papipopsicle

[papipopsicle]

MERCENARY PART THREE

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Enhanced!Reader

Genre: angst, fluff

Summary: In which Hydra never seems to give Earth's Mightiest Heroes a break, and while dismantling every known base, they find a weapon. In which this weapon is a young woman whose known nothing but the life Hydra gave her, and a certain super soldier becomes protective of her from the first time they lock eyes. AU AWAY FROM IW&Endgame, ALSO THERE ARE X-MEN

Warnings: swearing, reference to scars

Song: Punching Bag by Palaye Royale

Words: 1.6K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

"Stark Industries and and the Wakanda Outreach programme has helped thousands of mutants and inhumans, why don't we just hand her over to them and be done with it?" Kitty Pryde mulled over the idea, rolling her eyes as the clock ticked over into the third hour of bickering.

Y/N's sedation would wear off within the next half hour and the team were still yet to come to an unanimous decision on what to do with her. She was currently fast asleep on a comfy bed inside a room which restricted the use of her powers- but she didn't know that yet.

Bucky had tried his best to remain objective, but as he watched the large monitor streaming footage from her room, he couldn't help but be reminded of the girl he watched grow up into a woman and how he'd already missed four years of her life.

"I'll monster watch tonight, James." Y/N hummed, playing with a small flame at her fingertips. She looked over her shoulder and found him watching her with worried eyes, yet she just smiled, "You haven't slept for three nights in a row now. Trust me, they'd hurt you a lot more if you fail your mission tomorrow than they will if I'm a bit grouchy. Sleep, moya lyubov."

"She'd still be a great addition to the team," Tony sighed, standing up to stretch his legs, "and by team I mean the Avengers, I don't even know why you're here quite honestly."

Kitty flipped him off before storming out, probably going to find Charles or Raven to vent to them about how much Stark pissed her off.

Natasha leant over the table, eyes not moving from the tablet in front of her, "Is she like you were, Barnes?"

Bucky tensed and looked at the redhead, "In what way?" He asked slowly.

Nat glanced over at Tony before finding the super soldier waiting for her response, "Did they manipulate her mind and create triggers that'd turn her into a murder machine? Is she at all loyal to Hydra?"

"Come on, you saw her earlier, Nat, Y/N had tried to escape that many times they had to chain her up." Steve tried to reason as he saw Bucky's flesh hand clench up.

"We should consider every possible angle though, right?" Bruce spoke up from his seat towards the back of the room, propping his glasses on his nose and taking a better look at the security footage, "She seems harmless, but-"

"She is harmless." Bucky stressed, "Sure, when you look at her file you see a genetically engineered super-assassin with elemental powers, but not one day passed without trying to escape or planning our next escape. And okay, fine, she enjoys violence, but Hydra conditioned her to be that way and she's never had anyone to tell her otherwise. At the end of the day, she's scared- and I don't want her waking up alone."

The soldier felt Steve's hand squeezing his shoulder in comfort, but it felt cold and the sentiment felt short. Bucky watched each pair of eyes fall away from his sight and their voices stayed silent. He shook off Steve's hand and left the room, making his way down to the supervisory level. He looked down at the small piece of technology in his hand, matching the number to the cell like room and entering a six digit code into the keypad from memory. A single second later it pinged and the lights turned green.

The one armed man stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Y/N's healing figure peacefully sleeping. It was a sight to behold, even in tattered clothes and a thick layer of grime and dust covering her, she was anything but a weapon. She was soft and even delicate to the eye, resting as if her mind wasn't plagued with the tortured souls from her past.

Bucky sat down on the cool wooden floor, crossing his legs like he used to at the age of eight, playing tic tac toe with a small Steven Grant Rogers. Those memories didn't feel much like his own, more at peace with the ones of war he shared with Y/N.

"Stop pulling your punches, their hands are worse than yours." Nineteen year old Y/N warned James with a sharp whisper. His flesh knuckles were scorched from her most recent attack, goaded to use her powers by the watchful handlers. Metal collided with bone and he knew on impact two ribs had fractured, a further one would bloom with bruises soon enough. Training was often more taxing than the missions themselves, bored Hydra agents pulling on puppeteer strings to ensure they put on a good show.

Y/N estimated another ninety minutes had past before her handler pulled her away for healing observations, for research rather than well-being purposes. It wasn't long until she found herself flung back into the dingy cell with a kick to the back of her knees and an expired first aid kit thrown to the ground beside her.

Once the door cranked shut, James knelt beside the stoic woman he knew was hurting so deeply within. He collected any supplies for sterilisation and allowed Y/N to collapse under his touch. She curled into his chest as he cleaned the wounds he caused, burnt knuckles stung from the movements but that was numb compared to the torment of seeing her in pain.

James was past the point of blaming himself for any injuries Y/N incurred from training and vice versa, too much of their precious time had already been taken away in arguments of how much the other was not at fault. Hydra allowed them one hour a day together, usually after training, to decompress and recover and mostly hold each other. Y/N had a knack for sneaking out of her cell to be with the super soldier, it took more time stopping her, punishing her and hauling her back than their current routine. Teamwork on missions became more efficient, so they were allowed their hour of peace unless it became a weakness.

That was when Y/N was most aware of time passing by, fingers habitually running over the rigid scars between metal and soft flesh as a reminder James was entirely real. He watched between the fire dancing in her free hand and the peace within tired features, her own eyes burning bright at his constant touch. The hour would soon be up, and there was no fight to leave each other other than the lingering fingertips as they were pulled apart.

"You cut your hair-" Y/N's gravelly voice was cut off with a harsh array of coughs, spluttering dust from her cell's destruction stuck in her lungs. She squinted at the bright sterile lighting, everything in the room intensely white with the exception of Bucky and his all black clothing sat at the bottom of her vision.

He dialled the lights down noticing Y/N's discomfort and handed her an unopened bottle of mineral water. Her eyes carefully surveyed his movements, not considering him a threat as she chugged the liquid gratefully.

"Do you like it?" He asked after a few seconds of silence had filled the air, taking a seat at the side of the mattress apprehensively. Four years had passed and although he trusted the woman he thought was dead with his life, she was indeed alive and Hydra could do a lot of damage in much less time apart. He had so many questions, so many missed touches longed for and so little worry that she was no longer his Phoenix.

Even with grime covering her from head to toe, Bucky couldn't take his eyes away from her as she scrunched her nose playfully and answered, "I'll miss your long hair, but this suits you- you look like a person."

Unlike Bucky, whose memories were fuzzy around the edges, for better or worse Y/N held all of hers. She remembered cutting his hair short for a mission the once and wishing Hydra wouldn’t let it grow out again. But seeing him this time was immaculate- he was his own human, and she looked to the dirt and disheveled clothing on her person and knew she wasn’t. Purely what she was engineered to be and not a thing more, a biological weapon owned only by Hydra.

Bucky sensed the mental downward spiral as she scanned herself, brows knitting together and tears welling threatening to fall.

