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[strawberrymogurt]

I'm gonna admit that I may have shed a tear at this...

Words from “Snow and Dirty Rain” by Richard Siken

[strawberrymogurt]

I might try to work this into a fic eventually

This is beautiful

goddd i just want spider-man's identity to be his own worst but new york city's best kept secret. like i want him unthinkingly taking off his mask and like 20 people see, but if you ask them if they did? no they didn't.

the rule is unwritten, but very enforced. like, there are online communities dedicated to erasing any trace of the spread of his identity. a tourist takes a photo of him and posts it online? it's gone in minutes, and people send DMs to the poster anywhere from "hey, i'm sure you were just excited, but...." to "ill kill u if i evr c you, fuckin bitch".

any information on spider-man is only spread via word of mouth, and only spoken in hushed, awed voices. after several years of spider-man, everyone knows someone who encountered him:

"he saved my cousin. caught a falling billboard from underneath with his bare hands..."

"wow... i've never seen him myself, but he talked to my coworker's daughter for an hour after he stopped a guy from getting a little too handsy. apparently, his smile is 'dreamy'."

these secrets are freely given if you're kind, trustworthy, and show respect for the little guy. but the moment you demand information on him... "i don't know what you're talking about, buddy. he's just an urban legend the news likes to blame the city's problems on so we don't unionize or worse"

so as many times as spider-man ends up with out a mask, or accidentally introduces himself with a name that starts with 'p' and rhymes with 'meter'... on the record, they don't know a thing. because he does his best to help as many people as he can, so it's only fair if they help him a little in return.

[strawberrymogurt]

Uther: Merlin, you have been accused of using sorcery

Merlin: ...

Uther: you know what this means

Merlin: but my name is Marvin

Uther:....

Uther: not it's not

Merlin: I'm pretty sure I know my own name, your majesty

Uther: I have it on good knowledge that-

Merlin: what's your source, Sire?

Uther: *sighs* Gaius, would you please help me out here?

Gaius: I have studied birds all my life, Sire. Marvin has helped me out finding new informations on Merlin's too, If that helps

Uther: what the - LEON!

Leon: Sire, Marvin here may be a bit incompetent, but now you're beeing unfair. He DOES know his own name.

Uther: okay, ARTHUR!

Arthur: *out of earshot* YES, FATHER?

Uther: GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!

*awkward silence*

Arthur: *walks in*

Merlin *whispers to Leon*: shit, have you told Arthur?

Leon: *pale* no, you?

Merlin: *shakes head very slowly*

Arthur: father, i was training the knights, what do you - oh hey Marvin

..........

Uther: you can't be serious

[strawberrymogurt]

Beautiful Magic - Merthur

Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Warnings: Mentions of blood, some self-hatred, mostly just angsty-fluff

Note: This is also posted on my AO3 under the same story name

Word Count: 2.4k

This wasn’t how he imagined it happening. Merlin had intended to someday sit down with Arthur, when he was finally sure the time was right, and tell him. Everything. But not everything goes to plan, especially when a swarm of bandits were running towards them and Arthur was already injured. The stupid cabbagehead had taken an arrow to the arm while protecting Merlin (who at the time was actually enchanting a tree branch to fall on the head of the man trying to kill Gwaine.)

This was supposed to be a short trip, only requiring two knights when usually there would be a dozen or so flanking the king and his manservant as they rode out of Camelot. But this time, they were only travelling to a nearby village to acquire something for Morgana. (Merlin is pretty sure that Arthur is trying to remedy their most recent fight with gifts.) So Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot had all set out for what would only be a three-day trek, and of course, Merlin tagged along. Where Arthur went, Merlin usually wasn’t far behind. Sometimes he was even heard muttering treasonous insults about the king, but no one dared confront him. The last time one of the new knights threatened Merlin, sword pointed at his throat, with being thrown in the dungeon for his treason, Arthur had lost it. The knight had spent the next two days in the stocks and been sent elsewhere for patrol.

