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[loverstrings]

Project Spindle (Chapter Three) - Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - i hate to say but this is one of my favorite chapters so far. the more i write these the more i have dreams about it LOL

spoiler warning for thunderbolts* | masterlist

The room went quiet.

Even Bob stopped fidgeting, his arms slowly lowering from where he’d been mid-dramatic stretch. Ava and Yelena exchanged a glance. Walker straightened from his lean against the wall, jaw tightening with attention. No one moved, but the air shifted—a kind of stillness only the closest teams learn to share.

Alexei emerged from the hallway, rubbing sleep from his eyes, pajama pants decorated with little red stars. He didn't joke, just took in the scene, waiting for the next direction.

Bucky nodded once beside her. “Briefing room?”

She gave a small nod back.

No one questioned it. They just followed.

A few minutes later, the team gathered around the conference table, the soft hum of the tower's tech panels the only sound. Y/N stood at the front, uploading the encrypted files Sam had sent earlier to the holographic display. Her hands shook just slightly as she moved—not from fear exactly, but from the weight of what came next.

Bob flopped into a chair but sat up straighter when he saw her expression. “You okay?” he asked quietly.

She hesitated before replying. “I don’t know. That’s kinda why we’re here.”

One by one, glowing images bloomed into the air—footage, research files, Hydra insignias. And her name. Again and again.

She took a breath and faced them. “I didn’t know about any of this until yesterday,” she began.

Bob shifted in his seat next to Ava, no longer trying to crack a joke. Ava tilted her head, brows drawing in.

“Is this only about your powers? Or something more?”

“Something more,” Y/N murmured. She turned back to the console and tapped a few keys. “Patch in Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres.”

Connecting…

Joaquin’s projection appeared first, seated in what looked like a hangar bay. Sam followed a second later, arms crossed over his chest, concern etched into his features.

SAM WILSON (hologram): “Y/N? What’s going on?” JOAQUIN TORRES (hologram): “You good?”

Y/N glanced over her shoulder, meeting Bucky’s eyes for the briefest second before she faced the screen again.

“I’m alright,” she said with a long sigh. “I just need everyone here because I know this is bigger than me.”

There was a beat of silence. Alexei leaned back in his chair, arms crossed tightly as he squinted at the file headings behind her.

“Hydra?” he asked. “They always come back, like cockroach.”

Walker let out a quiet scoff from the other side of the room. “Of course it’s Hydra,” he muttered under his breath. “They’re like bad PR—you think it’s gone, then boom. Pops back up.”

Y/N ignored the commentary for now and kept going. “We need a game plan. This is more than me—this is also Wanda. We’ve seen it. She’s an extracted part of me.”

Alexei rubbed a hand over his beard, shaking his head. “This is like Frankenstein.”

Yelena nudged him sharply with her elbow. “Dad, shut up.”

Bucky hadn’t moved. “What do you want to do?” he asked her softly.

Y/N hesitated… then looked down at the console and took a steadying breath. “I need to patch in Wanda. And Steve.”

Walker stiffened a little, arms crossing. “You sure that’s a good idea?” 

“She deserves to know,” Y/N said simply. “So does he.”

No one argued.

She tapped the panel again. “Patch in Wanda Maximoff… and Steve Rogers.”

The system chirped.

Connecting…

Wanda appeared first, her hologram flickering beside Sam and Joaquin’s. Her red hair was tangled, her eyes darkened with fatigue and something deeper. Her voice, when it came, was quiet.

WANDA MAXIMOFF (hologram): “Y/N? Is everything okay?”

Y/N looked at her for a long second. Then she nodded once.

“Sam found something. About both of us.” She swallowed. “You were created with the Mind Stone. I wasn’t. Hydra used me… to make you.”

The silence this time was heavier. Wanda’s face shifted slowly—confusion, disbelief, grief.

Y/N stepped back slightly, as if retreating from the weight of her own words. “I thought it was just power signatures. But it wasn’t. They copied me. My genetics, my neural map, my abilities. Then they used the Stone to perfect the next iteration.”

STEVE ROGERS (hologram, joining): “I caught the tail end of that. Y/N… are you alright?”

Y/N turned to his image. “I don’t know. I want to say yes, but that would be a lie.”

Bucky finally moved closer, his hand brushing against hers at her side, grounding her. She didn’t look at him, but she leaned into the contact just enough.

SAM: “We think there’s something worth digging into at the old Sokovia sites. Pre-Strucker. Steve, your contacts might still have a line on the original lab records.”

JOAQUIN: “Most of the intel was wiped, but if we know what we’re looking for, we might be able to trace it.”

WANDA: “If what you’re saying is true…” Her voice wavered. “Then you and I are more connected than I ever understood.”

Y/N looked down at her hands. “I just hope we’re not too late to figure it all out.”

A long silence followed.

Then Bob, bless him, finally muttered, “So… no pressure, right?”

Ava elbowed him. “Bob.” 

“I’m just saying,” he grumbled.

Everyone turned back toward the files as they flickered again, casting a pale glow across the quiet room.

Y/N stood quietly for a beat, then looked up at the holograms and the team around her.

“There’s more,” she said. “I think whatever they used to build this—me, Wanda—whatever they left behind, it’s buried deep. Maybe Sokovia. Maybe wherever Strucker was operating before that. We’re not going to find the truth unless someone digs it up.”

