The life series winners go on a super fun crazy awesome road trip in The Car
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ HAWKS / KEIGO TAKAMI
''BROKEN TO FIX ,, [ hurt / comfort , oneshot]
'' BOOKWORMS ,, [ oneshot / drabble ]
'' DANCE WITH ME ,, [ hurt / comfort , oneshot ]
'' HUSBAND HAWKS ,, [ drabble / imagines ]
'' LONGING ,, [ hurt / comfort ]
'' LITTLE DOVE ,, [ hurt / comfort ]
'' DEPOLLUTE ME , GENTLE ANGEL ,, [ reverse comfort ]
'' NEVER LEAVE ,, [ hurt / comfort ]
'' FIRE AND WINGS DON'T MIX ,, [ dbhks x reader , drabble ]
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ DABI / TOUYA TODOROKI
'' BLINDSIDED ,, [ drabble / oneshot ]
'' FIRE AND WINGS DON'T MIX ,, [ dbhks x reader , drabble ]
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ BUCKY BARNES / THE WINTER SOLDIER
'' DANCING LIKE WE USED TO ,, [ fluff ]
'' SEND ME NO FLOWERS ,, [ bittersweet , 1940s bucky ]
'' INSOMNIACS ,, [ fluff , neighbor bucky ]
'' FLOWER SHOP OF NEW FEELINGS ,, [ series , ongoing , florist!reader ]
brave gang brave gang
i will sell my soul to you YES PUH LEASE
I have barely watched any MHA, only seen some with my younger brother and every scene with this man but I love Hawks? Such an interesting character. I am half-tempted to write an X Reader or an X OC series on my AO3 (like I did when I was like, 14) where the reader is an undercover journalist/private investigator (maybe considered a vigilante but they just release sensitive information about corrupt organizations) who's trying to seed out corruption in the Hero Commission and publish it and goes to Hawks since he's like one of their inside men? Idk, I would have to actually watch the show but it sounds goofy lol
SOBS. KRILLING MYSELF RN.
Ooh, excellent question! Poor Hawks, he can't catch a break, can he?
Characters: Takami Keigo/Hawks
Contents: fake dating, angst
Takami Keigo/Hawks
This is absolutely the kind of stunt the Commission would try to pull. Hawks, like most high-ranking Pro Heroes will have a publicist and chances are high for that person either working for the Commission directly or the PR agency being a third-party contractor of the Commission. Once they have their hooks in you, they do not let you go.
For whatever reason, they decide their top Pro needs to be seen to be dating another Pro Hero. Maybe the other Pro has tanking ratings or it’s part of some deeper game. Whatever it is, Hawks doesn’t have much choice but to go along with it.
Another factor is whether or not the Commission knows you’re in a relationship with Hawks. He might have no choice to tell them, but I feel that if there was an opportunity to keep you a secret from them, he would. He doesn’t want them to have control over your life as well as his. And I’m sure he’d want to have a piece of his life that’s just for him, not for the Commission’s goals or the public’s consumption.
It causes him no small amount of angst, having to sit you down and explain to you what they’re going to make him do. He dreads having to tell you, having to see the look on your face when you hear that he’ll be posing as some other person’s boyfriend. It’s hard enough, having to share him with the Commission and his endless work and his ravenous fans. Now you have to watch him post couple pics on Instagram with someone else. Or go on cute little dates where the paparazzi just so happen to stumble across the two heroes enjoying totally not sponsored smoothies.
It’s maddening, to say the least. Hawks hates every second of it.
While he’s not rude or hostile to the person he’s fake-dating, he’s not his usual lively, flirtatious self, because he knows every minute he spends with them is affecting you. His very little free time is being eaten up by this media-pandering bullshit, and he hates it.
There are a few ways he can go about making things easier.
One, he’ll never take fake-girlfriend anywhere that he takes you. Your favourite little haunts and hangouts will never be tarnished by a photoshoot that ends up splashed across the front of Hero Weekly.
Two, he’s honest with the fake-girlfriend. She has to know this is just a business arrangement, a contractual obligation. He already has a partner, and he’ll only be doing the bare minimum to make it look real for the cameras.
Three, he’ll set a deadline on it with the Commission. He can swing it by saying that all this prancing around for the cameras is affecting his performance. How’s he supposed to fight villains if he has to spend all his time doing photoshoots with Ultragleam or Mochigirl, or whoever they want to set him up with this week.
