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mistressoffishnets · 5 years

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Incomplete

Characters: Zatanna Zatara, Dick Grayson Rating: T for minor sexual content Length: ~2,700 words Prompt: “ No one is supposed to know where he is, save for Batman. So when she shows up at his door looking like a breath of fresh air he's a little more than stunned. (And as much as he wants to, he can't ignore the way his heart beats just a little bit faster in his chest at the sight of her.) ” Notes: largely inspired by “Incomplete” by James Bay.

He hasn't seen her since that day; the day that haunts him relentlessly. Actually he hasn't really seen anyone, and he knows it isn't for their lack of trying to get in touch with him. He told Kaldur that he needed a break and it was true. It's just that no one thought he also meant a break from them too.

He's been off the grid for a few weeks - took a year sabbatical from the Bludhaven PD, shacked up in a new apartment in Seattle, and has been fighting the good fight on his own. He's made sure to keep out of the public eye as both Dick Grayson, the famous ward of Bruce Wayne, and Nightwing. Though he hasn't donned that suit since he saw Wally pass on his. When he catches a glimpse of the blue and black in the back of his closet one morning, he thinks about loyalty. If Kid Flash couldn't fight, Nightwing wouldn't either. It was time for something new.

No one is supposed to know where he is, save for Batman. And he really only told him because, let's face it, he totally would have found out eventually. Nothing gets past the world's greatest detective. So when she shows up at his door looking like a breath of fresh air he's a little more than stunned. (And as much as he wants to, he can't ignore the way his heart beats just a little bit faster in his chest at the sight of her.)

Zatanna has one hand on the door frame, leaning against it with her arm holding her up and the other perched on her hip. A small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes crosses her lips as she takes in his surprised expression and confused eyes. "Found you." It reminds him of simpler times of hide and seek.

His mouth must hang open because he feels himself close it and swallow hard. "How did-"

"How do you think?" She opens one palm face up in front of her and a few sparks fly from the center. He should have known she'd find him. But then again, he can't say he's not glad she did. Or that he didn't hope she would eventually. He'd rather see her than anyone else.

She steps into the apartment when he doesn't say anything and instantly notices how bare it is. It's a studio, so it's basically a square with a corner reserved for the kitchen area and the living room doubling as a bedroom with his bed where the couch should be. There's two doors which she assumes is one to a linen closet and the other the bathroom, but other than that, the whole of his living quarters is there before her eyes. Dick's always been a neat person; he thinks it's because it's nice to have control of this one thing at least, even when everything else around him is falling apart. But the state of his apartment isn't just uncluttered - it's desolate. Save for the open closet with a few garments hanging inside and a stray water bottle sitting on the nightstand, no one would know there was actually someone living here.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wonders if he keeps it this way out of habit or to make it easier to leave it all behind. Probably both.

He notices her staring and the clicking of the door as he closes it behind her breaks her of out of her reverie. Sitting herself on a bar stool that faces him, she doesn't need to verbalize what she's thinking because her eyes say it all. With a halfhearted shrug, he replies, "I'm okay."

The truth is, though, he's anything but. Ever since Wally died, he's been running himself ragged. If he stops moving, even just for a moment, he feels like he's reliving the moment Barry broke the news to him, and he gets the wind knocked out of him all over again. It's been days since he's had a decent amount of sleep and it shows under his eyes. He's so tired, but the nightmares are worse than ever so he gets just enough to keep him functioning and focused to where he doesn't die while fighting when he's patrolling. But his lack of sleep also means his sparring is just sloppy enough that when he does get injured they're the worst he's ever had. And the nights when he just can't stay awake anymore and lets himself drift off, he regrets it immediately.

It's his own version of A Nightmare On Elm Street, except Freddy Krueger is an all-too-familiar, speedy redhead who doesn't pull off the hat even a little bit.

Zatanna can see right through him though, the way that she's always been able to, and he knows it. She worries her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment before, "You're not responsible for Wally's death, Dick." And she knows he's heard it all before, but maybe if they're persistent, he'll start to believe it.

"Aren't I?" She doesn't flinch at his wry tone that accompanies his serious expression. She knows how hard he's been taking the loss of his best friend, but what she sees more than others - what she understands from losing her own father as a consequence of her decisions - is how much he's blaming himself for it.

He walks over to the refrigerator, and grabs the water pitcher before pouring her a glass. Wally is never far from his mind, but right now he doesn't know if he can take it after his most recent nightmare, scarier and more real than any of the others. He sets the tumbler in front of her on the bar before turning his back to her and facing the counter. If she can't see his face, she can't see just how scared he is.

"They were happy, Zee. They were content without the Life, and I pulled them back in."

"They chose to-"

"But would they have if I hadn't offered? If I hadn't dangled the fate of the world in front of her eyes, would Artemis have come back? If I hadn't pulled her into our scheme, would Wally have put on the red and yellow again?"

Saying his questions out loud is almost cathartic. It's like maybe with them out in the open air he'll finally get some answers.

Zatanna's lips form into a thin line and her forehead creases in concern as she watches Dick's shoulders sink and bow under the weight of too many years of loss and misplaced blame. He's drowning. She tries softly, "You know he would have. We all know that once he saw the Reach trying to take over the world, he'd be right there fighting with us."

"Maybe not."

She wants to slap him. She wants to wake him up and make him see just how irrational he's being. She wants to end this "pity party" of his because it's helping no one, especially not himself. But she knows this grief, she's lived through it, and when she was drowning in her own guilt he was there to throw her a rope. She loves him too much to watch him plunge deeper under the waves.

"Wally would want you to come back," she says firmly.

And it's like he's already rehearsed every possible reason for him not to because he says without hesitance, "I need a break. I need to grieve."

She knows he does. And she should respect his wishes because everyone heals in their own ways and in their own time. But she also knows him, and he won't stop until he's forgotten everyone he left behind. Or until he's run himself into the ground trying.

