cxptshielded

[cxptshielded]

☆       the longer Bucky stood out side pacing, the more anxious Steve started to feel. He had caught a glimpse of him while he was headed to the kitchen, and though his first instinct had been to open the door and drag him in, Steve found himself waiting. Things weren’t the same as they once were, and the last thing Steve wanted was to take away his agency by taking the choice out of his hands. So Steve decided to wait him out, even if anxiety steadily grew in his chest while he waited. Deciding to keep his hands busy, Steve started the kettle for tea - enough for two. When the knock finally came, he set down the two mugs he’d gotten out and made his way to the door instead. 

‘ yeah, always got a minute for you, Buck. come on in, ‘ he offered, stepping back so that his friend could come through the door. His eyebrows knitted together in mild concern as he elaborated, ‘ no need to be sorry, you’re always welcome here. is everything alright? ‘ he murmured. Tilting his head towards the kitchen, he signaled for Bucky to follow him through the brownstone to where the tea was preparing. ‘ want anything to drink? I have tea water ready but I can throw a pot of coffee on too if you’d rather, ‘ he offered, pulling down the tea box to pick the one he wanted for his own mug. ‘ so, what’s going on? ‘ 

~ @cxptshielded​ || Plotted starter ~

       A soft exhale left Bucky’s lips as he made his way up to Steve’s front door. It’d taken him twenty minutes of pacing the street and pretending to check his phone before he’d even been able to work up the nerve to approach the door, let alone knock. “C’mon, Barnes - Get it together.” He muttered under his breath, annoyed with himself for having such a visceral reaction to seeing his oldest friend. 

       He couldn’t even really pinpoint why he was having all of those awkward feelings. It was Steve. His best friend. Maybe that was the problem. He felt they never really had a chance to talk. Now they just felt like acquaintances. His therapist would probably have something to say about it but he sure as hell wasn’t going down that route. Anyway, that wasn’t why he was there - They had more important things to discuss. Like John Walker. Reaching up he braced himself, knocking twice on the door before standing back, trying to figure out what to do with his hands. He sorta hung them there awkwardly, trying his best to look natural as the door open. “Steve, hey. Got a minute? Sorry for dropping by unannounced but I need to talk to you.”

[cxptshielded]

@captxinrambeau

It was a whole new ball game, now, post-Westview and newly empowered. Hayward had been whisked away by Jimmy and his fellow FBI agents, and subsequently removed from his post as Acting Director of SWORD, a sight Monica had relished in seeing. As the investigation closed up, Monica had returned to SWORD, and done a little work (secretly, and on the side) with an old friend of her mom and Aunt Carol.

Though the world was different, and she didn’t have her mom to lean on, it felt good – normal, even – to be back at work. Of course, there was the whole unexplainable powers thing, but she tried to keep them under wraps as best as she could.

Her shock was palpable when she found out that Steve Rogers had requested a meeting with her. With her! Hell, she wasn’t even director of SWORD, just an Air Force Captain who’d happened to pick up a few extra powers on her latest mission.

She’d been sure to wear her sharpest suit for the day’s meeting, because it wasn’t every day that a living legend called up your office and asked to meet. He was punctual, and she met him in the little lobby outside of her office. “Captain Rogers,” She greeted, sticking out a hand. “It’s my honor. My office is just over here – it’s a little more private, and it has coffee. After you,” she said, gesturing to the door with the words 𝗖𝗣𝗧. 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨 painted upon it in bold lettering.

☆       in the last ten years, Steve watched the world rapidly evolve and adapt to an entirely new category of threats. He had been on the front lines through the whole of it, and Steve, more than anything else, was tired. However, he knew the world was changed, for the better and the worse, and that these threats were going to keep coming at them. Despite his will to retire out of the field entirely, there was a tether that kept him from fully stepping down. Steve worried that the team wasn’t ready to lose another leader, not after the devastating loses they’d already endured. 

which was why Steve was recruiting. Monica didn’t need any recommendations - her work spoke for itself. However, she came with many, and Steve knew that he had to have a meeting with her. She would be a major asset to the team, and Steve could maybe back off entirely with her at the helm. 

if she decided to take him up on it that is. 

smiling, he shook his head at her formalities, ‘ please, just call me Steve, ‘ he offered, shaking her hand with ease. Captain Rogers had been his title for so long, and though he wore it like a second skin, he was far more comfortable without the fuss. Grinning, Steve nodded as he headed off in the direction of her office, ‘ well I’ve never been one to say no to the lure of coffee. this century really stepped up in that department. ‘ Steve remembered the coffee they used to have back in the army - it was swill in comparison to what he’d encountered here. 

taking a seat, Steve waited until she was situated before he started, ‘ I really do appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. what you did at Westview - ‘ Steve paused, collecting his thoughts before he continued, ‘ it was truly remarkable. I regret that I was still in the process of returning the stones when it all happened, but I’m grateful you were there to handle it the way that you did. ‘ More than anything, he regretted that Wanda was left alone in her grief, but the world didn’t fall apart with him. Monica had made sure of that. 

