#fd: Marvel

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 | 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐨𝐜 | 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐨

Summary: a long stakeout reveals information john walker didn't want to share (wc: 2291)

Warnings: swearing, walker is a bit of a dick, divorce, losing child custody, mentions of jail/juvi, thunderbolts spoilers-ish

✎……idk if you wanna send in requests for them or something that'd be cool 👉👈

TRACK ONE | MASTERLIST | TRACK THREE

Juno was led from her cell in handcuffs. She was still just trying to process the fact that she had a visitor at all. Who the hell could it even be? Her mother stopped visiting around her fifth year in juvi. But this was real prison. Her first stint in a cell like that actually. She tried to call her father when she first got processed, but all he said was that he hoped prison would at least toughen her up some. He would visit when he found time.

Six months into her sentence, maybe he had found the time.

The visitor's room was one Juno had yet to be in. The walls were lined with windows so the guards could watch them carefully — making sure nothing got snuck in or out. But the room was filled with cafeteria tables. At least it wasn’t plexiglass dividers and phones. 

There was only one person inside. A woman wearing a pencil skirt and a red blouse perfectly pressed. Her dark hair had a single white streak in it. She looked almost too perfect. She was smiling as Juno was led inside. So not her father then.

Her escort uncuffed her as soon as they were inside, but they didn’t take off the collar around her neck. Then, with a nod from the woman, the guards left them alone. The woman gestured to the table in the middle of the room before taking a seat herself. Juno joined her cautiously. 

“Do I know you?” she asked.

“No. But I — I know you.” The woman pulled a file out from under the table. Juno ducked, there was a briefcase underneath. Was she even allowed to bring that in here? “Juno Rivera, born in 1993 to Lorenzo and Paula Rivera in New York. First sentenced to juvenile detention at the age of ten for critically wounding a classmate with a knife. Said to possess —”

“Alright, you don’t have to keep going,” Juno interjected, arms crossed on top of the table. “Who are you?”

“I’m someone who can get that power damper off your neck,” she replied, pointing at the collar.

Juno touched the metal humming gently with electricity. “And if I don’t want to take it off?”

“Then you can keep it on and rot in your cell until your sentence is up. In what…Thirty years?”

She flinched. Swallowed something thick as she looked around at the guards watching her like a hawk — like she might explode at any second. For nearly half her life this was all she had ever known. “My father will come and get me out.”

“Your father?” she scoffed. “Last I heard, your daddy had hightailed it to Mexico with half of his operation and a bullet in his gut. He’s not coming. I am.”

She wanted to ask if her father had sent her. He had connections, shady people who were willing to do anything he asked. He was powerful enough. But this woman seemed different. Not one of her father’s usual puppets. 

“Who are you?”

“I own and operate an organization that has a special interest in people with superhuman abilities. People like you, Ms. Rivera. If you’re willing to agree to my terms, I can get you out of here in a few days and in the world again.”

Juno considered her for a moment. Could she trust her? That streak in her hair. That calm, confident smile that quirked her red painted lips. Her nails tapped idly against the file that held her entire life’s story. Tragedy and loss. Confusion and rage.

“What are the terms?” she asked slowly.

The woman smiled. “The organization, OXE, would hold the copyright to your name, design, and powerset. We would train you on all things physical and public facing. And if we decide you are not suitable for the project we’re pursuing we can drop you back into a more…Background role.”

“What…What kind of project is this?”

“To make the world's next greatest hero.” The woman grinned widely at her.

A hero. Juno gasped lightly at the term. Felt her heart skip a beat. A hero. All of her life it felt like she could do nothing but hurt people. Make things worse. Be feared and loathed by everyone around her. But heroes weren’t feared or hated. They were…Loved. 

Isn’t that what she had always wanted?

“I’m in.”

The place Valentina had gotten for them in Marseille was small. A studio apartment with an old fold-out couch, folding tables and chairs, and a wrought iron-lined balcony. It had a beautiful view of the bay, and that was the point. Some black market dealer had gotten his hands on Chitauri weapons and was selling them from his boat — posing as a fishmonger. They knew what he looked like, what his boat looked like, even. But they had yet to see a deal go through, those illegal alien weapons in his hands, and Valentina wanted solid proof before Armory and U.S. Agent ruined his day.

But two weeks holed up in that little apartment was beginning to wear on them.

Empty chip bags and bottles were scattered about the small space. The sink was full of dishes that no one really wanted to clean. The fold-out bed, at this point, was just left open. The sheets crumpled, and the pillows left where they lay. They couldn’t even eat at the small dining table. That was covered with their recon equipment, parabolic microphones, and cameras ready to catch their target in the act. 

Juno felt like she should talk to her partner. This was, what, the fourth mission they had gone on together? Since their first mission, he had been easy to talk to. Not an open book by any means, but she could say what was on her mind and at least feel heard. Maybe even crack a joke if she thought of one. But instead, there was just quiet. It wasn’t for lack of trying on her part. She had tried to start conversations, ask him questions. But John had dismissed her quickly. Almost angrily at times. She didn’t try again after that.

And wasn’t going to now. He still felt caged up, distant. Like a wall was put up between them that hadn’t really been there on previous missions. He was an asshole, seemed to know it too, but he cared. Gave what he could but took what he needed. Impatient to a point but almost never when it came to her. Played to her strengths but never gave away an ounce of control. Almost to an annoying degree. Valentina could even sense that they worked well together. He was the only partner she had gotten since their first mission. 

But something had changed now. Juno wondered if she did something wrong as the quiet persisted in that dirty studio apartment. 

It was nearly suffocating, the silence. Not being able to leave didn’t help either. They didn’t want to draw suspicions. There was no escape from John Walker with his furrowed brow and the tension that had built between them. It had been nearly two days since the last time they even said anything to one another. Juno’s knee bounced as she tuned the frequency on the microphone.

“It would be easier if we had a bug in there,” she blurted out, almost to her own surprise.

John sighed, set down the binoculars to rub at his eyes. “I don’t wanna do anything unless it’s perfect.”

“I have an easy cover. If that helps.” She shrugged.

“What does that mean?”

At least he was taking the conversation further. At least he was looking in her direction instead of staring out of the window.

Juno took off her headphones. Sat up straighter in her seat. “Valentina…Probably knows this, but I’ve got a side gig. Arms dealing.”

“You — You’re an arms dealer?” he spluttered back, doubt leaking into every word as he really looked at her for the first time. 

It was more than just the quiet, the standoffishness, that had changed about John. It was everything. His hair had grown out. His beard was longer. Dark circles had slowly formed under his eyes. He had always been rigid about his appearance, some military precision in the way his shirts and jeans looked. But now they were wrinkled, fold lines clear. She supposed it was a slow change, but they were all the more obvious now that they had spent so long together in one room. And the way he looked at her now, he knew that she saw it in him.

“Only when I’ve got time. It’s all profit for me,” she said after a beat.

He looked away from her, back to the window. “You don’t seem like the type.”

“It’s easier…When I’m wearing the suit. Mask down. It’s not Juno making the deal, it's Armory.” She resorted to fiddling with the over-ear headphones on the table, unable to stand the silence anymore. “It would be easy. I’m a known name in the underground. I could show up on his boat tonight and —”

 “No. We’re not doing that. Too risky,” he replied. 

Without hearing her full plan. Juno huffed and rolled her eyes, arms crossed. 

“This microphone is shit. Picking up what he’s saying is guesswork. We need a proper bug if we’re gonna hear the intel we need. I can do this.”

“He doesn’t need to know that Armory is here. It could blow our location.”

“Oh, good grief. It’s like you want us to be stuck here forever.”

“No, I want us to be safe. Not running in guns blazing just because you’re tired of listening to the microphone all day.”

“I’m not tired of — this isn’t working!” Juno got to her feet, a natural reaction to the anger bubbling up in her chest. “You aren’t my fucking captain, Walker, I don’t follow your orders. If you don’t trust me then say so, but stop being a dick and just listen to me.”

She could tell that stung, calling him captain, from the way he blinked up at her from his seat before he stood up, slow and deliberate with his fists clenched at his sides. Juno stood her ground, stared up into his face with a downturned mouth and furrowed brows. But it crumbled beneath her feet only slightly when she caught his eye. Bright blue rimmed with red and told way more than he wanted them to. 

Then he finally sighed and whispered, shaky and so quiet: “I do trust you.”

“Then let me do this,” she said, taking a step forward.

“I — I can’t —” he backed away, turned away — towards the kitchen. Got a glass and filled it at the sink, but never took a drink. He just stared into the ceramic basin and muttered. “I can’t lose anyone else.”

Juno barely heard it. But she did. She didn’t go to him. Knew that he would hate it. So she stayed rooted to the spot, staring at his back straining beneath that wrinkled t-shirt, and asked: “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t answer for a long time. For a moment, she wondered if she should look through the binoculars or pick up the headphones again. But they both knew their target was out for lunch right now. As was his usual. He wouldn’t be back for another hour at least. So she just stood there and waited for him. Waited for him to be ready. She knew he had lost a lot in his life. Valentina had shared the file before they worked together. The role of Captain America. His best friend and partner. His reputation. And even before that, there had been loss after loss. Squad mates. Civilians he couldn’t save. His own parents one right after the other. So she waited. 

“My…My wife filed for divorce,” he spoke quietly, “Handed me the papers a week after our first mission together. She, uh — she wants full custody of our son. No visitation rights.”

“Oh, fuck,” she said without thinking.

John actually huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. My thoughts exactly.”

“I’m sorry,” she tried again.

“Yeah, me too.” He sighed again before turning to face her. “You’ll go tonight. Plant the bug on something stable. Make sure you’re not followed.”

“I know,” she replied.

He nodded, finally took a drink from that glass of water. Juno turned to her bag thrown carelessly into the other corner. 

That information wasn’t in his file. She supposed it didn’t pertain to him professionally so Valentina didn’t feel the need to put it in. He was married. He had a kid. He was getting a divorce. He was losing custody of his son. There was no one he could punch or kill to get out of this. Two more people for him to lose. She looked back over her shoulder at him, wanting to give some comforting word, but so unsure what to say.

Words were coming before she could stop them: “You know, uh…The fact that you care at all means you were a pretty good dad.”

“I don’t think so,” he scoffed from across the room.

“I don’t know, man. When I first went to prison, my dad was happy about it,” she said as she pulled her suit from her bag. “Said that it might make me less of a wus.”

“Jesus.”

“Seems like you fucked up. But there are worse things to be.” She got to her feet and turned to John then who stared at her unblinking. “You could be happy to leave.”

“Juno…”

“I’m gonna go get changed. Get ready.” She pointed to the bathroom. 

And he let her go. Watched as she walked away with something tight in his chest.

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[saiilorstars]

Who Done it?

Bucky Barnes x OFC

Story Summary: Bucky breaks his girlfriend's coffee maker and decides to make it everyone else's problem.

