#Party Vehicle Brooklyn

[oh-sewing-circle]

“The Barbara Stanwyck vehicle Ladies They Talk About (1933) seemed, on the surface, to be in the vein of tough Warner exposés and crime dramas, with Stanwyck as a bank robber doing time at the women’s wing of San Quentin. However, after an opening sequence so realistically recreating a robbery that censors feared it could be a how-to-primer, the movie lapsed into Midnight Romance fantasy. Instead of grim prison conditions, Stanwyck’s jail time resembled a stay at a health spa, with glamorous inmates, beauty treatments on demand, and a laid-back air. The only grittier touches (besides Stanwyck’s ingrained Brooklyn moxie) were incidental, such as the inmates yelling ‘New fish!’ when Stanwyck first arrives, and a black inmate talking back ferociously to an imperious white prisoner. Another jailbird in this glossy clink is a muscular woman with close-cropped hair and a cigar clamped in her mouth. ’She likes to wrestle!’ Like the other inmates, this one is spared the dreariness of prison grooming, being permitted instead to wear the standard Hollywood Dyke getup of a tailored outfit and little bowtie. ‘Mmmmm . . . . hmmmm!’ air. Later, less expectedly, we see this butch prisoner’s femme other half. The camera pans across the cells to take in after-hours vignettes that never occurred in any real-life jail, including a slumber party in lingerie, an inmate cuddling a Pekingese, and the butch woman doing an exhibition round of calisthenics. Wearing a pair of man’s pajamas and with the cigar still in her mouth, she goes through her paces to the delight of a frilly girlfriend sitting in the bed next to her. ‘You’re just always exercising!’ the femme marvels. Ladies They Talk About received numerous complaints through the Studio Relations Committee about the robbery scene, about the violence and discussion of prostitution. Only in strict Ohio, however, did the lesbianism cause any problem; Roth’s ‘wrestle’ line was cut. So it remained over the succeeding decades, when women’s prison movies were one of the few places onscreen where lesbians were allowed to exist openly. This one is one of the first."

-From Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall by Richard Barrios

[ro-is-struggling]

Finally, Ro's followers celebration!!!!! I'd like to request this prompt: Character A and Character B have feelings for each other but can't bring themselves to admit it. That is until they have to pretend to be a couple (for a mission, a family party, whatever) and end up kissing on more than one occasion. Their feelings for each other become evident and they end up confessing their feelings - but not before acting like a couple of nervous, awkward idiots {Brooklyn 99 2x23} with james potter! I want it to be fluffy, pls😩🥰 thank you. love u <3

Hi beautiful!! Of course my first request had to be from you💜💜💜

Thank you so much for participating! I'm so happy to start the celebration with your request💕 I had a lot of fun writing this one so I hope you like it!!

Undercover Mission || James Potter x Reader

Summary: An undercover mission for the Order of the Phoenix leads you and James to confront your repressed feelings for each other as you are forced to kiss to keep your covers from being blown.

Warnings: fluff, a little bit of angst, mutual pining, idiots in love, friends to lovers, humor, set after they graduated from Hogwarts

English is not my first language

Word count: 4900

Notes: I based this story on the episode of b99 from which I got the prompt, I hope you don't mind. I just think James and Jake are literally the same person so I couldn’t resist

"Are we sure we have the right guy?" you asked, the boredom and exhaustion clear in your voice. James, Sirius, Marlene and you had spent the last few hours trapped in an old van following a guy under suspicion that he was a Death Eater. Dumbledore believed he was transporting an important package for the Dark Lord and he wanted the Order of the Phoenix to intercept it before it reached its destination, but so far nothing interesting or remotely suspicious had happened.

"If Albus suspects him then there's gotta be a reason," James stated beside you, his eyes glued to the window as he kept an eye on his target. 

"I know, but this dude hasn't done anything since we got here," you complained, letting your head fall back against the seat cushion. "Am I the only one who doesn't understand why he would be in the Muggle world if he wanted to do Death Eater shit? It doesn't make sense."

"Cause we wouldn't expect it," Sirius said from the driver's seat. 

"Or they're planning an attack," Marleen muttered next to him and your heart stopped for a moment. You really hoped things wouldn't escalate to such a level. If they were planning something big you didn't know if the backup would arrive in time to stop them and save the lives of the innocent muggles caught in the line of fire.

"I don't think they are," James said, turning to look at you for a moment. His tone of voice was soft but determined, trying to control the situation and clear those ideas from his friends' minds —especially yours. "Albus would have heard something if that was their plan all along."

The van fell into silence for a few minutes as you waited for something to happen. The soft rock playing on the radio was the only thing that could be heard inside the vehicle, anticipation, fear, boredom and adrenaline a strange mix of feelings that affected the minds of the four young, newly graduated from Hogwarts. You were definitely too young and inexperienced to be participating in secret missions, but someone had to do it. Someone had to stand up and fight for what was right. 

You drove through town for another hour following your target. The sun had already gone down when you parked on a nice, well-lit, but quiet street. Your target entered a restaurant at the end of the street and you let out an exclamation of joy as you finally got out of that old truck for a while to stretch your legs.

"Okay, we'll go in and keep an eye on him I'm case he makes the deal inside. You two stay here and wait for my signal" James instructed his friends as both you and he exited the vehicle. You took a moment to straighten your clothes, wrinkled after so many hours sitting in the car. It wasn't the nicest muggle outfit you had, but luckily the restaurant didn't seem to be too fancy so you'd be fine.

"Do you see him anywhere?" James asked once inside the establishment, scanning the crowded front desk for his target. You gently nudged him in the ribs to shut him up, nodding your head forward. His eyes followed your movement and he then discovered that just a couple of inches away was the man you had been following all day. He spoke to the woman at the front desk and was quickly escorted to a table inside the restaurant, leaving you behind without any visual of what he was doing. 

"What's taking so long?" you complained in a mumble that only James could hear. "He could be making the deal right now."

"Should we use our wands?" suggested James. Using magic was risky, but it would get you a table at the restaurant in a matter of seconds.

"No, I have a better idea." Taking James by the hand, you walked up to the woman at the front desk to ask for a table. She informed you that the place was full and that you would have to wait for a table to clear before you could get in. But that was not an option for you, you had to get in and you had to get in now. So you held onto James' arm and smiling warmly you said, "Oh but we just got engaged and this is where we had our first date, isn't that right sweetie?"

James looked at you with wide eyes, surprised by your words. It took him a few seconds to respond, not because he didn't know what to answer but because he had been stunned to hear you call him by that affectionate nickname. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to hear you call him that for the rest of his life.

"Yes, yes! It was a beautiful night like this one. And special too. When you left the restaurant that night I knew you were the one, I just knew." James played along, wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you close against his body as he spoke, looking at you with a smile on his lips and the distinctive glint of love shining in his eyes. It felt real, too real, so you looked away before losing yourself in his beautiful blue eyes. You were on an important mission and you had to concentrate. "I would have made a reservation but I didn't know if she was gonna say yes." 

"Oh I love how nervous you were!" you exclaimed fondly, playfully tapping his nose and letting out a giggle. "You just had to see him, he was adorable," you added, standing on your tiptoes to reach up to give him a kiss on the cheek. James' heart raced, the blood in his whole body pooling in his cheeks as he struggled not to let his feelings for you show. He'd had a crush on you for a long time —since fifth year to be exact—, but you two had always been such good friends that he'd never gotten around to doing anything about it. He valued your friendship too much to risk losing it. That's why he had to control his heart or the mission wouldn't be the only thing that went wrong.

"You look so sweet together!" the receptionist exclaimed, watching you tenderly. "I'm sure I can find room for two young lovers."

"Yeah.. we are lovers… together... in bed" James muttered awkwardly, struggling to stop his imagination from running wild. He had pictured what his life with you might be like more times than he was proud to admit, but this wasn't the time or place to fantasize about your wedding or think about the name of your future child.

"Okay," you said with a smile, squeezing James' arm to shut him up as you watched the woman disappear inside the restaurant. "Keep it together, Potter. We need that table," you muttered just for him to hear. You knew it was weird for him to be in such an intimate and romantic situation with you. You had been friends for so long that you were pretty sure he saw you as a sister —a thought that made your heart clench painfully in your chest—, but he had to keep his cool for a few more minutes. Once at the table you could drop the act and laugh at how weird it was to imagine being married while keeping your target well guarded. 

However, things proved to be more difficult than that.

The woman returned a few minutes later with a smile on her face. She led you to your table herself, wishing you a lovely evening and a happy marriage before returning to her desk. You barely had time to settle into your seats before the couple seated at the table next to yours showered you with congratulations on your engagement as well. It was an elderly couple who were there celebrating fifty years of marriage, so neither of you had the heart to ignore them.

"So, when did you guys meet?" the man asked you.

"Last year" you said without thinking, your eyes searching the crowd for your target.

"Five years ago" James stated at the same time, his gaze locked on the Death Eater dining alone a couple of tables away. 

The elderly couple looked at you in confusion and you hurried to correct the mistake. "We met five years ago but we don't count that."

"Yeah, I was dating another girl at that time" James noted and technically he wasn't lying. When you met he was in love with Lily Evans and while you never officially dated, he had planned his entire life with her at that time.

"And I wasn't interested in dating," you laughed. "But a year ago we bumped into each other and we haven't been able to separate ever since."

"How sweet!" the woman exclaimed, looking at you fondly. She reminded you of your grandmother in some ways, which only made things weirder. It was hard not to get carried away with the role you were playing when fate seemed to be determined to make you imagine your perfect life at James' side. "How did you know she was the one?" the old lady asked your friend, looking at him expectantly.

James looked at you, panic written all over his face. "I'd love to answer that..." he stammered, trying to buy himself some time to think. He knew exactly how to answer that question, he had a memorized list of the things you did that made him fall in love with you, but he couldn't be honest. If he spoke from the heart he risked being exposed.  "Just whenever I look at her face," he finished, unsure if it was the right thing to say.

"And what about you?" The woman directed her question at you this time.

Your eyes met James' as you contemplated your answer. For a second, you felt as if the world had ceased to exist, the chatter of the people around you getting quieter and quieter until it disappeared altogether. It was just you and him in that restaurant, looking into each other's eyes with an intimacy that felt different. You lost yourself deep in his eyes, looking straight into his soul as your mind went over all the things you adored about him.  

"He makes me laugh" you replied honestly, putting a smile on James' face. 

"And you know, there's really no one else's opinion who I care about more than hers," he added, feeling comfortable and confident enough to open up a bit.

The elderly couple went on to tell you a bit of their life story and as much as you found it adorable, neither of you were able to pay much attention. They could barely remember that they were on a mission, their eyes occasionally traveling to their target to make sure he wasn't doing anything suspicious. You were both too distracted, lost in your own thoughts as you repeated each other's words over and over in your heads. You knew you just were playing roles, but what you had said to each other, the knowing look you had shared, it all felt too real, too sincere. Of course you both dismissed it after spinning it around in your heads for a while, convincing yourselves that you were seeing things where there was nothing because for some reason you were the only two people in the world unable to see that you were in love. 

The moment you were sharing was interrupted when you noticed your target getting up from the table. You kicked James lightly to get his attention, silently motioning for him to look at the Death Eater you were supposed to be watching. Excusing yourselves from the lovely old couple you had been chatting with for the last thirty minutes, you rose from the table and made your way to the back of the restaurant, following in your target's footsteps. 

"Do you think he's going to meet his partner?" you spoke in a whisper so that no one but James would hear you.

"I don't know," he replied.

Just as the words left his lips, the man turned and made direct eye contact with you. Time stopped for a second, panic taking over as you realized you had been discovered. You had no reason to be there and you were pretty sure that the Death Eater had already seen you parked in front of him hours ago. He wasn't stupid, he would be able to put two and two together and then your mission would be ruined at best. At worst, you would have to fight to get the briefcase he was carrying, endangering the lives of many innocent Muggles.

But before the panic could fully take hold of you, you felt James' hands close around your waist. You turned to look at him, but you couldn't do or say anything because suddenly his lips crashed against yours. You didn't even take a second to question what was happening, letting the feeling of euphoria run through your body as you felt the caress of James' lips on yours. You lost yourself in him instantly, in the taste of his mouth, in the warmth of his body against yours, in the delicate way he held you in his arms. You were flying in the sky in complete bliss as you let James guide the kiss, struggling to keep up the peace.

But the moment ended as abruptly as it had begun, leaving you dazed and confused, missing James' lips the second they parted from yours.

"I'm sorry, I just- I didn't know what else to do," he spluttered awkwardly, his thoughts clouded by the scent of your perfume.

"No, it's okay," you hurried to say, struggling to form coherent sentences so as not to let him know how much his kiss had really affected you. "It's all good. We kept our cover intact, good job. Very quick thinking, very professional." You were tense and couldn't look him in the eye when you spoke, but neither could he so neither of you mentioned anything, opting to pretend nothing had happened as you went on with your mission.

"C'mon he's on the move" James announced as he climbed into the van once again. He kept his gaze straight ahead, his body rigid against the seat of the vehicle as if he was afraid to let go and end up accidentally touching you. He needed to keep his distance from you until he recovered his cognitive functions. His brain would never be able to process what had happened if your perfume kept assaulting his nostrils.

"So how was the restaurant?" Marlene asked you to fill the awkward silence that had formed. She could feel the tension in the air, a tension that wasn't there before you guys disappeared behind the restaurant doors. It was different from the tensions she was used to feeling when you and James were together, much more intense, and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened in there.

"Great! It was fine, totally normal and appropriate" you replied suspiciously quickly raising your voice to a higher pitch than usual. If she didn't suspect something had happened before, she definitely did now.

"What happened? Why are you being so weird?" Sirius asked, looking at you curiously through the rearview mirror.

"Y/N and I kissed" James confessed with a sigh, knowing it would be best to be honest with his friends. After all, it hadn't meant anything, had it? There was nothing strange about telling them the truth because you had nothing to hide. Strange would be if you kept it a secret.

"WHAT? Tell me everything!" Marlene exclaimed in a shout of joy, turning to see her friend in the back seat with a big smile on her face. She knew about your crush on James from day one and couldn't believe there was finally a breakthrough in your story. Sometimes Marlene felt like she was more involved in your little secret romance with James than you were yourself.

"Calm down! It was just to keep our cover from being blown, we didn't have a choice" you explained, feeling the blood from all over your body travel to your cheeks.

"Yeah, it didn't mean anything," James added, ignoring the stabbing pain that shot through his heart as he said it. 

"I want details," her friend insisted and you rolled your eyes.

"Marlene, it was just a kiss, okay? It was nothing." Only it hadn't been just a kiss, not to you at least, but you weren't going to admit it in front of everyone —especially not James.

"Yeah, who cares about a kiss? Call me if you grab each other's asses" Sirius interjected from the driver's seat, a mischievous grin plastered on his lips. James reached out from behind his back and smacked him on the shoulder, a silent way of telling his friend that this was not the time for his jokes.

Marlene was going to continue pressing you for more details —you and James kissing was the most interesting thing that had happened to her that day—, but her attention was drawn back to the mission at hand when Sirius alerted you that your target had gotten out of the car and was walking towards a park. He still had the briefcase in his hand, but the streets were deserted which made you think he wasn't going to meet anyone that night, but to leave the package for someone else to pick up.

"Okay, you and Sirius follow him just in case he does meet with someone after this." you instructed Marlene, watching as your target returned to his car, without the briefcase in his hands this time.

"Right! And you and James follow your hearts" your friend replied with a smile.

"No!" you grumbled, giving Marlene a murderous look. "We're gonna stay with the package."

"And each other forever" she insisted and you swore she was doing it on purpose to spite you. You didn't even dignify her comment with a response, opting instead to exit the vehicle and slam the door a little harder than necessary. James followed you, crossing the street beside you to get to the park your target had come from. 

You walked in silence, enjoying the quiet of the night. The place was deserted, something that was both good and bad. On the one hand it was good because if things went wrong at least there were no Muggles around who could get hurt. On the other hand it was bad because you had no way to hide so you wouldn't stand out. When the Death Eaters came to pick up the package they would see you, there was no doubt about that. You realized then that you would have to be quick if you wanted to catch them.

"Why can't we just take the briefcase and go?" James asked as he leaned back against a tree, his back to the bench next to where your target had left the hidden package.

"Because Albus wants to arrest everyone involved in this and for that we need the briefcase to exchange hands, otherwise there's no case." you explained and James grunted, hating having to stand there for who knows how much longer until someone showed up.

Neither of you spoke for a while, the weight of the silence and the tension in the air increasing your nerves. James' mind was riddled with doubts, fearing he had made a mistake by kissing you in the restaurant. You had told him that you understood why he had done it, assuring him that you had no issue with it, but it didn't feel like things were good between you. You were distant and tense, and you could barely look him in the eye. Regret was eating him up inside, knowing it was his fault that you felt uncomfortable around him.

"Hey, seriously, we're cool right?" James broke the silence forcing you to look away from the starry sky to face him.

"Yeah, totally," you nodded with a smile, hoping that was enough to calm him down. "We're fine." If only he knew that the reason for your strange behavior was that you were fighting the urge to take his face in your hands and kiss him one more time....

"Why do they have to schedule their drop off so late? Death Eaters have no respect for Auror's lives and times." James joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. You let out a chuckle and he felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. "I'm starving, we barely got to eat at that stupid restaurant."

"I know! Mr. and Mrs. Green were adorable but they couldn't stop talking" you said, remembering the chatty couple. You couldn't have been there more than forty minutes and somehow you knew when and where they had married, how they met, how many children they had and the names of their grandchildren. "I'm craving ice cream as weird as it might be considering how late it is."

"It's not weird at all, you always crave sweets at these hours, that's why you have trouble sleeping."

"You know what I really want to get right now?"

"Cookies and cream?" said James, more as a statement than a question. "It's your favorite, isn't it? Especially for times like this. I'm assuming you already have one in the freezer waiting for you to celebrate."

"Y-yes," you nodded in surprise. You weren't surprised that he knew what your favorite ice cream flavor was —you had been friends for years, that was normal—, you were surprised at how quickly and confidently he had spoken, leaving you no time to say anything before answering for you. He remembered your silly tradition of celebrating the little good things in life with your favorite flavor of ice cream even though it was something you usually did alone. It was a small, insignificant detail, but it made you feel appreciated. He remembered.

