#peggy the tripod

[onyourstageleft]

I also posted this on my twitter but I'm like never there anymore so I'm sharing it here bc I am hopeful for this project

I started paper piecing like a week ago bc it looked fun and we have a lot of scrap fabric so i tried my hand at a test project by making a cushion for a lil chair we got at an estate sale that my cat has decided is her throne now

the test project is not quite done bc I still have to add some material for the sides and a back and stuff it and make it a complete cushion

BUT

I discovered free hexagon printables to help design quilt tops and may or may not have jumped the gun last night and designed a lap quilt that is 7x the surface area of the test cushion. the intention is to give it to my grandmother for her birthday which is March 13th so I've set myself a bit of a tight goal (it's probably gonna take me at least 70 - 80 hours to do this, I need to get one of those crafting timer apps so I can log my time) anyway it does still use up some of our fabric on hand (we have like two yards of the space stuff leftover from making dice bags for our aspiring astrophysicist friend) and yes I will be going to buy more fabric for it today but I'll only need like a yard of each at most so it's fine it's all fine I can do this for sure (I hope)

[robotstrategy]

Recalled • Part 1 • 8 - Ariana

Previous • Series Masterlist • Part 1 Masterlist • Next

Ohio, Home of the Akron Awol, this is where Ariana once lived, where she grew up and met Connor, and where she eventually betrayed him after she promised to run away with him. She doesn’t know where Connor is now, all she knows is that he’s successfully stopped unwinding all throughout the United States and that he’s got a new side piece named Risa Ward. She can’t blame him, after all, she left him for a wedding that was wretched by uninvited children, she’s just surprised he left her for a Ward of the State. 

She works as a model now, often modelling for golden jew- elry or Yellow prints, they say the yellow goes well with her sweet violet and gray-streaked eyes. Her eye pigments are out of fashion now, but that doesn’t matter to her, it’s a keepsake to her about how she met the boy who would change the world. 

Though not everything changed about her fashion slave personality, she succumbed to the Van Lifestyle with all the pretty aesthetics it had to offer.

Ariana doesn’t mind though, each day away from Akron makes her happier than before. She never liked how her parents talked about others anyway, Connor was always “That Lassiter Boy.” Miss Peggy from English Class was always “The Stuck Up One.” She could go on and on about all the names, but that doesn’t matter now, it’s in the past. 

The honk of the car beside her in the empty parking lot had startled her, she got out of her van to be met with those bleeding-heart-hippie bumper stickers--PROACTIVE CITIZENS AGAINST UNWINDING, THE WHOLENESS COALITION, all over her next client's car.

“You don’t like them, not many people do, though some are starting to come around.” Ariana looks over to a young adult woman whose outfit screams Pre-Heartland War.

“Well that is one way to show where you stand in all of this, but, hey, wasn’t that company that kept unwinding alive called Proactive Citizenry?” Ariana asked.

“Yeah, that’s probably the only thing on that car that I want to cut off.” She confested. “My name is Valerie by the way, but I’m pretty sure you knew that already.” Ariana nodded, looking back at Valerie’s name on her phone.

“I wanted you to model some outfits for me, they’re mul- tiple toned pieces to resemble rewinds, when they start selling I’ll be sending half the prophets to the Rewind Wards in In- diana.” Valerie told her.

Valerie started rummaging through the pieces before picking out a crop top and something that looked like bell bottoms.

“Here, try this on!” Valerie said excitedly, shoving the clo- thes in Ariana’s face.

After coming back out of her van with the clothes on Ariana looks over to a wall full of street art where Valerie has set up a camera and a tripod.

“You're really going for this colourful vibe aren’t you?” Ariana chuckles.

Valerie looks back at Ariana and laughs. “I sure am.”

Through taking photos and swapping outfits Ariana finds out more about her client. 

“I’ll be honest with you,” Valerie starts. “Unwinding is ab- solutely awful but there’s someone I knew that- I- I can really bring myself to pity him.”

Ariana faces her now, she has a face of disgust, possibly directed at herself. Ariana doesn’t know what this person did. But to not get pity from a girl who had hippie bloody heart bumper stickers, Ariana wanted to know more about this certain someone.

“If it’s not too much to ask of you? Who was it?” Ariana Pried. 

Valerie looked her in the eyes, looked to the ground, and looked back at her again. “It was a guy named Roland Taggart, he was my ex-boyfriend and ran this little gang in my school.” She paused. “Weeks before he was set to be unwound, he had come up to me, mind you we had already broken up, and he put himself on me.” Valerie shuts up and stalls. Ariana can only assume she’s remembering the interaction beat by beat, she puts her hand on Valerie’s shoulder trying to get her out of it.

“Sorry.” Valerie gets out of it. “It’s just, traumatic.”

“I can’t relate to something like that, no one's ever been like that to me, but I can understand how much that could hurt you, for someone to do something that bad that it changes your morality on a subject, that must have been awful,” Ariana says.

After packing up and getting paid Ariana drives off for a little bit. Almost every day she’s somewhere new. “Ha! Guess I’m like Carmen Sandiego but for modelling.” She tells herself. Sitting beside a highway, she’s filled with nostalgia tonight, remembering the times when she and Connor would hang out at the underpass, where she told Connor she would run away with him, where his and her dreams got in the way of reality. Is Connor still mad at her? She did let him go free that night after her parents questioning, it’s been around more than two years since Connor ran away, from all he ever knew. She thinks back to the bumper stickers found on Valerie’s car, she wonders how many unwinds got unwound or escaped death just like Connor. Connor keeps coming back to her mind, “I guess I just can’t erase someone as infamous as you from my mind, huh?” She says aloud. No response, obviously, though, one day she wants to hear him talk again. It doesn’t matter what they talk about, games, books, music, whatever, she just wants to see him, she wants to know he’s okay, wherever he is. 

Looking over to her phone she sees an incoming call from one of her clients, picking it up she’s informed that they have cancelled their appointment.

“Hmm, I guess it’s just me and my delusions for a few days.” She tells herself.

She goes back inside, driving to a safe space to crash.

[ectoblud]

Hi hi

I'm not dead I swear

Some oc stuff ??

[metalbuckaroo]

🍒Be Good🍒

💋 SUMMARY// At 3am, every Sunday, Bucky locks his bedroom door to watch his favorite camgirl. What's to happen when he finds out he's much closer to her than leaving generous tips on her videos?

🍒 WARNINGS// Smut, cursing, oral (m receiving), bucky being nervous and cocky all at once, a smidgen of subby bucky, big dick bucky, i think that's it.

💋 AU// Roommate!Bucky x Camgirl!Reader

🍒 NOTE// OK, finally it's done 😅

💋Ronly Friends Masterlist💋

🍒Main Masterlist🍒

Moodboard by// @commonintrest

"Why are we here, exactly?" Bucky asked as the two of you walked into the shop that was filled with different sets of lingerie, sex toys and other things meant for sexual pleasure.

"If you're still serious about doing the video, we gotta get stuff to hide who you are." You shrugged, wandering towards a rack that held masks. "Well, I'm not very sure how many people have metal arms. It'll be kinda obvious."

"Nothing a jacket and some gloves won't fix."

You had expected Bucky to change his mind the next day, but so far he hadn't. He wouldn't say it outloud, but the thought excited him.

Even though you had told him there wasn't any actual sex involved, he just thought about the way your lips were going to feel around him and the glossy red lipstick you had worn in the videos would smudge against his skin and off of your lips.

"How about this one?" He pulled his gaze away from your lips to look at the black mask you held in your hand. "Would I be able to breathe in that thing?" He chuckled, taking it from you. "Well, yeah. There's holes."

Bucky lifted the mask to his face, holding it in place as he looked at you. The rubbery plastic covering from his nose down, leaving his denim blues visible.

Your lips curled up in a smile, raising your eyebrows. "You have really beautiful eyes." Bucky laughed lightly at the compliment, tossing the mask into the basket you were holding. "Thanks, cherry."

🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒

Bucky's head was swarming with thoughts as he sat on your bed that had been covered with a large throw blanket, the backdrop blocking the off white color of the walls and your headboard.

You stood in front of him, one of his t-shirts covering the lingerie set you wore as you set up a tripod. "Okay, stand up." You said with a soft smile, clipping the garter belt to the stockings and looking to him.

Dropping to your knees one at a time once he stood, Bucky sucked in a sharp breath when your fingers worked at the button of his jeans. "I thought you said that pictures were first?" He said, exhaling slowly. "They are, but pants aren't required."

He nodded, his cock already stirring in his jeans at the sight of you on your knees in front of him- tugging the tight fabric down his legs so he could kick them off. "Just one last thing-"

Goosebumps raised on his skin when your lips pressed to his hip bone just above the band of his briefs. A bright red lipstick print gracing the skin when you pulled away and stood with a proud smile.

Sitting back down on the bed, Bucky cleared his throat. "Now what?"

Your foot pushed his apart, trying to keep your eyes away from the bulge in his underwear as he leaned back on his forearms. "Just relax." You shrugged, adjusting the leather jacket to show more of his bare stomach and making sure the metal of his left shoulder wasn't visible, before handing him the mask to put on.

He heard a few shutter clicks after you went back behind the camera, watching as you pressed a few buttons then took the few steps back to him.

"Get 'em?" Bucky said, swallowing thickly when you moved to straddle his lap. "Hands here." You moved his gloved hands to hold your backside, his fingers pushing the hem of the shirt up a little. "You sure?"

Bucky hated that he was showing how nervous he was to be in such close quarters, he'd wanted this since the day you moved in.

"Bucky, if you're not sure about doing this we can stop." You said, leaning away a little to look at him. "It's not that-" he shook his head, words slightly muffled by the rubbery plastic covering the lower half of his face. "I wanna do this."

He cleared his throat and gathered all of the confidence he had as he shifted under you slightly. Your hands resting on his shoulders as his gave a soft squeeze to the supple flesh of your ass, biting back a groan when you brushed the erection straining against his briefs.

A few more shutter clicks and you stood, Bucky finally taking a deep breath to calm the pounding in his chest.

"This seems a little unfair." He said, watching you lean to get your mask from the dresser. "How's that?" You mused, cocking an eyebrow at him

Bucky leaned forward to toy with the hem of the shirt you were wearing. "Take it off." His husky tone sent a shiver down your spine. Thought you tried to hide it by gripping the bottom of the shirt, lifting it up and over your head before dropping it to the floor.

You could feel his slate blue eyes piercing through you, his breathing uneven as his gaze raked over the way the two piece, lacy and white lingerie fit your body as you stood behind the camera again.

"Ready?" Bucky swallowed thickly and nodded, not looking from you as you sunk down to your knees again. Reciting the rules you told him yesterday in his head.

'No kissing, it's too intimate, and be good.'