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon​​​​​ ​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​​​​​ @gloryekaterina​​ @lenonizi​ @averyhotchner​​ @foxesandmagic @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes​​​​​​​​​​​​

Oneshots Masterlist • Chloe’s Masterlist​​

Also available on Fanfic ○ Ao3 ○ Wattpad

If you’d like to be a part of this OC’s work/edits, let me know!

It was a nice morning, one like usual. Chloe woke up thanks to Bucky so subtly moving around the room getting ready for the day.

"I don't understand how you were ever the winter soldier when you move like that," she muttered grumpily. In her opinion, he was so loud.

Bucky chuckled and called her out on her grumpiness. "Can I make it up with some coffee?"

"You thought you weren't?" Chloe retorted, tossing the covers to the side and getting out of bed. "Oh, no, no, James. This is going to cost you. Coffee — now."

Bucky gave her a mock salute and left the room to get started on his apology. Like it was his fault that she was the world's lightest sleeper.

A fly could wake her up.

~0~

Chloe emerged from the bedroom about 5 minutes later and headed straight to the kitchen. She was already envisioning her sweet morning coffee, so when she smelled burning coffee, she knew something else was going to happen.

She entered the kitchen to see her favorite coffee maker steaming and with a wide hole on the side…like someone had punched through it.

And then there was one guilty Bucky Barnes standing on the other side of the isle.

"…you broke my coffee maker?"

"Well, 'broke' is a…strong word…" Bucky cleared his throat awkwardly.

Chloe's eyes narrowed on her boyfriend. "You broke my coffee maker."

"I did not 'break it', I…gently tapped it…"

"You gently tapped a hole into it?"

"Maybe not so gently," Bucky mumbled.

"JAMES—"

Bucky sprang into action and dashed around the isle. "Okay, okay, okay!" He took her away from the messy sight. "Why don't we go out and buy a new one, hm? Any one you want, I swear."

"That was my favorite…" Chloe pouted.

"I know, I know," he nodded, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Do you want to go to the store right now? We can make a day out of it, I'll make this morning up to you, I swear."

"Yeah, alright," Chloe shrugged. At this point, nothing else could go wrong.

Bucky sent her back to the room to get changed so they could leave. He promised her that by the time she returned, the mess would be gone.

There is literally nothing else that could go wrong now, Barnes, he thought to himself. He seemed to be screwing things up spectacularly today and it wasn't even 10am yet.

He started hearing the chattering of the others as they neared the kitchen. He groaned internally. He was not ready to deal with the cavalry yet. If they found out he managed to break Chloe's coffee maker, they would never let him live it down.

No way I'm adding that to my day, he thought.

Walker was the first one in and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the coffee maker. "Woah, what the hell happened?"

Yelena came in next and said the same thing. "Somebody's in trouble…" she smirked, already assuming it was Bucky.

Ava, Alexei and Bob trailed in behind and each one made comical 'yikes' expressions. Everyone knew that Chloe without coffee was already bad, but a Chloe without her coffee maker might as well be an Avengers-level threat.

"So…who broke it?" Bucky's words stopped everyone's murmurs and earned him identical stunned faces.

"What?" Yelena said, losing her confidence in the moment. "It wasn't…it wasn't you?"

"Do I look dumb enough to break my girlfriend's coffee maker?" Bucky retorted, flat-faced.

It made Yelena second-guess herself, and the others as well.

"So, who the hell broke it?"

There was a heavy tension in the air, no one during to admit to the fault.

"I did," said Bob suddenly, "I broke—"

"No, no you didn't," Bucky cut him off. He was holding himself so straight that nobody could even think he was playing them all. "Walker?"

"What?" frowned the man. "Don't look at me. Look at Yelena."

"What?" Yelena said in return. "I didn't break it!"

"Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?"

Yelena blinked incredulously at Walker. "Uuh, because it's sitting right in front of us and it's broken. Suspicious!"

"If it matters - probably not - but Ava was the last one to use it," Alexei mumbled to Bucky not so much in a 'mumble'.

Ava reacted fast at the accusation. "Liar! I don't even drink that crap!"

"Oh, really? Then what were you doing by the coffee maker earlier?"

"Ok, ok! Let's not fight!" Bob tried speaking over everyone's shouts. "I broke it, let me pay for it, Bucky!"

"No, Bob, we can't do that," Bucky said, half smiling. It was getting harder not to start laughing. "So who broke it? Chloe's going to be here any minute now and she's going to want some answers."

"Bucky, Ava's been awfully quiet…" Alexei said yet again and made Ava snap.

"Oh, really!?" She turned and started to argue with him, which then prompted the rest to start bickering with each other.

And that's how found them when she walked into the kitchen. Bucky was watching the chaos with a massive smirk on his face, clearly very proud of himself.

"Woah, woah, woah, what the hell is going on!?" she shouted over all of them.

"We're trying to figure out who the hell broke your damn coffee maker," Walker said, then immediately reiterated his innocence in the matter.

"Who broke my coffee maker?" Chloe said, confused, then glanced at Bucky. "We don't know who broke it?"

"Nope," he replied, then looked away to cover up his laugh.

I'm gonna kill this guy, she thought and swallowed her own laughter.

"I said it was me," Bob cut in unknowingly, "I broke it, so just let me try and get a new one. There's no need to fight."

"No, Bob, it wasn't you," Chloe said softly, "But maybe you and I can go shopping for another one. You're the only with sensible taste in this whole building."

And suddenly Bucky was done having his own fun. "What?" he looked at Chloe. "I thought you and I—"

"We can train later, sweetheart," Chloe said, like that had been their whole plan for the day. "Bob and I have some shopping to do. I'll see you later, okay? Bob?"

Bob looked around the group and their annoyed faces. Shopping was definitely the easier way to go. "Yup!" He dashed after Chloe who had already taken the lead out.

"And clean that mess up!" she shouted at the rest.

Unbelievable, Bucky shook his head.

He looked at the remaining members after a moment. "You heard her. Clean this mess up." He then too left the kitchen, ignoring the bickering that continued without him.

~0~

It was later at night when Bucky saw Chloe again and it was only because neither she nor Bob could figure out how to set up the new coffee maker. It was like watching children playing with tools.

"You found a new one," he mused at the larger coffee maker now taking space up on the counter.

"Well I had to considering somebody broke my last one," Chloe remarked.

"I still say it's me," Bob said, very much sounding honest.

"No, Bob, it wasn't you," Chloe said, crossing her arms. "It was my dumbass boyfriend."

"What?" Bob's eyes widened and immediately flickered to Bucky. "You broke it?"

A smirk spread across Bucky's face. "You gonna tell, Bob?"

"Uh, no," Bob shook his head instantly. "N-no, I would — I would never! But then…why did you make it seem like someone else did it? Ava almost beat up Alexei."

"I was bored," answered Bucky, "and annoyed."

"Evil," Chloe rolled her eyes playfully. "We could have had a dead team on our hands all because you wanted to have some fun."

"And I had a lot of fun," Bucky was happy to report. "Bob, why don't you head out and I'll take over here?"

Bob agreed only because he didn't want to get blamed for something too. When he was gone, Chloe took the opportunity to 'reprimand' Bucky for being so childish.

"You gotta admit it was funny, though," Bucky said after the whole lecture. And as much as Chloe wanted to remain serious, the image of the whole team arguing with each other was too funny to pass on.

"You can't do that again…" she warned him through giggles.

"Not with the coffee maker, of course," Bucky said, "It's brand new now." Chloe whacked his arm. "We could do it with something else! It's funny, Chlo."

Chloe leaned up and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "You're supposed to be mature here. You are the oldest."

"And therefore with the authority to continue," Bucky shrugged.

"Get to work, Bucky!" Chloe tossed him the coffee maker's manual. "I want coffee tomorrow morning!"

~ 0 ~

Author's Note:

I saw this idea on tiktok and died laughing just thinking about it so here we are :)

As always, I have Fanfic/Wattpad accounts under "noblecrescent" and a tumblr account under "saiilorstars" if you'd like to follow :)

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

𝙊𝘾 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 2024: 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦: 𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵

Whether Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, or any other; What “God” could have created your oc?

𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙤 {𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘖𝘊} ✸ 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦

✨ Taglist @ginger-grimm @eddysocs @faerieroyal @daughter-of-melpomene @megandaisy99 @misshiraethsworld @arrthurpendragon ✨

[arrthurpendragon]

Thanksgiving / Getting Back into the Swing of Things Gift Exchange

Learn to Fly

@mara-vel-cece-matic-universe // @themaradwrites

read here

[welcometotheocverse]

Grant Barnes

My part of the Aesthetic Trade with @arrows-unofficial-ocs

The sun in his smile, the fire in his eyes.

[wordspin-shares]

CHARACTER PROFILE — MORGAN HUNT aka PACE | MARVEL

I've been having fandom nostalgia lately and decided to revisit one of my old OCs. A slight revamp gave Morgan new powers and codename, but the rest of the essentials remain much the same. I doubt I will revise and share her story, but I wanted to share this.

[eddysocs]

Always Have (Agatha Harkness x OC)

Summary: Agatha can tell Rebecca is getting ready to bolt. She can’t let that happen, not when they haven’t had their chance in this lifetime.

Word Count: 487

Warnings: Angst

A/N: It gets fluffy at the end, I promise.

Everywhere she went in Westview, there was Agnes. It was getting weird. Way too often to be coincidental. She was scared to confront her. Perhaps it was best to pack her things and leave Westview. She’d thought it impossible once, but something felt different now somehow. So that’s what she did. She went home, packed a bag —essentials mostly— and made to leave, but as she reached the edge of town, her whole world went black.

She woke up in a dimly lit room, sitting in a chair, tied in, in fact. Naturally, she started to panic. "Shh, shh," a voice hushed from the darkness. The woman soon stepped into the light.

"Agnes," she realized aloud. Her heart started to race. She’d been right to try and get out, and this was the proof.

"No. No, no, no! Why don’t you ever remember?" She sounded exasperated. Mad, but not at her, more like at the universe. "It’s Agatha, dear. Always Agatha."

"I don’t understand," Rebecca replied. Had that always been her name and she’d just been hearing it wrong? She could have sworn that wasn’t the case.

"You never do, no matter how many times I’ve loved you." She stepped closer, just enough to reach out and touch her temple. She could never restore her memories of the lives she’d lived before, only the feeling of what they were. "You’re always doomed to forget." With a wave of her hand, she undid the bindings that held her. She’d never meant to hurt or frighten, only stop Rebecca from leaving her once more.

"Wait," Rebecca called after Agatha. Agatha stopped, waited. "You love me?" The words are soft spoken, almost as if Rebecca feared to believe they might be true.

Agatha turned back to her. "I always have," she confirmed.