Four, he can try and introduce the fake-girlfriend to you, so there’s no weird feeling of sneaking around. So you can set your own boundaries on what you are and aren’t comfortable with.
Despite all this? It’s still gonna suck.
There’s no way it doesn’t hurt to see your boyfriend posting cutesy photos with another hero. Fans will be gushing on social media, coming up with ship names, posting edits with sparkly effects and slow-mo reverb love songs playing over the top, filled with comments like “OMG THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER!”
The only way to make it bearable is to imagine he’s playing a character, like he’s the male lead in a romantic K-Drama, and fake-girlfriend is just his co-star. It’s true, in a way. Even if they’re attending events together and posting (staged) shots on the beach, holding hands, it’s all fake.
When he comes home to you after a long day of patrolling, exhausted after an intense villain fight, and collapses facedown on the couch, head on your lap, wings askew, only to tiredly ask about your day and beg you to order chicken skewers? That’s real.
“Reader has black hair and blue eyes-“
THEN ITS NOT AN X READER!!???
im gonna need a 40 chapter long book of this thank you <3 /j
if you need ideas for the next part might i suggest easter? :3 /hj
a lovebirds bloom! (lets live in a christmas tree) pt.iii ☃️🎄
keigo t. x fem. reader | vryvery sweet sweeter than candy
pt.i of a lovebirds bloom , pt.ii of a lovebirds bloom
sneak peek ➸ in the midst of winter, a particular hero is feeling quite frosty this season from the absence your warmth, let’s see if you can fix that.
word count : whole ass book grab a cup of coffee to indulge in ts
As much as the flurries of winter trickling through the bustling cities with its angelic flakes were enchanting to see, it was hell to travel in.
Every time your found your car’s battery to be frozen and glistening with ice, the walk to your flower shop almost always ended with you limping through the doors, a new bruise decorating your skin.
Whatever lunatic conjured up the idea to attach the outside of your shop with a little set of stairs must’ve not been hugged as a child, you thought as you gripped onto the railing.
After a particularly rough 6 a.m hike to the shop, you plopped your bag onto the counter, too exhausted to move it elsewhere. Instead, you opened your phone to say goodbye to your silly reels and tweets.
But when you swiped your screen down to do a final time check, your eyes met with the text notification:
hawks
6:14 A.M.
Hey. You at work? Picked up some hot coffee and wanted to see if I could share with another early bird. :-)
Your eyes stuck on the message like a sticker, and you couldn’t find yourself to rip them off your screen. It felt almost.. nice to be almostkindoffriendsbutkindofstrangers with Hawks, yet unreal.
Ever since that night in the cafe, you thought back to it like a dream, a blur of warm glances and candles mixed with wafts of pumpkin.
One thing you remembered from the little date was the exchanging of your numbers.. which was just a folded up post-it that Hawks had managed to stick in your coat pocket at the last second, freaking sneak, with little doodles dancing around the boldened digits.
After said date, the two of you would text consistently for a few days. Getting to know each other, sending each other relatable posts, y’know, the usual spiel of a talking stage.
The strange thing however—is after a week, you hadn’t come across the man for nearly two months.
You understood fully though, of course! Work constantly pulled him away all the time. He was needed to serve, to help people continue their domestic routines.
His missing presence just felt so unnatural, didn’t it? But perhaps his swarms of admirers were enough to keep him occupied.
How was he able to do it? You’d never know. Even a trip to unload the flowers from the wholesalers’ truck back and forth made you cry from the soreness you’d get in your legs, and he’s out here fighting damn kratos on the daily? Yikes.
But thinking about it, It stung a little to think about how empty he would feel after all those hours.
At times, you’d come home to your apartment, everything still left eerily the same as it was earlier—but a bittersweet lone feeling loomed over you.
You didn’t want to picture how it’d feel for him.
Especially in the mellow season, so close to Christmas.
Reluctantly, you tapped the keys on your phone, quick to send out brief ‘yes, of course!!’ to his proposal, thumb shaking while it hovered over the ‘send’ button.
As you set your phone down, your heart undeniably throbbed to the thought of him walking through those doors, his warm presence lighting up the gloomy unlit store.
It must’ve just been the mixture of sweet aromas making you feel that way.