He corralled her away from those cataclysmic thoughts with a cool touch to her hot fingertips, metal thumb running across the back of her hand soothingly. “It took a bit more than a hair cut, but the days I feel like a person outweigh the days I don’t. And we’ll get you there too.”

“Can I start that tomorrow?” Y/N pouted and lay against the plush pillows behind her head, content with the sounds of metal whirring against her skin that only super soldier hearing could pick up on.

The team, fewer members left in the conference room, watched the interaction from the projection. A few more words were shared before Bucky lay down beside Y/N, both infinitely still but continuing the motions on their joint hands. Steve’s chair rolled back a few inches as he eyed Tony, “Listen, I can already see Bucky following if we send her off somewhere, we’ve got to at least try re-humanising her.”

“Great, we adopted another murder machine- when the first one gets lonely, at least now he’ll have company!” Tony held his hands up in defence when Steve didn’t appreciate his humour, “Alright, Cap. We’ll observe, give it a few days and get to work on project no murder and less machine.”

part four?

taglist: @kcd15 @killjoynotes

want to be tagged? comment or send in an ask x

[papipopsicle]

do revenge is probably one of the best films i’ve watched all year, it was fun and campy and enthralling i legit didn’t check my phone once throughout

[papipopsicle]

LOST IN STEREO PART TWO

Summary: In which Billy thought she was just another preppy cheerleader, couldn't care less, until a summer day rolled around and he wanted to take back every little comment in a heartbeat

Song: You Know Me Too Well | Nothing But Thieves

Words: 1.3K

MASTERLIST | PART ONE

feedback is always appreciated

Two days flew by, with Hawkins High's resident bad boy following around the school's goodie goodie cheerleader in any small window of opportunity he was given.

He showed up early the next day, forcing Max to skate to school since he had left before she even woke up that morning. Awaiting Y/N's arrival, Billy had his window rolled down and a cigarette between his lips, content with the sounds of Ozzy Osbourne filling any silent spaces in the air.

He knew the Barracuda’s owner always arrived early from the times he left the house as quickly as possible, knowing when Neil’s volatile state from the night before would persist into the next morning. Up until yesterday, he pictured the driver as a jock or a metal head, someone who didn’t truly appreciate the vehicle they drove. Probably gifted to them by a parent having seen it in a magazine. Billy had built up an image of the teenager who owned it, but Y/N certainly didn’t fit the bill.

The cherry coloured car pulled into the lot at a few minutes before seven o'clock, Y/N immensely aware of the usually empty spot next to her unofficially allocated one now full. Billy turned down the volume of his own music, attentively listening to the familiar album from someone else's speakers. She had gotten part way through the album from her drive home yesterday and journey back to the school this morning, concluding it was some of her favourite songs from Mötley Crüe's to date.

Billy mirrored her movements has they both stepped out of their respective driver side doors.

"Are you stalking me, Hargrove?" She questioned with a light tone, eyes connecting over the roof of her car. The words shocked him momentarily, bolder than he had expected. Girls were quick to melt under his stern gaze, becoming whoever they thought he would want to lay within a split second. The only other girl who didn't succumb to his charm and end up a puddle of hormones was Carol, but even she would if he gave her the time of day.

Billy snapped out of his revered daze, the lapse of obnoxious behaviour coming to an end all too quickly, "Not unless you find it endearing?"

Endearing? Until the word left his lips, he didn't even know it was within his vernacular. How on earth had hot head Billy Hargrove ended up a ball of nerves? Throughout the nine months of living in this little town, the thought of starting a conversation with her had never crossed his mind.

He knew of her, he knew of everyone around him, studying them when his mind couldn't escape his fathers words. But that didn't stop him from ignoring most people, pretending they didn't exist or were too far below him to care about. She was just a pretty cheerleader he looked at every now and again, deeming her too prissy and peppy for his time.

"How about we leave the stalking to one side and just start off with a conversation?" She smiled over at him, walking around the perimeter of her car and leaning against its hood, just a couple feet away from where Billy stood twirling his keys about.

The air was thick and heat had already began to crawl up as the minutes ticked on. Billy took note of her lack of cheerleading uniform- she wore a pale blue mini skirt and tight fitted black t-shirt. It complemented her skin well, with a glow left behind by scented body lotion a heavenly contrast against the dark fabric of her top.

He pulled his eyes up from her figure before the staring became too obvious, "How about we skip the conversation and I take you out tonight?"

The fantastical aura she'd drawn around him just moments earlier erased itself, Y/N dropped his flirtatious gaze, "I think I'm busy tonight."

She walked away whist the real words he wanted to speak were stuck in his throat, trodden on by his virile persona. Billy watched as she didn't look back, kicking the front tyre of his car in at the miscalculation in his speech.

Both did their best not to hold on to the interaction throughout that day, but it found quiet moments to pop up unannounced, reminding each of the disappointment within. Y/N always thought she would have gotten along well with Billy had she ever left her comfort zone and attempted to interact with him. She didn't care for his womanising ways or brutish brazen attitude, but he managed to intrigue her nonetheless.

She said 'oh well' to herself multiple times that day, pulling her mind from wandering into moments that could've been.

By lunchtime the next day, she had shaken away those pesky thoughts. That wasn't easy with her group of friends gossiping around the table like it was their only source of energy. They loved the subject of Billy, no matter the topic, any discussion usually managed to find its way back to him.

So when they all began whispering and chanting his name like some kind of ritual, Y/N stayed unfazed. Until the girl opposite her kicked her leg under the table, "What the fuck, Stephanie?"

Y/N followed the cheerleader's eye-line whilst leaning down to rub her tender shin, more expletives getting lost as she found the topic of their conversation standing behind her chair.

"Ladies." Billy addressed the group of drooling girls whose chattering had quickly ceased, scanning the groups before setting his sights on Y/N with much softer eyes, “Can we talk?”

She managed to hide away a conspicuous blush, not from his attention, because the girls she called friends were all sending burning looks of fury into her skull.

“Of course.” Y/N mirrored his gentle tone, slinging her backpack over one shoulder as she followed the boy out of the hall.

She avoided the jealous stares of her teammates, finding Eddie watching warily from across the room. The metalhead had two palms set on the table, ready to defend his friend from Billy ‘Hot Head’ Hargrove in a split second. But just as he was about to stand up and launch into a protective speech, Y/N raised her eyebrows suggestively and waved him off as she walked through the double doors leading out to the quad.

They found a quiet spot away from prying eyes, both knowing their friendship circles were dying to listen in. Billy kicked at the asphalt with his big combat boots, finding it difficult to lift his eyes up and meet the authentic gaze cast upon him.

“Hargrove,” she began after a minute of silence passed, watching intently as his eyes lifted from the ground, “you wanted to talk to me?”

He ran a hand over his face, like finding the correct words was something he tried to put time and effort into before voicing them, “The whole getting to know you thing has never really crossed my mind. I don’t have to, to get want I want from a girl.”