"I don’t remember," Rebecca admits. Agatha bows her head. This was usually how it went. "But," Agatha looked back up. "I want to," Rebecca finished. This was new territory. It had always ended with Rebecca telling her she was crazy and running from her when she revealed her powers. "When you touched me, it felt…familiar. Safe."

Agatha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It had to be Wanda's influence, the potency of her magic. Rebecca got up from the chair and walked over to Agatha. It had been ages since they’d been this close. Rebecca looked up into her eyes and regarded her curiously. Agatha held her breath. She should do something, say something. She couldn’t miss this opportunity. It might be the only one in this life of Rebecca's.

Agatha surged forward, knocking Rebecca back a step as she kissed her. She put her arm around her to steady them both, and that’s when she felt Rebecca kiss her back. A tear rolled down Agatha's cheek, and she finally brought herself to pull away, resting her forehead against Rebecca's. "Agatha, I remember. I remember it all."

Forever Tag: @arrthurpendragon, @baubeautyandthegeek, @foxesandmagic, @carmens-garden, @bossyladies, @getawaycardotmp3, @misshiraethsworld, @kmc1989, @curious-kittens-ocs

Rebecca Wildes: @adrianas-ocs-and-such, @dollvi3e

[sunlitscribe]

Alexsandra Outfit + The Avengers (when they’re on the helicarrier)

as much as she loves black, this is her least favorite outfit bc there’s no color

[ironverseocs]

Headcanons for a Plot Bunny -> Samantha "Sam" Lang

Cassie's older sister by four years

While Cassie is all about radical/“here and now” change, Sam is all about getting into the system and playing the long game. She sees that as a more lasting/substantial kind of change

Part of her mindset described above is because she's an older sibling; she always had to be the responsible one and has to be that one now. She likes building strong foundations brick by brick for a system to rest upon safely and without fear. // That leads to the other part of why she's more into slow, substantial, reliable change; she views Scott's criminal background through the lens of abadonment almost, as if when he went out to do something drastic and sudden (albeit good) through disorderly means, he forgot about their family/left them behind. She does not want to leave family behind, it's the most important thing to her.

GOAL: to build unshakeable foundations brick by brick until, voila, there is the result at the end – the result being anything from the changes she sees need to be made in society to her future, solid and sturdy.

Sam does have the same call to action as Cassie in Quantumania: to provide better things for the homeless post blip and hating the way peaceful protests are treated, etc.

Fun fact: once she turned 21, she’s bailed Cassie out of her first lockup, then proceeded to give her a stern/big sisterly lecture while driving back about not being reckless (but also she was a little bit proud of/impressed by Cassie's motivation, and it leaked out into her tone towards the end)

–

Dunno if I'm going to write out her story in full, as I don't have a plotline yet, but it's fun to just create lil plot bunnies and see where they go. Maybe she'll go the superhero route, maybe not. We shall see. Hope you enjoyed reading! (And if you get any thoughts about what her story could include, I'm always accepting of feedback! and always down to chat in dm!)

–

Forever taglist: @arrthurpendragon @foxesandmagic @shrinkthisviolet @ochub @ocappreciationtag | want to be added? send me an ask or dm!

[bardic-tales]

Hello!!! You're on my OC Creator Bingo and I want to ask some questions about Vitalia!! 1. What made you decide to create an anthromorphic tiger as a character? 2. What made you choose the name? 3. Who is she friends with at the Xavier Institute? 4. Does she get involved in any major canon events? 5. Would she ever want to go back to being a normal tiger if there was a guarentee of a better life than her one at the circus or is she content as a mutant?

Bonus question - what programs do you use to make the artwork?? Because all of your OCs look really cool!!

Hello. I hope you are having a wonderful day or night, and I apologize that this is late. Thank you so much for the questions, Bingo Buddy.

What made you decide to create an anthromorphic tiger as a character?

Vitalia is a character I originally created in 2000. I saw a wonderful painting by the artist Jonathon earl bowser that inspired her. Since that was 23 years ago, I really don't remember much of her. I have a memory of a goldfish sometimes.

In fact, the reason she is shipped with Nate Grey is from an old X-man RP that I did in 2000 where she was romantically involved with him. Her other love interest during that time was Robert "Bobby" Drake (Iceman).

I resurrected this character as I wanted to be able to spread the awareness of the horrors of cub petting, and the best way I knew how is through my writing. As an animal advocate, this topic is really close to me.

What made you choose the name?

I searched many different sites and language dictionaries to find something that really sparked my interest when I was crafting her name. Vitalia means 'Full of Life', and this is how she views the world after she heals from the abuse she had endured in her life.

Vitalia is only her nickname. The name she gave herself is Carmen Rio Aurora. I chose this name because I am fond of the opera 'Carmen'. Rio and Aurora are her parent's names. She wanted to honor them.

Who is she friends with at the Xavier Institute?

I previously answered this in this OC Bingo Ask. Outside of Kitty Pryde, she is also friends with Hank McCoy. He is the one who helped her find her way to the Xavier Institute.

But really, Vitalia's time at the Xavier Institute is one marked with distrust. She has barriers up and does not trust easy. It's hard for her to really heal and make friends after all the trauma she endured in her life. Vitalia kind of has a restless soul. She really is haunted by her past trauma.

Does she get involved in any major canon events?

She does join Nate in some of his canonical events, as I tend to write canon divergent fiction. One such event that comes to mind is when she journeyed to Switzerland. Nate Grey literally falls out of the sky in the main universe, and as he wanders the forest, he senses a strange presence. This is Vitalia. She initially appears aggressive, but he uses his telepathic powers to sense her thoughts and emotions.

Vitalia would travel with him, meeting various established characters. Some include: Spider-Man, Psi-Ops, and Maddie Pyror. She would go, fight, and help to defeat the Great Beasts.

Nate would create another plane of existence, which he constructed as an attempt at a utopia. It was here that he and all the other mutants would be at peace. Nate altered their memories, so they would not resist. He would also subconsciously create a version of his old girlfriend, Dani Moonstar, and this deeply hurts Vitalia. Dani and Vitalia both point out the flaws of this utopia and convince him that he made a mistake. Vitalia is the one who pleads for him to release them back to Earth-616, which he does.

Would she ever want to go back to being a normal tiger if there was a guarentee of a better life than her one at the circus or is she content as a mutant?

This is such a great question. I believe after her story is told, that she would prefer to go back to a normal tiger. She has faced a lot of prejudice as a mutant. As an anthro tiger, she often has to hide her appearance when she is out and about.

She longs to run through the forests and hunt prey.

what programs do you use to make the artwork?? Because all of your OCs look really cool!!

Unfortunately, they are AI generated. I made them before it came out that the Ai were stealing artwork to generate their images. They are from Artbreeder.

I'm in the process of commissioning work and finding picrews to represent my original characters. For my fandom characters, I most likely will be using their Faceclaims and / or game models.

I am chronically ill and with personal things going on right now, so I often really don't have the energy to do anything.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and thank you for the interest in Vitalia.

[itsdafuckhause]

jamie hangin' with o'hara by eggconcept

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 | 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐨𝐜 | 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

Summary: A mission at Christmas time - you would think the universe would take it easy on them. Instead, Juno's life changes forever when she gets injured, and John decides to be selfish. (wc: 7350 whoops)

Warnings: fake relationship but only briefly, there is czech in this and i tried my best, another superhuman person, child kidnapping/hostage situation, violence, blood, oc becomes deaf, walker is emotionally constipated about his divorce, thunderbolts spoilers this is so long I'm so sorry

✎……surprise, this character is disabled!

TRACK ONE | TRACK TWO | MASTERLIST

“So where did we get married?” Juno asked as she shrugged on her coat.

“Um…” John thought for a moment as he went through the motions of clipping his gun holster to his belt, then remembering he had a walking armory with him and deciding to leave it at home. “You’re from New York, right? There.”

“Nah. That’s not really her style.”

He looked over at her with an incredulous expression. “Her?”

“Yeah. I’m not, like…Super great at undercover stuff. So having a full backstory helps,” she said, winding a thick scarf around her neck. “My name is Alma Penner. I like hiking, rock climbing, travelling, and white water rafting. Grew up in Tennessee. Dad’s a doctor.”

“You sound rich,” John scoffed, but there was some humor behind it. “What’s my name then?”

“I don’t know…I was thinking maybe Ryan?”

“Ryan? Nah, that’s not him.” He poked fun at her and she rolled her eyes as he grabbed his coat. “How about Cooper?”

“Cooper Penner? It rhymes!”

John put his hand on the door with a huff. “This really doesn’t matter. No one’s gonna ask what our names are.”

“They might,” she replied.

“They won’t.”

He opened the door and they stepped out into the street. 

Prague really was beautiful this time of year. The Christmas trees were up, the markets were teeming with people, there was the perfect amount of snow on the ground. Fine enough to be plowed away and the streets to be cleared, but high enough to leave a light blanket in yards and on rooftops. Juno’s breath billowed into the night air like smoke as they walked to Wencelas Square.

John kept close to her side. Elbows brushing. Never keeping her more than an arm’s length away. Juno looked up at him. He looked…Different out of his suit. Jeans, cable knit sweater, long wool coat. He had changed on her again and she hadn’t even noticed until they were walking along those cobbled streets. He had kept the longer hair and the beard, but there was a trimness to it now. He looked like he could finally sleep at night. His clothes were back to that rigid order she had known him for. A slow change, but a good one. The way he looked down at her as he was bumped closer to her side, he knew that she saw it in him. She supposed she looked different to him too in her plaid coat, bulky scarf, and hat. They just looked like regular civilians. A couple, even. That’s what Valentina wanted all of Prague to believe anyway.

The square was packed with people. Locals and tourists alike — all of them talking, laughing, or singing carols. A band was playing jaunty Christmas music somewhere. The pathways between stalls selling souvenirs, ornaments, and all kinds of Czech cuisine were lined with lights. A fresh snowfall was beginning to start, light and sparkling. It was beautiful, like something pulled out of a postcard. 

She was nearly starting to forget what they were doing, allowing herself to get distracted by a stall selling stained glass window hangings. Until John grabbed a hold of her bicep to keep her close at his side.

Right. They weren’t here to enjoy the market. They were following a target. He quickly pivoted to guiding her arm to loop through his.

“Watch your step, Alma,” he muttered just for her to hear.

When she looked up, a smirk was quirking the corner of his mouth. A tease. A jab. But it just made her grin in her small way, using her other hand to curl around his arm as well. “Will do, Coop.”

He rolled his eyes with a snort that was entirely ungentlemanly. Juno hid her grin, showing slightly crooked teeth, in the softness of her scarf. Another moment to forget what they were doing. Allowing herself to get distracted by how easy it was with John. Too easy. It scared her in some ways. Since that month-long stint in France there had been some kind of open door policy between them. He had never set foot in her apartment, God no. Metaphorically. Emotionally. She let him see and she saw right back. Unspoken but there. Understanding that didn’t need to be voiced. They both had their shit. Their skeletons. Their reasons. And it was enough to let it be. 