The ‘thump!’ of your head against the counter echoed embarrassingly through the room as your nerves began to jitter about.
⋆⁺₊❅.
Something that always struck out to you during wintertime was no matter what time of day it was, most other businesses in the vicinity had their christmas lights flickered on in the early morning, and in the dusk of night.
Yourself and your coworkers didn’t skip this tradition, taking the opportunity as soon as you guys could to hang the golden twinkle string along the roofline.
Ever since, you kept the brightness of each bulb inside to a minimum as to not overwhelm your clients at the crack of dawn.
From the inside, the silhouettes that passed by were usually the ones on their way to the offices and occasional joggers. All too well accustomed to the ‘early bird’ lifestyle like yourself.
Speaking of early birds.
The subtle ‘whoosh’ that you only guessed were the wings of a certain hero faintly brushed the chill air.
You decided not to look up at the door yet, as you anticipated his arrival and wanted to capture the perfect best view of him walking in.
Absentmindedly staring at your nailbeds, the catchy chime jingled against the doorframe, a creak escaping from the door that was being pushed upon.
Finally looking up (pretending you didn’t notice him in the first place), Hawks’ clothed elbow pressed the black bar of the door, his signature black gloves carrying two coffee cups and a little frost glistened on the tips of his wings.
He huffed out as he entered, frigid vapor leaving his mouth as he was met with the relieving warm temperatures. His golden-amber eyes crossed to meet yours, his lower lids creasing upwards to the sight of you, a nervous smile rested upon his face.
“ ‘M telling ya, the universe was just waiting to pelt me in the face with all this wind. Nipping at my face ‘till it turned all red.”
If the pinkish-red spread across his sharp features didn’t stick out enough, the poor excuse he used was a bit obvious. Hawks really hoped you wouldn’t notice just how desperate he was to see you again.
You wondered if his wings were subtly trembling from the cold or his nerves.
He didn’t really expect you to text him back, in fact, he spent the last 2 months drifting off while on his shifts, thinking and thinking how to impress you but in a casual way.
Not desperate and too wanting, but at the same time reciprocating his feelings for you—
“Yeah, right? Nearly falling on my ass every time I come into work. Not much of an issue for you though, hm?”
Hawks let out a low chuckle, sniffling and bringing his hand to lightly rub his reddened nose.
“Fortunately not. But— anyway, sorry for just asking to come in on such short notice. I just wanted to .. talk to ‘ya.”
The faint scratch of raspiness in his voice indicated that he must’ve caught a small cold, presumably from the strengthening winter, but at the same time he sounded almost ashamed.
You shrugged, curving your lips into a dimpled smile, “No worries! Really, I actually need help with something, but we can come back to that after breakfast.”
A quirk of his eyebrow accompanied his half-hidden shock, a cute little expression of bewilderment.
“Oh? Are you sure? I know I’m the one usually expected to nag at my colleagues, but I really don’t want to drag you out from work.”
“Of course, don’t worry. I don’t actually have to start working until like 8.” You assured him sweetly, gesturing him forward with the hot drinks.
He nodded silently as he placed the cups down on the counter, pulling up a stool opposite from you. Additionally, he grabbed out a brown crumply bag that had been tucked under his arm.
Your eyes lit up when you read the imprinted, « 2 CHOC CROISSANT » on the sticker.
As you took your first few sips and bites, the silence only grew and resided in the air. You cleared your throat.
“Hey, I know we aren’t, y’know, that close, but if there’s something bothering you, I’m here to listen. You seem to be a little quiet.”
Black pupils flickered up to your face as he was mid-bite into his pastry. “Mm-h.. I kno. Is jsst.. ‘m nat mch ‘ff a mrng… “ he then swallowed rather hard, “I’m not much of a morning person.”
You laughed at his muffled response, sparking an adoring glint in Hawks’ eyes. He’d humiliate himself a thousand times more if it meant he could hear your laugh again.
He continued, setting down his croissant on his napkin below, “Honestly, I came here initially to see you, but I feel like I gotta apologize for leaving you with nothing from me the past months.”
You kept quiet, intrigued in what he wanted to say and let him continue.
“I haven’t.. I’ve never had this sort of frien—connection before. And, hah— it’s quite ironic how everyone describes me to be such a smooth-talker, but here I am, suddenly not knowing how to form a coherent sentence.”
