#for how much black i wear on the daily I'll always have a special place in my heart for pink 💞🫶

[doveotion]

tagged by @swimmingblues to make this cute character!! ty babes ILYSM!!!! 💕💕💕💕(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

I'm tagging @actualnymph @mywineandwhine @aphrodiitaes @nekuz @spirited-avvay @happilyy @godsopenwound @chantilliy @chocochat @soulaans @98borabora @pollen @breadmp3 and literally anyone else who wants 2 try it <3 (link via source)

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Kickstart My Heart Pt.1 (Racer! Yeosang)

Next>>

Pairing: Racer! Kang Yeosang × Waitress/Fuckgirl! Reader (Female)

Genre: Fluff, Angst, 80s AU.

Summary: During an era known for its vibrant colors, eccentric fashion styles and rise of new yet unconventional genres of music, the young generation of that time was infamously known for their need to rebel and live their lives rather scandalously and Y/N is no exception. So when a new and attractive man moves into her town, she has her eyes set on making him her next boy toy.

Word Count: 4K+

Warnings: Dumb attempts at crackhead humor, reader is a cold hearted bitch, guy gets dumped in public, reader's friend is lowkey creepy.

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Throwing on the last article of clothing that had been discarded the night before, the young woman shook out her hair, still damp from the quick shower she just took. Picking up her bag, she looked over at the figure still sleeping soundly, the subtle hint of a smile on his face. With a pitied pout on her lips, she walked over to the edge where his face was. Taking out the lipstick tube from her bag, she applied it all over her lips, painting them in the dark burgundy color that she fancied so much and had practically become her signature hue. Bending over, she pressed her lips against the corners of his mouth, giving him the faintest whisper of a kiss before pulling away. A satisfied smirk was plastered on her pretty features as she stared at the lipstick mark on his face, the only memoir she'd leave him with as she had done with countless others.

Closing the front door behind her, she pulled her denim jacket tighter on her body, shivering slightly from the early dawn's breeze that blew across. It was always like that even though summer had just begun, the early morning hours still feeling obnoxiously cool and then transpiring into slightly uncomfortably warm afternoons that had more than one soul in that quaint town grumbling and fussing about the weather. But oh did the evenings feel absolutely refreshing, and that's when everything would start bustling to life.

Having finally made it out of that small residential area and finding one of the main roads that helped her locate where to go, she started heading south towards the all too familiar diner where she had been working in ever since her school days, first starting part time and eventually transpiring to full time when it came time for her to spread her wings and fly out on her own, a feat she had been most anxious to do to get away from the overly controlling nature of her parents. She knew they cared about her, but she herself cared very little about the morals and principles they had raised her with, a common trait all the young people in that town shared: their rebellious and headstrong nature to not conform and go against everything they had been taught thus far. Live their own lives as freely as they chose to do.

And she definitely lived as she wanted to, even if it ended up with a rather bad reputation and ugly labels that rather than infuriate her, she openly embraced, as others had come to as well.

The light twinkle of the bells above the glass door let the person at the register know someone came in and they immediately plastered on their business smile, which quickly faded when they saw who it was.

"You're late Y/N." The minuscule raven haired waitress informed her, eyes never leaving her coworker's figure that came behind the counter and started punching in her number.

"Only by like 7 minutes." She waved her slip at the nonchalant looking girl before placing it back in its respective slot.

"One day it wouldn't surprise me if you just didn't show up because you got too caught up in.... something else."

Chuckling softly, Y/N walked up behind her coworker, hands coming up to ruffle the cheekbone level bob cut hair framing her unusually small face.

"Awww come on Lynn, you know I'd never leave you hanging here to attend customers by yourself. You're my bestie." Y/N assured her, playfully poking her lips out as she tried to place a kiss on her friend, the poor girl craning her neck away as she tended to dislike physical affection.

"I will squirt ketchup on you." Lynn threatened as she picked up the cherry red bottle as a last resort to get her attacker to back away. A rather noisy struggle ensued between both girls, catching the attention of the owner and cook behind the two doors, prompting her to come out and see what was the cause of such ruckus.

"Well I'll be darned. I don't remember paying you youngsters to simply slack off and behave like the hooligans you are." The middle aged woman spoke up, her thick accent becoming more prominent. Although she had a stern look and hands placed at her hips, the girls knew she was not in reality angry at them.

Looking over at the recently arrived girl, the owner closed her eyes and sighed deeply when she took in the attire she was wearing: low cut white tank, ripped denim shorts that left little to the imagination if she bent down, fishnet tights with a few holes in them, and her beloved denim jacket that was almost always on Y/N's body.

"I swear to god, Y/N , everytime I see you wear them rags you call clothes, I feel like my body is about to collapse. Why must you insist on dressing like a common street worker?"

Y/N wasn't at all offended by her words, having grown used to and becoming fond of her boss's abrupt, direct and honest manner of speaking.

"Gotta start looking the part if I'm going to dedicate my life to the occupation." She giggled at her own joke, resulting in the older woman taking the rag off her apron and smacking her with it.

"This little runt, talking nonsense like that- get your ass back in there and change into your uniform. Can't have you prancing around here in those skimpy clothes and have all these men that come here say disrespectful things about you. Nuh uh, not to my girls." She shook her head.

"Yes Miss Audrey." Complying with the woman's wishes, she pushed open the swing doors leading to the back and quickly made her way to the corner where all the employee's cubicles were located. Grabbing the necessary items, she turned and went inside the bathroom to change into her uniform, consisting of a knee length crimson red dress, which she had actually altered so it would be shorter and display her thighs more, the cap sleeves slightly puffed up and the torso part had a trail of white buttons going all the way up to the modest v-neckline, usually most buttons were left undone so her cleavage would shamelessly peak out. Exchanging her black Doc Martens in favor of her white Nike sneakers, Y/N tied her apron around her waist, making sure it was as tight as possible so it would accentuate her curves and give her body a more flattering appearance. As she made her way out, she quickly piled her hair up before securing it with one of the many elastics she kept around her wrists, leaving out a few tendrils to fall on her temples.

Coming back out to start her daily work, she stood in front of Lynn, who merely spared her an unamused glance.

"How do I look?" Y/N asked.

"Like a total slut." Her friend answered in her usually rude way.

Rolling her eyes, Y/N grabbed a spray bottle and a rag. Making her way over to the table that had just finished being used, she quickly picked up the plates and glass, bringing them back over to where Lynn was, who took them so she could wash them in the sink. Spraying the top of the marble piece, she had began her task of wiping down the table when the ringing of the bell signaled new customers had arrived, and rowdy ones at that too.