Before they had even arrived at the village on the morning of their second day, they had already run into trouble. Six men, who appeared to be smugglers of some kind, had stumbled across their path and tried to kill them. Or capture them for trafficking. Merlin wasn’t quite sure. Merlin had been too busy dropping a tree branch on the one fighting Gwaine to notice another with a crossbow aimed directly at him. If Arthur hadn’t tackled Merlin to the ground, the arrow would have pierced his heart. Arthur, however, caught the projectile in his upper arm before Lancelot struck the man down from behind. Merlin had been livid that Arthur had risked his life, again, for that of his servant, even though he really was happy to be alive. He still nagged Arthur to no end as he bandaged his arm and wrapped a cloth around his shoulder to keep Arthur from moving his arm as much as possible until they could get him to Gaius for some stitches.

So now, as they faced down more bandits on their way home with Morgana’s gift (a new necklace and a jewellery box,) Arthur was trying to swing his sword left-handed and was barely managing to block attacks, let alone land a fatal blow to his opponent. Merlin could just manage to keep a blade from piercing his abdomen and he held Arthur’s spare sword. Gwaine and Lancelot had two bandits a piece and they seemed to be strong fighters. Merlin slowly took steps backwards so he came back to back with Lancelot.

“Lancelot,” Merlin huffed between the clanging of swords and the grunts of battle around them.

“Yes, Merlin?” Lancelot’s voice was tight when he spoke. It definitely didn’t sound like he thought he was going to win anytime soon.

“None of us is fairing too well and Arthur is already injured. He’s going to re-open his wound.” Merlin blocked another blow before quickly cursing under his breath. He could see more bandits not far off in the woods. “And it looks like we’re about to be surrounded.”

“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine at the moment. Have you always been this doom and gloom?” Merlin knew Lancelot was just trying to make light of the situation, but at this point, there was very little humour to be found in their predicament. Another bandit reached their squirmish and engaged in battle alongside his friend, both of them fighting Arthur who looked worse and worse by the second.

“My point is, I think I’m going to have to use magic to get us out of this alive.” Merlin tried to land a blow to his opponent’s side but his attack was blocked.

“That’s illegal, Merlin. You are in the presence of two knights of Camelot and the king of Camelot. You’ll be killed.” Merlin was silent for a moment as he took in what Lancelot was saying. He thought his friend had supported him. “I’m messing with you, Merlin. I am all for your plan.”

“I’m in, too,” Merlin and Lancelot both glanced at Gwaine who stood a few paces away, trying to incapacitate his own opponents. “I heard you say something was ‘illegal’ and I’m all for ruffling the princess’s feathers.”

Merlin and Lancelot made brief eye contact before Lancelot nodded once in support of Merlin.

“Gwaine! Get to Arthur! Pull him down!”

“What?! Merlin, we’ll both die if we just lie on the ground like that!” Gwaine’s protest was expected. But Merlin honestly didn’t have the patience right now.

“Just do as I say, Gwaine!” He didn’t protest anymore before starting to make his way towards their king, who was slowly losing his own fight and now had blood running down his arm. Merlin was right, he re-opened his wound. “Lancelot. As soon as Gwaine has Arthur, I need you to drop. Do you understand me? I need you to trust me on this.”

“I trust you with my life, Merlin, and I always have.” Lancelot and Merlin both watched as Gwaine pulled Arthur to the ground, surprising their attackers and stunning them long enough for Lancelot to drop to the ground as well. Merlin reached out both of his hands and muttered a spell before his eyes glowed gold and all the men attacking them, as well as the other bandits that were on their way, flew up into the air before hitting the ground with a sickening crack.

Silence flooded the forest. Only the sound of laboured breathing could be heard as they all tried to catch their breath. Gwaine and Arthur were both staring at the men around them. The very men that, not ten seconds ago, were a few well-aimed swings away from winning the fight. After they finished staring at the bandits littering the ground around them, they fixed their gaze on Merlin, who was staring at his shaking hands.