He averted his gaze from your own, his leg bouncing nonstop.
“You’re just.. simply a fresh breath of air from the world i’m caged in. I.. can’t really explain it.”
“You don’t have to,” you comforted, “i find myself thinking about you too,” you confessed into your croissant, hesitant to let your voice exceed from your low volume.
Hawks’ breath hitched when he heard those words. He hadn’t felt this tense before, a foreign feeling churning in his stomach.
It wasn’t helping that you looked so alluring under the warm light. So sweet, so consoling. Although it was still dark out, your eyes managed to have that shiny gloss from the soft lights.
“I promise, if we had met under different circumstances, I wouldn’t be such a mess right now. ‘S not like my character,” he grinned with a hint of more confidence, tinkering with the golden ring on his middle finger.
“To me, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks of your character, I think your own sweet self is enough.”
Owlishly, he stared at you, speechless to your statement, as if you spoke a different language to him. He chewed at the last piece of his morning dessert, lost in thought (planning your future wedding).
“Guess theres some truth in there.”
You continued munching at your breakfast, your winged visitor patiently waiting until nothing but crumbs were left on the table.
⋆⁺₊❅.
The consistent ticks of the antique rose-patterned clock hung on the wall became subtle background noise, a nice drumming in stark contrast to the awkward silence.
Swiping your palms against eachother, making sure your hands smeared off any stubborn crumbs in the crevices of your hand, you took note of the time displayed on the clock’s hands. 7:25
Your head turned anxiously back to Hawks, him peering towards you as you opened your mouth to say something, but nothing coming out.
“What’s going on in that peculiar little mind of yours?” asked the hero, propping his arms flat against his table to rest his head on them.
You hated the amount of questions he asked, it was practically violating—literally intentional to spill every secret out of you. He wanted to listen to every inconvenience you had.
Mumbling, you started, “It’s just that.. I feel a little guilty that I’m going to ask you for a favor like this when you could be out there, saving the day instead of being cooped up in here.”
Perking his head up in surprise, he argued without hesitation, “No no, I’d rather be held as hostage here for the rest of the day if it were up ‘ta me. There can’t be anything in this shop too rough for me.”
A godsend he was. Really, if he could choose, he’d spend the rest of his life in this wonderland of a shop you’ve decorated.
“Okay,” you breathed out, “I need help putting up the Christmas tree.”
“So that’s what was missing in this place, ‘swear it was on the tip of my tongue,” his smooth tone shifted quickly to be teasingly warm, drawing a smile out of you, “Let’s do it then.”
⋆⁺₊❅.
Attaching all the hooks that resembled tree branches into the base and circling behind each other around the tree, twirling incandescent lights that swirled from top to bottom, the two of you stepped back to admire your hard work.
A delicate tree, but simple in all the right ways. It wouldn’t be too distracting yet would get the “Christmas” point across to all the customers.
Hawks nudged at your arm with his shoulder, a proud grin presented on his face, “This completes the holly and jollyness in this store. Feels like im in santa’s workshop now.”
His now vibrant and eager energy lifted the concerns pressing on your chest about him.
A tingling thought in the back of your head suspected he wasn’t grumbly only because he hates waking up so early.
Preciously gazing at the tree, you smiled shyly, “I know. I feel like this time of year goes by too fast, but it’s so beautiful.”
“Mhm,” the winged hero hummed out, his eyes lingering upon your figure as you went to adjust some of the crooked ornaments, “Very beautiful.”
Was there any reason why he suddenly felt so warm in his sweater? The heater couldn’t have been blasting that badly, right?
It’s not like he could have controlled the way he darted between each feature of your face, your hands, your style of apparel that just matched your personality perfectly.
He even worried that if he got too lost in your presence, his wings would begin to curl around you, cradling you into a soft cocoon-like embrace.
Yeah, he did not want to picture your weirded-out reaction—
His ringtone began beeping erratically from his pant pocket sending a walloping dread in his stomach, cursing under his breath.
Whipping your head back from the abrupt noise, you sighed, a reminder for you as well that your dozen hundred chores were about to commence.
Fumbling for his phone in a hurry to turn off the annoying sound, his other hand covered his lower-face, visibly cringing at the fact he had to actually clock in today.
He almost flinched when he felt your hands rubbing circles against his shoulder, consoling him, “Should’ve expected it sooner or later.”