"Damn! Is today's special fluffy sponge cake? Cause I would sure love a piece of that ass."

Y/N recognized that annoying voice even from miles away, belonging to none other than one of her old classmates, Jung Wooyoung, whom she considered a friend, if he didn't manage to irk her too much. Turning around, she of course wasn't surprised to see him surrounded by his crew of equally idiotic and adrenaline junkie friends, whom she had to admit were pleasant and fun to hang out with.

"Sit your asses down already, I'll be over in a minute to take your order." She told them before resuming her previous task, earning a scoff from the most dramatic of the group.

"Fine customer service! Don't think you'll be getting a tip from me." His words made her nearly burst into a fit of giggles.

"Wooyoung please, you never ever tip whenever you come. None of you, except Yunho." It kinda saddened her that said male unfortunately wasn't there with them at the moment.

"He doesn't tip you, he tips short stack over there." His friend with cat like eyes pointed towards Lynn, who upon overhearing him held up a rather explicit finger in his direction.

"I'll poison your food San." She threatened with a sing song tone.

"Like I wouldn't know that you already spit on it." San spat back, sticking his tongue out in his immature and infantile fashion.

"Can you guys hurry up and order already? I'm starving and we gotta head to the tracks as early as possible." The fiery red haired male known as Song Mingi blurted out, fingers tapping impatiently against the top of the table.

"If little miss g-string would care to hop her luscious ass over here, maybe we could."

Strutting over to where they sat, Y/N harshly threw the dirty rag on Wooyoung's face, causing a faint grunt to come out of his mouth.

"No matter how many times you mention my ass, I'm still not letting you tap it." She firmly stated, making Wooyoung slightly purse his lips outwards in a disappointed grimace.

"So anygays-" Mingi began.

"Umm I think you mean anyways." San corrected him.

Leaning in towards him, Mingi locked eyes on the shorter male and stared him down with an intimidating glare.

"Did I stutter Choi?"

San immediately shook his head rapidly. With a victory smile, Mingi reclined back in his seat.

"I'm just going to get the breakfast platter with some orange juice."

Y/N couldn't stifle her snort when he said his choice of drink, the other two men looking away in embarrassment.

"You've been drinking orange juice since you were in grade school Mingles, don't you think you outta start taking something more grown up? Like coffee?" San suggested and Mingi did not appreciate it.

"Coming from the one who still brings a plushie to sleep with him, your suggestion holds no value or power." He retorted.

"OK SHIBER IS NOT A PLUSHIE, HE'S FAMILY YOU JACKASS!" San sprinted up from his seat, nearly leaning across to grab Mingi by the color, but he was held back by Wooyoung.

Lynn, who had thus far stayed quiet, promptly came up with a spray bottle and consequently doused the untamed boy on his face.

"Bad kitty, bad kitty." She reprimanded him, unable to resist the opportunity to attack her long time frenemy.

"Lynn!" Y/N looked at her with surprise.

"You're welcome." Lynn replied rather monotone before going back to her place behind the counter like she didn't just spray San with disinfecting water.

"There's too many germs going around anyways..." She muttered under her breath.

Without any further interruptions, aside from the rumbling coming out of the boys' stomachs, they finished ordering what they wanted and Y/N sent it over so they could be prepared. Not wanting to be near their loud asses, Y/N went back over to where Lynn was, peeking over to see what she was currently reading in the magazine she held.

"What you reading?" She casually inquired.

"Horoscope section." Y/N wasn't surprised, her friend tended to be into more mystical, eccentric and rather.....extreme with her taste in fashion and music. If Y/N was the one who turned heads for her scandalous attire, Lynn was the one people turned away from in fear when they saw how she dressed. It was a sight that truly made both of them laugh at people's foolishness, well at least made Y/N laugh. Her friend rarely had any other expression plastered on that wasn't utter disdain for society and life.

Unexpectedly, another customer came in. Both girls looked at each other in confusion when neither of them recognized him. Their town was rather small with few people living there, so they deduced that he must be a traveler who probably got lost on his route. He himself looked around nervously, eyes barely lifting up. Y/N couldn't help herself as she took in his perfect face. Big, round eyes with crystal clear orbs, small face with a V-line jaw, perfectly sculpted nose with no sign of defects, skin smooth and blemish free, he looked like a prince out of a fairytale. He was incredibly pretty, yet stood there so awkwardly that it was almost comical.

"Hey Yeosang! You made it! Sit down! I ordered for you in advanced!" Wooyoung surprised both girls when it seemed he knew the stranger and even waved him over to where they sat. The other two boys also seem familiarized with him and welcomed him to sit with them, chatting up a storm already with him.

"Who's that?" Lynn was the one to finally ask out loud.

"Beats me.....but he sure is adorable."

Noticing the way her lips curled upwards, Lynn could already see the wheels inside Y/N's head turning.

"And I bet you're going to go over there and find out- aaand there you go." She ended up answering her own deduction as she watched Y/N happily walked over with a more bright expression on her face, that soon soured when her boss came out of the kitchen and beat her over to the table, laying down several plates of food.

"I knew as soon as I saw the orders that it had to be the lot of you." She scoffed softly as she looked at the boys' grinning faces.

"You know us Miss Audrey, we wouldn't ever think of eating anywhere else but here. You're the best cook in all of town." Wooyoung praised her with a sparkling charm that could have fooled anyone else but not the robust woman in front of him.

"Boy stop trying to tickle my ears, I've known you since you were in your soiled diapers being carried around by your mama, running around and creating chaos anywhere you went. Flattery may work on them poor girls you play with but me? I can see right through ruffians like you."

Turning her head to finally notice the new addition to the group, she looked him up and down.

"Boy who might you be?" She questioned him, earning the ears of the girls nearby to listen in for any valuable information.

"I'm..... Yeosang Kang, nice to meet you." He introduced himself, tilting his head slightly down when he said that.

"He just moved into town this week! He's the new guy who is going to work with us down at the car shop and help on the race track!" San enthusiastically shouted, making the older woman cringe.

"I may be old, but I still haven't gone deaf for you to yell in such a way boy. So...." She crossed her arms and looked at Yeosang again.

"You a racer too?"

Now the girls, particularly Y/N, were more interested in what his response would be.

"I- yes. So it seems." The poor boy looked so flustered, obviously being more of a soft spoken individual, contrasting starkly to the other 3 boys.

Miss Audrey let out a seemingly displeased hum at his answer.

"As if we needed anymore hooligans running wild. We already got enough with the 3 Stooges over here."