He was waiting for the words. Monster. Evil Sorcerer. You will be executed for your crimes against Camelot. He already believed himself a monster at that moment, not having meant to kill all of those men like that, so he was just waiting for the axe to drop.

“Merlin?” He couldn’t bring himself to raise his head and meet the eye of his king. His friend. His Arthur. “You- You practice magic?” Merlin was expecting to hear disgust or hatred in Arthur’s voice, but all he heard was confusion. Disappointment. Betrayal.

“I was born with it.” He spoke softly, gripping his hands together to try and quell their shaking. It didn’t help very much.

“You’ve lied to me? All these years?” There was the sound of rustling and Merlin knew Arthur was getting up now. This is it, he thought. He’s going to kill me.

“I had no choice.” Merlin finally pulled his gaze away from his boots and looked at Arthur. The look in his eyes made Merlin’s heart shatter. “I had to protect you. I did it all to protect you.”

“Protect me? Merlin, you do know that you live in Camelot, right? Lived under the rule of my father for years while you practised magic?”

“Yes. I know it is illegal and it’s a crime punishable by death. And I will accept my punishment, whatever you deem fit. It is worth it as long as you are safe.” Arthur took a step towards Merlin, sword still clutched in his hand, and Merlin flinched. Arthur’s face fell even further as he sheathed his sword and held his hands up for Merlin to see.

“Lance, how are you not freaking out?” Gwaine hissed in the background before yelping in pain. Lancelot must have hit him on the back of the head again.

“You really think that I could hurt you, Merlin?” Arthur took another step towards Merlin, who was shaking even more now.

“You are the King of Camelot. You do what you must for your kingdom. You even told me yourself that your father died because of magic and therefore you could never trust anyone with magic. I knew at that moment that I would hold off telling you for as long as I could. I had to remain by your side, to keep you safe.” Merlin’s voice was shaking now and his eyes had welled up with tears, but he stood his ground nonetheless. He had brought whatever punishment he received upon himself. He was to blame for anything that happened now that Arthur knew.

“Merlin,” Arthur took another couple of steps forward so he was in reaching distance of Merlin, who looked like he wanted to shrink away but held his chin high instead. “Merlin, I could never hurt you, not like that. If I had known someone possessing magic could be as fair and kind-hearted as you, I never would have believed them to be untrustworthy. I trust you with my life, and you having been born with magic doesn’t change that.” Arthur reached out a hand to Merlin, but he flinched away from the contact.

“You just watched me kill all those men, and yet you still call me fair and kind-hearted? I’m a monster, Arthur.” Tears were now streaming down Merlin’s face and he stared at his shaking hands once again. Barely a second passed before Arthur gripped Merlin’s hands in his own, taking another step towards Merlin to be able to hold his hands against Arthur’s chest. Merlin tried to pull away from him, but Arthur held firm.

“Why did you kill those men, Merlin?” Arthur’s voice was gentle as he tried to silently will Merlin to look at his face. Merlin’s gaze remained fixed on Arthur’s hands.

“I hadn’t meant to kill them, I only meant to knock them out. I didn’t mean to kill them,” He repeated the last part again in a whisper, breaths coming out shaky as he tried desperately not to break down sobbing or have a panic attack.

“Alright. Then why did you use magic on them, Merlin?” Arthur was being incredibly patient, more patient than Lancelot or Gwaine had ever seen him. They sat in the grass, keeping their distance but still able to hear what was being said, waiting to jump in if they were needed.

“They were going to kill us. Kill you.” Merlin finally looked up at Arthur, their faces closer than either had thought they would have been. “I can’t lose you.”

