Dain Aetos Masterlist

Yet another wonderful piece of work!💕

Wooden Birds Pt2 (John Price X Fem!Reader)

Summary ~ Kate Laswell calls you in to help track down stolen missiles.

Disclaimer ~ I do not own Modern Warfare or any of its characters.

Word Count ~ 8k

Warnings ~ COD violence, blood, injuries, choking (not the fun kind), Mild PTSD,

Modern Warfare Masterlist

John Price Masterlist

Part 1

A/n ~ first 6k words are what I got edited, the rest is just kinda edited. Enjoy

SEMI UNEDITED

••••••

It was the middle of the night when Kate Laswell called you, the loud music playing from your phone causing you to gasp quietly and wake up. The light from your phone screen illuminated the dark hotel room around you and makes you squint while you struggled to read the name on your phone.

“Kate?” You asked groggily as you reached over to flip on the lamp and sit up.

“Y/n, I hope I'm not waking you up?” Kate’s voice sounded from the phone as you held it to your ear.

You rubbed your eyes, “Don't worry about it.” You pushed the white sheets of your body and let the cool air hit your skin, “I assume you're not calling just to catch up?”

“How soon can you get to Amsterdam?”

“Amsterdam? Uh, two maybe three hours.” You leaned back against the headboard and stared at the black screen of the tv at the other end of the room, “May I ask why?”

“I’ll brief you when we meet up, I'll text you the address,” Kate said quickly, a few voices speaking in the background, “Price is already on the ground there with Sergeant Garrick, they'll be meeting up with us.”

You looked over at your bags sitting against the wall, “John? What’s he doing in Amsterdam?”

“Business trip.”

You knew what that meant.

“Send me the address Kate, I'll be there as soon as I can.” You said while climbing off the bed and looking for your pants.

“Thank you Y/n.” Kate said a moment before a text from her with an address, “I'll see you in a few hours.”

So with that, you ended the phone call and began gathering your belongings from where they were scattered around the small room. The only sound to fill the room was the quiet humming of the AC unit below the window, the soothing noise had been what lulled you to sleep only a few hours ago.

You grabbed your duffle bag from the floor and heaved it onto the bed before digging around inside for a change of clothes. You knew if Kate was calling you to meet with her and John it was likely going to involve guns and fighting, so you settled for an outfit that was easy to move in, black jeans and a black short sleeve mock neck.

It had been a few months since you had last seen John, he stayed in contact with you as much as possible but due to the nature of your jobs, you could sometimes go months without seeing or hearing from one another.

You and John were super close, you had been for a long time, after everything the two of you had gone through you supposed it was expected for you to grow closer. Kate Laswell paired you both together frequently because of how well you both worked with one another, a lot of times it was like you didn't even need to speak for the other to understand what they were saying. You worked seamlessly together on and off the field.

Even though you knew you had likely been called to meet Kate and John because something had gone wrong you couldn't help but be a bit relieved that you would get to see him, you had missed him.

After gathering all of your clothes and other items you shoved them all into your duffle bag and ran to the bathroom to wash your face and fix your hair, bedhead never made for the best field hair.

It didn't take long for you to be out the door and check out of the hotel. Your car chirped at the far end of the parking lot as you pressed the unlock button on your keys, your duffle bag hanging from your hand and your backpack slung over your shoulder as you walked toward it.

You check the address Kate had sent you and pulled it up on your GPS, it was a parking garage near the center of Amsterdam, you always did like an obscure meeting location.

•••

“Alright, Kate, what's going on?” You asked as you pushed your hands into the pockets of your denim jacket and walked over to where she was leaning against the wall.

Kate did a quick scan of the area with her eyes, confirming that you were both alone before speaking, “Hassan Zyani, you know him?”

You furrowed your brows, “I know the name, what about him?”

“He has American missiles.”

The loud bustling of the streets outside was flowing around the garage as you leaned back against the door of your car.

“How the hell did he get those?”

Kate shrugged, “I don't know, what I do know is he's using Narcos to smuggle things through Amsterdam, John found out where they're having a meeting and he's headed there now.”

“He’s been busy.” You raised a brow.

Kate pushed off the wall and walked to her van that was parked beside you, “You're meeting him at Cafe Gracht, that's where the meeting is happening, Kyle and I are going to move in and take care of any cartel guards in our way.” She slid open the door on the side of the van, “Once we get our guy we’re getting out of here so we can get some answers from him.”

Kate turned back to you and handed a silenced pistol to you, “Cafe Gratch? It close?” You turned the weapon over in your hand before tucking it into the waistband of your pants and pulling your jacket over it.

“Just around the block.”

“Laswell!” A male voice came from the other end of the garage causing both you and Kate to turn your heads toward it.

You smiled when you saw Kyle walking toward you, “Gaz! It's been a while.” You greeted him with a wave as he walked over to you both.

Kyle walked up beside you and smiled, his elbow moving out to nudge your side in greeting, “Alright ladies?”

The contact made your body tense up and caused you to instinctually lean away from him.

You had a weird relationship with physical touch, you didn't always recoil from it, but after what happened in Russia whenever someone touched you whether it was an accident or not it made your skin crawl and your head roar.

“Keeping the captain out of trouble Gaz?” You raised a brow at him.

He grinned, “I try my best.” He shrugged.

“Anything else I need to know Kate?” You looked back at her.

She glanced down at her watch, “Their meeting is in fifteen minutes, you should get going.” She handed you a small earpiece, “Keep in contact.”

You nodded and put the earpiece in, “See you guys soon.” You waved at them both before turning on your heel and walking off toward the busy streets outside.

Amsterdam was a beautiful place, you had been here many times over the years but you had yet to come for anything other than business.

You remembered when you were little your father would tell you stories about all of the places he would visit when he was in the military. You always thought it was so cool that he got to go to so many different places, and now here you were following in his footsteps and you couldn't help but wonder if he would be proud of you or not.

As you walked your eyes scanned the streets around you, your gaze settling on every face that you passed trying to assess whether or not they were a threat. The weight of the gun under your coat makes you all too aware of how exposed you are on the streets should something go wrong.

“John, Y/n, comms check.” Kate’s voice sounded in your ear.

You glanced around once more before speaking, “I hear you.”

“Copy Kate.” John’s rough voice followed yours.

You looked around but you had yet to see John anywhere among the crowds, “I'm almost to the cafe John, where are you?”

“Turn around.”

You froze and whirled around, your eyes settling on the familiar face, “I hope you weren't planning on sneaking up on me John.” You frowned as you stood still and waited for him to catch up to you.

“I wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart.” He gave you a small smile before stopping in front of you.

John knew how you were about people touching you, so he never initiated it because he knew sometimes you just didn't like it, even from him. Something about John though never bothered you, so more often than not you would greet him with a quick hug that he would gladly return.

You smiled and moved forward, wrapping your arms around his torso and squeezing him tight. John’s arms moved around your back as he squeezed you right back, the hug only lasted for a couple of seconds before you both pulled away from each other and John started walking.

“Kate brief you?” He asked while down over at you.

You nodded, “Missing merchandise?”

“Correct.”

You could feel John’s eyes on you as you walked into the small square and headed for the cafe across the way, his gaze burning into the side of your head as you approached the tables outside. John moved ahead of you and pulled the chair out for you, a quick grin flashing across his face as he moved to the other side of the table and sat down.

“Nice cafe Kate.” You spoke while looking across the table at John, acting as if you were just speaking to him.

“We’re in position watcher.” John said as his eyes drifted over to the table beside you, “two at the table to my three o'clock, one cartel and one Iranian.”

You followed his gaze and noted the men he was talking about.

“How cozy.” Kate said, “What are they up to?”

“Transaction of some kind from the looks of it.” You said while crossing your ankles in front of you under the table.

“Electronically?” kate asked.

“Affirm.” John clasped his hands together on the table.

“They're paying the cartel for something.” Kyle chimed in.

You nodded even though he couldn't see, “We need to figure out what.

“Security?” Gaz asked again.

You noticed John’s eyes move behind you and scan around the square, “Several.”

“I'll deal with them.”

You smirked.

“Well don't take all the fun eh?” John raised a brow.

“Copy, coming your way now.”

You looked across the table and made note of the small changes to his appearance, his beard was trimmed differently than it usually was and he had switched out his usual bucket hat for a grey beanie.

While you kept your eyes on John and the scenery around you both you kept all of your focus on the table to your left, the men sitting around it were talking rather loudly about their plan to move cargo later on tonight.

“0-6, sitrep?” Kate spoke after a few minutes of silence on their end.

John turned his head away from the men when he spoke, “Talking timeline.”

“When are they moving?”

“Tonight.” You told her.

A sigh could be heard through the comms before she spoke again, “Stay on ‘em, we need to know what it is and where it's going.”

“Copy.” John looked over at you with his brows lowered.

You glanced around at the other people around you, a lot of civilians, too many casualties if this went south.

As you listened to the men beside you talk your stomach sank when you heard them mention their cargo, Hassan Zyani headed for the US. A quick glance across the table to meet John’s eyes was all you needed to know he had heard it too.

“Watcher 1.” John looked away from the men, “The cargo is human, one VIP bound for the US.”

“Who John?”

You brought your clasped hands up to rest in front of your mouth, “Major Hassan Zyani.” You informed her.

Kate cursed, “That means he's in Mexico.” Her and Gaz exchanged a few words before she continued, “We need to roll up our cartel friend for a talk.” You knew what kind of talk she meant.

John eyed you carefully, “If Hassan gets a missile anywhere near the US there will be a death toll.” John warned.

“There’s guards all over him, what's the call?” Gaz asked.

You looked around at the crowded square, “There could be more guards here that we don't know about.”

“There’s no time to case the area.” Kate said, “We need a distraction.”

John raised a brow, “I've got something.”

You borrowed your brows and looked at him.

“Meet at the cafe Gaz.” He leaned back against the back of his chair.

You glared over at him with a silent question that he refused to answer as Gaz rounded the corner and walked up beside the table.

John reached his hand under the table and looked up at Gaz, “Take it.”

“The bloody hell is this?” Gaz asked as he grabbed the decoy grenade from his hand.

You weren't even going to ask John why he had that with him.

“Decoy grenade, it'll work,” John told him, “Price to Laswell, let's kick this off.”

As Gas walked away you raised a brow at John, “I don't think I want to know why you had that with you.”

A moment later Kate spoke again, “When panic starts to spread that's when the cartel moves in.”

“And that’s where we come in.” You added.

You sat back in your chair and waited for the chaos the erupt, your eyes bouncing around to look at different people as you tapped your fingers along your thighs.

“You ready Y/n?” John asked quietly as he stood from his chair.

Before you could respond the loud sounds of the decoy grenade came from the alley Gaz had taken it.

“That's our queue.” You sighed and stood.

People around you had begun to panic after hearing the loud noise, men and women getting up from the cafe and moving to leave along with the cartel members. So, you and John moved to follow behind him as Gaz informed you he was on his way.

You pulled your gun from your waistband and moved up on one of the guards while John went for your target. The guard you were going for turned around but before he could react you drove your elbow up into his nose and fired a shot into his chest, dropping him to the ground.