The girls couldn't help but snicker at their boss's words, always having a blast whenever she put the boys back in their place. They however looked displeased, glaring at them intensely.

"Shouldn't you both be off somewhere cleaning dishes or making sandwiches?"

Snatching one of the knifes, Lynn held it up and was about to jump over, but Y/N came up in front of her.

"Lynn, no. Just calm down ok? You know they're just being idiots." Y/N reminded her.

Grumbling something in a foreign language no one knew for sure if it was real or not, Lynn put the knife back, squinting her eyes at them before turning around to not look at them again. Y/N giggled softly, finding it absolutely cute whenever her friend lost her cool and collected form cause it reminded her of a chihuahua, barking and yelping at anything larger than itself trying to establish dominance.

Noticing that in her display of aggression, Lynn had inadvertently knocked over a few of the brochures that were on display for people to take, Y/N stooped down and proceeded to pick them up in a casual manner. Standing up, she neatly arranged them properly, making sure they all faced the same direction and the sides weren't poking out anywhere. Feeling as though someone had been watching her all along, she looked at the table of boys, half expecting Wooyoung's smug grin to greet her, but she was completely wrong as it was none other than the new guy who seemed unable to keep his eyes off her figure, staring intently at the length of her skirt. When he realized she noticed, his eyes went wide, cheeks burning up with utter embarrassment. Y/N however seemed unbothered by this. Wanting to test something, she pretended to accidentally drop one of the pamphlets. Bending over, she made sure he could get a perfect glimpse of her cleavage, if he payed enough attention, he'd be able to see that she was in fact, not wearing any bra. Coming back up, Y/N looked over to see the results, smirking when the agape mouth of Yeosang confirmed to her that he had indeed noticed everything.

"Oh sweetheart, you're gonna be too easy..." She had already made up in her mind that Yeosang would be her next target, and she had to put her plan in action. Placing the brochures down, she was about to go over and start flirting with him, until a familiar voice called for her.

"Y/N! There you are!"

She internally groaned when she heard him, wondering why on earth did he not get the hint of ditching him like that, especially when he very well knew about the reputation she had. She tried ignoring him, but of course, he had had to be the persistent type, no doubt thinking he was going to have a different ending than the rest before him.

"I thought you'd be here. You could have told me you were going to be gone early. I would have made you breakfast."

Knowing she had to say something, Y/N grabbed her pad and gave him the fakest smile she was capable of donning.

"Hi, what can we get started for you today? Waffles? Eggs and bacon? Coffee to start off with?"

The trio of friends, having no choice but to witness the interaction due to it happening right in front of them, snickered amongst themselves.

"Oh shit. He's in for it." San whispered lowly.

The boy obviously looked extremely confused, his smile lightly falling off, but then returning to its hopeful state.

"Why are you acting like this candy bear? Pretending like you don't know me?" When he tried to reach a hand to pull her close, the girl simply pushed him away with one of her fingers.

"Look, clearly you're too stupid to understand so let me spell it out in a language you can understand." Letting out a tired sigh, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, a sour look displaying on her pretty face.

"We had a nice time together, and last night was... average to put it nicely."

"Oh man. That was a total burn." Mingi couldn't help but snort, some of the orange juice being spit back into his glass.

"But that was all it was and all it's ever going to be. So why don't you do yourself a favor and just go back home to your Star Trek figurines and watch the latest episode of Thunder Cats?"

The not so discreet snickering coming from the table behind them only made the humiliation for the man multiply significantly. Turning red with utter despair and rage, he quickly brushed past Y/N rather brusquely.

"Fucking bitch." She heard him mutter under his breath, a phrase she had grown accustomed to hearing among many others.

"Oh god. Homegirl struck again." Wooyoung laughed, swirling his milkshake in his hand.

"Ayo why you gotta do Thunder Cats like that? It's actually pretty entertaining." San commented.

Looking over at the time, the guys quickly stood up, dropping their share of bills onto the table.

"You guys get paid today too right? Come meet up with us at the track." Wooyoung suggested.

"Why on earth would we want to go see your greasy, oil smelling ass after dealing for nearly an hour with you already?" Lynn questioned him, eyes never peering up from her magazine.

"Because Yunho would be there?"

Still she didn't respond, the only movement made was her finger turning the page.

"Bro we been knew she don't give two shits about him." Mingi reminded them.

"Because we're going to the drive in theater after work, they're playing a horror movie."

Lifting her gaze, Lynn closed the magazine, although still stone faced, her eyes seemed to brighten up.

"My interest has been greatly piqued." Her lips showed the faintest whisper of a smile that gave a rather eerie and chilling feel down the people's spines.

"Maybe we should rethink inviting Satan's offspring." San leaned in towards Mingi, shivering significantly.

"Great! So we'll catch you gals later."

The boys quickly dispersed themselves, save Yeosang who still sat quietly, keeping mostly to himself. His fingers fidgeted with the half drunk cup he was holding, gaze fixed on the table in front of him. Looking up, he was attempting to work up the courage to talk to Y/N, but before he could even get the chance to gather strength, the owner came out from the back, whispering a few orders to her and gesturing for her to go tend to a situation in the kitchen. With a defeated sigh, he got up to go join the rest of the gang outside who were waiting for him. Slumping his hands in the pockets of his pants, he moved out of the booth with a solemn gaze.

"Hey."

His steps came to a screeching halt when he heard Y/N call out to him. Looking over, she smiled sweetly in his direction.

"Hope I see you later." With a flirtatious wink, she bid him goodbye as she disappeared into the back.

Yeosang stood there stunned momentarily, replaying her words over and over again in his mind, pondering endlessly at their meaning.

"Little pussy cat sure got you brain dead, didn't she?"

Startled by the unexpected voice next to him, he jumped when the face of the kind yet stern old lady studied him carefully. With a disapproving shake of her head, she decided it'd be best to warn him before he started getting ideas in his head.

"Listen, you seem like a sweet and sensible young man, so it's best for you to listen to me and stay away from that darn girl. Don't let them sugar coated lips of hers sweet talk themselves into your heart. You'll just end up heart broken like all the lovers she's had."

Picking up some of the plates, she gave him one last look, pointing an accusatory finger at him to get her point across.

"She's dangerous." Finally saying what she needed to say, Miss Audrey headed back with plates in her arms, slapping away Lynn's hands when they attempted to pry them off her, barking instructions at her to watch the counter and leave her be.

"Dangerous....." Yeosang thought to himself, the warning the good intended woman gave him sinking deep in his mind. Although he took her words to heart, something about the way she glanced at him pulled at the strings in his chest, taking his breath away when he remembered the risque position she was in that purposely allowed him to view more than he should have. That memory tinted his cheeks pink, lips unable to suppress a small smile. He knew that he should heed the old woman's advice.

