Tsalyani - Hello!

#look at how the child running in tiny (•ˆ⌣ˆ•)

Hazel Scott playing two pianos at the same damn time with ease

…

Ana Quirosa

I'm on this and I'm not sure if I like it

Once Upon a Time

Pairing: Librarian!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Summary: Happily Ever After begins in the subway. Word Count: Almost 1.7k Warnings: First meeting, swearing, unwanted advances, slight fluff, protective Bucky Barnes (he’s a warning, okay?). A/N: I need another AU like a hole in the head, but Nix's edit inspired me. @11thstreetvigilante, @sweeterthanthis , @dreamlessinparis , @musingsinmoonlight , thank you for helping me bring him to life. ❤️ Beta read by the beautiful @whisperlullaby (thank YOU as well!), but any and all mistakes are my own. Edit by Nix, divider by @rookthorne and banner by yours truly. Poem by the lovely @maladaptivexxdaydreaming from these prompts.

Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications and please reblog or comment as it means the world!

You met Bucky Barnes on an ordinary night in a quiet subway car.

There weren't many people around, which gave you a chance to sit on an empty bench and enjoy the relatively quiet ride after the long work day.

It never bothered you to ride alone. The restaurant you were meeting your friends at was only a few stops away and it was cheaper than a cab. 

Your mom told you more than once that it wasn't safe, but you argued that neither was walking home by yourself at night. Plus, you carried pepper spray. 

"If you had a boyfriend to walk you home, I wouldn't worry so much."

While you understood her reasoning, your last relationship fizzled almost as quickly as it began and that was over six months ago. You didn't need a reminder that you were single.

You briefly glanced up from your phone and reminded yourself to at least be aware of your surroundings. Which was how you found yourself staring at a handsome man standing a few feet away.

He was tall from what you could see and broad across the chest. From a casual glance, you made out that he had blue eyes behind the glasses perched on his nose. 

The brunette turned the page of the book he was holding and you couldn't help but stare at his massive hands. The leather glove that covered his left hand matched his jacket.

You had to smile when you realized he was leaning against the door which specifically said not to. The leather and relaxed stance added to the allure that maybe he was the kind of man to break the rules.

The book of poetry in his hand that you recognized, however, suggested that he was a thoughtful, deep man. Maybe he was all of those things.

If he noticed you staring, he didn't say anything. That gave you a few more seconds to ponder on how soft his short hair was before you looked away.

You couldn't remember the last time someone grabbed your attention so quickly. He hadn't even spoken to you.

Dream on. Happily Ever After doesn't begin in the subway.

If not, why did you look up to find him gazing at you? And why did he have a small smile on his face?

Don't say anything. A man that handsome probably has someone at home waiting to feel that scruff between their thighs.

"I have that book," you said before you could stop yourself. 

I hope that didn't sound like a line.

"My heart beats slowly when you look at me. When your eyes meet mine, my breath stops."

Though you were only quoting a part of a poem to him, the words rang true: You felt like you couldn't breathe as your eyes met.

His small smile stretched into a grin and you found yourself smiling back before the subway lurched to a stop. 

Whatever moment transpired between the two of you faded as the door closest to you opened. You also noticed the smile on the stranger's face faded quickly as a man stumbled in and over to the empty spot beside you.

"Hey, sweet thing," the guy smirked as he threw an arm over your shoulders. "I'm Blake."

The man had an athletic build and was good-looking, but the alcohol on his breath and leering gaze created a pit in your stomach.

"Hey yourself," you said. You carefully removed his arm and scooted away until you hit the end of the bench.

The guy didn't take the hint and he inched closer. "Nice dress."

You smiled, not wanting to cause any trouble. "Thanks."

"Bet it would look nice on my floor."

Those lines don't work on me, buster.

"It looks better in my hamper, trust me," you said as you grasped the pole beside you and stood up before he could put his arm around you again. 

"What's the rush, sweet thing?" 

"My stop is coming up."

"If you need help getting off, I'm happy to lend a hand."

"No thanks. I have two of my own," you smiled.

The handsome stranger either snorted at your joke or found a funny passage in his book. 

Blake, on the other hand, didn't seem to take the joke well as he got to his feet. "I'm just being friendly. No need to be a bitch."

The sound of whirring metal distracted you from the insult. At least, that's what you thought the sound was. 