Sam shook his head, already anticipating where this was headed. “If I go anywhere near those sites right now, it puts a target on all of us. Too many eyes on the new Cap.”

Joaquin nodded beside him. “Yeah. We’ve been under more surveillance lately—this kind of move could blow things open.”

Alexei leaned forward with a grunt. “Then I go. Who cares if they see? Let them come.”

Bucky didn’t even turn. “No.” His voice was firm. “Too risky. We need to keep some pressure off our side too.”

A heavy silence settled again. Then Wanda spoke, slower this time.

“I’ll go.” She glanced at the files. “If there’s something left in Sokovia, or before… I might be able to feel it.”

Steve’s projection nodded beside her. “We’re already off grid. We’ll check it out.”

Y/N looked at them both, something tired but resolute behind her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to keep going?” Bucky asked softly, just for her. “There’ll be more files. More answers.”

She didn’t hesitate. Her voice was quiet, but firm. “I have to. I need to know."

----

series taglist:

@rafesgurl, @seventeen-x, @moompie, @starstruckfirecat, @torntaltos, @rlphunter,

[loverstrings]

AAAAA THANK YOUUU!!! I’m soososos glad your enjoying it so far!! I’m excited to show how it dives into y/n’s past!

Project Spindle (Chapter Two) - Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - im glad you guys are enjoying it so far! im enjoying giving you guys these chapters! ill try to do one chapter a day but with finals it might be a little slower.

spoiler warning for thunderbolts* | masterlist

The Tower was still dark when Y/N finally pulled herself from bed, the faint buzz of energy still prickling under her skin. She hadn’t really slept—not after what she and Bucky talked about the night before. It was too much to keep sitting with, too big to leave unspoken.

She tugged one of his hoodies over her head, the familiar scent grounding her slightly as she padded into the kitchen. A soft click of mugs and cabinets filled the silence. Her fingers twitched faintly. The energy hadn’t stopped humming. Not since she’d opened that file.

She barely had time to sip her coffee before the pitter-patter of chaos began.

Bob shuffled in, wrapped in a ridiculous fleece blanket printed with cartoon puppies. His curls were a mess, eyes half shut, and he was holding an empty mug like it was a lifeline.

“Mom? Dad?” he called out in a gravelly voice. “I need guidance. And coffee.”

Y/N, already sitting at the counter, raised an eyebrow over her mug. “We’ve talked about this. I’m not your mom.”

“You say that,” Bob mumbled, dropping into the stool beside her and leaning his head dramatically on her shoulder. “But I feel emotionally abandoned when you're not near me, so explain that.”

Bucky entered from the hallway, tugging on a dark T-shirt, damp from the shower. “You’re too big to be this clingy, Bob.”

Bob perked up instantly. “Dad!”

“Stop that.” Bucky pointed at him. “I will ground you.”

“You did ground him last week,” Y/N added. “You took his dessert privileges.”

“Exactly,” Bucky said, smirking as he leaned over to press a kiss to Y/N’s temple. “Consequences.”

Bob let out a dramatic sigh, like the weight of being the team’s emotionally needy golden retriever was just too much. “I just want to be loved.”

“You are,” Y/N assured him, patting his cheek. “Just... from over there.”

“No,” Bob whined, clinging to her arm again. “I’m a literal weighted blanket of affection.”

Yelena walked in wearing mismatched socks and a hoodie that belonged to Natasha. “Is this a family meeting or a cult?”

“Depends,” Ava said, trailing behind her with a banana in one hand. “Is there coffee or just sad boys pretending they don’t need therapy?”

Walker came in last, in full workout gear, looking like he’d been up since 5 am because, of course, he had. “We have training in ten. Where’s Alexei?”

“Probably still asleep in the laundry room again,” Yelena said, unfazed. “He said the dryer ‘reminds him of home.’”

“I told him he’s going to overheat and die in there,” Ava added.

“He said that’s how a hero should go,” Y/N muttered behind her mug.

Bob suddenly sat up. “Wait. If we’re training in ten… are we doing hand to hand again?”

“Yup,” Bucky said, checking his phone. “So finish up and get moving.”

“I’m gonna get tackled again,” Bob groaned, burying his face in the blanket. “You guys are supposed to protect me.”

“We’re not your real parents,” Y/N said, though her tone was affectionate.

“But you could be,” Bob said with a grin, peeking up at Bucky. “Look at him. He’s totally a stern but loving father figure.”

Bucky gave him a flat look. “You’re going to run laps for this.”

“See? That’s such a dad thing to say!”

Yelena took one look at the chaos and turned back toward the hallway. “Nope. Not dealing with this before caffeine.”

Ava followed. “I’m out. This dysfunctional family is too loud.”

Bob reached for Y/N’s hand. “Don’t let them separate us.”

She peeled his fingers off her arm. “I’m going to pretend I don’t know you in the training room.”

He gasped. “Mom!”

Bucky just shook his head and nudged Bob off the stool with his foot. “Up. Or I’m giving Walker permission to be your sparring partner.”

Bob scrambled. “I’m up! Totally up!”

Y/N laughed into her coffee. “I love this team. But I also want to lock myself in a soundproof room sometimes.”

Bucky handed her an orange slice as they followed the rest of the team out. “Yeah. But hey—at least it’s never boring.”