“I can’t lose you either, Merlin. Why do you think I saved you from that arrow?” Arthur tried to wrap his arms around Merlin as Merlin’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh my God, the arrow! You re-opened your wound! Let me take a look at it, I’m sure I have more bandages in my bag,” Merlin moved to pull away from Arthur but the king just laughed, startling Merlin, Lancelot, and Gwaine.

“You were born with magic, and yet you are worried you won’t have any more bandages for my wound?” Arthur smiled at Merlin again, an odd glimmer in his eyes. “You really are something else, you know that, right?”

“You want me to use magic on your arm?” Merlin’s mouth was open in shock. “Are you sure?”

“As I said, Merlin, I trust you with my life. Besides, if you had wanted to kill me, you definitely had a sufficient number of chances by now.” Arthur chuckled softly at the shocked look on Merlin’s face before nodding once for Merlin to continue. To use his magic once again for Arthur’s sake, this time with the king’s full knowledge and approval. Merlin slowly raised his hand over Arthur wound before muttering lowly under his breath. With a flash of golden eyes, which caused Arthur to momentarily stop breathing, Merlin healed Arthur’s wound so there was only a small white scar where there once had been an arrow-sized hole.

When Merlin glanced back up at Arthur, he was expecting Arthur to have his gaze fixed on his newly healed arm, but instead, his eyes were locked on Merlin’s. Merlin’s cheeks grew warm at the intensity of Arthur’s gaze and the intimacy of their proximity. Even with the spreading warmth through Merlin’s body, he couldn’t bring himself to look away or to take a step back.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Your eyes flash gold when you use your magic.” There was an astounded edge to Arthur’s voice. Merlin’s cheeks grew even warmer, he was sure you could now see the red colour painting his skin, and he finally managed to pull his eyes away from Arthur’s.

“Oh, yeah, they’ve always done that, I guess,” Merlin reached his hand up to scratch the back of his neck while staring pointedly at a few leaves on the ground. Arthur caught Merlin’s wrist and used his other hand to tilt Merlin’s chin so he was looking at him again.

“It’s beautiful.” Arthur almost breathed the words, his breath fanning Merlin’s face. Merlin’s gaze dropped to Arthur’s lips before returning to his eyes. Blue eyes that Merlin always had to try his hardest not to get lost in. “Someone who can look like that while using magic is far from evil.” The hand that was under Merlin’s chin, moved to stroke his cheek, just below his left eye, while Arthur’s other hand released its hold on Merlin’s wrist to pull him closer by the waist. Merlin could have sworn he stopped breathing all together at that exact moment.

Arthur’s gaze dropped to Merlin’s lips as his name fell softly from them. He couldn’t hold it in anymore. All the feelings he’d been harbouring for his servant, his friend, came rushing to the very forefront of his mind. He had been trying not to imagine the feeling of Merlin’s lips for years now. This time, however, he didn’t just allow himself to imagine what it might be like to kiss Merlin, but he allowed himself to experience it.

The kiss was gentle, full of soft love and hesitation. Neither Merlin nor Arthur realized that Merlin’s eyes glowed softly when his lips met Arthur’s, but Gwaine was quick to elbow Lancelot in the side and point out the blooming flowers that spread across the forest floor, originating from where their king and their best friend stood.

Merlin’s magic truly was something beautiful.

[strawberrymogurt]

So yesterday I decided I wanted to write a short little Soulmate AU oneshot but I couldn't decide what fandom to do or what kind of pairing (characterxcharacter, characterxoc, characterxreader) so I made two wheel spinner picker things and now I've written over 4000 words and THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT and apparently I've been on a role with writing recently because I also just finished a 3000 word Spencer Reid oneshot the other day and I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN MY WRITING IS ACTUALLY GOOD?! Like, HOW DOES ONE DEAL WITH THEIR DREAM GOING OKAY?!?! I had given up on writing anything good two months ago and now THIS?????

