#backup despite trying to be an honest man is afraid of vulnerability as well. he stubbornly refuses to express love towards certain people-

[buttercup-barf]

Under the cut are mostly self-insert doodles of decreasing quality. Again, not much directly tied to Team Fortress 2. Might as well toss these out while I have no access to my puter. Much yapping under the cut and in the tags incoming.

Another self-insert, this time less of a "here's me as a tenth class" and more of a "here's my game experiences translated into the class I would take the place of". The Cleaner. Although I guess they could still be wearing either suit. It doesn't matter that much.

That one Convict's Case taunt with Backup would be extremely funny, because the man would be on the verge of a breakdown (he does not want to go to jail so bad you have no idea). The second image- I owe no explanation. You know what I am. You see the pattern with my favourites.

The duality of the man. Resting face versus "just heard you express interest in religion/Russian folklore" face. He's not that hard to make friends with, when you pull him away from all the explosions.

Some doodles of trying to figure his face out. Unfortunately, the more I stare at him, the more I worry that he looks like A Certain Guy With The Last Name "Kazarin", and the fear of never being original in my life caught up to me.

Don't look at me, don't perceive me, I refuse to explain any of my actions to you.

[black-mistress-of-evil]

Hey! Can I request a Bucky x Reader where Bucky gets hurt during a mission and the reader is there to take care of him? Maybe he’s caught of guard by this because he hasn’t had someone take care of him in a long time? Feel free to do whatever you want with this!! Thank you so much and I can’t wait to read it 💕

Bucky Barnes x Reader

A/N Thanks so much for the request @thighs-of-betrayal-blog this was so fun to write! Sorry it took so long! I swear every time I get the motivation to write my life gets crazy. But here it is, hopefully it’s a little bit what you hoped for and if it isn’t I hope you enjoy it anyways haha 💜

Warnings: FLUFFY FLUFF; angst if you squint; very very brief canon level violence; a minute of mutually pining idiots

Word count: approx 2.3k

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (he uses the endearment “doll” but other than that reader is gender neutral)

Why Do You Care?

“Bucky stop being so stubborn and let me see!”

You were standing in the living room of the safe house Bucky had dragged you into, hands on your hips glaring down at the super soldier on the couch. He was avoiding your gaze, staring a hole in the wall to your left, and had his arms folded across his chest. He looked to you more like a pouting child than a 100+ year old ex-assassin/current Avenger and if you weren’t so frustrated with him you’d probably giggle at the sight.

The mission had been a success. Sort of. You and Bucky had been sent in to steal sensitive files from an abandoned Hydra base. Which you managed to do. But it ended up being less than abandoned and without any backup the fight out was a rough one. Just as the two of you were finally getting out, covered in blood and bruises, Bucky had grabbed your arm and shoved you into a crouch, bending himself over you protectively as a shot rang out. He grunted out in pain and you leaned around his frame to send a bullet straight into the skull of the Hydra agent who’d been stupid enough not to stay down. You’d tried, then, to make sure Bucky was okay but he wasted no time in hauling you back up and out into the night. His hand slipped down your arm to clasp yours and he didn’t let go until you were safely within the walls of the safe house. The more the two of you had run the more obvious it became that he was hurt but he ignored you asking about it.

Now that he’d made sure the safe house was secure and reported back to Steve what had happened and where you were, he couldn’t avoid you anymore. But he could ignore you and he was trying his damnedest to do so.

“M’fine.” He grumbled at you for probably the third time in as many minutes, shifting to turn his injured side away from you as if that would make you go away.

“Bucky I know you’re not fine so why won’t you just let me see so I can help?” The cuteness of his pout was wearing off as your patience was wearing thin. “Do you not trust me or something??”

Bucky’s eyes snapped up to yours then, his heart rate rising as he saw the concern there. He did trust you. More than he trusted himself most days. Hell he was in love with you. But you were way too good for him, too full of light, and you’d never be interested in someone like him. He’d only ruin you anyways. But when he looked into your eyes he couldn’t stand the flash of hurt he saw when you asked that question.

“Course I do doll...I trust ya...” his voice was hoarse and he tried taking a deep breath to clear his throat but it sent pain shooting through him and he groaned, pressing his hand to the still bleeding wound in his side.

“Buck....” your tone was softer now as you took a step closer. You thought for a second that he was going to let you check on his injury but the moment your hands reached for him he shot up, ignoring the pain, and pushed past you into the bathroom while mumbling about not needing help.

