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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 1 year ago

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Too Close for Comfort 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, a grumpy man, age gap, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You find a place to stay for the semester but your landlord is less than hospitable.

Characters: Joel Miller

Note: I said I'd get to Joel and I'm sorry to neglect everyone else lol.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

The suburban sprawl awes you as you steer down the gentle curving avenues, taking in the trimmed hedges and the short picket fences. The neighbourhood is a stark contrast to the grim backstreets where you grew up. As you turn into the bright cul de sac, you can't help but wonder if you put the wrong address into the app.

The automated voice declares you've reached your destination just as you drive past the house from the posting. You hiss as you confirm the metal numbers mounted on the brick are the very same. You swerve into the nearest lot and reverse, forgetting to look as you do.

A loud honk has you slamming on the brakes as a large truck flashes its lights in your rearview. You give a sheepish wave and cringe, waiting for them to pull in. You sink down as you notice the bulky Chevy roll expertly into the lot in front of the very house that distracted you.

You hold in a groan and back up, straightening the wheel and parking along the curb. A man drops heavily to his feet from the pick-up, slamming the door behind him. You wince and grip the steering wheel nervously. That must be the man you emailed.

Great first impression...

You open your car door to get out only to be trapped by your seat belt. You quickly click the button to release yourself and climb out of the car. You step up on the curb as the man scowls towards his front door, tramping up the cement walk between neatly groomed grass.

"Um, excuse me, Joel?" You call after him, "are you Joel Miller?"

He stops before the bottom step of the porch and pushes his head back with a growl. He turns to face you, agitation creased above his brows. You try to smile but your lips only tremble.

"Um, sorry to bother, I'm the one who messaged you. Er, about the room. You know, uh, online?" You wave your phone at him and his eyes dully focus on the gesture.

He crosses his arms. You shift your weight on your feet, not daring to break the threshold of his lawn. Right, you don't think this is going to work out. You should've known it was too good to be true.

"I'm sorry--"

"I'm Joel," he interrupts, "you're my one o'clock," he checks his watch, a brown leather band strapped around his thick tanned wrist, "you're early."

"I... yes, I am. I hate being late--"

"Doesn't matter," he dismisses tersely and twists on his heel.

He climbs the front steps of the two-storey house as you watch helplessly. His broad shoulders stretch the thin cotton of his tee shirt as he rolls his shoulders and keys in the code to the front door. You slump your shoulders, hooking your fingers in your pockets as you make to turn back.

"You wanna see the room?" He calls to you before you can retreat.

"Oh, uh, sure," you hop in place and quickly scurry up the wall, "er, that would be great."

You clatter up the steps, tripping over the last one. He stands by the door, staring at you dully as he holds it open for you. You show your teeth appeasingly as you approach.

"Take your shoes off," he points you inside.

You step onto the mat and bend to untie your sneakers. He enters after you with a sigh. You quickly sidle out of his way as he nearly bumps into you. You slide your shoes aside and stand as he thumbs off his boots.

"It's above the garage," he points to the east wall. That is east, right?

"Sure, uh, cool," you follow him past the staircase.

He leads you to a door just before the kitchen and opens it again. It occurs to you then, maybe too late, that he's a complete stranger and you've walked carelessly into his house. You look at him, trying to hide the flicker of doubt. It doesn't help that he doesn't smile. Actually, you're not sure if that would be any better.

You go ahead of him and climb the stairs behind the door. You enter the room, fully furnished and relatively cozy. You're impressed. It's not much but enough to make do.

“Built in the bathroom,” he explains as he does to another doorway, “only half bath, you'll have to use downstairs for a shower. Kitchenette,” he goes to the counter mounted into the wall, “microwave, hot plate sink, guess you could get an electric kettle.”

You nod as you look around. It's not bad; a bed, a chair and footstool, a table against the wall with two wooden stools. Of all the places you've viewed, it's decent and it's close enough to school

“I could… is that an offer?” You prompt.

“You got a job?” He asks.

“Sure, I work on campus between classes, and I have a grant,” you explain, “probably won't be here too much, just need somewhere to sleep.”

“Mm,” he rubs his chin, a hoarse bristle of brown and gray along his jaw. “Deposit?”

“Right, um, yeah, I got it. I could Venmo? Or paypal?”

“Cash,” he insists.

“Oh, uh, I don't have it on me,” you fumble with your phone, “but I can show you my balance.”

“Bring it tomorrow and the room is yours.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Get the money in my hand and it's a deal,” he offers his hand, “you seem clean. You're a student. Better than the guy who tried to steal my silverware.”

“Uh, I won't do that,” you shake his hand and chuckle nervously.

“Mmm,” he growls and lets you go. “As long as you're quiet, I don't care what you do.”

“Oh, yeah,” you cover your mouth and lower your voice, “I'll do my best.”

He is unshakable. You're not the most charming character but you're harmless, most people realise that pretty quickly. You turn and continue to look around.

You go to the window and pull the cord of the blinds. Only one side raises and you yank it again. You give an oop as you angle it and try to let it down. It's only making it worse.

He huffs and crosses the room. You back up and he snatches the cord, rolling it up easily. You mumble an apology and look out, peering down at the driveway.

“It's really nice,” you say, “you said you put it the bathroom yourself?”

“Built the whole room,” he grumbles as he backs up, scratching the back of his, “something to do…”

“Right,” you smile, impressed by his handiwork. “Well, I can get the money. When should I come back?”

“Ten,” he says, “and don't be early. Don't need you interrupting my coffee.”

“Yes, sir,” you confirm, “ten…” you set an alarm on your phone and add it to your calendar, “I'll be here.”

You peek up at him as he watches you with narrowed eyes. His expression is enough to see you off. You're going to scram before he rescinds his offer.

🏘️

The next day, you head out to deliver the deposit. You take a little longer than you expected at the bank. You didn't consider that taking out a large amount would raise alarm bells.

With that sorted, you set off for your new home. This time, you park without issue, the Chevy truck unmoving in the driveway. You skip up the walk and take the steps two at a time. Your toe hits the top stair and you fly forward, colliding with the door.

You stand straight and laugh at yourself, reaching to knock on the door.

“Don't,” a disembodied voice warns.

You frown and look around. Your eyes catch the almost indiscernible lens above the doorbell. Oh, fancy.

The door swings open and Joel greets you over a gray blue mug. You stare at him awkwardly and teeter on your feet. Oh, yeah. You are here for a reason.

“Got it all here,” you proclaim as you loosen the drawstring on your purse, “counted it twice.”

He accepts it as he drinks from his mug, slurping down the last of the dregs. He clears his throat as he lowers the cup, “mm, great.”

“So, uh, not to be pushy,” you let your bag hang from your elbow, “when would I be able to… move in?”

His brown eyes bore into your very soul, “well… I guess whenever you need…”

“Great, because um, to be honest, it's really expensive to live on campus and my roommates are… messy,” you hesitate as you realise you're rambling, “not that that matters to you.”

“Just think of me like your landlord,” he grits, “don't bother me unless it's an emergency.”

“Got it,” you nod, “sorry, I'm excited. Oh, and I was wondering, am I allowed outside? Well, I don't mean, like, okay, is there a backyard?”

He nods stiffly.

“Am I… can I uh, use it?”

He stares then shrugs, “I guess. Two rules, stay out of my room and stay out of the garage. You got your room, you'll have access to the common space within limits.”

“Uh huh, makes sense,” you hold out the envelope and he takes it. “Well, thanks, I really appreciate it. You know, it must be a good investment, a little apartment…” you clamp your lips and cringe, “okay, sorry, I'm going.”

He doesn't respond. As you turn, the door snaps shut and you nearly trip again. It'll be a bit tense but it's better than scraping the bottom of the barrel to pay rent and dealing with Kaya's late night antics.

🏘️

You email Joel shortly after your last encounter. Restless, you're eager to be out of your overpriced and overcrowded dorm. You have most of your things ready to go. A single knapsack and a long duffle.

He agrees to the day before the first. You're not the sort to complain. It's better than the alternative. Short of the grumpy overseer, you really found the perfect place.

When you arrive, Joel's truck isn't there. You try ringing the bell but don't get an answer. You didn't expect any different. You sit on the top step and wait, admiring the facade of the neighbouring houses and the autumnal russets littered across their yards.

You’re not early. Not that early. You thought he’d be around or maybe give you some direction on how to get inside. Technically, this is your home too now. You signed the electronic lease.

When he drives up, you stand, swaying as you try not to seem too jumpy. He sits in his truck, taking his time as he lingers inside. When he gets out, he is in no hurry. You smile as he approaches and chew your lower lip.

His graying hair looks fluffy and soft despite his demeanour. He wears a tee shirt under a canvas shirt.

“Hi, er, Joel, sir,” you greet, “I… think I got the right day.”

“Was getting a key cut,” he slips his hand into his back pocket, “the keypad can be finicky. This one’s for the back. Just in case.”

“Thanks,” you chirp as you accept the key, “that’s awesome.”

His dark eyes challenge your enthusiasm as they flick up.

“Sure,” he agrees flatly.

“I’ll get my bags,” you announce as you back up, giving him room to step past you.

He rumbles but doesn’t give a real response. You hop off the step, landing clumsily, and follow the path down to the sidewalk. You pop your trunk and pull out your duffle and knapsack. As you go to shut the trunk, you feel a tug on the handle of the duffle bag and you hold back a yipe as a rough hand brushes the side of yours.

Joel doesn’t say a word as you let him take the bag. He turns and stalks back up the lawn. You can’t tell if he’s being helpful or he just wants to lock you away so you're out of his way. You hurry after him, keys jingling loudly.

Your foot hits the step and you nearly stumble again. You catch yourself with a stomp on the next step and he pauses at the front door to glance back at you. You offer another meek smile. He opens the door, waiting on you as you steady yourself.

“Sorry.”

“Slow down, you’re gonna hurt yourself.”

You give a nervous chuckle. He’s not laughing. You gulp and hook your knapsack on your shoulder before you continue inside. He might not be the nicest but at least you can be assured he can fix anything you break. Not that you’re intending on that… hopefully.

#joel miller #dark joel miller #dark!joel miller #joel miller x reader #too close for comfort #fic #dark fic #dark!fic #the last of us #au #series

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addierose444 · 4 years ago

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Back to Campus: Spring 2021

It has been 10 long months since I last stepped foot on the Smith College campus (or out of my home state for that matter). I am now officially back! Hooray! As I said in a recent post, I was prioritized for early arrival due to my job in ResLife as a Community Advisor. As I only just got here and am far from being settled in, this post is mostly just about the process. Hopefully this year I will actually post a room tour of sorts! (Last year, I literally only posted a photo of my emptied out room).

Back in mid-December, I signed up for an arrival slot (2:00 on Friday the 22nd of January). I was so excited about returning to campus that I started packing quite a while ago. To make the packing process easier in the future, I created an extensive packing list. To read my college essentials guide, click here. On Friday, my dad drove me to Smith. Before returning to campus, we stopped by the house of some family friends to grab the rest of my dorm essentials. Since Massachusetts considers my state (Vermont) high-risk, I wasn’t allowed to move directly into my spring housing. At this point in time, Massachusetts and Hawaii are the only states with low-risk status.

My house, Parsons, has been using Discord for our virtual house community. You can read about the other apps I use in (remote) college here. As I was the first one on campus, I decided to keep my residents updated on the check-in and quarantine process. This was not part of my job in ResLife, but it definitely felt relevant to that work. Even though I am a returning student and in ResLife, I didn’t fully know what to expect and figured others would appreciate a student’s perspective. I was already planning on writing this blog post but decided to just compile my updates here. For starters, I didn’t see the need for a total rewrite. I also thought it would be a fun and different post style. Lastly, I think there is value in knowing what people are thinking in the moment rather than just reflectively. Note that my updates are written to my Parsons residents and weren’t edited to reflect the audience of this blog. I did add some additional images to this blog post, but most were also sent via Discord.