But he had to admit that he loved danger and the thrill it came with.........

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Taglist: @little-precious-baby @yunhofingers @brie02 @galaxteez @multidreams-and-desires @deja-vux @hanatiny @couchpotatoaniki @daniblogs164 @a-soft-hornytiny @yunsangoveryonder @minhyukmyluv @nanamarkie @ateezbabysitters @mingismoon @rainteez02

[kimhargreeves]

❤️⛏️Take Your Pick-Tom Hanniger x Reader

Summary: For the longest of time you've hated Sarah. Tom always favored her over anyone else, now he is back and you are willing to do anything to get his attention.

(A/N: I haven't seen anyone written on Tom Hanniger only about Harry, so I decided to be the first person that i know so far. Consider this as a special Valentine's Day horror one shot❤️also apologies if it's not 100% good, also just before posting this I found out Paul Kelman, the actor who played Tom passed away 4 days ago. I'm sadden by the news, so rest in peace 🙏🏻)

"Are you going to the Valentine's Day dance?!" I was surrounded by many people asking that question daily. Valentine's Day was quickly approaching. I've never been fond of Valentine's Day, maybe because of everyone starts to eat their faces whenever they kiss.

I'll admit it can be a lovely day, a special occasion to share with a loved one, but not me..I had a crush on a guy who never paid attention to me, I was only a friend.

"Of course! Just you wait the dress I'll be wearing." I remained sitting down in my "group of friends", Gretchen, Dave, Hollis, Patty, Sylvia, Howard, Mike, John, Tommy, and Harriet. Sarah, Axel, and the mayor's son T.J. 

Tom Jesse Hanniger is the guy I had a crush on. I mostly remained in the group just to see him, Howard is my cousin but we never were too close. He claimed and so did the rest on how weird i dress or how much is a pessimist i am.

One of the things I liked about T.J is that he usually defended me in own way. We would just share a few smiled and talk for a bit whenever we were away from the group.

We were all sitting down at the bar with the rest of them talking nonsense as always. "Are you really all concerned about this Valentine's Day dance?" I scoffed and felt all eyes on me.

I I'm usually the quiet one in the group so I was certain they were all surprised to hear me talk out loud.

"I think you're just jealous we have dates and you don't." One member of the group said which angered me a lot.

I turned to glare at them, "I have far more important things to worry in life than a dance. Harry Warden is still wandering around too.'

My so-called group of friends groaned when I mentioned that name. "Don't tell you believe in that bullshit." Axel said wrapping his arms around Sarah.

"There's no need to be so mean to, (Y/N)." I turned around and my expression softened when I looked at Tom. I was the only person to call him by his real name.

Everyone rolled their eyes but I saw Tom and Sarah eyeing each other which only made me jealous. T.J placed his drink onto the table i was sitting on and took a seat in front of me.

"Hey, would you mind doing me a favor?" His dark brown eyes seemed to light up when he looked at me.

I nodded my head and smiled shyly. "Sure, anything."

He folded his hands together and smiled looking at me then glancing at Sarah. "Would you mind spending some time with Axel? I kinda want to talk to Sarah without him chasing after her."

My smile slowly disappeared when he said her name again. "Axel? You know I hate him..I can't believe you are still chasing after her."

I bitterly said hoping he'd know that i also dislike Sarah, he dumped her after he disappeared for years and mysteriously came back. "I'll repay it to you later somehow." He shrugged.

"You love horror movies right? We can see a movie together sometime...maybe we can go to the mines."

I glanced back at him and that piqued my interest. T.J works at the mines, the same one where Harry Warden was found eating someone's after he was placed at a mental hospital.

T.J or should I say Tom knows how interested I've been to visit the place. I want to be an author or even a reporter to uncover gruesome tastes, and this would be a great start for me.

Tom smiled and placed his hand on mine. "What do you say, (Y/N)?" I blushed when he said my name. I moved the few strands of black hair across my forehead and slowly nodded.

"I-I'll do my best."

Soon enough we were interrupted when everyone began to retell the story on how everything started with Harry Warden. Every Valentine's Day he would be back.

Killing people and handing out real hearts inside heart shaped boxes. "Sounds romantic to me." I muttered resting my hand on my hand.

I heard a hum and saw a small smirk across T.J's face. He also paid close attention to the storytelling.

Right after that we were outside heading out to our own place. I stayed behind the group slowly walking while the rest chatted away up front, Tom was also behind the rest.

"Do you think she'll accept me again?" All of the sudden he asked.

"Maybe." I shrugged not really caring if she were to decline him.

"You're so cold." T.J chuckled and shook his head. "Everyone's right, but I guess that's what makes you interesting. You don't care what others might say."

I looked up to my right and smiled at him when he looked down at me with a smirk. "Look at those two.

"Someone scoffed and made fun of us, more like me. I ignored them and felt a bit hurt, it's been many years since I've endured all of their awful talks about me.

It's been lonely without being able to talk to someone about how I really feel. My parents were killed long ago and i was shortly adopted when I was a kid.

"Don't mind them, they can be assholes."

We continued walking down the streets until we were close to the parking lot. "I'll talk to Sarah tomorrow..." I coldly said staring up ahead.

************

"The Valentine's Day dance has been cancelled." I heard many people talk about it. It's not even that important. I continued writing down on my notebooks and hadn't seen any of my "friends" out on the streets.

I can only assume that T.J and Sarah has reconciled in a way.

For as long as I can remember I have loved him, he's only seen me as a friend or sister. I remember all of the stares, kisses, or how his eyes filled with lust whenever he saw Sarah

"Fuck!" I winced in pain and realized I had accidentally stabbed my hand with my own pencil. I grabbed onto the pencil tight and got it out of my flesh.

I quickly ran to my room to wrap my hand up in a white bandage. Why can T.J return his feelings for me? The only time he and I were together was when I shared my first kiss with him many years ago.

"Moping around won't get me anywhere." I muttered and tried to get rid of the dark thoughts in my head.

I left my small apartment and started wandering to find anything to eat. I jumped up when someone tapped my shoulder and i saw that it was Axel.

"What do you want?" We've never spoken to each other alone, so this was very shocking.

"Do you know where Sarah is?!" He sounded desperate and controlling as always.

I continue to walking staring up ahead, "Fuck! She's with T.J, isn't she?"