John grabbed the man he was going for and held his gun to his back, “Shut your mouth, follow me.” He hissed in his ear.

“Watcher, package is secure and we are headed your way.” You spoke into your ear while stepping behind John to watch his back as he lead the man forward.

Two men ran around the corner of a building with their guns drawn and you immediately raised yours, “John, move now!” You yelled back at him as you fired at the two men, “Gaz give him cover!” You ducked behind the tree along the street and shot at another cartel member.

John pushed the man behind a trash can and ducked with him, “Watcher-1 we are taking fire, three hostiles to our south!” John’s voice boomed in your ear as you shot at another man, your bullets hitting their mark and dropping him to the ground.

The three of you successfully took out the cartel members by the time Kate spoke again, “Alright you guys, police are on their way and they're three minutes out. We need to wrap this up.”

You noticed the SUV pull up down the street with Kate in the driver's seat and hauled yourself to your feet. Your knee aching slightly from where you had dropped onto it while shooting and you were sure it would be bruised later.

John pushed the man down onto the ground and climbed on top of him, using his legs to hold his arms at his side while he called for Gaz to bring the syringe he had.

While they took care of him you kept your eyes on the square, most of the people who were there had run as soon as the gunfire started but there were still a few that hung around and made you a bit nervous.

“Y/n, let's go!” John called from behind you.

You turned around and saw John and Kyle drag the now unconscious man to his feet, both of them draping his arms over their shoulder so they could move him toward the SUV Kate had brought. You ran in front of them while tucking your gun away and opened the back door so the guys could put the man in the back seat.

Once he was in the seat Gaz moved around to the other side and climbed into the back row of seats while John told you to take shotgun and he sat next to your new friend.

“Good job everyone.” Kate looked over at you and then back at the guys before speeding off down the street, “We need to find where they're moving Hassan and intercept him.”

You settled back in your seat and rubbed your palm over your knee.

“We’ll wake him up and have a little chat,” John said from behind you.

“How do you know he’ll talk?” Gaz asked from the back seat.

Kate let out a breathy chuckle, “I can be very persuasive.”

•••

You hate to admit it but this was far from the first time you found yourself in a warehouse with a man tied to a chair, it was a shockingly regular occurrence for you.

The cold metal of the shipping container you were leaning against had bled through your coat onto your back sending a chill down your spine. Your arms were crossed over your chest and your eyes were fixed on the man tied to the chair, his head drooped forward and his chin pressed against his chest.

“How long is that stuff supposed to last Kate?” You asked while keeping your eyes on the man.

Kate looked up from where she stood next to John, the two of them going over a few things on her laptop.

“Shouldn't last too much longer.” She told you.

John left her side and walked over to you, his posture straight as he stopped in front of you, “You want to go keep watch outside?” He asked quietly, keeping his voice low so only you could hear him.

You looked behind him at the man slumped over in the chair, “That alright?”

He nodded, “Yeah, the three of us can handle it.”

“Thanks.” You gave him a short smile, “How did Hassan get the missiles?” You changed the subject.

“Don't know, right now Shephard is only worried about getting them back,” John explained.

You scoffed, “General Shephard.” You pushed off the wall you were leaning against, “Who else do we have on this?” You raised a brow at him.

“Sergeant MacTavish and Lieutenant Riley.”

“Soap and Ghost eh?”

John crossed his arms over his chest, “They're the ones who found the missiles.”

“John, you ready?” Kate spoke up from behind you both.

John studied your face for a moment longer before turning away from you, “Let's talk to our new friend yeah?”

You excused yourself and walked out of the warehouse just as the man’s screams started to echo around the building. You set your gaze on the small stack of crates outside the door and walked over to sit on top of them, the sounds inside the warehouse dulling when the door clicked closed behind you.

Crossing your legs in front of you, you leaned back against the metal wall behind you. You tuned out the sounds of the screaming inside as best you could but no matter how hard you tried you could still hear it.

Despite the cold temperature outside your skin still started to feel clammy, your chest feeling hot as you pressed your head back against the wall. You quickly slipped your jacket off so you were left in just your shirt, your arms now exposed to the chill air making your body start to cool down.

You sighed and looked down at your arms, your eyes landing on the large indent along your forearm. The pale scar in the shape of a bite mark was a permanent reminder of why you couldn't handle interrogations anymore.

The first time you had been present for an investigation after what happened in Russia had been a complete shit show.

It was nearly a year after you had been cleared for field work again, your mission was infiltrating a terrorist cell with a group of men. Everything went perfectly and you had your man, but soon as the interrogation started and the man started screaming it was like your mind just shut down and all you could think about was being back in that room with Barkov.

You had been sent back to base and weren't allowed back in the field for another month when the shrinks cleared you again.

John knew all about how much interrogations affected you, so whenever he was there he made sure to excuse you from them.

Absentmindedly you started running your fingers along the large dented scar on your arm, the uneven texture beneath your fingertips allowing you to take your mind off of the man inside and the way he was screaming.

Your eyes scanned the area around you, the large stacks of shipping containers and the water that ran alongside the warehouse, the dock had been mostly empty when you arrived which was why you settled on this location.

Slow even breaths fell from your lips as you focused on the cool air around you and let your eyes wander around the docks. The stacks of shipping containers acted as walls around you and blocked your view, but they also blocked you from the view of others.

The door opened to your left and your eyes snapped over to it only to see Kyle walking out with his hands raised slightly.

“Didn't mean to startle you.” He cringed slightly.

You waved him off, “Don't worry about it,” You assured him it was fine, “How are things in there?” You nodded toward the wall.

“Kate was right about being persuasive.” Kyle’s eyes flickered down to your scarred arm, “Price sent me to come and get you.”

You nodded and hopped down off the crate, swinging your jacket over your arm to cover the scar from view, “They get what we needed from him?”

He held the door open, “Yes ma'am.”

“Good.”

Following Kyle inside your eyes landed on the man who was once again unconscious in the chair, this time he was covered in sweat and his hands were bleeding, you pulled your eyes from him and looked at John.

“Well?” Your voice bounced around off of the metal containers.

John walked over to you, “They're taking Hassan across the border tonight.” He explained.

You frowned, “We can't get there in time, do we have anyone stationed there we can trust?” You looked back at Kate who was already on the phone me with someone.

“Laswell knows someone.” John noticed your jacket slung over your arm, “You alright?”

Kyle must have taken that as his queue to leave because he walked over to join Kate.

“I'm good.” You nodded.

John knew you better than that though, “How much did you hear?” He stepped closer to you so he was blocking the man in the chair from your view.

“Enough, I'm good though.” You put on a smile, “don't worry.”

“You sure?” He motioned to the way you had your arm covered.

You nodded.

•••

Everything that happened in the next twenty-four hours seemed to go by in slow motion even though you were rushing around for most of it.

Kate had enlisted the help of an old friend of hers, Colonel Alejandro Vargas with the Mexican special forces. Shepherd had sent Soap and Ghost to met up with Colonel Vargan in Las Almas where they had tracked Hassan.

Hassan was holed up in a cartel safe house and after a run-in with the Mexican army who was working with The cartel, the group finally managed to capture Hassan and get him into their custody along with the help of Shadow Company.

After questioning Hassan in the middle of nowhere and going through everything on his phone the guys, unfortunately, had to let Hassan go after Kate told them to. Keeping him would have been taken as an act of war and that was not something that they wanted. So ultimately Hassan was released after everything they went through to get him.

His phone did prove to be useful however and you were able to find out about an old fish hatchery that was being used by the cartel as a smuggling front.

Kate had formulated a plan for infiltrating the hatchery, she would be out in the water on a boat while You, Kyle, and John were on the ground. From the boat, Kate would be able to watch the coast for them and provide exfil when you were ready.

John had pushed back against her a bit, the idea of Kate being left alone not sitting well with any of you. So, you volunteered to stay on the boat with her, and that was enough to ease John’s nerves.

Before you set off for the hatchery John had pulled you aside his hand loosely holding your arm for a second before he dropped it, “be safe out there yeah?” He looked down at you.

You nodded, “I will if you will.”

“Deal.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the top of your head before quickly pulling back, “See you on the other side.”

With the lingering feeling of John’s lips on your skin, you and Kate went on your way while John and Kyle went their own way.

“Watcher 1 to bravo, we’re in position half a click off the coast, and the structures are visible. What's your status?” Kate asked as she stared down the scope of her gun at the coastline.

You shifted your hips so you were resting on one knee as you held your own gun in your hand, your eyes moving to look down the scope at the various structures on the hill.

“We are set at our firing point, eyes on a pair of armed targets hiding in the field.” Price’s hushed voice came through your earpiece.

Kate leaned away from her rifle, “You're green-lit, execute when able.”

“Stand by.”

The two of you waited in silence for the guys to check in again, nearly a minute went by before you spoke.

“Bravo, what do you have?” You moved your scope to the top of the hill, “Bravo how copy?” You spoke again.

“Solid Watcher, two down,” John said.

Kate nodded, “copy that, move forward, and see what you can find.”

As the two of you waited on the boat you kept your eye on the hatchery where several armed cartel members were milling about, you made note of the few unarmed civilians you saw as well. There were three main structures along The hill, two large warehouse-like buildings, and the lighthouse that was closer to the top of the hill.

“Bravo-6, what's your status?” Kate asked again, she wanted to keep close tabs on the guys since they were on their own up there.

“We’ve got transports moving north of our position,” John informed her.

“One of them is hauling a container, it may have the missiles.” Kyle chimed in.

Both you and Kate shared a look, “Copy, that's what we’re here for.” Kate stepped away from her gun and let it rest along the railing, “We are moving along the coast for a better view, stay on it.”

You leaned back on your heels as Kate moved to the controls, the engine of the bit roaring to life a moment before she drove it farther up the coast and closer to the lighthouse.

As you waited you listened to John and Gaz talk, the two of them bouncing back and forth about different reasons why cartels and terrorists would be working together.

“What’s the common ground?” Kyle asked

You leaned back against the side of the boat, “Territory and fresh blood, they can both help each other out.” You explained.

“They both attract the youth, always a long line of new recruits.” Kate said as she turned the boat off again and walked back to join you on the floor.

You looked up at the cloud-covered sky, your eyes finding different shapes in the clouds before you turned your attention back to the coast. You noticed the trucks that John had mentioned earlier coming up over the top of the hill and heading down toward one of the buildings.

The sound of the water lapping against the side of the boat reminded you of the white noise you would play to help yourself sleep sometimes. After all the years you had spent sleeping on base and sleeping around other people you had grown used to the noise and often found yourself unable to fall asleep if it was quiet.

“I think it's going to rain Kate.” You hummed as you pulled away from your scope once more.

You saw her look over at you out of the corner of your eye, “What makes you say that?”

“My arm is tingling.” You deadpanned.

She stared at you, “Seriously?”

You smirked, “No, look at the clouds.”

Kate sighed loudly and you knew she was rolling her eyes, “Smart Alek.”

“Laswell?” Kyle spoke through the comms.