Friday @ 1:19

Parsons in real life!

Friday @ 4:07

Just a quick update. I have moved into my quarantine location and thought I would let you all know a little more about the check-in process from a student's perspective. All official information can be found in an email titled "IMPORTANT ARRIVAL INFORMATION". You basically just enter the CC, present your OneCard (unless you are a new student in which case you will receive yours), follow the arrows, and do what you are told. The whole process is quick and easy. The COVID test is painless (you can feel it though) as the swab doesn't need to go super deep into your nose like with other tests. While I strongly advise showing up at your scheduled time, if you are a little bit early, you may be able to check-in anyway. (I checked-in about 20 minutes early without an issue). The only hiccup I had was that I got the wrong room key (my correct room number but for Park House). As it's hard to hear people with masks on, be sure to check the envelope containing your room key and bracelet before leaving the ResLife table (to avoid going around the CC for a second time like I had to). I think check-in will only get better and even going around twice was still very quick and easy. If you have concerns and would like to talk to me about them, feel free to send me an email or direct message me here on Discord. As for moving things into Parsons, it was exhausting as no one was allowed to help me. When you arrive at Parsons, someone (possibly me) should be there to greet you (and make sure you don't stay over an hour). (Some of you may also meet me in the CC as I will be helping distribute keys). See you soon!

Friday @ 5:02

As for the quarantine location, I am currently quarantined in the Ellery Inn. The other location is the Fairfield Inn & Suites. You can get to either location by way of a free shuttle. (Your ticket is the bracelet you receive at check-in). Students sit far apart with masks, but I personally felt more comfortable having my dad drop me off at the hotel. It is also worth noting that both hotels are within walking distance. The bracelet is also important so that staff in the house know you are allowed to be there. (If you have approved guests (low-risk state), I think they also get bracelets). I haven't learned the whole color-coding system, but my bracelet is red and lists my Parsons and Ellery rooms. My quarantine room is actually really nice. I have a comfortable king-sized bed and my own bathroom. When you arrive you get a bag with a few snacks, water, activities from OSE, and general information (including the wifi password). I will keep you posted on the food situation as dinner is yet to arrive. I will momentarily post the menu that was in my welcome bag. Hopefully, these updates are somewhat helpful or interesting. Let me know if you have specific questions.

Friday at 5:15

Still waiting on dinner (to be delivered before 7), but here are the aforementioned snacks.

Friday @ 5:34

Dinner! Will let you know how it is soon, but my roommate from last year has said "The chicken is very tender!". Basically what happens is the people delivering the food knock loudly on the door, announce "dinner" and leave paper bags outside your room. Breakfast for tomorrow was also delivered.

Friday @ 6:18

I was initially quite worried about the food situation (during quarantine) as I am a picky eater and didn't get to choose the meal. (It's all based on the food preference form). The first dinner was much better than I feared. The chicken had flavor, was tender, and was fully cooked. The greens were also tasty. The potatoes could have used some ketchup but were pretty good when eaten with the chicken. I don't really like beets, so I just ate a few to try them. They didn't have much flavor but were well cooked. As for the cookies, they had good flavor but were very hard. Overall, I was unnecessarily worried about the food situation but am definitely excited to get out of quarantine to pick my own food among other things.

Friday @ 6:26

Tomorrow's breakfast! Looks pretty good other than the fact I hate bananas. I am most excited about the vanilla soy milk. I just don't get why we get plastic bottled water at each meal.

Saturday @ 11:51

Lunch for day two in quarantine has arrived. Another gripe that I have is that we get a new full set of plastic silverware at each meal. It's the compostable kind, but I don't think it's going to be composted. So far quarantine is boring, but not that bad. There is a TV in the room with cable and Roku. Make sure you pack your quarantine bag carefully as you cannot leave your room until you get an official release email from ResLife. The rooms (at least mine) have a mini-fridge, so if you have food or medications that require refrigeration, not to worry. We got an email today saying that we will be released on Monday at the latest. I initially had the impression we'd get out on Sunday and yesterday it sounded like we may get out today. I am obviously hoping to get out sooner rather than later, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Saturday @ 5:57

Dinner day two. Even though I have been busy with a French essay, I am definitely getting restless here in quarantine.

Saturday @ 6:38

Yesterday's dinner was better than today's, but this one wasn't too bad. The tortillas were dry, so the meal was better and less messy without them. My main critique is that while the beef had good flavor, it was tough. I also think yesterday's greens were a little bit better. Here's what I got for tomorrow's breakfast. I am hoping to be released from quarantine tomorrow, but it could be as late as Monday. Quarantine releases are at noon or 4 pm.

Sunday @ 9:15

I passed my initial COVID screening! (Still waiting on my official release email from ResLife). Just for a reference point, I took my test a little before 2 pm on Friday and got the results email at around 11 last night. (Basically, you get an email letting you know that the lab results are available and are given a registration code to set up your account).

Sunday @ 11:45

Well, I am still in quarantine, but at least lunch has arrived. Noon is fast approaching, so I might not be getting released until 4.

Sunday @ 12:33

I finally received the official release email from ResLife!!! I can leave as soon as 1 pm and must be moved out by 4 pm. Like with arrival, there are shuttles every half hour. Starting tonight I will be ordering my food through the Grubhub app and picking it up myself. I also have another COVID test scheduled for tomorrow.

Sunday @ 1:17

I am officially back at Parsons! (I decided to walk instead of taking the shuttle). Feel free to continue asking questions, but I think this is the end of my arrival updates. See you soon!

#college #Smith College #spring 2021 #check-in

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beckzorz · 6 years ago

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A Hands-On Exercise

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader Word count: 5631 Summary: You hate your job, your life, and the cracks in your bedroom ceiling. Fortunately, you’ve got the chance of a lifetime after hacking—ethically hacking, that is—into Tony Stark’s systems. Unfortunately, your interview ends with you inadvertently pissing off the Winter Soldier. Will he forgive you for hacking into his arm? Warnings: mild swearing, mild sensuality, mildly unethical behavior A/N: Some of you may recognize this as my entry from @themaskedwriter! Thanks for reading—let me know what you think! xoxo

Your index finger hovers over the enter key.

“Should I do it?” you ask.

“No.” Kim’s voice brokers no argument, even with the slight lisp due to the highlighter in her teeth. She turns another page in her book.

“Hmph.”

You’re lying on the floor in Kim’s room, your legs stretched up the wall and your laptop digging into your stomach. It’s uncomfortable, but you’re trying to make the biggest decision of your life. Moving would be suboptimal.

The program you’re maybe about to run is one you’ve been working on for years. One that might land you the job of a lifetime. A teenage dream, and now a potential reality.

If.

If, if, if.

“So as far as I see it,” you start, sitting up, “there’s three ways this could go.”

Kim groans and tosses her book and highlighter aside.

“First,” you continue, holding up a finger, “this program doesn’t actually work and nothing happens.”

“That would be ideal,” Kim drawls.

“Second.” Another finger. “The program does work, but either not well enough or he’s not impressed, and I get arrested or something. Third—” you stick up a third and final finger— “it works and he’s so impressed he hires me.”

“I don’t see how any of those options are good,” Kim mutters. “You’re a failure, you get another mark on your criminal record, or you have to move.”

“For this, I’d move without complaining.”

Kim snorts. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

You prop yourself up on your knees and lean over the edge of Kim’s bed. You bat your eyelashes at her. “So you do want to see what happens.”

“Uh, no.” Kim drops her hand on your head. Her gaze is serious. “I’d be a terrible friend if I actually encouraged you in this. It’s illegal.”

“Well…”

“You have a steady job,” Kim continues.

“With a below-market salary,” you retort. You shake her hand off your head and frown up at her. “Besides, it’s boring. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life making sure social media conglomerates can steal our private information in peace.”

Kim rolls her eyes. “I don’t know if you’re using the word ‘boring’ correctly.”

“Well, whatever. I’m doing it.”

You grab your laptop off the floor and hit enter. The program starts to run.

“Oh my god, it’s working!” You jump to your feet and bounce around the room, squealing with delight. “It worked!”

The program finishes with a happy beep, and you collapse next to Kim.

The two of you wait with bated breath, staring at the screen. Minutes pass.

Nothing happens.

You glance at Kim. Her eyes are as big as saucers.

“Nothing happened,” Kim whispers.

“I realized that,” you snap. You slam your computer shut and ball your hands into fists. All that, for nothing?

God damn it.

—

“Tony?”

“Hey Bruce, c’mon in. Check it out.” Tony wheels his stool back and holds up his latest project.

Bruce Banner shuffles into the lab, a tablet under his arm and a pinched look on his face.

“What’s with the long face?” Tony asks.

“You have a message.” Bruce untucks the tablet from his arm and holds it screen side up. A holographic message appears in the air, rotating slowly.

Tony blinks as he waits for it to turn enough for him to read it. “‘Hacker for hire?’ What the heck is this?” He grabs the tablet; his free hand moves in a dizzying blur over the white code, scrolling through it at lightning speed. “Bruce, what the heck—”

“I dunno, Tony! It just showed up.” Bruce shifts his weight and crosses his arms tight across his chest.

Tony sits back in his chair and goes through the code slower. Bruce hovers at his side, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

After a minute, Tony Stark begins to laugh.

—

Three hours have passed, and still nothing. You cried on Kim’s bed, on Kim’s shoulder, and now you’re recovering from crying into your own pillow. The pillowcase is damp with your tears, but you can’t bring yourself to flip the damn thing.

You spent years working on that program, and nothing had come of it. Of all people, you thought Tony Stark would work fast. If he hasn’t reacted by now, he doesn’t care.

Or it failed, and you just don’t realize it, chimes a nasty voice in your head.

You flip onto your back and glare up at the ceiling, eyes still smarting. There’s just enough ambient light for you to make out the cobweb cracks emanating from the ceiling lamp, the yellow stain over the door, the peeling paint in the corners of the room. All the trappings of being stuck.

God, you hate this life.

You huff and curl up in a fetal position, arms tight across your chest. Luxury is absurd to imagine, but solid comfort? Something lasting, something beyond okay?

You’d almost kill for that. Hell, you’d spend years working on a project to infiltrate Stark Industries. And you hadn’t done anything really wrong. You’d just… left a message. Exposed some hairline fractures in their security.

If it had even worked.

It’s the not knowing that’s the worst of it. At this point, even the police barging in would be a welcome distraction. Then at least you’d know.

But no. You have to continue with your bland, boring, banal life.

And you have work in the morning. Your alarm is set to go off at six—public transit takes forever—and now it’s closer to one than twelve. You close your eyes and try to force yourself into serenity.

Just as you’re finally drifting off, your phone starts to ring. You jerk awake with a gasp. You snag your phone from the windowsill next to your bed—it’s an unknown number calling, one that has somehow bypassed your do-not-disturb mode. You answer it with trembling hands.

“Hello?”

“Pack a bag,” Tony Stark’s voice says. “You’ve got an interview at nine am.”

Click.

You sit up slowly. Blood rushes in your ears. It’s so loud—did you imagine the whole thing? No, the number is still there in your call history, and an email pops up—flight information for a private flight to New York.

Well then.

Maybe you don’t have work in the morning.

—

The entire travel experience is beyond bizarre. Someone—you assume it wasn’t Tony Stark himself—arranged for a taxi to pick you up at four am, and someone met you right at the airport’s entrance to take your bag. You didn’t have to lift a finger, at home or in New York.

It felt wrong. But not so wrong that you didn’t sleep on the plane, or in the car to the compound. You dread to think what you’re going to look like at nine.

By the time the sleek black car pulls up to the gates of the Avengers compound around eight thirty, you’ve straightened yourself out. From what you can see in the dark mirrored glass separating you from the driver, you look… presentable. Not your best, perhaps, but as good as could be expected on three hours’ sleep. Your clothes aren’t wrinkled, at least. Thank god you’ve kept your interview outfit hung up.

