#i mean sure it's my duty to (Italian) broach the subject with her and ask her questions about anything i need help with

[fazcinatingblog]

It's wild how much the ATO correspondence is "up to shit" (Colleen vocab) and how much my boss never (Italian) broaches the subject of what's come in the mail recently and what? She just trusts that I'm sending it out as soon as it comes in? And there's nothing that needs doing urgently or extension requests to be done or

[mrsbenedictbridgerton]

Knot because I love you, just because I care (Part 6 of 7)

Her visa was up. He offered to help. That's what friends are for -right?

Also on ff.net and AO3

It wasn’t regret that she woke up feeling. How could she when she had Killian’s arms wrapped around her and his lips pressing kisses at her neck? To be honest, she was quite unable to quantify her emotions as she kissed him goodbye and slipped off to work. Pointedly, neither had broached the subject of the meaning of the impromptu sex.

And that was why Emma had spent part of her lunch break scrolling through her phone, trying to think of someone she could talk to.

Mary Margaret was straight off the list. The woman couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it.

David was a ditto. He never kept anything from his wife (see first point).

Ruby would lap up the gossip, give her some outrageous advice and then tell everyone anyway.

Tink, well, Tink was great but a little bit too ‘new age’ for Emma to turn to for advice. She’d probably recommend that she light a candle and realign her chakras or something.

Through a process of elimination she decided that Belle was really her only choice. Level headed, intelligent, and best of all, discrete.

“I was surprised when you called,” she smiled as she joined Emma at a little Italian cafe half way between both their places of work. “But I really can’t think of a better way to start the weekend than a real Italian coffee.”

Emma nodded and smiled tentatively. “Well, we don’t often get much time to just hang out.”

Their waiter arrived and doled out the menus. Emma tried to focus on the words but instead she started squirming in her seat.

“True. I’m glad you called. So, how’s things?”

Emma took one look at Belle’s wide smile and frowned. “It’s Killian. ”

“What - what?”

“Or maybe it’s me.” Emma slumped down a little in her chair.

“What- I’m confused, are you two having problems?”

For a second, Emma questioned what the hell she was doing here with Belle (hell, with Killian). But with momentum behind her, she splayed out her hands on the table and whispered, “I slept with him.”

With a tilt of her head and a squinting of her eyes, Belle said many things. Like , ‘huh’, ‘okay’ and ‘haven’t you done that a whole bunch of times already?’.

“Congratulations?”

“No - urgh - dammit!” Emma slapped her hands on the table, just loud enough to make the silverware clink together and the nearby diners to give her odd looks. She pressed one hand to her mouth and then took a quick gulp of water. “We only got married because of my visa running out.”

“Ohhhhhhh,” Belle breathed, her slow nod of understanding spurring Emma on.

“It was his idea, I was stuck, he’s a good friend, you know. A good guy. And he wanted to help me stay because he knew that I was happy here, and… well…”

Her hands were a little jittery so she shoved them in her lap, leaving her words hanging in the air as Belle stared at her.

“Emma, who does that?”

“Does what?”

Belle smiled in exasperation. “Did it not strike you as odd? Him just offering to do that? Marry you I mean?”

“Wait - I thought we were talking about us sleeping together-”

“Well that’s one issue, but a more pressing one is that a guy agreed to marry you to help you out.”

“He’s a friend-”

“Emma, you don’t just marry your friends.”

Emma sucked in a sharp breath.  “What are you trying to say?”

Belle tossed up her hands in the air. “He must have had feelings for you! Getting married to keep someone in the country is a bit beyond friendship if you ask me!”

There was a sick little feeling in Emma’s stomach that had been niggling at her all day. Now, it turned into full force anxious nausea. “And now we’ve slept together.”

The waiter chose that opportune moment to collect their orders - giving Emma a moment or two to collect her thoughts.

Belle waited until he had retreated before she leaned across the table. “Do you have feelings for him? Because now you’ve crossed that line, you really need to tread carefully or this is going to blow up in your face.”

Emma pondered the question. Did she have feelings for Killian Jones? She’d married him. He was a fantastic guy. He was a great friend.

He was more than just a friend.

And there was only one simple answer.

“Yes, I think I do.”

Killian wasn’t the usual type to pull a sick day, but he figured Liam being in town created a good enough reason to slack off work and head down the pub for a few pints and games of pool. His brother was in fantastic form, regaling him with tales of the last six months on tour.

And, he was pretty goddamn happy.

Emma had initiated things the night before. She’d flirted back, she’d invited him to kiss her, she’d placed his hands on her body. And it was glorious and unexpected and a complete eye opener to what could be between them.

He’d offered to help her because he cared. But it wasn’t until they really started getting closer that he realised that it was more than just friendship for him. And now they’d crossed a physical barrier, it was time that they talked. He had no clue if last night was a ‘one off’ like she had said, or if she wanted more. He’d of course respect her wishes either way, but he couldn’t stop feeling anxious about seeing her again.