He lifted his hips enough for you to pull his briefs down his thighs, your breath catching in your throat when his erection sprung out. Long and thick, the tip red and swollen, like it was aching to be touched.

More confidence washed through Bucky at your expression, lips parted as you pumped your hand along his shaft a few times. Eyes flicking up to meet his as your tongue poked out to catch a bead of precum leaking down from the slit, eliciting a low groan from him.

Moaning softly at the salty taste tainting your tastebuds, your lips wrapped around the bulbous head. Glossy red lipstick smudging to the skin just like Bucky had pictured it would.

It didn't take much for Bucky to fall into the rhythm and completely forget about the camera pointed at the two of you. Wanton moans and pants leaving his lips, muffled by the mask but still very audible.

His hand holding the back of your head as you swallowed him down to his base, drool leaking around your lips and down your chin as you squeezed the thick muscles on his thigh- moaning around him

Bucky was already so close from the feeling of your throat constricting around him, he wasn't sure how he fit but he didn't care, it felt amazing.

His body relaxed when you pulled away to take a few gasps of air as you fisted over him. "C'mon, cherry..." he panted, stroking the back of your head, knowing he couldn't tug the hair due to it being a wig.

He was trying to listen to your rule about being good, resisting the urge to fuck up into the warmth of your mouth or rut his hips onto your hand.

But, the manicured hand he had thought so much about was finally wrapped around his cock and he didn't know how much control he had left.

"Remember, you gotta be a good boy." You teased when you leaned up to talk in his ear, smirking when his cock twitched in your hand.

"Fuck-" Bucky said in a low, drawn out moan when you took him in your mouth again, moving your hand to gently roll his balls in your palm as you looked up at him through your eyelashes.

His eyebrows knitted together, hair fallen forward and partially shielded his face as his hooded eyes watched your every move.

You felt his balls and muscles in his thigh start to tight in your hands, his hand slipping down to hold the back of your neck when your cheeks hollowed to take more of him.

"Oh- fucking shit-" he hissed before a string of Russian curses poured out of his mouth, his release shooting down your throat.

The wicked smirk that plastered across your face when you pulled off of him made Bucky shudder, the grip on the back of your neck loosening. Watching you with a dazed look as you stood.

Bucky stood from the bed once he got his bearings again, pulling the mask off and cupping over himself as if you hadn't just swallowed his spend. "What about you?"

Lifting your head to look at him as you started to put the stuff away, you shrugged. "That wasn't part of the agreement."

He felt bad that he wasn't going to return the favor, noticing how your slick had soaked through the fabric of your lingerie. "But, you-"

You pecked a kiss to his cheek and patted his red tinted chest. "Just take the win, Buck."

As much as you wanted to, you were ready to cross that line yet. Maybe another day, but for now- the sated look on Bucky's face was enough for you.

Bucky cleared his throat and nodded, leaving your room and making his way to the bathroom for a shower.

He glanced down at the red lipstick smears when he shut the bathroom door, letting out a heavy sigh as he pulled the velcro straps of the leather gloves and tugged them off.

🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒

After both of you had showers and changed, Bucky stood in the kitchen with you as you cooked dinner. Trying not to think too hard about what happened less than an hour ago.

"Y'know, I didn't know you can speak Russian." You grinned, leaning back against the counter across from him. "Now you do." He said, lifting the beer bottle to his lips.

He knew what you were about to say from the teasing smirk that tugged you lips. "You liked being called a good boy, didn't you, James?" You cooed, stepping closer. "Shut the hell up." He muttered, looking to the floor.

Your arms went around his neck loosely, smiling up at him as your fingers messed with some of his long hair. "Awe, you did." You giggled, Bucky rolling his eyes at you. "You're gonna burn the food."

Bucky looked over his shoulder when the front door opened, Sam walking in. "Oh, fuck me." He groaned, turning so Sam couldn't see the strain in his briefs you caused from such a small amount of touch. "What are you two up to?"

"Dinner- stop barging in." Bucky snapped, eyes following his friend as he walked towards the fridge. "Yeah, not gonna happen. Steve is still whining about Peggy." Sam said the name in a mocking tone, holding a beer out towards Bucky. "I'm in my underwear and I'm not your personal bottle opener."

Raising his eyebrows, Sam nodded his head towards the bottle in his hand. Bucky taking it to pop the lid off with his silvery hand.

"Didn't they end it like- a month ago?" You asked, not looking from the pan on the stove. "Mhm, I don't think it will ever stop."

"Give him time, heartbreak isn't easy." You shrugged, a chuckle coming from both Sam and Bucky. "Someone break your heart? Please, cherry, they'd be stupid." Bucky mused, making your heart flutter in your chest.

"That's sweet, but everyone gets their heartbroken at some point." You pointed the spatula at him and he out his hands up in defense. "Ok, ok. Don't spank me." He laughed, the playful look in his eyes making you smile.

"Don't tempt me, I will."

🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒

Taglist: @likeahorribledream @cxddlyash @iwannabekilledtwice @bookstan0618 @glxwingrxse @yliumy @pineprincess @makbarnes @cupcakehinch @doasyoudesireandlive @magicwithinnightmares @preferredrealty @andy-is-gay @stucky-my-ship @marvel-3407 @maladaptivexxdaydreaming @i-l-y-3000 @avoxzy @impala1967666 @mollygetssherlockcoffee @supernaturalbaesduh @bucky-hues @suchababie @an-adult-midget @pinkoctober99 @ju5tyna20 @hallecarey1 @jxlystan @elizabeth228 @secret21121 @strwbrrybucky @busybeingtrash @harrysthiccthighss @everything-burns-down @ynsdiarys @commonintrest @eireduchess

@hesvoid34 @mrsbarnesinmyimagination @rachellovesloki @mal-edictions @teenagedreams-bucky

[cherryrogers]

➸ call me baby {3/3}

BROOKLYN

pairing: bucky barnes x reader | biker au

warnings: Swearing, smoking.

word count: 8k

synopsis: Returning to Brooklyn for the summer after a year of travelling from city to city, you hadn’t expected to find your best friend, Peggy Carter, hopelessly in love with a biker. And when she decided to introduce you to the rest of his club, you hadn’t expected to fall for one either. That was until you met one with pretty eyes and a habit of calling you baby.

series masterlist

a/n: jfc,,, i can’t believe i’ve finally finished writing this lmao i’m sorry it took so long my dudes. thank you to everyone who has shown support for this fic, and i hope you all enjoy the final part !!💛

“I’m going to miss having you around, _____. It’s been nice having another girl here who isn’t afraid to put a shitty customer in their place.” Wanda smiled, handing you a white envelope with your final salary enclosed inside.

Folding the envelope and tucking it into your jean pocket, you chuckled heartily. “I think you and your pistol will do just fine without me. Thanks for having me here for the summer, Wan. I wouldn’t even be leaving if it wasn’t for this job.”

Her grin widened as she pulled you into a warm hug. “There’ll always be a job here for you — summer, winter, any time you need it.”

After you’d said one final thanks and goodbye to Wanda, you exited the bar doors for the last time and crossed the sidewalk to where Peggy was waiting in her car for you. In a matter of hours, you’d be spending the night in Brooklyn one last time, and your summer would be over.

Initially, you were expecting a couple of months solely spent with your best friend. Lounging on shimmering sandy beaches, drinking wine and laughing till dusk in your backyard, listening to her harp on about her dreamy new boyfriend while you rambled about all the places you’d visited. You couldn’t have imagined it to be more different than it was. Sure, you had done all of that with Peggy, but she wasn’t the only one that’d shaped your summer. Following the motorcycle ride at five in the morning with a certain biker, you’d only grown more attached to each other. He couldn’t ever keep his hands off you, and you couldn’t ever bring yourself to leave the clubhouse after a day spent with him. If the rest of the club ever caught on to yours and Bucky’s affair, then they never mentioned it. You were sure that was because of Peggy. She knew it was better to leave you be, considering Bucky was the first person you’d opened your heart to in a long time.

Some days were spent simply in his bedroom, wearing nothing but a pair of underwear under his silk sheets, constantly switching between telling one another about your lives, your childhoods, passions, fears, and stripping out of your little clothing and letting yourselves completely give into each other. Some days were spent wandering the streets of Brooklyn hand in hand, Bucky showing you all the alleys and parks he’d found Steve attempting to fight guys twice the size of him, you pointing out the diners and stores you used to drag Peggy to on the weekends in high school. Every day was spent getting to know one another though, and every day spent with Bucky was never a day wasted. The only down side to every moment your were with him was that they’d only add up to it hurting even more when you inevitably left, and that time was arriving very soon.

Peggy drove you home from the bar to collect your packed backpack and suitcase before bringing you down to the clubhouse for the rest of the night. She teased you about going soft since you’d gotten close to Bucky, wanting to spend your last night with your summer love as she called him. The girl received an unimpressed glare for the comment, but what she said wasn’t exactly untrue. If you’d told yourself a year ago that your summer in Brooklyn would find you all starry-eyed for a biker you’d only just met in June, you would’ve likely pushed aside any plan to return to the place at all. Peggy would forced your ass back to Brooklyn, of course; perhaps there would’ve always been something that led you back to your hometown, to him. Christ, you were getting soft.

There was a crease between your brows as you retrieved the envelope of cash from your pocket and gently ripped it open in your lap. It felt a little... thicker than it usually was — more than what you normally earned from a week’s worth of work. As your eyes met the wad of green bills inside, they widened in shock. Yep, definitely more than your usual salary. Way more to just be a mistake on Wanda’s part.

The large sum of cash even caught Peggy’s eye from her place in the driver’s seat. “Wanda must’ve really taken a liking to you. Perhaps doubling your salary is a plea to make you stay.”

A breathless laugh escaped your lips as you ran your thumb over the edges of the bills. “If it is, that girl knows exactly what she’s doing. Maybe travelling isn’t my true calling after all.”

While they was a playfulness to your tone, you couldn’t help but notice the brunette’s smile falter at your words. Peggy was like you in a way; she wasn’t soft, often being as upfront and stubborn as you were. However, she didn’t like opening up to people about herself all that much. Not that you were necessarily thriving in that department either, but when it came to Steve, she’d said it’d took her a while to even mention her brother’s passing to him. He hadn’t known she even had a brother before Peggy brought it up a long while after they’d began dating. Peggy possessed a lot of self confidence, and she had every right to do so. Being vulnerable and open just tended to put her at unease, and when you caught her acting a little off, it took some gentle coaxing to get her to open up.

“Are you okay?” You offered her a comforting smile, to which she didn’t quite return.

“Peachy,” She replied half-heartedly, hands tightening on the steering wheel. Glancing briefly at you, she spotted the crinkle in your brows and your pursed lips. Seeing as you never took your eyes off her, she sighed. “What is it?”

