#but then the tiniest thing ruined my mood a couple hours ago

[yllowpages]

[intheticklecloset]

Sibling Bonding (My Hero Academia)

This fic was purchased from my Coffee Shop Wish List by a generous supporter. Thank you!

Primary Universe

Summary: Spring break has arrived, and Todoroki heads home to spend some time with his older siblings since Endeavor is out of town. When he accidentally reveals that he's ticklish, things take a giggly turn very quickly!

A/N: YES I'm so excited to share this one! Earlier this year somebody suggested a Todoroki siblings fic, which I declined at the time because I didn't feel like I'd be able to do it justice. Later I felt more confident and put it on my Wish List, and now it's been purchased for your reading pleasure! Enjoy! ^^

Word Count: 1,915

~~~

“I’m here,” Todoroki announced without flourish as he entered his home for the first time in months, kicking off his shoes in the entryway.

Fuyumi poked her head around the corner from the kitchen where she was working on dinner. “Welcome back, Shoto.”

"Thanks.” Todoroki shrugged off his backpack and entered the kitchen, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He felt awkward, but did his best to ignore it. “It smells great. What is it?”

“Soba.”

He blinked at her. “You…didn’t have to go out of your way for me.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s your favorite food, right? I wanted to make today special. It’s the first day of your spring break and you’re spending it with us!” Fuyumi smiled at him. “I want you to have a great time.”

Todoroki nodded at her. “Thank you for cooking.”

“Of course. Natsuo should be here any minute. You can take a seat in the dining room if you want. We can talk easier that way.”

“Okay.”

But instead, he leaned against a counter she didn’t appear to be using, putting his hands in his pockets. His first instinct was to cross his arms, but he didn’t want to come across as grumpy or ungrateful. He was truly happy to be here, finally able to spend time with his siblings without the presence of his father to ruin his mood.

It had been Fuyumi’s idea. Endeavor was out of the prefecture on business, which left her and Natsuo home alone for the first time in a while. That, and it was spring break for U.A., which meant Todoroki was free to come over and hang out with them without having to get permission to leave the campus. Fuyumi had quickly arranged for this first day to be spent having dinner together.

“So…” his sister said after a brief pause. “How’s school going?”

*

A couple of hours later, dinner was over, the dishes were in the dishwasher, and the Todoroki siblings sat around in the living room staring at each other awkwardly. None of them really knew how to proceed.

Still, Natsuo tried. “So, uh, Shoto. What kind of stuff do you like to do?”

Todoroki knew what he meant. What should we do now that dinner’s over? He thought for a moment. “Well…my friends and I play Mario Kart a lot, I guess.”

Fuyumi perked up. “You like video games?”

“They’re fine.”

“Well, we don’t have Mario Kart,” Natsuo said, “but we do have the latest Mario Party game. Do you want to try that?”

“Sure.”

Todoroki helped his siblings set up the game, then selected Yoshi as his character and proceeded to inadvertently dominate both of them as time went on. He won several mini-games and always seemed to get to the star first, no matter the circumstances. He honestly couldn’t tell if he was really good, or if his siblings were just really bad. Or both.

“Jeez, Shoto!” Natsuo finally exclaimed after the youngest sibling got his fifth star – three ahead of Fuyumi, who had two. He nudged Todoroki, his elbow pressing into his ribs. “Give us a chance to catch up!”

Todoroki giggled.

The room went silent for a moment.

“Shoto?” Fuyumi asked, staring at him incredulously. “Are you okay?”

Todoroki knew he was blushing and he wished desperately that he could have held in his reaction better than that. But it was too late now, and he knew it. He sighed. “Yes, I’m fine. Natsuo nudged me and it…it tickled. That’s all.”

Natsuo’s eyes lit up. “You’re ticklish? Really?”

“Nat,” Fuyumi warned.

Todoroki hesitated. Game forgotten now, he glanced between his siblings on either side of him and struggled to decide how he wanted to proceed. He knew they wouldn’t touch him without permission – knowing what he’d gone through with their father kept them from doing that much, at least. But he didn’t want to brush them off, either. As it happened, he did enjoy being tickled to an extent, but he’d never been tickled by family before.

“I…um…” he swallowed, heart racing. What would they think if they knew the other half of it, too? That he enjoyed doing the tickling?

Fuyumi reached out as though to put a hand on his shoulder, then stopped herself. “Shoto, it’s okay. We won’t tickle you if you don’t want us to. Right, Nat?”

“Definitely not.” His brother was surprisingly emphatic, nodding. “I was just surprised to learn you were, that’s all. If you don’t like it I’m not going to tickle you just for the sake of it.”

“I…I do like it.” Todoroki mumbled, setting his controller down, hoping that would be enough invitation for them. “My friends tickle me quite a lot, actually. It’s fun. As long as you stop when I ask you to.”

Natsuo grinned, setting his controller down, too. “So you don’t automatically say ‘stop’ when you’re being tickled, huh, Sho? That’s interesting.” He poked him in the ribs again. “Cute, too.”

Todoroki smiled, pulling away only the tiniest bit.

“Fuyumi? I think we have some long overdue sibling bonding to catch up on.”

She beamed. “I totally agree.”

And that was it. The next thing he knew, Todoroki had been tackled to the floor, fingers digging into his ribs and sides and belly in rapid succession, giggles bubbling up out of him quicker than he had time to process. He squealed and curled up, but did his best not to push them away. He also never said a word of protest.

“Aww, you really do like it, don’t you?” Fuyumi cooed, wiggling her fingers up into his underarm. “Tickle, tickle, tickle~”

Todoroki yelped, his whole body jerking when she found one of his hot spots, and his squirming became near-thrashing when she realized what she’d done and continued to do it. Natsuo laughed, grabbing his wrists and pulling them above his head with little resistance, giving their sister full access to his armpits.

Fuyumi dug in, smiling wide as her youngest brother tossed his head back and laughed freely, eyes squeezed shut and teeth showing as he beamed happily, legs kicking behind her. “Aw, is this a good spot, Sho? Does it tickle really bad here?”

“YEHEHEHEHEHEHES!!” he cried, arching his back as she raked her nails from his underarms to his hips, searching for another hot spot. “GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! CAHAHAHAREFUL!!”

“I will be,” she promised.

“I want in on the fun, too!” Natsuo declared, shifting so he was sitting on Todoroki’s arms, pinning them above his head while he leaned down to pinch at his ribs and sides, sometimes scribbling along his neck and ears as well.

Todoroki dissolved into giggles, flustered beyond belief but still enjoying himself. Then Fuyumi squeezed his thigh experimentally, and he screeched with a new round of fresh laughter, shaking his head. “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

“Ooh, another bad spot?” she teased, squeezing gently, drawing loud laughter from him every time. “You’re really ticklish, aren’t you, Sho?”

“I KNOHOHOHOHOHOW!!” he laughed, digging his heels into the carpeted floor. “PLEASE, IT TIHIHIHIHIHICKLES A LOHOHOHOHOHOT!!”

“Are you still okay?” she asked. “Do you want us to stop?”

Todoroki whined but shook his head. “I’M FIHIHIHIHIHINE!!”

“Fuyumi, I want a turn!” Natsuo complained, releasing Todoroki’s arms and shuffling down to join her. “Let me try some spots! Don’t take all the fun of experimenting away from me.”

“Fine, fine, you big baby,” she shot back playfully, scribbling lightly over Todoroki’s sides and belly. “Go on, try his knees and feet.”

Todoroki couldn’t help the sound that escaped him at the mention of his feet being one of the next targets. He slapped his hands over his mouth the instant it was out, but it was too late.

