as-write-as-rain - Tumblr blog

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Once Upon A Dream (remix) - Chapter 4

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the Captain America films, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

The fourth chapter of my Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge!

Chapter 4

While the droning computerized voice monologued, your feeling of danger had increased. And you’d been correct, as always – but it turned out things were a lot worse than even you had expected.

Still, the new information you’d obtained from the computer-claiming-to-be-a-man did serve to answer a lot of your lingering questions about why things at SHIELD had felt increasingly off, and precisely why all of you were now being hunted by your former colleagues.

As you drove back down the same highway you’d driven up only a few hours earlier, Nat napping in the backseat and Steve dozing beside you, you couldn’t help but mentally berate yourself for your inability to have foreseen this situation.

What good was an acutely sensitive sixth sense if it only told you something was up, but not what to look for? That’s like a fire station whose alarm only says there’s a fire somewhere, good luck finding it yourself. You depended upon your intuition, and your team depended on you – and you were letting not only them down, but the whole freaking country at this point.

“You alright?” Steve’s voice was a low murmur, careful not to wake Natasha; yet it startled you out of your internal diatribe.

“Yeah.” You paused and shook your head. “I mean, no. I mean – I just don’t even know anymore, you know?” He stayed quiet, listening, so you rushed to fill in the silence. “I just…how did I not see this coming?” You hated how your voice sounded strained, like you were on the verge of tears. There was no way you were going to cry.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. None of us saw this coming.”He reassured you.

“Okay, but I’m supposed to see stuff – stuff like this. And I’ve known for a while something was up, but this….this is so much more than what I’m used to. I just feel so far out of my depth, Steve. And I feel like I’m letting everyone down.”

“Y/N.” His voice was so calm and so serious you heaved a sigh and took your eyes off the road for a few seconds to glance at him. Even in the dimming twilight, the kindness in his eyes almost made you break. “Nobody blames you for this. Nobody expects you to see everything. Your quick thinking in there, shoving us into that vent shaft or whatever before the missile hit? That saved our lives. Nobody cares that you didn’t see this coming ten years earlier.”

You took a shaky breath and let it out. His words made sense; was it possible you were being too hard on yourself?

“Hell, if you wanna blame someone, blame me. I’m the one who failed to stop Zola all those years ago; if we’d managed to take him out then, this never would have happened.”

Stunned, you glared at him, quicker to leap to his defense than to your own. “Now you’re just talking crazy.”

Giving you that small, sincere Captain America Believes In You smile, he responded, “No crazier than you.”

“Steve. How could anyone think Zola’s actions – or HYDRA’s actions – were your fault? You did everything you could and then some. You were Captain Freaking America, the biggest hero of World War Two. You punched Hitler in the face like a million times! Nobody could possibly hold you responsible for anything that happened while you were in the ice.”

The volume of your whispers climbed higher, threatening to wake Nat, and Steve motioned for you to keep it down.

“What I’m trying to say, Y/N, is that the only people we can blame for Zola’s – or HYDRA’s – actions are Zola and HYDRA. Sitting around pointing fingers, even at ourselves, is a waste of time. It doesn’t matter whether any of us could have seen it coming – not that I’m even sure we could have done something to prevent it. This was put in motion long before you were even born; and even if you had noticed it last year or five years ago, would that even have made a difference?” He shook his head firmly, as if to answer his own question. “Ultimately, what really matters is what we do next, now that we know the threat.”

You made a face and chewed on the inside of your lip. There was a definite logic to what he was saying. The seeds of this had been planted eons ago. And regardless of whether you could have seen it coming, you hadn’t – so every moment spent beating yourself up about the past was a moment not spent figuring out what to do about the present. Continuing to waste time and energy on self-flagellation was far from helpful, and could honestly only make the situation worse.

“I guess you’re right,” you finally mumbled. The smartest course of action would be to immediately put all your focus into your intuition – to be fully present so you could know what to do. After all, tuning into your sixth sense took a lot of concentration, so being distracted by a self-inflicted guilt trip was bound to make it hard to hear. “Thanks, Steve.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” He gave you a wider, warmer smile; you tried to return it, but ended up yawning instead. He chuckled. “Here, pull over at the next rest stop and I’ll take over. You need to get some sleep.”

You napped until the sun came up, but couldn’t really get much more rest. Your dreams were once again full of searching – this time through a wild, tangled forest where thick branches choked out the sun and every strange sound felt menacing – so even though you slept for a good chunk of time, you still woke up exhausted.

Now the three of you were parked in a parking lot near the Tidal Basin, keeping an eye out for a guy Steve knew, a former Air Force pilot he thought might be able to help out. Apparently he jogged along the same route every morning, since Steve had seen him here on more than one occasion. Just as you were about to voice your hope that he’d pass by soon (you were in dire need of a shower and some grub), Steve turned the engine back on and started to exit the parking lot. Glancing around, you spied your target not far ahead, and sighed in relief. Steve slowly and covertly followed him back to a small complex in VA, and the three of you threw yourselves on his mercy.

One hot shower and one hot breakfast later, you’d found yourselves a fourth team member, and had at least a vague plan. You’d been impressed by Sam from the moment he invited the three of you into his home without hesitation. And his willingness to join the cause, knowing the risks involved, definitely endeared him to you.

Tracking down and threatening that jerk Sitwell had done wonders for helping you work out some of your frustration about the whole situation, and you were riding happily in the back of Sam’s car, listening to the traitor whine, when suddenly your intuition went absolutely haywire. Tensing, you grabbed Nat’s knee, and one look at your face told her to stay alert; Steve caught your expression in the rearview mirror and did the same. Sitwell was screaming some nonsense when suddenly something or someone jumped on top of the car and dragged him out of the window. You ducked instinctively, grabbing your knives from your boots and narrowly avoiding the bullets the assassin emptied into the seats.

Sam hit the brakes, and suddenly your attacker was skidding to a surprisingly graceful stop on the road in front of you, as though he hadn’t just been hurled though the air. He stood there menacingly, all black leather, metal arm, and muscle, a creepy mask covering the half of his face that wasn’t obscured by his long hair.

With a gasp, you rolled yourself into a ball, suddenly anticipating a collision. It came in the form of a heavily armored Hummer, which slammed into the back of Sam’s Impala and shoved it back into motion, propelling it directly towards the masked figure. He leapt back over the car, landing on top of it and shattering windows with the force of his impact.

“Sam!” you screamed, but you didn’t even have time to finish your warning before a metal fist penetrated the windshield and snatched the steering wheel through it, as easily as grabbing a handful of candy.

The weight on top of the car lightened considerably, and you knew the metal man in black had disembarked once again. However, the damage had already been done, and you braced yourself, knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before you were forcibly ejected from the vehicle.

Sure enough, mere moments later the four of you were rolling across the asphalt, trying to keep your injuries to a minimum. The other three jumped back up, but you lay there a minute, gasping – your head was screaming every time you looked at the assassin, and you couldn’t piece together a single coherent thought.

Once four men exited the Hummer and opened fire, marching forward with an almost mechanical calm, you dove behind a vehicle to shield yourself. The bullets tracked you relentlessly, and when Steve got flung off the bridge, you and Natasha immediately headed in opposite directions, hoping to split their barrage of bullets.

The meaty metal-armed guy – what had Nat called him? The Winter Soldier? – went after her, while the four agents focused on you. You drew your glocks and tried to return fire when you could, but their machine guns had the advantage. Luckily, Natasha swung off the bridge and managed to get in a nice shot at her pursuer, giving you the distraction you needed to deploy your own utility belt and join her at street level.

Taking a couple deep breaths, you looked around, trying to gauge exactly where in the city you’d landed. So many of the federal buildings down here looked the same, which meant it was often difficult to get your bearings.

But with enemies hot on your trail, you knew you didn’t have time to dally. You picked a direction and ran, praying your intuition would guide you to the location least likely to be filled with civilians. Luckily, it was still the middle of the workday, so you were counting on the fact that most people would be safely ensconced in their office buildings.

You spied an abandoned gift shop with a small park beyond, so you ran around its corner and knelt behind the trashcan conveniently located there, ready to ambush anyone who followed you. Your ploy paid off immediately, as two figures hurried around the corner and past the trashcan, eyes sweeping the grassy area. If it had been lunchtime, there might have been more people on the benches surrounding the bronze statue at the center, but right now it was empty.

You pounced silently from your concealed hiding place onto the shoulders of the closest agent, swiftly incapacitating him with a blow from your electrified gauntlets – Nat had given you a pair once after catching you admiring hers, and you never tired of using them.

Your assailant’s partner whirled around, but you were ready, and with a few swift kicks you managed to knock him unconscious too. Quickly checking both bodies, you disarmed the men and then used a length of cord you’d found on one of them to tie them up, back to back.

Hopefully when this was over, your team would be able to question these men and formulate a better plan for how to beat HYDRA. But for now, no new enemies arrived, and you realized the rest of the assailants must have decided to follow your friends instead of you.