“Peggy, I don’t know how long it’s gonna be before I see you again. If something’s up, please tell me.”

Her tongue hesitantly ran across her bottom lip, fingers readjusting on the steering wheel. “It’s nothing, really. It’s just... I didn’t realise how much I’d missed having you here. I know it’s selfish, but I’d be lying if I said I was excited to see you off tomorrow.”

You shuffled in your seat, turning to face your friend more directly. “It’s not selfish, Pegs. Of course you don’t want me to go, I’m the shining light of your life—”

“_____...”

“Sorry, I know I’m annoying. Can’t help it,” You apologised, internally cursing yourself out. One serious conversation. You can have one serious conversation, come on. “I mean it, though; I don’t think it’s selfish. If you were jetting off to London tomorrow, I’d feel the same— oh, red light!”

The car came to an abrupt stop in front of the traffic lights, your seatbelt pressing tightly against you chest. Before you could reprimand your friend and tell her that putting you in hospital isn’t a viable way to stop you from leaving, she was turning to you with a surprised stare.

“You’re going to London? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I mean, I actually just made the decision five minutes ago, but yeah, I’m going to London.”

Peggy let out a disbelieving laugh. “You haven’t even booked your flight yet?”

“I didn’t even have the money to go an hour ago!” You exclaimed. “But with all this cash from Wanda, I think I’ll be able to make it there. I’ve been travelling the US for a year now, Pegs. I wanna go somewhere new. Somewhere fresh, the land of milky tea and buttery crumpets. I can go to the Queens house—”

“You have a lot of nerve saying all of this to someone who was born in England.” She glared softly, pressing her foot down on the gas when the green light appeared.

An amused smile crept onto your lips. “Hm, I will need someone to Facetime twenty four-seven to tell me all the places I need to visit, preferably English and born in London...”

“So you’ll talk to me solely because my nationality is of use to you?”

You rolled your eyes. “I might miss you a little bit too.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s hard being without you too, you know,” You spoke more seriously, catching Peggy slightly off guard. “Travelling is great and all, but some days I do wake up in my motel room and wish I was back home, spending the day with my best friend.”

While her eyes were still focused on the road, a warm smile was clearly pulling at the brunette’s lips. “Just... don’t stay away for too long this time, okay?”

“You’ll see me again before next summer, I promise.”

“Hm, I’m going to need that in writing.”

“I’ll even record a video for you; I’ll buy a tripod, get some good lighting, one of those fluffy microphones—”

Peggy cut you off with a hearty chuckle, dark, conditioned curls bouncing as she shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m actually going to miss your ability to make a joke out of everything.”

You scoffed, placing a hand on your chest in mock shock. “Christ, now that is something that needs to be in writing. I’m hiring us a lawyer, he can draw us both up contracts.”

“Dont forget to book your flight first.” Peggy chimed in.

“Right, I have a lot of things I need to do today. Bucky’s gonna have to give me a minute before he can have me to himself... and I’ll need to lend his computer.”

As your gaze averted to the passing by buildings out of the car window, Peggy grinned contentedly to herself. She could see exactly why you’d been the one Bucky had really fallen for, though she couldn’t help but wonder how he’d handle your departure to a whole other continent.

However, you’d promised you were coming back soon, and there wasn’t a doubt in Peggy’s mind that he’d be counting down the hours once you stepped onto your flight.

* * *

“London, huh?” Bucky’s voice caught your attention as he entered the office, a beer bottle in each hand.

As you confirmed the booking of your flight for the next morning, you swirled around in the cushioned desk chair, taking one of the bottles once the man had approached you. “Did Peggy spill the beans already?”

“Heard her talkin’ to Steve in the garage,” He pressed his own bottle to his lips, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Doesn’t seem like five minutes since you first arrived, when you came into the backyard in those little black and white shorts.”

Standing up, you shot him an eye roll. “I’m sure that’s all you can remember from that day, perv.”

“What do you remember then?”

You hummed, leaning into Bucky as you let his arms envelop your waist. “I remember wondering why everyone was wearing leather jackets in eighty degree weather. Oh, and that I thought you were a dick.”

The biker didn’t seem offended in the slightest at your statement, only grinning and pulling you closer. “Hm, and what about the day at the carnival? Wasn’t that a good day?”

“No, I had to endure you flirting with those girls in front of us in the drop tower line. I was almost sick before we even got on the ride.”

“Oh, that?” He let out a laugh, cheeks faintly tinting pink. “I was only trying to make you a little jealous. Seems like it worked.”

You scoffed. “It did not work,” It definitely had worked.

“You liked when I held your hand on the ride though, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You know what? Fine. I did,” You admitted, eliciting a smug smile from Bucky. “But I’m only admitting that ‘cause I’m leaving tomorrow. Don’t think I’m going soft on you.”

He ran his tongue along his lower lip, leaning closer to speak against your lips. “Wouldn’t be stupid enough to dream of it.”

Smiling in satisfaction, you moved an inch closer and let his lips meet yours, a warm feeling emerging in your chest. The kiss remained gentle as your fingers pushed some of his hair away from his face, before you pulled back reluctantly to breathe. Blue eyes pierced into yours after fluttering open almost hazily.

“Would it be stupid to ask you to stay?” Bucky asked quietly, though he knew the answer already.

A weak nod and an empathetic smile; you pecked the corner of his lips before stepping back completely as if you suddenly felt you’d been standing too close. Bucky had never seen you holding your tongue, but that seemed to be what you were doing as you put some distance between the two of you.

There was an uncomfortable silence, the warmth from your body dissipated and replaced with an aching coldness. Perhaps telling yourself all summer that you could worry about yours and Bucky’s future at the end of August was a terribly bad idea, because now it was hitting you — maybe there’s wasn’t a future for the two of you at all.

“I’ll wait for you, you know.” The biker’s voice broke the quiet, the words slicing through you.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, Bucky. I don’t think I can ask you to do that.” You breathed, meeting his eyes hesitantly.

“You’re not asking me to, I want to,” He stated, worrying his teeth over his bottom lip. “Unless... that’s not what you really want?”

Truthfully, the idea of Bucky seeing anyone else once you’d left made your stomach turn. In an ideal world, you’d like it if he was just yours. Only yours, because you guaranteed that there wasn’t anybody else that could make you feel the way that he did. But you couldn’t force him to wait for a girl that strayed away from their hometown for longer than they stayed, no matter how much it’d end up hurting you.

“It wouldn’t be fair, Bucky, to either of us. We can’t really be together when I’m only gonna come back for the holidays—”

“Was this just a summer thing to you?” He questioned, a mix of regret and frustration flashing in his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t have asked that, but some part of him was oddly curious to.

Your previously calm expression turned sour as you furrowed your brows and scoffed. “You’re—you’re kidding, right? Did you just— of course it wasn’t just a summer thing to me, you asshole.”

Admittedly, it hurt that he’d even had the nerve to think that. You’d asked him if you shouldn’t have started something together that inevitably was going to end and he said he didn’t regret it. While being together could technically only last for the summer months, it wasn’t just a fling. There were feelings there that you weren’t going to be able to shake off, memories that were going to be carved into your mind forever. Did he seriously think that it was all just temporary on your part?

“Then would staying really be so bad?” Bucky retorted. What he was saying was only making you angrier, but he couldn’t help but be honest. Perhaps it just hadn’t hit him that you were really leaving in less than twenty four hours until that very moment, and everything that left him mouth was coming from a deep place of, well, sadness.

You shook your head in disbelief. “You’re being selfish.”

“Aren’t I allowed to be? We’ve spent a whole summer together and this time tomorrow you’re gonna be thousands of miles away from here—”

“And you don’t think I’ll be hurt either?” You intervened, cocking a brow. “You think I’ll be skipping through the airport utterly thrilled to be leaving you?”

Bucky was silent, too silent for too long. You scoffed, ignoring the way he was biting down in his cheek and the faint glossiness of his eyes in your annoyance. “You knew I was gonna have to leave eventually, Bucky. If you knew weren’t going to be able to accept that... then you never should’ve asked me to stay that night.”

That night; no further explanation was needed to identify which of the many nights spent together you were talking about. It was that night when you fell inexplicably hard for Bucky, when you decided that you might never have the chance to fall in the way you’d fallen for him ever again and that you’d only regret not staying the night. Not letting him strip you of your clothes and shed his own, not letting him make love to you, not letting him wake up to you admiring his every feature. If he knew he wouldn’t be able to let you go so easily, then having you stay that night was purely unwise of him.

When Bucky didn’t you respond one again after a few moments, you sighed deeply, crossing your arms over your chest. Though your expression had softened, your tone was still rather cold. “It’s never been just a fling with you, and if after all the damn time we’ve been spending together you thought there was a chance I might’ve thought that, then maybe you don’t feel the way I thought you felt about me at all.”

The biker’s features fell as he watched you chew your bottom lip and stalk towards the door — doubting his feelings for you was the last thing he wanted you to do. He let his boot collide with the bottom of his desk in frustration as you shut the office door behind you.

He hadn’t meant to start a dispute. It was your last god damn night in Brooklyn, of course he didn’t want to spend it receiving the cold shoulder from you. You’d probably gone out and found the rest of the guys, perhaps even went to drag Peggy aside to tell her how much of a dick he’d just been, which he’d understand. He had a feeling you wouldn’t do that though; instead you’d go out and pretend everything was fine because you wouldn’t dare let anyone know that he’d managed to hurt your feelings — always so stubborn.

Relationships were not Bucky’s forte. It’s not like he’d ever been looking for one; he was still young, he had still wanted to have fun for a little while before finally settling down like his mother had been bugging him to since he’d moved out. While he wasn’t the type to sleep with a girl and never call them again, he wasn’t exactly the type to, well... sleep with a girl and do anything else with them. He hated the talking stages of a relationship, despised them with all his being. Everyone he knew insisted that he had to get through them to actually have a deeper relationship with someone, but he really just couldn’t will himself to do it. So when there didn’t seem to be a weird talking stage with you, he was pretty happy about it.

It wasn’t like he was forcing himself to try and develop a connection with you, he’d hardly been interested in dating anyone when you’d first arrived. But then it all happened so naturally and now look at the two of you — well, you were mad at him and he was standing in the office alone like an idiot.

He knew better than to follow you outside and try to play friendly with you in front of everyone else. Giving you and himself a bit of time to cool off and think, Bucky took a shower upstairs in his bathroom. The longer the hot water pelted his skin, the more he felt like an asshole for what he’d said to you. He couldn’t just ask you to stay for him, that was wrong for a start. That was definitely selfish. Accusing you of thinking it was just a fling too? Christ, what was he thinking? He didn’t actually think that you thought of him as a fling, he just stupidly asked that in the heat of the moment when he was frustrated that you one hundred percent didn’t want to stay.