You roll your eyes and sigh as the bathroom door slams shut behind him. Ever since you’d met the quiet soldier when he joined the Avengers he’d swung back and forth between pushing you away and pulling you in closer. He always volunteered to be partnered with you and you worked well together but he’d refuse to spar with you. He liked helping you cook for team dinners but always declined your invitations to go out for lunch. During movie nights he only ever sat beside you or, if someone beat him there, he’d sit on the floor and lean against your legs even if there was an empty seat by someone else, but he wouldn’t join you when you were binge watching your favourite show alone. You couldn’t figure him out but the more you tried to the more you fell for him. It had been agony for you to want him knowing he could never see you as more than a teammate and friend. Regardless of how many times his behaviour had made it clear he wasn’t interested in you that way, you couldn’t help it. You loved him. And if that remained unrequited the rest of your life then so be it, you were that gone for him.

And so, despite his insistence that he didn’t need your help, you found yourself trailing after him towards the bathroom. You pressed your ear to the door and could hear him shuffling around, pulling out a first aid kit, and then gasping in obvious pain.

“Bucky? Open the door and let me in? Please? I want to help...I want to take care of you, you just have to let me....” you pause, waiting for a response, and notice that all the sounds on the other side of the door have ceased.

“Buck? Please, I care about you...let me...” your voice is lower, almost a whisper now, and you wait another few painfully silent seconds before hearing a long sigh from the other side of the door. When it cracks open, your eyes meet his piercingly blue ones and you nearly crumble at the uncertainty you see there.

“Can I come in, Buck?” You ask gently and he hesitates for only a second before nodding and opening the door wider. You step inside and motion for him to sit on the edge of the counter for you and he quickly obeys.

“You’re gonna have to take your shirt off for me to see, Buck.” You say gently, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He grunts in acknowledgement and begins pulling his black tee up, hissing as he raises his arms causing a tug to his injury. Without a second thought, you reach forward and help maneuver his shirt the rest of the way off, dropping it to the side as he brings his arms back down. As other times in the past when you’ve seen him shirtless, you can’t help but let your eyes travel across his firm chest and toned abdomen, drinking him in until you raise your eyes to his and realize he’s watching you. You quickly avert your gaze, your ears burning at having been caught ogling him, so you miss the way his lips curl into a smirk. Focusing your attention onto his side you gasp at the large gash there still slowly leaking blood.

“Not that bad, doll.”

“James Buchanan Barnes! Just because its not life-threatening does not mean that it’s ‘not that bad’. Dammit Buck why wouldn’t you let me help you take care of this as soon as we got here?!” You huff as you grab some antibacterial cloths and begin cleaning the wound, ignoring his hiss as you do so.

“M’sorry, doll...it’s just...haven’t really had anyone take care of me in...well since before the war to be honest. Got used to taking care of myself...used to not having anyone care.” Bucky’s voice is barely a whisper and you have to strain to listen to him. He’s never been so vulnerable with you and you want to make the most of however long he’s going to let this moment last. When its clear he’s waiting for you to say something you reach one hand up to softly cup his cheek and turn him to face you.

“I care. I care so much, Buck. You just have to let me.” You try to put all your emotions into your gaze, desperate for him to see that he doesn’t have to be alone and that he is loved and cared about. He sighs and leans into your hand more, raising his own to rest on your hip.

“Why?”

He spoke so quietly you’re not sure you heard him and raise an eyebrow to ask him to repeat himself, too afraid of breaking the spell that seems to have fallen over the two of you to speak.

“Why do you care so much, doll? Why me? I’m not...I’m not worth it.”

This is it. The chance to tell him how you feel. If he rejects you that’s fine, you decide. Even if he doesn’t return your feelings at least he will know that he is loved and that’s enough for you right now. Your heart feels like it may burst as you weigh your response carefully.

“You, Bucky, are so worthy of all the care in the world. You went through hell and back a million times over and came out the other side a kind, thoughtful, sweet, considerate, gentle, loving man. The world tried to break all of that out of you but you are too strong and too GOOD. The world owes you and if I could wrap up all the love that exists in it and give it to you I would. But I’ve only got mine so that’s what I’ll give you.”

Dropping your hand from his face to his shoulder, you hold your breath as Bucky’s eyes stare into yours as though searching for something. He tightens his grip on your waist, before finally breaking the heavy silence, his voice at least an octave lower.