“Oh? None of that,” Fuyumi admonished gently, pulling his hands away from his mouth and down to his sides, straddling him, pinning them in place as she danced her fingers over his ribs, occasionally sneaking into his underarms as well.

“I’m not getting anything here,” Natsuo said, squeezing Todoroki’s knees but not getting any kind of twitch or extra giggles for his efforts.

“Then try his feet.”

Todoroki couldn’t help it. He pleaded, “Behehehe careful, plehehehease, I’m reheheheally ticklish there!”

“Oh?~” Natsuo grinned, pulling off his socks and scribbling wildly over his bare soles. “Are you, now?”

“NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! CRAP, PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE NOHOHOHOHOHO!!” Todoroki shrieked, tossing his head back and unleashing loud, uncontrollable bouts of laughter that had both of his siblings staring at him in shock. He squirmed uselessly, trapped under Fuyumi’s weight and – following that outburst – Natsuo’s as he straddled his legs and went to work tickling him like crazy on his worst spot in true brotherly fashion. “NONONONO PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE NOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!! NAHAHAHAHAHATSUO!!”

Fuyumi grinned. She’d never seen Shoto look so happy in his life, and despite his ticklish distress and the pleas falling from his mouth, he never once said stop, never once looked to be truly panicked. He was loving this, she realized, and it made her heart so full she thought it might burst.

Laughter was truly the best medicine.

“AAAIEEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOO!!” Todoroki suddenly screamed, laughing so hard his hysterics went silent. He shook his head desperately, trying to gasp for breath. “NO MORE NO MORE PLEHEHEHEHEASE NO!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

Fuyumi climbed off of him. “Nat, get off, he’s had enough.”

Natsuo complied, but he was laughing just as hard as his younger brother had been moments ago. “Dude, your laugh is the best thing in the world! You know that? Got a serious sweet spot on your arches, don’t you, little bro?”

Todoroki curled into a ball, still giggling, still smiling. “Y-Yeheheah…thanks f-fohohor stopping…”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want to go too far.” Natsuo ruffled his hair, beaming down at him. He and Fuyumi shared smiles with each other.

“Are you okay? Let me get you some water,” she said, hurrying into the kitchen and returning a moment later with a glass.

Todoroki took it gratefully, taking a few sips after he sat up. Then he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “You guys probably think I’m such a child.”

“Shoto, sweetie, you are a child.” Fuyumi smirked, winking at him. “You’re the baby of the family, remember? But that doesn’t matter. Liking tickling doesn’t make you any less of a man. Or a pro hero.”

“For sure,” Natsuo agreed. He nudged his shoulder. “If anything, we think it’s awesome. Right, Fuyumi? It just means we have a guaranteed way to make you smile.”

Todoroki never imagined his first time really spending time with his brother and sister would wind up like this, but he wasn’t complaining. Not in the slightest. He smiled, unable to contain his relief and happiness. “There…there is one more thing, though.”

“Yeah? What is it?” Fuyumi asked gently.

He bit his lip, then glanced between them. “I like doing the tickling more.”

They went quiet.

They looked at each other.

Natsuo jumped to his feet. “Crap, Fuyumi – we’d better run!”

Fuyumi took his hand as he offered it to her, and they began to disappear from the living room.

“Wait!” Todoroki cried, worried he’d ruined the happy feeling from moments before. “I won’t do it unless you’re okay with—”

“Well, what are you waiting for, Sho?!” Natsuo called from somewhere in the hallway. “Come get us, tickle monster!”

“You can’t catch us!” Fuyumi sang teasingly.

That familiar fire flared up within Todoroki, and he beamed and leapt to his feet, chasing after them.

Sibling bonding went both ways, after all.

[wndamaximov]

Infatuated [b.b.]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky’s finally found the perfect girl. The problem is that he has to find a way to tell her that.

Warnings: Language, Angst, Fluff

Words: 1753

When he first laid eyes on her, it was as if the entire world fell apart around him. He could have stood there for years, just watching the way her hair fell in waves on her shoulders as she flipped it, laughing at something Stark had said. Alas, the moment was ruined by the idiot Steve tapping him on the shoulder.

“You know who she is?”

“No. Just that she’s new,” Bucky responded, his thoughts still on her, and it was entirely likely that he had the stupidest look on his face. Steve immediately knew what had overcome his best friend. He smiled knowingly and nudged him.

“Shut up,” Bucky grumped stomping away from Steve, the image of that woman still ingrained in his mind.

That was months ago, and Bucky didn’t see her much after that, just a few murmured “Hello’s” while passing each other in the hallway. Oh, he so desperately yearned to talk to her, but it seemed as if fate was against them. Every time Bucky thought he would try, Sam would come up behind him to rag on him or either Steve or Stark would come to call him for an important meeting that always ended up being about bullshit. And she would skip away giving him a small smile and a, “See you later Buchanan!” leaving behind just the tiniest whiff of vanilla and coffee beans. God, he was infatuated.

In the latest meeting, he thought he would drift off and think about how her smile always seemed to brighten up the entire room with its contagiousness, or how the light always seemed to hit her eyes just right to get that caramel tint that he loved in them.

“Barnes, you listening?” Bucky shook himself out of his reverie and wiped the drool he discovered was escaping through the corner of his mouth. Sam burst out laughing as Bucky shot him a glare that would’ve had the power to kill a lesser man.

“Since you clearly weren’t, I’ll let y/n fill you in on the details of this meeting. You know, the one you should have been paying attention to,” Stark quipped, bumping into him as he briskly left the room.

As the others filed out of the chamber, y/n sat herself down on the chair across from him. He could feel his heart rate accelerate as he realized that she was extremely close to him.

“Ignore him. Tony’s still upset over… you know…” she let her voice trail off as she stared apologetically at him, wringing her hands together. “I’m sorry, I’m not very good with people.” She tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear, displaying another one of her nervous tics.

“It’s alright doll, me too,” he reassured, putting his hand over one of hers(the one that was drumming the table to a beat that sounded familiar, he just couldn’t quite place his finger on it) and continued, “Now tell me what was so critical about this drab get-together.”

She laughed, putting her whole body into it at his feeble attempt at a joke. It was adorable, how easily she laughed at things other people said. He noticed over the week that even when no one else was, y/n was laughing.

After recovering from her bout of giggles she recounted the meeting. “Well most of the meeting didn’t apply to us because we aren’t ‘real Avengers’ ” She put the quotes around the words as she said it, then continued. “We’re partners in this mission that they’re considering a test I guess, to see how well we fit in with the rest of the team.”

"What type of mission is it?”

“We think that someone’s dealing drugs at Peter’s school. It’s our job to figure out who and get enough evidence to put them in jail.”

Bucky looked at her quizzically. “Who’s Peter?”

“He’s the Spider-Man.”

“Oh.” He grimaced, remembering the annoying kid from the fight in the airport. God, he hoped he wouldn’t see too much of that punk.

“Does he come here often?” Bucky asked, wanting to figure out exactly when he would need to take his leave from the tower.

“Almost every day after school. He’s out of town right now though, some field trip in Europe for school,” she answered, pulling out papers from the file that lay on the table in front of her. “Here,” she handed them to him, her face suddenly contorting in anger. “These guys are so gross!” she exclaimed in disgust. “Ruining these kids’ lives for money- they deserve to be in jail.”

He glanced at the papers in his hands and immediately understood what she was saying. 11 kids had been hospitalized due to OD'ing on the cocaine that these guys were dealing, but 4 of them hadn’t been so lucky- they were found dead.

“Isn’t this more of a police thing?” he wondered out loud.