"But you're not grieving, Dick. You're running away from it." With a sigh, she tries one last time in vain to make him see sense. "If you really believe you're responsible for his death, then you owe it to him to keep fighting. You owe it to him to believe that it wasn't your fault."

He has half a mind to laugh because what she's saying is a Catch-22 and doesn't make any sense at all. But the heavy tension surrounding them feels suffocating so he stays silent and stoic, like the bat he never wanted to become.

"Zatanna," he warns lowly, his fists clenching at his sides because he can feel his heart start to pound and he knows what's coming. He's at the edge.

"Come home, Dick."

She knows she's pushed him too far when his fists slam down on the counter, clenched with white knuckles. She's still staring at his back and can almost see the tension and stress physically spreading through him, muscles rippling like waves after a storm. "No! I can't." His voice cracks at this and gives out, holding back the urge to scream. His eyes burn with weeks of unshed tears and for the first time since Wally's funeral, they break through the dam and flow freely.

His knees wobble and he feels like he's about to fall, thankful for his grip on the counter to keep him afloat. But before he knows it, Zatanna's squeezing herself between him and the counter, pressing herself against him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders pulling him close; she's always been his lifesaver. He has to hunch a little because he's grown just a bit taller than her (even in her heels) but he clutches her to him and buries his face in her shoulder, body wracked with sobs. His hands fist the back of her shirt, using her as an anchor, too afraid to let go, for fear of another person he loves drifting off without him.

His hair is a bit shaggy and longer than he's used to wearing it and it feels nice when she runs a hand through it soothingly, massaging his scalp. When he feels his neck become damp, he realizes idly that she's crying too. Her scent of lavender invades his nostrils and grounds him to this moment; to her.

She lets him get it all out and after a while the tears start to subside and he feels tired. He pulls back a bit hesitantly, noticing how the shoulder of her blouse is drenched and thinking to himself that if she wants, she can throw it in the dryer. She pulls back as well and looks at him with tears in her own eyes and a sadness he can't quite place. He thinks about when she lost her father and how much it hurt to see her hurt. He wonders if she feels the same looking at him now. His hands are on her hips, his thumb rubbing against the fabric of her shirt soothingly back and forth like if he does it long enough it'll smooth out the pain in his chest.

Some tears still linger on his eyelashes and he blinks so that they run down his cheeks but they're caught on her thumbs as she wipes them away, hands on either side of his face. And the beating of his heart starts to increase again.

Blue eyes he realizes he's missed all along stare back into his own and he can't ignore the pang of longing he feels for things to go back to the way they used to be. With barbecues and lingering stares and that mischievous smirk that always, always got them into trouble. With the red and yellow by his side, infinitely snacking.

He closes his lids and breaks the contact of blue against blue because staring into her eyes too deeply and being reminded of simpler, happier times hurts too much. Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, he leans forward a little until his forehead rests against hers. He can feel her breath against his face, a bit shaky. He wonders if she feels what he does.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he tries to remember why they broke up in the first place, but stops himself before he can. Instead, he catches her lips with his own and swears a part of him he'd forgotten a long time ago comes back to life. For the first time in weeks, he feels okay. For the first time since he lost his best friend, he feels alive. The kiss is slow and hesitant and nothing like their first that New Year's Eve a million years ago.

For a moment, as he pulls away, eyes still closed, too afraid to face her stare, he wonders if he made a mistake. But she understands him, as always - understands just how much he needs someone to pull him out of the freezing waters; understands just how much he'd missed her warm touch (and she his)- because she leans in and kisses him this time, threads her fingers through his hair and pulls him closer.

His head is swimming and his heart pounds against his ribs, because it isn't just Wally's death that's left Dick feeling empty, but the absence of his first love burrowed deep in his bones for a long while. They'd learned to be incomplete without each other but now with her in his arms, he wonders if he'll ever be able to go back. They'd broken up because it was the right thing to do. But he wonders sometimes if she regrets it as much as he does.

Laying in bed post coital with her head on his chest and his fingers running through her loose curls, she reveals that yes, she does. He hums against her hair as she runs her fingers over his bare chest but neither of them bring up changing their relationship status to something more than good friends. For reasons he'd rather not get into and as much as they love each other, they both know it would never work. She squeals a bit as he rolls them over, pinning her underneath him with his one hand guiding her legs to wrap around his waist and his other clutching her hand above her head. He decides that he'll take what he can get and prolongs his descent back into madness by slowly building up her peak.

Cuddled with his arm over her waist and her back pressed against his chest, he's pretty sure he murmurs an "I love you" as he finally lets himself be pulled under the waves. And he might have just been dreaming it, but he's pretty sure she said it back.

He doesn't get the chance to ask her, though, because he wakes up to an empty bed and can't help the disappointment that pulls at his heartstrings. Her scent still lingers on his sheets and pillows and he lets himself sleep in longer, holding onto what she's left behind for as long as possible. He chuckles wryly to himself. She succeeded in getting his mind off the loss of a certain redhead, but it's only replaced with the absence of her. As he finally resigns to getting up, he notices just how awake he feels.

His duffel is packed by mid-afternoon, any trace of Dick Grayson wiped clean from the city. Hoisting it onto his shoulder, he turns to give his most recent living quarters a curt nod before turning the lock a final time and heading out into the world he'd tried so hard to hide from. He presses speed dial on his cell and holds it to his ear, anxiously waiting for the receiver to click and for someone to answer.

"Hey, it's me. I'm coming home."

#young justice #yj #yjo #young justice outsiders #zatanna zatara #zatanna #dick grayson #chalant #nightwing #here is a fic for you all during my hiatus!

