#bee bar

[bejahimself]

@bejahimself

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 3: Honey Trap

From: You Catch More Bees With Honey Series

Pairing: Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader

Summary: A Farmer’s Market and Pouring out your heart over a beer leads to Bucky learning more about his favorite mysterious farmer

Content/warnings: mentions of previous heartbreak and descriptions, a surprising amount of crying/near-crying, soft mobster Bucky, Heartless Jake, Creepy Cole, mentions of blood/period (not graphic and should be normalized because this happens to me all the time and I know I’m not alone in that), excessive drinking and lowkey alcoholism, cowboy hat rule, mutual pining and reluctance towards that, y/n used like three times

Word Count: 5,295

A/N: I didn’t mean for this chapter to be this long, but also, I definitely meant for it to be this long. Sorry for making dear, wonderful, Jake Jensen out to be a bad guy, and NOT sorry for making Cole Turner a creep. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are SUPER appreciated. Thank you for reading, I love you *gives forehead kiss*

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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Bucky knew lots of languages. Country was not one of them. You would think it would be, with how many arms purchasers were from the south, but he kept his dealings with those folk as short and formal as possible. It was better for his sanity and everyone else that way.

He’d been running into a lot of country folk today, helping you run this farmer’s market out of one of your barns. Half of his conversations with people were full of twangy words and phrases he didn’t understand, so he just lightly laughed, hoping that was the right response. The other half were children, asking him what the bump was on the side of his head, the result of the bee incident earlier this week. Before, it was slightly swollen and red, but it was nearly back to normal. Darn kids have keen eyes, though, and no shame. He’d just about had enough. These people were too polite, besides their annoying children. Lucky for him, though, he’d sold off the last of the turnip greens, and his cash box was full, so he made his way over to you at the stand holding the freshly jarred honey you’d successfully, and he’d not-so-successfully harvested earlier in the week. It was just in time to catch the tail end of a conversation he saw you were having with a slightly older woman.

“You’re like our very own honeybee”

“Oh please, Mrs. Jensen, you know the bees do all the work. I just put it in a jar”

“You’re too modest, dear. My Jakey says no one makes sweeter honey than you. I always tell him to come back and help if he loves it that much, but it seems he’s too late now. Looks like you’ve got yourself a new farm hand who’s easy on the eyes”

Bucky glanced up at her through his eyelashes with his signature smirk, raising to a stand from setting the empty turnip green crate at your feet. “Well you know what they say, honeybees don’t work alone. And their hard work makes the world go round.”

For some reason unbeknownst to him, Bucky slung his hand over your shoulder. Was it jealousy he was feeling? Possessiveness? Why, he didn’t own you and he promised himself he wouldn’t fall, physically or metaphorically (although it was far too late physically, and he didn’t want to think about how close he truly was metaphorically). Plus, it’s not like he was having the best time right now. This whole week was a nightmare, and the only reason he was in a decent mood was from seeing your smile as you interacted with the town’s folk today. You were a person of the people, in juxtaposition to how Bucky was often only looking out for himself. So why did the mention of Jakey make this feel necessary and why did it feel so right? Either way, he was proud of you and your hard work and the way it made people beam as bright as Mrs. Jensen. But he’d never say that. Where he’s from, hard work is expected and definitely not praised, although not nearly as manual. But seeing all the effort for that couple jars of honey made him question if the work he was even doing was that hard. Maybe he’d been away from the city too long and was losing perspective. Yeah. That had to be it.

“Well, either way, bless y’all’s heart for putting in the work. I’ll tell Jake you say hello.”

You and Bucky both waved goodbye.

“Well how about it Honeybee, Jakey appreciates all your hard work” he smirked, but watched the smile slide off your face.

“Try telling me that with our awful breakup years ago” you shrugged off with a small chuckle, but Bucky could see the light drain out of your eyes a little. He had obviously struck a nerve, but didn’t want to push farther, at least not now when there were still a few customers aimlessly shopping around for the last bits of produce left. Maybe he’d catch you once the two of you were alone.

You turned away from him to hide your grimace. Thinking back to that whole situation with Jake, on top of serving others all morning had completely drained you and it was quickly catching up.

“Um, why don’t you finish cleaning up the rest of the empty crates after you ask those last few people how you can help them with anything” you waved off Bucky back towards the other end of the barn, head down, starting to look through the cash box he had handed you. You waited until you could hear his receding footsteps on the hay floor to sniffle and take a deep breath. Bucky had keen ears, though, and hesitated hearing your sigh, before he continued on, giving you your chance to regroup. He had never seen you like this before, you were normally chipper and full of energy, often a little too much for his liking, but luckily it was Friday, and after he closed these deals, you both were home free.

Bucky quickly helped the last few stragglers take their rather large haul back to their car. An older man and woman who owned the bar in town had come to get some fresh vegetables for their salads, and Bucky convinced them to take the lot with his charm. That, and he wanted to make sure he didn’t have to carry them all the way back to storage. That was a long way, and you made him walk it. He rolled his eyes when you had told him about the task, too, handing him the handle to a little red wagon with a beaming smile on your face, insisting “that’s how Pappy did it before his first tractor” and “what did you think, I like wasting diesel for food that’s supposed to have a low carbon footprint? That’s why I’ve got you, Bucket.” So Bucky grumbled under his breath at first light, angry, yet amused that the nickname stuck, but still too tired to react any differently when he started the first of his dozen trips to move the produce from storage into the farmer’s market barn. And there was no way he was gonna do that again, so he convinced the couple to take the lot, even offering to carry it out to the car for them, because that was better than the quarter mile walk both ways through the tall grass of your fallow fields to return them.

“Thank you so much for your help, Jamie. You’ve taken such good care of us, you should come by the bar later if you can get some free time from Miss Y/L/N over there. She’s quite the hard worker, maybe bring her along. Drinks on us.” The older lady looked at Bucky with a soft smile.

Jamie, no one had called him that since his mom. Country folk and their want for instant closeness. He hardly knew this lady and already she was trying to be endearing, but her forced charm was nothing compared yours even when you weren’t trying. She looked over Bucky’s shoulder at you carrying a stack of heavy wooden crates out of the barn, hardly struggling, but very determined before sliding them back into the truck. Bucky’s eyes followed hers, a small grin of admiration creeping onto his face at your independence and mastery at everything you do, no matter how simple.

“Yeah, hardest worker out there. I’ll see if I can convince her to take a break.” He turned back and walked the lady to her door, opening it for her to get in.

“Drive safely. Hope to see you later Mr. and Mrs. Carter.” He shut the door and made his way back over to your truck. You had already gotten in and started it with the windows down. Bucky slid into the bench seat to be met by you with your forehead resting on the wheel in between your hands. You took a sharp inhale and shot up, putting on a fake smile, albeit less forced than earlier.

“Ready to go meet Curtis? We’ve just gotta touch base with him and then we’re good to be done for the day.”

“Um, yeah. Sounds good.”

Bucky wasn’t sure how to continue with you in that mood. Should be keep talking? Did you prefer the silence to think? The radio was low on the dash, but not silent, so he decided to speak up.

“Did you see who I was helping? They said they own the bar in town. Maybe we can go for a drink tonight? Celebrate a long week done?”

