Red Carpet Man (oneshot)
Red carpets are definitely not Bucky’s thing… but this one’s a little more rewarding than usual.
PAIRING: Bucky x Native American!Reader
WARNINGS: anxiety (public situation), smut
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Bucky doesn’t know how you do it. Walking in front of the cameras, flashing lights, screaming fans and reporters—you do it like it’s nothing, but he can barely bring himself to force a smile and maybe stutter a few rambling sentences to the recording devices stuck in his face.
He can already hear the bustle of people outside, car horns honking impatiently for people crowding the street to get out of the way, the beat of helicopter blades soaring overhead, news outlets desperate to be the first to catch glimpses of the famed Avengers...
He’s only been in Los Angeles for a day and he already doesn’t like it.
You’re at the mirror, applying a favorite lipstick that always gets him riled up. He doesn’t know why he likes the color red on you so much, but this little splash of red against creamy olive skin goes perfectly with the floor-length dress, all ruby chiffon and satin, a split in the skirt of it that goes all the way up your thigh. Bucky eyes it hungrily as you turn away from the mirror and tuck your lipstick back into your little red clutch.
He’d rather stay here and mess around than go out and have to deal with… people.
Three sharp raps on your hotel door signal that it’s nearly time for you to go downstairs and join the others in the lobby. You barely acknowledge it, instead filtering through your little collection of necklaces. Bucky watches you compare pendants, assorted jewels and pearls, until you finally settle on a small silver chain with a diamond pendant.
“Babe?”
He stands when you hold the necklace out for him. He takes the nimble clasp and lets you adjust your hair so he can clasp it around your neck. It’s too easy to take advantage of your position, and he presses a kiss to the juncture of your shoulder and neck. You smell real good, like jasmine and vanilla, and it makes his heart skip a beat as blood decides to try and rush elsewhere—
“Mmm, nice try, mister.” You turn in his arms, winding your arms around his shoulders. “We have to go downstairs.”
Bucky grumbles. “Let’s just stay here. Say we got food poisoning from that sushi Stark got last night.”
“Definitely not.” You shake your head and press a light kiss to his lips that leaves a little red print. “You need to get used to these press events, baby. You can only miss so many before people start wondering where the famous Sergeant James Barnes has gone off to.”
“Sergeant James Barnes,” Bucky clarifies, running his hands down the back of your dress, “is busy trying to make some love to his girlfriend and it’s nobody else’s business.”
“It will be someone’s business if we turn up late. Again.”
“What can I say? I don’t like to rush things.”
You giggle and rub away the lipstick left behind on his lower lip. “When this event is all over, I promise I will make it very worth your while.” When he tenses, refusing to let you out of his arms, your eyes fill with sympathy. He really doesn’t want to go out there. “I’m not gonna leave your side,” you murmur, “I’ll stay where you can see me, we won’t be out there longer than an hour. I promise.”
He groans, letting you pull out of his embrace. “I hate reporters.”
“You don’t have to comment on anything,” you explain, “just stick by me, pose for the cameras, and then we’ll be onto the Q&A. And trust me, if I know Tony, he’ll be doing most of the talking.”
***
Bucky has to fight to shield his eyes from the glare of the setting sun reflecting off the buildings across the street. You loop your arm through his, walking at his pace as you trail behind Steve and Tony. Nat’s close behind, your reinforcement to make sure Bucky doesn’t turn and bolt back inside.
The instant clamoring swells up in a deafening wave the second they step outside. The rapid clicking of camera shutters, shouts from reporters, screams from excited fans… oh, God, fans. Nobody here is gonna like him, not after everything he’d done as the Winter Soldier has officially been made public…
“Calm,” you whisper in his ear, “they know we’re together, baby. It’s okay.”
Bucky flinches as several shouts of his name resound from twenty feet away, mixes of “James” and “Sergeant” and “Barnes” that make his head spin. He ignores them, offering tight smiles and hanging back with his hands tucked in his pockets when you decide to approach the reporters. He watches closely, eyeing the way you smile and practice your little flirty routine as you answer the questions thrown in your face.
A flash of silver and red catches his eye. He turns his head and spies a gaggle of people huddled beside one of the metal barricades, some with their phones out—the red had apparently come from a phone case. They’re cheering and waving, and he raises his hand in a curious wave before turning his gaze away. You’re finishing up with the reporters, and you blow a little kiss to one of the cameras before sauntering back to him, leaving Natasha to fend for herself.