"I brought one too if you want to spend the night at my place after this is all over. We can celebrate together." You were going to tell him how much you appreciated his sweet gesture and how he was the one person you wanted to celebrate your victories in life with, but the words died in your throat when you noticed a man approaching the briefcase they had been guarding for the last fifteen minutes.

"James, he's looking at us," you tried to warn him discreetly, but your friend was too distracted rambling on about the different flavors of ice cream and which ones were the best. "Well, this is happening," you murmured, taking James' face in your hands and leaning in to join your lips in a kiss.

You were the one in control this time, dictating the intensity of the kiss, guiding the movements of James' lips on yours. He was too surprised to do more than try to keep up with the pace of your lips. His hands settled on your hips instinctively, pulling you tight against his body as he allowed himself to lose himself in your mouth for a moment. The mission, his doubts, the tension, all was forgotten as he melted under your caresses. 

Though his bliss was cut short when you suddenly pulled away, taking your wand and pointing it at the man who had picked up the briefcase. Reality hit him like a train, his brain working twice as hard to regain its functions so he could end this mission once and for all.

The Death Eater didn't give up without putting up a fight, pulling out his wand and casting spell after spell in your direction as he tried to escape. Neither of you recognized who your attacker was, which frightened you a little because it meant that the Dark Lord had more followers than the Order of the Phoenix expected or even knew about. Still you didn't let that affect you, fighting shoulder to shoulder until you incapacitated your unknown attacker.

"An empty diary?" you said in disbelief as you stared at the mysterious object inside the briefcase you had fought so hard to obtain. "We did all that for an empty diary?"

"It has to be important," James interjected as he used an incantation to restrain the Death Eater's wrists. "They wouldn't do all this for an insignificant empty diary. Albus will know what to do."

“I’m exhausted!” you exclaimed the moment you crossed the entrance threshold of James' house, dropping dramatically onto the couch. It had been a long day, but at least things had turned out well. Both Death Eaters were in custody awaiting trial for their crimes. Thanks to you the army of he who shall not be named had two less soldiers, and as insignificant as it seemed, it was a victory for everyone.

"We can go to sleep if you're tired and leave the ice cream for tomorrow" James said, knowing full well what your response would be.

"Never!" You jumped off the couch, running to the kitchen in search of the ice cream. James let out a laugh, shaking his head as he followed closely behind you. While you took the ice cream out of the freezer he grabbed spoons and a couple of bowls so you could share the frozen dessert without fighting over the pot.

After making a short toast celebrating your victory you engaged in casual conversation while enjoying the ice cream. You didn't even bother to go to the couch, settling into the kitchen without a problem. You sat on the counter next to the sink, swinging your legs playfully as you ate your ice cream. James stood next to you, leaning back on the counter with his body leaning slightly to the side so he could look at you better as you talked. He had a big smile on his face as he listened to you list the reasons why the cookies and cream ice cream was the best of all, completely enamored with the passion with which you addressed such trivial topics as ice cream flavors. 

He loved everything about you, even the things you saw as flaws. There was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to tell you how he felt about you, to hold you in his arms and kiss you until he couldn't feel his lips. But he knew he couldn't -he shouldn't-, your friendship was the most important thing to him and he couldn't lose it for anything in the world.

"I'm sorry for kissing you today," he apologized, breaking the small silence that had formed. "I hope it doesn't make things weird between us."

"Oh no don't worry about it," you downplayed it. "And I'm sorry for kissing you too."

"You know I care about you, right?" James put his empty ice cream bowl on the counter, turning completely around so he could look you in the eyes. You nodded your head slightly, losing yourself in the shine in his eyes. Those damn eyes of his! 

"I value our friendship, what we have is something special and I wouldn't want to see it ruined for a stupid decision I made under pressure." There was truth in his words, but there was also pain. He didn't want to ruin your friendship, but he also didn't want to keep being just your friend. He didn't regret kissing you, at least not entirely. A part of him would always be glad he did because no matter what, now he knew what your lips felt like on his.

"Yeah, I get it... Our friendship is the most important thing to me too," you said, but you couldn't stop your eyes from lowering to James' lips. He was too close to you, you could smell his cologne every time you breathed, feel his body heat tickling your side. You couldn't think straight, only feel the devastating weight of longing to feel his lips on yours. If you concentrated hard enough you could still taste his mouth and feel the ghost of his fingers caressing your hips. 

James didn't miss the way your eyes locked on his lips, unconsciously leaning closer and closer to you. A rebellious hand slid over your leg, caressing your thigh gently. Your gaze returned to his eyes then and James saw in them a special glow he had never noticed in them before. It was desire. You wanted him. You were as desperate to feel your lips together as he was. And now that he knew it, he didn't plan to leave you wanting for another second.

Once again he took it upon himself to close the little distance that separated you, bringing your lips together in a kiss full of desperation and repressed feelings. And even though this was the third time you had been in that situation that day, this time it felt different. This kiss was not the product of an impulsive decision made in the heat of the moment. No, this was a kiss that was long overdue, the product of the conscious decision of two people who had repressed their feelings for too long. And that made it taste that much sweeter, it made everything that much more special.

And as James lost himself in the warmth of your body wrapped around his he knew that things between you would never be the same again, but that was a good thing.

[sjsmith56]

Chance Encounter - Part 4

Summary: Bucky and his granddaughter Anna meet her classmate and his mother, at the same grocery store where he met his daughter.

Length: 6.2 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Anna Barnes, OFC (named but not described), OMC (OFC’s named son, not described), Joaquin Torres, Katrina Torres.

Warnings: none, really except perhaps Bucky feeling out of the loop when he realizes something

Author’s notes: I left Part 3 with a small bit about Joaquin Torres falling in love with Katrina, deliberately leaving their story suggested but open ended. Well, I got to thinking about what Bucky would do if the couple did marry. How would he take it? I think becoming a father and grandfather had a profound effect on him, and helped him changed his attitude towards a lot of things. Perhaps that opened him up to feeling worthy of love.

<<Part 3

🛝 🍨 ☀️

Set a year and a bit after Anna's 4th birthday party and the day after another momentous event. 

It was late when Bucky parked his SUV on the parking pad of his Brooklyn brownstone.  He opened the back passenger door and carefully unbuckled his granddaughter, Anna, from her car seat.  A slight whine came out of her lips at being disturbed and he smiled.

"We're home, sweetheart," he said.  "Have to get you to bed."

"Where's Mommy?" she asked sleepily. 

"With Joaquin," he answered.  "Remember?  They went for their honeymoon straight from the reception.  It's just you and me for a couple of weeks."

He lifted her into his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.  Closing the vehicle door, he clicked the lock button on the remote and headed towards the lower-level door, entering the door code to unlock it.  In the dark, he went up the several flights of stairs to Anna's bedroom and sat her on the bed, carefully unbuttoning her flower girl dress and removing it, then taking her shoes and socks off.  He pulled a nightgown over her head, then tucked the unicorn duvet around her, and placed her unicorn stuffy in her arms.

"Sleep tight, sweet pea," he whispered, kissing her on the forehead.

"Night Grandpa," she mumbled, then grasped her stuffy tighter.

Looking back at her for a moment, he breathed deeply, feeling once more how lucky he was to have this sweet little girl as his granddaughter.  Closing the door, he went to his bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp, taking his jacket off.  Checking the pockets, he removed his handkerchief and tie, then hung it up on the hanger, followed by his slacks.  The shirt was put into the laundry hamper, and he headed for a quick shower before putting a T-shirt and sweatpants on.  After brushing his teeth, he sat on the bed and texted Sam.

B:  Got home safely.

S:  Us too.  Joaquin texted that the flight was delayed so they won't be in Paris until late afternoon.

B:  That's what you get when you fly with the airline.  He should have taken Pepper up on her offer for the corporate jet.

S:  You know him.  He doesn't want to take advantage of his connections.

B:  Yeah.  I guess we're alike in several ways.

S:  Enjoy your two weeks with Anna, Grandpa. 

B:  I plan to.  Have fun on the missions without me.

S:  👍🏾

Placing the phone on his nightstand he turned off the light and laid in the dark for a bit, thinking about the wedding, and the fact that Joaquin Torres was now his son-in-law.  How the hell did he manage that?  He fell in love with your daughter, that's how.  Yeah, he was a good man, really, and had been wonderful to Katrina and Anna as well.  Until Katrina finished her degree, they were going to live in the brownstone but after that they were planning to move nearer to the compound.  It was going to be lonely once they moved but at least that was well off into the future. 

The next morning, Bucky made breakfast; for Anna her favourite pancakes, two blueberry, two chocolate chip, fresh fruit salad, and a big glass of milk, while he had his usual bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee.  While he read the newspaper, Anna watched a movie on her tablet. 

"Grandpa, are we going to the playground today?" she asked.

"After we pick up some groceries and run some errands," he replied.  "With all of the get togethers we had until the wedding we have hardly any food left.  Have to keep my little girl fed."

She smiled sweetly at him.  "Can we get ice cream?"

"Absolutely," he pinched her cheek lightly.  "Finish up so we can get going."

Half an hour later they were in the SUV headed for the same grocery store where he first met Katrina.  They got a shopping cart, and he reminded Anna to stay close to him.  As they walked up and down the aisle, he let her take things off the shelf, lifting her up to get to the things on the top.  Several older ladies asked him for help, and he obliged them, listening patiently as they said he had a cute daughter. 

"He's not my dad, he's my grandpa," said Anna, each time, getting more annoyed with each reference. 

"You must have been a teenager when you became a dad," they would exclaim, and he just smiled and let them believe that, as it was easier than saying he was older than they were.

Soon, he was at the till, where the cashier greeted both of them with a smile because they were regulars.  Anna helped him put the groceries on the conveyor belt while she asked him all sorts of questions, which he answered as best as he could.  At the next till a young boy was helping his mother with unloading their groceries, while keeping up a constant barrage of questions that she patiently answered.  A couple of times she glanced at Bucky, and he smiled at her in that way people do when they're just being friendly.  Both finished their purchases at the same time and pushed their carts towards the door.  Being a gentleman, Bucky let her leave first, surprised when Anna pointed at the boy, who she just noticed.

"That's Timmy," she said, excitedly.  "He was in my class.  Hi Timmy!"

The boy turned around and waved.  "Hi Anna.  Mom, look, it's Anna."

His mother waited until they were all outside before stopping and smiling at the girl.  "Well, hello."  She looked up at Bucky, then offered her hand to him.  "You must be Grandpa.  Katrina and I sometimes waited together when we picked the kids up from kindergarten.  I'm Jay, short for Jaylene but only my mother calls me that."

"Bucky," he replied.  "Nice to meet you.  I never noticed you whenever I picked Anna up."

"We only moved into the neighbourhood two months before school let out, so my son's caregiver was usually there.  On my days off I was.  I guess you might have been on missions then.  But Anna told us all about you, about her grandpa being an Avenger."

Several people came out of the store while they were still talking, and Jay shifted so they were more out of the way. 

"You're off today, then?" asked Bucky.

"Well, I'm off for a while," she answered, shrugging self-consciously.  "Cutbacks, so I'm looking for a new job.  At least they gave me a good severance package since I transferred to the office here and didn't lose seniority.  Still, I'll need to find something soon or else we'll have to move in with my mother, and although I love her dearly, I'm not quite sure I want to do that.  I can pick up some temporary contracts and work from home but it's harder to do when school's out.  I'm in IT."

He nodded.  "Well, if I hear of anything I can pass it on, if you want."  His face became warm, and he stammered slightly.  "You know, if you want to give me your contact information.  I would ask Katrina but she's on her honeymoon."

"That's right, she married her guy, didn't she?"  Jay looked genuinely happy.  "How was the wedding?  Do you have pictures?"

"Grandpa, maybe they can come to the playground with us, and you can show her all the pictures you took."

"I don't want to impose on you, unless you want to come.  We were going to run some more errands, then have some lunch then head to the playground for a couple of hours."

"Mom, can we?"  Timmy looked hopefully at his mother.

"Sure," she replied after a few moments, then looked at Bucky.  "Which playground?"

He brought it up on his cell phone, then texted it to her number.

"1 o'clock?" He smiled at her as she agreed.  "Alright, see you then.  Come on Anna Banana, the ice cream's going to melt if we stay out here any longer.  It was nice meeting you, Jay, and you, Timmy."

They headed towards opposite sides of the parking lot.  As he and Anna placed the groceries in the back of the SUV he kept glancing at Jay, wondering what her story was.  She certainly seemed nice.  Since the ice cream was already melting, they went home first and put everything away.  Then they headed out to run the few errands he had planned before stopping at a fast-food place for two kid's meals for Anna and a couple of burgers, fries, and a milkshake for Bucky.  He was recognized and agreed to a few selfies with people.  Anna, who was pretty used to it whenever she was out with him, just waited patiently.  Soon enough it was time to meet Jay and Timmy at the playground.  They got there just after the other two, and immediately Anna ran to the slides, encouraging Timmy to follow her. 

"Shade or sun?" he asked Jay, gesturing to two free benches.

"Shade," she said, sitting on one of them.  "I burn easily."  She looked at the two kids playing.  "Anna is a sweet girl."

"She is," said Bucky.  "She and Katrina mean everything to me."

"I think you mean the world to them, as well," replied Jay.  "Katrina told me some of her story from before you two found each other.  Her first husband sounded horrible."

"He was.  Joaquin is a much better man."

"Katrina said he's an Avenger as well.  Falcon?"

"Yes.  He inherited the wings when they were broken and fixed them.  Taught himself to fly.  Turned out he's a natural."

"What about yourself?" She looked up at him and he noticed her eyes.  "Anyone special in your life?"

"Just Katrina and Anna," he answered.  "I'm not terribly social.  Afraid of rejection."

"Really?  A big handsome guy like you?" Even though the words were said in jest, she looked away, as if debating whether to say anything more.  "I'm a widow.  We lost Timmy in the Snap, and my husband took it hard.  He ... killed himself a year after Timmy disappeared."

"I'm sorry."  Bucky felt terrible for her, losing her son then her husband.  "I turned to dust as well.  When I reappeared, we had minutes to reassemble to fight Thanos again.  No chance to deal with the fact that five years had gone by."

"At least Timmy disappeared at my mother's place," said Jay.  "When he reappeared, she was still living there.  She phoned me right away.  I was at work and jumped in the car, broke every driving law in the book."  She sniffed and wiped her eyes.  Bucky fished his handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to her.  "Thanks.  Still makes me emotional.  Then I had to tell him his dad was gone for good."

"Lot of that went around."  He coughed to clear his throat, but his voice wavered anyways.  "A lot of people lost the ones they loved, even if they didn't turn to dust.  Things changed too much in those five years for some people to handle the returns, I guess.  Finding Katrina and Anna changed my life.  Can't imagine being without them now."

For a time, they were quiet, watching the kids playing again.

"Tell me, is dating for a single man as bad as dating for someone like me?"

He looked at her, unsure if she was being facetious but her face was quite serious.

"I used to be a great date," he replied.  "Was never serious about anyone but I knew how to have a good time and I did alright."

"But then so many years passed, the world changed and when you got back in it, everything was different, wasn't it?"

"Yeah.  Some of it was good.  Better birth control.  Women gained more rights that gave them independence and confidence.  Mini skirts were a great invention."  She playfully pushed his arm, which made him smile.  "But some things weren't as good.  Being a gentleman and having manners towards a woman was seen as patriarchal by some, when it was just being polite.  Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to jump into bed, without even spending some time enjoying flirting first.  I was no angel but there was an enjoyable dance to it and now there isn't, and it just doesn't feel the same."

She nodded in agreement.  "It's changed even from when I got married.  I knew Colin through high school, although we didn't start dating until college.  We had shared values, you know?  I've had a few dates since he died, and half those guys were expecting me to sleep with them right away because they bought me a meal.  Two were married and wanted me to be their piece on the side.  One had serious trust issues, and I ended it before it escalated to something harmful.  I did fall in love with one guy, but he didn't love me back because he wasn't over his wife dying after the Snap.  That one really hurt.  Sorry, I don't know why I've unburdened myself to you.  I barely know you."

Surprising himself, he briefly placed his gloved hand on hers.  "I don't mind having an honest conversation about this.  You're very easy to talk to."

"So are you."  She looked up to see her son trying something he shouldn't, preparing to jump from the roof of the covered platform over the slide.  "Timmy, get down from there."

"But Anna did it."

Bucky stood up.  "She forgets that she has special abilities.  Allow me?"

She gestured for him to go ahead and watched as he strode towards where Timmy was perched.

"Timmy, Anna can do it because her body is able to handle it.  Yours isn't, buddy.  I'm sorry but it is too dangerous for you."

"I'm scared." 

He could see it in the boy's eyes.  Glancing at Anna, he could tell she was sorry for forgetting about showing off her abilities. 

"I can catch you and I promise that I won't let you fall.  Do you trust me?"  Timmy nodded, unsure.  "Okay, on three, you just step off and I'll catch you."

Bucky counted down and expertly caught Timmy when he stepped off the structure.  He held him first, to make sure the boy was okay, then lowered him down to the ground.  Gesturing to Anna, he kneeled down so he was at eye level with both of them.

"Anna, you must remember that you're the only child who can do those things.  Expecting him to try it is putting him in danger and friends don't do that.  Timmy, you must remember that you don't have to do what Anna can do to be her friend.  It's okay to tell her no."

"Sorry, Timmy.  I forgot."

"'S okay.  Can we play some more?"

"Sure, just don't climb up so high, okay?"

Bucky raised his hand for Timmy to high five, then offered it to Anna.  Returning to Jay, he sat next to her again. 

"You're very patient," she commented.

"With kids, yes," he replied.  "Not always with grownups."

They sat quietly again, watching the two kids playing then Bucky's phone sounded.  He saw a text and picture from Katrina, of her and Joaquin at the base of the Eiffel Tower, with it lit up in red, green and blue.  Showing it to Jay, he sent a message back, along with a picture of Anna and Timmy playing.

Met your friend Jay and her son Timmy at the grocery store.  Having a play date for Timmy and Anna.

Katrina sent one back within seconds.

Be nice to her.

He smirked then opened his photo gallery, remembering he was supposed to show Jay the pictures from the wedding.  While she looked through them, he watched the kids. 

"Looked like a great wedding," she remarked, as she handed his phone back.  "She asked me to come but I couldn't get a sitter for Timmy."

"You could have brought him," said Bucky.  "There were other kids there."