You desperately wanted to get back out there and help them, but first you desperately needed to pause and get a handle on what your intuition was trying to tell you. It was something about the guy in the mask, but you couldn’t put your finger on it.

Cursing your sixth sense for the 600th time that day, you gathered yourself back up and headed in the direction of the gunshots and screaming.

You reached the action just as Steve and the Soldier were fighting one-on-one in the middle of the street. Cars had been abandoned left and right, and a battered bus lay on its side at the closest intersection. Luckily, it appeared that any civilians who might have been in the area had managed to flee. At least that much was a relief.

Natasha and Sam were nowhere in sight, though that didn’t stop you from scouring the area hoping for a glimpse of them, before finally turning your attention back to the main event. Creeping carefully behind the parked cars lining the street, you kept an eye out for an opportunity to shoot. Unfortunately, the two men were fighting at near lightning speed, literally inches apart – making it nigh impossible to get a clean shot.

Sure, Steve would likely survive if you shot him by accident, but you’d rather not help his attacker if at all possible.

Watching the action intently, you noted with interest just how evenly matched the two of them were. Usually Steve took out every opponent with ease, sometimes five at a time. But this guy was able to block a lot of his hits, and get in more than a few of his own. You quickly deduced this was no ordinary human, that he was probably enhanced in much the same way Steve was. Maybe it was gamma radiation? You’d heard some scientists had had spotty success creating superhuman strength that way.

Finally, Steve got in a few good punches and threw his foe far enough away from him that you knew it was the perfect opportunity to shoot – though you were admittedly unsure at this point whether your bullets would even make a difference, you had to at least try.

And yet, as you raised your gun, time seemed to slow down, and you suddenly found yourself unable to pull the trigger. Because when you glimpsed his face, you recognized it in an instant, and your heart leapt.

You knew every inch of that face.

You’d seen that face every night for the better part of 10+ years.

I guess he wasn’t really dead after all.

#bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #fairy tale au #marvel #once upon a dream (remix)#taras5kwritingchallenge

18 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

You guys aren't going to believe this, but I had a dream about Once Upon A Dream (remix).

I had a vague idea of where I wanted the story to go, especially once the obvious stuff is out of the way, but I wasn't exactly sure how certain scenes should look.

And then two nights ago I dreamed that exact sequence. And I woke up and was like !!! So now I'm writing my dream, because it couldn't be any more perfect than that haha

#once upon a dream (remix)

2 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Thank you 🙏 I always struggle with the urge to apologize for my illness or my body’s limitations, so I definitely appreciate when people are understanding 💖💖

And I’m glad you liked it! I keep feeling like I’m walking a line between too little and too much retelling of the movie. On the one hand I don’t want it to be boring for someone who’s already seen TWS a million times before; on the other hand, I want readers to be able to follow the story if they’ve only seen it one time a few years ago and are spotty on the details. Hopefully I am achieving those goals! 🤞

Once Upon A Dream (remix) - Chapter 3

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the Captain America films, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

The third chapter of my Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge! Life seems to be keeping me pretty consistent at publishing a chapter every two weeks, despite my attempts to go faster. That bug I picked up laid me low for longer than I would have liked – that’s an unfortunate side effect of fibromyalgia, stuff hits me harder and lasts longer than it would for regular people. I promise I am working hard and hopefully will be able to publish more frequently in the near future ❤️

Chapter 3

Less than 24 hours later, you were rendezvousing at Pentagon City mall with Steve and Natasha, and trying to come up with a plan on the fly. While they headed to the Apple Store in an attempt to decode the contents of the zip drive, you were tasked with finding a getaway car. As you scoured the parking structure for the perfect vehicle, your mind was racing with the events of the last 12 hours – Director Fury was dead, and the three of you were now on the run from the organization you’d once considered your safe haven.

I still can’t believe he’s dead, you thought, shaking your head. Your thoughts kept drifting to those final moments, watching helplessly as the doctors struggled vainly to save him. If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t have believed it. If only I’d gotten in touch with Maria sooner, or been able to really make her understand.

Yet, even as these thoughts floated through your head, the rational part of your mind reminded you that you had contacted her with plenty of time to initiate a contingency plan. You’d definitely done everything you could.

Unfortunately, sometimes that’s still not enough.

Keep reading

16 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Once Upon A Dream (remix) - Chapter 3

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the Captain America films, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

The third chapter of my Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge! Life seems to be keeping me pretty consistent at publishing a chapter every two weeks, despite my attempts to go faster. That bug I picked up laid me low for longer than I would have liked -- that’s an unfortunate side effect of fibromyalgia, stuff hits me harder and lasts longer than it would for regular people. I promise I am working hard and hopefully will be able to publish more frequently in the near future ❤️

Chapter 3

Unfortunately, sometimes that’s still not enough.

You sighed and tried to refocus. You hadn’t even slept well, because of course you hadn’t had one of those nice dreams where you and Bucky cuddled in hammocks on the beach. No, instead you had to dream that you were wandering the dimly-lit hallways of a creepy old building, searching for someone, becoming more and more desperate to find them. You always woke up from those kinds of dreams feeling disoriented and horribly, terribly alone.

Which was definitely not helping things right now.

You finally targeted the perfect truck – a Chevy Silverado Z71 that would be able to handle whatever terrain or road conditions lay before you, all without calling attention to itself or its passengers – and were in the middle of hotwiring it when your phone beeped with a text from Nat.

Hope ur rdy 4 us, company’s here [kissy face]

You chuckled. Of course, even when she was in mortal danger, Nat always had time to send an emoji.

You hurried to finish your task, praying that whoever had been dispatched to bring the three of you in would stay busy inside the mall instead of wandering out here. At the very least, you were confident that your intuition would let you know if you were in immediate danger. Finally, the engine roared to life, and you dove into the driver’s seat.

You pulled up to the 1st floor mall exit, the squeal of the tires echoing throughout the garage, just as your friends came barreling through the door.

“Howdy, Strangers. Need a lift?”

Steve didn’t even react to your pithy greeting; instead, he opened your door, taking you by surprise for once. “Hop in the back, I’ll drive.” When you didn’t move immediately, he clarified, “I know where we’re going and how to get there; we’ll fill you in on the road.” With a nod, you clambered into the backseat, and in minutes you were on 395 headed (roughly) north.

“So…” You leaned forward between the seats and blew a bubble with the gum you’d stolen from Nat’s pocket. When it popped, you prodded, “What’s the plan?”

Nat stretched a leg up on the dashboard and smirked, her eyes on Steve. “We’re taking a little trip down memory lane.”

“What, like Brooklyn? That’s like…” You tried to calculate the distance, but quickly gave up. “…a million hour drive.”

Steve rolled his eyes at both of you, but the split-second twitch of his lips told you he wasn’t really mad about your teasing. “We couldn’t crack the zip drive, but we were able to trace where it came from: Camp Lehigh.”

At the blank look on your face, Nat took pity on you. “New Jersey.”

You sat back with a huff.

“I think I would have preferred Brooklyn.”

Steve shook his head and glanced at you in the rearview mirror. “Me too, to be honest.”

You sagged against the window, watching trees and cars speed past. At least the drive would be somewhat scenic; that’s something, right? You were just about to ask Nat to turn on the radio, hoping to find some good road trip tunes, when she spoke up again.

“I have a question for you, Rogers.” She studied him for a second before quickly adding, “Which you do not have to answer. I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?”

He cut off her rambling. “What?” His tone, while exasperated, didn’t sound annoyed so much as amused.

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?”

You almost swallowed your gum. “WHAT?!”

Grabbing her arm, you practically yelled in her ear, “Did you kiss Steve???” You turned to the now bright-red super soldier. “Did you kiss Nat?????”

“No! I mean, yes, technically, but – ugh! It was a diversionary tactic!!” Flustered Steve was always your favorite, and you fought to hide your grin.

“Aww come on, no need to be coy. I know you felt something,” Nat cooed flirtatiously, fluttering her eyelashes, and he looked like he might combust. You would have started cracking up if you weren’t so eager to hear more details.

Your grip on Nat’s arm tightened and you shook her a little, and you couldn’t resist adding a little teasing of your own. “All this time we’ve been wondering why he won’t go out with any of the girls we try to set him up with. Now we know, it’s because he’s been sweet on you!”

Steve squawked, turning even redder and clenching the wheel so hard you were afraid he might wrench it off. “It – it’s not like that!! We saw the Strike Team, they were searching the mall for us, and we needed to avoid them so the civilians would be safe….. And then we were about to pass Rumlow on the escalator, and then Natasha here said that public displays of affection make people uncomfortable and…” He trailed off, and the whole thing was so funny, you couldn’t hold your laughter in anymore.

Camp Lehigh was abandoned and overgrown, and definitely far from welcoming. You tried to squint your eyes and visualize a skinny pre-serum Steve running laps or striving to complete an obstacle course, using pictures and footage you’d seen in the Smithsonian exhibit to help anchor the scene. The image never quite crystallized, though; you always had trouble truly envisioning Steve as that small, scrawny figure in the photos. He’d been such a solid, powerful figure for as long as you’d known him.