Kate sat up on her knees and pulled away from her rifle, “Talk to me, Garrick.”

“You done this before?”

You furrowed your brows at the question.

“Mmm, many times sergeant, since you were in diapers.” Kate hummed.

You it back a laugh.

“Well, in fairness, he was probably potty trained by then Kate…” John said, and you could tell he was smirking slightly just from his tone.

“Still am sir.” Kyle chuckled.

You grinned, “Remind us to check your ghillie suite when we are done eh? Yours too John.”

“You're on Y/n.”

“This is going to be in my final report you know.” Kate reminded you.

•••

“Watcher this is Bravo, we are moving into the tunnel now.” John informed you.

You leaned back in the seat behind the boat’s controls, “Be careful you two.”

“Remember, we are a small team so if they call in reinforcements it goes real bad real quick.” Kate cautioned.

“Just get down in those tunnels, check around for the missiles, and get out alright?” You rested your rifle across your lap and eyed the water around you with wary eyes.

“Copy that.” John said before the comms went silent again.

Both of the main hatchery buildings had been empty, the only thing Gaz found inside were some blueprints of a tunnel system beneath the lighthouse. So, that's where he and John were headed.

On the horizon, you noticed a handful of boats heading straight for you and waved Kate over.

“Watcher to Bravo, be advised multiple boats approaching our position,” Kate said while keeping her gaze on the boats.

“You need help?” Kyle asked.

You furrowed your brows, “could be fishermen, stay on mission you two.”

Slowly the group of boats got closer and closer to your position, you and kate quickly stowed your weapons out of view in case they were just fishermen but kept them within reach in case they weren't.

You counted three boats altogether.

“Moving down to the next level of tunnels, you two okay?” John asked after a few minutes of silence.

Kate leaned against the wall beside you, “Boats are still closing, no trouble yet.”

A long sigh could be heard from John through the comms, “I don't like this.”

You looked down at your boots, “Comes with the job I'm afraid John.” You sighed, “We’ll be fine.”

Keeping your eyes on the boat you couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling in your stomach, it was like something was trying to tell you that something was wrong.

As the boats got closer you noticed the men on board, all of them armed.

“Kate, I think we have problems here.” You looked over at her.

John spoke through the comms to tell you the cave they found was empty and you could see the frustration in Kate’s eyes.

“We are directly across from that cave John, we’ve got trouble out here.” She told him while you moved to grab your rifle again.

“Boats are closing in, looks like AQ.” You cursed and moved to duck below the edge of the boat just as the gunfire started from the boats.

Two boats came up on either side of yours and men started jumping on board, you fired at them and dropped two before a man came up behind you and grabbed you. A loud grunt left your lips as you pulled the knife from your belt and swung it backward sinking the blade into his head and causing him to loosen his hold on you.

Once you were free you pulled your knife from his head and turned to find Kate, your eyes landed on her being picked up by two men and pulled onto their boat.

“Kate!” You yelled and moved to grab the pistol the man had dropped.

You fired at one of the men holding her when a sharp pain went through the side of your arm as a bullet grazed your skin, you continued to shoot until the gun ran out of ammo and Kate was out of view.

Another pair of arms wrapped around you and held your arms tight against your side so you could fight back, you moved to drop your weight forward to the ground in an attempt to throw them off of you but an arm wrapped aroud your neck and squeezed.

You reached behind you and tried to claw at your attacker's face to get them off of you but it was no use, they only squeezed harder.

Black spots floated around your vision as you fought to stay awake, John’s voice echoing in your head as he yelled at you through the comms.

The last thing you heard before your vision went black was him cursing and calling your name again.

•••

They were taking you to Al Mazrah, that much you had gathered in the short periods that you were conscious. You hadn't seen Kate since they grabbed her from the boat and you were beginning to worry they had killed her.

You were less worried about yourself and more worried about her as they loaded you up into the back of an armored truck with three armed guards, all of whom had guns pointed at you.

You knew all too well that if they got you across the border into Al Mazrah you would likely never be found, that fact sat like a ton of bricks in the pit of your stomach.

As you sat with your hands cuffed to the floor you stared at your wrists, the old scars wrapped around them in the same place the cuffs sat earning your whole attention. You forced your mind to go somewhere else as the men around you shattered back and forth in Arabic, your knowledge of the language wasn't the best but you were able to make out that they were talking about you.

It didn't take long for you to zone out completely as you stared down at your wrists, your mind working on overdrive to try and figure out a way out of your current situation. Any solutions you worked up ended with you getting shot and killed.

Your breathing was slow and even as you reminded yourself how to breathe, your mind took you anywhere but where you were squished between two armed men.

The truck around you bounced around as it drove over the bumpy ground, the men beside you continuously pressing against your arms making you tense up.

The truck was too small.

Too cramped.

You counted slowly in your head as your breathed to keep yourself calm.

Inhale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Hold, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Exhale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

You repeated this over and over in your head like it was your mantra, the simple act of breathing slowly being enough to keep your mind and body calm.

The sound of the truck engine roaring around you was an almost soothing sound, it helped to calm your mind as you breathed.

From the front of the truck, you heard the driver yell back at the three men who were with you, something about rebels moving in from the north.

You furrowed your brows and listened closely to what they were saying, you could only make out bits and pieces of their conversation but you gathered that the Urzikstan rebels were moving in on the caravan.

Farah.

You straightened your back and stared at the man across from you, your eyes dropping to his gun.

“What are you looking at?” He hissed while looking down his nose at you.

You knew that if Farah was coming it was likely because John had enlisted her help, that fact alone gave you a bit of hope that you would get out of this.

A loud explosion sounded from somewhere at the back of the caravan, the force of it shaking the truck around you.

The guards at your sides tightened their grip on their guns as you felt the truck lurch forward and speed up, Farah’s forces were closing in.

You tilted your head up and bit back the pained grunt that caught in your throat, the skin around your neck was still sore from being choked on the boat and you were sure it was bruised as well.

The sounds of motorcycles outside the truck earned your attention as well as the guards, their eyes moving back to look out the small windows along the truck before giving each other nervous glances.

They were afraid, that much was clear.

You gently pulled up on your arms to test the cuffs, the chain attached to the floor pulling the metal down against your skin. You tugged a little harder and noticed the slight give in the chain, the cuffs loosening up just slightly but it was enough to tell you that if you pulled hard enough you could break the chain loose from the floor.

As the truck made a sharp turn you were forced to lean against the man beside you, your mind recoiling at the contact and you forced yourself to sit upright.

The truck sped up once more and the roaring of the engine grew louder and louder, and so did the gunfire and the explosions.

You knew the truck was getting closer to the border and that meant time was running out, John and Farah could follow you over it.

You barely had time to process what was happening when the truck was hit by another vehicle, the force of the impact was enough to push the truck up onto one set of wheels and tip it onto its side.

The men around you cursed loudly as you were all thrown forward, the action making your wrists pull against the chain hard enough for it to break away from the floor and the chain dropped against your head.

You didn't waste a single second and immediately moved to grab hold of one of the guard's rifles, as soon as the weapon was in your cuffed hands you shot at the man in front of you.

The sound of the man’s cries being cut short as you shot him in the chest filled the truck as the other two guards scrambled for their weapons. You were faster than them though and pushed yourself upright so you could aim at them, two of your shots hit their mark and dropped one of the guards but the other one already had his hands on a gun and fired at you.

The bullet hit your shoulder and you cried out in pain as you kicked your legs out, your boots connecting with his stomach and knocking the wind from his lungs. This gave you enough time to move forward and swung another hit at his face.

The man cursed at you under his breath as he grabbed your leg and pulled you toward him. You swung the chain still connected to your handcuffs and wrapped it around his neck, you used what little momentum you had to push him back with your knees and move so you were behind him.

With the chain wrapped around his neck, you grabbed a hold of it and pulled as hard as you could, the chain slowly tightening around his neck as he clawed at it to try and free himself. You kept pulling on the rope as blood dripped from your shoulder, your knees pressed against the man’s shoulder blades as you held your breath.

You kept pulling on the chain even after his body went still, his chest stopped rising and falling and his face was turning blue.

The bullet in your shoulder started aching as you loosened your grip, your eyes snapping toward the door at the back of the truck as voices sounded outside and started I open it.

You pushed the man off of you with your legs and grabbed a hold of the rifle next to you. Your body moved before your mind could catch up with it as you aimed down the site at the door of the truck.

The light pouring into the truck when the door opened made you squint, your gun still raised as you stared at the familiar face in front of you.

Kyle holstered his own gun and held his hands up in front of himself, “Hey, you're good.” He said gently before glancing off to the side, “Captain! I found her.”

Your breathing was still heavy as you lowered your gun but kept it held firmly in your hands.

John came into view and his eyes softened as he took in the bodies laying around you, “Hey, Y/n, put the gun down okay?” He said softly as he ducked and climbed into the sideways truck, his hand held up in front of him as he moved.

You dropped the gun on the ground and stared at John, “Kate, you have to get Kate.” You said, your voice hoarse from the pain in your throat.

“She's fine, we got her.” John said while motioning for you to move toward him, “Come on, we need to get outta here before more AQ soldiers come.” He explained while reaching out and grabbing your arm.

You immediately flinched and pulled your arm away from him, a silent apology lying behind your tired eyes.

“Want me to get those cuffs off of you?” John asked quietly while moving his hand to his vest where he always kept a set of keys for them.

You nodded and held your arms up.

He took extra care while unlocking the cuffs to make sure he didn't touch you, he didn't take it personally because he knew you would be on the for a while before you calmed back down.

“Captain, we need to move,” Kyle said from where he was standing outside the truck.

John hovered behind you as you moved past him, his eyes staying on you and his arms out ready to steady you should you need it.

Your shoulder was throbbing as you climbed out of the truck and a good up straight.

“You take all three of them out?” Kyle asked as he stepped up beside you, he let his distance though and you appreciated it.

You nodded while searching behind you for John, “The truck tipped and gave me an opening.” You explained.

“She’s good at holding her own.” John stepped up beside you and must have given Kyle a look because the sergeant excused himself to go load up in one of the vehicles.

John stepped in front of you and moved in as close as he could without touching you, “You alright?” He asked while scanning your face, his eyes lingering on your bruised neck for a few seconds longer.

Your eyes dropped to his chest and you inhaled slowly before nodding, “I will be.” You said quietly.

“We’ll get back to base and get you patched up, that sound good?” He dipped his head so he could look at you.

You nodded and reached your hand out to grab his pinkie, the small bit of contact was enough for you to feel safe.

It wasn't until the car ride back to Farah’s base that the events of the last few days finally caught up with you, the exhaustion you had felt ever since Kate called you that night in your hotel finally taking its toll on you.

You were sitting in the back seat of a truck next to John and your head was resting against his shoulder as you slept soundly, John kept his eyes on you as you slept and watched the way your shoulders moved as you breathed.

He would never admit it to you or anyone else but when you were taken on that boat he was scared, he was terrified he would lose you and he didn't know how to handle that.

You meant more to John than he had ever told you and the idea of losing you terrified him.