Y/N scoffed, leaning back against the brickwork with her arms folded below her chest, “I appreciate your honesty-”

“But I’d really like to get to know you, if you’ll let me.” Billy cut her off, stepping closer with his icy orbs fixated on her wide eyed gaze.

She mulled it over for a few seconds too long, and the boy thought he’d ruined the chance of any relationship from his comment the morning before. Y/N nudged her white pump against the hem of his denim jeans, pulling him out of the small downward spiral his brain was about to enter into.

“How can I be sure you aren’t just doing this to get into my pants?” Y/N chewed her bottom lip, awaiting his answer.

He smirked, regaining any confidence that had fallen away, “I guess you’ve got to trust your gut.”

should i continue?

taglist: @let-love-bleeds-red @moonmark98 @yourmomdotcom42069

[papipopsicle]

LOST IN STEREO

Summary: In which Billy thought she was just another preppy cheerleader, couldn't care less, until a summer day rolled around and he wanted to take back every little comment in a heartbeat. He fell head over heels in the length of a song for someone who had flown under his radar for over nine months.

•

•

❝tattoos and a switchblade attitude, snakebite heart with a bubblegum smile❞ - Alex Gaskarth

•

ONE | TWO | THREE

•

i. Lost In Stereo | All Time Low

ii. No Love In LA | Palaye Royale

iii. Never Tear Us Apart | INXS

iv. You Know Me Too Well | Nothing But Thieves

v. I Was Made For Loving You | KISS

vi. Tear You Apart | She Wants Revenge

vii. Master of Puppets | Metallica

viii. Zombie | The Cranberries

ix. Dr. Feelgood | Mötley Crüe

x. Creep | Radiohead

xi. Paranoid | Black Sabbath

xii. Killer Queen | Queen

xiii. Rock You Like A Hurricane | Scorpions

xiv. Dead Inside | Muse

xv. Kiss Goodnight | IDKHow

[papipopsicle]

LOST IN STEREO PART ONE

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Fem!Reader

Summary: In which Billy thought she was just another preppy cheerleader, he couldn't care less, until a summer day rolled around and he wanted to take back every little comment in a heartbeat

Song: No Love In LA | Palaye Royale

Warnings: none currently

Words: 1.1K

a/n: we were robbed of seeing billy trying to woo a cheerleader, let alone my secret rocker heartthrob... we were so robbed... this is based just before season three- also my vision for the reader is 90s Cameron Diaz

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

     Billy Hargrove had the students of Hawkins High wrapped around his pinky - they loved him, lusted for him or were terrified of him. Either way, those sweater clad teens were yes men at his feet, and he relished in the attention. Basked in it as if it were a replacement for the Californian sunshine. There were few who flew under the radar, oblivious to his stardom or simply disinterested in his omnipotent charm.

He hadn't been seen with a girl for some weeks at this point, and the school's rumour mill was beginning to churn itself out of control.

"Pathetic." Carol rolled her eyes at the group of cheerleaders who sat upon the lunch table next to theirs, two of the girls giggling and batting their sultry eyes over at Billy.

The boy had his attention fixed elsewhere though, on the pretty cheerleading uniform nevertheless. Her back was to him, toned legs stretched whilst up on her tip toes, white and emerald skirt tauntingly bouncing with her excited movements. She was three tables away, daring to converse with the outcasts of her year without any hesitation. The girl exchanged some small item with Eddie 'The Freak' Munson, hiding it away in her jacket pocket before wandering back over to the group of carbon copies.

They accepted her back into the fold with envious glares and false smiles- some having watched the interaction whilst the others took notice of Billy's fixation.

That afternoon's basketball practice went by far too slowly, and he was distracted. Cheers sounded preppy and perky from the quad - windows and fire doors of the gymnasium open to allow airflow in the June heatwave. This only amplified the bubbly sounds of high spirited girls practicing their routines. It wasn't just Billy with a preoccupied mind, though his was only down to one of the teammates.

The coach gave up after forty five minutes, telling the teens to get their dicks out of their brains as he dismissed them. It made no difference to most of them, they were graduating in three weeks time and only had one friendly game left before summer vacation began.

Billy was thankful, heading straight out to the car lot instead of the showers, not giving a second thought to the boys chattering away behind him. He leant against the Camaro's hood, cocking his head with a megalomanic smirk tugging at his lips - the cheer girls stopping their practice to swoon and simper at the mere sight of him, even from so far away. He lit up a cigarette, enjoying the flattery for a few short moments. It didn't last long, between drags he took note of the one set of pretty eyes not giving him the undivided attention he'd craved all day.

Y/N paused her current stretching, dropping her white pump clad foot from her hand to decipher what had her friends squawking like various birds of prey. When she arrived at the same conclusion as the other girls, she found a pair of icy eyes contently set on herself.

His reputation certainly preceded him, but Y/N didn't fancy having a red tick and a rating next to her name in any capacity. She instinctively rolled her eyes at the deplorable things leaving her teammates lips, each objectifying him right back. Y/N checked her surroundings, seeing two of the cheer girls already walking away from the group, and those who weren't focused on making a fool of themselves getting ready to leave.

Y/N chucked her water bottle into a small black gym bag, slinging it over one shoulder and heading over to her car without any kind of goodbye. She didn't have the patience for listening to their horndog comments, the heat had been overwhelming for three straight days and how anybody had the capacity to think of anything other than cooling down was beyond her.

The cheerleader stopped mid car park, Billy's eyes still watching intently as she rifled through the small backpack, retrieving a set of keys. With her mind not functioning at full efficiency, she scanned the car park with one hand shielding her tired eyes from the bright four o'clock sunlight.

Her bright red Barracuda made itself known as the car directly in front sped off, and she didn't like where it had ended up parking. She used the same spot each day, arriving earlier than most to help with free breakfasts at the Middle School, and leaving later than the school body due to cheer and dance practice. The space was always empty upon arrival, and her treasured cherry coloured car found itself alone at the end of each day.

As she paced over, Y/N wondered whether Billy also had a favoured spot- if he liked having the school's two muscle cars parked next to one another, or if he'd simply scared his classmates enough into him having a private bay and it was simply coincidence they ended up aside each other.

Billy wondered whether his prayers had been answered as he watched the girl approach, falling dumbfounded as the pretty cheerleader unlocked the vehicle next to his. He wanted to question her, but the driver's side door closed as quickly as it opened and her ignition fired up. Stubbing out the short cigarette, he was captivated by Y/N. The words had gotten caught in his throat like he’d never known before, Billy never choked. Never.

He didn’t like the way his heart had sped up, sure hot girls got his blood pumping, but the sensation he usually felt was nothing like this. The bad boy of Hawkins High felt the beats in his chest, drumming his fingers against the hood of the Camaro in a mix of unsettlement and infatuation.