Plus, from the minute you entered the camp, your senses had been on high alert, which really didn’t help your imagination either. You were overwhelmed with a really bad feeling, and knew danger was lurking somewhere nearby. You couldn’t identify the source, though, because it didn’t seem to be coming from a specific direction.

Except maybe…down? But that didn’t make any sense.

“What is it?” Nat had been in the middle of announcing that this was a dead end, when suddenly her tone changed. You turned to see Steve stalking towards a bunker, Nat trailing behind him.

“Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.” Thank goodness Steve knew rules and regulations like the back of his hand, or you might not even have noticed anything was out of place.

He smashed the lock with his handy shield, and the three of you entered the cold, musty building. Shivering, you brought up the rear, severely disliking the way it felt like a mausoleum.

Steve flicked a switch, and ancient fluorescent lights flickered aglow, illuminating an unassuming office space of some sort. Clunky old desks, filing cabinets, and office chairs were arrayed throughout the room; thick dust and cobwebs coated every surface, making it clear that no living being had been in here in a very long time.

And, inevitably, your feeling of impending doom increased.

Glancing around, you spied a large symbol on the wall just as Nat did, and realized that this must have been where SHIELD began, all those years ago. You supposed it made sense; Captain America began here too, and this had been their homebase of sorts. Of course when they came back from overseas, they would have chosen somewhere familiar, somewhere the seeds of SHIELD had already begun to sprout.

You followed your partners into a library or storage room of some sort, where a trio of prominently displayed photographs confirmed your hunch. You recognized all three people from the Smithsonian exhibit; but apparently Nat had never been, because her next question made you cringe.

“Who's the girl?”

You purposely avoided making eye contact with Steve, because you already knew how he must be feeling. This camp, the place where they first met and got to know each other, was already brimming with memories of her – and now her face was on the wall. Young. Vibrant. Fierce. Just the way he probably remembered her. He’d been to see her just yesterday, confronted yet again with the fact that a lifetime had passed him by in the blink of an eye; and he was left with an obsolete snapshot of a moment in time, and an ache for what could have been.

There was a long, awkward pause, and then Steve literally sidestepped the question by striding deeper into the room.

You’d just opened your mouth to whisper a quick-but-vague explanation to Nat, when he pointed to a cobwebbed bookshelf and pondered aloud, “If you're already working in a secret office...” He paused to insert his hand into the space between the bookcases, and then, with surprising ease, slid them apart, revealing a hidden alcove. “…why do you need to hide the elevator?”

A sudden spike of anxiety shot through you, and you knew that only danger waited below. But the feeling was different than the one you usually got when you were about to be physically attacked – and before you could pinpoint what was different about it, the elevator ride had ended and the doors were already opening into a cavernous basement filled with ancient computer relics.

#taras5kwritingchallenge #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #fairy tale au #marvel #once upon a dream (remix)

16 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! Their friendship is really fun to write 😄 And thanks for the well wishes, too 💕💕 I finally went to the doctor today and she said I'll probably be feeling this crappy for another couple weeks, which I am definitely NOT excited about. But at least it's nothing life-threatening ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Once Upon A Dream (remix)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the Captain America films, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

The second chapter of my Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge! I’d hoped to get it out sooner than this, but I’ve been under the weather.

Chapter 2

“Hey, Y/N, wait up!”

You were just heading out of the locker room, ready to get home and take a nice long bath. It’d been a long night, and even though you’d managed to catch some sleep on the jet, you still had a few too many bruises for comfort (thanks to some Algerian goons). But when you heard Natasha call your name, you paused and held the door open, waiting for her to catch up.

She gave you a grateful half-smile when she reached you, and you nodded in response as you started walking again. “How’s your back?”

She grimaced and stretched. “Eh, I’ll be alright. At least Rogers took most of the damage by crashing through the window first. Yay?”

You chuckled. “Must be nice to have super healing.” You glanced back over your shoulder, but the hallway was empty behind you. “Did he head home already?” Even as you asked the question, you felt a twinge that told you the answer was going to be no.

Sure enough, Nat was shaking her head. “He made a beeline for Fury’s office as soon as we landed.”

Now it was your turn to grimace. “I did notice he wasn’t happy when you guys got back to the jet,” you admitted. “I guess Fury will have to finally tell him about the project now. They’ve been putting it off for too long, anyway.”

Nat sighed. “Yeah, probably. I don’t think he’s gonna like it, though.”

That was the understatement of the century. “Probably not,” you agreed. You’d reached the garage, so you stopped next to your motorcycle and started putting on your helmet. “I’ll check in on him later, make sure he’s doing okay.”

She smirked and gave you a little wave as she sauntered over to her car. “Have fun.”

You scoffed a mirthless laugh. “Of course!”

Keep reading

17 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Wow, thank you so much!!!!!! I’m so happy you liked it 😆😆💖💖

Chapter two has been slow going, because I’ve been sick all week, but it’s finally out now!

Once Upon A Dream (remix)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed Winter Soldier, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

This is the first chapter of a Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge. Congratulations, Tara!!!! Sorry it’s so late. Hope you like it!

Chapter One

Gunshots. Squealing tires. Explosions. Breaking glass. Screams.

The Winter Soldier’s waking life was chaos divided into clean lines, dissociated destruction by the book, mindless obedient violence.

Every kill, every mission – they all lined up in an orderly fashion, tidiness to the pandemonium. He was never really there; it was all like a walking nightmare, a hallucination that didn’t even seem real. Like watching a movie or being in the passenger seat – he witnessed all the carnage as though he were seeing it secondhand; and later, as he sat buckled in his chair, waiting for cryofreeze, the distorted memory of it seemed like he might just have imagined it all.

And then the ice would come.

And he’d drift off, to a world that seemed more real than anything he experienced during the day.

Here everything was vivid and detailed, instead of hazy and confusing. His senses seemed heightened rather than deadened, and it was only here that he ever felt truly alive or awake anymore. He was himself again, once more in control of his thoughts and his actions.

And she was here.

She’d been appearing in his dreams for as long as he could remember – although, the way dreamworlds work, there’s nothing to really indicate any long term passage of time, so it’s not like he could have pinpointed her arrival even if he’d tried. But she was there, every night, no matter how the surroundings might change.

The time he spent with her was a paradise. They’d explored forests and jungles together, wandered the streets of Paris and New York, ridden camels through the desert and dog sleds across the tundra. They’d watched the sunset on the beach, the sun-warmed sand beneath their feet; and lain in soft meadows gazing at star-strewn night skies. At times, their adventures could even be fantastical, filled with mythical creatures or impossible physics that allowed them to fly or breathe underwater. The one constant was her presence, and her love became his gravity.

Keep reading

108 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Once Upon A Dream (remix) - Chapter 2

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed the Captain America films, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

The second chapter of my Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge! I’d hoped to get it out sooner than this, but I’ve been under the weather.

Chapter 2

“Hey, Y/N, wait up!”

She gave you a grateful half-smile when she reached you, and you nodded in response as you started walking again. “How’s your back?”

She grimaced and stretched. “Eh, I’ll be alright. At least Rogers took most of the damage by crashing through the window first. Yay?”

Sure enough, Nat was shaking her head. “He made a beeline for Fury’s office as soon as we landed.”

Nat sighed. “Yeah, probably. I don’t think he’s gonna like it, though.”

She smirked and gave you a little wave as she sauntered over to her car. “Have fun.”

You scoffed a mirthless laugh. “Of course!”

As you’d predicted, Steve showed up at the Smithsonian exhibit in his honor early that afternoon; you’d noticed it seemed to be a favored destination whenever he was feeling unsure about where he fit into this modern world. He was wearing his classic “disguise” – a baseball cap – as though the top of his head was the only thing that identified him as Captain America.

Yet, it somehow seemed to do the trick; as usual, the patrons of the museum were more focused on the exhibition than on the people around them, and with the exception of one small, observant child, he maintained his anonymity. Perhaps it was because the exhibit always made him out to be something larger than life – so when he slouched in here in a nondescript cap (Cap in a cap, ha!), he was so unassuming that nobody even looked twice.

He didn’t blink an eye when you silently fell into step beside him. He’d noticed early on that you had a strongly developed intuition and you tended to follow it unflinchingly. It never steered you wrong, and you had learned to trust it – and by extension, Steve trusted it too. You appreciated that about him: that even if you couldn’t explain how you knew something, he always went with your gut anyway. That’s the kind of thing that makes a person a great team member.

And the fact that he never once treated you like it was something weird or creepy…well, that’s the kind of thing that makes someone a great friend.

You’d shown up mostly to be a comforting presence to Steve, so you didn’t impose yourself upon him or force him into conversation. You could tell that he just needed to know he wasn’t alone; other than that, you left him to his own thoughts. While he was preoccupied with his soul searching, you kept a casual eye on the crowds, and every now and then perused one of the displays. Most of them you knew by heart, and you had the video loops memorized from all your previous visits to the museum with Steve. Yet, as always, your heart stuttered when the section dedicated to James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes came into view.