‘ that’s actually part of the reason I’m here, ‘ he admitted. Steve put his hands on his thighs as he leaned forward, ‘ I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I’d like to fully retire soon, but to do that, the Avengers are going to need a new Captain. you’ve proven yourself to be an incredibly capable one. ‘ 

[cxptshielded]

GIVE  MY  MUSE  A  NICKNAME  /  PET  NAME.

[cxptshielded]

​☆       despite the fact that he had been technically retired for over a year now, it was only just starting to feel that way. though he had given up the shield & persona to Sam, he was still plenty busy with training the team and the younglings as they cropped up. the official title was consultant, but Steve felt more like a drill sergeant. sure, he wasn’t Captain America these days, but he was decidedly still Captain Rogers, and ironically enough, that didn’t take that much weight off his shoulders. 

in the last six months though, he’d decreased his hours. the team was coming together, they had stable leadership, and he was able to step away more and more these days. he struggled at first with the idea that they didn’t really need him anymore, but once he started finding genuine ways to enjoy his time away, he grew to love it. 

suddenly, he had time to cook a proper meal for himself and his partner. he had time to dote on Eira the way she always deserved to be. for too many years their relationship was something that had to take the back burner, something they both understood a little too well. except, now it didn’t, and Steve was determined to make her his top priority. 

which meant cooking when he could, especially when he knew she was eyeballs deep in a project. ‘ brilliant. want to pick out a movie while we eat? ‘ he asked, leaning over to place a warm kiss on her cheek. 

rolling his eyes at the sandwich, Steve served her up a nice hearty bowl, before handing it to her with a fond grin. ‘ here, you must be starving, ‘ he murmured, before shaking his head, ‘ nah, nothing was all that time consuming, don’t worry. it just looks fancy, ‘ he teased. 

she had long passed the point of having double vision from staring at the same build for hours on end. she vaguely remembered steve bringing her in a sandwich like two years ago, it seemed. she was frustrated with the build, but she was slamming her head into a wall and getting no where. it was time to be done for the night, and maybe for all of the next day. technology would not defeat her, only make her walk away to better prepare.

the fact that she was thinking about her job like she’d just taken a course in the art of war 101, was another reason to walk away. she was tired, the sandwich was mostly untouched. which she felt bad about, because he’d taken the time to make it for her, but she knew he’d understand the intense focus she’d been in.

the kitchen, however, smelled amazing, and her nose led her right to the stove. for a moment, she didn’t even register that it was steve who was cooking, but his question snapped her out of her starving bunny trance. “yes, done,” she confirmed, her voice a little scratchy from disuse and poor hydration. 

“if i knew you were making something fancy, i would have come up sooner to help,” she said, putting the plate and the uneaten sandwich onto the counter with a little apologetic grin. “wine would be lovely, thank you.”

[cxptshielded]

​☆       ‘ sorry, I figured it’d be better than me staying and driving you nuts with my shifting, ‘ he answered, giving him a sheepish grin. Steve’s operative had been to get out of bed, but given the change in circumstances, he found himself rolling over to place a kiss on Bucky’s shoulder as an apology. ‘ yeah yeah, you knew that about me before you got into bed with me, ‘ he teased. scrunching his nose, he moved further up so that he could place a kiss on Bucky’s temple. however, his eyebrows knit together in concern as he spoke again. 

‘ have you been up long? ‘ he asked, knowing that he was sometimes plagued with nightmares and that he didn’t always wake him up. ‘ everything okay? ‘ he murmured, still on his side facing Bucky. suddenly, he didn’t feel such a push to go for a run. 

snorting, Steve rolled his eyes, ‘ what are we, a couple of centenarians? ‘ he teased, shooting him a playful grin. ‘ a morning walk sounds just fine. the pups will be happy either way, ‘ he shrugged.