The gates open, and you stare around in wonder. You don’t know enough about architecture to name the style of the buildings, but they definitely cost a fortune to heat. Not today, though. Today it’s unseasonably warm, and the sprawling lawns are dotted with people exercising. Yoga, sparring…

You press your nose against the window, heart racing. The two men sparring not fifty feet away are Avengers! Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Your mouth goes dry at the sight—both of them are in sweatpants and short sleeves, and they are ripped. In the few seconds they’re in view, you can see clearly that the Winter Soldier’s mismatched arms are equally buff.

Now there’s a feat of engineering.

You sit back and fan your face, a private grin growing on your face. If you can keep Tony Stark’s attention, those guys are going to be your coworkers.

Nice.

From there, it’s a blur to the conference room where Tony will be meeting you in—you check your phone—twenty-two minutes. There’s a tablet waiting for you there.

“See what you can make of that before Mr. Stark arrives,” your chauffeur-cum-tour guide says as he leaves. The door shuts behind him with a click, but you’re already buried in code.

—

“Your credentials certainly are impressive.”

“Thank you,” you say.

Tony Stark tosses the clipboard with your resume on it back onto the table. He leans back in his chair and knits his fingers together in his lap. He’s dressed casually, with a band shirt under his sports jacket. “So why’d you hack into our systems?”

“I want to work with you.” You sit up even straighter and tighten your lips in determination. “The work you do is incredible. It’s as advanced as anything outside Wakanda.” Tony screws up his mouth; you suppress a smirk at his display of ego. “I’ve always wanted to be surrounded by innovation.”

“Well, your application was certainly innovative. Full of, what’s the word, gumption.”

You grin and press your hands tighter together between your legs. “I’ve got that too.”

Tony holds up the clipboard again, covering half his face. He looks between it and you, a teasing look in his eyes. You bite your tongue and wait.

Through all those years that you were working and dreaming, you’d never really thought about the interview. Somehow, you’d skipped entirely over it. Impress Tony Stark, get hired. But there’s a middle step in there. And here you are, in an interview, trying not to mess everything up.

“So what did you think of that little project I set up for you?” Tony asks, nodding to the tablet in front of you.

You flinch. You hadn’t had that long to investigate. What you had figured out seems too bizarre to be serious, but it’s all you have. And you certainly aren’t going to bullshit your way through this one.

“It’s like an artificial nervous system,” you tell him. “Or part of one. From the shape of things, I’d say it was an arm, bu—”

“Yes!” Tony jumps up from his chair, clipboard abandoned, and hurries out of the room. You stand slowly, heart pounding. Tony sticks his head back inside, a wicked grin on his face. “Bring the tablet, and come with me.”

—

There’s an arm in a box.

A metal arm in a black box on a table in a lab in the Avengers compound.

What even is your life right now?

“So here’s your hands-on practical,” Tony says gleefully. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, one hand on your shoulder, as you both peer into the shallow box on the lab table. “Get it? Hands-on?”

“Hilarious. I’m dying,” you deadpan.

“Don’t hurt yourself. Your assignment is to hack into this arm and give me a thumbs up.”

“Is that all?” you blurt.

Tony stills, eyebrows inching towards his hairline. “You say that in a very unconcerned tone of voice. That makes me concerned.” He steps back and crosses his arms. “Alright then. Your assignment is to hack into this arm and give me a thumbs up. In under thirty minutes.”

“You got it.”

You hop onto the edge of the table and cross your dangling feet. Piece of cake.

—

You stare at the arm in the box, your heart in your throat. It’s been twenty-seven minutes, and you’ve just run a program that should have reshaped the dormant arm in front of you.

But nothing happened.

Tony Stark is standing at the window overlooking the main lawn. He’s gone back to his bouncing—is something happening out there? You turn away, eyes stinging, and clear the program.

“No, no, do it again,” Tony exclaims.

You blink. You run the program again, and Tony laughs loud and bright.

“Amazing!” He shakes his head, still chuckling. You look down at the arm in the box. It hasn’t moved.

“Wha—”

There’s a slew of shouting from outside that’s muffled by the windows, but you can very clearly make out some derogatory remarks directed at—Tony?

Oh no.

“Damn,” Tony says. He pats the window and meanders towards the door, counting quietly to himself as he does.

You back away from the arm in the box, hands and tablet frozen in front of you. The arm in the box hadn’t moved.

The arm in the box wasn’t supposed to move.

That could only mean…

“Three, two, one.” Tony’s murmured countdown comes to an end.

The doors burst open, slamming against the wall and shaking the whole room. The Winter Soldier barrels inside, the muscles of his right arm in sculpted definition thanks to his tight fist. His metal arm, on the other hand, is stiff and awkward.

Stiff, awkward, and with a thumbs up.

He stalks towards Tony, who backs away quickly, his eyes snapping to you. You steady yourself on a stool and surreptitiously cancel the program.

Bucky Barnes stops in his tracks halfway to Tony and stares down at his left hand. He wiggles his fingers, bends his elbow, and makes a fist.

“What the hell did you do?” he growls at Tony.

“You think that was me?” Tony asks, hand over his heart. “Bless. It was her.” He tilts his head in your direction.

“What? No!” you gasp.

Bucky takes a single menacing step towards you before stopping in his tracks. He wrinkles his nose in surprise as he looks you up and down. When he meets your eyes again, his eyes are dark with what you assume is rage.

You’re frozen in place, too shocked to move or even speak. You’ve been obsessed with Tony Stark for years. Bucky Barnes? Not so much.

What had past you been thinking? Bucky looks ready to murder you, but he’s the sexiest person you’ve ever seen. The distant view on the drive over hadn’t done him any justice. The arms, the abs, the face, those piercing blue eyes… You can’t fight the heat rising to your cheeks. You can’t look away.

Bucky’s gaze lands on the tablet in your hand. He glances at the arm on the table between you with sudden realization. When his steely eyes dart back to yours, you suddenly realize you’re staring. You look away, cheeks hotter than ever.

“I didn’t know—” you start.

“Obviously not,” Bucky snaps. “Who even are you?”

“She’s my new hacker,” Tony says before you can answer. “So be nice, or she’ll do the same thing again.”

“I will not,” you retort. “I’m an ethical hacker, Mr. Stark.”

Tony raises his eyebrows at you. “You will not hack into Manchurian Candidate’s arm, or will not take the job?”

You blink. Oh my god. You got the job? You got the job!

“I’ll take the job!” you say quickly. Relief rushes through you; you feel like you’ve just gained ten years of your life back. You take a steadying breath and jab a finger towards Tony. “But I don’t usurp bodily autonomy for fun. Or revenge.”

“What do you usurp bodily autonomy for?” Tony asks curiously.

“Now there’s a loaded question,” you quip.

Bucky huffs and storms out of the room. You stare after him, your sudden good mood evaporating, but Tony laughs and takes the tablet out of your slack hands.

“Touché. Let’s get out of here and hook you up with the paper shufflers over in human resources.”

You follow Tony out of the lab, but your stomach sinks as you give one last look to the immobile arm in the box.

You’ve got the job. You’ve got the respect of acclaimed genius Tony Stark, your lifelong idol.

So why are you so damn upset?

—

Three weeks later is your official start date. Not enough time to find a subletter for your room in Kim’s apartment, but the salary is good enough to cover your rent for a couple months while you wait for Craigslist to work its magic.

Your new dress code is even more lax than your old job, but you still take care on day one. Everyone will be there, apparently. It’s your chance to meet the other programmers and—more excitingly—to meet the Avengers.

It’s your chance to start fresh with Bucky Barnes.

Thoughts of Bucky had plagued you from the moment he’d clapped eyes on you. If at first you’d been stunned speechless by his looks, by the time you get back to the compound on your first day you’ve been consumed by more than just his face, or his body.

You’re caught in an endless loop of admiration, shame, and desire. Admiration for his body, shame for what you’d done, and desire for forgiveness—and, if you’re honest, desire for him. You’d noticed his first surprised stare, one tinged with awareness, and you couldn’t help but wonder what he’d thought of you before that scowl overcame his perfect features. You’d read about him, too; you’d known some of his story, but the entirety of it was overwhelming. He’d survived the worst, and come out still a hero.

Thinking back on your own story, you wince. How often had you whined to Kim about your less-than-ideal circumstances? You can only dream of Bucky’s strength.

When Tony’s assistant shows you into the lounge, you hover awkward and unnoticed in the doorway. Most of them are sitting around a coffee table on low couches and chairs, all very upscale and very clean. You spot Tony, of course, but your eyes are drawn to Bucky. He’s at the end of one of the couches, scrolling through his phone, his metal hand toying with his hair. Even at this distance, you can see the way his eyelashes brush against his cheek. The sight of him there, so calm and—dare you say—vulnerable makes your stomach flip.

Was he still angry at you? You’d give anything to see his smile…

Tony finally notices you.

“You made it!” he calls.

Bucky whips his head up and meets your eyes. For a brief moment, his face is clear, his lips barely parted as he looks at you. Then his face darkens and he looks away. His mouth is pressed into such a thin line that his usually full lips have all but vanished. Your hopeful smile falls, your heart falling with it.

Still angry, yeah.

“Chill, man,” Tony says to Bucky. He ambles over and slings an arm around your shoulder. “You know Barnes, of course. Did you know he killed my parents?”

Bucky stalks away without another word. You shrug Tony’s arm off. Ice settles in your veins.

You do know who killed Tony’s parents.

And it wasn’t Bucky Barnes.

“Tony—can I call you Tony?”

“Absolutely.” He beckons over the others, who approach slowly. You recognize Falcon, Scarlet Witch, the Black Widow. There are others too, but you pull your focus back to Tony. You set your jaw and steel your nerves.

“If you use me as an accessory to pull any more bullshit on Mr. Barnes over there, you will not like the results.”

Tony raises his eyebrows and whistles low. “Alright, alright. Just having a little fun.”

“I guess we have different ideas of fun,” you say stiffly, arms crossed.

“Tony grows on you,” the Black Widow says. “But she’s right, Tony. Anyway, she’s new. Don’t drag her into the drama on day one.”

“Wait until day two, at least.” Falcon—Sam Wilson—elbows Tony aside and grins at you. “If you aren’t going to introduce us, Tony, get out of the way, will you?” His smile is contagious; there’s a gap between his teeth that only makes him look more charming. “I’m Sam. Nice to meet you. A real pleasure.”

You beam up at him. “Nice to meet you, Sam.”

You shake hands with the rest of the team—Wanda, Natasha, Scott, James, and Vision—while Bucky ignores the proceedings in favor of burying himself in his phone once again, this time at the other end of the room.

By the time Tony escorts you out ten minutes later, you’re already struck by the familiarity they all have together. There’s a camaraderie you’ve never had with a group of friends, much less at work. Latent tensions are there too—Tony or Bucky seem to be the center of most of them—but they aren’t enough to split the group.

It’s like they’re a family.

Your heart clenches at the thought. A family. Not a perfect one, but a real one. Maybe one day you’ll be part of it.

One day.

For now, you trail after Tony as he leads you back to the same lab you’d been in when you met Bucky Barnes. Tony’s talking about the launch of his last project; you’re too distracted to pay proper attention.

You hadn’t anticipated how much things would change. None of your other job changes were this hard—but none of your other jobs had ever been anything as insane as this. You’ll get used to it, in time.

You hope.

“You know,” Tony says out of nowhere, “you have got gumption. I like you, kid.”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Barnes and I don’t get on great. For obvious reasons. And he’s a real easy target—he goes right off. Guy has no chill.”

You bite your lip. If Bucky has no chill, maybe Tony shouldn’t push at him. But you’re not sure you want to say that out loud. You’ve served enough gumption for one day.

God forbid you ruin everything.

But Tony glances at you and grins. “I can tell what you’re thinking. Pepper says the same thing, really. Sorry I dragged you into it, but I hadn’t managed to crack the safety features on his arm, and I’ve been dying to do it since he got here. Thought it’d be pretty harmless, all things considered.”