Liam had arranged to meet up with an old school friend that night and had left Killian before Emma had returned. He’d laughed as his younger brother had fussed about, tidying the flat, putting away their dishes from the night before and straightening up the soft furnishings.

“You’ve always been houseproud, but this is unusual even for you.”

“Emma’s back soon,” Killian had said by way of explanation.

“You really love her, don’t you?”

Like a revelation, it hit him. It had taken his brother saying those words to make him understand what the feeling he had been having was.

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

Talking things through with Belle over coffee had really helped Emma iron out the wrinkles in her thought process.

She didn’t regret sleeping with him.

She didn’t regret marrying him.

She did need to talk to him.

The place was quiet when she got back. She found Killian in the lounge, a glass of something that looked like rum in his hand.

“No Liam?” she asked, as she stepped inside.

“Not for a few hours. You’re officially off duty.”

She grinned and shook her head. “Fake wife hat officially removed,” she teased as she sat beside him.

The air was thick with delicious tension for a few moments, both with words ready to trip from their tongues.

Emma got there first. No point wasting time with small talk.

“Killian, when you suggested I marry you, did you have feelings for me? And don’t give me that ‘you care and it’s a good deed’ line. Was there a part of you that hoped it could be real?” She was more steady and firm than she had thought she could be. Maybe it was because she wasn’t looking at him.

He seemed to be weighing something up in his mind. Finally, he replied.

“Yes. But I only really understood that today.”

He twisted to face her on the couch.

“We need to talk.”

“I thought that’s what we were doing,” she teased, happy to pull a little smile from him. His face looked so worried. She scooted a little closer.

��You know what I mean.” He reached out and took her hand. “I don’t regret last night. It was pretty amazing.”

“Same. I’ve never really thought of you in that way before, but it felt, right?”

He smiled again, tipping his head closer to hers.

“Good. The last thing I wanted was for things to get complicated. I mean, more complicated.”

She nodded, enjoying the way he held her hand and looked in her eyes when he spoke. “But you have feelings for me.”

“I do,” he nodded. “I think I have for a while,” he admitted.

“Asking me to marry you was a bit of an extreme way to explore those feelings.”

“What can I say, I have a flare for the dramatic?”

He chased her laughter with a soft kiss, one that made her toes tingle. She sighed into him.

“What now? I mean we’ve kinda bypassed a few milestones here… And our friends? Do we tell them?”

“How about we actually go on a date? One thing at a time, love. We don’t even know what this is yet...”

Emma had a good idea where it was heading, but she kept that information to herself.

“I like that plan.” She ran her palms down his chest, happy little memories of the night before flooding back. “A real life date.”

“That I will arrange, if you allow me.”

She gave him a devious glance. “You’re so old fashioned.”

“A true gent.”

She rolled her eyes.

“And as a true gent, how will you look after this lady? I mean, we do have this place to ourselves for a few hours, at least you said.”

He glanced at her lips.

“I have a few ideas.”

“You don’t say?” she hummed, “I might have a few of those myself.”

They eventually made their way into his bedroom, clothes leading a path to the door, not caring what Liam would think when he got back.

They fell into bed with the ease of friends and the excitement of two learning a new side of each other. It was better than the night before, less frenzied yet uncertain, more honest - they weren’t sure what they were right then, but both were happy to explore and kiss and touch and, well, you know.

It wasn’t until the early in the morning, when Killian was still fast asleep, that Emma crawled out of bed and retrieved her softly bleating phone.

A text.

from Mary Margaret.

MM: Emma Swan, what the hell is this about you and Killian??? Belle is worried and David and I don’t know what to think.

“Crap,” Emma sighed, falling back onto the bed and staring at Killian’s prone form. “Guess the time for secrets is up.”

A/N: Thank you for reading and being so enthusiastic about this lil ficlet!

@cat-sophia @captainswanismyendgame @captainswanandclintasha

[writemarvelousthings]

Ride With Me (Part 8)

PAIRING: readerxbuckybarnes au

WORD COUNT: 2.1k

WARNINGS: light swearing. 

*(Y/N)’s working double time to cover Wanda’s shift she is confronted with a handsome stranger who is as dangerous as his silver tongue   

 I did it, I bloody did it. A whole day spending time with my Aunt and Uncle and I was still able to write this chapter. I may suffer for it in the morning but who cares, I can sleep when I’m dead ahaha 

Previous Chapter 

GIF NOT MINE 

“It’s been over a month (Y/N) and you didn’t call of course I was going to worry” You rolled your eyes as you shimmied into your jeans.

“I’m sorry Jess, I really am. Thing’s just got a little crazy” you trailed off trapping your phone between your shoulder and ear as you fiddled with the button of your jeans.