Maybe he ought to get out of the shower before he steamed up the whole clubhouse and make things right.

As Bucky neared the bottom of the staircase after putting on some clothes and towel-drying his hair, he bumped into Steve, who seemed to be heading towards the living room.

“Hey, Buck. We’re starting a movie soon. _____’s just finishin’ her cigarette out back; you two joining us?”

Bucky plastered on a smile, shaking his head. Perhaps he sounded selfish, but watching a movie with everyone wasn’t exactly the way he wanted to spend his last night with you. “I don’t think so, man. Another night.”

“Suit yourself.” The blond patted his friend’s shoulder before allowing him to scoot past him and head outside.

The sky was a deep blue, the sparse, grey clouds almost bleeding into the dark hue as the stars began to peek through the dusky blanket. A single garden lamp lit up the area, just about showing your figure sitting on the picnic bench that’d never been replaced since they’d moved into the clubhouse. Between your parted lips rested the remains of a cigarette, smoke twirling through the slight breeze that’d picked up once the sun went down.

You didn’t flinch as Bucky slid onto the bench next to you, and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to when the two of you had met. At that time, he was sat in your spot exhaling clouds of smoke, not knowing who you were when you first walked outside. Fast forward to now and you were exactly where he was all those weeks ago, except now he wasn’t sure what he was going to do without you.

“You mind if I take a drag of that?” He spoke up suddenly, suppressing a smile at the way you paused in your actions.

While you didn’t offer him the stick between your fingers, your loosened grip on it silently gave Bucky the permission to pluck it out of your hand into his own, which he did. After taking a long drag of the cigarette, he stubbed it out on the ashtray to his right before turning his attention to you.

“I know we aren’t a summer fling to you. I- I know how you feel about me, because I feel the same way.”

Bucky felt himself relax a little as you faced him, no longer staring off into the night. A slight frown pulled at your lips; he didn’t like the sight. “If I was going to stay for anything, or anyone, it’d be you, you know.”

Not sure what to say, the biker only gave you a nod of acknowledgment, taken aback by the statement. He wasn’t sure whether it was a compliment or something he shouldn’t be happy with.

“There’s a difference between me wanting to stay and wanting to be with you,” You bit down on your bottom lip. “I don’t wanna stay, but if you asked me... if you asked me to stay again to be with you, I probably wouldn’t get on my flight tomorrow.”

Breath hitching, Bucky narrowed his eyes. “You’d stay if I asked you to again?”

The look in your eyes was enough of an answer. If he asked you to stay, you’d say yes. Yes to waking up beside him during the colder fall mornings. Yes to motorcycle rides to anywhere and everywhere. Yes to never having to worry about how much time you have left together, because you’d stayed; you weren’t leaving Brooklyn anymore.

Saying yes to that however, would mean saying goodbye London, to travelling. Exploring different cultures, trying new food, experiencing a part of the world you never thought you could reach as a child. No more reading in motel rooms until midnight. No more tours around cities with a camera wrapped around your neck. No more living the life you’d been dreaming of since you’d barely started middle school — you weren’t ready to let go of that just yet, and Bucky didn’t have to read your mind to know that.

“I’m not gonna ask you to stay again,” He declared, prompting you to raise a brow. “I’m not gonna be a jackass and make you stay if that’s not what you wanna do.”

To his joy, your frown slowly curled into a soft smile. “I know your heart’s in the right place, Buck. That you weren’t trying to start an argument. And— and I can’t stop you from waiting for me if that’s what you wanna do. I’ll be back at some point, but I just don’t want you to put your life on hold for me, you know?”

“I wouldn’t be puttin’ it on hold. I wasn’t planning on finding someone I— I liked so much ever, really. I don’t know if it’ll happen again,”

Your heart — it was going to explode. Who knew you’d ever meet someone that had the power to make you feel so... disgustingly lovesick.

“...unless you happen to take a liking to a London boy while you’re there...?”

You chuckled, a warm sound amid the cool night. “London, Paris, Berlin... none of those boys will ever come close to the one I have in Brooklyn.”

A wide grin spread across the biker’s lips. “Who’s the sap now, huh?”

With a playful eye roll, you couldn’t help but place your hand on Bucky’s jaw, caressing it with your thumb as you leaned in and captured his lips.

He reacted immediately, putting a hand on your outer thigh to pull you closer to his side.

Wherever you were in the world, you’d always have Bucky in Brooklyn — he hoped that you didn’t doubt that.

* * *

Too many mornings spent lazing in Bucky’s bed meant that reality hadn’t yet set in after a few minutes of being awake. It was so natural at this point, to wake up and feel the warmth of him next to you, to have your legs tangled with his and to feel his nose grazing against the back of your neck.

Turning around in his arms, you leaned in and laid a kiss on his nose, smirking at the way he scrunched it in response before pinching at your bare hip. You smacked his hand away before settling your head back against the pillow, gazing at him through your lashes.

“Have I ever told you beautiful you are?” You asked without a second thought.

Heat evidently pooled in Bucky’s cheeks, and you rested a hand on the side of his face before he could roll himself over to hide his embarrassment.

“I’m serious.” You pressed.

“I know,” He grinned, voice raspy with sleep; he knew you never lied to him, you were as honest as they got. “And no, you haven’t told me.”

“Well, now I have. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

“Shut up.”

“Never.”

Bucky sighed, tracing a hand down the curve of your back. He could keep you there forever, laying so close to him and calling him beautiful. If someone would’ve told him at the start of the summer that this was where he’d be by the end of it, he would’ve laughed in their face. “Where’d that come from, huh? You’re being scarily nice.”

“I’m trying to be sentimental, jerk.”

“Oh, right,” He smirked. “Just like last night when you told me to fuck—”

You interrupted him with a finger pressed to his lips. “I think that was pretty sentimental in its own way, actually.”

“Uh-huh,” Bucky kissed your fingertip gently. He had a feeling you were being a little softer than usual since the circumstances of the day were different. You weren’t sure when your next moment like this would be, if there ever would be one. Truthfully, there was an ache in his heart that was caused by that thought too. He sighed, almost sadly. “What time’s your flight?”

“Eleven.”

“Well, I think that leaves us enough time for me to show you how beautiful I think you are...” He trailed his hand lower down your spine and followed the curve of your ass.

You smirked, glancing over your shoulder to the small clock sat on the bedside table. It was nearly nine. There was just over an hour until you had to be at the airport...

“Thirty minutes, then we have to get up. Peggy will be up and banging on the door for us otherwise.”

“More than enough time, baby.”

That was a lie, however. It wasn’t nearly enough time, because once the two of you finally pried yourselves out from underneath the sheets, it hit you that that was the last time in a long time that you’d wake up in Bucky’s bed. The last time you’d be able to have him so close to you. It made you wonder what life would’ve been like if you met him before you first left to travel. If you’d fallen for him that hard so long ago, would you even have left Brooklyn in the first place?

You both took your time getting dressed, you tossing on a tank top and some leggings from your packed suitcase while Bucky put on his signature biker attire. He smugly asked if he could keep a pair of your underwear as a memoir; you told him to go fuck himself before planting a kiss on his lips. It was amazing how quickly he could switch between acting like a dick and being a sweetheart. You’d miss that, admittedly.

Everyone was eating breakfast in the kitchen when the two of you made it downstairs, the sound of your suitcase thumping against the steps signalling your presence. It was rare that you and Bucky ever saw the morning outside of his bedroom in the clubhouse, and that was proved by the raised brows and mock gasps you recieved when you entered into the room. You rested the suitcase against the doorframe as Bucky strided towards the counter, clearly eyeing the half-full pack of cigarettes placed on there.

As he reached for them, Steve looked up from his bacon and eggs, a frown pulling at his lips. “Hey, you can’t just smoke and call it breakfast.”

“I haven’t had breakfast for months,” The brunet snorted. “Don’t think it matters that much.”

“Have some coffee at least?” Steve pushed.

Cocking his brow, Bucky glanced over to you in hope of you having his back. It wasn’t like you’d had breakfast since before summer either, but you weren’t going to let the guy smoke for breakfast. Not when everyone else had a hot meal and the scent alone was making your mouth water.

“How about we get something at the airport?” You offered, strolling over to the seat next to Peggy and sitting down.

“You’re not going the airport so soon, are you?” She asked, sipping her coffee.

“Well, my flight leaves in two hours—”

The brunette almost choked on her coffee, prompting Steve to gently pat her back as she recovered. “Two hours? Oh my— why are you sitting down? We need to go—”

“Would you calm down?” You chuckled, placing a hand on Peggy’s forearm as she started to rise from her seat. She was right, though. You were cutting it very short by still being at the clubhouse when you wanted to grab some breakfast too. You moved your gaze to Bucky. “I mean, maybe we should go now...”

While he looked reluctant to nod, Bucky did so anyway, grabbing the keys to his motorcycle from his designated hook on the the wall next to the light switch.

“Hey genius, how am I gonna put my suitcase on your bike?” You furrowed your brows, grinning as the realisation hit him.

“Uh...”

“Bucky can take you on his bike,” The blond perked up, standing next to his girlfriend. “Peg and I can take the jeep with your suitcase.”

Looking to your best friend for permission, you smiled when she gave you a sure nod. She knew how much it would mean to you if your were able to ride with Bucky one more time. “Go on, we’ll be right behind you.”

After thanking her, you grabbed your suitcase and said your goodbyes to those sitting around the table. Though you didn’t speak to them as much as you’d wished you had, you’d still miss them. You all shared the same sense of humour, having a laugh with them was easy when you spent the day with the group, even when you were all simply lazing around the clubhouse. You gave each of them a quick hug, rolling your eyes when Clint told you to ‘have a right good time in London’ with a horrible English accent.

Bucky lead you out of the house, handing you a helmet and kissing the crown of your head quickly before climbing onto the bike. He didn’t say anything as you got on behind him, enveloping his waist and comfortably setting your chin on his shoulder. With every passing moment, you could tell that he wasn’t looking forward to finally waving you off at the airport. Usually when he was getting grumpy, you’d make a stupid comment about it and it seemed to cheer him up; it didn’t feel right to do so in this instance.

So as the the bike roared to life, you turned to look at the clubhouse. The place where you’d spent the majority of your summer, where you’d met everyone, where you’d met Bucky, where you’d kissed him for the first time, done other things for the first time. It’d become another home to you in a way, like a place you’d always be welcome back to. You hoped you’d always be welcome there anyway, even after being gone for months on end once you stepped onto your flight.