I stopped walking and glanced at him. "We both knew they would get back together eventually." I truthfully said. It angered me but what else can I do

"Don't you think it's suspicious how he suddenly showed up again?" He turned to look at me while he ran his hands over his blonde hair.

"Don't play stupid you know I'm right. You've always loved that idiot while he's too enamoured over my girl."

I remained silent and slowly nodded. "Alright! You're right. I would've done anything for him but he doesn't love me."

Axel scoffed and began to bitterly laugh. "It must suck..knowing you'll never be loved by the one you've liked."

All of the sudden he reached and held onto my arm tightly.

"Fuck you, Axel."

I got out of his grip and started walking away, I turned back and saw Axel glaring at me as I walked far from him.

********

It was Valentine's Day and we were all outside the mines. Just like T.J promised me, he would give me a tour..with Sarah of course. I rolled my eyes when he said that and I knew that he has catching up that i do not like her.

Everybody on our group of friends were drinking and talking about stupid things, I was far away from them minding my own business when I heard T.J coming up to me.

"What are you doing here on your own?" He asked after taking another drink of his beer.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to not get emotional. "I just don't like Valentine's Day.."

This must have peaked his interest because he stared at me, wanting a good explanation. I took a deep breath when I stared into his eyes and felt all these emotions again.

"My parents were murdered on Valentine's Day. I don't remember much but I do remember seeing a black silhouette, I hated the person who killed them...but I actually enjoyed seeing all that blood."

I finally admitted. I felt sick and disgusted by myself, it feels like all of that blood and screams woke something deep in me. "How did you get this?" T.J gently grabbed my hand and examined it.

It was still wrapped up with a bit of blood. "Axel is going to kick your ass later for hooking up with Sarah again." I reminded him.

"Why do you hate her?" he asked instead now getting a bit irritated at my dislike for her.

"Tom.. I have known you for many years, this might sound dumb but that kiss we shared back in middle school it still means something to me. You are the only person who always treated me nicely, looking past my looks to see someone who has cared for you. Sarah, doesn't deserve you. As soon as you left she went after Axel..." I finished saying.

T.J stared down at me I reached up to kiss him, until I was stopped. I opened my eyes and saw his expression completely change.

"I-I'm sorry, (Y/N)." Tom said nothing more and simply walked away leaving me heartbroken.

His friends ran past me an into the mines. "Come on, (Y/N)." One of them called probably drunk by now.

Without saying a single word I slowly followed everyone into the mines, my felt as though my heart had broken into millions of pieces..I felt completely empty, deep down i guess I never wanted to admit that i wouldn't have a chance to be with him.

I began to aimlessly walk around the dark empty mines with a single flashlight, everyone went their separate ways and no way did I want to be by Tom's side now. I silently began to cry until I fell to my knees and tried ignoring my dark thoughts once again.

I stuck by his side, always helped him when he needed my help and now I'm lonely again.

Screams soon filled the dark mine. Quickly I got up and aimed my flashlight up, someone was thrown on the ground, I squinted my eyes and saw a tall guy covered in black with a mask and an ace in hand.

I silently cursed and began to run as fast as j could away from the figure. Is that Harry Warden?!

Was he the one who killed my parents?... immediately I stopped when I found a hiding place and I began to make up a plan.

Right next to where I was hiding, there were a couple of rocks and sharp objects, one of them being a single hammer. I held it in my hands and was ready to attack, I held a deep breathe when Harry Warden walked past me and deeper into the mine.

I shortly followed remaining to stay silent. I saw him chasing and fighting Tom with Sarah, quickly I appeared behind him when he was distracted and I hit him back as hard as I could. The figure turned around to attack me, he held his hands up to my neck, choking me.

Tom appeared behind him with Sarah who attacked him. Harry Warden fell to his knees and the three of us began to run, I hear more footsteps approaching which I assume is the police.

But as soon as I began to get closer a couple of rocks fell blocking me from getting over to Tom. "Tom!" I shouted his name desperately trying to get to him through the rubble.

I knew he, Sarah and everyone else were on the other side. "You need to get out!" I hear him shout. My blood ran cold when I realized that it wasn't Harry behind the mask but Axel.

Tom stole Sarah from him..so he'll take me. I screamed but as soon as I did, Axel got up and covered my mouth, making me follow him deeper into the mines to never be seen again.

[boop-le-snoot]

masterpost • main masterlist • taglist & faq

Introductory prologue. The main pairing will be established ironstrange x reader. This story will be rated explicit, have some canon-typical violence and language. The 'fuck' harvest is bountiful this time of the year. Updates - irregular so far, I'm posting it as I go.

No y/n, no "you", no name - nickname only, no reader description - race/age/body type neutral, she/her pronouns. Please leave a comment if you spot a stray 'blushing' or the likes, I write as it flows and sometimes miss those words when I proofread. I try to be inclusive of all my readers.

"Your total is twelve dollars, seventeen cents," I rattled off on autopilot, casting a glance at the cash register and plastering an automatic smile onto my face. The pleasant expression was frozen on it, stuck like glue, despite the news I had received earlier in the day. "Thank you, have a nice day," I doubted the customer actually heard my words.

One of those business-types, wearing a tailored two-piece, with a Bluetooth headset attached to their ear and brain always a mile away, our little coffee shop a mild interruption in their daily routine of making more and more money. "Hello, how can I help you?" I addressed the next customer, my eyes unseeing, gliding over their face and to the storefront where I noticed we were running low on eclairs and carrot cake.

"Hey, Starlight," the woman's voice was familiar, tone soothing, as I snapped my eyes to meet a pair of reddish-brown ones, staring at me with concern. "The usual," our city's very own superhero; Wanda Maximoff stood before me with her head curiously tilted to the side and her brother hovering behind her, examining the assortment of various cakes on display. "Long day?"

"You have no idea," I sighed, sending off the organic, single-use cups with scribbles off to Dave, our barista. Wanda's order was large, usually about ten or twelve coffees and quite a few treats, so I donned on some nitrile gloves to package the treats while Dave handled the drinks with practiced ease. I admired his stoicism. "Might be seeing a bit less of me," the woman's eyebrows rose in displeasure at my admission.

"Tony won't be happy," Wanda mumbled, side-eyeing the backdoor behind which my boss usually resided during the day. "You got fired?" The words attracted the attention of her brother. Pietro was immediately at her side, joining into the concerned staring.

"Nope," I popped the 'p', methodically shoving the food in its packaging. "The café is expanding hours and our shifts are being split now. Jeremy is dead set on me working the graveyard shift, so I'll be here six AM to two PM," I couldn't help the sigh that left my lips.