“Yeah but like I said, it’s more of a test.” She got up from her chair and walked around to pat him on the arm as she left. “We leave in two days- I’ll see you around Sergeant.”

He touched the spot where she had left her mark on him, ecstatic at the prospect of being able to spend some time with her, alone and far from distraction in the form of the other Avengers. However, that could also prove to be problematic. He needed to stay focused on the mission- this one especially because kids’ lives depended on it.

He decided to delay in telling her his feelings, as if she’d ever reciprocate them, and it was stupid to think she ever would. She was untroubled and didn’t deserve a man that had as much baggage as he did. He would just be a burden to her, a shadow that would just bring her down with him. Telling himself this, he walked out of the lonely little room that he had stained just being in.

“Bucky!” Steve called from outside his room. He didn’t feel like responding and continued shoving clothes into his go-bag. He wasn’t up for explaining his sour mood that had been going on for the past couple of days. Of course Steve was worried- he’d been sulking in his room, not talking to anyone.

“Bucky,” he repeated more insistently, opening the door and walking inside, witnessing how bad the situation was.

“What the hell do you want Steve?” he shouted, whipping around to face his best friend.

“I should be asking you that,” Steve replied calmly. “You’ve been acting strange Buck- ever since we came to the compound. Care to explain?”

“Fuck off.” Bucky continued stuffing his things into the poor bag straining to keep it all in.

“No."Steve started unpacking the poorly backed bag and got to putting everything back inside neatly.

Bucky lifted his hands up in surrender and stepped away to let Steve do his thing. "You’re a punk, you know that?”

“Yeah, I do. Now spill.”

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

“So you’re telling me that you’re not telling y/n how you feel because you think you’re not good enough?”

Bucky looked down at his feet sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, when you put itthat way Stevie…”

Jesus Buck, you know I love you, but you can just be so fucking stupid sometimes.”

“What do you mean?” he inquired, puzzled at the shit-eating grin on Stevie’s face.

“Do you really think you’re the only one staring longingly when you think she’s not looking?” Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder and commanded, “You still have an hour. Buck- go get that girl.”

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

Bucky paced back and forth just outside y/n’s room, debating whether or not he should go in. He’d been there for about five minutes, but just couldn’t muster the courage to actually knock on her door. A million thoughts filled his head, the most prevalent being ‘what if she hates me?’

“Yo dumbass! How long you been there? ”

“Piss off Sam,” he muttered angrily. Goddammit, if anyone could completely erase his courage it was bird-man.

“You really gonna make me do this by myself?”

“Do what?”

Sam knocked on the door, then sped off before he could face the wrath of the Winter Soldier.

“What the hell?” Bucky shouted, seething at the nerve on Sam.

“Trust me, you’ll thank me later!” he called back.

“Come back, you mother-” Suddenly, Bucky realized that the only thing separating him from confessing his love had been opened, and he looked down to see her gorgeous face peering back up at him. “Y/n.”

“What do you want Buchanan?” She seemed unhappy, and god, he wanted to fix that. He would gladly do anything just to see her smile.

“I-” he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled shakily. “This is so much harder than I thought,” he chuckled, then swallowed and took a deep breath in. She stared at him expectantly and he continued, “The first time I saw you- I don’t, I don’t think it was love, but over time, I don’t know. It was just the little things that caught my eye. Can I?” he cupped her face and she nodded, reaching up to put a hand against his head.

“I know what you mean,” she whispered, then gestured for him to continue.

“The way you laugh at the smallest things…” that earned a chuckle from her and he too smiled. “The way you drum your fingers to that song by Queen whenever you’re nervous…”

Her eyes widened. “Another One Bites the Dust- how did you know?”

“I noticed everything about you doll. I always have and I always will.” He searched her eyes for permission then bent down to kiss her lips softly, finally tasting the vanilla and coffee he had only got samples of before.

After pulling away she giggled and declared, “I think I’m in love with you James Barnes.”

“I think I’m in love with you too.”

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

A/n: Please validate my hard work in the comments ( 人ФｴФ)

Tagging for interest(b/c, bucky): @marvelgirl7

Bonus:

“Hey, Bucky?” She was leaning against his chest, making circles with her fingers into his skin.

“Hm?” He replied, softly leaving kisses against her neck.

“Why do you let me call you Buchanan? I distinctly remember you throttling Sam when he called you that.”

He tilted her head up to look up at him then answered, “It’s because I’m not in love with Sam.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, then fell back against the bed content. God, he was infatuated.

Ask to be in my Bucky tags!

[rebelsarestrongashell]

Sunsets in Wakanda - 3

Summary: After his programming is removed, Natasha secretly visits Bucky in Wakanda. They rediscover each other as they are torn between love and promises.

Characters: Bucky x Natasha

A/N: A common theme throughout this fic is Shuri is truly an intellectual. You’ll understand what I mean in the next two chapters. Let me know what you guys thinks!

MASTERLIST 

If there was one thing Natasha couldn't stand about that damn Captain America, it was how much of an early riser he was; especially on travel days. After a long night of tossing and turning, Natasha seemed to have finally fallen into a deep sleep when Steve found it appropriate to wake her at five in the morning.

She didn't bother to get dressed or even look in the mirror as the smell of coffee filled her room, making her rise from her bed and head to the kitchen in a zombie like trance.

Steve was already in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and slowly taking sips from his mug. You could see the tension spread across his face as he got lost in his own thoughts, not even acknowledging Natasha's presence as she walked in. Sam, pouring himself a cup, had a mischievous look of amusement on his face as he took in the disheveled sight of Natasha, "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine in the morning," He said with a grin.

"Shut up and hand me a mug."

Wanda entered into the kitchen, looking like the zombie mirror image of Natasha, causing Sam to throw his head back in laughter. Natasha gave Wanda a small smile and an eye roll as she handed her a cup of black coffee.

"Thank you" Wanda said, taking a few sips but still glaring at Sam.

Without a word, Steve suddenly straightened himself up from the counter and cleaned his cup in the sink, making everyone turn their attention towards him. "We have a long day of travel ahead of us," He finally said with a tone of severity as he turned to face the three of them, "I'm going to head to the roof, make sure everything is ready to go with the quinjet. I would like you all to be ready to leave within the hour."

There was a few seconds of silence as Steve left and made his way up the stairs, "Whats up with him, I thought he would be in a better mood?" Asked Wanda.

The warmth of the coffee had replaced the icy in Natasha's veins, making her more susceptible to a normal humanlike conversation, "I think he's just a little worried," She replied, "If, for some reason, Shuri's deprogramming didn't work what other options would he have to help Barnes? Especially with our current rouge state," Sam and Wanda exchanged a look of understanding, "But we'll see once we get to Wakanda, I don't have any doubt in Shuri's abilities."

"We?" Asked Wanda with raised eyebrows.

Ignoring their gaze, Natasha took a prolonged sip of her coffee before answering, "I'm going to Wakanda with Steve. They think I can help Barnes with the whole coming to terms with your brainwashed past thing."

Sam let out a sarcastic chuckle while Wanda gave her the same knowing smirk she did the night before. Feeling a little on edge and eager to change the subject, Natasha turned the attention towards Wanda, "So what romantic destination are you off to this time?"

Wanda's smirk lingered for a moment longer, "I'm going to meet Vision in Northern Ireland."

"Secluded, good, I like it."

Wanda simply rolled her eyes. As much as she enjoyed bonding with Natasha over the past few years, Wanda wished she would stop her worrying about her trips with Vision, they were always careful.

Sam threw both hands up in the air, "Okay, I gotta ask, how do you and Vi-"

"Nope!" Wanda cut him off as she slammed her mug down on the counter, "You must certainly do not have to ask." She quickly made her way out of the kitchen with the hint of red in her cheeks.