Taglist ~ @nightingale-ghost-writer @simonea27 @dyzlks @iccedays @chaoskrakenuwu @untoldshortsofthefandoms @exhaustedpotat0 @mysticcandydeer @captainpricemybbg @toastbrot8410 @u-wakatoshii @mikasakuchiki @reiya-djarin @cold-blooded-girls @joceymoo @smoggyfogbottom @1234ilikecowsthanyoumore @scaredknight @swissy23

Oh wow thank you so much for the tag @nana1000night !! I'll tag some of my favorite authors below!❣️

@worksby-d @angrythingstarlight @historygeekfics @ofstarsandvibranium @buckycuddlebuddy @toastedkiwi

There's so much more but that's all I can remember for now!❣️

Can you suggest some writers? I’m trying to find more fics to read

of course, honey! going to tag some talented moots off the top of my head there are many more i prob can’t remember right now:

@eddiesmetalfairy ; @taylorsmylover ; @upsidedownwithsteve ; @indouloureux ; @poppy-metal ; @plainemmanem ; @prcttiestboy ; @stcveharringtcn ; @disturbedbeautywrites ; @faeology ; @foreverindreamlandd ; @gxtitobxby ; @gettingrailedbyreid ; @harringtown ; @honeymunson ; @keeryshouse ; @luveline ; @lilacletter ; @creelteeth ; @vampieteeth ; @buckspumpkin ; @nexusnyx ; @maxmybeloved ♡

there are for sure a bunch of amazing and talented writers that i follow but cannot remember the @ right now, ‘m sorry :( but these are some of my favorites, you won’t regret checking them out !!!

Chapter 6: No One Else

Series Masterlist | Read on AO3

*Please do not plagiarise, copy, or repost anywhere else.

Pairing: 40s!Bucky x Autistic!Reader

*18+ only. Minors DNI. If you follow/reblog, please have your age (or an indicator of your age) in your bio.

Summary: You and Bucky reach a new stage of your relationship. Boundaries and broken, confessions are made, and you couldn't be happier.

Warnings: Smut (it's here at last, enjoy), fluff, risque humour, awkward sex story (reader's ex).

Author Notes: This is short, sweet, fluffy, and a little smutty. Y'all deserve it after the stress of chapter 5 (and so do I).

Click for full Author Notes

DISCLAIMER: The reader’s autistic traits are predominantly based on my own, but every autistic person is different and will display different traits in different ways.

That evening, you couldn’t stop crying. Peggy had been so mean, so unreasonable. Were you wrong to confront her? No, what she did was dangerous, and she had been reckless and inconsiderate. She needed to be confronted.

But what she had said in response? That hurt. Really hurt.

The next day you were quiet, ruminating. You had met Bucky after work for dinner and a stroll, but he had had noticed your change in mood. You could feel his concern, you knew you would have to tell him eventually.

Honestly was always best, you knew that, but that didn’t mean it was always easy.

It came out of you in a quick burst as you and Bucky were walking in the park together…

“Did you try and flirt with Peggy at the Whip and Fiddle, Bucky? After I left?”

Bucky tensed, then looked confused. The two of you stopped by some trees on the edge of the path.

You continued. “Because if we’re together, you and me, it really upsets me that you’d flirt with someone else. I don’t flirt with other people.” In truth, you didn’t really know how to flirt, but that was beside the point.

Bucky thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“I asked Peggy to dance, that’s all.” He said, and his voice had a reassuring tone. “Why, is she trying to stir things up? She has no right after that stunt she pulled with the pistol.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dancing. And honestly, I don’t expect you to never look at another woman again, because you’re only human and that dress was very lovely even if she got the fabric through slightly dubious means, but I suppose I’m also trying to get chocolate from the same spiv so I can’t judge, but anyway I sometimes look at other men and think they’re handsome, but obviously they don’t compare to you and I would always turn them down if they approached me,” You were rambling again, your mouth and your brain not working in sync, barely pausing for breath, “but Peggy said that you flirted with her, then said something to Steve about being invisible?”

Bucky’s eyes widened. He looked as though he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had told you many times that he loved your rambles, but the current situation was serious.

He sighed. “Ah jeez, I didn’t think she was in earshot when I said that.”

“So it’s true?”

He nodded, and a chill ran up your spine, and tears started to prick your eyes.

“What did you mean by that?” You continued. “You were never invisible to me.”

“It was a joke, and I’d had one too many drinks.”

“I don’t understand.”

Bucky sighed, wondering how to put his feelings into words. “Before Steve got all… You know…” He trailed off as a mother with a pram walked past.

“Big and muscular?” You finished the sentence for him when the woman had passed.

“Yes. Before that, I was used to…”

“Having all the attention?”

Bucky nodded. “So naturally I’m feeling a little put out that he’s the centre of attention now. Call it ego I guess. It’s something I need to figure out.”

“So in that moment, you and Steve just became two peacocks, vying for the attention of the pretty peahen...”

Bucky’s mouth flickered in a smile at your metaphor, charmed by it. But you weren’t smiling.

He sighed. “I suppose we were, damn my eyes.”

You were disappointed, but sadly not surprised. Bucky was beautiful and charming, so it was no surprise that he would enjoy being the object of desire. You remembered the SSR base in Italy, watching him walk off with the nurse with that grin on his face, how she swooned over him in the mess hall.

Of course he would like getting that kind of attention. Even here in London, you saw women look at him, envying you, and you couldn’t blame them.

But you also knew your worth. You were intelligent, kind, warm, capable, and above all else, worthy of love.

If Bucky wasn’t going to value you, then you would end it here.

“Isn’t having one person who loves you better than being the centre of attention?” You asked him.

He laughed, his eyes crinkling. “You sound like Steve!” He said, but then his brow furrowed. “Wait, what did you say?”

“That having one person who loves you-“

“Not what you literally said, what you meant.”

Here it was. Your sweating hands shook uncontrollably as you forced the words to come to the surface.

“I love you, Bucky. But I value myself. If you won’t be good to me I don’t want this to continue. I don’t want you to break my heart.”

He gasped slightly at your frankness, frowning a little, weighing up what it would mean to lose you. Eventually, he smiled and shook his head.

“Well, I wouldn’t expect any less. You’re a wonderful woman, and you deserve the best. I love you too.”

“Really?” It was a silly question in hindsight, but you were so overwhelmed that all your logic had gone out of the window.

“Yes, really, you silly thing!”

“You have no right to call me silly after that bollocks you were spouting about being invisible.”

“No I don’t, I’m very silly.” He laughed, but then his face stiffened and he became serious again. “Look, there’s been no one else I’ve wanted, truly wanted, since I met you.”

“Is that the truth? You’re not just telling me what I want to hear, because everything has to be clear. I don’t do games. You know that.”

He put his arms around your waist, firmly, pulling you to him. Here he was, feeling like home again, and you relaxed.

“If I have to get over my old reputation as a ladies’ man and the old expectations, then that’s on me.”

“Yes it is.”

He laughed again, and buried his head in your neck. He liked putting his head there, you had noticed. It felt wonderful when he did it.

“I don’t think we should be staying out in this very public park.” He whispered, before kissing your jaw.

“No, we shouldn’t.” You replied as you idly played with his hair, leaning into him.

“Then what do you suggest, sweet thing?”

You had to pause, work up the courage to say it. But eventually the words came out.

“Come home with me. Stay the night. Properly this time.”

***

You couldn’t help but thinking back to what that nurse in the mess hall had said. Bucky really was beautiful everywhere.

He had looked a little shy when he had undressed in front of you, but you were so enamoured, so transfixed by him that his shyness was just sweet and endearing to you.

“I don’t know why you’re blushing.” You said. “You’ve already been in this bed with me in your underwear.”

“My underwear,” He laughed as he nervously fumbled with his shorts, “Not naked.”

As you got into bed together, he giggled as he climbed on top of you, burying his head in your neck once more.

“What is it?” You asked, stroking his back.

“I can just relax now. That day I came here and got into bed with you… I was trying so hard not to, you know…”

“Get hard? I wouldn’t have minded.” You laughed.

You opened your mouth again to explain how it was a perfectly natural response, and how some men got erections involuntarily by simply being relaxed, but Bucky kissed you before the words could come out.

“I love you.” He said softly. “You wonderful, beautiful, eccentric thing, you.”

***

You never knew how good it could be.

As you lay there, wonderfully still and blissful, you couldn’t help but grin.

Bucky lay on top of you, still resting within you as he kissed your neck softly. His eyelashes brushed your skin as he moved his head, the slight scratch of his stubble sending little shockwaves through your body. His heart pounding against your chest, his strong arms feeling so incredible as they clasped you tight…

Everything had been so good, so right.

Your very first time had been an awkward fumble in a beach hut when you were 18. It had felt nice, but only for a short while, because your poor boyfriend at the time had finished within a matter of minutes.

It had been quite the disappointment really. You had always experienced touch differently to other people, appreciated certain sensations more. You had wanted to take your time, running your hands over his skin, telling him where on your body to kiss you, to explore.

But that boyfriend had been messy, eager, he just wanted to ‘do it’. It was like some task he had to tick off, something he had to get done and out of the way. How sad, to treat something that had the potential to be so pleasurable, so pivotal, as something so frivolous and quick.

“Did that feel good?” That boyfriend had asked you, breathless and grinning as he hovered over you.

“Yes, but it was over too quickly for me to really enjoy it in the same way you did.” You had told him. “Perhaps we could do more things, or try again?”

Well, he had asked. Unless it was a rhetorical question? But why ask you if he didn’t want an honest answer?

He had looked heartbroken when you had told him that. Your relationship hadn’t lasted long afterwards, and the silly lad had never expressed what exactly had hurt him, or told you why he was suddenly so closed off. Perhaps he just didn’t know how to express it.

Perhaps this was why your best relationships had been with honest people, good communicators, good listeners.

Bucky had proven himself to be all of these things. Always alert, always checking in, communicating, making sure you were both happy and feeling good. And for once, you didn’t mind the eye contact. It felt natural with him in that moment.

A little while later, as you lay together, bodies sweetly aching and eyes heavy, Bucky readjusted himself and looked at you.

“You know we’re kinda screwed, lieutenant.” Bucky said softly, his voice sleepy and languid.

“I mean literally that’s true because we just-“ You began, but Bucky interrupted you.

“Not literally, silly!” He laughed, pulling you closer and nuzzling you.

“I know, it was a joke. So why are we metaphorically screwed, pray tell?” You asked, bopping him on the nose playfully.

“Because now we’ve got started on this whole sleeping together thing, I don’t wanna stop.”

“Neither do I.”

“So that might cause a few problems when we ship out again. I can’t see them letting us sneak into each other’s tents, we’d probably both get court-martialled.”

“Can they court martial people for sex?”

“I wouldn’t put it past Colonel Phillips.” Bucky jested.

“We’ll just have to find another woodland.” You said, only half-joking. But that tickled Bucky so much that he started to crease up with laughter, gripping your sides as his body shook.

“I fucking love you.” He gasped.

“I love you too. So much.”

***

“You have a spring in your step this week, lieutenant.”

That’s what your colleagues all said, as though you weren’t already aware.