----

The training room echoed with the sound of punches hitting pads, grunts of exertion, and Bob’s running commentary on how this was “basically child abuse.”

“You’re twenty-seven, you absolute man-child,” Ava huffed, sweeping his legs out from under him for the third time in five minutes.

Bob hit the mat with a loud thud. Dragging himself upright with a groan, he adjusted his sparring gloves. “I get zero respect around here.”

“You earn respect through discipline,” Walker said, dead serious from the sidelines, arms crossed.

Bob blinked at him. “How is it that everything you say makes me want to give up?”

“Focus,” Ava called, already circling him again like a predator. “Or I’m going for your ribs this time.”

“You’re a menace,” Bob muttered.

Y/N had fallen quiet. She stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed tight, her eyes unfocused. Remembering the files Sam had sent over.

And her powers… were seeping. Soft pink wisps floated around her fingertips, glowing faintly—uncontrolled, leaking emotion like fog.

Bob was the first to notice, pausing mid-spar with Ava. “Uh… hey. Y/N? You’re kinda... glowing.”

Yelena blinked and jogged over, concern etched across her face. “That only happens when something’s wrong.”

“I’m fine,” Y/N said quickly. Too quickly.

Ava stepped closer, her usual teasing demeanor gone. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

“Guys—” Bucky stepped in, hand up like a stop sign. His tone was calm but firm. “Don’t push her.”

Yelena’s eyes flicked to Y/N’s hands. “That kind of energy drain messes her up. You know it does.”

Bucky turned to them with that same patience he gave her. “I know. I do. But trust her.”

Y/N glanced up, catching the moment—how they were all looking at her like they were ready to fight for her without even knowing the war.

Her voice came softer this time, but steadier.

“I need to show you guys something,” she said, meeting each of their eyes. “The reason why I’ve been feeling off.”

----

series taglist:

@rafesgurl, @seventeen-x, @moompie, @starstruckfirecat, @torntaltos, @rlphunter,

[loverstrings]

Project Spindle (Chapter Two) - Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - im glad you guys are enjoying it so far! im enjoying giving you guys these chapters! ill try to do one chapter a day but with finals it might be a little slower.

spoiler warning for thunderbolts* | masterlist

The Tower was still dark when Y/N finally pulled herself from bed, the faint buzz of energy still prickling under her skin. She hadn’t really slept—not after what she and Bucky talked about the night before. It was too much to keep sitting with, too big to leave unspoken.

She tugged one of his hoodies over her head, the familiar scent grounding her slightly as she padded into the kitchen. A soft click of mugs and cabinets filled the silence. Her fingers twitched faintly. The energy hadn’t stopped humming. Not since she’d opened that file.

She barely had time to sip her coffee before the pitter-patter of chaos began.

Bob shuffled in, wrapped in a ridiculous fleece blanket printed with cartoon puppies. His curls were a mess, eyes half shut, and he was holding an empty mug like it was a lifeline.

“Mom? Dad?” he called out in a gravelly voice. “I need guidance. And coffee.”

Y/N, already sitting at the counter, raised an eyebrow over her mug. “We’ve talked about this. I’m not your mom.”

“You say that,” Bob mumbled, dropping into the stool beside her and leaning his head dramatically on her shoulder. “But I feel emotionally abandoned when you're not near me, so explain that.”

Bucky entered from the hallway, tugging on a dark T-shirt, damp from the shower. “You’re too big to be this clingy, Bob.”

Bob perked up instantly. “Dad!”

“Stop that.” Bucky pointed at him. “I will ground you.”

“You did ground him last week,” Y/N added. “You took his dessert privileges.”

“Exactly,” Bucky said, smirking as he leaned over to press a kiss to Y/N’s temple. “Consequences.”

Bob let out a dramatic sigh, like the weight of being the team’s emotionally needy golden retriever was just too much. “I just want to be loved.”

“You are,” Y/N assured him, patting his cheek. “Just... from over there.”

“No,” Bob whined, clinging to her arm again. “I’m a literal weighted blanket of affection.”

Yelena walked in wearing mismatched socks and a hoodie that belonged to Natasha. “Is this a family meeting or a cult?”

“Depends,” Ava said, trailing behind her with a banana in one hand. “Is there coffee or just sad boys pretending they don’t need therapy?”

Walker came in last, in full workout gear, looking like he’d been up since 5 am because, of course, he had. “We have training in ten. Where’s Alexei?”

“Probably still asleep in the laundry room again,” Yelena said, unfazed. “He said the dryer ‘reminds him of home.’”

“I told him he’s going to overheat and die in there,” Ava added.

“He said that’s how a hero should go,” Y/N muttered behind her mug.

Bob suddenly sat up. “Wait. If we’re training in ten… are we doing hand to hand again?”

“Yup,” Bucky said, checking his phone. “So finish up and get moving.”

“I’m gonna get tackled again,” Bob groaned, burying his face in the blanket. “You guys are supposed to protect me.”

“We’re not your real parents,” Y/N said, though her tone was affectionate.

“But you could be,” Bob said with a grin, peeking up at Bucky. “Look at him. He’s totally a stern but loving father figure.”

Bucky gave him a flat look. “You’re going to run laps for this.”

“See? That’s such a dad thing to say!”

Yelena took one look at the chaos and turned back toward the hallway. “Nope. Not dealing with this before caffeine.”