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moviesandmania · 5 years

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IT: Chapter Two will be released by Warner Bros. in the USA on Digital on November 19th 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital combo (the one to get!), Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo and Special Edition DVD on December 10th. Content options vary in other regions but they should be released around the same time.

Special features:

Audio commentary with director Andy Muschietti

Pennywise Lives Again!

This Meeting of the Losers Club Has Officially Begun

Finding the Deadlights

The Summers of IT: Chapter One, You’ll Float Too

The Summers of IT: Chapter Two, IT Ends

Here’s our previous coverage of the movie with stacks of reviews:

IT: Chapter Two is a 2019 American supernatural horror feature film directed by Andy Muschietti (Mama) from a screenplay Gary Dauberman (The Nun; Annabelle; Within; Wolves at the Door; et al), based on the novel by Stephen King. Seth Grahame-Smith and Barbara Muschietti produced.

Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise the clown, with Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak; Mama) as adult Beverly, Bill Hader (The Skeleton Twins) as Richie, James McAvoy as Bill, James Ransone (Sinister; Sinister 2) as Eddie, Isaiah Mustafa (Shadowrunner: The Mortal Instruments) as Mike Hanlon, Andy Bean (Allegiant) as Stanley, Jay Ryan (Mary Kills People) as the adult Ben Hanscom.

Plot:

Twenty-seven years later, the members of the Loser’s Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back…

Reviews:

“The group dynamics of the (very good) cast propel the film as each Losers Club member faces down his or her personal demons. (Chastain especially gives the material a lift.) Taking each storyline at a time, all accompanied by flashbacks, gives each character some depth, even as the crowded film — at nearly three-hours long — verges on turning into a clown car.” Jake Coyle, Associated Press

“The whole film is going damn near overboard, for better and worse. It’s easy to admire Muschietti’s film for its excess and imagination. It’s easy to watch and enjoy it as a fright flick. It’s just harder to connect with the adult versions of these characters than it should be, and it’s harder to take this story seriously than it was before.” William Bibbiani, Bloody Disgusting

” …each scene begins relatively innocently before exploding into a waking nightmare that preys on the worst fears and repressed memories of each of the Losers. All good stuff, but more often than not, director Muschietti and the first-rate special effects team deliver gross-out visuals in favor of truly chilling and tense psychological terror. I mean, the Losers have to deal with a lot of arachnid-inspired imagery.” Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“The devotion that Dauberman and Muschietti exhibit towards the Losers is palpable from start to finish, and despite some pitfalls in the film’s pacing, overall what they’ve managed to achieve with their collaborative efforts on IT Chapter Two is nothing short of monumental, and I think they’ve crafted something very special with these two films.” Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

“A psychologically merciless sequel, everything here is as it should be: deeper, scarier, funnier. Muschietti, in particular, has stepped up, skilfully guiding us through a rollicking funhouse. It is obscenely entertaining.” Alex Godfrey, Empire

” …even if Chapter One was example enough, there are no diminishing returns when it comes to shock value. Any time Pennywise feeds on life there is genuine sadness over the loss (the naivety and insecurities of his child victims contrasted with Bill Skarsgård’s master manipulator tendencies ensure it so), whether it’s a character we are attached to or someone newly introduced. ” Richard Kodjer, Flickering Myth

“The terror of Pennywise is best glimpsed fleetingly. See the clown too many times, and he becomes a familiar joke. But also letting the air out of things is Muschietti’s penchant for CGI scares, where practical effects would be far more effective. The movie’s many monstrosities – a crawling eyeball! a giant spider! an insect with the head of a human infant! – don’t inspire fear.” Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

” …Chapter Two seems to consist of an indefinite number of big, scary set pieces, featuring interchangeable snaggle-toothed creatures, or occasionally gigantic, fairground-sized monsters lurching grotesquely up out of nowhere. The scenes deliver reasonably efficient scares, but with the tension level repeatedly and disconcertingly reset afterwards to zero…” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Muschietti’s faithful adaptation, with all its creative and creepy set pieces, can’t justify that ass-numbing run time; especially not when the characters are just doing a lot of the same things they did in the first movie. They run into cobwebbed houses, stare down nightmarish visions and get tangled up with a clown that can morph into all kinds of silly, gigantic creatures. It’s all so easily forgettable.” Radheyan Simonpillai, Now Toronto

“Chapter Two is darker than the first, Bill’s attempt to deal with the guilt of losing his little brother by saving another ending in a brutal bit of bloodshed. Yet there are really only a couple of scary jolts, too many scary CGI puppets repeating themselves, too many effects beholden to Carpenter’s The Thing. McAvoy feels miscast here, perhaps a first for the actor. Chastain, Ransone and Hader do a great job updating their childhood counterparts…” Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

“Maybe it’s just that an evil clown terrorizing kids is intrinsically scarier than one going after adults. Or maybe it’s that the filmmakers, apparently believing this themselves, put the majority of their focus on a series of digitally created monstrosities. Whatever the case, It: Chapter Two, though ultimately satisfying, doesn’t get at the deep-seated creeps its predecessor did.” Michael Gingold, Rue Morgue

“IT: Chapter Two never really depicts the way dewy sentimentality can curdle into pain and regret or considers whether the other side of middle age offers a way of letting go of the past. Its monster only occasionally embodies the otherworldly fearfulness that leads the characters to speak of it in hushed tones. But at least Muschietti is trying for something epic and intimidating…” Keith Phipps, The Verge

” …when the filmmakers don’t force the story to fit into strict parameters and just let the story flow with these characters that we love, IT Chapter Two can be just as effective and emotional as the first film. For fans of the novel, you shouldn’t miss this because much of what we love about the book makes its way to the screen, even if it can’t completely hit every high point. IT Chapter Two is clunky, too long, and not as scary as it could have been, but when it hits, it really hits.” Alan Cerny, Vital Thrills

“Real trauma is given the same consideration as a literal funhouse of horrors, which cheapens what the characters and audience are put through.” Alan Silberman, Washington Post

“What stands out in It Chapter Two is not the clearly labored-over insect effects but that moment with Mrs Kersh and the scene of Pennywise as Beverly’s father — both reliant on actors rather than technical wizardry. The human eye can tell that there is not much in effects but effects themselves with a story like this about evil. But an actor like Gregson or Skarsgård can channel evil for us because they are human…” Dan Callahan, The Wrap

NB. Scroll further down past the trailers for YouTube reviews

The New Line Cinema production is obviously the sequel to the smash-hit horror movie IT (2017) which took a whopping $700,381,748 at the box office worldwide against a reported budget of $35 million.

