Heyy just wanted to check in and make sure everything is okay, sending some love your wayâ¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
~đĽ
Thank you so muchđđđim dealing with a lot rn but Iâm optimistic about it all and I really love sharing stories with yall no matter what is going on with me. I hope you like the new chapterđťđ thank you for checking inâď¸đź
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Heyy omg sorry Im a bit late, but they finally did it ahhh. Fury needs to relax, although amy taking down everyone must have been a sight to see! I wonder what it would be like from the boysâ pov, like damn thats our girl
These 3 have my whole heart, I want them to be so happy. Ive never been this invested in fictional characters ahaha
Also just saw your note, take all the time you need, weâll all still be hereâ¤ď¸â¤ď¸
It was so good to finally get them back together in that wayđĽ°feels like the beginning of a return to the old them that weâve come to loveâ¤ď¸id love to see the fight from everyoneâs pov honestly. I chose not to write it since itâs something Amy really suppresses/isnât comfortable thinking about but itâs something I would have loved to see I bet it was really impressive and I know everyone was surprised.
Wait thatâs amazing that youâre so investedâ¤ď¸im so glad ive been able to write something that you resonate with so much. Thank you for telling me this omgđĽšđĽšđĽš
Thank you your note was so sweet and encouraging. I really wasnât expecting it to be so hard to post every single day and I havenât been feeling well this past week but I felt so guilty because I did make a promise to yall and I tried my best to keep it but I failedđđthank you for giving me grace and being so patient. Ch 44 is up now. I hope it was worth the wait đşđ¸đ
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 44: Body Waves
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Warnings: Smut (Cockwarming, DP)
Length: 9k
Chapter 44 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
A/N: OH MY GOODNESS YALL I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATEđđđđThere are a few reasons for the delay but honestly please just accept this heartfelt apology and hopefully youâll like the chapterđđđđđđđđ
Has sunlight always been this golden? you wondered as you opened your eyes. Over the course of your relationship, youâd become accustomed to waking up happy, but this was the first time in your life youâd woken up with an actual smile on your face.
On either side of you, your boyfriends slept soundly. That was also a first. They looked as peaceful and happy as you felt. Theyâd probably spent all of their energy for the past several weeks worrying about you. This was probably their first full night of sleep since your injury.
You decided to surprise them with breakfast in bed the same way theyâd done for you countless times. You gently maneuvered yourself around your boyfriendsâ sleeping forms, slowly disentangling your limbs. Youâd finally made it out from under the covers and were crawling towards the end of the bed when you suddenly felt a metal hand around your ankle. You yelped in shock. You heard Bucky laughing as he started pulling you back towards him.
âWhere do you think youâre going?â he asked.
You turned onto your back so you could look at him. Steve was stretching groggily, awakened by the small commotion you and Bucky had caused.
âI was trying to do something nice for you guys!â
âItâd be really nice if you shut that mouth and opened those legs,â Steve said in his husky morning voice, eyes just barely open.
âYouâre only half awake and youâve already got one thing on your mind?â you challenged jokingly.
He smiled then, slow and wide. âOpen those legs, baby. Let me see that pretty pussy.â His tongue poked out from behind his lips.
You were too stunned to comply. Even Bucky looked a little taken aback, but he used his hold on your ankle to open your legs. Steve sighed contentedly at the sight. He grabbed your other ankle and dragged you even closer to him. He opened your legs wide and ran his hands up and down your thighs, licking his lips in anticipation.
He leaned forward and left kisses on each hip before putting your legs over his shoulders. He kissed the insides of your thighs and then pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to your pussy.
âBeen way too long, pretty girl,â he murmured into the space between your legs. You blushed at his impassioned words. He pressed the flat of his tongue against you and licked the length of your slit, savoring every moment.
That first taste made him ravenous. He hooked his muscular arms around your legs, hands clamping onto the tops of your thighs to keep you in place while he ate you out like his life depended on it. It was as if you were his last meal before an execution. Or his first meal after a long period of imprisonment. He ate like a man that had been too long deprived of the simple pleasures of this life. A man desperate to make up for lost time.
Normally he looked up at you while he did this, blue eyes full of reverence and an unspoken challenge. Normally he shared a taste of you with Bucky. But right now he was focused on taking what he needed. You were happy to provide.
When he plunged two fingers into you, you writhed on the bed, but Steveâs firm grip meant that you couldnât get far. You tangled both hands in his blond hair and yanked, which you knew he loved. He moaned into you, adding to your pleasure. He ate with more severity, chasing your orgasm. You started to whimper his name between breaths. It wasnât long before Steve got what he wanted.
As you lay there panting, Steve released his grip on you, but he didnât move from between your legs, leaving kisses all over your legs and your stomach. Steve beckoned Bucky closer and placed the two fingers coated in you in Buckyâs mouth. Buckyâs eyes fluttered shut as he tasted you. He sucked so hard that Steveâs eyes rolled back in his head. Steve moved out the way then, urging Bucky to take his place. You hadnât had any time to recover before Bucky was at it. Bucky took his time with you in a way that induced a lot of seismic activity.
Now that both of your boyfriends had eaten their fill, you could finally get started on a real breakfast. While Bucky cooked, Steve couldnât keep his hands off of you. You two were technically supposed to be helping him, but you spent the whole time sitting on the counter and receiving kisses. Buckyâs admonishments didnât carry much weight when accompanied by the huge grin he was sporting. The only time Steve took his hands off of you was to answer the door, and Bucky was happy to take his place in the interim.
You werenât sure what you were expecting on the other side of the door. You sincerely hoped it wasnât one of the Towerâs structural engineers here to lecture you. Instead it was a bunch of large boxes. Steve brought all of them to the kitchen and opened all of them. You smelled the foliage and the flowers even before Steve took them out of the box. He handed you a bouquet of purple, white, and pink blooms. It reminded you of the bouquet Bucky sent you after your first date.
âI was supposed to give her those!â Bucky said.
You laughed watching them bicker.
Steve rummaged through the boxes. âHere, you can give her the roses.â
âNo, those are so basic.â
Steve turned to you. âDid you think the flowers I sent after our first date were basic?â
âRed roses are a classic for a reason. And the photo was a nice touch.â
Steve smiled triumphantly at Bucky. Bucky grumpily grabbed the bouquet from the box and presented them to you. You laughed at his pouting face and he couldnât help but crack a smile.
âEven classics can be improved,â Bucky said, looking around in the boxes. How many bouquets are in there?
You had to put the first two bouquets down on the counter to accept the third. Bucky had indeed transformed the standard dozen roses with an array of different flowers in jewel tones. Accompanying the red roses were magenta orchids, pink anemones, deep purple clematis, and varying other flowers in the color palette. It was a dazzling display.
It was Buckyâs turn to wear a boastful grin. They continued that way, trying to outdo each other with each bouquet that came out of the boxes. It wasnât long before the entire room was full of blooms. Each arrangement was more stunning than the last.
âWhat is all this?â you asked.
âWe promised you flowers,â Steve shrugged.
The old you wouldâve told them theyâd gone overboard. The new you was happy to stare at the rainbow of flowers around the room.
âYou can let us know if you like any of them for wedding florals,â Bucky said casually as he stirred the waffle batter.
âWill do,â you said. Youâd be proud to have any of these at your wedding, but were Steve and Bucky really ready to get married? Now? Youâd always talked about your future, but it was different now. Now everything felt so much more real.
You didnât get much time to reflect, as the table had been laid for breakfast. But while you were focused on which waffle topping youâd taste first, your boyfriends were fighting over whose lap youâd sit in.
âYou cuddled with her the entire time I was cooking!â
âWell, that wasnât long enough!â
Without warning, Bucky scooped up Steve so that both of you were sitting in his lap. âProblem solved,â he said.
âGood. Now I can finally eat!â you said.
âSo can I,â Steve said, although his lips went to your neck.
âEat food,â you specified.
He gathered some whipped cream off his plate with his finger and placed it on your neck. He licked it off with the flat of his tongue. He had the nerve to moan in satisfaction as he did it.
You didnât have it in you to even pretend to scold him.
He placed a strawberry in your palm and ate it out of your hand, leaving sloppy kisses all over your hand and up your arm.
âSteve, let her eat her breakfast,â Bucky said.
âYouâre just jealous youâre not the one eating food off of her.â
âYouâre right,â Bucky said. He lifted you and Steve again. You expected him to carry you to the bedroom, but instead he laid you two down on the floor.
He lifted one of your legs, poured syrup on it and licked it off. You giggled at the ridiculousness of the moment.
âSeriously?â you asked.
He and Steve nodded. Steve lifted your shirt and placed a dollop of whipped cream on your nipple. The old you wouldâve laid there and let them enjoy the buffet. The new you wanted to play too. Your boyfriends protested when you started to get up, but quickly quieted when you grabbed the chocolate syrup.
âHmm,â you said, âI need something to drizzle this on.â
Steve and Bucky were happy to provide you with options.
âŚ
You needed another shower after âbreakfastâ and what your boyfriends did to you in there made the shampoo and soap fall from the walls with the force of the quake.
âOK, weâve gotta find a way to control that,â you said.
âI like it,â Steve said. âIâm gonna give you an orgasm that makes the whole building come down.â
You looked to Bucky in alarm, but he just winked at you. Youâd probably need to meet with your medical team again, but you werenât looking forward to talking about this one. Although the more you thought about it, the more you realized your homework would probably be sex with Steve and Bucky.
âWhat are you thinking about that has you smirking like that?â Bucky asked.
âIâll need more training to learn to control this, and Iâll probably need your help with that.â
âYeah, we need to understand the full extent of your powers. See just how powerfully I can make you cum, see if we can make the whole city shake,â Steve grinned.
âThatâs not what I meant.â
âItâs not?â Steve asked.
When you were done with the shower, you finally got to eat some actual food. You discovered that sitting between them on the couch allowed you to properly cuddle with both of your boyfriends at the same time. You were just finishing up your waffle when FRIDAY alerted you that your med team wanted to see you.
Under normal circumstances, youâd be mortified by the upcoming conversation, but it was impossible to be anxious or shameful while sitting with the loves of your life in a room full of flowers. It was like you were living in an urban meadow with your two princes.
âI canât believe all these flowers.â
âWeâre just making up for lost time.â
âRemind me to fall into a coma more often.â You were joking, but your boyfriendsâ body language stiffened. âToo soon?â
âWeâll keep the apartment like this at all times. No additional comas necessary.â
âDeal.â
âYouâll have to ask Nat to show you pictures of all the flowers that came to the hospital for you. I think the flowers the Guardians sent are still alive, but theyâre down in the lab under strict quarantine.â
Bucky laughed at your raised eyebrows. âAny plant life from outerspace could easily become invasive down here. The plants themselves are non-toxic but even one loose spore could threaten biodiversity.â
âEven if their gift could decimate local plant life, I should probably still send them a thank you card.â
âI think Nat sent cards out on our behalf, but she kept a list of everyone who sent something.â
âEveryone? How many people sent stuff?â
âYouâve made a big impact on the people youâve met and even people you havenât,â Steve said. âThe entire superhero community has shown us a lot of support during this time.â
âThe entire superhero community knows about me? And us?â
Your boyfriends shared a glance before nodding.
âWe havenât told anyone outside of our circle, but superheroes and SHIELD agents like to talk,â he explained. âBut everyone understands the need to protect your identity. Weâre not sure how many people knew about you before your injury, but it seems like everyone knows now because so many people were there fighting the Chitauri. I know you arenât ready to go public, so I promise that everyone can be trusted to keep our secret. Nat threatened them personally.â
âYou two are ready to go public?â
âYou know I want to tell the world about you, baby,â Bucky said.
You looked at Steve. He nodded. âIâm gonna add your picture to the shield.â
You shook your head at him. âPlease donât.â
âYour name?â he asked.
You sighed. âIsnât that government property? You canât deface it.â
âNope! Itâs mine!â Steve said gleefully. âDoes that mean I can add your name? I was thinking of putting it in a repeating pattern on the red.â
âThatâll look nice, Stevie,â Bucky said.
âMaybe weâll just start with an Instagram post like normal people,â you said.
âNo. Iâm hiring a skywriter to emblazon my love for you in the sky.â
âWe could spell it out with drones so it lasts longer,â Bucky suggested.
âGood point.â
âBoysâŚâ
âBaby, are you ready to share our relationship with the world?â Bucky asked. âNo pressure, but I donât want to get too excited.â
âI still donât understand why this is so important to you two, but at some point I have to stop being afraid of what people think. There will be so many people who wonât understand us. People will judge us. And, selfishly, Iâm afraid theyâll judge me the hardest. People will think Iâm not good enough for you two.â
âNo one in their right mind will think that,â Steve said.
You shrugged.
âBaby, no one will think that,â Bucky said. âAnd if they do, you can mind flay them,â he joked.
âHey! That technique is reserved for you two if you misbehave.â
You all laughed.
You continued, âI promised myself that I wouldnât let fear guide my actions anymore, so it probably makes sense to go public soon. Besides, you two seem pretty determined to marry me and marriage licenses are public, so Iâm sure TMZ would find out about me soon enough. We deserve to tell our story on our own terms.â
âWe do.â Steve kissed your cheek. âWhich is why thereâs no rush.â
âWe are so proud to be yours, but we can wait until youâre fully ready.â
Your proud boyfriends insisted on walking you down to the lab. After traveling a few floors on the elevator, Sam got on. But instead of the smile you expected, he simply turned his back to you.
âHey, Sam!â
âHmmph!â
âWhatâs wrong?â
âTony told us what all those earthquakes are. Yâall are nasty.â
The three of you laughed.
âItâs not funny!â he said. âBesides, itâs not healthy to do it that much.â
âUh-oh, are we making you look bad?â Bucky asked.
âShut up,â Sam said, finally cracking a smile. When he got off at his intended floor, he gave you some advice: âYou three need to go back to work or find a hobby or something.â
You laughed all the way to the lab.
âThis is no laughing matter,â Tony said. âOne of my favorite mugs fell off the table this morning! Worldâs Best Dad! It was the only one ever madeâŚâ he said wistfully.
You bit back your laughter and nodded apologetically.
âSo, weâre here to discuss the seismic activity. Sex with Steve is that bad, huh?â
âItâs that good,â Steve said with a cheeky grin.
Tony shuddered dramatically. âYou know what? Itâs my fault for asking.â
âWell, we need to ask a little more,â Shuri said, walking up.
âGo ahead,â you said.
There were a few seconds of awkward eye contact between the five of you.
Shuri cleared her throat. âUh, so, when you threeâŚthe shakingâŚâ
Everyone laughed before returning to awkward silence.
âIt appears that my orgasms are super charged now,â you said finally.
âYesâŚâ Tony said slowly. âI know that we cleared you, but youâll need to find a way to control that.â
âIs that it?â you asked. âYou called a whole meeting just to say that?â
âNormally weâd hook sensors up to you and try to recreate those conditions in a lab setting, but in this case I think weâll just pray you donât wear out the buildingâs shock absorbers.â
âAlright. Iâll try to find a way to control it. I think Iâve learned enough about my powers that I can figure this out too.â
âAnd in the meantime, everyone knows that if the towers a rockinâ, don't come a knockinâ.â
âExactly,â you laughed.
âNow please get out of here,â Tony said goodnaturedly.
âOne last piece of business. Is my confiscated flower arrangement down here?â
âYeah,â Tony laughed. âFury wanted this vaporized on arrival, but Nat wasnât having it.â He led you over to the containment chamber where it was being kept.
It was behind a glass square like a museum artifact, but it had come enclosed in its own bubble. It looked like thin glass, but it wasnât quite solid. And inside was a gorgeous tableau. Calling it a floral arrangement seemed too pedestrian a term for what you were looking at. It was like a scene from an enchanted forest: a miniature mossy log, bioluminescent fungi that glowed an ethereal blue, and even a flowing waterfall with a small pool inside of it. The petals of the flowers swayed in a non-existent breeze. You could tell that they were flowers, but some of the chosen flora looked quite alien. The closest comparisons youâd seen on Earth had been carnivorous plants.
Little balls of light buzzed around the enclosure like miniature fireflies. The way they moved reminded you of sparks from a crackling fire, drifting and dancing in the air. It was like something out of a story book.
âOh, Iâm doing a heist and this thing is going in my apartment,â you said.
âOur apartment,â Steve said.
Hmmm. You hadnât talked about moving in together yet. Before you could respond, Tony came back to warn you about the mysterious plant life.
âDonât stare at that thing for too long. I swear they put something in there that distracts you. I was supposed to be going over Stark Industries quarterly reports and instead spent the afternoon looking at it.â
âAre you sure you werenât just bored by the reports and looking for an excuse to procrastinate?â Steve asked.
âFirst you break my mug, now you insult my allegiance to the company my father built. Get out of my lab!â
Again, you stifled a laugh and reluctantly walked away from the beautiful centerpiece. Before leaving the lab, you turned one last time to look at the fairy woodland.
âDonât worry, baby,â Bucky said. âWeâll get it back for you.â You knew that he would.
In the elevator, you ran into Clint. âSex quakes. Nice.â He held out his hand for a fist bump and you obliged, even as you rolled your eyes.
âHey, now that youâre better, think you can convince Nat to let us open some of the treats that came to the hospital for you?â
âSeriously, Clint?â Steve asked.
âYou were too busy moping to notice, but Nat wouldnât even let us eat the fancy French truffles Reed sent. Professor X sent over a brandy thatâs younger than you but older than my grandparents!â Clint turned to you. âWe couldnât even raise a toast to you. The only thing we got to eat was the edible arrangement the freakinâ Power Pack kids sent,â he rolled his eyes.
âIf anyone should be enjoying the gifts, shouldnât it be the person they were meant for?â Bucky asked slowly.
Clint sighed exasperatedly and turned to you for help.
âIâll look into it,â you assured him.
âŚ
Later that night, as you happily clinked glasses with your boyfriends, you felt a pang of guilt.
âWe probably shouldâve at least invited Clint to try the brandy.â
âWhatâd he do to earn this bottle? He wasnât in a coma!â
âI guess. Besides, these chocolates are so good that I donât want to share.â
âIf you like them, weâll make sure you always have them,â Steve said.
âYou guys donât have to bribe me into staying alive, you know.â
âWeâre just grateful for you,â Bucky said. âWe want you to feel appreciated.â
âI would really appreciate it if we could find a way to control the quakes.â
âI like them,â Steve said.
âBesides, the Towerâs built to withstand a lot of force,â Bucky said.
âMaybe, but weâre still announcing to everyone every time we have sex, which has been pretty often lately.â
Unfortunately, your boyfriends only grinned in response to your concerns.
âI want to try something, but you two have to promise not to get carried away.â
âOf course.â
âIâve missed having both of you inside of me at the same time, and we havenât done that yet.â
You watched their eyes light up, but they exchanged apprehensive glances.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âI guess weâve been holding back a little, trying not to overwhelm you.â
âAnd what if I like being overwhelmed by you?â
Buckyâs mischievous grin almost had you forgetting your original intentions.
âWait a second,â you raised your hands as they approached, âwe have to go slow.â
They nodded and resumed their approach, but you stopped them again.
âReally slow,â you added. By the looks on their faces, they still werenât getting it. âI mean really draw it out.â As they carried you to the bedroom, you supposed youâd just have to show them what you meant.
They took their time preparing you, drawing you to the edge repeatedly but not letting you go over. You were begging for it by the time Steve pulled you onto his lap, slowly guiding himself past the tight rings of muscle. The moment youâd adjusted to Steve, Bucky climbed on top of you. Your toes curled when Bucky began to push into you. The emotional intensity of finally being with both of your boyfriends at the same time was enough to have the room shaking.
Bucky stroked your face with his right hand. âOverwhelmed enough?â he teased, but his voice was all love.
You shook your head.
One slow stroke and Steve was begging for Bucky to go harder and faster while you werenât sure if you would last very long at all. The shaking intensified. You gripped Buckyâs arms. His eyes searched yours. You could tell that his self control was hanging by a thread. Heâd need it.
âDonât move,â you whispered.
Steve gave an incredulous sigh behind you but Bucky nodded obediently. You tried to take deep breaths but you felt so full that you werenât even sure your lungs could fully expand. You leaned back against Steveâs shoulder and rested your head in the crook of his neck. You felt powerless to control your powers.
Bucky's hand came to your face again, but this time cool metal stroked your cheek.
âYou can do it, baby,â he whispered. His voice and his touch could take you to new heights, but they could also be so grounding.
Another deep breath and the shaking in the room stopped.
âThatâs my girl,â Steve said.
You smiled. You were so proud to be his girl. You were so proud to be theirs. Of course you should let them tell the world. Because they were so proud of you too.
âCan we stay like this forever?â you asked.
Bucky kissed your temple. âOf course.â
Youâd never been this close to them before. Youâd had sex plenty of times, but there was an added layer of intimacy to having both of them inside of you, unmoving. It was one thing to stay together for a few extra moments after climax. But to be held by them like this? It was exquisite. It was agony. It was emblematic of the kind of love youâd wait a lifetime for. It was romantic. It was masochistic.
You mightâve expected stillness and quiet, it was just the opposite. The tremble of muscles dutifully maintaining their assigned positions, the ragged breathing of three people trying desperately to cling to reason, and of course the racing thoughts.
You were meant to control your thoughts, control your powers, control your orgasm. What if you didnât want to control it? What if you didnât want to meditate through your orgasm? What if you wanted your boyfriends to resume moving inside of you, Bucky thrusting so slowly that youâd be sure sure youâd succumb to madness long before you ever reached orgasm?
âSweetheart?â Steveâs voice was so sweet. You opened your eyes to turn to him, and thatâs when you saw it. The room was shaking again. Good.
You smiled. âI think weâve done enough training for tonight, donât you?â
If anyone asked you about it tomorrow, at least you could say that you tried. They probably wouldnât believe you considering just how violently the Tower shook this time. You were genuine concerned that you mightâve actually done some damage, but when you checked with FRIDAY, she scoffed that 6.5 on the Richter scale was no match for Stark engineering.
â6.5?! Really?â Bucky asked. You shouldâve scolded him for sounding impressed.
âSeismic dampers help to dissipate the kinetic energy Ms. Carlisleââ
âMrs. Rogers-Barnes,â Steve corrected.
âMy apologies,â FRIDAY sassed. âMs. Carlisleâs title has not been updated in my system. She generates a lot of kinetic energy, but so far the building has been able to absorb enough of it.â
After you thanked FRIDAY for the information, the three of you stared up at the ceiling for a moment, still basking in the afterglow of your âfailedâ training session. You were relieved that there wasnât any major damage (although you hoped any and all beloved mugs had been safely secured) but was this how things were going to be forever?
âI bet if we lived by the ocean,â Steve said, âyour orgasms would be tsunamis.â
âOh, definitely,â Bucky said. If you didn'tâ know any better, youâd say they were high.
âShould we go to the beach?â
âNo!â you said.
He laughed. âJust asking. I think it would be cool to see a visual representation of how wetââ
âGot to bed, Rogers,â you said.