She shrugged.  "I only knew Katrina and didn't want to intrude."

"Fair enough," he answered, not wanting to make a big deal about it.  "Just so you know I would have asked you to dance several times."

Glancing sideways, he noticed her smiling, making him feel good that she responded positively to his comment.  All too soon, it was time to go home, and they planned for another play date in a few days.  Bucky called Pepper Stark from his SUV, asking if she knew of any good paying IT jobs.

"You feel confident enough to get into that field?"  He could picture her smiling as she joked about his qualifications.

"I'm asking for a friend," he answered.  "She's a widow, single parent, transferred here and was just let go due to cutbacks.  Right now, she's living off her severance pay but you know that won't last long in this city."

"No, it won't," agreed Pepper.  "Give me her name and I'll check out her CV, see if we have something that fits her qualifications."  He could hear the sound of a keyboard being used as she entered Jay's information.  "She is very qualified.  Looks like that company let go several of their top employees and outsourced their work overseas.  That's not right.  Give me a couple of days and I'll come up with something for her."  Just before she hung up, she had one more comment.  "Bucky?  She's nice looking.  You should ask her out."

"I might," he answered.  "Thanks, Pepper.  I owe you one."

"No problem and if she's half as good as her resume states you don't owe me anything."

A few days later Bucky and Anna met up with Jay and Timmy at the playground.  She had a couple of coffees with her, offering one to Bucky.  He flipped open the lid to see it was black and Jay assured him there was no sugar either.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I texted Katrina," she grinned.  "I have a job interview with Stark Industries.  You did that, didn't you?"

He shrugged, while avoiding looking at her, making it seem like he was watching the kids.  "I made a phone call, asked for some help.  Pepper's a good person."

"Well, I can't thank you enough for doing that.  She phoned me herself and since I'm a single mom she's offered to pay for childcare for the summer.  She made it sound like I already have the job."

"Like I said, good person."  He sipped his coffee then turned towards her.  "I guess that means I won't see much of you during the day.  Would you be open to dinner sometime?"

Even though he was trying to appear calm on the outside, inside he could feel his stomach churning a little. 

"I was going to ask if you wanted to bring Anna over for dinner sometime this week," she finally answered.  "I make good lasagna and my cheesy garlic bread is famous, at least Timmy says it should be."

"I'd like that."  Bucky sipped his coffee again.  "I'll bring some wine."

"Red, Cabernet Sauvignon would be good, if you're asking."

He grinned.  "Good to know."

When Bucky and Anna arrived at Jay's apartment three days later, he had the bottle of red wine and a bouquet of flowers in hand.  Jay beamed when he presented her with the flowers, gesturing him into the kitchen with her while she opened a cupboard looking for a vase.  It was on the top shelf and Bucky reached over her, placing it on the counter beside her as she started to cut the ends of the flower stalks.  Timmy invited Anna into his room to play with Lego. 

"There's beer in the fridge if you want one," said Jay.  "It's going to be a while before the lasagna is ready.  I had to make a quick trip to the bodega for some garlic."  She stopped for a moment.  "You're okay with garlic, right?"

"Can't have Italian food without it," he smiled as he reached for a beer, then offered it to her.  She shook her head, so he opened it and took a drink.  "Smells good.  Did you have the interview yet?"

"I did, and the job was offered to me before it was over," she said.  "IT Special Projects Manager.  I'm really excited about it."  For a moment, she looked down, swallowing.  "I can't thank you enough for doing that when you don't even know me."

"Katrina told me to be nice to you.  It wasn't hard to do that."

When Jay looked up at him, she saw a pair of blue eyes gazing kindly at her.  Damn, he was so handsome, it almost hurt to look at him.  With a quick exhale she filled the vase with water, then placed the flowers in and looked at the arrangement.

"No one's given me flowers in years.  Thank you."

"You're welcome.  Now, what can I do to help with dinner?"

Together, they prepared the cheesy garlic bread then Bucky took the lasagna out of the oven, impressing her with handling the dish with his vibranium hand, although he wore an oven mitt on the other.  With the bread browning in the oven and the salad made, she opened the bottle of wine to let it breathe.  Timmy and Anna were called to wash up and set the table.  Bucky smiled as she let them figure it out.  As long as everyone had a big plate for lasagna, small plate for bread, a knife, and a fork she didn't care how the table looked.  They were offered juice, water, or milk to drink, and Jay let Timmy do the honours.  The timer for the bread went off and Bucky pulled the tray out, placing the pieces of bread on another plate so everyone could help themselves.  Just before Jay sat down, she poured the wine for herself and Bucky. 

Just like in the grocery store both Anna and Timmy had lots of questions about various things.  Sometimes Bucky answered, sometimes Jay did.  There was a question that startled both of them. 

"Grandpa, do you like each other?" asked Anna, looking between the two.  "Is this a date?"

Bucky's cheeks felt warm at his granddaughter's direct question.  He had always encouraged her to speak her mind but this was something that could have been asked at home. 

"Well, I only just met Jay," he finally answered.  "I think we're becoming friends.  If we went on a date, I don't think you or Timmy would be with us."

"Why?" Timmy's question was spoken with a full mouth that earned him a look from his mother.  He chewed and swallowed.  "Why can't Anna and I go on a date with you?"

"We would talk about grown up things that would be boring to you," stated Jay, trying to help Bucky out. 

"They would kiss, too," said Anna.  "Like Mom and Joaquin."

"Probably," agreed Bucky, sneaking a look at Jay to see her reaction; she didn't seem against the idea.  "Would that bother you?"

"No, I like you, Mr. Barnes.  You're nice.  If you go out on a date, would you have a sleepover after?"

Jay snorted, and started to cough, bringing her napkin up to her lips.  "Timmy, I think that's enough questions about that subject.  Can we please talk about something else?"

He asked Anna if she watched Paw Patrol, and they compared their favourite pups.  Bucky kept eating then looked at Jay, whose face still seemed to show the effects of the question Timmy asked.  Slowly, she raised her eyes to his and he smiled, then nodded his head.  The rest of the meal passed uneventfully.  The kids relocated to Timmy's room while Bucky helped take the dishes to the kitchen.  As he rinsed the dishes, then stacked them in the dishwasher, Jay put the leftovers away before she stopped and leaned against the counters.

"Would you go on a date with me?"

"Are you asking?"  He stood tall, facing her. 

"Maybe, yes." 

"I would.  Would we kiss?"  It became very still as he waited for her answer.

"Yes, I want to."  She looked up at him then, at his lips first, then his eyes.  "Would you want to sleep over?"

Gently, he raised his right hand to her cheek and brushed against it with the back of his fingers.  Her eyes closed briefly as he touched her.

"Absolutely, if you want."

They were interrupted by Timmy asking if they could have ice cream on the balcony.  Spooning out two bowls of ice cream, plus some chocolate sauce and sprinkles she sent them out first, then began preparing two bowls for them.  Bucky took the bowls from her hands and put them on the counter, then looked to where the children were, still on the balcony, laughing at something.  Cradling Jay's head in his right hand, he wrapped his left arm around her and brought her in close, his eyes on her.  She didn't resist but she looked a little nervous, so he kissed the side of her cheek, then whispered in her ear.

"I want to see you as much as I can, kiss you every time I see you and when you're ready, stay for a sleepover.  I'm loyal, honest, and I think we could have something worth exploring.  May I kiss you?"  She nodded.  "Words, darlin.' I need to hear it from your lips."

"Please kiss me.  I want you to kiss me."

It was every bit as good a kiss as either of them were expecting.  She thought his lips were incredibly soft and the movements of his tongue hinted at so much more that it could do.  Bucky could still taste the fruity notes of the wine on her tongue and was very aware of the scent of her perfume that permeated his senses.  Even the way she molded her body to his during the kiss was arousing to him and he knew he would have to break it off before it went too far.  When he did pull away, his hand on her neck was the last thing to leave, then he watched her reactions to what they just did.

"Shit," she whispered, touching her lips.  "I don't think I've ever been kissed like that."

"Get used to it," he said smugly, picking his bowl up.  He glanced back at the balcony to see if the children noticed.  "I hope you have somewhere to leave Timmy all night when I do sleep over."

"I do," she said, her eyes unfocused a little, then she looked up.  "My mom's.  What about you?"

He shrugged.  "It will have to wait until Katrina and Joaquin get back.  Just over a week."

"Okay."  She picked up her bowl of ice cream but stopped and looked at him.  "Was that kiss part of the enjoyable dance you mentioned?"

He thought for a moment, then grinned, more at himself than at her.  "Yeah, I guess it was.  Thought I was out of practice."

Jay didn't say anything, but she did look thoughtful.  She sat out on the balcony with her son and Anna, then Bucky joined them.  They stayed out there until it was dark, laughing and telling stories.  There wasn't another kiss when he said goodnight, but a look passed between them that said plenty.  For the next week, they met at the playground once, then Jay started her new job, so Bucky invited her and Timmy for dinner at his house.  They managed a couple of kisses when they could then planned their official date for two days after Katrina and Joaquin returned. 

Bucky and Anna picked them up at the airport, with the latter holding a bouquet of flowers for her mom.  They both picked her up, kissing her enthusiastically, then Katrina kissed her dad, while Joaquin shook hands with him.  As they waited for the luggage Katrina studied her dad. 

"So, Jay said you've had several play dates with the kids, you've had dinner at her place, and she's had dinner at yours.  Does that mean you're dating?"

"First date is in two days," he said, trying to sound neutral.  "She's a nice lady.  Did she tell you about her new job?"

"She did," smiled Katrina.  "She also said you helped her get it."

"Her qualifications got her the job.  I just phoned Pepper to let her know about Jay."  The first suitcase appeared, and Joaquin snagged it, dropping it on the luggage cart.  Katrina stared at her dad with a knowing look on her face, which he noticed.  "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," she answered.  "But you do like her?"

He faced her directly.  "Did you set us up?"

Joaquin raised his eyebrows at her.  "You should tell him the truth, Kat."

Bucky glared at his son-in-law who took Anna with him to grab the next suitcase.  Bucky took Katrina by the arm and pulled her away from the crowd.

"Speak," he ordered.

"No, I did not set you up exactly, but when she moved into the neighbourhood, and I met her at the school she asked where the best grocery store was.  I told her.  She didn't know who I was, who my dad was or anything until Timmy mentioned that Anna's grandpa was an Avenger.  That's when she asked me, and I told her our story.  She told me her story, then she lost her job and was feeling down about things.  I just thought that given you're both older, and have been through a lot, that you could enjoy each other's company and comfort each other.  Was that wrong?"

For several long moments Bucky studied Katrina's face, then he placed his hand on her cheek before drawing her in for a hug.

"No, it wasn't wrong," he whispered.  "I do like her.  But no more setups, okay?  I want to see if this becomes something more."  Joaquin waved at him to show he had all the luggage.  "Let's go home."

With Anna perched on top of the luggage the three of them headed out towards the parking garage.  It was almost an hour before Bucky pulled up in front of the brownstone and helped carry the luggage in.  He let Joaquin and Katrina tend to Anna, as she sat on the bed "helping" them unpack.  Bucky did get Joaquin a beer when he came down while Anna had a bath.  They sat outside on the deck taking in the evening air.

"How was Paris?" he asked.

"I'd only ever been there for work before," said Joaquin.  "It was different being there with Katrina.  So much to see and do.  Were you ever there?"

"Several times with HYDRA," replied Bucky.  "After I got away, I was there a few days, but I was on the run, so I didn't exactly sight see."

"Anything pressing, mission wise?"

"No, at least I didn't get any alerts."  Bucky took a drink, then exhaled.  "When are you two moving to the compound?"

Joaquin looked at him, sighed and drank some beer.  "We were going to wait for Katrina to finish her degree, but Fury wants me closer as soon as possible.  He asked just before the wedding.  She's looking for a college in the area she can transfer to or see if she can do it online.  I wish we could stay, since I feel like you only just got started being a family and now it's like I'm taking them away from you."

"Thank you for being honest with me," replied Bucky.  "You're not taking them away from me.  You are married and I knew someday you would leave.  Are you going to adopt Anna?"

Joaquin nodded.  "I want to, with your blessing.  I love them both, Sarge."

"I know.  I've known since you sat with us in the cafeteria during Katrina's recovery.  You couldn't take your eyes off of her."  He looked at the younger man and offered him his hand, shaking it.  "You take care of both my girls or I'll kick your ass."

"Fair enough," smiled Joaquin.  Then he looked at his father-in-law with eyes that became glassy.  "She doesn't want you to be alone.  None of us do.  How you rose to the occasion when you found Katrina and Anna opened a lot of eyes to the type of man you are.  You deserve happiness, Buck.  You really do."

Bucky smiled wanly back.  It was a nice sentiment, but it didn't really soothe the hole that had just opened in his heart.  He was still going to miss his daughter and granddaughter, more than he ever thought possible.  The following morning, as he made breakfast for everyone, Katrina came down to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her father, squeezing hard. 

"Joaquin said he told you," she whispered.  "I wasn't trying to keep it a secret."

"I know," he replied, patting her on the hand.  "It's just sooner than I was expecting.  When do you think you'll be moving?"

She released him and stood at his side.  "Before school starts for Anna.  You could always sell the house and move back to the compound."

He shook his head and looked around him.  "No, I like it here.  I like being in Brooklyn, and having my own place.  You and Joaquin need your own space to get your married life started.  I'll be alright.  At least you got me dating."  He looked down at Katrina.  "I'm not desperate.  Jay really is something special and I want to make an effort with her.  In fact, we have a date tomorrow and I plan to stay over."

Katrina stepped back with a surprised look on her face.  "Really?  That's quick, isn't it?  You've only known her a couple of weeks."

"Sweetheart, back in the day, I needed only hours." 

He grinned at her as she reacted with shock. 

"Dad, I really didn't need to hear that.  What about that 1940s morality I hear so much about?"

Shrugging as he continued preparing breakfast, he didn't answer except with a smile.  People would be surprised at how much sleeping around there really was in those times but especially with the war it wasn't unusual.  Life was short and most people didn't waste time with long courtships or engagements.  Just because he didn't settle down with anyone then didn't mean he hadn't been looking.  He just never found the right person and then it didn't matter after he fell.  After he got his life back, he still wasn't ready, as he dealt with the repercussions of years of abuse. 

Then a chance encounter suddenly changed everything for him.  In the two years that he, Katrina and Anna had been a family they had all grown, becoming who they were meant to be.  His eyes started to water as he thought about Katrina, forced into a marriage at 16 with an abusive man who treated her as little more than a slave.  Somehow, she grew past that to go to college, and fall in love with an incredibly good man who married her and was going to adopt Anna.   That little girl went from a silent witness of her mother's abuse to someone who loved everyone and everything, full of curiosity and wonder. 

As for him, he had probably changed the most out of all three of them.  The anger towards HYDRA, towards life, and even towards Steve for leaving, was gone.  In its place was the calm that he felt briefly in Wakanda before Thanos came to fuck everything up.  He rarely had nightmares either. Before the Flag Smashers he had been alone by choice, and painfully lonely, as he pushed away almost everyone who tried to connect with him, especially Sam.  It had been no way to live but he also thought he didn't deserve to live any better.  Not until Katrina and Anna came into his life.

She was setting the table, and was joined by Joaquin, with a hug and a kiss, then Anna who got up on a chair to hug her mother.  They already had the rhythm of their family going, as he got milk out for Anna, pouring it in her glass, while Katrina poured them each a coffee.  Putting everything on the plates for them to serve themselves Bucky nodded at the coffee pot that his daughter was holding over his cup.  Carefully, he brought the plates of food over and placed them on the table.  Then he sat down with them and felt the love as the morning sun lit up the kitchen, one of the things he loved about this brownstone in Brooklyn and didn't want to give up.  He would miss moments like these with these three, but it was time to begin the next part of his life.  Now he was ready to settle down with the right person and build his own life, the way it should have been all those years ago.

The End (probably but who knows?)

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Idk if it's just me but I LOVE the idea of the riddlers with a pet dog(most likely a small breed)that is there best friend and major weakness (I like to think there dynamics would be similar to Holt and cheddar from Brooklyn 99)but what do you think? How would the riddlers be with a pet dog?

"Riddlers with Dogs" Riddler Party Ask

Okay so I only ever saw like one or two episodes of B99 so I had to look up a Cheddar compilation. But I was chanting "dog" over and over again for this ask. Very excited. How they are with a pet dog plus the breed/mix.

Tw: animal abuse/neglect

Gotham

English bulldog mix. He gained a fondness for them after meeting Edward (Oswalds dog) a while back. Once he's further along in his career and he knows he can manage the care given his sometimes erratic schedule, he goes to Gotham animal shelter and finds a stunning lad to take home. And, in honor of his sometimes companion (sometimes lover), he names the dog Oswald.

Oswald hates this. He rolls his eyes once he finds out.

Oswald (the dog) gets a stunning green leather collar with a golden question mark tag along with his actual name and rabies tags. The inside is very soft for Edward's special little boy.

This dog is so fucking spoiled. Edward cooks it special meals to reduce gas problems associated with the breed and keep his weight in control. There's fancy fresh food in the fridge for when he doesn't have the time to cook and meal prep. Special wipes for his skin folds. Oatmeal and milk baths for Oswald's skin.

He gets the dog a special fucking pillow when he hears Oswald (the dog) snoring when he sleeps. His vaccine and medical records are meticulously kept. Yes he sleeps in the bed with Edward, usually curled into the small of Edward's back once he turns on his side. His need for a particular schedule is so nice with a dog because despite how lazy Oswald (the dog) is, he follows Edward religiously.

60s

Older corgi mix. Goofy looking, huge fluffy butt, and has ripped Batman's cape before. Straight up dug his teeth in and acted as though he was at least twice his size. This clever and handsome chap comes to be known as Pascal. He just sort of showed up one day in the middle of Riddler's heist.

Pascal is a speedy little old man, sometimes being used as a very short legged scout for Edward's schemes. Sometimes Edward wonders where his fluffy companion came from with his specks of grey fur and wizened eyes. One time on a very peculiar little adventure outside of Gotham in a rural part of the U.S., Pascal leaves the safe comforts of their vehicle to herd sheep out of the road. Then he hops back up and looks to Edward as if to say "I fixed it for you."