Ava followed. “I’m out. This dysfunctional family is too loud.”

Bob reached for Y/N’s hand. “Don’t let them separate us.”

She peeled his fingers off her arm. “I’m going to pretend I don’t know you in the training room.”

He gasped. “Mom!”

Bucky just shook his head and nudged Bob off the stool with his foot. “Up. Or I’m giving Walker permission to be your sparring partner.”

Bob scrambled. “I’m up! Totally up!”

Y/N laughed into her coffee. “I love this team. But I also want to lock myself in a soundproof room sometimes.”

Bucky handed her an orange slice as they followed the rest of the team out. “Yeah. But hey—at least it’s never boring.”

----

The training room echoed with the sound of punches hitting pads, grunts of exertion, and Bob’s running commentary on how this was “basically child abuse.”

“You’re twenty-seven, you absolute man-child,” Ava huffed, sweeping his legs out from under him for the third time in five minutes.

Bob hit the mat with a loud thud. Dragging himself upright with a groan, he adjusted his sparring gloves. “I get zero respect around here.”

“You earn respect through discipline,” Walker said, dead serious from the sidelines, arms crossed.

Bob blinked at him. “How is it that everything you say makes me want to give up?”

“Focus,” Ava called, already circling him again like a predator. “Or I’m going for your ribs this time.”

“You’re a menace,” Bob muttered.

Y/N had fallen quiet. She stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed tight, her eyes unfocused. Remembering the files Sam had sent over.

And her powers… were seeping. Soft pink wisps floated around her fingertips, glowing faintly—uncontrolled, leaking emotion like fog.

Bob was the first to notice, pausing mid-spar with Ava. “Uh… hey. Y/N? You’re kinda... glowing.”

Yelena blinked and jogged over, concern etched across her face. “That only happens when something’s wrong.”

“I’m fine,” Y/N said quickly. Too quickly.

Ava stepped closer, her usual teasing demeanor gone. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

“Guys—” Bucky stepped in, hand up like a stop sign. His tone was calm but firm. “Don’t push her.”

Yelena’s eyes flicked to Y/N’s hands. “That kind of energy drain messes her up. You know it does.”

Bucky turned to them with that same patience he gave her. “I know. I do. But trust her.”

Y/N glanced up, catching the moment—how they were all looking at her like they were ready to fight for her without even knowing the war.

Her voice came softer this time, but steadier.

“I need to show you guys something,” she said, meeting each of their eyes. “The reason why I’ve been feeling off.”

----

series taglist:

@rafesgurl, @seventeen-x, @moompie, @starstruckfirecat, @torntaltos, @rlphunter,

[loverstrings]

Project Spindle

MASTERLIST - Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - my first series! i've been writing this for a while and i'm excited for you guys to read this.

spoiler warning for thunderbolts*

------

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

------

[loverstrings]

Project Spindle (Chapter One) - Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - the first chapter! this concept truly came from a dream.

spoiler warning for thunderbolts* | masterlist

The team filed into the common room of the Avengers Tower, their exhaustion hanging heavy in the air. Mission gear was dumped by the door without a second thought—boots kicked off, jackets slung over chairs, weapons clinking as they hit the floor.

Bucky was the first to make a beeline for the kitchen, muttering under his breath, “If someone ate my last yogurt, I’m leaving this team.”

Yelena threw herself onto the couch with a groan, her legs dangling over the armrest. “Relax, grump. No one wants your weird protein yogurt.”

“I do,” Ava added, flopping down beside her. “Just not enough to suffer the guilt trip afterward.”

From behind them, Walker rolled his eyes. “You two ever get tired of being annoying?”

Ava didn’t even turn around. “Do you ever get tired of being so sensitive?”

“I’m just saying—”

“Shh,” Yelena cut in, holding up a hand. “The couch doesn’t argue with background noise.”

Walker scoffed and stalked off toward the kitchen, muttering something about how no one respected proper debriefings.

Alexei wandered in next, already sipping from a bottle that definitely wasn’t water. “Ahh! A successful mission. You know, when I was Red Guardian, we used to fight for forty-eight hours straight. No rest, no drones. Just fists. And grit. And vodka.”

“You also say you once took down a Hydra unit during a ballet recital,” Y/N said, curled up on the big bean bag in the corner, a steaming mug cradled in her hands.

Alexei lit up. “Yes! With the ballerina who hid knives in her tutu! A real artist. You should’ve seen the blood on the stage. Beautiful!”

Bob let out a sleepy whine and leaned harder into Y/N’s side, practically glued to her. His arms were loosely wrapped around a pillow, but his head rested against her shoulder like a clingy child.

“You smell like wet socks and smoke,” he murmured, barely audible.

“Accurate,” Y/N replied softly, running her fingers through his hair.

Bucky returned with his precious yogurt, eyeing the scene before settling behind Y/N. He lowered himself to the floor, resting his back against the beanbag and placing a steady hand on her leg.

“You okay?” he asked quietly, just for her.

She gave a tired nod. “Yeah. Just drained. I almost threw Walker into traffic today.”

“I would’ve caught him,” Bucky said, deadpan.

“I know,” she smiled. “That’s why I didn’t.”

Yelena sat up slightly, glancing around. “Hands up if you listened to a single word of Walker’s lecture in the Quinjet.”