âI will! But you have to admitââ
âI admit nothing.â
âButââ
âOh, just shut up and kiss me.â
âŚ
The next morning, Steve surprised you by wheeling a coffee cart by the bedside and brewing a fresh pot of tea. He giggled nervously as he explained the special blend heâd prepared for the day. You and Bucky exchanged looks.
âAre there any special ingredients in this drink that we need to be aware of?â
Steve shook his head but blushed an even deeper red. You listened to him explain the blend of herbs of spices and the honeys he was using, but you tried to figure out what was going on with him. He mustâve still been in his boxers because you could see his bare legs behind the apron. It was clear he wasnât wearing a shirt. Maybe he had decided on this demonstration last minute? Maybe he was making up this specialty tea as he went along and didnât know how it would taste?
When he handed you and Bucky your mugs, you tasted the creation cautiously, but it was delicious, just like every other drink Steve had made for you. When Bucky asked for an extra lemon and Steve turned around to get it, you both gasped. Steve froze for a moment when he heard your reactions, but eventually regrouped and handed an astonished Bucky the requested lemon wedge.
Steve shrugged. âI donât know if you remember, but a while ago when we were talking about my retirement plan, you suggested me making drinks in just an apron.â
âI donât remember,â you said. âHow could I forget one of my most genius ideas?â
Steve laughed self-consciously. Bashful was such a cute look on him. Not that he had anything to be shy about. If Michelangelo could have seen Steveâs figure, he would have wept with joy.
âBucky, do you have any 1s? I wanna make it rain.â
Steveâs face was red but he still turned around and gave you a wiggle. You and Bucky cheered for him. Steve turned back around and busied himself with organizing the pastries on the second row of the cart.
Bucky whispered to you, âI feel like we should definitely give him more than just the tip,â he said. Steve giggled at the innuendo.
When Steve handed you your croissant, you grabbed his hand and said, âHey, baby. I can take you out the club. Treat you real nice.â
Bucky looked at you with amused suspicion. âDo you have a double life I should know about?â
âIâm sorry, itâs Steveâs ass. Itâs so juicy that it inspires objectification.â
Bucky shrugged in agreement. âIt is a pretty perfect sight to wake up to. The drinks arenât bad either.â
âBest cafe in the city,â you agreed, clinking your cup against his.
âAlthough, Steve, maybe next time we can get a smaller apron,â Bucky grinned.
âYeah, you need a waist apron, Steve. Much more authentic.â
Steve smiled. You could tell he was relieved by your reception of his surprise. You werenât sure how anyone could have a negative reaction to a sexy naked man making amazing drinks.
âThe tableside service is an excellent touch,â Bucky added.
âThe only problem, Steve, is that Iâm going to need these naked tableside drinks at minimum once per week.â
âDone!â
When he bent over provocatively to get Bucky a blueberry muffin, you decided that he had missed his calling in adult entertainment. At least you got your own personal Magic Mike. After the breakfast show, the three of you enjoyed a few lazy hours together in bed.
âIâm starting to think the little show this morning was a bribe so that the two of us would want to start spending more time over here,â Bucky said.
âDonât think of it as a bribe. Itâs an incentive for us to spend every night together. And as long as weâre waking up in the same bed, it doesnât matter which one.â
âGood, because your pillows are too stiff.â
âTheyâre supportive!â
Bucky rolled his eyes.
Bucky insisted that you relocate to his place, but you still lazed on the bed cuddling, absentmindedly stroking each otherâs skin. At one point, Bucky got up and retrieved an envelope from the shelf. He held it up ceremoniously.
âInside this folder are Steve Rogers originals.â
Steve looked just as surprised as you did. You both watched as Bucky pulled crumpled paper scraps from the envelope and tacked them to the wall. Steve drew in a breath and you went to inspect them.
âYou saved them?â Steve asked.
It was a series of doodles: Bucky eating jello surrounded by a pile of discarded containers, Sam and Bucky playing video games, Clint and Thor on the couch with your grandmother, Nat holding vases of flowers, Brandon with a stack of books, Liv with a cup of tea. Heâd chronicled the time in the hospital from his perspective.
âWhy did you throw them all away?â Bucky asked.
Steve shrugged. âI just sketched to take my mind off things, but once I was done, it was too hard to look at.â He turned to you, âRemember the drawings I did when we did yoga?â
âOf course! They were so great! You know I have them framed on my wall at home.â
âI never forgot your reaction. You were so sincere when you said, âWow! A Steve Rogers original!â You loved a quick silly sketch I did. I knew youâd probably want to see these when you woke up, butââ His voice broke. âI was scared that Iâd keep collecting sketches that youâd never get to see and what would I do then?â
You were all silent for a few moments.
âNormally youâd be in trouble for throwing your art away, but Iâll let you off with a warning this time.â
âI accept any punishment you think is fair,â Steve smiled. âIf you need to tie me up, Iâll understand.â
You shoved him lightly.
âI have a question for you,â Steve said.
âNo, I will not throw you over my lap and spank you.â
He laughed. âEarlier, you referred to your apartment as home.â
âYeah?â
âI was kind of hoping that home would be here with us.â
âAre you asking me to move in?â
âAll I know is that I donât want to go to sleep or wake up without you.â
âI donât want to be without you guys either.â
Steve kissed you. âI donât want to be away from you.â
âWho would?â you teased.
âBe careful,â Bucky said. âSteve might never let you leave the bedroom.â
âWell, we havenât done our daily training session yet.â
Steve climbed on top of you. âIn training, itâs always good to test our limits.â
âSteveâŚâ Bucky warned.
Steve grinned wickedly. âIâm getting my tsunami. Even if it has to come from the Hudson.â
The three of you laughed, but Steve was serious! He pulled out every trick in the book. You were a shivering mess, youâd broken your previous Richter scale record, and he still wasnât done with you. You werenât sure if you were actually capable of generating tsunamis, but you didnât want to find out!
âSteve,â you begged in a whisper.
All of your senses had been bombarded, overwhelmed. Your defenses were weak. You realized you were afraid of how much damage you could do if Steve got his wish. The room trembled. You looked to Bucky desperately, but you could tell he was of the same mind as Steve. The goal was to ruin you. You just didnât want to ruin any infrastructure in the process.
âStop thinking so much,â Bucky whispered into your ear. âStop fighting it.â
âBut what ifââ
Bucky added one metal finger to the two of Steveâs that were already there, ripping yet another orgasm from your body. You hadnât seen this one coming, hadnât had any time to prepare for it. You expected your moans to be accompanied by tsunami warning sirens, btu in the aftermath of the orgasm that had rocked your body, you realized the room had remained still.
âTold ya,â Bucky said with a cocky grin. Your body always seemed to share secrets with Bucky that you werenât privy to.
âHowâŚ?â
âIt always takes a few rounds to really get you moaning,â Bucky said. Your face heated up at the observation. You werenât expecting such analysis. âEven before, weâd have to work hard to get you to let go.â
âSo youâre saying that the quakes happen when I havenât been fucked completely senseless?â
Steve laughed. âMaybe you just have to stop holding back on us.â
Youâd thought youâd discovered all the ways youâd been playing it close to the vest emotionally. There was so much vulnerability inherent to the act that you hadnât considered that there were ways you still covered yourself, even when naked. Maybe that explained why the bliss of subspace was in the surrender. But the fun of getting there was in the resistance. Maybe you could find a way to be a brat without being so guarded about your pleasure. You couldnât wait to discover more, and you knew youâd have plenty of fun in the process.
âŚ
The next morning, it was time to have your stabilizer removed. Steve and Bucky held your hands the whole time. With the sedative and anesthetic you didnât feel any pain, and a drape preserved the mystery of the process. Before you knew it, you were stabilizer-free, although a special bandage had to stay on for 12 hours to allow the skin to heal. You were instructed to minimize all movement during that time, including cuddling with your boyfriends.
Steve and Bucky had asked Shuri to develop ink that would be permanent for their supersoldier skin. They figured that now would be the perfect time to have their tattoos redone. At least this way youâd all be bandaged and recovering together.
That was the theory, anyway. Their bandages didnât keep them from getting restless by midmorning.
âI need something to occupy my hands,â Steve sighed.
âWe just have to make it until dinner time. We can do that.â
âI need a mission to distract me. Send us to get you more truffles or some nice shoes or something,â Steve said.
âHmmm. I can ask for anything?â
âAnything you want, baby,â Bucky said.
âI want homemade brownies.â
Bucky scoffed at the simplicity of your request.
âI want homemade cosmic brownies. And youâll probably need to bring Steve with you to get the special ingredient.â
âOh, Iâve heard of those. Iâll ask Sam for a recipe: they were his specialty in college. Although, I donât think I should bring Steve with me to get the secret ingredient. No one in their right mind is going to sell drugs to Captain America.â
âDrugs?!â you said. A moment later the realization hit you and you started laughing.
âWellâŚyeah?â Bucky said.
âYou think I wanted you to make laced brownies?â
âWell, I thought it was a bit of a strange request, but you have to admit it would keep us busy.â
âIâve never bought drugs,â Steve said regretfully. âAnd I bet if I did them in this body I wouldnât even feel it,â he lamented.
âYou sound disappointed about that, Stevie,â Bucky said suspiciously.
Steve shrugged. âWhat? I bet all of our friends have done drugs.â
âI bet Tonyâs done enough drugs for the both of you, supersoldier tolerance and all,â you said.
They laughed. âYouâre probably right about that,â Steve said.
âHe told me a few of his âbillionaire playboyâ stories from the old daysâŚthat man has lived,â you said.
âWait a minute. What kind of brownies did you want?â Bucky asked.
You pulled up a picture on your phone. âLittle Debbie cosmic brownies. They were my favorite as a kid. You can easily recreate the fudgy texture and the rich frosting, but itâs those damn candy-coated chocolate chips. You canât buy those exact ones in the store.â
âWeâll do it. Iâm sure there are recipes online. They were discontinued?â
âNo, they still make them. But I know you can make them better. And figuring out how to get those exact crunchy sprinkles should keep you occupied.â
âHmm. Youâre right. Steve and I can go to the store and try the brownies. Iâll figure out a recipe, and weâll make you the perfect cosmic brownies.â
It sounded like the perfect game plan, but instead of leaving immediately, he stayed on the couch with you while using his phone. You assumed he was doing research, but he was really just passing time until his backup arrived.
When there was a knock at the door, you assumed that maybe heâd ordered the brownies from the store for tasting. When the door opened, it was Liv! You were so happy and surprised to see her! You werenât complaining about the sex haze youâd been living under, but you had missed your best friend and roommate.
She held up a tub of your favorite chocolate ice cream. âI brought some treats for the patient.â
âIâm happy to see you, but you didnât have to come all the way over here for this!â
Liv smiled at you. You knew she was happy to do it. You werenât surprised that your boyfriends had contacted her. They didnât want you to be alone. You would have been fine on your own for a few hours, but you were realizing that it was nice to have company. You told Liv to grab two spoons and join you on the couch. You waved goodbye to your boyfriends. You knew theyâd be successful in getting the right sprinkles, but you had no idea how theyâd acquire them. Theyâd probably come back with a few good stories. For now, you and Liv could swap stories of your own.
âThe apartment is so lonely without you.â
âLiam isnât keeping you company?â
She laughed. âI still miss you.â
âSo he is? Has he been staying over every night?â
âAt first it was just because I didnât want to be alone after you got hurt.â
âI cannot believe you used my coma as an excuse toââ
âI did not!â
âYeah, ok. So now heâs basically moved in?â
She nodded with a self-conscious giggle.
âDo you like living with him?â
âItâs nice. I didnât think Iâd ever like to live with a guy, but his presence is very calming.â
âHave you changed your antiquated position on wanting separate bedrooms?â
âNo, I still want that. I like having my own space while Iâm sleeping.â
âSo how is that working?â
âHe sleeps on the couch some nights.â
âWhat?!â
She shrugged. âHe doesnât mind it. We both get better sleep that way.â
âBut youâre ready to live with him full time?â
âDonât worry, he will not be couch surfing when you get back.â
âWait a minute. He lives down the hall. Why doesnât he just sleep in his own bed if heâs going to be on our couch?â
âBecause down the hall isnât the same as sharing a space.â
âWell, he could always have my room. And I could just live here.â
The silence was deafening as she processed your words.
âYouâre moving out?!â
âSteve and Bucky and I talked aboutââ
âNo!â
âNo?â
âNo!â
âI know.â
âThis is so unfair.â
âNo. Whatâs unfair is Liam sleeping on the couch like an unwanted guest.â
âItâs a very comfortable couch.â
You had to concede her point there. Youâd fallen asleep on it many times.
âI think itâs the right thing, but Iâm not ready to stop living with you,â you confessed.
âI knew this day would come eventually. I just hoped it was a little farther out.â
âSleepovers every week? We can take turns hosting.â
âThat sounds amazing! Maybe once a month we can have a theme?â
âIs it bad that Iâm kind of excited about moving out now that Iâve got this to look forward to?â
âNot at all. Iâm already planning half of my theme nights in my mind.â
âSo weâre really doing this?â
âWeâre doing it.â
âI canât believe you and Liam moved in together before me, Steve, and Bucky. I guess we walked so yâall could run.â
âLiam and I living together hasnât actually been made official yet.â
âIt will be soon enough.â
âCan I say something dumb? Iâm afraid that if I ask him to actually live with me officially, heâll say no.â
âHe wonât say no.â
âHe could, though.â
âHe wonât. And if he does, Iâll send Steve and Bucky to beat him up.â
âDeal,â she laughed.
âCan I say something dumb? Iâm glad that I got rid of the stabilizer, but I liked that it was a connection to Bucky. I wonder if he feels betrayed that I got rid of it.â
âHe just wants you to be happy. And you two have a strong connection, vibranium or not.â
âI asked Shuri if I could keep the metal. Sheâs going to make me a necklace out of it!â
âThatâs a perfect way to remember this time without feeling bound to it.â
âI donât know how I could ever forget this time. Especially since Iâve got a permanent souvenir with these new powers.â
âI forgot youâre an Avenger now!â
âI am not now nor will I ever be an Avenger, and if Nick Fury asks, you can tell him that.â
âIt doesnât have to be heroics, but are you going to do anything with your powers? Or are you just going to ignore them?â
âI wasnât sure at first. Then I used my powers to help Thor remember his mother and start working through some of his grief.â You even sent him the link to a teacup planter and some chamomile seeds and heâd ordered them right away. You were proud that your powers had brought him comfort and peace. It was fulfilling to use them in that way, and you told Liv as much.
âAre you going to be a therapist now? Because I had a very traumatizing incident in the 3rd grade with our class pet Chester.â
âIs that why you named our old coffee maker Chester? It was so cheap and shitty and you always complained about it. I assumed it was named after a playground bully or a mean teacher but an animal? Yeah we need to get you into therapy ASAP.â
âHe bit me! And then escaped from his cage! I spent all weekend looking for him and I never found him. I tried to replace him with one of my stuffed animals in hopes that my class wouldnât notice. They noticed.â
âDid you kill Chester? How did he just disappear?â
âThatâs your first question? Youâre gonna be a terrible therapist!â
âI donât want to be a therapist! I still like working with books. I like connecting people with stories that will speak to them. Maybe now I can help people find books that they really need based on how theyâre feeling.â
âSo a superpowered librarian. I like it. Not all heroes beat up bad guys. Some heroes give inspiring books to the good guys.â
âAnd self-help books to the bad guys.â
âExactly!â
âThe Avengers fight for survival. Iâm more interested in the stuff that makes alien attacks worth surviving, which includes art. They save lives and itâs amazing and important, but I donât know. Maybe because of my struggles with depression, Iâve always been more interested in the things that make life worth living.â
âSo are you excited to go back to work?â
âWell...â
âWhat are you not telling me?â
âMaybe I donât want to be a librarian anymore. So much of my job isnât about connecting people with stories. Iâve been thinking that maybe itâs time for me, Camilla, and Brandon to start our bookstore.â
âThat would be amazing!â
âIs this crazy? I donât know anything about running a business. And what if Camilla and Brandon donât want to leave the library? What if our bookstore has always been just a fantasy to them and nothing more?â
âThereâs only one way to find out.â
âWhat are some of your sleepover theme ideas?â
âIâm going to let you change the subject, but only because Iâm really excited about our Good Witch marathon night where we make our own candles and brew custom tea blends.â
âOh I love that! We can order some of those witchy mystery boxes on Etsy that have crystals and charms. Itâll be just like shopping at Bell Book!â
âWeâve had fun living together these last few years, but why didnât we think of this earlier?â
âI guess we didnât need it then.â
âVi and P are gonna be crushed.â
âUgh. Maybe I can set them up with Avengers? Then they can move in here!â
âSo they get to be your neighbors again but Iâm still stuck across town with Liam?â
âNo one told you to date a civilian,â you laughed. âBesides, he still has time to get bitten by a radioactive Chester clone and develop superpowers.â
âIâm so glad you placed that idea in my psyche. Iâm sure my dreams will be totally normal tonight.â
âDream instead of a Cheetah Girls 2 viewing party with sangria and croquetas.â
âIâll bring the tortilla de patatas!â
You and Liv got lost in all of your plans for the future. Who knew there could be so much joy in planning your move out? You would miss your friend dearly, but you were glad you had something to look forward to about the move. Other than living with your boyfriends, of course. Speaking of, they returned to the apartment a few hours later, each carrying a large cardboard box. The boxes were in pretty bad shape and your boyfriends looked a little less kempt than when youâd last seen them, but it appeared their mission had been successful.
âWe went to Virginia and stole the sprinkles from the factory,â Bucky said as he set his box on the counter. âThe Shenandoah Valley is beautiful, by the way. Weâll have to go back.â
âTo the Valley, not the factory,â Steve clarified.
âDonât tell me that two of Earthâs mightiest heroes had trouble stealing sprinkles from the Little Debbie factory.â
âLetâs just say that there was nothing little about Debbieâs security.â
âYeah, those security guards were in good shape! And they were armed!â
âHarold was a pretty good shot, too.â
Your boyfriends laughed.
âJust like old times, huh?â you asked.
âNo,â Steve said. âJust like new times. Back then we did dumb stuff for no good reason. Now we do stupid stuff for the absolute best reason: to make you smile.â
âI like the new times a lot better,â Bucky said.
âIs it silly that I missed you?â you asked.
âWe missed you more,â Steve gushed.
âI think thatâs my cue,â Liv said, getting up from the couch.
âSee you later?â
She smiled and nodded. When the front door closed behind her, you were hit with the finality of the decision not to live with her. The end of an era.
âAre you ok?â Bucky asked.
âYeah,â you sighed. âI told her that Iâm moving out.â
âYou look like you just got your draft letter,â Steve said. âIf youâre not ready, thenââ
âIâm ready, itâs just going to be an adjustment. I promise Iâm excited to live with you, especially once that smaller apron comes in.â
âI wish I could hug you.â
âJust a few more hours. Besides, you need to focus on the brownies!â
Steve and Bucky told you all about the sprinkle heist while they made the brownies. Steve enjoyed the original Cosmic Brownies while Bucky didnât see the appeal, vowing to improve upon them with his recipe. You admitted that they tasted artificial, but there was a certain comfort to them. Your boyfriends had missed the rise of processed foods that had started in the 50s and still werenât used to all the packaged, preservative-filled treats you could buy today.
They worked together quickly and efficiently without you in the kitchen. The funny thing is that you knew they wouldâve preferred you to be in there with them slowing them down. You couldnât believe that you were going to get to live with them full time. Maybe youâd even get to go with them on the next sprinkle heist. There were so many amazing adventures in store for the three of you.
The brownies chilled in the freezer while you ate dinner. You spent the entire meal counting the minutes until your bandage could come off. When your 12 hours had elapsed, you pulled away the bandage to seeâŚskin. Your regular skin. No scarring or discoloration or redness. You knew Shuri said it would look like youâd never been injured, but you were shocked to see that she was right. It was almost disorienting for your body to show no signs of change when so much had changed.
âDo you feel okay? No pain?â
You felt the skin to confirm that everything was as it should be. When you nodded, Steve and Bucky scooped you into a crushing hug. The three of you settled onto the couch to try the brownies. Steve was very proud to show you how heâd spelled your name out in sprinkles. It didnât come as any surprise to you that the brownies tasted amazing. In fact, you were afraid that youâd be asking Bucky to make these every week. How fortunate you were that heâd be happy to do that if you wanted.
âI used to beg my mom to buy these to put in my lunches.â
âDid she?â
âSometimes. But your version is way better, of course.â
He smiled. âMaybe Iâll make them for our kidsâ lunches.â
You were startled by the mention of children.
âNo pressure,â he chuckled
âI know, itâs justâŚyou know that mysterious bottle?â
âYeah?â
âI didnât get a chance to tell you guys what it is.â
âWhat is it?â Steve asked
You werenât sure why you were so nervous to explain it to them. âYou know how we never knew how we would actually have a baby? Because of the serum?â
âHoney, weâll figure it out. We promise.â
âThatâs just it. Itâs been figured out.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âDr. Cho developed a lubricant that should allow us to conceive.â
âWhat?! How?â
âApparently the serum keeps your sperm from swimming, but if the sperm travels out of the semen through the lubricant, it can swim to its destination just fine.â
âThatâs a bottle of lube?â Steve asked incredulously.
âAnd if we use it, youâll get pregnant?â Bucky asked.
âYes and theoretically yes,â you answered.
You anxiously watched their reactions. What if the fun of all the baby talk for them was that it wasnât possible. What ifâ
âThatâs amazing!â
âThatâs incredible news.â
You laughed at yourself for ever doubting them. They leaned in to kiss you but you held up a hand to stop them.
âWe are not using that stuff anytime soon.â
They nodded obediently.
âI want you two all to myself for awhile.â
âYouâve got us,â Steve grinned, closing those last few inches of space to capture your lips in a kiss.
âIf we want to make a baby someday, weâve gotta perfect all the steps,â Bucky said, tugging off your sweatpants.
A/N: Lmao do you think we manifested the earthquake in New York City last Friday? That was when this chapter was originally supposed to be posted, so I'd like to think the seismic activity was courtesy of Amy and the boys.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 43: At Last
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Warnings: Smut
Length: 4.2k
Chapter 43 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
A/N: This chapter includes a brief medical discussion about fertility and conception. Nothing major happens, but I did want to provide an advance warning to those who may be sensitive to the topic. If youâd like to, just skip the conversation with Dr. Cho.
You looked out at the crumpled bodies in front of you, watching as they rubbed their bruises and slowly got up from the floor. Suddenly everyoneâs eyes were on you. The room was deafeningly silent as you captured everyoneâs full attention. You exited hurriedly, unable to withstand their judgment. Shuri made a few protests as you walked past her, but she didnât try to stop you. Unfortunately, the hallway didnât bring you the solitude you sought. Fury lay in wait just outside the door.
âNowâs not a good time,â you said.
âNow is the perfect time.â
âIâm not interested.â
âNot interested? You just knocked every single Avenger on their ass!â
You shook your head, trying adamantly to deny the reality of what youâd just done.