You sighed. Again. “Um, yeah. I actually think that sounds really good. We both need the decompression. TGIF, ya know?” You forced out a small laugh which Bucky returned and he turned forward as you continued the drive back toward your house.

When the two of you entered the farmhouse, your were greeted by Curtis, your weekend farmhand, sitting at the dining room table. He had already helped himself to a glass of sweet tea you kept in the fridge, mainly for him, which was made from your Aunt’s recipe he loved so much.

“Oh, good, you’re back from chores already.” Curtis had been kind enough to come in today to work on some tasks since you and Bucky had your hands full with the market. He usually only worked Saturday and Sunday since this was his second job, but he’d sometimes come in to help extra, like today.

“Bucket, this is Curty b—oh sorry, Curtis. He’s the one that makes sure things run smoothly when I’m not. He’s a whiz at fixing the machinery, perks of him also being the best mechanic in town.”

Bucky warily stepped forward, eyes narrowed, barely noticeable, and shook Curtis’s hand. Who is this guy who let himself into your house? “Bucky is fine, really.”

Curtis let out a chuckle, “nice to meet you, Bucket. It’s ok, I talked to Y/N about making cheese curds once, and she’s called me ‘Curty boi’ ever since.”

Bucky laughed and shook his head, looking over his shoulder. You just shrugged with a small smile on your face, already more relaxed and relieved to be inside your home with someone you didn’t feel like you had to put up a front for, that was reassuring. Bucky went into the kitchen to get you both a glass of water as you sat next to Curtis at the table, joined by Bucky sitting across after he handed you your glass. The three of you briefly talked about the chores Curtis had done that day, how the farmer’s market went, and what all needed done that weekend.

Curtis seemed nice, not threatening. The visceral tinge of jealousy left Bucky’s body as the conversation went on. If Curtis was going to make a move, he would’ve done it by now, surely. But the two of you were clearly just close friends. Why did Bucky keep feeling like this?

As you wrapped up, Curtis slapped his knees with both his hands and went to stand. “Well, I better get going, sun’s starting to get pretty low.”

Curtis and Bucky had been getting along pretty well, so you spoke up. “Well actually, Bucky and I were gonna go to the bar in town tonight. Care to join?”

“Yeah, I’d love to. There are just a few things I’ve gotta check on in the shop first, but I can drop by after. Does that work?”

“For sure. We’ll see you then” You and Bucky shared a small smile before you closed the door behind Curtis and turned back to the mob boss standing in your foyer.

“Ok, Cowboy. Good job today. Go take a shower, we’re going out.” Bucky beamed, which you returned, and he felt a warmth bloom in his chest at your praise.

“Yes, ma’am, Miss Honeybee” you smiled and rolled your eyes as he ran up the steps, following behind to get ready, yourself. He was really glad your mood was starting to turn around.

As Bucky went to his room to gather his clothing, his mind started to drift towards why he cared how you felt. He was just here for business, right? So why did it bother him if you were sad? If anything, he should want you vulnerable to help him come out on top of your business, but something deep inside of him felt more satisfaction when you were winning. He shook the thoughts from his head. Maybe a cold shower could help him sort this out.

Bucky came down the stairs and sat on the couch just as he heard your hair dryer start up. He had gotten ready quickly, throwing on one of his henleys, his nicer jeans, and a pair of boots Sam had sent him this week when he had heard about the whole ‘borrowing clothes situation.’

He shot Steve a text, telling him that the two of you were going out to the bar with Curtis, to which he replied Have fun, Bucket😉.

Ugh, why did he have to tell Steve about that, it was never gonna go away now. Bucky had gotten a call from Steve each evening giving updates on the business, with Bucky doing the same on his end, keeping it short, only noting the highlights and trying to keep his emotions in check and out of the updates. His best friend knew better, though, even if Bucky wasn’t fully aware of the extent of his feelings yet.

Bucky got up and walked around, looking through the photos and knick knacks in your living room, before stopping by the mirror behind your front door and checking his appearance. This look wasn’t what he was used to. He was extremely dressed down compared to the designer suit he’d likely be sporting in one of his clubs if he were back in the city. He hadn’t even bothered to gel his hair because it seemed you didn’t care when he did, plus, he wanted to save that valuable product for a real occasion, no use in wasting it to go slum with a bunch of hillbillies. He looked to the coatrack next to the mirror to see a hat that matched his boots perfectly and plopped it on his head, swaying side to side to see how it looked.

Just then, you started to make your way down the stairs but stopped in your tracks seeing Bucky in that hat. His head snapped up to look at you.

“What? Does this hat make me look dumb?”

You smiled and shook your head.

“No, not at all” Bucky could see tears well up in your eyes, accompanied by sparkles of fondness and, sadness?

“That was my uncle’s hat. He taught me everything I know”

“Oh, I’m so sorry” Bucky went to take the hat off but you stopped him.

“No- it’s okay. It looks good on you. Go ahead and wear it out tonight.”

Bucky looked back at you with a somber nod as you continued back down the stairs, taking a deep breath to settle the emotions that had nearly breached the surface.

Even in this state, you looked gorgeous. Hair flouncing in the breeze that was created as you drifted down the steps, wearing makeup he hadn’t seen since the first time you two had met and a sundress that blew him away. You were gorgeous in all states because you were you. Bucky looked down, kicking his feet, to pull his magnetic glance from you. He’s really gotta switch up the power dynamic here, and if there was one place Bucky could feel at home after a week of embarrassing himself, it was a bar. He grabbed the keys and you followed with an eye roll, getting into the passenger seat of your own truck. He didn’t even know where he was going, but he looked at you with a sly grin. Like for the first time, he had the upper hand, and that would only come from being anywhere but on your farm.

Bucky was a good driver, despite his statements about some guy named ‘Gio’ and grumbles about Sam, who you had met once before. Besides that, the drive was filled with laughs reminiscing all the mishaps he went through that week, well, mostly you laughing, and Bucky doing his best to hold a smirk from showing too obviously, his eyes narrowed at you in contrast.

The two of you pulled into town as you pointed Bucky towards a decent-sized building which housed the bar, still nothing compared to what he was used to. The two of you hopped down from the truck and walked through the front door, which jingled, signaling your entrance.

Bucky was greeted by the smell of old wood and stale beer, the dim atmosphere lit with old neon beer signs and fluorescent lights which hung over the pool tables. You looked back at Bucky as you crossed the threshold where he held the door for you.

“Hey, all I’m saying is, I bet you wouldn’t last a week in my world the way I did in yours.”

You rolled your eyes as you sauntered up to the bar, taking a seat at the corner, Bucky next to you, and a few more empty seats to the other side of him that would hopefully stay that way until Curtis came. As the two of you had walked up to the bar, you had seen a bunch of girls groups whose heads turned, seeing the stranger that was Bucky make his way across the floor. Why couldn’t he be ugly? And why did you let him wear that hat? Bucky didn’t even notice. His eyes were only on you, besides his trained peripheral vision catching the eyes of men whose heads turned towards, doing the same.