He's likely to have the most reminiscent relationship to the B99 dynamic where, if another villain tried to use Pascal as a bargaining tool, Edward would inevitably turn to Batman to save his little buddy! He can't just risk Pascal getting hurt! and he needs his arthritis medication soon or his joints will ache- His JOINTS, Batman!

As sad as it is to think of a beloved pet passing on, Pascal gets to live his last years loved and pampered. Warm. No pain and definitely never bored. There's a lot of wild adventures this old man gets to have. When he goes of old age, most of the rogues gallery and even Batman and Robin themselves attend the service.

Zero Year

Oh. He got a doberman. Intelligent. Sleek. Intimidating looking. He even named her Minerva. He was expecting a guard dog that stood wise as an extension of himself.

What he actually got: Neurotic. Separation anxiety. Practically jumps into his arms when it rains because she can't stand getting her feetsies wet. He does realize the irony of this given he'd flooded the city at one point. He opts to buy her little rain booties.

He chose not to have her docked or clipped- In truth, he was planning on the appointment when she was a puppy but last minute changed his mind because he thought of her cute floppy ears and curled tail being gone. If you ask, he'll say it's because he realized it was illogical since she's not a show dog and it has no known health benefits. It's bullshit.

She has emeralds in her collar. Highly trained in the sense that she never makes a mess in the house and drops anything she's not supposed to chew on. That and, despite her real nature, she can put on a show with her teeth on command to scare any idiots off.

What they don't see is her wagging, thumping tail when he info-dumps to her. Or practices lines. One of the few creatures on the Earth that truly doesn't care what a narcissist he is. His beautiful Minerva.

BTAS

Some kind of chihuahua-terrier mix. She shivers a lot. Edward takes the dog in from the shelter shortly after one of his stints in Arkham. Trying on taking a new leaf. Again. Maybe an animal dependent on him will keep him on his toes. She has a partly white fur pattern that reminds him of a lab coat. He names her Curie.

Given her namesake, Edward has taught her several commands in French if for no other reason then he thinks it's cute. There's something about saying, "Curie, allons y-" And hearing the pitter patter of her claws on the tile and wood floors.

He is that guy who buys his dogs clothes. In fairness, it's because she actually gets cold in the Gotham winters. Logically, that means she needs cute sweaters and coats! And little shoes for when it snows. Honestly, she's going to be absolutely darling and the envy of all the neighbors.

He loves cuddling in his lap when he's working on stuff. It's funny, she's almost like a house cat when she does that.

Will commit unspeakable acts if someone tried to cause harm to Curie.

Arkham

You ever see one of those snaggle-tooth little dogs missing a damn eye and you have no idea how old it is? The scruffiest little mutt you've ever seen. Breed is indistinguishable but it's on the smaller end. Wiry coat, looks like something just pulled from the dryer.

This little creature stumbles upon him shaking and soaking wet from a storm during the events of Arkham City. He almost feels pity for it, barely able to see due to the matting over it's face. He wonders briefly if it was a runaway or a dump. He pulls a small bit of jerky he still has in his pocket from earlier and gives it to the pup.

What he doesn't expect is for it to follow him. Even as he tries to shoo it away. No more food, you mangy mutt! Yet it continues to follow. Edward shuts the door to his hideout on it. He can see it on cameras waiting out there for him to come back.

With a frustrated sigh, he eventually opens the door and allows the creature in. Gives it a choppy but functional haircut to get rid of any matting. Feeds it whatever food he can find that won't make the dog sick. Eventually he finds out the dog is a male, maybe a year old.

He dubs the puppy Asimov after writer and biochemistry professor Isaac Asimov. He acts as though he doesn't care for the dog much, but every once in a while he praises Asimov for the little tricks he's learned and the cleverness he exhibits. He'd probably stomp someone to the ground if they tried to take this dog from him.

Telltale

Basset Hound. He got ownership of this dog by complete accident. Basically he was on his revenge mission, taking down someone involved in keeping him trapped by SANCTUS- He didn't realize the person had a dog. So now he was in a room with a corpse who failed his riddle and there was a very curious dog that wanted to bark and howl the moment he left the room.

So he took the dog. For everything that Eddie stands for, this dog is the opposite. He's dopey, noisy, and messy. A bumbling creature that lays down to roll over when Eddie asks it to sit. And yet... The moment he can't find something, the dog manages to show up less than two minutes later with it on the ground in front of him, nudging it with his nose.

The dog is named Columbo. Yes, after the tv show detective. He thinks it's funny given the dogs propensity for finding "evidence" where no one else can. Plus, Columbo on the show had a basset hound. It fits. No, Eddie is not a nerd, how dare you.

The dog has a special dog bed on the floor at the foot of Riddler's bed. He's very strict on places the dog can be and where it can sit and lay. He's a strong believer that dogs shouldn't just hang out on furniture. This is struck out when there are thunderstorms because Columbo will howl and cry until he's allowed to bury into the bed under the covers with his dad.

For every complaint he might have about the dog, Eddie absolutely shows him off and brags. They start to resemble each other in their wrinkles.

2022/Nashton

Pitbull mix. She was chained up, cropped ears and way too thin. He'd found her while doing recon on some low level mook for one of Gotham's drug lords. He looked into those big sad eyes, and he managed to sneak her home. He names her Ada Lovelace or just Ada after the first computer programmer.

It was actually difficult at first because she was fear aggressive and very shy. Lots of snapping at him and trying to hide. He understood that feeling. With a lot of patience and him teaching her that he's not a threat, this pittie would become a wiggly lovebug that tackles him at night once he comes home from riddler nonsense. Full slobber on his glasses.

Ada helps with his depression because unlike the rats (unfortunately) she can cuddle with him at night and ooze devotion and love at her master. There's something so healing about the unwavering loyalty and warmth a dog can offer. Plus he can tell her anything and she still just rolls on top of him wanting belly rubs.

He would kill someone for this dog. If anyone hurt her, he would probably torture them on stream and make it A Thing that they were a dog abuser before rocking their shit. Then full body hugs his baby while she wiggles in his arms.

[swan-of-sunrise]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Part IV)

Summary: (Y/N)'s retirement from superhero life proves to be short-lived when Sam calls in for backup as the Flag Smashers disrupt a critical meeting of the Global Repatriation Council in Manhattan.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 8k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a frank discussion of racism/bigotry

A/N: And now, to the chapter we’ve all been waiting for! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Part IV) May 2024 New York City, New York (Previous Chapter)

“You know, your car’s a little…cramped.”

Instead of getting annoyed, (Y/N) chuckled at Bucky’s observation as she parked the yellow Volkswagen Bug in the first available spot she could find and stepped out onto the bustling Manhattan street. “And you and Sam are more alike than either of you would ever dare admit; that man’s had it out for my poor, innocent car since the day we first met and I just know that a part of him was happy to see it under a pile of rubble after the Battle of Earth.”

“He did seem pretty annoyed when Rocket and Nebula refurbished it for you,” Bucky relented, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her down the street while she was preoccupied with adjusting her Widow Bite bracelets. “That Torres kid better be right about the Flag Smashers crashing the GRC’s vote, ‘cause I really didn’t wanna spend my evening in Lower Manhattan.”

(Y/N) hummed in agreement but remained silent, trying not to think too hard about the gala she was currently missing to act as Sam’s back-up. Earlier that evening and just over a week after their departure from Delacroix, she and Bucky were contacted by Sam and informed that there was a high probability that Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers were planning an attack at the Global Repatriation Council’s vote on the controversial Patch Act; the act would force upwards of twenty million refugees back home to their countries of origin, putting further strain on the resettlement camps and on international politics as a whole and ensuring that thousands of the refugees would die over the course of the move. Bucky was spending a quiet night at home in his Brooklyn apartment but (Y/N), who’d driven down from Maine that morning to attend the first annual Romanoff Foundation’s fundraising gala, was at her old house in Brooklyn and in the middle of getting ready when Sam called to ask for her help. She agreed but as she went to retrieve the black tactical uniform and weapons she’d hidden away before moving to Maine, a sudden surge of guilt saw her FaceTiming Steve to tell him about the current situation in Lower Manhattan.

“It sounds like Sam could really use the back-up,” Steve remarked and when (Y/N) wordlessly nodded, his azure eyes filled with understanding. “(Y/N), is this fight something you believe in?”

She sighed and nodded again. “Yes. Yes, it really is, Steve.”

“Then you should suit up and get going before the party starts without you.” He smiled at the surprise written across her face. “You never stopped me from joining a fight that I believed in, and I’m sure as hell not gonna stop you from doing the same. Cari and I will be safe here at home watching the action on WHiH, and Sam will be safer with you fighting by his side.”

“Have I ever told you how utterly sexy you are when you use that reasonable tone?”

Steve chuckled. “No, but I look forward to hearing more about it in the future. Go get ‘em, sunshine, and come home safe.”

With a smile of her own, (Y/N) winked and gave him a small teasing salute. “Yes, sir.”

In a handful of minutes, (Y/N) and Bucky were approaching the towering GRC New York Headquarters, the both of them taking note of the numerous NYPD vehicles flashing their blue and red lights and the dozens of armed military personnel barring various news crews from accessing the building’s main plaza. She noticed several reporters talking amongst themselves and pointing their cameras at them as they walked past, but she kept her focus on the situation at hand; she knew that the Flag Smashers wore masks with red hand-prints stamped onto them, but she also knew that the members were practically unidentifiable without them.

“I’m almost there.”

Bucky held a hand up to his comm link. “What’s the plan?”

“Karli’s gotta be close,” Sam replied over the sound of the wind as he flew faster. “Keep your eyes open.”

“Sergeant Barnes,” One of the soldiers nodded and stepped aside to let them pass through their barricade. “Ms. (Y/L/N).”

(Y/N) squared her shoulders and continued scanning their surroundings as she walked beside Bucky. “I take it that Karli won’t be scared off by all these cops and soldiers barricading the building, will she?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean she’s not too far gone to be peacefully stopped. Speaking of cops and soldiers, I called in some back-up.”

“Excuse me. Are you two supposed to be here?” (Y/N) and Bucky both turned around to face the man who’d called out to them but as they watched, he pressed down on the hidden device panel near his temple and pulled off the nano mask and grey beanie to reveal the recognizable face of Sharon Carter. “It’s me.”

(Y/N)’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sharon, what the hell are you doing here? Sam and Bucky told me that you’re still wanted by the government-”

“Relax, no one’s looking for me here.” Sharon led them over to a nearby planter box and gave (Y/N) a humorless smile. “Honestly, I’m surprised that you even care; all those years spent petitioning the government to revoke the Accords, and yet not a single word about pardoning the woman who sacrificed everything for her boy-toy and his two lackeys.”

A sudden surge of guilt forced (Y/N) to cross her arms over her chest and look away in discomfort; in the year following the signing of the Sokovia Accords, she’d lobbied senators and representatives to try and revoke them so that her fugitive boyfriend and friends could return home, but when she learned that she was pregnant, she was forced to put her lobbying on hold. And in the turbulent years since, she was ashamed to admit that she’d forgotten about Sharon and the sacrifice she’d made to aid Steve and their friends in their time of need. But as she looked into the other woman’s hardened gaze, a small part of her felt as though she was looking at a darker, more ruthless version of the agent who’d once offered her a cup of hot chocolate and a shoulder to cry on.

“Do I hear Sharon?”

“Unfortunately,” Bucky grumbled, glaring daggers at the former agent and inching closer to (Y/N)’s side.

Sharon was unfazed by the super-soldier’s defensiveness as she adjusted the comm link in her ear. “Hey, Sam. I thought I’d get the band back together.”

“Thank you. You’re risking a lot coming here.”

“I hear pardons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be anyway.”

Bucky shrugged. “Depends on the therapist.”

“They’re gonna move on the building soon. Be ready.”

A shadowy figure flew through the sky above and quickly disappeared from view, making (Y/N) smile to herself before looking back down at Bucky and Sharon. “C’mon, we should move in and away from the barricades.”

Bucky nodded and started forward while Sharon slowly fell into step with her. “I, um…I’m sorry for your loss.” The former agent gestured towards the red hourglass-shaped buckle fastened to the belt of her uniform. “Romanoff didn’t deserve what happened to her and as much as I hate to say it, neither did Rogers.”

(Y/N), not wanting to give away that Steve was alive and well in Maine and most likely rocking his daughter to sleep at that very moment, kept her expression neutral as she silently nodded once to acknowledge her condolences. “Guys, what’s going on on your end?”

“Nothing, all quiet,” Bucky replied while he continued scanning their surrounding for any sign of Karli or the Flag Smashers.

Sharon’s hand twitched towards the gun holstered at her waist. “No one’s moving toward the building.”

“Karli’s not coming in. She’s trying to force everybody out.”

Realization dawned on (Y/N) as she watched the officers and soldiers scrambling to clear the building’s exits. “Oh, shit. They staged a threat to capture all the GRC’s members during their evacuation without drawing suspicion.”

“You guys are gonna have to do something,” Sam called out through the comms, slightly out of breath as the recognizable sound of fighting continued in the background; (Y/N) and Sharon followed Bucky into the lobby of the building as her best friend ordered, “Don’t let ‘em out of the building!”

Ignoring the blinking red security lights and the frantic people rushing to exit the building, Bucky marched through the security checkpoint’s metal detector while (Y/N) slipped around it, the both of them whirling around when the device blared as Sharon stepped through. “Oops.”

“Here’s one of them.” Bucky pointed across the lobby at a muscular man dressed in a security guard’s uniform. “(Y/N) and I will get the evac.”

Sharon followed the lone Flag Smasher while (Y/N) and Bucky hurried through the building’s lobby in search of the evacuating GRC members; (Y/N) was more on-edge than the super-soldier walking beside her, distrustful of anyone who passed them by and wary of whatever Karli was planning. Her instincts took over when a woman addressed them both as they turned down another hallway and offered him a cell phone, flicking her wrists to activate her Widow Bites and keeping a suspicious eye on the woman while Bucky took the phone and switched on the speaker function.

“Karli?”

“Aren’t you tired of fighting for the wrong side, Mr. Barnes?”

Bucky scoffed and shot (Y/N) a look as they made their way down the nearest flight of stairs. “I’ve done this before, kid. I know how it ends.”

“And what about you, Ms. (Y/L/N)? This fight that you insist on fighting has done nothing but destroy any chance you had at a normal life. Are you willing to give it all up for the people who are destroying the world you’ve sacrificed so much to try and save?”

“Karli, I know that you and I don’t know one another but believe me, you and I want the same thing. The Patch Act is dangerous and far from the only option for the refugees,” (Y/N) replied while Bucky kept an eye out for the evacuating GRC members and Flag Smashers. “But these methods of yours…they’re wrong and you know it. The people you’re going up against won’t hesitate to stamp out you and your entire movement and when they do, everything you’ve fought for will die with you.”

She could hear the young woman suck in an agitated breath. “It doesn’t matter if I don’t survive this. I’m fighting for something bigger than myself. With all the bodies you’ve collected, Mr. Barnes, have you been able to say the same?”

The super-soldier’s jaw clenched at that. “You don’t think I ever fought for something bigger than myself? That’s all I ever tried to do, and I failed twice. You think your cause justifies all this death, but in the end, the nightmares won’t go away. You’re gonna remember all the ones you killed…trust me.”

“Please don’t do this, Karli. Don’t go down this path,” (Y/N) implored with an almost desperate edge in her voice; she wasn’t sure if it was because of the way Sam had described the misguided young woman to her or how childlike she sounded as she unabashedly spoke of her impending demise, but she couldn’t deny the maternal panic she felt for Karli and the inevitable consequences she’d face for her actions.

“If that’s how you feel, you both should sit this one out.”

“Well, you know we ain’t gonna do that.”

Karli let out a humorless chuckle. “Well, thank you. I’m glad you took my call. You’ve been a big help.”

Realization dawned on (Y/N) and she looked over at Bucky in dread. “The evac. She’s already taking them hostage.”

“Dammit!” Bucky shoved the cell phone into his pocket and they both sprinted down the nearest stairwell that led directly into the underground parking lot; it was practically deserted and dimly lit by emergency lights, but there was just enough light to see two motorcycles parked nearby. (Y/N) hurried over to them and while she quickly slipped a black helmet on, Bucky located both bikes’ keys. “You know how to ride one of these?”

“Yep,” (Y/N) replied with a small grin, popping the ‘p’ at the end of the word as she swung her leg over the motorcycle and straddled it. “Steve taught me a while back. I thought he was teaching me because it was a useful skill to have, but it turns out that your best friend’s got quite the thing for women on motorcycles.”

The super-soldier wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Yeah, that’s something I could’ve gone the rest of my life not knowin’ about that punk…”

“Seriously, guys, you had one job!” Sharon’s outraged voice suddenly came through their comm links.

“You worry about your guy!”

After exchanging a look, they fired up their engines and with a squeal of rubber on the concrete floor, they rode out of the underground parking garage. They came out onto an alleyway in the middle of being blocked off by soldiers, but they raced between the barriers and sped down the street after the hijacked evacuation trucks. The deafening roar of the engine and the feeling of the wind on (Y/N)’s face reminded her of a simpler time, when her super-soldier boyfriend spent his free days teaching her how to ride a motorcycle on the lonely road near their favorite picnic spot by the Avengers Facility, and the happy memories gave her something to focus on as they chased down the armored trucks in imminent danger of being hijacked by the Flag Smashers. There’s no way in hell Steve could’ve predicted I’d be using that experience for something like this, she thought as they took a sharp turn and narrowly avoided another poorly-constructed blockade.

“Well, that’s one down.”

“How’d you manage that?” Sam asked, winded but still amazed by Sharon’s progress.

“Mercury vapor, amongst other things. You better speed things up, Sam; the chopper’s about to take off.”

“Bucky!”

(Y/N) and Bucky skidded to a stop at an intersection and watched the armored trucks carrying the evacuated GRC members rumble down the road ahead. “I don’t fly, man, that’s your thing!”

“Ditto, Birdbrain.” (Y/N)’s fingers tightened around the throttle as she revved the engine and assessed their options. “I’m thinking that I’ll trail the trucks while you circle around and cut them off before the Flag Smashers can hijack them. What do you think?”

“I think we’re lucky we’ve got a bad-ass historical-fiction novelist on our side,” Bucky replied, flashing her a brief grin before peeling away and racing down the street to their right.

