#I've actually accidentally trained the ability to tell when I'm full out of me

[pathsofoak]

I have discovered the reason I am the epitome of "I will not eat new foods ever" is because my parents make sure whenever they make a dish I've never had before, that there is something in there I can't stomach to "teach me to eat it"

I'm autistic lmao. It's been almost 19 years now, you're not gonna magically cure me from picky eater-ness by still forcing me stay at the table until I finish my plate of something that contains taugé, or whatever that's called in English.

Seriously I get it's annoying when you cook and someone doesn't like it but like. It's a) not your fault, and if you're the parent/caretaker of this person it's b) your responsibility to not make your kid dread eating anything other than bread and rice cakes because you keep pressuring them to eat "normal food"

[lunaofthevalley]

Steadfast Tin Soldier.

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Plot: Inspired slightly by the Hans Christian Andersen Take of the same name, which for some reason reminded me of Bucky. Don't know if something like this has been done before so? Hope you guys like it.

Bucky grew up hearing the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. His younger sisters adored the stories, and his Ma adored telling them. She would somehow rope Bucky into sitting through them as she would tell them to the girls to get them to fall asleep.

If you asked, he could probably recite every single one by memory, or tell it to his best ability. He'd heard every single one, The Little Mermaid, The Snow queen, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, etc. But there was always one that stood out to him for some reason.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

He didn't know what was so special about it at the time, why it stuck with him. He wasn't a soldier, nor was he missing a limb. He didn't have his ballerina, and much less an evil possessed Jack-in-the-box having it out for him.

And even years later, before he was shipped off to war, he remembered the story. He was a charming man, and in every girl he dated or wooed, he looked to see if she could be his ballerina, but none ever came to par. They lacked something.

When he actually became a soldier, he remembered the story, which he now used more or less like a metaphor. Bucky was the soldier, except he wasn't missing a leg, Thank God. And his Ma, his sisters, and even Steve to a certain point were his Ballerina, while the Nazis were the Jack-in-the-box. And while in the story the Steadfast Tin Soldier made it back to his ballerina safely, this soldier didn't.

After years of torture, confusion, and forgetting, the story made its way back into Bucky's memory. It took 75 years, give or take, but when he remembered it, it was as if he'd never forgotten it.

It happened when he was in the compound. After Shuri had managed to wipe his mind free of hydra and having stayed in Wakanda for a few months, Bucky decided it was time to head back. He knew before getting back to the compound that it wouldn't be as he left it. In a place as busy as that, things were bound to change, nothing drastic, but change all the same.

But he sure as hell didn't expect you.

The moment he laid eyes on you was the moment he remembered the story. The way you looked was the same way he always imagined the Ballerina in the story looking. Sure the ballerina was described as being made of paper, but Bucky always imagined her as much more than that. And now he was seeing her in the flesh. Not literally, but figuratively.

You were Bruce's new assistant, hired shortly after he'd left for Wakanda. You were younger than he was, obviously. You were around 27, while he in physical appearance appeared to be 32. You had lovely Y/E/C eyes, and your H/C hair was like silk flowing in the wind, and Y/S/C skin looked like the softest thing to touch, dotted around with little moles here and there which reminded Bucky of the Stars.

Bucky had found his Ballerina after all. He thanked god he could now get the mental image of pre-serum Steve being his metaphorical ballerina out of his head.

Sure it had taken a horrible 75 years, a world war, HYDRA and countless other things before he found you, but truth is Bucky had never felt more like the Steadfast Tin Soldier than he did now.

He was a soldier, he was missing a limb, he has his Jack-in-the-box, which would be HYDRA, he'd gone through a great journey and now after all that he'd met his Ballerina. Y/N Y/L/N.

Now all he had to do was win you over.

As time passed he got to know you. At first it was through small talks you two would have here and there, then small talks progressed to talks and talks progressed into full on hour long conversations. He'd gotten to know plenty about you. Your favorite color, food, movie, season etc. But his favorite fact about you was that apart from being a certified genius, you had also trained as a dancer growing up, mostly in ballet.

Life was a funny thing.

As life progressed in the compound, so did the sexual tension between you and Bucky, as well as the irritation of the other team members, knowing that you two still hadn't even acknowledged the feelings you held for each other. Which is why they decided to do something about it.

"Can someone explain why I'm here please?" Bruce asked, "I'm pretty sure I've got more important business than whatever this is."

"Ah actually this involves you so you are needed here," Tony replied, "well actually it involves your lovely assistant miss Y/N."