Controversy:

As reported by 9news, some parents in Australia say that giant billboards of Pennywise’s face have been giving their young children nightmares.

“It just totally freaks them out,” Brisbane mother Kellie told the Australian news outlet, speaking about her kids’ reaction to the billboards. Her daughter Piper added: “I get really scared because it’s hard to go to bed when you have a scary picture in your mind. Before I go to bed, I have to check the whole room. And when I finally go to bed I will wake up after a nightmare.”

Another mother also told 9news that her child is terrified by the imagery. “Some people do enjoy going to horror movies and that’s fine and that’s their choice, and I understand that but we’re not choosing to see this poster,” said Jane, who issued a complaint with Ad Standards. The latter body has confirmed that the ads don’t break any of their rules. [Source: Bloody Disgusting]

Production:

Filming on IT: Chapter 2 officially began on June 20 in Toronto with a release date of September 6, 2019.

Background:

IT: Chapter Two clocks in at a whopping 169 minutes.

“A movie is very different when you’re writing the script and you’re building a story compared to what the final product is,” director Andy Muschietti told Digital Spy and other press.

“At the beginning, when you’re writing and building the beats of the story, everything that you put in there seems very essential to the story. However, when you have the movie finally edited and it’s 4 hours long, you realise that some of the events and some of the beats can be easily lifted but the essence of the story remains intact.

“You cannot deliver a 4-hour movie because people will start to feel uncomfortable – no matter what they see – but we ended up having a movie that is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the pacing is very good. “Nobody who’s seen the movie has had any complaint.”

Cast and characters:

Jack Dylan Grazer … Young Eddie

James McAvoy … Bill Denbrough

Jessica Chastain … Beverly Marsh

Bill Skarsgård … Pennywise

Sophia Lillis … Young Beverly

Finn Wolfhard … Young Richie

Bill Hader … Richie Tozier

Jaeden Martell … Young Bill

Jay Ryan … Ben Hanscom

Kate Corbett … Dean’s Mom

Javier Botet

Xavier Dolan … Adrian Mellon

James Ransone … Eddie Kaspbrak

Owen Teague … Patrick Hockstetter

Jess Weixler … Audra Phillips

Jake Weary … John ‘Webby’ Garton

Nicholas Hamilton … Young Henry

Wyatt Oleff … Young Stanley

Isaiah Mustafa … Mike Hanlon

Jeremy Ray Taylor … Young Ben

Jackson Robert Scott … Georgie Denborough (rumored)

Teach Grant … Henry Bowers

Andy Bean … Stanley Uris

Chosen Jacobs … Young Mike

Stephen Bogaert … Mr. Marsh

Logan Thompson … Victor Criss

Taylor Frey … Don Hagarty

Ryan Kiera Armstrong … Victoria

Janet Porter … Richie’s Mother

Jake Sim … Belch Huggins

Amanda Zhou … Waitress

Kelly Van der Burg … Victoria’s Mom

Angela Thompson … Comedy Show Patron

Will Beinbrink … Tom Rogan

Ari Cohen … Rabbi Uris

Lyla Elliott … Dead Young Girl

Angelica Alejandro … Asian Waitress

Rob Ramsay … Meaner Nurse

Divan Meyer … Audience Member

Erik Junnola … Bully

Anthony Ulc … Joe The Butcher

Martavius Gayles … Paramedic

Connor Smith … Carny

Shannon Widdis … Cheerleader #1

John Connon … John Koontz

Elena Khan … Derry townsperson

Chris Jiggins … Paramedic

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Image credits: Brooke Palmer / Warner Bros. Entertainment

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IT: Chapter Two released on 4K Ultra-HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital soon – invite Pennywise into your home! IT: Chapter Two will be released by Warner Bros. in the USA on Digital on November 19th 2019 and on…

#2019 #Andy Muschietti #Bill Skarsgård #film #Gary Dauberman #horror #IT: Chapter Two #Jaeden Lieberher #Jessica Chastain #movie #review #reviews #Stephen King

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the-canary · 6 years

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Pastel Colors - B.B (8/15)

Summary: If only the cute teacher would stop pestering you for a pen.(Library/Teacher AU! Reader/Bucky Barnes)

Prompt: you’re always asking me for a pencil because for some damn reason you don’t know that there is a whole store for stationary—happy birthday here’s a gift card to that store. wait, you work there? what the hell?

Masterlist

A/N: This is for @bithors writing challenge. special thanks to @isavuu for beta reading it. poor poor bucky >>;;

Feedback is always appreciated.

“Are you dating Mr. Barnes?”

For a brief flash in early November, you are one of the most important news topics within the high school after the school newspaper comes out, including all the pictures from the Halloween dance. Front and center in the couple's section is you dancing with Mr. Barnes and that immediately grabs the attention of certain sections of the school. You feel the teenage girls look at you with extra scrutiny, and even some of the teachers look on when you talk too long with the man during the latest development meetings, even though you are more focused on the initial revolution recreations with Mr. Fury. Mr. Rogers’ smile seems friendlier than usual as Natasha raises an eyebrow at how Mr. Barnes’ interacts with you. Maybe, it’s just all in your head, but it feels like that year in high school all over again -- when you first met Wanda and Pietro.