You felt as though you were floating, walking on clouds. Although you could still work perfectly well, the main thing occupying your mind was Bucky, your sweet boy. The way he held you, how lovely his skin felt under your fingers, how good it felt when he made love to you, the soft earnestness in his voice when he told you that he loved you.

He loved you. He loved you.

How blessed you were, how lucky you had been to find each other when you did…

Your happy haze was broken when Peggy entered the room. Now that you were upset with her, there were few people in the office she could speak to about matters that weren’t work related.

Your shoulders instinctively tensed as you felt her presence. Sometimes it felt like a blessing to feel things more intensely than other people, other times it was a curse. You even flinched as she moved a little closer, hearing her take a deep breath as she braced herself to speak to you.

You pretended not to notice her. You had already told her how she had made you feel after all, and an apology still hadn’t been forthcoming. There was nothing more to say.

But instead, Peggy simply put a small parcel on your lap, which caused you to flinch. When you looked up at her, brow furrowed, she sat beside you and sighed.

She looked at you, almost as though she was expecting you to say something. When you remained silent and just looked between her and the parcel, she looked away, psyching herself up to speak.

“I was absolutely beastly to you.” She said at last.

“Yes, you were.” You murmured, not prepared to pander to her.

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

She sounded genuine, but really, it just wasn’t enough. ‘I’m really sorry’ was for careless transgressions, mistakes. The way she had spoken to you was deliberate and cruel. ‘I’m sorry’ just didn’t cut it.

Too angry to respond, you pressed your lips together as you thought of how to reply. Peggy laughed softly.

“What is it?” You snapped.

“I remember once, in one of your rambles, you telling me that ‘I’m sorry’ just doesn’t have as deep a meaning in English.”

You kept quiet. You had indeed told her that. You had told Bucky too. It was something you liked to tell everyone you felt comfortable around. But right now, Peggy bringing that up had you felt vulnerable.

Your rambles came out when you felt comfortable and happy around someone, and you doubted that Peggy would ever be privy to your rambles again.

You looked down at the parcel, working up the courage to hand it back to her and tell her to go away, when she said: “Es sehr tut mir leid, meine liebe Freundin.”

That touched you, you couldn’t deny it.

“Thank you for your apology.” You said, looking at her and forcing yourself to make eye contact. It wasn’t forgiveness, that you weren’t ready to give, but you did appreciate the gesture.

“I was very insecure,” Peggy continued, “I still am. I suppose I have a lot of my own demons on my shoulder and I ended up taking it out on both you and Steve.”

“Have you apologised to Steve too?”

Peggy shook her head. “It’s going to take a little longer to pluck up the courage.”

“Well, the team’s shipping out next week. You need to be quick about it. Who knows how long we’ll be gone for?”

Peggy looked as though she was about to say something, make an excuse, but instead she stopped herself and just nodded.

“Why don’t you open the parcel?” She asked you, gently.

A present would hardly make up for what she did, but you lifted the small parcel from your lap and started opening it. Your eyes widened when you saw the contents and you couldn’t help but smile. Inside was a bar of Cadbury’s Bourneville chocolate, and a packet of custard creams.

“Thank you, Peggy.” You sighed. It was a nice gesture for sure. “I’ve really missed these.”

“Anytime you want these, just tell me. Or anything else for that matter. Nylons, lipstick, anything. He has a very good supplier, so you can get anything you want. My way of making it up to you.”

She put her arms around you then. You hugged her back, although you weren’t enjoying it. You loved hugging your friends, but something had shifted in how you felt about Peggy. She had apologised to you, and you had accepted her gift, but things weren’t going to be the same.

Still though, perhaps time could heal things.

And you weren’t going to say no to getting all the chocolate and biscuits you could lay your hands on…

***

It was a lovely send-off before you all shipped out. Gathered friends, a few drinks, and luckily, the Fighting Cocks was nice and quiet that night.

You and Thea, ‘two roses among thorns’, sat with Bucky, Joey, and the rest of the 107th. Steve was absent that night, back at the SSR office, still working through plans and strategies and equipment. You hoped that he and Peggy had spoken, that she had apologised.

Sat around the pub table, the boys were trying to be brave, the drinks flowing freely, cracking jokes. Joey was reminiscing about his RAF days, egging the boys on to help them feel brave, but you and Thea knew very well that he was glad to never have to see the horrors of war again.

Joey was home, he could take his time to heal, both physically and mentally. But not your boys, and not your Bucky.

They were putting on a show of bravado, but you knew that they were afraid. Even Dugan, who never seemed to show any other emotion than joviality, you knew he was scared.

Bucky too. He had a duty, you knew that and respected it, he had to follow Steve. But he was still so shaken, so tired, still affected by what had happened to him when he was taken prisoner.

That thought made you instinctively reach for Bucky’s hand and squeeze it, and he looked at you, tenderly, as though he knew what you were feeling in that moment.

Thea had been regaling you all with a hilarious but chaotic story about the backstage antics that had occurred during the Christmas show at the Windmill.

It was a story she had already told you twice, but you loved it. If anything, knowing the story well made it even better, anticipating the twists and turns. There was also something calming about repetition for you, even when it came to stories.

“…And then Mr Van Damm walks in and shouts ‘Oi sonny, it’s just the tableau girls who are supposed to be naked in here!’ Poor Michael turned as red as a beetroot!”

The table erupted with laughter, and your foot started to twitch with excitement. It didn’t just happen when you were stressed.

There were times when you would have to suppress these little calming movements of yours, but not now, not among friends, or your family, as Bucky had rightfully called them.

“Moral of the story, never try to do your laundry backstage.” Joey chimed in.

“This is probably a daft question…” Falsworth began, “But don’t the girls get cold?”

“Oh it get surprisingly warm on stage my dear!” Thea told him. “You can be wearing next to nothing, but with the lights and the heat of all those bodies around you, you feel perfectly fine.”

“She’s speaking from experience by the way.” Added Joey, shooting an amorous gaze at Thea.

"Oh yes, at the Folies Bergère I once danced in a few strings of pearls and nothing more. Those were the days!" She laughed, although her voice had a twinge of nostalgia to it.

"I bet you were amazing! I'm not sure I could pull that off!" You giggled.

"Oh darling, you absolutely could, you have fantastic bosoms!" Thea said frankly.

Her comment took you by surprise, and you snorted as you began to crease up with laughter.

Dugan spat out his drink. Falsworth pressed his lips together, trying to be polite. Morita just laughed unashamedly, while Gabe translated the joke for Jacques, before both of them broke into fits of giggles.

Thea's eyed flicked to Bucky, whose expression you couldn't see.

"Yes! This one agrees! He's seen them! They are magnificent aren’t they?”

No Thea, stop right there.

Mortified, you looked over at Bucky, whose glass was poised just below his mouth. He thought for a moment, unsure of what to say.

All eyes were on him, an awkward silence descending over the table.

Whatever he said was going to incriminate him.

“A gentleman never tells.” He said eventually, before taking a big swig of his drink.

***

If you had to list the most awkward moments of your life, then this would be at the top.

You, Steve and Bucky in an empty meeting room, under the guise of Steve briefing you on the upcoming mission.

If only your colleagues knew the truth.

Instead of tactics, the subject to be addressed was your sex life.

You wondered how Steve had found out so quickly. Gabe was too discreet and conscientious, and it couldn’t have been Jacques because Steve spoke very little French. He wouldn’t have seen either Joey or Thea, they were more your friends after all, and Falsworth had been far too English about the whole thing, so you could rule him out too. That just left Dugan and Morita… Either was a likely culprit. Both liked their risqué jokes after all. But which one was it?

You sat with Bucky on one end of a briefing table, Steve on the other, just wishing the ground would swallow you up.

“So am I to understand that your relationship has become more… serious?” Steve said plainly.

Bucky’s lips were pressed tightly together, as though he was trying not to laugh. Steve was an old friend after all, his best friend, and hearing him talk this seriously about your relationship was undoubtedly very amusing.

“We’re sleeping together, Steve. Let’s not be formal about this.” He said plainly.

“Yes… We’re… Doing that. What he said.” You managed to mumble awkwardly, feeling heat spread across your face. How were you meant to finish your damn sentences when this was being talked about?

“How did you find out?” Bucky asked Steve, trying to stifle his laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Dugan or Morita, one of those two. I know it is.

Steve cocked his head and smiled. “Bucky, how long have we been friends? I know you well enough to spot things. That and, you haven’t been sleeping at the SSR accommodation. I put two and two together.”

Oh my god…

I’m an idiot.

Of course…

“And there was me thinking someone had spilled the beans.” Bucky joked.

You weren't the only one, my love.

“Wait, am I the last to know about this?” Steve’s voice shook with nervous laughter, but he was a little hurt too, and why wouldn’t he be? You had to reassure him.

“No, no, it’s not like that!” You chimed in, and you told Steve about how everything had been revealed at the pub that night.

Steve smirked, amused, but you could also sense that he was relieved that Bucky hadn’t told the world about your exploits but left him in the dark.

“Wow… So Thea has more talents than we ever knew about!” Steve laughed.

“Yeah, the ability to sense whether or not someone has seen a pair of breasts.” You groaned. “It’s quite the skill.”

“As long as you’re having fun…”

“Well, it’s more than that.” Bucky interrupted, his voice serious, and you felt his hand reach for yours under the table. You squeezed it in response. “We’re in love.”

He said it so plainly, confidently, proudly.

The mixture of embarrassment and joy left you speechless. All you could do was squeeze his hand again, reassuring him that you felt the same, but of course he already knew.

Steve smiled fondly, looking between the pair of you.

“As long as you’re both discreet and it doesn’t affect your work, I have no objection. I won’t breathe a word of this to Phillips, but you have to do the same with keeping things under the radar.”

“Thank you.” You and Bucky mumbled in unison, relief washing over you. You weren’t sure how much of that relief was to do with Steve accommodating your relationship, or the fact that this uncomfortable situation would soon be over and you could hide away at your desk in peace once more.

“These are awful times,” Steve continued, “and if your love is helping you through, I’m not about to force you not to touch each other like some kind of Puritan. This team of ours, we’re not officially the army. We may have a code, but overall, their rules don’t apply to us.”

“Thank you Steve, so much.” Bucky said softly.

“I’m serious. You deserve a bit happiness, a bit of peace.” Steve replied, nodding, before turning to you. “Both of you.”

Online school in a nutshell

I hope you’re having a great day 💕

Thank you love!! I hope you're having a fantastic day too!!💕💕💕💕

Every Morning

Summary: soap helps you with your skincare

Warnings: none just fluff :)

Pairing: John "soap" mactavish x gf!reader

Word Count-~1k

A/n: this is my first time writing for Soap Mactavish(actually any of the 141) so it may be pretty rough. This story was inspired by the lovely 🫧 anon on @uselsshuman blog! My requests are open for any of the 141 characters so please send in any requests you want! As always beware of typos but I hope you all enjoy!❣️

You were almost religious with your skincare. You took pride in taking care of your skin and it was something you loved doing in the morning. You loved the routine of layering your skin in different serums and creams and watching them work their magic. Whenever Johnny was home, he loved watching you from the bathroom doorway or sitting on the toilet seat. Because of his job you two didn’t get to share many domestic or intimate moments like this so Soap took what he could get. Soap always pestered you to let him do it for you and you always said no.

