed with the feathering touch of his fingers rubbing circles into her bare skin made her thighs clench together. 

She nodded, words evading her. He leaned in closer, his spicy cinnamon scent overwhelming her and making her stomach twist into knots. His lips parted mere inches from hers as his eyes flickered from her gaze to her mouth, it was a languid movement that made her inch closer begging for him to close the distance.

“June, this is the part in those books when the boy kisses the girl,” he huffed, hot air brushing over her lips.  

Her brows furrowed and her hand came up to lay flat against his hard chest, her nails digging into the skin, “you read romance books?” She laughed, unable to believe that and her bottom lip brushed against his sending sparks through her. 

Juniper gasped at the electricity running through her from such a small touch. She would blame her brain for being frozen and unable to filter her next words. “Why don’t you show me what happens in those romance books you read?” With each word, their lips continued to touch in the tiniest ways. 

James chuckled as his eyes gazed into hers again, “Now doll, I thought this was professional cuddling only?” 

Juniper saw the blue in James’ eyes become smaller, she slowly moved her hands down his chest to rest on the waistband of his boxers. Rolling her hips closer to him she said, “The tent you’ve pitched isn’t very professional, agent.” 

Before she could close the distance to finally kiss him, James had her laid flat underneath him. 

Resting on his left forearm so as not to crush Juniper. 

James moved her legs apart with his knee, getting closer to her face again, “It’s Sergeant” He said as his lips eclipsed hers.

The kiss was crushing at first, all of the tension that lingered between them communicated through clicking teeth and tangled tongues. She didn't understand it. One minute, this man couldn't stand her, and the next, he couldn't get enough of her. On the plus side, she was a hell of a lot warmer. 

Juniper drew in a sharp gasp through her nose as her fingers found the dog tags hanging around his neck, tugging on them. He broke the kiss to drag his lips along her jawline, tracing it as her eyes fluttered until his mouth met her earlobe.

"I thought you hated me," she whined, and then smirked before adding, "Sergeant."

The groan that spilled from his lips made her back arch. James pulled back, his eyes nearly black from his blown out pupils. A smirk eclipsed his face and her eyes followed the soft constellation of freckles that ran down his razor sharp cheekbone.

"Oh, darlin', I don't hate you. I was just afraid I wouldn't be able to stay away from you." She felt his knee glide higher and higher and moaned at the scorching heat from his skin. "And I hate it when I lose a bet with myself."

"What was the bet?"

She felt his knee grind against her cunt and moaned softly as he grinned, his face turning bright pink.

"I don't know,"  he laughed, his nose scrunching up. "I just wanted a cheesy romance book line to say."

Her fingers tightened around the chain and she pulled him close enough that his nose was pressed against hers. He rubbed it gently against hers, both of them giggling softly. Juniper hummed as she scratched his chest lightly with her fingernails. 

"We've got a fireplace, one bed, I'm freezing, you're warming me up... looks like we're ticking all the boxes."

"Looks like it," James breathed. His metal hand came up to brush her cheek. "Can I kiss you again, княжна?"

His voice was so much softer this time, sweeter. She bit her lip and nodded before his mouth pressed against hers once more.

The second kiss was needier, messier as the fire flickered behind them. Between the fire and the kiss, Juniper was finally warm. 

“Do you want to stay here or move to the bed?” She whispered a love drunk smile spread across her bruising lips. A calloused hand made its way down her side, the roughness sending waves of arousal to her core. 

“I don’t know darlin’. Right here is just fine by me,” Nodding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down. 

His rough hand found its way to the band of her panties, trailing across her stomach before he stopped. 

“May I?”

Juniper dragged her nails softly across his scalp, fingers interlaced in his soft chestnut strands as she brought their lips closer together. 

"Please do." she voiced before pressing her lips to his in a searing kiss. 

James bit her bottom lip lightly and pulled back, releasing it with a pop as he sat back. He hooked his index fingers under the waistband of her underwear and pulled them down her legs, his eyes never leaving hers in the process. She sucked in a breath at the sudden chill before feeling his flesh hand grasp her calf as he placed a tender kiss to her leg. 

"You let me know if you wanna stop at any point, ok Juniper?" She nodded in response and he squeezed her calf gently and shook his head. "I need to hear you say it sweetheart." 

"Yes, I won't want that though. But ok, I will." she bit her lip holding back a smile at the sight of him as a slight pink blush crept to his face, nose scrunched with a smile. A soft laugh slipped from his lips followed by a whispered behave, Juniper before he began laying a trail of wet kisses up her leg. His fingers kneaded her thighs as he laid down, his hot breath fanning her wet cunt as he draped her leg over his shoulder. His vibranium hand found hers and he locked their fingers together as he licked a stripe between her folds. The tip of his warm tongue circled her tender nub before he took it between his lips.

Juniper moaned, fingers back in James’ hair she clenched tight and pulled lightly, directing him to put more pressure on her clit. He groaned into her, vibrations traveling through her cunt to her fingers and toes. 

“James, oh my God your tongue,” Juniper gasped, feeling him smile into her wet heat before he curled his tongue and licked at her walls. “Fuck!”