"I'm not being a bitch. My stop is-"

"Coming up. Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, nearly falling into you as you tried to back up more. You had nowhere to go. "If you're so nice, let me walk you home."

"No, thank you," you said with a grimace as he gripped your hip to steady himself. "Maybe you should sit back down."

"Only if you sit on my lap," he smirked, making the pit in your stomach grow. "C'mon, sweet thing. You can miss your stop."

"I said 'no'," you said louder, reaching into your bag for your pepper spray.

Mom, if you can sense this or if I ever tell you this story, don't say "I told you so".

"Sit down."

The low tone from the handsome stranger made you and Blake look his way. You felt like you couldn't breathe again when you saw the anger in his eyes.

"This doesn't concern you, asshole," Blake snapped.

"She asked you to sit down. I suggest you do as she says."

Blake let go of your hip, but didn't get out of your personal space. "Fuck off."

The stranger sighed as he closed his book and pushed himself away from the door. "Sit. Down." He said, his voice lower than before.

"Or what?"

You didn't speak as your knight in leather jacket armor removed his glasses and tucked them in his pocket. "You wanna find out?"

Oh, shit. Please, don't fight. And why is it making me swoon that he's defending me?

Blake wasn't small by any means, but he didn't carry the power that your hero did. He took three steps forward and that was enough for the jerk to back away. 

"Whatever. Bitch probably doesn't put out anyway."

"Excuse me?" you asked. Why did turning someone's advances down make you a bitch?

"Do you mind holding this, please?" the man's voice warmed as he held his book out for you. Once you took it from his hand, he turned his attention to Blake.

"What the fuck?" he shouted when the brunette grabbed his hand, the one that gripped your hip, and twisted.

"Apologize," he ordered, twisting a bit more to make Blake yelp. "Now."

"Fuck, I'm sorry! Let go, let go!" Blake cried. 

"It's fine," you said as the subway began to come to a stop. "Really, I'm fine."

The stranger let go of Blake's hand and shoved him back onto the bench. "Next time someone tells you to back off, listen. And you better not get off at this stop, you understand me?"

"Got it," he said, not making eye contact as he rubbed his wrist.

The door opened for your stop and you wished you had a little bit longer to talk to the man who defended you. "Thank you," you said.

He took the book from your hand and you couldn't help but shiver as your fingertips touched his. "It was nothing."

"Sorry, this is me," you said, gripping the bag on your shoulder as you turned to get off.

I wish I didn't have to go.

"This is me, too," you heard behind you as you stepped off the train. 

"Oh," you smiled when he walked beside you. Though he was tall and clearly strong, he didn't scare you. "I really do appreciate your help."

"It was nothing," he said again, putting his left hand back in his pocket. "I saw you reaching into your bag for something, so I'm sure you could've handled him."

You nodded, thankful that he paid attention. Most would've ignored the situation. "Pepper spray."

"He would've deserved it," he chuckled. 

"He would've," you giggled as you got to the top of the steps.

"I'm Bucky," he said.

You smiled and introduced yourself, falling into a comfortable silence as he walked beside you toward the restaurant. "Thanks for waking me here."

"Oh," he sounded disappointed, but nodded. "Have a good rest of the night."

Take a chance. Say something.

"Bucky?" you asked before he could walk away. "I know you said it was nothing, but I'd like to repay you somehow for stepping in."

"You don't owe me anything."

"I want to," you said, not wanting to say you just wanted a reason to see him again. "Please?"

He took his wallet out of his back pocket to get you a card. "You wouldn't happen to have a pen, would you?"

"Oh, yeah," you said, digging one out of your bag to give to him.

"I work at the Abraham Library," he explained as he held the card and wrote something down that you couldn't see. "We could always use volunteers."

"I love to read and I'd love to help out," you promised, glancing at the front of the card with his name, number and email address after he handed it to you.

"I'll make sure it's a shift where I'm working," he said, giving you back your pen as well.

"Perfect," you smiled, gesturing to the restaurant. "I should go. I hope you have a good rest of the night, too."

"Hope to see you soon, doll."

You smiled as you headed toward the door and looked back over your shoulder. He stood there with a matching smile and didn't walk away until you went inside.

You felt light on your feet as you went to the hostess station. As you told her the name for the reservation, you looked down at the card still in your hand and flipped it over with a gasp.