[strawberrymogurt]

Looks like I've gotta start doing The Murder Strut

[strawberrymogurt]

This is how the Merlin reboot can still happen

[strawberrymogurt]

Dear Fanfiction Readers,

If you’re afraid to leave a review/comment because you think it’ll sound stupid, don’t be. Just leave an incoherent reply in all caps. We love that shit.

Sincerely,

A Fic Writer that needs constant validation. 

[strawberrymogurt]

Oh, To Be The Moon

Junie never understood the phrase “he looked at her like she was the sun.” Sure, She’d read it in many novels and heard it in tons of movies, but why would someone look at a person who makes them happy like how they look at the sun?

The sun is blinding and hot. She always sees people in real life, outside of pop culture and romance cliches, looking at the sun in contempt, hating how bright it is, and cursing it on the hundred-degree summer days. So why is that phrase so popular?

If Junie loved someone, she would look at them like they were the moon and the stars. Like they were beautiful and lit up the darkness. The moon is enchanting, she could stare at it for hours. The stars are infinite, Junie could never tire of trying to memorize the patterns in the night sky. Junie wouldn’t want someone to look at her like she was the sun when all she strived to be was the moon.

And even if that person didn’t like the moon, Junie would look at them like they were a rainbow. Sure, you see rainbows all the time. It’s just light refracting through drops of water. There is nothing mysterious about it. But, a rainbow always comes after the storm. A rainbow is a symbol of hope. The rainbow is God’s promise to Earth. A rainbow is beautiful in its simplicity.

Oh, to be someone’s moon and stars; to be someone’s rainbow.

How Junie longs for such a day to come, where someone would look at her like she was the moon, instead of how everyone looked at her like she was the sun.

[strawberrymogurt]

Happy Birthday Peter!

August 10, 2021

To our Friendly

Neighborhood

Spiderman

Happy 20th, Pete!

Stay Weird, my friend!

[strawberrymogurt]

Superheroes - MCU Edition Part 2

When you've been struggling to live your life You've been fighting just to make things right That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

When you've been fighting for it all your life But you give it up to make things right That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power (power, power, power, power, power)

Every day, every hour turn the pain into power (Power, power, power, power)

Every day, every hour turn the pain into power

She's got lions in her heart A fire in her soul she's got a grief In her belly that's so hard to control 'Cause they've taken too much hits, taking blow by blow Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode

He's got lightning in his heart And thunder in his soul he's alone In a world that's about to disolve 'Cause they've taken too much hits, taking blow by blow Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode

When they'd been using you to take those lives And now you're struggling to make things right That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

When you've been struggling to do it right And now you're not sure you can win the fight That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power (power, power, power, power, power)

Oh, yes (power, power, power, power) Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power (Power, power, power, power) Ooh, yeah Whoa (power, power, power, power) Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

When you've been fighting to save their lives And now you're struggling to make things right That's how a superhero learns to fly

[strawberrymogurt]

Superheroes - MCU Edition Part 1

All my life they have seen Just the weaker side of me They took away a young man's dream His wish to fight for the free

But now I'm stronger than you know A heart of steel starts to grow

All his life he was told He'd be nothing when he's old All the kicks and the low blows He won't ever let it show

'Cause he's stronger than you know A heart of steel starts to grow

When you've been fighting for it all your life You've been struggling to make things right That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

When you've been fighting for it all your life You've been working every day and night That's how a superhero learns to fly Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power

Oh-oh, oh, oh Oh-oh, oh, oh

All the hurt, all the lies All the fears that they hide When the moment is just right You see fire in their eyes

'Cause he's stronger than you know A heart of steel starts to grow

[strawberrymogurt]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVIE! IM DRESSED PATRIOTIC JUSY FOR YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT.

Let's be honest, our boy Steve puts the 'riot' in 'patriot' so that's what I'll do for him today

the only holiday i celebrate on july fourth is steve rogers’ birthday

[strawberrymogurt]

Happy Birthday, Steve Rogers

Thanks for all you've done, Captain.

Happy 103. I hope it treats you well!