Natasha couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed the few dishes around the room and headed to the sink. "The intimate parts of their relationship are really none of your business, Sam"

"You can't tell me you aren't even just the tiniest bit curious." He replied as she finished drying their mugs. She looked over her shoulder at him as she headed out of the kitchen, "Still none of our business." She said with a slightly wrinkled expression at the uncomfortable subject matter, "I'll see you on the jet."

- - -

Steve and Natasha didn't make it to Wakanda until early the next morning. Natasha let out an audible gasp as they broke through the protective barrier just after sunrise. Steve had told her about the beauty of Wakanda but it was beyond anything she had expected. Rolling hills of greenery, stunning mountains, sprawling lakes; sun seemed to touch every corner. As they approached the landing coordinates, Natasha's chest tighten thinking about her last encounter with the Wakandan king. "I'm not exactly sure T'Challa is going to want to see me." She said turning her head towards Steve who was standing behind her as she piloted the jet.

"He wouldn't of asked you here if he still held a grudge."

Almost on cue, T'Challa and Shuri came into their line of sight as Natasha lowered the jet onto the landing pad. As they exited, Natasha closed her eyes, taking in the warm breeze; reminding her of the french countryside during the summer. Opening her eyes, she took in the sight surrounding them. There was a modern yet old world feel to the large buildings around them. Natasha felt a sense of security being here. The king and princess approached them with genuine smiles on their faces, a good sign.

"Captain, welcome back."

"Good to see you again."

The two leaders exchange a sturdy, but friendly handshake before T'Challa turned his attention towards Natasha with smile, "Agent Romanoff, always a pleasure." He said with a sense of wit as they shook hands. She knew there was no reason to avoid the obvious, "T'Challa," She said with a smile, "No point of avoiding the elephant in the room, sorry for tasing you...my bad."

This caused an eye roll from Steve as he shook hands with Shuri but a genuine laugh came from the two Wakandans. "It's all behind us." He replied before his sister, not so gently, hip checked him so she could shake the famous Black Widow's hand, "Agent Romanoff, It's a pleasure," She greeted her with a wide grin, "I've heard so much about you."

"Likewise."

"Any update on Bucky?" Inquired Steve with a tone of eagerness. T'Challa held out his arm towards a stone path situated alongside the landing pad, seeming to lead down a large hill. As the four of them headed off down the path, a few members of the Dora Milaje followed behind them and Shuri began to explain Bucky's current situation.

"Only good news so far, Captain," She said, "We placed him in a small lodge outside of the city and he awoke, on his own, yesterday. That's where we are headed towards now."

Natasha's heartbeat seemed to grow louder by the second, she felt a clammy sensation in her palms. She wasn't expecting him to be conscious yet, she thought she had another day or two to collect her thoughts. She was trained to control her emotions but she was on the verge of failing and, based on his smirk, T'Challa seemed to notice.

Shuri took a quick glance at Natasha before continuing, "He's in good spirits and the kids around the village seem to have taken a liking to him. He was even asking about you shortly after he woke." She took another quick look at Natasha leaving Natasha unsure about who that last sentence was directed towards, luckily, Steve didn't seem to notice. She tried to distract herself by focusing on their beautiful surroundings as they walked farther away from the city. Steve continued to bombard Shuri with questions.

"How is his memory?" He asked

"It will take him sometime to regain all his memories but he's already showed great progress in the past 24 hours. He'll continue to have weekly visits with our doctors to make sure the progress continues."

"So what's the plan, longterm?"

T'Challa seemed to understand what Steve was getting at, "Captain, he is welcomed to stay here as long as he would like, even after he recovers."

Steve simply gave him a nod of gratitude, a sentiment Natasha shared. If not welcomed here, she wasn't sure there was a place in the world that James could go. He was a wanted criminal, probably more so than them. They couldn't just send him off on his own and James tagging along on their rouge missions ,with a high probability of getting caught, didn't feel like the best thing for him.

"Thats it just up ahead." pointed Shuri.

A couple hundred feet ahead of them were a few tiny bungalows situated next to a calm serene lake, framed by trees that seemed to touch the sky, and a handful of kids running around while the sounds of laughter rung out. It was peaceful, it was happy. Natasha felt a genuine smile on her face and looked over to Steve who matched her expression. It was the perfect place for James.

As they drew closer, a million scenarios where playing in her head. When sleep failed her, she would lay awake thinking about what their reunion would be like if he were ever to remember her, if he even wanted to remember her. All those years ago, they were in hell and clung to each other to feel like they had even the tiniest control of their lives. She was selfish, stupid, and only cause him more harm. If he wanted to ignore their past, could she really blame him? What if he were to say something in front of Steve, would Cap lose all trust in her again? A friendship possibly ruined because of the secrets she kept.

A man exiting the middle bungalow pulled her out of her anxiety filled thoughts. It took her a moment for her to register who he was. His dark hair was longer than the last time she saw him, a part of it was pulled back in a bun. He had a fuller beard but you could still make out those sharp features. He was wearing a deep red, knee length robe with a blue sash covering his left side, where his metal arm use to be. He looked much skinner, but healthier. The kids started chanting something but she couldn't understand what it was before Shuri hurried them away.

Her view of James was blocked as Steve went to embrace his life long friend, "Bucky, how are you?" You could feel the sense of ease in Steve's voice, and the smile on his face even with his back to the rest of them.

"Much better," Bucky replied with a smile Natasha hadn't seen in ages. As the men pulled away from their hug, his eyes fell onto her. His brows furrowed in confusion as he took in her short, blonde hair but then his mouth slightly hung open and his eyes widen upon realization of who stood in front of him.

He remembers. Natasha didn't notice the smirks on T'Challa and Shuri's faces nor the look of tense confusion on Steve's. Natasha and James had, the much needed, ability to communicate without words while in the Red Room; an ability Natasha was thankful they still seemed to have at this very moment. Her whole body seemed to exhale and that trademark smirk returned, "Sargent Barnes, nice to see you doing well," She said as she reached to shake his hand, "Not sure if you remember, I'm Natasha Romanoff." She was treading carefully, controlling the emotions inside. What she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, tell him how much she had missed him but that would have to wait for another time.

"Yes, I remember...I'm sorry" He replied with a softened expression as he shook her hand for the briefest moment before she let go.

"For what?"

There was seriousness in his tone and a look of sadness in his eyes, "For everything."

[mooseintheocean]

Wincest Writing Challenge: Round 9: Summer Lovin’ | @mooseintheocean��� vs. @nisaki-chan​ Prompt: broken air conditioner Rating: Gen | Wordcount: 2480 |  AO3 Tags/Warnings: none Summary: The boys are driving through Arizona heat with a broken air conditioner trying to cool down and don't melt through the seats. 

(110°F = 43°C for all my fellow metric scale users out there ;))

The A/C broke an hour into their 9-hour drive. It rattled ominously when they were passing the state line and after couple of unfruitful attempts to work properly, it just died. The car turned into a Finnish sauna in less then 10 minutes and the 110°F outside did nothing but help with that. Of course it had to gave up now, just as they were driving through Arizona, fucking Arizona in the middle of summer.

"Oh Baby, why do you hate us so much?", whimpered Dean petting the dash just in case the car could be bribed with some love this time. It hardly ever happened before, but Dean still believes his Baby can hear him. Like that time she miraculously fired after Sam smashed her into the old house when they hunted Woman in White all those years ago. All it took was Dean pleading and telling her how beautiful she was and after spluttering for couple minutes she came to life and drove them away to the next hunt. So yes, it happens and Dean will always try. Beside, he loves loving his car.