Not a single hand went up. Bob groaned. Ava fake slept. Even Alexei raised his bottle in protest.

“There was a lecture?” Bucky said flatly.

“I heard that!” Walker yelled from the kitchen.

Yelena leaned back with a grin. “Then maybe there’s hope for your listening skills after all.”

The room burst into light laughter, warm and easy. Mission chaos faded into background noise. This was their peace: bruised knuckles, aching muscles, found family—and a whole lot of sarcasm.

Before the conversation could settle, Bucky’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then answered the call, but his eyes stayed on Y/N  as he listened.

“Yeah,” he said into the phone, voice growing quieter. “She’s here. One sec.”

He held the phone out to her. “It’s Sam. He found something... about Hydra. Related to you.”

She blinked, surprised. “Me?”

“Yeah. He said it’s important.”

Y/N took the phone with a puzzled frown and got up, Bob whining softly at her absence. She padded down the hall and slipped into one of the empty private rooms, closing the door behind her.

“Hey, Sam?”

“Hey,” came his voice. “Didn’t want to text this, but Torres and I found something. Something big.”

“Okay…” she said slowly, sitting on the edge of a desk.

Joaquin’s voice joined the call. “We were going through old Hydra files—stuff that SHIELD never decrypted.”

“And?”

“We found you,” Sam said. “In the records. Before the Maximoffs.”

She went very still. “What?”

“You weren’t just another Hydra experiment,” Sam said. “You were the first step. The origin test for what created Wanda’s powers.”

Joaquin continued, “They didn’t use the Mind Stone until after they studied what was already in you.”

Y/N’s throat went dry. “You’re saying… I was the prototype?”

“More than that,” Sam said. “Look at this.”

There was a beep, and a screen share lit up on her end. A scan analysis of her energy signature appeared beside Wanda’s chaos magic profile.

“The energy match,” she said, heart pounding. “Wanda’s is red. Mine’s pink—but the wave structure is almost identical.”

“Like a diluted copy,” Joaquin added.

“That would mean they used your abilities as a model,” Sam said grimly.

“Or as proof of concept,” Y/N said, her voice low. “That what I was born with could be replicated—and made stronger.”

They were quiet a moment.

“Why me?” she whispered.

“We’re gonna find out,” Sam promised. “But this changes everything.”

Y/N stared at the screen, at the glowing signatures dancing in sync like a mirrored storm.

“I think,” she said softly, “I’ve always known I wasn’t just an accident.”

“Not an accident,” Sam agreed. “A foundation.”

He paused. “I just sent you the full file—figured you’d want to look at it alone first.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“We’re here if you need us.”

She nodded to herself. “I know.”

The line went dead.

Y/N sat in silence for a long moment. Then she turned toward the nearby Stark terminal, fingers shaking slightly as she pulled up the file Sam had sent.

FILE NAME: PROJECT SPINDLE – SUB: PROTOTYPE ALPHA [SUBJECT 8-A]

Her own face stared back at her in a grainy still from surveillance footage. Younger. Barely twenty. Shackled to a chair. Her eyes glowing.

Y/N swallowed thickly and hit play.

A voice filled the room. Male. German accent. Calm. Detached.

“Subject 8-A continues to show unstable potential. We believe the mutation is tied to dormant DNA influenced by cosmic radiation exposure during fetal development—possibly from early experiments conducted in Sokovia pre-dating our involvement.”

Another clip. She was screaming. Surrounded by chaos—energy flaring, violent and pink. Not red. Hers.

“Unlike the Maximoff twins, Subject 8-A did not require the Mind Stone. Her power appears to be innate… possibly the origin point for what became the Maximoff enhancement process.”

Her breath caught. She wasn’t a byproduct.

She was the blueprint.

Leaving the room, she caught Bucky’s glance from across the hallway. He froze, taking one look at her eyes—and he knew. She had figured something out. Something he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.

He threw his yogurt away and excused himself from the common room, trailing her quietly.

“You found something,” he said, catching up with her halfway down the corridor. “I can tell by your face.”

Y/N nodded, already turning. “Follow me. Please.”

She paced quickly back to the private room, waiting until he stepped in before closing the door behind them.

Still facing the door, Bucky exhaled. “Damn. You never run this fast during training.”

He turned to her, breath slowing—then froze when he saw it. The faint crackle of pink static around her fingers. The files still open on the terminal screen.

His chest rose and fell as he walked slowly toward her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder while his eyes scanned the display—the same haunting footage she had just watched alone.

“They studied me,” she said, voice barely above a whisper, “to make Wanda.”

—

The lights were low in their shared quarters. The city was still sleeping, and so was most of the Tower.

Y/N sat cross legged on their bed, staring blankly at the soft pink energy gently flickering between her fingers. Bucky leaned against the dresser, arms folded, watching her in silence.

Neither of them had slept much.

“Should we tell them in the morning?” she finally asked, voice raw with uncertainty. “I mean… everything?”

Bucky exhaled, stepping forward slowly to sit at the edge of the bed. “We probably should. But we don’t have to throw it all at them at once.”

“They deserve to know,” she whispered. “Especially after everything we’ve been through together.”

His hand found hers, fingers intertwining. “Yeah. But none of this is your fault.”

She gave a humorless laugh. “Feels like it, though. I mean… Wanda, everything Hydra did, the fact that I was part of a foundation—”

Bucky interrupted gently. “They used you. You didn’t give them permission.”