“Hate that. All this, ‘have to move it later,’ ‘it’s getting late,’ ‘should’a known it had ‘ta end.’ I don’t think ‘s fair.”
“Me either, it really isn’t.”
Hawks’ hand slowly traced down to your wrist before gently grasping your fingers as his thumb reassuringly rubbed against your knuckles.
Widened eyes focused onto your face, his expression more serious and determined, “There’s no way I’m leaving making the same mistake as before, i can’t,” he paused, “promise I’ll respond to your texts and take you out on a proper date, with a whole bouquet of roses and everything.”
You smiled back up at him sweetly, awestruck at his commitment, almost like you were in a dream, “I think that sounds lovely. I can take care of the flowers, though.”
Shaking his head, he grinned back, “Maybe, but I wanna do this the right way. No more coming and going every season.” You nodded your head at that, completely giving in.
⋆⁺₊❅.
The two of you made your way to the main doors, just a few minutes to 8:30. All bundled up, Hawks held a small wrapped bouquet of camellias, his large hands crumpling the wrapping paper.
“Bye, [name]. You’re a real sweet girl for putting up with my ridiculous antics.”
“Bye, Hawks, I try. Be safe! Don’t slip on your way out!” He rolled your eyes at you sheepishly as he was halfway out the door, when you stopped him, tugging at his arm.
“Ah. . . Wait,” you uttered, holding the material of his jacket with uncertainty in your body language. He hummed in confusion and faced you.
Stepping closer, a quick tilt of your head leaned toward his face, surprising him before you pecked his warm cheek and pushed him out the store, rushing into the back room.
Looking back, astonished, his rough fingers hovered over the spot where you kissed him, a blush fading onto his already hot cheeks.
He turned to the road, beginning to walk down until he reached the end of the sidewalk to take off to his agency, prying at his phone to pin your contact at the top of his messages.
a.n: keigo is so shy when hes flustered canon horikoshi told me so. i hope you guys liked this lmk what i should write nexttt have a lovely holiday y’all :33 🌷🎄
Dabi: Where’s mom?
Shoto: Dunno, she went to like a sex party or something?
Dabi: *spits out drink*
Natsuo: *chokes on air*
Fuyumi: Good for her.
Natsuo, calling Rei: WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
Rei: The neighbor invited me to their baby’s gender reveal party. Why? What’s wrong?
currently thinking about bakugo “it’s not that deep” katsuki.
katsuki’s got a temper that makes him more chalant than not, but when it comes to everything else the blonde is relatively…unreactive. it’s not like he tries to be that way, he just has to be. when you’re surrounded by idiots like denki & sero on a daily basis, you eventually learn to choose your fucks & allocate them wisely.
“bakugo, class 1-B’s been hogging the hero equipment—how do we train now ?”
“it’s never that deep, tape face. just go later y’dumbass”
“bakubro, i think my situationship just blocked me—“
“literally just move on. really not that serious.”
the phrase has practically become katsuki’s signature one liner. so it’s a shock when his friends make you realize you’ve never actually heard the words from his lips.
“katsuki ? and nonchalant ? in the same sentence ? you must be joking.”
mina & sero are watching outer banks with your laptop while denki & kiri glance at each other in confusion. “you’re serious? he’s never said stuff like that to you ?”
“like ever?”
“never.” you run a brush through your hair. “though i guess i could imagine him talking to you guys that way.”
“double standards go crazy” mina mumbles. “real.”
“no, guys—all hope is not lost. it could be that y/n is really rational so he never has to say it, you feel me ?”
you scoff, but denki keeps talking, “we can test this out. just get y/n to act really dramatic and see how bakugo reacts.”
sero pauses the episode, ignoring the scowl that graces mina’s lips. “fifty bucks there really is a double standard and bakugo won’t act all nonchalant.”
“fifty bucks ? that’s half my salary!”
“not my fault you work at mcdonald’s dawg. you guys in or what ?”
kiri’s quick to strike the deal on kaminari’s behalf. denki’s about to protest when the fiery blond walks in.
“disgusting. why are you all sitting around like degenerates? not you baby.”
“what happened to ‘hello, how are you?’”
“hi ‘suki.” you purr, ignoring sero. katsuki dips his head to peck your lips, a quiet ‘hey pretty’ mumbled into your cheek.
sero snaps his fingers at the display of affection. “excuse me? in front of my obx?”