You’re a bad-ass, (Y/N) silently recited as she released the clutch and accelerated down the street after the armored trucks, a bad-ass who got her handful of motorcycle skills from her horny super-soldier boyfriend almost nine years ago, but a bad-ass all the same. Nothing appeared amiss with the trucks driving ahead of her until they reached an intersection that bordered a sunken construction site; they came to a sudden stop as several Flag Smashers dragged cement barriers into the street and (Y/N) swore under her breath when they wrenched the officers out of the driver’s seats, leaning over the handlebars and accelerating as they started climbing into the trucks.

The roar of another engine filled the air as up ahead, Bucky’s motorcycle skidded onto the street and raced towards the cement barriers; with a quick prayer to whichever deity in the universe covered dangerous motorcycle maneuvers, (Y/N) pressed down on the rear brake lever while turning the handlebars at a ninety-degree angle, slamming the back of the motorcycle into the nearest Flag Smasher and knocking them to the ground just as Bucky launched himself over the cement barriers and tackled a Flag Smasher. While the two super-soldiers fought, (Y/N) fired a Widow Bite at the Flag Smasher she’d slammed into and hurried over to help the dazed and injured officers to their feet. A fiery explosion illuminated the street and its intensity nearly knocked her to her feet, but the chorus of terrified screams helped to keep her focus; one of the armored trucks had caught fire and a metallic contraption trapped the frightened members of the GRC inside with no escape from the intense blaze.

(Y/N) ran to the doors and tried to wrench the back doors open as the hostages banged on the bulletproof glass, but they wouldn’t budge. “Bucky!”

The super-soldier rushed over and took over pulling on the doors’ handles. “Hold on!” He gritted his teeth and the doors groaned under the strain of his super-strength.

“Let’s go, get moving!”

Seeing the Flag Smashers hurrying towards the second armored truck, (Y/N) started forward to keep them from taking the GRC members hostage but came to a sudden halt when a familiar voice called out, “Morgenthau!”

She looked down the street to see John Walker, dressed in his government-issued Captain America uniform and carrying a poorly-constructed replica of the vibranium shield, striding towards the group of Flag Smashers with an enraged expression on his partially-covered face. “Oh, son of a bitch…” (Y/N) sighed and brought a hand up to her comm link. “Sam, your buddy Walker is here and I don’t think he’s looking for a peaceful resolution.”

“Dammit. Whatever you do, (Y/N), don’t try to engage him; there’s no telling what he might do. I’m a little busy with the air evac, but I’ll be there ASAP!”

(Y/N) bit her lip in nervous anticipation as the unstable super-soldier stopped and fixed Karli with a deadly stare. “Let’s finish this.”

“I didn’t mean to kill your friend,” The teenager tried to reason with Walker. “I don’t wanna hurt people that don’t matter.”

Walker scoffed. “You don’t think Lemar’s life mattered?”

“Not to my fight. I just want the people on that truck.”

With a strangled yell, Walker threw his shield at Karli, who simply kicked it away in midair and slipped her Flag Smasher mask on before joining her companions in their attack against the former Captain America. (Y/N) looked over at Bucky, who was using his vibranium arm to slowly but surely break the device locking the truck’s doors, and she saw that the second truck was virtually defenseless, as the group of Flag Smashers were distracted by John Walker’s unexpected appearance. Just as she started jogging towards the second truck, a pained grunt stopped her dead in her tracks and she glanced over her shoulder to see four masked Flag Smashers kicking and stomping on Walker, who’s only form of defense was his flimsy replica of the shield he’d once carried. Indecision kept her rooted where she stood, torn between helping the captive GRC members escape the armored truck and saving Walker, a traumatized soldier who made some terrible mistakes while suffering under the effects of the super-soldier serum but who also nearly killed Sam and Bucky in cold blood.

“Screw it,” (Y/N) mumbled to herself before turning and sprinting towards the group. She took the nearest Flag Smasher by surprise by slamming her knee into his torso and utilizing his hunched stance to spring-board off his thigh and swing her legs up around his neck; flexing her wrists, she fired Widow Bites from both bracelets directly against his neck and as his unconscious body toppled back, she somersaulted off of him and rolled to her feet just in time to dodge the clenched fist flying towards her face. She aimed a kick at her new attacker’s sternum but she was quicker, grabbing her ankle and flinging her across the street, where she slammed into the chain-link fence blocking off the sunken construction site and landed harshly on the ground; with a groan of pain, she clambered to her feet and fired a Widow Bite at the Flag Smasher who’d thrown her, taking advantage of the woman’s distraction to sweep her legs out from underneath her with one of her own and kneed her masked face as she toppled over onto the street.

Blowing a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes, (Y/N) turned to see Bucky body-slam a Flag Smasher attempting to slam a parking meter down onto Walker and when he jumped to his feet, Bucky punched him with his vibranium arm and sent him flying backwards into the chain-link fence. While the two super-soldiers exchanged blows, a masked Karli kicked the parking meter up into her grasp and swung it at Bucky’s exposed back. “Bucky, look out!” He quickly ducked the blow and blocked a second with his vibranium arm before reaching for a loose section of steel chain draped over a cement barrier and striking Karli across the face with it, but the first Flag Smasher kicked him hard in the chest and sent him toppling over the edge of the sunken construction site. “Bucky!” The Flag Smasher grabbed a section of girder and jumped down after him, and (Y/N) breathed a sigh of relief when she made out the faint sounds of their scuffle. Seeing Walker and Karli engaged in a vicious fight and the second armored truck left defenseless, she hurried over and attempted to pry the lock off the doors, but it refused to budge.

“Hold on!” She yelled to the panicked GRC members inside and frantically scanned her surroundings for a tool or device that could help her break the lock; spotting a metal crowbar lying on the sidewalk near a mailbox, she started towards it but an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and prevented her from moving. She elbowed her attacker in the face with all her strength and reached back to grab him around his neck, throwing her weight forward and using the momentum to flip him over her shoulder. As he lay sprawled on the ground, she grabbed the crowbar and struck him across the head, stepping over his unconscious form and making her way back to the truck.

Before (Y/N) reached the locked doors, something solid connected with the side of her face and the force of the blow knocked her to the ground. Rolling herself over onto her side, (Y/N) hissed in pain as her fingers gently prodded the skin around her right eye and when she pulled her hand back, she could see the fresh blood on her fingertips. She blinked hard to clear her blurred vision and watched Karli shove the cement barrier out of the way of the truck and climb into the driver’s seat; the teenager drove the truck straight towards the sunken construction site and at the last moment, she leapt from the moving vehicle. The armored truck crashed through the chain-link fence and landed on top of the steel framework, its front half hanging precariously over the five-story-deep pit.

(Y/N)’s heart leapt into her throat and after scooping up her crowbar, she ran as fast as she could after the hijacked truck, skidding to a stop at the edge of the pit and looking out at the vehicle as it inched further over the girder; her eyes flicked down and she swallowed hard when she realized just how high up they were, her old fear of heights momentarily flaring up at the daunting sight. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Walker limp out onto the street and look between the precariously-balanced truck and Karli, a conflicted and almost lost expression etched across his pale face as he considered what to do. “Walker! Walker, they need your help!” The former captain squeezed his eyes shut and gave his head a hard shake, but it was clear that he was freezing up under the mounting pressure of the situation. The terrified screams of the GRC members still trapped inside the armored truck with no escape was enough to shake her out of her own trance and with a steadying breath, she lowered herself down onto the crisscrossing girders and cautiously walked atop the narrow beam.

“(Y/N), what the hell are you doing?!”

Ignoring Bucky’s panicked shout from down below, (Y/N) reached the truck and wedged the crowbar’s beveled end between the locking device and the truck’s metal doors; she planted her feet as she pulled down on the crowbar, but the truck lurched forward again and caused her to nearly lose her footing. Before she could try again, a blur of red, white and blue fell past her into the pit and Walker appeared beside her; he used his super-strength to begin pulling the armored truck backwards across the girders and while he did, she continued to try and pry the locking device off the doors. The lock was finally beginning to give way when the Flag Smashers descended on them; Walker managed to bat one of them away, but Karli and another of her companions latched onto him and all three fell down into the pit below, but not before their flailing limbs knocked an unsuspecting (Y/N) down with them.

(Y/N)’s instincts took over and she was able to grab onto another girder about halfway down, gritting her teeth and ignoring the straining muscles in both arms as she dangled several stories above the construction site and worked to scoot herself out of the way of the teetering truck; the deafening groan of bending metal above caused her to look up and see the vehicle beginning to pitch forward, and the terrified screams of the trapped GRC members were joined by the panicked shouts of the bystanders watching from the street and Bucky standing far below. Just as (Y/N)’s eyes squeezed closed and she began loosening her grip on the girder, the screams and shouts were suddenly silenced and everything was still.

Opening her eyes, (Y/N) blinked in surprise and grinned at the sight of Sam single-handedly holding onto the hood of the truck; his Wakandan-made specialized winged jetpack, upon which the familiar vibranium shield was sheathed, illuminated as its thrusters ignited and two drones broke off to attach themselves onto the truck’s hood. With the assistance of his jetpack and drones, Sam pushed the armored truck back up onto the steel framework and used Redwing’s laser to slice through the locking device while the crowds gathered around the street cheered.

“How’s it hangin’, Booksmart?” Sam jokingly asked after swooping down to where (Y/N) was dangling and wrapping an arm around her waist, his trademark grin and new red-tinted goggles unable to hide the worried gleam in his brown eyes as he took in her various bumps and scrapes.

(Y/N) wrapped her arms around her best friend’s neck and pressed a chaste kiss onto his cheek. “Much better now that you’re here, Cap.”

Grinning widely at that, Sam flew them both down to the construction site to where Bucky and Walker stood watching them; a metal pipe was suddenly launched towards both men but Bucky was quicker, catching it in midair and tossing it aside as he stared determinedly across the site at where Karli and her companions stood. They started forward towards both super-soldiers and in an instant, Sam used his free hand to unsheathe the shield and bounce it harshly off of the chests of three separate Flag Smashers as they landed on the ground beside Bucky.

Karli scoffed in disbelief as she took in Sam’s new Captain America uniform. “You of all people bought into that bullshit?”

“I’m trying something different. Maybe you should do the same.”

Before the teenager could reply, gunfire erupted and while Sam quickly brought his shield up to protect (Y/N), the air began filling with an unnaturally thick smoke and the panicking bystanders above began to flee the scene. (Y/N)’s vision was obscured by the impenetrable smoke surrounding them but when she made out the tell-tale sound of footsteps running further away, she swore under her breath. “They’re getting away, aren’t they?”

“Not for long.” Sam brought his free hand up to the edge of his goggles and seemingly began to track the Flag Smashers’ heat signatures through the dense fog. “This way.”

(Y/N), Bucky and Walker followed Sam through a doorway at the opposite end of the construction site and through a winding network of tunnels that traveled beneath the city streets. While the four of them jogged down what appeared to be a maintenance hallway, (Y/N) stepped on an errant piece of construction sheeting and would’ve tumbled to the ground if not for Walker’s hand suddenly shooting out and latching around her bicep; she gave the super-soldier a small smile of thanks and swiftly shifted her gaze onto Sam’s back ahead of her, still a touch wary of John Walker and his ever-shifting mood. On her other side, Bucky raised a hand to his comm link and quietly addressed their absent companion. “Hey, Sharon. We’re underground; we entered the tunnel on William, heading south.”

They came upon a tunnel that branched off from their hallway and Sam activated his goggles as he looked between both paths. “Looks like they split up. Here.”

Before Sam could finish, Walker ran off down the branching tunnel and Bucky gave Sam a reassuring nod. “I got it.”

“You should go with ‘em, (Y/N),” Sam nudged her arm and nodded towards the doorway the two men disappeared through. “Keep Walker from doing anything too reckless; I’ll be okay.”

Although unsure about splitting up, she did as her best friend suggested and followed Bucky and Walker down the branching tunnel, doing her best to ignore the ominous feeling beginning to form in the pit of her stomach as she jogged after the super-soldiers and away from Sam. She finally caught up to them in a darkened boiler room, placatingly raising her hands when they both whirled around to face her and frowning when she glanced around the vacant room. “They’re fast, I’ll give ‘em that…”

Walker’s hands briefly clenched into fists before relaxing at his sides and huffing out an annoyed grunt. “They could be halfway across Manhattan and we wouldn’t even know.”

“No, Karli and her followers would wanna stick around to finish their mission.” Bucky’s brow was furrowed as he noted the former captain’s barely-restrained reaction and he moved to stand closer to (Y/N). “They can’t go after the GRC members anymore, so now they’re scrambling to figure out an alternate way of preventing a vote.”

Recalling how Bucky tucked the cell phone that Karli had called him on into his pocket and what Sam told her about the Flag Smasher’s unique style of communication, (Y/N) felt herself begin to smile. “Well, if we can’t find them, why don’t we make them find us?”

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The plan they’d come up with in the boiler room was comically simple and as the three of them led the tactical team to the mouth of the alleyway they’d lured the unsuspecting Flag Smashers to on their app, (Y/N) was reminded of the time she and Natasha tricked a Hydra agent into Steve and Sam’s custody using only a red laser-pointer. She would’ve appreciated the simplicity of this plan, (Y/N) thought to herself with a melancholy smile, her fingers grazing the red hourglass-shaped buckle as she turned the corner of the alleyway alongside Bucky and Walker and came to a stop when they came face-to-face with three unmasked Flag Smashers; they skidded to a stop, their determined expressions instantly replaced with looks of shock when they realized that they were being surrounded by officers and armed soldiers.

“‘Mercy bears richer fruit than strict justice,’” Walker recited with a triumphant grin.

Bucky held up the cell phone and gave it a little shake for emphasis. “It’s a great app.” The tactical team moved in and began detaining the Flag Smashers as the alleyway was illuminated by the flashing red and blue lights of several police cruisers, and Bucky gave the trio a small smile. “Thank you.”

The three of them turned and began walking back to the makeshift command center stationed out front of the GRC New York Headquarters, and (Y/N) arched her brow as she glanced over at Walker beside her. “Lincoln, really?”

“Great man. Great quote.”

Bucky wrinkled his nose and scowled at the super-soldier. “Not when you say it.” (Y/N)’s chuckle soon turned into a groan of pain when the side of her head suddenly throbbed and she felt as though she was about to throw up; concern filled Bucky’s blue eyes and just as he reached out to hold her shoulder, she was overcome with dizziness and he was forced to catch her when her knees gave out. “Shit, I think you might have a concussion. Take a deep breath for me, okay? That should help with the nausea.”

“I’ll go on ahead and let a medic know she needs to be looked at,” Walker remarked before jogging off in the direction of the command center.

(Y/N) breathed in through her nose and out of her mouth, blinking hard to clear her swimming vision and giving Bucky a weak smile. “You know, it’s been exactly ten years since my last concussion? I go up against androids and aliens – two of the Big Three – over the course of ten years, and a goddamn super-soldier manages to be the one to give me my second-ever concussion.”

Bucky rolled his eyes as the corner of his lip curved into a reluctant grin. “I should’ve known that Sam picked that nonsense about the Big Three up from you. So, you’ve never gone toe-to-toe with Gandalf, huh?”

“Does almost puking on Doctor Strange count?”

“No, because he’s a sorcerer, not a wizard.”

“A sorcerer is just a wizard without a hat.”

With a chuckle, Bucky wrapped his vibranium arm around her waist and helped her walk down the street to the command center; he guided her to one of the handful of ambulances and after helping her sit down, he allowed her to squeeze his hand as a paramedic cleaned and patched up the laceration near her eye. The paramedic confirmed that she did indeed have a concussion, as well as an orbital fracture and two pulled biceps, and Bucky did his best to keep her distracted from her treatment by praising her fighting techniques. Walker, looking awkward as he stood by the opposite side of the ambulance but courteously remaining to partially block her from the clicking cameras of gathering journalists and reporters. He’s not such a bad guy, (Y/N) thought as she subtly glanced over at the super-soldier, misguided and egotistical, for sure, but not bad. Unfortunately, she knew that the government nor the Army would ever address how John Walker’s untreated trauma from his years of service led to the regrettable actions he’d taken in Latvia, just as they’d never told the world what they did to Isaiah Bradley and the hundreds of other Black soldiers they’d illegally tested on…but not for long, if (Y/N) and Sam had anything to say about it.

(Y/N) was pulled out of her thoughts by the ringing of her cell phone and when she reached into her pocket for it, she saw that it was Steve. “Bucky, could you give me a second? I’ve got to answer this.” She showed him the name flashing on the screen and briefly glanced over at Walker; he immediately took the hint, patting her knee and asking Walker to accompany him while he checked out the perimeter of the command center for any sign of Sam or Karli. Once she was sure that Walker was out of range, she answered the call and brought the phone up to her ear. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Are you okay, sunshine? What happened to your eye?”

(Y/N) arched a brow. “How’d you know that I injured my eye?”

“Because Cari and I are watching you on T.V. as we speak; WHiH camera’s at your ten o’clock.” When (Y/N) glanced over at the journalist in the middle of his report and his cameraman’s broadcasting camera, she could make out Steve’s faint chuckle and Carina’s happy coo. “Hi, baby. Are you all right?”

“I’ve got a mild concussion, an orbital fracture and two pulled biceps, but we stopped the Flag Smashers from taking any of the GRC members hostage and that’s what matters. I’ll be home with you and Cari by this time tomorrow, only with a few extra bumps and bruises.” Steve hummed in response but didn’t say anything, and she spared the far-off broadcasting camera another glance. “Everything okay, Steve?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just…I’m not used to being the one waiting for an injured Avenger to come home to me, that’s all. But if it means you’ll be able to help people in need like you’ve always wanted to do, then I’ll gladly do my best to get used to it.”

Feeling her face begin to warm at her husband’s sweet words, (Y/N) opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the sound of Sam’s thrusters descending into the command center. She watched as her best friend flew down from the night sky and landed gracefully in the middle of the street, a mixture of emotions swirling around within her: relief that Sam was unhurt, and sadness that the night’s events resulted in the death of Karli Morgenthau. Sam was carrying the teenager’s lifeless body in his arms and as he carefully placed her on a waiting stretcher, she could see the gunshot wound on her stomach; she was just a child, she thought as her eyes welled up with tears, a child who was fighting for the millions of people that suffered during and after the Snap when the leaders of the world failed to do so themselves. The increased supremacy of her ideals and the gradually radical methods she employed was wrong, yes, but her message was one that every person on Earth should strive to achieve: that by treating everyone fairly and supporting those in need, the world could band together and unite as one.