“You’ll....give me...your love...?” Bucky is the strongest man you know and yet you have never heard him sound so timid and unsure in all the time you’ve known him. He looks so hopeful and scared and you can’t help the confession bursting from your lips.

“Yes Bucky! I will. I already have. It’s yours. I-I love you.” You take a deep breath before continuing, rambling now. “And I don’t expect to you to return my feelings and I hope I haven’t ruined our friendship because that would just kill me nothing has to change between us I just needed you to know that—mmph—“

You’re cut off by Bucky’s lips connecting with yours, his hands cupping your face, thumbs rubbing gently across your cheekbones. The kiss is gentle, careful, almost tentative at first. But then your arms snake around his neck and one of his hands makes its way into your hair and it becomes passionate and desperate. Bucky pulls you between his thighs so you are flush against him and the feeling of his taut muscles against you makes you moan. Your hands lift to tangle in his hair and tug gently as he runs his tongue along your bottom lip, practically begging for entrance which you immediately grant. He growls into the kiss as he explores every inch of your mouth with his tongue, his hands roaming all across your body, pulling you impossibly closer as you arch into him needing to feel him. He stands suddenly, pushing you back a couple of steps until you are pinned between his body and the wall. You gasp for air and he moves his lips along your jaw, down your neck, and then back up to press another searing kiss against your lips before resting his forehead against yours as he tries to catch his own breath. Your chests rise and fall together and he rubs his nose against yours before placing another tender, gentle kiss on the corner of your mouth.

“Sorry....couldn’t help myself...” Bucky manages to tell you between gasps for air.

“Never apologize for THAT...” you giggle and the vibrations of his chuckle against your chest make you feel lightheaded as he leans back to look you in the eye, cupping your cheek tenderly.

“I love you.” He sounds sure. Confident. Like nothing in the world could be more true than that statement. You can’t help the ridiculously giddy grin that splits your face as you tug his face back to yours for another kiss, which he smiles into.

Once you come down from your highs a little bit you manage to coax him back to his spot on the counter and you continue cleaning his injury and stitching him up though it takes much longer now as Bucky keeps distracting you. He plants kisses to your nose, your shoulder, your neck, your cheek, your forearm, basically any part of you that comes close enough to his lips. When you finally finish, you let your hands run along his muscles as you rub your nose against his and kiss him deeply, gently biting his bottom lip eliciting a sound from him that turns your insides completely upside down.

Before you can say or do anything else, the front door opens with a crash and Bucky grabs you and shoves you behind him protectively as he peeks out into the front room to assess the threat.

“Dammit punk! What’re you breaking down the door for?! I thought you were a hostile! Why didn’t you just call and say you were here??!” You sigh in relief at Bucky’s nickname for Steve and move to peer over his shoulder at the Captain as the two super soldiers glare at each other.

“I’ve been calling for several minutes! You didn’t answer! I thought you were in danger, jerk!”

“Sorry, Steve! We were...distracted. Bucky needed stitches.” You quickly apologize and give an excuse in case Bucky isn’t comfortable saying anything yet since you hadn’t exactly taken the time to talk yet. But he just turns to face you and smirks as he tugs you to him for one more kiss before reaching around you to grab his shirt and pull it on.

“Ya. We were pretty damn distracted. Didn’t really appreciate the interruption, punk!” Bucky chuckles and can’t help the grin that has been plastered on his face since you told him you love him. Your cheeks flush as he puts an arm around your shoulder, guiding you to Steve who is looking between you and Bucky with a happy, almost proud, look on his face.

“It’s about damn time, you two! Now, who made the first move? I need to know if I owe Sam $50 or not.”

[svtegg]

sebongies and the taeyeon songs they remind me of:

seungcheol: gravity. gravity is about finding solace, finding something to hold on to even through the hardest of storms. i firmly believe seungcheol has had to learn this the hard way, and because of this gravity reminds me so much of him. ive also personally found such a warm and safe place in the group he has lead and fronted to where they are today. he will never know how much strength i’ve gained from him, how much he has been the gravity pulling me back down to earth in those especially hard times. the song also has this hopeful and nostalgic feel, which i feels fits him. it sounds sort of like an anthem for us hopeless introverted romantics that find solace in the small gestures of affection and love. just saying i would also die for seungkwan to cover this song.