“Come on hen I could it!” Was something you always heard when he was home and you smiled but said no.

You were staring at yourself in the mirror getting ready to wash your face when Soap woke up; he had always been a heavy sleeper, something that was a blessing when he was a teenager but something that could get him killed in his line of work. Whenever he was home you did your best not to disturb him because you knew he didn't get much sleep when he was gone. Soap felt for your warm body and when he was met with cold sheets he took a look around to see the bathroom light on. The clock on his bedside table read “10:30”. He stretched and rolled out of bed to find you.

“Mornin’ Bonnie,” he said, walking over to your shared bathroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his thick accent thicker with sleep. “Morning babe,” you smiled, grabbing your face wash and a towel. His eyes lit up whe he saw your face wash and bottles of serums lined up on the counter. You saw him eyeing your bottles and shook your head, a smile already forming on your face. “No Johnny no!” You said, knowing exactly what he was going to ask. “Oh please Bonnie!” He whined, wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his head on your shoulder.

You only wore a tank top so his stubble scratched your bare shoulder. “Johnny you don’t even know how to do it!” You laughed, making eye contact through the mirror. “Yes I do, I watch you all the time,” He replied, kissing and sucking on the sweet spot on your neck trying to get you to fold. “Johnny no st-” you started before he reached down to squeeze your ass. “Okay alright,” You laughed. “You won’t regret this bonnie,” he said, planting a kiss on your cheek with a smile too big for his face. “I think I already am,” You mumbled.

“Okay first thing is washing your face hen everyone knows that,” He said, turning on the hot water. “Of course,” You said, watching him reach in front of you to turn on the hot water. Soap squirted some face wash and his hands and worked it into a lather before rubbing it onto your face. You winced at how rough he rubbed the soap into your skin but didn’t say anything. You also didn’t say anything when he got soap in your eye and tried your best not to wince at the sting. “Okay time to rinse,” he said and you leaned forward rinsing off the soap, the stinging sensation finally going away.

He grabbed a towel and rubbed your face dry before picking up you up by the waist and setting you on the counter. He stepped in between your legs and you had to widen your legs to accommodate him. “Okay first bottle we’re gonna do is this nia…niacin..” He said, struggling to pronounce the name written on the label. “Niacinamide?” You offered, trying not to chuckle. “Yeah that’s it,” He smiled and you wanted to tell him he wasn’t supposed to use it yet but you kept quiet. “What’s this for?” He asked. “It does a lot of things but it mainly helps with pores and textural irregularities,” You told him.

Johnny nodded and used the pipette to drop the serum onto your face and you were surprised that he was gentle in his kneading compared to the face wash. “Does that feel nice hen?” He asked and you smiled. “Of course it does love,” You said. “Okay now for the hylronic acid,” He said, and you couldn’t help but laugh at how he pronounced the name. “This one is to help bring moisture back into my skin,” You told him, knowing he was going to ask.

“I can’t believe you do this every morning bonnie,” he said, emphasizing the “every morning” in disbelief. “So many steps,” said Soap, screwing the tiny lid back onto the bottle. You hadn’t realize how small his hands made the bottles seem. “Every morning,” you emapsized. “I do it at night too,” you smiled and he shook his head. “Caffeine and de puffing,” he looked at the tiny bottle in his hand. “You put it on my undereyes. It helps to de-puff and energize them,” You instructed him. Johnny put some of the thick liquid on your undereye. He started massaging it into your skin when some of the serum got into your eye and you recoiled.

“Oh shite sorry y/n” he said, a worried look taking over his face. “Don’t worry about it hun I’m okay,” you said, trying not to tear up from the pain. “What’s next?” You said, genuinely wondering since he did the routine out of order. “This is the only one left. Plant-based squaline,” he said, again reading the label. “This one does a lot of things too; enhanced barrier support, moisturizing, all kinds of stuff,” You said, watching him unscrew the lid and drop the oily liquid onto your skin. “You really need all of this stuff?” He asked, curious. “I don’t need it but it does help,” You said.

He did take care to massage your skin more carefully to avoid your eyes. “Last is this right?” He said, holding up your lotion. “That’s right,” You said, watching him pour some lotion onto his hand and rub it together before spreading it on your skin. You focused on the feeling of Johnny’s fingers massaging the lotion into your skin and listening to his soft humming as he focused on his work. You enjoyed the simply intimate moment between the two of you, not knowing when you’d get the chance again to enjoy it. “Does it really feel that good?” He asked and you opened your eyes to find him smirking. “It did feel really good,” you whispered, planting a kiss on his lips.

“So how’d I do bonnie?” He asked, looking a little too pleased with himself and you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him he did it completely out of order and hurt your eye not once but twice. “You did great Johnny,” you said smiling at him. “Really think so?” He said, helping you down from the counter. “Well….. Maybe it’s best to leave the skincare to me. You did the wrong steps and hurt my eye. Twice,” You said, with a small smile. “Okay no need to be cheeky hen I’ll leave you to your thing,” He laughed. You stood on your toe to give him a kiss. “I wouldn’t mind you watching me though,” You said. Soap slipped his arms around your waist and returned your kiss. “I wouldn’t mind doing that,”

Liam Mairi Masterlist

Updated: 3-20-25

Omg how are you Geeky??!!🥺 @historygeekfics

Tis The Season

Summary: John helps you decorate the house for Christmas

Pairing: John Price x wife!reader

Word Count:

Warnings: none just fluff :)

A/n: here is my first ever fic for our man John Price! I really hope you enjoy this :) if you have any requests please send them my way I love writing for these boys! As always be aware of typos! Feedback is always appreciated :)

John fiddled with the lock on his front door, juggling his duffel bag and the bouquet of flowers he had gotten for you. He slid the key into the lock and heard it click before stepping inside and locking the door behind him. John toed off his shoes knowing you don't like shoes on in the house. He tossed his keys into the bowl by the front door and his duffel bag made a thump as he dropped it by his shoes. He heard soft Christmas music drifting throughout the home you shared and he smiled to himself.

"Love?" He asked, noticing boxes sitting around his living room and his kitchen bar counter. The boxes had labels that read things like "Christmas lights" and "tree ornaments". "Darlin' I'm home," he called out. He heard a thump coming above him and heard you grunting and he made his way to the attic, seeing the ladder down. He saw your face appear over the side and smile down. "John! You weren't supposed to be home yet!" You said. "Yeah I got done early wanted to come home and surprise you," he said, his thick accent rumbling in his chest. "Did you move the boxes down the ladder by yourself?" He asked.

"Yeah I wanted to get it done before you got here. You weren't supposed to be here for another couple of hours Bear," she said and John caught himself smiling at the little term of endearment you had for him. "Okay well I can help you I don't want you to hurt yourself," John said. "No babe it's okay. Why don't you go shower? I've already laid some fresh clothes on the bed for you," you said, coming down the ladder. "Thank you for the flowers they're beautiful," you added, giving him a peck on the cheek before taking them to put them in a vase. He noticed you were wearing his shirt and boxers and smiled, remembering when he was trying to find that shirt before he left.

John stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped securely around his waist. He noticed the fresh clothes his wife had laid out for him and his heart clenched. Even though it was something so small that people would normally not notice, it meant a lot to him. The fact she had even thought ahead to lay clothes out for him made him love you even more. He slipped on the gray t shirt and gray sweat pants before drying his hair. He made his way to the attic once more and saw you struggling to get the tree down from the attic.

John came up behind you and caged you in his arms as he grabbed onto the tree. You inhaled his sandalwood body wash and for a minute you swayed. "Let's get this tree down dove," he said, his lips dangerously close to your ear. You and John walked down the ladder and finally got the large Christmas tree to the ground. "Is there anything else up there?" He asked. "Just a few more boxes," you said. John went back up the ladder to get the boxes that were still left. "Most of that stuff is for outside Bear," you said, taking a pair of scissors to cut open the box the Christmas tree was kept in. "Can you put up the lights and decorations for outside? There's not much," you said, looking over at your husband. "Yes, ma'am," he said, giving you a kiss on your head and started to move the respective boxes outside.

Half an hour later John had the light and frond yard decorated and went back inside the house. He stopped in his tracks when he saw you. You were focused on fluffing the tree and strategically placing different ornaments on the tree. The fireplace crackled, making the house smell pleasant and warm. You almost seemed to glow in the firelight and he almost lost his breath. Your hair cascaded down your back and his clothes had never looked better on someone. He couldn't believe he ended up with someone as perfect as you.

With all the death and terrible things he's sees everyday, it's hard to believe something so wholesome and wonderful ever found it's way into his life. The first few years you two had been dating he didn't believe you would actually stay. Mission after mission he expected to come back to a cold and empty house; a note on the kitchen table saying you couldn't do this anymore and you couldn't wait for him even though you reassured him you weren't going anywhere. But year after year you stayed and he still couldn't believe it. You noticed him in your peripheral and looked over at him and gave him the most wonderful smile; like he was the most important thing in your life and he didn't think he could fall further in love with you but that smile proved him wrong. "What's wrong Bear?" You asked.

"Nothing love," he said with a smile. "Do you want to help me with the tree?" You asked. "Can't think of anything I'd rather do instead," John said. He walked over and grabbed a couple ornaments to lay on a branch. "John?" "Hmm?" John hummed. "Since we don't have any plans for Christmas except with each other," you started. "Yeah?" John said, glancing over at you. "Why don't we invite the rest of your team?" You suggested. "I don't know love I like using my leave to be rid of them," He joked.

"Oh come on John!" You begged. "It's not like we don't have the space and it would be nice to have some company for the holidays," You said, securing an ornament onto a branch. "And besides, I know you joke about wanting to not be around them but I know you care about them," You added. John sighed and picked up another ornament before looking over at you. "This is something you really want?" He asked and you nodded vigorously.

"Okay then I'll get in touch with them tomorrow," he relented. John knew he could never say no to you; you truly had him wrapped around your finger. You squealed and threw your arms around his neck. "Thank you Bear!" You smiled. "You really are an amazing woman love," John said, planting a kiss on your lips. "Now let's get that star ontop of the tree," he said, giving you the star and picking you up by your waist. "I love you John Price," you said once you square on your feet. "I love you too y/n Price,"

LOL yessss!! I saw somewhere that the real enemies to lovers arc was the readers and Dain and honestly, I could not agree more 😂😂

I cannot find a Dain / OC fic anywhere for the life of me, so I’d be more than happy to anything you’d be willing to write on Dain.

I do have a few ideas though; (I don’t know if you’d do Dain/OC or Dain/Reader)

- Dain and a childhood friend who is not Violet LOL

- Dain and an OC who would be Xaden’s little sister (someone completely the opposite of Xaden, someone softer and kinder LOL) and it would be a forbidden romance trope

Honestly anything you write I’d be happy to read. I’ve need going through a lot of Fourth Wing fics lately 😅

Oooooh these are so good! *scribbles these down on paper*

But just imagine Xaden "get the fuck away from my sister" Riorson 🤭 these most definitely will be added to my WIPs :)

This was so good! I'm honestly in love with this story🥺❤️❤️

Chapter 4: Back to Blighty

Series Masterlist | Read on AO3

*Please do not plagiarise, copy, or repost anywhere else.