“the one you’re watching with my netflix subscription?” bakugo snaps the laptop shut and mina protests with a mouth full of popcorn. you’re about to playfully defend the duo when kirishima nudges your elbow. he cocks his head towards bakugo and you understand immediately.
“katsuki,” you tug at the hem of your boyfriend’s sleeve & look into his eyes with the most tender expression you can muster. “i’m out of lipliner.”
“okay ?”
you hear a snort and you know it’s from sero.
“there’s nothing ‘okay’ about it ‘suki. i need a new one or else i’ll literally die.”
bakugo’s brows knit in confusion. “is this your way of begging me for money?” he begins to dig at his wallet and you swat his arm away.
“beg is insane.”
“i don’t need your money.” you snap. “i need my lipliner. now”
“just order—“ “now.”
“what do you mean now? it’s almost nine pm, where the fuck are you going ?”
“nowhere. i just need it.”
“do you have a fever ?” “katsuki!”
“i need it now ‘suki,” you hug your arms around his body and place your chin on his chest. “if i don’t get it right now i’m literally gonna cry.”
your lips jut into a pout. you can tell he’s about to protest so you take his palm into your own. “it’s not that—fuck. whatever. where the hell are my keys ?”
he gently nudges you off him before grabbing the car keys off the front table, a string of grumbles leaving his lips as he sets out on the side quest regardless. he shuts the door behind him & suddenly the room buzzes back to life.
“y/n your pussy cannot be that good.”
“literally what i’m saying bro.”
“ho did you use rose quartz on him ??”
“i always knew you were a witch for real.”
“this whole interaction just piss me off.”
“i’m going home. denki and kiri, you owe me fifty bucks each.”
“EACH ?”
( bonus )
it’s nearly half an hour later & katsuki isn’t back so you’re starting to get worried. sero and the gang have already left, leaving you to deal with the growing anxiety by yourself. you finally decided to text your boyfriend only to find he’s sent you several messages already:
© ─ heartkaji ; do not steal, copy, edit, translate or reupload
|| pairing : james "bucky" barnes x florist!reader
|| warning : nothing ! jealous bucky makes a brief entrance 🔥
|| wc : 2.1k
|| btw, if any of ya'll wanna be apart of the taglist, js comment :3 or dm idc <3
The Avengers Tower’s atmosphere was awkward. Like, a weird tense awkwardness. Clint, Wanda, Sam and Bruce got back from their mission which.. Did not go according to plan, and were already bummed out with that, despite there being a backup plan. Tony had a fight with Pepper, yet again, which let’s be real, no one’s surprised about. And last but certainly not least, Peter had seen Bucky leave your apartment the previous night.
I would love to say that Bucky did a graceful job at covering for himself and explaining it.. But that’d be a lie. The second Peter uttered the words “Mr. Barnes?” Bucky ignored him and sped walk outta there. But being an Avenger, and having Peter practically live in the Tower made it virtually impossible NOT to run into him at least once.
“It’s not that big a deal, James, I promise.” You said, your phone pressed against your ear and shoulder. Currently, you were out checking on your shop and running a few errands. That’s when Bucky called and told you the whole ordeal after you shut the door. “I really don’t see how it’s such a big deal. Just explain to Peter that we’re friends.”
But I don’t want to. He thought, I want you as my secret. As strange as it is, you were one of the only things he felt he had that wasn’t poisoned by Hydra or the Avengers. He loved the Avengers (.. sorta) but he needed to have something that was his.
“Yeah, okay. Okay. Just- the team can be.. Unbearable with gossip.” He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry for calling you ‘bout this”
“Hey, no, I get that. You don’t gotta explain why you freaked out about Peter,” Your voice was full of understanding. Oh, god, Bucky absolutely loves- no. No, no no. “Oh, and never apologize for talking to me, I love talking to you”
“Oh,” He felt his cheeks warm up. “I like talking to you too.”
A small laugh could be heard from your end of the line, god, he could melt with how warm your laugh was.
“Hey, I gotta head off, I’m meeting up with my brother and his wife for a small get together, but I’ll talk to you later, ‘kay?”
“Your brother?”
“Yeah, I thought I told you ‘bout him! His name’s Silas? He’s a pretentious fuck. Love him to bits, but I don’t like him, y’know?” This made Bucky let out a small chuckle. He had remembered a past conversation of yours where you rambled on about how your older brother was the golden child in your family.