She took out the cassette she'd exchanged with Eddie at lunchtime, sliding it into the player and carefully listening as Mötley Crüe's new album drummed through her car. Y/N intentionally made eye contact with the boy staring from one car away, flashing a million dollar grin and waving over at him as she fluidly reversed out and accelerated away. She wasn’t one to flirt, not one to put herself out there or be the recipient of someone’s desire before, but the unexpected attention had thrown her through a loop.

"Fuck." Billy cursed to himself, accepting the challenge of his new target and perplexed in the knowledge she had been here, under his nose, this whole time. In her pretty little cheerleading uniform, driving the car he intentionally parked next to each day, listening to rock music. He questioned the events all night long, wondering if he’d been daydreaming about this fantasy girl, because it was downright impossible she flew under his radar.

part two

[papipopsicle]

wild i was so talented at writing, i’m sat here reading my pieces like they’re brand new to my brain - wishing i had the capacity of motivation to write more because i am freaking enthralled right now, tooting my own horn for sure

my most recent piece is my wonderfully worded out of office auto response for the weekend - the joys of adulthood!

i have about thirty five hundred word beginnings to stories i wish i could finish. maybe one day they’ll see sunlight, but for now they are dusty and cob webbed and will remain lonely in my drafts withering away 🕸️

↓ a visual representation of my evening, incredibly apt as i’m also watching fleabag ↓

[papipopsicle]

trying to watch The Kissing Booth 3 is the most painful experience of my life, and i love Twilight, but this is just horrible… anyone else tried watching it??

[papipopsicle]

thank you so much for all the love on shy away it means the world to me!! from tomorrow i’m on holiday for a week with my partner, i’ll try to write a little bit here and there but as soon as i’m back regular uploads will continue as i’m obsessed with these characters 🥰🥺

[papipopsicle]

SHY AWAY PART FIVE

Pairing: Bucky Banes X Reader

Summary: In which an imitation Captain America leads to Y/N leaving her holiday early and coming back to the field. Stuck between her only two friends, she's forced to reveal a secret she'd kept even from herself.

Song: Rain by Grandson

Warnings: swearing, small amount of John Walker (if he's in here, he's a warning)

Words: 1.4K

A/N- "Doar spune când, James, am sã-l gut ca un porc." Translates to "Just say when, James, I'll gut him like a pig." in Romanian.

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

"And if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me." The words ricocheted through Y/N's mind as Walker tried his hardest to coerce the trio into helping him. The brunette woman didn't care for his manipulative tactics, unable to focus on anything other than Bucky's dejected tone and melancholy visage.

He couldn't be more wrong, and she wished with everything in her conscious being that he could view himself through her eyes even for just a moment. They may be ever so slightly rose tinted, she admitted to herself, knowing she held her friends to a higher standard than most people. But she had good reason to.

"James Buchanan Barnes." Y/N mumbled the name, finding an instant affinity to the way it sounded in her hushed voice. She sat atop Steve's bed, two months had passed since Hydra and Shield both fell, the two free agents for the first time in three years. The file Natasha had given him lay flat across her lap, ogling at second photo attached, "That Sargent uniform... there is nothing I wouldn't let him do to me while wearing that."

Steve leant against his doorframe, entertained by his friend's enthralment, "And in his Winter Solider gear, and when you saw him pulling me out of the Potomac. I'm starting to think it's not just the outfits, honey."

A small part of her brain accepted in the hierarchy of humans in her life, Bucky was at the top. Y/N tried to convince herself he was equal with and just as platonic as Sam. Prior to 'The Blip', she was so head-sure when it came to that - but now her head swam with his voice and drowned a happy death in his scent.

"A word of advice then, stay the hell out of my way." John's strident voice pulled Y/N from her thoughts. Sam's hand lay on the small of her back, guiding her away from the imitation Captain. She felt like slicing open his neck right then and there, he didn't deserve the shield even for a minute. He could keep the stupid outfit, but the shield meant something to her, to most people.

"Doar spune când, James, am sã-l gut ca un porc." Y/N growled, shaking away her anger as the three walked in the opposite direction to John and his companion.

The air was quiet for a few minutes, maybe even ten. Y/N looked for the nearest hotel, finding an appropriate one and guiding the boys down these unfamiliar streets. Only a quiet 'this way' or 'next turn' came from her, seeming so unnaturally ordinary like an exploring tourist. Sam gave Bucky a once over, checking on his friend, finding his gaze firmly attached to the woman two steps ahead of them.

They may not be the closest kind of friends, but Sam could read the super soldier with ease. He smirked, choosing once again not to mention his findings, especially after the fragility of his self worth shone through the therapy session.

"So, what are you thinking?" Sam asked smoothly.

Bucky observed his surroundings before speaking, alert of all the pedestrians around him, "Well, I know what we have to do. When Isaiah said 'my people'..."

"Oh, don't take that to heart." Sam comforts him, his usual calm nature alleviating any awkwardness left from the station, "That's not what he meant."

"No, he meant Hydra. Hydra used to be my people, they were when he and I met." Bucky said lowly.

Sam let out a large sigh after a moment, piquing Y/N's attention, "Not a chance."

"Walker doesn't have any leads..." Bucky trails off, and Y/N covertly slowed her steps to fall back in line with the two men. She wracked her tired brain, piecing together the conversation she hadn't cared for, until a horrible conclusion struck her.

"I swear to all the gods out there," Y/N began in a hushed voice, her tone not playful like usual, "if you want to see Helmut, ask him to cooperate and help us on this, I am absolutely on board."

Both men scrunched their faces at her change of tune, knowing to be even more wary than when her voice sounded serious. She turned to face them, stopping their journey to the hotel to address the two properly.

"He knows all of Hydra's secrets." Bucky aims his words at Sam, "Don't you remember Siberia?"

The question was obviously rhetorical, but Y/N remembered it far too well. The event that fractured her only ever family. Being who she was, the accords were never going to fly, but the aftermath they lead to was catastrophic. She went on the run with Steve and Sam, finding ways every now and again to slip away for weeks at a time to visit Bucky.

"So you're just gonna go sit in a room with this guy?" Sam asks blatantly doubtful.

Bucky eyes both of his friends warily, "Yes."

"I'm sorry, how are you so okay with this?" Sam directs at Y/N, who had already began walking in the direction her map lead to. She assumed the conversation was over, not feeling the need to explain herself.

Y/N doesn't stop her ambling towards the hotel, now only a few minutes away. The boys surely follow after her, "It's pretty simple Sammy, I'd rather have someone I hate twelve percent less help us make things right before John even has a chance."

"Twelve percent?" Bucky queries, both him and Sam quickening their paces to catch up with her.

"Yeah," She threw a grin over her shoulder at them, "obviously an estimate. But, if I actualised my hatred at this current time, Helmut is at steady seventy five percent, while John is presently at eighty seven percent."

The two men nodded at her theory, silence settling over the group as they walked the final few minutes to the hotel. It was a small independent Bed and Breakfast with a black illuminated sign reading 'Sutton's B&B'.