Pairing: 40s!Bucky x Autistic!Reader

*18+ only. Minors DNI. If you follow/reblog, please have your age (or an indicator of your age) in your bio.

Summary: Your time at the front has come to an end, and you return to London with the rest of the SSR team. While reuiniting with old friends, you make some new ones too, and can finally have some quality time with Bucky.

Warnings: Fluff, kissing, making out, suggestive stuff, talk about the war and invasions, found family, some cheesy musical numbers (yes, really). No smut in this chapter but it's coming soon, don't you worry!

Author Notes:

I don't know what I think of this chapter. Depression's been kicking my ass lately so I'm kind of doubting everything right now.

The character Thea is coded as having ADHD. Her traits are based off one of my best friends whom I adore (when we hang out we're a neurodivergent powerhouse).

As I’ve been writing I’ve also fallen in love with Thea as a character. Maybe I should do a spin-off about her. Click to read her bio.

The Windmill Theatre was a famous variety theatre that became best known for its shows involving nude models in still tableaus.

Click for full Author Notes

DISCLAIMER: The reader’s autistic traits are predominantly based on my own, but every autistic person is different and will display different traits in different ways.

Your friend, Thea, was a dancer. Or at least, a former dancer. The toast of the Folies Bergère and the London Criterion in the 1920s, she had since turned her hand to choreography and now directed shows at the Windmill Theatre.

Yes, that Windmill Theatre.

Your peculiarities balanced each other out. She could be forgetful, you remembered everything. She was disorganised, you were the very much the opposite. She was always late, your time management was impeccable. Sometimes it was carnage, but most of the time you were the perfect pair, and she was one of the best people you had ever met.

Right now you were using one of the public phones at the port, trying to liaise with Thea about collecting your key. She had been looking after your flat since you had been away, and you were trying to sort a good time to meet her.

So far, you were struggling.

"Is that tapdancing going on in the background?" You winced.

"Yes love, sorry. I'll get her to stop." You heard Thea move away from the mouthpiece and call out. "Sweetie, would you stop for a moment please? My poor friend can't hear me."

That wasn't strictly true, but it was easier to understand than 'my friend is sensitive to noise and can't focus on my voice while you're dancing and will probably cry if you don't stop.'

The tapping ceased, much to your relief.

"Sorry darling, what was I saying?"

"About my key. Our train gets in at five.”

"Yes! I gave Joey your key."

"Why does Joey have my key?"

"I'm in rehearsals when you arrive in London."

“I could meet you at the theatre?”

“It’s the sitzprobe for the Christmas show sweetie, I’ll be backstage.”

"Fair point! So where am I meeting Joey?"

"He's watching the rehearsals, so you can meet him in the auditorium. I'll let them know you're coming."

Thea's fiancé, Joey, was a lovely man. A former RAF pilot who had lost his right arm in action, he and Thea had met one night after a show at The Windmill and had been inseparable ever since.

It had been wonderful to see her so happy, and with a man who thought the world of her. Now, you couldn’t wait to introduce her to Bucky.

"Can I bring a friend?" You asked tentatively.

"Of course you can, sweetie!" And you could hear she was beaming on the other end of the phone. “Wait, a friend? Is this a pal, or did you find a nice gentleman out in Italy?”

“You’ll have to wait and see!” You giggled, wanting to tell her everything but knowing that you could be easily overheard in your current location. You also knew that you had only paid for a limited amount of time on the phone, and as soon as you started enthusing, you wouldn’t stop.

***

You met Bucky in the corridor of the train when you were returning from the lavatories. You had been separated when disembarking the boat, which had made you quite anxious, so finding him again was a great relief.

Then again, travelling in general had always been incredibly stressful for you, the noise, the queues, all the people. You wished that you could magic yourself to new locations without the stresses and strains.

“Hello, sarge!” You gasped, trying to hide how relieved you were to see him.

"Lieutenant, I need your services." He smirked, pulling you in and enveloping you in his arms. You hugged him back, realising just how exhausted you were in that moment.

“I was wondering where you’d got to.” You said softly. “We were all ordered onto the train after collecting our bags.”

“We had extra checks on our papers.” Bucky told you, rolling his eyes. “Took ages. Anyway, now that I’ve found you, can I have a kiss?”

“Only if you say please.” You teased. Normally you didn’t know how to joke with people, it was hard to know whether the joke would land or not. But with Bucky it felt different, you could read him because he was honest, and he was good at sensing what you needed, or asking if he was unsure.

Bucky straightened his back and raised one eyebrow. “Pretty please. With a ribbon on top.”

You nodded, grinning broadly, before pursing your lips to meet his as he pulled you closer. He kissed you desperately, hungrily, not caring who might see.

“I have a compartment to myself.” You told him. “I was sharing with an old fart who smelled of peppermints, but luckily he had his eyes closed the whole time so I didn’t have to speak to him. But now I’m by myself. Come and join me!”

Your ramble made Bucky giggle, before he rested his nose against yours. “Hmm… I think a bit of canoodling will definitely make the journey go faster.” He said with mock seriousness. “Good idea, lieutenant.”

For the remainder of your journey to St Pancras, you sat on Bucky’s lap in your compartment, curtains drawn, in each other’s arms.

“I need to say something.” Bucky murmured as he snuggled his head into your neck.

“That sounds ominous!” You didn’t like when people said things like this, even if they ended up telling you something nice. I have something to tell you, we need to talk… those words never failed to fill you with anxiety. “I hope it’s not something bad?”

“Oh no, it’s good! I promise!” He looked at your mouth for a moment before he spoke. “When I got captured, I never expected to survive. Then, when Steve rescued me by some miracle, all I wanted was to find some peace. I’m just so tired and battered that I didn’t think I was capable of… I never expected to…” He broke off, thinking about what he was going to say next. “I never expected to meet someone. I didn’t even think I was ready. But I feel safe with you. You don’t expect me to be anything, you don’t ask me to hide anything. I don’t have to pretend when I’m with you. Back in Brooklyn I was expected to put on an act, always be the charmer, always be the one in control, be the protector. But around you I can be vulnerable. Ah jeez, am I making any sense?”

You nodded, trying to stop yourself from crying with joy at his words.

“And I hope you feel as though you can be yourself around me, and be vulnerable if you have to. Because I wouldn’t have you any other way.” He continued, before kissing your nose.

You didn’t say anything in response, you didn’t know how to put your feelings into words at that moment. Instead, you nodded, letting the emotion wash over you and the joyful tears fall. Gently, you covered his face with kisses, before nuzzling your face into his neck, pulling him close.

***

Suitcase in one hand, Bucky’s hand in the other, you led your handsome sergeant down the steps of the Windmill Theatre. As he saw the posters by the door, he gently tugged your hand and whispered in your ear.

“Wait, is this…?”

“Yes.”

“This is…”

“Yes.”

“The Windmill?”

“Yes, the Windmill!”

“Oh wow.”

“But you won’t see anything of that nature today, Bucky. The girls wear robes during rehearsals.”

You were merely stating a fact, but Bucky snorted with laughter.

“Baby, I only have eyes for you!” He laughed. “But I appreciate the heads up.”

“There’s no need to be ashamed of wanting to look at a naked woman Bucky. Well, unless you’re a Peeping Tom, then it’s wrong. But these girls get paid and want to do it here. The real shows are stunning, they look like artworks.” You had gotten used to rambling in front of Bucky, because you knew it was safe to do so. He never told you to stop or shrink yourself. He said he found it endearing and sweet.

He put his arm around you and kissed your ear, before whispering into it, speaking slowly so that you could hear through your earplugs.

“I bet you look like an artwork too.”

You could feel your face go hot. Bucky must have noticed your shy grin, because he giggled and kissed you again.

“Come on, lieutenant, let’s get your key and get you home.”

The auditorium was less crowded than you’d anticipated, but you still wore your earplugs, just to be safe. The orchestra were already in their seats, warming up, but the stage was empty. Your heart leapt in your chest as you thought of Thea backstage, giving a pep talk to the dancers, buzzing with energy.

You couldn’t wait to give her a hug.

In one of the auditorium seats you spotted Joey, dressed in his uniform and medals, empty sleeve pinned neatly. As soon as he spotted you and Bucky approaching, he grinned and waved.

“Joey!” You waved at him.

"Well hello there!" Joey greeted you in a loud whisper, his face beaming. You couldn't help but smile too as he pulled you into a hug. “It’s good to see you.” He said. “Thea’s going to explode with happiness!” He looked at Bucky then. “And is this your friend? Thea told me all about it. Good to meet you, chap!”

Your heart started to pound as Joey extended his hand for Bucky to shake.

“I didn’t… I just mentioned I was bringing someone!” You explained, flustered, but Bucky was smiling.

“Call me Bucky. It’s nice to meet you too.” He said, shaking Joey’s hand, before slipping his arm around your waist.

Joey handed you your key, counting the keys on the loop first to make sure all were accounted for.

“Thea told me to tell you, that she won’t be able to get away to say hello, but that I’m to give you a hug from her, which I already have done, and she will see you at The Fighting Cocks tomorrow. She said to bring friends.”

The Fighting Cocks was your local. You liked it there, the pub landlady was lovely, the barmaids knew you, and it had a nice, quiet atmosphere. But ‘bring friends’ – that was typical Thea. You had read Carl Jung’s theory about Introverts and Extroverts, and she was definitely in the latter category.

You liked making friends, it was just that too many people in one go could be a little overwhelming.

“Will you stay for a song?” Joey asked. “They’re really rather good.”

“We’ll stay for a song, then I think we best get going.” You looked at Bucky, who nodded in agreement. “As for the pub… maybe we could invite Captain Rogers?” You asked him tentatively. Most of your other friends lived outside of London, and the only real pal you had made out in Italy was Fraser, and he was still out at the base. You weren’t sure whether Peggy would join if you asked her. Sometimes it was physically painful asking somebody to spend time with you, only to be told ‘oh I’d love to but I’m just so busy’. That always meant ‘no’.

“I’ll ask the guys from the 107th too. They’d enjoy experiencing an old English pub I think.” Bucky smiled, although from his eyes you could see that the thought was making him feel tired.

As Joey smiled and beckoned you both to get a better view of the stage, you pulled Bucky close and whispered, “If the pub gets too intense tomorrow, just say ‘custard creams’ to me and we’ll leave.”

Bucky giggled, “What are custard creams?”

“They’re vanilla flavoured biscuits, although you can’t often get them these days with rationing. I thought it would make a good code word.”

“Custard creams.” Bucky grinned. “I’ll remember.” He stopped and looked at you as you found some places in the aisle. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“I get tired quite easily these days. It’s good to know I have an out tomorrow if I want to go home.”