A beat of silence passed. Then she leaned her head on his shoulder. “How do you always know what to say?”

“I don’t,” he replied honestly, brushing his lips over her hair. “I’m just really good at sounding calm while panicking.”

She smiled faintly, eyes slipping shut “You think this changes everything?”

Bucky didn’t answer right away. Instead, he brushed her hair gently back from her face, eyes soft with something that felt like both fury and affection.

“It doesn’t change you,” he said. “And that’s what matters.”

She gave a quiet laugh, more breath than sound. “Okay,” she said finally. “After training. I’ll tell them.”

He kissed her temple again, grounding her like he always did. “We’ve got your back. You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” she murmured. “I do.”

------

series taglist:

@seventeen-x, @rafesgurl

[loverstrings]

Project Spindle (TEASER)- Established Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

She’s always known about her powers, but the truth of where they come from could shatter everything.

a.n - teaser for a series i'm working on. i wanted to see how the interest was before posting more chapters! i have 3 ready so far :3

spoiler warning for thunderbolts* | CHAPTER ONE POSTED!! | masterlist

The team filed into the common room of the Tower, their exhaustion hanging heavy in the air. Mission gear was dumped by the door without a second thought—boots kicked off, jackets slung over chairs, weapons clinking as they hit the floor.

Bucky was the first to make a beeline for the kitchen, muttering under his breath, “If someone ate my last yogurt, I’m leaving this team.”

Yelena threw herself onto the couch with a groan, her legs dangling over the armrest. “Relax, grump. No one wants your weird protein yogurt.”

“I do,” Ava added, flopping down beside her. “Just not enough to suffer the guilt trip afterward.”

From behind them, Walker rolled his eyes. “You two ever get tired of being annoying?”

Ava didn’t even turn around. “Do you ever get tired of being so sensitive?”

“I’m just saying—”

“Shh,” Yelena cut in, holding up a hand. “The couch doesn’t argue with background noise.”

Walker scoffed and stalked off toward the kitchen, muttering something about how no one respected proper debriefings.

Alexei wandered in next, already sipping from a bottle that definitely wasn’t water. “Ahh! A successful mission. You know, when I was Red Guardian, we used to fight for forty-eight hours straight. No rest, no drones. Just fists. And grit. And vodka.”

“You also say you once took down a unit during a ballet recital,” Y/N said, curled up on the big bean bag in the corner, a steaming mug cradled in her hands.

Alexei lit up. “Yes! With the ballerina who hid knives in her tutu! A real artist. You should’ve seen the blood on the stage. Beautiful!”

Bob let out a sleepy whine and leaned harder into Y/N’s side, practically glued to her. His arms were loosely wrapped around a pillow, but his head rested against her shoulder like a clingy child.

“You smell like wet socks and smoke,” he murmured, barely audible.

“Accurate,” Y/N replied softly, running her fingers through his hair.

Bucky returned with his precious yogurt, eyeing the scene before settling behind Y/N. He lowered himself to the floor, resting his back against the beanbag and placing a steady hand on her leg.

“You okay?” he asked quietly, just for her.

She gave a tired nod. “Yeah. Just drained. I almost threw Walker into traffic today.”

“I would’ve caught him,” Bucky said, deadpan.

“I know,” she smiled. “That’s why I didn’t.”

Yelena sat up slightly, glancing around. “Hands up if you listened to a single word of Walker’s lecture in the Quinjet.”

Not a single hand went up. Bob groaned. Ava fake slept. Even Alexei raised his bottle in protest.

“There was a lecture?” Bucky said flatly.

“I heard that!” Walker yelled from the kitchen.

Yelena leaned back with a grin. “Then maybe there’s hope for your listening skills after all!”

The room burst into light laughter, warm and easy. Mission chaos faded into background noise. This was their peace: bruised knuckles, aching muscles, found family—and a whole lot of sarcasm.

Before the conversation could settle, Bucky’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then answered the call, but his eyes stayed on Y/N as he listened.

“Yeah,” he said into the phone, voice growing quieter. “She’s here. One sec.”

He held the phone out to her. “It’s Sam. He found something... about Hydra. Related to you.”

She blinked, surprised. “Me?”

“Yeah. He said it’s important.”

Y/N took the phone with a puzzled frown and got up, Bob whining softly at her absence. She padded down the hall and slipped into one of the empty private rooms, closing the door behind her.

“Hey, Sam?”

“Hey,” came his voice. “Didn’t want to text this, but Torres and I found something. Something big.”

“Okay…” she said slowly, sitting on the edge of a desk.

Joaquin’s voice joined the call. “We were going through old Hydra files—stuff that SHIELD never decrypted.”

“And?”

“We found you,” Sam said. “In the records. Before the Maximoffs.”

She went very still. “What?”

“You weren’t just another Hydra experiment,” Sam said. “You were the first step. The origin test for what created Wanda’s powers.”

------

a.n - hih! thanks for reading the teaser :3 let me know if you want more!

[loverstrings]

Just sulking.

fatherfigure!aaron hotchner x gn!reader

summary: In a confused state, Hotch reminds you what lead to it. warning: HEAVY ANGST, happy/hopeful ending, reader dissociated, cheating (not by reader or hotch), reader calls hotch 'dad', hotch calls reader 'sweetheart' and 'honey', no use of y/n a/n: RAAAA gaud sometimes my own writings got me fucked up. I hope you enjoy reading this one the way I enjoyed writing it. I was also listening to Decode by Paramore so that’ll be mentioned in the fic hehehe. I didn't really proofread it, sorry for grammar errors.