Mindful of the heat rising to your face, you tried vainly to ignore the memories that flooded your mind – if recalling moments in a dream could even really be considered memories. Thankfully, Steve was too lost in his own head to notice your discomfort, and you took the opportunity to study the picture of Bucky obliquely. His eyes looked every bit as soulful as they had last night in your dream, but for some reason his hair in these pictures (and the footage) always looked weird to you.

What was it about this guy anyway, that made him such a frequent figure in your sleep? He’d been dead for 70 years – the words on the wall made this fact very clear, as did Steve’s haunting retelling of the memory that often kept him awake at night. Yet your mind couldn’t seem to accept that truth, and by now you had grown accustomed to his near-nightly presence in your dreams, for the most part.

Normally, a recurring dream would be a warning or a signal about something you needed to look out for – an omen that something was about to happen, or a sign that you needed to interpret. At least, that’s how your dreams used to be, when you were growing up. At this point, you could only vaguely remember what it was like to not dream about Bucky.

And these dreams weren’t technically recurring either. They were different every time, and the only constant was the presence of James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. A man you’d never met, the long dead best friend of your best friend, a stranger who didn’t feel at all like a stranger. You felt like you knew him intimately – because you’d seen him, talked to him, interacted with him, pretty much every night for the last decade or so. He felt like a real person to you, and your adventures felt like real memories.

Hell, you felt significantly closer to him than you did to most people in your waking life.

Sure, sometimes Steve appeared in your dreams, too, but he was never the focus – which was strange, given that the two of you were so close in real life. It was always more like a cameo appearance, a side character; and most of the time if he did show up, you still barely even interacted with him. Bucky was always the focal point, no matter what else was going on in the dream.

The whole thing was just…weird. You couldn’t make heads or tails of it. And you’d certainly never mentioned it to anybody else. What were you supposed to say? “Hey, you know your best friend whose death traumatized you? I have lovey-dovey dreams about him all the time – long before you and I met, actually.” Yeah, no. That conversation would be super awkward, not to mention pointless; it wouldn’t change anything, other than making Steve feel uncomfortable.

And who else could you tell? Natasha would jump all over you and tease you about it, and anyone else…well, you couldn’t be assured that word wouldn’t get back to Steve. After all, Bucky was his friend, someone he actually knew and cared deeply for. For you to dream about him was the equivalent of dreaming about a celebrity, someone you’d never actually met and only knew about through second- or third-hand stories. And if people knew you dreamed about him pretty much every night? They’d think you were more than a little obsessive. And honestly, who could blame them?

Shaking your head to clear it, you tried to bring your mind back to the present. You filed into the darkened alcove behind Steve, and joined him on the bench to watch the much-loved interview with Peggy Carter. This was the room that Steve generally spent the most time in, and you could probably repeat her speech verbatim if someone asked you to. So, in order to keep your mind off the things you really didn’t want to think about right now, you set yourself an objective: trying to count how many times Director Carter blinked during her interview.

Outside the museum, you and Steve checked out one of the food trucks lining the Mall, then sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy your treats. A cool breeze blew across the grass to ruffle your hair, and you spied a handful of colorful kites soaring high above. Down closer to the Washington Monument, a trio of college students tossed a Frisbee back and forth. To the rest of the world, it was a lovely late spring day, perfect for relaxing: sunny and warm, but yet not close enough to summer to be hot. You would have loved to join in, if it weren’t for this pesky foreboding that wouldn’t seem to leave you alone.

Steve smiled with nostalgia as he opened his Cracker Jack box. “I can’t believe they still make this stuff,” he mumbled, pouring the mix into his hand and shoving it in his mouth.

You grinned. “Does it still taste the same?”

His expression turned thoughtful as he crunched. He took another mouthful to be sure. “I feel like it tastes even better than I remember? But it’s not like I got to eat it all the time,” he hastened to add. “It was mostly a special occasion food, saved for ballgames and stuff.”

You nodded in understanding, and tore open your package of Astronaut Ice Cream. You’d bought it in the Air & Space gift shop while anticipating his arrival; it made for a great snack, and you didn’t even have to keep it cold. Sure, it tasted a little like cardboard, but the flavor had grown on you somehow.

The two of you munched in silence for a bit, watching the chattering crowd of schoolchildren who were amassing nearby. Harried teachers were attempting to wrangle them into organized groups, desperately counting heads to ensure all their charges were present. Some of the less-obedient children were running around harassing mobs of pigeons, frightening them into flight like feathered bowling pins. You chuckled at their antics, but Steve remained pensive.

“Did you know?” He eventually asked. He kept his voice low, out of habit; one never knew who could overhear.

You didn’t have to look at him to know exactly what he was asking, but you attempted to make light of the situation. “About Cracker Jacks? Yes, I’ve actually been an expert in eating them since early childhood.”

He snorted. “It’s called Cracker JACK. Singular. You wouldn’t call it ‘pop corns’ would you?” Bantering with Steve was always comforting; but before you could do more than smirk in response, he dropped his voice again, adding, “And you know that’s not what I was talking about, Y/N.”

Behind your sunglasses, your eyes casually skimmed the vicinity, making sure no one was near enough to listen in. “I knew,” you admitted quietly. “Fury briefed Nat and me at the same time. I warned him you should know too, but he made me promise not to say anything. He wanted to be the one to tell you.” You dropped your gaze to your silver packet of half-eaten pink styrofoam.

Steve sighed. “I don’t like it, Y/N.” He folded up his Cracker Jack box, and tossed it into a nearby trashcan with casual skill, as though it were perfectly natural to throw something that far with barely any effort. “But I suppose you already knew that.”

You nodded, studying him out of the corner of your eye. He didn’t seem angry, or even upset. He just seemed…morally troubled. His struggle was intellectual, rather than emotional – though no less agonizing. You put a comforting hand on his arm, hoping to reassure him. “I don’t like it either, honestly. The whole thing gives me a bad feeling.”

He frowned. “Well, that makes me feel even better.”His sarcasm made you bark a laugh, even though this was no laughing matter.

“I’m not going to caramel-coat it, Steve, something is going on. Something just beyond what we can see.” You leaned forward, elbows on your knees. “Precisely what, I don’t know. But I’m working on figuring that out.”

Steve let out a long breath you hadn’t been aware he was holding. Slowly, he stood, wiping the crumbs off his hands. “Well, I guess I’m just going to have to be patient. If anyone can get to the bottom of it, it’s you.” He beamed at you, and you returned his smile. You felt honored that he had that much faith in you.

You just hoped you wouldn’t let him down.

He bid you adieu, saying something about visiting an old friend. You knew exactly which old friend he meant, but you let him have his privacy. It’s not like you were interested in tagging along – and besides, you had a mystery to solve.

After he left, you slumped back against the bench with a frustrated growl, clenching your fists. The crinkle in your hand reminded you that you had yet to finish your snack, which perked you up immediately. You popped another piece in your mouth while you ruminated over the evidence at hand.

The mission yesterday had gone mostly to plan, but you’d been having a strange feeling for awhile now that had increased acutely while you were on the Lemurian Star. What was Jasper Sitwell doing on a launch ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean? What answers lay encoded in that data that Nat stole from the ship’s hard drive?

Your sixth sense was going crazy, filling you with an uneasy dread and the certainty that something bad was on the horizon. But what? And what would be the best course of action to take, if you wanted to avoid it – or, at the very least, minimize the damage?

As you crunched away, you tuned into your deeper intuition, trying to determine the root of your growing alarm. Suddenly you stopped mid-chew, nearly choking on the vaguely-strawberry space dust as you gasped at a sudden impulse: you needed to call Director Fury immediately.

Or better yet, Maria Hill.

#taras5kwritingchallenge #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #fairy tale au #marvel #once upon a dream (remix)

17 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

omigosh what a reaction!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for all the kind things you had to say 💖💖💖 I was at Disneyland all day yesterday so I couldn’t respond but I did check tumblr superquick while I was on the Millennium Falcon queue and I didn’t shut up about your comments for the whole rest of the day, just ask my husband haha. I’ve got about half the rest of the chapters as rough drafts; they require some serious rewriting but I’m super inspired rn so hopefully I can slog through and finish them up shortly. All I can say is thanks for hosting this challenge, because this story has been so fun to brainstorm!!! 😆😆

Once Upon A Dream (remix)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed Winter Soldier, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

This is the first chapter of a Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge. Congratulations, Tara!!!! Sorry it’s so late. Hope you like it!

Chapter One

Gunshots. Squealing tires. Explosions. Breaking glass. Screams.

The Winter Soldier’s waking life was chaos divided into clean lines, dissociated destruction by the book, mindless obedient violence.

And then the ice would come.

And he’d drift off, to a world that seemed more real than anything he experienced during the day.

And she was here.