“My friend Judith and I used to do something similar at university parties. Around 1 o’clock in the morning people either get very sleepy or very loud, and it stops being fun. So we would say ‘I have to be up for the milkman tomorrow’ and that would be our code to leave.”

“Why the milkman? Doesn’t the milkman just leave the bottles outside the door?”

You shrugged. “People would be too drunk to apply any logic to the statement.”

Bucky giggled again. “Well, ’custard creams’ is much easier to remember.” He said fondly.

Just then, the orchestra started, and the singer strutted on stage. He started a bright, energetic song. As he approached the first chorus, a line of dancers started to appear.

The rhythm of the steps, the piano, the singing… It was all so wonderful, the way it was affecting your body and making you want to move.

God, you had missed music. You had missed it so much.

You started to sway to the music, your hands up and waving in a manner you had seen stage performers do. Joey, laughing, joined you.

Bucky just wrapped his arms around your waist and swayed with you. His body was relaxing against yours, and although you couldn’t see his face, you knew that he was smiling.

***

As Bucky walked you to your door, you threw your arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. The thought of asking him to go to bed with you had been on your mind since your kiss in the woods. In fact, you had been thinking about it constantly.

But just asking him ‘would you like to come in and sleep with me’ just wasn’t the way things were done.

“Do you want to come in for tea?” You asked instead. “Thea said that my neighbour Mrs Penlington dropped round some things yesterday, so there’s not a lot but we can…”

“I have to report to the SSR accommodation unfortunately.” Bucky said with a furrowed brow. He took you in his arms gently. “Tell you what, let’s meet tomorrow, before the pub thing with your friend. We can go for a walk in the park and have lunch? Then I’ll tell the guys to meet us at the pub.”

“Yeah, yeah that sounds good.” You said, trying to hide your disappointment as he kissed you.

After Bucky left, you sat pondering over his words.

Safely in your flat, unpacking your things, refamiliarizing yourself with the old place, you replayed the interaction in your head.

Bucky was honest with you, always had been, so if he genuinely didn’t want to come in, he would have said so, but sometimes people used excuses to soften the blow.

He saw you to your door, that was something. He came with you to the Windmill. He had time to do that, so why didn’t he want to come in?

And you had spent half the train journey from Dover petting and kissing, and he had told you how much he cared about you, confessing his feelings.

Perhaps you were overthinking it all, but when you had mostly encountered dishonesty from people and had gotten used to deciphering their words like a tangled web, it was hard to tell your brain to work differently.

Maybe he was just tired. He’s been through a lot. He’s exhausted. It’s understandable that he’d want some alone time. You want alone time, you always need it after work.

But I’m here. All his. Why didn’t he take the chance?

Maybe he was just tired.

***

“This stuff’s good!” Bucky said, digging into the cottage pie in front of him.

The two of you had met for a walk in Regent’s Park, before finding a spot to have lunch. The restaurant was nice and quiet, just how you liked it, but your mind was still racing.

“See, English food isn’t all bad!” You joked, although you could hear the nerves in your voice. You were still pondering on the evening before, and were struggling to hide how tense you were.

Bucky finished his mouthful, and gestured to you with his fork. “What’s troubling you? Tell me. You kept staring into space when we were walking in the park.”

Here it was. You liked that your relationship with Bucky was based on honesty, but that didn’t make it any easier to put your feelings into words.

“I suppose I was a little sad when you didn’t want to come in yesterday. After the train journey and what you said about me maybe looking like an artwork I thought…” You trailed off, suddenly feeling bad. “I’m sorry. I guess I get a little confused when things aren’t crystal clear.”

Bucky swirled the dregs around his teacup. When he spoke his voice was sad and quiet.

“I was exhausted baby, I’m sorry. I would have just fallen asleep, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

Told you. The poor boy just wanted to rest.

“I wouldn’t have minded you falling asleep.” You told him.

“I know, I just needed some time alone after all that travelling and the excitement of the day. That and… there was something Steve said that was playing on my mind. I guess I needed to process it all. I didn’t really know how to say all of that yesterday.”

You nodded, understanding. You reached out and held his hand, smiling when he lifted it to his mouth and gave it a kiss.

“What did Captain Rogers say?”

Bucky sighed and bit his lip. “I think Steve will want me back at the front with him. Not yet, but soon. He wants to stamp out Hydra, and I can’t let him go alone.”

No. No, that’s so unfair.

“But you said you were tired! You’ve been given time to rest!” You protested.

“We have some time here. It’ll be January when we head out, February if I’m lucky. That gives me a month or two.”

“That’s not enough.” You protested. “You were… After what happened to you…” You didn’t want to put it into words. He had been through enough. He needed peace. He deserved it.

He took both of your hands, squeezing them again.

“But do you understand why I’ll have to go?”

Slowly, you nodded.

“The SSR might post me elsewhere too.” You conceded. “I’ll have to go where they send me. Or, stay put in London until the war is won. I understand duty.”

“But you know that doesn’t change how I feel about you, and the fact that I want this to continue.”

“This?”

“You and me.”

You and me. Me and him.

Not caring who saw, you got up from your seat and moved to the other side of the table. Gently, you sat on Bucky’s lap, wrapping your arms around him and resting your head on his shoulder.

As Bucky cuddled you in response, he whispered in your ear, “That old broad by the window is staring daggers at us.”

“Let her.” You replied, kissing his neck.

He chuckled, pulling you closer. “That’s my girl.” He said.

***

A group of people could be overwhelming, yes, but this group you didn’t mind so much.

Dare you think it, but you felt at home.

The boys of the 107th were a little boisterous, but you had to admit, they were a lot of fun.

You got on with Gabe the best. A fellow linguist, the two of you had started excitedly talking about your studies and what you loved about French and German. Jacques meanwhile was grateful to have another person who spoke his language, and you, him and Gabe had to halt your French banter and make sure that everybody else could understand you.

Morita and Dugan were sweethearts, even if they did have a propensity for sharing inappropriate jokes. You didn’t understand some of them, but Morita was drunk enough to explain them to you. That was very much appreciated, and helped you understand the humour. Falsworth was a little posh and stiff upper lipped, but charming too. He had scolded Dugan and Morita for sharing such obscene jokes with ‘a lady’, but when you had informed him that the girls of the ATS were just as foul-mouthed, he had laughed along and relented.

You had also gotten the chance to speak to Captain Rogers too, or, as he insisted you call him, Steve. You had only spoken to him a few times at the base in Italy, and you found him to be an absolute delight.

When Joey and Thea had arrived, you had become overwhelmed with joy. She had swept you up into a tight hug, and had insisted upon meeting your ‘friend’.

When you had introduced Bucky, she had grinned broadly and winked at you, mouthing ‘I approve’ in a way that Bucky could see. It made him blush, and you hide your face in your hands for a moment, but it was lovely.

Joey had fitted in perfectly with Steve and Bucky, while Thea joined the little French circle with you, Gabe, and Jacques. She had visited Marseille, Jacques’ hometown, for a holiday when she was employed at the Folies Bergère, and watching his face light up as they shared stories was lovely to see.

Usually, groups intimidated you slightly. There was always an expectation to act in a certain way, and the social rules were different. But tonight you felt relaxed. Perhaps it was Bucky’s presence, his kind nature, loving and accepting you.

Or perhaps, in a way, this rag-tag team felt more comfortable and safe than your own family.

***

“So, the lieutenant here tells us that you used to be a showgirl.” Falsworth said to Thea, speech slurring slightly after his fifth pint.

“More of a dancer really darling, but I’m more of a choreographer now, although I can still do a very good high kick!” Thea’s enthusiastic rambling almost matched yours, and you loved it.

“Dancing, huh?” Steve grinned. “I should pay you for some lessons, I’ve been told I have two left feet.”

“Well, I do a touch of singing as well.”

“You’ll have to serenade us!” Dugan added.

“Alright then.” Thea said frankly. “There’s a piano here, and Marge the pub landlady has a wonderful collection of sheet music.”

She got to her feet, smiling, the rest of the group looking at her in amazement.

Thea had once told you that there was no point in feigning modesty. If you had a skill, you should be proud of it. You liked that motto.

“I’ll accompany you.” You offered, standing to go and join her.

Yes, just like old times. You and Thea singing at the piano together!

Piano was something you had picked up as a child. It had been something to focus on, an escape, a way to keep your hands and mind busy while adults argued around you. Your grandmother had taught you the fundamentals before she passed away, and although you were no George Gershwin, you could accompany yourselves and others competently.

“What do you want to sing?” You asked Thea as you set yourself up at the piano with the array of sheet music.

“Something from the music halls! That’s where I got my start after all!”

That didn’t narrow it down very much.

“Hmm…” You flicked through the songbooks, until you found something. “How about this? When I Take My Morning Promenade?”

“Yes!” Thea cried, clapping her hands.

“I’ll turn the pages for you, baby.” You heard Bucky say, and he appeared from behind you, standing by the piano.

Oh you sweet, sweet thing.

“After the last war, the old boys used to love this song. It reminded them of happier times…” Thea rambled as you set yourself up, Bucky primed and ready to turn the pages.

Thea started to sing, somehow giving the provocative song class and charm. Everybody in the pub was looking at her as she sang, and you couldn’t blame them.

Everyone except Bucky, his eyes were only on you.

Well, you and occasionally the song book. Sometimes you had to tap his wrist to prompt him to turn the page.

As Thea finished her song, the whole pub erupted in applause. You and Bucky joined in. Thea’s singing never failed to make you smile, and it felt so amazing to be surrounded by music again.

As Thea gestured to you to extend the applause to her accompanist, you extended your arms and laughed, before shrinking rather shyly.

“Now let’s sing a duet, sweetie.” She said, coming over to the piano and taking a seat beside you. “Your choice.”

You knew the perfect song, no sheet music required, and as you began to play and sing slowly and with feeling, Thea was full of emotion.

“A lady known as Paris, romantic and charming, has left her old companions and faded from view. Lonely men with lonely eyes are seeking her in vain. The streets are where they were, but there’s no sign of her. She has left the Seine…” You sang.

You knew how much Thea missed Paris, her life there, and every piece of news of the occupation there broke her heart. Sometimes it helped to feel something, to sing about it, to mourn it, and that’s what this song was for.

Thea took a deep breath and started to sing the chorus with you, harmonising.

“The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay, I heard the laughter of her heart in every street café. The last time I saw Paris, her trees were dressed for spring, and lovers walked beneath those trees and birds found songs to sing…”

You didn’t look at Bucky as you played, focusing instead on your duet with Thea, but you could feel his eyes on you, sense the shift in his mood.

He was feeling it too. The sadness, the grief, the nostalgia.

“The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay, no matter how they change her, I remember her that way!” That line especially, you could hear Thea’s voice break slightly. Adapting your accompaniment, you shifted your left hand from the piano to hold hers for a moment.

As you and Thea finished the song, and you ended with a small flourish on the piano. The applause and sounds of appreciation were more muted, but still enthusiastic.

As you looked between your friends, new and old, and back at your handsome sergeant, there was a warm feeling in your chest.

Groups could sometimes overwhelm you, yes.

But this one here? This one felt like home.