“What happened to the Flag Smashers? When did the government make you Captain America?”

“Is it still Falcon?”

“Or is it Captain Falcon?”

“Is Ms. (Y/L/N)’s presence here indicative of the Avengers’ support of your new title?”

Instead of answering any of the questions being shouted his way, Sam walked up to three GRC members, which included Senator Smith, the man who convinced Sam to give up the shield only to hand it over to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed John Walker. “Sam, thank you so much, from all of us.”

“Sincerely,” Senator Smith added with a tone-deaf smile. “You did your part in dealing with those terrorists, now we’ll do ours.”

Sam’s jaw clenched in an effort to remain calm, and (Y/N) fought the urge to stand and hurry to his side. “Are you still going forward with resettling the borders?”

The third member nodded. “Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit.”

“You have to stop calling them terrorists.”

Senator Smith scoffed at Sam’s statement. “What else would we call them?”

“Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the world, right? What do you think those people are gonna call you?” Sam demanded and as all the broadcasting cameras surrounding the command center turned to film their conversation, Bucky stepped around the edge of the ambulance and leaned against the door beside (Y/N). “These labels – ‘terrorists,’ ‘refugee,’ ‘thug,’ – they’re often used to get around the question, why?”

Looking decidedly less pleased than before, the third GRC member crossed her arms and looked incredulously up at Sam. “Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?”

“Yes.”

“And the people who reappeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless?” Senator Smith gave Sam a patronizing head-shake and on the other end of the line, Steve muttered a few choice curse words. “Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is.”

The members started to turn and walk away, but Sam’s calm but commanding tone halted them in their tracks. “You know what? You’re right. And that’s a good thing. We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that: for once, all the people who’ve been begging, and I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is…now you know. How did it feel to be helpless? Now, if you could remember what it was like to be helpless and face a force so powerful it could erase half the planet, you would know that you’re about to have the exact same impact. This isn’t about easy decisions, Senator.”

“You just don’t understand-”

“I’m a Black man carrying the stars and stripes. What don’t I understand?” Sam huffed out a humorless laugh and (Y/N)’s free hand clenched into a tight fist at the annoyed expression on the senator’s face. “Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are gonna hate me for it. Even now, here. I feel it…” He looked around at the crowd that had amassed as he’d spoken. “The stares, the judgement. And there’s nothin’ I can do to change it…yet, I’m still here. No super serum, no blonde hair or blue eyes. The only power I have it that I believe we can do better.” A smile slowly spread across (Y/N)’s face and as she watched her best friend with unabashed pride, she felt Bucky’s vibranium hand rest on her shoulder and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “We can’t demand that people step up if we don’t meet them halfway. Look, you control the banks. Shit, you can move borders! You can knock down a forest with an email, you can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who’s in the room with you when you’re making those decisions? Hmm? Is it the people you’re gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?” The third GRC member bowed her head while the first nodded and Senator Smith awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, but Sam’s gaze never wavered. “I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no one has stopped for one second to ask why. You’ve gotta do better, Senator, you’ve gotta step up. Because if you don’t, the next Karli will, and you don’t wanna see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is? Look, you people have just as much power as an insane god or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is, ‘How are you going to use it?’”

Giving the three stunned GRC members one final look, Sam turned and walked towards the ambulances; he gave Walker a nod as he passed and the former Captain America returned the gesture with the ghost of a smile on his face, looking more relaxed than (Y/N) had ever seen him before.

“Sam’s the Captain America that this country deserves,” Steve softly remarked, his voice thick with emotion as he continued. “I only hope that people will watch that speech and realize it for themselves.”

“They will.” (Y/N) smiled with pride and watched the gathered journalists and reporters continue their live coverage of the speech they’d witnessed. “Seeing is believing, after all, and we all watched as Sam Wilson became Captain America.”

Bucky helped (Y/N), who was still on the phone with her husband, stand and when Sam walked up to them, he shrugged in faux-boredom and let out a dramatic sigh. “Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and so, all I heard was, um, ‘a Black guy in stars and stripes.’” All three of them laughed and over the phone, Steve chuckled at the super-soldier’s joke. “Nice job, Cap.”

“Thanks.” Sam smiled at Bucky before turning to (Y/N). “You on the phone makin’ plans with your editor to write my biography already, Booksmart? I always knew you were a smart businesswoman but that was fast even for you!”

(Y/N) shook her head and smiled up at her best friend. “Nope, just talking to my husband about the historic moment we were lucky enough to see with our own eyes.”

His eyes widened a little behind his red-tinted goggles. “Steve saw all that?”

“Baby, could you hand the phone over to Sam for a moment? There’s something I need to tell him.”

(Y/N) did as he asked and Sam listened to whatever Steve was saying; it was a brief message but judging by the tears she saw him blinking away and how softly he murmured his thanks, her husband’s message seemed to have an effect on her best friend. Before she could inquire about what Steve had said, Bucky nudged Sam’s shoulder and gestured towards one of the parked cars just past the ambulance, where a familiar figure was leaning heavily against the driver’s side door. “Sharon.”

“I’ll be there in a sec,” (Y/N) reassured them and as both men made their way over to an injured Sharon, she brought the phone back up to her ear. “You’re not gonna tell me what you just told him, are you?”

“Come home in one piece and I just might,” Steve countered with a smile evident in his voice. “Good work out there, sunshine. We’ll see you soon, all right?”

They exchanged farewells and after tucking her phone back into her pocket, (Y/N) joined the trio standing beside the abandoned car. Sharon was indeed injured, holding a bundle of bloody gauze against the oozing gunshot wound on her abdomen and gritting her teeth to stop herself from crying out in pain; despite the agony she was no doubt experiencing, Sharon took one look at (Y/N) and snorted. “You look like shit, (Y/L/N).”

“Says the woman who’s currently bleeding out from an open wound,” She countered and the former CIA agent breathed out a quiet laugh. “Sharon, I’m sorry for how things unfolded after the Accords and the Snap. I know that that probably doesn’t mean much to you now, but I really am sorry and if I could go back and fix it, I would.”

Sharon studied her face for a moment and nodded as she let out a relenting sigh. “You’re right, it doesn’t mean much…but thanks for saying it.” While something in the woman’s hardened gaze kept (Y/N) from fully trusting her, she was glad that she was able to apologize for her inaction all those years ago.

“Uh, Cap?”

The four of them glanced over at the agent who called out to them and (Y/N) beamed at Sam. “I think he’s talking to you.” When Sam returned her smile with one of his own, she carefully wrapped her arms around his waist in a brief hug. “Go get ‘em, Captain America.”

“Will-do, Booksmart.” He pressed his lips to her forehead in a chaste kiss and turned to make his way over to the waiting agent.

“Look, I’m sorry for how things ended down there.” Sharon’s apology was followed by an appreciative nod. “For what it’s worth, suit looks good on you.”

Sam chuckled. “Thanks.”

With a scowl on his face, Bucky cast a furtive glance at their surroundings before addressing the former agent. “All right, look, can we get out of here, please?”

Sharon relented and allowed the super-soldier to escort her away from the command center filled with dozens of agents and officers who would arrest her for treason in the blink of an eye; while they walked, Sam called out after them, “I didn’t forget my promise.”

While Bucky and Sharon argued over which hospital to visit and whether or not they should take (Y/N)’s Volkswagen or an Uber, (Y/N) looked up at the night sky and watched Sam flying overhead towards the Hudson River, a satisfied smile on her face that finally, the shield and the mantle belonged to the right person for the job. Sam Wilson was Captain America, and the world was all the better for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ziGMhEsAw833GQ9eV44nR?si=6dfead09c76848d5

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Part V)

Stumblin’ In Book VII: “Superhero Snapshots” Masterlist

Stumblin’ In Book I: “The Winter Soldier” Masterlist

Tagging:  @mrs-obrien​​​​ @lahoete​​​​ @awkward117 @cminr @natdrunk​​​ @momc95​​​​ @savedbystyle​​​​ @miraculouscloud @awkwardnesshabitat​​​​ @marinettepotterandplagg​​​​ @mangosandmimosas @supersouthy @benakenalove​​​​ @brooke0297​​​​ @hufflepeople​​​​ @becausewelie​​​​ @outoftheregular​​​​​ @junipermurdock​​​​ @ladydmalfoy @mads-weasley​​​​ @username23345 @crist1216​​​​ @capswife​​​​ @lilmschild​​​​ @avngrsinitiative @crowleysqueenofhell​​​​ @y-napotat​​​ @mary1raven​​​​ @groovy-lady​​​​ @ljej95​​​​ @innersublimefury​​​ @prettysbliss​​​​​  

[sorinzcool]

*★,°*:.☆(￣▽￣)/$:*.°★* 。

🔥Sanji x Reader 🏵️

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x f!reader

Tags: F/N used, hairstyle mentioned, long hair implied

Characters Mentioned: Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Monkey D. Luffy, Boa Hancock (mentioned)

Warnings: cigarettes mentioned, light swearing, first kiss

Word Count: 3704

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Notes:

**FLUFF !!!**

self insert is fem/fem implied !!!

modern au !!!

listen to the songs mentioned while reading for the best experience!

Summary: You walk into a salon and get a haircut that was created by the salon master Vinsmoke Sanji. A couple weeks later, you meet him and his friends again by coincidence at the mall. You spend time with Sanji and his friends at the mall and get to know them a bit better. Months later, you're invited to a party by Nami and you accept, going to the slumber party where later in the night, Sanji confesses to you and you share a tender kiss.

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It’s bright outside, the sun beating hot and your car’s air conditioning blowing quietly on your face as you sit in your car in silence with your own thoughts. You’re slightly annoyed as you keep sticking to your seat, the loud cicada’s chirping buzzing in your ears in contrast to the low volume of one of your favorite songs that came from your car speakers.

You open your phone and go into your social media, deciding to look at yourself in the camera and maybe goof off with some of the provided filters. You do so, realizing that your hair is becoming long, hair to maintain in the heat, and kind of unruly. The previous color you had in your hair is now faded and your roots are showing through.

You scrunch your lip at the camera and mess with your hair a little bit, realizing that you should probably go get a haircut. You switch tabs and look up the nearest hair salon near your location. You go through some salon options, reading reviews and the like before a specific location catches your eye. The name of the place was called “Piratella Hair Studio”.

After reading most of the reviews, you decide that this is the place that you’re going to decide to go to. Wanting to find out a bit more about the place, you dial the phone number. You wait a while as the ringback tone sounds in your ear.

After a while of waiting, a burly, stretched out, Brooklyn accent female voice comes to the line. “Hello, Piratella Hair Studio, how can we help’ya today?” The lady was chewing gum pretty audibly, but you got by it.

“Good afternoon, um, I was wondering if you guys take walk-ins?” You asked nervously, almost like you were hiding behind the phone.

“Oh yea hunny, we take walk-ins. Just c’mon down to’tha salon and we’ll take care of’ya.” The voice replied, the same gum-smacking coming through the other end of the line.

“Alright, I’ll be there, thank you ma’am!” You said, hurriedly hanging up the phone and sighing, rubbing your temples. I guess that gum she was eating was a bit more annoying than you originally thought. You slung your seatbelt around your chest and clicked it into the buckle, turning the key in the ignition and driving off, having the location put into your GPS.

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You arrive at the hair salon, unbuckling your seatbelt and grabbing your personal belongings. You exit your vehicle, making sure you lock it before entering the salon. When you step foot in the doorway, your nose is bombarded by various smells: stingy, lemony hairspray, nose-torching, acidic hair bleach, shrouding, tear-jerking cigarette smoke… all of it wafting into your nose all at once, forcing a cough out of you. “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Beiber and Nicki Minaj played faintly as a sort of “ambience”.

The same Brooklyn voice then called out to you. “Hi hunny, take a seat, sorry ‘bout the smell, you’ll get used’ta it. Just take a seat there on that chair and one of our stylists will gett’ya.” Looking the lady up and down, she was no different than how you imagined her in your head. Already standoffish about this salon, you hesitantly sat down in the seat closest to the doorway just in case you needed a breath of fresh air. Were the replies and reviews lying to you? Was this place actually terrible compared to a different place you could have gone? You were already there, though. No going back now, right?

After a while of wafting smoke and other fumes away from your face, a smooth, French voice called out to you. “Madame, come up here, it’s your turn.” You look up to see a blond haired man with swirly eyebrows. Kind of weird, right? A cigarette was bobbing in between his lips as he spoke. So that’s where all the smoke was coming from… You hurriedly stood up from the ripped leather chair and shuffled over to a surprisingly comfortable chair.

“Hello m’lady, my name is Sanji and I am your hairstylist for today. My, my, you’ve got quite a hefty amount of hair here, gorgeous hair at that.” He said. You felt flattered as he commented on your hair but you brushed it off as mere talk.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sanji. My name is F/N.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, F/N. Now, what can we do for you today here at Piratella Hair Studio?” He asked, running his fingers through your hair. You shudder a bit as he examines your hair and scalp, feeling his slightly soft fingertips graze your scalp. You think for a moment before opening your mouth to speak.

“I’m not too sure what I want, but something that I do know is that I definitely want it cut a bit shorter than this not only for maintenance purposes but also because of the summer heat.”

Sanji takes a puff of his cigarette, the smoke circling around you two. You waft it away from your face, closing your teary eyes. “Sorry about that F/N, eh, I tend to just have a bit of a smoke when I work. I hope you don’t mind it.” Something was seriously wrong with this salon… well, the rest of it.

Looking at your surroundings, you notice that only the section that you and Sanji were standing and sitting in were extremely different from the rest. The chair was a lot more luxurious, the lights weren’t shattered, the mirror wasn’t cracked top to bottom, the floor was vibrant and clean… It was like a whole different establishment.

“I guess I can tolerate it for now…” You mutter under your breath as you sit awkwardly in the chair. Sanji then nods his head before speaking to you while looking at the mirror.

“I’m thinking we can take your hair up to shoulder length, maybe shorter? Short hairstyles are eh, comment dis-tu cela en anglais...? Ehm, easy to keep, yeah?” He asked, pursing his lips a bit.

“I guess so, yeah. And I don’t want any color, I think I might just keep my natural hair color for now…” You instructed. Since your last dye-job was from when your hair was neck-length, all the color was at the bottom now. “You can cut it off, right? The color at the bottom, I mean.”

Sanji nodded slightly. “Definitely. Alright, with that all set, are you ready for me to snip snip?” He chuckled, smoke exiting the sides of his mouth from the cigarette. You nod your head slowly as Sanji picks up the first lock of your hair…

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★⋆˙⟡♡

Your eyes widen slightly as you finally watch your hair all come together, a style you never thought you could pull off. Running your fingers through your hair slightly, a smile tugs the corners of your lips. You fix your bangs to how you like them, still looking at yourself directly into the mirror.

“Well, madam, do you like it? This hairstyle makes you look really cute, you know.” Sanji asked, taking the apron off of you and flapping it out, all the loose hair on it flying off. You nod your head enthusiastically, your face slightly reddening as you were flattered once again. “I love it! I never thought I would be able to pull off something like this!” You cheered slightly.

Sanji looks at you with a grin. “Viola, mademoiselle, your hair. It is of my greatest gratitude that you love your new hair.” You look at the cost chart next to Sanji’s station, it’s all relatively cheap. You owed $15, but you paid him $25 for the amazing and quick service.

“Is there a way I can contact you again? Like a business card or something?” You asked the blond man in front of you. He hands you a business card that has a marble background and gold lettering. It had a picture of Sanji, his full name, the address of where he works, his job’s phone number and his personal phone number.

“Don’t be afraid to call me, gorgeous.” He said, giving you a pretty wink.

You nodded your head and waved goodbye, walking out of the establishment and hurriedly getting to your car to combat the summer heat and prevent your hair from frizzing. Once you got in your car, you opened up your phone again, the same app from earlier. You liked how your hair looked now, all thanks to that… Strangely flirtatious man.

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★⋆˙⟡♡

It’s a new day and you’re at the mall, by yourself. You wanted to go shopping and you did end up buying a couple things but you wanted to shop in a couple more stores before you left. Wanting to take a break from walking all this time, you took a seat on one of the sofas in the center of the plaza. Since you had nothing better to do, you open up your phone and scroll through social media.

There wasn’t much to look at anyways. It was kind of a boring, no-post day. What made it worse is that your headphones died, so now you have to listen to the cheap, low-quality audio that the mall had. “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo was playing, echoing throughout the entire place, muddled with the loud voices inside the mall. You look up from your device and notice someone familiar.

You couldn’t quite put your finger on it since the person you were looking at looked familiar but… like a stranger at the same time. Blond hair, average figure, pretty tones, swirly eyebrows… swirly eyebrows? That’s who it was! Sanji, the hairstylist who cut your hair the other day. And it seems he noticed you too. He waved to you from halfway across the plaza and you decided to wave back. You snickered to yourself a bit as you watched his friend nudge him.

“Hey Fancy Brows, are you trying to make another lady swoon for ya? You always end up falling.” The one next to him said. Sanji looked a bit irritated, but in a playful demeanor. “Won’t matter though, they always fall for the ones that are taller. And I am taller than you.”

“By one centimeter, Mosshead. One fucking centime-”

“Will you two stop fighting for once?! You have the lovely girl waiting, she looks super sweet and is probably waiting for you guys (plus me!) to go over there and say hi or whatever! Get your heads out of your asses and go!” The redheaded girl said, shoving the two apart. As much as it looked like Sanji and this “Mosshead” person wanted to ignore her, she was right, and they obliged, the three of them walking towards you.

“Hello mademoiselle, you’re the lady I gave a hair trim to two weeks ago, right?” Sanji asked you, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, that’s me! Sanji was your name, right?” Sanji smiled and nodded. “Sanji it is indeed, madam. And yours was, eh… F/N, yes?” He asked you.

Nodding your head, you smiled. “Mhm! I see you have some friends here, mind if I ask who you two are?”

The redheaded one looked at the green-haired one. “Well, I’m Nami. I’m Sanji’s girl best friend! You looked super sweet so I decided to force these two numbskulls to get their shit together and say hi to you. Aren’t I a great friend?” Nami giggled. You swallowed a lump in your throat, smiling nervously. “...Yeah! Perfect friend!”