"The night I beg you not let the sun rise."

It was the next part of the poem you recited to him. 

Maybe this is the start of my Happily Ever After.

We'll see the new lovebirds again soon. Love and thanks for reading!

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

This one’s for the girls.

I just had an absurd conversation.

Feel free to repost to keep away creeps.

Fiction get its inspiration in reality, reality inspires itself in fiction. It just makes sense that we can trust some parts of fictional stories, because something might actually happen!

But then, you have to wake up! You have to grow up and stop believing everything will be alright because in stories does, you grow up thinking bad things happen to bad people and if you good you will be rewarded by fate. But then, reality comes and it hits you hard.

One day you wake up and you understand that your good deeds didn't take you to your better half, they didn't lead you to a happy job where you are congratulated by being a good worker. No!

Fiction failed me, not only because it lied to me about my happy ending before my thirties with my soulmate but it failed me also because good people not always get good things, bad people not always suffer the consequences of their actions. Karma isn't real, the world is, the physical things are.

Reality is real, fiction it is not but I no longer see the inspiration they used to share! The world is getting rotten because dreams keep on dying, because people keep on thinking on ways to survive instead of ways to live.

Fiction is like a Greek goddess everyone can applaud to her beauty, but she will never completely protect you because like all Gods fiction is also egotistical they sell dreams but never tell you they're impossible!

Fiction has failed me and I can't forgive her for it, I just can't seem to find that sympathy on me to forgive her, or maybe I can't just find within myself a way to forgive myself for believing on her!

This is beautifully written but the audacity of this man?

Promise Not to Promise Anymore

Pairing: Andy Barber x reader

Warnings: Drinking, mentions of cheating, angst

Word count: 2448

A/N: This is an idea that I’ve been struggling with for a while, I’m so glad I’ve finally been able to get the words to sort themselves out. Special thank you to @krirebr for helping me so much with the process. Without you literally nothing would ever be posted here 😂. (Yes I am aware that I barely post…I’m working on it!) Any feedback that you could leave would be really appreciated. ❤️

The day had been uneventful, boring, normal. But something about the day had your skin crawling. You weren’t sure what had set you off, and yet here you were pacing. Something you only did when you were anxious.

Your phone chirped with another notification, probably one of your socials. Your anxiety had you reaching for it immediately. Seeing the name of your ex pop up on the screen had your stomach dropping immediately. Neither of you had reached out in months. The man who had blustered out of your life as fast as he had blustered in was texting you.

You threw the phone onto the couch without reading the notification. Sure you could find out immediately what he wanted if you actually read the text, instead you screamed into the throw pillow. Your mind began to run with all of the possibilities of why this man would choose now to text you. Did he want money? Was he dying? Was he texting just to let you know how little you meant to him?

The last one, it was definitely the last one.

You stood from the couch and glared at the small black rectangle that had ruined your otherwise boring day. Your phone chirped again, and you physically recoiled from the sound. Deciding a drink would help with whatever it was your ex wanted you dazedly walked to the kitchen. When you opened the fridge, your gaze immediately found the bottle of wine you had bought on a whim on the weekend. Something the lady at the grocery store had recommended since you looked so lost in the wine section. Grabbing the bottle and bypassing a glass was the best way to handle this conversation you decided.

You sat on the couch, taking a long pull from the neck of the bottle before reaching for your phone. Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves you unlocked the phone screen and tapped on the messages icon. There was his name in big bold letters: Andy. You hesitated as your finger hovered over the message, you could see his second message clearly Are you too busy to talk now? Maybe you could just not read it. Or read them and never respond. Or read them and respond later.

You hated every single one of those options, because you knew as soon as you opened these messages you’d be responding immediately. You took another long pull from your bottle, and placed the phone back down beside you. You needed your mind to stop. The thinking, the over-thinking, it was too much. You flipped on the TV to distract yourself and curled up like a cat. Your phone chirped again from under a throw pillow, and you pointedly ignored it.

You weren’t ready to deal with Andy. You had thought when he ended things that you would never hear from him again. Devastated. That was the only word you could use to describe how you felt after he left. You still didn’t even understand why he had ended things, only that he clearly hadn’t felt as strongly as you did about him.