“This is my point, you left to get away from crazy. Now you’re six feet deep in Sheild and Red Skull shit,” You sighed knowing she was right.

“How are things on your end? How’s Trish” You asked tentatively.

“She’s ok, coping as best as anyone can. She still didn’t think you had to move away”

“It was the best thing for everyone if I left Jess, you know that” you pulled on a shirt as you did your best to sort out the bird’s ness that was your hair.

“I know, I know. It still sucks” Jess huffed, you could imagine her now. Stood on the sidewalk smoking glaring at any passerby.

“Do you really think Luke would have let me stay any longer than he already did? I left on semi good terms, it would have been a lot fucking worse if I stayed you know that.” You spun around looking frantically for some socks; you could have sworn you’d seen a pair not five minutes ago.

“Look at the end of the day you chose to leave and I can’t hate you for that, what I can hate you for is getting involved with this Bucky guy. The things they say about him in Chicago…. are you sure about him (Y/N)?” No matter how much of a truthful bitch Jess could be, she was your best friend since high school and she did have your best interest at heart.

“It’s different this time Jess, I know you and Trish are going to think I’m stupid and naive to get myself involved. But it’s different, it know it’s different”

“Like it was with Danny?” You froze in your search for your missing socks.

“That was low even for you Jess” you heard her swear under her breathe.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m a bitch.”  

“Yeah you are, look I have to go I’m late for work” you ripped the phone from your ear slamming your thumb on the end call button before Jess even had a chance to explain. Throwing you phone in your bag you gave up the search for the sock and went to your chest of draws. Grabbing the first pair you could find you hands hovered above them. Just underneath was Schmidt’s gun. You had managed to strategically place your socks and underwear to cover it, a month had passed since that night and Peitro’s accident and you had hardly seen Bucky at all. Sharon kept you inform as much as she could and Natasha would swing by Hawkeyes from time to time, but since you and Sharon has split Wanda’s roster between you so she could look after Pietro in the hospital you had been flat out working. You hadn’t seen much of the Red Skull gang and you didn’t know if you should feel relieved or worried, it was like they had dropped off the map since Pietro’s accident. Apparently Tony couldn’t find anything suspicious much to his persistence that it must have been someone or something behind it. Clasping the socks in your left hand you reach in for the gun with your right. Swallowing hard your brain was screaming two different things at you, like an angel and a demon whispering in your ear. Slipping on the socks you shoved your feet into your boots, grabbing your jacket from the back of the couch you were out the door in minutes. The gun safely back in your underwear draw.

“So I’m thinking Italian food, you can’t go wrong with Italian good. It’s real romantic too, little Italian restaurant. A bit of wine some pasta a bit of light flirting and she’ll be putting in my hands right?” you had to laugh at Louis as he explained his master-dating plan.

“Well I wouldn’t be able to say no to lasagna and wine” you chuckled as the two of you carried the clean glasses tray from the kitchen to the bar.

“Right! It’s fool proof, my roommates say’s I’m an idiot but what does he know. He sit’s on the couch most of the time eating Baskin Robbins if he’s not running from the law” Louis must have realised he said too much as his eyes widened at you.

“You didn’t hear that from me ok” you mimed zipping up your lips and throwing away the key.

“My lips are sealed, but you better get going if you’re going to pick your date up on time” you glanced at the clock on the wall.

“But Darcy isn’t here yet” Louis pointed out, Clint also had the day off but it was a Monday night. It had been a quite afternoon and there was no one in the bar even at seven thirty.

“She’ll be here in five minutes, I’m sure I can cope being by myself. Just go and remember no roses it’s too cliché get her a mixed bunch” Louis seamed to like this idea as he pointed a finger at you.

“You’re good girl, no wonder Barnes swooped in when he did”

You tongue felt heavy as Louis skipped out of the bar giving you a wave, you groaned into the empty space as you started putting the clean pint glasses away. You were frustrated to say the least; Bucky had said that he wanted to be with you. Maybe he’d had time to think and didn’t want that anymore, you had respected that he needed space so you didn’t push. You threw yourself into taking up shifts at Hawkeyes; Wanda’s presents at your apartment was almost non-existent had been few and far between so you didn’t really have anyone to talk to. When you broach the subject with Jess earlier she wasn’t exactly offering a shoulder to cry on, bring up past mistakes certainly wasn’t what you needed right now.  You let out a heavy sigh as you finished putting away the first tray, you were so preoccupied with your thoughts you almost didn’t seen the stranger walking into the bar. He was an older man, but still good-looking. His suit was defiantly tailor made, with hints of green detailing it. His dark hair was slicked back over his ears; his eyes scanned the bar with a less than impressed look on his face as he twirled his cane around.  His green eyes found yours for a moment before he smiled.