“Looks like those people over there really like you.” You let Bucky wind an arm around your waist. “Wanna go say hi?”
Bucky shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Baby, c’mon,” you plead, “it’s good to let the public get to know you. Besides, having fans is a good thing.”
He eyes the group suspiciously. They’re mostly women, some teenagers sprinkled in, cheeks flushed with excitement at the prospect of seeing him… not Tony, not Steve… him.
“You’re in their history books,” you murmur, “they get to meet a hero.”
Bucky swallows thickly. “How, uh… how do I talk to them?”
A little smirk crosses your face. “Remember the first time you flirted with me? Bring all that sweet charm right back up and they’ll love you forever.”
He blushes hard when you rub your hand up his arm. “Are you sure?”
“Well, you got me to stick around,” you reply, “pretty sure a couple of idolizing teens is way easier.”
Bucky takes a deep breath and glances over at where Tony’s scribbling frantically on posters and pictures held out by what look like hundreds of fans. “And what if they want me to sign stuff?”
You reach into your clutch and pull out a metallic gold Sharpie. “Do that cute loopy thing you sign all your things with.”
His shoulders roll back, and he adjusts the button of his jacket—subconsciously, most likely—and you rise up on the toes of your four-inch heels to nuzzle his cheek before giving him a stealthy pat on the ass and sending him on his way. Bucky swallows any nerves that creep up into his throat as each step takes him closer to the group of excited girls, who only bounce and whisper excitedly as he approaches.
“Hi, ladies,” he says, trying to keep the nervous flutter in his voice under control. The chorus of “hi!” and “ohmygod!” that fills his ears in reply makes his cheeks burn, and he uncaps the pen, reaching out to sign a handmade poster that reads TEAM BARNES.
It’s a full five minutes of signing his initials, JBB, over and over again. He manages to engage better than he thought he would, even managing a few quick seconds of eye contact with several young women who bat their eyelashes and blush furiously as he delivers winks and lopsided smiles. The sudden appearance of an infant named after him literally takes the words out of his mouth, and with the mother’s permission he reaches over to let the curious baby grip onto his right index finger. It’s quite touching, considering he’s been wanting to talk with you about babies for a while.
By the time he’s done, you’ve moved a long ways down the red carpet to occupy yourself with a one-on-one camera interview. He feels surprisingly light and happy, and he waits patiently for you to take notice of his presence and invite him in. The reporter talking to you blushes, apparently excited to get him in as well.
“And we’re joined by Sergeant James Barnes,” she says, as the cameraman turns to bring her into the frame, “so, Sergeant, it’s been a while since you’ve made a public appearance like this. How are you finding it?”
Bucky’s brain struggles to find the right words quick enough. “Took some getting used to, I’m still, uh…” he shoots you a quick glance, as if to make sure what he’s sharing is okay. When you give him an encouraging smile, he continues. “I’m still adjusting to this kind of life. Fortunately, I got this one—” he loops his arm around your waist, fingers splaying out against your hip, “to help me out. She’s been real good to me.”
***
“Goddamn.”
Bucky slumps back against the mattress, tipping his head back as you drape yourself next to him, a sweaty thigh slung over his hips. You’re panting hard, muscles still tensing and trembling from the last near-hour of enthusiastic lovemaking.
“I’ll say,” you reply, running a palm over his bare chest. “So, you had fun?”
He grins, looping an arm around your shoulders. “It’s always fun with you.”
“I meant the press.” You laugh and squirm a little closer. “You look like you had fun with those people.”
He smiles, cheeks flushing. “Someone named their baby after me.”
“Aww, that’s sweet.” You press a kiss to the side of his neck. “I wish I’d seen that… imagining you with a baby does things to me.”
Bucky chuckles. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you wanted one.”
“What, a baby?” You sigh and trail the tip of your finger over his lower lip. “I was thinking about it, but with what we do… are you sure you’d wanna have a baby?”
In response, he rolls on top of you, nudging your thighs apart to make room for him. “I want to,” he confesses in a whisper, lips brushing against yours. “Besides, even if it takes a while, it’s fun to try.”
Your arms wind around his neck, pulling him down into a deeper kiss. “I guess you’re thinking of trying right now?”
Bucky glances at the digital clock on the nightstand. “It’s only ten,” he says, “I’m willing to try all night.”
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Inktober - Day 15: Mysterious
Pairing: Todoroki Shouto/Midoriya Izuku
Rating: G
Other tags: Modern/Quirkless AU, Soulmate AU, Fluff, Pining, Todoroki Enji’s Bad Parenting, Todoroki Enji Being An Asshole
Art by Kumi and story by Red.