The Impala was the best thing in their world. Their first and only true home. Their most valued possession. But she had one flaw - the air conditioner broke quite regularly. No matter how many times Dean would fix it, it would just give up after a while. And it was broken more often than not. Making the car too cold in winters and too hot during summers. But they usually made through that. Today was different though. The heat was unusually oppressive, the temperature was record breaking high, the air was extremely humid and it felt like there was nothing to breath in.

Back when they were kids they would shimmy out of their clothes and ride in the backseat in just their boxers reveling in the relief that the breeze from rolled down windows gave them. Later when Dean didn't want to seat in the backseat with Sam anymore and Sam became self-conscious of his ever growing body, he would wear Dean's biggest, loosest t-shirt (the one that was even too big for Dean at the time), that covered most of his thin, fifteen-year-old frame but still enough light fitting that it could make the air circulate freely. Dean still remembers what the view of Sammy stretched out in the backseat in his t-shirt did to his body. Those sweaty palms, labored breath and swelling in his pants had nothing to do with the heat outside and everything to do with his younger brother looking like a sin personified and still so totally owned by Dean. He always has been possessive of his boy but seeing Sam in his clothes triggered his most animal instinct. If dad hasn't been around, Dean would be all over Sam in that backseat. That thing between them had actually started because Sam insisted on walking around in Dean's clothes and one day Dean just couldn't help himself anymore. They ripped his favorite AC/DC t-shirt that first time but Dean couldn't bother to give a fuck when he had a lap full of freshly sixteen Sammy teeth deep into his neck, trying to suck the pulse out of him.

It is really hot right now. The sticky kind of hot. The kind of hot that make Dean melting through the leather seat and sticking to it simultaneously. Even going at high speed with all the windows rolled down didn't help much against the stuffy humid air. Everything was waiting impatiently for the rain that no one knew when or if it would fall.

"Fuck Arizona, seriously Sammy, why do we always have to drive through the worst weather", Dean moaned while wiping his forehead with the bandana Sam handed him earlier, "I's like someone hates us, ya kno? Fuck, we could start baking in this car or we should get some steak and put it on the dashboard. It'd be medium rare ready in no time... Aaaaand now I'm hungry for some steak, great!"

"Pull over, Dean, please", Sam said calmly, shedding his shirt and throwing it in the backseat. Dean glanced at Sam surprised, but did as requested. Once the car came to a halt, Sam asked, "Do you think you can fix it?"

Dean shook his head, "Not really, it's always the same thing, and I can't fix it without taking the whole panel out".

"Crap", Sam sighed and got out of the car.

"What are you doing?", Dean scrambled out of the car as well and walked up to Sam rummaging through the trunk. The heat outside was even worse than inside the car. Which was close to impossible. He felt like he got instant sunburn and was pretty sure his freckles stood up prominently. God, he hated them, he really did. Unlike Sam, who would spend hours counting and licking and kissing them, and then starting it all over again. Okay, so his freckles might not be that bad.

"Looking for something to help us live through this shit", Sam answered distractedly, half folded into the trunk. Dean couldn't help himself and looked down at Sam's butt. Hey, he is only human after all! Anyone who claims they can resist those perfect globes is a liar. Normally Dean would be all over them, pinching, squeezing or otherwise occupied with, not now though. Not with the heat beating down on them and feeling like he was standing right before the sun, that he could only reach out and touch it. His t-shirt was soaked through completely. The warm sweat was trickling down his back in that uncomfortable way like something was crawling all over him. He shed his ruined shirt, wiped down with it quickly and threw it next to Sam's in the backseat.

"Aha!", Dean turned around to see Sam holding a small car fan that can be hooked up to a cigarette lighter plug, "I bought it last time the A/C broke. Never used it though. It's not much, but we don't really have much options here. We can't exactly wait the day out and start driving again at night, can we? Bobby's waiting for our help".

Dean nodded slowly, "Yeah, he said to be there as soon as possible. We need to get there before the last night of the full moon".

"Well then, this has to do it," Sam turned around and walked to the backseat, taking his pants off as he went.

"That's not going to work. It'll just pump hot air back at us".

"That's why we need ice. If you put it behind the fan, it will blow the cool air from the melting ice", Sam explained while putting ice cubes from the cooler into a shallow plastic box he found in the trunk, "By the way, we need to pick up more ice somewhere".

"That ice is going to melt in seconds", Dean argued but helped Sam secure the fan and the box to the dashboard.

"That's why we need more of it", Sam slid into passenger seat with the wince when he felt his naked knee peel off of the upholstery, he threw a cold bottle water at Dean, "Take off your shoes and pants, wet your hair and drink more water. We need to pick more of that too, we only have the two left".

"You know I get all tingly when you take control like this. And is it just me or do you just want me to get naked", joked Dean but he chugged the water like he didn't drink for years before he took off his pants and threw them in the backseat with the rest of their clothes.He didn't even care if it was illegal in Arizona. Dean knew the drill by now. Bare feet and wet hair helped your body let out a lot of heat and bring down the temperature of your body. He put the now half empty bottle behind his neck, so it would cool him down. The condensation from the bottle was dripping down his back and neck. And it felt glorious. Now, if he could only make it drip all over his body, that would be amazing. He brought the car back onto the road and peel off in the direction of the nearest gas station.

The fan helped just a little. Enough not to go crazy but not enough to stop sweating.

"Sammy I'm melting. Sammy, help. Saaamyyyy!", Dean whined. His mood was sour, because he just hated being sweaty. It always left him feeling dirty and smelly. Unless, of course, he was sweating during sexy times. That he loved. Sweating during sex means the sex is going good.

Sam didn't answer. Instead he just turned around and opened the cooler, producing two small ice packs he also found in the trunk earlier. "Here, try this. Obviously it should be frozen, but well, kinda short on the freezer here. I figured it can at least be cool enough to work", he put one of them on Dean's neck and Dean moaned like he just came.

"Damn, Sammy, you're a life saver". It felt amazing. Close to being as amazing as cold beer and even colder shower or bathtub full of ice Dean dreamed about for the last two hours. Sam put his own ice pack on his forehead and sprawled out on the seat. His long legs falling apart. The tiniest moan left his mouth but Dean caught it anyway. And he should be watching the road, he really should. Especially with the way the heat was bouncing off the asphalt and causing an illusion of wavering images and making him focus harder on the road. The last thing he wants, is to put them in a ditch, but damn, Sam’s naked, glistening with his salty sweat skin (Dean knows he tasted it many times before, it's delish) is calling out to him. He is pretty sure it says, “look at me”, “touch me”, “lick me” and he's so close to complying. He snaps out of it though. Pats himself on the back mentally for being so strong and resistant and focuses back on the road, turning the radio up a notch.

They stopped at the nearest gas station half an hour later and Dean basically run towards the promise of the air conditioner after reluctantly putting his pants and shirt back on. He shivered when he stepped inside the cool air that felt freezing on his overheated skin. His sweat changed into an amazing cold droplets. The store was almost out of drinks, ice and ice cream, which wasn't all that surprising given the weather outside. They menaged to buy two pounds of ice and stocked up on bottled water. And just as Dean walked over the the nearly empty fridge with cold beer Sam stopped him.

"No, Dean. We’re not getting any beer I don’t want you to have a heatstroke".

"Oh, c'mon Sammy. That’s not true. The beer is innocent. Just look at it. look how inviting it looks. Don't you want some?"

"No, it isn’t. Alcohol heat up your body and dehydrate you faster. Which means you’re more prone to a heatstroke".

Dean dropped his hand in disappointment. Sam just squeezed his shoulder in a silent assurance, "We’ll get you all the beer you want after we’re done with this hunt. K?"