“Oh please, Bucket, you hardly made it through this week. I’ve never seen anyone cut their finger on wheat before. How did you even do that? You were literally up on the tractor… wheat should not have been anywhere near your hands, yet you came to me with several paper cut-looking marks. And what do you even do all day? Your hands have calluses but a totally different kind. You can hardly toss a hay bale a story high into the barn loft. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that hard for me to just sit at a desk, bark orders, and sign paperwork all day.”

Bucky’s mouth gaped open as he feigned offense and put his hand on his chest.

You flashed a fleeting smile at him in satisfaction as you waved down the

bartender ordering two shots of whiskey and two beers.

“Now just because that’s all you’ve seen me do for work, doesn’t mean that’s all there is to it.”

“Oh really? Please, Bucket, then be my guest…indulge me.”

“Well, if I told you, I’d have to kill you, so take that as one of the common requisites.”

He smirked at you, obviously more comfortable in this bar environment before your phone dinged and it was a message from Curtis.

Hey Y/N. So sorry, something came up at the shop. Rain check?

Yeah, no problem. Hope all is good, see you tomorrow?

Yep! Ty

“Well, looks like Curty boi isn’t joining us, so it’s just you and me, Bucko”

At that moment, the bartender set down the drinks in front of you and you and Bucky took a shot together, ordering an appetizer sampler platter to go with your drinks.

As the two of you nursed your beers, you joked more about Bucky’s farm mishaps and talked about all the men you had turned down from Bucky’s organization to get him out here.

“I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know how you turned down both Sam and Steve. I’m hardly immune to their charms some days”

You laughed and threw your head back. “It’s not easy. They’ve both got these puppy dog eyes they make when I say ‘no’ to them, but they seemed pretty satisfied with the fact I wanted to see you in person.”

“And why exactly was that? You never quite said”

“Well, at first, it started as a way to delay the deal, but then I realized, if I’m going to be making some major changes to somewhere I consider a sanctuary, I wanna make sure it’s with the right partner” you nudged him with your elbow playfully and Bucky gave you a small grin. “But honestly, if I’m going to do something these days, I wanna do it at the source. I hate hearing important news from third parties, I mean, you’ve seen how I do business. It’s all me at the end of the day. Sure, Curtis helps out, but otherwise, it’s better to deal with things on my own and a few trusted people” you finished that statement breathless from your heated ramble. This didn’t go unnoticed by Bucky at all. Where did that come from? At first, to him, you were just another bug to be squashed in order to get more control over his industry, but did he care now? Did he truly care about what was upsetting you? What caused that hurt you were obviously tampering down? Does this have to do with Jakey?

Bucky hadn’t realized he said that last part out loud until you responded.

“No! Well, maybe? Like, sort of?”

“Can I ask? Can I ask what happened there? Only if you want to share”

“Um… yeah, sure, I guess. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough this week so I think you’ve earned this a little bit.”

You took a deep breath and began. “Jake and I grew up together. We met in kindergarten in school and were instantly close. We were the only two gifted kids in class, so the teacher sent us to the side for extra lessons while the rest of the class learned with her. From that point on, we were inseparable. Two smart little twerps who took on the world together, but our lives were so different. In middle school, I started to take on more responsibility on the farm and he started getting into computers, but we’d still see each other. In high school we started officially dating, and I was so happy to be with someone who I felt like intellectually got me. I think it was the same way for him, too. He’d crack such nerdy jokes, and no one got them but me”

You smiled nostalgically at the memory. “When our senior year came along and my uncle wasn’t doing that well, I applied to more local schools, but he didn’t. We had always talked about going off to college and living together, but he wanted that life to be far away from here, and I had obligations. I got into the local college on a full ride for agriculture and civil engineering, and he decided he’d rather go to MIT for computer science. I asked if he’d be willing to stay since he got into college around here, too, but he said he wanted to be around people who were ‘more like-minded to him.’ As if we hadn’t been the only ones who had understood each other for over a decade.”

Bucky gave you a sullen look as your head fell and you looked down at your hands. He signaled to the bartender for a water and two more rounds of shots.

“I just, I just didn’t understand how he could act like that after so long. So I asked him when he was leaving so I could see him off. We were still friends, after all, but he left without a word. When I saw him again over Christmas break that winter, I felt like he had turned into some overweening, highfalutin, jerkwad. I didn’t really know him anymore, and I had enough to focus on already, so I just kinda stopped talking to him. As you could see today, his mom still comes around, but it’s not really the same. I don’t think she ever really truly saw the way he changed, she’s too caught up in having a son who lives in Silicon Valley now, but apparently he still asks for stuff from the farmers markets.” You shrugged and thanked the bartender for the shots, pounding all four before you excused yourself to the restroom, leaving Bucky to sit there shocked.

He had known where you went to college and how smart you are, but things like what happened with Jake don’t show up on paper. However he clocked you before, you were even stronger than that, because despite how you were hurt, you still wore your heart in your sleeve and showed compassion to everyone around.

You washed your face and looked in the mirror. Sure, that experience with Jake sucked, but it’s been years and you were over it now. Didn’t mean it was fun to relive it all. You decided to go into one of the stalls, the alcohol already kicking in and making you have to pee. You sat down and that’s when you saw it: blood. So that’s the reason for the waterworks all day today. That’s why you felt so tired and couldn’t help tearing up at the slightest things. Luckily the girl in the stall next to you had some products. You cleaned up and washed your hands, forcing a smile in the mirror until it became real, honestly relieved at having a reason for your out-of-character behavior. You headed back out to Bucky in a much more chipper mood and he looked up at you with a quirked brow. He figured you’d taken the time you needed. He was appreciative of you being so open with him, and wasn’t going to question the switch-up since he was just so happy to see you being yourself again after a long day.

“Up for a game of pool, cowboy?”

“Oh, you’re signing up to lose, Honeybee”

“Ok, ok, best four out of seven” Bucky whined as you giggled, whiskey shots catching up to you as you held another beer bottle in your hand. Bucky was hardly affected, he essentially rocked this much alcohol in his system by noon on a daily basis. Just then, his phone rang, and he motioned to show you it was Steve. You gave him a thumbs up and started to rack the balls to set up for the next game.

You watched Bucky walk out the door as you felt a presence looming behind you. You turned around and stood up, eyes tracing up a body dressed in brown hues until you reached a set of blue eyes shaded by a cowboy hat brim.

“Oh, howdy, can I help you?”

“I sure hope so. Can I get you a drink? Two whiskey sours” the stranger yelled over to the bar.

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

“My name’s Cole, Cole Turner. What’s a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?”

He was handsome, there was no denying that, but something seemed off. You plastered your best fake smile on your face. You didn’t need a confrontation tonight, not in your favorite dress. You didn’t want to taint the memory of it because of some rando. Wait. Was he a rando? Where have you heard the name ‘Turner’ before? Before you could continue your train of thought, a waiter came over with your drinks. They were very sweet compared to what you’d had all night, just like his demeanor, which seemed like a thin veil over the surface. You tried to channel your drink’s energy into your words to sweetly reply until you could properly remember who he was through your alcohol-fogged mind.

“Oh, I’m not here alone. I’m here with a friend”

“Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but I don’t see anyone around. You up for a game?”

Before you could even open your mouth to respond, he grabbed a pool cue and made a move to break. After that, he was keeping a little too close to you constantly. You did your best to stay kind, but must’ve been sending the wrong signals as he asked you “You wanna get out of here? I’ve got a hotel room down the road.”