You turned your gaze to the green haired one. “My name is-”

“His name doesn’t matter, he’s a dummy and spews shit out hi-”

The green haired one slapped his hand over Sanji’s mouth, holding it there. “The name’s Zoro. Ignore what Swirly Brows says. He’s also an idiot.” Zoro rolled his eyes, Sanji looking at him upset.

“Well, my name is F/N, and I was Sanji’s client a couple weeks back. He did a really good job on my hair, I’m super happy with it. It’s been super easy to take care of recently and I’m glad it’s not as hard to tend to.” You said, standing up and shaking everyone’s hand.

“Oh, I forgot about the other one. You see that one over there?” Sanji said, pointing towards a black-haired young man with a straw hat loosely fitted around his head. “His name is Luffy. We don’t take him out much, but today was nice so we decided to… let him run free. He’s kind of in his own world now, you can talk to him later.” You giggle, watching the young man continuously drop quarters into a claw machine, shaking the game every time the crane drops the stuffed animal.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you all, I’m sure we’ll all be great friends, yeah?” You said, smiling at the three who stood before you. “Yeah, definitely! Oh, Sanji, can they come to our party? Pleeeaasseee? I mean, five is better than four, right, Sanji? Please Sanji? Please?” Nami said, shaking the sophisticated man, grunting as she slowly began putting force into her movements.

“Okay, okay! Fine, they can come!! Just stop rattling my brain!” He yelped, running his hand across his face as he recovered from the shock of being violently thrashed by Nami. “Geez…”

“Yay! I’m so excited. Here, give me your phone number, and I’ll send you Sanji’s address. We're having a slumber movie and watching horror movies! I mean, the party’s not for another few weeks, but it’s good to prepare early, right?” Nami spoke quickly, ripping her phone out of her purse and opening her contacts, handing her bedazzled phone to you so you can type in your number.

“...Sure. You’re quite quick to invite me, don’t you think?” You said, a bit reluctant to put your number in just yet. You look at Sanji, then at Zoro, and finally at Nami. “I mean… ee-yeah, BUT I mean who wouldn’t want to go to a super cool SLUMBER party? And especially since you’re friends with Sanji I know you’re a good person!”

“Friends with Sanji? I mean, he cut my hair once… that’s pretty much it…” You said, rubbing the back of your neck. You swallowed another lump in your throat, this was a lot, all at once too. Sanji noticed you were visibly getting uncomfortable, so he stepped in.

“Alright Nami, let’s lay off for a minute, eh, mademoiselle, how about you come spend the rest of your time here at the mall with the four of us, we can all get to know each other better, yes?” The blond one asked you. I mean, you already knew Sanji, it wouldn’t be bad just to spend some more time with him and his friends… if it weren’t for the invitation being right off-the-bat, you would’ve accepted going to the party… other than that, you have no other reason to really decline at least this offer.

“Sure. I’ll come hang out with you guys for a little bit… I don’t see why not.” Nami looked excited, now beginning to thrash Zoro around. “Yay!! They accepted!! Aren’t you excited, Zoro?” Nami said, looking the man in the eyes.

Zoro looked dizzy.

Sanji ushered everyone to follow, everyone reluctantly doing so. Luffy, a bit behind than the rest of the group, noticed that everyone was leaving so he began to dash and skidaddle over to the group. "Whooaahh! Wait for me Sanjiiiii!!!"

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★⋆˙⟡♡

That day, you spent about an hour and a half hanging out with Sanji and the rest of his friends, having a good time nonetheless. You began to grow more comfortable around them, especially Nami due to her sweet and hype personality. You did notice though, that Sanji was complimenting you a lot. It flattered you.

You felt like your heart was jumping rope in your chest every time Sanji complimented you, not even just that day you hung out with him but at other points in time as well. When you, Nami and Sanji hung out at the public pool, when you and Sanji went to a cafe, when you, Sanji and Zoro went to a park… throughout the entire hang out, he was complimenting you.

It… didn’t bother you, for some reason. You were starting to like his compliments more and more, they made you feel… special, a lot different from the other compliments you’ve received in the past from other people alike. How were you already getting woozy and warm inside just because of a-

Your train of thought stops because you got a notification on your phone. It was from Nami. You raised an eyebrow, wondering why Nami would contact you at a time like this.

(Nami) - 10:57 P.M.

hi F/N !!! (☆ω☆*) so like… i know i mentioned this ages and ages ago but do you still want to come to that slumber party ?

(You) - 10:57 P.M.

sure ! i’ll be there, what time does it start and where is it ?

(Nami) - 10:59 P.M.

[Attachment - 1 Link]

here’s the address, it’s sanji’s house, the party starts at 6 P.M. !!! i’ll be there so don’t worry !! 💅🏻(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

That slumber party… you had forgotten you were invited altogether. You recalled it now, how you were super uncomfortable with going over there during that time at the mall, but now, it felt like a dream. You already knew you were going to have to prepare an outfit, so you rolled out of bed and started to put an outfit together.

Excitedly, you find your best pair of pajama bottoms and your best top to match and set it aside. You had time to go get everything ready for yourself tomorrow, so for now you just decided to lay down and get some rest.

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★⋆˙⟡♡

The next evening, you were getting ready to leave your house and go to Sanji’s place, making sure you brought all your slumber party essentials. You exit your house, locking your front door and checking it twice before getting into your vehicle and driving over to Sanji’s house.

Upon arrival, you can see figures moving around inside the dimly lit living room. You exit your car and grab your backpack, going to the front door and knocking. The door swings open and Zoro is at the door. “Oh, hey, it’s F/N guys!” A loud, feminine cheer echoes within the room, coming straight from Nami. You smile awkwardly as you shuffle inside, your pajamas slightly tight fitted around you.

“Wow, F/N, I love your PJ’s!” Nami commented, coming up to you and hugging you. “Oh, and I say this to every person who arrives other than myself and Sanji, be glad that Boa isn’t here or else we’ll have to deal with her swooning over Luffy when he barely has the mental capacity to even recognize her flirtatiousness. Yuck!”

You chuckle a little bit, looking over at Luffy’s direction.

This time, for once, he wasn’t in his own world, but instead knocked the fuck out, sleeping. The position he was sleeping in made him look like he fell from the 4th floor of a building, which made you laugh a bit. “Silly lil’ Luffy, slump already.” You said.

After you settled in, the rest of the night was a hit. You guys ate dinner together, watched some scary movies, played on Sanji’s console for a while, and things finally began to tone down. Nami, Luffy and Zoro were all fast asleep, and it was only you and Sanji who were awake.

Sanji looked tense, uneasy, almost. His face looked nervous and a bit pale, like something was eating at him and it was burning. You reach out your hand to his shoulder. “You okay Sanj? You look a bit nervous.” You said, your eyebrows furrowing into a concerned expression, your eyes following suit.

Sanji nods slowly, then looks at you. “F/N, can I talk to you alone? Away from the others. I don’t want any of them accidentally eavesdropping on what I want to say to you.” Your heart began racing in your chest, looking at the three others around you. Sanji hasn’t ever really called you by your real name before other than your first contact. This scared you slightly, but you nodded your head anyway and followed Sanji to the dining room. Beginning with a low, semi-unintelligible voice, Sanji spoke to you directly.

“F/N, I don’t really know how to express myself to the fullest extent that I have in my mind right now, but I think now is the right time to really speak my heart out to you.” Sanji took a breath, and you looked at him carefully. “It’s only been a month and some change and I’m probably em… how do you say, eh… walking into this too fast. But over the time we’ve been together, I’ve realized that I’ve caught new emotions for you. I believe in English, it is said that I have a crush on you.”

Sanji has a crush on you? You had to admit it, you were crushing on him too, but this felt so sudden… but you wanted this so bad… all the times he made your heart flutter, all the times he made you swallow the awkward lump in your throat, every time he made you think positively of yourself… you couldn’t want anything more than Sanji to yourself. “Sanji, I-”

“No, it’s okay F/N, you don’t have to reciprocate the feelings, it’s okay, really.”

“Sanji, I have a crush on you too.” There was a beat of silence. It filled the room and it was loud. Sanji’s face slowly lit up red and the corners of his lips lit up into a smile. “Oh, F/N, je t'aime…” He said to you, holding you close. Your heart skipped a beat slightly as you batted your lashes at him.

You gently push yourself into him, pressing your lips against his. His lips were soft and tender, they felt so nice against yours. It was your first kiss, and it made your life worthwhile, your heart running track as you shared the intimacy with him. Sanji closed his eyes and held you close, eventually pulling away from the liplock. “I love you, mon amour.”

“I love you too.”

☆⋆｡𖦹° 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 ‧★⋆˙⟡♡

translations !!

★␥→ comment dis-tu cela en anglais? → how do you say it in english?

★␥→viola → here (in means of being finished with something)

★␥→ mademoiselle → my lady

★␥→ madam → ma’am

★␥→ je t’aime → i love you

★␥→ mon amour → my love

thank you so much for reading my fanfic ! i hope you enjoyed this story and hope you stick around for more !

some of you may be wondering : “didn’t you already have a fic with this exact same scenario before ? where did that go ?” simple answer : i rewrote it !

aside from that, thank you so much for stopping by, and i hope you enjoy any future content of mine !

seeya soon ! ★⋆. ࿐࿔

update:

hello everyone !! so i noticed that i... mixed up nico robin and boa hancock... so i fixed that !! whoopsie !! thanks for reading the update if you see it :3

all characters licensed and owned by eiichiro oda

[playedbetter]

Elias Info

Name: Elias Acker

Gender & Pronouns: Bigender (He/She)

Orientation: Omnisexual

Age: 34

FC: Robert Sheehan

Background

Elias was born into a poor family plagued by problems such as his dad Thomas's gambling issues, to his aunt Denise regularly crashing at their tiny Brooklyn apartment to avoid her children, to his mom Harper being an overworking perfectionist prone to fits of despair due to her untreated and undiagnosed bipolar, which Elias inherited. There was love, but also glaring problems that circumstance kept them from ever dealing with.

Elias from a young age felt the pressure of the family's future and trying to help them. He was a good kid, incredibly straight laced because he knew there weren't second chances for him. Also incredibly polite and prone to suppressing his own problems because he knew everybody already had enough on their plates.

In highschool he was getting pressured to go into med school to become a doctor so that everybody could get what they needed. This left Elias with little personal time between studying and extracurriculars picked up to look good on an essay. He had few relationships, the most notable being with a girl from another school who dumped him after about three weeks. He also worth what little time he did have pick up poetry, which became a passion of his which he couldn't pursue.

He managed to land a spot in a decent med school, and while he wasn't a natural at it, he did put a lot of effort into his studying. His family were thrilled and dreaming of what they'd buy with his first paycheck. His few friends already were planning a party at his place for when he landed his first job. Elias was absolutely miserable, only riding the highs of caffeine and nicotine to keep himself going.

It was an impulse buy on the afternoon he finished his undergraduate, he was picking up a pack of smokes and saw that the powerball was drawing in only a few short hours, he grabbed a single quick pick and forgot about it till the next morning when he looked up the winning numbers and found out he had landed the jackpot.

In his excitement he told his whole family and his friends, who were all thrilled, and all wanted a cut. By the time he even got the money several people took out high interest loans and got him to pay them off, and everybody wanted their debts wiped clean. Elias wanted to help so gave them that. His parents wanted a house, his aunt wanted a car, his friends wanted to go to Tokyo and Disneyland, his dad wanted more tickets, his uncle wanted a boat, his cousins wanted presents, everybody wanted everything from him, and Elias just wanted them to be happy so he gave it to them.

It was only when he realized he hadn't put anything into retirement or getting himself a house or vehicle or even paying off his own debt in full and the money was down to six figures that he realized he had been completely exploited. People were still asking him for stuff while he was budgeting so he'd be okay for just a couple years. He completely exploded at a family dinner when his uncle complained about how small his boat was and implied Elias had been stingy, Elias screamed at all of them until his throat went hoarse and then stormed out the door in a blind rage wishing that he would never see any of them, to be somewhere without them in it, he wasn't even sure where he was going.

But where he ended up certainly was not what he had in mind, as the world around him looked like the blown out rubble of war. At first he wandered around thinking he was having a complete break from reality, then some roving bandits found him and chased him, eventually he fled back to where his apartment was to try hiding until things went back to normal, however there he found in the rubble a dead version of himself. He backed out the door wishing to be anywhere else. His bad luck continued for a while until he was put on an earth with no danger or life, which gave him a chance to have a panic attack and figure out what the hell was happening.

After that he got a handle on his powers, and for the next four years went through the multiverse looking for his purpose in it, and becoming an expert on his own powers. Surely it wasn't random he had powers. Surely there was a point to this all. Surely he could make things better and that would improve his own life.

It was exhausting, and he fell back into bad habits of letting others exploit him. The breaking point though was finding a universe where Eli had cut everyone off when he won the lottery and everyone was better off for it, even his friends and family were happier. Everyone would have been better off if he had just been selfish. And for every universe he helped, there was an infinite amount of them suffering. Every sacrifice felt pointless.

Everything was pointless.

He broke. He decided to only live for himself, with reckless abandon for literally everything. To not control his urges and impulses, and refuse the part of himself that cared too much about everyone and everything. He changed his look and outlook on life.

About a year ago he met the only other known universe hopper by pure coincidence, Leah Kravitz, and he was immediately endeared even outside their brief prior connection. He found himself taking her under his wing and trying to keep her away from the pitfalls he fell into when first exploring his powers. They bonded a lot, and Elias found himself loving her, and found himself scared that he was going to get zir hurt in one of his self destructive impulses.

She confronted him over his reckless behavior and he made no attempt to defend himself, both knowing she was right, and hoping for zir own safety she'd leave. He even went so far as to claim he only cared about his own entertainment, which at that point was a lie. She did leave to have her own adventures, which he has kept tabs on.

Since then he's been traveling mainly on his own, causing trouble and killing time quite frankly. Occasionally letting people tag along his travels or staying in a universe for an extended period to try to fight a growing loneliness in him; unaware that it will take honesty with himself to defeat.

Personality

No matter at what point you met Elias you'll be met by a charming and empathic person who can lend a shoulder, give good advice, and is humorous. She likes to meet new people and tends to be rather talkative. He also is smart with people, technical information, and most of all the way things work, what makes them tick (hence the first two things). Hidden under some sort of persona she is incredibly self destructive and prone to feeling worthless; in manic episodes these traits show up as overachieving and risky behavior like unprotected sex or putting himself into dangerous situations; in depressive episodes it takes the form of pure nihilism, lack of even basic self care, and self isolation.

Despite whatever persona he might have he's also always concerned with what he considers the greatest good, which depends on his circumstances. The health and safety of the whole multiverse is always there though, whether he knows it or not.

He used to be a sweet and deeply compassionate person, more worried about everyone else than himself. He was the friend that always offered her shoulder and had time and never complained. Rather timid and a pushover to those close to him, he didn't know how to say no to people because she didn't want to disappoint anybody. His own problems he'd just suppress as to not burden anybody. Very self destructive though when left alone, putting himself at risk and working herself to the bone.

After finding his powers but before his big breakdown he was withdrawn and mostly quiet, going along with things to gather information and asking a lot of questions, not talking much at all about himself. He was looking for his greater purpose in everything, and thus approached everything with an earnest conviction to put his all into it, and to try to help. She still was working himself to the bone, and would try on any role given to her for at least a little bit no matter how he liked it.

After his breakdown he's decided to only do what entertains him in some way, and follow any and all of his impulses. This can range from incredibly destructive and chaotic lash outs to just trickster like help depending on his mood and connection to the people affected. This also includes his own self destructive impulses. Ultimately despite his attempts to suppress it, he is still capable of caring about people, and when he does he'll go out of his way for them and keep tabs on how they're doing.

Eventually he's going to learn that everything does matter despite its infinite nature, and at that point he's going to have a lot of amends to make, but she isn't there yet.

Powers

Reality Hopping: He can travel the multiverse by going through anything that looks like a doorway, gateway, or opening. If unspecified he arrives in a random universe in a random location near a similar gateway. He can specify what universe he's traveling to by qualities (such as what year it's in, human population levels, if magic is present, etc), by people he knows or knows of (The one with the Jane Doe I met last week), or by any name he knows the universe by. If he specifics a universe absolutely impossible to exist she arrives in a dark void. He can bring people with him as long as they have a grasp on him through some means and goes through the same gateway in up to five seconds of him. (This power inspired by @chaosmultiverse)

Multiversal Consistent: In every single universe some version of him has existed. They might be dead in the present year, or might exist in the future of the universe. They share his basic traits and have a name that at least sounds like his if not the same name. They don't necessarily have to be human, or even sentient. This is what connects Elias to the whole multiverse.

Abilities

Marksmanship: He has training with basic firearms and has some experience with all conventional types of guns.

Medicine: He has the training of a medical student circa the 2010s, not advanced in any field but leagues above basic first aid training. He can treat standard injuries, illnesses, and has knowledge on disabilities and mental illnesses.

Equipment

Throughout threads he might gather helpful items. This will be updated as items are obtained.

Bracer of Storage: He can hold up to five items in this, and can stow items by touching them. When retrieving an item it either appears in a free hand (favoring his left) or in front of him if he has no free hand or the object is too large to hold.

Universal Translator: Picked up in a magical universe, this ring lets her understand anything he hears and lets anybody understand what she is saying.

Phone: Has a cross universe data plan. Extended battery life. Requires a signal.

Chalk: For on the fly gate creation.

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Warhol’s self-published 1954 book, 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy, which he authored while an aspiring commercial artist, reveals his interest in animals. He incorporated hand coloring created at “coloring parties, " bringing associates and friends together. For Warhol, art was a social activity that ultimately encompassed a coterie of artists, musicians, and filmmakers at The Factory, his artistic base in New York. An ink sketch created with his mother features three felines, two birds, and a red heart.

The upper levels of the museum also feature Warhol’s formative work as an advertising artist, including an illustration for Miss Dior featuring a head in profile with sewing needles, thread, a dummy model, and scissors. By the early 1960s, Warhol had shifted to silk-screened pop culture images inspired by a pop art movement that began in Britain in the 1950s. It allowed for the mass production of pieces referencing the commodified world of consumer products. A prominent example at the museum is a series of silver-hued black-and-white images of Elvis Presley as a cowboy drawing a gun. The museum also features a large color silk screen print of Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s Soup cans.