"Three rooms please, whatever you have will do we aren't picky." Sam asked the tired elder lady at the front desk, flashing his pearly whites for extra charisma. Y/N found out a long time ago that her presence often frightened most women, she didn't have much experience when it came to charming them, that was Sam's area of expertise.

Bucky stood beside Y/N as Sam spoke with the front desk lady, his body nearly falling slack as the brunette woman leaned her weight against him. He steadied himself, wrapping his right arm around her figure- he had no reason to, other than he felt like it. They didn't shift away from each other when Sam turned back with a key each for them.

"I've been real nice and given Bucky the double, because I doubt he'd fit in a single bed. Y/N and I are sharing a twin single." Sam quietly said, feeling himself betting closer and closer to asking what was his friends deal.

He wanted a couple more days to clear the air before questioning the two, and maybe by then they'd have a straight answer for him rather than them both denying it.

"Night, James, message me if you need anything." Y/N implored in a hushed tone as the trio reached the super soldier's room for the night. She squeezed his side tightly and a small kiss landed on her forehead as they parted.

Bucky unlocked his door, smiling at his two friends, "Goodnight."

The old door clicked behind him, and Sam tugged along the sleepy ex assassin "Come on, you need to sleep if you want to destroy John Walker."

"Sammy?" Y/N asked with a small yawn, eyes attempting to find their room.

He pointed at a door a few steps away, locating their number, "Yeah?"

"You always know just what to say." She hummed, using her key and immediately flopping down on the small bed with a thud.

part six?

taglist:

@captainwans @fair-childd @emily500 @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @rivers-rambles21

wanna be tagged? please comment or send in an ask :)

[papipopsicle]

Can i be in you taglist if u have one

yes definitely honey thank you for asking!! 🥺🥰

[papipopsicle]

SHY AWAY PART FOUR

Pairing: Bucky Banes X Reader

Summary: In which an imitation Captain America leads to Y/N leaving her holiday early and coming back to the field. Stuck between her only two friends, she's forced to reveal a secret she'd kept even from herself.

Song: Drawing Pins by Nothing But Thieves

Warnings: swearing, the smallest amount of John Walker possible

Words: 2.2K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

    The introduction to Isaiah ended in slamming doors and an uneasy feeling settling in Y/N's stomach. Sam was infuriated, justifiably so; a black super soldier had not only existed but been hidden away for decades.

Y/N was trying to find the right words to comfort Sam without offending Bucky, she knew her comments were powerful to both men and always took care in how she spoke to them in times like these. The brunette woman was often foul mouthed and satirical in the field, but she knew when to be sincere in her speech.

Before she found those words though, Y/N's vision caught a police car crawling around the nearest corner and something felt off. She made eye contact with the officer driving, only for the siren to emit its loud blare not a moment later.

"Boys?" She pointed her finger towards the car, instinctively closing the space between her and her two friends as the policemen exited their vehicle.

"Hey," the officer slams his door shut, "is there a problem here?"

Y/N crossed her arms, taking a step in front of her the boys, "Not even in the slightest."

"We're just taking." Sam adds, his voice wary of the policemen.

"Can I see your ID?" The same officer directs at Sam, taking no notice of the other two. Y/N holds her stance slightly forward of Sam. Steve had called her a guard dog several times, always overtly protective of the people she cared for if they were threatened in any capacity.

The officer began circling Sam, making him feel confused and confined, "I don't have any ID, why?"

"Sir, calm down." The second officer said with a hint of hostility, peering over his co worker's shoulder.

Y/N twists in her spot, a new level of rage bubbling within her, "He is acting completely calm, officer. We're having a nice, calm conversation in the street. So please enlighten me why you feel the need to see some form of identification?"

"Is this guy bothering you?" The first officer asked Bucky, going out of his way to ignore Y/N too. 

"No, he's not bothering me. Do you know who this is?" Bucky raises his voice, broad shoulders stiffened as he comes to grasp what the two policemen's intentions are.

When they realise, they're more than apologetic. Purely because they both know how quickly they could lose their jobs if just one of trio of Avengers wanted them to. Y/N would make sure of it, or at least a hefty demotion.

"Fuckers." The ex assassin mutters under her breath. Each of them are uncomfortable, Bucky unable to make eye contact with either of his friends.

"Mister Barnes, Miss Y/L/N," the officers reappear, this time with much kinder voices and stances, "There are warrants out for your arrests."

"Look," Sam began, somehow able to keep his cool around the men who profiles him, "this must be a misunderstanding. They were pardoned three months ago by the president."

"Not for that, Mister Barnes has missed his court mandated therapy, and Miss Y/L/N left the country without government approval." The policeman explains, "I'm sorry, but we're placing you both under arrest."

Sam was rendered speechless as his two friends are cuffed and stuffed into the back of a police car. He stood in the same spot for over a minute after the car had left, googling directions to the nearest police station.

In the perp seats, Bucky and Y/N stared forwards, swaying as the vehicle turned down unknown roads. She hadn't ever been known for following rules or laws, not surprising herself for forgetting this detail to her freedom. But guilt settled in her mind for not remembering Bucky's therapy session two days prior.

Y/N hadn't forgotten one in nine weeks of trash talking his therapist every Wednesday evening. Doctor Raynor made some fair points every now and again, but they both knew she cared more about the government cheque she received and making sure no other civilians were harmed, than counselling Bucky through his trauma.

James shifted his conjoined hands to the middle seat, regretful for causing Y/N all this trouble. Part of him believed it was entirely his fault she was here in the first place, but another part of him knew her much better than that. If the woman beside him had even an inkling of a mission or fight on the horizon, she wouldn't sit it out until one of her partners literally forced her to.

Pulled away from his thoughts, Bucky felt Y/N's fingertips grasp onto his own. Both of their gazes remained forwards and empty as the driving officer's eyes darted back and forth between the road and his rear view mirror. While still calloused, her hands were much softer than his own, feeling delicate to his touch. He enjoyed the feeling of them against his palms, but was unamused by his mind only being able focusing on her in a situation as severe as this.

At the station, the two were separated into two interrogation rooms. Y/N hummed along to the songs whizzing around her head, unable to take the situation seriously. Unlike James, her past acts of infamy weren't performed under the appalling mind control tactics of Hydra. She was trained at a young age when put up for adoption by her destitute single mother, and chose the life of a mercenary when old enough to know better.

Only when Steve interrupted her on an operation did she seize the opportunity of a better life.

Murmuring the songs of her youth, twenty minutes went by uninterrupted before three kevlar vested officers barged in announcing her release. Through the glass door down the corridor, Y/N spotted Bucky being let go by three other policemen. She thanked whatever the opposite of karmic balance was, finding it funny how luck always seemed to be on her side.

She skipped over to Bucky cheerfully, his features hardened in vivid thought. Though her gleeful bubble quickly popped at the sound of John Walker's aggravating voice, "Got a lot of unfinished business, her, him and I. You too, Wilson. I'll be outside."