In an attempt to change the subject you asked “Oh, so you’re not from around here? What are you doing in town?” Looking towards the door hoping Bucky would be done with his update any minute now.

“Ah, I used to live around here. My family owns a string of dairy farms. I’m here to try and convince these small-town farmers to give up the land.”

Your eyes went wide. Luckily you were facing away from him. He was that Cole Turner. The one whose family ran a packaged beverage empire and prided themselves on squashing the little guy. You were lucky he didn’t seem to recognize you yet, as the last remaining competitor in town. The one he had probably come in to squash. Just then, lost in thought, you felt a hand snake around your waist and you flinched.

“Relax, Honeybee, it’s just me” Bucky whispered in your ear. Your shoulders visibly relaxed as you turned around and threw your arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. You pulled away, but not enough for Bucky’s hand to leave your waist, and looked between the two men, grabbing Bucky’s hat and placing it on your head immediately.

“Uh, James, this is Cole. He’s visiting town.”

Bucky reached out his hand Cole shook it. Cole took a large step back after, respecting the hat on your head, and, was he intimidated by Bucky’s stature? Sensing your discomfort, Bucky spoke up. “Nice to meet you. Shame we’re heading out now.”

You grabbed Bucky’s hand, not looking back, and headed straight to the door as quickly as your numb, wobbly legs would take you. Once you were met by the cool, crisp night air, you sighed in relief and rested your forehead on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Thank you for helping me get out of there”

He shuddered at your proximity and the comfort you felt in this type of contact. It felt natural and he never wanted it to stop. With a soft smile and a glance at the top of the hat, he said, “No problem, Honeybee. Let’s get home.”

He helped you get up into the cab of the truck, sliding you across the bench seat before he got in and started it up.

“So what was the deal with the hat? And that guy?”

You yawned and stretched, settling in against Bucky’s shoulder.

“Uh, when a girl takes a guy’s hat and puts it on her head, it means she’s going home with him. And don’t worry, I didn’t mean it like that, I just wanted that guy to get off my back. We can talk more about that later.”

You wiggled to get more comfortable, your hand still in Bucky’s as he used the other to steer the truck down the old country roads. Your eyes fluttered shut as you fell asleep on him. His eyes flickered between you and the road in the headlights ahead. He luckily had a good sense of direction and was able to remember how to get home from your instructions earlier.

When he pulled into your gravel driveway, your were sound asleep, softly snoring, drool having dripped onto his Henley, but he didn’t mind at all. He lifted you out of the truck and carried you up the steps, taking off your boots before tucking you into bed for the night.

Next >

Bonus A/N: so where I’m from, “Turner’s” really is a beverage empire and they make really good products. I just figured I can’t make a farm AU without putting Cole in it, no matter how inaccurate to character.

Series taglist:

@scuzmunkie

@openup-yourmind

[fullcravings]

Bee Sting Shortbread Bars

[danibee33]

Halfway through a 14 hour road trip, and so, obviously, I’m plagued with thoughts of Biker!Ghost🩶

(inspired by a video I saw recently. **very gently edited)

____

• thinking of riding on the back of his motorcycle, which it took a bit of convincing on his part at first, but as soon as you got that first rush- you were hooked.

•just like he was hooked to the feel of your arms around him. he loved being able to reach a hand back to rest on your knee or thigh, and the way you cling to him a little tighter when he takes a corner faster than usual (which he totally doesn’t do on purpose)

•but on this particular ride, after a night out together, the lingering buzz of your drink made you bold- so when he relaxes, placing his hand in it’s usual spot, his warmth radiating even through your jeans and the black leather of his glove, you let your own hand wander with a devious grin you’re glad he can’t see.

•your fingers spread out over his thigh, making a soft, back and forth motion- the sensation causes his to clench around your knee.

•slowly, you readjust to lean in a bit closer, quickly finding the spot that makes his whole body tense suddenly.

•you palm at his cock through his jeans slowly, cautiously, that same grin still plastered on your face when you feel him try to adjust his position on the seat- a low hum rumbling through his chest.

•as you continue your teasing, his grip on your knee turns nearly painful as he gets harder and harder with each agonizing stroke you give him.

•he was already planning every single way he could ruin you the moment he got back to his flat.

•you could map out the perfect outline of his length now, straining against the dark denim and twitching at your touch- and you couldn’t feel it, but there’s just the smallest wet spot in his boxers stained with his precum.

•but suddenly, you pull away- wrong move.

•Ghost moves fast, reaching back blindly to wrap a big hand around your wrist, “No, no-“ he laughs, you can feel it vibrate through him, his voice growling through the helmet, “put it back, love. Don’t get shy now.”

•he does it for you, pulling you forward to place your palm right against the bulge of his cock again just as he turns his head.

•having lifted his visor, you could now see the dark gleam of his eyes glinting under the city lights, “You’ll pay for this later, baby.” He coos, giving you a sly wink before sliding the tinted visor in place again.

•Ghost gets you back to the flat in, very legal, record time, and let’s just say you do pay for your cheeky little stunt. All night long.

_____

[asparklethatisblue]

Just keep the morning a bay a little longer.

@swanfloatieknight wrote this lovely Fitzier fic “Sîne Klâwen” based on middle high german poetry conventions, of having a watchman warn two lovers that dawn has come ☺️

[spn-fanfic-reblog-writes]

Prompt: okay but cas would show up with a handful of weeds, with the roots and dirt still on the bottom, and give them to dean because 'it's the human tradition to bring flowers, right?' and dean would 'yeah. yeah cas that's right' because that is how they say i love you @deanspunchingbag

Title: Surprise me

Pairing: Castiel x Reader (they/them)

Characters: Castiel, Reader, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester,

Word Count: 1,254

Summary: What if you’re friends with Castiel and the Winchester brothers? Castiel, as an angel, obviously has issues with understanding body language and subtext, so you help him out now and then. One day after a case, you all go to a bar. For shits and giggles, you start teaching him about flirting. You’re not a great flirt, but you can read body language and explain it.

Thank Jack that Castiel doesn’t know you’ve been in love with him for a while. If only he would reciprocate your feelings, even a little.

Warnings: Alcohol, consensual licking of arms and neck (sort of)

A/N: This was the first idea I came up with for the prompt and it became self-indulgent. Hush. This is in second person POV.

What if you’re friends with Castiel and the Winchester brothers? Castiel, as an angel, obviously has issues with understanding body language and subtext, so you help him out now and then. One day after a case, you all go to a bar. For shits and giggles, you start teaching him about flirting. You’re not a great flirt, but you can read body language and explain it.

Dean, of course, interrupts you and explains to Castiel, for a couple hours, how to flirt with the ladies and men. You just giggle and chuckle at the stories he tells. It’s even funnier when Dean makes Castiel “practice” these “new moves” on him. Dean keeps at it, and finally the angel seems to be getting the hang of it.

Suddenly, Castiel gets up and goes to get everyone another round of beers, deciding to all get a shot of tequila, salt and lime. He sits back down next to you and distributes everything evenly. He tells you “The bartender said it could be a good tool to flirt with so I thought I’d try, but they didn’t explain how.”