It’d barely taken thirty minutes to get to JFK Airport, Peggy’s jeep only a few cars behind you as you wound through the streets of New York. Bucky noticed when you didn’t start cussing out the bad drivers that were practically skimming the side of his bike like always, your head never leaving its place against his back. It was unlike you, but he didn’t mind. Perhaps like him you were just savouring the moment, the last ride you’d have for a while. Christ, Bucky had never felt so many emotions at once. He didn’t know whether to fall to his knees and beg you not to forget him or to kiss you passionately and tell you he’d be waiting for your return. To maintain his dignity, he decided against the former option.

Almost too fast for your liking, you arrived just outside of the entrance, climbing off the motorcycle reluctantly and spying the jeep just coming to park behind you. It wouldn’t be able to stay parked there for long, and you felt an ache in your chest as you saw Peggy stepping out of her car, Steve not far behind her pulling your suitcase along.

He handed it to you with a smile which you returned as you took it from him. Setting it beside you, you let out a sad chuckle upon realising how glazed over Peggy’s eyes were.

“I’m not about to cry, before you say anything,” She stated, plastering on a grin. “It’s just allergies.”

“Allergies my ass,” You smirked, stepping forward and wrapping your arms around her neck, grinning into her shoulder as she hugged you back tightly. You spoke again, this time more quietly next to her ear. “I love you, okay? And I won’t hesitate to fly back here and beat Steve’s ass if he does anything, I swear.”

Truthfully, you didn’t think Steve was capable of hurting a fly, never mind the smartest, kindest, most gorgeous woman you knew. However, Jay-Z was capable of cheating on Beyoncé — Beyoncé, so being a little sceptical of any man you met wasn’t unreasonable, in your opinion.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” She chuckled. “You just focus on looking after yourself, alright?”

“Right,” You responded. “And... you’ll keep an eye on Bucky for me, won’t you?”

It wasn’t that you didn’t trust Bucky, or that you wanted a daily report of what he was up to while you were gone. You just wanted to know that he was going to be okay. Being apart would be hard on both of you, but you’d been doing the ‘being alone’ thing for over a year now, and you had a feeling that there was more to how he felt about you leaving than he was letting on. Even when he said he wasn’t going to ask you to stay again, you still felt like he wasn’t as okay with the situation as he was acting to be.

“Of course I will, Steve too,” The brunette assured you, giving you a final squeeze before beginning to pull back. “I love you too,” She sighed, returning to her place stood next to Steve. “Right, you know where you’re going after you arrive, yes? If not, you can call me and I’ll give you directions to the motel. If you’re hungry I know there’s a takeaway place just outside of the airport—”

“Pegs, I’ll be fine. I’m going to London, not Narnia.”

“Just— just be safe, okay?”

“Can’t make any promises.”

“_____—”

“I’m kidding! How about you learn to take a joke while I’m gone, huh?”

You smiled as Peggy rolled her eyes in amusement. Perhaps she wouldn’t be as amused if she knew about what happened with Brock Rumlow at the bar. You decided you’d tell her in London when you were in a whole other continent, otherwise she might not have let you leave in fear that you’d be getting into more trouble at English bars with assholes like Brock. Even if you did, Peggy knew you weren’t soft, you could handle yourself. She just worried that you were a little too unafraid of confrontation.

Turning to Bucky and picking your suitcase back up, you have him a slight tug on his hand. “We should probably go for breakfast now, I’ll be boarding soon.”

He nodded, offering to take your suitcase and rolling his eyes when you made a comment about him being ‘such a gentlemen’. You gave the blond a quick hug, warning him to take care of Peggy and grinning as he teased you about being more like her mother than her best friend, before saying a final goodbye to the two of them, giving your friend’s hand a final squeeze and turning away to head into the airport.

There was just over an hour until you had to be on the plane, so you and Bucky decided to head into cafe near the entrance and get a proper breakfast. Two steaming black coffees sat opposite each other on the small booth in the corner you were sat at, complimenting the stacks of pancakes dripping in syrup and sugar that you’d impulsively ordered and that Bucky had insisted on paying for, saying that you should save all your cash for exploring London.

“I’ll probably come back for Christmas.” You said in repsonse to him asking how long you’d be travelling for this time, stuffing a sliced bit of pancake into your mouth.

Bucky furrowed his brows. “Really? You’re not staying away until summer again?”

You cocked your brow, looking at him in the corner of your eye. “Why, do you want me to?”

“Course not,” He smirked, reaching out to swipe a drop of syrup from your lip with his thumb. “I hope that means you’re getting me a Christmas present then.”

A chuckle left your lips. “My return will be your Christmas present, how about that?”

The biker scoffed. “Okay... getting to kiss me when you get back will be your present then.”

“Eh... can’t you think of something better?”

He glared at you playfully, though you felt a little bad making the joke. You knew from the argument the night before that he wasn’t still one hundred percent okay with you leaving. Comfortingly, you placed a hand above his knee over his dark jeans.

“In all seriousness, though— I shouldn’t have told you not to wait for me to come back. If that’s what you really want, I can’t stop you from waiting for me. In fact, just seeing you again will be the best thing I’ll get on Christmas; I know it. Well, unless someone gets me some rollerblades. I always wanted them as a kid but my mom refused since I have issues with ‘being careful’—”

Bucky’s laugh cut you off, rolling his eyes at your attempt at covering up your sappy words with sarcasm. He could definitely understand why you never got rollerskates, however — you did have a tendency to be a little reckless. God knows what you were like as a kid.

“I’d have to agree with her on that one,” He smiled, sipping his coffee. “You have been punched in the face more times than the average person. You never told me about the other time you got punched, actually.”

A chuckle fell from your lips. “You remember me mentioning that?”

“Uh-huh.”

You sighed melodramatically. “I guess we have some time to kill — fine. So I was, surprise-surprise, in some random bar in Chicago...”

The hour you had left before your flight finished soon after you’d told Bucky enough stories from your travels to last him in your absence, and before you knew it, you’d reached the flight terminal.

There was an invisible force tugging at your heartstrings. While you were bubbling with excitement to get on your flight, to explore a whole new place outside of what you’ve always known, you hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be to leave what you did know behind. The thought of depending on somebody else, allowing yourself to let their feelings come into play with your decisions, had practically disgusted you only a few months ago. But with Bucky, it only felt wrong to cast his feelings aside.

The biker noticed the change in your demeanour as you neared the terminal, and a smile crept onto his lips. “C’mon, _____ — don’t tell me you’re gonna pussy out on leaving now.”

“Shut up,” You scoffed, elbowing his ribs. “I’m just... thinking.”

“About what?”

It took you a moment to come up with an answer. “About how everything has changed, and how everything is going to keep changing.”

You turned to look at Bucky, whose brows were furrowed. The corners of your lips upturned. “Bucky, nothing in my life is consistent. I’ve always liked travelling because where I am changes all the time, and I never feel stuck anywhere; I always feel free. And with you, I don’t feel stuck either. I want you to be a constant in my life, no matter where I am in the world or whatever else changes in it. I always wanted to get out of Brooklyn ‘cause it never felt like where I was supposed to be forever, but now I know that you’re here... well, maybe Brooklyn is where I’m supposed to end up...”

“...and I swear to God if you call me a sap for that—”

To your delight, you’re not teased for the most heartfelt thing you’d ever said to him, or anyone for that matter, but cut off with a intense kiss. Savouring the feeling, you placed a hand on the back of Bucky’s neck, letting yourself melt into him for one last time that summer. You’d found that Bucky wasn’t necessarily vocal in expressing his feelings, but that didn’t matter. The way he kissed you said more than a thousand words ever could.

After reluctantly pulling away from the kiss, Bucky didn’t let you go just yet. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders and held you to his chest, an affectionate action that he didn’t necessarily do so often. Nevertheless, you leaned into him and let your arms encircle his waist, your cheek resting comfortably against his shoulder. This wasn’t the last time you’d be so close to him, you had to keep reminding yourself of that. But you’d never felt so hesitant to leave someone behind since you’d left Peggy the first time you left New York. You found your way back to her, though, and you were sure you’d do the same with Bucky.

“On second thought, I’d be fine if you pussied out of leaving now...” He spoke into your ear, making you chuckle against his chest.

“I’m no wuss, Bucky Barnes,” You moved back from his embrace, patting his jacket. “You’ll see me again soon, don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

The feminine voice over the intercom informing you that your direct flight to London was departing soon cut your final moments with Bucky short, enabling the both of you to let out a disheartened sigh.

You leaned forward once more, pressing a soft but fleeting kiss to his lips, before giving his hand a squeeze. “Stay out of trouble, will you? At least until I get back?”

“I think I should be the one tellin’ you that,” Bucky laughed, his eyes taking in the curve of your nose and your cheekbones, the colour of your eyes and the softness of your lips; the features he’d had the luxury of waking up to every day for the past two months. Not that he could ever forget how beautiful you are, but he’d be a fool not to take advantage of looking at you properly in the flesh for the last time for a while. “Running away from a fight isn’t a bad thing, you know.”

“Practise what you preach, pal — does that mean you won’t be socking Brock Rumlow in the face next time you run into him?”

“...touché.”

A grin graced your lips as you clasped your fingers around the handle of your suitcase. “Mhm, that’s what I thought. Now, I’ve gotta get going. There might be a fight waiting for me on the plane already — a forty-five year old lady named ‘Karen’ that’s upset she didn’t get the window seat, perhaps?”

“Well, I can’t keep you waiting, can I?” Bucky stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, watching as you began to walk in the opposite direction to him, the opposite direction to the summer you’d forever hold dear to your heart.

The smile on your face widened, your last words to him falling from your lips before you turned around and headed towards the next part of your journey, which would eventually, hopefully, lead you back to him in the end.

“I’ll see you when I’m back home.”

Home. Where you belonged. Where you’d circle back to when you’d travelled across the world and back. With him, in Brooklyn.

“See you when you’re back home, baby.”

There was a time when you didn’t believe in love. When you thought that those who did were only fooling themselves, and when you once told your best friend that you’d never fall in love. Maybe you’d proved yourself wrong with Bucky.

The reason you’d always told yourself that love wasn’t real was because you never knew what it was, how it felt. However, if it felt like gliding through a sunlit sky with all the time in the world to spare, with all the space around you to explore; if it felt like finding home in more than just four walls and a roof, but in two bright blue eyes and a soul just as carefree as yours (...and a worn out leather jacket...), then maybe you had fallen in love with Bucky.

Perhaps when you returned home, you’d let him know.

-

@dark-academics-and-florals @thefallenbibliophilequote @kimvmarvel @broco8 @domolovee @barnestruck @igotkatiepowers

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Non-Sequential [Ch. 25]

Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader

One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.

Word Count: 2,100

Chapter 24

2 YEARS LATER - Wakanda

“Y/N, if you don’t stop fidgeting, we’re going to have to do another session.” Even though it was a warning, there was playfulness evident in his voice.

“Sorry…I–I’m just nervous,” Y/N admitted.

To prove the point even further, her chest was rising higher than usual, giving away her heavier and erratic breathing.