 “Come on. We can do recon from there.”

John pointed at a place selling sausages a few yards ahead. A place lined with lights and had a few tables out front for people to stand and eat. She could smell the spices used in the meat from there. It broke whatever spell had been cast over her. She pulled down her scarf and nodded without a word. Right. The mission. The target. He could be anywhere. 

They got in line for the stand, trying to act casual as they scanned the crowd, and when they got to the window the seller grinned at them widely. “Dobrý večer! Co si přejete?”

“Uh, two, please,” John said as he pulled his wallet from the inner pocket of his coat — filled with bills courtesy of OXE. 

“Ah, Americans! What brings you to Prague, eh? Besides our beautiful Christmas markets!” He laughed heartily as he grabbed a pair of tongs and began scooping sausages from the grill in front of him.

John wrapped his arm around Juno’s waist and smiled down at her. “We’re on our honeymoon.”

She could feel him through every layer she had on. The weight. The warmth. Professional as she was, it was hard to ignore. He pulled her in tight. Like it was something he had done a thousand times. And maybe it had been, with his wife. His real wife. The one who left him. She wondered if he was thinking about her then. Their own honeymoon. 

Did he wish she was her?

She serpentined her arm around him in return, not as well practiced, almost tentative, and grinned up at him, hoping that it was convincing. Her acting had never been the best. The seller seemed to buy it, at least. John certainly didn’t, as he kissed the top of her head for added effect. She felt it down to her soul.

“Young love,” the seller sighed, placing the sausages in buns on plates. “How long are you here for?”

“Just a few days,” John answered vaguely, untangling himself from her to give the man his due.

“Well, have fun.” He handed them their food and waved. “And Veselé Vánoce!”

They took their sausage and found an empty table closest to the pathway. The perfect vantage point to look for their target. Juno could see everyone as they passed by, hoping it seemed like she was just checking out the other stalls across the way, as she loaded her food with mustard. She took a bite as she took her place across from John and nearly moaned.

“Holy shit, that’s good,” she said, wiping spare sauce from her chin.

He looked at her for a moment. Something caught on his face like adoration or confusion. He settled on shaking his head before taking something small from his pocket and shoving it in his ear. Right. Earpiece. Mission. Valentina waiting in some OXE control room for them to do their job.

“Val, you sure our guy is here? There’s…Thousands of people here. He’s gonna be hard to spot.”

Juno quickly dug out her own earpiece, trying to avoid the mustard on her fingers, to hear Valentina’s reply. “He’s there. He messaged his girlfriend earlier today that he would meet her for a bag of things before heading to the airport. We need to stop him.”

Jesus, how were they supposed to find one man in this crowd? They continued to eat their food in silence, watching the people and hoping Valentina would have more information for them soon. They finished their meal and John took away the trash. Still radio silence. When he came back, he took her hand across the cold metal and it nearly made her jump. As he turned her hand, so much smaller than his own, palm down and ran his thumb over a raised scar on the back of her hand, he glanced over at the sausage stand suggestively. And there was the seller with a lull in customers, looking at them with a smile and a hand on his hip like he was watching his own kid dance at their wedding. For a moment, Juno didn’t know what to do. John ran hot. His skin felt wonderful in comparison to the frigid air. Part of her wanted to curl into it. Some lost little bird finally finding a place to land. Somewhere warm and safe. But the other part felt foreign, wanted to retract and hide and hiss. It was all part of the act. She knew that. But she couldn’t help the way she squeezed his fingers yet sat up pin straight — as far away as she could get without fleeing the scene. John’s eyebrows furrowed, his thumb stopped that repetitive motion that was driving her insane.

“Our guy just sent another text,” Valentina spoke into their ears, suddenly, it nearly made them jump. “They’re meeting at the fish soup stand in the center of the square. Move out, now.”

They tried to keep up the act for the vendor still watching, or at least John did, as they casually pulled away from the table — hands still joined — and back into the ever moving crowd. As soon as they were lost in the noise and bustle of thick coats and wool hats, they disconnected. Juno discreetly created a forty-five, his preferred weapon of choice, and slipped it into his pocket. No need to make her own yet. There was still time. 

They headed back to the center of the market. To the fish soup stand with a giant cauldron over a fire — bubbling away the carp and potatoes and herbs she couldn’t place. It smelled wonderful, something homey and the sea about it. Juno longed to try it but there was no time. No more enjoying the market, even if only for a moment. It was less busy here, people had moved on to other places in the market or filtered out through the exit. And there, waiting at one of the tables by the fire, was the man tehy were looking for. Disheveled, long, thin hair in a ponytail, his clothes looked worn.

“There he is,” Juno pointed out in a low voice to John, who followed her line of sight to their target.

U.S. Agent’s shoulders squared. His chin tilted. A hunter locking in on it’s prey.

“We have visual,” he said.

“Well, take him the fuck down. I want him outta here,” Valentina said.

They shared a look but began to move in on their target. Carefully weaving through the crowd so as not to draw too much suspicion too soon. They could just be two people who really wanted to get to the soup stand. No longer a couple, that was for sure. John now allowed a good distance to come between him and his partner. Juno didn’t mind though. His proximity was beginning to confuse her more than anything else.

But then their target made direct eyecontact with Juno. She stopped dead in her tracks, unsure what to do. Then he bolted. Ran away from the stand and towards the exit without caring who he ran into. Forgetting about his girlfriend and the precious few items she was going to bring him. 

“Shit!” John hissed before he took off after him. 

Juno put her finger to the piece in her ear. “Target is on the run, we are in pursuit.”

Juno followed close behind in the path John created as he carelessly shoved civilians out of his way. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from apologizing on his behalf. The cold air burned her lungs, each breath felt like pins and needles to her throat. But she kept going, only a few yards behind John. She knew he could run as fast as a speeding car. Had seen him do it on multiple occasions. But they were running through the busy Christmas streets, there were people everywhere. They had to keep some semblance of this missions discrete premise. 

Their pursuit took them out into the streets of Prague, towards the warehouse district, where everything was practically abandoned. John and Juno rounded a corner after their target, only to find a woman screaming and pulling her hair, the man they were after already far up the street carrying a small boy by the waist. She was pointing and shouting for the police. But then she spotted them in their nondescript coats, taking in the scene, she headed for them desperately.

“Pomozte nám! Unesl mi syna! Pomozte mi, prosím!” she wailed, pointing down the road.

John kept on running, releasing his gun from his pocket and silently signalling for Juno to deal with the civilian. Her Czech was better than his anyway. She stopped, panting for breath, in front of the now weeping mother. Listening to John’s footsteps disappear into the distance. They could have just left this woman to flounder in confusion and terror — let her call the police and create that sloppy mess. She knew this plan was better. Her placating the woman while they did their job. But in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but think John didn’t want her around. And it stung.

“Madam, jsme s americkou vládou a pomůžeme vám získat vašeho syna zpět,” Juno said, pulling out her wallet and flashing the inside for just a moment. 

It was partially the truth. She certainly didn’t have an official badge of any kind. But it was enough to get this woman to cry anew, her hands reaching for Juno’s with a tight grip, pulling her closer. There was an open trust in her expression that made Juno’s guts twist up. 

She had to get that kid back. She had to help her partner.

Giving the woman’s hands a squeeze and telling to wait where she was, Juno sprinted after John and their target. 

As she hopefully ran in the right direction, she thought about the file she and John had read over, back at the safe house. Michal Holas. Rogue OXE employee. Has the ability to produce sonic screams with an acute sense of hearing. Caused an explosion in China that killed twenty people. Knew he was in trouble so he was running. But first he needed to go home. See his girlfriend. And according to Valentina that was ultimately his downfall. His sentamentallity. 

She just hoped that John wasn’t doing anything rash. Being sentimental in some way that she didn’t understand.

Eventually, after searching and listening and on the verge of praying, she found John and Michal inside an abandoned warehouse. It wasn’t completely empty. There was still machinery for making who knew what scattered about, tripod lights, and a few tables. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, the particles danced in the moonlight that filtered through the high windows. John was down on the ground, pointing his weapon up at a balcony some twenty feet in the air that led to what used to be the bosses office. Michal was at the top of these stairs with a struggling, crying child in his grasp. A gun pressed to his little temple.

“Let the kid go, Holas!” John yelled, rough and deep, before looking over his shoulder to see Juno join him at his side. “You’re outnumbered!”

“By who, exactly?” Holas called back with a kind of desperate grin as he jerked the child to the side. “Knock off Captain America and some little bitch?”

John rolled his shoulders, corrected his aim. But that wasn’t the thing that made Holas’ eyes widen and his grip on the precious cargo he carried falter. It was Juno — with four spears, thick metal harpoons really, conjured all around her. Suspended in the air by her head, each deadly point aimed right at him. Efforts from years of intense training, being able to telepathically control the weapons she created. But only breifly. Only until they were too far for her power to reach. Out of the corner of her eye, John was looking at her with raised brows.

Holas didn’t need to know that, however. So when she launched the harpoons at him, taking special care to avoid the boy still clutched in his grasp, he panicked. Dropped the child in a last ditch effort to save himself. Scrambled for the office door as his little hands gripped the railing with everything he had. But his efforts to escape her aim were useless — one of the spears lodged in his shoulder and pinned him to the wall. The other three punctured the metal siding of the warehouse with a sharp screech and a thunk. 

But the boy, in his big down-filled coat and cap, began to slip. He cried out as he tried to hang on.

Then he fell.

John reacted faster than Juno ever could. As she stepped forward, he lept. Dropped his gun and jumped at least ten feet into the air. Another thing that that serum did to him, she supposed. She halted in her tracks, heard her boots squeak against the concrete, just to watch as he effortlessly caught the boy midair. Curled up into a ball, child tucked against his chest, and landed with a thud back on the ground. John groaned in pain, face pinched up as he unfurled himself to reveal the child unharmed on his chest.

Juno started up the stairs towards Holas, finger to her ear as she said to an awaiting Valentina: “Target secured. Bringing him into custody now.”

“Fucking finally” Valentina replied.

Holas let out a scream just as Juno rounded the top of the stairs to the balcony. He had pulled himself off of the spear, perched on his knees gripping his gushing red shoulder. Juno had to admire his determination. His will to survive. Because surely Valentina was going to kill him. Clean up the mess they made, using whatever means necessary. And maybe some part of her wanted to see him get away, because when he picked himself up off the floor and staggered into the office, she didn’t go after him immeadiately.

“Shit, he got away. In pursuit,” she said.

“No!” John practically screeched from below, stopping her in her tracks. “I’ll go!”

She looked over the railing. He was already on his feet, the boy sniffling behind him. He took the stairs two at a time and she watched him come up bewildered. 