Dean tells Cas to watch Sam and him. Sam and Dean eye each other in their silent communication, they salt and lemon their wrists and lick before shooting the tequila. You giggle when you see their faces.

The brothers aren’t big tequila people,they prefer whiskey or bourbon.

Castiel looks confused and says “That doesn’t seem very flirty.”

You giggle at them and tell Cas that “It isn’t. They’re chicken.”

Castiel then asks you to show him how to shoot the tequila flirtatiously. You know you’re a bit more than buzzed for this, and mumble “What the hell, why not?”

“Okay,” you begin. “I’ll show you. The idea is to make it as close to a body shot as you can, since putting your mouth on someone can be considered flirting if not a potential interest in sex.” You tell him step by step how to make a tequila shot flirty and sexy by taking the ladies wrist—you take Castiel’s wrist, in this case, and place a kiss on the sensitive area/spot inside before licking it.

You tell him how “Most people will laugh it off. That’s when you salt the wet area on their wrist so it sticks.” You salt his wrist and then grab the slice of lime, telling the blue-eyed man to open his mouth only a little. He looks confused, but does as instructed.

You notice Dean and Sam eyeing each other again and nod. They make some excuse to get up, and walk away as you continue teaching the angel.

You stick the lime in Castiel’s mouth to hold it. “The idea is to get a subtle kiss here. They’re going to come and bite the lime to get the juice, and you can either let them have the lime when they do, keep the lime so they only get the juice and you get the lip press, or if you wanna be a true sneak, spit out the lime and get the kiss you want instead.” You smirk at him, not telling him you’ve always been scared to do the latter.

Castiel quirks a brow at you and you have to stop the shiver that it causes, dominating you so easily.

He’d only have to do that brow at you and you’d probably do whatever he says. You can feel yourself beginning to get wet.

Ignoring it, you continue your lesson.

“So, you lick the salt, juice the lime and shoot the tequila, but this is the flirt…sexy way.”

He squints his eyes at you.

“You ready?”

He nods. “Yes.”

Still holding his wrist, you proceed to lick his wrist.

With his free hand, Castiel removes the lime and asks, “If this were you doing this to a man or woman, what would you do?”

“Me?” You ask. “For a guy I wanted to sleep with, I’d just ask him if he wants to go back to my place for sex. Men tend to like directness, from my experience. Women, though, I’d flirt with and tease. I’d probably do what I’m doing right now and make sure I was the one with the lime, so we could make out instead of shooting tequila.”

“You haven’t tried flirting with men?” Castiel inquires.

“I have, but I get nervous for some reason. I’ve taught many friends how to successfully flirt, but for some reason I end up acting like a fish or stuttering when I try to flirt with me.” You roll your eyes and shrug. “It’s easier to be friends with people I like than it is to actually…pursue,” you quietly confess to Castiel.

Castiel tilts his head, keeping his eyes on you for nearly a minute in silence. The silence isn’t awkward, but calming and companionable.

It is one of your favorite things about Castiel, you think to yourself. You can just sit together and do different things, but still feel like you’re engaged and doing something together…or maybe that is just you.

And then, he asks a really weird question: “How do you like to be flirted with?”

You furrow your brow at the question, initially confused, but then you think about it. You look down as you think, then say the first thing that comes to mind when you’ve gone on really good dates. “Be interested in me and actually listen to what I’m telling you. Tell me about you, your past, your history, experiences that I might be able to relate to, about your family and friends, your aspirations…”

Castiel’s head tilts the other way as his blue eyes continue to watch you.

“Be accepting of me and my truths, my authenticity. I may have been born female, but I am very good at taking care of myself. I’m choosing to be here with you when I could be elsewhere. Be satisfied I’m here with you.”

“You are,” agrees Castiel. “And others. You care very deeply about your found family, as you call us.” He uses air quotes and slightly smiles. He leans forward, getting your eye to look into his. He is mere centimeters from your face. “I’m very happy you came out here with me tonight. It makes me very happy to spend time with you.”

“Thanks, Cas,” you give him a small smile, feeling your cheeks heat up. Your brow furrows again. “Cas, are you flirting with me?”

He looks down at his wrist. You follow his gaze and see that you’re still holding it, but resting on the table now. He gives a sheepish smile and nods looking at your hand.

Your heart races as adrenaline pumps through you at this disclosure. You take a deep breath and exhale. Then, you rotate and slide your hand into his. “Okay.”

He looks at you, confused. “What do you do when they realize they’re flirting back?” Worried, Cas’ blue eyes search your face.

You grin at him. “How bout we get outta here, just the two of us?”

It takes him a few extra seconds to connect the dots and nod. “Yes, okay.”

He scoots out of the booth and you follow him, keeping his hand in yours. You look around for the brothers who are sitting at the bar, chatting.

You both walk outside, looking up through the light pollution to see the moon and brilliant Venus close by.

“Where to?” He queries.

“Surprise me, Angel.”

He bends down and plucks a daffodil that has broken through the asphalt parking lot. Castiel hands it to you. “For you.”

You smile and take it, putting it behind your right ear.

[confusedmothboy]

dunmeshi doodles i did in class over the course of a week because chat the rot is consuming

[yourgfdgirlfriend]

it’s a little funny to me how you all think I’m this super cool popular person when in reality I do shit like staying in on a friday night with tea and a nice audiobook knitting a little vest for the stuffed animal of the guy I’m currently dating lol

[girlfailurefelix]

do you think maybe he’s just like,, there

[reidmania]

yall are fucking whores for soft dom spencer. dirty dirty dirty whores. u disgust me.

(its me im yall)

[curryaboo]

if anyone knows any bollywood songs that are influenced or sampled from western songs pls let me knowww 🥹🥹 i’m making a wee playlist rn bc i keep seeing loads of the inverse (western songs sampled from bolly music) & thought it’d be cool to do the opposite :D

[barkingandbarking]

Yeah sorry there’s no more room on the bed but I have a spare you can sleep in right here, don’t worry!

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 10: When a Friend Asks for Help

From: You Catch More Bees With Honey Series

Pairing: Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader

Summary: You ask your friends for help and they come running, no matter what else they’ve got going on in their lives.

Word count: 4,582

Content/warnings: Swears, kissing, being on edge for decks, nervousness throughout the atmosphere, fighting, mob themes, misogyny, kidnapping

Author’s Note: personally, I’m laughing at the fact that Bee is gonna say Decks is usually nice, considering if you read The Rainmaker, she doesn’t tend to be exceptionally warm around anyone but friends

Takes place at the same time as ch. 7 of The Rainmaker and ch. 3 of Handiwork

Thank you for reading, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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You stood in the gravel of your driveway on Saturday morning, shifting nervously between your feet as you waited for Steve to arrive. He had messaged you that he’d be coming this morning before Bucky and Decks. That was a little odd to you, but it made sense considering the phone call she’d left you with on Tuesday night after spending time with Steve. Decks was your obvious pick to beat Cole in the pool game, but letting her know the true stakes set off a bomb. From what you could tell, it was an explosion of anger and betrayal towards Steve, but she still stepped up and you were so grateful for that.