‘mmm you’re leaving and taking all the warmth,’  he groaned, stretching his legs under the blankets. ‘of course i’m going to wake up… abandoning me to the cold, you rude punk.’ his voice was raspy and sleepy, his eyes not even open yet- but he had woken almost as soon as steve had started stirring in bed. it was just an innate feeling, an internal clock that was matched to steve’s. it had been for decades- he’d just only recently gotten used to the feeling of it again.

“been awake already,” he sighed, this time opening his eyes and rolling onto his back. it was a wonder that he’d slept more than five hours at all, but he felt like a useless lump if he stayed in bed after waking up. it was pointless to be in bed without steve. for any reason.

“but running? really? you ever heard of a morning walk?” he teased, looking over at steve with a crooked smile on his face. “i’ll come with you  but i’m not running.”

[cxptshielded]

🐝  *  ―  𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.   (  as much fun as the actual sex part is, aftercare is a very important part of it as well. so here are some sentences regarding that topic … although they can probably also be used for other unrelated scenarios as well. feel free to adjust to better fit your muses.  )

❛  are you alright ? things got really intense there.   ❜ ❛  here, let me clean you up.  ❜ ❛  i’ve already prepared a bath for you if you want one.  ❜ ❛  i’m sorry for getting a little carried away.  ❜ ❛  do you need anything ? water, towels, painkillers, a hot shower ?  ❜ ❛  let’s just cuddle for a while, we can take care of the rest later.  ❜ ❛  i’ve got you, don’t worry.  ❜ ❛  you did really well. i’m proud of you.  ❜ ❛  want to take a nap first ?  ❜ ❛  slowly breathe in and out. that’s it.  ❜ ❛  wow … that was amazing. you were amazing.  ❜ ❛  relax and let me take care of you.  ❜ ❛  don’t move, let me untie you first.  ❜ ❛  you still with me ?  ❜ ❛  can you please just hold me for a while ?  ❜ ❛  shh, don’t cry. i’m right here.  ❜ ❛  let me help you with that.  ❜ ❛  can you stand up ?  ❜ ❛  turn around, please. i need to look at those marks.  ❜ ❛  tell me what you need.  ❜ ❛  i didn’t actually hurt you too much, did i ?  ❜ ❛  drink this, it’ll make you feel better.  ❜ ❛  you can lie down. i’ll take care of everything else.  ❜ ❛  does it hurt much ? i can kiss it better if you want.  ❜ ❛  god, my legs are still shaking.  ❜ ❛  can you bring me water and some towels, please ?  ❜ ❛  i’ll carry you to the bathroom if you can’t stand yet.  ❜ ❛  can you spread your legs a little ? i’m trying to clean up the mess we’ve made.  ❜ ❛  that was pretty intense, huh ?  ❜ ❛  you were so good for me, i love you so much.  ❜ ❛  i brought you something for the pain.  ❜ ❛  i’m gonna take care of you, whether you want me to or not.  ❜ ❛  let’s get you all tucked in now.  ❜ ❛  thank you for trusting me.  ❜ ❛  do you need help standing up ?  ❜ ❛  is there anything else you want now ?  ❜ ❛  if you don’t mind, i think i’d rather just cuddle with you now.  ❜ ❛  it’s okay, i’m fine. you don’t need to worry so much.  ❜ ❛  careful, i’m feeling a little sore already.  ❜ ❛  i couldn’t have asked for a better person to do this with.  ❜

[cxptshielded]

☆ bucky & steve ☆

@apocketfullofmuses

“ i’m tired. beyond tired… i am exhausted from the endless fighting. ”  

​☆       it was the tone that Bucky used that made Steve stop in his tracks. gently, he set the plate he was drying down on the counter and turned so that he was giving Bucky his full attention. ‘ okay, I'm hearing you, ‘ Steve answered. there was an advantage that came with knowing someone for as long as Steve and Bucky had known each other. today, that advantage was understanding that this conversation wasn’t as simple as reminding Bucky that he could retire if he wanted to, because Steve knew without a single doubt that as long as he stayed in the field, Bucky wouldn’t be far behind him. 