âThey told me not to hold back.â
âAnd you didnât.â
âWell I did a little bit. I didnât want to hurt anyone.â
He was quiet for a moment. âThe world could really use you. The universe could use you.â
You turned to face him. âWhat if I donât want to be used?â
âYouâre needed.â
âI donât know, it seems like the existing team is doing a pretty good job.â
âThere are always new enemies, bigger threats. We canât stop building the team.â
âArenât people falling into vats of toxic waste every day? Why do you need me?â
âBecause I havenât seen anyone do what you do.â
Perhaps he meant it as a compliment, but it felt like a threat. Before you could answer, Steve and Bucky came down the hallway.
âWhatâs going on here?â Steve asked.
Bucky put a protective arm around you, pulling you close to him and stepping both of you farther from Fury.
âWeâre continuing our earlier conversation about the Avengers Initiative,â Fury said.
Steve and Bucky looked between you and Fury in confusion.
âYou didnât tell them?â Fury smirked. âDoes that mean youâre considering it?â
âQuite the opposite,â you said.
âFury, we told you to forget it,â Steve said.
âI thought she deserved the opportunity to consider the offer for herself.â
âShe did consider the possibility of being a superhero. She didnât want it. Thatâs why we told you to back off.â
âI wanted to hear it from her.â
âNow you have,â Bucky said.
âYou know better than anyone that the world needs more heroes.â
âNot her,â Steve said.
âWhy not? Sheâs stronger than you. Both of you. Combined.â
âWe couldâve told you that before she got powers. But she didnât want this life then or now.â
Fury ignored him and faced you. âLet me know if you change your mind.â He turned and walked away.
âI wonât,â you said to his retreating figure.
âI canât believe he cornered you like that,â Steve said.
âItâs ok. This is all just getting to be a lot.â
âWhat do you mean, baby?â
âAre you kidding?â you scoffed, gesturing at your surroundings. âThis. All of this. My life now. Itâs too much. Did you not see what happened in there?â
âYou kicked ass.â
âThatâs the problem. Did you see the way everyone was looking at me? Even the way you two were looking at me. I donât want to be different like this.â
âNo one was looking at you in a bad way. I think we were all justâŚsurprised. Itâs not every day we get our asses handed to us like that.â
âTell that to all the Captain America fails compilations posted on Youtube,â Bucky joked.
âYou watch those?â Steve asked, an undercurrent of betrayal in his tone.
Before Bucky could answer, you cleared your throat, reclaiming their focus.
âWe knew you were powerful,�� Bucky explained. âItâs just different to experience it in action.â
âI didnât ask for this,â you sobbed, your emotions finally getting the better of you.
He scooped you into a hug. âWe know, baby.â
âŚ
The next day you met with the training team to discuss the results of the previous session.
âWell, you kicked everyoneâs asses yesterday,â Tony said with a laugh.
âWe havenât found a limit to the amount of powers you can absorb at one time,â Banner said.
âHow did you feel afterwards? You left in a hurry,â Shuri said.
âI felt tired. Drained. It wasnât easy subduing everyone at the same time like that.â
âYour abilities are like a muscle,â Strange said. âThey must be used and exercised in order to get stronger. With a little discipline, you could learn to do some really incredible things. Weâre just scratching the surface of what may be possible.â
âDonât tell me youâve been talking to Fury,â you grumbled.
ââDirector Fury has discussed certain possibilities with us.â
âHe has? Were you gonna tell me? What did you say to him?â
âNothing. We just let him talk so heâd leave us alone,â Tony said.
You looked around the room with suspicion. Nat noticed your eyes linger on her. She shook her head. You didnât think sheâd be in cahoots with Fury, but you needed to be sure. You nodded to let her know you believed her.
âWhat is wrong with him trying to recruit you?â
âHe keeps asking and I keep saying no.â
âWhy?â
âIâm not interested.â
âWhat do you fear?â Strange asked slowly.
âWhat do you mean?â
âAre you afraid of who youâll become? Are you afraid of leaving life as you know it behind? I can assure you, thatâs not always a bad thing.â
âIâm afraid that Iâd start fighting bad guys and then thatâs all anyone would ever allow me to do. Thatâs all anyone would ever see me as. I donât like fighting, yet Iâd be expected to do it forever.â
âWhat if you are needed?â
âThere are dozens of big name superheroes in this city alone. The world has plenty of willing heroes.â
âI think all heroes were somewhat reluctant at first.â
âSo you want me to join the Avengers?â
âI think you should consider all the possibilities for your future.â
âHave you?â
âPardon?â
âHave you seen all the possibilities for my future? Did you see the ones where I use my powers for good without ever stepping foot on a battlefield?â
âHmm,â he considered your words thoughtfully. âPerhaps we both have some things to consider.â
âBack to the briefing,â Nat said. You sent her a grateful look. âWe can scale back the training so you can get back to your normal life.â
âSeriously?!â
âYeah, youâve got enough control of your powers now that you should be fine returning to all normal activities. You are officially street legal.â
âThen what am I still doing here with yâall? I should be out celebrating!â
You shared a laugh with everyone.
âWeâd still like it if you came in voluntarily so that we could continue to monitorââ
âAlright, Bruce, Tony, take off your scientific goggles for a second. I know you want to study her powers, but hasnât she earned herself some time out from under the microscope?â
Tony and Bruce surrendered. Thank God for Nat.
Before you could leave, Shuri pulled you aside.
âIn the spirit of things getting back to normal, I can remove the stabilizer from your chest. There wonât be any scarring. Your skin will look like none of this ever happened.â
âYouâd justâŚtake it out?â
âItâs a simple procedure. Mild sedation and a local anesthetic. It will only take 15 minutes to remove the stabilizer and repair the skin. You wear a specialized bandage for 12 hours post-op and then youâre back on your feet.â
âWow, thatâs great. Thank you.â
You hadnât realized that youâd be able to remove the stabilizer. You werenât sure how you felt about it. You attempted to leave, but again you were interrupted, this time by Dr. Cho.
âYour case has been truly fascinating.â
âThank you?â
âIâll be leaving New York today, but I wanted to tell you that we analyzed the samples from Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes to better understand serum transmission.â
âOkayâŚâ
âWe confirmed that serum is contained in the semen, butâas we discovered with youâeven long-term exposure only results in low levels of serum in the bloodstream. Although it may provide moderate resilience from injury, sex with a supersoldier cannot create a new supersoldier.â
âWell thatâs good to hear. If sex could create supersoldiers, Fury would be focusing his considerable resources on getting them a girlfriend thatâs more eager to be an Avenger.â
You were surprised when the doctor laughed. âFor Fury that would be a losing battle. I donât think thereâs a force in the universe that could remove those two from your side.â
You smiled at her. âThanks for the update.â
âThatâs not all,â she said. âTheir semen was initially declared sterile because the sperm had zero motility. Do you understand what that means?â
âItâs been awhile since health class, but their swimmers donât swim?â
She nodded. âBut now weâve learned that they can swim. The serum in the semen is restricting their movement. If the sperm are removed from the seminal fluid, they function normally.â
âOkâŚâ
âIâve developed a prototype lubricant.â She handed you an unlabeled bottle. âWhen applied before ejaculation, it should theoretically block the serum while allowing the sperm to travel freely through the lubricant and to the egg.â
âOh.â
âWhen youâre ready for children, you can try using the lubricant. If you donât conceive within a reasonable period of time, we can adjust the formulation. If it is something that you ever hope to do, our findings show that you should be able to conceive naturally.â
âThank you,â you said, still stunned by the bottle in your hands and what it meant.
âIâm so glad youâve healed,â she said sincerely.
You said goodbye to Dr. Cho and left. Your mind was racing so much that you decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator. It gave you more time to think.
Training was over. You could erase any evidence that you had ever been injured from your body. You also knew now how you could get pregnant.
When youâd first talked about sex with Steve and Bucky, the lack of pregnancy risk had been nice because you werenât ready for a child. But when you discussed future plans of children, you knew that they had no idea how it would actually happen. You all trusted that when the time came to expand your family, magic or science would find a way, but none of you knew what that way was. To be honest, you hadnât given it much real thought. You all dreamed about the future, but none of you had been sure youâd actually get it.
You were sure now. You had all chosen each other through everything. It was time to start living more authentically, and that meant planning for the future and taking steps toward it; not just fantasizing about it. You held the bottle delicately in your hand. Its existence made everything so much more real. Your future children werenât just hypotheticalâthey were real possibilities now. It would still be a while before you were ready, but it actually felt good to get this confirmation. Everything you three had been working towardsâŚyou could really have it. You could have a real life together.
You thought about the life you wanted to share with them right here and right now. You wanted to get back to enjoying your lives together like you had before. You wanted to celebrate the fact that you were finally cleared to live life as you wanted to, no more restrictions.
No more restrictions.
You felt butterflies in your stomach when you realized what that meant. It had been a while for all of you, but you were excited to reconnect with them in that way. As you turned the door handle, you tried to stifle nervous giggles.
âWhatâd they say?â Bucky asked. He and Steve were still so anxious for updates on your condition.
âYou guys are gonna have to learn to stop worrying about me so much.â
They exchanged glances. You didnât have much hope that their worries would end soon. Maybe you could take their minds off of it. You put your things down on the counter. You pointed to the bottle. âDonât touch this,â you warned.
âWhy? What is it?â Steve asked.
You walked over to the couch where your boyfriends were sitting. You hoped you looked sexy, but it had been a while since youâd tried to seduce anybody. You straddled his lap and put your arms around his neck.
âDonât worry about it,â you whispered.
Steve raised an eyebrow at you. âWhatâs gotten into you?â
âNothing. Yet,â you smirked. You rolled your hips, grinding into his lap.
Steve whispered your name, desperately pleading for you to stop. You picked up the pace.
Bucky said your name more sternly. You took one of his hands and held it to your chest. You knew it was taking all of his willpower not to squeeze. Perhaps youâd been nervous about getting back in the saddle, but it was proving to be just like riding a bike. Teasing them had been one of your favorite pastimes once.
Steve put his hands on your hips, stilling your movement. âYouâre killing me, baby,â he said.
âWhatâs wrong?â you asked, feigning innocence.
He shook his head at you. âYou know that we canâtââ
âIt appears that you have outdated information, Captain.â
You were so busy watching Steve process your words that you didnât notice Bucky reaching for you. He pulled you off of Steveâs lap and onto his own. âAre you serious?â he asked.
You nodded slowly, taken aback by his intensity.
âI need you to say it,â Bucky said.
âIâm cleared for all physical activity, including sex.â
There was a moment where everything was still.
And then before you knew it, Steve had crawled onto Buckyâs lap behind you, hands pressing into your hips, crotch grinding into your ass. Bucky was kissing your neck and uncharacteristically fumbling with the zipper on your jacket. He gently ripped it open and pushed it down your shoulders. Steveâs hands jumped up from your hips, kneading your breasts and moaning low in his throat, rutting up against you like a dog in heat.
âBedroom?â you managed to suggest between breathless moans. If you were going to do this after all this time, you wanted to do it right.
Steve stood up abruptly and picked you up, carrying you to the bedroom with Bucky trailing behind you both. You had never seen Steve move so quickly as when he sprinted with you to the bed. You finally knew what it felt like to be a football raced into the endzone for a game-winning touchdown. Youâd expected him to toss you on the bed and get on top of you, but he set you down gently.
He hesitated before joining you on the bed. He lay down beside you and Bucky took the other side. Steve kissed you softly while stroking the side of your face. The action was so romantic it made you dizzy. Bucky planted kisses along your shoulder and started murmuring praises.
âMy girl is so perfect,â Bucky said. âSheâs so strong, isnât she Steve? Our girl kicks ass and cheats death. Iâm so glad you came back to us, doll. I donât know what we would have done without you.â When his voice broke, your heart broke with it. âI knew youâd never leave us, but I got scared for a second.â
You stopped kissing Steve so you could wipe Buckyâs tears away. He held your hand to his face and kissed your palm. When you looked over at Steve, you saw he had tears in his eyes as well. You couldnât help but cry too.
âI love you both so much,â you said.
Steve pressed a kiss to your collarbone. âI didn't know if youâd ever hold me in your arms again.â Hot tears splashed onto your chest. With your free hand, you stroked Steveâs hair.
You tried to make a joke through the tears, âCome on, yâall. This is not how I imagined lifting the sex ban would go.â They chuckled with you.
You used the hand on Steveâs head to guide his lips to yours. He pulled back a little to graze his lips against your own. âI love you,â he whispered before kissing you softly. A gentle tongue sought entrance and you provided it. A tear fell from his cheek to yours. Had you ever been kissed so softly? So tenderly? If so, you couldnât remember. You wouldâve kissed him until you were old and gray, but then you felt Buckyâs hands at the hem of your shirt. You all broke apart briefly, fumbling to remove the articles of clothing that separated you.
Steve flung your bra across the room like the very idea of imprisoning such perfect breasts was an affront to his sensibilities. The three of you giggled together. Their laughter caught in their throat when they took in the picture in front of them. They were looking at you like it was their first time seeing you. In their eyes was the awe of wanderers finding water in the desert; their expressions captured the wonder of an adventurer seeing the pyramids for the first time.
It was the requisite reverence of pilgrims at the promised land. You suddenly realized that you were their promised land. The thought gave you chills. Or maybe it was just Buckyâs metal thumb slowly rubbing your stabilizer. The vibranium sang. The metals called out to each other. It felt like the need for him was reverberating throughout your entire body. When you gasped, Bucky pulled his hand back, searching your face for pain or discomfort. He didnât find any. You took his hand in yours and kissed every single vibranium finger before replacing the thumb to its earlier position.
Not to be outdone, Steve attached his lips to your neck, nipping gently but not using enough force to bruise. You wished he would suck bruises onto your whole body. You wished that both of them would make a mess out of you and mark you as theirs. But there would be plenty of time for that later. Tonight you simply needed to be reunited. Your bodies needed to be reacquainted. Steveâs hand hovered hesitantly between your legs for a few moments. You placed a hand over his, encouraging him to touch you where you both wanted.
Steve rubbed slow circles onto your clit before dipping lower, stroking between your folds. You shivered at his touch, at once familiar and unfamiliar. It had been too long. When you felt a thick finger at your opening, you held your breath. Steve whispered your name as he plunged inside you. You clutched his arm as he slowly pumped in and out. When he curved his finger, your whole body shuddered. You cried his name and he gently shushed you. He told you how much he loved you as a second finger pushed in, stretching you in preparation. He had only been scissoring his fingers for a few moments when you begged him to stop, begged one of them to get inside of you already.
Buckyâs princess never has to ask twice. He was positioned between your legs before you could even finish the sentence. The cool, familiar weight of Buckyâs metal hand at your hip and the familiar image of him pumping himself a few times with his right hand before lining himself up at your entrance elicited an almost Pavlovian response from you. You moaned in anticipation. Steve didnât remove his fingers until the last possible moment. Your boyfriends would never leave you feeling empty for long.
For a moment, you considered feeling anxious. It had been a long time since youâd done this. But when Bucky sank into you, it was the most natural feeling in the world. Bucky locked eyes with you during his first, slow thrust and suddenly you were reminded of your first time with him. How heâd held you firmly and made you go at his pace. Tonight you surrendered to him gladly. Unlike that night, you made no move to speed things up. You wanted to feel every inch of him. As his tip dragged against your g-spot and you took a shuddering breath, you didnât plead with him to hurry up. Instead you prayed to God that this would never end.
Your only regret was that Steve wasnât inside you right now, too. At least he was right here next to you. You reached for him, unwilling to take your eyes off of Bucky just yet. He gave you his hand. That wasnât what you wanted. You stroked his hand and trailed up his arm and across his chest, giving his pec a squeeze before traveling down his torso. You felt his abs tense under your fingers just before you reached your destination. You wrapped your hand around his cock the way youâd done a thousand times before, but again you couldnât help but think of the first time youâd done this.
In the back of a truck bed in a secluded field, youâd touched both of them for the first time. Youâd never forget the way they reacted to your touch. It was the first time youâd made them desperate for you. At that point youâd seen hunger in their eyes before, but that was the first time youâd directly satiated it. You looked at Steveâs face to see his brow furrowed like it was that night. You whispered his name and he trained those blue eyes on you.
âI already loved you in the truck bed in that field, Prince Grant.â
He leaned closer so that your noses touched. âWell, Princess, I loved you back when we were slow dancing on top of the Eiffel Tower.â
When you kissed Steve, you felt Buckyâs grip tighten on your hip. You placed your hand over his, rubbing the back of his hand with your palm. As he moved inside you, you knew that heâd also loved you before heâd said it. You werenât sure you could pinpoint the moment youâd first started falling in love with them. But you did know that you loved them more and more every day. Even in a coma your love had grown. You didnât even attempt to stop the tears from flowing.
Bucky leaned down to check on you, unintentionally changing his angle inside of you. You knew you werenât going to last much longer. Steve pulled back from your kiss. You were so grateful to be looking at both of their faces now. When their eyes welled up with tears, you didnât even bother making a joke. The three of you were together again, the way you were always meant to be. Youâd never let anything keep you apart again.
Steveâs fingers stroked your clit, your walls tightened around Bucky, your hand tightened around Steve. You didnât need words to know how they were feeling. You felt so connected to them in the moment. When you came together, it felt like the whole world shook. You collapsed against each other, trembling in the wake of such a powerful shared orgasm.
You werenât sure you wanted to catch your breath. Your boyfriends had become so adept at taking it away. You werenât sure you wanted to come down from the high. Your love had taken you to new heights. You werenât sure you wanted your body to stop quivering; you never wanted to stop vibrating at the frequency of your love.
âAre you ok, baby?â Bucky asked. You were confused by the concern in his voice until you realized that the whole room was shaking.
âEarthquake?â you asked.
âI think itâs you,â Steve said.
You closed your eyes and took a breath. You felt soâŚgood. Happy and fulfilled and satisfied andâwait a minute. You were supposed to be stopping the shaking, not delighting in it. With a few more deep breaths, you invited calm in. The shaking stopped. You opened your eyes to see your boyfriends staring at you. You shrugged at them. The three of you were laughing when an urgent call came in from FRIDAY.
âMr. Stark would like a status report on Ms. Carlisle.â
âThatâs Mrs. Rogers to you,â Steve said.
âMrs. Barnes-Rogers,â Bucky corrected.
The three of you laughed together.
Tonyâs voice came over the speaker. âSteve? Bucky? Is she ok? You can bring her down to the lab and we can run some tests andââ
âSheâs fine, Tony,â Steve said.
âWhat triggered the seismic activity? A nightmare?â
âNo nightmares,â Bucky said to Tony. He then whispered to you, âIn fact, I think youâll be having very sweet dreams tonight.â He kissed your nose and you giggled.
âSo youâre saying that nothing triggered that energy pulse? You should get her down to the lab immediately.â
âThat wonât be necessary, Tony. Everythingâs fine.â
âEveryoneâs worried and wants to know whatâs going on. I think it would be best ifââ
âYou lifted the remaining restrictions on physical activity,â you explained, hoping heâd take the hint.
âHey! Good to hear your voice. So physical exertion triggered it. Maybe we can try to replicate those conditions in the lab tomorrow andââ
âWe were having sex.â
Tony took a few moments to collect his thoughts before responding, âOh. I see. Never mind.â He promptly disconnected communication.
This time when the bed shook, it was with the force of your laughter. Laughs quickly turned to kisses. You were pretty sure they had managed to kiss every single inch of skin, but they kept finding new places like the backs of your knees and the inside of your wrists and the space right behind your earlobe. The kisses turned back into laughter. So this was what it felt like to leave your joy untempered.
You could get used to feeling like this.
>>Next Chapter
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!đĽ°If you want to walk down memory lane with them: Eiffel Tower first date with Steve, fall fun in the truck bed, their first timeâ¤ď¸
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Alright yâall I���m really trying to make sure todayâs chapter is just right so it might be a little later than usual. And tomorrowâs will be late because I have another doctors appointment đŹđŹđŹwe are so close to the end im sorry to do thisđlast chapter (chapter 45) will be on Monday and I will be glad to be done posting every day. It has been really fun but super exhausting. But receiving support from readers has really helped to boost me so thank you to everyone for the kudos, reblogs, comments, and asks on AO3 and Tumblr đđđlove yall and hope youâll like these last 3 chapters of Contact đđđ
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 42: Planting Seeds
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader, Thor & Reader
Length: 3.7k
Chapter 42 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
You sighed contentedly as you relaxed into the warm water. Most lab rats donât get spa days, you joked to yourself, enjoying the romantic bubble bath. You were finally cashing in your rain check from Valentine's Day. Valentineâs Day felt like a lifetime ago. In some ways, it was.
But your boyfriends had dutifully decorated the bathroom with rose petals and candles and drawn a bath with lots of bubbles and the sultry scent of cocoa and sandalwood. You hadnât been officially cleared to drink wine, and yet here you were clinking your glasses together. It was almost like a normal pre-injury evening together, but despite the romantic setting you were still plagued by that pesky sex ban. This night would end in cuddles and nothing moreâa stark difference from your life before.
âPenny for your thoughts?â Bucky asked.
âI was thinking about how this night would end under different circumstances. Is it really a Valentineâs Day redo without so much as a titty grab?â
Bucky laughed. Steve, however, decided to take advantage of the fact that you were sitting between his legs with your back against his chest. He squeezed the washcloth over your chest and watched as the rivulets traced your skin. He slowly rubbed the cloth across your breasts.
âWho says you have to go without?â he smirked.
âHer medical team,â Bucky retorted.
âYouâre no fun,â you said, leaning forward stroking Buckyâs face with one hand. Before he could give you any more sass, you brought your lips to his in a passionate kiss, but it ended way too soon.
âIâm sure youâll be cleared any day now,â he said.
You sighed annoyedly and he just smiled at you. You knew he was happy you were even alive, but you wanted your old life back. Steve kissed the side of your head. You glared at Bucky and he laughed. You werenât sure what it was that drew your eyes to his collarbone, but you noticed something different about the skin. At first you thought that the candles were reflecting off his wet skin, but it looked like there were words written there. You leaned forward to investigate.
You couldnât believe you hadnât noticed it sooner. White ink against his skin. Your handwriting. Your signature. Etched into his chest. You tried to wipe it off, testing if it was temporary, maybe one of Steveâs doodles. Then you traced the letters with your fingers. Bucky drew in a breath. You looked at him. His eyes scanned yours anxiously.
You looked to Steve. He wasnât usually the voice of reason, but surely he hadnât approved this. Steve shrugged. Curious, you turned to inspect his own collarbone. You saw ink there as well.
âWhen did you get these?â you whispered.
âA few weeks ago,â Steve said.
âWhy?â
âWe missed you,â Bucky said.
âSo you had my name permanently etched into your skin?â
âWe really missed you,â Steve said.
You kept looking between them waiting for them to explain the joke or to give you more backstory, but they gave you nothing. You finally shrugged. âAt least itâs tasteful.â
âYou like them?â Steve asked.