Following Cole’s threat and the bet you’d made last Saturday, the first person you’d called was Bucky. If anyone could help you fix it all, it was him. You knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and this all involved him just as much. Things were getting just as scary for him business-wise in the city, so you weren’t surprised that at your call for help, he insisted that he come to you right away to be by your side through the entire thing so you didn’t have to face it alone.

Curtis had just finished the morning round of farm chores, and not much else was going to really need done except a few sporadic tasks, thanks to Peter’s help, so your cousin came over and stood next to you in the driveway while Cherry and Peter sat behind you, chatting in the rocking chairs on the porch.

After everything, and with the necessity of this weekend going your way, you told Curtis the whole story: who Bucky, Steve, and Peter were, and why you were involved with them, letting him relay it to Cherry in the way he thought best. To your surprise, he took it well, giving you a nudge and a light punch to the shoulder, saying, “yeah. I figured. You always did your own thing like that. Plus, Bucky’s not exactly nonchalant.”

It was true, while you were pretty stand-up, you recalled your parents commonly making comments about how if you’ve made up your mind, there was no changing it, even if that decision wasn’t necessarily smart…or legal. It’s not like you’d gotten into trouble for it, though. You just liked to push the limit a little bit, just to the brink, and that was enough, but this time, it was what led you to this point, this very stressful, important, point, alongside Bucky.

Up until today, when you knew you’d finally have the company you desired, Curtis thought he had never seen you this sad, besides after Jake, but this was different. The first of two black SUVs showed up in your driveway, though, that all began to change. Steve was here, and you knew Bucky was on the way. You had a small smile on your face, greeting your friend with a hug, but Curtis simply gave him a nod, not sure what to do since Decks was such a good friend, and Steve seemed to have hurt her. A lot.

He decided to stay on the porch, waiting for Bucky and her to arrive while you, Peter, and Cherry took Steve inside to hash over a plan for the day.

You brought Steve in, the four of you sitting around the butcher block counter top of your kitchen island to figure out how to make the day go as smoothly as possible. For Decks to win, she needed the perfect conditions. You had to pull every trick out of the book to make sure this went the right way, and you were sure there were some things she wasn’t gonna like about it.

Bucky was driving her, and they got along fine, but that wasn’t something you could control right now, so you focused on what you could.

“Okay, so Bucky and Decks will be here in about an hour. Today, our priority is to give her everything she needs to be successful.”

You looked around at everyone else at the table, their eyes waiting for your next instruction. “Now, I know she’s been going through it, so she’s probably not eating much, but we need her well fed. Steve, is there anything I have that you can use, or anything you can do to fix that?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, Buck’s got some breakfast for her. There’s this one pasta she really likes. I can have the chef up here to make it fresh before this afternoon.”

You nodded, satisfied with the answer. “Good. Now, there are a few different conditions that need to happen for Decks to play her best. She needs to be mad, but not too much, and also not sad. She needs to be a little annoyed, which I have no doubt will come with her being surrounded by a couple misogynistic douchebags, and she needs to be slightly uncomfortable. It keeps her just on edge enough that she doesn’t relax, causing her to slip up.” You held up your hands to show the levels of intensity you needed to maintain.

“Here’s the threshold, we need to keep her right there when the time comes, but before that, let’s keep her calm. So essentially, what I’m saying is we need to placate her until this afternoon when we’ll put her into a dress instead of the jeans she usually wears to the bar, just for tonight. Not only will it do the trick, but I think it’ll cause a distraction enough to put a few more odds in her favor. But really, when I think about it, this is all just an added bonus, because she’s probably mad at a few of us, including myself and Steve, but she hasn’t really shown it towards me that much yet.”

Everyone nodded along again before Cherry spoke up. “So how are we going about that? If you didn’t already ask her to bring a dress?”

You smiled over to your new friend. “That’s the thing, I was hoping you might have a good outfit in mind. Something cute, but not too revealing. Comfortable in fit, but not in style. Shorts underneath, of course.”

She smiled. “I think I have just the thing. But also, aren’t you a little worried to be doing this all in public? The bar will be busy tonight, I’m working, and I know they’re not gonna shut it down since it’s such short notice.”

You clicked your tongue, looking over at Steve to back you up. “Well I assume a public environment makes them less likely to pull anything over on us, plus Bucky is sending a bunch of guards. But I’d rather have several of witnesses if I get shot-“ you gasped, looking at everyone with wide, imploring eyes, “but don’t tell Decks that’s a possibility! Don’t even plant a thought like that in her mind. Keep her feeling safe, and angry, and confident if you can. She needs it, okay? And if you forget your role, just remember it’s whatever Decks tells you to do, alright?”

You were met by a collective “alright,” but then Peter raised his hand. You nodded for him to go ahead.

“Miss Bee, I’m just questioning, do we really want her angry at us? I mean, you just said, she’s been angry at Steve all week and we see how that turned out. He looks terrible.”

You watched as Steve threw his head back at the accidental insult. “Well, yeah, Pete. We don’t want her mad at us. We want her mad at the situation. Decks is actually really nice usually, but there’s a lot going on. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

Peter skeptically nodded as the sound of crunching gravel came through the screen door. A second SUV was pulling up.

You ran through the front door of the house, hearing a car door slam shut, and out from behind the black car emerged someone you hadn’t seen in far too long: Bucky. If you would’ve asked Curtis, he would’ve said it was as if the clouds parted when you ran to the mob boss.

You were sprinting almost, as much as your slippers would allow, as you reached Bucky, jumping up into his arms and wrapping your legs around his waist. His strong form was only slightly wavered from the force of you, and he squeezed you back just as tight, his words muffled into your hair.

“I missed you, my sweet honeybee.”

His words sent a warmth through you. You pulled back, planting a fat kiss on his lips, your hands moving to his cheeks to take in his gorgeous eyes and face, before remembering the precious cargo he was transporting. “Where’s Decks?”

He gently set you down, grabbing your hand and walking to the rear passenger door of the vehicle, opening it up. “She’s taking a nap against the other door, didn’t want to wake her and make her fall out.”

He looked over his shoulder, trying to find someone who he thought might have a gentle touch. “Ah! Peter, come here. Come gently wake up Decks, would you?”

Peter came down off the porch and crawled into the back seat, handing you back a bakery box that was sitting there as he climbed in. Bucky gave you a kiss on the forehead, saying he was going to take his stuff up to the room and you nodded. Cherry emerged next to you as you flipped open the lid to be greeted by a bunch of fancy French foods, unlike anything you could find around here. The two of you sifted through the box, until Peter, holding his nose, essentially sprinted from the car, speaking as he ran past you. “I thought you said she was nice.” Poor kid got punched by a spooked Decks.

He was promptly followed by by your best friend emerging from the vehicle and you greeted her sweetly. “Decks! Good morning! So great to see you!” She didn’t return your side hug, but it’s what you expected. After making her way down the line and seeing Steve, you watched as she stormed into the house, leaving her bag. Maybe she still needed a little time.

As morning turned to afternoon, you kept Bucky close, sitting with him on the couch, you in his lap, discussing what had gone on over the past month or so. You’d been attempting to have a private conversation, but were surprised when you began to hear other voices chiming in, unrequested.

Peter was speaking up from his spot at the island, Curtis through the screen door where he was sitting on the swing with Cherry on the porch, and Steve from his slumped spot next to you in the big recliner. It seemed as though no secrets were to be had, which might be a good thing after how that blew up for others.