Steve did a double take and quickly put down his pencil.

He promptly walked over to the bed.

The bed where Y/N was completely naked and trying to hold the relaxed pose Steve had requested from her just 20 minutes ago.

Steve leaned over her, only looking into her eyes. “You know, you really don’t have to do this.”

It hadn’t even been him that had requested such a thing. 

Y/N had offered.

Steve had made a few mischievous and playful comments in the past about having her sit for him. But Y/N finally put together that he would never actually ask her to pose nude for him to draw. 

So, she finally just put the offer out there herself.

Despite the fact that Steve had seen her naked hundreds of times and had already memorized every inch of her body, he still blushed like a little schoolboy when she had offered.

“Steve, how many times have we had sex?!” Y/N had squealed, laughing hysterically at his bashfulness.  

Steve recovered quickly and didn’t take kindly to her teasing. He grabbed her roughly, pulling her into his lap and playfully biting her shoulder.

But now he sat on Y/N’s bed in Wakanda’s royal palace, her body completely open for his artistic interpretation.

“I know I don’t have to. But I wanted to do something nice for you…”

Steve tilted his head. “What for?”

She gave him a shy smile before saying, “Because I love you, obviously.”

Steve leaned down and kissed her then. He couldn’t help himself when she said stuff like that to him, and in such a way.

When they pulled apart, Y/N grinned at him. 

“I happen to know you’ve got quite a good memory. I’m sure you’d have no problem pulling countless images of my naked body from your consciousness.” Y/N added with a cheeky smirk. “But what’s the fun in that?”

Steve allowed his gaze to quickly flicker across her naked body.

A man born in this time would probably tell her how sexy she was or how hard it was for him to give up the drawing altogether and just have her.

Steve wished he could say those things to her.

But that wasn’t Steve at all.

He might have been dropped into the 21st century, pumped full of steroids, with women (and some men) throwing themselves at him any chance they got. But Steve would always been that scrawny, shy, and bashful kid that got beat up in the alleys of Brooklyn.

“You’re beautiful,” is what he said instead.

Now Y/N blushed.

“Just sit still for an hour or so, OK?” He asked gently.

The way he asked made it clear that Y/N was the one in control. If she changed her mind at any moment, Steve would happily stop.

He waited for her to give a shy, but insistent, nod. Then he moved back to his place across the room where his sketchpad and pencils waited for him.

“Have you drawn other women naked before?” Y/N asked.

If she had to sit still for this long, she should at least make him entertain her.

Steve coughed, clearly caught off guard by the question.

He cleared his throat. “N-No. Never.”

“Not even Peggy?” She asked innocently.

“Peggy and I were never…” he paused “…intimate.”

Y/N had always assumed that. It was a different time. They were in the middle of a war. Sex wasn’t tossed around as casually as it was today. Steve was a gentleman, and Peggy had her standards and expectations.

“Really?”

Steve just nodded.

“That’s too bad…” Y/N sighed. “For her.” She quickly clarified.

Steve’s gaze shot up to her. “What do you mean?”

Y/N looked him up and down as best she could with a sly smirk. “She never got to have the…I guess…full Steve Rogers experience.”

There was that famous Steve Rogers blush again.

“How are you the one blushing when I’m the one completely naked and at your disposal?” Y/N cried out in laughter.

Steve rolled his eyes but kept his focus on his sketchpad. “Always such a saucy little minx…” He muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. 

It earned him another giggle from her.

—————————————

“Steve, you promised!” Y/ whined.

“OK. OK. OK.” He finally gave in.

“I posed naked for you. Naked! It’s not like I’m asking you to take off your clothes…though I wouldn’t complain.” Y/N had her camera strapped around her neck.

Steve had never been one of her subjects. And she missed taking photos. Despite being in a new and one of the most beautiful countries in the world, she had no desire to blow the dust off of her DSLR.

But now she wanted to take photos. But more importantly, she wanted to take photos of her boyfriend, something he had never let her do before.

An idea suddenly popped into her head. “Wait!”

Then she shuffled around a suitcase that looked like it had exploded. She managed to find a mini-tripod.

Y/N started setting it up on the ground, attaching her camera to it.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked with an amused smirk.

“I’m going to take a picture of us!”

“Us?”

Y/N stopped what she was doing to look at him. “Have you ever realized that we don’t have a single photo together?”

Steve blinked and then his smirk instantly dropped.

He hadn’t realized that.

Y/N watched him, half expecting him to turn down the idea. But he opened his arms where he was sitting on the floor.

“Come here, you.”

She smiled and sat down beside him.

“Nope. That won’t do,” he told her before picking her up like she weighed nothing and sat her right in his lap.

Y/N giggled and shimmied so they were posed right for the camera.

“OK. It’s on a timer. 10 photos. One every 10 seconds,” she explained. “That light will start blinking fast right before it takes a photo.”

Steve nodded, already not paying attention to the blinking light.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder right as the shutter went off.

“Steve! We’re not going to be able to see your face!” Y/N laughed.

“Don’t worry. I have 9 more to mess up.”

Nine photos later, Y/N was flipping through the SD card. Steve watched as she smiled at them.

Y/N slowly looked up at him with a shy smile. “We’re pretty cute.”

Steve chuckled. She was the cute one. 

Then she flipped her camera around and showed him a couple of them. The first one was of Steve kissing her shoulder. Y/N had her mouth half open, clearly about to yell at him for ruining the photo. But Steve liked that about it. Another was of them looking into each other’s eyes without even meaning to. Thankfully, there were a couple of them both just smiling at the camera. But those were Steve’s least favorite.

Things had been surprisingly good between them recently. It was almost like they were back in their honeymoon phase from when they’d first found each other in both of their presents.

Steve didn’t want to bring it to Y/N’s attention or ask questions, afraid that it would somehow ruin it or pop the bubble of bliss they were currently in.

“Sure you want to go to this thing tonight?” Steve asked her.

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. Kind of wanted to just spend time alone with you,” Steve admitted.

“It’s the biggest celebration in Wakanda every year. Shuri and T’Challa sounded like they really wanted us to go. And after everything they’ve done for me – for us…”

“You’re right,” Steve said with sudden guilt.

Y/N kept forgetting the name but it was a festival in Wakanda that celebrated the coming of spring every year. There were food vendors, art, music, and peopled dancing in the streets.

Shuri had even given Y/N and Steve customary outfits to wear.

“Did you tell Bucky to meet us here?” Y/N asked him.

“Oh…umm…no. Should I have?”

Y/N titled her head. “Well, I figured we could all go together…”

“Right. I’ll give him a call. Tell him to meet us here in a few hours.”

——————————

Steve and Bucky walked slowly, keeping a few yards behind Y/N. 

Both men watched her as Shuri explained all of the things around them. Despite being the royal princess, everyone respected Shuri’s distance. It probably helped that she had six Dora Milaje surrounding her too.

“She seem different to you?” Steve asked Bucky as people danced and laughed around them.

Bucky followed his gaze on Y/N, who was throwing her head back and laughing at something Shuri whispered to her.

He couldn’t hold back the shy smirk that grew on his lips. 

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked.

“I don’t know. She seems…happier and – I don’t know – lighter.” Steve thought for a moment. “Like she’s not scared she’s going to travel at any moment.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Bucky challenged.

But in all honesty, he had noticed it too.

“Of course not,” Steve answered.

“Have you asked her?”

“No.” Steve admitted with a little guilt. “I’m scared I’m going to ruin it if I do.”

“Then maybe you should stop being so suspicious of everything and just enjoy it,” Bucky raised an eyebrow, daring Steve to fight him on it.

Y/N skipped over to them. “You guys, you have to try this food over here!”

Steve smiled at her excitement and immediately took her offered hand.

However, Bucky’s reaction wasn’t the same. “You two go on ahead,” Bucky mumbled, only really looked at Steve and not Y/N. But his expression proved there was no room for argument.

Y/N didn’t hide her disappointment, her smile immediately dropped and her brow furrowed. But she still pulled Steve away with her.

“Is he mad at me or something?” She asked Steve when they were a safe distance away.

“I don’t know so.”

“I feel like he’s been avoiding me. It’s been happening for awhile now. Did I do something wrong?”

Steve’s mouth went dry. Because he knew why Bucky would do such a thing. But now he was debating on whether it was appropriate to share that knowledge with Y/N or not.

What was a man supposed to do when he knew his best friend was in love with his girlfriend and the girlfriend didn’t know?

There was no guidebook to this.

“Y/N,” Steve turned to fully face her. “Bucky’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

She narrowed her gaze. “You know something.” Then she let go of his hand. “People don’t realize you’re a good liar. But you’ve never been good at lying to me.”

Then she turned around and started picking at the food she’d been telling him about. She was clearly irritated with him now. 

Steve watched her.

His heart was beating faster and he felt sick.

Was he really about to do this? What this even the right thing to do?

“He’s in love with you, Y/N.” Steve told her quietly.

But he knew she heard him because she completely stopped what she was doing and froze. Her entire body was filled with tension.

“You can’t  be all that surprised by it, right? You’ve really never noticed?” He tried to be almost joking about it, but it was the wrong move.

“He’s not mad at you,” Steve clarified. “He’s avoiding you because he doesn’t know what else to do. He thinks by keeping his distance, he’s doing good by me – or you – hell, I’m not even sure myself.”

Y/N finally looked at him. “Steve, he doesn’t – there’s no – just…no.”

Then she got lost in her head.

Steve could practically see it. She wasn’t with him anymore.

Then her eyes glazed over in tears and she kept shaking her head. “I didn’t – Steve, I didn’t…”

He rushed forward and gripped her face gently.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he calmed her. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Do you hear me? I’m not mad. Bucky’s not mad. You did nothing wrong.”

Then Y/N was looking around for Bucky. As if just finding him and looking into his eyes would be the final confirmation that Steve was telling the truth.

How could she be so stupid? 

Yes, she cared about Bucky. She loved him, as a friend and as someone who was so important to Steve.

Had she led him on? Could she have prevented all of this?

Bucky was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared, leaving Y/N and Steve alone.

Steve was about to comfort her further, but a kingsguard interrupted them.

“Captain Rogers, there was an urgent call for you,” he told Steve.

He nodded. “What is it about?”

The kingsguard passed him a tablet that had a message on it.

Steve’s eyes flickered across the text wildly.

“What? What is it?” Y/N asked.

“Wanda. Nat’s worried. Thinks she’s staying in one place for too long.”

“She’s with Vision?” Y/N asked.

Steve nodded. “I have to go.”