“I’m already here, what the f —” she started. 

But he didn’t let her finish as he pushed past her. “Your Czech is better, just fucking go!”

There was no room for argument. He stormed into the office after Holas without another word. And Juno let him go. Leaving her alone with the boy who looked at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. Confused and afraid and curled in on himself. She sighed as she descended the stairs. What on earth had she done so wrong that he didn’t want her help?

Then she held her hand out to the boy and said, “Pojď, vím, kde je tvoje máma.”

He immeadiately smiled and took her fingers in an iron-like grip. All the trust in the world she didn’t deserve. They walked back to where his mother was waiting, the air still frigid but pleasant after the sweat she had worked up. Talking about what he was doing for Christmas and what he hoped to receive from Ježíšek. This would certainly be the most memorable Christmas of his entire life, but he seemed in good spirits as he let go of her hand and ran straight for his mother. Juno recieved a hug and multiple kisses on the cheek for returning her son to her.

Then they all ducked as an explosion went off only a few blocks away. The mother pulled her child into his side tight. No fire. Just dust and flying cement blocks. Something capable of being created by a sonic boom.

“John…” she breathed as she turned to the developing dust cloud.

She didn’t need to think twice about running towards the disaster. Her heart pounded in her chest, thumped against her ribs until they ached. A sharp sting was beginning to form in her legs as she pumped them as hard as they would go. Cold air forgotten. Her mind raced. She hated to admit it, but John Walker might have been the only person she cared about in the entire world. He spoke to her in a way no one had in a long time. Like she was a person. Not a malleable young woman he was manipulating into a weapon. Not his own personal armory he could take from without her permission. A person. Not a hero. Not a villain. Just Juno. Even though he seemed to hate her now, she couldn’t help but care about him. And she hadn’t gotten that cat, so where else was her affection supposed to go? There wasn’t anyone else.

Half of the warehouse had crumbled into a heaping pile of broken concrete blocks and twisted metal framework. The wreckage was still trying to settle, metal against metal and shifting rubble. Dust from the explosion still clung to the air, falling slowly back to the ground but getting stuck in her lungs as she tried to breathe. She coughed, raised her scarf to try and act as a filter. It only partially worked. Every breath felt like fire in her chest, her rough cough uncontrollable as she searched the wreckage. 

“John!” she called his name, voice horse already. “John!”

A pile of blocks shifted to her left, a few fell from the pile. Juno ran to it and began to dig, tripping in the process but never stopping. It didn’t matter if this might have been Holas. It had to be him. It just had to be. The blocks were heavy and cut her hands but she couldn’t stop. Lifting another brick, she saw the end of a familiar coat. Tan wool now covered in dirt. A cry of some relief she had never known tore from her as she worked faster. Her hands and arms burned with the effort, fresh gashes added and red seeping from the wounds.

She uncovered his legs first. His jeans were torn at the thigh, showing only a fraction of a deep wound that wept crimson. A slice of bone.

“Oh, God, John! Can you hear me?” she said as she continued to unveil him.

Then his hands appeared just above where she lifted more blocks, coated in a layer of grey dust, his arms raising as more bricks fell off of him. He pushed himself up into a sitting position while she quickly shoved aside the rest of the concrete that covered him. It was the worst she had ever seen him. Covered in dust, hair disheveled. His ears were coated in dried blood. But his blue eyes shone like crystals as he blinked up at her, nearly confused.

“You came back for me?” he asked, loudly, almost screaming it into her face.

Juno flinched at the sudden noise. “Of course I did!”

Then some disappointment she couldn’t understand crossed his face. Just for a moment. Something didn’t go his way. Her heart sank to think that it was the fact she was there at all. 

His eyes widened, his beaten body tried to get up, as he looked over her shoulder. Juno turned, only to get knocked back by a sonic blast. She felt it in her bones first, a low rattling and constant pressure. Then in her ears. A high pitched, loud, screeching that didn’t stop until she was flat on her face yards away from John. Rubble bit into her skin as she practically bounced off a pile of bricks, her eye instantly began to swell. She landed on her back and it knocked the wind out of her. Ten Michal Holas was standing over her. 

The cut on his forehead was bleeding, blood running down half of his face. His breathing was labored. He cradled one arm in the other, most likely broken. 

“You two are becoming a real pain in my ass,” he grumbled.

Then he screamed again. Juno slapped her hands over her ears to try to block out the noise, but it was no use. Eventually all she heard was a ringing, dull and persistent. Even with her eyes screwed shut her head began to spin. That damn ringing. It just wouldn’t quit. Her body felt heavy, forced harder into the ground by the force of the sonic wave. Her ribs began to ache. 

Shit.

He was going to crush her.

She could feel her powers attempting to save her life. Trying to create anything that would make this stop. But she didn’t know if anything was created or if all attempts were futile against this slow agonizing death. What a way to die. On Christmas Eve no less. 

Suddenly, the pressure against her body stopped. She opened her eyes and the night sky danced with more white spots that definitely weren’t stars. Taking her hands away from her ears, she saw her palms coated in blood that definitely wasn’t the cuts from digging out John. Well, that wasn’t good. The world spun even as she lay completely still. Felt the rubble beneath her fingers and the wreckage digging into her spine. Where was Holas? Why had he stopped? How much time did she have before he took another deep breath? Juno rolled onto her front, slowly pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. God, everything hurt. And that ringing…It still hadn’t stopped. That probably wasn’t good either. 

With enough strength gathered, she sat up straight, knees on the ground. 

Holas was still standing before her, but he wasn’t screaming at her. Then she noticed John was standing right behind him. Arms wrapped tight around him like a straight jacket, hand over his mouth. John had big hands. Funny that it took her until this moment to figure that out. But John was yelling something at her. She could see his mouth forming words, definitely loudly from the way his lips parted wide as he held Holas firmly, but she couldn’t hear a thing. 

Oh, right. Their mission: stop Michal Holas by whatever means necessary. 

A gun formed in her hand. Second nature. An instinct. She took aim at Holas, sure that John was saying something about not shooting him. He should have known she would hit her target. She always did, one way or another. The bullet found it’s home in their target’s skull and the mission was over. Holas went limp in John’s grasp, and the super soldier dropped him without another thought.

The gun slipped from Juno’s hand shortly after. She should have been able to hear it clatter to the ground. But there was nothing. She stuck a finger in her ear to see if it was maybe some pressure that needed relief. It wasn’t. The only change was her finger now covered in blood. Her earpiece was missing. The ringing had finally stopped, but in some ways she missed it. Because now there was just…Nothing. A tight panic began to fill her chest as she scrambled to her feet. No, no, no, no — this couldn’t be happening. The crumbled building. The streets illuminated by a few lamps. She should be able to hear something, anything. The sirens going off in the distance but getting closer. The still settling wreckage. Her heart pounded against her sore ribs, forced every breath to be stinted and shallow. She stumbled over the rubble as she searched desperately for some relief from the silence but knowing deep down it would never come. 

Then there was John. She didn’t even know he was coming until he was right in front of her. Until she ran right into his awaiting chest. Tears stung the backs of her eyes and she hated it.

She was fucking useless. Valentina was going to dump her. Leave her with no job and no experience other than this. Would she even be able to deal arms deaf? What would she do? Where would she go? 

John grabbed hold of her face, cheeks cupped in wide palms, and forced her to look up at him. He said something else but she couldn’t hear him. She searched his face for something, anything. Some kind of sign that everything would get back to normal soon. But that sign never came. Instead, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. Made her feel as he took slow, deep breaths. He put his hand to her sternum, pressed in tight to let her feel the weight. Juno clung to him in kind. Gripped the fabric of his coat like stairway railings — the only thing keeping her from falling. His eyes shone like the afternoon sky as she copied his breathing. In and out. 

“I-I can’t — I can’t hear…Anything,” she finally managed to say, unsure if she was screaming or whispering.

He started to say something, she watched his mouth move around words that probably included a curse or two. He pressed his finger to his ear and she gripped him all the harder. He was talking to Valentina. Nodding, John took hold of her hand and began to lead her away from the scene.

“Where are we going?” she asked, lifting her hand to pick at her ear again, to see if that helped now.

She could, at the very least, clearly see him say the word help.

John Walker came into the hospital and he still didn’t know why. He hated hospitals. They made him feel claustrophobic despite the vaulted ceiling lobby and plethora of windows. Like one of the doctors or nurses would come up to him at any moment and deliver bad news. How bad would the news really be anyway — the only person he knew inside was a coworker.

Coworker. Was that what Juno was?

It didn’t help that the last time he was in a hospital was one of the happiest days of his life. The maternity wing’s entrance was to the right as soon as he walked in. He had to duck his head, avoid it like some old acquaintance from high school he didn’t want to talk to. He had never been so proud. So happy. Life — held in his hands, only a few minutes old.

He fucked that up too. Just like he seemed to do with everything lately. It was what he did best now.

The least he could do was try not to fuck up whatever was between him and Juno. A cordial acquaintance. A work friendship. A real friendship. Whatever it was. She was nice enough. Quiet — but could still make him laugh in a way he never expected. Skilled. Always seemed to know what he was thinking. An excellent partner. The best he had had in…A long time. 

The last time he saw her she was thrashing around on a helicopter. Losing her shit because she couldn’t hear anything. Screaming and looking to him for answers that he couldn’t give. Then one of the medics sedated her and John stopped looking after that. They dropped her off at the hospital and took him to the airport after he insisted on getting patched up there. Even now, even though he liked to think that he was above that, he wondered how she was.

So, he was standing in the hospital giftshop, feeling lost and slightly idiotic.

What did she even like? Flowers? No, she hated flowers. At that safe house in Paris she said they never lasted long enough, just another thing she could let die. Balloons? How the fuck would he know her feelings on balloons. Then he spotted the plushies lined up on shelves near the counter. It was mostly bears wearing t-shirts. Bunnies. Cats. Juno said she was thinking about getting a cat. He advised against it, dogs loved more anyway, but she had just smiled and said that a cat would be quieter. He should have expected her to say that. 

He grabbed the cat plush, holding a little sign that said get well soon, and paid for it. The woman behind the counter smiled but didn’t ask questions, and he was glad.

Juno was on the third floor, room 308. He clutched the stuffed animal in one hand as he pasted his visitor’s badge to his jacket. Regret filled him about the gift then. But there was no turning back now. God, why was he doing this at all? 

Because you care what she thinks, some voice and some shame whispered inside him. The words nearly made him flinch. Accurate and piercing to his core. This wasn’t even about her. It was about him. And she would probably be able to see that. Always had been. Because she cared about him. He could see it. In the way she always created a gun or extra ammo before he even asked for it. The way she passed him a granola bar silently when he complained about being hungry. The way she came back for him after that warehouse collapsed. 