He pushed the doors to the lab open. If you weren’t so damn distracted, you’d be giddy with delight. This is where you work now. Holy shit.

Still, you can’t get to business while you’re still so distracted with thoughts of Bucky Barnes and his scowl.

“Well,” you say hesitantly, “after decades of having no autonomy, I can see why he was so upset. And I don’t really want him to hate me. I have to work with him, after all.”

“Eh, he’ll get over it.” Tony settles in his wheeling stool. From a workstation, he makes a hand gesture and—holy shit, blue holographic images blow up into life-size. And thank god, it’s not Bucky’s arm.

It’s the Iron Man suit.

Half of you is screaming internally. The Iron! Man! Suit! This is real! It is real! You let out a slow breath as you approach.

Meanwhile, your other half wants to strangle Tony for his callousness. And of the two halves, you’d rather talk about Bucky than let Tony Stark know how impressed you are. Even if it means that Tony gets an inkling of how much Bucky is consuming your thoughts.

“He seemed pretty pissed at me,” you say. You reach up and play around with a holographic cube that Tony sends your way.

“There is that.” Tony strokes his goatee as he runs through the schematic. He highlights a few areas—knees, blasters, visor—and then says, “How about I let you get away with one—just one—little bit of revenge?”

You blink. “Revenge?”

“Yeah.” Tony keeps up with his work even as his words come fast and easy. “You can make peace with Barnes by hacking into something of mine. Just once, mind, and nothing dangerous.” He slants a grin your way. “You’re ethical, right?”

“It’s in the job description,” you answer automatically. You sit against a lab table, bemused. Tony Stark is weird. Who volunteers to get hacked? By their employee, no less.

But you’re intrigued. Working with Bucky, redeeming yourself in his eyes by playing a harmless prank? He seems serious, but maybe this will be the thing to mellow him out. Maybe this will be the thing that makes him smile.

All you have to do is get him to listen to you, and you can do it.

“Alright,” you say. “You’re on.”

—

Of course, getting Bucky to listen to you involves actually getting within speaking distance. It takes two and a half weeks. You get to know everyone else—Sam, Natasha, Wanda, even Pepper to a degree—but Bucky avoids you like the plague. Every time you catch sight of him, you only just manage to catch his attention before he flees. Sometimes he blanches, sometimes he flushes, but regardless of his expression he’s gone before you can corner him.

If you didn’t have a mission, you would have given up on day two. But you have a plan, and you’re too set on it to focus on the pain in your chest every time his eyes widen and look pointedly away.

Finally, you catch him. You’re heading down the stairs in the atrium, humming gone off-key with the bounce in your step, when Bucky starts up. He’s buried in his smartphone—typical, you think—and you stop short in surprise. He’s in exercise clothes again, a tight t-shirt and low-slung sweats that make your mouth water and your thighs clench. You’ve been surrounded by superheroes for weeks, but the sight of this one is still enough to bring fire to your cheeks.

Bucky only looks up when he’s five steps below you, and he freezes like a deer in headlights. His blue eyes are wide as dinner plates. He backs down a step.

“Wait,” you blurt. You take a step after him and hold out a hand. “Please don’t run away again.”

Bucky glances around. There are people in the atrium. No one is looking at him, not yet, but you can guess what he’s thinking the second he turns back to you with his jaw set. If he runs off, someone’s bound to notice.

“What do you want?” he says curtly.

It’s the first word he’s said to you since your interview. You swallow.

“I wanted to apologize,” you tell him. His eyebrows go up, and you surge ahead. “I’m sorry for what I did to you. I thought I was working on the arm in the box. If I’d known, I never would have—”

“Yeah,” Bucky says. “I know.”

What? What the fuck!

You gape. “If you know that, why are you still angry at me?”

He blinks. “I’m not—” He runs a hand through his hair, looks aside, shifts his weight. “I’m not angry at you.”

You cross your arms and raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Is he for real? “You literally run out of the room every time I come in.”

He draws his lower lip into his mouth, then lets it out with a pop. Your eyes drop to his perfect mouth, even as you scold yourself for staring so blatantly. But when you finally meet his eyes again, he still looks nervous.

“It’s not ‘cause I’m angry,” he mumbles, dropping his eyes. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. You take the opportunity to drag your eyes down his body, but you catch yourself before you stare too long.

“Well, then what is it?”

How did this go from you apologizing to you grilling him?

“It’s ‘cause you’re cute and I yelled at you,” he blurts.

Oh.

Well.

That changes things. You lick your lips, heart beating as fast as rainpatter. “But… you didn’t yell at me.”

Bucky shuffles his feet. His shyness is the most endearing thing you’ve ever seen. With his cheeks tinged pink and his eyes low, he’s every inch the bashful daydream.

“Maybe not,” he says, “but I wasn’t nice. I’m sorry, okay?”

“Okay.” You step down a step, then another. Bucky’s head inches up until he meets your eyes. You smile down at him, too happy to care if he thinks you’re odd. “You know, while we’re on the subject, you’re cute too.”

Bucky’s breathless laugh is full of relief. He pulls his hands out of his pockets and steps closer to you, his blue eyes bright. The little crinkles on his nose and around his eyes are to die for. “Doesn’t it bother you that I was a jerk?”

You shrug. “You apologized. Tony was more of a jerk than you, frankly.” You glance back upstairs towards the lab with a frown. “I do not get how a guy that smart didn’t realize how awful that prank was.”

“I survived.” Bucky’s lips curve into a smirk. “So did he, thanks to you.”

He comes another step up, and you’re suddenly all too aware of how close you’re standing. You catch your breath, eyes flitting from his eyes to his mouth and—

Bucky stiffens and steps back, cheeks pink again, as someone goes down the stairs, passing you without any acknowledgement. A stranger, one of many you’ve yet to meet. You watch them until they’re out of earshot, then smile hopefully at Bucky.

“So,” you drawl, “how do you feel about some revenge pranking?”

—

“These vents are too small even if I lose the arm,” Bucky complains. He screws the grate back over the vent in your room with a sigh.

You snort.

“It’s almost like they were designed with you in mind,” you tease.

Bucky sticks his tongue out and throws the screwdriver at you; you duck. It bounces harmlessly on the mattress by your outstretched legs. He laughs when you sit back up and make a face.

“Wasn’t gonna hit you,” he tells you, leaning over to retrieve it.

Your heartbeat ramps up; he’s close again, dangerously close. When he grins up at you, you clench your hands into fists to keep from pulling him closer.

Bucky goes back to screwing in the grate, and you bury yourself in your computer, cheeks blazing.

—

You’re sitting next to Bucky on his enormous bed, both of you with laptops on your knees. He’s got a video feed of the conference room open; you’re watching over his shoulder. Your computer has a program waiting to be run.

You both watch with bated breath as Tony makes his way into the conference room, flanked by Happy Hogan.

“Okay, now!”

You hit enter. The program runs, code scrolling into life on your laptop before you toss it aside and quickly tug Bucky’s computer midway between you.

The projected backdrop in the conference room goes black; the sound system whirs to life.

“Do you seriously think this is going to go over?” Bucky mutters.

“Shh! Just wait.”

A distinctive dance-pop beat blares out of the speakers. The crowd of journalists and media bloggers is silent for a beat, and then lets out a chorus of groans and laughs. Rick Astley’s voice begins the famous refrain: “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down…”

You bite your lip to keep your grin from hurting your face. On Bucky’s screen, Tony stares into the camera and mouths, “Very funny.” He rolls his eyes and starts chatting into the microphone. “Sorry, folks,” he says, “we just have to wait it out. But after that, I promise I have something serious to say…”

Bucky sets his computer further down the bed and links his arms behind his head.

“It would have been more fun to watch from a vent,” he muses. “Then again, it would have been more fun if we’d gone with my idea.”

You giggle. “I did promise it’d be harmless.”

“Yeah, yeah, you and your ethics.” Bucky’s voice is teasing, warm. He twists to face you, his eyes bright. “Still, shooting a bunch of paint bullets at him during a press conference would’ve been much more interactive.”

“You’re welcome to do that on your own time,” you tell him. “I’m confident you could manage it without my skills.”

“I probably could,” Bucky agrees. He smiles and inches closer. “But why would I?”

You swallow. Bucky’s hip is touching yours; his hand is propped behind you, boxing you in. Your eyes dart to his mouth as he licks his lips. “For—revenge?”

Bucky slides his free hand—the metal one; oh lord, he can feel with that—up your leg until he’s gripping your thigh. The pressure is delicious, intoxicating; he’s so close—

“Revenge is for suckers,” he murmurs. His dark eyes drink you in, and then your eyes flutter shut as he ducks even closer. “The whole point was you.”

Then he kisses you.

There’s a roaring in your ears; it drowns out everything but the feel of him. His lips feel as perfect as they look—soft, plump, warm, alive—and in seconds you’re a mess. His grip on your thigh tightens, and his arm by your back circles your waist. Your hands find their way into his hair, and when you tug, he turns to putty in your eager hands.

By the time he pulls back, you’re out of breath. His lips are fuller than ever, swollen and pink and perfect. You stroke his hair, then trace his mouth as he watches you, eyes dark.

All in all, a much better hands-on exercise than the one Tony had made you do.

The Rick Astley song finally ends, and Tony’s voice cuts through your and Bucky’s heavy breathing. The two of you make a face, and the mirrored expression prompts a laugh from you both. Bucky reaches over and slams his computer shut.

“Well,” he says, eyes twinkling, “what are the ethics of dating a coworker?”

You suck in a breath. “It depends,” you say. “Will you be good?”

Bucky’s smirk is dark and full of promise. “Depends,” he says huskily. You shiver; his voice goes straight through you. He chuckles and strokes your cheek. “For you, I’ll sure as hell try.”

#bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x you #bucky barnes x y/n #winter soldier imagine #becca writes

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themaskedwriter · 6 years ago

Text

A Hands-On Exercise

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader

Word count: 5631

Summary: You hate your job, your life, and the cracks in your bedroom ceiling. Fortunately, you’ve got the chance of a lifetime after hacking—ethically hacking, that is—into Tony Stark’s systems. Unfortunately, your interview ends with you inadvertently pissing off the Winter Soldier. Will he forgive you for hacking into his arm?

Warnings: mild swearing, mild sensuality, mildly unethical behavior

Clues: This author’s niece is strictly normal, but she loves her anyway. And—what the heck? Is that a five-color palette?

———

Your index finger hovers over the enter key.

“Should I do it?” you ask.

“No.” Kim’s voice brokers no argument, even with the slight lisp due to the highlighter in her teeth. She turns another page in her book.

“Hmph.”

The program you’re maybe about to run is one you’ve been working on for years. One that might land you the job of a lifetime. A teenage dream, and now a potential reality.

If.

If, if, if.

“So as far as I see it,” you start, sitting up, “there’s three ways this could go.”

Kim groans and tosses her book and highlighter aside.

“First,” you continue, holding up a finger, “this program doesn’t actually work and nothing happens.”

“That would be ideal,” Kim drawls.

“I don’t see how any of those options are good,” Kim mutters. “You’re a failure, you get another mark on your criminal record, or you have to move.”

“For this, I’d move without complaining.”

Kim snorts. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

You prop yourself up on your knees and lean over the edge of Kim’s bed. You bat your eyelashes at her. “So you do want to see what happens.”

“Uh, no.” Kim drops her hand on your head. Her gaze is serious. “I’d be a terrible friend if I actually encouraged you in this. It’s illegal.”

“Well…”

“You have a steady job,” Kim continues.

Kim rolls her eyes. “I don’t know if you’re using the word ‘boring’ correctly.”

“Well, whatever. I’m doing it.”

You grab your laptop off the floor and hit enter. The program starts to run.

“Oh my god, it’s working!” You jump to your feet and bounce around the room, squealing with delight. “It worked!”