There was another chirp that had you sighing and grabbing for your phone. You had to deal with it, or he wouldn’t stop. That was Andy. You pulled up the messages anticipating at least a double text, but completely unprepared for all the messages he had sent you,

I know this is out of the blue, but I need to speak to you.

Are you too busy to talk now?

Please Honey, I need to talk to you.

It’s important.

Honey…

Of course, the man could double text you, but would refuse to supply what he actually wanted to speak to you about. You typed out several potential responses before deciding on something polite but to the point.

Andy, I can talk. What’s going on?

You didn’t have to wait long for Andy’s equally to the point response.

Can I call you?

You stared at the message for a moment. You knew you couldn’t hear his voice, it would take you right back to where you were. All those months ago when he broke your heart. All the hurt, and the anger, it would be right there.

As you debated what to say, your phone began to ring. The man had absolutely no patience. You stared at his name, and without thinking answered the phone.

“Hello…” You sat and waited for him to say his peace, how bad could it be.

”Honey, I’m sorry.” You shuddered as Andy’s voice came through the phone. You forgot how his deep timbre had always made you feel comforted, and safe, and warm. “How are you doing? I know I shouldn’t be…I don’t…Are you okay?”

You hesitated before you answered. Months ago you would’ve known exactly what to say to Andy to make him feel better. Now it felt like you were talking to a stranger. “I’m fine Andy. Why are you hammer messaging me?”

Andy chuckled lightly, and you smiled at the lilting notes. “You haven’t changed.” Your eye twitched at that comment. “I just, I needed to hear your voice, Honey.”

”So you messaged me repeatedly?” You could hear the annoyance in your tone, which meant that Andy could hear it ten times louder.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this…” Andy trailed off and sighed. You huffed and pulled the phone away from your ear for a moment so you could murmur your annoyance to yourself.

”Just say it Andy, why did you reach out? Why are we on the phone?” You pulled at the threads on the throw pillow under your arm.

“I miss you.”

You felt the air leave your lungs. You couldn’t have heard him right. He missed you? No, no he was dying, or broke, or literally anything else.

“You-what?” You spluttered out the only thought that came to your mind.

Andy chuckled nervously, “I miss you. I miss your smile, and your laugh. I miss the way your forehead pinches when you’re focused. I miss the way you would take care of me. The moment I ended things? I knew I had made a mistake, and so I told myself that it was kinder to you, to just move on.”

You sat there in silence, shocked at his sudden declarations. “Why, why did you end things? What happened? Andy, I loved you so much, and then out of nowhere you just up and ended things.”

You heard Andy sigh on the other end of the phone. You could picture him scrubbing his hand down his face and scratching at the beard hairs on his chin. His nervous habit. “I got scared, I think.” He chuckled again, “I know it’s not a good excuse…”

You rolled your eyes. “That’s a terrible excuse Andy. What scared you? That I loved you? That I wanted to be a part of your life? Please tell me, what exactly scared you so badly that you ended the best relationship I’ve ever had?”

You slapped a hand over your mouth. You hadn’t meant to let all of that out.

There was a long drawn out silence. “I think it was how strongly I felt about you. I was…scared of what that meant. Before I met you I thought I knew what love was. I was sure I had felt it. But once that feeling truly hit me? I couldn’t actually function.” Andy sighed again, “This isn’t coming out right.”

You took another long pull off of your bottle of wine. You let Andy’s words roll over in your mind. Could he actually be telling the truth? His love for you was so strong that he got scared. It just didn’t seem right, there was something else, there had to be.

“So what you’re saying is, our love was too much for you?” Your tone rang with annoyance and a little bit of desperation. You remembered any time you had tried to get something out of Andy that he didn’t want to tell you, how carefully you’d have to tread, otherwise he would shut down. As much as you wanted to tell him off, end the call and block his number forever. There was still a part of you that needed to know the real reason, so before Andy could respond you continued. “Andy, as much as I love this game of cat and mouse we’re playing, where it’s like pulling teeth to get information out of you,” You heard him softly chuckle on the other end of the line, “I just need the truth, maybe it will hurt me, maybe it won’t but I need it.”

There was a long silence on the line. Although it made you nervous and want to say something to fill it, you sat and sipped on your slowly warming wine while you waited for his response. Your bluntness would have one of two effects: either he would fold and tell you what you wanted, no needed to know, or he would shut down and it would be months, if ever, before you heard from him again.