Keep reading

108 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Once Upon A Dream (remix)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: A Sleeping Beauty/Winter Soldier remix, featuring the reader as a SHIELD agent who might have powers (or just a really finely tuned intuition)

Warnings: None. If you’ve seen and enjoyed Winter Soldier, you shouldn’t find anything troubling here.

This is the first chapter of a Fairy Tale AU for @moonbeambucky’s 5k Writing Challenge. Congratulations, Tara!!!! Sorry it’s so late. Hope you like it!

Chapter One

Gunshots. Squealing tires. Explosions. Breaking glass. Screams.

The Winter Soldier’s waking life was chaos divided into clean lines, dissociated destruction by the book, mindless obedient violence.

And then the ice would come.

And he’d drift off, to a world that seemed more real than anything he experienced during the day.

And she was here.

Tonight, she met him on the banks of a quiet lake, surrounded by a forest ablaze with autumn color. At her feet lay two bundled blankets and a large lidded basket; several yards away there was a dock, at the end of which sat a rowboat. She turned towards him and stretched out an arm, beckoning him to join her, smiling that beautiful smile that made his heart leap.

There wasn’t another soul to be seen anywhere; just orange and yellow and red leaves, both on the trees surrounding the lake, and in their reflection in its clear waters. A small island floated in the middle of the lake, aglow with more fall foliage. The trees contrasted beautifully with the bright blue sky; the air was fresh and crisp. He inhaled deeply, relishing the scent, and joined her at the water’s edge, drinking in the gorgeous view. She leaned against him, and he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to his side. Her warmth was welcome against the chill in the air, but somehow he was dressed in weather-appropriate clothing, so he was comfortable either way.

He helped her into the boat, and then stepped in himself, taking the oars in hand. She was a vision, wrapped in one of her blankets and smiling up at him, surrounded by the riotous beauty of fall, and he was certain this must be paradise.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Her voice was nearly a whisper, so as not to disturb the idyllic scene; but he heard her with perfect clarity.

He gave a lopsided smile, shrugging. “Sometimes I just can’t believe you’re real.”

Her laugh was musical, as she dropped her gaze and flushed. “I feel the same way.”

He steered the boat lazily around the lake, with not so much a destination in mind as a desire to really allow themselves to steep in the gorgeous view. The sun slowly moved across the sky, and when he estimated it was probably close to four, he set his course for the island. He steadied the boat for her to climb out, and then he joined her on the gently sloping shore, securing the vessel so it would not float away and leave them stranded.

Just as he was turning to help set up their picnic, the scene began to change, colors spinning and whirling together.

The trees ballooned and stretched all around him, suddenly surging closer as though in movement. The reflection of their new bell-like shapes still danced across the water – though, now that he looked, the surface of the lake itself seemed to solidify into a glassy floor. Walls materialized in the distance, lined with elegant pillars and filled with windows revealing nothing but the clear night sky. The light in the air wavered and dimmed, seemingly cast from thousands of candles throughout the expansive room. Beautiful music swelled from a small orchestra perched on a balcony. Reflections of flickering candlelight danced on the burnished floor, as couples whirled by in a kaleidoscope of color.

He looked down to discover he was clad in a velvety jacket, complete with tails – and the strangest pants/boots combo he’d ever worn. But before he could further contemplate this, a sudden fanfare sounded. The whole room paused, turning as one towards the staircase, to glimpse the newcomer.

She was beauty personified, layers of fluffy tulle cascading from her waist, giving her the appearance of wearing a cloud – or perhaps cotton candy, as the iridescent sheen of her gown seemed to shift from silvery blue to pale lavender to a sheer pink when she moved. The gems scattered across her mask flashed in the candlelight as she turned her head. She stood tall and stately, serenely surveying the ballroom, but there was something in the way that she carried herself that quietly radiated power. He could tell just by looking at her that she was not someone he wanted to cross. He was instantly captivated, and felt irrevocably drawn to her like a magnet.

She descended as though she were floating, and he deftly made his way around the edge of the room to intercept her at the foot of the stairs. Their eyes met, and he struggled to catch his breath. Warm and welcoming, sharp and wise, sparkling with wit and mischief – how could one pair of eyes speak so much? He felt as though she could see through to his very soul.

They stared at one another for several long seconds, as he struggled vainly to find something impressive to say. Seemingly coming to her senses, eyelashes fluttering, she dipped into a low curtsy. He bowed deeply in response; then, when she delicately placed her gloved hand into his outstretched one, he led her onto the dance floor.

The rest of the world seemed to fade away as they waltzed together. “Do I know you?” He asked earnestly, searching her face. “I have the funniest feeling I’ve met you somewhere before…”

“I’m sure I’d remember,” She demurred coyly. He felt a shiver along his spine when he heard her voice. She was entirely bewitching, and he couldn’t fight the conviction that he knew her. His mind warred with itself, torn between wanting to discern why she was so achingly familiar, and the desire to simply lose himself in this moment and fully enjoy her radiant presence. He surrendered to the latter.

They swept along the dancefloor, moving together in effortless harmony, their bodies in perfect tune with one another. The music seemed to surround them, enveloping them in a reverie, and he felt like they were dancing across the sky. The way his heart was winging undoubtedly helped to sustain that sensation.

He didn’t know how long they danced, as one song bled into another; all he knew was that he held an angel in his arms, and he never wanted to let go. He was lost in her adoring gaze, vaguely aware that his own expression must be a mirror of hers. Finally, he could bear it no longer, and slowly, hesitantly, tilted his face towards hers, hoping she would meet him in a kiss.

But before their lips could touch, the music started to change, transforming into a brassy calliope. It mingled with distant shouts and whoops, as the chatter of the nearby dancers became gradually louder. Scents of hot dogs and popcorn and fried dough wafted on the breeze. The shapes of the couples throughout the dancefloor began stretching and shifting as though they were reflections in a funhouse mirror. The sky – when had there been sky? – brightened, and he could feel the sun warming his face. Someone jostled his shoulder as they strode past, apologizing quickly; and when he turned back around he found Steve walking beside him. Already he couldn’t remember what he had just been doing, and instead was filled with the certainty that the two of them had been here, at Coney Island for hours.

As they strolled down the avenue, examining the various games, they heard a commotion several stalls away. Turning a corner, they saw a woman arguing with one of the game attendants; apparently she did not take kindly to being called a cheater.

“I won the top prize, fair and square! Fork it over, buddy.” Her hands were clenched, her expression so fierce that Bucky wouldn’t have been surprised if sparks started flying from her eyes.

“There’s no way you hit all the targets without cheating, missy. You’re not going to get away with hustling me!”

Bucky noted with amusement how wide the man’s eyes grew when he and Steve approached the booth and leaned nonchalantly against the counter. He supposed they must seem rather intimidating.

“Something wrong, miss?” Bucky felt a strange sense of déjà vu, and a strong instinct to protect and support this woman. Maybe he’d met her before?

She turned her glare on him, her jaw set. “This bozo doesn’t believe a girl can shoot well enough to beat his stupid game. And if he doesn’t watch himself, I’m gonna show him just how good a shot a girl can be.” She reached for the plastic gun tethered to the counter and the barker’s expression grew even more alarmed.

Bucky turned away to hide a snicker, and Steve spoke up. “Why don’t you give her another free go-round and we’ll all see for ourselves? Sound fair?”

The man grudgingly agreed, resetting the game. She picked up the gun and fired several shots in quick succession, knocking over half the targets; in under a minute, she had decimated all of the tiny men, and Bucky had never wanted so badly to kiss a dame. She tipped the fake pistol up and blew away imaginary smoke, before dropping it back onto the counter. Cocking an eyebrow at the game attendant, she popped her hip and crossed her arms, practically daring him to say something. He looked like he was about to argue, but after the quickest of glances back at Bucky and Steve, he heaved a disgruntled sigh and grabbed the biggest stuffed animal off the shelf.

Crisis averted, the woman turned off her murder eyes and smiled brightly, thanking the man in a tone that wasn’t quite patronizing (but was awfully close). Then she turned to him and Steve, and in a much more gracious tone of voice, said, “And thanks to both of you, too. I was perfectly capable of handling that myself, but a girl does appreciate allies every now and then.”

“Oh, I have absolutely no doubt of that, sugar. But I do hate to see a man mistreating a woman, so I felt compelled to intervene.” He gave her an easy smile, feeling remarkably comfortable in her presence, though he couldn’t put his finger on precisely why she seemed so familiar.

She looked him over appraisingly, and her expression seemed to indicate that she liked what she saw. Her gaze flickered briefly over to Steve and back before asking, “Can I treat you two to some ice cream? As a reward?”

Both men agreed readily, neither one capable of turning down dessert, and soon the three of them were ambling towards the confectionery, discussing favorite flavors. She let Bucky carry her prize when he offered, and Steve gave him a surreptitious wink, falling back behind the two of them and allowing Bucky to dominate the conversation.