But this time, it was just friends and family sharing little details that were probably better left alone. “Bucky climbed in my trunk because he was lonely.” “Bee hugged a sheep for extra long.” “Bucky wore the ugliest suit I’ve ever seen.” “Bee found his old shirt left behind.”

If you weren’t so happy to be close to Bucky right now, you would’ve been throwing side eyes all around, just like Decks was half the time, but you just couldn’t. What you could do, though, was make sure everyone was on task.

“Alright, alright. Steve, don’t you have an apartment to set up? Peter, don’t you have a couple farm chores to help Curtis with?”

They all playfully rolled their eyes at you, knowing there were important matters to tend to, and willfully following you, their boss for the day.

As mostly everyone scattered, that left Bucky and you, actually alone on the couch as he kissed at your neck. “I love seeing you in charge, Honey. It really does something to me.”

You pulled away and lightly smacked at his chest, not diminishing his grin one bit until you heard the screen door open and Cherry walked in. Right. She was still here.

“Oh, I’m sorry, y’all. Didn’t mean to ruin a moment.”

You just smiled. “Oh no, no. You’re all good. Make yourself at home, you know you can. We were just talking.”

You didn’t miss Bucky’s scowl at that, but laughed it off, calming him by scratching your fingers through his hair, causing him to close his eyes and lean into the touch. You received another scowl, though, when you stopped suddenly.

“I’m sure Mr. Boss man here has a few calls to make, anyway, right Buck?”

Bucky took in a deep breath and grumbled, pulling you off his lap and moving to a stand. “Yeah, yeah. You’re actually right, but what else is new? I’ll go double check the guard procedures.”

Laughing at the whole interaction after pouring herself a glass of sweet tea, Cherry went to sit on the couch, but before she touched down, she shot back up. “Actually, I’m not sure I want to sit there. I don’t know what the two of you have done on this couch.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Oh golly, no. Nothing has been done on this couch, and even if so, I’m sure it’s no worse than the surfaces of your apartment.”

She froze, opening her mouth like she had something to say, before conceding and sitting down. “I am not going to comment on that, but what I will say is Curtis told me last month that he walked in here after a day of chores to see clothes strewn everywhere. Just making sure the disarray of your house didn’t have any implications about the cleanliness of your couch.”

She winked at you, taking another sip of her tea as you groaned and threw your head in your hands. Even the short spurts of time she had spent around here on weekends had made her comfortable enough to pull your chain…but she wasn’t wrong either.

A little time for Decks to have for herself seemed to turn into a lot of time, as she didn’t come back for hours. You weren’t sure if you were the best bet to send up there. Peter was probably terrified, Curtis was out in the field, and Steve was likely the last person she wanted to see right now. Plus, Steve was away setting things up, so Cherry was probably your best bet. A wildcard. It would be good to test the waters, too, since the three of you were about to go to her apartment, anyway, so that was your choice.

It must’ve worked, though, because Cherry didn’t seem to have any issues when she came back down to meet you in the cab of your truck, besides mentioning how beaten down Decks looked, and I unfortunately comparing her to yourself over the past month.

“I gotta tell you, she’s not looking so hot. Like, I know I’ve only met her once, but she looks worse than you did the first week Bucky left.”

You rolled your eyes with a light scoff. “Cherry, I was not that bad. I was fine.”

She tilted her head to the side skeptically. “I feel like we’re good enough friends now that I can say you were miserable. Why do you think I came around so much? You needed someone, and I feel like Decks might, too, but she also seems to be shutting us all out.”

As much as you hated to say it, she was right. Cherry had come around on the weekends sometimes to chat as Curtis worked and you hadn’t realized how great it was to have a friend. You’d grown closer than expected over that time, but there was still a ways to go, which is why you made Curtis tell her about Bucky and everything instead of doing it yourself.

You sighed, drumming your fingertips against the wheel in thought. “Okay, okay, yeah. Whatever, you’re kinda right. Just…we’ll figure it out. Cater to her at your place if we can. Be around but not too clingy. Hopefully Steve got her some stuff she’ll like and she won’t throw it out the window knowing it came from him.”

Within twenty minutes, Decks was downstairs, meeting you at your truck, ready for the next thing. Hopefully this plan would work.

When you walked into the apartment, everything seemed perfect. Steve must have just left, because the pasta on the counter was still fresh and you could just barely see into the bedroom, where a special gift was. You knew how much Decks loved her music and how it pumped her up, so you hoped this could somewhat help, at least in this leg of the prep.

You quietly ate, speaking about nothing with Cherry, just to make sure there was some background noise, and trying to stay conscious that there was enough for Decks to eat and feel satisfied. You knew she liked pasta, it was a common dorm request of hers for dinner, but she was right. This was the best. Yours couldn’t hold a candle to it.

You and Cherry cleaned up dinner as quickly as you could, happy to hear a record start playing once you were halfway through rinsing the dishes. Man, Steve really did care to know her. This song was her favorite and she’d been searching for it on vinyl for forever.

Once the dishes were done, you could see it was getting close to time to go, so you and Cherry raced over, trying to find the perfect outfit for Decks. She looked great, beautiful as ever, and you could see how the music helped her demeanor, but all too soon, it was time to head out.

When you got to the bar, you could tell she was on edge again, but weren’t sure what more there was to do so you could help. You spotted Bucky immediately, happy to see him just for a second as you sat in his lap and gave him a peck.

“Hi Honeybee. I was just gonna go check on all the guards, make sure they’re in position. You wanna come with?”

You looked over to Decks sitting awkwardly next to Steve, Curtis having dashed away, and nodded. Maybe the time alone would help her sanity and if they could patch things up, Decks would be in a better headspace, so you grabbed Bucky’s hand and followed him out.

The guards were all in their place, but when you returned to the booth, no one was there. Curtis stood by the bar where you’d seen him go before, but Steve and Decks were nowhere to be found. Wherever they were, they were together, right? It would be fine. You were just mostly nervous because the time when Cole would show up with his match pick was coming up soon, and you weren’t sure how that was gonna go.

You stood with your back pressed up against Bucky’s chest, just slightly. It was professional enough for the serious tone of the moment, but still let the two of you ground yourselves.

Your eyes were on the door only for a moment when Cole walked in, followed by a man in a fancy knit shirt, with a well groomed, but still terrible mustache. Cole clocked you almost instantly, walking in your direction as Bucky leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“That’s Lloyd. You think that was Cole’s pick?”

You shrugged. It meant one of two things. Either Lloyd was great at pool, or Cole had no friends. Actually, it was very possible that it meant both of those things. Probably definitely the second one at least.

They approached, cocky as ever, Lloyd holding a case in his hand and setting it on the table closest to the two of you. He was the first to speak up.

“Bucky. How ya doin,’ soldier? Heard business is slow these days because you’re stuck in a honey trap.”

You watched as Lloyd looked you up and down, wetting his bottom lip.

“My, my. You are a sweet little peach. Better than Cole described you.”

You tried keeping your face level and sweet as always when dealing with these sorts of situations, but Bucky wasn’t as successful. Out if the corner of your eye, you could see the tick in his jaw and the way his fists clenched at his sides. You placed a hand on his forearm to partially calm him. Sure, this all had to do with him, but this wasn’t his battle. Not tonight.