James pulled back, nipping at her inner thighs, teasing her back down from the edge. 

“Easy darlin’, we’ve got all night,” he murmured with a wink before he pressed back in, tongue gliding through her folds again.

He lapped at her clit with his tongue, moaning into her soaked core. He unlaced his metal fingers from hers and ran them up the length of her frame and back down the column of her throat, over the lace of her bra, cupping her breast in his hand. The fire had warmed up the cool metal, and Juniper’s skin was addicted to the warmth.

“James-“ 

He palmed at her right breast with his metal hand, lightly pinching her nipple. The entire time, he continued working her clit. He wrapped his lips around it and sucked. She gasped as he started to roll her nipple between his fingers at the same time, causing it to pebble beneath the fabric. 

He grasped at the fabric between her breasts and in one swift move he tore through the fabric like it was nothing, left staring at the flimsy lace in his hand. 

He pulled away from her cunt, his mouth slick. “Oh God,” he started, his breath hitched in his throat. He looked from the bra back up at Juniper who didn’t recognize the guttural noise that bubbled up from her core. It was half shock and half primal lust. 

“That was so fucking hot,” she breathed, looking down at him through her lashes.

All doubt and fear fell from James’ face as he heard her words. He grinned as he dove down and captured her lips in his. Juniper moaned into the kiss, tasting herself on his tongue. He tossed the bra across the floor and slipped his metal hand between their bodies, running two fingers through her slick.

She whined as he slipped his fingers inside her with ease. “James-“ she whined, his teeth taking her bottom lip between his. 

“Call me sergeant,” he growled against her jawline, moving his metal fingers in and out of her wet cunt.

Juniper gasped as his fingers curled inside of her, tenderly stroking the spot that made her toes curl and sent shockwaves of pleasure through her body. 

"Yes, Sergeant" She breathed, her eyes slamming closed as her hips rolled upwards between them, meeting the movements of his hand. 

She raked her fingers down his back, trailing along the band of his boxers. Juniper felt his body tense for a moment, making her open her eyes to meet his. They were completely black now, his chest heaved with his pants as he stared down at her. 

"It's okay," He whispered, his lips barely hovering over hers as he gave her permission to move. 

Juniper gently dug her nails into his skin, forcing a groan to spill from him. Her fingers grasped around his cock, already wet with precum and sensitive. He bucked into her hand at the slightest of her movements, whimpering as James buried his face into her neck. 

"I need you," She whined, her body feeling like it was floating as he coaxed her further towards the edge, "please Ja--Sergeant."

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” James muttered into Juniper’s neck. He then pushed off her to shed his boxers, the absence of heat sending a cold chill through her body. She couldn’t take her eyes off James’ cock as it slapped against his abs, making them glisten in the firelight with precum. She was sure he would split her in half, not just due to his length, but his girth as well. 

“Such an observant girl”, James smirked as he crawled back atop her, trailing soft open mouth kisses all up her torso. 

“Please, Sergeant” was the only words Juniper could form.

James lifted his head up, “Look at me June”, his voice low and soft. 

Juniper locked her gaze with him. “I’ve got you pretty girl, just relax.”

His hand cupped her face and she reached up to lace her fingers with his. He smiled softly.

"You ready for me?" 

She bit her lip.

"What do you think?"

He exhaled and dipped his head to kiss her softly. 

"I wanna hear it, gorgeous... I need to hear it." He paused, his voice low and rumbling as he peppered kisses along her cheekbone. "Tell me you need me."

Her heart pounded. It felt like it was lodged in her chest. She could almost swallow it as his hands roamed her body. 

"I need you," she breathed. 

James grinned, pride filling his face. He grabbed the base of his cock and slowly began to push himself into her. Juniper's breath hitched and caught in her chest as a deep, familiar sting filled her body. Her eyes closed, the tip of his cock buried inside of her. He stopped and kissed her forehead softly.

"You're okay," he soothed. "I gotcha."

"More," was all she could whimper. "Please, Sergeant."

He grinned, his forehead resting against hers as he pushed deeper inside of her, whining with her as she cried out. The sensation was electric, crawling down her spine and her toes pointed. Her muscles were taut, twitching.

"As you wish, princess." Finally, he bottomed out and she let out a ragged and raw cry as her back bowed. James grinned as she quivered around him. "Atta girl."

He pressed a sweet kiss to her lips as he lay still giving her a moment to adjust to him. Juniper brought her hand to his face, brushing the hair at his forehead softly as a content smile graced her lips. 

“I’m okay, James. You can move.” 

James smiled and took her bottom lip between his as he moved his vibranium hand to the small of her back, lifting her hips slightly as he pulled back and thrust back into her. She dragged her nails down his back as she relished in the way his hips rolled against hers his movement sure to leave bruises along her hipbones.

Juniper but down on her lip, holding back but James thumbed it free, “Come on pretty girl, sing for me.” 

He thrust forwards harder the tip of his cock brushing past that sensitive place inside her making her moan. 

“There we go, angel, found the right spot,” James grinned as he slowly pulled his hips back, dragging his dick along her walls before slamming back into her spot. 