You snap back into the conversation when you notice your heart racing, tear stains drying on your face and your palm throbbing in pain. Why are you standing? You look around you and see papers and trinkets that lived on your desk now on the floor next to you. Why does every part of your body feel strained? After looking at the aftermath of your desk you look straight ahead to see Hotch, eyes soften, he’s standing, why is he standing your tissue box in his hands. You try reading it, trying to make a profile of why he’s in your office and why Paramore was playing in the background.

“Hotch” You whisper. Slowly losing your composer, the cracks of vulnerability showing. Something you promised yourself you wouldn’t ever show Hotch. He already takes care of so much, you barely wanted him to take care of you too. Hotch didn’t dare to speak until you asked your question. He saw the gears turning in your head. He saw the anger that was once there fade into confusion and fear. So he gave you a soft hum, so you know that he’s acknowledging you. 

Tears start to trickle down your face. A small sound came out of your mouth, almost like a whimper. You didn’t understand, what happened? How’d you end up like this? And what the fuck happened to your voice?

With all the courage you can muster, your frail voice chokes out “H-hotch, what happened?” More tears start to slip out, you sniffle them back and continue. “Please, I don’t understand. Dad, please I don’t I-” The confusion and fear completely taking over your speech. Now tears are streaming down your face as you slip further into feeling fearful of yourself   

In that moment, Aaron’s closed off professional personality completely shatters when you call him ‘Dad’. You and Hotch aren’t related, he was just a father figure for you since you joined the team at 24. He hasn’t seen you dissociate this quickly since the first heavy case you experienced years ago. Here you both are, standing in your home office with papers and gifts scattered on the floor.  Hotch came to visit and drop off some food, he and the team realized you hadn’t been at work and knew something was up. So they sent their resident dad to the rescue knowing Hotch had a softer spot for you the same way he had one for Jack. 

He tells you all of this while sitting you down in your office chair. He continues explaining that with the extra keys you gave him. He let himself in to drop the food and card that Jack and the team wrote up for you. Expecting you to be too sick to get out of bed, but he saw your office door open, lights dimmed and Decode by Paramore playing a little louder than he expected.

In true BAU fashion Hotch took out his gun to clear the rooms in your house before slowly entering the office. He heard you before he saw you, you were humming to the song. Lowering his gun and holstering it he knocked on the wall and announced himself while calling out for you. You give him a quick ‘yeah’ in response as you continue what you were doing. Hotch walked closer to see what you were so in trance with. That’s when he saw you sitting at your desk looking at your phone. He peered his head over to see what exactly you were looking at and saw you scrolling through instagram. He notices there is no purpose with scrolling and you look stunned. 

He softened up, “Sweetheart, what are you looking at?” Leaning over your desk so you can hear him a little better.

Slouching further in your chair you mumble, “Nothing, just sulking today.” Hotch didn’t believe you so he pushes and asks you “What did you find out?”

You look up from your phone to make eye contact with Hotch. “They've been dating for about 5 months. Well that’s what the instagram story says.” You can barely look at Hotch because you see him, you see Aaron and not Hotch and it utterly breaks you. You have promised him that this guy was different and Hotch approved. Ever since you joined the BAU, you have always looked for his approval. His word  was the one that meant the world to you.

“We broke up 5 months ago, something felt wrong and I tried to profile him but he used me and this team as an excuse to break up. There was never a conversation about why he just left. ” You rise from your seat, hands pressing into your desk, making intense eye contact with the man in front of you.

“Hotch, he lied to me. He lied about everything and before we even broke up faked his love for me but I was so fucking love sick to notice. I should have noticed something, right?”  You don’t realize you raised your voice as you continued talking. “I’m a fucking profile at the BAU for god fucking sake how come I didn’t see it coming.” Pacing from behind your desk, you run your hands through your hair while tears fall onto your cheeks.

“I can’t believe I let this happen to me.” You scuff to yourself, Hotch still standing in front of you. He kept his mouth shut, if he says anything it could possibly antagonize you. So he lets you continue until you can’t anymore, it looks like you’ve hid all this hurt from him for a long time, longer than 5 months. “You know what” you’re pointing at Hotch now, eyes look like they’ve lost life and rage took over.  Hotch sees you dissociating now, he tries to respond to your question but you cut him off. 

“Everytime we’re on a mission, he doesn’t pick up the phone. He would text and say he was busy.” Your voice is straining from raising it, something Hotch thought he’d only see in the field. “So I call who I thought was my best friend because after cases I want something to feel normal, you know. I wanted to talk to someone who doesn’t know what we’ve seen. And god how can I be so fucking stupid. S-she would keep secrets when talking about her day and I didn’t push it because I trusted but god fucking damnit Hotch it was all there. All the evidence was there.” You’re choking up now, the tears streaming faster than you can think, the music seemed to hit harder. “She was supposed to be my best friend. I told her how he didn’t love me once, I told her so many secrets about him so she knew how fucked up he was. But she took his side, she defended him while caring for me.” 