He's Beauty and he's Grace

He's Mister United States

Stay Golden, Gramps

[strawberrymogurt]

Harry Hook Appreciation Post

I was watching Descendants 3 the other day and the story focuses a lot on Uma and Mal becoming friends and on Evie and Doug and Audrey and Ben.

But can we talk about Harry?

He may be one flirty mother fucker, but that boy is in love with Uma and you cannot convince me otherwise

I mean

He just loves her so much

He decides to go back to the Isle, knowing he will never be able to leave again, because Uma will need her "first mate".

He just adores her and you can see it in his eyes.

THIS IS THE PAIRING WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON

THEY'RE SO UNPROBLEMATIC

I MEAN LOOK AT THIS

[strawberrymogurt]

Moving On - Steve Rogers

Three years.

That's how long it had been since you'd been in his arms. Since you'd last kissed his lips; Since the last time that he told you that he loved you.

Two years, ten months, and seventeen days.

That's how long it had been since the fight. He got home from a mission and was having a bad day, a bad week, maybe even a bad month. He had been gone on a long assignment and they had lost a civilian in the midst of a battle and he kept blaming himself. He got angry that you kept trying to tell him it wasn't his fault. He whole-heartedly believed he was to blame for the ten-year-old little boy that died that day. The building collapsed and there hasn't been anything he could have done, but he still blamed himself. So he started yelling at you, taking his anger out by raising his voice, even though he knew you hated yelling. It's why you no longer worked in the field but instead preferred to sit behind a desk and mindlessly file paperwork. You yelled back. You hadn't raised your voice at anyone for five years but you yelled at him because you loved him and he was being a stupid asshole at the moment. You were trying to get it through his thick skull that it wasn't his fault.

He told you to leave. He told you to get out of his apartment. He said you were done.

You stopped yelling.

You didn't say anything. You just stood there in shock as he breathed heavily. He yelled one more time for you to go, watching you flinch with tears in your eyes, but you didn't move. He didn't yell anymore after that. He just looked at you sadly and went to his room, slamming the door behind him.

You grabbed your bag from the table by the door, wiped your tears and left your key on the counter.

If he wanted to fix this, he had your number.

One year.

That's how long it had been since you saw the article in that magazine. He had a new girlfriend. She was pretty and blonde and wasn't afraid to go into the field. You'd seen her at work before, she was a legacy. She was a Carter. How could you compete with her?

You still loved him. You knew you always would. You threw yourself into your work, leaving as little time for social activities as you could. You didn't want to have that conversation with your brother again.

"What happened to you two? Stevie always talked about how much he loved you."

"Leave it, Buck. I don't want to talk about it."

After a few months of that conversation, a new one started to make an appearance anytime you shared a meal with your twin.

"So, met anyone recently?"

"Not in the mood, Buck."

"C'mon, little sis, I just want to make sure that whatever man has my sister's heart is worthy to hold it."

'Little Sis'. You weren't younger than him. Not really. Only about seven minutes between you two, but you were more than a foot shorter than him and he used to love to rub it in your face. You stopped reacting to his short jokes almost two years ago.

He stopped mentioning Steve eighteen months ago when it caused you to have a panic attack during the Fourth of July firework show at Stark Tower. Steve's birthday had already been touchy for you, but when your brother brought up the man himself, you just wanted to fade away into the background.

You were in love with a man you couldn't have. A man who didn't want you. A man you had loved for over 100 years so how could you stop now?

Ten Minutes.

That's how long you had been hiding in the bathroom of a coffee shop. You had seen Steve and Sharon having what looked like an argument outside the window across from your favourite table. You took three deep breaths, counted to ten, then left the bathroom.

"(Y/N)?"

You froze. You hadn't heard his voice say your name for years, far before you guys broke up. He always called you 'sweetheart' or 'doll'. You thought about pretending you hadn't heard him but he was standing five feet away from you so you turned slowly towards him. He went to take a step closer to you, but you must have looked like a deer in headlights, so he took a step back instead, giving you a little more room to breathe.