Noticing the tension, Cole awkwardly spoke up. His confidence was nowhere and nothing in the presence of Lloyd now that you saw the two of them together.

“So, who’s starting? I assume it’s us because we’re the guests, right Peach?”

He didn’t even give you the chance to open your mouth and request a coin toss or a dice roll before he was calling over a waiter for a drink and Lloyd was sizing up the table. They each finished their respective tasks, and returned, standing in front of the two of you once again.

“So are one of you two rodeo clowns going to play me, or do you have a different choice?”

You fought the temptation to roll your eyes at Lloyd’s attempt of a degrading comment. Rodeo clowns aren’t that bad, but you were relieved to not dignify that comment with a response since something else caught their attention. You then watched their heads turn and you followed the lines of sight over your shoulder. Decks. She was strutting into the room, boots hitting the ground and skirt flouncing in the breeze, Steve just a few steps behind her. She hadn’t looked this confident all day, but you could tell, she was totally zoned in right now.

You introduced her to her competitors, but there were essentially no pleasantries. They each went to their respective places to grab their cues to start the game, Steve helping Decks and getting a water at the bar before coming to your side. Cole was at the other side of the table, Lloyd already moving around and taking his turn.

Bucky leaned in towards you to whisper. “Decks looks really focused right now. I think your plans are working.”

You nodded, not wanting to jinx anything, when Steve pitched in. “Yeah. I don’t think much else makes her angrier than a threat to Bee. That, and apparently lying.”

He looked to see if Decks had heard him at all, but she hadn’t, too focused on Lloyd’s every move. You laughed and nodded in agreement. “Definitely. But when she’s on it, she’s on it. And that’s what we need right now. If she can get a chance to have a turn, she’ll get him.”

The two men to the sides of you grunted in hopeful agreement. Bucky leaned in again, his hat brim brushing the top of your head. “If I’m being completely honest, to see her in that state kind of even scares me.”

You eyes grew wide as you turned towards him, as if to say ‘right?’ since for years, you felt like your were the only one who ever observed this side of her. As far as you knew, it was really only directed towards enemies and adversaries. Those she played in competitive card games or that one detective she hated at work.

“Yeah, how does that one song go? If you ever see Decks in a fight with a bear, help the bear?”

Steve scoffed slightly. “Yeah. That sounds accurate.”

You hummed in affirmation as you watched Lloyd sink another shot. He was just past halfway through and it seemed like he was on a roll. As he lined up another shot, you leaned towards Steve. “You, my friend, are unfortunately the bear right now. Well, actually I’d say you’re the secondary bear, and maybe the third depending on whether or not she counts Lloyd and Cole as a single entity.”

How you said it was funny, but this was no laughing matter. Just then, Lloyd took a shot, and he missed. You grabbed Bucky’s hand in shock and he squeezed it in return. Decks came over and took a sip of water out of Steve’s hand, chalking up her cue, ready to go. You watched as she effortlessly walked around, a scene you’d viewed so many times before, and took her first shot. It was perfect, followed by another one, and another one, and another one, until all that was left was the last ball.

She lined herself up, one leg propped up on the table, and Cole and Lloyd were still shamelessly checking her out like they had been the whole time. You made a note to make sure Bucky gave them hell for this disgusting perv behavior, but for now, the only thing you wanted to look at was Decks, too. When the cue made contact with the ball, she turned her head, looking into Lloyd’s eyes instead of the pocket when the eight ball was sunk. Cheeky girl. That was her signature move back in the day.

She stood up and set down her cue as you, Bucky, and Steve cheered for her, mostly internally, unlike the patrons that had gathered at the spectacular game, until you met her stride, stepping in front of Cole as Decks faced Lloyd. You expected this all to go smoothly, mob men were supposed to be men of their word, after all, but Lloyd’s response to Decks requesting he back off now scared you. It was condescending, threatening, and he didn’t seem to have any plan to back down.

You watched him obnoxiously gasp and throw a hand over his chest.

“Oh no. Where’d your precious cheese curd go?”

The four of you whipped your heads towards the bar, just so see no sign of Curtis in the stool he was occupying minutes ago. The next set of events happened so quickly you could hardly process it. Decks was screaming, flailing her arms and legs as Steve pulled her away. Bucky landed a solid right hook to Lloyd’s jaw and you swore you could’ve heard the bone crack. When Lloyd was on the floor, even though Cole had his hands up, claiming he didn’t do anything, Bucky grabbed Cole by the collar and you tried to slip out of the descending crowd that must’ve responded against the two men due to Decks’ cries and screams. People around here didn’t take kindly to the apparent mistreatment of women. You tried to call the security outside for backup, but no one was picking up. Something was wrong, so you wove your way through the crowd that was quickly growing dense around Bucky’s 2-on-1 brawl that the was winning. You were able to make your way to the back door and pushed it open, looking and seeing two large men on the ground. The guards, they had been chloroformed.

Steve emerged from the side of the building, where he had probably just been checking the same as you at the front, running towards you and breathing heavily. He had seen the fallen guards up there, too, but wasn’t sure if it applied everywhere. By the look in his eyes, it did, and Curtis was long gone. You slammed your hand against the brick wall of the old establishment.

“Ah, shit.”

Next >

Bonus A/N: Chloroform is a very common solvent that I used when getting my degree. I was constantly reminded to not put my face over the vials and beakers I was using because it’s also quite volatile, so if you breathe in the fumes, goodnight.

Also:

Taglist: @mrsnikstan @scuzmunkie @openup-yourmind @vicmc624 @hawkeyes-queen @blackhawkfanatic @morgthemagpie @buckybarnessimpp @calwitch @thesarcasmqueen-22 @ronearoundblindly @thedonswife13

[almea]

lmao every time Miles talks about RWBY it's the most validating experience ever for me because it's always "wow, this is literally what I spent years saying."

[jamiesfootball]

Always lowkey simmering a Leverage AU in the back of my head hear me out:

Ted is an ex-insurance investigator who was able to get his son life-saving medical treatment because his first, original Crime Pal Beard was like ‘Ted if your company doesn’t come through with the coverage, we’re doing things my way.’

The company did not come through. The company did let him go due to suspicion of Ted’s involvement in the incident, but Ted will happily remind folks that no charges were formally pressed. Henry is alive and healthy and living with Michelle, who divorced Ted shortly thereafter (not just because of pre-existing marital problems, but because Ted wouldn’t tell her anything about why the doctors “””suddenly decided to do the procedure for free”””). Shortly thereafter, Ted fled the country.

What Ted learned from the whole experience is that there’s a lot of people out there, good people just trying to live by the rules, but sometimes things happen that are just out of their control. And well- if we’ve got the means to help the good people out when no one else will, then shouldn’t we try?

“We’ve got means,” Beard agrees. “And motives.”

They do things Beard’s way now.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

the april fools andrew pfp genuinely jumpscared me for a hot second lol

@swarm-of-rabid-bees @goldiipond I've seen the error of my ways and realized I was all wrong about him and his previously unknown stance on asparagus 🚫🌿🚫

So I'm turning over a new leaf! By squashing them. Love and light!! 🙏🙏