Y/N nodded. Suddenly her problems seemed silly and trivial.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 26

ughhhhhhhh. comment. don’t comment. i don’t even care anymore. i’m so over this series. 😂

[dananickerson]

Peggy's point lighthouse. The clouds were interesting on this evening. Since the last time I was here two years ago, lots of changes and new development. It's nice to see me construction, but kind of takes away from the feel from the place and more like a tourist trap. Still a nice Lighthouse... The wind was very cold and strong, lots of people here but no one stayed in one spot long... Except this guy with a tripod and camera waiting for folks to move... . . . . #peggyscove #peggyscovelighthouse #peggyscovenovascotia #novascotialighthouse #novascotiacanada #novascotia #halifaxnoise #halifax #halifaxnovascotia #hrm #eastcoast #maritimes #lighthousesofinstagram (at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWjBlNWrgTc/?utm_medium=tumblr

[peggycosplays]

I won a thing! It was just a little fb cosplay group competition, but still very cool and I got to write a little bit about my cosplays for the group 😊

SC Q&A with PeggyCosplays

"Introduce yourself! Where are you from & how long have you been part of the cosplay community"

P: Hi! I'm Peggy, I'm based in dorset and I tend to attend conventions around the South West and Cardiff (and the odd London con!). I've been cosplaying for about 8 years, but I've always loved dressing up!

"What, who or why did you start Cosplaying/Togging"

P: My main motivation to start cosplaying came from watching cosplay youtubers like Parle Productions and Thealchemicfox - they always seemed to have so much fun, and made some really cool cosplay videos, and now I do that too!

"How did you decide your Cosplay/Tog name"

P: Bit of a dull story, I go by Peggy, and PeggyCosplays on social media hadnt been taken yet so tadaa XD

"Favourite Cosplay/Picture and why?"

P: Ooo, that's got to be a toss up between one of my silliest niche cosplays, Harry Biscuit from the Radio 4 comedy audio drama Bleak Expectations, and one of my more skilled cosplays, Giselle from Enchanted.

"Most used skill/tool when crafting cosplays or editing (foam/sewing/shopping/photoshop/lightroom)"

P: I use fabric paint quite a bit, and I've gotten some really nice detail on some cosplays with that, and I always edit photos on my phone using Snapseed! Not a very technical programme, but it is free and incredibly convenient! XD

"Favourite Con"

P: Gotta be the last con I went to with the Somerset cosplayers crew: LFCC 2020

(SC: Awh 😍)

"Best location to shoot"

P: My best photos have been outdoors in a pretty park or on a beach, natural light photos always come out so much better for me because I dont have all the lighting equipment to make a photo shoot look nice in doors!

"Your current Camera equipment"

P: I got an m100 canon eos second hand at the start of lockdown, and I usually use a tripod unless someone is kind enough to take photos of me XD

"Dream Cosplay to Shoot/Wear"

P: Ohhh I dont know, a nice big princess dress probably, something with huge skirts that require a double door to get through XD I will always have more plans than cosplays!

"What are you working on now?"

P: I started planning stuff for Susan from Discword, Martin from Cabin Pressure, all the phantoms from Julie and the Phantoms, Arthur from Merlin... like I said, more plans than cosplays!

"Why do you like being part of the Cosplay community?"

P: Its genuinely so much fun, and the only interest that connects all of us is cosplay, so the diversity of people you get to meet and learn from is incredible! I've met some of my best friends through cosplay!

"What advice would you give to someone starting out (Cosplaying/Photography)"

P: You have to do it because you're having fun, even if you think it doesnt look good! If you had a good day spending time with your friends, making something with your hands that you're proud of, getting that rush from finding the last piece that is going to complete the costume for you - then that is the most important thing, forget everything else.

www.instagram.com/peggycosplays

[supermodelcats]

My beautiful Tripod, Peggy Pegleg

[ball-of-wool]

The other day I walked past a girl in an all pink outfit taking her own photos in front of this Peggy’s with a tripod, going back and forth with her phone’s self timer and posing up a storm (bearing in mind this cafe is right on a main road) and I am inspired to channel her level of unbothered-ness for the rest of the week 😎 I salute you gal, you looked amazing and please continue to live your best life! 💖 (at King's Road, Chelsea, London/ U.K.) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLlSQ7BOHi/?igshid=9j8c5z1iw3pw

[kayjay63]

Coronavirus Lockdowns Spark Boom in Home Schooling for Grown-Ups From her home in Portland, Ore., Peggy Dean perches her iPhone on a tripod and records five-minute lessons on subjects ranging from modern calligraphy to watercolor. Since the coronavirus struck, demand for her videos has soared, with viewing figures doubling… Read More

[ifitfallsonthefloor]

It started in July with a limp.

Well, a limp is nothing new to Malcolm and I.  Between Amore and a Dolce and all their combined surgeries, a limp is nothing.  When it comes to the girls, a limp can be caused by a multitude of things.  A bad landing when jumping out of the SUV.  An embedded cacti spine.  Arthritis.

It was a slight limp, no biggie.  Dolce still loved her walks, was still jumping up on the couch and scrambling off the bed.  Dolce still ran after Amore and ran in for dinner.  Her eyes still bright and full of life, it was nothing to be concerned over.  It was just a little noticeable.  Really, it was nothing.

It was a persistent limp.  Like a lingering cough, it just wouldn’t go away.  A vet visit determined it was macro-degerative joint disease or in common language, arthritis.  Not an unexpected diagnosis.  Dolce was a month shy of nine years and in Berner years, this is old.  After shoulder and leg surgeries in her puppy days, arthritis seemed not only plausible but a reasonable conclusion.  Nine years of over compensating on her driver’s side had created complications down the road.  Pain meds were prescribed, exercise was ordered, weight loss recommended.  All geared to help with her arthritis.  We were all over it.

But the limp didn’t go away.  It was the end of August and the limp had worsened.  To the point where Dolce wasn’t putting any weight on her left paw.  Her load-bearing front leg was hitched up, held up, and she refused to use it.  Her walks were shortened, her running subdued and awkward.  Dolce was hopping, not walking.  She was panting, not breathing normal.  Her eyes dull, not shiny. She was in pain.  Terrible pain.  Worried, Malcolm and I made an appointment for a Canine Physical Therapist.  A rehab specialist for dogs.  We knew how important it was for Dolce to use her leg, and it was obvious the arthritis had advanced.

One look at Dolce’s front paw and we were told to head straight to our vet.  Something wasn’t right.  Our worry turned into panic.  Another set of x-rays showed the bone configuration had changed.  It was time for a biopsy.

Biopsies are never fun. For neither the patient nor the parent.  Dolce needed to spend  time in the vet hospital, Malcolm and I needed to wait for the results.  We had an unknown. Arthritis is much easier to understand and comprehend.  Humans have arthritis.  Berners have bad hips, e.g., Hip Dysplasia. We could deal with arthritis – but this new unknown threw us off kilter.  We were unprepared.  The “what if’s” and “if so’s”  and “how do we’s” swirled in our heads.  Our discussions were geared around quality of life, and costs, and the unacceptable that neither one of us were willing to say out loud, but it stood out there like the ugly pink elephant in the room.  The only one not affected was Amore.  She was soaking up the attention, having us all to herself.  With one less child in the house, Amore was loving the extra love.  No sharing us, the couch and bed just for her.

It was the end of September when Malcolm called me at work.  I remember it was mid-afternoon and I had worked through lunch.  “Hon, you need to come over to Dr. Gruda’s.”  No hello.  Tersely spoken.  “Let me finish up what I’m working on and I’ll meet you over there.”  “No, honey, now!  I’m already there.”  Click.  Dr. Gruda has been the girls’ vet since he removed their dew claws at two days old.  He has been through every surgery, every sickness, every shot Dolce and Amore has had.  I headed his way.

Our waiting was over.  The biopsy confirmed Dolce had a cancerous tumor entwined between the bones of her left front paw.  On the driver’s side.  Our sweet, sweet Dolce had cancer.  The dreaded big “C”.  Our worse fears confirmed. We were devastated.  “Has it spread?”  “What does Dr. Gruda say?”  “What are our options?”

“Honey, we either amputate in the morning and start chemo ASAP, or Dr. Gruda needs to put her down this afternoon. We have to make a decision.  Now.”  There was no question in my heart as to what we should do, but there were so many more concerns to discuss.  Monetary issues being one of them. Surgery and chemo wasn’t going to be cheap.  Less than college but a whole lot more than braces would cost if we had kids. Does anyone want to put a price on a life? When does it become too much? Chemo treatments might only extend her life by 18 months or so. Was it worth the expense? Dolce had just turned nine.  With a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years, we were in her bonus years as it were.  What if her hips go out.  Or her other paw?  What if the cancer had spread? What if? What if?  I was a wreck.  Malcolm was my rock.

With a deep breath and a choking gulp, I told Malcolm I wanted to amputate.  I wasn’t ready to let Dolce go.  I just couldn’t do it. My sweet, sweet baby was still good everywhere else.  She still had heart.  She still had three mostly good legs. We walked inside the vet’s office and signed the release.  I am thankful Malcolm felt the same.  Surgery was scheduled for early the next morning.

And just like that Dolce is now a three-legged canine.  Her limp turned into gimp.  Although in pain from the surgery, Dolce’s breathing evened out, her eyes back to bright.  Dolce no longer suffered with pain.  My little trooper was a bit unsteady, wrapped in bandages and gauzes, and wobbling on three legs, but was able to come home a week later.

It’s been ten weeks since surgery.  We are on the last leg of chemo treatments and slowly building up Dolce’s stamina.  She is gaining her confidence back, growing stronger, and learning a new kind of balance. Her walks are longer and just this Thanksgiving weekend, she ran past us while out on the trail. A first.  She struggles with stairs with over two steps, and with positioning her back legs.  She still needs assistance getting up on the bed but can jump on the couch like an old pro.

All in all, she’s a healthy canine.  She is accepting of the circumstance.  We tease her and call her Peggy, Gimpy  and Tripod.  She jokes back with a push between our legs.

Its a new life.  For all of us. But we have our baby.

The limp It started in July with a limp. Well, a limp is nothing new to Malcolm and I. 

[jeremystrele]

The Top 10 Most Loved Homes Of 2019!

The Top 10 Most Loved Homes Of 2019!