Juniper desperately grabbed James’ dog tags, swinging wildly from his neck, holding on as he began fucking her with deep, powerful strokes, moans and whimpers falling from her lips.

"James, oh my god" she breathed, her voice sounding so far away as he repeatedly hammered against her g-spot. 

"No, just me darlin'," he smirked down at her. 

His hips moved at a vicious but calculated pace that made her skin burn and ignite with goosebumps that trailed her entire body. James' mouth trailed along her jawline, down her neck nibbling on the sweet spot making her eyes roll back. 

Every one of her senses felt overwhelmed. She could still taste him on her tongue, cinnamon and wood smoke filled her nostrils, the soft praises that spilled from his lips, the way his body felt under her fingertips and the way his hair stuck every which way, little tuffs sticking to his forehead from the sweat and his blown out pupils admiring every inch of her. Everything she was experiencing pushed her towards the edge, fueling the fire in her belly making her clench around him. 

A sinful moan left his lips as his movements started to become erratic and quick paced. She knew that neither of them were going to be able to last much longer.

“Sergeant, please, I’m gonna come,” Juniper begged as her back arched more to take him as deep as she could. 

“Fuck, what a good girl you are asking your sergeant for permission”, James growled into her ear as his metal hand slid between them and he began to roll her clit with his fingers. 

The fire in the hearth had nothing on the fire resting in Juniper’s core. It continued to increase as James kept swirling her sensitive nub with his fingers and drove his cock as deep as he could to hit her g spot. Her head fell back, eyes slammed shut as she moaned using all the air in her lungs. 

“That’s right Juniper, no one but me can hear you out here. It’s all for me. Come for me, beautiful. I wanna feel you can squeeze me.” James’ hip movements grew more erratic, chasing the high that waited, but his fingers worked steadily at her clit, the praise and permission sending her over the edge.

Juniper let out a sinful moan as the initial wave of her climax hit her, followed by a scream that emphasized just how intense her orgasm was running through her body. 

“Fuck, you’re so fuckin’ tight. Been thinking of how perfect this pussy was ever since you spent 12 hours squirming in the car.” James’ words were as chaotic as his thrusts, but Juniper was in no state to stop him. As wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, all she could do was whisper “yes” again and again. 

Finally with one last bruising thrust James coated juniper’s walls with his cum. “Oh FUCK”, James screamed to the ceiling. He slumped slightly to where his and Juniper’s forehead’s were touching, both panting to catch their breath. Juniper could feel their mixed arousal moving down her thighs and onto the cushions as James’ softened within her.

A small huff made its way through Juniper’s lips at the loss of him as he slipped out from her and pressed his back against the cushions under them. He pulled her body flush to his chest with his vibranium hand, her head falling against his shoulder as he dragged the fingers of his right hand lightly up and down her spine. 

She focused her attention on the steady rise and fall his chest with every breath and the way his heartbeat felt against the palm of her hand, beating almost in sync with hers as he seemed to relish in the lingering sensations of their highs and the feel of her body against his as she did the feel of his against hers. 

Juniper pushed herself up slightly, leaning her weight toward the leg she had slumped over his hips until she laid chest to chest with James. She peppered kisses across the freckles scattered along his chest before she placed both hands flat atop it to support her chin as she took in every inch of his face, committing his content look to memory. 

A satisfied hum left James’ lips as he crossed her arms at her hips as if he was unwilling to let this moment go. 

His eyes met hers and he threw a soft whispered “Hi” her way. 

“Hi.” she giggled, her breaths steady now but her heart rate picking back up under his gaze. 

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, June?” he asked 

“Just wondering,” she hesitated and he raised a brow slightly, urging her to continue, “I just- what were you thinking about me after you were ‘assigned’ to me? Honestly.” 

James let out a chuckle, bringing his flesh hand up to brush a strand hair off her face before he responded, 

“Well, I think still- that you’re an incredibly brave woman. Especially for willing to speak against what you saw, putting the wellbeing of other people above yours to make things right. I think that’s- you’re admirable Juniper. The world needs more people like you around.” 

She felt tears well in her eyes at his words. It had been the worst thing she had ever witnessed, and she was scared out her mind to have to be in hiding after deciding to talk, but this is why she did it. To keep it from happening again and for however long she had to be holed up in this cabin because of it, she was grateful the universe had at least gifted her with James. She felt him shift under her weight as he brushed his thumb across her chin. 

“You okay?” 

“Perfect” she whispered, placing a kiss to his lips before she laid back down and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck.

@/dannyramirez: 80th Golden Globes ft. @ysl

@waydb + @mcdonaldmicah

A beautiful celebration. Continuously blown away by the work of my peers ❤️

I couldn't decide if BAFTAs pics gave me Regency or priest/exorcist vibes, so I did both. Now I can get some sleep😂

fuck your zodiac, were you a Barbie kid, Monster High kid, LOL kid, Bratz kid, Disney Doll kid, Ever After High kid, Lalaloopsy kid, or American Girl Doll kid because it really matters a lot actually

It’s the deadpan delivery.  x @joemazzmatazz

The French really don’t fuck around.