taking both his hands in his own, Steve bit the inside of his lip, ‘ give me a couple weeks, a month tops, to get everything in place. I need to make sure the team is prepared, and that they’re set up for success, but once that’s all settled we’ll do it, ‘ he promised. retirement was something he’d thought about, mostly in passing, but more and more frequently. they had been soldiers for so long, and after losing Bucky again in the five year snap, Steve wasn’t itching to risk losing him again. Steve gave him a warm smile, one that was genuine and entirely too sincere, ‘ we’ll retire and we’ll have the quiet life we should have had decades ago. ‘ pressing his forehead to Bucky’s, he continued, ‘ so start thinking about what you want to do, make a list if it helps, and we’ll do it. ‘ 

[cxptshielded]

☆ noë & steve ☆

@trckstaer

​☆       ‘ I got it, don’t get up, ‘ Steve responded as soon as he heard the doorbell ringing. he made quick work of getting their food and paying the delivery driver, making sure to tip him well, before heading back to the living room. Steve set their food down on the coffee table as he asked, ‘ I’m going to grab another beer, do you want one or something else to drink? ‘ grabbing their drinks a couple extra napkins, Steve made his way back into the living room so that he could settle in next to Noë. 

‘ you know, this date night might make the top three for me, ‘ he murmured, giving her a slight grin. ‘ chinese food & movies all in the comfort of our home? ‘ Steve asked, ‘ can’t think of anything better, ‘ he admitted, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek as he leaned over to grab one of the chinese cartons. ‘ chopsticks? ‘ he offered, handing her a set as he leaned back with his food. 

passing her the controls, Steve asked, ‘ what are we watching tonight? ‘ 

[cxptshielded]

emotionally intense prompts.

idk my dudes i started listening to the etern.als theme music and now i have these things. bon appetit!

“ i’d follow you to the ends of the universe, if you asked me to. ”

“ how bad is it this time? ”

“ we’re the only thing standing between this world and its destruction. ”

“ we could stop all of this… with just a thought/flick of my wrist. “

“ fair?! how is any of this fair?! “

“ do you truly believe that anything so little as a rule, or a law, might have stopped me from protecting you? “

“ we have to fight. ”

“ we’re not giving up. ”

“ you. i’ll always and endlessly fight for you. “

“ i can wait a thousand lifetimes for you. “

“ we’ve had a pretty good life. but maybe normalcy is a thing we’re meant to protect, rather than enjoy. ”

“ i don’t know if i can protect you any longer. “

“ we’ve seen what they’re capable of. now we need to retaliate. “

“ if only the world knew what we do for them… ”

“ i’m sick and tired of being the one who has to make the sacrifices! ”

“ haven’t we lost enough? ”

“ i’m tired. beyond tired… i am exhausted from the endless fighting. ”

“ things must be catastrophic if you’re calling me at this hour. ”

“ this is what we’ve been waiting for. ”

“ i’d follow you to the bitter end; as i always have. ”

“ the time has come. ”

“ this is what we’ve been waiting for. ”

“ i thought we had more time.  i regret to confess… it appears that i was wrong. ”

“ don’t let them control you, eh? ”

“ you’re better than this. ”

“ everything’s about to change… ”

“ do you truly think so little of me? ”

“ careful… you’ve never had to fight me before. ”

“ we need to leave. ”

“ we’re a good team, you know. “

“ look around you. do you still truly see no reason for us to fight? “

“ we’re family. we don’t turn our backs on each other. “

“ it’s too late! let’s go! ”

“ it wasn’t your fault… ”

“ why are you doing this?! ”

“ i’m sorry… “

“ perhaps i don’t say it enough, but… i’d like you to know that i’m always here, if you ever wanted to talk. ”

“ you/they will always be worth fighting for. ”

“ don’t pretend like you understand. “

“ tell me how i can fix this… ”

“ don’t say it. ”

“ they’re not worth saving. ”

“ i am a god. you… you’re nothing. “

“ well. for whatever it’s worth, it’s been a pleasure fighting alongside you. ”

[cxptshielded]

☆ plotting call ☆

it’s been far too long, but please fill out my interest tracker so that I know how to best interact with you !! I’ll be reaching out to everyone who responds in their preferred method of contact and writing starters from there. 

tracker || carrd || memes

[cxptshielded]

☆ lex & steve ☆

@warmthbled

☆        it wasn’t the noise that woke him up, but the tugging sense in his gut that something was wrong. Steve had experienced that feeling often since his girls had come home. falling back into the role of the parent came as easy as breathing as soon as he laid eyes on Margot, but what he hadn’t expected was how quickly the feeling would extend over to Lex. now, his gut tugged constantly, always feeling a need in the back of his mind to check on both his girls. it was that feeling that woke him up, but the soft padding in the other room was what had him getting out of bed. Steve wasn’t sure which one of the girls was up, but he wouldn’t get an ounce of sleep until he checked to make sure they were okay. 