Homes

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

The entry area to Mardi Ola’s spectacular converted warehouse in South Yarra. Antique cabinet filled with various art pieces: David Bromley ‘Noah’s Ark Bronze Animals’, Gemma Smith acrylic sculpture from Sarah Cottier Gallery, and Vanilla Netto neon from Arc One Gallery. Vintage Soriana sofas purchased on 1st Dibs. Painting by Gemma Smith from Sarah Cottier Gallery. Painting in hallway by Vanilla Netto from Arc One Gallery. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

View of the library. Vintage pendant from 1st Dibs. Jardan ‘Sunny’ sofa. Behruz Studio rug. Joe Columbo ‘Elda’ chair. Curtis Jére ‘Brads’ table lamp. Maria Fernando Cardoso feathered hanging totem from Arc One Gallery. ‘Blow Up’ chair from 2st Dibs. Gemma Smith paintings from Sarah Cottier gallery. Vintage leather dining chairs from 1st Dibs. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘This is actually the girls’ homework table – it’s never looked neater!’ Mardi says. Solid oak tripod table by Louella Tuckey. Vintage Japanese glass vessels on table from Made In Japan. Industrial steel doors and windows by Skyrange. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

View into the kitchen. Lacanche range, custom brass rangehood surround. Solid European oak joinery with stone masonry by Hendersons (‘seriously the best laughs ever working with those guys!’ Mardi says), vintage plaster from Geoffrey Hatty. Swing placement by Louella Tuckey – who insisted Mardi needed it in the kitchen. Cappellini ‘Hi-Pad’ stools from Dedece. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Jaw-Dropping Apartment Is One Of Australia’s First Warehouse Conversions

Everyone is now familiar with the converted warehouse… but this was one of the first examples in Australia! This home of designer Mardi Orla is seriously jaw-dropping, with soaring ceilings and a New-York-In-The-60s vibe. The vintage mushroom collection is NOT TO BE SCROLLED OVER. We can hardly believe this home is in Melbourne!

Revisit the original story here

Looking through the dining room out to the garden. Lamps in distance by PET Lamp from Safari Living. Washed blue cabinet from Manon bis. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A quiet nook. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Barb in her lush European garden, which she created with the help of local landscaper Gavin Smith. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Stylish, Sentimental Home In St Kilda

When our art director Annie Portelli gets excited about a home she’s styled for one of our shoots, we sit up and pay attention. Annie was seriously buzzing over the St Kilda home of Barb Hyman and her family. Barb renovated this once derelict grand mansion, into a chic and sprawling terrace of finely crafted luxury.

Revisit the original story here. 

The dining room looking out over that beautiful Warrandyte view! Wall hanging, cushion and ottoman by Sage x Clare. Leather chaise, dining table, wooden hand and shell chandelier all found at vintage bazaars. Dining chairs from Instagram account @ccss_tm. Jardan rug found on Gumtree. Lighting by Lights Lights Lights. Swing by Jesse Cleay.  Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Papasan chair from Gumtree. Cushion by Sage x Clare. Indigenous art from Leonard Joel. Palmtree art by Natalie Jade via Greenhouse Interiors. Black and white pot from Iggy & Lou Lou. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The amazing outdoor area. Dining chairs from Ikea. Table from Gumtree. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Warrandyte Delight

Over the last few years we’ve seen so many Melbournian’s head to Warrandyte in search of a tree change close to the city. Another major plus is the incredible modernist and mid-century homes you can still find in wonderful condition in the area! The unconventional property of Sage and Clare’s Phoebe Bell and Chris Monahan is a perfect example. The sprawling property is home to two families, filled with colourful art and objects, with sweeping views over the treetops.

Revisit the original story here.

The southern shady garden view of the house. The reading room upstairs angles to look out at the large snow gum. The rain chain was at the request from Fleur and carries rain from the small roof. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

View from the kitchen through the hallway and into the guest bedroom. Fleur’s father collected old books, and she says she has ‘inherited a love for them’. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

View from the living room to the dining and kitchen, as well as the deck and garden (partially established here by Bush Projects Landscape Architects). Another piece from the early morning group trip to the timber yard, which according to Fleur is ‘lovely to hug’. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Magical Inner City Treehouse

Fleur Glenn’s treehouse, designed by architect Murray Barker, is truly something to behold. This charming, yet contemporary home in Clifton Hill perfectly caters to this empty-nester’s book filled and tree-lined life!

Revisit the original story here. 

‘When we bought the house, only the left side was there. We felt the house looked unbalanced so when drawing up the plans we wanted to balance it out. We used the same colourbond steel and existing design features as we wanted it to look like it had always been like this, and not a new extension. We were so lucky with our builder as he had done the original renovation the year before so was across all the finishes and colours we needed. I love the dark tones of this house against all the greenery’, Chyka explains. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

The outdoor area is one of Chyka’s favourite places. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

This room was originally a gallery and didn’t really work for Bruce and Chyka. They decided to double the width and turn the colour scheme black – they wanted it to look dramatic, so peaked the ceiling to add the drama with three antler chandeliers. The room is light and bright thanks to the doors to the courtyard. The couch and chairs were old ones they recovered. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

The Impossibly Chic Chyka Weekender

Chyka Keebaugh puts her own distinctive flair on her ‘Nordic meets The Hamptons’ weekender! The Big Group co-founder was scrolling through instagram when she spied this holiday home (seriously!) and secured the property! Together with husband Bruce, Chyka embarked on large-scale renovations, including extending the grand master bedroom and major landscaping around THAT spectacular new pool.

Revisit the original story here. 

Sophie’s favourite view. ‘We decided to lay a ceramic tile that looks like wood in the kitchen and take it out to the garden. No one realises it’s actually a tile’ Sophie reveals! Rug from Pompon Bazar. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A snapshot of some of Sophie’s favourite artworks, by Esther Stewart and Bec Smith. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Sophie’s Gubi beetle chair sitting on the edge of the living room. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Colourful, Art-Filled Family Home in Balmain

Fashion industry expert Sophie Trippe-Smith and her entrepreneur husband Adam  have got some SERIOUS style! This bright and cheerful renovated 1880’s Balmain terrace is filled with colourful Australian artwork and eclectic pieces.

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The bright and joyful house of Kip&Co co-founder Alex McCabe, partner Bobby Babb and 10-month old Quincy! Pink concrete bench by Rutso, ‘the one thing I absolutely wanted for the house and love it’, Alex tells. Crocodile bamboo quartz splashback, found by Bobby and Alex peeking out from a dusty corner of a stone warehouse in Melbourne. Aged brass cabinets ‘roughed up” by Alex and Bobby with some apple cider vinegar. Black paper maché vase from India. Blue and white Italianate ceramic pot handed down from Alex’s grandma. A mix of European pottery and Indian paper maché vases on the shelf. Custom-made stools by Jason Blake. Mud Australia Pebble Bowl Large in Slate used as a fruit bowl. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Bedding and rug are new season Kip&Co (available in March!). Simple bedside tables from Grandfathers Axe. Bedside lamps from Cove Island Essentials in Canggu, Bali. Paintings are by Nancy Nodea and Peggy Patrick from the Warmun Art Centre, ‘both artists are from the Kimberley and work in traditional style, including using ochre from the local area.’ Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Outdoor chairs from Bali. Marble table top sourced on a trip to India. ‘Kip&Co’s manufacturing base is in India, so we try to get there at least twice a year’, Alex tells ‘Sometimes we get some time to sneak off and connect with amazing local artisans, like those in the stone workshop where this table is from’. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Home Of Joy And Light With Alex McCabe In Kip&Co

The home of Alex McCabe, founder of Kip&Co is, unsurprisingly, a joyful burst of colour!  Bright pops of art, textiles and objects create a unique sense of character in this St Kilda home, but the scene-stealer for us is that kitchen splashback. So glam!

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Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The Timeless Beachside Home Of A Magazine Industry Legend

Deborah Bibby is a magazine industry legend, having spent 11 years as Editor-In-Chief at Real Living Magazine, as well as working as editor at JONES Magazine, Dolly, and Cleo. What a line-up! Deb brings her exacting eye for detail to this renovated beachside haven. A timeless delight!

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The home was originally designed by Australian designer, builder and landscape architect Alistair Knox, who is renowned for many wonderful homes in the Eltham area. Pop and Scott Dreamweaver Pot. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

”I sobbed with happiness that all I could see were trees around me’ Sunni said of the first night they moved in. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The reading nook with a delightful ‘hodge-podge’ of secondhand furniture.Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Home With A Warm Hart

Doula Sunni Hart is a veritable ray of sunshine, so it is no surprise that the Eltham home she shares with partner Pete their two kids, Fox and Dizzy, as well as housemates Tilly and Thea, is a warm and welcoming space. The sprawling Alistair Knox-designed property was a dream come true for Sunni, who has long loved the Eltham home. The family have brought their own personal flair to this mid-century delight, introducing their own ’hodge-podge’ of treasured collections to the stunning home.

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The custom-designed mousehole entrance to Emma and Tom Lane’s spectacular Spanish-inspired home in the Byron Hinterland. Dragon tree in custom-designed corten pot. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The living room. 300-year-old Croatian roof tiles sourced by Sonya from Jatana Tiles line the floor. Oregon timber shelves made from the old roof trusses in the original house. Sunken lounge designed in partnership with Sarah Ellison Studios. Rafters made from recycled spotted gum from a bridge in Goulburn. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The living room, overlooking the expansive property. Sunken lounge designed in partnership with Sarah Ellison Studios. Coffee table from Ha’veli of Byron Bay. Solid stone Byron Bay-built fireplace made from basalt rocks foraged on the property. Rafters made from recycled spotted gum from a bridge in Goulburn.Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The pool area overlooking the Byron Hinterlands.Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A Spectacular Spanish-Influenced Homestead In The Byron Hinterland

If there was one hone that really took our collective breath away this year, this was it. Emma and Tom Lane of the beloved The Farm in Byron Bay shared their own spectacular home in Coopers Shoot in the Byron Hinterland. The Range is set on 120 acres and was designed and built using adaptive reuse principles, with an emphasis on natural and recycled materials. The result it a serene and luxurious haven, designed for inside/outside living. Seriously, if this isn’t ‘living the dream’, we don’t know what is!

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[steveprezant]

Way, way,back when… I was just starting out, barely starting to work and driving a cab part-time. I would shoot tests with models for my portfolio and in exchange give models prints that they could also use. I’m not sure which agency Peggy was with, but after shooting some images for her, I wanted to try adding some sort of motion to a still shot. While on a tripod I had her stay still for about an 1/8 of a second. Anyway, as you can see, fashion (it was a long time ago) wasn’t exactly my forte, but I put the image in my book. While going to an ad agency, an art director saw the image and after making sure I shot with a Nikon,thought it would be terrific for what he was working on. And this was the happy (for me, at the time) result… #tbt #newyork #nikonphotography #bnw #model #streets #streetlife #photoshoot #manhattan (at New York, New York)

[dananickerson]

Peggy's Cove sunset - I wasn't sure as I was driving here if I would catch anything with the snow and cloud cover. Once I arrived I set up a few different angles but selfie tourists were all over the place. The wind was strong and unbearably cold, so no one stayed in one place for too long. I decided to stay put and set up my tripod in case I needed to blend multiple pictures together to remove the people - I had a brief moment where everyone was on the other side of the lighthouse. Overall happy with the very short time I spent here, will need to return sooner than later. 50mm f11 iso 100 1/125