“Good luck with him, [Name]”
“Thanks, James, I’ll call you later”
“Bye” He tried to hide his disappointment in his voice before hanging up. Man, what were you doing to him? He’s a lone wolf, never likes anyone, always grumpy, and rarely smiles. But with you? Seemed like he was the jolliest guy on Earth.
Ah, but he can sort out his feelings later. Right now he needed to talk with a certain Peter Parker.
–
“D-Did you need something, Mr. Barnes?”
Bucky was quick to find the spiderling, he was up in the lab with Bruce. Tinkering away at some sort of more protective type of suit, trying to replicate vibranium without using vibranium. He made up some bullshit excuse for why he needed to talk with Peter, even if Bruce knew it was a lie, he didn’t fight it.
“What you saw last night–”
“You leaving [Name]’s apartment last night?”
Bucky’s eyebrow twitched, god the way he said it felt like he was caught in an affair. “Yes. That. It was nothing.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Barnes, but if it was nothing, why’d you run away?”
“I didn’t run away,” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the teenager. “It was.. A strategic retreat.”
Peter deadpanned. “Mr. Barnes, I don’t care if you’re dating-”
“We’re not dating.”
“Oh.” Peter sighed and snapped his fingers. “I owe Aunt May 20 bucks now.”
“Maybe you deserve it.” Bucky sighed and tapped his finger against his arm. “Look, just.. Don’t tell anyone I’m friends with [Name].”
Now.. This is where Bucky lost Peter. Why? What?? It was a strange request. A doable one! But a real strange one. “W.. Why?”
“Because Sam’ll bring it up non-stop and I’ll get teased.” It wasn't a lie, but again, not the full reason he wanted to hide you away from the team.
Peter’s puzzled look turned into a more sinister one. “I won’t tell anyone.. But I want you to give me 20 bucks every week I gotta keep your secret”
“Wha- fine. Yeah sure.” Wasn’t like Bucky had anything to spend it on. “If you tell anyone, I’m ripping your arms off.” He said with a small glare before turning away and walking off.
“.. Arms plural? Wait! Mr. Barnes! Arms plural??”
–
With that small confrontation over, Bucky was able to rest easy. Sure, he’d lose a couple of bucks, but really it was Tony who was throwing his money around. I mean, let’s think about it. So many people live in one tower, with electricity running practically everything. The electricity, water and heating bill must be skyrocketed. Ah, but that wasn’t our dear Bucky’s problem.
No, Bucky had to sort through his feelings and try to label your friendship. So he did the one thing that allowed him to feel.. Better, run.
Leaving the Tower was easy enough, being the “Winter Soldier” made it so everyone was automatically scared of him. Slipping away was easy, what was a problem was where he wanted to run. He let his legs take him.
The wind in his hair, the small burn in his legs as he ran farther and farther. His heart rate beating every time he was able to run longer and faster due since there weren’t many people around or stops. Bucky loved to run. He would run all day if he could, it felt like freedom to him. Something he wouldn’t let anyone take from him.
Bucky ran around a few blocks multiple times, by the end of it his face was damp, but not as sweaty as the normal person would be. Again, Super Soldier. Barely got tired. But, he still wanted to get something to hydrate himself. He sped walked over to that one Cafe that was across from your shop, your friend Finn ran it? At least, that’s what you told him. Maybe he could visit you af–
“James?”
Or now. It seemed you were taking your lunch break or something, ‘cause you were standing at the counter. Leaning against the solid surface, talking with Finn. And for some reason, that made a pit form in Bucky’s stomach. But, like many things, he ignored it and walked over to you, giving a small wave to you and.. Finn.
“Hey man, you want anything?” Finn had a charming smile on his face, he seemed.. Boyish. Certainly younger than Bucky, I mean, he looked like he was in his mid-twenties, younger than you.
“Black coffee.”
You snorted and tilted your head up at him. “No cream or sugar? Pegged you for a sweet guy”
The corners of Bucky’s lips perked up for a moment and he just huffed. “Got used to it.” He did, as a young adult and the war happening, everyone had to ration. That meant when he had coffee, it had to be black. None of the fancy sweeteners.
“Boring,” You hit your hip against his in a playful manner.