jeonghan: i am all ears. i feel like jeonghan is definitely seventeens anchor. he grounds them and guides them, in a way much different from how seungcheol does. cheol is their leader, their frontman and main man. jeonghan works the sidelines. he knows all the members inside out, easily knows all the little details about the other 12 boys, what their favorite food is or what snacks they like, what their habits are and what gets them the most frustrated. it’s a silent type of support, almost like a parent or an older sibling or relative. that silent looking out for your friends that’s almost not noticed. just like this song he’s a comforting presence in svt that always offers a hand to hold, a ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on anytime of day or night while still keeping everything lighthearted and honest. this song is actually one of my most beloved songs, the lyrics and the melody is just so comforting and i feel so safe when i listen to it and i feel that’s the kind of feeling jeonghan gives off too..

joshua: 11:11. now this song is probably my all time favorite kpop songs. period. the whole vibe of the song just screams joshua to me. the simple guitar instrumental, the plucking line, the soft percussion in the background and the effortless yet beautiful vocals that softly blends in with all the other elements. it’s a simple and beautiful song, the lyrics reflecting sadness for missing and happiness for experiencing the past, which i feel is such a joshua thing to say.. i might be over analyzing him with this though, and to be honest most of the reason why i chose this song for josh is because i want to hear him sing it, it just fits him so perfectly. a slow, simple and soft track with some sweet guitar and bittersweet lyrics sung in a soft and breathy voice. it’s just so him!!

jun: time lapse. time lapse is easily one of my favorite taeyeon songs. it holds this childish and naive undertone with such serious and beautiful lyrics about growing up and realizing life maybe isn’t what you once thought, yet still seeing the beauty in everything you’ve experienced throughout your life, and despite the hardships and the traumas you’re still able to move forward and try again. i feel like it reflects junhuis personality very well. he’s a very reflective, thoughtful, headstrong, stubborn and smart person, yet he manages to keep this amazing and childish happiness and naiveness to him that i hope he never ever looses.

soonyoung: find me. find me is such a strong song, conveying a message of making your own path, flyging as high as your wings will take you and youll find what youre looking for. it’s a little ambitious, very headstrong and fierce. even though soonyoung may not be precieved as the most fierce or ambitious member, i feel like he’s definitely one of the few in seventeen who has the most self discipline, the most ambitious ideas, the most headstrong mindset and definitely a fierce working ethic. he definitely has his insecurities, as we all do, and this song is almost like a self reassuring anthem telling yourself that no matter what you’ll be fine as long as you keep going forward. which i feel very much reflects him and his values as a person.

wonwoo: city love. i feel like wonwoo is 100% a hopeless romantic at heart. at the same time he’s very simplistic and almost brutally realistic, and i feel like i could definitely connect with him on that..despite this i still imagine that he has this very special ability to see beauty in ordinary everyday objects and things. like the reflections of lights in a puddle or the way the morning fog wraps along the tallest skyscrapers. which is exactly what city love is about. the line; “To me, the things that were meaningless before meeting you, Become new every day” gives me major wonu energy.

jihoon: feel so fine. this song i picked out just because of the lyrics. it’s obviously a beautiful song in itself, but i feel the lyrics hit especially as a song that maybe reflects a bit of the inner conflicts jihoon has endured and learned from. it starts out a little helpless, wondering how you got to this place, what happened, why can’t i be the way i wish i was and then later realizing you’re okay, you’re fine and realizing you’re living in the world you once only dreamed of. i feel especially because of how jihoon opened up about how he felt responsible for seventeens success, he felt accountable for whether or not seventeen would be a hit, if they would make it or not. and now he’s produced a three times platinum, critically acclaimed, award winning, bonsang awarded album. look at you now jihoon, look how high you’re flying. (he also mentioned in hit the road that he no longer feels this obligation and i think that is because of the growth he and the rest for the guys have experienced through these 5 years)

minghao: wine. minghao has this quality about him. he just seems like he’s experienced the world before. he’s an old soul, poetic to an extent yet such a realist. and this song is about loving the memories of a painful love and despite the hardships realizing the beauty of heartbreak. it’s poetically and beautifully heartbreaking, which i feel reflects minghao very well. especially the way taeyeon sings ‘my vintage love’ over and over and the entire feeling in the track..it’s just very minghao. idk how to explain it

mingyu: do you love me. this pick has nothing to do with lyrics, which is kinda funny because this is one of the first kind of cliche love songs on the list i think. the biggest reason why i picked this is because i feel like mingyu would actually enjoy listening to this song, i feel like it’s very mingyu-esque. a soft jazzy ballad with sweet lyrics and gorgeous backup vocals. the lyrics of course coincidentally also convey a message of a newly fallen in love person who hopes the other also feels the same way. which is such a puppylove type song, so much to the point that it makes chills run down my back in excitement. just the feeling you get when you’re newly in love i guess....