âHad I been awake, I never wouldâve approved this,â you said. âBut am I a total egomaniac if I say the tattoos look really good?â
Steve laughed. âTold you sheâd love them!â he said to Bucky.
Bucky smiled. âEven a broken clock is right twice a day,â he teased.
âTo be clear, Iâm not getting âBuckyâs Girlâ tatted on my ass in exchange,â you joked.
âHow about âSteveâs Girlâ?â Steve asked.
âDefinitely not,â Bucky said, splashing Steve and inadvertently getting you in the process.
When your eyes narrowed, his widened. âI didnât mean to splash you!â he said.
Too late. You and Steve united against him and the three of you made a huge mess in the bathroom as most of the water ended up on the floor. Thatâs one way to end a nice evening with your lovers when your preferred method of getting wet is unavailable.
âŚ
The next day you were so excited for Brandon and Camilla to come visit that you banished Steve and Bucky across the hall and made sure to have your wine opener ready. When they knocked, you leapt up. As you restrained yourself from running to the door, you realized that it was probably time to reinvigorate your social life. This was the perfect start. When you opened the door, you were surprised to see a third visitor: Shay.
âHey, girl!â she yelled, hugging you tightly. Over her shoulder, Brandon and Camilla were mouthing frantic apologies. âOh my God, we were all so sad to hear what happened to you. I sent flowersâdid you get them? And Damien wanted me to ask if you got his âGet Well Soonâ text.â
âWith the shirtless selfie? Yeah, I got it,â you rolled your eyes at Camilla and Brandon.
âOh my God! Can I see?â
You decided to change the subject. âHowâs Philippe?â
She gasped and then started to work on producing a fake tear. Camilla and Brandon started shaking their heads in warning, but the damage was done. Soon you were told the entire Philippe saga, including how his parents wanted someone different to carry on their family legacy. Sheâd fought for his heart and ultimately lost. Shay may have been shallow and spoiled, but Philippeâs family sounded rude.
âThis is your Legally Blonde moment, girl. Get better for you and then youâll realize he isnât even the prize.â
âOh my God, youâre right! I am the prize. Iâm gonna post a thirst trap on Instagram, show him what heâs really missing.â
âThatâs notââ
She stood up abruptly. âGotta go through my outfit options. It was so good seeing you, girl! Text me that pic of Damien!â And just like that, she was gone.
âSorry about that,â Camilla said. âBrandon couldnât resist telling anyone who would listen about our visit.â
âI was excited! Work is so boring without you. When are you coming back?â he asked.
You shrugged. While youâd been eager to get back to your normal life, youâd been thinking about sex with your boyfriends and wine nights with your friends, not going back to the library. You missed working with Camilla and Brandon, but for some reason you didnât miss the job. You were sure that would change once things settled down again.
âWhen I get cleared to work again, you two will be the first to know.â
âHowâs rehab going?â
âGood. My strength is way up.â
âStrong enough to start stacking books again?â Brandon asked hopefully.
You laughed. âThe medical team doesnât want me going back to work just yet,â you explained. Considering that you spent your days sparring, you could easily handle the physical demands of the job. But you needed complete control over your powers before it would be safe for you to be out with the general public.
âBrandon, just let her enjoy the time off. Sheâll be back wrangling paper jams and serving as an unpaid therapist soon enough.â
âStop making it sound so glamorous,â Brandon grumbled. âShe might never come back to work!â
âDonât worry, Brandon. The good has always outweighed the bad. I love helping people with particularly tricky research requests. I miss doing crafts with the kids and that feeling when patrons come back to tell me how much they liked the book I recommended. And I actually donât mind all the trauma dumping.â
âSpeaking of, Ellaâs been asking about you.â
âI hope youâve been keeping her stocked with Saddle Club books in my absence. Did her mom sign her up for horse camp?â
âThe fact that you actually care about stuff like that is why I knew the library gods would never let you die,â Camilla said.
âLibrary gods?â Brandon asked.
âWell, I had to pray to someone! And obviously they were listening,â she said, gesturing at you. âThereâs an Egyptian goddess of writing and wisdom named Seshat. Her title is Mistress of the House of Books.â
âIâve found my drag name!â you said. âAnd if Iâd known us librarians had a patron saint, I wouldâve beseeched Seshat to get us more funding.â
âSaving you from near death is one thing, but increasing the New York Public Library budget?â Camilla scoffed. âThat might be too much to ask, even of a deity.â
âCan we give her any offerings?â you asked.
âYouâre buying into this?â Brandon asked.
You shrugged. âWhy not? Besides, I canât wait to tell Tony and the rest of the team that theyâre not responsible for my recovery,â you laughed.
You, Camilla, and Brandon kept laughing and joking. For a few hours you forgot how much your life had changed.
The next day, you were reminded. Fury caught up with you on your way home from training.
âIâve been observing your training.â
You said nothing to him as you kept walking.
âI want to talk to you about the Avengers initiative.â
Your steps faltered. You werenât Natâyou couldnât pretend like you werenât shocked.
âInterested?â he asked.
âJust surprised.â
âThe team could use someone like you.â
You went back to silent walking.
âThink of all the good you could do in the world.â
You stopped short of the elevators. Fury and your boyfriends werenât on the best of terms right now so you couldnât let Furyâs Avengers pitch continue all the way to your front door.
âI donât think the superhero life is for me.â
âYouâve already been living itâsecurity protocols, secret relationships, and even a few fights under your belt. Youâll fit right in.â
âAll the sameâŚâ
âI look forward to seeing where training takes you.â
You were relieved when he left but also confused. Fury didnât seem like the soft sell type. But he had backed off quickly after barely pitching you on joining the Avengers. You walked into Buckyâs unsettled, but when your boyfriends asked you what was wrong, you found yourself waving away their concerns. They knew you were off but you were grateful that they let the situation drop. Maybe Fury wouldnât bring it up again and you could forget that the offer ever even happened.
âŚ
You wiped away some of the sweat as you headed to the bench. You grabbed your water bottle and chugged.
âGreat job today,â Nat said on her way to update your medical team on your progress.
You had officially passed your pre-injury fighting level. You were more agile and strong now than you had been before youâd gotten hurt, which was a major milestone. Your increased stamina had allowed for your longest training session yet and you sat down on the bench exhausted, but exhilarated. You were contemplating texting your boyfriends to come pick you up (literally) when Sam walked in with two green smoothies in tow, holding one of them out to you. You wrinkled your nose, skeptical of consuming anything that looked like it tasted like grass clippings.
âDonât worry,â he assured you, âitâs not as good for you as it looksâfull of sugar.â
You cautiously tasted it and discovered he was right: strong flavors of mango, pineapple and coconut dominated the swamp-colored beverage. You nodded in appreciation.
âThanks, Sam.â You playfully feigned suspicion, âWhatâs the bribe for? You need me to distract Bucky the next time yâall play video games?â
He laughed before pulling out his phone and typing something. Your own phone buzzed in your bag and Sam prompted you to check it. The notification said you had been added to a group message: NiggAvengers. You laughed out loud at the name.
âNiggAvengers?!â
âYes, we talked it over and have decided you have rightfully earned your place in the Black Avengers group chat.â
âThanks, but I have to askâŚHow much of a group chat is it? Isn't it just you and Rhodey?â
He laughed. âWell, we had to expand the parameters a little bit. Misty, Storm, Luke Cage. Maria and Carolâs daughter Monica. The Asgardians are included, although Heimdall never says anything and Val only checks in occasionally. The Wakandans of courseâTâChallah, Nakia, Ayo and Okoye. Although Okoye keeps leaving the chat and Nakia keeps adding her back.â
Sounded like a fun group. âIs Fury in it?â
âNo. Heâs not a superhero.â
âNeither am I.â
âLike I said, we decided that you qualify. Besides, somehow I think Fury would disapprove of our group chat.â
âGood. I was worried for a second that he put you up to this.â
âWhat? Why?â
âHe approached me about joining the Avengers.â
âHe did?!â
âYeah.â
âI heard that training was going well, but I didnât know it was going that well!â
âIâve been training with Carol and Wanda and they want me to go against Thor tomorrow.â
âGo against? I thought they were teaching you to control your powers.â
âYes, but it turns out that my powers canâŚtemporarily borrow other peoplesâ powers so I think they just wanted to see how that works against a god.â
âWhat do you mean by temporarily borrow?â
âI canâŚtake their powers.â You shifted uncomfortably at his look of shock.
âHow is that possible? I thought you got angry and made other people angry and occasionally caused seismic tremors. What the hell is going on with you, girl?â
You laughed. Finally someone who could appreciate how utterly ridiculous all of this sounded. âWorking theory is that my emotions have power. So when Iâm feeling strong emotions, I can use those emotions to exert force. I can create blasts of energy with my anger, I can create heaviness in the atmosphere with my sadness. But when I meditate and feel nothing, I can absorb power from others.â
âHow did you figure all of this out?â
âTrial and error, mostly. Carol threw balls of light at me until I got frustrated and threw her against the wall. They made me relive sad experiences until Carol and Wanda felt like they were trapped under the weight of a planet. Training has been intense, to say the least.â
âAnd here I was thinking you were just training on punching bags and treadmills,â he said.
You sat together for a moment in thoughtful silence.
âYouâre Furyâs worst nightmare,â he said.
âYeahâŚwait, what?!â
âYou can make Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch powerless just by meditating? Someone possessing that kind of power is an Avengers-level threat. If you were a regular person, heâd either recruit you or imprison you. But he doesnât have the same power over you because of Steve and Bucky. Youâre a powerful weapon that he canât control.â
âYeah, but Iâm not gonna turn into a supervillain or anything. Iâm just gonna go back to being a librarian.â
âHe doesnât think like that. With Fury, there are current threats and there are future threats.â
âI guess this is the same man that thought I was a HYDRA agent who arranged for myself to get kidnapped.â
âExactly.â
You sipped your drink. âYouâve really stepped up your smoothie game, Sam.â
âIâve always been good. Youâre only just realizing it.â
âAlright, donât get crazy.â
You shared a laugh.
âKick Thorâs ass tomorrow,â he said. âHeâs way too cocky.â
âIâll do my best.â
âŚ
âI am happy to admit when Iâve been bested,â Thor said.
You simply nodded, too exhausted from siphoning his power to say much else.
âWe must drink together,â he said, clapping you on the shoulder so hard that you stumbled. You followed him to the bar on the entertaining floor and accepted the beer he handed you. The cold drink was refreshing after a long day of firing and dodging lightning blasts.
âSlow your pace,â Thor cautioned as you drained half the bottle. âIf I return you inebriated, I fear your boyfriends will be upset with me.â
You obliged, pouring yourself a glass of water to help quench your thirst.
âYou can wield Mjolnir. If you wanted to experience the powers of Thor, you couldâve agreed to training with her. You didnât have to attain superpowers,â he teased.
âTrust me, superpowers are the last thing I wanted.â
âWhy?â
You shrugged. âWhat am I going to do with powers?â
âAnything you want.â
âAnything Fury wants, more like,â you grumbled.
âSome of us are born with these gifts, some of these gifts are bestowed, but it is a gift all the same.â
âIt doesnât feel like a gift. It feels like a burden. I donât want to fight monsters for a living.â
âFighting monsters is fun!â
You shot him a look.
âPerhaps not fun for everyone,â he conceded. âDo you fear battle?â
âNo. Maybe I did before, but not after the coma. I had so many emotions stored in there waiting to be felt. Everything I had kept bottled up over the years hit me all at once: joy, rage, grief, even fear. I think what I fear most now is being pushed into a certain life because of what I can do.â
âWhile I would be happy to fight by your side as a teammate, I think we would all support you in choosing a different destiny for yourself.â
You clinked your bottle against his glass and drank to the sentiment.
âYou said you felt grief? When you were trapped in your mind?â he asked after a pause.
âYeah. I had to relive a funeral of a loved one. This time I got to wail and scream and cry for as long as I wanted. The pain was immense. But once I started to get it out, I felt good. I was so afraid of feeling it at the time. Afraid my grief would cripple me, prevent me from doing what needed to be done, being who I needed to be for my family.â
âYou benefited from finally giving over to the pain and devastation that raged inside?â
âIt hurt like hell, Iâm not gonna lie to you. Especially feeling it all at once instead of over time like I was meant to. I didnât think I would survive it. But I feel lighter now. Of course I still grieve those Iâve lost, of course I miss them, but thereâs no longer a backlog of un-felt grief clogging up the system. Iâve got more room to feel other things.â
He sighed thoughtfully. âHow did you do it?â
âWhat?â
âGo back. Re-experience those moments and get to do them differently.â
âI donât know. As far as I can tell, almost dying made my psyche retreat into itself. I got trapped in the place where Iâd been storing all those emotions.â
âDoes everyone have a place like that?â
âI...I donât know. Why? There someplace you want to go?â
âMy motherâs funeral.â
You nodded sympathetically.
âI might say my fatherâs funeral, but he didnât even get one. The moment he died, Hela appeared, and soon I lost everything.â
âI canât imagine. Feeling all of that grief at once might actually kill you. It might be better for you to start by focusing on one moment and feeling it in its entirety.â
âBut how, though? I do not know how to access those memories and emotions.â
If a place existed in others for their unfelt emotions and emotionally-charged memories, then you would probably be the best person to find it. âMaybe I can try?â
He nodded.
âDo we know where exactly we want to go or are we just exploring? Provided that I can actually do this, of course.â
âLet us just see what we find.â
âAlright.â You closed your eyes. You felt a little silly at first, but you had learned to take a deep breath and let all the other distractions fall away. You were in tune with yourself, but you werenât used to attuning to the emotions of another person in this way. You grabbed Thorâs hand to help you focus in on his energy. Apprehension was the first emotion you picked up from him. Despite his nerves, you could feel that he trusted you. As you dug deeper into his emotional state, you sensed the sadness that had prompted this exploration. You felt that he had been carrying a great weight for a very long time. But he was guarded. You could feel the grief, but you couldnât latch onto anything specific.
âCan you tell me more about your mother? What you loved about her?â
âShe was always there to encourage me. She always knew the right thing to do and say. She was fiercely loyal and loved both of her sons dearly. Even as a queen, she never forgot her roots and she always kept a garden of herbs she might need for her craft.â
That was it. Perhaps because it was such a specific detail, it lowered his defenses. You were on the right track.
âTell me more about her garden.â
âIt had the most beautiful roses youâve ever seen, apple trees with the sweetest fruitâeven as children, Loki and I knew not to disturb her plants. Sometimes weâd bring her a fallen blossom and sheâd transform that one flower into a thousand petals and they would rain down from the sky. My favorite was chamomile.â
You werenât sure if you were hallucinating, but you could have sworn that a floral scent wafted through the room. Perhaps you were sharing in his memory? You knew youâd been cooped up in the Tower too long when your first thought was, âI wonder what Shuri and Tony would make of this.â Shuri and Tony were just as desperate to understand your powers as you were. Youâd thought youâd been limited to experiencing your own memories and emotions, but this session seemed to be changing that.
âI miss her dearly,â Thor said tearfully. âI havenât allowed myself to properly remember her in a long while.â
âThis is a good start,â you said, squeezing his hand before letting go and gently disentangling yourself from his emotions. âYou should probably take some time to process the feelings that came up today before we go any further.â
âHow? What do I do with all of these feelings?â
âMaybe you could honor her by drinking some chamomile tea tonight? You could even start a garden of your own. Iâm sure Bucky could help you.â
âHmm. A garden. Like the one on his rooftop,â he said thoughtfully. âPerhaps I will. Thank you. I feel renewed. You have a lovely ability. I feel the pain, however I feel hope alongside it now.â
You left him to his emotions and memories, feeling grateful for your powers for the very first time.
>> Next Chapter
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 41: New Normal
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader, Nat & Reader
Length: 2.1k
Chapter 41 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
After breakfast, Nat came by to take you down to training. Apparently your boyfriends werenât welcome to observe anymore. Despite their protests, that was probably for the best. Before you could go downstairs, Nat presented you with a gift wrapped box. You opened it. It was the shoes she had painted on the mural.
âSteve and Bucky said you liked them.â
âI love them!â
âThey were going to get them for you themselves, but I couldnât let them take all the credit.â
You laughed. âYouâve got great taste.â
âSo do you. Thatâs why weâre taking a trip once youâre cleared for travel.â
âTrip?â
âShopping. Paris. Dubai. Milan. Tokyo. Weâre going to start the trip with empty suitcases.â
âWoah. Sounds hardcore.â
âThink you can handle it?â
âI gotta start taking my conditioning more seriously!â
She laughed.
âSeriously,â you said as the two of you started heading downstairs to the training room. âThis trip sounds like itâs worth training for. And it will definitely give me something to work towards. That and sex.â
âYouâre not having sex?â
âWeâre not allowed! Not until Iâm cleared for physical activity without restrictions.â
âYeah, based on the stories youâve told, you three get pretty athletic.â You two laughed. âHow are they doing with the sex ban?â
âHonestly? I think theyâre still too worried about me to be focused on that stuff. Meanwhile I canât wait.â
âYouâve been doing really great. You three will be back to making out on every surface in Avengers Tower soon enough.â
âHey! We havenât made out on every surface.â
âDonât make me pull up the surveillance video,â Tony said as you walked up. That sobered you up. âI was just bluffing, but based on that reaction Iâm wondering if I should have FRIDAY take a black light to the common areas.â
âSave yourself the trauma,â Nat joked.
âCan we get on with training?â you asked. You werenât eager to step back into the ring with Carol and Wanda, but it was better than the current conversation.
So you spent days training. You learned more about yourself, your body, and your new powers each time. You were getting stronger every day. And falling into a routine meant that you thought less about what it all meant and just focused on completing your exercises for the day, which were pretty exhausting.
Steve and Bucky started writing you notes and handing them to you when you went to training, like the notes you used to put in their go bags. You tried to tell them that you were just going downstairs, not across the world like with their missions, but they insisted on the written encouragement. The sweetest notes from them brought you to tears.
 Do you know the song Make You Feel My Love? Sam made me listen to it while you were under. Itâs true, you know. I wouldâve sat by your bedside for the rest of our lives until you woke up, holding your hand so you could feel my love. I wouldâve been happy to do it. Itâs important to me that you know that. But Iâm even happier that youâre awake. Not just because I missed you, but because you deserve to watch all your dreams come true. Bucky and I would have done anything to make that happen.
I never forgot what you said to us after you were attacked at the library. You thought you werenât worthy of some of the drastic measures weâve taken in the past to save each other. It killed me to hear you say that. I never wanted what we do to impact your life like this. But it has. And now youâve got powers to learn how to control. Even though you can kick my ass now, I hope youâll still trust me to protect you. I hope you know that Iâd go to the ends of the earth for you. It doesnât have to be a life or death scenario. Iâd go to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to pick you a flower if it meant I got to see you smile. I hope that from now on you will always feel my love. Have fun at training.
Love,
Steve
 When you got home, you made sure to ask Steve, âWhat do you mean âeven though I can kick your ass nowâ? Now? I could always kick your ass.â He laughed with you. âYouâre right, baby.â
 and if the devil was to ever see you, heâd kiss your eyes and repent âfarouq jwaydeh
Donât tell Steve or Shuri, but one look at you and the Winter Soldier programming would have simply fallen away. We read Ella Enchanted to you while you were under and Iâve thought a lot about Ella breaking the curse. How my love for you would have cured me of my own curse in an instant. But Iâm glad I got to see you for the first time with my own eyes rather than ones clouded with HYDRAâs venom.
After you were attacked in the library, you thought Steve and I didnât see you as part of our epic love story. The truth is that you deserve Bucky instead of the Winter Soldier and you deserve to be the heroine of a romcom rather than an action movie. You are absolutely kicking ass at training, but youâre still my princess. Iâll see you soon, angel.
Love,
Bucky
Partly because of their encouragement, you made it through a whole week of training. To celebrate the fact that you had managed to avoid causing any structural damage to the Tower, Steve and Bucky planned a trip to your favorite family farm. It was the same place youâd visited the pumpkin patch and picked apples for Thanksgiving pie. Those same apples had been made into a cider that was ready for tasting. Spring had started up a little earlier than usual this year, so there were some strawberries ready for picking. When the boys had told you that, youâd been more than eager for the outing.
You were in the car when you realized how long itâd been since youâd gone anywhere. The drive was niceâlooking out the window, listening to music. This was what it was like to be a normal person again. To be someone who makes plans and goes places. When you got to the familiar entrance of the farm, you were overwhelmed by all of the people and sounds and smells. Youâd made it out of the hospital wing, but youâd still been in a pretty sterile bubble.
Your boyfriends led you to a more secluded side of the strawberry patch. It felt good to have the sun on your face, the grass under your feet, and your hands in the dirt. You picked only the biggest, juiciest strawberries to fill up your buckets.
âI canât wait to try these,â you said.
âWhy wait?â Steve asked, taking a big bite out of one of the berries in his basket. He murmured in appreciation at the taste and held out the rest to you, but Bucky intercepted, snatching the rest of the berry with his teeth and tasting it.
âThatâs good,â Bucky said.
âIs it? I wouldnât know,â you sassed.
Bucky laughed as he got out a water bottle and used it to wash a strawberry before presenting it to you. âMy princess doesnât eat unwashed fruit,â he explained.
You looked at where he held the berry out to you. âBut she has to feed herself?â you joked.
He happily fed you the ripe fruit. It was sweet and flavorful and tasted just like summer. You picked strawberries until your buckets were overflowing, occasionally tasting the berries. Your boyfriends held your hand as you went down the rows hunting for only the best-looking fruit. When you were satisfied with your haul, you took a seat at the picnic tables to enjoy fresh-made strawberry shortcake and strawberry ice cream. You shared laughs and sweet kisses and for a few hours forgot all of the complicated aspects of your current situation.
You watched the families running around and thought about the family farm the three of you had talked about. You remembered wandering the haunted maze together and kissing in the rain under apple trees. And now you were back here sipping strawberry lemonade and pondering past, present, and future.
âŚ
Nat surprised you after training with an invitation to her place. She pretended like she was craving one of your smoothies, but youâd known her long enough to recognize when she had an ulterior motive. You humored her as she pretended to be interested in the ingredients for your tropical smoothie.
âHow do you feel after today?â she asked casually.
You laughed.