My boss, Jeremy, had opened his boulangerie little over two years ago, and as he had predicted, it set off almost immediately. The place was located almost in the heart of the dozen corporate sky-rises full of busy, wealthy people who liked their things to be both instant and luxurious. Jeremy had fit right in with the law sharks and business vultures, if you ask me, with his penchant for demanding the impossible.

I was expecting an increase in work hours, I wasn't going to lie - our little cafe was busy nearly all the time it was open - but the fact that he chose to split a day's shift came as a punch to the gut. Like most service staff, I made most of my money from the tips, and they and they only were the only reason I stayed in a place with a shrew for a boss and the worst health insurance in the area. Thankfully, the rich businessmen from local offices didn't count their money and left me more than generous tips.

The coffee machine beeped for the last time as Dave passed me the three cupholders before I carefully bagged them, arranging the treats on top. I saw Wanda lick her lips at the aromas coming from the paper bag before Pietro snatched them out of my grasp. I rattled off the total, catching Wanda's eye as she passed me several twenty dollar bills, waving off my attempt to return the change.

"Penny for your wandering thoughts?" She smiled warmly as I chuckled at the question I've grown to expect with a quiet sort of joy.

The first time she'd wandered in, soaking wet from the rain and looking as lost as a child in a mall, ten minutes before closing time, I was reading my book right at the counter as I waited for the coffee machine to clean itself. I hadn't even noticed the quiet woman until her words startled me out of the book-induced trance and I shamefully had to ask her to repeat herself, hastily shoving my book under the counter. She smiled at me, shyly, and asked me about my reading instead of rattling an order for one of the sickly sweet caffeine concoctions female customers seemed to love. And she returned in a few days, asking the same question after taking a careful look at my face.

"And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about." I took a careful moment to recall a paragraph from the book I was currently reading, Murakami's 'Kafka on the Shore'. It seemed fitting, with all that had been going on in my life recently. I was still caught in the middle of the storm, unsure if I'd make it out but hoping for it nonetheless.

"That's beautiful," Pietro smiled at me, the tips of his silver hair reflecting the lights of the cafe's baroque style chandeliers. I barely managed to smile at him as he was already speeding off, the entrance door banging shut behind a blur of white and blue. Each time he did that, I couldn't help but wonder how he managed to not spill any of the hot beverages.

"Because it's true," Wanda added with a comforting smile. I nodded in agreement, hoping some of her positive attitude would dissipate the sense of doom I'd been lugging around all day. She departed, taking the sense of comfort with her, as I caught the tail end of something shouted in Sokovian - something that sounded exactly in place, coming from one disgruntled sibling to another.

When the residents of the nearby Stark tower began frequenting my workplace, I barely had the composure to stifle my quiet fangirling to socially acceptable levels. Not long after the Scarlet Witch turned a semi-regular, she started bringing her colleagues with her - Hawkeye at first, who was a decent, normal dude; he looked like an exasperated dad and Pietro appeared every thing the rambunctious son, as the younger man peppered the older man with questions about the cakes on our display.

They all had fancy names, but at the bottom of it, a chocolate cake was a chocolate cake. That much I told them, with a snort, earning myself a lopsided grin and a generous tip as I patiently listed off the more commonly used, simplified designations for the twins as the knowledge of them being European immigrants crossed my mind.

After Hawkeye came the Black Widow, and then Captain America with a sunny smile and his moody boyfriend in tow. While Bucky Barnes' expression was generally sour, the man had a wicked sweet tooth, shoveling frosted, glazed treats at the rate of a competitive eater. Both men were extremely polite if not very chatty and tipped well.

Tony Stark himself - well, he was a special one. His sense of humour trailed on the fine line of obscene, oftentimes raising the eyebrows of nearby people standing in line. I wasn't born yesterday, either: years of customer service work left me with little-to-no surprise regarding overzealous men and I could quip back equally as sharply, just slightly south of Tony's own jokes. He never overstepped, however, and with time, I developed a quiet appreciation for our small talks.

Which did brighten up my day, if only a little. "A little birdy told me your boss is being a douchebag. Want me to clean up that muck?" Tony was, as usual, wearing a bespoke suit and sunglasses, which he'd pushed up to his forehead as he frivolously leaned on the counter after placing his order.

I sighed, remembering Wanda's words. I didn't know what to expect from the eccentric billionaire; last of all, I didn't want any handouts. I'd started a search for a second part-time job the very day I got told my pay would be essentially cut in half. "No need, Mr. Stark, I'm gonna be fine and dandy," I replied with a smile that I was sure didn't really reach my eyes. "We'll still be able to resume our nice chit-chat at brunch on Saturdays," I winked, hoping to keep up the usual light atmosphere of our banter.

"I told you to call me Tony!" He exclaimed, like always, shaking his head and glaring at the back door. "Yeah, no," the man had absolutely no chill. "I'll still sic the IRS on him," the last part was said quietly. Mr. Stark often spoke to himself.

I laughed at the rich-kid, spoilt way he was acting. A grown man with an attitude of a teenager and a sweet tooth to match one - except for his coffee. That was always the strongest, blackest one we had on hand. I hadn't even heard of a triple espresso until Mr. Stark had waltzed in, skipping the line and filling the air around him with the smells of cologne that smelled like money, motor oil, iron and soot.

The moment I opened my e-mail at home, I felt my gloomy mood worsen, Mr. Stark's words echoing in my head. I'd sent my resumes to two dozen places and only a handful even bothered to reply - all preemptive rejections, there weren't businesses needing a part-time employee with a useless degree, who could only work evenings. Except bars, but they required some sort of certificate for bartenders and lots and lots of bare skin for waitresses. I tried to steer away from that part of the industry as much as I could, saving it as a last resort option.

It had come down to browsing Craigslist as I ate my way through a carton of cheap take-out, too exhausted to cook and too anxious to go out to the nearby bodega after 9 PM. One more negative side of working late shift - making my way home in the dead of the night in NYC and hoping Spider-Man was hanging out nearby should a thug decide on me to be their next victim. The joys of big city life.

As the column of various ads stared at me with various suspicious offers to make quick money, ads for 'young, sociable women' and I stared back at them in muted disgust. The 'looking for a job' section was much more sensible with the few ads I'd clicked on out of curiosity depicting people seemingly in a similar situation as me - short on money but not desperate enough to surrender their dignity to corporate greed. The decision was momentary - I'd started typing and hit the post button before I was through with my food, slapping my old laptop shut as soon as the as posted.