The program finishes with a happy beep, and you collapse next to Kim.

The two of you wait with bated breath, staring at the screen. Minutes pass.

Nothing happens.

You glance at Kim. Her eyes are as big as saucers.

“Nothing happened,” Kim whispers.

“I realized that,” you snap. You slam your computer shut and ball your hands into fists. All that, for nothing?

God damn it.

—

“Tony?”

“Hey Bruce, c’mon in. Check it out.” Tony wheels his stool back and holds up his latest project.

Bruce Banner shuffles into the lab, a tablet under his arm and a pinched look on his face.

“What’s with the long face?” Tony asks.

“You have a message.” Bruce untucks the tablet from his arm and holds it screen side up. A holographic message appears in the air, rotating slowly.

“I dunno, Tony! It just showed up.” Bruce shifts his weight and crosses his arms tight across his chest.

Tony sits back in his chair and goes through the code slower. Bruce hovers at his side, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

After a minute, Tony Stark begins to laugh.

—

You spent years working on that program, and nothing had come of it. Of all people, you thought Tony Stark would work fast. If he hasn’t reacted by now, he doesn’t care.

Or it failed, and you just don’t realize it, chimes a nasty voice in your head.

God, you hate this life.

You huff and curl up in a fetal position, arms tight across your chest. Luxury is absurd to imagine, but solid comfort? Something lasting, something beyond okay?

If it had even worked.

It’s the not knowing that’s the worst of it. At this point, even the police barging in would be a welcome distraction. Then at least you’d know.

But no. You have to continue with your bland, boring, banal life.

“Hello?”

“Pack a bag,” Tony Stark’s voice says. “You’ve got an interview at nine am.”

Click.

Well then.

Maybe you don’t have work in the morning.

—

It felt wrong. But not so wrong that you didn’t sleep on the plane, or in the car to the compound. You dread to think what you’re going to look like at nine.

Now there’s a feat of engineering.

You sit back and fan your face, a private grin growing on your face. If you can keep Tony Stark’s attention, those guys are going to be your coworkers.

Nice.

From there, it’s a blur to the conference room where Tony will be meeting you in—you check your phone—twenty-two minutes. There’s a tablet waiting for you there.

“See what you can make of that before Mr. Stark arrives,” your chauffeur-cum-tour guide says as he leaves. The door shuts behind him with a click, but you’re already buried in code.

—

“Your credentials certainly are impressive.”

“Thank you,” you say.

“Well, your application was certainly innovative. Full of, what’s the word, gumption.”

You grin and press your hands tighter together between your legs. “I’ve got that too.”

Tony holds up the clipboard again, covering half his face. He looks between it and you, a teasing look in his eyes. You bite your tongue and wait.

“So what did you think of that little project I set up for you?” Tony asks, nodding to the tablet in front of you.

“It’s like an artificial nervous system,” you tell him. “Or part of one. From the shape of things, I’d say it was an arm, bu—”

—

There’s an arm in a box.

A metal arm in a black box on a table in a lab in the Avengers compound.

What even is your life right now?

“Hilarious. I’m dying,” you deadpan.

“Don’t hurt yourself. Your assignment is to hack into this arm and give me a thumbs up.”

“Is that all?” you blurt.

“You got it.”

You hop onto the edge of the table and cross your dangling feet. Piece of cake.

—

You stare at the arm in the box, your heart in your throat. It’s been twenty-seven minutes, and you’ve just run a program that should have reshaped the dormant arm in front of you.

But nothing happened.

Tony Stark is standing at the window overlooking the main lawn. He’s gone back to his bouncing—is something happening out there? You turn away, eyes stinging, and clear the program.

“No, no, do it again,” Tony exclaims.

You blink. You run the program again, and Tony laughs loud and bright.

“Amazing!” He shakes his head, still chuckling. You look down at the arm in the box. It hasn’t moved.

“Wha—”

There’s a slew of shouting from outside that’s muffled by the windows, but you can very clearly make out some derogatory remarks directed at—Tony?

Oh no.

“Damn,” Tony says. He pats the window and meanders towards the door, counting quietly to himself as he does.

You back away from the arm in the box, hands and tablet frozen in front of you. The arm in the box hadn’t moved.

The arm in the box wasn’t supposed to move.

That could only mean…

“Three, two, one.” Tony’s murmured countdown comes to an end.

Stiff, awkward, and with a thumbs up.

He stalks towards Tony, who backs away quickly, his eyes snapping to you. You steady yourself on a stool and surreptitiously cancel the program.

Bucky Barnes stops in his tracks halfway to Tony and stares down at his left hand. He wiggles his fingers, bends his elbow, and makes a fist.

“What the hell did you do?” he growls at Tony.

“You think that was me?” Tony asks, hand over his heart. “Bless. It was her.” He tilts his head in your direction.

“What? No!” you gasp.

You’re frozen in place, too shocked to move or even speak. You’ve been obsessed with Tony Stark for years. Bucky Barnes? Not so much.

“I didn’t know—” you start.

“Obviously not,” Bucky snaps. “Who even are you?”

“She’s my new hacker,” Tony says before you can answer. “So be nice, or she’ll do the same thing again.”

“I will not,” you retort. “I’m an ethical hacker, Mr. Stark.”

Tony raises his eyebrows at you. “You will not hack into Manchurian Candidate’s arm, or will not take the job?”

You blink. Oh my god. You got the job? You got the job!

“What do you usurp bodily autonomy for?” Tony asks curiously.

“Now there’s a loaded question,” you quip.

Bucky huffs and storms out of the room. You stare after him, your sudden good mood evaporating, but Tony laughs and takes the tablet out of your slack hands.

“Touché. Let’s get out of here and hook you up with the paper shufflers over in human resources.”

You follow Tony out of the lab, but your stomach sinks as you give one last look to the immobile arm in the box.

You’ve got the job. You’ve got the respect of acclaimed genius Tony Stark, your lifelong idol.

So why are you so damn upset?

—

It’s your chance to start fresh with Bucky Barnes.

Thinking back on your own story, you wince. How often had you whined to Kim about your less-than-ideal circumstances? You can only dream of Bucky’s strength.

Was he still angry at you? You’d give anything to see his smile…

Tony finally notices you.

“You made it!” he calls.

Still angry, yeah.

“Chill, man,” Tony says to Bucky. He ambles over and slings an arm around your shoulder. “You know Barnes, of course. Did you know he killed my parents?”

Bucky stalks away without another word. You shrug Tony’s arm off. Ice settles in your veins.

You do know who killed Tony’s parents.

And it wasn’t Bucky Barnes.

“Tony—can I call you Tony?”

“If you use me as an accessory to pull any more bullshit on Mr. Barnes over there, you will not like the results.”

Tony raises his eyebrows and whistles low. “Alright, alright. Just having a little fun.”

“I guess we have different ideas of fun,” you say stiffly, arms crossed.

“Tony grows on you,” the Black Widow says. “But she’s right, Tony. Anyway, she’s new. Don’t drag her into the drama on day one.”

You beam up at him. “Nice to meet you, Sam.”

It’s like they’re a family.

Your heart clenches at the thought. A family. Not a perfect one, but a real one. Maybe one day you’ll be part of it.

One day.

You hope.

“You know,” Tony says out of nowhere, “you have got gumption. I like you, kid.”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Barnes and I don’t get on great. For obvious reasons. And he’s a real easy target—he goes right off. Guy has no chill.”

You bite your lip. If Bucky has no chill, maybe Tony shouldn’t push at him. But you’re not sure you want to say that out loud. You’ve served enough gumption for one day.

God forbid you ruin everything.

He pushed the doors to the lab open. If you weren’t so damn distracted, you’d be giddy with delight. This is where you work now. Holy shit.

Still, you can’t get to business while you’re still so distracted with thoughts of Bucky Barnes and his scowl.

“Well,” you say hesitantly, “after decades of having no autonomy, I can see why he was so upset. And I don’t really want him to hate me. I have to work with him, after all.”

It’s the Iron Man suit.

Half of you is screaming internally. The Iron! Man! Suit! This is real! It is real! You let out a slow breath as you approach.

“He seemed pretty pissed at me,” you say. You reach up and play around with a holographic cube that Tony sends your way.

You blink. “Revenge?”

“It’s in the job description,” you answer automatically. You sit against a lab table, bemused. Tony Stark is weird. Who volunteers to get hacked? By their employee, no less.

All you have to do is get him to listen to you, and you can do it.

“Alright,” you say. “You’re on.”

—

Bucky only looks up when he’s five steps below you, and he freezes like a deer in headlights. His blue eyes are wide as dinner plates. He backs down a step.

“Wait,” you blurt. You take a step after him and hold out a hand. “Please don’t run away again.”

“What do you want?” he says curtly.

It’s the first word he’s said to you since your interview. You swallow.

“Yeah,” Bucky says. “I know.”

What? What the fuck!

You gape. “If you know that, why are you still angry at me?”

He blinks. “I’m not—” He runs a hand through his hair, looks aside, shifts his weight. “I’m not angry at you.”

You cross your arms and raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Is he for real? “You literally run out of the room every time I come in.”

“Well, then what is it?”

How did this go from you apologizing to you grilling him?

“It’s ‘cause you’re cute and I yelled at you,” he blurts.

Oh.

Well.

That changes things. You lick your lips, heart beating as fast as rainpatter. “But… you didn’t yell at me.”

Bucky shuffles his feet. His shyness is the most endearing thing you’ve ever seen. With his cheeks tinged pink and his eyes low, he’s every inch the bashful daydream.

“Maybe not,” he says, “but I wasn’t nice. I’m sorry, okay?”

“I survived.” Bucky’s lips curve into a smirk. “So did he, thanks to you.”

He comes another step up, and you’re suddenly all too aware of how close you’re standing. You catch your breath, eyes flitting from his eyes to his mouth and—

“So,” you drawl, “how do you feel about some revenge pranking?”

—

“These vents are too small even if I lose the arm,” Bucky complains. He screws the grate back over the vent in your room with a sigh.

You snort.

“It’s almost like they were designed with you in mind,” you tease.

Bucky sticks his tongue out and throws the screwdriver at you; you duck. It bounces harmlessly on the mattress by your outstretched legs.

“Wasn’t gonna hit you,” he tells you, leaning over to retrieve it.

Your heartbeat ramps up; he’s close again, dangerously close. When he grins up at you, you clench your hands into fists to keep from pulling him closer.

Bucky goes back to screwing in the grate, and you bury yourself in your computer, cheeks blazing.

—

You both watch with bated breath as Tony makes his way into the conference room, flanked by Happy Hogan.

“Okay, now!”

You hit enter. The program runs, code scrolling into life on your laptop before you toss it aside and quickly tug Bucky’s computer midway between you.

The projected backdrop in the conference room goes black; the sound system whirs to life.

“Do you seriously think this is going to go over?” Bucky mutters.

“Shh! Just wait.”

A distinctive dance-pop beat blares out of the speakers. The crowd of eager journalists and media bloggers is silent for a beat, and then lets out a chorus of groans and laughs. Rick Astley’s voice begins the famous refrain: “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down…”

Bucky sets his computer further down the bed and links his arms behind his head.

“It would have been more fun to watch from a vent,” he muses. “Then again, it would have been more fun if we’d gone with my idea.”

You giggle. “I did promise it’d be harmless.”

“You’re welcome to do that on your own time,” you tell him. “I’m confident you could manage it without my skills.”

“I probably could,” Bucky agrees. He smiles and inches closer. “But why would I?”

You swallow. Bucky’s hip is touching yours; his hand is propped behind you, boxing you in. Your eyes dart to his mouth as he licks his lips. “For—revenge?”

Bucky slides his free hand—the metal one; oh lord, he can feel with that—up your leg until he’s gripping your thigh. The pressure is delicious, intoxicating; he’s so close—

“Revenge is for suckers,” he murmurs. His dark eyes drink you in, and then your eyes flutter shut as he ducks even closer. “The whole point was you.”