“Can I get you anything sir?” you asked as causally and friendly as you could, your whole body was in overdrive at the sight of this stranger. Something about him seamed familiar and unsettling.

“A pot of tea if you would be so kind” you nod at his unusual request, but you complied. Five minutes later you set down the old small silver pot of steaming tea and a cup and saucer in front of him, he thanked you as he sat down at the bar.

“Would you like milk?” you asked but the man waved you off.

“No thank you” you nod moving away slight to finish putting away the pint glasses.

“I bet your wondering why a man like myself would come to an establishment like this and order a pot of tea” the man’s lips had curled up into a half smile as he practically read your mind.

“It’s not like we get men like yourself coming in here often” you joked slightly.

“There are no men like me” you felt a shiver travel up your spine as he took a sip of his tea, his eyes never breaking from yours.

“I hear you’re quite familiar with my daughter Miss (Y/N)” you felt your stomach flip.

“You’re going to have to be a bit more specific Mr…”

“Loki. My daughter Helena had some choice words to say about you” you felt your blood run cold. Helena… Hela.

“I believe the phrase you used was ‘the next thing coming out your mouth will be your teeth’ that’s a very serious threat Miss (Y/N)” Loki eyed you, your mouth felt like sand as you tried to swallow.

“I’m not going to apologies to her if that’s what you came here for” you crossed your arms as your hearth thumped in your chest.

“Oh no on the contrary, knock as many of her teeth out as you like. I just came by to see what type of woman Bucky Barnes had moved on to. Helena can be quite possessive of things that are no longer her’s to play with” Loki’s comment almost took the wind out of you things that were no longer her to play with. What the hell did that mean? Loki must have seen your confusion.

“You didn’t know, Helena and Bucky use to be quite the item back in the day. It’s a father’s duty to keep tabs on their daughter’s suitors, not matter how questionable they may be. I’m surprised your friends did not tell you. Hmmm” Loki made a curious noise as he finished his cup of tea. Taking out a crisp five-dollar note he threw it onto the counter as he stood.

“You seam like the type of woman who can stand her ground, I’d hate for you to get involved in something you can’t control. My daughter may seam psychotic and unstable, but she is just as capable as you are. Don’t underestimate her or me for that matter” you felt a cold wash over you as Loki’s words turned dark and sinister.

“Oh good look whose here.” Tony’s sudden voice made you jump in surprise, he and Darcy were stood at the doorway glaring at Loki.

“If you’re trying to start something Loki I will taser you” Darcy threatened. Loki seamed un-affected by this simply straitening up and smiling.

“Just giving (Y/N) some friendly advice” Loki looked to you still smiling, a gesture that you were not willing to give back.

“Well then un-give it, I’d hate to have to tell Barton you were in his bar. Especially after what happened last time” Tony narrowed his eyes.

“It was hardly my fault my adopted brother becomes a blundering idiot when he is intoxicated”

“I’m sure Thor would love to hear that” Darcy snorted as she pushed past Loki.

“Seriously fuck off before I taser you, I’m not joking” your eyes almost bulged out of your head as Darcy barked at Loki and that Thor and the man before you were related… kind of? Loki didn’t seam fazed as he walked towards the door that Tony was blocking.

“Move, before I throw you out of the window” the two of them sized each other up for a moment before Tony moved away and you relaxed slightly. You watched as breeze through the door with out another word.

“Did he threaten you?” Darcy asked worry etched into her features.

“It seams to be a common occurrence in his family. I just need a minute, I’ll be back” you excused yourself before either of them could object. Fishing your phone out of your pocket you typed out your message.

Loki just called in to Hawkeyes for a visit. We need to talk.

You leaned against the kitchen wall; looking up at the ceiling you replayed Jess’s words to you earlier that day.

You’re six feet deep in Sheild and Red Skull shit.

You hated when she was right, she had tried talking you out of coming back to New York. Tried to convince you to travel down to New Orleans or even LA. But no you wanted New York; you thought coming back would somehow be easier. The two years you lived in Chicago were hell; Danny was the one thing you didn’t account for. But your relationship was doomed from the start, you needed a distraction from Jeremy and he got too involved. The sharp ping of the incoming message drew you out of your thought as you looked down at your phone.

I’ll be at yours when you finish your shift tonight doll.

Of course he knew when your shift was ending, you thought rolling your eyes. The message was brief; there were no mentions of missing you or wanting to see you too. You felt a sharp pang of hurt in your chest followed by a rumble of anger. Hela was his ex and he didn’t even tell you. What’s more so, you threaten his ex at gunpoint and he wasn’t even the slightly bit mad at you. Granted you didn’t know any of the details yet but even so, if someone pointed a gun at Danny you would still be pretty fucking pissed. Jess was right about another thing it seamed.

Did you really know Bucky Barnes at all?

Next Chapter 

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