Y/N only saw his figure walking away, fingers held up in a peace sign. Grateful not to be forced into another interaction with him, Y/N quickly signed a piece of paper placed in front of her, stating the conditions of her freedom had been removed at the request of Captain America.

"James," Doctor Raynor announced herself, "condition of your release- session, now." She began walking towards the corridor Y/N had just been released from.

She locked eyes with Y/N and her non incarcerated friend, "You two too, Sam, Y/N."

"That's okay, I'll be out here-" Sam attempted to excuse himself.

Doctor Raynor cut him off with a slight glare, "That wasn't a request."

Y/N's facial expression shouted 'ooooooo' through her wide eyes and agape mouth. Bucky followed after his therapist, wanting to get this whole ordeal over with as quickly as possible. The trio soon sat in a row, one room across from Y/N's previous residence. The Doctor sat down with a huff, pulling out a leather notepad and slamming it down on the metal table.

The ex assassin felt bad for Doctor Raynor, it was like pulling teeth trying to get the trio to open up to each other.

"Are you familiar with the miracle question?" She asked the group, already anticipating their answers.

"Nope." Y/N hummed.

"Of course not." Sam affirmed quietly.

"Absolutely not." Bucky furrowed his brows.

"Okay, it goes like this." The Doctor takes turns assessing each of their reactions to the words, "Suppose that while you're sleeping, a miracle occurs. When you wake up, what is something that you would like to see that would make your life better?"

"In my miracle," Bucky begins looking to his side to peer over at Sam, "he would talk less," he turned his attention to the other side where Y/N sat, "and she.. we all know she'd be the same."

"Exactly what I was going to say, except she wouldn't threaten me as much. Isn't that ironic?" Sam raised is brows at Bucky, scoffing at Y/N's dissatisfied frown.

Y/N addressed the Doctor, "Mine would be that they got along for more than twenty seconds at a time."

"Agreed. You two are leaving me with no choice, it's time for the soul gazing exercise. Y/N, if you could stand over by me for just a minute?" Doctor Raynor words were firm and her watchful eyes unwavering, but the brunette woman moving to her side could tell she was having a tiny bit of fun.

"I like this one better." Bucky sits up in his seat, ready to annoy the hell out of Sam.

"Oh god," Sam cant help but smile slightly, "he's gonna love this."

"Oh yeah, I'm ready." Bucky confirms.

The Doctor has the two grown men face each other, making them get closer to each other than they'd ever wanted. Y/N can't hold back her snigger as their legs interlock. Silence took over the room, the therapist content for a moment before coming to the conclusion the two boys weren't taking her exercise seriously.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Doctor Raynor asks.

"Are you two seriously having a staring contes- you know what, I'm not even surprised." Y/N pulls her hair out from under her jacket before crossing her arms over her chest, she knew her boys far too well.

Ten seconds of pure staring go by before the Doctor snaps her fingers between them, "Just blink. Sweet Jesus. Alright, James, why does Sam aggravate you? And don't say something childish."

Y/N resisted the urge to butt in with a sarcastic comment, knowing some real progress had the potential of being made. Bucky looked up at Y/N for a few seconds, which the Doctor took note of, her grin dropping into a small sincere smile encouraging him to be ever so slightly vulnerable.

"Why'd you give up that shield?" Bucky asked in a levelled tone, eyes averting back to Sam.

Sam thought for a moment, "Why are you making such a big deal out of something that has nothing to do with you?"

"Steve believed in you, he trusted you, don't you think he gave you the shield for a reason? It's everything he stood for. That is his legacy, he chose you, and you threw it away like it was nothing."

"Oh, shut up." Sam mumbles.

"So maybe he was wrong about you," Bucky leans forward in his seat, true anger and terror taking over his actions "And if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me."

Y/N took a step towards Bucky, ready to comfort him and tell one of the many memories she had of Steve telling her all about his best and only friend, James Bucky Barnes. But Doctor Raynor caught her wrist softly, stopping her intrusion. The therapist could tell the two were infatuated like lovesick puppies, ready to pounce and protect each other without a moments notice. But this was important for the men before them.

"You finished?" Sam asks calmly, slowly collecting the right words to express himself.

"Yeah." Bucky bites down on the insides of his cheeks, allowing the physical pain to replace the emotional one clouding his senses.

"All right, good. Maybe this is something that you or Steve will never understand. But can you accept that I did what I thought was right?" Sam is careful in his speech, passionate but not overbearing.

The super soldier bites down on his lower lip, unable to comprehend the way his friend thought about all of this. He broke eye contact, staring down at his vibranium hand distantly.

Sam scoffs, "You know what, Doc? I don't have time for this. We have some real serious shit going on. So how about this? I will squash it right now. We go deal with that, and when we're done, we both can go on separate, long vacations and never see each other again."

Bucky nods, "I like that."

"Fuck's sake, you two are worse than children." Y/N groans, pacing over to between her friends and placing her palms on their shoulders, "We have work to do."

"Thanks Doc," Sam salutes the Doctor as he stands, "you made it real weird."

The door clicks shut as Sam exits on his own, Y/N wrapping her arm around Bucky's back as they begin to follow.

"I know that look, James, what's wrong?" Doctor Raynor calls before they're able to leave. She doesn't question how close the two hold each other, his vibranium hand rubbing up and down her bruised bicep in soothing motions.

"What was rule number two again?" Bucky asks with a deadpan expression.

"Don't hurt anyone."

Bucky watches her for a moment before following after Sam, "Goodbye, Doc."

"That's not a rule for me too, I hope." Y/N said under her breath, lightening the mood marginally.

PART FIVE

taglist:

@captainwans @fair-childd @emily500

wanna be tagged? please comment or send in an ask :)

[papipopsicle]

hi, darlin’ 🦋 i just wanna say that i love your series so much, and i came across your bio that says ‘bad writing’ and i heavily disagree. your writing is amazing and i’m so in love with the way you express and add descriptions 💓 i don’t mind being your hype human , as i should , your writing is just *chef kiss* ❤️ much love !!

Oh my goodness ngl that made me a little emotional! Thank you so much you’re literally the sweetest human ever and I appreciate everything you say more than you could ever know 🥺🥰🥺🥰🥺🥰

[papipopsicle]

Can I be tagged in shy away?

absolutely! thank you so much for asking it means the world to me 🥺🥰

[papipopsicle]

SHY AWAY PART THREE

Pairing: Bucky Banes X Reader

Summary: In which an imitation Captain America leads to Y/N leaving her holiday early and coming back to the field. Stuck between her only two friends, she's forced to reveal a secret she'd kept even from herself.

Song: War Crimes by Waterparks

Warnings: swearing, John Walker once again

Words: 1.4 K

A/N- “Dacă vine momentul când avem ocazia să-l omoare, el e al tău.” Translates to “If the time comes when we have the opportunity to kill him, he’s all yours.” in Romanian

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

The flight was near silent for its whole duration. Sam filled the two in more about the so called 'Flag Smashers', their leader was a young freedom fighter and she'd rallied quite the army to her cause. Y/N agreed with the sentiment, even understanding the girl's plight, but she couldn't condone her methodology.