"H-how have you been?" He tucked his hands in his front pockets and rocked a little on his feet. You had always found his nervousness adorable. You put on a fake smile and tucked your hair behind your ear.

"I've been, y'know, busy. Working hard."

"Yeah? Buck told me you two haven't spoken much recently."

"O-oh, he did? Huh, guess I'll have to give him a call then." You could tell he didn't believe your fake-perky act, but you refused to let it drop.

"(Y/N), tell me how you really are. Buck says you don't talk to anyone and you, um.. he says you're still single. Why's that, no one peak your interest?" You just stared at him. You had dropped your smile and replaced it with a frown and furrowed eyebrows.

"I tried to move on, but nobody is you." You weren't even sure if you had actually said the words. You thought maybe they had come out as a whisper, but the buzz in your ears from the activity around you made it hard for you to tell. The look on his face cemented your suspicion. You had said it. You had told him.

"Oh."

That pissed you off.

"'Oh'? Is that all you have to say?" He let out a harsh chuckle. "Jesus, Steve. I just basically told you that I'm still in love with you and all you have to say is 'oh'? Do I have to spell it out for you instead?" You had raised your voice again. He didn't move and everyone around you in the coffee shop was now listening to your conversation but you couldn't care less anymore.

"Do I have to tell you how I can't go a few hours without thinking about you? Can't go more than a day without missing you? Do you need to hear about how I've loved you since we were kids? Since you were the scrawny five-year-old with asthma who tried to fight a kid almost twice our age for pulling on my pigtails? My brother had to jump in to keep you from having your ass kicked! I didn't even tell him what happened between us because you're his best friend and I didn't want him to push you away because we weren't together anymore. I didn't want you to lose all of your family in one fell swoop so I never told anyone why we broke up."

"(Y/N)..."

"What, Steven? What could you possibly say to fix what you broke?"

You were breathing heavy with tears streaming down your face. You weren't sure when you started crying, but you didn't bother wiping your cheeks. You grabbed your jacket off the back of the chair you had been sitting at before you had seen him, and you shoved your arms through the sleeves. You looked at him for another minute, waiting for him to say something. Waiting for him to DO something. Finally, you let out a sigh that almost turned into a sob and brushed past him.

You had barely gotten past where he was standing when he caught your hand and turned you around. He placed his other hand on your cheek and used his thumb to wipe away your tears. He looked into your eyes for a moment before kissing you. It was soft and sweet and too short for the amount of time you had spent being apart from him. He rested his forehead against yours after he pulled away.

"I didn't call you after that fight because I thought you would hate me for the way I yelled at you. I thought you wouldn't come back to me. You left your key so I assumed you had decided you were done with me. I'm so sorry. Baby, I am so so so sorry for hurting you."

You felt his eyebrows scrunch up and you knew he was crying, too. You pulled back and looked at him, waiting for him to open his eyes and look at you. And once he did, you brushed away a tear that had slid down his cheek.

"I forgive you, Stevie. I will always forgive you. I have loved you for so long that if I stop I'm afraid I'll stop breathing, too. I almost did when I thought you had stopped loving me. When I saw you with Sharon."

"I kept trying to tell the media that I wasn't dating her, but no one believed me."

"You two weren't together?"

"No," he chuckled softly and pulled your hands away from his face to intertwine his fingers with you. "How could I look at anyone else when you've always been the only one for me, doll?" You laughed a little as tears welled in your eyes. How could you have both been so dumb?

"Marry me, (Y/N)."

"What?"

"I should have asked you so long ago; before I went in the ice, even. I even bought a ring once, but I got scared and never gave it to you. I've been carrying it around hoping to work up the courage to talk to you for the last three years. In all honesty, I was carrying it around way before that fight." He pulled away from you and reached into the inside pocket of his motorcycle jacket, pulling out a tiny blue velvet box. He took a step back and got down on one knee in front of you.