He bend down and kissed Dean’s pouting mouth softly. Dean grumbled a little but trailed behind Sam to the cash register. He grabbed a box of popsicles on his way. He needs at least something nice out of this store run.

"How much for the bag of ice?! $10?! Sammy they’re stealing from us! They’re making money on human misery. Unbelievable!" Dean was trying to fit all the ice and drinks in their always reliable green cooler with one hand while trying to keep his fast melting popsicle from dripping all over his precious leather seats in the other. When he looked up Sam’s face was turned towards the sun, and he was sucking on his ice pop in a way it could only be described as fellatio. Dean has never been so jealous of a popsicle before. He couldn’t help himself. He tumbled out of the back seat, brought surprised Sam down by his neck and kissed him deeply. Sammy's lips were deliciously cold and he was eager to return the kiss. Dean moaned when one of Sam’s hands that was still holding a bottle of water straight from the fridge touched his lower back. The coldness of the bottle and his boy's mouth was the most amazing feeling right then. Sam released him all too soon. With the quick peck, two, three, four for good measure he step out of Dean's arms with a pleased little smile.

"C'mon Dean, the sooner we get to Bobby and out of this desert, the sooner we can take a shower together", Sam winked, taking off his clothes and settling down in the steaming hot car. Dean looked down at his now melted to nothing popsicle, throwing out the stick and following Sam's suit. The air was heavy and suffocating. And they still had a long way ahead of them. Dean couldn't drive fast enough to get them away from Arizona.

Two hours after leaving the store the heat and humidity only got worse. Dean was sure he lost at least five pounds by now, with how much he sweated out. And Sam pressing cold compresses against his skin wasn't helping that much anymore. It still felt good, but the effect was fleeting. The lighting split the sky in half and they both held their breathes until the heavens opened. The heavy rain fell down like a blessing. Dean whooped loudly and parked the car on the shoulder. Two seconds later he was dancing in the rain to the sound of thunderstorm, barefoot and wearing just his boxers. Nothing he ever felt before could compare to the amazing feeling of cold rain washing him off of the sweat and dirt. Dean’s boyish excitement was infectious and Sam joined him almost instantly, matching smile on his face. Dean pulled him down for a deep kiss. Huge droplets were hitting down on them, soaking through their boxers. And they really should be going if they wanted to get to Bobby on time. But they just couldn't be bothered right now. Dean was drinking the rain from Sam's lips, his hands fitted in his brother's wet hair, pulling him closer, always closer. Sam's hands on Dean's butt brought him tighter to his hips and he drove his tongue even deeper into his brother's mouth. Dean figured five minutes wouldn't pull them all that much behind the schedule.

He never felt so elated because of some stupid rain before.

[stardust-squish-blog]

fairy tale ♡

it was chan’s birthday yesterday so here’s a little something i wrote

member: lee chan / dino

genre: fluff with the tiniest bit of angst

11 . 02 . 17 

the first good thing about today was not missing her alarm. she had woken up precisely at 08:15, when the sun had risen and the birds were chirping and there was stardust in her room. the air smelled nice, too. she had no idea why.

the ‘ding’ that came from the device on the nightstand gave a clue.

reminder: chan’s birthday ♡

her eyes found the little brown bag and balloon by the door and instantly, a smile blossomed. today was a special day. 

on the eleventh of february, nineteen years ago, a boy named lee chan was born.

today, he was going to turn nineteen.

and today, she had things to do.

09 : 19

“alright, guys, have a quick break. we’ll resume practice soon.”

choruses of groans and ‘thank you’s’ echoed throughout the practice room as thirteen bodies flopped to the floor, cheeks squished against the cool surface. for a while there was no movement, just contented sighs coupled together with the gentle whirring of fans. 

then the oldest boy sat up. “good job guys.” carding a hand through his hair, seungcheol flashed a reassuring smile. “it isn’t easy, but let’s work hard. we’ll get there.”

his comment elicited a snort from the chinese boy lying on his tummy. minghao snorted, “what do you mean? that wasn’t good at all. did you see mingyu? he totally sucked.”

a gasp rose from the accused, who immediately shot up, hands clasped over his chest. “how could you say that? that hurt my heart. and besides,” mingyu pouted while glancing distastefully at the other boys, “i wasn’t the only one who screwed up. why, chan kept on messing up that part! vernon was the one who got scolded by our choreographer the most! an-and jeonghan-hyu—ow! hyung!"

jeonghan leisurely stood back up, dusted his hands on his hoodie and shot mingyu a glare. “you dare to insult an angel? know your place, gyu.”

“chan!” 

all eyes instantly focused on the figure sitting in a corner of the room. the boy in question lifted his head, mumbling a reply with a quiet “yes?”

“come here. let’s practice that part again.” a sigh left their choreographer’s lips as she adjusted the music. “focus, okay? this part has to be perfect.”

but not matter how hard he tried or how many times he practiced, chan could not get it right. the other boys watched as the duo danced, again, and again, and again. no longer than ten minutes had passed and their choreographer was at the end of her tether.

“gosh, chan, what’s wrong with you today?” 

twelve minds thought of twelve answers, all exactly the same.

twelve lips shared twelve hidden smiles.

out of the thirteen boys, all knew. all, but one.

“i-i don’t know. i think i’m just tired. i’m sorry, i’ll work harder.”

09 : 31

jeonghan watched the boy leave the room, dollar bills poking out from his fist. poor kid. he thinks we forgot. he sighed as he chuckled to himself. that’s good, it’s all going according to plan. 

soonyoung sidled up to him. “hyung,” he whispered, nearly scaring the elder boy out of his wits, “is she here yet? when’s she gonna come?” his eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. “hyung, i can’t wait to see his reaction!”

“she’ll be here when we end,” jeonghan’s eyes settled on the wall clock of the practice room. “about an hour more.”

the notification that popped up on his phone told him otherwise though.

baby’s baby: i’m here :>

jeonghan’s eyebrows shot up. she’s here?

over his shoulder, soonyoung’s eyes expanded to the size of  saucers. “hyung, take the stairs. it’s faster.”

“i’ll be back.”

angel: already? hold on 

as he sprinted down, taking the stairs three at a time with a hand running through his hair, jeonghan’s mumbling got increasingly heated. 

“did she have to come an hour earlier? what if he sees her? then everything would be ruined! everything we worked so hard for would be ruined! why are kids so inconsiderate?” the adrenaline pulsed through his veins and the fire burned in his blood as he vehemently spat, “sometimes i just want to slap some consideration into them!” 

the second good thing about today was her mood.

she liked the way she dressed today. yes, it was her usual style, and yes, it was honestly nothing special, but she was in a good mood today. she left the house smiling, she didn’t forget anything and she looked pretty nice. 

was it magic? days like this were rare.

the walk to pledis was good too. people smiled at her. middle-aged aunties tending to flowers, young couples with hands intertwined, businessmen in suits and ties. their lips curved up when she passed them by, with a lilt in her steps that was never there. it was as if they knew where she was going, what she was doing and why she was doing it.

who could blame them, really, when her dreamy expression and the balloon in her hand made it all too obvious.

she was early too. maybe a little too early. sighing as she tucked her hair behind one shoulder, she sent a quick text to a certain self-proclaimed angel.

while awaiting his response, her hand found its way to her head, making sure no hair was out of place, and then she was dusting fluff off her skirt, adjusting her bag strap—she almost burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. why was she being like this? she was hardly ever this concerned about her appearance.

perhaps it was the excitement of surprising the person you love.

yeah, that was probably it.