Hopefully, the creeps will stay away. The next couple of days stretched out slowly as I got up at the crack of dawn to open the shop, served the early birds whilst sipping my own matcha latte and clocked out not a second later than 2PM, taking home half the usual amount of tips. My e-mail remained as silent as ever, only a few suspicious replies to my ad, texts that I didn't even bother replying to. Human trafficking and pyramid schemes, was that all that NYC had to offer?

Apparently, not. Around 6PM, my phone dinged as a notification popped up and I scrambled to read it - all too aware of the upcoming rent day, and was pleasantly surprised with the contents of the e-mail, re-reading it several times to make sure there weren't any hidden stones under the water. I replied with my phone number, not expecting it to ring within minutes of hitting the send button.

"Hello?"

"Hi, we just corresponded," the voice on the other side was feminine but slightly rough, as if it's owner spent days chain-smoking. "I would like to invite you for a small interview, if you wouldn't mind."

I chewed on my lip in contemplation. "Could I ask you some questions first?" The levels of anxiety, I thought, were reasonable in the situation. It mutely gnawed at my chest.

"Sure," the woman agreed amicably. "My name is Odette, by the way," she mentioned off-handedly, the name fitting her voice in a strange way.

"Uh, well," I stammered. "You mentioned it's a herbal medicine shop, you're not selling weed under the counter, are you?" I voiced my worries meekly, hoping for an honest answer.

The woman laughed, a sharp, terse sound. "No, dear, I do not sell or possess anything illegal. I merely offer supplies for the locals that prefer natural, alternative medicine." She sounded jovial.

"Like - um, healing crystals?" I vaguely remembered reading about them on the internet, or seeing them in a YouTube video, perhaps.

"Yes, we sell those, too," her tone grew more joyful at the mention of the shiny rocks. I didn't think that they actually cured anything, to be honest, however I was willing to give it some credit - the placebo effect was a scientific fact. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

"Okay then," I chuckled nervously. "I'm free tomorrow after 3 PM."

"Grand. The shop is open until 10 PM, just say your name at the counter and I'll be right with you."

As soon as I hung up, relief and curiosity and trepidation blossomed within me, imagination unhelpfully supplying images of human trafficking documentaries, basements with chains and other, less horrifying but still unusual things. The pep talk over a wine glass that I had was necessary: it was a herbal shop, for fuck's sake. Worst case, I'm going to work with Karens who think the Earth is flat and quartz cures cancer. I could even get a funny story or two out of those, something to share with Bucky or Wanda in lieu of the usual book quotes I entertain them with.

The day went by smoothly, the café no more and no less busy than usual so after a brief detour back home to put on something that didn't smell like coffee grounds and yeast: comfortable pants and a soft sweater, something that would keep me warm but would not unnecessarily restrict any movement. My good luck charm, a large oval necklace with a shiny gold star in the middle, hung heavily around my neck, providing quiet comfort.

Heart thudding in my chest, I approached the old-style, inconspicuous building, double-checking the address before opening the old, heavy wooden door right at the corner of the building. It was like a movie scene, in a way - the day was overcast, meager sun rays shining through the lead curtain of clouds, the streets were clear and few honks rung out in the far end of block, sending a flock of pigeons into a lazy scatter over the slanted roof. The door creaked softly, the handle cold under my touch, instantly filling my nose with a strong smell of herbs so plentiful, I could not distinguish one from another.

Inside didn't look any less intriguing: the décor was outdated but somehow fitting and homely, high wooden shelves stocked with glass jars and wooden boxes with neatly placed labels on them. The counter was empty - save for a large, golden bell, which I timidly pressed.

The woman who emerged from behind the worn cotton curtains behind the counter most certainly was impressive. Tall and broad, with dark eyebrows and even darker eyes, she critically surveyed me for a moment, making me shiver under her gaze - and then she smiled, revealing rows of pearly white teeth and instantaneously losing the imposing aura around her.

"Um, hi- I'm-" I didn't get to finish my nervous stammering.

She interrupted me with a careless wave of her hand. "Here for the interview. Yes. Welcome, Star," her eyes briefly fell on my necklace while I struggled to swallow the unease.

I hadn't told her my nickname - to be honest, these days, I heard it more often than my given name. People quickly took notice of my love of star-patterned items and teased me relentlessly over it, losing heat only when I calmly went along with it, too used to hearing the same jokes since my early childhood.

Odette motioned me over, parting the curtains to reveal a tiny, but tastefully decorated hall with two doors on each side and a staircase at the far end of it. I followed her into the room on the left, which turned out to be a peculiar sort of office. I thought I noticed an Ouija board in there but wisely kept my mouth shut.

"I live on the floor above the shop so don't go throwing any parties while you're on the job," she remarked playfully, gesturing to a pot of tea. "It's peppermint, does wonders for calming one's demeanor," the gesture was sweet - and very telling.

I wondered if I looked as spooked as I felt. After all, it didn't seem like Odette and her business were fishy in any way, and the décor and atmosphere were quite... Appealing, in a way. Something magical, something belonging in Europe or on a high schooler's Pinterest board. I sipped my tea in-between questions, thinking how maybe, I could actually grow accustomed to this place.

The shopkeeper acted as if I'd already accepted the job and I - well, it's not like I had any other options waiting for me. The pay was more than I expected it to be, for such a small bodega and a part-time shift, and it would help me cover my bills with enough to spare. The customers were said to be mostly regular and undemanding, with a few rare exceptions, and should I need assistance, the owner was always a call and a floor away.

With a considerably lighter heart, I left to pad the damp sidewalk back towards my house. Thankfully, my new workplace was only a short walk away.

The tag list is open until the story is finished. Please use the 'taglist' Google form to request (top of the fic, clickable link).

@mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites

[jrctolkien]

in bloom - part four

Pairing: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes

Summary: Ex-sergeant Bucky Barnes runs a flower shop with his best friend Steve. Life could be so peaceful- until a very handsome customer messes up Bucky's daily routine.

"Even if I did decide to woo him, what would I give him? I can't give flowers to a florist. I'd have to buy them at a different store and that would be like giving me Hammer tech." Tony gave Pepper a flat stare, his tone grave. "I wouldn't date a person who gave me Hammer tech, Pepper."

It was the day after Tony's great escape from confessing his feelings, and him and Pepper were slumming it on Tony's top-of-the-range sofa, shoes off and wine in hand.

Pepper shook her head, looking amused. "You don't have to buy him anything, Tony. Just talk to him."

Tony huffed. "That's a terrible idea. I seriously doubt that—"

"Tony." Whenever Pepper used that tone of voice, Tony knew he was in trouble and had about sixty seconds to start getting his shit together. "Just talk to him."