In a matter of seconds, Finn came back with Bucky’s drink. Some shitty ass black coffee that was overpriced. Ah, love New York. Though, it was fine. What wasn’t fine was how Finn just kept smiling and practically flirting with you.
“We should definitely go together, it’d be really fun, hell I could pay for your ticket too.”
“Finn, you shouldn’t, I’d be able to!” You giggled behind your palm. “But, I’m not opposed to that”
“We could get dinner, hangout beforehand too?”
Smooth. “I’ll definitely think about it, Finn”
Stealing a quick glance at Bucky, you realized his confusion. “Ah, me and Finn were talking about watching a musical together!”
“Which one?”
“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals!”
“That’s a thing?”
“It’s definitely a thing.” You crossed your arms with a wide smile. “It’s really good! I should show it to you, there’s a recorded version of it up on Youtube.”
He hummed in reply and gave a lazy shrug. “You’ll have to send me a link to it.”
With a small check of your watch you took in a sharp inhale. “Shit, sorry guys, my breaks almost over, Bye Finn! Bye James!”
“I’ll walk you t’your shop.”
Now this you wouldn’t pass up on. You turned back and gave a small wave to Finn as you and James walked out. The second you felt a wave of fresh air roll on you, Bucky put his arm around your shoulder. A small smile tugged on your face as our eyebrow raised. “What’cha thinkin, big guy?”
“.. There’s a lotta cars.” He muttered. The both of you were standing side by side, he was walking on the outer edge of the sidewalk while you walked on the inner. Something you didn’t even realize.
“Such a gentleman, ey, James?”
He glanced over to you, a small smile tugging at his lips as he held you close. You didn’t mind it, didn’t mind that he was warm, didn’t mind when his grip on you tightened when crossing the street, didn’t mind the momentary lingering he had before pulling away from you when you got to the shop.
“Thanks for walking me!” You pushed open the door and grabbed your apron as Bucky stood in the doorframe. He wanted to stay longer, but he didn’t want to distract you as you worked.
He nodded to your thanks and looked around the shop. It still smelled like a garden, everything still felt humid. Everything was still the same. The flowers were in neat rows but they still perfectly transitioned into one another, the small rotating seed holder was still fully stocked. You talked about how people would grab the seeds and buy them, bunches at a time, but you never let it look like that. Always wanted it to be full, just in case.
“On the house.” Shit, he didn’t even realize you were behind him. What great assassin skills guys, real good. You had a hydrangea in your hand. “It’s blue, like your eyes.”
A few beats of silence settled between you two. Bucky just stared at you as your face got increasingly hot.
“T-That was stupid! I dunno why I did that, uh- it’s just what I like to do with friends, give ‘em flowers on the house I-” He cut you off by taking the flower from your hand, all gently and he quietly examined it.
“It’s real pretty.” He muttered and held it close to his chest. “Thanks, [Name].”
“You’re welcome! I-”
Again, you were cut off, not by Bucky, but by his phone. He muttered a small curse and a “sorry” before walking a few feet away. As much as you’d love not to eavesdrop.. IT WAS SO EASY. Not like you had much to work with.
“Mhm… No, I’m out right now,went on a run.. No, I didn’t see Sam… You can tell him to suck it up. I’m not–” He groaned and stayed quiet as the other person on the line kept speaking. “I’m not- just ‘cause they screwed up shouldn’t mean-.. Ugh. Fine, you’re the captain, punk.. Yeah yeah, I’ll be back soon.”
With that he hung up the phone, glaring at it as if it just cursed everyone in his family line.
“Sorry for that, doll, it was work. Turns out next time Sam and the idiots go out, I have to go with them ‘cause they can’t do shit.” He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, calming himself before he spoke up again. “I gotta go, but I’ll text you.”
“Goodluck with uh, Sam and the idiots.” It wasn’t funny, Bucky was genuinely ticked off, but you couldn’t help but giggle. Thankfully, that seemed to ease some of his tension. His shoulders dropped as he walked over to the door, shooting a small wave to you before leaving.
Hydrangea still in hand.. It was pretty. Like you.
|| the title of this chapter makes this part seem real scary 😭😭 its not, its cutsie. also, i wanted to just show small bits of jealous bucky cz i love jealous bucky. jealous bucky WILL be getting a full part of his own later down the line.
taglist : @iyskgd , @highhopes1008