Then he kisses you.

His lips feel as perfect as they look—soft, plump, warm, alive—and in seconds you’re a mess. His grip on your thigh tightens, and his arm by your back circles your waist. Your hands find their way into his hair, and when you tug, he turns to putty in your hands, deep moans catching in his throat.

By the time he pulls back, you’re out of breath. His lips are fuller than ever, swollen and pink and perfect. You stroke his hair, then trace his mouth as he watches you, eyes dark.

All in all, a much better hands-on exercise than the one Tony had made you do.

“Well,” he says, eyes twinkling, “what are the ethics of dating a coworker?”

You suck in a breath, heart full. “It depends,” you say. “Will you be good?”

#fic

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crystalninjaphoenix · 6 years ago

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Chaos Theory

Part Eight

(The last installment in solving puzzles. Appropriately, it’s the longest.)

The time was 4:12am. Or 4:13, as Jackie booted up the laptop once more and watched the numbers shift. He sighed. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and now there was a bone-deep weariness dragging him down. But he couldn’t stop. He had no doubt that the gamemaster had more tricks up his sleeve that he had to prevent.

Jackie was sitting in the passenger seat of the car. He briefly looked away from the screen and around at the others. Chase was in the driver’s seat, leaning on the wheel with his head in his folded arms. JJ and Marvin were in the back seat. Marvin had his forehead against the window with his eyes closed and his legs folded up on the seat. JJ looked composed, sitting straight with his hands in his lap, but anyone who knew him well could tell he was on edge by his shaky breathing and wide eyes staring directly forward.

They had to finish this.

Jackie’s eyes hardened, and he turned back to the laptop. He’d received one last email, and this one had only one thing attached: a file called 4.png. There was a message written as well: Good luck with this one. You’ll need it :)

“Fuck you,” Jackie muttered, opening the .png file.The image was nothing but a white screen, with lines of black rectangles. But Jackie recognized the formatting immediately: blacked-out text. And by this point he knew to plug the image into the picture editor and play with sliders. Brightening it up revealed the writing that had been blacked out: a bunch of numbers that by now he recognized as hexadecimal code. He groaned; this was an image, which meant he had to type it into the translator by hand instead of copy-pasting. That’s going to take forever.

As he was typing the code into the online translator, Jackie noticed something odd. This particular code was just a lot of repeating 30s and 31s, with the occasional 20 thrown in. That was...weird. Did that mean it was really just a few characters? Jackie clicked translate, and then immediately understood. It was binary language; a bunch of ones and zeros. He sighed. Well, at least he could copy this one.

The binary turned out to be yet another url: yourfinalset.com. Jackie frowned. “That’s not ominous at all,” he muttered, plugging it into the browser.

A loading bar popped up, and a cheerful-sounding chiptune began to play. That got everyone’s attention. JJ and Marvin looked at Jackie oddly, while Chase leaned over to look at the screen. “What kind of puzzle is this?” he asked.

“I dunno,” Jackie said, shrugging. A moment later, and the screen had loaded up. Jackie blinked. “Apparently it’s not a puzzle. It’s a game.”

“Wait, what?” Marvin pushed his head into the space between the driver’s seat and passenger seat. JJ did the same, pushing his way into an empty spot. “Oh my god, you!”

“What?” Jackie looked at him peculiarly.

“You!” Marvin pointed at the computer screen.

“Wait, bro, I get it.” Chase pointed as well. “The little avatar, it’s you.”

Jackie looked at the screen again. It showed a pixelated room with stone walls and a squiggly design on the floor, connected to three more identical rooms that were only half-on the screen. There was a character in the center of the room wearing a red outfit with a blue mask and brown hair. Jackie gaped. “Oh, it is. Shit, how long has this guy been planning this? If he had time to make a full video game.” He moved the little avatar into the next room, revealing more of the screen. And then again, only to find a dead end. “Oh, not just a game. This is a maze game.”

Marvin inhaled sharply. “I hate these.”

“Yeah, they can be annoying,” Chase agreed. “My guess is you have to make it through while taking notes of the letters on the floor.”

“Letters?” Jackie moved back to the first room. “Oh, that is a W, isn’t it? Well, can someone write this down? Cause I’ll be too busy trying to find my way.”

If someone can give me a pen, I can, JJ signed.

“Here.” Chase grabbed a pencil off the dashboard and tossed it to him. “This person probably won’t mind if we use their pencil. I mean, we already stole their car, I don’t think they’ll be any more annoyed than they already are.”

My sentiments exactly, JJ agreed, grabbing a napkin from a compartment in the side of the car door next to him.

Ten minutes later, Jackie reached the end of the maze, signified by a small golden crown of pixels in the middle of the last room. The screen turned red, with black text: YOU WIN! Enter password for next level.

“Shit,” Jackie cursed. “I think this is where the letters come in. Jays?”

JJ passed the napkin to Jackie. There were a few crossed out rows of letters, but the final circled row was another url: 73707963616d657261.com. “Why is nothing simple with this guy?!” Jackie suddenly shouted, punching the ceiling of the car.

“Because he hates us,” Marvin stated. His tone was casual, but he’d suddenly gone very stiff, as if he just remembered being in a small, enclosed space filling with water.

Jackie took a deep breath. “You’re not wrong. Gotta keep going.” He checked the time real quick: 4:27. Then he opened a new tab and entered the url.

The new website was just a white square with a play button and a download button. Jackie hesitated, then clicked play. The white square revealed itself to be a video, as the camera panned up from where it had been pointing at the snowy ground. The camera panned across, showing it was filming the city streets. And then it zoomed in on a pair of people across the road. There was no sound of the city, just a weird, distorted noise overlayed.

“Oh my god,” Jackie whispered. Chase covered his mouth, eyes wide.

“That’s...that’s us...” Marvin muttered, looking at JJ, who was significantly paler than he had been a few seconds ago. The video showed Marvin and JJ walking along the city streets, signing with each other and occasionally stopping to look in shop windows. The person filming followed entirely silently, always at a distance. “That’s...that’s fucked up.”

“There’s snow,” Jackie muttered. “How...how old is this?”

“I remember this,” Marvin muttered. “Look, we’re gonna stop outside of Gimley’s now.” The video showed them doing exactly that. “This was when I was giving JJ a tour of the city, showing him how it’s changed since he was...you know.” Marvin took a deep breath. “That was December two years ago.”

“Fuck. Fuck this,” Jackie said, pausing the video. “Two years...fuck this guy.”

JJ looked away from the screen, disappearing into the back seat once more.

“What do we do with this?” Chase asked quietly.

Jackie took a deep breath. “Well...did you hear that weird audio? My guess is we’re gonna have to look at that closer.” He downloaded the video.

Running a spectrogram on the video’s audio revealed a hidden message in the sound: The letters JCHMJ. Jackie immediately switched back to the maze game and entered those as the password. The screen loaded, revealing another level of the maze, the pixelated stone walls a darker color.

“No letters on the floor this time, “ Jackie noted. “Let’s go.”

4:39am by the time the next maze level was complete. Once again, the YOU WIN! screen popped up, but this one was different. In addition to a space to enter a password, there was a message: Password is the timestamp, followed by a date and the YouTube logo.

“We need to find a YouTube video?” Jackie asked.

“How are we supposed to know which video?! Do you know how many there are?!” Marvin cried.

“It’s 3:54,” Chase said all of a sudden.

Jackie and Marvin looked at him. “Chase?” Jackie asked. “How...do you know—”

“Trust me, I know,” Chase said. He was deliberately not looking at either of them. “It’s better than you guys looking for a video that’s not up anymore.”

Marvin looked confused, but Jackie’s eyes suddenly widened. He entered the timestamp into the space for the password, and the game instantly loaded up the next level. He looked over at Chase. “Hey...”

“Let’s just get through this next level, okay?” Chase cut him off.

Jackie stared at him a while longer, then nodded.

The last level had red stone walls, and took until 4:45 to complete. This time, the YOU WIN! screen didn’t have a space to enter a password, but instead a few lines of binary. Jackie sighed, then began typing the binary into the online translator by hand. Once translated, it turned out to be more hexadecimal code. Translating that once again let to an address: 25 Waverly Street.

“We only have an hour and a twenty minutes left,” Jackie said, rubbing his eyes.

“We could just...not go,” Marvin suggested. “What do we have left to lose if...no one else is...” He went silent.

“I don’t know,” Jackie said. “But I don’t want to find out. And honestly, at this point I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy had sniper rifles trained on us to take us out if we stop playing along.”

“Then we better get going,” Chase said, starting the car.

In a building in the center of the city, the gamemaster watched through cameras as a car pulled away from the curb and started speeding through city streets. He wasn’t about to lie; he was impressed. He honestly hadn’t been expecting Jackieboy to get this far.

But the question was if he would survive the final stage.

The gamemaster swiveled in his seat, turning his attention to another camera. He pressed a button activating an intercom. “Are you ready for the grand finale?” he asked. Though the intercom was two-way, there was no answer. He laughed to himself.

Just a quick test run of the crucial mechanisms, and then...the gamemaster glanced at the edge of his desk. A mask was dangling off the corner.

The gamemaster smiled. This was turning out to be so much more satisfying than he ever could’ve guessed.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #jackieboy man #chase brody #marvin the magnificent #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction #chaostheoryfic

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pokemon-soul-silver-cheatws · 3 years ago

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pokemon soul silver cheats 100% working MKPW%

💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Unlimited Rare Candies · FCFF · · B · D · C · D B This is the complete collection of Action Replay codes for the best Pokémon Soul silver cheats. Here are the best cheats for Pokémon Soul. Press L+R and you will get master balls and hyper balls. The master balls represent the Pokemon's number and the hyper balls represent the level you. PokéTrainer · Ethan C 1CD BC FB6AF7D9 · Gold C 1CD BC FB6AF7D9 · Heart C 1CD BC FB6AF7D9 · Heart C. 9 All of these cheats have been tested in our own games to ensure that they work the way they are supposed to. This way, you can start using them without worrying about corrupting your game. Instead, once the code is entered, all messages will appear instantly, though you will have to disable it when restarting your game unless you want the effect to be permanent. There are loads of different characters that you can change into, which can make the game pretty hilarious! Similar to the cheat above, these codes will give you access to all in-game berries without having to gather them yourself. Having all of the berries can help counteract negative effects, provide health, raise friendship, and more, making them some of the most useful items in the game. If you want to remove all of the badges you have earned so far for any reason, you can use this cheat. This comes in handy if you encounter a glitch that is preventing you from acquiring one, which can be really frustrating. It pairs well with the cheat that prevents random battles, which we cover further down on our list. For players who want to become the Jeff Bezos of the Johto and Kanto regions, this cheat is for you. Once entered, this cheat will give you more cash than you could ever hope to spend, allowing you to buy anything and everything you need and want. If you want to have access to all the accessories in the game, you can use this cheat to add them to your pocket. Once activated, you should see of each accessory available which you can then immediately use. This cheat stops random battles from kicking off while you are exploring, making it much easier to get through an area. Shawna Schofield is a professional freelance writer and part-time YouTuber. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, most Introduction The PC Case has morphed over the years from a simple beige colored steel box designed to do Introduction G. SKILL is one of the move respected names in the computer industry. Established in by enthusiasts, they have Connect with us. While it does require a bit more work, it is nice to keep in mind if you ever need it. Once entered, you can check your pocket, and you should have of each item ready to be used. This speeds things up considerably and is perfect for those of us who hate waiting. Cheat Codes: How to use: Hold R after a battle to activate. Cheat Codes: Note: This cheat will prevent you from battling Pokemon in the wild. Leave a comment below. Related Topics:. Shawna Schofield. Click to comment. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Hardware 9 mins ago. Hardware 24 mins ago. Hardware 40 mins ago.