“ Doll . DOLL !” you jump at a familiar voice calling your name, and you look up to see worried blue eyes staring at you. The library is empty for lunch this time around since you cancelled today’s meeting, “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes, perfectly,” you say with a tired voice that you know he doesn’t quite believe. James frowns while bringing over a nearby chair to sit across from you. You place your head on the table and it almost feels like a parallel of the incident from a while back.

“I can smell bs from a mile away,” you can hear his voice, as you let out an annoyed groan. For all you wanted to do and throw yourself out in the world, it was starting to come back to haunt you in terms of irrational fears and potential unmet expectations. Things you didn’t have to deal with if you had stayed in your shell. Wanda and Carol were happy to see the progress, hell even Pietro was grinning from half a world away, but right now you wanted to take everything back. You hear him call your name again and for some reason something snaps inside you.

“Fuck off, James,” you lift up your head, the desperate sound of his name causing him to stop, as you tug the front of your hair a bit in agitation, “How do you do everything all the time ? How the fuck is everything you do so fucking perfect?”

Your voice cracks at the end, as you feel tears start to swell in the corners of your eyes. Mr. Barnes looks like he’s in a bit of panic before cautiously taking your hand from across the table and rubbing his fingers over your knuckles softly. He starts humming a song you don’t know as you let out a hiccup.

“Hey, hey, what’s this all about?” James finally has the courage to ask.

“I-I was fine hiding behind Mr. Philips all the time, hell even when I could just sit in the library by myself. But now, people are looking up at me, expecting and wondering things -- I’m scared: What if I mess us? What if they hate me and my ideas? How do you do it all the time? “

You let out a gulp of air, as your eyes start to blur from not being able to stop the tears. While you’re used to having panic attacks, it feels different --scarier, disgusting-- having one in front of him. The chair scrapes and all you hear is rushed footsteps coming to your side as he tries to get you to match his breathing. Your sobbing is echoing throughout the library as he keeps saying inconsequential things to you. It takes a good ten minutes for you to calm down and James rubs some of the tears away before handing you tissues.

“You’ve been feeling like this for awhile, huh?” he questions as you just nod,”But, I ain’t perfect, doll, no one is. I work hard, but I’ve lost a lot of people along the way because of my stubborness. I question if I’m doing the right thing all the time . Hell, I can’t even tell the woman I’m in love with about my feelings, ‘cause I’m a coward after all the shit I’ve gone through and done. It’s okay to question life, but don’t stop living it ‘cause you’re scared.”

He finishes off softly and you can’t help but agree. Though it doesn’t rid you of your initial fears, it is a step in the right direction of getting used to all these new burdens and responsibilities placed on you.

“You know, you can tell me anything,” He continues after a moment, though his smile is more heartbreaking than before, “We’re friends… I’ve got your back now.”

“I know. Thank you, James,” you croon due to the crying, though you give him your best watery smile, as he grins a little more than before.

“Bucky, doll. All my friends call me Bucky,” he says as you have calmed down. You’re still scared, but a little more prepared to handle the world now.

“Okay, Bucky,” you say softly, and Bucky swears it’s the best way his nickname has been said in a long time.

Here’s the thing though, as much you want to trust James -Bucky, at least when the kids aren’t around- you don’t want to be an annoyance to someone that you haven’t know that long, and you know you only have to wait out the rest of November. You know after that Pietro is going to come home soon, but first it was Vision. You, Wanda, and Carol set up a small get together (Vision didn’t have many friends) at The Lone Star . You just didn’t know another party was there at the same time, having not yet seen three familiar faces on the other side of the room, though they have already seen you.

“The Barnes Love Radar strikes again !” Sam laughs as he watches Bucky glancing to your table as you chat the night away with the same redhead and blonde from the last time.

“Hmmm, I didn’t know the Librarian was the one Lila wouldn’t stop talking about,” Clint adds his own remark as Laura laughs, remembering how much her little girl had fallen for you in such a short amount of time, even making Bucky promise to bring her again one day -- although he hadn’t told you that yet.

“Maybe, we should add them to the party?” Sam questions with wiggling eyebrows, as Bucky shakes his head before downing his drink. However, that question is ignored when the door opens and everyone is hoping it is their guest of honor.

In the doorway, a tall, blond man wearing thick winter clothing steps in. Blue eyes notice that he is heading towards your table. Bucky lets out a relieved sigh when the redhead is the one that tackles the man down with a hug, as you just laugh and give him a warm greeting. As hard as Bucky hopes you didn’t have a significant other, there was a part in him where that fear brightly burned, especially when you had gotten so distant after he witnessed your panic attack. Maybe you had gotten help from someone that knew you better, more intimately, than him.

He is too into his own thoughts to notice the door opening again to reveal another tall blond, though this one with shorter hair and no longer wearing the beard his friends were so used to. Thus, it takes everyone awhile to realize that it’s Thor. They all welcome him with cheers, though there is some confusion when they see another person with him.

“It is good to see you all again!” He proceeds to gives gifts and hugs to everyone, as the younger man stands to the side with a bashful smile on his face, completely unaware he’s already been caught by a certain younger sister across the room.

“My friend here has nowhere to stay at the moment since he came in earlier than expected, but can’t contact his sister or loved one just yet. A surprise,” Thor explains, as the silver-haired young man smiles to the rest of the group. They welcome him to the best of their abilities since they were used to Thor doing stuff like this, whether it be helping a stranger or even a lost animal -- the man had a golden heart.

However, Bucky wasn’t paying attention to the conversation at hand, more focused on you heading near his place in the bar to get more drinks. He straightens his back just in case you see him, but everything stops when you both hear a scream behind you.