You care about her, that voice whispered again. That took him more by surprise than the previous thought. Did he? He did stay up to watch TV with her when she couldn’t sleep, on multiple occasions. He did buy her a postcard in Paris when she said she had never been before. He did go back and save her from that arms dealer when the job was already done, when he could have just walked away. He did try his best to calm her down after she lost her hearing, hand to her chest.

Fuck. He didn’t have time to think about this right now.

He was at her door already.

Turning around and leaving was still an option. He could still bail. Let her deal with this all on her own. Because he knew that no one else was coming. But, fuck, he cared about her and he couldn’t even deny it even if he didn’t want to think about it. So he knocked, stupidly, knowing in the back of his mind she probably wouldn’t even hear it. He saw the bleeding, he knew her hearing was most likely permanently damaged. Then he pushed open the door. 

Juno was asleep. Her bed was still sitting nearly all the way up but she was resting back on a mountain of pillows. The sides of her face were no longer stained crimson, in fact, she was completely clean. Her hair, dark brown and shining, was down for once. Not done up in the usual pigtail braids she liked to sport. She looked so peaceful. John had never seen her like that before. Without worry. Without care. Without that sadness that seemed to cling to her like film. 

She looked…Beautiful.

She moved in her sleep, eyes scrunched up as her head lolled to one side, then her arms raised in a barely awake stretch. Shit. For a split second, John thought about sprinting from the room. Never acknowledging why he had come to visit her or why he had just watched her sleep for at least five minutes.

But then her eyes were open and he couldn’t have moved from his spot at the end of her bed even if he wanted to. He was stuck there, trapped by her eyes like dirt filled graves.

“John?” she questioned quietly as she sat up in bed. “What are you…You came to see me?”

“Well, I, uh — yeah, I did,” he gulped around the words, flashed her a tight smile as his hands fidgeted around the plush.

She stared up at him for a moment, clearing thinking about something hard. Then she sighed and gestured to him. “You’re gonna have to come closer. I can’t hear you.”

God, why hadn’t he thought of that? He quickly side shuffled the end of the bed and came around to stand at her side. 

John swallowed something thick. “I brought you this.”

He set the stuffed animal on her bed and quickly pulled his hand away to hide in his pocket. Juno grinned at the gift, more certain, reached out to take it with gentle hands. He watched, heart racing for reasons he couldn’t explain, as her fingers ran over the soft fur. Traced the letters stitched into the sign. As her smile grew in size and her brown eyes became warmer. Garden beds waiting for something to be planted.

“Thank you,” she finally said, deciding to place the plushie in her lap.

“Yeah, course.” John shuffled awkwardly in his spot when she stared up at him, brows furrowed, some frustration and desperation in her face. Then it hit him. Right. She still couldn’t hear him that well. After another minute of shuffling, he sat down at the edge of her bed. “So, uh, how you feelin’?”

She nodded, glanced around the room. “Better. I’m getting released today.”

“Wow. That’s great. What’d they…What’d they say?” He nodded towards her, towards her ears.

“Got a tympanoplasty. Fixed my…Eardrums supposedly. Still can’t hear shit. Sounds like everything’s underwater. They say I’ll know in a few months if it even worked.” That sadness that hadn’t been there since she woke up returned and it twisted up something inside him.

“You talked to Valentina yet?”

“No.” A simple answer, no details. It was just like Juno and for some reason it made John smile. Then she asked: “Why didn’t you trust me to go after Holas?”

“I don’t — I don’t know,” he replied after a beat of silence, he felt caught offguard by the question but knew it was coming.

That wasn’t good enough. “If you didn’t want me to go on the mission with you, you should have just told Valentina.”

“Hold on —” He moved his hands down to his jean clad knees, all defense. “ — I never said I didn’t want you on the mission.”

“You didn’t have to. It was clear you didn’t want me around. Especially if you want to get yourself killed or whatever you were trying to do by going after him alone. You could have died, John.”

“No I wouldn’t have,” he scoffed.

Anger. That was an emotion he wasn’t used to seeing on her. Juno was calm, collected. Calculated in nearly a cold way. But never angry. He was the mad one. He was the one who lost his temper. She was the one who made him breathe. She was the one who made him step back and think. She was the one who rolled with the punches better than anyone he had ever met. But now here they were in that hospital room, her forefinger and thumb rubbing her stuffed cat’s ear, and she was visibly angry.

“It’s like you wanted to get yourself killed and I was just in the way,” she said, softly — too softly.

John stared at her for a second longer than he should have. She looked away first, but he couldn’t stop. He was thinking, as he laid under that rubble and did nothing to help himself, how much easier it would be if he just died. It would save himself and the people he loved a lot of pain. Would keep him from fucking anything else up. But then Juno had dug him out. Called his name with a desperation that he didn’t want to understand. Not yet.

Suddenly he found himself saying: “The divorce got finalized. She…She got full custody.”

Juno’s face softened. Her shoulders dropped. “I’m so sorry.”

Then a nurse walked in with a smile and a clipboard, pulled back the privacy curtain without warning. John practically lept from the bed, shot away like he was caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. He remembered doing this before too. Her signing all the papers while he hushed the little life in his arms. A little life he’ll never get to see again without spending money on lawyers that he definitely didn’t have. 

“Hey, Juno, we are almost ready to get you out of here. Just gotta sign the discharge papers, then you’re good to go,” the nurse said cheerfully as she handed off the clipboard, then she quickly looked up at John then back to Juno with raised brows. “This your boyfriend? He’s cute.”

“Um, no, just a friend,” Juno replied.

A friend. Is that what they were? Friends? The thought brought something warm to John’s chest as he watched Juno work the pen over the page — a pink tint to her cheeks that definitely wasn’t there before.

“But he’s not the neighbor that brought you clothes, right?” the nurse went on, sitting at the edge of the bed just like he had been only a moment ago.

“No, he’s not,” she said, not looking up from the clipboard.

“He can speak for himself, you know,” John pointed out, nearly grumbled. 

The nurse looked up at him with a bemused smile. “So he can. Tell me, friend, you’re the one who’s going to drive her home, right?”

His brows furrowed. His hands fitted themselves into his pockets to hide some part of himself. He glanced over at Juno who still refused to tear her eyes away from her discharge paperwork. She needed something? From him? No one had needed anything from him in a long time. Wanted anything he had to offer. Besides maybe Valentina, but he didn’t want to count that. 

“You need a ride home?” he questioned, the words soft but loud enough for her to hear.

She flicked those brown eyes up at him. “I was going to call an Uber.”

“Well now you don’t have to!” the nurse cut in.

She didn’t seem like the type to argue with. Adamant. Like talking to a brick wall.

“Is…Is that okay?” Juno asked him as she set down the pen and handed back 

Before he knew what was happening he found himself nodding. “Yeah. That’s alright.”

“Perfect! You are all set to go! Have a great day, you two.” The nurse hopped up from the bed, clipboard in hand, and powerwalked out of the room with a smile.

Just the two of them alone in the room again, only this time, if felt heavier. Juno swung her legs over the side of the bed and John backed up to make room for her. Scooping up a small totebag, she got to her feet. 

She pointed to the bathroom. “Gonna go change.”

“Yeah. ‘Course.” He coughed as he stepped back further. 

When the door clicked shut, he sighed. How did he go from begrudgingly getting her a gift to driving her home from the hospital? Because you care about her, that voice whispered again and he shoved it to the back of his mind. Undeniable. But he could ignore it for just a little bit longer, just a little longer. He didn’t want to fuck this up too. And maybe that meant keeping her at a distance. Not letting her in. But it was too late for that and he knew it. He knew she didn’t like flowers and wanted to get a cat. He knew her favorite weapons to conjure. He knew the places she wanted to visit most. He knew she was scared, right now, that she would become useless. He had always been a bit selfish, and maybe that was what he was being when he decided to keep her. Close and known.

When he decided to drive her home and pick up takeout. When he decided to watch her favorite movie with subtitles on. When he decided to let her fall asleep on his shoulder and not dare move.

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[saiilorstars]

Just a Girl and a Boy

Pairing: 40s!Steve Rogers x OFC

Summary: Steve meets a girl at the carnival and it doesn't end up in flames like every other time. Seren is funny, kind and so pretty and best of all, she saw him first.

Story Masterlist ○ Seren’s Masterlist ○

Also available on Fanfic ○ Ao3 ○ Wattpad

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon​ @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet​ @averyhotchner@foxesandmagic @kmc1989 @caplanbuckybarnes​

[If you’d like to be a part of any OC’s works/edits, let me know!]

Steve hated these nights out with Bucky and their dates. He always knew — they always knew — that the girls would always end up hanging out with Bucky. Bucky was just too nice of a friend to say it out loud. He had left the group with the excuse he was going to buy treats for them. Truly, he was only going to buy himself one sorry treat and then head home. He had nothing to do at a carnival on his own.

"C'mon, which one are you going to get?" The ice cream employee was a lot more impatient with him, though, than he had been with the customer before him.

Steve had fallen into his grim thoughts and had been staring at the flavors of ice cream. "Uh, sorry," he blinked and cleared his throat before actually taking a look at the ice cream flavors.

Someone tapped his shoulder from behind and before he could look back, the someone spoke to him in a sweet feminine voice.

"Mint chocolate is usually good!"

Steve did a double-take on the woman and flushed. She was very pretty, as was her sweet smile.

She had bright green eyes and perfect pinned curled brunette hair that shined under the carnival lights. She wore a soft green dress with a white shawl over her shoulders. Her smile was wide and beautiful with a soft pink tint on her lips.

"Let's go, man," the ice cream guy shot at Steve again, "You're getting in this nice pretty girl's way. Move it!" And suddenly there was a nice smile on his face as he motioned the woman forward.

Steve took the steps necessary to give way for the girl (who was indeed very pretty). She thanked him kindly and stepped forward to make her order.

"Two mint chocolates, please," she said, and the ice cream guy got right on it. In less than a minute, she had two ice cream in her hands.

"There you are, sweetheart! Enjoy your evening, alright?"

"Oh, I will," she assured and turned away. She suddenly held one of the ice cream in her hands towards Steve, leaving the latter to blink with confusion.

"I — um — you didn't — I didn't —"

The girl chuckled and even that Steve found to be very alluring.

"Don't tell me you don't like the flavor," she tilted her head at him.

Steve swore she was purposely batting her eyes at him. He was only guessing; no one ever did that to him.

Practically gulping, he reached out to take the ice cream from her. Their fingers brushed together and Steve found her skin to be as soft as silk.

She had everything, didn't she?

"I'm Seren by the way," she introduced herself.

"Steve," he said back, eyes glued to her. She had not stopped smiling at him and it took him a moment to realize she was waiting for him to try the ice cream. Like a little boy following directions, he dug his spoon and took a taste like he'd never tasted ice cream before.

Seren giggled as a brain freeze caught up to him. "I'm glad you liked it, but you should probably slow down."