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merrimacknhghye594-blog · 5 years ago

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10 Things We All Hate About Merrimack Nh Outlet Stores

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suraj-singh1 · 6 years ago

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Get Paid On Time. Tips to Collect Your Invoices

Get Paid On Time. Tips to Collect Your Invoices:

I think the most liberating and rewarding feeling from my first year or so as a freelancer was the one I got every time I emailed an invoice to a client. If you’ve done this for a while, you start to get numb to the awesomeness of that act. But when you’re fresh and new — WOW! — what a rush.

Sending invoices, though, is like making wishes. You’re sending a request to your client, but that doesn’t mean the money is in your bank account yet. They need to take action, and that’s the frightening part. It means that days could go by between sending them the invoice and you receiving the payment. Or weeks. In some cases, even months.

I’ve heard countless stories — nightmares, really — about freelancers still waiting on money owed from clients many weeks after the work has been completed. It’s more common than I would like to believe, and it upsets me. Honestly, I can’t think of anything that upsets me more in the freelance world.

It’s a powerless feeling when you’re waiting on payment for an invoice. You might have been counting on that paycheck to cover your rent this month or to pay for groceries, or fund your oldest’s braces. I know a secret, though: even though it might seem like there’s nothing you can do, you have a lot of power to change the game.

Oh, you want proof? Sure, I can back up that claim. To do so, though, we need to have a chat about what “Net” payment terms are.

Net I have a lot of friends who are freelancers and, after talking to them for years, I have noticed a pattern. Nearly all of them are waiting for clients to pay them for work they’ve already completed. When I ask them why they tell me it’s because those clients pay their invoices Net 30 or sometimes Net 60.

Those terms, “Net #”, mean that the payment due for an invoice is received 10, 15, 30 or 60 days after receipt. It’s technically an expectation set by the party doing the billing, but oftentimes the accounts payable department of large companies will impose their own turnaround time on their vendors (sad, but you and I are merely vendors at the end of the day).

I’m not a fan of this. If my due date is today, I expect payment today. For my small, mom-and-pop clients this is relatively easy to teach. Sometimes, though, the client is larger than a one-person shop, and different departments come into play.

Most freelancers look at a situation like that and swallow the bitter pill that means waiting a month or more for their rightful wages. They toss up their hands and lament the evil corporate system that they have no control over, and then suffer through the wait. Not me, though.

In my experience, the larger the company, the more likely it is that the client has a business credit card. They have no need to submit my invoice to another department; they can simply pay with their corporate credit card and get reimbursed with all their other expenses at the end of the month. The key here is making it clear to these clients that this is even an option. They aren’t used to paying vendors with their credit card, but once you teach them, you’ve removed a lot of friction from that process.

I think of this as empowering my clients. Yes, they can pay my invoice today. And this means they won’t have to wait as long to get the things from me that they are paying for. There are other principles that can help to trim your Net timeframe down significantly. Here are three.

Making Payments Easy: I mentioned in the previous chapter that I include a payment link when I email the PDF invoice to a client. There are a few systems out there that can fit that model, but I have a favorite service. First, let me tell you about how it works for me, and then I can list out a few other options to look into if my choice isn’t your speed.

I want my clients to pay me with a credit card. I have this goal for a couple of reasons: it’s easier for them, and I hate going to the bank to deposit checks. But to make that possible, I needed to create a payment gateway where they could do that. I tried PayPal for a couple of years, but I switched to Stripe at the beginning of 2013 and never looked back.

Stripe is a credit card payment processing company. You’ll get lost on the website, though, because it’s targeted primarily at software engineers as a tool for building into the code of a website for transactions. Thankfully, though, other services are building it into their backend. Take, for example, Plasso, from Drew Wilson.

Plasso connects to your Stripe account (which is connected to your bank account) and then gives you the ability to create a blank “Pay Me” webpage with your logo on it. The page has a static (unchanging) web address, so you can save the link and reuse it each time. That page has an empty “amount” field, which the client fills in from their invoice, and then they enter their credit card info and click “Pay”.

Super simple: Stripe has a cost, but it’s the standard 2.9% +.30 that you would pay anywhere else. Plasso is free of fees as long as you use that single Pay Me page, rather than one of their custom “spaces”. And when you do get paid through Stripe/Plasso, the funds received each day are transferred to your bank account one week later (though I’ve somehow been upgraded to a 2-day transfer delay, so your mileage may vary).

Other than Stripe, there is, of course, PayPal, but I honestly don’t recommend it. They can lock up your funds without notice, and that can cripple a freelancer. As an alternative, some of the online invoicing apps, like Harvest and FreshBooks, work with a number of payment gateway services. I don’t use an invoicing web app, but if you do, it’s worth looking into how well it integrates with Stripe.

No Goods Without Payment: One other thing I do to guarantee quicker payment of my invoices is that I make it clear in my contract with each new client that no deliverables will be handed over until payment is received. You don’t walk out of a grocery store with a bag full of fresh produce without paying, and no client should expect any less. It sounds utopian and ideal, but it’s possible, and I live it every day. If they want their art files, they pay me first.

This is not what some people refer to as, “holding the client hostage.” No, that is when you hold onto key files or assets long after payment with the goal of forcing your client to return to you time and again for small projects they could potentially do on their own. That’s a poor practice that leads to a short freelance career (you’ve now been warned).

No, expecting payment before handing over the deliverables is simply a matter of following the chain of ownership of the items created. Until a client has fully paid for your work, the work is your property. Once they have paid, they can have it. It’s not aggressive or controlling; this is a policy that protects both parties from harming the business relationship and their individual reputations. Will some clients object? I guess so. In nearly a decade as a freelancer, across hundreds of projects and scores of clients, I’ve had no complaints. None. If you do it right, though, your expectations won’t even be noticed. Use the right language when you get final project approval

(“Great! I’ll get those files packages up while you take care of the invoice, and send them over once I receive notification of payment.”), and your clients will feel served, not captive. The results will speak for themselves, too. In a line of work with an average term of Net 30, I run a business operating at about Net 2 (yes, I get paid within an average of two days). Take my advice, and you might be able to claim the same.

I like getting paid right away and I have a feeling you will, too.

Late Notices and Fees: The only language on my invoice that even hints that lateness is an option is in the footer of my invoice template. It reads: “Invoices not paid within 30 days of issue will be assessed a $25 late fee for each month overdue.” That’s in fine print at the bottom, though. Up top in giant characters is the true due date, listed as the date I created the invoice.

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to bill a late fee to a client. I make my expectations clear when I send the invoice, and I’ve made the payment process as simple as possible, and this prevents most clients from postponing their invoices. The less friction there is in the process, the more immediate the payment.

I also use my monthly “dashboard” worksheet (something covered in The Freelancer’s Guide to Finances) to help keep clients accountable. Because I have an entire section dedicated to outstanding invoices, I can see at a glance when a client has been on that list for more than a day. Depending on the relationship I have with them (are they brand new, or a frequent, returning client?) and the nature of the project (is the invoice for a deposit that is postponing the project, or payment on printed items that need to be ordered soon to meet a deadline?), I can respond to these outstanding invoices appropriately.

When an email does need to be sent over, I don’t talk about late fees or make threats. I assume the best and just mention that I wanted to make sure that the invoice PDF and payment link made it to their inbox safely, and ask if they have any questions. If a phase of the project depends on that payment, I gently remind the client that paying speeds that up. Nothing aggressive or forceful; just a friendly email to remind them that I sent the invoice in the first place. Nine times out of ten that does the trick and payment follows shortly after.

Be clear about the process. Make the process simple. And don’t be a bully. It can’t get easier than that.

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kuwaiti-kid · 5 years ago

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How to Use Craigslist to Buy and Sell in Your Local Area

Craigslist is ancient in terms of websites. The site was created in 1995 by a guy named Craig Newmark (hence the site’s name). It started as an email distribution list Newmark put together to share local events and then became a website to share classified ads.

Since its inception, Craigslist has hosted millions of classified ads for jobs, housing, and a multitude of things for sale. Countless people have used the site to buy, sell, find jobs, hire people, and even get dates (although the personal ads are no longer a part of the site).

If you go to the site now, it feels like going back in time. The design is straightforward, and the team behind Craigslist has made a point to keep things basic and not focus on making it as profitable as possible. That makes Craigslist unique compared to other classified sites and is probably one of the reasons it has stuck around for so long. Sometimes less is more.

While some sites have popped up recently to compete with Craigslist, it is still a thriving marketplace used by millions of people.

If you know what you’re doing, you can make good money flipping things on the site, or find great deals on the stuff you need.

How to Sell on Craigslist

To list something on Craigslist, head over to the home page and click “create a posting” in the top left corner of the page.

Having an account is not required to create a posting.

If you’re not sure the item you want to sell is allowed on Craigslist, check out this page before going any further.

Select your preferred location and what type of posting you want to create. For most things you sell, you will need to select “for sale by owner.” That will take you to the page where you choose the category for the item you want to sell.

Once you select the category, it will take you to the listing page.

On this page, you will fill out all of the information about your item. Some of the data is optional, but you have to fill out the title, description, zip code, and email address. You can choose to keep your email private if you wish.

Titles are Important

In your title, try to be descriptive and include as many relevant keywords as possible, so your item will show up in more search results.

For example, let’s say you’re selling a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar that is tobacco sunburst color, and you have the case you’re putting with it. Instead of just making the title “Gibson electric guitar with the case,” make it “1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar Tobacco Sunburst + Case”.

You get 70 characters for the listing title, and if you can fill it up with relevant keywords, your item will be v more people.

Use the Description to Make the Sale

You can add 1,000 characters in the description, so this is where you want to convince buyers why they should buy your item. Don’t make the listing sound better than it is, but try your best to make the sale sound like a great deal.

Write a short story of how you’ve used the item and how it has worked for you. Make it sound like you hate to let it go, and the only reason you’re getting rid of it is that you need the money.

The more you can make the description sound like the item is incredible, the better chance you’ll have of making more money and selling it quickly.

In addition to making a great sales pitch in the description, be very detailed with what the offer in the listing includes. Also, list any defects the item may have. If you can make the buyer feel like they know everything they need to know about the item by reading your description, they’ll be more confident to reach out and possibly purchase from you.

When it comes to pricing the item, I always price it a little higher than what I really want because people will try to negotiate you down. If I need $100 for something, I may list it at $125, so when the buyer asks if I’ll take $100, I’ll get the price I want while making the buyer feel like they’re getting a deal.

What Optional Information Should You Provide?

On top of the required information, you can also provide some optional details if you want. Depending on the item category, you will have the option to provide things like the make/manufacturer, model number, measurements, and condition.

There are also options like “cryptocurrency ok,” “delivery available,” “include more ads by this seller link,” as well as a place to include your phone number and address.

You can fill out as much or as little of this information as you want, but I would be cautious about including my home address. I would fill out all of the item specific options, though, so the listing is as complete as possible.

A lot of people will want to reach you by text, so you may want to include your phone number in the listing.

Once you have everything filled out, click continue. That will bring you to a page to enter a location. If you want to meet the buyer at a specific location, you can enter the address. Otherwise, you can just enter the city and zip code and click continue.

Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

After you click continue on the location page, you will add images. Pictures actually aren’t required on Craigslist, but not adding them is a big mistake. When people shop online, they want to see what the item looks like before committing to buy it.

While you want to describe the item as best as you can in the title and description, the images are most likely what the buyer will use to decide if they want the item.

If you have a modern smartphone, it should be all you need to take great photos. Use natural lighting if possible, and don’t have anything in the background. You want the pictures to focus on the item only, not that pile of clutter you’ve been meaning to pick up.

If I were trying to sell this guitar, this would be a terrible picture to use!

Much better.

Once you’ve taken quality photos of the item that shows how it looks in real life, and any defects, upload the best image first. The first image will be the one featured on the listing, and then you can add up to 23 others for a total of 24 shots. 24 is a lot of pictures, but the more you add, the better!

You want to make it feel like the buyer is holding the item in their hands.