seokmin: fire. this may get some of the sonecarats out there confused. because fire is such a heartbreakingly sad song. it’s mostly about a love that’s not good for you. a fire eating you up from the inside and leaving nothing but ash. about feeling alone. but i honestly believe seokmin is one of the boys in seventeen with the most worries, the most internal pushes and pulls. i definitely feel like seokmin is a person who feels his emotions very strongly no matter if they’re happy or sad. i also honestly believe he is his own worst critic, and i wish for nothing else than for him to realize the immense talent and charisma he holds, how much of a fire he is on the outside. how much he shines and how far his warmth reaches. he’s such a star.

vernon: curtain call. this is probably one of taeyeons songs i feel is the most neutral in the feeling it gives me. it has a sort of happy yet sad quality that is kinda hard to come across. i feel like this song is mostly about being okay with how things have turned out, to say goodbye with a smile and remember the good times. and then when we meet again we’ll prepare to smile again. it’s a very calm, reflected and reasonable song which i feel is some of the core personality traits vernon possesses. i don’t think he’s neutral in the sense that he doesn’t feel things, he’s just a person who makes every situation the best it can be, which i think is in all honestly a great way to live.

seungkwan: here i am. this song is so incredibly heartbreaking. it explains the difficulty in showing your true self, masking your real feelings with happiness, smiles and laughs. being afraid of being vulnerable, yet knowing your true raw unfiltered self is just as beautiful and strong as the ideal self you show to everyone. i think seungkwan has definitely had some inner conflict with being labeled the funny one, the mood maker and the jokester of the group. there’s no way that’s not been a chip on his shoulder sometimes, and i think he’s definitely fallen more comfortably now as he’s started to grow to be more secure of himself. i hope he knows just how much carats love every side of him, not just the funny mood maker but also the seungkwan that talks about his mom and cries and the seungkwan that explains his feelings and gets angry and frustrated, the insecure and the tired. everything.

chan: i’m ok. this song is about fighting back, not taking any bullshit. giving back exactly what you got. just ignoring all the people wasting your time and following your dreams and believing in yourself to the fullest. i feel especially this line is full of lee chan energy:

“This ambiguous and lukewarm something. I don’t like playing games of push and pull. No thanks baby”..

it’s also a very sexy and powerful song, i feel like despite this technically being a pop ballad, if jihoon just remixed it slightly and chan maybe wrote a little rap verse for one of the verses it could easily have been a chan solo song, with such a strong and stand-alone type message it fits his personality perfectly. i definitely feel like chan is one of the people in the group who has full awareness of his abilities and how far he can push said abilities. he doesn’t bullshit when it really comes down to it.

[kienova66]

If you are still taking prompts.... Fitzsimmons where one of them is/was/pretends to be a sex worker?

Hope this is okay Anon. I’m sure this theme will pop up again somewhere in my writing in the future ;)

“Y-you want me to do what?” Jemma croaked, eyes wide as Coulson and May looked at her. “Surely Skye –”

“Skye isn’t trained for this, Simmons. Not at all,” May replied, voice level as she regarded the younger woman with trepidation. “Frankly, I don’t think you’re qualified for it either, but I don’t fit the age bracket and we don’t have the resources to call in reinforcements.”

“Jemma. You’ll do fine,” Coulson interjected, laying a calming hand on Jemma’s arm as she looked about the room, panic suffusing every fibre of her being. “We’ll be there every step if the way through the comms. As soon as you see the guy, you say the code word, and we’ll come in. Fitz and Ward will be on the ground as backup as well in case you run into any trouble.”

“O-okay,” Jemma muttered, unable to get her cheeks to stop flushing as she went to stand up.

“Have Skye take you shopping. I don’t think we have anything on the Bus that would work for this,” he added, watching Jemma quickly flee from the room.

“Do you really think its good to have an agent that can’t lie, let alone flirt, pretending to be a prostitute?” May queried, leaning against the wall and giving Coulson a hard glare.