a million thoughts raced through his mind as he saw her standing there. when did chan grow up? he now has a little lady friend to call his own. everyone expected jun to be first. wow, my baby is growing up :’). i can’t accept this. why is he growing up so quickly? what has he been eating? i need to kn—

the calling of his name brought him back to earth. she appeared in front of him, balloon nearly hitting him on the head. smiling sheepishly, she tugged it closer to her and looked up at him expectantly.

“you’re an hour early.”

cue the increase in size of said sheepish smile. “i know. i’m sorry. i just didn’t want to be late.”

jeonghan sighed as they made their way to the lifts. “it’s alright. it’s good to be early, but an hour early? are you nuts?” then with the biggest shit-eating grin plastered on his face, “or is this perhaps something only couples understand?”

at his comment, she turned pink. as pink as jihoon’s hair. 

well.

chan blushed too when he got teased.

“gosh, you’re just like him. but what would i, an innocent who has never experienced such a feeling, know, right?” he smirked as the hue on her cheeks deepened. 

attempting to change the subject, she held up the paper bag in her hands. 

“i have the cake.”

jeonghan nodded approvingly. “good good. you’re officially accepted to be my daughter-in-law.” they shared a laugh, both knowing the possibilities, before he continued, tone a little more serious. 

“you know where to go right?” at the nod of her head, he continued, “i don’t know how you’re going to entertain yourself, but i suppose you can do up the room a little more. rearrange stuff, add stuff, remove stuff, whatever floats your boat. set up the cake and banner. knock yourself out.” she nodded once more, and the lift doors opened. 

“i have to go practice now. good luck!”

she smiled back. “good luck!”

10 : 25 

back pressed against the wall, she admired her work. presents nicely arranged, balloons and streamers framing the mirror, the birthday banner, the lovely cake—and she didn’t smell bad.

well, what could she say? today was a really good day. 

the minute hand ticked closer and closer to six. hurriedly, she stood up and brushed herself off. they should be here by now. 

as if on cue, eleven boys started to file in, all whispering in hushed tones. 

“get into position, idiots. hurry!” 

“ooh, it’s jeonghan’s other baby. hello.” 

“hi.” 

“did you do all this?” 

“yeah.” 

“wow. very nice.” 

seungcheol’s command ceased the chatter. “alright guys, shh!” 

there were a few seconds of silence. then a giggle broke it. 

“i can hear him,” soonyoung wheezed. “he’s grumbling because we left him behind.” 

seungkwan whacked him on the head. “i can hear his footsteps. shut up!” 

“remember, shout ‘happy birthday’ when he walks in,” seungcheol whispered as the door knob turned. the countdown silently began. 

3. 

2. 

1…

10 : 29

the 19-year-old boy trudged along the deserted corridor, drink cans clutched tightly in his hands. his eyes brimmed with tears as he recalled his hyungs’ behaviour this morning. 

“did they really forget?” chan mumbled, taking small and heavy steps towards the practice room. a sigh escaped his lips. could he tell their choreographer that he wasn’t feeling well? the morning without birthday wishes or claps on the backs or hugs and kisses was enough to make chan feel sick. 

they had left him behind too. making him go and buy drinks from the vending machine two floors down and ditching him at a different practice room because of a “blackout”?

what an absolute load of nonsense. 

it was because he couldn’t perfect that one part, wasn’t it?

but it wasn’t his fault. they were the reasons why.

maybe it was true that nobody cared about the youngest ones. chan’s bottom lip trembled as the tears threatened to spill. maybe he was just insignificant in seventeen. they didn’t even tell him where they had shifted to. he had to ask one of the cleaners if they had seen twelve rowdy boys leaving practice room A.

no. that can’t be. we’re family, right? the small voice in his head repeated the quote that joshua always said. ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind. 

but even his own girlfriend did not send him a birthday greeting whatsoever. no text message, no video message, no snow story, no skype call or face time. did she know how long he had waited for his phone to light up? for the notification that read from: my love ♡  to pop up on the screen? 

a lone tear dropped onto his palm, shaking chan back to reality. it’s okay, chan. you’re strong. you aren’t going to let them see you cry, right? it hurts, but mum’s gonna send you something later. it’ll be alright. with a final swipe of his hand across his face, chan took a deep breath, held his head high and pushed the door open. 

“hyungs! here’s the drin—” 

but chan was blown away by the shout of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHAN!” and suddenly the whole room erupted into hoots and balloons and faces and everything was blurring together into one big, happy, sparkly and beautiful mess.

“aw look! he’s crying!” soonyoung ruffled chan’s hair affectionately. this was followed by a bear hug, courtesy of minghao, who yelled, “jeonghan-hyung, your cliché blackout story actually worked!“ 

junhui pinched chan’s cheeks. “you’re so cute. you really thought we forgot, huh?”

jihoon laughed. “fat chance of that happening. we’re family, remember?” 

that made it even worse. chan was now straight up bawling into jeonghan’s chest. how could he have ever doubted them? they were right.

joshua was right.

seventeen was family.

and he knew they would never leave him behind.

seungcheol’s gentle hand coaxed him away from jeonghan’s embrace. “come here chan, let’s sing the birthday song. there’s someone whom you want to see and who wants to see you too.” 

and there she was. shining brighter than the nineteen candles sitting atop the cake. chan’s eyes curved into crescents. she, out of all people, would never forget a date like today. 

aish, i ought to hit myself. i am so so so stupid. the youngest in seventeen and also the dumbest. 

she looked so pretty right there and then. as they ended the birthday song with cheers and claps, chan found himself gravitating towards her and capturing her in a cuddle. 

“you’re here too.” he breathed her in. she smelt like flowers and warmth and home. he liked it. 

she giggled. “of course i’m here. i would never miss your birthday, you know.“ 

"i know.” chan sighed and closed his eyes. what was this feeling? was it bliss? happiness? he didn’t know. maybe one of his hyungs would. he’d make sure to ask later.

but there was one thing he did know: he loved everybody in the room. so, so, very much. 

the voice of their choreographer cut through the cheerful atmosphere. "come here everybody, gather round, i’ll help you take pictures.” she tutted as she reached for the camera. "wow, this looks really nice. like something out of a storybook. look here everyone! say ‘happy birthday chan’! 1, 2, 3!" 

23 : 05

she got one polaroid as a momento. "here,” their choreographer had said, “you’re his girlfriend. i picked the best one for you. go home and display it somewhere. if chan comes over and sees it, he’ll be very happy." 

as she tucked herself into bed that night, she rolled over to face her study table. the polaroid hung from a string strung across the cork board above her desk. and when sleep lulled her into dreamland, the only thing she remembered was how lovely the picture looked, with sparkles, streamers, happy faces and so full of love. oh, and how the stars twinkled so bright tonight. 

today, was indeed a fairy tale.

11 . 02 . 17 ♡ happy birthday, chan ♡

[wndamaximov]

Infatuated- [b.b]

Pairing: Bucky x POC!Reader

Summary: Bucky’s finally found the perfect girl. The problem is that he has to find a way to tell her that.

Warnings: Language, Angst, Fluff

Words:  1753

Masterlist

Thank you so much @ashley-unicorn! You really helped get me out of a tough spot of writer’s block.❤️❤️❤️

When he first laid eyes on her, it was as if the entire world fell apart around him. He could have stood there for years, just watching the way her hair fell in waves on her shoulders as she flipped it, laughing at something Stark had said. Alas, the moment was ruined by the idiot Steve tapping him on the shoulder.

“You know who she is?”