"What would I say?" Tony asked. Sure, Tony knew how to flirt, he would even go as far to say that he was pretty great at it. But Tony couldn't just fling random pick up lines at Bucky; this was someone he knew and who's friendship he treasured.

"How about the truth?" Pepper offered. "Then maybe ask him out to dinner, or to see a movie?"

The mere thought of asking was daunting. Tony was terrified of ruining things between them, especially when he was perfectly content to remain friends. Still, Pepper did bring some pretty good arguments to the table.

"I'll think about it," Tony promised, albeit reluctantly. Though he'd make no guarantees that Pepper would like whatever conclusion he reached.

She seemed to know that too, but chose to just nod. "Good."

Tony managed a faint smile. "Now can we get back to that huge lawsuit we filed against my former business partner that will hopefully rid my company of his influence for good?"

Pepper laughed. "Sure, we can do that, Mr. Stark."

"Thank you, Ms. Potts."

Tony had a feeling Pepper would bring up the subject again when she felt an appropriate amount of time had passed, but at least she gave Tony a chance to think things through and prepare better counter-arguments.

He truly hoped he would have an answer next time she asked

The next day, Tony made another visit to the flower shop. Pepper’s words were still fresh in his mind but, even then, he wasn't quite prepared for the smile Bucky greeted him with. How long had he been doing that? Did Tony only notice it now that Pepper had planted the idea that Bucky might actually be reciprocating?

"Hey there, darling." Bucky drawled in Brooklyn accent, finishing tying off the ribbon to a bouquet that was probably going to be shipped off. It was a mixture of reds and yellows and oranges and Tony thought it looked like expensive whiskey and it was wonderful, not that anything of Bucky's never was.

"Hey, Buckaroo." Tony greeted. "Nice flowers you got there."

With the flowers in hand, Bucky turned fully. He was crouching on the floor and his apron was hanging between his legs and dragging on the floor. "Do you want them?" Bucky asked, holding the bouquet out slightly. "I mean, the customer cancelled on us about ten minutes ago, and I thought you'd like them. They've already been paid for and stuff, so there's no need to worry, not that you nee-"

"Yeah." Tony cut Bucky off, walking towards the florist and taking the flowers out from his metal arm. "Thank you."

Bucky was staring up at Tony with a smile on his face. The florist needed to shower and shave a little bit, but with the flowers in Tony's hands and the warmth in Bucky's eyes, Tony was the happiest he'd been in a long time.

"Hi, Tony!" Steve shouted from the back room, his small frame popping around the door and completely interrupting the moment. A wide smile was on Steve's face at Bucky and Tony's position.

"Glad to see you've gotten rid of that awful cold of yours." Tony said, returning the smile.

It was a little worrying how often Steve got sick, but there didn't seem to be much to do about that. Bucky fretted enough for three people, much to Steve's obvious annoyance.

As if on a cue, Bucky cut in, giving Steve a disapproving glare. "Barely."

"I'm fine." Steve rolled his eyes, but he did sound a little hoarse still. Tony knew better than to point that out, however, lest he wanted the two to start arguing like an old married couple. "You need me?" Steve asked Bucky, clearly referring to who was going to help Tony.

"Nah, I got it. You go out back." Bucky dismissed, getting up from his spot on the floor.

"Give me a sec." The florist said, moving to sort through a few flowers in the cooling chambers. Bucky had his hair loose today, which never failed to make him look more softer and more rugged, somehow, but in the best way possible.

Tony loved the way Bucky looked, his broad shoulders and muscles almost bulging out of his short black sleeve top he had on, which was hidden by his Brooklyn Blooms apron. The man's prosthetic limb was on complete show today. Over the weeks, Tony had come to respect Bucky for how he never tried to hide his prosthetic. It would have been fine even if he had, but there was certainly a lot of bravery involved in wearing t-shirts and always pushing up the sleeves when he did wear something longer. Bucky got uncomfortable if people stared, sure, but he wasn't ashamed and didn't try to hide his arm.

Seemingly done with the flowers, Bucky shut the cooler and got up from his kneeling position on the floor. Tony smiled at the man as he turned to him.

"What do you need, sugar?" Bucky asked and Tony could feel his cheeks reddening. He could never get over the little endearments that made him feel all kinds of special when Bucky called him them.

"Well, nothing now." Tony said, his left hand wiggling the bouquet of flowers. "I, um, kind of wanna talk though. If that's fine?"

Tony was going to do it. He would confess his feelings to this beautiful florist. Mainly to not get his ass kicked by Pepper next time they had chat.

"Course, what do you need?" Bucky asked.

Inhaling, Tony opened his mouth, only to shut it almost immediately. "Um," he mustered up, "I don't really like flowers."

Bucky's face fell, confusion and hurt mingling in his eyes. It only took a split second before that brief show of vulnerability was replaced with anger, however — Tony was pretty sure that wasn't any better.

"Before, I mean." Tony hurried to say. "I came in here to get away from the world, and I met you, who kind of gave me a new world. A world full of flowers, and colours, and really, really nice muscles and little smiles that I get to see."

"You... what?"

"I like you," Tony confessed, trying to fight down his nerves. This was the most disastrous love confession in recent memory, he was sure. "Did you really think I came in here that often just for the flowers?"

Bucky blinked, frowning softly. "Well, no. Not really." He gestured vaguely. "I mean, I hoped there was another reason..."

"There was." Tony's throat was dry, but he did his best to ignore that. "You're that reason. I wanted to see you."

"He likes you too!" Tony could hear Steve shouting from the backroom. "Maybe take him out for coffee or something, he says yes."

"Stevie!" Bucky shouted. "Mind your business!"

"Just because you can't see that there's chemistry and that the richest man in the planet likes you!" Steve shouted back and Tony face fell. Bucky couldn't just like him for him money, it wouldn't work out.

"Honey, no, no, no." Bucky soothed when he saw the look on Tony's face. The florist rushed over an placed a gentle arm on Tony's shoulder. "I like you too, and not just for the money. I like your dumb jokes, and the way you talk about the bots, and the little look you always have on your face whenever you step in here."

Tony's heart soared at Bucky's words and his smile returned. "So, coffee? I can come pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"I would love that, doll.” Bucky smiled. “And the flowers match you eyes. Like whiskey.”

The bouquet of flowers didn’t really match Tony’s eyes, but his heart grew soft anyway. God, Bucky was amazing.

FIN

Tagging some mutuals

@tomsfireheart @mysteryavengers @eyesofgoldenambers @tinkeringtony @midtown-parker @treegelbman @rdjdad @sebsticles @princecharmingparker @prince-p-parker