“Its like you said. Skye isn’t trained or qualified for anything like this and, while I think you look timeless, Jemma is more like the typical victim. She looks younger than she is and gives off an air of honest naivety – its exactly what the guy has been going for,” he replied. “We’ll keep close to her. She’s going to be fine.”

--

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Jemma panicked, fingers digging into Skye’s forearm as the other woman picked up one dress after another, frowning and shaking her head before putting them back.

“You’ll be fine. Just act sexy, like you’ve got something they want, and guys will flock to you. It won’t be that hard,” Skye assured her, grabbing for an extremely low-cut top and cocking her head to the side.

“But… what if they… what if someone is willing to pay? Do I… do I have to go through with it?” The question was posed so timidly that Skye felt like she had been punched in the stomach.

“Jesus, Simmons, no!” Skye erupted, dropping the clothes she was holding and turning to face the biochemist. “The minute someone wants to take you somewhere, one of us will step in. Ward will get them away from you or if it starts getting crazy Coulson and May will jump it. You do not have to sleep with anyone. Ew.”

“I don’t know if I can do this… I’m not exactly like you, Skye. I’m not… confident.”

“We are gonna doll you up and I will give you a couple pick-up lines to practice which I have found on the internet just for this occasion and you’re going to do great,” Skye insisted, grabbing for an outfit she had picked. “Now, what do you think about this?”

--

Jemma fidgeted, trying not to look out of place as she leaned against the brick wall, desperately trying to keep her balance on the too-tall heels she was wearing. Skye had insisted that she needed them, as well as the much-too revealing top and barely-there skirt that rode so far up her thighs she was worried that everyone would be able to see her knickers. May had debriefed her more than once about what their suspect looked like and what her protocol was if the man showed up.

Anytime someone approached her that wasn’t him, she was supposed to tell them she was waiting on someone. If the john wouldn’t listen, Ward or Fitz would come and intervene, pretending to be the person she was waiting for. Ward had seemed more than calm with the mission, gun tucked into the waistband of his pants underneath his jacket as he sauntered down the street. Fitz, on the other hand, was pale and jumpy, unable to meet her eyes before he had gone in the opposite direction to Ward, leaving May and Skye in one surveillance van while Coulson stationed himself in a nearby restaurant.

“Hey pretty girl,” a man grinned, leaning over the passenger seat in his car and calling out the window. Jemma felt sick at the attention, trying not to let her revulsion at his leer show on her face.

“Hey,” she said, pushing off the wall and moving just a tiny bit closer so that she could see his face. It wasn’t him.

“How do you feel about going for a ride?” the man queried.

“I’m afraid I’m waiting on someone,” she replied, giving him a fake pout. The man chuckled.

“Your loss sugar,” he said, pulling away from the curb and travelling further down the block where Jemma could see a small group of women gathered together, hooting and hollering in a way to get the attention of passing drivers. She let out a sigh of relief, moving back to sag against the wall once again. She could feel her hands trembling at her sides, hoping that every interaction she had to endure that night would be as easily thwarted.

“You’re doing great Simmons,” Skye’s voice said in t ear, as if the woman could sense her intense and suffocating discomfort.

“Thanks,” she murmured quietly.

The next few interactions went in a similar fashion, only one of the men hurling a rude slur at her before he drove off, leaving Jemma feeling vulnerable and cold as she tried to tug the pathetic excuse for a coat further around her body. A commotion came over the comms then, Ward swearing as he started talking to someone else. Jemma winced, trying to ignore the feedback in her ear as a man started walking towards her.

“Fitz,” she breathed, heart starting to hammer in her chest. There was something about the man that made her uneasy as he passed through the hoops of illumination on the sidewalk that the street lamps provided, his face dark and expression commanding. Instead of reply she could hear steps hastening.

“Hey baby,” the man said, stopping a mere foot from her the second he could. He propped an arm up beside her head, boxing her in.

“Hi,” Jemma answered, hoping her voice didn’t betray the dread that filled her stomach when she realised it was the man they had been waiting for.

“Haven’t seen you here before. And I’d remember. Tits like that, they’re just begging to be fucked,” he grinned. Jemma struggled against a bush at such a lewd comment. “How much for the night?”

“Sorry, I’m waiting for someone,” she managed to choke out, feeling sweat break out along the small of her back.

“I’ll double what he’s paying you,” the man insisted, stroking a hand along her face before grabbing at her breast, squeezing it. Jemma squirmed away, nausea rising in her throat. “Pretty little slut like you. Bet you get a lot of customers wanting a piece of your ass.”