“No. Just that she’s new,” Bucky responded, his thoughts still on her, and it was entirely likely that he had the stupidest look on his face. Steve immediately knew what had overcome his best friend. He smiled knowingly and nudged him.

“Shut up,” Bucky grumped stomping away from Steve, the image of that woman still ingrained in his mind.

That was months ago, and Bucky didn't see her much after that, just a few murmured "Hello's" while passing each other in the hallway. Oh, he so desperately yearned to talk to her, but it seemed as if fate was against them. Every time Bucky thought he would try, Sam would come up behind him to rag on him or either Steve or Stark would come to call him for an important meeting that always ended up being about bullshit. And she would skip away giving him a small smile and a, “See you later Buchanan!” leaving behind just the tiniest whiff of vanilla and coffee beans. God, he was infatuated.

In the latest meeting, he thought he would drift off and think about how her smile always seemed to brighten up the entire room with its contagiousness, or how the light always seemed to hit her eyes just right to get that caramel tint that he loved in them.

"Barnes, you listening?" Bucky shook himself out of his reverie and wiped the drool he discovered was escaping through the corner of his mouth. Sam burst out laughing as Bucky shot him a glare that would've had the power to kill a lesser man.

"Since you clearly weren't, I'll let y/n fill you in on the details of this meeting. You know, the one you should have been paying attention to," Stark quipped, bumping into him as he briskly left the room.

As the others filed out of the chamber, y/n sat herself down on the chair across from him. He could feel his heart rate accelerate as he realized that she was extremely close to him.

"Ignore him. Tony's still upset over... you know..." she let her voice trail off as she stared apologetically at him, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good with people." She tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear, displaying another one of her nervous tics.

"It's alright doll, me too," he reassured, putting his hand over one of hers(the one that was drumming the table to a beat that sounded familiar, he just couldn't quite place his finger on it) and continued, "Now tell me what was so critical about this drab get-together."

She laughed, putting her whole body into it at his feeble attempt at a joke. It was adorable, how easily she laughed at things other people said. He noticed over the week that even when no one else was, y/n was laughing.

After recovering from her bout of giggles she recounted the meeting. "Well most of the meeting didn’t apply to us because we aren’t ‘real Avengers’ ” She put the quotes around the words as she said it, then continued. “We’re partners in this mission that they’re considering a test I guess, to see how well we fit in with the rest of the team.”

"What type of mission is it?"

"We think that someone's dealing drugs at Peter's school. It's our job to figure out who and get enough evidence to put them in jail."

Bucky looked at her quizzically. "Who's Peter?"

"He's the Spider-Man."

"Oh." He grimaced, remembering the annoying kid from the fight in the airport. God, he hoped he wouldn't see too much of that punk.

"Does he come here often?" Bucky asked, wanting to figure out exactly when he would need to take his leave from the tower.

"Almost every day after school. He's out of town right now though, some field trip in Europe for school," she answered, pulling out papers from the file that lay on the table in front of her. "Here," she handed them to him, her face suddenly contorting in anger. "These guys are so gross!" she exclaimed in disgust. "Ruining these kids' lives for money- they deserve to be in jail."

He glanced at the papers in his hands and immediately understood what she was saying. 11 kids had been hospitalized due to OD'ing on the cocaine that these guys were dealing, but 4 of them hadn't been so lucky- they were found dead.

"Isn't this more of a police thing?" he wondered out loud.

"Yeah but like I said, it's more of a test.” She got up from her chair and walked around to pat him on the arm as she left. “We leave in two days- I'll see you around Sergeant."

He touched the spot where she had left her mark on him, ecstatic at the prospect of being able to spend some time with her, alone and far from distraction in the form of the other Avengers. However, that could also prove to be problematic. He needed to stay focused on the mission- this one especially because kids' lives depended on it.

He decided to delay in telling her his feelings, as if she'd ever reciprocate them, and it was stupid to think she ever would. She was untroubled and didn't deserve a man that had as much baggage as he did. He would just be a burden to her, a shadow that would just bring her down with him. Telling himself this, he walked out of the lonely little room that he had stained just being in.

"Bucky!" Steve called from outside his room. He didn't feel like responding and continued shoving clothes into his go-bag. He wasn't up for explaining his sour mood that had been going on for the past couple of days. Of course Steve was worried- he’d been sulking in his room, not talking to anyone.

"Bucky," he repeated more insistently, opening the door and walking inside, witnessing how bad the situation was.

"What the hell do you want Steve?" he shouted, whipping around to face his best friend.

"I should be asking you that," Steve replied calmly. "You've been acting strange Buck- ever since we came to the compound. Care to explain?"

"Fuck off." Bucky continued stuffing his things into the poor bag straining to keep it all in.

"No."Steve started unpacking the poorly backed bag and got to putting everything back inside neatly.

Bucky lifted his hands up in surrender and stepped away to let Steve do his thing. "You're a punk, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do. Now spill."

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

“So you’re telling me that you’re not telling y/n how you feel because you think you’re not good enough?”

Bucky looked down at his feet sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, when you put it that way Stevie…”

Jesus Buck, you know I love you, but you can just be so fucking stupid sometimes.”

“What do you mean?” he inquired, puzzled at the shit-eating grin on Stevie’s face.

“Do you really think you’re the only one staring longingly when you think she’s not looking?” Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder and commanded, “You still have an hour. Buck- go get that girl.”

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

Bucky paced back and forth just outside y/n’s room, debating whether or not he should go in. He’d been there for about five minutes, but just couldn’t muster the courage to actually knock on her door. A million thoughts filled his head, the most prevalent being ‘what if she hates me?’

“Yo dumbass! How long you been there? ”

“Piss off Sam,” he muttered angrily. Goddammit, if anyone could completely erase his courage it was bird-man.

“You really gonna make me do this by myself?”

“Do what?”

Sam knocked on the door, then sped off before he could face the wrath of the Winter Soldier.

“What the hell?” Bucky shouted, seething at the nerve on Sam.

“Trust me, you’ll thank me later!” he called back.

“Come back, you mother-” Suddenly, Bucky realized that the only thing separating him from confessing his love had been opened, and he looked down to see her gorgeous face peering back up at him. “Y/n.”

“What do you want Buchanan?” She seemed unhappy, and god, he wanted to fix that. He would gladly do anything just to see her smile.

“I-” he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled shakily. “This is so much harder than I thought,” he chuckled, then swallowed and took a deep breath in. She stared at him expectantly and he continued, “The first time I saw you- I don’t, I don’t think it was love, but over time, I don’t know. It was just the little things that caught my eye. Can I?” he cupped her face and she nodded, reaching up to put a hand against his head.

“I know what you mean,” she whispered, then gestured for him to continue.

“The way you laugh at the smallest things...” that earned a chuckle from her and he too smiled. “The way you drum your fingers to that song by Queen whenever you’re nervous...”

Her eyes widened. “Another One Bites the Dust- how did you know?”

“I noticed everything about you doll. I always have and I always will.” He searched her eyes for permission then bent down to kiss her lips softly, finally tasting the vanilla and coffee he had only got samples of before.

After pulling away she giggled and declared, “I think I’m in love with you James Barnes.”

“I think I’m in love with you too.”

✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

A/n: Please validate my hard work in the comments ( 人ФｴФ)

Ask to be added to my Marvel or forever tags here!

Bonus:

“Hey, Bucky?” She was leaning against his chest, making circles with her fingers into his skin.

“Hm?” He replied, softly leaving kisses against her neck.

“Why do you let me call you Buchanan? I distinctly remember you throttling Sam when he called you that.”

He tilted her head up to look up at him then answered, “It’s because I’m not in love with Sam.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, then fell back against the bed content. God, he was infatuated.