This is the fourth part of an ongoing story! For more context, read Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 || Or, you can go to AO3 to read the story there!
Please, do not repost anywhere.
Izuku was at the mall. It was bursting with people as always but not as crowded as he knew it could be since Christmas and New Year’s were still weeks away.
He had already got Uraraka-san a present for her birthday on the 27th and would buy the ingredients to bake something when Christmas rolled around. He had also bought some things for a few of his classmates, the ones he felt closest to at the very least. They were kind of young to do something like the oseibo gift exchanges at work and they wouldn’t see each other for New Year’s, so they had talked about having a small gathering on Christmas’ day.
He thought of getting something for Kacchan but he knew it would be a waste of money because Kacchan would probably just throw it out of the window.
He sighed at the thought but knew he couldn’t get sad about that now. Besides, Kacchan’s mood swings had definitely been improving ever since Kirishima had practically yelled at him during P.E. class one day about being soulmates and how they had to go out and get to know each other.
It was hilarious how they realised it, though. They had been playing volleyball and Kirishima-kun served the ball right to the back of Kacchan’s head, almost knocking him out. He then ran and picked Kacchan off the floor, an arm around his back and a hand resting on his right side, on his ribs. The rest involved a lot of blushing and spluttering.
He shook his head and focused on what was in front of him. He still needed to buy something for his mum.
He was in the midst of looking at the jewellery’s window display when a familiar combination of colours caught the corner of his eye.
Izuku looked up from the rings and bracelets he had been admiring and found Todoroki-kun’s handsome face. He was pointing at something in the glass counter to the employee, who promptly disappeared behind a door. Todoroki-kun waited patiently, his eyes roaming the different displays, nodding appreciatively when he liked a particular design.
He was all decked out in winter clothing and looked incredible, the long coat he had on enhancing just how broad his back and shoulders were. His hair was a mess, a dishevelled mix of red and white, as if he had forgotten to grab a hat before he left his house and had been subjected to the strong winds outside. He had a worn-looking scarf in his hand. It was blue, with little snowflakes sewed onto the ends of it; it seemed hand-made and definitely well-loved.
Izuku stared at him. He… should turn around and leave. He still didn’t know how to talk to Todoroki-kun, their interactions always ending on an awkward note or him doing something embarrassing.
Just as he was about to continue walking and find another jewellery shop, he saw the employee come back, a display case with a beautiful array of silver rings in her hands.
And Izuku felt his stomach turn itself into a knot.
Was Todoroki-kun buying a ring for someone?! Oh, no. Had he screwed everything up by not telling him what he knew? It couldn’t be… They were still soulmates, right? It was not like the connection could just be undone, right? Izuku was pretty sure his mark had been intact that morning when he showered.
So, why was Todoroki-kun here shopping for rings at a jewellery shop? Had he been dating someone this entire time and that was why he hadn’t reacted when they bumped into each other all those months ago?
Or what if… he knew Izuku was his soulmate and hadn’t said anything so as not to ruin his relationship?
Izuku swallowed the bile coming up his throat as that thought crossed his mind.
That- That was probably insane! They were teenagers! Unless he came from a very traditional family who believed in arranged marriag- Well, if Izuku thought about it, he actually didn’t know much about Todoroki-kun’s family other than they had money and that his father was the CEO of the second biggest company in Japan.
For all he knew, the arranged marriage scenario could very well be real.
He panicked a little at the prospect and was going to just leave when a voice inside his head - which sounded suspiciously like Uraraka-san’s - screamed at him to walk in instead.
Nothing will change if you don’t do something, Deku-kun!
With newfound determination, he swallowed down his fears and entered the shop. He almost cringed and bolted out of there when he pushed the door open and the bell above it chimed. Todoroki-kun’s gaze fell on his rapidly blushing cheeks.
“T-Todoroki-kun! Hi!” he greeted, his voice an octave too high to sound normal.
“Midoriya, afternoon,” the other boy replied, his face not revealing anything as usual.
“Jewellery, huh?” Izuku said, inwardly screaming at how lame that opening sentence was. “I’m trying to get all of my holiday shopping early so that I don’t have to come and waste my entire winter break here later.” He added a little laugh at the end to try to dissipate some of the awkwardness.