"One minute 'til drop off, Sam." Joaquin hopped down from the cockpit, walking through the trio to carry out something, though Bucky only noticed his eyes trailing on the girl beside him. Making eye contact with the super soldier, Joaquin averted his gaze to his watch once more.

Sam refused to share any plan with the two, and before Y/N knew it, she was propelled from the plane with Bucky clutching her close, neither having any parachutes or protective gear. They landed with a thud in the forest, James sprawled out on the ground with Y/N still clinging to his torso.

"I have all of that on camera, you know that right?" Sam's smug voice echoed through the forest and Y/N held her hand gun up to the incoming Redwing.

It flew right in between their faces, the ex assassin unclipping the safety and cocking it up against the small camera, "Fly it the fuck away or you'll never get the chance to blackmail us with the footage, Sammy."

"Okay, get up you two and head north."

Suffice to say, twenty minutes later the trio were getting their asses handed to them by until a helicopter swooped down and out came none other than John Walker, all dressed up in his awful Captain costume. Annoyingly, if it wasn't for his unexpected appearance, they would have been in serious trouble.

Sam caught Y/N and Bucky before things got any worse, rolling into a large field and leaving Captain Wannabe and his sidekick to do their job. They began walking along the road, having no other way to get back to the quinjet - all the while Sam and Bucky were bickering. It wasn't malicious, Y/N learnt after their first few interactions years ago, it was simply just how they communicated.

A preppy horn honking quietened the boys and Y/N was ready to thank whoever made the sound, until John's frustratingly happy face past her peripheral.

"So that didn't go as planned, huh?" The new Captain America said lightly, and the four by four crawled to a halt as he opened the back as an invitation to join.

The trio didn't even need to look at each other to know to continue walking. Y/N strode in the middle of her two friends, not allowing her eyes the displeasure of seeing John Walker.

"Look, at least we know what we're up against now, huh? And we're pretty sure it's one of the Big Three, so..." John surmised, hoping to engage at least one of them.

It worked.

"Aliens, androids or wizards?" Sam nodded at John, shooting a quick glare to the woman next to him to say 'I told you so'.

"There's no such thing as wizards." Bucky and Y/N both criticised, their voices in sync.

"Alright," John did his best to keep the peppy smile on his face, "then it's aliens or androids."

Y/N held back from the gut reaction of pulling her gun on the imitation Captain, "Or you know, super soldiers."

John tried to rally the trio into working with him, but even just knowing he carried Steve's shield was enough to make their blood boil. But again, Y/N begrudgingly admitted defeat upon realising they were twenty miles away from Joaquin. They squeezed into the back of the truck with the ex assassin once again between a bird and a hunk of metal.

The fake Captain made small talk with Sam, he had so much more patience than his two friends. Nothing took Y/N's interest, until John nodded at her and Bucky.

"Do they always just stare like that?" He asked Sam, not feeling the need to address the subjects of his lousy chatter.

"Him? Yeah, you get used to that." Sam answered, bumping his shoulder against Y/N trying to lighten the mood, "Her? Not usually the quiet type."

"And what's your name, hot stuff?" John raised his eyebrows flirtatiously. Bucky's metal arm whirred as both it and his right tensed automatically at the pet name. Those who knew Y/N, friend or foe, never made the mistake of making such comments towards her. And those who didn't know her, who made such mistakes, never got a second chance to do so.

"Thought you were kind of the government, Walker? Last time I checked, they couldn't stop mentioning my name." Y/N retorted, snarling when the non super soldier's eyes raked over her figure, predominately her bust. She went to reach for the switch blade stuffed in her boot, but Bucky's metal fingers caught her hand before John had any inclination.

Bucky interlocks their fingers and whispers in a low tone, "Dacă vine momentul când avem ocazia să-l omoare, el e al tău."

John doesn’t reply to her sarcy words, so she plasters on a sickly sweet smile and says softly, “Y/N Y/L/N, previously wanted in a hundred and sixteen countries and probably should’ve been executed several times too.”

“She’s very proud.” Sam adds, watching with amusement as a grimace flashes across Lemar’s face.

Conversation quickly switched back to the Flag Smashers after that, but it wasn’t long until Lemar said something stupid causing Bucky to yell, “Stop the car!”

He stormed out the back door, Y/N swinging her body over the roll cage and and landing on her feet just a few inches from where she sat, now stood on the ground.

John watched the two in exasperation, thankful Sam hadn’t exited just yet, “Look, I... I get it, okay? I get the attitude, I do. You didn't think that the shield was gonna end up here. I get it, Bucky, Y/N. And I'm... I'm not trying to be Steve. I'm not trying to replace Steve. I'm just trying to be the best Captain America I can be. That's it. It'd be a whole lot easier if I had Cap's wingmen, and woman, on my side.”

Sam scoffed, he gave the imitation Captain the benefit of the doubt but he didn’t deserve it, “Its always that last line.”

The walk back to the quinjet took three hours. No words were exchanged, each in their own deep thoughts.

“You’re my wingman, right?” Steve chucked, feeling the effects of Thor’s Asgardian mead like nothing before. Himself, Sam, Y/N and Natasha were huddled together during one of Tony’s many parties, away from the crowds at the end of the bar.

Y/N grinned, “Wingwoman Steve, and yeah, you’re stuck with me forever and ever. I’ve got your back.”

Natasha reached around the bar stool she stood behind, tickling Y/N’s torso, “And I’ve got your front!”

It was only her second time meeting Sam, but they got on like they’d known each other for decades.

Any phrase could be linked back to a memory with Steve or Natasha attached to it, Y/N had realised months ago. Their souls were intertwined with her happiest memories, feeling physical pain in her chest each time one was dredged up again. She never wanted to forget a single moment she shared with them, but it was hard to relive after losing them both so quickly.

Back on the quinjet, the trio silently agreed to a short rest. Y/N took off her boots and jacket, laying her various small weapons atop of the small pile. She lay down in the centre of the floor, eyes closed focusing on removing every bit of tension from her body.

Sam let out a small groan as he lay on one of the benches, while Bucky sat on the large central crate switching between staring into the void and Y/N. It was near impossible to stop the old memories of Steve from flitting against his tired vision. Though with the woman in front of him seeming so peaceful, it was hard not to fixate on her.

Her chestnut hair splayed out along the grey flooring, a bruise forming on her neck and upper arm. Even with a sheen of sweat and battle wounds, she enthralled his senses. Y/N captivated him in ways he saw everyone else as utterly mundane. Now, with no rage pulsing through her body, Bucky knew definitively she was the most beautiful being he had ever come across.

Bucky thought he admired her unique mix of tenderness and blood-thirst, but his mind quickly replaced admiration with adoration.