“ PIETRO MAXIMOFF!” Wanda screams, as the silver-blond man freezes at the sight of the woman barreling towards him, only for her to start hitting him and speaking in a language nobody else seems to understand. James turns to look at a wide-eyed you walking past him and towards the two siblings, from what he can tell from their interactions.

“Piet!” your call of his name and greeting is softer, as you pull said man into a hug and James Barnes swears his heart breaks in that moment. That guy, Pietro, pulls you into his jacket as you laugh in a way Bucky has never heard before and he knows he won’t stand watching this for the rest of the night.

“I gotta go,” he desperately murmurs to Sam, completely ignoring all the strange stares he’s receiving.

“But, the party just started,”Sam tries to stop him, as he sees you all being introduced to the rest of the group after the little display,“ Oh, oh . You don’t even know how they know each other, Barnes. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket again.”

“It seems pretty obvious,” James declares without listening to anything else, as he walks over to the entrance, puts on his winter coat, and exits the bar. Sam groans in frustration.

After the dramatic entrance, you and Wanda get to pull Pietro to your table for a moment and get his explanation. He had finished his thesis work early and felt homesick so he boarded the first plane with a connection to New York. He lost part of his luggage along the way, but was lucky enough to have met Thor on the last flight back. You were just happy he was all right after all that. After Carol and Vision welcome him back, you pull him to the side for a moment alone.

“What’s wrong, princess?” he smiles, though curious over what you had to talk over since he knew it only came around when you were highly stressed or lonely.

“We really need to talk later, about…” you end your sentence shyly, which causes him to raise an eyebrow, sure you look a little worn out but there was another glow to you that he had never seen before. Pietro, as your cloest confident, and fought over that title Wanda from time to time, was curious over the changes he had missed.

“About what?” He asks.

“I had another nervous breakdown,” you explain. He frowns, but the smile on your face tells him a different story, “And there might be a new friend, I’m not so sure about the last part though.”

“Well, you’ll have to tell me later, about everything.”

Later into the night, both groups have gathered together, even Natasha and her boyfriend had arrived much to your delight, and you introduced them to Carol and Wanda. The whole group is trading stories as more connections are revealed to you, like how Bucky and Steve knew Clinton through different classes but they didn’t all become friends until the ‘archery incident.’ Natasha and Clint were close friends and she had even introduced him to Laura, he had only recently returned the favor. You talked about being roommates with Carol in college, Vision meeting Wanda through her, and the trouble Pietro put everyone through.

“So how do you guys know each other?” Steve questions, as he looks at you sitting between the twins like it’s your god-given place in the world, though the man wants to confirm something for someone more than anything else.

“We’ve been friends since high school,” Wanda explains, as she goes into the story of them transferring to your school during your last year, and the strange incidents that followed. Whether it was getting hit by a tennis ball or flooding the girls’ bathroom, when you were around one of the twins during the first few weeks of school.

“She’s like an annoying little sister to us,” Pietro grins, as he grabs you by the shoulders in half-hug while you laugh.

“Goddamnit Bucky,” Sam curses in the background as Steve sighs.

Part 9

#kumis5kchallenge #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes teacher au #bucky barnes library au #series: pastel colors #fabiola trying to write

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seriestrash · 8 years

Text

The Story of Us

✮ Prologue ✮

Word Count: 2520

✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

One Week into Freshman year; Austin Texas

It ticks one minute past eleven at night and like clockwork Zay quietly taps on his best friends window. Lucas approaches with a silent smirk and climbs out. They carefully climb from the room to the tree which holds Lucas’ old treehouse. The two climb down the wooden planks nailed into the tree trunk and wait until they’re cloaked in darkness and away from the Friar family home before speaking.

“I for sure thought you were going to chicken out,” Lucas chuckles.

“Yeah right,” Zay shoves his best friend in the arm, “But if you’re too scared we can go back.”

“There’s no turning back now,” Lucas pats Zay on the shoulder.

The two freshman make their way to their high school where they find Lucas’ twin cousins hiding by the bushes out front. Zay and Lucas spot the blonde pair before the pair spotted them so they seize the opportunity to creep up on the twins and scare them. The boys jump in fright and Zay has to hush everyone who was laughing in hysterics or panting loudly from their fright, out of fear of being caught.

“We didn’t think you’d show up,” Tristan nudges his brothers side as he talks to Lucas and Zay.

“A dares a dare,” Zay shrugs.

“You bring the stuff?” Lucas questions.

“Right here,” Thomas pats his backpack.

“Then what are we doing standing around?” Zay gives playful smacks on each of their backs and the group of teens make their way towards the locker room where they had strategically left open a window for their point of entrance.

One by one the boys climb through the window and land in the pitch black locker room.

“It’s so creepy at night,” Zay whispers as he stands a little too closely to Lucas.

“Want me to hold your hand?” Tristan shines a torch at his face and bats his lashes.

“Keep dreaming, Tris,” Zay rolls his eyes.

“Oh you know I do,” Tristan puckers and his relatives snicker whilst Zay gives him a mean glare.

“Why’s it alway me you flirt with?” Zay whines.

“Because I’m related to these two losers,” Tristan motions between his cousin and brother, “And because I know you secretly love it.”

“I’m sorry Tris, but we’d never work out,” Zay sighs.

“Because you don’t like boys?” Tristan chuckles.

“Because you’re obsessed with Vanessa?” Thomas adds to which Lucas snickers.

“No, because it would ruin our friendship,” Zay jokes.

“Alright lover boys are we going to do this thing or what?” Lucas teases.

The four friends sneak through the corridors and make their way to the administration office. Thomas approaches the principals door.

After jiggling the handle a few times he lets out a groan, “It’s locked!”

“There’s probably keys around here somewhere,” Zay goes to look behind the assistants desk but Lucas stops him.

“Don’t touch anything, if someone realises things have been moved around it might get back to us.”