“Maybe. B-but I always honour my word. The other guy just had to go to an ATM,” she bit back, relief flooding through her when she saw Fitz round the corner. “Poor thing, bet he’s never had a woman before. Took him forever just to ask me my name,” she rushed, hoping her explanation would cover her insecurity. She wondered how angry Fitz would be with her for making such a comment, but didn’t manage to settle on the thought long.

“I-I’ve got it,” Fitz panted, holding up a wad of money in his hand, eyes wild and cheeks crimson.

“Maybe I’ll see you later,” she said. “After all, the night is still young.” The words were the cue for May and Coulson to move in, but she received no confirmation over her earpiece. “Come on babe,” she said, taking Fitz’s hand and tugging him along the road.

“Babe?” he asked, voice tight.

“Sorry.”

They continued down the street in silence, trying to make their way to the restaurant a few blocks over where Coulson was waiting, their planned rendezvous the tiny little apartment that was for let above the storefront. Jemma felt jumpy, her body shivering in the cold.

“D’you want my coat?” Fitz queried, immediately shrugging out of it and laying it over her shoulders before she could answer, edging closer to his side the second it was in place.

“Fitz, I think he’s following us,” Jemma hissed, feeling her heartbeat increasing as they walked down the street, his arm curled around her back. She could practically hear him swallow, eyes darting around the road as footsteps echoed behind them. She knew he wanted to glance back to check, but he kept his eyes forward.

“I’m… I’m going to touch you. Just… just to make him think this is what he thinks it is,” Fitz murmured, voice cracking slightly. Before she could retort or ask what he was going to do, she felt his hand slide down her back and settle on her arse, palming the flesh. The heat of his hand permeated through the thin fabric of her skirt, his pinky landing directly on the skin of her upper thigh. “Christ,” he groaned, gritting his teeth. Jemma laughed awkwardly, feeling her cheeks flush at his touch as she leaned into him, chancing a tiny look over his shoulder.

“He’s still coming. Where the hell is Ward?” she whispered. Fitz could feel the agitation in how tense her muscles were, even as she pressed herself just a little bit closer, seeking the comfort of being with someone who knew her completely.

“Jem… I don’t know if he’s going to leave us until he thinks…” he didn’t need to finish the sentence, knowing from how she inhaled that she understood. “I might… I mean, I think I need to –”

“Okay,” she replied, resting her forehead against his neck for a second just as they rounded a corner, an alleyway just a little further ahead. Before she knew what was happening, Fitz had crowded her into the darkened alley, backing her into the wall and bracketing his hands by her face.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, barely a second passing before he slanted his lips over hers, one hand sliding down until he could wrap it around her hip, stepping into her space. Jemma couldn’t help the tiny moan that slipped out of her at the contact, her fingers tangling in his hair as she held him against her, heart pounding. Despite the terror that was running through her at the prospect that their suspect was still so close, she couldn’t help but get lost in the feeling.

Seconds passed and Fitz didn’t pull away, his hand moving from her hip to her thigh until he could tug her against him, letting her leg come to wrap around his hip as his fingers dug into the bare skin of her leg, their pelvises pressed together as he pushed her a little harder into the wall. Jemma felt herself starting to get light headed as Fitz’s tongue started to plunder her mouth.

“Please,” she whimpered, unable to stop herself from rolling her hips slightly against him. She felt more than heard his groan in response, his arousal pressing against her at the friction between them. She would be lying if she said she had never wondered what it would be like to kiss her best friend; the thought only creeping in during the darkness of the night when she was alone in her bunk, body thrumming with left over adrenalin and rushing with arousal.

Bang.

The sound of an ICER going off jolted them away from each other, Fitz backing away so fast he nearly stumbled over a discarded crate as Jemma hastily tried to comb her hands through her hair, May standing at the entrance of the alley with a stern expression on her face.

“Get back to the van,” she said, voice brokering no argument as the scientists quickly nodded, ducking back out onto the street and hastening towards the car. Jemma glanced over at Fitz, noticing his slightly awkward gait as she tried not to teeter over on her heels.

“A-are we going to talk about what happened?” Jemma asked quietly. Fitz looked over at her, his expression pained and sheepish.

“Do you want to?” he queried, his cheeks stained red with a blush. Heart in her throat, she nodded, unable to quell the new feelings that his lips and tongue had sparked in her body. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she desperately wanted to find out.  

“Yeah. I think I do.”