Bruce looked around the room before his eyes landed on Tony again, "What about Y/N? Has she done something wrong?"

"It's more like what she hasn't done, she-"

Natasha cut Tony off, "What Tony means is, we've all noticed the growing sexual tension between her and Barnes, yet neither have done anything about it and it's killing them and all of us, surely you've noticed?"

Bruce nodded, "I have actually noticed, but I tend not to meddle in things that I'm not actually involved in."

"But we are all team members, therefor we should all help each other out, including Lady Y/N and the metal handed man." Thor reasoned.

"I can't believe you're all doing this, even you Steve."

Steve sighed, "I'm not overly pleased with the idea, but I know the outcome will be good for Bucky and for Y/N, I have all their best interests at heart."

"We all do." Wanda added.

"Fine. Okay. What's the plan then?"

"That's kind of why we're here Mr. Banner, to brainstorm."

"Seriously, even the kid is here, no offense Peter."

"Non taken Mr. Banner."

"What can I say Bruce, all hands on deck are needed. Even the frail ones of the Spiderling." Tony then clapped his hands before continuing. "Alrighty then if were gonna do this, we need to do something that they won't forget. Something big. Hmmm how about a party?"

"Only Tony Stank could make this end up in a party."

"Shut up Rhodes. Just think about it. It would give us an excuse to be there and make sure everything goes to plan. It would be public enough yet private enough, and think about it, the 'make them dance together' trope always seems to work in movies." Tony explained.

"I hate to say it but I kinda agree with stark." Sam spoke up

"Kinda?"

"Don't push it, Stank."

"I agree too. It's kind of perfect actually." Natasha reasoned. "There would be enough people there that they wouldn't be the center of attention, it also gives them a reason to dress up and impress the other, like Tony said, we can make them dance together, and we can also get them a bit tipsy, which would help in making them confess their feelings."

"Hmm we could also make it themed." Clint spoke for the first time.

"Like what?" Asked Vision, "If I'm not mistaken all important and big holidays have past."

"What about a costume party?" All eyes were suddenly on Peter, no one said anything so Peter took it as his chance to elaborate. "Well we are in mid-October so it wouldn't seem too out of place, which would also be perfect for making them 'accidentally' dress up in a couples costume."

"Genius. Pure genius. Kid your a genius. How didn't I think of it."

"You're not as smart as you think Stark, age is catching up on your brain." Clint laughed.

"Shut up Legolas"

"Now the question is, what costumes do we get them?" Steve asked.

Everyone thought in silence before Thor spoke up.

"What about that cat Lady and bat Boy."

"You mean Batman and Cat Woman? Nah that's overrated." Sam reasoned. "How about Mario and Princess Peach?"

"As much as I would love to see Barnes dressed up as Mario, I'm not sure he'll agree to that costume. We need to think of something more original, something that might not seem like a couple costume at first but when it's brought together it fits perfectly." Tony stated.

Wanda who had been quiet for most of the meeting finally spoke up. "I was talking to Barnes the other day, and he told me a story, about a soldier and a ballerina."

Steve perked up at this. "You mean the Steadfast Tin Soldier. Bucky used to talk about that story all the time back in the 40's"

"Isn't that the one about the toy soldier that's missing a leg and falls in love with a paper ballerina?" Peter asked.

"Yea it is," Steve replied, "Bucky used to hear it all the time, his sisters loved the stories by the same author that wrote the Steadfast Tin Soldier, but for some reason that one stuck with Bucky."

"Huh, that's funny." Laughed Bruce

Tony turned to look at Bruce, "What's funny? Please enlighten us."

"Well, uh, growing up Y/N took dance lessons, contemporary, tap, lyrical, all the sort, but what she liked the most and dedicated her time to the most was Ballet." Bruce explained.

Everyone stared at him as if he had grown to heads. They were all too stunned by what they had just discovered.

"So let me get this straight," Said Tony, "you're telling me we have Barnes, a soldier who happens to be missing a limb, and Y/N, who so just happens to be a Ballerina?"

"Well she's not technically a ballerina but-"

"Shut up Bruce don't ruin this." Tony interrupted.

"Well if all of you are alright with it, I think we found the solution to our costume problem." Natasha spoke.

"Well then Avengers it seems we have a party to plan, and to reunite a certain Soldier and a certain Ballerina"

Part 2??

Feel free to send in requests, I'm on a writing high at the moment and I also have the time.