Bucky’s spirits were high, and he was really enjoying chatting with his new(?) friend. But when they got their cones, he found that the ice cream was cold, way too cold, and it made his joints feel weird. Then suddenly there was a jumble of other sensations and a jolt of pain, some muffled yelling in a strange language –

and then he was falling awake.

#taras5kwritingchallenge #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #fairy tale au #marvel #once upon a dream (remix)

108 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Yay, I'm glad you liked it!! 😊

And, thank YOU for hosting this challenge, Hannah!!!!! It was an honor to participate, and I'm thrilled to celebrate an awesome writer like you!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Love Song

Pairing: Bassist!Bucky x Singer!Reader

Summary: Everyone in this band is your best friend, but you wish the bassist was a little more than that.

Warnings: PG Language. Lots of Fluff!

This is for @kentuckybarnes’ 3k Writing Challenge! Here’s your Rockstar!AU one-shot featuring Bucky w/ a Bass, I hope you enjoy it!! Here’s my first attempt at fanfiction, and I’ve probably been overthinking it, but I’m fairly happy with the result. Please be kind!

You drew your coat tighter around yourself, hurrying across the quiet street. The streetlight illuminated the snow drifting through the air, giving a peaceful feeling to the night…but you barely even noticed. You were running late for practice, and you really weren’t in the mood to hear another lecture from Steve – not after the day you’d had. Work had been busy as hell, because someone had called in sick and you had to pick up the slack; then, when you’d finally clocked out and headed to class, you got your philosophy paper back with a big fat D at the top. All you wanted to do right now was hang out somewhere warm with your favorite people in the world and make some music. Luckily, you were finally on your way there now!

Everyone looked up as you (accidentally) slammed the door open to Steve’s apartment. Tossing them a “sorry!” cringe, you stomped your boots on the mat, trying to dislodge as much snow as you could. The last thing you needed was a bunch of puddles creating a real safety hazard in the middle of your jam session! Stuffing your hat and scarf into a pocket, you hung your coat from one of the hooks on the wall, and joined your friends in the living room.

“’Bout time you got here, girl – we were wondering where you were!” Sam’s voice, dripping in sarcasm, made it crystal clear how he felt about having had to wait for you, and the withering look you shot him in response only made him laugh. You’d been friends since third grade, and always liked to give each other a hard time. Carol was setting up her keyboard, but she tossed you one of her patented wry smiles, her twinkling eyes speaking volumes about what she thought of Sam’s antics. Thankfully, Steve was engrossed in a pile of papers and only glanced up briefly enough to give you a quick nod as you passed, before returning to his work.

You took a deep breath to mentally prepare yourself before turning towards the couch, where you had already spied Bucky out of the corner of your eye. He had one leg up on the edge of the couch where he was tuning his bass, but as you approached he looked up and smiled. You steadfastly ignored the way it made your heart squeeze, and just gave him a breezy smile in return, dropping your laptop bag onto the cushions with a little more force than you meant to.

Keep reading

79 notes · View notes

as-write-as-rain · 6 years ago

Text

Love Song

Pairing: Bassist!Bucky x Singer!Reader

Summary: Everyone in this band is your best friend, but you wish the bassist was a little more than that.

Warnings: PG Language. Lots of Fluff!

This is for @kentuckybarnes' 3k Writing Challenge! Here's your Rockstar!AU one-shot featuring Bucky w/ a Bass, I hope you enjoy it!! Here's my first attempt at fanfiction, and I've probably been overthinking it, but I'm fairly happy with the result. Please be kind!

He instinctively leaned a little closer to you, and, in a quiet voice, asked, “How’s it going?” You glanced over, appreciating the way he tried to keep the question just between the two of you, instead of involving the whole room in the conversation. His attention was focused on the tuning pegs, but when you didn’t answer right away he looked over at you, tossing his head slightly so his shoulder-length hair fell back from his grey-blue eyes.

You sighed. “It’s going.” His expression turned sympathetic, and, with a half-shrug, you elaborated, “Today was kinda shit, but now I’m here and ready to rock out with you guys.”

His eyes searched yours, trying to make sure you were really okay, and the kindness and concern you saw in them made you secretly weak. “Well, I’m always here for you, if you wanna talk about it later.”

“Thanks, Buck,” was all you trusted yourself to say, and, with a small smile, you busied yourself with pulling out your music while he finished tuning his instrument. After a few seconds you peeked back at him out of the corner of your eye. His hair had fallen back across his face, and what you could see of his expression was once again serious. His focus was back on his gleaming silver guitar with its single bright red star, and you let your gaze linger on his lips before dropping to admire the way his muscles flexed while tuning it. Had he been working out? You could have sworn they were even bigger than usual, and he’d never been scrawny to begin with.

Steve cleared his throat and you quickly looked up to where he was standing in the middle of the room. “Anytime you’re ready, Y/N.” Trying not to look guilty (did he catch you checking Bucky out? Or is he just annoyed that you were late?), you nodded and stepped over to the mic.

Closing your eyes, you took three deep breaths, releasing the stress of the day and the pressures of the world; leaving behind the Harried Barista, Stressed College Student, and Pining Best Friend parts of your personality in favor of fully embodying your Rock Goddess persona. Everything that happened before this moment, you let fall away; right now, there was only you and the music. When you opened your eyes again, you felt fierce and self-possessed, filled with a deadly calm and ready to sing your heart out.

Carol was already poised, hands on the keys, and Sam sat behind his drum set, both of them looking to Steve, who was holding his guitar and tapping his foot to set the rhythm for the first song. Bucky got into position and faced forward, eyes on you. This was always his favorite part, watching you come alive in front of the mic. He saw your eyes open and your whole posture change, and he smiled to himself. Now we can rock.

Steve started first, then Sam, Carol, and Bucky last of all. You guys knew this song forwards and backwards, so it was almost like a warm-up for you. You grabbed the mic and started out quiet, gradually getting louder as the song built. It was so familiar and so freeing that you were grinning by the time the song was over. A glance at the rest of your friends told you they felt the same way.

The five of you had been friends forever, and Future Captains grew naturally out of your shared love of music. It started out as a fun project, but soon you realized you sounded really good together. Eventually, you’d all gotten kind of serious about it, and everyone had come into their own: Steve (and sometimes Carol) provided additional vocals, Sam was a genius at publicity, and Bucky excelled at managing most of what went on behind the scenes. And of course, everyone had only gotten better and better at playing their respective instruments as time went on. You loved to sing -- but more than that, you adored performing as a band, all of you creating music collectively, because it felt like you were part of something bigger than you, like you were sharing a soul for a few minutes in time. Whenever you sang, you felt powerful and unstoppable, and life seemed to make sense again. So, you eagerly lost yourself in the music, surrendering all your worries and just letting the songs flow through you.

After a couple of hours, you’d gone through all your material, both the older songs and the newer stuff you were still fine-tuning. You chugged from your water bottle and beamed at your band mates, invigorated. Carol winked, Sam gave you two thumbs up, and Bucky’s grin seemed to mirror your own.

Steve was smiling too, and as he started wrapping up cords and putting away his red, white, and blue guitar, he praised, “Great job, guys, we sounded amazing. I think we’re going to blow everyone away at the gig next week.” More smiles all around before he continued, “I’m almost done with those new songs I’ve been working on; I should have them done by Thursday’s practice, so we’ll try them out then.”

“Ooh, I can’t wait!” Carol cooed in that dry tone that always sounded a little teasing. When Steve glanced over to see whether she was being sincere, she continued, “I mean it! You’re a really great songwriter, Steve. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

Steve blushed and shrugged. “Well, thanks. But I’m not the only one! You guys are super talented too, and if any of you ever want to write a song, just let me know. I’m more than happy to share the songwriting responsibilities!” He looked around the room, holding everyone’s gaze for a few seconds, looking at Bucky last. Bucky studiously avoided eye contact, busying himself with putting his own guitar away.

The mic was the easiest item of all to put away, so after stowing it in its box you’d helped Sam dismantle his drum set and store the pieces safely in the corner. Addressing the room at large, you clapped your hands together and asked in a chipper tone, “Anybody up for a drink down at the bar? I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had a hell of a day.”

Sam was first to jump at the chance, and Carol was happy to join in. With an apologetic look, Steve explained that he had an early test tomorrow that he really needed to study for. Bucky hesitated just a second. “I’d love to, but I have an essay I need to finish.” Seeing your disappointment, he scrambled to add, “It’s almost done, maybe I can finish it up quick and meet you guys?” The three of you nodded, and he quickly decided that the smile you gave him was worth whatever grade he would end up getting on his half-baked paper.

He watched you, Carol, and Sam grab your jackets and head out the door, and when you turned back with a little wave, he gave you a grin that looked a lot more confident than he felt. The door shut, and he turned away, only to see Steve sitting at the kitchen table, regarding him knowingly.

Frowning, he growled, “What?”

“Nothing.” Steve’s voice was annoyingly patronizing.

With a sigh, Bucky turned towards his room, intending to ignore Steve’s smugness and hurry to finish his paper, but he’d gotten only a few steps before he heard him speak again.