“Yes, I hate coming to the mall in December, too,” Todoroki-kun agreed, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Be still, my heart, Izuku thought. His hands itched to reach out and smooth the other boy’s wild hair. He held onto the straps of his backpack a bit more tightly.
“I’m sorry, sir, but these are all the rings we have that match the description of what you wanted,” the employee spoke up as she came near them. “May I suggest a bracelet, perhaps? We have quite a large collection. I’m sure we can find one you might like.”
“Um, sure. Thank you,” Todoroki-kun nodded, albeit a little disappointed at not having found what he wanted so easily.
“Were you looking for something specific, Todoroki-kun?” Izuku ventured, trying to engage him in conversation.
“Actually, yes. My mum’s birthday is coming up and, well, I wanted to get her something nice.”
Oh.
“Oh, I see! Maybe I could help you out! I only have my mum’s Christmas present left to buy and I wrote a list of things she may like,” he said, reaching for the piece of paper he had put in his back pocket.
“Thank you, Midoriya,” Todoroki-kun smiled genuinely at him, and Izuku all but melted on the spot.
“W-Why did you think of a ring?”
“I’ll see her next week for her birthday but then I probably won’t be able to do so again until after New Year’s, so I wanted to give her something that might, um, remind her of me, I guess. In case she feels lonely during the holidays.”
It doesn’t sound like they live together but… why would she feel lonely? Izuku wanted to ask but, based on Todoroki-kun’s conflicted expression, he knew he shouldn’t pry.
“I see. Did you have something in mind that might remind her of you?”
“To be honest… not really. I know she used to like wearing white gold or silver, simple things, nothing too ornamented…” Todoroki-kun trailed off, not knowing what else to add, it seemed.
“Okay, so,” he looked at the rings still on top of the glass counter while the employee came around with a few simple yet beautiful bracelets that might fit the description Izuku had just heard. “I don’t think any of these will work,” he mumbled quietly.
And he turned out to be right.
After Todoroki-kun rejected every single bracelet being offered to him, the employee went round the shop to put each item back in their respective places, while Todoroki-kun apologised repeatedly for having wasted her time.
He was disheartened, and Izuku couldn’t bear seeing him like that. He looked down at the list in his hand, specifically at the last thing he had scribbled down that very morning when his mother had gone down to the grocer’s. She had been browsing a magazine and had circled a pendant she liked on an ad.
Izuku had seen the name and searched for the design online to see if there were any more affordable options. He ended up finding the meaning behind it and, he liked it so much, he jotted it down with the other ideas he had thought of for her present.
He thought Todoroki-kun’s mother would like it just as much as his if the broken look on his classmate’s face after failing to find something adequate for her was anything to go by.
“Excuse me,” Izuku said to the employee as she came back. “Do you have any Celtic inspired pieces?”
Some time later, Izuku found himself sitting at a table in Nova, one of the mall’s most popular cafés, waiting for Todoroki-kun to bring their orders.
He had insisted on paying after Izuku helped him pick out a gift. He had almost refused to buy it when he realised it was something Izuku had thought of as a possible present for his own mother.
“Please, no, Midoriya. I couldn’t possibly buy that if you-” Todoroki-kun had said, putting the pendant back in its case.
“Todoroki-kun, please! I have a lot of things in my list that would make my mum just as happy,” Izuku had explained patiently, taking the pendant and boldly grabbing one of Todoroki-kun’s wrists to deposit it on his palm. “Look at it. I think it’s perfect for what you want to show your mum, don’t you agree?”
And it really was.
Izuku had told him how the Celtic motherhood knot represented two hearts, a mother’s and her child’s, and how those hearts were not only intertwined together, but the knot had no end, signifying that the bond between them was the same, that it would last forever, no matter the circumstances they found themselves in.
Todoroki-kun bought it immediately after listening to his explanation and the significance the design had.
Of course Izuku felt a bit sad about not being able to buy it for his mum, but there were other things that would suit their relationship just as well. This one pendant, though, it was obviously meant for Todoroki-kun and his mother.
Izuku smiled a little to himself. He felt giddy as he stared out of the window with the giant star in the middle. It was as if he had an endless supply of energy all of a sudden - he hadn’t even had a drop of caffeine today yet - and he felt capable of doing pretty much anything.
Right then, Todoroki-kun appeared next to him; in his hands, a tray with their drinks and a slice of cake.
“Espresso with some cream and hazelnut,” Todoroki-kun announced as he placed the steaming mug on the table in front of Izuku. He put his own mug down - a latte - and hesitated before grabbing the cake and placing it between the two drinks, along with two extra spoons.