His heavy sigh preceded his response, “You’re right, and wrong.” He paused as if he was gathering his thoughts. “It is true that the feeling of love between us scared me, but it’s also that it scared me so much that…”

”That what?” You knew what he was going to say, felt it deep within your soul. Your heart was about to be broken by Andy Barber once again, and what was worse, you had practically asked him to do it this time.

”I slept with someone else. It only happened once, but it was before I ended things.”

“I see.” It was all you could get out. You could feel the twisting in your chest again, the anger burning behind your eyes, the tears welling and choking you with their strength.

”I’m so sorry Honey. As soon as it was over I knew I had fucked up. But I also knew if that I couldn’t be with you still, it wasn’t fair to you.” You could hear the pleading in his voice, and it only made the anger burn stronger. Like his words had lit a match and poured kerosene over top.

“So you called me now, to…what? Make yourself feel better?” Your breathing was hard, almost panting in your anger.

”I don’t know why I’m calling. I just know that I’ve regretted that decision ever since. I miss what you brought to my life: the pure joy, the love I could feel down to my core.” Andy’s voice was strained. It was only then that you realized he was crying.

”Are you drunk Andy?” It was the only time you had ever seen him cry, when he had one too many with the boys after work.

”No, I swear. I promise Honey, I haven’t had a drink tonight.”

You took another sip of wine. Contemplating the truth in Andy’s words, the burn of his betrayal. This was just too much.

“Well I’m glad you’ve finally told me the truth Andy. Even if it is months later.” You hugged your throw pillow to your chest as you prepared yourself to say the words that you knew would hurt him as much as they would hurt you. “I can’t forgive you, for any of it. Please, just leave me alone.”

Before you could second guess your decision, you hung up the phone. You stared blankly at the TV screen, not even remembering what you had put on in the first place. What shook you from your reverie was a dull thud from your door. Like someone had just planted their forehead against it.

You stood and quickly crossed the room to check what the noise was. It was only once your hand was on the handle you knew: Andy. You unlocked the door, and twisted the handle slowly, knowing the man who had destroyed you not once, but twice was standing on the other side.

When your eyes connected with his, you could feel all of the love, joy and affection come flooding back. It took everything within you to not jump into his arms and sob until you had nothing left. Instead you gripped the doorframe like it was the only thing holding you up.

”Honey…” Andy’s voice was just above a whisper, so quiet that you weren’t even sure you heard it. His hands reached out and thumbed at the tears quietly streaming down your face. “Oh Honey, I’m so sorry.”

With that he pulled you against his chest. You could smell the high end cologne he wore to work, and the underlying scent of pure Andy. The warmth of his chest and his arms wrapping around your back had you losing all control. You sobbed with abandon into his neck, no words leaving your lips. Andy scooped you up and walked you both into your apartment. Using his foot to shut the door behind him.

He sat down on your couch, with you tucked against his chest and began murmuring quietly to you. You couldn’t make out most of it, but did catch the odd word. “Shh Honey.” “I know, I’m so sorry.” “Just let it out, okay?”

When you finally felt like you could cry no more, you pulled your face from Andy’s neck. You could feel how swollen your eyes were, in fact your whole face felt puffy. “I still don’t forgive you.”

Andy let out a full belly laugh at your meekly spoken words. To which you glared at him and crossed your arms across your chest.

”Okay, okay.” He wheezed in a breath, “I’m sorry Honey. Please just give me a chance to make it up to you. Even if that means I don’t get to feel your love again, let me just try to make this right.”

You reached out and stroked his cheek. Feeling his soft skin contrast with the roughness of his beard. You could see the dark circles under his eyes, see the grayness of his skin. “I need time Andy.”

He sighed, and let his eyes flutter shut. “Of course Honey, whatever you need.”

You reluctantly stood from his embrace, “Please leave Andy, I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

He nodded solemnly. Andy stood, he moved to hug you, but you took a few steps out of his reach. He nodded again before heading for the door.

”Honey?” His back was still to you.

”Yeah?”

”I still love you, more than anything. And I promise to do everything I can to show you that.”

”Andy, maybe we should both promise not to promise anymore.”

Taglist: @stargazingfangirl18 @krirebr @rebeccapineapple @precious1610 @bval-1 @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @thezombieprostitute