PART FOUR

taglist:

@captainwans

wanna be tagged? please comment or send in an ask :)

[papipopsicle]

luke hemmings had released a solo album and it’s so beautiful it’s instantly replaced scaled and icy by twenty one pilots as my current repeat album

[papipopsicle]

the most beautiful news to wake up to

I’m so so so happy for her. I hope she gets all the happiness she deserves 💓

[papipopsicle]

SHY AWAY PART TWO

Pairing: Bucky Banes X Reader

Summary: In which an imitation Captain America leads to Y/N leaving her holiday early and coming back to the field. Stuck between her only two friends, she's forced to reveal a secret she'd kept even from herself.

Song: No Chances by Twenty One Pilots

Warnings: swearing, john walker is a warning i have officially decided

Words: 1.3 K

MASTERLIST

feedback is always appreciated

There was no changing his mind. The stubborn man Y/N's arms were wrapped around had so much patience when it came to her, when she stumbled through a story of her past or took two hours getting ready to go undercover. But when it came to Sam Wilson, especially after the 'Cap Is Back!' press conference, the want to knock him unconscious was unyielding.

Instead of arguing and potentially creating an unnecessary rift between herself and Bucky, Y/N chose to join him in confronting their winged friend. She had no qualms with him giving up the shield, but she needed to know whether he had anything to do with reanimating Captain America. Y/N was near certain he didn't but her doubt had been paramount after Steve left, and instead of relying on her gut, she needed to hear him say the words.

Bucky slowed his motorcycle to a halt outside the military base, each passing through a retina scan before being allowed access. The engine cut as they pulled up to a large entrance- with no front desk secretary to ask for directions, the super soldier and ex assassin duo wandered the perimeter of the site until finding a large open hangar. Y/N spotted Sam from a far, gently elbowing her friend to attract his attention.

The two hesitate for just a moment, but without notice Bucky strides over to Sam and Joaquin with purpose and anger fuelling him. Y/N follows closely behind, not as rushed but unable to make eye contact with her friend as Bucky preached, "Shouldn't have given up the shield."

"Good to see you too, Buck, Y/L/N." Sam greeted them passively, walking straight past Bucky while sending Y/N a small smile. His features didn't show any signs of fatigue, but she saw the apathy in his eyes and knew there was far too much on his plate.

Y/N only needed to see his honest face to trust her first instinct fully, knowing immediately he had nothing to do with the John Walker situation in the slightest. Thirteen weeks had passed since Steve chose to leave them, the three were getting by but grief struck them each in different ways. Sam threw himself a little too deep into work, Bucky was making amends in his honour. And Y/N, she had been using her time away from the field to piece together the lives she had lost.

"This is wrong." Bucky tried to reason, falling into step with both Y/N and Sam.

"Hey, look I'm working. All right? So all of this outrage is gonna have to wait." The Falcon repressed his exasperation.

"So, you didn't have any idea that was going to happen?" Y/N asked, attempting to take the pressure off of Bucky. She didn't know where they were walking to currently, following her only two friends just seemed like the right thing to do.

Sam's eyes bugged out at the claim, "No, of course I didn't know that was gonna happen. You think it didn't break my heart to see them march him out there and call him the new Captain America?"

Y/N let it go after that, but her super soldier companion couldn't. Sam allowed him a few more back and fourths before finally having enough, "Besides," he changed the subject, "I have bigger things to deal with now."

James furrowed his eyebrows and sent Sam an accusatory glare, "What could be bigger than this?"

Y/N reached for Bucky's right hand, sensing the anguish in his lowered voice. His gaze met her's and the desperation within him slowly diminished into something resembling a more calm state. He squeezed her hand in appreciation, the thought of how she knew exactly what to do wondering around the back of his head.

"This guy." Sam showed the two his phone, making a mental note of the obvious connection between his friends to make sure he brought it up later. "His connections with rebel organizations all over Eastern and Central Europe, and he's strong. Too strong."

"Too strong? Like Bucky and Steve strong? Or like roids strong? Also, just one guy? Wouldn't that be more Daisy Johnson's level?" Y/N queries with no real intention. She loved information, whether it was prevalent or not, she stored it away and usually knew the right time to find it again. Bucky would call her smart, but for her it was just another strategy to survive.

"Well, he's been connected to this online group called the Flag Smashers. Now, Redwing traced them to a building somewhere outside of Munich. So that's where I'm going." Sam's tone grew harsh with Y/N. She knew he was overly frustrated and it more than likely wasn't aimed towards her, but it still managed to hit a nerve. She glared at him and dropped Bucky's hand.

The super soldier interjected, "Well, I don't trust Redwing, so let's hold on a minute."

Sam really wanted to walk onto his quinjet and get on with his job, but he couldn't. He knew Y/N and Bucky were hurting, he knew they were adjusting to civilian life for the first time, and he knew it was utterly impossible for them to turn away and go home after finding a potential mission.

"You don't have to trust Redwing, but I'mma go see if he's right. 'Cause I have a feeling they might be a part of 'The Big Three'." Sam justified, staring his friends in full seriousness as they side-eyed each other.

Y/N raised her hand as if in middle school, waiting for Sam to nod before enquiring, "What in the fuck is 'The Big Three' Samuel?"

"The Big Three?" Sam asked back, somehow assuming that clarification would end the exchange.

Bucky was still just as confused, "What 'Big Three'?"

"Androids, Aliens and Wizards." Sam said definitively.

Y/N looked at him as if he'd grown a third nostril, "That's not a thing, since when was that a thing?"

"It's always been a thing." He returned her look and Y/N couldn't help but let out a small scoff.

Bucky didn't really understand what was going on, "No it's really not."

"Every time we fight, we fight one of the three." Sam's voice grew more vivid, trying his best to prove his point.

The two stared at Sam incredulously, "Who are we fighting now? Gandalf?"

Sam began to defend his point once again, but was caught off guard, "How do you know about Gandalf? Did Y/N make you watch the movies?"

"Yes." Bucky deadpanned, even though it was true, "I also read The Hobbit in nineteen thirty-seven, when it first came out."

"So you both get my point, right?" Sam almost beamed.

Y/N rubbed her gloved hands over her face in mild irritation, "Not in the slightest."

"There are no wizards." Bucky said at the same time as the ex assassin.

"Doctor Strange."

"He's a sorcerer." Bucky deadpanned once more.

Sam chuckles and wags his finger between the two, "A sorcerer is a wizard without a hat. Think about it. Right? I'm right, just came up with that. It's crazy. But that's not the point. These guys aren't magical. All right? They use brute force just like you two, the assassin who asks a lot of questions and the incredibly annoying guy in front of me with the staring problem."

Y/N rolled her eyes yet a big grin formed on her features, "We're coming with you, Sammy."

Sam began pacing over to the quinjet, Bucky reached for Y/N's hand and pulled her close to follow after Sam. The two couldn't admit the attachment they'd formed to each other even if they wanted to. Sam could see it and lord knows everyone at this entire military base could see it, but neither knew exactly how much they truly held on to one another.

PART THREE

taglist:

@captainwans

wanna be tagged? please comment or send in an ask :)