Publish and Wait

After you upload all the images, you’re officially done with the listing! Once you click continue, it will take you to a review page so you can make sure everything is how you want it. Then, all you have to do is publish.

When you hit publish, you will be sent an email with a link. You must click the link in the email for your listing to be verified and become active. You will also use this link to manage your listing if you need to make any changes or delete it once the item sales.

Your listing will stay live for 45 days, and you will have to renew it if it doesn’t sell within that time.

And now we wait. Depending on the contact method you chose, you will start getting responses to the listing either through email or your phone.

Now all you have to do is respond to people who reach out, and if someone wants your item, determine a time and place to do the transaction. Due to safety concerns, it’s best to meet in a busy public area. You may even ask the buyer to meet at your local police station if it’s nearby.

How to Buy on Craigslist

Buying on Craigslist is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is go to the site, click the category you want to search in, or click “all for sale” and either scroll through the listings or enter a search term in the search bar to narrow the listings down.

Once you find an item you’re interested in, contact the seller through their chosen contact method and see if the item is still available. Sometimes sellers forget to delete the listing after the item has sold. If the item is still available, figure out when and where you can meet the seller to purchase it. Just like when you sell an item, you’ll want to meet in a safe location.

Buying on Craigslist may sound like a lot of work compared to shopping at your local retail stores or on places like Amazon, where the item will be shipped right to your door. The beauty of Craigslist, though, is that you can find great things at a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.

You might even find something for free!

I got a bunch of for free tile off Craigslist, and it would have cost me several hundred dollars if I had bought the same tile at a store. We ended up not using the tile, and I sold it for $200. Not a bad profit, and you may be able to replicate this process in your area to resell things and make some money! Or just get great deals on items you need to buy anyways.

How to Stay Safe When Dealing With Strangers on Craigslist

Buying and selling on Craigslist can work out great, but there are some things to be mindful of when using the platform.

The main things to keep in mind are to watch out for scams and fraud, as well as staying safe when meeting people.

When it comes to scams and fraud keep these things in mind:

Do not provide payment to anyone you have not met in person.

Beware offers involving shipping – deal with locals you can meet in person.

Never wire funds (e.g., Western Union) – anyone who asks you to is a scammer.

Don’t accept cashier/certified checks or money orders – banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible.

Transactions are between users only. No third party provides a “guarantee.”

Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, PayPal account, etc.).

Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen—that amazing “deal” may not exist.

Refuse background/credit checks until you have met the landlord/employer in person.

“Craigslist voicemails” – Any message asking you to access or check “Craigslist voicemails” or “Craigslist voice messages” is fraudulent – no such service exists.

Here’s what Craigslist has to say on their safety page about meeting people in person:

insist on a public meeting place like a cafe, bank, or shopping center.

Do not meet in a secluded place, or invite strangers into your home.

Be especially careful buying/selling high-value items.

Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.

Take your cell phone along if you have one.

Consider having a friend accompany you.

Trust your instincts.

As long as you stick to these guidelines, you should be fine! Lots of people are worried about their safety when it comes to dealing with Craigslist, but the amount of violent crimes associated with the site is minimal.

Now that you know how to buy and sell safely, it’s time to get on Craigslist and make some money or hunt for those deals.

The post How to Use Craigslist to Buy and Sell in Your Local Area appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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thelmasirby32 · 5 years ago

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Everything You Need to Know About Marketing Your Business With Google Maps

Did you know that Google Maps has over 154.4 million monthly users? That’s over six times the amount of their nearest competitor Waze. So why is Google able to dominate the competition when it comes to their virtual map service?

Part of the reason is that Google Maps is tied to the company’s massively popular search engine. While this isn’t good for rival map services, it does present a unique marketing opportunity for both national and local business owners.

Google Maps marketing allows companies the opportunity to reach a clientele already actively seeking their service.

If you’re interested in how Google Maps can help improve sales for your business, then you came to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about promoting your business through Google Maps’ ranking system. Let’s get started!

What Is Google Maps Marketing?

Google Maps marketing is the use of SEO and other strategies to optimize the way your business shows up on the search application. When you search ‘restaurants near me’ on Google, what is the first thing that comes up?

Typically, the search engine will show a map of your location with several selections that match your criteria. Underneath this map is a list of the most popular results, including their hours of operation, address, phone number and website information.

While you might not realize it, this search engine map platform represents a huge opportunity for increasing your brand visibility. However, whether or not any customers notice you depends mainly on where you rank in the search results.

We’ll take a look at why it’s important to rank as high as you can on the search list later. First, let’s explore how Google determines the rank of businesses on Google Maps.

How Does Google Maps Determine The Rankings For Local Businesses?

According to Google’s official help page for GMB inquiries, the company uses three factors to determine rank order: prominence, relevance, and distance.

Prominence refers to how well known the business is to local people without the help of the internet. This can include everything from famous museums and hotels, to popular brands like Outback Steakhouse and McDonald’s.

Google calculates the prominence of a business by determining the amount of information available on the web in the form of articles, links and directory listings. Positive reviews from customers also play heavily into prominence.

Relevance, on the other hand, deals with how well local listings match with someone’s search results. You can increase the likely relevance of your business by adding detailed information to your Google My Business profile.

Finally, distance calculates how far away the business is from the user searching it. If you don’t have the location of your business listed, then Google will provide a rough estimate.

Why Is It Important For Your Business To Rank High In Google Maps?

You may be asking yourself, “Why should I focus on Google? There are other search engines out there”. That may be true, but the reality is that the search engine company practically dominates the competition.

Since Google controls 92.33% of the search engine market, it simply makes the most sense for companies to focus their attention on the web service. Otherwise, you would be missing a lot of potential customers.

Google also offers tools that the other companies don’t provide, like detailed SEO information, GMB tracking data and locally targeted ads. The top three companies that show up in a search also have a much better chance of being targeted by a customer.

One study found that 76% of people who perform a ‘nearby me’ search visit a business within twenty-four hours.

As you can see, a well-maintained and promoted Google Maps marketing campaign is like a light for moths – it attracts them to you, instead of the other way around. So, now that we know the importance of Google Maps for local businesses, let’s find out how one goes about getting on the platform.

How Do I Get My Business On Google Maps?

The first thing you need to do to get your business on Google Maps is to visit the ‘Google My Business’ service.

You can find it by clicking this link here. Follow the instructions on the site and fill in the information to the best of your ability. Here is some of the information they typically ask for:

Name of company – You can also enter a nickname if it helps your customers find you

Business category – Google offers both primary and additional categories for keyword impression

Hours and special schedules – Make sure you be as accurate as possible with your hours, including holiday schedules

Business phone number – Keep in mind Google doesn’t accept 1800 or 877 numbers for spam reasons

Website and relevant links – If your business is appointment-based, then include a link to schedule online

Any products and services you offer – This section allows you to provide some written explanation on the categories you listed earlier.

Highlights – Include anything that might distinguish your business from the competition (things like ‘Free Wifi’ or ‘Family-Friendly)

Description of your business – Include keywords and your brand statement in the 750-word limit

Photos – Put some pictures of the interior and exterior of your business

Also, and make sure that there are no duplicate sites or services already in existence. Sometimes factors like a location or brand change can cause two versions of the same business to appear.

This can make your company look less credible to potential customers, so if you notice it, fix it quickly.

How To Improve Your Businesses Rankings On Google Maps

Many new users think that popular SEO keywords are their key to bumping up to the top of the search list.

While these are a vital component, the reality is that there are a variety of factors you need to consider if you want to improve your ranking. Here are four of the most important things that you need to pay attention to.

1) Positive Reviews

We can not overstate the importance of positive reviews when it comes to optimizing your marketing presence on Google Maps.

These types of reviews provide social proof for other customers who may be skeptical about trying a new business or service. As much as we hate to admit it, people judge a book by its cover when it comes to internet reviews.

A two-star rating or lower will detract a lot of customers who otherwise might be willing to give your service a shot. If you want to increase the number of reviews for your business, we recommend letting it happen organically instead of naturally.

For example, you might try making it easier for customers to leave a review by sending newsletters, follow-up emails, and business cards with a link to the review site.

We find that these methods are a lot more effective than trying to solicit positive reviews from customers.

But what about bad reviews?

Unfortunately, people on the internet love to complain – even when they aren’t always right. As such, we recommend taking the negative review calmly and responding to it.

Apologize even if it wasn’t your fault and see if you can reach out to the individual to make it right. If you can’t, then focus on accumulating more positive reviews to outweigh the bad ones.

2) Collaborate With Nearby Businesses For Local Links

Local links are incredibly important if you want to rank high on Google Maps. So how do you go about building your local links? One way is by collaborating with other local businesses. You can do this through things known as guest posts.

Guest posts allow you to link other businesses in your articles, and vice versa. For example, if you’re a landscaping company, then you might write an article about how a well-maintained lawn can increase your home value.

This subject likely appeals to anyone in the home improvement or real estate market. So, you can reach out to local realtors and see if they want to swap local links.

This means that you include a link to their services in your articles, and they include a link to yours.

This type of situation is a win-win for both parties because it provides both parties with local links and new clientele. Start with companies you know and trust first, before moving on to cold calls.

3) Create Online Content People Want

The act of creating online content that catches people’s attention is a talent that takes a long time to develop. However, you can learn it by paying attention to what people search for. Think of the kind of things that you search on Google.

If you’re like other people, then you’re probably exploring FAQs, news articles and buying guides. People want to be honest and straightforward about the subjects they’re researching.

So apply this to your business model. For example, if you’re an air conditioning company, then make some blog articles about common problems that occur with AC units.

This will increase the traffic to your website and makes you seem like a knowledgeable authority on the subject. Another secret to making articles people want to read is a title that gets their attention.

The key is to incorporate popular SEO keywords while still making it snappy and engaging. How do you do this? Simple: check out our guide that walks you through everything you need to know”

4) Include Your Business Citations In Directories — Both In-Person and Online

Many of us associate citations with the dreaded research paper from high school and college. But, for businesses they usually refer to important contact information – things like your name, address, phone number, zip code, and website information.

Citations for business can be found all across the internet, both in-person and online. In-person directories like the Yellowpages offer a resource for people who prefer physical copies.

However, online directories like Yelp and Moz Local have also started aggregation citations. This is good for local businesses because the more citations contained in your portfolio, the more likely someone is to find you.

If you can try and focus on quality over quantity when it comes to your business. Someone is more likely to trust a relevant or well-known directory, then one they’ve never heard of before.

Should You Attempt SEO Marketing By Yourself, Or Get Professional Help?

Most newcomers to SEO marketing think they can handle an entire campaign by themselves – either in their off time or on company time. The reality is that a coordinated strategy requires time, knowledge and talent.

So unless you have weeks on free time for writing, researching and promoting, then the result will probably be poor. And if you believe it’s better to have some SEO articles compared to none, then think again.

Poor SEO can harm your business. If Google finds out that you’re flagrantly using keywords with no actual substance, then it will flag you for spam. This means that your business will no longer appear on any search results.

If you’re still not convinced that you should hire a professional, then check out all ten reasons why you should consider an SEO specialist over yourself.

Need Help Marketing Your Business With SEO? Let Riserr Help You

We hope this article demonstrated how the strategic use of Google Maps marketing can help produce real results for your company. Unfortunately, many inexperienced marketers waste a lot of time and resources on ineffective SEM campaigns.

These DIY marketers often make dry, poorly written articles that no one would want to read. Or worse, they make engaging, informative content, then fail to promote it properly.

As we mentioned in the last section, the solution is a company that has the experience and results in the search engine optimization field. But how do you find a company you can trust?

Look no further than Riserr Search Marketing agency. Our company combines technical experience with creative strategies to produce a marketing plan tailored to the needs of the company.

If you want to learn more, then you can get in touch with us through this link here.

Source: https://riserr.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-marketing-your-business-with-google-maps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=everything-you-need-to-know-about-marketing-your-business-with-google-maps

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racheljhaydentx · 5 years ago