âWhat?â
âWhat is it that youâre really asking?â
She laughed. âHow are you doing with everything? Youâre healing rapidly and youâve been doing great at training, but Iâm worried about you.â
You sighed. âIâm good. I guess. Iâm doing better than anyone could have expected and Iâm grateful for that. But I donât have a life anymore. When we went to the strawberry patch the other day, I realized Iâm living the life of a lab rat. Iâm not a person anymore. And I may never be again.â
âWhat do you mean by that?â
âI used to go to work, hang out with my friends, have sex with my boyfriends. And now I get hooked up to monitors and studied. Iâve got powers I donât want and I donât know if the people I love will ever look at me the same. Iâm not sure I am the same. So how can things ever go back to normal?â
âNormalâs changed,â she said. âThings will never be the same again. What happened that day changed everyone, especially you. Most of us around here didnât get a say in what happened to us. You didnât get a choice in whether or not youâd wake up from a coma with new abilities. But you do get a choice in everything else, including what you do with them.â
âWhat if I donât want to do anything with them?â you asked. âI could probably rock the spandex, but Iâm not looking to audition for the Avengers any time soon.â
She laughed. âBeing an Avenger is overrated. The payâs pretty shit, considering the hazards. Terrible hours, too.â
âIâm serious.â
âSo am I. Having abilities doesnât mean you have to be a superhero.â
âSo if I see an old lady getting mugged, Iâm supposed to mind my business and not blast the guy with my mind?â
âBefore the incident, if you saw someone being attacked, what would you do?â
âCall Steve and Bucky.â
âAnd if things started to escalate before they could arrive?â
âProbably intervene. Kick ass the way you taught me to.â
âSo with powers or without, youâre helping the old lady.â
âIsnât that an argument for the Avengers thing? I can help, so I should?â
âNo. You would have helped her with powers or without.â
âBut with powers donât I have a greater responsibility? Before, I was an average citizen. Shorter than average, actually. No one would expect me to take on a mugger. But now? No matter what Steve and Bucky say about nothing changing, do I still get to call them when Iâm scared? During the next alien attack will I be expected to fight by myself? Fight alongside them? I didnât like fighting, Nat.â You hung your head as the tears fell. You felt ashamed to be so openly wimpy in front of Black Widow. She had trained you to respond to the worst case scenarios, and here you were saying that in the event you needed her training, youâd rather run and hide.
âDonât worry about that right now.â
âSo when do I worry about it? A week from now? A month from now?â
She sighed and rubbed your arm. âI donât know.â
âThatâs it? Youâre supposed to have all the answers!â
âIâm not psychic!â
âYou might as well be.â
She took a moment to gather her thoughts. âIn the end, you have to do whatâs right for you.â
You rolled your eyes. âThatâs very unhelpful advice.â
She shrugged. âNo one can tell you what you should do.â
âThatâs not even advice at all!â
She laughed. âI donât think you need advice. I think you just want permission to not be an Avenger.â
You sighed. âThereâs a small chance that youâre right.â
âOf course Iâm right!â
âOh, just hush and drink your smoothie.â
>> Next Chapter
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Heyoo! Ahaha yeah the time difference in India is a big one, but Iâm more of a night owl so it works out!
Im so proud of me for sticking up for herself! And so happy that theyâre all a big happy family now!!
Honestly amys struggle with her parents being there vs leaving is real; you always feel so guilty for being happy they are leaving, but sometimes when they are present you arenât âyourselfâ. But thats why we all have boundaries ahaha
Also this suspense is killing me! Im looking forward to the new chapter tomorrow, I canât believe weâre coming to an end so soonđĽ˛đĽ˛
Not to spoil anything for anyone, but do you plan on continuing to write for them after this sub series(??) is over?
~đĽ
Yeah Amy really had to put her foot down but I think that her being direct and honest with them and standing her ground ultimately helped them to understand and accept that she was not going to break up with Steve and Bucky. She has changed and grown a lot in this relationship and I think her family has to re-learn how to relate to her. I think part of her familyâs anxiety is feeling like theyâve lost her/they didnât know who she was anymore even before the accident.
I know! Weâre winding down to the last few chapters. It has been a wild ride! This particular story has been in the works for a long time so I canât believe Iâm almost done telling it! I think Iâll be relieved but also not know what to do with myself when Iâm no longer posting every day lol.
Contact with the Enemy is NOT the last story in the series! There will be a few more installments to wrap it up properly. This series is meant to chronicle the first year of their relationship and they met in mid-late July and itâs spring now. So Iâll finish out the year for them and that will conclude the series for now.
I do have some ideas written for a Continued Adventures series, but thereâs no set publication date for that. It will get posted on this same account and on AO3. Again, I donât know what it will look like or when it will be posted, but eventually I do want to give fans of the series a glimpse into their future together!
This is probably also a good time for a reminder that this isnât my main fandom account. I created this blog to house the Adventures of Amy series because I knew it would be really long and I wanted a space dedicated to it. Once the series is finished, Iâll be more active on my girlygirl14534 account, so I encourage everyone to follow that account as well if youâre not already. On that account Iâll post more MCU xReader one-shots and short series. I already have a Bucky x Avenger!Reader one-shot posted on there (Body Heat).
But for now Iâm excited to keep telling Amyâs story!đ¸đđ
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 40: Driverâs Seat
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 3k
Chapter 40 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
After a few days of meditating in rehabilitation, you actually got the hang of it. Deep breaths, silence, stillness. The trick was to shift. Shift from the place where you could hear the beeping of the monitors you were hooked up to and the scratching of pen on clipboards as the team observed your brainwaves (or whatever the hell was on those damn monitors). You couldnât be in that room with them and achieve inner peace (or whatever the point of this exercise was). So you left.
After days of fruitless mindfulness exercises, you had found the perfect place to meditate. It was dark and quiet and you were all alone there. Dark. Quiet. All alone. When you felt the water, you knew. You were back there. You couldnât help but panic. You opened your eyes, but it was all darkness. You screamed, but no sound came out. You were going to start running, but then you saw the little girl. Little you.
âYou came back!â she said.
âYes, I did,â you said slowly. She ran to you and hugged your legs. You hugged her back.
âAre you scared?â
âA little,â you admitted.
âDonât be,â she took your hand. âItâs going to be OK.â
For some reason, you believed her. As you held her hand, you felt calmer for some reason. You suddenly realized that you werenât trapped here. This place was done tormenting you with feelings of the past. You werenât quite sure what you were meant to do here now, but unlike in your coma, you could leave any time you liked.
âSee you later?â she asked.
You nodded.
This time when you opened your eyes, you were blinking against the bright lights of the training room. But it wasnât as youâd left it. You were alone in the room now, but there was a commotion at the door. You stood up hurriedly and rushed to the door. It opened. Steve and Bucky practically tackled you with their hugs.
âAre you okay?!â
âWhat happened?!â
âI donât know,â you replied. âWhatâs going on?â
âThey saidââ
âWe feltââ
âSlow down, boys.â
They clutched you tighter and took a breath.
Tony came in. âYou were meditating like normal when the readings spiked. The tremors triggered a lockdown. Brainwaves indicated a similar state to the one you were in during the coma. These two rushed down here, but the containment protocolsââ
âBullshit containment protocols!â Steve yelled.
Tony took a few steps back in surprise. âThe door is Hulk proofââ
âWe wouldâve been through it already if you hadnât tried to stop us!â Bucky said.
âAlright, everybody calm down,â you said.
âAre you ok, baby? Weâre sorry we couldnât be with you when you needed us.â
âIâm fine. And Tony, you donât need to lock me into Hulk rooms anymore.â
âThe structural integrity of the Towerââ
âIf you lock her in againâŚâ Buckyâs tone and facial expression indicated that finishing his sentence could ruin the fragile friendship theyâd built.
âOkay, alright,â you said. âI was meditating and I ended up back there. I was scared at first. But I calmed myself down and was able to come out of it.â
âThink you can do it again?â Strange asked.
âAre you crazy?!â Steve rounded on the doctor.
âYour energy readings were fascinating. Iâd like to see ifââ
âYouâre not seeing anything,â Bucky said, grabbing your hand to leave.
âWeâve been thinking about asking Carol and Wanda to come in and guide her. They both have experience learning to control newfound powers,â Tony said. âWe can try again with them tomorrow.â
âCarol will be in here with her?â Bucky asked.
âThe whole time,â Tony said.
âWeâll be out there the whole time,â Steve said. âAnd Tony, I swear to Godââ
âDonât lock Cinderella in the tower again. Got it.â
âThatâs Rapunzel,â you corrected. âAnd you call yourself a genius.â
Tony smiled at you but sobered when he saw his friendsâ glares.
âSheâs in good hands,â Tony assured your boyfriends before they whisked you away.
âTony and Strange are on our side, remember?â you said.
There wasnât any getting through to them. They were agitated, antsy.
âIâm ok, really. I was a little scared at first because I didnât expect to be back there. But that little version of me was there to help me. I think itâs safe there.â
âWe donât even know where âthereâ is. I donât want you going there if you donât have to,â Steve said.
âIâm not going to get stuck in there again.â
âYou donât know that.â
âI do, actually.â
Steve sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Bucky was quiet and still.
âCan we talk about this?â you asked.
âWhat?â
âYou went through a lot when I was in the hospital, I get that. But since I got hurt, your friends have only been trying to help.â
âWe donât want you to be in another situation where you need that kind of help.â
âI get that, but you guys are being a little intense about everything.â
When Bucky finally spoke, it was in a choked whisper. âI was kneeling in a pool of your blood when your heart stopped.â
The words sat there for a moment.
Bucky walked up to you and clutched the fabric of your shirt between his fingers.
âThe day they removed your support machines, your heart rate and breathing dropped.â He let out a ragged breath. âYou got your period, but at first they thought it was a GI bleed. And then you were feeling all of these big emotions. You were so scared and I couldnât even hug you or look into your eyes and tell you that everything was going to be ok.â
âBut you were there with me! I felt you there, comforting me.â
He sobbed and you wrapped your arms around him. You looked over at Steve. Tears streamed silently down his face. You opened an arm, welcoming him into a group hug. You held them while they cried. It became clear that there would be a long road to recovery. For all of you.
âŚ
The next morning, they opened up even more. They told you about Bucky stress-eating Jello, your friends having breakdowns at the weekly movie nights, Steveâs nightmares, Buckyâs panic attacks. Youâd been busy having your own emotional revelations, but it appeared your loved ones had experienced intense emotional turmoil as well.
âHave you been discussing all of this in therapy?â
âWe havenât been to therapy.â
âYou have to go.â
âFirst, we just want to make sureââ
âYou would never let me miss therapy. Make appointments. Now.â
They got out their phones and scheduled.
âWeâre going to get through this, but you have to take care of yourselves.â
âWe will.â
âIâm working hard to recover from this and you should too. You two need to go back to a more normal level of overprotectiveness.â
They laughed. âWeâll work on it.â
After breakfast, your watch alarm notified you that it was time for training. Wanda and Carol were already there, in deep discussion with Tony, Strange, Shuri, and Dr. Cho.
âDonât worry, Bucky,â Carol said. âIâve got her.â
Bucky nodded at his friend and allowed you into the training room with her and Wanda.
The three of you sat in a circle. Wanda and Carol each told you about their experiences getting powers and somehow it seemed that you had the least traumatic story. But it was helpful to hear about their journeys learning to control their powers and everything they had learned along the way. And it was good to be able to ask them questions about everything. You almost forgot that you were there for training. Until Tony butted in.
âIf weâre done sharing around the campfire, maybe we can get to the practical part of the lesson?â
You rolled your eyes at him but agreed. Today you were going to try to intentionally trigger your powers. Carol and Wanda could share their own tricks, but they couldnât tell you how your powers worked. You had to learn how to feel it. You werenât quite sure how to do that, and there were a lot of eyes on you.
âDonât think about any of this,â Wanda said, gesturing at the surroundings. âForget weâre here.â
âEasier said than done,â you grumbled.
You closed your eyes and tried to focus on your powers. Nothing.
âTry meditating,â Wanda said.
You closed your eyes, but you were having trouble blocking everything out. Truth be told, you werenât sure you wanted to. You didnât want to get mad and topple the building. You didnât want to do anything worthy of the Hulk-proof room you were sitting in.
âInstead of stillness, letâs try motion,â Carol suggested. âGet up. Letâs spar.â
As you stood up, Tonyâs voice came over the intercom, âYour dear friends Steve and Bucky would like me to gently remind you that she is not physically cleared for that activity.â
âWhat activity is she cleared for?â
âWalking very slowly,â you said.
âHow about catch?â Carol asked.
âThatâs fine,â Tony said.
âOnly problem is my hand-eye coordination,â you said.
âHopefully this will be a little easier than a football,â Carol said. You noticed her hand glowing. She held up her palm. A ball of energy materialized. Before you could think, she lobbed it at you. It was an underhand toss, low speed. You caught it easily. It felt cold and tingly, like youâd been holding ice for too longâit almost burned, but not quite. You threw it back.
âGreat,â Carol said. âWanda, throw her one.â
âThrow her one what?â
Carol gestured at her hand. Wanda sighed as red lightning laced her fingers. She cupped her hands to shape the energy into a ball before tossing it at you. Her powers felt like warm static. They nipped at your skin like a puppy whose teeth werenât sharp enough to hurt yet. You played catch with them for a few minutes, Carol and Wanda alternating. It actually felt good to move your body a little more than usual, even if your hand was stinging from the contact with their powers.
Carol started throwing her shots a little bit wide and picking up the pace. You didnât have time to think anymore. You had barely caught and thrown one ball before another was coming at you. You were volleying the energy back and forth so quickly that you felt like Venus at Wimbledon.
Until Carol decided to throw an additional ball at the same time as Wanda, sending two orbs hurtling toward you at the same time. Your instinct was to scream and turn away. You threw your arms up to shield yourself, but instead of feeling an impact, you felt a boom and heard a thud. You looked up to see Wanda and Carol on the floor on the other side of the room.
âWas that me?â you asked.
Wanda nodded as she rubbed the sore spot on her head.
âSorry about that.â
âDonât be sorry,â Carol said, hopping up. âThat was great!â
âArenât I supposed to be learning to control things? Not just have emotional outbursts?â
âItâs still early.â
âLetâs slow things down a little,â Wanda suggested. âMaybe you can close your eyes and meditate and try to sense the energy coming towards you.â
âYou want to throw things at me with my eyes closed?â
âMaybe just see if you can sense the shift in energy between thisââ she held out her bare palm, âand thisââ her palm was engulfed with red.
You all sat down. You werenât sure that this would work. Their powers didnât make sounds. Although if they did, you imagined Carolâs as more of a whooshing sound and Wandaâs as the crackling of a flame. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.
âAlright, just tell us if you sense anything,â Carol said. âWeâll be turning it off and on repeatedly.â
It was probably only seconds, but it felt like hours as you sat there like an idiot trying to tell if there were any microscopic shifts in the atmosphere. Sometimes you maybe felt something, but you couldnât be sure if it was Carol or Wanda or a draft in the room.
âDonât overthink it,â Wanda said. Easy for her to say! You didnât mean to scoff out loud, but you did. âYou can do this,â she assured you.
You took another breath. You decided to go to that darker, quieter place youâd found yesterday. Maybe your focus would be better there. Maybe there you could more easily perceive the imperceptible.
It was there, in the total darkness, where you could see a faint white-yellow light glowing in the distance. Just as quickly as youâd seen it, it blinked out. âCarol?â you asked.
âGood job.â
It wasnât long before there was a faint red glow. Wanda. It got easier as you went. Their energies looked clearer to you as the game went on. It was almost like Carol and Wanda were standing there with you. It was like you were playing catch again. And then Carol actually did throw a ball of energy at you. You felt it coming towards you. You watched it sailing towards you even though your eyes were still closed. You caught it. Carol whistled in surprise. Under normal circumstances, you wouldâve asked her why sheâd thrown it if she didnât think youâd be able to catch it. You mightâve even wondered what wouldâve happened had it hit you. Instead, you threw it back.
The three of you wordlessly transitioned into another game of catch, only this time you werenât using your eyes. There was a sudden pause and you werenât sure the purpose for the delay, but you realized that you had been enjoying the game. You could tell that their hands were still alight with energy, they were just taking a brief break from throwing.
In anticipation of their next throw, you imagined the feeling of the energy in your hands. You focused on the way it felt and suddenly it was there. Yellow in one hand, red in the other. It felt different this time. There was more energy, and it was penetrating your skin this time instead of just sitting on top of it. You opened your eyes and looked down. Red streaks raced around your right hand while your left was aglow. You looked up at your training partners. Their mouths were open in shock. You knew youâd done something wrong, but you werenât quite sure how to fix it. Just as you were starting to panic, the powers shot from your hands and back to their original hosts with great force, knocking them down again.
You apologized quickly. You hoped training was over for the day. You felt unsettled by what had just happened and you wanted to leave. Now. You headed towards the door, but the medical team was entering alongside Nat and your boyfriends. Steve and Bucky rushed to your side.
âAre you okay, baby?â
You nodded.
âWeâre fine, by the way,â Carol grumbled as she stood up and fixed her hair.
âThat was so cool!â Shuri said to you.
You smiled at her awkwardly. You werenât sure if you wanted compliments for what had just happened.
Steve put a protective arm around you and rubbed your hip soothingly.
âThese results are fascinating,â Strange said, swiping at the tablet in his hands.
âWhat are they?â Bucky asked.
âAs we know, Amy can create explosive bursts of energy when under stress or experiencing an intense emotion,â Strange explained. âDuring her meditation yesterday, we noticed periods with no emotion.â
âIsnât that normal?â Nat asked.
âActually, no. Most people feel frequent micro emotionsâirritation at uncomfortable shoes, disappointment when asked to work late, disgust at gum stuck on the bottom of their shoe. We donât even notice them most of the time. But during meditation yesterday, she felt nothing.â
âSo what does that mean?â Steve asked.
âI canât wait to find out,â Strange said.
âSo you donât know anything?â Bucky asked.
âWe know that she stole their powers,â Tony said.
âWhat?!â
âCarol? Wanda?â Tony prompted.
âIs that what happened?â Carol asked. âIt was like the faucet was turned on but no water was coming out.â
âI felt it. Itâs like she just picked them up and took them from me,â Wanda said.
âNot just the ball in your hand? All of your powers?â you asked.
Wanda nodded.
âHow is that possible?â you asked.
âMore training sessions will hopefully tell us,â Tony said. âSame time tomorrow?â
You said goodbye to everyone and you left. You were all pretty quiet on the trip back upstairs.
âAre you sure youâre alright?â Steve asked.
âI donât want any of this,â you said. âI thought I could handle the whole powers thing, but itâs all getting to be too much.â
âItâs going to be okay,â Steve said.
âHow do you know? You volunteered to be a lab rat, I didnât!â
âYouâre right. I signed up for this life. You didnât.â
âI know itâs not easy,â Bucky said. âYou didnât choose any of this and you donât want any of the complications that come with it. You just want your old life back.â You nodded. He hugged you. âWeâre going to figure out your powers and then youâll never have to use them again. Itâll be like your driverâs license.â
You laughed together. His words actually made you feel better. Youâd studied hard for your driving test as a teenager. You were nervous throughout the whole test, but in the end youâd gotten your license. You didnât use it much after that, but you still knew all the basics, no matter how much your family joked about your skill level. You just needed to get through this training and learn how to control your powers. Hopefully youâd never need to use them after that.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 39: Moving Forward
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 3.5k
Chapter 39 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
After your well-deserved day off, you had more energy for rehab the next day. You were still panting pathetically while slowly walking and working desperately to get your mind clear while meditating, but you were in better spirits today.
After rehab, you looked at your phone. You had an email from your mom. You chuckled at the subject line.
Subject: MIRACULOUS coma recovery
Inside of the email was a link to a random website detailing one personâs road to recovery after a coma. The girl in the article had been unconscious for three weeks, just like you. Normally you rolled your eyes at these emails. You rarely even opened them. But this girlâs story was actually really inspiring. It also made you grateful for your accelerated recovery. It had taken her months to get to where you were now.
She had relied heavily on her family during her recovery. It was too bad that you couldnât relate. Her circumstances had been different, though. Car crash instead of alien attack. You wished your family was reacting differently, but you tried to see things from their point of view. They were just scared. There were probably moments when your mom didnât know if sheâd ever get to send you one of her dumb emails ever again. You decided to stop by your familyâs place on the way home from training.
âHey!â your mom greeted you. âDid you read the article I sent you?â
You laughed and nodded. For once you were being truthful when you answered yes to that question.
You sat on the couch with your family and checked out the new Netflix show theyâd been binge watching. For a few hours, everything felt normal. Until the scene where the main characterâs daughter got attacked by his enemies and ended up in the hospital. The energy in the room completely shifted. You wouldâve given anything to be watching a gratuitous sex scene with your family instead of a somber man in a hospital waiting room.
âAt least we had a better waiting room than that,â Anna said finally.
Your family murmured in agreement. You werenât sure what hospital youâd been at, but it mustâve been cushy according to those reactions.
âIâm sorry yâall had to go through that,â you said.
âOh, sweetheart,â your grandmother said, âthatâs not your fault.â
âI know, I know. But it couldnât have been easy on you.â
âIt wasnât,â Anna said. âIt sucked.â
âYouâre better now. Thatâs all that matters,â your mother said.
âIs it?â you asked, looking pointedly at your father.
âWeâre happy youâre healthy,â he said. âI wish you were making a different choice in romantic partners, but Iâm just going to have to learn to live with it.â
You nodded in acknowledgement. You could work with that.
âWeâll probably be leaving soon if thatâs ok with you,â your mom said.
âOh. Ok.â
âNow that we know that youâre going to be fine, it might be best if we let you and Steve and Bucky do your own thing.â
You werenât sure if you were relieved or disappointed, but what you said was, âMakes sense.â
You left soon after. You were glad youâd gotten to spend some time with them and that things had improved, but maybe a little time and space was just what everyone needed. When you got back upstairs, the smell of chocolate made you forget about everything else. You rushed in to see what treat Bucky had baked and found your boyfriends laughing and crying over slices of babka. At first you felt like you were intruding on a private moment, but they welcomed you into it. You hugged each of them and kissed away the tears on their cheeks.
âI tried to make babka when you were in the hospital,â Steve explained. âIt didnât turn out so well.â
âWe sat on the roof and ate it and cried and drank and then weââ Bucky cut himself off.
âIs that when you fought?â
âOh. No. We, uhââ He exchanged glances with Steve. You couldnât read his expression. It wasnât sad or regretful. It was almost guilty, but it was a little closer to excitement. âWe drank a little too much,â he said finally. You couldnât figure out what they werenât telling you.
âDid you have sex? Itâs okay if you did.â
âNo, no. Of course not.â
âItâs not a big deal,â you said.
âSex was the absolute last thing on our minds, I can promise you that,â Steve said.
You looked between them. You figured theyâd tell you everything when they were ready.
âCan I get a slice of that?â you asked, nodding at the heavenly treat.
After youâd had your fill of pastry, you took a shower. You were looking for a shirt to put on when you found one in Steveâs drawer that you hadnât seen before. It had a drawing of a narwhal on it and was captioned, âWhale, Iâm tired for shore!â You laughed. Novelty shirts werenât usually his style. You selected another shirt but brought the whale one with you to the living room.
âWhereâd you get this?â you asked.
Your smile faded when you saw his reaction.
âHospital gift shop,â he said soberly.
âWe didnât want to leave your side, so we wore gift shop clothes for a few days,â Bucky explained.
âYou went out in public in this?â you asked, holding up the shirt.
Steve laughed. âYou should see Buckyâs tie-dye sweatpants.â
âThanks for the reminder to donate those,â Bucky said.