Steve rubbed his forehead and tried his best to ignore the flourishing embarrassment. He was cursed to make a fool of himself in front of every woman on earth. "Th-thanks…"

Seren stopped him when he started taking money out to repay her. "It's on me!"

"Absolutely not, ma'am. Let me pay you, please," Steve was very insistent and even got the money out from his pocket.

"I paid because that guy," she nodded back to the ice cream stand, "was being an unnecessary jerk. Trust me, I would have taken 3 ice cream for free if I wanted to but unfortunately, I only have 2 hands."

Steve chuckled with her. "If you won't let me pay for the ice cream, then you have to let me pay something else for you."

"I'd be much more content with a walk around this place," Seren gestured to the carnival. "I lost my friends in the crowd and I'm new to Brooklyn."

"You're new?" Steve thought it made sense. He knew just about every girl in the neighborhood thanks to their rejections.

Seren nodded at him. "Just moved last week."

"And you already made friends?"

Seren laughed at the question. Steve realized how that sounded and flushed.

"Sorry, I-I'm not that great with, uh — never mind…"

"It's alright," she assured him and dipped her spoon into her ice cream. "I'm not exactly great friends with them. They're neighbors on my street and I suppose they felt sorry for the new girl and invited me here. Regardless of what they felt, I still lost them here."

"I can help you find them, if you'd like," Steve offered. He certainly wouldn't mind spending time with her.

Seren beamed at his help. "Thanks!"

Except instead of walking around the carnival to find said friends, they wound up on a bench together eating their ice cream. Neither one seemed to mind the detour.

"So where exactly did you move from?" Steve asked her out of curiosity.

"Hudson," Seren replied, "Because of the war, my father's job relocated him to Brooklyn."

"And how are you liking it so far?"

"Mm, other than the fact I don't know anyone here, it's great!"

Steve laughed at her sarcasm. "Well, you know one new person now."

"I'm happy about that, trust me," Seren said, sensing him a warm smile. He was the first guy she met who didn't immediately flirt with her. Plus, he was really cute. "What about you? Did you come with someone here?"

"Uh, yeah, my best friend and…and some others…" Steve had been very close to saying 'dates'. He wouldn't even mention it because said dates preferred to be with Bucky anyways. He didn't mind anymore. He found someone much, much better.

"Did you lose them too?"

"On purpose," said Steve quickly, making Seren automatically snort and laugh.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well…" Steve swayed his head, "My friend, Bucky, he's a thrill rider and me…I have some, uh, health issues, that make the repercussions just a bit worse for me."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Seren said, genuinely sympathizing with him.

"It's alright, I've dealt with it my entire life. It's nothing I'm not used to."

"Well, if you ever need anything, my mother's a nurse. She'd be happy to help you out!"

Steve liked her. By God he was liking her a lot.

She was so sweet and she looked damn beautiful even if all she was doing was eating ice cream. She was funny and had the most dramatic eyes when she was reacting to something he said that she found amusing.

After leaving the bench, they wandered around the carnival in search of Seren's friends. Steve offered to buy her another dessert, noticing that she had a sweet tooth. It was both to repay her and keep her around for a bit more. She had no problem with that.

They came across a house of mirrors and before Steve could say anything — that he absolutely hated houses of mirrors — Seren pulled his hand and ran inside. It took Steve a while to get over the shock of her taking his hand, and it led to him being pulled every which way through the mirrors like an idiot…

But he was a happy idiot.

He held onto Seren's hand tightly and soon began to pull his weight through the maze of mirrors. He may have crashed into a few mirrors here and there — to which Seren giggled each time — but it was about the most fun he'd ever had in one of those things.

"Dammit, another dead end." Seren gazed at mirrors circling them. "You're not very good at this, are you?"

"Me?" Steve looked at her incredulously, though he was beginning to laugh. "I don't see you getting us out of here."

"I was following you!" Seren exclaimed. She walked up to the mirrors in front of them and fixed a few strands of her hair. "And look where you got us?"

Steve watched her with a fondness in his eyes. He'd seen plenty of girls do the same thing and always thought of them as shallow. Something about Seren screamed that was far from who she was.

Seren caught him looking at her and smiled at him through the reflection. "Sorry, the running messed it up."

"You look great," he said, his cheeks a bright red.

Seren stopped with her hair and turned around. "I never asked and I probably should have but are you seeing someone?"

"Uuh, n-no, not…not at all, trust me," Steve said. "A bit more running and you'll trigger my asthma. Not a very, uh, attractive quality…amongst others."

"Your health isn't well?"

There was a hint of worry in her voice and that alone was a very stark difference between her and the other girls. Most took his health as an excuse to reject him.

"Not as great as I would like," he replied, deciding to leave the full history of his illnesses to the side. "The friends I came with were, uh, supposed to be dates but…let's just say my friend Bucky is a bit better looking…"

"How rude of them," Seren scowled.

"It's fine, trust me—"

Seren walked back to him and took his hand again. The scowl was off her face and replaced with a sweet smile. "So then nobody will mind if I steal you for a bit more?"

Steve was sure the look on his face was that of an idiot…because it was. He blinked at Seren and even though his mouth was open, nothing came out.

"I'll take that as a 'let's go'," Seren chuckled and pulled him away from the dead end.

They maneuvered through the rest of the mirror maze until they finally found their way out. They both argued that they each found the way out, neither one willing to back down.

They settled their differences of opinion by playing at a stall of ring toss. Steve threw a few and (of course) missed all of them.

Next to him, Seren laughed teasingly at him. "Wow, you are horrible at this!"

Steve playfully rolled his eyes at her. "Ha, ha…I told you, I don't have the right coordination…"

Seren hummed. "That's alright. I can win…I think…" She prepared to toss the first ring forwards by stepping back and drawing her arm close to her chest.

"Don't miss," Steve said innocently just as she made the toss…and missed.

It hit the corner of the stall instead.

"Gah! You did that on purpose, you cheater!" Seren threw a reprimanding glare his way.

"No, I didn't!" Steve exclaimed, but Seren shook her head at him.

"I see you, Steve. Don't think for a second I don't. I see you!" With narrowed eyes, she turned her attention back to the bottles.

Steve watched her fondly again. Maybe it was all in his head but for the first time in his life, he actually felt seen.

Seren made the rest of her ring tosses and successfully landed them on the bottles. "I made it! I actually made it! Ha!" She bounced with excitement and threw her arms around Steve.

Steve was forced to bounce with her as she excitedly hugged him. He didn't mind — who in their right mind would? She smelled so sweet like flowers. His nose was ambushed by her hair and like her, smelled so nice. He felt so at peace with her — complete, one would say. He had problems that went on forever and yet in that moment, he couldn't remember a single bad thing.

~0~

"What are you talking about? Caramel popcorn is way better than buttered popcorn," Seren scrunched her nose. "Why would you pick butter over caramel? You're crazy." And to prove her point, she dropped a few pieces of caramel popcorn into her mouth. She winked at Steve afterwards.

He sat next to her on the bench holding his own popcorn in his hands — buttered popcorn. "Not everything needs to be sweet, you know."

"The best things in life usually are."

"What are you, a poet?"

Seren deadpanned him and threw a few pieces of popcorn at his face.

"Hey!"

Giggling, Seren continued to eat.

Steve picked up the pieces she threw at him and popped them into his mouth. They were pretty good. He offered her some of his own popcorn and just as she was going to take it, she reiterated that he was still wrong about the better flavor.

"I'm beginning to get that you are very stubborn," he remarked as she chewed.

"Never say that to a woman, Steve," she wagged a finger at him. "Especially when you're clearly wrong."

He shook his head at her and ate some more.

The sun had set a while back, leaving the carnival lights to illuminate the place. Steve was aware they had not gone in search of Seren's friends like they planned but Seren herself never mentioned them throughout the afternoon. His heart did a little flip wondering if it was because she had a good time like he had. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

Steve heard Bucky's voice minutes before he appeared by the bench. For some reason, Steve felt disappointed. One of two things was going to happen in the next few minutes: either Seren would like Bucky more, or it was time to head home for all of them.

Bucky's gaze drifted towards Seren once he joined them. "I was wondering where you headed off to but it all makes perfect sense now. Hello there, I'm Bucky, and you are?" He held a hand out to her.

"Seren," she said back and took his hand.

Bucky kissed the back of her hand with his usual charming smile. Steve was giving him the flattest look ever, clearly not amused. Bucky noticed it.

"This is your best friend, then?" Seren's question and sudden glance pulled Steve out of his thoughts.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"Sorry I took him from you," Seren said to Bucky, and he noted the mischievous glint in her eye when she spoke. "Except I might do it again."

"Oh?" Bucky raised an eyebrow at her, chuckling, especially as he saw his friend flush with embarrassment.

"Well, it's just that I moved to Brooklyn literally last month and I still don't know much about the good parts of the neighborhood…" Seren trailed off as she met Steve's look, "He seems to know a thing or two about the best sweets…"

"Oh, he does!" Bucky exclaimed and not so subtly stared at Steve. "He knows the best spots, don't you Steve?"

"Uh, y-yeah…" He nodded slowly, "I d—"

"Seren!" A blonde girl from a distance shouted. Seren looked over and saw a group of girls waving her over.

"Oh, those are my friends! Scuse me for a second!" Seren promised she would return in a moment and rushed off to meet her friends.

"There you are!" huffed the blonde girl. "We've been looking all over for you."

"I got held up, Chloe," Seren said sheepishly. "Met a nice guy on the way. That's him over there — the blonde one. His name is Steve.

Chloe looked over Seren's shoulder and saw Bucky and Steve conversing with each other in a hushed manner. "I see…" she remarked with her own interest, "Who's his friend?"

Seren rolled her eyes.

Across from them, Bucky was trying his best not to smack Steve in public. "You need to ask that girl out on a proper date, you punk. She likes you!"

But Steve was still very nervous. Every time he asked a girl out, she always rejected him. The real mean ones laughed at him.

"Either you do it or I punch you right now," Bucky hissed. "She's coming!" He shoved Steve forwards. "Go!"

Steve felt like he couldn't breathe and it had nothing to do with his asthma.

"Go!" Bucky gave him another push then plastered on a faux smile as Seren returned. He made himself scarce and pretended to be interested in a nearby game booth.

"Seren, hey," Steve gulped, "everything alright?"

"Mhm," nodded Seren, "My friends were just worried about where I went. I told you, I don't know where anything is…" Her voice was with purpose and that Steve caught this time.

He cleared his throat, preparing himself to ask the simple question that wasn't really simple at all. "I was wondering if you wanted to—"

"Yes," Seren said with a bright smile. Her cheeks were tinted pink but she didn't care. Better to make it easy for both of them rather than lament what could have been.

Steve's eyebrows rose together, his own face feeling the same warmth as her. "I like you, Seren," the words tumbled out of his mouth. He was about to regret it when she giggled.