Before Izuku could say anything, his companion disappeared to take the tray back but was back quickly and took the chair opposite him; his legs were so long, that their knees kept brushing under the table.
“I didn’t ask if you were hungry before I ordered but I thought we could share some chocolate mousse cake?” He seemed unsure, and the statement ended up sounding like a question.
“Um, sure! I could never say no to any kind of chocolate cake,” Izuku replied, trying to ease some of Todoroki-kun’s worries with a reassuring smile.
“Yeah, I know. Uraraka said it was your favourite a few months ago at lunch,” Todoroki-kun said, sending Izuku’s already fluttering heart soaring.
His soulmate - and crush - remembered something his best friend had said about him once. Izuku felt like screaming from the highest building out of pure, barely-contained joy.
“Oh,” was all he said in response, trying not to grin from ear to ear. Coming to the mall today had been one of the best decisions he had ever made.
They sipped their drinks in silence after that, just enjoying being in each other’s company; although Izuku did glance at his companion every couple of minutes, noticing Todoroki-kun’s little quirks and habits he had come to learn when he observed him in class or during lunch.
For example, in class, he remained very, very still as he read or wrote something down. He wasn’t a “squirmer” like Kacchan had accused one of his classmates of being one day - apparently, the constant movement distracted him.
During P.E., Izuku noticed how Todoroki-kun usually scrunched up his nose a little bit before drinking anything. At lunch, what caught Izuku’s attention was how he took small bites, chewing slowly, and he never once talked with his mouth full.
He had obviously been raised in a rather strict environment from all of the information Izuku had managed to gather thanks to his silent assessment so far.
But now, Izuku really didn’t feel like staying quiet anymore.
“Do you think your mum will like the pendant?” Izuku asked when their eyes met, He had seen Todoroki-kun’s hand drawing little circles absent-mindedly on the snowflake-themed wrapping paper for a couple of minutes now.
“Yeah, as long as I can explain it the same way you did without stumbling too much, I’m sure she will,” Todoroki-kun’s expression softened as his gaze fell on the snowflakes. “And even if it’s not her favourite thing in the world, she’ll certainly like the wrapping.”
“That scarf, then, was it a gift from her?” Izuku asked, a smile forming on his face as he nodded his head towards the item resting around the other boy’s neck.
Todoroki-kun seemed to be taken aback for a second, but he schooled down his features before he told Izuku a little bit about his home life.
“It was a New Year’s present from her, actually. I must’ve been four when my father, he, um,” a frown appeared as he remembered the day he got the scarf, “heard me talking about a movie I had seen one day - I don’t even know which one it was - and told me how Santa Claus didn’t exist and how I shouldn’t have even believed in such a foolish character in the first place since it was this western, made-up story to get children to behave and whatnot.”
“That sounds…”
“Awful, you can say it,” Todoroki-kun said with a broken kind of smile, which Izuku desperately wanted to wipe it away somehow. “Even though I knew we didn’t celebrate it in the same way here, I’d liked the idea behind it, I guess. But never mind that. When I told my mum about it, she decided to bring a little bit of that joy into the house and made me this scarf.”
“That’s why you are so careful with it.”
“What do you mean?” Todoroki-kun tilted his head to the side in - adorable - confusion.
“When you have it in your hand, you handle it with the utmost care. You never hold it too tightly and you are very mindful not to stretch the yarn whenever you put it on or take it off,” Izuku told him what he had seen, regret filling him as soon as he finished talking.
He must’ve seemed like such a stalker saying something like that completely out of the blue! Oh, he had ruined it, hadn’t he? It was such a pleasant dat- moment! It had been a wonderful bonding moment! He shouldn’t have said anything, he was so stup-
“You’re absolutely right,” Todoroki-kun agreed with a laugh. “I even wash it by hand,” he added in a small voice as he held one of the ends of the scarf, his fingers immediately moving towards the white snowflakes.
Izuku realised, then, there was nothing to be scared of. Todoroki-kun wasn’t a mystery that needed unravelling. There were no thick fog clouds surrounding him, no eerie aura. Sitting in front of him, he realised he was only a boy who wanted to bring some happiness to those around him.
And Izuku fell for him just as fast as a shooting star could paint its way across the night sky. He couldn’t say he was looking forward to the moment he crashed and burned but, in that moment, he honestly didn’t care all that much.
Day 20: Deep (Part 5)
Day 28: Fall (Part 6)
Day 30: Found (Part 7)
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