âI need to see all of your hospital fashions before you get rid of them. Iâd also like to hear more about your experiences there when youâre ready.â
âWe should take you to see the mural,â Bucky said.
âMural?â
âI painted a mural at the hospital,â Steve said. âYou know the story The Last Leaf?â
You nodded.
âThe leaf gave Johnsy the will to live. So I wanted to paint you something worth living for.â
âYou didnât make yourself sick painting it, did you? We donât need any tragic twists to our story.â
âI gladly wouldâve traded places with you if I couldâve.â
âI know, Stevie.â
âŚ
You had no memory of being at the hospital, but it remembered you. You felt like a celebrity as you were flocked by nurses and doctors marveling over your miraculous recovery. You had brought gifts to thank everyone from the janitors to the radiology techs that had been vital to your care. While everyone was distracted with distributing the gifts, the three of you snuck away so they could give you the rest of the tour.
They showed you pictures of the way they had decorated the waiting room.
âThat looks cozy! I love the throw pillows.â
âI knew you would,â Steve said.
âYâall took everything when you left? You couldâve left them a floor lamp or two.â
âThe hospital has regulations about decorations. We let the employees take their pick.â
âBut we did leave something behind that they promised can stay,â Bucky said, leading you over to the hallway.
It started at the door of one of the rooms. Your former room. Flowers burst forth from the room. It looked like if you opened the door youâd find an overgrown flower garden or an overturned floristâs shop. Flowers covered the wall surrounding the door. As you got further from the door, the design got more abstract. The meadow slowly transitioned into a mosaic. It was a dazzling display. Flowers turned into pixels, and then out of the pixels emerged different scenes.
There was a library. Your dream library. With a cozy armchair, a steaming cup of tea on the side table, and lots of books: all of your favorite books, books on your To Be Read list, books you were pretty sure didnât exist. It was the type of place youâd like to disappear to for hours a day.
âI wanted to give you something to wake up for,â Steve said, startling you out of your admiration of the art.
âThen you couldâve just painted you and Bucky.â
âIâll build you a library,â he said determinedly, devotedly.
âSteveââ
âAnd Iâll make you a drink whenever you like,â he said, gesturing out the tea section of the mural.
âAnd I will make sure you always have fresh flowers,â Bucky added.
âHe drew those himself,â Steve said. âDidnât he do such a great job?â
You looked at the bouquets. âBoysââ
âYou woke up. Thatâs all we needed. Weâre gonna make you the happiest woman in the world.â
You put one hand on each of their faces. They each held your hand to their cheek. You looked at them. You wordlessly conveyed that it was okay. That they didnât have to prove themselves to you. You felt their love and their devotion. Things could go backâNo. Their eyes were saying no. That things couldnât just go back to the way things were, not for them.
They were still so haunted by what had happened to you. They were fearful. They were full of shame and regret. They wouldnât allow you to let them off the hook. They were stubborn and driven by duty and honor. No. It was deeper than that. It was love and it was grief, the two emotions twisted and tangled up together like they had been their whole lives. Wherever, whoever, whatever they loved, the threat of loss loomed large. Normally it was a distant threat, but recently it had been made real. You wanted to apologize for what the injury had done to them, but they wouldnât let you. They wanted to apologize for everything, but you wouldnât let them. You were in a silent standoff.
âIf it isnât the jello monster!â A nurse in colorful scrubs interrupted your unspoken conversation. âMy son loves the beanbag, by the way.â
âHey, Tanisha!â Bucky said, smiling at her.
âAnd you look great!â she gestured at you. âI canât believe youâre up and about!â She spoke to you with such familiarity, even though youâd never met her. Not while conscious, anyway.
âWe never doubted her, right Tanisha?â Steve grinned.
She squeezed Steveâs arm before turning back to you.
âI prayed for you every night. Youâve got two keepers here, you know?â
âI know,â you said. âThank you for everything.â
She returned to work.
âThereâs someone else I want you to meet,â Steve said. He led you down the hall to the chapel.
âThis better not be a surprise wedding,â you joked.
He opened the door and invited you in. The space was small, but it was welcoming.
âSteve! Is this your girlfriend? It is so nice to meet you! Iâm so glad youâre doing better.â
âThank you.â
âThis man loves you very much.â
You smiled at Steve. âSo everyone keeps telling me!â
âI just wanted to thank you for all of your support while we were here,â Steve said.
âMy pleasure. Your prayers have been answered. Just remember to enjoy your blessings to the fullest.â
âOf course,â Steve said.
As you left, Steve asked, âYou wouldnât have wanted a surprise wedding?â
You held up your left hand. âNo ring. And Iâm not even wearing a dress, let alone a white one.â
âBut if you had a dress and a ring, youâd do it?â
âThis wouldnât be my first choice of venue.â
âMine either,â Bucky said. âBefore we leave, Iâve got some stops of my own to make.â
Bucky explained how heâd delivered plants to other hospital patients to pass the time âwhile Steve doodled on the walls.â
Steve playfully hit Buckyâs arm as you made your way to other floors. As Bucky made his rounds, you were astonished by how many people he had helped during his time there. One of his favorite patients, Billy, had been discharged, but apparently he was a really cute kid. His other friend Noel had been moved to a rehabilitation facility. The nurse on Noelâs floor let Bucky know that the string lights had really brightened his mood and that this positive outlook pushed him to be able to recover more quickly and start rehab.
You went to the maternity ward to visit Megan, who seemed delighted to see Bucky.
âIs this your girlfriend?â she asked excitedly.
Bucky grinned. âYeah.â
âAnd whoâs this?â she asked, glancing at Steve.
âBoyfriend,â he said.
Her eyes widened. âAre you guys a throuple?â
You nodded hesitantly, unsure of her response.
âTell me everything! I get, like, zero gossip in here.â
The three of you laughed and proceeded to tell her your love story. She was the perfect audience, gasping or cheering at all the right moments. It was fun to tell the story again. It had been awhile since you had someone new to share your relationship with. By the end of it, Bucky was sitting in the bedside chair eating Meganâs 2pm Jello while you sat at the foot of her bed and Steve leaned up against the wall. You were laughing at Steve stealing spicy food off of Buckyâs plate when a nurse came in to do her rounds. You said goodbye to Megan with the promise to call her and tell her all about your trip to the pumpkin patch.
Next stop was a guy named Mark, but Bucky warned you before knocking that Mark was a bit of a character. Markâs son answered the door, but didnât open it all the way.
âHey, youâre the plant guy.â
âYeah. I wanted to stop by and see your dad.â
âOh, man, he died.â
âHe did?â
âYeah. Itâs the strangest thing. They said he had some kind of alcohol poisoning even though heâs not allowed it in here.â
âWhat?!â
The son started laughing as you heard a voice inside yelling, âLet him in already.â
The son opened the door to reveal his very alive dad on a hospital bed. âDad told me about the beers,â he explained. âI couldnât resist.â
âPlease tell me you brought more. Although I want real beer this time, no more of that watered down crap.â
âNo beers, but not totally empty-handed,â Bucky said as he raised your hand that he held in his.
âThis the girlfriend?â he asked, looking you up and down appraisingly.
Bucky nodded.
âAll due respectââ You felt Bucky holding his breath, âSheâs too pretty for you.â
Bucky laughed with relief.
Mark spoke to Steve. âIsnât she too pretty for him?â
Steve laughed and nodded. âWay too pretty.â
âGood for you,â Mark said to Bucky. âAnd Iâm glad youâre better,â he said to you. âMaybe the guy upstairs is still answering my prayers after all.â
After you left, Bucky said to Steve, âJust for the record, sheâs too pretty for you, too, pal.â
Steve raised his hands. âNo arguments here.â
Your next stop was to the room of an older woman, Edna. When you walked in, she looked up from a sketchbook.
âHello. Both of you! Is this the girlfriend?â
They nodded.
She spoke to you. âWith their level of devotion, I knew youâd be special.â
You smiled at her.
âYouâve got exceptionally kind eyes,â she said.
That was probably one of the most unexpected and genuine compliments youâd ever received from a stranger.
âGood thing you two stopped by,â Edna said to Steve and Bucky. âYou almost missed me.â
âYou getting out tonight?â
âKind of. Going to hospice.â Before your boyfriends could react, she continued, âTheyâve done everything they can for me, and Iâve almost finished my painting.â You looked to where a half-finished canvas perched in the corner. âMy niece will be arriving from Washington tomorrow.â
âIâm sure thereâs something we can do,â Bucky said.
âMy time is up,â she shrugged. âYours isnât. Stop moping around the hospital and enjoy your lives together!â
Your boyfriends said their goodbyes to Edna and you stopped back by the mural before leaving.
âEdna gave me the encouragement I needed to start this,â Steve said. âWeâll make sure sheâs well taken care of in hospice.â
âYou two made a lot of friends while I was in here.â
âYeah, well, we needed to find ways to occupy ourselves.â
âYou both brought beauty and hope to a lot of people, although I have to ask about the experimental stuff,â you said, gesturing at the one part of the mural where the art style started to vary. âWhy is there a plate of shit?â
âItâs a bowl of chocolate ice cream,â Steve laughed. âAnna painted it.â
âWho drew the Louboutins? Theyâre gorgeous.â
âThe shoes? Nat.â
âSo theyâre real. Iâm definitely gonna need a pair,â you said, already plotting to go shoe shopping with her. âDonât tell me Kiara painted this,â you pointed at the mango.
âShe did. But she and Michelle wouldnât tell us the story.â
âItâs a dumb nickname for an old crush.â
âMichael Watts?â
âThe senior? How do you know about him?â Those SHIELD background checks must be more intense than you thought.
âYou told us!â
âOh, right. No, Mango is a different guy. Same year as me. I crushed on him off and on from elementary school.â
âWhatâs this guyâs name?â
âWhy? You worried heâs gonna hold me to the wedding vows we made during second grade recess?â
âYouâve been married this whole time and didnât tell us?!â Bucky joked.
âIâve been sleeping with a married woman? Thatâs kinda hot,â Steve said.
âSteve, you are such a ho,â you said.
âOnly for you, baby,â he grinned.
âWait a minute,â Bucky said, âdid âMangoâ sign your 12th grade yearbook, âHave fun at school. Weâll always have the playgroundâ?â
You looked at him in shock.
âPhotographic memory,â he explained.
âWell, Cam Jansen, you donât have to worry about Mango. We got an annulment.â
He laughed. âAlright, letâs get out of here.â
When you got home, you decided that it was finally time to talk about your time in the hospital.
âIt was good to see more of what your lives were like for the last month. But can we finally talk about it?â
âAbout what?â
âWhatever happened between you two, what happened with my familyâthe stuff youâve been skirting around telling me.â
They told you about their fight. It didnât sound pretty. But they had come out the other side. They told you more about their fight with your family and with Fury. You hadnât realized that this much conflict could occur in a hospital waiting room.
âYou guys certainly created lots of drama, didnât you?â
âBaby, I donât want to make this about us,â Steve said. âThose arguments were stupid.â
âBut so much of what happened is still affecting you. I wanna know about this stuff.â
Steve sighed and wrapped you into a hug. âIâm just glad youâre okay.â You decided to stop pressing him on it.
âMe too.â
âŚ
Later that evening, your family left town. You brought Steve and Bucky with you to say goodbye to them. Your father hugged you and settled for making eye contact with your boyfriends and exchanging curt nods. Your mother, grandmother, and sister all hugged Steve and Bucky with varying levels of enthusiasm. You were just glad youâd been able to negotiate a fragile peace. Youâd intended to keep everything light and surface level, but of course your boyfriends needed to give their final speeches.
âWe just want you to know how much we love your daughter,â Steve said.
âWe will care for her and be with her through the entire process of getting better,â Bucky added.
âAnd we intend to be with her long after that. As long as she still wants to be with us, weâll be here.â
âAnd if she ever chooses to leave us, weâll continue to protect her and take care of her.â
âWeâll always be here for her and for all of you.â
The few seconds of silence after their declarations felt interminable.
When your grandmother first spoke, it was to you. âYou know how I know theyâre the ones? Because they insisted on putting your bonnet on every night before bed and taking it off in the morning so folks wouldnât see you in it. They made sure you had a silk pillowcase to protect your hair during the day, though.â She turned to your boyfriends. âYou know her so well and love her so deeply. Itâs a shame what everyone has been through, and Iâm sorry for adding to your troubles. Love like yours doesnât come around often. Just please try to be safe.â
You hugged everyone once more and then they were gone. Was it wrong to feel relieved? All of their conflicting emotions had been such a drain on you. You were glad it seemed like everyone was coming around, and hopefully they would recover from the shock of your injury and learn to embrace this relationship again. Until then, you were grateful for the space.
With that weight lifted, you could spend the next few days focusing on your rehab exercises and resting. You fell into an easy rhythm of training, meals with your boyfriends, and taking naps on the couch with Alpine. After all the drama of the alien attack and everything you went through in the hospital, the healing process was proving to be pretty boring.
However, it didnât stay boring for long.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 38: Starting Over
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 5.1k
Chapter 38 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
In the morning, Steve brought you tea in bed, just the way you liked it. The warm mug felt so good in your hands. You were still getting reacquainted with what it felt like to be alive. The warm drink helped you to feel revived, although you were still drained from yesterday.
âI canât believe my family is acting like this,â you sighed.
âYou almost died, Amy,â Steve said.
âYou did die,â Bucky said. âRight in front of us. Your heart just stopped beating.â His eyes welled with tears.
âWe failed you and your family,â Steve said.
You shook your head.
âItâs true. Weâre supposed to protect you,â Bucky said.
âYeah, butââ
âYour family has every right to hate us,â Steve said.
âYou donât agree with them, do you?â
âThat New York is dangerous? It kind of is,â Steve said.
âOh, please donât try to leave me again. I canât deal with that right now.â
âWeâre disappointed in ourselves, but we could never leave your side. Maybe itâs selfish, but we canât live without you,â Bucky said.
âAnything that comes at us from now on, we are facing together,â Steve agreed.
You sighed with relief. âGood. Because if you tried to break up with me again, I wouldâve had to use my new powers to kick your asses.â
You shared a laugh.
âDonât laugh,â you scolded. âIâm serious! If you ever leave me, IâllâŚIâll mind flay you!â
âWhat?â Steve laughed.
âI donât think you can do that,â Bucky said.
âYou donât know what I can do,â you retorted.
That gave you all pause. You really didnât know what you could do. Other than explode lightbulbs when you got mad.
âThe med team wants to meet with you today and talk about everything.â
âLetâs go,â you said. âIâm ready for answers.â
Answers, no one had. Diagnostic tests, however, there were plenty.
âThe serum is clearing from your blood, but it isnât out yet,â Tony explained. âThat should help with your recovery because youâre not nearly as weak as you should be. Rehab starts tomorrow.â
âYour rehabilitation will include standard physical therapy, but we will also try to access your powers and understand how they work. As you relearn how to move your body, you will also be learning how to control your new abilities,â Shuri said.
âThat sounds like a lot of work,â you said.
âIt is. But I know that you are up for the challenge,â Shuri smiled.
âAnd weâre giving you the rest of today off,â Tony offered.
âGee, thanks.â
âWe just need one little favor in return,â Tony said.
You were suspicious, but agreed. Tony opened the door to the lab and Sam and Nat came in. You were so glad to see them, and if the way they ran to you was any indication, they were glad to see you too. You gratefully accepted their hugs.
âYouâre really ok!â Sam said.
âIâm really okay,â you agreed.
âI knew youâd pull through,â Nat said with as much nonchalance as she could muster.
âItâs so good to see you up and about,â Sam said. âWe all missed you like crazy.â
âWell it looks like Iâll be staying here a while until Iâve done all my rehab, so Iâm sure youâll get sick of me soon,â you said. âSpeaking of, Nat, the training continuesâare you going to be my drill sergeant?â
She smiled. âIâd be willing to oversee your training.â
She gestured for you to stay where you were and went out into the hallway. You didnât have time to wonder where she was going before she returned with Alpine in her arms. Nat was going to hand her to you, but she leapt out of Natâs arms and into yours before Nat could take any more steps.
You clutched her tightly as she meowed, no doubt asking you where you had been and why you had scared her like that. Being reunited with her brought unexpected tears to your eyes. She nuzzled against you and purred.
You thanked Nat and she nodded in response.
âAre you feeling well enough to see everyone else real quick?â Sam asked.
You werenât sure who that included, but if they had supported you and your boyfriends during such a difficult time, then it was the least you could do. Thor, Clint, Misty, Wanda, and Okoye were waiting for you. You gave everyone a hug. It felt so good to see everyone. Thatâs how reunions were supposed to feel. Too bad your family hadnât gotten the memo. You hadnât realized youâd sighed until Sam asked you what was wrong.
âNothing. Itâs just that my family is beingâŚdifficult.â
âTheyâre still having issues with Steve and Bucky?â Sam asked.
âYou know about this?â you asked.
âYeah, they fought at the hospital. But I thought that once you woke up, everything would be forgotten.â
âI wish,â you said. âBut they donât want me to be in this relationship anymore and I donât think thereâs anything I can say to change their minds. They think that Steve and Bucky have stolen me away from them and turned me into someone they donât recognize. But itâs not Steve and Buckyâs fault that I got hurt.â
âWe are all at fault,â Thor said. You were shocked that no one disagreed with him.
You protested, âNo one could have known thatââ
âWe shouldâve,â Nat said curtly.
âWe failed you,â Tony said. âI failed you. And Iâm sorry.â
âGuys, stuff happens. It was a really bad situation and everyone did everythingââ
âYouâre one of us,â Clint said. âAnd when one of our own falls, itâs on us.â
âWow, you guys are worse than Steve and Bucky,â you joked halfheartedly.
You gave everyone another hug before heading back to Buckyâs. Sam caught up to you before you reached the elevator.
âI donât know that Iâd be successful, but do you want me to try talking to your family?â
âThat would be great, Sam. I donât even want to see them at this point.â
âYou donât?â Steve asked.
âDid you see the way they looked at me when the light exploded? Iâm not their daughter anymore.â
âThatâs not true,â Sam said.
You shrugged. It felt true.
âIâm going to talk to them right now,â Sam said. âIâm gonna fix this.â
You hoped that he could. Maybe heâd give them his trademark trustworthy smile and theyâd believe him when he said that despite the risks, this relationship was good for you.
As you made your way upstairs with your boyfriends, you stroked Alpine absentmindedly and thought about your relationship. Despite your stubbornness, you could see why your family was concerned. Dating Steve and Bucky had indeed proven to be dangerous. And they couldnât always be there to protect you, no matter how many security protocols they put in place. Yet you still couldnât come to the conclusion that they were bad for you.
âBaby?â Bucky asked. You realized he had been talking to you for a while with no response.
âSorry, what?â
âI was asking if you wanted some soup.â
âThat sounds great, thank you.â
âWhatâs on your mind?â
âIâm not done loving you two.â
âWeâre not done loving you either,â Steve said.
âSeriously. Iâve never been a risk-taker in life, but I donât care about the danger. Yes there was fear and guilt and anger that I pushed down all my life. But there was also so much love and joy that I didnât allow myself to feel. Iâm done being controlled by anything but myself. Not my parentsâ expectations, not fear of HYDRA or alien invasions, not the inevitable public perception of our relationship. Iâm not gonna let any of that bullshit stop me anymore. And if my family doesnât like it, tough.â
âWell, hopefully theyâll come around,â Steve said.
âThatâs all you have to say?â you asked.
âWe donât want to be the reason that you have problems with your family.â
âDonât you get it? If we have any problems, it will be on them. Iâm a grown ass woman making my own decisions for how I want to live my life. If they have a problem with that, itâs their problem. Not mine.â
âEverythingâs pretty emotional right now. We know how close you are with your family and we donât want you to lose that.â
âI feel like Iâve already lost it.â
âDonât say that,â Bucky said.
âWhy not? Itâs the truth! They think Iâm a lovesick freak! Why are you defending them?â
âBaby, you just had a near death experience. We donât want you making any rash decisions.â
âIâm not a child. I know what Iâm doing.â
âI know, baby.â
âDo you? Do you two trust me to make my own decisions?â
âOf course we do,â Bucky said.
You rolled your eyes.
âI donât want to fight,â Steve said. âWeâll back your play 100%, whatever you decide.â
âAre you agreeing with me because Iâm right or agreeing with me because you donât want to fight?â
âAnswer carefully, Steve, or sheâll actually make you build that doghouse,â Bucky joked.
âMake it a duplex,â you sassed, looking pointedly at Bucky.
Bucky and Steve exchanged smiles.
âWhy are you guys laughing? Iâm not scary anymore?â
âWe dreamed of the day youâd be on our case again.â
âIâm sorry, yâall want me to be fussinâ at you?â
âYouâre alive and you can talk and youâre feeling well enough to be mad at us!â Steve grinned.
They were so happy that you didnât have the heart to continue your earlier conversation. Besides, it was happiness that you wanted to learn to lean into and embrace, not bitchiness. You hoped that Samâs conversation with your family had gone well, but if it hadnât then the three of you would get through it together. For now, you smiled back at them.
âAnd now Iâm gonna let you off the hook like I always do.â
âReally?â Steve asked. âI havenât even bought you flowers or jewelry.â
âI know. Iâm in a really good mood. Even though you canât make things up to me the way you usually do,â you said suggestively.
âDonât worry. The second we get cleared to do that, Iâll make up for lost time.â
You wondered when exactly that would be, but you knew that you had a lot of work ahead of you just to get back to feeling like yourself again.
âFor now, Iâm just glad that we can sleep in the same bed again,â Bucky said. âWe havenât slept much these past few weeks.â
That was it. Thatâs what was different. Youâd known since you woke up that the men before you were not the men youâd left that morning at the diner. They were weary. And not just sleep-deprived. They had been exhausted by grief and worry and they were still recovering.
So you let them carry you to bed and cuddle you. They held you close, but cautiously, like you could break at any moment. You hadnât woken up yet with Steve wrapped tightly around you, which meant that he wasnât sleeping deeply. He might not have been sleeping at all. You wondered how long it would take for all of you to sleep soundly again.
âŚ
The next morning, you were presented a cup of coffee with more ceremony than a queen receiving her royal scepter. It was some fancy brew that they were excited to share with you. You were no connoisseur, but the coffee was fruity and floral and smooth. It reminded you of tea. It was the kind of thing that could get you to drink coffee every morning and you told them as much. Steve was so excited to tell you that theyâd known youâd love it. The coffee was paired with orange scones, which, like everything Bucky made, were divine. The buttery scones balanced the acidity of the coffee while the tangy citrus complimented the fruit notes in the drink.
Your boyfriends were still soaking in the praise for the breakfast treats when your phone dinged. Your family wanted to see you. You figured it was better to meet them on neutral turf without Steve and Bucky, so you went down to the apartment they were staying at. You awkwardly greeted everyone and took a seat in the nondescript living space. Unfortunately for you, the standard Stark Tower apartment didnât even have interesting wall decor you could pretend to be looking at instead of facing your family.
âSam came by last night,â your mom said.
âHe said he would.â
âHe really cares about you.â
You nodded.