"Great, because I like you too," she said back. Then, without warning, she leaned over and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

If Steve was red before, he was as bright as a tomato. She was so beautiful…

They decided to meet next week at a certain park and then go from there to wherever they felt that day.

~0~

Many things happened between the day of the carnival and the day of their date. Seren didn't understand why Steve missed it. She was very upset and honestly disappointed in him.

"Honestly, don't get that upset," Chloe remarked the next day, "You could easily find another guy. Sure, he was good looking but he was kind of small — the girls all know he has health problems. He's always sick."

Seren didn't care about any of that stuff. She just wanted to know why, after having such a wonderful time together at the carnival, he would leave her hanging like that. And it's not like she could call him either. He disappeared, for a lack of a better word. He didn't strike her to be that kind of man. She couldn't understand what happened.

"Maybe he just stopped liking me," she said glumly, "Maybe I was too forward."

Chloe scoffed. "Please, you're the prettiest girl on the block! Trust me, Seren, you can find someone better. You'll see."

But a few weeks later, Seren (and Chloe) got the shock of their lives. There was a bumbling noise about the ongoing war and with it came something about a popular show across America. Steve was the face of it all, and he was very different.

For some reason, all of the noise and excitement around his new image didn't cause the same reaction as it did with everyone else. She grew angry, and even more disappointed. Even Chloe had changed her mind about him, although she still made her preference for Steve's friend very clear.

The weeks turned into months and Seren was very tired of seeing Steve everywhere. Suddenly, everyone around her adored him, especially the girls. She hated all of them. It was all a reminder of what he did to her.

The show-tour (whatever it was called) circled its way back to Brooklyn and that day, Seren ignored all her friends going there. She was not stepping foot anywhere near the place.

In the evening, she waited for her friends at a diner. She ordered herself a milkshake though she didn't drink a lot from it. Her mind was somewhere else.

From the corner of her eye, she saw someone take a seat on the empty stool beside her.

"You know, I'll bet the mint chocolate milkshake tastes better," he spoke to her in a friendly voice. "Or the caramel one…"

Seren did not afford him the same courtesy. "I'm surprised you found the place considering you should be 10 miles in the opposite direction…any direction, actually."

Steve supposed he should take the sarcasm as a blessing. She could have smacked him on the spot and left without saying a word. It's a start, he told himself.

Seren watched him through discreet glances. Dammit, he's still good looking. He was just taller now. "I guess I should say that you're about 4 months late to our date…if you even remembered it." She heard his quiet sigh.

"Seren, I didn't mean to leave you—"

"But you did," she snapped, turning on her stool towards him, "and I can see why. Congratulations. Everyone loves you now. My friends adore you."

"And you?" Steve met her look cautiously. "You don't…'like' me anymore?"

Seren scoffed quietly. "I liked you on day one. The carnival…the ice cream…the mirrors and the ring toss…I liked you then and you blew me off." She noticed longer wanted her milkshake, she didn't want to be at the diner again. "So let me repay you with the same coin."

"Seren," Steve watched her get up to leave, "Please just—"

"Goodbye, Steve," she reiterated and walked past him.

"Oh, no you don't…" Steve mumbled under his breath and got up after her. "Seren!" He went after her, following her out the diner.

"Stop following me, you creep!"

"I'm a creep now?"

"Trust me, it's better than what I actually want to call you!"

Steve rolled his eyes behind her. He picked up his pace and caught up with her down the street. He grabbed her by the arm and turned her around. His pull was a bit stronger than he expected — he was still getting used to his newfound strength — and so her body fell against him.

"Get away from me!" She pushed him away but found it did nothing against him. "I don't want to talk to you!"

"I don't, please just listen!" Steve exclaimed. His arms were wrapped around her waist to keep her with him.

"I don't need to listen to anything you have to say because I know what you're going to say!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes!"

"And how do you know what I'm going to say?"

Seren scoffed in his face. "Because every guy says the same thing when he blows off a girl! You'll say the same thing to get me to forget what you did and guess what, I'm not buying it!"

"Well, I actually have something I need to tell you that will definitely help you understand what happened and why I didn't come find you!"

"I severely doubt that! Now let me go!" she hit her fists against his chest. "I will start screaming! Don't think I won't!"

"I'm sorry, Seren! I didn't mean to leave you like that, I swear! I-I tried enlisting into the war and I met a doctor and he — he did this —" Steve gestured to his new appearance, "—and before I knew it, I was being put through tests. I would have called, but I didn't have your number. I didn't even know where you lived."

Seren stopped hitting him there and then. Her big green eyes flickered up at him, her brows hunching together. "What?"

Steve felt confident enough to let her go without fearing she would run off. "They took me away to run these exams and yeah, it was in Brooklyn, but I had no way of contacting you. I didn't have your number…I didn't know your home…I only had your first name. Your beautiful name and the memory of you is all I had. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Seren stared at him in silence, making Steve feel worse. She brought her arms across her chest and began to feel quite awkward once Steve's words registered in her head.

You never gave him your number…She closed her eyes as a sigh left her lips.

"God, I hate that you're making sense," she muttered with annoyance.

Steve blinked at her, then realized what her words meant. His heart began to relax then.

"I guess…I was just so confident that you were going to come…" Seren lowered her head, "Didn't even think about…"

"I was going to come," Steve promised her. He stepped closer to her, daring to slip a finger under her chin to lift her head. "You have no idea how awful it was knowing I was supposed to be there and I wasn't. The idea of you waiting for me killed me."

"Trust me, it was not very fun for me either," she mumbled. In that moment waiting for him, she felt embarrassed just sitting on her own waiting for a guy she thought liked her back.

"I'm sorry, Seren, I really am."

She nodded at him, accepting his apology. Her eyes looked him over then. "So…enlisting in the war…makes you change your whole body?"

Steve chuckled lightly. "Not really."

"Did you do it for everyone else, then?"

"No—"

"Why did they do this to you?"

Steve paused for a second and took note of her expression. "Do you…do you not like me…?"

Thanks to the night, he couldn't see the complete blush on Seren's face. She was very grateful. "No, no, I — of course I do — I — yeah, I—" She passed a hand through her hair, feeling the air suddenly get very hot around her.

Steve tried to follow but in the end, Seren's stammering entered a whole other language. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Seren nodded and worked hard (and fast) to calm herself down. "I was, um, I was asking…wh-what was the…the, uh…purpose…of your…change…?"

"It was supposed to be a blueprint thing to create a better soldier for the war," Steve explained. "More strength, better senses…"

"Was?" Seren caught the word, as well as the lingering sadness in his eyes.

"The creator, Dr. Erskine, was killed just seconds after the experiment happened. He was a good man. He didn't deserve that."

"Oh, I'm very sorry," Seren said, touching his arm for comfort. "So if this whole thing was to help the war…why are you here?"

"With Dr. Erskine dead, there's no way to recreate the serum. I'm sort of all they have and, uh, they don't really want me."

"They have no idea what they're saying," Seren said decisively. "You look perfect to me."

Steve felt the familiar warmth spread across his face. "I thought of you," he said, looking her in the eyes, "Every day I was thinking of you…"

"Really?" Seren raised a brow at him. "Why? Everyone loves you now…you didn't even have to come back to find me anymore…"

"You said it — they love me now. They would've never looked in my way before I changed." He gently touched her cheek and grazed her skin with his thumb. "You made me feel seen when I only ever knew what it was like to be invisible. You, the carnival, that whole afternoon was the best day of my life. Why did you see me?"

It was hard concentrating with his fingers rubbing her cheek, but Seren still tried. "I…I thought you were…sweet. When we were waiting in line for the ice cream…I don't know, I just wanted to talk to you…maybe it was all my big mouth…"

"I'm glad you did," Steve said, bringing his hand down under her chin, "Because I don't think I would've had the courage to talk to you."

"Mm, did I look mean?"

"Beautiful more like it. The most beautiful girl at that carnival…"

He thought of her in the house of fled fixing her hair that didn't even need fixing in the first place; then of her at the ring toss and how happy she was to win; her eating popcorn with him on the bench bantering about the better flavor.

"Do you think I could steal you this time?"

Seren looked at him with a mischievous glint. "I thought you said you weren't brave enough to talk to me?"

"It's either I try or I lose you forever this time," Steve said, "I prefer the former. Are you busy?"

"I am, actually…"

"Oh," Steve startled, not expecting that answer. "I'm—"

But then Seren started giggling at him. He threw his head back and groaned.

"Okay, I deserve that…"

"You do," she nodded. As soon as he straightened his head, she grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him down for a kiss.

The shock of it wore off pretty quickly as Steve preferred to take advantage of her move and show her how much he missed her. His arms came around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. His new strength definitely gave him a few new perks he loved, like this one.

He had taken her air in a way Seren never dreamed of. Pulling away from her almost made her mad. Her hands were still on his face, lowering to his jawline.

"You were planning on doing that for our first date?" she whispered, her eyes still shut. She didn't want the moment to be over just yet.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Not precisely…just felt right…"

"You've definitely changed a bit on the inside too…"

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know yet, give me another kiss and maybe I'll decide."

Steve smirked. "You're certainly the same."

"And is that good or bad?"

Steve took her hands off him in a gentle manner. "I'll decide in a moment," he said before diving forwards for another kiss.

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 2025: 𝘋𝘈𝘠 6: 𝘸𝘦𝘣 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨

( FEBRUARY 13 ) which quotes, lyrics, and images make you go ‘oh. that is so them’?

𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙭 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧 {𝘔𝘈𝘙𝘝𝘌𝘓/𝘔𝘊𝘜}

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir//Superheroes by The Script//Pinterest//XO, Kitty//Heroes by David Bowie//Unknown//Spider-Man: Far From Home//Marvel Comics

Taglist: @ginger-grimm, @eddysocs @arrthurpendragon, @megandaisy9, @rose-of-oz 💕

Also tagging: @nikosasaki since they’ve organised this amazing challenge!! 💕

[arrthurpendragon]

Gift Exchange for: @negative-speedforce-ocs

[that-demigirl]

H?

This is one I haven’t introduced yet but now is better than never

Full Name

Hekate

Nicknames, If Any

T

Hogwarts House

One of my few Gryffindor OCs

Gender

Cisgender Female

Sexuality

Bisexual and Polyamorous

A Song I Associate With Them

Young God by Halsey

3 Important Relationships

Druig and Makkari - Her partners. They have a love that has lasted centuries

Sersi - Closest confidant. These two have always been super close and Hekate goes to her whenever she has an issue

Ikaris - Brother turned Enemy. When Ikaris turned against their family it hurt Hekate more than anything she’s lived through

2 Fears

Her family falling apart

Not being strong enough to protect her family

1 Element of their backstory

Hekate used to be a close advisor to Ajak and would often have plans ran through her before they were executed