“You should just tell her how you feel, Buck. I’m pretty sure she likes you, too. You guys would make a great couple.”

Whirling around, Bucky scowled at his roommate. “What are you talking about?”

Steve sat back in his chair and just gave him his patented look. Bucky jutted out his chin and crossed his arms, determined to be just as stubborn. Steve broke first, giving a short huff of laughter and shaking his head with a smile. “You’re my best friend, Buck, and so is she. It’s clear you have feelings for Y/N, and I wish you would just come clean, instead of pining over her and acting so weird and defensive. You’d be good for each other.”

Bucky looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Steve sighed. “Okay. We don’t have to talk about it anymore if you don’t want to. I’ve got my test to study for anyway, and I know you’ve got to finish your paper.”

A little over a half hour later, Bucky sat at his computer, reading over his paper one last time. It definitely wasn’t his best work, but it was pretty solid. He’d probably get a C; anything higher than that would require significantly more time and effort, and he wasn’t willing to spend any more of either at this point. His mind was already thinking ahead to seeing you at the bar, maybe find out what was bothering you – or at the very least, get to cheer you up and spend some time together. He loved just being in your presence, making you laugh or smile. You were like the sun to him, you seemed to warm his very soul; and he couldn’t get enough.

He quickly emailed his essay to his professor, grabbed his stuff, and headed for the living room. Steve must have heard his footsteps, because he stuck his head out of the kitchen, probably about to nag him again. “Hey, Buck –“

Bucky cut him off, calling out loudly, “Sorry, Steve – gotta run!” as he rushed out the door into the cold.

Steve sighed, looking down at the books his roommate had left in the kitchen. The clutter was really distracting him (probably because he might have been eager for any distraction at all from his studying, which was turning out to be very boring indeed), and he had hoped Bucky would take his stuff back into his room. “I guess I’ll just do it myself, then,” he mumbled to himself, picking up the stack. A page fluttered out of the notebook on the bottom of the pile. “Oops,” Steve bent to retrieve it, and then pulled up short. He’d expected it to be chemistry notes, but this was laid out like a poem, and the unexpected formatting caught his attention.

His eyes skimmed over the stanzas. “Aw, Buck….” The wheels in his head started turning.

As soon as he opened the door to the bar, Bucky could hear one of his favorite sounds in the world: your laughter. The place was about as busy as you’d expect for a Tuesday, and it wasn’t hard to spy the three of you in a booth, laughing uproariously about whatever story Sam had just finished telling. He stopped at the counter to order a beer before heading your way. Carol spied him and waved animatedly, as though he hadn’t already seen you guys; you snorted at her antics and took another sip of your drink before giving him a quick hug hello.

Sam’s story seemed to remind Carol of something similar that had happened to her once, and soon the four of you were in stitches, imagining her incredibly serious Lit professor going to lean back against the desk like he always did – only to find that the desk wasn’t exactly where he thought it was…and ending up on his ass on the ground instead.

“Everybody laughed, even Dr. Snyder – and then he swept right back into discussing Camus again, as though nothing had happened. You would not have been able to handle it, Y/N!”

You put your hands on your hips, trying to look menacing, or at least offended. “What’s that supposed to mean??”

Sam shoved your shoulder, shaking his head and laughing. “Come on, don’t act like you don’t know what we’re talking about. You can never keep it together when something strikes you as funny – especially when everyone’s supposed to be super serious. Remember that assembly in high school where you couldn’t stop laughing and you ended up getting detention for it?”

You grimaced, facepalming when Bucky joined in the teasing, asking, “Which time??” The three of them laughed even harder, and you had to give it up and join them, even though you were blushing brightly. This is why you’d wanted to come to the bar, after all, to relax and just have some fun; and besides, you really couldn’t deny that they were absolutely right.

Once the laughter had died down, Carol stood up, announcing that she was going to request some songs on the Jukebox. Sam shouted after her, reminding her to put some Marvin Gaye in the rotation, and she rolled her eyes and waved a hand at him to signify that she was well aware of Sam Wilson’s Jukebox Rules. Satisfied, Sam sat back, taking a swig of beer and surveying the room.

“Hey, Buck, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that blonde in the corner hasn’t taken her eyes off you since you got here.”

Bucky, who’d been about to nudge you and try to initiate conversation, was startled by the sudden change in topic, and froze. “What?”

Sam leaned in conspiratorially, a smirk on his face. “It’s your lucky day, man; looks like she’s heading this way. And her friend is cute!”

You barely had time to react before the two girls reached the table, and Sam was already hailing them with that swagger that you usually made you laugh, but somehow tonight was just getting on your nerves.

The girls giggled, and you swore you saw the blonde bat her eyelashes at Bucky. Who does that??

You grabbed your drink and hopped out of the booth, trying to appear chill despite the sinking feeling in your stomach. “I think I need another one of these,” you mumbled, even though nobody had asked.

The blonde had placed her hand on Bucky’s bicep, but his eyes stayed on you as you marched up to the bar and shone that million-watt smile on the bartender. Of course the guy started flirting immediately, who could resist you? Clenching his jaw, Bucky turned his attention back to his admirer, who was asking, “You know, you guys look familiar, have we met before?”

Sam preened. “You might have seen our band play around town, we’re the Future Captains?”

The girls squealed. “That’s what it is! You guys rock!!”

The blonde squeezed Bucky’s arm. “You’re the bassist, right? You’re incredible,” she breathed.

He smiled widely despite himself. “Thanks for the compliment, doll.”

“We’re playing at the House of Blues next Wednesday night, you girls should come check us out.” Sam really excelled at promoting the band, which Bucky was secretly grateful for, since it meant he didn’t have to hold up much of a conversation, and could continue watching you surreptitiously. The bartender was being extra friendly, and Bucky was trying really hard not to crush his beer bottle in his fist.

The conversation around him carried on without him even noticing, and he almost didn’t even hear Sam addressing him directly.

“Bucky, you coming, man?”

He focused back in on Sam’s face, searching his memory to see if he could remember the last thing someone had said. “Uh…”

Sam rolled his eyes. “To the party? That these lovely ladies have invited us to?” He gave him a very pointed look, clearly trying to telegraph something with his eyes. Whatever he was trying to say, it was definitely lost on Bucky.

“Uh, no, thanks. I’m gonna hang with Y/N, that was the whole point of coming here, after all – what kind of friend would I be if I abandoned her?”

Sam paused. “You’re right, bro, maybe I should stay too?”

Glancing around at the ladies waiting impatiently, and Sam’s conflicted expression, he made a quick decision. “Nah, you go. It’s totally your scene, and I’m sure she’ll understand. I just don’t want to leave her completely alone.”

Sam shrugged, standing and putting an arm around each of his new fans. “You’re right. She’s a big girl, she’ll get it. And it’s not like she can’t handle herself.” With a quick wave in your direction, and one at Carol (who was still close to the jukebox, seemingly deep in conversation with an admirer of her own), he donned his jacket and left.

Meanwhile, you were flattered by the bartender’s attention, and while it wasn’t really doing much to raise your spirits, it did ensure that you got a nice, strong drink. Besides, he was cute enough, and you knew from experience how hard a job in the service industry could be. So you played along with his small talk; it’s not like you were in a rush to get back to your friends and watch some strange girl fawn all over Bucky. But the bar soon got a bit of a rush, and when you snuck a glance back at the table, you were surprised to discover Bucky sitting all by himself, with neither strange girls nor Sam anywhere in sight. Grabbing your drink and sliding the bartender a generous tip, you made your way to Bucky.

He greeted you with a big smile, sliding over to let you into the booth. “Where’d Sam go?” you asked, searching the room one last time as you sat down.

“He went to a party with his new friends,” Bucky offered.

“You didn’t want to go?”

Your surprise was written all over your face, and Bucky shrugged, chuckling. “And leave my best girl behind? No way!”

You took a sip of your drink to disguise how flustered you felt. You were his best girl? What did that even mean?? You settled for playfully elbowing him in the ribs. “Well, thanks, Buck. I definitely appreciate it.”

The grateful smile on your face made his heart explode, and he was instantly glad for every decision he’d made tonight. He impulsively put his arm around your shoulder and pulled you in for a side hug.

You returned his hug with a happy sigh, and when he didn’t withdraw his arm after the hug was over, you snuggled in close to him. It almost felt like old times, before you had developed this pesky crush and were just as comfortable being affectionate with Bucky as with the rest of the group.

Speaking of, you spied Carol finally returning to the table, and grinned. “And where have you been?” you teased.

She rolled her eyes as she climbed back into the booth. “What can I say? Who am I to snub a fan?” The three of you laughed at her pretended cockiness, and you settled in to listen to her next hilarious story. Your heart felt lighter and happier than it had all day, and once again you gave thanks for having such awesome friends in your life.

Your spirits were high by the time the next rehearsal rolled around. The rest of the week had been pretty low-key at work, and you hadn’t had any big assignments or tests in any of your classes, which was a relief. You even talked Carol into heading to practice early, hoping to hang out with your bandmates a little longer.