"(Y/N)(Y/M/N)Barnes, you are the love of my life and the last three years without you has been Hell on Earth. I can't sleep, I can't think, I can barely breathe without you by my side. I am so glad I didn't completely screw all of this up when I came back from that mission so long ago. I know that this probably seems like poor timing since I just got you back, but after being away from you for so long I can't imagine being anywhere but next to you. So, if you'll have me after I made a complete ass of myself," a gasp was heard from somewhere in the coffee shop. The great Captain America has just cussed. You giggled and wiped your cheeks.

"Will you make me the happiest man alive, and do me the honour of marrying me?"

"Yes, Stevie. A million times yes." You fell into him and hugged him as you heard clapping and soft sniffles from all of the people around you. Steve kissed the side of your head and pulled back to slip the ring on your finger. You smiled at him for a minute before you spoke again.

"One condition though." He looked at you expectantly as he still held your hand. "You've got to find yourself a best man that isn't my brother." Steve looked at you with a little bit of confusion.

"I'll need someone to give me away, after all."

"Anything for you, sweetheart."

[strawberrymogurt]

Soul Stone - Bucky Barnes

Sunshine.

I don't know what I was expecting to feel after the snap, but it wasn't the hot rays of the sun on my face or sand between my fingers. I sat up slowly, hearing movement in the sand all around me. I kept my eyes closed for a while, afraid to open them until I heard the gasping.

I knew that panicked breathing anywhere. Eyes shooting open, I stood up as fast as I could. My focus darted from person to person, seeing familiar faces and scared strangers around me, and then I found him. His hands were fisted in his hair and he had his eyes squeezed shut.

It was like he was trying to block everything out. He flinched as my footsteps stopped next to him. I slid my hands into his hair, untangling his fingers and pulling his hands away from his head. Kneeling down in front of him I tried to get him to look at me, but he kept his eyes tightly shut as he grabbed a fistful of sand beside him.

"Bucky." When he still didn't look at me, I put a hand on each of his shoulders. "James, look at me." He shook his head and started muttering.

"I just got back. I just got back and I'm me again. Why am I here? Where did Wakanda go? Where's Steve?" His breath caught in his throat and his shoulders shook under my palms. I slid my hands into his hair and pressed my forehead against his, shushing him as he tried to stifle his crying.

"James, wherever we are, Steve will find us. I know he will. My brother has more fight in him now than that scrawny kid we knew back in the 40s. He won't leave us, Buck. We're his family."

Slowly, his breathing returned to heavy panting instead of quiet sobs, and he stopped trying to strangle the sand. He placed his hands on my cheeks and took a few deep breaths, trying to ground himself.

I remember when he had gotten his draft notice, he had panicked similar to this. He had to leave me and Stevie and go fight people. He never wanted to fight, that was always what Steve wanted. He only ever fought to protect his family. To protect Steve whenever he was in over his head. To protect me from any guy who looked at me the wrong way or tried to get too close. The night he had received his draft notice, he climbed the fire escape to my window and knocked quietly like he was afraid I wouldn't be home. I almost hadn't been, I was supposed to be on a date but Steve had gotten in a fight again and I stayed home to fix him up. So, when I opened my window to find my James with tears on his cheeks and his breathing shallow, I didn't hesitate to pull him into my room and onto the bed next to me. I didn't care that I was already dressed for bed. My James needed me.

And he needed me again now. "You're not alone, James. Not anymore. You've got me here, and there are plenty of other people who are here on this beach with us. We're still family whether you're completely you again or not. I'm with you to the end of the line, Buck."

He let out a chuckle at that. "You sound like your brother."

"We could really use his crazy optimism right now. I figured I'd give it a shot." He nodded against my forehead before pulling me into a hug.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you, doll?"

"Maybe once or twice, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again."