âHe told us a lot about your relationship with Steve and Bucky. It seems like you three have built a beautiful life together.â
âWe have.â
âThey take really good care of you.â
âThey do.â
âWe owe them an apology. Itâs been so stressful with you in the hospital and nowââ she gestured at you.
âNow I have powers.â
She nodded. âItâs been a lot for us to take in, but itâs been hard on them too. We shouldnât have taken our frustrations out on them. Accidents happen.â
Your father cleared his throat but your mother shot him a look to shut him up.
âI understand now why you donât want to leave them.â
Her silence made you feel like there was a âbutâ coming. You chose to stay quiet.
âOur concern is that the danger is still there.â
You didnât respond.
âI know youâre upset with us, but please say something.â
âYou guys ambushed me. I know that you care about me, but you went about things in the wrong way. You made me feel terribleââ You got choked up, but instead of fighting back the tears, you let them flow. âItâs been hard enough re-adjusting to consciousness and learning what happened to me, whatâs still happening to me, without yâall acting a fool!â
Your mother and grandmother sat on either side of you and hugged you tightly. You relaxed into their embrace.
âIâm sorry,â your mother whispered.
âWe have to remember whatâs important,â your grandmother said. âWe should just be thanking God that youâre alive. You can walk. You can talk. They werenât sure if you would wake up at all, and what youâd be like if you did.â
âI canât go through that again,â your father said.
Your grandmother said his name in a stern tone.
âAmy, Iâm glad that youâre healthy, but I have to keep you that way. I canât get another call from a SHIELD agent telling me to get on a plane to see you lying half-dead in a hospital bed.â
âWe donât have to talk about this right now,â your mother cautioned.
âItâs going to be the elephant in the room whether we talk about it or not.â
âYouâre right,â you said. âSo letâs clear it up right now. Iâm not leaving New York and Iâm not leaving Steve and Bucky. Iâm going to marry them. I promise you that I have thought it through, and this is the decision I have made. You may not like it, but you will have to get used to it.â
Everyone was very quiet.
âI canât support this,â your father said finally. âI tried, I justââ
âYouâre afraid of losing me one day, so your solution is to just lose me now instead? Even if I broke up with them and moved back to Atlanta with yâall, I could be killed by a stray bullet tomorrow. Today Iâm alive and well. Appreciate it or donât.â
More silence.
âWell, youâre certainly more blunt now,â your grandmother chuckled nervously.
âI like the new you,â Anna said to you before turning to your parents. âSteve and Bucky are great. What happened to Amy isnât their fault and you know it.â
You smiled at your sister for sticking up for you and your boys.
âListen, we can talk about this more later,â you said. âI have to get to my first day of rehab.â
Your mother gave you another hug. âGood luck, sweetheart.â
âŚ
You needed all the luck you could get. Rehab sucked. For the physical aspect, you walked slowly around the track. That little bit of activity had you sore and winded. You felt like all the progress youâd spent almost a year building with Nat had been wiped away in a few weeks. You were weaker now than when she started training you! And when you werenât thinking about how long it would be before your body felt like itself again, you were wondering if your relationship with your family would ever be the same. These thoughts were an even bigger challenge for your next task: meditation. Your medical team thought that would be the best activity for you to start with. Clearing your head of all those thoughts felt impossible, but you managed to find a few stretches of peace and clarity.
When you were done for the day, you realized that youâd been exhausted by a short walk and a brief time sitting with your eyes closed. And then you realized that you had to do it all again tomorrow. When you made it back upstairs, you just wanted to flop down on the bed and cry.
But of course your wonderful boyfriends had another surprise for you. You walked into Steveâs ready to complain about your day when you saw them: Liv, Michelle, Kiara, Brandon, Camilla, Vi and P. You cried as you embraced your friends and they cried with you. But your happy tears at a joyful reunion soon transformed into sobs of stress.
âSorry y'all, it's been a super long day.â
âOh, baby, weâre so sorry,â Steve said. âWe shouldnât haveââ
âItâs ok,â you assured them before gesturing at your friends. âIâve helped them all through their emotional breakdowns. I think they can handle this.â
âOh yeah,â Kiara said. âYou are long overdue for a crisis.â
You both laughed through tears.
âI think weâve got this if you two wanna take a break,â Liv said to Steve and Bucky.
âWeâll always be grateful that you two were by her side the entire time,â Michelle said. âYouâve earned some time off.â
Steve and Bucky looked at each other. You could tell they were trying to think of ways to politely decline.
âYou two donât even know what to do with yourselves, do you?â you asked.
They shrugged sheepishly.
âGo to Buckyâs and take a hot bath. Grab a beer while listening to a radio broadcast of a baseball game. And then take a nap because I know you havenât been sleeping.â
They hesitated. You knew you had described their perfect afternoon, but they didnât want to leave their posts. You decided to physically walk them across the hallway.
âAt ease, soldiers,â you joked.
They laughed nervously.
âTomorrow you can get back to your positions as my manservants. But youâve got the night off.â
âThe whole night? I was gonna be back in an hour!â
â30 minutes,â Bucky corrected.
âEven I know that baseball games are way longer than that.â
âFine. 3 hours.â
âYou guys have got to stop hogging me!â you joked. âMy friends really want to see me and make sure that Iâm okay. They deserve that. But if it will bring you peace, Iâll allow you to check the cameras just this once. No audio, though. Thatâs for your own protection. Iâm gonna get all the dirty details of their dating life updates.â
âThanks, butââ Bucky glanced at Steve, âI think weâre just going to have to learn to work through our anxieties without constant surveillance.â
Steve shot Bucky an apologetic look. You looked between the two of them suspiciously.
âI guess youâll explain that to me later?â you asked.
They nodded. You gave each of them a kiss and shooed them into Buckyâs apartment.
You ate pizza with your friends and talked about everything. You talked about what you had been through and what they had been through. They gave you life updates, big and small. You couldnât wait until you had more mundane updates to give them. You missed making them groan with sappy stories. Hopefully you, Steve, and Bucky would be making lots more happy memories soon.
When you got tired, you slept. And when you woke, your closest friends were still right there with you. You were the only one awake when Steve and Bucky snuck back over in the morning to make breakfast for everyone. When the door opened, you saw their eyes searching for you. You could tell they were surprised to see you awake. Steve came over and scooped you up off the couch, carefully extricating you from your friends. He sat you down on the counter in the kitchen and you gave both him and Bucky a kiss.
âHow long have you two been waiting to come over here?â you asked.
They grinned at each other sheepishly but didnât answer.
âHow was your night? You look good.â
âIâd look better if Iâd spent my night with you,â Steve said.
âDid you at least find some moments of relaxation?â
Both of them nodded.
âDid you sleep?â
âWe got a few hours.â
âHow do you feel?â
âLike I can breathe again,â Steve said. âI know weâve got a long road ahead, but youâre back.â
âLast night wasnât one of your typical wine nights,â Bucky said. âBut something about last night felt like we were getting back to normal. We werenât sure if things would ever be the same again.â
You hugged both of your boyfriends and let them get on with the breakfast preparations. Normally you liked to play sous chef, but today you were content to sit and watch and provide occasional commentary. While it was normal to steal a few kisses while cooking together, it felt like one of them was seeking a kiss every few seconds. Kisses that you were happy to provide. Your only regret was that you couldn't kiss them the way that you really wanted to.
Your friends woke up one by one and got ready for the day. They were happy to see Steve and Bucky and the meal they made. After breakfast, Kiara and Michelle wanted to say hi to your family. You considered not going, but eventually accompanied them. Youâd told them about the issues with your family, but they wanted to push you to fix things. So the three of you were soon downstairs in a nondescript Stark Industries living room. Your family was happy to see your childhood friends.
âI heard from both of your families and I really appreciated it,â your mother said. âWeâll probably be headed home soon and weâll have to have your parents over for dinner to thank them.â
You hadnât thought about them going home. They had lives of their own that they had to get back to. You couldnât decide if you were relieved or disappointed.
âOnce weâre sure youâre okay, of course,â your grandmother added.
âIâve got a lot of rehab ahead of me, but Iâm out of the woods.â
âHave you figured out the whole powers thing?â Anna asked.
You cursed internally. You hadnât told your friends about that part.
âIâll be working on increasing my strength in rehab,â you said carefully, praying your younger sister would take the hint.
She didnât.
âAnd what are you going to do about the angry light-shattering thing?â she said.
You sighed.
âWhat is she talking about?â Kiara asked.
âYou didnât tell them?â Anna asked.
âNo.â
âTell us what?â Michelle asked.
âAmy has powers now!â Anna said.
âHow? Was it from the serum in Steve and Buckyâs blood?â Michelle asked.
âSteve and Buckyâs blood?â your father asked.
Youâd been careful to not mention the serum thing to your family either. You didnât want them thinking you were a science experiment gone wrong. It appears you shouldâve gotten all of your stories straight before bringing these people together. Everyone was looking at you expectantly to explain.
âAt the scene of the accident, I lost a lot of blood and required a transfusion,â you explained.
âThey told us that,â your mother said, âbut they never said it was serum.â
âIt wasnât serum, but there is serum in their blood. Steve and Bucky are both universal donors and they didnât have many options in the moment. As a bonus, the serum in their blood helps with healing and is making my recovery easier. But itâs not permanent. Itâs already clearing from my system.â
âAnd their blood gave you these powers? So will the powers go away over time as the blood clears your system?â your father asked.
âThere are a lot of unknowns, but they donât think the serums gave me the powers, nor does it look like theyâre going away.â
âWhy didnât you tell us about this?â Kiara asked.
âSorry. My family already thinks Iâm a freak. I didnât want you guys to, too.â
âWe donât think youâre a freak, sweetheart,â your grandmother said. In response, you shot a look in your dadâs direction.
âIâm just concerned for you,â he said.
âThereâs literally nothing I can do about any of this. The powers are a surprise to everyone and weâre dealing with it. Itâs not my fault.â
âNo one thinks itâs your fault,â your mother said.
You ignored her and turned back to your friends. âMy powers appear to be emotion-based. They donât know much more, but learning more about them is part of my rehab too. Until I know more, please donât tell anyone,â you said.
âOf course,â Kiara said. Michelle nodded. You knew theyâd have your back. You supposed you had to tell Liv now as well. You sighed and rubbed your temples.
âDonât let us stress you out,â your grandmother said. âYou need to focus on getting better. Iâll get everyone in line for you.â
You laughed and gave her a hug.
âAnd I think itâs time we got out of your hair,â she added. âMaybe when youâre feeling a little better you can come down for a visit?â
You nodded. You looked at your parents to see if theyâd go for that plan.
âWe just want whatâs best for you,â your mom said. She gave you a long hug.
âI guess itâs time for me to get back to school,â Anna said. âThe parties have missed me.â You laughed with her and gave her a hug.
âEver since you were a little girl, my only goal was to keep you safe,â your father said. âBut youâre grown now and you donât want me looking out for you anymore. I guess I have to come to terms with that.â
You hugged him. âIâm going to be ok, Dad.â
âPromise?â he asked.
âI promise.â
With that, you, Michelle, and Kiara left.
âIâm sure theyâll come around,â Michelle said.
âI hope so,â Kiara sighed. âAlthough I need to have another talk with Steve and Bucky.â
âWhy?â you asked.
âIâm kinda with your dad. This is the second time youâve gotten hurt. If you didnât like creampies so much, youâd be dead right now!â
You stopped and looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.
âI mean it!â Kiara gasped.
âI know! Youâre right!â you said, still giggling.
âGuys, this is serious,â Michelle said when youâd all caught your breath. âCan you promise us no more injuries?â
You wanted to. But could you? It was an incredibly reasonable ask. And yetâŚ
âYou canât even lie to us?â Michelle said.
âHey, Iâve got these new powers now. Maybe I can promise that. Iâll keep you posted.â
âWhy is this on you? Shouldnât Steve and Bucky be able to guarantee your safety?â
You sighed. âTheyâve done everything in their power! Even had Tony make me a freaking Iron Man suit!â
âYou have an Iron Man suit?! Can I try it on?â Kiara asked.
âItâs probably in the shop after the battle, and Iâm sure Steve and Bucky will insist on bulking up the armor. Which is a shame because I looked so sexy in it as-is.â
âJust this once, letâs prioritize function over form,â Michelle sighed.
When you made it back to Steveâs, you stopped at the door. âCan you wait to grill them until Iâm back on my feet?â
âFor you? Anything,â Kiara said.
You hugged your friends and said goodbye to them. You went back into Steveâs and flopped onto the couch.
âTony called. He wants to know what time for rehab today?â
You sighed heavily.
Bucky chuckled. âWe can tell him youâre not up to it.â
âI canât ditch on Day 2.â
âItâs not a race,â Steve said.
âThe quicker I can complete rehab, the quicker we can get back toâŚâ Normal. Would things ever be normal again?
âBaby?â Steve asked.
âI was going to say normal, but I donât know what that is anymore. My friends wanna know how youâll keep me safe and I assume there will be new protocols,â you sighed. âAnd even then, thereâs no guarantees. Iâm okay with that, but it seems like nobody else is. But if I do have these powers and keep them long-term, then maybe that will be how I defend myself, but I donât want to be expected to race into battle every time someone robs a bank. Having powers might be the only thing that can actually keep me safe, but I donât want to have to deal with the responsibilityââ
âTake a breath,â Bucky said.
âThis is why I need to go to training. To figure out whatâs going on with me. We wonât be able to plan if we donâtââ
Steve hugged you to cut off your rant. âWeâre going to figure this out. Together.â You relaxed against him. âYouâre not alone in this. And you will never have to do something that you donât want to do. We have plenty of time to figure everything out.â
âHow about I make some snickerdoodles while you and Steve start catching up on all the Housewives you missed?â
There was absolutely no way you could say no to that.
âI guess you can tell Tony that Iâm a little tired today,â you said.
Bucky laughed and made the call. You spent the rest of the day relaxing. Youâd underestimated how healing it would be to sit on the couch and watch TV, Alpine abandoning her usual spot on her cat tree to sit in your lap. You tried your hardest to avoid dropping cookie crumbs on her, but when you failed she scolded you with meows while you laughed. You expected her to get up in protest and glare at you from across the room, but for some reason she stayed put.
It felt so good to be back here on Buckyâs couch. You sat on Steveâs lap with his arms wrapped around you. Your legs stretched out across Buckyâs lap next to you. You stroked Alpineâs fur. When you were all together like this, nothing else mattered.
>> Next Chapter
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Heyy here to join the amy fanclub!! I read this whole story in one sitting I am honestly so invested ahaha! I canât wait to see her recovery process and her the bonds being repaired with the boys! Im really proud of her for standing up to her parents because being brown myself that is hard to do!!
I was wondering if you have a posting schedule? Im from india so thereâs a time difference for sure but honestly im so excited for the next part to come and Im an insomniac so reading material is good to have!
I sent an ask earlier but tumblr glitched for a second so idk if it went through, sending this just in case.
Can I be đĽ reader?
Love yaaa
~đĽ
Hi! Welcome! Omg I canât believe you read it all in one sitting! Thatâs impressive! And weâve got so much good recovery content coming up! Yeah the family thing is so hard but Amy really really believes in their relationship to the point where itâs a non-negotiable, but this situation is not easy for her.
Technically yes Iâm supposed to post at 12pm EST but normally itâs closer to 2pmđŹHowever yesterday and today there was a delay because of AO3 being down. There are a few logistical reasons why I prefer to post on AO3 right before posting on Tumblr, but I already decided that if the archive isnât up in like 5 minutes I will go ahead and post on here first!
Omg India! It is getting late thereâI just checked! Youâll have your update soon lol. I really appreciate your excitement and engagement with the story! Thank you for popping by! And no I did not receive your earlier askâthank you so much for sending again! Love the champagne glass! Sending love right back! đđđđđđđ
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 37: Growing Pains
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 4k
Chapter 37 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
The next morning when you woke up, you actually felt awake for the first time. You attempted to stretch and sit up, but your movements were painful and sluggish. Your mind had woken up, but perhaps your body hadnât.
âTake it easy,â Steve said gently. âYou had physiotherapy these past few weeks, but itâs been a while since you operated under your own power.â
Weeks? You hadnât given thought to how long youâd been in that other place.
âDonât worry,â Bucky said. âYouâll be back to kicking ass in no time. Youâve had all the best care. Youâll recover physically much quicker than other coma patients.â
Coma patients? I was in a coma? For weeks? That sounds bad. It just felt like a dream.
âYour family is really eager to see you, so weâre going to let them in if thatâs ok.â
My family?
Before you could process, your mother, father, grandmother, and sister walked in. Steve and Bucky backed up and allowed your family to crowd your bedside. They were excitedly overtalking each other, which made it difficult to focus. You quickly became overwhelmed. You looked between their faces. They looked tired, but happy. When you failed to reply, when you couldnât even mirror their excitement, the monologues trailed off.
âCan she speak? Does she remember us?â came the anxious chorus from your family.
âI think sheâs just a little overwhelmed,â Steve said.
âYes, thereâs a lot for her to take in now that sheâs woken up,â Bucky agreed.
âWhat arenât you telling us?â your father demanded. You didnât understand his tone.
âSir, this is normal for coma recovery. It may take a while beforeââ
âNone of this is normal! Weâre not even in a real hospital! None of you people are doctors!â
âI actually have an MD,â Strange muttered.
âDad, stop,â Anna pleaded.
It seemed that the past few weeks had taken a toll on those who cared about you.
âPerhaps we should let her get some more rest,â Shuri suggested.
âI think thatâs a great idea,â Tony said. âIf you come upstairs with me, Iâve got an omelette bar set up for everyone.â
Tony was almost successful in ushering everyone out when your dad stopped and turned around.
âArenât you coming with us?â your dad asked Steve and Bucky.
Steve and Bucky hesitated. You knew they had no intention of leaving your side.
âOh, so we have to leave, but they donât?â he said.
âAlvin, please,â your grandmother sighed.
Your dad finally left the room. Youâd never seen him soâŚagitated. It was unsettling. It seemed that the people and the world you had left werenât the ones youâd returned to.
âYour family has been understandably stressed with everything thatâs been going on,â Steve explained. You could tell that he wasnât telling you the full story, but you were too tired to care.
You slept for most of the rest of the day. You wanted to tell Steve and Bucky that they didnât have to stay tethered to you the entire time, but you knew that none of you wanted to be apart right now.
âŚ
The next morning when you woke up, Steve and Bucky told you there was something they wanted to try. They carried you upstairs to Buckyâs. They had held you in their arms countless times, but this was the first time since youâd been back. You leaned into Buckyâs muscled chest and relaxed against his arms. You were completely supported. Steve opened the door to Buckyâs apartment, which youâd seen a million times, but it had been a long time since youâd been in a familiar place. Feeling Buckyâs chest rumble with his words as he spoke and seeing the modern jungle of his apartmentâŚfor the first time you were finally feeling like you hadnât just come backâyouâd come home. You looked around when you got inside but you didnât see Alpine.
âLooking for Alpine?â Steve asked.
You nodded, surprised that the motion wasnât as difficult or as painful as it wouldâve been yesterday.
âShe was at the hospital with you, but when we came back here, she went to stay with Nat and Liho.â
You knew she was probably having a great time at Auntie Natâs, but it was weird being here without her. You didnât get the chance to linger on that thought. You were carried to Buckyâs bedroom. It was his sanctuary, but in some ways it had also become yours. The pictures by the bed and the drawings and keepsakes on the wall reminded you of all the amazing times you had together. You felt a little spark of recognition as you reconnected with your memories, beginning to rekindle your sense of self. They took you into the bathroom and ran a bath. They gently undressed you and carefully placed you into it. They lovingly scrubbed your body. The warm water and soft touches were very relaxing.
Until Steve got to your torso. You tensed involuntarily, as if your body was remembering what had happened there. He slowed his movements. You looked down, watching him delicately clean your body. You had felt something on your chest since youâd awoken, but youâd assumed it was a wire from one of the monitors. You werenât expecting a strip of metal between your breasts that ran down the middle of your chest to just above your bellybutton. It was as wide as a pencil. You expected no feeling there, but as water trickled over it, you shivered. You caught Bucky starting intently as you took in your new body. You supposed he had gone through something similar.
âWaking up with a metal addition is always jarring,â he said. He was right about that.
After the bath, they washed and twisted your hair and massaged you with lotion. The massage felt amazing. It felt good to get your body moving again, even if it was your boyfriends doing all of the movement. It felt good to be touched again; everywhere their skin touched yours felt tingly and warm. It was like you were learning to inhabit yourself again. At one point, Buckyâs left hand grazed your chest stabilizer and the metals vibrated in unison as if calling to each other. It was a strange sensation, but not unpleasant. They put you in your favorite PJs and then lay with you on Buckyâs bed. It was just like old times.
âDo you want matzoh ball soup?â Bucky asked.
You grinned at him and watched his face light up in response. He rushed to the kitchen to get you a bowl.
âWe cleared it with your medical team. You should be able to handle it,â Steve said.
Of course you could handle it. This soup was going to cure you. One bowl and youâd be walking and talking in no time. Your boyfriends insisted on feeding you, and you unfortunately couldnât decline. You didnât trust your arms to be able to reliably deliver soup to your mouth without major spills. Maybe everything wasnât quite like old times.
The soup was delicious as always. More than that, eating again was like the final piece of the puzzle. Steve and Buckyâs care of your body had warmed you from the outside in, and them telling you they loved you and feeding you comfort food was warming you from the inside out. You were warm again. Maybe youâd finally dried off all the water youâd been surrounded by for so long.
You didnât realize you had fallen asleep until you woke up. You were always so happy when you woke up and both of your boyfriends were still cuddled on either side of you. You sighed happily.
âHow are you feeling, baby?â Bucky asked.
âGood,â you said.
Your boyfriends both sat up straight and looked at you. What? Does my voice sound different? I guess I havenât used it in a while.
âItâs good to hear your voice,â Steve said.
âI feel a lot better now,â you said.
âDo you feel like yourself?â Bucky asked at the same time Steve asked âDo you remember anything from when you were in the coma?â
âI feel much more like myself now. Itâs hard transitioning from where I was to here.â
âWhere were you?â Steve and Bucky asked at the same time.
âI donât know. There was a lot of water everywhere.â
âWere you scared?â Steve asked.
âSometimes.â
âWe donât have to talk about it anymore right now,â Bucky said. He shot Steve a look. And Steve, instead of a sassy retort, complied.
âWhat arenât you telling me?â you asked.
They looked at each other.