In early 2024, the Warhol Museum mounted The Lost Archive of Andy Warhol, an exhibit that features 30 autographed photos of the artist in the early 1960s. Among the most remarkable is a black-and-white image of Warhol looking through the acetate of his “Marilyn” screen print. The print featured in the photo is the first version of a work that ultimately fetched $195 million at auction.

Another unique exhibit, KAWS + Warhol, combines works by Andy Warhol and the contemporary Brooklyn-based artist KAWS, known for brightly-hued, cartoon-like skull sculptures. A centerpiece combines KAWS’ Companion 2020, featuring a character lying face down, with Warhol’s 1963 Ambulance Disaster, replicating a newspaper image of a vehicle crash. This image reveals the two artists’ different ways of exploring mortality.

Covering the entire seven floors of the Warhol Museum in a single day is a gargantuan task, as the 88,000-square-foot space comprises 17 galleries. It houses 900 paintings, 2,000 works on paper, a thousand published prints, and more than 8,000 photographs, films, and videotaped works. The museum has sponsored more than 50 traveling exhibits over the past 28 years and participates in outreach.

[gabolaw]

Local Personal Injury Attorney - Irene H. Gabo

Find a local personal injury attorney with the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C. Our experienced team handles a range of injury cases with dedication and expertise. Get personalized legal support to achieve the best outcome for your situation.

Located in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., is a full-service personal injury practice serving all New York State counties. In fact, with over two decades of experience representing thousands of clients, we are ready to help you. Most important, we understand the pain, suffering and anxiety that follow a serious personal injury, resulting from an accident or medical malpractice.

At the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., we are known for personalized attention, focus and dedication. Furthermore, we fight hard to protect the rights of personal injury victims and their families. In brief, our firm recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our injured clients.

If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, we can help. Notwithstanding the defendant being a private party, a corporation or a municipality, we are here for you. Indeed, we fight for you and your loved ones. Thus, we focus on obtaining the maximum compensation to assist you in moving forward after the serious injury.

Learn about your legal rights by contacting us at (800) 560-0214 to schedule an appointment.

Brooklyn Personal Injury Attorney

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Wrongful Death

Premise Liability Accidents

Medical Malpractice

Construction Accidents

Dog Bites Injuries

Slip and Fall Accidents

Trip and Fall Accidents

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.8 (after 1940)

1940 – The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel. 1942 – Quit India Movement is launched in India against the British rule in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for swaraj or complete independence. 1945 – The London Charter is signed by France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States, establishing the laws and procedures for the Nuremberg trials. 1946 – First flight of the Convair B-36, the world's first mass-produced nuclear weapon delivery vehicle, the heaviest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft, with the longest wingspan of any military aircraft, and the first bomber with intercontinental range. 1956 – Marcinelle mining disaster in Belgium. 262 coal miners, including a substantial number of Italian migrant workers, were killed in one of the largest mining accidents in Belgian history. 1963 – Great Train Robbery: In England, a gang of 15 train robbers steal £2.6 million in bank notes. 1963 – The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the current ruling party of Zimbabwe, is formed by a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union. 1967 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. 1969 – At a zebra crossing in London, photographer Iain Macmillan takes the iconic photo that becomes the cover image of the Beatles' album Abbey Road. 1973 – Kim Dae-jung, a South Korean politician and later president of South Korea, is kidnapped. 1974 – President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announces his resignation from the office of the President of the United States effective noon the next day. 1988 – The 8888 Uprising begins in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar). Led by students, hundreds of thousands join in nationwide protests against the one-party regime. On September 18, the demonstrations end in a military crackdown, killing thousands. 1988 – The first night baseball game in the history of Chicago's Wrigley Field (game was rained out in the fourth inning). 1989 – Space Shuttle program: STS-28 Mission: Space Shuttle Columbia takes off on a secret five-day military mission. 1990 – Iraq occupies Kuwait and the state is annexed to Iraq. This would lead to the Gulf War shortly afterward. 1991 – The Warsaw radio mast, then the tallest construction ever built, collapses. 1993 – The 7.8 Mw  Guam earthquake shakes the island with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing around $250 million in damage and injuring up to 71 people. 2000 – Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor and 30 years after its discovery by undersea explorer E. Lee Spence. 2004 – A tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band dumps approximately 800 pounds of human waste onto a boat full of passengers. 2007 – An EF2 tornado touches down in Kings County and Richmond County, New York, the most powerful tornado in New York to date and the first in Brooklyn since 1889. 2008 – A EuroCity express train en route from Kraków, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic strikes a part of a motorway bridge that had fallen onto the railroad track near Studénka railway station in the Czech Republic and derails, killing eight people and injuring 64 others. 2008 – The 29th modern summer Olympic Games took place in Beijing, China until August 24. 2009 – A Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil and Piper PA-32R collide over the Hudson River, killing nine people. 2010 – China Floods: A mudslide in Zhugqu County, Gansu, China, kills more than 1,400 people. 2013 – A suicide bombing at a funeral in the Pakistani city of Quetta kills at least 31 people. 2015 – Eight people are killed in a shooting in Harris County, Texas. 2022 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executes a search warrant at former president Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida. 2023 – 2023 Hawaii wildfires: 17,000 acres of land are burned and at least 101 people are killed, with two others missing, when a series of wildfires break out on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

[limorentalnyc101]

Affordable Limo Rental Brooklyn New York with Limo Rental NYC

When it comes to luxurious and reliable transportation in Brooklyn, New York, Limo Rental NYC stands out as the go-to choice for those who seek both style and substance. Our comprehensive limo rental services are designed to cater to a range of needs, from special events to everyday transportation, ensuring that every journey is an experience to remember.

Why Choose Our Brooklyn Limo Service?

1. Affordable Luxury: At Limo Rental NYC, we believe that luxury should be accessible. Our cheap limo service in New York provides you with the elegance and sophistication of a high-end limousine without the hefty price tag. Enjoy the ultimate in comfort and style while staying within your budget. Our competitive rates make it easy to indulge in a first-class transportation experience.

2. Flexible Hourly Car Service: Whether you need a ride for a few hours or an entire day. Our hourly car service New York is designed to offer flexibility and convenience. Perfect for a day of business meetings, sightseeing tours, or special occasions, our hourly rental options let you control your schedule and make the most of your time in Brooklyn and beyond.

3. Exceptional Group Transportation: Traveling with a group? Our New York group transportation services are ideal for large parties, corporate events, or family gatherings. We offer a variety of vehicles, including spacious limousines and luxury vans, to ensure that everyone travels comfortably and arrives together. Let us handle the logistics while you focus on enjoying your time with your group.

Tailored Services for Every Occasion

1. Brooklyn Limo Service: Brooklyn is a vibrant and diverse borough with a rich array of attractions and activities. Whether you're planning a night out on the town, attending a special event, or simply exploring the city/ Our Brooklyn limo service provides a stylish and comfortable way to get around. Experience the best of Brooklyn with our reliable and luxurious transportation.

2. Special Events and More: From weddings and proms to anniversaries and birthdays, our limo rental services are perfect for any special occasion. We offer customized packages to meet your specific needs, ensuring that your event is celebrated in style. Our professional chauffeurs are dedicated to making your special moments even more memorable with exceptional service and attention to detail.

Why Book with Limo Rental NYC?

1. Reliable and Professional: Our team of experienced chauffeurs is committed to providing you with the highest level of service. We pride ourselves on punctuality, reliability, and professionalism, ensuring that you reach your destination safely and on time.

2. Easy Booking Process: Booking your limo rental in Brooklyn is simple and hassle-free. Contact us at (917) 722-1119 or visit our website to reserve your vehicle. Our friendly staff is here to assist you with any questions and to help you find the perfect transportation solution for your needs.

3. Unmatched Comfort and Style: From plush seating to state-of-the-art entertainment systems, our fleet of luxury vehicles is designed to provide the ultimate in comfort and style. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, we ensure that your ride is as enjoyable as it is elegant.

Make Your Journey Unforgettable

With Limo Rental NYC, your transportation experience in Brooklyn is guaranteed to be exceptional. Whether you’re looking for a cheap limo service, flexible hourly car options, or reliable group transportation, we have the perfect solution for you. Book with us today and discover the perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and value.

Contact Limo Rental NYC at (917) 722-1119 to reserve your vehicle and experience the best or Cheap Limo Service New York. Let us take care of the details while you enjoy a seamless and memorable journey.

SOURCE: https://newyorklimoservice686394703.wordpress.com/2024/08/02/affordable-limo-rental-brooklyn-new-york-with-limo-rental-nyc/

[firstchoiceins]

Need To Buy Car Insurance in Ozone Park and Deer Park, NY

Running a small business is undoubtedly pleasing, but the business owner must focus on the associated risks and ensure profitability. Inadvertently injuring a third party or damaging its property can result in liability claims. Trying to pay compensation from the pocket can be cripplingly expensive. Instead, it is essential to consider buying general liability insurance in Queens and Brooklyn, NY, by contacting insurance agencies or individual agents.

It is interesting to note that almost all insurance providers sell this type of liability insurance plan. The best insurance agencies will provide quotes giving details of the coverage and premium rates. It is advisable to request quotes from at least three agencies to make the selection process easier. The business owner may decide to buy the insurance coverage online as well. This is possible for businesses that earn less than $1 million in revenue.

It is astounding that some agencies provide coverage at a low rate of $11. Product liability may be included as required.

Being excited about paying a low rate for a premium is not the only criterion to consider. Instead, one must check the extent of coverage that is likely to include the following:-

· Bodily Injury- The insurance company will pay for medical expenses when a business entity is found guilty of causing the injury. Slips and falls, as well as falling objects, can result in liability for the business owner.

· Property Damage- An employee responsible for damaging the customers' or visitors' property is covered by liability insurance. The agency will pay for repair costs or the damaged item/structure replacement. ​ · Personal Injury- The insurance coverage will stretch to compensation for personal injury that is not physical. The business owner can thus be absolved of libel and/or slander against a third party.

· Product liability coverage- A product the business sells may hurt the consumers/customers. The insurance coverage will kick in here, with the insurance carrier making good the loss

· Product recall- There are instances of products being recalled due to inferior quality. However, such a recall will result in heavy losses for the business owner. Thankfully, general liability insurance will cover the losses and mitigate the financial impact. This coverage is an add-on to the liability insurance and is not always included in the policy.

· Contractual liability coverage- A contractor's life is challenging as there are multiple things to consider simultaneously. One can always add this coverage to the existing insurance policy and settle all contractor-related liability claims.

The state does not mandate general liability insurance. Being covered can help a small business owner remain protected from liability claims and legal costs. A contractor is well advised to buy this type of coverage. The landlord may also make it a prerequisite for running the business from a rented site.

A self-driven vehicle is a necessity for all Americans today. Buying the right car insurance in Ozone Park and Deer Park, NY, can enable one to drive as required without considering financial risks in the aftermath of an accident or vehicle damage.

[jnrinsurance]

Big City, Big Risks: Navigating Auto Insurance in Jersey City and Brooklyn, NY

It is interesting to know that Jersey City has the 5th worst traffic congestion in the US and Brooklynites log more miles than any other borough. To keep pace with schedule, individuals often meet accidents, leaving them in lurch. In other words, driving cards in these high-risk areas can be extremely challenging. Despite the best safety measures, accidents happen. The consequences can be dangerous if car owners don’t carry adequate auto insurance in Jersey City and Brooklyn, New York. 

Driving in crowded cities is always challenging. Getting stuck in the middle of the road is a regular occurrence. Plus, seeking reimbursement from a third party for expenses feels like adding salt to the wound. Top of Form In view of these, choosing the right auto insurance is essential.

While doing so, be sure to explore several factors like location, driving history, and vehicle type. These are aspects that can have an impact on insurance premiums in Jersey City and Brooklyn. 

Plus, finding the right insurance is no easy feat. After all, they are the ones who can guide one in comparing quotes, exploring coverage options, and choosing the right insurance company for their needs. 

A Few Important Facts:

Location, location, location: Living in these high-risk areas automatically bumps up premiums. Jersey City, with its proximity to Manhattan, often sees even higher rates than Brooklyn.

Driving history whispers: Clean driving records and low mileage can bring some relief, while accidents and speeding tickets scream for higher premiums.

Vehicle vintage matters: A shiny new SUV attracts a different price tag than a well-worn sedan.

Tips for Saving Money:

For many, auto insurance is a costly proposition. But, that’s not always correct. It’s about a few tips and strategies that can help save one money. 

Shop Around: 

Never settle for a deal right away. Get quotes from multiple insurers before choosing a policy. There are thousands of insurance players in the market. Explore their products, ask for their prices, and check out the perks of their policies, and then choose the right policy that meets needs. 

Consider Usage-based Insurance: 

Usage-based insurance is a game changer. Check out offers that track driving habits and promise discounts accordingly for safe drivers. 

Bundle Policies: 

Bundling auto insurance with homeowners or renters insurance for potential savings is a good decision. 

Additional Resources: 

Include links to helpful resources, such as state insurance department websites, consumer guides, and insurance company comparison tools. 

Whether it's getting a quote, reviewing their current policy, or learning more about safe driving practices, insurance companies are all set to help. Consult expert insurance agents who can help guide in obtaining right insurance coverage for the vehicle. 

Bonus Ideas: 

Interview local insurance agents: It’s recommended to consult local insurance agents and get their insights on the specific challenges and trends in Jersey City and Brooklyn.

Check out personal stories: Meet drivers who have navigated the auto insurance landscape in these cities. Their experience and insight can be helpful in picking the right insurance solution.

Auto insurance in Jersey City and Brooklyn, New York is a necessary requirement for car owners. Driving without adequate insurance can trigger penalties and imprisonment. Right auto insurance offers significant coverage against covered perils. So, find the right insurance company and get the right insurance coverage that meets the needs and budget.

[stsvip]

Cityscape Romance: Navigating Love in the Big Apple with Wedding Transportation Services

Introduction

New York City, with its iconic skyline and vibrant energy, sets the stage for a romantic and unforgettable wedding celebration. Navigating the city's bustling streets requires careful planning, especially when it comes to transportation. In this guide, we'll explore the options available for wedding transportation services in the Big Apple, ensuring that the journey from ceremony to reception is as enchanting as the love being celebrated.

Setting the Scene: NYC Wedding Vibes

Romance Amidst the Skyscrapers Getting married in New York City means immersing oneself in the romantic atmosphere created by the city's towering skyscrapers, iconic landmarks, and diverse neighborhoods. The transportation chosen for the wedding day should complement this unique setting and add to the overall romance.

Diverse Venues, Unique Challenges NYC offers an array of wedding venues, each with its own charm and character. From historic brownstones to trendy rooftop spaces, couples have a myriad of options. Navigating the city's diverse wedding venues requires thoughtful consideration of transportation logistics and the specific needs of the wedding party and guests.

Options for Wedding Transportation in NYC

Classic Cars and Vintage Charm Classic cars, adorned with ribbons and flowers, add a touch of vintage charm to a New York City wedding. Whether it's a convertible from a bygone era or a sleek vintage Rolls-Royce, these vehicles provide a romantic and timeless mode of transportation for the bride and groom.

Elegant Limousines Limousines have long been associated with luxury and sophistication. In the context of a NYC wedding, a stretch limo offers not only a spacious and comfortable ride but also an opportunity for the bridal party to share in the excitement and joy of the day.

Horse-Drawn Carriages in Central Park For a fairytale entrance or a romantic ride through Central Park, horse-drawn carriages are a quintessential choice. The clip-clop of hooves and the enchanting scenery create a magical atmosphere, perfect for couples seeking a romantic and picturesque transportation option.

Modern and Chic Transportation NYC's contemporary vibe is well-suited for modern and chic transportation options. This may include luxury sedans, sleek SUVs, or even stylish electric vehicles. Modern transportation adds a touch of sophistication and complements the city's cosmopolitan flair.

Navigating the Wedding Day Logistics

Ceremony to Reception Transitions One of the challenges of a NYC wedding is the transition from the ceremony to the reception venue. The chosen transportation service should be equipped to navigate through city traffic efficiently, ensuring that the wedding party arrives promptly at the reception and that the celebration continues seamlessly.

Guest Transportation Considering the convenience of guests is essential, especially in a city where many attendees may not be familiar with the logistics of getting around. Coordinating guest transportation from hotels to the ceremony and reception venues ensures a stress-free experience for everyone involved.

Photography Pitstops NYC offers a plethora of iconic locations for wedding photographs, from Times Square to the Brooklyn Bridge. A well-planned transportation itinerary should allow for pitstops at these picturesque locations, capturing the essence of the city in the wedding album.

Personalizing the Transportation Experience

Custom Decor and Signage Personalization is key to creating a memorable wedding experience. Many transportation services allow couples to customize the vehicles with decorations, signage, and even monograms. Adding personal touches enhances the visual appeal and makes the transportation experience uniquely theirs.

Entertainment on Wheels Some couples opt for entertainment on wheels to keep the celebration going between venues. This could include a musical ensemble, a DJ, or even a mobile bar. Entertainment on wheels adds an element of festivity and fun to the transportation portion of the wedding day.

Choosing a Theme Couples may choose to align their transportation with the overall theme of the wedding. Whether it's a vintage-themed wedding with a classic car or a modern and chic celebration with a sleek limousine, the chosen transportation should seamlessly integrate with the overall aesthetic of the wedding.

Tips for a Smooth Wedding Transportation Experience

Book in Advance Given the demand for wedding transportation service New York, it's advisable to book well in advance. This ensures availability, especially during peak wedding seasons, and allows for ample time to discuss and customize the transportation plan.

Communication with the Transportation Provider Clear communication with the chosen transportation provider is crucial. Discussing the specific needs, itinerary, and any customization options ensures that everyone is on the same page, contributing to a smooth and stress-free transportation experience.

Consider Logistics and Timings NYC traffic can be unpredictable, and considering logistics and timings is essential. Building in buffer times for potential delays and planning the transportation itinerary with realistic timeframes ensures that the wedding day stays on schedule.

Conclusion

Navigating the cityscape of New York on your wedding day is a romantic journey that deserves careful consideration and planning. The transportation chosen sets the tone for the day and contributes to the overall experience. Whether it's a classic car, an elegant limousine, or a charming horse-drawn carriage, NYC offers a plethora of options to match the unique preferences of each couple. By understanding the options available, considering the logistics of the day, and adding personal touches to the transportation experience, couples can create a wedding day that truly reflects their love amidst the city's enchanting backdrop. Cheers to a cityscape romance and a memorable journey into marital bliss!