Now you feel insane because you laugh, you let out a crazed laugh. Running your hands through your hair again you look at your desk. 

Hotch is watching you intensely now, feeling like your next move will harm someone in the room. He moves back and watches you contemplate something, raising your hands you push all the contents on your desk with a loud “Fucking asshats. How can you do that to someone you care about?” The screaming and yelling turned into confusion and fear. Which leads to your current state. 

“Woah, I said all of that.” You mumble out, Hotch is kneeling in front of you, hand in his as he cleans your wound.

“Yeah, I’m sorry that happened to you sweetheart. You know outside of this room is some ramen I got from your favorite spot and a card from Jack and the team.” He looks at you now, the light in your eyes start to come back so he pushes another question “How ‘bout I call everyone for a small movie night and you can talk to the girls about what happened.” You look at him with hope and nod, explaining that them coming over would be nice. 

“Sounds good, honey. I’ll call them right now” He says while rising to reach for his phone. Before he calls he turns back to you and says “Don’t worry about the mess, Reid and I will clean it up. I bet he knows exactly where everything was.” You let out a sad chuckle because Hotch is right, Spencer has taken hostage of your office because his words ‘the atmosphere is the same but completely different from his home’.

An hour later, you’re sitting on your couch. A blanket over your lap, as you eat the ramen Hotch brought for you. The team is spread out around your kitchen and dining table, you realize they also brought over everyone’s ramen order to make you feel less guilty for being the only one eating it. During that time, Spencer completely reorganized your desk and left you one of your favorite candies for you to find the next day. The rest of the team came bearing beers and wine, giggling that today is finally the day a team sleepover happens. 

Still in your head you don't notice the slight dip in the couch until you look over and see Emily with a glass of wine in her hand. “So my love, tell me everything.” You giggle and tell the whole group to gather around, yelling that you don’t want to repeat the same story 6 other times. 

[loverstrings]

You promise?

spencer reid x gn!reader

summary: you come over spencer's house to ask him a question warning: HARD ANGST, hopeful ending(?), no use of spencer's name or y/n a/n: I don't know what took over to write such angst but here you go. I literally have no words because proofreading this had me crying every single time.

You look at him fully for the first time in a long time. Fear and hurt controlling your emotions as you say with pain “Tell me you don’t love me.” Tears start to form in your eyes. You can barely see his face switch from confusion to sadness as he stands a bit closer to whisper “Please don’t ask me to do that.” you hear the pain in his voice. 

“Please, just tell me you don’t love me and I’ll leave.” you say softer, just wanting an answer so it all stops hurting.

“I can’t.” His response is just above a whisper, you feel step closer his hand brushing yours while he looks down only glancing at you when you ask him why.

“You know why, please stop doing this.”

“I can’t.” This time you’ve backed away from him shaking your head while anxiously picking at your fingers. It seems like old habits kick in and you see him nudge your hand down with his fingers. He has the look in his eyes that you can’t place and just as you were going to ask he cuts you off with a word you’ve said so often.

“Why?”

“Because if you tell me you don’t love me it’d stop hurting.”

“What will stop hurting?”

“You know what it is.” This time you both hold eye contact and through puffy eyes you see him tear up. It breaks your heart more to know you’re fighting for him to lie to you. 

“I don’t think it’d help though. You’re just hurting yourself more.”

“I know”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“I’m tired of this feeling”

“I’m tired of this too you know”

“I’m sorry”

“I know, it’s okay”

“I’m truly sorry for everything”

“Me too”

You both stand in silence, unsure of what to say next. Tears falling from your eyes, you look up at him to see tears staining his cheek too. A pause before you hear him speak out words you didn’t think he would say. “I loved you” he says, his voice cracks and you see the tears rolling down his face. 

You look at him with sadness in your eyes or love or both you can’t really tell what this feeling is. You didn’t realize you moved your lips to say “I loved you too” more tears fall on your face as you see him give you a small smile. You haven’t seen him this vulnerable, and you feel a pang in your heart. A part of you wanted to go closer to hug him. 

That’s what you did, you didn’t care about the consequences that could come after. Your body moved before you could think, wrapping your hands around his neck to pull him in a hug you haven’t shared in years. It was muscle memory, his arms went around your waist and held you tight while you held tighter. You forgot how safe it felt being in his arms. You missed this, your heart breaks and you can feel it. All you wanted was to feel safe and for the first time in so long you do. “I’m so sorry” he says in your hair as he holds you tighter. You can hear your broken voice mutter “It’s okay, we’re okay” as you loosen your arms around his neck.

“Don’t let go just yet, please” he pulls tighter.

A sad chuckle comes out “My legs hurt from going on my tippy toes.”

“Let’s lay down then.”

“What? You’re serious?” The reality slowly comes up and you feel your anxiety kick in.

“Yes, please don’t go” The hands that are wrapped around your waist start making small circles in your skin causing that bubble of anxiety to calm itself. With a deep breath you tell him you won’t leave.

“You promise?” He squeezes you tighter, pushing his face into your hair hoping for you to respond with what you would always say.

Those words made your whole body freeze. Arms drop a little as you rest your head in his neck. A promise, something that meant so much to you and a word that held a deeper meaning when it came out of his mouth. You can’t promise him that, the logical side of you wants to say. The emotional side wants to scream it from a rooftop. You push yourself just enough to see his face and tell him “I promise.”