âThe med team has prepared a briefing. Maybe we can meet tomorrow and discussââ
âDiscuss what? You didnât upload my consciousness to a robot body, did you?â
Bucky chuckled softly. âNo, we did not. This is your original body with one small piece of vibranium. It kept you stable after your surgery and they didnât want to cause further complications by removing it.â
âWhy is everyone being so weird?â
âWe will explain everything to you. But first can you tell us more about what you remember from that day and anything after?â
âUm, we had the sleepover at the library. We went to breakfast. Aliens attacked. I donât remember everything, but I remember looking down and seeing metal sticking out of me. And then it was dark. It was cold. There was water. And then it burned. You burned me.â
âWe did what?â
âItâs hard to explain. I was in this cold, dark place and I felt your warmth but then it got too hot. And then I started walking in the water. I know it doesnât make much sense.â
âThatâs okay, baby. Just keep going.â
âI walked and I experienced so many memories. It was like I was re-experiencing my entire life over again. And then it was like I was experiencing things differently. Like I was meant to relive certain things, certain emotions.â
âLike what?â
You told them everything youâd experienced from joy to grief to anger. You even told them the bizarre story about a barbie doll.
âŚ
One second you were in the park dealing with the football guys and the next you were little again. You were at home. Anna had shaved your barbie doll. But wait a minute. This was a funny story. You didnât remember being upset. The day after your 7th birthday, you got home from school and went to play with your new doll. You saw Anna on the carpet with safety scissors and a pile of hair all around her. Anna was so cute back then. But you felt the dread, that sick feeling in your stomach. Hurt, anger, confusion. But you just swallowed it down and sighed, âOh, Anna.â Even then. You were so young. But you protected your baby sister and your mother from your feelings. You didnât even get upset in the original timeline. But here in this new place, you read your mother and sister the riot act. Under different circumstances, a toddler version of you cursing out your family over a childrenâs toy mightâve been funny, or even alarming. But here it was cathartic. It felt good.
âŚ
âSo you got to do things differently in your memory?â
âYeah, but I didnât even know that I was mad about that. And things I mightâve expected to be mad at, I wasnât.â
âLike what?â
âRemember that time I got mad at you guys for leaving a note on the pillow?â
They shared nervous glances and nodded reluctantly.
âIn there, I wasnât mad about it. I was sad, actually.â
âŚ
When you woke up alone, you didnât think anything of it at first. But you didnât hear the shower running or smell breakfast coming from the kitchen, so you went to investigate. You searched all of Buckyâs apartment and even went across to Steveâs, but there was no trace of them. You returned to Buckyâs bedroom to get your phone and you saw it. A note on the pillow. A hastily scrawled apology about a mission.
At the time, youâd been pissed. Of course they couldnât answer calls, so youâd been relegated to texting.
 You: What the hell guys???
You: A note on the pillow? Seriously?
You: Iâm not some one night stand, Iâm your girlfriend.
You: You couldâve woken me up
You: I donât even know why I bothered texting
You: Youâre not even gonna get these stupid fucking texts for like 10 days anyway đ
 You wanted to yell at them but didnât even know the next time youâd be able to talk to them. You felt disregarded. You felt unimportant. They had snuck out of bed in the middle of the night and thought a post-it would be sufficient? You wanted to cuss them out.
You got ready for the day, agitated by the morningâs events. You couldnât stop thinking about how dumb you felt for not noticing the note and wandering their apartments calling their names. Thank God they didnât share a hallway with any of their friends.
You usually loved staying at Buckyâs, but you gave Alpine a scratch behind the ears and headed home. Liv asked why you were in such a bad mood, but as you explained it to her, she didnât share your outrage. In fact, she made some good points.
Which is how, hours after the initial barrage, you sent your 17th text in a row:
 You: I know that yâall probably meant well and didnât want to wake me up.
 You didnât hear from them for a few days, and each one you dreaded the moment theyâd receive your messages. Youâd never been angry at them over text before. You briefly considered the possibility that they had received your texts and were taking advantage of the opportunity to pretend that they didnât. But finally you received a message that put you out of your misery.
 Steve: Hey, baby. Weâre back in town. Can we come see you?
Bucky: Steve forgot to add that weâre really sorry.
Steve: We are REALLY sorry, baby.
You: You can come over.
 10 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Normally they let themselves in, but maybe this was what things were like when you were fighting? Are we fighting? you wondered anxiously as you walked towards the door.
When the door opened, you saw a wall of flowers. Your boyfriends were holding a bouquet so ridiculously huge that you started laughing despite the situation.
âWhere did you even get this?â you asked as you ushered them into your apartment.
âIâve got an emergency florist on speed dial,â Bucky notified you as he set the blooms in the sink. No way you had a vase large enough for that arrangement.
âWeâre really sorry for not letting you know we were leaving. You were sleeping so peacefully and we didnât want to wake you,â Steve said.
âI figured that was the case.â
âDid you?â Bucky asked cautiously. âBecause you seemed to think that we were treating you like a one night stand.â
âI obviously donât know, but it seems like the kind of thing youâd do with a one night stand. Meet someone at the bar, bring them home, then leave a note on the pillow the next morning saying âHad a great time last night. Help yourself to a cup of coffee on the way outâ.â
âBut youâre not a one night stand, youâre our girlfriend!â Steve said. âYou know that we would never want you to feel like that.â
âWell, thatâs how it made me feel.â
âYouâre right. Iâm sorry.â
You stood awkwardly for a few moments.
âYou are so important to us. Of course we wanted to say goodbye, we just didnât want to wake our sleeping princess,â Bucky said.
âHmm,â you said, pretending that his words hadnât instantly softened you. Steve and Bucky slowly started approaching you.
âI missed you,â Steve said. âI thought about you every day.â
âJust once a day?â you teased.
âAll day,â he added as he grabbed your hips.
âEvery second of every day,â Bucky said and leaned in to kiss you. You stopped him.
âJust so weâre clear, next time youâre sleeping in my bedââ
âTechnically it was my bed.â
âIf Iâm sleeping in the bed, itâs my bed.â
Bucky grinned. âYouâre a handful.â
âJust one handful?â you asked suggestively.
He smirked at you before stroking your face. âItâll never happen again. Promise.â
And it never did. When they were called away the week before Christmas, theyâd woken you up, as promised. They kissed you goodbye and you fell back asleep with a smile on your face. When you woke up again at a more reasonable hour, there was a sweet note on the pillow and a new bracelet on your arm.
âŚ
When you had relived that memory in your head, you didnât feel the same anger youâd felt initially. Instead you felt sad, alone, and abandoned.
âI was surprised that even though I was mad at you guys, apparently I was sad? And then I ended up being so mad about things I didnât know I was mad about. I guess Iâve been mad and not expressing it since I was a toddler and I finally just had to feel it all. â
Your boyfriends shared a glance. You could tell that they were piecing something together.
âAlright. Have I told you enough? Can you clue me in now?â
âYour emotions were radiating out of you,â Steve explained.
âUhâŚwhat?â
âYou know we didnât realize it, but I think we felt the grief, too. Remember when I tried to cook?â Bucky asked.
Steve looked like a puzzle piece just clicked, but you were more confused than ever.
âAnd before that,â Steve said, âDo you think the joy was the video game cereal night?â
âI bet thatâs it!â Bucky said
Had the coma scrambled your brain? They were talking nonsense, right?
âWhat was the next emotion you felt?â Steve asked.
âHmmm,â you thought, trying to untangle the order of events. âFear. It was awful. Right up there with grief.â
âMy nightmare,â Steve said.
âOh my God,â Bucky said quietly.
âGuys, whatâs going on?â
âIt looks like you may have some new emotion-based abilities.â
âAbilities?â
âOf theâŚsuper variety.â
âWhat?!â
âWeâre not sure how you got them, it mightâve been the serumââ
âSerum?!â
They explained that they had given blood transfusions to you in the field, which necessitated them explaining the extent of your injuries. They explained how you already had low levels of serum in your blood, which may have allowed you to survive the initial injury. But how did you have serum in your blood already?
âBucky, if youâve been slipping serum into my morning tea to give me immunity against muggersâŚâ
âHeâs been slippinâ it to you, alright,â Steve joked suggestively.
Bucky rolled his eyes and hit him on the arm.
âTurns out serum can be sexually transmitted,â Bucky said. âWe obviously didnât know this when we first talked about having sex. Weâre hoping to know more. They wanted, uh, samples from us, but, uh, we, uhâŚâ He was uncharacteristically crimson by this point. âWe werenât really in the mood.â
âI canât imagine how worried you two must have been.â You had been scared just hearing them recount the details. You knew they had to have been nervous wrecks this whole time.
âI have never feltââ Steve took a shaky breath, âfear like that.â
A tear ran down his cheek. You wiped it away. He caught your hand and held it to his face, nuzzled into it.
A notification sounded from FRIDAY. âThe Carlisle family is inquiring about Amyâs whereabouts. What should I tell them?â
âTell them to come to my apartment,â Steve said.
The three of you relocated to Steveâs. It was nice to see his place again, especially the art.
âI actually missed this place too.â
âReally?â Steve asked excitedly.
You nodded. He hugged you. The force of the hug hurt a little, but it was worth the pain.
âAlright, easy, Steve,â Bucky cautioned.
The three of you sat down on the couch.
âYou should probably know that we got into an argument with your family.â
âWhat?!â
âIt was the anger. We didnât realize what was happening, but it was causing everyone to be angry. Even the two of usâŚâ Steve trailed off.
âYou two fought? About what?â you asked.
You were interrupted by a knock at the door. Steve went to answer it. Your family shuffled in awkwardly and had a seat in his living room.
âAlright, what is going on between yâall?â you asked, gesturing between your family and your boyfriends.
Your family looked shocked to see you speak. Your mother jumped out of her seat and hugged you. Again, it hurt, but it was worth it. You hadnât had a hug from her in so long.
âSo, youâre okay now?â Anna asked.
âIâm feeling a lot better,â you said.
âI see you got your hair done,â Anna said. âNew âdo, new you?â
You laughed a little, but it made your abdominal muscles hurt. âThe manservants have gotten pretty good at playing hairdresser,â you joked.
âYâall did her hair?â your grandmother asked Steve and Bucky. They nodded.
âCan we get back on topic? Why were yâall fighting?â you asked.
Everyone took turns looking at each other and awkwardly looking away.
Finally, your grandmother spoke. âTensions ran high. We had just found out from Thor that you had gotten attacked at the libraryââ Oh shit. âand then Mr. Fury was threatening to stop your careââ
âFury did what?!â
âDonât worry, it was mainly the anger talking,â Bucky said before turning to your family. âAnd, again, even if he had gone through with his empty threat, we would have always made sure she had the absolute best care.â
Your mother turned to you. âWhy didnât you tell us that you had been attacked? When we came for Christmas, we had no idea what you had been through after Thanksgiving.â
âAll you wouldâve done is worry, and I figured Steve and Bucky had that department covered.â
âOr maybe there was a part of you that knew you didnât have any business still being in a relationship with them,â your dad said. You were taken aback by his demeanor.
âDad,â Anna hissed.
âThey have always done everything in their power to keep me safe, but things happen,â you said, hoping to defuse the tension.
âYou donât see a problem with that?â
âI could break up with them today and get hit by a car tomorrow. No life is risk-free. This is the life I choose. Yes, there are risks, but weâve taken steps to mitigate them.â
âAnd those steps have failed. Twice!â
Your boyfriends hung their heads in shame.
Your grandmother intervened. âWhat your father means to say is that you should take time to reflect if New York is the right city for you.â
âNot you, too,â you sighed.
âItâs dangerous here. We just want you to be ok.â
âMy life is here.â
âYou can build a new life somewhere else,â your mom suggested.
âWell thank you, everyone, for your input,â you said.
âYouâre not even going to consider what we said?â your mother asked.
âHonestly? No.â
âYou have to at leastââ
âI really donât,â you sighed exasperatedly.
âQuit beinâ so hardheaded,â your grandmother complained.
âIâm not going to dump the loves of my life just because yâall tell me to.â
âWeâre just saying that you should think about all of your options in life,â your mother said.
âI have.â
âA couple months ago you got hurt. Now you were almost killed. Whatâs next?â your father asked.
âIâm tired of talking about this,â you said.
âWell, I got tired of sitting by your hospital bed praying youâd wake up,â your mother countered. âI got tired of the doctors telling me that they had no clue what was wrong with you. And I got real tired of these twoââ she pointed at Steve and Bucky, âalways keeping stuff from us!â
âEnough,â you pleaded. It was all getting to be too much. You couldnât take much more of this.
âWhy are you defending them? You werenât even there!â your mother cried.
âI know who they are, andââ
âDo you? Really?â
âYes!â
âIâve known you all your life andââ
Finally sick of the relentless onslaught by your family, you yelled, âMom, stop!â A light fixture burst. The lights flickered. Your family looked at you in shock and horror.
Did I do that?
âLook at what theyâve turned you into,â your father said quietly. You felt like youâd been slapped in the face.
âItâs been a long day. Maybe we should let Amy get some rest,â Steve said firmly.
Your family didnât say a word as they filed out. When the door closed, you burst into tears. Steve and Bucky held you as you sobbed. You cried until you had no tears left and your whole body hurt. You felt dizzy and nauseous. You were beginning to think that fully feeling your feelings was overrated.
âBaby?â Bucky sniffled when you had finally quieted down.
You hadnât noticed heâd been crying with you. You clung to him tightly. They couldnât get you to drink any water, so they got you settled in Buckyâs bed and had an IV brought up to make sure you didnât get dehydrated. You felt like youâd taken two baby steps forward only to get knocked two giant steps back. If these were the emotions youâd come back to feel, you werenât sure you liked feeling them. Your boyfriends gave up trying to talk to you and just held you until you eventually fell asleep.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 36: Comfort
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 280
Chapter 36 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
You dreamed of water. At first the water running over your feet was soothing. But it kept rising and rising. It didnât sweep you away like it had earlier. It just threatened to drown you. As the water filled your nostrils, you didnât fight it. You couldnât.
You woke up gasping for breath. You werenât sure where you were at first. But Steve and Bucky were by your side, immediately coming to your aid.
âBaby, are you ok?â Steve asked.
Bucky pushed a button on the wall. âGuys, get in here!â
âWhatâs going on?â Tony asked.
âSomethingâs wrong.â
Tony checked monitors as your boyfriends hovered anxiously over you. You suddenly felt overwhelmed by everything. You started to tremble.
âItâs going to be okay, baby,â Steve said. He sat down on the bed next to you and wrapped his arms around you. His touch immediately grounded you.
âThat seems to be working,â Tony said.
Whatâs working? you wondered.
Bucky sat down on the other side of you. He laid his metal hand on your face. You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch. It was so soothing. You stopped shaking then.
âLooks like her emotions are stable for now. Just try to keep her calm through the night.
You watched Steve and Bucky nod and heard Tony leave.
âWeâve got you, baby,â Steve said.
âWeâre right here,â Bucky said as he kissed your cheek.
Not much felt familiar right now, but it felt right to be sleeping between them. They told you how much they loved you as you drifted back off to sleep. If anything happened, you knew theyâd be right by your side.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 35: An Awakening
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 700
Chapter 35 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
When you said his name, Steve froze. He hadnât heard you speak in what felt like forever. As he watched the picture of you become clearer, Bucky ran to you and grabbed your hands. The room shook violently as you came into clearer focus. When you were finally there with them, the room went still.
You looked around, disoriented. You were no longer in the place youâd been trapped since the accident, but you hadnât quite woken up, either.
âBoys?â you asked. âWhatâs going on?â
They didnât answer you at first. They just hugged you. The force of the hug mightâve knocked you all over if you werenâtâŚfloating? Why are we floating? Steve and Bucky started kissing your face and you let them. You supposed the questions could wait. But there were a lot of them. Are we dead? I donât feel dead.
Someone cleared their throat. You looked up to see Dr. Strange floating there. You hadnât realized you had an audience. Your boyfriends reluctantly stopped kissing you, but they still held you tightly.
âMs. Carlisle,â he said. âItâs good to see you.â
âYou too,â you replied. âDo you happen to know whatâs going on?â
âYou were injured. Do you remember?â
You looked down at your torso suddenly. You remembered seeing a blade there, but it felt like a really long time ago. âI remember. We were having breakfast.â
âYour injuries were very severe, but we were able to perform a surgery that saved your life.â
âThatâs great. Now, what went wrong?â
âWhy do you assume something went wrong?â
You gestured at your surroundings. âWeâre not in Kansas anymore.â
âCorrect. We are in the Astral Dimension. You did not wake up from surgery when we expected you to.â
âI guess I had some unfinished business to attend to. But I think itâs over now.â
âGood. Itâs encouraging that we were able to make contact with you. Iâm going to return all of us to our bodies nowââ
âWill she wake up?â Steve asked.
âIâm not sure.â
âYou need to be sure. What if she doesnât wake up and we canât contact her again?â
âYouâre not meant to stay here indefinitely. I have to return everyone to their bodies.â
Steve shook his head. âNot until we know more. Run some tests or whatever you need to do. Iâm not leaving here without her.â
Strange opened his mouth to respond, but you interrupted. âSteve, Bucky, everything is going to be okay. Iâm not going anywhere. If this doesnât work, weâll figure something out.â
They clutched at you protectively, even as you could see their faces start to relent.
âWe canât lose you again, baby,â Bucky whispered.
âYou wonât,â you assured. You nodded at Dr. Strange. With a wave of his hands, you were all forced back into your corporeal forms.
You werenât sure if it had worked at first. You felt like you had been body slammed. You lay there stunned, fighting to catch your breath. But then you realized that you had breath. You were breathing. Your chest was rising and falling. You could hear yourself panting with the exertion of being reunited with your body. You could also hear monitors beeping. You opened your eyes and it was so bright. Way too bright. Your head hurt. Your feet were cold. You heard footsteps running towards you. Suddenly your boyfriends were hovering over you, calling your name. Loudly. Why is everything so loud?
You wanted to respond to them, but nothing came to mind. You couldnât think of anything to say. Maybe there was too much to say. You wanted to feel somethingârelief, happiness, fulfillmentâbut you felt nothing. Youâd spent what felt like an eternity in that place, feeling everything at full force. It was like you werenât sure how to have a body anymore. You were physically incapable of performing as the woman they knew. You werenât even sure who you were anymore. All you were sure of was that everything ached.
You watched as the looks on your boyfriendsâ faces turned from anxiety to relief to joy to confusion to concern. You heard them asking someone what was wrong with you. They asked you if you were okay but you couldnât respond. You werenât quite sure you knew the answer to that question.
You were surprised to see Shuri and Tony. They poked and prodded at you. They shined bright lights in your eyes and stabbed your foot. But eventually they left you alone. More talking.
When Steve and Bucky reappeared at your side, they didnât ask any more frantic questions. They were using their soothing voices now. The lights in the room dimmed. They held your hands. You felt peace for the first time since waking up.
Youâd spent all that time in a dreamworld, but you felt like you hadnât slept. Your eyelids got impossibly heavy. The warm weight of Steve and Buckyâs hands in your own brought you a comfort you hadnât known in forever.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 34: Self Discovery
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 350
Chapter 34 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
What if I never wake up
in the skin of the adult
I prayed for when I was a child?
What if who I am tomorrow
is an entirely different person
than who I am right now?
Or, worse,
what if it isn't?
How do I stop
carrying everything
Â
that has ever
happened to me?
 âBlythe Baird, Concerns From a Hotboxed Jeep from the book If My Body Could Speak
You kept walking through the woods and the branches got thicker and thicker until you were ensnared in brambles. You knew you had to make your way through it, so a blade appeared at your side. You hacked away at the foliage, and each cut you made released a flicker of emotion. Anger at the boys throwing the football. Joy of eating ice cream. Loneliness when your boyfriends were on a mission. Excitement of having a new barbie. Pain at its mutilation. Shame over your depression. You hacked viciously at the bramble, powering through even though your arms and lungs burned. You screamed, cried, and laughed your way to the center of the thicket.
When you got there, you werenât sure what you expected. But you hadnât been expecting to see a little girl. You as a little girl. She had been crying.
âWhatâs wrong?â you asked the younger version of yourself.
âI got stuck in here,â she whimpered.
âLetâs get you out.â
You grabbed her hand and took her back the way you came. But when you emerged from the trees, there was no meadowâit was the beach on a blustery, gray day. The little girl broke from your grasp and ran down the beach. She started to do cartwheels. The sun broke through the clouds. You watched her play for a while, knowing you werenât meant to follow. She looked so happy. You werenât always sure what you were doing in this place, but you were sure you had done right by her. You looked out at the horizon, wondering what was next. Then you heard it.
A crackling in the sky. A portal opened. Whatever was inside was hazy. You heard some distorted speech but couldnât make it out. As you watched, the picture and audio became clearer.
âBaby?â Steve said. You wondered if this was the next memory youâd relive. You hoped it was a happy one. âAmy, can you hear me?â
Could it be?
âSteve?â
âAmy!â Bucky screamed.
They were grainy, but the portal was getting bigger and taking up more and more of the sky.
âBoys!â you yelled.
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Contact with the Enemy Ch. 33: Turning Point
Pairing: Steve x Bucky x Reader
Length: 440
Chapter 33 of Contact with the Enemy. AO3. Previous Chapter.
Steve and Bucky awoke to a series of beeps. The emotion monitor on the wall was flashing wildly. They werenât quite sure what you were feeling, but they each grabbed one of your hands and told you that it was going to be okay.
Shuri and Tony were the first to arrive, closely followed by Dr. Strange. They checked the various computer screens in the room and exchanged a worried look.
âWhat is it?â Bucky asked. âWhatâs wrong?â
âThe sensors are picking up a burst of micro emotions,â Tony explained.
âOkay. What does that mean?â Steve asked.
âWeâve never seen this before,â Shuri said. âUsually she feels one emotion at a time and very strongly. Now she is feeling all of them in quick succession. It could be an indication that her condition is becoming less stable.â
âWhat do we do about that?â Bucky asked.
Shuri and Tony exchanged glances, but before they could say their millionth âI donât knowâ, Strange spoke up.
âI may have an idea.â
âIs it safe? For her?â Bucky asked.
Strange nodded.
âLetâs do it,â Steve said.
âYou havenât even heard it yet,â Tony said.
âWhatâs the idea?â
âThe Astral Dimension. It seems that her brain and body are both working, but they havenât reconnected. Perhaps if we can separate her spirit from her physical body, we can establish contact,â Strange said.
âHow do we get to this dimension?â Bucky asked.
âSimple. I just have to tap you on the chest. Your bodies will technically be vulnerable, but Iâm sure Shuri and Tony can be trusted to watch over them.â
Steve and Bucky exchanged glances before nodding.
âYouâre doing it right now?â Tony asked.
âYes. Now.â Steve said it with so much force that Tony decided to remain quiet for the remainder of the experiment.
Strange approached Steve first and touched him, then Bucky. It took them a few moments to get accustomed to the sensation of floating above their own bodies. After Steve and Bucky were settled, Strange cautiously approached your bedside, preparing himself for anything as he attempted to draw your spirit from your body.
But when you came out of your body, you didnât look the way Steve and Bucky did. You werenât quite in focus. Like an old TV with lots of static. The sound of roaring wind and waves was all around them.
âWhatâs wrong with her?â Steve demanded.
âIâm not sure,â Strange replied. âItâs almost like sheâs in an alternate dimension.â
âSo how do we get to the one sheâs in?â Bucky asked.
Strange sighed heavily. It was his turn to say, âI donât know.â
Steve took a chance and called your name.
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