“This is Hillford High, Lucas,” Thomas scoffs, “There’s no security cameras.”

“Still,” Lucas shrugs one shoulder, “Let’s just do it out here.”

“But Johnny said we had to do it in the office, that’s where the old principal... You know…” Tristan looks nervous.

“Yeah but if his spirit is hanging around I’m sure he’ll find us out here,” Lucas says as if spirits could be explained like a fine science.

Everyone then agrees that outside the office, by the window was good enough. Tristan pulls out the board and places it on the floor. Next he places a few candles around it and searches for the lighter. He whips it out and waves it in front of everyone. “I stole it from dad’s stash,” He gives his brother a knowing look.

“I thought Uncle Caleb quit smoking?” Lucas gasps.

“He did, but as he put it..”

“It’s just a ‘stress reliever’ every now and then,” Thomas finishes his brothers sentence and they both chuckle.

“Come on, can we just get this over with?” Zay tries to hurry them along.

“Aw, you are scared?” Lucas teases as he pokes his friends shoulder.

“Of course I’m scared!” Zay snaps in a loud whisper, “We’re about to try talk to a dead guy with a Ouija board.”

“He died of a heart attack, I doubt he’s some demon spirit wishing us harm,” Tristan rolls his eyes.

“Can’t we just take a picture and send it the Johnny?” Zay asks, “He wont know if we actually did it or not.”

“Yeah but we’ll know,” Lucas eyes him.

“We’re already here, we might as well do it,” Thomas huffs impatiently. “Besides, we agreed amongst ourselves that anyone who chickened out has to ding dong ditch Jed’s house,” Tristan reminds everyone.

“And that’s way scarier than speaking to demons,” Lucas laughs nervously.

“Fine!” Zay huffs in defeat.

The four teenage boys place two fingers each on the pointer. They ask if there are any spirits there and each freak out quietly when it begins to move towards ‘yes’.

“Are you doing this?” Zay asks looking at Lucas.

“I swear it’s not me!” Lucas answers defensively.

“Are you Principal Bates?” Tristan asks calmly.

It glides towards ‘no’.

“No? What do you mean no?” Zay freaks out, “Who are we talking too then?”

Amused at his friends fears Lucas asks if the spirit is evil as a joke but the pointer quickly moves to 'yes’ causing a panic amongst all of them.

“Okay, it was real nice talking to you, goodbye,” Zay says and moves the pointer to ‘goodbye’.

The boys all nervously fidget, demanding to know who was responsible for moving the pointer but each one deny it was them. In the midst of it all one of the candles gets knocked over and the bottom of the curtain catches fire. Lucas springs into action using his jacket to quickly pat the flame out but the smoke still sets off the detector which loudly beeps. The teens quickly scurry to collect their belongings and dash from the room and out of the building.

Panting amongst the bushes the teens revel in the fact they made it out without being caught but Lucas pats his jean pockets and realises his phone is missing.

“Crap, I think I left my phone inside,” Lucas says.

“Leave it!” Zay commands, “Someone will be here soon to check the alarm.”

“If they find my phone I’ll get caught for sure.”

“Yeah and if you’re in there when they arrive you’ll get caught for sure!” Thomas says firmly.

“I’ll be back, just stay here.” Lucas runs towards the building before anyone can stop him. Quickly he makes his way back to the administration office where he finds his phone had been kicked under the receptionists desk. When he hears voices he tucks himself under the desk for cover and tries to keep quiet.

The footsteps get closer and Lucas hears a familiar voice use his hand radio, “This is the sherif, the building is clear. I repeat, it was just a false alarm, no need for backup.”

Lucas holds his breath not wanting to make a sound. He hears the sherif leaving the room but he stops when Lucas’ phone vibrates giving up his position. Lucas mentally curses and prepares to be reprimanded. The sherif orders the assailant to come out with their hands up. Lucas takes a deep breath and holds his hand out. The sherif has a torch pointed at the desk and when Lucas rises it blinds him slightly.

“Lucas?” He asks recognising the boys face.

“Hey dad…” Lucas says guiltily.

“Are you kidding me?” The Sherif gives his son a disappointing look, “Where are the rest of them?”

“The rest of who?” Lucas plays dumb.

“The rat pack, where are they?” He’s anything but amused.

“Home, probably,” Lucas says as if he’s uncertain, “I came here alone.”

“I’m sure,” He eyes his son, not buying it for a second, “What are you doing here?”

“Um, sleepwalking?” Lucas shrugs a shoulder innocently.

Fed up with his games the Sherif drags his son out of the building. As he’s being pulled towards the cop car he locks eyes with his friends still hiding in the bushes. He gives them a silent signal to keep themselves out of sight.

After Lucas is brought home he’s met with his worried looking mother in the living room.

“What were you thinking?” His dad grunts.

“It was just a dare from the captain of the baseball team,” Lucas admits, “They never let freshman on the team so we had to prove ourselves!”

“We?” He folds his arms knowing he just caught Lucas in a lie.

“Me. I meant me,” Lucas fails to cover up the lie, “It was to secure my spot on the team. You want me to play baseball don’t you dad?”

“It’s a tiny school, Lucas. You really think that the coach and captain can afford to be picky when it comes to students on the team?” Mr. Friar asks and it makes sense to Lucas that he’s right.

“I’m sorry..” Lucas bows his head.

“You’re not sorry,” he scolds, “If you were really sorry, you’d stop with all this childish behaviour and straighten yourself out.”

“Alright, James, calm down,” Mrs. Friar speaks up trying to defuse the situation. “Lucas, why don’t you go to bed and we’ll deal with you in the morning.”

“Yes mama,” Lucas nods and retreats to his room but he stops just shy of the top of the creaky stairs to listen in on his parents.

“What are we going to do with him, Cass?” James sighs heavily.