keeping the balance between quiet enough to not wake up the kiddo that was still asleep and loud enough to alert the other one that he was awake and coming to find her, Steve moved out of his room and out to the living room. as soon as his eyes met Lex’s he sent her a soft smile. ‘ hey Goose, what’s got you awake at this time? ‘ he asked, casually trying to mask his concern. ‘ is it a hot chocolate night? ‘ 

[cxptshielded]

☆ eira & steve ☆

@hxrbingxr

☆        despite the running joke that Steve couldn’t cook, he was actually quite good at it, and more surprisingly, he liked it. Steve had a thing about cooking meals that felt like home, but with more seasoning and better technique. There were staple meals he loved from the forties that he learned over time how to make taste even better - mostly by not boiling everything. One of those things was pot roast, which was what he was working now. 

roast, green beans, potatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and wine all simmered together to make a delicately blended meal. He covered the pot as he heard familiar foot steps, ‘ hey, out the lab for the night? ‘ he asked, turning around just in time to place a kiss on her cheek. ‘ food’s finished, it’s just keeping warm on the stove for the time being, ‘ Steve explained, taking down a couple of wine glasses from the cabinet behind her. ‘ wine? ‘ he offered. 

[cxptshielded]

☆        biting at the edge of his cheeks, Steve tried to hide his smile at her response. ‘ you know, if you wanted to see me so badly, you could have just asked me out for coffee, ‘ he teased, rolling his eyes fondly. snorting out a laugh, he shook his head, ‘ you’re going to give me an ego, Shar. ‘ 

@cxptshielded​  liked for Starter Roulette and got…

“You know um…I know how to fix a flat.  I just called you to have an excuse to see you…plus you working on a car definitely isn’t a bad view either- but that was just a perk.”

[cxptshielded]

☆ bucky & steve ☆

@therxdeemxr

☆        kissing the top of his head, Steve murmured, ‘ sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. ‘ he had been trying to quietly detract himself from their bed in order to get up for his morning run. retirement suited him well, and yet, he still couldn’t kick the military time out of his system. this was always the conundrum - if he stayed in bed any longer he’d end up waking Bucky up with all his shifting, but getting out of bed always risked waking him up anyways. steve could already hear the dogs getting restless on the other side of the door. 

‘ you can go back to sleep, Buck, ‘m just getting up to take the dogs for a run, ‘ Steve explained. there was always a standing offer on the table if Bucky wanted to come with him, but he never pushed. just because he couldn’t sleep later than 7am didn’t mean everyone else couldn’t. ‘ if you want, I’ll grab coffee and pastries from that shop we like on my way home, ‘ he murmured. 

[cxptshielded]

☆ plotting call ☆

it’s been far too long, but please fill out my interest tracker so that I know how to best interact with you !! I’ll be reaching out to everyone who responds in their preferred method of contact and writing starters from there. 

tracker || carrd || memes

[cxptshielded]

☆ off hiatus / house keeping ☆

hello !! it’s been one too many months, but after a lovely little blog clean up, I am officially back on this blog !! I will be posting a plotting & starter call momentarily, and I’m looking forward to writing with everyone again. if you’re still following this blog, thank you much for your patience, and know that I am very excited to start with fresh threads and actually write over here again. 

please check out my carrd as it has all my updated information on it !! verses will be up in the coming week, but know I am open to plotting outside of marvel in a variety of fandoms. 

[cxptshielded]

headcanon #5

DEV TEA ROOM’S MICRO CHALLENGE WEEK TWO: are they a sweets kind of person? Salty? Crunchy? What kind of snacks do they gravitate towards?

Steve is a big fan of baked goods. He especially loves homemade things, be it cookies, cupcakes, cakes, or anything that could be made off the Great British Bake Off ( a guilty pleasure show of his ). He’s partial to homemade or local bakeries though because they always have their own individual spin on them, and he likes getting to test each person’s unique addition to classic recipes. 

Still, chocolate chip cookies are his number one comfort treat because his mama used to make them and they were the rare treat they had on special occasions, or when he was recovering from being really sick. 

Though he isn’t great at baking but he does love to try to make things from the Great British Back Off now and again. They always taste great! They just don't always look good; it's the art he hasn't mastered yet.