You stopped by work to grab a round of coffees (or hot chocolates!) for everyone, and then headed to Steve’s. When you & Carol got there, they’d left the door unlocked for you, and you walked in to find them watching some ridiculous old 90s movie they found playing on cable. They greeted both of you with smiles and hugs (and excitement about the drinks!), and invited you to join them. After only the slightest hesitation, you opted to sit on the sofa next to Bucky, while Carol sank into one of the big plushy chairs facing the TV. Bucky grinned at you as you sat down, and you couldn’t help but notice he looked even better than usual today, in a blue shirt that really brought out the color of his eyes. He stretched his arm across the back of the couch, inviting you to snuggle up close to him as always, and you couldn’t resist doing so. He was so warm and safe, which was quite a welcome situation to be in after walking in the snow. So you curled up into his side and took a fortifying sip of your cocoa, letting yourself be warmed both inside and out.

The movie was over by the time Sam arrived, and the four of you had just been chatting about life, work, school, and upcoming gigs. Carol was draped sideways over the arms of the comfy chair, her hair hanging over one side and her legs dangling over the other; Steve sat on the floor with his back against the couch, fiddling with an old Rubik’s cube he’d found under the coffee table.

As Sam grabbed himself something to drink from the fridge, Steve checked the clock and realized it was time to get rehearsal started. Standing in front of you all still in the TV room, he adopted the tone you all recognized as Business Steve.

“Okay guys, I finished the songs I was working on, you ready to hear them?”

You all whooped in response, enthusiastic as ever to hear what Steve came up with. He was great with lyrics, but it was really his melodies and arrangements that always blew you away, personally. He had a real talent for that sort of thing, and you loved to encourage him.

Steve dragged over a music stand and his acoustic guitar, sitting down in the comfy chair that Carol had vacated to join you on the couch. Sam plopped himself into the other comfy chair, still nursing his drink. Steve played a few chords, and just as you thought he was about to sing, he stopped and coughed.

“Uh, Buck, you think you could help me with this?”

Bucky looked like he’d been caught passing notes in class. “Huh?”

“Wanna come up here and sing this for me?”

“Why?” Bucky said, blankly. You didn’t blame him for being confused; Steve usually debuted new songs by singing them himself, and this was the first time he’d ever asked someone else to do it instead.

“Because my asthma has been acting up, and I don’t think I can do it today.” Steve sounded like he was trying very hard to be patient, and you fought to keep yourself from snickering at how odd he was acting.

Bucky stood up, looking concerned. “Oh shit, man, I’m sorry. I hadn’t even noticed. Have you been wheezing or anything? Should we make a doctor’s appointment?”

Steve’s face was starting to turn red, and you grabbed onto Carol’s arm, biting your lip and avoiding eye contact with her, knowing it would make you crack up. She put her hand over yours and gave a sympathetic squeeze as Steve continued in a slightly strained voice. “I think I’ll be okay, Buck, but I just don’t want to exacerbate it by singing today. Can you just please come sing for me instead?”

Bucky obediently got up and crossed the room, taking the pages Steve handed him and looking them over. You were so busy struggling to control the laughter that was threatening to burst out of you, you didn’t even notice how Bucky suddenly got really still and tense. His eyes hardened, and darted over suspiciously to Steve, who was diligently focused on his guitar, apparently tuning it even though he’d been playing it just fine minutes before.

“What is this?” Bucky asked in a steely tone, very quietly so that only Steve could hear.

“It’s our new song,” Steve announced brightly to the room in general. “You ready to start, Buck?”

Bucky swallowed, glancing quickly at everyone, his eyes lingering just a second longer on you before going back to the music in his hands. There really was no way out of this, he had to just plow through and hope he made it to the other side. “Sure.” His voice was rough, and he cleared his throat and took a drink of water.

Steve smiled a wide, too-innocent smile, and started strumming again. After a few moments, Bucky began to sing.

I know every little thing about you And you know all about me too But not everything, I have a secret How have you not noticed yet?

You had always loved Bucky’s voice, gravelly and rich. But for whatever reason, he usually preferred to leave the vocal parts to Steve, so you didn’t get to hear him sing as often as you’d liked. Your earlier amusement already forgotten, you smiled, letting his warm voice wash over you while you listened to the lyrics and tried to imagine yourself singing this song in the future.

We've known each other since we were small Never dreamed that I would fall But every day I have to pretend Because you’re also my best friend

His voice, tremulous at first, had grown stronger as the song continued, but on this last line it cracked just a little. Then the rhythm changed, and it was clear the chorus was approaching.

You shine like the sun and I'm only a shadow The center of my world but you'll never know You're everything I've ever wanted I'm haunted

The song was beautiful, but, more than that, the lines were breaking your heart. They seemed to exactly describe how you felt about Bucky. But, how did Steve know? Was this some kind of joke? Had he figured out how you felt and was outing you to Bucky? Even as these panicked thoughts occurred to you, your rational mind had to point out Steve would never be that cruel. But as the verses started up again, you sat up a little straighter, trying to pay closer attention to what was really going on here.

When we're together, I have to hide Got to keep it all inside But deep within I'm falling apart Because I’m already losing my heart

The emotion in Bucky’s voice was raw, and you found yourself incredibly moved. And in that moment, your heart seemed to stop. Maybe this song wasn’t from your point of view at all. But did you dare to hope?

I don't know what to say So I hold my tongue another day What if you don't feel the same? I don't want anything to change

You shine like the sun and I'm only a shadow The center of my world but you'll never know You're everything I've ever wanted I'm haunted

The notes slowed down and time seemed to stretch out with them, as he sang the final coda.

I'd give everything just to have you be mine Worship you all of the time But I'm so afraid to cross that line

As the song ended and the last chords died out, a silence hung in the room, like the world was holding its breath. Your eyes were threatening to overflow with tears, but you didn’t move. Bucky stood still, not looking up; afraid to see your reaction. He felt like his heart had been laid bare, and he was terrified to see what came next.

You looked back and forth between him and Steve, desperately trying to figure out if what you hoped was happening was actually true. When you caught Steve’s eye, he was already looking directly at you. He raised a brow and ever so slightly tipped his head, nodding towards Bucky.

You felt frozen; you didn’t know what to do. Next to you, Carol cleared her throat, and suddenly you remembered there were other people in the room.

“Great song, I love it!” she crowed, her voice startlingly loud after such an extended quiet. “Um, Sam, I just remembered I have something I wanna show you. In the kitchen.” She practically leapt off the couch, and Sam followed her lead immediately.

Steve stood up too, mumbling something about having to wash some dishes, and scooted out of the room on their tail. You gave an amused exhalation at their lack of subtlety, but for the first time in your life the humor was tempered by a situation that needed your more immediate attention.

Bucky had yet to move from where he stood, though he was now staring after Steve with a somewhat incredulous look on his face. You took a deep breath and found your voice, though your heart was in your throat.

“Bucky?”

You were so quiet that you wondered if he’d even be able to hear, but he turned toward you, fingers fiddling with the music sheets. He kept his eyes downcast, still avoiding eye contact. “Y/N…”

You waited to see what he was going to say, but when he trailed off, you decided to speak again. “That song…that was amazing.”

The emotion in your voice was what tugged his eyes up to meet yours. “Yeah?” The ghost of a smile appeared around his lips, but his gaze was hopeful.

You smiled softly, taking a few steps closer to him. “Yeah.”

He flushed, glancing down at the page again. “Steve –“

You stopped abruptly, crossing your arms and raising an eyebrow. “Steve?” You questioned, in a disbelieving tone, though your eyes twinkled with amusement. “Is that who I should be talking to right now?”

Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. “He – he wrote the music, but…no, the words are mine.” He searched your face hesitantly, and he slowly crossed the last few steps between you.

You stared into his eyes for a few moments, feeling like you might drown in them. Finally, in a voice that was barely a whisper, “And?” When his eyebrows quirked in slight confusion, you added, “Did you mean it?”

At this, he smiled broadly, and his response was soft. “Every word.”

He carefully placed a hand on your hip, his gaze questioning. He was so close to you now, and you were on the precipice of everything you’d been dreaming of. Tossing the final vestiges of your caution to the wind, you wove your hand into his hair, pulling him the last few inches towards you, answering him with a kiss.

He responded eagerly, bringing his other hand up to gently cup your face. His lips were soft and tender, his kiss urgent and worshipful. He kissed you like you were the answer to everything he’d ever searched for, and for you it felt like the whole world clicked perfectly into place.

When you finally broke the kiss, it was with a happy sigh. Bucky affectionately nuzzled your nose with his own before resting his forehead gently against yours. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.” The way he was looking at you was making your heart soar like a balloon.

You couldn’t help but smile giddily. “Me too.”

Sam’s voice from the kitchen broke through your shared reverie. “You lovebirds done yet? We doing any actual practicing today or what?”

You and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh.

#hannahs3kwritingchallenge #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel

79 notes · View notes