“He’s just going through something,” Cassidy soothes, “I’m sure things will be different. Maybe New York will be good for him..”

New York? Lucas is confused.

“New York?” James scoffs, “We can barely control our son in this tiny town. What hope do we have of straightening him out in the big city?”

“But I thought you wanted the detective position?” Cassidy frowns, “To be closer to Jacob.”

“I know,” James sighs, “But I think it’s best if I recommend, Phillip for the position.

Phillip as in Zay’s dad? Lucas thinks to himself. What in the world is going on?

✮ ✮ ��

Three weeks later (One month into freshman year); New York City

After gliding through middle school feeling like a nobody - or at the very least, Maya’s shadow - Riley Matthews hoped high school would be different. A chance to reinvent herself. Much to the brunettes dismay things seem to remain bland for her. After the first month of high school Riley wakes up determined to change her life for the better. Just as she slings her backpack over her shoulder Maya climbs through the bay window.

“Ready for the subway?” Maya asks.

“Yep.” Riley answers firmly to which Maya chuckles.

“Wait, you’re being serious?” Maya stops her laughter once she realises Riley wasn’t kidding.

“Today I become a woman,” Riley says as she straightens her posture.

“Didn’t that happen last year?” Maya gives her friend a knowing look.

“Not that,” Riley rolls her eyes, “Today I’m sneaking out to catch the subway to school.”

“You wouldn’t have to sneak if you just asked,” Cory’s voice trails into the room. Both teens turn their heads towards Riley’s doorway where Mr. and Mrs. Matthews stand.

“She wouldn’t have gone through with it anyway, Matthews,” Maya swats the air.

“Yes I would have!” Riley says offended two which everyone in the room giggles.

After her parents grant Riley the opportunity to make the world her own she finds herself on the subway.

“I want to be cool, just like you,” Riley says enthusiastically once they secure themselves a support beam to hold onto.

Maya’s eyes wander around the cart.

“What are you looking for?” Riley questions.

“Nothing,” Maya shakes her head. “So you want to be like me?” Maya raises a brow.

“I want to be exactly like you,” Riley nods. “I think too much and you don’t think at all.”

“See you get me!” Maya ‘aw’s’. “So let’s not think. I say and you do. Got it?”

“Got it,” Riley nods.

History class that day is the beginning of the homework rebellion, started on Maya’s behalf and a day later it escalates to the blonde girl triggering the fire alarm and sprinklers.

Riley’s caught in the middle of her best friend and father. Both wearing looks as if to ask, “So who’s it going to be?”

The new kid that started the previous day stands idle by. He seems amused and interested at where this was going. Riley doesn’t focus on him though, instead she continues to look between her father and best friend with a choice to make; to remain who she is, good, boring and bland or to become who she wants to be; wild, fun and exciting.

“I’m sorry, daddy,” Riley can’t look at him as she speaks. Instead she climbs on top of her desk. “No homework, more freedom!” She rises a fist in the air to mimic her best friend.

Maya looks to Riley with a proud smirk. Riley turns back to her father with disappointment all over his face. “That’s it..” He says deflated, “Detention, both of you.”

“Welcome to the dark side, kid.” Maya continues to smirk at Riley.

✮ ✮ ✮

Two Years Later; New York City

Riley trails behind her mother as she storms into their apartment. The entire car ride back from school was silent but Riley could see the rage bubbling beneath her mothers surface. The moment the door slams shut Topanga turns to Riley with such anger in her eyes.

“What has gotten into you lately?” Topanga growls.

“It’s just a three day suspension,” Riley immediately takes the defence, “And it wasn’t even my fault!”

“I don’t even recognise you anymore,” Topanga deflates. The disappointment on her face makes Riley feel terrible.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” Riley drops her folded arm stance and softens.

“You can only say I’m sorry so many times before it starts to lose its meaning,” Topanga shakes her head with a sigh.

“But, mom-“

“No buts,” Topanga says firmly, “And no more empty threats on your fathers and my behalf.”

“No…” Riley shakes her head, “Mom, no!”

“I’m tired,” Topanga says and her disappointment continues to slice through Riley’s chest with blades of guilt.

“You can’t be serious!” Riley quite literally stomps her foot, “You can’t make me move!”

“Your father and I are at the end of our rope, Riley,” Topanga sighs, “I’m sorry but we’ve made up our minds.”

“You hate me that much that you’re going to send me to live with a man you’ve barely spoken to in almost twenty years?” Riley’s eyes fill with tears.

“Riley, honey, we don’t hate you…” Topanga says softly and steps towards her daughter but she pulls away instantly, “We just want the kindhearted and caring daughter we raised back.”

“I hate you!” Riley spits and dashes up to her room, slamming the door behind herself where she then continues on to dramatically throw herself down on the bed and cry.

✮ ✮ ✮

↓ ↓ ↓ Please read ↓ ↓ ↓

End Notes: I tossed and turned over whether or not to include the first two parts of this in the story (The Ouija board + Riley joining the rebellion). I thought why not leave the past behind and start right from Riley’s suspension? but Idk I couldn’t bring myself to delete the backstory for each of them?? Sure I’ll make reference to these events later and that would be enough to understand it but idk... I felt like I needed to include it to show you that Lucas would have been on the subway. They would have met and it would have developed like on the show but when his father opts to pass up the job in NYC both Riley and Lucas are affected without even knowing it.

This is basically a reverse Rucas story. What would happen if they never met on the subway? What if the whole ‘people change people’ thing didn’t get a chance to pan out? Who would they become without each other? And of course, the Universe would find a way to bring them together anyway.

I hope this is enough of a start to entice you for the rest of the story. Please let me know what you think so far...

also quick shout out to @smileytime for giving me the idea for Lucas’ / Zay’s fathers jobs :)

#rucas #rucas au #rucas fanfic #rucas fic #rucas imagine #the story of us

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